Kaga Base: 'Holding On'
Seven months after the Outbreak, remnants of humanity are managing to survive – just.
[Author's Note: This story, part of the Chronicles of Takashi Komuro cycle, takes place six months after the story The Promise; and about six months after the group reached the Maresato farm. Kaga Base should be read as a prelude to the story Dead and the Last Show.]
Z+219
"So this," said Saya, "is the wonderful Kaga Base that Tatagi has told us so much about. Humph."
Takashi stopped the convertible at the main gate. There was a long fence, layers of barbed wire held in place by concrete poles. The gate itself was just a swinging boom but Takashi saw that there was a barricade of barbed wire that could be lifted into place. There was a wide ditch on the outer side of the fence, and raised wooden platforms on the inner side.
Two men in battered JSDF uniforms came up to them.
"Hello," one of them said, in a surprisingly un-military way. "Don't think I've seen you before."
Takashi was a little taken aback. "We've been asked to come by Major Arimake," he said. He pulled out the letter, really a polite invitation, and handed it to the guard. The letter had been delivered by Tatagi on one of his regular visits to Maresato farm.
"Ah, she told us to expect you," said the guard, reading the letter. "Pull in over there, near that building. That's the Major's office. You can leave your weapons here if you like," he said.
"We don't like," said Saya.
The other guard looked at the sword held by Saeko. "May I see that?" he said.
"No," said Saeko.
"Oh. Right. Well, through you go then."
Takashi did as directed, and they got out, with Hirano helping Saya, who was now seven months pregnant. A middle-aged woman came out of the office and over to them. She was wearing a uniform that seemed to be patched together out of other uniforms.
"I'm Major Arimake," she said. "I'm in command here, more or less. It's good to finally meet you. You're famous, you know."
"Famous?" said Hirano. "What for?"
"For … surviving," she said. "Benaro has passed on the tales of your exploits, and people love to hear them. You give them hope, in a word. A sense that there might be a future.
"I was just going to the kitchen to get some lunch. Perhaps you would like to join me, and I can give you the tour on the way."
"I would like to find out more about your fence," said Hirano, as they walked. "It doesn't seem strong enough to keep zombies out."
"Actually, barbed wire is what we've found to be the most effective," she said. "Zombies can climb over or knock down a wall but they just get tangled up in the wire. You probably saw the ditch, which also slows them down. If there was enough to them they could probably get it down but we put shooters on the platforms if there is an attack. And the wire means that we can use flamethrowers as well, which are pretty effective. But you know about using fire against them, of course."
"We do," said Takashi. "Have you had many attacks?"
"At the start, yes, but nothing for several months now. Benaro's plane helps us to spot any, as well as keeping us in touch with outlying groups of survivors. It's a big asset, that little plane."
They arrived at the building that served as the base kitchen. They were served meals – not very large ones – and sat down at a long table. The major looked at the weapons that the group carried.
"I am sure you will understand if we want to keep these with us," said Takashi. "The last time we met soldiers, they were not so polite."
"Yes, I heard about that," said Arimake. "It was not uncommon, in that period right after the military collapsed, for soldiers to do that. On behalf of the JSDF, I apologise, not that that means much."
"You seem to be doing alright here," said Hirano.
"We're holding on, but sometimes only just," said Arimake. "This used to be an Air Force training base, although it had been closed for several years. And it's pretty small, by military standards. After the Outbreak, the military didn't think of using it as one of the collection and defence points. Their idea was to get as many civilians as possible together and then have large numbers of military units to defend them.
"That didn't work. It only took one of them to get through to have the whole thing fall apart. I went through that three times. Then everything just sort of collapsed, and there was no command structure or communications. I'd served at Kaga Base earlier in my career, so I gathered up whoever was left and we came here. It was outside the EMP zone, as well. Other survivors joined us later. We have located some other groups, in isolated farms and houses. And then of course there are the groups that you have found, Takashi. Benaro gave me the maps that you drew up and he has made some flying visits. I'm trying to draw up a list of people and places. We know the locations of about a thousand people, all told."
"How many people do you have here?" said Hirano.
"341," said Arimake. "With that number of people, food is a constant problem. Our stocks from before are starting to get low, and we've salvaged pretty well everything possible from the surrounding area. We're trying to grow some food, and that's working, but I'm afraid that one problem is going to tip us over the edge. And of course, we don't have electricity. We have a generator but we want to keep the petrol for the plane and our vehicles."
"We have a windmill," said Hirano. "We generate power that way. We found an abandoned factory that made them. It was outside the EMP area. It was in pieces, with a lot of other stuff, but we have one going now, and a battery system too. Been going for a month now."
Arimake looked astonished. "Who worked out how to do that?" she said.
"I did," said Saya.
"Can you show us how to get one working, maybe hook it up to our generator?" said Arimake.
"Maybe," said Saya.
They finished their meal and started to walk around the base. It was slow going: people kept coming up to them to shake their hands and slap them on the back.
"I'm worried about having so many people in the one place," said Arimake. "We have several Armoured Personnel Carriers and other vehicles, and plenty of guns, but what keeps me awake at night is the prospect of one zombie getting through the wire."
"Maybe the answer is to disperse people," said Takashi. "You know, in the area around us there are quite a few abandoned farms and houses. Some of them have still got whatever they had before, chickens or cows or whatever. We've brought some animals to our place but now we have all we can use. Maybe some of your people would like to move into those farms and try and get them operating. If they can generate a surplus of food, that might help you with your supply problem."
"And we have someone who can provide medical services to people nearby," said Hirano. "She'd love to do it. She's just learned to ride a horse."
Arimake considered. "Certainly, there are people here who would like to try something like that," she said. "And I like the idea of spreading out our people a bit more. The Maresato farm is about two hundred kilometres away, right?"
"A bit less."
Arimake nodded, thinking. "Feasible," she said. "I'll start asking for volunteers. Will you take responsibility for getting them organised in your area?"
Takashi grimaced. "If the need arises," he said. "Rei would be better. I've got enough responsibilities already, and soon I'm going to have some more. "
"Really?" said Saya.
"Yes," said Saeko.
"What are you talking about?" said Hirano.
"I'll explain later, dear," said Saya.
They continued to look around. "You've got a lot of interesting things here," said Hirano to Arimake. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have a priest, would you?"
"A priest? As it happens, we do. Why do you ask?"
"Just … wondering," said Hirano. Saya poked him in the ribs.
It was the next morning. After spending the night at Kaga Base, the four of them were in the car, driving home.
As they rounded a bend, a shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and lit up the hills.
"Looks like it's going to be a good day," said Saeko.
END
NEXT STORY IN SERIES: DEAD AND THE LAST SHOW