Posted by Vice Admiral CockRoach (GM) in Main Sim - Team 1 Planet Surface - Civilian Life
[snip]

The woman gave a weak laugh, “..’This’? You mean the war that is ending all wars? By the Great Greyhound you could not be so isolated to be ignorant of events on the world net and news not to realize what was coming if you ignored the front page stuff!” She said.

Elizabeth found the machine and frowned. She wasn’t sure that merely breaking into the front of it was a great idea without permission. Going back to the main room, she moved to Black. “I found a machine that holds some salty and sweet snacks and carbonated looking drinks. But I am not sure we can get them without currency or breaking into the machine. What do you recommend?” She was all for busting it open. But then again, they were guests here.

Elizabeth Intel/Sec

Not having gotten any specific orders from anyone Rende took it upon herself to simply do what she felt was a the best use of her skills and time. She found a vantage point where she could watch the street in both directions and keep an eye out for anyone approaching.

2nd Lt Asam, MACO

“Lt Black, the dictionary that the captain had me working on may be able to help translate that newspaper, mind if I take a look at it? El’s computer seems to be giving us standard computer language so far, so I can work on what the paper says until she needs me.” Lt. Sanks responded to Lt. Black’s request.

Lt. Sanks, linguist

Meanwhile the computer continued to process the request for network access....

Computer store. Okay. She had mistaken this as a kind of computer cafe. She looked around. Why then the vending machine and where were the peripherals if they were selling a computers? And why does a computer shop need a fusion generator? She shrugged. Frank was noisy. But this was known and coming by the sounds of it from the girl. Perhaps Roger will know more from the newspaper. Great Greyhound? Dirt shakers. Carpathian mountains? The room felt enclosed with the shutters down and every movement by the people in the light from the screens caused ghostly shadows to move along the walls.

• El, Eng

After a few minutes of attempting to process the network access surprisingly their was finally a return beep!

The screen came up with a bar across the top, upon which the words Welcome to World Net! Please enter information query? came up.

El flashed herself a quick, satisfied smile at this. Her hand curled into a fist and made a single, short ‘got it’ pump. Then she stared at the flashing query. There was so much she wanted to know such as world history and the like to figure what on earth was happening - at least this world. Her fingers deliberately tapped out news war and hit enter.

“Roger,” she said, knowing he was close by. “I might get something here. Wanna have a look with me? You might be better at these searches than I am.”

El, Eng

The woman meanwhile asked again, “..Where’s my Mother? I don’t see her here? Is....is she in another room?” She said.

GM CockRoach

Ari sighed. “I am sorry, she didn’t make it. We were unable to heal her wounds. But I give you my word she was not just left laying in the dirt on the road.” She tried to move the young woman’s mind away from the loss a bit. “We are simple people. We do not keep in touch with others much. It was neighbors warning of the earth shakers,” she said the words with a slight hesitation she hoped would come off as fear and not ignorance, “that saved us and told us to flee. Most of us haven’t been to the city since we were children. Others, like myself, have never been here. You say the war to end all wars? What makes this one different? Won’t they just fight till they tire and call a cease fire and eventually it will be history like all the others?”

The woman slumped at the news of her mother’s death. She was quiet for long minutes before she seemed to process Ari’s words. She gave a quizzical look as if more intently studying the group in turn. “..The fighting may stop but the ground is poisoned. You can’t be THAT stupid that you don’t realize how bad this all is right?” She gave a half crazed sounding laugh seeming strained. “..The Great Greyhound saviors warned us this could happen, told us how of their own follies and to take what they taught us and use it to better ourselves. Then the Great Argument happened among the Departments of Head from the Greyhound, when the Black Serpents slithered out of the darkness of space and the Great Captain Boon sacrificed his divine glory and heaven built ship to save us. Though it stranded his servants and crew to our humble world.” She said as if reciting some engrained divine verse or children’s lesson/story of schooling.

She gave a brief glance around the room. The others were busy trying to find the same answers she was. She was curious who would find what out, first.

Ari CO

“Asam to Bovar and Black. You two might want to come up to the roof and see this, quickly. And stay low, you don’t want to be spotted.”

2nd Lt Asam, MACO

=^= were on our way =^= “when we get back let pop the vending machines open and get some food and or drink in us” he said to El

Lt. Isaac Black (AC)

Elizabeth smiled at El. “Between us, we’ll get it figured, Lieutenant.” The idea of getting food and drink so soon seemed silly, but she would simply make sure they sparsely ate now. They might need something later and not be able to get it.

Elizabeth
Intel/Sec

Absently El held up a hand and gave a wave to acknowledge that she had heard Isaac. First they wanted to break in then they wanted her to .. pick the lock? For those things how hard could they be to get into? Not that she had much in the way of equipment that fine with her, nor did she think it was an electronic lock in such a thing. If it was she might be able to hack into it. Given the state of things here El didn’t think that breaking into a vending machine was as cardinal sin as before this war erupted. She gave a quick glance at the girl. She could be her sister, she thought, a fleeting wash of sympathy passing through her for the girl who was now looking for her mother. Given that they were both shot for taking food rations, implying food might be scarce, a raid on a vending machine was hardly a cardinal sin.

Roger heard El call for him. “Yes, I’d be happy to help you.” Lt. Sanks responded to El, trying to be as helpful as he could be.

Lt. Sanks, Linguist

El shrugged. “I’ve got a net connection here but it’s slow. I’m searching for news. Are you good at searches?” A growing concern was felt in her gut. The marines were heading to the roof. Something might be happening which meant they might be calling for the patrol they encountered which meant they might come looking. She eased the soldier’s helmet up. She had not had time to really take it apart .. yet. El was hoping for downtime for that to happen in the night. “Keep an eye on the screen. I’m going to try linking my scanner to the helmet’s frequency and use it as a speaker to hear their chatter.” Shifting so Roger could better see the screen, she slipped out her scanner and set the helmet on the table by the desktop and got to work.

• El, Eng

The connection was indeed slow to process, no doubt due in part to the havoc the war was instilling on the world around them. Finally a beep heralded results, it read:

1) War said to be avoided! MacArm and ESD sign non-combatant papers! This title was dated 5 years ago.
2) Another close shave! MacArm war forces back down from invading northern ESD oil and uranium claims! This title was dated 4 years and 8 months ago.
3) ESD war forces in a deadlock with MacArm war forces battling it out in the arctic northern and southern lands! This title was dated 3 years 6 months ago.
4) ESD war forces driven back from both arctic poles by MacArm war forces! MacArm seizes rich titanium deposits and oil reserves! This title was dated 2 years and 8 months ago.
5) Peace talks break down over uncompromising MacArm war reparation demands! This was dated a year and 9 months ago.
6) Conventional war declared by MacArm forces! Demands for submission of ESD forces refused. This was dated 8 months ago.
7) War to end all wars promised to not come, conventional weapons only, both sides hold off on nuclear, antimatter and energy pulse weapon usage! This title said dated less then 4 weeks ago.
8) War to come MacArm Dictator Says! Lies all lies! A final title said dated less then a week ago.

Below this a blinking Please Select Title Number, or input further search query to proceed

GM CockRoach