The sun was finally below the mountains. Candles flickered softly, creating a sense of intimacy in the room—a warm bubble perfect for the discussion at hand.
“You’re both right,” Megan said.
Pringle frowned. “What makes you say that?” Cesar remained silent, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The door creaked opened and Alicia entered.
“Hey, Alicia,” Megan said.
“Sorry I’m late.” Alicia took a seat on the far end of the couch.
Megan pressed on. “Where was I? Oh, yeah. I agree we’ve grown too fast. I mean, look at us. We’ve got all of these people jammed in here, and only a few who know what the hell they’re doing.”
“That’s an understatement,” Pringle spat out, squaring his shoulders for battle. Megan gave him a nod of encouragement. Engaging him was the key. He needed to debate. It was in his nature.
“Yes. It is, and I’m sorry for oversimplifying things. The four of us have been carrying this community on our backs since the start. As much as we want it to succeed, we’re doomed if we don’t change.” Pringle nodded in enthusiastic agreement.
“But…” Megan’s voice dropped an octave, becoming deadly serious. “We can’t turn people away, not without giving them a choice. That’s not who we are. It’s not who I want us to become.” She paused, letting her words hang in the air for emphasis. “We’ve got a good thing here. We’ve got a steady food supply, a decent climate, excluding the summers, and access to a city that wasn’t leveled by nukes…” In an uncharacteristic move, Pringle didn’t object, instead sinking into his seat and giving her his full attention.
“When was the last time a swarm passed this way?” Megan asked.
“Never,” Pringle admitted.
“That’s right. Never. The undead aren’t bothering us. The only time we ever see them on this side of town is when they stray from their pack.”
Cesar shifted in his chair and coughed into his hand. “We will have rules,” he said, taking over from Megan. “Strong rules. Everyone will have responsibilities that they must fulfill if they wish to remain. I know many of the refugees are reluctant to venture into the dead zones, but that can’t continue. We have to spread the risk…”
“And limit the number of newcomers?” Pringle asked, warming up to the idea.
Cesar shook his head. “No. We don’t impose limits. Not yet, at least. However, we will require that anyone who joins us agrees to our rules. If they don’t, then we’ll send them on their way without exception.”
Pringle chewed on this for a moment before responding. “How do you enforce these new rules?”
“That’s where you come in. I want you to be in charge of implementing them, ensuring that they’re fair for everyone in the compound.” Here’s the carrot, Megan thought.
Pringle’s face lit up. Up until now, his responsibilities had been largely undefined. From collecting supplies to shooting undead stragglers and checking for infection in the inbound population, he did it all.
Cesar continued, “The key, Mike, is fairness. These rules don’t mean a thing if they’re not applied to everyone. And as much as I hate it, we’ll have to turn people away at some point. We’ll probably have to eject a few as well when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.”
“I can think of a handful that we should send packing right now,” Pringle said bitterly.
“He’s right,” Alicia said, breaking her silence. “Just yesterday I got into it with a guy who left the gate unguarded while he took a leak.”
Megan turned to her. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.” Alicia sat up straighter. “And that wasn’t the first time. We can’t afford that type of attitude. If someone screws up like that, my opinion is they’re out of here. No exceptions.”
Cesar held up his hand. “I understand your frustration, Alicia. We’ll take care of it.”
Pringle’s face took on a pained expression. It was clear he had some bones to pick—that he was hoping he could get rid of some particularly useless people. “Okay,” he agreed finally. “I’ll give the newcomers a chance to shape up. One chance.”
Cesar stood and put out his hand. Pringle took it, and they shook, their disagreement buried for the moment. Megan breathed a silent sigh of relief. She knew that the last part pained Cesar. The thought of banishing anyone was anathema to him. Cesar believed every man, woman, and child could contribute to the community if given a chance, and the notion that someone would choose the alternative just didn’t factor into his worldview. After all, it took only one person not taking their guard duties seriously to allow one of the undead inside the perimeter. Once that happened, things would move too fast for anyone to react. They could all be dead or infected within a matter of minutes.
“I think I can make this work,” Pringle added. “I mean, it’s a good step toward what I was thinking.” He scratched his chin. “What about...? Never mind.”
Cesar raised an eyebrow. “What is it, Mike?”
Pringle shook his head and stared off into the distance. “It’s nothing.”
Cesar narrowed his eyes. “Okay then. I’m glad we were able to come to a resolution. This,” he gestured toward the window, “is too important for us to fight among ourselves. It’s all we have left.”
Megan stood. “Is anyone ready for a beer?” It was time to celebrate before the hard work began.
Eighteen
Fire: The Collapse Page 16
