After finishing up the remaining matters, a thought occurred to Calista, and she headed for Gwendolyn's temporary office.
"Gwendolyn, let me see the detailed backgrounds and psychological assessments for the group of prisoners transferred from the prison." Calista tapped on the doorframe in greeting.
Gwendolyn looked up from a pile of forms and adjusted her glasses, showing no surprise at all. "Good timing, Calista. I've already compiled the preliminary roster and basic assessments. I was planning to submit them later."
She pulled a fairly thin file from a folder and handed it over.
Calista took it and leaned against the wall beside the door as she flipped through the pages.
The roster contained basic information, pre-apocalypse occupations, and preliminary notes from Gwendolyn and Oak on each prisoner's mental state and personality.
She quickly scanned the first few names.
Danny, auto mechanic. Impulsive but loyal.
Mitch, National Guard tank driver. Technical specialist. Remorseful.
Pete, National Guard. Camp leader, but shortsighted. Currently in a state of shock.
Alisha, Army Reserve. Highly cooperative. Concerned about the safety of her partner and companions...
Calista's gaze moved calmly down the page until it stopped on the next name.
Name: Tara Chambler
Age: 22
Pre-apocalypse occupation: Police academy cadet, did not graduate.
How she joined the group: Taken in by the camp while fleeing with her sister.
Psychological state: Strong protective instincts toward her sister Lilly and her partner Alisha. Strong will to survive, a clear sense of right and wrong, empathy, and keen observational skills.
Notes: Her sister, Lilly Chambler, is in a special condition. See separate report for details.
Tara Chambler?
Calista's gaze lingered on the name for several seconds, her fingertips lightly brushing over the paper.
If she wasn't mistaken, this was the Tara who would eventually join Rick's group.
She was brave, sometimes even a little reckless, deeply emotional, and fiercely loyal to anyone she trusted. She might not have been the strongest fighter in Rick's group, but she had still become an indispensable member.
Tara.
So she was here, appearing earlier than she should have in the timeline, and in this particular way. She had fallen right into Calista's hands.
In that case, this group was most likely the same bunch of fools the Governor encountered in the original storyline.
The Governor had killed two of their leaders in succession, Martinez and Pete, then manipulated the rest into attacking the prison, where they suffered heavy casualties.
But if these people weren't fundamentally bad in the original storyline, why had they already resorted to raiding the prison now?
Martinez was still obediently shoveling manure in the livestock barn at Blackberry Ranch!
Could it be that the prison was much larger now than it had been at this point in the original timeline, and had already stripped the surrounding area of supplies, indirectly leaving this group without food or ammunition?
Calista closed the roster, a trace of doubt crossing her mind.
Still, she wasn't the type to obsess over such things.
What did the suffering of some other faction have to do with Rock Fortress?
"Gwendolyn." Calista looked up. "Arrange something for me. I want to speak with Tara Chambler alone. In the interview room, now."
Gwendolyn looked slightly surprised but didn't ask any questions. She simply nodded. "All right. I'll have someone bring her over immediately."
...
The interview room was small, containing only a table and two chairs. Light filtered through a small window high on the wall. It wasn't very bright, but there was enough to see each other clearly.
When a Defense Force soldier escorted Tara inside, her entire body was tense, her fingers curled nervously.
She had no idea why this commander, who clearly held considerable authority, suddenly wanted to meet with her alone.
Was it because she had been there when Danny caused trouble earlier that day?
Was it because of Alisha?
Or had Lilly's condition attracted their attention?
One terrible possibility after another ran through Tara's mind, leaving her extremely nervous.
"Sit." Calista was seated on one side of the table and gestured toward the chair opposite her.
Tara carefully sat down, keeping her back straight without fully leaning against the chair. Her eyes flicked briefly across Calista's face before dropping to her hands in her lap.
"Tara Chambler," Calista began. Her voice was much softer than the cold, firm tone she had used while dealing with the disturbance earlier. "Police academy cadet."
"Y-yes, Commander," Tara replied quietly, her heart pounding.
"Don't be nervous. This isn't an interrogation." Calista noticed the tension in Tara's shoulders and deliberately slowed her speech.
"I asked you here because I wanted to understand your situation a little better and talk with you. About what you've been through, your family, and how you feel about this place."
Tara looked up in surprise and met Calista's gray-blue eyes.
The sharpness that had made those eyes difficult to meet earlier was gone. Now, they held the focused attention of someone genuinely listening.
Up close, the female commander was even more... beautiful than Tara had thought from a distance. Her features were exquisitely delicate, yet there was an unmistakable strength to her overall presence.
Her gentle manner eased Tara's nerves slightly.
Tara began to speak. She stumbled over her words at first, but gradually grew steadier.
"My sister Lilly and I... we joined the camp while we were on the run."
She told Calista about the family tragedy that had shattered Lilly and nearly destroyed Tara as well, and about the helplessness she had felt while fleeing.
Calista listened carefully and hardly interrupted. When Tara became too emotional, she occasionally pushed the prepared glass of water across the table or simply nodded to show that she understood.
Most of her questions focused on details and feelings rather than pressing Tara like an interrogator.
"You protected your sister even when she was in such a difficult condition," Calista said softly. "That couldn't have been easy."
Tara felt her throat tighten.
For so long, almost no one besides Alisha had understood everything she had struggled through or acknowledged how hard she had tried.
Even Alisha didn't particularly like Lilly.
Life in the camp had already been difficult. They had to search for increasingly scarce supplies while constantly watching out for walkers.
In her dazed and detached state, Lilly had undeniably become a serious burden.
Yet here, in a place filled with order and strength, this powerful leader had somehow seen Tara's awkward, desperate efforts to protect her sister.
"She's my sister..." Tara said, her voice choking. "I can't lose her too."
"I understand." Calista's voice was quiet, but her words carried weight. "Rock Fortress has basic medical care and psychological support.
If your sister needs help, we can arrange for professionals to work with her.
Of course, she would need to be willing, and we would also need your consent."
Tara's head snapped up, hope filling her eyes. "R-really? I mean... Lilly, she might not talk. She..."
"We can try. We won't force her. We're simply offering her the possibility," Calista said firmly.
"As for you, Alisha, and the others, you're prisoners right now, but Rock Fortress has clear rules.
Follow those rules, show that you have something to contribute, and earn points through work and other contributions. Once you meet the required standard, you can receive better treatment and may even qualify for full membership."
She met Tara's eyes directly, speaking without pretense.
"I'm not asking you to trust or obey us immediately.
Use your own eyes and ears. Decide for yourself what kind of place Rock Fortress is and what kind of person I am.
Time will give you the answer."
Tara stared at Calista.
Her gaze was clear and calm. There was no pity in it, no manipulation, only a straightforward statement of how things worked.
Tara found herself believing her almost immediately.
It wasn't only because Calista had offered to help. It was also the way she spoke so openly, and perhaps because, deep down, Tara already felt an instinctive warmth and attraction toward this astonishingly beautiful woman.
"I'll talk to the others," Tara said, making up her mind.
"Good." Calista gave a slight nod. "That's enough for today. Go back and get some rest.
If you urgently need anything, ask the guards to pass the message to Gwendolyn."
Tara stood, hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, "Thank you, Commander."
Calista nodded and watched as a Defense Force soldier escorted her out of the interview room.
After the door closed, Calista remained alone in the room for a short while before getting up and leaving.
...
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