Days 221 and 222 - The Storm (Part 1)

What an exhausting couple of days.

Yesterday we spent some time trying to spruce up the security around our gate. We've been talking about this for a while now, but other more pressing issues always seem to arise. I think the late night encounter we had the other day finally drove it to the top of our to-do list.

The real problem with the gate is that for every bit of strength or security we add to it, it costs us in the time it takes to open and close it. Sure, the zeds don't move quite quickly enough for milliseconds to count, but we don't want to be caught in a situation where we're being pursued, we've run out of ammo, and we can't get the damn thing closed quick enough to keep them at bay.

We also want to keep it light enough that it can be manually operated by only one person. This frees us to have more people out of base scavenging or doing surveillance, or, in a pinch, fighting off zeds as someone runs to open it so we can get in.

It's a tricky equation, and this project is going to require a lot more work before any of us are truly satisfied with it. I think we've made some real progress, though. For one, the gate we scrounged was much wider than it needed to be for us to get even a vehicle in and out. Since we first secured it, we haven't had enough time or peace to address this issue, even though we have all the tools we need to cut it down and make it more secure. Today seemed to finally be the perfect day to cut it down to a manageable size. This left us a leftover piece that we could permanently secure, adding a lot more rigidity to the whole structure.

Luckily we were able to accomplish this and get everything tightened up before any zeds wandered over to investigate the sounds of our cutting and welding. We lured them up against the gate when they got here, to give it a field test, and let them try their best for a while. We were all pleased a how much more stable gate seems now, though I'm sure if we dedicate some scavenging runs to the matter, we can do even better.

As the sun was setting, we dispatched the zeds and cleaned up the place. It's been a long several days, so once evening rounds were agreed upon and we plowed through our dinner, most of us went to pass out. The night was pretty calm, and my own shift uneventful. Those shifts are both a blessing and curse. On the one hand it's nice to be able to relax a bit and not feel like you're in the midst of a constant battle. On the other hand, it can make you very paranoid, and often feels like a moment of calm before the storm.

I suppose I was indeed sensing a storm last night, but not the kind I've come to expect.

Waking up today, I found myself staring out at a beautiful, bright, sunny day. Ian had woken up before me and mentioned the night was clear on all watches, and had remained clear in to today. we talked for a bit, and decided we should go out on an extended surveillance run down in to Brookline. As I've mentioned before, we've been slowly extending our circle of influence and reconnaissance. Our survival plan relies on two simple things: keep the immediate area as clear of zeds as possible, and find more supplies as we begin to use ours up. The added benefit of this is that, as our territory expands, the zeds lose some of theirs. Enough survivors employing the same tactic, and we may all be able to work together to reclaim the city. That's the dream, anyway, though it's a long way off from where we are.

Since the discovery of Molly's group to the west tells us more about that part of town and how far we can reach in that direction, we decided it was time to expand again. Today's run would give us a much needed push to the south, an area we had neglected more than others. Ian and I geared up, and grabbed the long range radio to stay in communication with the base. We wished everyone the best, and set the pick-up cruising along in neutral. Second lesson we learned about using vehicles, never run them near your base.

When we got a sufficient distance away I kicked on the engine, hit the gas, and threw the truck in to drive. The first few times I did this back when we first got the truck, I thought the transmission was going to drop out on to the road. Now it's as smooth as ice. It's a fun trick I suggest you learn if you're running something with a manual transmission. It can also be done in an automatic with some finagling, but not as cleanly and with more wear and tear than it may be worth.

The run went pretty smoothly on the way down. I've gotten used to the various blockages and zed population centers, so I know how to avoid them. Ian seems to enjoy riding shotgun and picking off any zeds that get too close. We had pushed our way as far as we had intended, and were beginning to run our circuitous route home when I realized we were heading not far from where some old friends of mine were living when the dead rose. I decided to see what I could of their fate by heading down their particular street, since it would keep me clear of the nearby zed population centers.

- B