by HL TRUSLOVE
END.
Add Return to Power Plant (Chapter 4, L.4) to map.
Chapter 4
Return to the Powerplant
4.1
The plant looks far different in the light of the sunset. It’s bathed in oranges and soft yellows this time, rather than the harsh and eerie silvers of your first visit. It doesn’t look welcoming, not exactly, but it doesn’t seem as hostile as when you first came here. Perhaps that can be attributed to the fact you’re on a returning visit; you’ve already been here, you should know what to expect.
That’s why it’s so surprising when you see a small trail of smoke rising up from the collection of buildings and into the warm sky. You squint to try and make it out – its source doesn’t appear to be from the plant itself, rather from a small fire that’s been made outside of the main entrance doors. You can see a figure crouched by the fire, wrapped in layers of clothing in order to shield themselves from the elements. They’ve set up a little spit and were turning some sort of meat over the open flame. As you approach, you can smell the delicious scent and your mouth starts to water – it’s been far too long since you had anything other than dry rations to eat.
The hermit looks up at you as you approach, the sound of your footsteps echoing off the metal walkway that leads to the main doors. Their face is weathered and they look very sick – their skin pale and almost scaly. Patches of their hair have fallen out in clumps; what little is left is wan and silk-thin. The hermit reaches down to a hatchet buried in the ground by them and grips the handle, watching you closely.
Attempt to treat their wounds – Turn to 4.2, Needs Medicine.
* * *
Ask to sit – Turn to 4.3.
* * *
Attack the hermit – Turn to 4.4, Needs Hand-to-Hand Combat.
* * *
Ask for help – Turn to 4.5.
4.2
Carefully, you put your pack on the floor and go through it, raising your hands to show you don’t mean any harm. The hermit still has careful eyes trained on you as you rifle through your things and bring out your first aid kit, and when you show them the white cross on green their eyebrows raise.
“Not seen one o’ them for a long time,” they laugh, but their voice cracks and their words turn into a violent cough.
You approach them as they steady themselves. After taking their temperature using what you have with you – hot, far too hot – you try to make a visual assessment. It’s something you’ve read about but never seen.
Radiation poisoning.
There’s not a lot you can do for them, apart from try to make them more comfortable. You ask if there’s anything minor you can assist them with. The hermit laughs again, before opening their mouth and pointing to one rotten front tooth in their mouth – the last one they have. Their breath is rancid and you have to brace yourself for a moment to not gag.
“It’s going to hurt,” you say, looking for some sort of pliers to attempt to perform the operation. The only thing you have is a set of wire-cutters.
“Life hurts,” chuckles the hermit.
You hold open their mouth with one hand and grip the tooth with the wire-cutters in the other. When you clamp down and pull you expect the tooth to give up more resistance, but instead it glides out with surprising cleanness, the hermit only wincing a little. They run their tongue experimentally over their now empty gum and spit some blood on the floor.
“That was very kind o’ you,” they admit, with the utmost sincerity. You pass them their rotten tooth and they tuck it into one of the many pockets in their padded coat – you’re not sure what they plan to do with it and you don’t want to ask.
Add Compassion to your character sheet.
* * *
Ask the hermit about themselves – Turn to 4.6.
* * *
Ask for directions – Turn to 4.7.
* * *
Ask to share the food – Turn to 4.8.
4.3
Still eying you warily, the hermit gestures to the other side of the fire. You take a seat a distance across from them so hopefully they decide you aren’t going to jump them. You take in each other for a moment – them noting your outsider’s badge and large pack, and you their layers of thick clothing. Given the gauntness of their face, they must be quite thin. You can imagine they’re glad for the added warmth the coats give.
“So,” says the hermit at length, in a voice crackling as much as the firewood, “you don’t look like you’re from ’round here.”
“No,” you confess, “I came to this place from across the sea. On a boat.”
On a boat. How stupid. Of course you crossed the sea on a boat. How else does one cross the sea?
“A boat, eh?” The hermit pokes the fire with a stick. “And what brought your boat to this land, eh?”
“We came to learn.” – Turn to 4.9.
* * *
“We’re escaping a great danger.” – Turn to 4.10.
* * *
“We came to take this land back.” – Turn to 4.11.
4.4
Your eyes fall to the hatchet once again. You don’t like the look of it, not one bit, and the hermit’s grip tightens on the handle further, pulling it out of the ground – you see blood on the blade.
Before they have a chance to attack, you run and jump at them.
There’s a wild crackle of fire as something falls into the flame; the two of you tumble backwards. Their weapon goes flying out of their hand and they attempt to scratch across your face with dirt-encrusted, yellowed nails – but you can feel how thin they are even through their layers of clothing, and when you take their shoulders in your hands and slam them into the ground they give up no resistance. They lie beneath you, watching you carefully, chest heaving from exhaustion.
Finish them off – Turn to 4.12.
* * *
Demand answers – Turn to 4.13.
4.5
The hermit draws their hatchet out of the ground and points it towards you, the blade glinting dully in the setting sun. You raise your hands in a universal sign of peace, and they allow you to come closer.
“I’m no threat, I promise,” you tell them.
“Hmph. We’ll see about that, outsider,” they spit. Silence fills the air between you, taken up only by the sound of a crackling flame, lighting up the hermit’s pallid skin in its harsh colours.
Ask for directions – Turn to 4.7.
* * *
Ask to share the meal – Turn to 4.8.
4.6
“I used to live here,” they say, pulling the meat off of the fire and into their lap. “Back before the raiders started being such a problem. Few months back some warlord and her party chased me away from my own home so they could strip the place bare.”
“What did they take?”
“Anything they reckoned might be important. Bits of machines. Rations they could salvage. Some sort of power thing too, I think. Used to be a new-clear reactor back in the day you know. Cleaned out anything that might be useful for making energy.”
During this time they’ve been pulling meat off the carcass and sucking it down, painting their face with grease. They offer you a strip.
“What is it?”
“Not human, if that’s what you’re worried about,” chuckles the hermit, and you share the rest of the meal gratefully. It’s one of the tastiest things you’ve eaten for a while (not that there’d be much competition from your dried jerky and tough biscuits).
“It’s a shame. Seems like maybe everything’d be better if we just worked together. But there’s always those bastards who want to take, take, take. Think they’re more entitled to things because they’re stronger. Disgusting.” They spit out some gristle into the fire and it flicks embers into the air.
“I could try and get your things back,” you offer. Once again the hermit laughs and looks at you with something akin to pity in their eyes.
“Nah, you don’t stand a chance, darlin’. But if you’
re that interested in trying to track ’em down, I can point you in the right direction. You got a map?”
You take it out of your pack as the hermit grabs a piece of charcoal from the edge of the fire. They carefully take the map from you and look at it with scrupulous eyes, before scribbling a couple of words onto it.
“Here’s a bridge. Used to trade a lot. That’s a big part of the old world. I’ve also put where the scavengers hole up, though if I were you I’d stay away. Crafty bunch.”
You thank them gratefully and fold it back into your pack. They stretch in the firelight, looking at the setting sun.
“You’re more than welcome to share the fire for the night, but I’ll be heading off early,” they warn. You can think of worse ways to camp, and bring out your bedroll for the evening, using your pack as a pillow, before falling into an easy sleep.
The next morning the fire is out and the sky is grey once again. All that’s left of the hermit is the animal carcass from their meal the night before.
You hope they live a happy life, no matter how much is left of it.
END.
Add The Hermit (E.1) to your character sheet.
Add Scavenger Village (Chapter 9, L.9) and The Bridge (Chapter 11, L.11) to map.
4.7
“Directions, eh? Where to?”
Of course, you’re really looking for your group you were separated from in the storm, but you don’t want to admit that. You don’t know them and don’t know how favourably they’d react to the news that you were with a party from the new world.
“Anywhere interesting. Somewhere with people, I suppose.”
“You got a map?”
You take it out of your pack as the hermit grabs a piece of charcoal from the edge of the fire. They carefully take the map from you and look at it with scrupulous eyes before scribbling a couple of words onto it.
“Here’s a bridge. Used to trade a lot. That’s a big part of the old world. I’ve also put where the scavengers hole up, though if I were you I’d stay away. Crafty bunch.”
They pass it back and you inspect it. Looks like there’s a lot of promise in these places, though that will always come tinged with peril.
You thank them and they make a non-committal noise of acceptance and shoo you away. Sensing you’ve outstayed your welcome, you turn on your heel and leave the power plant for good.
END.
Add The Hermit (E.1) to your character sheet.
Add Scavenger Village (Chapter 9, L.9) and The Bridge (Chapter 11, L.11) to map.
4.8
The hermit balks at you, letting out a splutter of laughter at your bluntness. They take another moment to eye you up and down, assessing you, before waving you over.
“All right, ya cheeky bastard. Have a seat by the fire.”
You sit cross-legged by the flame as the hermit turns the meat over the spit one last time before placing it in front of them.
“Heads or tails?” they ask.
“Erm, tails?”
“Suit yourself,” they say, mysteriously, before bringing up the hatchet and cutting the carcass in half. They hand you what you guess is the back end of the beast before digging into their own portion. They eat sloppily, grease covering their mouth, barely giving the food time to cool. You use your teeth to peel off a strip of meat and taste it – you have no idea what kind of food it is, but it’s delicious, and soon you’re down to the bone.
When it’s picked bare you drop what’s left onto the ground in front of you, replete, and lean back against your pack. You notice the hermit is watching you with an amused expression.
“Yes?”
“Not seen anyone tuck into squirrel so heartily for a long time. You must’ve been hungry.”
“Not had a cooked meal for a while,” you confess, leaning back and watching the clouds float in the slowly darkening sky. Your companion hums a note as they consider what you’ve said, then ask, “You don’t look like you’re from ’round here.”
“I’m not.”
“Where ya fer, then?”
“Far away.” You don’t want to give up too much information to this stranger. You don’t know how they’ll react if you tell them too much.
“Fair ’nough,” they concede. “You wanna at least tell me where you’re going?”
“I don’t know,” you sit up and study them. “What’s around here?”
“You got a map?”
You take it out of your pack as the hermit grabs a piece of charcoal from the edge of the fire. They carefully take the map from you and look at it with scrupulous eyes, before scribbling a couple of words onto it.
“Here’s a bridge. Used to trade a lot. That’s a big part of the old world. I’ve also put where the scavengers hole up, though if I were you I’d stay away. Crafty buggers.”
“Thanks,” you say, and pack it away, getting to your feet.
“You’re welcome to stay the night, you know. I won’t rob you. Probably,” they add slyly. It makes you chuckle in spite of yourself.
“Nah. I gotta get going. Take care of yourself.”
“You too, kid. You too.”
END.
Add The Hermit (E.1) to your character sheet.
Add Scavenger Village (Chapter 9, L.9) and The Bridge (Chapter 11, L.11) to map.
4.9
“You came to learn? To learn?” the hermit throws their head back and howls with laughter, such raucous laughter that it seems to fill the whole site of the plant. You look around anxiously, worried that the outbreak of noise will attract unwanted attention. At last they calm down from their hysterics, wiping a tear away with one long bony finger.
“Learn what, eh? You outsiders know everything.” They’re still chuckling, and they pick up a stick and poke their fire, the flames reflecting on their tear-stained cheeks. You feel a bit annoyed at their off-the-cuff reaction. What does this hermit know about you? Who are they to judge?
“To understand then. How about that?”
The hermit looks at you with even more pity than before, a sad little smile on their face. As if they know a secret they want to share with you but they can’t.
“You outsiders will never understand us. You come back into this world from your safe, clean little vaults and expect it to bow and bend to you simply because you’re here. We’ve grown with this place. Suffered with it. This land’s strife is our own. Tell me, traveller – how can a warm man understand a cold man?”
You open your mouth to reply, but their eloquence has knocked you off balance. You have no answer for them. They sigh and put their stick down, looking at you with disappointment you somehow feel you deserve, and hold out a hand to you.
“Have you got a map?”
You rummage around in your pack, offering them the folded piece of paper. They take some charcoal from their fire and scribble on it for you before passing it back.
“I’ve put down a couple of places near here. A bridge that used to be part of the old world. And the scavenger village.” They sigh. “Maybe, if you visit these places and see this world, one day you’ll understand.”
You kick the dirt under your shoe and feel… small. They don’t look back to you, instead going back to turning their meal on the spit. You get the sense you’ve outstayed your welcome, and leave them to their thoughts and food.
END.
Add The Hermit (E.1) to your character sheet.
Add Resolve to your character sheet.
Add Scavenger Village (Chapter 9, L.9) and The Bridge (Chapter 11, L.11) to map.
4.10
“A great danger?” they scoff. “What do you have to be afraid of, outsider? Wind which chills you to the bone that blows every night, no matter how hard you try and get away from it? Warlords deciding they want what you have and taking it from you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop them? What danger do you know?”
The hermit seems angry, and you step back, holding your hands up to show you don’t mean any harm. The tight grip they have around
their hatchet slackens and they sigh, turning their gaze from you and back to the fire. It lights up their pale eyes as the embers dance into the evening sky, and you suddenly feel very silly.
“Do you have a map?”
You carefully take it out of your pack and hand it over, worried they might throw it into the fire. But instead they take a piece of charcoal and mark it a few times.
“If you want to know of danger, go here. Try to understand this place like we do. Go see the scavengers fight for survival. Go and see the bridge we have to trade over. Go and experience what this place is really like.”
You get the sense you’ve outstayed your welcome, and leave them to their thoughts and food as you mutter a little thank you. They don’t respond.
END.
