Futuristic The Long Winter (IC)

[Shireling]

The Great Lakes Wasteland, Near Kankakee
​

George's camouflage gave him the perfect cover as he moved amidst the snow towards the fire. As he grew closer, he could hear voices growing more and more distinct. There was one voice that was particularly shrill enough to carry over the snowdrifts.

"Jezuz, Moth! My fuckin' knee! Come the fuck on!"

This voice was answered by a deeper voice. "When I get my hundred and twenty dollars I'll start to care about your knee. Right now I care about the son of a bitch who fucked me. That was you, wasn't it Lenny?"

"Honest to god, it wasn't."

Even from George's position, the man belonging to the more high-pitched voice was a terrible liar. As he got closer, he could eventually see three figures clustered around a fire on a patch of cleared ground on a small hill. Two of them were standing, and were raiders by the looks of it. One was a tall, broad fellow holding a bolt-action. He wore a construction helmet and patchwork metal armor plates strapped on and held together by strips of leather all placed over some sort of fur-and-scrap cloth coat. The other standing man was thin and short and was stoking the fire with a stick. He was, at the moment, unarmed and wearing a long black pea coat with fur lining and an ushanka hat. He seemed much less raider-y. Probably some sort of scavver by the looks of it. He didn't seem to be saying much. The third and final figure was prostrate on the ground gripping his knee which was bleeding profusely. He wasn't wearing much except a tattered suit. Probably some sort of city-slicker that had been dragged out by the other two. Nathan could see all of this as well as he crested the hilltop, and had a decent bead on them through the trees.

The bigger man spoke. "Tell me where I can get my one hundred and twenty dollars, rat, or it'll be the other knee."

"Moth, I was robbed on the road. I don't have it. You gotta believe me." The prostrate man pleaded.

The big raider looked to his companion. "You buy his shit?"

"Not for a minute." The other said cooly.
Darth Pat

The Long 35 Bar
​

A few Kankakee guards entered the bar at this point, having heard all of the commotion. The guards were dressed like the typical assorted merc with a long winter coat and an old police vest over it for some semblance of ballistic protection. One guard was a portly redhead with close-cropped hair and the other was a stocky Scandinavian-type. The latter came over to Alana's side, recognizing her instantly and screwing up his face in suspicion.

"What's going on here?" He demanded, pointing towards Lindsey's tranquilized body.
Crumbli Petroshka

The Emperor Hotel
​

Elias exclaimed in victory and almost forgot himself in joy. Seeing Ham succeed at something was almost like watching a child learn to shit in the toilet. It's not that impressive, but you clap anyways.

About that time, the clerk burst in.

"Pardon, monsieur. Zer iz a gentelhomme en ze foyer zat needs your attentshion," he said hurriedly, "he's been, er, shot, as you say."

Elias nodded solemnly, then he turned to Ham. "Come on, Ham." He said, referring to the creature by the only word it could say. "Let's head downstairs."

This probably meant no steak dinner...

When Elias came down the stairs, he had a white apron with dried brown bloodstains on it over his creme sweater and trousers. He looked very doctorly, and he carried a small white carpet-bag with a caduceus on the side. Ham, in his backwards sweater came closely after. The doctor approached the sofa first, glancing warily at Ryan as he spoke.

"Where was he shot, with what, and how long ago?" He asked as he unscrewed the cap on a bottle of Jack Daniels, took a swig, and then set it down by the sofa as he knelled and began taking his instruments out: scissors, forceps, scalpels, etc.

Vudukudu KindlyPlagueDoctor

 

[Vudukudu]

The Emperor Hotel​

Ryan and his squad waited impatiently while the clerk went to fetch the doctor. They'd planned on ditching their uniforms before getting into the town, but Donny's wound had changed the plans. As such, they took this time to change, quickly turning from a band of Metro soldiers into regular mercenary-looking types. By the time the doctor arrived, the transition was complete, except for Donny, who was looking worse by the minute.

Ryan was waiting at the head of the couch when the doctor arrived, and was the first to answer the doctor's questions. He was quite surprised to hear no question about pay - in his experience, most back-country man-butchers asked for money before service. This man was apparently better than most, but any positive first impression he'd made was damaged by the creature he had in tow. He nodded to the doctor, and didn't bother hiding the scowl that came to his face when the mutant followed.

"Right shoulder, 30.06 bolt action, maybe thirty five minutes. Keep him alive and keep your pet freak away, don't want any of that shit rubbing off on him." He answered curtly, sizing the man up with one quick glance. "And we'll pay in cash. Bonus if you don't mention to anybody what the kid is wearing." He finished, backing away to give the man a little space. He waved lazily towards the rest of the men, dismissing them all with the exception of Hannah, who stuck close by. The others went to get their rooms set up, while the brother and sister remained to watch over their injured. The others had their orders, and they were expected to follow them promptly, even if they were down a man.

Shireling

 

[Pat]

Washington silently dug out one hundred and twenty dollars out of his pockets, wrapped them up in plastic, and whistled to draw the attention of the makeshift encampment. Throwing the package of cash in an arc over towards Moth's feet, the private first class aimed his assault rifle somewhere between the raider and scavenger, ready to turn it to either and let off a burst of lead in an instant if needed. "P.F.C. Washington, U.S. Army Scout," he identified himself to the camp, "I got a hundred and twenty notes there at your feet for you to release your mutual friend Lenny into my protection. A sum I'll readily double if you help me get him back to Kankakee Trading Post in a survivable condition."

 

[Darth]

Nathan finally found his perch at the hill's summit. He crouched down in the snow, not wanting to go completely prone. He bent low to avoid being seen, though the dark should've hid him well. From his seat on the hill, Nathan kept his eyes on George as he approached the camp. Nathan lifted his rifle, aiming towards the distant figures. Nathan could only see what was illuminated by the gentle light of the campfire. Nathan spotted two figures, as far as he could tell at least. It appeared that George was taking a peaceful approach. Though he couldn't hear the conversation between George and the strangers, Nathan could tell George was going to try talking first as he hadn't blew one or the other away yet.

Nathan gripped his rifle, and adjusted his scope. He hoped that these strangers were keen on reasoning, otherwise the itch in his trigger finger would have to be satisfied.

Shireling Pat

 

[Petroshka]

Alana was standing over Lindsey's body when the Kankakee guards came into the bar, she could only utter one word when their eyes met and the guards started to realize who she was. "Shit" Wiping blood off her face with the napkin the barkeep gave her she stared at them with a confused expression then gestured to the body below her. "she was causing trouble in the bar, so i solved it by giving her something to sleep off of." She wasnt sure how she could get out of this, originally she planned to get someone to help her find the doctor. Tranquilizing the woman was meant to be twofold, showing what she was capable of, and potentially convincing the woman that she saved her from getting shot by locals. Well either that or harvesting her. But Alana didnt expect the Kankakee Guards to interfere.
Shireling Crumbli

 

[KindlyPlagueDoctor]

Ham made a "happy" sounding growl when the doctor showed his own happiness. "Ham!" Ham exclaimed when the doctor called him by his actual name. He followed closely behind the doctor and the man who spoke funnily. He still wasn't entirely sure who either of the men where or why they where now going to another part of the building, but, the doctor had food, so that was enough for him at this point.

When they got downstairs they where greeted with a man who was wounded. Ham sniffed the air "Ham..." it smelled like food, like prey, wounded prey.

Shireling

 

[Shireling]

The Emperor Hotel
​

Elias crinkled his nose in disgust when Ryan mentioned Ham. Elias had always considered himself what was pejoratively known as a "mutiephile". Essentially, anyone who thought mutants shouldnt't be shot on sight. It was one of the many prejudices of wastelanders that he did not agree with, but accepted as at least reasonable.

"He ain't my pet," Elias muttered, "that's my kid brother. He's not right in the head, and it ain't polite to make fun of the mentally retarded." His eyes glanced over to Ham, who he saw was clearly considering whether Donny was food or not. He shook his head and took out another piece of deer jerky. A big chunk, handing it to Ham to keep him docile. He pondered over just how feral Ham might be, and what kind of risk he might be running taking him around people. It just didn't sit right with him to let the guards shoot him like a dog. He didn't know any better.

Turning his attention to Donny, he cut the sleeve of his uniform open and examined the wound. The round had stayed mostly intact and was lodged near the center of the shoulder, a good bit under a major artery that would have made extraction a poor choice. But since it was far enough away from the artery, and the bullet had probably lodged pieces of unwashed cloth inside the wound, removal and cleaning would be necessary to prevent infection and give the soldier the best chance of survival. Elias went to work. He used a pocket knife to pry open the soldier's teeth, as he was going into shock and they were clenched tight. He poured a bit of liquor in and then made him bite down hard on the cleanest rag he had. He used forceps to open the wound and extracted the bullet quickly with another smaller pair of forceps that he dipped in the alcohol. By then, the wound was bleeding rather badly and he was worried he might lose him entirely. He had the female Metro soldier apply pressure as he applied the sutures. It was nearly an hour of tedious work, but by the end the bleeding had stopped and the soldier was still alive, although passed out from pain and fatigue. Elias rubbed his bloody hands on his apron and turned towards Ryan.

"It was a tricky one, but I done it." He muttered. "He's lost a lot of blood and won't be up on his feet again for a week at least. You've gotta make sure he gets plenty of meat, for the iron, and citrus if you can find it will help for the vitamins." Elias straightened his glasses. "The fee is one hundred dollars, US."
Vudukudu KindlyPlagueDoctor

The Long 35 Bar
​

The barkeep interjected, "She speaks honest, officer."

The guards looked between each other, then nodded. "Carry on then."

After the policemen left, the bar returned to its usual dull roar of conversation and drinking. The barkeep came out from behind the bar and offered to help Alana drag Lindsey to wherever she needed to take her but only, he said darkly, if it wouldn't make him complicit in anything.
Petroshka Crumbli

Great Lakes Wasteland, Near Kankakee
​

Moth got white, and the scavver blinked. They were both taken off guard. Their eyes shifted from the bundle of money on the ground to George with keen interest and then over to Lenny, who had gotten stock silent.

Moth turned it over in his head. He was a wanted criminal. He couldn't show his face in Kankakee. Morris, his companion, could if he wanted to. But he couldn't expect Morris to bring back the pickings and split them. He would take the extra money for himself.

"Here, you can have him." Moth said, picking up the cash slowly and motioning for the scavver to get Lenny. He dragged the con-man to his feet and made him walk painfully over to George before releasing him into custody. Lenny just had a stupified look on his face, as many men do when they are saved from certain death, and he said nothing.

"Thanks, Soldier-boy," said Moth, "but we'll just take our money and split."

Darth Pat

 

[Pat]

Washington carefully lowered Lenny to the ground, removed the worst of the bullet fragments, kept pressure on the wound, and then proceeded to apply a tourniquet to the townie's right knee using spare cloth and a wooden stick he had stowed within his backpack for such an occasion. Pulling out a morphine syringe, the soldier quietly plunged it into his patient, not bothering to make an announcement that may not be taken happily. He stopped the dosage halfway. He needed the man to be coherent if he was to make the journey back to the Kankakee Trading Post in one piece. "You'll get the other half once we've reached civilization," he spoke, helping him to his feet and looping his arm over his shoulder.

Maybe it wouldn't be enough to save the man's life. After all, while Washington likely had better first aid training than most given his short time in the Army, it wasn't as if boot camp gave out doctorates. Whatever happened, he hoped Nathan had the sense to keep watch on their six, or barring that, decide to rejoin his company after they made it back to the cracked asphalt of the main roadway.

 

[Vudukudu]

Ryan rolled his eyes at the doctor's defense of the mutant. Not right in the head, most likely. Not his pet, maybe. The one thing he was absolutely certain of, however, was that the thing wasn't the doctor's brother. If he was, the doctor probably would have taken the time to put the mutant's clothes on the right way instead of let his dear brother look hopelessly foolish. That noted, he didn't bother to say anything. He was putting himself in this man's debt, and upsetting him further wouldn't be in his interest.

When he saw the hungering look in the mutant's eyes, his hand drifted towards the pistol hidden in his waistband before the doctor offered jerky, effectively directing the beast's attention away for the time being. Even so, Ryan kept an eye on the thing. He was sure Hannah was too, but the better part of their focus was on watching the doctor's work.

They remained nearby for the duration of the doctor's toil, clearly not willing to leave their injured friend alone despite him having long since drifted into unconsciousness. When the doctor wrapped up and turned around, Ryan flashed a thankful smile and listened to his post-op advice. When he mentioned the fee, Ryan nodded and slipped a hand into his pocket. He withdrew a wad of bills, flipped through it, and sorted out $125. He held the cash out, but kept his grip on it tight for the moment.

"Much appreciated, doc." He said cheerily. "You're a real piece of work with that kit of yours. Know some folks who could use a man with your skills." He added, scrutinizing the man's physical response as he went on. "The extra is for, y'know, insurance of doctor-patient confidentiality. Thanks again, doctor." He finished, then extended the man's fee out to him.

 

[KindlyPlagueDoctor]

Ham's attention was brought to the piece of deer jerky. He quickly began to chew on it, tearing it up between his jagged teeth, it was pretty tasty. Ham had eaten things that tasted similar in the past. Of course, what those where was anyone's guess. He ate the jerky pretty quickly, tearing it up and swallowing it. Hams attention turned back to the wounded man again. The smell of blood filled his nostrils and he knew this man, this prey was wounded and couldn't do much. He edged closer, quickly looking over the man, assessing for any threats he hadn't yet spotted. "Ham..." he said in more of a minor and quiet growl.

Shireling Vudukudu

 

[Vudukudu]

Hannah was faster than Ryan. She always had been, he supposed. That’s why she was a soldier and he was a politico. Before the thing could move an inch closer, her reddened hand drew the 9mm at her hip and pressed the barrel to the side of the mutant’s head. “Back off!” She shouted. Her index finger twitched, disabling the safety with an audible click, and Ryan turned towards the doctor.

“Get your mongrel under control.” He hissed.

Shireling KindlyPlagueDoctor

 

[Petroshka]

Alana shot a look at the barkeep as she was surprised at the barkeeps assistance, although it pretty much was true she didn't expect anyone to come to her aid. Her reputation and the general caution with the kankakee guards would shut anyone up, but she supposed his source of medicines was enough to keep her around, that or he was taking a liking to her. After the guards left the barkeep walked around the bar to help Alana carry the unconscious woman. "Dont mention it" he said after noticing that Alana was quiet for a few seconds. Nodding she knelt down to haul the woman with the barkeep helping her. The bar came back to its normal buzz of noise when they walked outside. "out here is good enough" The barkeep looked at her weirdly. "the alley" With a shrug Alana followed the man and the two threw her body down in the alley way. Without looking back at Alana he turned around and started walking back into the bar with one warning. "be careful with her"

Shireling Crumbli

 

[Shireling]

Great Lakes Wasteland
​

After taking his money, the raider and scavenger disappeared from the fireside and into the gathering dark farther into the woods. Lenny whimpered and then grew quiet. He had wind-swept features, but a somewhat lovable face, as if reminiscent of someone's favorite paternal uncle. He helped Washington dress his wounds with shaky hands.

"Wow, if you hadn't showed up I woulda bled to death, mister." He said, with apparently no reverence for George's military rank.

He guphawed as he helped him to his feet, and tried as best as he could to carry his own weight as they continued back to the asphalt and civilization.
Pat Darth

The Emperor Hotel
​

Elias nodded and pocketed his payment, but before he could say anything else he could see Ham had caused a stir and Valentine's goon was brandishing a weapon at the creature. He firmly placed himself between Ham and the barrel of Hannah's pistol.

"Honest, he wouldn't hurt a fly." He said intensely. He turned towards Ham and frowned.

"Come on, Ham. Let's leave the good people to their schmoozing."

And with that, he took up his tools and motioned for Ham to follow him back up the stairs.

Vudukudu KindlyPlagueDoctor

 

[Vudukudu]

The Emperor Hotel​

Ryan shot Hannah a stern look once the Doctor and his mutant were out of sight. "Didn't have to do that. Not like that, at least." He murmured, cocking an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes in response and shrugged. "You saw the look in its eye. Saw your hand go for a gun too." She said, then started whistling a quiet tune as she gestured to their unconscious friend. "Lets get bullet magnet here up stairs, yeah?" She suggested. Ryan nodded and the pair hauled Donny upstairs to the rooms they'd acquired. They got him in bed, then began setting up what quickly came to be known as the war board. Just a fairly large cork-board in truth, it would become the center of their operation. Strips of paper with names and information, connected by strings, would form a network of the community. From it, they'd find out who's who, and ideally, just which strings needed to be pulled. First, he needed a few days of intelligence gathered, so he was largely dependent on the rest of his squad to handle that.

For the time being, he wasn't comfortable leaving Donny alone, and Hannah wouldn't let Ryan leave her sight, so they were confined to their hotel room. The war board started brief - "Doctor ____. Pet mutant." Frankly, neither of them were sure the man mattered, but Ryan liked being thorough. "Every factor accounted for" was practically his motto. Some considered it annoying. He considered it due caution.

 

[Crumbli]

Lindsey McGregor, Kankakee trading outpost.
Petroshka ​

Her reflection stares back at her with pearly white teeth, gorgeous green eyes, and tanned tones about her. She takes a step back from a mirror as she runs her fingers through her long black hair. She sees her green blouse and tight blue jeans that exentuate her figure. This was the life. Music drifts in from outside the closed bathroom door to which she gingerly works her way towards. Taking two steps forward and one back in the form of a slow and playful dance, she sets her gentle and painted fingers upon the handle and twists it open. The door opens into a hallway that she takes a left down before arriving at the kitchen and dining hall. Standing at the kitchen bench is a man dressed in a suit with a dark blue tie.
"Good morning, Tiggles."
"Good morning, Lindsey. Beautiful as always I see."

The suited man walks over to her and places a hand on her waist, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss. Their lips meet for a second before he tries to pull away. She pulls herself to her tip toes as he pulls away only to have him push against her once more. Their lips lock for what feels like barely a second, though the clock behind him would say otherwise. He walks towards the dining table and pulls out a seat for her with a smile. His large brown are filled with care and remain distant enough to stare at her, but not into her like everyone else's gaze. She walks over to the table and takes the seat as silently requested.
She feels the wood press against her back and rear as she follows his movements with her eyes. The way he shimmies into the kitchen and begins to serve the coffee from behind a half wall barrier makes her feel warm inside. He catches her watching him and winks at her, a smile across his face. "What are you looking at?"
"Oh nothing." She says, giggling a little. He rolls his eyes and walks back over to the table with two mugs of steaming hot coffee.

He sets the mugs down on the table and pushes one towards Lindsey. The mug was filled with a brown liquid that tasted so unique she couldn't quite explain it. She loved the taste. She takes a sip and places the mug back down only for the man to place his hands on the mug and turn it around. On the mug it has a large pink heart and in the middle of the heart is her name slanted tipping down on the left and rising on the right. She smiles and takes another sip from the mug to which he replies, "Happy valentine's day, baby. You and I can spend the whole day here if you'd like. Just you and I together. I convinced the big man to give me the day off."
She nods taking the mug away from her lips with a massive smile across her face. A soft moan of satisfaction escapes her lips at the idea of the two of them lounging about together for the day. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

She presses the mug back up against her lips and is met with a freezing sensation. So cold it felt like ice. She drops the mug and stands up, kicking the chair out from behind her. The mug shatters against the wooden table and begins to snow upwards towards the cieling before falling back down again. She goes to scream in confusion but nothing escapes her lips. "What's wrong, Lindsey?"
She looks up to the tall suited man from before. His brown eyes had been replaced with buttons and his suit was now a bright yellow. She begins to mutter to herself, "No. No. No." As her hair turns from black to red. The words she'd been so talented with, the world she'd created, was slowly falling apart. She closes her eyes in a panic and reopens them only to see the world through the foggy lenses of her gasmask. She could feel her muscles aching to be used. She wasn't sure where her axe was and uses every second she has spare to scout around for it. She spots what looks to be its handle and slowly pulls herself up from her heap on the ground towards it. Her arm shoots out and fingers wrap around the hilt of the weapon as she prepares to find the person who'd stabbed her to sleep before.

 

[KindlyPlagueDoctor]

Ham saw the doctor standing between himself and the gun. Ham was curious as to why the doctor would would do that. The man was wounded, he was prey. If they didn't eat him someone else would! Either way it seemed that the doctor wouldn't let Ham have his prize. Ham let out one last irritated grumble as the doctor shepherded him away after saying some more things Ham didnt really understand. "Ham...." he said in protest.

Shireling

 

[Pat]

Washington and Lenny made it to back to town in short order. After seeing to the civilian's wound, the young soldier, pockets now an additional hundred dollars lighter, spoke casually. "You don't owe anything more than you want to give," he drawled, "but whatever, if any, intel you could give on the secessionists and slavers of this region would be appreciated by Uncle Sam."

 

[Shireling]

(Disclaimer, some characters have been moved and the time has skipped somewhat.)

Kankakee
​

Two days after they had all arrived in town, Kankakee had finally seemed to calm again. The, by northern standards, relatively massive city was always taking in new traders or fishermen and hunters bringing their wares in to market. Life seemed to go on as usual for the townsfolk and nothing of major note happened during the intervening days.

While they were spending their time in their hotel room, Elias and Ham became more acquainted. It became abundantly clear to the doctor that Ham was severely handicapped, and could comprehend very little. He had tried at length to make inroads in teaching the mutant the language, but learning seemed lost on him. He had managed to teach him to wear clothing properly, however, and he had purchased for him some winter gear, a hat, and a knit-wool balaclava that he could use to conceal the grotesqueness of his face when he went out with the good doctor. For food, he had been begrudgingly allowing Ham to catch and eat rats in the hotel, when he could do it unnoticed, but was attempting to wean him off of such game and onto mutatoes. He was also attempting to teach him to use cutlery, with little inroads there. Dr. Shepardson had become a known quantity to the townspeople and had picked up a few house calls where he had pulled teeth and cleaned and disinfected wounds.

Meanwhile, Valentine's campaign of subterfuge had gone less profitably than he had hoped. Kankakee seemed solidly neutral and any city councilors that they could put a bead on seemed to be self-obsessed career politician types. The police force of Kankakee was better equipped and trained than the standard raider outfit, but was not an army by any stretch of the imagination. They had learned that, to the east, the Armalite factory that was occupied by the Army Corps of Engineers was undergoing some sort of retooling. Talking to several Virginian factory workers on leave from the facility and, getting them fairly inebriated, the Metro Republic spies learned that new pattern plates were being brought up "straight from Raven Rock" to retool the facility to begin making a new and supposedly upgraded variant of the up-till-then standard issue assault rifle. Another bit of intel, a group of horse nomads from Wisconsin, the Red-Socks, had been identified raiding caravans on the way to New Rockford from Chicago. The independent settlement of New Rockford was increasingly being encircled by Plains Confederacy forces and most speculated that the raid by the Red-Socks was the next phase of the Confederate plan to carve up the Great Lakes Wasteland piecemeal.

Lenny yielded George a valuable bit of information, namely that he knew that the Red-Sock nomads were the newest addition to the banner of the Confederacy, that they were using pilfered US Army rifles lifted from the stockpile at Fort Edward and smuggled through Lakenam onboard ice-steamers, and that they planned to lay siege to the walls of New Rockford with proper artillery in roughly a month when a formal army arrived from Omaha. When asked as to how he knew this information, he explained essentially that he was a drug pusher and "connector" in the Chicago area and that many of his contacts did business with Confederate spies and agents. Nathan still hadn't returned to Kankakee after they split up in the woods, and Washington likely feared the worst.

After the ordeal in the bar, Alana and Lindsey were picked up by the police for allegedly violating a "loitering" ordinance. It was really a pretense to allow them to search Alana. They were booked into a jail in an old run-down police station, where Alana was questioned about the paraphenelia in her possession, especially the jars of human blood. In the middle of the night, however, much to the embarrassment of the guards, she slipped out of the small jail and the city altogether, disappearing into the wasteland. A search of her abode yielded nothing, save a confirmation among the local authorities that she was in fact a prolific serial killer and cannibal. Lindsey, having no history with the Kankakee police, was evaluated as likely having a paranoid schizophrenia by one of the physicians from the community clinic. She was given some thorazine tablets, which were forced upon her after being restrained by policemen, and placed into the care of Dr. Shepardson who seemed to have gained a reputation as the doctor who would take all patients. He had gotten her from the police in the afternoon following the drugging incident mostly subdued by antipsychotics, but the drugs were in short supply and how they effected her was not understood as she had been asleep at the time. Her weapons and gear were left with Dr. Shepardson.

It was 3:00 PM, August 14th. The temperature outside was 12 degrees Fahrenheit and it was sleeting. Washington was turning over his leads in the liquor bar in the back of the Emperor Hotel lobby. Valentine and his men are returning from their second day of recon to their hotel rooms on the third floor. On the second floor, Lindsey is about to awake from her short trauma-induced coma under the effects of the medication, the side effects of which are not yet known, and Ham is curled up on the floor nearby mumbling to himself. Dr. Shepardson sits in a wooden chair near Lindsey's bed, a copy of "Lying, Congressional Style" open in his hands and his glasses resting on the tip of his nose.

Crumbli KindlyPlagueDoctor Vudukudu Pat Darth Petroshka

 

[Vudukudu]

Valentine had an eye for politics. His men decidedly did not, but that wasn't why they were with him.

"I jus' don't see the point, boss." Donny said, still recovering on one of the beds. The entirety of Morse Cell was gathered around, poring over the war board they'd put together. It wasn't as much information as they'd hoped for, but no one else seemed to grasp the potential value of that. "If'n nobody in charge cares, how are we gonna convince 'em?"

Ryan ran his fingers through his hair, then retrieved an unlit cigarette from his coat pocket. He held it up to Quinn, who finished straightening out her long red hair before pulling out a lighter and striking a flame for Ryan. He dragged on the cigarette once, then nodded graciously to her. He'd have to have her taken off the team after this. They'd gotten too close.

"Anybody else wanna say something stupid before I state the obvious?" Ryan asked, his gaze drifting over the others who had yet to speak. "Look, we don't really give a shit about Kankakee. You all understand?" He asked. His question was met by nods.

"Our job is simple. Save the Republic." He continued, leaning back against the wall behind him. "Kankakee ain't the Republic. If it was, we'd give a shit. But, that doesn't mean Kankakee can't be useful to us. This here is the biggest settlement in the region. Largest militia in one place. Defensible location. Trade center. Means its a big damn deal for whoever has it."

Quinn chips in. "Yeah, so.. why aren't you bothered by this?" She asked, gesturing to the board.

He wasn't sure if she was leading him on knowingly or just not seeing further than the rest of them.

"Because if we can't make them like us, and we can't make them hate the Army, we just have to make the Army hate them." He concluded. He pointed his cigarette at the war board, to a specific note they'd scrawled about the ArmaLite factory. "Army is retooling and rearming over there. Eight lads from Kankakee show up, slash some throats in the night, break some machinery, paint a Kankakee marker on their way out, well, the Army won't take that sitting down." He explained, glancing at each member of the squad to insure they were following along.

"So.. we don't have to make Kankakee like us, we just gotta make the Army hate Kankakee." Donny said slowly, one eyebrow raised. Hannah chuckled and nodded. "You sure that bullet didn't take a bit of your brain out with it, Private?"

Donny's cheeks reddened, and he looked for the nearest way to save face. "Yeah, but what about them Red Socks guys?" He asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

Ryan shrugged. "One thing at a time, Donny. One thing at a time." He answered, appearing wholly unconcerned with them. Truth be told, he didn't yet know what they were going to do about the degenerates once they'd pushed Uncle Sam into Lake Michigan and drowned him there. That was a problem for another day, though.

 

[Crumbli]

Lindsey McGregor, Kankakee trading outpost.
Shireling ​

The sleeping woman shuffles in the bed remains dead silent. She often tossed and turned in her sleep, being something of a light sleeper. Not light enough to stir from this miniature coma it would seem however. In her mind, she was aware enough to know her dream apart from reality, but not so much so to allow her the ability to awaken. If she were being subjected to a vivid dream or perhaps a recollection of daily events, perhaps she'd stir sooner. It wasn't a rest like the others either. That thing they'd put in her body, unlike the needle, made this world blank and unending. Just far reaching void so thick she couldn't see herself or feel her own skin. She strains to find meaning in the darkness but can't. She struggles to pull her eyes awake but can't. She thrashes about violently to break free of this ever spanning darkness... But can't.
She'd been like this for hours already. Ever since those men grabbed her and pinned her down to force those god awful pills down her throat her dreams were just like this. She was awake for a minute while they did it. She could feel their hands pin her to the stretch out in the jails but by the time she was aware of what was happening, she'd already swallowed them. Where she'd gone after that was a total mystery to her.

She finally begins to stir from her rest as she pictures herself screaming into the void. Her eyes flutter open. She was angry. Furious even. Though she couldn't feel the rage course through her like usual. Instead it was like she'd stubbed her toe. Painful and a little frustrating but little more. She wasn't where she was before, this wasn't where she'd slept. She remains unmoving and flicks her eyes to the side to see what she could make out. Being on her side and facing away from the doctor, she sees nothing but wall and room. She was facing this way when she went to sleep, but the woman she was with wasn't there anymore. Perhaps this was a dream? No one can move so far in their sleep without other people.
She stretches her body out, pulling the blankets away from her stomach and chest as she does so. A cool breeze washes over her thinly covered body and the realisation she'd been stripped hits her. The frustration turns to confusion as she tugs on the clothes around her bust in an attempt to figure out what exactly the material was made of. She rolls over onto her back, with her face towards the ceiling, and continues to tug on the gown.

From the corner of her eye she spies a man she hadn't before. Immediately she begins to assess him. He wears glasses which meant he can't see well, and he's reading which means there's a chance he has noticed her moving about. If she was quick, she could subdue the man without anyone catching on. She'd killed a man with glasses before. The frames made for wonderful knives in the heat of the fight. She'd do it again if needed. Far from original but at least she knew it'd work.
She slowly moves her legs around to be in the right position for her to leap from the bed to her feet, and then to his throat. If he knew anything he'd need to speak quickly or die slowly. Once her feet were in position, she was sure he'd caught on to her being awake. Not even a blind man could ignore all the movements she was making. She slowly brings herself up off the bed, resting on her arm, and swings herself back against the springs of the mattress. It gives her enough momentum to jump to her feet and once there, she lunges for the reading man's throat. "Salutations."

 

[Shireling]

Emperor Hotel, Second Floor Room
​

Elias wasn't blind. He could tell that Lindsey was beginning to stir, but he continued to read hoping not to bother her. She might not be done sleeping, and he wanted to see if she was verbal. He was a bit confused, however, when all she seemed to do was leap to the floor and then lunge at him. He had prepared for this eventuality, and he inhaled sharply as he brought his forearm up in a swift motion to block her movement, bringing her face into contact with his forearm that had very little budge to it. The pain was only passing, but he had calculated the block so as to stun her. He had, by this time, dropped the book and was standing in a fighting stance holding a syringe with what was presumably a knock-out drug in his right hand.

"Good to see you're awake," he quipped, moving his free hand in a calming motion, "relax, I don't want to hurt you. But if you're going to lunge at me, I'll have to sedate you and this time you might have to be tied to the bed for your own good. Why don't you take a seat?" He motioned to an empty chair by the steaming radiator under the window.

Crumbli

 

[Pat]

Washington bid Lenny farewell after suggesting the townie consider putting in a kind word here and there about the U.S. Army. The soldier hadn't a clue whether or not the poor liar would improve the reputation of the cause around the Kankakee Trading Post, but maybe, he thought wryly to himself, the man could tell a more compelling truth than the fiction he fed Moth and company. It wasn't long before he returned to the open road, and, to the spot where he last seen Nathan. For curiosity's sake more than concern for the man's well being, the teen alarmingly realized, he began to tread cautiously towards the ridge he ordered his now all-too-likely former traveling companion to cover him from.

 

[ShakinMcBacon]

Torben had awoken half an hour ago, forgotten his gloves, was out of cigarettes, and was now trudging along the snowy road. In other words, he was miserable. In terms of weather the day wasn't terrible; the sky was a dull overcast and only a few tiny flakes of snow fell. The wind blew in momentary gusts, sending an immediate chill down Torben's spine. His pace was brisk, and he swore at the pen-pusher that caused the error preventing him from being with his companions. The task was what he had wanted for some time, and the added recognition and responsibility was welcome. After a couple hours of walking, Torben left the maze of street, and could now see the tracks of a medium-sized party on the highway, presumably the footprints of his squad. He met a ragtag caravan, nodding to the guards and trading a tin of beef for a pack of homemade cigarettes. A thin trail of smoke now followed him, and he made his way steadily.

Eventually he reached Kankakee, after a night spent huddled in a shed. The townsfolk eyed him suspiciously, and he met their gaze with an equal hostility, many looking away from the rough-looking youth with the ugly scar. He wandered about the town, hoping to find his comrades, and found a hotel. Tired and cold, he stepped inside the Emperor Hotel, rang the bell at the reception, and waited.

 

[Crumbli]

Lindsey McGregor, Kankakee trading outpost.
Shireling KindlyPlagueDoctor ​

The man's reflexes were something she wasn't expecting. The pills they'd put inside her made her body and her brain work on two different levels. She knew there was little chance of her beating the doctor if he could actually fight while she was like this. She had nothing on her. Not even her teddy. She needed that teddy and while she could run away and get everything she'd lost back again, she needed that teddy more than anything else.
She stares at the chair and the window. From what she could see, the idea of escaping out that window using the chair to break the glass wasn't too far fetched. She could survive that fall albeit incredibly hurt. Still, if she were hurt what were her chances of escaping? No. She'd need to wait out this doctor and then kill him. The chances of him letting her get her things back alive were slim. At least it seems that way. She looks at the needle in his hand and begins to picture ways of using it on him and ways he could use it on her.

"Screaming black, sleeping man. Tiggles needs me. I need Tiggles. Words. Talk!" She places her hand on the chair and pulls on it. It was a nicer chair than the ones at the bar and in the cell she was in before. Its soft cushioned back and bottom were inviting even with their stains and morphed shaped from the years of being used. Her eyes flick away from it and back to the doctor, looking him up and down. When her eyes reached his legs her attention was swept away by some sort of creature covered in skin that was similar to that on her stomach, though much different in colour. She couldn't see all of it from where she stood but it was something she hadn't ever seen before. She points a finger towards the sleeping creature and stumbles on the spot. "Skin like mine. What is it?"

 

[Shireling]

Emperor Hotel, Second Floor
​

"That's Ham," Elias explained briefly. He relaxed somewhat, then withdrew a small plush yellow toy from his pocket.

"They said you were fixated with this. So I thought you might want it." He held the toy out to her. Then he motioned to the dresser with his eyes.

"Your clothes are in there, if you want them."

At this point, the low sunlight glinted slightly off his glasses lens. He lowered the syringe and held the toy within her grasp loosely in his palm.

Crumbli