Dirty

In the grand scheme of things the petty squabbles between people over things like political power and who controls a tract of land aren't all that important. On a personal level, though, they matter very much. There's a lot that can be said about the present situation from a philosophical, abstract viewpoint.

It's important to remember that this is about the lives of human beings above all other things. I've driven that point home time after time, but it will always bear repeating.

Steve still hasn't made it home. We know he ended up making several detours on the way back, visiting communities and resupplying as needed, offering help to anyone who needed it. In that way he's almost like a character from a role-playing game; constantly completely side-quests in the desperate grind to reach the next level. In real life Steve is just an exceptionally good man who has a hard time doing nothing when others need a helping hand. His presence here isn't vital, and no one is overly concerned about him getting home on a schedule.

What is worrying? We lost touch with him. It could be something as simple as being far from a place that has communications, even just a flat tire out on the road. I'm trying to think as positively as possible, which isn't as hard as it sounds. Steve is more capable of taking care of himself than almost any person I know.

Which is good, because everyone else is focusing on defending each other. The mass of people every community is sending to deal with the UAS incursion has it worst, of course, but the warming temperatures mean more undead trying to get through our perimeter, which is sorely testing the men and women dedicated to maintaining it. Kincaid is one of the folks managing that, though if it were up to him he'd be out trying to thin the vast swarm moving across Union territory.

I'm going to be doing some work outside of the office myself, actually. Enough of us are gone that we're now in a position where everyone has to put on at least two hats. I'll be doing some runs with Kincaid, time in the mess halls, and wherever else an extra body will come in handy. K is doing the same.

I will say this: the swarm aimed this way by the UAS is actually saving lives at this point. It's a lot of effort for our people to contain those undead, but the consequence of three years of doing so on smaller scales means we have the knowledge to do it on a larger one. It's not complicated, but it is a lot of work. Fortunately the benefit is that many in that swarm turn back the way they came, which is right into the path of the UAS soldiers, who don't have nearly as much experience defending from zombies as the rest of us. That, and every bullet they fire killing the undead is one they can't fire at us. Every minute they spend dragging bodies off the road is one they aren't moving toward us.

And the huge number of undead bottled up in the places where our people are managing it--not universally successful, I'll add--will create an additional barrier.

Which leaves those of us left at home to make sure that nothing slipping through the cracks manages to catch us by surprise. There's a fair division of labor and responsibility going on here; our soldiers are out there fighting the undead and standing ready to fight the UAS when the battle is truly joined. Everyone back in the communities those soldiers come from are doing the rest. We're making sure those men and women have a place to return to. We're making sure food is provided and transported to our lines regularly. We're the logistics, the bottom of the pyramid that supports our fighters, who are the capstone.

I imagine things around here will pick up in intensity and pace very soon. There are only so many obstacles we can throw in the way of the enemy before the way is clear for the real battles to commence. That will mean more work for us, and more danger for the soldiers. No one is getting off east here.

Still hoping for that miracle, the one where the UAS soldiers see the waste and stupidity in their actions and gives up this fight. Like I said before, we're going to fight dirty, and it won't be pretty. I'd rather see that not happen, but we're ready and willing if (when) it does.