SEGMENT 2: A Reporter's Lot Is Not A Happy One
Reporter's Note #131
Militia Truly Tested
Unbelievable!
Having spent 5 days in the back of beyond trying to get a piece for Colonists Weekly I come back to find that not only have the militia been called into action to investigate a sudden break in communication with Waystation5 but that a spaceliner blew itself into pieces as it entered orbit and the reserve militia were sent out to see if there were any survivors. Typical ... the only time anything happens on this god forsaken planet and I miss it.
Reporter's Note #135
Good News/Bad News
Good News - the survivors of the crash have been found.
Bad News - still no word from Waystation5 and contact has been lost with the militia ...
... oh, and I'm still stuck here in port and on this shitty planet.
Memo to self ... I've written it before and I'll write it again: ‘never, ever have affairs with your boss and his wife'. I know it all seems so clear in hindsight but I so wanted to work my way up the reporting ladder.
Reporter's Note #136
Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining: Local Economy Picks Up After Spaceliner Disaster
Not only am I stuck on this planet but I'm losing my touch as well. I place myself in the only bar in town and wait for the survivors to show and what happens?
Mr Chumbawumba (Sukh) walks in orders himself a bottle of whiskey and proceeds to drink it before ordering another. I give him my best smile and come on but he just shuffles out to the porch, plonks himself down on the bench and falls asleep.
Mr Trellis (PhilJ) ignores me and first asks Mrs Wilson about male secretaries and then asks Mr Wilson about male secretaries. He didn't even bother to ask me. Sexist pig!!
Mr TBA (PJ) then arrives with Mr Kessler (PhilM) who both talk to me but then lose interest when they see the bottle of whiskey delivered to Mr Chumbawumba (Sukh) by Timmy (who works for the tailor but seems to be running errand after errand ... I never realised how busy a tailor would be out here on a planet like this). Come to think about it Timmy seemed to spend most of his time going to and coming from the Baron (Gray)'s rooms. Mr Trellis (PhilJ) seems to keep a special eye out for him.
In the end I gave up and had a chat with Mr & Mrs Jones whose store seems to have suddenly been doing good business; apparently there's a surge in demand for weapons. Even the blacksmith has been going round asking if people know anything making swords.
Reporter's Note #137
Croc Skin Is The New Black: Security tightened as Designers' concerns grow over fashion spies
Well at least there are more things to see going on around the place ... even if they are a little odd to say the least.
Apparently Timmy is running errands for the Baron (Gray) while the tailor is busy making two suits out of the croc skin as well as a couple of briefcases for Takeshi (Rich) and Trellis (PhilJ). Takeshi (Rich) said something about not being surprised if the trousers turned out not to have any seats to them ... perhaps the croc isn't big enough.
Trellis (PhilJ) went and shouted at Wilson and stormed off until the Baron (Gray) and the Mayor wandered over to the militia hut. Trellis (PhilJ) then went off with Sanders and they rode out to some of the homesteads to interview the ‘strapping young men that worked in the fields'. Sanders later confided that Trellis (PhilJ) had asked her to be a bodyguard for the Baron (Gray) ... a bodyguard from what? She also told me that Trellis (PhilJ) fell of his horse in the barn ... funny but sad.
Tried to listen to a meeting the survivors were having but the Baron (Gray) spotted me and took them up to his room. Wilson tried to take them all a nice cup of tea but they shouted at her and then shouted at Andy and Alan who had guard duty ... to guard against what? Mrs Wilson was just glad that some people know how to speak clearly ... not like the rest of us who just mumble.
Mr & Mrs Jones say that TBA (DaveG) has cornered the market in CB radios.
Reporter's Note #138
PT: an new offworld craze?
Bloody hell!
5am this morning Takeshi (Rich) goes banging dustbin lids and starts shouting at Ross, Andy, Alan and Shawn (who he now refers to as ‘squaddies'). Mrs Wilson pops them up a nice cup of tea only to find that they had already left for PT ... whatever that is.
Other than that a quiet day ... so I went and had a word with Binkey ... I mean Mayor Kinsey ... and wangled a ride up the river tomorrow.
Reporter's Note #139
Fears Grow Over Loss of Contact with Waystation5:
But is this a search or rescue operation?
Apparently the Mayor requisitioned Stan's boat so Stan, me, Sanders, Williams, and Cox waved off by the rest of the townsfolk. The offworlders have joined the mission. Kessler (PhilM) got a kiss from Janey, one of the other survivors and even Binkey was sweet; I could see he had a pair of my knickers in his jacket pocket and he kept pretending to dab his nose just so he could sniff them.
Reporter's Note #140
Taskforce en route to Waystation5
Chugged passed Waystation1.
Reporter's Note #141
Taskforce en route to Waystation5: Day 2
Chugged passed Waystation2 and TBA (PJ) taught me how to juggle.
Reporter's Note #142
Taskforce en route to Waystation5: Day 3
Chugged passed Waystation3 and TBA (PJ) taught me how to lasso.
The engine broke and Stan couldn't fix it. Galen (Gray) kept throwing his knife into the side of the wheel-house till Stan came up and shouted at him. TBA (DaveG) fixed the engine.
Reporter's Note #143
Taskforce en route to Waystation5: Day 4
Chugged passed Waystation4. Even TBA (PJ) is bored now.
Reporter's Note #145
Taskforce Reach Waystation5: Welcome leaves something to be desired
Finally we got to Waystation5.
The whole place is in a terrible state and the militia boat has been sunk off the jetty.
There isn't any sign of life but we found 10 militia, 10 criminals and 5 colonists' bodies. We only know that because TBA (PJ) pulled all the body parts out of the communal hall and arranged them on the ground outside. That means 37 people or bodies are missing.
The church building seems to have been desecrated with symbols from the ‘Cult of Darkness'.
During the night we posted watches and let the crocs and the wolves eat the body parts. Trellis (PhilJ) said it was a good example of recycling.
Reporter's Note #146
Team Track Criminals and Colonists: Discarded blaster rifles mystery
Takeshi (Rich) found a trail leading from the camp and we followed it. We left Stan, Sanders, Williams and Cox on the boat to act as our back-up.
After a while the scanner made by TBA (DaveG) picked up the signature of a power cell. Takeshi (Rich), Galen (Gray), TBA (PJ) and Trellis (PhilJ) crept forward till they found it was a discarded blaster rifle. Another was found a while later. But why would the criminals discard blaster rifles with power still in the power pack?
We made camp before dark and Mr TBA (DaveG) set up traps around the camp. We were attacked during the night, or rather TBA (PJ) was attacked during the night, and while Mr Kessler (PhilM) kept missing Mr TBA (PJ) dealt with the problem.
In the morning it turns out that Mr TBA (DaveG) had killed a wolf in one of his traps. Perhaps I could write a piece about engineering ... ‘Wilderness Engineering'?
Reporter's Note #147
Farmhouse Fired Upon: A case of friendly fire?
We followed the trail to a farmhouse. There was no movement so it was decided to approach it ‘by the numbers'. Takeshi (Rich) and Galen (Gray) moved forward and took up position either side of the front door. Francesco tried to shoulder charge the door. This didn't work and in reply a shotgun blast comes through the door. Luckily no one was hit. I'm sure I heard a woman's voice but before I could say anything Takeshi (Rich) threw in a stick of dynamite which went off just after a second blast from a shotgun. I'm sure I could hear the shouts and screams of a near terrified woman before the dynamite exploded.
Trellis (PhilJ) was first into the farmhouse and found a farmer's wife and her child suffering from concussion from the explosion. He attacked the child claiming that they were both combatants and therefore legitimate targets. Galen (Gray) took exception to that and a fight ensued.
Shortly after this we moved on. Apparently we had to push on to make time. We headed off towards the next farmstead. It was strange but I never saw or heard the mother and child again.
Reporter's Note #148
Rescue of Colonists Ends In Disaster: Criminals 5 Rescue Party 6
We were moving in the direction of town. You could tell that by the fact that the next farmstead was larger and more developed ... but ominously quiet.
Galen (Gray) dashed into the barn but didn't find anything or anyone and then we turned our attention to the farmhouse. TBA (DaveG) and Takeshi (Rich) laid down covering fire and focused on the shuttered windows and front door. Galen (Gray) and Trellis (PhilJ) dived in through the shuttered windows; Trellis (PhilJ) ran and dived, Galen (Gray) flick flacked. The house appeared empty but a bedroom door was locked and there was movement behind it. Galen (Gray) opened the door while Trellis (PhilJ) dived and rolled into the room to find the 6 of the missing colonists.
The colonists look in awful shape. I can only begin to imagine what went on at the waystation. There were stories of torture and black magic rituals but they managed to give us a description of the criminals' leader.
[What I write now I believe to be the truth. There may well be a simple, innocent explanation but this is what I remember happening. Takeshi (Rich) went to speak to the colonists but when I looked it wasn't Takeshi (Rich). He looked like someone else I swear. The colonists went mad, berserk even. Then they tried to grab Kessler (PhilM)'s gun. Takeshi (Rich) attacked the colonists, Trellis (PhilJ) backed him up and they killed them. They killed them all. And they claim it was in self defence.]
As we bed down for the night the criminals have killed 5 colonists, that we know of, and the rescue party I am with has killed 6. I am very worried about the farmer's wife and child we encountered earlier.
Reporter's Note #149
"Rescue Team"?: Rescue marred by yet another death
A restless night and a lot of discussion amongst the group about events to date. A lot of looks in my direction. We got moving and after a very long day we got to the next farmstead. We must be about a days ride from town if my reckoning is right.
The place looked deserted. As the party approached the farmhouse their electronics went funny. There was a tactical withdrawal until TBA (PJ) charged the house. He got hit in the chest and knocked to the ground with what looked like lightning. He got up again and charged only to be hit in the chest and knocked to the ground again. At this point a man appeared on the porch out of the front door but Takeshi (Rich) shot him in the chest, TBA (PJ) shot him in the legs and Galen (Gray) managed a headshot.
Takeshi (Rich) went to look at the man. It sounds strange but the man looked different, almost as if it was someone else who had done the shooting. I know it doesn't make sense. Neither does what happened next. As Takeshi (Rich) searched the man, the man said something to him and Takeshi (Rich) ran away.
The party searched for the man's weapon and didn't find one. They didn't find anyone else either. So did they shoot the right man or have they shot another innocent bystander?