An even stronger sense of anticipation and belonging surged over them like a tide.
Following a leader like this, living in a place like this… maybe the apocalypse really was not only despair and darkness.
They did not stay long at Blackberry Ranch. After properly handing over the livestock trailer and the animals to the people stationed there, Calista gathered the core team and all the new members, then led them along the winding mountain road into the depths of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The higher they climbed, the more obvious the signs of human modification became along both sides of the road.
Dense trees had been selectively cleared, creating broad fields of fire.
Daryl keenly noticed several inconspicuous markings carved into tree trunks. He guessed they might mark the boundaries of minefields or tripwires.
Shane spotted several concealed firing positions cleverly built into natural rock formations, positioned so they could control every bend in the road below if anything happened.
"This place…" Lieutenant Welles could not help murmuring, "one man could hold off an army here."
When the convoy finally climbed to the mountaintop and rounded the last cliff jutting out like an eagle's beak, everyone saw it.
Rock Fortress.
At the end of the winding mountain road lay a relatively flat plateau at the summit.
And standing at the center of that plateau, blending into the vast mountains behind it, was a magnificent castle-like complex.
Metal armor plates with firing slits had been added above the walls. Tall watchtowers built from steel frames and sandbags stood at the corners, with searchlights and heavy machine guns mounted on top. The figures of sentries were clearly visible.
A large artificial lake surrounded the complex.
Several kilometers outside the castle, multiple layers of barbed wire encircled the area, just like at Blackberry Ranch.
The "sentinel" walkers, with their jaws and arms removed, were evenly placed both inside and outside the wire, as well as in the nearby mountain woods. They twisted silently, forming a chilling wall of the dead.
At the outermost point stood a huge gate made of thick steel. In the bunker-like gatehouses on both sides, the faint glint of gun barrels could be seen.
Rock Fortress used the mountain terrain to its fullest. Its back faced a cliff, and the abandoned mountain road they had taken was the only way in. It was truly a natural stronghold, easy to defend and hard to attack.
The convoy stopped in front of the gate.
Calista got out and made a gesture toward the gatehouse.
Driven by an internal winch, the heavy gate let out a dull creak and slowly opened inward.
Unlike the lively, pastoral atmosphere of Blackberry Ranch, the inside of Rock Fortress carried a cold, military air.
The castle's interior had been carefully planned and renovated.
The three main stone buildings had been preserved as the administrative command center and living quarters for key personnel.
The winery's former auxiliary buildings had been converted into solid barracks, armories, training grounds, and communications rooms.
There were not many people, but every one of them moved with purpose and efficiency.
As Calista led everyone inside, she gave a simple introduction.
"The main building is the command center and our living area. Beside it are the greenhouse, stables, and dining area. The armory and communications room are in the buildings on the left. To the right are the warehouses and weapons workshop. The workshop for daily tool repairs is down the mountain at Blackberry Ranch."
She only gave the essentials, but everyone could feel the order and military power contained within this fortress.
The people living here had clearly been selected carefully.
Some were among the earliest to follow Calista at Twilight Manor, like Dr. Evans and the Howards. Others were the core mercenary foundation, including Leah and Rickson, as well as older members like Martha, Joey, Tom, Mira, and Little Jimmy.
Then there were those who had joined later, such as Dr. Jenner, Professor Elena and her students, Merle, Guillermo, Felipe and Miguel, Morgan and Duane, along with combat personnel like the National Guard.
Everyone else had been moved to Blackberry Ranch, while those with fixed positions commuted back and forth by vehicle every day.
Rock Fortress was not as domestic as Blackberry Ranch. It was more like the brain and heart of a precisely functioning war machine.
Daryl silently observed everything, and the atmosphere here stirred a strange sense of security deep inside him.
In a place like this, the odds of survival would undoubtedly rise dramatically.
It was practically Noah's Ark in the apocalypse.
Shane's emotions churned violently.
He had originally thought Calista was just a pretty girl who got lucky and used a few tricks to gather strong fighters around her. At most, he had expected her to have something like a farm as a base.
But the scale of Blackberry Ranch, and now the shock of this mountaintop fortress, had completely overturned Shane's understanding.
This was no ordinary survivor group. It was clearly a rising micro-state with a complete structure.
Powerful armed forces, stable logistics, manpower…
The power in Calista's hands far exceeded anything he had imagined.
The subtle thoughts Shane had harbored before now seemed ridiculous and insignificant.
He might not even rank in the top ten among Calista's fighters.
A powerful desire to join them, and to earn a place for himself here, had never been clearer.
Michonne held her katana and surveyed the new environment.
Everyone in Rock Fortress carried a sense of belonging, completely different from the distance and isolation she had developed through solitary wandering.
But strangely, she did not feel rejected by it.
Maybe this really was a place where she could stop, at least for a while, and set down her katana.
Lieutenant Welles and his soldiers were even more overwhelmed, so excited they could hardly control themselves.
From the despair of exile, to the turning point of meeting Calista, to the surprise of Blackberry Ranch, and finally the ultimate shock of Rock Fortress.
It felt as if they had stepped straight out of hell and into heaven.
This was a true fortress of the apocalypse.
Calista took in the expressions on the new members' faces, from shock and awe to the longing for belonging that finally settled there.
At this moment, these newly joined forces had truly been won over by the name Rock Fortress.
She stood in the center of the courtyard with a smile.
"Welcome, everyone, to Rock Fortress. This will be your new beginning, and our shared future."
The soldiers broke into cheers.
Rickson, who had been waiting nearby for some time, strode over. His gaze paused briefly on the new faces behind her, then returned to Calista.
"Unload Dr. Jenner's equipment first and send it straight to the lab. Maya, take them to help."
"Understood," Maya replied, calling Leon and Hank over to the truck carrying the precision instruments.
Rickson turned to Calista and Leah. "Did everything go smoothly on the road?"
"A few small complications, but the result was good." Calista was in a good mood and casually tucked a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear. "We brought back the people and the equipment. We also 'picked up' a squad from the Georgia National Guard."
Rickson nodded slightly. He did not ask for details, only handed her a tablet. "Everything is normal at the base. The fortifications at Blackberry Ranch have been reinforced, and the newly planted potatoes and corn are growing well.
Elena's hydroelectric system is running successfully. Rock Fortress has no power issues for now, and she's already planning the second phase of the hydroelectric project at Blackberry Ranch."
Calista quickly flipped through the records, growing more satisfied the more she read.
This was her foundation. She had to build it properly.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (70 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.