2nd Earth 2: Emplacement (24 page)

The new group is very much impressed with the farms we show them. The best one we saw on the way up has four houses and three barns on it. They are very similar to the group we settled back in Virginia. We spend a little more time exploring the area, and find a larger place just a couple miles away. The people wanting to move in say they can be happy in either location, so we recommend that they settle the largest group first, knowing that they can expand to the other location when they get big enough. The bigger location has six houses and four barns, along with several miles of farmland in three directions. There is game grazing in the fields of tall grass, and the woods are just about as close as they are to the original group in Virginia.

As in Virginia there are mountains in the distance, but right here it is quite nice. The temperature seems to be at least ten degrees warmer than it was up at the other place. Since they are at a higher altitude, it will probably be colder up there most of the time. While the people, who will be staying, get to work cleaning the houses, our team gets to work figuring out how to get electricity to the homes. Mike comments that he has never seen such wide spread use of windmills as a source of power. This world must have been ahead of our world in that technology, but since our world suppresses so much technology, that would cost the big companies money, it is hard to tell. Either way they find three windmills, two of which are still standing, but the vanes need repair to get them to turn properly.

Our group anticipated this, and brought enough supplies to totally rebuild all three, but they only need repaired to be functional. By nightfall, two of the houses are cleaned well enough for everyone to stay in them, and there is even electricity to those two homes. They found several hundred jars of canned vegetables and fruits in each house, just as we did, so they are already in pretty good shape. We found a map in one of the homes, that shows there is a city only about fifteen miles west of us. Jenna comments that although this state is similar to the one in the world they knew, the cities are not in the same locations here. That’s probably a good thing, because it will be much more convenient this way. A trip into the city shows that there are people living there, but the stores still have a large quantity of food in them. We see smoke coming from a couple of blocks over. When we investigate, we find a man with two women and four children, standing around a fire in a large drum.

We explain what we are doing and they decide to give it a try. They have nothing to lose. At a car dealership on the edge of the city, we find some excellent vans and trucks. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly our people can get a vehicle running, and get the tires changed. I get the honor of teaching Brad, who is the oldest member of the group, how to drive. He learns quickly and is beaming over his new found abilities. By the end of day two, our new group has four houses cleaned, and with electricity. They have a new van, and enough food to last at least a couple of months. They are also seven members stronger than they were yesterday. We made one discovery that is a big plus. These homes all use the electric baseboard heaters, so we don’t have to try to find any and hook them up.

While we were in town yesterday we found some guns, as well as bows and arrows, for hunting. Andrew and Chip came down early this morning to see how we are doing. Apparently the group up north is not doing quite as well as we are. They must get much worse weather up there, because the windmill on that property is totally busted, so they will have to build a new one, and the wiring in the house is pretty bad as well. Chip says that they believe that the place up there was not a self sufficient farm like the ones we live on, and this one. We found a short wave set in the barn, so we call up to see if anyone hears us. Apparently there is no one listening, so Bob volunteers to take Jenna back up to speak with the others, and so that she can see James.

Our group is proceeding to make this a home. By the end of the day, all six houses have electricity, and two of the barns. We were able to recharge the coolant system on a very large freezer in the largest barn. Just like back home it appears that these people butchered their own meat and prepared it here. Andrew and Chip promised the people here that they will teach them how to hunt, and take care of the meat tomorrow. It is so gratifying to see the faces of the people whose lives are changing so drastically. It reminds Emma and me of when we first joined the groups in Virginia. You can see the pride of accomplishment in all their faces, instead of the desperation that was there. The fear and distrust of each other seems to be leaving as well. Working together toward a common goal can do that for you.

In the morning, we are getting ready to work on cleaning the barns. Chip took a look around yesterday and is excited about the farm equipment they have here. He and Andrew are taking Brad and Todd, who is the man we met in town, hunting this morning. The freezer seems to be working fine, so they figure now is as good a time to fill it as any. Brad and Todd ask why they don’t just shoot the cattle or deer that are in the field’s right near the houses. They explain that if they hunt those animals first, then they will have to go out farther all the time. If they go away from the farm first, the game will stay close, in case they ever need it. We have our walkie-talkies and within an hour we get a call to come and pick up a large steer, and a good sized deer. The men spend just about the rest of the day butchering the meat, and getting it hung in the freezer.

Towards the end of the day, we are surprised to see our people, accompanied by those from up north, pull into the driveway. We can tell by the looks on their faces that they are surprised to see the progress that has been made here. I would not blame the people here if they told the others they are not welcome, because that’s what they did to them. However I am pleased to see them welcome the other group and they are all excited to show them everything they have accomplished. We have a meeting of all of us from back home, where we find out that the group up north finally realized that where they were, is not adequate for what they want to accomplish. They are going to settle in the first location we found when we came down here. For tonight though they get their first taste of sleeping in a warm house, with electric lights. If there were any doubters among them, they have all been converted.

6

              In the morning, the group from the north head to the farm they will be moving into. We start the process of cleaning, and getting everything setup just like before. Now that they know what it can be like, they are working as hard as they can to make it happen. We get all of our supplies from the city. We have also found ten more people to join the groups in that city. I feel like a complete waste when it comes to farming and building. Everyone tells me that I am a doctor, so I am not expected to be able to plow fields or build houses. I can paint, so I at least feel like I am doing something constructive in the homes of our new friends.

The days turn into weeks, and our new friends are fast becoming self sufficient. Clark’s group has grown to forty people, and Brad’s group now has fifty-two people in it. They are looking for areas to expand because it seems that every week we get people coming, asking to live here. The area here is very similar to where we live, at least in the way the farms are set up. We have found two more farms that will be perfect for when the groups want to, or need to expand. The people here have learned very quickly, we show them once and they can usually accomplish most any task with minimal help the first time, and can manage on the second or third with no help.

The weeks turn into months, and before we know it we are getting ready to plant crops. This is always an exciting time of year for me. I always love to watch the plants grow, and produce vegetables and fruits that are so delicious. The groups have really come together here. There are now three groups, totaling one hundred and ten people. I have had the privilege of delivering five babies since coming here, and Brian has assisted on all of them, so he can take over when I leave. He grew up on a farm, so he is invaluable to these people. All three groups now have dairy cows, chickens, and are able to hunt and process their own meat. We found a wheat mill and brought it back here. We hooked it up just like back home, using a river that flows near here for power.

We had to teach them how to grind and use wheat by using some that we found in sealed buckets, and hundreds of plastic bags, much like we found when we first started out. We planted winter wheat, and it is starting to come up beautifully. Chip and Marty have trained our new friends how to fight, and they have needed it on a couple of occasions. On one occasion a group of men rode in on motorcycles, and told the people to leave. They did not see the men working in the barns and the fields, but the men saw them ride up. A couple of the men started after some of the women, and found out that these people are not to be taken lightly. Clark asked them to leave politely, but when they went for their guns, they were just a bit slow. They are all buried near the woods.

To see the farms they look very similar to ours. They have found gasoline trucks on the highway and in the cities, and brought them home. They have done the same for propane trucks, and now have a pretty good supply of both. The crops are in and so are the individual gardens. While we have been here we have been in contact with our groups back home as well as other groups around the country. We have been in contact with a group up in Utah that seems to be doing at least as well as we are. We have also talked with groups in California, Washington and Oregon that seem to be doing exactly what we are doing. We have had small groups ask if they can join one of the established groups, and they have always been invited to join the closest group. During the winter we made a trip to northern Arizona to find a group of twenty that was in pretty desperate straits. They have been a very welcome addition to these groups.

The people that we found on the way here have become a part of this family. Actually, when you live and work as closely as we have to, it is hard not to become part of the family. Spring turns into summer, and we are harvesting the winter wheat we planted. Everyone is working hard to get the wheat harvested and bagged, to be used for flour when it is needed. The fields are again planted with crops that can be used to feed the groups for the winter. During the summer some of our people have been asked to go over to California, to visit with our friends there and see if we can make any suggestions, or learn anything from them. They have a very nice community going, that seems to be growing much like ours, and the one in Arizona.

Sara and Gary are able to teach them some things about cars and trucks that help them quite a bit. Mike and Morgan help them with their windmills to get more out of them. The best thing about going over there is that we are able to bring some oranges back with us. We were feeling guilty until we radioed home and found out that Trevor and Ryan went down to Florida looking for a small group that asked to join ours, and found oranges growing wild. They tried them, then picked as many as they could, and brought them back as a treat for the family. Everyone says they miss us as much as we miss them. Our technical people are on the radio at least once a week talking to other groups, and giving them advice. Some of them obviously have people from the other world helping them, because they understand everything they are told.

Summer is almost over and we have started harvesting the crops. We have been stocking up on canning supplies, whenever we go where we can find them. We have found enough to last this group a couple of generations. We did the same thing our groups did back home, going from house to house in the cities, gathering food and other useful items. We brought our calendar along to share, if they even care about the days. We found another Mormon church near the community that they now use like we do. There are actually some people of that faith in this group, as well as the one over in California. Emma and I have had some very nice conversations with them. We have been reading their Book of Mormon, and so far have found it fascinating.

We have never really believed in a God, or a divine head of the universe. After seeing and living through the almost total annihilation of the world’s population, it was difficult to think that any God would allow that to happen to his people. After meeting Jon and the others that have come to our world from another world, to help us get our civilization back, Emma and I have started rethinking our beliefs. We have always believed that the way we live in our community is the right way to live, but until we joined these fine people we spent our lives running and in fear of our fellow man. For us it is simple, either live your life working and helping others, or find somewhere else to live. That doesn’t mean if you are ill, or if you are pregnant and can’t work, you will be thrown out. Quite the opposite, if one of us is unable to do their chores due to illness or other good reasons, the others are more than happy to pick up your share of the load.

The crops are now mostly harvested, and the people here are doing very well. They have learned pretty much everything we can teach them, the rest they will have to count on trial and error, or read about it in the books they have gotten. Reading and writing are also skills that we passed along to these fine people. They are now capable of everything that we have done and are continuing to do. Lindsay has been worth her weight in gold to these people. She showed them how to get chickens to come to the coops, and has also shown them how to milk their cows, make butter, and other dairy products. The groups now also have the electric milking machines to make their job easier. Finally the day comes when we are saying goodbye and heading for home. We talked to Jon and the group back in Virginia and they are excited that we can now come back knowing that these fine people will be able to take care of themselves.

It is a tearful farewell as we are getting ready to pull out of the farm yard. We have made some very good friends here that we hope to see again in the future. When we came here there were fifty-six people, and today as we leave there are one-hundred-fifteen people living in three groups. Each group has the room to almost double in size, plus they have been working on other farms in the vicinity, getting them ready, because people will come if they know they will be safe. Last evening while we were talking on the radio, we found a group that started up recently in Missouri. They heard our conversation with our people back home, and asked if we would mind stopping on our way back, just to give them some advice and maybe a little help. It takes us two days to get to the new group, we also found ten people on our journey that are more than happy to come with us.

When we pull into the farm in Missouri we are surprised to say the least. This farm is almost identical to Ryan and Carol’s group back home. There is no one around, which is also surprising, because this time of day and year this should be a very busy place. We ask the ladies to stay by the vehicles while we check it out, but you know Sara and the others. We have to run to keep up with them heading for the first house in the group. We get about three steps from the porch when someone opens the door and steps out onto the porch. We stop short from surprise, because the first one through the door is Rod from back home, and following him are Ray and his wife Carol, and George, Kyle, and Thomas, along with their wives. We all hug and exchange pleasantries, and then I ask the dumbest question imaginable. I ask them what they are doing here. Even Emma rolls her eyes at that one, and she’s used to my inability to grasp the obvious.

They came here on a mission just like the one we have been on in Arizona. While we are talking, Don and Olivia come driving into the yard with a huge steer in the bucket of a backhoe. They stop long enough to give us all a hug and say hello, then Don is back driving the backhoe, apparently to the barn to butcher the steer. The occupants of this fine farm come out to meet us rather shyly. We tell them they have no reason to be shy, we are all one big family, whether we live in Virginia, Arizona or Missouri. They get over their shyness quickly, and are very happy and proud to show us around their farm. This group has four houses and two large barns much like Ryan and Carol’s group back home, at least when they first moved in. They tell us there are two other groups that are actually part of this group, just like all of our groups are like one. Naturally we all want to see the other groups, and now Don can join us, because he turned the steer over to the group members that handle that chore.

The other two groups are as impressive as the first one we saw. Actually they are both larger than the first one, and are in just as good condition. We can tell that these people have done a tremendous amount of work. We talk for over an hour about the projects they have completed and some of the projects they are planning. The question comes up as to whether or not they have ever been attacked yet. Rod tells us that they have successfully fought off several attacks, and have had to rescue some of their people from those who meant them harm. He says in fact when we pulled into the yard today, there were at least ten guns on us until they knew for certain who it was. In one way that makes me feel very relieved, but it also makes chills run down my spine, knowing that I was in the cross hairs of someone’s high powered rifle.

They have a special meal planned for us, made from the crops that they harvested this year. After dinner we are treated to some of the best ice cream we have ever tasted. This is when we hear the whole story behind these people, and our friends being here. It seems that the leaders of this group, or as they prefer, the people who helped get this community started, met Bob, Trevor, and Blake about a year and a half ago. That’s when they were looking for others, and they offered Trent and his group a ride back, but they said they would walk. Well, they were walking toward Virginia when they met David and Kimberly, a young man and a young woman who seemed to be completely lost. They told them this fantastic story about being in the military in another world, and coming to this world after being caught in a terrible storm in the gulf of Mexico. They claimed that they had chartered a boat to scatter the ashes of his foster parents, who had died in a terrible car accident, a few days before that.

While they were on the water, a storm came up and tossed the boat every which way, they were sure they would be joining his parents at any time. Finally the storm quit, but then the worst fog they have ever seen settled around them, and they had no idea where they were or where they were headed. They fell asleep, and when they woke up the boat had drifted into a dock and the fog had lifted, at least enough to see a couple hundred yards. They went looking to see where they were and found no sign of life, although there were cars parked on the roads everywhere, some with skeletons in them. They went back to where the boat was, and it was no longer there. In fact where the boat was, there was now a large boat that was sunk, and almost totally rotten and covered with seaweed and barnacles.

They didn’t waste any time trying to figure out what was going on. They found a nice pickup truck that they could change the tires on, and get it running, and headed north to see if the whole country was like this. They met Trent and the group of people with them on the highway walking east. They decided to join the group and see what there was to see. They got enough vehicles running to carry everyone and continued their journey. They drove for about a half a day when they were surrounded by some nasty looking characters on motorcycles, so they got off the main road looking for a place to hold the bad guys off. They came to the first farm we were at today, and used one of the barns to fight from, and were successful in chasing them away. Trent had told them what we had done in Virginia, so when they saw the potential where they were, they decided to try what we had done. As they said, if they fail, they can always see if we will let them join us.

As it turns out David is very good with mechanical things whether it be a car, truck, tractor, or anything else that runs on gasoline or diesel fuel. Kimberly was an electrical engineer in the Air Force, and worked as an electrician since she was ten. Her dad was an electrician and worked on just about any kind of circuit you can name. Her mom passed away when she was ten, so her dad took her to work with him and taught her the trade. Her dad passed away when she was eighteen, so she joined the Air Force to get an education, and because she had no family or even any good friends where she lived. That’s where she met David, and they fell in love the first time they met. David’s parents passed away when he was ten, so he went to live in a foster home. He was treated very well, and learned about mechanics from his foster father, who had a garage where he fixed cars and pretty much anything with an engine.