| From: | "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.demon.co.uk> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | We're Still Back |
| Date: | Sun, 21 Jul 1996 11:54:23 +0100 |
to the end, but the context matters. To me, at least.
+++++begin video
The five runners are picking over the end of another MRE feast -
scraping the last traces out of the foil packs, cleaning Silent
Running's mess tins - as Guide walks up.
"Follow me. We must avoid prying eyes and ears." he says, indicating a
direction. Jas drags his feet long enough to retrieve his camera, and as
they walk the view is alternately of ground and sky.
The view stabilises, apparently from just inside the doorway of a
burned-out school, plastic sheeting stapled over the gaping windows and
the floor scattered with charred debris. The wind plucks at the plastic,
making it buzz and flap: eavesdropping from outside would be nearly
impossible. Guide faces the group.
"The financial aspects are acceptable. You will be contacted tomorrow by
a woman calling herself 'Estelle', and you will follow her orders
exactly. You will spend about forty-eight hours in transit, all told,
before you are free. We will not ask you to hand over payment until near
the end of your journey, so you can be sure we act in good faith."
"Who's we?" asks Quinn brightly.
"We are, shall we say, independent business people. Freedom, here, is a
commodity, and we have the means to provide it. One word of warning. The
route passes near several sensors - one of the millimetre-wave radars on
the perimeter, for instance - and metal objects will activate them. Make
sure you have nothing metal that is larger than a zipper tag as you walk
the route: dispose of any such you have before Estelle contacts you."
"Is this okay?" Quinn proffers a small crucifix.
Guide studies it. "Yes, it should pass, but I would advise against
anything larger. Are there any other questions?"
"Food." says Blade. "Will you feed us or do we need to..."
"We will ensure you arrive fed and watered, have no fear." Guide smiles,
but it never touches his eyes.
"May I assume you all accept these terms?" He looks from person to
person until all assent. "Then Estelle will speak with you tomorrow
evening, after your evening meal." He leaves.
Bloodtooth is heading for the door when he catches Jas's hand signal. A
flurry of sign language passes, then Quinn says "It looks like we got
lucky."
"Reckon they're on the level?" asks Silent Running.
"Looks like it. Do we have a choice?"
"Not if we want out of here." Jas glances around. "Wonder what their
route is."
"We'll find out tomorrow. Better check each other for metal. Come on,
outside." Bloodtooth leads the way.
Back in their usual spot, the five confer.
"You think the house was bugged?" asks Bloodtooth.
"Bound to be. Quick loyalty check for their customers. What's that 'no
metal' crap? A mike radar doesn't care about metal."
"They don't want anyone armed going through. Ten to one they use a metal
detector on us as we go by. How do we handle that?" asks Blade.
"Like I said, either Bloodtooth and I take the guys running it, or Jas
pokes its eyes out. Basically, we play by ear." replies Quinn. "After
that... improvise."
"Great." Silent Running zips his jacket against the wind. "Gonna rain
again tonight, too."
+++++cut
Jas must have the camera inside his coat, you think, as the view bounces
and sways. The group are following the Ork girl through the camp,
through a cold and miserable drizzle. She pauses by one house, this one
half-wrecked - a bullet-riddled and burned-out Americar still protrudes
through the ruins of one wall - and motions you inside.
The rain falls through the bare, charred rafters as Estelle pulls a
filthy tarpaulin back, revealing a black and smelly hole. "Down there."
She glares at the group. "It's a six-foot drop, no more. Move!"
Jas is the third down, and the camera sees nothing, though the
soundtrack picks up footsteps, the crunch of rubble underfoot, and the
scuffing of cloth on rock for long seconds before the view brightens as
he rounds a corner and steps through a ragged-edged hole. Guide is
there, carrying a fluorescent lantern, and you see many people - packed
into the tunnel as far as the light lets you see, dozens at least -
behind him.
Beside Guide is an Elf with a pockmarked face, carrying an AK-97 in one
hand and a bright yellow Detect-It wand in the other. At a nod from
Guide, he steps towards you. Quinn clears her throat, and the Elf
adjusts the wand before running it over Blade, then Bloodtooth, hearing
nothing. On Quinn, it warbles as it passes her neck.
"I am sorry." Guide smiles. "Your cross, it is too large after all."
Quinn reaches to unclasp it. "No, no, remember it for later. We would
not wish you to lose something of sentimental value to you, and worth
little money to us, we have a way to pass it out safely." He makes a
note on a small pocket computer: the others pass without a sound from
the wand. The pocked Elf turns away, fiddling with the controls again.
Estelle elbows past, now carrying an Enfield assault shotgun and another
fluorescent lantern, Guide follows: you see the puddle of light pass
along the corridor... there must be over fifty refugees packed into the
sewer tunnel. It stops moving, then blinks twice. Guide's clarion voice
echoes back to you.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" His voice fills the tunnel well. "We have a long
and difficult road to walk. This part of the sewers were closed off
forty years ago, and after the Crash of 2029 the records were lost and
they were forgotten. We have fifteen miles to walk to reach an exit we
may safely use! There are places prepared where we will stop to eat and
rest. It will take about two days, since the way is treacherous and we
have children and the infirm with us. I ask that if one person flags,
another who is able help them, so we may leave this darkness sooner.
Follow Estelle and I. Markus will bring up the rear. Do not stray or
wander, at any price."
"Fuck." says Quinn softly.
"What?" asks Bloodtooth, as Jas curses under his breath too.
"What he wrote around Jenny's body. 'Follow the Star'. Estelle, Star.
Get it?" asks Quinn.
"Damn. Okay, we found what we're looking for. What now?" asks
Bloodtooth.
"You know what they say. When you got a tiger by the tail, hang on
tight." replies Blade. The column begins to move, and they pick up the
slow, shuffling pace.
+++++end trideo
+++++We spent about thirty-six hours underground, sewers then up five
yards of dug hole into a subway tunnel. It was boring as hell so I
snipped it.+++++
They appear to be in a subway station now, rather than the sewers
previously: knots of frightened people, sitting in small groups eating
cold MREs by the inadequate light of a few lanterns. Jas sits down with
the group.
"People are pretty scared, and they don't talk much, but I got a little
information. Most people paid ten, fifteen thousand newyen each. When we
start moving, I think we should spread out a little. Have some of
us near each guide."
"Good idea." says Blade absently, finishing his Spaghetti with
Meatballs. "I'll take Guide. You and Quinn handle Markus. SR,
Bloodtooth, Estelle. We seem to be overkill for these guys-"
"Estelle sticks close to Guide." interjects Quinn. "And Markus is pretty
inexperienced. Jas takes the kid, you and I handle the two at the front,
Blood and SR watch for the ringers. There's gotta be one or two, unless
Guide's terminally dumb. How long we been down here?"
"Thirty-six hours." replies Blade. "Give or take. We've covered about
eleven miles, but we zigged a lot in the sewers before we hit the
subway."
"Is it just me or does it smell bad?" enquires Bloodtooth.
"No, it stinks. And not because we're downwind of Blade." Quinn nudges
the mercenary amiably. "Astrally, too. We're inside the Zone, or very
close to it."
"One thing worries me." Stormwind opens his MRE, swears softly. "Two
things worry me. First, why do I always get the turkey and ham meatloaf?
I hate this stuff. Secondly, I don't buy that drek about the plans for
the tunnels being lost in the Crash. How come these bozos know about
them?"
Silent Running shrugs as he collects MRE wrappers. "Paper copies,
microfilm, optical disk archives, sure, but all in the Chicago municipal
buildings. Inside the Zone. If my guess is right, we're going to get
herded out and discover we came up inside the Wall. That's why nobody
shows up. They make drekloads of cash, must be half a million for this
lot, we're - they think - stuck inside the Zone with no weapons or ammo,
and nobody ever finds out. If these guys used those plans to get out,
they found a nice little earner too."
"Makes sense." conceded Jas. "So I guess we end up inside the Zone after
all."
"Could be worse." Quinn glances around. "Anyone want their coffee?"
"No way to heat water." grouses Jas.
"Wimp" grins Silent Running. "You drink it Ranger style, like this."
Almost in unison, he, Blade and Quinn tear open the packets of instant
coffee, throw the granules into their mouths, and wash them down with
slugs of water. Bloodtooth looks away, amiably muttering "showoffs".
"Boy, that hit the spot." says Blade, recovering first. Jas just looks
away, shaking his head.
"Be ready to move soon, please?" calls Guide from the far end of the
station. The group pull themsevles to their feet and start to spread
out, Stormwind lagging a little - fiddling with one shoe lace - until he
can join the rear of the column by Markus.
For a long while, the column moves along the dark tunnel, lit only by
the lanterns at front and rear. They pass through four stations, and
have been walking for nearly two hours when Jas emerges into the fifth
station to see the column has broken up again. He moves to join the rest
of the group.
"It's definitely bad." Quinn looks up at him, with - unusually - an
expression of concern. "All those stations had their identifiers
removed. But we're heading northeast. We're inside the Zone. And I don't
know about you, but Blade and I were getting sluggish. Those last MREs
were drugged."
"I thought I was just tired." mutters Jas. "Wait one... there. You're
right!" He sounds alarmed too. "It's going to happen soon, then."
+++++end trideo
Last one's coming. Brace yourselves, it ain't nice.]<<<<<
-- The Mighty Quinn <11:54:42/07-21-57>
