[hr][center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/fb17f8a8-b7c6-4b12-bfba-d9bc84684357.jpg[/img][/center][hr] Diana sat in the saddle keeping a watchful eye out as Redhawk drank from a stream before crossing and allowed herself to admire the beautiful mountain scenery around her. The birds sang in the trees a good sign that there were no infected nearby as butterflies with powder yellow green wings sprinkled with tiny brown spots. The looked like Cloudless Sulphurs, Phoebis sennae Linnaeus a fact that struck her as odd considering their range was normally found in the south east but with the altered climate among other things who could say? She had gone up into the mountains after the farm she’d made refuge was raided while she and Redhawk had been out gathering things to make poultices. She had lost a lot in the raid but the past five years had taught her to never leave home unless she was prepared for a long trip and never leave her medical equipment or those things she might need if she were forced to run. She had lost her box of blank leather bound journals which she’d scavenged from the remains of a bookstore leaving her the four filled journals and two blanks; to her a tragedy. (Some dam bandit is using my paper a but wipe or fire starter) she thought as she nudged Redhawk forward to continue to follow the game trail she was on. [hr][center][h3]Calaveras Coroner’s Office a little over 5 years past[/h3][/center][hr] [b]”Alright everyone settle down we don’t have long DHS has drafted all of us under the National Security provisions and your complaints are useless.”[/b] Said Doctor Besner in his deep and rich voice [b]”What do these tyrants think they can just come in here and start giving orders and drag us away; don’t they know that we’re working on a solution to the Pandemic with UC?”[/b] demanded Doctor Kestler The two black clad DHS officers acted as if they wanted to interject but held back allow the County Coroner to try and restore order which Doctor Besner did with one of his shut your mouth looks. Diana as usual sat in the back of the 5 other doctors who worked here relaxed and waiting till she might be called on not enjoying any unnecessary attention. As the youngest Doctor there and barely out of school she knew she’d be seen as little more than a junior who should have remained quiet which she did better than anyone. Doctor Besner told the group how UC was now a hell hole of infected and how all their work now meant nothing without the labs there to do the experiments suggested by their research. He explained why they’d been hearing gunfire all day and how the troops sent to guard the Hospital and Coroner’s offices and labs were now needed to help with the evacuation. He told them that incidents of infected patients attacking their Doctors had depleted the supply of trained medical staff and that they were now more concerned with the living so they were now going to be split into pairs with the coroner’s assistants and techs pressed as nurses. [hr][center][h3]On the run with the Irregulars[/h3][/center][hr] It had been a rough 2 years since Diana had enjoyed her old quiet and gently paced life and from what she’d been able to find out she was the last of her old life all her friends and colleagues now gone; she’d watch Kestler die along with the nurses about 6 months ago. It was now all such a blur of faces gone but not forgotten and she was using her memory to look into that peaceful past when Sergent Wains stepped into the former 7/11 now turned triage medcenter. [b]”Doc the Captain says we’re bugging out in two hours any can’t move on their own and awake offer them a hotshot and those that ain’t do yourself; no need they suffer when the stampede gets here. If you want I can get one of the Greenies to help or do it for you.”[/b] offered the formally fat and formerly retired Chief Petty officer. [hr][center][h3]Last Woman Standing 3 months Past[/h3][/center][hr] Diana used to think of Sacramento as a pretty town but now she would forever remember as where she’d lost Sergent Wains, Todd Three fingers, Maggie Simpson and Christophe Papalos the last of the Irregulars. She didn’t look back as she urged Redhawk a beautiful Gelding given to her as reward for saving the baby of a group of people traveling higher into the Cascades; why hadn’t Tom just allowed their group to join them? He had wanted to continue scavenging for supplies in the outskirts of Sacramento a bad decision because the towns were fief to infected and Warlords the later two legged beasts the death of her party and all she could do was bugout after watching two of her friends murdered. She was the Last of the Irregulars, a lone wolf in a world of hunters out for her blood or worse; she’d seen the results for young women captured by bandits and planned on ending herself rather than face such a terrible death. [hr][center][h3]What a Strange Sight My Eyes Beheld[/h3][/center][hr] The game trail followed the backside of a ridge and before she moved over it like an Idiot Diana made sure her backtrail was clear then found a temporary hiding spot for Redhawk then squat walked up to the top of the ridge finishing her last 15 feet on her belly. She never knew what she might see when she peeked over ridges but she knew it was better to do it on your belly than walk or ride over it and silhouette herself to any dangers the other side. What she saw filled her with excitement and worry in one neat and itchy ball of yarn; a windmill. It was a dam Windmill she was sure of it even though she only caught a glimpse of the blade tips as they lifted higher the the top of a smaller ridge about a mile away where judging by the fact it was moving meat it was attended by people that had the skills and knowhow to keep it turning. Ducking back over her side of the ridge Diana sat scratching her head as she tried to think of her next move. She thought about it making an internal list [list] [*]Windmills took skill to keep operating meaning who ever owned it had enough supplies to feed people to do the work. [*]Electricity, windmills meant electricity and that meant water pumps, lights, electric motors, and maybe even hot water; dam she could use a hot shower. [*]People, wind turbines could put out as much as 2.5 to 3 Megawatts making for around 6 million Kilowatt hours a year supplying enough power for around 1,000 to 1;500 homes [*]Electricity meant power of a different sort as well, political power, military power[/list] It wasn’t that she minded military types just tyrannical ones so she sat and struggled with what her next move was.