TWD - Chapter 492: Selecting a Location for the Outpost (Patreon)

Three weeks later, the production lines for the Walker Attractant and Walker Disruptor had been completed, and trial production of the first batch of “diluted mass-production” versions had begun.

Joe arrived at Rock Fortress.

Over the past few weeks, Joe had barely gotten a full night’s sleep. Aside from recovering from his injuries, he had devoted nearly all his time to scouting potential sites.

Rick might not have liked him, but he had still reluctantly assigned Joe an assistant so he wouldn’t get himself killed while scouting locations.

During the day, Joe traveled all over Georgia with his assistant. At night, he returned to his prison cell and studied maps.

While staying at the prison, Joe barely left his cell except to eat. He spent entire days hunched over maps, muttering to himself.

“Georgia. Not too far, not too close. It has to be big enough, and it has to be quick...”

After eliminating one option after another, Joe finally narrowed the list down to three locations and brought all three proposals with him to Rock Fortress.

Now, three thick site-analysis reports lay before him, each accompanied by hand-drawn sketches, risk assessments, and a preliminary construction schedule.

He knew Calista expected his report first thing tomorrow morning.

He needed to make a decision soon.

The first option lay in the far northwestern corner of Georgia, only eight miles from the Tennessee border: the Dalton Military Reserve Depot.

Located north of Dalton in Whitfield County, Georgia, it had been a medium-sized National Guard reserve depot before the apocalypse. Built during the Cold War, some of its facilities were underground.

The site covered approximately 1.2 square kilometers and was surrounded by double fencing. Its core area consisted of three large warehouses, a command building, and a barracks. In the northeastern corner stood an independent water tower and a diesel generator room, though both might already be damaged.

A small stream ran along the western side of the depot. The main entrance connected to the old route of Interstate 78, and a railroad spur lay three kilometers to the east.

The advantages of the Dalton Military Reserve Depot were obvious.

Its defenses were already largely in place. The walls, gates, and watchtower foundations were all there. Some had been damaged since the apocalypse, but repairing existing fortifications would still be much faster than building new ones from scratch.

Joe estimated that the site could meet basic defensive standards within roughly thirty days.

Most of the main buildings were also still intact. The warehouses and barracks were structurally sound, and with some repairs, the site could accommodate around three hundred people.

Most importantly, the Dalton Military Reserve Depot sat close to the interstate and was only about 225 kilometers from Rock Fortress by road.

Unless a convoy ran into a walker horde, it could make the trip one way within a single day.

Joe couldn’t afford to place his outpost too far away. If something went wrong and Calista couldn’t reach him in time to pull his ass out of the fire, then there would have been no point in clinging to her protection in the first place.

At the same time, the depot was more than two hundred kilometers due north of Atlanta, leaving a clear buffer between it and the walker-infested city. It also lay outside the prison’s usual operating range.

There might even be some pre-apocalypse military supplies left inside.

Then again, the place had probably been looted countless times already.

That part could basically be ignored.

Of course, such an obvious military facility was bound to have attracted others long before them.

When Joe found the place, another survivor group was already occupying it.

There were signs of firefights around the area as well, suggesting that control of the depot had probably changed hands several times.

Joe had told his assistant to stay behind while he crept closer to get a look inside.

Someone suddenly appeared and nearly riddled him with bullets.

Only Joe’s quick reaction saved him.

The land around the military facility was also mostly paved or barren, leaving almost no room for agricultural expansion.

Joe had placed it at the top of his list because, for him personally, it was the fastest way to produce tangible results.

If he captured it, he would prove his ability.

If he failed, or suffered heavy losses taking it, he would prove his incompetence.

He estimated that the operation would require a combat force of at least thirty to forty people, along with the Walker Attractant to deal with both the current occupants and the walkers inside.

They would also have to prepare for the possibility of a steady stream of human enemies afterward.

It would be a high-risk, high-profile opening move.

Joe shifted his attention to the second proposal.

The Calhoun Textile Industrial Park.

It was located on the outskirts of Calhoun in Gordon County, northwestern Georgia, a little over sixty kilometers south of Dalton.

Before the apocalypse, it had been a textile industrial complex containing factories, warehouses, offices, and supporting worker housing.

The park covered roughly 0.8 square kilometers and had a complete internal road network and perimeter walls. However, those walls had been designed for commercial security rather than defense and would need significant reinforcement.

At the heart of the complex stood four large steel-framed factory buildings, two multi-story warehouses, and an administrative building.

The park had its own wastewater treatment system and several large water storage tanks. A tributary of the Oostanaula River ran along its southern side, providing ample water, while the workers’ residential area lay to the east.

The factory buildings offered enormous amounts of space and could easily be converted into housing, workshops, or greenhouses.

The basic water and electrical infrastructure was still in place. With some repairs, it should be possible to get much of it running again.

The nearby river provided a reliable water source, and the existing worker housing could be used immediately, allowing the site to accommodate around five hundred people in the early stages.

Compared with a military installation, a textile industrial park was also a much less obvious target.

After the apocalypse, people prioritized weapons first, then food and medical supplies. A textile complex might have escaped large-scale looting.

Outside the park lay large areas of flat ground that had once been lawns and parking lots. Those could be cleared and converted into farmland fairly quickly, with river water available for irrigation.

But the site also had major weaknesses.

Its perimeter consisted only of commercial-grade walls and fencing, leaving the place poorly defended.

Strengthening it would require enormous amounts of labor in the early stages.

The complex had an open layout with numerous entrances and exits, resulting in a long defensive perimeter.

The factory interiors were complicated, with large numbers of trapped walkers likely still inside. Clearing them would be tedious and dangerous.

Fortifying the park would also require huge amounts of material, meaning Rock Fortress might have to transport building supplies there.

That would put considerable strain on logistics.

Calhoun was roughly three hundred kilometers from Rock Fortress by road, meaning supply convoys would take longer and require stronger escorts.

Joe considered this the “builder’s” choice.

If they could clear it safely, it offered the greatest production potential of all three sites.

They could quickly establish workshops, restart basic manufacturing, and open up farmland.

It was less an outpost than the beginnings of an entirely new community.

The main risk was the prolonged period of vulnerability during its early development, along with its heavy dependence on supplies from the rear.

But if the project succeeded, within six months it could become an important production and population center for Rock Fortress.

That would require patience from Calista and a large initial investment of resources.

Joe had originally favored this location.

But after arriving at Rock Fortress and seeing the Knoxville Industrial Park and Blackberry Ranch for himself, he realized this was probably the option Calista would value the least.

Its industrial and agricultural functions completely overlapped with what Rock Fortress already possessed.

And in terms of scale, it couldn’t compare with Rock Fortress’s existing industry or agriculture.

That made it somewhat redundant.

The final option was the observation tower and lodge complex in Black Rock Mountain State Park, located in the mountains of Georgia’s far northeastern corner, in Rabun County.

Before the apocalypse, this had been the park’s main tourist area, consisting of a mountaintop observation tower, vacation lodges, a restaurant, a visitor center, and supporting facilities.

The complex sat atop Black Rock Mountain.

The only road up was a winding mountain route, making the position easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Its main structures consisted of an exceptionally sturdy six-story stone observation tower, three scattered wooden vacation lodges, and a large visitor center.

There was a reservoir at the summit capable of collecting rainwater, while a deep well maintained by the park sat halfway down the mountain.

The view was exceptional, allowing observers to monitor valleys and roads for dozens of miles.

There was only one road leading up the mountain, with several sharp bends that made it extremely easy to defend.

A handful of defenders could hold the approach against a much larger force, and walkers would have great difficulty climbing the mountain in large numbers.

The observation tower could serve as an ideal reconnaissance and communications relay station, monitoring the northeastern approaches into Georgia.

Because it lay inside a state park far from major towns, both human and walker threats would likely remain relatively low during the early stages.

Of course, the disadvantages were just as obvious.

There was little flat ground at the summit, space was limited, and the buildings were scattered.

The entire location could house no more than two hundred people.

Any major expansion would require excavating into the mountainside.

That had been difficult even before the apocalypse.

Now, it was practically impossible.

The site was also severely lacking in resources.

Agriculture was almost impossible, meaning all food would have to be transported in over the long term.

Its water supply depended on rainfall collection and a single well, creating serious risk during droughts.

Transportation along the winding mountain road would be inefficient.

Unlike the Great Smoky Mountains, the area wasn’t rich in resources either.

Winter weather could block the road entirely, making the supply line vulnerable.

If the site were ever surrounded, reinforcements would have difficulty reaching it, while the garrison would have trouble launching a rapid counterattack.

Of the three options, it was the most professionally military choice, but also the most specialized.

It wasn’t a comprehensive stronghold.

It was purely an “eye” and a “fist,” meant for surveillance, early warning, and eventually serving as a base from which elite teams could launch operations.

Its limited size meant it could never support a large population or substantial production.

But in return, it offered unmatched security and intelligence advantages.

If Joe chose this site, he would effectively be telling Calista:

I want to be your “eagle eye” and your “dagger” in Georgia, not an administrator.

It would be the fastest way for Joe to prove both his loyalty and his value.

But it would also lock him into that role.

He would become a weapon, pure and simple.

Joe stepped back two paces and folded his arms across his chest, studying the triangle formed by the three points on the map.

He already knew what Calista would ask.

“Which one do you personally prefer?”

“How many resources would each plan require from me, and how many stages would the project need?”

“How soon can I expect results?”

“If raiders or walker hordes attack, which one can hold out the best?”

Joe also knew that his recommendation would directly shape how Calista viewed him.

Would he become a blade for breaking through fortified positions?

A cornerstone for building new settlements?

Or an eye devoted to reconnaissance?

Each choice led down a different path...