Riftgate 2 - Surlan's Holocaust 2

Location
Harrisburg - This once middle-class section of town has fallen into disrepair: the rows of two-storey homes are mere ghosts of the past. Some of the vinyl siding is cracked and faded from decades of neglect. Children play unsupervised in now weed-strewn vacant lots. Graffiti along brick walls mark the territory of various gangs trying to claim the neighborhood as their own. Harrisburg Elementary needs its tall security fence and guarded gate.

If southern Harrisburg is bad, the north is appalling. Many of the homes are boarded up, perhaps occupied by homeless squatters, and the gang graffiti is ubiquitous. Drug dealers and worse have brought their crime to the district. Few trees or shrubs remain, and lawns are weeds and broken bottles. Here dwell the destitute, the desperate and the homeless.

Harrisburg Clinic - This is an old building, superficially renovated. A hand-lettered sign reads "Harrisburg Free Clinic - No Appointment Needed" in large letters. Underneath, a smaller sign reads "Dr. MacFurgeson, MD" and "Dancing Coyote."

The front steps are guarded by two members of the Harrisburg Watch. They don't appear hostile, just wary. They don't stop you from entering unless you look like you are going to cause trouble, although they do search you for weapons.

The interior, which is not visible from the outside, is surprisingly neat and well-organized. There are fresh flowers in vases that almost mask the hint of disinfectant in the air. A variety of public health and safety brochures are available on a nearby table, along with a basin marked "Donations optional" half-full of coins and rumpled dollar bills. A discreet hand-lettered sign reads "Yes, we do have drugs here. No, we don't give them out. Trust us, you DON'T want to try taking them. Thank you, the management."

There's usually a line of people waiting to see the doctor, mostly poor and indigent. A middle-aged woman in a nurse's uniform collects information from them.

Scene
Sable moves swiftly and smoothly from rooftop to rooftop, careful to land on beams or walls she can see already boast some residual load-bearing ability. She makes no special effort to avoid being seen and pauses once every block or so to survey her surrounding

It soon becomes obvious that Sable is being followed. First by a couple of youths in gang style clothing. They are quickly joined by another couple of youths also in gang style clothing but wearing red armbands and openly carrying automatic weapons.

Sable pauses on a rooftop, turning to face her newly acquired entourage. "I'm not here to cause trouble, Let me go about my business and everyone will be happy."

One of the armband wearing youths shouts up to you, "Who are you with?"

Sable's head tilts slightly before she looks over her shoulder momentarily. "I don't understand the question. Who are *you* with?"

Out of sight from the ground but clearly visible to you on the roof, you see other youths setting up on rooftops around you with weapons. The weapons aren't just the automatic ballistic military grade stuff that two of the youths facing you are carrying. They are energy weapons. The youth conversing with you calls up, "What team are you with? Spirit of Justice? Starguard?"

Sable says, "A new team called Safeguard we only recently formed, Rebound and Variable are members along with a few others."

The youth states, "Rebound was at The School. The capitals in The School are quite audible in his tone of voice. Spirit of Justice can come into the 'hood. If they weren't at The School and don't belong to SoJ; metas aren't welcome here. Go, leave now and we'll let you go in peace."

A man in MAMBA body armor carrying a energy carbine is jogging towards the group of youths. The newcomewr exchanges slightly wary glances and nods with the youths and then joins them.

Sable's lips purse slightly and she inclines her head. "I understand your hostility and I've no wish to antoganise you. I'm looking for someone who needs help, he's very very fast but has bad teeth and can't talk, have you seen him at all?"

The youth says, "Might have. What's it to you?"

Sable says, "He's from a different world than this one, I want to help him get medical care, return to his home and overthrow the tyrants who rule it."

Sable's shoulders lift slightly. "Perhaps he can do all that without me, he's certainly better than I am at fighting."

The youths confer quietly between themselves for a moment. Then they seem to come to a decision, "You can come talk to Mary if you want, or get out of the 'hood. What's it going to be?"

Sable says, "I'd be more than happy to talk to Mary."

The youths don't seem too happy at your decision judging from expressions, but having made the offer they stick by it. The evident leader of the group facing you points down the street towards the Harrisburg Clinic. "Come down and we'll take you to Mary."

Sable's lips purse slightly as she considers a moment before leaping down to where the leader stands.

The MAMBA agent pushes up his visor and winks at you. "Cheer up, at worse they'll shoot you." Then he continues, "If you'd taken the job offer up with us you're be welcome here." Turning to the youths he tells them, "I saw her at a hotel when we were hiring. She seems okay to me. On the wrong side from my viewpoint but okay. Same as you guys."

Rather oddly the youths seem to accept that and the level of tension on their side goes down noticably. They start making their way towards the Clinic. "Okay, thanks for your help. We haven't forgotten what MAMBA did during the siege and we never will."

Sable smiles to the MAMBA operative. "Well, sadly, it's way too tempting to actually be a good idea, instead I think I'll try just doing the best I can."

The MAMBA agent grins, "Some of us live here. Our families are here. Our kid's friends went to The School here. No way we were going to just bug out ourselves and leave the rest of the district to fall."

The MAMBA guy gives Sable another wink and heads off away from the group. A couple of minutes walking, the youths silent but no longer overtly hostile, brings you to the front entrance of the Clinic. There's a couple more youths wearing red armbands at the doorway, and a middle aged woman in a nurse's uniform. The youths nods deferentially to the woman, "Meta wandering around on the roofs. She was looking for the hobo."

The woman looks at you, her gaze analytical, "I'm Mary, the nurse here at the Clinic. You are Sable, correct?"

Sable inclines her head. "Yes, I am Sable, I'm a member of Safeguard and I mean no harm by my intrusion, had I known who to approach I would have asked permission first."

Mary nods and smiles, albeit the smile doesn't really reach her eyes which remain sharply focused on you. "Harrisburg has a history of being ignored. Except for a few weeks just before election day. After the election all the promises made are conveniently forgotten again. So if we're to get something done we have to do it ourselves. The Harrisburg Watch are proud of the difference they make. They see it as their job to maintain order in their district. I agree with them on that. Maybe they take it a bit too far on occasions but they us want to handle our problems ourselves and not depend on outsiders. Do you understand?"

Sable inclines her head firmly. "Indeed, it is hypocritical of outsiders to insist on your good will if they do nothing to deserve it, or to criticise your arrangements if thay prove effective for you."

Mary nods and continues, "Jaki says you're looking for the hobo we have here. Why?"

Sable says, "Primarily, to get him medical treatment, particularly for his teeth and tonguw. I also believe he might benefit from regular radiation therapy. This is treatment I intend to pay for personally. Once healed I would like to assist him in returning home."

Sable says, "And join him in the fight to free his home of tyranny, if he so desires."

Mary says, "He's a very sick person at the moment. Despite everything we can do he's not making any progress. In fact he seems to be getter weaker despite treatment. He should be in the hospital but when we took him there he became extremely distressed. So we are treating him here. If you can help with that, and from your words it seems you know something of his condition, Doctor MacFurguson and I need to know it."

Sable says, "I believe he responds well to exposure to low levels of radiation, which could perhaps be achieved through an X-ray machine or regular injections of a radioactive tracer compound."

Mary nods and details one of the guards on the door to go tell the doctor that information. The status of Mary in this situation becomes a little clearer by the instant obedience of the guard. Mary is obviously the top-dog in this affair. "Thank you, Sable. That may make a great deal of difference to his chances. So what's his story?"

Sable says, "He's from an alternate universe and came to this one to steal medicine, on his home world a nuclear apocalypse has occurred leaving a small technologically advanced cadre which has asserted a global dominance unsing technology obtained from off-planet."

Mary says, "That's what dominant cadres do. The same is true on this world except they use economic power rather than off-planet technology. You only have to look at City Hall to see an example. The question that has to be answered is how does the cadre treat those under their control?"

Sable says, "That is a question you should best ask the hobo I think, but they seem actively malicious and violent."

The guard returns from the interior of the Clinic and whispers something into Mary's ear. Mary nods and smiles, "I've been told a dose of X-Rays from our machine seems to be helping. The hobo is still in a very poor condition but what you're told us will make the difference. It's going to be several days before he's fit enough to see anyone though. If you give me contact details I'll see you are informed when he's fit enough to receive a visitor."

Sable nods and hands over details where a message can be left. "I'm delighted to help in whatever way I can."

Sable says, "If he doesn't want my help, then I'll back off and leav him be of course."

Mary says, "We'll see what the patient has to say about that when he's well enough to speak." She looks at the leader of the youths who escorted you to the Clinic, "Pass the word that Sable is to be allowed passage to and from the Clinic without any incidents happening."

The youth nods, "Yes, Mary. I'll see that gets passed on to every patrol."

Mary returns her attention to you, "As soon as the hobo is ready I'll contact you. You might want to be thinking about how to communicate. He's not capable of speak and I doubt he can read or write."

Sable says, "That's true, which is why I was hoping to get treatment for his tongue and teeth."

Sable says, "But if that isn't going to be possible then I will have to come up with some other technique."

Mary says, "The teeth have been lost by trauma and gum disease. The tongue is congenital. He was born like that. Which means even after correction he'll have to learn how to speak. That may take some time. If you are in anything of a hurry you'll need to think of another approach."

Sable nods again. "very well, thankyou very much for your indulgence and patience. I apologise for interrupting your work and imposing on your hospitality."

Mary shakes her head, "The information you passed on has helped with our work. As for interrupting, you're heard the saying a change is as good as a rest I'm sure." She looks to the youth leader, "Jaki, your patrol had better escort Sable out of the district today. Some of the patrols won't have the message she is to be allowed access."

The youth leader nods, "Yes, Mary. I'll do that."

Sable inclines her head to Mary. "Thankyou for your time, if I can repay your kindness in the future please let me know."

Mary smiles, "Oh, don't worry, I will."

Sable's lips curl into a soft smile. "I will look forward to the opportunity to work with you again."