Secondary base, here I come!
"We can't keep over a hundred people crammed into temporary tents forever. We have to expand. Here—" Calista tapped firmly on the map at the location of Blackberry Ranch,
"—this will be our first secondary base. While we still have enough manpower, we start clearing Blackberry Ranch immediately.
Wipe out every last walker. Reinforce the existing fences and walls. Build watchtowers and defensive structures.
Everyone in the temporary camp, except the National Guard, will be relocated there. Anyone willing to take part in construction will earn high points based on their workload."
Leah and Rickson's eyes lit up.
"That's brilliant!" Rickson slapped his thigh, instantly fired up by the idea of expanding their territory.
"Once we clear that place out, there's plenty of space, and the buildings are already there. With some basic modifications, people can move right in. We can even separate living areas from production zones.
Rock Fortress can remain the core command center and house key personnel and research, while Blackberry Ranch becomes the agricultural zone and main residential area."
Calista looked farther into the distance, pointing toward the Knoxville Industrial Zone. A fierce ambition burned in her eyes.
"And that's not all. Once Blackberry Ranch is stable, we move on to clearing the industrial park.
The factories and equipment there are already in place. We have workers, and we have Lorenzo's technical knowledge. We can absolutely restart some level of weapons production.
We can even try producing other essentials. Tools, farming equipment, construction materials. That's the real path to long-term survival."
The more she spoke, the more animated she became. The pale exhaustion from staying up all night was replaced by a flush of ambition.
"Agriculture, livestock, industry, defense. We're going to build a truly self-sufficient, sustainable survivor community. Not just a temporary refuge."
Leah and Rickson were both swept up in her vision.
Leah looked at her younger sister, as if seeing again the girl from months ago, red-eyed at their mother's funeral, clinging to her like a fragile vine.
Calista was still just as beautiful, but now she was calm, composed, and resolute. Her ambition and steel only made her more captivating.
"One step at a time," Leah said, though her tone was fully supportive.
"First, announce the points system to stabilize morale and motivate everyone.
Second, organize manpower and focus on clearing and building Blackberry Ranch. At the same time, we need to proceed with reorganizing the National Guard."
"Exactly." Rickson stood up, full of energy.
"I'll go get Miller and Wilson now and give them a heads-up. Once those guys realize they can earn points for better supplies and get a proper status, they'll work their asses off."
"Go ahead," Calista nodded.
"Leah, let's go see Mr. Howard and Dr. Evans. We'll finalize the details of the points system for their areas.
This afternoon, we'll hold a full assembly and announce the new rules and plans."
...
The sisters first found Mr. Howard in the greenhouse, checking on tomato seedlings.
"Calista, Leah, good morning. Is everything settled outside?" he asked, concern evident. He had clearly been worrying all night.
"It's stable for now, Mr. Howard," Calista said, handing him the draft.
"This is our preliminary proposal. We need your input, especially on how to assign points for agricultural work and daily labor."
Mr. Howard took the document and read it carefully.
After a moment of thought, he nodded.
"It's fair. Those who can work, especially those doing heavy labor, should earn more. That's exactly what we need to restore production.
For agriculture, plowing, planting, weeding, harvesting, and raising livestock can all be assigned points based on labor intensity and time spent. I can put together a detailed list."
"Perfect." Calista let out a small breath of relief.
"There's also another important task we need Mrs. Howard's help with."
"Oh? What is it?"
"The points system needs someone to handle recording, verification, and management," Calista explained.
"This has to be absolutely fair. No favoritism. I want Mrs. Howard to take overall responsibility. She used to be a teacher, she's perfect for it."
Mr. Howard paused, then broke into a smile.
"Nancy? She's been saying she's wasting her abilities just doing laundry and cooking. She'll be thrilled.
But there's no way she can handle it alone."
"That's why we came to you," Leah said.
"She'll need assistants. They have to be reliable and have no ties to the new survivors, to avoid bias. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Mr. Howard thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.
"Guillermo and Miguel. Since they arrived, they haven't had fixed roles.
Guillermo used to work security, so he has experience with records. Miguel is sharp and quick on his feet, good for running errands.
Most importantly, they don't have close ties with either side, so they can stay impartial."
Calista and Leah exchanged a glance, both nodding.
"Alright, it's settled. Mrs. Howard will be in charge, with Guillermo and Miguel assisting."
Calista made the call.
"As for evaluating the value of supplies, you'll need to work that out with Mrs. Howard and the team leaders. Rickson for the search teams, Evans for medical, and so on."
"No problem. Leave it to us," Mr. Howard said seriously.
After settling the personnel, Calista added,
"Also, the chores Mrs. Howard used to handle, like laundry and cooking, can be put under Martha and Mira's supervision.
There are quite a few women among the new survivors. They can join in, and those tasks will also earn points based on workload."
...
Next, they found Evans at the temporary medical station, busy at work.
Calista pulled him aside and quickly explained the points system, especially the criteria for medical contributions.
Evans wiped sweat from his brow as he listened, then nodded.
"Using points to regulate medical resources is a good idea. As for evaluation…"
He frowned slightly.
"Saving lives is hard to quantify.
How about this: set a base consultation value, then add points based on the cost of medicine used, the complexity of treatment, and time spent.
For critical rescues or surgeries, you or I can approve additional high-value rewards."
"That works," Calista said.
"You and Mrs. Howard can finalize the exact numbers. And all medical supply exchanges must be strictly recorded through the points system.
Also, Dr. Jenner's research. Even if it doesn't show immediate results, it could save everyone in the long run. His points should be handled separately and set high. We can't have him worrying about survival."
At that moment, Merle, who was passing instruments nearby, chimed in with a mocking tone.
"Hey boss, what about me? My hand's almost healed. I can't just sit here smelling disinfectant all day, right? Give me something to earn points too."
Calista shot him a glance.
"You? If I put you in charge of recording points, you'd probably beat up the first person who came asking for help."
Merle grinned, flashing his signature crooked smile.
"Heh, boss really knows me."
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.