Doomsday America

Chapter 106 The Signs of the Collapse of Modern Civilization

"Yes, that's something I've always been worried about."

Listening to old Bert's words, Gavin placed his hands on the control panel and looked at old Bert with a calm expression.

There are some things he won't say to everyone in the team, but Old Bert is the only senior member of the team. Compared to the other young people, Old Bert may have lost his youth, but he has gained more experience and maturity.

So, Gavin, leaning on the control panel, said to old Bert with a thoughtful expression.

"After I returned to the farm, I didn't rush to find a way out for all of us, because the sparse population around the farm meant that the manor was unlikely to be attacked by a horde of thousands of zombies in the short term."

"As long as no living person guides the tens of thousands of zombies in the surrounding cities, then in our manor, there are no large cities within 50 kilometers to the west and no towns with more than 3,000 people within nearly 100 kilometers to the east."

"I estimate that zombies won't be a big problem for us for at least six months."

At this point, Gavin released the control panel, sat down in the chair next to old Bert, and continued.

"And in the last six months, the most likely threat to us is the reservoir in the northwest, but... none of us know anything about it."

"As for the power plant, I know nothing about power plants. I don't know how many employees there are, and I don't know if walking into a power plant that is still in operation without a power outage might cause a worse reaction."

"Could we attract zombies and cause chaos, leading to the zombies accidentally touching certain facilities, causing the power plant to completely collapse or even explode?"

"Or what if a team member accidentally gets electrocuted in a powered power plant, causing an unexpected loss of life?"

At this point, Gavin took off his cowboy hat and rubbed his hair, which had been pressed down by the hat all day.

While rubbing his head, he continued speaking in an almost indifferent tone.

"Because I don't understand, I don't dare to lead everyone to act rashly. You may have already noticed, old friend, all our actions are based on the premise that I and the members will not encounter too much danger."

"There is so much we don't know, and half-baked knowledge and hearsay can't help us maintain and care for every kind of large industrial facility with absolute accuracy."

"Before the apocalypse, we could never have imagined that we would need to learn countless life skills and professional techniques to cope with the apocalypse."

"I was busy making money, busy playing ball, busy improving my reputation, while everyone on our team was just busy living their own lives."

"Work, support your family, make money, eat and drink – that's basically everyone's life."

"Therefore, apart from those engaged in specialized work, the vast majority of ordinary people do not engage in professional and in-depth learning of other technologies outside of their own jobs."

"Would an electrician study the operation and maintenance of CNC lathes while working?"

"Would a carpenter learn the principles of crude oil refining and fractionation while working?"

“Look to the northwest, there’s a power station there, a reservoir there, and there’s also a regional power grid near Richards Town, all built and formed around the hydroelectric power station.”

"If we can find survivors with relevant expertise to join the team, we may have a chance to use the Chambers Hydroelectric Power Station to maintain the continuous operation of the regional power grid and keep the Richards Lake District's electricity supply as an important industrial base."

"The reconstruction of the regional power grid is the core foundation for the maintenance and normal operation of Chambers Reservoir."

"I didn't want my home to be washed away by floods instead of being overrun by zombies, which is why I decided to take back the hydroelectric power station as soon as I got back to the farm."

"But the damn problem of not having enough people has kept me from taking action. Because we can't solve the basics, we're not qualified to do more!"

At this point, Gavin gently patted the armrest of his chair, then whispered to old Bert, "..."

"Old Bert, do you know approximately how many employees the power plant has?"

"Ha, I happen to know that. I've been drinking in Richard Town a few times and met some of the employees who work there. There are probably... at least eighty of them."

"very good."

Gavin nodded in satisfaction. Old Bert had drunk some good wine!

So he continued to ask old Bert.

"Do you know where the power plant employees usually rest? Do they have dormitories at the power plant, or do they live in Richardstown?"

"Well... I think at least a dozen households in Richard Town are employees of the power plant, but I don't know about the others. Oh, by the way, the person in charge of the power plant lives in our resort area; I've fished with him before."

Old Bert answered, while Gavin shook his head noncommittally.

They've been active near the resort area more than once in the last two days. If there were any living people in the resort, they would have noticed them long ago.

Therefore, we can't count on this person in charge.

But Richardtown...

Gavin pursed his lips and asked softly.

"Old buddy, do you know the population of Richard Town? I remember it had about three thousand people. Is it still the same now?"

"No, there are fewer people there than before, maybe two thousand seven or two thousand eight, because some have moved to our farm town."

Old Bert responded thoughtfully.

Upon hearing this, Gavin nodded, then got up and walked towards the door of the control center.

Seeing that Gavin was about to leave, old Bert adjusted his wheelchair and spoke to Gavin's retreating figure from afar.

"Gavin, even the strongest person needs a safe space to confide in."

"If you have something to talk to, you might consider me, an old man. Every day of an old man's life could be his last, so I have nothing to worry about."

"I will, but not now. Right now, I need to talk to my team members about happy things."

Gavin smiled and waved to old Bert, then strode out of the control center.

From a distance, the team approached Gavin.

Before they could get close, Gavin waved his hand with a smile.

"Old Bert and William are still reliable, guys. All the facilities on the estate are working perfectly. We can still enjoy taking baths, going clubbing, and playing games!"

"So stop crowding around me. Your boss is a damn rich man. What's a power outage? Even God can't do anything about rich people. Our good days are yet to come!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gavin laughed and put his arm around Madison, hanging himself on Madison's shoulder, and walked down the corridor into the hall.

Although Gavin spoke casually, the members all followed him to the lobby without prior arrangement.

As for why...

The beginning of the apocalypse was marked by a full-blown zombie crisis.

However, the sign of the gradual collapse of human society and modern civilization is the three-stop event after the end of the world!
Internet outage, power outage, water outage!

One is to sever the connection between people, turning humanity from a unified social network into isolated islands that cannot be connected.

The other two are cascading phenomena; a power outage inevitably leads to a water outage, since electricity is the core of modern civilization, which is beyond doubt.

At this moment, I look at the pairs of eyes in front of me that are trying their best to hide their unease beneath their pupils.

Gavin knew what they were uneasy about.

If humanity still has the chance to continue for decades or centuries, then the first day of the zombie outbreak and the third day of the power and water outages...

These will all be historical turning points that will be remembered by every living person.

That is also a sign of the collapse of civilization!

So, facing the uneasy team members, Gavin grinned, let go of Old Mike, pushed open the door, and pointed to the car parked outside.

"Guys, if you're free, come help us move some stuff. We searched a whole truckload of goods and found a big surprise along the way!"

"A surprise?" Hearing this, Winnie pursed her lips, put on a smile, and leaned close to Gavin to ask.

"What surprise? Is it Little Horse?"

"Ha, well, there's nothing we can do about it. The farm doesn't have any ponies right now, but we found a big cat."

Gavin chuckled and rubbed Winnie's head, then reached out and knocked on the Raptor's rear door.

At the same time, Bruce, the only male dog, also brought three female dogs close to the Raptor vehicle and kept thrashing about.

They've already smelled the aroma that excites them!
Click~

Gavin opened the back door, and the four dogs immediately rushed to his legs, sniffing the large cat curled up in the back seat.

"what!"

The Maine Coon was terrified by the four unfamiliar dogs. Its fur stood on end, and its bushy tail stood up like a club, with every single hair radiating danger!
"Wow!"

Seeing the orange Maine Coon cat explode into a huge ball, Winnie let out an exaggerated "Wow!" and pounced on the big cat impatiently.

"careful!"

Doris cried out uneasily, but the Maine Coon was, after all, a domestic cat, and a working cat, so even though it hissed repeatedly, it didn't show its claws to Winnie, letting the little devil raise its hand and touch its head.

Maine Coon cats, also known as sailor cats, are large cats that were often kept on ships on long voyages to catch mice in the cabins.

Therefore, Maine Coon cats inherently possess a killing instinct towards mice and a bloodline gene that allows them to be more closely related to different humans.

After Winnie and the Maine Coon had gotten to know each other for a minute or two, the little devil picked up the enormous cat and walked into the manor.

"Winnie, take the cat to the botanical garden. It should like it there. And don't let the dog scare it."

Gavin called out to Winnie from afar, and Winnie nodded and walked toward the botanical garden.

After watching them walk away, Gavin pointed to the pickup truck full of bullets and laughed.

“The kid has finished his work, now it’s our turn. We need to get this done before Eugene and the other guy come back, or we’ll miss our mealtime.”

At this point, the busy work of moving and sorting gradually took over everyone's minds.

After everyone had sorted out the last few batteries and sent them into the warehouse.

Eugene and Steve were also driving back in their Dodge Mammoths from afar.

With a powerful drift, Eugene stopped the car dozens of meters away from the crowd, jumped out of the driver's seat, and waved smugly.

"Haha, guys, you don't need to be so polite, even the boss is greeting me at the door, haha!"

"Get out of my way, I'm taking over my chief cowboy's duties!"

Gavin laughed and shoved Eugene aside, then slowly asked Steve.

"So, Steve, did you run into any problems putting up the signs?"

"Nothing serious, it's as quiet as if all of humanity has died out, especially after the power went out. Damn it, the darkness on the way back makes me uneasy!"

Steve shook his head, recalling the night he had passed through.

When there is electricity, there are always some lights to be seen, day or night. Even after sunset, the streetlights on the highway in front of the manor are always on.

But tonight...

On their way back, Eugene and Steve were in complete darkness; the only thing that gave them a sense of security was their own headlights.

Although the darkness did not frighten the two, looking at the darkness in front of them, they couldn't help but think of an entire dark world.

That feeling of emptiness, as if only they were still alive, was something that even the two strong men couldn't easily alleviate.

Soldiers are strong enough, right?
Aren't they afraid of being locked up in solitary confinement?
Steve had to admit that when he saw the manor still flickering with lights from his car, he was deeply moved.

At that moment, he was almost overwhelmed by happiness!
Noticing the relieved look in Steve's eyes, Gavin patted Steve on the shoulder.

"Let's go home and have dinner first. I have something to say after dinner."

After saying that, Gavin and Eugene put the raptor and mammoth into the garage and then went back to the restaurant from there.

Doris had prepared the meal at 5:30, and now she was just reheating it.

And everyone ate much faster, without prior agreement.

Old Bert, as usual, drank two glasses, and everyone else, craving more, followed suit and drank some red wine as well.

When Steve wanted to drink, Gavin stopped him, and from that moment on, Steve's expression remained serious.

After dinner, Gavin checked the time: 6:48.

So he gathered all the field staff in the lobby, sat on the sofa, and spoke to them crisply and decisively.

"Tomorrow, suspend the search of the small farm area, and also pause the signage. We need to shift our focus to Richard Town!"

"town?"

Upon hearing Gavin's words, Eugene pursed his lips and said uncertainly.

"How many people are there in that place? A thousand, two thousand? We definitely can't take it down if we try, so we can only lure the zombies away. Is that what you mean, boss?"

"That's right!"

Gavin nodded, confirming Eugene's statement, and continued.

"However, the evacuation will not be tomorrow, but tonight. Fortunately, the power is out now, and the night after the power outage will allow us to more effectively find and search for the survivors."

"what?"

Steve was startled by Gavin's words and quickly said to Gavin.

"Boss, are we going to lure away the main zombie horde in Richard Town tonight? How? With helicopters? Are we finally going to use helicopters?"

“That’s right, it’s time for helicopters to come in handy.”

Gavin slapped his thigh as he spoke.

"Before the power went out in Texas, the overall lighting across the state was basically the same as at the moment the apocalypse began."

"Although there are far fewer lights around 3 a.m. compared to the prime time, there are still a considerable number of light sources that can affect our judgment."

"As for now, things have become simpler. After the blackout has completely arrived, any light we can see at night is most likely the presence of at least one survivor."

"Besides, if the survivors were lucky enough to survive and deal with the zombies in their homes while the water and electricity were still running, what do you think they would do? Would they immediately leave their homes and rush into the dangerous outside world?"

At this point, Gavin shook his head and explained.

"If I didn't have Gavin Farm as a near-perfect campsite, Madison and I would most likely have chosen a secluded house after escaping the zombie-infested villa and stayed there until we ran out of food and water!"

"In other words, a simple zombie crisis is not enough to motivate survivors to explore."

"But now that the water and electricity have completely disappeared, the living conditions of the survivors have immediately become harsh."

"Water scarcity will force them to leave their safe living environment, search for bottled water in various places, or simply move to the wild where there are water sources to survive!"

"It was from this moment on that the survivors were forced to truly take action in the face of crisis!"

(End of this chapter)