Wednesday 11 May 2094
0730 Hours
Rainy

Heading West from Rawlins, Wyoming

The guys in the OP appreciated the Joe, even if it was instant. They all had a quick breakfast.

All too soon, Roadkill was up and then it was time to go. Schaeffer and Crichton policed up the house, making sure all trash was collected, fire doused. When they left it was like they have never been.

Once on the Interstate, Trejo was in the lead on his bike, wearing his riding leathers and goggles against the chilly rain. Roadkill followed, rain leaking in the armoured viewports where the windows used to be. Sullivan was beside him. Smoker and Crichton were at the trailer's front fighting position, Schaeffer kept watch to the rear from up high.

Following the rig was the technical, with Peter driving (again, wet from water streaming in the front armoured viewport) and Jane on the back on the fifty, along with Rowan and what appeared to be a pet coyote ("Trickster"). Jane took the dust cover off "Baby" and pulled back the charging handle to cock the machinegun, as it was standard to travel with it ready to rock.

Rowan throws a blanket across her self and trickster and sits cradling her rifle her back to the cab.
Nad keeps an eye out form her position

In reply to Rowan Dawson (msg #253):

As Jane keeps scanning for trouble and possible targets for baby, she looks over at Rowan.  "I know it's not the cycle you are on but look at the bright side.  You're getting as wet as if you were on one.  Remind me next time to just add soap on days like this so I can get a decent shower and wash my clothes at the same time will you?"

Jane goes back to her scanning.

Smoker huddled down, pulling his kaffiyeh over his head but still contriving to look miserable. He was smoking his pipe upside down.

"Stops the bowl filling with rainwater," he explained, having rigged a bit of wire mesh to hold the tobacco in place.

Rowan chuckles her eyes almost dancing with humour.
"next you will be sugesting we turn the back into a mobile, Jacuzzi".
"Just think of all the sights the men would get".
"Thats the one problem with now ah days, keeping dry and clean.
Rowan considers for a moment, then adds
"Mind you under the water proof jacket I aint to bad thanks"

In reply to Rowan Dawson (msg #256):

Jane grinned as she glanced down at Rowan.  "Aye.  I reckon we must have the cleanest rain slickers around.

In reply to Jane Guin (msg #257):

Ian sitting in the rig mumbles something about "typical, liquid sunshine"

Rowan looks up at Jane, " I recon that is true"
"But the main reason for this blanket is wet fur"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:38, Tue 24 Apr 2012.

Straight to the point and in a very serious tone
"It's good for ya. Just be thankful you aren't in Smokers place.
You Know of anything up ahead that I need to be aware of?
If I see something or someone it is going to be ramming speed all the way, even if just a kid on the road"

In reply to Roadkill (msg #260):

Ian says "I have been east of here the last while, I wish I had more info."

If Roadkill was watching Ian when he made his statement about running down kids he would have see a quick look of anger that he quickly disappears.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:38, Tue 24 Apr 2012.

Peter did his level best to politely ignore the 2 women chatting away in the back of the technical. The sounds of the vehicle and rain helped with it, made it hard to hear all the words. That was good. He tried to keep himself from looking in the rear-view at Jane as well. Last night had been...well other than the ACTUAL dreams, it had been like a ver GOOD dream when he was awake. He still had the memory of their lips touching and....

"FOCUS, Peter. Driving can still be dangerous."

Wednesday 11 May 2094
0935 Hours
Raining

Evanston, Wyoming.
Near the Utah Border

A couple hours travel in the rain wasn't a pleasant.

By late morning they rolled up to Evanston, Wyoming, maybe 5 miles from the border of the former independent state of Deseret and the USA and 50 miles from Junkyard itself.

Again, like the border between the USA and CSA, there was a cratered no-man's land between thick belts of razor-wire and minefields. There were opposing defensive lines of bunkers with interlocking fields of fire but no Mason-Dixon Wall.

Unlike the Mason-Dixon Wall, there had been no pitched battles here. It also wasn't deserted, as Junkyard maintained a large outpost there as a check against Throckmorton's Black Hats. They could see dozens of well-armed militia infantry armed with automatic and anti-tank weapons. Both Crichton's and Schaeffer's expert eyes picked out concealed fighting positions and camouflaged revetments for armoured vehicles and powered battlesuits.

The posse was let through without trouble as both Roadkill and Peter were part of the Convoy and had been through the checkpoint before. There was big news about the change between Junkyard and the road gangs it formerly tolerated.

They were warned that Ike Turner, Mayor of Junktown, had cracked down hard on the road gangs, breaking their power.

Gone was the laissez-faire attitude towards gangs, where Junkyard traded freely with them and turned a blind eye towards their activities as long as they were outside of 50 miles radius, in exchange for their tenuous promises of support against the Combine. The gangs were very unreliable allies, and they raided the towns and colonies and choked off the trade that Junkyard needed to survive. What towns were strong enough to hold off the raider gangs blamed Junkyard for tolerating and supporting the gangs in the first place.

Worse yet, the road gangs were coming into more and more frequent conflict with the Convoy as other trade dried up. There were bloody clashes outside the Junkyard's exclusion zone, then inside it, then inside the city itself. It was shaping up to a full-scale internal war which Junkyard could not afford.

In one fell swoop all road gang leaders who refused to be brought to heel had been replaced or removed, with some gangs merged with the Militia but mostly eliminated. Join or die. The power of the road gangs in much of the west was smashed in a couple bloody weeks. Already, trade was up as the roads were much safer, a small but necessary step towards facing the Combine.

"Never thought that Ike would do it. That was why I headed South instead of to Junkyard." Airen paused at that point."Colonel the hidden stuff back there seemed more than I would have expected. Do you think Junkyard is gearing up or is that just me? Because if they are and they need allies or draftees you and I are prime for it."

In reply to Tech. Sgt. Airen Crichton (msg #264):

As they moved through the checkpoint, Schaeffer moved up to Crichton's position and had a look.

"Much looks left from the War, there haff been repairs and improvements. Makes sense, this is a main line of defence."

He thought about it for a moment.

"My internal feeling is they will not try and conscript us when we get towards Junkyard. If so, they would have asked us to join willingly already, and they did not. Somehow, er, perhaps, that will be the next logical step, but even so, I would willingly fight the Combine (again) without hesitation."

"Wouldn't you, T.S.? The Combine sure is. That's the problem with 2 opposing sides. They both gear up 'til something explodes and then it's all-out war."

He looked in Junkyard's direction, happy to see it again, but a little apprehensive with the changes.

"At least some folks'll sleep easier at night, I guess."
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:00, Thu 26 Apr 2012.

"I learned one thing from the War that most never will. That was war is good for one thing an that is wasting lives. If it had been left to me i would have sent a half dozen guerilla squads after Throckmorten and that damn factory. I would have lit a citybuster ubser the main assembly line and called it a day."

Rowan joins the conversation
"Yea and while we argue over here, hell still sits on the other side of Old mother river."
"Some one should really hope it never finds a way across"

The border was a ways behind them now. The convoy had pulled into a rest stop at the foot of the Wasatch mountains. This was the turn-off to Boise to take a break.

Trejo bought a cup of hot chicory coffee from a stand there to warm himself up.

Their course to Boise would take them near, but not into, the city of Junkyard. Between them and Junkyard was the Ghost Storm that covered the city of Ogden. For some reason no Ghost Storm had formed over Salt Lake City (and Junkyard).

From their vantage point at the roadside scenic vista to the north, what they could see of Junkyard itself was two massive gunmetal walls glinting off in the distance, backed up against the Wasatch mountains.

These inner and outer perimeter walls were the remains of the now-disassembled dome that had once covered the city. They surrounded the industrial blob of the Steel Sky (the pipes and smokestacks) which covered the town itself.

Behind and around Junkyard lay the ruins of Salt Lake City and stretching off into the distance was the Great Salt Lake itself. Some super-science courtesy of Hellstromme Industries and Hellstromme himself had protected the dome and the semi-deserted industrial area underneath it from damage during the war. Now, it was the largest intact urban and industrial areas outside of Denver in the Wasted West.

The rain had slowed, becoming more gusts of showers.

OOC: You aren't strictly going to Junkyard, but it's on the way so you easily could if you want. I had to change Peter's post a little, you're passing by to the north of Junkyard. It's also expensive to enter.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:09, Thu 26 Apr 2012.

In reply to Tech. Sgt. Airen Crichton (msg #267):

Schaeffer snorted.

"You can be boiling anything down to some simple aphorism. Even war. Is meaningless."

"Throckmorton did not start the war. I am guessing he wants to finish it? Letting him do so will not bring peace. Should I ever get him in my sights I will do what a dozen guerrilla sections may not, if God will guide my bullet."

"I am noticing the Junkyard Militia carrying a version of the M-21 assault rifle. Improved by Deseret, local licence from before the war. Also, was noticing cyborgs. Are called "Scrappers". Anyways, I approve of bringing the gangs to heel. Order cannot come from letting the criminals run free."

Schaeffer lit a cigarette and tried to get warm from a fire lit in a barrel near the food stand at the rest stop.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:37, Thu 26 Apr 2012.

When they stopped, Smoker scrambled down from his perch.

"Bah! I'm soaked."

He joined Shaeffer by the barrel-fire, holding his hands out.

"They fight, they don't fight: I don't care. Keep my head down, see what I can salvage, that's all."

He unwrapped his shemagh from around his head and started to wring it out.

In reply to Smoker Nix (msg #271):

Roadkill follows Trejos move and grabs two hot drinks and heads towards Smoker talking to Shaeffer.

"Exactly smokes. Screw them all. As long as" Roadkill takes a sip from one of the cups and then passes them both to smoker even if he was trying to get dry
"As long as I have a smoke then who cares." Roadkill grabs a cig, lights it and then offers one to smoker as he takes back one of the cups.

"right guys, have a smoke or two and take a piss as we head north of the yard. You guys wanna enter then you are on your own, you can catch me up if you want" he shrugs his shoulders and takes a drag on his smoke "or not, up to you"

"Thanks, Roadkill," said Smoker, accepting the hot drink gratefully.

He took the cigarette and lit up.

"Even my pipe was struggling to stay alight! I'm staying with you, no worries."

In reply to Smoker Nix (msg #273):

"Ha. course you are. You would miss the view from your perch and the free rides everywhere"

Roadkill looks off into the distance for a bit
"seriously though guys. Costs money to go into that place, we got no reason to get in there but if you wanna piss some money away. up to you".

He looks at his truck to make sure it still looks amazing
"fuck this weather is shit. Cleans things up but"

In reply to Roadkill (msg #272):

Schaeffer snorted even more derisively at Smoker and Roadkill's sentiments.

"What rubbish. We have three people not five metres here that have "Headbanger" chips implanted in their skulls to ensure their loyalty to Throckmorton. You are very foolish if you think he's going to leave you alone to do as you please."

He finished his smoke and his drink.

"Do not get me wrong, I have seen war. I do not like war and wish I can live in peace. I wish what you say is so, but it is not. One thing we cannot afford now is illusion, ya?"

Sighing at the rain, Schaeffer put on his helmet and got ready to remount the trailer.

In reply to COL Kurt L. Schaeffer (msg #275):

The convoy prepared to pull out. Thankfully, the rain was subsiding.

They would reach Boise tomorrow after a day and a half travel. While there was time for a short detour to Junkyard, there was no overriding reason to do so.

Another hot rumour among the other travelers at the rest stop (a couple of flatbed farm trucks hauling produce into Junkyard) was that in addition to purging the road gangs, Ike Taylor and Junktown was possibly arranging an alliance with the Templars. This made sense with the convoy's mission, which seemed to involve transporting people (Crichton, Sullivan) and important messages to Boise, home of the Templars.

OOC: slight correction on Ike's last name. You can stop here and be on Boise after a day's travel, or continue today, camp, then be there mid-day tomorrow.