The Realistic Survival Game: Scenario 1: Economic Collapse.

The day started drifting by for him at least, it was becoming easier. He had posted guards and changed up routines. Some would have 3 hours on 5 off, Others were not so lucky but none spent more then 6 hours in any one station within a week. Wasn't easy devising a routine that deferred over a week bases. Like any good code though it would eventually be learned. He drew up several change ups so that the current routine could be shifted.

Therian was getting itchy feet, His mom had called it wanderlust. He knew it was just a symptom of his restless spirit. Deeks as well could feel his mood and would often be found right next to his side. If his master lefter Deeeks wouldn't be caught by surprise. Therian knew he wouldn't be leaving soon. To much work left and he still had to get to Crede once more to deal with one last major problem.

Maybe an extended trip would do him good. He had wanted to go back to Gunneson and check out those gun shots he heard nearly three weeks ago. Smiling down at Deeks " 3 weeks Boys and already you are looking for reasons". It wasn't dislike it was more a need to not get comfortable. Comfortable people died in the first rush on the west coast. He would talk to Eliza soon he hoped she would understand his need to be moving.

He would like to say he smelled the cookie first, Deeks however might have bit him for lying. It was deeks nose not his own that found Eliza for him. Cookies?

Clearing his throat " Hey Eliza. The forge and Kiln is up. Won't set the Water wheel til we know if we are staying.. And I need to take a trip." Kinda rude to spring it on her now he knew but better to be upfront about it.
" Figured I would take a walk up towards Gunneson. Will be gone bout a week. When my group passed Gunneson last time we heard Gunfire. I told myself I would be back to check it out. Figure 2 days there and 2 back. Will see if I can get a line on Crede as well. We saw some Military trucks there and I will drop my team off there so they can bring back the big haulers. Prolly can use them as road blocks or personel carriers. Just incase we need to make a mass evac." He could tell by her expression that she was weighing the options and in truth he was being a bit unfair. He was clearly stating he was leaving for a while with or without her permision. Other things he was leaving for her to decide upon.

" I am not giving up nor am I leaving for good. I am just the type that gets uneasy when the world isn't trying to knock me off my feet. Forgetting for a moment that the west was overrun and the government seems to be hunting and killing strays. Just don't want to get all mushy and happy. Every time I have found love or enjoyment something has come along to ruin it for me. A couple times it was me that did it, Just don't want it to happen here. So its really for the best that I take periodical trips to ease my mind."

Offering a Lopsided smile he watched her and waited to hear her opinion.
" I will keep in contact with the transponder"...

My situation summary:

Here I thought this was just an "Economic collapse". Boy was I wrong...The MSM downplayed this as usual..

I couldn't believe it when I woke up and finally saw the zombie apocalypse happening before my very eyes! It wasn't what I expected, I had always thought it would be easy to bash a zombies skull in. I was forced to fight several off when they tried to break in to my small house. (they eventually succeeded) Before then, I was "bugging in" just fine until that point.. The hardest part was rounding up family members (and others trying to survive on the way) and establishing a perimeter that encircled a 2 city-block area. I had never owned a firearm, but some people in our new found community were not in short supply. We were in a city (formerly?) known as Colorado Springs, surrounded by military bases.

We had expected the military to fight them off, and they did...for a while. Sooner or later, Ft. Carson, as well as Peterson AFB were overran by infections, both bases are now riddled with zombies. Last we heard, NORAD (Cheyenne mountain) is still operational but on lock-down, no civilians allowed in, and no military personnel allowed out. Last week, our entire community was overran, there were just too many! What little survivors left had scrambled. A decent sized city is not a good place to be any longer.. I have my son and two other family members with me. We are ok on supplies now, but this situation will surely change soon. I managed to grab what I could, but there wasn't much left, and scavenging the city is now out of the question. Here are the supplies we currently have:

2 mid-sized vehicles. (20-30 mpg average, vehicle 1 is on half tank, vehicle 2 is 3/4 full)
2 10 gallon gas cans (full)
About 30 cans of various canned goods
5 packets of top ramen
Evaporated milk (bleh)
8 gallons of water (water is ok, plenty of snow-pack available where we are)
3 9mm handguns (we could use some training on this)
Baseball bat (aluminum)
Toolkit (standard and metric socket sets, hammer, 4 screwdrivers flat and phillips, tape measure, etc)
4 comforters/pillows
The clothes on our backs +2 changes
1 Xbox360 (Yeah it's useless, but since I couldn't salvage my new electronic drum kit, I figured I'd take at least ONE piece of modern memorabilia just in case... )

Earlier this month, I had briefly heard over the transponder that someone was in Southern Colorado by the name of "ElizaAshdene".. I only heard it briefly as I was busy these past few weeks as you can see.....

ATS Transponder: "sczzz *pop* Hello ATS? I'm looking for "ElizaAshdene", I understand you are in the southern Rockies? We were overrun, we took flight from Colorado Springs and are heading west on US Hwy 24. Currently, we plan to stop around Green Mountain Falls to situate ourselves. We are OK at the moment, but will be in need of supplies and new fortifications soon. Please respond with your 20! Over."

reply to post by Wookiep


ATS Transponder: Coming in Fine. Hello from Eliza's Encampment. Just keep on trucking on 24 after awhile turn left on US 285 heading South. When you hit Saquache just keep heading south. When Center is to your left side turn west again this should be County Road 47. If you do not see A Green Truck with California State Plates,on the side of the road after 20 miles Just stop and wait there. I Will lead you on from there. If you have any problems getting there I can come up north towards you. Over

After sending his message out he scratched Gunneson off his list for at least another week. And packed a few days of supplies he could refill anything else he needed on the route. He loaded two gas cans just for emergencies and his small travel trailers generator into the back. He then spent the next hour setting up the Last Husky Generator up to the Gas station. It had more then enough power to run the pumps.

He then left a Message on Eliza's Desk." Didn't run out on you. Got a call late night heading to Center to assist a Local ATSer. Set up Husky for gas. Left most team behind. Taking Rose with me can train her on a few things along the route. Plus we will stop off to see her brothers Grave. Took enough supplies for a week. Will talk to you via transponder Later in the day..

Leaving the note he woke Rose up giving her no explanation just rushing her along.. Giving her the basic You got 5 minutes be packed and in the truck are I will leave your Arse.. She was yawning when they took off. He was chuckling to himself as he drove on out of the encampment...

reply to post by Therian


ATS transponder: " Roger Therian! Thanks for the somewhat timely response! For a while there, we thought we may be alone now in this bloody mess.. 285 heading south, you say? We were already en route to Buena Vista as a secondary precaution, so this will not interfere with our current direction, thanks! We finally got some semblance of calm, gathered our senses and headed further west. We have discovered an area in Florissant with about 6 small camps of survivors. The people here are well prepared, and have offered some small firearms training. We are exhausted and had to decline the offer for now. Perhaps another time. Some good shut eye is in order, but we should be in Buena Vista tomorrow, and start heading south on 285 come noon or so. (given no odd encounters on the way) We will need to find fuel at some point between joining up...If all else fails, we'll tap our reserves, God help us if we do. I'll keep you updated Therian, over."

reply to post by Wookiep


ATS Transponder: Would be hard to explain how to set a genny up at a powered down Gas station. But at Lowes, Walmart, even Harbor Freight you should be able to find a Battery operated syphon pump if you don't already have one. This can transfer gas safely from vehicle to can Bout 6 gallon a minute. If you don't have one and don't want to chance a big store. You can take a regular garden hose and syphon manually..Most of the newer model cars have a filter to prevent this so look for older model vehicles.. Over

Smiling slightly he looked over at the sleeping Rose. With nothing to keep him awake other then his own odd waking hours he started thinking up further ways to siphon gas. Most water pumps could work at gas stations. Just pull the cover drop in the hose and start cranking it.Would have to use pvc piping to avoid the gas from long term rotting the hose. Would need a heavy enough stand to set it up with. And prolly some sort of filter system. Most stations had filters inside their own pumps but he wasn't sure at which point it was filtered. It was just the way his mind worked he guessed. Always thinking he would have a working model in his head in a while then he would start working on the pieces he would need. Setting up a Genny was a process and could easily be messed up. But traders would need an easier method to travel back and forth the first few months until the Gas was used up. Maybe he could start working on a gasafier .Maybe he would start looking for some older model Fords to convert to a gasafier.

Unfortunetly he had never actually built one before. Knowing how it should work and be set up and actually having working knowledge were two different things. Well Trial and Error if first you don't explode try try again. As his mind wrapped itself up on this new thought the miles just kept passing the two by. He would be at the hill in a few Hours, from there it was just another half day to Center. He would gather a few suplies and maybe a Ford there.
He would have rather Rose stayed at home. But he knew she would have just ran off looking for him. Better for her to learn a few things with him then by herself without a net. He really wasn't to worried about what people thought about him and Rose. She might have a crush on him, He had read somewhere that people tend to thinks its love when its simply a form of hero worship. Simply he had saved her now she thought he was the only man for her.
At 19 years old she was certainly Legal. And though he was a B astard he wasn't that kind of B astard. To long in the tooth to keep up with a young lady, He saw her more as a little sister anyways. She would Learn what he taught then he would teach her the hardest lesson. Hopefully she would grow out of it before he would have too.

Off topic: Am 18 years older then her, Though it is certainly possible to date a younger woman. Tried it once about 7 years ago only had 12 years on that girl but was way to much drama. Looky there not all men are pigs all the time. Maybe its just a phase some of go through. Proof that some men actually do mature a little..

Feeling a little under the weather, I slept for an extra couple of hours today. The chill in the air tells me I need to up my Vitamin C at the very least. Rolling out of bed I reach for the transponder and turn up the volume. There's a note stuck to it. It's from Therian. I read it and smile. I'm quite glad he's decided to stick around for a bit longer. And- I'm glad he was awake when the call came in with more survivors. Good man , that one.

ATS Transponder: SE Rockies here. Mornin'. Uh, Therian, got your note. Thanks, everyday, for everything. Keep me posted on your happenings. Wookiep and Company: Your arrival is anticipated and welcome. Be careful on the way, as we haven't sent anyone out that far yet. Once you're in the Valley you're wide open. Look for gas stations in the small towns you pass through. We also haven't had any zombies this far- seems the mountains are keeping them out. Hope to see all of you soon. SE ROCKIES Over.

I sit the transponder down on the table and do a few stretches. Stepping outside the cool mountain air and warm sun meet my face. I can almost imagine today as any other day. The birds are singing, the wind is blowing, the faint sound of gunshots... Wait. Gunshots? Sh*t. Coming from the west.

A couple of other people come outside. "What was that?"

"Shhh," I interrupt. *POP* Another one. "Ok, definitely coming from the west. Paul, grab your gun and see if you can find Terry really quick. I'll meet you at the hotel. I'll grab supply bags."

"K." Paul kisses his wife, Martha. "Don't worry, honey. We're just gonna go take a peek. I love you."

I head towards the hotel to grab supply bags and food. Don't plan on going out over night, but best to be ready for anything. Gawd, I hope whatever those shots were aren't coming this way.

I pass Dr. Rob on the way. "Hey, did you hear those gunshots?"

"I did," I say. "I'm going to take Paul and Terry and check it out. Could you spread the word to keep everyone close and inside if possible? Here's a walkie. We don't plan to go far, we just want to make sure we are still a little secure. Call me if you hear or see anything weird."

I continue to the hotel. *POP* Another shot. It could be closer. Hard to tell with the mountains all around. I start to run. Gotta get going quick.

I arrive at the hotel and Paul and Terry are just showing up. They each have a shotgun (it's one of those preferred firearms out here) and a smaller pistol. Paul hands me a .45. "It's the first thing I grabbed."

"It's alright, hopefully I won't have to use it," I say smiling, as Paul remembers I don't favor the .45.

I holler inside to have someone make a pack for three of us for the night. It's practically handed to me as I say it.

We decide to take a vehicle, although it makes noise, it may also provide us cover.

We head out... just before 1pm. And none of us have eaten yet. Oi.

reply to post by Therian


ATS transponder: "Thanks for the info Therian. We actually don't have access to a genny, but we've arrived near Buena Vista, and there is a small gas station here. We're laying low because we saw several "walkers" on the way down near the old rafting outlets. Time to rummage for a rubber hose so we can re-fill and get the hell outta here. I'll try to keep you posted. over"

ATS Transponder: Eliza and Wookiep. Rose and I are currently about to enter Center. Will go in on foot, aided by the night and our silence we should find any real troubles. But just incase will send a missive when we come back out.. Wookiep nothing has changed as far as our meeting spot. If I am not there Rose can get you back to the encampment. Should both of us fail to meet you then head West onward til you find the Fork. Eliza will be sure to send you a guide more worthy.

Packing away the Transponder he nodded at Rose. As she strapped on her improvised blades. We would have a gun on each of us but it would be only used in an emergency. Deeks as ever was prepared for a night of fun, His sniffer as valuable as any weapon he could carry. The three of them proceeded as quietly as mice on a moonless night.

The night had went off without any real trouble. They had hit a few pharmacies but they were already looted. Even the vet shop was looted what was the world coming to..Most the outlet store were as well empty. It seemed most people were gone from this town as well. Either that or they were super stealth ninja camo experts. They had found a small boat. Utterly useless without a lake or river to go with it. However he took made it back to the truck and drove into town hooking the trailer and boat up anyways. It had paddle and fishing gear so maybe one day it could be useful. That and he refused to leave empty handed.

The two made the four corners around 8 in the morning and he set the genny up to the gas station. Refilling the truck and tinkering around was in order. They took turns napping 2 hours on 2 hours off. It sucked for Rose at first and though he would have liked to tell her it was good for her body to get used to it. He knew no one would truly get used to it. Better to get practiced with it though, the quicker you could become alert after waking the better.

ATS Transponder: Eliza: Doing fine at the crossroads. Not much to report. Center pretty much empty of life. No major signs of fighting or death. Looks more like a mass exodus. Not much to Loot either. Other then a house to house search I would cross it off the list of potential Shopping spots.."
Wookiep: We are just hanging out here at the turn off, Got a genny plugged if you need gas when you get here. If you get into any trouble give us a call won't hurt us to travel a bit.. Over

With that he looked down off the stations roof. Deeks was sleeping in the back of the truck. Rose was inside the station boxing warm sodas and beer together.

Rolling back into town with a full carload was better than I could have hoped for.

Paul, Terry and I had followed the hwy the direction we had heard the gunfire. We'd only gone about 4 or 5 minutes when we saw two figures running down the side of a mountain. They had guns, clearly, so we stopped and waited. They continued to run towards us. We all got out of the truck and on the opposite side for cover, cocking our guns to ready.

As they got closer, we could tell they were kids. 14 or 15. Two boys, and they looked scared. Still couldn't be sure if they were 'walkers', as they were running in broad daylight.

"Hey!" I yelled. The boys froze, looking straight towards the truck.

"Help!" One yelled back as the other slung them both to the ground. "Help, we need help!"

"Are you two alone?" I yelled.

"Yes. Can you help? Please don't hurt us."

" We don't wanna hurt you. We are from the town right over there. We can help. Was that you firing the gunshots?" I ask.

"Yeah, we're out of ammo now. There was a bear." The boys start to get up and work their way towards us. We approach them as well.

As we get closer I notice how beat up they look. "Hi. I'm Eliza. This is Paul and Terry."

"Hi. I'm Sam and this is Todd. There's no one left. Everyone's dead.. "

"Ok. Ok. It'll be fine," I interject, "Now where's this bear? Did you hit it?"

"Up around that group of Evergreens. Pretty sure it's dead."

"Paul, Terry, you guys go up there and check it out? See if we have dinner waiting up there."

"Alright guys, lets get you in the truck and to town. How's a warm shower sound? Maybe some food? You can tell me everything on the way."

After listening to the horribleness that those boys had been through, I was glad that they were the only ones I've run into. After dropping the kids off with Daniel in the kitchen, I take the transponder to a more private spot.

ATS TRANSPONDER: SE Rockies here. Had a bit of a scare with gunfire. Ended up being a couple of lost boys shooting a bear. The boys have been added to our encampment and the bear to our bellies. Sam and Todd (the boys) tell us that there is a group of vandals/looters going through towns and houses. They take very little and destroy the rest, including people. The boys said there are less than 20 of them, at least when they hit Pagosa Springs. The boys don't know if they went all the way through the town, but they are assuming as much. They'd been out for 5 days when we found them. Going to put more scouts out in that direction for early warning signals.

To Therian: Glad you made it to Center. Stay put until you hear from Wookiep.

To Wookiep: Therian's got you covered in Center. Try to make it there without being followed. Use the transponder if you need ANYTHING. Therian should be able to make it happen. Like magic. :-)

To Everyone else out there: If you hear this, then you're not alone. SE Rockies. Over.

It had been a day so far waiting near the Gas station. This didn't stop him from getting things done, At least as far as training Rose. Letting her use his bow he spent most of the day going over the sighting. She wasn't bad, She couldn't peg the target but she was getting closer. If he was a teacher of any type he would give her a week minimum to be able to hit it twice in succession. As she practiced he spent most the day pulling some leaf springs off a run down truck.

As replacements parts the leaf spring would be nice. But he had better uses for them. Hard steel for the forge for blades. He would use old iron for arrow head but with these springs he could make strong blades.

By the afternoon he was a little worried about Wookiep. However he wasn't familiar with the road the driving conditions. It could have been something simple as abandoned vehicles on the road. As the day slowly turned towards the night, he started making preparations for a longer trip then expected. Now that he was packed and he set the clamps on the station pumps for a quick assembly. He had to pulled extra wiring from the Station and the clamps were already on the shelves. He sat in the truck for the last hour listening to Rose's soft breathing as she slept. Offering a lopsided smile to the mirror he spoke louder then nessesary into the transponder. POut of the corner of his eye he noticed Rose startle awake.. Yes he was a cruel cruel man.. It was the little joys in life that kept him going he just knew it..

" ATS Transponder: Wookeip: If you can hear me I need to know whats going on. I will start heading north towards your last known position. Expect only one set of lights. If you can't hear me or if someone else is listening Understand I am coming..

Eliza: Hey not sure what is going On with Wookiep. Going to start heading northward hopefully it is just gas problems. Will keep in contact, Just In case I miss him can you send someone with one of the genny's to the four corners before Center. The lines are still set for it. They just need to clamp it on the wires. Red and red black on black.. If I hear anything in the mean time I will contact you. If i see the problem I will not contact you as someone else might be listening.. Over.

With that he ignored the sour face Rose was offering him and punched the truck into gear.

ATS Transponder: Eliza: Nothing new to report. Stopped for the night at Villa Grove. Not big enough to call a town. small group of people here who were most accommodating. Spoke to them over Dinner two families will be heading down towards the Encampment. The other seemed to think the government would take care of them and is heading towards the army bases near Colorado springs. I gave them Wookiep's warning about the place but they were to stubborn. Will start out again this morning northwards hoping I just missed Wookeip on the road. Either way shouldn't take long to check out the last place he spoke to us from.

All I have to go on is not enough for much hope. Hoping it is just low batteries in their transponder and Abandoned vehicles along the road. Hopefully this is the extent of the problem. Rose and I probably have enough food between us for week. Water maybe for the same if we are careful. Refilled on gas which was a gravity fed pump at a farmers house. I don't anticipate much trouble but who knows what the future holds. Over

Wookiep: If you can hear me I haven't given up. Still heading north. Over


Problem with him is he didn't know how to quit. Smart man would have waited, who knows what he was driving into. Well he had never been particularly smart. Yawning after last nights stop over the two started out once more maybe today would bring better news then yesterday...

Originally posted by Thestargateisreal
reply to post by Druid42

 

I'll meet you in the Appalachian mountains, somewhere in WV. Leave your food and water, we'll have more than enough once we get there.

Just bring any means to purify water that you have, your gun, your bullets, your bow (especially need that!), and your knife.

I've got a cabin that sleeps 32, my Dad will be waiting. If you're trustworthy you're welcome to join us. I'll teach you how to live on wild game, berries, and pretty much anything you can get your hands around. I even know where a sustainable supply of yellow morels grow wild. Forest covered mountains for days, we can hold out there as long as we need to.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the cabin. Never thought I would want a picture of a hunting cabin.

p.s. Bring your gas, it will keep the ATVs going a bit longer, but we'll need to do without those eventually. Bring a mountain bike if you have one.

edit on 9-10-2011 by Thestargateisreal because: (no reason given)

Wow I will hold you to that. If there is not enough room, I will be more than happy to assist in building additional shelter. Since I live in Texas, It will take me roughly 3-4 days to get there.

I will identify myself with a loud "Meow".

ATS Transponder: Um... SE Rockies... This is Dr. Rob... Eliza has been captured. It's the group coming from the west. They have contacted us via a walkie she had on her. She's not hurt. They say there are 10 of them coming in for food and other supplies in trade for Eliza. We have scouts and lookouts armed and ready. The children and elderly are safe. If you are coming into our area be aware. Don't worry- none of us will shoot unless shot at first. The trade is supposed to be later tonight, after sunset.

Therian: If you hear this, Eliza says keep a perimeter and stay safe. Over.

reply to post by ElizaAshdene


ATS Transponder: DR Rob.. Make sure the trade takes place outside the encampment. Don't want them to see what we have. And be careful if they don't trade her today they will just keep trying to gain stuff. I am turning around and heading back but I do not think I can make it back by tonight. I will formulate a plan just in case..Over

After talking he pulled to the side of the road and left the boat. Shifting gears he started heading back, Even speeding he wouldn't make it back til the next morning. Hopefully Wookiep would find his way. After he made it to Center We would be able to guide him in from there..

ATS Transponder:" KYBC back online, we have been on the "QT" for fear of being located over our transmissions.
Main base camp has 37 members as of today. We have set up small camps around the area, not wanting all our "eggs" in this basket! Crops doing, well ok. Not going to be a big yeld, but hey we will have food before winter. We will be scouting out in a twenty mile radius from camp in late fall or early winter. We need to know what is next to us! No more surprises of armed raiders out of nowhere! We have meat being smoked, apples, and pears being canned and soon it will be time for blackberries. We are also having good luck with fish from the lake and river. Well I guess we will eat, but the beer making, not going so well Damn! BCKY over"

ATS Transponder: "Sczzz *pop* This is "WookieP" Come in Therian. We ran into a scuffle just outside of Buena Vista 2 days ago. Our party has been ruffed up, but we are all in tact. Some minor bruising and lacerations. Some of our stuff was ransacked but I was able to salvage the transponder. I actually ran over it in the middle of the commotion and had to "covertly" come back and retrieve it the next day. Also, please advise: STOP heading north, there is a rather size-able group mounting near BV. It's almost as if they are...planning something. Anyway, we are in an abandoned "Radio Shack" store where I have been able to find fresh batteries and a couple other things I needed to fix the transponder. Just got it working. (hopefully) The store is located directly in the center of town, in Center. We will hole up here for now and wait for your response. Please copy, over."

Unaware that Therian had turned around already as I sat and waited for a response.. I hoped that Therian got my message in time. The world had turned inside out, things have only just begun. The "walkers" that we had started encountering more frequently on our journey to Center Colorado, were not like those we had seen in the movies..They were seemingly becoming more.. intelligent now, and it looked as if something even bigger was on the horizon.

ATS Transponder :

Asia sitrep : electricity is up and running in cities here again.
people working together and helping each other out.
no further plague outbreaks the situation being monitored closely.
there were some attempts at looting the individuals were apprehended and / or dealt with accordingly.
limited travel bans are in place - all westerners have been sent home to their countries of origin and entry is being denied to all westerners.
otherwise travel within asia is normal with no restrictions.
not sure if the next bit is good or bad news for you over there .. my sources report that in the philippines the u.s forces were fighting each other prior to pulling out to return to the u.s on recall orders.
also of note from the consulate in washington d.c there now appears to be two presidents in the u.s along with fighting in the streets in washington d.c . consulate personel evacuated and have returned to asia for their safety.

Apologies slow on update been busy dealing with a few matters here luckily routine delivered twins , set a broken arm and stitched up a dogbite ..
Good luck to you all over there..
Will update if / when have new information.
End transmission.

reply to post by Wookiep


ATS Transponder: Wookiep: Gotcha I am about 4 hours out maybe more. another thing came up but being closer to you i will be there in a few hours.. Just hold tight.. Over..

Looking at Rose he shrugged and once more turned around and headed back north..With the xtra tanks of gas he should still have enough to make the run. If not he would be delayed once more..

reply to post by Therian


ATS transponder: "Roger that Therian. We're sitting tight. We came in town by foot, but once you get here we can quickly head back to our 2 vehicles which are well camouflaged just outside of town. We'll follow you the rest of the way from there. We still have our gasoline reserves, so if you need a few extra gallons, we got your back. Over."