Pastor Dan
Fox River Valley QZ
Eastern Wisconsin
I know that everyone down south probably doesn't want to hear this... but I am already getting tired of this heat. We've really needed the rain we've had for the last couple of weeks, but combined with the heat the humidity is just getting ridiculous, and the mud is making Runs more dangerous. Just yesterday I had a bad stumble when I hit a patch of mud. I was just jogging for the sake of moving faster, but if there'd been groaners on me...
Well, then, this blog would have one poster less.
I get more and more reports these days about the different Doomsday cults that are out there, a lot of them Post-Christian. I think the Commandant likes sharing those stories with me... like he's telling me to give up the whole faith thing and just be another runner.
Sometimes, I'm tempted.
It's not a uniquely religious thing... suicide rates have been flat out ugly since the Cameras bled, but darned if we religious folks aren't amazing at making it even scarier. One guy, or one family, deciding they've had enough is one thing. But a whole faith community that was basically safe? Intentional infections? Contaminating public water supplies? This stuff is nuts.
My worst service since we started was Easter. Easter season just ended last week, and it was relief. The dead rising isn't good news anymore. It's a terrifying fact of life.
I've been dodging around the issue but sooner or later I am going to need a theological reason to keep on as I have been. It needs to WORK, because if it doesn't, then I'm just a guy with a good imagination and great blinders.
Still working on that.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Challenges of post-apocalyptic living
Alice Webb
Outside the DFWQZ
East Texas
So for the first time ever, I'm updating at night. Why? Well, mainly because I can't sleep. We've had storms, zoms, power outages...everything you can imagine has happened the past few weeks. It's been hectic and crazy.
The storms just keep coming. When I wrote last, I figured the worst was over, because this is Texas and we never get rain like this. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. It's been like the biblical flood. I wish I could send pictures, because this shit is cray cray. (Speaking of crazy, if I don't seem like myself...I've had a few weeks of being pent up. My brain is fried.) Anyway, trying to be productive lately has been a losing battle. The animals have been panicky in the storms, zoms keep prowling around/getting shredded by the storms, and oh yeah, our shelter freaking FLOODED. We had to pump it last week, and then work really hard to make it more water proof, but for a few days we were sloshing around in ankle-deep water. At least the babies had fun.
We're running into difficulties as the weather changes. For one, it's hot. Really really really hot. And I don't know if you've ever slept in a metal-walled bunker room in 100 degree weather with...eleven adults and two children, but it's truly horrible in ways that only sleeping in a hot room with a bunch of other sweaty people can be. It smells. And the beds and cots start to smell. And since we all don't exactly wash like we used to anyway, it smells even worse. Everyone makes noises when they sleep-snoring, mumbling, heavy breathing, the whole shebang. The babies cry every so often. At least we can take naps during the day.
That, however, is why I'm able to write to you at night. We have been attempting to sleep in our own house again. We have doors and windows barred, and we have dogs inside and out, plus we rotate shifts of keeping watch, but...for the first time in months, I have been able to sleep in my own bed. And it was glorious. But I drew a watch in the middle of the night, and after I finished I couldn't fall back asleep.
I do have to say though, that first night was terrible, and this week in general has been difficult. I didn't sleep all that night. I kept waking up at every little sound. And it was hot in the house, though much better than the shelter. Mostly though, I just kept worrying. It was like my brain wouldn't shut off, all these horrible scenarios running through my mind. I know my dad was scared, too. He doesn't feel like the house is safe enough, and honestly, he's probably right-if a big group came through we'd be pretty screwed. But we have to do something.
We did rescue a few of the semis from the city, and we met up with the other survivors last week. They went to a freaking Lowe's. Apparently it's pretty clean in terms of zoms. My dad's hoping he can exchange some of our food for their finds-I think he wants to try and build another safety structure, one that can fit us all better. He keeps talking about a cement block shelter, since we probably can't do another shipping container one. We'll see how it goes.
Going to try and get some shut-eye again. I still need to talk about the storms, but I'll have to do it later. Maybe we'll get some sun tomorrow.
Luck and love, all.
Alice
Outside the DFWQZ
East Texas
So for the first time ever, I'm updating at night. Why? Well, mainly because I can't sleep. We've had storms, zoms, power outages...everything you can imagine has happened the past few weeks. It's been hectic and crazy.
The storms just keep coming. When I wrote last, I figured the worst was over, because this is Texas and we never get rain like this. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. It's been like the biblical flood. I wish I could send pictures, because this shit is cray cray. (Speaking of crazy, if I don't seem like myself...I've had a few weeks of being pent up. My brain is fried.) Anyway, trying to be productive lately has been a losing battle. The animals have been panicky in the storms, zoms keep prowling around/getting shredded by the storms, and oh yeah, our shelter freaking FLOODED. We had to pump it last week, and then work really hard to make it more water proof, but for a few days we were sloshing around in ankle-deep water. At least the babies had fun.
We're running into difficulties as the weather changes. For one, it's hot. Really really really hot. And I don't know if you've ever slept in a metal-walled bunker room in 100 degree weather with...eleven adults and two children, but it's truly horrible in ways that only sleeping in a hot room with a bunch of other sweaty people can be. It smells. And the beds and cots start to smell. And since we all don't exactly wash like we used to anyway, it smells even worse. Everyone makes noises when they sleep-snoring, mumbling, heavy breathing, the whole shebang. The babies cry every so often. At least we can take naps during the day.
That, however, is why I'm able to write to you at night. We have been attempting to sleep in our own house again. We have doors and windows barred, and we have dogs inside and out, plus we rotate shifts of keeping watch, but...for the first time in months, I have been able to sleep in my own bed. And it was glorious. But I drew a watch in the middle of the night, and after I finished I couldn't fall back asleep.
I do have to say though, that first night was terrible, and this week in general has been difficult. I didn't sleep all that night. I kept waking up at every little sound. And it was hot in the house, though much better than the shelter. Mostly though, I just kept worrying. It was like my brain wouldn't shut off, all these horrible scenarios running through my mind. I know my dad was scared, too. He doesn't feel like the house is safe enough, and honestly, he's probably right-if a big group came through we'd be pretty screwed. But we have to do something.
We did rescue a few of the semis from the city, and we met up with the other survivors last week. They went to a freaking Lowe's. Apparently it's pretty clean in terms of zoms. My dad's hoping he can exchange some of our food for their finds-I think he wants to try and build another safety structure, one that can fit us all better. He keeps talking about a cement block shelter, since we probably can't do another shipping container one. We'll see how it goes.
Going to try and get some shut-eye again. I still need to talk about the storms, but I'll have to do it later. Maybe we'll get some sun tomorrow.
Luck and love, all.
Alice
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Mother Nature says "Nope"
Tyler Collins
South Atlanta QZ/ARTCC, Georgia, US
Small window here to talk:
Horrible weather this week. They aren't even loading the aircraft, wherever they are, so no traffic will be coming through. It's been raining off and on here as well, which is nice in some ways.
We won't be heading back but we also will be powered down for the weekend. Fine by me, the QZ will be a mud hole with all this rain.
Not much more to tell. Stay safe and try to stay dry if you're in the eastern US.
South Atlanta QZ/ARTCC, Georgia, US
Small window here to talk:
Horrible weather this week. They aren't even loading the aircraft, wherever they are, so no traffic will be coming through. It's been raining off and on here as well, which is nice in some ways.
We won't be heading back but we also will be powered down for the weekend. Fine by me, the QZ will be a mud hole with all this rain.
Not much more to tell. Stay safe and try to stay dry if you're in the eastern US.
Monday, May 25, 2015
My long lost, but not so lost, friend
Jason Duncan
Big Bend region, Florida
I grew up in a small town in the Florida Panhandle. I went to a small school that taught all grades, from preschool to high school. I started there in middle school. One of my best friends was this kid named Howard. Howard and I were thick as thieves through all of our formative years. We were inseparable barring serious illness.
I found the fucker. He found me. Whatever. In this crazy bullshit, this chaos panic and disorder, we crossed paths at just the right moment. Five minutes either way and we'd have passed one another, likely never to see each other again. He was sitting on the hood of a car on a long stretch of county road between two towns. Just sitting there. Said he had just walked out of the woods and was about to head back out again when he heard my engine. I told him it might be foolish for him to just sit out there exposed like that. Not everyone is friendly these days. More so than before.
He stayed in the panhandle after graduation while I moved on to explore and sew my oats. When this shit kicked off earlier in the year, he tried to hold out with his family, but apparently they succumbed and were lost. His words..."they were lost." He gets the glassy eyed stare when he says it, so I'm not pressing for details. He said he got on his mountain bike with a backpack and started riding. There are a lot of long dirt roads up there and I imagine you can make it a pretty fair distance without passing many of the dead. He says he made it almost to Tallahassee before he ran into real trouble. Again the glassy stare. He was trying to get to South Florida because the news said there were refugee centers and evacuation points all over the place.
I explained how wrong that was now. Maybe if he had driven, he'd have made it sooner... would have missed this rendezvous .... I'm glad he didn't. How selfish is that? I'm glad he suffered longer because it brought us together.
Shit. I suck.
We're going to try for Apalachicola or St. Joe or something. I want to stay near the water. They don't seem to like the water. There was a pretty small population there before. Maybe there are still survivors. I still don't want to go to a QZ and I've convinced Howard we shouldn't even attempt it. I hope I'm right.
He's riding with me now. I've got enough supplies for both of us to make it a long while if nothing too shitty happens. Yeah. I know.
UPDATES: The laptop turned on again by itself. Still didn't do anything significant.
There are deer everywhere. I think it's more than there used to be. Lots of other wildlife. I guess the lack of traffic isn't wearing there numbers down lower like it had been. Either way, it's keeping us better fed.
Will advise.
Big Bend region, Florida
I grew up in a small town in the Florida Panhandle. I went to a small school that taught all grades, from preschool to high school. I started there in middle school. One of my best friends was this kid named Howard. Howard and I were thick as thieves through all of our formative years. We were inseparable barring serious illness.
I found the fucker. He found me. Whatever. In this crazy bullshit, this chaos panic and disorder, we crossed paths at just the right moment. Five minutes either way and we'd have passed one another, likely never to see each other again. He was sitting on the hood of a car on a long stretch of county road between two towns. Just sitting there. Said he had just walked out of the woods and was about to head back out again when he heard my engine. I told him it might be foolish for him to just sit out there exposed like that. Not everyone is friendly these days. More so than before.
He stayed in the panhandle after graduation while I moved on to explore and sew my oats. When this shit kicked off earlier in the year, he tried to hold out with his family, but apparently they succumbed and were lost. His words..."they were lost." He gets the glassy eyed stare when he says it, so I'm not pressing for details. He said he got on his mountain bike with a backpack and started riding. There are a lot of long dirt roads up there and I imagine you can make it a pretty fair distance without passing many of the dead. He says he made it almost to Tallahassee before he ran into real trouble. Again the glassy stare. He was trying to get to South Florida because the news said there were refugee centers and evacuation points all over the place.
I explained how wrong that was now. Maybe if he had driven, he'd have made it sooner... would have missed this rendezvous .... I'm glad he didn't. How selfish is that? I'm glad he suffered longer because it brought us together.
Shit. I suck.
We're going to try for Apalachicola or St. Joe or something. I want to stay near the water. They don't seem to like the water. There was a pretty small population there before. Maybe there are still survivors. I still don't want to go to a QZ and I've convinced Howard we shouldn't even attempt it. I hope I'm right.
He's riding with me now. I've got enough supplies for both of us to make it a long while if nothing too shitty happens. Yeah. I know.
UPDATES: The laptop turned on again by itself. Still didn't do anything significant.
There are deer everywhere. I think it's more than there used to be. Lots of other wildlife. I guess the lack of traffic isn't wearing there numbers down lower like it had been. Either way, it's keeping us better fed.
Will advise.
I should probably be dead.
Sarah Evans
QZ Zone, Central California
How the fuck am I surviving in this place? I guess I'm lucky QZs exist. If they weren't here, I probably would have just covered myself in salt and grenades and run screaming at the nearest pile of uglies.
After seeing that there are other places that have been killing off non-essential animals, I'm even more grateful that my cat is content to sit in my room and chill by himself. The noises make him nervous but he has a window, and if I lost him after losing everything else I'd probably go insane.
I'm almost certain my family is dead. I hear my mom in my head sometimes, just laughing or the way she'd tell me that I could survive anything, but...my depression, you guys, it's kicking my ass.
I mean I guess at least I've lost weight in this situation, that's something. But it's harder and harder to get out of bed. It's harder and harder to come on here and read your words and form words of my own that are even remotely coherent.
I wish I had faith. I wish that I'd found it again after I lost it. Maybe believing in a higher power would make this easier.
I wish I just knew, you know? One way or the other. If they were alive or not. I wish I just knew. Then I could stop living in this world of "but what if they're not dead, though?" Then I could stop thinking that maybe I should just do it again, take my cat and my laptop and my car and head to Missouri, try to find them. It'd be suicide.
I miss them so much. It was different to be apart from them when I knew they were just a phone call or Facebook message or text away.
Sorry for being a Debbie Downer. I just have to be so positive all the time here, for the kids. Keep that customer service game face on.
Anyways, I'm still alive. Sort of. Hang in there.
QZ Zone, Central California
How the fuck am I surviving in this place? I guess I'm lucky QZs exist. If they weren't here, I probably would have just covered myself in salt and grenades and run screaming at the nearest pile of uglies.
After seeing that there are other places that have been killing off non-essential animals, I'm even more grateful that my cat is content to sit in my room and chill by himself. The noises make him nervous but he has a window, and if I lost him after losing everything else I'd probably go insane.
I'm almost certain my family is dead. I hear my mom in my head sometimes, just laughing or the way she'd tell me that I could survive anything, but...my depression, you guys, it's kicking my ass.
I mean I guess at least I've lost weight in this situation, that's something. But it's harder and harder to get out of bed. It's harder and harder to come on here and read your words and form words of my own that are even remotely coherent.
I wish I had faith. I wish that I'd found it again after I lost it. Maybe believing in a higher power would make this easier.
I wish I just knew, you know? One way or the other. If they were alive or not. I wish I just knew. Then I could stop living in this world of "but what if they're not dead, though?" Then I could stop thinking that maybe I should just do it again, take my cat and my laptop and my car and head to Missouri, try to find them. It'd be suicide.
I miss them so much. It was different to be apart from them when I knew they were just a phone call or Facebook message or text away.
Sorry for being a Debbie Downer. I just have to be so positive all the time here, for the kids. Keep that customer service game face on.
Anyways, I'm still alive. Sort of. Hang in there.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
I've decided this isn't real, it's all a movie.
Jason Duncan
North of Ocala, Central Florida
Quick updates first:
There is a significant quarantine zone located just South of Ocala. I didn't stop in. I'm not interested in crowds or some asshole telling me what to do, or worse trying to take my shit. I saw it from the closest thing that area has to a hill. They surrounded some kind of warehouse complex or industrial park with freight containers. Those are pretty stout and should provide lots of protections. There were fires inside but they looked contained, maybe for cooking. I also saw some assorted camp fires on the drive last night. I don't know where I'm going yet. North for now. We'll see.
I've stopped counting or trying to remember all the dead and semi-dead that I've killed. You've all had your fill and telling another story about another groaner put down wouldn't really add to the knowledge base. It's still a daily occurrence that I have to fight for my life at least once. The ratio of screamers to groaners seems about the same everywhere I've been.
So, all of this is a dream or some kind of movie. Remember that zombie movie from a few years back where the guy runs into his girlfriend from high school during the zombie apocalypse?
Yeah.... well it's not my ex girlfriend. My best friend from middle and high school just fell into my path. I just logged on here to tell you guys about the QZ. We've got some catching up to do. I'll be back on tomorrow hopefully and fill you in. This is nuts.
EDIT* I'm going to kill this motherfucker. Five minutes into catching up, he reminds me that we'll likely never eat pizza rolls again. Pray for him.
North of Ocala, Central Florida
Quick updates first:
There is a significant quarantine zone located just South of Ocala. I didn't stop in. I'm not interested in crowds or some asshole telling me what to do, or worse trying to take my shit. I saw it from the closest thing that area has to a hill. They surrounded some kind of warehouse complex or industrial park with freight containers. Those are pretty stout and should provide lots of protections. There were fires inside but they looked contained, maybe for cooking. I also saw some assorted camp fires on the drive last night. I don't know where I'm going yet. North for now. We'll see.
I've stopped counting or trying to remember all the dead and semi-dead that I've killed. You've all had your fill and telling another story about another groaner put down wouldn't really add to the knowledge base. It's still a daily occurrence that I have to fight for my life at least once. The ratio of screamers to groaners seems about the same everywhere I've been.
So, all of this is a dream or some kind of movie. Remember that zombie movie from a few years back where the guy runs into his girlfriend from high school during the zombie apocalypse?
Yeah.... well it's not my ex girlfriend. My best friend from middle and high school just fell into my path. I just logged on here to tell you guys about the QZ. We've got some catching up to do. I'll be back on tomorrow hopefully and fill you in. This is nuts.
EDIT* I'm going to kill this motherfucker. Five minutes into catching up, he reminds me that we'll likely never eat pizza rolls again. Pray for him.
Focusing on the Positives
Tyler Collins
South Atlanta QZ/ARTCC, GA, US
Today isn't the best day for flying, but planes are making it out anyway. There's apparently a whole lot of cloud cover over the Midwest, so those air-access QZs probably won't get their drops till tomorrow. There are also storms to the northeast of here, so NC-VA area is probably going to have to wait too. The weather's been weird.
I wish I had good things to say, it seems like this week has been really difficult on everyone.
Unloading bad things first:
1) There apparently was a breach at my QZ. Someone left the northwest gate unlatched, I think. The commandant was inquiring whether it was our departure that left it open, but we left a day earlier and we don't touch the gates. The guards handle that.
Five or so groaners got in, made a bunch of noise, and got bludgeoned. No casualties, I think, but I'm speculating that the commandant is going to use it as a scare for some policy wrangling. Glad I'm not there.
2) The creeks leading into Jackson Lake had reduced flow over the last few days, despite the rain. A group headed up to find out what the problem was and found it choked with groaners. As if the lake wasn't toxic enough, it's very likely that it has been contaminated with the contagion too.
3) The Robins QZ reported that they were completely out of antibiotics and there's a significant outbreak of some intestinal disease there. If one disease doesn't kill us, there's a whole lineup of secondaries. Some of the camp problem-solvers are working on trying to get a general aviation plane over there for a drop, though we don't have a lot of antibiotics ourselves.
Good things:
1) I communicated the information about animals to a couple of vets in the QZ, and they're working on convincing the commandant to allow some more livestock in. Dr Stamper has a theory that the dead respond to sounds that would attract attention to a normal human. Sounds we drown out, like distant dogs barking, birds singing, etc don't draw attention. A police siren, a shattering window, or a roaring engine, however, do make our ears perk up, and all three of these things are guaranteed to attract groaners by the dozens.
2) An idea Dr. Stamper and I had a few weeks ago about trying to do a population map around Atlanta got approved. There are scout groups scattered all over, and with some good book-keeping we should be able to make something like a heat-map of where the biggest groups of uglies are, and with a few weeks of data, maybe we can figure out some general movement trends. As far as I know, Atlanta is one of the few locations with enough able manpower to actually cover this.
3) Most of our food is preserved stuff looted from surrounding stores and warehouses, mixed with MRE components. Some professors from the UGA location near here did some soil tests and came up with a plan to start growing food nearby, so we can sustain our population. This is a big step physically, because food rationing leaves everyone hungry and emotionally because the support they're getting represents a big shift in the camp attitude to taking their own initiative to help. Morale is low as ever, but there seems to be an investment in the community that I hadn't seen before. That's something.
4) Another group of people from our QZ cleared a field that surrounded a broken aircraft beacon. They used a bunch of blue tarp (courtesy of the Home Depot distribution center) and marked out a gigantic crosshair in the field. With a repaired fence, it is now a relatively secure location that is already marked on aircraft charts and very clearly marked visually. We should now be able to get air-dropped goods of our own if needed.
Out to do my rounds. I hope the good news carries you on. Stay safe!
South Atlanta QZ/ARTCC, GA, US
Today isn't the best day for flying, but planes are making it out anyway. There's apparently a whole lot of cloud cover over the Midwest, so those air-access QZs probably won't get their drops till tomorrow. There are also storms to the northeast of here, so NC-VA area is probably going to have to wait too. The weather's been weird.
I wish I had good things to say, it seems like this week has been really difficult on everyone.
Unloading bad things first:
1) There apparently was a breach at my QZ. Someone left the northwest gate unlatched, I think. The commandant was inquiring whether it was our departure that left it open, but we left a day earlier and we don't touch the gates. The guards handle that.
Five or so groaners got in, made a bunch of noise, and got bludgeoned. No casualties, I think, but I'm speculating that the commandant is going to use it as a scare for some policy wrangling. Glad I'm not there.
2) The creeks leading into Jackson Lake had reduced flow over the last few days, despite the rain. A group headed up to find out what the problem was and found it choked with groaners. As if the lake wasn't toxic enough, it's very likely that it has been contaminated with the contagion too.
3) The Robins QZ reported that they were completely out of antibiotics and there's a significant outbreak of some intestinal disease there. If one disease doesn't kill us, there's a whole lineup of secondaries. Some of the camp problem-solvers are working on trying to get a general aviation plane over there for a drop, though we don't have a lot of antibiotics ourselves.
Good things:
1) I communicated the information about animals to a couple of vets in the QZ, and they're working on convincing the commandant to allow some more livestock in. Dr Stamper has a theory that the dead respond to sounds that would attract attention to a normal human. Sounds we drown out, like distant dogs barking, birds singing, etc don't draw attention. A police siren, a shattering window, or a roaring engine, however, do make our ears perk up, and all three of these things are guaranteed to attract groaners by the dozens.
2) An idea Dr. Stamper and I had a few weeks ago about trying to do a population map around Atlanta got approved. There are scout groups scattered all over, and with some good book-keeping we should be able to make something like a heat-map of where the biggest groups of uglies are, and with a few weeks of data, maybe we can figure out some general movement trends. As far as I know, Atlanta is one of the few locations with enough able manpower to actually cover this.
3) Most of our food is preserved stuff looted from surrounding stores and warehouses, mixed with MRE components. Some professors from the UGA location near here did some soil tests and came up with a plan to start growing food nearby, so we can sustain our population. This is a big step physically, because food rationing leaves everyone hungry and emotionally because the support they're getting represents a big shift in the camp attitude to taking their own initiative to help. Morale is low as ever, but there seems to be an investment in the community that I hadn't seen before. That's something.
4) Another group of people from our QZ cleared a field that surrounded a broken aircraft beacon. They used a bunch of blue tarp (courtesy of the Home Depot distribution center) and marked out a gigantic crosshair in the field. With a repaired fence, it is now a relatively secure location that is already marked on aircraft charts and very clearly marked visually. We should now be able to get air-dropped goods of our own if needed.
Out to do my rounds. I hope the good news carries you on. Stay safe!
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