The highways are mostly dead.

The old mega-gas station survived because of two things:

hardened concrete
fuel infrastructure

The Buc-ee’s is no longer a convenience store — it’s a fuel fortress and trade post.

Meanwhile, your cousin’s Costco controls:

hydroponics
bulk food storage
machine repair
scavenger logistics
population and labor

The two settlements need each other.

🏪 Costco Settlement

Role:
Industrial + food center

Population:
50-100+ People

Strengths:

Hydroponics
Water purification
Storage
Workshops
Medical supplies
Skilled labor

Weaknesses:

Huge food demand
Needs fuel and transport
Hard to defend fully

Think:

warehouse city-state

All Costco Locations in the US

Timeline After Apocalypse:
3 years since the fall.

The main purpose of this location is a Fuel + traveler checkpoint

Population:
40–80 people

Strengths:

Fuel reserves
Highway access
Vehicle repair bays
Open sightlines
Trade traffic

Weaknesses:

Limited farming
High fuel dependence
Vulnerable supply chain
Needs food and water imports

Think:

Fuel town + outpost not strictly in the city.

All Buc-ees Locations in the US

Year 0 → Year 5 After Collapse

The highways died first.

Not from bombs.

From silence.

No freight. No police. No tanker schedules. Fuel stations became stranded islands — giant reservoirs with no civilization attached to them.

Most gas stations were looted in weeks.

But the Buc-ee’s survived.

Not because it had the most fuel.

Because it had the most people.

🦫 Year 0–1: The Beaver Refuge

When collapse hit, travelers flooded the massive roadside stop.

Truckers.

Families.

Mechanics.

People already used to long highways and fuel logistics.

The station still had:

industrial bathrooms
refrigeration
backup systems
repair space
highway visibility
enormous parking areas

At first it was chaos.

Then someone started organizing.

Old fuel techs.

Truck mechanics.

Former station workers.

They realized something:

The pumps above ground were only the face.

The real treasure sat below.

Not endless.

But enough to start wars over.

Year 1 — First Organization

The settlement develops structure.

Core teams form:

Fuel Crew

Monitors fuel use
Protects fuel infrastructure
Maintains pumps and equipment

Repair Crew

Vehicle repair
Generator work
Salvaged machinery

Security Team

Patrols
Watch positions
Entry control

Radio Team

Long-range communication
Traffic monitoring
Trade coordination

The Buc-ee’s becomes known as a highway refuge rather than a random shelter.

Early Takeover

The site is not originally controlled by one organized group.

Instead:
Multiple survivor groups occupy sections

Supply disputes emerge between them

Leadership struggles happen
Resource control becomes the central issue

A more organized faction eventually gains control through:

Better logistics
Stronger organization
Repair capability
Resource management
Support from mechanics and supply crews
Better Leadership

The result is a unified settlement rather than scattered camps.

The Buc-ee’s shifts from:

chaotic shelter

to:

controlled fuel outpost.

First Rebuild Phase

Once control stabilizes, rebuilding starts.

Goals:

Reduce vulnerability
Create defensible zones
Improve living conditions
Support long-term survival

Construction relies on:

Salvaged metal
Vehicles
Highway materials
Scrap fencing
Construction leftovers