In reply to Vundra (msg # 182):

Realising that he'd forgotten to place Vundra somewhere in the group, Schaeffer let him stay where he was.

Smoker went into the tunnel, taking the right seeing as Dakota had already veered left.

Jane nodded to Rowan.  "Thanks Rowan.  One can't have enough weapons at times can one.  Well some of us can't anyway."

After a moment to think on it, Jane smiled and handed back Rowan's gun to her.  "On second thought, part me likes the idea of taking my own on this.  I would take both but then would barely move.  There might come a time when I might need it again and I do thank you for the loan."

Jane was quiet as she was assigned to whatever position they felt she could be best served at but her mind was busy wondering why The Colonel was rambling a bit.  He seemed out of sorts as well as some other things weren't quite adding up right.  Perhaps she was just tired.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:59, Thu 06 Nov 2014.

The small "patrol" entered the pedestrian corridor connecting the Hilton with City Hall. At one point Hellstromme VIPs and employees would use this conduit to travel between the buildings without going on the ground level, which had narrow sidewalks.

The foyer by the door was carpeted, but the rest of the block-lock tunnel had marbled tile floors and tiled walls. Their footsteps echoed off into the distance, along with the panting of the police dog in the lead. Many lights were out, causing more and more shadow. Emergency lights were switched on to provide additional illumination.

There was something or someone up ahead.

Up in the lead, the Militia with the dog signalled a stop. The dog (Attila) barked once. "Up ahead. Looks like a crew, replacing lights. I heard they were doing that."

Sure enough, about 200 feet away were five people in work coveralls, with ladders and boxes, repairing the emergency lighting. They were moving quickly and efficiently, doing what they could in a limited time. Not replacing every light but just the ones in the greatest darkness.

Upstairs, the delegates were starting to get organised to begin moving to City Hall. It would actually take more like a half-hour to get everyone moving, not the desired 15 minutes.

Peter and Jane were sticking close to Simon while the others 'scouted'. He didn't like dividing the forces up, but he didn't see much of a good choice either way. He didn't have a weapon out, but he was definitely very armed with a machine pistol in a shoulder holster, a pistol tucked into his belt and an auto-shotgun slung over his back. He realized he needed to get more holsters...or stop carrying so many guns.

He stayed close to Simon and spoke quietly when there were only Simon's group around. "I hope you are well today, Simon. Were you able to get word to Jo so she does not show up?"

Dakota eyes the workers suspiciously after he checks to see if his side is clear. Though its not that unusual Dakota it would make sense they'd fix the lights before traveling down this tunnel the wary gunslinger ponders, "You'd think after tha world blew all ta hell, there'd be less menial labor.".

Smoker limped forwards a few steps, checking on what the repair crew were doing.

Simon nodded.

"I don't know if she got it, but a runner took the message to the RV point. She's not here. I assume she's staying away. Good thinking, either way."

Schaeffer kept moving forward, weapon at low-ready (pointed at the floor an angle in such a way that the M4 could be easily brought to bear). "With industrial society gone, most labour is menial, now. Scavenging, digging and removing rubble, building town walls, planting crops. But I would be guessing that there is overall less janitorial work happening."

The two militia moved up to check IDs. The foreman had a paper work order he pulled out of a pocket.

As they did, Smoker saw that aside from the ladders there was a hand-truck they were using to carry replacement bulbs and the burned out ones they replaced. It seemed they were on the up-and-up, although the cart had a lower storage compartment that could be used to hide weapons. The three men and two women (one of these a mutie with keliods covering the left side of her face) were dressed in maintenance coveralls and tool belts (small tools like screwdrivers, pliers, crimpers for electrical cables, etc.). None were armed. The dog sniffed them and the cart but seemed uninterested.

Peter gave Simon one of his rare small smiles. "I try to help with what little I can when I can. The smile disappeared and Peter's face started to slip into uneasy before quickly going stone-faced. "I just...feel that something isn't quite right. I don't know what yet."

He glanced over at Jane for a long moment. "Here's to hoping I am wrong and just being a paranoid old man."

As Smoker approached the workers Dakota moved in closer, so as to cover Smoker if anything went to hell, but far enough away from the workers to not scare them to badly. The whole time he kept Melon Splitter at a low ready. "Hey, are those bulbs up ta code? Wouldn't want ta get tha power bill too high."

Simon looked at Peter, then around at the milling delegates. He nodded, then shrugged. "I can't say what it is, either. Maybe just PTSD. Been fightin' monsters too long."

In reply to Dakota Jack Cardinal (msg # 194):

The woman smiled. "Yeah. These lights aren't supposed to be used for routine lighting. But every building before the war needed to have 'em and they are rugged enough to still be working. So we use 'em."
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:57, Fri 07 Nov 2014.

Dakota fixes his dead gaze on one of the whispering workers, still keeping his rifle low, he says in a deathly calm and imposing voice "So what are you two hiding," gone is all the humor Dakota typically displays towards others and he seems to take on the visage of death itself.

Jane gave Peter a small nod when he muttered low under his breath about hoping to being wrong.  Of course soon or later he would be right.  Call it occupational hazard if you will but sooner or later there would be fighting.

Smoker took a look at one of the lamps, his usual curiousity about anything technological coming to the fore.

 Rowan smiles "to quote a film".
"I feel a disturbance in the force"

She adds in "truth Simon the way has much to teach"


“Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our point of view.”

Taken from another Wisdom

"I am a knight."
 "We walk in the dark places no others will enter."
 "We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass."
 "We live for the code, we die for the code"


Rowan Smiles
"And if that was not written for your people Simon I have never heard a passage that was."


Rowan carries on guarding Simon in all the ways she can using both her senses and Tricksters
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:34, Fri 07 Nov 2014.

In reply to Dakota Jack Cardinal (msg # 197):
Checking the carts, Smoker determined there was nothing suspicious. Emergency lights, florescent tubes, brackets, ballasts, screws and fasteners.

The workers all stopped and stared at Dakota in various stages of shock and fear. Light bulbs scattered and dropped onto the tile floor, some breaking. "Holy shit! He's going to kill us! Fucking RUN!" One man jumped off the ladder, stumbled, then took off down the tunnel at a dead run. The ladder clattered over and fell. Another man was right behind him, as was one of the women. All three were ripping off their tool belts to run faster. Tools flew everywhere. The foreman cowered against the wall, uncertain what was going on.

"But... they wanted us to change the lights! They told us to change the lights! DON'T KILL US! JESUS, PLEASE Don't kill me! I've got a wife and kid, mister! I don't know what we did wrong! Tell me what we did wrong!" He was almost sobbing now.

The only person standing up to Dakota was the mutie woman. She shook her head in disgust. "Good going, dickbag. There goes the crew. Now we'll never get this done. If I see you coming, you better step aside, mister."

Surprised, the Militia acted confused. The canine handler fought to control his dog, which was barking wildly. "Attila! Down!" The other brought his M22 rifle to cover the running workers, then Dakota, then back, wondering who he should shoot and thinking he might just let God sort them out. "What's going on? Somebody say something quick or I'll shoot someone!"

In reply to Rowan Dawson (msg # 200):

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Sounds familiar. Some sort of ancient writing, Rowan?

"Oh, looks like some kind of commotion in the tunnel."

Dakota still stern faced cracks a smile at the mutie woman "Well I'll be damned, most jerks just crap themselves and run off, like those guys!" Dakota laughs and props Melon Splitter on his shoulder. "Sorry 'bout that guys I was just test'n ya. But when'vr yer ready to wrassle I'm game lady." Dakota gives the mutie lady a wink.

In reply to Dakota Jack Cardinal (msg # 203):

The woman sighed angrily and rolled her eyes. Righting the ladder, she said to the foreman, "c'mon, Bob. Let's finish up what we can. Those delegates are coming through any minute."

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 204):

Schaeffer hadn't intervened in the situation. After all, he didn't know if they were legit or not any more than Dakota did. He said, "everyone, please put your weapons down. I'm sure this is a misunderstanding. Let's continue, ya?"

This seemed to calm the MPs.

Smoker looks bemused by all this. Then he smiles at the one lady who stayed, and limps over to Dakota, looking up at the taller man.

"What was that all about? They were just doing their jobs, making the place a little nicer for everybody else... and you threaten them? It's just not on!"

"Well I did'nt like tha cut of their jib, and it was pretty funny when they all started runn'n 'round. 'Sides if they are gonna make some trouble, half of 'em won't go through wit it." Dakota says with a smile, "Lets see what trouble I can git in at the end o' this tunnel, Smoker." He says continuing down the tunnel with Melon Splitter at a low ready.