FLASHBACK TO THE GRAVE DIGGING EPISODE...



Dawid sighed, stopping to chop at some roots with the blade of his shovel.  "I understand.  But is still my property, although in communism, property is theft, so there you go."

"If no one objects, I will use one of the rifles that you brought, but a sidearm is handy for an artillerist or machine-gunner like me.  Either I am to be trusted with a weapon, or not."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Thu 21 June 2007.

"Hey Snow, my friend, don't worry about us shooting targets with the sniper rifle. We are trained to shoot from ships and their riggings and, as U.S. Marines, we have been doing so for 225 years. I will only be a spotter. My AK would not do crap anyway- too far to shore to be accurate. I should not be firing but spotting- my weapon will be you guys going off my fire commands. "

"But, I enjoy your input and hope you can help with my welding skills. Took a class in community college a long time ago when I was doing gunsmithing. I am real rusty and could use some tips!"

"Well guys, we are burning day light and we should get working."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:57, Fri 22 June 2007.

SNowy nods to Yazzie, now all business.
"Okay, well I have a shopping list; I'll need about two metres of gas, water or oil pipe in about six hundred mill diameter - it's not critical - for the Vasilek mount which has to be lifted above the gunwale. I need some ten mill steel plate for flanging and armour. I'm going to need a lot of this, as I'll be trying to box up the weapons and create bolt down deck mounts."

He looks speculatively at the DShKM and the Vasilek, designing mounts in his head.

"As for tools, we'll need grinder discs, welding rods and ten mill drill bits. I need you guys to scavenge any bolt, nut or screw you see. Carry a shifting spanner with you. I need you to look out for any APC hull you see, we'll chop the hatches out and put them over the pilot house. Yazzie and I seem to think alike."

"The sandbags will be probably have to be wired to wooden mounts, we can't box them because they create splinters when penetrated. Sorry guys, it's gonna be a crap job wiring them up. Keep an eye out for fencing, telephone wire, house wire and so on. Talking about telephone wire, if we scavenge telephones we can make a telephone system to each position. Beats shouting."

"If we need a salvage party to go into Nowa Huta, I will volunteer.

"Within 2 weeks of nuclear attack, radiation drops to a safe level.  After 3 years, the radiation level should be quite safe as long as we stay away from the epicentre or blast crater, and any metal near it like building skeletons, cars, and so on.  The fallout around has either washed away or is no longer dangerously radioactive by now."

"We'll need to check all metal we scavenge for contamination or Beta emission, but that's what the Geiger counter is for.  There are no APCs around here, but we can see what tools are available."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:15, Fri 22 June 2007.

"Yeah mate, there aren't any APCs around here, but Nowy Huta is huge. Keep an eye out, there's been a lot of war around."

"It sounds like a salvage party to Nowa Huta will be required if we are to get any decent quantities of steel plate, not to mention some of the other stuff that Snowy wants to do a good job"

"Due to the radiation danger Im going to ask for volunteers unless anyone has a better idea ?"

Konrad grins

"And as Ive got a geiger counter in my pack as well, I will be one of those volunteers. With Dawid and myself I would say we need atleast two more"

He looks around at the group

"Snowy might be best if you stay here and get this organised and started if you can. Any chance we can get the Ural fixed to use ?"

"Yes boss, although I think you'd do better on the other side of the river. It's just as industrial and didn't get nuked."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:53, Fri 22 June 2007.

"To search there, we would have to load the Ural on to the barge and transport it across the river. We would have to find a landing area there and security would be more of an issue. I'm willing to try this if you wish. But first, my friends, we must eat. All of this debating has awakened my appetite. The refugees have invited us to dine with them this day. They are, I'm sure, very curious to meet you."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:03, Fri 22 June 2007.

With the armament plan for the Krolowa more or less decided, Old Adam leads the party, on foot, up the path around the Tumulus and towards the Abbey. The Polish crew remain behind to continue their work. As you emerge from the trees that border the burial mound, the grey sky is fully revealed, hinting strongly at rain later in the day. You approach the abbey from behind. The medieval building is ominously beautiful, despite the obvious shelling (or airstrike) damage. In it's lee, a small wooden building- which Adam identifies as a smokehouse- has been erected. Nearby, the refugees are in the process of spreading clear plastic sheeting over a wooden frame to create a greenhouse. Goats roam through corn stubble in a small, cultivated field bordering the abbey. A large pig pen and several chicken coups are built right up against a roofless portion of the main building. It is apparent that a nearly independent community has arrisen here in the shadow of nuclear devestation.

A figure approaches- civilian, but armed with a slung AK. Shouted greetings reveal the figure to be a woman, one of two, Adam quietly explains, that help make up the Abbey's nascent security force. She leads you towards a low-roofed building which still serves as the communal eating place. Maybe three dozen people are assembled there. Men, women, and children of almost all ages are gathered on benches at wooden tables. They greet you warmly, speaking mainly in Polish and spurts of broken English. Although their words are largely foreign to you, their meaning is clear. The refugees obviously have a very high opinion of Adam, so much so that it carries to all of those that he cares to associate with. You are led to a table piled high with food, steaming plates of various meats and sausages as well of dishes made of potatoes, turnips, and corn. To drink, pitchers of water that the civilians assure you- using hand signs- has been filtered and is safe to drink. And, for the adventurous, a powerful homebrew that the locals loosely refer to as Vodka.

After an hour's feasting and chit-chat, Adam stands, makes a final toast to your hosts, and indicates that it is time to return to the boat. You stand, make your goodbyes, and begin to waddle back to the anchorage, stuffed to the gills. It's the best you've eaten in months, if not years. Adam carries containers of food and bottles of liquor for those who remained on the boat.

After a few minutes spent sitting around the clearing, recovering from the glutony of the feast, the subject of preparation for the voyage comes up again.

OOC: Now it's time to post what you'd like to do for the rest of the afternoon. It's about 1pm, game time.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:41, Fri 22 June 2007.

Feeling sated but knowing there was much work to be done, Dawid shook off the effects of the Wodka he's sipped.

"Uh, so where were we?" He lit a cigarette.

"First, Snowy, I think most of the tools you mentioned are available in the boat's machine shop, like welding equipment and a grinder.  Which makes sense to keep this beast running."

"Second, the radiation hazard for Nowa Huta is minimal.  Only if we pick up metal that's irradiated, and only if it's at the epicentre.  There shouldn't be any dust, unless this part of Poland is a lot dryer than any other, plus it washes off.  The exception is if the weapons used were designed to "salt" the Earth with long-loved isotopes, but that's what Geiger counters are for, and we can wear our gas masks to limit ingestion."

"At least we can perform some radiological reconnaissance, see what the hazards are like before we commit ourselves."

"Last, I say stick the darn PKM anywhere, if that's what's holding us up!"  He grinned.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:52, Fri 22 June 2007.

Snowy shakes his head quietly, responding with "I'm not being clear. Because we'll be fabricating so much stuff, I'll need way above the normal consumables. I'll go through about ten grinding discs easily making the Vasilek mount alone. I'm not saying they don't have them here, I'm saying keep an eye out for them. Nowy Huta was the Soviet Bloc's largest metalworking centre, there's no way they can all be gone."

In a more general tone, he continues. "I'm gonna clean my weapon and start in on it. I've gotta inventory the tools we have to work with and what materials are stockpiled, then come up with some plans for the jobs. The main tasks identified so far are four weapon positions and armouring the wheelhouse. If there's enough stuff to go onto the mounts I will, but I think it'll be the wheelhouse first unless I strike it lucky with the stockpile. I reckon you'll be lucky to find anything on this side of the river, that looks like a groundburst to me - you won't catch me wandering around near a groundburst site."

Dawid nodded in response.  "I guess we can ask Adam if he has these supplies or not.  You never know!"

"You're correct, if that's a ground-contact explosion then radioactivity could still be a problem.  We can detect these harmful rays, and I'm still volunteering."

"I'd also like to use one of the rifles you brought, if no one minds."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Fri 22 June 2007.

Karl Uller sits against a crate nearby, with his wounded leg outstretched. Between mouthfulls of roasted pork brought back for him from the feast, he interjects,

"The other side is fucked too. One of the bombs hit there as well. The bombs exploded in the air, by the way. So I've heard at least. Anyone who really saw them explode should be blind now anyway, so who knows who is telling the truth." Uller adds, chuckling to himself.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:14, Fri 22 June 2007.

"Well guys, like I said I don't have much skill in metal so I will go back and fill more sandbags."

"Remember Snow, when you get metal you said you would give me a class- just yell when you're ready buddy."

"OK guys, if you want to help me, I will be out here !"

John will leave the tug and go back to the beach with his gear and fill more sandbags......
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:58, Sat 23 June 2007.

Konrad knows only limited Polish but he manages to get across his appreciation of the first good meal he has had in a while.

Once everyone from the team has finished eating Konrad speaks.

"Well I think a trip into Nowa Huta is the best option for us at this stage. If we take 4-5 of us and the Ural and see how much we can get in one day. The rest of the team stays here and helps Snowy with the prep work, agreed ?"


"We keep the geiger counters on and avoid any hot spots we find, so who is joining myself and Dawid?"

Tucker looks over to Dawid, "The PKM can be used as a back-up if one of the Dashka's go down or we just need some more firepower on one side than the other.  No sense in mounting it anywhere just yet, it might come in handy somewhere else!  I know that I can use some hands on re-training on these big suckers here," Tucker says pointinf to the DsHK's.


Tuck will raise his hand when Bayer looks for volunteers, "As long as I get clearance from medical sir, I'll go along with you!"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:43, Sat 23 June 2007.

Tucker will clean his plate of the first sit down meal he's had in probably years.  He will belch after he tries to repectfully finish everything on his plate and glass without being to obvious that he hasn't had a meal of this quality in sometime.

He will sit and try to communicate with his limited knowledge of the language with the locals when he can but, certainly feels more comfortable with his new group and in English.  Tucker will join Adam in saluting his guests with his toast and drinking down the home-brewed alcohol and then depart with him, thanking his hosts with handshakes and smiles walking out the door.

Walking out of the building, Tucker reaches into his shirt pocket for another cigar and his lighter.  He cuts off the end of the cigar and then lights it, puffing on it so it burns evenly, and then sits to enjoy it for a few minutes.  "I swear, I don't remember the last time I ate a meal like that!  And to top it off, some good old fashioned vodka and a cigar.  That was an excellent meal Adam, best most of us had in months, maybe years!"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:32, Sat 23 June 2007.

As John fills the first few sand bags he feels a knot in his stomach and then pain. Without talking to others, he will run behind the nearest cover and pull down his pants and let the river flow. After not eating a good meal in 3 years, this one hits his stomach hard and it wants to be free. But this is a good sign: it means he is healthy.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:00, Sat 23 June 2007.

Parks sits back with a grin after eating his fill, which isn't much. Avoiding the alcohol, he instead drinks water from his canteen and thanks his hosts as best he can in polish. As the feasting subsides and Adam departs, Parks gives a final thanks and  heads back to the ship to inspect the top of the wheel house. After looking it over and getting a general idea of the best means of providing cover while still allowing a decent field of view parks heads down to help Yazz with the sandbagging.

" Well it's been a while since I did this shit." Parks says with an effort and a smile. "Can't say I've missed it." Parks jokes. Seeing Yazz run off into the bushes unexpectedly has Parks ducking instictivly and looking for a threat for a second. Hearing the sounds that follows, Parks starts laughing harder then he had in years. Trying to compose himself somewhat, Parks half blurts out. Well it's good to be around Marines again. Upwind atleast. Parks goes back to his work but can't seem to stop chuckling to himself for a few minutes. Knowing it will probable be his turn in the bushes soon, Parks makes note of Yazzies general position to avoid at all costs later.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:07, Sat 23 June 2007.

"That I will be happy to do."

"My last suggestion regarding the PKM is a pintle mount with gunshield mounted on the cupola behind the Vasilek.  That way we have the best of all worlds: flexibility for the forward gunners, the ability to dismount it quickly and move it around the ship or on shore because the bipod is always attached.  Neither gun fouls the other."

"But first, let me propose a toast to our hosts."  He raised his glass of wodka.  "To the good people of the Abbey.  With the help of God and the Holy Black Madonna of Częstochowa we shall endure this latest Deluge and let these fires temper our people, so that one day Poland shall be free."

He raised his glass higher to include the people around him, "Na Zdrowie!"

OOC: "To your health!"

At some point after lunch/dinner, Dawid takes the AKM and AK-74 in stores, smokes a cigarette while he unloades them and strips them down, cleans and oils them, then reassembles them.  "These Izhmash-made Russian rifles are garbage.  Nothing like the Polish Wz88!"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:20, Sat 23 June 2007.

Equipped by Adam with schematics for the Wisla Krolowa, a pencil, and some paper, Snow begins to draw up plans for the militarization of the tug. Yazzie returns to filling sandbags wtih Gunny Parks. After warning Tucker not to do any heavy lifting or move around too much, Anneka gets settled in the Krolowa's tiny sickbay, taking inventory of the ship's rather generous stockpile of medical supplies. Clarence, meanwhile, begins tinkering in the boat's radio room, long since stripped of most of it's equipment by government forces.

The remaining team members collect what MOPP gear they can for the foray into Nowy Hutna. It's been over two years since the city was blasted by three nuclear airburst devices- for the most part, radiation levels should be relatively managable for short periods of time. The rain of the last few days should also help reduce the quantity of any floating, radioactive dust. As long as they stick to the outskirts of the city and avoid lingering directly under the detonation zones, they shouldn't pick up too many rads. At least, that's what Adam says...

With Snowy's "shopping list" in hand, the away team loads aboard the Ural, repaired while they were away at the Abbey. Adam's engineer, Grzyech, somehow was able to find a serviceable replacement tire on the bows of the Krolowa, transfering it from boat's bumper to the Ural. Aside from the multiple holes in the windshield and cab, the truck has been restored to its previous running condition.

With Max at the wheel and Tuck, Konrad, Joost, and Blue aboard, the truck climbs the path up the banks, around the tumulus, past the abbey, and pulls onto the road running into the outskirts of Nowy Hutna.

OOC: Those staying may, of course, continue to RP and do things around the boat. I'm going to create another group for the folks going into town.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:36, Sun 24 June 2007.

John will work hard and continue to fill sand bags until the time (as stated in the schedule) for him to go and have alone time. He will fix a bed on the deck of the ship and sleep once it becomes night fall.

Dawid took the recovered AK-74, loaded it and placed the 2 spare magazines into his 5-pouch chest ammo harness.  Before arming himself, he sought out Cpt. Bayer.

Saluting, he asked, "sir, as I will be under your direct supervision, is it permissable that I be armed?  If so, unless my pistol is returned, I should like to take a rifle, as the machine-gun will be too bulky."



Before putting on his gas mask, Dawid advised the men with him, "there is little danger from fallout in most locations.  However, there will be "hot spots" where actual fissionable material like Plutonium and Strontium-90 from the bombs themselves have collected.  These will still be wery dangerous, and breathing or ingesting these particles in will be harmful or even fatal, if not immediately then eventually.  These dust particles cannot penetrate our skin (although Beta and Gamma rays can).  Therefore, we need little in the way of special protective clothing other than the masks, but we should be prepared to wash our clothing afterwards and take a bath in the river."

Instead of the insect-like Russian gas mask, his Polish-made MP-4 gas mask looked a lot like the old US-style M17 gas mask (sans water tube).

http://www.geocities.jp/utr198...to/polishotafuku.jpg

Edit: Dawid was originally going to take one of the rifles, then it occurred to me that it would be proper to ask the CO first.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Sun 24 June 2007.

Tucker goes through his duffel bag and finds a couple of bottles he had burried in there.  He pops the lids on two different bottles and takes two different types of pills (one mild pain reliever and one antibiotic) for his wounds.  Obviously favoring his leg slightly, he gingerly walks over to where Bayer is, "I'm ready to go sir!  You want the front seat or the back?  With all due respect, I wouldn't normally even ask but, I'm not trying to get re-stitched when I get back Cap'n.  I'll get the men lined up and ready to board," he says to Bayer.

Tuck will turn to the people going on the excursion into town.  He says with some authority in his voice, "All Right!  Everyone on this expedition, on me!  Front and center!"  Tucker will let everyone get there, "OK everyone, at ease!  Anyone got anything before we pull out? [letting Dawid give his information]  If that's all, lock and load and let's get this over with.  Make sure you check your targets and beyond if we have to engage!"

Clarence finds his duffel in one of the tug's passageways and changes from his civilian clothes into an set of insignia-less American BDUs. Then, with a crewman's help, Clarence locates the tug's one-time radio room. Although it's been stripped bare of anything remotely useful, Clarence searches for anything that could help him boost his radio's range.