With support it is much easier (N)
[A/N: Hello everyone.
First, I'd like to announce that I'll be publishing another novel in a few days. The topic is a secret, but I think you might like it.
In this chapter, David borrows ideas from a reader who commented quite a bit a while back.
Please support by commenting or with power stones.]
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In the park.
"No, his attitude definitely doesn't suit me", I thought, analyzing David's boundless energy and its mismatch with my personality. His enthusiasm was admirable, even contagious, but I wasn't the type to leap into the abyss with a smile. My world was built on sarcasm and doubt, not overwhelming optimism. As I watched him talk, his eyes sparkling with fervor, I wondered if I could ever be like that, even for a day.
"What are you thinking about?", David asked suddenly, snapping me out of my daydream.
"Nothing, why?", I replied, trying to mask my distraction.
"I was asking you something, and you didn't answer", he said, a mix of amusement and reproach in his tone.
"Haha… That's been happening a lot lately. Sorry", I apologized, embarrassed by my inattention. "What did you want to ask me?", I added, trying to pull myself together.
"Have you told anyone else?", he asked, looking at me with curiosity.
"Just two people, including you", I admitted, a bit sheepish. "Does the crowd I informed as 'SirAlexFutureson' count?", I joked after a moment's thought, recalling my anonymous forum posts.
"And why haven't you told more people?", he pressed, clearly surprised.
"Who'd believe something like that?", I shot back with a rhetorical question, letting out a sigh. "David, at first, I thought I was losing my mind because of the… the information I'd been leaked. I knew no one would take me seriously, and it wasn't until this week, with the military movements, that my source started being backed up", I explained, catching myself before mentioning the dreams. I couldn't afford to let that secret slip, not yet. "What's the point? I don't have those visions anymore", I thought with a hint of pessimism, feeling the void, they'd left behind.
"You're right", David agreed, nodding slowly. "But you should've given some hints to the people close to you", he added with a tone of gentle reproach.
"I've been preparing for exactly that these past few days. I planned to warn them a couple of days before, offer them a safe place, supplies, and try to convince them when they see with their own eyes that we're facing zombies. I also thought about buying special clothing, resistant to bites or scratches, and some weapons, but even that's complicated", I explained, my voice was heavy with frustration. The idea of persuading others overwhelmed me; I wasn't a leader, just a guy trying not to die.
"I get it", David said calmly, placing a hand on my shoulder to soothe me. "Now I can help you", he added, giving me a few pats on the back. That simple, sincere gesture caught me off guard. It had been a long time since anyone showed me such a straightforward friendship, and right now, I needed it more than I was willing to admit.
"Phew… Thanks, David", I said after a long exhale, feeling some of the tension melt away.
"Now we can warn more people. We can alert them about a pandemic, maybe organize a 'surprise party' right before it all starts, gather our acquaintances, and save most of them", he proposed, noticing my mood had stabilized. "By the way, who's the other person you told?", he asked, recalling my mention of two people.
"Do you know Ron?", I asked.
"The guy who runs that somewhat shady business?", he replied, checking if we were talking about the same person.
"That's him", I said without hesitation.
"I see, but why him? Is he a relative?", he asked, visibly confused.
"No, I needed his help to get certain things, and his condition for helping was that I tell him why I needed them", I explained, recalling that conversation with a touch of resignation. "I told him everything, thinking he'd dismiss it as my delusions, but then we met at a party, and he'd gotten information that backed up what was, until then, just a theory", I continued, reliving the moment Ron surprised me with his seriousness.
"I see… At least you knew in time that everything was unfolding as you'd been warned", David said thoughtfully. "Did you tell Rick?", he asked abruptly, shifting topics.
"No, I haven't told him… Besides, I don't think he'd believe it", I replied, recalling Rick's skeptical nature.
"He'll believe it, we'll tell him everything", David stated with unwavering conviction.
"I guess David knows him better than I do", I thought, remembering how much they chatted during their downtime. "Alright, we'll tell him", I agreed, though with some reservations.
"No time to waste", David exclaimed, springing to his feet with an energy that left me stunned. "What were you planning for today?", he asked without missing a beat, as if every second was critical.
"Buying and moving more supplies to the warehouses and some of the houses that are already repaired", I answered, trying to keep up with his pace.
"What's left on your list?", he asked, wanting to gauge my progress.
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[A/N: As promised, the topic of this chapter comes thanks to a reader, who I hope will continue reading the novel.
He suggested some things that will be mentioned in this chapter.]
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"Vehicles, more warehouses, temperature-controlled containers, personal hygiene items, tools, and a bunch of other stuff", I listed, mentally reviewing my checklist. "But I feel like I'm forgetting something important", I added, uncertain.
"I'll help with that. Tell me everything you planned to do, and I'll throw in some ideas", he requested with a calm tone that contrasted with his earlier urgency.
"First, warn as many people as possible. I tried online as 'SirAlexFutureson,' and I also thought about putting up ads or posters, but they'd probably get taken down right away", I said, disheartened by how ineffective that had been.
"For that, we'll keep using your method. We'll ask the group for help to investigate and prepare in each country. We'll also create a website with essential information and promote it with bots on streamers' channels, YouTubers, celebrities' social media, and stuff like that", he explained, outlining a far more ambitious and structured plan.
"Second was withdrawing my savings, taking out loans, and using that money effectively, though honestly, I'm not sure how to make the most of it", I admitted, a bit embarrassed.
"Relax, as I said, I'll soon withdraw my savings and help with the expenses. I'll also take out a couple of loans to boost the funds", he said, easing my financial pressure. "As for using the money, we can buy items on installment plans or cash on delivery. Plus, we'll stick to renting instead of buying whenever possible", he added after a moment's thought.
"Next was securing houses, warehouses, vehicles, and containers, and reinforcing or modifying them if needed", I continued.
"For the houses and warehouses, you can reinforce the doors or replace them with steel ones. In the houses, we can set up escape routes with ropes, install access doors on staircases, reinforce ground-floor windows with plexiglass, or use plywood instead of glass", he explained, listing practical measures he'd thought of on the spot. "For the vehicles, we need to pick the most suitable ones, then reinforce the windows or make them bulletproof, add protective grilles, swap the tires for reinforced ones, and install bumpers on the front and back. For the containers, just swap the locks for more secure ones", he continued, impressing me with his clarity.
"I've already gotten a head start on some of that", I said, feeling a renewed sense of confidence. "All the houses have high walls, modified doors and gates, extra defenses on the walls, and metal grilles on the first-floor windows. Still, we can add your suggestions to make them even safer. They also have generators and solar panels", I explained, valuing his input.
"Well done, Alex. I hadn't thought of steel grilles, and I forgot about alternative energy sources", David congratulated me with a smile. "We'll use a mix of those measures only if needed. Since the houses have walls, we should prepare escape routes; we can make some wall defenses detachable", he added, analyzing everything more calmly.
"I've talked to mechanical and welding shops for the vehicle upgrades. But I asked Ron to help me get the vehicles. He can source 'used' cars to save money and maybe buy more", I clarified, emphasizing "used" with a wink.
"Haha… 'Used'?", David laughed, catching that I meant likely stolen cars.
"It's better than paying full price. Plus, we can rent any vehicles Ron can't get, or pay them off in installments, though it'll be risky running into those guys if they survive the apocalypse", I joked, though with a hint of concern.
"They'll survive, trust me", David said, resigned, as if he knew that type well.
"Next up are the supplies", I continued, getting back on track. "With Ron, I secured an entire warehouse of medicines, medical supplies, and some emergency room equipment, but we need to move them fast, or we'll never see them again", I explained, still amazed by the scale of that achievement.
"That's great news!", David exclaimed, genuinely impressed.
"The weapons I'll get in the next few days with Ron's help. It might even be tomorrow", I said, a chill running through me at the thought of what that deal entailed.
"We need to be very careful with that", David warned, his tone heavy with concern. "We can also get weapons like knives, bows, crossbows, or spears in bulk, or at least their parts, and have a local shop assemble and reinforce them", he suggested, thinking of safer alternatives.
"I think spears are really useful", I said, recalling images from my dreams where I and others used them effectively. "In my visions, they seemed reliable", I thought, but kept that to myself.
"They're great for open spaces, but in tight quarters, I'd recommend a tomahawk", David advised. "That said, we should reinforce the spears' weak points. They'll be heavier, but it'll be worth it. We can also get machetes", he added, supporting my idea.
"As for the rest", I said, hesitating. "I only thought of food, spare parts and supplies for the vehicles, seeds in case we move to the countryside later, hygiene products, and tools. I'm not sure what else to buy", I admitted, feeling a bit lost.
"We can add useful stuff like ropes, flashlights, backpacks, sturdy footwear, reinforced clothing, and materials for making decoys", David listed, once again showing his knack for catching details I'd overlooked.
"Lastly, I'd gather intel on fuel depots, large warehouses, and key locations that could help us down the line", I said. "But I haven't made any progress there", I confessed, a bit embarrassed.
"I'll handle that", David said without hesitation. "We should also include physical and digital materials on repairing equipment and machinery, crafting homemade ammo, clothing, edged weapons, and the like. I'll add entertainment, too, and I've already got a head start there", he said with a confidence that put me at ease.
"Thanks so much for your help", I said, feeling immense relief. David had lifted a mental burden that was crushing me, and with his support, surviving seemed less impossible.
"You're welcome. That's what friends are for", he replied with a warm smile. "Now, we need to hurry; every second counts. I need you to lend me some money to start on the items I mentioned. Tomorrow, I'll withdraw my savings and use those funds directly", he added, slipping back into his high-speed mode.
"No problem", I said, ready to pitch in.
"As I was saying, I'll handle some of the purchases. I'll keep buying tomorrow, but with more funds. It'd be great if you gave me copies of the container and house keys, though we'll only move stuff to the containers for now. We'll use the houses once they're fully ready. You focus on getting more houses and warehouses; for those, we'll hire a different construction crew to avoid suspicion. Give me Ron's number, I'll explain everything and handle the vehicles and their upgrades. Also, pass me the contacts for the mechanical shops you mentioned", David said, barely pausing for breath, his enthusiasm overwhelming.
"Incredible", I thought, amazed by his ability to take charge. "Alright, I'll handle my part and give you the numbers you asked for. If you need anything, call me. Oh, and I have spare keys in the truck, so I can give them to you now. Though, when they install the metal doors, the keys will change… hahaha", I said, laughing, feeling lighter thanks to his help.
"Everything set?", David asked, thrilled, as he received the messages with the contacts and the keys, I handed him.
"All set", I replied, caught up in his energy.
"We'll survive!", David exclaimed with a confidence that bordered on theatrical, as he walked away.
"That was way too dramatic", I thought, puzzled by his over-the-top enthusiasm, though I couldn't help but smile. For the first time in days, I felt I wasn't alone in this madness, and that fragile certainty was enough to keep going.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Thanks everyone for reading.
Alex is making progress with the preparations, and now feels much more relieved to have people he can trust.
The next chapter has a cinematic twist that has nothing to do with zombies, but a character will appear that I want to integrate into the story.
Read my other novel called Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time.
You can find it on my profile.]