Doomsday Pillars

A day after the final battle in Semarang City, the city’s streets were already flooded with new crowds. The undead have been replaced by survivors from West Java. They arrived just right about the same time when the City of Semarang was neutralized by the zombie threat.

After the death of the black zombie, there was no longer a thing that could really trouble the combined forces of Regent Suryo’s Deathsquad soldiers, General Rico’s army and Alex’s fighters.

Currently, General Rico was very busy organizing the 400.000 plus survivors from the west to settle in the city of Semarang.

He spent the whole day only to allocate the settlements for the survivors. The streets were currently still filled with corpses and rubble. Thousands of vehicles were abandoned in the streets, some crashed into houses. Almost all of the houses have broken windows, doors and walls. The initial survey concluded that about one-third of the residential houses were either in need of heavy treatment or were destroyed beyond repair. But currently 400.000 survivors were filling a city that could house millions, so the current houses were more than enough for the survivors to live in.

Organizing hundreds of thousands of people is not an easy task. Even with the help of hundreds of staff and thousands of volunteers, it still took hours to finish the job. While the local survivors of Semarang City wanted to claim their old residencies, the wealthy from West Java would like to have their own area. The Javanese, Sundanese, and Madurese ethnics also liked to have their own corner.

After allocating the places of living, all survivors started working together to clear the city from corpses, rubbles, and unused junk. They mostly started in their allocated areas. All usable essentials like blankets, clothing, food, medicine, even bathroom essentials, would be put in the streets to be collected by the soldiers. All this stuff would be piled together and will be evenly distributed later.

The General strictly ordered punishment for those who withheld such supplies. This order was created to ensure equal distribution between all survivors. Some will not get too little or too much.

Later on that day, everyone start able to see how the city has gradually return to its former glory.

In the general’s heart,

"We will start rebuild the nation.. it will start from here"

One of the general staff finally handed him the survivors data.

Semarang City

City Area: 392 kilometer squares

Civilians: 482.726

Defense force:

Jakarta Main Army : 8.122

Jakarta 1st Division: 3.215

Jakarta 2nd Division: 2.785

Madurese fighters: 5.213

Alex Elite Team: 50

Regents Death squad: 300

Surprisingly, the three days battle fighting against millions of zombie took only less than 50 casualty, there were hundreds of light and heavily wounded fighters, but since human consume spirit stones, their body regeneration also improve. With proper treatments, these fighters would be back fighting in a few days time.

Now that the city has been sanitized, the fighters now established 10 post all around the city to guard the city perimeters and start clearing up the undead outside the city and around the vicinity.

When the General finally distributed today’s final task to his staff, Alex came to visit him.

"You’re a hard worker, aren’t you?"

While still writing down notes on files given by his staff, the General responded calmly:

"These people currently look up to me Alex, they are my responsibility now."

Alex took a look at the reports and seen the survivors number, there are more than 500.000 survivors currently living in the city, Alex believe there isn’t many other city around the world would have this many survivors in one place.

Seeing the General really put a lot of thought on the task made Alex really glad. Suddenly Alex realized a beautiful woman standing next to the General staring at him.

"This is..."

The General suddenly realized the situation,

"Ohh yes, I didn’t properly introduce you both, this is Silvia, you probably saw her on TV or news before, she was in the government cabinets, now she’s one of my trusted advisors."

Alex, in his previous life, knew the General for many years, he knew about the General’s hobby and just smiled at the General’s introduction of Silvia.

"Hello. I am Alex."

"Hi, I am Silvia."

"Mr. Alex, Rico told me so much about you, you are a man of mystery."

"Wow... Is that a compliment?"

"That depends."

"Depends on..?"

"Depend on your intentions... will you help rebuild the country, or do you have a hidden agenda?"

Before Alex was about to answer, there was a commotion heard from the survivors not for from where they were standing. Alex quickly rushed to check it out, followed by Rico and Silvia.

The group arrived in front one of a 4 story plaza located in the main commercial area of the city.

Alex heard the people discussed about what happened innthe street.

"What’s going on?"

"Survivors!!! We found survivors!! Still surviving eight weeks after the doomsday!! Thank God!"

"I heard these dozen people learned about the disaster days before the doomsday, they decided to hold up inside with lots of supplies and locked themselves in a secured floor."

"They prepared before? I actually heard about it before from the news, if only I listened, my wife might still be alive..."

Hearing about it gave a smile to Alex’s face, he could never measure how much impact his doomsday message would give the people. But at least these dozen people, men, women, and children were still alive because of his message.

These people have been unable to come out at all the last few weeks, as there were just too many zombies around. Last month they haven’t heard of any living survivors at all and they have lost hope these past few weeks. Seeing the fighters coming, they were so cheerful. Alex came and approached the dozen people, they were actually a few different families staying together.

Seeing Alex’s reaction on the survivors, General Rico determined that this person is someone he could depend on. Silvia just stood by watching the scene with many things on her mind.

It’s been a very tiring day, but the General, surrounded by his staff, didn’t lack energy, especially seeing the gradual changes within the survivors.

Smiles and laughter used to be a rare sights, now it has start to be seen on the survivors face. The General finally understood what’s been missing for the last few weeks since the doomsday.

It’s... hope.

When the night came, just like any other night, Silvia was already waiting for him in his bedroom. The General took off his clothes and went to take a shower. The cold shower is a great refreh for the task he did today, there was a great satisfacion within his heart. Inside the shower box with rainy water dripping, a soft hand suddenly touching his shoulder from behind. The beautiful cabinet member joined him and start to kiss him. After another steamy session, the General laid back in bed, with the woman at his side hugging him tightly.

"Rico... "

"Yes..?"

"I... how well do you know the Regent?"

"Not well, but I really respect the man..."

"Then... how close is Alex with the Regent?"

"Pretty close I think... You can tell how close they are, but I can’t tell what’s really inside of each of them.."

General liked the company of a woman as beautiful as her. But lately, she’s been giving him a lot of headaches

"What’s on your mind again this time?"

"General, you are the officially elected leader of the country... You must be careful with these two men..."

"Hahahaha don’t worry, I am not a pushover. I will act in my beliefs for the best of the people."

The general shuts his eyes, thinkin about his men, the survivors and the new city of Semarang... he then give a tought about what Silvia just said

(am I a better leader to lead these people?)