Lori wasn't the only one shaken.
Maggie stood outside a building, looking up at the simple plaque above the doorway: "Points Contribution Assessment and Supply Allocation Office."
In the few days since she and Glenn had arrived, aside from keeping Lori company, she had been observing.
Maggie was interested in many things here. She had attended the agricultural exchange after dinner and visited the library, but what interested her most was the "points system."
She had seen a young Defense Force soldier use his identity wristband to claim a new pair of boots from the warehouse, with the corresponding points deducted.
She had also seen several people who had worked the fields come to the counter to have Mrs. Howard record the points they had earned.
This was not barter, nor was it a rationing system. It was an incentive system that simulated the function of money, allowing the community to maintain an efficient economic cycle even without the Old World's financial system.
Glenn had privately marveled to Maggie, "I have to admit, what they've built is really impressive. But if things keep going like this, won't it slowly turn into the old days again, with a ruling class?"
Maggie understood his concern, but she saw more than that.
Leah, Calista, and the others were the ones who had built and maintained the order here. They lived within those rules themselves and did not place themselves above them. They also stood on the front lines in battle.
Calista ate, dressed, and lived like everyone else. Anything extra she had was exchanged with her own points.
Of course, that did not include the flashy, roaring Knight XV she drove or the luxurious master bedroom she lived in at the castle.
But those had already been hers before the apocalypse.
In fact, Rock Fortress and Blackberry Ranch were both properties of the Norton family. This enormous base of over a thousand people had been built entirely on Calista's private land.
It was just like how Greene Farm had belonged to the Greene family. It was perfectly natural for Maggie to live in the farmhouse. Was she supposed to hand over her own home for someone else to live in?
Maggie did not want to just watch from the sidelines.
Lori needed months of rest, and she and Glenn could not eat and stay here for free.
So she did not wait for Glenn to make up his mind. She came here on her own.
Mrs. Howard was behind the counter. After verifying Maggie's identity, she told her to go find Calista herself.
She smiled kindly at Maggie and pointed toward the cafeteria. "Calista happens to be at Blackberry Ranch right now. Go ask her directly."
Maggie found Calista at the entrance of the communal cafeteria.
Calista had just finished eating. She wore dark gray tactical pants that were easy to move in and a fitted black tank top, with an open shirt casually thrown over it.
Her blond hair fell a little loosely over her shoulders as she stretched without any concern for her image. If not for the handgun at her waist, she would have looked like a college student rushing to an early class. If not for the apocalypse, Calista really should have been in college this year.
"Calista!" Maggie called.
Calista stopped. "Oh, Maggie?"
After hearing what Maggie had to say, Calista was a little surprised. "You want temporary identity wristbands to record points? For you and Glenn?"
Maggie told the truth. "Strictly speaking, Glenn doesn't know yet. But knowing him, he definitely won't spend the next few months just sitting around. I'll hold on to his for now."
Calista nodded. "Sure. Work in exchange for compensation. That's only fair."
"The points rules are posted on the bulletin board at the Blackberry Hotel. You can look them over.
Temporary wristbands have limited access. Most of the tasks you can take are basic construction, agricultural assistance, patrol support, and things like that. There's also a corresponding list of supplies you can exchange points for."
She paused and looked at Maggie. "But I'm guessing you didn't come to me just because you want to feed livestock or pull weeds."
Maggie met her gaze and rubbed her hands together with a bit of excitement. "The walker wall outside Blackberry Ranch... I heard you have a special way of handling walkers?"
Calista's brow moved slightly. "The walker wall. You want to take part?"
"I've cleared plenty of walkers, on the farm and later at the prison." Maggie nodded firmly.
"I'm not afraid of walkers anymore. I'm actually really curious about walker defense. I want to see for myself how you do it."
Calista was silent for a few seconds. After thinking it over, she understood what Maggie meant.
Maggie's personality had never been that of a girl who would quietly stay in camp.
Before the apocalypse, she had been a popular college beauty, and her family owned a farm. She had grown up in good conditions. After Glenn left, Maggie had gone on to lead several communities.
It was not surprising that Maggie was now interested in Rock Fortress.
Calista looked her over with a smile but did not agree immediately. Instead, she asked, "Have you had breakfast? The cafeteria has oatmeal today. It's not bad."
Maggie froze for a moment, not expecting that question. "...Not yet."
"Then eat first." Calista slowly tied her hair back with a hair tie. "If you go into the mountains to catch walkers on an empty stomach and pass out from the smell, I'll have to carry you back."
Maggie laughed. "Fine, I'll listen to our commander. What about you?"
"I'll go in with you." Calista tilted her chin toward the cafeteria.
The two walked into the cafeteria together.
It was the busiest time for breakfast. Every long table was full of people, and the room hummed with conversation and the clatter of bowls and plates.
When they saw Calista come in, quite a few people nodded in greeting, their eyes respectful but not overly fearful.
Maggie noticed that several people who looked like veteran Defense Force members even greeted her with smiles. "Calista, the porridge is good today!"
Calista smiled and nodded. She picked up a piece of whole-grain bread and handed it to Maggie. "Put something in your stomach. You're really going?"
"I'm really going." Maggie took a bite of the bread. It was coarse, but the wheat flavor was solid. "I can't sit still."
Calista agreed. "All right. But our method for making sentinel walkers is different from the way you cut walkers down. You follow my lead."
"I know. I'm not some green kid." As soon as Maggie said it, she realized the wording was a little awkward and glanced at the one who was actually younger.
Calista did not mind. Instead, the corners of her mouth curved slightly. "Good timing. With more people around lately, the smell from the walker wall has gotten a little faint. We need to replenish it.
Meet me at the east gate of Blackberry Ranch in an hour. Maggie, wear something sturdy. Don't let the thorns in the woods tear you up."
After leaving the Blackberry Ranch cafeteria, Calista did not go back to the command room. She walked while thinking.
Two people to hold the walkers down, and one person to remove the jaws and arms. She could get Michonne. She was the original expert in this field, self-taught, and her blade work could be called the best in the entire Walking Dead world.
They also needed someone strong to carry the walkers away. The three of them could not exactly huff and puff their way back to the base dragging a pile of walkers.
So she quickly settled on someone. She drove straight back to Rock Fortress, first finding Michonne, who was practicing with her sword on the training grounds, then heading to the equipment warehouse beside the field.
...
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