Living With the Dead: Year One

by Joshua Guess

  And there might be one or two back at NJ who still need a willing ear...So we're going home, full steam ahead.

  at 10:20 AM

  Sunday, February 20, 2011

  A few updates

  Posted by Josh Guess

  We've made it back to North Jackson. Actually, we got in yesterday afternoon, but I was busy overseeing the unloading of our supplies, so I didn't have time to post anything about making it home safely.

  It turns out that my concern for the people here apparently outweighed my estimation of their hearts. I guess being away for a few days has given me some perspective, because I'm seeing a society in motion before me. The residents are so much more interactive with one another, going out of their way to include those who haven't been as social in the past as most. It's a hell of a thing to see such an outpouring of community spirit as it happens.

  The warm weather is coming and going, but temperatures have been pretty steadily trending upward. That means we'll be able to start some of the work we've had to put off for a variety of reasons. Our very first effort is going to be building the fence that will protect us as we go back and forth between the main compound here and the building we're going to use as a hydroponics bay. A lot of work has been going on there, turning the roof into a water collector, altering and adding to the sprinkler system to carry the water in for irrigation. The biggest part has been the constant construction going on inside, creating levels of boxes and troughs to put soil in. It's huge and impressive. Now all we need is the soil (which is easy) and the fence (which isn't) and we're ready to roll.

  Thought the zombie population has adapted to the cold, while it was here they were still a lot easier to kill. It made them sluggish and slow. Now that it's getting warmer, the same number of them poses a more serious threat. Not anything we can't handle and haven't dealt with before, but months of having it relatively easy worries me. Before you all start getting red in the face--I said "relatively" easy. I know it's been hard, but we have to face the reality that with the return of warm weather, the zombies are going to become just as dangerous as they were before the winter. I just don't want anyone falling prey to habit and getting killed.

  I haven't heard anything from Patrick since he and the girls saved Dodger and Jamie's asses. I really can't wait to give them a hard time about that in person, being saved by a guy with one hand and three little girls. Big, bad survivors, aren't they. HA!

  In seriousness, I understand why Dodger and Jamie left the rest of their group (which includes some of my family) behind when they went in to rescue Pat and the girls. The risks involved for a large group heading into an area writhing with zombies are just too high. That's totally ignoring the fact that their group has kids with them and that they are running low on ammo. I'm glad that things worked out, though I'm curious to see how Pat, his girls, and the gallant heroes that "saved" them are going to get out and join up with the my brother and the others.

  Jeez, this is just kind of a newsy post, isn't it? Guess I've gotten so used to being upset and writing to get it out that I don't know what to do when things are actually OK. I really don't have much else to say today, other than this: I feel really positive right now. About the future, about the way things are going in NJ. About the steps we've taken to secure what we need to survive. I've been all over the place lately, but it's starting to feel like I have a path, a plan that I can follow. It's a good feeling, let me tell you.

  It's a hard thing not knowing which way you're headed, always surrounded by uncertainty. I've got mine set...now it's just a matter of getting my feet moving.

  at 8:59 AM

  Monday, February 21, 2011

  Broken Dreams; New Reality

  Posted by Josh Guess

  I'm in a mood. Not a good mood, nor a bad one. Just...a mood.

  I've been thinking about what the zombie plague has really cost us. I've written before about the cost in real terms--safety, shelter, food, and the like. The thing is, the more I think about what's happened to the world as we approach a year into this mess, the more I think that every bit of bad has had an equal amount of good.

  This isn't a new concept. I've talked about it before. Let's take the Richmond soldiers as an example, shall we? While I'm still furious (along with every other citizen of my compound, at home and abroad) that we were betrayed and had our home taken, a lot of good has come from it. Call it fate or kismet, but events have worked out to be largely beneficial for many, many people since my home was taken over.

  The various groups of refugees have accomplished a lot since they've been gone from home. Courtney and her convoy built friendships and trade agreements with dozens of groups of survivors as well as securing a lot of new supplies and bringing in many new people. Gabrielle and Evans' group managed to bring in new blood as well, and build goodwill with their short-lived medical practice at the hospital. They even managed to find another doctor, and Phil has been knocking the rust off his old skills very well. My group hasn't accomplished as much, to be honest, but since we've been here at North Jackson, I think we've done a lot to help the citizens of this place deal with the horrible tragedies that have hit them.

  Funny, none of them blame us for bringing it down on top of their heads. That last attack, anyway, happened because we're here. I take it as a sign of incredible maturity as a people that they didn't blame us for that. They took us in, they took the risk, and they accept that.

  Which is exactly my point with this post. Look at how irrational and short-sighted people used to be, and compare that with how those around you act now. I have seen so many people use their logic and reason when they would have once simply reacted out of anger or fear. Though the Richmond soldiers have my home, I can't help but feel some satisfaction that those of us who managed to escape have used our freedom for the betterment of ourselves and others. It's awesome.

  The cost, to me, is a hard one but ultimately worth it. I don't know if that's my stupidly powerful optimism making the situation look better than it actually is, but that's how I feel. We've paid a heavy cost in human lives since The Fall took away so many, and we'll do so again. But because of that crucible, those of us who are left are better than we probably could have been before. Inch by inch, we are moving toward being a people that have less need for violence between ourselves, and more towards a cooperative society. There are, of course, exceptions--like the Richmond soldiers.

  I'm fine with the fact that my dreams have been broken, likely forever. I used to want to be an author, someone who wrote fantastic tales and had a comfortable, wonderful life because of his popularity. Big house, decent car, none of the struggle to pay the bills that had defined my life until The Fall.

  Look at me now. I'm a writer, all right. But now I huddle over my laptop or phone, desperately telling the facts as a way of keeping myself sane. I'm ok with that, since this blog has saved the lives of many people, and acted as an instrument for other groups to find us and start the process of working together. My dream of being the next Stephen King or Patrick Rothfuss is probably dead forever. I'm alive, though. I'll take that as a win.

  It's the same for most people. The happiest people before The Fall are likely still the happiest as survivors. Those folks didn't want the trappings of success or the ease of life that comes with wealth. Chances are, those folks wanted to live a full life, one with purpose and love, and everything else was just icing on the cake. I envy that attitude, and I hope that I can feel that way permanently some day. I want to leave behind my old life completely, forget the old hopes that no longer apply, and forever simply be here, now, in the life that I have.

  I hope the same for each and every one of you. May all of us learn to be happy as things are, and find the joy in the everyday that the best among us take for granted. Though some of us are far away from home, we can manage it. I know it.

  I've got some things to see to tomorrow that can't wait, so I won't be posting. I've sent a text to Patrick to see if he can keep all of you entert
ained in my absence. Hoping he'll get the message, and will be able to send something out...

  at 8:13 AM

  Tuesday, February 22, 2011

  Homeward bound (almost)

  Posted by Patrick

  Well, true believers, your friendly neighborhood Patrick is free from Florida and back with Dodger's convoy of hope. I even liberated his laptop to write this, teach him to give me middle watch. I thought that we would be headed to North Jackson for some much needed R and R, but Dodger had other ideas. The convoy was getting real low on ammo, so they would have had to head there soon. Guess I should have thought of that before we brought about ten thousand rounds with us. So now we get to travel the eastern seaboard, lucky us.

  Right now we are in South Carolina headed to a smallish post of survivors. Then we have stops in Maryland and New Jersey. Sigh, I might never get everyone back together again. Oh well, it's good work. This trip we are bringing fuel to some rural camps. Courtney negotiated with a group of people on the Gulf Coast that had set up at one of the refineries for a couple of tanker trucks. David and the rest of Dodger's convoy picked them up. I know the group in S.C. really need the gas badly, their reserves got water in it and haven't been able to go out foraging in weeks. So off to the rescue.

  Tell you what though, it's real good to be back with friends again. To be able to talk them, share worries, fears, and joys. To be able to tell the whole truth and not the half truths I had to always tell the girls for fear I might upset them. Only problem being back in semi-civilization is temptation. They have pain killers here, and good ones at that. I told Dodger and Jamie about what I went through coming off of them, they agreed to keep an eye on me. Being a former three hundred pound chain smoker I can tell you self control isn't my strong suit.

  Alice is really glad to have kids closer to her own age to play with, and I mean play. She followed Kylie around constantly, mostly because Kylie is short for her age, but they never played together, they just did what needed doing. I'm afraid that Alysa and Kylie are still to wary of every one around them to relax and be kids again. I don't even know if they can anymore.

  Part of it was my fault. When we met up with the convoy, only those on watch carried guns and I didn't think to tell anyone how important the guns were to the girls. Well, David tried to get Alysa and Kylie to give up their guns while I was off talking to Josh on the phone. The shot brought me running. I found both Alysa and Kylie with guns drawn, their backs to the wheels of a bus, and David with a look of surprise, anger, and just a little bit of fear. The shot was of the warning variety and only put a little hole in the ground, albeit right in front of David's feet. Hours of talking, pleading, negotiating, and even yelling by me, and David, found us in the same position, final result, girls kept their guns. Hate to say it, but I'm more than a little proud of them for standing their ground.

  Well that is how things stand now. As to how we got out of the Nazi HQ, well I guess I still have some time until my watch shift is over.

  We got out pretty much the same way we got Dodger and Jamie in, lots and lots of ammo. Luckily Dodger, Jamie, and Alysa are better shots than me. The lack of cold to help us meant we needed to get rid of the smarties and they did just that. All three lining up shots on the same smartie, if one missed the next fired, before the bastard could run off. Even Alysa got one, though Dodger claims that he hit it, it just hadn't fallen yet.

  The next part of our plan was the systematic genocide of all zombies around us, easy enough without the smarties to guide them. Just start at the back of the horde at the walls and work your way inward. No automatics this time though, no need to waste any bullets. It took the better part of a day to get the numbers down to hand to claw fighting numbers.

  The next few hours after that were still a little tough on me, the memory of Mom and Dad zombie still fresh in my mind. I don't know why I had more trouble mentally with close up fighting than through the scope of a gun. Who knows. Well the last fifty or so fell to Jamie and Dodger's swords and my mace. Thats right, I got to use a mace. Damn sight better than the crowbar I'd been using up to that point. Thanks for the loaner Jamie, won't even ask why you have a mace, buddy.

  Alysa had to save my ass, though. A mace is not as fast a weapon as the swords I'm used to using, and when it got a little crowded, my reaction times were a little slow. Alysa's sharpshooting kept me from being zombie burgers.

  After that the guys went out and found a box truck with some gas, jumped the batteries and brought it back. Even though it was well after dark when they got back, we started loading up all the ammo and some of the guns and finished a couple hours before dawn. Man, I hadn't been that tired in awhile, guess that's what easy livin' gets you.

  We started out shortly after dawn, we took turns driving and sleeping on swaying crates of ammo in the back. We took it slow most of the way. Luckily there are not a lot of cities along interstate 75 in Northern Florida, so no major herds of zombies. We finally met up with David and the rest of the convoy outside of Lake City GA.

  Well I'm sad to not be headed home yet, but then again North Jackson isn't my home.

  at 2:11 AM

  Wednesday, February 23, 2011

  Seeds of Hope

  Posted by Josh Guess

  Yesterday was a busy time. I've talked about a lot of projects that have been started or at least looked into, the most vital of which is the massive overhaul of the nearest factory so we can turn it into a greenhouse. Most of us call it the hydroponics bay, because we're massive nerds and enjoy making Star Trek references when possible, but there won't be any actual hydroponic growing happening inside.

  So, yesterday I worked on that for a long, long time. There were several key steps to the setup that needed to be seen to, and I was asked to act as foreman, since my job at my own compound was managing logistics. The greenhouse requires the seamless integration of a number of systems, and yesterday was a key point for making those plans come together into a useful whole. I won't go into too much detail, because it really isn't all that interesting. I'll say that I'm pleased with the results, and it seems that plans have come together better than expected. It's looking like we'll see good results.

  This is going to be a lot shorter a post than I would like, but in putting my focus on the greenhouse, I've done some digging around for things related to growing food. In that search, I found a place in Canada that looks to house an enormous cache of seeds and seed vegetables. I trust this info--it's from an old friend who used to live here in Michigan for a long time. He worked for a company that made trips into Canada to import a lot of stuff from the place where this cache is supposed to be. He thinks the warehouses that he used to visit are probably still there and stocked--they look like any other industrial building from the outside.

  So today, in fact in just a few minutes, I'm leaving to head north with Jess and a few others. With Pat and Dodger's group heading east, it's going to be a while before all of us are together again. I'm hoping that when I come back here to North Jackson, it's with glad tidings.

  Wish us luck. This is going to be an interesting trip.

  at 8:54 AM

  Thursday, February 24, 2011

  Revelation Day

  Posted by Josh Guess

  This is going to be one of the longest posts I've ever done. It's worth it, so bear with me.

  I want to start out by apologizing to everyone who reads this blog. I have tried to be a beacon of hope and light in the dark place this world has become. I have tried to help others survive the hordes of zombies and the vicious marauders by being open, detailed, and above all, honest.

  And I've been lying to you for a few days. Well, honestly, I've been doing it in doses since my group and I came to North Jackson. I've been telling you for weeks that our plans to take back the compound were set for a time in the distant future. That we'd be bringing in massive force to retake what is ours. I tried my very hardest to make it seem as though my fellow refugees and I were settling in at North Jacks
on, planning for the long term as we have always advocated.

  Sorry about that. Really.

  I hope that I haven't broken the trust of too many of you, because though that is a high price, the reward is well worth it. Overnight, we liberated the compound. We are home.

  This is probably sudden to many of you, I know. If it seems that this has come from nowhere, then I did my job well. We've been working on a plan to retake this place by stealth for a while, though it was a combination of several factors that allowed it to happen.

  The key was always weakening the defenses enough that we could get the Richmond soldiers to either panic or surrender. It has taken a lot of coordination of effort between those of us outside the compound and those still left inside. The plan was complex and full of variables, but we pulled it off. Not without losses, but I'll get to that in the course of explaining how we did it.