TRANSDIMENSIONAL TROUBLES

[Maharg67]

CENTRALIA IS BIG AND SURPRISINGLY EMPTY

 

With all the peoples, flora, fauna, monsters and factions in Centralia one could imagine it to be crowded but this is far from true. There are large areas where people rarely go, where there are only light spreads of flora and small animals. There are large areas where people pass through but do not stay. The reasons for areas being empty are not always obvious. Sometimes it is more clear as in toxins or isolation or too many mutated beasties but sometimes very fertile, safe areas are left alone for reasons that are no so easily discerned.

 

But there are features of noted importance, even if they are just the subject of distorted story, such as great big underground bases, strange exotic palaces, huge super robots, crashed alien starships, ancient mystical temples and much else.

 

Then there are the so called Bubblecities enclosed in force bubbles that nobody has entered or departed from since Doomsday. They are large and they are covered with domes of semitransparent nature, used to be transparent, so that it is difficult to see what is happening in them. Those who have tried advise that others should not do so.

 

Then there are the Weirding Zones where the very laws of nature seem to twist.

 

Old Warzones are filled with loot but also rogue robots, booby-trapped, unexploded ordinance and other dangers.

 

There is the Underworld of lesser underworlds or cavernlands.

 

The factions tend to stay within their territories behind tight bounderies. Even the seminomadic Clansfolk are like this.

 

Above are the impossibly floating SkyIslands, all thirteen of them.

 

There are also the VaultTekVaults be they TekVaults, LifeVaults, RDVaults or other kinds spoken of.

 

There are many resources and much loot left to fight over.

Edited October 28, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

THE CHOSEN THIRTEEN

 

OummuO continued to observe as many small drifting spheres, continued to do small but important acts of compassionate nature.

 

Graharg and Braden Wakenn appeared in a TARDIS, an exotic time-space travelling device of the long vanished TimeLords. All of Braden Wakenn's possessions came with them.

 

Angelisara of the haevra continued to lead a growing but disciplined group of followers moving across the Centralian Wastelands. They would pause at times to assist settlements, sometimes gaining followers and sometimes leaving followers to further assist the settlements.

 

Trazen of the Yetarna, the yetans, found herself being troubled by both Skynet with its low orbital network of spaceplatforms, satellites, drones and other hardware. Then there came zetans in their own saucerboats that were more primitive than her own but there were more of them. The trip down to Centralia was delayed.

 

The Ashworth Triplets were heavily involved in dealing with a big infestation invasion of radroaches that came through a breach in one hull of an important subvault. As volunteer exterminators they used hand-flamers, stunprods, zipelletguns and anything they could grab and often modify to do the job. TekVault0101 was having troubles with oppressive narrow minded leadership, the breaking down of network-systems, troubles such as the radroaches and growing conflict between the loyalists, moderates, radicals and rebels. Yet there was still much hope.

 

In RivetCity the Meolong Triplets were busy helping to develop new hydroponics technologies to grow richly nutrional food in larger quantities. This was their main project but not their only one, some of which they kept secret from others.

 

The Bobalong Triplets went with Sarah Lyons to see her father, Elder Owyn Lyons, one of the three most powerful and influential individuals in the Orderhood of Steel.

 

The Pollis Twins tried to survive and thrive in the strange mix of PreDD normality and exoticness that was the super virtual realm of Perfectalia.

 

The Patriot Twins were trying to get through an EagleEnclave Academy, both surviving and not being brainwashed by EagleEnclaven madness.

 

The Lyons Twins were in an aeroship heading towards Centralia from North America, being but one of many aircraft in the air-convoy that was flying above a bigger sea going convoy.

 

Brainic, MasterMacho and EddieZero continued working together on the shores of the Central Sea, the Fresh Water Sea, where they seeking something mysterious, elusive and dangerous in an environment that was just as mysterious, confusing and dangerous.

 

And thus it was.

[Maharg67]

6

 

GRAHARG OF THE CHOSEN THIRTEEN

WELCOME TO THE TARDIS

 

They were in a great big chamber that easily held all of the possessions of Braden Wakenn. It was of polished wooden roof and floor, red brick walls but this was all very good illusion as was the big open fireplace burning lightly now and giving off some heat behind fancy cast-iron grating. Everything was neatly in place but Braden was looking around trying to figure things out because the order was not the one that he was used to.

 

Graharg smiled. "You need room to expand so I gave it to you. Your old sized chamber simply could not hold the new resources that you will gain. Do you like animals, pets?"

 

Braden shrugged. "Who can keep a pet in the Wastelands? I did have a working pet of a cat once. It did a good job of eating mice until it got cornered and devoured by some radroaches. I still miss him, MoggyMalone. Yes, pets are fine."

 

Graharg smiled. "Good!" Then he whistled. A panel opened in a wall and in trotted some curious cats who had once ran around examining everything and anything that they could. Then came some dogs, a big spikelizard, a parrot and some other animals including a small white goat. "They are all TARDIS trained."

 

Braden grinned mildly. "You didn't just bring me here to introduce me to the animals."

 

"Let us continue to try to find answers to the mysteries that face us. You can stay here, if you so wish, and be the scholar you have always wanted to be." Graharg looked around. "I need every outlook, every perspective, that I can get. The TARDIS-Mentality will communicate to you on a lower secondary level. There are other people here that you can meet with, socialise with, work with. There are those who you will be kept apart from for your own good and others you will never learn of. Companionship of various kinds is available to you in the form of androids. You can do super virtual reality if you so desire but the ultra virtual reality network-systems will remain closed to you for now."

 

Braden suddenly yawned, blinked and looked around. "I feel very tired all of a sudden."

 

He noticed a very comfortable looking flat-couch with a ginger haired cat already curled up on it sleeping that reminded him of MoggyMalone. He lay down and fell asleep at once. Graharg sighed and then walked over to place a small glowing device on each temple of the man and then another on his forehead, chest and solar plexus. He had not wanted to trick the former demighoul but such extra security checks were done on all. Anyway he had to find out some answers to some important questions about this man whose real identity was not Braden Wakenn.

Edited October 28, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

7

 

ANGELISARA OF THE CHOSEN THIRTEEN

A QUIET TREKKING QUEST

 

Angelisara wore a hooded robe and used some illusionary tricks to make herself seem human. She strode in earthy brown gear, including a big backpack, holding a sturdy wooden quarterstaff in her right hand, and led a fairly large group of people, animals, robots and others including some robots and ghouls, even tamed zhouls known as rhouls. The quiet leader had attained resources for the group but so had others. People rode horses or mutated rhorses. There were pack-horses, pack rhorses and pack-brahmins. Wagons and carts, sometimes with electric lights and indicators, were pulled by animals. Then there were some basic but reliable biofuel fueled motorised wastcles of a great range be they four wheelers, six wheelers or even eight wheelers; they varied in shape from van like to buggy like to truck like and much else.

 

They moved slowly but steadily. Yes they had a goal but did not expect to get there for some time to come. They were moving across grasslands dotted with groves of tangler-trees and clumps of softly glowing glowshooms like tall thin translucent mushrooms that glowed softly from within. In the distance was the great dome of NeoLondon, one of the bubblecities that nobody had entered or come out of since Doomsday. For mostly unspoken reasons people mostly staid clear of the bubblecities and no settlements were established any where near them. But Angelisara and her people were heading towards a research outpost where scholars, scouts, explorers, scientists and others sought some answers to the dark puzzles of the bubblecities and the fate of the people that had been in them, many millions of people that had been in them.

 

Nobody seemed to be surprised that at least half of those in the outpost were heavily armed soldiers in good quality body-armour and that the outpost itself was heavily fortified. In the past decades five such outposts had met with terrible and mysterious fates so that now, even with all of the extra precautions, it was hard to get people to join such ventures.

 

Something moved, a brief twister of whirling dirt and small things carried on the wind, and to most in the group it was just what it seemed. But Angelisara knew better. The Invisible Empire was interested in the outpost and so matters had become even more interesting. It was hard to say what the Invisible Empire had to do with the bubblecities but somehow Angelisara sensed that the exotic empire, that was hidden out in the open, was not directly linked with the bubblecities or what might lie inside them.

 

In the distance lay the outpost and everything was fine appearing. People were active or on guard or resting. Some fine smoke trails lifted up from chimneys. Some flags and banners blew in the breezes. But then Angelisara sensed something odd, noted sparkling flashes in the distance closer to the settlement and a kind of shimmering effect as the illusionary covering was fought that swamped the outpost.

 

She halted the group even as the illusion broke to reveal a scene of much horror, of burned and broken machinery, structures, people and animals.

 

There came towards them the survivors, just over two thirds of those who had been in the encampment including animals, robots and all of the few androids. They came led by an exhausted and confused scientist of a man who would speak of dreadful invisible forces suddenly attacking the outpost only to be attacked in turn by other invisible elemental entities sparkling, crackling and shimmering in furious battle.

 

But not all was lost, far from it, for the people in the outpost had recorded the attack in many ways, had gained much valuable data, and had then fled with that data stored in many safe forms.

 

Angelisara asked her people to assist the survivors and it was done. She, herself, went amongst them to heal people of body, mind and spirit. They were just normal folks, mostly, and even the androids and robots were typical, but the knowledge that they had gained would shake up badly the peoples of the Wastelands. Still, there was time, and the group would continue to move towards its goal as it gathered up followers and Angelisara carried out her secret tasks as it did so.

 

Three facts she gained very early on that surprised even her. Firstly, corpses in the outpost had become briefly animated but had not been hostile, instead they had tried to imitate their old living selves in a horribly pitious and bizarre fashion. Secondly, bizarre skeletal creatures of white bone make and angular skinny build had come into the outpost but they had not been the attackers but had looted things, had ignored the outposters.

 

Thirdly was the strangest of all. A young man in PreDD military academy combat gear, torn and blood stained as he was dirty and stained, had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. As he did the corpses had collapsed back into death, the skeletal things had fled and the horrific scented invisible attackers had just gone away. This strange young man had saved at least half of those who had managed to leave and had given the survivors more time to take valuable resources with them, including data. But he would not take help himself, would not answer questions about his true identity or nature, and then he also vanished.

 

The group paused to help the refugees from the outpost and then set out again, this time to the nearest settlement that was large enough and resourced enough to assist the outposters.

Edited October 29, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

8:1

 

BOBALONG TRIPLETS

GOING TO MEET WITH ELDER OWYN LYONS

 

Sarah Lyons led them from a Orderhood of Steel helicopter across a big smart-concrete area to where hangers were being repaired as quickly but as efficiently as possible. With so many people, animals, equipment and supplies, along with other items to move, the whole scene was one of barely controlled chaos. Yet the Orderhood of Steel seemed quite used to working under such conditions and just got on with it. They past a trio of hulking sentrybots with 20mm autoguns, past power armoured soldiers who were going through some basic drills and then past some mechanics and technicians doing repairs on a hoverslider, a sleek fast hitting but lightly armoured military vehicle. There were crates, a red faced logistics officer, a hulking atomic motorised tankertruck, a set up multiple purpose missile launcher in a defence position and much else besides.

 

Sarah spoke. "We never thought we would get this far and now the second air convoy is on the way along with a big sea convoy. Luck has been with us."

 

Neither Bobby or Buffy mentioned that it had been more than luck, that various subtle but powerful forces had apparently been helping the Orderhood of Steel. Not the Clansdom but perhaps the Invisible Empire. Who knew? If OummuO knew, OummuO was not saying, at least not yet.

 

Bobby spoke. "This area has been kept relatively clear of local threats for centuries now. Clawbeasts, giant quasi-insects, mutated bear beasts, savage zhouls, savage ghoulers who are somewhere between ghouls and zhouls. Such as gangers, slavers and bandits do not come into Clansdom Protectorates but some tribals may as well be bandits. Your arrival has thrown local power balances into confusion but still you and your resources seem to be welcome by most locals."

 

Sarah nodded. "The Centralian Wastelands are generally greener, more fertile than those of North America with only some exceptions."

 

Buffy nodded. "Yes, we have some very fertile areas but not all of those can or will be used by people. We also have the Weirding Zones. They are coded Yellow, Amber and Red. Green means normality at the edge of a Weirding Zone's weakest influence. Well, relative normality as far as Wasteland terms go. Your people are refugees fleeing from what is happening in North America."

 

Powerful forces were warring with each other in North America, forces beyond the power of the Orderhood of Steel to deal with despite their best efforts. Sarah frowned but then nodded. "Our forces, along with allied forces, are holding onto the District of Columbia and New England regions. This convoy and the next are from DC but the one after that will be from New England. Much effort, much construction, much improving, has gone to waste. Now we must start again from scratch."

 

"Not from scratch. You will have the Citadel of Steel, if you wish to call it that. You will have other bases and facilities being past over to you. The Citadel of Steel is huge and can take many of your people." Bobby sighed. "Of course our people will gain something from giving you the Citadel but we will discuss that when we meet with your father."

 

A transporter hummed past on big thick tires with many metallic canisters stacked on its back.

 

Which was when air raid sirens began to scream out as the newly emplaced air warning network-system detected flying intruders approaching the area.

[Maharg67]

8:2

 

BOBALONG TRIPLETS

MEETING WITH ELDER OWYN LYONS

 

Radar and other detection devices of the Orderhood of Steel had picked up supposed intruders that turned out to be a pair of young adult dragons, dragons only being found in Centralia or Centralian coastal waters. These were copper metallic dragons, the most common and least powerful of the non-elemental dragons but also the most common. They were smaller and less powerful but more common than the silver dragons who were in turn smaller and less powerful but more common than the goldens. Metallica dragons were quite intelligent and the mating pair detected the radar, turning to sweep away from the Orderhood of Steel's area.

 

Such dragons would not attack unless attacked or their home territories were intruded upon, especially to close to their communal nests. They had an ancient alliance with the Clansfolk going back before the Clansfolk were known by that name and before the first of the Wayclans had existed. Ancient cave paintings showed preClansfolk being carried by dragons into battle or meeting in forest clearings. The dragons and Clansfolk had survived Doomsday and ther aftermath together along with other allies.

 

Elder Owyn Lyons was talking to a group of Sages and Scribes, the former being intent on studying Centralian ways and the Scribes in recording all the knowledge they could gain. The robed figures were in a large chamber in what was a LifeVault where tribals stored food stuffs and had workshops but which they largely did not use. A new agreement had been formed that was rather generous to the tribals. Elder Lyons was a tall, strong man with a powerful charisma and, like his daughter, he had piercing eyes.

 

Sarah stepped forward as Elder Lyons turned to her and she spoke. "Father, these are special tribal envoys also reflecting the interests of the Clansdom."

 

Elder Lyons examined the triplets, including a sleeping Benny in his pouch, for a moment and then he spoke. "It is good to meet you. So the Clansdom welcomes us though we came into one of its Protectorates with out warning."

 

Buffy nodded even as she studied the map spread out on a big table. "Greetings, Elder Lyons of the Orderhood of Steel. Your map has faults of various kinds. You also have plans to extend into areas that are forbidden even for the Clansdom to enter, for a wide variety of reasons of which some can be discussed and some can not be spoken of."

 

The man smiled. "So, straight to the point then. Very well, we will alter our plans especially since you have made this Citadel of Steel available to us."

 

Bobby nodded. "In truth the Clansdom has its own agenda in giving you the Citadel. Due to a curse and an oath taken, the Clansfolk can not occupy the Citadel. Yet the Citadel as a fully functioning fortress would make the borders of the Clansdom safer if we could trust those in the fortress. We have been informed by an intelligence that we will not identify, that you can be trusted as allies. There are other factors about the Citadel of Steel, a good name, that need to be discussed."

 

Buffy took out a fine bone scroll holder, capped and sealed tight, passing it to Elder Lyons. "This is a list of Dos and Do Nots. We Clansfolk follow the same rules as do tribals. The dragons are highly intelligent people. They can use tools and weapons in their own special way. They have written languages. They have arts and crafts. They can be deadly dangerous. They have an ancient treaty with the Clansfolk going back before their were clans. The same can be said for other exotics in the Clansdom and living out from the Clansdom. There are rules for how to treat the environment, how certain plants and animals are taboo for hunting and gathering except in very special circumstances, about a local Weirding Zone to those ignorant of its ways that is very dangerous and much else. It is vital that these rules are kept for all of our sakes and that if they are broken, that proper justice is carried out quickly and efficiently."

 

Elder Lyons nodded. "Could you give us some time to study these documents. I will need to get some of our diplomats up here along with some other specialists. Sarah will take you to visitors' quarters where you can rest and have other needs met."

 

Bobby and Buffy looked around at the figures there and noted not all were pleased by what they had heard, especially a tall, bulky, broad shouldered Sage. They sensed from the start that he was going to be troublesome.

[Maharg67]

I am sorry but I am having this topic closed because I am making my old mistake of making the story too complicated. I will use the notes here for another story, including characters.