Kisha shook her head lightly, but not without sympathy. She didn't want to crush their hopes entirely, so she explained, "We've just expanded our territory and are still in the middle of building more infrastructure. Right now, we're working hard to develop this place into a self-sustaining base. We already have over 5,000 residents, and living arrangements are tight. Taking in more survivors at the moment would strain our living spaces and delay our progress."
She paused briefly, then added, "That's why, instead of opening our gates to more people right now, we're opening trade routes. It gives other survivor groups a chance to survive on their own terms—without overwhelming our systems. Once we've stabilized and expanded enough, then we'll see how many more people we can safely bring in."
