[Desolation] Chapter 1: Digging In

Ryoma, Hooper, & Graves


Graves, standing out here looking between these deadly "ladies" and the ruined bodies of caravaners, your eyes sweep back to your holding, just for a moment. And in that instant, you see the faintest glint on the roof of the main prison complex. It's from a corner of the roof that overlooks Fauci's workshop. The glint when the sun hits glass at just the right angle. A scope, perhaps?


Ryoma and Hooper, you both try to start up the RVs and then the trucks. All the vehicles crank and grind, but the engine doesn't turn over. Their gas gauge is at "E".


What do you all do?


Red Bean & Fauci


Balls slowly lets you go, Fauci, and you feel the cold steel against your temple pull away. Holding his pistol up, Balls looks between you both, shock written all over his face. He backs toward the van.


"Fine," he says pocketing the keys. "I'm goin'. But I gotta know on thing." He looks hard at you, Bean. "How the fuck do you know all that shit?"


What do you both do?
 
Graves


"I don't like this one goddamn bit."


He spits, and turns to the gang he brought with him.


"Joyce, Wilde, Rod - secure this scrap. The rest of you, we're going home. I have a hunch. Claes, you get some of the people together and bring 'em out here to collect all of this."
 
Gaves, is there outside ladder access to the roof of the prison? And where in relation to the market is the license-plate printing factory you use for the "stamps"?


Fauci, what else is in the van Balls is about to steal?
 
There's an old fire escape, but it's usually guarded at all times - only by one person, though. The printing room is right inside the main building, a good distance from the market and likewise usually guarded. There could be other ways up we haven't noticed, though. It's a big place and we still haven't gotten into the secure wing.
 
Hooper


She grunts and steps out, shrugging. Wrenching open the door to Ryoma's truck, Hooper grabs the caravaneer. Yanking her out of the car, she tosses her over her shoulder and starts walking back to the prison.


"No gas. I'll carry her" She starts up a more rapid pace, wheezing as she makes her way through the wastes.
 
These "ladies" must make a ridiculous pair. Hooper's a muscled giant; Ryoma barely clears five feet. Hooper carries a broken-legged survivor over her back as they follow the wiry Grey back to camp. He's the definition of an unenlightened man -- striving and struggling to carve out his island in a sea of chaos. Perhaps that is why she is fond of him. When Samsara breaks this place, as it breaks all things, he will either understand Buddha nature or go quite mad. The two are surprisingly similar. She follows him without comment.
 
Graves, Claes nods and grabs a couple guys.


You all head back into the complex. The guards at the gate open it without hesitation. As you step inside the walls, a crowd forms around you.


Hooper, they seem fixed on you and the broken woman slung over your back.


What do you guys do?
 
Hooper


I drop her on the ground and walk off towards the mess and canteen. My face is thirsty, there was lots of dust today.
 
Hooper, the woman screams and begins sobbing when she slams to the dirt. The crowd collectively gasps. You head for the mess. Halfway to the prison building, a young kid, maybe 19 walks up to you. Half his face is all burned. He holds a simple hunting rifle. "Shit, lady! Amazing! You really go out there and kill all those guys?"


What do you do?
 
Hooper


"Had help" Hooper thinks of pretty red robes and hellish tattoos. "Wasn't hard" She keeps walking, letting the kid follow or not. She didn't care.
 
Ryoma follows at Hooper's side, smiling softly. "Remember, boy, fear is the ultimate weapon. It cuts deeper than any sword and it only jams if you jam."


She gives it a brief think. "Having a leering, masked, machete-wielding killer helps with that."
 
Red Bean


"An open mind hears many voices, especially near someone so close to dying. Now... you answer me one question. Why do you run from death, the one thing that catches us all? It is so close." She steps aside to let him into the van, for his safe passage.


"When you join the cacaphony of voices, tell then Sister Red will offer prayers for them to reach the other side." It was the best she could offer. There were just too many of them, and more joined every day, her prayers were small and made so little difference.
 
Graves


"Oh, for fuck's- Someone get her to the infirmary. Ryoma, would you come with me a moment? I got an inklin'"


Graves is starting to walk in the direction of the main roof access as he speaks.
 
Hooper gives an almost imperceptible sigh which was in essence a long wheez. She liked looking at Ryoma and now she was leaving with Graves. Now it was the burnt kid. What did he want. Why did so many bother her today.
 
Graves & Ryoma


You make your way to the rusty old ladder to the roof. You're both surprised to find someone coming down. A scoped hunting rifle hangs from a sling around his body and he descends.


What do you do?


Red Bean & Fauci


Balls looks between you and sidles over to the van, keeping his gun pointed between you. As you ask your question, Bean, he spits.


"I ain't telling you shit, bitch," he says, getting into the van. "So, shut the fuck up and get the hell outta my way." He starts the vehicle and seems to be looking around, waiting.


What do you do?


Hooper


The burnt kid looks back and forth, then moves in close—though you can tell—not too close. "Coupla guys and I found some crazy shit in the ruins up north. We need someone who can protect us while we ... retrieve it. Whatever we sell it for, we'll give you a share. You in?"


What do you do?
 
Hooper


"What is it. I am not a guard dog." She pushes open the door, watching the kid follow her inside. It almost seems that there should be a record scratch as the patrons look up her. Hooper scans the room and simply walks around the bar, taking a few bottles of water from the fridge. She ignores the protests of the bar tender and stands in the corner. She hold the water, not opening it or drinking. "Who are they"
 
Everyone


How IS food severed in the holding? The mess is a bar? Has to be paid for? And how/where is food traded for?
 
"Let's go before he goes totally ape-shit." She was leaving through the side door and not through the garage door. She had probably freaked him out enough already, last thing she wanted was a chance to run her down with the van. She was going to find Hooper. She had promised not to tell Graves, but Hooper wouldn't let this guy just go away.
 
I always thought the food would be served from the prison cafeteria. Using the serving area as an actual bar/meal area. I'm pretty sure the food comes from hunting, scavenging, farming and probably trading with caravans.
 
Yes, the old cafeteria was converted into a rather rollicking joint by "Mrs. Agnes," who asserts order in the establishment with a rusty cleaver. Ryoma eats there now and then. It's never boring!
 
We do a little farming and trade for a lot. People are free to eat as and where they please - fosters a little friendly competition - but the old canteen is cheap and cheerful.


Going to read the person coming down the stairs, holding up my gun to stop 'em.
 
Graves/Everyone


So, does Mrs. Agnes pay tribute to keep her bar here? Any of you work there or know her well? Has she been here from the start?


Graves & Ryoma


Graves, you look up the ladder to see what hell this idiot is doing. He looks down, sees your gun, starts climbing back up and says, "Shit!" He's back up on top of the roof.


What do you do?


Red Bean & Fauci


Balls just sits in the van like a dumbass. He's swearing up a storm. Seems like he's waiting for someone.


Bean, you're leaving the garage to go find Hooper, right?


Hooper


The burnt kid follows you in and stands in front of you. He opens his mouth to speak but doesn't get a word out. Instead, a massive rusty cleaver slams into the wall next to you. Mrs. Agnes, despite her fat ass and heavy breathing, has somehow appeared next to you. She lets go of the cleaver and wipes her hands on her stained apron. Her mismatched eyes study you.


"You going to pay for that shit, hon? Shit ain't free around here." she asks.
 
Hooper


"Talk Graves"


Hooper doesn't even blink, opening up the water and pouring it into her hand before splashing it on her face. She thinks for a moment, imagining taking the cleaver to the rolls of fat. The corpus white chunks spilling out to the floor. It would be easy to do.


Instead she focuses on the kid. "Sit and talk to me"
 
Hooper


The kid sits down, eyes wide as saucers. Mrs. Agnes looks at you hard a long while. Then, she pulls her cleaver out of the wall and stalks off back to the bar.


"Holy shit," says the burned kid. "You have balls of steel. Seriously, how do you talk to people like that?"


What do you do?
 
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