This message was deleted by the player at 19:45, Thu 08 Nov 2018.

"Welcome back," Elliot says.

In reply to Elliot Charles Pendergrass (msg # 81):

Another night was spent out near the northwestern tip of the Olympic Penninsula, just east of Neah Bay.

There was a peaceful visit by the local Makah headman, Sea Otter. He was sympathetic about the previous night's visit to the camp by the grizzly and the theft of food. "Old Man Grizzly" was a local and he was glad no one killed him, but he understood that if Old Man attached the team would need to defend themselves.

That night passed more peacefully. The temperature also dipped well below freezing (-6C), but it did not snow. By dawn it hadn't even really warmed to zero, there was frost everywhere under grey clouds with a few blue patches. The nearby creek had frozen over.

They started out again, with roughly 80 km to go they should reach La Push south along the coast in about five hours. Once they rounded Cape Flattery (the most northwestern point of the former USA) the southerly wind slowed them somewhat but the waves were calmer than before. Off the port beam to the east were heavily forested. To the east was open ocean, endless dark swells reaching to Asia, now under grey skies.

"The old man needs to eat too, Sea Otter.  We don't begrudge him his share."

Once back out to sea Jimmy tracks their progress on the autonav.

"Leaf, can you help me locate our objective on our nav?"

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 83):

She tried for a while to find it on the map, then gave up, unhappy.

"Maybe... not really, sorry!

"It looks very different. After the Great Burning the coastline is changed. There are new islands. Cliffs collapsed. Giant waves from across the ocean, so they say, stuck the shore.

"I'll know it when we get there. It is about 30-40 miles down the coast from the Makah's point. Before then we'll see the red island."

In reply to Leaf Water Wind (msg # 84):

After about a half hour they passed the Makah village just south of the point. Smoke drifted lazily above the thick forests. A cold southerly headwind blew in their faces, and the morning began to warm ever so slightly after the freezing cold night.

"Let's hurry up and get there," Elliot says. "This trip has been boring."

"Boring is the best kind of trips, Elliot.  I like them as boring as possible.  Thanks for the try Leaf."

"No thanks, Elliot.  I had enough excitement just hearing about the big-ass bear that could have killed us all.", Lina said. She turned back to the rail and watched the shoreline pass by.

A little while later they approached the "Red Island". It first appeared as a too-smooth dark hump rising out of the cold grey Pacific. Water foamed as waves broke around it. Seagulls wheeled above it.

This islet did not appear on any prewar map. It was obvious why when they got a little closer. It was the surviving bow and part of the keel of some massive capsized ship, completely rusted red, corroded and speckled with the white of over a century of bird droppings. There were rings of barnacles and seaweed around the base as it stuck out of the water, marking the rise and ebb of countless tides.

Red Island marked the edge of where Captain Kim had ventured. Leaf said nothing, merely looking out at it, lost deep in thought, as the Naughty Lass puttered by.

Jimmy watches the 'Red Island' pass with the others, also silent.  It took a moment but he recognized it for what he was.  Words seemed insufficient.

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 90):

"They say that this showed up a year or two after the war. The beaches were black and smelled terrible all up and down the coast for a generation. That was a long time ago, the black went away and is all gone now."

A slow nod as his eyes remain upon the hulk.

"An oil tanker, we would have called it.  It's big belly full of oil pumped from far underground.  Much farther than a well for water.  The world ran on that black oil at one time.  I think we are better without it."

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 92):

The young woman nodded. "I had a dream about the coming of the Red Island, many years ago, when I was a young girl. The ship was empty of all life, all the crew dead. It drifted through the Year of No Summer. The liquid that was inside was the black blood of Earth. It was important once, maybe never again.

"These dreams and visions... they come to me, some times. I had a vision, like that, of the cave of the War Whale. That there was great sadness, of the old world, and a lingering danger and sickness. It seemed important to go there, to bring our people together there, to pray and purify it. But hopefully it's not actually unsafe. That's what you and your people will be doing there. Making sure it's safe?"

Jimmy takes in what Leaf has said wide-eyed.

"Leaf, that is simply amazing.  Yes, there may be lingering danger and sickness and that is what we are worried about.  If that boat was what we called a Boomer, we may be in for quite a trial."

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 94):

"Yes. I think somehow this Boomer, it is bringing us here. To do something, carry out some duty or service. I feel it."

Jimmy looks to Leaf with a thoughtful expression and nods.

"It may have been waiting for us people from the past to do this duty, my friend."


He turns back to watch the likely tanker recede in the distance, the silence eventually interrupted by the radio.



"Lina, Flash Traffic!  That's our callsign."

"Thanks Jimmy. I got it." Lina said as she stepped into the cabin.

She reached into he neck of her shirt and pulled the cord that was attached to their CEOI.  She checked the authentication code against the calling station to verify it was actually them. It was.


Today: Mahalina Rae Powell rolled 36 using 1d100 with rolls of 36.  Authenticate radio code. Communications 60+20
This message was last edited by the player at 00:35, Fri 30 Nov 2018.

"What the hell is Krell? Do any of you guys know about these people?", Lina asked, clearly annoyed with the introduction of new enemy just 4 days out of the tube.

In reply to Mahalina Rae Powell (msg # 98):

With no apparent reaction from Jimmy, or a reply, the boat puttered closer to their destination. Within the hour they spied the headlands behind which the former James island (now a peninsula once again) lay in at the mouth of the Quillayute river by the ruins of la Push.

"Anyone know a bit more about this Krell lot?"

Capt'n Kim  "Whales like to eat them"

He might not of heard the question correctly, due to the wind.

Filat sat in his favourite spot; just at the transom and to one side, sitting on a crate. He had his bow here stored so it couldn't fall in and he would sit, smoke roll-you-own cigarettes and cradle the Dragunov as he watched the shore.



Filat cupped his inevitable cigarette against the wind and says "the Ruskya know of these 'Krell'. They hunt The Morrow Project people and steal their goods. They seem to know where your depots, your 'caches', are and plunder them. They are very well equipped and trained, they are very tough fighters."

"Thank you Filat.  Hmmm.  Tough customers, and we should avoid them if possible.  Means they have access to the same information as us, and directly oppose us.  This might change our objective if they are danger close."

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 103):

Leaf, the native guide, spoke up, "uh, what is "danger close"? Because we are only about ten miles out now from the tomb. We'll be there in about three quarters of an hour at this rate." Like many people of this time and place Leaf didn't generally use exact minutes unless she really needed to, instead measuring time in the movement of the sun and the tides.