- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 6,710
Speared a nasty this evening. At least I think it was a nasty.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Late nite fake apocalypse ..come join in!!
- Thread starter Robdude
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
- Messages
- 4,162
I feel so sorry for most of you.
We also had our fair share of casualties but since roughly a year now things are starting to look better.
Our gated communities, 4 of them all next to each other are mainly scientist and engineers. We also have a sizable chunk of the local LEO and DEA population among us and that's where our main issue was. Instead of focusing on rebuilding and improving defenses whenever there was a downtime they kept fighting for who's the decider. Just like little boys in preschool, only more deadly. At the end our neighbor hood watch, also consisting of LEO'S, ex military and others was able to put an end to this.
At first we hardened and stocked up few safe houses where people could reorganise in case things started to become unmanageable temporarily. Later on we strengthened the complete outside perimeter. Some sound walls were already 9 feet tall to begin with and others areas where located on steep rocky hills. Other fences where hightened and crowned with barbed and razor wire which we took of some public installations and from farmland enclosures.
Sight has never been issue since we are a bit higher than the surrounding flat farm land. We literally see anybody coming for miles, in most directions and especially the only road into our area. Behind us is some slightly forested area and if there ever is an ambush from there we are prepared.
How did we do all this? What about water, electricity and food? 100 yards next to our gated communities we secured a waste water treatment plant run entirely by solar cells. It has a huge storage tank on high ground which creates pressure even during the night and there is an even bigger holding pond for rain water. While only rated suitable for lawn irrigation before the big outbreak nobody has fallen sick yet, well not sick from the water if you know what I mean.
Every house in these newly build communities has enough solar cells to cover their needs in electricity. We can't run the ACs at night though since whatever we store in the few battery banks we have built is used to provide street and perimeter lighting. Did I mention my neighbor worked for PGE? He was very helpful with rewiring a few things. We even got our local landlines to work which proved very helpful at times.
Food was bad at the beginning. Many people had enough food but didn't want to share with so much uncertainty of what the future will bring. Once the neighborhood watch helped things to settle down sharing wasn't an issue anymore. Still food wasn't plenty until we started reclaiming a lot of the farm land. Bunnies seem to multiply the easiest and can eat nearly any kind of vegetation. We also got fields of squash, tomatoes and other vegetables. Grains are harder. We don't have enough people to harvest them and the agricultural equipment we found can not be fueled at this point. Most cars have no fuel anymore except for our emergency stock of only 250 gallons. The 4 Teslas we have however are always kept at full charge if they aren't scouting or looking for supplies.
Infected aren't an issue anymore and looters from the cities aren't as frequent as they used to be I guess my plan to explode one of the highway bridges worked out well.
I love farmwork and installing drip irrigations but there are already enough people with that knowledge by now. I also like to do guard duty since when it comes to my family I don't trust the others abilities completely no matter which agency they worked for before the outbreak.
But its more important that me and my coworkers man our lab and keep researching for the cure and make antibiotics. I could go into detail on how we improvise a sterile environment and how we created makeshift culture plates, batch reactors and the like but why bore you guys? Just so much, raiding the Walgreens half a mile away helped a lot.
We haven't come across any effective cure yet and realistically the chances are very low if we can't coordinate efforts with other labs. The sales of penicillin to sorrounding settlements are slowly taking off and with increased demand next winter will provide for a a lot of things like ammo and livestock for breeding, maybe even fuel?
We also had our fair share of casualties but since roughly a year now things are starting to look better.
Our gated communities, 4 of them all next to each other are mainly scientist and engineers. We also have a sizable chunk of the local LEO and DEA population among us and that's where our main issue was. Instead of focusing on rebuilding and improving defenses whenever there was a downtime they kept fighting for who's the decider. Just like little boys in preschool, only more deadly. At the end our neighbor hood watch, also consisting of LEO'S, ex military and others was able to put an end to this.
At first we hardened and stocked up few safe houses where people could reorganise in case things started to become unmanageable temporarily. Later on we strengthened the complete outside perimeter. Some sound walls were already 9 feet tall to begin with and others areas where located on steep rocky hills. Other fences where hightened and crowned with barbed and razor wire which we took of some public installations and from farmland enclosures.
Sight has never been issue since we are a bit higher than the surrounding flat farm land. We literally see anybody coming for miles, in most directions and especially the only road into our area. Behind us is some slightly forested area and if there ever is an ambush from there we are prepared.
How did we do all this? What about water, electricity and food? 100 yards next to our gated communities we secured a waste water treatment plant run entirely by solar cells. It has a huge storage tank on high ground which creates pressure even during the night and there is an even bigger holding pond for rain water. While only rated suitable for lawn irrigation before the big outbreak nobody has fallen sick yet, well not sick from the water if you know what I mean.
Every house in these newly build communities has enough solar cells to cover their needs in electricity. We can't run the ACs at night though since whatever we store in the few battery banks we have built is used to provide street and perimeter lighting. Did I mention my neighbor worked for PGE? He was very helpful with rewiring a few things. We even got our local landlines to work which proved very helpful at times.
Food was bad at the beginning. Many people had enough food but didn't want to share with so much uncertainty of what the future will bring. Once the neighborhood watch helped things to settle down sharing wasn't an issue anymore. Still food wasn't plenty until we started reclaiming a lot of the farm land. Bunnies seem to multiply the easiest and can eat nearly any kind of vegetation. We also got fields of squash, tomatoes and other vegetables. Grains are harder. We don't have enough people to harvest them and the agricultural equipment we found can not be fueled at this point. Most cars have no fuel anymore except for our emergency stock of only 250 gallons. The 4 Teslas we have however are always kept at full charge if they aren't scouting or looking for supplies.
Infected aren't an issue anymore and looters from the cities aren't as frequent as they used to be I guess my plan to explode one of the highway bridges worked out well.
I love farmwork and installing drip irrigations but there are already enough people with that knowledge by now. I also like to do guard duty since when it comes to my family I don't trust the others abilities completely no matter which agency they worked for before the outbreak.
But its more important that me and my coworkers man our lab and keep researching for the cure and make antibiotics. I could go into detail on how we improvise a sterile environment and how we created makeshift culture plates, batch reactors and the like but why bore you guys? Just so much, raiding the Walgreens half a mile away helped a lot.
We haven't come across any effective cure yet and realistically the chances are very low if we can't coordinate efforts with other labs. The sales of penicillin to sorrounding settlements are slowly taking off and with increased demand next winter will provide for a a lot of things like ammo and livestock for breeding, maybe even fuel?
Last edited:
Robdude
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2015
- Messages
- 2,577
Speared a nasty this evening. At least I think it was a nasty.
Dang....crazy mutations down under.. with clean underwear so hard to come by...I'm sure glade we haven't seen that out in the western US.. seems to me you would need some serious blade to take care of that kind of evil..maybe something with around a 14" blade an maybe around a cm thick... an shiny
This is Monocrom again. You guys got your ears on? I really hope I'm not the only one with access to a serious radio. Been picking up frantic transmissions from China on a certain station each time I check the radio. Tonight, picked up one from Russia. Since I speak Russian, I found out what took place. Seems a sizeable chunk of China is now gone. Multiple missile blasts hit what can best be called the Southeast portion of the nation. Panic everywhere.
Seems their radar tracking systems are down. They don't know who to retaliate against. Which is good for us..... Seems Skittles is an evil little eight-legged S.O.B.
My position here is secure.... for now. It's far from ideal. One point of entry. Same point of exit. Hammock for a bed. No running water. No windows. Yesterday, I decided to start scouting for a secondary position I could occupy if this one ever became compromised. Honestly, not likely. But why put all your eggs in one basket? Saw something odd while I was out yesterday. Two Rabs. They didn't see me. They were very slowly shuffling along in the woods. Some idiot in a suit stumbled onto them. He ran off immediately. They just put their arms out and kept shuffling along. Technically they went after him. But it wasn't even a half-assed effort. Their legs didn't seem injured. Maybe the infection VERY slowly over time starts affecting their legs?
Then again, it's easy to forget these things are still living people. Brains being eaten away by Super Rabies. But still mortal. Maybe they chased a group of survivors over several miles just a couple of hours earlier. Their legs might just be horribly exhausted. Do they sleep? Or do they collapse from exhaustion, then pass out, then wake up hours later? That seems more likely.
Yeah, the guy was wearing a suit. Complete with a big yellow tie with tiny black dots patterned on it. I've had enough of mysteriously crazy. Kate was enough. Didn't go after him. Didn't try to help him. Those two exhausted Rabs were the only ones I saw in the area. If he couldn't outrun them, then that's just sad.
Heard rumors on the radio of a settlemt somewhat close by. And found it about an hour ago. They're not taking in anyone. Which is fine by me. No offense guys, but lately I can't fricking stand human-beings. Two other incidents since my last transmission. Won't get into what took place. Let's just say I now have a .22 caliber Single Action Army clone revolver. Just like in the days of the old West. But easier to find ammo than .45 Long Colt. Also now have a .41 Magnum with Eight rounds only. But half a case of empty brass for it. Both incidents..... didn't have to kill anyone. But that might not be a viable option every time. And that bothers me. One less round in the little Charter Arms. Though he's going to be limping for awhile. You know, the Rabs have an excuse for the violent, demented behavior. Those guys didn't. No excuse at all. None! Yeah.... also got a new jacket out of it. Still pretty cold up here. Even after Summer ends, we're not likely to see it all return to business as usual. It's a really nice jacket. Nice and warm.
Oh right, the commune or settlement or big-ass collection of neo-hippies..... Whatever the Hell it is. I'm going to check it out. Might just be a trap to lure people in, take their stuff, gun them down. Might be a legit Trading Post of sorts. If it is, I've got a couple of new high-cost items to trade. If it's a trap, I'll warn you guys. Give me at least a couple of days though. It'll take that long just to spy on the place from outside.
Seems their radar tracking systems are down. They don't know who to retaliate against. Which is good for us..... Seems Skittles is an evil little eight-legged S.O.B.
My position here is secure.... for now. It's far from ideal. One point of entry. Same point of exit. Hammock for a bed. No running water. No windows. Yesterday, I decided to start scouting for a secondary position I could occupy if this one ever became compromised. Honestly, not likely. But why put all your eggs in one basket? Saw something odd while I was out yesterday. Two Rabs. They didn't see me. They were very slowly shuffling along in the woods. Some idiot in a suit stumbled onto them. He ran off immediately. They just put their arms out and kept shuffling along. Technically they went after him. But it wasn't even a half-assed effort. Their legs didn't seem injured. Maybe the infection VERY slowly over time starts affecting their legs?
Then again, it's easy to forget these things are still living people. Brains being eaten away by Super Rabies. But still mortal. Maybe they chased a group of survivors over several miles just a couple of hours earlier. Their legs might just be horribly exhausted. Do they sleep? Or do they collapse from exhaustion, then pass out, then wake up hours later? That seems more likely.
Yeah, the guy was wearing a suit. Complete with a big yellow tie with tiny black dots patterned on it. I've had enough of mysteriously crazy. Kate was enough. Didn't go after him. Didn't try to help him. Those two exhausted Rabs were the only ones I saw in the area. If he couldn't outrun them, then that's just sad.
Heard rumors on the radio of a settlemt somewhat close by. And found it about an hour ago. They're not taking in anyone. Which is fine by me. No offense guys, but lately I can't fricking stand human-beings. Two other incidents since my last transmission. Won't get into what took place. Let's just say I now have a .22 caliber Single Action Army clone revolver. Just like in the days of the old West. But easier to find ammo than .45 Long Colt. Also now have a .41 Magnum with Eight rounds only. But half a case of empty brass for it. Both incidents..... didn't have to kill anyone. But that might not be a viable option every time. And that bothers me. One less round in the little Charter Arms. Though he's going to be limping for awhile. You know, the Rabs have an excuse for the violent, demented behavior. Those guys didn't. No excuse at all. None! Yeah.... also got a new jacket out of it. Still pretty cold up here. Even after Summer ends, we're not likely to see it all return to business as usual. It's a really nice jacket. Nice and warm.
Oh right, the commune or settlement or big-ass collection of neo-hippies..... Whatever the Hell it is. I'm going to check it out. Might just be a trap to lure people in, take their stuff, gun them down. Might be a legit Trading Post of sorts. If it is, I've got a couple of new high-cost items to trade. If it's a trap, I'll warn you guys. Give me at least a couple of days though. It'll take that long just to spy on the place from outside.
littlehoot
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
- Messages
- 2,289
Update from Alabama. Took the tractor and cutter over to the AM station. Mowed through about three quarters of them without a hitch. The dozer apparently had some trash in the fuel and stalled ran circles around it with the big Deere and cutter while we blew down the fuel line to restart. Lost three guys. Found out they were already bit, and had gone along for a "last mission" anyway.
Anyhow, after we cleaned it out three guys came out. Turns out the station was a former fall out shelter and microwave relay transmitter for the government. Lots of fuel and supplies, although they date to the cold war. (No ammo or weapons though) the three guys are techno savvy, and now I'm piggybacking their signal strength and they are staying with us.
Gonna try to make it to folks place soon, it's very very remote, and has river access. Have good supplies there, and a good family network.
Hope y'all are all safe.
Anyhow, after we cleaned it out three guys came out. Turns out the station was a former fall out shelter and microwave relay transmitter for the government. Lots of fuel and supplies, although they date to the cold war. (No ammo or weapons though) the three guys are techno savvy, and now I'm piggybacking their signal strength and they are staying with us.
Gonna try to make it to folks place soon, it's very very remote, and has river access. Have good supplies there, and a good family network.
Hope y'all are all safe.
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2012
- Messages
- 1,919
Well it's been a rough couple of days, the hushed wispers turned out to be some friendlies. A group of Hispanics Mom, Uncle, and two teenage boys. They don't speak much English but from what I gather the Uncle had to put the Dad down and the Sister was bit a week ago and turned yesterday. They told me of the group I seen before and that they were marauders, taking what they want by force. It is the reason they were on the move, and was happenstance that they chose the same bridge as us. No guns among them, only hand tools. It is a little edgy as it seems our groups do not fully trust each other yet but we have accomplished building and fortifying a small camp out in the woods. Not too many of the dead up here, only the occasional wanderer.
The family Norma, Juan, Pablo, and Victor brought a good store of food stuffs and have shared happily. In return I outfitted them each with a good knife. Juan got a Sykco 1111, Norma a Chop House, the boys got a JMD and my recently deceased girls RMD. I am hoping this will help build trust, I am sure soon one of them will start wanting to have a gun when standing guard.
Tomorrow we go down well the 4 oldest of us men to scout the marauders and make plans on how to deal with them before they find us. We plan to take them out if we can and loot what they have. Perhaps under cover of darkness. Juan says there are 8 of them 7 men and a female, and that they do not keep a well guarded camp. Got to go, it's time for planning. Stay safe everyone.
The family Norma, Juan, Pablo, and Victor brought a good store of food stuffs and have shared happily. In return I outfitted them each with a good knife. Juan got a Sykco 1111, Norma a Chop House, the boys got a JMD and my recently deceased girls RMD. I am hoping this will help build trust, I am sure soon one of them will start wanting to have a gun when standing guard.
Tomorrow we go down well the 4 oldest of us men to scout the marauders and make plans on how to deal with them before they find us. We plan to take them out if we can and loot what they have. Perhaps under cover of darkness. Juan says there are 8 of them 7 men and a female, and that they do not keep a well guarded camp. Got to go, it's time for planning. Stay safe everyone.
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 6,710
There's these giant tripods that came over the horizon this evening! They're destroying everything!!!!
Had to tune in one last time before going cold for the next two days or so. By the way, it's Monocrom again. I know some of you guys are somehow able to transit images to each other apparently. How the Hell you're doing that, no clue! And I've got a serious radio and transmitter. I'm hoping those of you transmitting images over the air-waves have some truly advanced stuff. Maybe high-tech covert or Special-Ops transmitters and receivers?.... Then again, maybe just gimmicky home-entertainment models designed to entertain the sheeple. At least the ones with butt-loads of disposable income.
Anyway, Kate would sometimes ramble on about new Gen. giant tanks with advanced weaponry. Thing is, no tracks. Actual legs. Three of them for stability. Something about Special Projects. Joint venture with the French. Or maybe the British? She rambled on a bit about issues with perfecting the stability control systems. Who knows, maybe Uncle Sam got them operational after all. Maybe they're testing them out in Australia. Maybe Kate wasn't quite as crazy as I thought.... Then again, she also went into detail about having Thanksgiving dinner with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and two of the three guys from Blue Man group. Apparently things were going well until Abraham Lincoln showed up, and refused to take off his three-story top-hat.
Once again, I'm going dark for at least the next 48 hours. Stay safe.
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,022
Nemesis here checking in from rural SoVa. Due to a sparse population we have came this far better than others. The infected have been easy to deal with usually by a Busse AK-47 or RMJ hawk, but my HG-55 never leaves my side. The garden is coming along nicely and we have sourced more jars to keep vegetables through next winter, also cleaned out the old root cellar. Weapons and ammo are good for the foreseeable future and suppressors really help keep from attracting the infected. With the help of family and close friends defending and living off of our 325 family farm has been manageable, thank god for a little pre planning. Generator gas has to be rationed carefully and it is the biggest risk to scavenge. Really wish we had put up much more salt, sugar and spices but all and all we are making it through. Good luck you all.
ETA: my brothers ham radio base station I always picked on him for getting so excited about doesn't seem so silly now that we use it to communicate and get information, it will be even less silly if we are able to establish trade routes with other survivors.
Great thread Rob
ETA: my brothers ham radio base station I always picked on him for getting so excited about doesn't seem so silly now that we use it to communicate and get information, it will be even less silly if we are able to establish trade routes with other survivors.
Great thread Rob
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2014
- Messages
- 1,590
This is CookieRawr reporting in. I am finally sober after running out of scotch.I would go to get more from the supply closet but I'm hearing noises down there. Guys...I think I nuked China, He ...made me do it. Skittles is an absolute madman. I entered these missile codes I found off the corpse of President Trump. Skittles said," you press that red button" . I was under his spell my eyes dilated, and in a delirium of drunkenness. I...I think I'm going to stab the spider with my BB13 see how he likes being diced in pieces. As always I am sitting on a literal warehouse full of booze and MRE's. The bar is open if anyone wants some. Oh my god...this radar thingy just lit up and..it looks like I'm tracking several ICBMs launched off the coast of Alaska heading our way. Time..to murder the evil little spider and get blitzed again.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2014
- Messages
- 1,590
Cookie Rawwr signing in. Is any one out there still? I think we are all in luck. I have satellite images of the submarine that launched the missiles and it has North Korean markings. All the missiles but one just went dark off the coast of Canada. Now that I am sober I can say its trajectory will take it to San Franscisco. But hold your breath guys I doubt it will make much of a bang if it even gets there. On a side note, I now consider this a declaration of war and just launched the last three missiles in the silos as retaliation against North Korea. Skittles has mutated it appears, I wasn't crazy at all. Who ever was in the base before left chunks of plutonium around like cookie crumbs and the Roaches were radiated that he/she was eating. I am missing one of my Basic 13s. I am asking for urgent help to purge the Mutant spider hybrids now running around in the underground supply closet. Skittles has turned sentient and communicates with telepathy. We all are in trouble if her brood escapes the bunker and multiplies. I shall happily hand over as much Scotch and whatever else I have stashed. Please anyone contact me if you are alive.
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 6,710
Ummm we have a similar problem downunder. I'm not even sure the MOAB can dispatch this behemoth. Best to stay hidden.
zombieassassin
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2015
- Messages
- 4,931
A small herd of 60-80 of them broke through our gate this evening. Here in the sticks that has been uncommon since the outbreak. We managed to clear them quickly and quietly but drifters seem to be more apparent in the last few days. Coming from the north, I wonder if they are attracted to the heat? Stay safe guys....ZA out.
Anyone still alive out there? One of my biggest nightmares is that I'll keep updating, after being the last lone survivor on Earth. Similar to how I somehow got into an arguement with a good friend who out of the blue started acting like an ass. I drove him back to the subway station and kicked him out of my car. Night out, over before it began. Pulled into a fast-food parking lot. Called another friend to tell him all about it. Just talked into the phone for nearly half an hour. Realized my phone died somewhere along the transmission. Later learned it was shortly after he picked up and said "Hello." Don't ever want to experience that feeling again.
Sorry, rambling again. Okay, the settlement. As reported earlier, I heard on the radio they're not taking in any new people. I can confirm that's true. Doesn't mean anyone on the East coast and specifically near New York should avoid the place. Turns out, it's legit. Now for the bad news.... More of a garage sale than a well-stocked Super Wally-World. Still, worth a visit if any of you are near. Just be sure you have good barter items or you'll get turned away.... at the point of a gun. Otherwise, all are welcome to trade.
They want what everyone wants. They trade what everyone wants. Guns, ammo, hygiene products, all sorts of camping gear and equipment. Tents, sleeping bags. Hiking gear too. Knives and sharpeners. Though the ones made for utilitarian purposes are definitely more sought after than the ones sold to the sheeple as weapons. All types of tools. Even compact ones. But they prefer full-sized ones. Fricking Hell, a decent quality axe with a bit of rust on it is worth more than several ounces of gold to these people. They don't need them so much now. But they know they can trade them to other survivors for an obscene price. Also, they'll take small portable stoves. But those have to be wood-burning models. They have no interest in the ones that use butane canisters. Good luck finding a canister that has any fuel in it anyway. Despite having found all this out, there's just something about the place I don't like. Even after what I observed over these last two days with finally being allowed inside.
Honestly, I should have just worn a shirt, pants, and strolled up to the gate with a giant goofy smile on my face. Their OPSEC is basic at best, with holes in it big enough to drive a MAC truck through them. Instead, I put on my camouflage clothing and other items. One of the books I found was a 1965 U.S. Military Field Manual that covered that topic. Funny what you'll find scavenging a retirement home. I figured the info. concerning individual camouflage was still good today. And I was right. Wish I had a proper camo. stick. But the civilian hunter's little make-up case was good enough. I didn't approach until around 12 Noon. Took that long because the last mile and a half was very slow going, on my belly. Kept an eye out for Rabs. Didn't see any.
Didn't want my binocs reflecting my position to them. Had to rely on my eyes only. I was on a large hill as I got very close to their position, but still plenty far back. It looks like a giant wooden fort in the middle of a wide expressway. For several miles there are large booby-traps and barricades on either end of the expressway. But no one is manning them. Not a soul. There's the hill I'm on, on the East. Large forested area on their West. The South side has the only entrance or exit gate. One man-made tower on the very South West corner overlooking the road. One guard usually armed with what appears to be a Ruger Mini-14. Maybe a Mini-30.
Sometimes nothing happened for hours. Then I saw an old Chevy Tahoe pull up close to the gates. Yeah, those barricades are designed to slow down a vehicle, not stop it. The guy in the tower grabbed a megaphone and commanded the vehicle to stop. It did. Guard wanted the driver to step out and state their business. Saw a guy in his late twenties, maybe early thirties climb out. He had his hands up. He shouted "Trade" as loud as he could. The gates opened a few minutes later and a fat bald man with hair on the sides of his head came out. He was dressed very well. I could definitely see that much. He was accompanied by three well-armed guards. The tower guard was now holding his Ruger too. The rest of the occupants got out. Wife, little boy maybe about 10, and an older girl maybe about 16. All of them looked skinny. Baldy and the father went inside. Twenty minutes later he was out. He was carrying a backpack now. Not a very large one either. Under that arm, he had some sort of O.D. green bundle. A rusty shovel in his other hand, laying up on his shoulder.
Damn! the look on his face was utter dejection. Shoulders slumped, head down. Seeing that shovel, he looked as though he may have had three kids instead of only two.... and one of them didn't make it. Going out to bury that one. Sorry, my mind sometimes wanders a bit. Baldy accompanied him, along with this armed three stooges of course, back to the old Tahoe. Soon I learned why. Their business wasn't over. By this time, the sun was setting. I slowly took out my binocs and took a closer look. The wife seemed concerned. Baldy said something to the husband. I can't read lips, but his gestures made it clear something more was going to happen. He looked at his wife like a man about to admit he had been fired for screwing up royally. She began to cry. The daughter looked around like she was confused and utterly stunned.
Baldy pointed to the daughter. Then he made a cupping gesture with his hand. Palm up. At first I thought it was the universal gesture for "Come over here." Or, the less common, "Come with me." Wife stepped behind her daughter and seemed to reach up to the back of her neck. I saw with relief she undid a thin gold chain with a not-very-small black stone attached to it. Oval shaped. Bigger than you'd expect but still small. The girl turned away, crying. Rushed back to the Tahoe, climbed in, and slammed the rear passanger's side door shut. Dad seemed worried. One of the three Stooges, who actually looked a bit like Moe, turned a bit to the side and smirked. But he and the others left their rifles pointed down. Baldy assured dad that everything was fine. Clearly none of them were concerned with the possibility that she might jump out with a gun or some other weapon hidden in the Tahoe. The wife handed the, most likely, family heirloom to Baldy without a word. She took the boy and they slowly walked back to the SUV and got in.
Baldy pulled out a jeweler's loop and examined the stone. He nodded, and the transaction was over. Dad received zero help loading the pack, bundle, and rusty shovel into the back of the SUV. They slowly turned around, and left. As night fell, I was able to use my binocs more. They actually have lights on the tops of the large logs they used to built the walls. Their lone tower is also lit up on top. Looks like white Christmas tree lights on there. Tower is manned 24 hours a day it seems. But to give up their position so easily.... Also, not sure if there are booby-traps in the woods on their West side. But the East side has nothing as far as I know. Likely no traps, and definitely no patrols. Except for two guys who like to hug the wall. Only patrol I saw.
Crap! Battery's getting awful low. I don't have a spare. I can charge this one back up, but it'll take a few hours. I'll let you guys know how I got the royal treatment while being escorted inside, next time. No worries, I've been awake for way too long. It'll get dark soon anyway, so I'll going to rest up for now in my very secure position. Old Mono isn't likely to encounter any Rabs or the ever more dangerous Homo Erectus.
Sorry, rambling again. Okay, the settlement. As reported earlier, I heard on the radio they're not taking in any new people. I can confirm that's true. Doesn't mean anyone on the East coast and specifically near New York should avoid the place. Turns out, it's legit. Now for the bad news.... More of a garage sale than a well-stocked Super Wally-World. Still, worth a visit if any of you are near. Just be sure you have good barter items or you'll get turned away.... at the point of a gun. Otherwise, all are welcome to trade.
They want what everyone wants. They trade what everyone wants. Guns, ammo, hygiene products, all sorts of camping gear and equipment. Tents, sleeping bags. Hiking gear too. Knives and sharpeners. Though the ones made for utilitarian purposes are definitely more sought after than the ones sold to the sheeple as weapons. All types of tools. Even compact ones. But they prefer full-sized ones. Fricking Hell, a decent quality axe with a bit of rust on it is worth more than several ounces of gold to these people. They don't need them so much now. But they know they can trade them to other survivors for an obscene price. Also, they'll take small portable stoves. But those have to be wood-burning models. They have no interest in the ones that use butane canisters. Good luck finding a canister that has any fuel in it anyway. Despite having found all this out, there's just something about the place I don't like. Even after what I observed over these last two days with finally being allowed inside.
Honestly, I should have just worn a shirt, pants, and strolled up to the gate with a giant goofy smile on my face. Their OPSEC is basic at best, with holes in it big enough to drive a MAC truck through them. Instead, I put on my camouflage clothing and other items. One of the books I found was a 1965 U.S. Military Field Manual that covered that topic. Funny what you'll find scavenging a retirement home. I figured the info. concerning individual camouflage was still good today. And I was right. Wish I had a proper camo. stick. But the civilian hunter's little make-up case was good enough. I didn't approach until around 12 Noon. Took that long because the last mile and a half was very slow going, on my belly. Kept an eye out for Rabs. Didn't see any.
Didn't want my binocs reflecting my position to them. Had to rely on my eyes only. I was on a large hill as I got very close to their position, but still plenty far back. It looks like a giant wooden fort in the middle of a wide expressway. For several miles there are large booby-traps and barricades on either end of the expressway. But no one is manning them. Not a soul. There's the hill I'm on, on the East. Large forested area on their West. The South side has the only entrance or exit gate. One man-made tower on the very South West corner overlooking the road. One guard usually armed with what appears to be a Ruger Mini-14. Maybe a Mini-30.
Sometimes nothing happened for hours. Then I saw an old Chevy Tahoe pull up close to the gates. Yeah, those barricades are designed to slow down a vehicle, not stop it. The guy in the tower grabbed a megaphone and commanded the vehicle to stop. It did. Guard wanted the driver to step out and state their business. Saw a guy in his late twenties, maybe early thirties climb out. He had his hands up. He shouted "Trade" as loud as he could. The gates opened a few minutes later and a fat bald man with hair on the sides of his head came out. He was dressed very well. I could definitely see that much. He was accompanied by three well-armed guards. The tower guard was now holding his Ruger too. The rest of the occupants got out. Wife, little boy maybe about 10, and an older girl maybe about 16. All of them looked skinny. Baldy and the father went inside. Twenty minutes later he was out. He was carrying a backpack now. Not a very large one either. Under that arm, he had some sort of O.D. green bundle. A rusty shovel in his other hand, laying up on his shoulder.
Damn! the look on his face was utter dejection. Shoulders slumped, head down. Seeing that shovel, he looked as though he may have had three kids instead of only two.... and one of them didn't make it. Going out to bury that one. Sorry, my mind sometimes wanders a bit. Baldy accompanied him, along with this armed three stooges of course, back to the old Tahoe. Soon I learned why. Their business wasn't over. By this time, the sun was setting. I slowly took out my binocs and took a closer look. The wife seemed concerned. Baldy said something to the husband. I can't read lips, but his gestures made it clear something more was going to happen. He looked at his wife like a man about to admit he had been fired for screwing up royally. She began to cry. The daughter looked around like she was confused and utterly stunned.
Baldy pointed to the daughter. Then he made a cupping gesture with his hand. Palm up. At first I thought it was the universal gesture for "Come over here." Or, the less common, "Come with me." Wife stepped behind her daughter and seemed to reach up to the back of her neck. I saw with relief she undid a thin gold chain with a not-very-small black stone attached to it. Oval shaped. Bigger than you'd expect but still small. The girl turned away, crying. Rushed back to the Tahoe, climbed in, and slammed the rear passanger's side door shut. Dad seemed worried. One of the three Stooges, who actually looked a bit like Moe, turned a bit to the side and smirked. But he and the others left their rifles pointed down. Baldy assured dad that everything was fine. Clearly none of them were concerned with the possibility that she might jump out with a gun or some other weapon hidden in the Tahoe. The wife handed the, most likely, family heirloom to Baldy without a word. She took the boy and they slowly walked back to the SUV and got in.
Baldy pulled out a jeweler's loop and examined the stone. He nodded, and the transaction was over. Dad received zero help loading the pack, bundle, and rusty shovel into the back of the SUV. They slowly turned around, and left. As night fell, I was able to use my binocs more. They actually have lights on the tops of the large logs they used to built the walls. Their lone tower is also lit up on top. Looks like white Christmas tree lights on there. Tower is manned 24 hours a day it seems. But to give up their position so easily.... Also, not sure if there are booby-traps in the woods on their West side. But the East side has nothing as far as I know. Likely no traps, and definitely no patrols. Except for two guys who like to hug the wall. Only patrol I saw.
Crap! Battery's getting awful low. I don't have a spare. I can charge this one back up, but it'll take a few hours. I'll let you guys know how I got the royal treatment while being escorted inside, next time. No worries, I've been awake for way too long. It'll get dark soon anyway, so I'll going to rest up for now in my very secure position. Old Mono isn't likely to encounter any Rabs or the ever more dangerous Homo Erectus.
Got up awhile ago. It's 9:44am. So a quick transmission before I head out to check my big ass rat traps for hopefully some squirrel meat. Where was I? Oh yeah. How I got in and was welcomed with open arms and pretty much told their entire operation. Did I say they're OPSEC was basic? Make that pathetic! On my way back from spying on them only from the outside, I heard a little whimper. Just the tiniest of sounds. While my nose doesn't work too well, my hearing is damn good. I go to check it out because it's the whimper of a small child. Sure enough, a little girl. turned out to be barely eight years old. Wearing a dress. Looked like something Alice would wear while walking through Wonderland. She was trying to hide from a Rab. Had both her hands clamped over her mouth.
It was near her, but couldn't find her. I pulled out my SureFire 9P with custom-made LED drop-in. Close to 800 actual lumens in the eyes blinded him long enough for my Steel Heart II to get the job done. After it fell, I turned to the girl. What a sight I must have been. I was afraid she'd run off in the darkness and possibly hurt herself in so many different ways. To my surprise, she simply walked up to me, knelt down and hugged my leg. The soft little "Thank you" coming out of her was nearly heart-breaking. She didn't cry. Just held onto my leg like it was her favorite stuffed animal. I soon learned why she wasn't afraid of me. She was from the fort. I had seen a few men dressed similar to myself. Camo, right down to the face and hands. Various different camo patterns. But mostly same colors as mine. Green, black, and brown. Found a complete outfit of British Army issue DPM camouflage clothes about a month after the initial outbreak. She must have thought I was one of the men from her community.
Well, I now faced a problem. A huge one. If I took her back to my shelter, it would be kidnapping no matter how many ways you'd pretend it wasn't. The little one, Amy, must have had living relatives back at the fort. And most likely one or two parents.... most likely now frantic with panic or very soon would be. Choice number two would be to leave her there, and just leave quickly. Which for some, would be an actual choice. Not for me! So I went with the real choice number two.... Escort her back to the fort, make my presence known, and risk getting shot for spying or just for being in the company of one of their little children. Screw it! I was fed up with Life several years before the outbreak. Part of me genuinely didn't care if I lived or died. But since I believe in Jesus, killing myself was out. Mess around and end up with a worse existence than what I already have. No thank you!
I took some Travel Wipes, and a bit of water to help wash off my face and hands. The little one gave me a mildly curious look when I was done. But despite clearly not recognizing me, she took my hand when I told her it was time to go home. It was at this point I suspected something might be wrong with her. Even by eight year-old standards, she was too trusting. Thank goodness I was the stranger she ran into. Hate to think what someone else would have already done to her by now. I hid my pack and most of my gear before we got back to the fort. She didn't even protest when I lifted her up in my arms. She just gently wrapped her little arms around my neck and leaned her head down onto my shoulder. Didn't make a peep.
I intentionally made some noise as I walked close to the gate. The tower guard shouted down for me to identify myself. I gave him my first name, then told him one of their little girls wandered off and that I found her. The jerk asked me what I wanted in return for her. Ass!.... Well no, I didn't want some ass. He got me mad with that question. I made it clear I wasn't there to trade her for anything. Just wanted to give her back to whomever she belonged to. This seemed to confuse him until he finally asked who it was I was holding. He seemed to nearly have a heart attack when I mentioned her name. He told me to wait there just a few moments. Soon the gate opened. I was surprised to see Moe. One of Baldy's less savory armed guards. Still dressed as he was before. Still armed. But with a concerned look on his face. He shouldered his rifle, and I simply handed her over to him. She did the same thing she had done with me. Quietly wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaned her head into his shoulder. Like it was the most natural thing for her to do whenever she was held by a big strong man protecting her.
He set her down, told her her mom was asleep, but that she would have worried when she woke up. He told her to get inside in a very calm and even voice. She looked up at me. I told her to get inside where it was safe. Moe gave me a questioning and suspicious look. I told him I was out checking my traps when I bumped into her almost about to be torn to pieces by a Rab. He didn't seem to understand the term. But after I explained it to him a bit, he got it. He couldn't help smiling at it now that he understood. He invited me inside. I hesitated. Moe explained that the little girl wasn't his. But that she belonged to their leader. And that he'd surely want to meet the man who saved one of his daughters.
I'm no opportunist. But yeah, I took the opportunity to learn more about these people. Obviously, they didn't shoot me. Ironically, it turned out that their leader is a man named Joshua. And ironically, not the fat bald slimy one I saw earlier. Joshua is a muscular man. Clearly some sort of military experience. Though couldn't tell much since I've never been in the military. Tall, pale skin. Short-cropped white hair, white beard and mustache. Likes to wear a light-blue beret. Goes well with his eyes. Same color. Hair, beard and stache neatly trimmed. There were several surprising well-constructed little homes inside the fort. Actually, they looked more like the pre-rendred shacks Home Depot used to sell outside their gardening section. Only these were a bit bigger. There were also some rather advanced looking wooden log shelters sprinkled about. I've seen them before, but don't remember what they're called. They were octagonal in shape. Even saw a couple of large wooden cabins. The fort was much bigger on the inside than I originally thought it was.
Joshua and Moe led me to a large tent towards the very middle of the compound. This seemed to be Joshua's office. For lack of a better term. I sat across from him at his desk. Moe was dismissed. Joshua thanked me for what I did. Apparently I was right about Amy. She has developmental issues, as Joshua put it. She has her good days as well as her bad ones. The good ones are far more common. But that just means that the bad ones can sneak up on you. Like when her curiosity gets the better of her and she goes outside for a walk, as Amy apparently calls it. How she gets out is an infuriating mystery to Joshua.
Since it was late, he told me that they trade with anyone for almost anything. He mentioned that I should return during daylight hours. Bring anything I might have to trade. He'd see to it I got a fair price. Before that though, he did ask if I wanted a reward for bringing her back. Now I was getting angry again. But very politely declined his offer of a reward.
So, I'm about to head out there; after I check my traps. Loaded my larger pack with some trade items. Including the .22 and the .41 Magnum that I both "requisitioned" so to speak. Few other items as well. I'm keeping the little Charter Arms. I wouldn't mind some .38 ammo and a proper cleaning kit for it. More than once it has kept me out of a pine box.... assuming there'd be anyone to put me into one and then lower me into the cold ground. I'm sure my Busse would fetch a very high price.... That's why I'm keeping it hidden in my shelter. Still don't trust them. I was careful to make sure I wasn't followed when I made my way home from there. I'll let you guys know how it goes....
It was near her, but couldn't find her. I pulled out my SureFire 9P with custom-made LED drop-in. Close to 800 actual lumens in the eyes blinded him long enough for my Steel Heart II to get the job done. After it fell, I turned to the girl. What a sight I must have been. I was afraid she'd run off in the darkness and possibly hurt herself in so many different ways. To my surprise, she simply walked up to me, knelt down and hugged my leg. The soft little "Thank you" coming out of her was nearly heart-breaking. She didn't cry. Just held onto my leg like it was her favorite stuffed animal. I soon learned why she wasn't afraid of me. She was from the fort. I had seen a few men dressed similar to myself. Camo, right down to the face and hands. Various different camo patterns. But mostly same colors as mine. Green, black, and brown. Found a complete outfit of British Army issue DPM camouflage clothes about a month after the initial outbreak. She must have thought I was one of the men from her community.
Well, I now faced a problem. A huge one. If I took her back to my shelter, it would be kidnapping no matter how many ways you'd pretend it wasn't. The little one, Amy, must have had living relatives back at the fort. And most likely one or two parents.... most likely now frantic with panic or very soon would be. Choice number two would be to leave her there, and just leave quickly. Which for some, would be an actual choice. Not for me! So I went with the real choice number two.... Escort her back to the fort, make my presence known, and risk getting shot for spying or just for being in the company of one of their little children. Screw it! I was fed up with Life several years before the outbreak. Part of me genuinely didn't care if I lived or died. But since I believe in Jesus, killing myself was out. Mess around and end up with a worse existence than what I already have. No thank you!
I took some Travel Wipes, and a bit of water to help wash off my face and hands. The little one gave me a mildly curious look when I was done. But despite clearly not recognizing me, she took my hand when I told her it was time to go home. It was at this point I suspected something might be wrong with her. Even by eight year-old standards, she was too trusting. Thank goodness I was the stranger she ran into. Hate to think what someone else would have already done to her by now. I hid my pack and most of my gear before we got back to the fort. She didn't even protest when I lifted her up in my arms. She just gently wrapped her little arms around my neck and leaned her head down onto my shoulder. Didn't make a peep.
I intentionally made some noise as I walked close to the gate. The tower guard shouted down for me to identify myself. I gave him my first name, then told him one of their little girls wandered off and that I found her. The jerk asked me what I wanted in return for her. Ass!.... Well no, I didn't want some ass. He got me mad with that question. I made it clear I wasn't there to trade her for anything. Just wanted to give her back to whomever she belonged to. This seemed to confuse him until he finally asked who it was I was holding. He seemed to nearly have a heart attack when I mentioned her name. He told me to wait there just a few moments. Soon the gate opened. I was surprised to see Moe. One of Baldy's less savory armed guards. Still dressed as he was before. Still armed. But with a concerned look on his face. He shouldered his rifle, and I simply handed her over to him. She did the same thing she had done with me. Quietly wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaned her head into his shoulder. Like it was the most natural thing for her to do whenever she was held by a big strong man protecting her.
He set her down, told her her mom was asleep, but that she would have worried when she woke up. He told her to get inside in a very calm and even voice. She looked up at me. I told her to get inside where it was safe. Moe gave me a questioning and suspicious look. I told him I was out checking my traps when I bumped into her almost about to be torn to pieces by a Rab. He didn't seem to understand the term. But after I explained it to him a bit, he got it. He couldn't help smiling at it now that he understood. He invited me inside. I hesitated. Moe explained that the little girl wasn't his. But that she belonged to their leader. And that he'd surely want to meet the man who saved one of his daughters.
I'm no opportunist. But yeah, I took the opportunity to learn more about these people. Obviously, they didn't shoot me. Ironically, it turned out that their leader is a man named Joshua. And ironically, not the fat bald slimy one I saw earlier. Joshua is a muscular man. Clearly some sort of military experience. Though couldn't tell much since I've never been in the military. Tall, pale skin. Short-cropped white hair, white beard and mustache. Likes to wear a light-blue beret. Goes well with his eyes. Same color. Hair, beard and stache neatly trimmed. There were several surprising well-constructed little homes inside the fort. Actually, they looked more like the pre-rendred shacks Home Depot used to sell outside their gardening section. Only these were a bit bigger. There were also some rather advanced looking wooden log shelters sprinkled about. I've seen them before, but don't remember what they're called. They were octagonal in shape. Even saw a couple of large wooden cabins. The fort was much bigger on the inside than I originally thought it was.
Joshua and Moe led me to a large tent towards the very middle of the compound. This seemed to be Joshua's office. For lack of a better term. I sat across from him at his desk. Moe was dismissed. Joshua thanked me for what I did. Apparently I was right about Amy. She has developmental issues, as Joshua put it. She has her good days as well as her bad ones. The good ones are far more common. But that just means that the bad ones can sneak up on you. Like when her curiosity gets the better of her and she goes outside for a walk, as Amy apparently calls it. How she gets out is an infuriating mystery to Joshua.
Since it was late, he told me that they trade with anyone for almost anything. He mentioned that I should return during daylight hours. Bring anything I might have to trade. He'd see to it I got a fair price. Before that though, he did ask if I wanted a reward for bringing her back. Now I was getting angry again. But very politely declined his offer of a reward.
So, I'm about to head out there; after I check my traps. Loaded my larger pack with some trade items. Including the .22 and the .41 Magnum that I both "requisitioned" so to speak. Few other items as well. I'm keeping the little Charter Arms. I wouldn't mind some .38 ammo and a proper cleaning kit for it. More than once it has kept me out of a pine box.... assuming there'd be anyone to put me into one and then lower me into the cold ground. I'm sure my Busse would fetch a very high price.... That's why I'm keeping it hidden in my shelter. Still don't trust them. I was careful to make sure I wasn't followed when I made my way home from there. I'll let you guys know how it goes....
Monocrom here. You guys still alive? Even though I've been staying at the fort, I have a feeling no one from the usual frequencies I check have been transmitting. Hope you're all safe. I returned to the fort that day. Met Baldy. His name is Sergay. He speaks only English and Russian. I pretended to only speak English. He's a businessman.... in every negative sense of the term. His ability to trade up provides the fort with needed supplies. He gets taxed 15% by Joshua. In exchange, he gets the safety and security of the fort, a free mini house, and two meals a day. Plus, not everything he trades belongs to him. Residents are required to donate large amounts of personal items back when they were taking in people.
Now, as a new friend of Joshua's, Baldy had no choice to show me their "warehouse" after I asked to do some trading. Rather than be upset, Sergay was full of pride to show off what he had, and what he had traded. I was surprised by a few of the items I saw. Most of it though was what you'd expect to see. One of the odd items was a box of .38 S&W ammo missing a dozen rounds. To be clear, not .38 Special. But .38 S&W. Picture a special with a shorter stubby brass casing. It's what existed before Smith & Wesson came up with the Special. If you can find this incredibly obsolete round, you can fire it in a .38 Special revolver.
I asked him about the ammo. Turns out one of the residents is an older man whose father was a police officer who was issued a Colt Police Positive service revolver in .38 S&W. The box of ammo was very old, but Baldy swore it was still good. The box and weapon were given to the community as one of the items in exchange for admission. Without any prompting, Baldy spoke with considerable pride at the way he had traded the gun and the ammo recently to a father of four in exchange for the man's gold wedding band, several Pre-1965 U.S. silver quarters, and a large black Onyx stone on a gold chain. A rusty shovel, some seed packets, a couple of older MRE's, a tarp, a cheap pack, and a green tent went along with the gun and ammo. Not a rip-off, to be fair. But far from a fair deal. I saw a few .38 Special revolvers in various conditions. The worst was a little 3-inch barreled Rossi 5-shooter whose blued finish had seen better days. I asked if the father knew finding more ammo would be impossible.
Baldy gave me a devilish grin along with a "That's his problem" response. He apparently had no sympathy for those who never bothered to do their research, as he put it. Their desperation, they're problem apparently. I traded the items I had brought along. Both the .22 and the .41 Mag netted me plenty of .38 Special ammo, and 12 gauge ammo as well. I intentionally left out the handful of ammo for both the .22 and the .41, and the empty .41 cases I had. I don't trade ammo to anyone! But I'll accept it in trade. The four squirrels my traps provided before coming over netted me a decent cleaning kit for the .38. Apparently fresh meat is prized. So much so that a decent quality tactical folder was tossed in to sweeten that deal. Can't have too many knives. Traded a few more items for MREs. That was about it. I have plenty of other items to trade, but decided that appearing to be rich might get me raided instead of traded. So I only brought along a few items. Did notice that Baldy set aside the squirrel meat for himself as I was leaving.
Spoke with Joshua next. He asked what I thought about their place. I decided since we were now friends, as he put it, I could afford to be honest. Pointing out the major holes in their security. He didn't get angry or upset. He considered what I said. He asked me something very unexpected.... That I become their officer in charge of security. The offer came with a tiny house in their community, two squares a day, and payment in silver coins. I accepted! I needed a second base of operations. Why not one surrounded by others to watch my back, a place I could earn food, weapons, other things.... It's very hush, hush. But Moe did point out after I accepted Joshua's offer, that they had a few ladies in their mid-twenties who had limited skills. Worked in the garden as supervised helpers during the day, and worked at night a few times during the week as.... Well, you know. Moe made no bones about the fact that Joshua knew everything that went on in the fort.
Okay, so there's some sleaziness going on there. Considering how low, vile, and disgusting humanity is in a general sense; I had no right to be surprised. I saw a general mix of all races at the fort. Joshua seems to have some heavy-handed punishments in store for most who get out of line. Though in this world, that may just be what's necessary to keep the community going. Hate admitting that. He seems to be quite a bit lenient with his friends. At least according to Moe. Minor infractions get a slap on the wrist. Major ones might lead to a fine in terms of goods owned. But you get only one. Continued B.S. leads to no consideration if it's a serious violation. Old-fashioned punishments are back too. Whippings are common. Saw one happening to a young man, about 18, for stealing a bottle of generic aspirin from the doctor's cabin. He broke the lock and ran off when the nurse caught him. Where was the idiot going to run to? Moe said a quick investigation revealed no medical aliments in the family that would have required the aspirin. What kinda idiot steals a drug that won't get him high? One who gets five lashes across the back. That's who.
I'm keeping the location of my original base secret for now. Doubt I'll ever get on Joshua's bad side. But you never know. Found out he was a clerk in the Army once. That explains his military background but poor judgement in security planning and set-up.
Baldy had a nice, mint, Ruger Mini-14 in the warehouse. Wish it was stainless steel, but still nice. He had 30-round magazines for it, cleaning kit, plenty of civilian .223 ammo. There's even a guy in the fort who earns his keep by making custom leather goods. You name it, he makes it. Holsters, belt pouches for knives and other gear, slings; you name it. Both for members of the community as well as trade items to stock in the warehouse. Down the road, I'm going to need a sling for that Mini-14. Something a bit decorative, but functional. Speaking of which, I already put a down payment on it. A one ounce Gold Krugerrand that I carry everywhere hidden on me. A few silver coins as I work here later on, with the Mossberg as the final payment.
Yup, lay-a-way still exists. I made it clear to baldy that the Mini is not for sale to anyone at any price. He's a coward, so not too worried he'll try to pull a fast one. Writing down its serial number was just an extra step. I'll keep secretly coming back to my original base. Checking my traps is a good excuse to leave each day. And one clearly endorsed by Baldy. Hope you guys are safe. As long as you're alone, a secure haven well stocked with food, water, ammo, and a couple of guns is mostly a good way to survive. Scavenge a few pieces of furniture and a good sleeping surface, and you're good. Still, when you go out alone, there's no one to watch your back. I've solved that problem. Stay safe guys.
Now, as a new friend of Joshua's, Baldy had no choice to show me their "warehouse" after I asked to do some trading. Rather than be upset, Sergay was full of pride to show off what he had, and what he had traded. I was surprised by a few of the items I saw. Most of it though was what you'd expect to see. One of the odd items was a box of .38 S&W ammo missing a dozen rounds. To be clear, not .38 Special. But .38 S&W. Picture a special with a shorter stubby brass casing. It's what existed before Smith & Wesson came up with the Special. If you can find this incredibly obsolete round, you can fire it in a .38 Special revolver.
I asked him about the ammo. Turns out one of the residents is an older man whose father was a police officer who was issued a Colt Police Positive service revolver in .38 S&W. The box of ammo was very old, but Baldy swore it was still good. The box and weapon were given to the community as one of the items in exchange for admission. Without any prompting, Baldy spoke with considerable pride at the way he had traded the gun and the ammo recently to a father of four in exchange for the man's gold wedding band, several Pre-1965 U.S. silver quarters, and a large black Onyx stone on a gold chain. A rusty shovel, some seed packets, a couple of older MRE's, a tarp, a cheap pack, and a green tent went along with the gun and ammo. Not a rip-off, to be fair. But far from a fair deal. I saw a few .38 Special revolvers in various conditions. The worst was a little 3-inch barreled Rossi 5-shooter whose blued finish had seen better days. I asked if the father knew finding more ammo would be impossible.
Baldy gave me a devilish grin along with a "That's his problem" response. He apparently had no sympathy for those who never bothered to do their research, as he put it. Their desperation, they're problem apparently. I traded the items I had brought along. Both the .22 and the .41 Mag netted me plenty of .38 Special ammo, and 12 gauge ammo as well. I intentionally left out the handful of ammo for both the .22 and the .41, and the empty .41 cases I had. I don't trade ammo to anyone! But I'll accept it in trade. The four squirrels my traps provided before coming over netted me a decent cleaning kit for the .38. Apparently fresh meat is prized. So much so that a decent quality tactical folder was tossed in to sweeten that deal. Can't have too many knives. Traded a few more items for MREs. That was about it. I have plenty of other items to trade, but decided that appearing to be rich might get me raided instead of traded. So I only brought along a few items. Did notice that Baldy set aside the squirrel meat for himself as I was leaving.
Spoke with Joshua next. He asked what I thought about their place. I decided since we were now friends, as he put it, I could afford to be honest. Pointing out the major holes in their security. He didn't get angry or upset. He considered what I said. He asked me something very unexpected.... That I become their officer in charge of security. The offer came with a tiny house in their community, two squares a day, and payment in silver coins. I accepted! I needed a second base of operations. Why not one surrounded by others to watch my back, a place I could earn food, weapons, other things.... It's very hush, hush. But Moe did point out after I accepted Joshua's offer, that they had a few ladies in their mid-twenties who had limited skills. Worked in the garden as supervised helpers during the day, and worked at night a few times during the week as.... Well, you know. Moe made no bones about the fact that Joshua knew everything that went on in the fort.
Okay, so there's some sleaziness going on there. Considering how low, vile, and disgusting humanity is in a general sense; I had no right to be surprised. I saw a general mix of all races at the fort. Joshua seems to have some heavy-handed punishments in store for most who get out of line. Though in this world, that may just be what's necessary to keep the community going. Hate admitting that. He seems to be quite a bit lenient with his friends. At least according to Moe. Minor infractions get a slap on the wrist. Major ones might lead to a fine in terms of goods owned. But you get only one. Continued B.S. leads to no consideration if it's a serious violation. Old-fashioned punishments are back too. Whippings are common. Saw one happening to a young man, about 18, for stealing a bottle of generic aspirin from the doctor's cabin. He broke the lock and ran off when the nurse caught him. Where was the idiot going to run to? Moe said a quick investigation revealed no medical aliments in the family that would have required the aspirin. What kinda idiot steals a drug that won't get him high? One who gets five lashes across the back. That's who.
I'm keeping the location of my original base secret for now. Doubt I'll ever get on Joshua's bad side. But you never know. Found out he was a clerk in the Army once. That explains his military background but poor judgement in security planning and set-up.
Baldy had a nice, mint, Ruger Mini-14 in the warehouse. Wish it was stainless steel, but still nice. He had 30-round magazines for it, cleaning kit, plenty of civilian .223 ammo. There's even a guy in the fort who earns his keep by making custom leather goods. You name it, he makes it. Holsters, belt pouches for knives and other gear, slings; you name it. Both for members of the community as well as trade items to stock in the warehouse. Down the road, I'm going to need a sling for that Mini-14. Something a bit decorative, but functional. Speaking of which, I already put a down payment on it. A one ounce Gold Krugerrand that I carry everywhere hidden on me. A few silver coins as I work here later on, with the Mossberg as the final payment.
Yup, lay-a-way still exists. I made it clear to baldy that the Mini is not for sale to anyone at any price. He's a coward, so not too worried he'll try to pull a fast one. Writing down its serial number was just an extra step. I'll keep secretly coming back to my original base. Checking my traps is a good excuse to leave each day. And one clearly endorsed by Baldy. Hope you guys are safe. As long as you're alone, a secure haven well stocked with food, water, ammo, and a couple of guns is mostly a good way to survive. Scavenge a few pieces of furniture and a good sleeping surface, and you're good. Still, when you go out alone, there's no one to watch your back. I've solved that problem. Stay safe guys.
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2013
- Messages
- 3,197
We have just experienced an unfortunate turn of events. About an hour ago I heard our dozer fire up. The dozer makes up the moveable "gate" to our compound so nobody moves the dozer at night. As soon as I heard it I knew that someone was trying to steal it. I picked off the driver but it was too late. He slumped over dead as can be but the dozer was already in motion and there were too many hobos (that's what we call them now) pouring in to go after it. I imagine that machine is at least four miles away by now. We have retreated up into the attic. I can hear a few of them milling around inside the house and the street is crawling with them. Will go about getting the situation in check at day break. Good night.
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 6,710
We've all completely lost our minds down here...
- Joined
- May 13, 2013
- Messages
- 795
^^^Rob your artwork is SICK! And I mean that in both ways Where can one go to look at/purchase your artwork? It would look pretty awesome in a man cave one day!
Where can one go to look at/purchase your artwork? It would look pretty awesome in a man cave one day!Hey guys, you out there? It's Mono. Been checking my traps and resetting them daily. Also means I'm checking this thing daily too. Only getting foreign news broadcasts over the last few days. Nothing from individuals until I heard clampdaddy's terrible account. Hope he's safe. Also picked up another transmission from that Russian news channel. Hate to say it but there are accounts now of mutated, blood soaked Rabs in Australia. Some accounts stating that it's not Rabs at all though. Mass insanity followed by widespread cannibalism. Hope that's not true. Heard of mass migrations to Western Australia. For those who don't know, Western Australia is pretty much the most desolate place on the continent. Practically nothing there but wild animals. Far from a good place to try to escape to. But when you're on a massive island with no other place to run to....
I've been keeping very busy at the new base. Joshua has implemented all of my ideas except one. They're going to keep trading away ammunition with those who have good items to trade for. I think that's a huge mistake that'll come back to bite us on the backside. But it's his call. Not all of my other ideas are popular. But I've got Joshua's full support. I get it.... no one likes pulling guard duty at the far end of each barrackade. Some of the people are complaining about the mandatory firearms training. But most of them understand why it's needed. Some of them are complaining I was let in without contributing anything to the warehouse.
Nice how they pretend all my experience and work in fortifying and securing their home and ONLY safe haven doesn't count as "contributing." I've got another safe haven. They need me far more than I need them. And, some of them know it. The others will realize it when there's a massive attack on the fort. Yup, not "if" but "when." I'm realistic.... some of these people aren't.
Moe and I somehow became what you'd call "friends." No damn clue how that happened. But yeah.... Anyway, getting back to these people; I stay mainly because of Amy and to get that Mini 14. That's what I tell myself. I know the Mini is terribly underrated and even laughed at compared to the AR-15 by most experts. Oh well. If you can't shoot accurately with one, then you need more practice instead of a different Twenty-two caliber rifle. But who am I kidding. I stick around for Amy's sake, Joshua's two other daughters who are 12 and 15, and the other children here. Damn there's just too many of them in total. Sara, Joshua's eldest daughter is getting noticed by the boys. Her blonde hair and the fact she has her father's incredibly blue eyes is not helping the situation. Just yesterday, I ended up screaming at an 18 year-old for doping off away from his post to flirt with her. I made it seem that I was only upset with him for leaving his post without permission. But I was far more furious that he was chatting her up. Not only is a pregnant Sara the last thing we need in an effort to keep Joshua focused on his role as community leader but.... I can't help feel protective of her and the other little ones.
Yeah, I know. But hopefully you guys understand. The boy nearly wet his pants as I dragged him away back to his post. Later on, Joshua asked me about the incident. I told him that being away from his post is why I reacted that way. That seemed to satisfy him. I want all the horny boys to get the picture. Try messing with Sara, and Joshua might smack you around. Which you better hope he catches you instead of her new Uncle Mono. He'll beat you within an inch of your life! Yeah, I never had children of my own. Definitely no daughters. Thankfully Joshua and his wife raised them properly. Once a week, I stop by to do flashcards with little Amy. I don't tell her I suck at math. It's nice that the flashcards have the answers in tiny print at the bottom.
Oh yeah, as for contributing; I donated most of my books to the community library. The technical manuals in particular were a big hit. As for the warehouse, I donated the limited supply of .22LR ammo along with the .41 rounds and empty casings I had. Over the last several months I managed to scrounge up plenty of other ammo too. Mostly odd-ball or significantly less popular calibers. Though not .38 Special or 12 gauge ammo. Mainly odd-ball hunting calibers. The closest to a popular caliber was .303 British. As in, still popular in Britain or Canada. Just not in America. Sergay recommended I only mention the quantity of what I donated. No need to point out their lack of popularity. I keep forgetting I'm one of the few people at the fort even allowed inside the warehouse. Yeah, books and ammo. My contribution for being allowed in. Or, more accurately, being asked to join.
I'm toying with the idea of donating the radio too. But I think I'll be selfish in that regard for now. Yesterday, someone Sergay traded with said that a sizeable group of Rabs were spotted by him several miles away from the fort. At their pace, it'll take awhile for them to reach us. Still, I'm taking a team out in a few hours after the sun rises to check it out. That bit of info. got the guy an extra can, a pretty large one too, of pork & beans. Anyway, wish me luck guys.
I've been keeping very busy at the new base. Joshua has implemented all of my ideas except one. They're going to keep trading away ammunition with those who have good items to trade for. I think that's a huge mistake that'll come back to bite us on the backside. But it's his call. Not all of my other ideas are popular. But I've got Joshua's full support. I get it.... no one likes pulling guard duty at the far end of each barrackade. Some of the people are complaining about the mandatory firearms training. But most of them understand why it's needed. Some of them are complaining I was let in without contributing anything to the warehouse.
Nice how they pretend all my experience and work in fortifying and securing their home and ONLY safe haven doesn't count as "contributing." I've got another safe haven. They need me far more than I need them. And, some of them know it. The others will realize it when there's a massive attack on the fort. Yup, not "if" but "when." I'm realistic.... some of these people aren't.
Moe and I somehow became what you'd call "friends." No damn clue how that happened. But yeah.... Anyway, getting back to these people; I stay mainly because of Amy and to get that Mini 14. That's what I tell myself. I know the Mini is terribly underrated and even laughed at compared to the AR-15 by most experts. Oh well. If you can't shoot accurately with one, then you need more practice instead of a different Twenty-two caliber rifle. But who am I kidding. I stick around for Amy's sake, Joshua's two other daughters who are 12 and 15, and the other children here. Damn there's just too many of them in total. Sara, Joshua's eldest daughter is getting noticed by the boys. Her blonde hair and the fact she has her father's incredibly blue eyes is not helping the situation. Just yesterday, I ended up screaming at an 18 year-old for doping off away from his post to flirt with her. I made it seem that I was only upset with him for leaving his post without permission. But I was far more furious that he was chatting her up. Not only is a pregnant Sara the last thing we need in an effort to keep Joshua focused on his role as community leader but.... I can't help feel protective of her and the other little ones.
Yeah, I know. But hopefully you guys understand. The boy nearly wet his pants as I dragged him away back to his post. Later on, Joshua asked me about the incident. I told him that being away from his post is why I reacted that way. That seemed to satisfy him. I want all the horny boys to get the picture. Try messing with Sara, and Joshua might smack you around. Which you better hope he catches you instead of her new Uncle Mono. He'll beat you within an inch of your life! Yeah, I never had children of my own. Definitely no daughters. Thankfully Joshua and his wife raised them properly. Once a week, I stop by to do flashcards with little Amy. I don't tell her I suck at math. It's nice that the flashcards have the answers in tiny print at the bottom.
Oh yeah, as for contributing; I donated most of my books to the community library. The technical manuals in particular were a big hit. As for the warehouse, I donated the limited supply of .22LR ammo along with the .41 rounds and empty casings I had. Over the last several months I managed to scrounge up plenty of other ammo too. Mostly odd-ball or significantly less popular calibers. Though not .38 Special or 12 gauge ammo. Mainly odd-ball hunting calibers. The closest to a popular caliber was .303 British. As in, still popular in Britain or Canada. Just not in America. Sergay recommended I only mention the quantity of what I donated. No need to point out their lack of popularity. I keep forgetting I'm one of the few people at the fort even allowed inside the warehouse. Yeah, books and ammo. My contribution for being allowed in. Or, more accurately, being asked to join.
I'm toying with the idea of donating the radio too. But I think I'll be selfish in that regard for now. Yesterday, someone Sergay traded with said that a sizeable group of Rabs were spotted by him several miles away from the fort. At their pace, it'll take awhile for them to reach us. Still, I'm taking a team out in a few hours after the sun rises to check it out. That bit of info. got the guy an extra can, a pretty large one too, of pork & beans. Anyway, wish me luck guys.
Last edited: