Z-Day - 6:14 PM Central Time - Brooks High School, Omaha, Nebraska In the lobby- Tariq nodded back, but he proceeded into the north hall with his tray of food before Donald and the others could catch up to him. Becky led him, Lucy, Declan, Alvin, Murray, and Rachel into the lobby from the east hall. "The bus is in the parking lot in back of the school," she said. "We can just go out the door in the north stairwell."
Donald rolls his eyes and then looks to Alvin, tugging on his collar, "Civilian, remember? If you want a password, then let's have one. What's good for you?"
In the lobby- Becky led the group into the north hall.
In the north hall, ground floor- Tariq pushed open the door to the stairwell and entered as Becky's group made its way into the hall following him. Rachel verified that her weapons were fully loaded and in good working order.
"Shibboth," Daniel repeats. "Ok... so now we know the password, what? Do we fire upon anyone who doesn't? Do we need to send someone to the other groups around here and make sure they know what the password is?" Daniel shrugged, trying to patronize the crazed man was seeming to be a waste of time. But still, not like they were doing anything more than walking at the moment anyway.
"No only God's people, us, who are brave to fight the devils out here know the password. Everyone else is an coward and enemy and must be shot on sight." Alvin smiled thinking about how he had wanted to kill those hippies who forced him to become homeless.
In the north hall, ground floor- Declan did a double take. "Er," he said to Alvin. "While we're fixing the bus, maybe you should, ah, go patrol the perimeter." He and the others followed Becky into the stairwell.
In the north stairwell, ground floor- Tariq made his way upstairs as Becky's group entered the ground floor landing. "The bus is in the parking lot out the back door," said Becky, opening it. "Let's go."
In the north stairwell, upper floor- Tariq continued to the roof.
OOC,[b]Tariq[/b] is moving to the thread linked below. His player (if there ever is one again) must stop reading the current thread at this point and is not allowed to read the posts above the one in the link. Everyone else remains in the current thread.
In the north stairwell, ground floor-
Everyone went out the back door.
In the rear parking lot- Becky led the way outside to the parking lot behind the school. The broken down school bus, a relic of the late 1970s, squatted in a corner of the lot.
Dr. Helene Saunders called down from the roof: "We have some visitors! They look friendly!" Nobody else was visible from behind the school.
OOC,Anyone wishing to work on the bus should roll Mechanical Repair.
Donald glanced up at Dr. Saunders, then away. He didn't much care for any more visitors. They just cause trouble ... and more mess to clean up. He continued forward to evaluate the problem with the bus and make some quick repairs to it. "Someone care to turn the engine over while I take a look under the hood?"
Mech Repair = success,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2743681/]Repair Bus (Mech Repair = 66%) (1d100=20)[/url]
Handy,Alvin is pacing up and down in front of the door on guard duty. He has the password. He is slowly losing it and I am not sure how I am going to play him but just a warning he may open fire on anyone at anytime. I am not sure yet of course.
Alvin Drummond,[b]Alvin[/b] isn't that far gone yet. He thinks he's back in Vietnam, but he can still tell who the friendlies are. Temporary insanity may cause something like that, but he's fine for now. Even [b]Colin Lewis[/b] at 1 Sanity didn't need to start killing people.
In the rear parking lot-
"Here, catch," said Becky, tossing Rachel the keys to the bus. Then she went over to where Donald was inspecting the engine. He got the impression that, while he could fix it, it would take some time. If he had to do it by himself, it would probably take him about six hours. Fortunately, he had help. Lucy was more used to working on aircraft, but she proved quite capable with ground vehicles too. However, Beckyjust couldn't contribute much. She had already tried to fix it and had had no luck then either. Declanalso couldn't figure it out. "Damn newfangled thing," he muttered. While the bus was well over thirty years old, he was considerably older still.
With Lucy's help, Donald estimated that the repairs would take close to three hours. More competent help would speed that up considerably.
OOC,Everyone, roll Listen. [b]Alvin[/b], if you decide to try your hand at helping to fix the bus, you'll need to roll Mechanical Repair. [b]Rachel[/b], you may try as well, though the base skill is only 20%.
In the bus- Rachel familiarized herself with the bus and tried the keys, but the engine did not turn over. The sun visor worked just fine, but she wouldn't need it much longer, considering how low the sun was dipping.
Daniel told the others, "Well, with Lucy's help, we can have this done in a few hours. Certainly not impossible. Ok Rachel, you can stop trying to turn it over." He started laying out the tools they had available and went to work.
Rachel climbs out of the bus and fingers some tools, she holds a wrench up to Donald.
"What the hell is this used for?"
She cocks her head. "I hear something."
Alvin paced back and front of the door silently counting candence to himself. His ears pricked up and he swung around holding a tennis ball cocked in one hand ready to throw it and said, "Advance and be reconized or I will shoot!"
Alvin Drummond and Rachel Cohen,[b]Alvin[/b] and [b]Rachel[/b] heard [b]Tariq[/b] on the roof speaking with [b]Dr. Saunders[/b]. "Here's you dinner, Doctor," he said.
"Thank you, [b]Tariq[/b]," she answered.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you about this EMP device. I'm curious about it."
"What did you want to know?"
They could also hear people around the corner, on the west side of the school.
Donald cocked his head to the side, then shook his head, "Don't hear nothin'." He grabbed the wrench and said, "It's for tightening and loosening things. I'm going to need that just now, thanks." With wrench in hand, he slid under the bus fixing to take the whatsamajigger apart so he could rebuild it. He didn't much need the light, using his hands to find the appropriate bolt to loosen.
In the rear parking lot-
The group in the parking lot saw five people emerge from around the northwest corner. A young man led the way, accompanied by a blonde woman of around thirty years. There were also a redheaded woman and a man with black hair. They both looked to be about thirty years old as well. All four of them wore suits and ties. The fifth person looked different, a man in overalls who was fortyish.
"Name's Jack Brunner," said the man in overalls. "I'm here with Agents Lake, O'Neill, and Graham and Detective Ehrlich. We're human and friendly."
The five newcomers saw that a man and a woman were underneath an old school bus working on it. Their legs stuck out from beneath the bus and a toolbox lay open between them. There was an old, scruffy-looking black man standing guard in front of one of the back doors, in the center of the school's north side. An equally scruffy-looking mutt crouched beside him. There were also a tough-looking blonde woman and an elderly Irishman.
Rachel Cohen,You can go ahead and talk to [b]Tariq[/b] and [b]Dr. Saunders[/b] if you like.
Alvin Drummond/Rachel Cohen/Jack Brunner,"How reliable is it?" asked [b]Tariq[/b] up on the roof. "Are you sure it will keep working?"
"Oh, yes," said [b]Dr. Saunders[/b]. "it's been working so far, and I'm keeping an eye on it. You don't need to worry on that score."
Donald took a moment to peek out at who was speaking. It was a voice he hadn't heard before. "Huh... visitors. At least they ain't trying to eat us or shoot us... yet." He went back to working under the bus.
Thinking about what he had heard and walking over to the bus, Jack thought through the consequences of it. Kneeling down to talk to those working on the bus he said "Are you replacing the electrical systems? Need any tools or help?"
In the rear parking lot-
An ugly, overweight woman with a shotgun came around the bus from the other side. "Yeah, we could use some help," she said. "I'm Becky Clarke, the bus driver. The electrical systems aren't the problem. This bus is old enough that it isn't affected by the EMP. The problem's mechanical."
OOC,[b]Jack[/b], if you want to try to help fix the bus, roll Mechanical Repair.
"Yeah, what she said is right," Donald says through grunts as he works a nut free. "I know what the problem is, but it'll take some time to fix it. An extra hand couldn't hurt if you know anything about engines."
The blond woman sporting an SMG slung over her shoulder greets the newcomers, she speaks English with a foreign accent.
"Hello. I'm Rachel Cohen, head of security for the scientists here at the school. Good to have you guys join with us.
"Agents? FBI I presume. And Mr Brunner, a mechanic?"
Kneeling down and opening his bag full of tools Jack said "No I'm a farmer, but you have to learn to be pretty self sufficient and fix all kinds of things out on the farm. I'm pretty good at fixing just about anything, mechanical, electrical, or electronics. I guess you could say I'm a bit Jack of all trades." Now with the momentary grin gone and got to work on the bus. Finding out the problem, he quickly got to work fixing it.
Alvin walked up to the new arrivals and said, "do you have the password cause if not the General will have to approve you to be allowed on site. And he may order you hanged unfortunatly."
In the rear parking lot-
"I'm Special Agent Ann O'Neill," said the redhead to Rachel. "Special Agent Miles Graham and I are from the FBI." She pointed out the man in the black suit who had come with her. "Special Agent John Lake is from the DEA."
"And I'm Detective Gretchen Ehrlich from the Omaha Police Department," said the blonde. "What's been going on around here?"
Miles Graham looked curiously at Alvin. "There is a general in command here?" he asked. "I did not notice a military presence."
Jack got to work helping Donald and the woman who were repairing the bus. "I'm Lucy Armstrong," she said. "I'd shake your hand, but I'm up to my elbows in grease." With his help, it looked like it would now take only a little less than two hours to complete the repairs and get the bus moving. It would be sooner than that if they could get a little more help.
Donald nodded to Jack and said quietly, "Right, I'm Daniel. And don't worry about that password business. Alvin's not quite right in the head lately. Thinks he's back in the army."
"Delighted to meet you, Agents."
Rachel frowns at Alvin. "This man is ex-military--a useful soldier. Uh, the zombie business has been a shock to us all, some more than others."
"And I'm Detective Gretchen Ehrlich from the Omaha Police Department," said the blonde. "What's been going on around here?"
Rachel outlines what has happened at the school....
Alvin said, "Of course there is a general here. This is combat and Charlie could be crawling in the weeds right now. Night is when he comes out to play. I am afraid I will have to ask you to come with me to be cleared by the general. You first please!"
OOC,[b]Rachel[/b], you should actually summarize what you know of what happened for the benefit of [b]Jack[/b] and [b]Gretchen[/b]. Their players haven't read those threads.
Jack spoke up, "I have an RV parked just a short walk from here. I took some supplies from it and they're in my bag right there. I have lots more food and more tools still in it. I just ask that everybody stay out of the back bedroom. That's where my family is." With that said he got right back to work, hoping to forget his life in repairing the bus.
Rachel briefly outlines the events at the school, ticking off her fingers as she does so:
"The scientists successfully used their EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) device, killing the zombies; but all electronics as well.
"We had a rebellion in the school which we crushed. However, some of the culprits got away.
"Somewhere out there is a gang who are hostile to us.
"We need this old bus up and running."
Gretchen steps forward, "I'm keen to talk to this general too. Is the principal alive?"
"Principal Adler is inside the school, perhaps Private Alvin should escort you to him." Rachel adds in a stage whisper: "Alvin, go easy on Gretchen."
Jack: I have lots more food and more tools still in it.
OOC,[b]Jack[/b] can't go to the RV while he's working on the bus, but it's easy enough for [b]Rachel[/b] to find it from his directions. It's just a block west of the school.
In the rear parking lot- Rachel headed off to the west, crossing the school grounds and soon reaching the fence that marked their boundary. There were enough holes in it that it would be no problem for her to get through it.
Alvin borrowed Donald's keys in order to open the door. Then he led Gretchen and the three federal agents inside. Murray tagged along.
"You're pretty good," said the woman working on the bus to Jack. "I'm Lucy Armstrong. I'm used to working on aircraft, but I can fix a bus just as well."
In the north stairwell, ground floor- Alvin and Murray entered along with John, Ann, and Miles. Stairs went up and down, and a door led further south into the building.
"Which way is the general?" asked Miles.
Tariq came down from the stairs above. Gretchen saw that he was a tall man of MIddle Eastern origin. He carried an empty tray.
Donald listened to Lucy complimenting Jack and just rolled his eyes. After all, he was the one who diagnosed the problem first... but he was used to being overlooked. Such is the life of a janitor. "Maybe we should change the oil while we're at it. Looks pretty murky."
Jack started rambling, "Thanks, I'm ok at mechanics. Like I said you have to be able to fix just about anything out on the farm. And an engine is an engine. Whether it runs on gas, diesel, av-gas, or JP-4 the principles are the same. I've flown the crop duster for our co-op, never fixed it though. But I have looked at the engine on the prop and it's not a whole lot different than a car engine. Now jets, I'm sure are completely different. Anyway, you guys had this on the way to being fixed already. I just chipped in. Certainly keeping occupied has kept my mind off... ...what's happened." With that last statement a dark expression came over his face and he looked very troubled.
In the rear parking lot-
"Well, we're really just getting started ourselves," said Lucy. She nodded to Donald. "Yeah, it won't hurt to change the oil. I'll take care of it." She went around to the front of the bus. "I'd been trying to forget everything that's happened today too. I saw people killed - murdered - at the airfield where I worked today. I'm lucky I got out of there in one piece. The school has been a lot safer than that in spite of everything that's happened here. Until those punks went and killed that guy, I don't think anyone had died here. The generator here shorted out not long after I arrived, and the electric fence that had been keeping the place safe no longer had any juice. Donald here helped fix the generator quickly, which bought the scientists enough time to save us all."
In the street- Rachel passed through the hole in the fence and walked west for about a block. She found the RV exactly where she had been told it was. The side door stood open.
In the north hall, ground floor-
Everyone walked through the door that Alvin had held open and into a hallway that led south. There were doors on either side, and ahead lay the school's lobby.
Rachel tries to remember, did Jack Brunner say his family were in the back of the RV? She readies her SMG, then calls into open side door.
"Hello. Anyone home. Jack sent me."
Donald tools around some more, placing a drip can underneath the oil pan and before opening the plug, moves to make sure they have some new oil to replace what they will be emptying.
In the rear parking lot-
"I flew in here with a couple of the scientists," continued Lucy as she worked. "Dr. Brigetta Hausmann and her assistant Stephanie Bridges pieced everything together. They figured out that aliens were behind everything that's been happening today, and they decoded the aliens' language. The aliens had been in contact with something on Earth that called them here. We sent a message out into space in their language to trick them into thinking their job was done and that they could pack up and go home. We don't know for sure if it worked, but we can only hope. Stephanie finished the work after Brigetta's arm got broken by one of the dead. She also came up with the idea to use the EMP to shut them down."
In the street-
There was no response to Rachel's call.
In the lobby-
The group followed Alvin into the lobby. The front doors were completely barricaded shut. The metal detector stood uselessly in front of them, though with the power out it wouldn't work anyway. There were a couple of doors leading off from the lobby, and the hall went both east and west from here.
John Lake studies the Lobby, he looks for all access points and vulnerabilities. His keeps at the ready and watches this Alvin, not sure what to make of the fairly obvious unhinged ex-soldier.
He tries to catch Gretchen's eye as they continue on into the School.
In the lobby- John saw that it would take quite a lot of force to break down the barricades on the front doors. They seemed to have held all day. Aside from two doors, one to the northwest and one to the northeast, the only other ways in and out were the three halls. The one he had come from led north, and two others led east and west. A balcony ringed the lobby from above, accessible only from upstairs. A security desk stood in the middle of the lobby, but nobody was currently on duty there.
Tariq left via the east hall.
John, Gretchen, Ann, and Miles followed Alvin through the northeast doorway. The door had been smashed in from the outside.
OOC,[b]Alvin[/b], [b]Murray[/b], [b]John Lake[/b], and [b]Gretchen[/b] are moving to the thread linked below. Please stop reading the current thread at this point, and do not read any posts above the one in the link. Everyone else remains in the current thread.
In the rear parking lot-
"Why don't you guys tell me a little about yourselves?" asked Lucy as she helped with the repairs.
In the RV-
The first thing Rachel noticed when she stepped into the RV was the stench of death and decay. Shell casings, blood, and broken glass made it obvious that a fight had taken place here. The lights inside the RV were all off, and nothing would make them turn on. All of the doors to the various rooms were open except for one at the back, which was closed.
"Not much to say," Donald responded to Lucy. "Been in Omaha since I was thirteen. Never really had high marks, so seems pushing a broom was right up my alley. Did some custodial work here and there, picked up a bit on repairs and such. Been working at the school here for the past ten years, mostly doing the outdoors groundskeeping. Had a wife, but she fell ill from cancer a couple years back - may she rest in peace. Thank god she didn't have to witness all of this."
Donald paused his wrench work as his mind drifted back to his wife. He wondered if she managed to claw her way up from the grave during the first wave, and shivered with the thought. "Do you think those ... things remember anything from their lives?"
ooc: I'm guessing our lack of activity is largely because what we're attempting to do is a time-consuming event, and you want to keep us all on the same clock, relatively speaking. Am I right?
OOC,Yes, you're absolutely right. This is coupled with the facts that there are time-sensitive things going on in the other Omaha threads, that some players are taking a long time to post, and that I've been busier than normal and haven't been able to update as frequently. I'm hoping that once certain things are resolved I'll be able to move things forward quickly and skip a lot of time. In the meantime, I'll try to keep the conversation interesting.
In the east hall, ground floor- Tariq entered the cafeteria.
OOC,[b]Tariq[/b] is moving to the thread linked below. His player, if he ever has one again, must stop reading the current thread at this point and may not read any posts in the new thread above the one in the link. Everyone else remains in the current thread.
In the rear parking lot-
"I'm sorry," said Lucy as she worked. "I don't think those things remember anything from life from what I've seen. The only thing they care about is killing and eating people, and they do it singlemindedly."
In the RV-
Rachel Cohen,[b]Rachel[/b] tried the door at the back, which was not locked. It opened to reveal a scene of horrific carnage in the rear bedroom. The bodies of a woman and five children, one of them a baby, lay on and around the bed. All of them had been shot in the head from close range. The two biggest children also had bullet wounds in their torsos.
[spoiler][b]Rachel[/b], roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 0/1d3.[/spoiler]
"Hrm," Donald responded. "Well, probably for the best, that." A bit of oil drained out and landed on his cheek before he moved out of the way and put the drain pan under the draining oil. "I can't imagine how horrible it would be to retain your feelings and still be drawn to consume your friends and family."
ooc,She is a pretty tough cookie, so takes in the nightmare scene with no more than a shudder.
[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2811384/]Sanity roll (1d100=13)[/url]
"I've seen enough here." Rachel departs (back to the bus).
Southwest of the school- Rachel soon reached the fence surrounding the school again. There were enough holes in the fence that she could easily get back onto the school's grounds.
In the rear parking lot-
"The dead aren't the worst thing," said Lucy to Donald and Jack. "The problem is with people, with how they act in response. Everything that's happened today has brought out the worst in bad people, like that maniac Gardner. People like that care only about themselves and try to grab what they can get at the expense of everyone else. But it also brought out the best in good people, who acted heroically and risked their lives to save others."
Donald agreed, "We certainly did start seeing true colors around here." He continued doing what he did best and tinkering with the bus. Wouldn't be long before the bus would be operational again. "Monsters of all sorts running around. Used to be you only had to worry about Lawyers and Politicians." He chuckled a moment then added, "It was almost an even trade."
In the rear parking lot- Rachel returned to find Donald, Lucy, and Jack still working on the bus. They had made some progress, but there was still a long way to go.
In the rear parking lot-
"I gotta work on the bus," said Jack. "We can talk privately when we're done."
Donald Woodridge and Rachel Cohen,Both [b]Donald[/b] and [b]Rachel[/b] heard running footsteps moving very quickly into the north stairwell from further south inside the school. It sounded like only one person, but there were a few more people further behind who were running in the same direction.
The back door leading into the north stairwell was suddenly slammed open from the inside, though nobody emerged. The fire door began to slowly close again automatically.
Donald Woodridge and Rachel Cohen,The footsteps they had heard enter the stairwell were now racing upstairs.
"Something's going on,"Donald said as he slid out from under the bus. "Someone's running from someone else." He looked at the door slowly closing, then looked for some place to hide behind, "Scatter out of sight, let's see what's going on." He moved into the dirty, old, forgotten bus and kept low, peeking out the available windows to see if anyone fell for the lure and exited through the door.
"No, I think someone was running from someone else and is trying to make them think she went outside. If her ruse worked, we should see someone exit here shortly, and look around for that person he was chasing," Donald explained in a hushed voice.
"Well,"Donald said looking to Rachel, "let's face it. In this day and age with things as they are, anyone could pick up a federal ID and impersonate an officer. Not to mention..." he looked back toward the door, "Is there even a federal government anymore?"
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Now is the time when everyone needs private security." Rachel displays her 'CDC security' shoulder badge, and grins. "Looks like I'm in the right business."
"If there is no federal government, there can't be federal agents--I gotcha."
In the parking lot-
Sure enough, Donald and Rachel heard more footsteps running up the stairs. Also, the upstairs fire exit opened and John Lee stepped out onto the fire escape, looking desperate.
In the parking lot- John Lee hesitated on the landing. Rashad Sadiq shoved open the door and joined him out there. Ann O'Neill and Miles Graham followed only seconds later, their guns drawn.
In the parking lot-
Up on the fire escape, John Lee turned and looked around. He raised his arms up and turned to look at the agents.
"You wont get away with it," he said loudly. "People know the truth now!"
Ann O'Neill kept the fire escape door propped open with her foot. "Spare us your paranoia," she said. "Turn around and put your arms behind your back so my partner can cuff you. Then we're going back inside."
"Everything's fine now!" Miles Graham called down to the people in the parking lot.
John Lake and Gretchen Ehrlich stepped out onto the fire escape.
OOC,[b]Rashad[/b], you're in the wrong thread. You're still in Detention, which I'm updating now. I'll cross-post your statements and actions to this thread as well.
In the parking lot- John Lee looked at the approaching lady from up on the fire escape.
"I have the proof, it was you and your groups," he yelled. "You caused this all! They will kill me, as they did my contact. The guy that gave me the proof." He looked towards Rashad.
Donald shoots a glance to Rachel, then back to what's going on. "What's he talking about?" Donald inquires. "And why are you detaining him? Has he done something that warrants this?"
OOC,I think [b]Donald[/b] said that last part to the FBI agents on the balcony, not to [b]Rachel[/b]. [b]Rachel[/b] was talking to [b]Rashad[/b] earlier (he's in another thread, but I'm crossposting all dialogue between the two groups).
In the parking lot-
"Yes, what is this about?" asked Gretchen Ehrlich up on the fire escape.
"We're not detaining Rashad, ma'am," said Ann O'Neill. She pointed at John Lee. "We're detaining this man for questioning in a homicide in Cheyenne with national security implications. He was spotted removing evidence and fleeing the scene." She glared at Lee. "Now put your hands behind your back. I'm not going to tell you again."
Donald looked at John Lee. "Is this true, John?" the janitor asked. He had seen John around the school and he seemed harmless from what Donald knew. It just didn't seem to fit the profile.
ooc,Whoa, sorry .... I assumed he was a student from this school since it said in his character info he was a freshman and you didn't correct me the first time I jumped to that conclusion. Sure it says from Cheyenne ... but I just thought that meant he came from Cheyenne prior to being in school here. Scratch the part about me knowing him then... but I still ask the question.
Donald awaits an answer from John, merely holding up a finger to Rachel, telling her to wait a moment. "Did you kill someone, John? I mean... someone not a zombie?"
In the parking lot-
"It has to do with national security," Ann called down to Rachel. "I'm not at liberty to say any more."
"I didn't do it!" protested John Lee. "They're the killers! Don't let them take me, they'll kill me too!" Miles Graham grabbed his arms, pulled them behind his back, and handcuffed him.
"Nobody's going to hurt you," Ann told him. "We're going to take you someplace safe and give you your pills, and then the voices won't talk to you any more." She nodded to Graham, and the two of them marched John Lee back inside.
"Hang on a second,"Donald said to the others. "On what jurisdiction are you acting? In case you hadn't noticed... the world is in the crapper. The government probably doesn't even exist anymore, which means your authority is no more valuable than the plastic identifications you hold in your wallets. If I am going to sit by and watch you strip this man of his freedom, I need to know the facts... I need proof." He knew what it was like to be repressed, and he wasn't about to let it happen on his watch. "So how about we all go into a nice quiet room where we can hash this out?"
In the parking lot-
Up on the fire escape, Rashad moved to block the agents. "Wait a second, just hold on," he protested. "There is no nation to secure anymore, in case you didn't notice. What are you doing to him, this isn't right!" However, the agents were faster than him, and they hustled John Lee through the door and back into the stairwell, ignoring everyone who told them to stop. He had to settle for following them. John Lake and Gretchen Ehrlich were right behind them.
The other people hiding behind the bus came out once everyone went inside. "Well, now what?" asked Becky Clarke.
In the parking lot-
"No, Rachel," said Becky, "you stay here and keep working on the bus with Jack. Losing Donald will slow us down a good deal, but losing both of you would be even worse. I'll see if I can round up anyone else to help out." She followed Donald, who let himself into the back door with his key and entered the school.
OOC,[b]Donald[/b] and [b]Becky[/b] are moving to the thread linked below. Please stop reading the current thread at this point. Everyone else remains in the current thread.
In the parking lot-
"The engine's the problem," said Jack Brunner. "Help me poke around in it some more, maybe we'll get to the bottom of why this old clunker stopped running. I think between the two of us we can finish in a couple of hours, but it'd be a lot faster if we still Donald here."
"I wasn't being rude, Jack, just a little preoccupied--there's been an awful lot happening recently! The Uzi? I'm head of security for CDC, we 'look after' the scientists, so I need serious hardware.
"Um, so your family are in that trailer--the one I checked out?"
In the parking lot-
"Fortunate?!" said Jack, shaking his head. "My whole family's dead, and I have to live with it. I don't feel very fortunate. I think maybe they were the lucky ones."
"Don't say that! My parents were devout Hebrews, but I'm not religious--at all. What I do believe, however, is that your family live on in your memories--the happy ones. That is why you've got to carry on, Jack, to keep the memories alive.
In the parking lot-
"Israel..." said Jack. "Wow, that's far away. I don't know how you'll get there, but I hope you can go back and be with your family one day. I'd like to see it myself. What the hell, I don't have anything left here any more."
"Israel..." said Jack. "Wow, that's far away. I don't know how you'll get there, but I hope you can go back and be with your family one day. I'd like to see it myself. What the hell, I don't have anything left here any more."
"It's a hopeless idea--Israel is too far away--and there is no way of getting there. But, just to escape...this school, and responsibility. I wonder, how far could this bus go?--where to find fuel, etc."
"So what's been going on here today?" asked Jack. "It sounds like things have been pretty busy."
"The scientists have stopped the zombies. For the moment, anyway."
In the parking lot- Donald returned to the parking lot from the west at around the same time that Megan, Alvin, and Murray emerged from the rear stairwell. They found Rachel and Jack still working on the bus while Declan and Lucy watched.
"For the moment?" asked Jack. "You mean they could get back up? What did the scientists do, exactly?"
Donald pulled a wrench out of his back pocket and headed on back to the bus' undercarriage taking a quick survey of the work that had been done while he was gone to know where to pick up. "Sorry about that," he says to the other mechanics.
Donald shook his head, "Nothing was okay about that. John is an innocent man... I'm sure of it. They are taking him to silence him. He knows too much for their own good. That's what I got out of it. But what the hell am I gonna do about it - unarmed against three Feds?"
Donald shook his head, "First of all, I don't think any innocent man should be prosecuted - don't matter who they say they are. But none of you were there to back me up. Let's hope when its your life on the line you won't be so unlucky." He went back to his work on the bus and continued talking, "Secondly, I got the sneaky suspicion it's all related to the zombie thing. Those Feds have answers. Now's not the time to be all secretive, unless they're hiding their own guilt."
In the parking lot-
"I'm just glad you're back and helping us now," Jack told Donald and helped bring him up to speed on their progress.
"We're here to help too, if we can," said Megan.
OOC,[b]Donald[/b], you don't need to roll anything, as you already succeeded at your roll earlier and can just pick up where you left off. [b]Alvin[/b], please roll Mechanical Repair if you want to help fix the bus.
In the parking lot- Donald got back to work where he left off, and Megan joined him. Though she had worked in the motor pool in Iraq, none of the vehicles there were as old and decrepit as this bus, and she found herself out of her depth. Alvin, on the other hand, was right at home with this relic.
"You're good!" said Jack. "Between all of us, I think we'll be finished up in less than an hour."
"That's a relief," said Lucy. "It'll be dark soon." She pointed to the west, where the sun was very low in the sky.
Rashad emerged from the back door of the school and into the parking lot.
Donald looks at the others who weren't very useful with the bus and said, "We could use someone to collect sheet metal and other things we could weld to reinforce the bus from attacks." (assuming this school has shop that would provide us with a blow torch.)
In the parking lot-
"Let's get the bus running first before we worry about reinforcing it," suggested Jack. He turned to Alvin. "You're doing great. Just keep working on it, and she'll be up and running again soon."
ooc,Correct me if I'm wrong, but not everyone is working on the bus, right? So why not set the ones just standing around at the task of picking up sheet metal, welders, and other tools that will be necessary for reinforcing? Granted, Alvin might not have been the best choice since he was working on the Bus... but Jack has just been put on Donald's 'piece of crap' list because he effectively dismissed Donald's idea single-handedly.
OOC,Yes, the ones who are not helping with the repairs can go get the materials needed. [b]Declan[/b] has them in his shop classroom, and he'll lead the others there starting in the next update (the post above is not a major update, just a statement by an NPC in a minor update, so it is still the same turn). [b]Alvin[/b] is, however, working on the bus, so pulling him off of that duty would slow down repairs.
In the rear parking lot-
"I can't help much with the repairs," said Declan. "I've got everything you'll need in my shop classroom. Why don't I go get it while you're busy working? That way it'll be ready for when you need it."
"I'll go with you," said Lucy.
"Me too," said Megan.
Declan borrowed the key to the exit from Donald so he could let himself back inside, and he went with Lucy into the north stairwell.
"'s called 'John Henry'. Old folk song my daddy used to sing in the garage," Donald responded. "If it bothers you, I'll stop," he said looking to Rachel.
In the rear parking lot-
The four mechanics continued to work on the bus. Even if Rashad were able to help, the job wouldn't really get done any faster. There was a limit to how much could be done simultaneously.
In the north stairwell, ground floor- Lucy, Declan, and Megan entered the hall.
OOC,[b]Lucy[/b], [b]Declan[/b], and [b]Megan[/b] are moving to the thread linked below. Their players, if there ever are any, should stop reading the current thread at this point and should not read any posts in the new thread above the one in the link. All other characters remain in the current thread.
"'s called 'John Henry'. Old folk song my daddy used to sing in the garage," Donald responded. "If it bothers you, I'll stop," he said looking to Rachel.
"Donald, you are a hard man to talk to--spiky, you know. I simply wanted to say that I liked the tune."
"Hmm," Donald responds, then goes back to his work. "It's got words too, you know."
Donald started singing, his base voice resonating clearly and sounding like a man who had spent his share of Sundays at the church singing gospel and praising Jesus...
"John Henry was a little baby, sitting on the his papa's knee
He picked up a hammer and little piece of steel
Said "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord
Hammer's gonna be the death of me"
The captain said to John Henry
"Gonna bring that steam drill 'round
Gonna bring that sterm drill out on the job
Gonna whop that steel on down, Lord, Lord
Gonna whop that steel on down"
John Henry told his captain
"A man ain't nothing but a man
But before I let your steam drill beat me down
I'd die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord
I'd die with a hammer in my hand"
John Henry said to his shaker
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
I'm throwin' thirty pounds from my hips on down
Just listen to that cold steel ring, Lord, Lord
Just listen to that cold steel ring"
John Henry said to his shaker
"Shaker, you'd better pray
'Cause if I miss that little piece of steel
Tomorrow be your buryin' day, Lord, Lord
Tomorrow be your buryin' day"
The shaker said to John Henry
"I think this mountain's cavin' in!"
John Henry said to his shaker, "Man
That ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind! Lord, Lord
That ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind!"
Now the man that invented the steam drill
Thought he was mighty fine
But John Henry made fifteen feet
The steam drill only made nine, Lord, Lord
The steam drill only made nine
John Henry hammered in the mountains
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard, he broke his poor heart
He laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord
He laid down his hammer and he died
John Henry had a little woman
Her name was Polly Ann
John Henry took sick and went to his bed
Polly Ann drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord
Polly Ann drove steel like a man
John Henry had a little baby
You could hold him in the palm of your hand
The last words I heard that poor boy say
"My daddy was a steel driving man, Lord, Lord
My daddy was a steel driving man"
They took John Henry to the graveyard
And they buried him in the sand
And every locomotive comes a-roaring by
Says "There lies a steel-driving man, Lord, Lord
There lies a steel-driving man"
Well every Monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing
You can hear John Henry a mile or more
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring"
Donald responded, knowing the story of John Henry well, "John used a sledge hammer to move away a mountain of earth. But he didn't work alone. The shaker was the fellow that held the metal pick in place that John had to strike. After it was struck, he shook the metal lose and repositioned it for following strikes." He smiled to Rachel and said "Can you imagine, putting your faith into someone who was swinging a thirty-pound sledge hammer down towards a little piece of metal that you were holding upright?"
In the parking lot- Jack whistled. "I never even considered that before," he said. "I've always took trains for granted, but a lot of people must have died to get the railroads built."
"Some lives where cheaper than others. Aside from the negro labor they had, there were more China men than any other race... all expendable, from the Man's point of view." Donald adds... still grinding away at the bus engine.
In the parking lot- Dr. Helene Saunders moved to the north end of the roof and called down to the people in the parking lot: "I hear shooting in the distance to the west!"
"Shooting off to the west? That's where they took John Lee!"Donald said with a look of concern. "We really should check it out. Poor guy, probably didn't stand a chance at a fair trial."
He called up to the roof, "Are there any weapons up there? Firearms? Those feds were packing so we need to be prepared."
Donald nodded, "We should go right away... Any chance I can borrow that Desert Eagle, Raquel?" He set down his wrench and started heading toward the sound of gun play.
In the parking lot-
"Yeah, you can borrow it," said Jack, handing Donald the shotgun and an open box half-filled with shells as he walked with him and Rachel around the northwest corner of the school. "If stuff keeps happening like this, we'll never get the bus fixed."
Alvin was still working on the bus, Murray at his side. Rashad also remained in the parking lot.
Southwest of the school- Donald, Rachel, and Jack walked through the school grounds towards the nearest hole in the fence.
OOC,Everyone, please roll Spot Hidden. The base skill is 25%.
On the way to the hole in the fence, Donald didn't notice anything noteworthy. Probably because he was busy checking the shotgun out and making sure it was loaded and safety was off.
Donald nodded, and as he loaded the shotgun it was clear he'd handled one quite a bit in the past. "No harder than surfing the internet these days... right? Just point and click." He laughed and looked out at the figure Raquel was pointing out. "Wonder if she knows what all the shooting is about?"
In the parking lot- Lucy, Declan, and Megan emerged from the school carrying the materials they had gathered to find only Alvin working on the bus with Murray beside him and Rashad standing around.
"What's going on?" asked Megan. "Where did everyone go?"
In the street- Donald, Rachel, and Jack emerged from the hole in the fence and made their way to the intesection. Amelia was no longer visible, but she had gone down the street to the west and was well ahead of them. The shooting was still audible off in the distance.
In the parking lot-
"There's shooting off to the west," said Rashad. "They went to investigate."
"Well, don't that beat all?" said Declan. "Most people run away from gunfire, not towards it."
In the street-
The gunfire petered out as Donald, Rachel, and Jack proceeded west towards the rapidly setting sun. After a while, when they had walked one block and reached Jack's RV, Amelia Delacroix and Jerry Law raced into view from the west, out of breath and frightened.
In the street- Amelia glanced back. "I don't see them," she said. "They've stopped shooting too." She hurried over to Donald and the others. "John Lee was dead when I got there, and that man and woman in black were shooting at Jerry. The other man and the blonde woman were just standing there like a couple of zombis. Not the kind that try to eat you, the Voudoun kind. Jerry, just what is going on?"
-You won't believe this. One of them simply look at Lee, he seemed distressed and in pain, and then he was dead. I was trying to get near, and they start shooting me.
"Damn it!"Donald exclaimed. "I knew we shouldn't have let them take him. I should have followed my gut."Donald laid the blame on himself, as he frequently did. Had he been more persuasive, or taken action when they had the opportunity, things might have been different. He looked out to the distance, "Where are they now? Do you think they're the ones responsible for the zombies?"
In the street-
"They were about a block to the west," said Jerry. "I don't know where they are now, though."
"Well, they're not following us," said Amelia.
"I don't know if they're responsible for the zombies, but there's something very weird about them. They have these strange powers, and the man said 'stupid primitive technology' when his gun jammed."
In the parking lot- Alvin kept working on the bus while the others wondered what to do.
In the street- Amelia and Jerry led the way back to the west towards where the shootout had occurred.
OOC,[b]Amelia[/b], [b]Jerry[/b], [b]Donald[/b], [b]Rachel[/b], and [b]Jack[/b] are moving to the thread linked below. Please stop reading the current thread at this point, and do not read any posts in the new thread above the one in the link. All other characters remain in the current thread.
In the parking lot-
"Well, I just hope they got back soon," said Lucy, looking around nervously. "It'll be dark soon." The sun had dropped below the horizon. There was still light for now, but it wouldn't stay around for long.
In the parking lot- Alvin continued to work while the others looked on. The sky was beginning to darken already. The day had been long and grueling, but it was at long last coming to a close. They had survived the first day, but what horrors would tomorrow bring?
OOC,Congratulations on surviving Chapter 6! It will probably be a few weeks before Chapter 7 starts, but in the meantime you may continue to post. Chapter 7 will pick up the following morning. If there's anything you plan to do tonight besides sleep (and finish fixing the bus), let me know here.