"I'm not doing anything useful right now," said Smoker.

"I'll go back up and see where he's got to."

Smoker started limping back up the stairs.

In reply to Smoker Nix (msg # 322):

Hospital security stopped Smoker, checked his ID, let him pass. He started back up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Jason was rushed into surgery. A physician in the ER taped up Trask's ribs. "Dr. Gupta" joked to Trask about, "no more "Flying Wallenda" routine of trying to jump 20 feet six stories up for you. Crazy, man!"

Outside an SUV pulled up in the hospital floodlights. Four men dressed in black dusters, mirrored sunglasses (at night no less) and cowboy hats got out. Underneath their coats were barely concealed weapons, gear and body armour. One with a handlebar moustache walked up to Peter and the Posse, flashed some ID. It said he was "Mike Barnes, Chief Special Investigator" for the Mayor's office.

Despite looking like a major dick, he seemed polite enough. "Sorry to bother you folks. Would someone please fill us in on what happened? There were reports a friend of yours had a leg torn off by something up in the Steel Sky. And for that matter, a different friend of yours encountered something... strange up on the 6th floor.

Peter started to follow after Smoker but the Special Investigator showed up. He stifled a sigh and looked at Jane. He gave a shrug. "I do not mind telling you what part I was privy to, though Increase Trask I believe was witness to more than I." He gestured towards Smoker had gone. "However, it will have to be as we go since one of our friends is still missing up on the floor we just left, and we need to find him."

Peter started heading to show his credentials to the guards to head after Smoker.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 323):

Trask nodded at the remark, but kept quiet otherwise as he was patched up. When he was done Trask spent a few minutes redressing himself and feeling the pain that comes with it. He meets up with the others just as the "feds" arrive and gets the feeling they know what is up on the roof.

"I am guessing that you know what is up there and this is not the first time it has made someone see things and then thinking that jumping off the roof is a good idea ?"

Smoker dragged himself up the stairs to the top floor and began a systematic search for Dalton.

In reply to Smoker Nix (msg # 326):

Jane gave her report in short concise words as she wanted to get this over with so she could go and help look for their missing member.  She didn't want to go but she knew she had to go.  Such was her life.

Barnes detailed two of his agents to check out the smokestack and where it interfaced with the Steel Sky. He accompanied Peter and the others up the elevator to the top floor to look for Dakota.

One of his men stayed with Trask to finish his report. "I can't say 100% we know what's up there, but we have our suspicions. This is the first solid eyewitness report we've had and we're going to comb the Steel Sky until we find out what the heck it was that chomped on your friend. As for the hospital, yeah, the top floor was an insane asylum for a long time but they shut it down fifty years ago. Since then we have noticed a higher than expected suicide rate in the area and the top floor seemed to be the epicentre."

When Jane, Peter, Smoker, Fred and Barnes arrived, they began another search of the upper floors. They were joined by Hellestromme Memorial security. The empty trash-filled corridors and rooms echoed with voices, lit by flashlights.

They heard a yell, "we found someone, over here! Is this your friend?"

Dakota was there, in the room that was once the psych ward. He had hanged himself using an electrical cord. His face was purple as they lowered him to the floor and began CPR.

Peter spoke in the elevator as they rode it up, telling Barnes in quick strokes of what had happened up above. He didn't get into a ton of details, but neither did he leave anything out. Then he let Jane speak or Barnes ask questions.

Once they hit the floor they were looking for, however, he was all business. He started searching quickly for their missing ally. He didn't find Dakota, but someone else did and gave a yell. Peter hurried over to where the shout had come from. He winced and looked stricken when he saw the state the man was in.

Almost to himself he whispered, "...somehow I doubt this was actually suicide." He shook his head. "This place..."

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 329):

Barnes nodded in agreement.

"You know, I think we need to seal off this floor and take care of whatever it is that's livin' up here. If we don't more people are gonna die. I'm sorry 'bout your friend.

"I was a Texas Ranger, once, like your buddy Jason. Back afore the war men like me and him would hunt down them critters that got him, and take out whatever it was that haunts places like this. Then it was to keep order and prevent people from panicking, and to keep these kinda things from gettin' too powerful. Now it's just survival."

He started giving orders by radio. One team would seal off the top level of the hospital. Another would begin tracking the critter that was hiding somewhere in the Steel Sky.

"How can we help?" asked Smoker.

Jane had given her statement to barnes but was quiet when she saw Dakota.  Looking over at Peter and she gave him a nod.  "I'd have to agree with you Peter."  Then she straightened up a little bit more and started to look around the area to see if anything jumped out to say it was facilitated.  It was one thing to have the horrors affect your mind and convince you to take take that final step but it would be another thing if a "person" had convinced, or assisted, him.

Barnes smiled and shook his head, then re-thought it an nodded. "Usually I just tell people "move along, nothing to see here". You folks have earned a rest, you've been through a helluva lot. Yep, I think maybe there's something pretty fishy goin' on here. Your friend Trask was almost convinced to jump.

"But I also know the Mayor thinks you guys can take care of business, and whatever this is smoked your buddy, so yeah, we're gonna do some diggin' around. When we're ready to go in for the kill we'll let you know, if ya'all want to be in on it. Fair deal?"

It was clear he was talking about whatever was infesting the hospital's top floor, not whatever it was up in the Steel Sky. Barnes then pointed up.

"As for whatever's up in the Steel Sky, let's just say it's probably a... mutant. Or maybe a bio-engineered organism, a "chimera", kind of a critter developed in some secret lab before or during the war, or after. I get a feeling the end's gonna be a lot quicker for it when we track it down. But again, if we can trap or bait it, you'll be there if we can swing it. If a search party finds something and lights it up, well, that'll be all she wrote."

Were Rowan or Jason there, they would understand that describing disturbing beings as "mutants" or "bio-engineered organisms" was a common way that Wasters protected their sanity from the horrors that lurked outside in the dark deserts and forests of the Wasted West. Hallucinations and hysteria due to chemical or biological agents were also common explanations, as was the work of Sykers and Cyborgs.

Smoker nodded, wondering if the explanation being offered was correct. There were plenty of mutants and such around, but they generally found new ways to rip your head off rather than mess with your mind.

Peter nodded at sealing off the floor. That was a good first step. The exposition about the previous position as a Texas Ranger as well as what that entailed supernatural-wise was interesting. And he was right about just trying to survive rather than working towards the greater good - that was most people's lives nowadays.

As to the offer to inform them about being in on the end of the hunt, Peter said "We'd appreciate it."

He raised an eyebrow as the man talked about whatever was in the Steel Sky. He was less interested in revenge on anything, in the hospital or in the Steel Sky, than he was about safeguarding others from harm - well, along with himself. Though a little vengeance wasn't too be looked down on.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 335):

Fred shook his head as he looked at Dakota's lifeless corpse.

"I expect it's been a long day for everyone.

"Let's head back to the hotel. Mister Barnes and his people can take care of matters here."

In reply to Fred Biletnikoff (msg # 336):

Trask got up from the chair and clutched his side as he did so. "Yes I could do with a drink, as could we all I would bet." He stands for a second and looks kind of wobbly on his feet before seemingly gaining his balance.

"You OK, Trask?" asked Smoker, not that he was much more stable himself.

"I think it's time to regroup.  Perhaps Trask needs to get some medical attention also and at the very least a drink."

In reply to Smoker Nix (msg # 338):

"Yea they bandaged me up real good. Just the first time on my feet, I'll be fine."

In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 340):

The Posse limped back to the hotel. In-suite jacuzzis and Egyptian cotton sheets (if a little threadbare by now) scarcely made up for the death of a good friend.

The early morning, around 0700, came with a message on the rooms' communication walls.

BIKER ON HOVERBIKE SPOTTED BUYING SPOOK JUICE IN CORTEZ COLORADO THIS AM. SOUNDS LIKE "KARGO".
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:18, Wed 26 Apr 2017.

Smoker opened one eye, focussed on the message, yawned and rolled over again. Hopefully if they wanted him they'd come get him.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 341):

Trask made a grab for his revolver off the night stand and was ready to do the screen in had he managed to grab the weapon before the shooting pain in his side told him not to be a dick.

Whoever thought that was a good idea was going to get a kick in the nads. As he turned and placed his feet on the floor he sent a couple of the prewar scotch bottles skittering across the carpet and the noise garnered a groan from the red head on the other side of the bed.

Trask found a half empty bottle and took a couple of large swigs before getting up and trying to find some clothes. Giving up he made his way to the bathroom and spent a good amount of time making himself presentable or at least what passed for presentable these days.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:59, Wed 26 Apr 2017.

In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 343):

The sender code was from Fred. It sounds like his request for information on the biker bore fruit!

Then Smoker suddenly sat bolt upright. Maybe this was a chance to deal with that Kargo rotter. Stealing a man's firearm and shooting him with it was bad enough, but going off with someone's ride was unconscionable!

At breakfast, Fred said, "there's not much I can elaborate on. We know Kargo was seen heading south.

"I do know the police managed to get some confessions out of the other bikers they detained. Kargo mentioned that he was looking to join another gang. He wanted to meet with them in DeRitter, Louisiana. Apparently he stopped at that bar just outside Junktyard to pick up a message with the rendez-vous location.

"While this is a matter of personal vengeance, Junkyard is willing to comp as much fuel as you can carry."