ALBA
Page 20
Chaos is a wonderful thing to take advantage of.
People are screaming and panicking as you pick your way through them to where the guarded barrier used to be. A couple of people have decided to take advantage of the situation – no guards mean no blockade. In small groups, travellers sprint across the bridge before anyone can come and rectify the situation. Keeping your gun firmly on your back, you follow them, blending in with the crowd. Nobody has any idea it was you who caused this, and you’re happy to keep it that way. You stop only to grab a handful of bullets that one of the guards dropped as they went down.
You try not to slide on a pool of blood as you make your way across, but apart from that, the journey is easy. You slow your pace and begin a leisurely walk towards the city.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.11
You stay as still as you can, watching the scene through your scope. The panic continues for a while before it eventually dies down. It doesn’t look like there are any other guards coming to replace the ones you dispatched, and people are beginning to take advantage of the lull in security – pulling apart the barriers that once slowed their progress so they may get across the bridge as fast as they can.
It takes you a few minutes to get down to the crossing point, but from there it’s easy to blend in with people. Keeping your gun firmly on your back, you follow the crowd. Nobody has any idea it was you who caused this, and you’re happy to keep it that way. You stop only to grab a handful of bullets that one of the guards dropped as they went down.
You try not to slide on a pool of blood as you make your way across, but apart from that, the journey is easy. You feel smug as you slow your pace and begin a leisurely walk towards the city.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.12
You push through the panicking crowd and onto the bridge. You don’t try to draw attention to yourself but you don’t exactly try to stop people noticing your gun either. It’s easy enough to move along with the people who are taking advantage of the situation, sneaking through the barrier while there’s nobody there to stop them.
On your way, you stop at the bodies of the guards. You roll the scrawnier of the two over with your boot, trying not to get too much blood on you. There’s a gaping wound where his face once was and it makes your nose wrinkle in disgust, not so much that you are responsible for this, but that you actually have to look at it.
You take a moment to get on your knees and go through his pockets. There doesn’t seem to be much of any importance on him – there’s some tasty-looking rations in his pockets, clearly things that he’d skimmed off of the goods coming in, and some crumpled notes in his pocket. You also take a handful of extra bullets – just in case.
Read the notes – Turn to 11.22, Needs Old World Language.
* * *
Take the rations – Turn to 11.27.
* * *
Leave the body and move on – Turn to 11.23.
11.13
“Oh!” says the guard, a look of recognition flooding his face. “The ship? You know old Morag?”
“Yes,” you say, not willing to go into detail about your time with the village. Suddenly, he’s smiling, and you feel a weight being lifted from your shoulders.
“All right then, off you go. Don’t be causing any trouble, eh?” he laughs jovially, waving you through the barricade.
You don’t need to be told twice and cross the rest of the bridge without issue, silently thanking whoever’s watching over you that you went to the ship.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.14
The older guard snatches your pack from your back. He searches through it aggressively while the other man does his best not to lock eyes with you. Your equipment is thoroughly checked, even though they don’t seem too interested in taking any of it away from you.
At long last, your pack is shoved roughly back into your hands. The guard snarls at you.
“Don’t come back this way, outsider,” he states, and doesn’t so much wave you through as shove you past the barricade. You don’t need telling twice and scurry over the bridge, not looking back at whatever questioning stares the other travellers may be giving you.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
Remove all unexplored locations north of the river from the map.
11.15
“No one sent you?” parrots the guard, suspicion lacing his voice. “But you’ve got the badge like one of the outsiders?”
You awkwardly tug at the sleeve of your coat, cursing yourself for not hiding your badge.
“Yes, I am.” – Turn to 11.14.
* * *
“These clothes aren’t mine.” – Turn to 11.24.
11.16
You run as fast as your legs can take you. The slap of your boots on metal echoes along the expanse of the bridge, loudly drawing attention to your flight. The bridge is long and only seems to get longer, extending out before you, a rusted path leading to the promised land.
The adrenaline rushing through you is a familiar drug. It pumps through your veins, fuelling every step. In response, your heart thunders like the water-pumping machines back at the vault – roaringly loud and commanding your hearing. You almost miss the hissing sound that rushes past your ear.
It takes a moment for the pain to catch up with you, but when it does it’s awful. It feels like someone’s stabbed you in the side of your head – you reach a hand up to check and when you pull it back, your fingers are covered in blood.
There’s another gunshot – because that’s what it is, you now realise – and this one lands just shy of your feet. You force yourself to go faster, even though both your legs and the side of your head are burning.
A couple more shots ring out, but you’re far enough away by now to avoid them. You don’t even have time to celebrate when you finish crossing the bridge, instead your feet pound into the soft grass on the other side of the river, and you keep going until you can’t hear the sounds of people any longer.
With lungs fit to bursting, you stop at a tree, dry heaving and trying to catch your breath. Doubled over, you see droplets of blood fall onto the earth in front of you. You become aware of a warm wetness on your face. Carefully, you reach up an exploratory finger and test the wound.
Your ear has been shot through. It’s a white-hot pain when you touch it that hurts so wildly you almost faint. You sigh and consider your options.
Treat the wound yourself – Turn to 11.25, Needs Medicine.
* * *
Move on – Turn to 11.26.
* * *
Try to wipe the blood away – Turn to 11.28.
11.17
Grabbing the youngest guard you yank him up off the floor by his collar. He makes a frightened, shrieking noise, but cooperates; you can feel him shaking with fear as you pick up his gun and push the barrel against his fleshy throat. You swing him around in front of you as a shield and stare at the other guard, your wild eyes letting him know not to try to trick you.
You step back, bringing your hostage with you as you go. His movements are rigid and a stink comes off him – you’re quite sure he’s pissed himself. You gesture at the other guard’s gun, silently telling him to drop it. He looks conflicted for a moment before unloading the bullets and gently lowering his weapon to the floor.
You shove the younger man to the floor as soon as his companion’s weapon is out of reach. He lands with a heavy thud and a yelp, and you break into a sprint. There are shouts after you but you pay them no heed, instead concentrating on getting as far away from the crowd as you can. The bridge seems to stretch out for mile
s beneath you, but you push on, the fear of getting caught on your heels and the adrenaline are brilliant running partners.
Eventually, you slow down. You must have covered a fair bit of land, and when you turn, the bridge seems far in the distance. There is solace in the fact that nobody is pursuing you; you allow yourself a moment of peace before you go on towards the city.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
Remove all unexplored locations north of the river from the map.
11.18
“Hmm,” says the older guard, and you feel he’s trying to feign knowing what you’re showing him. He takes a vial from the rest and brings it to his nose – he’s about to inhale it before you snatch it back from him.
“That’s, erm, corrosive,” you say, not feeling comfortable letting him know he almost just inhaled acid. The pungent smell leaks out from the bottle and he wrinkles his nose at it.
“Erm, yes. Right. On you go,” he says, waving you through the barricade.
You try to hide your surprise at the ease at which they let you through. You don’t stop to question it, though; instead you count your blessings and head towards the city.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.19
“Ah, a doctor?” asks the older guard as he cracks open your first aid kit.
“Yes. A travelling one, but I know medicine.” Well. It isn’t a lie, exactly.
“Always need more doctors in the city. You’re welcome here,” he says with a warm smile which you find yourself returning. You’re waved through the barricade with all of your belongings.
You thank your lucky stars that your first aid kit means you’re allowed safe passage, and take your first steps towards the city.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.20
The older guard takes your gun from you and examines it. You try to keep it clean, all things considered – always trying to put a couple of minutes aside a night to polish it.
He lifts the rifle to his chin and cocks it, watching a live round fall to his feet. The younger guard snatches it up with fascination and turns it over in his hands, comparing the sleek machined brass casing to his old, recycled rounds.
“Nice bit of kit,” says the eldest guard, passing it back to you.
“Thanks. It’s the nicest thing I own.” It is. The guard passes it back to you, sans the round of ammo his companion has squirrelled away.
“All right, well, keep it safe in the city,” the guard tells you, and you nod, slinging it back over your shoulder and keeping a tight-knuckled grip on the strap. You don’t slacken it until you’re off the bridge and on your way to the city.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.21
The guard doesn’t seem impressed as he goes through your supplies. A few berries, some edible roots. It’s barely more than a day’s rations. He tucks them back into your pack and hands it over.
“Well, at least you won’t need to forage in the city. Always a hot meal for a hard day’s work,” he tells you with something akin to pity in his voice as he waves you through. You don’t meet his eye as you scurry away from the barricade, feeling a blush creep over you.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.22
The notes are scribbled, untidy, and difficult to read. It takes you a moment to get used to the hand, but you manage to make it out eventually.
They speak of a group of outsiders coming through here recently, and to be on guard for any suspicious-looking characters who may be following them. You don’t know if you count as suspicious or not, but you do feel a smile crossing your face as you continue crossing the bridge – you’re on the right track!
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
Remove all unexplored locations north of the river from the map.
11.23
It’s not worth stopping, you decide. Too much attention could be drawn to you. Instead, you steel yourself and continue walking over the bridge, which has descended into chaos as travellers realise there is nobody to stop them – or check their goods. You wind up on solid ground again with a crowd in tow, all of whom are completely unaware of your role in this all.
END.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
Remove all unexplored locations north of the river from the map.
11.24
“You take ’em from someone?” he asks. There’s an unsaid part to the question: did you take them violently?
“I found them,” you say. It’s a half truth. You found them... back in the vault.
The guard takes your cuff in his hand and fingers the material.
“Nice bit of kit, this. Better be careful in the city. People’d do a lot to get clothes this warm.”
You nod as the guard stares at you. Clearly, he knows that the whole truth isn’t being told, but he waves you on anyway, not bothered enough to hold up the line because of you.
Not needing to be told twice, you scurry onwards – but can’t stop looking over your shoulder just in case.
END.
Add Instability to your character sheet.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.25
You have no mirror to check yourself with, so you paint a picture with your fingers. Your ear has been shot through at the top. It dangles uncomfortably and you feel that it’s probably mostly detached from your head, not really an ear any more – just a mangled scrap of useless flesh.
It’s best to fix it up. You can’t go around with a shot-off ear.
Turn to 11.29, Needs Morphine.
* * *
Turn to 11.30.
11.26
You tear off a strip from the bottom of your coat and wrap it around your head. It stings something awful where it touches your ear – now that you have time, you realise that it’s probably been mostly shot off. You tie the rag in a tight knot around the back of your head and hope that it heals on its own, or that you can find a doctor who will take pity on you. At least the blood has stopped gushing, though there is a large, telling stain on your coat that can’t be anything other than blood.
You grit your teeth and head towards the city.
END.
Add Resolve to your character sheet.
Add The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
11.27
You take the rations from the guard and tuck them in your pocket – and, as far as dried food goes, these look quite tasty. They could be useful in the future.
Add High Quality Rations (O.6) to your inventory.
* * *
Turn to 11.23.
11.28
Squatting down by the base of the tree, you pick up a handful of fresh-looking leaves from the floor. Wincing at the pain, you wipe away the blood from the side of your head as best you can before carefully exploring the area with your fingers.
It feels like your ear has been shot off. It dangles uselessly towards your neck now, just a scrap of flesh. You rip off a strip of coat and use it to bind what’s left of your ear to your head. It helps to stem the bleeding, at least – you’ll have to hope you find a doctor to help.
You send off a little prayer to whatever gods remain in this place that it won’t get infected, and head off to the city.
END.
Add
The City Centre (Chapter 13, L.13), The Cult (S.2, L.S2), and The Windmill (Chapter 23, L.23) to map.
Remove all unexplored locations north of the river from the map.
11.29
You turn the little bottle of morphine over in your hands. It will make you dizzy, no doubt, but it will stem the pain.