Chapter 26- "Who Overcomes" Part 2

[Zombiphobe]

More evidence that it wasn't the Mallers was the location--yep, I also went to Google maps, and saw how close 8th + Grand is to the original Tower. Seems very un-Maller like, especially since they were all going south. Besides, when these trees were planted, the Mallers would have been having a field day pillaging the city. Not like them to think ahead to this degree.

I agree with Litmaster, I don't see the Mallers setting up anything like this. They were looking for better living arrangements and it wouldn't make sense to plant a garden before they secured a new living space.

Of course I could see them laying claim to a garden set up by other survivors.

The subway/Metro theory works for me too. Afterall, there were no car sounds.

[VidjaGamez]

It'd be neat to think that there is some sub-group of survivors utilizing an underground network of tunnels. I don't know though, with how long it took someone to respond, they could have parked a couple blocks away and went to the garden by foot. It could definitely go either way.

Well, either Victor will scare them away or someone is going to recognize Saul and stop before the trigger is pulled, it just doesn't smell like Mallers to me. I wonder if maybe these people were involved with picking over the surrounding area near the Tower that morning.

[Litmaster]

Okay guys... here's some more miscellaneous thoughts and theories about this episode, now that I've gone through it a few times:


Scavenged Bodies at Fallen Tower
- Definitely seems to me that they are making a lot of effort to cover their tracks and not reveal any information that might lead them to be followed, wherever they are going (Colony, etc.). The turned out pockets and absence of maps and useful information indicates that concealing their future plans from others might have been Scratch's main reason for returning to the Tower. The fact that they even took their brass shell casings shows they don't want anyone to know which types of munitions they have. This kind of calculating cover-up job seems like something Durai would order.

- Wherever the Mallers are going, they are intent on it being a secret from all others, including Bill's Zombie tribe (Nik wrote he thinks the hit on the Arena was to prevent the Mallers from being followed).


Zombie Body Collectors
- The fact that zombies have returned to clean up the bodies suggests that Ink and the boys have finished setting up shop over at the hospital, and are now established enough to get that big ol' pile of corpses re-established.

- We still don't know what the deal is with that, right? Is that the zombie version of MREs, or something?


Barracks at Ft. Irwin
- The whole base looked about the same to Michael as the last time he was there (before the zombie outbreak) except for the barracks, which have been turned into a mini-fortress with sandbags, guards, & towers. However, the fact that no one else seems to be within tells me that the compound was designed to keep people in more than out, which would make it more like a prison.

- The smell inside the barracks might suggest that some of the previous evacuees who have been transported here (as some of us were guessing) later turned zombie and were contained within this barracks area. This would explain the heavy fortification and the orders not to leave.

- Are there any other 'inmates' currently in this little barracks-prison? And why did Puck tell them to stay off the 2nd and 3rd floors? What's up there... a morgue??


"Just Because I Don't Put Out"
- This comment from Datu seemed rude, strange and out of character to me. Sounds like he is still bitter about Samantha's death, and seeing Pegs with Michael is bringing out the bile in him.


The Secret Garden
- As several have suggested already, this does not seem like the handiwork of the Mallers, except for the fact that the gate was rigged with an alarm, which does seem to be in the Maller's capability given their technological advances over our Tower members (remember all their radios, etc). But the tree planting would have required the transplanting of several saplings or even mature trees from an orchard some time ago to this hidden spot, which requires long-term vision that I don't think Scratch has. Durai maybe, but if they were going to up and leave south, why would they continue to maintain a garden up north? That doesn't make any sense.

- Here's my theory: this is one of several 'secret gardens' that were planted some time ago by teams from the Other Tower, the one Kalani and Hope were living in before it fell. I went back and listened to Chapter 11-2 (R&R), where Kalani told us how much more advanced that Tower was in terms of security and procedures, mostly due to the master planning of this woman C.J., who Michael said sounded "like one hell of a planner." So perhaps in the early stages of the outbreak, C.J. has some of her convoys go around to orchards and re-plant various gardens, knowing that canned goods were going to run out sooner or later and food would become scarce if they didn't do something. This garden was created by someone with a very long-range vision and the leadership ability to have it carried out. This C.J. is the only person mentioned in the story who seems to fit that profile.



The Identity of Hoodie and the Underground Group
- I have an hunch that Hoodie will turn out to be a girl. This is based only on Saul's mention of her short stature and Kc penchant for giving us the unexpected.

- I don't think Hoodie is a Maller. If she is, then Saul is ass out of luck. It seems more likely that Hoodie is part of a secret group of survivors from C.J.'s tower that has continued to exist in secret ever since their tower was overrun. Back in Ch. 11-2, Kalani did mention that just after their group's big convoy got ambushed and many of their 'best' killed, several members of their group deserted and struck out on their own. Also, it's possible that not everyone in that Tower was killed or captured... we already know that Hope made it out of there alive. And didn't that Sean guy come from there as well?

- As mentioned, it seems likely to me that they've 'gone underground', either by using subway tunnels or sewers, to pop up unawares. The fact that Hoodie has hiking boots and a backpack, and took a few hours to show up, indicates that she came on foot. This would also explain the absence of a vehicle for Saul to follow.

- The presence of an alarm suggests a centralized lair from which someone is monitoring the alarm, or several such alarms. This suggests organization and a group of people, rather than some lone gardener.

- The fact that Hoodie came alone suggests that this group is small, and doesn't have a lot of members to spare.

- If the guy found at the Tower with the 8th and Grand note in his pocket was indeed from this Underground Group, then it seems that the group has existed, in part, through scavenging. Also, that they have concealed their presence from the Tower members for some reason, and perhaps have been monitoring them for some time.


- Prediction: Hoodie will reveal herself as a girl, and will confront Saul and ask him why he is stealing their fruit, etc. Saul will talk Victor down from shooting the girl, who will agree to take them to see her leader, who might very well end up being C.J. herself, who has some secret lair setup in an underground labyrinth. This would be a kick-ass development in the story, in my opinion, because Saul and Vic really need some allies at this point.


That's all I got, folks! Hit me with some rep power if you like any of these thoughts.

[beezball]

...mallers go there to steal goodies...but don't wanna share with the rest of the group...alls I was trying to say...

I was thinking this. I wouldn't put it past Tardust to have found a garden that predated the Z-pocalypse (which it would have to be in order to be fruitful). And then he just didn't tell anyone.

If it were Tardust or someone else already established, it would make for a really interesting retelling of what happened from their perspective. That would also help visualize how they sneaked up on Saul.

Also, Michael is turning into a big pity party douche.

[beezball]

- This comment from Datu seemed rude, strange and out of character to me. Sounds like he is still bitter about Samantha's death, and seeing Pegs with Michael is bringing out the bile in him.

That's a little wild, he was just being smarmy. It was funny and sarcastic and Michael didn't get that or was annoyed, that's why Pegs said what she did.

[looney]

The Vic/Saul pairing couldn't be any worse at scouting if they wore Deadmau5 heads and and tap dancing shoes. Seriously, those dudes don't plan at all. Vic was a scout before meeting up with the tower and he goes out without at least 2 days of food. Saul gets obsessed with things and forgets what is outside of his objective area. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Vic got caught trying to save Saul.

The barracks smelling funny....honestly I've never been in a barracks that didn't smell funny. It's usually a mix of man-ass and urine.

[VidjaGamez]

That's a little wild, he was just being smarmy. It was funny and sarcastic and Michael didn't get that or was annoyed, that's why Pegs said what she did.

I agree! I think he's just in a great mood, they may have found somewhere safe, somewhere good.

[beezball]

I think he's just in a great mood

Exactly, the three are all giddy about the prospect of the new place. While Michael seems to just be focusing on what happened on the tower still, and thus being touchy.

[Grognaurd]

Long day at work. Listened and read forums. Thoughts

I have been partial to Cj. But the most recent mystery woman was Hannah

I like the the other tower group. I like running sewares but without pumping the clean water pipes will also be available. Last year I called this rattenkrieg. War of the rats and thought it would be an exceptional transit method to avoid a hard contact with zombies

I would like to see Skittles again. The stealth is in line, but sweeping the legs does not seem skittles like.

I do not think it was the mallers and scratch that turned out the pockets. The mallers are resource heavy and Scratch does not care enough to check. It would not surprise me if hood did it. That kind of gunfight with helicopters and RPGs would be heard all over the place

Saul knows of skittles but would not recognize skittles from Adam /Eve unless they were cutoff tees. So the only thing that breaks the initiative of the hoodie is a recognition of humanity and subsequent empathy. Alternatively, Victor could get the drop on them. I lean for the former.

A twist on the barracks would be this is where Ft Irwin placed slow turners. We have heard of them, but the closest we have seen is Randy. Michael's arm is all messed up and black and blue had he'll. Tanya has the bandage. Hope is blind, but I think in ep 1 they say she has not always been so. Riley is still messedup from ladt night. The soldiers could be thinking oh its the old my friend is passed out. Not turning into a zombie. If this was My House, you can bet that anyone who (re)enters from the hot zone would be lockedvdown in quarantine for observation.

[7oddisdead]

1:love Arthur posts

2:the garden was within a "construction zone" of sorts, correct? Assuming if we may...that would in some way be tied into the sewer system. This would give easy access to within the fence with no visible way of entrance...the time it took for hoodie person to arrive has me beggining to think more in the direction of hoodie being a solitary caretaker. In my fuzzy logic, if I knew there was a problem at my garden, I would wait long enough for the intruders to leave before I walk up into a large group...