Iron Caravan: Hitchhikers may be Dead People

[hand ax ranger]

The Caravan was moving through the night quickly as they could. They were caught out in the open when the sun fell due to a breakdown earlier in the day, and would have to find a good spot to hold out for the sun to return, so that they could at least see the incoming danger further than their headlights.

The leader of the Caravan squawks orders between the vehicles by way of radio as he keeps them all together, preventing any from straying to far to potentially be picked off like gazelle surrounded by lions. Though in this case the Gazelle had mounted weapons and men armed with guns, for all that was worth. The center truck, acting both as the main cargo hauler and spotlight platform, kept it's large beam on a swivel all around both deter the more light sensitive of the spawns and highlight those that were brave enough to show their face. Thankfully, short of a few necros that'd be outpaced by the rigs nothing was showing it's face.

Yet.

In all this, the roar of the engines and he faint calls fo wildlife and more vile things, there was a few who would end up becoming the center of something bigger going across the wastes.....

[DigoDragon]

Rita scanned the horizon for potential danger. Night was the worst time to be out traveling; it was hard to see anything and you couldn't quite decide if it was too late to snack on something. Would it give you as stomachache before bed or not? Well, if something did pop out of the darkness to attack, her sword and rifle were plenty hungry for a fight.

She scratched at her nose. The dust kicked up from the caravan annoyed her sinuses. Rita remained vigilant, picking up her binoculars and checking if she could see anything with them.

"Hope we find a spot to camp soon," she says to whoever is nearby. "Feels too quiet out there right now."

[LarsWester]

Doc sat in the shotgun seat of the moving truck. The truck was running fairly efficiently on fuel as the back of it was lightly loaded carrying only the personal effects of him and the others in the vehicle. He turned around from looking out the window to address Rita in the driver's seat. After some of the nights already I'll take some peace and quiet. But I don't prefer this travelling at night either so I also hope we get the command to put up camp soon. I feel we miss too much but not seeing what we pass under the light of the sun. It's been years since this landscape has been recorded for the people back home. What plants exist out here is anyone's guess as we drive past in the dark. Plants are key Rita there's unknown chemicals and medicines out there to prevent people dying. We've lost so much over the years. Wilbert Thurgood shuts his mouth and sits there in sadness reflecting on the knowledge possibly lost forever. As he does he turns back to look out into the darkness pierced by headlights to see if there was anything new to write down in his travel log.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spot - (1d20+9)[11]
Search - (1d20+6)[23]
Listen - (1d20+6)[8]

[Frendle]

Sitting in the back seat, Conner's attention is divided between the terrain rolling past the caravan, and the hunk of old tech sitting in his lap. Really it was too dark to see it, but he ran his left hand over it, his right hand holding onto the M16. "This could mean something, but it's all corroded." He says to Doc sitting in front of him. Though he probably didn't hear it. The noise of the moving truck with the windows open precluded any but shouted conversations.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spot (1d20)[6]

Listen (1d20)[8]

Search [1d20+10[/roll]

[DigoDragon]

"Well, Doc, considering how many folks I know who smoke certain plants, they're definitely medicine in more than one form," Rita comments with a smirk. She focuses more on driving now; been a while since she was behind the wheel of a working vehicle. It wasn't bad if you ignored the dread of being watched by the darkness.

[hand ax ranger]

Rita scanned the horizon for potential danger. Night was the worst time to be out traveling; it was hard to see anything and you couldn't quite decide if it was too late to snack on something. Would it give you as stomachache before bed or not? Well, if something did pop out of the darkness to attack, her sword and rifle were plenty hungry for a fight.

She scratched at her nose. The dust kicked up from the caravan annoyed her sinuses. Rita remained vigilant, picking up her binoculars and checking if she could see anything with them.

"Hope we find a spot to camp soon," she says to whoever is nearby. "Feels too quiet out there right now."

"Hey wasn't my plan to be stuck out in theses plains after the sun went down." The voice of Justin, the Caravan leader exclaims through the speaker, his accent reminiscent of a long lost place: Quebec. "If we hadn't had the break down at the pass we could of been safely in greener pastures by now. Didn't help someone wanted to do some sight seeing...."

Doc sat in the shotgun seat of the moving truck. The truck was running fairly efficiently on fuel as the back of it was lightly loaded carrying only the personal effects of him and the others in the vehicle. He turned around from looking out the window to address Rita in the driver's seat. After some of the nights already I'll take some peace and quiet. But I don't prefer this travelling at night either so I also hope we get the command to put up camp soon. I feel we miss too much but not seeing what we pass under the light of the sun. It's been years since this landscape has been recorded for the people back home. What plants exist out here is anyone's guess as we drive past in the dark. Plants are key Rita there's unknown chemicals and medicines out there to prevent people dying. We've lost so much over the years. Wilbert Thurgood shuts his mouth and sits there in sadness reflecting on the knowledge possibly lost forever. As he does he turns back to look out into the darkness pierced by headlights to see if there was anything new to write down in his travel log.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

".....seeking of which you can shut right up Doc! People have been using this course for months, if not years, and no one cares about what's out here unless it can kill freaks, feed mouths or provide a measly bit of comfort. Not to mention the books and files onboard the big rig that people are literately selling blood to pay for. All the knowledge that should matter to you until we get paid is the stuff inside this convoy. If I hear you talking about a spelunking trip again I'll leave you out here to do it yourself. Pompous academic..." He states before the speaker clicks off and the truck is left in silence.

It wasn't that Justin cared little for the past, the Iron Caravans carried what discoveries and information there was along with all the other sort of cargo, but they were all out in the black and the last thing on his mind was finding the next lost library of Alexandria.


Though the blackness all three had seen nothing but ruins, brush and the scampering of critters as they fled...... either the Caravan or something else in the dark. Thankfully, nothing yet has appeared to cause mayhem to the convoy, which could let the trio on the truck breath a bit easier.

[DigoDragon]

Quite the cheerful type, ain't he? Rita thought to herself.

"Well, don't give up your dreams, Doc," she tells him, "Just roll with the punches until you get your chance." And Rita does punch Doc in the shoulder, but not enough to hurt. It's a friendly jab to add to her point.

She looks up in the rear-view mirror. "Hey Conner, whatcha working on?"

[Frendle]

Conner looks up at Rita's question. "Good question. It might be a relay of some kind, or a trigger mechanism. Or it might be junk. Need more light, but my money is on junk right now." Guess I should pay more attention to the outside than to it.

Conner tries to keep his attention on the terrain, but he keeps glancing down at the mechanism, though a bit less often.

Finally he gives up on it and stares out the window, "I spy with my little eye something that begins with B."

[LarsWester]

Doc winces as Justin chews him out reminding him of the delay that is his fault. But he was so close to accessing that basement vault and it's preserved secrets within. Finally he was dragged from the site and throw back into their current vehicle. Doc flinches as Rita punches him out of his memory. Yes rock and roll with the punches until the big find. It's what keeps me going.
Responding back to Conner
It's all junk until we rediscover its purpose and then only 95% of it has no current purpose and should truly be called junk. Oh and is it barren wasteland? Or maybe the black void of night?

[DigoDragon]

"Hmm, a bug perhaps?" Rita guesses.

[Frendle]

"Nope in all three cases." Conner smiles, wondering how many folks over the decades and decades had played this game.

"I'll give you a hint, it's a single word, not a phrase. You're right though, it may be important. I guess I'll get more info in the morning. What's the plan after we find a place to stop? I assume no looking around after we sleep a bit? I'd hate to miss a chance, but I guess we have to listen to Justin."

[LarsWester]

He is the caravan boss and I think I already upset him at the last stop. Doc adds the last bit mutteringly. I think I'm stumped on the B word. Unless its Bada## and you're looking at Rita. He jokes. I think in the morning we should get a chance to at least see the surroundings if we travel more during daylight. We probably also have a better chance at your guessing game. I can hardly see anything.

[DigoDragon]

Rita chuckles at the bad-as comment. She doesn't advertise it, but she ain't denying a compliment either.

"Hmm, backpack then?" she guesses.

"I'd say get as much sleep as you can. Justin might want to get us up extra early to make up lost time, but we could be surprised with the fortune to not be up before the sun."

[Frendle]

Conner smiles a bit, "Nah, bushes. If you can call those bushes."

:I hope we can get some sleep in relative comfort and safety." He grimaces, when was the last time that happened.

Conner starts singing a popular road trip song.

[DigoDragon]

"Oh, bushes. Yeah, guess that's the proper word."

Rita smirks. "What would you consider 'comfort' here? Me, I can probably just recline this chair and be out most of the night."

[Frendle]

"I'd be fine with 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep, that would be comfort plus a bit of heaven." Conner says with a smile.

[LarsWester]

Generally in this biome the vegetation is referred to as scrub not bushes. But technically you might be correct in that the classical definition of bush was simply a low lying plant with stems of moderate length. sensing that he has bored the other two passengers with his horticultural lesson Doc shuts up for a minute.

[DigoDragon]

"Two hours is a fine power-nap. Get in a couple of those and something to eat and I'd be good for at least half a day," Rita agrees.

The vegetation lesson is a bit of a curve ball though, and she isn't sure what she'd do with that info. "Huh, guess that's something I didn't know? So, are you one of those plant scientists, Connor?" she asks.

[Frendle]

"Yeah, I know something about it, but was using the colloquial." Conner says with a grin and a wink.

"Wonder if I can clear a bit of a space in back enough to lay down. Not that curious about the insect or arthropod life around here". He smiles broader.

[hand ax ranger]

As the trio chatter within the vehicles the radio would once more screech to life.

"Be advised, scouting drones have picked up blockage on the trail. Trail-makers are finding a new route, be ready to detour."

A horn blares from the hub vehicle and all around start to slow to a crawl.

[DigoDragon]

Rita slows the truck down to maintain formation with the caravan.

"Oh joy. We're slowing down. Certainly isn't going to make us more vulnerable," Rita sarcastically mutters. "...or delay our naps. Damn, now it's personal."

[Frendle]

"Am I being paranoid, or does that sound like an attempt to ambush us? I wonder if it is a natural obstruction like a rock slide or a created one?"

Conner sets down the junk/trigger next to him and picks up his M16 and points it out the window in a more ready position slipping down his night vision goggles he scans the passing country side more carefully.

[DigoDragon]

"It ain't paranoia when the world is out to get you."

[LarsWester]

Doc in the shotgun position of the moving van readies his glock but still keeping it below the window. I've learned to trust your intuition Rita and Connor. I got a bad feeling about this.

[hand ax ranger]

There is a long pause of silince between the vehicles before the radio kicks back to life.

"Be advised, road blockage was cause by a rock-slide and would take to long to clear. We've rerouted the course across a land-bridge nearby. Coordinates are...."

As the Caravan lead reads out the directions, the horde of vehicles starts moving south towards the alternative route.

[DigoDragon]

Rita turns the truck to follow the caravan.

"Does anyone have a map? I'd feel better if I had an idea of what this land-bridge is we're coming up to."