The trader flipped the sign to open, and parted his Spongebob
curtains to reveal his much too meager wares. Business needed a boost
and it looked like things were perking up.
Four
wanderers were awaiting the traders call to barter, and they looked
ripe for adventure as well. A human sized rat in a scruffy lab coat
paced back and forth in front of a red wagon with a canoe balanced on
top. Shadar couldn't help but notice how the rat-man covetously eyed
a slighty scratched and dinged laptop computer that was leaning on
the lower step of his trading post. It was then Shadar realized the
laptop was not alone, a small 4-6 week old kitten was staring back at
the rat as it flexed very sharp claws in and out of its tiny paws.
"I
don't need a wagon Rat! I travel on paw and through the trees!"
the little cat growled, "Besides I couldn't pull that thing
anyway!"
Just
then Shadars attention was drawn away from the bickering ani-mutes to
the arrival of what he had heard only rumors of..... the
Gammapocalypse of sound, fury and fire! The METAL WAGON.
This
large dual horse drawn wagon of rusted iron and alloy creaked to a
halt. At the reins was a frail looking human in a snazzy nehru suit,
at his belt was a combination tamborine/razor sharp Chakra. The man's
wild shock of hair stood out giving him a "mad" scientist
look, that was accentuated by the pair of dark welders goggles hiding
his eyes. Riding in the rear of the wagon wreathed in flickering
flame was a deformed hideous creature. It's overly large head and
mouth full of razor edged teeth seemed out of place perched on
pot-bellied clawed hand and foot body of a child. A pair of bat-like
wings flexed slowly back and forth from the mutants shoulders. Shadar
felt uncomfortable as the unblinking eyes of the "demon"
gazed at him.
Rumors
had come from Hillsboro in the south that a group of Gammarauders in
a METAL wagon had destroyed the gang of Tangh the Space-pig. Shadar
had never given the story any credit till now. He still wondered at
it's validity as there were only two occupants of the wagon, when the
stories had spoken of at least 5 members in that band.
"Good
morning my friends, welcome to Shadar's emporium of fine goods. Let
us barter shall we?"
Shadar
waved his arm at the rack of goods he had on offer. A half-dozen
coloring books, an electric toothbrush, digital camera, flint &
steel, a bottle of Pinot Noir, a charged radio cell phone, crowbar, a
pack of light ammunition, 4 days worth of trail rations, 3 bottles of
"dirty water", and a bottle of "pure" water.
This was going to be tough.
Surprisingly
the demon hopped off the wagon and tossed an M-16, toy dump truck,
and an unopened box of diapers at Shadars feet. "All that for
some ammo and a ration pack, trader." whispered the demon in a
voice that made his skin goose.
"Me-Ow
wants the image stealer in exchange for this useless crap!"
pushing the laptop towards the trader.
The
Rat cringed as the computer slipped from his grasp, Shadar knew he
had that one on the line now. The Shock haired man tossed another
radio cell phone down and asked for rations and the "pure"
water. The day was looking up.
Fifteen
minutes later Shadar was a canoe and little red wagon richer; he knew
some folk in town these items would be good for, and the rat-man or
"Von Schtupp" as he kept asking to be called finally had
the Laptop in his verminite paws.
"My
friends.", Shadar cooed. "Might I interest you all in a bit
of Scavenging? A benefit to yourselves and I. There is a location
nearby, but I have not the time or manpower to partake of this task.
I offer you the opportunity, bring back as much as you can fill in
your wagon and I will pay you now with my remaining rations and
water. As well as give you the first three picks of the junk you
return with. What say you?"
The
four wanderers looked at each other. "Me-Ow is ready!"
screeched the little cat.
Von
Shtupp said he was ready to explore, and was in search of more
scientific knowledge anyway.
Shadar's
directions had been hastily scrawled on a tattered Sunoco Road Guide.
Following the the old "Ave" west out of town to "Ol'
Dixx", then a bit south to a "silver street", then
west again and the group emerged from the overgrown bush into the
ruins of a place called "MARHT".
The
demon eyed the horizon, "Well, I haven't killed anything yet
today. What do think Spectra?"
The
man in the Nehru suit turned to Shadar, "Looks like you just
hired the Band."
The
weed choked field in front of the building was filled with rusted
hulks of vehicles long since scavenged. There were two entrances to
the ruin. The northern most entrance was blocked by a mountain of
shopping carts stacked and strung together with old cable and
barb-wire, while the southern entrance looked clear. Me-Ow
scouts out the north entrance and using her "radio-head Alpha"
tells the group it is blocked.
Demon
and Spectra settle the horses as Von Schtupp meets Me-Ow at the
southern entrance. Me-ow scurries up the rats back as
he approaches the darkened entry peering over his shoulder. A hissing sound follows the opening
of the sliding doors as the scent of mildew and rotting cloth
overwhelm the duo. Joined by Demon and Spectra, the entire party
enters the darkened interior of the MARHT. Scavenging among the old
shelves, Me-Ow and Spectra catch a shadowy silent shape drifting down
from above!
A
large Blaash swooped by firing a rad-blast causing our heroes to
scatter for cover as a second one dove in for attack!
Von schtupp took that moment to don a pair of night-vision goggles, Spectra threw his
Chakra with deadly accuracy and Me-Ow launched herself from a shelf-top onto the second insects
back! Demon cut loose with a few fire-bolts and a blackened moth
crashed to the floor a few ailes over. Me-Ow slashed into the carapace of the second moth causing it to crash as well. Von schtupp deemed the
radioactive bug would make a good snack and dug in.
An hour later, the group had scavenged 4 glow sticks, a lighter, pair of
bolt cutters, steel handcuffs, an umbrella, 15lbs of "Junk
Salvage" a random assortment of bottles, cans, dolls and other
sad and useless relics. As well as 10lbs. of "Scrap Salvage"
rusty pipes, metal signs, and other chunks of metal in useful sizes
and shapes.
Feeling lucky the group heads deeper into the ruin when a skylight in the roof shatters raining glass and debris upon them!
They are stunned by a screeching noise that assaults their ears as a
pack of green flying barracudas descend!
"RUIN
FISH!" shouts Von Schtupp, "Demon your fire bolts won't
work on them!"
Scowling,
Demon un-slings his chainsaw bass guitar and pulls the rip-cord.
RUUUM, Ruuum !
