03-09-2017, 12:46 AM
Farmland.
All around me is a stretch of unused farmland. Distantly, a pair of barns and a lone farmhouse stand out, blueish against the black horizon. Of course, there was no more daytime. Not since the Moon Came. So close now you could see the small pyramids that dotted its surface, homes of the Angels before they came here to feed I suppose.
Am I alone?
Yes, but...
Distantly, I can see activity at the farmhouse, previously my goal. I squat down in the cool grass, trying to make out what's happening. Are they humans?
Yes, and...
The still night air carries their voices. Conversations. Rational, sane conversations. Not the bizzare call and response chanting of Congregations or the insane ravings of Priests or Skinners. How many of them are there?
2 = 2[d4]
A pair of silhouettes. I should be able to handle them if they turn out to be too much of a threat. What do I have with me?
Cigars
Zippo lighter
Wooden pole
Not exactly the greatest stash of items in the world. A repurposed mop handle is a makeshift melee weapon until I found something better. I shuddered to imagine using it seriously in a fight. The cigars were of course a guilty pleasure, I couldn't pass them up, while the zippo might have some practical use. I made my way closer to the lone farmhouse, slinking through the tall grass. For once, grateful for the strange, unending darkness that the Moon brought. I was as quiet as possible. Do the others notice me?
No
I'm now close enough to make them out clearly. Are there really only two of them?
Yes
Who are they?
Humorous female soldier
Popular female scientist
A pair of females, one wearing a dirt-caked uniform, the other, wearing functional flannel and jeans, I recognized, shockingly, as a local celebrity scientist known for her work, less in the field of science, and more pop culture. Perhaps a blend of the two. What are they up to?
Debase / Joy
It looked like they were arguing, or more accurately, one of them was ranting.
2 = 2[d2]
The Scientist was on a roll, really railing at the soldier. Going on and on about "the hopelessness of the situation". Tell me about it. Were they armed?
Yes, and...
The soldier was still packing heat, her rifle slung over her shoulder while she stared at the ranting scientist. This meant I was going to have to be careful how I approached them. Do they have a car?
No, and...
the Soldier's leg looked injured somehow, she had a bandage on it, that would slow her down for sure. But Maybe it would be something I could help with?
Swimming
Dumb luck
Information gathering
Hardly. Well, things aren't going to get any easier, I approach them. "Excuse me, I don't want to alarm you," I stood slowly, hands raised placating. Do they panic?
No, and...
They hardly seem surprised, which in itself, was surprising. The soldier did in fact, level her carbine at me. "Who are you?" she asked, unperturbed. I guess compared to some of the stuff running around in the dark, a guy with a mop handle was nothing. "Nobody," I said, "Nobody important anyway." The soldier snorted, "I can't let you die without a name." "Call me Ian," I said. "And I'm hoping we can work together. You know, at least for now. You been in this house?" I didn't lower my hands.
Yes, but...
"We poked our heads in but haven't searched it," the soldier said. "I'm Kim. This is Gayle Chambers," she gestured to the scientist with her chin. "I knew I recognized you," I said, "Gayle Chambers from Channel 58?" Gayle sneered at me, "Formerly," she said. Gayle had held a weekly science show that had drawn in rave reviews. I wondered how she'd made it out of the city when the Moon descended. Speaking of, how much time did we have until the Moon rose?
6 = 6[d6]
Six hours, plenty of time to get this house searched.
"I figure we can search this house, and maybe hole up here for the night," I suggested. "Pfft. Night. Like that means anything anymore," Gayle muttered, kicking at the dirt. Kim short her a nasty glance before replying to me, "Sure thing. Let's get inside." The three of us tromped up the short flight of wooden stairs onto the simple porch of the farmhouse. I take one last look around, do we have any unwelcomed visitors?
No
The coast was clear. Kim gestured me forward with the muzzle of her rifle. Obligingly, I step up to the door and turn the cold metal knob, pushing it up on silent hinges.
Meaningfully / Smooth
The interior of the house was nearly immaculate. Very sparsely decorated but it was clear every vase of dead flowers and every dusty picture frame was specifically chosen for the purchase. How many stories?
2 = 2[d2]
How many bedrooms
2 = 1[d3]+1
The downstairs was taken up by a small hall, a living room and a kitchen to the rear. Upstairs, I guessed where the bedrooms. "You two get searching, I'll keep watch," Kim said, pausing to give Gayle a meaningful look, her eyes darting to me. Words unspoken. 'Keep an eye on him'. They didn't need to worry, though obviously they couldn't know that yet. "You want to check upstairs?" I asked.
No
"I'm not leaving you down here with Kim," Gayle said, protective despite the fight they'd been having that I interrupted. "You check out the bedrooms." "Fair enough." I adjusted the grip on my mop handle and made my way upstairs, wondering, as I did, if I might be able to sharpen one end of this thing for a makeshift spear. At the top of the stairs, I could see I was right, a bedroom left, and a bedroom right. In the hall with me was a closet and a small bathroom
Violently / Cold
It was eerie, being alone, relatively speaking, in a stranger's home. I shivered in spite of myself. I guessed the heat from this place must have been off for a while, ever since the power went down in this area. I told myself that my reaction was simply because of the piercing cold leaking in from the still night air outside. Time to get searching.
Broken cigars
Baseball bat
Wire
Road flares
The good news was I could replace my mop handle. It made a hollow wooden clatter as I dropped it on the floor in the hall, drawing my new Louisville Slugger, appreciating the heft of this new weapon. The bad news was, as I pulled open my bag to tuck in my pilfered road flares and wire (Figure out what to do with that later) I discovered my cigars had been crushed. "Damn." I dumped the fragrant contents into the open closet and closed the door. Not my mess to clean up. "Find anything worth mentioning, Gayle?" I called downstairs.
Yes, and...
Chainsaw
Ammo (.45 cal)
"Bullets," Gayle said, "And a chainsaw!" I blinked, "Well, can't go wrong there. Does the saw have gas?" I was heading down the stairs.
Yes, but...
Gayle sloshed the orange Stahl chainsaw. "Not much." "What about the bullets? Do we have a gun to go with them?"
No
Gayle shook her head.
"What about you, Kim. I'm guessing you've got bullets to go with your gun," I said. Kim eyed the bat I had casually over my shoulder. "What's it matter to you?" she asked. "Look, obviously I don't know you two very well, or at all really. But let's cut the crap. You can obviously see I'm not chanting, I'm not peeing off my skin, and I'm not trying to stab you. I think we should make more of an effort to trust one another, don't you?"
Yes
Kim and Gayle traded a look and Kim sighed.
10 = 1[d6]+4[d6]+5[d6]
"I've got ten rounds," Kim confessed. "That's more than enough to ventilate a Skinner. But if something big shows up, we're gonna have problems." "Hey, it's more than I can pull with my bat," I replied. "And Gayle's got that saw so maybe we can pull something off." "The best solution is going to be avoiding any creatures altogether," Gayle replied haughtily, setting her chainsaw down and making herself comfortable in a plush green armchair in the living room. Kim perched by a window, leaning on her good leg, keeping the lacy curtains pulled aside, just an inch or so, to look outside. "Anything out there?" I asked.
No, and...
"We haven't seen anything for two whole days," Kim said. I grunted and sat down opposite Gayle. "Well, I guess we wait." "This isn't a bad place to bed down," Kim said. "Gayle and I slept in the woods last night, I'll appreciate having a real bed." I smiled politely, but couldn't help but wonder what our plan would be long term. The world was a different place than it had been, and that was putting it mildly. "Did you see the Local 58 broadcast?" Gayle asked, startling me from my thoughts. "Which one?" I asked, "I'm not gonna lie, I didn't watch your show every week on the nose but-" "No, no," she shook her head, "THE broadcast. The one when all this started. Out of Lasker City." I paused. I did remember. Barely somehow. Nearly lost in all the chaos of that night, the last normal day, I had nearly forgotten the broadcast that had begun it all. https://youtu.be/mw_HKzo9Ync
"Yeah," I said, licking my lips, remembering the screams that night. "I remember." "His name was Charlie Ringo. The man in the studio that day who tried to warn everyone. His name was Charlie," Gayle trailed off, staring at her hands as they lay in her lap. I swallowed and stood up, "Well hey, we're past that all now. We should get some sleep while we can." How many days food and water do we have?
4 = 4[d4]
After some quick inventory, Kim had enough MREs squirrelled away, when coupled with the non-perishables in this house, to last us four whole days. It was a long time to stay put, but it was safer than traveling aimlessly. In any case, it was enough to sleep on. "I'll take the couch down here," I said, "There's a bedroom for each of you."
No
"I'll keep watch," Kim said, "At least for a bit. You and Gayle get some sleep." I started to argue, no sense letting someone with a busted leg stay up late. But I saw in her eyes she wouldn't give up the rifle to me. At least not tonight. So much for trust. "Right then. I'll be upstairs." I climbed the wooden staircase, taken the room on the right, it looked like a teenage boys room, band posters on the wall, the subtle stink of cigarette smoke and incense. I shrugged off my pack and lay down. Another night down. I wondered what the moonrise would bring tomorrow, and then I was asleep.
Me:
Ian
SKILLS:
Swimming
Dumb luck
Information gathering
ITEMS:
Broken cigars
Baseball bat
Wire
Road flares
PARTY:
Humorous female soldier - Kim
INVENTORY:
Rifle
Popular female scientist - Gayle Chambers, Local 58
INVENTORY:
Chainsaw
Ammo (.45 cal)
All around me is a stretch of unused farmland. Distantly, a pair of barns and a lone farmhouse stand out, blueish against the black horizon. Of course, there was no more daytime. Not since the Moon Came. So close now you could see the small pyramids that dotted its surface, homes of the Angels before they came here to feed I suppose.
Am I alone?
Yes, but...
Distantly, I can see activity at the farmhouse, previously my goal. I squat down in the cool grass, trying to make out what's happening. Are they humans?
Yes, and...
The still night air carries their voices. Conversations. Rational, sane conversations. Not the bizzare call and response chanting of Congregations or the insane ravings of Priests or Skinners. How many of them are there?
2 = 2[d4]
A pair of silhouettes. I should be able to handle them if they turn out to be too much of a threat. What do I have with me?
Cigars
Zippo lighter
Wooden pole
Not exactly the greatest stash of items in the world. A repurposed mop handle is a makeshift melee weapon until I found something better. I shuddered to imagine using it seriously in a fight. The cigars were of course a guilty pleasure, I couldn't pass them up, while the zippo might have some practical use. I made my way closer to the lone farmhouse, slinking through the tall grass. For once, grateful for the strange, unending darkness that the Moon brought. I was as quiet as possible. Do the others notice me?
No
I'm now close enough to make them out clearly. Are there really only two of them?
Yes
Who are they?
Humorous female soldier
Popular female scientist
A pair of females, one wearing a dirt-caked uniform, the other, wearing functional flannel and jeans, I recognized, shockingly, as a local celebrity scientist known for her work, less in the field of science, and more pop culture. Perhaps a blend of the two. What are they up to?
Debase / Joy
It looked like they were arguing, or more accurately, one of them was ranting.
2 = 2[d2]
The Scientist was on a roll, really railing at the soldier. Going on and on about "the hopelessness of the situation". Tell me about it. Were they armed?
Yes, and...
The soldier was still packing heat, her rifle slung over her shoulder while she stared at the ranting scientist. This meant I was going to have to be careful how I approached them. Do they have a car?
No, and...
the Soldier's leg looked injured somehow, she had a bandage on it, that would slow her down for sure. But Maybe it would be something I could help with?
Swimming
Dumb luck
Information gathering
Hardly. Well, things aren't going to get any easier, I approach them. "Excuse me, I don't want to alarm you," I stood slowly, hands raised placating. Do they panic?
No, and...
They hardly seem surprised, which in itself, was surprising. The soldier did in fact, level her carbine at me. "Who are you?" she asked, unperturbed. I guess compared to some of the stuff running around in the dark, a guy with a mop handle was nothing. "Nobody," I said, "Nobody important anyway." The soldier snorted, "I can't let you die without a name." "Call me Ian," I said. "And I'm hoping we can work together. You know, at least for now. You been in this house?" I didn't lower my hands.
Yes, but...
"We poked our heads in but haven't searched it," the soldier said. "I'm Kim. This is Gayle Chambers," she gestured to the scientist with her chin. "I knew I recognized you," I said, "Gayle Chambers from Channel 58?" Gayle sneered at me, "Formerly," she said. Gayle had held a weekly science show that had drawn in rave reviews. I wondered how she'd made it out of the city when the Moon descended. Speaking of, how much time did we have until the Moon rose?
6 = 6[d6]
Six hours, plenty of time to get this house searched.
"I figure we can search this house, and maybe hole up here for the night," I suggested. "Pfft. Night. Like that means anything anymore," Gayle muttered, kicking at the dirt. Kim short her a nasty glance before replying to me, "Sure thing. Let's get inside." The three of us tromped up the short flight of wooden stairs onto the simple porch of the farmhouse. I take one last look around, do we have any unwelcomed visitors?
No
The coast was clear. Kim gestured me forward with the muzzle of her rifle. Obligingly, I step up to the door and turn the cold metal knob, pushing it up on silent hinges.
Meaningfully / Smooth
The interior of the house was nearly immaculate. Very sparsely decorated but it was clear every vase of dead flowers and every dusty picture frame was specifically chosen for the purchase. How many stories?
2 = 2[d2]
How many bedrooms
2 = 1[d3]+1
The downstairs was taken up by a small hall, a living room and a kitchen to the rear. Upstairs, I guessed where the bedrooms. "You two get searching, I'll keep watch," Kim said, pausing to give Gayle a meaningful look, her eyes darting to me. Words unspoken. 'Keep an eye on him'. They didn't need to worry, though obviously they couldn't know that yet. "You want to check upstairs?" I asked.
No
"I'm not leaving you down here with Kim," Gayle said, protective despite the fight they'd been having that I interrupted. "You check out the bedrooms." "Fair enough." I adjusted the grip on my mop handle and made my way upstairs, wondering, as I did, if I might be able to sharpen one end of this thing for a makeshift spear. At the top of the stairs, I could see I was right, a bedroom left, and a bedroom right. In the hall with me was a closet and a small bathroom
Violently / Cold
It was eerie, being alone, relatively speaking, in a stranger's home. I shivered in spite of myself. I guessed the heat from this place must have been off for a while, ever since the power went down in this area. I told myself that my reaction was simply because of the piercing cold leaking in from the still night air outside. Time to get searching.
Broken cigars
Baseball bat
Wire
Road flares
The good news was I could replace my mop handle. It made a hollow wooden clatter as I dropped it on the floor in the hall, drawing my new Louisville Slugger, appreciating the heft of this new weapon. The bad news was, as I pulled open my bag to tuck in my pilfered road flares and wire (Figure out what to do with that later) I discovered my cigars had been crushed. "Damn." I dumped the fragrant contents into the open closet and closed the door. Not my mess to clean up. "Find anything worth mentioning, Gayle?" I called downstairs.
Yes, and...
Chainsaw
Ammo (.45 cal)
"Bullets," Gayle said, "And a chainsaw!" I blinked, "Well, can't go wrong there. Does the saw have gas?" I was heading down the stairs.
Yes, but...
Gayle sloshed the orange Stahl chainsaw. "Not much." "What about the bullets? Do we have a gun to go with them?"
No
Gayle shook her head.
"What about you, Kim. I'm guessing you've got bullets to go with your gun," I said. Kim eyed the bat I had casually over my shoulder. "What's it matter to you?" she asked. "Look, obviously I don't know you two very well, or at all really. But let's cut the crap. You can obviously see I'm not chanting, I'm not peeing off my skin, and I'm not trying to stab you. I think we should make more of an effort to trust one another, don't you?"
Yes
Kim and Gayle traded a look and Kim sighed.
10 = 1[d6]+4[d6]+5[d6]
"I've got ten rounds," Kim confessed. "That's more than enough to ventilate a Skinner. But if something big shows up, we're gonna have problems." "Hey, it's more than I can pull with my bat," I replied. "And Gayle's got that saw so maybe we can pull something off." "The best solution is going to be avoiding any creatures altogether," Gayle replied haughtily, setting her chainsaw down and making herself comfortable in a plush green armchair in the living room. Kim perched by a window, leaning on her good leg, keeping the lacy curtains pulled aside, just an inch or so, to look outside. "Anything out there?" I asked.
No, and...
"We haven't seen anything for two whole days," Kim said. I grunted and sat down opposite Gayle. "Well, I guess we wait." "This isn't a bad place to bed down," Kim said. "Gayle and I slept in the woods last night, I'll appreciate having a real bed." I smiled politely, but couldn't help but wonder what our plan would be long term. The world was a different place than it had been, and that was putting it mildly. "Did you see the Local 58 broadcast?" Gayle asked, startling me from my thoughts. "Which one?" I asked, "I'm not gonna lie, I didn't watch your show every week on the nose but-" "No, no," she shook her head, "THE broadcast. The one when all this started. Out of Lasker City." I paused. I did remember. Barely somehow. Nearly lost in all the chaos of that night, the last normal day, I had nearly forgotten the broadcast that had begun it all. https://youtu.be/mw_HKzo9Ync
"Yeah," I said, licking my lips, remembering the screams that night. "I remember." "His name was Charlie Ringo. The man in the studio that day who tried to warn everyone. His name was Charlie," Gayle trailed off, staring at her hands as they lay in her lap. I swallowed and stood up, "Well hey, we're past that all now. We should get some sleep while we can." How many days food and water do we have?
4 = 4[d4]
After some quick inventory, Kim had enough MREs squirrelled away, when coupled with the non-perishables in this house, to last us four whole days. It was a long time to stay put, but it was safer than traveling aimlessly. In any case, it was enough to sleep on. "I'll take the couch down here," I said, "There's a bedroom for each of you."
No
"I'll keep watch," Kim said, "At least for a bit. You and Gayle get some sleep." I started to argue, no sense letting someone with a busted leg stay up late. But I saw in her eyes she wouldn't give up the rifle to me. At least not tonight. So much for trust. "Right then. I'll be upstairs." I climbed the wooden staircase, taken the room on the right, it looked like a teenage boys room, band posters on the wall, the subtle stink of cigarette smoke and incense. I shrugged off my pack and lay down. Another night down. I wondered what the moonrise would bring tomorrow, and then I was asleep.
Me:
Ian
SKILLS:
Swimming
Dumb luck
Information gathering
ITEMS:
Broken cigars
Baseball bat
Wire
Road flares
PARTY:
Humorous female soldier - Kim
INVENTORY:
Rifle
Popular female scientist - Gayle Chambers, Local 58
INVENTORY:
Chainsaw
Ammo (.45 cal)
