Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Well, there's fuck all I can do about it." Drew said as he pulled the truck into the parking lot.

"I'm not familiar with that phrase Drew Wright."

"It basically means it's out of my hands, there's nothing I can do about it. If the Primordial of Death wants a Drew channel on the multiversal tv, then the best I can do, is hope my life isn't too boring for her."

"Ah, I see. That's a valid point." Spock agreed.

"Anyways, it looks like we're here. Same rule as always, don't mention anything about doomsday or magic. Also, we can look at the firearms, but we cannot buy any today."

"Wouldn't it be prudent to purchase the firearms since we're already here?"

"Yes, it would. However, to buy a gun you need a driver's license. I have one, however the picture on it is how I used to look like as a human. Technically speaking, I'd be in big trouble if we were pulled over by the police, which is why I've been purposely going under the speed limit."

"I see. Why is it necessary to have this driver's license to buy a weapon?" Spock inquired.

"It's a measure that the government came up with. The purpose is to lower the amount of criminals that can get their hands on them."

"Is that an effective policy?"

"Honestly? No. It does help lower the amount by a margin, but if someone really wants one, they will find a way to get them. Some resort to theft, or getting their non-criminal friends to buy guns for them, it's a bit of a shit show. That's the thing about criminals, they're criminals. Some of them are very willing to break the law."

"Why would the government keep that policy if it isn't effective?"

"Because the idea behind it is to reduce the ease of access and make it more challenging, even if someone has broken the law in the past, it doesn't mean they're willing to do so again."

"I see." Spock said.

"Yeah, anyways, let's head in."

They locked the truck and walked into the store. In the rural south, there were four types of gun stores. Big box stores like Cabela's, outdoor sports equipment stores, and giant modern gun stores. Finally there was mom and pop shops. They had a bit of everything, but were more limited on selection. They were usually older and mainly focused on low end to mid range equipment, however the customer service was normally top notch and they were more willing to work deals out.

The store the guys entered was of the later category. It was relatively large for a mom and pop shop, but it was older and had likely been family run for a couple of generations. There were gun safes that ranged from handgun sized, all the way up to sixty gun lockers that looked like they belonged in a bank vault. Scopes, and other visual equipment sat within glass display cases, as did many handguns. Long guns lined the walls with small paper price tags hanging from them.

Ammo, reloading equipment, magazines and holsters could be found in the aisles throughout the store, and there was an archery area in the corner as well. Three employees stood behind the display cases. Two of the employees, both middle-aged men, were helping other customers, while the third man had turned his gaze to greet Drew and Spock. He was a younger guy, likely in his mid-twenties, and was dressed in typical southern style. A straw cowboy hat sat atop his head, while his torso was covered in a flannel shirt, and a fine pair of jeans were held tight by a leather belt with a huge buckle that completed the entire ensemble.

"Howdy ya'll. Welcome on in, what can I help ya with today?" The man greeted them.

"Hey there, we're here to do a fair bit of shopping today. I need to pick up a large safe, some reloading equipment, and some archery stuff. I'd also like to take a look at a few guns while we're here, but I won't be purchasing any of those today." Drew said.

"That certainly sounds like a fair bit of shopping. Why don't we start at the safes?" He chuckled.

The man walked from around the counter and led the guys to the safe section. After talking for several minutes, the product selection was narrowed down to several options. Drew wanted something extremely large and spacious. His current safe was tiny in comparison, and he hated how cluttered everything was, not to mention it didn't have enough room to store any ammo. He settled on a fifty gun safe, with holsters for handguns attached to the swinging door, and due to doomsday coming up, he opted for a mechanical lock rather than a digital one. It had an absolute ton of room for firearms, a bit of ammo, lots of magazines, and some shelving for anything else that he'd like to put in there.

"What were ya thinkin about for the reloadin' equipment?" The man asked.

"It's been a while since I've done any reloading, so I might need some help picking out everything. That said, I'm interested in Dillion Precision if you carry them, so I'd prefer a progressive machine. I'll be doing several calibers, so I'd like to grab two presses preferably. I need the dyes for them, powder measures, and I'd also like to get a bunch of powder and reloading guides. I'll be reloading .357 mag and 38 special, .44 mag, as well as 500 smith and wesson for handguns. For rifles, I'll be sticking with 45-70, and 12 gauge for shotguns."

"Are ya not interested in .308 or 5.56?" The man asked.

"Nah, not today." Drew replied.

Drew knew that semi-automatic rifles weren't going to function in a few days as they were invented after the cut-off. On top of that, even after talking with Spock he wasn't totally certain that .357, 44 mag, and 500 smith and wesson would function. The issue was, they were invented after the cutoff, but at the same time, the overall technology of cartridges themselves predated the cutoff by a fair margin. So it was a bit of a gamble on his part. The only two calibers that would function for certain were .38 special and 45-70, he hoped the others did as well, but there was no way to know.

9mm as a caliber was technically available, however the only firearm that was invented in time were the old lugers, and those were difficult to find and he had heard many times in the past that the pistols were... finicky. So the safe bet, Drew decided, was to stick with revolvers and lever action guns. The man started pulling products from the shelves and putting them near the cash register to check out. He was going to take several minutes due to the sheer volume of things Drew had wanted to pick up. In the meantime, he walked over to the firearms counter to see what was available.

Why was Drew so insistent on guns when he had access to magic? Simple. Mana could run out, and not every class would have access to magic. He would rather have them and not need them, than need them and not have them. Was this going to cost a lot of money? Yes, an absolutely ridiculous amount, but that's why he had previously boosted all his credit limits. Not just his either, but his mother's and his wife's as well. As a family they were going all in. There were just too many unknowns to not take the threat seriously and do everything they could to prepare.

"Hey there fella, you lookin' for anythin' specific?" an older employee asked.

"Yeah, I'm interested in revolvers and lever guns, what do you have in stock?"

"A cowboy eh? It's nice to see the younger generation interested in the classics. Wheel guns are over in the right cabinet, and levers are on the wall above them. We have a couple used revolvers in the far left display as well. Just let me know if you'd like to look at anything."

Drew spent an hour looking at the different firearms with Spock following behind him. Drew would pick something out, and the older gentleman would hand it to him so he could handle it, work it's action, and check the sights. Sometimes Drew would hand his silent companion a specific model to show him how it functioned. Although Spock was interested and curious, it was easy to tell that he much preferred feeding the chickens and watching Amber and Freya play. After a little while the original employee turned back up.

"I've got everything ya need for the two presses, I also pulled aside a bunch of brass and bullets in case ya wanted to pick them up also."

Drew walked over to the cash register to check everything out. Everything looked great, all the supplies were piled up neatly and easily organized so he could double-check his future purchases. However, he was going to need a lot more brass, same with the powders and primers. He went ahead and gave the employee instructions to gather more supplies and to meet him in the archery area. Drew and Spock took some time looking around the area before the employee came back.

"Sorry about that, I had to go in the back to get the rest of it. Are ya'll preppin' for the apocalypse or somethin'?" The man asked.

Drew watched as Spock went rigid in his peripheral vision, paling slightly.

"Something like that, you'd be wise to do the same with society the way it is these days." Drew chuckled.

Spock turned his head to look at Drew in a fashion that appeared similar to the way an old clock's hands would move. His eyes were wide and sweat began to appear above his brow.

"Haha! Don't I know it! Things just aren't the way they used to be growin' up. What can I help ya with in the archery department?"

"We're looking for a bunch of stuff... again. Sorry to make your job hard today. I'm looking for several bows, recurve specifically. I need some lower draw weights, but some higher ones also. Basically I need a beginner's, hobbyist's, and pro's levels of draw strength, three bows per weight would be perfect. I also need them set up. Additionally I'd like three recurve crossbows, arrows, bolts, quivers, practice points, and heads for everything."

"Holy smokes man, are ya trying to get the boss to give me a bonus or somethin'?" The man asked.

"Nah, but that would be a happy coincidence if it did happen, wouldn't it? I'm buying the bows and crossbows for my nephews, my brother is way older than I am, so his kiddos are almost eighteen. Figured I'd go all out with my tax refund this year and do something nice for them." Drew lied expertly.

"Ya got a heart of gold in ya. I'd be happy to get them ready for ya, but uh... I don't mean to be rude, but can you really pay for all this stuff?" The man asked nervously.

"Yessir, let's go ring me up, and once everything is paid for then you can work on them. That sound good?"

Back at the cash register, Drew split the payment across two credit cards as his total was over $9,000. It was the single largest purchase he had ever made outside of a vehicle or house, and inwardly he winced as he inserted the cards into the chip reader. The employee was sweating a storm as the cards were being processed. Drew was fairly certain the employee thought he was full of shit. Not that he blamed him, if it was any other day of the week and some random person came in claiming to want to blow that kind of money, it would definitely raise a few eyebrows and questions. That and it was always super awkward to have to tell someone they were too broke to afford something.

It didn't happen in this case, both cards went through completely fine. He didn't even receive a call from the fraud department of either card company. Most likely that was from him letting them know he was planning to make several large purchases within the next couple of days. The receipt printed out and the employee seemed speechless.

"Ah, I am sorry for doubtin' ya friend. It's goin' to take awhile to get the bows ready for ya." The man said.

"No worries, we'll get out of your hair and come back later today, we have some errands to run." Drew said.

"Would ya mind if I went an' got the owner real quick? He'd really wanna know about your purchase."

"Sure that's fine."

The man disappeared to the back of the store and left the guys to themselves near the cash register.

"Drew Wright, I thought you said to avoid talking about..." Spock started to say.

"Ah, yeah. Sometimes it's easier to joke around with someone, especially in uncomfortable situations. He either didn't believe me, or thought we were just crazy prepper folks who plan for doomsday. He doesn't actually think it's coming."

"I see. So you were not concerned?"

"No, people tend to accept what they assume to be lies much easier than uncomfortable truths." Drew answered.

"Whoa ho! Ya'll sure did pick up a bunch of fine products today!" A voice said.

Drew turned his head, it was the older gentleman who'd been helping him with the firearms earlier. He was walking out from the back with the employee following quickly behind him.

"Yeah we did, I'm guessing you're the owner?"

"David Hastenloff." The man stretched out his hand.

"Drew Wright, it's nice to meet you." Drew gripped the man's hand solid and firmly, yet not in an aggressive manner.

"Pleasure's all mine Cowboy. I appreciate the business. I take it Erick here helped ya'll out well enough?"

"Yeah, he was great, very helpful, and knew just what we needed. He made some excellent suggestions on items I wouldn't have thought about, so he was a huge help." Drew said.

David turned to look at Erik and seemed to give him an approving nod, then turned backed to the guys.

"That's mighty swell to hear. If ya'll need anything else, be sure to come back and I'll take good care of ya."

"We'll be back later today to pick up the bows. But I think my wife has been wanting to buy some of the firearms I looked at earlier, so she might be in here later this week." Drew said.

"When she comes in, ya tell her to ask for me and I'll make sure she's treated right. Might be able to give her a discount as thanks for your purchases."

"I'll do that. We're going to head out and run some errands, any chance I could get some help out to my truck with all this stuff?" Drew inquired.

The man laughed heartily as Drew had finished asking him.

"Hell, I'll personally move the entire store if ya bought it. Erick and I will load up your truck for ya. Ya'll just sit back and relax."

The guys sat in the the truck as David and Erick began loading up the bed. It'd been a very productive two hours so far, and there was plenty of time left in the day. Drew pulled up the next destination on google maps as he started up the vehicle. The next stop was going to be Cabela's. Could he have gotten all the gun and archery stuff there also? Yeah, but the shop they were parked out in front of was on the way, and he preferred to shop local when he had the chance. Sure, it really wouldn't matter in a few days, but the level of customer service was much better at mom and pops, plus it made him feel good to help out the regular folks.

Eh, who was Drew kidding? He loved the faces those two made when he had made his purchase. It made their day, and the employee was likely going to get a nice little bonus. Screw doomsday, he could still be nice and make someone else's day better once in awhile. So, why was he going to Cabela's then? They had way more selection and he needed a ton of clothes since nothing fit him anymore, and he needed the clothes to be rugged, stuff that could take some abuse. They also had a good selection of smokers.

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The morning wore on into the early afternoon as Drew stocked up on tough clothing and shoes for both himself and Spock. Why Spock? Well, he'd been wearing Drew's old clothing since he was a similar size to what Drew used to fit into, plus he came to Earth with nothing except the armor that was on his back and the weapon in his inventory. He also picked up some extra stuff for Amber and his mom just to be on the safe side. He was very happy to have a good selection of clothes for himself now, and Spock seemed to have fun getting to pick out his own stuff.

They stopped at a supplier for farming goods and picked up a bunch of seeds and manual farming tools, he also ordered fertilizer to be delivered to his house. Then they moved onto the bookstore, where Drew had promptly lost Spock as he frolicked through the aisles of written knowledge like a kid in a candy store already on a sugar rush. Drew had grabbed a basket and picked out several survival guides, books on the local ecology, medical books, and guides on bush craft.

He was extremely pleased to have found paperbacks of some of his favorite series, "NewbVillage", "Ancestral Woodsman", "Opposition of the Plunge", and "People Eating Tree". He was surprised the little book store had so many of his favorites, but was even more surprised when he went to check out. Spock had been waiting for him, with 4 hand baskets completely loaded to the brim.

"Whatcha got there buddy?" Drew asked while clearly amused.

"I wish to inquire if you might make a purchase on my behalf," he replied sheepishly.

"It sure looks like quite the purchase, why don't you show me what you picked up first?"

Drew set his basket on the ground as he started to go through the vast collection that Spock had picked off the shelves. Hmmmm, what did he find? Dictionaries, a Thesaurus, Classic Poetry, Modern Poetry, several books on art throughout the ages, Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythologies. It looked like he'd picked apart the entire store to end up with such a varied selection of texts. Several books on gardening, woodworking, and pottery. Blacksmithing for Dummies? Drew raised his eyebrow at that one.

The real surprise came towards the last basket however. J.R. Ward...with a photo of a masculine hunk of a man on the cover...

"You know this one is a romance novel catered towards women right?"

"I was curious..." Spock replied.

"We all go through that phase buddy, don't worry." Drew put the book back into the basket as he continued looking.

Some of the other standouts included a "Where's Waldo?" book, several young adults novels, a Goosebumps.... "Hello Kitty: Island Adventure"? Okayyyyy... What else? Drew picked up a magazine...

"Do you even know what Playboy is?" Drew asked while holding the magazine.

"No, and I couldn't discern more because it's sealed by that strange film, I decided it was best to purchase it so I may discover it's secrets." Spock said seriously.

"Oh yeah, you'll have fun with this one."

Drew finally got to the bottom of the last basket after going through so many texts of various forms. There sat three fiction books. "The Prime Directive", "Vulcan's Heart", and "Spock's World".

"I see you found your namesake." Drew said.

"It appears so. I'm curious as to how this man lived, and why the name was chosen for me."

"Well, its fiction, so he didn't truly live. That said, he's considered an icon and hero to many people."

"Truly? Would you consider purchasing these for me?" Spock inquired.

"Sure man, books are some of the best entertainment out there."

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The guys made their way back home as it was late afternoon. Drew had gotten everything accomplished that he needed to, and they even had time to drop the original purchases back home before returning back to town with the trailer to pick up construction materials. They'd picked up the archery equipment before heading to get the pizza that Drew had ordered for them, and were now on the road back home. The pickup was packed full of concrete, wood, nails, and tools. It was so full, that Spock sat with the bows between his legs in the front seat, as every slim space had been taken over completely by the building materials. Even when they hit a bump on the highway, there wasn't a rattle, as the purchases simply had no room to move.

By the time they got home, Drew had decided on his plan of action for the night. Finish emptying the truck, and spend time with Amber. It was time to talk about what her plans were with the upcoming doomsday. Not to mention, he felt like it would be nice to just spend some time with his wife. Everything had been go, go, go since yesterday, and he was sure it would get worse, so a date night with her was just what he needed.