Frostpunk: The Captain's Journal
Day 1 (-20°c)
Finally! We have arrived! After more than a couple months' worth of journey across the frozen sea we have finally made it to the Generator!
It has not been without losses, we left London with over 1,200 souls; now less than half remain. However, we are only the advanced scout team sent ahead after the Land Dreadnought finally gave us its last. A significant portion of the expedition remained, as such we must make haste to send a team to retrieve them. But our work here has only begun, for now we must gather supplies from the surrounding wreckage left by the British Science Expedition. We would need to secure a supply of coal to feed the generator if we hope to weather the days ahead.
We will build, we will hunt, we will, no, we have to survive. New London will be Last City on this godforsaken earth, and survival is its ultimate goal, failure is not an option.
Day 2 (-20°c)
We have finally gathered enough coal to fire up the generator, watching the warm glow on the survivor's grateful faces as warmth caressed their faces almost makes this exodus from London worthwhile. However, the current stockpiles are not infinite, we would require constant replenishing to sustain its life-giving warmth. Due to the need for supplies and the lack of a workforce we have decided to allow children to do 'save jobs' including gathering resources and helping with the preparation of meals; many were distraught that children were made to do manual labor, however due to our precarious situation they eventually consented after we agreed to give children double rations. Gathering posts have been build near the more concentrated wreckage piles while more hardy groups were sent to collect the more isolated piles out near the rim. Several tents and a medical center have been built around the immediate vicinity generator, but we still require more lodgings to be built if we are to house to people.
Day 3 (-20°c)
Things are starting to move smoothly; the cookhouse has been finally built and hot food has finally been provided to the people. There has been some discontent only plain soup provided, as we have yet to secure a constant source of sustenance, but the notion of something warm going through their bellies was comfort enough. A 24-hour shift has been implemented in the gathering posts to secure more building material. There was some grumbling but yet again they complied, understanding they resources were needed as there were still insufficient housing for the masses. I am truly humbled with the resilience of these people, perhaps we might yet survive this calamity.
Day 4 (-20°c)
A child was injured when gathering resources, it was mostly superficial, but I decided to give her a day off. A workshop was built to allow for research in order for us to innovate and better survive this harsh landscape. They are currently formulating blueprints for a beacon that will be tethered above the pit that would allow scouts to safety return home after being deployed. With basic resources secured people have stared focusing on convoy left behind and more are asking that we make haste. Several have approached me personally to voice their desire to go out and rescue their stricken family members, so far I have reassured them that this is a priority that we are pursuing and were are doing our utmost to reunite them with their brethren.
Day 5 (-40°c)
A passing overcast has resulted in the temperature dropping to a chilly 40 degrees Celsius, discontent has risen as a result of this; Mark Gough became the first person to encounter frostbite and is now unable to work. A concerned mother approached me with her child clutching her from behind, due to the incident previously she wanted her child to stop working as it was dangerous for her child, while I sympathized with her I explained that everyone else was doing the same work and that I could not give an exception simply due to her concern; she nodded sadly and thanked me for listening to her rambling and left. I looked on sadly as she trudged through the ankle high snow and made a note of her name and that of her child, assigning them both to managing inventory in the warehouse near the generator, a small act of mercy in these cruel times.
Day 6 (-40°c)
Cheers erupted around the city as the beacon ascended into the sky, a giant observation balloon it carries with it a giant lamp visible for many kilometers. It will function both as a watchtower and lighthouse. After the balloon was secured scout teams have been dispatched into the Frostlands to locate and transport the remaining convoy to the city, and to further explore the surrounding regions; to see if there are any resources of people out in the snow.
Day 7 (-40°c)
We are preparing for the influx or people from the convoy, the scouts have not yet reached them but we anticipate a need for more housing and food. Extra tents have been erected and the first team of hunters have left to scavenge for food in the Frostlands. The temperature has yet to improve and more have acquired frostbite; but the anticipation of reuniting with loved ones has kept hopes high and discontent at a minimum.
Day 8 (-40°c)
The overseer spotted a white flare in the distance, signaling that the scouts have reached the convoy and that all is well and that they are returning in due haste. Celebrations were kept at a bare minimum and preparations were made to welcome the survivors to their new home. I decided to give a one-night lift on the soup only rations, and as they prepared with the first catches brought back by the hunters that returned the previous night the atmosphere remains high.
Day 9 (-40°c)
Today was a day of reconciliation as 36 survivors returned to their families , my heart was warmed by the sight of families reuniting of mothers hugging children, couples embracing each other; there are less survivors than expected, it was explained that many have left on their own after the storm that forced us to move ahead of the convoy had cleared. We would have to find them out in the Frostlands, but for tonight will be a day of celebration. However, for tomorrow will it will be work as usual, the increased workforce had both increased the available hands but also the number of mouths to feed. The piles of wreckage are running low, and we soon need to develop the means to mine and harvest the less accessible resources that line the Pit.
Day 10 (-30°c)
With the reunions over life has returned to a sense of regularity. Food supply is low, and housing is lacking but we are taking steps to alleviate these problems. People are also calling for the scouts to be directed to find nearby settlements, we were one of the last to leave London and they should be more scattered in the frostlands. The easily available piles of wood have been exhausted and as such a sawmill has been built to harvest the surrounding forest that are frozen around the pit walls and due to the urgent need for building supplies I decided to enact a 24-hour shift for the new sawmill, buoyed by the high spirits had complained with this decision.
Day 11 (-30°c)
A person has died, -a woman- Agnes Everdeen who was working in the Sawmill. She was not selected for the 24-hour shift but due to her recently reuniting with her eldest daughter -who was selected-, she decided to join her for work. All extended work shifts for the day were canceled, with everyone attended her funeral, a pitiful tombstone in a sheltered cove along the Pit wall. Her death was deemed to be an accident and not related to exhaustion and many have reassured that there was nothing that we could have done…that I could have done. As of now none have blamed me this tragedy, but this has made me contemplate my legacy , that after these dark times how would we would be judged, how I would be judged. These thoughts weigh heavily on my shoulders, but it matters not if we do not survive. Life moves on, but the joyous atmosphere that lasted for so brief a time has passed.
Day 12 (-30°c)
With more workers come more of the sick, today work has been completed on the first of what could be many Care houses. The care houses have better insulation and heating as to combat the effects of the bitter cold. As of now, few of the sick have encountered major injuries of ailments, the most common cause of visiting the medical post merely to have a frostbitten toe or finger amputated. This has reduced efficiency but some engineered has assured me that in the future they could manufacture prosthesis that could accommodate amputees. But as we lack the means of producing them we would have to make do with a few missing fingers and toes. This will not impact our overall output of resources as our scouts have once again returned from the frozen wastelands of beyond, they return with sleds laden with raw game and wood from a vehicle we abandoned earlier in our journey. They have also brought back survivors they found in a cave, the survivors spoke in admiration of the scouts that had rescued them; apparently, having defeated a group of polar bears that were terrorizing the group when they were found. They were treated with a hero's welcome the night before they once again leave for the frostlands, recounting their battle with the polar bears to a group of starry-eyed children. Their tales have raised the hopes of the people, although I do find "riding the bear like a rodeo" more likely to be the alcohol taking rather than a accurate recounting of actual events.
Day 13 (-30°c)
A child was found sitting next to the tombstone of the deceased, when was me he approached me and asked me to call for a council meeting, as his mother would have to join the meeting. I kindly told him that I will consider this and escorted him to his eldest sister. These will be hard times indeed.
We have also expanded the infrastructure of the city; new teams of hunters have been dispatched to feed our growing population. Due to the larger population some of the tents are no longer sufficiently heated by the generator, we would have to improve the generators range and output, but for now 2 steam hubs have been constructed in in the housing areas.
Day 14 (-30°c)
The last remaining piles of wreckage and coal are quickly running low. As such I have approved the construction of a coal mine on top of a rich seam our prospectors have discovered in the outskirts of the city. Resource Depots have also been built as out initial stockpile of coal continues to grow. A steel forge has also been built as out reserves run low.
We such a large population we have had to find ways to entertain the populous, and to distract them from the monotony of life in the Pit as such we have build a fighting arena near the housing district.
A note of thanks was found upon my desk, it was from a patient in the care house; thanking me for providing him a place to recover and recuperate.
Day 15 (-40°c)
For the first time since arriving we have achieved a reasonable amount of wood and coal. Several Resource Depots have been built to stockpile coal, while we have used the excess wood to upgrade and improve upon the tents we have built, turning them into Bunkhouses. And while people were discontented with having to temporally move out while upgrades were being made, the feeling of warmth after entering the bunkhouses quelled any further complaints.
The scouts have once again returned with some resources, they have also found a log book detailing the location of Winterhome a settlement that is located some distance away from us. It quickly became that talk of the town, with many excitedly anticipating meeting with others that have fled from London.
Day 16 (-40°c)
The last of the resource piles have been exhausted, from here on out all of our resources would come from specialized extraction buildings. This could not have come at a worse time as our stockpile of steel -needed for more advanced research and buildings- is running low. We could not increase the supply as there are not enough workers to man the Steelworks that have been built. This does not represent a great threat to the survival of the city, but our growth and development will be stymied.
Day 17 (-40°c)
It seems that my previous entries fears are now alleviated. The scouts have one again preformed their magic, returning with another group of our convoy found in a observatory. While people were happy to have more survivors -and a bigger workforce- they is a growing number that are concerned, the observatory's log books details the observations that seem to indicate that the sun is dimming. Furthermore, the other places our scouts have surveyed has remained deserted. Winterhome was said to have a large population and was build months before we even left London. And yet we have seen no sign of anyone, rumors are starting to spread, people are getting anxious. We were one of the last to leave, where is everyone?
Day 18 (-40°c)
The scouts have discovered a steel bridge spanning a vast ravine with a sign indicating that Winterhome is further along the path. They have also found an Automaton near the far end of the bridge, after reactivating it they have set it back to New London, we should expect its arrival in less than a day. However rather than reassured upon finding a usable Automaton the populous is getting worried, why was it abandoned? The bridge itself was neglected, its structure half buried in the snow. Winterhome should be maintaining the structure and the other outposts in the area, and yet observations from out scouts and lookouts have revealed no activity. They are anxious for answers and they soon will them. The scouts are now headed for Winterhome.
Day 19 (-30°c)
Winterhome has fallen. The scouts reported cresting the snow dunes obscuring, hoping against hope that they will find a bustling city or even just a small group of stragglers. They yearned to find even a single individual, instead they were greeted with a sea of death, the shattered remains of the city's generator overlook a sea of frozen corpses. The cities logbook details dwindling food unrest and, in the final page a revolt the cumulated with the detonation of the generator.
New London is now in turmoil the realization that we might very well be the last surviving population on this earth. We are alone.
Day 20 (-30°c)
We…No…I must make a choice. New London is now on the brink of collapse, many are discontent and hope is nonexistent, some are even now saying that we should not have left London at all. They have lost hope, lost focus on the future. I must now rally them behind a vision for the future either that of order or Faith, either way I must choose quickly. The of this city, the Kingdom we left behind, mankind as a whole might depend om my actions, the weight of humanity now rests on my shoulders.
Excerpts from the Logbook of Captain James, G Maxwell the 1st Captain of New London. (From the Founding of New London till the Discovery of the Winterhome ruins) , New London Central Archives, 1887