Read Online Transformation: Zombie Crusade VI by J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs
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when he finally spoke. “You just hit the nail on the head. We need a healthy population working the fields and nurturing the herds, while the people capable of the type of combat we know is needed against the hunters serve as warriors until the war’s won.”
Gracie didn’t share Luke’s enthusiasm, but she understood the value of his plan. “We’re back to focusing on the rivers again, aren’t we?”
“It just makes sense. Communities can better protect themselves near water and use the rivers to irrigate crops and move produce around the country. The armies will be finding medicines and other supplies for years to come as we liberate territory, but hopefully we’ll be able to get some pharmaceutical industries and hospitals up and running long before that.”
“That’s good,” Gracie declared, “because the most important aspect of modern culture, at least as far as I’m concerned, is the improvement in medical care.”
Luke nodded. “If we can get people organized they’ll be able to grow food and fight; heck, it’ll take centuries to re-populate this continent, so there’s no shortage of land for agriculture. I think the first thing we have to do is enable the survivors to leave their forts and scavenge what’s left in the towns and cities.”
“So we need to teach them to fight,” Gracie concluded.
“And when we win the war, we’ll still possess all of our pre-outbreak knowledge in books and computer databases. We also need to remind people that we can rebuild.”
Gracie understood the bigger picture. “We need to give them hope.”
They were both quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts until Gracie decided to finally ask the question that had been nagging at her for days. “Luke, when we rescued Terry, and you and that hunter ended up just staring at each other before it ran away, it seemed like the two of you were communicating with each other. Were you?”
Luke wasn’t sure how to explain that he’d been wondering the exact same thing. “I wish I had an easy answer for you, but I don’t really know. It all feels like a dream when I think about it now, and I’m not sure about what I actually remember and what I have reasoned out in my head to make sense of it all.”
“Just tell me what you can,” Gracie gently encouraged. “Remember, you promised to rely on your friends and your wife to help you sort out the confusing stuff.”
“Yeah,” Luke sighed, “but I really don’t know what to say about it. I guess we communicated, in a way . . . I just got a sense of him; I could kind of feel what it was like to be him. He was afraid of me—but afraid isn’t really the right word. I know I’m explaining this all wrong.” Luke took a deep breath and tried again. “He was different from any hunter I’ve seen. He wasn’t mindless, he was almost curious, but he must have sensed that I wanted him to leave, and he did.”
Gracie digested her husband’s words. “We know the creatures are evolving—but you said it seemed almost curious. We’ve seen examples of them adapting their behavior—waiting to ambush people, trying to grab our weapons, but I don’t think anyone has considered the possibility of advanced intelligence. I don’t even want to try to imagine how much more dangerous they could be . . .”
“I know,” Luke agreed, “but that sort of evolution wouldn’t happen overnight, and I just don’t feel troubled about it right now. I don’t think you should either. Let’s worry about the problems right in front of us for the time being.”
The next settlement was discovered just six miles upriver, again lying in the middle of a large oxbow lake with a palisade between the shorelines and the riverbank. The three hundred survivors gathered there were struggling in the unusual cold. They were out of ammunition and afraid to venture far from their defenses in search of food or other supplies. The inhabitants of the fledgling community were
Gracie didn’t share Luke’s enthusiasm, but she understood the value of his plan. “We’re back to focusing on the rivers again, aren’t we?”
“It just makes sense. Communities can better protect themselves near water and use the rivers to irrigate crops and move produce around the country. The armies will be finding medicines and other supplies for years to come as we liberate territory, but hopefully we’ll be able to get some pharmaceutical industries and hospitals up and running long before that.”
“That’s good,” Gracie declared, “because the most important aspect of modern culture, at least as far as I’m concerned, is the improvement in medical care.”
Luke nodded. “If we can get people organized they’ll be able to grow food and fight; heck, it’ll take centuries to re-populate this continent, so there’s no shortage of land for agriculture. I think the first thing we have to do is enable the survivors to leave their forts and scavenge what’s left in the towns and cities.”
“So we need to teach them to fight,” Gracie concluded.
“And when we win the war, we’ll still possess all of our pre-outbreak knowledge in books and computer databases. We also need to remind people that we can rebuild.”
Gracie understood the bigger picture. “We need to give them hope.”
They were both quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts until Gracie decided to finally ask the question that had been nagging at her for days. “Luke, when we rescued Terry, and you and that hunter ended up just staring at each other before it ran away, it seemed like the two of you were communicating with each other. Were you?”
Luke wasn’t sure how to explain that he’d been wondering the exact same thing. “I wish I had an easy answer for you, but I don’t really know. It all feels like a dream when I think about it now, and I’m not sure about what I actually remember and what I have reasoned out in my head to make sense of it all.”
“Just tell me what you can,” Gracie gently encouraged. “Remember, you promised to rely on your friends and your wife to help you sort out the confusing stuff.”
“Yeah,” Luke sighed, “but I really don’t know what to say about it. I guess we communicated, in a way . . . I just got a sense of him; I could kind of feel what it was like to be him. He was afraid of me—but afraid isn’t really the right word. I know I’m explaining this all wrong.” Luke took a deep breath and tried again. “He was different from any hunter I’ve seen. He wasn’t mindless, he was almost curious, but he must have sensed that I wanted him to leave, and he did.”
Gracie digested her husband’s words. “We know the creatures are evolving—but you said it seemed almost curious. We’ve seen examples of them adapting their behavior—waiting to ambush people, trying to grab our weapons, but I don’t think anyone has considered the possibility of advanced intelligence. I don’t even want to try to imagine how much more dangerous they could be . . .”
“I know,” Luke agreed, “but that sort of evolution wouldn’t happen overnight, and I just don’t feel troubled about it right now. I don’t think you should either. Let’s worry about the problems right in front of us for the time being.”
The next settlement was discovered just six miles upriver, again lying in the middle of a large oxbow lake with a palisade between the shorelines and the riverbank. The three hundred survivors gathered there were struggling in the unusual cold. They were out of ammunition and afraid to venture far from their defenses in search of food or other supplies. The inhabitants of the fledgling community were
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