Wayne Gray

Aww man! I had a reply in here and it just poofed away. Damn it. Thanks for the encouragement, kbois. I think this one is short but mighty - like many other things in life, eh? See you next chapter!

Thank you, tim! I'm glad you're enjoying this first chapter and the initial look at this little diversion my brain took and just would NOT stop traveling until I hit the end. I've not written like this since Guarded, and I'd forgotten how crazy it feels. I love being pulled by the nose by a muse. A demanding, "no, you don't need food" muse. Totally worth it, at least to me. I hope readers feel the same! There's more to come. Stick with me.

Atticus is a commander of the Earth Defense Force. He and his second in command, John, are members of an elite group whose mission is to retain the purity of the human race in the face of a parasitic infection ravaging the planet. "The worm" is insidious, silent, and impossible to condone. This is their story. Within these pages are the steps they take to retain their humanity. No matter the cost. This story is complete and will be updated weekly.

Rescinding Order 412 The radio crackled to life, cutting through the early morning quiet of the command office. Attention, all Cairn command staff. Effective immediately, Order 412 is no longer mandatory. Each commanding officer is now authorized to enforce, modify, or disregard physical contact protocols between cairnmates at their discretion. Note that infected individuals remain highly dangerous and must be isolated until retrieval. Continued testing protocols remain in place. Remem

I want to point out that I've grown up. I didn't make a single "tim's buns" joke even when it was right there. Waiting. Begging. See? Growth. Witness me! LOL. Sorry. I'm feeling spicy.

Allergies are a freaking bear currently. Good luck with yours!

he has resources, experience, and motivation to keep those he loves happy. Of course, he will make amazing bread. It's a love language - one that's easily understood by the lucky ones who get to experience it. Good to see you, Mike.

Thanks, Jeffrey! I like these folks. I want to tell their story, and do so in a way that isn't unnecessarily naive about human nature, but rather a true reflection of what we're capable of when the stakes are high. I'm glad you're invested in their lives. So am I. See you back here soon.

Thanks for the read and for the comment! Yes, they're working together, and doing so in a way that allows them a far better life than any one individually could have had on their own. They're a little community, doing the things that communities do. They're supporting each other, encouraging and caring for one another, and STILL getting stuff done. And that's the key. They don't have to frighten or browbeat people into doing what they should do. That's the only way communities can work for long. That translates to offense, too. They know and value one another's strengths and gifts. They each flex and become what the group needs in the moment it's needed. I think that's why they succeed. Yes, they planned this operation and tried to think of every eventuality. Of course, you can't think of everything, but they covered enough of the bases to result in a good outcome. There's more to come.

Thank you, Chris! They are working well as a team, and their plan did work. Not without some learning to do, and improvements to make, but they live another day to take those things to heart. See you next chapter!

Thanks for reading and commenting, Sherye! Yes, the plan went mostly as they'd designed it to go. And yeah, poor Pamela didn't get the end she deserved, but it was the best they could have done for her.

Thanks for reading and commenting! Letting down their guard isn't something they've done yet, but we all know it can happen. People get comfortable if not given a reason to stay alert. It's just the natural way of things. The deciding factor of whether that will come back to bite them (literally) is in the details of their preparations to design a safe place to be and live. I think people are so used to the idea that when the world goes to hell, humanity will just devolve into a horde of roaving takers. Yeah, I agree that there will be elements always looking out for themselves, and only themselves. But from the examples I've seen and read about, humanity doesn't do that. Not as a whole. It's why I utterly despised The Walking Dead and came to feel the same about The Last of Us. There was so much potential for both tales, but, in my eyes, they failed miserably to describe the human condition. This will not be those stories. It will be what they could have been.

Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment! Another dozer run wouldn't be the worst idea. There are bound to be a few here and there that got hung up and couldn't join the horde, so it's a pretty good plan. And yes - their teamwork is getting better all the time, and that's largely in part due to the respect and regard they have for one another - including the kids. While the circumstances around why they're thrown together are terrible, I think now that they are, they're making it the best situation they can.

It's hard to imagine they're not safer. One problem we may see is overconfidence in their "safe" environment. That could certainly result in a nasty encounter if they don't remain cautious. But yes, there were more zombies than they thought. Thanks for reading and for the great comment, Dave!

I do believe they're past that point now. They've stopped seeing them as the people they were; they know that these are mere shells of what used to be. Yes, I'm with you. Each person on this crew serves a need and a purpose. In particular, I wanted to allow Russell a chance to shine. Blue-collar folks are often looked down on, but they become some of the most skilled people at their work that you could find. He wields a bulldozer with the same skill as a surgeon with a knife. And with the same precision! I love that you're all so suspicious. That's good. That means the only surprises will be pleasant ones, right? Thank you for reading and your great comment. There's more to come.

Aww. Thanks for the great comment. I think you covered in about fifty words what it took 4500 for me. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment - I appreciate that.

Thanks, kbois. That scene with Shannon ... yeah, I'm proud of that one. I can also see it happening. A child wanting to get revenge for those he loved. Wanting to do something, anything, to even the score. I think Buck made a big difference there with him, both before the operation and after. Yep. The operation appears to have been a success. But that was an awful amount of smoke, wasn't it? If there's anybody else out there even casually looking at the skies, they'd have seen it. I suppose time will tell if that's the case.

NOW it's working. How odd.

I had a long, detailed, response for this comment, and it has vanished now a few times. The short version though - I agree with your assessments. And I appreciate that you read and took the time to write such a great comment. Thank you. 🙂

I seem to be unable to quote and reply here ... weird.

August 13, 1993 Thursday 845 AM Today is a day we're using to rest and get caught up on anything we might have been neglecting. That means journaling for Doc and me (he's still writing down his notes on the virus and the attempt at inoculation). Over the last couple of days, I finished the wiring for the tower. They now have power and lights like the rest of us and no longer have to live with candles and lanterns at night. Everybody has moved in and all seem to enjoy their new spaces.

I would hand him a mask and blink sweetly.

Et tu, Dan? Et tu?

Sasha is looking out for you, tim.