The Recovery (post-apocolypse RP) [IC]

[Highland Sniper]

"Yes, sir!" Came the reply over her shoulder.
Gerena was more than happy to look around, and she was borderline excited to be out so far. She was starting to run as soon as she was in the undergrowth, but soon remembered that she was on duty out here.

She slowed to a stop, took a deep breath, and continued walking. Her P90 was loaded, and out in front if she needed to use it, her Glock 18 at her side, she felt ready as she forged ahead in a hunters crouch, picking her way through the dense growth.

It wasn't long till she came across a small river. That would be good.
She knelt down, and cupped her hand to scoop some up to sniff it. No good, it would need to be cleaned first. But, it would make a good landmark.
She crossed it to find some tracks not to far past it.
Foot prints, and maybe a kill was made. And it was recent too, some time today at least.
Raylan would want to know this.

She started to head back to report her findings, picking her way back the same way she did getting so far.
A contaminated river, and a recent hunting site.

[Moonlit_Fae]

Joanna heard foot steps and decided to remain still. She was still laying on the ground, but was able to see from her peripherals someone across the river. She was far enough away and being on the ground probably gave her enough coverage to not be noticed. It appears to be a small wolf woman. A mutant like me. That thought gave her a smile. This was her second time seeing mutants living outside of her tribe.The first was the bird woman earlier today. This area seems to becoming popular. I need to warn Pablo again. She could see the wolf-like woman had what looked like guns with her. She knew of these things, but only the elite in her tribe had it, and she was not too familiar with gun types. It still looked dangerous to her either way. Joanna had only ever used outdated tools like her bow and arrow that had to be made by hand. The most high-tech, if you could call it that, weapon she had was her hunter's knife. Joanna noticed the woman did not drink from the river I wonder why...we use it all the time. After the woman left, Joanna sighed and decide to crawl away on her belly until it was safe to be standing again. She was going back to her village.


When Joanna came upon her village she was stunned to find it abandoned. The tents and make-shift sheds were gone. There were snuffed out fires here and there, the coals still hot and some smoke rising into the air. Only imprints left in the grass and mud gave any sign to the village ever standing here. Did they evacuate without me? Joanna felt a dull ache in her chest, the pain of heartbreak. She hurriedly looked around for any messages left behind, but there were none. Noting to give her a hint as to where her people migrated to. So that shows Pablo did know of the threats and did not include her. He also had waited until she left to start the evacuation. Joanna could not believe it.
"They left me....", she said softly to herself. As if saying it finally made her believe it and realize this was her new reality.
"I don't get it...how could they?"
Joanna seemed to be at a cross roads. She could track them and catch up or she could stay and take her chances with these new people. Either way she didn't have a home, so what could she possibly lose? Joanna was not scared to die. Perhaps she would stay awhile longer before she found the whereabouts of her people.

Joanna trudged back into the forest, not really paying attention or caring where she was going. Her sadness was too deep in her heart to care for getting caught. Whatever happened would happen and she would easily accept that fact.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Jenny watched Tanner lock up. His eyes flashed with the fear of a horrible memory. His muscles tightened under his skin, and his weight shifted ever so much forward as if he was ready for something. Jenny knew the sight well. The feeling, too. She'd done the same many times. After a moment, Tanner returned to normal and issued a grunt. A noncommital, 'everything is not terrible, so there's that' kind of grunt. She didn't disagree.

She watched Gerena walk into the brush for a moment, before their commanding officer spoke up.
"Let's start making our way toward the city.” His tone was calm, ready. He nodded towards where Gerena had walked off. “Pilot says there may be things about, so be ready.” Jenny nodded in response, and readied her MK 17. Her ax sat right in its sleeve, ready to be pulled out and used at any moment. Jenny felt like she might need to use it.

[Enigma]

Tanner glanced doubtfully at the direction the officer wanted them to go, but followed after him, resting his rifle in the crook of his arm.

Cities, he'd been told, were where the bombs were dropped, so they were best avoided. Sometimes the Students would form an 'expedition' to check out a city - and that meant slaves to do the carrying and the pulling, plus raiders to guard the caravan.

He heard the Students talking to the Advisor one night, after they'd been chained to one of the wagons. One asked if it was true that bombed cities glowed? The Advisor laughed at that, told them none of them glowed anymore, if they ever did. Not all cities were bombed, so you could find a safe one.

He told them to watch for craters, and for things blown outward, and the shadow people. Gotta watch for the shadow people. The bombs, he said, burned so hot, that it etched people's shadows into the walls. You see the shadow people, you check the meters. Because the bombs that burned so hot could still make your skin burn and your bones itch.

Never touch metal with your bare hand in a burned city, it holds the bomb's fire. Fools who found a bit and taking it away, only to lose their hair, their limbs swell, and get so sick because they refused to part with it. Always check it with the meter, because the bomb fire had this mysterious 'half life' and would weaken over time, but that could be many tens of years.

Still, there were rich pickings in a city, if it wasn't so burnt or blessedly untouched.They brought back many books for the library, including one they called a 'tech manual', a powerful tool of the ancients. Personally, it seemed foolish to him, but they saw value in it.

Hopefully the officer knew of a safe place in this city, easily defended, wide open spaces, close to good water.

[Acaelus]

Raylan ducked under a low hanging branch, one handed resting atop his hat to ensure its brim was not snagged by grasping twigs and pulled from his head. The foliage was thick here, large ferns and brushes scraping against their clothing as they passed by. Enough day had passed that under direct sunlight the dampness of morning dew would have evaporated from the leaves but not here where the thick bows shielded the earth more or less from the burning sun and provided deep, cool shadows. One he knelt down to study a track where it had pressed deeply into the mud, fingers touching the dirt inside to find it partially dried. Not fresh then, but not all that old either.

He rose once more and continued on his way, his senses attuned and alert for any sign of trouble. Behind them he heard the tell-tale whir of the helicopter blades speeding up once more and in short order the bird lifted off and began its flight back toward their camp. They were, for all intents and purposes, on their own.

“Should only take an hour, maybe two to reach the city at this rate.” Raylan murmured to his two companions as they moved along through the wood. Gerena had not yet returned but he was certain she wasn’t far, using her skill and training to ensure nothing lay in wait ahead of them.

“Back before all the bombs,” he began, holding a branch aloft so Jenny and Tanner could duck under it. “there were organized groups tasked with protecting and defending citizens. Kind of like the militia, but as a general rule people actually listened to these guys. Their headquarters was known as a Police Station. Probably picked clean by scavengers long ago but there’s always a chance we find some ammo, maybe more weapons there. Even if we don’t its far more defensible then the average building. Bernard, my old CO, always preferred commandeering them wherever we were stationed when it was possible. Only a couple ways in, and strong doors that could take a blast or two. If we can find one of those we’ll be in good shape.”

[Highland Sniper]

Gerena popped out from some underbrush just ahead.
"sir," she said, flinching back and holding up her hands if she gets guns pointed at her. "uh, I see you found the tracks. someone was hunting earlier, and theirs a small river that we can boil for water." she finished.
"I'll be going."
she ducked back into the undergrowth and scouted ahead once more, crossing the small river into a small clearing with a gnarled old tree in the middle.
"good landmark" she muttered, surveying the area before moving ahead as she kept an eye and ear out for any trouble when she heard rustling.
she crept into some underbrush for cover as she listened to the rustling get closer.
it was a tall, scaly woman, armed with a bow.

Gerena readied her gun in case she was trouble but made no hostile moves from her cover. but the woman looked... lost. or more like she didn't care where she was going. she was going to get herself killed just wondering around.
she hesitated for a moment. she could be filled with arrows as soon as she stood up, but could probably spay more bullets. the gunfire would certainly draw her unit's attention.

she took a deep breath and rose slowly, gun at the ready, gun finger off the trigger.
"Hands where I can see them," she ordered. she didn't want to shoot if she could help it, but she didn't want to take chances.

[Moonlit_Fae]

As Joanna continued her wandering through the woods, tormented by the emotions of sadness and abandonment, she heard a rustle with her ears. Before she could react the small wolf woman she saw earlier from across the river was standing with a gun pointed at her. If Joanna had t he drive she normally did she would string up her bow and launch a poison arrow at her. Even if she got shot down, her poison would also easily take down the wolf woman. They both would be dead.

Instead Joanna kept her hands at her side. She didn't see how she was a threat with her bow strapped on her back. It was not like she had it actively notched. Joanna locked eyes with the woman, not in a threatening way, but to study her. Joanna's tone was soft and gentle as she responded.
"If you are going to shoot me, just do it. Just know that you are the hostile invader in this situation. You can't make friends with the locals if you slaughter them all. Unless that is your intent."
Then Pablo would have been right in leaving and not waiting for me. At least they got away.....

[Highland Sniper]

"We're not in the habbit of killing without reason." Gerena said. "This is for my own protection. But, since you don't seem to want to fight, drop the bow and that knife and I'll lower my gun."
She was starting to breath a little unsteady. She was fine, she knew, but this was a stressful situation.
She saw no reason to shoot, and didn't want one. The scaled woman thought she would anyway.
"I don't want to shoot, but I will if you are a threat." She said. "That bow can do a lot of damage, and I know how much a knife can do in the right hands. Just... don't give me a reason to shoot, and I won't. That includes dropping all your weapons, even the arrows, and putting your hands on your head."

[Enigma]

Tanner grunted softly, just to let the officer know he was listening, while his mind whirled.

The officer wanted to select a 'police building' as their base in the field - so either there was no base here and they were the advanced team, or this base didn't have room for them.

So they were the advanced team.

Whatever excellent qualifications this "police building" might have, it wasn't likely to be close to a source of clean water, which meant bucket duty. And making filters, maybe even a distiller. Basically, a lot of house keeping, scavenging for useful bits, and hoping the locals were friendly or at least willing to leave you alone.

[Moonlit_Fae]

"You pulled a gun on me, seems like you are the hostile one in this situation looking for a fight." Joanna chuckled as she slowly removed her bow and arrows, placing them on the ground. She also put the knife there. "So you are going to strip me of my protection, yet I don't know your intentions. You will steal my only means of defense and survival in this wasteland." She still kept her hands at her side, she wasn't going to give in completely. She still had some dignity. "You are now completely in control of this situation as you wanted. I doubt you will ever return my items to me even if you don't deem me a threat. Pablo was right, never to trust strangers. People like you slaughtered my tribe."