Thursday, August 2, 2012

Sideways

The fucked up thing about forward momentum is that the faster you go, the more damage is done when you get that small nudge from one direction or another. We're working our asses of trying to make a go of this expansion, and so far we've been lucky enough to avoid major conflicts with the Exiles, no crushing defeats at the hands and teeth of the undead.

Just goes to show you that it doesn't take a supervillain to derail a train moving at speed. Sometimes trains collide.

Enough beating around the bush, I guess. We're in trouble. Our decision to withhold aid to Louisville wasn't an easy one to make and to be blunt it hasn't been popular with some of our allies. A few of them have made it plain that they think we've made the wrong choice, that we should "risk much to save much." I understand that point of view--it's one I've wrestled with over and over again recently--but ultimately the safety of our people trumps any other consideration.

It isn't pretty or nice. It's actually pretty fucking terrible. But those of you out there who aren't happy with us at the moment...well, you're about to get a whole lot unhappier.

I don't have the heart to get into a long post about it today, but some of the Louisville people are planning to come here if things get much worse there. We're sending out scout parties to make sure they don't get close enough to infect us with whatever version of the plague is devastating their people.

I understand desperation pushing people to do things like this, but we'll shoot the tires out from under their vehicles and lay traps if we have to. This isn't up for debate. Causing a ton of division and hard feelings both inside New Haven and beyond, but as policy goes it's pretty much concrete.

7 comments:

  1. You guys have changed so much. If I wasn't 600+ miles away I would be helping Louisville in a heartbeat. If you guys are going to be like that, why not close your doors to EVERYONE then, since, you know, anyone can be a plague carrier. I'm disappointed. So very disappointed. I understand that safety is a concern, but you can't keep a plague away forever, and you guys have the best capabilities of dealing with and finding a solution. You guys are letting your fear get the best of you. What have you guys become?

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  2. Well said, Aaron! It wasn't so very long ago that New Haven was in trouble and who came to help without batting an eye? Have we forgotten what it is to be sorely in need of a few good friends? I wouldn't wonder if New Haven has fewer friends they next time they need help. (and from the sounds of things, it won't be very far into the future your cry goes out) Do you think this is how the downfall of America began? Founded on a belief so intense and strong, diminished to (what?) 200 years later. It all starts somewhere. You guys care./ I know you do. What has become of your sense of humanity? The desire ( along with the drive) to help those less fortunate. Not charity. Compassion. Empathy. Willingness to protect a swiftly diminishing SURVIVING (but struggling) population.

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  3. Seems that the short term prevention of the newest plague entering is going to have some (possibly)dangerous/devastating long term consequences when you need help in the future.

    Why can't you just quarantine the incoming? Turning away, or even stranding the refugee's from Louisville to prevent the plague you don't yet(YET being the key word here) have seems very short sited. You may in fact, end up having to kill them at worse, or strand them leaving them to be killed by zombies at best. You have to know that. This plague will eventually reach you anyway,or yours will mutate again. What if the situation was reversed? Would you turn away those who would have(doubtful they ever will now)helped you to prevent the spread of the disease to them? I think not.

    The fear of a possibility is overriding your duty to those who helped you survive in the past. The impact of this decision will be carried with you for years to come, at times when you too may desperately need help.

    Call it a tough choice all you want, but as a group- New Haven has made a choice that has diminished the long term chances for survival of both the colony and the civilization.

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  4. So are you saying that anyone showing up at your gates will be turned away going forward because of the fear of any version of the plague?

    I am curious about your policy for taking in those who can manage to make it to New Haven seeking to join.

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  5. Hmmm... You know, it's not too late to redeem yourselves and help those SURVIVORS who need help. They wouldn't be survivors if they ignored you so blantantly. Shooting the tires out from under them? Come on man. These are HUMANS! Maybe the "powers that be" in New Haven have not evolved with the times. Maybe it's time for new leadership?

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  6. Agree with Aaron and Anonymous. Help can be provided while still keeping contagion and infection control in mind. Disappointing that some sort of quarantine and/or protection compromise can't be reached - there really has to be some sort of way to make it work to provide assistance and protect those fragile connections/bonds forged with the other communities!

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  7. Tell all that to the civilizations that have been decimated though contact with previously unknown diseases. One in particular is the wiping out of hundreds of Myans from contact with Spanish disease carried by a handful of Spaniards.

    Why can't they do their own quarantines? Life is a bitch sometimes and hard choices have to be made.

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