Story Market Day

I'm waiting for a full operational feature catalogue for those drones. With the right options, they could be real force multipliers for the Clan and even if they only provide over the horizon vision, still a score for their Armoury.
 
"Hamstring tear, Vitreous Humor separation" IIRC can both be wear & tear related but it would probably help if you stopped taking crap down head-on.

None of us are indestructible or young enough to bounce off things so, . . . cut yourself a little slack.
 
At the Training Building


Angelique was rechecking her gear in case Garen and the rest ran into trouble. She knew she had everything ready, but…Allyson would call it a nervous habit, and she was probably right. Her twenty-something time through the gear was interrupted by Hanna and Rahel backing their vehicle into the main bay.

“I thought you already had your gear in the truck?” She asked Rahel as she stepped out of the cab.

“Kara had some stuff she picked up out and about. She said it was for the big black trucks.” Rahel said as she started unloading boxes and putting them against the wall near one of the vehicle lifts.

Angelique helped. There were boxes of electronic components, spools of wire, electric motors, and two long, heavy telescoping poles. She couldn’t quite tell what all of this was.

“OK, what kind of erector set is this?”

“I don’t know, but Kara said it would make Garen giggle.”
 
ComCamGuy said:
At the Training Building


Angelique was rechecking her gear in case Garen and the rest ran into trouble. She knew she had everything ready, but…Allyson would call it a nervous habit, and she was probably right. Her twenty-something time through the gear was interrupted by Hanna and Rahel backing their vehicle into the main bay.

“I thought you already had your gear in the truck?” She asked Rahel as she stepped out of the cab.

“Kara had some stuff she picked up out and about. She said it was for the big black trucks.” Rahel said as she started unloading boxes and putting them against the wall near one of the vehicle lifts.

Angelique helped. There were boxes of electronic components, spools of wire, electric motors, and two long, heavy telescoping poles. She couldn’t quite tell what all of this was.

“OK, what kind of erector set is this?”

“I don’t know, but Kara said it would make Garen giggle.”
Click to expand...
the infamous tower for the camera from the run down south in the big black truck
 
Bekka and Garen’s


I felt so bad. I was so weak. My brain wouldn’t lock on earlier. When Garen left to go to help Allyson in town, I was pouring myself into what I normally would in such a situation. I was on the radios, on the maps, trying to plot and plan, but it was no use. My brain wouldn’t lock on.

It was so hard to force myself to pace myself, to make me do what I had to, to continue healing, to continue getting better. The problem was, I felt like a fraud.

This last time I got hurt, I fell into the trap. I remembered I wasn’t the strong one. It was always Kathryn. She was the strong one. She was always my cheerleader, my compass, the engine that got me through.

Once she was gone, my rudder, my engine was gone. The only way I got through things the first several years after she died was to ask myself ‘what would Kathryn do?’ or tell myself I couldn’t disappoint her. As I got older and adjusted to the hole in my life, it wasn’t as deliberate.

I got stronger, more forceful, more commanding. All of that was a big change to the shy ‘little’ sister of the bold and outgoing Kathryn, who was less than an hour older, but my beacon and my shining star. I forged ahead in the darkness.

Somewhere in the darkness as Emilia was saving me, getting me off the field, I surrendered. I couldn’t be the strong one anymore. I reached into that well and came up dry. I cried as I realized I was disappointing Kathryn.

That’s when I felt it. Something I hadn’t felt in so long. I couldn’t explain it if I tried. Not to Garen, not to Kara. I felt that she was with me. Kathryn.

I don’t remember a lot after that, but it would seem like she was with me sometimes, almost like when she taught me how to ice skate, skating beside me, helping me balance.

The problem was, it was like being a drug addict. I craved her presence but it wasn’t like just going to a corner and scoring a rock. It wasn’t like I could command it to happen. It would only happen in a moment of true weakness.

The other night I couldn’t focus, couldn’t make any of it make sense in my head. I even thought I saw her, just a glimpse out of the corner of my eye a time or two. I knew my brain wasn’t making sense. I finally had to do something about it. I had to feel close to her, to get…something.

I went to the barn and sat with the horses, hoping the shared memories would help me connect and settle down some things. I remember sitting down on the haybale, then I kinda remember Isadora.

I got to the house and found a list of things to do in my pocket on the pad I always carried. They all made sense, and it took care of things. Problem was, it was a lot of delegations (not my strong suit) and it was in Kathryn’s handwriting. Looking out for me again. I love her, I miss her, and I feel like I disappointed her. I should have been able to handle it.

I felt bad for Angelique when she got home. She had been gone almost two weeks and felt so behind on everything, but to be fair, she was. When I told her the plan Katheryn had me write down, she had a look like I was telling her to drop the toaster into the tub to make pizza. She wasn’t sure what to do when Ruby showed up either.

Ruby showing up with food was a surprise, even though it shouldn’t have been. The girl had an energy and a vibrancy about her. I felt like a vampire, trying to recharge my energy by absorbing it from her. Why shouldn’t I? She was throwing off so much and had plenty to spare.

Her energy was a great fit here. I loved the fact the cats seemed to accept her. One of these days, it might all be hers anyway unless Allyson and Angelique determine otherwise after Kara, Garen and I are gone.

Kara. When Kara got home, Ruby and I were in the living room. I was listening to some of Kathryn’s favorite songs. I hadn’t told Ruby that little tidbit, but I was still trying to keep connected to Kathryn. Kara wasn’t sure what was going on, and my attempt to explain didn’t make any sense.

At least Garen, Allyson and the others are on their way back now. Until they get home, Merlin will try his tuning fork powers, and if the purring isn’t enough, it’s hard to sit up with twenty plus pounds of cat holding you down.
 
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In the Vehicles In Town


They had shuffled vehicle seats and plans a few times before they left the industrial park. Each iteration had its benefits and its downsides. The final version was one taking into account all kinds of factors like familiarity with the area, medical capability, driving capability with particular vehicles, experience and comfort in operating solo in a vehicle, and on and on. Normally this was the thing Garen deferred to Bekka for, but she wasn’t here.

Garen was still driving the Suburban. Petra and Jonas were still in her truck. Allyson’s truck had Penny driving, and Ian and Nadia as passengers. The three Interceptors had Allyson and Ren solo and Alonzo and Mia in the third.

This all became more important if the scatter plan came into play. Alonzo and Mia would latch onto Penny’s bumper and go with them. Allyson would stick with Petra. That left Ren and Garen as partners if it came to that.

They had multiple plans, multiple meet up locations, and different routes back to safety. Some of them were simple, some were more drawn out and involved. A few had them running south and looping into the Southern Camp. A couple had them snaking into the hills. Others had them moving into hole up locations and waiting for help. The big thing they wanted to avoid was dragging trouble back to the house.
 
At the Southern Camp


“Do I even want to know?” Brice asked Violet.

“Not really. All I really know is Kara called down to have a crew set up a safety net in case they ended up with a crew needing help down this way. We aren’t going anywhere unless they call for it.”

“Do I even want to know what the plan is?”

“Hopefully? You, me, Veronica, Dad, Poppa and Kingfisher all sit around the table in the rec hall drinking coffee and listening to the radio until the crew gets home safely.”

“And when they don’t?”

“If it’s a mechanical breakdown, you and a couple others like me head out to fix the problem and bring them in if it’s on our half of the area and they were headed our way.” Violet said.

“And if it’s not a mechanical breakdown?”

“Hopefully, if it goes that route, and I don’t think it will, but if it does, then A couple of us go out to pull their fat from the fire.”
 
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At the Admin Building in Southern Camp


Veronica was headed for the door when the diminutive blond came in, pack on her shoulder.

“Where are we staging?”

“Where is who staging?” She asked her.

“The alert crew. You need a medic.” Emilia said.

Veronica stood there a moment, the gears in her head whirling before she responded.

“In the rec hall. We aren’t sure if anyone is going, but we are getting prepped just in case.”
 
ComCamGuy said:
At the Admin Building in Southern Camp


Veronica was headed for the door when the diminutive blond came in, pack on her shoulder.

“Where are we staging?”

“Where is who staging?” She asked her.

“The alert crew. You need a medic.” Emilia said.

Veronica stood there a moment, the gears in her head whirling before she responded.

“In the rec hall. We aren’t sure if anyone is going, but we are getting prepped just in case.”
Click to expand...

Nothing quite like having a teen demonstrate the normal on-watch procedures for the new adults.

Great job Emilia!
 
In the Rec Hall


Emilia walked into the rec hall /dining room. It wasn’t hard to see where she was headed, even if she didn’t already know. At one end of the space was a fireplace, in front of which was several large couches and chairs in a semi-circle facing the fireplace.

Over the fireplace was a huge television they sometimes watched movies on in the evenings down here. To one side of the fireplace was the huge wooden road map of the park. It was made decades ago and used to live in the old CCC built admin building before they moved it to the new admin building lobby years ago. Now it was here, serving it’s purpose again. Made of dovetailed planks joined together, all the roads were inlaid and painted and the whole thing lacquered, it took up most of the wall on that side of the fireplace.

In front of that was a pair of rolling whiteboards. They were covered in notes, maps, frequencies and so many scribbles it looked like Aztec hieroglyphics translated into Nordic runes as drawn by drunken anime characters. Emilia knew she would be trying to sort some of it out later. Right now, her focus was on the people in the chairs and couches clustered around the large coffee table in the middle.

She knew all the people here. There were no surprises. This was also not the place for the ‘B’ team if something had to happen. After everything that has happened to her and with her over the last couple months, she has had to accept they didn’t consider her the ‘B’ team, even if she felt like it still. What she did know was she had earned a place here in front of the fireplace, even if she didn’t necessarily want it.

She stepped closer and dropped her bag behind one of the unclaimed seats before stepping around the couch to join them at the coffee table. She glanced at the circle of people. She was the youngest here by far, almost half the age of the next youngest. The oldest were maybe three times her age. All of them had spent literal years doing this sort of stuff, and here she was, throwing herself into the mix. Because they needed her.

Her arrival caught Silas’ eye. He looked over at Ivar who was pointing out something on a map to Kingfisher.

“That’s one problem solved. Your medic’s here.” He said.

Ivar looked over at Silas, then at Emilia.

“Good. I didn’t know you were down here. That solves a big gap. Amber, Savannah and Deloris are making sure the clinic is ready. Chance was on his way up to Larissa’s to do a check up on some goats.” And he went back to the map in front of him.

She saw Kingfisher looking at her. He winked and smiled before turning back to the map. She looked at the others. Violet was comparing some notes with Veronica, bringing her up to speed on something. Brice was adding something else to the board.

No histrionics. No grand theatrics. Just an acceptance of her and her place in things.


Later


The plan seemed to be finished, or at least as finished as this sort of thing could be. There was only one more addition at the moment. Dillon was added to the ‘sit around’ crew. Depending on what presented, he might be added to come along with one of the small drones.

Emilia had her position defined. If they launched, she would be going with Veronica and Violet in one of the G-Wagons. They would be dedicated to overwatch and med support. Depending on the problem, the other possible crews would be Kingfisher, Silas and Brice if it was mechanical, or if it was a full-fledged shitshow, they would add Ivar and Dillon for an additional overwatch and recce element.

They had more reinforcements coming their way, but they weren’t here yet. One more medic to add to the group was on her way. It would have been two, but he was on his way up to the eastern compound right now.
 
At the Eastern Camp


“So, what brings you up this way?” Stephen asked Doug and he and Lydia got out of his vehicle.

“Two things. I’m showing Lydia around the park and I’m here to pick your brain some for an upcoming project.” Doug said.

Stephen led Doug and Lydia inside. Barbara knew Doug was here for more than just a chat and had Lydia help her take some stuff into the small workshop area where Lacy and Gabe were working on his newest projects.

It didn’t take long before Lacy and Gabe put Lydia to work cutting lacing and rawhide strips. This let Barbara go back in and see what trouble Doug brought them. She found them at the dining room table.

“…but edge protection would be a thing.” Doug said.

“I guess one of the big unknows would be if the elevator is in the way, below the target floor or still up above.” Stephen said.

“Do I want to know what kind of ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ heist you two are planning?” Barbara asked as she walked up.

“A trip to the hospital to get incubators and anything else we come across is coming up. They were trying to figure a good way to get the stuff down from the upper floors without muscling it all down the stairs. Someone remembered the beds in the hospital should be equipped with a giant Sked under each mattress to evacuate patients in an emergency, and that led to the idea of using them to make bundles, which led to the idea of lowering the bundles down the elevator shafts, which led them to come to me for vertical rescue, then that led me to here so Stephen could help me plan.” Doug said.

“We’ve got several thousand foot spools of 13mm static, plus the three hundred- and six-hundred-foot rescue bags, already stocked with pulleys and slings and edge rollers, but it’s better to plan this shit out before doing the shit on-site.” Stephen said.

“We’ve got the A-Frame for high directional…” Barbara said.

“Yeah, but the trick would be how to make it work inside. The braces are fine, it’s the anchors we run into issues.” Doug said.

“Why don’t we figure out what we need it to do, then figure the gear for that first, then we work the frame and anchor issue.” Stephen said.

“Ideally, we need some way to place a pulley directly over the shaft. Then a pulley so we can attach the load and lower it on a rope.” Doug said.

“One advantage is it’s lowering, not lifting. It’s not like doing a Big Wall style gear haul.” Barbara said.

“Good point. That means we can get away with one pulley and a belay device.” Doug said.

“I’m thinking ladder rack for the belay. That will let us adjust for the weight of each bundle.” Stephen said.

“Once we know the length we are lowering each time, we could set that distance for the clip in on both sides of the pulley. That way we don’t have to haul the free end back up each time. With the ladder rack concept, if we use two, the bundle going down brings the other side clip in up. We switch the belay to that side, and send the next bundle.” Barbara said.

The next hour or so was spent working the details of such a rope rig out. Things like the swivel to keep things from twisting too much, to belay rigs, to how many pullies, to belay plates and so on and so on.

After figuring out what they were doing once they had the magical mythical pulley hanging in the middle of the elevator shaft, the next puzzle they addressed was how to hang said pulley.

“With all the weight being directional, and downward at that, we could go with an A frame type thing. We make some big U shaped ends on the legs to rest against the floor at the opening, then lean the point of the ‘A’ against the far wall of the shaft. Let gravity hold it in place.” Doug said.

“If we make the frame right, we carry the parts up, bolt them together beside the shaft like the ones we have for rope rescue in the park.” Stephen said.

“So, the big thing is figuring the anchors for the belayers. How about the window rappel anchor things?” Barbara asked.

“That might work as a backup, but they can fall as soon as the tension is released. I say we go simpler. A good old beam across a doorway with some honking C-Clamps to keep it from moving would be simpler and easier to monitor.” Doug said.

“Sounds like a plan. Who all goes to make it happen?” Barbara asked.

“Best bet would be if all three of us planned to go. That way if any of us can’t, then there is still plenty of brainpower who understands the plan.” Doug said.

“How soon?” Stephen asked.

“Couple of days, maybe a week? Soon, I know that.” Doug said.

Stephen looked over at Barbara. They nodded to each other.

“Let us know when and where.” Stephen told Doug.
 
Later at the Southern Camp Rec Room


Heidi came into the Rec room, her eyes sweeping left and right. She saw her first target. She walked up to where Silas and Veronica were looking at a map and some notes. Her pack and gear went behind one of the couches as she walked closer.

“Catch me up.”

Veronica glanced at Silas before starting to speak. He gave her a nod.

“OK, Garen has a crew with six vehicles coming back in from town. Allyson was on a solo vehicle scavenging mission that went large, called for drivers and repair. Garen, Petra and some others rolled out and now they are on their way back. They were worried about getting jumped since they didn’t roll heavy. They are also in the southern part of the town so if they hit the cockroach button, some or all might be headed this way from the outside. Kara, Rahel and Angelique are ready to reinforce or cut off pursuit from the north, and we are setting up to do the same down here if it comes this way.”

Heidi swept the room again. She saw who was here Ivar, Silas, Violet, Veronica, Kingfisher, Brice…Her eye caught other details Derek and Gretchen were over at one of the tables covered in books, sitting with Emilia. Except Emilia was dressed for a mission. She turned back to Veronica.

“I take it I’m dual-hatted on your chart.”

Veronica smiled, even if it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Yeah. That gives us two medics, and if needed you can put your other hat on if we need the firepower if you brough the MG3.”

“What’s the evac platform?”

“We will roll a pair of G Wagons if we go. One will be the primary medical, the other the primary mechanical. Whichever problem we are going for, the other supports. Right now, I have Emilia in with Brice and Kingfisher, and you in with me and Silas. Depending on the situation, Ivar and Dylan will be in a third vehicle with the small drone to provide ISR.”
 
Heidi thought a moment on this. The Interim Fast Attack Vehicle G wagons were great Swiss Army Knife vehicles, but fell short in some things.

“Do you already have the med one set up?”

“Such as?” Veronica asked.

“If it’s going to be primarily for med use if we roll, then we can go ahead and strap down a Stokes litter to dump the patient into, have med gear pre-positioned, and so on and so forth.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Why don’t you take Emilia and her students out and work it.”

Heidi looked over at where Emilia was sitting with Derek and Gretchen.


Outside


Heidi had collected the three, plus the pair of portable dust mops, and moved outside to where the vehicles for the mission were parked. It was easy to tell which was which. One of the Gs had a bunch of tools and supplies secured in part of the back. This made her think about another future project.

She turned towards her crew.

“OK, Emilia here’s my plan. Let’s set up both vehicles for the med work in case we need to do it. I’m thinking we set mine up with Stokes like we did way back when with the six-wheeler. If we can, we do the same for the other one you are in. That way we are already set.”

“This would be easier if we had the Tahoe they set up for this sort of thing.” Emilia said.

“I know. They are setting up a couple more from the other SUVs they got from the subdivision, but they are in pieces right now waiting on Petra to finish going over them and Brice is building the new brackets for everything so Rahel and Alonzo can finish the interiors.”

Heidi turned to Derek and Gretchen.

“And once they do finish, you two will start learning how to drive them. The goal is to have two of them down here, and you two will start having more duties along those lines. I know you are studying your ass off,” she said to Gretchen, “and you are learning enough alongside her to be a useful helper.” She said to Derek, “so the pair of you will probably end up doing some of the medical errands in the park on top of everything else we keep throwing at you. He’ll drive while you take care of the medicine in the back, and he will know enough to lend a hand if you need it.”

She saw these two hadn’t considered this or haven’t been told this was the plan. Well, tough. These two had great raw skill and talent and she and Doug were going to pit it to good use.

Heidi and Doug had a couple long talks. As much as Heidi didn’t want to admit it, Emilia was going to be in the middle of things a lot. If Doug and her could try to keep most of it stuff inside the park, it might be a tad safer. Heidi’s plan was to sell it to Bekka and Garen as grooming Emilia to take over and run things from the middle of the park eventually like how Angelique was being trained by them.

If Emilia was going to do that, she would need help. Derek and Gretchen were you, enthusiastic and competent. If they kept growing and learning on the path they were on, they would be a great pairing to work with Emilia. Then there’s the other factor

If Emilia had long term deep feelings for Derek and Gretchen, and if the three of developed it into something real and long lasting, who knew where that could lead.

Heidi shoved that to the side for now, but not before she wondered about if any of them had talked to Veronica or Violet about any of this.

‘Back on track!’ she told herself.

“You guys go grab the Stokes baskets. I’ll get Brice to help with the brackets.”
 
Out at the Vehicles


Heidi was going back and forth. Brice was doing things in a few short minutes that it would have taken others hours. They needed a way to secure the litter so there was a space to hold a patient as they went down the road back to the park. Heidi had a flash memory of riding down the trail in the six-wheeler headed towards the Southern Camp, Emilia at the wheel, prepping for the fight.

She looked over at the other vehicle. Emilia was going through the preps with Derek and Gretchen, showing where things get mounted for ready access. This continued the flashback. She even recognized some of the phrases and concepts Doug had used when they set up the six-wheeler. Now Emilia, her little girl, was the one teaching and guiding others.

Heidi zoned out momentarily, then the moment was gone. The vehicle prep went quickly. Too quickly. They were getting too much practice. Heid looked at her spot in the back of the G Wagon. If she went out, Veronica and Silas would be in the front, and she would be in the back. She hoped they didn’t have to roll.

She was finishing up when Veronica and Silas came out to the vehicle. They weren’t in a hurry, so she could hope.

“Hey, they are out of the southern routes and closer to the northern routes. We are probably clear.” Veronica said as she walked up.

“Yeah, we should be able to relax a little instead of sitting in the Rec Center on edge.” Silas added.

“OK, so…” Heidi asked.

“Just keep your radio on, and we’ll give a shout if things change. We’ll keep the vehicles loaded so all we have to do is hop in and go.” Veronica said.
 
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