Chapter 02: A casket of luck
Sven checked the map again.
They were here. Plenty of trees, a river flowing lazily. Perfectly flat too. It wouldn't take too long to finish a crude encampment and once the basic necessities were in place, they could start thinking about making a true trade outpost. Sven sighed. As if that was going to happen. All their supplies were lost and the food they foraged while on the road had already been consumed. Even if they had the food and drinks necessary to survive the first few weeks, they were sorely lacking in manpower. Of the 23 expedition members, only 3 got out. The others were either dead or dying by now. In their week-long travel, they had found other survivors and even of the dozen or so, only 4 survived this far. And he even didn't know their names. Sven kicked a pebble off the cliff, seeing it jidder along the ledges and ridges. He had even dragged an old friend along for the ride and now he was gone too. It had all gone to hell in a few moments. This mission had cost him a lot and he feared he would lose what was left of his soul here. And to top it all off, he somehow felt like he was being watched. He shivered.
A whistle got his attention. Scuba signalled at him and Sven waved back. Biff and the others were standing in a small circle, looking at a boulder or something. He squinted for a better look, but to no avail. His melancholic musings driven away by curiosity, Sven made his way back to solid ground. Each step filled him with purpose. Fate had indeed been cruel to them all, but he now had a responsibility to the survivors. He would pay for his mistakes in due time. Now, he had work to do.
“I don't see what's so interesting about this overgrown molehill.” Biff spat at the ground. “It ain't no molehill, 'sah.” With his big hands, Biff rubbed some soil away in a few deft sweeps. Some wood appeared beneath the dirt. Sven stared blankly, a sentiment shared by the others. “Yup, no molehill. I bet my momma's soul that be a hatch to a cellar.” He made to heave it open, but Scuba stopped him. “Wait. It wouldn't be the first time that one of those cellars blew up in your face.” Scuba milled about in the dirt, scooping up handfuls. He poked and prodded like a surgeon at an open wound. “What are you doing?” “Checking for booby-traps. If there is a wire around here, we'll know.” Sure enough, the soldier found some wires and tracing them back, he found grenades at the end. Sven whistled. “Would have been nasty if that went off.” Scuba studied the trap with interest. One of the group ventured the idea that it was a military cache, but Scuba doubted it. “The explosives are household items. Not as powerful as the real stuff, but it would have maimed nonetheless.”
Biff stiffled a yawn. “I don't want to interrupt all the thinkin' that is goin' on here, but don't ya'll reckon' we should take a look?” Everyone shrugged and rolling his eyes, Biff yanked the hatch open and peered inside. “Looks like some stairs. Can I burrow a flashlight?” Sven handed his and the farmer descended. They heard nothing but the rustle of the trees for a few long moments, but then came the suddenly excited whooping. “We don't need no worrying anymore now. Drinks and meats as far as these eyes can see.” Sven and Scuba descended immediately and quickly noticed that the farmer wasn't lying. Rows upon rows of barrels and larders seemed to fill the cellar. Salted meat, vodka, even some seeds and a few tools. They were saved! Biff raced topwards to inform the others who remained topside and soon everyone started to praise everyone they knew for this stroke of luck.
Scuba however remained silent. Sven walked up to him. “What's wrong?” He pointed at a corner, the flashlight showing there to be empty racks. “Gunracks. Empty. Enough to arm a sizeable militia. Both melee and gunpowder. But that's not what worries me.” He crouched and traced a finger along the floor. “The dust here is thinner. The food and drinks have been here for some time, but I reckon the guns were removed a week ago, perhaps even 2 weeks. We are not alone.” Sven nodded heavily.
“We must go warn the others.” Scubba nodded and they both went up the stairs.
A few hundred meters away from the group, two shapes stirred in the undergrowth. 2 pairs of cold eyes watched the newcomers with interest, seeing them dance and hug eachother like a party of lunatics. One pair of eyes then looked at the papers they had brought along. Only 3 of the descriptions matched.
The others were unknown. His colleague prodded him and then jabbed at the sky. Night was falling. After a curt grunt, both slowly slithered away silently, into the rapidly approaching darkness. All the time extra careful not to disturb the giant badgers lurking about the landscape.
!!DILEMMA!!The survivors have found some necessary supplies. But with night approaching and evidence that the previous owners hadn't forgotten about the tasty meats and drinks, the group now has to decide how to proceed. An inventory was being They needed shelter, but what would be their priority?
A. Build a warehouseThere is a true treasure of supplies hiding in that cellar. You believe it has to be counted, sorted and then stored in a central building. Every floor would be home to a specific resource, which allows the building to be tall, yet not overly large in width. The building would be constructed out of wood, but the shops and stores necessary for that would have to wait. You believe it wouldn't take too long to get the store up and running.
B. Build an innYou noticed that there is a lot of meat and booze stored in the cellar. While you haven't mapped out the entire cellar yet, you do believe that an Inn would be the best idea. The soil was soft enough and you could easily dig a few levels down. With all the liquor and foodstuff squared away, everyone could meet at one point and share a drink. You know that an Inn can be rapidly constructed and the top floors could be used as a sleeping quarters too. With everyone inside one building, defence would be easier. There is no immediate danger after al. You can find out later what the other goodies are.
C. Build a keepSeeing Scuba's discovery has you spooked. The enemy hasn't visited in a while, yes, but you fear that they might come back again and it might be soon. As such, you believe that first priority should go to a small fortress. It will take a very long time to get the walls up and the building sealed, but this way, you all stand a better chance at fighting off whatever is coming. There is no time to scour the cellar for weapons, but a great defence means a large wall in the first place.