THE FORTRESS

In Class 3 outbreaks, private homes and even public structures prove
insufficient to support human life. Eventually, the people inside will
have either suffered the eventual degradation of their defenses, or simply
tun out of supplies. What is needed in a severe outbreak is a nearly
impregnable structure with all the facilities of a self-sustaining biosphere.
What is needed is a fortress. This does not mean you must
search one out immediately. The first days, even weeks, of a Class 3
88 Max Brooks
infestation will he marked by utter bedlam, an orgy of panicked violence
that will make travel risky. When things have "quieted down,"
humans in the area will have been organized, evacuated, or completely
devoured. Only then should you begin your search for a fortress.

1. MILIITARY COM PLEXES
Army, Marine, or even Air Force bases should be your top priority when
searching for a fortress. Many are located in sparsely populated and
therefore less infested areas. Almost all have elaborate security fences
around their perimeters. Some have secondary, even tertiary defensive
positions. Most are equipped with fully stocked, fully functional fallout
shelters, some with the capabilities of a small city. Because they have
multiple means of communication, they will undoubtedly be the last of
all global facilities to lose contact with one another. What is most
important, however, is not the physical fortifications but the men and
women within them. As has been noted, well-trained, well-anned, welldisciplined
people are always the best defense. Even with some desertions,
a small cadre of soldiers would be enough to hold the perimeter
indefinitely. To enter a military base in times of crisis, you would find a
self-contained world of trained specialists, most probably with their
dependents (families) on base, all ready to defend their new home. The
best example of this was Fort Louis Philippe in French North Africa
, where in 1893 a unit of French Foreign Legionnaires
successfully survived a zombie siege for an amazing three years! One
expected problem of milimy bases is that their obvious advantages make
them prone to overcrowding during an outbreak, which creates the additional
dangers of acute supply consumption and security degradation.

2. PRISONS
Although designed from the ground up to keep the living in, correctional
institutions can also be more than efficient in keeping the dead
out. Behind their formidable walls, each cell block, comdor, and room
is a fortress unto itself.
Problems, of course, do arise when considering prisons as a refuge.
Ironically modem penitentiaries are less defensible than older models
because of the way they were designed. High concrete walls are a classic
trademark of the pre-1965 prison. Their design is a product of the
industrial age, when sheer size was valued as a means of intimidation
and respect. Although this psychological aspect may be lost on the
dead, anyone seeking refuge could not ask for a better, time-honored
barrier than the ones that kept our ancestors safe from society's criminal
element. In an age of bottom lines and frugal budgeting, available
technology has replaced heavy and expensive construction. Surveillance
cameras and motion sensors leave only a double fence of
razor wire as the physical deterrents to escape. A dozen zombies would
be stopped in their tracks. Hundreds could maybe cause some damage.
Several thousand, however, crawling over each other in a writhing,
growing mound, would eventually rise high enough to topple the fxst
fence, then the second, then come swarming into the compound.
Against this onslaught, who wouldn't trade all the high-tech machinery
in the world for twenty feet of old-fashioned concrete?
And what about the inmates? Considering that within a prison's
walls are the most dangerous members of our society, wouldn't it be
wiser to confront the undead? Most of the time, the answer is yes.
Anyone with common sense knows it's safer to take on ten zombies
than one hardened criminal. However, in the event of a large-scale,
long-term infestation, prisoners will no doubt be released. Some may
decide to stay and fight for their safety , or risk the dangers of the outside for
freedom, even a chance to raid the surrounding countryside. Be careful
when approaching a prison. Make sure the inmates have not taken
over. Use caution if internal leadership consists of a prisoner-guard
coalition. In other words, unless the penitentiary is abandoned or populated
by civilians and guards, always be on your toes.
Once inside the gates, several major steps must be taken to transform
this correctional facility into a self-contained village. The following
is a Checklist for Survival should you find the penitentiary
abandoned.

A. Locate and catalog all supplies within the walls: weapons, food,
tools, blankets, medicine, and other useful items. Prisons will not
be high on a looter's 1ist.You may find almost everything you need.

B. Establish a renewable source of water. Exploratory wells and a
variety of rain catchers can be used when the lines go dry. Before
this happens, make sure that all large containers are filled and covered.
Water will not only be important for drinking and cleanliness-
it will be vital for agriculture.

C. Plant vegetable and, if possible, grain gardens such as wheat or rye.
A long-term emergency could last entire seasons, long enough to
harvest and consume several crops. You probably won't find seeds
on the premises, so count on raiding the surrounding areas. This is
dangerous but necessary, as agriculture will be the only long-term
means of sustenance.

D. Harness a source of power. When the grid goes, you may have
enough fuel to nm the emergency generators for days, even weeks.
Muscle-operated dynamos can be easily modified from the existing
generators. Operating these machines will also eliminate the need
for an exercise regimen. Your generator may not provide the
amount of electricity you had while connected to the grid, but it
should provide more than enough for a small to medium-sized
group.

E. Plan for a breach. What if the gates should suddenly topple? What
if a crack should widen somewhere in the wall? What if for some
unforeseen reason, the undead come flooding through the compound?
No matter how strong your perimeter may seem, always
have a backup defense. Plan which cellhlock will be your fallback
point. Reinforce, arm, and maintain it constantly. This should also
be your primary living area, capable of housing your group until
the compound can be retaken or an escape can be executed.
Remain entertained! As with the private home defense, keeping a
positive mental attitude is essential. Find the natural entertainer in
your group and encourage him or her to develop a routine of shows.
Encourage talent nights and competitions among the others. Music,
dance, storytelling, comedy-whatever people can do, no matter
how bad it may be. This may seem silly, even ridiculous: Who's
going to plan a talent show when hundreds of zombies are scraping
at the gates? Someone who knows the importance of morale in
any time of crises. Someone who knows the psychological damage
a siege can cause. Someone who knows that a group of rattled,
angy, frustrated people are just as dangerous as the hundreds of
zombies scraping at the gates.

G. Learn! Almost every prison in the United States has its own library.
Use your free time (and there will be plenty of it) to read every useful
text. Subjects like medicine, mechanics, construction, horticulture,
and psychoanalysis-there are so many skills waiting to be
learned. Make each member of your group an expert in something.
Organize classes to teach one another. You never know when an
expert may he lost and another designated to replace him.
Knowledge from the prison library will help with every task on this
list.

3. OFFSHORE OIL RIGS
When choosing a fortress purely for its safety, nothing on earth holds
a candle to these artificial islands. Completely isolated from shore,
with living and work spaces towering far above the waterline, even a
bloated, floating zombie could never climb aboard. This makes security
almost a non-issue, allowing you and your group to concentrate
fully on the task of sunrival.
Offshore platforms also excel in self-containment, especially in the
short term. As with ships, they carry their own living and medical facilities.
Many are equipped to supply all their crew's needs for up to six
months. All have their own distilleries, so fresh water will never he a
problem. Since all are equipped to mine either oil or natural gas, power
will be unlimited.
Food is also plentiful, as the ocean provides a nutritious (and, some
would argue, superior) diet of fish, kelp, and if possible, seabome
mammals. Unless the rig is extremely close to land, there is no danger
of industrial pollution. People can, and do, live entirely, indefinitely
from the riches of the sea.
This complete isolation, as attractive as it sounds, also presents its
own brand of difficulties.
Anyone living near the beach will tell yon what a killer salt air can
be. Corrosion will be your number one enemy, eventually winning out
against all preventative measures. Essential machines can he repaired.
Cruder distilleries of steel pots and copper tubing workjust as well as
high-tech desalinizers. Wind- or tidal-powered dynamos could provide
more than half the power of the fossil-fuel generators. Sensitive electronic
gear, however, such as computers, radios, and medical machinery,
will be the first to go and the hardest to replace. Eventually, the
entire complex will deteriorate, from a cutting-edge industrial wonder
to a crude and rusty albeit still serviceable hulk.
Unlike prisons and military bases, offshore oil rigs will be the first
places abandoned. Within the first few days of an outbreak, workers
will no doubt demand to get to their families, leaving the rig without
a trained staff. If none of your group knows how to operate the machinery,
learning might be difficult. Unlike prisons, there may not be a
library with how-to books on every shelf. This may require a little creative
improvisation, making do with what you can operate instead of,
or until you can master, all the technology that can be found on most
sophisticated rigs.
Industrial accidents-explosions of stored oil and gas-are bad
enough on land. In the middle of the ocean, they have materialized into
some of the worst disasters in history. Even with all the firefighting and
rescue facilities of a living, functional world, entire crews have been
killed when their rigs went up in flames. What would happen if a fire
occurred and there was no one to cry to for help? This does not mean
that oil rigs are sea-based bombs waiting to go off; it does not mean
they should be avoided by all but the most foolhardy. What is recommended,
however, is to shut down the drill. This may rob you of new
petroleum but will work wonders for your life expectancy. Use
already-stored fuel for the generator. As stated above, it will not give
you the same amperage as the primary generator, but with the drill off
and all industrial facilities closed, what will you need it for?
The ocean can be a source of life, but also a merciless killer. Storms,
striking with a ferocity rarely seen on land, can smash even the sturdiest
platforms. News tapes of North Sea rigs literally turning over, disintegrating
to rubble, then sinking beneath the waves are enough to
make anyone think twice about leaving shore. This is, unfortunately, a
problem that cannot be remedied by humanity. Nothing in this or any
other book can save you from nature when she decides to remove this
hunk of steel from her ocean.