In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 683):

The guides continued to watch up and down the passage, as well as the pipe and ductwork that covered the ceiling and the hatches and manholes on the road surface.

After a few minutes the guide came back and talked to Buck.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 684):

He turned to the Posse.

"My scout says that something's wrong up ahead. There's normally a Moorlock sentry we meet to let them know we're passing through their territory, we don't want trouble. That post is empty. Damn sight unusual. Well, there's no ambush so I figure we'll continue on."

Buck tapped the driver of the topless SUV on the shoulder. "Get rollin', keep it slow."

Peter made a small noise and then let out a sigh. "I would guess either the Combine rolled through. But I have no evidence of that, just a feeling." He glanced at Jane and Smoker, and then went back to being watchful.

"Better make sure you're ready."The Colonel did his best to shake off the quite annoying flashback. He checked his weapons, something that always calmed him and put his M4 up so he'd be ready to react to whatever might happen. He also took the time to smile reasuringly at Rowan.

Jason makes sure that his swords will clear their scabbards and that his pistol is loaded and his spare mags are handy. With that he holds his P-90c and is ready.

Trask moves off with everyone else. He has finished his checks and now just watched the radar for anything unusual as they made there way through the maze.

Rowan unslings her AK and chambers a round then uses her new NVG's to have a good look around

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 686):

"If it was Combine, they would shoot the hell outta everything. But there's just nothing. Maybe we'll see more as we get further in."

The idling vehicles were put into gear and moved off.

The radar signal from the Wolverin's sensors was reflected from all the metal surfaces. It wasn't designed to operate underground and was almost useless. Detail was lost in all the false positive signals.

Soon, they moved down the connecting onramp tunnel almost to the Interstate. The massive tunnel up ahead had been bored to drive the freeway under the congested downtown of Junkyard. Night vision was a little better, showing the tunnels in a green-lit wash. They moved up to what appeared to be an improvised roadblock of some kind. Vehicles and debris had been dragged to seal off the roadway with a wall of tangled wreckage, leaving a free lane blocked by a car that still had wheels and could be pushed aside to allow entry. The car had been pushed aside, leaving a dark gap that the open-topped SUVs could just fit through.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 692):

Macon leaned out of the Humvee and spoke to Trask.

"Hey, man. That don't look too safe. You obviously don't need me for transport. I'm gonna di di mao back to the surface. If you need a pickup I'll be there."

At his signal, the Humvee began a clumsy 3-point U-turn, intending to head back up the tunnel to the surface.

In reply to Macon (msg # 693):

Trask stopped opposite the Humvee drivers side door. "Understood my friend Macon. If you want to save some face and I survive this little foray into the dark we can catch up for another game of cards ? Keep your ride in one piece perhaps we can chance a hand against it..."

Macon could not see the smile across Trask's face as he moved forward and prepared to move out. He switched on the heartbeat sensor and narrowed the beam of the radar as he waited.

Peter glanced at the driver who wanted to leave, and then proceeded to do so. Peter couldn't blame the guy really. He didn't want to be down in cannibal-infested underground levels chasing after paramilitary units with hard-to-destroy robots either.

He turned his attention back to the tunnel ahead and looked over the roadblock ahead. "Well this sure will not be an ambush."

He looked at Buck. "In we go, yes?"

In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 694):

Inside the suit, Trask's HUD did not show the heartbeat sensor was picking anything up in the neighborhood of the barricade. Thermal was coming up negative as well.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 696):

"All clear, I am not getting anything." He waits to move forward when their guide gives the all clear.

Rowan lets her senses feel the area standing quietly while the rest prepare.
she wishes trickster had been willing to come with her.
her new rifle is slung over her back, her AK ready for use

Smoker reluctantly gathered himself up, clutching his FN and still looking unhappy.

In reply to Rowan Dawson (msg # 698):

Using the on-ramp tunnel they passed through the roadblock and onto the Interstate without incident. There was no sign of damage or bloodshed. The expected Moorlock watcher was simply gone.

The massive tunnel was a divided freeway, 8 lanes wide. They were in the Southbound lanes (I-15S), roadsigns announced that Salt Lake City was 11 miles south and Farmington was 7 miles north. The side walls and middle dividing wall were all covered with graffiti. There was trash strewn across all lanes. Strangely, there were not many abandoned vehicles and those that remained were pushed to the sides and stripped down to hulks. This left 2 lanes down the middle that were free of debris and abandoned hulks.

"EMPs were blocked by the Steel Sky dome and the tunnel. So on Judgement Day most drivers left. Some stayed, of course. The Moorlocks have boosted whatever's still running and stripped what's left." explained Buck.

Searchlights from the SUVs stabbed into the darkness around them. Shadows danced but aside from trash stirred up from their passage nothing moved. Trask's suit FLIR sensors didn't pick up any heat signatures, no

Not long after, they reached an offramp tunnel. Barely legible signs covered with scrawled graffiti announced that down there lay Hellestromme Corporate HQ (now City Hall) and the Civic Center.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 700):

Buck pointed down towards the offramp. "There, we can get to where City Hall is now. It's all been blocked off from the surface but that's where we'll pick up their trail."

He directed the SUVs to turn off and follow the offramp.

Trask listened to Buck make his assessment of what had happened. He had been at a local saloon when it all kicked off and didn't cotton on to what was happening until his poker buddies all seemed to disappear out the door. Trasks luck seemed to be on the mend just before the shit hit the fan so he was none to happy.

When the trucks started off Trask followed again keeping pretty close as they made their way further in.

Peter heard what was said and it filtered in to his brain...but that didn't his eyes from looking over the stripped-down cars as if just to make sure that there was nothing left. But the comment about City Hall snapped his attention back to focus and he gave a nod as he began to stay alert once more.

"Wouldn't it be better to scout on foot first?" The Colonel had gotten his bearings back and was getting used to the terrain. He was not confortable riding in unarmored vehicles into combat in a close environment.

In reply to COL Kurt L. Schaeffer (msg # 704):

Buck looked up ahead, then back at the underground throughfare.

"Normally I wouldn't. It's illegal to have dealings with the Moorlocks, but I can let you in on that we do have an arrangement with them. Part of that is we don't get off the trucks. But now we have missed our contact with the Moorlocks either they are gone or have decided to break our deal.

"Ah... sure, why not? You volunteering there, Colonel?"

  "Colonel if you need someone to 'run rabbit' I'm game." Jason offers if Schaeffer balks at running point alone on this one.

Peter raised his eyebrows inside his helmet. He wasn't very keen on getting off the trucks and going looking. That sounded like an extraordinarily bad idea. "Would it not be better to just keep moving and get through the territory? We have pressing matters and I would rather not anger remaining Moorlocks into action by dismounting if we are not supposed to."

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 707):

Buck sighed and lit a cigar. "Way-ell, someone ought to make a call here. My thinkin' is all bets are off with the Moorlocks. Either they changed the rules, or else they's in no condition to make an objection. But it will slow us down a piece."