2044
| | Sep/Oct 2044 |
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And now, some do. In everyday speech, they are called camps, and over the course of the past year, they have gone from hidden among the most remote valleys and crannies of the baddest badlands, to dotting the countryside outside of Somerset and Elmsfield. No one quite knows who began the trend, but what we know for sure is that it all began when a group of proud Somerset road warriors braved the mountains north of the town to seize control of a small bandit settlement. Very soon, every car gang worth its name was driving scores of lorries with equipment, building material, cheap liquor and dirty porn out into the badlands, each with the same, persistent goal: a home of their own. But is that all there is to it? Are these new settlements just the inevitable and constructive result of a growing civilization? Or is it something else? Something darker, and far more sinister? Are the new fortified, enclosed, gated communities that now house the most powerful and influental of our car warrior groups, in fact, the first signs of an isolationist and dictatorial elite, a unholy marriage between military power and the perpetual human urge to conquer and dominate? Have we forgotten that in the new society that has grown up on Evan, the ones who truly hold the power and the influence to rule are the road warriors gangs themselves? Tonight, we interview one of these groups. What follows is a transcript of an exclusive interview with `Bandit` Buster Mata and Kenneth `Winchester` Vargas, the leaders of the Advanced RaceLabs, and one of the most influental member of the ARGH alliance, the large conglomerate of car warriors groups who have recently erected several camps in the countryside outside of Somerset. Well met, `Bandit` Buster Mata and Kenneth `Winchester` Vargas. How goes life in the camps? Are the factories raised, the water plants operational, the garages well-stocked? KV: Thanks, all is well, quotas are being met and business is blooming as people need quality equipment to defend themselves from the harsh conditions in the wastes. What were the initial difficulties and obstacles you encountered in constructing and manning something that can only be described as a small town? KV: Getting the camp itself built up was relatively easy, we hired local folk from around Somerset, there were some minor planning errors and revisions along the way and some stuff had to be torn down, but it only cost the construction crews a day or two. The hardest part was finding skilled mechanics and engineers to man the workshops and make sure the factories run properly and maintain the neccessary machinery to keep it all in operation. How do you respond to those who claim that these camps represent the first sign of the emergence of an, at best, isolationist elite class, and at worst a dictatorial ruling power bent on enslaving all the town-living citizens of Evan? BM: They couldn`t be more wrong, we`d never be confident with just enslaving Evan, our eventual plan is to take over the world, develop an advanced space program to go out and enslave other alien species aswell, galactic domination will be mankinds ultimate victory over the forces holding us down and we shall lead you all towards it! The word camp has throughout the history of mankind been associated with many terrifying, tragic or negative concepts, such as the death camps of the mythical holocaust that what little historical documents we have in Evan speak of, and the refugee camps that housed a considerable percentage of the third world in the decades just before the solar apocalypse. Yet, the members of Camp 13 and 15, your very own ARGH alliance, use this word freely and with pride, without any considerations of the words inherent historical connotations and the assumptions that underlie the principles of gated communities. Do you, yourself, perceive any political symbolism or worrying socio-political tendencies in the usage of the word camp as a denotation of your privately owned city-enterprise? Are you aware of the historical connotations inherent in the word? BM: Yes absolutely, our camp is the good kind of camp, like the ones you see in movies, I think it was called Camp Crystal Lake. We`re very concerned about our image, mainly because those posers you mentioned make us look way too soft, but I can guarantee those other so-called camps were nothing compared to our fine establishment here. One of the public concerns raised over the construction of camps is the relatively secret locations of these small havens. While it is indeed possible to members of camps back to their destinations, many citizens of Somerset and Elmsfield have wondered why the locations of these new settlements have not been broadcasted publicly, and why roads and road signs are not being built to accomodate those who wish to visit these sites. Some even say this is only one of many worrying signs of the isolationist atttudes and elitist principles held by the owners of these new fortified townships. What are your comments on this? KV: The main reason is of course the bandit scourge in the wastelands, they can`t attack us if they don`t know where we are! The matter of installing road signs and proper infrastructure to connect the camp with the rest of civilization is a complex one however... BM: There used to be road sings shortly before we took over, you know they make excellent car parts... While making your way to these unwelcoming fortresses is actually possible, the real challenge lies in getting in. One of the most worrying trends of the new camps is the lack of public accessibility, and the requirements of membership even to access these hallowed grounds. Some critics say that this, above anything else, is the primary sign of the moral corruption and possibly disastrous political aspirations held by the camp owners. What say you in your defense? BM: The main reason is security as Kenneth mentioned earlier, but it also extends to our justified fear that any ancient computer gods are trying to infiltrate our ranks and trying to pacify humanity with parasitic mind control implants, the only cure we know of is the drug most commonly known around Evan as Zerk, it restores mental clarity and lets you see through their diabolical schemes and empowers you to strike back, it regenerates long-forgotten agressive and analytical instincts that are essential for resisting their mental domination, some people call it paranoid schizophrenia, but that`s how you know for sure they`re part of the evil destructive conspiracy. So y`all better stay clear from those mutant ganster gods and their mind parasites and soul-stealers sucking our spirit from outer space, or I`ll shoot you... How do you respons to accusations that you have been selling criminally cheap equipment to Gazette employees in order to improve your rapidly plummeting standing with the most influental political organ in Evan, this very paper? KV: Uh.. It was a, clerical error! Definatley not a bribe and everything was one hundred percent juridically correct and of course ethical. Next question please! Is it true that the camps in your ownership harbour several wanted criminals, possibly including members of the feared and hated Klingon Girl Scouts and Empire gangs? KV: You`re right, those pirate gangs are a loathsome force in the wilderness, they attack defenceless trader convoys and do unspeakable things to them, definatley not a nice bunch of people, who knows where they might strike next of from where, you`d have to meet them and ask in person, but not many survive that. I hope that answers your question, also is that all for now? In closing, The Darkwind Gazette wants to thank you for participating in this interview. We wish you excellent luck in your future camp endeavours, and hope for fruitful and cordial relationships between these new settlements and the larger towns. Better watch what you produce in those factories of yours, eh? [laughter] Any last message you would like to impart on our readers? BM: Watch your back inhabitants of Evan, they could be everywhere. KV: Buy our goods, or we`ll kill you! `Bandit` Buster Mata and Kenneth `Winchester` Vargas are slick and clever. As slick and clever as the politicians of the old world. Most importantly, they are prepared to deal with any accusations. Not even our sharpest investigating journalist could wring the truth from their steely countenances and iron wills. But the struggle to determine the truth behind this new exodus, this seemingly so innocent pioneer trend, is one the Darkwind Gazette will not hesitate to escalate, until we know, beyond any doubts, that the camps of northern Evan are indeed something we will all benefit from, and something that will strengthen our civilization. Instead of something that would clap it into irons, and enslave it forever. We will remain ever vigilant. - Monica `Farseer` Curran of the Edgerunners Brandi Burks had made it all the way from Somerset in this thing. It had seemed a ridiculous assignment at the time and now that she had arrived she knew for sure that it was. She asked a few questions around town, checked up on prices and availabilities, and dutifully wrote these in the journal she had been assigned. Then rather than brood in the bar or attract any unwanted attention she got one to go and sat in her car and drank. Gone was the bubbly eager girl of a few weeks ago. She had wanted `in`, and this is what she got. A fool`s errand. Some cruel initiation. But she would show them. But first, she would have to make it back. It would be rough going. It occured to Brandi that her chances were slim, that she was in real danger. The bandits here were many, and their cars were better equipped, as she had noted in her journal. The only thing between her and death was a 4.0, her wits, and her resolve. She had beaten death getting here and after she slept off her buzz it was going to be time to do it again. She had made it here in one piece, and she damn well knew when she made it back to Somerset alive a few people were going to lose some bets. Not far out of the gates and a few upstarts were after her. Three to one odds, old news. They fired a few shots but this was not a new game to her anymore. She tightened her grip on the wheel and had the Phoenix up to 138 before she let off. Her pursuers were long gone. Miles and hours later the fatigue was starting to set in, but there was no time to rest or stop, except for a brief journal entry. She was heading up on an odd spot in the road, where it seemingly ended in a ravine. As she pulled up closer she was about to stop the car and have a look when they sprang. A quick assessment showed no fewer than 5, and the color flushed from her face when she saw that three of those were fast movers, two Phoenixes and one even faster, a Vampire. Unlike her car these had weapons. Clutch out and car moving she looked frantically for an out. The terrain was too rough ahead, and she had no time or speed with which to turn into them. They would be close enough fire soon, the five of them. She was trapped. She had no choice but to head to the edge of the penninsula that was once a road, but there were still no outs and she did not yet have the speed to hope to turn into them. The drop was almost vertical, and here she could see pools of an univiting liquid seething below. Rather than turn and be killed outright, she opted to extend her life by a few adventurous seconds. Like some mythic siren, she went over the grade into the ravine, hoping to lure a few with her to their deaths if they were foolish enough to follow. She felt the ground come out from under the car as she headed over. `This was a bad idea`, she thought for a moment. But during the few seconds of freefall as the car plummetted straight down into the ravine she knew this was the way to go. If you`re going to do it, do it in style. She just wished the guys at home could see her now. She withheld the instinct to call out a triumphant holler, somehow aware in the back of her brain that if she survived the impact she might bite off her tongue. She clenched her jaw tight and braced. The tranquilness of the freefall was rudely interrupted, inevitably, by a sudden --- Jolt. By fate or skill the nose of the car dug in and the back went down and not over the top. She struggled frantically to control the wheel. Now all she had to do was get up the other side. From up top it had looked like about 45 degrees, something barely possible to accomplish with enough speed. From here it looked like a cliff wall. She took it. The car crashed into it rather than climbed it at first but she didn`t let that stop her. She rode it up as far as it would go, to within a car-length of the crest, until inevitable physics took over. The last of her speed used, the car started to slip to the side. A rock next to her exploded into a pile of debris as the first car rifle round barely missed her. And there were more, many more. She turned the wheel and gathered momentum down, turning back into them. It was shallower of an angle that way, and she could see that some of them were indeed foolish enough to have followed her. They wanted blood. But the Earth herself wanted its own share of blood it seemed, and the terrain extracted a heavy price. One of their cars was smoking already and several of them had fared worse than her fighting the rocks on their way down. She went right into them. She dodged most of the enemy fire but many of their weapons found their mark. It was only a matter of time. By the time she passed through them she had almost no armor left except for the front. The driver door was gone, and her blood was spattered on the inside of the windscreen. The 4.0 was smoking, and she was unsure how much of her current speed was just left over momentum. It was a painful few seconds longer than she would have liked but the car finally made it over the crest. A quick glance over her bloody left shoulder and she could see paired car rifles facing her down, barely 30 meters away. She turned what was left of the rear of the car in that direction and laid her foot down. The blood was rushing through her so fast, drowning out everything else, that she didn`t even know if they fired a shot at her. In her mind everything was starting to run together in a chaotic ball of twisted steel, blood, adrenaline and gunshots. A few seconds later, realizing she wasn`t dead yet and had been forgetting, she took 3 quick breaths, then glanced behind her. The steep terrain had broken just enough line of sight for her to get some distance and the sputtering 4.0 was building some small amount of speed. She was alive. For now. With some distance the pain of her wounds became a dull throb. She had smeared the blood off the windscreen enough to drive, but it was time to find a safe place to pull over and assess the car and herself. She pulled off more or less at random and drove until she found a low spot and tended to her wounds. The car would live and she would too if she could find a doctor before too long. She was unsure what to do. She was past the point of no return, so it was closer to Gateway from here. So many dangers on the way, though. With the car crippled she would be lucky to outrun anything and she doubted the armor would survive even one hit from enemy weapons. Waiting was no option either. The auroras here were a deep frightening blue, and she only had enough food and water for a couple days. Then what? And if she died out here who would tell her tale? Did she drive her way into and out of a ravine against impossible odds only to die of exposure hiding in the wilderness in fear? She grabbed the journal off the passenger seat and started writing. The story of the fight. Her feelings. A list of unfinished business, regrets, wishes. Her last will and testament. If she died it would probably end up in the hands of pirates, but there was some chance at least that one of them might know her story, her trials. Maybe it would make its way back to town, one day, a posthumous story of adventure and perserverance. Or maybe she would get to tell the tale herself. She set her resolve and wrote the words To Be Continued and the end of her last entry. Against all odds, she was determined to make it. A few last minute patches to the car and she was off. If she was to die, it would be with her boots on, behind the wheel. Hours passed on the road. She took every nook and cranny she could, staying off the main path and staying hidden. Every mile was a labor, but every mile drew her closer. She started to recognize the terrain around Gateway. She was getting close. Coming around a corner the walls of the town loomed into sight. She gave it some gas, only slowing when she was almost upon it. Thats when she noticed the dust behind her. She could barely make out what it was. A Symphony was deadly at this point. She hit the gas and noticed with horror a second car in front, closing in, probably a Desert Flame. The gate to the town was so close she could see people in the towers. They could surely see her. There was a shallow hill between her and the oncoming car. And she used it for what cover she could get, but the car was between her and the gate. She pressed the gas to the floor and the engine belatedly responded. Cresting the hill she managed to avoid being rammed and passed the car on the right before he could draw a bead. She was close enough to make eye contact with the driver as they passed. He looked like something from a nightmare, out for nothing more than blood revenge against anyone from town he could find. She could hear his car tyres protest as he skidded the car around for a shot. A few heartbeats more passed and she pushed what was left of the engine to get her around the next hill, hoping to break his line of sight. She cast a glance behind, said a quick prayer, then looked up helplessly at one of the wall guards. You can`t fight fate forever. The first round ripped through the car like old newspaper, the second hit the back of the drivers seat with the force of a sledgehammer, passing through it and her easily and splattering her guts all over the inside of the car, just like that. High up on the wall the guard could do nothing but watch the grim spectacle as the pirate pulled away, its goal accomplished. Another driver killed, this time right in front of him. Another life, washed away. `Like tears in rain,` he thought, quoting an old movie. The car finally rolled to a stop below, the driver hanging through the ruined windshield like a rag doll. He looked for motion, some hint of life, but the only movement was from a book of some sort thrown up on the hood, its bloody pages flapping in the howling, remorseless winds. `Like tears... in rain.` By 4saken 1. KLINGON GIRL SCOUTS (Somerset): $4636. |
[Unfortunately, there was no time to finish this article before publication. Please visit your local Gazette office in a few hours to receive a copy of this article, free of charge!]  With the major leagues coming towards their conclusion, the current leaders are: Somerset Combat League - Famiglia Rivera  Alan Gibbs of Kermits Calvary died at Blown With the Wind. Todd Bell of Black Rock died at Blown With the Wind. Pamela Milton of AADA:LA died at Once Upon a Town. Claude `Deja` Vu of The PatPendings died at Lost Trail: Broken Ground. David `Scallywag` Morgan of SD Rollers died at Lost Trail: Dead River. `Sister Mary` Maritza Jarrett of Mambas Maniacs died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop. Bradley Whitehouse of Jackknife Armada died at Smokey Hills. Cheri Campbell of Ricky Ranjits Raiders died at Under a Bloody Red Sky. Holly `Freddy` Krueger of Ricky Ranjits Raiders died at Under a Bloody Red Sky. Rose ``Lee`` Albert of Ricky Ranjits Raiders died at Under a Bloody Red Sky. `Big Daddy` Lloyd Grahm of The Paradise died at Somerset Arena. Robert Walker of the mad mad crushers died at Road to Elmsfield. Kimberly Thompson of Hand Gesture died at Road to Elmsfield. Gretchen Bland of Hand Gesture died at Road to Elmsfield. `Slayer` Alexis Cade of Vigilante Knights died at Somerset Arena. Major Paine of Advanced RaceLabs died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop. Deloris Rhodes of Advanced RaceLabs died at Scattered Hills. Vivian `Handy` Harkins of R.Inc. died at Lost Oasis. Melvin Gray of Roadrage inc. died at Road to Somerset. Regina `Spector` Stephens of AADA:LA died at Northern Foothills Racetrack (at night). Sabine `OcchioDiFalco` Rivera of Famiglia Rivera died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop. Ramiro `Lupo` Rivera of Famiglia Rivera died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop. Barbara `Faina` Rivera of Famiglia Rivera died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop. Greg `Bucky` Brandy of Secret Agent Clan died at Blown With the Wind. `Sir` William Le of Lattes Raiders died at Road to Elmsfield. Chris Cyr of Road Lords died at Gates of Somerset. Tyrone Plante of Gearjammers died at Gates of Firelight. `Skirmisher` Casey Bentz of Vigilante Knights died at Road to Elmsfield. Peggy Kimbro of Team Bansi died at Scattered Grounds. Rosetta `Stone` Almendarez of The Vanguards died at Once Upon a Town. Hector Cabezas of SD Rollers died at Gates of Somerset. Jennifer Spates of Lattes Raiders died at Highway to Hell. Elaine Gustafson of Lattes Raiders died at Highway to Hell. `Sir` Gerald White of Lattes Raiders died at Highway to Hell. Ethel Dick of SecretAgent Clan died at Interstate Mythos. Whitney Downey of AADA:LA died at Pathway to Darkness. `Dame` Perla Wilson of Lattes Raiders died at Road to Elmsfield. Howard `One-Eye` Spicer of The Vanguards died at Somerset Dirt Racing Track. Jamie Foxx of The Thug Matrix died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop. Rick Pruneda of Burntoast and Jelly died at Blown With the Wind. Hobert `Homeopathic` Scott of Mambas Maniacs died at Lost Trail: Broken Ground. Paul `Incoming` Rivera of Mambas Maniacs died at Lost Trail: Broken Ground. Antonio Case of Brain Damaged died at Northern Farm Land. Jim Stone of Street Pizza died at Road to Elmsfield. Rosalind `Man Hunter` Cox of -^-HellRazors-^- died at Road to Somerset. Richard `Steel Gaze` Boothe of Pestilence died at Road to Elmsfield. Bettye Bolan of The Thug Matrix died at Gates of Somerset. Daniel `Hands on` Hanson of Mambas Maniacs died at Somerset Rally Circuit. Dwayne Hicks of Street Pizza died at Under a Bloody Red Sky. Helen Hernandez of Street Pizza died at Under a Bloody Red Sky. Kevin `Halo` Zamudio of Ricky Ranjits Raiders died at Interstate Mythos. Christopher ``Hans`` Christensen of Ricky Ranjits Raiders died at Interstate Mythos. Pamela `Ayres` Bosarge of Ricky Ranjits Raiders died at Interstate Mythos. Amy `Eagle Eye` Reynolds of Mizcreantz died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop. James Doll of Marloks died at Gates of Elmsfield. Ronald Ball of Jackknife Armada died at Road to Somerset. Alison `The Body` Greenleaf of The Flying Hellfish died at Somerset Rally Circuit. Greg `Duke` Blakley of Gearjammers died at Scattered Grounds. Ricky `Outta My Way` Guerra of Burntoast and Jelly died at Northern Speedway. `Sir` Mario Walker of Lattes Raiders died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop. `Sir` Raul Jenkins of Lattes Raiders died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop. Avery ``Kit`` Kittleson of Mudflaps died at Once Upon a Town. Charles McKinnon of The Vanguards died at Scattered Grounds. Lori Ford of Wrights Raiders died at Road to Somerset. George `Wheel Man` Mallory of Hand Gesture died at Road to Elmsfield. John Silver of Hand Gesture died at Road to Elmsfield. Bo Bibeau of Jackknife Armada died at Northern Farm Land. Billy `wear ur vest` Drake of Burntoast and Jelly died at Road to Somerset. Charlette Donnelly of Wrights Raiders died at Road to Elmsfield. Iva Baker of Wrights Raiders died at Road to Elmsfield. Jonathan Holmes of Delta 88s died at Road to Elmsfield. Rodger `Red` Herring of Ricky Ranjits Raiders died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop. Carlos Peterson of Brain Damaged died at Northern Farm Land. Adam Devers of The Thug Matrix died at Gates of Somerset. James Klotz of Lab Rats died at Lost Oasis. Nancy Smythe of KLINGON GIRL SCOUTS died at Road to Elmsfield. `Don` Juan Berg of Kermits Calvary died at Road to Elmsfield. Lucy `PARTY GIRL` Reynolds of KLINGON GIRL SCOUTS died at Gates of Somerset. `the lord` Jesus Craig of BAMBAM died at Pathway to Darkness. Rafael Bird of BAMBAM died at Pathway to Darkness. Josephine `Quickdraw` Lane of Smoke me a kipper died at Lost Trail: Overland. Charles Christian of the mad mad crushers died at Once Upon a Town. Gloria Rogers of the mad mad crushers died at Northern Farm Land. Sophie Cunningham of Mambas Maniacs died at Once Upon a Town. Vera Hagedorn of Lattes Raiders died at Gates of Somerset. Jennifer Olsen of Jackknife Armada died at Once Upon a Town. Susan Graham of Jackknife Armada died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop. Katherine Barbour of The Vanguards died at Road to Elmsfield. James Thurmond of We B Right died at Lost Oasis. `Solo` Mia Nave of 88 MPH died at Sandy. Jan Walker of We B Right died at Gates of Somerset. Aaron Hughes of GovermantResistance died at Scattered Grounds. `Thumper` Bambi Grahm of The Paradise died at Somerset`s Junkyard, Race Track 2. Ramiro `Boom Town` Bohanan of SD Rollers died at Lost Trail: Dead River. Iluminada `Lux Interior` Luciani of SD Rollers died at Lost Trail: Dead River. David `Horn-Dawg` Horner of SD Rollers died at Lost Trail: Dead River. Amy `Snagglepuss` Richter of SD Rollers died at Lost Trail: Dead River. Betty `Boom-Boom` Bloom of SD Rollers died at Lost Trail: Dead River. Peter Hare of The PatPendings died at Once Upon a Town. Brenda McCullough of The Paradise died at Interstate Mythos. `Stinky` Jasmin Oquendo of Mambas Maniacs died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop. Ian Bender of Road Lords died at Road to Elmsfield. Providencia Sierra of The Vanguards died at Scattered Hills. Ericka McKee of The Vanguards died at Scattered Hills. Steven Jones of The Vanguards died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop. |