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Criminal! (Not everythings a bright ray of sunshine!)

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Total Members Voted: 6

[Patrick Hunt]

"We should go now, we need to move before it's dark."

Go to the hardware store and search it top to bottom looking for raw material or anything else of value. Keep my guns drawn and fully loaded and move with as much stealth as possible.

[Xanmyral]

<~ && ~>

<sup>X://bootdrive detected; loading bootdrive...
bootdrive loaded successfully.
Loading Prefig_SAIF...
Prefig_SAIF loaded successful, 0 / 0 errors detected.
Update detected.
Downloading update...
0%... 10%... 60%...
Update downloaded.

Initiating Main_Sequence.
Main_Sequence initialized.
Enjoy, Survivors.</sup>

Day 1/5
^{Greet the digital rays with joy, Survivors, they may be your last...}

[Commercial District]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Samuel left the Most Dangerous Predator and looked around at the other stores.. Which wasn't much, surprising considering he's in the mercantile district. The shop was located on the corner of a road and there were the two previous stores, above and below the gunshop, but other than that there doesn't seem to be any other store, much less place, of note around.

Oh sure, there were a few buildings that may of housed stores at one point in time, but now some of them were too wrecked to even enter them, much less possibly find something of interest. The ones that weren't wrecked made it almost seem like they were under construction, with the startling lack of interior walls and general lack of everything in them. As to if those stores actually were under construction before the incident or were smashed out (a possibility considering the fact that a car was wedged into one ground floor building not too far away) wasn't very clear.

Well, at least there was still the general store below and the pharmacy above, the pharmacy in much better condition than the general store on the very basis that it still had most of its windows intact. It was easy to tell by the day's light that the windows were darkened however, although as to why wasn't very obvious from outside.


Satisfied with his find, Freddie requested aid from Frogdo in carrying the sweet, sweet lucre of their accidental find.

"Okay... I think I'll take all of this. Help me out with this, Frogdo. We should take all this crap back to the bunker, then sort out what exactly we'll need later. The camera in particular seems useful."

Dividing the loot between the two, the duo made their way back to the bunker. The trip wasn't too long, nor was it eventful either. The streets were calm and the buildings were looming in the young day's sunlight, nothing stopping them on their way back to civilization.

Before long the two could see the squat concrete building housing the massive door to the bunker, but it seems that they weren't alone at the door. Inside the building the door was already open and there seemed to be some commotion. Randall, Harvey, and some other guy. Actually, wasn't he the guy who shouted and cursed frequently when they first left the bunker? Either way, they stood to the side as they watched men in hazmat suits lift a large gangly black corpse wrapped in a blanket onto a gurney.

Shortly after the three left and then it was just the enforcers, Freddie, and Frogdo.

"Hey, its you two! Didn't see either of you come in last night, seems like you managed alright though considering your still alive. Seemed like all hell broke loose or something last night. You looking to come in?"


It wasn't long before Randall, Harvey, and Wilmer found themselves at the hardware store again. Once inside, they could see that it wasn't much better on the inside than it looked on the outside. In fact, one could rightly say it actually looked worse inside than outside. Trash was everywhere and all the shelves looked empty, assuming that they were intact enough to even hold things anymore.

One thing was for certain however, they weren't the first inside the store. On an empty wall someone had tagged it with a note: 'Stay safe, we're in this together.' Underneath the spray-painted tag was a cleared off section of the floor, sitting a shut backpack and a small paper wrapped package next to it.

Deigning Randall and Wilmer to take care of the strange find, Harvey went off to search the store for anything else of use. The search proved fruitless however, the shelves were bare and the ground was nothing but rubble and trash, after searching every inch of the store the man couldn't find anything of use. If one were to find empty cans and ruined paper useful however, they could say he found the mother-load in that case.

His attempt at stealth didn't fare much better either, although that wasn't too hard to understand considering the strewn items hidden among the wreckage of the floor. Each step shifted something which often shifted something else which then shifted more stuff which... That is to say, each step was noisy no matter how he stepped, and the survivor was unable to determine which spots didn't contain something to step on and those that did.

[Outskirts]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Happy to have some cooperation, Marion got the two's attention and addressed them on the move.

"Okay gentlemen, it's in hanger not too far from here. It'll be even quicker if you've got wheels. The plan is, I'll lead you to the place, we'll scope it out and do the raid together. I'm after something these people stole from me: the lionshare of the food, guns and other supplies are yours to take."

The group gathered what gear they had around, which wasn't much, and pressed on towards the Hangar, following Marion.

"Nah, we don't have wheels or the like. Wish we did, but those are kept for the more important stuff or emergencies. You said the hangar? Now, you mean the hangar, or the hangar-hangar? 'Cause one we can help with easily, Free Camp's in the hangar and we were heading there anyhow. The other we can't so much, Enforcer territory."

The leader's tone took an obvious dip in interest and benevolence after mention of the enforcers.

"If it was them that's took what was yours, get in line quick 'cause its a doozy of one. Bastards have a hoard of food, water, and guns but they sure aren't sharing. With much of anyone, really."

"But whatever. For all I know, it might of been one of the smaller groups. One of the nicer ones, considering you don't look too roughed up. Swear some of them've gone savage almost, seems like they're not much better than the husks we burn at times." She pitched a thumb towards the cackling fire behind them, the core still tinged darkly with its human kindling.

The leader looked at the digital sun and then at a watch on her wrist. "But we can chatter about what's where later. Unless you want to walk the day away, I suggest we double time it to the hangar. You can handle a run, yeah? You look like you should manage."

[Distance to Hangar District: 50%; Walk +10%, Jog/Run +20%]

************

Spoiler: Freddie Firenzo; Harry Baldman (click to show/hide)

Name: Freddie Firenzo
Gender: Male
Attribute: Inspiration (1)
Short Description: a somewhat small man, balding, wears glasses and possesses a pencil mustache. Covers up encroaching baldness with a clearly stolen trilby and hides rather unimposing physique behind a somewhat oversized pastel blue tuxedo.
Short Biography: despite the rather dire nature of the situation, Freddie is quite glad, all in all, that whatever happened happened. He was in the middle of contemplating suicide when the sirens came, trying to decide upon a good method to carry out a deed. However, evacuation put a stop to that kind of thinking, and Freddie rather appreciates the circumstances due to this. Why, he could make off with an entire tuxedo and hat in the chaos, and nobody noticed. For him, this whole apocalypse thing is kind of a definite improvement, really. Certainly an opportunity to reinvent himself, find some sort of track to get his life onto at last.
Inventory: AFU, Comm, HUD, Metal Club, Metal Spike, Cracked Headlight, 7 Dual-Torches, Oil Canister, Lighter, Credit Unions Stick, 2 Rations, Memory Stick, Tool Kit, Camera, Camera Charger, Wallet

Spoiler: Frogdo Badtirigidon; Xantalos (click to show/hide)

Name: Frogdo Badtirigidon
Gender: Male
Attribute: IRONMAN (0)
Short Description: He's a short dude with curly brown hair, spiky stubble, and heterochromatic eyes - blue and brown.
Short Bio: Maaaaaan, he was a dude who came from the streets, maaaaan, and he was angry and resentful and stuff, maaaaan. He's a survivor because he, like, KNOWS da streetz, maaaaan.
Inventory: AFU, Comm, HUD, Metal Club, Loose Ultra-Basic Meds, Backpack, Jerry Can

Spoiler: Randall Steward; Tomcost (click to show/hide)

Name: Randall Steward
Gender: Male
Attribute: Intimidation (0)
Short Description: a short and filthy dark-haired individual. His back is always slightly bended fowards, which gives him the impression of being a hunchback. Actually, he stays like that to remain unseen.
Short Biography: Randall's parents abandoned him when he was but a a kid. He survived in the streets pretty much as a rat, stealing food and hiding. Treated by everybody as scum, he never found a way to integrate into society and kept living with low standards.
Inventory: AFU, Comm, HUD, 2 Knives, Rubber Glove, 2 Rations, Meat Clever, Blanket Wrapped Four Armed Corpse

Spoiler: Marion Dupont; notquitethere (click to show/hide)

Name: Inspector Marion Dupont
Gender: Female
Short Bio/Description: A tall, commanding woman, previously an investigator in Ship Enforcement. After the warning sirens she moved in an orderly fashion to the nearest bunker. Her goals are: A. Find out if her daughter is safe. B. Get to the bottom of what's going on.
Attribute: Hammerer (1)
Inventory: AFU, Comm, HUD, 2 Rations, Lighter, Handcuffs, Family Photo, Sharp Machete, Metal Club, Heavy Work Gloves, Sledge, Duct Tape, Small Prybar, Box of Nails

Spoiler: Harvey; Patrick Hunt (click to show/hide)

Name: Harvey
Gender: Male
Attribute: Hammerer (0)
Description: Fairly tall with a lean but muscled body, long black hair and bright blue eyes.
Background: Winging it.
Inventory: AFU, Comm, HUD, 2 Knives, Recorder, 2 Revolvers, 3 Speed Loaders, Rifle Scope, Rifle Mag, 2 Rifle Rounds, Ration, Credit Unions, Car Parts, First Aid Kit, Data Cube

Spoiler: Samuel Allworthy; Persus13 (click to show/hide)

Name: Samuel Allworthy
Gender: Male
Attribute: Inspiration (0)
Short Description: A tall formally dressed man with a conductor's baton
Short Biography: An orchestra conductor who managed to get to the shelter on the way to a concert.
Inventory: AFU, Comm, HUD, 2 Knives
Wounds: Busted Right Arm [1/5]

Must. Sleep.

[Patrick Hunt]

Go back and after checking for any traps around it investigate the backpack and package.

[Harry Baldman]

"Yeah, I really need some sleep soon. And some food right now, maybe. I've got some info, though. We met a pair of holograms, and one of them had seemingly adapted to the monsters - it had these mouths everywhere, there was that ashy stuff I've been hearing about and so forth. It believed that the monsters were the new users, and that humans were stock. I suspect it might indicate that the computer systems are also being infested by something, given how also the doors and other stuff started to make music all of a sudden. It also means that the monsters are definitely out there to hunt humans and make more of themselves, and might not simply be mindlessly aggressive at all. Finally, they don't seem to like to appear in sunlight, which to me sounds like we should look into possibilities of illuminating the ship as much as possible. That's the most important stuff we've gleaned, I think. I might remember something else as well once I reflect on the experience."

Explain. Hopefully get food. Then sleeeeeeeep. Unless there's follow-up questions or whatever. And if these aren't the guys I'm supposed to talk to, repeat this very bit of info to whoever I'm supposed to be telling it.

[Tomcost]

((Question: was the corpse delivered?))

[Patrick Hunt]

(( Yeah, we did it last turn then came back to the hardware shop. ))

[Tomcost]

((Oh, well, then:))

Help to check for traps, hurl a stone from a distance at the package

[Persus13]

Go to the door of the Pharmacy, open it and look in cautiously, knives at the ready.

[Xantalos]

Yep. Nearly got sold by some sort of crazy-ass AI, but I outwitted it or whatever and escaped. Now then, need food. Bed. More food afterwards.

Food. Bed. More food afterwards.

[notquitethere]

"I'm good to run if you two think you can keep up..." says Marion heading off in a steady loping run.

[Xanmyral]

<~ && ~>

Ah, May.

The month where most universities start closing up shop, finals are had, professors celebrating that they don't need to show up for the five minutes they do in their paid classes, and penned college students are let free to wreck horrors upon modern society. Truly a wonderful month, depending on your perception of course.

What in the world does May have anything to do with a game that's been silent for three months?

- Because being penned behind a cage and having text books thrown at my head in an attempt at learning through osmosis is rather distracting, I've found. While I've had time to pander about on a few games on the forums, sadly I've vastly underestimated the amount of time needed to run a game (even with the knowledge that I probably would), and simply had to make a choice of college or this game.

Why now? Why not earlier?

- I've tried to rouse the game sooner but fate has stopped me at every turn. Attempts to punch fate in its snout to establish who's the boss has unfortunately failed, turns out fate is a bit of a martial artists unfortunately. Losing internet providers, long projects, broken power supplies, and dying operating systems, and all the lost notes and rules I was keeping were some of the punches thrown my way.

But enough belly aching and excuses, as things are turning my way again. I'll soon find myself with ample amounts of free time (compared to the prior three months) in which I can actually and thankfully run this game. That's right, SAIF is going back on after a three months hiatus, and I'm personally excited! I just hope you all are still around and willing to join back in though, is all. I understand if things have come up and you've given yourself a full enough plate that you can't handle another game, three months have passed and by all accounts the game looked dead for quite a while.

Alright, alright, but why is this post even here? Is there a point beyond the excuses?

- To serve as both a warm up period to let people know that this is back on soon(ish) and as a Q&A period.

Why Q&A?

- The honest answer is that I can't start the game right away sadly, I have to remake my notes and I'll soon find myself in a two week period without internet beyond a phone. So even with this post the game won't actually have another turn till about fourteen to sixteen some days from now. By then though, I'll have my notes all remade and the rules written again.

So, due to the wait, and the long hiatus, I know that people won't probably notice the game is back on until a bit has passed, so I figured that I owe you guys some answers to some questions you might have about the setting or characters in the game. Hopefully it'll also serve as a refresher in what's going on in the game, but I'll also include a 'what's happened' post before the end of the week to give a laconic synopsis. Note that I won't always answer truthfully depending on the questions however, part of the game is investigating after all.

So what now?

- Ask questions about the setting, characters, anything! Just post to let me know that you're alive and still interested even if you don't have any.

Do I really have to read all of this?

- I do have a habit of long posts, don't I?

[Xantalos]

Yay, it's back!
...
No questions though. Kinda tapped out at the moment.

[notquitethere]

One thing that struck me as odd with the setting is that it's essentially a contemporary city transported up into space. Was this literally what happened?

[Xanmyral]

@Xantalos: Not a problem, just glad you're sticking with the game.

@notquitethere: Yes, sort of. It helps to talk about the underlying issue first.

Overpopulation is a rather pressing problem. There are only so many planets in the an acceptable habitation zone, fewer of the proper make, less still without some horrible problem, and a fraction that don't at least require some change or protective equipment, and of that fraction there are those within reach, the larger amount of those just out of it, and the tauntingly large amount of those largely far and gone. Places that could be used were, places that were close enough changed, usually through dome or some other means depending on what is required.

You ever heard that goldfish grow to suit their environment, becoming as small or as huge as the place they're situated in? It can be a good metaphor if you dash in an almost rabidly territorial outlook.

With advances in medicine and sciences allowing longer life spans, survival of worse injuries and diseases, even advanced prosthetic replacement and easier food growth caused population to boom. Limited only by space, which was limited by resources and cost, which was similarly limited by space, resources, costs, and distance, the worse offender of them all.

Faced with an overpopulated society and either a government grown to maintain and control said society while desperately trying not to fragment and to maintain power, or a series of splintered factions always at each others' throats for power, resources, and space, many people came to a single decision. In a manner that harkens back to the far past many choose the lesser of evils: just leaving.

Great ships would be built with the idea of them housing a population, similar in the amenities found planet side, yet unhinged to a planetary body. What best could be describe as city states/ships soon spawned after, sprawling metropolises moving through the void and made as self sufficient as could be possible due to the limited contact that most often grows more and more limited as time goes on.

History courses on the ship's universities and schools often go farther in detail, of course, but that's largely the gist of it. Taught to everyone during the mandatory schooling one often goes through. As to if it was a wise or proper choice, that's a topic often under much heated debate.

[Persus13]

One thing that struck me as odd with the setting is that it's essentially a contemporary city transported up into space. Was this literally what happened?

I'm sorry, but where did you get this impression? I don't remember anything like that.