Going North [Open]

[choongsung]

OOC: Excuse my RPing, it has been a while hahaha

Los Angeles City Limits

"Finally here eh..." mumbled Vincent to himself as he trudged along the high way. Where once was a constant flow of traffic now stood empty. Quiet, and eerie. It had of course, been over six months since Vincent had seen this part of California. All that he had remembered was wiped out when the bombs fell. His squad, his company, his base, and most importantly, his family. Vincent had no idea if his siblings or parents had survived. But he knew damn sure, that he had lost two very precious people in his life.

"Hopefully I can figure out what happened" thought Vincent. "The only place I really can go is North from here."

The sun was very warm that day. Its merciless rays beat down on the young man as he mindlessly trudged along a path which would lead him to either answers, or danger. As Vincent paused to wipe sweat from his eyes, something caught his attention. It was another sign.

Strawberry Farm, Products for sale

"I wonder if they will barter for some food.. Sign seems pretty new." he then began walking towards the direction of the farm.

[Kazuya Hikari]

One foot resting on top of the porch railing of the wooden but in relatively well shape house located beside the farm, a man could be seen coming into view as Vincent headed up the road towards the farmland. His right arm resting on top of his knee, smoking away at a cigarette, the man would tip his cowboy hat high enough that Vincent could just barely see him giving the Korean a piercing but not unfriendly stare, his hand hovering near his pellet shotgun on his back.

"Howdy stranger, welcome to Strawberry Farm. Whatcha lookin' for?"

[choongsung]

As Vincent approached the farmland, a decently sized wooden house started coming into view. For all the damaged and destroyed houses he had seen, this one seemed to be in relatively good condition. On the porch was a grizzled looking fellow. Vincent noticed several scars on his face, probably from either hunting or a fight that happened a while back.

Cowboy hat, cigarette, hand resting on one knee.. reminds me of those Texan boys we had in our squad thought Vincent to himself as he closed distance with the man. Once he got closer, Vincent could see that the man was guarded. One of his hands were hovering behind his back. His aura was not hostile. Just guarded.

Maybe he can tell me about what's going on.

"Howdy stranger, welcome to Strawberry Farm. Whatcha lookin' for?"

At this, Vincent slowed his pace and began to stare into the man's just barely visible eyes. His gaze was confident no doubt. It had been a while since Vincent saw a man who'd stare at him directly liked that.

Vincent replied, "Food." His voice was slightly raspy. He had not talked to anyone for days. Shit.. I sound like a turd. Clearing his throat with a slight cough, Vincent spoke again with more confidence. "Are you willing to trade? "

Vincent's eyes studied that man intently. Whatever that other hand was hovering over could be anything. Any movement of the shoulders could possibly betray hostile intent.

[Kazuya Hikari]

"Well food we have, and I'm not opposed to trading, but depends on whatcha offerin'. If you give me dust bunnies and lint, I ain't givin' ya jack."

Eying the Korean intently, the man could see he was strong, but probably severely famished. As the boy had not shown any signs of hostility, his hand would move away from his pellet shotgun, coming into view, but ready to dart back and whip it out should things get dicey. Lifting his other arm off his knee, he'd grab a clean cup from the small table nearby, and toss the plastic cup at Vincent.

"Here stranger, get yourself some water to drink from the dispenser over at the stand, then we'll talk trades. Just 'cause the world's gone to hell, doesn't stop the weather from gettin' hot. And you look like crap, to be perfectly honest."

[choongsung]

"Well food we have, and I'm not opposed to trading, but depends on whatcha offerin'. If you give me dust bunnies and lint, I ain't givin' ya jack."

Vincent nodded. Even though he had lost a lot of things, his bag did contain some things. Much of it was personal belongings that he felt were very important to him. Not that it had much material value. They held a lot of sentimental value. Another compartment of his bag held vital survival gear he had picked up out of his storage unit in San Diego.

Then came the plastic cup. Marines threw water bottles, canteens, grenades, rifle magazines, and bunch of other interesting oddly shaped items at each other, but never in his life a cup. Of course, in his culture it was common for people to pass cups with two hands. The world was just a different place now. Normally, Vincent would attempt to catch items with one hand trying to look cool. However, he'd miscalculate quite often and swat the item to the ground by accident. He did not want to look like a fool in front of a stranger so he simply caught the cup lightly with two hands out of the air.

"Here stranger, get yourself some water to drink from the dispenser over at the stand, then we'll talk trades. Just 'cause the world's gone to hell, doesn't stop the weather from gettin' hot. And you look like crap, to be perfectly honest."

"Thank you." replied Vincent gratefully. "It's very much appreciated"

Do I really look that bad? Vincent thought as he went to collect water from the dispenser. At least the tension's broken somewhat.

As Vincent drained the water, he felt his throat loosen up and headache fade away. So he was dehydrated. The stress of survival had caused him to forget about some of his basic nutritional necessities. Vincent spent a couple more minutes at the dispenser draining a several cups before he made his way towards the stand.

"The world's gone to hell for everyone, isn't that right... Not just myself.", said Vincent as he opened up his bag. "Only seen a couple of people for the last 50 miles or so."

He pulled out a small coil of 550 paracord out of the front pocket of his bag. "I'm willing to trade for this." Vincent said as he began demonstrating a couple knots on several loose ends of the cord. "It's 550 cord. The cord itself seems flimsy and all... but you can hold over 550 lbs of force with this thing. Pretty versatile. You can use it for trapping animals or repairing items."

Before the bombs fell, one could easily find such material in any outdoor sporting good store, military surplus store, or the military exchange market. Now, they seemed to be in very short supply. Vincent now waited for the man's response as he slowly sipped his water.

[Kazuya Hikari]

"Don't mention it. Can't imagine there were too many places to find water while traveling."

While Vincent went and quenched his thirst, the man would lift his foot off the railing and trudge off the porch and over to the stand. Once Vincent joined him, he'd pull out a set of keys and unlock the door to the stand, head inside, lock the door behind him, then unlock the rool up from the inside, lifting it up and revealing the inside to Vincent.

"Yup, you'd be correct stranger. Most people died in the bombings, and those that survived, was by pure luck or too far out from the city to get hit. These days, farmers are darn protective of their farmlands, to the point of obsessed, and I can't blame 'em, looters came and tried to steal crops in desperation. Had to do some defending myself in the past, but most people don't bother coming out this far anymore, too far to walk. Only ones that do these days are those that have the resources to make the trip. Had one Japanese fellow decked out like a samurai come out here on a motorcycle, traded some decent items for my produce, so wasn't gonna say nothing 'bout his attire. He made that metal dispenser you got your water from, among other items in my house."

Tipping his cowboy hat up to get a better look at the rope, the man would regard Vincent with a crooked smile, as he leaned against the counter of his reinforced stand. What, did you expect some flimsy wooden stand? This wasn't some roadside fruit stand, he had to make a living.

"Military eh? Not a bad start for trading. I'll give ya two frozen steaks and four large potatoes for the rope. Lord knows I could use a sturdy rope for my bucket to draw water from muh well. So whatcha say kid? Deal or no deal?"

[choongsung]

"Military eh? Not a bad start for trading. I'll give ya two frozen steaks and four large potatoes for the rope. Lord knows I could use a sturdy rope for my bucket to draw water from muh well. So whatcha say kid? Deal or no deal?"

Steaks and Potatoes. It had been a while since Vincent ate actual food. Meat especially. Potatoes weren't rice but it was still carbs none the less.

"Deal", said Vincent as he handed over the roll of 550 cord in exchange for the food.

Military. Vincent had not associated with that title ever since he had left Naval Base San Diego in search of answers. Sure, once a Marine, always a Marine. How could he forget that. It was very much a part of him and thinking about those memories was an extremely painful task.

Vincent asked, "Defending land... Bombings...you have an idea of what's going on here?" He had to know. Deployment had removed him from what was going on back home. News was not readily available. People were more or less unwilling to talk. "I was returning to San Diego on my ship when everything went to hell."

Frustration began welling up inside Vincent again. In his effort to survive, the young man had for the most part compartmentalized everything that had happened. He was not able to do anything when it all happened. He had to find out one way or another.

"Tell me, what happened?"

[Kazuya Hikari]

Stashing the rope in a locked drawer under the counter and reaching over to the locked freezer, the man would pull out a package of frozen steaks and hand them over to Vincent, along with the four large potatoes, all in a handy canvas bag, as a little extra for him, seeing as the kid probably wanted to do more trading. The steak and potatoes were only going to feed him for so long.

"Yup... But ya ain't gonna like what I gotta say. Sean Barker, a megalomaniac experimenter that ran the Correctional Facility in Long Beach was the mastermind behind the bombings. Bombed every major city in the world, killed 2/3 of the world's population, dropped EMP's that destroyed electronics, released some kinda nano-virus that rendered firearms and explosives useless, and basically took over the goddamn world."

Pausing for a moment, to get a cup of water himself, after parching his dry throat, he'd continue.

"You got your resistance fighters in the city, but the rest of the people are under his control, and to an extent, us out here too, but to be perfectly honest, them Barker soldiers don't give a rat's ass about us, too far to go out and monitor, so they leave us be, and I ain't complainin'. People tried to flee out here and grew so desperate, they ended up turnin' into thieves and resorted to try and steal our crops, but we caught 'em every time. In the end, they gave up and had to sneak back into the city. Luckily for 'em, the soldiers don't patrol the outskirts so much as the downtown core. Where you headed anyways kid? It's pretty obvious you want food badly, if you're willing to trade items that could come handy for you, but wanderin' around aimlessly ain't gonna help ya much."

[choongsung]

Sean Barker. So that guy was the one responsible for everything. Vincent was not a violent person by nature, but he could feel malice welling up inside of him. He did not just want to kill those people who took his family away from him, the young man wanted something more. Vincent could feel his hands shaking again.

Gotta keep this under control. Can't be acting like this already thought Vincent to himself as he quickly hid his hands from the view of the older man. He took a deep breath and refocused.

But what was this? Firearms and explosives useless? EMPs dropped all over the world? Even the U.S. had not mastered that technology yet. The world was practically set back several hundred years in time. As the man took a sip of his water, Vincent did the same. Everything had just changed. Instead of wandering aimlessly, he had to focus his strength towards one thing. Fight back.

"You got your resistance fighters in the city, but the rest of the people are under his control, and to an extent, us out here too, but to be perfectly honest, them Barker soldiers don't give a rat's ass about us, too far to go out and monitor, so they leave us be, and I ain't complainin'..."

Resistance fighters? Who are they? Where are they? those were the questions Vincent began coming up with. While a large part of him wanted to fight back, there was a small part of him that was not sure. Is that something his family would have wanted? To inflict pain on others for doing the same to him? Vincent as lost in his thoughts when a question snapped him back into reality.

"Where you headed anyways kid? It's pretty obvious you want food badly, if you're willing to trade items that could come handy for you, but wanderin' around aimlessly ain't gonna help ya much."

At this, Vincent responded flatly, "No clue." He then paused for a couple seconds and continued his response. "All I know is North. into Los Angeles county. At least, that's all I know. Maybe to LAX. Then San Fernando Valley. From what you told me, everyone I know is either gone or has been displaced from the urban center." Vincent remembered how the old highway system worked in Los Angeles, but the world was now different. Frankly, he had no idea where he was. "Where exactly am I?"

[Kazuya Hikari]

"You're on the outskirts of Los Angeles county kid, near Santa Ana. I reckon you best go North along the I5... well, what remains of the I5, towards Long Beach. That's where most of the gangs composed of the resistance fighters are gathered. I'd stick to the Neutral Territory if you can manage it, the gangs aren't unfriendly, but if you're not one of them, they'll be watchin' you like hawks. If ya got a map, I can show you which areas are neutral, had to go into the city for a supply run, learned real quick I did."

Draining his cup of water, the man would grab himself more, as he looked up at the sky. Grey clouds were coming in, looked like rain and from the low rumbling he could hear off in the distance, thundershowers.

"I reckon you'd best get your trading done quick, before you get rained on. Hope you got an umbrella or at least a rain poncho with ya. What else ya got to trade, kid?"

[choongsung]

Santa Ana... Alright somewhere around Orange County Vincent quickly made a mental note to himself. Following the I-5 into Los Angeles should be simple enough. Just follow whatever signs that are left.

When the man went to get himself another cup of water, Vincent took that moment to take a peek at the window. Low grey clouds were rolling in and thunder rumbled in the distance. The air seemed moist, it was going to pour.

"I reckon you'd best get your trading done quick, before you get rained on. Hope you got an umbrella or at least a rain poncho with ya. What else ya got to trade, kid?"

At this, Vincent took one last look at his pack to make sure there was anything else he could possibly trade off to this man. 100 mph tape. Some carabiners. Couple of water filters and bottles. Star clusters.

"Huh.. star clusters. Not very useful to me anymore.." mumbled Vincent. "He might like it though." The young man pulled out two green plastic tubes marked with the words, M159 W Star Cluster.

Vincent turned to the man and said, "I'm willing to trade for this. It's a white star cluster. Usually used as a signaling device. Can be used as illumination. Point it towards an intruder and you can use it as a weapon." Accounting for the fact that the man might not be interested due to the uselessness of gunpowder, Vincent opted to go further into detail. "It uses a rocket motor to launch itself out of the tube. Once you strike the primer, it sparks the propellant inside the cartridge and burns the magnesium inside. Explosive and gunpowder free.

Vincent paused for a second before smiling warmly at the man who had given him a little bit of respite from the elements. "And once again thank you. I don't have a map but I am pretty good at reading the signs."

[Kazuya Hikari]

"Huh... Well I don't know who'd I be signallin' out here, but illumination and a weapon against intruders sounds mighty handy, and I appreciate the explanation. Can't tell ya how many folks tried to pull a fast one on me, trying to trade items that used explosives or gunpowder. I made 'em test the item for me before I agreed, but considerin' how detailed your explanation was, I trust ya tellin' the truth."

Draining his cup and placing it down on the counter, lightning would flash, followed by the rumbling of thunder, this time louder and closer. Rain would help his crops, and Lord knows he needed the downpour.

"I'll trade ya two zucchinis, four carrots, and a small bucket of rice for that cluster. I'll even throw in a small metal pot, so you can cook the rice. Deal or no deal?"

[choongsung]

"...Can't tell ya how many folks tried to pull a fast one on me, trying to trade items that used explosives or gunpowder. I made 'em test the item for me before I agreed, but considerin' how detailed your explanation was, I trust ya tellin' the truth."

Vincent chuckled at this. Even in today's messed up world, integrity and ingenuity still had some value. Stick to your roots. Remember where you came from. Never compromise yourself to be someone you are not.

"I'll trade ya two zucchinis, four carrots, and a small bucket of rice for that cluster. I'll even throw in a small metal pot, so you can cook the rice. Deal or no deal?"

The prospect of having rice again immediately caused Vincent to say "Deal" the moment those questions escaped the man's lips. The metal pot could come in handy not only for rice but for cooking, preparing, and even sanitizing a lot of things. Thunder began rumbling again. This time, much closer and much louder. The storm was close. He had to get moving. Vincent handed over the white star cluster tubes in exchange for the zucchinis, carrots, rice, and the metal pot. As Vincent rearranged the contents of his bag, he spoke to the grizzled man once more. "These will be useful. I very much appreciate doing business with you."

Then the rain began to pour. First it started as a very light sprinkle, but within the next ten seconds, it quickly changed into a downpour. Vincent wore his black goretex jacket and secured the contents of his backpack. He peeked outside for a moment in order to gauge the distance to the next possible shelter. From where he was, there seemed to be a cluster of run down houses and a broken high way system about 700 meters northwest of his location. " Well sir, thank you for everything. Is there something else you'd like from me before I head out?"

To Vincent, it was nice to have company. Even if it was for a little bit. Thanks to this simple "Strawberry farmer" he not only was able to rest and refit, but he gained some very valuable information. If he got the chance, Vincent thought that he may revisit this little farm off the highway. "No guarantees though, but maybe some day I'll visit again with a couple more nifty little things for you." It was always important to remember those "friendly acquaintances" because maybe some where along the road, you might just need their help again.

[Kazuya Hikari]

"Ha ha ha, I figured the prospect of rice would seal the deal. Nice doin' business with ya kid."

The man laughed, as he took the cluster from Vincent and handed over the fresh zucchinis, carrots, the small metal bucket of rice with a lid that latched, and the small metal pot. The moment the trade was done, the rain began pouring, starting as a light sprinkle, but soon turned into a full on downpour in a matter of seconds. Water running off the slanted metal roof of his stand, the man would tip his cowboy hat up, taking a peek at the storm as lightning and thunder flashed and rumbled.

"Unless you have anythin' else to trade, not to my knowledge... But I tell ya what kid. Ya said ya don't have a map with ya? Here, have my map. I already mapped out the territories on the map I got inside my house, and ya'd probably could use it. Go ahead kid, take it. And for the record, the name's Jonathan Marston. Sir's too formal for my likin'."

Tipping his hat to Vincent, he'd go and close down his stand, placing the items in a small rucksack he always carried back and forth between his house and the stand, locking everything up and head into the rain, the umbrella he had in the stand sheltering him from the rain.

"Well it'd be nice to see ya again kid, but don't go outta your way to come to these neck of the woods unless ya got a ride. I wish ya the best of luck gettin' to wherever ya goin'."

[choongsung]

Vincent took the map from the man's hand. It was color coded with all of the gangs' territories and locations relative to his house."Thank you once again. I'm sure it will help me out a bunch." Vincent took the map and placed it in a ziplock bag in order to waterproof it. Something like that would not even last a minute in this sort of rain.

"...And for the record, the name's Jonathan Marston. Sir's too formal for my likin'."

Jonathan Marston thought Vincent as he looked out into the storm. Hopefully I'll remember that The young man wrote the "Jonathan Marston's" name on his waterproof notebook and the relative location of the house with respect to the next town on the map.

"Well it'd be nice to see ya again kid, but don't go outta your way to come to these neck of the woods unless ya got a ride. I wish ya the best of luck gettin' to wherever ya goin'."

Vincent replied with a slight grin. "We'll see what happens Jon. Hopefully by then I will have acquired a bike of some sort. I actually kinda like this place. Peaceful and relaxing. And by the way, the name's Vincent Chung. Take care of yourself."

And with a short wave, Vincent covered his head with the hood of his gortex jacket and headed out into the rain. The rain was falling pretty heavily which quickly turned the dirt path into mud. The mud sucked his boots into the ground as Vincent attempted to make his way towards the road. "I suppose mud is mud wherever you go in the world" grumbled the young man as he shook the earth off his boots. Luckily the wind was not very strong, so he was able to make it to the highway without much trouble. Vincent took one last look at the strawberry farm before starting his trek north towards the suburbs of Los Angeles county.

Stay safe old man. Hope everything works out well for you

/thread