When the glow faded, the place looked different.  Instead of the wooden and block structure that had stood here before, the thing was solid stone.  The big storefront window was now three much smaller windows, and three more appeared on the other side of the door.  The front door was still metal, though now it looked much more substantial.   And the glass back door was metal now as well.   The place was clearly built for defense.

The inside remained mostly the same, though there was now a stairway leading to a basement level.  Allistor didn’t think that had been there before.  Stepping down the stairs, he found a large room with a kitchen area and a long table.  To the left was a hallway with six doors on each side.  Further exploration showed him that each door was a ten-foot square sleeping quarters with a stone bed and half bath, much like the ones they’d built in the Warren.

Back upstairs, he took the time to explore the storage space in the back.  The gate now opened at his touch, after he identified himself to the biometric scanner.  He held off on authorizing others for access to this room.  The weapons in the main room were more than sufficient for now.   He might want to sell the excess supplies back here.

The storage room occupied one whole half of the building.  Wooden crates full of weapons were stacked all the way to the ceiling.  To one side was a room that must have previously been the office.  Now it was set up as a sort of commander’s quarters.  It featured a large bed, dresser, desk, footlocker, a small dining table with two chairs, a sofa, and a full bathroom.   Allistor was already picturing a romantic getaway with Amanda, a candlelit dinner amongst the mountain of weapons.  Grinning to himself, he exited the back area and closed the door behind him.

The other new feature was a pedestal set at one end of the display counter.  At the top sat a holoscreen like the ones the kiosk used.   He touched the screen, and it began to glow blue.

Would you like to communicate with the Stronghold known as The Warren?

He decided to try a verbal command.  “Yes, please call the Warren.”

A moment later, Chloe’s face appeared on the screen.   “Oh!  Allistor!  Hi!” She beamed at him.  “How are you on the TV?”

He chuckled at the little girl.  “This is a phone call, Chloe, hun.  Is your mom around?”  He was trying to figure out where the corresponding holoscreen would have popped up at the other end that Chloe was the first to answer.

“Mom’s out in the greenhouse with Ramon,” she said.  Looking over both shoulders first, she continued in a whisper, “I saw her kissing him this morning.  It was oogy!” She scrunched up her face, her nose wrinkling cutely.