Chapter 1: Battleground

"For anyone hearing this for the first time, we're a group of survivors with information you'll require. For those already familiar with us, we've installed a new AM tower to augment our existing FM signal. That allows us a wider broadcast, reaching more people. Since the radio dial is empty at the moment, we picked the easiest frequencies to remember, so you'll find us at 100.0 FM and 1000 on AM.

We've got a lot of information, which we'll cover after this initial announcement. You'll want to listen as we'll detail how to stay safe, avoid contamination and explain how the Great Death viruses operate. What's more, we're expecting an intense winter, which we're afraid will produce another spike in plague deaths. That means everyone has to prepare now in order to survive this winter, and that involves working together rather than hiding from each other.

We've developed a treatment protocol which not only allows us to save those who catch the Great Death plagues but produces a lifelong immunity to all versions of the plagues. However, once word of this leaked out, we've been inundated with new arrivals, and frankly, it's stretching our limited resources to the breaking point.

So I'm announcing we're officially taking our show on the road. Rather than waiting to be overwhelmed by those seeking help, we're sending our people to the largest cities surrounding us. What you'll need to do is to travel to your nearest city, meet whoever you can and be willing to form your own communities.

The procedure will be simple. We'll arrive in each city at a predefined time and location, we'll teach you what you need to know and set you up so you can be successful and then we'll evaluate who are the best candidates to undergo treatment.

It's important to realize we're not searching for the sick. We're seeking whoever can save the most lives: those who can donate plasma to the most people and who are both healthy and committed. We'll give them the plague but treat it and shepherd them through the procedure. There's a decent chance you might die, but there's a better chance you'll not only survive but will be immune to any variant of the plague for the rest of your life. What's more, you'll form the basis of your community, treating anyone who contracts the plague, allowing the community to develop on its own without fear of dying if they eventually contract the plague.

All we need is one or two immune people in each city willing to treat anyone in their community so we can stop living in fear. Each of these communities will have each other for support. We'll teach you how to produce your own plasma, we'll supply you with whichever blood types you don't have, plus we'll establish trade with each of the other city/communities. We're also collecting uninfected and recovered animals, so in time we'll be able to provide your city with your own breeding program as well as seeds for beginning your own farms, or at least trade with whoever might want to take up farming.

Essentially, we're removing everything preventing you from building your communities yourselves. We'll remove everyone's fear of infection and provide you with support, contacts and expertise. I'm not suggesting it will be easy, but if you're willing to do your part, you can help rebuild the world and reestablish the human race.

Our schedule is as follows: Natalie and Debbie are heading for Richmond, Virginia; Alice and Mattie will show up in Washington, D.C., two days later. After that, Alice will continue to Philadelphia, New York City and eventually Boston, Mattie to Baltimore and Harrisburg. Betty will head north to Charleston, West Virginia to Columbus, Indianapolis and eventually Chicago, and Monique will head south, first to Charlotte, North Carolina and then on to Atlanta, Georgia. I'll remain here, supplying plasma which Ayana will ferry to each group that requires resupplies.

We'll rebroadcast these cities and when everyone will arrive over the next weeks. Your only job is to show up.

We hope to meet you soon, and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with each of you."

"Well, with Charlottesville behind us, we're officially leaving all our friends behind," Natalie sighed wistfully.

Debbie rested a reassuring hand on her arm. "I know it's hard, especially since you've grown so dependent on those around you since the Great Death. But this is a chance to meet a whole new group of survivors. Not only expanding your personal acquaintances, but extending the reach of David's treatment and helping others prepare for what's to come."

"Still, they have to deal without us and won't be available when we need assistance."

"Yes, it's scary. Your friends have been your lifeline for the last several months. But think of everyone who hasn't had that support. Your friends gave you the freedom to develop into a strong individual, capable of surviving. You need to do the same, extending the same safety and encouragement to others."

Natalie didn't respond, so Debbie glanced at her to gauge her reaction. "Are you missing your mother?"

"No! Well... , maybe a little," she admitted, glancing at the sides of the road littered with abandoned vehicles and overgrown with weeds. "But she was the one who encouraged me to do this. When I argued I was still too young, she practically chased me out the door. 'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, ' she insisted. As if we didn't all travel further than this entire trip only a short time ago."

"She wasn't talking about miles, honey," Debbie explained, feeling much older than her fourteen years. She and Monique were the same age and been helped by a community for some time. But Natalie was more insecure. Debbie knew that was because the person they'd turned to for protection—Taylor Peterson, the man that attempted to assassinate David—had betrayed and abandoned them by taking his own life. "She was discussing experience. The world has changed. People have changed. The world we knew is gone and we need to figure out what kind of world we now live in. David helped us learn how to survive, but now we need to discover what shape the other areas of the country are in. If we can help them the way he's helped us, it will be a tremendous experience."

Natalie continued staring at the passing scenery. "Do you miss him?" she asked, turning the question back on Debbie.

"It's only been a week," Debbie replied before turning pensive. "But, yeah, I do. He's been the focus of all our lives for so long. Even those of you in the Peterson camp, you listened to his advice all those weeks. Venturing out, trying to do what he did so well is ... well, intimidating. I'm afraid we won't be able to do it as well as he did."

"Has anyone besides David ever attempted this treatment?" Natalie asked, referring to using David's infected plasma as a treatment.

"Not really. Alice and Mattie helped, but I mostly just stood at the ready, eager to do whatever I could. But David and Alice wanted to do everything personally. That's what made the treatment so successful. Because they were so dedicated and knew what to expect, they could help people through whatever they encountered. But they did it so well I couldn't chance getting in their way."

"Do you think we'll be able to do it?" Natalie asked, quite sensibly.

"Yes, I'm sure we can," she answered, much more assuredly than she felt. "While we haven't participated ourselves, having been through it we understand what it means more than any medical professional left alive. And you don't need to worry, that's why I'm here, to guide you through your first couple of encounters. I must say, though, David's 'pep talk' was more than a little disconcerting."

"Tell me about it. Listing how any mistake we make will cost lives is intimidating. Especially when he started telling us that any delay equals ever increasing deaths down the line was a little ... unfair. I mean, we're still kids. He's expecting us to become instant adults, ready to do whatever needs to be done."

"Yeah, it'll be tough taking a hard line with desperate people, especially if we have to leave them behind. But it'll be tougher refusing treatments to the sick."

Natalie frowned but didn't respond, staring out the window. They rode in silence for several minutes before Natalie changed the topic. "What do you think Richmond will be like? Wasn't it wiped out by the Pentagon's attack?"

"Honey, the whole damn world was wiped out, so the damage done to a single city is a minor concern. We're not going shopping, we're searching for survivors. Anyone tough enough to take the worst the world can throw at them and keep going."

"And you don't think those 'tough enough' will be dangerous?" Natalie pressed.

Debbie waited until she maneuvered past an overturned car before responding. "Honey, don't forget what David did to Peterson. David's dangerous. That's why we all felt so safe around him. Anyone currently alive now is dangerous if you threaten either them or their new families. Our job is to convince them that we aren't a threat."

"Not easy to do when we each carry the viruses which caused so many deaths," Natalie reminded her, absently tapping the glass as she gazed out the window.

"Yes, we're what people fear, but we offer what they're too terrified to hope for. We carry multiple plagues, each of which killed millions of people. But those infections also carry the eventual cure. David's ability to overcome the diseases, which he transferred to us, allows people to survive the plagues. But it only works if we purposely infect them with a horrendous disease which could kill them in unimaginably painful ways. We're proverbial angels of death, but also the emissaries of hope. We carry the threat of death. But by inflicting that pain we grant people the hope of not only survival, but of lifelong immunity for them and their future children. We're providing the only solution to the Great Death. Once people realize what we offer, see how careful we behave and how well we understand it, they'll respect us. They'll still be cautious, but that's only to be expected. We'll be OK," she concluded, patting Natalie's arm again.

Natalie again shrugged her off, not ready to be consoled. "So we're not delivering the plague, we're planting hope?"

"More appropriately, we're seeding hope among the ashes of despair. It'll take a little while to sprout. It takes time for seeds to grow in inhospitable soil, so you can't expect them to trust us right away. Instead we need to move slowly, earning their trust one step at a time."

"You don't think they'll try to hurt us?" the marginally younger girl asked, her voice sounding distant.

"Honey, we've talked about that repeatedly. Yes, it's very likely they will. This isn't a safe journey we're undertaking. But we aren't doing it for pleasure. We're doing it for those who need us. There's a lot of risk involved, but by being careful, using common sense and applying David's advice, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"But you don't know, do you?" she continued to press.

"No, I don't," Debbie admitted. "No one does. But in this new world, you deal with things when they arise. You can't avoid death anymore. It's all around us. All we can do is face it with the best knowledge at our disposal. But death will surround us the rest of our lives."

Natalie turned and regarded her, a slight grin curling the corner of her lip. "Actually, I'm glad you said that. I was afraid you'd try to sugarcoat it. Mom kept insisting how wonderful this trip would be, assuring me how safe we'd be while begging me to be careful. The worry behind her words was scarier than what we're actually facing. Honesty is... ," she said, unable to finish the sentence.

"Liberating?" Debbie suggested.

"Yeah, I guess that's it. Realizing that no one else knows what to do or how to react lets me know that I'm allowed to make mistakes. That even if I do everything right, it won't necessarily protect me."

"Everyone is in the same boat and we're much better prepared than anyone else," Debbie reminded her. "They're scared, but when we reveal we can not only make their life easier, but help build safe communities, they'll learn to trust us. They'll have to accept us, because if they don't, they won't survive on their own."

"So it was nice that everyone in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville were so helpful," Natalie said, sidetracking the conversation once more.

"It really was. I didn't think they'd have the time to prepare everything they gave us."

"You're not kidding. This hybrid SUV is amazing. Not only is it sturdy enough to manage these horrendous roads, but we get the gas mileage to find the few surviving gas stations."

"The amount of work they put into it was incredible," Debbie marveled, amazed at what they'd accomplished in the few days David gave them. "By cobbling together undamaged parts from all the damaged vehicles, these things are almost like new!"

"Almost," Natalie said, running her fingers across the bloodstained, ripped fabric on her seat.

"Attaching the trailer hitch and tow bar was a real boost. They allow us to tow your vehicle using a little more gas." Debbie ignored the obvious irony in the situation. The fact they could travel so easily while most people remained in seclusion, afraid to venture outdoors, was apparent to them both. They realized this difference in perception was their greatest risk. Despite their advantages, they realized how close they'd all come to not making it. But focusing on what may have happened wouldn't help them, so they buried those thoughts.

The new hybrid SUVs had been prepared for them by their friends in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville. Each had a major hybrid dealership, as did Staunton, situated between them. The people there scoured the vehicles at each dealership, cannibalizing parts to restore the best running ones to 'almost new' condition. Alice had been worried about the lack of their hand-painted medical symbols, but one of the women discovered adhesive ambulance signs at a rescue station. Adding those made them look much more professional than their crude hand-done images. Whether anyone seeing it would assume they were legit or that they'd simply found an abandoned medical vehicle was anyone's guess.

"How's the gas holding up?" Natalie asked.

"It's fine. The hybrid engine gives us slightly better gas mileage, but because of the larger size of the vehicle and the road conditions, we're still using a lot of gas. We should be able to make Richmond, but we'll need to fill up before then, as gas will likely be harder to find in the city."

"Do you think we'll find anyone? After all, they had that war with the Pentagon after the government collapsed and they refused to recognize the interim President."

"I have no clue. I heard they took some tank fire, but we won't know until we get there. Nor will we know what shape everyone is in or whether anyone heard our announcements and has been able to organize before our arrival. This is really our first test."

"That's what I figured." Natalie twisted in her seat, looking directly at Debbie as she cracked a grin. "So, now that we have all of that out of the way, why don't you tell me more about David?"

"What's to tell? You lived with us for the past week, you should already know everything," Debbie replied.

"I was hoping for more of the romantic details. Either personal recollections or more tidbits about him and the other women."

"Again, I'm sure you've heard all of this already, but..." She proceeded to repeat all the oft told tales of his many relationships, mostly begun over his objections. Natalie heard them before, but with nothing else to focus on, she enjoyed the distraction. After all, the man saved her life, pulling her back from the shadow of the Great Death. She idolized him, like the rest of the women around him, and she didn't tire of hearing about him. If nothing else, it kept her from focusing on the unknown dangers ahead of them.

They were nearing the city, approaching the Rt. 288, WWII Veterans Memorial bypass, when they noticed an occupied car ahead. It sat in the middle of the road, facing the wrong way having entered via the exit ramp. Natalie grasped Debbie's arm, imagining the worst.

"Should I—?"

"Yeah, ready your weapons. We need to be prepared however this goes. Since we announced our arrival, anyone who wants could be waiting for us, either friend or foe."

Natalie wasted no time, having kept their weapons beside her the entire trip. She had a .45 strapped to her hip and laid her M16 across her lap where she could access it quickly. All the girls David sent out were equipped with fully loaded M16s, pistols, shotguns and body armor. They didn't want to appear like an invading army, but didn't plan to walk into any traps either. Life without the rule of law, surrounded by starving people without recourse to the supplies needed to live, was uncertain and invited trouble.

"Can you see anything?" Natalie asked, fumbling for her glasses since she'd been too busy readying their weapons to put them on earlier. She didn't normally use them, but on long drives her slight myopia got worse.

"I see movement," Debbie said. "Someone's noticed us approaching. They've got a sign across the road saying 'Welcome'."

"You don't suspect a trap, do you?" Natalie asked, clutching her rifle so tightly Debbie was more afraid of her than the strangers awaiting them.

"We won't know until we investigate. While it makes sense to be cautious, we're here to make friends. We can't do that if we don't stop and talk to the only people we've met. Hand me my rifle. When I stop, you get out and approach them. Since I've had more practice with firearms, I'll stay behind and cover you. If everything looks OK, I'll join you when you give me the all clear."

"And what of all that talk about helping me learn how to deal with situations?"

"How else will you learn than to get out there and face one?" Debbie replied with a laugh. "Just watch out for snipers. You don't need gasoline or electricity to fire a weapon."

"Gee, thanks," Natalie replied. "You fill me with such confidence."

"Forget the confidence, just flash your winning smile," Debbie suggested, slowing to a stop a safe distance from the waiting car. Two middle-aged men waited for them standing in front of their car. Debbie didn't think they'd expose themselves if they were preparing for a fight, so she trusted that Natalie would be fine. She figured it was good experience to get her thinking, learning to anticipate trouble and not panic in dangerous situations. Debbie had been in several already, trailing behind David, Alice and the others. She knew what to do and could react quicker than her friend.

Swallowing, Natalie lay her rifle back down and got out. With her glasses on, she saw one of the men waving and both were smiling, but she remained cautious. Telling herself to buck up, she started the long walk towards them. She understood why Debbie parked so far away, but the trek between the vehicles was agonizing. She kept glancing around, trying to detect anything amiss as Alice so carefully instructed her. Her palms were sweaty before she'd gone ten paces. She worried whether she'd be able to grip her pistol if things went to hell, but so far it seemed unlikely. Still, she was nervous.

The two men knew enough to not advance. They stood where they were, hands in plain view so it was clear they weren't hiding weapons at the ready. They presented a contrast, providing visible evidence of the random nature of who found whom in this post-apocalyptic world. One was tall, scraggily with a ragged short beard. The other was clean cut, nicely dressed with a dress shirt and blazer, looking like an office professional or school teacher. The one man's clothing looked wrinkled and frayed, so Natalie guessed the local shops were already emptied. Though his companion's neat appearance belied that assumption. Both wore blue jeans and regular shirts instead of camouflage, another good sign.

"Howdy!" the one man yelled. "We been waitin' for ya. We arrived early 'cause we didn't want to miss ya."

"Sounds like you're from the South," Natalie ventured, trying to sound relaxed and friendly.

"I'm from Tennessee," he answered. Natalie could believe that from his 'Southern casual' style of dress. "Nate here is originally from Philadelphia. We're both long-term residents of Richmond, though."

"So why are we meeting here, as opposed to in the city?" she asked, nearing close enough they didn't need to shout. She stopped a short distance away, not wanting to scare people already paranoid about the plagues.

"We were sent to meet you. The Interstate closer to the city is a mess. We'll guide you through the local roads from here. We thought it would be more neighborly helping, rather than you wasting your time trying to find your own way in."

"Well thanks for that," she replied, surveying the area one last time before flashing Debbie an 'all clear' symbol. "I'm Natalie. My friend is Debbie. I assume you already know what we're here for?"

"That we do, Natalie," their spokesman said. "My name is Wilber. Seems everyone has abandoned their family names."

"So how much of a community do you have?" Natalie asked. "We were afraid no one would have prepared for us."

"Well, we didn't start until we heard you were coming," Wilber admitted. His friend Nate shuffled his feet. It had been so long since they'd dealt with people he'd already forgotten how to make small talk. "Once we did, someone started putting up hand-printed flyers around town. When I saw a couple, I went where they suggested we meet. We met at an abandoned coffee shop. He had a sun teapot and served tea and old cookies just like a tea party. Nate showed up a couple days later. We immediately started organizing, preparing for you."