Sandy, the park ranger, asked, “Is electricity an option?”  Immediately, they all began searching.

“Yes!” Meg shouted.  Then her shoulders sagged.  “But damn, it’s expensive.  Twenty thousand.”

“It might be worth it,” Amanda argued.  “I mean, think of all the things we could salvage that run on electricity.  Refrigerators, lights, battery chargers for radios and lanterns, sewing machines, power tools, and I could maybe salvage some medical equipment like an x-ray machine or ultrasound eventually.”

By the time she was done, everyone seemed in agreement.  But Allistor wasn’t ready to pull that trigger yet.

“Let’s assume that’s our top choice for now.  But I want to do more research.  Like, how quickly we can earn more points.  And what else we might not be thinking of right now.” He looked around the table before his gaze rested on Meg.  “For example, has anyone looked to see if the sleeping quarters include bathrooms or showers?”

“Oh, shit.  No, I didn’t.  Anyone else?” Meg looked around, then her gaze went blank as she started her own research.

Lilly raised her hand.  “I’ve been reading about the system points.  It seems that there are a few ways for a Stronghold to earn them.  The most popular seems to be through the sale of resources.   Like, we could sell a few of the weapons you brought back.  Or some of the meat.  The points earned depend on the value of the item.  But it’s a one-to-one exchange rate with klax.  So you can also just purchase system points directly with Stronghold treasury funds.  And before you ask, we have zero treasury funds right now.”  She paused for a moment, looking at her interface.

“Okay, another way is by defending against attacks.  If something, or several somethings, or someone attacks us and we kill them, then we get the usual experience points, and the Stronghold gets the same number of system points.  We get a lesser number of points if we drive them away.” She looked at them and added, “Yeah, this includes if other humans attack us.  Or any sentient aliens after the stabilization is over.”

She let that sink in for a moment, then moved on.  “There’s also skill improvements.  If one of us improves a crafting skill, for example, while we’re inside this place, it will earn some system points.  More if one of us discovers a new recipe, creates a legendary weapon, invents a new gadget, that kind of thing.  There is a formula I don’t yet understand.”

Meg waited for her to finish, then added.  “Yes, each of the sleeping quarters comes with a main room, one bedroom with a bathroom and choice of tub or shower.  There are two-bedroom quarters that cost an extra thousand and still only have one bathroom.  Also, you can add kitchens and other rooms, most cost a thousand each.”

Allistor thought about it for a minute.  “Alright, two things.  First, regarding the sleeping quarters.  Let’s just say that the stronghold will provide the basic quarters, one bed and a bath.  If an individual wants to do so, they can pay for it themselves.  Any objections?”