TWD - Chapter 566: Deanna’s Lessons (Patreon)

On the seventh day of the revised points system’s trial run, Deanna came into Calista’s office carrying a thick stack of papers, looking both exhausted and proud.

Calista blinked at the 217-page document in her hands. “That many pages?”

Deanna stood before the desk, hands clasped, wearing a small, knowing smile. It was the expression of someone who had expected exactly that reaction.

“Seventy-seven provisions, thirty-two hundred characters of regulations. Take your time with it.”

Calista opened the first page and began reading aloud.

“Draft Trial Regulations for the Contribution Points System.

“Article One: General Provisions. To safeguard the basic right to survival of every Rock Fortress resident, promote fair distribution, and encourage productive labor, these regulations are hereby established...”

She had read barely three lines when she noticed Deanna’s fatigue. “Did you sleep badly again last night?”

Deanna said nothing, but the dark shadows beneath her eyes gave her away.

For once, Calista felt a twinge of guilt.

Had she piled too much work on Deanna? She didn’t want to run the woman into the ground.

Deanna was older and couldn’t keep up the same pace as someone Calista’s age. She would have to stop expecting the same level of stamina from her.

Calista cleared her throat and gestured for her to sit.

Deanna took the chair opposite, while Calista continued reading.

Workload measurement, skill ratings, household factors, bonus points for exceptional contributions, deductions for violations, appeals procedures, monthly publication of results, oversight at every stage...

Everything was laid out clearly, with carefully drawn tables and important points marked for easy reference.

The more she read, the more impressed Calista became. “I’ll admit it. I didn’t expect you to put together 217 pages in just a week.”

Deanna smiled faintly. “When I served in the legislature, I reviewed hundreds of documents like this every week. This is nothing.”

Calista pursed her lips and said sincerely, “Thank you.”

The unexpected thanks caught Deanna off guard. “What are you thanking me for?”

“For putting so much work into this,” Calista said sincerely.

Deanna opened her mouth, then thought better of whatever she had intended to say. At last she nodded. “It’s what I should do.”

The first week of the pilot program exceeded everyone’s expectations.

A public notice posted outside the cafeteria drew a crowd.

Every resident had an identifying number. The list now ran to 3,502, including personnel stationed at the outposts, and each person’s points total was displayed clearly.

An elderly resident, the same man who had argued earlier, squinted at his statement for a long while before muttering, “Not bad.”

Someone leaned over curiously. “How many points did you get?”

The old man shot him a glare. “None of your damn business!”

Dubin and Zike stood together, scrutinizing their statements.

Dubin frowned. “We got the same?”

Zike snorted. “Obviously. We do the same work. Why would the scores be different?”

Dubin glanced at Samuel’s entry. “Then why did Samuel get more than us?”

Zike leaned closer to check. “He spent three days repairing machines at the hygiene products factory.”

Dubin scratched his head. “He knows how to repair machines?”

Zike shrugged. “No idea, but he certainly fixed them.”

“All right, then.”

Mika stood staring at an entry on the noticeboard until Malcolm came over. “What are you looking at?”

Mika pointed to the column labeled ‘Bonus Points for Special Contributions.’ “Look at this.”

Malcolm leaned in. Beside Victor’s and Cyrus’s names was an entry: ‘Assistance in resolving The Pope incident: 50 bonus points.’

Malcolm stared at it in surprise.

Mika lowered his voice. “They even gave us credit for what we did before we joined Rock Fortress.”

The points were more than an incentive. They recognized what people had contributed, and little by little they were drawing Rock Fortress’s residents together.

A week later, Deanna received compiled feedback from every department.

Civil Affairs Department: Resident disputes down by 70 percent.

Logistics Department: Distribution efficiency improved, with faster inventory turnover.

Construction Department: More volunteers signing up for projects. Workers who once had to be urged into joining were now lining up.

Agriculture Department: Professor Howard requested additional point incentives to encourage farming and animal care.

...

After reading the reports, Deanna hurried to Calista’s office.

Calista was studying a map of Knoxville. She looked up when Deanna entered. “How did it go?”

Deanna set the reports on her desk with a satisfied smile. “Calista, the trial was a success!”

Calista picked them up. The results were better than she could have imagined. By the last page, she was looking at Deanna in surprise. “You did all this?”

Deanna shook her head, smiling. “I worked out the details, but really, this was your doing. You set us to work on it.”

Calista paused for a moment, feeling a bit puzzled.

Deanna sat across from her, her expression turning serious. There was something personal in her voice now, quite different from her usual work reports. “Calista.”

Calista looked at her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

After a pause to gather her thoughts, Deanna asked, “Have you considered something over the past few days?”

“What question?”

“Who are you?”

Calista was baffled. “I’m Calista Norton, commander of Rock Fortress.”

Deanna shook her head. “That’s your position, not your... role.”

Calista furrowed her brow slightly, a hint of confusion welling up inside her, as she quietly looked at Deanna, waiting for her to continue.

Deanna went on, “How many things have you handled since you got back from Virginia?”

Calista thought about it. “The Knoxville plan, expanding the Defense Force, the points-system trial, getting power from the dam...”

“Hold on,” Deanna interrupted, watching her closely. “Those are all things you’ve done.

“But have you thought about how other people see you while you’re doing them?”

Calista fell silent. She had been so busy dealing with one problem after another that she had never given much thought to how people perceived her.

Deanna spoke slowly. “You’re their commander, yes. But when they look at you, what do they see?”

“Hope,” Deanna said seriously. “A future. Someone who can keep them alive.”

She paused, her expression deepening. “But do you know something, Calista? That isn’t enough.”

Calista frowned harder. “Why not?”

Deanna looked at her with concern and expectation. “Because you need them to believe that, by following you, they can do more than survive. They can live well, with dignity, and have a future.

“To give them that, you need a... public image.”