COG: 13: Little respite

This bed sucks so much ass.

My back is going to be in shambles if I stay here longer than a week

I sit up and lift myself up and onto my feet.

With some less than eager speed I arm myself up and leave the room, reaching in and locking the door as it shuts never can be too sure of what people and tweakers are up to.

The grand shitpool streets of Ephyra, how I yearn to be with ye'

What should I do? Havent had a normal free day in a bit..

Maybe go the cog base and check out what's going on. There isnt much to do in the city for anybody who is looking for a healthy pastime.

My march begins, I think I'm just gonna avert my gaze to the ground for the most part, some of this is too depressing for me too look at for a prolonged amount of time.

It should be only a quick walk now

Avoid eye contact.

Avoid eye contact.

Just up the road now...

"Cog bastard looks what ye done to us!"

"My family is dead!"

"You are all fools! Give up and let the locust finish us off!"

"You'll rot in hell ya piece of shit."

Homeless people spit and shout at me, rightfully so but I cant confront them no matter the insults they hurl.

Once I get out of the slums and drug dens a semblance of civilization should return.

After walking for a few minutes a concrete barrier full of bullet holes and covered in jumbled razor wire lies infront of me. A gear manning the battlements looks at me.

"Let me get the gate sir."

He pulls a chain and the large metal gate fashioned from old car parts lifts up slowly, I walk under it wearily and enter the remains of the Ephyra cog fortress.

Wonder if Prescott is around, he might be cowering in his bunker as usual.

Maybe if the cog had a leader with a spine the locust wouldn't have annihilated humanity so quickly.

..

..

I'm blabbering again.. Yikes..

I enter through a large set of double doors and look around, many gears are gathered speaking to each other, no one familiar though wich worries me, hopefully no main characters died because of something I have done. Probably not I would imagine, killing Raam actually probably saved more people than not, like Alicia, she was supposed to be penetrated by Raam through the back. giggity.

And then that.. Oh.

That's what made Jace become a gear so uh. RIP his story arc probably, no funny gum scene.

[Author: Minh rolling in his grave]

Hopefully Clayton Carmine is okay, that guy really helped me out when I first arrived. Then of course what's left of delta squad, Baird, Sam and the lot..

And Marcus is in prison.

That will change in about 4 years when the shit that had already hit the fan and festered seeps into the fan itself and makes it go up in flames..

I walk around aimlessly for a few minutes but a voice calls me over, a familiar female voice.

"Hey! Sobby!"

Its that woman again..

I turn and see Alicia sitting with a man smoking a gigantic cigar.

Michael Barrick.

Tai is probably running with Dom now..

"So that's the magical onyx hero eh?"

Barrick puffs his cigar. I disarm my helmet and slide it off connecting it to a magnetic slot on my belt.

"What is it?"

I sit down next to Val, she slides a mug off water to me.

"Locust could attack any moment, you should at least stay hydrated."

"Uhm sure, but why'd you actually call me over?"

Barrick chuckles and removes the cigar from his mouth

"Dintcha' boss tell ya hotrod?"

"Tell me what?"

"Were the new Omega squad, since our last commander he.. didnt make it, that was since years ago though "

Minh should have died not too long ago.. How did he die a couple years ago? I hadn't even killed Raam yet so how da fuck did the timeline get screwed up? At this point it's got to be out of my control.

Val turns to Barrick

"The other newly added member should be here soon, they are running late."

..

..

"Gyat damn this is a stink hole!"

A redneck ass voice chimes throughout the building, many gears turn and look at the new arrival with disdain.

Dizzy..

Is that.

The guy?

Fucking kidding me..

An unhinged motor mechanic with a cowboy fetish.

He walks towards us with a toothy grin.

"Yall the varments?''

Dear lord.

He smells like prison toilet liquor.

He slides next to Barrick, the latter's face growing sour with anger.

"I'll tell yall what these cog sumbitches got no sense of humor I would tells ya what."

"Hey stranded, less talking more waiting."

Val chimes in and silences the lunatic, he takes off his hat and places it on the table, I turn to her

"What are we waiting for?"

"Orders."

"Orders from who?"

"Prescott."

It seems that little shit is working from the shadows

We sit and chat for a few minutes, Dizzy tells some story about some monster trucks he made and some other dumbshit

*bzzt*

"Omega 26 come in this is Prescott."

"Prescott this is the Chief Lieutenant."

"I hope your stay is going well but unfortunately it is coming to an end as a new operation is beginning."

"Great, what're the details."

"While our operatives seek out the lightmass missile we are going to send you outside of the Jacinto Plateau to search for survivors and recruits."

Kek. What.

*bzzt*

"Shit, why do we have to go out there?"

Barrick slams his fist into the table.

"Because Prescott is a fucking lune that's why."

"Dems got damn cogs tryna to kill me alredy!"

"We need to stop blabbering and get ready."

I stand up and place my helmet back on firmly.

"Let's just get it done guys."

Val stands up and and encourages the others to get on with it, her face creased into a slight smile.

Dizzy and Barrick stand begrudgingly.

"Where to sir?"

Val chimes at me.

"The armory, were gonna need some of the good stuff."

"Now yer speaking my language pardner!"

I shuffle my way through the building recounting where everything was from yesterday, the control offices should run parrelel next to the bathrooms wich are left and down from the armory wich is guarded by a couple onyx and some sets of heavy metal doors.

Hmm.

Should be coming up, here are the bathrooms now.

And a couple minutes and walking and kapow.

An onyx standing at attention puts his hand out.

"What are your purposes for entry."

"Fuck off private, open the door."

He puts his hand down dejectedly and clicks on the number pad wich beeps and then some large metal latches come loose, he turns a large handle and the door swings open lightly with a metallic squeal.

The smell of gunpowder and old steel swathes through the air.

I make my way and rows upon rows of firearms, belts of grenades, ammo, knives and assortments of goodies line every crevice and inch of the 100 yard long room.

There is a lot to choose from...

"HAA DIS ONES MY WHOO DOGGY!"

Dizzy grabs a gnasher with a under barrel bayonet with serrated edges.

I begin browsing, picking out a boltok revolver with a modified sight that has been canted, on top a small micro red dot. Then a longshot sniper with 2 barrels and a shortened acog scope.

For my main weapon a standard mk2 lancer will be fine.

"I'm all good here."

I call out and begin making my way to the entrance.

"Same."

Val, now armed with a sawed off shotgun and hammerburst mk2 awaits by the entrance with Barrick who holds a breech shot and on his back a snubbed gnasher shotgun.

Dizzy emerges from the jungle of guns with akimbo boltok and a shotgun, with a belt of small grenades

"This is like a little dream world whoo doggy."

"Everyone's ready, let's go."

I push open the door and begin scaling the stairs up to the main building

We are going to need a vehicle to travel out into the dust lands, so we may have to commandeer one for uh. Military usage..

Military usage.. Heh that's a funny word for stealing..

[AN]

Sorry for chapter delay got some stuff going on in my life so this is not my main focus currently.

Chapterly song suggestion: Keres - Thy Art is Murder