Realistic or Modern Not If You Were the Last

[aergie]

So should Mara be already in Albuquerque so she can meet up? Or should she just be heading that way? If Duncan and Babette were to head northeast (Mara is heading southwest), they could meet up in a day or so?

 

[Mitheral]

Duncan is planning to remain in Albuquerque until next Spring. That may change later. But he's been stocking up for winter - and has plans. Everyone showing up is going to create a strain on his plans. (Hey, "stuff" happens.)


Is Mara on foot or vehicle? There is only one way to approach and not miss Duncan while heading southwest and that is via the Sandia Pass (I-40) coming from Texas. No reason she couldn't show up there. However, it would defy reasonable odds to arrive in the same moment. On foot her movements wouldn't likely be noticed. A vehicle ... maybe.


Duncan DOES make noise every now and then that can be heard for miles - like shooting a 50 cal HMG, or blowing stuff up, or even "racing" Thunderbirds (jets) of the runway of Kirtland AFB. (He doesn't actually fly the aircraft, just taxis around. Beats go carts by a mile.) I just don't know how soon that is likely.

 

[aergie]

She's driving, so I guess I'll have her on the I-40. Maybe once it hits dark, she'll stop for the night and light a campfire, the smoke might be conspicuous...something worth investigating.

 

[sodeviousxo]

@Mitheral Sorry to do this, but I'm actually heading to work for the day. I will write a response when I get home straight away.

 

[Mitheral]

No problem. If I remember right, @aergie has heavy school hours Mon and Wed. I had more time to write than usual, so was trying to get an initial encounter out of the way.


I'd try to get the other two to meet up, but they would be coming from opposite directions. As it is, I'll try to get at least aergie's character into the story. One idea I had was having Duncan show off a drone (one of those $100-200 toys you can get in most large truckstops, and have it spot her Rover coming down Sandia Pass.

 

[sodeviousxo]

Drone idea sounds solid! If she's able to post and I haven't gotten back to you by then, feel free to say 'Bette has come along (if you're comfortable auto'ing my character and such). Now that they've met, I'd hate for the story to come to a standstill because I'm working.

 

[Mitheral]

@VirtualNotoriety Too old. Needs a pic. Didn't read past that.

 

[Mitheral]

I work 14 hour days, sometimes a little longer. (70 hour work week.) Normally I get to post once a day. Yesterday was just a day off and I took advantage of that. LOL, Duncan could really use @aergie character about now. He does NOT really know cars and is really fumbling his way.

 

[aergie]

lol, i kinda messed up when i said she knows cars. I don't know anything!!! guess I'll be researching during my breaks today!!

 

[Mitheral]

LOL, well, I personally don't know a heck of a lot. Never got bit by the car bug. Didn't even start driving until my late 20's. (Lived around the world.) So you should be able to wing it. The trouble with Duncan's P1 is that he doesn't really know what he's doing installing the alcohol system. And when he raced to meet Babette he knocked it out of whack. Really, he's lucky it worked at all.


I get the impression that your character knows how to rebore a piston shaft, install turbos, maybe a nitrous system, etc. If her experience includes drag racing and stock cars, she should find fixing Duncan's car a snap.


The problem with fuel is worse though. That is chemistry and degradation of the systems. She'd need new parts. But those are obtainable if you know where to look and can get there. Just a matter of whether it is worth all the trouble.

 

[Mitheral]

Here is a pic and specs on the drone I mentioned. Any large truckstop (TA, Petro, many Flying J's) have them. They run about $100. I am also thinking that your character could have one @aergie .. and maybe have a mini digital cam mounted. 9 min flight time. 25 min to recharge via mini USB. Can be operated from a smartphone app if she bought it before the internet crashed. Perfect tool to get a bird's eye view of the region as she comes out of Sandia Pass.


Duncan and Babette met around 1000-1200 during the day. Sandia Pass would be some 30 miles away. But she might spot the movement of a single brightly colored car where there are no others moving on the interstate and see where it turns off. After that it is a matter of a search.


(link added ....)

 

[Mitheral]

@DaManofWar The Aspergers is a bit of a stretch when it comes to survival alone for a year. It makes it near impossible for him to meet up with the others.


Folks ... Age 18 is an extreme rarity - maybe half a dozen on the planet. Absolutely noone over age 18 survived. IE if they were over 17 when the Plague started (a year ago) they are dead. There were about a dozen vectors to the original virus. The primordial strain had simple cold and flu symptoms, all relatively harmless...


... and I will finish later. Work called. Emergency run to go do. Another driver hurt his back.

 

[aergie]

How long has the plague been going on at this point?

 

[DaManofWar]

I have asperger's. We can meet other people just fine.

 

[aergie]

you should probably keep questions in the OOC tab, @VirtualNotoriety

 

[Mitheral]

@VirtualNotoriety No ... still too old. 18 is max. Even then he would have been 17 a year ago when the Plague was running wild. And SWAT generally requires several YEARS of experience, whether it be military, police, etc. I would go so far as to say the bare minimum age of a SWAT officer is around 23-24 and that assumes strong field experience. While I love the skills and the character, it doesn't fit here. There are just some things they don't let kids do.


FYI, SWAT was originally LAPD specific.

 

[Mitheral]

@DaManofWar I am going to have to say no to the Asperger's.

 

[aergie]

I should have a post up soon. I'm using your drone idea.


Also, I'm going to have to take @DaManofWar 's side on the aspergers. I don't think it would have that much impact on their character's survival. Of course, the decision is up to you. Just thought I'd throw my opinion out there.

 

[DaManofWar]

@DaManofWar I am going to have to say no to the Asperger's.

Is this for real? It may have started as an evolutionary trait, you know! Taking care of themselves more then others.

 

[Mitheral]

Apparently all the textbook stuff I've read on Aspergers differs from the form you have. The symptoms are described as being considerably more severe than I think you have. Now perhaps you have a very high functioning, almost borderline case.


One thing: No more comments like the one I gave the ??? to. Not in OOC; not in the RP. That said, I'll reverse my decision. I don't do that often and find my initial decision is usually the right one. Please prove me wrong.


I do not want antisocial or psychopathic characters in this RP. It is why I am so strongly against any mental issues that might produce problems. Completely normal characters provide enough of that.

 

[DaManofWar]

Apparently all the textbook stuff I've read on Aspergers differs from the form you have. The symptoms are described as being considerably more severe than I think you have. Now perhaps you have a very high functioning, almost borderline case.
One thing: No more comments like the one I gave the ??? to. Not in OOC; not in the RP. That said, I'll reverse my decision. I don't do that often and find my initial decision is usually the right one. Please prove me wrong.


I do not want antisocial or psychopathic characters in this RP. It is why I am so strongly against any mental issues that might produce problems. Completely normal characters provide enough of that.

Sweet Jesus. I do have high functioning autism, but I do have Asperger's. It's not that we're antisocial, it's that we don't understand social cues and stuff like sarcasm. But we can still be great people.


And "completely normal" is rather rude. What textbooks have you read?

 

[Mitheral]

Grow a thicker skin. I meant no disrespect with the completely normal comment. Nearly everyone has issues. I means normal with respect to autism. Like it or not, autism is NOT normal, medically speaking, any more than low blood sugar. I am not going to watch my every word here.

 

[Mitheral]

First post in the OOC section updated with the chronology of the Plague.

 

[aergie]

so the drone probably fell near you guys, someone might notice it and realize there's someone else out there, but Mara will probably also drive closer to get a better look anyways

 

[DaManofWar]

First post in the OOC section updated with the chronology of the Plague.

What?