Fight, Flight, or Freeze: The Healer's Story
Chapter 184: The Layout of City A Sanctuary

Chapter 184: The Layout of City A Sanctuary

I didn’t know how to feel after that. It was reassuring that I wasn’t going to be alone, but at the same time, that didn’t take away my fear of something happening to the guys while they were out of my eyesight.

I wanted to smile and tell them all that everything was fine, that I knew I was overreacting, just to set them at ease. But that wasn’t the truth, and I was no longer going to lie to myself just to make others feel better.

Instead, I nodded my head and said, "I don’t like it, but just be safe."

"I promise you, I will kill whoever I need to in order to return to you," said Cheng Bo Jing, staring at me for a moment before going back to checking over his weapons.

"Come on, let’s see what we have in the kitchen for lunch," smiled Rip as he came over and extracted me from Fan Teng Fei’s arms.

I was surprised to hear that it was already lunchtime. I really needed to get better at keeping track of time, but without my cell phone or a working clock, I was just guessing most of the time.

It wasn’t even like I could figure out days based on my sleep schedule because I was passing out at random hours.

However, my stomach chose that moment to growl.

"It seems like your body agrees with me. Let’s leave the soldiers to do what they want, and I’ll feed you. Sounds good?" continued Rip as he gently pushed me toward the kitchen.

Thanks to the open concept, I was still able to watch what the guys were doing while still able to eat. It was the best of both worlds as far as I was concerned.

----

City A Sanctuary Base did not take up the entirety of City A. In fact, it barely took up a quarter of it.

Centered around the wealthiest neighborhood before the EMP struck, the Sanctuary used the existing fence surrounding the community as their 6th and final line of defense. Inside that area were all of the preexisting shops, grocery stores, and, of course, five towers of condos that were reserved for only the very top of society.

The ring around the core of Sanctuary was reserved for the marketplace. It was the place where both sides of the fences could go to exchange goods or find whatever it was that they needed. Most sellers were people from the middle class, and they made their living in the first circle. It was guarded by two gates, both front and back.

From there was the second circle of City A Sanctuary. This was where the middle-class people lived. They had more money than the refugees that flocked to City A looking for shelter and, for the most part, were there before the end of the world came about. They paid for different teams to go out and find supplies, going through the guilds to set the missions and the rewards. Sixty percent of whatever was brought back went straight to them, and the teams received only 40%. Like the first circle, there were two defense lines, both in front of them and behind them, that people would need to pass before they could move on to the core.

The third circle was reserved for the guards, guilds, and the other day workers who helped keep the city running. Here, missions were posted in the guild buildings, and everyone had to be registered to one of ten guilds. The guards, responsible for only guarding the Sanctuary, had their training hall and barracks in this ring. Other day workers such as plumbers, construction workers, and those with power jobs had to report to the third circle every day to see if there were any new jobs.

Those who worked the jobs in the third circle lived in the fourth circle. While they had jobs and brought in an income, it was not enough to be able to move up a circle. However, this area was still heavily guarded, and very little crime was committed with the guards and guilds so close by. Like the other circles that were set up as residents, there were shops and stores that specialized in products geared toward that population. You wouldn’t be able to find brand-name clothes in the fourth circle, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t clothes you could buy.

The second gate, a continuous line of 6-foot A-Frame barricades with an I-beam, was all that stood between the lower class and the refugees. With the 5th and final ring being the first line of defense for the Sanctuary, this was where all of the refugees were placed before they were sorted out.

Run-down buildings housed those seeking Sanctuary from the outside, and while they had access to one reservoir of water and limited food, they weren’t treated very well. Rats ran with impunity through the slums, stealing whatever they wanted and biting those who refused to submit. But even here, crime was practically non-existent.

No one was willing to risk their place in City A Sanctuary, no matter what circle they were in, by going against the rules set in place. Assault got you kicked out faster than you could blink, and it didn’t matter who had started the disagreement. Both parties were considered to be guilty, and, as such, both suffered the penalty.

And while stealing was not as severe of a crime, you weren’t kicked out; it did result in all of the thief’s possessions being confiscated. That included food, housing, bedding, and clothes.

Ye Yao Zu continued to look through the ’welcome’ package that arrived outside of Bin An Sha’s condo this morning, as well as directions on how to sign up for a guild.

He was impressed with all of the information provided as well as the amount of planning and organization that went through to make the Sanctuary what it was.

Looking at the picture of all the rings, it looked like the ripples in the water that happen when you drop a stone in the center. But in this case, the stone would have been the ’core’ where they were living, and each ring would have spread out from there.