Surviving the Apocalypse

Graduation

8 weeks later Hanna stood at attention for commencement gladly with the rest of her brigade, everyone from Camp fully aware she was now an official Colonel in the United America Army. Crystal, Pamela and Peter had all come to her ceremony, broadcasting it to the folks still building Camp Hope, as they had all listened to how she said it and knew that no matter what, Camp Hope was their name. They made her wait nearly 15 minutes as General Montgomery talked to them about what an amazing young woman she was before Crystal walked over and hugged her to tap her out. As she did she whispered in Hanna’s ear.

“Does this mean my soldier gets to come home for awhile?” she asked making Hanna smile and blush a little.

“More than awhile. You will be sick of me shortly.” Hanna whispered back as she walked over and joined the conversation.

“Colonel Storm, it has been an honor to have you here.” General Hellen Montgomery said saluting her.

“It has been an honor learning from you, even if we did have a interesting start.” Hanna said making Montgomery laugh.

“What did you do?” Crystal asked looking at Hanna.

“Short story, I broke her wrist.” Hanna said making Crystal slap her arm.

“Long story is I deserved it for what I said to her, despite never having had her in a class or being her advisor. She challenged me as was her right, and taught me a lesson I will never forget about respect and trust.” Montgomery said evenly.

“Speaking of General, should you find yourself near Bridgeport in say about 9 weeks, you should look me up at Hope Mine. Might be something there for the future.” Hanna said coming to a salute to her.

“Oddly specific Colonel, any reason?” Hellen asked her.

“Yes ma’am, but as much as I respect you now, you will have to trust that some things just can’t be said. It doesn’t matter who it is, some things you just have to see for yourself.” Hanna said as Hellen nodded and walked to the other recruits and families that were still celebrating.

“As much fun as it is pretending to be your family, we do have a literal crapton of work to do in those 9 weeks you just mentioned.” Peter said as Hanna looked at him.

“You sir, are absolutely correct. We have 9 weeks to spend 3 billion credits on equipment and supplies for the Camp. Now that my trust is unlocked, the real work begins.” Hanna said leading them to the airport for their flight back to Bridgeport.

As soon as they returned to Camp Hope, Hanna was amazed to see the progress they had made. Not only that, but now that she was back in range of the city, she realized they had expanded the people working for them to nearly 500. Each and every one of them working 12 hour shifts to get the Camp where they wanted it to be before the Apocalypse began. Of course the first thing she had seen was the completed fence, built to her exacting specifications with the name of the Mine on the front. What they hadn’t expected was a visit from the County Emergency Preparedness team, requesting they make it into an authorized evacuation site as they had the facilities needed for emergency housing.

She had received approval as a Corporate Community that was making the mine itself and land surrounding it into useful areas that promised to feed thousands more than they had. Surprisingly the Camp leaders were all on board with it, figuring that when the apocalypse happened they would be able to attract a lot more survivors than what they would get otherwise. So, Hanna approved the designation, despite her misgivings about what it could mean for the future. But not to be outdone, as she was one of their own, the Military authorized a small security contingent as well as a weapon and supply depot that could be utilized in case of emergency.

Because they came with construction stipends, they used the funds and manpower to quickly make several warehouses right next to the warehouse they already had, the quest the Hanna received for them linking them together as well as the base with an underground transportation system that linked into the third level of the mine as it’s shaft was just a few hundred feet from the edge of the warehouse already.

Within a month, they had finished 3 warehouses that were 50,000 square feet with 20 foot ceilings that the military filled with all sorts of things that would be useful. The fence that Hanna had constructed, making it the perfect defensible station that almost no one knew about yet as the updated military list wouldn’t be released until after the apocalypse began. That coupled with the fact that their own warehouse and storage facilities inside the bunker were practically bursting, they built another 2 warehouses right next to the ones they had just built for the military supplies, just for what couldn’t be stored inside the main Camp.

This time around, Hanna realized one important lesson, as these changes definitely put her on the map of possible detection. Something she would have to correct if she was forced to reset the timeline again. She was just thinking she wouldn’t have any more surprises when she got a phone call from none other than the President, asking what the true purpose of her mine was. Because they had started so early, a lot of their structures were fully permitted, this the plans were available for inspection. The fact that they had reinforced the mine into a bunker hadn’t been overlooked, nor had the fact that her Camp was not as self sustaining as was possible.

“Sir, I am working on a humanitarian project with the money my parents left me. I was approached by the city and military separately, and offered compensation to make the surplus warehouse and evacuation center into what was originally meant as a Corporate Community for the companies I started. The original plans show the 15,000 acres of land we are in the process of planting with spring crops, drilling wells for geothermal heat and power for the community, as well as water wells so as not to impact the water distribution of the area. I have no ulterior motives for making it other than to provide a community for the employees my investment companies employs.” Hanna told him when she and Crystal flew to the Capitol. Her only saving grace was that he hadn’t informed anyone of this.

“What concerns me Colonel, is that with your tactical genius, even if you were building it for another reason, you would know better than to advertise its existence. I have a feeling myself that we will need more places like this, and I trust you know exactly what you are doing. My only hope is that this reason is never needed, but my daddy taught me to hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. So I am instituting an emergency communications protocol for all commands in the event that the entire leadership is compromised or lost. I want you to be the head of this initiative, your ability exactly what this country will need in order to rebuild itself. In the event of total collapse or destruction, this protocol will dictate the chain of command, I want to make you Commanding General of the American Army should that be activated. Will you accept?” he asked her.

“Yes sir, I will sir.” She answered knowing he had done this before as well.

“Excellent, I can’t wait for your leave to be over in 3 months time. It will be amazing to see what you can actually do without someone looking over your shoulder.” He told her letting slip that she wouldn’t actually be reporting to anyone.

“Sir?” she asked making him smile.

“We were going to wait until after your leave, but now is as good as time as any. Colonel Hanna Storm, for your remarkable work and contributions during your education at Mansfield Military Academy, you are by order of Congress and the President of America, promoted to Brigadier General. Upon return from your leave, you will take command of the Global Strategic Command.” He told her holding out the box with 2 Stars. 1 for each shoulder.

Hanna snapped into a perfect salute, knowing that he would be impressed if he managed to survive what was coming. She however knew his last act would be to activate that very failsafe he was planning. “Thank you sir, I won’t let you down. Should the worst happen sir, Camp Hope has a spot.“ she said before he nodded.

“I will remember that General, now go enjoy the rest of your graduation leave. You have earned it.” He said before she grabbed the box and practically ran from his office.

When she returned from the Capitol with 28 days before the outbreak, she knew it was the final stretch. In 3 days the new disease count would be in, prompting a shut down of the borders and a freeze in the stock market. It was her last day of trading, every one of her shares sold and the balance transferred to the accounts that by all appearances were hemorrhaging money. Few understood the importance of what she was doing, as the people in her Camp had all been told what was going to happen. When it was announced on the very day she had said, every one of them would have lost many thousands of dollars from retirement accounts if they hadn’t switched them and withdrew them, despite the penalties of doing so early on many of them.

They however fully believed what she said, as she had made billions over the last 4 months, all of it put right into the Camp. When they gathered for dinner which was a smokehouse style meal for all of them, she got their attention as she stood on a table.

“4 months ago, many of you probably thought I was absolutely crazy talking about the end of society as we know it. Some of you probably still think I am bat crap crazy, but have learned that even if what I say sounds crazy, I know way more than I should. Thank you for taking the chance with me, as we make the final push to ensuring we did as much as possible. Every person here has become a resident of Camp Hope, because without you it wouldn’t be what it is now. So, each and every one of you will get 3 million credits today, to spend as you see fit. Buy what you need for professions, hobbies, or just because you want to.

“In 25 days the outbreak of the zombie plague happens, and we need to be secure in this compound, especially since we will now be a designated evacuation site. We will need security at the gates, as well as medical screenings and evaluation. I will honestly tell you, that this is my first time doing this. I have no idea how it is going to work, or what it is going to change. But we will be now and forever, the last bastion of Hope for humanity!” Hanna exclaimed as they all cheered with her.

Crystal whisked Hanna away from the Camp with just 3 weeks left, taking her for a night on the town. “If we only have 3 weeks left, I am going to get as many dates as we can.” She said making Hanna chuckle.

“You heard about the lab explosion in China?” she asked Crystal.

“Yeah, 87 dead and a 5 mile evacuation zone. That is kind of big news, especially as they aren’t exactly sure what was stored there.” Crystal replied.

“Among many other things, the first form of the zombie virus was stored there by the military. It was supposed to be incinerated tomorrow. Right now it is being mixed with the Coronavirus, and evacuated from that site in China. Tomorrow it will be a humanitarian crisis, evacuations of 50 miles around the site going all over the world by plane, trains, ships, every form of transportation there is. By the time anyone realizes what is happening, there will be simultaneous outbreaks in 187 cities across the globe. 3 days later, every world government will have fallen and 90 percent of people, will be dead or zombies.” Hanna said as Crystal pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

“Who is vulnerable at first?” Crystal asked.

“The old and immunocompromised. It is the corpses that are the problem. Over the next 3 weeks that Coronavirus is going to become so deadly, it will overwhelm the hospitals, morgues and crematoriums. Once the first mutations happen, it will be about 12 hours before all those bodies come back and go on a rampage as well.” Hanna told her.

“Holy s**t, that sounds like a nightmare.” Crystal said as they sat there.

“No, the nightmare is knowing it is going to happen and not be able to do anything about it. Having to watch it happen again and again, even if it is from a television screen. I was in the middle of it the first time, no warning or anything. My house fire bombed not 10 minutes after I forced my family to run.” Hanna said as she shivered. “But that isn’t ever going to happen again. That house helped pay for the Camp, and that family won’t ever betray me again.”

Crystal looked at her surprised. “You are hoping to go back far enough and save your dad while distributing the vaccine to the virus, aren’t you?” Crystal asked her.

Hanna smiled as she looked at Crystal. “Eventually, I hope. Dream about being able to save him. But just because he could go back that far, doesn’t mean J ever can or will be able too.” She admitted.

“Well, how many times have you been through this with me by your side?” Crystal asked her.

Hanna smiled. “This will be the first time actually. There have been a few changes this time, some of them I am not sure I want to repeat. I guess we will see how those changes effect the timeline”