Doomsday Pillars 37 The Plant Whisperer

On the road from Bay city to the main base, there are a few trucks can be seen loaded with people. The Blacksnake gang army lead by Jerry, Aria platoon lead by captain Donnie and the Frog commando platoon lead by Lieutenant Russel. Alex took one car to drive, his wife came with him, both Cindy and Aria also took the same car. Apparently, they had enough being the same car with Hendrik.

Alex was trying to have a conversation with his wife but these two girls were following him. The situation a little bit awkward, but Cindy seems able to save the day...

"Sister Devita you already have 2 kids but you still look so beautiful and young, what's the secret?"

Devita just smile at her and respond "So how do you girls both meet, what's the story?"

"I am the Harvard professor a.s.sistant, we met in the United States a few days ago, Alex came to convince the professor of the doomsday"

Devita confuse "was it not the other way around? I thought Alex mention that its the professor research that makes this project started"

Alex startled... his wife was always smart, like the saying (behind every successful man there always be a great woman. And in every failed man it's always their own fault.)

Alex tries too be calm and answer..."The professor research is one of the evidence, it's more convenient to use the professor name than my name. there is still the military backing up the evidence"

Aria added "I heard you also came to the army to convince your findings"

Alex "..."

"it's actually a little bit more complicated than that, some of this findings are top secret, not everything can be shared"

The situation actually becomes more awkward... these three women are all very smart, at the moment they are like a pack of wolves to Alex, better not explain more detail at the moment.

Devita look at Aria and asked "So what about you Aria, what's your story? so i heard you are a lieutenant in the army?"

Aria: "Yes, I am currently position as Alex personal bodyguard"

"..."

Devita give weird look to Alex "How did that happen?"

Aria: "He won me from a bet"

"..."

Alex"Hey!! look we are already here. we can talk again later "

After 2 hours drive, the group reached the main base. More than 7000 workers currently working there. Tony has been requesting more and more people to finish his impossible deadline.

The stone wall fences are the priority, 4 meter high, 13 kilometers length in a rectangular shape. currently, only about 8 kilometers done. The second layer, the stone berms is not even 50% done. But the 4 gates already taken shapes. The land clearing, with over 200 hectares of land also almost done. 100 hectares inside the central base and another 100 hectares outside. Alex not sure that the wall will finish by the start of doomsday, but there is really not much point on hiring more people this time.

Outside the wall, on the east side to the north next to the Tukad river, 1000 farmers are currently preparing the farm fields. From loosening the soil to seeding and adding fertilizer. The seed choice is mainly potatoes and sweet potatoes. First, it's nutritious, a medium-sized potato contains about 42 grams of vitamin C. They're also loaded with minerals, like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and pota.s.sium. Second it needs minimum irrigation, Third easy to harvest and lastly, it only needs 10 weeks to grow. The perfect doomsday seeds.

For irrigation, the farmers currently still trying to slowly connect it to the rivers, Alex order the creation of a water tank near the farms and inside the wall to harvest rainwater. Half a dozen of the 3 storey watchtower also already done.

Inside the base, there are even more crowds. Workers are currently building warehouses. Out of the 100 warehouses targeted, currently, only 40 of them done. Fortunately, the big size warehouse for the indoor botanical garden, storage supplies and the one for medical research facility has just finished. Right on time with the medics and scientist moving here today.

The groups reached inside the base and Tony started to allocated the warehouse that was ready for them to start moving in. The smaller warehouses for soldier barracks and civilian housing, each can fill up to 500 people. So currently only 1 warehouse is needed for the soldier and 15 are currently used by the civilian and workers.

Alex walk around the compound to check the surroundings. The busiest, of course, the steel factory, as it works 24 hours to provide the material for building warehouses. Next is the botanical garden. The farms outside the base are for a more long term solution, while the indoor botanical garden is the short term solution and also the only solution if outside the wall become too dangerous to farm. This indoor garden mainly prepared for hydroponic plants but there are also some plants for other purposes.

Alex saw people working inside the garden, view some of their faces and finally find who he was looking for. A woman in her 40's. Jane the plant whisperer. She's included in one of the lists of people he asks the mayor to find. As she's a botanist, Rina's following it up by recruiting her to be part of the project.

A simple woman, unmarried and very pa.s.sionate about plants. In Alex previous life, she's one of the Bali survivor and an earth spirit enhancer. Alex doesn't know her very well but even before the doomsday, Jane was already known as the plant whisperer by the Bali locals.

There are many successful gardeners claim to be a Plant Whisperers, but only a few are the real deal. These gardeners are so in tune with the vibratory energy of their plants they can sense when something is wrong or about to go wrong in their garden much the same way plants communicate with each other. The successful gardener becomes a member of the plants' community.

Science has proven plants live in communities. When danger threatens, a caterpillar infestation, for example, a warning speeds through the plant's network of roots or underground runners to the other plants to beef up their chemical and energy production to discourage the pests. Science has also proven that after an insect chews on a plant leaf, the plant raises the level of the chemical in the leaf to try to ruin its taste. When given the choice more often than not the insect will move on to a new leaf. Jane as the earth spirit enhancer have a heightened sense for sensing the plants, it made her the best Botanist. She might not be a fighter, but she will still be very resourceful for this base.

Alex discusses the indoor garden with Jane. She's giving him the idea to combine hydroponic with aquaponics. The idea is to use the waste from fish to naturally provide nutrients to nearby water-grown plants. And the base also could raise both plants and fish together.

The third spirit user in his base. Alex feels much happier, all those worries about the unfinished wall are gone. Time to take care of the army, navy and the gangs.