When we last
left the adventure I’d left my own, encountered some thugs and won an outlaw
drag race. All very exciting. As we get back to the story I’ve just left
the racetrack and continued on my journey south into the wasteland.
On my way
into the desert I pass a last bastion of civilization, a mechanics garage. I stop and find that the owner is a decent
person. He barters with me for 100
credits and some medical supplies of which I have plenty to work on my engine
making the car faster. I agree and he
fixes me up as promised. Could’ve used
this guy before the race. I leave again
and head into the desert. I come upon
another Interceptor overturned in the sand off the side of the road and stop to
examine it for possible spare parts for my own car. I find a usable tire and when I get into the
cab find that I’ve disturbed a snake nest.
I’m bitten and I run back to my car for medical supplies. It hurts and damages me but I live. I then (as the book puts it) gleefully go
back and shoot the snake to death.
Inside the glove box I find some rubber tubing. I move along and some way after the
interceptor I ran out of gas again and used my winnings to refill. I knew I’d run out in the desert.
I continued
heading south past some turn offs and eventually encounter a bizarre
enemy. A pickup truck that had been
kitted out to look like a chariot from the roman days. A man riding in the back dressed as a
gladiator manning a double-barreled machine gun. I just didn’t feel like dealing with this
nonsense and so I rocketed them to death.
Problem solved, I continued north until I reached the literal end of the
road. Abandoned construction vehicles
and the end of asphalt, the road wasn’t finished before the plague. I could drive out across the soft sand of the
desert south or the rocky ground west. I
chose west. (I felt like this being a
book from the 80’s there may be a real danger of quicksand) Other than a flat
tire which I easily repaired I had no problems crossing the land. At the other side of the drive I reached
another highway and right in front of me an old tanker truck. I examine it and find it to have fuel in it
still. I use my rubber hose and siphon
what’s left into my extra can. Good
thing to because shortly after I head south again I ran out of gas and had to
use it.
I can see
the smoke from the refinery in the far distance. I’m nearly to my goal but woe be me, there
are more obstacles of course. I
encounter a burning corvette in the road and find a girl with a shotgun. We talk for a moment and I find that she is
from the refinery. They’d sent her out
to try and contact me but she was attacked by a gang who is now assaulting the
refinery. The Doom Dogs. She says the only way to stop them is to
sneak into the camp at night and try to sabotage their vehicles. I go along with the plan and we make our way
to the camp. We luckily approach the
camp unseen, luckily sneak into the camp, luckily manage to not get caught,
luckily manage to get away (this section burned like 4 points of luck out in
quick succession) and retreat back to the Interceptor as the demolition charges
she planted on their cars explode. One
car however gives chase.
The car and I exchange fire driving in circles around each other in the desert before the enemy who has a large reinforced and jagged ram manages to hit me. The cars are locked together unable to disentangle and the other car offers me the chance to fight them in combat to determine a winner. Screw that. Amber (the girl) and I leap out of one side of the car and a shootout progresses. Though we are victorious I am wounded a number of times. Just when I think it’s over a huge beast of a man steps out of the car and rushes me. ‘The Animal’ who is the leader of the Doom Dogs grabs me and begins squeezing the life from me. Luckily Amber find knocks him unconscious from behind with a tire wrench. We tie him up (why we don’t shoot him is beyond me) and leave to arrive safely at the refinery a short time later. We are tended to and fed and congratulated on our accomplishments.
The next
morning as I’m getting up from bed I hear a loud explosion. The remnants of the gang have launched an all
or nothing assault driving a vehicle loaded with explosives into the main gate
destroyed one of the doors. A large
firefight between the two factions ensues and during it I see a raider heading
for the tanker truck that I’m supposed to take back. I make a mad dash and though I am shot
(again…) I manage to get there and pull him out of the truck before he starts
to drive away. Holding him hostage (I’ve
no idea what made this dude worth it) we convince the gang to leave so I don’t kill
him (again, makes no sense why anyone cares about random dude) but thy
reluctantly agree and finally leave. I
stay a few days more to help repair the door and eventually I head north taking
the tanker with.
The trip
back is almost completely uneventful. I park near an old motel one night and
though I have the option of staying in the motel, abandoning the truck seems
like a way worse idea so I sleep in it.
At one point, I am accosted by a couple of bikers. I manage to shoot one off the road killing
them but they’ve flattened my tires. I
skillfully bring the truck to a stop and keep it from wrecking but now I must
deal with the other biker who I still alive.
He challenges me to a duel and I agree.
I’ve no idea why he has such a code of honor but he legit duels me like
the old high noon showdowns. I take him
out with a quick draw and am once again on my way home. Though with the flat tires I limp into New
Hope I do indeed make it. I’m given the
hero’s welcome and congratulate myself on a nearly successful mission. WHAT!
Nearly, successful you ask?
Apparently because I can only count my mission as a “success” if I’d
found the kidnapped council person. Piss
off book, I won.
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