Degradation

[Grape_Drink]

Seven years have passed since the fall of Hatchet's command. A brilliant mind, but a poor leader, not even he could stop the anarchy that came to be when for the first time there was a surplus of food and drinkable water. The year is 2123, Spring. When the bombs fell some eighty, ninety years ago, the world ceased to be for many. The combination of fallout and nuclear winter destroyed most of the environment, and only small patches of cold earth in the Rocky Mountains managed to survive long enough for life. Miscarriages and infertility were common among the few living humans, and even those born were typically bound by mutations and genetic disorders such as microcephaly. The population is a fraction of what it used to be, and the destruction of Hatchet's base has only seen anarchy and bitterness roar out from the many who were raised in his promises of a utopian society. Those still believing in Hatchet, his loyalists, rule over the supplies to the west, but a new group has risen from Hatchet's old order and the city of Denver to the east. These men and women, formed of a syndicate of criminals and ideologues, call themselves the Grey Eagles, and have been successful in stopping the advance of the loyalists. What role will you play in this conflict? What goals do you seek? Whatever they may be, like the leaders of these two rivals, you seek an end. An end to...

Degradation
A Threads 2.0 with a fallout twist

Your locations. You can move up to two-three squares a day on the highway, two squares a day on rough terrain, and 1 square a day in mountainous terrain.

Blair

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You wake up groggily like always, another near-sleepless night... The chill mountain air and dust fills your nose as you sit upright. You had been chasing prey through the forests when you arrived at this small community up in the mountains. The night before you had needed to sleep, and so you took up residence in one of the abandoned homes, the local villagers mostly ignoring you since you weren't posing much of a threat to them. Looking out a grimy blown-out window, you see the remains of what was once Hatchet's base in the distance. The underground complex was supposedly massive, a rumored secret military base before the apocalypse. The bomb hadn't even been big enough to blow up the entire facility, only the lower levels while ionizing large portions of the upper levels, but it still left trace radiation fuming up through its entirety. Rumors spread like wildfire though, and few dare approach it out of fear of what might lie within almost a decade later.

A number of moths flutter about on the ceiling, and the villagers outside seem to be busy harvesting grub fruit. Many of them are covered in ionization burns from the explosion, some of them possibly ex-soldiers of Hatchet's former might. There's still traces of your prey though, and from the looks of it, it is big enough to feed you for quite some time if preserved...

Wyviera

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

With an armed friend on either side, you descend into one of the larger bunkers on-base. Patrol duty had been rather light for the last few months, nothing major other than the occasional soldier losing their shit and needing to be put down. When the summons came that you were to speak with Regus, it sounded too good to be true, but here you are. The older man stands before you as he sizes you up. His eyes are a dull yellow; possibly addiction, possibly radiation, and half his face is melted off. It's not a pleasant sight to say the least. He speaks through an old-world electronic piece attached to his throat, a life support system attached to his chest keeps him alive when many would be dead by his age.

"Wyviera Mars... According to your superior's reports, you've done quite well here on base. Minimal psychological trauma, no serious illnesses, an almost perfect shot record, very few misses..."

He inhales raspily as he paces ever so slightly with a cane in hand.

"I'm assigning you to a caravan heading towards Thorn Tower... We have reason to believe that the slavers are hiding a squadron of Combat Drones somewhere in the surrounding city. I'm sending in my granddaughter, Janette. She's one of the best hackers we have, and knows a number of the old world codes... Mission goals are to locate the drones and bring her back safely. This mission is considered top priority... Failure of the second half will be grounds for termination... Do you accept these terms, Miss Mars?"

You could technically decline, but people who decline these sorts of missions tend to end up on the front lines... Still, Thorn Tower is no safe haven. The slavers run the upper city, and the lower city where the drones undoubtedly are is infested with all sorts of mutated creatures and general ilk. The front lines might even be safer if some of the rumors you've heard are true...

Oz

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You wake up to the chill mountain air as rays of sun blot through a bullethole in the wall and into your eyes. It would be a happier feeling knowing you have such a natural alarm clock if not for the knowledge that it was due to a raider attempt last week... Lily seems to be preparing for work as she pours a bag of old-world "cereal" into a bowl. In actuality it looks more like sawdust, but... Food is food, right? Sitting upright, you note a certain figurehead approaching your home.

Mort, the self proclaimed "mayor" of Nameless... A slimeball if there ever was one. He tends to strut around town in his purple rat jacket causing issues with the local women, but he's kept the Loyalists in check for the most part and keeps his guard prepared for raiders and bandits. Before the Loyalists were pushed back this far, you had been part of the town council overseeing its reconstruction and management of food supply, but the Loyalist's takeover combined with his attempts at Lily (the last one resulting in a drunken street brawl less than a week ago) have left plenty of bad blood between the two of you and a vague line of "tolerance" for each other's presence.

"Oz, my boy!" He calls out with a gruff, unsettlingly enthusiastic voice as he lets himself in without permission. His face looks like a gnawed off piece of wood, one of his eyes covered over by warty scar-like skin. "We need some help with a few electronics down the road! Things might actually become a bit lively in this deadbeat town if Regus keeps pushing his agenda! Hah!" His eyes dart over to Lily, lingering perhaps a bit too long as he speaks.

Ciera

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Having made your residence in Springs for a few weeks fixing up local robotics and such, the Grey Eagles had taken a liking to you... Before you knew it, you were being "assigned" to work on a civilian project to reestablish the power cables between towns whether you liked it or not. It wasn't the most pleasant work, but at least you were being fed and the dirt and grime from climbing power lines all day kept anyone from taking particular interest in you... Then a group of raiders attacked. You remember running from the scene as fast as you could with your supplies, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire nor be a prize should the overwhelmed Eagles be taken out... Almost a full day of retreat, and you found yourself at an abandoned factory with the raiders finally letting up. You had heard the rumors about this place, but they were just rumors, right? Still... With only a few day's supplies and nothing to trade for more, returning to Springs doesn't seem like the best option right now. Surely there's some rations stored somewhere in this facility, and if you're lucky, maybe some supplies to trade?

Of course you could always head outside and fight the raiders who might be waiting, or try to make your way to Eagle Prime and see if they'll let you in... That plan hasn't worked so well though for others in the past.

Viktor

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Life has been good these last few months. You sit at a stall positioned on a hill overlooking the forest on both sides with a couple of your ranking men. Quite the view from up here... Your gang had been assigned by the council to guard a contingent of land drones discovered in a basement underneath the town, and the council was supposedly considering inducting you into their ranks. The locals were submissive after the initial fight and death of their town leader, and bandits seem to be more focused on the interstate than these out of the way towns. The women were quite friendly for the most part too when they realized your gang was here to stay. After all, food, drink, and not having a gun pointed at your head is always nice. A few of them might be pregnant according to the local doc, but that's not really your problem. What is your problem is that the contingent force and their scientist who were supposed to activate these damned drones haven't shown up yet. They were supposed to be here almost two day ago. Luckily you're pretty deep in the wilds. They could have just been delayed by raiders or the like.

A scout radios in to the radiobox positioned on the stall.

"Boss, we got a steady group of Eagles coming in from the Southern forest. Looks like a caravan and guards, pretty beat up too... Orders?"

Joshua

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Alright folks! We're out of the tunnel and in the clear! Curb's right around the corner here and I doubt we'll have any more bandits after our cargo!"

Security duty along the interstate is never fun. Security duty through a pitch black tunnel possibly filled with all sorts of critters and/or riches is even less fun, but it seems you've made it past the worst of it. A cold mountain wind blows through the tunnel as you exit into the sunlight. It's the first time you've seen it since yesterday evening when you decided to set up camp at the other end of the Eisenhower tunnel. Sure guarding a dog-pulled caravan of slaves isn't your first choice of jobs, but the pay is good, and besides, being a slave in Curb is a better life than having to scrape by just to survive- you can even buy your freedom after a few years, though most continue to "entertain" long after that point. You begin to muse on what you'll be able to spend your money on in Curb when the guard next to you whispers...

"What was that noise? Did you see that?"

Turning to see what the commotion is about, you find yourself nearly face-to-face with a man covered in blood-splotched skin and leather. He lets out a scream and charges at you! Instinctively, you pull out your switchblade and slash his throat, stepping to the side and giving him a shove as he begins to gurgle and convulse on the ground. Bloodshot wild drug eyes, rancid breath... Oh for fucks sake, there might not be bandits, but raiders!?

Turning back around, you see your fellow guards engaged in close-quarters combat. There appears to be about twelve raiders, and you're positive your team can handle them, but that isn't helping the matter right now. Looking around, you find a particularly built one who's chiseled his teeth into pointed fangs. He's currently using them to rip into one of your comrade's arms and bringing a knife towards his neck. Lovely.

You could help him, but at the same time you could deal with one of the other raiders and see how things play out. After all, if the raider ends up killing him that's one less mouth to feed and bandage, and a little more money from the total in your pockets...

Rein

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You lounge about in the uppermost levels of Thorn Tower. It's not every day you get a personal invitation to the uppermost portion of the slaver's city. A few dozen professionals roam about the halls in fancy suits and dresses that put your rather common outfit to shame. Still, you do note that you're the youngest one here. While they converse with various locals, your eyes gaze over to your little sister as she sits at a table with Benny eating grub fruit prepared in some fancy way and "canned tuna," whatever that is. Benny might be an old slaver with old ideals, but he's been good to you two. When you originally were looking for work, he took you on and taught you what he could. He likely saved your life on more than one occasion with the knowledge you gained from him. Nowadays he just sits around in one of the more run-down portions of the upper city sending jobs your way in exchange for a small cut of the profits. Work's been scarce though lately given the paranoia within the two gangs... A young woman gingerly keeps hold of your arm as she speaks.

"Oh my, daddy says that such professions usually have a demand. The people around these parts are always hiring someone to take care of someone or another."

She's rather frail looking, blonde hair, short, maybe a year younger than you, proper speech, and wearing a revealing midnight blue dress... Ever since you showed up last evening she's been following you around like a lost dog, probably has taken a liking to you, and you can't remember her name for the life of you... Did she even tell you her name? She's supposedly the daughter of the man running this event who, you note, is getting up onto the platform to speak. The man wears probably the fanciest suit here, and you think the hat on his head is called a stetson. He's also notably large... You've seen mutated humans with muscle hypertrophy, but this isn't muscly big, this is just plain fat. It's almost sickening to think there's people living in luxury up in this tower and the surrounding upper city when others are just barely scraping by.

"My fellow slavers, bandits, mercenaries, and killers... Thank you all for showing up this fine day. As many of you know, there's been a particular troublemaker out and about this last year or so..."

The lights dim as the locals go quiet. A projector places a picture of a woman who appears to be in her early twenties with a scar running from her eye down her neck and disappearing underneath her leather jacket. A military rocket launcher is strapped over her shoulder, and her eyes seem to have a cold, hard look that you haven't seen in years. The look of someone who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals...

"This, my comrades, is one Jenny Estrada, A.K.A. 'Drone Girl' as most of you call her. Over thirty confirmed kills, five caravans stopped, another 12 damaged or with partially escaped cargo... Some data is suggesting she's been leading bands of raiders towards our cargo just so she doesn't have to deal with it personally... Some of my scouts report she's heading towards Hatchet's old base with her buddies and a caravan full of anti-radiation supplies. Looking to get ahold of fancy weapons..."

He slams his fist into the podium, raising his voice.

"I want this bitch's head on a platter and all her friends gutted as well! We need to set an example of what happens when you cross Thorn City! Pay is five thousand in money or supplies, and since she done went and took out our head of security, the job is up for grabs for whoever brings her in alive so I can deal with her... Personally. The position obviously comes with access to the upper city, room, food, and fresh water."

The pay alone is enough to set someone up for a while, but that job could guarantee you and your sister a place in Thorn Tower. It's amazing that he'd even offer it to folks of your caliber. Sure dealing with a bunch of prissy locals all day is annoying, but it's not nearly as annoying as getting shot at all the time, and a life of luxury would set you up rather well. He continues to ramble on about this and that for a while, and eventually everyone's giving a small applause as the party continues, that girl still holding onto your arm.

"So I take it you will be heading out on that mission, Mr. Rein?"

She looks up at you curiously, though your attention is partially divided on Benny and your little sister getting ready to leave.

((Hopefully nothing else got cut off other than Joshua and Rein's opener, will edit accordingly if it did.))

[eaenidu]

Blair sighed as she woke up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she looked out the window at the landscape and the people before sighing again and checking her supplies another night with barely any sleep she thought as she checked over everything taking a sip of 'dirty' water and having a small grub fruit as a snack before she set off to track whatever she was following before but stopped and thought about whether or not the mountain was safe for her but decided no it wasn't it was a bad place to be to much open terrain she thought a bit and decided to instead go towards the big city that she knew was down the highway and she then set off into the woods towards the highway keeping her senses open in case anything was around

(Left,down from her current square)

[eaenidu]

(Edit sorry my net is messing up a bit)

[[Brand_Name]]

The mind of Viktor began to spin with the possibilities that might ensue, no matter how improbable. He may be vicious, but he always held his men's lives to a higher standard. He believed it was best for his men to be tired and angry but alive as opposed to dead. He found his highest officer nearby, "gather a squad of five men to accompany me to welcome them into town. Make sure they're armed, just in case. Then organize everyone left to fortify into the town." He gathered his supplies and set off for the town gate.

[KnightVanilla]

Standing close to a bar with a drink in one hand and a lady in another wasn't something that occured often for Rein. Though he wasn't objecting to this sort of treatment it would beat many of the sort of 'adventures' he's had while he was on the job. As he kept his eyes on his little sister and Benny. The old man made a good teacher. Considering everything he's picked up over the years, Rein knew it was thanks to him he was even able to make it this far while providing for his sister. It was probably due to a classic mutation most people go through. Considering many people he encountered were infertile. He's taken good care of his sister too while he'd been out on long jobs. It was hard to trust the man at first but as time passed he realized this man considered him and his sister a family of sorts.

Before really realizing it he felt a tug at his arms as the woman besides him made a note on her father. He wouldn't normally keep around company like her with him. Nor have the chance at that. Rein had wondered why the hell she even was sticking with him. Though at times it did draw unwanted attention to him. He took a sip of wine. Enjoying the taste of it. Enjoying the benefits of a second liver as it was harder to get drunk. Though he was never one to try in the first place. As he sees the big man who he had to assume was her father. His thoughts shot quickly through his mind. More than surprised of his...body.

As he begins his speech to slowly build up to the reason for the event. Seeing the lights dim to reveal the target of all who would participate in this bounty. Was someone with a look he hadn't seen since he was a child. As the fat man listed what she's done and was capable, Rein started to wonder if it was possible to get close to this target. Her affiliation with the Raiders would make talk... much harder than with any of the gangs. As for going in guns a blaze well.... there are thirty dead people who have confirmed that a bad idea. The moment of weapons being brought up however did have him wonder what it would be this Drone girl was looking for exactly. Weapons like that would be tide turners or just be good enough to sell for a high price.

Then there was the reward especially for catching her alive. That would set himself and a life for him and his sister. Though to catch a target alive he would need information on the target.... personal information. A kind of job that wasn't usually to his liking considering the more you knew the target the harder... or easier it became to capture or kill them. Finally as he pulls away from his own thoughts he looks to the girl beside him. "I suppose I will... it would prove more than profitable to gather her alive." He said as he walked with her most likely in tow. As he reaches Benny. "Heya Benny if you don't mind looking after little Azalea for me... I might end up taking this job. I'll leave as soon as I have my gear ready as well... other than that... do you have any information on this Jenny that may prove useful?"

[Shura]

Joshua was no idealist. Like everyone else, he was only a small part of a much larger problem. He did what he needed to do to survive, if you could even call it that. Being a drifter in a post-apocalyptic world was not as glamorous as it might have seemed prior to the bombs being dropped. Though he would never admit it, a small part of him might have been envious of the slaves that he had been escorting. Of the fates that awaited you in this scorched wasteland, being a slave wasn't the worst thing that could happen. Besides, after a few years, some of them might even have the option of buying themselves out, and move on to other, hopefully less degrading careers.

All things considered, while Joshua might have felt a small degree of contempt for both himself and his colleagues, he was looking forward to receiving his payment. Any misgivings that he might have had about working security for a caravan of slaves were conveniently overlooked by the promise of reward, as well as the grim hope that the slaves would be better off in Curt than somewhere else. Such was the way of things unfortunately, and given his luck, or lack thereof, Joshua knew that his misdeeds would eventually come back to him. Karmatic justice would have to wait however, as a more sudden and immediate threat had presented itself.

Joshua's expression remained steady and unchanged, slashing the charging raider across the throat and pushing him down as a matter of course. Despite his quick reaction, there was neither cause nor time to celebrate. Turning back towards the rest of the group, Joshua could see that they were indeed being attacked by raiders. Raiders took whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it, and their favorite pastimes are torture and murder. Granted, these characteristics didn't necessarily differentiate them from anyone else who was likely to try and kill you for no reason other than just because, but at least you didn't need to feel bad for defending yourself.

Seizing the opportunity, Joshua moved to attack the large and brutish raider that was taking a bite out of one of the other guards. While it was doubtful that he would be able to save the guard, his sacrifice would not be in vain. With both his weapons, and attentions elsewhere, the raider noshing on the arm of his fellow guardsman was decidedly vulnerable.

[Reaver]

Wyviera swallowed any nervousness she had left as she was escorted down into a bunker to see Regus. She hoped it was for a promotion or at least a job change from the normal sentry duty she preformed. She shook her head of any other stray thoughts as she walked into the man's presence, giving him a formal salute before standing at attention to hear what he had to say. It seemed like the old man was winding up to something as he mentioned her almost flawless record, which always had the effect of making her more accepting of whatever she had to do. She allowed herself a proud smirk as Regus began to explain the mission which frankly sounded like a high-risk pain in the ass.

"So this is a Search and Seize mission plus escorting an HVT who happens to be your granddaughter. I'm guessing since my contract or life will be terminated if Janette dies, that you'll want me to stay close to her."

Wyviera didn't like babysitting and if it was worst-case scenario, which it usually was, then she would be dealing with a hacker girl who was too nosy for her own good that also had zero combat training. However the girl was a hacker which meant she was more valuable than a hundred soldiers. And if Regus wanted hundred percent certainty that she would make it back safe then he was going to need to cough up some bonuses.

"Any other sharpshooter that possessed my skill would ask for hazard pay along with a weapon requisition. I don't think that's asking much for a mission of this caliber and if you agree to at least one of those terms then I will accept the mission."

It was a bit of a gamble but Wyviera was a strong believer in high-risk should equal high-reward. Normal wages wouldn't cut it for a job like this and pride wouldn't allow her to take nothing less than what she believed she deserved.

[spriter1]

Ciera decided after the sudden exchange to at least make sure that both she and her things had made it out in one piece.

She never really believed the rumours about this place, she had travelled on the road too long to think anything of them. So, what would someone like her do if they walked into an abandoned factory that probably isn't touched to to a children's tale? With that in mind, Ciera decided the best course of action would be to search the factory for anything that she could use and hopefully, a way out that won't involve her ending up becoming a human watering can.

(Sorry about the short post, no idea what to type :L)

[Grape_Drink]

Blair (Thirsty, Hungry)

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Luck- 16 +1 = 17

With mountains to your left and petrified wood all around, you make your way through the mostly dead forest. Lichens grow along the rocks and trees in small pockets, and you even find the occasional patch of brown, shriveled grass begining to uproot with the arrival of spring, but these small telltale signs of life are all that roam in this silent forest. The silence is nice in a way–your senses are more alert to if someone's approaching because of it. Being a scout, you grew up most of your life in this silence when you roamed your local woods back home... It's almost too much though; the only sound being your footsteps and the occasional breeze of wind as it picks up a partially distintegrated bottle or newspaper article. It makes you want to scream at times just to make noise, but you know something like that would inevitably attract bandits... Or worse.

Orienting yourself, you note that sundown is approaching soon. You're about an hour away from the highway, and it will take about a day and a half from there to reach the city outskirts. In your experience it will be far more dangerous to set up camp along it than out in the woods. Many would rather brave the evening walking to exhaustion than spend a night along the highway if it can be helped... You've made hardy multi-day trips before with only minor naps in crevices and hiding spots, but whether you want to push your luck for that long is a hard choice to make.

While considering your options, you hear a small rustle in the nearby brush. Drawing your weapon, a small rabbit pops its head out. The runt can't be very old judging by its size, and it hasn't seemed to notice you (or is paying no heed considering the rarity of humans through this part of the woods these days).

Viktor

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Perception- 1
GM Roll; Perception- 14
(You've obtained a walkie talkie)

You make your way to the town gate as you can see the ragtag group begining to make their way towards the town, a caravan pulled by mutated dogs with them. You think you remember hearing somewhere that they were once called Anatolian Shepherds, but that's probably the last thing on your mind right now. You note a number of the group have injuries, some more severe than others, but they all wear the eagle insignia. The head of the caravan approaches, saluting to you as he begins to speak. The scrawny lad has a bandage wrapped around his forehead from some sort of wound, and walks with a bit of a limp.

"Gerome Holder of the science division, sir. We were ambushed by Loyalist forces at the lake. We lost two thirds of our men..."

Well, his story holds up well enough. There were supposed to be about three dozen of them, but from the looks of it there's only twelve. Perhaps a healthy dose of paranoia, perhaps you just don't like him, but something in your gut doesn't fully trust that story... You note one of the caravan guards near the back some 30 meters away absently scratch over one of the bandages on his arm where, judging by the blood, a decent sized bullet wound should be. Most would have simply overlooked it and not even realized small signs like that, but then again, most people don't have the lives of almost fourty or so folks to protect. The man keeps eye contact with you, awaiting your reply.

Rein

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Heya Benny if you don't mind looking after little Azalea for me... I might end up taking this job. I'll leave as soon as I have my gear ready as well... other than that... do you have any information on this Jenny that may prove useful?"

"Ain't no trouble at all, Pan'tell. She can stay in Lead's old room, not like she stops by very often these days."

Well, that much was true. Lead had been your sparring partner. A poor fighter if there ever was one, but you'd never seen someone capable of building a robot from scrap beforehand. Still, Lead was always too much of an idealist and ended up banned from Thorn Tower a few years back. You note Benny lower his voice as he goes to say something.

"As for that-"

"Chrysanthemum. Your father says it's time to go home."

A modulated voice of a security guard cuts him off as it stares at the young woman latched on to you. The speech giver waddling over as he speaks a little loudly and brashly.

"Chryssy! Where've you been? I-" he pauses for a moment, his voice growing low as he speaks through almost gritted teeth. "What did I tell you about hanging around the riff raff, young lady? Get yer ass back home this instant."

"Yes, Daddy." She states with some contempt, giving a small curtsy before walking off with the security guard. The larger gentleman turns his gaze towards you with a scowl.

"As for you, who do you think..."

He seems to look you over for a moment before realizing you're one of the potential recruits for the bounty. With a small harumph, he waddles off, grumbling about people not knowing their place. Delightful...

"I've got a contact named Aziz. You'll recognize him when you see him, he was wandering around here earlier... I think he might know a way to get closer to Estrada. Go ahead and pick up anything you think you might need around town with that last bounty. I'll go ahead and get in contact with 'em and see what the plan is."

You'll need to eventually stop by Benny's house to pick up your things, but it seems you're free to explore for a little bit if you want to. Or you could just head straight for his place if you think you have everything you need.

Joshua (Thirsty, Hungry)

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Raider Brute attempts to stab Guard: Miss!
Guard takes 3 bite damage! (10/15 HP)
Joshua surprise attacks Raider Brute: Hit! (double damage)
Raider Brute takes 1 damage! (7/8 HP)
Raider armor takes 1 damage! (5/10 HP)
Guard attacks Raider: Hit!
Raider armor takes 1 damage! (4/10 HP)
Raider Brute attempts to stab guard: Miss!
Guard takes 1 bite damage! (9/15 HP)
Joshua attacks Raider Brute: Hit!
Raider Brute takes 1 damage! (6/8 HP)
Raider armor takes 1 damage! (3/10 HP)
Guard attacks Raider Brute: Hit!
Raider Brute takes 2 damage! (4/8)
Raider Armor takes 1 damage! (2/10 HP)
Raider Brute attempts to stab Guard: Hit!
Guard takes 6 damage! (3/15 HP)
Guard takes 2 bite damage! (1/15 HP)
Joshua attacks Raider Brute: Hit!
Raider Brute takes 6 damage! (-2/8 HP)
Guard performs finishing blow!
Raider Brute is dead!
Joshua has obtained the following:

• Tattered Raider armor (2/10 HP, -2 Leadership, tier 2)
• Raider Armor (7/10 HP, -2 Leadership, tier 2)
• Kitchen Knife (1d6, tier 2, 46/50 HP)
• Sharpened Metal Stick (1d4, tier 1, N/A HP)
• Mutant Juice (4 oral supplements)
• 1/2 Day's rations (Grub Fruit)

Time seems to go in slow motion as you rush towards your injured comrade. He frantically tries to hit the raider in the head with a metal hammer to little effect as he only succeeds in damaging the brute's armor. You watch as the raider attempts to stab the guard repeatedly, missing wildly as you begin to stab the brute in the back, catching him by surprise. It takes multiple wounds before he finally lets up, beginning to lose consciousness as the guard swings down his mighty stanley hammer, crushing part of the Brute's skull with a satisfying crunch before falling unconscious. His arm looks horribly gnawed-up, a knife wound cutting deep into his shoulder. He'll likely be out of service almost as long as his pay is going to cover (assuming he doesn't blow it on drugs and whores).

Things seem to be calming down as you watch your fellow guards finish off the remaining raiders. A doctor rushes over and begins to treat the guard with antiseptics and bandages. Well, at least your employer could afford decent medical care.

Silently, the corpses are looted as you're given your share from the two raiders you helped kill. It isn't much, and the bloody raider garbs aren't exactly light, but a small bath in irradiated water should leave the leather intact and cleaner, maybe worth something. You could always just chuck them of course.

You find no more obstacles on your path as sundown approaches and you enter Curb. From the outside it isn't much to look at. Your employer pays you your fees, a standard 500 slaver notes before sending you on your way. At the very least you'll need a room for the night, and the drug addicts roam the streets outside making camping a no-go.

Entering from the front, you can see inside. Some of the floors collapsed long ago from the initial shockwave explosions, leaving a rather uneven dance floor lit by dim blacklights overhead. Various couches and beds line the walls for those needing a rest or looking for services, and a large statue made of petrified wood depicts a woman hanging from a pole in the center of the room. A security guard stops you, speaking in a mild, unenthusiastic manner with a shotgun in hand.

"Welcome to Curb. We'll need you to drop off your weapons at the booth and pay the standard ten dollar entrance fee... Business or pleasure this evening?"

Business or pleasure. The owner Mariah established the policy when she took over. A lot of folks coming through just want a place to rest on the upper floors, so the armband system was established. Yellow armbands for business and the "entertainers" will ignore you, Red for pleasure if you're looking for some fun. It's made the establishment much more popular, many claiming Mariah understands the client's "needs" better than most.

Still though. Ten notes!? It was only three last month!

Wyviera

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Leadership- Natural 20

"So this is a Search and Seize mission plus escorting an HVT who happens to be your granddaughter. I'm guessing since my contract or life will be terminated if Janette dies, that you'll want me to stay close to her."

He simply nods at that.

"Any other sharpshooter that possessed my skill would ask for hazard pay along with a weapon requisition. I don't think that's asking much for a mission of this caliber and if you agree to at least one of those terms then I will accept the mission."

Regus stares at you for a moment, a cold look in his eyes. You expect him to say something intimidating right about now, but instead he begins to laugh, though the monotone electronic "hah...hah...hah..." might as well be unnerving in its own way.

"Not many try to bargain with me these days... You have yourself a deal. Your pay will be doubled for this mission with potential for promotion when you return, and I'll assign an additional 1,000 in notes towards any armor or weapon modifications you wish to make at the armory. That should be more than sufficient. Let me show you who you'll be guarding..."

He plops himself into a wheelchair as a guard takes the handles and leads you two down another set of corridors.

"Janette is my pride and joy. She should be easy enough to handle..."

You find yourself in the control room for one of the training simulators. Down below you can see a girl, no older than 13 or 14 tapping away at a small tablet. The soldier in the control room seems to be growing frusterated.

"Janette, I don't care who's kid you are, when I give you an order you fucking follow it! Run the damned simulation!"

"What seems to be the problem this time?"

"I uhh... Sir! She's refusing to run the simulation."

"I see... Set it to actual threat levels, live ammunition"

"But sir! If she's not paying attention now, how do you expect-"

Regus rolls over to the COM, speaking into it.

"Janette dear, we're switching to the advanced training system. Will you please follow through it?"

An annoyed sigh comes up through the speakers.

"Yes, grandpa..."

The lights in the room turn red as sentry robots begin to make their way out of the walls armed with a variety of tools ranging from saws to one that even has a flamethrower. The girl sighs as she jumps behind a wall, rushing to one of the bots and ripping into its back panel at lightning speed.

"She picked the red one again... Why does she like the red one so much? It's a crappy bot used for beginners."

Hooking her device she was playing with just a moment ago into its back panel, she smirks, her tongue sticking ever so slightly out of the corner of her mouth as she begins tapping on it, using the bot as a metallic shield. You note her device has little buttons and sticks coming off of it as she begins to press them and the robot begins moving around, deconstructing the other bots.



Finally, a metallic saw brings down her little red robot as she jumps off of it, pulling an oversized pistol from its holster and- Well that was unexpected. You only see a small flash of light before the final robot's sensors seem to be fried. Perhaps an ionic pulse pistol? Though those are quite rare... Its flamethrower goes wild around the room before shutting off. You know you could have completed that simulation with some difficulty given the cover if you had some armor piercing rounds, but it's still surprising to see a kid pull it off.

"I'm a bit sleepy, paps. Mind if I take a nap here...?" The girl yawns, slouched a bit as if she just ran a marathon as she rips her device out of the robot's panel and taps away at it again. She's all but oblivious to the smoke and rubble from the simulation piled around her.

"You're officially dismissed, Miss Mars. Feel free to go about any duties that need taken care of. Of course, I could introduce you two personally now if you'd prefer?"

Ciera

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Search- 14

You enter the factory, looking around a bit. You seem to be in the factory foyer. An elevator door lies on one side, with a reception desk at the center of the room. Directly in front of you lies a large metal door labelled "factory" with an old chipped-away notice saying to wear a hardhat and no loose clothing. To your right lies a door labelled "employees only." No one you've asked ever seemed to know anything about what this factory produced. It was originally a polymer plastics and aerogel company making product for all sorts of projects, but the war industry transformed it some way or another.

You spot a terminal that still seems to have power left on it at the receptionist's desk. Looking inside the drawers, you find a packet of bubblegum, dead cellphone, and charging cord. Everything else seems to be disintegrating illegible paperwork and ink pens.

((Think I got everything. Will edit reference sheets accordingly here, still working out some kinks.))

[eaenidu]

Blair quit contemplating the meaning of life or some such rot as she realized it was getting close to a good time to nap and started to think about where to settle in at she heard a rustle freaking out a little bit (Which is expected in the waste, somewhat) She aimed her rifle at the sound but calmed down at seeing the rabbit and chuckled at herself before sitting down no way was she shooting her rifle around here she was to paranoid for that "Heh sorry little guy you scared me." She said laughing a little at how she overreacted but started thinking out loud "Hey Rabbits are like mice they fuck like crazy right so..." She smiled and set up her snare somewhere close by"Should get one close by if there's one that young around." before she drunk half of one of her 'dirty' bottles of water and ate a little of her rations before finding a good place to nap seeing as she never really 'sleeps' and settled down after checking for any signs of life around her once again (If nothing happens while she sleeps she wakes up later still night time to check her snare)

[[Brand_Name]]

Viktor knew that no man scratched his wounds. He might rub it or gently caress it, but a scratch would aggravate it. In addition, the "scientist's" story didn't seem right for some reason. Viktor had found a a walkie-talkie, but no one to talk to. If anybody in the encampment did, in fact, have one, that would certainly change things. He gave all the men a once-over, and concluded that the Eagles in question wouldn't bother with the five men with him- if they weren't who they said they were, they wouldn't bother with just five men, they'd go for the whole shebang. He asked the man in charge "great to see that you all made it here- how much firepower do you have left?" After hearing him out, Viktor told him "I'm going to phone-in to my officer back in the encampment with my walkie-talkie; we can start walking." Even if there was no device back in the town, Viktor wanted to see the man's reaction. He needed to figure out a way to verify the identities of these men soon, ideally before reaching the gates. Viktor tried to recall how many men were in the encampment, and if he had any signals that could inform his officers of trouble without the "Eagles" knowing, like a wink, a phrase, or something of the sort. He didn't want these men inside if they weren't his kind, and he would slaughter them if they weren't.

[spriter1]

Ciera decided to see if she could open the back of the phone first to see if the phone actually contained either the things so that it worked to which she would use the battery and the charger to try to charge the phone and see what it was storing. If not, then she would skip to sawing if the terminal contained anything.

[Nobudi]

Oz snorted as he saw the scumbag stare at his sister.
The main reason why he was still probably on his best behavior was the Lily was downright scary when it came to combat, even though she was missing an arm, and she was kinda cute when they ki-... lets not go down this train of thought.
Shaking his mind out of the gutter, he practically pitied the man.
Lily wasn't just one of the town's best hand to hand combatants, but she was a dead aim with a 9mm. It was only just a pity that his parents instilled a sense of tolerance to assholes into her before they died.
As for Oz's rep around the town... he was pretty damn valuable, since the town practically forced him to remain neutral to either gang's causes, not that he actually followed either to the letter.
He flipped Mort the bird before calling out to Lily.
"Hey, Sis! Can ya save some for me?"
He began fiddling with his tools, wiping and cleaning them the best he could to prepare for the day. It also served as time for him to kill as he waited for the asshole to leave.
He needed to see if he could make any breakthrough on the notebook before he left.
Whipping out his shotgun, he laid it across his lap as he continued to clean his tool, idly wondering if blasting Mort's dangly bits off would help the town overall.

[Reaver]

Wyviera stared back at Regus, knowing it was too late to take back this gamble. She had guessed that he would have been angry and probably send her to brig or demote her on the spot but instead he laughed. The sniper hid her surprise well behind a wide grin as she got both the things she had wanted. With double pay she could probably repair all her clothes and weapons then maybe buy a military grade machete for when people got too close, which was rare. She could also use the thousand notes to enhance her already trusty sniper rifle. Not to mention the extra resource flow if she did get promoted once she came back. Her head just swam with the ideas and possibilities and she felt like she was in a daze as she followed Regus to see his granddaughter.

"Thank you Sir! I'll be sure to put those notes to use before I leave, so I'm in top notch shape to guard your granddaughter."

Seeing Janette in person was enough to shake Wyviera out of her reverie as she noted her age. Then watching the soldier have problems directing the girl put a scowl on her face as she hoped keeping the girl in line wouldn't prove to be that difficult all the time. However she kept her thoughts to herself, knowing that Regus probably didn't want to hear anything bad about his "Pride and Joy". With her arms folded in stoic indifference, Wyviera watched Regus up the training program to lethal. She could have handled this with some difficulty but watching a teenager attempt to handle this made her curious about Janette's real potential. Wyviera took several steps forward to see what Janette would do as the robots became to come out, brandishing various weapons meant to maim and kill. Wyviera was surprised to say the least as the hacker girl sprung into action, tearing into the back of one and turning the robots against each other before finishing the last one off with a ionic blast. She had expected her to be a good hacker but not that good. She stepped back from the glass, awed by the girl's performance, looking at Regus with a smirk.

"She's stubborn and brimming with potential! But it does seem like she lacks some motivation, but under the right circumstances can flourish. She reminds me a lot of myself. I'd love to meet her before packing up for the trip, Sir."

Wyviera had never considered herself a politically ambitious person but if staying this close to Regus and Janette was proving to be this profitable then perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to start taking a more serious role with the loyalists.

[KnightVanilla]

Glad that Benny would be able to put with Azalea for the time he would be gone. He made a quick smile to his mentor. Although bringing up Lead's name set him back a bit. The guy was always a good friend and put up with a lot considering he was usually the one to take the hits during the sparring matches. He didn't mind his ideals either though if he had learn when to keep his mouth shut about them he wouldn't have gotten kicked out. Though someone as skilled as him should find work easily so Rein never worried too much. Besides the old man always kept tabs on Lead and if he were in trouble Benny would had sent him at the very notice.

As the girl was pulled away from him due to her father's restrictions he gave a simple bow himself to show respect to her for the curtsey. Hearing her name though Rein made sure it registered this time. It wasn't a bad name either... it was of a flower like her sister. Seeing the whole commotion between the girl and her father, Rein decided to stay out of it as best as he could. Best not upset my future employer. Although a few responses did tick him off at the idea of how he would view himself higher than the rest of everyone else when what he had was most likely sheer luck.

After he finally leaves Rein blurts out to Benny. "Huh so he sees everyone below him as riff raft..... who the hell even talks like that?" Rein said imitating the big mans accent the moment he said riff raft. Rein wasn't too big on rules but one of his firsts he always kept to himself was that you never provoke anyone without good reason.

Hearing Benny state the contact's name. He easily kept a mental note of it. "Alright then I'll head off and get some gear as well as a bit of my clothes repaired." He said looking at the state of his garb's and coat. Heading off in search of a tailor as well as some equipment to buy. Mainly a gun if thing were to get hair he would want a weapon that would provide him with excellent power. He had two weapons on his wishlist. An old Winchester rifle, Bolt action and a colt revolver. However the winchester would come first as well as its ammo. Then extra supplies for food and water. Above all else would be his cloths though. These things did help keep him protected from small bits of weaponry. Besides it was much cheaper to fix cloths than buy new ones. After gathering what he needed he would return to Benny's to gather the rest of his things and set off to find this Aziz.

[Grape_Drink]

A large explosion rings out from the far east in Denver... (Silvus has been added to the map!)

Blair

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Hunting- 19 + 5(scout) = 24
GM Roll; Sleep- Natural 20!
GM Roll; Luck- 2

You actually manage to get a little rest as you doze off in the ending sunset in the distance... Your dreams are even somewhat pleasant, a first in months...

. . .

You suddenly wake up though to the sound of a small animal shrieking as it's become entrapped in your snare! What time is it? Looking around, you note that the sun will be rising in about an hour. Damn, you actually managed to sleep an entire evening!

Rolling up your supplies, you head over to your trap. You seem to have caught a relatively large rabbit, and it will probably last you a couple days. Using your ice pick, you put the poor critter out of its misery and begin packing up your catch and tools. A rustle in the bushes catches your attention as you turn around to see another rabbit poking its head out.

And another...

And another...

Before long, you have a good two, three dozen rabbits that are just... Staring at you. Rabbits aren't supposed to stare at people like that. They're supposed to at least be skittish. That look in their eyes though...

Without warning, one of the rabbits lunges at your leg as you instinctively kick it away, the other rabbits swarming it as small bunny shrieks fill the air and a miniature blood pool forms on the forest floor. They quickly devour said bunny before turning their blood-stained tiny maws in your general direction.

You are now fighting a swarm of starved, blood-crazed rabbits (17 HP).

Viktor

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Perception- 2

"great to see that you all made it here- how much firepower do you have left?"

The man visibly relaxes a bit at that as he speaks.

"Only auxillary pistols and two loaded hunting rifles, sir. We had to sacrifice most of the assault weapons in our escape..."

"I'm going to phone-in to my officer back in the encampment with my walkie-talkie; we can start walking."

"Of course, sir. Understood." The man keeps his cool as you say this and proceed to speak into it. You recall that aside from the five with you, there's about fourty men and women back in town, the "main force" of your gang. You'd taken along a number of newer recruits and left a good few of your veterans behind back at the factory since the mission was supposed to be a piece of cake given its nature. Suddenly, your walkie-talkie picks up with a small buzz as one of your scouts from earlier speaks into it.

"Mr. Dchevsky? ... I'll get to higher ground and send a message to Grits up at the peak, boss. The antenna up there should be able to pick up the base signal and verify."

Keeping your eyes on "Gerome," you note his expression doesn't change. Perhaps you're just a bit paranoid...? That or he's a really good actor.

"Go ahead and inform the boys that we're almost in town. They've had it hard enough, I'm sure they'll be happy to hear it." Gerome shouts back casually as one of the guards jumps into the back of the caravan. Meanwhile, one of your officers who had been on his radio to the side walks over.

"Mary says she's going to pull out some of the good stuff back at the tavern to welcome our guests, sir." Mary, of course, meant that the fortifications were ready. The codeword had been developed so you could informed "Mary" if the "good stuff" was actually needed or not. After all, not everyone was an "honored guest."

The walk up to the town gate is rather short, but feels like hours. You begin to grow a bit nervous as you receive no response, and the caravan begins to enter town. It shouldn't normally take this long for a simple response back from HQ. Just as the caravan is entering, a loud pop echoes through the valley. Turning to the source, you spot red signal smoke begining to billow up from the peak where Grits was positioned, a worst case scenario signal. Loyalist invasion...

A ratatat of assault rifle fire echoes from the same peak as you turn back to see Gerome dive for the inside of the caravan. Your officers duck for cover, pulling their weapons as crossfire is exchanged between them and the "guards." Some of the bullets intersect with the caravan, but instead of the ripping of canvas, a deep thud of metal striking metal rings out as the dogs pulling it suddenly whip into full speed towards the center of town...!

Ciera

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The storage capacity on the phone battery seems to be busted so charging is a no-go, but by the way it's hooked up, it should still be able to turn on through a direct power source which you happen to have on you. As the phone begins to power on, you take a look at the computer's contents. Unfortunately a large portion of it seems to be corrupted... You do manage to pull up some backup files though and piece together some information, though it's relatively vague.

Log 1: Go ahead and cancel the employee potluck, Ms. F$&)\%*@#%&@ given a rather big project, so we need everyone in top shape come the reassembly next week for our new product line.

Log2: Prototype 32 was a massive failure. Launch sequences are finally working, but Bob was killed by the weapons system... Luckily he wasn't wearing #@%&$^#%@!$ can reduce the insurance claim and liability charges. Go ahead and reroute a fourth of it to his family with the procedural letter. They live in that giant slum of a state capitol, I doubt they'll question how much we're actually liable for.

Log3: Prototype 317 seems to be functioning better than expected. Inform our contractor that he'll have a product by the end of the year.

Log4: Prototype 317 went on a rampage during the private testing. We aren't entirely sure what happened... I want our crew on overtime until this issue is resolved. We can't afford any more mistakes like this!

Log5: Lock it up. Contract's canceled, we might as well have the bombs drop on us at this point with the way profits are going... Inform sectors 2 through @!^&%$@^ let go. We can't afford to keep them any longer.

A number of protocols are activateable from this secretary computer.

>Nearby Secure Drones:
>Securedrone 54: Inactive
>Securedrone 44: ERROR- no signal
>Securedrone 34: ERROR- no signal
>Securedrone 24: Active, Patrolling factory floor
>Securedrone 14: Inactive
>Securedrone 04: Active, Patrolling cafeteria
>Activate All Securedrones? (Y/N)
>Activate Security Alarm? (Y/N)
>Activate Fire Alarm? (Y/N)
>Activate Protocol 56? (Y/N)
>Activate Protocol 77? (Y/N)
>Activate Decontamination Suite? (Y/N)
>Unlock Factory Door? (Y/N)
>Unlock Employee Door? (Y/N)
>Elevator Status: Functioning
WARNING: Massive shockwaves detected. All factory floor and underfloor turrets are currently active. Please enter administrative I.D. code to deactivate, or keep factory work badge on at all times.

You search around a bit in the system, and think you find a map or at least blueprint of the facility, but when you go to pull it up it comes out corrupted. Well shit.

The phone by this point has turned on. The corner shows 10 missed calls from "mom," and it seems to have a number of game apps downloaded onto it. Seems you have free access to go through it if you want to.

((GM Note: I tried to create a map, but the program crashed horribly during the third floor so I assumed it wasn't meant to be...))

Oz

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; CU- 17 + 2 = 19

"Hey, Sis! Can ya save some for me?"

"Sure thing," she calls back, ignoring Mort's presence altogether. The man looks between the two of you for a moment before folding his arms and sighing, realizing that the two of you are making a good team effort to ignore his presence. After a few minutes pass by, Lily calls back to you as she attaches a small metallic stick "arm" into place.

"I'm heading down to the Reiley's place. Mrs. Reiley wanted someone to run some lessons for their kids... Try not to kill anyone, Oz."

Huh. Usually she was heading down to the fields to collect some food supplies in exchange for helping out on the farms or working a waitress shift at the local cantina here in town. This was new... Mort doesn't leave much time to think on it though as he opens his mouth again after she's left.

"Anyways, yeah. We got some electric work down at the depot that I think you'll take a liking to... Pay is triple the normal rate if you can fix it up."

. . .

And with that, you find the house to yourself. Various supplies litter the floor and cupboards. You and Lily have made quite the lives for yourselves here in town it seems. Honestly, you don't even need Mort's money these days even though Lily nags at you to take the jobs, but still, it's a surprise that he's offering triple the normal rate. What could have possibly gotten him that excited?

Checking on the notebook, you begin work at cracking into the encryptions once more. For weeks you tried to figure out the master key to save time, but however Hatchet encrypted this notebook, he did it in such a way that certain keys only worked with certain pages, as if it was a compilation of works under one standard title. Eventually you gave up on the master keys altogether, and began work on decrypting individual pages. Sure it was more tedious, but overall you knew you were saving time, and some pages had similar patterns making it even easier.

Today is unfortunately not one of those easy days. This portion seems to feature an encryption you haven't seen used before in the notebook. It takes several hours just to decrypt a small portion. Most of it is garbage about the day-to-day activities, but a particular page catches your eye.





Grey Eagle MkI


The Grey Eagle Mk1 battle suit... I've been hiring miners for years now to collect up enough material to build this baby. To think that in three years, not only will we have the current surplus of food, but we'll be able to truly fight off those who have been mutated beyond redemption! I've encoded two versions into the mainframe, one utilizing a base design for a soldier battle armor, the other one supersized for any threats that might require it... My advisers say I'm insane, that we should focus on the growing public concerns, but I know it's doable. If the focusing lens is calibrated just right, we might even be able to make something similar to those death rays in the pre-war science fiction books, and when we complete this project, all the supplies in Shield Heights we'll be able to loot will last us far longer than our current grow ops. A true paradise with true security... Just a few more years... The initial prototypes were more successful than expected when pitted against captured raiders given automatic weaponry. In case something happens to the mainframe, remember to calibrate !@$###%^#!^&*&(*)$*&@^! follow instructions to build the %$@#!^%*(^)&(%($*#@

ERROR: Data corrupted. Application has been terminated.

Wyviera

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"She's stubborn and brimming with potential! But it does seem like she lacks some motivation, but under the right circumstances can flourish. She reminds me a lot of myself. I'd love to meet her before packing up for the trip, Sir."

"Of course. She'll need to stop by the armory anyways. The longer you two get to know each other, the less problems you'll hopefully have on the road tomorrow morning."

He begins to lead you downstairs to the training floor.

"Unfortunately she's been like this since the accident at the old facility... She used to run around Hatchet's facility all the time, but something snapped after we evacuated. She took a liking to robots and devices, so we had a member of the science division tutor her in basic code. Before long she managed to crack into the Land Drones and reprogram them to serve alcohol, but a flaw in the code caused them to try and vaporize people who didn't accept it... After that she started having her access around the base heavily restricted. We tried taking away her devices to make her have to pay attention to other things, maybe get some motivation, but that only made her learn how to do things like put the facility into lockdown through the electric panels..."

So that's what that series of false alarms and lockdowns were a few months ago? One of those lockdowns left you stuck in the showers butt naked for nearly half the day thinking the facility had been invaded! Approaching the door, it opens of its own accord as Janette walks out, having chucked off her armor and shoes somewhere as she stands in the doorway wearing nothing but boxers and an undershirt. More importantly, those doors aren't supposed to open until someone unlocks them from the outside.

"This is Ms. Mars, she'll be keeping you out of trouble come time to leave for the mission tomorrow. I expect you to follow her orders to the letter."

The girl doesn't even seem to notice you as she continues to tap away at her device. She's not even messing with a code or anything right now. She's playing a game of some sort involving racing with motorcycles or something along those lines as it makes little vroom sounds and plays an old melody. Regus in annoyance (and possibly getting the impression that you might be getting pissed off at her attitude) snatches the device from her hands as she finally looks up.

"Hey gramps, I was- ... Oh."

Her initial shock is replaced with that same deadpan expression that was there before as Regus repeats himself.

"... Ok." Is all she says, her gaze switching between staring longingly at her device and looking at you. You aren't entirely sure if she's looking directly at you, or sort of around you with the way her head is cocked. Aside from that look on her face, you can't help but notice that her body is horribly scarred underneath her undershirt from what you can see at the low collar. It extends partially over her right arm and down past her pelvis to her left leg. Judging by what Regus said and what you've seen, it's starting to look more and more like they want you to play babysitter and keep her from terrorizing the local populaces more than protect her from some horrible death. Actually, you get the impression that if some horrible fate were staring her in the face screaming, this girl would probably have that same deadpan expression while passively walking past it playing a game on her device.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Regus hands you her device without uttering a word.

Rein

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Benny chuckles ever so lightly at your mimicking before saying his goodbyes and that he'll see you later. Walking about the upper city, it's not hard to find a tailor who can repair your armor. The cost is a little steep, about $30 for your coat and another $55 for all the stitching on your garb, but they'll set you up with some clothes temporarily in the mean time, and it's definitely cheaper than buying either brand new. The owner informs you that they'll be prepared in a few hours, and to come back then.

Unfortunately, you aren't as lucky with your guns search. You manage to find a couple gun shops in town, but most of them don't even carry that style of rifle. Eventually a shop called "Get Some" catches your eyes. It appears to be a cross between a gun and dress shop. Still, it can't hurt.

"Hello, hello fine sir! What can I help you with this afternoon?" Politely informing him about your selection you're looking for, he nods with a smirk. "Yes, it seems you're a man of quality when it comes to his problem solvers... Let me show you what I've got. Mind the stuff on the counters, it's in poor condition anyways. Keep the good stock locked up tight, yes? haha!"

He heads into the back of the store to pull out some suggestions as you look around the shop. Even you can tell the counter weapons are on the verge of breaking aside from being polished, but what does catch your attention is some of the dresses. You've heard of bulletproof vests and such, but these dresses look more like they were designed for a battlefield than high class society. One of them is specially dyed leather with metal spikes around the wrists, another you note has a cute red and black lace pattern running down it, but underneath features a hard gel shotgun-proof material. The pricetag of over $1,000 though informs you that prices have definitely inflated on quality materials.

The shop owner makes his way out, placing a small assortment of weapons on the counter as he refocuses one of the lamps to shine on them. "Looks like you're in luck, friend! Now, see, this is one of those fancy model 280s they were producing before the war. I fixed her up myself when I moved into these parts of town, took me quite a bit to find all the parts. She's in mint condition, and has the scope and firepower to match any sniper you come across. This model here? You're looking at around, ehhh... Fifteen hundred notes. She'll kill off just about anything you point her at though close or long range. I'll even toss in an extra six armor piercing rounds with the standard free of charge. She's one of the best of the best, though I got another one that's a little more beat up for about half. "

The shopkeeper seems to read the expression on your face like a sore thumb as he bites his lip, pulling out an almost ancient model.

"Of course, if you're looking for something a little more economic, we got the pre-2005 XTR model for about seven hundred... Also mint condition. She's a beauty and works like a charm, though parts are a bit harder to come by these days. I've got a busted up one that I was using for parts though. I could probably hook it up with some basic universal parts for say, two hundred, but it won't pack as powerful a punch nor be nearly as long-lasting."

He decides that now would probably be a good itme to pull out the cheaper pistol models.

"Revolver-wise? I've got a standard military-grade colt, one of 'em newer models they released before the war running for about five hundred notes, but most of my other models were bought out earlier... I did just get a .357 army revolver in, but I haven't had much time to put some work into it and fix it up... Tell yah what, one hundred fifty notes and it's yours. I'll even toss in some shots free of charge, it'll save yah about fourty notes."

. . .

Regardless of your purchases (or lack thereof), you eventually find yourself back at Benny's place some time later as the sun begins to hide its form behind the mountains. The merchant wasn't exactly in a haggling mood with prices, claiming he was the cheapest store for quality weaponry... Azalea seems to be practicing martial arts with a man who, now that you think about it, you saw back at the party. Your best guess is that this is Azizz. He seems to hold himself with an air of authority as he shows her a new technique you hadn't seen before, referring to it as "Muay Thai," and explaining how he learned it from a set of magazines he found in an abandoned building. The moves seem unconventional compared to wasteland fighting styles, but you get the impression that it would be great for incapacitating someone without killing them, and most wouldn't see it coming.

"Ahh, there he is. Rein, this is Azizz. He'll be rooming up with us this evening so you two can get a fresh start tomorrow with the others... Azizz here has connections with Estrada, and claims he can get you two in without issue."

Azizz.png (1.01 MiB) Viewed 2362 times

Finishing up a small session, Azizz puts his shirt back on as he walks over to you, holding out a hand. "A pleasure to meet you." His voice is deep as he speaks, and something about the way he holds himself gives you the impression that he isn't the sort to work with slavers, let alone condone murder and the like.

Silvus

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Patient heartrate is at 103 beats per minute, average. Preparing anti-mutagenic serum."

"Good work, team. Make sure to keep him under. We don't need a repeat of last night's incident. Proceed with injection."

"Proceeding with injection... Prepare to inject stabilizers in-"

"Patient heartrate is rising at an unconventional rate. 107, 116, 138... Patient has woken up and is screeching... Shit we need to inject the stabilizers now!"

"Wait."

"177, 198... If we don't inject the patient now, they'll die!"

"Alright, proceed with stabilizing injection."

[SNAP]

"What was that?"

"Patient has snapped wrist restraint 1A and 1C. Silvus, inject the patient with those stabilizers."

"Yes M'am."

"All other personnel clear the area. Silvus, get out of there as soon as the injection is complete. It will take a few moments to onset in the patient's current state."

"M'am we have a breach in sector nine, they're pouring in towards our location!"

"Shit, that's the second sector this month... Abort mission. Get to the blast doors immediately... Silvus, what are you doing!? I said lets go!"

"Let me administer the injection and lock the lab doors, M'am. Otherwise we'll lose the patient and all our research!"

"Damn it Silvus, forget the patient! Let's go!

[running footsteps growing more distant, range of howls and squeals followed by a loud explosion and thud against a metallic wall.]

. . .

[Multiple footsteps]

"Yeah! Damned scientists locking us out of their complex. Hah! We'll show 'em!"

"Hey boss, looks like one of 'em didn't get out in time. She's unconscious, but still alive."

"Heh, pretty little thing. Feels nice and soft too unlike those fucking whores! Bahaha... Help me get these clothes off of her, hehe. Bet she'd enjoy a large dick up her-"

"RRRRROOOAAAAAAARRRGGGGHHH"

"What the FUCK I thought that thing was dead! Damnit, put it out of its misery, boys."

[Gunshots]

"Nrrrrrrrgh!"

"Fuck, it's just pissing it off, boss!"

"What the fuck are you talking about!? Give me that- AAAGH! Damnit, it bit my fucking hand! What the FUCK!?!?"

"Shit, it's getting loose- no!"

[Screams, fighting, gunshots and loud repeating splatting thuds against walls followed by heavy breathing near you.]

"Hrrrgh... Urrrgh... Hng. Th-hhuuunksss..."

[Loud stomps, a reinforced glass window being broken, stomping growing more distant as alarms blare in the background.]

-End Recording-

Ugh, your head...

Your memory is a bit fuzzy as you review the audio recording of what was happening, picking out pieces of glass shrapnel embedded in your lab coat and arm. You feel a bit sore, and a dull throbbing fills the back of your head as you sit against the wall and look at the carnage around you, buttoning up your partially unbuttoned lab coat. Scorch marks and blood line the walls of the lab. Looking about, you note a number of rifles snapped in half and debris from fired shots. A tranquilizer dart case lies spilled on the ground nearby- about 12 darts in total that aren't broken or stomped on, and the medical kit against the wall seems largely undamaged save for a green fluid leaking out of it that you assume to have been another bottle of ChlorellAide. More notably are the bodies... You'd seen dead bodies from time to time, but nothing like this... Half of them look torn apart like string cheese, others have caved in heads from being crushed into the walls, a few of them appear to have bites taken out of them... More importantly, why are you alive when everyone else is dead...?

The emergency red lights fill the hallway outside the lab, the annoying BUUUUAAAARK of the security alarm periodically calling out as you remember the position of sector nine. Right underneath the central city of Shield Heights... Fuck.

[spriter1]

Ciera decided to first off open the employee door if it wasn't open already and activate the decontamination suite if it wasn't already on, but left the factory door closed incase of it leading to the outside world and perhaps letting in some unwanted guests, and if that didnt turn out to be the case, then she can just come back and unlock it. After that, she decided the best course of action is to see if she can at least un-corrupt enough of the files so as to find out what the protocols are, maybe one of them will even turn off the Securedrones (would make it easier to open them up and see what is happening inside was the plan behind that). If that doesn't work, then time to start hunting for a badge or search through the phone in the hopes of finding an admin I.D code. While doing all this, she wondered what exactly these "prototypes" where...

[[Brand_Name]]

Viktor's jaw dropped when he realized what was happening. The loyalists had loaded a caravan full of explosives and were sending it straight for the center of the town! Or, at least, that seemed to be the case. Without anything to destroy the caravan, all he could do was evacuate the town as fast as possible. But he knew that this was exactly what the loyalists wanted him to do... But if the dogs couldn't be killed, this seemed to be his only choice. If he had a shot, he used his pistol to shoot the dogs and ordered his men to do the same. Meanwhile, he ordered his men to evacuate, or at least fortify themselves on the outskirts of the encampment, away from where the explosion would likely occur. This was, without doubt, a very bad situation. "Fucking loyalist pigs!" he screamed, while unloading his gun without any regard for how much ammo he had. Readying his knife for battle, he felt his hip to ensure that it was still there; the enemy was too close to avoid hand to hand combat. He could only hope that the majority of his men would make it out of this alive.

[eaenidu]

Blair's first thought was 'Oh Fuck!' Before she grabbed everything and ran while the were eating one of there own "Not You Fucking Little Cock Bites!" she half yelled as she ran away from the rabbits heading toward the highway and not stopping at all as she ran towards The big city she saw something heights oh well she didn't know but she ran straight towards it down the highway popping a caffeine pill when she got tired taking only a small bit of food out while running to eat and drink some clean water once before she started running full tilt again

[Goryokaku]

The sight really was a disaster, she carefully picked up the 12 darts they were probably going to be needed at some point, from the state of the lab. Walking calmly she then took the medical kit from the wall as well, the ChlorellAide might be smashed but the rest of the contents would be serviceable. The alarm was beginning to get on her nerves with the current scene there was probably nobody left to react to the alarm, she needed to get moving. Her mind was passing through a lot of different thoughts but it all kept coming back to that one question.

Why am I alive yet everyone else dead? Their going to want an answer as to what happened.

She opened the door to get out of the room she needed to leave the room was beginning to make her queasy, and with sector nine being under Shield Heights there was bound to be questions asked and people were going to need to know at least what had happened to everyone else. Entering the corridor she closed the door then rested against the wall breathing slowly and deeply as she tried to clear the queasy feeling.

Okay, mutilated bodies some I partially recognise... well the heads of I do other I have no idea about, we were being attacked. I think I stabilised the patient before... well before everything went black.

She couldn't be hundred percent sure the video had given her some details as to what she had done, and she was pretty sure what was spoken at the end was thanks maybe that had something to do with her being alive right now. She wasn't sure but she needed to get moving first she needed to find a way to contact the loyalist so she could report what happened, then she needed to either leave the lab or find somewhere safe till they sent a rescue team if they planned to send one. The tape reminded her that she was doing some pretty top secret research, she just couldn't remember what about, maybe she needed to refresh her memory as well as to what they were doing.

Okay, gather some intel, and get in contact with home base.

Her stomach finally settling she decided to move on, the head researchers room should have the information she needed as well as a place to contact the base, Silvus began to make her way there.