The next day, the trail leads deep into Lone Star territory. The contrails of high altitude Coalition aircraft crisscross the sky. The appearance of alien flora becomes substantially less common. Signposts at trail crossroads look more polished and are always written in clear American.

Around noon, the group notices a that buzzards are converging on specific spot just off the trail. When they pass closer, they detect the smell of death is carried by the breeze -- death and ozone. Coming over a ridge, they spot a small number of corpses off the road and a wrecked a CS hover car. From the trail, it looks like four or five bodies are being picked by the vultures. Some laser marks scorch the ground and nearby rocks, but there are no current signs of danger.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:31, Wed 20 July 2016.

In reply to GM Zaboem (msg # 1):

If no one makes a move towards the wreck, I'll just assume that the group passed it by without investigating.

++Any of your horse jocks want to saunter of to that wreckage to put eyeballs on it?++

Regardless Samuel focuses the Behemoths sensors over there to see if there are parts or something else worth scavenging.

Smartly played

Scans recognize the model of the hover car as being a Coalition Scarab car. The extent of damage to the car is impossible to determine, but Samuel can tell that the nuclear-powered engine is still there and intact. The windshield looks smashed. The bodies are cold.

'Well well well Samuel thinks to himself.'

Over the com system with the others he says, ++Would love to know if that thing is booby trapped, cause there is an intact nuclear powerplant in that vehicle that is worth pulling out and putting in storage.++

Doc shrugged, "Ain't much for trap findin' but I can cover who ever wants to check it. I'm ready when y'all are."

"How can I help ? Should I stay hidden ?"

Polk was in the compartment they built for him. He did use his eyes to look around for anyone who might be hidden. Used to camouflage himself.

"Yes, stay hidden in case it is a CS ambush."

Nobody has Detect Ambush, but this isn't an ambush, so that doesn't apply. Successful rolls of the Intelligence or Forensic skills might be used to determine what happened here.

"Ok, I will."
Polk curled up even using his natural chameleon abilities.

 Arulas sighs "A cyber-knight's work is never done." he thinks to himself.

"Let's go Doc. Just mind the buzzards." Arulas mounts the mustang and rides out slowly.

Doc flips the cyberknight the finger and draws his laser pistols. Giving Arulas a nod he moves towards the wreckage.

No one is hidden at the sight of the wreck. It becomes clear to even an untrained eye, that this is the sight of a battle, not an accident. The Scarab does have a damaged frame from crashing into a boulder. The driver seems to have been thrown from the vehicle. All of the bodies around the car have been stripped of their armor and weapons. In fact, nothing is missing outside of armor, weapons, and credit sticks. Whoever was here first took those items and left the rest.

Six human bodies are present. Each body is stripped down to military fatigues and carries blade wounds. The bodies still have their IDs in their pockets. One victim was a scientist from the Rift Investigation agency; he was from Fort El Dorado. Two were Dead Boys and fresh privates at that, based out of Lone Star. One was a corporal and CS Ranger also from El Dorado. One was a CS psi-stalker and sergeant based out of Lone Star. Then there was another sergeant, this one a partial borg with two clearly artificial eyes and one artificial leg from the knee down. The last was an officer, a lieutenant with more extensive cyberwear including both arms and a data jack.

The trunk of the car contains a portable laboratory (brand new), four signal flares, and a couple of days worth of CS issued rations, and a couple of one man tents. Radios and other electronic gear lay scattered around. The nuclear engine is in fact intact, but it would take hours to extract it from the wreck.

How long do they spend here looting the corpses?

Samuel gets in his armor and heads over to the wreckage. He evaluates if he can just take the whole vehicle and put it in his largest bay or exactly how long it would take to just laser torch it out.

++While I figure out how long this might take, getting that stuff from the trunk and putting it in cargo area #4 might be a good idea. No idea if you guys are strapped for cash enough to take the cyber gear or not, but I don't have the skills to really get at it without making a mess of things. Polk will you act as lookout for us while we rummage around for a few minutes?++
This message was last edited by the player at 14:40, Sat 23 July 2016.

Polkitain bobs his head, "Sure thing, I can do that and if you need me for heavy lifting I could do that too."

"See Doc you are feeling better already." Arulas says as he sees the bird.

In response to Samuel "Never so strapped for cash that we would strip Cyberware. They deserve a proper burial. The rest is fair game."

Polkitain looked to Sam and Sir Arulas.

"Should I dig, or lift, or stay on watch."

++The behemoth can dig a little trench here in a minute, once I figure out how long this will take. Polk please stay on lookout with those supernatural eyes of yours.++

Samuel's gauntlet palm retracts and he makes contact with his Behemoth and in moments one of the arms has dug a trench deep enough for the fallen. Then he makes physical contact with the CS vehicle.


"Lets see what kind of ordinance we can pull from this puppy."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:46, Sun 24 July 2016.

"You got it Sam." Polk stayed where he was moving a bit to get a look around and make sure they were not surprised.

Doc grinned, "Always feel well enough to flip you off Arulas." Doc will help gather any belongings and valuables that look like they may be worth anything at all.

Whilst the others investigate the mess of the Scarab and the bodies Nyx rides a wide circle, a few hundred metres out from the wreck. He's nervous and a bit twtichy, but keeps his eyes open

OOC: Apologies for being offline. Back

When the others are finished taking what can be useful from the bodies Kalista takes the time to make a funeral pyre for the lot of them in Samuel's trench and to burn them respectfully. She says ancient prayers over them (Last Rites). "Samuel, bodies should never be buried, always cremated. It saves from having to kill the same person twice."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:42, Mon 25 July 2016.

"Samuel, I don't understand are not the Coalition our enemies ?"