On the Road

Liza Kreuzer


Back in the Zone Ranger - the same comfy seat as always, and yet she does not find the same rest as usual. Own memories, the ogre's words; the dead coalition soldiers, their worldview. The happenings from earlier, and her vision of the future. Rebecca and Atlanta, both unknown quantities , tied up in this web of thoughts. Whatever Liza tries to focus on, there seem to be at least three other lines of thinking dragging her away from there, all in different directions. A mess of thoughts, letting her mind spinning around without any hope to draw conclusions. She tries to find peace in her music, but all she manages to create are a few discordantly notes before she stops. Tries to sleep, but the vampires' picture keeps her awake.


Then, the sound of an opening window. Something small geting thrown away, hardly seen in the sunlight. The juicer, as calm as his kind probably can be. The first step towards freedom for the woman next to him, though the way might still be a long one. More importantly, a fix point in her thoughts. A steps towards a common goal they all agreed on, more or less. Only one direction to take, pointed at the unknown future. Liza takes a deep breath, closes her eyes. She promised to take a glimpse, before the whole discussion emerged. And she'll keep her word. Another deep breath, she grabs her flute - the cold material will guide her back if her thoughts drift off to far. Then, she opens her mind, to see what only few can perceive.


OOC: As announced earlier, I'm using Clairvoyance to hopefully get a glimpse at Atlanta's future.
 
Perhaps it is the turmoil in your mind that has you distracted, or maybe it is just a bad time of day for you, but at the moment you are not seeing anything when you try to delve into the future threads of the girl now calling herself Atlanta.

The next several hours of travel go uneventfully as you cross the border into the Lone Star state. You are nearly at the hand-off point for your passenger, where you can then get the rest of your pay.
 
Liza Kreuzer

Some things are not meant to be known in advance - the mysteries of the future have a mind of their own, and it is not on Liza to struggle with them. The gift is a gift, after all - a single vision is more than a normal person ever receives. Needless to say, the fact that her senses remain silent in this particular case does not calm her mind in the slightest. "Your future is undecided, Al. Whatever you do, be sure that it matches your own visions - not those of anyone else." Calm advice, while the mystics mind once more gets lost in the web of thoughts; making her a rather silent companion for the rest of the trip.

As the group closes in to the meeting point, she turns to their passanger. "Do you know whom to expect, Rebecca? Family members, a friend? Will you reognize them? We're here to make sure you're in safety, after all - that includes making sure that the people awaiting us are the once you're supposed to meet, not some people that coincidentally have the right amount of cash with them." She turns to the others, her hand grabbing for her wooden staff. "We'll better be careful - they might somehow know where we're headed, after all. Plus, there are soldiers and that vampire possibly waiting in her future - they both might only make an appearance after years, but you never know for certain."
 
It is currently mid-afternoon. As you drive, you eventually start to come across signs of more traffic on the road, and off in the distance you can spot the town of Haven. It is not a large town, and from what you know of it, the residents are mostly indifferent to DeeBees so long as you are not hostile and keep to yourselves. For those that do make a headache of themselves, there is a town militia with a handful of members, most of which are the retired adventuring party of a Cyber Knight named Duncan Talbert, a legend both in the local area and in the ranks of Cyber Knights. His companions include a Ley Line Walker named Marcos, a pair of full conversion Borgs named Tony and Tia, a former Coalition SAMAS pilot that ran off with his powered armor named Betty Hoffman, and a Crazy calling himself Underdog. From what you have heard of them, they are friendly bunch and will welcome just about everyone in town. There are a few dozen others that act as police, but they are, for the most part, low level people with light weapons and armor. Nothing too significant.

Rebecca is showing more and more signs of excitement at the thought of seeing her family that live here, telling everyone about the communal farm that they have on the outskirts of town that they run with a few other families. It sounds like that her family keep their true nature of being shapeshifters under their hats to avoid any ill feelings with the townspeople. An understandable feeling, considering how much people can work themselves up over the unknown. She tells you that her father is here, along with a few siblings, and they are expecting you and that they will have the balance of you payment ready when you arrive.

While this farm sounds quite nice, there are a few troubling signs as you advance on the town. You can see signs of recent fires and gunfire using projectile rounds, not energy weapons, and a quick look around at the townspeople, it is immediately obvious that they are armed and expecting trouble.

A pair of men in MDC body armor are standing next to an old armored vehicle and wave you down to stop. They approach the Zone Ranger and call out, "What's your business here?"
 
Ozug

The ogre eyed the scene with surprise and suspicion. This isn't good. Looks like quite a fight happened here. Ozug gripped his rifle close, kept a watchful eye out, and prepared for the worst. We might not be home free yet.
 
Liza Kreuzer

The mystic eyes the surrounding carefully - if this is meant to be a safe location, things seem to have changed recently. As the two men approach the vehicle, she is the first one to open the window to her right. answering their question with unease in her eyes. "We meant to get a friend of us out of harm's way, finding shelter for her within her family's ranks. Alas, it looks as if Haven is less secure than we hoped it to be, just like almost any place in this world. What kind of foes are you dealing with, if I may ask? We saw signs of different kinds of threats all along the way."
 
Nasoth, in her Elven form, peers curiously out through the windows of the large vehicle. The man in the armor doesn't concern her overmuch, she's more interested in the first buildings she's seen in ages.
 
The man asking the questions looks over O-Ren, then back to the others inside the ATV. In a grim voice, he says, "Vampires. We have had a band of ravaging vampires raiding the town and the smaller farms around the area. Making themselves a real pain in the ass around here. Before we knew it, they snagged several of our people and hauled them off to Lord only knows where. Right now, Sir Talbert is out with some of his friends looking for the lair of the beasts so he can stake them all out and get our folks back."
 
Ozug

Vampires?! He looked at Liza, suddenly remembering what was said about her vision. "Vampires? Great. Just great. I'm glad we picked up those new toys when we did. Turns out we might need them." He paused, then glanced at Rebecca. "Someone should ask if Rebecca's parent's farm was hit."
 
O-Ren takes a sharp breath. "Vampires? Not good. Time to break out the wooden stakes and the wooden bullets. Lets first make sure that Rebecca's family is ok, then we can see what can be done to help out. If Sir Talbert is on the hunt, it is a good bet that the vampires are going to be taken care of in good order, but it can't hurt to check."
 
Alley Orzech

"I'm all for helping out," the ex-Coalition scientist says at the revelation of Haven's recent devastation and the Misfits' reaction so far. "Especially if Rebecca's family's farm is involved. We should probably see about delivering her first, though. And then...uh."

She shifts uncomfortably before speaking a little lower to just include the team. "We're mercenaries, right? I'm not suggesting we gouge these folks or anything when they've just been hit and could obviously use the help. But we might want to bargain for some basic trade. You know, they put us up and cover our meals and eclip recharges or something while we're here."

"I'm all for fighting the good fight, though!"

Her fingers grip the small cross she wears around her neck. Vampires? What the hell do I do against vampires?
 
Grond lets out a deep rumbling growl at the mention of vampires. "There are few monsters in this world that I find more horrible than those leaches. Once we get a better read on what is going on here, I would happily aid in the elimination of these fiends."

Rebecca leans over to the window and asks, "What of the Stonewell's? Are they ok? Their farm is on the west side of town."

The man shakes his head. "Two of the boys were taken. Eric and Joss. Their dad is beside himself with worry, but we are all hopeful that we have people out looking for the undead monsters, and with any luck, they will be found in time before they are turned or killed. How do you know of the Stonewells?"

Rebecca looks pale. "Dennis is my father. I'm his youngest."

He looks sympathetic. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. But it is good that you are here for Dennis. He is a good man, and he's all tore up about his boys. Don't worry too much; if anyone can get to them in time, its Sir Talbert and his friends." He looks at Grond and says, "So long as you guys don't cause any trouble, you are free to enter Haven." He steps back and nods his head towards the town. "Move along, please."

Grond shifts the Zone Ranger into gear and pulls forward, and Rebecca points down the street. "Head that way. The farm is on the other side of town from here." She is doing her best to look tough and be brave, but you can see that there are tears running down her face.
 
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Ozug

Ozug was grim and contemplative. The image of Rebecca crying at the news put a much more sympathetic light to the otherwise mysterious woman. Not sure what I can do to fight vampires. Old gypsy woman said they were hard to kill. Trader Bob said they couldn't really be killed, and always came back. Could all be bullshit though. His mind couldn't imagine something that couldn't be killed. I just don't know enough about them, other than what the others have told me. Squirt guns? Wood? Silver? Crosses? Grond said that supernatural hits could hurt them. He stared at his claws for a moment.

Well, no use worrying about that until we get to it. He frowned, and considered the situation. Chances are, her brothers, and the others, are dead. Or turned, whatever that means. Sounds like that is worse. Did they mean turned into vampires? His mind briefly went to psi-stalkers, and he thought about some of the things he had heard about them. He considered this adventuring crew of Sir Talbert, and said "Well, if this Sir Talbert is on the trail, they will probably be found. Cyberknights are good at these sort of things. Still, would be good to hire a psi-stalker if we want to get involved. Heard they can track all kinds of evil stuff. Probably can track these things too. Otherwise, we're down to the regular ways of tracking them, and we're a bit behind." He looked over at Alley. "I agree with Alley. Don't get me wrong, I feel for these people, and I want to help Rebecca, but it would be nice to have a place to stay and provision up if we get involved, especially in case they attack Haven again." He looked at the others. "Are vampire attacks common around Haven? Is this one unusual in any way?"
 
Liza Kreuzer

Vampires. Damned creatures, further away from possible redemption than anything else the mystic can think of right now. The signs have been noticeable, especially after her vision - but it never hurts to ask those who know for certain what happened. Another vision that brought no advantage - it's not like we could have reached Haven earlier to warn them in time. Still, there is that thought in the back of her mind, asking if anything could have been done.

Not that it matters for now - between Atlanta, Rebecca and the lost townspeople, there is enough to worry about without thoughts about the past. "The last thing we should think about right now is our payment - if they have something to spare in the end, I won't reject it, but that should be of no concern right now. There are people's lifes on the line, family members are lost. I'd gladly pay my earnings to be allowed to help, and rather ration my supplies than use theirs." She turns towards Rebecca, a faint smile on her lips. "They'll find them in time - they'll come home safely, just like you." She then turns to the Ogre, trying to answer his question. "I doubt it's common, or they wouldn't have been as successful as it seem, even if it's only temporarily. That said, I'm not familiar with these lands - and where I come from, we tend to deal with different kind of threats."
 
With Rebecca giving you directions, you are able to make your way to the Stonewell farm at the edge of town. Once you pull to a stop, there are several people that look to be farm hands that look up in curiosity as a older fellow comes out to investigate. The teen girl jumps down from the Zone Ranger and runs over to the old man and throws herself into his arms. "Daddy! I am so glad that you are ok! Once we had heard that the farm had been attacked, I was so worried."

He hugs her tight, obviously thankful that he has been reunited with his daughter. With a happy smile, he says, "You are a sight for sore eyes, little one. Yes, I'm ok, but I do have bad news. Your two brothers were taken in the raid. Right now, Sir Talbert is out with some of his friends, looking for them and some of the other captives. So far, we haven't heard back from them, but so long as there is hope, I will not give up on them." He looks up at the ATV with interest. He says to the group, "You are most likely looking to get your payment. I have it inside. But first, I would like to invite you all to come in and get a good home cooked meal and brush off some of the road dust with a good hot bath. Then, I might have another job offer for you, if you are interested in such."

Grond nods. "Sir, your kindness is a welcome change from the harsh realities of the road. While I do not eat anymore, I will still enjoy the good company while my companions partake of the meal you have offered. Lead on."
 
O-Ren dismounts from her motorcycle with a friendly smile. "Good sir, you had my attention at the mention of a hot bath! I, too, would like to add my thanks to that of my companion for your offer. Allow me to introduce myself. I am O-Ren, and I am pleased to meet you. Your daughter has told us much about you, and I am glad to have been a part of reuniting you with your kin."
 
Ozug

Putting his vampire musings temporarily aside, Ozug climbed out of the back of the Zone Ranger and stretched. He watched the reunion of father and daughter with a mild interest, and felt that, if he were human, he would be touched by this moment, perhaps even emotional. Instead, he watched with mild interest bordering on apathetic detachment, and reflected that, if he were ever reunited with his own father, he would gut the ugly bastard with his bare claws. Ogre parenting leaves something to be desired, as I have learned. It is cruel, vicious, and heartless. Like thoughtless torture. Supposed to make you tough, strong, and unforgiving. You would never see a scene like this in an ogre tribe. Ozug hated his father. He couldn't imagine feeling any sort of familial sentiment towards his parents. He briefly wondered what his life would have been like, had he been raised by non-ogres.

He moved to take his helmet off, then paused a moment. He knew that many humans and d-bees found the sight of an ogre to be pretty frightening. He glanced over at Grond. Then again, these are changelings, and he doesn't seem bothered by Grond. Grond is a horror show compared to me. His visage gives ogres nightmares. He shrugged, then removed the helmet and took in a deep breath of the natural air. He looked at the farm and noted the structures and layout, being quite familiar with farm-work himself, after his time as a conscripted laborer in Hammet. He appreciated the somewhat familiar surroundings after being on the road for a while.

He looked at the elder Stonewell, and gave the friendliest smile he could muster, being mindful of his canines. "I appreciate the hospitality Mr. Stonewell. Let me secure our equipment, and I'll be in shortly." He left the remaining pleasantries to O-Ren, who he felt was much better at it, and went back in the Zone Ranger. He stowed and secured most of his gear. He left his long pistol and the Desert Eagle on his belt, along with a few reloads. He also left his armor on, but carried a bag with a fresh change of "civil" clothes, toiletries, and an armor maintenance kit. Can't be too careful. What if they come back? He checked on everyone else's gear as well, making sure it was nicely secured, in case they stayed the night, or needed to make a quick getaway.

As he dusted off a little, and packed up, he considered that thought. What if they hadn't left? Is that a thing to worry about? His mind wandered back to his vampire musings, and he thought about some of the things that Alley, Liza, and Grond had mentioned. Didn't they say vampires could change shape? He chuckled to himself. You are starting to sound like a Crazy. Paranoid and twitchy. They also said daylight could harm vampires. And it is sunny out right now. Wouldn't make sense. The juice is getting to your head. He frowned. Still... He felt troubled by how much he didn't know about their potential future adversaries. He was also surprised that he didn't feel the usual euphoric tingle that the juicer chemicals in his blood brought on during these low stress periods. His enhanced perceptions still made it seem as if everyone was moving and interacting in slow motion though.

He closed up his gear in the Zone Ranger, and knelt on the ground for a moment, making a show of inspecting his boots. Might as well do it. You don't even know what will show up on this, or if "they" will. Probably going to be nothing. He reached out with his psychic senses. If anyone asks, you can just say that you are getting the lead out after being cooped up in the Ranger all day. Which is somewhat true.

(Out of Character: Ozug will attempt to use Psi: Sense Evil, then casually walk around the grounds with it active [140ft radius, should be four minutes of duration at this level], before heading inside with the others.)
 
Liza Kreuzer

Hospitality - it's been some time since Liza heard such words, from someone as unfamiliar as you could imagine. When she jumps off the Zone Ranger, leaving everything but a set of fresh clothes, her flute and the trusty quarterstaff behind, a smile reaches her lips - sadness in their as well, as disaster always tends to hit those who deserve it the least.

"I pray that your sons return as safely as Rebecca - and I'd gladly take a quick shower and enjoy a good meal, if it's no trouble. Both are rare these days, as rare as such hospitality in general. Thus far, noone else reached out to us; so if we can help, it'd be at least a consideration, and likely more than that. We've got another passenger with us, and might need your advice on that one - but that can wait till later." She walks over, her eyes mustering the farm and the surrounding. "I'm Liza, by the way. Just a young woman dreaming of a better world than this one. This looks like a fine place to live, if I may say so - thank you for offering us a part of its former peace, I'd gladly help to make it safe once more."

Which means, in particular, taking care that things don't get worse due to group's presence. Thus, she makes sure to stay close to Atlanta, just in case she suddenly remembers more than she should. After all, it's not a good idea to repay hospitality by creating a bloodbath.
 
Alley Orzech

"Daddy! I am so glad that you are ok!"

The sight of the supernaturally empowered, magic wielding face shifter jumping from the vehicle and diving into her father's arms is every bit as mundanely teenaged as Rebecca seems to be. Leaning back against the Zone Ranger, Alley massages her forehead with a thumb as she copes with the dissonance. In the last year, she'd had more first hand experience with DBees and monsters than most Coalition citizens ever see in a lifetime. This is something else.

It's very difficult to see threat or danger in a young girl so obviously glad to seek shelter in her father's arms.

When the father mentions payment, Alley nods slowly and soberly. And then O-Ren steps in, once again being the 'face' for the team. The offer of food and, oh God, a hot bath? She literally gets goosebumps at the thought. It's tempting to lower her guard around these shapeshifters. More tempting given how unconcerned the Misfits seem to be. Maybe it'll be okay. It's not as if Alley herself doesn't have a few surprises if things go south.

Alley returns to the Zone Ranger, gives Ozug a nod as he stows his equipment, and retrieves her 'day pack' which she brings with her whenever she's somewhere civilized. A change of clothes, toiletries, the basics. She opts for her new pistol but leaves everything else behind for now.

She returns as Liza greets the residents. Once more, Alley gives the Mystic an appraising look. The woman had scruples, a seemingly decent moral center, and apparently good aspirations. Just a young woman dreaming of a better world than this one. Aren't we all? Strange, though, to think that those who already wielded magic still had dreams, still saw this world as worse than it could be. Of course, Liza's idea of a better world might be one under her rule. Somehow, Alley didn't think so.

"Dibs."

Carefully checking the rest of her team, and her memory, Alley adds "On the hot bath. No one else called it first. Dibs!"
 
O-Ren fires off a glare at Alley when the other woman calls 'dibs' on the bath. She was hoping to be able to scrub herself first, but there is no need to get into a fight over it. She lets Dennis guide them into the house, making sure to give the place a once-over with her trained eye to see if there is any signs of deception or trouble brewing. Expecting none, she is only armed with her pistol and her ability to summon up her Psi Sword if needed.
 
Grond enters the house carefully, knowing that he could easily cause sizable damage with his enhanced strength and mass with a careless wave of an arm. Atlanta looks around as if the blind woman is expecting to be ambushed at any moment, but doesn't say anything. Dennis Stonewell either doesn't see her being so jumpy or just doesn't acknowledge it, and just invites everyone inside. The house is huge with many rooms to support the family and workers, and the place is built large enough that even Ozug and Grond are not too cramped. Nasoth will have to be in a metamorphed form in order to comfortably fit inside, though.

Dennis offers up the use of a pair of guest rooms for those that wish to do so to get undressed and shower. Once everyone has cleaned up that wants to, you find that along with a large meal that has been prepared, there are several large crates waiting for you in the living room. Dennis opens them up, showing you that the smaller one is loaded with credits, and the larger one has six NG-P7 Northern Gun Particle Beam Rifles (in the RUE book, pg 270).

Dennis goes on to say, "There is 400,000 in cash, and depending on where you go to sell the rifles, you can net somewhere in the 120 to 170,000 credit range for the guns, depending on the buyer. As I said before, you have my thanks for bringing my daughter home. Now, once you have had a chance to eat up, I would like to know what you might charge me to go looking for my twin boys. If possible, I would like them brought back alive and in once piece, but if they have been killed or turned into vampires, proof of their death would be some solace to me, and let me have my chance to grieve. In payment, I have more stored weapons in good condition, and a few more credits that I can afford to part with."
 
Ozug

"Nice place you have here, Mr. Stonewell."

Ozug was unused to wearing casual clothes, and being this clean, having spent a lot of time on the road and in the wilderness. He fidgeted a little, and played with his gunbelt, then awkwardly adjusted the bio-comp drug harness across his chest, which was a bit more visible than usual underneath his baggy clothes. He sat on the floor, being mindful to not crush the furniture with his weight. He glanced at his bulky duffle bag that contained his cleaned combat armor. Feeling like I'm naked. These clothes are too soft. Should just stick to fatigues in the future. Cleanliness is not natural.

When Stonewell opened up the crate, Ozug whistled. "Those are some nice guns. Bulky, but reliable." Well that might explain where some of the money comes from for a place this big and a payout that large. Arms dealing? Farm looked pretty standard, probably not growing Ambrosia, poppies, or devil grass. Can't be all that profitable, even as a sharecrop plantation. He glanced at the guns again. Hope they don't have any prior owners we need to worry about.

He listened to Stonewell's proposal while he quietly ate. O-Ren, Grond, Xera, and Liza, will probably want to do it for free, regardless of the danger. He glanced at Alley. Alley is sensible enough to know that e-clips aren't free, and that you have to be able to upkeep yourself at the end of the day in order to help others, especially if you want to keep doing it long-term. He glanced back at Liza. No way I'm ever going to convince her of that. It's like she doesn't even live on this planet sometimes. The mystic looks at me like I'm a horrible monster. He paused. Fair. Monster maybe, but I wouldn't say horrible.

He looked at Nasoth, in elf girl form, and chuckled to himself. There's a monster. Nasoth probably doesn't even understand the concept of wealth, or why the guns would be useful trade. He sighed. O-Ren and Grond are crusaders. Being practical might be the minority here. Finally, he looked at Atlanta. Do we include her in this? Or do we leave her here? Can we trust her? Can we ever trust her? He noted that Liza was keeping an eye on Atlanta, and staying close to her. If Liza doesn't trust her, that's a bad sign. Could be that Liza is more sensible than I give her credit.

He looked at Mr. Stonewell, and asked, somewhat slowly, as American wasn't his first language, "If you don't mind my asking, Mr. Stonewell, is there a possibility that these vampires might come back and attack this farm again? Do they have any motivations to go after you specifically, or this town in general?"

(Out of Character: Going to assume that the Sense Evil came up with nothing.)
 
OOC Yes, there was nothing detectable with your Sense Evil. Forgot to post that.

Dennis pauses as he eats to ponder Ozug's question. "We have not had many problems with vampires before, other than the occasional raid. This latest attack was larger than the others, the largest one that I know of. If it were not for the fast actions of our town militia and Sir Talbert and his band, things could have gone much worse. He was personally responsible for the destruction of several of the fiends, and we watched as the morning sun burned away their rotten corpses into ash."

Grond asks, "You said that this attack was larger than the ones in the past. Do you know how many of the undead we are talking about?"

Your host shrugs. "The rumors say that there were hundreds in the attack, but I seriously doubt that it was that many. More likely we are talking in the twenty to fifty range. I personally saw only the four that . . . grabbed my sons. I couldn't move fast enough to stop them, and before I knew it, they were gone." You can see that the guilt of 'letting his family down' is weighing heavy on him, even if he knows in his mind that there is little he could have done

The large Borg glowers at the thought of anyone falling prey to the undead. "When was this attack? From what we can see of the town, it looks recent."

"Last night, at dusk they came."

"Hmmm. If they are hoping to add to their numbers, there is still hope. The Slow Kill bite of the vampire takes three successive days to complete the ritual and turn them into one of their own." He looks to his comrades. "If we are to take up the job of finding the twins, it needs to be within the next two days." He doesn't say anything, but you all know him well enough to know that he is very interested in taking up the contract to hunt the vampires down.
 
O-Ren takes a small drink of the homemade brew that was served up with dinner, taking a moment to ponder her next comment. "Dennis, I believe that I speak for all of us here when I say that we have a universal hatred of the monsters that have attacked your town. While I would be happy to take on these fiends, without my friends, I would quickly fall to them. If we could have a moment to ourselves to discuss our options, we can give you our answer to your offer."

If he leaves to let them talk, the Cyber Knight looks to her comrades. "Do I even have to say that I want to do this? Even if there is little chance to find the boys, we still have to try. But, I also know that we have expenses to deal with, so I won't suggest we do this for free. We were paid roughly 500,000 to bring Rebecca home, and that was when we were just going overland. What should we ask for a fee? If we take into consideration that we will be going into a den of vampires, this will be a bit trickier than a simple escort run, and we don't even know if the kids are still alive. Bringing them back or finding proof of their death will not be as easy."
 
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