• Blood & Dust - A Post-Apocalyptic Pseudo-Western Character RP
    391 replies, posted
Malin greeted the biker with a nod before strolling over to Eagle. "Everything good?" Eagle nodded. "Yes ma'am." He turned towards Malin. "Find anything interesting?" "A hobo," replied Malin. Eagle nodded. "Coo'."
Mariuz continued tinkering with the bus turret for over 45 minutes, oiling parts, replacing old ones, and hammering the new (comparatively), parts into place. He finally got the firing bolt back on, case down, and cycled the entire gun about twenty times in a row as fast as he could. Not a single jam. He let out a sigh of relief, proud with himself and sure the Marshall will be happy to know tomorrow that their gun isn't gonna let them down, anytime soon at least. "Well look at that, you are good with your hands." Mariuz looked up to see the head mechanic from earlier give him a thumbs up, "I'm sure the Marshall's gonna appreciate that. Anyway it's late and we're close up this shop. You got a place to stay tonight, friend?" Mariuz climbed his way down the side of the bus, carefully with his tools on his back. "Yea, Marshall mentioned the Lone Star hotel down the road, I'll meet up with the rest of the crew there. Probably see you guys in the morning." He dropped his tools off at his bike, said goodbye to the other mechanics as they closed the garage doors behind him, and made his way to the hotel. It wasn't long before he saw it in the distance, and could make the outline of most of the Marshall's crew talking to some guy on a hoverbike just outside the doors. He quickened his pace to follow them inside the hotel, not wanting to be left out in the dark. Felt like there was something in the shadows out here. He caught up to Malin and Eagle, and introduced himself again. He's met plenty of different types in his travels across the wastes, and held no prejudices. "Hey guys how's it going. Just coming from the garage was working on the bus turret, got it all ready for the trip. What ya'll up to out here?"
((Viper asked me to take control of Malin and Eagle, as he's going to be busy with IRL stuff till the 22nd.)) "Just heading into the hotel. Masterson is going to get everyone updated on the situation regarding the thieves." responded Malin, looking back to Mariuz. Eagle looked to her. "Something come up?" he asked, tilting his head. Malin nodded. "Turns out thieves lied about being Marshals. They even had fake names and fake badges. That's how they got the artifact through Dallas and onto a train to Memphis." _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The inside of the Lone Star Hotel looked much better than the outside. Relatively clean, well maintained furniture, a nice bar with polished glasses. There were already a few guests lounging in the common room, relaxing and drinking whiskey or some other beverage as they talked. Masterson purchased a few rooms for the group, then gathered them together at the bar itself on the right side of the common room. He swore in Roadrash, and introduced himself to Wesley, before going on about the recent news. "So it turns out that the thieves used false names and fake badges to get through Dallas and onto a train to Memphis. Which means that they had planned this long before now and that it wasn't some spur of the moment deal. This knocks off bandits as the possible thieves because they only do things in the spur of the moment. So its down to simple thugs paid to steal the artifact, the actual organized raiders from Motor City, or Union. I'll let you think on who it might be out of those three. Anyway, as I said, they took the train to Memphis and probably stopped at the waypoint in Boughton. The sheriff is going to get us a ride straight to Memphis by train tomorrow morning at 7 AM. Get your drinks in if you want, and get some rest. You'll need it come morning. Malin, you have a small room to yourself, being one of the few ladies in our group. The rest of you, divide up and grab a room. You can decide who shares a room with who. Eliza, you'll be assigned to the same room as Jasper since he's been tasked with watching you." explained Masterson, as he looked amongst the group he had gathered together. The rest of the night was quiet for the most part, after the ensuing chaos between the group's members while they were dividing up for rooms. The rooms were nicely furnished. Mostly clean beds, recently washed bed sheets and pillows. The bathrooms worked, though if you didn't have any toilet paper in them you were stuck using a pre-war newspaper or a rag. Showers worked too, and had what seemed to be homemade soap to wash with. Eliza, surpisingly quiet most of the evening, didn't pester Jasper. She honestly couldn't, after being handcuffed to her bed's frame. Jasper slept soundly, his .45 tucked just underneath his pillow in the event Eliza got free. As for Masterson, he didn't really sleep. It had been five years since he had been outside the Republic. He hoped things were still the same over in Memphis. And if they weren't...he hoped the deputies he had recruited were ready for it. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Near Dallas... A lone campfire sat glowing out in the wastes, beneath a shattered moon and star speckled sky. Around it, a small group of various vehicles sat, along with their drivers and riders. The vehicles had seen heavy use over the years, bearing stains of both paint and blood. Bullet holes and scratches marked them all, some hidden by the various objects that had been strapped or welded to the vehicles. Some for offensive or defensive reasons, others for show. Their passengers were just as creative in their own appearances. As raiders typically are. "So she's in there, right? Lizzy, I mean." asked one of the raiders, looking from the small firepit over to Sarah. She was cleaning off her rifle, a lever-action guide gun. The long brass .45-70 shells that it used were tucked into a series of six slots in a belt on the stock, ready to go should she ever need them. "Yes, she's there. She's being dragged around by a Marshal and his deputies." she said, glancing over as she ran a rag along side of the reciever. The rag was stained with gun oil here and there, which she had actually purchased inside Dallas. Bought with stolen money, really, as they had killed a rancher about fifteen miles east of where they were. The same place that she had taken the rifle and ammunition from. "Hah, she finally got fucking caught!" chuckled another raider, sitting across from them. The rest of them laughed a moment later. There were about twenty of them, all there for one goal. To capture Eliza, and drag her back to face judgement from the big boss himself. Killing the others that were with her was just icing on the cake. Sarah glanced up, looking to each of them. "We're gonna rest up a bit tonight. If my guess is right, they're probably going to take the train towards Memphis. I heard some other guys went through Dallas earlier today, posing as Marshals. They stole something big from that place down south. So of course...the Marshal and his deputies being what they are...they're gonna go after them. We hit the train, and we kill 'em all. Except for Lizzy, of course...unless she puts up too much of a fuss. Can't be held responsible for what I might do then." ----END OF PROLOGUE: DEPUTIZED---
(( For Boombox, 2 to ATK, and 1 to DEF. For Roadrash, 2 to HP, 1 to DEF. ))
Mariuz was stunned that they were taking the train out of Dallas, "Fuck I just worked for the past hour working on that damn bus." He let out a sigh..."Oh well, maybe we'll use it when we come back, or it'll be useful for someone else." He tipped his hat, and walked into the hotel after the Marshall. He listened to the Marshall giving them all the update, and realized he was promptly falling half asleep. The group finished up their meeting, he said goodnight to the others and turned in, happy with how nice the room was and a much needed shower. ((1 to HP, 1 to ATK, 1 to DEF)
((1 to HP, 2 to ATK))
((1 HP - 1 ATK - 1 DEF))
((Alright, got Animal Mother, Rifleman, Breadman, and Diago. Still need character stat updates from @Viper123_SWE , @K0mori , @Radley , and @BirdCrow .)) Current Stats: Eliza Cohen HP: 125 ATK: 6 DEF: 6 Jasper Clarke HP: 100 ATK: 6 DEF: 8 Yellow Eagle HP: 50 ATK: 5 DEF: 10 Malin Lejonsköld HP: 100 ATK: 5 DEF: 5 Mariuz Wanjiku HP: 125 ATK: 6 DEF: 6 Wesley Donner HP: 100 ATK: 5 DEF: 5 Slade HP: 75 ATK: 7 DEF: 5 Oswald "Ozzie" Bakerworth HP: 50 ATK: 5 DEF: 5 Boombox HP: 50 ATK: 7 DEF: 6 Roadrash HP: 100 ATK: 5 DEF: 6 Jonah Ark HP: 50 ATK: 5 DEF: 5 Sami Beaudegard HP: 50 ATK: 5 DEF: 5 DIPLO|776 'Diplo' HP: 75 ATK: 6 DEF: 6 -----CHAPTER 1: A LONG ROAD AHEAD----- The Story So Far: On the night of July 6th, 2445, a group of men snuck into Houston, in the Republic of Texas. The republic was celebrating the day of its founding, which made the perfect cover for the men to steal a large artifact from Houston's museum. They departed the same night, as the celebrations continued. On July 7th, Republic Marshal John Masterson and his deputy Jasper Clarke were made aware of the theft by the Republic's current leader Samuel Thatch. The pair are tasked with rounding up a posse to chase after the thieves and retrieve the artifact before it fell into the wrong hands. The recruits came rather quickly to Jasper and Masterson. As Masterson stood in Houston's large marketplace, he managed to recruit the likes of three mutants (one a lawman named Slade, another a drifting gambler named Ozzie, and a wandering one named Jonah), a synth that had been trapped in a bunker in Houston for over 300 years by the name of Diplo, a political envoy from the UNC named Malin, and a wandering GEH named Sami. Jasper managed to recruit a raider turned outlaw by the name of Eliza, as well as a synth talented with spraypaint named Boombox while at the local jail. As they all gathered inside a local saloon named 'Lady Luck', owned by one Lilith Dawn, two more were recruited. A robot bounty hunter from the UNC named Yellow Eagle, and a wandering scavenger named Mariuz. After deputizing the group, they would set out for the settlement of Dallas, where it was believed that the thieves fled to. Once there, they discover that the thieves had used false identities to move the artifact through and onto a train bound for Memphis. Eliza would discover that her old friend and rival Sarah Drake was in Dallas, having ventured south with other raiders from Motor City to capture her and drag her back to Jack Dixon. The leader of the raiders in Motor City. Also in Dallas, Masterson and Jasper would recruit two more individuals: another mutant from out west by the name of Roadrash, and a mysterious old man by the name of Wesley. After both were deputized into service, Masterson decided their next steps. Follow the thieves to Memphis on the train. As the crew wakes up the next morning, they prepare for the long ride to Memphis. Unaware that nearby in the wastes, Sarah waits for the right chance to strike the train and kill them all. Will the crew be ready for hell on rails? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ July 8th, 2445 Dallas, Republic of Texas Lone Star Hotel Five in the morning, two hours till the ride to Memphis. Masterson was already up and about, checking his gear as well as his revolver. He did it every morning, just in case he missed something the previous day or in the event that he was sleeping in an unsecure location. Thieves, obviously. The room was locked, so there was no real threat of that. Still, it didn't hurt to check and see if everything was still there. In the next room, he could hear the shower running. Jasper was up. Eliza too. He could faintly hear singing, so it was more than likely Eliza in the shower. He listened in as he sat on his bed, loading .454 Casull shells into his revolver. Rarely did he ever have to shoot someone with it, but when he did he prefered that only one shot be needed. Especially when it came to mutants. After loading it up, he slipped it back into its holster. Next up to check...his cybernetics. The important stuff, really. Without 'em, he'd probably be dead. Every now and then, he had to a little self tweaking, or seek out the cybernetics technician over at Fort Hood for a tune up. He was a few weeks away from another tune up, so at the moment it was just a matter of keeping an eye on them. Expecially the bits running up the sides of his neck and windpipe. Back when he was a Ranger, he took a round from an AK through the throat. Nasty shot, shredded most of the muscle. The Rangers had it replaced with cybernetic bits, which kept him alive and breathing. The next part that was replaced was his shooting arm, after a mutant ripped it off about seven years ago. There was a bet going on with the other Marshals on what was the next body part he was going to have replaced. At the moment, there was a thousand dollar bet that it was going to be his left eye, as he could no longer see out of it. Once he had looked them over using the small mirror on the nightstand, he began putting on his armor. Standard Republic Marshal's armor, made with reinforced steel plating and padding. The only required part was the torso armor, but most tended to wear the shoulder and knee armor as well. His bore several marks from bullet impacts, as well as scratches and scuffs. All earned in the line of duty. He slipped on his holster next, then his dark brown duster. Then finally, his hat. He was ready. Now it was just a question of the others being ready. He unlocked the door to his room a few moments later, before stepping out into the hall. It was still pretty quiet, in both the hotel as well as Dallas. Not much happened this early in the morning besides shops opening up for the day, and activity over in the train yard. He stepped over to Malin's door across from his and knocked loudly to make sure she was up and about. Then, he did the same with Jasper's door next to his. A moment later, Jasper opened up. "Morning, sir." said the tall GEH. He was mostly dressed, but his shirt was halfway buttoned up. "Sleep alright?" asked Masterson, raising an eyebrow. Jasper nodded, backing back into the room so that Masterson could enter. "Yeah. The Mouth of Motor City was quiet most of the night. Never seen her like that." said Jasper, finishing buttoning his shirt as he walked back over to his bed. Laying on it, organized to an almost OCD level, was all his gear. His silver M1911A1, affectionately named 'Mercury', lay next to its magazines. Across from it, a strange bullpulp rifle. It was Union made, Jasper having brought it with him to the Republic when he fled. It was apparently a .308, featuring a short range mounted to a rail on top of it. When asked, Jasper simply called it 'the BR'. Battle Rifle. "Maybe she decided to finally cooperate and shut up." said Masterson, shrugging. Who knew what the hell was going on in Eliza's head. Raiders were always hard to understand. "Hopefully." responded Jasper, glancing back to him. He began to gather his gear, holstering weapons and putting magazines in their proper places. Soon enough, he himself was ready as well. They both looked over towards the bathroom door a moment later, as it creaked open. Out stepped Eliza, drying her long black hair with her only towel. Jasper looked away out of respect, but Masterson frankly didn't give a shit. She was a convict. Eliza glanced over, as she strolled towards her bed where her clothes were. "Eyeballin' me, Marshal? I can always give you the same treatment I gave Dixon." she said, with a dark grin. Masterson frowned. "Just get dressed, Cohen." he replied. She shrugged, and did just that after tossing the towel aside. He took note of the marks on her body as she slipped into her clothing. She had several scars and marks across her back, giving texture to her pale skin. A few of them were gunshot wounds, while others were marks where she had either been stabbed or sliced open. Raiders were always a violent bunch. Even to their own. He figured that she fought in the pits before becoming an actual member of Motor City's raider faction. That, or someone just liked abusing her. A few minutes later, she was fully dressed. She looked back to them, and held out her arms in front of her. "I know you're gonna fucking do it, so get it over with." she said, a bitter tone to her voice. Masterson nodded, and Jasper stepped over. The cuffs she had been wearing since Houston went right back on. "Just keep cooperating, and maybe they'll come off." commented Masterson, as they were fastened on. Eliza just cut him a look. That told him really everything. Doubt. After securing the cuffs, Jasper gathered up Eliza's weaponry and gear. The hotel had been kind enough to provide them a bag to carry her stuff in. Better than lugging it around on his shoulder all day. Her rifle and revolver were tucked inside, along with their associated accessories and ammunition. Jasper zipped it up and slung it over his sholder, next to his BR. "Ready when you are, sir." he finally said, looking to Masterson. "Good. Let's gather the others." responded Masterson, heading for the door. Jasper and Eliza followed close behind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymbNKQWYKRM
Ozzie sat laid back on one of the sofa chairs in the lobby of the hotel, rolling a coin between his fingers. He was humming some bayou song with his feet crossed on the table in front of him. His nightly business was revealed by a new ornament in the band on his hat. A ace of spades with cigarette burn in the middle. He stopped rolling the coin as he saw the trio come down the stairs, "Mornin' Marshal. Ya got any new leads on the case?"
Mariuz opened his eyes, stretched, and gave one final yawn before sitting up in bed. He focused his eyes around the room, taking note that everything was where he left it. He's been surprised before waking up to his belongings gone and now he sleeps with his clothes on and pistol right next to his pillow. Can never be too careful. He stood up, pinned the deputy's badge back to his chest, slid the pistol back into it's holster and went to the bathroom for a morning piss and face wash. After that, he put on his backpack, and walked to window peaking out. Still dark, but the sun was in the distance, slowing churning it's way up into the sky. He checked his watch to see it reading 5:20 AM. Not bad, he usually doesn't sleep longer than 6 or 7 most nights. The nightmares of raiders, fires, and gunshots make sure he hasn't slept in for years. He let out a sigh as his stomach rumbled, annoyed it was empty. "Time for some food little guy," he whispered to his belly and walked out the door into the hallway, running into Marshall Masterson coming out of a room two doors down. "Morning, Marshall. I see I'm not the only early worm. Any place around here to get breakfast?"
Diplo had opted to save money and stay in the hotel lounge overnight reading up on the new world. The coffee table in front of him was littered with hand-bound books and old newspapers. He checked his internal clock; \\05:15\\ \ --- UP-LINK STRENGTH: ...II \\ [ UP-LINK STATUS: UNSTABLE ] \\/ /\\ [ ALERT: SHIFT IN PLANETARY AXIS DETECTED ] \\ "Well duh.." He muttered to himself, "A global nuclear war will do that.." Diplo looked up from the book he was reading, titled "101 Ways to Skin a Slave" to see the rest of the crew slowly making their way down the stairs, bleary eyed, "Good morning!" He said enthusiastically to anyone who would listen.
Malin had slept through the night without any issues. The hotel bed was not the most comfortable bed she'd slept in but it was far from the worst one. When Masterson knocked on the door Malin was already up and about. Clad in her brown undersuit and with her hair tied up into a simple ponytail she strutted around the bed while tinkering with her gear. -------------- Eagle, whom had shared a room with Diplo walked past his roommate and into the hallway. "Mornin'." (( @Infab : Eagle; +1 ATK and +2 DEF. Malin; +3 ATK))
Slade didn't sleep much the previous night. Not out of stress or anything, but because he hasn't been capable of sleeping more than a couple of hours a night for years now. He chalked it up to another part of his mutation, but it didn't help his irritation in the slightest. Only time he would sleep for longer was when he would get utterly smashed on booze. Even then it would be a nap at most. He woke up, changed clothes and looked himself over in the mirror. 'No need to shave. Baby smooth as always. One ugly ass baby.' He left his room and joined the rest of the gathering in the lobby.
As the trio of Masterson, Jasper, and Eliza traveled down the hallway leading from the rooms to the stairs, Masterson would pause at each of the doors to knock. Just as a precaution in the event that the people inside, if there were any, would hear it and wake up. Eventually, Mariuz would make his way into the hallway near them. "Morning, Marshall. I see I'm not the only early worm. Any place around here to get breakfast?" "Mornin'. You can grab breakfast at one of the shops in front of the hotel. Check out Greg's, on the left when you head out the front. Try the grits, they're great." said Masterson, motioning towards the end of the hallway behind Mariuz. They continued on, eventually decending the stairs and hanging a right into the common room. Apparently others had been ready a bit earlier. Masterson and Jasper greeted each of them before hearing Ozzie speak up. "Mornin', Marshal. Ya got any new leads on the case?" Masterson remembered that Ozzie hadn't been at the meeting last night. Probably turned in early. "Well, the thieves used fake identities to get through Dallas, and are on their way to Memphis with the artifact. We're taking the 7 AM train after them. Hope you're ready for a long ride." he stated. He looked to the others a moment later. "Go eat something. Grab a drink. Find something to read. Then head over to the train station by 6:30. If you need a better weapon or something, head by Jack's gunshop. Or if you're into swinging something...look around. Bats, pieces of rebar or steel, a sledgehammer, anything will work and there's plenty of it around. Hell, I think Jack has a saw that cuts through concrete or something." he said, before motioning towards Jasper and Eliza to follow. "We'll be heading over to the train station. Getting everything sorted out with Nathan and our conductor." said Masterson over his shoulder, before the trio walked out the large double doors at the front of the hotel. Outside, the citizens of Dallas were starting to slowly move about. Sleepy or hungover, they began their typical days in the settlement or out in the wastes. Eventually, the streets would be bustling with activity, but for now it was mostly quiet. Masterson looked about, while Jasper simply glanced upwards. There were a few clouds floating overhead. Large ones, with dark undersides. Might be rain today. At least here in Dallas, that is. They'd be hundreds of miles away in a few hours. Soon enough, they found themselves strolling on the sidewalk past the sheriff's department. The train station was on the other end of Dallas from where they came in from. It was where most of the travellers to and from Dallas would find themselves a good chunk of the time. Either getting off a train, boarding one, or simply waiting for one. As the trio continued walking, the station came into view. It was kept relatively in decent shape, with a few deputies stationed here and there to patrol about. Keeping an eye out for idiots. Out on the tracks, a few empty train cars sat. Used for transporting goods or Rangers to various locations. There was an actual train sitting on the tracks as well. Probably the 7 AM train. Masterson could see Nathan talking to a conductor out on the platform. The conductor was about a foot shorter than the sheriff, and had a well groomed goatee. On his head, a simple ballcap, the emblem emblazoned on it 'DALLAS COWBOYS'. Masterson had heard of them before. An old American football team from before the war. There used to be a stadium around here somewhere where they played, but only squatters used it now. As the trio walked up, Nathan glanced back. "G'morning, Marshal. Your train's almost ready to go, according to Adrian, here." The conductor's accent caught them completely off guard. "Indeed! I just swapped out the fuel cell. My two engineers are performing last minute checks to make sure its ready." he said, nodding towards the three. "...You're from the Kingdom." asked Jasper, raising an eyebrow. Adrian chuckled. "Yes, I'm British. Odd, isn't it? A citizen of the Kingdom of Great Britian out here? In the Republic of Texas, thousands of miles away? Let's just say that I grew bored of things back home, and thought a bit of adventure and excitement would be better for me. And where else could I get it other than with my American cousins?" Masterson smirked a bit. "Well, you've probably seen your share of it already. Anyway, I assume the train's armored up? Easy access to weaponry if we need it?" Adiran nodded, before motioning towards the train behind him. "Entire front end is armored, as well as the passenger cars and storage cars. Weapons are in the storage car in front of the lead passenger car. If you need to speak to me, just press the button at the front of the passenger car. I will come back as quickly as I can." Eliza stood behind them as they talked, looking the train over. Mainly the engine at the front. It was indeed armored up. Quite a lot, in fact. Multiple reinforced steel plates. A rocket launcher could probably still do quite a bit of damage, especially if its a shaped charge. But why blow up the train when you could board it and simply kill everyone? That's what she'd do, really. Blowing it up just creates a mess, and destroys equipment you could use. She yawned, before looking back to the others. She just hoped that the ride would be quiet. But of course, knowing how shit was in the wastes, it wouldn't be.
"Mornin'. You can grab breakfast at one of the shops in front of the hotel. Check out Greg's, on the left when you head out the front. Try the grits, they're great." said Masterson, motioning towards the end of the hallway behind Mariuz. They continued on, eventually decending the stairs and hanging a right into the common room. Apparently others had been ready a bit earlier. Masterson and Jasper greeted each of them before hearing Ozzie speak up." "Grits sounds good Marshall, thank you!" Mariuz tipped his hat and headed downstairs, past the others and past another mutant in the lobby. Man the Marshall's recruiting the entire town, hehe. He walked out the hotel and took a gander around. The sun was finally above the horizon, casting long shadows across the street and torn down buildings. Not a lot of people were about, mostly hobos and early policeman making their rounds about the town. Couple of raiders arguing over garbage. He started strolling down the sidewalk to the left, and soon found the diner titled "Greg's" with the 'S' half fallen off. He opened the door and walked in. The smell hit him first. Sweet, strong smell of freshly cooked bacon. Eggs cooking over the stove, and toast poppin' out of a toaster. Coffee floated across his nostrils like a tempting woman. "HOWDY! Welcome to Greg's, my name's Greg how can I help you sir?" An large man behind the stove in the back yelled at him through the cooking window, with a big welcoming smile on his fast. It was the most inviting thing in Dallas Mariuz has experienced so far. He walked up to the counter and took a seat. "I'll have uh...2 eggs, scrambled, 3 strips of bacon, and a cup of coffee. Thank you!" He put his hat down on the seat next to him, and looked around the diner as Greg began prepping his food. It was about a quarter full with all sorts of people. He was curious what their stories were, where they were from. What they've seen and done...He wondered off in thought when the clatter of plates in front of him brought him back to reality. Freshly scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a steaming cup of coffee. "There you go my man, that'll be 5 credits." Mariuz reached into his pocket and pulled out 7 credits, two of them as tip. "Been awhile since I saw breakfast look and smell that good, goddamn. Thank you sir." Mariuz nodded as Greg appreciated the tip and went about helping other costumers as Mariuz wolfed down his food. It really has been awhile since he's had a hot breakfast, for months being out on the road meant whatever meals he could trade for or scourge. Military packs made up the majority of his stash, and while very nutritious, they get old and stale very quickly. It wasn't 5 minutes later before he leaned back in chair, completely full and satisfied. Another five to let the food digest and then he was ready to leave. He bid Greg a thank you and farewell, and walked out the door after Greg pointed him towards Jack's gunshop. Time to get myself some bigger firepower.
Diplo clasped his hands together in excitement upon seeing the train, "Toot, toot!" He exclaimed as an old timey steam train horn sound effect played through the speaker below his visor, "All aboard!" He announced as he hurried over to inspect it closer. He ran his hand along the side of it, "You know..." he started, "It's good to know that even in this post-apocalyptic wasteland formerly known as the United States of America.." He sighed, wiping an imaginary tear from his visor, "Full of mutants.. Raiders... More mutants... And killer robots.." He paused to take a breath, clearly emotional, "That good. No. Fantastic craftsmanship such as this still exists! Superb! Just superb!"
After a quick breakfast Malin arrived at the train station in the company of Eagle. Both were geared up and good to go. After hearing Diplo go on about the train Eagle chuckled. "I'll keep an eye on him. See ya onboard." Malin nodded and decided to take some recordings of the train station. Even though it was a mere shadow of its former self the Dallas train station was still impressive. Back in the UNC trains were yet to be re-implemented as a means of transport due to the uneven terrain and varied structural integrity throughout the Scandinavian Badlands. Come to think of it Malin had never been on a train before. She shrugged. How horrible could it be? ------------------------------------ The night before... After settling in to her new room, locking the door and after dropping her coat on the bed Malin quietly set up her drone for a long-range broadcast. The drone hovered above the floor silently as it tried to ping one of the few orbiting satellites still intact after the third world war. Malin crossed her arms and stared at the drone while a small bar, representing signal strength, on the front display slowly filled up. Once the bar was filled a cute ding could be heard inside the room. Malin cleared her throat and looked into the camera while a grainy holographic image formed underneath. Soon Mlain could see herself on the holographic screen. "Record." A red light turned on. "UNC Envoy M. Lejonsköld. 7th July, Dallas, Texas Republic. Mission update. Please note that alongside this video log an encrypted text report will be included with further details. In accordance with UNC law envoy reports may not be used by the UNC military." Malin paused. "After coordinating with the local authorities I believe to have found a suitable embassy location inside downtown Houston. So far the Republic of Texas have proven themselves to be competent, resourcefull and most importantly; democratic. Despite their many challenges they have formed an impressive state and I urge the Nordic Council to further expand our diplomatic relations with them as it would be beneficial for all. Aside from the embassy affairs there's been an interesting development. A relic was stolen during the Founder's Day celebration which has led to Mr. Samuel Thatch organizing an effort to reclaim it from the thieves. A Republic Marshal named Masterson took it upon himself to reclaim it with the help of whomever he could recruit. Seeing as I haven't had the possibility to meet the people of the Republic in an uncensored environment and because I haven't witnessed the dangers of the Republic with my own eyes I saw this as a perfect opportunity to accomplish both of these goals while also strengthening the relationship between our two states. That said I asked both Mr. Thatch and Marshal Masterson if I could join the mission. Even though both did so reluctantly my help was accepted. It's been a few hours now and we're currently in Dallas waiting for a train. I'll save you the details out of respect for the Marshal. I will send another update when possible. Lejonsköld out."
Though it might be the early hours of the morning, and the people on the streets are early risers traveling on their daily commute to work, Boombox is right outside the entrance street busking. Funky beats emit from within his body as he twists his body around like a rubber band over a flattened cardboard box. Meanwhile, Roadrash is still asleep in bed, tossing and turning. He did hear Masterson's order, however, but he can't bring himself to get out of bed. Whatever it is he's dreaming about, it can't be anything pleasant. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Several months ago... Something was moving in the Mojave. Something large, something horrible. A massive mutated beast that emerged from the ruins of Area 51 was terrorizing various towns and villages in the desert. It was horrifying to look at, and even more horrifying was the aftermath of any village it attacked. Half-digested bodies here and there, torn apart cattle in the fields, and flattened buildings where families once lived. But the beast did not stop there in the areas north of Groom Lake. It soon started wreaking havoc on Firewheels territory, and they sent out their specialized team of beast killers led by Roadrash to finally put it down. Firstly, two teams of scouts would cripple the massive beast by firing their zip lines at its legs as they drove underneath it. Then, they would trip the beast over as they drove off in separate directions in different directions. Finally, Roadrash would deal the killing blow by driving the mining drill into its head, and the Southwest would be much safer. At least... that was the plan.  What Roadrash didn’t take into consideration was just how agile this beast was. Those who survived it’s attacks testified that it moved much faster than it appeared, slithering on the ground like a slug at high speeds. But he didn’t believe them, shrugging them off and telling them that their bikes were faster. Unfortunately, he found out how slow they were in comparison the hard way. Even slower was his ability to come up with ideas when everything started going to hell really fast, especially after the beast jumped over the zip lines and went straight after him. He insisted he could take the beast on himself, but quickly discarded that idea when it had him pinned under one of its appendages. The mutant hunters fought hard to get the beast off their leader, but it took six of their lives to finally take it down. Roadrash’s overconfidence and bad orders created a disaster that day, and worse, people began having doubts about him once the bad news reached home. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Roadrash quit dreaming, and wakes up holding his head in his hands. After getting dressed and putting on his equipment, he heads down into the lobby and near the coffee machines where he helps himself to a mug.
Adrian cut a look to Diplo as he finished. "He's...quite an eccentric one." said the conductor, after a brief moment of silence. Masterson chuckled a bit. "Well, he was locked in a bunker since the war. I imagine he's got more surprises in store for all of us." The conductor's eyes widened a bit. "Yeah, I bet he does. Needs to get his bloody system's checked." he remarked, glancing to Masterson before looking past him to Malin and Eagle as they walked up. "I'll keep an eye on him. See ya onboard." "I hope so. Mind the first step as you board. Some tend to trip on it." said Adrian, motioning towards the entrance to the lead passenger car. He then looked to Malin. Mainly her clothing and the UNC marks on them. "Ahhh, so you're from the Coalition. Odd seeing your type out here. Especially with all the shit the NEO is giving you." _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ As Mariuz entered the gunshop, Jack glanced up from a book spread out on the countertop before him. "Hey! Welcome to Jack's Gunshop! I'm Jack. Lookin' to buy? Sell? Trade?" he asked, closing the book and sliding it out of the way.
Malin bowed her head. "Not as odd as seeing someone from Britannia, sir." She gestured towards Masterson. "As for NEO we cannot allow fear and warmongering kill our efforts to rebuild the world. The UNC believes that the Republic of Texas sets a good example and that is something worth fighting for."
As Mariuz entered the gunshop, Jack glanced up from a book spread out on the countertop before him. "Hey! Welcome to Jack's Gunshop! I'm Jack. Lookin' to buy? Sell? Trade?" he asked, closing the book and sliding it out of the way. Mariuz entered the gun shop after getting directions from the diner, and boy was he impressed. Weaponry, and parts, hung all over the walls and in counter displays. It was a gun-nut's wet dream. The shop owner, Jack, welcomed him in. "Hello sir, name's Mariuz. Quite the selection you've got here. I'm lookin' to trade, possibly sell. I've got a ton of salvaged weapon parts just collecting dust in my pack. Firing pins, magazines, clips, barrels, sights, uppers, lowers, etc. I managed to scavenge during my travels down here. Would you be interested in trading a couple of those for a rifle?" He walked around the shop looking for anything that stood out. After a couple seconds, he saw it. A long, wood rifle with the assembly embedded in the middle. Long barrel, old classic style metal sights. No scope, but he had plenty of those. It was a classic Mosin Nagant - 2044 version. Earlier versions were used in the world wars decades before this one was even designed. Chambered in 7.62, widely available ammo, it was as deadly as it was accurate. "How about that one?" He asked Jack, pointing to it.
Jack glanced over and looked at the weapon on the rack. "That old thing? The stock needs a little repair, but nothing some duct tape can't fix. Or some nails. My son used to use it to hunt bandits till he got tired of it. I'll take some uppers and some barrels for it. Barrels are always useful, as are the uppers for some of the older assault rifles and such." he said, walking over and lifting it off the rack. Sure enough, there was a long crack down the side of the stock. An easy fix, though. "You sure you want this thing, though? I mean, I got some of the cooler stuff in the back if you've got something good to trade. One of the deputies found a laser rifle out in the wastes. Zap some holes in some baddies. Just needs a little cleaning up and maintenance." said Jack, setting the rifle down on the counter before him. "But if you really want this one, I can toss in a box of shells and a sling for a hand full of firing pins. I'll even fix the crack for ya."
Mariuz held the rifle in his hands, and ran it agains the wood. Soft, and smooth. Clearly been used but it'll do, and he'll take good care of it. "I'll take this one thanks, I prefer the good ol' ballistics to the new laser systems. Too many moving parts, not enough to find out there in the wastes to repair if needed. I'll throw in those firing pins too for the sling and ammo. Thanks man." Mariuz went out to his bike, picked up the "currency" and returned to trade for the rifle. He said his thanks, loaded it up and slung it around his back. Two pistols in hand a rifle, he was finally ready. "Have a good one Jack, thanks again." He tipped his hat and headed out towards the train station to catch up with the rest of the crew. Checking his watch it was almost time to leave.
Name: Unit 306-B 'Aegis' Picture/Physical Description: https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/1971/b288a3a6-e067-49e1-8401-761aca7214de/Aegisheadshot.png 6'5" Birthdate: 2135 Race: Robot Profession: Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Texas State Police Bio: A World War isn't just about fighting enemies and nations abroad, winning territory and resources from the hands of your enemies, or political intrigue. In the modern age, a war of epic proportions did not sit well with the general public, causing civil unrest in the most minor cases to riots and acts of terrorism in the most severe of cases. For that reason, Vegera Dynamics, the leading company in production of one of the more widely used infantry robot models, the Crest series, decided to create a model for domestic defense. The units they were derived from were simplistic, a true Swiss Army Knife when it came to automaton design and their functions. After all, there were many uses for an expendable sets of eyes, hands, and ears, and the fact that they belonged to unfeeling machines was merely a bonus. The AEGIS line of units shared all the attributes of the models that came before them; versatile, efficient, killing machines that would carry out any order given to them down to the letter. When situations arose that were outside of mission parameters, they were even granted a simple AI that allowed them to follow a situation as they saw fit. Despite the simplicity in their behavior, they were still able to produce speech, a low, booming and mechanical tone that was meant more to intimidate enemies and potential threats than anything. On top of that they were able to understand the functionality and adapt to most any weapon given to them over time, eliminating the need for extensive training with their storehouse of combat tactics and strategy hardwired in their systems. From there, deviations in the design were only slim - these police units given a stark blue coloration to their armor plating, a siren for apprehending petty criminals, and of course a hard-light riot shield projector in their forearms. It is no wonder that with those particular features that these units were used for counter-terrorism and peacekeeping back in the states, a purpose they fulfilled with brutal efficiency. Unit 306-B was activated for use by the police department of Texas, one of many that the department had access to. It was necessary, as the abundance of weaponry in the hands of potential criminals meant that they had to retaliate in anyway they could. 306-B and his squad fulfilled many operations up until the final days of the war, where the single unit was assigned the task of protecting the police Captain and his family during an evacuation. Unfortunately, they were cut off by the ensuing chaos and had to settle for sub-standard shelter when the bombs fell. The resulting EMP was able to shut down 306-B for hundreds of years. Now, the unit awakes and finds itself in a broken world. Having failed his mission, the family he was assigned to protect now skeletal remains next to him. No satellite data or backups to inform him of his next orders. He only had his built in directives and simple AI to guide his purpose, and he had to bring law to a lawless wasteland. Protocol 1: Serve the Public Trust. Protocol 2: Uphold the Law. Protocol 3: Protect the Innocent. Stats: - HP: 100 - ATK: 6 - DEF: 10 Special Skills or Attributes: Cold Steel - DEF Tech base value 10 instead of 5. Enemy CH rolls do half damage. AEGIS Subroutines - Aegis deploys a hard-light shield from his left arm, creating an effective form of mobile and personal cover, shielding himself and those that can fit directly behind him from damage for three combat turns. Equipment: https://i.gyazo.com/1b73622e0c47c32ccf7680d04671027b.png HN-MV5 Energy Submachine Gun
As time passed, more and more of the deputies would arrive at the train station. Mariuz was the last one, and boarded the train quickly. The passenger cars themselves had a few passengers already waiting, ready to head out to memphis. One in particular was rather peculiar. A robot, bearing the marks of a police force of the pre-war world. Next to him on his seat, a laser weapon. Masterson eyed the robot, before eventually shrugging off any lingering thoughts. He settled in, sitting up near the front of the car. Everyone else was scattered about the lead car behind him, either talking amongst themselves or simply checking their gear. Jasper was sitting alongside Eliza, who was shoved next to the window. Probably better for her. Always something to look at out in the wastes. Soon enough, the engineers were finished with their checks. Adrian reboarded the train, and gave a simple rundown of the rules aboard the train. Well, the rule of the train, and it was rather simple too. Don't do stupid shit. He then headed up towards the engine, and within a few moments the train was lurching forwards. Building speed as it departed from the Dallas train station. Being tugged along behind the passenger cars was the freight cars, which housed any vehicles that the train's passengers were bringing with them to Memphis. Including Slade's horse. Masterson glanced back to look at everyone behind him. Everything seemed alright. The question was if things would stay that way between Dallas and Memphis. He sighed, before turning around and pulling his hat down over his eyes. Time for a nap. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Three hours later... "Hey, Adrian...what's that? See it? The dust cloud?" asked one of the engineers, gazing out one of the windows in the side of the train engine. Adrain cut him a look, then stepped over to see for himself. Yeah. There was a cloud off in the distance alright. He searched around the car for his binoculars, then took another look. "...Fuck me sideways with a bloody rail gun." he muttered after a few moments. The pair of engineers in the car with him looked at him, raising their eyebrows. He lowered the binoculars, then looked to them. "Fucking raiders! Coming up FAST." _ _ _ _ _ _ Back in the passenger cars, some of the other guests had started to notice the cloud as well. And were making enough racket to wake Masterson up. Jasper's voice was the next thing he heard as he glanced back to see what the ruckus was about. "Sir, we have something incoming." he said, standing quickly from his seat. He had already ripped open his bag, and was slapping a fresh magazine of .308 rounds into his BR. Eliza was frantically looking between the two of them, then out the window at the cloud. She knew exactly who it was. Masterson grunted. God fucking damnit. He stood and drew his revolver, before stepping over and slapping the red button on the wall. Not even two seconds later, Adrian burst through the door nearby, an old assault rifle in his hands. "Its bloody fucking raiders! A lot of them!" he nearly shouted, his face bearing a look of terror. Jasper glanced over as he cycled the bolt in his rifle, before moving Eliza aside and sitting at the window. He shouldered his rifle, peering through the scope mounted to the top at the cloud. "A few cars and trucks. Custom paint jobs, several modifications. Rough guess, I'd say about fifteen to twenty raiders. More or less." he said, after a moment of observation. Masterson looked to the rest of the passengers in the car with them, then to Adrian as he stood nearby. "Adrian, get the passengers to one of the middle cars. Preferably one with plenty of armor." he said quickly, before looking to the group of deputies he had gathered together for this journey. "Deputies. Get ready. We have incoming raiders, and we're defending this train." Eliza then spoke up. "Masterson! If there was ever a time to get me out of these cuffs and give me my weapons, its right fucking now!" she said, a hint of fear and desperation in her voice. Masterson shook his head. "I'm not fucking stupid, Cohen. You're not getting out of those chains just so you can fucking shoot us in the back." he spat, before stomping past. "YOU DON'T FUCKING UNDERSTAND!" she shouted after him, before turning her attention to Jasper. He glanced to her from his rifle scope, eyeing her for a moment, then returned to the scope. Adrian quickly hurried all the other innocent passengers out of the front of the car, into an armored section just ahead of it. Leaving Masterson and his deputies to defend the train. And that one android... _ _ _ _ _ _ About fifteen minutes later, the raiders were upon them. Jasper had been mostly right in his guestimate. There were about twenty-one raiders in the group, lead by a white haired woman with a mohawk. Jasper noticed that Eliza seemed to squirm a bit when Masterson brought up the woman. Was 'Fast Hands' Cohen actually scared of her? The raiders approached the train from both sides, with a pair of trucks in the lead. Each truck had two raiders in the back, using what appeared to be rocket launchers. Jasper was about to fire a shot at one of them from his window perch, before noticing something. They were aiming for the passenger cars with the launchers. They were aiming for the engine at the front. "Shit. Sir, they're gonna try and take out the engine!" There was an audible "FUCK." from the back of the passenger car, before Masterson rushed to the front. "Eliminate those raiders with the rocket launchers! If they take out the engine, we'll be derailed!" As the raiders with the launchers prepared themselves, the rest of the raider group began to open fire on the passenger cars with their various weapons. Sarah, in the passenger seat of a neon green muscle car, cackled. This was going to be so much fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozir2wROTVE ------------------------- TRAIN TUSSLE OBJECTIVES: Eliminate the four rocket launcher equipped raiders before they destroy the train engine. Eliminate 10 Raiders by any means. ------------------------- Masterson took aim with his revolver, firing off a shot from a window at the first rocket launcher raider on the left side of the train. Jasper did the same, the bullet making a loud crack as it errupted from the barrel of the rifle and darted towards the raider. Eliza squirmed in her seat, before eventually standing and getting away from where Jasper was sitting. She needed out of the cuffs somehow! She pressed her hands to the floor, before using her boot to hold the chain down. Then, she pulled as hard as she could, trying to slip her hands out of the cuffs with simple brute force.
The robot made direct eye contact with Masterson as he was being stared at, motionless and cold since he had no facial expressions to be read. In those short moments he broke the silence with a simple "Citizen." and nothing more. The synthesized voice was deep and crackling somewhat, though it could be surmised that it meant no offense with the flat greeting. Once it observed the increase in passengers that were flooding the car it was taking refuge in, it extends a mechanical hand and clutches the weapon at its side, grabbing it by the foregrip. It was clear that while the unit was not overtly hostile, it would be ready if things were to suddenly go bad. It was fortunate that most everyone was so amicable and things were so calm, at least for the moment. --------------------- When the panic and preparation started to ensue, it immediately sat up from its seat to its full towering height, bracing its weapon against its mechanical form as it sauntered into the group. If anyone stood in the unit's way, they would have to be the ones to move, for it was clear he would not stay and wait. The unarmed innocents were funneled into the armored car, and the automaton stood still as the door closed behind them, putting its back to the evacuated people as it lowered itself into a combat stance. "Threat assessment: multiple armored vehicles approaching. Attempting act of terrorism against public transportation..." it stated, cocking its head toward the windows to see their approach. There was a period of silence as the theoretical gears in its head turned, the call-outs of the humans aboard updating its assessment. "Understood. Threat elevated by explosive weaponry. Opening fire to eliminate threat. Protocol 3: Protect the Innocent." With that, the unit trudged up to an open window, shouldering the laser weapon before opening fire on one of the raiders equipped with a rocket launcher. Blazing blue bolts of energy were dispatched from the business end of the weapon, the 'hammer' of the gun eliciting a high pitched whine with each volley.
Mariuz was enjoying the view as the train made its way across the open desert terrain. He's never had the chance to ride in a working one before, always opting for his own bike for travel. He thought trains were too...exposed. You were stuck on those rails, in one direction. Not many options if shit went wrong. As he gazed across the land, he noticed a large dust cloud approaching, and fast. What the fuck... He looked over to the other deputies and saw they noticed it too and are suddenly up and moving around. Suddenly the train engineer burst into the passenger car. "Its bloody fucking raiders! A lot of them!" he nearly shouted, his face bearing a look of terror. Mariuz took his own binoculars out of his pack and took a look. The engineer was right, a pack of cars was heading their way, with plenty of raiders aboard each. Marshall Masterson began barking out orders, and before he knew it the raiders were upon them, cars on each side. The thoughts of being exposed and confined to this metal box were screaming in the back of his head louder than ever. He got down as bullets starting flying, and simultaniously took out the rifle he just purchased. Lets see if this thing is any good. He opened the bolt to make sure there was a round ready to be chambered, closed it, peaked up above through the open window, and sighted a raider was some sort of tube on his shoulder. RPG? fuck. He let out a quick breath and pulled the trigger.
Eagle had accompanied Diplo as the latter inspected the train engine and its workings. When all hell broke loose Eagle went for the roof of one of the passenger cars. He ended up standing directly above what appeared to be some robotic lawman. "You better shoot as much as you talk," muttered Eagle before kneeling down into a marksman position. He opened fire at one of the enemy drivers. ------------- Malin had been interviewing some of the citizens when disaster struck. She gestured with her arms. "In here! Quickly!" Once the civilians were safe Malin readied her personal sidearm and took cover beneath a window. She peeked up, steadied herself and opened fire at one of the rocket launcher-wielding raiders.
Diplo hurried after Eagle, stumbling onto the passenger train roof and almost being carried off by a large gust of wind. He grabbed onto a metal handle embedded in the roof. "Blimey!" Diplo exclaimed, "You don't suppose I can convince them to stop?! Oh fuck it." Diplo growled in a slightly more mechanical sounding tone than usual. Diplo pulled out what appeared to be a heavily modified hand cannon from under his cloak, upon closer inspection you would observe a switch that would allow it to switch between shooting single rounds, like a pistol or burst rounds like a shotgun. "Now's your chance baby, shine shine shine." he whispered to the weapon and started taking aim at the tires of one of the vehicles. https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/238214/b02484d6-6cfe-44a5-a72c-89d7456e7aaf/WpNaovj.jpg ((PS sorry for the huge ass image))
Slade was sitting in the train car, minding his own business and just reading the news. He was interupted when he noticed a kid staring at him. The young boy was just standing there between the seats and staring at the lawman. It didn't bother him at first but as time passed, he became irritated. "Son, where are your parents?" He broke the silence, but kept looking at the news "More importantly, did they not teach you any manners?" The kid just kept staring at him. Slade grumbled and looked at him "Take a picture, it will last longer you little-" Its bloody fucking raiders! A lot of them! Slade looked towards the direction of Adrian and then the kid. 'You're shitting me' he thought before the hail of bullets shredded part of the car and send the passengers into a panic running in directions. "Keep your head low and stick as close as you can to me. Come on." Slade took the boy's hand and started leading him through the people, since apparently no one else would bother with thier fucking kid and at the same time trying to herd the crowd towards the more armored part of the train. Once he they were safe a woman approached them both. "James, get the hell away from him! You don't know what he is!" She barked as she pulled the kid away. Slade wa unamused. "Lady, I just led your son through you bunch of panicked morons without him getting trampled, make sure he's safe before you scold him for touching the ghoul!" He turned around to head to direct his attention to the raiders "Bitch." he muttered as he walked away. It didn't take long for him to see where the fuckers were and that they were carrying some major heat with them. Shotgun wasn't gonna cut it, so he hoped that his aim hasn't gone too bad after all these years. He upholstered his revolver and took aim at one of the raiders with an RPG.
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