26 Days (Part 1)

"Then that means we just need to be prepared for whatever comes. Whether it be peaceful or violent when the Earth enters the Enlightened Tier, we need to be prepared for both outcomes.

Of course, if the Earth enters its Path with no fanfare then we simply continue moving forward with our plans so that would be the best outcome."

The other two couldn't help but agree, since they really had no control over what was to come, what was the point in worrying about it?

As the three were discussing their plans for the coming weeks, Grant suddenly had an idea.

"Springtree, you and your... community, are not far from where our dungeon is, correct?"

"You are correct."

"Then why don't you move to our dungeon? We can make an area specifically for you and the rest of the plant life. Plus, the dungeon already has fertile soil so it should be a good environment for you."

Rather than accept or reject the offer immediately, Springtree went into another bout of silence as he often did when he was thinking or communicating with the rest of his people.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Springtree finally had his answer, "We will accept your offer. Although we can remain relatively unharmed no matter what changes come, we cannot say the same for how the invaders will treat us.

The weaker members of our community will be much safer inside the dungeon."

Grant had figured it was a shot in the dark because of the presence of Skit and Couzar, but it seemed like the benefits outweighed the negatives in this case.

"We do have one condition however; you make our living space as far away from the undead as possible. Also, we are aware that the dungeon core you possess leads to the undead's planet. Please make sure that we are away from them that as well since it exudes mana tainted with death."

"For once the spare lumber and I agree. The mana they exude teems with life and it will have a negative effect on the dungeon core if we allow it too."

Grant agreed to the conditions without hesitation. The more resources at his disposal the greater his chances of success later on.

Since Skit had no interest in the actual logistics of the move, he disconnected himself from the space and disappeared.

Grant and Springtree spent the next half hour hashing out the details of the move. Once both of them were satisfied with the plans, Grant disconnected himself from the mind space as well.

Knowing time was a luxury he didn't have, he immediately went to look for Jerrod and the rest of the management staff.

When Grant finally found Jerrod, he was sitting at a massive table within the room where Ally and the kids had been staying.

When Ally and the kids stuff had been moved out, they immediately moved in and started to use it as a town hall of sorts.

Jerrod and the rest greeted Grant enthusiastically before everyone went silent. Grant was confused what exactly they were waiting for, but then it hit him, they wanted praise for the house they had built.

"It's a great house. Enough of that though, we have shit to do! Everyone get ready because the next few weeks are going to be busier than any other time in your life."

The temperature of the room felt as if it suddenly increased by a couple degrees. Grant could see a burning desire to succeed in the eyes of everyone present.

Grant couldn't help but be impressed by Jerrod's ability to choose underlings.

He was half tempted to dissect the mans thinking and leadership skills since he clearly had room to grow himself, but he didn't have the time.

Grant sat down at the end of the table and made everyone else take their seats as well.

Rather than sugar coat the possibilities of what was to come, Grant dove head first into the topic of the Earth's evolution and laid out all of the details that he was aware of.

Obviously, Jerrod and the rest were extremely surprised to hear about what was to come, but it didn't really matter what their feelings were because they had a job to do; and they were determined to do it well.

Not just for themselves and their families but for humanity as a whole. If things went poorly enough, they very well could end up being the last humans on the planet which meant they had a duty to survive.

The group spent the next 8 hours going through every possible contingency that they could imagine.

At one point, a few of those dry erase boards on wheels were brought in and place around the room.

Each white board wound up representing a part of the whole.

Their were boards for gathering and storing food, storing as many building materials as possible, rumors about surrounding survivor pockets, etc.

At the end of the eight hours, Grant could no longer stomach the fervent discussions that were still raging on throughout the room.

Although he was technically in charge of the camp, he knew that he lacked the skills necessary to run the place efficiently so he was more than happy to hand over the power in this case to Jerrod who had proven himself very capable.

Thanking everyone for their hard work and making sure that all of them knew that he appreciated their dedication to the jobs they were assigned, Grant headed out of the room and towards his home.

[As the saying goes, 'A leader is only as good as the people beneath him.' or something... I really need to find someone who can help me become a better leader... I lack the skills right now...]

{Yes you do. But the fact that you are willing to admit that, is in itself, growth.}

[Appreciate that Sherlock. So, what's your take on the evolution of Earth?]

{I have dug through the records within my database and I have been unable to find anything that references a planets evolution this soon after it joined The Path.

I would be inclined to agree with Spruce Springtree that things could turn out to be just as bad if not worse than we have expected.

You must save as many people as you can in the next 26 days. It is unlikely that they survive, unless they have someone with exceptional leadership qualities or are just that lucky.}

[That was my plan all along. Whether the carrot or stick, we need to get people back here as soon as possible.

Convincing them to believe me will be another matter entirely, but we can deal with that when the time comes.]

{You are becoming more reliable as time goes by Grant. I am impressed.}

[Thanks Sherlock.]

As Sherlock and Grant went back and forth discussing different details of what Grant had decided to call the second coming of the apocalypse, he arrived home.

Passing through the door, Grant was suddenly assaulted by the unmistakable aroma of a home cooked meal.

Without even realizing it, Grant felt himself begin to drool.

Walking into the dining room, he was greeted by the sight of a table filled with different foods. From what looked like some kind of steak, with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and much more.

Sitting at the table were Ally and the kids, seemingly waiting for his return.

"Welcome home Grant."

Hearing those words, Grant was suddenly overcome by an unfamiliar feeling.

It took him a few minutes to figure out what that feeling was, but it hit him like a tidal wave all at once.

He finally found it.

A place he belonged.