“Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--) CLOSED

[Survivor00]

â??Overexposureâ?
Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--

Wednesday, July 12th, 2033
Metro Station 34

Arthur Ferrell was torn from sleep by the ear-splitting noise of the announcement buzzer, groaning miserably as he cracked his eyes open, staring blankly at the bottom of the bunk above his. With another groan, he rolled out of his bunk and stood to his feet, reaching down and rubbing his legs, trying to work the knots out of his stiff muscles. He coughed savagely, the damp air in the tunnels wreaking havoc on his lungs. He felt nearly ten years older than he actually was, but it wasnâ??t surprising, given the conditions they were all forced to live in.

The Metro, the last pitiful attempt of mankind to escape its own extinction, a winding network of tunnels built within the subways of the old world. For the most part, they were self-sufficient, rows of UV lamps and recycled water was used to help grow food, althoughâ?¦the meat was not the most desirableâ?¦mostly rat meatâ?¦ Medicine was only available through trading with other Stations, and it was a very precious commodity â?? making it very expensive. And finding high quality goods in this day and age was not an easy thing.

There was screech of static across the intercom system, making Arthur grit his teeth and cover his ears.

â??All Salvage Team Members, you have ten minutes to prep for S.E. Ten minutes.â?

Salvaging. One of the most dangerous jobs present in this world. Salvaging meant leaving the â??safetyâ?? of the Metro and venturing into the world beyond, crawling with mutated creatures and Anomalies brought upon by the lethal radiation levels. More often than not, the teams came back with less people than they went out with. But they were the ones that kept the Metro running. They were the ones that brought back the materials needed to fix the machines that kept them alive. They were all living on borrowed timeâ?¦

He was instantly awake now, the call to work overriding his bodyâ??s demands to continue sleeping. He quickly grabbed his surface gear from the cubby next to the bunks. A gas mask, several years old, recovered from his fatherâ??s body. Most of his gear had been. It wasnâ??t the most comforting feeling, but, it was necessary. He looked around for his sister, but she wasnâ??t in her bunk. Frowning softly, he hoped she had heard the announcement â?? something not hard, given the way that sound echoed down here â?? and would be at the airlock in time.
​

 

[Hahvoc The Decepticon]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

Maria Ferrell heard the call about the same time her brother had. She had been in the process of running around the Station, working out her stress. She hadn't been able to sleep and so she had decided to jog, which wasn't unusual. However, when she heard the call to arms, she raced back to her room. She was on the salvaging team with Arthur, much as he protested. He was the only family she had left and she was willing to try anything to keep him safe and stay by his side. Call it insecurity, but she really cared about her brother. Rounding a turn, she came upon the room she shared with her brother.

Entering the small room, she focused on her brother, sweat on her body from her long run. She had another seven minutes left to get into her gear. And down here, you lost modesty, even around your flesh and blood. As soon as she entered the room, she started to strip herself of her clothing, her pale skin being more and more exposed with each loss of clothing. She pulled on her undergarments for her gear, all old and mismatched. But she didn't care, it was comfortable enough to do her job.

"Morning, Arthur. Sleep well?"

She panted out as she pulled on her boots, after changed in under three minutes. Not enough time for him to gawk when they both had only a few minutes left. She was well-figured but slim because she didn't eat much and usually gave her food away. She pulled on some gloves as she moved to the door, waiting on him. He would probably be done by the time she counted to ten.​

 

[Survivor00]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

Arthur quietly pulled on his gear over the tank top and demin pants he wore, first the body suit, followed by the gloves and boots, then the oversuit, checking to see that all the seals were tight, then the mask and air system, each piece making them look less and less human. â??I slept well enoughâ?¦â? He told her as he was fitting the mask over his face. He didnâ??t like the idea of his sister joining him on these outings, it was just too dangerous, and after their father passed away, he didnâ??t want to lose her as well. But Maria was as stubborn and hotheaded as he was, and he knew there was no way he was stopping her. When she had told him, he must have argued with her for almost three straight hours before he gave up trying to dissuade her.

â??Do you know what grid square weâ??re searching today?â? He asked her, fully fitted inside his suit, the mask muffling his voice a little as he followed her. Stepping outside of the small, grimy bedroom into the main â??stationâ??, he looked at the pitiful, huddled masses of what was once the most populous species on the planet. Those that werenâ??t wearing similar suits to theirs were pale from the lack of sunlight. Pills could only do so much to replace what the body was losing. He hopped down onto the tracks, holding up his hand to help her down to his level. Down the tunnel, he could see the jury-rigged cart that would carry them out to the airlock.

He opened the â??armoryâ?? door, holding it open for her before going to collect his weapons. An aging AK-103 with a few spare magazines that he slotted into pouches on his armor, a pistol for a sidearm, and a knife. That was all they were allowed to carry. A few members might have something more or something heavier, but for the most part, they could only afford to carry this. He turned to watch his sister pick out her gear.

â??All Salvage Team Members, you have five minutes. Hurry up people. Weâ??re not waiting for you.â?​

 

[Hahvoc The Decepticon]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

"I think Block 20."

She replied through her own mask. She knew he would always have qualms about her working with him on the team, but she had to watch him. She couldn't just sit in the base and waste away with the rest of them. She adjusted the straps of her mask to better fit it to her face as she walked him, feeling sympathy for all the other people down in the station with them. It was a hard burden to bear, but at least they helped ease the suffering from their lives with everything they found. She took immense pride in that. She took his hand after he hopped down onto the tracks, her feet landed on the ground beneath her as she jumped down with his help. She grabbed a sod-off shotgun, a pistol, and knife for good measure. Grabbing three small boxes of shells, she tucked them into her own pouches as she watched Arthur equip his weapons. She knew her brother didn't like her using the shotgun due to its weight and loading time, but it was the weapon she was used to and the weight didn't affect her anymore.

"Lets go."

She said with a smile as she strapped the shotgun to her back and lightly took his hand a moment and squeezed. She always did that before a mission out and she always felt like doing more but it was inappropriate to get affectionate with the time they had to go out. But she smiled at him more as she said loud enough for him to hear.

"I love you. Now lets go salvaging."​

 

[Survivor00]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

â??Block 20? Thatâ??s cutting it awful close to the Red Zoneâ?¦â? Arthur said as he watched her. The Red Zone, where even their protective gear wouldnâ??t do them much good. The only thing that lived there were mutants. As she stocked up on shotgun ammo, he just remained quiet, knowing his protests would be argued with.

He knew he was overprotective of her, especially considering how old she was. but she was all he had left after their father had died, and he didnâ??t want to lose her either. Letting out a quiet sigh of resignation, he headed to the door, pausing as he felt her hand close over his and squeeze it. He turned to look back at her, returning the soft squeeze with a tired smile.

â??I love you too, Maria. Iâ??m sorry if I can be a bitâ?¦overbearingâ?¦at times.â? He said to her as he walked back out into the tunnels, holding the armory door open for her. He walked quietly down the tunnel towards the airlock, keeping by his sisterâ??s side. It was true that they were close for a brother and sister, and maybe at a time their closeness would have been frowned upon, but now, nobody cared.

As they approached the airlock, he said nothing to the other salvagers that waited, just helping Maria up onto the old tram that they used to reach the exits, far away from the Station. He took his place beside her, the assault rifle digging into his back. This was always one of the worst parts, waiting. Watching that old red light, waiting for it to turn green, for the tram to lurch to life beneath them. The leader of the salvage teams stood up in front of them, the bulky gas mask hiding his face. "Alright, all of you, check your weapons. Nobody separates from the group, and nobody lets their guard down. We've already had too many fuckin' dead this month. The filter muffled his words, but their tone was clear. Arthur's hand found its way to Maria's again, squeezing it beneath his, just as much to comfort himself as to comfort her.

The red light snapped green, and the airlock door hissed open, the Geiger counter on their suits starting to tick ominously. With a sickening lurch, the tram started to rattle up the old subway tracks towards the surface world, towards the hell that awaited all of them.

 

[Hahvoc The Decepticon]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

Maria nodded at his statement, biting her lip. She didn't want to get that close to the Red Zone, but it was where they had to go and she had no control over it. She was just thankful that her brother couldn't see the uncertainty on her face. She didn't need him to be constantly worried about her, but she knew he had his reasons, the same ones that she had basically. She couldn't live without him nor could he live without her. It was just how things were between them. She heard his sigh and felt the squeeze of his hand, which reassured her even though he bore a tired smile. They were both tired and would be able to sleep once they got back. Though...Maria doubted she would be able to sleep. Again. She heard his words and always took great comfort in them. She smiled at him as they walked towards the tram through the tunnels and door. Before all this, people had questioned the relationship that they had, wondering why they were so close, but now, no one noticed or commented. No one cared because small comforts as well as physical ones were the only ones they could afford.

She was helped up onto the tram by Arthur and one other person because she was short. She wasn't pulled up roughly, but it wasn't all that gentle, more like impatient. She knew that feeling well as she took her seat and watched Arthur sit beside her. She felt anticipation and fear slice through her as she sat there, waiting, and waiting. She hated waiting to get through the mission. It made her antsy. She listened in silence to the voice of their commander and she sat up a little straighter. She nodded, keeping her fear at bay because fear made people do stupid things. She wouldn't be one of those people that would die. Nor would she let Arthur take a fall. She almost jumped at the touch her hand but knew that it was Arthur that gripped her hand. She felt her fear ease away with that simple gesture. She turned her head towards the red light as it changed to green and felt herself take a breath when the air lock hissed open. The ticking and lurch of the tram always got to her stomach but she kept herself calm as they moved up the tracks and onto the surface world that had once been beautiful and safe. It was now barren and mostly ash, only crawling with the mutant spawn that had once been normal people.​

 

[Survivor00]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

Twin spotlights on the front of the tram flickered on, bathing the darkness ahead of them with a sickly light. The tunnels had decayed badly with time, visible even to them. The rebar mesh holding the concrete together was rusting and failing, dislodging chunks of concrete. The rails beneath them had badly rusted and were starting to warp. In a few years, the tunnels would collapse under the weight of the earth above, entombing them, forcing them to move deeper along the damaged lines.

The tram rattled up the old subway rails, passing by the â??Dead Manâ?? fortifications. The sandbag emplacements and the men that manned them were the last and only line of defense if something were to attack. They would also be the first to die. They looked up at the tram as it passed by, and Art was glad that he couldnâ??t see their faces. They had a haunted look to them, men who had stared into the maddening abyss for far too longâ?¦ His grip on Mariaâ??s hand tightened slightly, and the tram continued along without a care.

They slowed as they reached the exit â?? a station that had been too damaged to serve as a shelter. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed; old, brown blood stains pasted the walls and floor. Mutants. The feral, maddened remnants of the surface world. People, animals, all horribly twisted by the fallout. He shuddered at the thought of it, standing to his feet as the tram stopped at the station platform. He helped Maria out first before stepping out himself. He shifted the AK into his hands, looking up at the sickly gray-green sky through the holes in the ceiling.

Waiting until everyone else had departed the tram, he slowed began to follow the group leader up the stairs towards the surface ruins.

 

[Hahvoc The Decepticon]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

Maria closed her eyes to shut out the flickering lights. They usually gave her a headache and that wasn't good to obtain on a salvage mission. The smell would have bothered her due to all the decay but her mask blocked it all out. She felt the rattle of the tram and sighed as she clutched Arty's hand more. She always felt like she was going to suffocate if she didn't focus on his hand. She hated the tunnels and the feel of potentially getting crushed by a chunk of falling concrete. She knew when they passed by the DMF and forced herself to look at the men there without feeling bad for them. They were set there because they were more or less the strongest people on base and it was her job to make sure there was enough food for them, too. Maria felt the grip on her hand tighten and she looked at Arty and smiled lightly at him.

The tram slowed and she took a deep breath, keeping herself calm as they came to the station. She kept a shudder at bay as she saw the blood stains, knowing what had created them. She bit her lip inside the mask and then took another deep, calming breath as the tram stopped and Arty stood up. She soon stood and watched Arty help her out of the tram before jumping out himself. She placed her shotgun in her hand as the two of them and the rest of the team followed the group leader towards the stairs.​

 

[Survivor00]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

The world above was a decaying skeleton of what it once was. Still recognizable, but utterly ruined. Frayed and shattered buildings thrust at the sky in stubborn defiance, yet more and more of them were worn away with each passing day. The pavement was heat-scorched beneath their feet from the blasts, pure, white light that consumed everything. Thousands of rusted husks of every manner of vehicle lined the streets, long gutted by heat and time, creating a death trap if one got attacked in them. He swallowed dryly behind the mask, hearing his heart start to pound a little faster in his chest.

The wind carried the sounds of stressing metal and the howls of something far more deadly than that, the sound still legible though his mask. He bristled, the mask making it hard to see everything. Parts of the street had started to collapse, and they had to watch their footing. They walked block after block, all the while, the sound of the Geiger counter ticking away seemed to drive away all other sounds. He watched the needle creeping closer and closer to the limit of their suits. Around them, the buildings seemed to fall away, having collapsed into the buildings next to them or completely destroyed. The streets were littered with wreckage, forcing them to take side roads and alleys to reach their destination.

He could feel eyes that werenâ??t human watching them, and would have fallen back to walk alongside Maria, if they werenâ??t supposed to keep formation. Cluttered targets were easier to getâ?¦ The air had taken on a sickly haze, and Arthur kept his eyes out for anomalies. Strange events that had formed after radiation saturated the area.

â??Weâ??re almost there.â?

 

[Hahvoc The Decepticon]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

Maria felt a chill race down her spine as she noted the decrepit buildings and the dilapidated streets. The once beautiful and crawling city was no more than a crater with the ghosts of buildings. It made her sick to think of how this had all come about. Still, it wasn't as terrible as what else had resulted in the destruction of the planet's face. She shuddered to think about the mutant creatures, either once human or once other animals, hunting for food. And they were on that list. She took a deep breath as she opened up her senses, focusing on all the sounds their group made before focusing on the sounds of the desolate city. It seemed cliche to say, but it was too quiet and the air reeked of death.

She almost wanted to break formation to feel Arty's hand to make sure he was still there, but she could hear his foot steps and it was against regulation to break formation anyways. This mission's walk was much longer than the lasts, but she kept up just fine since they went at an average pace. Running caused too much noise, and even though walking took longer, it made it easier to spot mutants and other things that might be crawling around. She nodded at the words she heard and looked from her right to her left with her eyes, moving her head slightly when her mask blocked her eyesight. She gave a tiny sigh due to being so tense, she hoped that this mission went smoothly. She didn't want to watch more comrades die.​

 

[Survivor00]

Re: “Overexposure” (Survivor00 & --+Hahvoc Requiem+--)

Arthur saw something red splashed on the ashen grey wall ahead, and didnâ??t need to investigate further to know what it was. He looked about, checking the shadows from the crouched and twisted forms of mutants. He couldnâ??t see any, but that didnâ??t mean they werenâ??t out there. Then again, they were getting so close to the Red Zone that maybe even the mutants didnâ??t tread here. But he still didnâ??t lower his guard, in case his assumptions proved to be wrong. He looked back to see how Maria was doing and nodded at her, letting her know he was alright. The group stepped out onto the street beyond, filled with burnt wreckage, like all the others. In the distance, the city seemed to disappear, the road torn away, buildings vaporized or shattered. It seemed unlikely that anything of use could be salvaged from here.

â??Alright, split into two-person teams and search this block. I want everyone checking back every ten minutes.â? The leader instructed, and Art immediately walked over to Maria, standing by her side and placing his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. â??Itâ??s alright, Maria.â? He said, looking into her eyes through their masks. He started to walk toward one of the more structurally-sound buildings, kicking down the rotted door with ease and sweeping the room with his assault rifle. He motioned for her to follow and slipped into the building.