017

Game Date: September 30, EY217

Previous events: Captured!

Current location: Providence | Beck | badlands

Escape would be a priority if anyone knew where they were or which direction to head in but without that information it's best to rest up as much as they're able. Everyone tries to get as much sleep as possible on the cold ground that night but it's uncomfortable and there's too much worry to allow for much rest.

Early the next morning they're led out of their tent and one by one forced at gunpoint to strip down and then don bright blue jumpsuits. Volkova checks for some sort of locator beacon in the suit but it's a hurried groping and she can't be sure one way or the other. Everyone can't help but notice the large hawk that Malcolm has tattooed on his back and, more surprisingly, the tattoo on Jillian's upper arm: that of a black rose with a snake curling around the stem. Although hers is much more expertly done it's exactly the same pattern that she identified as belonging to the criminal Black Rose Syndicate when they found it on a body in the wreck of the Gurg back in Vishnu! No one else has any surprises to reveal during their time in the limelight and they're soon loaded into the back of the unarmed pickup. Volkova can't help but notice that the pickup that they're in is armoured and has a ram plate mounted on the front of it. In the daylight everyone sees that in addition to the two armed pickups and the armoured one they're being loaded into there's also a souped-up bright red pickup with a mounted machine gun and RV here, neither of which seems to be coming along with the other three vehicles.

While drivers get into the pickups' cabs and gunners strap themselves to the mounted weapons in the pickups' beds four people come out of the RV, squinting in the morning light. They look like two couples and are dressed in brand new safari gear rather than the grubby outfits of the Varnsens. One couple has the slightly squat look of natives of Walküren while the others look more like they come from Piccadilly or Providence. Kel Varnsen hands out rifles to them which they handle in an inexpert way. These are likely the "hunters" who will be gunning for the blue-clad group; their unfamiliarity with firearms gives the crew some hope. With a last comment from the driver that if they jump out of the back of the pickup the others will gun them down the convoy heads off into the badlands.

It's a bumpy, uncomfortable ride in the unpadded bed and they'll all be bruised if they survive the day to come. After what seems like a hot, dusty eternity the six of them are forced out of the pickup and told that they'll be having some company soon. With that the pickups head back the way they came, probably to pick up the hunters and start tracking the prey. As soon as they're alone they hatch a plan. They're lucky in that Bishop remembers this area and is confident that he knows the way to Springfield. He lays a false trail while the others put the second part of their plan together.

Still unsure of the possible presence of trackers in the jumpsuits and fully aware that the blue colour will make them stand out against the reddish yellow of the terrain here they decide to ditch the suits. Under the unforgiving sun of Providence this will quickly lead to horrible sunburn and dehydration if Volkova didn't have a somewhat disturbing plan. Her usual coating of grease is likely enough to give everyone a layer over their entire body. With the addition of sand sticking to the oleaginous coating they should be protected from the sun and also get a decent measure of camouflage!

Everyone is a little taken aback by the volume of grease, oil, and other sticky substances that Volkova manages to bring forth but in the end it works and everyone's covered in oil and sand. They dig a hole in some loose ground and bury the suits under dirt and stones. Feeling a bit better about their chances they head off towards Springfield to steal a car and drive back to Mechanicville. Bishop guesses that it will take them two days to get there if they make good time and don't have to deal with the hunters too much. They will need to find food and water, stay away from the pickups, keep out of the midday sun, and avoid the more dangerous wildlife of both the small toxic and large fanged varieties. Bishop keeps his guess at their chances to himself.

Gabi has some skills at survival but Bishop is in his element in this harsh land. As they trek in the direction of Springfield he identifies succulent plants with deep roots that serve as a source of nourishment and water. The walk gets harder and harder as the harsh sun climbs in the sky and Bishop turns the group towards a cave that he saw the last time he was here. On the way they find the skeleton of a horse-size herbivore. It's bones are fragile after lying here for so long but they'll serve as weapons. Harry, Jillian, Malcolm, and Volkova arm themselves with femurs and they continue on their way to the cave. It's exactly where Bishop remembers and is unoccupied. Something lived here, though, and may still: there's a midden containing small bones and scraps of fur. They rest in the cave while the sun beats down mercilessly on the world outside.

Everyone is fine physically but Gabi and Harry look like they're not doing that well psychologically. They're keeping it together well enough, though. Bishop decides that it will be best to sleep as much as they can in the cave and move at night and everyone passes the time dozing and chatting. Jillian is eventually asked about her tattoo and comes clean about it: she joined the Black Rose Syndicate when she was young and stupid, soon realized that it wasn't cool as much as murderous, and fled. She seems pretty embarrassed about the whole thing.

The sun eventually goes down and the group continues picking its way across the badlands. It's cold, but the scraps of fur that they found help a bit. It's also relatively bright; the dry air of Beck lets lots of starlight through. Things go well until they hear the sound of an engine approaching and see the reflected gleam of headlights. Stuck out in the open they drop, hoping to blend in amongst the scattered rocks. Unfortunately, the pickup comes to a stop when the light plays across their prone forms: they've been spotted! It's the armoured pickup that's found them, so at least they won't be gunned down by .50-cal rounds. The passenger in the pickup manipulates a small manual searchlight mounted on his window, picking out the camouflaged people. The sand over Volkova's grease is doing its job and the pickup's crew seem to be having some difficulty making out their prey without the blue coveralls.

Both Jillian and Volkova are at the edge of the group and both the headlights and searchlight haven't yet caught them at all. They climb to their feet and charge the pickup like club-wielding, dirt-encrusted cavewomen! The pickup's occupants can't see much that's not in the glare of their lights and are taken completely unawares. Volkova gets to the vehicle just ahead of Jillian, grabs the passenger's arm, and hauls him bodily through the open window! He cries out "Melanie!" as he lands in a heap at Volkova's feet. Volkova immediately begins to beat him with her bone club but the sun-bleached bone is fragile and shatters across his back. Jillian gets to the truck and uses her bone to smash the searchlight.

With the light out and sounds of a struggle going on over at the pickup the rest of the group get to their feet and rush into the fray. Inside the pickup Melanie cries out "Dave!" and pulls a pistol from a holster. She takes a shot at Volkova but it's a difficult shot through a car window at a quickly-moving target. The bullet only grazes the mechanic. Dave scrambles to his feet and dashes away from his attackers, slipping by both Jillian and Volkova.

Malcolm, followed by a slow Gabi, gets to the other side of the pickup and yanks open the door which he's relieved to find is unlocked. Melanie is facing the other way; he starts to beat her with his club, which distracts her from Volkova. She can't dodge his blows very well while sitting in the cab but he's also hampered by the door's frame. Panicky, she shoots several quick shots in his direction and gets a solid hit on his leg. Malcolm grunts in pain but continues with his attack.

Dave's sprint away from Jillian and Volkova unfortunately leads him right in the direction of Bishop and Harry! Harry smashes him across the chest with his club, which splinters in the same way that Volkova's did. Dave staggers a bit at this blow and Bishop, not a fighter at the best of times, throws sand in Dave's face to distract him. Harry takes advantage of Dave's confusion to kick him in the back of his head. Dave falls and tries to surrender but Harry will have none of it and stomps him to death in front of a horrified Bishop.

Back at the pickup truck things don't go much better for Melanie. Gabi has finally made it on the scene but isn't able to help any. Malcolm is still pounding away at her and after Jillian opens the passenger side door she's also got Volkova scrambling in behind her. Melanie can't do a thing as Volkova slips her arms under Melanie's thigh and arm and smashes her into the ceiling of the truck, then grabs her head and starts pounding it into the cab's frame. As Melanie slides slightly out of the cab Malcolm finishes the fight by slamming the car door on her leg and arm. Volkova drags Melanie's unconscious body back into the cab and out the passenger side door like a jaguar with its prey.

Everyone catches their breath and while Jillian sees to Malcolm's leg the rest start looking for weapons. Both Dave and Melanie carried pistols and there is a shotgun in the cab as well. Harry and Malcolm each grab a pistol and Jillian takes the shotgun. Volkova finds a well-equipped toolbox in the truck's bed and removes a hefty wrench. It's no Khnuta but it will do.

The CB's microphone is off its cradle and it's a safe bet that Kel knows where they are. Everyone clambers into the truck, leaving Dave and Melanie in the sand. Jillian and Malcolm ride in the bed, ready to shoot anything that comes by. Volkova straps them down with some cargo webbing that's rolled up in the back of the truck. Harry drives, insisting that he's a very good driver than Malcolm with his shot-up leg, with Bishop in the front navigating, and Gabi and Volkova sit in the rear of the cab. Malcolm quickly realizes that he's a better driver than Harry and insists on switching places with him, gunshot wound or no. With Malcolm at the wheel they head off towards the road, the sky above them lightening as dawn approaches.

They're not too far from the road when lights appear behind them: spotted again! This time it's one of the armed pickups and it's not afraid to open fire. The gunner, strapped to the twin machine guns, lets loose at the unarmed pickup outside of small arms range; there's not much that Harry and Jillian can do. Rounds spatter off of nearby rocks and although Malcolm's jinking keeps his vehicle safe for the moment it's only a matter of time before the machine gun finds its mark. They can't run, so they'll have to fight.

Malcolm tells Bishop that he's going to have to ram the other pickup. Bishop passes the information back and Harry and Jillian curl up in the webbing hoping that it will be enough to keep them safe in the eventual collision. With Bishop yelling out directions Malcolm switches off his lights, veers into a very small box canyon and runs the vehicle up the small slope that runs along its margin, running along the edge of the wall until he's come most of the way around the canyon and is driving the other way. The other pickup, having momentarily lost him, is taken completely unawares as he accelerates down off the slope into their side. It's a perfect hit, smashing right into the side of the cab. Malcolm's pickup, armoured and equipped with a ram plate, is almost unharmed as it crushes the unarmoured vehicle and brutally throws it over onto its side. Both pickups come to a jarring stop.

The loud whistle of hydrogen gas escaping out of the neck of the other pickup's damaged fuel tank is the only sound for a second. Volkova's makeshift sling did its job; although they're badly shaken Harry and Jillian are fundamentally unharmed. As Malcolm starts up the pickup again and turns to leave the canyon they fire rounds into the bottom of the damaged pickup until a spark ignites the gas. It won't explode, but either the gas will all burn off or the pickup will catch fire. There's no way that the Varsens' will be able to drive that pickup even if they have survived the impact.

It's not long before Malcolm's on the road and driving to Mechanicville. They get there as the sun starts to peek over the horizon.

Bishop's Bedpost Notch Count: 0 (running total: 10)

Volkova's Bedpost Notch Count: 0 (running total: 1)