Darkwind - Viewing Topic: Bad news on the Rise

*JD_Basher*
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Greg Blakley left Gateway with a half full trunk of documents worth a decent car..... As long as he delivered the cargo!

Two hours from Gate, he saw the unmistakable sign of bandits on the horizon. Four plumes of dust coming at different directions toward him.
His stress went up without being fired at! What was with that?

Greg knew this road. He turned to the right toward the strangely glowing blue sky and went off road and watched as the bandits circled looking for a sign of his passing. They didn't find it. The dunes hid well what was in them be it live or dead!

As he drove, he noticed the glowing was getting brighter as he approached closer to the Badlands Truckstop. Two more dust plumes...
Slowing to 50 mph he stayed on the road. Stress was up again....this time to 10. He knew this road well also.

Hang a hard left and keep them in the right window...
DAMN...... the stress just went up to 15 with no shots fired! "Easy" Greg thought. "Not long now and you get a good payday!"

Smooth small movements on the wheel and stress stayed low.
"Slow it down a bit.... no use bouncing all the way to town!"

The fortified walls of Badlands were in sight when he saw more plumes of dust from fast moving cars.........

(To be continued)

......................... vet marshal wv cont
Posted Feb 25, 2008, 6:13 am

*JD_Basher*
Gearjammers
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Group: Marshals + Storytellers
Posts: 2,728
Joined: Feb 11, 2007

Gregs' well exercised caution and scouting ability served him well.
The dust plumes he saw leaving Badlands were members of the Badlands Rudeboys. He needed to get past the last of the Pirates surrounding the Truckstop.

Greg stopped on top of a rocky outcrop and watched them through his binoculars as they stitched their way past him, running the 'lows' of the dunes looking for any possible vehicular prey. These were 'Fast movers' meant to kill.

They made it to a large cliff and were stopped side by side, nose to tail.
The drivers obviously talking.....Possibly planning their next travels.

The movement in the cliff was what drew Gregs' eye first. He swiveled the binocs on the movement and let out a "HEY!" before he realized the drivers of the Rudeboys could not hear him.

There were 2 caves in the side of the cliffs next to where they stopped. One closer, within 20 meters of the pirate patrol and the other farther, at least 50 meters from them.

The near cave literally erupted with 'insect' like creatures scrabbling over each other to get out.

The two drivers of the Rudeboys didnt event see them until there were at least eight of the six legged monsters on them, each one as long as their Phoenixes. The 'insects' Greg saw were scorpions like he saw in the school books, but different.

One of them reached into the driver window of the farthest car, with a 1.5 meter claw and pulled the poor driver out. His seat harness held him until his right arm was ripped free of his torso. The screams could be heard from here, where Greg watched. Not the low gutteral moans of a fast death. These were the high pitched, screeching sounds of an agonized, delayed, wrenching of life from the living.

The second car moved with a start.....and stopped. The driver could be seen hitting the dash as he tried to find the starter button.
The seven other unoccupied 'scorpions' surrounded the stalled Phoenix.

Greg saw the movement before he heard it. Two rooster-tails of dirt sprayed the two 'insects' behind the stalled driver. Then the sound of a well tuned V8 motor roaring. The driver turned hard right, directly into and under one of the scorpions. This scorpion sidestepped the Phoenix while raising its tail over its back. Just a sparkle was all Greg could see. Then the sound, 'Ponk---------Ponk'

The car kept moving away from the six-legged monsters until it got about 15 meters away. ALL of the scorpions had regained composure and aimed their tails at him..Their tail tips opened in wide three way clamps.

Greg saw two ground flares where two projectiles hit. One, 1 meter from the car and one directly underneath the bumper.
He saw the others etch a dotted line up the trunk, over the roof and off the hood to the ground in front of the car.
The car swerved, hit a small dune, and rolled on its top and stopped moving save for it's tires.

He couldn't watch any more.

The high scream filled his ears until he fired the engine and turned back toward the Badlands Truckstop.

Greg looked at the bright blue color of the Aurora. "Good GOD! Where the hell did these monsters come from?!" He thought to himself.

"Goodness had nothing to do with it.... HOPEFULLY, God didn't either!"

......................... vet marshal wv cont
Posted Feb 25, 2008, 1:31 pm	Last edited Feb 29, 2008, 6:03 am by JD_Basher