Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Stench 1
Scrambling, Evelyn Ford pulled out two air quality monitors. After she switched them on, the readings began to skyrocket.
The air quality index instantly shot past 150. Evelyn watched as the number continued to climb, finally fluctuating erratically between 180 and 190, refusing to stabilize.
Evelyn Ford called Ronan Kendrick into the bedroom to show him the monitor. Just then, the index suddenly spiked, soaring past 200.
"The pollution is severe, but I’m not sure what kind. We should wear masks." Evelyn’s expression was grave. She took out a pack of masks, handed it to Ronan, then unwrapped two for herself, putting them on to cover her mouth and nose completely.
Ronan Kendrick patted her arm. "Don’t worry. First, let’s see if it’s toxic."
"Without professional equipment, is there any way to test if this smell is toxic?"
A glint appeared in Ronan’s eyes. "I have an idea."
He took a bowl and sliced open his palm with a knife, and blood immediately began to drip into it.
"Ronan!" Evelyn cried out in alarm. He just looked up and gave her a small smile.
"It’s nothing. Doesn’t hurt at all. We’ll place this bowl of blood out in the open. If the air is toxic, the blood will spoil quickly and start to stink."
By the time the bowl was half-full, the wound on his palm had already healed. Evelyn took the bowl of blood and placed it behind the cabin. Wearing her mask, she waited nearby. At first, there was no change. Exposed to the air, the blood quickly began to coagulate. It was a deep red and had a strong, metallic scent.
When Ronan came over, Evelyn was still staring at the blood in the bowl.
"It’s been half an hour. The color has darkened a little, but there’s not much change. I guess this stench isn’t toxic."
Evelyn sighed in relief. "The smell is one thing, but as long as it isn’t toxic, we can endure it."
"Do you think this stench is just in our area, or is it across the entire Northwest? Or maybe the whole of Azure?"
Ronan glanced at the hazy white sunlight. "I suspect anywhere the sun is shining, this stench is spreading."
"What should we do with this bowl of blood?"
Ronan pondered for a moment. "Let’s leave it here for now and check on it again in a few hours. The smell is a little strong. Let’s head back."
Because of the stench, Evelyn ordered everyone to stay inside the cabins. Officer Graham led a few people to start making face shields and masks, and they plugged all the cracks around the doors and windows. Evelyn tried to see if burning mugwort could drive away the odor, but even after lighting several sticks of incense, it had no effect.
At four in the afternoon, Evelyn went to check on the bowl of blood. A layer of fine black grit, like sparkling coal dust, had condensed on the surface. However, the moment Evelyn picked up the bowl, she was hit by such an overwhelming stench that it made her eyes water and squeeze shut.
It took Evelyn a long moment to recover. She finally confirmed it: the blood had spoiled. The foul air carried toxins. They were invisible and intangible, but they could precipitate out into liquids. The black grit on the blood’s surface was the precipitated toxin.
Evelyn returned to the cabin and told Ronan what had happened. For once, his expression turned grim.
"Could it be a toxic gas explosion somewhere on Azure? Or maybe a meteor carrying some kind of toxic mineral struck the planet, and now the strong sunlight is causing it to vaporize and spread through the air?" Evelyn began to voice her wild theories.
Ronan looked at her with a small smile. "Your theories all make sense. The blood did spoil, so the air is toxic. The only question is whether it’s harmful to humans."
Evelyn sighed. "Breathing too much of it has to be harmful. Dizziness, nausea, that sort of thing. If you make someone live next to a latrine, their sense of smell is bound to be affected after a while."
"We have to tell everyone. In a situation like this, nowhere is safe. Survival is just a matter of luck now." Evelyn had actually calmed down. ’Since there’s no way to fight it, we’ll just have to live one day at a time.’
The others were all working in the adjacent cabin. When Evelyn went over, everyone was sitting on the floor. The men were cutting fabric with scissors while the women sewed masks and face shields with needles and thread.
As soon as the door opened, a blast of the stench seeped in from outside. Evelyn quickly shut it.
"Evelyn, Ronan, you two shouldn’t be wandering around outside. I feel like I’m going to throw up after smelling this for a while. It has to be toxic. We should all just hide in the cabins."
Evelyn gave a wry smile. "The cabins aren’t airtight glass boxes. No matter how well we seal them, the stench will still get in. We’ve already confirmed the air is toxic. If you’re feeling nauseous, that means it’s harming your body. Everyone should stay inside the cabins for the next few days, and if you have to go out, you must wear a mask and a face shield."
Wyatt Vaughn, holding Zoe, had a look of utter despair. "I just hope this stench disappears soon. Zoe threw up several times just now. It scared us all to death."
Evelyn went over to check on Zoe. Children have delicate digestive systems and lower resistance, so vomiting was a normal reaction.
"I brought some medicine. I’ll brew it in a bit, and everyone should have some. Quincy, where’s that Pallas’s cat?"
Quincy pointed to the cabin where he was staying. "It’s shut inside."
Evelyn nodded. "I’ll look after it for you for now. We’re suspending patrols for the time being. Don’t worry about the livestock area, either. Focus on making more masks and face shields. With the leftover fabric, everyone should make a protective suit for themselves."
After saying this, Evelyn pulled Officer Graham aside to give him a few instructions, then left with Ronan.
"I’m going to check on the horses in the stable."
Ronan took her hand. "I’ll go with you."
The two of them went to the stable. After opening the door, Evelyn carefully checked on the animals. The horses seemed to be fine, unaffected by the stench.
Evelyn took some Four Seasons Green from her space to feed them, then filled the water trough.
When the horses saw Ronan, they became as meek as mice seeing a cat.
Evelyn sometimes wondered if Ronan had been a tiger or a lion in a past life. ’He doesn’t have to do anything, just stand there, and animals seem to have a natural fear of him, an instinct to submit.’
Back in their cabin, Evelyn couldn’t wait to rip off her mask. Her neck and forehead were slick with sweat, and her clothes clung to her skin, sticky and uncomfortable.
Evelyn had just taken a shower and was lighting the firewood in the stove. Ronan was helping her. Since everyone else was busy making masks and face shields, cooking duty had fallen to the two of them.
An hour and a half later, it was time to deliver the food. Ronan carried a wooden bucket filled with cornbread buns, and Evelyn carried a pail of pork rib and radish stew. As soon as they reached the other cabin, everyone rushed to greet them.
"Finally, it’s time to eat."
"How many masks and face shields did you make?"
Wyatt Vaughn counted them. "Twenty masks and ten face shields. We don’t have a sewing machine, so we’re doing it all stitch by stitch. It’s too slow."
"It’s fine, there’s no rush. Let’s call it a day and continue tomorrow. Everyone eat first."
"Evelyn, has the stench outside let up at all?"
Evelyn shook her head. "No."
"I told them it hadn’t, but they didn’t believe me. Right now, being outside the cabin is like living in an outhouse."
Quincy had just gone out to use the toilet and was nearly overcome by the stench.
