"Like what?"
"Well, I could do with some more batteries. In fact, if I could find one of those solar recharging panels then that would be really useful. I can live with disposable batteries but having something that I can re-charge will be more future safe."
"Such a thing exists?" asked Justin.
"I'm not an expert. I wouldn't be surprised if this is something that exists overseas but just never came to Australia."
"This country really is the arse end of the planet."
"Yeah," agreed Dave. "So my immediate plan is to fill out my backpack with a few things that I didn't think of before. This will take up the rest of today. I hope that you don't mind, but I'd like to stay the night."
"That's okay. So you're planning on leaving tomorrow?"
"No." said Dave frowning. "When bringing the trolly up here I noticed that you have no defences."
"We're on the roof. Those things don't seem to be able to climb up here."
"You're talking about the outside of the building. I'm talking about the stairwell."
"What about it?"
"I asked Eric and he said that all you do is just close the door at night."
Eric looked embarrassed but Dave tried to reassure Eric by patting him on the shoulder.
"You don't think that's enough?" asked Justin.
"I suspect that it's good enough to stop one visitor. But what if a dozen or so turn up and start throwing themselves at that door. Do you think that that door will survive such an attack?"
"What do you suggest?"
"If you aren't opposed to it," stated Dave, "I want to spend a few days here trying to figure out how to make this roof top more secure. I don't like the idea of just leaving you people to die."
"Thanks. But we need that door. We can't seal it. It's the only way to get up here. Without those stairs we wouldn't be able to get supplies."
"So there's no ladders?"
"I think there's a fire exit, but that is on the outside. It would be really hard getting enough supplies to feed everyone if we had to use the fire exit. Plus, if we do get visits from the dead then they are usually outside."
Dave looked thoughtful. "I've noticed that the doors to this shopping centre are all open. What if we close them, and then have a fallback defence for the stairwell that we only use if the inside of the shopping centre falls."
"We've tried," said Eric. "The main doors are roller doors and need electricity to run."
"Maybe this place has a generator that we can fire up long enough to get the doors down?" suggested Dave.
"I haven't explored this place well enough," said Justin, "to even know if such a thing exists."
"I think I know where the generator is," said Eric.
Everyone looked to Eric with surprise.
"And here I was," said Sid, "thinking that you were just slacking off with your wandering around. Sounds like you're our man for knowing where everything is at."
Eric blushed a little at this rough praise.
"Okay then," said Dave. "Tomorrow's goal is to get this place sealed up."
* * *
Dave looked at Eric and said: "Now, I need some new underpants. Can you give me some directions to a clothing store?"
"Sure," said Eric. "But how about I take you there? I might find something for myself."
"Lead the way," said Dave pointing towards the stairwell leading into the shopping centre.
Eric started walking, followed by Dave, towards the stairwell.
Dave looked up at the sky. "We've probably got a hour or so of good light left."
"We should be careful," said Eric.
"Agreed. It's so easy to be distracted by something and lose track of the time. Although the shopping centre seems empty, I still don't want to be in it when it gets dark."
"Dusk is bad enough," said Eric as he open the stairwell door and went through it.
Taking over from holding the door open, Dave held it open while walking through.
"Let's do this quickly."
The middle of each floor was open so people could easily see from one floor to another. Eric led Dave to the fence that looked out over the lower floors.
"There's a few clothes stores," said Eric pointing to a store on the floor below them. "Most clothes are pretty fancy. But there's an affordable store just there."
"Even though money is meaningless, that's probably where I can get something that is most familiar to me."
Eric nodded. "Let's take the escalator."
Dave sighed. "Without power they are probably just awkward stairs."
Eric agreed as he led the way down the escalator to the front of a clothing store, where he stopped and looked towards Dave. Dave looked into the store to get an idea of its layout. He was surprised that a store with such a small front was so big inside.
"First I need one of these," said Dave as he approached one of the checkout counters, reached behind it and pulled out a large shopping bag.
Eric copied Dave and got a shopping bag for himself. Dave walked towards the back of the store where the men's section was located. Eric seemed to be trying to look everywhere at once.
"Do you come into these stores often?" asked Dave. "Your head is moving like it's on a swivel."
"Nah. My mother always got my clothes for me. I've not really had to come into a place like this."
"I shouldn't have asked that."
"Why do you say that?"
"A lot of people have been lost in the last few days. My question is one that could bring up some unpleasant memories."
Eric absentmindedly fingered a shirt that was on a rack near him. "I was here waiting for some friends when it all happened. My mother was back at home and I have no idea what has happened to her."
"So you are still hopeful that she's still alive?"
"No," said Eric letting the shirt go. "I'm certain that she is no longer alive anymore. My mother wasn't the most aware person out there. She probably even left the front door open as she does. She didn't have much of
