- exmachina
- Mar 12, 2006
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Look Closer
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Neither.
We've been bested, folks! Time to hang it up.
I feel like shooting here is a trap
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May 4, 2022 09:18
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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#
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Jun 5, 2024 21:02
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- moosecow333
- Mar 15, 2007
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Super-Duper Supermen!
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Hey bro, lets just talk
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#
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May 4, 2022 17:45
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- Guy Fawkes
- Aug 1, 2014
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Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense
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#
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May 4, 2022 19:43
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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OK, now that we've got that out of thew way, let's shoot him.
California Countdown posted:Your skilful deduction of the clansman’s hiding place has bought you an advantage in this life-or-death confrontation. Before your adversary can fix you in his sights, you open fire.
We roll: 0 + 7 (Shooting) = 7.
You fire and hit the clansman in the upper chest. The force of the impact, at such close range, sends his gun flying out of his hands and spins him backwards to the ground. For a few moments his limbs move jerkily; then his whole body relaxes as if resigned to its fate. (Remember to deduct the relevant number of rounds from your Ammo Pouch.)
Rickenbacker appears at the edge of the barbecue area, drawn by the sound of gunfire. His face is lined with worry until he sees that you are still standing.
You join with Rickenbacker in searching the clansman’s body and deduce, from the tattoos of a big cat found on both his wrists, that he is a Puma clan member.
‘I wonder what he was doing here on his own?’ muses Rickenbacker.
‘I’ve no idea,’ you reply, letting your eyes scan the surrounding campsite for a possible answer. You see nothing unusual, and it is not until you search inside the restaurant cabin that your question finds an answer. There you discover a store of foodstuffs, a secret hoard that the clansman had been keeping from his fellow clan members.
‘The colony sure is gonna appreciate this,’ says Rickenbacker, as he reaches for his radio transceiver. The colony is delighted to hear about your discovery and, while you wait for them to arrive, you take the opportunity to search the rest of the cabin for useful items. Your search uncovers the following:
- Machine Pistol (containing twelve rounds of 9mm ammunition)
- Solar Torch
- Binoculars
- HE Grenade
- Enough food for five Meals (separate from hoard)
- Rope
- Knife (+2 CCS)
If you wish to keep any of these items, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.
Backpack
- Combat Viewer
- Binoculars
- Tool Kit
↓ -1 Stealth ↓
- Water Canteen (2/4)
- Meal
↓ -2 Stealth ↓
↓ -3 Stealth ↓
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May 5, 2022 03:36
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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Drop the binoculars and tool kit.
Grab HE Grenade and 2 meals.
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#
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May 5, 2022 04:34
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Drop the binoculars and tool kit.
Grab HE Grenade, Rope, and 1 meals.
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May 5, 2022 06:35
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- Guy Fawkes
- Aug 1, 2014
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Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense
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Drop the binoculars and tool kit.
Grab HE Grenade, Rope, and 1 meals.
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May 5, 2022 18:58
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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Drop the binoculars, tool kit, and spare canteen.
Grab HE Grenade and 2 meals.
California Countdown posted:A few minutes later, you see Pete and Rex Tyler’s tow truck leading the convoy into the Picacho campsite. Few have eaten since the provisions were destroyed by fire back at Sentinel, so it comes as no surprise to see the colonists rushing expectantly towards the restaurant cabin the instant their vehicles halt. For a moment you fear that you will be crushed in the stampede, but with the help of Cutter and a few of the Tucson men, the hungry crowd is held at bay and order is swiftly restored. Then Cutter and his helpers ensure that the parcels of food are distributed fairly among the hungry colonists, and everyone settles down to enjoy an impromptu feast. (Your share of the feast restores 2 ENDURANCE points.)
While everyone is eating, Pop Ewell attempts to call up the Californian army border post at Pine Valley, but still he is unable to make a clear radio contact. Maps are consulted and it is decided that an attempt should be made to reach the town of Glamis before nightfall. It lies only twenty-five miles due west, yet the rugged peaks of the Cargo Muchacho Mountains stand defiantly in your way. Although taking the colony and its vehicles over this range would be an impossible task, the mountains are scored and divided by many gullies and dry watercourses, and there is a strong possibility that a route through to Glamis could be found. However, to scout the mountains could take days.
The problem seems insoluble until Rickenbacker suggests a novel solution to the dilemma.
Endurance: 19/27
‘Let me use Icarus,’ says Rickenbacker. ‘Conditions are ideal, and if there’s a way to be found through those mountains I’ll find it in a fraction of the time it’ll take us to scout by foot or car.’
The colony agrees to his suggestion and Icarus, his motorized hang glider, which until now has remained under wraps aboard the Tyler tow truck, is unloaded, assembled, and refuelled. While Cutter checks the engine, Rickenbacker dons his flying suit, complete with goggles, leather flying helmet, and white silk scarf. Then, with a confident wave to the assembled colonists, he climbs into the fragile machine and takes to the air.
Using his transceiver he maintains radio contact with Pop Ewell throughout his flight. After only forty minutes in the air, he is able to map a route through the tortuous network of ridges and gullies that is wide enough and safe enough to carry the convoy across the mountains to Highway 78.
Rickenbacker returns to the campsite, and, as soon as Icarus has been taken apart and packed away, the convoy sets off towards the mountains. Guided by Rickenbacker’s aerial notes, the two of you lead the line of colony vehicles through the sun-bleached mountains. It is a hot, dry, and dusty journey, during which you must take a Drink or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
It is early evening when you emerge from the final gully and see the shimmering surface of Highway 78 in the distance. Blistered road signs point to Glamis and effortlessly you follow the dust-blown highway west towards this little town, which lies at the southern edge of the Chocolate Mountains.
Cookie warns that you are entering territory controlled by a clan called the Chargers, who are based in the city of El Centro. Forewarned, the convoy halts on the highway, while you and Rickenbacker venture ahead to check that Glamis is safe to enter.
On a ridge overlooking the town, you stop to appraise the town’s safety. It looks empty and deserted, but the gathering darkness makes it difficult to be absolutely sure.
Water Canteen: 3/4
You scan the town, using several of the viewing spectrums that your sophisticated lenses possess. The infrared and enhanced background light options show no signs of movement or unusual heat sources, such as auto exhausts, engine blocks, or chimneys which would indicate that the town is occupied.
Encouraged by the scan, you decide to investigate. Rickenbacker radios the convoy to inform them of your decision, and they request that you call in every five minutes. If you fail to call, they will assume you are in trouble and send a group to come to your rescue.
‘Ten-four,’ replies your partner. ‘Over and out.’
You leave the pick-up truck parked behind a billboard at the entrance to the town and enter on foot. This tiny desert town consists of no more than two dozen buildings, all of which are in a state of partial collapse. Only two offer any shelter to a would-be ambusher: a motorcycle shop and a general store.
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May 6, 2022 04:23
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Bike shop. Maybe we can replace our roadster.
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May 6, 2022 05:09
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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General Store
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#
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May 6, 2022 05:34
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- Guy Fawkes
- Aug 1, 2014
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Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense
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Bike shop. Maybe we can replace our roadster.
There's no way Dever is going to get rid of our plot car and then maybe give us a new vehicle if we pick this one branch and then write two different storylines for the rest of the book. But I think I went with the general store on my run so to see new content I'm going to go with bike shop too.
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May 6, 2022 20:45
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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California Countdown posted:With some difficulty you force open the front door and enter the gloomy general store. As you expected, it is stripped of food and practical items of hardware: this shop has long since been gutted of its stock by foraging clansmen.
Half-heartedly you search amongst the debris that lies ankle-deep on the floor, but find nothing worth the trouble of stooping to pick up. Then you reach a store room at the rear, and are intrigued to discover that it has been bolted shut from the inside. A faint humming sound emanates from behind the door, a sound that sounds vaguely like that of an electric motor.
The longer you listen to the humming, the more uneasy you feel about what might be causing it. The sound is uncannily like the sound of an insect swarm. Once, when you were seven years old and staying at summer camp in the Los Padres National Forest, you and some friends disturbed a nest full of hornets. You can still remember the pain of being stung by those angry insects vividly: it felt as though hot rivets were being driven into your flesh. To this day, that incident has left you wary of all flying insects and, rather than take the risk of disturbing another nest, you decide to leave the store and return to Rickenbacker.
Your partner confirms that the town is empty of clansmen. He radios the convoy, telling them as much, and shortly after receiving his call the colony arrives.
You spend a trouble-free night at Glamis and, a little after dawn the next morning, you and Rickenbacker set off to scout Highway 78. As has become standard practice, you drive two miles ahead of the colony and report back to them regularly by radio. During your drive west, you pass over several small bridges that cross canals running north from the Colorado River to the Salton Sea. This area was extensively cultivated at the turn of the century, to produce the extra food required to feed the rapidly growing urban populations of Los Angeles and San Diego. Now all that remains is a storm-ravaged wasteland.
The journey passes without incident until you reach a highway junction. A mass of tents and bivouacs have been erected here, partially covering the road ahead.
You pull over to the side of the road and Rickenbacker radios to the convoy, instructing it to stop and stand by. Using your Combat Viewer you are able to see that behind the tents a road block has been erected. It consists of rubble and auto wrecks, and it completely blocks the highway leading to the town of Westmorland. The road south to Brawley is open, but there are several strange-looking people standing at the junction, either singly or gathered in groups. Some are dressed in brightly coloured patchwork clothes, others are half-naked; yet all of them have one thing in common: they move with such lethargy that, from a distance, they resemble a colony of shambling zombies.
‘I don’t like the look of this,’ you say to your partner. ‘Radio the convoy and get them to put Cookie on. Maybe he knows something about these weirdos.’
Rickenbacker complies with your request and, within a minute or so, you are talking to Cookie person-to-person. ‘Sounds like you’ve run across a pack of Crazies,’ says Cookie, after listening to your description of the people at the junction. ‘They’re mainly junkies and street-scum that the army kicked outta LA and San Francisco. They’re usually pretty harmless, but watch y’selves. You never can tell what they’ll get up to.’
You thank Cookie for the advice and sign off by telling the convoy that you and Rickenbacker are on your way back. You are about to reach for the ignition when suddenly you hear movement away to your right. You turn your head and see three Crazies—two men and a woman—emerge from the scrub and scurry towards the truck. Despite their frightening appearance, you notice that none of them appears to be armed.
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#
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May 7, 2022 02:36
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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Keep on moving.
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#
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May 7, 2022 02:56
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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They may have vital information. Talk to them
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#
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May 7, 2022 03:07
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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California Countdown posted:Quickly you drive back to the convoy, where a meeting is called to discuss the situation. It is decided that the convoy vehicles will be drawn up into break-out formation, ready to follow the highway south to Brawley. Once you reach this town you will keep going at speed until you return to Interstate 8 near El Centro. Cookie reminds everyone that the Chargers clan is in control of that city, but his warning is all but ignored. Most of the colony still distrusts him, and those who do believe what he says feel that there is really no alternative route.
‘If we move fast,’ says Cutter, ‘and keep on moving, we’ll be through El Centro and long gone before these Chargers know what’s happened.’
Within half an hour the convoy is drawn up into its break-out formation, with the Tyler tow truck taking the lead. You squeeze your pick-up into the line, between the DC1 school bus and the Landcruiser, and wait impatiently for Pete Tyler to give the signal to roll.
The discordant blare of an air horn tells every driver to start his engine. Then the convoy moves off like a giant, disjointed metal snake, gradually gathering speed as it approaches the highway junction. Ahead you see the line of vehicles veer to the south and, as you approach the Crazies’ tented encampment, you hear the shrill cackle of their laughter.
Some of the more daring clansmen are hurling stones and old auto parts at the speeding convoy. Most fall short or do minimal damage, but one missile—a Frisbee-like auto disc—travels further than the rest. It arcs in the air above the DC1 school bus and comes falling straight towards your windshield.
We roll: 7 + 6 (Driving) = 13.
Skilfully you swerve out of the line to avoid the falling disc. With a loud crunch, the metal plate cuts into your windshield, but because of your speedy action, it strikes the glass at an angle and is deflected away. The windshield is shattered by the impact but you and your partner escape without injury.
Once the convoy has left the Crazies far behind, it builds up a steady speed of forty miles per hour and maintains this as it approaches the outskirts of El Centro. Rickenbacker has punched out the shattered remains of your truck’s windshield, and a rush of cooling air fills the cab. Although this feels good, the thick dust that is being churned up by the wheels of the vehicles in front of you soon causes you problems.
Unless you possess a Leather Face Mask, you must lose 2 ENDURANCE points due to dust inhalation.
Endurance: 17/27
Another broken note from the tow truck warns everyone that you are approaching downtown El Centro. The ruined buildings, which rush past on either side, seem empty at first. Then you notice an occasional group of clansmen and women standing on the derelict street corners, and sporadic gunfire soon follows. Stray bullets strafe the convoy, but the damage is slight and you manage to reach Interstate 8 without sustaining any casualties.
The convoy maintains its fast pace, which has undoubtedly saved you from a serious encounter with the Chargers clan. Not until at least ten miles have been put between you and the city of El Centro does the convoy abandon its break-out formation and stop briefly to make a damage check.
You must now take a Drink or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
Water Canteen: 2/4
While the vehicles are being checked, you drive to the rear of the line to make sure that the Chargers have not chosen to pursue the colony. You can see no sign of clan activity on the freeway, and when you relay this news to the colonists, an air of excitement grips them. You are now less than fifty miles from the Pine Valley checkpoint: the end of the journey is at last within grasp.
Now that you no longer need to stay in break-out formation, you take your place at the head of the convoy and head off along the Interstate. Soon you reach a place with the ominous name of Devil’s Canyon, where the east and west lanes of the freeway part company in order to bypass a ridge of high ground. This ridge marks the start of a gradual climb towards the Tecate Divide and the mountains of southern California, which have been instrumental in sparing the Pacific coastal territories from the worst of the post-holocaust storms that have devastated the country’s mid-western and eastern states.
You are mindful that Pop Ewell is eager to contact the Pine Valley checkpoint and, as you emerge from Devil’s Canyon, you see a place that looks like the ideal location for him to transmit his radio message.
Ahead you see a tall observation tower that rises high above the surrounding hills. It once provided sightseers with a magnificent view of the Anza-Borrego Desert Park; now it offers the perfect location for a radio transmission, clear of the surrounding peaks.
You leave the freeway and lead the convoy along an access road that is marked with signs pointing to the Desert View Tower. The electric elevator that once serviced the observation platform is beyond repair, so the powerful DC1 radio transmitter has to be carried all the way to the top, up several flights of stairs. Once in position, Pop at last makes contact with Pine Valley.
At first they believe that the call is an elaborate clan trick, but confidential WDL call codes are given by a handful of Tucson colonists who were league operatives before ‘The Day’. When these call codes are checked and discovered to be genuine, the Pine Valley outpost receives special authorization from army control in LA to allow the convoy into Fortress California. But this permission is coupled with certain conditions. A zero hour is given. The colony must reach Pine Valley at 11.00am, exactly one hour from now, if it is to be allowed to pass through the checkpoint. The army also insists that radio silence be maintained until your arrival, for the frequency you have been using is known to the Chargers and is often monitored. Pop agrees to the terms on behalf of the colony and signs off.
Excited and eager to leave, the colonists return to their vehicles for the final journey to Pine Valley. You are one of the last to leave the tower and, when you are halfway down the ladder, you suddenly hear Rickenbacker shout a warning from the platform above: ‘My God! There’s a clan convoy on the freeway!’
Hurriedly you climb the stairs to the observation platform and find Rickenbacker pointing east towards Devil’s Canyon. You do not need binoculars to be able to see the long column of trucks that are racing along the freeway.
‘Dammit! They must have eavesdropped on the radio conversation Pop just had with Pine Valley,’ you say, your mind reeling at what could happen. ‘I’d bet my last water ration that they’re gonna try to destroy our colony and trick Pine Valley into letting them through the checkpoint instead.’
An icy cold chill runs the length of your spine when you recognize the emblems that are emblazoned boldly on the sides of the vehicles. They are the lion’s head motifs of the Detroit Lions clan. With eyes wide with fear, you focus on the leading vehicle. It is a speedster.
‘Oh my God!’ you gasp. ‘It’s Mad Dog Michigan. He’s still alive after all!’ At once you turn and rush to the steps. ‘C’mon, Rick, we’ve gotta warn the others.’
The news comes as a devastating shock to the colonists. The Detroit Lions are little more than two miles away and closing fast. If they catch up with you they could easily wipe you out and leave no trace. Then, if they could reach Pine Valley at zero hour, they would breach the checkpoint defences and open the door for a clan invasion of southern California.
‘The situation is desperate,’ says Cutter to the hastily gathered group of colony elders. ‘And it calls for desperate action!’
‘The only chance we’ve got of reaching Pine Valley is if the Lions can be prevented from pursuing us,’ says Cutter, his voice uncharacteristically hard. You look around the gathered group and see stark fear in the colonists’ faces, for most have anticipated what Cutter is about to propose.
‘What we need are volunteers to stay behind and hold up Mad Dog Michigan’s column just long enough for the convoy to reach Pine Valley. I’m willing to stay. Who’ll stay with me?’
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#
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May 8, 2022 04:55
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Final confrontation ahoy. Stand and fight!
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May 8, 2022 05:00
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- moosecow333
- Mar 15, 2007
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Super-Duper Supermen!
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Dig in and let them have it!
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#
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May 8, 2022 05:45
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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Final confrontation ahoy. Stand and fight!
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#
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May 8, 2022 13:49
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- Guy Fawkes
- Aug 1, 2014
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Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense
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Dig in and let them have it!
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#
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May 8, 2022 19:34
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- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
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Your life and your quest end here.
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California Countdown posted:More than twenty colonists step forward with you and volunteer themselves in the defence of the convoy, even though you all know that the action could cost you your lives. Among the volunteers, you see many familiar faces: Rickenbacker, Macy, Langdon, Avenal, and the Tyler brothers. Also, to your surprise, you see Kate. She has not completely recovered from her illness, but she is determined not to let that stop her. She comes and stands by your side, and you feel her warm hand squeezing yours reassuringly.
Hurriedly the remaining colonists return to the convoy vehicles and begin to leave. Meanwhile, Cutter gathers about him all those who have volunteered to stay and fight. Using a map, and with minutes to spare before Mad Dog’s clansmen are expected to show up, he sketches his plan of action.
Cutter decides that the best place to delay the enemy is at a railroad bridge, located six miles west along Interstate 8 at a place called Round Mountain. Using the DC1 tanker, which is still laden with over 2,000 gallons of gasolene, and a handful of smaller vehicles, Cutter plans to block both freeway lanes and then set fire to the tanker, turning the road block into a blazing barricade.
With the rear-guard volunteers in position on either side of the freeway, some on the slopes of Round Mountain and a few holding the high ground directly opposite, overlooking the bridge, he is confident that you will be able to hold back Mad Dog’s clan long enough for the convoy to reach the safety of Pine Valley.
Once everyone has been briefed, and is aware of the part they are expected to play in this desperate action, the last of the spare weapons and ammunition are distributed among you. You may choose to replenish your supply from the following:
- Pistol
- Rifle
- Five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition
- Eighteen rounds of 9mm ammunition
- Three rounds of 12-gauge ammunition
Remember to adjust your Weapons List and/or Ammo Pouch accordingly.
Few words are exchanged as Rickenbacker, Kate, yourself, and six Tucson men climb into your pick-up truck and follow behind the gas tanker as it leaves the Desert View Tower. Three other vehicles follow you in line, each with its complement of stern-faced defenders pledged to holding off Mad Dog Michigan for as long as it takes the convoy to reach Pine Valley. You sense that, like you, the others are trying hard not to think about the outcome of losing the impending battle, for deep down they know that, at best, only a few of you can expect to survive.
Ten uncomfortable minutes pass before Rickenbacker’s transceiver crackles into life. It is Cutter calling all vehicles: ‘Bridge ahead. Get ready to deploy your vehicles and take cover. Follow my lead. Out.’
Then you see the parapets of the railroad bridge in the distance, and a sick feeling rises in your stomach. The tanker starts to brake, and then it turns towards the gap in the central crash barriers where Cutter brings it shuddering to a halt. You copy his manoeuvre, as do the vehicles following, and together you park in a line, nose to tail, across all ten lanes of Interstate 8.
You jump out of the driver’s seat and, together with Kate, run forward to join Cutter. Anxiously you ask for his orders.
‘We’re gonna split into two groups,’ he says, surveying and assessing the surrounding terrain. ‘One group to help me fire these vehicles, the other to take up positions on the surrounding high ground, ready to open fire when the Lions show.’
Our ammo pouch is full, but we can carry extra ammo in our Backpack and currently have space to carry it without incurring a Stealth penalty, so we'll do that. We can drop it later if we need to.
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May 9, 2022 04:40
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- nelson
- Apr 12, 2009
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College Slice
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Let’s get ready to rumble!
defensive position
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May 9, 2022 05:04
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- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
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I get my fun here. Enjoy!
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Like my buddy Nok-Nok, I’m used to setting stuff on fire first.
Really- choice between standing around and blowing stuff up, what would you choose? 
Kinda unfortunate we’re just going to torch all that gas.
achtungnight fucked around with this message at 11:08 on May 9, 2022
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May 9, 2022 06:22
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Jun 5, 2024 21:02
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May 4, 2022 09:18
