Smoker had no luck the previous evening finding maintenance personnel to talk to, as they were dealing with some crisis prior to the summit meeting.

He finally met the chief engineer, Maggie, for coffee. She was friendly but wouldn't divulge details about the current setup or workings (due to security needs). But Smoker recognised much of the machinery from other non-functioning units in ruined buildings.

"We had a problem because much of the electrical and sewage lines went through the Underground. There's an entrance in the parkade which we use to access the maintenance tunnels. Otherwise, most of the Underground is completely off-limits. We have armed security when we go down there, but I heard a Militia patrol got ambushed by Moorlocks and were completely wiped out.

"If you're interested in more of the Underground, look up a chap by the name of Buck Masterson of Down Below Tours. I'm not saying any more."

"No worries, Maggie - thanks anyway. I'm always curious about how stuff works, that's all."

Smoker finished his coffee and wandered back to the lobby. At least Maggie seemed to accept the presence of these Moorlocks, whatever the cops might say.

"Yeah, I think he went down to talk to the building engineer. Oh wait, there he is now."

She pointed in Smoker's direction.

Peter gave Smoker a nod of greeting. "Smoker. Good morning." He tilted his head to the side slightly. "Did you find anything out? Simon would like us to see what we can find out about what happened and the...Moorlocks or who might be behind it."

"According to Maggie, the Moorlocks are real whatever the cops might claim. There's an access to the underlairs of the city in the parkade which the maintenance folks use when they need to go down there, but they take an armed escort. Even then, they don't always come back," said Smoker.

"The person to ask, apparently, is one Buck Masterson of Down Below Tours."

A late riser, Jack sauntered in. "Well, let's find this feller. Someone's gotta know where he is."

Peter gave a nod to Jack and Smoker. "It does sound like a good place to start. Do we know where that is at? If not we should ask before we leave." He glanced at the other to make sure no one else had any other suggestions before he turned and headed out.

Smoker scratched his nose.

"The name sounds like a tourist operation, so the hotel desk staff might know where we should go."

Rowan follows with Trickster , not having any other ideas at the moment.

The hotel staff had indeed heard of Buck Masterson.

"Yes. He runs a tour business, one of the few people authorized to enter the Underground. Or what people call Down Below. His business is called "Down Below Tours". It's located in West Junkyard.".

They helpfully provided directions.

Peter thanked the staff for the information. He gave a nod to the group. "Okay. Shall we?"

He then started making his way to where they should find this 'Down Below Tours'. He didn't think it a bit odd for someone to make money off of something like that. After all, he was from Deadwood, and with what he had been before he had no right to cast stones.

"Right," said Smoker, following.

Rowan walks with the rest trickster trotting at her heals, "wish we knew more about what we were facing", she says to Smoker as they walk

The morning was beginning to heat up as the group intending to visit Downbelow Tours walked in the direction of West Junkyard, quickly passing through the MP checkpoint.

The Wasatch Mountains with their extensive Ghost Rock mines loomed to their right. They passed the Hellestromme Public Library. Then, as they reached the outskirts of the industrial area, they saw a small office building in the shadow of a massive foundry.

"DOWNBELOW TOURS"

Peter gave a few things long almost lingering looks of interest, but for the moment he focused on the task at hand. Once they reached the office, he glanced back to make sure everyone was still with him. He gave a nod and opened the door. He strode in slowly, taking a look at the office, as well as seeing if the proprietor was present.

"That's an almost permanent state for me," replied Smoker. "Every time I'm trying to understand a piece of interesting kit, someone starts shooting..."

In reply to Smoker Nix (msg # 199):

Jane found herself falling behind the group as they moved to take the tour.  She couldn't put her finger on it but she seemed a little distracted.  Perhaps she just wasn't meant to have all the niceties and felt left out.

She hurried to catch up and nudged Peter with her hip feeling better for being with her friends.

In reply to Jane Guin (msg # 200):

A bell rang as they came through the front doors.

The front room looked sort of like a travel agency from before the war. Faded posters for popular destinations like Hawai'i, Tahiti, London, Thailand and so on were on the wall. There was a plastic palm tree over a patch of sand with an sagging but still inflated beach ball in the window display.

One side wall was covered with photos of tours in the Downbelow, smiling people in mining helmets waving from in front of open-topped SUVs equipped with banks of spotlights. Everyone was armed. There was a sign: "The Happy Survivors". There were over fifty such photos.

A young woman sat behind a desk. She smiled as the posse came in. "Welcome to Downbelow Tours! I'm Klara. Heard about the Underground and want to see what few people here have seen and lived to tell?"

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 201):

Jane, bit back the "lady you have no idea what we've seen" comment on her lips and instead put on a smile and tried to pretend to be an ordinary tourist.  "Oh yes.  I heard that there were tours and hoped to be able to go on one. Those guns the people are holding...are they real with bullets and everything?  Is it that dangerous?"

In reply to Jane Guin (msg # 202):

Rowan at the back looks at Jane and smiles, thinking 'and just how did you expect to explain all the hard wear we are carrying'

Smoker nearly burst trying not to laugh out loud.

Jane couldn't keep up her pretense and had to chuckle.  "ok..ok.. I'm sorry but I couldn't help it. Just wondered what it sounded like if I said it."  She then turned to the Klara.  "So Klara.  That last question I asked, I really would appreciate an answer to.  Are those weapons for real and live ammo in it or what do you use when you take those tours.  You have a brochure on them?"

Jane still was chuckling as she waited for Klara's response.  Having joined the group a little later, she didn't remember who they were to ask for if they wanted information so Jane was stalling until somebody else spoke up.

Klara kept smiling. It's unclear if she believed Jane's feigned innocence or thought that in the Wasted West no one went unarmed for any great length of time.

"Oh yes, people supply their own weapons. This is Junkyard, you can get a chainsaw grafted to your pecs, you know!

"Those guns had better be real, the Moorlocks are pretty vicious. Don't worry, Buck knows how to handle them and out of over fifty tours he's only lost eleven clients. And three were due to heart attacks! The Downbelow is not patrolled, so it can be as bad as many places in the Wasted West. Buck's the only non-Militia person authorised to take commercial tours down there."

On the other side wall opposite the wall of pictures was a painted map of the underground labyrinth. Large blocks and areas were connected by lines of tunnels. It looked like a particularly elaborate subway system map.

Peter gave the woman a small smile that was mostly just polite. "Good morning. I'm here to speak with Buck Masterson, if I could please."