Grocery Shopping Day

Fred Meyers, Warrenton Oregon 10-13-13

Letters get passed along through the camp.  I have two I need to read.  One from a grandpa, and one from a cousin.  We don't know the letter writers and they're probably deceased but it's a way in which we still get mail.  A few people write back and those get sent out through the zip line the post apocalyptic USPS to destinations like New Portland and from there sent on again. 

My letter today has a photo of a thin blond woman and a man considerably shorter than her with his arms wrapped around her waist. 

You may have guessed that if I'm looking at letters I have the day off in my bunk and am trying to stay off of two very sore ankles.  Dr. Crow says I have tendonitis and something I can't pronounce that sounds like plantar fascititis.  In other words my feet feel like they're going to break off at the ankle with every step I take.

Dr. Jividen has setup a laboratory and has been spending a lot of time with Grant working on some logistics of getting information quickly to New Portland and having the help she needs on hand to process samples as well as people reporting in when they see possible Mortis infected people and animals and a bicycler dispatched to quickly check out the report.  Grant being a smooth talking people person has facilitated the arrangements as best as one could possibly hope to manage in this place. 

The Commander on the other hand - well, he lost his composure and the remnants of the Tourists have seized the opportunity to, "make their voices heard".  Just yesterday they wanted to recommission some of the forts many canons to help defend us during attack.  The canons do still work, they were always maintained --- BUT --- Fort Stevens and it's canons face out to sea so they could shoot at ships.  They're not meant to mow down people and the noise it would create.  *Cringe* 

The Commander has a hundred extra people to feed as more refugees have come in to seek shelter through the winter.  The elk in the park which he had planned on culling to help feed them may or may not be carriers of a deadly virus that causes a non-hostile form of the zombie virus.  A slow acting virus that is difficult to detect.  How the virus is transmitted and its animal hosts are unknown but it has been found in our Runner 8 whose dog was first infected and then himself despite the fact he appeared to be unbitten.  Then an elk was found with the virus and a whole host of people.  Dr. Jividen said the spread is faster than she expected.

So the Commander with shortening food stores, hostile people in his ranks has also been working on

Most Cans Were Missing Labels

widening the camp and adding residential areas adjacent to the main Fort.  Much wire and fortifications have been obtained for this reason and his right hand man "General" Grant has been working on a bold plan to expand and fortify the encampment, but the plan was to be done in phases over several years.  Dr. Jividen and myself arrived with a secret document on Mortis (which she will not disclose any details about) and news from our former runner Hero 13 that civil war had broken out.  With limited radio communications we have no idea of how much of an immanent threat is posed to the Fort.  With so much calamity driving down on our Commander he has been reserved at all times, not eating, not sleeping -- just in the Comms room or doing what he can around the camp. 

Yesterday I went on a mission with five other "Runners" (albeit all but two were on bicycles) to what was left of the Fred Meyers grocery store.  It was pretty well ransacked as you can imagine.  The smell of stuff that had rotted was only mildly mitigated by time.  We were looking for canned goods.  Those that were left were mostly missing the labels.  The bicyclers had saddle bags to pack in the canned goods.  I had a noise maker so encase zombies arrived, and we figured the would, I would lead them a merry chase (if they didn't flank me and eat me.)

As it was a bakers dozen of zombs did arrive about midway through packing up the cans.  I had found an old bottle of Coke and drank it so had some caffeine and sugar in me:  good to go. 

The problem I had with the zombs was when I got back to the Fort, the small side gate I typically run through and which is covered by one of our soldiers was locked.  So, I frantically had to run to the main gate and it was locked.  Exasperated and now almost pinned in (since the main gate is set between two thick areas of trees) I had to run up to the Marina, where I picked up more Zombs and climb up and through the hole in the fence to get inside Fort Stevens. 

As far as I know the bicycle people didn't have trouble but I think they had the radio head set with them and they opened the main gates, but luckily I had lead the zombies away because all our military personnel are gone.  Dr. Crow and Dr. Jividen are still about and a few other familiar faces but many of the Tourists and our 25 Coast Guard citizens are missing. 

The Commander bunks in my room and he finally fell asleep but he looks like hell.  He was having a nightmare.  I reached over from my cot and caught his hand in mine.  He looped his fingers through mine and held my hand tightly then rested easier.  When I woke in the morning he was gone again. 

The weather has been nice - so there is that.  Rain in the mornings generally, but the sun comes out which allows me to run missions.  Soon I'll be a rain runner, and everything will be more complicated.