Peter looked around carefully, taking note if there was any salvage that was good quality. But mainly just making sure that they were alone. He glanced at Smoker and then back at the body. "Well...that corpse looks to have been dead quite a while unless something ate all the meat and such off of him. It usually takes a while to get to the skeleton look."

OOC: Can we tell how long the corpse has been dead and if there is any sign of how they died?

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 58):

The corpse looks like it's been there a while. Six months at least, perhaps years longer? Someone would have to go closer to check.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group waited under overcast skies inside the ruins of the truck stop. Trejo organised everyone so that they had a 360-degree watch. He put Jane where she could use Rowan's M260 to cover the road, both directions. Rowan was acting as loader-assistant gunner. Winnie was watching the rear while Trejo kept a watch out front.

Trickster skulked around sniffing through the scrub, hunting a rabbit.

Peter will move forward and inspect the corpse a bit closer. He will not touch it for now, just look. "I do not think this is the person we are coming to meet. Not unless that person was living here a long time before our meeting was supposed to take place. Do you see anything that would identify the person?"

"Nope. Doesn't look like anyone's been here for a good six months, probably not since he shuffled off this mortal coil."

Smoker goes to look in the storeroom.

Moving up to the table, Peter noted that along with dozens upon dozens of empty liquor bottles (vodka, whiskey, scotch, rum) piled there. Along with those were several empty pill bottles next to where the skull rested on the table. On the floor beside the skeleton was an empty syringe.

On a space cleared among the litter on the table was a military issue backpack radio, and a code book of some kind.

Shining his torch around, Smoker discovered that at the far end of the store room was a toilet and shower. The plastic piping led towards the passage to the dry stream bed. Inside the storeroom was also a hot water heater tank, a small generator with tin ductwork leading up, and an HVAC unit. Several empty metal shelves stood among a jumble of flattened cardboard boxes, empty tin cans, bottles, jars, and discarded plastic wrappers. A path was cleared from the main room to the toilet, but not the shower.

Peter raised his eyebrows. That looked for all the world like a junkie or someone who really liked to get drunk and high. He shook his head and sighed softly. He looked at the cover and flipped through the codebook to see if it had any indication who was stationed here or who they worked for. He pocketed the codebook, but would only pick up the backpack radio, however, once they were ready to go.

"I found a codebook and a radio. One of the large backpack-sized ones the military used."

"Most of what's in here is trash. Looks as if the toilet had been used but not the shower. I'm going to have a look at the genny, see if there's any fuel for it..." said Smoker, picking his way over to the generator to see what state it was in.

Unlike bottles of booze bottles and porno dataslugs piled on the table, the radio and code book were free of the layer of dust and speckle of mould that permeated the old fallout shelter. The codes were organised by date and the dates were current up to the present and beyond for a few weeks.

The generator seemed to have run out of fuel and stopped on its own as it was still set to "on". It looked intact but if the layer of dust was any indication it had been sitting for years. Some minor work would be needed to make it run.

There was a metal trap door in the concrete floor with plastic piping leading into it. If Smoker had to guess, water was pumped from a well sunk under the fallout shelter into a cistern beneath the floor. The hand pump in the kitchenette could be used if the power wasn't functioning. There was a large steel stand-up freezer, door ajar.

In Smoker's opinion this was a decent hideaway, although he hadn't seen the sleeping quarters yet. Lord only knew where the front door led but it had to be well hidden or everything would be stripped down. The rear escape tunnel led to a stream that had water at least some of the time. There seemed to be a well, but he didn't know if it was dry or not. There seemed to be little or nothing in the way of weapons and supplies, but it was cool inside with not too much mould or mildew. With a week's work it could be quite habitable.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:33, Thu 09 Jan 2014.

"Right. We can use this as shelter, although I don't think there's much to salvage... and the place needs a good clean out. Have to look for a broom. And see if there's water in the well..."

Smoker checked the well and then went in search of the sleeping quarters.

Peter thought for a moment and then frowned. "I think we should head back up and inform the rest of what we have discovered. Then we can do more of a thorough search if people want." He hefted the radio and got it settled on his back, taking his time. Then stowed the codebook and slowly started heading towards the exit to give Smoker a few more moments of searching.

Peter will brace himself and carefully push the corpse backwards with one booted foot.

The loose conglomeration of bones toppled backwards with a clatter, grinning skull parting from the vertebrae to roll across the table and knock over empty beer bottles. There were no dog tags or other ID visible in the rags the held the bones. He did note the clothing was Deseret Republic (Mormon) Army surplus, of poor quality. Probably some lonely survivalist who decided to drink himself to death. The clearing of the bottles revealed a .44 Magnum revolver, and several cartridges among the trash on the table.

In the main room was a dataslug player and entertainment system.

Looking in the well, he thought there was water at the bottom of it. Whether or not it was fit to drink was another question! The bunkroom was in a state of general shambles. There were 4-steel frame bunk beds with stained mattresses, wadded-up blankets, clothing in a thick layer on the floor. There were closets with some military surplus clothing hanging in them.

Smoker came back at the clatter.

"Stop playing with him! Looks like there isn't much in the way of actual supplies, but a fair bit that could be scavenged - wire, equipment (even if it's bust) and so on. Guess this guy ran out of supplies and gave up. Looks like his woman left him as well... some female clothing in the bunkroom."

There didn't seem to be much more to explore in the dank musty fallout shelter, except for the main entrance door, which was closed. It probably led to some kind of hidden exit away from the streambed.

Once inside Rowan will take a look around. If no one else takes the revolver she will clear the chambers and place it and the ammo in the pack

In reply to Rowan Dawson (msg # 72):

Trejo let Rowan go, after moving to take up her position assisting Jane at the SAW covering the road. "Just be quick. And try not to surprise Peter or Smoker. Get yourself shot."

After emerging from the tunnel into the bunker, Rowan was surprised at the filth and squalor. She moved up behind Peter and checked the revolver. It hadn't been well-maintained and after lying so long in the open, there were spots of rust in the barrel.

Rowan does a quick look around to see if any thing has been missed then heads back up top.
"We waiting here" she asks the librarian

"Yes. Once we arrange the pickup, we could wait here. Might be the easiest thing."

In reply to Rowan Dawson (msg # 74):

Crouching beside where Jane had set up the saw in the ruins of the cinder-block truck stop, he surveyed the empty road. "Looks quiet."

Smoker started to clean up the main room.

In reply to Trejo (msg # 76):

Jane nodded to Trejo when he arrived.  "It's quiet so far.  You know the quiet never lasts long so enjoy it while you can." She then settled down again and slowly nodded.

In reply to Jane Guin (msg # 78):

Without solid answers on the corpse, Peter returned with a backpack radio. Smoker stayed to clean up. He started stacking trash by the main exit.

At the ruins of the truck stop, they set up the radio Peter brought and Fred transmitted the code for pickup. Trejo kept an eye on the road, Winnie watched over Simon.

Peter looked at Fred then Trejo. "Corpse down below. Don't think it was one of yours." He gave a shrug and looked at Jane, face blank.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 80):

Jane gave Peter a small smile when he returned and also gave him their sign that she wanted to talk to him alone.  She was off to one side, still watching, and would wait for him to approach her.  She didn't normally give him the coded sign so she knew he would understand that it was important.

Listening on the radio, Fred copied down some numbers. He decoded them using the book.

"Good news. The retrieval team is en route. Five hours at this rate. Around 11 am."