What Arises (OPEN - Two Years Into a Zombie Apocalypse)

[Bwahaha]

NOTE: In this post, the word 'fortress,' refers to any relatively safe-from-zombies spot. If you want to sign up a group that has a large boat, lives without fortifications somewhere cold, etc, it will count as a fortress.


It has been two years since the Zed virus got out of hand. Society has collapsed and most of the world's population is dead.


However, some small groups and communities have managed to build small fortresses.


These all have some safety measures, as well as constant sources of food and water.


Eventually, these societies will come in contact with each other, via scouts or radio.


Rules:


Use common sense. If you wouldn't want it done to you, you probably shouldn't do it to someone else.


No killing other people's characters without permission.


If contacting members of a fortress that isn't yours, attacking, negotiating, etc, let the other RP-er respond before you make second posts.


Don't make your society (or any characters) all-powerful - you can have amazing power in one area, (like military or extra food for trade) but there needs to be some flaws. Food shortage, inconsistent food source, inability to grow food of their own, bad system for collecting water, lack of sanitation, lack of fighting skill, lack of weapons, lack of building materials, cowardice, ignorance, and many more, are all flaws you could insert into your society if you don't think it has any. If you have little potential external struggle, you need some serious internal struggle and vice-versa. A small, badly defended group could be running perfectly, and a large, well-defended group should have serious internal issues.


No groups larger than 1000

 

[Bwahaha]

Rima climbed the ladder to the second floor of the house, then turned around. Her mother handed her the bucket of fuel, then climbed the ladder herself.


"That's the last one," said Rima in a happy, satisfied voice. She pulled up the ladder. "We've got gas from every car in every garage on the block!"


"Do we really need this?" asked Esosa, as the two climbed the stairs to the roof, which was covered in a massive garden. "We don't have anything to use it for."


"Yeah, but it can be traded, when we meet other people."


Esosa didn't talk for a moment. Already on the roof, the two walked across the wooden board to the next one. They could hear the Zeds moaning below. There'd been a few hundred down there for almost two years. They didn't try to get into houses unless they heard loud noises, and Rima had removed the stairs to the bottom floors of all the houses on their block, anyways.


"You know, there's no guarantee other people are even out there."


"I know." Nothing could make Rima less perky. She'd just finished a project. "But just in case."


"Your father's really worried this is going to make a massive a fire."


"With nothing to start it? Unlikely. And we don't usually go to the house we're putting it in, anyway."


Rima and Esosa crossed a few more roofs, all covered with plants, then descended into a house. The stairs to the bottom floor were gone, though a ladder was nearby, ready to be put in place. The area in front of the stairs had more than two dozen containers of various sizes, including small garbage cans and large tupperware. No one in the family really knew much about cars or, so they didn't want to risk mixing different types of fuel, like diesel and regular, and possibly making it useless.


Esosa and Rima crossed several more roofs. Rima was excited, but tried to slow her pace to match her mother's.


Finally, they reached their original house. The roof had two layers - one half was completely roof, the other was a roof to the bottom floor, but right next to the top one.


Rima slide down the ladder to the lower roof and went through the glass doors to the living space. Her mother followed.


The upper floor's halls were shaped like a square U. The room Rima entered (what used to be a home gym) was right next to what used to be her art room. Those were both the left of the left parallel line. Rima's and Maya's bedroom, as well as the washroom in between was to the right of the right line. Esosa and Andrew shared the room in the middle of the U. A kitchenette (that now acted as their kitchen) with a four-chaired table, a mini-fridge, a toaster oven, and some counters, was south of the bottom line of the U. It was open to the rest of the hall. Behind it was the study, which was basically a room with bookshelves along the walls and a large desk with a computer. The completely-white paint room was filled with cucumber and tomato plants, and half the study was now used for storage. The home gym was where they kept their two electricity-producing bikes. The staircase used to be between Maya's room and her parents', but now it was gone, with a ladder lying in that hall.


The kitchen area was surrounded by other rooms, so it didn't have window. It made turning on lights safer.


"We're back!" announced Rima. "Got the last one."


"That's great!" smiled her dad. He didn't care about the fuel - he thought it was unlikely they'd ever need it - but Rima and his wife had been gone most of the day. He was glad to have them home.


Dad and Maya were at the kitchen table, Andrew giving his younger daughter an algebra lesson. The two lamps the family kept on their kitchen table were there, and one of the half-meter batteries was sitting on the ground, fully charged. It wasn't dark enough yet to justify using electricity, so the lamps were unplugged and off.


"Would the bridge across the street work?" Rima's latest idea had been to make a bridge from a roof on their block to one across the street, using wooden steps from stairs she'd removed. For the past two years, they hadn't gone into those houses, because the ground between them had so many Zeds. If she built a good bridge, she could safely reach the whole block via the roofs. So far, she hadn't tried, because the two-lane road and two front lawns combined made for quite a distance.


Andrew winced.


"It's doable, but dangerous. To make it sturdy, we'd need more steps than we have, as well as more nails. Even then, there's a small chance it could break."


"I could take apart some stairs to roofs and the one to the Nortans' third floor... I'll look for more nails tomorrow."


"Okay."


It was Rima's turn, so she spent three quarters of an hour on a bike, pumping electricity into one of their three batteries. When she came back into the kitchen, mom was reading, and dad and Maya were wrapping up their lesson. It was darker, and the lamps had been turned on. Rima read for a little.


Then it was dinner. Andrew pulled some carrots, cucumbers and spinach out of one of the coolers in the study. Rima put the radio down on the table next to her. The family chatted and ate. It wasn't a very filling dinner, but it tasted okay and there was enough of it to satisfy them. The warm lamplight and company was enough to make the dinner pleasant.


The family talked a little bit about the fuel, and people they might meet. Well after the topic had changed, Rima was still thinking about it.


After the typical Laird home evening, Rima fell asleep thinking about other groups.

 

[Albion]

Another typical sunny afternoon, he mused. It was quite nice, and the electricity generated was very valuable. But some days he wanted a nice cool afternoon that he could enjoy a nice cup of tea with a good warm blanket. He shook his head out of his musings and looked back down at the latrine pit he was building. A family had recently joined with them, and they needed a new ditch for their home. They didn't oft think of the zombies. most of the zombies had either starved or meandered west to Seattle, but the danger still remained. One day, perhaps, they might take the whole city back. But that was a far off thought, and he needed to get back to work.

 

[Pat]

For the past years, yeah, years, Jackson Able had to watch those Zomboids take ahold of the world, and home, from the goddamned CDC of all places. The government used up all it's sense up in making the Alphas. From outbreak to outbreak, quarantine to quarantine, the Alphas were shuffled around to exterminate anything that could hurt the taxpayers. Eventually, the placebo wonder drugs wore off, civies became as dangerous as the undead, and the entire military near disbanded from the desertions alone.


But how were they rewarded from trudging from sea to shining sea? They got front row seats to the end of the world. Docs must have got a kick out of lasting longer then the World Health Organization. Sure, the family was safe, and they lived pretty damn well, but the Colonel couldn't count how many ended up splattering their own brains over desktop monitors as the other lights across the world stopped blinking.


A soldier decked out in a LV4 Hazmat stalked up to him, but Jackson didn't need confirmation for the Op. In minutes he had his shit together, a whiskey shot downed, and a light yellow barrier between him and the living dead.


Time for good hunting.

 

[Bwahaha]

Maya and Andrew sat on the bikes together, pumping electricity. It was Esosa's turn, but when asked, she'd been happy to give it up, to go read a book she'd found recently.


The father and daughter had come to the bikes separately, but they had the same reasons - pride and boredom. They were both people with a lot of energy. They loved math, but the hour every day was getting to be too much. They loved solving problems, but the only ones left were too difficult. They were social, but after spending two years in a place with only four people, they could predict half of what a family member would say. They were very charismatic, but they didn't have any strangers to charm.


Then the pride. Rima came up with most of the ideas. She was faster on the boards, could do handy-work, and was better with plants and animals than either of them. She was also far more dedicated to improving the fortress, a type of fierce dedication the others hadn't been able to muster up lately. Esosa carried heavy loads of veggies, wood, and other things, gave everyone a medical check-up once a month, and was ready to fight things off.


Andrew and Maya couldn't fight. They weren't good with plants and animals. They are smart and creative, but their actual skill sets were mostly useless. So, they mostly did what they were assigned to, usually by Rima, who was somehow able to keep a map of every square inch of fortress, along with every single task that needed to be done, all in her head.


Before the virus spread, Rima's skills hadn't been needed much, all her potential locked away. Maya had been a shining star. Now it was reversed.


"Staring contest?" suggested Andrew, pedaling away. Staring contests between him and Maya weren't about who blinked first - they were about who looked away, breaking eye contact. Andrew, being an experienced businessman, always won. But Maya was getting better.


"Okay."


It was a solid six minutes of intense eye contact, before Maya looked away. She was getting a lot better - Andrew could get most people to look away after a few seconds.


"You're getting a lot better!"


"Thanks, daddy. But... what am I going to use this for?"


"Well, to tell you the truth... it's just in case." After ten years of being a parent (Rima had been adopted at four) Andrew had learned that he should just tell his daughters the truth. One of the few things they had in common was that they were both smart, and would find things out eventually anyway - if he lied, the only difference would be that they wouldn't trust him anymore.


"What will we do if other people come?" She'd already thought about this, and she knew daddy knew that.


"Well... I guess we'll invite them to the first floor of one of the other houses, but stay on the second, with the ladder up. We'll all be safe, and the talk will be on our terms... but you'd already thought of that, hadn't you?" He wasn't wrong. "But there's going to be danger if other people come - they'll probably be better-armed than us."


Maya nodded.


That night, alone in her room, she took out the hand-cranked radio she'd stolen from the study. She sat in the corner farthest from both the hallway and the bathroom between her and Rima's rooms. Then she pressed the button to transmit, and whispered into it.


"Please save us. There are five Zeds outside, and we're running out of food. I can't fight anymore. Please." Maya gave the address of a different house on their block, one they didn't go to very much.


She repeated this message once every few hours. The next day, she volunteered to put their fertilizer (diluted human urine and rabbit droppings) on a few roofs, including the one with the address she'd given. Maya went inside, to the first floor, and unlocked the front door. She left a note saying to go to the roof, then went back up. She left the ladder down.


Before she left the roof, Maya made sure there weren't any boards that could be used to get to other roofs on it. Anyone who came would have run of that house, but not of their fortress.


Maya repeated the message a few times per night, every night. She hoped someone would come - someone who was the type of person to go out of their way to save someone, even if they didn't get more supplies out of it.


She hoped her message wasn't tracked back to the actual address. That might raise suspicion. But could be dealt with.

 

[Pat]

"Hey Boss. CDC radioed in. We have a side objective."


Jackson sighed. Private Bachman was a walking ulcer. Good eye or not, the Colonel knew the sniper wasn't worth a damn in conversation.


"What?"


"Say that we should check out a radio transmission. Damn close to where we're scavenging."


Rubbing his temple, Jackson humored the boyish soldier. "And what is that? Actually, both of those, while you're at it."


"Don't blame me you don't know. You're the one that decided to ride the Director's ass about paper conservation, and then Billy for telling you why we're riding out to these 'hick' towns."


"If you don't get to the point soon, I might just have to cap your ass for dereliction of duty." Jackson joked half-heartedly.


"Guys in maintenance and the engineers complained about not having enough components. How they need replacements for everything. So we're hitting an old power plant, a few stores, and I quote, 'as many candy aisles as there are children in Rec.' I respectively call dibs on Twizzlers."


"You forget someth-"


"-Yeah. Radio transmission. Some girl, some others, are shacked up. Girl said they were running out of food and Zs were outside the door. Came in a few days ago, but apparently it aroused interest with Command."


"Dismissed Private. Go get some rest. Tommorow we'll have to suffer the ZED. Survivors probably lured more Zs than they depatched."

 

[Bwahaha]

Rima had to pee in the middle of the night. The toilets didn't work, but the buckets the family used were still kept in bathrooms.


When she came out, she could hear Maya. She was in her room, talking to herself, sounding like she was about to cry.


Rima gently opened the door to Maya's room, hoping to comfort her little sister.


Instead, she found Maya with a radio, broadcasting their street and city.


Rima stood there, shocked. Maya was clearly surprised at being caught, but finished her transmission nonetheless.


The older sister marched over to the younger one, curled up in the corner.


"Are you insane?" asked Rima in a harsh whisper.


"Don't worry. I told them we're out of supplies and surrounded. No one will come, who just wants to steal."


"And if they're cannibals? Or rapists? Or just enjoy killing?"


There was a pause, and Rima calmed down a little. From a logical perspective, only someone who wanted to help would respond to that. Of course, their definition of 'help,' might be a little different from that of the Laird family... Still. There was nothing that could be done now. Telling whoever was listening that they were well-armed would likely come across as BS, and would attract desperate thieves even if it didn't. It would tell people that they didn't want or need help - meaning they were doing well, and likely had something worth stealing. Maya had already told everyone their location.


So, the best thing would probably be to just leave things as they were. No more transmissions.


Rima grabbed the radio from Maya.


"It doesn't make sense to transmit anything now. The damage is already done..." Maya sighed with relief. "But what were you thinking?"


Now Maya looked like she was going to cry.


"I... I just... needed someone. Look. Before... this all happened. You were lonely. What would you have done if you didn't have your paints or plants?... I feel like that now, without any people around - I need some, for my sanity."


Rima felt a pang of sympathy.


"Okay... should we tell mom and dad?"


"What would they be able to do about it, other than worry?"


"Point taken."


There was a pause.


"Tomorrow, we should expand the gardens. Any roof that's partly covered should be fully covered. And the Roberts' roof - you know the one that's half-covered with those buckets for rainwater? - should have those buckets moved, in case a helicopter comes in." She saw the look on Maya's face. "Unlikely, I know, but possible... tomorrow, I'm going to do some more expansion. Are you going to help me?" Maya nodded.


So, the next day, the girls woke up early. They left a note on the kitchen table, then went out and weeded, pulled off some leaves for the rabbits so they wouldn't eat all their grass too quickly, harvested what they could, fertilized and watered the plants that needed it, and finished all their other daily work, before noon.


Then, the real work started. Rima took some pool noodles, epoxy, and a drill, and hooked up the last few gutters to funnel rainwater into indoor containers, through the windows. Maya moved the buckets from the Roberts' roof to the raised edges of other roofs, and put a few of them inside, under the improved gutters. The girls spent a few hours carrying dirt, bucket by bucket, from backyards to roofs. Then, they poured diluted urine on all that they could (they didn't have enough urine) and kneaded rabbit feces into the rest of the soil. In the last two hours of daylight, the girls took what half-ripe and over-ripening fruit they could spare and replanted the seeds. Then they made sure all the soil was wet.


As a precaution, they moved all the boards that connected the roofs, making sure that none of them were still out, so it couldn't be seen from below. Usually, when the boards weren't out, there was one or two on each roof. Their parents already inside, the girls moved them so they were all on four roofs, including their own.


The girls ate dinner lazily, then went straight to bed.


The next day, as Maya tried to think of what else they should do, she realized that all that time Rima had spent improving their fortress hadn't been because she was being antisocial - it had been because she was preparing to accommodate more people, should they ever come.


The girls hoped it would take a few weeks for other people to find them, so the new plants could grow, but they both knew they probably wouldn't be so lucky.

 

[Pat]

The Colonel gazed at his handiwork with pride. Took a half day of installation and clearing out Zs, but the ZED was finally set up.


Short for Zombie Entanglement Device, ZED was a nigh-indestructible amplifier known to only broadcast hardcore Iron Maiden for miles around, bringing hordes the same one spot for bagging.


This pretty little number sat atop an oil tanker, surrounded by cars that must have blocked in during the Panic, when American families finally saw through the Media's bullshit and just ran. Whatever usable fuel was already transferred to the humvees, and the few C4 blocks they had placed under the cars sealing in the tanker were secured.


Flicking it on, Jackson got his twenty men off into a back road before Z decided to swarm the place. Leaving Bachman on clean-up duty nearby in a secure looking deer stand, despite his protests.


The Laird family. Only one or two miles away in the town, suddenly noticed the departure of several hundred zombies... At least the ones that could still crawl or hear, and the distant blaring of some very hardcore Iron Maiden.

 

[Bwahaha]

All four members of the Laird family ran to the edge of the roof they were weeding on. They heard distant music. The Zeds were walking away. That was a relief, but who was playing the music?


Andrew and Esosa had been glad, but a little suspicious, when their daughters spent the day together to expand.


Now that they heard the music and saw this, immediately aftr the day after that labor, their suspicion grew. The girls knew this was coming.


"So..." began Andrew. He turned to his daughters. They both looked at the Zeds, elated, then turned to him and suddenly looked like they were caught stealing cookies.


Rima looked at Maya. The younger one sighed. She was about to talk with her head down, but, remembering the staring contests, decided to meet his eyes.


"We sent out signals on the radio. We told them that we were out of supplies and surrounded by Zeds. They wouldn't be here if they didn't want to help." Maya held eye contact for another second, then immediately looked at the ground again.


Rima was annoyed at that - Maya sent the transmission, Rima had stopped her from sending more - but realized this wasn't the best time to argue.


"Maya gave them the address of another house on the block. It's unlocked. If they come, it won't be directly to our front door."


"Did you give them the address to this house?" asked Andrew.


"No, Maya was the one sending the transmission."


"Okay." Andrew paused. "It's possible they're here because they think a little girl is in danger, and will rob us if they realize there are adults who can defend themselves."


"Dad," pointed out Rima earnestly. "Over the past two years, I took people into account too. The lowest platform second floor is seven feet up. And last night, Maya and I made sure that the boards were only on four roofs, which all had second floors ten feet up. And even someone who could jump three feet and reach seven, who could pull himself up by just his hands, would have to deal with us while doing that. We could just hit their fingers.


"Our fort is really hard to get into, and really easy to defend. I think no matter what, we'll all be safe if we just stay here."


There was silence for a moment.


"But what if they want to help?" asked Maya.


"Then they'll come here," answered Esosa.


"But, it's so unlikely that they're here for anything else..."


Rima and her dad made eye contact, as the other two continued to squabble.


"And that's a risk we don't want to take. I'm disappointed in you for using that radio."


"But mom..."


"No buts! We could die if we go out there."


"Actually..." began Mr. Laird.


"What?" His wife was clearly annoyed.


"We could go there discreetly," said Andrew. "Two people go, two stay behind and man the fort."


Esosa shook her head.


"We shouldn't split up."


"But it's the best way to spy it out," said Rima. "You, cause you're the best fighter, and one other person. While the zombies are distracted, you can go find a house closer up, break in, and watch from the roof."


"And how would we get back without touching the ground?"


"Wouldn't need to. Stairs are really defensible."


There was a pause, while they all thought about it.


"Let's see what they do," said Esosa. A sentiment they all agreed with.

 

[Albion]

Two new projects were being worked on as of now. The men were working on rebuilding a radio broadcast tower, and others were researching how to make IEDS on the Information Computer, which was the only computer and had a hard drive filled with factual information from Wikipedia and other sites. The plan was to lure zombies into a school, with planted explosives of course, and then seal the doors and blow them to hell. Otherwise, everything in the settlement is going excellently.

 

[Pat]

The scavenging went pretty well. Pockets of Zed were everywhere, but were put down quietly by the soldiers and bagged and dragged into a burning pile. Jackson let the greenest recruit light it up himself. Always good once in a while to give that feeling of superiority over Z. Hopelessness could be overpowering at times.


He knew that they couldn't keep forever, so, the humvees finally approached the address from the broadcast, having written it down last evening on what used to be a one of the pandemic's many missing posters...


The humvees looked like they just came out of the desert. If you ignored the sharp bits on the chassis. One was armed with a whirly rifle, (so named for being able to turn in all directions with ease, kill a Z for every second, and zero recoil) and the other, with a flame thrower. Four men were in each vehicle, with the rest on foot to deal with the remnant Zs, along with Jackson. All wore orange hazmat suits with cylindrical hoods and rectangular screens.

 

[Kent]

California, PMR HeadQuarters


General Charles Was On His Chair In The Operations Room Drinking Coffee, When Director Clovis Approached Him. "We Must Send A Scavenging Team Outside, We Cannot Afford To Use Our Oil Reserves." Charles Then Put Down The Cup "I Have Already Sent A Team.". "Oh, I Was Not Informed..". "Because You Were Not Here at that moment.". Clovis Then Nodded And Exited The Room.





Scavenging Squad


A Chopper Landed On A Secluded Spot Somewhere In California And Unloaded The Squad, They Moved In Fast As Staying There For Too Long Would Attract Zombies. The Squad Leader Then Scanned The Area For A Brief Moment "All clear, Move!" The Squad Of 7 Then Formed A Line Heading Towards A Deserted Town. The Pilot Of The Chopper Then Radioed Back To The Squad "will proceed and wait at the extraction area, 2 miles west of the town." The Chopper Then Flew Away. "We Are On Our Own Boys" Said The SQ. They then proceeded to the town with caution a soldier then saw a zombie "Z, 3 o'clock" The rest of the squad then spotted the zombie. "are all suppressors secured?" The sq asked. "yes sir". the sq then gave the command to eliminate the z, and eliminated it. "z, dead" a soldier reported. They then proceeded towards the town they spotted a convoy with armed men, they then hid on an alley "Bandits..keep quiet" the sq said, they waited for the convoy to pass.

 

[Bwahaha]

The scavenging went pretty well. Pockets of Zed were everywhere, but were put down quietly by the soldiers and bagged and dragged into a burning pile. Jackson let the greenest recruit light it up himself. Always good once in a while to give that feeling of superiority over Z. Hopelessness could be overpowering at times.
He knew that they couldn't keep forever, so, the humvees finally approached the address from the broadcast, having written it down last evening on what used to be a one of the pandemic's many missing posters...


The humvees looked like they just came out of the desert. If you ignored the sharp bits on the chassis. One was armed with a whirly rifle, (so named for being able to turn in all directions with ease, kill a Z for every second, and zero recoil) and the other, with a flame thrower. Four men were in each vehicle, with the rest on foot to deal with the remnant Zs, along with Jackson. All wore orange hazmat suits with cylindrical hoods and rectangular screens.

Andrew, Maya and Esosa stood two roofs away from the unlocked house, ready to help Rima and go downstairs to hide from bullets, or come across to greet the new people.


Rima was going in. The girl wasn't the fastest person in the group - that was Esosa - but she was by far the most nimble, and had used the boards the most.


Rima went down the stairs to the second floor. She looked at the front door. No knock.


Taking a deep breath, Rima lowered the ladder to the first floor and climbed down. She opened the front door, and saw the terrifying hazmat people they'd seen from the roof.


"Come in!" she half-shouted, then darted up the ladder, and pulled it up after her. It took all of her self-control not to keep running.


The Lairds wanted to talk, but it would be on their own terms.

 

[Pat]

Andrew, Maya and Esosa stood two roofs away from the unlocked house, ready to help Rima and go downstairs to hide from bullets, or come across to greet the new people.
Rima was going in. The girl wasn't the fastest person in the group - that was Esosa - but she was by far the most nimble, and had used the boards the most.


Rima went down the stairs to the second floor. She looked at the front door. No knock.


Taking a deep breath, Rima lowered the ladder to the first floor and climbed down. She opened the front door, and saw the terrifying hazmat people they'd seen from the roof.


"Come in!" she half-shouted, then darted up the ladder, and pulled it up after her. It took all of her self-control not to keep running.


The Lairds wanted to talk, but it would be on their own terms.

"Had a feeling this was a trap." Jackson said, turning to the men behind him, he shouts up to the houses. "WE DIDN'T COME HERE TO GET KILLED BY TOWNIES. EITHER YOU START TALKING, OR WE SEARCH THIS BLOCK UNTIL WE FIND EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU."


The soldiers collect into a defensive formation before the Colonel. "Form into storm groups of two, on my go, breach and clear every house." Jackson turns to the humvees and two other soldiers. "Stay in the vehicles, get on the guns. You two, make sure no Zs come up and take us by surprise."

 

[Bwahaha]

"Had a feeling this was a trap." Jackson said, turning to the men behind him, he shouts up to the houses. "WE DIDN'T COME HERE TO GET KILLED BY TOWNIES. EITHER YOU START TALKING, OR WE SEARCH THIS BLOCK UNTIL WE FIND EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU."
The soldiers collect into a defensive formation before the Colonel. "Form into storm groups of two, on my go, breach and clear every house." Jackson turns to the humvees and two other soldiers. "Stay in the vehicles, get on the guns. You two, make sure no Zs come up and take us by surprise."

Rima raced up the stairs to the roof. She smashed into her mother at the top. The rest of the family was behind her.


"What... what do we do?" asked Rima fearfully. She was the master when it came to the geography of the neighborhood. But not when it came to people.


She took a deep breath, and tried to get her heart to stop beating in her ears.


Andrew and Esosa Laird were a sight to behold, when they were determined. Especially when protecting their children.


"First thing's first," said Esosa. "What the hell do they want us to tell them?"


"Probably looking for whoever sent the transmission," suggested Andrew. "They think we're trying to kill them. They might think the person who sent the transmission is with us, and want us to explain why we brought them here. Or they might think we're hunting the person who sent it."


"Dad, do you want me to talk to them?" asked Maya, terrified, but trying to be brave.


There was a pause.


"We'll all need to go," said Esosa. "But we should hold Rima back. If they saw someone who isn't there, they might think there are more of us than there are."


"But the whole issue is that they think we're a bigger threat than we are," pointed out Andrew. "Rima should be there."


Rima saw the guns, and felt her heart pound, pound, pound. She knelt into the dirt and dug out a mostly-grown carrot. She needed something to do with her hands. Rima closed her eyes, and tried to stay calm.


"Dad, if we want to look innocent, Rima and I should go," said Maya.


Both parents shook their heads.


"Guys-"


"It's too dangerous," said Esosa.


"Guys-"


"It'll be more dangerous if they try to kill us! We can't do anything about bullets - having you guys there won't make a difference. Except it'll look like we're trying to threaten them."


Rima threw the carrot over the edge.


The others whirled around.


"Well, why the hell did you do that!" exclaimed her mother, in a whisper-shout. It was the loudest thing said in the whole conversation, but still too quiet for those at the base of the house to hear.


"Maya has a point. She and I talk to them. They'll know she sent the transmission, and there's a good chance they'll think we're alone, or at least non-threatening. If they try to get in, we step on their fingers, or run for it. Those suits they're wearing will slow them down. You and dad make sure they don't get into the fort. Try not to be seen... Maya, you ready?" Maya took a breath, then gave her sister a nod.


Without waiting for an answer, Rima grabbed Maya's hand and ran to the edge.


"I... I'm sorry. It wasn't a trap! I was scared!" shouted Rima, truthfully. "I... I wanted to be higher up, so you couldn't get to me. I didn't want you to hurt me or my sister!"


"Please don't kill us!" Maya shouted in her most scared, pitiful voice.


"I wonder if they're going to search the block anyway," whispered Rima. She tried to distract herself from the thought of them breaking in. "Wonder how long it'll take them to realize we're all here."


"I wonder how they'll feel about the carrot," Maya whispered back.

 

[Pat]

Rima raced up the stairs to the roof. She smashed into her mother at the top. The rest of the family was behind her.
"What... what do we do?" asked Rima fearfully. She was the master when it came to the geography of the neighborhood. But not when it came to people.


She took a deep breath, and tried to get her heart to stop beating in her ears.


Andrew and Esosa Laird were a sight to behold, when they were determined. Especially when protecting their children.


"First thing's first," said Esosa. "What the hell do they want us to tell them?"


"Probably looking for whoever sent the transmission," suggested Andrew. "They think we're trying to kill them. They might think the person who sent the transmission is with us, and want us to explain why we brought them here. Or they might think we're hunting the person who sent it."


"Dad, do you want me to talk to them?" asked Maya, terrified, but trying to be brave.


There was a pause.


"We'll all need to go," said Esosa. "But we should hold Rima back. If they saw someone who isn't there, they might think there are more of us than there are."


"But the whole issue is that they think we're a bigger threat than we are," pointed out Andrew. "Rima should be there."


Rima saw the guns, and felt her heart pound, pound, pound. She knelt into the dirt and dug out a mostly-grown carrot. She needed something to do with her hands. Rima closed her eyes, and tried to stay calm.


"Dad, if we want to look innocent, Rima and I should go," said Maya.


Both parents shook their heads.


"Guys-"


"It's too dangerous," said Esosa.


"Guys-"


"It'll be more dangerous if they try to kill us! We can't do anything about bullets - having you guys there won't make a difference. Except it'll look like we're trying to threaten them."


Rima threw the carrot over the edge.


The others whirled around.


"Well, why the hell did you do that!" exclaimed her mother, in a whisper-shout. It was the loudest thing said in the whole conversation, but still too quiet for those at the base of the house to hear.


"Maya has a point. She and I talk to them. They'll know she sent the transmission, and there's a good chance they'll think we're alone, or at least non-threatening. If they try to get in, we step on their fingers, or run for it. Those suits they're wearing will slow them down. You and dad make sure they don't get into the fort. Try not to be seen... Maya, you ready?" Maya took a breath, then gave her sister a nod.


Without waiting for an answer, Rima grabbed Maya's hand and ran to the edge.


"I... I'm sorry. It wasn't a trap! I was scared!" shouted Rima, truthfully. "I... I wanted to be higher up, so you couldn't get to me. I didn't want you to hurt me or my sister!"


"Please don't kill us!" Maya shouted in her most scared, pitiful voice.


"I wonder if they're going to search the block anyway," whispered Rima. She tried to distract herself from the thought of them breaking in. "Wonder how long it'll take them to realize we're all here."


"I wonder how they'll feel about the carrot," Maya whispered back.

The Colonel ignored... The carrot? That dropped down from the roof, quietly redirecting his men's guns to the tops of the buildings, safeties on. "WE'RE THE CDC. THAT'S SHORT FOR CENTERS OF DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. NOW, WE MIGHT HAVE FAILED IN THE PREVENTION PART, AND LOST A MAJORITY OF FACILITIES, BUT ONE THING WE DID SUCEED IN; WAS RETAINING THE TAXPAYER FIREPOWER UNCLE SAM LEFT US BEFORE HE CURLED UP WITH A STEEL MAGNUM AND SQUEEZED THAT SWEET TRIGGER. SO, IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, AT ANY TIME, WHEN WE SEND A MAN IN, WE WILL BURN THIS ENTIRE BLOCK DOWN."


"Daniel. Was that a carrot?"


"I think so Boss."


"For whatever reason they dropped it, at least we know they're self-sufficient. Here, give them the flier while you're in there." Jackson handed the soldier a post-pandemic parchment, printed at home base.

FROM THE CENTER OF DISEASE CONTROL

​

To Whom it May Concern


The CDC still exists. Research for a cure to the Zombie Virus continues, despite numerous setbacks. If you're reading this, that means that YOU may be eligible to become a CIVILIAN RESOURCE.


As a CIVILIAN RESOURCE, all property will be retained, including your own liberty. All that is asked is a safe zone for resupply to future CDC excursions to your locality, along with whatever knowledge may prove useful to operations in the area. This is not the first CIVILIAN RESOURCE. Taking advantage, or even killing, CDC personnel is inexcusable and will be met with overwhelming force.


If proven to be reliable as a CIVILIAN RESOURCE, one may be approached with the option of RESETTLEMENT to the main CDC facility in Atlanta, Georgia. Hot water, a Infected-free parameter, food, electricity, and many other luxuries would become available if one pledges loyalty to the organization. This is not free. RESETTLEMENT requires those affected to provide an equal amount of labor any other CDC personnel would be required to give in their field.


*See Labor Officer for further detail on potential work assignments.



​

Daniel begins approaching the residence where the young woman revealed herself.

 

[Bwahaha]

The four Lairds looked at each other. The daughters, especially Rima, were a bit scared - burning the block down?


The adults were annoyed about how their daughters had just been talked to - while they were pleading for their lives and apologizing! - but were also a bit scared and quite a bit relieved.


Andrew smiled.


"Looks like they're willing to talk - wouldn't give an 'if' threat, if they weren't."


"It also looks like the guy with the megaphone is compensating for something," said Esosa.


"Should the two of us go, or all four?" asked Maya.


"Well... actually, what do you think?" asked Andrew. He wanted to see Maya think under pressure.


"Hmm. We can't fight, so pity is our best bet. Which means we want to seem non-threatening, but we also don't want to lie if we don't have to, 'cause they'll find it out later... so, Rima and I go, and you and mom stay nearby, and come out if they ask how many there are."


Andrew smiled again.


"I came to the same conclusion."


They all agreed it was the best plan, and the four went to the second floor of the house they were on. The adults stood in a hall that couldn't be seen from below. The girls stood by the ladder that lay on its side on the second floor, right next to where the stairs had been.


Rima discreetly showed Maya a carrot. She smiled jokingly. Maya knew she was only doing this because Rima would break down if she didn't have something to ease the tension. But Maya smiled back anyway.

 

[Pat]

The four Lairds looked at each other. The daughters, especially Rima, were a bit scared - burning the block down?
The adults were annoyed about how their daughters had just been talked to - while they were pleading for their lives and apologizing! - but were also a bit scared and quite a bit relieved.


Andrew smiled.


"Looks like they're willing to talk - wouldn't give an 'if' threat, if they weren't."


"It also looks like the guy with the megaphone is compensating for something," said Esosa.


"Should the two of us go, or all four?" asked Maya.


"Well... actually, what do you think?" asked Andrew. He wanted to see Maya think under pressure.


"Hmm. We can't fight, so pity is our best bet. Which means we want to seem non-threatening, but we also don't want to lie if we don't have to, 'cause they'll find it out later... so, Rima and I go, and you and mom stay nearby, and come out if they ask how many there are."


Andrew smiled again.


"I came to the same conclusion."


They all agreed it was the best plan, and the four went to the second floor of the house they were on. The adults stood in a hall that couldn't be seen from below. The girls stood by the ladder that lay on its side on the second floor, right next to where the stairs had been.


Rima discreetly showed Maya a carrot. She smiled jokingly. Maya knew she was only doing this because Rima would break down if she didn't have something to ease the tension. But Maya smiled back anyway.

Daniel enters the house, leaving his rifle with Jackson. He sees the note and looks at where the stairs used to be, seeing Rima and Maya. "I have a document you should read." He lifts up the sheet towards the pair, close enough to be grabbed from his gloved hands.

 

[Bwahaha]

Rima glanced at her sister nervously, then knelt down and reached for the sheet. It was barely within reach, and she had to stretch her arm to get it.


The sisters read through it, glancing at the man every few lines, to make sure he wasn't up to anything. Then they looked at each other.


They backed away a bit, so the man could still see them, but it would be harder for him to hear them.


"Being a civilian resource sounds good," said Maya very quietly.


"Yeah. But I don't want to leave the fortress. We already have most of these things. Hot water isn't worth leaving all this behind... plus, there's no saying what labour they might want us to do. At least here, we know we have a say."


Maya nodded.


"It's not perfect here, but not worth leaving. But talking to other people..."


"We could be a pit stop. Once we have a bridge going to the next block, we'll have some indoor space that we haven't planted in, and we could even make a mini-hotel."


Maya nodded.


"But we do need to remember... this thing says we can keep out freedom. But how much can we trust it? We're taking a risk by getting caught up in this."


"We'd be taking a risk by refusing them, too. If we get good at this, we could have a little bit of leverage."


Maya nodded again.


"Maybe we should talk to mom and dad? But we don't want to let them know everything, just in case. But we also don't want to surprise them, and make them think we lied..."


"Yeah..."


Rima turned to the man down below.


"We'll think about it," she said. "We have... two more members, who we'd like to discuss this with. Is there anything else you want to say?"

 

[Pat]

Rima glanced at her sister nervously, then knelt down and reached for the sheet. It was barely within reach, and she had to stretch her arm to get it.
The sisters read through it, glancing at the man every few lines, to make sure he wasn't up to anything. Then they looked at each other.


They backed away a bit, so the man could still see them, but it would be harder for him to hear them.


"Being a civilian resource sounds good," said Maya very quietly.


"Yeah. But I don't want to leave the fortress. We already have most of these things. Hot water isn't worth leaving all this behind... plus, there's no saying what labour they might want us to do. At least here, we know we have a say."


Maya nodded.


"It's not perfect here, but not worth leaving. But talking to other people..."


"We could be a pit stop. Once we have a bridge going to the next block, we'll have some indoor space that we haven't planted in, and we could even make a mini-hotel."


Maya nodded.


"But we do need to remember... this thing says we can keep out freedom. But how much can we trust it? We're taking a risk by getting caught up in this."


"We'd be taking a risk by refusing them, too. If we get good at this, we could have a little bit of leverage."


Maya nodded again.


"Maybe we should talk to mom and dad? But we don't want to let them know everything, just in case. But we also don't want to surprise them, and make them think we lied..."


"Yeah..."


Rima turned to the man down below.


"We'll think about it," she said. "We have... two more members, who we'd like to discuss this with. Is there anything else you want to say?"

"A majority of the zombies in this town and it's outlying areas, if not all, will never return. If you wish, protocol dictates that upon request CDC can momentarily aid in the construction of basic fortifications, and the clearing of potential Infected hotspots, for new Civilian Resources. Along with that, donation of small arms and ammunition for the explicit purpose to defend such is not unusual. The CDC and even individual personnel may come forward for trading purposes as well, from time to time, for which you're free to offer any price for your goods. If this is a mutually beneficial relationship, and this area becomes more important to Command, we may build an outpost and staff it with a small team of personnel, although few are ever permanent."


He fumbles with a big pocket on his chest, producing a empty clipboard, he hands it up along with a pen bearing the CDC's logo to the women.


"Your full names, fingerprints, and signature are required for Civilian Resource registration. If you'll like, even a new name for the town."


Seeing their momentary confusion, he adds. "On the back of the information sheet, you see."

 

[Bwahaha]

"A majority of the zombies in this town and it's outlying areas, if not all, will never return. If you wish, protocol dictates that upon request CDC can momentarily aid in the construction of basic fortifications, and the clearing of potential Infected hotspots, for new Civilian Resources. Along with that, donation of small arms and ammunition for the explicit purpose to defend such is not unusual. The CDC and even individual personnel may come forward for trading purposes as well, from time to time, for which you're free to offer any price for your goods. If this is a mutually beneficial relationship, and this area becomes more important to Command, we may build an outpost and staff it with a small team of personnel, although few are ever permanent."
He fumbles with a big pocket on his chest, producing a empty clipboard, he hands it up along with a pen bearing the CDC's logo to the women.


"Your full names, fingerprints, and signature are required for Civilian Resource registration. If you'll like, even a new name for the town."


Seeing their momentary confusion, he adds. "On the back of the information sheet, you see."

Rima took the pen and clipboard.


"Does mom know how to fire a gun?" asked Maya quietly. "They never said they'd definitely give us one, or ammo, but..."


"No. Just how to use those two swords. If we get enough ammo, she and dad could practice, but that would draw more zombies than it would kill, would't it? I think we're safe up here... I guess we could use a gun just in case. What I was thinking of was the construction - to make a bridge across the street, we'd need to remove a bunch more wood from other houses, and it still wouldn't be as stable as I'd like. Sounds like they've done some construction before - they could do it way better than us, and with better materials..."


"But I don't think that counts as defenses."


"We could do trade. Anyway, let's talk to mom and dad. They want us to give our info. And signatures... They really want to make this official.


"We'll need to consult our other members... but first, what happens if we don't join?"


Rima really wanted to join. She already had ideas for fortress extensions. And she could tell Maya was eager too - they were all ready for more social interaction. But before they made a final decision with their parents, they needed to know what the stakes were. And what type of people they were dealing with.

 

[Pat]

Rima took the pen and clipboard.
"Does mom know how to fire a gun?" asked Maya quietly. "They never said they'd definitely give us one, or ammo, but..."


"No. Just how to use those two swords. If we get enough ammo, she and dad could practice, but that would draw more zombies than it would kill, would't it? I think we're safe up here... I guess we could use a gun just in case. What I was thinking of was the construction - to make a bridge across the street, we'd need to remove a bunch more wood from other houses, and it still wouldn't be as stable as I'd like. Sounds like they've done some construction before - they could do it way better than us, and with better materials..."


"But I don't think that counts as defenses."


"We could do trade. Anyway, let's talk to mom and dad. They want us to give our info. And signatures... They really want to make this official.


"We'll need to consult our other members... but first, what happens if we don't join?"


Rima really wanted to join. She already had ideas for fortress extensions. And she could tell Maya was eager too - they were all ready for more social interaction. But before they made a final decision with their parents, they needed to know what the stakes were. And what type of people they were dealing with.

"We won't assist you in any way, and continue our missions in the area as if we've never met you, scavenging whatever materials are needed back home without a thought of your base."


His arm habitually raises to scratch the side of his head, awkwardly lowering when he realizes the suit is a little too thick for that.


"We don't have Requisition Forms anymore, but you can request any mentioned aid and or reasonable tasks for the CDC with me and I'll relay it to my Commander immediately. You can use the time I'm gone to begin filling out the paperwork, and I'll come back. After I talk with the CO, you'll have an hour to finish, which I would think wouldn't be a problem."

 

[Bwahaha]

"We won't assist you in any way, and continue our missions in the area as if we've never met you, scavenging whatever materials are needed back home without a thought of your base."
His arm habitually raises to scratch the side of his head, awkwardly lowering when he realizes the suit is a little too thick for that.


"We don't have Requisition Forms anymore, but you can request any mentioned aid and or reasonable tasks for the CDC with me and I'll relay it to my Commander immediately. You can use the time I'm gone to begin filling out the paperwork, and I'll come back. After I talk with the CO, you'll have an hour to finish, which I would think wouldn't be a problem."

"Materials to build a small bridge," Rima blurted out, immediately. "We want to build a bridge from the top of this roof to one across the street. We have some wood and bolts, which we'll give to the effort, but not enough to make it on our own. We could use some expertise too, since it sounds like you guys have experience building things like this... We'll go talk to our other members."


Rima led Maya back to their parents without waiting for an answer.


"Does that count as reasonable?" asked Maya quietly.


"Let's wait and see."


The girls reached their parents, who were clearly deep in thought


"Joining is more risky, but we could get help when we need it. And talk to more people..." Andrew thought aloud.


"Assuming we can believe what they say," pointed out Esosa.


"If we can't, not joining is just as risky. Anyway, I think there's a good chance they're telling the truth. I'd do the same thing they are, if I was in their situation."


"Rima and I talked, and we think we should do the civilians resource thing, but not go with them. Could we do that? We'll still be free, but we'll get to talk to other people!" She continued, half to herself, "Charisma will finally be worth something."


"Their interpretation of 'freedom,' might be a bit different from ours," pointed out Esosa. "But I guess they might use 'scavenging as if they've never met us,' differently too. Let's accept, but be careful about it."


They talked for a few more minutes, then filled out the form.


"What should we call it?" asked Maya.


"Laird Hotel," suggested Rima, excitedly. "Or maybe Lairdville."


Andrew looked at his wife, who nodded. Maya did too.


"Lairdville it is, then," he said.


Rima went back to the edge, to hand the man the forms.

 

[Kent]

Scavenging Squad


The convoy passed and was heading to the next town.


"All clear" said the squad leader


The squad then headed to the nearest gas station and checked for gas


"Dammit, they have picked this town clean" said the sq


The SQ then looked back at his squad


"Search the nearby houses"


"Yes, sir!" Said a sergeant


They then searched the nearby houses withing a 200 meter radius. They found a couple of food and water.


"Is that it?" said the sq


"yeah, there are nothing else" said a soldier


"Call for exfil" said the sq


They then proceeded to the extraction point, 2 miles west of the town.


"Sir, we there are a few hostiles nearby" said a soldier


"Just watch ou-" The sq said but got interrupted


"Who are you?!?" said a man in a mask


The sq then walked towards him, and stabbed him


"Its better if you dont know"


They got spotted and the other bandits shot at them


"Shoot! open fire!" the sq commanded.


They then rushed towards the extraction point where the hind was waiting, They boarded the chopper and flew back to base


"Close call" Said the pilot


Tallahassee Base


Colonel Vergus was standing on the UAV Control room, watching the surveillance videos of the drones they have sent to southern georgia. The UAV flew over an abandoned neighborhood when they saw some activity on the roof.


"There! zoom in" Vergus ordered as he watched closely


The surveillance video zoomed twice and saw people walking from house to house on boards connected to the roofs.


"Send a convoy there to interact with them" He Ordered


A convoy consisting of 2 BTR's and 3 humvee was being prepped, an attack drone is to be sent with them in-case of an emergency. The convoy is now heading towards the designated location.


@Bwahaha

 

[Pat]

"Materials to build a small bridge," Rima blurted out, immediately. "We want to build a bridge from the top of this roof to one across the street. We have some wood and bolts, which we'll give to the effort, but not enough to make it on our own. We could use some expertise too, since it sounds like you guys have experience building things like this... We'll go talk to our other members."
Rima led Maya back to their parents without waiting for an answer.


"Does that count as reasonable?" asked Maya quietly.


"Let's wait and see."


The girls reached their parents, who were clearly deep in thought


"Joining is more risky, but we could get help when we need it. And talk to more people..." Andrew thought aloud.


"Assuming we can believe what they say," pointed out Esosa.


"If we can't, not joining is just as risky. Anyway, I think there's a good chance they're telling the truth. I'd do the same thing they are, if I was in their situation."


"Rima and I talked, and we think we should do the civilians resource thing, but not go with them. Could we do that? We'll still be free, but we'll get to talk to other people!" She continued, half to herself, "Charisma will finally be worth something."


"Their interpretation of 'freedom,' might be a bit different from ours," pointed out Esosa. "But I guess they might use 'scavenging as if they've never met us,' differently too. Let's accept, but be careful about it."


They talked for a few more minutes, then filled out the form.


"What should we call it?" asked Maya.


"Laird Hotel," suggested Rima, excitedly. "Or maybe Lairdville."


Andrew looked at his wife, who nodded. Maya did too.


"Lairdville it is, then," he said.


Rima went back to the edge, to hand the man the forms.

Daniel jogged up to Jackson. "They're willing to cooperate and are signing up as a Civilian Resource. There's four of them, and it appears they may be a family unit, or as good as."


The Colonel peers at the building for a moment. "Should we clean up those guns we found in the grocery? We don't have much ammun-"


The Private interrupts, fascinated. "They want some building materials, to construct a bridge to connect to the other roofs of the block."


"We could scrap the humvee bridge. There's enough steel cable in that to go that far, and the plates could be torn off and put the long way on the new construct. Beyond that, this town has a Home Depo."


Jackson turned to the troops as Daniel walked back, ordering a few to clean up the guns and take out the bridge. He follows as they set to work.


Daniel accepts the document, clipboard, and pen back, chuckling softly when he saw the connection between the last names and the new requested name for the town. "We'll paint the welcome sign on the way out. Command might even print the name out on future maps." He says as Jackson, wearing an almost identical biohazard suit, enters, looks up, and explains to the Lairds how they could scrap a bridge designed to move their vehicles over small gaps for a stronger, although light, structure. Either that, or hit up a nearby Home Depo. He also explains how they found some weapons while in town, and can hand them over when properly cleaned.