Jimmy grins when he gets the cabinet open.  "Hot damn folks, we have juice.  Bringing the water around for canteen fills, though it sounds like we have plenty right on outside."

True to his word, Jimmy will pass out juice and places large bottles on the table, and in the Ranger for ease of access for canteen fills.

"Glad to know there is still a world out there for us to look at."

When he gives Lina her juice he winks at her "Didn't want the leader to be all alone in that, you know Lina?"

He finishes with Tina, sitting on the floor near her after handing off her juice to her, and water.

"Sounds like you or me are going topside, who wants the honors?"  He grins and leans back, cracking his own juice and sucking half of it down before making a face.  "I think the wee rodent may have crawled in the juice."  He peers into the container a moment, then shrugs and takes another sip.  "Still the best thing I have had for years."

In reply to Mahalina Rae Powell (msg # 17):

Tim moved over to the radio and Mahaline and waited for command to answer. Again if the clock was correct, and Tim was finding it hard to believe it was not, would anyone answer ?

After a little fluids Jimmy finally pulls out a harmonica, and greets the new day/year/whatever (if that clock is somehow right on date).

Take Me Home Country Roads seems somehow appropriate, and upbeat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg9lwAknbFE

He figured that a little music might lighten the situation, ease some nerves.  He used the same trick when he was in the Cav, and packed mouth harps with good intentions for morale and relations with new folks.  Music, everyone loves it, right?

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 22):

Tim gave a visible start when the noise began to reverberate around the closed concrete box. He turns and with a somewhat pissed look on his face asks. "If you want to play that you do it on your own time and not while we are trying to make a comms check on a 150 year old radio. If you have finished with your own gear help with the ranger."

He turns back to the radio.

"I just set crypto and tuned it in. listened for a bit.  Nothing yet.  Broke squelch a couple times but no voice.  Waiting to see if anything is going to happen.", Lina said.

In reply to Mahalina Rae Powell (msg # 24):

"I did not think they would answer right away, that would be to easy. Would the forest be interfering with the signal ?"

"Maybe. It could be trees or it could be the terrain.  I don't exactly know where we are so it's hard to know for sure. I can try morse.  It can be received over a greater distance and with a weaker signal.", Lina replied.

"You know, maybe we should get loaded up and ready to move before we start broadcasting any more.  Just in case."

Edit: spelling
This message was last edited by the player at 15:20, Tue 17 May 2016.

In reply to Mahalina Rae Powell (msg # 26):

"Yes that sounds wise. We will start again when we are thirty mikes out from egress and perhaps they will contact us during the next hour and a half." Tim began to prep his own gear and then he unpacked and cleaned the MAG-58. He mounts the machine gun on to the ranger and after inspecting several boxes of linked ammunition he also adds one to the mount cradle and loads the MG.

He then lends a hand loading the various boxes and packs that also need to go in the APC.

Lina turned the radio speaker to full blast and retrieved her gear. She sat near the radio and cleaned her weapons. Then she grabbed several boxes of ammunition and started loading magazines.

Every one bring me your radios for new crypto keys.  That way everything will be secure when we need them.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 06:55, Tue 17 May 2016.

In reply to Mahalina Rae Powell (msg # 28):

There was a reply almost immediately after the radio was first turned on.

Prime, or whoever, was obviously standing by. The recall code had been transmitted via ELF band radio, the same that was used to communicate with submarines at sea. This was a very hard to track and would go through most terrain but was an extremely slow way to communicate; minutes would pass for a single character. Ideal for sending the one-way recall codes but not for two-way voice communication.

Long-range voice communication would occur via the UHF band (aka AM radio), which was good for transmitting long-distance because it wasn't as affected by trees or mountains as the tactical VHF band (aka FM signals). This was because it used atmospheric propagation or "bounce" to travel long distances. The UHV/AM signal could be modulated via a technique known as "Single Side Band" (SSB) to carry a voice; otherwise you could use CW (Morse Code).

Normal radio protocol was to use your call sign, and Prime did so instead of waiting for the team to transmit.

"Kilo-Romeo Fower Fower, this is Alpha Wun. Do you read me? Over."

"Alpha" was the call-sign of Prime Base. "Kilo Romeo" referenced a RECON team in Region Kilo, their region. "44" was their designation. It sounded like Prime was calling them!

As well, it wasn't likely the signal would be traced unless there was a dedicated signals warfare unit trying to do so relatively nearby. Even then, the odds were around 20%, higher if they had sophisticated computer. Not impossible but probably not a concern if they kept it short.

PD Note: I do appreciate your eagerness! But please don't assume that if I don't reply immediately, nothing has happened and so you can move along. In this case there was no delay as Prime was actually standing by.

Sometimes I want to wait for other players to post, and in this case we have a couple PCs that are getting finished up. Other times, like tonight, I just can't post immediately.

I was intending on clarifying your call sign is KR-44, and all transmissions should include this. You guys got a little ahead of me before I could clarify! As well, you'd know the chance of random RDF intercept would be minimal, although there are a lot of unknown factors. Hills and trees will affect short range tactical UHF transmissions but not long-range VHF.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:58, Mon 23 May 2016.

"oh, crap." she said to herself. She had not expected a reply from just a couple clicks of the handset.

"Tim! I have Prime! I got them."

Jimmy stops playing the harmonica and pockets it, patting the pocket and rises, finishes his juice.  then he mutters softly with a smile.  "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the Apocalypse..."

He perks up when the radio cuts into the air, then grins, addressing Tina with a low voice  "Looks like Prime is up and going, other than that clock.. hopeful.. malfunction... Let's get you all ready."  He will shrug and assist Tina with getting her stuff together, nodding his head.. then he nods.

He moves over to the center, places his empty juice box down.  "Tim, I think sending a team of two makes more sense."

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 31):

Finishing up her own juice box, Tina gave Jimmy a sympathetic look when he put the harmonicas away. Although she did understand why it might seem a little intrusive under the circumstances if not distracting.

She was grateful for his help in getting her geared up. "Thanks."

"Yeah, boss. A pair of eyes up top seems like a good idea to me. I can be ready to head out in a minute. I'll want to clean my rifle at some poing but it shouldn't be a problem for now."

In reply to Tina Marie Lassiter (msg # 32):

Alice gets dressed and checks her equipment over including  her private items.
Then wanders over to the Ranger and starts to check it over getting it ready to drive. Alice seems to be listening to what is said just hasnot got any thing worth saying to add to the conversation

Jimmy snorts and gestures for Tina's rifle.

"Give er to me Tina, I will square it away fast, cosmoline can really gum it up.  You folks act like you never went out drinking for a week, and wake up every morning to hit the dunes at sixty miles per hour scouting in a FAV.  It's mind over matter, if you don't mind, it don't matter."

A lopsided grin, and if Tina coughed up her rife he'd settle at the table to give it the same fast, efficient clean and lube he'd done for his M16.  Everything that mattered, but nothing that didn't.  Meant you'd want to go over it better later, but it would do fine in a firefight.  They'd all learned everything the project issued, anyway.

In reply to Tina Marie Lassiter (msg # 32):

Bobby climbed out of the Ranger. It was still up on hydraulics, power umbilical still attached to the contact point on the hood.

"Good news, chief. Fusion cell is up and running. Batteries are charging. Computer is booting up, Autonav's spinning up. Should take a few minutes for the gyroscope to get zeroed.

"Give the word and I'll hit the switch to lower her, and take off the power cord.

"Also, the Autonav has a zero point loaded for us to calibrate the autonav. We seem to be about ten klicks or so east of Bellingham and I-5. We're in Sudden Valley on Lake Whatcom. Looks like it was a golf course before the war? Anyways, it's out of the way. There's a landing strip and seaplane base practically next door at Dutch Harbor. It's on the way to Bellingham if we take Lakeway Drive."

Through Morrow Aerospace, the Project had military-level access to the then-new GPS network. This model Autonav could automatically use it (at least when out of doors). It was assumed that navigation satellites would be high-priority targets during the war and the GPS network would be down or there would be gaps in coverage. Therefore, all model Autonavs used much older technology: microfilm map libraries coupled with inertial location via measurements taken from a gyroscope, much like you'd find in an older jet (like the Phantom) and was still used on submarines. It was effective but required a calibration point to zero-in and time to first spin up the gyroscope. It also required re-calibration every so often (days or weeks, depending on overall movement) which could be done automatically via GPS or manually.

Most Morrow Project Vehicles (MPVs) were also equipped with a Morrow Project Computer (MPC). Newer models had a powerful processor equivalent to a 486, and several megabytes of RAM. The Morrow Operating System was UNIX-based but there were emulators available for DOS, Windows and Apple operating systems. There was a tape drive, along with disk and diskette drives, newer models even had a CD-ROM drive(!). The MPC was interfaced with the Autonav and could be used to update and load new maps (although not the microfilm library), add markers and information. Data could also be sent via radio uplink, although this would require a Project Relay station for long-range or satellite transmission.

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 34):

Tina looked taken aback. She seemed insulted, but quickly recovered.

"No thanks, but thanks for the offer. I stayed awake in training, and I can clean my own rifle!"

She understood Jimmy was just being helpful, eager to get going. But back in the Hendry County SO she was the first and only female deputy. Aside from overt sexism even bordering on harassment she was constantly asked by "helpful" colleagues if she needed them to help her with basic tasks like driving the shitty Dodge Diplomat police cruiser, handling prisoners, making arrests, and maybe she should stick to parking tickets because those were much easier and safer for a pretty lady like her, and oh yes, cleaning her weapons.

With that, Tina quickly broke down and cleaned her Stoner and Hi-Power, reassembling them efficiently. Not the quickest time but competent enough.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:20, Tue 17 May 2016.

Prime repeated its call-sign. This wasn't unexpected. They'd presumably been waiting to hear from KR-44 and would keep transmitting until they did.

Their weapons would be easy to clean, as they were packed in oil and sealed in silver Mylar bags, not Cosmoline. Cosmoline was a petroleum product mainly used in WWII and after to preserve weapons and grease down artillery pieces. It was highly effective but was now considered obsolete (although still used in the Eastbloc nations) because cleaning it required a lot of time and effort, especially if it was hardened to a waxy coating. Like, hours of effort, careful applications of oven cleaner, ect.

As-is their weapons could be used but there was a slight chance of a failure to cycle and load a new round automatically.

PD Note: a little correction on your team name and call sign. It's KR-44. K is your Region, R for RECON, 44 is your code number and unrelated to the other two prefixes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:20, Tue 17 May 2016.

Alice comes out from the drivers position and places her weapons on the table smiles at Tina, as she strip and cleans her rifle and pistol.
Making sure all the preservative gunk is removed and the weapons clean and ready to go.

Jimmy might well pick up on that tenseness, he is good with people after all.

"Maybe I should go over my own again, just in case, then?  No offense lass, in the Cav we happily dumped weapons cleaning on anyone willing to do it.  Usually meant we went to lunch and brought them it back for the favor.  Ain't no insult."

He shrugs, starts going over his gear again.  "Different culture I suppose."

Alice looks up and smiles, "Ah cultures is it" she says softly. "Families clans and cultures three times three born on the Sea".
What sort they from the lost land over time and sea?
She blushes, "sorry Jimmy a line from a tale told in another place and time"

Jimmy shakes his head slightly.

"Lovely that.  Truly.  Tina is from a police culture, and I from a military culture, and of that I think certain things may have flavored it more.  The Cav isn't like the rest of the army, and Tina will have to fill us in on anything else on her end."

A slow breakdown and inspection on what is in his hands, to keep them busy.

"You ken me part Scot meself, and part other things too.  Americans, eh?"  That half grin again.

Tina smiled. "No offense taken. In that case, in the future you can clean my weapons any time. I'd like that, handsome."

She started reassembling her rifle, after finishing with her pistol. She was very quick and thorough, the process only taking minutes.

PD Note: Now I'm getting ahead of Mahalina on the radio! Just assume this is going on in the background as this won't affect that interaction.
This message was last updated by the player at 20:32, Tue 17 May 2016.

In reply to Mahalina Rae Powell (msg # 30):

"Great Mahalina, great..." There was a palpable sense of relief in the tone of his reply as he moved back to the set making sure not to crowd the RTO as she did her job.
When Jimmy arrived at his shoulder Tim turned and agrees with a two man team going up top.
"Good idea both of you go and get eyes on the main door and also check the surrounding area, not to far out though. There should be a set of binoculars in the rangers gear if you need them."

Once Bobby gave the update on the Ranger and their location he says "Yes drop her down and continue prepping for our exit as we have command on the line it looks like we will not be staying." He pulls out a map and orientates himself to their location closely looking at the surrounding area and the points Bobby mentioned. If the road was not blocked the route he suggested was probably going to be the one they took.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 20:34, Tue 17 May 2016.

Alice grins "so where does one who flew Air-Sea Rescue with the  Coast Guard Auxiliary fit into your world"