Rifts Coalitions Wars

General Information for Play

The Lazlo Tour Part 2

The street begins to narrow and the houses look more sprawling.  A Dogboy <looks like a german shepherd breed, most common in such areas> passes by, he grins at Slick and then at Brisce.  "Hey Slick how's it wagging?" And then he's past.  Soon a wall can be seen rising just above the rooftops.  About every few hundred paces there appears to be a small cubicle with a person sitting it, either reading a book, listening to a radio transmission, or jacked into a computer.  Each cubicle has an angled tri-pod mounted on it just even with the outside ledge, and each tripod has a weapon attached to it a swivel on it; either a laser, or an ion rifle, or an occasional jagged sword.  "There's the wall to the city proper, we just walked through the Burbs right now."

"Those are the cleanest burbs I've ever seen!" says Brisce with a whistle.

"That they are, let Slick tell you... So now Maxwell if you will kindly Open up and shut down your system, I'll get somebody to take care of it for you."

The whoosh of servos is heard and the chest of the Ulti-Max opens out again.  Maxwell is sitting behind the console keying in something.  He quickly finishes, and twists the console up out of the way.  He stands up and stretches his arms, and twists his back a little.  The left arm swings over and stops just shy of the opening with it's palm facing up.  Maxwell steps over onto the hand then turns and closes the hatch behind him.  The bot carefully lowers itself down so that Maxwell can hop down to the ground.  Then it rises up to its full height and stops.  Maxwell stands next to it and pats it on the shin, his head comes just to the knee cap.

Maxwell is about six foot tall, kind of thin, almost gaunt looking, he's got a rough beard, and looks like your basic S.A.M.A.S. (Strategic Armor Military Assault Suit operator, or Sam for short).  One eye is obviously a cyber-system, no doubt about it, and his one arm is mechanical and sports three wicked spikes between the knuckles.  He's wearing travelling clothes and has a belt with compartments on it and a weapon strapped to his chest where it can be plainly seen." He rubs at his beard and says, "Been out in the field too long, boy could I use a shower, shave and a hot meal."

"Well, _that_ you'll get soon enough.  Here's the man I've been waiting for." Slick turns towards a short roundish fellow with a short clipped mustache.

"Hey Slick, is this the one here?" he says pointing at the Ulti-Max, "It's a real beauty that one.  Well I'll get it put away if you'll give me the comp-troller for it."

Maxwell unplugs a wire from just behind his ear and pulls a small flat oblong object from his pocket.  He quickly keys in something, then hands it over to the man.  "Hope you use basic procs (pronounced procks), or I'll have to issue a couple different commands or do it myself."

"No we're up to date with proc." says the man, "Have to be with the number of headhunters, such as yourselves, that pass through these parts. Can't have them all running around inside the city with their bots and such, now can we. <He grins as he jacks into the comp.>"

"Okay, enough shop talk Jack, take the bot away."  Turning to the rest Slick continues, "George here <a plain looking man in a blue coverall> will take any MD weapons you may have already, they're not allowed in the city, nor any city for that matter.  All normal weapons are allowed as long as you promise to behave and not conceal them.  But be warned any misbehaviour will result in the loss of the priveledge of being in the city.  You'll find you won't even need that, we have a pretty peaceful city here in Lazlo, but if you feel safer toting your lead shoots then I'm not one to argue."

Rad hands over his rifle, Brisce her handgun, and Maxwell one of his belt compartments.  Each gives their name, and the type of weapon, George tags them and puts them in a sack and tags it as well.  A third and fourth attendant comes along and takes Brisce and Kelitin's Hoppers tagging them both.  Kelitin's clothes are non-descript, but Brisce is wearing a short form fitting pair of black mylar pants, and a matching tank top.  She's very lithe and well shaped, and looks to be overflowing the top just a little bit.  Strapped around her waist is a thick linked chain and a knife sheathe with the cover closed.  Slick speaks, "That's not a vibro is it?   We can't have you playing with that now can we?"

"Well it ain't <she opens the sheathe and pulls out the knife>."  It's a simple survival knife.  She takes it by the blade and extends the handle towards Slick.  He takes it, looks it over then hands it back similarly.

The gate looms tall and oppressive.  Standing guard is a pair of Dogboys (a terrier breed, and a bulldog), Slick looks at them, and they turn to each other and with a nod of confirmation they open the gate.  Beyond is a narrow street that has probably never had a car or similar land vehicle traverse it.  There are buildings on each side, store fronts, and down a dissecting road there is the sounds of a market place.  "Well here it is my friends.  Down this street here is the market fair, right here we have the initial business district.  You see the city is broken up into three rings, there's the downtown [GM point of note: this is more than likely the Bloor and Yonge area rather than what we know as downtown] which is very much like before the Rifts thanks to some of our architects and historians, there's the Middle Ground as we like to call it, where the new settlement prospered around the old inner circle.  And right now were are in the Border, where all the visitors come to when they enter the city proper.  Sure the burbs have things to offer although we skirted past that area, but this is where most of our trade and commerce takes place.  So I guess we'll see about getting you whatever you want, or need."

Everyone goes off in different directions, and time passes on.   Brisce returns with an armful of clothes.  She holds out a filmy black dress and queries how the others think it would look on her.  Rad just gapes at her, and Maxwell smiles and tips up his newly acquired bottle of liquor in a salute.  She turns and looks at Slick who nods approvingly.  Her smile widens.  Robbie has a couple of guns and some other gear, and questions Slick about getting the E-clips charged when they leave.  The others have assorted equipment including things like Bio-scans, language translators, mini-computers, and other similar things.

"So shall we get going?" queries Slick.

When he gets his answer he leads the way down the street that the gates opens upon.   The store fronts are brightly coloured, and their wares are boisterously sold.  "Buy my...", "And this fine model of a...", "sleek sexy import with...", "Best in all of the...", "This is all the rage for...".  All sorts of people are about, d-bees by the dozens, mutoids, humans, dragons metamorphed to small size.  At the sight of this last everyone turns towards Aks, or what they assume is Aks.  There's a tall man with a really expensive white suit complete with walking cane, and white hat ... just like in the old video discs of the pre-Rifts.  Slick salutes him with an imaginary hat then goes on.

The city is an impressive place with its huge sprawling buildings.  Then as Slick points out the division between the outer circle and the Middle Ground the buildings rise dramatically, some of them must be a whopping eight to ten stories tall. [GM Note: tall buildings are not safe if aerial attack is possible, only the proud or the strong will usually build anything about five stories at the most.] This area is mostly the housing area, there are condominium style buildings, large grand houses, an occasional store, and a couple of parks which is a really rare sight as open spaces are usually dangerous.

....

As the day heads towards early evening Slick turns and speaks, "Okay we're nearing the end of the tour, just up ahead is the power plant, the thing you've been waiting to see.  So let's go to it.  It's really impressive during the twilight hours and nothing but brilliant at night."

There is an incredible difference as the end of the city nears.  Another market place type atmosphere was passed by, and then out of nowhere comes a series of buildings that are more than remarkable.  They are thirty to forty stories tall.  There must be about twenty of them stretching off in both directions.  There is a glow around them and from them.  It must be from the rift behind them.

"Oh shock," breathes Maxwell, "Those buildings are not there."

"What do you mean they are not there?   They have to be there, I see them." intones Rad.

Brisce non-chalantly comments, "He's right they're not there, just ghosts of buildings.  There's a strong smell of magic.  I see people in the windows, they're looking out the windows. <Revelation fills her voice.> Oooh, they're screaming, they're screaming as the Rift opens up.  Someone help them, they're going to die, they're all going to die.  The energy is too much, they're, oh no, they're on fire... <She starts to move forward, Slick grabs her arm.> Lemme go, I got to help them, you can't let them die! LEMME GO!! Damnit listen to meeee!!!"

In a dull monotone Slick tries to soothe her, "They are dead already Brisce.  Listen to me.  Listen to me, only you and I and maybe the dragon can see those people, they simply aren't there.  <She struggles and whines like a trapped animal.  > Listen to me, you can't do anything for them, they're just ghosts, they've been gone for a long time. There's nothing you can do."

She pulls harder, "But I have to try, they're hurting so much, can't you see them?"

"Yes I see them but they are not there.  <She stops her struggling and looks into his eyes.> They are not there, do you understand?   <She nods mutely, then looks towards the buildings.>  There, now lets go shall we?"

He walks forward, "To the left you'll see a glowing wall of light, it'll be blue tinged but actually if you look into it you'll see it's pure white."

Suddenly as they pass the buildings, which appear to the naked eye to be perfectly solid, the glow becomes a brilliant, almost blinding light.  A huge candle-flame shaped mass of energy pulsates in the centre of a circle of buildings, from it sprouts six walls of similar energy that stretch off around what appears to be a lake front in behind the rift.  Oddly enough some of the buildings sprout up from the water, more proof that they are not what they seem.  It is brighter than day in this area, the light reflects off of the water in a myriad of colours, rainbows glint everywhere amidst the brilliant stark whiteness.  Everyone is cast in a brilliant colour, and rainbows sparkle off the tears on Brisce's face.  "Isn't it just spectacular," intones Slick, "just the most beautifulest thing you have ever seen?"

Brisce steps closer to him, he puts an arm around her shoulders, and he says quietly, "I know, it's okay, it's not your fault.  It takes a lot of getting used to if you're as strong a psychic as you obviously are.  Don't let it bother you."

Everyone can hear all of his words, there is no sound, the rift is silent amazingly enough.  All stand in wonder of it, it is truly magnificent.  Slick then leads the way to the power centre, a short squat building on the other side of the rift.  He leads around the rift itself without going near it.




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