The Connected System

“How’s it going,” Loch asked Kristin.

She sat at a small desk to the side of the main doors into the school, at the base of the steps leading to the office. They’d taken it from one of the upstairs classrooms. All the furniture was being stacked outside to form makeshift walls, but they’d kept a couple of the desks. Which were now scattered around the large entrance lobby. Workstations. Only Kristin’s was full.

A short blond woman, mid-thirties, with long blond hair. She’d been an Administrative Assistant before the Connection. Once Julia’s census had found her, she’d been recruited to help complete it and then promoted to her new position.

Loch wasn’t sure it was a promotion.

She was still an Admin Assistant, but was now one to Ed Turner and himself.

There were notebooks and random papers covering her desk, along with a couple of pencils. A binder sat at the edge, the thickest they could find, filled with lined paper that had been three-hole punched. That was the census, a listing of every person currently staying at the school, along with their relevant skills and lots of other information.

Having her was an idea of Ed’s, recognizing the need of someone to organize everything having to do with their growing community. She had a record of the food and how it was to be distributed. Kristin also knew who was staying in which of the many classrooms. They had tried to keep it so a family got a classroom to themselves, but there were too many people.

Among the many projects that had been started, a team of workers were installing partitions to make the large classrooms into smaller rooms, to give people more privacy.

Another of Kristin’s roles was to keep track of all those projects. Luckily she had a couple people helping her. They were who the other desks were for.

Loch didn’t know where they were and didn’t care, assuming they were doing their jobs. All of them, three men and women along with Kristin, had pledged themselves to Clan Brady.

“Good Lord Lochlan,” Kristin said.

Loch grimaced. He’d tried to get her, and others, to stop with the Lord but it was hopeless. Cerie called him that and they had started to adopt it. Especially once they’d joined the Clan. He was the leader of the Clan and until he gave himself an official title, they would use Lord.

He hated it.

“Jeff and a group of hunters left this morning. Heading to the woods to the north to look for game. Thomas and a couple others with gardening and farming backgrounds are checking the soil conditions of the ball fields across the street.”

Loch knew they wouldn’t be able to grow crops before winter. The food situation wasn’t dire yet, but it would be soon and that was before they started stocking for the winter. An unforeseen benefit, although it should have been thought of, about moving to the schools as finding its supply of food.

He knew the high school, along with the now disappeared middle school, had been part of a program that brought fresh food to the schools almost daily. There hadn’t been a large stock of that and what they found had already turned bad. As had the frozen food, dairy and other things kept in the refrigerator. That had been a disappointment but finding a lot of canned food and dry goods had not been a disappointment.

Ed had quickly had some of Darren’s guards confiscate it all. Some of the people had been eyeing it hungrily. Loch assumed a small amount had already been pilfered. A granola bar or two, nothing that would be noticeable. He knew he should probably have someone search the survivors to find the food but he just couldn’t.

They were all hungry and would get hungrier still.

One of Kristin’s team was cataloging the food they’d found.

More people had been sent out to scavenge the nearby houses and buildings. They were to get all the canned and dried goods, camping supplies, non-power tools, clothes, blankets and anything else that would be useful.

Or could be turned into weapons.

Outside there was a steady stream of wagons and wheelbarrows back and forth from the school to the closest houses. With the now permanent move to the school, the scavengers could make multiple trips.

An emphasis had been put on winter gear too. Jackets, hats, gloves, snowshoes or cross country skis. Winter was coming and they had to be prepared.

Darren’s guards, the few there were, kept a watchful eye over all of it, except the hunters in the woods. The scavenging was kept to the nearby houses for now. Further out would need to be cleared of monsters or guards accompanying the scavengers. There just weren’t enough people that seemed to have the relevant skills or ability to Advance along that path. They needed more guards.

The test Loch had done with the swords was repeated. Anyone that seemed to have an aptitude, or feeling that they could, with a weapon was added to the guard roster. Darren had spent most of the last days in his new office, going over the list of guards, which ones had Levels, working out the watch rotation and figuring out how to start a training program.

He sat up ranks, asking Loch’s input. Which Loch had refused to give. Darren knew the people he’d worked with better than Loch. He could assign the ranks as he saw fit. If he needed Loch to give some authority, he would, but that was it.

It was that way with everyone. Loch didn’t want to micromanage, didn’t want to manage at all. He had no problem being the high Level Clanlord that was the muscle when needed. He’d leave the day to day stuff to everyone else.

“Okay,” Loch said, figuring he’d done enough leadering for the day, and it was just mid-morning. “Sounds good.”

He walked out the doors, stopping at the top of the stairs. Two guards, with swords in makeshift scabbards, stood on either side. They gave a couple of rough salutes. Loch returned it, wondering if they should come up with something of their own. It just felt odd using the American salute and not be in the service.

Was there even a military anymore? Had the government in Washington survived? There was no phones or internet, if someone had managed to keep the government intact, it would be a very long time before any news reached New Hampshire.

Loch walked down the steps, heading down the ruined asphalt drive. Some people had already started clearing it up, removing the largest chunks to add to the makeshift wall along the roads. It probably wasn’t necessary at this stage of the Clan’s growth, but it gave people something to do.

And right now, that was important.

Kristin, Thomas and Jeff were going through the census, finding people that could be potential Crafters, Farmers, Laborers. The one thing Loch had pushed on was making sure everyone in the growing Clan was kept busy.

He walked past the building covering the dungeon entrance, two guards out front. They didn’t salute and neither did Loch. He didn’t call them out on it either. There was a chance they didn’t even know who he was. It wasn’t like anyone went around proclaiming him as the Clanlord.

He really needed a better title.

There had been a two story building, the parking lot surrounding it on the sides and back. Loch had forgotten what it had been used for. White, like all the wooden buildings on the small campus. It had disappeared, the materials taken and used as fuel for the Worldcore. Grass had been left in its place.

Now wood was being stacked and piled on the grass. Nothing that was useful for building. Scraps that could be burned. Winter was coming and they had to figure out a way to provide heat. Late the previous night, Loch had met a man that he hoped had the solution.

Eric Boyer had been a mechanical engineer. The Connection may have made everything he’d designed obsolete, but it hadn’t stolen his knowledge. He hoped he’d be able to convert the school’s boiler into something that could burn wood. All the duct work still existed, capable of sending heat throughout the building. They just needed a way to generate that heat.

There were still a couple months before the temperature started dropping, but it was going to come fast. They had to be ready.

Food was the biggest issue.

Loch walked around the piles of wood, heading for the church at the edge of campus. He could see someone up in the belltower. They’d just gotten it open and he wanted to see what the view was like.

Screams came from behind the school.

Loch turned, Activating Windstep, glad to see others already running in that direction. He’d beat them. It took two Windsteps to make it behind the building where he paused, trying to figure out where to go next.

There were some trees behind the school, but most of it was an open grassy field with a gentle slope down to the shore of Harvey Lake. Canoes and kayaks, most scavenged from houses along the shore of the lake, were scattered around the trees. The screams were coming from the shore.

A small group of people were backing up, scrambling to get up the slope and away from the water. Behind them, bursting onto the grassy shore was a turtle. The largest Loch had ever seen. It was massive, the size of an elephant, maybe even bigger.

There had been a snapping turtle living in the lake. An old one, about two or three feet in length. Loch had seen it on a rock before, he’d never heard of anyone encountering it when swimming or boating in the lake.

This had to be that turtle, changed by the Connection.

Adapted.

It was now a Connected Beast.

Loch used Windstep, covering the last couple dozen feet. He appeared between the people and the monstrous turtle, Onyx in hand and Bulwark appearing on his left arm. He Activated Offensive Stance, not bothering with Aura Of Attack. The people around him, men and women, were all below Level 5.

The turtle stopped, its head shifting to look at him. Water dripped off the shell, splashing onto the ground. Loch used Evaluate.

Unfey, Ancient Chelydra Draconis

A dragon turtle.

No Level but Loch could feel the strength in the creature. It dwarfed his. Nothing he’d come across yet had the power this turtle possessed. Maybe theGaria that had flown over Northwood Lake, but not even the Lich or demon had come close.

Loch knew he’d have no chance against this thing. Maybe with some of the guards and other Classers. Piper was around, she’d be a help, if she got there in time. He wished Harper and Brian were there. They were needed.

He shifted his feet, watching the turtle.

Why did it have a name? Did that make it a unique monster? Something else to ask Cerie.

That question was moved to the top of the list. It seemed pretty important.

The turtle didn’t move. It stopped, fully out of the water, only a dozen feet between it and Loch. He knew turtles were pretty slow on land, but didn’t trust that this one would be. Even if it moved slowly, it was big enough to cross the distance quickly.

The shell looked tough, like armor plating. Even the exposed skin of its head, neck and legs was thick and scaly. Being a named monster, Loch knew it would have some special Abilities too.

Still it didn’t attack.

“What happened,” he asked the people behind him, not taking his eyes from the turtle.

“We were fishing at the shore, just about to launch a couple boats, when we saw a strange wave coming toward shore,” one of the women said. She sounded about ten feet behind Loch, off to the side.

He could feel the Presence of the people. Their Spirit Auras distinct, not that strong. It was how he knew none were Level 5. The turtle’s head twisted to look past Loch at the speaker.

“We started moving away when that thing’s head rose above the water, then its shell.”

The turtle angled its head, the giant eyes looking indignant. It didn’t like being called a thing.

“All of you get back,” Loch called out. He wanted them out of the range of any Abilities the turtle had Unfey had. The turtle had a name, he should use it.

Its attention returned to Loch. The monster still didn’t move.

What was it waiting for? It had to be able to tell that Loch was much lower leveled then it was.

Loch shifted his feet, ready to attack.

Moments passed, the turtle just looking at Loch.

He reached out with his growing senses. He could feel the turtle, Unfey’s, Presence. The strength of the Beast pushed down on him, but not in a threatening way. It was just there, a reminder of Unfey’s strength.

A warning to not do anything rash.

How long had this turtle lived before the Connection? They could live for hundreds of years. In culture and stories they were depicted as being wise.

Loch was beginning to think there was some truth to that.

Unfey could have attacked. Probably had the strength to lay waste to most of the school if it wanted. So why wasn’t it?

Loch relaxed a little, just enough to appear unthreatening. He could react quickly, shifting his grip to be able to swing Onyx to create a Thunderclap.

The turtle didn’t move. Loch felt the Presence lessen.

“You don’t want to fight do you,” Loch asked.

Unfey didn’t move.

“We just want to fish the lake,” Loch said. “Would that be okay?”

Unfey stared at him, the eyes larger than his head. The turtle blinked. It turned rapidly, moving much faster than Loch would have thought possible. The body moved into the water, swimming off shore, sinking as it went. Unfey was soon lost to sight, not even a ripple along the surface.

Loch watched the waters for a couple minutes, wondering what had just happened. Had he just made a deal with the turtle?

He turned, seeing a bunch of confused and amazed faces watching him. Behind, Piper had been running but was now walking. Behind her were Darren and some of his guards, now also walking. Everyone was looking past Loch at the lake.

He wondered how they’d get anyone to fish the lake now.

***

“It is rare,” Cerie said, as she flew alongside them.

Loch and Piper were walking back around the school. Darren was walking the shore with his guards. Even though it felt safe enough, it seemed Unfey would let them fish, both Loch and Darren thought it better to post some guards. Just two, or three, Classed people to patrol the shore. If Unfey lived in the waters of the small lake, what else could live there?

“For a Connected Beast to be given a name, it had to have been powerful before the Connection. Being Adapted just makes it stronger.”

“Would it have Abilities?”

“Yes.”

Loch nodded, glad he hadn’t engaged the turtle.

He wasn’t sure how thrilled he was with Unfey living in what was essentially the Clan’s backyard, but as long as the turtle let them fish, it should be okay. They’d just have to make sure to not overfish or do too much in the lake. It was Unfey’s territory, not theirs.

Would the turtle protect the lake? That could give some security to Loch and his people. But he couldn’t trust it. They’d have to keep a guard.

“It is rare for a Connected Beast to have a name this early in a new Connection,” Cerie continued. “Typically it takes time for the Beast to grow in power until it earns the name. It could be decades as it Advances and grows in its power.”

“Didn’t you say that it had to be powerful before the Connection?,” Piper asked.

“Yes Lady Piper, but there are myriad ways it could be powerful without having true power. The Beast could be ancient, an elder of the species, as I suspect the dragon turtle to be. It could be the apex predator of its species, dominating all the prey in its territory. It could even be a prey animal that somehow manages to stay alive. In all cases, the Connected Beast is special among its kind.”

They walked around the corner of the school, heading up the small hill to the main entrance. The excitement of Unfey’s appearance had somewhat died down. People had returned to work, there was still so much to do.

With the nearby houses being stripped of everything worthwhile, even some of the furniture and beds would be moved over to the school, they would need to expand to homes further away. Concentrating on the east, away from the gaunts. That would mean sending Classed people with the unclassed, limiting the number of guards around the school itself.

How would those groups look?

One Classed with three or four others, that would hopefully get Classes of their own soon? Eventually they’d get to the point where they’d be scavenging in houses days away and the whole group would need to be Classed.

They had to prevent what happened to the first group that had gone west.

Luckily, monsters didn’t seem to appear on the roads themselves.

To the west, Loch could see a group of people approaching. They were a good distance away but he immediately recognized Harper. Brian was there, along with Jenny and Davis. The guy carrying the bow had to be Bobby. Loch had seen him for about five minutes before the group had set out.

He’d felt the urge to make the man stay back. He knew Davis, Brian and Jenny. Had fought beside all three. He didn’t know Bobby. How could he trust his daughter with a man he didn’t know? Ed vouched for him, but how much did Ed really know someone he’d been forced to exist with for just over a week?

Had it really only been that long? A couple of weeks since the Connection? To Loch, it now felt like it’d been months or years.

In the end Loch had let Bobby go with Harper. His Abilities were needed and Brian was with them. The big man wouldn’t let anything happen to Harper.

Loch still regretted sending Harper. Without him there, she was in a lot of danger. But it needed to be done. That was the thing he was having the hardest time adjusting to. Harper was fifteen but people were treating her as an adult, and a powerful one at that.

Being High Level had that effect.

She appeared to be unarmed, waving a hand to catch his attention. He waved back.

With her group were four other people. Harper walked in front, a good dozen feet or so. Brian was on one side of the four, Jenny the other with Davis and Bobby behind. Who had thought of that formation? Had to have been Brian.

Of the four, one was in front of the others. Big, not as big as Brian. Bearded with a large two handed axe. The obvious leader or spokesperson for the group.

As Loch got closer, turning to walk along Route 4 to meet Harper instead of meeting at the doors, he was able to get more details of the four newcomers. Three were obviously melee fighters. The fourth, the smallest of the men, was a caster of some kind. He just didn’t have the same bearing. Too far away to feel a Presence, the men didn’t appear to be that high of a Level. Lower than Harper most likely. The other three walked like fighters. He was more timid, eyes darting around everywhere. He saw Loch, the darting eyes fixing on him.

The leader saw Loch too. He made a comment to Brian, who was to his right. Brian didn’t say much, a single word or two. The man picked up his pace, stopping when he was alongside Harper. She shot him an annoyed glance but didn’t say anything.

Loch watched, trying to hide a smirk, as the man stood straighter, seeming to puff himself out. He wanted to appear larger than he was, more intimidating. Loch wondered if anyone had mentioned what his Level was. There was no way the man would intimidate Loch.

But he understood why the man was doing it.

It was part male posturing, trying to assert dominance, and part survival. This new world was one of survival of the fittest. The man wanted to appear strong. Maybe they had told him what Loch’s Level was and the man wanted to impress the alpha male of the area.

Loch hated that term, but in this instance, it probably fit. Alpha had such a bad connotation though. Apex? Did it matter? He was the highest Level and the acknowledged Clanlord of the area. That was enough.

“Dad,” Harper said, as the two came to a stop. The others stopped further back.

Loch couldn’t see it but could sense movement from the school Darren must have seen the group coming through the windows and come out to see for himself.

“Hi honey,” Loch said. He had the urge to hug her but stopped. It wasn’t the time. “How was the mission?”

“I’ll tell you about it later. We didn’t fully complete the quest chain.”

That surprised Loch. Not that it was unfinished but that the quest he had given, using the authority of the Clanhold, had become a chain. That was odd and a quick glance at Cerie showed the fairy was shocked. It was apparently not something that occurred often, if at all. Loch wondered how he had managed to pull it off. The quest had been pretty basic.

Not anymore.

“We came across these guys fighting some gaunts and I thought it best to escort them back.”

“You did good Harps,” Loch said.

He supposed he should have been more formal with strangers around, but this was his daughter and he’d never be that formal. Loch had never been one to care about proper etiquette and he wasn’t going to start now. He shifted his focus to the bearded man.

“Roger Lewis,” she said, waving at the man.

“Pleased to meet you,” he said, extending a hand.

Loch wondered if he really was or was he just pretending? Loch could already tell what kind of man Roger Lewis was. He was a man born for this world, someone who thought power made them right and in charge. There wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, depending on how the person behaved and treated others, but Loch had a feeling Roger was a bully.

And one that had met someone stronger.

Roger would have to be watched.

Loch shook the man's hand, feeling Roger try to squeeze hard. Loch squeezed back, just a portion of his strength. He saw Roger grimace. Loch released his hand.

“Where are you and the others coming from?,” Loch asked.

“We all met up at the Epsom Circle,” Roger explained. “I came down from Chichester, the others up from Pembroke or thereabouts. Figured there was strength in numbers.” His gaze clouded over, a haunted look in his eyes. “It’s rough out there,” he said, the sign of weakness only lasting a couple seconds. “Started heading east. We lost a couple along the way.”

“Sorry for the loss,” Loch said, and meant it.

Not people he knew but they were still people. Some of the few that had survived the Connection. And part of him, the part he was hating, lamented the loss of strength and power those people would have represented. More strength to defend and grow the Clan.

Loch forced that thinking back into its dark hole. He knew that there was no getting around that people were now a resource to be used to benefit the greater whole, but he never wanted to get to the point where it no longer bothered him.

“What’s your plan,” he asked.

“Don’t really know,” Roger answered. “Finding people had been about it and…,” he trailed off.

“You’re all welcome here,” Loch said. “There’s not much and you’ll be assigned work.”

Roger’s eyes darkened.

“We all work,” Loch said. “Some as guards, others as scavengers and others as builders.”

“What’s your plan,” Roger asked.

“Grow this place and provide a safe shelter for everyone,” Loch answered. He thought about going in depth about the Clan system but decided that could be for later.

He studied the other three. The other two melee fighters seemed decent enough. One was an older man, the other blond, tall and skinny. They stood relaxed, not nervous about the people around them or the growing crowd that had stopped to watch. The old man looked like he was glad to be somewhere with a lot of people. Security in numbers. The blond man didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

The last man, the smallest, was nervous. He was anxious, now purposefully trying not to look at Loch. There was something off about him, Loch couldn’t figure out what. Being nervous wasn’t the problem, that was understandable.

“We have a lot of plans,” Loch continued, returning his attention to Roger. “We could use more people as guards and scavengers. Lots of mouths to feed, cloth and train.”

“Train?”

“Yes. Everyone will get the chance to earn enough Experience to get a Class. Everyone will contribute to the community for the good of everyone else.”

“That sounds kind of communist,” Roger said.

More proof of Loch’s earlier judgment of the man.

“Maybe,” Loch acknowledged. “But at this point, it’s what we have.”

Roger stared at him for a minute before finally nodding.

“Sounds good to us,” he said. Roger turned to point at the others. “Jim Caldwell. Randy Sager. Teddy Kincaid.”

“Theodore,” the small man said.

Roger’s eyes flashed in annoyance.

“Pleased to meet you all. I’m Lochlan Brady,” he pointed at the main entrance of the school. “Just inside the doors is a woman named Kristin. She’ll take your names, Class and Abilities if you have one and also any relevant skills that you had before the Connection that can help the community.”

Roger’s eyes flashed annoyance again. Theodore seemed to look extra nervous.

“Everyone contributes,” Loch said, stressing his words. “You might have to share a room at first,” Loch continued. “We’re putting up partitions to make the classrooms and other spaces into multiple rooms. Taking out desks and such.”

“How long have you been at it,” Roger asked.

“A couple of days,” Loch answered.

“How many people?”

“Over a hundred.”

“It’s going to be tight.”

“Yeah, but it’s what we got for now. The plan is to stay here for the winter and then start spreading out once people are stronger and we get the local area safer.”

“Sound plan,” Roger said. “Is it dangerous around here?”

“Not right off the road. Have some mutated coyotes in the woods,” Loch answered, not saying anything about the giant dragon turtle in the lake out back. Let them find that out for themselves. “There’s been some other things. Plenty to hunt and we have a Dungeon.”

“What’s a Dungeon,” the blond man, Randy, said, speaking for the first time. Loch noticed Theodore paying more attention.

“Not a jail,” Loch chuckled. “It’s like Dungeons in games. Go in, fight monsters, get treasure. If you’d like a chance to run it, there’s a sign up sheet at the desk.”

“Controlling access?,” Roger accused, his tone accusing.

“Not at all. By its nature the Dungeon has limited access. Each time it’s cleared, there’s time needed for it to…” Loch paused, searching for the right word. He shrugged. “It needs to recharge before anyone else can go in. The list is just so everyone can have a fair shot.”

Roger nodded, but didn’t look satisfied. Loch figured he might have to tell the guards stationed outside the dungeon to keep an eye out for Roger trying to sneak in.

Or tell them to let him and see if the man could survive. Inwardly, Loch sighed. No. He’d make the guards keep Roger out. The man was going to be annoying but he was above Level 5 and his strength would be needed.

“Lord Lochlan,” a voice said loudly from near the entrance.

“Lord?,” Roger muttered quietly.

Loch looked up toward the entrance, seeing one of the guards pointing toward the fields. Loch shifted his attention, seeing a small group walking out of the woods. They were huddled together, running from something. The people in the fields, only about a dozen, were pointing and shouting.

“Dammit,” Loch cursed. “You all can go inside and talk to Kristen. She’ll fill you in on everything you need to know.”

He took off running, ignoring the questions from the newcomers. As he Activated Windstep, Loch could hear others following. He didn’t need to look back knowing it was Harper, Piper, Brian, Jenny and Davis.