CataclysmDDA

Use a board or rock or something and set truck to ram into the turrets!
(Without you inside) [Also unload stuff from it first!]

Day 002 - Late Afternoon



I check the map, maybe I can abandon the truck? Unfortunaetly, it seems like it's waaaay too far off. I won't be passing through any cities, so that's a plus, but it seems I will pass by a farm on the way, and I do not want to have to run away from zombie horses while on foot.



If only these were old-fashioned turrets, but they seem to be the fully automated type. No human necessary, just cold and unforgiving AI. I guess all that's left is to try ramming the turrets.



Success. Kinda. The first turret was a bit troublesome, but I was able to hit it head-on. As it shot at me, a few of the bullets destroyed the windshield of the truck. Thankfully, the tarp protected me from any broken glass. That, and I was ducking while it was firing, so I got lucky.

The second turret was harder, as I had to maneuver around the police cars, as well as the barricades, and I couldn't get a clean, straight run at the turret at first. I smashed a few of the barricades, making sure to keep the cars between me and the last turret. Eventually, I was able to carefully drive around the cars and barricade, line the truck up with the turret, and let slip the truck of war.

It got the job done, but the truck is really banged up now. What's more, the noise seemed to attract unwanted attention, as I was about to get into the truck, a skeletal dog jumped me from the treeline. Thankfully, it was just the one, and I was able to make quick work of it by smashing it with my crowbar.

I spent the next few hours gathering all of the stuff in the area into a neat little pile, while scavenging what I could from the cars. It was slow work, but I was able to get it done. Unfortunately, there were no guns in the wreckage, but I did find an odd little contraption. If I'm understanding this device correctly, it looks like someone put together some sort of bug zapper, but ramped up to ludicrous levels. If I could hook this thing up to a power supply, I might be able to use it to zap things from afar, like a lightning gun of sorts.

There's a bunch of other stuff that I found, but I'm not too sure how much of it will actually be useful. A lot of it is really banged up and torn. At the very least, I could cut some of it up for scrap.

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

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Get some well-fitting clothes and wear to keep warmer: cargo pants, steeltoed boots, a riot helmet, long underwear bottom and an undershirt.

Fashion montage!

(Wow, I haven't played in Cataclysm in so many years that I'd totally forgotten about it. Nice!)

Check whether any of the police cars are usable, and how much petrol is in them. They probably use petrol rather than diesel, and you don't have anything to siphon or store the fuel, but it's good to keep these in mind if you need another vehicle soon. Or use them to scout east or west before continuing south in the truck, if there are any nearby interesting side roads to explore.
I don't suppose creating a ramp and driving one onto the bed of the truck is possible?

Day 002 - Dusk





Thankfully, some of the clothes are still functional, so to speak. I take off the hiking boots I was wearing (they pinched my toes and made running difficult) and replace them with the sturdiest-looking set of steel-toed boots. Right now, my jeans are in great shape, but the lack of pockets to carry things makes it a bit difficult, so I swap them for some cargo pants. In addition, a jacket replaces the tarp I was wearing, it's much warmer and nowhere near as bulky. The helmet is a welcome addition. As damaged as it is though, it probably won't stand up to all that much punishment, but at least it'll definitely stand up to more abuse than my bare skull will. As for the rest, I spend some time cutting it all up with my pocket knife. In the morning, I might try making that sling I was thinking of. For now though, it's raining, and I'm tired, so it's time to sleep back in the truck.



Day 003 - Before Dawn

I wake up feeling a bit peckish. Thankfully, there was a still a bit of beaver meat left, so I had some of that. Outside, it's snowing, but at least I'm relatively warm here inside the truck. Still, it's best to make an early start, so I head out to check the police cars. Maybe they'll still be of use.

So good news, and bad news. And just news. First bit of news is that the first car still has gas in it, but the car battery seems dead and it just makes a choking sound. The second car though, still has gas and the keys were still in it. It started up just fine on the first try, so huzzah! The bad news is that while the police car works, it seems like the semi truck is dead. I'm guessing that a stray bullet must have taken out the battery, and now it refuses to start even though there's still some diesel in it. Time to move everything from the truck to the police car, it seems.

Day 003 - Break of Dawn

I spent an hour or so moving everything, and now it's all loaded up into the trunk of the car. It doesn't have anywhere near the storage space of the truck, but I'm hoping I'll at least get better mileage out of it. Though... to be honest, I don't know all that much about cars, that was more my sister's thing. If I can get more petrol for this thing, I should consider checking if she's ok. Then again, she was always the more capable of us two, so she should be ok.

No, I shouldn't think about that right now, focus on the task at hand.

From the site, I load the arc cannon into the trunk as well. The two broken turrets go as well. I can't do much with them now, but if I can get my hands on some proper tools, maybe I can take them apart and salvage their weapons. Or, even better, make my own automatic turrets. The scrap cloth and leather goes in as well.

Now that I've got some scrap leather, I'm able to make a sling. While I'm here, I also try to make a few makeshift items that might help me along the way. I use the stone hammer I made earlier to beat a piece of metal into a workable screwdriver. One of the old shirts also turns into a turban to keep my head warm. It's not very comfortable, but it's better than losing one of my ears. Lastly, some of the two by fours, partnered with leather padding and straps, turn into arm guards. Extremely uncomfortable, but if I'm going to be running into any more skeleton dogs that I have to bash to re-death with my crowbar, I'm going to want some protection for my arms.

With nothing much left to do here, I continue along the way to the refugee center.

Day 003 - Mid Morning

So I'd been driving for a few hours, when I came across an interesting find. The map said to continue going south west, but I came to a fork in the road. To the north east, I spotted a bridge leading to a couple of buildings. I was curious, so I decided to stop the car, and after making sure there were no zombies around, went to explore it on foot.



This is an interesting indeed! On the bridge was a school bus, and it still had diesel in it! There was also another semi truck, but sadly it was completely drained. Still, an entire bus, that's quite the find! The engine does seem to be a bit damaged though, as it took a few tries before it would start.

But that's not the best thing I found.

It turns out that the buildings were a boat rental shack. I found a couple of wet suits, though neither actually fit me very well. I could squeeze into them, but it'd be hard to move. There was also a flotation vest, something which will come handy if I ever decide to jump into the river again. The swim goggles I found will be useful as well.

Beset of all though, were the three boats I found. Two canoes and one raft. The canoes are probably easier to move around, but the raft can hold much more stuff on it, and if I'm traveling by river, it'll make it that much harder for anything to attack me. Shelter might be a problem though, but I could always beach whatever boat I'm using when I need to rest. Then again, it would be harder to explore, as I'd be limited to areas near the water, and the refugee center is not one of them. Still, according to the map, I might be able to get to the center by nightfall today if I'm lucky.

>What should I do?

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

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Collect what you can into a canoe and drag it to the car. Then load the canoe onto the car. The bus is nice, but if it's having issues starting now, then it might break down later.
Continue on your way after collecting everything into the car.

~Also, consider going back and eating the cop bodies.

Don't take the canoe, reasoning that we'll be coming back this way anyway and if we need it we can take it then. Quickly search through the place, taking anything useful and then try to make the camp.

Day 003 - After Mid Morning





The canoe will definitely be useful, so I try to load it up into the car. Unfortunately, the car is too small, and the canoe too bulky, so I can't get it to fit. And even tying it to the roof of the car is futile, as I don't have enough rope. Or rather, I don't have any rope, and I wouldn't know the proper knots for that in the first place.

For now, i decide to see what I can salvage around the area.


Day 003 - Midday

Other than the wetsuits and the floatation vest, there's not really all that much in the rental store. I'm guessing someone must have cleaned it out before I got here. I had better luck with the bus though, as someone left behind a rain coat, which I gladly put on.

I guess I should start thinking about heading out and--AARRRRGH!


Day 003 - Some Time After Midday

What is with the beavers in this place!? I just got attacked by another one. Thankfully, the arm guards I made this morning worked well, and I was able to bludgeon the thing to death with my crowbar. This thing is actually proving to be a decent weapon in a pinch. I shall name it, Excrowbarlibur!

...

No, actually, that sounds stupid.

Instead, I'll name it Beaver Bane!

Still stupid, but tolerably so.

I start to butcher the beaver, but the temperature seems to have dropped a great deal, and my hands are shivering too much to get any work done. So I head back to the car, pull out the trusty old tarp again, and wrap it around myself. It's not quite enough, so I turn a couple of curtains into makeshift robes.

Slightly warmer now, I get back to work butchering the beaver and--AARRRRGH!


Day 003 - Mid Afternoon

I... am starting to think there may be a beaver colony nearby. I was attacked by yet another angry beaver, but thankfully Beaver Bane served me well once more. I butcher this one as well, and start a fire. At least I don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat right now. I should probably get some rest, maybe an afternoon nap. All this beaver battling and scavenging has exhausted me. Cripes, but I am in terrible shape.

Soon as the beaver is done, I eat my fill of the meat and drink some boiled water. Still pretty gamey, but beggars can't be choosers. Time to sleep for an hour or so, then I'll get back to work..


Day 004 - Dawn

Cripes Criminy Jiminy Cricket, is that the sun!? I slept throughout the entire night? Huh, I guess I was more tired than I thought. That, and the stress must be getting to me. On the plus side, I feel great now! Belly full, thirst slaked, and ready to face a new day!

Of course, I just know this enthusiasm is going to come back and bite me in the butt later. Still, best to keep looking forward. I'm going to get to the refugee center today!



Day 004 - Morning

Ok... those are... strange...



After an hour or so of driving, I came to the bridge that would lead me across the river and towards the refugee center. I was excited, as I spotted a few cars along the bridge that might have some resources I could use. But, as I drove along the bridge, I saw these... things...

They were roughly man-sized, but they looked like some strange hybrid between a lobster or a crab and a human. The entire thing was covered in spiky chitin, and it looked incredibly dangerous. Definitely out of Beaver Bane's league. So instead, I decided to stay in the car and keep driving. A couple of them started chasing me, but they were no match for my trusty steed. Good idea to not get out of the car.

Onwards!


Day 004 - Mid Morning

Dagnabbit!

An hour or so after driving, I came across another set of turrets. This time though, they seem to have been put in place near a derelict old building. There are a few dead bodies near the turrets, and they all seem to be the same distance or so from the turret. i guess it's a safe bet that that's their range, and I should be safe so long as I stay beyond those bodies.

Might be worth exploring the building, I guess.


Day 004 - Some Time After Mid Morning

Interesting... The building was mostly abandoned, but I was able to pick up a few shopping bags to help me carry things. An empty milk jug was also handy, as I'd be able to store more water in it. But what was really intriguing though, was at the back of the building, was a staircase that led down into the basement. It sounds like there might be someone down there, but I have no idea if whoever is there is friendly or not. Maybe a fellow survivor in need of help?



>What should I do?

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

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Search it, but if there's any zombies or lobster demons down there, bravely run away.
After either result go around the turrets. Driving through them again would be suicide.

We have some materials, like wood and scrap metal, right? We should stick a long piece to the front of the car to use it as a lance, when necessary.

If you're going down a blind path towards possible danger, better take every precaution in case it's not a survivor. Things are getting much worse than just beavers. Park the car as close as possible and leave the engine running.

Prepare to share your food with the survivor! Welcome them with open arms and share anything you have with them, and tell them about the shelter!

Maybe you can just shout "Hello! Are you friendly?" From a safe distance and be ready to run if they are not

Day 004 - Some Time After Mid Morning





Now that I think about it, might be a good idea to start building stuff onto the car. I've got a bunch of wood, so maybe I could make a spear or a lance. It would certainly help if I ran into any more of those crab mutant things. And with turrets as well. I make a note of it, as something I will definitely try in the future.

For now though, I'll deal with the problem at hand. I move the car around the building, close to the chain link fence to the south. There, I've got a clear path to the staircase going down. Well, not clear, as there's a fence in the way, but even though I'm not in the best of shape, I can still climb it pretty easily. And if anything charges at me from down the stairs, I'll be quite happy to have a fence between it and me once I clamber over.





Here goes nothing I guess. I call out, "Hello! Are you friendly?" and wait for a response, but there's nothing. I wait a few more minutes, and nothing comes out to bite my face off either, so I guess that's a good sign? Time to go downstairs then.


Day 004 - Some Time Before Midday

Cripes! So that's why nothing answered. There was a giant ant, and I mean giant down there. It was about the size of a cow! Thankful, Beaver Bane worked just as well against ants, and I was able to bludgeon it to death. Hmm... maybe I could try butchering it for meat, I know some folks eat ants, so maybe this will be just as good? It's a bit too big to properly butcher without equipment though, but I should still be able to get something from it. For now though, time to see what else is down here.

The hallway takes a turn to the left at the bottom of the stairs, and I'm surprised to see that there's actually light here. That means, electricity! Or at least, someone's got a generator up and running. I follow the hallway and come to a metal door. I knock on it, and a voice calls out:

"Who's there?"

"Er... just a survivor, I don't suppose you could let me in?"

"Well, if you're at the door, I guess that means you took care of my ant problem, so I guess I do owe you one. Come on in."

There's a beeping sound, and then the whir of machinery as the door slides open, revealing what could only be described as a bunker of some sort. There are a few lockers in the room, as well as a side room that, from what I can see through the open door, leads to a bedroom. Heck, there's even an ATM machine down here for some reason! At the other side of the room, is what looks to be a reinforced glass wall, and behind it is the man who let me in.



"So, you survived the apocalypse out there, huh? Let me introduce myself. Name's Tommy Mullen."

"This place is incredible. Did you build it?"

"Sure did. I just knew those government types were watching me, putting chemicals in the drinking water to mind control us honest hard-working folks. So I built this place over the years, a place to hole up in just in case the slime hit the fan. And it certainly did, and here I am, safe and sound."

"What about the refugee center? I'm on my way there now. According to the map, it's only a few hours away by car."

"Bah, I want nothing to do with them. They're allied with the mole people, don't you know? I mean, just rearrange the letters in that word, drop a few, and you get NEUTER. You can also get REGENT, and UNFREE, and REGRET, and, worst of all, TUREEN! That's just proof that they're working with the underground people to cull the human race, enslave us, and then serve us up as delicacies to their Blind King!"

"Er... yeah... I'm sure... I don't suppose you'd want some of this meat I've got? I've also got some other supplies that you might be interested in."

"Oh, yeah! Always good to get some extra stuff. All I've been eating for the past couple weeks is dog food. Crunchy, but has everything the body needs! See, I'm smarter than the government, they're tainting our food, but ol' Tommy wised up, they wouldn't think to taint food that dogs are going to eat, right? So I've got fifty years' worth of dog food here. Maybe you want some as well?"

"Er... no thanks. What else do you have though?"

"Well... I'd rather not part with my stuff, but I guess I could spare some of it:"



"That's not a whole lot, is it, Tommy?"

"Of course it's not, how do you expect me to fend off the mole people and illuminati alliance if I trade away all my gear?"


>What should I do?

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

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