post_apocalypse_story/mc-welcome_home.html

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<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title> Welcome Home </title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="html_resources/style.css"></head><body><div class="back"><a href="index.html">&lt;</a></div>
<h1>Welcome Home</h1>
<p>
<span class="quote speech">I smell fire.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Yup, we&apos;re almost there.</span><br />
Annie is slightly confused by his answer and how seemingly unfazed he is.
<br />
<span class="quote speech">Don&apos;t you want to do something about
it?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Gonna guess that&apos;s our campfire &ndash;
nothing to worry about.</span><br />
<span class="comment">response?</span>
</p>
<p>
Annie and Jack walk over a <span class="comment">crest? ridge?</span>,
revealing a view of the small valley beyond.
<span class="comment">Is there a distinct word for a terrain feature
like a very small valley?</span><br />
The bunker is set into the mountain on the other side, the large open
door visible from afar. There is a small cleared space between it and
the road, surrounded by bushes. Someone is sitting there, next to
a fire.<br />
<span class="comment">lay of the land info (for Jack opening the door
scene): from their current PoV, there is a road below them, coming from
the right, crossing the the valley over a bridge, and turning back
to the right where it passes the bunker and continues around the other
mountain</span><br />
They start making their way down to the road.<br />
Jack takes a radio off his belt and speaks into it:
<span class="comment">research todo: radio protocol</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Michelle, we&apos;re just entering the
valley.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">We? Someone came along?</span><br />
<span class="comment">wording? translate: mitgekommen</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Annie.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">I see. Am cooking &ndash; any food allergies
or other dietary restrictions I should watch out for?</span><br />
Annie shakes her head.<br />
<span class="quote speech">She says no.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Okay, see you in a bit.</span><br />
Jack puts the radio away and the two continue downwards.
</p>
<p>
It takes them a while to get to the road. The pavement is cracked with
plants growing out of it. Ahead of them is a bridge over a small river.
They cross it about half-way where Annie stops and turns to the railing.
She almost leans against it, before the thought
<span class="quote non-speech">What if it breaks?</span> shoots into her
head. She grabs on to it and shakes ... herself. The railing stands firm.
<br />
<span class="comment">At some point soon-ish after this, Annie will try
this and the floor under her will give out. From then on, she will be
afraid of going too close to railings / edges.</span><br />
Jack joins her looking down at the small river below and says:
<span class="quote speech">Learning quickly, huh?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech"></span>
<span class="comment">What she got to say? What she seeing?</span>
</p>
<p>
After a moment, they continue along the road. It makes a sharp turn to
the right into a slight incline along the hillside. They walk for a few
more minutes and reach the bunker. As they approach, the person they saw
earlier &ndash; presumably Michelle &ndash; comes out of the bunker and
adds some ingredients to a pot on a tripod over the flames.
<span class="comment">Is there a word for these metal rings with three
legs?</span>
Jack introduces the two to each other &ndash; it <i>is</i> Michelle.
<br />
<span class="quote speech">So you join us out here after all?</span>
<br />
<span class="quote speech">Yeah, things kinda went south quickly.</span>
</br />
<span class="quote speech">Well then, welcome to your new home for the
time being.</span>
They all sit down around the fire and Annie recounts the events of the
recent past while the meal continues cooking.
</p>
<p>
The ensuing conversation is interrupted by a noise in the bushes.
Michelle tilts her head, then turns around.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Is that a dog? There&apos;s a dog here!</span>
<br />
A medium-sized, brown dog runs out, sniffs them all, barks and then runs
off on the road, disappearing around a <span class="comment">translate:
Felsvorsprung</span>. A moment later, it comes back, followed by a guy
wearing a long, dark green coat that has been patched a few times.
He is wearing a backpack and holds a long staff, using it as a
<span class="comment">Wanderstab? Cane?</span>.
</p>
<p>
The stranger says: <span class="quote speech">Good evening!</span><br />
They greet him back and Michelle and Jack invite him to join them around
the fire.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Gladly.</span> He comes closer.
<span class="quote speech">I&apos;m James, the green wizard of
Siren&apos;s&nbsp;Edge.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Michelle, time traveling witch. Show us some
of your magic, wizard.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Well, unfortunately, my staff is broken.</span>
<br />
He swings it around and makes some funny noises.<br />
<span class="quote speech">See? Not working.</span><br />
They all have a laugh and Annie and Jack introduce themselves in a more
normal manner.<br />
Michelle asks:
<span class="quote speech">What leads you to the area?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">I am searching for... &emsp;&emsp; Dora!
C&apos;mere, sit!</span><br />
The dog stops sniffing the pot over the fire and returns to James.<br />
<span class="quote speech">As I was saying, I am looking for pictures
from the old world like this one...</span><br />
He shows an old, crumpled photo that, while faded and discolored, still
clearly depicts a nebula and some stars.<br />
<span class="quote speech">... and maybe the means to take them.
I heard there is a quite well-preserved observatory near
Sentinel&nbsp;Shores.</span><br />
<span class="comment">This is a new lead for Michelle and Jack.</span>
</p>
<p class="comment">
Michelle takes the pot off the fire and Jack gets dishes from inside
the bunker.<br />
(Some of) The food is unfamiliar to Annie.<br />
While eating, they discuss their mission.
</p>
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