The Metro

[Pat]

Rochdale Metro​

Rumors spread throughout the underground that Station A was recently sacked by a bandit gang, but only in that truth do they not contradict each other. What few survivors managed to escape being runned down in the tunnels by their whooping pursuers reportedly found refuge in Station H, although it is not known what has become of them since in the sanctuary. In response to the threat, Stations B and E have signed a defensive pact.

Rochdale Surface​

Stalkers report tolerable weather, low levels of radiation, and a slight decline in bandit activity in the industrial district, the new district, the garden district, the old district, and the waterfront district. Although oxygen concentration remains far too low for the easy establishment of sustainable topside outposts and colonies, the ruins are now the safest they've ever been since the apocalypse two decades ago, which isn't saying very much to begin with.

Heyitsjiwon , mausedpotatos , PsychicSoldierAthena .

 

[PsychicSoldierAthena]

新北京，20年

人民日报

Troop Movements in the Metro
Following the news that ravenous bandits have sacked Station A, The Wise and Gracious Leader Colonel Zhang have ordered the mobilization of the 12th Patrol Group on the border checkpoint with Xin Mangu (Aka Station H, as it is know to the barbarians) in order to ensure the safety of our hard working citizen and the protection of our young but powerful nation's interests. Government officials assure that this will in no way affect merchants coming from and going to Xin Mangu and standard security procedures will not be changed despited the extra rifle barrels in the check point.

New Building Project
The Central Military Committee have commissioned the building of a radio beacon just outside of the entrance of Xin Beijing (Station N), following a favorable weather report by the Explorers Corps and foreign Stalkers. The Explorers will work in close contact with the United Building Workers Corporation, providing them with the necessary security gears. The radio beacon will be wired to the popular intercom station "Chinatown", with the famous Miss New Beijing providing music, entertainment, live news and useful informations for any wanderer on the surface.

Other News
Political Committee going to ban new liquor?: The reported abysmal work performance of the drinkers of the new popular intoxicating beverage called "Vodka" have raised concern among members of the Political Committee, concerns that have been listened by The Gracious and Most Victorious Leader Colonel Zhang, who will speak about the matter in tomorrow speech with the Political and Military Committee.
It's a girl!: Sergent Fu Shufen and her husband Corporal Lang Guanting have recently shared the joyous news of the birth of little Jun with their comrades of the garrison of Guangzhou Bao (Station M). The base medic has assured that the baby girl is healthy and strong, and with two formidable soldiers as her parents she will no doubt grow to become a mighty chinese warrior and excellent citizen.

 

[mausedpotatos]

Actions:
Three teams of scavengers consisting of seven men each are sent topside to search for useful equipment to bring back from the industrial district. Each man on the team carries a rifle. Each team has a two man litter that can be used to help haul back anything found. The scavengers are told to bring back parts, wiring, lightbulbs, and more rare metals, but to also try to acquire any interesting machines. Each team is to move one mile apart from one another. Each team has a whistle that they can use in case of emergency to signal basic messages to another team. To identify one another in case one team must come to another teams aid without being mistakenly shot, the scavengers each wear a white armband.

Motorpool sends an ambassador out to go through the independent stations, minus station A, to gauge what they are looking to trade in and then to report back with what they learned.

Research:
Motorpool begins to research more advanced chemical formulas from the supplies that they can acquire.

Politics:
A speech to assembled scavengers before they depart by councilman Alexander.

"Citizens of Motorpool, you are our most valuable possession. Your skill and grit has permitted our station to become the best in the tunnels through the years. The sweat of your brow will transmute into the food that fills our bellies, the clothes on our backs, and the lights above our heads. This day you will set out for the city's industrial district in search of supplies. I needn't remind you how more is always needed. The guild has informed me that the team which is deemed most successful will be gifted with three extra ration tokens each as well as each team member receiving one half quart of dandelion wine. Good luck to you all, may you all come back to us whole and safe."

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

The Chairman sat at the Board Meeting as the Board of Directors met for the week. "The situation in regards to Station A is... dire. If bandits are able to attack the station and take it over, then we must strike back and show that such wanton violence and lawlessness will not be tolerated." Director Abrams replied "Are you suggesting that we launch an attack to reclaim Station A?" The Chairman replied " No, that would be a waste of supplies and lives. I propose that we send word to Station E. If they are attacked by the bandits, then we guarantee that we will come to their aid. In addition, I have asked Sergeant Hector, one of our Drill Instructors in the Officer's Program, to lead a military advisory team to help Station E train their men. A sign of goodwill that will hopefully lead to greater relations and cooperation to maintain the peace and safety within these tunnels. Regardless, we should send word to the refugees in Station H that we seek to talk with them to learn exactly what happened. At the very least get a rough idea of their numbers and weapons." No one in the Board commented further.

"With that matter settled, we will move to the next topic, the surface. Reports have arrived that the atmosphere has become... less hazardous than usual. This is a prime opportunity for us... and all humans to explore and scavenge. I propose that each station send out an expeditionary force to scout and search the districts that each station is in. Are there any concerns or disagreements?" Silence. "Then the motion is carried."

"Next, the issue of trade. It is well known that we rely on significant amounts of trade to fuel our industry and growth. It is due to this matter that the Foundation has begun to develop armored tram cars so that we can move mass goods quickly and safely. The initial estimates of the development of such vehicles have arrived and is broken down in the report before you. The board must vote on the budget." There were a few murmurs which quickly died down as the Board made its mind. "Anyone who vote Nay. Please raise your hands." No one in the Board moved. "Then it is decided. The Foundation's foundries will work on developing these proposed vehicles for the tunnels."

---

Summary:

1. The Foundation send word to Station E that it will come to its defense if it is attacked by the Bandits.

2. A small squad is sent to perform a military advisory role to Station E to help train their men if they desire.

3. A search for the refugees of Station A begins so that more details on the attack on Station A can be learned.

4. Every station sends out an expeditionary force (platoon sized group) to explore and scavenge its respective districts.

5. All other manpower and labor is focused on developing and building armored tram cars so that the Foundation can expand its trade caravans' capabilities.

 

[Pat]

Rochdale Metro​

The reinforcement of the border checkpoint with Station H by the 12th Patrol Group is a success, although it draws the suspicion and ire of the independent station's militiamen.

The Motorpool ambassador finds that Station B and Station E both have an insatiable demand for military equipment, bought at an especially enthusiastic premium in volume by the former. They also come to learn Station C is suffering a crippling fuel shortage due to one of their caravans being slaughtered during the sacking of Station A.

Research moves forward at a snail's pace, despite the accidental discovery of a mildly pleasurable stimulant derived from inedible parts of locally grown crops. Early human testing shows it can keep subjects alert and awake for hours when concentrated.

Relations with Station E improve following their acceptance of the Foundation's military support, and their drilling militia begins to near combat readiness. The mayor requests for the squad sent to it to be garrisoned outside of their northwestern blast door on the front line following the end of their mission, writing that he worries if an attack was to come help might arrive too late to make a difference in battle.

The refugees are found in the depths of Station H making a hard living as miners. Account after account of the massacre differs widely, yet a clearer picture of what truly happened begins to be slowly pieced together. Station A opened it's surface blast door to welcome home a routine stalker expedition, but before they could fully close it, a vehicle wedged itself into the opening, creating a gap for bandits to enter, take control of the blast door, and overwhelm the station. Little is known of their composition other than their high numbers, physical strength, and the frightening speed and bloodlust that they carved their way through the station's unprepared militiamen, fighting as if they were possessed by the same mad lunacy that caused the apocalypse.

A shortage of metal and engines for the early armored tram car designs brings progress screeching to a halt.

Rochdale Surface​

A minute after the explorers of Motorpool left the safety of Station D to uncover the secrets of the industrial district, they were ambushed. A burst of bullets were fired from the second story of a crumbling warehouse, killing one of their number, and nine howling bandits, their nearly naked bodies covered in painted polka dots, began charging at them from every direction wielding crude melee weapons. As quickly as they came they were dispatched, but not before some of their rusted blades and nails and hammers found their mark, killing another and badly injuring two. There was one more bandit at large, but their expedition's wounded required immediate first aid to survive.

The Foundation's three platoons of stalkers find varying degrees of success completing their objectives. In the new district, miraculously, they encounter no resistance to their scavenging but the environment itself. Although there are several close calls navigating the hazardous ruins, and several bandit sightings, they manage to siphon gasoline, collect supplies, and, most significantly, break into an untouched backroom of a ruined pharmacy, acquiring a small fortune in medicine. Their contemporaries in the garden district, however, report a man missing, and return only with samples of a peculiar ghostly bioluminescently green fungus. Finally, the stalker platoon sent to the old district finds itself stumbling upon a pair of bandits in an alleyway. The ensuing firefight is bloody, and the stalkers lose one more life than they claim in turn. Suddenly, the city blocks around them come alive with movement, gunshots, and even the occasional explosion, and they realize they've walked into the middle of a turf war between bandits and stalkers. With both sides distracted and ignorant of their presence, they could play their hand at kingmaker, or make a hasty tactical retreat to Station L.

The wind noticably picks up, cooling the city and redistributing radiated debris in open areas. A distant sandstorm is observable over the horizon.

Heyitsjiwon , mausedpotatos , PsychicSoldierAthena .

 

[mausedpotatos]

Reactions:
The team pauses to stabilize the wounded. They then use their litters to assist in bringing the dead and wounded back to the safety of Motorpool, while seven men remain and stand guard. In addition, they also haul back three raider corpses for the D station doctor to autopsy.

Once there, the scavengers will drop off their load of various humans of various levels of health, briefly explain what happened, and hastily grab more men from the guild. The scavengers who briefly returned to the station will grab extra water due to the approaching sandstorm and the possibility of an extended mission. The men will then rejoin the seven standing guard above ground and continue the mission.

The scavengers, finally able to continue, split up into two groups as to be able to move faster and attract less attention. One group of six will clear and scavenge the warehouse that the raiders used to fire on them from.

Due to the warehouses proximity to the station, the three litters that the group has all go to the sixteen scavengers who are going to go deeper into the industrial zone. The six scavengers who are sacking the raider warehouse are told to ferry whatever they find back to the Metro and to requisition assistance if needed.

The other group of sixteen will move into the industrial zone in search of whatever useful items and salvage can be found, hopefully before the sandstorm hits. If they can find nothing much of value before it does, they will find a suitable shelter to barricade themselves inside of and wait for conditions to improve before completing their mission.

RP:
Creel Pershing withdrew the spent magazine from his rifle and inserted a fresh one into it, tucking the empty into a pouch at his side. He had been told that to leave behind a magazine was punishable by ration token docking many times over the years, and was careful to never have to suffer that consequence. He supposed that it was rather silly of him to worry about such things during a time when he was occupied with fighting for his life. Currently, a crazed screaming man with polka-dots all over his nearly nude form was sprinting at him with a wooden spear in hand. The spear ended in a lethally sharp barbed metal tip. James, to his left, quickly shot the man in the thoracic area of his chest, downing him near instantly. Others on the scavenging team were faring worse. One scavenger was already dead with a knife embedded deep into his neck. Another was desperately struggling with another bandit, trying with all of his might to push the spear away from his neck. The bandit that was busily attempting to crush the mans throat in swatted away a scavenger who attempted to kick him off with surprising agility and strength. James looked away towards another three bandits who were mauling Frank with makeshift machetes, adjusting his aim towards them as panic rose in his mind.

Creel could feel the dust settling on his flesh where his suit was not entirely sealed. He could feel something hot and wet sliding on his leg, but his delirious mind was blessedly blocking out most of that pain for the time being. Creel began to fade off into unconsciousness despite the flaring pain in his leg, as the ground moved beneath him.He could faintly hear others around him, but their voices were distant and muted by his hood and apparent low blood level. It was hard to see what was going on from behind the gas-mask that he wore, but he could make out two shadowy figures above him, both wearing masks as well. The sky that framed their forms looked sickly and green with too much dust in the air. A cloud of dust was visible off in the distance. He briefly found enough lucidity to worry, but then realized that he might not need to worry that much longer. Creel felt the two scavengers reach under him and begin to haul him towards somewhere, presumably back to Motorpool. That was good. He could take a small rest and wait for home again.