Prelude: Miner Diner Sixty-Niner

[Eanwulf]

Rolling slowly down the hill, Zeke pulls up to the relay station as close as he can and puts the truck into park. Popping the hood, he then instructs the two imbeciles to get out of the vehicle and go to work. As if having done it a million times before, Gus promptly starts to fish around in the back of the truck to eventually retrieve an odd-looking device that he quickly begins to strap upon his back and shoulders. Having properly secured the I-Suc-U-Blo 300, Gus then dons an equally as queer-looking set of goggles and earguards and turns the machine on. The buzzing roar of Gus' device quickly drowns out most of the surrounding sound and replaces it with an infernal resonance that resembles an atomic leaf-blower in heat. In a slow, methodical-like manner, the hair-lipped retard then begins to sift about the sands in one particular portion of the ruined relay station.

Meanwhile, Slim's reptilian eyes blink in sheer disbelief. Normally the alien is yelled at for either wandering off too far or perhaps even going into places out of curiosity that he shouldn't. Now however, the excited Gekkan is given a green light to explore the ruined station and its surroundings with his good buddy Zeke. And he does so, with great enthusiasm! Quickly gathering together several cumbersome-looking electronical devices, the eager Slim begins to set things up to explore the ruins. As he does so, Gus appears to have finished clearing out an area in the station and starts to head back to the truck. The runty little inbred quickly dumps his backpack into the back of Zeke's truck, taking the time to playfully blast his companions with a gust of sand and dust before finally turning the damned thing off. Once done, Gus moves around to the front of the truck and begins to unplug the four power cells that fuel Zeke's truck; gradually carting them off one-by-one to the newly cleared area. He then proceeds to hook the fuel cells up to the station's power core via cables and wires. Whistling a little tune as he does so, the wiry little runt appears to be lost in thought - or lack thereof.

OOC

Pausing briefly to handle something with Muskrat's post. Flavor text if you want until I see just what the heck he is up to. I sleep now...

[MadVlat]

Zeke scours the horizon while the others busily move about the compound like a tiny hive of bees. The prospectors eyes begin to wander as the thought of making some credits fills his head. "Damin' it be hot today", forearm crossing his face as he speaks. The leaf blower from hell begins casting dirt into the air and Zeke turns to Gus with the sting of pissed off in his, "You dern addle minded, tusker mountin', inbred son o bitch!!!"...

[Eanwulf]

Still cussing and fanning away the blast of sand in his face. Zeke turns his head to one side and spots a dilapidated old Rally Rambler 2000 model cresting the top of the hill. Apparently, the vehicle seems to be having trouble descending the hill and comes to an eventual stop at the side of the road, a nice sizable cloud of dust and sand forming around it as it does so. Visitors perhaps?

Action

Dr. Veejay's attempt happens as Gus is sweeping the inside out of the relay station. -4 penalty to attempt.

[Perception+Notice, d10+1*=11*, 2nd Degree of Success!]

* -4 penalty, roll result of (10,5)

Meanwhile, some distance away from Zeke, Slim appears to have finished setting up one of his crazy contraptions and is currently scanning the surrounding ground for any signs of forgotten long lost treasures. A peculiar smile hangs from Slim's reptillian lips, or lack therof.

[MadVlat]

Zeke continues to brush the hard pan from his clothing. Only giving the slightest of pauses as he notices the new comers on the hill. Still acting pissed he makes his way to the hair lipped Gus's side. The prospector calmly letting his fellow opportunist in on the visitation while gesturing wildly in mock anger. "Don't be lookin', but we have us a visitor watching us from the hill o'er there. Go quietly, and you an slim head into the ruins like your lookin fer something together. Find a place where you can provide me some cover". Zeke having cussed ole Gus out again, takes over watching the charging of the truck; while his partners move into better cover...

Display

Not quite sure what weapons Zeke himself has...

[Eanwulf]

Now Gus is by no means the sharpest tool in the shed. So when Zeke tells him not to look at something, he generally tends to do quite the opposite. Right now being no exception. Upon realizing that his buddy is indeed telling the truth however, the slightly retarded hick immediately tries to save some face by going ahead and trying to go along with Zeke's plan; quickly rushing off to find Slim so that the pair can try to pretend that they are looking for something. Sadly, the overly-curious alien is nowhere to be found. Having already chosen to go off own to look for something. "Thlim!?" Gus cries with a hushed tone, desperately trying to find his companion. The hillbilly's words are for naught; the Gekkan either too far away to hear them or simply possessing no desire whatsoever to respond.

Meanwhile, off in the distance some ways north by northwest of the ruined relay station, Slim's shuffling form can be seen sifting about the sands with a giant detection device of some kind. Having already managed to find a fistful of unspent shotgun shells, a nearly complete and quite salvageable breather, as well as some partially eaten MRE's (a few unopened ones too!), the ever diligent serpent man appears to be trailing something beneath the sand with great enthusiasm. His complete captivation with the affair forcinging him to appear all but impervious to the simple concept of basic conversation.

Action

[Perception+Notice test, d10+7*=10, Success!]

* +2 ease bonus

Spotting Slim isn't that hard to do. He's just wandered off like he tends to do. You do notice that he appears to he quite vigilant with his current findings or attempt at trying to find something. Might be important.

[Perception+Notice test, d10+1*=4, Failure!]

*-4 penalty for dustcloud and relative range/destraction level

As far as you can tell, Veejay simply gets back into his car. He's still in there, though you have no idea what he's up to.

[MadVlat]

Zeke growls to himself and moves to the passenger side door and opens it up angrily. "That damn lizard... gonna get us all killed... dag-nab-it all to hell". He pulls the shotgun off of the rack in the back window and brings it into the light. "Gus, grab that idgit before he runs into another nest of crimson stingers". Then he aims the weapon skyward and looses a cloud of shot with a loud boom. "Get your fool hide back here slim!!!"...

[Eanwulf]

*BOOM!!!*

Zeke's gunshot echoes throughout the wasteland. Frightened by the explosion, Gus skitters in his attempt to reach Slim and nearly falls down upon the gravelly sand. "I'll git em Thlim!" the last thing said by the wiry runt prior to stumbling.

Slim's reaction to the shot fired is what one would expect it to be. The tan-skinned reptilliad promptly jerks in reflex and spins about frantically to see what in the world has happened. Upon spotting Zeke's rather livid expression, the young Gekkan quicky stifles his initial response of acknowledging the angry man's presence. Replacing it instead with one of subdued compliance.

Now proceeding to make his way back over to the relay station, Slim is almost immediately intercepted by an equally as frustrated Gus. The stunted little miscreant grabs the Gekkan by its wrist forcefully and begins to chastise him like a wicked step-mother would her daughter. “Dammit Thlim!” Gus begins to scold, oblivious to the look of concern upon Slim's face. "You done went and made Zeke mad! C'mon!"

"Gusss..." responds Slim, trying to wring his clawed hand free from the tiny man's grasp.

"Hu'th up!" the harelip rudely interrupts, tugging even harder upon Slim's arm. His senses ignorant to the dull sounds of groaning metal coming from beneath his feet, Gus then continues. "I'm already pithed off enuff! Don't go making me any more madder!"

“GUSSS!?” Slim hisses with fear, now jerking his taloned hand away with all his might in the attempt of moving away from the ground that is now sinking beneath them.

Still oblivious to the perilous situation in which the pair finds themselves in, Gus merely continues to try and maintain his grip on the slippery Slim whilst complaining one last time.

"Gawd dammit Thlim!" Gus begins, a sinkhole now beginning to collapse in around them. "I done told you to hu'th up! Now c'mere!"

AIIIEEE....

*FOOMP!!!*

Just like that, the two hillbillies are gone from sight. Apparently fallen down into some form of sandtrap.

[MadVlat]

"Sums a bitch. Now what did dem two do?", Zeke barks out madder than hell. The miner secretly concerned by the sudden disappearance of his two partners beneath the surface of the planet. He keeps the shotgun in his hand and grabs up a coil of rope from the back of the truck. "You's dumb sums a bitches best be still breathing ors I'll be killing you", he barks while turning an eye towards the parked rover on the hillside...

[Eanwulf]

As Zeke rounds the back of his truck, he notices that the mysterious figure on the middle of the hill has finally decided to leave his vehicle. The apparent man climbs out of the car slowly and proceeds to walk forward down the hill. His hands up in the air, palms open to show he means no harm. "I say," the man calls out to Zeke when he gets close enough, "it looks like you and your friends could use a hand."

OOC

This is now home to the combine thread of MadVlat and Muskrat.

[MadVlat]

Zeke keeps his eyes on the newcomer, as he himself closes in on the pit where his friends now reside. "Bring your vehicle down from up yonder. Does ya' have a winch/", he shouts somewhat agitated about asking the stranger. As he nears the hole he gingerly feels around the edge with his foot. "You dern fools still suckin' air?", he screams down...