AN: Update time? Yeah it's update time.
This one actually has voting options. So get on that.
As usual, discuss, criticize, tell me what you like, and what you don't, etc.
"So, I've been thinking." Manny says, whilst hauling one of the boxes full of Cram you had in your stash, "Why did you get all this stuff anyways? Not that I'm not thankful that you have it, but I knew a few military types, and they always seemed to just blow off the whole idea that something like this would happen. They were pretty patriotic and sure that we wouldn't lose and all."
You grunt as you set down the crate you had been lugging, the faint clanging from within denoting its contents, mostly tools, wrenches, pliers, plasma torches, that sort of thing.
Then you turn and speak to Manny.
"Let's just say that I saw some things up north that clued me in on how just how far Uncle Sam would go if it meant beating the reds." You say.
"Really? Like what? You find out that they have aliens stashed away somewhere or something?" Manny chuckles at his own joke… you aren't laughing with him.
You stare him dead in the eyes.
"Manny, have you heard of Big Mountain?"
He looks at you clearly a bit bewildered by the question.
"Well yeah Alex, it's some mountain out west, what does that have to do with…"
You interrupt him.
"Yeah you know about the mountain, everyone who's looked at a map knows about the mountain… But do you know what's underneath the mountain?"
Now Manny's confused for sure, his face is scrunching up in thought.
"Underneath the m… what are you talking about?"
You give a smile, it's not one of happiness though, what do you even call a combination of sad and smug? At any rate, it's not a nice looking smile.
"Yeah, I figured, to be honest, I don't know what exactly was happening under there either. But I do know that one day I was asked to perform checks on explosive collars strapped to the necks of prisoners of war who were to be shipped there."
(Tears stream from slanted eyes, but you keep going they had wound you up so that you'd stay marching a long tim, gotta do what good ol' Uncle Sam wants, don't want to disappear like the other complainers, no sirree, you're a good toy soldier, yes you are.)
Your voice drops, becoming an angry rumble, and you stand up, putting yourself right in Manny's face.
"You know what the need for that sort of thing says to me? That whatever was happening to those P.O.W's, it was bad enough that the big wigs thought that the threat of an inescapable, guaranteed death was needed to keep those poor bastards in line. These guys weren't soldiers either, there were janitors and clerks in there, people who had likely never shot a gun in their lives, let alone killed anyone. They were communists, they were the enemy… but they were still people, right? No one deserves to be collared, rounded up and shipped off like animals to the slaughter house, with the threat of death hanging over them if they fall out of line."
(They speak in broken English and Chinese that you can't understand, "Please! have Family, Family!" But despite the awfulness welling up in your gut and the guilt gnawing at your brain, you rig up the explosives around their necks, you forge a nice, sharp, sword of Damocles to keep the commie bastards on a leash. Where are they going? Who knows? a toy soldier doesn't question why he marches, he just does, if he knows what's good for him.)
Manny is looking well and truly scared now, you sigh, and slump your shoulders.
"I'm sorry, I just get worked up over some of the things that happened up there… Look we still got work to do if were gonna head down to the city while the getting's still good. So let's just keep hauling the crates, we only got a few more, and start planning the next day or two out with Jack and the others. It doesn't matter anymore anyway, The US government is gone, it's all so much ashes now. Whatever they may have done, good or bad, they aren't doing it now."
Manny smiles, just a little bit shakily and agrees.
"Yeah, you're right Alex, and I'm sorry too. I don't really get it, but it can't have been good up there, I-I shouldn't have brought it up."
With that you give your own almost-smile and you and Manny both get back to work.
As the day went on, and you, Jack, Manny, Alessandra and the rest of the adults began to plan out what you were going to do in the coming days. You continue to think about what you had left unsaid to Manny.
That America being gone, the end of the world? It all may be for the best.
XXXXXXXX
Martial (Choose 2):
[] Build A Wall And Make The Mutants Pay For It: No one amongst your little group really knows what's going on past the bounds of your little slice of post-apocalyptica for all you know, you represent the last people on earth. But still better safe than sorry. Best to start building something to keep any looters or mutant horrors out. (Takes 1 week, 100 units of scrap required, Scrap wall built, can be upgraded later, Can be continued by the others if the scavenging party leaves.)
[] Shoot People For Your Neighbor, And You Protect Him For A Day. Teach Your Neighbor How To Shoot People, And You Protect Him For Life: Honestly you're a bit stunned, the only people who know how to actually shoot a gun are yourself, Alessandra, and her younger brother… Considering the current state of the world? You should probably fix that pretty soon. (Take's 3 days, three hundred units of 10mm Ammo required. No one will accidentally shoot themselves if they need to shoot something. Cannot be continued whilst scavenging party is away.)
[] For You, It Was That Time You Looted Everything You Could Possibly Fit In Your Car And Robbed Several People At Gunpoint… For The Average Citizen Of Detroit, It Was A Tuesday: (Length of time variable, ammo use variable, water use variable, food use variable, medicine use variable. Loot Detroit. Better hurry, it's a sure bet that other people have had the same idea. Reward: Supplies, Food, Drink, Weapons, Ammo, ???. (Every day this choice is delayed, the quality and quantity of potential loot decreases.)
Diplomacy: (Choose 1)
[] Howdy Neighbor!: Get to know your neighbors… that's the gist of it. (30% chance of increasing your reputation and your neighbors liking you better, 50% chance nothing changes, 20% chance of making an ass of yourself.)
[] Calling All Suburbanites: Contrary to what some rural or city folk may believe, a suburb is not just a single street of houses, it's typically several streets branching off from each other. So far you and the other members or your band of survivors have only searched your street, there might be other survivors just a block or two over, if there are, its probably best if you start working together. And if there aren't… well the dead don't eat or drink now do they? (50% chance of success. Reward: potentially more survivors. Potentially more supplies.)
Stewardship: (Choose 1)
[] Aqua Vitae: You really need to sort out the supply situation, by its very nature scavenging can only last you so long. While your food situation is likely too difficult to solve at the moment. The same can't be said for your lack of water, you could probably jury rig some sort of water purifier out of the various scraps left over from the other houses… it won't be perfect, probably won't even completely purify rain water… but you can make it non-lethal at least. (70% chance of success. Requires 50 Scrap. Reward: If successful rain and snow produces varying amounts of drinkable, if somewhat irradiated, water.)
[] Shackity-Shack, Don't Talk Back: There are too many of you to just sit about in the Reddington's house all day. You got plenty of raw material, Start using it. (Takes 2 weeks. Requires 300 hundred Scrap. Reward: No longer are you all cramped in one house, Several Scrap Shack Built, Morale Boost.)
Intrigue: (LOCKED, NO NEED FOR STEALTH RIGHT NOW. ALEEEEEXAAAAAANNNNNDEEERRRR TEEEEEEEEEESSSLAAAAAAAAA!)
Morality: (Choose 1)
Laying down the Law: Without the threat of the judicial system some people might be tempted to take advantage of the situation. You and the other's really need to establish some sort of code of conduct on how you should all act towards each other, and towards those not of group. (Reward: The laws of the old world are held too, age restrictions, modesty laws, no dissent, absolutely no communism whatsoever, any anti-american sentiment will be handled with lethal force, You may have human experimentation performed upon your person at the courts discretion, etc.) Yeah how about no.
[] Out With The Old World, In With The New!: The times, they are a changin! Why should you hold to the laws of the old world? You just need to look around to see how that ended up. You'll make your own laws, With blackjack, and Hookers! No murder or slavery or rape though, that's still pretty messed up. (Rewards: Basic human decency still adhered too. Opened minds.)
[] Every Survivor For Himself: Rules? What rules? It's a man kill man world out there, and you're the man who's gonna do the killing. They follow your lead or they can leave, or die, you don't much care which. (5% chance of success. Reward: No rules, possible moral decay, might go full anarchy, might go full raider, other survivors might have objections.)
Learning: (Choose 2)
[] Nuclear Killed The Video Star, And Resurrected The Radio Star As A Zombie: Long range communication, music on the go, news. Radio is pretty great, and with the television stations gone, you might want to get a radio array established to communicate amongst your group and with the outside world. And currently any downtime is so boring, that you are all likely to go mad from the monotony eventually. Some music would be just the fix for that though!
(30% Chance of success, take's 3 weeks, 75 Scrap Required, 100 electronics required, more can be added. Chances can be boosted with Salvaged electronics such as circuit boards, Telephones radios, televisions and satellites, along with more scrap. Requires power source. Reward: Radio broadcast/receiver array. Morale Boost, potential for Music and long range communication, potentially News from across the state. May draw other survivors over time, may draw attention, good, bad, or otherwise.)
[] For Want Of Defenses, The Encampment Was Lost: Your group is pretty vulnerable right now, and the only ones who are of any real use in a fight are going to be away soon… might be best to work on some sort of defenses, Defensive turrets, traps, you'd settle for an alarm and a panic room at this point. (100% chance of success, 25-75 scrap required, Reward: Varies depending on roll.)
[] What's Up Doc?: You're going to be completely honest… you have no idea about Medicine (the profession) at the moment, oh sure you knew chemistry… but you never really got involved in that particular branch of the field. That's unfortunate because the entire future of the group may depend on the ability to successfully fight off whatever hellish rad-germs might be spawned in the wake of nuclear annihilation. So, you desperately need the ability the ability to produce medicine (drugs and other chemicals). Luckily for you, Clemence McAllister was a pharmacist, she knows how to mix the chemicals, you know how to build the equipment needed to do so. You'd best work with her to get some sort of medicine production happening. (90% chance of success, 30 scrap required. Reward: Creation of a pharmacology lab. Suitable for production of simple medicine such as penicillin and Rad away, open's more chemistry options.)
Personal: (choose 1)
[] Tinker, Soldier, Tinker, Tinker: The apocalypse is stressful, all this worrying and threating and fearing, well it's enough to make someone Lose their mind. Take some time to relax and do something that you enjoy, tinkering with machines! You have plenty of scrap, and you might even make something useful! (100% chance of success, 10% chance of creating a useful product, 90% chance of making a novelty. Reward: You blow off some steam in a harmless way, maybe make something useful.)
[] Old World Blues: You, should really come to grips with this whole "Everything you ever knew is so much ashes in the wind" thing. Take a stroll, and contemplate the state of the world… And your new place in it. (50% percent chance of success. If successful, Significant boost to personal morale)
AN: DISCUSS! VOTE! GIB FEEDBACK! ETC!