Valerie started the discussion, she'd made up her mind that she wanted these people. “There are 152 of us. My father left me this property with around two hundred head of cattle on 450 acres. It's all the grassy land around us on both sides of the road. Grady here bought the Winery a year or so ago. Most of the people here are with him from his IT business in Brisbane. It's about forty acres, I think.” Grady nodded in agreement. “Sue and Alexander are part owners of the campsite. They had two guests, plus there are four campers from the National Park staying with them.” She turned to Sue and Alexander. “How much land do you guys have?”
“Officially, we have two hundred and thirty acres, but nearly half of that is heavily bouldered”, replied Alexander.
“And what are your plans?”, asked Bevan.
“Well after what we saw at Marine Park, we thought that the world would end”, said Grady.
“Yes, I saw that on TV. Unbelievable!” said Bevan, “I was first hand with some of that stuff the second day of the plague.”
“We were there”, said Valerie.
Grady interjected, “You know that Toyota 4x4 that was almost swamped in the carpark? Valerie has it parked in the carport. She was driving that car.”
Daniel and Bevan were gobsmacked. “The men who went over the back fence were Matthew and Ethan”, continued Grady.
“Holy fuck”, said Private Anne Ankara. She hadn't spoken up until this point. “You are one lucky group of people.”
Matthew spent the next ten minutes telling them about Juan, his escape up the river and the bodies in the river. Bevan interjected long enough to explain the incident on Indooroopilly bridge. He thought that may have explained where the bodies came from. Matthew told about meeting Bevan, about Firestone and the trip via Texas to McPherson.
Grady picked up from there, “At the beginning, I figured one of three things would happen. This would blow over quickly and life would go on as before, but with many people dead or crazy. Or, the crazies wipe out most of the population. Or, society collapses with millions of people left alive. A lot of the security stuff is in preparation for the third option, but it looks to me from what Tim said and from the people at Firestone that most of the Australian population is gone.”
“Most of the world's population is gone”, corrected Daniel.
Bevan told about what happened to him after he left Brisbane and about the orders given by the Military. “I have no idea what happened to the PM or the Government. I don't know if they're in a bunker in Canberra, or dead. But the military gave orders which seemed to be about giving those not infected the best chance of survival.”
Daniel said, “Most were ordered to work on the Honey Pots for as long as possible and then get to safety. Mind you it happened really fast around here and there were no Honey Pots.”
“So there are probably lots of soldiers still alive?”, asked Sue.
“No, I doubt it”, said Daniel. “The radios are silent. There might be other small groups like us, but overall, it's over. It looks like Australia has depopulated, at least around Brisbane, it must be less than one percent.”
“That's still ten or twenty thousand people in South East Queensland. Both Bevan and Tim saw almost no one”, said Alexander.
“It might be a lot less, or they're hiding from crazies. The power and telephone systems are stopping now. No power in McPherson for ten days, and the local phone loop stopped a week ago. Mobiles and long distance stopped a few days before that.”
Valerie mentioned that she had satellite phones and that she was still in contact with Juan who was still looking for a safe place after New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island were found to be unsafe.
“They'll work for decades, probably”, said Daniel. “We have a couple also. The better thing we have are encrypted two-way radios, really good. While we were back at the gate, the Corporal here was talking to our people, letting them know we were all fine.”
Daniel brought it back on topic, “What are your plans for the future?”
The Colony leaders looked at Grady, “We're not sure what the future is. We've concluded that we will have to be self-sufficient and survive on our own. A lot of our discussion has been about security, food security and governance.”
Valerie cut in, “We're okay for food for a while and we're making plans for ensuring we're alright for the long term. In this area, we have orchards and wineries all over the place and a team of Grady's people is bringing down a roo every week or so. We're also putting in vegetable plots on Sue and Alexander's land.”
“Thanks Valerie”, Grady continued, “We've been working on security and it's pretty tight. The wall is very tough and it's difficult to get in here cross country. It's very rough terrain. We have a few farm rifles and two shotguns, but we don't have much ammo.”
“At the moment, we feel that we're safe from PVs and we can block road traffic, but people going cross country are another proposition. Getting here cross country is difficult, really difficult but it’s possible. We are looking at ways of increasing security.”
“What about governance?”, asked Bevan, “Who is in charge?”
“That's the thing that we're most uncomfortable about”, said Tom. “We've set up a management committee as a temporary measure. Initially, it was just until we had the wall up, but we voted to extend it for another three months.”
“These six own the land. Prior to the plague, I worked for Grady managing the property. We're pooling resources and sharing the workload, but the reality is that Valerie is supplying most of the meat. Grady is supplying most of the other food. Sue and Alexander are housing most of the people.”
“But they don't feel that that gives them the right to rule.” Tom continued, “On the other hand, they don't want to be tossed off their own land or be excluded from decision making about resources that actually belong to them.”
“So how do you make decisions right now?”, asked Bevan.
“Valerie and John Ryan, the chef at the Winery, are taking the lead on food allocation and so on. We all eat at the Winery. John doesn't do that much of the cooking, but he leads the effort.”
Looking at Valerie, Daniel asked, “You don't eat at home at all?”
“No, not main meals. Everyone can take as much fruit as they like from the fruit bins. For meals, everyone gets the same amount”, she said.
She continued, “We use much less food, less wastage doing it this way.”
“You don't have anything in your pantry?”, Daniel asked again.
“Only cleaning products. All food is at the Winery. Two of my daughters and their families are in a house on the lower ten where the caretaker lived. They're doing the same, apart from some supplies for children. Everyone with children can have some children's snacks.”
“Where is the caretaker?”
“A PV.” It was Matthew who responded, “His wife and daughter too.”
Grady again, “We decide big things by Town Hall meetings, but Valerie and John do the resource allocation, and Tom here oversees operations. I mean like having the walls manned and picking fruit and so on. There is a roster and everyone is expected to work as allocated.”
“So, everyone is on the wall or picking fruit?”
“No, we have a medical team, a couple of engineering people working on stuff, a couple of hunters, and Valerie and Tom are not on the roster because of their other duties.”
“We’re getting the school going again. We also have children that need to be looked after, and so on. We're trying to make it like the old days. Everyone is doing what they can to contribute.”
“What if someone isn't doing their share?”, asked Bevan.
Valerie glanced at the rest of her people. “We haven't had that problem.”
“We aren't living like total barbarians. We have coffee. Who would like a coffee or tea?”, asked Matthew.
- 7 -
While drinking his coffee, Grady continued the conversation. “So, we're still only the temporary management
committee, but we're thinking that the best way to go from here is to set it up a bit like the UN Security council.”
Grady laughed at himself but continued, “An eight-member committee with one of each of the owners having voting rights and veto rights only for items that directly affect their property. The other members of the committee would be voted in for three-month terms with no more than two terms allowed in a year.”
“How do you decide the eight permanents?”, asked Bevan.
“No, it's four permanents”, said Valerie, “and it's not really a person, it's a position. So, Matthew or I could attend for our pair and so on.”
“At the moment, we seven are the committee, but we want that changed. Matthew is a builder, he's trying to up the Colony’s standard of living and is just too busy for the committee. Grady's wife, Karen, is setting up the school and Alexander is doing ten hour days getting the vegetable gardens to the size he needs them.”
Grady picked up the point from Valerie, “I've released all of my food stocks, and so has everyone else. Valerie has agreed to release twenty-four cattle per year to food, but the rest remain her property. We think this is very generous, and we agree with her that we need to keep the cattle producing beef long term.”
“That's it, I think”, Grady concluded.
“No. There's Firestone to be dealt with”, said Matthew.
- 8 -
Juan and Jennifer were fishing and Jennifer had another bite. Juan was amused, for a city kid, this girl could fish.
She pulled it in, “Another dream fish”, she said.
“How do you know about these dream fish?”, asked Juan.
“I saw it on TV. This Scottish guy doing some BBC show. He ate some of these fish and had nightmares. I don’t want any nightmares. I know what they’ll be about.”
Juan held the fish and showed Jennifer again how to remove the hook. She could catch the fish, but still struggled with removing the hook. Plop, the fish landed back in the water.
“What’s the plan now?”, she asked. “We could hear you and Michelle talking last night. We don’t know what you said because we don’t speak French, but it sounded intense.”
“We’re wondering just that. What is the plan? We know that New Caledonia and New Zealand are both overrun, and we know, of course, that Lord Howe is too. I mean you can see it just looking out there.”
Jennifer looked at the grass at the end of the dock and nodded.
“We’ve got plenty of supplies and the fishing has been good. We make our own electricity and water so we are basically self-sufficient, we could live on this boat forever.”
Juan stopped there.
After thirty seconds or so, he went on.
“Michelle wants to go and check out Kauri Island. There is supposed to be more than two thousand people there. It would be a great place to go if it is not infected.”
Jennifer heard the tone in his voice. “But you think it’s infected?”
“We’ve tried the radio and no answer. So yes, I think it’s overrun.”
“And, what do you want to do?”
“I was thinking about trying to find an island off the coast of Australia. Maybe go as far south as the Bass Strait Islands and find somewhere we can build our own settlement on. But Michelle thinks that without people, it’s just a matter of time before something happens. Even with four, we won’t be able to safely raise families or have someone look after us when we’re old.”
“Until now, Michelle hasn't wanted to have a family. She loves kids, but used to say that she has lots of nephews and nieces, so why does the planet need her to have a family? Like your family, they aren't answering the phone. Michelle says we need people.”
“So what are we going to do?”, asked Jennifer, “have you decided?”
“We want to go to Kauri and at least have a look. If that doesn’t work, we’ll go back to Australia and find people. But there are four of us now, not two. We want you both to be happy that it’s the right thing to do.”
“Well we can’t stay here, can we? When are we leaving?”
“If you and Alex agree, we'll leave in the morning.”
- 9 -
“What is it with Firestone”, asked Bevan, “I'd heard they'd blocked off the town.”
“Yes”, said Matthew, “they were turning everyone away when we were there.”
“Yes, but not us, and not Tim”, said Grady.
“And?”, asked Bevan.
“Tim and everyone on the management committee want to reach out to them, but Matthew's a little annoyed with them.”
“I can understand that”, said Bevan, “So what are you going to do?”
“We're going to reach out to them. It's the smart thing to do”, said Matthew.
“I'd like to say something”, said Daniel. Valerie realised he'd been silent for a while.
“At the moment you are how many, 140?”
“147, plus the nomads and the newlyweds.”
“Right, and we're forty-two. Do you think we're all better off if we join together?”
“We're struggling for security and I'm concerned about transport. Both are things you can help us with. I think we're all far better off together”, said Matthew.
“Ok, but I think we'll also need a place on the permanent committee. Assuming that can be arranged, we'd like to join together. Here's what I'd like to propose…” started Daniel.
- 10 -
After love, Valerie needed to talk about the agreement.
“Baby, why do you think they want to merge our groups?”, she asked her husband.
After thirty years of marriage, he knew that she wanted to tell him what she thought.
“Not sure. What do you think?”
“I think he's telling the truth. They want their kids in school, the non-soldiers living more normal lives, and they think it's safer here. But what I don't understand is why they haven't moved from where they are already.”
“That new cop guy is going to take me over there tomorrow, so I guess I'll find out then”, said Matthew.
“Do you want to go again?”
“Go to sleep, you randy old goat, I need to think.”
Valerie smiled when her husband's breathing changed three minutes later.
- 11 -
The next morning, Valerie got another call from Juan. They were going to Kauri Island.
- 12 -
Later that day, Bevan Ronald, Matthew Nicolls, and two of Grady's people got into Bevan's Hawkei for the fifteen-minute trip to McPherson.
“Did you guys hear the storm last night?”, asked Matthew as they drove off.
“Nope”, said Mick and John in unison. Bevan just shook his head.
“No, me neither, but Valerie heard it. It didn't come directly over us. She heard the wind and there was thunder off in the distance.”
No one seemed interested in talking, so Matthew shut up. Bevan drove through the gates and headed towards McPherson. They crossed the causeway at a crawl as the water was up over the road. They turned right at the fork a few kilometres from the barrier, and Matthew pointed out Bill Norton's place as they went past. At the highway, they turned left and headed towards McPherson. Bevan turned left before the turnoff to the base.
“Isn't it the next street?”, asked Matthew.
“Nope”, said Bevan, who smiled at Matthew. “These army guys are sneaky bastards.”
The vehicle turned into a grungy looking sheep farm that appeared to be slowly going broke. A dozen or so sheep wandered around, and a gravel path led to the farmhouse and a large shed.
Bevan turned towards the shed and drove into its open doors, where he stopped. Doors at the other end of the shed opened to reveal a ramp that led underground. Bevan drove forward again. It felt like going into an underground car park. After two turns right and down, they entered a vast underground cavern. Bevan stopped and got out of the car. The others followed.
“This is the army depot”, said Bevan. “The above ground facili
ty is mostly for show, and for less secretive supplies, like building products and wheat.”
Matthew finally understood. The Sergeant didn't want his people living in a bunker.
“There's one more thing you don't know yet”, said Bevan. “You need to meet the other Sergeant to understand this base.”
- 13 -
The Winery was always intended to be ‘environmentally friendly’. Producing its own electricity with five windmills and dozens of solar panels. The cattle station and camp cabins were also capable of being off grid.
The Colony Page 13