ALBA
Page 19
Confront them – Turn to 10.12.
* * *
Sneak away – Turn to 10.9.
10.6
You walk out onto the street and look around, and are surprised when you come almost face to face with another person.
Judging by their look, they seem to be some sort of raider. Their shirt is off and they have a heavy machete swinging on their hip. Their face is set in an angry growl, and you can pick up angry curse words falling from their lips, but that quickly falls to owlish surprise when you pop right up in their path.
Turn to 10.12.
10.7
You pick your way through the mountains of discarded concrete and stoneware over to the discarded pipes. They’re heavy in your hand and you wonder if there’s really any point in taking them… and then you hear a noise.
You turn and see someone walking through the debris of the camp. It isn’t one of the scavengers. In fact, seeing how they’re dressed – no shirt, machete at their hip – you know enough to know they’re a raider. When they look at you, their eyebrows raise in surprise.
Turn to 10.12.
10.8
You scan the area, just to see if there’s anything that you’ve missed. No, it looks like you took in the lie of the land the first time… just houses, fallen into disrepair, and the bridge on the horizon. You’re about to take out your map and plan how long it would take to get there when you hear a noise.
You spin on your heel and come face to face with another person. You can’t stop your eyebrows shooting upwards in surprise. This is the last thing you expected. And, more worryingly, judging by their appearance, they’re a raider. They don’t wear a shirt, but their torso is covered in scars, and a machete hangs at their hip. They look just as surprised to see you.
Turn to 10.12.
10.9
Raiders mean trouble. Whatever they’re here for, you don’t want to know.
You place your feet on the floor as lightly as you can, heading for a hole in the wall – thanking whoever’s listening that the house collapsed into such a helpful position. You contort your body to get through the gap and stick to the edges of the house, carefully making your way out of view of the raider before heading off out of the camp.
You steal a couple of glances over your shoulder, but it seems you got away scot-free. You hurry onwards, glad to have averted that possible crisis, and instead look towards the horizon – to where you see a bridge in the distance planted over a river. That seems like your next step.
END.
Add The Bridge (Chapter 11, L.11) to map.
10.10
A raider is still a raider. If you let them go, there’s no telling what might happen. They might change their mind and kill you, or at the very least rob you.
You can’t chance it.
Your hand slowly reaches out and grabs a melon-sized chunk of concrete. The raider’s eyes light up, knowing what is about to happen but powerless to stop it – and before they can say anything else, you bring the makeshift weapon down onto their skull.
There’s a sickening crack. Blood flows freely from the wound and bubbles up from their mouth where you knocked a few teeth out. Their body spasms beneath you, but you hold firm, raising the concrete above your head and slamming it back down. This one does the trick, the first blow already having weakened the raider’s skull, and they go still. The red trickles out a little further before the stilled heart makes it sputter and stop.
You stand up, drop the rock, and wipe your hands on your coat. The raider base, hm? You look at the letter and see there are coordinates, but to get to where you’re being summoned firstly you’ll need to cross the bridge. Probably best to head there next.
You walk towards the horizon. You don’t look back.
END.
Add Cruelty to your character sheet.
Add Dagger’s Letter (O.16) to your inventory.
Add The Bridge (Chapter 11, L.11) and The Base/The Offer (Chapter 18, L.18) to map.
* * *
Go to The Bridge (Chapter 11).
10.11
You get up off of the raider and offer them your hand. They clasp it and let you help them to their feet.
“Ta,” they say, dusting themselves off. “You better get over there sharpish, I reckon she’s waiting on you.”
“I’ll get there when I get there,” you say, your mind not made up if you’re even going to go yet. The raider shrugs.
“Your funeral. Boss ain’t a patient woman.”
“Right,” you say, as the raider saunters off in the opposite direction.
Maybe they have some other business to attend to, or maybe they’re just odd. Either way, they whistle a jaunty little tune as they go about their business. You look at the letter and see there are coordinates, but to get to where you’re being summoned, firstly you’ll need to cross the bridge. Probably best to head there next.
END.
Add Dagger’s Letter (O.16) to your inventory.
Add The Bridge (Chapter 11, L.11) and The Base/The Offer (Chapter 18, L.18) to map.
* * *
Go to The Bridge (Chapter 11).
10.12
They’re dangerous, you’ve been in this land long enough to know that. You jump at them, knowing that disarming them is the smartest move. The raider doesn’t seem to expect you to attack, so you have the element of surprise.
They yelp as your bodies make contact and you fall to the floor. You hear the air being pushed out of their lungs as their back hits the litter-covered ground, hard. With them winded, you take advantage of the moment to try to whip their machete off of their belt, but it gets stuck, the awkward angle locking it in place instead. You struggle for a moment as the raider gets their breath back, tussling wildly beneath you, before they seem to realise something. They put their hands up as if to say they don’t want to fight.
“Calm down, fuck’s sake. You’re the traveller, yeah?”
Your brow furrows. You keep a tight grip on the weapon, but find yourself nodding.
“The boss has a letter for ya. Apparently, you’ve been makin’ a bit of a splash round here and she wants to do some sorta deal? Look… get off me, fukinnell…”
The raider tries to rummage in their pocket, but your knee on their waist is restricting access. Reluctantly, you move just enough so that they can fish something out and shove it into your hands.
They’re right. It is a letter, and written in your language. It’s detailing a point on your map and then asking you to ‘come for a chat’.
Any smart person would be wary of a raider boss asking you to come and give them a personal visit. You look down at the raider beneath you, who seems somewhat resigned to lying on the ground. At least they aren’t attacking you, you think… well, for now, anyway. Who knows what they’ll do if you move?
Kill them – Turn to 10.10.
* * *
Let them go – Turn to 10.11.
Chapter 11
The Bridge
11.1
As you crest the hill, you understand why you’ve been pointed here.
The bridge is vast. It’s almost the equivalent of the ship in its man-made scale. The valleys here are deep cut into the land and cause small mountains around them, and the bridge needed to be big enough to conquer the nature around it. It’s a great effort to get here and you can only imagine the toll it takes on those people whose lives revolve around it.
The bridge itself is old and rusting, like all the metal you’ve seen in this place. In spite of this, it still stands sturdy and shows no sign of giving out. It sits burrowed into the ground and is the only crossing point you’ve seen for the large, silver river that slices through the land beneath it.
It’s definitely one of the busiest places you’ve seen so far; a few dozen travellers are flocking from all directions in order to cross. However, before they’re allowed access, they’re stopped at a checkpoint to have their goods inspected, the guards rifling through their carts and bags.<
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The system seems to be quite elaborate. In the distance, you can see the remains of a city on the skyline – this must be why the bridge is guarded.
Wait and watch the bridge – Turn to 11.2.
* * *
Scope the bridge – Turn to 11.3, Needs Sharpshooter.
* * *
Approach the bridge – Turn to 11.4.
11.2
The activity on the bridge remains much the same. More travellers come, more bags are checked, more people are let across to the city side. Occasionally, there’s a scuffle between those trying to cross and the guards – it doesn’t look like everyone takes having their goods inspected kindly.
A couple of times things are confiscated. Perhaps there are restricted goods, or perhaps the guards just decided that they want to keep some of the more expensive items. The only way to tell is to go down and inspect further. You do need to get across the bridge anyway – if your group is in the city, this is the only way over the river.
Turn to 11.4.
11.3
You bring your gun out and peer down the scope at the bridge, scanning the area. Even though you’re far away, you go as carefully as you can, not wanting to bring attention to yourself through the sun glinting off the scope’s glass.
You can see what’s happening better from here. There’s a makeshift barrier that’s been laid over the mouth of the bridge, forcing the travellers into a narrow passage. It’s flanked by two guards with ancient firearms who are rummaging through the goods as the people come through single file.
High above them, you spot another guard – she’s nestled in the old worn cables of the bridge with her own rifle tucked under her chin. She keeps a watchful eye on the proceedings beneath her, but seems to have no desire to start firing on anyone. She’s probably there as a deterrent more than anything. None of them seem to be a particular threat to you, should you choose to try and cross.
Open fire on the guards – Turn to 11.5.
* * *
Cross the bridge – Turn to 11.4.
11.4
You weave your way through the crowd of bustling travellers and get to the front of the line. Everyone seems so involved in organising their own goods for inspection that they barely notice you pushing past. You only have to wait a moment before you’re up in front of the pair of guards, an older man and a younger one. They have their weapons slung in front of them and carry themselves like they’re not quite sure what to do with them. They don’t wear uniforms as such, but do have badges pinned to their fronts that depict a pair of crossed rifles.
They signal for you to stop and give you a once over. You think they’re going to let you cross without incident, when suddenly the eldest one spots something on your chest. He moves closer and you remember you still have your insignia on show, the one thing that obviously betrays you as an outsider.
He purses his lips and hums, before beckoning his partner a few feet away to talk to him quietly. You can’t hear what they’re saying from here and nerves begin to mount in your stomach.
Explain your situation – Turn to 11.6.
* * *
Attempt to fight your way through – Turn to 11.7, Needs Hand-to-Hand Combat.
* * *
Inspect the bridge – Turn to 11.8, Needs Knowledge OR Engineering.
* * *
Wait for them to come back – Turn to 11.9.
11.5
You cock your gun and fire straight at the guard in the crow’s nest. The bullet pierces her chest and you see the red blooming on her shirt. She falls, limp, and tumbles out of her vantage point, arcing downwards and spraying blood as she goes – she hits one of the thick wires holding up the bridge and falls into the water beneath.
The other guards take notice immediately and begin to panic, bringing their guns into their hands. You hear the distant screams of the travellers as they duck down onto the ground. This only helps to clear a line – you fire two more shots, one for each of the remaining guards. They go down heavily as the people try to work out what is going on.
Add Cruelty to your character sheet.
* * *
Move across the bridge – Turn to 11.10.
* * *
Wait in your vantage point – Turn to 11.11.
* * *
Inspect the bridge – Turn to 11.12.
11.6
“I don’t want to cause any fuss. I’m just trying to get into the city,” you say honestly. The eldest guard doesn’t seem too impressed but clearly doesn’t want to start a fight if there’s no need for one.
“Who sent you here, outsider?” he asks, fingering the gun at his front, just to remind you it’s there.
“The village on the ship.” – Turn to 11.13, Needs Ship’s Token.
* * *
“I’m looking for my people.” – Turn to 11.14.
* * *
“Nobody sent me.” – Turn to 11.15.
11.7
You dart forward and take the youngest one off guard. You pull him to the ground, swinging round to kick the other man as you do so. They both thump heavily to the metal beneath you, and you see blood flecking the rust.
There’s a shot and a bullet ricochets off the ground next to you. The other travellers in the queue start to panic, letting out screams of terror, and you glance up – there’s a guard in a sniper’s nest with her rifle aimed at you, and she’s reloading.
Run across the bridge – Turn to 11.16.
* * *
Take a guard hostage – Turn to 11.17.
11.8
You try to calm your nerves by taking in your surroundings. You cast your mind back to your studies of the Old World and the transport they used to get across the land. Judging by its structure, it looks like this is a suspension bridge. It’s made almost entirely from steel and must be over two hundred years old. It’s quite a feat, to be honest. You imagine people in the Old World working, collaborating at a scale unseen now, with incredible machines. You wish you could have seen it. It’s amazing that the thing is still standing, still in use today. You’re sure the builders at the time of construction would have had no idea of what was to come. You feel a pang of pity in your chest.
The guards approach you again, and the oldest one gestures for you to take off your pack. You do so, and the younger man begins to scout through it.
“Oi, what’s this?” he asks.
“Chemistry” – Turn to 11.18, Needs Chemistry.
* * *
“A first aid kit” – Turn to 11.19, Needs Medicine.
* * *
“My ammunition” – Turn to 11.20, Needs Sharpshooter.
* * *
“Things I’ve foraged” – Turn to 11.21, Needs Survival.
11.9
You tangle your fingers in knots as the men have their conversation, which seems to involve a lot of whispering followed by long pauses while they look back at you. You hope they let you cross. If your party came this way, surely one person can’t be more dangerous than a whole group of outsiders?
After a long while, they walk back to you. The oldest one gestures for you to take off your pack. You do so and the younger man begins to scout through it.
“Oi, what’s this?” he asks.
“Chemistry tools” – Turn to 11.18, Needs Chemistry.
* * *
“A first aid kit” – Turn to 11.19, Needs Medicine.
* * *
“My ammunition” – Turn to 11.20, Needs Sharpshooter.
* * *
“Things I’ve foraged” – Turn to 11.21, Needs Survival.
11.10