Chapter 8

[Victoria Underwood]

"Oh they'll all fall in line soon enough, just have to get used to the status quo..." Victoria replied. "Maybe I do need someone like you to help make this whole administration more legitimate." she touched her hand and whispered. "I have a whole closet of clothes that should fit you. One of the benefits of taking over this hotel, lot of left over goodies. I also have plenty of that Bourbon you liked..."

[Abbygale Porter]

"Then it would seem I have a great deal to learn about this new world," Abby said diplomatically. "As far a bourbon goes, that can wait. What do you have in the way of wash facilities?"

[Victoria Underwood]

"I'll show you to the suites, we managed to get running water and hot water the old fashioned way, metal lined drums on the roof to let the sun heat it up, its not super hot but it's better than ice cold." Victoria said. "And there's plenty of perfume, lotions and such. Downside to this new world is the day is much more important and the nights well... nights get pretty dark and cold. But we've got comforters and furs and other cozy things. Doubling up is also encouraged, shared body heat you know."

[Abbygale Porter]

"Why Victoria is that an invitation?"

[Victoria Underwood]

"Maybe... or an audition." Victoria said with a smirk. "Have to see if we still work together as well as we did years ago."

[Abbygale Porter]

Abby smirked, "We've always gotten along... as long as ego didn't get in the way."

[Victoria Underwood]

"Well you lose a bit of ego when you go from having state of the art everything, to being on TV to now... basically surviving off the scraps of an old civilization to build a new one that's nowhere near what we had. But it'll be our's." Victoria said and held onto Abbygale's hand. "We had such wild dreams and plans when we were younger. Change the world. Make things work the way we wanted it to work. Now we've got our chance. The old men that pissed over our dreams and hopes, they're in some cannibal's belly probably."

[Abbygale Porter]

Abby laughed, "Or got their heads caved in for the last can of pork and beans." She looked around, "Yes, there's plenty of room enough for both our egos now. So, I guess the next question now is how we want to shape this world? I don't have any desire to be the head of state, but I do intend on being at the top of the heap, and to do that I don't think we want a democracy. Though, I doubt a democracy would work right now anyway. Too many people and not enough food. Someone has to decide who lives and who dies or we all die slowly."

[Victoria Underwood]

"And who better than us?" Victoria said as she stroked Abbygale's cheek. "I think perhaps a sort of... matriarchal system. Of course my dear Abby, with two of us in leadership that will allow us to extend our influence further. There was only so much I could personally handle, this state and a little around it, sure... beyond that... I'd need someone and Ashley is busy enough with her duties." she smiled broadly. "After your... audition... maybe we might consider something of a partnership."

[Abbygale Porter]

Abby stepped away from Victoria and turned to face a map hanging on the wall. She stared at it for several minutes before speaking. "It's a big state," she said finaly. "A very big state. At least in a sense that there's no telephones, radios, televisions, cars, trains, or airplanes to disseminate information, and react. I also believe that we need one voice, and one face to make calls. I don't think it should be something that should be shared. I can be your Lieutenant Governor." She pointed at one of the counties outlined on the map, "Let's make your work load easier. We can call the county leaders Sheriffs and the important land owners deputies. It will be the Sheriffs job to maintain proportional malitia levies, and provide for the state a percentage of their land's output to the state were you and I keep the Sheriffs in line, and maintain infrastructure and and the standing army."

Abby glanced over her shoulder at Victoria and back to the map, "We might as well just take the mountainous areas as property of the state. The gold's been used up long ago, and you can grow crops very well up there. You might be able to grant some lands for sheep and cattle ranches. I expect sheep will be a big deal in a country too far from good cotton growing, though you could expand into the Texas panhandle if you so desire and there's cotton there. We can have slaves. I have no issues with that, but I think we should keep them to criminals, enemies to the state, and refugees and rovers. Your... our people probably wouldn't respect you if we used even a small portion of them as slaves. We'll need to weed out the useless ones obviously, or put them to work where the jobs have a very short life expectancy. We can't feed everyone."