Chapter 8: The Evolving Tide
...
The first thing I noticed about my faction was how powerful it could grow, and how quickly and the reason was simple: Logistics.
The Gamer let me do damn near everything pretty much perfectly, including data gathering, planning, and governing. We had a developed infrastructure of fully functioning rail lines running all over the state of Georgia. They were armed and armored to the point that I could move trains anywhere I wanted without having to deal with Infected.
The Atlanta Safe Zone, or ASZ was basically unstoppable. Even our mid level recruits with just a few weeks of training could go out in groups of 10 or so and come back with a decent number of survivors they'd rescued and supplies. Anything we couldn't find, I just popped back to regular Atlanta and traded for with valuables I'd looted where they otherwise would've been useless.
However, the trips they'd started taking went well outside of Atlanta because Georgia was empty at this point. Runners were getting faster, as Jenner had said, while they weren't smarter, they started acting very much like the zombies in the Last of Us. However, being able to melee them grew impossible, given the feedback I'd gotten from our troops.
Using a captured and killed Runner, I inspected it up close with my staff in a secret lab. Growths of fungus protecting vital areas around the throat, chest, and eyes began to appear on those who had turned a long time ago. This made it clear that the evolution to stuff similar to Bloaters and such was inevitable most likely.
Trying to outpunch a runner was difficult, if by some chance their nails or teeth scratched you at all during a melee, you were basically infected. Even with my vaccine, it meant serious skin removal and a need for rest.
I had a division dedicated to creating riot gear, fuel was starting to turn bad or run out in some cases, so we turned to breeding horses. The trains still ran on diesel, which was actually easier than I imagined to find.
However, there was an arrival of a few survivors, among whom I recognized a couple to our tall, double shielded metal walls.
It was well into September, 2010, when Rosita's group arrived.
Rosita Espinosa was a leader of a group of survivors on their way northeast, all the way from Texas. I'd been running the ASZ for almost three or four months before a specialist group led by Lily found them near Mississipi.
It turned out that the group of survivors who ran the settlement out in Mississippi were friendly, but almost overrun by Runners. Runners weren't necessarily coordinating in groups, but they appeared smart enough to recognize large walled areas with guard towers and barricades to likely contain people who were alive inside.
The Mississippi group was led by a state trooper organized militia of survivors, they weren't a threat by any means, numbering three hundred people total. The settlement was located a few miles northeast of Jackson, on a giant open field on a large raised hill, able to overlook things for acres and almost impossible to sneak up on.
The town was called Simers-Bridge, after the founder's childhood home.
...
"Hello, welcome to the ASZ."
Rosita walked in, as Donnie laid on his dog bed next to me where I did all my work in the office.
"Er. Hello." the woman said awkwardly.
"How can I help you today?"
"Everyone keeps telling me you repurposed all your military equipment from the government. Is that true?"
I nodded, putting some paperwork away. "Yup. Things turned sour when they took, PGU turned everything to hell."
"PGU?"
"You've never heard of them?"
Rosita shook her head. "Everyone back home just knew there was an emergency broadcast. It was last sent from DC, so we all assumed it was the safest place to go."
"Well. The PGU is the provisional government, they moved from Washington to Chicago, they're pretty much responsible for everything that happened."
"What?" she looked shocked. "H-How could that happen?"
"Long story. But I'm sorry to tell you. There's no safer place than right here, right now."
Rosita oddly didn't look like she questioned my post at all. Still being a teenager and running this entire city didn't bother her.
"Are you in contact with them?"
"That's classified."
"Is it?"
It was kinda hot the way she crossed her arms and stared at me.
"I'm afraid it is."
"What else do you know? About the cure too?"
"That's classified as well."
Rosita raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"
"No you may not. Knowledge of the cure could compromise our security."
"Why? Was the PGU involved?"
I was silent for a moment. "I can't tell you that either."
"Is there anything else you can tell me?"
"I have a job for you." I looked towards my logistics map. "I'm going to send a train to help trade supplies with Simers-Bridge, that's the town near where my people found you. I'd like you to go with them."
"Wait, so if you're the only place that's safe right now. Why aren't you being transparent about the cure? About everything that happened?"
I crossed my hands together. "I apologize Rosita, I do. Now, are you going to help me on the trading caravan?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes. But not because you asked me to."
I smiled. "Have a nice day then." I said, rubbing Donnie's head, the golden retriever still panting.
Rosita left in a huff, muttering, and I received a small beep on a console at my desk.
...
I was working in the lab, when Candace Jenner appeared.
"Oh, Doctor Jenner, surprised to see you back with a lab coat on."
"Yes. I think my vacation lasted long enough."
"So you're back? What have you found?"
She handed a file to me. "I'm afraid our tests failed."
I looked over the charts. "Your blood can't pass on any sort of immune response to change in patients. In other words, your body can't teach anyone how to adapt their antibodies to the virus just through plasma transfusion."
"Oh."
That was spectacularly bad news.
"So then, what would be next?"
"We'd have to grow a fetus out of a petri dish using your DNA. I'd have to analyze the subject's genetics as they grew up to see how it responds to the virus."
I wasn't too ecstatic to hear this. "You mean force a test tube baby to endure who knows what sort of testing in order to power level a cure?"
"You've been able to learn the same science I know Marcus, there is no other way."
"Well then, who would provide the egg?"
Candace breathed in quickly. "I would." she said quickly.
"You would?"
"We wouldn't be having sex, you'd be-"
"I know what we'd be doing, Doctor I-"
I thought about it.
Human life wasn't meant to be just a test, but the fact was, that if Jenner and I couldn't come up with some sort of cure. Humanity would go extinct.
It was already on the verge of extinction, tens of millions, no, hundreds of millions had died at this point. ASZ was the last functioning settlement outside of cities run by fascistic versions of the Federal Government.
"I'll do it."
"Excellent. Let me know when you can provide a sperm sample."
"Er. Thanks Doctor Jenner."
I watched her start to work on something through one of our hyper powered microscopes to work on our gene studies, and I said.
"I know the pool party was ages ago, but have you and Glenn...Ever?" I smiled. "You know?"
"He was sweet. But unfortunately, I wasn't interested."
"Were you interested in anyone else?"
"No one I'm afraid, after everything that I saw in the lab and- Edwin." she sighed. "That's the one thing I don't think I'll ever be able to do properly again. Romance."
"I'm sorry to hear that. You deserved to be happy after everything that happened."
"Thank you."
...
I made love to Maggie that night. Oh my god, how I missed her, the night we got back together after the pool celebration.
Raw sex with a girl that hot. Fuck, I wanted to make her a mother, but until there was a cure, the idea of having children was basically really bad. And the entire ASZ agreed, that no couples were having kids anymore. They were allowed to, but under the circumstances, if a child was stillborn for any reason, they would pose an instant threat to the mother as everyone was Infected.
The following day, Dale started to come around. Him and the other survivors who disapproved of how I liberated Atlanta warmed up to the idea that no quarter should be taken with the PGU. At least, they agreed with my methods now.
Because frankly, they were working.
While the cure was going to take a while, the sheer number of survivors we had rescued from other states was massive.
Eastman, a man trained in karate, Aikido, and other martial arts, found our settlement through fliers, which were released by our fighter jets. He was able to open his own dojo with my help, my only price was that he made his lessons free, which, he certainly did. We had so many people living in the ASZ we had a full blown factory.
Eugene, the only person I'd met with the knowledge and capacity to produce bullets, was in charge of manufacturing arms and armor, such as riot gear strong enough to repel Runner attacks and such. We produced material of all sorts, even things like furniture if people in their homes needed replacements.
Car parts, we had a fully working auto body shop for all of our cars. We even managed to start finding out ways to keep gasoline chemically potent after it had expired, or find new methods to fuel cars even with old gasoline.
Michonne was found with her sword fending off an entire pack of Runners all on her own. She was just built different, I waved away all the paperwork needed for her to join the settlement and let her join ASZ automatically.
She had information on settlements hidden from the view of my scouts in fighter jets or on horseback.
The prison Rick Grimes and his group took over during Seasons 3 and 4 of the show was active. They presumed all planes were run by the PGU scouting for more cities to bomb, so people hid evidence they were still alive.
After she kindly provided all of this information, Michonne was permitted to leave in exchange for some supplies. However, she decided to stick around, I didn't blame her.
What I found interesting was that my scouts told me who was occupying the Prison.
Survivors in the prison had allied with gang members who ran a senior citizen home who had survived Atlanta and escaped right before the PGU arrived. They moved around for a bit, bouncing around up north, but eventually found the prison and became friends with the prison gang inside.
The prisoners already knew each other because of friendly gang associations, and it was a decently welcoming community hidden away. I gathered the more violent criminals were killed while fending off Runners or rival camps, or were actually forced to become prisoners themselves again.
It numbered 200 hundred people or so, and luckily, it was located just near some railroad tracks like in the show.
Dale was in charge of my rail division for moving troops, supplies, and survivors all over Georgia. His background helped, and I even managed to re-skill some engineers after a few months of practice and study in locomotive engineering.
It took about two days, but Dale was able to tell which train tracks needed to be taken in order to send a rescue team out there.
...
"I'm advising we don't try it."
Lily, Doug, and Shane were in my office.
"Why not?" I asked.
"We need as many people as we can manning the walls here." said Lily.
"Yeah, the people in other settlements, the few that are left." Shane crossed his arms. "They can help here for sure."
"What if they don't want to? The prison is full of the sick and the old." Lily muttered calmly. "The rest are a bunch of gangbangers, they have no place here."
"Look-"
Lily cut him off. "The trade caravan that came back with Rosita was successful. I think we should try to rescue them first, and them only."
"Why not both?" I asked.
"You know why."
Lily pointed at the map of Georgia. "You and Dale have the tracks right, but there's a giant herd of Runners moving right for us from the northwest, cutting us off from Simers-Bridge. Either we move now, or we'll be cut off from them for a very long time."
"How big is the horde?" asked Shane.
"Tens of thousands," said Doug. "Marcus was right, they've started grouping up more, almost like they're searching for big groups of survivors to grow bigger."
I thought on this for a second.
"We can use bombs and heavy ordinance to plan an airstrike against the horde. Then we split have two groups go save both the Prison and Simers."
"Marcus-"
"Lily." I said instantly, looking at her. "We have rules here. Shane is our sheriff, and no one blinks an eye. If criminals come back inside our walls, maybe the outbreak taught them a lesson."
"And if it didn't?" asked Lily.
"Then I will make an example out of them."
Shane sighed. "What if we need those bombs? The army might come sniffing around the Deep South again."
"We have a factory. It would take time, but we can replace them." I replied.
I thought about what Rosita said.
"Lily you'll go to Simers. Take forty troops and a weeks worth of supplies. Shane, you're going with Dale to the prison. You'll have the same provisions, if you need help radio myself or Mark for air support. Other than the nuclear capabilities and our fullest plans for the virus. Be as honest as you can about the ASZ." My tone alone silenced their questions. "Will there be anything else?"
"No."
"Good."
...
And what do you know, another pair of successful missions I didn't even need to do anything for except bark orders.
Over 600 people joined the ASZ and became citizens. I farmed a shitton of EXP, like more than I'd seen which was saying something.
The criminals were reviewed, luckily, I still had files on them from the Atlanta city's main courthouse.
None of them who had survived were particularly violent. As far as the gang members went, their leader named Guillermo understood the favor I did him.
We had four sides of fully metal double shielded walls protecting the entirety of downtown Atlanta. A factory, fighter jets, tanks, a fully functioning military and legal system. Not to mention running water, electricity for essentials, and even jobs to give to those unable to fight or sew clothes and such.
None of them were doctors and we had several, so they pretty much said yes the second Shane arrived with my train.
He wasn't psyched because he was a cop prior to the Outbreak, but he was more willing than Lily so, he couldn't have refused that much.
The first two weeks, nothing happened.
No crimes were reported.
And then, it appeared that no one would commit crimes.
Why?
Because by now, it was clear just how much power I had at my hands.
By this point, the population of the ASZ had swelled to over two thousand people. Including soldiers, general doctors, surgeons, scientists like myself working on the cure, police officers lawyers, all of whom were able to fulfill their duties before the Outbreak.
That alone was groundbreaking.
To have people useful in their original roles before the zombie apocalypse meant that besides things like the internet, I was basically restoring society little by little.
The hospital, Atlanta General, the same one Rick was moved to before the PGU was going to pull the plug on him, was fully functioning. And then one day, I got the good news.
...
It was day break, in my apartment overlooking the city, I looked out towards the rising sun over the horizon.
I gripped the edges of my balcony in thought.
"Hey."
Maggie slipped up to me through the balcony door, kissing my shoulder. "You're up early."
"Big day. We're going to close the temporary school house and set up everyone in their designated districts."
"Hm." Her hands explored my chest. "Big governor talk."
We chuckled together.
"You talk to your parents?" I wondered.
"Yeah I got off that radio system you put between us and the farm. They're all fine. Hard to believe after everything that's happened I can just call home from the city."
I smiled. "Anything for you."
We kissed.
"I'm glad Beth earned a spot as a caregiver for everyone's kids on the walls."
"She was always good with younger children." she put her head on my shoulder. "Plus it helps when your boyfriend is in charge of Atlanta."
I hugged her to me. "You ever thought about it?"
"About what?"
"Having kids of your own?"
"Oh no." she chuckled. "Not until there's a cure, I'm not giving birth to a Runner if something happens."
"We have doctors now Maggie, I made sure of it."
Maggie looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "I already let you fuck raw, what more do you need? You have an impregnation kink?"
"No. It's just, I really think we should start talking about repopulating. Almost everyone in every state but Georgia is dead or they turned."
"I'll think about it, but until it's safe. I won't say yes."
I kissed her. "Thank you, Maggie."
"Come back to bed, it's getting cold out here."
We warmed up together. It took about four seconds before I wanted to fool around with her.
I slipped beneath the covers together and placed my hand under her shirt, right on her breast, gripping it.
Maggie moaned a bit, smiling at me with a laugh. "You in the mood?"
"Hell yeah."
"Same here. Let me shower first."
I watched her wearing nothing but a tank top and panties as she walked towards the sink.
"Can I come with you?"
"Uh uh." she said, brushing her teeth. "You stay there."
"Babyyy!"
"I said stay there!"
I stood up off the bed sighing slightly, making sure to pick up a bathrobe and tuck it over myself. I heard Maggie close the door to the bedroom quietly as I walked around to get a drink of water.
There was a knock at the door.
I was greeted by the sight of a small blonde young boy of nine years of age was delivering my daily ration of breakfast and a newspaper.
"Morning Governor!" Nathan chirped with a salute.
"Morning," I muttered, happy that the coffee he brought me was warm.
I looked around at the eleventh floor of the repurposed hotel. "You're early today. Have a bet going with the other kids?"
"All of them want to trade posts with me. The second Ms. Peletier said I could deliver food to help my family get better posts, I was the first one to sign up! Just my luck I drew your building."
I smiled. "How is Ms. Peletier doing?"
Despite how young he was, the kid knew that I could have Carol switched around to a different post the second I felt like it.
"She's alright, my teachers are strict, even if they're fair I guess."
I looked at the newspaper, Carley had done a good job covering Shane's rescue and the communication with other settlements. Lily was still mentioned but I think she'd have something to say that she didn't make the front cover.
"ASZ Weekly." I muttered. "Have to change that name."
"Well remember Mr. Liederman," the boy said respectfully. "Anything you suggest! We all have to fix."
"Tell Carol I told you to give you a permanent post. I'll have my people finish the paperwork on our end, if your bicycle has issues, you'll have priority in our mechanics shop."
"Oh boy, I can't wait to tell everyone else!"
I waved to him and he smiled back, running off with his pack full of food and newspaper.
...
After Maggie was done showering I pounded her for about thirty minutes straight.
By the time I was done, she was satisfied and rubbing her hot core beneath the covers. "Wow." she snuggled against my neck. "You hadn't lasted that long in a minute, wore me the hell out."
"I wanted to enjoy it."
"Well I certainly did," she whispered to me.
There was a knock at the door.
"Don't people know they can't bother you?" Maggie drew the covers up over her completely naked body.
"I'm sure it's important," I said, mumbling. "Otherwise they wouldn't be allowed up here."
After I got redressed, I opened the door and found Candace Jenner standing outside.
Judging by her face, the news wasn't bad.
"Tell me doctor, am I going to be happy by the end of this trip?"
"Depends on how patient you are."
...
The lab was locked up early, Jenner's assistants had other projects I gave them until Candace and I were finished.
I reviewed everything she showed me.
"So wait, we were successful?"
The fetus, technically our child, was alive and healthy. Sure they were being raised in an amnotic pod of sorts, but they were fine.
"Yes, there is a way to alter someone's immunity with your DNA. Not just prolong the onset of turning into an Undead."
I was confused, putting our data away. "Then, how do we do it?"
"I've asked myself that for the past five hours. Just wanted to let you get some sleep." explained Jenner. "I can make copies of your chromosomes. This test provided all the data I need to highlight the genes you have to produce Virus repellant cells and cause that in another human being. The real cure would be a serum, but it would in effect become a vaccine."
"How long would it take to develop it?"
"With your help, a few weeks at most. Even in the event of being bitten, no one can turn."
I inquired further. "Is there any way to spray a version of this chemical over the Infected, maybe alter it? So that herds of Runners aren't evolving? The virus is making them stronger, smarter, and more vicious."
"None I'm afraid. We can't affect the virus itself, only the immune response of a healthy person to it." Jenner cleared her throat. "There's something else."
"Yes?"
"While you can produce as many samples as I will ever need. In the event the virus evolves to a point past our initial graphs and models. You will," Jenner paused. "You will need to have colossal amounts of newer versions of your original DNA."
I was curious. "Meaning?"
"You've done an excellent job saving as many people as possible. And making the safest and orderliest city you can. But the best hopes for humanity, are if you have as many children as you can realistically conceive."
"I know."
"Marcus you don't get it. You need to have over a dozen children, maybe more."
"Doctor's orders then." I smiled, picking up my coat and starting to leave. "Will there be anything else then?"
"I'll let you know. For now, you can start making the arrangements with the other officials in the city to start distributing the cure."
"Thank you for your help Doctor Jenner I-"
The woman started to break down in tears.
"Hey now-"
"If it wasn't for you, I'd have killed myself in that lab by now. No cure, no hope. Nothing."
"You've done excellent work, I couldn't be more grateful."
"J-Just go Marcus, I'll be fine."
I nodded. "Of course."
I thought of the petri dish baby we'd created. She assured me it would have a healthy life, technically besides the both of us.
It was the reason all of humanity would survive.
...
I needed about a day or so before telling Maggie.
It was an average afternoon, we were laying in bed together, talking.
"You know about that cure I've been working on?"
"Mhm."
"Yeah, it was successful."
"What!?"
I'd never seen Maggie happier in my entire life.
"S-So what does that mean? What sort of cure did you make?"
"It took months, but anyone who takes it. They'll be cured of Infection, even if they're bitten, they won't turn. They might get very very sick, but the fever wouldn't kill them."
Maggie took my face in her hands.
"What?"
"Nothing, you're just. The greatest man I've ever met sometimes."
"God you're so fuckin' hot."
She laughed at this and we started to make out.
As we started to kiss I told her something else.
"You remember what I said after the pool party?"
"Yes?"
"So, can we..."
I looked at her moving my hands in a circle.
"Have a baby?"
I nodded.
"Erm. Yes, yes I think that'd be fine."
We hugged, and soon, Maggie wrapped her bare legs around my torso as we were both sitting on our knees in bed. I didn't move an inch.
"I guess there's nothing left to do except to stop taking that pill and." Maggie shrugged, completely supporting herself on me. "Fuck and fuck and fuck and fuck."
"Sounds wonderful."
She kissed me. "Practice practice practice."
...
And practice we did.
I let Carley know she could stay with us again, and it became almost full time work to get them pregnant. They had duties around the ASZ, but whenever I was with them in bed in the morning or at night, I was having sex with them. There was such a thing as too much sex, but if there was, I was pushing that limit.
One night, I was in Carley raw as she groaned in my ear.
"Hnn - fuck."
I pushed all the way in and hissed.
"I'm gonna cum." I warned her.
"Fill me up Marcus." she whispered, screaming in pleasure as I continued to push deeper and pull out a bit again.
I had chosen to select the Gamer's option to enhance just how much semen my body could produce. Stupidly comical in any other circumstance, but I needed to build a harem for the sake of humanity.
I rolled off of her, Carley panting and rubbing herself in surprise. "Damn Marcus, you came so much."
"My man's got a canon." joked Maggie who already had her turn a moment ago, wrapped up next to me.
Carley looked over at us. "You know who would enjoy this?"
"Who?" I asked.
"Rosita. She's kind of a bitch sometimes, but I think she could be a great part of us." suggested Carley.
"I don't blame her for her first impression with us. I had to keep stuff secret, and she didn't like that."
Maggie shrugged, kissing my cheek. "Her loss."
I guess we really were going to fuck for life and for tomorrow. Huh, odd how that turned out.
"What about Beth?" Carley suggested.
"What about her?" I asked.
Maggie laughed. "No."
"Why not? She's here in the city? She likes Marcus more than a decent number of people I know, and that's saying a lot. He's in charge of keeping all of ASZ safe."
"I'm not sharing a bed, the both of us naked, with my baby sister."
"I respect that." I said.
Maggie saw the look on my face. "You want her." she said disapprovingly.
"Well, the idea of the um. Program." Harem? "Is to have as many kids as possible."
"That's..." admitted Maggie. "You want to turn everyone you can find into a baby factory?"
"I mean, I'm not trying to force anyone into this. This isn't an official assignment for the town. Just, those who are willing."
"Hot honestly." Carley curled up on the other side of me.
"I'm not even sure Beth would agree. Nor anyone else."
"I'd be willing to find out. Andrea and her sister are pretty attractive, and I think they're somewhat fond of me last I checked."
Carley laughed. "Imagine a bunch of sexy blondes walking around your hotel room. You'd be randier than ever Marcus."
Maggie kissed me. "I think I'd like to see that."
"You would?"
"Definitely."
Huh, I could at least try, that at least was for sure. Then.
Let the games begin.
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