“Okay, then what happens in situations like this? When someone in the fort does something wrong, what’s the process? Is there a trial? A board of leaders make a decision?” Nick asked. Yara and Marcus only looked at each other with blank stares.
“Other than the group of soldiers who killed incoming survivors, we haven’t had any crime here,” Marcus revealed. There was silence in the room as the cogs turned in everyone’s brains. This was a pivotal moment for Fort Vanguard that would set the standards for future situations.
“A trial…” Marcus repeated, letting the words trail off.
“We could let her speak in front of the community. Tell her story,” Kate, who had remained in uncomfortable silence until that point, chimed in. While Kate was no stranger to vengeance, she understood that Morgan’s predicament posed a threat to the stability of Fort Vanguard.
Kate’s suggestion sparked a productive conversation, one which led to a solution and ended with bringing Morgan in to explain the circumstances. Morgan stated that she was not interested in a trial. She was satisfied with what she had done and did not feel the need to explain her actions before a crowd. This was understandable. However, the alternative option was sending her away from the military installation.
Marcus and Yara were not keen on sending people away, even if the decision was amicable. Fort Vanguard was meant to be a safe haven for all. More than that, Nick and Kate had shared what life was like solo and nomadic. No moment was ever secure, and peace was a far-off dream.
After much discussion, Morgan agreed to stand before the community and explain what she had done.
The next day, Yara, Marcus and the other administrators of Fort Vanguard crafted a platform in the sizable meal room. Nick and Kate stood at the side of the stage. They were not integral participants of this event, but they were witnesses and wouldcome to the center to speak if necessary. Marcus stood at a podium with Yara at his right side.
Members of the community were ushered in and seated. Upon seeing Morgan sitting on stage, some were visibly fearful. Others were angry, while the rest looked curious or bored. Once everyone was seated and settled in, the room was alive with low murmuring as the residents of the fort gossiped and shared what information they thought they had about what was happening.
“Welcome, everyone. Thank you for being here. We’re gathered to address a situation that occurred yesterday. As we grow and evolve as a community, we are going to encounter unprecedented events that will require us to form solutions together. I want things to be transparent. I want everyone to have a voice. And I want us to come together in agreement as we deal with obstacles and conflicts.” Marcus cleared his throat and turned to Yara, who nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“Recently, we have had several newcomers. One of which was stabbed to death by another yesterday. We immediately detained the person responsible and questioned her. After speaking with her in depth, it has been discovered that her actions may have been justified. We will hear her side of the story along with witnesses and decide the next course of action. Morgan, whenever you’re ready.”
Marcus stepped back from the podium and faced Morgan. As the attention settled on her, she shifted in her seat, took a deep breath, and lifted her chin high as she prepared her words.
“Umm, hello. Thank you for hearing what I have to say. I’ll try not to bore you with my whole life story, but I feel a bit of context is relevant to painting the full picture for you all.” Morgan cleared her throat. “My brother and I grew up in your typical shitty family. My mother was a drunken cheat, and my father worked too much to care what we did. I’m the oldest, so I spent my childhood playing parent to a brother who got into moretrouble than I can remember. When our father finally got tired of the life he had, he split, and our mom moved in with some guy. One day, we just came home from school, and the house was empty. Weeks passed before we stopped listening for our parents’ cars in the driveway or expecting them to walk through the door.”
Morgan’s face reddened as she retold her past. While she spoke, she lifted her head intermittently to look out at the crowd, but most of the time, she stared at the floor.
“I dropped out three months before graduation to pick up another job to pay the bills. And just when I thought I was going to lose the house, the world went crazy. It was scary at first. Then, it was just staying inside the house. There were no more bills. No more phone calls. No more work. Just survival.
“We were running out of food, and the neighborhood wasn’t safe. So, my brother and I packed what we could into bookbags and headed out. We met a man who said we could stay with him. He said he had food and weapons. He invited us inside, and we thought we had hit the jackpot. But the moment we walked into his house, everything felt wrong. There was a nauseating smell.” Morgan shuddered as if recalling the odor. She breathed in, preparing to continue her story. When she looked up at the mosaic of faces, each one was focused on her, desperately waiting for her next words.
“The first few days were fine. He kept us fed and took out any of the creatures that came near the house. But he spent a lot of time in the shed, and my brother said it was weird. One morning, my brother woke me up. He told me I needed to come with him right away. He led me to the shed and showed me that the man had forgotten to padlock the door.
“My brother opened the door just an inch, but it was all we needed to see inside. One of those monsters was chained to a metal pole. It wasn’t really moving, but it was breathingand making these breathy growling sounds. It was blindfolded. There was an empty plate next to it and flies buzzing all around. The smell of rotten meat started to waft out, and I almost threw up. We decided to grab our packs and quietly slip out while the man slept. Except when we turned around, he was standing right behind us.
“We took off before he could grab us. I thought my lungs were going to explode with how fast and far we ran. I don’t know if that guy was a lunatic or if he was just keeping a family member alive, but we couldn’t risk it. We were back where we started, scrounging for supplies and food. I was horrified when my brother showed me the gun he’d swiped from the man. He didn’t know anything about guns, but I figured it might keep us safe if we found ourselves backed into a corner by the monsters. When your people came and looted the hardware store we had holed up in, he just started shooting. I told him he was shooting at people and not monsters, but he just kept firing. Then, we took off… but we attracted the creatures, and we found ourselves right in the middle of them when we ran out the back of that building. Josh turned back around and slipped into the store. The horde was right on my heels, but when I tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge. I could hear that guy screaming at Josh to move, to open the door for me, but nothing happened.
“I gave up so much to try and keep us alive, even before the virus. It only took him a second to decide it meant nothing to him. That my life meant nothing to him. What I did, it wasn’t the right thing. But when I saw him standing there after leaving me to die, I saw red. I’m sorry that it happened right there in front of everyone. I just—” Morgan lowered her head and sobbed. Other than a few whispers, the room stayed silent. Marcus stepped back up to the podium.
“Thank you, Morgan. Nick, could you please step up and describe what you saw that day?”
The moment his name was spoken, trepidation surged through him. He strode toward the center of the stage and stood beside Marcus. After clearing his throat, Nick began his retelling of what was meant to be a simple loot run. The crowd of people clung to every syllable.
Once finished, Marcus thanked him and took center stage again.
“Now that we have all the information, we must decide how to move forward. I’d like to open up the floor to any suggestions. So that we maintain order, let’s raise our hands to ensure only one person is speaking. Also, let’s remember that we are dealing with human beings, people with feelings, so let’s keep it respectful.”
Yara, ever-diligent, produced a notebook and pen, ready to write down suggestions or concerns. Several hands shot up, and Marcus called on each one individually.
“It sounds like this was a one-off. Unlikely to happen again.”
“I’d have done the same thing if my brother pulled some shit like that.”
“We can’t just leave her to roam free with so many weapons around.”
“Do we even have a jail set up here?”
“Jail? That seems extreme.”
