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By FrederickDouglass, 08/25/2009 9:46 pm

MISSION FILE: RECON CA-4 – CA2 COMMAND GROUP – WESTERN REGION
DATE: 4/03/2161
LOCATION: At WrightWood, Ca.
REPORTER: Frederick Douglass Johnson, Circle-Lazy-Eight Ranch, Recon CA-4

Route Log April 03, 2161

In the morning we finally got back down to the ambush site after setting up the relay station. When we got to the ambush site, the bodies were gone, dragged off. Maybe by Night Eyes, but probably not. On the way to Cajon, we passed a knocked-out Marine tank, something I’d never seen before. It looked like a lucky shot blew out the magazine, but it was a reminder that the Marines are not completely bulletproof.

 Cajon was how I remembered it, with the CHP station and truck stop. I got a lot of flak for riding a horse, probably never live it down. The V-150 was there, and we got kitted up. Hannah and I were issued a lot of fantastic gear which smelled funny because, well, it all was so new! After talking to the CHP about leasing extra communications capacity with “Bo”, we picked up a Road Gypsy to help guide us through the Deadlands for a reasonable price. The CHP aren’t bad for Smokies, or “Badges”, and with their traditions, weapons and organization I think they could be a real help in eventually reconstructing the state of California.

 Poole wasn’t so happy about letting people know about our capabilities (and certainly people shouldn’t know too much) but keeping everything secret was the biggest mistake CA-7 made overall. No one will know or care about the Morrow Project unless they think it will directly or even indirectly benefit them, and they can’t do that unless we tell them. Create a demand for our services, as it were.

 The Road Gypsies are interesting folks. They are basically little cousins of the Gypsy Truckers, and they are indispensable as guides. Without them, trade in the Deadlands would be impossible. Most people like and trade with the Road Gypsies, but everyone knows that all Gypsy Truckers look out and protect them, and if anyone messes with a Road Gypsy they’re going to pay for it.

 We took the western 15 route down from Cajon to Corona to avoid the Mexicans on 215, keep them off-balance. We were attacked en-route by probably some of gang that operates out of Fontana, at least three pursuit vehicles plus motorcycles lying in ambush. We quickly blew up all the four-wheelers and a bike, and scared off the bikes, although I was inside the V-150 and couldn’t see who really did what. We’re going to be a little better organized on the rear trip; it was something of a “Chinese fire drill” with everyone scrambling for a gunport or a place to shoot, and I found myself pulled out of my position and Rick there, instead. We took some damage from a rocket or recoilless rifle to the rear hatch, and Vod and Keshawn each took a bullet but they luckily had only minor wounds.

We made the Republic of Corona, which is kind of a neutral territory. We saw that the MARS team was enroute and reaching Cajon behind us. The toll was 4 gold crowns there and back, not too bad. In Corona we saw both Mexican and Marine vehicles and units. The Mexicans didn’t seem to know who we were. Down 90 through the hills towards UCI was relatively uneventful.

CA-1’s perimeter was pushed hard and had lost an Airscout vehicle, some kind of ultra-light or helicopter. Either way, no air recon information from them other than the Mexicans had artillery.

We arrived about 15 miles out from UCI at dusk, and found out the campus was surrounded. The plan was to help CA-1 and civilians break out to the north at 0301 hours. MORGANA was asking for access to our team vehicle net computer thing to coordinate information-gathering, something I strongly support at least if it’s safe.

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By Project_Director, 07/15/2009 6:20 pm

MISSION FILE : RECON CA-4 – CA2 COMMAND GROUP – WESTERN REGION
DATE: 3/17/2161 to 3/18/2161
LOCATION: Road to Lazy Eight Ranch


Frederick Douglass Johnson Private Log


In the morning, we had a pow-wow with Jake and talked about mutual defense and talked to the Marines. This was more Hanna’s area, as the Circle-Lazy Eight were going to be more involved than Inland Empire, although with the Mexicans involved this is different than the usual Bakersfield-High Desert ruckus and this may change.


We got into the Circle-Lazy-Eight and got set out again by Hannah’s great-great-gammers Martha (the ranch’s foreman) who told her to located Vod’s team and get them back ASAP to the ranch. They were heading somewhere north into the High Desert towards Mojave and so that’s where we were going too. Picking up Chelsea, a cousin and apprentice gunner, we set out hours later than the Morrow team, playing catch-up all across High Desert.


After spending a delightful night staying in Ridgecrest, then continued on into the nothingness that the pre-war town of Ballerat used to be located in. It started snowing, really pleasant, so we alternated in the gunner’s position so no one had it too bad, but it still sucked big-time.


We met up with Vod’s Morrow, and arranged via Cee Bee to meet up in Ballarat. They met us in their Rig, and Vod’s leg was hurt. They also had a pilot from Eagle Air, Samantha, and she was unconscious. Apparently, Vod and Keshawn got shot down in her bird by some folks that were digging around where they needed to be. The note they got back at Big Jake’s led them to Ballarat or what was left of it, and then they got another clue to go looking in the mountains. Written on a gravestone, no less!


Some of those Eagle Air Ballooners flew by in a Cessna looking for Samantha. They were told the situation and vowed revenge on whoever shot the chopper down, then flew away. Whatever was happening they needed to get a move on, so we sent Chelsea with Samantha in the Scout to meet up back in Ridgecrest.


Eventually, using the heat-seeing thing, we located where Vod’s team needed to dig, some kinb of bunker. It sounded like whoever was there was doing their own digging, and they were close. So we quickly made a plan, we’d deploy a panzer-hunting team with the Rig as support. Vod’s leg was fucked, Travis had to drive, Keshawn was the gunner and Rick was TC, so that left Tim, Hannah and I to be dismounts, using some Panzerfists these guys had in their Rig, and Hannah got a 40mm gas grenade to use on anyone outside.


There seemed to be a Track and a Rig like a van, plus an earth-mover. No one in sight was on foot. We rolled up and we bailed out, although because we didn’t stop Hanna took a header in the dirt. Tim and I made it to some cover. The Rig continued rolling and engaged their track. Both got some hits in but the other track’s gun seemed damaged. Then this AA gun mounted on another Track opened up on the Rig and hosed it down with lead, but it couldn’t penetrate. Tim and I were pinned down, after getting up Hannah split and went the other direction. The first Track was still mobile so Tim nailed it with a Panzerfist and killed it. The second wasn’t having much luck using it’s super-MG on the Morrow Rig, although it was chewing it up some and blew out one of the tires.


Something happened at that point. Whoever was in command of the side called for a truce. Tim and I used that time to move up and get a bead on the other Track. It turned out this “Morgaine” needed power, which was in the bunker. We held all the cards so Veronica backed off and Vod made some kind of trade with her for information. As a Gypsy Trucker I applaud this trade, as knowledge is power. I just hope it was useful. It seemed like Morgaine wasn’t really there. She was just controlling “robots” with the radio, like in stories of the old times. Robots are like little vehicles that don’t have anyone inside them. Really freaky but I guess that’s no stranger than the stories of people sleeping forever like the Morrow people. Maybe this was more common before the war?


The bunker was opened and Tim, Hanna and I went inside. We met Vod’s team’s overall commander, a hand named Poole. Seemed a bit on the high-and-mighty side, like Martha, but when they both get into the real world and deal with people they’ll probably change their tune. Apparently the founding families of the Circle-Lazy-Eight were descended from other Morrow people, another team that woke up early, or on time or something like that, over a hundred years ago.


I sense a power struggle of some kind coming up. The new guys seem to have some kind of official authority given to them before the war by this Morrow Project but I can’t see turning over command of the Circle-Lazy-Eight to them sitting too well with Martha. The folks at the Circle-Lazy-Eight are more numerous and have been around longer. Although I would tend to go along with the Circle-Lazy-Eight folks because they’ve been part of the community longer and have more people and resources, they honestly haven’t really done a lot to rebuild the USA or even really improve the High Desert socially or politically. They certainly haven’t really gotten involved outside Stallion Springs unless there was no other option.