Living With the Dead: Year One (Books 1-2, Bonus Material)
Page 47
I am thankful for our ability to learn from the mistakes of the old ways that society worked. Not only the way that we treated the ideas of giving and sharing, atoning for our past mistakes, but also our willingness to cut through the debate and the red tape to say decisively that what is right is right and move forward.
OK, that last one might need a little explaining. I've been thinking about the native peoples of this country for a few days, and how badly we have treated them. Every person that I have talked to about it agrees that the best thing that could happen would be for those who remain to eventually spread and move out from the reservations that are a poor replacement for the vast lands they used to own and live as they once did. Yeah, I would be upset and defensive if anybody, native or not, tried to lay claim to this place, but the vast majority of the USA is now open to them as far as I am concerned. It's something that has always bothered me, and for that...
I am thankful for the zombie plague. Though I wish fiercely that it had never happened, I can't change the fact that it did. There are way more negatives than positives to it, but today at least I am thankful for those good things. Bringing people together to work for the common purpose of survival and growth. Giving us the proper perspective to understand just how dysfunctional society was, and the understanding to attempt to avoid those same errors.
As terrible as it is, the plague reduced the number of people so much that the effect we have on the environment is now almost zero. Our numbers were increasing to the point where the planet might not have been able to sustain us for much longer...
I know, it's an awful thing to say. The thing about the truth is that whether or not you like it, you have to accept it if you are a rational, thinking person. In the world we live in now, ignoring the truth or pretending that facts are lies leads to bad judgement and probable death. So instead of shying away from the terrible facts, I embrace them.
The Fall happened, and it nearly destroyed us. The events of the last nine months have been a crucible in which all of us have burned. The pain has been nearly more than we can bear.
But we've become better, more pure. We have been boiled down to human beings acting as our instincts demand, but that our intellects have more often than not interfered with. We act for the good of the tribe called humanity, as it should be.
And I am damn thankful for that.
at 8:28 AM
Friday, November 26, 2010
Feast and Famine
Posted by Josh Guess
Yesterday was a good day. We had ourselves a big Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, ham, and all the fixings. Wild turkey is totally different in flavor than the old farm raised stuff, but still a delicious change of pace. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and I feel a lot better about mentioning the good things that have come from The Fall. So many people had similar things to say, and mentioned to me that they had been afraid to say it before my total lack of tact gave them an opening.
Not everyone feels that way, of course, but that's what being a human being is all about. Differing opinions working against each other to act as the driving force behind improving society. Overall I call it a good day for everyone.
Eating together did sort of put the exclamation point on the fact that there are so many survivors out there who are on the edge of starving. If you've been reading the last few days you know that Courtney, Steve and many others have been putting in a lot of time trying to organize a relief effort to help them out. Part of that included some pretty long range scouting trips to look for stores of food. I had to keep that quiet at Will's request, because letting anyone know we were sending people out was too risky for the ones leaving.
We have managed to locate a large supply of canned and preserved food. There's a little town several hours away whose only major employer was a cannery that supplied big stores with stuff they could slap their own branded label on cheaply. Add to that some pretty in depth forays into places that used to be emergency shelters, and what you end up with is a lot of easily transported food that's rich with calories if not particularly healthy eating...
Of course, we're sending other stuff as well. Extra veggies and the like. But this will help.
Jack and his people up north have been working tirelessly to organize this relief mission in concert with Courtney and some of the other groups from around the country. Jack's folks have managed to set up some rendezvous points between us in the mideastern part of the country and some of the folks who will be helping by donating fuel and trucks. It's on a tight schedule, though, much tighter than we thought would be the case. Apparently some of those folks, especially the ones south of us, are still dealing with zombies on a daily basis and have to work around that. So, Courtney and her team are going to be heading out this weekend to meet with the volunteers from Jack's place. They will be leading this trip to deliver food and other supplies, and to bring back people that want to come join either of our communities.
It's a huge deal, and some of our best people are going. Courtney and Steve will be working as a team as always. Little David will be going, though Darlene will surely miss him. I think she would go if the responsibility of being our leader didn't keep her here. They have had a slowly intensifying relationship since she joined us, and I think they are getting serious.
My brother Dave is going as well, along with his wife and kids. If that sounds strange, it really isn't. The dangers they will face on the road are about equal with what we face here, and this will be a great opportunity for my nieces and nephew to learn about giving, doing what is right by those in need. Dave is going to be helping with some repair and construction, and giving some fast lessons on the principles of building at each stop. He's a handy guy, and someone with his skills could be very beneficial in most of the places our delegation is going.
I'm really excited about it. I wish I could go, but too many council members and key personnel are going already. This is not only going to be directly beneficial, by helping those in need, but it's the best possible way for us to do exactly what Courtney has been doing (building ties and establishing diplomatic relations) on a large scale. And she'll be heading up the group, which is great. I think this trip will be a huge step toward creating the sort of universal goodwill needed to weather the storms of life as it is now in the long term.
Winter is a going to be a quiet time for many survivors as the zombies go inert from the cold. Maybe not so much in the far south, but if the temp drops below sixty for a while, at least they will get some breaks.
No, it's next spring that worries me. Knowing what we have already faced, knowing that the smart zombies will be back and maybe better prepared. Knowing that our struggle against the dead will reignite and burn every single day...
That is why we're doing this. So that every human being that wants to live in peace can do so. By strengthening one, we strengthen all. By helping fortify one group's community, we create one more place of safety for those who need it. It just doesn't get any better than this.
at 1:15 PM
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Brave Face
Posted by Josh Guess
Sorry my post for today is so late, and sorry it's going to be a short one.
We're in the process of loading up and getting the convoy ready for travel. Our relief team is heading out tomorrow to meet with their counterparts from Jack's compound. I'm not going to say where they are meeting up, but I'm not too worried about saying they are going. It's going to be a big group when everyone gets together, given that people from at least five groups of survivors are joining in. And they will be well protected. No force that goes against them will have a chance at stopping them short of blowing the whole thing apart.
Please, don't blow the whole thing apart...
Will isn't very happy with the idea that we have to send out guards with them. He's worried that the walls will be left undermanned in the event of an emergency, but the duty rosters say otherwise. We have more people than
we need to mount full patrols and man the walls for defense. We'll be fine there.
I'm worried about so many of my friends going out into the world, but I couldn't be more proud of them for what they're doing. The same goes for Patrick, who is looking to leave any day now to go look for his family. He's been such an integral part of this place for so long that it sort of feels like my hand is going to be cut off when he leaves. I know he intends to come back, but Florida is a long way from here, and a world of danger in between.
We're having a dinner together tonight before everyone goes. Even though I will see them later today, I still can't help but imagine what the morning will bring. Saying my goodbyes, watching them roll away toward unknown dangers to provide hope for others...
The thought has occurred to me that all of us are really alone at the end of the day. We share our triumphs and tragedies with those we love, our friends and our families. The test of our character is how we react when there is no comfort or understanding to be found. No encouragement or guidance. It's ironic to me that I want to be strong when they leave, when it's just Jess and I left here from our tight group of friends, so that when they return they can be proud of how strong we were.
I've fought and killed more zombies over the last nine months than I can count. I've done the same for men and women who attacked us, tried to take what we have rather than ask with an open hand. Strangely, this is much harder for me to face. They've left before, but this is a trip that at a minimum will take many times longer than any before. The risks will multiply with time...
But they are strong. They will be careful and safe, and with luck and the determination that has kept us alive this long, we'll all see each other again.
Feeling all of that makes seeing them bittersweet. It will be wonderful to spend time with everyone before we part, but all that much harder to be around them knowing that all of these words will rise up in me when they are sitting around the table with me. The key to it will be the same as any other time.
Smile for them, and put on a brave face.
at 1:23 PM
Sunday, November 28, 2010
In the Night
Posted by Patrick
I leave this post just down the road from the compound just as I'm about to leave cell service. I'm posting here to apologize for sneaking off in the night and because I couldn't look anybody in the eye while I told them that I had to leave by myself. Josh had a plan that I would go out with the convoy going to Louisiana and Alabama and then we would swing down in to Florida to look for my family, but I just couldn't do that. The mission to establish contact with these people is just too important for it to be jeopardized looking for my family, and is a dangerous precedent to set. Everyone here has family and friends that they haven't heard from or know what happened to, and we don't have the resources to look for people that may or may not be alive, there are too many that we know are alive and in need.
I know in my heart that my family is dead or undead, yet I can't rest until I know for sure. I know from my repeated requests to Google that there is little to no power or internet usage in Southern Florida and none in the area that my family lived in, but I must try. The dreams of my parents being eaten alive are keeping me awake most nights.
Since I have returned from the last trip to retrieve the turbines I have been stocking away supplies for this trip and it makes me feel the thief, stealing what others have worked so hard to make or procure is heavy on my soul but hasn't stopped me. The worst is the ammo, just knowing that if any big action or zombie attack happened and that if for some reason people ran out and died as the result has me in cold sweats. But I need a chance and so must be selfish.
I'm going on a small dirt bike that David had modified the exhaust on for scout work, so it runs really quite. I'll miss the safety of being encased in steel but with fuel getting harder to find the small but quick engine will be best. Not to be flip but thanks to Jessica's leather work the holsters for my shotgun and rifle make me feel like a real cowboy.
To everyone back at the compound I'm so sorry to leave you, but I tried to wait until everyone was as safe as could be in these times. Believe me when I say that leaving that safety and your love is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It's my hope that you can forgive me and understand what I do now. Please don't come after me there is to much good work to be done. I'll try to post every day if I can to let you know that I'm still alive and doing well.
Well the night is moving on and so must I, goodbye for now and I hope to see you all again real soon.
at 11:30 PM
Monday, November 29, 2010
Patrick's Trip, round 2
Posted by Patrick
I finally got to Fort Knox and it only took me sixteen hours. Has to be a new record. First, the good news. There is a small group of ten people now making there way to the compound and should be there tomorrow, under fed but otherwise healthy. Now the bad news, there is no one here at Fort Knox. All the surviving soldiers and their families have moved on taking most of the heavy transports and tanks from the base and are moving around locust style, for food and diesel.
I ran into their scouts south of Louisville as I was speeding down a back road trying to avoid any zombies that might have been up and around with the warm weather. Being knocked from you bike at 40 mph is not a fun experience and recommend avoiding it at all cost. The impact threw me into a ditch on the side of the road about 30 yards from my bike the engine still running. After a minute to catch my breath and get my bearings I got up and started toward the bike and was knocked back down. This time I heard the shot and pulled off my helmet to see four holes in the top.
This is when I began to panic just a little bit. My rifle, shotgun and sword were all on the bike and a quick look around showed that my pistol was no longer in my holster or an where near me. Didn't know what the hell to do so just sat there like a lump and tried to get my brain to come up with something. Finally figured that giving away my position by shouting wouldn't hurt since whoever was out there already knew where I was. Got ready to call out when I heard footsteps, and the sound of a pump shotgun coming out of the frosty moon lit night.
The silhouette of a large man with a lot of guns stood over the edge of the ditch and told me to come out with my hands up, that they just wanted to talk to me. Laying flat on the bottom of the ditch I didn't make a sound hoping that he wouldn't see me in the low light. Then he fired into the ditch three times causing me to shoot up off the ground with my hands up. I couldn't see his features as he lowered the shot gun at me and I couldn't bring my self to move or talk.
A shot rang out in the darkness and the man fell into the ditch not twenty feet from me. I got up and ran to him only to hear two shot ring out, one from each side of the ditch. A voice called out for me to stay down if I wanted to live, so I complied. I crawled to the man in the ditch and found him dead and in uniform one corporal Davis. The shot took him through the heart and though it was fairly cold out sharing a ditch with a zombie is not my idea of a good time. I poked corp. Davis' head up out of the ditch and was rewarded with a quick and accurate response.
At least then I was armed. Didn't need to be though, I was in that ditch for close to eight hours before a shot rang out followed by a voice that told me it was ok to come out. Of course that didn't make me feel better and told the voice so. To which the reply was fine stay in the ditch he didn't give a damn and it would be better for him when the rest of the soldiers came looking for there scouts if I was around to do the explaining. That was followed by foot steps and a quick decision from me. I scrambled out of the ditch and found an older man in hunting camo holding a scoped rifle on me.
Turns out that the old man was Wayne Hockensmith and had been hiding his family from the zombies and more recently from the troops from Ft. Knox. He told me that he had been keeping in touch with another family and when he went to check on them last he found the men dead and the women and children missing. He then tracked the people that left th
e house back to what he describes as a field command. He then found Stacy and her kid sitting in a fenced in area with many other women and children but was shot at before he could get to them.
The next night when he went back with his sons and grandsons the whole thing was gone, but was easy to track because of the tanks and armored personal carriers. He found them in the early morning over ten miles from the first camp. This time he set up a distraction while his sons free their friends and some of the other women being held but he said most wanted to stay and wouldn't leave. Guess they felt that safety from the dead was worth their freedom.
Wayne and his family have been dodging the scouts and troops since that night and was tracking them when they fired on me. Wayne is a good man and one hell of a survivor, he's kept his family safe and fed through the end of the world and still managed to save the wife and children of a friend when it might cost him everything. I told him about the compound and how to get in touch when he gets close. They wont have much with them when they come but the people that he rescued might have something to say about the troop that captured them and what they are planning.