Voodoo - Charm City

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

It's a long bit of walking from Philadelphia to DC, but Voodoo and his people have a few advantages in that regard. One is that Ellen's provided them with a map of the route she took, including landmarks along the way. Another is that, while it's a good distance, it's nowhere near as long as the trip from Canada or New York to Philly. Perspective can be key.

The route on the map doesn't go anywhere near I-95 for most of its length, though. And there's a thickly drawn band around a not inconsiderable piece of territory- most of which is inside the curve of what used to be Interstate 695.

Comments

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The man is somewhat darker-skinned than Josepha, although with Wasteland living conditions it's always hard to tell how much of something like that is natural and how much of it is just daily hygiene. The only visible protective gear he has on is a heavy leather duster, but there's enough bulk to it to suggest it's layered over something more substantial. He turns a little more in Voodoo's direction, a curved scar running from his hairline to one of his eyebrows visible for a moment as he nods. "As close to local as anyone gets these days," he says. "You ain't."

It's not a question. It might as well be written on the travelers' faces, after all.

[boston_bruiser]

"No kidding."

A good portion of former Baltimore should be visible from here, except that it's not. Instead, what remains of it can be charitably described as "ruins" and un-charitably described as "if the Elbonians from Dilbert had their interminable brownish muck replaced with a mélange of a city's worth of highly toxic and radioactive compounds". Entire sections of the city are gone, not even their foundations left standing, and the rest looks like - well, like a couple dozen nukes hit it.

Voodoo surveys the scene, and lets out a long, low whistle.

"No wonder people ain't talking about this place. War do that?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"War and heavy industry, as I understand it," says the man. "You're lookin' at the Charm City Exclusion Zone. Least raided real estate in the world, and if it ain't, I don't want to see the place that is."

[boston_bruiser]

"No kidding."

Voodoo glances around the area.

"So you make a living on the outskirts, then? Doesn't seem to be much of anything around."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Yeah, no," says the man, and shifts his balance; there's a shotgun holstered across his back, and it was starting to dig into his shoulder. "Go much past here and into the Zone itself, and you ain't comin' back. What dies in there stays where it falls- it don't even rot. Not a whole lot of call for folks to stay in the area, but if you know what you're lookin' for, you can still make some good finds in some of the buildings that ain't down yet."

One foot nudges at a heap of faded cardboard boxes. They've all got a child's manically grinning face on them; the words 'Sugar Bombs' are just about readable on the topmost one.

[boston_bruiser]

-well, one man's detritus is another man's sustenance.

"How big is this across? Meanin' to get to D.C. before dark."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Big enough you be better off goin' around'n holing on the third floor of one of the old schools or some such overnight," says the man. "Might make it to Bethesda before sundown if you haul enough ass."

[boston_bruiser]

"Aw, fuck a duck."

Voodoo lets out an explosive sigh, hands on his hips as he surveys the wreckage. He's sure as hell not walking through all that sludge.

"Don't got much of a choice, I guess. Where's the closest one?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The man nods towards what looks like it used to be a highway exit. "Down that way. Couple of old projects're still standing, but they're just this side of fallin' down on each other. There's a school'n an ol' brick church, they're both all right. Ain't nothin' moved in on that church since my grandma killed a couple of fuckers who were tryin' to get the drop on her on the front steps."

[boston_bruiser]

"Then that's where we're headed. Thanks."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Ain't no problem," says the man. "Anybody gives you trouble for it, you tell 'em Omar knows you're there."

[boston_bruiser]

"Will do."

Voodoo digs into a MOLLE pouch and comes out with two gray circular pills, which he holds out for Omar.

"For your trouble. Water purification tablets."

He nods for the others to continue on down the road.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Omar shakes his head with a bit of a smile. "No need, bruh," he says, holding up one hand. "You can keep 'em. S'all in the game. You just watch your backs, you understand?"

[boston_bruiser]

"Ain't about to forget."

Voodoo tucks the tablets back into the pouch and nods, moving to catch up with the others.

"Same to you, yeah?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Sure, sure," says Omar. "I will."

He leans back against the half-sign again and starts trying to light a bedraggled cigarette.