The Right Track (Kathy)

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

With a bit of effort, Tab managed to get the man inside the car and close the door. He was still breathing, but he was looking worse then before. His skin was starting to turn green all over, small scales were forming on his arms and legs.

As much as this was a good chance to observe a scientific curiosity, something howled in the distance, sending a strong reminder that it was best to keep moving. While it didn't seem like anything had spotted Tabatha, if she didn't get to shelter soon her luck would run out sooner rather then later. It was getting quite cold outside, as well. Hopefully the police station would offer some shelter from the winds, or have some heavy emergency blankets for warmth. It couldn't be too much further now.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Tab grunted as she began to walk again, in the growing dark, her skates had become far less useful. But the ground she'd covered thanks to them was well worth the side trip, as she would've taken many hours longer and far more strain to get this far without them.

She briefly glanced over her... unusual garbs, feeling a bit as if she was in some strange japanese anime with how she was dressed. "I just hope no tentacles come out of the sewers or anything." she quietly huffed, before continuing to lightly jog down the street, not wanting to strain herself too hard in case of needing to run for her life later, but not wanting to take too long to reach the police station finally... the entire trip, she idly thumbed her gun and the tranq darts that had served her so poorly, and so well, respectively, while the long piece of pipe would remain a fallback weapon if anything got too close, knowing it would serve both defensively and offensively.

(Simple actions: leave the guy now that he's 'safe' as can be, continue to the station. On foot.)

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

As Tabatha continued towards the station, the cities new nightlife came alive. She didn't have a visual on anything, but all around strange sounds started to come forth from the cities skyscrapers and other buildings. Some seemed focused on the parking lot she just left, was probably good Tab got out of there when she did.

Taking note of the street signs, or atleast the ones still standing, the numbers were ticking down until the street the station was on. Unfortunately, Tab's time was also ticking down. Not more then two blocks away and a she could start to hear signs of increased monster activity. Worse still, it seemed to be comming from the station. Of course, it was one of the first places citizens thought of during the emergency, and as such it had been chalk full of people earlier. Now they weren't quite people anymore... Tabatha could see a few more like the man wandering the street up ahead of her, though in their state, they didn't notice her this far away. There were also a few other monsters, a giant spider walking across the street, unable to tell the woman apart from the mindless infected closer to it. Also, the strange sounds were ever present, indicating new, unknown types of monsters ahead.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Tab uttered softly under her breath... "who in their right mind runs to a police station when trouble like THIS occurs? ... Aren't all of those horror movie fans supposed to run to the nearest mall?"

She shook her head slowly, not liking how this was going as she looked for the nearest subway station again... her experience from the last one told her there would likely be an insect or two in there, but if she could find someplace to blockade off, it would be the best place to try to bunker down for a night at. With the dimming light outside, her vision, a least she hoped, would be more adjusted to the dark lighting down below, as she hoped to head down and find any sort of matches or lighter again, so she could try to burn something at least and get a small fire going...

(Actions: Look for subway station nearby, head down it. Find full store (one that actually has floorspace in one of the areas, not a freestanding cart-type store), and see if it can be blocked up. Preferably one that has a security door over it she can put down. Even if she doesn't have the ability to lock it.)

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

With forward being out of the question, and nothing impressive behind her, Tab's only options were one of the side streets. Seeing as subways generally followed some kind of plan, going in a straight line untill a station was found might be the smartest course of action, and as Tab hadn't seen any stations on this street in awhile, either it didn't typically have them, or the next was was just up a little ways. The first possibility was clearly the better of the two.

Going down one of the nondescript steets, Tabatha started to find herself in one of the ethnic neighborhoods. This particular one was from a culture that enjoyed those silly paper lamps so much. They lined cords that ran from building to building, and a stall or two sold them to tourists. On the bright side, Tab could probably take a few with her to light her place for the night, when and if she found it.

Besides the aforementioned, and other small details about such ethnic neighborhoods, one critical detail stood out. All these places generally had one central subway station, that's just how they grew out over the years. If Tab worked her way into the heart of this neighborhood, she'd likely find a station just waiting for her.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

(What kind of ethnic thing? And does she have a way to light them? I assume if they were just left burning this whole time, they'd have burnt out already.)

Walking down the streets for a bit, Tab began to feel a strange sense of odd partying... the lights still hanging around felt a bit unusual, but using her long pipe to knock a few unlit candles out of their paper holders, she felt, wasn't too disrespectful, given the circumstances. She eventually brought down a string of the lights and roped them together so she could carry them off without needing to stuff too much bulk in her bag.

Giving a faint sigh, Tab began towards the ethnic area's center to try to find one of the subway stations to hide out at... making a special point not to go too deeply towards the center, as she didn't want to find herself wandering into a main station, just a small, quiet side-station where she could try to find a safe, unoccupied, place to rest for the night.

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

(Think Chinatown, but seeing as China doesn't exist in this universe, I can't name it as such. And no, most are unlit, except some of the more sheltered ones. Also, you can always light them with various flaming debris found in some areas, or find a lighter in the next station, I forgot if you found one last time. Places above ground might have lighers too.)

Tab was able to skirt around the edge of the neighborhood. Down certain streets she could see something large and burning at the heart of the area. More then one reason to avoid the large station, it seemed. It gave a strange glow to the streets, letting her find her way well enough, despite the sun vanishing from view. She could see all the shops that lined the narrow streets, strangely not looted like most of the other locations she'd come across.

Round the corner of a wierdly layed out intersection, Tab found a small station. A staircase going down, surrounded by the ususal black fence, marked with the standard symbols. Downwards, it was pitch black, the underground didn't have the advantage of a large fire going to light it up.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

As she walked and spotted other things around, Tab's ideas on where to go to stay safe slowly changed. She took a few of the candles and paper lights, ones that she could stash easily, and rushed onward towards one of the unlooted stores... she didn't really care what kind it was, as long as it looked mostly intact and had some kind of security in place, a door she could blockade, perhaps a back door out, just in case. With the sun having disappeared, she couldn't help but wonder more and more about the glow in the distance, but at the same time, desperately realize she needed someplace safe to bunker down at.

(New plan, ignore the station and find one of the unlooted shops nearby. If they're available, she doesn't see why she shouldn't take advantage of it. P.S. what kinds of shops in general? Maybe there's something she spots useful?)

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

(Resturants, antique stores/various curiosities, martial arts dojos, etc)

The style in this area was for large windows to cover the storefront. Tourists liked to see what was in the shop before the entered. Having a door was not the only concern when thinking about a good location to stay for the night. The shops that sold goods were totally out of the question, they had the biggest windows. There was a dojo that looked pretty secure, but if Tab hoped on finding stuff to aid her, there wasn't much kept in there besides the training "swords", more of long wooden sticks designed to sting a bit, but not to injure. Next door was a resturant, the food had probably gone bad without power, but there were other things of use inside, and the door was not too hard to block, with only medium sized windows.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Although the places seemed poorly made for such defensive needs, Tab knew that one of those dojos was likely the best choice. The open area in the front made it easy to spot anything coming at her, and she could hide in one of the back rooms fairly safely... and a back door would offer an escape in case of any further danger. In addition to everything else, it avoided most of the desperate clichees of people looking for any food they could find, or trying to loot stores, as no one would think a place like this had anything, or any one, of value in it.

Most of all, the 'open' nature of the front, would be a misleading indication of the place being empty, which would cause most men and beasts to ignore the site, allowing her even more protection against anyone who might come...

Tab rushed inside quietly, making it a point not to open the door fast, so any chimes on it wouldn't be joustled around enough to make a sound, thus keeping her stealth and silence as she began to move through, giving the area's back rooms a once over to ensure the place could be safe, and had a back way out in case of emergency...

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Beyond the front room were two changing rooms on either side, one for either gender, then a hallway. It seemed the owner, or master, or whoever was in charge of this place didn't have an office, maybe out of some sort of humbleness or something. The hallway had two store rooms, one of the atire worn by the various people involved in this martial art, and another for equipment of various sorts, boards to break, sticks, that kind of thing. Overall not very much.

In the very back was a small area sort of like a kitchen. It had a sink a few cabinets, full of cleaning supplies and two small first aid kits. There was a back door with a small window, glowing orange. It provided a better view of the fire then Tab had had so far. Seemed to be three or four cars on fire, in the middle of a plaza. No threat of spreading probably.

Tab noted that there was a small pull down curtain on the door's window, for extra privacy, if she wanted it. Both doors could be easily blocked by a simple chair, there were around ten in the store room she could use. The front windows also had draw string curtains, though closing it would be a trade off, as looters wouldn't be able to see the empty room, potentially breaking in to the dojo out of curiosity.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Tab gave a few slow nods as she rushed around quickly to handle the various checking of the rooms. Gun drawn at each door she opened, just in case, when she found everything to be quiet inside, she decided it was time to bunker down.

She didn't draw back any of the curtains except for the one in the back letting the light of the fire in, which blackened the back areas of the dojo considerably, with the reflections against the front glass of dim light out beyond, it would make it difficult to impossible to see her from the outside, without walking right up to the window and trying to stare in.

Contented with the few tasks she'd done to make the area safer, she setup a small way to reach that window to the back and escape out it, if necessary. Though diving into a well lit area with fires like that would not be her first choice if being chased, it would provide a back way out for an emergency.

For good measure, she pushed one of the chairs by the front door, not close enough that it looked like it was purposeful, but close enough that it would be more noise and ruckus that would be heard if anything tried to force it's way inside, while setting a few more chairs out along the path to the back, small roadblocks that would slow anything trying to get at her. When everything was finally set and done, she'd pack the first aid kits, and finally settle down with a few of the floor mats for sleeping on, due to the lack of couch or other comfortable surface... taking a moment to peek out the back window and watch the burning fires and area surrounding it, before deciding it was time to settle down for some sleep. She'd finally go to bed having hidden herself beneath a pile of equipment that looked hastily thrown aside, so even if all of her traps and setups failed to alert her to an enemy's approach, there was still the quiet hope that it wouldn't notice her there...

(And sleepy time for Tab. Unless something unusual bugs her before going to lay down.)

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

The setup went smooth. It was almost as if the monsters were avoiding this area, Tab could hear far away signs of activity, but nothing sounding closer then three blocks. Perhaps morning would yield more answers, it was getting too late to work.

As Tab prepared a place to rest, she noticed the wind was picking up too. Perhaps a storm was going to blow in soon. The building creaked a bit as she lay down for bed. The mats were softer then the floor, but not by much. She'd sleep without much trouble, but would probably wake up a bit stiff, though some always said that was good for the back.

(Alright, when you wake up it'll be around 6:30. Nothing will disturb you durring your sleep, I'll give Tab a chance to think about her goals for the day, etc. Probably short, but its a transition, so sue me)

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

(Those mats aren't too bad if you stack a few high > )

Tab opened her eyes slowly, never one to be a fast rouser or declare her awakening with loud yawns or other such things. The area felt almost too quiet as memories came back to her of everything that happened, and she groped around idly for the gun that she'd slept near all night, finger laying near the trigger as she began to fidget from under the pile she'd made, slowly moving enough to first view her own room for security... then slowly expand from there... the next rooms, the lockerrooms, bathroom and shower stalls, if any existed, the front room, naturally, on her way past it, and glancing beyond the front at the street outside, making sure her chair was unmoved and nothing was snooping around while she was asleep, before, at long last, she would return to that back window and peer at where the fires once burned. This early in the morning, their light would still help a little, though that benefit would fade quickly.

(etc, general notion: she doublechecks her area while planning her day, and if this area feels secure enough still, she may mark it as a safe point to bunker down in again in the future. Assuming she finds nothing and isn't forced from the building prematurely, she continues: )

Building secured, Tab quickly found herself stripping what few garments she had off and sliding into a shower stall (or whatever largest private/semi-private area with a decent faucet is), so she could wash up using the strangely still running water. Though she didn't feel as sweaty and heated as she probably should have given everything, those skates having done wonders on her long journey thus far, she still knew that even if she couldn't smell herself, others, especially animals, might, and even a few moments of brisk scrubbing would reduce the amount of her scent enough to make the difference between being caught a hundred feet down wind, or not alerting potential predators even within fifty feet of them. Even if her experience in this regard was more often applied to her being the hunter and trying to tranq dart them for sampling, the theory remained the same if she would rather avoid them entirely.


After a brisk wash, and borrowing any clean towels nearby to dry, making a point not to use any scented soaps or shampoos, Tab headed back out through the building, pacing out of instinct to get her morning blood flowing as she prepared herself for the day. "The police station still needs to be a priority. They'll have a hard line that's more likely to be reconnected for emergencies than most other places. And even if the area was overrun... that's actually a step in my benefit once the monsters leave, since it means most of the weapons will be left there." She was whispering to herself again as if into a tape recorder... She groaned inwardly as she threw the imaginary device away and moved towards the front window cautiously, peering out from every direction as she edged up to it from a side-hallway, looking up and down the street. She eventually took the door-chimes down, deciding to wedge a small paper into it to silence it and take it with her, so she could use it as a first-alert system for future safe-houses, while she then opened the front door enough to poke her head out and look up and down the street... There was nothing quite like a morning of wandering out into a strangely asian townscape stark naked while waiting for a godzilla-type monster to rain death from above at any moment while his perverted offspring could be stalking around at any moment, waiting to pounce and potentially rape you...

Quickly dismissing her odd train of thought, having finished her scouting, Tab rushed back inside to do a final pack-up and dress again in her unusually anime-esque garb, something which only made the entire situation more absurd to her eyes, before she rushed off into the city streets in earnest, taking it by foot for now as she once again approached the police station as stealthily as possible, not having any other ideas for what she could do other than to just bunker down and hide away for everything to blow over... which somehow just wasn't her style... Maybe if those fools that were after that cheap radio toy had left her information for how to find them... but that was neither here nor there. With only a single option open in her mind, Tab approached the police station from the alleys, avoiding the main streets as much as possible, and using everything from dumpsters and trash cans, to cowering around corners as she peered out from behind them, to remain as hidden as possible until she'd be forced to expose herself for the final leg of her journey.

(Short answer: Tab doesn't have any other plans, and after a self-ridiculing look at the situation, she heads towards the police station anyhow.)

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Everything was just as Tab left it. During her search, she found the bathrooms in the small changing areas, the were hidden, not on purpose, but just by the style of the building. Driping pipes in here and there indicated that not only was the water still on, but the owner of this place should hire a handyman. On the bright side, despite the flaws, the place was clean enough. The shower stalls even had "Zen scentless scent", whatever that was, for the students here to freshen up with.

Finishing her rounds, Tabatha saw everything was clear outside as well as inside. While looking into the plaza, Tab heard a faint buzzing sound, but it stopped before she could identify it or even really decide if it was real or not. Early mornings were hard on the senses like that.

Still nothing happened as Tab finished her post-security check activities. However, when she'd gathered her things and started to head out, she heard the sound again, this time louder and clearer without any walls blocking it. Even out front, towards the station, it was easy to tell it was comming from the plaza where the fires were. It didn't sound all that threatening, more like something mechanical. Might be worth checking out.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Tab smiled as she heard the sound... Something moving around, alive, mechanical... That was always a good sign. But just in case, she wasn't one to rush off in a foolish manner. Instead of running towards it openly, Tab rushed back through the place she'd spent the night and peered cautiously out the back window, where she remembered getting a clear view of the plaza and those burning cars the night before, using her hidden vantage point to see what was out there.

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Looking through the back window, Tab looked carefully out the window. Nothing stood out a first, but then she saw it. Down one of the side streets there was a glow, as if from more of the fire, some of it had always been out of view, but not like this. This glow was different, it had a blueish tint to it, and was almost like an electric light. It was about half again as strong as the fire's light, too. Maybe that was what was making the noise, the same thing making the glow. Unfortunately Tab couldn't get an angle to see it any better from in the building.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Tab pouted for a bit at not being able to see what it was, but wasn't eager to encounter whatever... was causing that noise and that glow. She knew that the monsters of the area could do all kinds of unusual things, as she'd seen more than a few missles shot out of the air by the creatures, and one that glowed like this wouldn't be a far fetched new creature, as many normal animals had various glowing traits... No, she stayed put. Running into whatever was causing THAT was not something she was eager to do. However, if she could open the window a crack, she'd take the risk while nothing was in view to yell out the window, "HEY, What's that glow?" before cowering back away, letting the window's shade naturally conceal herself as she kept low and silent... if the glow was man-made, she hoped whoever was there would call back or come asking if anyone was there. While if it was a beast, she was fairly certain it would come looking for whoever had yelled, and staying down low would be a very, very good idea in such a situation.

 

[OAMP]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

The window didn't seem to want to open. While it did look like it could, it might just be for decoration purposes. One never could tell with these types of buildings in neighborhoods such as these. Unfortunately, while trying to open the window, the wood of the door, not a very good type for building, let out a loud *crack*, as the window broke loose from the frame. She hadn't even been pulling that hard, the same force probably wouldn't have even have flipped a chair in a barfight. These neighborhoods were also known for poor construction.

However, much to Tab's benefit, nothing happened afterwards. The crack echoed a few times, but all remained quite, save the on and off sound comming from the glow. Not change in activity in the plaza at all.

 

[Kathy]

Re: The Right Track (Kathy)

Tab sighed softly at the shitty building, withdrawing the destroyed window pane and setting it aside quietly, before attempting her original plan again. Window or not, yelling to get the thing's attention did seem the most prudent course of action, and having lost the pane did not change that in the least.