[IC] Metro 2044: Returning to the Surface [Jakeozzy & Jambo1117]

[Jakeozzy]

"Well, this is our first 'waypoint'... Date: April 7th, 2044. Weather: No snow, but damn freezing. Location: Uh.. to be honest I have no idea, but on my finely drawn map this is a port village that my father used. It's surprisingly intact, a little rotten looking, but that's just the surface these days." Viktor began to speak, having scouted ahead of the others so he could get a good look at the target. He was speaking into a mobile recorder. "From initial recon, ...no, there doesn't seem to be anything moving down there. Dad secured a boat in a cabin there and a lot of fuel. Who knows if it's still there, or even operational? And if the thing is fucking irradiated we might as well just off ourselves right now and save us all the vomiting and pain. To get to France, we've got no other choice than to sail. I really hope there aren't mutant sharks in the Channel... I'll report back when.. well, IF we reach waypoint two, a small fishing village in Normandy."

With that first report out of the way, Viktor crawled backwards and stood back up when he was out of sight of that village. Had to be careful in case there really was someone down there. "Nathan," Vik said as he approached the others, "Looks clear. Mind: looks. We better be cautious when we move in just in case."

Johnathan pulled himself up and clicked the safety off his G36, just in case things went south. He loved going in to danger head on... But right now he just wanted to move, get the blood flowing so that he wasn't freezing.

"C'mon, Sammy." The elder of the Kerry sisters said as she stopped blowing warm air into her hands, and instead rested them on her rifle. She remained crouched though, as she was usually the one who stayed behind to cover everyone else, while her beloved sister would remain with her for safety until the fighting ended.

[Jambo1117]

"Looks clear, let's hope it is, but if it's. We've all brought a friend" Nathan smiled, as he locked and loaded the his rifle. Nathan quietly laughed, but then turned serious again. "Right, John, on me. No point standing around, we'll only a catch a cold" Nathan looked to Lauren and Sammy. "Do what you do best" He smiled, and then turned to Viktor again. "Remind me why we're doing this again? I'm here to make sure you're gonna get through this, I owe your Father my life. But what's worth risking each of my team members life for?"

"Coming" Sammy smiled, she had her head in a book, well more a few pages. It was one of her first read Medical journals, and she loved to keep it with her, some sort of lucky charm, or whatever. She turned to her sister. "Do you think I should go in with them this time? They might need me in there"

[Jakeozzy]

"If you feel confident enough, you can go with them. I'll be here to end anyone who so much as looks at you the wrong way." Lauren cheerfully said, going prone at the same spot Viktor was in a few moments earlier. Looking through her scope, she couldn't see anything moving in the village. Still, constant surveillance kept people alive.

As Viktor and John took up Nathan's flanks and readied their rifles, the Russian rolled his eyes, "We're looking for other surviving communities in the world. Royal Station wants us to see if Paris' metro system houses any people. And after we check Paris, there's a whole bunch of other cities we need to see about in Europe. This could take years..."

"Heh, we're either going to starve or freeze. I wonder which." John joked. Dark humor was just his thing... The guy meant well.

[Jambo1117]

"I think I should pull my weight, don't want to always be the liability of the group" Sam said to her sister, as she bent down, and placed a kiss to her head. "If anything should happen to me, I love you, okay?" She said, and quickly stood up. "I'm ready for this" She nodded to herself, and started a small jog over to the others.

"Years on a mission to see if there's anybody else out there, besides us and Moscow, right? Got it." Nathan smiled, he knew what the mission was, and he knew how to survive out here. Shoot first. "I don't want to starve, maybe freeze" Nathan joked, he always did get along with John and his humor. Nathan turned to see Sam was jogging up to them, and signalled the group to stop. "What's up, Sam? Something wrong out there?"

"Oh, no.. Nothing, I just wanted to help out for once. If that's okay?"

[Jakeozzy]

Lauren smiled at her younger sister's enthusiasm, then got back to her scoping out. Though she'd probably deny it later,

"In all seriousness though, boss... This is something we'll just fly through. Unless apocalyptic France is a worse hell than ours is." John said as the four, now joined by Samantha, neared the village. Every now and again he glanced back at Lauren's concealed sniping spot. She'd notify them if she saw something. But so far there was nothing to report. "Hey kid, you stay out of trouble if you feel like you need to. We're all here to watch each others backs, eh?" John said, this time to their smaller companion.

Viktor raised his rifle as they came within 30 meters of the randomly organised buildings. John followed suit, but his rifle was tilted slightly to the ground - he was much more relaxed about this kind of thing.

[Jambo1117]

"Fly through? What if we're walking into an ambush? There's many a possibilities here, but you're right. We will fly through it" Nathan said.

"I'll be fine, I mean, I have you guys, and Lauren. And it's about time I pulled my own weight, I need to do more. I want to make my sister proud" Samantha said to the group. She pulled her pistol out, and held it firmly with both hands, making sure to point it towards the ground. She didn't want to accidentally fire at her friends.

[Jakeozzy]

"Well, fuck it. If Lauren's not blasting away at things, that must mean we're okay to go in." John said, shrugging one shoulder and slowing to a tactical pace, raising his rifle and looking through each broken window thoroughly, looking for any signs of recent activity. The little fishing village was completely abandoned... Even though it seemed sheltered, this was still a terrible location to build a settlement or outpost on. It was fields and forests for miles, where as in the Metro it was quite easy to get your hands on food and drink. If your station ran out, they'd just bring more traded supplies from the next station along (given that station was friendly). There wasn't any point in being out here unless there was a place to grow food, or catch rainwater.

"Nathan, we're looking for a shack just above the beach - should have a large boat in it and have a trailer to bring it to the sea with. I hope it's plastic, or wooden.. otherwise we're all just going to get irradiated. I don't fancy that." Viktor explained. He lowered his weapon upon the realization that John had reached too. If there wasn't anything useful in these buildings or the surrounding land, there wasn't going to be anyone here... But maybe there were some mutants scurrying around. "You know, if you're going to try and make your sister proud you should find a bigger shooter than that." He said, grinning at Samantha's pistol as he deliberately showed off his AK-74.

[Jambo1117]

"Hmm.. I'm not sure, I've only trained in using this" Sam said, holding her gun up a little higher, while still pointed towards the ground. "I'm actually quite good, Lauren taught me how to shoot" Sam smiled, and holstered the weapon. "I just don't like using it" She admitted, a little worried to how the group would react to that. "Maybe I should have stayed with Lauren.." Sam said, with a nervous smile

"Let's go find our irradiated tin can then" Nathan smiled.

[Jakeozzy]

"Nah, we can get you used to shooting things. I understand taking a life is a hard thing, and if you ever became accustomed to it you'd be a bloody monster like the bandits back in the metro. Humans can change, though. Just keep this in mind: mutants don't give a damn if you're giving mercy or already putting rounds in them - they'll eat your damn face if you hesitate." Viktor advised Sam with an honest smile.

After receiving a wave from John, Lauren could be seen getting to her feet and slinging her rifle over one shoulder. That could only mean they were in the clear.

[Jambo1117]

"I won't hesitate. I know that if I do, it'll be either you guys you pay, or I. I'd rather be the one to pay for mistakes like that" Sam said to viktor and then smiled at her Sister when she came over. "Hey, Lauren. An bhfaca tú dom? Rinne mé ar deireadh é" She smiled at her.

Nathan allowed his assault rifle to fall to his side. "Let's find this boat, and sharp. We'll be sitting ducks in that tin can, if the radiation isn't a problem, that'll be. Lauren, we'll be relying on you to cover our asses out there, if anything is set up on land on our approach" Nathan said. He thought ahead, trying to find a solution to a problem before it even arose.

[Jakeozzy]

Lauren smiled as she rejoined the team, messing up her little sister's hair as she walked by, "Obair deas, Sammy."

Viktor raised an eyebrow watching the two girls as they conversed in some kind of weird space age language. Maybe they made it up when they were kids or something... "What?" He asked, completely oblivious to their native language. "What are you two on about?"

"It's a secret!" Lauren said, giving Vik a very serious look, almost as if Viktor's question was too personal, but Samantha would know this was just how her big sister liked to tease people.

John began opening the doors to the rotting wooden buildings, taking a good look inside. They'd be very lucky if they found anything. Apparently there were a few petrol cans scattered around the village for this occasion. Viktor's father had planned out his son's route home before he was even born... Viktor wondered if he'd left a trail all the way to Moscow, but then he remembered his father had used a plane until reaching France. He couldn't have left any markers or supplies along the land route.

[Jambo1117]

"Scor sé" Sam said as she let out a soft giggle, and felt happy that she had finally done something with the group, for the group. She turned to Viktor. "Don't worry, she's only dangerous when she raises that weapon, she's nice as pie other wise" Sam smiled at him.

Nathan joined behind John. "What we got?" Nathan was still cautious and in a battle mode. He rarely let his guard down, and when he did. People died.

[Jakeozzy]

"Some fuel cans," John said as he entered the cabin and shook some of the jerry cans, "full ones." He added with a smirk. "So this is all we need, and there should be a boat in one of the cabins nearest to the beach, if memory serves."

Viktor patted Sam on the shoulder and jogged over to the others, "You guys find anything?"

Lauren didn't run off to join everyone else. She was happy enough being with her sister, the only one she could truly connect to. "So... If this boat isn't irradiated all to hell, I guess we're going to France. A vacation, aye?" The sniper chatted along happily, leaning against one of the fishing village's many cabins. The guys could do their thing. Lauren didn't like to hang around those three too much, but that didn't sever their bond as comrades.

[Jambo1117]

"Let's grab these, and take them to the boat" Nathan said as he picked up a can. He turned to Viktor. "Got these, your Father had this all set out. Tell me, was he planning to make this trip himself? And never got around to it?" Nathan asked, smiling at him.

Sam smiled as Vikyor patted her and ran off to the others, she smiled again at her sister. She sat down, and looked up at Lauren. "I have a picture of it somewhere" She said excitedly, as she pulled out her torn medical journal again, and slipped out a holiday card to Paris. "Look, isn't it beautiful?" She smiled. handing the card over to her sister.

[Jakeozzy]

"More than likely... And then he almost got his legs ripped off by a Demon. I think the surface world was telling him to stop mocking it. Not every man's travelled half the world in the hellish state it's in now." Viktor chuckled. His father indeed agreed it was time to settle down after his little adventure-gone-wrong anyway. With that said, Vik moved towards the cabins nearest to the beach. The largest one housed that boat. When he stepped inside, he simply looked over the surprisingly well-kept vessel. It wasn't metal, thank christ. They weren't all going to get radiation sickness at least!

"Now... Should be a trailer..." Viktor went on. Underneath the boat there it was - a four-wheeled pallet that would hopefully bring the.. 'mighty vessel' to the water. "Excellent. Nathan, should we call you 'Skipper'?"

---

"Heh, that sure is pretty. I wonder if that tower is still standing. That'd be a sight to see..." Lauren mused looking at the postcard. She handed it back, thinking about what might occupy such a structure should it still be there today. Demons... "Paris must've looked incredible."

[Jambo1117]

"Yes, call me skipper" Nathan smiled. "Now once we're in the water. I want no crappy stories, okay? Or you'll be going over-board. Got it?" Nathan laughed. "Now let's get this thing out in the open water, shall we?"

Sam took the postcard back, and placed it back with her possessions. "It'd be great to see. It won't look as pretty, but it'll be a nice view" Sam smiled again. "I want to head back home, back to Ireland. Do you? Can we? I mean, when we're done. Is that a possibility?" Sam asked, as she held out her hand for her sister to help pull her to her feet..

[Jakeozzy]

"Eh, sure. Vik, is this thing ready to roll out?" Johnathan asked. He was probably the most on-the-ball member of the team besides Nathan.

Viktor simply nodded, looking around the little hangar for anything else his father might've left behind probably.

John just shook his head and hopped down onto the cold sand. He pulled on the trailer as hard as he could, feeling the sand pour into his boots while the boat didn't budge yet. "Oi, stop lollygagging and give us a hand!" He chuckled, which pulled Viktor back into reality. Together they managed to move the trailer across the beach. "Nathe mate, go fetch our Irish ladies before we decide to set off without 'em." The Englishman laughed again, making a smile curve on Viktor's face too. Finally, after coming all this way they were going to make some real progress...

---

"Dad told me Ireland was relatively safe back in 2013, save for the change in wind that spread fallout across it after the war. I can't even remember it... You were born when we eventually reached London. I really do wonder what it's like back home... If it's got any of it's former beauty." Lauren sighed, taking her sister's hand and pulling herself up.

[Jambo1117]

Sam thanked her sister as she stood up. "We can maybe go back there then, I need to see it one day" Sam smiled at her.

Nathan helped in the pushing, and one they trailer was out, he nodded and headed for the girls. "You two, we're ready to move out" he said, and then headed back to the boat.

Sam looked towards Nathan and smiled. "We're ready" she smiled. "Let's get going then" she smiled at Lauren.

[Jakeozzy]

"France, here we come~" Lauren said sarcastically, following Nathan down to the boat that John & Viktor had just began to float. At least it didn't leak... But the journey might end at night, which would probably suck a lot. Night time was when the world went to hell. Between mutants and supernatural occurances, it really wasn't a good time to be on the surface.

After hopping up themselves, John & Viktor offered their hands down to Nathan, Sam and Lauren.

[Jambo1117]

"To France" Sam said smiling as they headed towards the boat.

Nathan was half pulled himself up, and the other half used the guys already on board. "Thanks" He smiled at John and Viktor, and turned to help the girls on. Once Sam was on the boat, she picked a spot, trying her best to keep out of peoples way, and sat down reading her journal.

Nathan turned to his team. "This is the start of the tough, let's be ready, okay guys?" He asked, wanting them to be as ready as he is.