Up On High

We've still got people watching the fallback point on a continual rotation even though it's tough to spare the extra people at the moment. We're feeling the recent losses in emotional damage and in more concrete terms as those of us still walking the world of the living struggle to prepare for the planting season.

Not just that, but we've got loads of other things to work on, one of the most important being resuming trade. Now that there are no easy ways across the river nearby, we and our allies feel it's safe to begin trading along alternate routes. That's a big part of why we're still mounting a full scout team at all times to keep an eye on the exiles. That's going to be harder to manage when the weather gets permanently warm but we'll find a way.

As it is, the psychotic force of mother nature has given us another cold snap intense enough to drive off the zombies. It's a blessing and a curse, since the unpredictable rise and fall of temperatures is hard on us and our plans for the growing season. One night we're fine without fires, the next it's so frigid we have to spend half the night stoking our fires back up.

But hey, it keeps the undead away, and that's worth it.

We've decided to set up permanent watch stations on the various cliffs overlooking the fallback point. The fallback point itself is nestled on the flood plain of the Kentucky river, while our side of the divide has the high, sheer cliffs that define the river valley. given how much of this state is relatively easy to farm and not pocked with land prone to heavy flooding and huge shelves of rock tumbling off cliff faces, I fail to understand how the founders of Frankfort said, "Yep. This place will do. Let's build our town right on this flat bit that fills with water and hope we don't get smashed to death by boulders."

Still, it's advantageous for us. We were concerned about putting up any structures on the hills or cliffs overlooking the Exiles' new home. They lost a lot of equipment in the fight with us, but they still have a lot of dangerous long-range weaponry that makes any obvious buildings risky.

Our idea was to move in some simple prefabricated structures my brother came up with, basically just wooden boxes that collapse on hinges when the support pins are pulled. The fronts portions are armored in a very creative way that I'm told I can't share.

Dave had several of the boxes built and we hauled them into place. None of them have sustained any attacks from the Exiles. It looks like the enemy is abiding by the simple terms we gave them, at least for now. The only activity that's been reported inside the fallback point in the last few days is safe stuff, the Exiles working on getting their agricultural sections ready for planting.

It should bother me more that the Exiles really seem to be making their home here. Don't misunderstand, I'm not happy that people who have committed such atrocious acts are squatting on what is our land by rights. I'm not thrilled that they're not leaving, or that they're probably plotting some long-term moves against us.

But it should bug me more. I understand why I feel less upset than I should, but I'm saving that for tomorrow. After tomorrow's post, I may have to take a few days off to tend to many of the responsibilities I've shirked while we've been working on so many other things. A few days to focus on other things and get our house in order. I know you'l forgive me, or at least I hope you will.