Chapter Text
Something was happening and no one knew what, people had been dying in their millions all over the world, in every country, on every continent. Within months it was clear that society as people knew it was breaking up. No one knew what was causing the deaths or why some people seemed to not be affected. As the power went down and resources became scarce the survivors were gathered together in small groups, no one sure who they could trust. The last message from the government was to leave the cities as disease couldn’t be controlled as the dead were left unburied.
One such group had been friends for years and were working together when the deaths started to occur. Their present leader had been their boss as well as their friend. It was he who had decided to get their families together and start to make plans if things didn’t improve, it was against his father’s advice Uther Pendragon didn’t believe for one moment that the government would fail in its efforts to save the people. Arthur disagreed, the deaths had been increasing at an ever growing rate. If plans were made and not needed so be it. He worked out that a community of fifty to sixty people would be about right for the pot he had in mind, so he spoke to various people and put plans in action. The company had closed like so many others as people wanted to be with their families. Arthur contacted the present foreman at the estate, the manager was already dead, and requested that he start the ball rolling explaining fully what he intended to do. Then he got together and spoke to his friends and families. He hated not being able to include more but if they had to provide for themselves when services and manufacturing stopped they needed to be sensible. It would be hard enough as it was.
The original number was higher than planned but as people were still dying he had no idea how many would still be alive when it was time to leave. They started too collected supplies together in the Lorries parked in the underground carpark. The first thing they had dome was make sure there was fuel in the vehicles. Then all the people involved were told to bring in all dry and tinned goods as well as things like potatoes that would keep. Frozen goods were to be left, after all no electricity would be available. Also sensible clothing and shoes suitable for manual work. Each person was permitted to bring a small bag of sentimental items only. Space would be at a premium. After that anything that would be considered useful. It would be sorted before loading. Medical supplies were also needed. Arthur sent two people to the bookshops and library’s to get books on self-sufficiency and survival. He himself made sure that all the suitable foods were removed from the canteen kitchens and coffee machines in the building.
Whilst all this was happening the deaths continued. Having a brain wave Arthur asked Lance de Luc the company’s doctor to go and see an old friend of the family who after he retired as a GP ran a health/ herbal medicine shop to take a lorry and fill it with anything Gaius suggested. The old man was already coming with them as his knowledge would be invaluable. It was getting almost impossible to get any sort of food anywhere as panic was taking a grip and people everywhere had the same idea. To get what they could while they could. Gwaine one of Arthur’s best friends arrived having raided an army surplus store bring anything he felt useful. Sops were now being looted as the owners shut up and went out of the city. The dead were no longer being buried as the death rate was now uncountable it was believed that ninety percent of the world population would perish. It was time to get out while they still could.
Of the fifty to sixty original people only eighteen were still alive. The number due to the fact they were mostly young and very fit. All had been exposed to the disease and had lost all their close families. Of the group only Arthur still had his sister Morgana, Uther had left for Wales so they had no idea if he was still alive, phones had already gone down. The Lorries loaded with as much as they could carry Arthur decided to leave. Lance, Gaius, and Pellinore went in the Lorry with the medical supplies. Eira, Kay, Mordred and Kira in another. The third had Gwaine, Gilli and Mithain and Arthur drove the last one with Morgana and Owain. They were taking one mini bus instead of the planned coach as numbers had reduced so much. Geraint would drive that with Howin a Chinese girl who had been working for Pendragons for the past year and could get home when the troubles started, Morris, John and Drea and all the odds and ends they could cram in. The vehicles were to stick close together to try and stop any problems with the gangs that had begun to spring up. They would also set of at night hoping to be out of the city and suburbs before light. Each of the vehicles had at least two drivers and one gun. A frightening prospect but they had heard gunfire for the past few days. The guns had been acquired by Gwaine and Arthur didn’t ask from whom. The plan was to drive with only stop to allow for the calls of nature and to swop drivers. If one vehicle stopped they were all to stop for protection. Also only Arthur and Gwaine knew exactly where they were going.
The convoy headed for an isolated spot that Arthur had decided on, in the Brecon Beacons, well of the tourist routes, the present group were travelling in specially chosen high axilled Lorries, which could travel the last miles over the fields, the fuel on board would get them there but leave very little to spare. Although no one really appreciated it the countryside was beautiful. But they were just glad to be away from London. As they reached their final destination, in a hidden valley well away from any human habitation, they were met by some of their group who had arrived before them. Arthur’s father Uther owned an estate in the area and some of their trusted staff had already moved in and got everything ready.
It was a beautiful spot and sheltered from the worst of the winds and weather. High sided rocky slopes provided a natural barrier to keep livestock in and anything else out. The valley covered some five acres and with the next larger, and also steep sided valley would make up the most of their new home. A field outside the valley would be used to grow more crops and to make hay for the animals. That field was bordered by woods that would also provide fuel for fires and use in their new home. It was ten miles from the nearest habitation and as part of a private estate had been little known.
They were met by Tyr the stockman who looked relieved to see Arthur. After welcoming Arthur he paused “I’m sorry to give you bad news Mr Pendragon but your father passed away, we buried him in the family plot, it was the best we could do I’m afraid.”
Arthur nodded he wasn’t surprised but it still hurt. He would grieve later when he had time. “Who made it?”
“We have Audrey, the cook, Grettir, Will, Elena, George Tom the blacksmith, with Gwen and Elyan all three of them survived.” He paused we also have five orphans Daegal and Rowena who are teenagers and little ones Simon, Mandy and Richard, We thought it best to bring them or they would have starved to death” Tyr seemed unsure of Arthurs’ reaction to the last news.
Arthur had grimaced at the thought of George, his father’s estate secretary, who wasn’t someone he would have chosen to have as company in the coming months but it what was done, was done. As for the children he was pleased they were there and being looked after.
“That was a good thing, the children are our future after all.” He reassure the stockman
“They are doing amazingly well, the older ones look after the others when we are busy and Gwen has taken them under her wing.” Tyr went on to explain.
“I wasn’t the only one to lose family everyone did, at least I still have Morgana” Arthur admitted. There had been to many deaths and too quickly for it to sink in properly. Arthur guessed that there was only a very small percentage of people left the last figure he had heard was that if the death rate was the same as the big cities it was expected that only about five million would survive in England, how many of them would be able to cope with the new conditions was another worry. Anyone with health conditions needing modern medicines certainly wouldn’t. A county with only one in ten surviving was a horrendous outcome and one he knew none of them could truly comprehend. Of all the people he knew only one family had survived with three members alive and that was Elyan, Gwen and their father Tom. He had Morgana but the others seemed to be the only ones left.
“The others?” he asked
“I did as you said and told them to go to their families if they had any left, and take what they could with them. Most did, we lost most to the illness, we buried them in the grounds hope you didn’t mind” Tyr looked sad “It was such a bad time Elena lost all her family as did Grettir” he paused. He paused “Mark Bettie didn’t make it, he went last. He would have been a good person to have, so I asked George I know he’s a bit of an odd one, but he is a hard worker.”
“So we ended up with twenty seven adults, two teenagers and three children” Arthur said thoughtfully. “That should be enough to get the work down and what stores we do have will last longer”
Arthur looked around as the other stretched their legs after the long journey. Arthur could see the estate workers had been busy. Tyr told him they had also made sure some of the estates livestock had been moved and food for them as well as seeds and as much of what was considered necessary. This wasn’t a rushed job, they had been planning this move for the past month as it became clear things would get worse even of it ever did get better. When Arthur first suggested the move they were going to use the estate house but it was clear that wouldn’t be safe. As the structure and law began to break down groups of armed men had started to set up and act as their own law.