96 lines
4.8 KiB
HTML
96 lines
4.8 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title> <Nova Metropolis> </title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="html_resources/style.css"></head><body><a href="index.html"><button class="back"><</button></a>
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<h1><Nova Metropolis></h1>
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<p>
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Michelle continues driving the bus for a couple hours without further
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incidents. They pass a bunch of smaller towns, some of them being
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basically piles of wood and rubble while others have buildings that are
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still standing. James had gone to sleep and Annie is enjoying the view,
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making occasional conversation with Michelle about landmarks or anything
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remarkable.
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</p>
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<p class="comment">
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Maybe add some comment about what Annie sees/perceives?
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</p>
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<p>
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<span class="speech">Look, over there!</span><br />
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Michelle points to the left. An undefined shape is visible in the far
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distance. She takes an exit onto another highway in that direction. After
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a short while, the undefined shape turns into the unmistakable skyline of
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a large city.
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</p>
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<p>
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The bus passes a large sign "Welcome to Nova Metropolis" and
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they reach the city outskirts. Many of the single family homes in the area
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are still standing, some of them even in remarkably good condition. The
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skyscrapers in the distance look like they're all intact.
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</p>
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<p class="comment">
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some reaction to the fact that the city is basically intact
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</p>
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<p>
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The highway ends and transitions into a large road. Michelle decelerates
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the bus.<br />
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<span class="speech">Why are you going so slow?</span><br />
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<span class="speech">Im going exactly 50 - perfectly normal city
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speed.</span><br />
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<span class="speech">50 km/h? That's faster than the speed limit in
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<dome city>. This feels so slow...</span><br />
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Michelle chuckles.<br />
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<span class="speech">Well Jack was right about the wind - I managed to go
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120 most of the time. Under normal circumstances, a bus like this one
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would struggle with that.</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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The buildings around them get taller and taller. The mix of smaller and
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medium-sized houses turns into blocks of five-story buildings which in
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turn turn into blocks of even taller buildings until the sides are lined
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with sky scrapers with facades of glass, concrete, and steel towering
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over over the road. Annie points them out:<br />
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<span class="comment">TODO: tie this in with the missing section
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above.</span><br />
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<span class="speech">They all look like they were just abandoned.</span>
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<br />
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<span class="speech">You're right. Not even a smashed window...</span>
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<br />
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<span class="speech">Over there?</span><br />
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<span class="speech">Okay, one smashed window.</span><br />
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Michelle pulls up at a bus stop and parks the bus.<br />
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<span class="speech">Time to wake up the guys.</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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While enjoying a small meal, they decide to explore the time capsule that
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is Nova Metropolis. Well, all of them but Jack.<br />
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<span class="speech">I thought sleep was for the weak?</span> Michelle
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teases him.<br />
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<span class="speech">I'm just gonna own that one today.</span><br />
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He throws himself into his bed, not even making an effort to lay down in a
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comfortable position. Through the mattress, they hear a muffled
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<span class="speech">Good night</span>.
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</p>
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<p class="comment">
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missing section
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</p>
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<p>
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<span class="speech">Jack is gone</span>, Annie notices while entering
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the bus. She goes to the kitchen area.<br />
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<span class="speech">There's a note on the table: "Will be back
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at 6:30"</span><br />
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Michelle looks at her watch.<br />
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<span class="speech">It <i>is</i> 6:30.</span><br />
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<span class="speech">I guess there's nothing to do but wait.
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He'll show up soon enough.</span> James chimes in.<br />
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They place their bags full of found goodies on the floor and sit down
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around the table.
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</p>
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<p>
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After a while, they hear a fast car approaching. Looking outside, they
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see an oldtimer <zoom> by. A moment later, it returns, braking so
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hard that it leaves tire marks on the road. Jack gets out and waves at
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them. He turns off the engine and walks to the front of the bus. Annie
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opens the door.<br />
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<span class="speech">Where have you been?</span><br />
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<span class="comment">Jack has misremembered where they parked the bus so
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he was searching for them.</span>
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</p>
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<p class="copyright">Copyright © 2023 Jan Danielzick (aka. BodgeMaster) – All rights reserved.</p><script>let spans = ["<span class=\"paper_green\">", "<span>"];let paper_sections = document.getElementsByClassName("paper");for (let i = 0; i < paper_sections.length; i++) {let lines = paper_sections[i].innerHTML.split("\n");let result = "";for (let j = 0; j < lines.length; j++) {result = result + spans[j%2] + lines[j] + " ".repeat(80-lines[j].length) + "</span>\n";}paper_sections[i].innerHTML = result;}</script></body></html>
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