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In

[b][u][h1]Ponder on the Past I: Search for the Power Source[/h1][/u][/b]
Time: What is supposed to be Midday, 200 years in the future
Location: What was once Pine Bluff, Arkansas[/center]

The sun started to rise on the planes of Arkansas. The yellow glow of the sun revealed the dying grasses of what was once the lowlands of the Natural State. From the planes, Pine Bluff looks like a ruined city, each of the buildings weathered from the destruction of an event a long time ago. The roads throughout the city were cracked with gigantic fissures, the troughs of the ground gathering the dust and dry dirt from the planes as the constant, strong northwesterly winds. Very few creatures could be seen on the streets, even though the light started to brighten up the buildings around. Somewhere in the center of the city, there was some activity within the ruined structures. Inside was one of the few settlements in the country, hidden away in the nuclear bunkers that were built at some point before the Cataclysm occurred. The settlement, known only as Pine Bluff Settlement 149, was the largest in the city and had been fortified to prevent the nightmares that roamed the ruined world.

Inside Settlement 149, people were rushing across the bunker as the beginning of the day occurred. The dwellers of the settlement each had a job to do. Some went into the heart of the bunker to work on drawing the groundwater in order for everyone to have their own rations for the day as water was scarce. Some wander out through the thick, steel doors to tend to the hardy sorghum crops that would grow in this world. Some other were either with the farmers or at the main entranceway with improvised, bladed weapons that were forged from the bunker. Then, there were a few men at the heart of the bunker, keeping the power levels at sustainable levels to make sure everything works like clockwork. The latter job was especially important as if the power were to go out and the creatures on the outside world attacked, the dwellers would be wiped due to the creature’s superiority in the dark. But the dwellers had one weapon that the creatures didn’t have full knowledge over. And that weapon was inside the power room.

At the heart of the power room, two men were talking. One of the men were scrawny, disheveled glasses crossing his face as he was typing onto the console with dirtied, torn brown fingerless gloves. The heat of the room meant that his sweat was saturating the engineer clothes he had on: a white t-shirt in denim overalls and a brown engineer’s coat over it. The other man, apart from the sweat following the creases of the burnt half of his face, looked on sternly at the computer screen. The brown jacket hid the grey armour underneath, but the jeans shown to be dirty from the numerous journeys in the outside world. “… in summary, we are still short on power to run the machine,” the engineer summarized, turning away from the screen to look at the other man for the response.

[color=#4682b4]”That’ll just mean that I’ll need to head out again and get a bigger power supply,”[/color] the man responded, shrugging at the problem. His eyes, one dark blue and one milky white, turned to look at the man he was discussing the project with. [color=#4682b4]”It’s not like that I have done the journey before. Already been to the nearby town’s hardware stores to…”[/color]

“You’re not getting the point!” The engineer retorted, prompt with the response. “In order to get the power needed to even get the machine on, let alone to achieve a stable space-time wormhole, we need a nuclear power supply. And the only place close enough to get some sort of nuclear supplies is Nuclear One. That’s a day’s journey getting there alone, nevermind looking for the necessary materials and getting back. We don’t have enough fuel to getting you there and back. It’s going to be too much to organize logistically, even with the Officer’s approval. I’m sorry.”

The man sighs. [color=#4682b4]”Well, I’ll work things, out one way or another. The Officer doesn’t rule over my comings and goings. As for the fuel, I will improvise something when it comes to it.”[/color]

“Even if the Officer does not rule over what you do, he does have control over the fuel and the vehicles that Settlement 149 owns. I think he wouldn’t allow one of the vehicles to go do something that might end up being a dead end when the vehicle could be used for something immediate. I’m sorry, but it looks like we will have to stop this dream plan here permanently.” 

The other man frowned. The news certainly didn’t sit with him at all. Without saying a word, he turned and walked towards the exit of the power station. As he headed out, his left hand curled into a fist and punched metal tank, denting the inch-thick plating. The engineer looked on as the man left, concern over his face. “Don’t do anything rash, my son.”
---------
A few hours later, outside the staging area where the vehicles were housed for security. The building, an old warehouse with large sliding metal doors, had plenty of dwellers in the area armed to the teeth with the bladed weapons and the few ranged weapons, the majority of the firearms broken by the creatures and mutants that roam the planes to make sure they were the dominant species in the world. The vehicles consisted of mainly restored vehicles from the streets with parts recovered from the various auto shops in the city, but there were a few military vehicles obtained from the arsenal base that was located near the city. With the military vehicles, there were a couple of canisters of white phosphorous obtained, though there were plans to obtain more in the case that the chemicals worked on the mutants. There were also numerous motorbikes that were used for scouting vehicles for future missions. For the man with the burns on his face, this was the type of vehicle that he would need.

He climbed through the windows of the warehouse, landing on the metal shelves that were inside that held the various auto parts. Checking the see of the coast was clear, he dropped to the ground and began his search for keys and fuel. With the various journeys he had taken for Settlement 149, the keys were easy to obtain, though breaking the lock of the storage box would be easily discovered. But hopefully by then, he would be long gone. As for the fuel, he waited behind more shelves as there were two workers at the station. They were taking an age to leave the fueling station and the man needed to leave in order to arrive at the nuclear power station with daylight. [color=#4682b4]”Sorry guys,”[/color] he muttered, turning around the corner. And then he vanished into thin air, only to reappear next to the two men. [color=#4682b4]”I’m on a tight schedule.”[/color] Grabbing both of the men, he rammed both of them together with his abnormal strength, both men collapsing into a heap shortly after their heads collided. Grabbing a fuel can, he reached his chosen motorbike, a Harley Davidson Low Rider, and began fueling it. By now, alarms would have been raised as there is usually short shifts between everyone in the warehouse to keep fresh eyes on each of the vehicle components. He jumped on the bike and started the engine, but a cutting voice reached his ears.

“Stop what you are doing there, Mutant.”

The man known as Mutant looked up to see a line of armed men, guns pointing in his direction. In the middle of the group was a sharply dressed man. The man had greasy hair, all slicked back. His glasses look neatly in line with his ears, the brown irises looking coldly at the man on the bike. The military blue uniform, taken from the military base where the military vehicles and the chemicals came from, were neatly pressed and the black shoes shining in the light in the warehouse. “You can get off the bike and come with me to my office. You have a lot of explaining to do. The assault on your fellow dwellers, the unauthorized use of my vehicles, the reasons behind it all. All will be…”

[color=#4682b4]”Oh cut your shit out, you dumb fuck,”[/color] the Mutant snapped back. [color=#4682b4]”Everyone here knows that there is no friendliness between ‘The Officer’ and ‘The Wanderer’. They also know that you sure as hell do not have control over me. The Commander made sure of that before he passed away.”[/color] The other men on the line started to have a hesitant body posture at the mention of The Commander, who founded the settlement and made it the way it was before he passed away a few weeks ago. While the man on the bike remained poised, The Officer’s hands visibly clenched in anger. [color=#4682b4]”So no, I am not going into your office and explain my actions. And everyone knows not to try to attack me. While I do not want any ill to occur to Settlement 149, everyone knows that I am capable of. The results will lead the mutants to this settlement and no one would be able to stop them. So let me ask you this once: get out of my way and let me do what needs to be done.”[/color]

“How… DARE you… Talk to me like that, Mutant!” The Officer spat, venom laced in his voice. “While the Commander did give you immunity for any persecution under his regime, you do not have that immunity under mine. The only thing that The Commander guaranteed is that I would never be able to exile you from the settlement, but I sure as hell can punish you as I see fit. Especially if you do not come to my office quietly and give me a damn good reason for everything that has occurred today. So let me ask you again: Turn off that bike and come with us quietly. There is no…”

[color=#4682b4]”I do not have time for this,”[/color] The Wanderer said, the flames flickering in his eyes. He raised his right hand towards the line of men. Slowly, purple flames started emanating at first from his hands, then covering his entire forearms. However, the flames did not burn the fabric at all but was a show of the psionic powers that the man was capable of. [color=#4682b4]”I can assure you, my threat is real. The mutants in the city will be alerted to my oncoming attack and you will be long dead before Settlement 149 gets destroyed and everyone here are able to fire a single shot from those firearms. You are truly testing my patience and are ruining the schedule I have in mind. So I will repeat this one more time: Get the fuck out of my way or I will destroy this entire building.”[/color]

The Officer gritted his teeth with anger, almost ready to give the command to fire on The Wanderer. However, the purple flames’ light on the Mutant’s arms growing in intensity was halting the possible idea. After a couple of intense minutes, the person in charge of Settlement 149 groaned. “Stand down and open the bloody doors!” As the line disappeared and obeyed the commands, The Officer glowered as The Wanderer moved the motorbike towards the door. As soon as the doors were opened, the man sped off, disappearing from street view. Lashing out by kicking at the metal steps, The Officer turned to the men still in the warehouse. “Gear up and follow that bastard! I don’t want him returning to this place at all! Leave no trace of his existence and return my bike!”