IC-Wake Up Call(various)

[Silver Priest]

"I appreciate that, major," Tony says, already feeling relieved. Things were starting to look up, and they might still make it to Yellowstone after all.
"We'll hold down the fort here. We've got this place pretty well barricaded up, so we should be alright for some time at least. Though the sooner you fellas can get help out here, the better."

He turns to the motel owner. "Don't worry about defending, we can handle that. There's no way anything gets in here without a bit of a struggle first, so we'll have plenty of time to warn you if we need assistance. Speaking of, that was a pretty nice gun you had earlier. Got anymore of them? None of us are much of a shot- except Scotty apparently- but I'd feel better having something in case one of those things gets in."

[aine]

"Ellen, food ready. You boys like noodle soup,eh? Go get it!" Mrs Foo points back towards the kitchen and then walks towards the private room.

Spot hidden 25,[dice]0[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

9:39 AM
In the motel lobby-
The boys rushed into the kitchen while Ms. Foo went into the private room. Ellen followed the children at a more sedate pace.

In the kitchen-
"Hey, Mom," said Bobby as he and Scotty entered.

"Help yourselves," said Cathy with a vacant stare. "You need to eat more than just candy. There's vegetables."

"I'm hungry enough I could actually eat them, but not while there's other stuff."

"Yeah, the old lady mentioned noodle soup," said Scotty.

In the private room-
"I only have one MP-5, and I'm trained to use it well," said Mr. Foo. "My only other gun is my pistol. While I'm a better shot, I've given it to my wife, as I can't use both at once. I have my sword, and my body is also a deadly weapon. Right now, however, I am a glass cannon."

"All right, I'll leave you to it," said Major Andrews to Tony. "Over and out." He broke the connection.

"The world is in a very bad way," said Mr. Foo, fiddling with the controls. "This monitoring station allows me to keep tabs on things all over the place, but mainly China and Southeast Asia, and the news is not good. China is in chaos, and so is most of Asia. The more people, the more problems, it seems. There's too much information for me to possibly sort through it all, but there's rioting in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The People's Republic of China has lost control of the cities and is struggling to hold onto its military bases, many of which have already been overrun or are in chaos themselves. Some of those in power suspect this is part of a preemptive attack and have escalated their nuclear readiness.

"Closer to home, Washington, D.C. is in chaos. The President has taken refuge in a secured bunker in the mountains of West Virginia. Mount Weather, I believe it's called. The Marine Corps is trying to secure CIA HQ in Langley, Virginia, but they're under pressure. No one is being allowed in. While most military bases in the country are still operational, they're in lockdown and not letting anyone inside. I'm not hearing anything from populated areas, but those nearby are being attacked by mobs and are forced to block entrances and secure perimeters. Strategic assets are on high alert, and our own government suspects that this is some kind of attack, but they're not sure. Worse, Strategic Air Command thinks the Russians and the Chinese will take advantage of the chaos to launch an attack on the USA, and they're debating the merits of launching first. Most of the others operating listening posts like this one are still operating. I've spoken to some of them. The problems seem to be worse in the Northern Hemisphere, but the Southern Hemisphere is still experiencing heavy damage, and the problems are worldwide. Vessels at sea, both civilian and military, are being told not to land in port. Aircraft in midair are uncertain where to land. They're requesting permission to land at military bases, but they're being denied. Many are being diverted to some of the recently closed airbases, where U.S. military forces have tried to secure them with mixed success."

It was at this point that Ms. Foo entered, though she had heard everything they were discussing.

[Silver Priest]

"That's a shame," says Tony. "I was hoping you'd have a bit more of an arsenal in here. The good news is I don't think anyone knows we're here, what with all the craziness out there. So hopefully we can avoid attention until the military gets here. If something gets in here before help arrives... well, I'm a patriot and all, but I have a family to look after. I say in that case we all hightail it out the other way wand try to get to my RV."

He lets out a low whistle as Mr. Foo explains the situation. "Yikes, that hardly sounds good. Usually I'd be happy with all this, given I'm in the insurance business and all. But something tells me most folks aren't in much of a position to buy at the moment- or for the money to be paid out. Anything we can do to help here in the motel?"

[aine]

Mrs Foo toddles in.
"The military come here? That is good job. Who causing all this chaos in the world ? People? Is it more walking dead guys? I came to tell you noodle soup ready but you decide what we do first." She looks at Tony and then to her husband,
"You think we here for long time? Us, Ellen and Latham family?"

[Mr. Handy]

9:40 AM
In the private room-
"I don't know how long we'll be here," said Mr. Foo. "The Air Force may be coming, but it's not a sure thing. We'll hold as long as we can and keep providing intelligence to the Air Force. It might help if I teach you how to use this equipment. That way you can fill in for me in case I'm needed elsewhere to fight off any attacks. It probably is more walking dead guys that started the chaos, though people are sure making it worse. The military is at DEFCON 2 right now and preparing to go to DEFCON 1. That's as bad as it gets." Just then, an alert sounded and he put on the headset. "Nuclear detonations have been detected in China and both North and South Korea," he added after pausing to listen.

In the kitchen-
Ellen, Cathy, and the boys began to eat.

[Silver Priest]

"Uh oh," Says Tony. "That doesn't sound good."

"I'd really like some of that delicious soup ma'am, but I think I have to stay here and learn the equipment like your husband suggests. I've been told I have the gift of the gab. I've been the most successful insurance seller three years on, and I like to think some of that is due to my winning personality." He chuckles. It had certainly helped him with his secretary Sharon. He hopes she's alright back in Ohio. He had come on this trip in large part because he wanted to make his marriage work once again. But by the same token he did care about Sharon. She looked up to him, and with his wife distant and his kids preoccupied she had seemed like the only one who had.

Might have to try and call her when I can.

He shakes off his internal thoughts and smiles at Mr. Foo. "Sure thing Foo-San." He replied, using the term he recalled his son using from those Chinese cartoons he liked so much. "Happy to help anyway I can. Least I can do for you sheltering my family here, eh?"

OOC,I am having entirely too much fun playing Tony. I really hope nothing bad happens to him or his family; doubt the poor guy could handle it!

[aine]

Mrs Foo peers at Tony
"You insurance man? You outa job now mister- better learn new one quick quick!" She wheezes over a chuckle.

ooc,Never thought I'd hear that about an insurance man!

[Mr. Handy]

9:41 AM
In the private room-
"Thank you," said Mr. Foo. He showed Tony how to work the microphone and speakers first. "That's the most important thing. If you plug in the headset, the sound will only come out of the earphones, but I think at this point we all need to hear. Next I'll show you how to send and receive, and then how to monitor the world situation so you can find out what's going on and provide data to Warren Air Force Base. I can also analyze the intelligence we receive, but that is not something I can quickly teach. I spent a long time learning how to do that. Fortunately, the Air Force has people who can do that. All you'd need to do is provide them the raw intel and let them interpret it." He examined the alert data. "India and Pakistan have gone nuclear as well, it appears. Almost all the major cities in China are gone. North Korea has been hit with multiple blasts, as has Seoul, South Korea."

In the kitchen-
Everyone continued eating.

[Silver Priest]

"Yes ma'am." Tony says, offering Mrs. Foo his business card. "Things are tough now, but I'm confident the military will get things back to normal soon enough. After this is all over, if you or your husband need any insurance, look me up. I'll get you a good rate."

That said, he gets to work learning the equipment. "This is a pretty neat setup you have here, Mr. Foo. I'll certainly do what I can to help our armed forces at the moment." His good hearted grin sinks as he hears the older man's next words. "Really? That's really not good. I'm sorry about your people. T--that can't happen here, right? Nukes going off in our cities?" It would seem the gravity of the situation was finally getting through to him.

[aine]

Mrs Foo has a stony look on her face. "I sorry for them but that is not our home- not for long time." She looks at her husband and they both remember the bad times long ago.
"I bling good here, you eat." She heads back to the kitchen, on the way she peaks out of any gaps to look out the front of the motel.

Spot hidden,(25) [dice]0[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

9:42 AM
In the private room-
"Thank you," said Mr. Foo. "My people have been living under a brutal Communist dictatorship for over seventy years, with vicious civil war and Japanese invasion before that. I feel for them, which is one reason I do what I do. This is worse, but at least it is over quickly. The nuclear detonations in Asia have all been in populated areas, not strategic military targets - except for the ones in India and Pakistan. They may very well be at war, each blaming the other for the crisis. I suspect that in the other countries, they have either nuked their own cities in an effort to contain the infection, or someone else has done it for them at their request. South Korea does not have its own nuclear weapons, but America surely has some in the area on submarines." He did not answer Tony's question about whether or not it could happen in America too, perhaps because it was rhetorical, or perhaps because he didn't want to either tell him the truth or lie to him. He continued to show Tony how to use the equipment, this time explaining how to collect data and intelligence from various sources.

Mr. Foo/Tony Lathan,[b]Mr. Foo[/b] and [b]Tony[/b] have learned the following: The CIA compound in Langley is still operational but is being overwhelmed with reports causing intelligence confusion. They are also being besieged from outside, but the Marines are holding the perimeter. The President has moved to West Virginia and is still en route. Numerous bases across the US are no longer operational. Air traffic is chaotic. No communication from urban military bases with few exceptions, such as Fort Bragg. No nuclear strikes in the US. No nuclear strikes against the US fleet abroad. US Air Force bases abroad are under siege in all locations or are not in communication. Satellite network is largely non-operational. Reasons unknown. US forces are using Fuel Air Explosives in the Middle East. Nuclear detonation in Russia. Looks like China nuked North Korea. Looks like China nuked itself in Shanghai. Unclear who nuked who in Taipei. US forces on high alert worldwide. Russia in high military alert. London is closed for business. Ditto Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid. Latin America is a mess. No one cares about Africa. In Australia, police are still in control of a few cities but most of it is out of control. Lots of reports of mass cannibalism. No nuclear strikes on major US bases in Europe. No hostilities among Naval forces, including submarine groups abroad. Most US cities are claiming high emergency. Most cities do not have functioning control. All major television networks are down. CDC under siege. Claims that this is the result of Unidentified Alien Virus based on latest DNA analysis.

In the motel lobby-
Ms. Foo peeked out the window as she passed.

Ms. Foo,[b]Ms. Foo[/b] could see the columns of flame and smoke rising from where the gas pumps used to be. The entire front floor to ceiling window of the diner had been blown out, and there were a few people on the roof, as well as one on the ground in front of the diner, though she couldn't make out details from here.

In the kitchen-
Ms. Foo entered the kitchen and found Ellen, Cathy, Bobby, and Scotty eating. "Everything okay?" Ellen asked.

[Silver Priest]

Tony gives a nod of appreciation to Mrs. Foo as she goes to grab him food, but otherwise he is quiet, focused on learning the equipment.Much of his earlier optimism had left him, but he focuses on the task at hand. As long as he had something to do, there was no need to panic.

"The Marines are pretty tough. Good to know they're still on top of things. And no nuke strikes, that's pretty good news. Seems like folks are remaining level headed. Wait a second, did that last report say alien? Like, Little Green Men?" He whistles. "Yikes. And here I thought the dead folks rising up again was bad enough."

"So we have to report this all to the Air Force? I wish we could contact some of these other people, but they're probably overwhelmed as it is and I doubt they'd find most of our information useful at the moment."

[aine]

"Yes everything velly good. The gas station still burning and your husband helping Mr Foo with communications. You like food? Good Chinese food good for boys. I take men food and come back soon. Mrs Foo beams and then loads a tray with bowls and walks back to the private room again.

[Mr. Handy]

9:43 AM
In the kitchen-
"Yeah, Chinese food is great!" said Scotty, perking up.

"Say thank you, Scotty," said Cathy.

"Thank you, Scotty."

Cathy rolled her eyes.

Ms. Foo gathered a tray of food and returned to the private room.

In the private room-
"We have a young Marine staying at the motel," said Mr. Foo. "He certainly seems tough. It's a shame he isn't here now, as we could use his help. Wherever he is, I hope he's all right. Yes, we'll need to relay all of this information to the Air Force. It may be possible to communicate with some of these people over the network. It reaches very far."

The speakers crackled into life as Ms. Foo entered the room carrying a tray of food. "This is Major Andrews," said the voice of the man they had spoken to earlier. "I have some good news. Command has approved deploying Security Forces to your position to hold it. It's going to take some time to select and equip the teams, and then they'll be deployed by helicopter. They should be there in less than an hour."

"Thank you, Major," said Mr. Foo. "We have news for you too from monitoring the world situation. Much of it is not so good, but it could have been worse."

[Silver Priest]

"Oh thank the Lord!" Tony lets out in a display of gratitude. He's only vaguely religious, but this certainly felt like the time to give thanks. "Thanks for making our case, Major. I knew you boys wouldn't leave us behind."

"As for news, I'll let Mr. Foo here brief you on most of the news, but there's apparently been quite a few nuke strikes. None here though, or against our fleet or bases abroad. Frankly I'm glad to hear it. Even if they can stop this disease or whatever it is, fallout's pretty bad."

He picks up something off Mrs. Foo's plate and pops it into his mouth, chewing as he continues speaking. "Yeah, this setup Foo-San's got is pretty great. It can hear stuff from all over the world. Maybe we can relay you guys orders to some of our folks overseas."

[aine]

Mrs Foo nibbles a bit of food while she listens to the radio. Then she looks around for the pistol, opens it, checks the ammunition, says 'tch!' and snaps the chamber shut. It looks like she's done it a few times before. She puts it in the pocket of her apron with the safety catch on and then nibbles some more food.

[Mr. Handy]

9:44 AM
In the kitchen-
Ellen and the Lathans continued their meal.

In the private room-
Major Andrews whistled when he heard the report of nuke strikes. Mr. Foo gave him a quick summary of their findings. "I believe the strikes on populated areas were either self-inflicted or inflicted at the request of the countries whose cities those were, in an effort to contain the outbreak," he added.

"That does seem most likely," said the major. "Keep an eye on those areas. It would be interesting to see how effective the nukes are."

"The strikes between India and Pakistan may actually be a nuclear exchange, as some of them hit strategic military targets. They've both been on a hair trigger lately, and whoever struck first may have assumed the other is behind what's happening today."

"It would be good to be able to communicate with others, though we'd have to relay it through your station. I'd like to talk to them directly, but I don't know if that's possible with your setup."

"It might be, but it would take some time."

"Well, our teams will have specialists who can look into that possibility. I can't exactly give out orders to people in other locations, who may very well have their hands full as we do. The most important thing is to reestablish command and control. You said the President is en route to West Virginia but hasn't arrived yet?"

"That's right. My guess is that he's heading to Mount Weather. That's where he'd go if he had to flee Washington and maintain continuity of government."

OOC,Everyone, please roll Listen. The base skill is 25%.

[Silver Priest]

Listen 25%,[dice]0[/dice]

Tony lets Mr. Foo take over, still glad help was coming. He grabs another bite of food and smiles at Mrs. Foo. "My compliments to the chef."

[aine]

Mrs Foo nods wisely, sure of her expertise.

listen,20?[dice]0[/dice]