Surviving the Apocalypse

The First Alliance

Hanna had barely returned to her office after dinner, the tanks still secure in her storage space, when Crystal sent her a message over the radio on her frequency.

"You there Camp Hope?" Crystal's voice asked as soon as she sat down.

"Roger that Epsilon, what's up?" she asked back before she began looking at everything else the others brought. What was in hers had already been added to the inventory, especially as almost everything was directly related to the tanks. Despite the assurance of the soldiers, they had entered the bunker and verified everything there. Unknown to them, was that there was a treasure trove of equipment they could utilize, further upgrading the server that powered their automated defenses and equipment.

"Request meeting at point Alpha. Tomorrow." she said nervously. "Have a proposition for you."

Hanna smiled as she keyed the radio. "My mama always told me to be careful with propositions. See ya tomorrow." Hanna said laughing not realizing that she made Crystal blush.

At dawn she was at the research lab, her Squad with her as well as her dog who went absolutely everywhere she did. Most people didn't notice because it was so obedient and she rarely had to command it, it however also had a vest that made it very apparent this was not a dog you could walk up and pet. Crystal and her four man squad arrived with her, the new uniform with a Colonel Pin on her shoulder made it clear her Uncle had done exactly as she had suggested.

"Thanks for always being here for us. We would like to know what all you would be willing to trade for Heart Crystals as well as power Crystals. We have more than enough for the Evojuice to upgrade our people, but we need food and supplies." Crystal said to Hanna.

Hanna looked at her with a smile, as she had figured that was what Camp Epsilon would need. "Those are difficult supplies to come up with, especially as even with refrigeration it has all rotted. We however do have some surplus we could spare. How about 1 Crystal for every 100 pounds of fresh produce. And 1 Crystal for every 5 pounds of fresh meat." she offered as Crystal's eyes went wide.

"You are aware we have over 7,000 survivors now, right?" Crystal asked.

"No, I wasn't aware. Despite having the drones, we actually have no clue where your Camp is."

"How many pounds of vegetables and meat do you have?"

"With me? I have 4,000 pounds of various vegetables including potatoes, corn, beans, peas. If your cooks do it right, they can make a stew with it that will feed your people for at least a week as I also have 200 pounds of beef, pork, chicken, eggs, and rabbit." she told her. "If you want all of it, 600 regular crystals or 60 power Crystals. Your choice, but since you know they are different now, I will give you a hint. If someone drinks the entire dose, they gain the ability. Just so you know."

Crystal was the only one from her Camp who heard the conversation, everyone from her Camp well aware of it already. She was stunned by that as Hanna pulled out a vial and handed it to her. "What is it?" she asked curious as it was 5 times the size of a normal dose.

"Fire ability. Goes great with your storage space, especially when you get it to higher levels."

Crystal drank it and felt like her insides were burning, the power of igniting her fists in flame as she tried not to scream before it leveled out a minute later and Crystal gasped. "Wow." she said as Hanna smiled. "How about 300 regular Crystals and 30 power ones. Knowing that now I think we will be improving our Camp some more."

Hanna nodded as she looked at Crystal, knowing she would need to make bold moves if they were going to survive her next plan. "If you would like, I could come to your Camp and offer suggestions to improve. It is July now, which means you have 3 months of good weather left before it becomes significantly more difficult to gather supplies. You need a green house, and from how many people you are supporting, I would say you need more like 15 or 20 of them to begin growing your own vegetables."

"Are you suggesting we become allies?" Crystal asked.

Hanna smiled at the thought. "Actually, yes. I am. We can supply you with vegetables during the short term, but once the snow flies we will barely be producing enough for our own needs. We will be getting 5 feet of snow the second week of October, and it is going to last until the first week of April. If your people are going to survive, they need to be ready and prepare not just your greenhouses but large scale housing as well."

Crystal looked at her a little surprised by how sure she sounded of that prediction. She however had a long conversation with General Storm when he promoted her, his suggestion to her to see if Hanna could help with food supplies as most of the Camps were struggling at the moment. "I don't want to know how you know that."

Hanna laughed as she looked at Crystal. "Let's just say that mother nature is taking her turn next. Except she is going to slam us hard for the next 3 years with winter blizzards and summer firestorms that will make you think it is literally hell on earth. You need greenhouses, barracks and a well at minimum."

Crystal snorted at that one. "We don't have the equipment to drill a well. We will be lucky if we can get the barracks and even a few greenhouses built. We don't have many people capable of doing construction very well." she said without hiding the fact.

"I assume you have some Earth abilities in the pile you care going to keep. The Machine will extract them as well, just as effectively as it does the normal ones. Give the people capable of construction the earth ability and get them to level 3 as quickly as possible. More than 2 doses a day is extremely dangerous, so please don't go overboard. Once they get to level 3, their expertise will improve the natural structure when they make Earthmetal, which will make it possible for them to use it to construct buildings that are well insulated against heat and cold." Hanna told her as Crystal smiled.

"You aren't just going to have your people help us, are you?" Crystal asked as Hanna smiled.

"We require our members help us help them, why should we not expect an ally to do the same? I can tell you what you need to do from a strategy standpoint and what I know because of my abilities. But I cannot force you or your people to do it."

"How many powers can one person have?"

Hanna smiled at that question. "I have 10 so far, looking for an interesting one to become my 11th."

Crystal looked at her with a sly grin. "With an ability like temporal reset, I imagine you only want interesting ones."

Hanna laughed at that. "I actually have wind, water, fire, earth and lightning as well. Not all of them are unique, but I don't want ones that are so common anymore that I share it with multiple people in my own Camp."

"So, do you need a tour of our base to get an idea of what we need to do?"

"I will come take a look, but if we are going to be allies, I suggest you make an economy like what my Camp utilizes. In order to get basics like shelter, food and security, each person must work for the benefit of the Camp for at least 8 hours per day at a task that is assigned or chosen. Each job also comes with a salary of sorts, we use points. Scavengers like these guys earn 25 points per day and are the highest paid. If they want food outside of what the cooks prepare each day, they can buy it from our storehouse. For Evojuice, they are charged 5 points per dose. 50 points for one of the abilities. For other foods and goods, 1 point will get a pound of vegetables or grains. 3 points for a pound of meat, so on and so forth depending on what it is. If they wish to take time off, general meals at the community dining are 2 points per person. The lowest paid however are the children who are in school from 3 years of age to 15. They get 7 points per day." Hanna said explaining their basic economy to Crystal.

"You actually require every person to work for 8 hours a day?" Crystal asked.

"Yup, every single person. That is why the one thing we make every person who joins aware of our first rule. Help us help you. If someone doesn't help the Camp, the Camp doesn't help them." Hanna said bluntly as Crystal nodded.

"We are definitely going to have to implement that. So is now a good time for you to examine our Camp?" she asked.

Half an hour later they pulled up to the border of Camp Epsilon, and she was dismayed to see that it was barely secured with chain link, razorwire and barbed wire fences. She looked at Crystal who just shook her head.

"It has changed since I took Command, but it has only been a week. There is only so much I can do so quickly. My father and his council squandered the doses we got from you before, refusing to focus on Earth users like you suggested." she explained.

"Well, we will make sure you have what you need to get everything back in order. In fact, how many Earth users do you have here?" Hanna asked her as they easily walked through the gates as the gunfire sounded as they took out another zombie. "First thing, suppressors."

Crystal smiled as she lead her to the Command Center that had been converted from a 5 story office park that was barely 20,000 square feet total. "As I said, we will be totally refocusing our efforts on what needs to be done. In the meantime, this is a map of our Camp."

It was barely 200 acres of land secured by the flimsiest of fences she had ever seen. "Ok, how many soldiers are here?"

"300, all of them assigned to perimeter patrols." Crystal said as Hanna nodded.

"Take 100 of them and break them down into 5 teams. You need to expand your territory to encompass at least 10,000 acres. We only have 2,300 people and we have 7,000 acres of land to farm and garden. Once you have your Earth users at level 3 they should be able to make at least 300 feet of fence made from Earthmetal that is 25 foot tall and 5 foot thick." Once the land is contained, they need to begin construction of the barracks followed by as many greenhouses as they can make the lower frames for. You will still need to construct part of them as they need to be real greenhouses. We can deliver the plans." Hanna said as she looked through the maps and drew a new square around their existing Camp that showed exactly what they needed to capture around themselves to be most effective.

Six hours later Hanna and Crystal finished the planning session for the base before the other officers that had been part of her father's command entered and sneered at both of them.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" the Lieutenant Colonel demanded of them as Crystal rolled the map up and put it in her file cabinet.

Hanna looked at him with a smile. "What gives you the right to enter a private meeting of two superior officers and demand answers Lieutenant Colonel...Dickson?!" she demanded glaring at him in her combat armor. "You will stand at attention soldier or I will throw you in the brig so fast you won't know which way is up until next month!" she yelled at him as he snapped to attention as he saw her own Colonel Emblem on her collar.

"Sorry ma'am, I didn't realize it was you Colonel Storm." he said nervously at attention.

Hanna glared at him and the other 3, a fire, speed and strength ability user that were all high level 4. "So this is where all of the Evojuice your Camp traded went too before it started being made. You must be taking 3 doses per day, how long?" she demanded as they looked at each other.

"87 days ma'am, by order of her father, General Johnson." Dickson answered quickly.

Hanna shook her head as she looked at them. "You will only be getting one dose per day for the next 30 days. Be thankful that it can't be 0 because of the idiotic risk you lot have been taking." Hanna told all three of them.

"Yes ma'am." Dickson said looking a little relieved.

"Good, now get out of here and assemble your men. Since it is apparent you think gold discipline only counts when a General is here, it is high time you are all reminded that the world is not so small that you are alone here!" she ordered making him salute as all three men turned and left the office as Crystal laughed a little.

"Ok, so you actually can do that then." she said making Hanna laugh.

"If they are being deliberately insubordinate, you are damn straight. Since they apparently played nice for my Uncle, it is time the learn you aren't a pretty face." Hanna said as Crystal's eyes went wide.