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 Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:41 pm
Hearing a man's agonized scream and Ambrose's warning, Michael whipped his head around to see, in order, Ambrose getting a girl into the car, Father Malone, and a horde of shambling bodies, on fire to be exact. "Son of a bi-!" The guy in the middle of it all was screwed, no doubt about it. There was nothing they could do for him. "Everyone in the car, NOW! We're getting the hell out of here!" Making a mad dash for the garage, he grabbed a half-empty plastic container of oil and sprinted back outside. Crazy as it was, Malone had the right idea with setting the freaks on fire, and if it kept them safer for even a bit longer, it'd be worth it. It's not like they'd be coming back to this hellhole anyways.
After double-checking that Malone was out of the danger zone, Michael removed the nozzle from the container and flung it at the horde, causing the flames to reignite and spread. He quickly spun back around and ran back to the car. "Come on, Polly, we need to go!" Michael threw himself into the passenger seat beside Liona. "Liona, as soon as Polly gets in this car, FLOOR IT."
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Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 1:43 pm
"Idiot! Come back! Ugh! Does he want to die?!" She threw up her arms as she watched the Father run off in the anguished family's direction, followed by the good doctor, and finally Michael too. "Boys and their heroics..." She bit her lip, and decided to remain in the vehicle and wait for the others to return, having realized that someone had to watch over their supplies in the meantime.
"You don't have to look at them..." she informed Polly, while she studied the dashboard and its controls and panels, not that there was too much to look at. It wasn't easy watching a family be broken up like that, and it even made her think briefly on her own parents and how they might have been doing in those troubled times. A hand tugged at her beaded necklace, which she promptly tucked down her shirt so it wouldn't get in her way. As practiced a driver as she was, she had no expectations for an entirely smooth ride.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by Ambrose's shouting at the girl. Unlike the others, who were probably feeling relief and the ounce of pride at saving another life, Liona saw Sandy's rescue as a different thing entirely. To her, the child was another liability and another mouth to eat up their precious resources, but she said nothing of it. As much as she was convinced of her opinions, her self-preserving side hated to be proven wrong.
It was so that she started the station wagon, grabbed the stick-shift and began their course on the road.
((Edited: ONE word.))
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Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:31 pm
"No need to yell, doctor" the priest spoke a bit distantly as he slid into the car on the other side of the little girl. His own hands were shaking slightly but otherwise the man had an eerie calm to him considering what he'd just done. Matt still couldn't believe it. He wasn't a violent man by nature and hadn't so much as struck another living thing since he was a child, and even then it had been no more than self defense in schoolyard scuffles. But. . . what else could he have done?
He glanced down at the little girl with a slight frown to watch her trembling attempts to choke back fearful sobs then lightly wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold the child while she cried. It was a shame her father hadn't made it but he'd been too late and there was nothing for that now. At least she was alive and Matt would see to it she stayed that way. He knew it wouldn't be easy, knew she'd take up resources and patience like any child (which are parasites even in the best of circumstances) but he could not just leave her to be eaten. That would make him as much a monster as the poor creatures shambling in the streets. A worse monster actually for he has a choice in the matter.
Father Malone looked up when the car finally started to move and just watched the wretched hordes, many of which were on fire. It had been a dangerous gamble but at least the fire might give them rest. In the dark ages of the Church fire had often been used to purify evil spirits. However horribly wrong much of that history had been Matt couldn't help feel that, maybe, at least in this case, it helped. At the very least it did seem to keep them sufficiently distracted as the car pulled away.
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Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:16 pm
Polly never had a chance to reply to Liona's question as Liona jumped into the driver's seat. Then she watched in horror as the poor girl's father just got attacked by the zombies and the little girl was bawling her eyes out. That's when her older sister instincts kicked in and she started trying to comfort the little girl. "Here, I'll take care of her," Polly said to Father Malone as she slid into the car on the other side of the little girl and started talking to her.
"It'll be ok," Polly said to Sandy. "So your name's Sandy? My name's Polly. If you need anything just ask me. I'll take care of you from now on." Polly just kept hugging Sandy until she stopped crying a little and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. Seeing Sandy reminded Polly of her little brother at home.
Polly kept herself from turning around and looking out the back to watch the zombies burn as the car finally pulled away from the garage. They now had bigger problems. Even though Father Malone was able to take care of those zombies outside the garage, that was only a couple zombies and it took so much out of him to just keep them away from us. What would happen if there were more zombies coming after us? Polly's curiosity about the zombies was turning into concern. She was starting to get scared of what was happening around the world and what would happen to her family, herself and the people she was with. Polly just sat silently and stared out the window as the car drove on.
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:30 am
Time Shift
The time is now Day 0 - Afternoon. Heavy Rain.
The group has been on the road now for several hours. They have managed to escape Washington D.C. and are halfway to Pittsburgh by now. Aside from the obvious carnage outside, the drive is mostly... uneventful... (Trollface).
Even so, the car must slow down as the sky opens up and a massive rainstorm rolls through, lowering visibility and making things more dangerous on the road.
Resources Drained from travel thus far:
All Player health reduced by 5% (Natural Deterioration - Fixed by Resting later).
Station Wagon Durability reduced by 10% (Natural Deterioration - Fixed by stopping and repairing either in a town Auto Shop or on the road with spare Scrap)
32 units of Food have been eaten.
0.5 cans of gas have been used.
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:32 am
Minor Event!
Polly discovers 20$ buried between the seats.
Resources added to Inventory:
20 Dollars.
Current Resources:
Food: 368 units
Fuel: 7.5 cans
Money: 20 dollars
Ammo: 50 bullets
Scrap: 0 pieces
Medkit: 10 kits
Battery: 1 spare
Tire: 2 spare
Muffler: 1 spare
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:52 pm
"They couldn't have picked a worst time to kill my mood if they could..." Liona's eyes were on the road, but her mind was rumbling along with the storm clouds. Their manageable speed was decreasing proportionally to the amount of rainfall obscuring her sight. As confident as she was in her driving abilities, they only had one station wagon, and until they made it to the Pittsburg, she doubted that they'd be lucky enough to find another station wagon on the open road. So, she was forced to be careful, and it wasn't making her very happy.
"Anyone thinking we might have some luck searching for supplies in this weather?" she proposed. "Maybe the zomb-boys are afraid of rain. At any rate, there probably wouldn't be so much competition right now amongst the living, I'm guessing." She was really just making excuses to not have to drive in the messy weather, but a part of her honestly believed in the truth of her own words. They were still early in their journey, but they could never have too many supplies.
ACTION: Talk
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:10 pm
Michael took one last look at Washington's distant outline and wiped the sweat from his brow. "What a friggin' nightmare. Jesus Christ." Wait, they had a priest with them, didn't they? "Er, sorry, Father Malone." He turned and flashed an apologetic smile at the Father. World may be going to hell, but that wasn't any excuse to be disrespectful. For now anyways. Out of the corner of the vision, he saw the sleeping girl- Sandy, was it?- they had rescued sitting on Polly's lap. Poor thing, she looked like she was still in grade school and she already lost probably both of her parents in one of the most horrible ways possible. Michael turned back around and leaned into his chair. With a long sigh, he pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. What a guy, that girl's dad.
When Michael heard Liona's proposal, he mulled it over for a bit. "As much as I'd like to, I don't think we're going to find much on a highway." He cracked a smile. "Don't think those guys are afraid of the rain either. But..." He looked out the window. The rain was starting to come down, hard. "This weather ain't exactly the greatest. Not only is it hard as hell to see out there, all that rain'll muffle sounds, which works for and against us. Last thing I want one of those things coming up behind me and not hearing it." He shrugged. "Honestly, I think we should just take it easy for a bit. I don't want to lose anyone this early, or even better, I don't want to lose anyone, period."
ACTION: Rest - 1 hour
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 12:43 pm
((NOTE: Resting can only occur as a group decision, as this must involve the following: One or more people keeping watch. The consumption of 15(+2) food per 1/3 of the day used for resting. The station wagon must be stopped for this to take place.))
The Time is Now:
Day 0 - Evening. Clear.
Minor Event!
The rain has stopped for now but the road ahead is badly blocked by wrecked vehicles and debris. It takes additional time to find an alternate route. (1 can of fuel consumed and Vehicle Durability lowered by 5% in the process).
Distance to reach Pittsburgh:
70 miles remaining.
Current Resources:
Food: 368 units
Fuel: 6.5 cans
Money: 20 dollars
Ammo: 50 bullets
Scrap: 0 pieces
Medkit: 10 kits
Battery: 1 spare
Tire: 2 spare
Muffler: 1 spare
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Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 11:27 pm
Being bored along the car ride and Sandy sitting on her lap, Polly looked around the car and her curiosity kicked it. She stuck her hands between the seats to see if anything was hidden there and found $20. "Hey guys, I found $20 between the car seats! Uh...do we really still need the money? I don't think zombies use money." Polly asked everyone but still held onto the money and stuffed it in her pocket.
As the drive went on, the rain started to lessen and eventually stop to show that the road was completely blocked ahead. "Well I guess it was a nice time for the rain to stop huh. Any further and that would have been a mess." Polly was trying to start a conversation because it was so quiet now. Before there was at least the battering of the rain on the car but even that stopped.
Just reiterating Liona and Michael's idea, "I think we can stop for a rest. It finally cleared up a little and we can stretch our legs. We don't know if it'll continue raining again or not later. We should probably use this time resting even though it may be nice weather to drive in." Polly just put out her ideas, but didn't know if anyone was going to side with her, but it was a 3 to 2 vote if anyone was against it. After stating her thoughts, she waited for an answer and started staring out the window.
ACTION: Talk
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Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:59 am
The priest had been watching the rain and retreating skyline out the window with a distracted expression, lost in thought. Michael's blasphemy was only half heard and Matt just gave him a shrugging nod for the apology but he arched a brow at their driver's suggestion. Scavenging in the rain didn't seem like such a good idea to him but then his mother had always claimed getting rained on would catch your death of cold. Michael's thoughts on the matter were more in line with the priest's thinking just in time for the rain to stop.
Matt frowned at the wreckage in front of them and couldn't help wonder what had caused it, warily watching the stopped vehicles as they drove slowly past, winding their way through. Without the rain resting didn't seem such a good idea anymore, at least nowhere near this mess. Though. . .
"I could see checking these cars for survivors or supplies but. . . Are we really tired enough to rest this early?" the priest asked meekly as he kept his eyes on their surroundings, half worried something might jump out at them any moment.
ACTION: Talk
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 11:01 am
She nodded at Michael's words. "You're right." She wasn't sure what she was thinking about sloshing around in the mud out there anyway.
"$20?" Liona echoed Polly as her eyes flickered over to the rearview mirror to snatch a glance. "That's a nice catch." She wondered what they could manage with a twenty-dollar bill. A cheap ring? A sterling silver necklace? But those luxuries were long past, she figured.
It wasn't long before they managed to leave the rain behind them, only to run into another obstacle. "Another way then," she said, resisting an annoyed sigh. It didn't take much to navigate past the wreckage with an alternate route, save some scraping done to the bottom of the vehicle. "Apologies," she said when they could finally continue on their way. It could have been directed to the station wagon, or to Michael who would probably have to fix the damage later, or even to the others and Sally too, who had to endure the rough ride through the local terrain.
ACTION: Talk
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:06 pm
Ambrose stared intensely at the cars as they weaved through, and a growing sense of unease welled up in the back of his mind. It wasn't until they scraped the bottom of the car that he gasped and realized he had been holding his breath anxiously. As they reached the end of the debris, it all clicked together...
"Where are the drivers?" He wondered aloud. "I... don't see any bodies." He bit his lip and looked around at his companions. "These people were all running away, too." He states the obvious. "They probably grabbed supplies, just like we did. Um... These cars probably have a lot of usable materials, if we're brave enough to..." He trailed off into silence. Maybe all the bodies were turned and wandered off.
Or maybe they were sleeping under the cars waiting for prey to try and loot the wreckage...
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 1:19 pm
The time is now Day 1 - Dawn. Clear Weather.
The old station wagon rolls into the outskirts of Pittsburgh; slowly, carefully they drive, observing the devastation ahead. The horrors in the distance were still going on despite the time your group has spent on the road. As your vehicle nears the city limits, you can see that a relatively large group of survivors have made a temporary safe haven in an abandoned supermarket. Your tired eyes are overjoyed at this sight and upon entering are relieved to be welcomed by at least partially friendly faces. These people are ragged but appear to be mostly legitimate. You have found a temporary oasis amongst the desert of destruction going on in the world.
Though you know you must keep moving soon, as the nuclear assault upon the capitol is not far away and despite being outside the blast zone, the fallout would likely prove fatal as well...
WELCOME TO PITTSBURGH!
Each survivor has the option to do what they wish during this "TOWN" sequence. EVENTS will not occur in these safe zones unless you go on a mission. You may ask ME to provide the story for the following actions:
AUTO SHOP: Visit a mechanic who will offer to fix your vehicle for a fee. Also, you may browse his wares for replacement parts, OR see if there is an upgrade you can purchase for the station wagon.
TRADE: Visit the local trading post to buy or sell supplies.
JOBS: Visit the local job board to earn either money or resources by performing a mission... Beware, some of these jobs may be suicidal...
SCAVENGE: A survivor may temporarily exit the safe haven and search for supplies. IF a scavenge mission goes badly during a TOWN sequence, the survivor does not die and will be returned to the group with lowered health and/or sporting an injury such as a broken arm etc.
(The group has consumed 27 food. The car has used another half can of gas. And the group has lost 5% hp due to natural deterioration. (All party members are at 90%)
Current Resources:
Food: 341 units
Fuel: 6 cans
Money: 20 dollars
Ammo: 50 bullets
Scrap: 0 pieces
Medkit: 10 kits
Battery: 1 spare
Tire: 2 spare
Muffler: 1 spare
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Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:42 pm
Upon the car stopping, Michael climbed out and threw his hands into the air in celebration. "Sweet Lordy Jesus, thank youuu!" They may have only traveled to the next city over, but he was still thankful they got out alive and relatively fine. So what if they needed to leave in a bit? He stretched his back out and grinned happily. Time to stretch out his legs, check up on the car and with the locals. He circled around the car to check for any damages. It was a little banged up but nothing he couldn't fix in a jiffy. He'd need some scrap for it though.
"Yo, you guys, I'm heading out to find some scrap while it's safe- well, safer. I won't go out too far, probably still within seeing range of the people on guard duty." He reached into the footspace of the passenger seat and took out the heaviest spanner from his toolset, as well as a handgun from the glove compartment. He needed to defend himself if he was going out, the gun was a last resort though. "I hope no one minds I'm taking a pistol. Speaking of which, maybe someone try and get their fingers on some more ammo? Never can have too much." After making sure the handgun was loaded, he stuffed it into the pocket of his coveralls. "Alright, I'm headin' out. No one get hurt." Michael turned around and started walking back the way they came, steeling himself for the task ahead.
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