“Elly? I know you can hear me! The storms getting worse, we should be going now. Elly? Answer me girl!” while he yelled the man slowly adjusted his heavy cloak over his shoulder as the wind was growing stronger by the minute.
“We got to go now, and I ain’t risking my ass for some piece of shit junk”
Another figure emerged from a nearby ruin of shattered columns and walls.
“Jesus Christ, Marcus stop shouting, I’m not deaf, what are you so scared about?, it’s just a wee sandstorm. Like this doesn’t happen all the time.”
“You take things way to easy Elly, reports have been pouring from outlying outposts’ that two patrols have vanished somewhere around here for the past three weeks.”
As Marcus stood up from the outcrop he took shelter from a while ago to meet Elly, it was clear that he was by no means an average man, his height was towering and the build and bulk of his body suggested that he was at top physical condition. That, and his NTW 20, a 64 pound beast of an anti-material rifle, slung over behind him, that is proving not to be of any hindrance to his mobility at all.
“Okay that’s reasonable, but you see I’ve been noticing an increase in seismic activity in this particular area, what’s more disturbing is that..” Ruffling through her rucksack she took a small shiny sphere with various inscriptions in it. “See this? I found this back there, people have been seeing this all over the place lately”
“So it’s a relic from the old world. Like all the rest of this garbage here.” Marcus snorted indignantly.
“Haha!, you caveman, it really is pointless explaining these things to you. You never listen.” Laughing at the now impatient Marcus, she reached down for her equipment and her weapon, a modified SCAR rifle. As she put on her cloak and wrapped a scarf around her neck, Elly realizes how exhausting this day has been, rubbing her forehead she closed her eyes for a moment.
“You okay? Let me help with your stuff” Marcus didn’t wait for a response and took one of Elly’s rucksacks’.
“Thanks! Buy you a beer when we get back. Promise!” Elly flashed one of those smiles Marcus rarely ever sees. “This desert just saps the life out you doesn’t it? Heat, sand, sand fucking sand everywhere”
“You got that right!” grunting as he swung Elly’s pack over his own. Marcus glanced at Elly as she was dusting sand off her coat. Elly was pretty if not for all that grime and sand all over her blonde hair and tired looking face. Hauntingly beautiful, with a slim athletic body and intelligence far exceeding those of her peers, Elly has always been a cut above the rest.
“Stop staring Marcus, you’re gonna pop a vein!” nudging him playfully as she was adjusting her ponytail.
“Right, let’s just pick up the pace will you?”
“You are so cute when you get defensive, you know that? Anyway there’s our ride” Elly pointed into the distance into a vague silhouette, as the sandstorm was obscuring much of their vision. “Let’s hurry, I need to show this to Chelsea back at base-camp, she’s been looking for these things for some time now.” As she talked she patted the pouch that held the small sphere every now and then.
Elly and Marcus approached their vehicle, a black battered old Humvee, with a mounted gun above it. Marcus had heavily modified it with additional armor plating, and gotten rid of unnecessary things, like most of the air-conditioning. Which Elly was vehemently against. All in all it was very practical and sturdy, though, as Elly put it, ”a bitch to ride in”.
“There we go, I’m hungry, the sooner we get back the better.” Chucking all his stuff in the back he quickly got into the drivers’ seat and started the engine.
“Is food all you ever think about? At least we didn’t encounter any of those bandits today. Hunger would be the least of your concerns” chuckling as she slid into the front seat and tossing her bags behind her.
“ ‘Your’? you mean ‘our’ concerns. Right?” Marcus said in a sarcastic tone. “Elly I’ve seen you handle yourself in countless firefights and trust there’s no one I’d rather have watching my ass”
“Ass? Haha! No thanks, but seriously thank you, I must admit I am a pretty good shot with Betty here” she said while gently running her fingers on the inscription ‘Betty’ on the rifle sitting on her lap.
“Shit, remember when you took out that nickel a mile away? I lost a LOT of money that day.” Marcus said while shaking his head. “Inflating your ego aside, you got skills lady”
“Ego inflated” Elly burst out laughing “Lets go silly”
“ Yeah, was getting tired of this place anyway. And your ramblings” as the Humvee drove away it kicked up a cloud of dust.
The dust settled on a small road-sign that was almost completely buried in sand.
Welcome to Alaska.
The date is July 23, 2031.
(Note: This still lacks a hell of a lot more descriptive's and character development shit. But don't worry were working on it. Expect constant edits)
