Rifts - Deadman's Hand - Prelude
Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2025 3:54 pm
With the mounting tensions between the Coalition States and Tolkeen, Lieutenant Gary Swenson nervously awaits orders as the captain and major blankly observe him and the other three lieutenants in the meeting room. His anxiety spikes, imagining what orders could lead to his next brush with death.
Captain Starls nods through confident gray eyes examining the four officers. The other three officers are new; fresh out of the academy. Lt. Swenson has been around for a few decades, embracing his military career in hopes of a well deserved retirement back in Chi-Town. But this? oO(Are they really going to send me to the frontline?)Oo He wonders. It would be suicide.
Major Montego, a rather quiet, gruff man, silently observes the group, sweat beading on their foreheads, as the captain continues, "Emperor Prosek has ordered a reconnaissance of the cities of Freehold and Tolkeen," he looks to the younger officers, "You men will lead three separate squads, two into Tolkeen, one into Freehold, to assess and report back." All three turn pale as their terrified expressions peer to each other.
Starls smiles, wiping sweat from his bald head, as he looks to Gary, "Lt. Swenson. Your servitude to our emperor has been exemplary. There has been an uptick in D-Bee activity near an old military camp west of here. Also, we have news that your son may have been spotted there."
Gary's heart skips a beat as his nervous butterflies nearly cause him to faint. He stands and blurts, "I'm honored to take this mission, no matter the cost, SIR!" as his only reaction to prevent collapsing. It's been thirteen years since he'd last seen his son. Teddy was five then. oO(My boy will have a better life than me. I'll make sur...)Oo
"Did the Captain give you permission to speak?" Major Montego's baritone voice thunders over Gary's thoughts.
Gary quickly sits as the captain continues, "Sergeant Collins, from the 22nd Ranger Division, returned with mortal wounds two days ago. He died today after giving us some useful intel. I know you have your hopes up, lieutenant, but your primary directive is to assess the danger in the region and report back." he smiles, "And should you find your son. Well then, that's a bonus!" His eyes stop smiling even though his face maintains a grin, making him look almost sinister. "You will be given coordinates and you will pick three members of the 22nd to accompany you. It's mostly farms and rugged plains out there. Don't let that fool you. Also, I have an extra assignment for you. Come see me after the meeting. Do you understand?"
Gary stands at attention and salutes, "Yes, sir!" The emotional shock makes Gary unaware if he looks serious or is smiling. He doesn't care. oO(If only Carla was still here...)Oo
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Armin's blood streaked hands grip another of the doctor's bloodsoaked, trembling fingers, threatening to remove a third finger with rusted bolt cutters, "So, either you can pay me the money he owes me, or tell me where he is!" Snip! A finger, sporting a wedding band flips to the wet concrete as a constant spurt of blood runs across the old, cracked, wooden table.
The doctor had stopped screaming after he lost his second finger. His defeated gaze rises to meet Armin's. Through gritted teeth, he painfully says, "Somewhere northwest of the Baronies, that was five years ago. I haven't heard from him since. He still owes me fifty thousand cre..." a loud bang from Armin's antique Colt .45 interrupts, causing people outside to shout concerns. The doctor's headless body slumps after a few seconds of violent twitching.
"Thank you," Armin impatiently smiles, reholstering the pistol and letting the cutters clank across the ground, "You could have saved me a lot of time and fingers." He collects his empty shell casing and strides outside.
He climbs onto his roadster, roaring its gas engines to life with a single kickstart. 'The Empire' emblazoned in red and gold along the side. The desert heat lingering in the night sky, "Bill, you'll pay tenfold for what you did." Hateful determination crosses his sweaty face as he begins to ride out, leaving a dust cloud and his worried crew behind. Armin glances into his rearview mirror, watching his crew now peeking into the torture shack and then back, disbelief on most of their faces.
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Dusty climbs out of his shanty tent and stares over the horizon, admiring the morning clouds, illuminating the scenery with hues of purple, red, orange and pink. oO(no storm clouds, that's good)Oo he gives a slight grin. He pulls up his old frayed boots, buttons up his freshly dried, clean shirt and buckles up his belt and holsters. His hand carefully slides over the cool metal of one of his two 357 magnum colt python revolvers. He'd recently had Esther, the local blacksmith in town, restore them back to nearly new.
He grabs his cowboy hat off of a low branch and climbs onto Giggles, his best friend for the last five years. The light clopping of her hooves relaxes him as he takes a deep breath of morning air, pulls out a cigar and lights it. He nods in appreciation for the sweet aroma, slowly spreading, announcing his presence.
Upon arriving in Fort Hammer, he heads straight to the convenience store. He feels the familiar crunch of gravel as he dismounts Gigz. Dusty notices that it's fully daylight as he ties her up near some of the stores complimentary hay buckets and water trough. She gives him a friendly snort and nibble on his hat as he walks past into the store.
The store is almost barnlike, while Ethan, Esther's wife and the storeowner, greets him with a nod and wide smile, "Mr Sky! What have you got for me today?"
Dusty's shoulders relax as he unshoulders his saddlebags, opens them and pulls out several beaver pelts. "Well, it ain't much, but I was hoping to get some eggs, milk, cheese, bread, bacon, buffalo steak, box of cigars and a box of bullets if you would."
Ethan sighs regretfully, "I can do all but half the cigars and the bullets, Dusty. They're getting rare until Mr. Swenson goes on another supply run to Smith Falls." He notices the disappointment in Dusty's eyes, "Listen, what if I throw in this weird blade that one of the deputies found?" He holds up a 10 inch knife with an odd red button and switch on the side of the grip.
Dusty freezes, oO(Awww really? I haven't seen one of them in a few years. Vibro-knife, worth quite a bit. Could probably buy a small house with that if he knew what he had. Should I be honest?)Oo Dusty pulls out some nicely folded and tanned antelope hides, "Listen, I'll throw these in and bring some more for that." he takes the knife and flips it over showing Ethan, "You see that?" pointing at the skull and crossed daggers. "It's military issue and quite rare. Will that work?"
Ethan smiles, nodding, "Well gees, thank you for being honest. I'll tell you what, why don't you have it? On me."
"Uh... okay." Almost too good to be true. It's early morning, most of the folk would be at the local restaurant getting breakfast before working the fields or ranches. Or not up yet. Perfect time to ask. He gathers up the supplies, "Hey! How's Vi? I haven't seen her around much. Did she win her last bout in Smith Falls?"
Ethan laughs, "Win? She crushed him! TKO in the first 10 seconds! Im so proud of how fast she learned!"
"That's good. She's a smart kid. And a looker. You keep an eye on her, Ethan. The boys are going to probably be an issue."
Ethan sighs, "Oh, I'm aware. She's had some run ins with the Swenson boy. Nothing awful, but they have that exhibition match soon. It'll be a close match." He frowns looking at the ground, "Hey Dusty, when can I tell her the truth?"
Dusty frowns, almost reaching for his revolver, "You can NEVER tell her. You understand?" He relaxes his arm, realizing that he has Ethan's collar in his fist and his terrified face at the end of his nose.
"I... I won't. I promise! I'm sorry!"
Dusty walks back outside without another word, without looking back. He pets Giggles with a heavy sigh, "Well that ruined my morning, old girl. I shouldn't have done that," he continues to shop for supplies, before spending another week out in the wild, oO(Now I feel bad. He's the one taking care of her. I have to work on my temper)Oo
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2100 A.D.
Faustin Coulee clutches warm soil, squeezing the sod through his fingers as he peers around the pine tree. oO(It's still there)Oo He looks to his wife, Marie, and whispers, "It's almost night," He states in English, "It will find us if we don't get past those glowy lines." He looks up the hill at the ley lines slowly becoming visible as the clouds show various shades of pink and purple in the dark blue sky. oo(What a way to start a new century. Away from home, during the end of the world)Oo
He wipes the dirt off onto his already tattered khakis. He then grasps his wife's hand in his right and his 13 year old son Francois' hand in his left. "GO!" His legs already burn from running. The sudden jump to a full run cause his legs to immediately cramp. "Ahh" He splashes face first into a mudhole as he loses his grip on his family. He can hear them still running through the trees.
An unearthly shriek pierces the darkness all around him. Francois and Marie aren't anywhere to be found. No sound of running, no screams. He lifts his gaze, wiping muddy water out of his stinging eyes. Through the blur, a silhouette appears and slowly comes into focus. A woman's twisted remains look as though she'd hit the tree ahead of him, like being ejected from a high speed crash. "No!" He cries as he realizes that it's Marie. Already knowing she couldn't survive her horrific injuries, he struggles to stand and calls out, "Francois! Run!"
A twig snaps as he feels a giant hand grasp around his neck from his left, squeezing hard enough that he begins to lose vision. It's grip slowly tightening, he knows it's another monster. Whatever it is, it's humanoid, twice as tall as himself, has horns or spikes like an elk and demonic eyes. Faustin's vision flashes as he feels his neck gradually break with overwhelming nerve pain. Then nothing...
****
Francois runs, avoiding looking at the grove of trees he'd just exited. He notices that his shoe was flung off from running too fast. He hears a loud whispering laugh behind him. Then he hears that same whispering voice mutter something he can't comprehend. Then suddenly, a flash of light and a boom, louder than even gunfire, erupts around him. He feels pressure across his shoulder and feels himself land on gravel and sand, disoriented. His hands are scraped and knees bleeding through his torn jeans. The only sound he hears is high pitch ringing, like flashbangs in his FPS video game. His shirt is on fire, but he barely notices the shoulder burn from the lightning strike.
Francois, blinking through the blindness, stands up, and defeatedly turns and faces the demon. It stands more than twice his height. It's hard to tell what it looks like in the darkness. He can make out spikes on its head and body and what looks like a man impaled by them. "Papa!" Francois cries as he realizes that the impaled man is his father. "Nooooo!" His hearing slowly returns.
The demon seems frozen in fear and confusion, then says, "You survived!" in English, "How?" and begins backing away into the darkness, until gone. Francois can feel its footsteps vibrate the ground with his barefoot. The vibrations eventually fade to running.
Francois stands in shock staring into the darkness. He doesn't know how long has passed as nightfall takes over the land. He absently sighs as he walks towards the last objective his father gave, "The lines of light," he mutters under his breath. "I miss Versailles." He looks down, noticing his knees stopped bleeding and look healed. He feels the palm of his hands with his fingertips. He stops, confused, then turn his palms up. No scrape or pebbles stuck into his skin! In fact, his hands are clean now. Tears fill his line of sight, turning the ley lines into a dancing light show.
oO(I must have died and fallen into purgatory. I will avenge my family)Oo
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Belle Damodred gazes fondly across the lush, green pasture, oO(Well grandpa, we finally have over 100 head. You were right, we did it!)Oo she thinks as one of the friendly horses approach her, hoping for a treat. She reaches up and pets Midnight just above her nose. Belle enjoys the satisfying velvet texture as she passively glances at the horse's leg. Midnight's back twitches, shooing away pestering flies.
A few years ago, Belle's granddaughter, Megana, was out riding when a pack of wolves or coyotes had spooked Midnight, causing the horse to throw Megana and injure her. Megana had luckily survived the attack, but was unconscious for most of it. At the same time, Midnight broke her leg while escaping. Without the lucky aid of Mr. Greenwood's son, Brad, Megana and Midnight wouldn't have recovered so quickly. In fact, Midnight would have been euthanized.
That Greenwood kid is quickly taking after his father, the only veterinarian in the entire region. Folks from Smith Falls even procure Wyatt's services. His son is soon to take his place with raw skill. Brad has a wonderful and natural gift for tending to the sick and injured. The boy can stay awake for days, tending to the less fortunate. The local self defense club usually pays him a small fee to attend every other night, just in case of injuries. The two local boxing stars, Teddy Swenson and Vi Warwick are the only two that Brad hasn't needed to help. It's only a matter of time with those two.
Speaking of the Swenson boy, he's nothing but problems. His father too. Marty Swenson and his fleet of motorcycles and trucks. Taking away from Belle's business; renting horses out for transportation. With the growing demand to transport products back and forth to Smith Falls, people prefer the vehicles speed and storage space. Belle looks back at the couple dozen wagons for rent. Half of them are in dire need of repair. Let's not forget the increased taxes that Lord Stein passed last month. At this rate, Belle fears that she won't even be able to feed the horses.
Belle sighs, finally pulling four slices of apple from her sweater and feeding them to Midnight. "There there, sweet girl. You're a lucky one. And fast too!" The horse has won several trophies in local races. "Hopefully, Meg will win again this year."
oO(I wonder where Meg is now?)Oo Meg has always had a knack with the animals. Even snakes and predators either give her space or treat her almost as one of their own. Even as a toddler, her granddaughter has had a love for nature and the sanctity of life. The animals seem to intuitively know and respect her. She's quite perceptive, but not great with speaking with strangers. Although, when angry or frustrated, people listen to her. Almost as if she's possessed.
Belle shudders at the thought. Years ago, when Belle was only a child, there was a monster. Neuron beast they called it. It terrorized the area, wiping out half the population of the area, looking for an old Frenchman whom it could never find. The demon simply disappeared, never to return. Rumors that the creature was destroyed by a weapon from the Old World were rampant at the time. A few years later, when Belle was just a teenager, rumors that the demon was still alive in spirit, demonically possessing the naive and free spirited. oO(Only those who believe in the Lord are safe from its influence)Oo
Back then, Belle swore that she'd seen this Old World weapon, a silver armor with wings. No one believed her. She still remembers the letters, N-E-M-A in red green white and blue respectively. It wore a silver cross with a blue gem in the middle. What did it mean?
One of Meg's best friends, Kendal Jacobs, is very free spirited. The girl is beautiful enough to model in one of those monthly periodicals that Smith Falls publishes. She is also fun, according to the boys... Belle's face wrinkles in disgust, oO(Back in my day, girls like her didn't last very long)Oo The girl is nothing but trouble. She's always sneaking off with Teddy and that Coulee boy, doing who knows what. Sheriff Ericson suspects that Frank, or Francis, has been sneaking his father's alcohol out for parties, but has no proof. Either way, that girl will get Meg into trouble if anyone.
Midnight finishes chomping the apples down and nudges Belle's sweater for more. "No more," she caresses the horses jawline, brushing grass out of her mane, "We have to get you limber for the festival races!" Belle smiles, "If only I could be young enough to keep racing."
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Bruce Van Hook is not like your regular mercenary. He's human, no psychic powers or magical or supernatural abilities. He has a dark secret. In this year, 104 PA, with extensive research and avoiding the Coalition States inquisitors and soldiers, he figures he is roughly between 200 to 300 years in the future. 2012 A.D. was a long, long time ago.
For the past 20 years, he's spent his time looking for his brother in arms, George, and a way back home, to his own time. Part of the 244th psychological operations US Army Company out of Fort Bragg, Bruce and George were part of a training exercise outside of Moorhead, Minnesota when something horribly wrong happened. The 4th POC unit, consisting of sixteen soldiers jumped during a horrible thunderstorm. Of the men who jumped, only ten made it to the ground.
In the confusion, between giant flying bugs, with almost alien like rifles, picking soldiers apart, and creatures straight out of storybooks and horror movies either killing or capturing others. George and Bruce were separated. That was 20 years ago.
In the past five years, of Bruce's group of seven men, he's the only one left. He's come to the know the area; Ishpeming, also known as the Northern Gun. An easy place to find work, keep a low profile and acquire enough funds to purchase a vehicle. His rickety "old world" off road motorbike isn't enough. The KTM 250 SX-F's 3-gallon gas tank will only get him a few hundred miles if he takes it easy. While being in good shape, constant maintenance creates a sense of unease for Bruce as he'd likely break down the first leg of his upcoming trip.
Today is Bruce's first big breakthrough. A member of a local gang, calling themselves 'The Chrome' delivered intel that a man, matching the description of George, was spotted west in the wilds. A small town called Smith Falls. Made a life for himself as a lawman. oO(Well, I wonder how much shit he's stirred up in the past 20?)Oo
With finally achieving his goal, saving 30k credits, he heads to the dealership for his brand new electric wastelander.
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Fort Hammer was once a stronghold against the demonic and alien forces that threaten the existence of humanity. Once closely allied to Smith Falls, known for it's waterfalls running through the middle of the large community, now is loosely allied since the extra glowing line appeared and seems to keep the evil supernatural forces mostly at bay.
Fort Hammer's long and bloody history spans back around 200 years. From being a well developed military force, who's real name has been forgotten in time. Its historical documentation burned in a town fire about 150 years ago. Demonic forces and surrounding wildlife almost turned the area into a ghost town, threatening the last bastion of defense for Smith Falls, which is now the military force holding the dangers at bay.
The fort consists of two major streets and about nine alleyways between some of the businesses. Within is a library consisting of magazines, newspapers, records and books along nine aisles of shelves and a portable computer upon request for research of old archives. The young librarian, Megan Hoffman runs the entire building. When Megan isn't working or reading, she avoids Teddy Swenson, the local bully whom she'd had a romantic relationship with... until the town had concerns about their age gap. Years later, he still hopes to rekindle their relationship.
The sheriffs office, courthouse and jail are all one large brick building. Sheriff Joe Ericson and his five deputies keep the town mostly safe and everyone as honest as possible. Training to be a deputy is long and rigorous. Many fail entrance but those who do are intimidating and competent.
Lord Stein's manor is a ridiculously large mansion with only the town ruler, Lord William Stein residing in it. Lord Stein is an interesting, quirky man who keeps in shape and has an eye for fun. Although, once he lost his patience with one of the tribespeople and nearly killed him. He's never seen without his 'crown'; a large chef (similar to the headdress of a pope) like hat adorned with gold and gems. Some say he may have a deformity of his head. Others state that he's uncomfortable about his receding hairline. On Sundays, he provides a morning gospel and how to be saved through him. He is regularly seen carrying a book, called 'The Holy Bible.'
The butcher and stockyard, is run by Andrew Lee. Andy is the brother to the mayor of Smith Falls, but stays out of the politics. He is skilled in his craft and a talented taxidermist and food preserver. He's friends with Dusty Sky, the local hermit. Not much is known about Dusty. He keeps a large freezer where some of his supplies, as well as some of the produce from the warehouse are stored.
The blacksmith and leatherworking shop is a small, humble building where the clanging of a mallet or the grinding of the millstone are common noises there. Esther Trent, the town's blacksmith loves her trade and is often seen soot-covered and nursing her aging hands.
Esther's husband owns the local grocery store and market. Where goods are either traded or bought with universal credits. Together, Ethan and Esther raise their niece, Violet Warwick Trent, as though she was their own daughter. Vi, as most know her, is an up and coming celebrity boxer, going undefeated in over half a dozen bouts and is expecting to fight her nemesis, Ted, the local bully.
The granary and produce warehouse cover an entire block of the street, providing everything from standard garden vegetables for locals and trade to fruits and roots and herbs brought in by the native population. The local farmers and ranchers run the place, but the sheriff's office provides oversight and guidance in case of disputes.
A lumber yard/mill and masonry building is at the edge of town. The yard is slightly smaller than the food stores and granary, but close in size. A local logging crew goes out four times weekly to haul in logs to the saw mill to either use locally or trade to Smith Falls. The mill and masonry are run by Greg Fowler, a local mason and carpenter, known for contracting work on buildings and wagons. He has a foul temper and is normally seen at the 'Bottoms Up,' drowning in alcohol and greasy foods.
Swenson's Machines, is run and owned by Marty Swenson, Ted's father. Marty is a skilled mechanic, who's amassed roughly a dozen transport trucks, a dozen motorcycles, two snowmobiles, a few tractors and has his own taxi service, consisting of one fancy extended jeep, for special occasions. He also rents out livestock transport trailers and a few tractors. The shop is also the only place with gasoline and diesel. Besides Lord Stein, he is the wealthiest man in town.
Bottoms Up, the town's only saloon, is a great place to hang out. With a small amount of fryer foods and games for all. A green velvet poker table adorns the back wall. All of the wines, beers, ales and drafts are locally brewed and run by Felix Coulee and his family. His son, Francis, or as most call him, Frank, has even created his own brews, such as his signature brew, 'verger en colere', which translates to Angry Orchard in French. The drink was inspired by stories that his grandfather used to tell about his own grandfather's love for draft apple ciders. Frank is also known to sneak some of his creations around town. While never caught, the local authorities are suspicious and ready to arrest him if even the slightest hint of supplying alcohol to his peers is found. Frank's upcoming brew, the cinnamon draft apple cider, has hit some snags with pricing, since cinnamon is rare and expensive, and the brew is difficult to perfect. Felix's wife, Angela, when not keeping an eye on Frank, is usually helping at the saloon during the night.
The Porthole, a local glass blowing shop is a must, run by Ingrid Lewis. Ingrid is a beautiful, middle aged blonde, who's love for booze almost ruined her. Now divorced and dry, she's been a prospect for the local men, both young and old. She keeps to herself, but business has been oddly good since she became available.
Veterinary and local clinic, run by Wyatt Greenwood, the local veterinarian, and Shane Lewis, the local doctor, who's Ingrid's ex-husband. Wyatt is a serious man, probably having seen too much adventure in his early life, has made sure to teach his son, Brad, and his wife, Julie, the basics of emergency preparedness and life saving. Brad, interestingly, is a natural at emergency life saving, having done it as early as nine years old. In fact, Brad, at twelve years old, ran from Smith Falls to Fort Hammer, fearing he had been left behind by his father. The trip is thirty miles. When Wyatt found his son only a mile from Fort Hammer; he was still running and barely breathing hard. The never seems to tire or be bothered by minor injuries. Shane is a quiet man, intelligent man who takes health very seriously.
Warm Creek, which stays thawed even through most of winter, powers the water mill while a windmill sits just outside of town, also supplying power to many of the local businesses. Both mills supply power to the powerstation, which distributes power throughout the town. When the Creek is frozen and the winds are calm, a backup generator is used.
Opposite from the lumber mill, on the far side of town, is the water tower and park, used to supply water pressure for the town's plumbing. It's a hotspot for the kids, however, the local deputies have had their hands full trying to keep children from climbing the rusty water tower, which is the tallest building in Fort Hammer. The park itself is large, allowing for two large festivals per year. The summer festival attracts residents from Smith Falls and the area natives to celebrate surviving another year. In the winter, the holiday season is still celebrated.
The local school is nothing more than a medium sized house, gutted to accommodate the children through all levels of education. During the weekend, the school also subs as a church, which most attend. Lord Stein is proud of his congregation and hopes to expand the town and his gospel.
'Bison Stampede' is the local restaurant and bakery, run by the Tokahashi family. Max, one of the local deputies, also helps his wife and two children run the place. Named after an incident, involving a herd of buffalo nearly leveling the town about forty years ago, the building was one of the few buildings left untouched. 'The Stampede,' as most locals call it, offers various coffees and teas, a full menu, including their signature two lb buffalo steak and half pound burgers. In the back, is a bakery offering various cakes, breads, pastries, cookies and candy.
The second street of Fort Hammer is all residential. Anyone who isn't working a ranch or farm lives in town. The community is tight and everyone helps everyone else or is run out of town.
Behind the residential street are the stables, run by Belle Damodred and her daughter Mindy. The horses are healthy and well taken care of. Roughly 100 horses graze the pasture just out side of town and drink from Warm Creek. A proud woman and very protective of her equine family since her son disappeared roughly ten years ago.
The surrounding farms and ranches stretch for miles around, even all the way south to Smith Falls, which has caused issues with those being taxed by both communities.
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Captain Starls nods through confident gray eyes examining the four officers. The other three officers are new; fresh out of the academy. Lt. Swenson has been around for a few decades, embracing his military career in hopes of a well deserved retirement back in Chi-Town. But this? oO(Are they really going to send me to the frontline?)Oo He wonders. It would be suicide.
Major Montego, a rather quiet, gruff man, silently observes the group, sweat beading on their foreheads, as the captain continues, "Emperor Prosek has ordered a reconnaissance of the cities of Freehold and Tolkeen," he looks to the younger officers, "You men will lead three separate squads, two into Tolkeen, one into Freehold, to assess and report back." All three turn pale as their terrified expressions peer to each other.
Starls smiles, wiping sweat from his bald head, as he looks to Gary, "Lt. Swenson. Your servitude to our emperor has been exemplary. There has been an uptick in D-Bee activity near an old military camp west of here. Also, we have news that your son may have been spotted there."
Gary's heart skips a beat as his nervous butterflies nearly cause him to faint. He stands and blurts, "I'm honored to take this mission, no matter the cost, SIR!" as his only reaction to prevent collapsing. It's been thirteen years since he'd last seen his son. Teddy was five then. oO(My boy will have a better life than me. I'll make sur...)Oo
"Did the Captain give you permission to speak?" Major Montego's baritone voice thunders over Gary's thoughts.
Gary quickly sits as the captain continues, "Sergeant Collins, from the 22nd Ranger Division, returned with mortal wounds two days ago. He died today after giving us some useful intel. I know you have your hopes up, lieutenant, but your primary directive is to assess the danger in the region and report back." he smiles, "And should you find your son. Well then, that's a bonus!" His eyes stop smiling even though his face maintains a grin, making him look almost sinister. "You will be given coordinates and you will pick three members of the 22nd to accompany you. It's mostly farms and rugged plains out there. Don't let that fool you. Also, I have an extra assignment for you. Come see me after the meeting. Do you understand?"
Gary stands at attention and salutes, "Yes, sir!" The emotional shock makes Gary unaware if he looks serious or is smiling. He doesn't care. oO(If only Carla was still here...)Oo
***************************************************
Armin's blood streaked hands grip another of the doctor's bloodsoaked, trembling fingers, threatening to remove a third finger with rusted bolt cutters, "So, either you can pay me the money he owes me, or tell me where he is!" Snip! A finger, sporting a wedding band flips to the wet concrete as a constant spurt of blood runs across the old, cracked, wooden table.
The doctor had stopped screaming after he lost his second finger. His defeated gaze rises to meet Armin's. Through gritted teeth, he painfully says, "Somewhere northwest of the Baronies, that was five years ago. I haven't heard from him since. He still owes me fifty thousand cre..." a loud bang from Armin's antique Colt .45 interrupts, causing people outside to shout concerns. The doctor's headless body slumps after a few seconds of violent twitching.
"Thank you," Armin impatiently smiles, reholstering the pistol and letting the cutters clank across the ground, "You could have saved me a lot of time and fingers." He collects his empty shell casing and strides outside.
He climbs onto his roadster, roaring its gas engines to life with a single kickstart. 'The Empire' emblazoned in red and gold along the side. The desert heat lingering in the night sky, "Bill, you'll pay tenfold for what you did." Hateful determination crosses his sweaty face as he begins to ride out, leaving a dust cloud and his worried crew behind. Armin glances into his rearview mirror, watching his crew now peeking into the torture shack and then back, disbelief on most of their faces.
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Dusty climbs out of his shanty tent and stares over the horizon, admiring the morning clouds, illuminating the scenery with hues of purple, red, orange and pink. oO(no storm clouds, that's good)Oo he gives a slight grin. He pulls up his old frayed boots, buttons up his freshly dried, clean shirt and buckles up his belt and holsters. His hand carefully slides over the cool metal of one of his two 357 magnum colt python revolvers. He'd recently had Esther, the local blacksmith in town, restore them back to nearly new.
He grabs his cowboy hat off of a low branch and climbs onto Giggles, his best friend for the last five years. The light clopping of her hooves relaxes him as he takes a deep breath of morning air, pulls out a cigar and lights it. He nods in appreciation for the sweet aroma, slowly spreading, announcing his presence.
Upon arriving in Fort Hammer, he heads straight to the convenience store. He feels the familiar crunch of gravel as he dismounts Gigz. Dusty notices that it's fully daylight as he ties her up near some of the stores complimentary hay buckets and water trough. She gives him a friendly snort and nibble on his hat as he walks past into the store.
The store is almost barnlike, while Ethan, Esther's wife and the storeowner, greets him with a nod and wide smile, "Mr Sky! What have you got for me today?"
Dusty's shoulders relax as he unshoulders his saddlebags, opens them and pulls out several beaver pelts. "Well, it ain't much, but I was hoping to get some eggs, milk, cheese, bread, bacon, buffalo steak, box of cigars and a box of bullets if you would."
Ethan sighs regretfully, "I can do all but half the cigars and the bullets, Dusty. They're getting rare until Mr. Swenson goes on another supply run to Smith Falls." He notices the disappointment in Dusty's eyes, "Listen, what if I throw in this weird blade that one of the deputies found?" He holds up a 10 inch knife with an odd red button and switch on the side of the grip.
Dusty freezes, oO(Awww really? I haven't seen one of them in a few years. Vibro-knife, worth quite a bit. Could probably buy a small house with that if he knew what he had. Should I be honest?)Oo Dusty pulls out some nicely folded and tanned antelope hides, "Listen, I'll throw these in and bring some more for that." he takes the knife and flips it over showing Ethan, "You see that?" pointing at the skull and crossed daggers. "It's military issue and quite rare. Will that work?"
Ethan smiles, nodding, "Well gees, thank you for being honest. I'll tell you what, why don't you have it? On me."
"Uh... okay." Almost too good to be true. It's early morning, most of the folk would be at the local restaurant getting breakfast before working the fields or ranches. Or not up yet. Perfect time to ask. He gathers up the supplies, "Hey! How's Vi? I haven't seen her around much. Did she win her last bout in Smith Falls?"
Ethan laughs, "Win? She crushed him! TKO in the first 10 seconds! Im so proud of how fast she learned!"
"That's good. She's a smart kid. And a looker. You keep an eye on her, Ethan. The boys are going to probably be an issue."
Ethan sighs, "Oh, I'm aware. She's had some run ins with the Swenson boy. Nothing awful, but they have that exhibition match soon. It'll be a close match." He frowns looking at the ground, "Hey Dusty, when can I tell her the truth?"
Dusty frowns, almost reaching for his revolver, "You can NEVER tell her. You understand?" He relaxes his arm, realizing that he has Ethan's collar in his fist and his terrified face at the end of his nose.
"I... I won't. I promise! I'm sorry!"
Dusty walks back outside without another word, without looking back. He pets Giggles with a heavy sigh, "Well that ruined my morning, old girl. I shouldn't have done that," he continues to shop for supplies, before spending another week out in the wild, oO(Now I feel bad. He's the one taking care of her. I have to work on my temper)Oo
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2100 A.D.
Faustin Coulee clutches warm soil, squeezing the sod through his fingers as he peers around the pine tree. oO(It's still there)Oo He looks to his wife, Marie, and whispers, "It's almost night," He states in English, "It will find us if we don't get past those glowy lines." He looks up the hill at the ley lines slowly becoming visible as the clouds show various shades of pink and purple in the dark blue sky. oo(What a way to start a new century. Away from home, during the end of the world)Oo
He wipes the dirt off onto his already tattered khakis. He then grasps his wife's hand in his right and his 13 year old son Francois' hand in his left. "GO!" His legs already burn from running. The sudden jump to a full run cause his legs to immediately cramp. "Ahh" He splashes face first into a mudhole as he loses his grip on his family. He can hear them still running through the trees.
An unearthly shriek pierces the darkness all around him. Francois and Marie aren't anywhere to be found. No sound of running, no screams. He lifts his gaze, wiping muddy water out of his stinging eyes. Through the blur, a silhouette appears and slowly comes into focus. A woman's twisted remains look as though she'd hit the tree ahead of him, like being ejected from a high speed crash. "No!" He cries as he realizes that it's Marie. Already knowing she couldn't survive her horrific injuries, he struggles to stand and calls out, "Francois! Run!"
A twig snaps as he feels a giant hand grasp around his neck from his left, squeezing hard enough that he begins to lose vision. It's grip slowly tightening, he knows it's another monster. Whatever it is, it's humanoid, twice as tall as himself, has horns or spikes like an elk and demonic eyes. Faustin's vision flashes as he feels his neck gradually break with overwhelming nerve pain. Then nothing...
****
Francois runs, avoiding looking at the grove of trees he'd just exited. He notices that his shoe was flung off from running too fast. He hears a loud whispering laugh behind him. Then he hears that same whispering voice mutter something he can't comprehend. Then suddenly, a flash of light and a boom, louder than even gunfire, erupts around him. He feels pressure across his shoulder and feels himself land on gravel and sand, disoriented. His hands are scraped and knees bleeding through his torn jeans. The only sound he hears is high pitch ringing, like flashbangs in his FPS video game. His shirt is on fire, but he barely notices the shoulder burn from the lightning strike.
Francois, blinking through the blindness, stands up, and defeatedly turns and faces the demon. It stands more than twice his height. It's hard to tell what it looks like in the darkness. He can make out spikes on its head and body and what looks like a man impaled by them. "Papa!" Francois cries as he realizes that the impaled man is his father. "Nooooo!" His hearing slowly returns.
The demon seems frozen in fear and confusion, then says, "You survived!" in English, "How?" and begins backing away into the darkness, until gone. Francois can feel its footsteps vibrate the ground with his barefoot. The vibrations eventually fade to running.
Francois stands in shock staring into the darkness. He doesn't know how long has passed as nightfall takes over the land. He absently sighs as he walks towards the last objective his father gave, "The lines of light," he mutters under his breath. "I miss Versailles." He looks down, noticing his knees stopped bleeding and look healed. He feels the palm of his hands with his fingertips. He stops, confused, then turn his palms up. No scrape or pebbles stuck into his skin! In fact, his hands are clean now. Tears fill his line of sight, turning the ley lines into a dancing light show.
oO(I must have died and fallen into purgatory. I will avenge my family)Oo
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Belle Damodred gazes fondly across the lush, green pasture, oO(Well grandpa, we finally have over 100 head. You were right, we did it!)Oo she thinks as one of the friendly horses approach her, hoping for a treat. She reaches up and pets Midnight just above her nose. Belle enjoys the satisfying velvet texture as she passively glances at the horse's leg. Midnight's back twitches, shooing away pestering flies.
A few years ago, Belle's granddaughter, Megana, was out riding when a pack of wolves or coyotes had spooked Midnight, causing the horse to throw Megana and injure her. Megana had luckily survived the attack, but was unconscious for most of it. At the same time, Midnight broke her leg while escaping. Without the lucky aid of Mr. Greenwood's son, Brad, Megana and Midnight wouldn't have recovered so quickly. In fact, Midnight would have been euthanized.
That Greenwood kid is quickly taking after his father, the only veterinarian in the entire region. Folks from Smith Falls even procure Wyatt's services. His son is soon to take his place with raw skill. Brad has a wonderful and natural gift for tending to the sick and injured. The boy can stay awake for days, tending to the less fortunate. The local self defense club usually pays him a small fee to attend every other night, just in case of injuries. The two local boxing stars, Teddy Swenson and Vi Warwick are the only two that Brad hasn't needed to help. It's only a matter of time with those two.
Speaking of the Swenson boy, he's nothing but problems. His father too. Marty Swenson and his fleet of motorcycles and trucks. Taking away from Belle's business; renting horses out for transportation. With the growing demand to transport products back and forth to Smith Falls, people prefer the vehicles speed and storage space. Belle looks back at the couple dozen wagons for rent. Half of them are in dire need of repair. Let's not forget the increased taxes that Lord Stein passed last month. At this rate, Belle fears that she won't even be able to feed the horses.
Belle sighs, finally pulling four slices of apple from her sweater and feeding them to Midnight. "There there, sweet girl. You're a lucky one. And fast too!" The horse has won several trophies in local races. "Hopefully, Meg will win again this year."
oO(I wonder where Meg is now?)Oo Meg has always had a knack with the animals. Even snakes and predators either give her space or treat her almost as one of their own. Even as a toddler, her granddaughter has had a love for nature and the sanctity of life. The animals seem to intuitively know and respect her. She's quite perceptive, but not great with speaking with strangers. Although, when angry or frustrated, people listen to her. Almost as if she's possessed.
Belle shudders at the thought. Years ago, when Belle was only a child, there was a monster. Neuron beast they called it. It terrorized the area, wiping out half the population of the area, looking for an old Frenchman whom it could never find. The demon simply disappeared, never to return. Rumors that the creature was destroyed by a weapon from the Old World were rampant at the time. A few years later, when Belle was just a teenager, rumors that the demon was still alive in spirit, demonically possessing the naive and free spirited. oO(Only those who believe in the Lord are safe from its influence)Oo
Back then, Belle swore that she'd seen this Old World weapon, a silver armor with wings. No one believed her. She still remembers the letters, N-E-M-A in red green white and blue respectively. It wore a silver cross with a blue gem in the middle. What did it mean?
One of Meg's best friends, Kendal Jacobs, is very free spirited. The girl is beautiful enough to model in one of those monthly periodicals that Smith Falls publishes. She is also fun, according to the boys... Belle's face wrinkles in disgust, oO(Back in my day, girls like her didn't last very long)Oo The girl is nothing but trouble. She's always sneaking off with Teddy and that Coulee boy, doing who knows what. Sheriff Ericson suspects that Frank, or Francis, has been sneaking his father's alcohol out for parties, but has no proof. Either way, that girl will get Meg into trouble if anyone.
Midnight finishes chomping the apples down and nudges Belle's sweater for more. "No more," she caresses the horses jawline, brushing grass out of her mane, "We have to get you limber for the festival races!" Belle smiles, "If only I could be young enough to keep racing."
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Bruce Van Hook is not like your regular mercenary. He's human, no psychic powers or magical or supernatural abilities. He has a dark secret. In this year, 104 PA, with extensive research and avoiding the Coalition States inquisitors and soldiers, he figures he is roughly between 200 to 300 years in the future. 2012 A.D. was a long, long time ago.
For the past 20 years, he's spent his time looking for his brother in arms, George, and a way back home, to his own time. Part of the 244th psychological operations US Army Company out of Fort Bragg, Bruce and George were part of a training exercise outside of Moorhead, Minnesota when something horribly wrong happened. The 4th POC unit, consisting of sixteen soldiers jumped during a horrible thunderstorm. Of the men who jumped, only ten made it to the ground.
In the confusion, between giant flying bugs, with almost alien like rifles, picking soldiers apart, and creatures straight out of storybooks and horror movies either killing or capturing others. George and Bruce were separated. That was 20 years ago.
In the past five years, of Bruce's group of seven men, he's the only one left. He's come to the know the area; Ishpeming, also known as the Northern Gun. An easy place to find work, keep a low profile and acquire enough funds to purchase a vehicle. His rickety "old world" off road motorbike isn't enough. The KTM 250 SX-F's 3-gallon gas tank will only get him a few hundred miles if he takes it easy. While being in good shape, constant maintenance creates a sense of unease for Bruce as he'd likely break down the first leg of his upcoming trip.
Today is Bruce's first big breakthrough. A member of a local gang, calling themselves 'The Chrome' delivered intel that a man, matching the description of George, was spotted west in the wilds. A small town called Smith Falls. Made a life for himself as a lawman. oO(Well, I wonder how much shit he's stirred up in the past 20?)Oo
With finally achieving his goal, saving 30k credits, he heads to the dealership for his brand new electric wastelander.
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Fort Hammer was once a stronghold against the demonic and alien forces that threaten the existence of humanity. Once closely allied to Smith Falls, known for it's waterfalls running through the middle of the large community, now is loosely allied since the extra glowing line appeared and seems to keep the evil supernatural forces mostly at bay.
Fort Hammer's long and bloody history spans back around 200 years. From being a well developed military force, who's real name has been forgotten in time. Its historical documentation burned in a town fire about 150 years ago. Demonic forces and surrounding wildlife almost turned the area into a ghost town, threatening the last bastion of defense for Smith Falls, which is now the military force holding the dangers at bay.
The fort consists of two major streets and about nine alleyways between some of the businesses. Within is a library consisting of magazines, newspapers, records and books along nine aisles of shelves and a portable computer upon request for research of old archives. The young librarian, Megan Hoffman runs the entire building. When Megan isn't working or reading, she avoids Teddy Swenson, the local bully whom she'd had a romantic relationship with... until the town had concerns about their age gap. Years later, he still hopes to rekindle their relationship.
The sheriffs office, courthouse and jail are all one large brick building. Sheriff Joe Ericson and his five deputies keep the town mostly safe and everyone as honest as possible. Training to be a deputy is long and rigorous. Many fail entrance but those who do are intimidating and competent.
Lord Stein's manor is a ridiculously large mansion with only the town ruler, Lord William Stein residing in it. Lord Stein is an interesting, quirky man who keeps in shape and has an eye for fun. Although, once he lost his patience with one of the tribespeople and nearly killed him. He's never seen without his 'crown'; a large chef (similar to the headdress of a pope) like hat adorned with gold and gems. Some say he may have a deformity of his head. Others state that he's uncomfortable about his receding hairline. On Sundays, he provides a morning gospel and how to be saved through him. He is regularly seen carrying a book, called 'The Holy Bible.'
The butcher and stockyard, is run by Andrew Lee. Andy is the brother to the mayor of Smith Falls, but stays out of the politics. He is skilled in his craft and a talented taxidermist and food preserver. He's friends with Dusty Sky, the local hermit. Not much is known about Dusty. He keeps a large freezer where some of his supplies, as well as some of the produce from the warehouse are stored.
The blacksmith and leatherworking shop is a small, humble building where the clanging of a mallet or the grinding of the millstone are common noises there. Esther Trent, the town's blacksmith loves her trade and is often seen soot-covered and nursing her aging hands.
Esther's husband owns the local grocery store and market. Where goods are either traded or bought with universal credits. Together, Ethan and Esther raise their niece, Violet Warwick Trent, as though she was their own daughter. Vi, as most know her, is an up and coming celebrity boxer, going undefeated in over half a dozen bouts and is expecting to fight her nemesis, Ted, the local bully.
The granary and produce warehouse cover an entire block of the street, providing everything from standard garden vegetables for locals and trade to fruits and roots and herbs brought in by the native population. The local farmers and ranchers run the place, but the sheriff's office provides oversight and guidance in case of disputes.
A lumber yard/mill and masonry building is at the edge of town. The yard is slightly smaller than the food stores and granary, but close in size. A local logging crew goes out four times weekly to haul in logs to the saw mill to either use locally or trade to Smith Falls. The mill and masonry are run by Greg Fowler, a local mason and carpenter, known for contracting work on buildings and wagons. He has a foul temper and is normally seen at the 'Bottoms Up,' drowning in alcohol and greasy foods.
Swenson's Machines, is run and owned by Marty Swenson, Ted's father. Marty is a skilled mechanic, who's amassed roughly a dozen transport trucks, a dozen motorcycles, two snowmobiles, a few tractors and has his own taxi service, consisting of one fancy extended jeep, for special occasions. He also rents out livestock transport trailers and a few tractors. The shop is also the only place with gasoline and diesel. Besides Lord Stein, he is the wealthiest man in town.
Bottoms Up, the town's only saloon, is a great place to hang out. With a small amount of fryer foods and games for all. A green velvet poker table adorns the back wall. All of the wines, beers, ales and drafts are locally brewed and run by Felix Coulee and his family. His son, Francis, or as most call him, Frank, has even created his own brews, such as his signature brew, 'verger en colere', which translates to Angry Orchard in French. The drink was inspired by stories that his grandfather used to tell about his own grandfather's love for draft apple ciders. Frank is also known to sneak some of his creations around town. While never caught, the local authorities are suspicious and ready to arrest him if even the slightest hint of supplying alcohol to his peers is found. Frank's upcoming brew, the cinnamon draft apple cider, has hit some snags with pricing, since cinnamon is rare and expensive, and the brew is difficult to perfect. Felix's wife, Angela, when not keeping an eye on Frank, is usually helping at the saloon during the night.
The Porthole, a local glass blowing shop is a must, run by Ingrid Lewis. Ingrid is a beautiful, middle aged blonde, who's love for booze almost ruined her. Now divorced and dry, she's been a prospect for the local men, both young and old. She keeps to herself, but business has been oddly good since she became available.
Veterinary and local clinic, run by Wyatt Greenwood, the local veterinarian, and Shane Lewis, the local doctor, who's Ingrid's ex-husband. Wyatt is a serious man, probably having seen too much adventure in his early life, has made sure to teach his son, Brad, and his wife, Julie, the basics of emergency preparedness and life saving. Brad, interestingly, is a natural at emergency life saving, having done it as early as nine years old. In fact, Brad, at twelve years old, ran from Smith Falls to Fort Hammer, fearing he had been left behind by his father. The trip is thirty miles. When Wyatt found his son only a mile from Fort Hammer; he was still running and barely breathing hard. The never seems to tire or be bothered by minor injuries. Shane is a quiet man, intelligent man who takes health very seriously.
Warm Creek, which stays thawed even through most of winter, powers the water mill while a windmill sits just outside of town, also supplying power to many of the local businesses. Both mills supply power to the powerstation, which distributes power throughout the town. When the Creek is frozen and the winds are calm, a backup generator is used.
Opposite from the lumber mill, on the far side of town, is the water tower and park, used to supply water pressure for the town's plumbing. It's a hotspot for the kids, however, the local deputies have had their hands full trying to keep children from climbing the rusty water tower, which is the tallest building in Fort Hammer. The park itself is large, allowing for two large festivals per year. The summer festival attracts residents from Smith Falls and the area natives to celebrate surviving another year. In the winter, the holiday season is still celebrated.
The local school is nothing more than a medium sized house, gutted to accommodate the children through all levels of education. During the weekend, the school also subs as a church, which most attend. Lord Stein is proud of his congregation and hopes to expand the town and his gospel.
'Bison Stampede' is the local restaurant and bakery, run by the Tokahashi family. Max, one of the local deputies, also helps his wife and two children run the place. Named after an incident, involving a herd of buffalo nearly leveling the town about forty years ago, the building was one of the few buildings left untouched. 'The Stampede,' as most locals call it, offers various coffees and teas, a full menu, including their signature two lb buffalo steak and half pound burgers. In the back, is a bakery offering various cakes, breads, pastries, cookies and candy.
The second street of Fort Hammer is all residential. Anyone who isn't working a ranch or farm lives in town. The community is tight and everyone helps everyone else or is run out of town.
Behind the residential street are the stables, run by Belle Damodred and her daughter Mindy. The horses are healthy and well taken care of. Roughly 100 horses graze the pasture just out side of town and drink from Warm Creek. A proud woman and very protective of her equine family since her son disappeared roughly ten years ago.
The surrounding farms and ranches stretch for miles around, even all the way south to Smith Falls, which has caused issues with those being taxed by both communities.
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