Z-Day PBP

Game Master Dramatis Personae

“What’s going on?” mutters Dave, leaning forward in his seat and drumming his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel.

Sarge:

Sarge:

Sarge:

After a few minutes out of sight Sarge returns to the cars and his comrades, no doubt looking pale.

Looking freakin' ghastly

Patrick rolls up to the van and climbs in after motioning to Dave and Alex to run up real quick. When everyone is together he shares what he has seen and the info Danny gave him ... Look at the spoilers.

" ... so we have a choice. trust that the Army will flight us out to quarantine, or keep doing what we are doing and trust in ourselves. I'll tell you, that mound of dead zombies I saw over there is something I will never forget."

Patrick sags a bit in the seat of the van

"Either way there are lots of problems. We go with the Army we lose our mobility and our weapons. We go it alone we are facing hordes of these zombies. Nothing we've seen yet was like that park over the bridge."

“What’s going on?” mutters Dave, leaning forward in his seat and drumming his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel.

"I don't f#@%ing know. This is just like that one part of "World War Z", except there's no Iron Maiden music, and no Mark Hamill doing voice-overs. F+##, man..."

Sam walks up to Patrick and puts her arm around his shoulders.
"It's OK Pat, we won't abandon your Aunt. We said we'd get her out and we will. "
She looks around at the Soldiers and the carnage.
"So if we try to get through here, then these guys will confiscate our weapons and ship us off to a Quarantine Facility, is the right? Or will they let us pass through, but only on foot?"
She thinks for a second.
"This is madness. If we can't get through here, maybe we can go around the long way and there won't be any Soldiers over there."

Patrick leans into Sam, happy for a little human contact

"We don't want to go that way, believe me. We have to try the other way. I knew there were zombies and all, but the sheer carnage over there ..."

Patrick shivers uncontrollably

"Nothing I ever imagined ever came close to what that looks like over there. Plus, we'll never get the cars through, it's a total co©kup over there, stalled cars, prowling zombies, hills of infected carrion ...UGH"

Patrick has a bit of the dry heaves reliving the vision.

"Nothing I ever imagined ever came close to what that looks like over there. Plus, we'll never get the cars through, it's a total co©kup over there, stalled cars, prowling zombies, hills of infected carrion ...UGH"

Patrick has a bit of the dry heaves reliving the vision.

"It's worse than Tijuana, then?"

ROFL

Patrick grins sickly at Alex/Mike

"Dude, I was stationed next to Ciudad Juarez for four years. I saw some pretty fncking hairy sh*t over there, but that scene over there wasn't even in the same ballpark. Imagine TJ made out of dead corpses, some of which wanted to eat you and you might be getting close."

Food for thought. The hospital is down by the word 'Vancouver' on the bottom of the map.

Sam looks out over the water and suddenly an idea comes to her.
"Hey guys, how close is the hospital to the water?"
She runs back to the car to grab a map.
"Yeah look here." She points to the map. "The hospital is right near this little inlet here. If we can get to a boat, then maybe we can ride it around and get closer to the hospital that way. Then we could also use it to get further down the river there closer to Chinatown and Dave's friend. What do you guys think?"

Johnnie is at the driver's seat of the vehicle. Johnnie turns the radio to a station that plays something appropriate to what he is feeling.

The nearest marina is southeast of the Capilano Mall, where Judd saw the zombies make a dinner of some screaming survivors.

>>>>>MOSQUITO CREEK MARINA<<<<<

“Mate, if you think the army’s serious about the situation in the park,” says Judd, “and that pile of bodies is as bad as you say it is, then yeah, there’s no way we’re going through there … Sam’s idea with the boat is a good one, if we can find one. I reckon we can figure out how to drive a small boat.” He throws a questioning look at Sam, gesturing for the street directory, then looks where she’s pointing on the map. “Yeah, looks like we might find a place to pull a boat in just before Cambie Bridge there – pretty close to the hospital. And theres another spot there, maybe, just near where it says Quebec Street? That’s not far from Chinatown. Either way, we can maybe go on foot or maybe jack some cars from there and be on our way.

“If for some reason we can’t get a boat at the marina, we’ll go round and try the Highway bridge. I don’t doubt its guarded too, but maybe the situation on the other side won’t be quite as bad as in the park here?

“Heh, Mosquito Creek Marina. Sounds like it’d be somewhere back home hey Sam?”

“Heh, Mosquito Creek Marina. Sounds like it’d be somewhere back home hey Sam?”

Sam smiles. "Yeah, somewhere up Far North Qeensland, or maybe Kakadu."

...So what does everyone think? Will we try the boat idea ...

Patrick looks at Sam and Dave.

"I love this plan! I'm excited it could work! LET'S DO IT!"

Judd's cp signals a text message:

"You honestly think this is gonna work?"

"Hey it's either this or we take a walk in the park and sprinkle ourselves with Tabasco sauce."

"I think it might be our best shot at getting close to the hospital without going through this roadblock on foot and then having to wade through a mass of Z's as we travel through the park, trying to find some vehicles and a path through the madness. I do think we should maybe try the other bridge first though, unless your friends over there said it was closed as well Pat. Otherwise, boat actually seems like it could work really well. We have a trip that is essentially Zombie free for much of it and it gives us a general safe haven to return to in case we get stuck."

Patrick nods at Sam

"They didn't tell me if the other way is blocked, but I am sure that being on the water would be a sight safer than roaming the streets. The sheer mass of zombies I saw on the other side makes me think we could be driving into a buzz saw."

Patrick reflects for a moment

"Something to also think about: If things end up too hairy, it would be good to have a retreat option ready. I'd rather be on the open ocean than in a forest somehwere. Collect a couple of fishing poles, fuel, weapons and some groceries and we could head for Polynesia with the proper vessel."

"Hey it's either this or we take a walk in the park and sprinkle ourselves with Tabasco sauce."

"The walking dead can't stand the taste of hot peppers."

Return text message:

“Pat, do you think you can ask your buddy over there about the state of things at the other bridge?” asks Dave, looking up from his phone. “I’m inclined to go with the boat option, but it’d be good to know our options.

“Once we’re done, lets get back in the cars and moving. If we’re heading back, it might be worth stopping in on the Colonel and dropping off these generators, bummer to have them stolen if we need to abandon the cars.”

"Sure I'll go ask them Dave, can't hurt to see what they know."

Patrick wanders back to the guard by the bridge.

"Hey soldier, do you know what the situation is at the other south-bound bridge? Army folks holding it together there too? Is it as big of a cluster as this one?"

Sarge:

Everyone sees the soldier offer Sarge a smoke.

"Maybe they'll let us pass through seeing as they are good friends with the sarge." Johnnie comments as he watches.

“Not that simple,” says Dave, shaking his head. “From what Sarge said, we can’t physically get the vehicles through, and even if we could the park is so swarming with zombies we wouldn’t want to. Other bridge might be the same.”

Judd reaches for the street directory, and flips a few pages.

“Ah … crap. Alright, my friend Anna just texted me with her current location. She’s not in Chinatown after all, she’s right here at the corner of Denam and West Georgia … which is kind of near that zombie infested parkland … that could be a problem. It would be right on the way to the hospital if we could take this bridge,” he looks up and gestures to where Sarge talks to the army man, “but it doesn’t look like we can do that…”

He looks at the map a bit more. “Although, hang on, there’s a Marina right at the end of Denam street, only a block away from there. We could bring the boat in there. Pick up Anna, then either, depending on the zombie situation, jack some cars and continue over to Vancouver General, or head back to the boat and bring her around the headland with the park, into the inlet here and to one of these two marinas here,” he points to two wharves on either side of Charleson Park, not far from the hospital.

Sorry, I can’t figure out how to generate a unique URL for my map searches in order to create links for them.

Patrick accepts the smoke. Drawing in he coughs, having quit several years ago. The tingly woozy rush of nicotene floods his system.

"Well, I quit these because I was worried about dying. Don't feel the same urgency about it now, ya know? Thanks man."

"No problem," the soldier says.

"And the price has really gone down."

Sarge:

Sorry, I can’t figure out how to generate a unique URL for my map searches in order to create links for them.

In google map the link option is at the upper right corner of the map's frame.

Just let me know when it's decided: (a)Marina or (b)Narrow's Bridge?

Patrick comes back to the others after his talk with the soldier and informs everyone of the situation on the other bridge.
"Well it looks like boat is going to be the only option then. Maybe we should take the stuff back to the Gunshop and inform them what we're gonna do. We should probably just take the Salami Mobile and leave the black car, quicker and less chance of getting split up. Then we'll head for a Marina or something and see if we can get a decent sized boat to make the trip with. We are only going for specific people, but I wouldn't want to leave anyone else behind if the opportunity arose to help someone, not that we actively go looking for people to help mind you, just if someone asks. What does everyone think?"
Sam looks around the group expectantly, hoping for other suggestions as to how they should proceed.

"Yeah, what Sam said. Lets move." Dave looks like he's about to add something else, but stops, and heads back to the car.

Cos I don't have time to type it, but I've got an idea about getting food, try to post later.

Sorry about the light posting, busy Monday&Tues

After discussing the situation with everyone, Patrick agrees with Sam's plan.

"I think you've hit on it Sam. Do we dump the Camaro now or hold on to it until we get back to Col. Klein and company?"

"We better have other options for transportation just, in case."

"Do we dump the Camaro now or hold on to it until we get back to Col. Klein and company?"

"Oh we definately take it back to the Gunshop. From there we'll find out where the best place to get a boat is and head down there in the Salami Mobile. Park it as close to the boats as we can, making sure to scope out the boats first. We might need to get some binoculars as well if you didn't grab any in your wheelbarrow of tricks Dave. The sniper rifles will do in a pinch, but binocs would be better, especially for scoping the shoreline before we land."

"Preferably one of each. Also, everyone should have some sort of hand held weapon, be it Alex's Wrench, Dave's Cricket Bat, Pat's Monster Sword or my Tonfa. I agree with Dave that you will need something more than a scalpel Johnnie. Maybe find a Baseball Bat or borrow Dave's Crowbar."

There is a felling axe in your loot I believe: 90 cm long, 5 lbs. A very nice weapon. He can also use the butt end of the shotgun.

The discussion on the Lion's Gate bridge closes with the crackle of gunfire from the post - seems the troops are picking off some zombies - and everyone wordlessly decides they'd best get going, hopping into the cars, the Camaro rumbling along through the quiet streets in the lead.

Driving slow enough to scout side roads and espy either trouble or opportunity the little caravan winds its way through bodies and abandoned cars on Marine Drive.

As before, faces, here and there, peer fearfully from upper floor windows or over parapets as you pass. Some buildings have been fortified against the dreadful invasion: windows boarded up and covered with plastic, doors locked and even sandbagged.... a few condo towers stand like small city states, looking as if their residents have completely quarantined the world outside. The streets are increasingly abandoned; perhaps the brave and the bold have finally been culled.

Although the clouds don't clear, columns of afternoon sunshine slicing through the mass of gray, deepening the dark shadows in the festering corners, alleyways, and North Van foliage. Now and then these pockets of darkness jerk in your peripheral as you pass - but you never actually see the abominations - as if they are trying to slip away unnoticed.

From the elevated vantage of Marine, still not too far from the bridge and long before you reach the horror show grocery on Marine, everyone spots another grocery store, the IGA, at the edge of North Van's residential districts a few blocks to the north.

The windows don't look broken and the parking lots are not littered with half eaten bodies. The turnoff is just ahead.

Patrick turns down the song playing on Lucretia's stereo and trips the WT.

"We want to go shopping at the IGA folks?"

Assuming an affirmative from the Kamaro Krew he pulls into the parking lot, searching for anything amiss

Perception roll: 1d20=16

We doing Perception? Just count this as Spot if not

Dave stays silent during Samantha’s admonishment of Alex – he wasn’t there, so can’t comment either way. He’d probably be freaking out a little more himself, if he didn’t have the next thing to be done to focus on, and know that if it came to it, he could probably outrun and escape the zombies.

“Yeah, I don’t want to dump Betty,” he says, referring to the Camaro, “but if you think its best to just take the van down to the marina, sure, we can leave her at the gun shop.”

re looting the IGA: “Sure, we’re here, lets check it out. Remember, canned goods – and can openers! – are a good thing to focus on. At some point we should try to track down a portable stove and some saucepans and stuff too.”

Perception: 7+4 = 11