Tornado sirens, programmable freeway signs, even those annoying ‘Your Speed:’ signs near schools were some of the first things to be updated. Individual solar panels, transponders, and inverters were mounted on or near these new replacements. The inverters held three large 12v batteries connected in series, and the larger signs even required an additional three batteries connected in parallel to the first.
This meant that almost everything needed to supply indefinite power was strung up on all around them, if he could get enough of them. The thick ash chocking the sun meant that Allen needed to get three or four times the solar panels that would have normally been needed. One of the main components of this plan would be the backup batteries used by Voice over Internet Providers, which hung about 15 feet from the ground, and were spaced out about every quarter mile on power poles, these boxes stored energy to provide emergency phone power during electrical outages. Access to just one or two boom trucks, found in equipment rental and energy provider’s parking lots, would ensure that the lights would not go out on Allen’s new team.
Walking out of the double set of glass front doors, Allen adding them to his growing list of things needing modification. He saw Troy standing at the parking lot’s entrance, talking to several people that Allen did not recognize. No one in the small crowd looked armed, with the exception of Troy, who wore a holstered pistol on his police issue belt. Allen spun his rifle to the front as he casually walked around the circle drive, which provided drop-off access to the front doors before curving off into the parking lot. All Troy needed was a velvet rope to complete the ‘giant bouncer holding people at bay’ look.
When Troy noticed that the people were looking past him, he turned and said, “Ah, here he is now.”
“What’s up, Troy?” Allen asked smoothly, searching the faces that stared back at him, and his rifle.
“Oh, these people all live around here. They saw us setting up inside, and, I guess, they were kind of hoping to…maybe…join us,” Troy said very diplomatically. He then quickly added, “I told ‘em that I would have to talk to you first.”
“I see,” Allen replied, giving an approving nod to the tall man. He took a step in front of Troy because he was feeling a little scrawny standing right next to him. “Well, two questions for you all then. Do you have any guns? And are you willing to give all your food, as well as anything else you have in your homes, over to our little…community?” He smiled just wide enough to convey that this would ensure their safety.
Allen could make out three separate couples and one lone female. The couples all started nodding at once, one of the men even adding that he owned several deer rifles and shotguns, all of which he would be willing to let people use. The lone female just stood with her arms crossed in a frigid-looking pose, staring at her shuffling, slippered feet.
Allen looked directly at her, waiting for her to meet his gaze before saying, “Is there a problem? We are offering the safety of a large group. If…you want to join, that is. That’s it. Nothing more. If we all work together…Well, we should all live through this temporarily, first. Once things cool down a bit on the roads, and around here, we should be able to walk right out of here…” Seeing that this did not have the desired effect, he continued, “Troy here is a good guy. I will be putting him in charge of most things around here. The main one being security. With all of us helping, we can lock this place down tight. We have some limited power, and foo…”
“What about our kids?” the woman interrupted. “I have a daughter. What about her?” she asked, with a steely-eyed stare that bore into Allen.
Having obviously misread the woman, he laughed briefly. Smiling broadly at her, Allen said, “I understand. Most of us have children, and that is probably the best motivator for people...” Allen stopped himself. He thought about what he had planned for today. This woman had legitimate concerns; especially about him. His thoughts gathered once again, Allen now felt his smile slip a bit. He hoped the others hadn’t noticed the internal conflict that he was having of right vs. wrong, weighing in against self-preservation. “I’m sorry, what is your name?”