02 Flotilla of the Dead by David Forsyth Read Free Book Online Page A

barter.  At the simplest level, the boat people might trade the extra fish they catch for rice, or flour, or fish hooks.  Who knows where it would go from there?”
         “That’s very insightful,” Scott said approvingly.  “And it shows a lot of foresight too.  We need to think beyond simple survival in a world full of zombies and try to figure out ways to restore some form of civilization after the immediate threat is neutralized.  I like your idea for the Traveling Trader.   Let’s ask her captain over for dinner and give him a proposal.”
    “Yes sir,” replied Captain Fisher with a smile.
    *****
                The guest list for dinner on the Sky Deck that evening was a who’s who of the Flotilla.  Scott and Michelle were the hosts, of course, with Captain Fisher at the other end of the table.  Captain McCloud was there too, as was Sergeant Major O’Hara.  George Hammer brought his wife and widowed daughter.  Mark Argus brought his son, Jake, who sat next to Billy Allen.  Professor Bernhard and Miss Hanson were also at the table, although their minds appeared elsewhere after spending the past three days almost exclusively in the lab below the vehicle deck. 
    The guests of honor were Conrad Kroeker, General Manager of the Queen Mary, and Captain Young Sun Kim of the Korean ship Traveling Trader.   He spoke excellent English and had brought his first officer, Park Lee Pak, along for the occasion.  Dinner featured braised rack of lamb, as expected, but Michelle and the chef had obviously put a lot of effort into preparing it perfectly.  The side dishes included a Korean kimchi that was clearly to Captain Kim’s liking.  Conversation at the table was casual and optimistic.  Conrad kept expressing his gratitude for getting rid of the zombies and providing water and power to the ‘Old Lady’, as he often referred to the Queen Mary .  Captain Kim was equally pleased about the rescue of his crew.  O’Hara had a few off-color stories about wiping out zombies around the port.  Captain McCloud said he was pleased that his men had been able to help distribute food and water to the people of the Flotilla and those tied up to the oil islands in Long Beach Harbor.  Then he turned towards Conrad.
    “The Queen Mary will be an excellent stronghold here.  The fact that you kept it free of zombies without any weapons or help until the Commodore and his Flotilla arrived is proof of that.   And there are a lot of people who will need the provisions that we can salvage from this port.  So I’ve agreed to station the cutter Sea Otter here to defend the harbor.  I’ll also try to keep the Stratton within a day’s cruise distance, just in case you run into unforeseen trouble.  I want to make it clear that I agree with Commodore Allen that the resources contained in the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles are crucial to setting up safe havens for all of the boat people in this region, as well as many survivors ashore,” Captain McCloud said with earnest passion.  “As long as you are committed to that goal, I’ll do as much as I can to protect the Queen Mary from danger.”
    “Thank you, Captain McCloud,” said Conrad.  “This is all a rather sudden change of circumstances for me.  Last week I was running a hotel and tourist attraction, then the zombies surrounded us, now the Flotilla and the Coast Guard have saved us; I feel like the whole world is spinning.  But at least it seems to be settling into something that makes some sense again.”
    “Well said,” commented Captain Fisher.  “And I think that Commodore Allen has a similar message for you, Captain Kim.”  He nodded towards the Korean captain of the Traveling Trader.
    “Yes?” asked Captain Kim.  “What plans do you have for me and my ship?”
    “Big ones, captain,” replied Scott with a friendly and confident tone.  “We want you to help us save lives and keep civilization alive along the California