It is generally boring as hell, and I cannot imagine how bad it is doing the overnight shift. But then yes, I can from my days of doing the overnight shift on a Sunday/Monday night shift in the wintertime. The schedule for the monitor room was:
Sunday Day: Steven Night: Heather
Monday Day: Me Night: Joseph
Tuesday Day: Stephen Night: Michelle
Wednesday Day: Ron Night: Fred
Thursday Day: Mark Night: Ethan
Friday Day: Asuna Night: Henry
Saturday Day: Jan Night: Frank
Sunday Day: Lance Night: Taylor
Monday Day: Me Night: Joseph
Tuesday Day Steven Night: Matt
Wednesday Day: Doc Barkley Night: Charlen
Thursday Day: Lance Night: Ethan
Friday Day: Tanya Night: Larry
Saturday Day: Teckla Night: Chelsea
The shift was quiet and I saw not much of anything happening out there. Oh look, a squirrel….. Asuna stopped in around noon time with lunch. We sometimes visited each other halfway through the shift to share a meal and break the boredom. We tried to keep certain people in the dayshift mode because of their other tasks. The Three were pretty much kept in the light, although Henry volunteered for night shift. Steven, Ron, Asuna and I were also kept in the light because of our outside activities and need for readiness. One advantage with dayshift over the night shift was that we would have Lance or Ethan in the area. They kept quite busy with maintenance projects on the equipment.
One of the things that they are working on is a motion detection system that would put a warning that there was movement on specific cameras. It was a great idea, particularly at night. During the day it could be a little annoying because you would get a bird, or squirrel moving around and it would set the thing off. At night you did not have as much an issue with that type of movement. It was also advantageous in case the person on watch was to nod off.
Nov 5th
Another rainy, miserable day and we are stuck playing indoors again, or at least most of us are. Nothing happened.
Nov 6th
The bad news is it is another rainy friggin’ day and the mood in the camp matches the grayness of the sky. The good news is that we have been able to collect a lot of rain water. It has all tested okay for radiation and it is something that we can use for drinking so we have filled every bottle, can, and container we can find. The stuff from the military purification unit is safe, but not so tasty.
The ground is pretty soggy and soft so we are trying to avoid any driving other than on the roadways but then we have no real driving that we need to do. It kind of reminds me of some of those old westerns with the dirt streets. We have also started to lay down wood to create walk ways over the soggier spots. The other thing I have noticed is that with the dampness you just cannot shake the cold. The fireplaces and woodstoves are getting a workout.
Nov 7th
The sun was out this morning, it was still cold, but the blue sky seemed to raise the spirits. We did the run this morning, and then a little sword work. It is amazing how much one’s mobility is hampered by heavy clothing. It is something to remember when you find yourself in a prolonged battle. But the other side of that coin is in the post battle situation how badly would you suffer from the cold if suddenly you were left exposed to the elements.
There was some time spent shoring up and adding to the “boardwalk” system that we have lain down due to the rain and flooding. We have also taken some time to mark out the walkways so that when it snows we are able to stay on them, and even shovel them.
With the weather being what it is Asuna and I headed out to a high point to the west of the camp to see if we could find or see any indication of smoke. It might be a good way to determine if there is another settlement close by. We found nothing but they could also try to maintain a low profile. The smoke from our camp has been kept to a minimum, using dry hardwoods like oak and maple.
There had been a plan to put the aircraft up one more time before fuel ran out but after the issues we had with the biker group back in the day The Three figured it was not so hot an idea. Besides, we knew pretty much what the deal with the radiation was, and where it was coming from so the fuel would be saved for some other necessity.
Fred and Jan have actually set a date for their wedding. It will be November 30th.
Nov 8th
Another cold morning, and I am not going to even try the “and crisp”, it was just plain bone chilling cold. The run was completed but we decided that sword play was off the table for the day. It was a soup kind of day, and we pretty much had it for lunch and dinner.
Interesting issue arose today that we had not seen before, Joseph had a tooth ache, a filling fell out. Over the last 9 or so months we have really not had to worry about the whole dental thing. Most of us have kept up with brushing and flossing but unlike the old days we had not option for cleanings and such.
The end result was that the tooth had to be removed. But this does make one think about what holistic remedies could be used in cases like this. I remembered a movie where clove oil was used when the bad guy was drilling into hero’s front tooth and asking if it was “safe”. Using cloves actually did help for a little while but over time his tooth got worse. We tried to replace the filling with an assortment of glues and fillers but it did not help. It was particularly sensitive to temperature issues and this cold air was just killing him.
Nov 9th
Again with the cold, this is not good, but at least we did not have to deal with snow. The huntresses were out again today, game is sparse and the best they could come up with was a couple of fat little squirrels.
It was just a kind of read or keep busy day. The radio monitoring has turned up nothing. We have not picked up any CB signals. The AM/FM bands have been quiet except for a couple of loops signals either inviting everyone to the Michigan Peninsula or telling travelers to avoid particular areas. We did get one station from the Pennsylvania area that warned of a meltdown at a nuclear power plant in the Allentown area. That could explain the radiation readings that we are experiencing.
We have not seen any Zoms or had any hit the fences in the last couple of days. It is likely that they are impacted by the weather and cold.
Nov 10th
It was a little warmer today, but it was cloudy and toward the end of the day it was feeling like we were going to see some snow. We had no real reason to do so but Asuna, Mark, Stephanie and I took a ride into Pittsfield. Since the weather has turned colder it has been less a problem with the Zoms. We would see piles of bones along the way that had once been undead, but now were just remains, unmoving, or very limited in their movements, like the jaws would open and close, but that is about it.
An interesting aspect of the remains was that those we saw seemed to be older, like in their 50s and older. I know that sounds strange in that there would be no way to really tell other than by the clothing that the subjects were wearing. You did not see a lot of jeans, or fashions that would be considered trendy. It was more plaid pants and house dress types of clothing. I thought back to what Anne had concluded back some time ago that for whatever reason the younger the subject the more durable the remaining body was and the longer it was active.
We had nowhere in specific that we wanted to check out but thought a general scavenging party was a good idea. But one of the things on our list was liquids like sodas, waters, and those things that will freeze if this weather continues. In most cases the items would not be necessarily spoiled by freezing but rather they would destroy the containers and render them unusable. The other thing that we would or should consider is auto batteries and the acid that goes in them. Those items have a shelf life and having a few extras would be good in the long run.
Normally we would have taken the Coyote for this trip, but for the reason of the tire tracks we had discovered last time we visited we took the Hummers, with the 50 Cal mounted. Just a gut feeling which fortunately turned out t
o be wrong. We had no contact with anyone.
We did find that there were some signs that there may have been recent visits to the city. It was little things like opened cans of food littering the street, and windows that had been smashed out. In one of the stores we saw that the aluminum gate had been cut and that the cut still was very shiny showing it was recently done.
This unknown group seemed to have little concern that there might be other groups in the area and was reckless in that regard. I also found it troubling the excessively destructive manner of doing business. They wrecked a lot of stuff needlessly and were very wasteful as a result. It seemed to indicate to us that they were either not planning on staying in the area long or they were very stupid. I am hoping that it is the former and that we might not have the occasion to meet them.
Nov 11th
Veteran’s Day, it is easier to remember than Guy Fawkes Day which was about a week ago. There are none of those people left from World War One for whom the holiday was established for. For that matter, we have very few left that were in World War Two, Cyril may be the last for all we know. We do still have Viet Nam Vets, and those who have served in the Middle East Wars and Afghanistan. I guess in a way each and every one of us could be, should be a vet having survived as long as we have in this war against the virus, or whatever has turned the world on its ear.
Matt and Tanya had put together a little ceremony out by the flag pole for all those who we have lost. It was sad, and for some of us, very hard. At 11:00 they read the names of those who had been with us and were no longer.
Captain Lewis
Bert and Mary-Lou
Pedro
Alexander
Lauren
Marisa
Alyssa
John
Billy
Anne
Arcelia
Armand
Uncle Elgin
All have gone to a better place, because this one certainly is not ideal. Anne was for me the hardest name to hear. I still miss her and still think about her, and seek advice from her.
There have been others who have died that we do not even know. Our list was just of those who had been part of our group. I hope there will be no additions to the list when we read it next year but I know it will not be so. There are also those who we could term the others, be it the Biker Group, or the Soldiers from the Arsenal, the masses from Otis, Brother Gabriel, The Military Unit in Hinsdale, so much death, so much waste.
After the service we walked back toward the monitor cabin. It was my Monday to watch the little screens.
As we walked, Asuna asked, “Are you okay?”
“I guess I am, but I was thinking about Anne”.
“You and Anne were together for a long time, she is an important part of who you are.”
I felt guilty about that, and then as if she could read my mind.
“You don’t need to feel guilty, and I hope when it is my turn that you think of and talk to me the way you do with Anne.”
A weak smile, a tear, a hug and an “I promise”. The thought of losing her too was not one I wanted to dwell on or even consider.
I do not talk much about my relationship with Asuna in this journal but I maybe should. She came into my life at a time when things were not good for me or for her. I was devastated by the loss of Anne, and at times wanted to join her. But I had a mission to keep Margo safe.
Then Asuna showed up when there were still shadows in my life. I do not know why, but there was some connection, we just sort of fit together. She could do much better than me. I just do not know why it works but I am not going to complain or second guess. She helped remove some of those shadows and over time saved me. In the course of the walk the light finally got real bright.
“Asuna, would you like to share my cabin with me, I mean, I have some extra room and all?”
“Duh!”
We moved her things in this afternoon.
At dinner Margo joined us. It was kind of funny,
“Well, it is about time you two!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Oh Tom, you two have been supposed to do this for a while, move in, God, sometimes you are kind of dense!”
“Yeah well, I, uh, I mean.”
“Yeah, you felt guilty about Mom, I know, and you miss her, so do I. But she is gone. You and Asuna are peas and carrots.”
Asuna, who had said nothing piped in, “We have your blessing?”
“Of course, even a blind squirrel could see what you two think of each other.”
I felt much better after that, it was a concern, Margo’s approval. I guess I am kind of traditional in some ways.
Nov 12th
It was strange, but very nice waking up with someone in the bed this morning, we did not make it to breakfast as early as we usually do. When we did, there were congratulations and hugs.
Cyril came over and I was nervous at first but then he said, “I hope for your happiness, I know Anne and Arcelia would both approve. Take care of each other for as long as you can.”
It is a little warmer today, and the sun is out. The run was good and we actually were able to swing the swords around a bit. The huntresses went out to do a little hunting today and I considered some fishing but the lake has a glaze of ice and the trout stream is a little frozen on the edges. Note to self: next time we do a scavenging run we have to look for ice fishing gear.
One of the things that have worked to our advantage is that between the cats and Biter we have had very little issue with rodents and squirrels getting into the food storage areas. The squirrels have been either scared away or the population has been decimated. Mice, well that is another issue. We have found some places where they have gotten into some of the food containers. The issue becomes what to do about the flour, or corn and such that they have been able to “contaminate”. In the land before the end we would have just tossed it out with no concerns because we could go and purchase some more. But now it is different. In some cases if the contamination is really bad like there is mouse crap in the flour, it is tossed or poisoned to reduce future generations. But it is saved if it is relatively clean figuring that cooking or baking will kill anything that could hurt us.
When one thinks about the plants and mills before the fall, and what the Feds would allow, we were not really all that much at risk. And in a time of hunger, as disgusting as it might seem, bread with a few mouse hairs or poops were preferable to starvation. Taylor took on the task of keeping an eye on the food inventory and storage conditions.
A check on the propane truck has determined that although we are good for right now it would be a good idea if we took some time and obtained at least one more truck load or found another truck that was loaded.
I have always been a little nervous around that particular gas. I recalled the old cop days when we had actual leaks of the stuff. It is heavier than air so as a result it would pool or form up in low areas or in potholes. That stuff really makes a mess when it is ignited and explodes. But it is our only option really at the moment. Asuna, Frank and I will head out tomorrow and see what we can find.
Movie night tonight, we had acquired one of those TV projection type devices like you would use for a PowerPoint Presentation. By hooking it to a laptop computer we run movie DVD’s and project them on a white wall. It was a classic tonight, Young Frankenstein. Our supply of movies is limited and this one was added in a recent scavenging foray. Having seen some of these movies so many times it has reached a point where there are wise cracks and comments from the audience that make the movie a little more fun.
Nov 13th
Cold again today, but at least it is sunny. Frank, Asuna and I headed into the Pittsfield area in search of propane. We were able to find a couple more of the small propane trucks and brought them back to the camp but that is the last of them. From here on out we will need to either find alternative sources to power things or we are going to have to figure out the means to refill them. We keep t
hem parked over by the landing field until we need them, just in case.
There is not much else to report on.
Nov 14th
Snow day and we received about 6 inches. We skipped the run today. The snow is that heavy wet snow, and we had some tree limbs come down, but nothing serious. We will have to keep an eye on the roofs of the cabins. If we see a large build up over the winter, we should get up there and shovel them.
In the “for what it is worth department” we had created a hydroponic garden back in Peru. We were not successful in moving it to Romaca. It was too small and too difficult to try to keep heated and lit. Fresh lettuce would have been good going through the winter but it was just not something that Henry and Matt felt we could keep up. I mention this here because with the snow fall it would have been very difficult and dangerous to try to clean the glass that would have been covering the greenhouse.
The Event Trilogy (Book 1): Life After the Meteor Page 37
