Reboot

Rourke was doing his rounds. He did this at least once a week. He went

door to door saying hello to everyone and spending some face to face time with them. He felt it was important. People needed to vent. He knew all their names.

It took a while though because there were fifty cabins. Eighteen people per cabin.

It was sometimes small in there and people flared up. There were fights and disagreements. Sometimes Rourke had to play judge and jury and hand out punishments or rewards. Calculations were made and with all the food they’d stored up, they could hold for a maximum of one year. The cabins had filled up fast just after the bombs. Everyone had family or friends they wanted to bring in. It was difficult to keep loved ones out, so the camp was overcrowded.

A year was the most time Rourke was willing to stay in this place. Less was dangerous. So he’d decided to stay until they ran out of food or until he went nuts.

It had been six months now since the bombs.

The last attack on the compound was two months ago. It would leave a mark on his soul for the rest of his life. A scar that would always be visible and painful, but he stored it away. It would be too easy to let it take over. There had been a surprise attack. Organized scavengers had sneaked past his watchers and had cut through the fence in two spots. They had come in and attacked. Many of his people were killed that day, including women and children. The scavengers had gone berserk. They were finally defeated when Rourke realized what had happened and had organized to teams of his best men to counter the attack.

Then the bodies had to be taken care of again. A difficult job for everyone involved especially since this time, many of their own had to be buried too.

But that had been two months ago and people were healing. The problems he discussed were no longer about nightmares or guilty consciences, but more about cabin fever or lack of baby formula, medicine or pasta.

Today however, he was faced with people wanting to leave.

“We read that six months should be enough time for fallout to subside Mr. Rourke. We want to leave.”

“I read different. ”

“We’ll take our chances. We simply can’t stay here anymore.”

“Why not? No.. actually--… I don’t care. It’s not important. The point is I’m worried that if you run off, it’ll cause a rabid and dangerous repercussions on the rest of the group. Fact is, you might be right, but you might be wrong. And if you’re wrong, you kill everyone who follows you out the door.”

“Do you mean, you will stop us from leaving? You, you have no right.”

“Well, actually, I’m taking the right. Have a think about this and we’ll discuss it again tomorrow. I don’t care if you leave. I really don’t. But I don’t want you to cause other people under my care undo harm. We killed other people who really, REALLY wanted to come in with us you see. So I do feel a tad responsible.” He stared them down.

That hit them pretty hard and they stayed silent. All the adrenaline suddenly gone from them.

“ok, ok.. We’ll talk about it.” They looked a bit distressed. Which is what Rourke was hoping for. They would discuss it, they would calm down, and they’d stick it out for a while longer. He walked out and knocked on the next door down the line. In this one he had to hold a father of three who had lost his wife and his eldest in the attack two months ago. He held him for a long time while the man wept. Then he moved on to the next cabin.

The next day, they came back.

“We’ve made up our minds Jack, we have to leave.”

“Yeah, I figured you might. All right, sit down.” There was a funny moment where the group didn’t know what to do because they’d expected a more virulent response from Rourke. His positive attitude was out of character and they had to readjust.

“I came up with an idea in case you got stubborn. Let me make you scouts in front of the others. I’ll tell everyone that you’re going out to reconnoiter the area, let’s say a hundred and fifty miles south. It should take you a few weeks. How’s that?”

“Thank you Jack. That makes sense. And who knows, we may come back after all. Surprising actually. I thought you’d kick our asses.”

“I thought about it, but in the end, this is a better way. And I hope you do come back. I hope you do. I’ll announce it at the next meeting ok?”

“Perfect.” And they jumped in each other’s arms. But Jack Knew that they’d probably die out there. He knew what people turned into when the hunger began.