It took six more months to find the Vehicles and upgrade them so they could work for what we wanted. Granted for the most part they would never reach proper highway speeds, but maintaining between 35 and 45 miles per hour was good enough. The solar panels wrapped around the trucks and trailers so that no matter the suns angle they still got power.
Small solar powered led string lights gave off enough light around the trucks to at least give the Normals the ability to see where they were going when they climbed the trailers for some sleep. The changed would always be able to see in the dark. Some training went in as to what would be considered as valuable and what was considered crap.
"Okay everyone listen up." I called out and the entire compound quieted down, "Now then my family and I will lead Trader Group One. While I am gone, General Jackson will take over here. He's a fair man and pretty easy going, but do not push him. Where the hell do you think I got those rules from, working with him in his Bases." I called out, a gentle reminder not to be assholes.
"The trader group have already been chosen and trained. If any of you have missing family and want to try and connect. Write letters and send them with the group heading towards their last known locations. We will call out names at each stop for those letters and hope those missing will answer. God willing, maybe we can start to bring families back together." I said continuing. Several people ran off and I assumed it was to start writing.
"Now this first run may take as little as a couple weeks to as long as a month. We will have two groups with each Trader Caravan. The Traders who will be dealing with the Forts and Strongholds, and the Guards whose only job is to insure those Strongholds do not overstep their bounds lets face it we've seen both good and bad in all of our travels, we all have stories of the people and holds we have seen. We want to open trade routes, but we will not allow them to take advantage or try and bully our Traders. The first run will have two functions, first to establish contact and give them an idea what we can part with for trade. To find out what they have that they can trade comfortably, and finally to establish a mail route so people can reconnect, maybe even as pen pals." I stated while many nodded while they listened.
"Currently the loads within the trailers are pretty light, mainly just a few things picked up from raiding the large stores on the fringes of the City. Basic hygiene products, tooth brushes, tooth paste, our own home made soaps and shampoo, hair brushes, things we take for granted because we have them still available to us. We will not be trading livestock or even carrying them until we know what they can offer in return with out hurting themselves." I explained while everyone was nodding as they listened.
"Each Caravan also carries enough cold storage to be able to hunt and trade fresh meat for things that we may consider silly or unusable, but another outpost may see as needed. Think about the things you may want as well. Even frivolous things, and the traders will add them to their lists and who knows, we may find it. Personally I am still looking to complete my AC/DC collection, what can I say?" I said with a grin while people laughed.
With as much power as we got from the combined wind turbines and solar panels, we were able to watch TV, listen to music although still no radio and had access to other things of our more normal lives before the Zombies. We did have to scrounge for every LED light we could find in order to keep power usage at a minimum. TV's, and disc players were also what could be reliably low watt usage as well. It was a learning curve for everyone.
"Tomorrow Morning the caravans will head out, so please if you have letters contact the Leader of the Caravan heading in the direction you want and leave them with them. Each stop they make they will wait a day for trades to be completed and any letters that they may write to be sent out." I said and paused while they looked around at the Caravan leaders who stood beneath signs stating the direction they would be going. "Have a good night everyone, disperse."
My group and I remained under the Sign stating we would be heading West. Our group was also comprised mostly of the Changed or Cured. We never did settle on a name for ourselves. Soon people began walking to the group they hoped would have relatives still lingering in one of the outposts. We ended up with nearly a hundred and thirty letters by the time it was late enough to call it a night and make final preparations for the travel.
"Don't think I ever seen so many letters." one of the leaders remarked and I laughed and held out my stack of them. We had arranged to be up and out of the gate just before sunrise.
"Going to be busy out there for sure." I replied with a chuckle.
"Sir, what do we do if we come to a fort and someone wants to join us or leave but the Leader is keeping them against their will?" one of them asks.
"Against their will? Shoot the Bastard and then see who wants to still leave." I replied calmly, several chuckles were heard and I looked up at them.
"You think I am kidding, those animals have no right to keep anyone against their will, none. You be sure they understand that and if they don't, kill them. Let the rest sort it out. We will not tolerate any might makes right dictatorships. I may be a Dictator to some within these walls, but I do not force anyone for anything and all are free to leave. Long as they do fair work for what they get here, that is all I ask of anyone. Beyond that they have a choice of staying or going as they like, working or starving as they like. But none of it do I force on them." I reminded them evenly and they all nodded in agreement.
"You'll get fools who will try to entice the women and men from your groups. They want to stay in some other stronghold, more power to them. You will get others offering trade for the women, try not to kill them outright, just let your opinion of them be known and move on to the next Outpost. Remember these people have suffered just as much and in some cases even more then we have. We have our haven, and have been living a descent life for a months and even a year or more. The rest out there are still living the same lives they have lived sense this all started, some will be good, others out and out slavery. Up to you all which is worth fighting over, but be ready to stand your ground when I question you on your actions. Understood?" I explained to them and they all stood at attention and saluted.
"Who-Rahhh.. now lets get this show on the road." I called out. Everyone saluted General Jackson as he made his presence known and saw everyone off. As the trucks started up and everyone climbed aboard to take off I looked over at Jackson.
"May want to start preparing rooms in the Casino. Chances are good that on return trips, these same trucks will be bringing in more refugees." I said as Charlie started the lead truck and moved out of the way when I stood by the door.
"Already have the House Keeping group working on that, more then four floors will be ready and available to those who arrive. Also have the Councilors and Human Resources working out job placements based on their skills and abilities, along with group leaders shuffling people around so we can have new recruits being helped and trained by trainers and experienced workers. It'll be fine Commander." Jackson stated and I grinned at him. Turning I climbed into the truck and slowly rolled out the gates with two more trucks and trailers following behind.
No one had come from the West, well not before the Outbreak. Those who were born or had lived in California before the Outbreak had been off visiting relatives in other states. California was the highest populated State in the Nation with more then forty million lives living and working there. For all anyone knew, it now held more then forty million zombies looking to bite someone's ass.
Traveling at Forty miles an hour sounds fast compared to walking or riding a bicycle or running. But when you remembered people use to drive Highway 80 at 70 to 80 miles per hour, yeah, you see my point. You end up staring at the same tree for several minutes while you pass it, instead of it flying by as a near blur. Yeah I'm exaggerating a bit here, but damn, do you see my point at all?
Currently I am still driving after two hours, and the changed are running circles around the caravan as we go much to the amusement of the unchanged.
"Tami, your turn to drive." I called out and she swung up into the passenger seat. She wasn't breathing hard or sweating. She slipped into my seat while I stepped on to the ladder while keeping the door open.
"Got it, have fun Dad." she called with a smile. I dropped down smiling and she closed the door. I loped along at the speed of the trucks and kept an eye out.
