@r.grimes ; text

[usandthedead]

[ As the rolling blackouts have been going on, Rick has started to prepare the Police Department for the worst. He's doubled up on patrols in the inhabited area of Quarantine. He's stocked up on food and water to hand out just in case things get really bad. And he's checked the stocks of first aide, weapons and ammo supplies just in case. Everything is just in case. Always. But Rick is so accustomed to things falling apart that it's hard for him not to make that giant leap from blackouts to the worst possible scenario.

Next up is the hard part. He isn't all that good with people, not like he used to be. But at the same time, he needs to population to know they're here. Statistically speaking, crime rates rise during events like these. It's only appropriate for him to let people know they have options.

Obviously, text is easier than video, although he doesn't mind switching to video if he has to. ]

My name is Rick Grimes. I work with the Riverview Police Department. I know the blackouts are cconcering. Just stay calm and we'll all get through it together. There's people working on it who are well qualified, more so than most of us.

Just want to make sure the people know we're up and running if you need anything. Thanks.

Comments

@eddie; text

[causational]

I'm with the force too, I think I've seen you around. Need any help with the preparations? I'm willing to do overtime if it helps.

[usandthedead]

Eddie, yeah. I've seen you too. Can always use the help. Been taking inventory of our supplies. If there's an emergency I wanna be prepared.

Mind if I ask what kind of experience you got? I was with the sheriff's department in Georgia... some time ago.

[causational]

Definitely a good idea.

I started out as a cop in Keystone City, Kansas, then made Detective and transferred to Central City in Missouri. I've been there for over a year now. On the stranger end of things, I've also been dealing with the arrival of meta-humans in my world. People with superpowers, basically. So I'm no stranger to weird, extreme situations.

[usandthedead]

Yeah, your having experience with that could really help in this place. On the stranger end of things, my world's dead. Virus killed off most of the population. The dead, they get up and walk. We call them Walkers. So, I'm good with survival. Two different things means we should work well together.

[ Rick figures since Eddie shares some from his home, he can return the favor. ]

Never even knew meta-humans were a real thing until this place. How do you police that?

[causational]

Definitely. They also mentioned I could probably move up to Detective pretty soon because of my experience back home.

[It takes him a few moments to reply to the rest of it, because wow, that's very intense.]

Oh my god. I'm sorry you had to go through that, it sounds awful. But you're right. It sounds like we've dealt with a pretty wide variety of weird, between the two of us.

Honestly? There's no real satisfactory way to police meta-humans back home. There's a meta-human vigilante who takes them out, and he's got a containment area, but it's not official and it's not legal. I don't like it, but there's not really any alternative right now.

[usandthedead]

That's good. Probably good to send you out to investigate trouble. I'm less of a people person than I used to be.

[ It is intense. But meta-humans sound pretty intense too from what he's heard. And he was worried about that answer given the wide-variety of weird he's witnessed here so far. ]

It's possible we could find ourselves having to work with some vigilantes on occasion. Don't much like it either but sometimes you have to bend the rules a bit to keep the most people safe. I get that. Greater good and all.

@fatima

[dust_of_life]

[Fatima remembers Beardy from their brief encounter at the wall, during the monster influx. She liked him. He handled himself well in a fight. Seems like he's keeping his cool now.]

So the police force doubles as electrical?

[usandthedead]

[ He remembers her too. It's surprising to feel familiar with anyone. But once you fight with someone, that's how Rick usually gets to know people. ]

Not so much. But statistically speaking, crime rates rise during events like these. Better safe than sorry. How're you?

[dust_of_life]

Not committing any crimes, I'm pleased to report

[usandthedead]

Look at you, being a law-abiding citizen. I'm glad you're okay. I was just thinking about you the other day.

[dust_of_life]

Nothing good, i'm sure

[usandthedead]

Mostly wondering if you were still here and alive. To be fair I don't know that many people yet. Gotta look after the ones I do.

[dust_of_life]

I tell you, it feels like everyone here has someone they know from home

Except me, of course

Maybe you?

[usandthedead]

Yeah, I've noticed that too. I got my son here. That's it.

[ That's all he knows of, at least. ]

I'm gonna try to get more people from my home here. It isn't safe for them where they are. If I find a way, you want me to let you know?

[dust_of_life]

[So there's a Beardy junior? Well, she's glad for him. It sucks being alone.]

What makes you think it's safe here?

[usandthedead]

Oh I didn't say that. Nowhere's safe. But there's food here, electricity, inside the walls seems well off enough. We don't have those things back home for the most part. The dead are up and walking around. People that are left have gone crazy. It's less safe there than it is here is what I'm saying.

Is your world messed up too?

[dust_of_life]

[Whoa. That's rough.]

I guess that depends what you mean by "the dead are up and walking around."

[usandthedead]

We call them Walkers. A virus killed most of the population. The dead get up and kill and infect more.

[dust_of_life]

Zombies

Your world has zombies

[usandthedead]

You can call them whatever you want. Tell me about your world.

[dust_of_life]

We...sometimes have zombies

But it's pretty isolated and they usually end up barbecued

[usandthedead]

Sometimes? How does that work? They don't infect everybody?

[dust_of_life]

They don't last long enough

[usandthedead]

Yeah, but how? We get groups by the hundreds coming in. It's not that easy. I led a herd into a fire one time, used a rope between two cars to cut them in half. But it takes planning to kill that many before they infect someone. What do you do?

[ He's just looking for fresh ideas, really. Just in case. ]

1/2

[dust_of_life]

Same as you

I guess we just have earlier alert systems

My world's got the supernatural up the wazoo. We know the warning signs

2/2

[dust_of_life]

A rope between two cars?

[usandthedead]

Guess it was more like a wire. Herd of hundreds coming down the highway. Hot-wired two cars, tied some wire between them, drove on either side of the herd much as we could. Incapacitated a lot of them in a short amount of time.

[dust_of_life]

That may be the most badass thing I've ever heard

text;

[whattingawhat]

Hey, Rick. I'm Buffy. I'm on perimeter guard. I don't sleep much and I don't mind doing extra patrols or helping out if you need some extra people.

[usandthedead]

Buffy, nice to meet you. I've been thinking about joining that too if you're needing help. But yeah, extra patrol would help. I don't expect everyone to do what they should when all the lights are out.

[ He doesn't have that much faith in people, honestly. ]

[whattingawhat]

I don't think anyone will turn down someone who knows what they're doing. That sort of seems to be the attitude I've noticed so far. Everything gets hairier when the lights go out, at least that's my experience. I'll be out there keeping an eye out. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[ It's the monsters Buffy is worried about. ]

[usandthedead]

Might be good to double up too - since you can't call for backup when the electricity goes off. Or go it alone if you're good with it. Just an idea. And if you know others willing to patrol, we could set up shifts.

[whattingawhat]

I like the buddy system most of the time. I know a couple of guys I think I can bully into patrolling with me. I think shifts are a good idea though then at least not everyone will be eating lunch at the same time.

[usandthedead]

Sounds like you're used to patrolling. Something you did a lot of back home? Got law enforcement background?

[whattingawhat]

I've been doing it since I was sixteen. [ There's a pause between this text and her next ]

Sort of. I specialize in monsters though [ That's close enough to the truth without going into detail over text messages. ]

text; @d.grayson

[fingerstripes]

Hey, Rick? Dick Grayson. I don't think we've met, but I'm an agent with the police department. I've got some time to spare, if you need more hands on deck.

[usandthedead]

Can always use more hands, Agent Grayson. Good to meet you. Need to up patrols, especially at night when there's no lights. You good with that?

[fingerstripes]

That works. I'm used to running the night shift. [ in more ways than one. ]

[usandthedead]

What kind of work are you used to, if you don't mind me asking?

[fingerstripes]

I was actually enrolled at the police academy. How's that for irony.

I'd love to chat sometime, once we have the pest control problem resolved. I had final exams in the bag, but obviously I've never really been on the job.

[ Besides haunting the night as a secret masked vigilante, but ymmv. ]