Play@YSDC

Z-Day - 2:06 PM Mountain Time - Chalk Bluff Road, 4 miles south and 1 mile east of Cheyenne, Wyoming
On the road-
The small convoy of vehicles sped west on Chalk Bluff road, a few miles north of the Colorado border. David drove his truck at the front of the pack. Dr. Dale Owens sat in the shotgun seat, leaning back and trying to rest. He was sweating bullets now, and the pain was intense, but he had given himself an injection of morphine during the trip to ease it somewhat. He was still able to function for now, but he knew that he only had a couple of hours to live. The bite on his arm during his escape from the motel had sealed his fate.

Behind him, Melinda Christie followed, driving Keith Deeds's pickup truck. Keith sat beside her. Today had been hell for him. He had found Melinda, but then he had lost both his father and his brother to that immense worm that had ultimately caused the motel to fall. The fact that the monster was dead was little comfort to him, but at least his mother and Melinda had survived. After the truck came Lt. Rebecca Doolittle in the car she had hotwired in the motel's parking lot in the desperate escape. Airman Frank Hodges rode shotgun, and Zorie Spooner sat in the back seat. The Indian woman had been crying a lot. Lt. Angela Blanco had been more than just a colleague, she had been a friend and mentor, and now she was dead. Not just dead, but one of those inhuman things like the ones that had slain her. So many had fallen, and she hadn't been able to save them. She had been lucky to get out with her own life.

Amanda Deeds rode behind the car on her Harley Davidson. Sorrow gripped her as tightly as she gripped the handlebars. Her husband for well over 30 years was dead, and so was his son from his first marriage, Bill Black. Though he wasn't blood kin like her son Keith, she still had regarded him as her own son and his loss had hit her just as hard. She drew solace from the fact that Keith still lived, and hoped that he and Melinda would carry on the family. She was also relieved that Bill's girlfriend Lisa Crow had made it out, and she considered her a daughter.

Bringing up the rear was Colin Lewis in his pickup truck. His best friend Joe Soares had died back at the motel with the others, and he didn't know what he would do without him. His mind was almost gone, but he still clung tenaciously to what little sense he had left. Lisa sat next to him, and Senior Airman Roger Coltrane sat in the shotgun seat. He knew that his passengers and the rest of the group were counting on him to protect them.

"Breaker, breaker!" said David on the CB so that those in the other vehicles could hear him. "We're coming up on Route 85 in about a minute. It goes south to Colorado and north to Cheyenne. We can't go south, since there are no roads going west for quite a long ways and we're liable to run into more trouble if we take the long route, so we've got to head north. We'll be heading out of farm country and into the suburbs, so we can expect things to get hairy as we get closer to Cheyenne. Route 223 branches off to the west before we reach any really built-up areas. It's a slightly longer trip, but we could avoid the biggest suburbs and swing around to I-25, which goes right to Warren AFB. Alternatevely, we can take Route 85 north a few miles to Route 212 and take that west to I-25. It's quicker, but more dangerous."

OOC,The first person to post here should make a Luck roll, but for the entire group and not just your own character. Use the average Luck score of the entire group, which turns out to be 60%. Feel free to talk to each other until the next major update.

Colin got on his radio and said, "I am voting for the less dangerouos part of the trip. Lets go Route 223 to I-25. "
He hoped he was right.

"Roger that," said Keith into the CB radio. "We're all whipped and beaten back here Avoiding as much danger as we can sounds like the best plan. Over."

"well gang, I have been in this area before on construction gigs and I remember that route 223 is only 5 miles from I-85 to I-25 anyway so it should be a pretty nice ride."

"Whatever way is safest is the way I want."

"So lets do the safest route although what was safe yesterday may not be safe today remember. But i will protect you or die trying." said Colin.

-Don't speak of death-says Melinda Angry- let's just think in surviving and avoiding any danger, ok?
She then make a shy smile to Keith.

"well excuse me but it is hard to keep from speaking of when it is all around us." Colin said.

On the road-
"I agree," replied David on the CB. "We're taking 223, and it's more like 3 miles than 5 to I-25. From there it's another few miles or so to the base. Follow me. Over."

The convoy reached the end of Chalk Bluff Road, where it intersected with Route 85, also called South Greeley Highway. The road was clear in both directions. David turned right and led the way north.

Colin turned to follow David and the rest of the gang. He got on the radio, "David whom do you agree with?"

On the road-
"With all of you," said David. "Best to play it safe, even if it takes a little longer to get there."

Keith got on the CB: "The safe route it is, we'll follow. There may be death al around us, by Melinda is right; we need to stay positive. We need our heads on straight for the fight ahead." After a pause: " We're right behind you, David."

On the road-
"Good to hear," said David. "We're coming up on the turnoff now." He drove his big rig past a small road to the left, which he knew led to a dead end. A short distance beyond that was a bigger one: Route 223, also known as Terry Ranch Road. A gas station stood at the intersection on the east side of the road, but it and the entire area were deserted. He kept to the right side of the road and made a wide left turn onto Route 223, the other vehicles following along behind him. The area turned residential to the left as the convoy entered a housing development. A street branched off into it to the left, called Avenue B4. A short distance beyond that was Avenue B2. It was unknown why there was no Avenue B3. David drove on ahead. So far the survivors' luck had held out, and there was no sign of either life or unlife.

Colin kept a close eye on the mirror behind them to make sure nothing was following them. His actions were automatic as he roated from mirror to windshield and back again. In his mind he was replaying the time he first met Joe in Iraq and a tear trickled down from his eye.

In the truck:

As they entered residential areas, Keith checked his rifle and made sure the ammo clip was full.

In the passenger seat of the car-

As he peered out the windows looking for trouble, Frank loaded a fresh magazine into his rifle and topped off the partially used magazine he had just ejected.

On the road-
Keith saw that both his rifle and his pistol were both fully loaded.

Frank Hodges replaced his rifle magazine with a full one, but since that was the only partial magazine he had and he didn't have any loose rounds, he had nothing to top it off with. He also swapped his .45 pistol's magazine for a fresh one.

On the road-
David continued to lead the way to the west. The convoy next passed Avenue B on the left and Winchester Hills Boulevard on the right, then several more short drives on the left that led to more homes. The whole neighborhood seemed completely deserted, and there was no movement whatsoever. Had the houses' occupants fled, or were they among the walking dead already? There was no way of knowing. Soon they passed Elmwood Avenue, which went to the right. Finally, they reached Line Avenue, which went in both directions. The houses thinned out, and after another half mile or so they were gone, leaving only desolation. To the left the edge of a large missile field, one of many in the vicinity of Warren AFB, was visible in the distance.

Colin came out of his thoughts and kept his eyes on the road ahead.

OOC: Does Frank know if there is a standard distress channel for the military on the CB radio? Civilians use channels 13 and 7 for the police monitored or other distress channels. Does the military do this? If not, does Frank know which channel range the AFB would be broadcasting to or was broadcasting on?

Frank tunes his combat radio to the channel the base uses, then keys the mic: "Warren Airforce Base, this is Airman Frank Hodges. Do you read me? Over."

On the road-
After a pause, an unfamiliar man's voice replied: "Roger that, Airman. Who is it exactly you're trying to contact? What unit are you with, and where are you stationed?"

Frank gave the voice the name of his until, then continued: " we were stationed at the radio post at the motel we had identified. We lost the position and most of our men. We are now enroute to Warren with the surviving civilians in town. What is the status of Warren and to whom am i speaking Over."

Does Frank recognize the voice on the other end? Does he find anything odd aboutthe way he answered Franks call?

Well,I think it's too late. Frank has already made the call into Warren. I don't believe he was a part of the original fire team from Warren so he may not have had the same orders.

Being just a recon grunt, Frank could not detect anything in the mans voice. Turning towards Rabecca, Frank said: "Do you recognize who that was that answered our radio call? Did he sound strange to you?"

OOC: Is there a special phrase and answer combo or anything that Warren and the troops have that allows them to identify each other. Like if he says "Thunder" Frank knows to reply with "Lightning" to identify himself. Kind of a radio based ID check.

OOC,Fulcilives2003 has been absent since January 4, so I'll temporarily take over [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] as an NPC.

On the road-
Lt. Doolittle shook her head. "Sorry, Airman, I don't know who this guy is or if there's anything odd about him," she said. Zorie just shrugged.

"This is Sergeant Bloch," replied the man on the other end of the radio. "You're from the fallen communications post? I had thought this was a transmission from within the base itself. Our status is the same as at was before. We're holding, but we're under constant siege. The CO has us in lockdown, so I'm afraid you're not going to be allowed in. All approaches to the base by road have been barricaded, and minefields have been laid in the road beyond the barricade. Nobody gets in or out except by air."

"Sergeant, this is Lt. Rebecca Doolittle," the pilot said. "I was co-pilot of the helicopter that brought Airman Hodges and his team to the motel. We have to get back inside the base. I wasn't even supposed to be deployed. If the helicopter hadn't crashed-"

"Ma'am, it's not my decision. We have our orders."

"Well, can you patch us through to Lt. Colonel Carmichael? Maybe he can arrange something."

"Yes, ma'am. Please hold on a minute."

Senior Airman Roger Coltrane listened in as he rode in Colin's truck, but he had absolutely no clue as to the sergeant's motivations.

David continued to lead the convoy west on Route 223. He drove past a winding road called Speer Road on the right. Then Route 223 curved around to the southwest, crossing railroad tracks. Ahead was a T-intersection. The road continued straight ahead, where it became a service road for I-25. Route 223 itself continued to the right, where it passed under I-25, but there were entrance and exit ramps leading to the elevated highway. He swung the semi around to the right, dropping speed as he turned, and then turned right again at the on-ramp.

OOC,Whoever posts first, make a Luck roll for the group. The average of everyone's Luck score is 60%.

Colin cursed under his breath, "I served in this man's army and a pissant little Colonel is going to think he can do as he pleases and not keep me safe? Hell with him." He followed David onto the on ramp but he did not break.

Luck roll for group: He was lucky.

"Mother fucker" Frank cursed in the car. He keyed the radio: "With all due respect, sir, thats bullshit! These prople fought and died along side us at that motel. Too many of them lost their lives defending the motel with us and protecting soldiers. They are soldiers, each and every one of them. They may not have gone though boot camp like the rest of us, but they ARE soldiers. Each and everyone of them. Just what do you expect them to do? Roam the wilds with the infected that are out there? They deserve better than that and you know it."

OOC,Yes, [b]Colin[/b] can use the CB in his truck to talk to the others in the group without Warren AFB hearing it - unless, of course, they're monitoring the CB frequencies. However, only those in the trucks have CB radios. There isn't one in the car, and all the people in there have tuned their personal radios to the base's frequency right now. [b]Amanda[/b] is riding her Harley, which doesn't have one, but if you wave her over she'll ride alongside you, and she can also relay messages to the car.

On the road-
David led the way onto I-25 North. To the west, Polaris Ditch was visible. A waterway linked it to the Polaris Reservoir on the other side of the highway, which provided water for Cheyenne and its suburbs. The highway itself was fortunately deserted. Wrecked and abandoned cars dotted the road, but they did not obstruct it and the convoy was able to make decent progress on its way north. After a short distance, they passed Speer Road as it went under the elevated highway.

"The colonel isn't on the line yet, AIrman," said Sergeant Bloch. "I understand how you feel, but I suggest you be a bit more diplomatic when you do speak to him."

After a minute, the familiar voice of Lt. Colonel Carmichael came on the radio: "This is Carmichael. I'd like to speak to Lt. Doolittle, please."

"Speaking, sir," replied Doolittle. "You can't seriously mean we won't be allowed entry to the base!"

"I'm afraid that isn't my call to make, Lieutenant. The orders came down from on top. The CO fears that any of you could be infected, and he's determined not to risk it spreading onto the base. I'm sure you can appreciate that. It was one infected man who brought down your helicopter and caused the deaths of several people, after all. Even if you were granted permission to enter, all of the roads have been blocked off and mined since this morning. I recommend that you head for one of the missile bases so you can reinforce its garrison. If you tell me your location, I can direct you to the nearest one."

"Sir, with all due respect, those bases aren't safe," said Coltrane. "This is Senior Airman Roger Coltrane, and I guess I'm Lt. Doolittle's XO now. I was stationed at one of those bases, and it fell. I doubt the others are any safer."

"Then let me remind you, Senior Airman, that the base where you were stationed fell because it too had been compromised from within by infected personnel."

"Sir, can't we be quarantined and screened first before being admitted to the main base? We have Zorie Spooner with us, and she can examine all of us."

"That's right, Colonel," said Zorie Spooner. "I'm wearing a level 4 suit, and it has not been breached. I can't possibly be bringing any pathogens inside the base."

Carmichael paused. "Well, you can probably be allowed entry, Ms. Spooner, once it's verified that your suit's seals are intact and you go through decontamination. As for the others...like I said, it's not my call. You'd have to go off road to reach the base perimeter, too."

"Most of our vehicles can go off road, sir," said Lt. Doolittle, "but not all of them. The two pickup trucks and the motorcycle won't have a problem, but the car I'm driving and the semi can't do it. And that semi is loaded with all sorts of useful things: generators, hardware, and a large supply of lumber. Can't you talk to your superiors?"

OOC,[b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] and [b]Frank Hodges[/b], roll Persuade or Fast Talk if you want to try to convince [b]Carmichael[/b] to go to the base commanders. The base skill level is 15% for Persuade and 5% for Fast Talk.

Frank Hodges,[b]Carmichael[/b] has EDU 18, so your Fast Talk roll would have a -10 penalty in this case due to the overconfidence mentioned in your secrets.

Lt. Doolittle's tone grows more stern by the second. Anger and fear are a bad combination. Her voice picks up as she implores Carmichael to go to his superior. "We need in that base. Please go get your superior!"

Frank looks to Doolittle: "We made need a backup plan, Lt."

Lt. doolittle ignores the question. Nothing is on her mind but getting into that base. She just wants to talk to the superior, that's it, no back up plans. Back up plans are not an option.

Colin waved Amanda over to him and rolled down the window. He said to her, "Relay a message to those in the car and to Dave in the Semi. I do not think that the base will let us in. Regardless once they find out that Dr Owen has been bitten they will not let him in and most likly will simply shoot us all down. So I think that we need to come up with another plan. I know that about 1 hour away from here north is Fort Laramie National Historical Park. It is isolated, there is maybe 1 or 2 NPS rangers there who can either be bargoned with or taken down if that be the case, and there are plently of buildings with food and water. We can stay there for a few days or at least tonight. But we need to get there soon. Can you please let the others know the plan but tell them to keep off the CB as i do not trust the airforce base."

On the road-
"Taken down?!" said Amanda. "Let's not be so hasty, Colin. I don't want to kill anyone, and I don't think the United States Air Force is that far gone. I know you've been through hell. We all have. But we can't go around seeing the worst in everyone. The USAF is afraid of us too. They think we'll bring death into the base, but if we can talk to them rationally I'm sure we can work something out. I'll tell the others what you said, but I'd much rather get into the base. How do we even know if those rangers are still alive? And Doc Owens always knew he wouldn't be going onto the base. It's best that they don't know about him at all." Amanda drove forward and pulled alongside the car as it headed north on I-25, telling those within what Colin had said and her own thoughts on the matter.

"Sir," said Coltrane into the radio. "Please, do whatever you can to get through to your superiors. We have invaluable resources that can help in the base's defense. Lt. Doolittle is a skilled pilot, and all of us know how to use guns. We've got generators and other useful supplies in the semi. And our knowledge of the threats out there is the most valuable treasure of all."

"I just don't know," said Carmichael. "It's not that I'm not sympathetic, but the CO has a point about the risks we face. I'm sure we can allow Zorie Spooner inside after she's cleared, but as for the rest of you..."

"Sir, please!" begged Zorie. "I don't want to leave these people behind."

"I understand how you feel, but it would be a waste of time for me to even talk to those above me. They're not going to change their minds."

Zorie switched off her microphone temporarily and spoke to those in the car and Amanda. "I can't just go into the base and leave everyone else out here."

"Zorie, you've got to," said Amanda. "You need to take care of yourself. And besides, maybe once you're on the base you'll have a chance to speak to the people in charge and get them to relent and let us in."

David kept leading the way north, Dale Owens sitting silently beside him, deep in thought. He passed a sign overhead that read:

Orchard Valley - 1 mile
Cheyenne - 2 miles

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], you still haven't rolled Persuade or Fast Talk. You may still try if you wish.

Colin pulled up alongside of Dave's semi and made the motion for him to roll down the window. He then repeated what he had told Amanda about Fort Larimie and how that would be a better choice he thought.

On the road-
"I dunno," said David. "I think the base is our best bet. We won't be anywhere near as secure anywhere else."

Coltrane glanced over at Colin Lewis. "You wanna borrow my radio and try talking to the colonel?" he asked. "As a former military man who's seen action, you may be able to earn his respect. Just be respectful in kind."

OOC,[b]Colin Lewis[/b], you may roll Persuade if you talk to [b]Carmichael[/b] and try to convince him to talk to his superiors.

Colin got on the radio and said, "Colonel this here is Colin Lewis. I was an Army Ranger. I served in Iraq for two tours and i have teamed up with this hear group. I know they are all good men and women and we need your help. For the love of God man can you please go talk to your superior officer and get him to let us in?" Colin however could tell that he had failed to convince the man. He shook his head at Coltrane

-Funny, we are not acting like if we were a nation, but like small tribes. This is their turf, and they won't let anyone enter. I doubt that they will obey any order actually, they are not member of the american forces, but just a group of man with military training. It's better that we leave this place; if we stay we will have to fight them, and only the zombies will winn.

Frank keyed the mic a second time: "Soldier, this is Airman Frank Hodges. We have one infected person in our ranks and I would expect nothing less than that person to be quarentined. The rest of us are 100% clean as we ALL were screened before being allowed into the motel. Shit, that's why the decon team was sent to the motel in the first place. Losing our gun and our supplies is going to be major loss to the base. We are the cavary and you're turing us away. Now get your commaning officer on the radio so we can get permission to resupply your base and help to fortify your positions."
Frank hoped that his little speach was enough to convince the soldier to listen to reason.

In the truck-
Keith turned to Melinda: "You're right. This is just craziness. At a time when we need to stick together and work together to save humanity, we're sitting here bickering like a bunch of school kids. I say "Fuck'em.' Let them rott at their base for all I care. I think we should head to the old fort in the hills and wait things out there."

Frank Hodges,The Fast Talk roll had a -10 penalty, not a bonus - you needed to get 20% or less on 1d100 - so that roll did not succeed.

On the road-
"What?!" replied Carmichael. "One of you is infected?!" He had seemed to be wavering before, but now Hodges immediately knew he had said the wrong thing. "First of all, no infected person is coming anywhere near this base. Second, the rest of you have had contact with this infected person since the last time you were screened, so you will all need to be screened again if - and I repeat, if - you are granted entry."

Lisa took the radio from Colin, but before passing it back to Coltrane she spoke into it herself. "Colonel, my name is Lisa Crow," she said. "The man I was going to marry, Bill Black, was a decorated veteran and a true American hero. He died saving me and my friends from horrors too awful to describe, and he did not die in vain. Before that he risked his life to save your people when their helicopter went down. He understood that you can't leave people behind."

Carmichael was swayed by her heartfelt speech. "You're right, ma'am. I just hope that my superiors will listen to reason. I'll go talk to the XO now, and if I can convince him, he's probably the only one who can change the CO's mind. Before I go, listen carefully to these instructions. There is one access road to the base that hasn't been mined. It is heavily guarded, and the barricade is mobile and can be moved out of the way. We did this as a contigency in case we need to evacuate the base in a hurry, but you may be able to get in this way. Where are you exactly? I'll give you directions."

David led the pack further north on I-25, and it reached the exit to Orchard Valley via West College Drive. The next exit was for I-80, another mile ahead.

OOC,Whoever posts here first must make another Luck roll for the group, looking for 60% or less again.

Frank Hodges,Don't worry about it. And you didn't miss by all that much. If only [b]Carmichael[/b] hadn't had so much schooling. [b]Lisa[/b] had you covered at any rate, so it worked out in the end. Although, you probably should have gone ahead and made the Luck roll anyway. Or at least somebody should have who wasn't me...

On the road-
David drove north past the exit. On the left side of the road was the Flying J truck stop, a familiar way station for him with a hotel and a McDonald's. Shortly beyond that was a rest area.

When none of the others spoke up, Roger Coltrane did. "Colonel, we're on I-25 North about one mile south of I-80," he said on the radio.

"Good, then it's not far out of your way," replied Carmichael. "When you get to the exit ramp to I-80, take it westbound until you reach Fort Access Road, Route 222. If I-80 is impassible or has hostiles on it, you can take the first exit to Route 225 West, which is Otto Road, before turning right on Roundtop Road. The exit ramp on I-80 is about another mile to the west. You want to turn right and take the access road north. Stay on that road, which runs along the west side of the base and becomes Roundtop Road again, until you reach the end of the road at Randall Avenue. That's about another three miles. Make a sharp right on Randall, and you'll be at the barricade. Once you arrive, wait there for further instructions. You got all that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, I'll talk to the XO now about getting you inside. Oh, and make sure that infected person does not come anywhere near the base perimeter. I'll be in touch. Carmichael out."

David continued driving north, and before long he reached the cloverleaf where I-25 and I-80 intersected. The Little America Hotel was visible in the distance. He led the convoy around the loop and onto I-80. Unfortunately, the highway was a mess. A big pack of zombies was between them and the exit to Route 225, and it turned when the vehicles approached. Beyond the exit ramp there was a large multi-car pileup that completely blocked I-80 West.

OOC,Everyone, roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 0/1d10 for seeing the zombies. Remember, if you lose 5 or more points, you must roll Idea and [i]fail[/i] the roll to avoid temporary insanity. I also need a Drive roll for all of our drivers. Make this roll even if you go insane, but if you do go insane the effects of your roll will be a good deal worse. I'll roll Drive Truck for [b]David[/b] and Drive Motorcycle for [b]Amanda[/b]. I will need Drive Auto rolls for [b]Lt. Rebecca Doolittle[/b], [b]Colin Lewis[/b], and [b]Melinda Christie[/b].

Mr Handy,Since Colin just lost it here, my secret comes into play correct?

Colin had not yet seen the horde having turned to look at the Semi. He got on the CB with David and said, "What are you going to do David? They will not let your passanger in so you going to keep on trucking or what?"

At this point he turned and saw the horde of zombies. He blanched at the site. The site was extremely disturbing to Colin who had lost so much that day. Colin screamed in fear His foot found the gas and went down on it lurching the truck forward. He went faster and faster toward the zombies.

Mr Handy and group,Colin is deeply sorry about what will occur in the next few moments of this game. Not only has he lost it, but his fragile sanity points now sit at 5! Also for those in his truck or anywhere near well his drive auto skill roll was at 93 and he needed to get lower then 47% So again sorrry and I hope that zombie Colin does not hurt any of you in the nearby future.

Colin Lewis,Actually, no, you don't have another flashback. In Chapter 3, Lewie Newton successfully used a Psychoanalysis roll on you, so you won't have any more flashbacks for a week. You drew an emotional outburst (laughing or crying), and it will only last for 5 rounds - including this one.

OOC,[b]Colin[/b]'s not dead yet, nor is he permanently insane! He's going to have a mishap with his truck unless one of his passengers can grab the wheel and save the day, but the failure is a regular one and not a critical. He won't collide with any of the other vehicles, and he's at the back of the pack so his truck won't get in their way. I'll roll for his passengers now, but I'll wait to update until the other players have posted.

On I-80 West-
Colin was overwhelmed by his emotions and lost control of his vehicle. Lisa Crow kept her cool and grabbed the wheel, managing to keep the pickup moving in a roughly straight line and avoiding the zombies. Senior Airman Coltrane watched in horror, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the door handle. He was swamped with terror, and he was sure of his imminent doom. He began to scream, his voice echoing in the confines of the truck.

OOC: I won't be a me to post me rolls as I am traveling and can only post text from my phone

OOC,I'll roll for your characters if you aren't able to post your rolls by the time kabukiman has posted for [b]Melinda[/b]. Fulcilives2003 hasn't posted in a while, so I'll NPC [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] if needed.

Colin Lewis,Yes, that's right. His secrets also said that if either [b]Lewie Newton[/b] or [b]Joe Soarez[/b] successfully used Psychoanalysis on him, he'd have no further flashbacks for a week. Chapter 3 was a long time ago, so it's easy to forget that. I had to look it up myself.

OOC: No problem. Feel free to roll for them if needed.

Melinda was getting used to the creatures, and didn't react.

In the car-
From the passenger seat of the car, Frank stared ahead at the hoard of zombies and prepared his rifle, unfazed by the sight of trouble ahead. He scanned the cloverleaf interchange and looked for a way to travel on one of the other interchanges that would normally carry head-on traffic before the world went south, but now was simply another piece of pavement going in the dirction they needed to go in.

In the passenger seat of his car-
Keith was able to get a glimps of the hoard blocking their path. After all that he had seen today, the zombies did little to unnearve Keith.
Not wanting a battle, Keith looked around for a path his truck could take off road to get past the hoard and headed in the direction they needed to go.

Melinda passed the test.

Colin Lewis,Actually [b]Colin[/b]'s secret worked differently than what you said. It applies when he loses 5 or more Sanity at once, but it does not have to be from zombies. He also would get a Luck roll to avoid the flashback, but he's immune to them for the next week anyway.

On I-80 West-
David blanched when he saw the undead ahead, but recovered fairly quickly. He skillfully steered a course around the zombies and onto the exit ramp leading to Otto Road. Beside him, Dr. Dale Owens was also white as a sheet, shuddering but barely under control. Melinda followed in his wake in Keith's truck, and the two of them also made it onto the ramp.

Lt. Rebecca Doolittle gaped in shock at the zombies on the highway ahead. Badly rattled, she could think of nothing but trying to drive around them. She was an excellent pilot, but a terrible driver. She was heading right for the heart of the mob. Zorie Spooner shrieked in fright, shivering in the back seat. Amanda Deeds stayed collected and avoided both the zombies and the swerving car in front of her. Lisa Crow kept Colin's truck on a course for the exit ramp while the men in the cab sobbed and screamed.

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], you have one chance to prevent an accident by seizing the wheel. Roll Drive Auto; the base skill is 20%. If you fail, roll Luck. [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b], also roll Luck if he fails.

Seeing Lt. Doolittle panic behind the wheel, Frank reached over and attempted to right the course of the car, but he was simply unable to help as much as he would have liked. He was lucky, however, that he did not fail too badly.

On I-80 West-
Lt. Doolittle slammed on the brakes, but the car skidded badly and slammed sideways into a bunch of zombies. Unlike the trucks, the little Toyota wasn't very well-built, and it was heavily damaged. Everyone was wearing their seatbelts, and Hodges was very well braced. Even so, he was somewhat injured. Lt. Doolittle didn't fare too badly and got off with moderate cuts and bruises. Zorie Spooner, who was in the back seat, also was spared somewhat, but was still badly hurt in the crash. She blacked out.

Amanda skirted past the crash, following the other vehicles. Lisa slowed down as she passed the car, reaching across Colin with her leg to apply the brakes. "Get in the back of the pickup truck!" she called. "Hurry!"

Lt. Doolittle found that the car would not start up again. And the zombies she had bowled over were starting to rise...

OOC,[b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] and [b]Frank Hodges[/b], if you want to get out and try to carry [b]Zorie[/b] to the pickup truck, you don't need to roll anything to move her since you're working together and are strong enough. However, you should each give me a Dodge roll just in case you're attacked. If you want to try to revive her, roll First Aid and roll 1d3 for her recovered HP if you succeed, but that means neither of you is going anywhere this round. [b]Frank[/b], you may assume that [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] will go along with whatever you suggest if her player doesn't post. Remember that your armor gives you a -10 penalty to Dodge rolls.

OOC: What if Frank wanted to haul her out on his own?

Frank threw open the door and sprung into action, she slung his rifle across his sholder and yell to the truck that stopped: " Cover us!" Frank reached into the back seat of the car and with the help of Lt Doolittle, pull Spooner from the back seat of the vehicle. "Hurry! Lets get her to the truck" she said to her as the pulled her from the car.

On Otto Road-
David drove his truck down the exit ramp as it curved around to the right and passed under I-80. It soon let him onto Otto Road, heading southwest. Melinda and Keith were behind him, followed by Amanda on her Harley. She hurried to catch up to them. "The car crashed and stalled out up on the highway!" she called to them. "Colin's truck stopped nearby to try to rescue them!"

On I-80 West-
Lt. Doolittle and Frank Hodges removed their seatbelts and extracted themselves from the car, squeezing around the inflated airbags. They opened the back door and undid Zorie's belt - the fact that there had been no rear airbags had contributed greatly to the extent of her injuries. Then they grabbed her and raced for the pickup truck, but four zombies were already up and coming for them. They placed Zorie in the bed of the truck as their undead pursuers caught up with them. Three of them swarmed Doolittle, and the other went after Hodges. One of them tried to clamp its jaws on her as she scrambled into the back of the truck, but she nimbly leapt out of the way at the last second. Hodges was not so lucky - the fourth zombie came right for him, its arms about to encompass him in a deadly embrace.

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], I need two Dodge rolls from you. Remember that there is a -10 penalty to your Dodge because of your body armor, though it may save your life if you do get bitten. The first roll is for the zombie's Grapple attack, and the second is for the Bite attack, both of which were successful. If the first roll fails, you may attempt to counter with a Grapple roll of your own, again with a -10 penalty. The base skill is 25%, so this gives you a 15% chance. If the second roll fails, I'll allow you to quickly draw your knife and make a Knife roll to try to parry the bite, also with a -10 penalty.

Frank was startled by the quickness of the attacking zombie. He tried to dodge out of the way of it's grasp, but was [urlhttp://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1926271/] unable to. [/url] His eyes went wide with terror as the fiends teeth bore down on him. He quickly drew his knife and did his best to parry the blow.

OOC: Oh man! Poor Frank. I liked him!

On I-80 West-
The zombie seized Frank Hodges and tackled him to the asphalt. He almost avoided its gnashing teeth, but they nipped his right arm. "Hodges!" cried Lt. Doolittle as she aimed her pistol at the zombie's head and shot it twice, blowing its brains out.

OOC,I liked [b]Frank[/b] too; I used him as one of my characters on Urban Dead. That was rotten luck. If he'd been bitten in the chest or abdomen, his armor would have saved him after all, though without his helmet on a head hit would have gotten through. Roll Sanity for [b]Frank Hodges[/b] for realizing that he's doomed, with a Sanity loss of 0/1d10 (remember your bonus). At least you'll have a chance to play him a while longer. As long as you don't go temporarily insane, you can hop in the back of the truck now and [b]Lisa[/b] will pull out.

OOC: If only she could have killed the zombie before it attacked foor old Frank.

Frank was doomed, and he knew it. His tenuous grasp on his sanity failed him.

[Spoiler-Button]I predicted this roll before I rolled it[/Spoiler-Button]

The despair of being infected crushed Frank.

On I-80 West-
Frank Hodges looked around in utter shock and panic. "Come on!" shouted Rebecca Doolittle.

Frank Hodges,[b]Frank[/b] felt the ground tremble, and then the highway behind him burst asunder! Chunks of asphalt flew everywhere, and another giant worm emerged, its tentacles writhing. It squirmed toward him!

Without hesitation, Hodges jumped into the back of the pickup truck.

"Floor it!" screamed Lt. Doolittle. Lisa needed no prodding. She slammed on the accelerator, and the truck lurched forward. She steered around the converging zombies and onto the exit ramp, following the rest of the convoy.

On Otto Road-
The vehicles continued southwest on the road, away from I-80 and the death that the survivors had narrowly escaped up there. Looking in their rear-view mirrors, they saw with relief that Colin's pickup truck was behind them and catching up, though there was no sign of the car.

Colin Lewis began to calm down, and he was able to take over the wheel from Lisa. Coltrane was still screaming his head off. Hodges could already feel the burning sensation in his arm start to spread through his body. It had only been a small bite...but he was doomed all the same.

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], luckily you got the kind of temporary insanity that still allowed you to act. You may act freely now, though you are still suffering from the madness. You get to play on for a while longer and possibly live a few more hours, so you'll have a chance to prepare for death. [b]Colin Lewis[/b], your temporary insanity is over and you may now act freely. This update covers five combat rounds, so you're fine. Whoever posts here next, please make another Luck roll for the group, looking for 60% or less.

Frank sat in the back of the truck and quickly pulled out his med pack. He went to work bandaging his arm as quickly as he could.
"Son of a bitch!" he yelled. "I'm a gonner, but I will make damn sure that I don't hurt any of you and that I take as many of them out as I can before I go."

Colin came too and realized he was still alive. He quietly thanked Lisa as he took over control of the car. "I am sorry about back there." He got on his CB and informed the group that they were all right and were catching up soon. He was very careful about not revealing that Frank Hodges was wounded by the zombies cause he was not sure if the millitary was montering the CB radio network or not. As he drove he thought about the day and felt pretty lucky all and all.

Frank quickly and easily bandages his wounds.

On Otto Road-
The convoy slowed a little to allow Colin's crowded truck to catch up. David led the way southwest on Otto Road, which was clear of all obstructions, and there were thankfully no more zombies within sight. The ones on I-80 were no doubt pursuing them, but they had been left far behind. Dr. Owens sat in the seat beside him, a hand on his forehead. Behind the semi, Melinda and Keith followed in his pickup truck. Amanda was a short distance behind them. Colin Lewis brought up the rear in his truck.

"It's all right," said Lisa to Colin. "We've all been losing it today, but once we get to the base we'll finally be safe."

Coltrane was still screaming, but soon he started to calm down and come to his senses now that the immediate danger had passed.

Frank Hodges managed to bandage his arm easily enough with the medical kit that used to belong to Amy Janssen, but he knew the damage had been done. Lt. Doolittle sat beside Zorie Spooner and tried to do what she could for her, but her shaking hands caused more harm than good. "I'm no good at this," she said. "Maybe you can help her, Hodges. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your arm. You're coming with us, and I don't care what anyone else says."

Soon the vehicles reached the intersection with Roundtop Road, which went to the right. A smaller road went to the left, but it had been blocked off. David turned right, heading north on Roundtop toward Warren AFB.

Frank Hodges,You may continue acting normally. Maybe your insanity has passed...but maybe it hasn't.

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], you may attempt First Aid again on either yourself (for the injuries you sustained in the crash), [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b], or [b]Zorie Spooner[/b]. If you succeed, roll 1d3 to see how many HP are recovered. [b]Zorie[/b] will also awaken if you succeed with First Aid on her.

" I will do what I can," Frank said as he moved to Zorie and [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1932541/' attempted to bandage her wounds. [/url] "Damn!" he cursed. "No luck. Hopefully she can hang on until we reach the base."

On Roundtop Road-
The rest of the vehicles followed David's truck around the 60-degree bend and onto Roundtop Road, heading north.

"Yes, her injuries don't look life-threatening," said Lt. Doolittle. "I'm sorry about the crash. Give me a helicopter and I'm fine, but I'm hopeless behind the wheel of a car. If I'd been a better driver, this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry..." She took a deep breath. "Well, let's at least see to our own injuries from the crash." She bandaged herself thoroughly as the truck trundled northward.

Roundtop Road soon passed underneath both Route 30 and I-80. On the other side of the underpasses, it became North Fort Access Road. Ahead, North Fort Road branched off to the left, but it was just a dead end. "Won't be long now," said David.

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], you may attempt First Aid on yourself. If you succeed, you gain back 1d3 HP.

Colin continued driving but his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about the time right after he and Joe had come back from Iraq and had just got the jobs working construction. They had gone on a double date which had ended really badly for both of them. He chuckled at the memory and wiped a tear from his eye that slid down his cheek.

"Don't blame yourself, Doolittle. It's not your fault at all. It could have happened to any of us. Shit, had I been able to grab the wheel I could have prevented the crazh."
As he spoke, Frank worked to bandage his wounds. He was able to relieve some of the pain from the car crash.

On North Fort Access Road-
David continued to lead the way north. Beside him, Dr. Owens leaned back in his seat, feeling nauseous and feverish. Melinda and Keith followed in his pickup truck, then Amanda on her Harley, and finally Colin and the others in his truck. Lisa sat next to him, too focused on her own losses to pay much attention to him. "I wish I could come back there to help her out," she said to those in the rear, "but there's no room back there and I don't think we should stop until we reach the base." Coltrane nodded, but just sat in silence.

"Ironic, isn't it?" said Lt. Doolittle. "Zorie's the best medic we've got, with the possible exception of Amanda, and she's the one who needs our help the most. Luckily her suit wasn't breached in the crash, so there should be no problem getting her through quarantine quickly once we get there."

The vehicles trundled further north, passing the turnoff to North Fort Road as well as a few other roads that headed left. It finally reached and crossed an intersection with Route 210, Happy Jack Road, which was clear in both directions. Beyond the intersection, the road became Roundtop Road once more. In the distance, buildings became visible after the last couple of miles of barren, empty land. The survivors also finally caught sight of the perimeter fence of Warren Air Force Base. They were almost there.

Colin spoke up and said, "I would be very surprised if the millitary let us in to the base. I think we should take my suggesstion and go north."

OOC: Is Melinda and Keith hearing what Colin says?

In the truck-

" Don't worry Melinda, we are almost there. Look" Keith says pointing to the buildings in the distance.

On Roundtop Road-
Coltrane glanced over at Colin. "North?" he said. "Believe me, we don't want to go that way. The missile base where we were evacuated from is in that area. They touched off a nuke over it, remember? I think there's a good chance they'll let us into the base anyway."

"They'll let Zorie Spooner in for certain," said Lt. Doolittle from the back. "We have to make sure she gets there safely. We owe her that much, at least. I think there's a decent chance they'll let the rest of us in too, though we'll definitely be quarantined. Colonel Carmichael is on our side, and he's a decent enough guy. We have to at least try. The base is right here, and I don't want to have to go anywhere else. We barely made it this far."

David crossed Happy Jack Road and headed north on Roundtop Road, the other trucks and Amanda's Harley following. There were buildings along Happy Jack Road to the right, as well as more on both sides of the road further north. Treadway Trail branched off to the left, leading into a neighborhood filled with off-base housing. Shortly past that, Military Road led to the right. A large lot with a building in it was northeast of the intersection, just outside the perimeter fence. The fence itself was made of steel and topped with razor wire. Every so often a "High Voltage" sign was on the fence warning that it was electrified. The area was deserted, though dead bodies lay at the base of the fence outside it, some of them still clutching it. A number of them had visible bullet wounds and other injuries, so they were evidently already dead when they had been fried by the fence.

Roundtop Road ran north alongside the fence. Houses were visible to the left, but it was a while before any more roads branched off. The first was Elling Road, which headed to the left. On the right side of the road, a short drive led up to a gate in the fence, but a barricade blocked off the drive at the very beginning of it. Beyond that there were no doubt the Claymores about which Carmichael had warned them. The convoy rolled on to the north. Garfield Reservoir, which supplied water to Warren AFB, was visible to the left. Past that, Rucker Road led west. David drove past all of them, heading north. "Shouldn't be long now," he said. "The gate we're looking for is only about a mile away."

OOC,Whoever posts next, please make another Luck roll for the entire group. Again, the average Luck score is 60%.

Colin shook his head and said, "Well if we get in I am going to fight these creatures. i am not going to sit around on my ass doing nothing in a hospital ward dangnabit!" He felt lucky enough that they would get in and smiled

On Roundtop Road-
The convoy kept heading north, parallel to Warren AFB's perimeter fence. More smaller dirt roads led off to the left, toward more buildings. After passing a few smaller roads that went into dead ends, it passed the turnoff to Ketcham Road, which led into another off-base housing development, as did Healy Road beyond it. After that, there was only wilderness visible to the left for a while. To the right everyone could see into the base through the fence. A dirt road paralleled Roundtop Road inside the base, though no buildings were nearby on that side of the fence. Eventually the dirt road merged with a paved road that curved around from the southeast that Frank Hodges and the other Air Force personnel recognized as Missile Drive. A Stryker M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle was stopped where the two roads met. When the trucks passed its position, it began heading north on Missile Drive, shadowing the convoy from the other side of the fence. Mounted upon it were an MK19 40mm grenade launcher, a .50 M2 machine gun and a lighter M-240 7.62mm machine gun. In the distance, the intersection with Randall Road was visible.

-Now what?-asked Melissa

Colin said to the people in his truck, "Well at least they are prepared for us. I say we go in and if they let us in and are not REMF's then cool otherwise we will need to flee for the wilderness and I will take anyone who wish to go there."

In the truck -
"Yeah, it appears to be the case. I'm proud of you, Melinda. You've been amazingly strong through all of this. Hopefully we'll be safe here for a little while." Keith leaned over and squeezed Melinda's leg with affection as he scans the area ahead.

In the back of the truck-
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Frank says with more than a little cynicism: "Looks like they have rolled out the red carpet for us."

-Well Keith, if I am stronger is thanks to you and your family, on my own I would't have survive 5 minutes. And it was you who helped me to have a (she blush) new purpose on life. Your my new family.
She kisses his hand.

On Randall Road-
David led the way north in his 18-wheeler, first crossing some railroad tracks that ran parallel to Randall Road before reaching the road itself, which intersected with Roundtop Road at a 60 degree angle. To the left, Randall Road went off to the northwest. A short distance further in that direction, Roundtop Road continued to the north alongside the perimeter fence. Past that turnoff, Randall Road became Experimental Farm Road. David made a sharp right turn, stopping shortly beyond the intersection at a massive steel barrier on wheels. The other vehicles pulled up behind him and stopped. Though they could not see beyond the barrier, they had seen the base's gates as they had approached the intersection. The gates were not far past the barrier and were heavily guarded by SF troopers. Within the base, Missile Drive had curved around to the northeast to intersect with Randall Road inside the base. The Stryker turned left on Randall Road and stopped just inside the gates. Other than the activity at the gates, the area was deserted

"Colonel Carmichael, this is Lt. Doolittle," said Rebecca into her radio. "We've arrived. Do you read me, sir?"

"I read you, Lieutenant," answered Carmichael. "I had a talk with the base's XO, and he agrees in principle to letting everyone in - except the infected person you have with you. He still needs to convince the CO, but he's got our commander's ear and is probably the only person who can do it. I should hear an answer back in a couple of minutes. Are all of you okay?"

"I had a mishap with the car back on I-80, sir. We had to abandon it and ride in the back of one of the pickup trucks. We were injured in the crash, and Zorie Spooner is unconscious, but her suit has not been breached and her injuries are not life threatening."

"We have a medical team standing by in the MEV you've no doubt seen. Everyone who's injured can ride inside it if you're granted admittance. It will take you to the quarantine clinic we've set up. Just sit tight and I'll get back to you."

Amanda dismounted from her motorcycle and walked over to Colin's truck. "Maybe I can help her," she said.

Lt. Doolittle nodded. "Yes, I think we can try again."

Dr. Dale Owens opened his door and got out of the truck. "I guess this is where we part ways," he said. "You may as well keep my gun, ammo, and medical supplies. I won't be needing 'em."

"What if you want to..." started David, "you know...check out early?"

"Maybe I could borrow your shotgun. That would be the easiest way. My wife and son are already gone, and I'd be joining them in another hour or two anyway. No sense prolonging the end, I guess."

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], you may try another First Aid roll for [b]Zorie Spooner[/b] if you wish. If you succeed, roll 1d3 to see how many HP she recovers. Anyone else is also free to try now that the vehicles are stopped.

Colin parked his truck and got out of it to stretch his legs. He walked over to the Semi to talk to David, "What now? Are we going to simply let Dr. Owen go on his way alone or are you going with him and in which case if we run into some REMF's in here I want to come with you."

On Randall Road-
"Are you kidding?" said David. "You think I came out all this way just to head off into the sunset? I'm getting in that base, just as soon as they let us."

"I don't think I'll be walking away," said Dr. Owens, eyeing David's shotgun. "I don't want to turn into one of those things. I'm going to die no matter what, and I want to make sure I stay that way. Better to do it now, so I don't take a gun with me that the rest of you could use."

In his truck-
Keith smiled warmly at Melinda: "I don't know what I'd do without you."
As they pulled up to the road block and stopped, Keith looked around: "Well, looks like this is where we will be calling home for a little bit. Doesn't look so bad."

In the back of the truck
Turning to Colin and the others: " I can go with him. I am bitten too and am surly not going to be allowed in. Maybe he and I can take one of the vehicles with some guns and ammo and make for the old Fort back there. We'll be away from all of you and won't pose any danger to you all. I'm sure as hell not going in there to sit in a quarentine or cell until I turn. I'm going to take as many of those bastards with me as I can before I go down."
Frank turned his attention back to Zorie. He set to work on her and was able to mend her wounds somewhat, but he did not help her nearly as much as he would have liked.

-As long as I'm with you, I'm ok.

On Randall Road-
Zorie Spooner slowly came to her senses, her eyelashes fluttering. "Wh...what happened?" she asked. "I'm not dead?"

"You're going to be fine, ma'am," said Lt. Doolittle. "I'm afraid I wrecked the car, but Airman Hodges and I got you out of there and over to the truck, and we all got out alive. We're outside the base now. Hodges saved your life, at the probable cost of his own." She turned to Hodges. "You don't have to give up, Airman. Maybe Zorie and the medical staff at the base can find a cure in time. I can cover for you and make sure you get inside."

Zorie nodded, blinking back tears. "I won't tell anyone," she said. "I don't want you to die. We know a lot more about this now than we did this morning, and with proper care we can buy you some more time. We know that Kimberly was immune, so there must be a way to save you. And even if we can't, studying the toxin's progress will help us find a cure and save others. Thank you for saving me. Now let me try to save you."

Amanda Deeds came over to them. "I agree," she said. "I'll do whatever I can to help." She tried to undo the damage that Lt. Doolittle had done in her own effort to help Zorie earlier, but couldn't do much. "I'll admit I'm not the best, but I can at least accomplish something."

Senior Airman Roger Coltrane got out of the truck and managed to patch Zorie up a little more. "That'll have to do until we get back inside the base, ma'am," he said. "Hodges, if you are going to head to that fort up north, that's not far from the missile base where we were stationed, remember, the one that got nuked. Of course, I guess fallout's the least of your worries at this point. I wish I knew what to say or do. I'll put you in for a medal. Whatever you decide, you won't be forgotten."

Dr. Dale Owens sighed. "I don't know about going out there and going down swinging," he said. "We shouldn't take any vehicles, guns, or ammo. We're dead men, and the living still need them."

OOC: Does Hodges wound look like a bite? I assume that we will all get completely searched when we try and enter the base so trying to hide the bite will probably not work. May be worth a try, though.

"You know, it's not that I am giving up, it's just that I do not want to die laying down and I don't want to comeback from death and injure any of you. My concern is that even if we do pull one over on them and they let me mover freely in the base, the infection will take me down and I'll attack and injur or kill several of you. I can't stomach the thought of that." Frank sat and thought for a moment. "If you really think that you can help others by studying me, then I suppose we should do that. You have to keep me locked up, though."

Colin walked over and stood near his truck, "Group, look I am all in favor of going in there and helping fight. But if we are going to be ruled over by some rear echlon mother fucker who never saw combat and thinks that the zombies are just a walk in the park then I say lets get the heck to our own patch of freedom. We know they are trouble and we know that it takes awhile to put them down. I will go in to the base but I refuse to sit on my ass and do nothing while I am in there. I have served and I want to serve again."

" I hear you, man." Frank said from the back of the truck. "I'd rather resupply and make haste for the woods where we can run and gun these fuckers into the ground but I think Zorie is right. She may be able find a cure that could help millions. If there is a possibility of that, I guess I need to set my own personal feelings aside and hope that she is right. If things aren't going well, though, I'm going to reserve the right to re-arm and head out on my own."

OOC: Ahh. Okay. I didnt read the damage from the bite.
"Well, my wound is not bad so we can play it off as a wound from the car crash and I think they will buy it. However, how will you then study me and the infection once we are in there? I'm willing to take my chances inside for the time being. Once things start to go bad for me, I'm going to bug out and get as far away from everyone as I can. Maybe strap a few Claymores to my body and blow those mother fuckers up. I just feel like I need to stay with the group and do what I can to keep them safe for as long as I can."

On Randall Road-
"The best way to keep everyone safe is to study this and find a way to stop it," said Zorie. "We're not going to solve the crisis by blowing up or putting a bullet into the head of every walking corpse out there. The only way to stop them is through science. As for how we'll study it once we're on the base, I'm sure I'll be put to work with the medical staff monitoring everyone in quarantine, and I'll volunteer for that duty. With my expertise and the knowledge I got out there, they can't afford not to use me. Once you're safely on the base and in quarantine, we can decide what to do next. We can level with the medical people at that point and enlist their help if you want. Sooner or later you'll start to show symptoms and you won't be able to hide them anyway. You were bitten less than ten minutes ago, so you're good for now. You could probably last about three hours untreated, but the base has state of the art medical facilities. There's all sorts of things we can do to slow its progress down and buy more time for you, especially given what we know." She tied a tourniquet around Frank's bitten arm. "That's only the simplest of them. There's one person that Lt. Blanco and I were working with early this morning that I think can really help. She's Major Jaclyn MacPherson, and they'll probably assign her to the quarantine facility too. She's a dedicated doctor and very brilliant, and I'm sure she'll agree with me about keeping you here - once we've gotten you inside. Like me, she has the deepest respect for human life, and I know we can count on her."

"You'll never get me inside," said Dr. Owens. "I don't want to be a burden on you guys or take anything that you could use, and I don't want to go anywhere else. Like I said, I've got nothing left. I should just end it all here and now. David, let me use that shotgun. After I...do it, you can have it back, along with my pistol, ammo, and medical supplies."

"Lt. Doolittle, this is Lt. Colonel Carmichael," said Carmichael's voice on the radio. "Do you read me?"

"I read you loud and clear, sir," said Lt. Doolittle.

"I have good news for you. The CO has finally agreed to grant everyone who hasn't been infected entry to the base, but only under certain conditions. First, everyone who enters must agree to being placed under military command. All civilians will be required to obey orders from any and all military personnel, even the lowliest airman. Nobody will go anywhere without official permission. Any deviation from these instructions may be met with the use of force. Everyone will be placed in quarantine initially for testing and observation. Once cleared, you will all be assigned duties. All civilians must surrender all of their weapons and ammunition to base personnel before being allowed into the base. They will be returned to you eventually - except for anything that is Air Force property. If anyone does not agree to these terms, he or she should leave now. What is the status of the infected person you mentioned?"

"He's about to kill himself, I think, sir. If anyone hears a loud shotgun blast, that'll be him."

"All right, Lieutenant. Once that's done, the Stryker will emerge, the barrier will be temporarily removed, and anyone who wishes to enter will be escorted in. All military personnel among you and anyone injured will ride inside the Stryker, and the civilians will follow in their own vehicles. They are not to stray, and they are not to lag too far behind. Doing so will be considered deviation from official instructions. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, sir." Lt. Doolittle relayed Carmichael's terms to the others. "So, what's it going to be, everyone?"

Colin sighed and told the group, "Look I served in this mans army once before. I obey no one but myself now. i will not go to a base without being allowed to leave if I want and I will not surrender my weapons. Does anyone else think that this is a stupid idea? How do we know they do not plan to kill us all. I am leaning toward not going in. The only way I will go in is if everyone else goes in as well. If one or two of you want to come with me or more we can make it to that fort. its only a few hours drive from this spot. Dr. Owen maybe you will not die. You could be one of the special ones who manages to live with this virus in you. Why kill yourself now? Lets go away from this place. If it comes to it I will kill you myself, I promise. Anyone else want to be with me?"

OOC: Do Keith and Melina hear what was said on the radio?

OOC,Yes, everyone knows what [b]Carmichael[/b] said because [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] told you.

On Randall Road-
"Well...if you leave to go somewhere else, I'll go with you," said Dr. Owens to Colin.

Amanda looked at Colin with deep concern. "Why would you think they'd want to kill us all?" she asked. "We've both served before, each in different ways, and we know the men and women of the United States Armed Forces are the finest people there are. I want my son to be safe, and Melinda and Lisa, who are like daughters to me. And I want you to be safe too, Colin. This is the only place I know of where I think we can be. I know you're suffering from terrible shock. We all are, and it's because of what we've been through out there. You're not just in terrible physical danger, but your mind is in peril too."

Lisa nodded. "Please don't go running off now," she said. "I'm sticking with you, Amanda."

"The fort would be suicidal anyway," said Coltrane. "You don't even know if it's fallen, and besides, there's the radiation to worry about. I told you about the nuke that went off near there."

Colin said, "I was taught in the army not to leave anyone behind. How can any of you walk into that fort not knowing if we will even be let out of a jail cell ever and leave behind Dr. Owen to kill himself when we do not even know if he will turn. Besides if the fort does not work, and by the way it is run by the National Park Service so it is not an active fort, there are other places out west. Why we could make it to Yellowstone late tommorw morning or Mount Rushmore late tommorow afternoon. I am just begging all of you to see what is really occuring. They will lock us up and never give our weapons back to us. How can you trust them? But he saw that he could not get through to anyone. Colin realzied that he would have to go in with the group and did not have any place to hide any weapons on himself. However looking at the area around him and thinking about the way the millitary was acting he noticed something in the distance which he pointed out to the group as well as seeing what the milliatary was planning on doing which he told the otehr group.

On Randall Road-
Looking around, Colin Lewis could see a small cluster of people about a mile to the northwest on the road, and they were heading this way quickly. They were too far away to make out any details yet, however. When he turned his attention to the base itself, he noticed that there were snipers positioned in lookout towers and on the roofs of buildings not far from the fence. On ground level, he also spotted concealed foxholes where more USAF Security Forces troopers manned machine guns. This gate was clearly well defended. Everything fit with what he had heard earlier, when Carmichael had said that this was intended as an emergency evacuation route in case the base was overrun. The road and the railroad tracks running parallel to it went from the base off to the northwest, into the wilderness. Any threat likely to endanger the base would probably come from the east, as the city of Cheyenne had to be teeming with the walking dead, but there was little of note out here that wasn't associated with the base. He also realized that the sentries were watching him and his companions, and they were probably as worried about what the civilians would do as he was afraid of them. They clearly saw him trying to conceal his knife on his person, as one of them looked straight at him and shook his head from side to side, frowning. He got the impression that it would be a very bad idea for anyone to try to smuggle weapons inside.

-Well, of course the military will be suspicious. But you see, as soon as those things atack the base, they will have problems more serious than us. And if the thing goes bad, I mean the zombies invading the base, we can try to escape with all the caos; the soldiers may think they control everything, but we know by experience that it never hapens. And if they winn, well, better for all us.

Colin said, "I guess the group will be going inside then. I guess I will be as well too. Sorry Dr. Owen for giving you false hope."

OOC: Did Colin call out the grup of folks he saw moving this way?
In the bed of the truck-
"Colin, I promise you that I will do everything I can to make sure you do not sit stuck in a jail cell. Lets get inside and see what happens. I truely believe that we stand the best chance of surviving in the base here. At least for the time being."

In his truck-
"Jeeze, what's the hold up?" Keith says. He exits the truck and moves toward the folks having a conversation: "Are we ready to go in or what?"

Colin turns to Keith and said, "The hold up is that one of our own must die because he may or may not be infected and no one but me seems to give a fuck about it. Dr. Owens deserves to go inside as much as any one of us. What the fuck is your problem? Do you all really want to live in a world run by the millitary elite with a fascist dictator cause that is where we are headed!"

At the front of his truck-
"Hey, ease up man. I have my mother, sister and lady to worry about. Keeping them safe is my primary concern."

Colin looked at Keith and said, "Yeah thanks for bringing that up and rubbing that in since I have no one who cares about me anymore now that Joe is dead and it is my fault! But since we really do not care for each other then I guess no one will care if I do this!" He pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the head of Dr. Owen. "Just tell me when your ready to go to God sir and I will pull the trigger for you."

OOC,Yes, [b]Colin[/b] told you about the figures in the distance.

On Randall Road-
"Save your ammo," said Dr. Owens wearily. "I'll do it myself. You didn't give me false hope, Colin. I didn't have any left to begin with. And yes, I'm dying. I've been getting weaker and more feverish with every passing minute."

"Colin, I care about you," said Amanda, putting an arm around his shoulders. "What happened to Joe was not your fault. That worm was way too tough for one person to take out."

Lt. Doolittle nodded. "It took five of us in the end," she said. "And we were damn lucky."

"I'm afraid that Dr. Owens isn't immune," said Zorie. "Kimberly wasn't symptomatic at all. That's how we knew."

Dr. Owens gave David his pistol and spare magazines, and David lent him the shotgun. Dr. Owens worked up his courage before pointing the barrel at his own head. "I'm coming, Adrian," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." With shaking hands, he pulled the trigger. He couldn't have missed from so close. The buckshot cracked his skull apart, and his lifeless body fell to the road. David retrieved the shotgun.

The base's gate slowly opened, and when it was wide enough the Stryker rolled slowly forward. It performed a U-turn and then backed up, stopping just short of the barrier. "Please remain where you are," said a man's voice from a loudspeaker on the vehicle. "Keep your distance from the barricade while we move it aside, and keep your weapons pointed away."

Melinda starts crying.

Colin shakes his head, "We could have stopped him but everyone cried out safety safety safety. Well let me warn you all the Bible clearly says that in those days people will cry out for peace and safety and find neither. Sound like today?"

In the bed of the truck-
Frank winced as Dr. Owens blew his head off. He turned from the body and said into his radio: "We have inbound bogies approaching fast. Snipers should be on the ready. Also, I would like you to reconsidar forcing the citizens to give up their weapons. I know the world has gone to shit, but I would like to think that the Constitution and it's Amendments still live on in this country. These folks and their guns are the reason we are alive today. Forcing them to give up their only means of defense seems wrong me to, and to everyone out here."
Frank then turns to Colin: "Colin, no one is forcing you to enter the base. You have a truck, a gun, and some ammo. You are more than welcome to gear up and bug out to somewhere else. Shit, man, I would probably do the same thing if I were in your shoes. What all of us don't need is for you stand here freaking everyone out. Please? So do what you have to do, and do it knowing that I support any decision you make, but please understand that everyone else here is doing what they need to do. Zorie and myself need to get in there and see what kind of communication if happeing out in the world. The doctor and her friends are probably in Omaha by now and they may have made progress. Shit, the base here probably doesn't even know about them so I need to get them all in communication. Those of you all that do come in can know that I will do EVERYTHING I can to allow you to keep your weapons and participate in all of the bases defenses. "

In his truck-
Keith ges to Melinda and puts his arm around her and hugs her tightly as she sobs.

Colin silently cursed and got into his truck. "Well then lets get inside now."

On Randall Road-
Amanda put her arms around Keith and Melinda, hugging them both. "I know," she said. "He's in a better place now."

"He could hardly be in a worse one," said Lisa, joining them.

"I understand where you're coming from, Airman," replied Carmichael on the radio, "but it's not my decision. The CO insisted on these terms, and you're lucky you're being allowed in at all. Nobody's forcing the civilians to give up their weapons. As I said, if they don't like it, they can leave, and this is only temporary. Once they clear quarantine, they can have their weapons back. Their own weapons. I'm sure they've salvaged some weapons and ammo from the fallen back at the motel, and those will remain Air Force property. Military personnel such as yourself will retain their weapons. We will protect the civilians, they can rest assured of that. It's standard protocol not to allow them carry arms on base, and it's for their own good. We don't want any trouble between them and base personnel, but if it does happen this will ensure it doesn't turn deadly. Once guns enter the equation, anything can happen. I'll make sure the snipers are alerted."

As he spoke, the barrier was wheeled aside from the other side. The back of the Stryker MEV had been opened, and a squad of six people in orange Racal suits like the one Zorie Spooner wore had emerged, carrying M-16A2s and taking up defensive positions. They had apparently been the ones who had moved the barricade.

The leader of the squad approached the civilians, handing out markers and large, clear plastic bags that could be opened and closed with drawstrings. They also had labels on which names could be written. He gave one bag and one marker to each person. "Please place all of your weapons and ammunition in these bags, close them, and then write your name on the label. Ensure that all knives or other bladed weapons are sheathed so that they do not puncture the bag. Once you're done, we'll collect the bags and escort you inside."

Colin put his weapons in the bag and closed it up. He marked the bag with his wartime rank, name, and seriel number.

At his truck-
"Alright," Keith said, "Looks like we're going in." Keith grabbed the bag and put his guns into the plastic bag and wrote his name on it. He then handed it to the soldier closest to him.

On Randall Road-
Amanda pulled herself away and put her .38 revolver and bullets in her bag, then wrote her name on the label. "Come on, Melinda, we'd best do as they say," she said. "The sooner we're done, the sooner we can get inside."

Melinda taked the weapon she had and wrote her number.
-Just hope we are safe at least.

On Randall Road-
David complied as well, stowing all of his weapons and ammo. He needed a second, separate bag for the SAW, but he had no illusions of ever getting it back.

"You too, ma'am," said the squad leader to Zorie Spooner. "You are a civilian. I think you'll be able to get yours back before anyone else, though."

Zorie put her Beretta and magazines in the bag he gave her and wrote her name on it before turning the bag in.

Lisa put her pistol, ammo, and tire iron in her own bag, on which she wrote her name.

The SF troopers collected all of the bags and then the squad leader nodded. "Lt. Doolittle, ma'am, you, Senior Airman Coltrane, and Airman Hodges will ride in the back of the Stryker. You too, Ms. Spooner, ma'am. The rest of you, return to your vehicles and follow the Stryker when it starts moving. When it stops, you stop. Don't stray off on your own, and don't lag behind. Let's make this snappy. It sounds like we've got unfriendly company on the way, and we need to get everyone inside and secure the gate before they get here."

At his truck-
"Okay, sounds good." Keith turned to Melinda: "You go ahead and rest, Melinda. I'll drive us in."

At the back of the truck
'Roger that." Hodges said. He got up and helped Zorie along to the back of the Striker, then helped her to get seated. "ALright. Here we go."

Colin got behind his truck steering wheel and followed the rest of the group into the base. As he did so he crossed himself.

-Thanks. How is it possible that the most important nation in the world starts crumbling a in a few hours?

OOC,Everyone is moving to the following thread.

Sanctuary