The "Go" time came. The rain continued to fall.

In reply to Project Director (msg # 14):

Uncrossing his arms, Daniel put his hand on the door to his truck.

"Dylan, we ready to get this show on the road? Or you want to meet me there?"

In reply to Project Director (msg # 14):

Jenna used the time before Go time to get her gear stowed. Her big pack went in the trailer so it wouldn't buck.  She secured a small tarp over it to keep out the rain.  The PRC-70 was webbed down to the back rack of the ATV.  She was wearing coveralls, her jacket, Project issued helmet, and the rain poncho.  She had put on the kevlar vest over her t-shirt but under the jacket and overalls.  She could stop for a relief break without taking off the vest.  After all, it would suck to get shot in the back while taking a piss.

Her project issue shottie and the ration pack were  strapped to the front rack.  She had re-packed the ration pack as a comfort bag.  Rather than havving all her personal rations, it now had two days worth, plus water, shells for the shotties, a set of clean underwear and socks, compact toothbrush, paste, soap in a tin, a small first aid kit, a wad of tissue and a small towel.  Having the supplies ready to RLAB if need be with enough to keep you alive a couple of days had been a lifesaver to many a traveler.  If you could run and stay alive you could get help and go back and get your shit.  But if you were dead, you and valuable equipment were lost forever.

The Project issue binocs joined the comfort pack on the front rack, with the flap availble to pull them out quickly.

Her personal shottie was in a holster on the side of the gas tank.

Her project issue handgun was in a thigh holster on her leg.  In the webbing of her vest were a couple of snack bars, water canteen, and extra ammo for the firearms.  She had several knives, both in plain view and hidden.  Her personal binocs were in the webbing on her chest.  They weren't as powerful as the project issue pair, but they were lighter and easier to carry.  For a quick look while on the road they were fine.  She could pull out her Project issue pair if she had a vantage point that would make good use of their longer range and higher accuracy.

She checked the walkie-talkie strapped to her chest, fitted her earpiece/mike, and waited for  comms check before departure.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:47, Sat 21 May 2016.

In reply to Jenna Tallfeather (msg # 16):

Capt'n Kim radio checks with convoy. Secures the AKSU-74, machete and M-79 and Morrow pack. Putting helmet on he checks his mike.

"Jenna...Jenna...Jenna... remember that if we make contact on road drive your vehicle to the side so that the BOSS gets a clear shot. Jes"
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:36, Sat 21 May 2016.

In reply to Captain Ly Cong Kim (msg # 17):

"Will do. I don't have all that metal wrapped around me.  Sum'bitch starts shooting I'm more than happy to duck."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:42, Sun 22 May 2016.

In reply to Jenna Tallfeather (msg # 19):

Daniel's question to Dylan was mainly rhetorical.

The small convoy hit the Open Road just as a grey dawn was breaking. Compared to internal combustion-powered vehicles their electric ones were almost silent. The most noise they made was forging through the increasing rain.

Soon, they passed Everett, the last major outpost of civilisation for over a hundred kilometres. People did live in the lawless wastes outside the walled towns, but tended to hide from travellers or at least not live near the route. Not just peaceful travellers would use the Open Road but bandits looking for victims. Often they were the same: nomads, Truckers and Bikers.

Their pace was steady but relatively slow, about 20-30 km/h. This allowed them to spot potential ambushes and maintain a rolling overwatch. They saw no one travelling along the old Interstate. It was in pretty good shape; decades of intermittent eruptions from local volcanoes (Mts. Rainier and Baker) had covered it in over a metre of volcanic ash and preserved the surface from wear. A Project engineering team had run a bulldozer along the route and uncovered 2 northbound lanes of I-5 almost all the way to the border, repairing the one bridge that collapsed over the Skagit river. Frost heaves had caused some damage to the roadbed but not a lot. Landslides and erosion from the surrounding rolling hills caused more damage.

Mainly, the Open Road was a narrow cleared lane through thick forests of evergreen trees, mainly firs. There was a slight morain on either side from ash that had been pushed aside by the road repair team to expose the concrete roadbed.

At some point the rain slacked off to a drizzle.

A few hours later they made the ruins of what was once Bellingham. Only a few shells of buildings remained partially-hidden among the trees of the dense forest which now grew up to the crumbling edge of the old Interstate. The smell of smoke came from an unseen cooking fire, perhaps from the fishermen that supposedly lived there.

There was a trail west towards the waterfront, but they were headed east, inland towards Lake Whatcom, in the other direction. Somewhere they needed to find a trail, or make their own through the forest.

In reply to Project Director (msg # 20):

As they rolled up to where the Autonav said Bellingham used to be located, Daniel transmitted, "all right, people. I know there is one family that lives around here, on the waterfront. But we need to find a route east. Anyone know any trails?"

As she was on point, Jenna led the 3-vehicle element, travelling about 30m ahead of the Scout, itself 30m ahead of the tow truck. When the road turned and vision was restricted she slowed down to close the range and keep in sight, and opened the distance when the terrain allowed it.

It was still drizzling a little, cold pinpricks of rain. Jenna felt pretty good under her Project rain gear, in comparison to her normal leather jacket and chaps. Kim had to drive with his head out the Scout's armoured hull and his face was pretty cold, as was Dylan's. Filat was sitting pretty with Daniel in the heated truck cab.

Dark forest surrounded them. People did live around here to the west on the ocean. There were a few of what might be called foot trails leading off to both sides of the Open Road.

In reply to Project Director (msg # 22):

Cap'n Kim  "Jus a thought. If you see a clear path up a hill, its probably a trap. Log piles most likely."

"There's a trail coming up that follows the route the AutoNav shows to go down Lakeshore Drive to Lake Whatcom.  I think the path is big enough for the vehicles, but I could scout up the trail a little to see if it looks clear.  Far as there b'un a trap, summit's moving out there.  Not making any moves yet but I'm pretty sure it's out there.  What'cha say, Lima Tango?"

In reply to Project Director (msg # 22):

Daniel checked his wristwatch, then peered out the side and front vision ports.

"Jenna this is Daniel.

"Our friends should have completed their wakeup cycle right now.

"I say scout the trail. We don't know who's looking at us. Be advised I can't see shit out there. Too dark under the trees. Left or right?"

"Usually, if you are going North and you want to go East, you turn right.  I'd have to agree that I should scout a bit.

In reply to Jenna Tallfeather (msg # 26):

Daniel said, patiently, "I did in fact know that. To reiterate, what direction did you see movement in? To the left or to the right? All around? Or up?

"Roger, scout the path for a hundred metres. Report if it can carry our vehicles."

In his experience Tams had a definite attitude about men, believing them to be child-like buffoons good for heavy lifting and little else. Mainly, it was a deserved opinion and he didn't blame them.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:08, Mon 23 May 2016.

In reply to Daniel Black Feather (msg # 27):

With a bit of looking, Jenna was able to locate the side trail she thought she remembered. The Open Road followed the interstate past Bellingham through the eastern outskirts of the city. It was a raised roadway.

There was a dark gap in the trees just past an overpass. The road that used that underpass was once Lakeway Dr, and the trail branched right off the Open Road down an offramp to follow the old route into the woods.

Jenna nimbly took her ATV down the onramp. Once off the Interstate, the pavement was buried but someone had carved a path for vehicles and horse carts, decades ago. It was mostly overgrown now but she found she could follow it long enough to confirm they could take the Scout and tow truck along it.

In reply to Project Director (msg # 28):

"I saw movement off to the west.  Roughly the opposite of where we are heading and a little before this trail. Whatever it was it's gone now.  Don't know if it was animal or human. Could be a spotter looking for anyone heading this way. I scouted ahead a bit, looks clear for the vehicles to pass.  Someone carved out a trail right proper."

Jenna stopped on the trail, looking for any signs of recent use.  If someone cleared this a few years ago, it would take regular use to keep it open.  That would mean either someone lived out here or took this way often enough for some purpose to keep it open.

She looked for recent tracks and scanned the canopy for any sign of a hide in the trees."Dan, you know anybody that lives out this way?  Anyone that would have a reason to bust this trail and keep it open?"

In reply to Jenna Tallfeather (msg # 29):

"Roger that. Negative, Jenna. I know there's a family that live on the docks. Run a fishing boat. Came to the trading post for supplies last September. Haven't seen 'em since. Not surprising.

"Kim, halt here. We'll hold position while Jenna does a little route recon.

"Dylan, keep an eye off to the west.

"Filat, you watch the right side of the road."

He pulled over behind the Scout.

In reply to Jenna Tallfeather (msg # 29):

To Jenna's practiced eye the trail looked like it had been carved out years ago and used for some time, but then abandoned. It was winter so there weren't a lot of bushes to obscure the path but during spring and summer it would be obviously overgrown. As it was, no one had driven down here recently.

There was no telling how far it went.

Perhaps someone had lived down there not too long ago, but not any more. Or salvagers from New West had crossed the old border and gone prospecting in the old prewar communities off the Interstate that probably hadn't been picked over yet.

In reply to Project Director (msg # 31):

Roger Dan. What I see jives with what you're saying. This was used, but doesn't look like it was used this winter.  Kim, since you gotmy 6 I'm gonna scout ahead a bit.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:54, Tue 24 May 2016.

In reply to Jenna Tallfeather (msg # 32):

Jenna rode east along the track for about ten minutes. The ATV whispered along, finding the going easy enough. She found the track continued on for about five kilometres. It seemed that despite crossing a number of creeks the prewar construction (culverts rather than bridges) held up rather well, although she could tell most of them were partially-blocked and would back up and flood the road bed come the fall rains. Right now the water level was low enough that they could easily pass.

Few structures remained, and those that did were difficult to make out in the deep shadows lining the trail. The most she could see off in the surrounding woods were a few partially-standing walls of mostly-gone buildings and houses, the odd lone chimney. The most intact building was a fire station but despite retaining its walls it too was also mostly collapsed and the engine bay gaped dark and empty.

After ten minutes of nothing but riding through quiet forest along a trail that rairly often splashed through pools of water and mud bogs, she came to where the path turned right. Her hard-copy map indicated this was the junction with Austin street and Lake Louise Road. The trail continued south but became little more than a muddy trail. Probably they could get the other vehicles down it. Maybe.

In reply to Project Director (msg # 33):

Capt'n Kim shook his head , to get rid of the dampness and in frustration.

"This is why I like my boat better. Did you catch the name of those fishermen?"

In reply to Captain Ly Cong Kim (msg # 34):

Daniel thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Marlon. Or wait, was that what he liked to fish? Dang. Don't remember off-hand."

In reply to Daniel Black Feather (msg # 35):

Capt'n Kim whistles. Regretting it when it hits the mike.

"By the fires.... memory loss and puns? I hope you do better if we meet up with any wolves, or their bigger cousins. CAUSE YOU'RE KILLIN' ME"

In reply to Captain Ly Cong Kim (msg # 36):

Jenna brought the rest of the group up to date on what she had seen.  Basically, they could make it with the vehicles 5 klicks into the brush, then the trail got much more narrow and boggy.  The project vehicles might make it through but they might not.  The ATV wouldn't have an issue.  It wasn't very wide and had tires for cutting though muck.

What say you, LT?  Push on and risk getting stuck or leg it with the ATV on overwatch?

In reply to Jenna Tallfeather (msg # 37):

Checking the Autonav, Daniel replied,

"I think we're at the RV point here in Bellingham. I was thinking we could go in locate Romeo Kilo Four Four and escort them out but that's not specifically part of our mission.

"If you think you are good to keep going then please continue. If Dylan has any objections he can pull you back. Be advised we won't be able to back you up if you get into trouble before you locate the bolthole."

While they waited at the RV for either the RECON team to show up or to move out and meet up with them, the rain started again.