The keeper of Forbidden lore looks across many worlds, many reality's, across the plans to both things that have been,will be never, were and may yet be again. This day her gaze is drawn to a small world spinning in a galaxy in one of many universes, one of many reality's. Her gaze is not drawn by the people or the world it's self but by an event which crosses time and space, and event which changes reality and splits what is with what never was and yet shall be. Her phantom less gaze settle upon an small area in the Appalachian region of a nation call The United States of America. A place ringed with hills and covered in forests, a place where technology has made farmland and homesteads out of what once was a frontier and land of tribesmen what was once vast wilderness .
Her gaze settle upon the town of Jackson, and the event begins to unfolds.
Bryan Woods
…...”I still miss her in a- round about waaaaaaaaay
Around about the time that midnight rolls around
That's around about the time my tears start fallin' down
'Cause she's not around I come unwound and my heart breaks
Yeah, I still miss her in a round about way
Yeah, I still miss her in a round about waaaaaaay”
The singer on the radio trangs as the windshield wipers brush the snow/rain mix off your windshield with a THWACK!, THWACK,THWARCK. It had been a long day, cloudy, wet and cold. And of course you had to tread though the muddiest farm in the country to check the Millers story about the fire. Not that you could tell much given the swap the ruined outbuildings where in and the snow that had just recently melted off with the rain..the oh so cold rain.
Bryan looks down at the clock on the radio 3:16, sigh he still had to get this paperwork in and follow up on the Hastings case as well. Things just kept getting better it seemed. Suddenly a flash of white light, stretching from horizon to horizon flashes before him, not just his eyes but with a flash of pain, like any he had ever known flashes though his head. The few seconds he was blind where enough, when his vision came back the truck was headed toward the ditch. His wipers no longer working, the radio was dead the wheel not responding. Bryan barely manages to get the truck under control as he hits his brakes. He hears a thunderous crash of metal on metal somewhere as the truck slams into the ditch cleaning out a good fifty feet before coming to a stop with a jerk.
You pull yourself out of your truck, not really sure what the hell happened, your bleeding a little from you mouth and feel blood running down your knee from the dashboard but all in all your not really much worse for wear. You feel the cold rain/snow mix hit your skin and as you look around you can see a few other cars have slammed into each other of the ditch, some looking bad , one on it's side not to far from where your truck rests. A bit down the road maybe a mile downhill on the bend you see what looks to be a bus torn near in half by a semi, it's trailer sideways and contents spread across the highway. You can see a few forms unmoving on the rain slick highway from here.
Your only a few miles outside of Jackson but from the looks of it highway 15 is a mess.
Father Wallace Salvatori
Father Salvatori seat near the back of the mostly empty greyhound as it speed along Highway 15 toward Jackson. It looked cold out, no snow on the ground here but everything was gray and a rain/snow mix beat against the window of the bus. Most of the other passenger seat near the front, Leaving the Father alone in the gloom of the buses rear seats. It suited him fine, he had much to think about and the last few weeks had shaken his faith a bit, if not in God then in the church itself.
He was looking out into the leafless trees and rain slicked earth when the Flash burned across the sky, and his mind. It was unlike any pain he had know, it ripped though his head blinding him for just a moment, But in that Moment hell was unleshed upon that bus. He could hear screams and someone maybe the driver yelling ”F$&%! It won't turn, G$+ d&@n it wont turn!' Other screamed, or cried out, then someone yelled ”The truck!' and Wallace looked up to see not only the bus going sideways as the driver fought for control but a yellow semi headed straight at them.
He didn't really think, just reacted maybe it was all that training or maybe it was The Lords will. What ever made him ball with his head between his knees in the crash position may have saved him. Next thing he knew it was like the Hand of God had hit that bus. He heard screams, felt a jerk and blood from his lips as he spun.
Maybe he blacked out, for the next thing Wallace saw and felt was rain. He lay in the floor of the bus, or what was left of it. He smelled the sewage from the buses tanks on the floor and his cloths. He felt blood on his face, and he felt bruised. As he lifted his head he could see the bus was near in half, people or parts of people , the bus, truck and God alone knew what else was scattered along Highway 15.
Slowly Father Salvatori, Battered and bruised stands.
Tommy Butcher,
Tommy carried boxes to the back of the shop, it was cold and rain dripped of his coat as he unloaded the van. Shelia Whitaker, The Clinics receptionist called out to him as he walked past. ”Your getting water on the floor!' She yelled. The woman always gave him hell, he thought. Nag, nag, nag. She didn't care much for what she called “No good low life Sara keeps hiring.” ”Dr. Wakeland is out at the Abner's, She wants you to run up there once your done here” She says, in a snide voice
Sara Wakeland, the owner of the Wakeland animal clinic and his mentor of a sorts, seemed to have a soft spot for people who had royally screwed up. He reckoned he counted for that. The fact her daughter Glenda had put in a good word had helped him out a bit once he got out of prison. He had a thing for Glenda but so far had not really acted upon it. He had a good thing going here and he didn't want to screw it up by Pissing the wakelands off so soon. He was after all staying at there place outside of town right now.
He was headed back out when the light ripped though his mind. Like 10'000 volts of nasty pored right though his head. He heard Sheila scream then crashes, a few of em. Once he made his way back to the main entry Sheila asks ”What was that light?' in a panicked voice. Tommy payed her little mind as he stepped out into the rain. Everywhere cars where piled into each other, building, poles and poor people who where not fast enough to get away. What struck Tommy and struck him fast was....No horns, no lights no sound at all from anything man mad.
What the hell Is going on? he thinks to himself
Adam Fletcher,
Adam's last class of the day had just ended and was making his way toward his car. Rain he thought is was always rain or snow this winter. God it looked cold. Weather man was giving the chance or more snow. He sighed as he zipped his coat against the cold. ”Been cold hasn't it?” Professor Williamson said behind him. Adam turned to see the breaded man come toward him on the walkway. He was dressed in a long coat and that damnable hat. Williamson or “wacko willi “ as his friend Mason called him. Looked like a man a hundred years out of his time. His slacks and shirt were hidden by the leather frigged trench coat he wore, and the cowboy hat he always had on seemed to have seen better days. Add that to his “Mountain man” beard and the fact he was a “The lord's judgment is at had nut” with his own bunker didn't help him avoid the nickname
”Been a harsh few winters hasn't it?' He said. Adam just nodded hoping this was not leading up to another 'end is near” rant or yet another church invite. ”Weather man says we may have another big one coming, maybe like 96'. Best stock up on can goods and candles, just in case. Folks die when they are unprepared. Be prepared Fletcher” He says in solemn tones. ”Whelp” He says with a nod 'I need to get agoing, Don't forget to stock up” He says as he walks though the rain toward his truck.
Adam gives the crazy Professor time to drive off before walking toward his car with his hood up. He was standing at his car fumbling with his keys in the rain when the light rain across the sky. He saw it mere moments before it burned though his head, a swearing pain unlike anything he had ever known. Shacking a bit he sees other folks looking around, pointing here or there and hears screams and yells. Something sounds off. The radio , he thinks. Was it a nuke? Were we attacked, he hurry turns his ignition, but nothing happens. His wipers don't work, his lights are not on,
Stepping out of the car with a sinking feeling in his gut he realizes His car is not the only one not working.
Bryan
Adding my dot. Will post later.
Tommy sticks his head in the door. Call the Doc, and make sure everything's OK. I'm going to check on the animals
He then rushes to the back to attempt to calm the beasts.
Bryan
As you walk down the highway toward the bus the cold rain washes down your face. Along the road other cars have skidded from the pavement. Many have confused looking folks standing outside the now unmoving cars. A few look on in horror at the chaos on the highway, a few moving toward the bus and still more with a look of shock in there eyes.
The rain is cold on your flesh as you reach the first body. Half the mans face is simply gone. The smell of Gas, blood and sewage assaults your senses. As you hear a weak cry coming from a nearby heap of metal and debris.
Tommy
Sheila just nods a bit dimly as if in shock as Tommy heads toward the back room where the small number of animals there do indeed seems riled up. You can hear Sheila call from the other room "The phones are down, CB seems dead too.' You can hear a panic in her voice as she calls back 'Radio's dead, TV too."
A power outage? you think to yourself. Even as you try and calm the animals down the question remains what the Hell just happened?
.
Adam rubs his eyes and attempts to figure out what just happened. "Alright, can't be a nuke, I'd be dead right now if it was. End of the Mayan calendar? No, that's in 2011. Armageddon? Could be. Doesn't explain the car not working though." He sits there for a moment before concluding that there's nothing more he could do here and steps outside and yells at anyone else outside.
"Hey! Any of you have any idea what just happened?"
Father Salvatori looks around for any survivors. While walking he mumbles blessings to the obvious dead.
Seeing the carnage he knows some people may be injured. "Shelia, Grab some of this stuff, and come with me", Tommy says nodding his head at the bag of bandages, and antiseptics he is filling up. "There may be some people hurt out there, and if we can help them before medics get here, we might be able to save some lives". "Pull yourself together". "Were un-hurt, and I'm sure the power will be back on soon".
With that Tommy puts his slicker back on, and grabs one of the bags, as well as an aluminum catch-pole from behind the door, and heads towards some of the wrecked vehicles. "When's the doc due back", he asks Shelia as they head towards the mess? "And is Glenda back at the farm, or in town somewhere"?
He is somewhat unnerved at the silence. No noise except some faint cries for help, and gasps of pain...and no sounds of sirens.
Just as he begins to close the door behind him he nears the bark of the Wilson's German Shepard "Greybeard" from the back. Better be safe than sorry he says, and goes back for the big dog, leading him carefully on his leash.
Adam
A few of the people in the lot look up, one younger guy with rain streaked glasses shouts "A nuke? could it be a nuke?" a few around mumble with unease "Yeah they have a pules right? an electron pule, kills machines right?" one brunet says, pulling her hood tighter around her head. 'Oh god! one of the teachers says...a Matt blalok, middling belly slightly balding"The rain will carry the fallout! He shouts , a mumbles of fear and desperation ripples though the small groups "Every back inside! He yells as the groups outside seem to take up the panic, running toward the buildings some running out of the lot others standing dumbfounded or in shock.
Father Salvatori
You move out of the shattered rear of the bus, you can see the dead on the ground, moans of the dying feel your ears as you move to a woman not far away with her lower half crushed by the wall and part of the buse seat,her legs an unnatural angle. Blood pours from her lips as she whispers Oh God...I don't want to die..help me..please god help me.... But you know there is little that can help her even if Ambulances arrive soon. As you kneel by the woman you can hear screams and faint calls for help or someones mother or upon the Lord himself. Your not sure how many others are even still alive on this bus.
Bryan
You move toward the wreak. A few others have moved to join your walk toward the bus. An older man with a ballcap and bloody knees on his jeans calls to you "What in the hell just happened?" he askes as you see two younger mean trying to pull someone out from under a pile of metal. On the bus you see someone move. Could someone have lived thought that?
Tommy
Sheila nods woodenly. She grabs the emergency medkit and her coat. 'Umm, yeah Glenda is back at the Farm maybe? no she should be in class over at the collage . Sara's not due back to this evening maybe 5 or 6' She says as she fallows Tommy and Greybeard.
You don't have to walk far, around the street people are pulling themselves out of cars, cries and arguments can be heard. A few folks look very hurt. It does not take Tommy long to zoom in on the red car T-boned by a van to see where he is needed. The driver of the van is bleeding from his face and seems to be limping. He stands next to the car yelling'We need help! Shes bad! Help Oh god someone help!'
As you rush over you can see the very pregnant woman pinned by the steering wheel. The cars buckled and doors smashed. Your not sure if you can get it open. But shes not moving and seems to be alot of blood from where her head hit the driver side window.
Father Salvatori places one hand on the woman's shoulder, and the other cups the back of her head. He whispers, "God will be with you. you'll be fine." All the while he is reciting the last rites in his mind for the woman. When she expires, his practical side searches for those he can help survive, and he ignores the obviously dying, trusting the his god will take care of their souls.
Tommy struggles to pull the door open to get to the bleeding woman. "Help me get her out of here", he hollers to anyone nearby who could help.
Father Salvatori
You find twelve dead and 4 seriously injured on the twisted frame of the bus.An older man with his leg twisted , a young woman no more then a girl really with a smashed arm and maybe a displaced shoulder. The other two are a married couple, the man you think may have internal injury's as he seems to have blood in the seat of his pants and his wife has cuts across her face and arms and a broken nose. She is hysterical and screaming for help even as you try and free her husband. You can see more outside, and what looks to be bystanders searching though the wreckage.
Bryan
You hear screaming as you get near the bus. A few men are digging though the ghastly scene of death. A crushed van lays not far away. It must have been caught between the bus and the truck. Everywhere are the sounds of suffering and pain. As you limb toward the scene as bloody child's toy catches your eyes and seems to hold you. Small served fingers can lay close and blood and smoke leak from the pancaked van. A chill runs though you that has nothing to do with the rain or the cold weather.
Tommy
Tommy Slowy forced the door open a bit at a time. He hears the metal crunch as the door is bent back allowing him room. But the woman still is stuck behind the wheel. The other driver is shacking his head 'Oh god, Oh gods shes bleeding bad. Where the hell are the ambulances!' He screams. A few folks seem to be headed toward you. Behind you Sheila gasps "So much blood" she says softly.
Your where two dice off really, My fault not used to this system yet but to lift or brake something it's STR+ STA which would be 5, then +3 for the WP spent. I went ahead and rolled them for you got 7 and 1, which you can roll here really as it shows every dice you rolled.
While trying to ignore the woman's screaming, Father Salvatori tries to think of which of the living passengers would best be helped.
Then he sees the bystanders and shouts, "Hey, I've got wounded in here. YOU!" he points to one young man. "Call 911. You, he points to a strong looking man. I need help with this guy."
"Everyone, calm down! If a nuke went off, we'd see something more than a flash of light! No need to trample anyone!"
Bryan
You are unable to put together just whats going on, your still a bit in shock it seems. Numbed from the accident and the flash of light. From inside the bus you hear someone tell someone else to call 911
Father Salvatori
The Father is unable to tell just who needs help first. He does know the cold and rain are not helping. The young man with a torn coat looks at him blankly "Cars are dead! No houses close how am I suppose to call anyone?' He yells back. His face pale and rain streaked
Adam
A few folks close by seem to pay Adam some heed. The seem to move toward him. About 12 people, two of which you know from classes seem to be listing to you now you can hear them talking panic in their voices "Whats going on?, what was that? have we been attacked?" one of the woman speaks up "It could have been a nuke, maybe we just saw the after shock"
The young man with a torn coat looks at him blankly "Cars are dead! No houses close how am I suppose to call anyone?' He yells back. His face pale and rain streaked.
What? S!$$? What do you mean? God help me. Get in here and help get these survivors out!
Father Salvatori
You find twelve dead and 4 seriously injured on the twisted frame of the bus.An older man with his leg twisted , a young woman no more then a girl really with a smashed arm and maybe a displaced shoulder. The other two are a married couple, the man you think may have internal injury's as he seems to have blood in the seat of his pants and his wife has cuts across her face and arms and a broken nose. She is hysterical and screaming for help even as you try and free her husband. You can see more outside, and what looks to be bystanders searching though the wreckage.
Bryan
You hear screaming as you get near the bus. A few men are digging though the ghastly scene of death. A crushed van lays not far away. It must have been caught between the bus and the truck. Everywhere are the sounds of suffering and pain. As you limb toward the scene as bloody child's toy catches your eyes and seems to hold you. Small served fingers can lay close and blood and smoke leak from the pancaked van. A chill runs though you that has nothing to do with the rain or the cold weather.
Tommy
Tommy Slowy forced the door open a bit at a time. He hears the metal crunch as the door is bent back allowing him room. But the woman still is stuck behind the wheel. The other driver is shacking his head 'Oh god, Oh gods shes bleeding bad. Where the hell are the ambulances!' He screams. A few folks seem to be headed toward you. Behind you Sheila gasps "So much blood" she says softly.
** spoiler omitted **
2d10
Now that he can reach the woman, Tommy tries to access her injuries before moving her further. "Shelia, bring me the kit, he calmly asks.
"It's Ok". "Everything is going to be OK" he quietly whispers to the injured woman.
Medicine + Int
And not able to tell much about her condition, he attempts to remove her from the wreckage.
Strength + Stamina
Re-roll 10 (2) Successes
Bryan
Bryan stands in the cold, rain falling around him, his breath frosting in the air like dragons breath as he takes in the scene. He is not sure what caused the light but his truck died and looks like everyone else s did as well.
It seems to Bryan that the truck and the bus died at the same time his truck did, van as well. And with now power , controlling the vehicles became next to imposable on the slick road and they slammed into each other. The van just happened to be in the way.
Father Salvatori
The boy nods abit dimly at the Father before moving in to help, another man and a woman in well worn factory uniform of some type follows. As help moves into the shattered bus Father Salvatori search for useful items. He manages to find a few damp blankets and a large bar knocked loose from the seat maybe 4' long.
Tommy
Sheila brings the kit to Tommy as he pulls the woman from the wreak, there is alot of blood. Shes bleeding from between the legs, and head. A few of the bystanders start calling for a doctor one man asks if there is anything he can do to help. The other driver seems hysterical at this point.
Bryan
Bryan approaches the semi's smashed cab, the door loosely hangs and there is blood dropping to the ground mixing with the rain slicked road to becomes a pinkish pool.. He hauls open the door seeing the dead driver inside, looks like he hit the frame of the door hard enough to crack his skull.
Pulling the dead man from the cab Bryan begins to look around, it's a small cab, no sleeper but it does have a med kit and two packs of smokes, the truck seems dead, radio as well. Under the seat he finds a small wooden bat wrapped in tape.
Adam
A few folks close by seem to pay Adam some heed. The seem to move toward him. About 12 people, two of which you know from classes seem to be listing to you now you can hear them talking panic in their voices "Whats going on?, what was that? have we been attacked?" one of the woman speaks up "It could have been a nuke, maybe we just saw the after shock"
"Well, it could be. It probably isn't, but we just don't have enough information to know what that was anyway. Now, how about we all get out of this rain and figure out what to do next?"
To the man offering to help, "Find a doctor or a nurse of someone who knows more than I do". "All this blood is not a good thing".
Knowing that keeping busy is a good way to dampen panic, Tommy turns to Sheila, "Here Shelia, keep pressure right here". "We've got to slow this bleeding down". He then moves around getting the healthier people to assist those in distress, for the next 15-minuets or so...then realizes that something is seriously wrong...No ambulances, no sirens, and more importantly no news crews.
Going back to Sheila, "Shelia, I'm going to leave Greybeard here to guard you". "I'm going into the city to see if I can find out what's going on, and to see if Glenda is OK".
Turning to the man who volunteered to help, "My name's Tommy". "I'm going for help". "Can you keep things organized here till I get back with the authorities"?
Tommy then goes back to the clinic, collecting some of the tranquilizers, and pain killers from the animal medical cabinet, along with some of the surgical tools, and begins the walk into town...by way of the college.
Adam
Adam seems to get though to most of the crowd. even if a few seem to wonder off into town or in small groups. He finds himself corralling about twenty people into the man lobby. Which is already full. The sound off a hundred or more folks talking seems att time like a droning of insects
Adam was forcing his way past a clump of students when he faintly hears his name being called. Looking around he can see Mason cuddy, the schools computer teacher pushing is way though the crowed. Not a hard trick for a man standing 6'3" and looking like he stepped out of brawl some where. All rough faced with a well groomed beard. Mason was one of the few people Adam got along with much, even if he did keep trying to get him to come out to some reenactments with him.
"Hell of a thing eh?" He says with a nod toward the crowds "Lets get out of this madhouse for a bit eh?" He says pushing his way though toward one of the empty class rooms.
Adam is a bit surprised shutting the door dimmed the buzzing outside as much as it did, but at lest he could hear himself think now.
"So what the hell is going on?" Mason asked running his rough hands though his thinning salt and pepper hair.
Tommy
The man nods dumbly and starts off toward the hospital on foot. The rain keeps pouring down , blood mixing with the water to paint the streets pink
Shelia moves to help with the bleeding as a crowd gathers around to area, a few asking whats going on, others yelling for help. After a while Tommy tells Sheila hes gonna go into town and the woman panics "You can;'t leave me here with her! She'll die! Shes wet cold and bleeding, she'll die" She shrikes in panic.
Some one in the crowd says "we need to get her out of the rain.'
Byran
Byran walks toward the buss, a few people are combing though the wreckage but it looks bleak. Climbing inside the haul of the buss you can see seats twisted and blood mixing with rain on the floor. Your breath frosts as you creep into the bus. The smell of death is around you, blood and bowels. What was once the front of the bus is nothing but a canvas of nightmares.
Giving up on finding anyone alive in the front you climb out of the wreckage. Not far away you can see a man and woman in well worn factory uniforms of some type climb into the rear half of the bus, which rests about ten feet from the front
"Hell if I know, Mason. This whole thing just doesn't make any sense." Adam takes a seat at one of the desks and rubs his temples. "It could be an EMP, but why would they use one here of all places? There are dozens of possible mystic explanations, but none of them actually fit with what seemed to happen. I guess there's just more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy." Adam makes a poor excuse for a laugh and sighs.
The priest finds uses the bar to try and wedge the wreckage off of the injured man.
"Ok". "OK". "She's resourceful, she'll head here to check on us if things dont straighten out".
"You and you" Tommy shouts at two larger men wandering around like their in a trance. "Help me get this woman inside the clinic".
He then looks around for any other injured people, and tries to organize crews of healthy people to help the injured. If the clinic fill up he will try to find somewhere else to get people in out of the weather.
Staying busy helps him keep from worrying too much
Persuasion {1} Success
----------------------------Adam-----------------------------------
Mason nods as he looks at the window as the rain falls "Well hell I don't know anything about that mystic mumbo jumbo your always talking about." He signs and shugs "Eh I am going home, Rebeca will be worried and I guess my truck wont start so I'm walking' He says turning as he heads toward the door
"If the lights are gonna be off a while ya can always crash at our place, Rebeca wanted me to invite ya for Sunday supper anyhow"
------------------Father Salvatori and Bryan-----------------------
Father Salvatori manages to force the bar under the seat and moves the wreckage ever so slowly, the man in cover all pulls at the man trying to get him clear.
As Bryan climbs into the dim remnants of the bus he can see a few people trying to pull someone from the wreckage . A man in brown overalls and whats looks to be a man in a wet torn priests habit
--------------------------Tommy---------------------------------
Two men help carry the bleeding woman to the clinic with Sheila leading the way. Tommy busies himself and although he has to shout and a few folks argue a bit he does manage to get a few folks organized. Runners et off down the streets trying to see whats going on.
As Tommy enters the clinic that now is packed with cold, wet and injured people and makes his way to the back he can see the woman on the large table used mostly for dogs and larger farm animals. Sheila is covered in blood as it the table and the floor."Oh god do something shes dying!, there both dying!" The two men who carried her inside, a balding man with a beer gut and a young blond guy with a mullet looks worried "What do you need us to do? The balding man says
"Well then, I'll stay here and make sure we don't all kill each other. See you later Hollis." Adam pauses. "Wait, you know where Professor Williamson lives, right? If nothing else you might be able to bum a few cans of beans from him."
Even after Hollis leaves, Adam continues to sit at the desk thinking. How long will this last? Can they hold out that long? Doubtful, if this lasts longer than a few days and the food in the cafeteria starts to go bad. How large an area is affected by whatever this is? Will the national guard show up tomorrow? Will they actually help, or attempt to cover this up? If it's the latter, the only way three people keep a secret is if two of them are dead...
"We must keep a close eye on her, and make her as comfortable as possible". "I'm sure some of the runners we sent will return with help soon". "Why don't you two take turns watching from the door for help to arrive, Then you can bring them inside".
Then under his voice so only Shelia can hear, "Shelia, if this woman's pulse drops any more we must try to deliver the baby in order for it to even have a chance". "Keep a close eye on her conditions, and I'll gather up some surgical supplies". "I don't really know what I'm doing, but I've seen a bunch of animals deliver, and it can't be that different". "If we don't do something both could die".
Tommy then looks for the key to the soda machine, and opens it, assigning a young woman with a cut knee to hand out Soda's and snacks to all in waiting.
He then takes a moment to go into the doc's office, and meditate for a couple of minutes before returning to do what he knows must be done.
------------Adam-------------
Mason snorts "No thanks we have are own, I bet that crackpot is loving this." He says with a shake of his head as he makes his way out of the room
When Adam finally pulls himself out of his thoughts he does notice the room is a bit colder. With no heat on the school is cooling down fast. He pulls his coat around him and makes his way back to the lobby, far fewer students are standing here, just about a dozen in small groups. The others seeming to have left for home or at lest somewhere warmer, he wonders where that would be.
-----------Bryan------------------
As people are being passed out of the bus Bryan kneels to give first aid, having some successes with the lightly wounded, around him more people and bodies are being pulled from the bus. As he looks around about twenty people have gathered around the bus , many looking lost and shocked at the scene
-----------Tommy---------------
Tommy is still in the office when he hears sheila yell, the younger guys opens the door with panic in his face"Shes still bleeding, no ones come back, the lady says they are dying!"
Tommy knows he is not prepared for what needs done, but there is no one else and he can wait no longer.
Tommy gulps, and looks at Shelia. "OK I guess it's up to me". "They'll die for sure unless I do something".
"Bring me some Benedine, and some clean cloths". "I'm going to try and deliver this baby, and save the mother", and with a final prayer to the spirits for guidance Tommy begins to work.
Dex + Medicine + willpower + (1 for medical tools?) (8d10.open(10)=50)
(4-successes)
As an extended action Tommy tries again. No willpower this time.
1 success
As his 1997 Chevy C/K 1500 Pickup, went into overdrive as he passed the Greyhound Bus that he had been trailing almost since Vancleave. Shane MacIntyre, eyes fell across the digital dashboard clock, it read 314PM. Or 1514 military time. He took a left hand curve on the winding backwoods wet pavement road that was Hwy 15 in eastern Kentucky. What a dark and Gloomy afternoon it was. With the sleet was coming down at a decent rate. Here it was, St. Patrick's Day. An instead of being out at some Irish Pub and getting an early start on evening of drinking green beer. He was on the road, hauling a Uhaul trailer with all of his earthly belongs in it. He was a Maritine Enforcement Weapon Specialist 2nd Class, in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was was switching Duty Stations from a Coast Guard Cutter on Lake Eryie, to one that was home ported at the south end of Florida. He had been staying with his fine Lady friend of his for the last week. That like him, belonged to the Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA. Which was a medieval reactment group, sorta like Civil War reenators, but with broadswords and bows. As well as Courts and Feasts! He and Suzanna, or Lady Tamalynn of High Hills, as she was know in the Society, had met first met last August at Pennsic Wars. Since then, the two had been spending as much time as possible since then. Concidering where they both lived and worked.
It had been hell to leave her. But he had to report to his new duty station by 0700 tomorrow morning. So he would be driving all night. He had left himself a little leyway, even if he did somehow got lost trying to navigate the tangled backroads that he would have to travel to get to Hwy 77 south. From there he would would get on over to Hwy 95, which would give him a straight shot down the east coast of Florida, all the way to Key West.
"On a bright Beltane morning
I rise from my sleep
And softly go walking
Where the dark is yet deep
And the tall eastern mountain
With its stretch to the sky
Casts a luminous shadow
Where my true love doth lie—"
Was coming from the truck's speakers. In the cd player was a disc by Juniper MacKenzie. A Pagan Celtic Folksinger, that he had just gotten from Suzanna, she said her Cousin, Reagan who was now going to school at Oregon State University. Had picked it up at the nearby Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire, where she saw the Artist, perform last September. An had gotten two copies of her CD, sending one to Suzanna as a Yule present. Both he and Sarah were themselves both Pagans, as well as Celto and Anglophiles. An had been long before they ever met. Milady would be coming down to visit him in a month or so. Once he got settled in.
It was just then several things happened at the same time. He suddenly felt a very jarring painful shock running up and down his spinal cord and into the base of his skull. Shane grasped the steering wheel, bracing himself as he rode it out . At the same time, everything went dead. No engine power, no lights, no CD player, nothing! He shifted into neutral and wrestled with the sluggish wheel. He was on the down grade. An coast about 30 yard or so down an old over grown dirt road on the left hand side of the road. Before he threw on the emergency brake to bring it to a stop.
(If you scroll up to where the Greyhound Bus is. Where he pulled off would be right were the Highway [15] Symbol is just southwest of where the bus has stopped on the highway.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid =108606978534932899691.00048324f69cc069e43ff&ll=37.547708,-83.375502&am p;spn=0.044233,0.054245&z=14
"By the Gods, what the heck just happened"? Yelled Shane, to no one but himself. Had his engine somehow blown up, had his truck been struck by lightening? What was going on. He tried for a minute to start it again. Nothing; no tickle, no sound, no click. Setting the emergency brake, he openned the door. He grabbed his Coast Guard hood. and got out and slipped it on, Pulling up the hood against the slightly wind blown near frozen rain. Reaching to the middle of the bench seats he grabbed his .357 Magnum Revolver, in it's clip holster. An put it on his belt. All he could hear, was dogs barking in the distance from the south west. The direction the wind was coming from. Then something occured to him. That Greyhound bus that he had passed, hadn't passed him after that strange pain had run threw him and his truck had died. Neither had any other cars that had been behind him when he passed the slow bus.
He reached under the seat and got his flashlight. Since it was so gloomy out, he thought he might need it to check the engine out. He clicked it on. Nothing! This was getting weirder by the minute. He pulled the hood release and walked to the front of his truck. He put large rocks in front of both of the front tires, just in case the emergency brake went out for some reason. He openned the hood and looked at the engine, there didn't seem to be any obvious damage. He checked the oil and radiator, everything looked fine. It was just dead. He had his jumper cables behind the seat. He would flag down a car and see if they could give him a jump. Glancing down at his wrist watch, he saw it was stopped at 315. His watch too. Shane's mind raced, putting all the facts he had together. The only logical conclusion that he could come to was that their had been a EMT burst of some sort! Yep, that was the only thing that made any sense.
Shane closed the hood and went back and reached into the truck cab and released the the catch , pulled the seatforward. Setting the good sized first aid kit aside. He grabbed his 9x binoculars out of the case that was there and put its strap around his neck. In two other zip lock bags with in another zip lock bag he openned a package of a dozen emergency glow sticks and grabbed three. He openned one and broke it. It seemed to work just a little sluggishly. From another bag he openned a 24 pack of Chemical Handwarmers. He openned the package and grabbed four of them. Opening one he kneeded it to get it going and put it in his right hand jacket pocket that had his gloves in it to heat up. He then retrieved his Survival knife, in it three pocketed sheath. He checked it's mini flashlight. Nothing, just like he thought. The compass in the pommel of its hollow hilt would come in handy.
http://www.knifesearch.com/php/bigpic.php?
Image=uc212.jpg&Partname=BrushMaster
After first taking off the holster. Shane worked it onto his belt. Finishing, he clipped the holster back on his belt. He grabbed two speed loaders for his revolver, that he kept in a little drawstring bag back there. Putting them in his left windbreak pocket. He double check to see if his Coast Guard Marine Law Enforcement Badge and ID was in the inner pocket, it was. He tucked his Celtic knoted Pent and Cernunos Symbol inside the longsleeved dark green plaid Pendleton shirt, that he was wearing. An put on his Coast Guard knit cap also. He wanted to look as offical as possible to anyone he might come across. (Both jacket and knit cap have the the USCG Seal, i.e. symbol on the front, the words, "U.S. Coast Guard" is on the back of his jacket in big yellow block letters.)
He then reached up and grabbed his the lowest of the two firearms from the rear window mounted gun rack. It was his modified 12 gauge, short barreled Winchester Defender Shotgun. It had a folding pistol grip stock and pistol grip forend on the pump action. The other firearm in the rack was his .30-06 hunting rifle, that had a 7x scope on it. Shane took it out of the rack and wrapped it in a plaid blanket that he kept up there for the few times he had slept in his truck. An put it down on the floorboard.
Shane picked up his shotgun, an slung it by its carrying sling, africana style, with the barrel down, on his left shoulder. He closed and locket his truck. An walked back to the rear of the Uhaul trailer. It didn't seem any worse for wear. The titanium Master Lock was still in place on the door. There, Shane went threw a little warm up routine that he used when getting ready to board vessels at sea. He practice drawing his revolver from its holster a few time, from underneath his open Coast Guard jacket. He did the same with his Shotgun. In one fluid motion Shane whipped it around in one fluid motion in to the ready position, ratcheting a shell into the chamber and clicking off the safety.
Shane knew that the way he came, there hadn't been any houses for a mile or so where there had been a turn out. Checking the compass he saw that he had been going left at time things went haywire! He walked out to the road and looked down it and saw a couple of mail boxes. He stood there trying to figure out what to do. If it was what he thought it was, he was sure that the phones and electricity would be down. As would anything else which had anything that might have wiring or a computer chip. Could someone have nuked DC, and they just had to deal with the EMT burst on this side of the Appalachians. If they did that maybe they got the whole eastern seaboard. What about his family in upper Pennsylvania, were they far enough away from New York and Philly to be out of the immediate fall out zone. He thought so, but they two would be suffering the same problems he was having. What about Suzanna. He had only left her less then an hour ago in Campton. She was only less then 20 miles away to the northwest, as the raven flies, in Campton. His brain was frazzeled. I guess he first need to find a phone to call his new Duty Station and let them know what was happening with him. If that was possible. He didn't want to listed UA. Then he needed to figure out if he could get his truck or any other vehicle running. He had $389 dollars of cash in his wallet and also a check made out to him for little more then $4,600.00, from when he closed out his bank account in Cleveland. But first he needed to find a phone. Pulling on his gloves, he turned an walked west down Hwy 15 to the first mail box.......
Shane walked down the road to the first mail box. There, a gravel road lead off to the southwest at a 35 degree angle He used his binoculars to look down it, but couldn't make out any structures in the poor visibility. He wanted to find a place that was easily seen from the road. Which was case of the next place he found 500 ft or so down the road. The house, which had smoke coming out of it's chimney, was set about 200 ft back from the road, with a nice open field between it and the road. (See Appalachian Emberverse Map). He wanted to check it out with his binoculars, but he realized that might appear to be a bit rude. If anyone from the house had already spotted him and was using binoculars to look at him.
Taking his Coast Guard Marine Law Enforcement Badge and ID out of his inside jacket pocket, with his right hand and holding it open so the badge could be seen. He began to walk up the gravel driveway with his hands extended out away from his sides. He hadn't taken more then two steps, when the barking of a larger type dog rang out. He spotted it running back in forth in front of the house on some sort of clothes line type of dog run arrangement. It was some sort of hound. Maybe a coon hound for all he knew. Shane walked halfway down the drive way. An yeahed. "Hello, is anyone home. My name is Shane MacIntyre, I'm a Marine Law Enforcement Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. I am traveling through the area and had some car trouble. I was wondering if I could use your phone"? Now that he was closer, he also noticed a 100 to 120 ft tall green colored antenna tower behind the house. That really blended well into the evergreen trees that were there. It must be for a CB radio, or more likely a Short Wave radio. Not getting a reponse right away, Shane slowly walked towards the house, again with his hands held out to his sides. Trying to look as least threatening as a guy with a shotgun hanging on a strap on his left shoulder could possible look.......
---------Tommy----------
Sheila nods and busies herself helping as best she can, Tommy can see the woman is not good, he is not sure where the bleeding is from and fears he may have waited to late
---------Bryan--------
Bryan keeps trying to stop the mans bleeding but being internal and without tools and a better understanding of what he is doing the man has almost no chance he is not sure if he can even slow it.
---------Shane---------
As Shane makes his way toward the house the dogs baying gets louder, as he nears he can see the dog is large, easily 80 pounds or better and really not liking someone in the yard. He makes his way up the drive, gravel crunching underfoot, he can see a patch of snow, nothing more then frozen ice by now here and there along the houses overhands and beneath trees. Snow that seems to be defiant of the rain beating off his jacket but not the chill wind that blows though the leafless trees.
As he nears the house he can see a truck in the driveway, but no one seems to have seen him yet. Shane is not sure how no one has heard him with the baying of the dog, that seems to be ready to tear it's chain loose as it howls it's fury at Shane as he nears the house.