*Chase Bansi* JohnBMan033@aol.com Posted Aug 12, 2011, 9:50 pm	Dr. Hal Beckett bangs his glass on the table. "Can I have everyone's attention please." A hush falls over the bar aside from a few murmurs about how he looks old for a man his age. "I'd like to propose a toast" he says. "To 'Slugger' Heather Espinoza who took the wheel from our top driver in Elmsfield, Everett Everett after he was injured in the race. Slugger has given Team Bansi our first major league victory since the Gateway Autumn Meltdown in 2047." The rest of the Elmsfield crew erupt in cheers and back slapping. Washing glasses behind the bar Joe smiles knowing this will be a profitable night for him.
*Bastille* Posted Aug 22, 2011, 4:10 am	Fred was all by himself in Elmsfield now days, so often whispered to himself. - such a Petty achievement - [ooc ] - one day Everett
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Aug 28, 2011, 6:21 am	Ron "Big-Guns" Pinson leaned into the seat and the wood chair groaned and squeaked as it took his weight..... "I gotta story for ya if y'all wanna hear it....." He said in a deep bass voice. He leaned back and the chair groaned. "Can't tell 'ya if everything was true, but I'll tell what I know was told to me!" He leaned back farther and kicked his heels up to the tabletop, clasping his hands behind his head, stopping at the wall before toppling backwards and looking around at the other barflies. ========= Come on Bastielle.... Try to add to this RP..... I know you can 'Ya ROO! =========
*Bastille* Posted Sep 3, 2011, 8:25 am	Fred tries to hold back his laughter. But too late. Both for hiding his ammusment and for removing the offer of his hand in assistance. Pinson had a firm grip and now fred had a broken hand. He was now the focus of the patrons attentions and thought he best listen to this tale.
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Sep 14, 2011, 7:31 am	Pinson, trying to look cool, fell in a heap pulling Fred with him to the floor. He got up more quickly than a man of his bulk should have been able to move. "Oh, damn.... sorry for the hand Mate!... Have a seat... Lemme get you a drink bud!" Pinson tried to brush the dust and debris from Fred but his ham-fisted hands looked like they were doing more damage than helping. He really was as strong as he looked. "3 more Dex, if you please" Pinson said as he adjusted a chair for Fred... "Here ya go dood!" "So, you wanna hear a good story do ya?" Pinson pushed the remains of his shattered previous seat away with a LARGE foot and pulled another chair from the next table not looking if anyone was occupying it.... It was empty luckily and groaned as his weight settled into it. The laughs and chatter of the other bar-goers dropped in volume as Pinson and Fred took their seats. "All right then, I'll tell you a TRUE story!... I was young, I wasn't liked by anyone..... I had no friends like I do now... I grew up too fast.... Too big, too soon." "My Pop told me, You'll grow into it Son" My dad liked BIG weapons.. He also liked big rides.... I mean BIG ones! I'm not talking the little bitty Lorries we have now..... He drove a Big Rig!.... One of the last 'Road-Trains'.. 5 trailers at least! I grew up fingerprinting (unloading) all of the cargo out of all those trailers. He said I had a knack at gunnery. He said I could take out a drivers eye at 400 yards... I didn't believe him. I did love oiling the guns on his rig though! The smell of cordite. Pinson shook his massive head and cleared his thoughts... His eyes cleared and he looked directly at Fred. My Pop had seven people working for him when we went on the last run. Every one of them was to man a gun. Five in the trailers and 2 in the cab of the truck. I was just excess weight I suppose. We started out from Gateway Southbound and down.... I got some shut-eye in the first 4 hours till I heard the gears changing and the chambers being loaded. The sound of the road was hard-pan, bumping the suspension on every small outcrop of stone. I woke wiping the sleep from my 15 year old eyes and looked at my Dad.... He looked at me and said, "Get on the floor son.. We have a problem." I dropped to my knees... With one hand on the wheel and the other flicking gunnery activation switches overhead, he then reached for the microphone to tell the gunners their guns were active. "Guns HOT" he said. They responded, "1-2-3-4-5-6-7" We were coming up the the twin bridges.... A BAD place to be with as long of a load that we had in our road train...... (to be continued...)
*Bastille* Posted Sep 15, 2011, 1:42 am	[ooc] hang on, I need some thinking time. T.O.!  Freds eyes light up at he sound of big rigs and road trains.... he holds his cup tight, sipping it nervously as he listened.
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Sep 22, 2011, 8:52 am	(ooc) Here's some more! (ic) The weight of the trailers kept us to around 40 mph because of the snaking road leading up to the bridges. Pop was grabbing lower gears trying to keep the momentum up as we climbed a hill and made a right turn leading into a canyon right before the first bridge. I rose up on my knees next to my Pop's driver seat to look out the windscreen as the canyon came into view. We were only moving at 30 mph by the time we straightened out in the canyon. Pinson slowly shook his head and looked around. He didn't care who listened now.... The memory was there.... Pop's story would be told today.... He grabbed his drink and downed it with his cavernous mouth in one gulp.... I remember the tracers from both sides of the canyon passing over the top of us at first.... Then the sound of the weapon that fired it... They were close to us on both sides. I'd never seen Pop so scared.... He grabbed the Microphone and yelled at the gunners..... "Shoot.... dammit.... SHOOT..... Target ANYONE!" He let the mic go and it dangled from the ceiling... No time to put it back in it's cradle. He was grabbing higher gears as we came down the slope to the first bridge... 35 mph now. The tracers from both sides were hitting us now.... Mainly aimed at the trailers.... Except one on the right. The guns in our trailers opened up as soon as Pop said so.... Each side weapon shot from us made the road train weave like a sidewinder on hot sand... Pop had his hands full Gearjamming. (more incoming)
*Bastille* Posted Oct 5, 2011, 3:16 am	By now almost every eye in the bar was honed in on Pinson. Usually it was due to fear, for whome may lose their arm next, but today it was through pure admiration for the story unfolding before them. Those too far to hear clearly were insisting on silence around them so they could catch wind of the tale. Fred was now leaning right in over the table astounded by the tale, he could drive good, but his real love was for them big rigs and wondered why Chester had let him rot up here in Elms when his talents would be much better spent behind the wheel of the Mighty Mesan. He was so engrossed by every word spat from Pinsons huge gob, he didn't realise he was biting on the end of his bowie knife. Blood started to drip from his bottom lip, he kept gnawing and kept listening.
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Oct 6, 2011, 2:37 am	Pinson stopped talking and looked at Fred using the bowie like a toothpick until he saw the dribble of blood slip from the corner of Fred's mouth. Pinson reached over with his large hand and gingerly took the handle of the blade in his fingers and removed the blade from Fred's control and stabbed it into the table in front of Fred.... The table shuddered when the blade stuck upright.. "You wanna chew on steel or hear more of my story?" Fred looked wide eyed at Pinson and nodded 'yes' silently... Pinson continued.... There were four of us in the cab... Pop was driving, a gunner in the passenger seat manning a gun... and another gunner in the sleeper manning the other side gun, and me kneeling between the seats in front. The other five gunners were in the trailers... One in each trailer. I was trying to look out the windscreen when Pop triggered the front AT gun. I was blinded by a flashcube bright light and the floor of the truck raised up with the recoil and slammed me face first to the floor. I was scared.... When the suspension of the truck settled the bouncing, I was able to look up and see more tracers passing over the truck past the windscreen... With all the gunfire reports I was hearing I didn't even hear the passenger window shatter.... Pinson took a huge breath and let it out as he gulped down another drink in one shot. He held up his glass and called to the bartender.. "Three more please... One for my friend and two for me." Pinson nods his head up and down agreeing with internal thoughts and looks back at Fred.. I was looking at the passenger seat gunner when the window blew out. I was looking at his hand as he pulled the trigger one last time..... His finger was pulling the trigger in pulses... 2 pulls... rest... 2 pulls rest... The gatling gun responded in time with the trigger pulls... brrrrrrrAAAAppp-----brrrrrrrAAAAppp...... rest..... I was looking at his hand when the window blew... Then all I saw was pink.... Pink covered the windscreen, Pink covered his trigger hand, Pink covered me.... It was just a big cloud of pink that covered the inside of the cab... I thought a paint gun round had come through the window and hit us and detonated in the cab.... I was wrong. I heard my Pop calling my name.... "RONNIE!...Are you OK?.... RONNIE!....." I felt his hand shaking me.. "You OK boy?"... I looked up at him... I could barely hear him with all the gunfire.... All I could say was "Yup"... "Get in the seat there Son" he said, pointing to the passenger gunner.. "move him to the floor..."... Then I noticed the gunner had a gory mess where his head should have been... The window had been smashed by a Car Rifle round and had taken our gunners life. He felt no pain. I vomited on his lap as I unbuckled him from his harness and pushed him to the floor where I had been kneeling before... "Whew...." Pinson said as he exhaled... "Bad memories"... The glass of brew in his hand looked tiny as he up-ended it into his mouth... He wiped his lips with his sleeve..... "Yeah... Bad memories." Pinson held up his glass and said... "Three more please." OOC: To be continued.....
*Bastille* Posted Oct 31, 2011, 11:19 am	There was plenty of murmer in the huddle, now 5-6 gangsters deep surrounding the table... ...What about the mess... ....no way Id be sitting in that muck... ...oh like there was a choice... ....to make his son take up guard at that point... ..what choice did he have, cool head that ol' man, gotta admire that... ...pink mist? Whast he talking about.... ..Brain splat ya twat... Fred 'Flint' Stone struggled to keep up with the drinks, but was right there hanging on Pinsons every word. His hand reached back out to the bowie knife gripping it tight beofre one of the mob got any dumb ideas of pinching it. "Go on... go on..."
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Nov 4, 2011, 4:52 am	Pinson heard every word as he downed the first of his two fresh beers. Yeah, I made a mess getting our gunner outta his seat. The 'PLOP' sound the gunner made when he hit the floor as his insides tried to come out what was left of his neck haunts me to this day. The gunner seat was slippery as I tried to buckle the harness. Pop triggered the AT gun again... I was seated this time. I still wasn't ready. I was just about to touch the grips of the Gatling gun when the AT round went off and lifted the truck with the recoil. The truck came up.... My head went straight down into the clip mounted on the side of the weapon. "Ronnie!........... On the hill.... two o'clock... You got him?" "Yup" I said tightening the belt and my grip on the weapon. There were so many tracers coming at us I didn't know where to look till Pop told me. I saw a Buzzer on the hill on the right and was amazed at how the flames coming out the front grille made the car look so small. He was shooting at US! Our side weapons had no 'HUD' help...... I looked down the barrels and pulled the trigger.....Twice.... The first burst raised lots of dust in front of the Buzzer and made a few hits on its front armor... I raised the aim a bit and pulled the trigger again. I saw the tracers arcing from my flaming barrel straight into the hood and windscreen of the Buzzer... I heard my Pop say, "Seven....... Bail-out....." on the microphone. I triggered the Gatling gun again in pulses and the Buzzers windscreen exploded. I saw the passenger door open and a woman fell out. I didn't know what to do.... "Dad.." I yelled. He replied, "Shes armed....... shoot her!" A voice came over the speakers..... "Seven.... In...... Four....." Our seventh gunner had made it to trailer four, abandoning the fifth trailer.. Pop reached to the dashboard and flicked a switch.... The kingpin of the fifth trailer exploded and released the 30 foot long roadblock from what was left of our 'Road-Train'.. (To be continued)
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Nov 6, 2011, 2:22 am	The girl in my sights was no more than 20 years old..... Probably on her first mission. As soon as she hit the ground she tucked and rolled behind a small rocky outcrop..... She was good.. I let off a single Gat burst in her direction to keep her head down. "Five.... two kills....." "Three.... one kill" The gunners voices were drowned out by the AT gun continuous fire. The weapon fire was intense! I barely heard my Pop say, "Kill her Ronnie, she may kill us with her rifle if you don't" He was talking about the Buzzer passenger.... I waited till she showed the barrel of her rifle over the rock hill she was behind. I had her range... I pulled the trigger just as I saw the rifle barrel come over the rocks. A bright line of tracers etched a dusty trail up to the girls position as I pulled the trigger. She had her weapon shouldered and ready to fire when my Gat rounds hit her. Her rifle was thrown from her hand with two bullets, the next bullet hit her square in the forehead lifting her body above the rocky hill. The remainder of the bullets from my burst zippered her from the crotch to her neck. Pinson stopped talking and took a deep breath. "That girl tried..... Did her best... I was better." "That was my first kill....... A woman..." Pinson lowered his head with the memory of the young girl he killed. (to be continued)
*sam* Posted Nov 9, 2011, 9:58 am	'Desertrunner' Randy Esquivel, grizzled farmer/scout-for-hire, poured himself another tequila from Crazy Joe's counter while the barkeep was engrossed in the story. This was getting better and better - top class entertainment *and* free liquor!
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Nov 10, 2011, 2:51 am	Ron Pinson turned his head left and right looking at the crowd gathered listening to his story. He focused again on Fred Stone and continued his story. "BAHHHHBoom"..... Pinson said, with all the voice he could muster. The Buzzer lifted off its wheels from the ground, backwards, flipping in the crater it just created. There were two cars next to the Buzzer when its engine detonated. I didn't even know I had hit the engine with my gat... The Buzzer explosion killed every member in the two cars next to it. I had just made 6 kills in just less than one minute. Five in the cars and one on the ground. The AT gun fired again... I saw Pop's hand move to the trigger on the steering wheel this time.. I was ready....The extra altitude gained after the round went off gave me a nice shot on one of the Mercenaries on our right. My feet slipped as I tried to turn the gunner seat I was strapped to. I lost my aim for a few seconds. The Merc had an MMG as a side weapon and twin rear flamethrowers and decided to use them next to my Gat. I pushed the Gat in its cradle mount aiming at the car running side-by-side next to us. His gunner was faster and WELL trained! He took off most of our side armor in one shot. I opened up on him...... Most of my shots hit his side armor... A few found his tires and slowed him a bit. I decided to 'spray' the car. I had to reload soon anyway. I held the trigger and aimed for the engine sticking out of the hood... I missed the engine... I had never held a gun like this in my hands.... My adrenaline was kicking in and I was moving the gun all over the place, not picking my targets. The Mercenary lit up the right side of our truck with twin blasts from his rear flamethrower as he turned from my bullets. "Hang on Ronnie!...." I turned to look at my Dad..... As I turned my head, I saw a Phoenix in front of us... Rooster-Tails of dirt four feet high rained down from the rear wheels twenty feet behind the car. The driver of the Phoenix had his foot to the floor wanting more speed!..... We had a reinforced ram plate.... The Phoenix driver knew he was going to die... (to be continued)
limaechogolf Posted Nov 16, 2011, 4:23 pm	George Bush stumbles over to the table, wiping the the nasty brown juice from his chewing tobbaco, off his face with his greasy blood stained sleeve... Don't stop now he says I'm intrigued as a boy you were a better gunner than anyone of my five friends I just burried; "tell us more"
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Nov 24, 2011, 5:48 am	"take a seat my spittle stained friend" Pinson said as Bush flopped into the seat offered. When the Phoenix hit us, the top bolts of the ram plate gave way tilting the plate forward guiding the car under the truck. Our six ton chassis rose up and settled on the phoenix. Our remaining 4 trailer load of 130,000 lbs pushed us over him, he had no chance of surviving. "I saw his face just before he died...... He was smiling.." The AT gun fired just as the car hit us and raised the truck. The tracer arced to the horizon. I was strapped in my seat, bouncing with our rig... NO way I could target anyone! The remaining ambushers were starting to move from their perches toward us firing all the time. We turned onto the first bridge with our enemies just out of gun range.... Pop reached for the mic again.... "Gunners, number 3... NOW!" The remaining gunners in the 4th trailer moved to the third trailer. As they passed from one trailer to the other, two of the gunners were shot on the 'bridge' between the trailers. "Five in three" came the reply from the gunners. "We lost two". Pop reached up and toggled the fourth trailer kingpin and dropped it just as we passed the entrance of the first bridge. That should slow them down, Pinson thought. (to be continued)
*Bastille* Posted Dec 4, 2011, 5:44 am	Freds eyes were bigger than dinner plates. The Muttering crowd growing in excitement. "Man this is nuts. He dropped the trailer right there?"
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Dec 15, 2011, 6:23 am	"Yup.. Dropped it right on the front of the bridge....." "It didn't stay there though" We were moving a bit too fast and making a turn to boot!... When 'Pop' released it, the damn thing slid along the left rail of the bridge until the top of the trailer caught one of the diagonals and flopped it on it's side, screeching to a stop next to the right side rail giving anyone who wanted to shoot at us that day free reign.... We had a bit of distance between them and us, but not much!
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Jan 7, 2012, 4:56 am	The closest enemy, a marauder, hit his brakes when he saw the trailer drop and crash on the bridge. He stopped a lot faster than his friends did.... Two Phoenixes and the flamer Merc piled into his bumper, trying to avoid him and failing. Another Buzzer was bringing up the rear a bit slower and managed to miss the orgy of dented metal. Pop said, "Ronnie"....... "Get on the left HMG..." He didn't need to tell me twice.... I LOVED that weapon! I hit the 'quick-release' button on my harness and swiveled the seat to move to my new post and I stepped on the remains of the gunner I had put on the floor minutes before. The other gunner in the cab with us was already moving to replace me in the right seat and saw my face as I realized I had stepped on a dead friend.... He patted me on the shoulder and said, "Go on boy, he didn't feel a thing"..... I didn't feel much better as I side-stepped the headless body on the floorboard. The 'sleeper gun' had no seat.... I was kneeling on the floor trying to aim through a 2 foot square hole out the left side of our ride. It was an HMG though!... I didn't need very good aim to make the gun do it's job!.... There was nothing made of flesh or metal that could stand up to LOTS of .50 caliber slugs hitting them. Pinson picked up and downed the last beer taking time to swallow slowly this time.... He pulled a wad of bills from his leather overcoat and got Dexters attention.... "Dex.. If you please, a round for the house.. And that includes you!".... Pinson looked at Fred. You remember that second Buzzer that missed the pile-up at the first bridge?.. Well, they were good.... I mean experienced... BIG time... Pop made the left turn off the bridge as the mortars came down. The Buzzer made it onto the bridge and was firing through the superstructure at us.. They didn't care if one the rounds hit the upper supports of the bridge they were on.... THAT'S what was so scary! OOC: To be continued...
*Bastille* Posted Jan 15, 2012, 3:48 am	Was it the drink or fried scorpions that was weighing down on Fred as he listened, words from Pinsons lips were forming streams of colours that melded with the red aura obscuring the crowd. Fred was finding it hard to talk, but a gasp managed to escape his fear filled form. Members of the growing crowd continued to speculate on the tale. "I know that bridge, been there many times" Boasted a green skin, hardly old enough to see over the bar, let alone know anything of Pinsons tale. "Stupid wipper snapper, What would you know? Shut up so we can hear now will ya" Said an old veteran Fred shuddered in his seat as he envisioned a purple dragon lashing out from the old veteran and attacking the child. This was bat country. His hunger for the Psychedelic fried insects grew, but he thought better of it, pushing the bowl out of his reach.
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Jan 16, 2012, 6:46 am	Pinson hit the table with a fist to get Fred's attention. "You wanna hear the story or not bud?" Fred nodded, looking at the crack Pinsons fist made in the table. We were coming up on the second bridge as the mortars came down on us.... All the other Pirates had stopped the chase except for the Buzzer. It had a mortar and an AT gun targeting us... The mortar had the range and was firing at us. The big gun was waiting for a chance. Pop was grabbing gears to speed up as we went down the slope leading to the second bridge. We were moving too slow, the Buzzer was catching us. Pop grabbed the mic and yelled "GUNNERS number one....... Everyone man the guns!" The gunners began to move to the number one trailer, the one right behind the truck.... Bumping over the road and moving between the trailers was not an easy task. The gunners grabbed all the ammo they could carry and still be stable and moved to the first trailer.... As we turned onto the second bridge the Buzzer found our range, they had cleared the first bridge and had closed the distance between us. The mortar rounds cratered the roadway in front of us and a few hit the superstructure above us.. The Buzzer was still getting closer. We were midway on the bridge when the first Mortar round hit us dead center between the cab and the sleeper.... I bounced off the walls with the impact. Pop was trying to regain control when the next one hit..... It hit the first trailer right where the flamethrowers were. The detonation of the flamethrower fuel killed everyone left in the the trailer and blew the first trailer off the truck leaving the remaining trailers twisting and bouncing off themselves as they slowed to a stop when they dropped off the exit of the bridge.. Our truck had no trailers now.... One gunner, Pop, ..... and me.......
*Bastille* Posted Jan 19, 2012, 4:53 am	Everyone grew silent, hanging on Pinsons lasts word... ...everyone accept Fred Stone, chair rattling as he shook with fright. The only sound as they waited for Pinson to finish his tale was the chattering on the wooden floor boards. 'Stone' was now deep into his scorpion fed vision, the scene playing out in his mind, on the table before him. As Pinsons' hand struck the table, it created a huge chasm. The truck plummeted to the ravine floor in a hail of Mortar shells and a blaze of fuel. Fred sat shaking staring at the flames. Surely they were food for the Buzzer
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Jan 19, 2012, 5:52 am	I was still in the sleeper manning the HMG when the next Mortar rounds hit... One mortar hit next to the left front wheel and the suspension caved in on that side.... The next blew out the twin pair of tires on the right rear... The truck was sliding and slowing..... Another mortar blew a crater in front of the truck and Pop was 'pinwheeling' the steering wheel to keep us from diving into the newly made crater. The only thing I remember after that was an explosion that took out the windscreen. One of the rounds had hit the truck right on top of the driver side front window.... I was knocked out by the explosion.... For at least 30 minutes.. I know it was that long because my Pop bled out and died while I was knocked out.... The round that hit the windscreen almost decapitated him... Pinson gulped down one of his beers and looked around..... Then downed the beer he had left...... He hated this memory..... The tale needed to be told though..... When the mortar round killed my dad, he was trying to miss the crater in front of us. When he died, our momentum carried us forward. We landed in the crater at ZERO speed.... The Manhunters had a field day looting the trailers we had dropped and taking me and our last gunner to the "Pit" in Firelight... I eventually gained my freedom from Firelight but our gunner died there.. I was young.... I had just made my first kill..... Friends had died..... Pop was dead...... All I wanted to do was kill........... I was allowed to kill as much as I wanted to in "The Pit" until The owners made enough betting cash on me. They made a LOT on me..... Pop was right... I was DAMN good with a weapon in my hands.... It didn't matter if it was an MG or HMG..... I could target and lead them till I hit them....... And I hit them EVERY time! Pinson shook his head from the memory...... Looking at Fred.. "Sorry I took so much of your time bud!" "That's the end of my story dood... " Pinson gets the bartenders attention again and orders 3 more......
*Bastille* Posted Jan 21, 2012, 6:34 am	Everyone erupted in chatter about the events, discussing this point and that, whether the trailer went left or right after this happened or not. What was important, and what got Fred about the whole thing, was the character behind it all. Now he knew the mark that cut so deep and carved this Brutal Giant. The effect of the scorpions now fading, Fred could get back to drinking, and that he did, as he and Pinson traded a few more stories. Little did Fred know he'd never see his friend again after that night.
*JD_Basher* jd.basher@charter.net Posted Jan 22, 2012, 5:53 am	Ron Pinson of the Gearjammers watched the rocket that was going to kill him burn ever closer to him. Time seemed to slow for him as he watched the rockets fins move to track its target as the car moved, bouncing over the terrain of "The Pathways to Darkness". Everyone knew why they named it..... It was a continually windy and dark place to die... ===================== 2 hours previously: The leader of the Rogue Traders, Florence Nightingale had come to the Gearjammers lockup looking for Rita "Garbo" Garber, the current leader of the Gearjammers. The plan was straight-forward.... Hunt the Crusaders take the loot and run... "Garbo" said "sure we'll go with ya. We have a triple GAT Apache we can send"..... Florence turned on her heel before "Garbo" had finished her sentence and was out the door when "Garbo" said, "We'll send out our best".... Florence didn't hear the last comment, already planning on the new guns she could buy with the loot.. "Garbo" went to the radio shack and put the call out.... "Break-break.. Pinson, Santana and "Jay" Rae, please come to the lockup and see me". The three came in one after the other and stood in front of the desk while "Garbo" was writing on and signing numerous cost reports and loot cash forms...... She looked up at the three... Pinson towering over them and taking up just as much width space as the two in front of him. "Garbo" spoke, "Got a milk run for you three...." All three grinned. "The Rogue Traders and the Gypsy Jesters want to scout with us.... The CR won't be very high, so not a lot of opposition is expected." The three looked at each other still grinning. "You will be taking the 'Gat Rogue' and you leave in 20 minutes..... " "Santana, you drive.. Jay you take the rear gun... Doreen "Jay" Rae slumped obviously disappointed. "DAMN I always get the rear gun why can't I....." Garbo cut her off in mid sentence. "Because Big Boy there is gonna handle the Heavy Gat..." Garbo said, nodding at Pinson. Garbo looked at the faded clock on the wall and said "You now have 17 minutes to get set and ready... Quit breathing my air and get the hell out there and earn your keep!" Pinson stuck his huge arm out the window waving at the Somerset guards as they passed the gates with The Rogue Traders in the lead and the Jesters pulling tail end 'charlie'. His huge hand slapped the top of the Apache like a bongo drum "YEAH!.... Lets get some!" 35 miles out they entered the 'Pathways' treacherous part of Evan. The best scout in the Gearjammers car was rated only 28 and she was facing backwards.. no help there... Unless we were ambushed. A call came over the radio... "I have trails in front umm 12 o'clock..." "Two Marauders, a Spirit, a chomper and a Phoenix..." This from the Jesters. He was new but had good eyes. Pinson was already targeting the near Marauder before the radio crackle stopped... He nodded at Santana as Carlos grabbed the microphone... "We have the close Marauder" Carlos' hand flipped the activation switches on the overhead. Pison had an uncanny field of vision and saw when Santana activated his gun. Santana was about to tell his crew their guns were active when Pinson let off a back to back stream of tracers at the lead Marauder. Brrraaaaaapppp...... Brrrraaaaaapppp..... The Apaches front lifted slightly, the big 4L's weight holding it down. The HGG's first burst took a lot of armor from the front of the truck as it fired its twin Rocket launchers. Both rockets left the truck as the second HGG burst hit it. A bloom of black smoke from the engine showed at least one or more of Pinsons rounds had done some critical damage. The Marauder had already been hit once before the rockets were let loose and one of the incoming flying baseball bats was hit with one of Pinsons second round burst and spiraled, trailing smoke, overhead into the distance detonating far from our group. The other one impacted directly into the opening in our front armor made for cooling the engine, damaging our radiator and the engine itself enough to slow our acceleration quite a bit. Santana followed Pinsons lead and let loose a stream of tracers into the Marauder... Pinsons next rounds spun the light truck and it rolled landing on its top. The occupants of the Marauder waved their hands out the broken windows meaning they intended to surrender. Santana and Pinson both swung the targeting reticles to the Phoenix and took aim. Santana maneuvered just in front of the 'surrendered' truck to get a better line on the Phoenix. He accelerated, hoping more speed would help.... As they passed in front of the overturned Marauder, it fired on them again.... Twin Rockets in the passenger door where Pinson sat. The critical hit took all of the remaining armor from that side and knocked Pinson out temporarily. There were calls on the radio from the Jesters for help and Santana turned back to try to help..... As they turned, Doreen "Jay" Rae was able to target the Chomper and keep them from following, taking armor off them in bits and pieces. They reached the Jesters position just as they were accelerating past. Santana turned to follow as Pinson woke up. "Get it together big boy! We have some killin' to do!" Doreen continued peppering the Chomper as it followed at a distance... Her Sniper skills were well paid for.... "I have the second Marauder" Pinson said slowly, still not quite conscious. Santana targeted the same truck and moved in for another kill. They were 20 meters from the overturned truck moving in front of it again..... There was no movement in the upside-down Marauder. Pinson squeezed the trigger of the HGG and flames enveloped the front of the Apache as the streaming trail of lead arced into the side of the remaining Rocket Truck. Santana did the same and more chunks of armor were blasted from the once pristine Marauder. That truck was the last target Pinson would ever meet in this life. They passed in front of the overturned truck. 70 meters away... Pinson turned his massive head and watched as the overturned truck fired a twin volley of baseball bat sized projectiles. They left the tubes and their fins unfolded to guide them on their deadly mission. Santana had forgotten that there was no armor left on Pinsons side of the car.... One of the rockets hit just above the front wheel well leaving a gaping hole but not exploding... The rocket had lodged itself in the #6 cylinder of the big 4L dropping the horsepower they had left available to less than half. Santana heard Pinson say, "Take 'em out guys.... No worries!" Santana was concentrating on the still moving Marauder and was pulsing the GAT trigger when an explosion hit them and something wet hit his face and hands... He was deafened by the blast and could only hear the muffled screams of Doreen in the back seat. He turned to tell her to shut up when he saw the limp body of Ron Pinson slipping from his torn harness down to the small floor space in front of him.... ====================== Present time: Ron watched the twin rockets. He knew which one was his "Golden Bullet". Both would hit the car....... Hopefully his team mates would survive.... The other.. Well, only he and God would know if he had lived his life good enough... The fins of the rocket moved in unison as they guided the projectile. Pinson saw every movement. He saw the "golden bullet"  when it impacted the upper door rail and spray its shrapnel both above the car and into it.... into himself. There were no other memories. Everything that had been Ronald "Big Guns" Pinson was taken in a flash of light and sound and spread over his team mates... ========================= Memorial: "Garbo" had not see this many gangs assembled in one place for a long time. "Ron was one of our best.... THE best! One of the best in Evan!" She stuttered... He was a gentle, mountain of a man even though he had a hard life as we all do here. It took a LOT to make him angry unless you hurt him physically... HE was my friend. Rita "Garbo" Garber held out the small bouquet of flowers over his casket and laid them on top.. "Be at rest my friend!" Eight Gearjammers held and pulled the ropes under the coffin to lift it as the supports were removed. They slowly lowered the large coffin into the deep hole as a man stood by one of the large windmills and played his pipes.... Funeral