Play@YSDC

Zoe requests coffee and a tumbler of brandy. She describes recent events....

"Food and water would be great!" Sally says. "I haven't eaten anything of substance is quite a while. In fact, the last thing I had was an MRE back at that skinhead base."

Sally takes a seat and retells the story of her time at the diner, the time in the tunnels and labs, and harrowing ordeal with the skinheads. "Once the other two skum bags fled with the girls," she continued "we decided our best bet was to come here where we could rest safely."

In Smedley's office-
"I like tea," said Katarina.

"We can't serve alcohol," replied Lt. Colonel Smedley, "but milk, coffee, water, and tea we can arrange, though there's no strawberry mix. Granted, the coffee isn't the best, but it's what we have. Once it's all gone, I don't know how we'll be resupplied. We don't have steak, unfortunately, but we do have MREs. I'll see that you get one with beef, ma'am," he said to Julie. He waved one of the SF troopers away, and the man left to go fetch the food and drinks. He listened carefully while Sally and Zoe told him about their ordeal.

"We still need to save Lara from them," added Katarina. "We hope maybe you help."

The colonel sighed. "That's a tall order, ma'am. It's all we can do just to hold our own. We can't scour a wide area looking for a few people. We've already lost some helicopters, and we don't have many left. Much of Montana is out of our birds' range as well." He addressed Sally. "I understand that you have an idea of who on this base was helping the skinheads steal weapons. They've been disappearing for months, but until you came in through that tunnel we had no idea how they were being smuggled off the base. We need to know who the traitors are."

"No alcohol! Is that a military decision? or are you out of drink?"

"Sorry, sir" Sally said. "That was simply a ruse to see if I could ferret out whether anyone of the men who had captured us was affiliated with the skinheads. Unfotunately, the ladies and I have very little trust for anyone after what we have been through."

"That said" Sally continued, "Why would such a tunnel exist? Surely it cannot be part of the base's design."

In Smedley's office-
"We do have some alcohol left, ma'am," said Smedley to Zoe, "but it is in short supply and we are reserving it for medicinal uses only. Besides, you don't even look like you're 21 yet. Even if you're older than you look, under the circumstances I doubt you have ID to prove it." He looked skeptical when Sally said that her claim was just a ruse. "I'm not so sure you don't know anything about who the traitors are. And no, that tunnel is not part of the base's design. Until tonight I was unaware of its existence. How it could have been constructed under our noses is another question that needs answering."

"Sally tells the truth," said Katarina. "If we know something, of course we tell you! We want these guys found just as much as you. We really don't know. I hear nothing when I was prisoner...but maybe Lara did. And the skinheads who take her, they must know! That is good reason to go after them, yes?"

Smedley looked unconvinced.

OOC,Anyone may try a Persuade roll here. The base skill is 15%. You should also make your case rather than merely rolling the dice.

"Sir, I am telling the truth" Sally said. "When we were confronted by the soldiers after exiting the tunnels, I assumed that they knew about the tunnel or that at least one of them did and was working with the skinheads. By telling them I knew who was the traitor, I hoped to get the real trator to expose themsevles if they were among their ranks. Hell, who knows, one of them could be the traitor for all I know."

Sally let out a deep breath and calmed down after her impassioned speach: "As I said, I don't know who to trust anymore, other than my girls here. The world has turned on itself. The dead are attacking the living, and the living are attacking each other. It's every man, or woman, for themselves."

In Smedley's office-
"You thought you could flush out the traitor?" said Lt. Colonel Smedley, shaking his head in disbelief. "Did you really think the traitor would just come out and admit it? Or did it occur to you that the traitor might simply kill you to silence you? That kind of bluff is a dangerous game. I'd have thought you were smarter than that."

"We all owe our lives to Sally," said Julie. "You've got to listen to her!" But Smedley was not moved.

Katarina broke down and cried. "Please," she implored. "If not for Sally, Zoe and I would still be playthings for those monsters. They have my friend Lara. We have to save her! You know what they're doing to her! What if she were your daughter?" She sniffled. "I want those scum dead, but if we capture one of them alive you can torture him, make him talk, tell you who the traitors are!"

"We don't torture people, ma'am," said Smedley. "We could, however, use harsh interrogation techniques. They can be quite effective."

"Yes, do that! The harsher the better!"

"All right, you make a good point. Under the circumstances, I think we can justify mounting a snatch and grab mission. We can figure out where exactly the Aryan Brotherhood compound in Montana Sally mentioned is located and insert a team to intercept them by helicopter before they arrive. As long as they stop for the night somewhere, we'll be able to get there in plenty of time. The only problem is convincing the higher ups. There are a few people ranked higher than me on this base, and they won't be easy for me to convince. But you're right, the possibility of unmasking the traitors makes it worth the risk. And if we can rescue your friend while we're at it, so much the better. I'll run the plan up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes."

"I want to go with."

"Katarina, it's dangerous!" protested Julie.

"She's right," said Smedley. "You're a civilian, ma'am. You were incredibly lucky to make it this far. Leave this operation to the professionals."

"I owe it to Lara," insisted Katarina, grim determination on her face. "I couldn't save her before, but maybe I save her now. I not as weak as I look. I can fight. I killed their leader. Give me pistol, knife, grenades. And you need me. I know Deadeye and Nitro. I know what they look like. And I owe them."

"Okay, I can see that." He looked over the other women. "Do any of you want to go too? We can only fit so many people in a helicopter. Each seat you take means one less of our people on the raid - if it happens at all." He focused his gaze on Sally. "You've been going around on a broken leg all day, and you're badly injured. One night's rest isn't going to fix that."

you don't even look like you're 21 yet. Even if you're older than you look, under the circumstances I doubt you have ID to prove it.

"Huh! I'm old enough to be raped, or eaten by zombies, but you'll ensure the drink law isn't contravened. Who cares anymore?..."

"I owe it to Lara," insisted Katarina

Zoe keeps quiet during Katarina's impassioned speech.

"It would be best for Lara if I stay here. A soldier will do a better job of saving her.

"Maybe, Smedley, I can be of use in the army's workshop, because I'm pretty useful with a wrench."

In Smedley's office-
"That's Colonel Smedley," said Smedley with just the barest hint of a smile. "Yes, I think we can find a place for you on the ground crew. Aircraft and other vehicles need to be maintained, refueled, and rearmed. We can always use an extra pair of hands."

"I'm going too," said Julie. "My orienteering skills will be useful out in the wilds of Montana, and I'm a pretty good tracker too. I'm also good with a bow and a pistol if it comes to a fight." She smiled at Katarina. "Besides, someone needs to keep an eye out for you."

Katarina hugged her. "Thank you, Julie," she said.

At that point, an SF trooper returned carrying a stack of MREs, a tray of drinks, and a small handcuff key. It fit perfectly in the lock of Zoe's handcuffs, and she was at long last able to remove them. Her wrists felt much better now that they were off, and she was able to slip her arms through the straps of her tank top, but the real benefit was to her mind. The skinheads had put those cuffs on her after her botched escape attempt, and even after she had gotten away from them, they had remained a constant reminder. At last the final symbol of her slavery was gone and she was not just alive, she was free. The feeling was wonderful. She would be a long time healing from her terrible ordeal, and she would never be the same again, but she knew she would be better.

"Tonight we'll put you in a secure room," said Smedley, "guarded by people I trust. In the morning I'll have some women from the medical staff give all of you a full examination and you'll be able to eat breakfast. If you're cleared by the medical exam, you'll be given duty assignments. If there's nothing else, I bid you good night, ladies."

OOC,Congratulations on surviving Chapter 6! It will probably be one or two weeks before Chapter 7 starts, but in the meantime you may continue to converse and interact with each other. Chapter 7 will pick up the following morning. If there's anything you plan to do tonight besides sleep, let me know here.

"Thank you" said Sally.

Sally thought about whether she should go on this mission or not. With her leg wounded in the way it was, she surely would not be as useful as a trained soldier.

"I'll stay here and help with any wounded that need to be treated." Sally said. "At the original Skinhead base, I observed something with x-rays and I think the infection may be stopped with xray radiation. I did not have time to investigate before the worm attacked so I would love to see what I can discover here."

In Smedley's office-
"You're welcome, and I'm sure we'll be able to use your help," said Smedley. "From what we've learned, radiation seems to make the infection spread faster. Of course, that's the radiation that comes from nuclear detonations, which is more than just X-rays."

OOC: Sorry, all. I have been away for a while and seem to have lost track of this game. Are we between chapters?

I am having a hard time finding where my checked skills are for my characters.


Thanks,
Ryan

I cannot find where to post this, so here are my skill checks for my characters:

Sally the Traveling Nurse
only raised Spot Hidden. It was increased by 6
She healed one hp
Gained 9 sanity

Keith Deeds
Keith healed one HP

Emily Montrose
Increased medicine only by 7 points
Gained 8 sanity

Ron Moore
Increase both Spot Hidden and Listen. Spot Hidden increased by 8. Listen increased by 7

OOC,I'd meant for you to post your rolls in the Chapter 7 OOC thread in the link, as I mentioned in my previous post, but I processed your increases and added them to your character sheet. However, you also succeeded at [b]Sally[/b]'s Navigate increase, so please roll 1d10 for the increase and post the result in the OOC thread, and then I'll add it in. The story continues in the Gold and Sword sections of Chapter 7, found on the link below.

A New Day