Survivalist Plot: We Wear Out All Our Prayers

[meat_mooks]

DAY 6

The break of the new day finds the crew members scattered. Clef and Maxine have made it to the radio tower; Cedric and Howard have woken up in an abandoned house and are making their way there to join them; and having been attacked, Diana has been separated from Karis and is somewhere in the town.

With their opponents growing more and more clever, the time to escape is now. They may be dead before they get another chance.

Comments

CLEF AND MAXINE

[meat_mooks]

The radio tower seems empty, but if they travel up to the control room there emergency broadcast system is still intact - and, if they focus enough on it, the distress call that originally brought them down here.

So where are the people?

[windwitch]

Maxine is a little unsure about this-- but it's the only real option they have, she figures. They need to see if they can get something out, at least. Or, maybe figure out what happened here. That could help them figure out where to go from there...

It's just also eerie and unnerving, especially given all that had happened. She hopes they figure it out fast.

[bequiet_hescreamed]

There was too much to take in here, and not enough direction in which to take it. Clef hadn't consciously acknowledged it before, but he had been expecting to find a few survivors here. The tower could be seen from almost any spot in town, still had power and water, and seemed defensible, so why would whoever sent out the distress signal just leave?

... Unless they sent it in advance and then went home to collect their personal effects and lock their dog in the bathroom before disappearing off-world.

This town had been murdered, and someone who had known about it in advance had done everything she could to help while still getting out alive. Everyone had still died, though. Sometimes there isn't really anything one person can do.

None of that really mattered now, though, did it? It didn't get him any closer to figuring out why they had crashed and why their powers didn't work. All they could do now was try to get a signal out and hope someone - Stacy, ideally - was within range.

"I don't suppose you know what any of these things do, do you?" he asked Maxine as he leaned over the controls as though staring at them would unlock their secrets. To be perfectly honest, he had never seen anything like this before.

[meat_mooks]

A few strips of paper lie on the dash of the controls. Someone wrote on them in pencil - a few last words. If this is found and I'm not alive, what happened here was not an accident. The Agrestic tradekeepers condemned us so they wouldn't have competition on the cartonum markets.

There's also a list of numbers, and passwords and usernames written out in order, with in case someone finds this printed neatly on the top. If they try using the computers, that may be useful.

And whoever was last here also was thoughtful enough to write up what SOS was in Morse Code.

[windwitch]

Maxine had been about to reply, honestly, to explain that she while she was smart she wasn't exactly well versed in communications technology from her own world (let alone those of another), when she saw the note.

"Ohmygod," Maxine managed to say, looking over the note in question in disbelief. That was...

Horrible, frankly. Hard to believe. And definitely important information.

"I... I think we at least have a way to reach out," Maxine said, sadly. "We should be able to use this to get a signal out."

[bequiet_hescreamed]

Clef nodded wordlessly, forcing down the cold, bitter feeling those written words gave him. Now was not the time to wonder at the callous disregard for life that was shown here, nor to marvel at how such evil could be hiding under the surface of such a seemingly beautiful and healthy planet as Agrestic, nor to ask existential questions like what the hell is wrong with the multiverse? This was a time to concentrate on saving their own asses and getting the hell out of dodge as alive and physically intact as possible. Mental scarring would just have to wait.

"Let's try the computers, as well," he said, turning on the nearest terminal. "I don't think it's a coincidence that we crash landed here without our powers, and we need to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to whoever comes to pick us up."

If anyone comes, he didn't add.

Easiest NPC tag ever.

[meat_mooks]

On a screen on the computer Clef was examining, a video pops up. A dark-skinned woman with curly brown hair and a harried look on her face is on the screen, somewhat out of focus, working on something on the control panel.

"My name is Sasha Mdengo, and I'm saving my town. If you're seeing this, I failed, and you're either picking up corpses or need to get out while you still can. I was going to write this all down, but tape is faster.

The camera moves and showcases part of the dashboard.

"This is the distress signal. It's set to send a signal to any ship in range. The message is a basic S.O.S. from this colony, but you can set it to a new identity by going into this panel," Sasha opens a panel and reveals a series of numbers and a keyboard, "and punching in an ID."

She pulls the camera away. "I've set a field that nullifies super natural abilities from a node at the top of the tower. It can be deactivated by force. Hopefully, that will protect us from the monsters. If not..."

She cocks a gun and looks into the camera again. "I'm going back for my kid. Good luck to you, whoever's watching this. Stay safe."

The video clicks off.

[windwitch]

Maxine is a mix of terrified and excited. On the one hand-- well, they know what might just be able to help them. If they deactivate it, then they can have their powers back and-- like Clef said-- anyone who comes for them won't have to deal with the same problems. It's necessary for the rescue, it seems.

On the other hand, it's protecting them from the creatures.

Maxine tries not to show herself shaking, and looks at Clef as the message clicks off, before leaning down for a moment to scoop up the puppy they'd found.

"D'you... I guess we have no choice, do we?" she asks quietly.

DIANA

[meat_mooks]

Somehow Diana's made it through the night. She'll awake to the same empty town they've spent the last few days in. Should she choose it, her best option is to find the others.

Re: DIANA

[keep_surviving]

Diana shoulders the bag filled with the rest of her supplies and starts walking, holding the strap tightly with one hand, flare gun in the other.

She’s alone, she knows this. When was the last time she was alone? Even in the FAYZ she’d always kept herself around others, but here she’d ended up alone. She hadn’t been prepared. Diana Ladris had not been prepared. How had this happened?

She wonders how many are actually left. The numb pain of her previously-dislocated shoulder mixes with the rest of her scrapes and bruises, creating a dull throbbing throughout her body. There’s a large cut along her other forearm, from one of those monsters when she’d tried to defend herself. And another near her temple but she can’t quite remember how that one happened, just that it’d bled alot and made her feel sick. She recalled running away with Karis but everything became lost in a dizzy darkness of fear and adrenaline.

The town was useless. There was nothing left here. Forget saving anyone. Shipmates or otherworlders. Time to get out. But where to? She had a headache and couldn’t remember if they even had a plan of escape.

Glancing around her at the scarred town she spotted the radio tower. A black line in the distance, reaching for the sky. Her best bet.

But it was far. Walking would be inviting death. She’d need a car.

Diana spent several minutes ragging open car doors and smashing windows, looking for something with at least a little fuel and a key. There were a few false starts, some wouldn’t turn over, some had flat or missing tires. She was always on alert for something creeping up on her, but it was the day, the monsters were sleeping. Her biggest threat right now was the heat.

Finally, she found something. Pulling herself into the driver’s seat she threw her bag down beside her, slamming the door and looking over the controls. Stickshift. How did an alien planet still use stickshifts?

Taking a massive swig from her water bottle, she gripped the key and turned it. The engine woke up grumpily, spluttering and aching, the sounds echoing through the skeleton of a town.

White knuckle hold creating crescent mark dents from her nails within the leather of the steering wheel, she put the car in first gear and stared at the road, cutting its way out of this hellhole.

Forget roads. Using her eyes, she glared herself a direct route to the radio tower, straight across the wasteland.

Howard told her she couldn’t drive. She slammed her foot down onto the gas pedal. Fuck Howard.

Re: DIANA

[meat_mooks]

By the time Diana gets to the radio tower, the sun is high and beating down on the roof of the car. It's easily over a hundred degrees farenheit, and still dry as a bone. The radio tower door is still unlocked - Cedric didn't bother to secure it when he brought Howard in. If Diana turns into a room to the side, there's an employee lounge. Couch, vending machine, the like. A water fountain.

And while Howard and Cedric have left, the signs of them are still here - some used bandages in a wastebasket, a smear of blood on the couch. And what might interest Diana the most: a crumpled paper plate on the floor. A plate that is still wet. And there, in the basin of the water fountain, droplets still. Fresh running water.

Re: DIANA

[keep_surviving]

She's very careful as she enters, being as quiet as possible, making sure nothing's about to attack her or follow her into this small sanctuary.

The blood puts her on edge, but satisfied she's as safe as she can be right now, Diana heads to the fountain.

Diana drinks until she's full, then drinks some more. After making use of the restroom, having one of her dwindling snack bars and filling her water bottles to the brim she looks around the room. Her eyes catch some blood near the steps.

It's red, so human. And fresh. Unless there's actually some surviors in this town, Diana's betting it's one of her shipmates. Injured or not, maybe this means someone's at least started the job of getting them out of here. Good, it saves her the effort.

Whoever is up there might be dead or dying but it's still her only lead off this planet. Mentally ready for whatever is going to be up there she starts the ascent up the steps. Careful. Calm. Finger on the trigger of the flare gun, just incase she's following the trail of a monster-dragged body.

switched the tag order

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Up on the fourth floor, Howard and Cedric are trying to figure out the radio system. They haven't seen any sign of Clef, Maxine or Karis yet.

The room is large, with a console and mixing boards everywhere. A large window looks out over the town, although right now it seems peaceful and quiet as always. More serene than usual. One of the lightbulbs above them is out, but for the most part the room is well lit, and three swiveling chairs sit in front of the dashboards.

They've managed to disable the recording that reminds them in fifteen second chunks of a mandatory evacuation, but as for actually getting the distress signal going they're completely at a loss. Cedric's hopeless with computers and Howard's not much better - the most he ever did before the FAYZ was play online games and pirate music.

Cedric and Howard both look like they've seen much better days. Howard's got a bandage on his head and bloodier one on his torso and Cedric's ripped-off sleeves reveal some significant bruising. Furthermore, it looks like neither of them slept.

"Oh. You're alive." Howard gives Diana a little wave, trying to sound more put together than he is. His face is drawn into the expression of one only just holding back from succumbing to pain.

[Diana, then Ced.]

[keep_surviving]

Diana spots Howard and oddly she feels a slight bit of relief, she guesses that’s down to the familiarity and that Howard might actually come up with a plan of escape.

“You’re both alive.” She sounds a little surprised, understandably. The small amount relief she felt though sinks like a stone in water though when she sees the state of Howard. She can guess what happened so doesn’t bother asking, instead she chooses to ignore it.

Walking over, Diana takes in the dashboards, seems like they’re working, but if they’ll be able to use them is another question. “You boys got a plan yet?”

Normally, she would be more snarky, but fights it for the moment, being snarky would mean she’d have to address and acknowledge how terrible Howard looks, and she wants to focus on leaving people thinking of that.

[theboywhodied]

"No," Cedric admits, head hung. That's the crux of it. "Well...the idea is to send a distress signal to the ship, but I don't have a clue about Muggle technology. I could do a little more if I had my magic, but I'm not sure how our powers are being suppressed either."

He leans over the couch, wondering. Hoping. "Maxine and Clef should be here soon. But until then, we can search."

He looks down at Howard, hinting 'and taking turns looking after him. That's an awkward thing to propose, but there's no way he's leaving his friend alone. Wait. He's supposed to pretend that they're not friends. How's he going to pull this off?

No clue.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"If Maxine and Clef aren't dead," Howard says, the voice of pessimism. Another chill passes over him and his body spasms a little. "I haven't seen them, but they must be here. I found red hair on the chair."

And unless this place has recently had a redhead with Maxine's length haircut, that should mean something.

"We're trying to figure out how to get this stupid distress signal running. It's still going off, but I got no idea how to change it to say 'seriously, we're not joking right now'."

[keep_surviving]

Well, unless there's anyway to make it go faster Diana's pretty stumped too.

She casts her gaze over the collection of buttons and lights. "So, Maxine's still our best bet?"

Their bet best rested with someone who quite possibly could be dead and they might have just missed.

"Fabulous."

HOWARD AND CEDRIC

[meat_mooks]

By the time they reach the base of the radio tower, the sun's gotten relatively high.

Re: HOWARD AND CEDRIC

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard's silently congratulating himself for having managed to drive the whole way here. His condition is rapidly deteriorating; he's having chills now that are making him shudder, and the best way to describe his current headspace is 'woozy'. His breathing's gotten feeble again too.

But they made it. And that just means finding Clef and Maxine and hoping that they've figured out what to do next. Howard waits for Cedric to get out of the car first, hunched over like he has some sort of terrible cramp.

[theboywhodied]

Cedric's making himself sick with worry. He's watched Howard whenever he's not looking outside for danger, and things are only getting worse. There's a very real possibility that his friend will die if they can't...

No. Please.

He almost jumps out of the car when it stops, running to the other side to offer his support. "Howard. Howard, please. We'll go."

It's a desperate plea.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard nods but just rests his head against the steering wheel and shivers for a minute before getting out of the car. When he does get out of the car, he falls into Cedric rather than finding his feet.

"Sorry." He clings on to Cedric - it seems like his hands are the only parts of his body with any power. "I can walk."

But he doesn't make any motion to. "Just need to get out of the sun."

[theboywhodied]

"Right." Cedric's not sure he believes that, but there isn't time. He moves to walk Howard out of the sun, half-carrying him. He's prepared to do it properly as well.

"I've got you. We'll get you there." He hopes. That tower's close...almost. Please, he prays.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

And at this point, Howard needs Cedric to make good on carrying him. His legs go out from under him and he slumps against Cedric, only partially conscious.

Thankfully the door to the first floor of the radio tower is unlocked, and the inside is cool and quiet and looks safe enough. Even the electricity is working here. The building appears to have air conditioning that no one bothered to turn off, and a room off to the side appears to be a worker's lounge, with a couch and a vending machine (the vending machine has since been emptied, unfortunately). There's even a water fountain, and if Cedric checks it, there's actual water.

The cabinets are filled with useful things, including a first aid kit, paper plates and cutlery. None of these seem to have been touched.

[theboywhodied]

"All right. Easy..."

Cedric carefully pulls Howard onto his back, hauling him the rest of the way to the radio tower. They enter easily enough, into a shockingly comfortable environment. He could almost smile. And hey---resources!

He brings Howard into a room on the side, gently laying him on the couch while he searches for supplies. "I'm here, don't worry. Right here," he whispers, just in case Howard can hear him.

The biggest delight is finding a water fountain, of course. He's tempted to take a long drink, but Howard needs tending first---and they don't know how much is there. He folds one of the paper plates into a makeshift cup, fills it, and rushes back to Howard's side, tipping his head.

"Here. Real water." The rest can be dealt with later.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard's lost track of what's going on, but he can feel Cedric moving his head and as soon as he feels cool water in his mouth, he snaps a little back to reality. He's on a couch, feeling like he's been hit by a truck. So much for pretending to be alright. He swallows the rest of the water on the plate and weakly mumbles for more.

Cedric would make an okay medic, he thinks. A good one, even, given enough time.

Focus.

He wonders how much water they have. If it's enough, maybe they can use it to rinse the burns and infected injuries. Maybe they can find antibiotics here. Maybe, maybe, maybe. He tries to sit up and slides back, deciding that while he probably could, he's not going to waste energy on that.

Even that little bit of water has helped a lot.

He can't keep lying to Cedric that he's okay, but it comes too naturally to him. He reaches and hand out and tugs at Cedric's hand. "Don't leave. I just need a few minutes."

He's worried that if he can't keep up, Cedric will abandon him.