Scenario 47 - Barter Town

It’s been one year since a major catastrophic EMP event wiped out the majority of the population and caused immeasurable destruction. Small groups and communities have formed, but crime and murder still run rampant and there are tiny sections with power still. There are two barter towns on opposite ends of the city. One is run by a decent group and the other by a mix of gangs and more vicious types. The friendly group has a safe area to barter but doesn’t have as many goods as the gang side, however sustains most of the medical supplies either from acquiring through scavenge or from the hospital. They also keep watch over the hospital and defend from attacks. The gang side, which is very dangerous, has a multitude of goods like food, ammo, and tools. You have frequented both barter towns in search of supplies to replenish your lacking food and medical inventory, but have been coming up short because your worth while barter items have all but been used or traded. Scavenging is futile because the merchants of the barter towns have gathered most of everything around. You have have no choice but to stay in the city with your saint of a wife who is a nurse. She refused to leave the hospital and abandon the people there.

As you are walking through gang controlled barter town, you start to think that maybe bartering your "skills" for goods might be happening soon. Almost as soon as that thought leaves your mind, you get approached by someone you recognize. It’s one of the head people who run barter town, and says he sees you there frequently and would like to make an offer. The job is to form a small group to take over the opposing barter town so the gangs can control the city and the hospital.

At first you think how bad that could turn out, but the offer involves enough food to keep your family going for quite a while.

Do you crumble with civilization or be the difference?

What's your move?