ic Cool Drugs

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

"What the hell is going on!?" Connor shouts from his seat in the small plane, as he holds on for his dear life. He naturally didn't expect this to be easy in any way, but he would have liked to get his feet on the ground before putting his life in danger. 

 

And then he sees the downed plane. Cursing to himself, Connor pulls the hood of his jacket up over his masked face and grabs bow and arrow, then leaps from the plane as soon as he is able to, hurrying towards the military plane, to see what he can do to help.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Casualties, fortunately, were minimal. A soldier got sucked out of the plane before it landed. Pilot and other soldier injured but alive, recieving treatment by the paramedics in the ambulance.

 

More problematic was the mess, the fire around a military plane loaded with military fuel. 

 

"Hold it, hold it..." said a fire chief, putting out a hand in front of Archer. "Not till everythings out and its clear. Don't worry, we got this..."

 

The chief was tall, maybe fifty, greying stubble and face that looked like it had been burned once, with subtle signs of plastic surgery and skin graft. Yet the eyes were glinting intelligence, shining determination. This guy knew what he was doing. 

 

"Damned if I know what happened. But the air force are on their way, both Canadian and American. I know we are allies, but shoot, this thing is looking pretty political if you know what I mean. Flight was passed by Canadian intelligence, not an issue, but it goes down? Suspicions start to swirl. Terrorism? Something else? Suddenly the spooks are interested..."

 

He sighed. 

 

"So I have to put out a fire, and not damage any evidence. Great. No doubt I'll get my marching orders for screwing things up somehow. And I like my job..."

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

Clad in a red and white costume, with a mask and everything? Connor figures he will stand out here, but from what he can hear the chief talking about, he will at least have some time.

 

"What kind of evidence?" 

 

He's is already looking for the right arrows. He got a few that can be used to put out the fires, but pick the wrong one, and it might ruin the chief's evidence.

 

Could it be related to the drug? He doubted it. Would be too big of a coincidence.

[Supercape]

GM
 

"Spook stuff, I dunno..." shrugged the Fire chief. "Black Box? Explosives? I get paid to put out fires, not work out how blew up a US military plane flying over the frozen wastes of Canada and into Alaska. Nobody even knows which side of the border it blew up in. So, yeah... politics... am I right?"

 

The Fire chief scratched the grey stubble of his chin. Patchy, notice Archer. Burned skin and grafts, maybe. 

 

"We dont really know what happened. Not really my area of expertise. But if you know your aircraft and your spycraft, go ahead an look. Ill turn the other way. Because I would like to know, too. Ill sleep better. But fair warning - fires are not out yet, and a whole lot of military grade fuel still on board."

 

He gave a smile. 

 

"Still, think positive. At least the plane wasnt armed. No missiles or bullets ready to explode!"

 

The snow started to fall a little heavier. 

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

"Not that we know of, anyway," Connor responds to the fire chief. Could the plane have anything to do with his own investigation? Maybe. Too big a coincidence, but he can't really afford to pass it up.

 

Still, he's grumbling as he approaches the plane, getting out his bow and a fire suppressant arrow. He's not a damn detective. That's the Ravens, so why does he keep ending up having to look into things like this?

 

Moving in, he does what he can to put out fires without damaging any equipment. He knows a bit about planes, at least. Maybe that can help him find anything worth looking for.

[Supercape]

GM

 

With a few Twangs of his bow, Archer put out the smoking fires. It was not so bad, really - the fire brigade had done the heavy lifting. But the inside of the plane was a mess; most of its interior was scattered, bent, broken. The hull had buckled. 

 

There was no sign of any ammunition - other than some small arms in a locker. A hole had been blown out of the side of the plane, although it wasn't quite clear what from. 

 

Looking more closely, with his trained and astute eye... well, one couldn't be sure, but it looked like there had been a scuffle inside the plane. A big one. Signs of feet sweeping across the surface for leverage, signs of bodies crashing into steel, and swung fists denting the chasis. 

 

One couldn't be sure, but... yes, it looked like there had been a fight on the plane. 

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

A fight, and a hole blown in the plane from the inside out? Could it be another of the drug mules? 

 

Connor shakes his head. He isn't the investigative type. Why does he keep ending up in these situations?

 

Stepping outside, he approaches the fire chief again.

 

"Seems like there was a fight in there, huh? Any idea where the people in the plane are?" 

[Supercape]

GM

 

"A fight? Are you kidding me?" 

 

The chief gritted his teeth and sucked his cheeks. "Sweet Jesus son of Mary. I mean, I guessed it was gonna be some kind of turd soup, but a fight? Everyone's going to be all over this. Media too?"

 

He cast his eyes over the snowy planes. 

 

"What a day to be a Fire Chief. Look, son, you look like the kinda guy who will do the right thing, even if pen pushers tell you to do the wrong thing. So what I am telling you is..."

 

His eyes shifted left and right, scanning for onlookers. Their appeared to be none. 

 

"There werent any tracks when we arrived. And if there were tracks, they have been covered by the snow now. And if there were tracks, which there weren't, they would have been headed to the direction of the WEST science station, which isnt just east of here..."

 

He scratched his jawline. "WEST. World exotic science taskforce. They try to clean up hazardous science before the hazardous science cleans up all of us. They tend to like remote places. I can guess why... They have a small outstation in Alaska. But its not on any map."

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

Connor is not big on authorities in general, but something about the fire chief gives him the right vibes. Maybe it's the whole very specific way he tells Connor about something that is absolutely not there, or maybe there's something that reminds him of the old man. Doesn't matter. 

 

"Sounds like I should just mind my own business here, then." Connor nods once at the fire chief. "I guess I won't be heading East to look into this WEST science station or anything. Should probably go somewhere else entirely and stay out of trouble before I start any other fires, shouldn't I?"

 

He pauses for a moment, looking around.

 

"I don't suppose you'd know anything about some vehicle I could grab nearby to head any other direction than East?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Sure," said the Police Chief. 

 

He pointed a bony finger. "How about that?"

 

It was a snowmobile. Fast, powerful, and very good in the snow. 

 

"Fastest thing we got. Sounds like you look like you need to get somewhere that isn't east at all, and get there not in a hurry at all. Will that do?" he asked with a wink. 

 

A quick check over and the snowmobile looked in good working order. A 3/4 full tank, everything functional. Maybe a little on the old side, maybe a bit scuffed, but everything seemed ok. A flick of the ignition key and the engine would rumble. 

 

"Just make sure you bring it back," said the chief. "And preferably in one piece. I don't like paperwork."

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

Connor can't help himself from grinning, ever so slightly. A snowmobile.

 

"Yeah, I can work with that."

 

Swinging his legs up on the snowmobile, he revs it a little. Connor doesn't mind it being old at all.

 

"I'll do my best chief, but no promises. I mean, not like I'm looking for trouble or anything."

 

He is in a hurry, though. A final nod to the chief, and he speeds off through the snow, of course not heading East towards the science station at all.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The snowmobile kicked into gear, speeding Archer across the land. Snow fell into his eyes, as did a low hanging sun. Not ideal driving conditions, but on the other hand the snow was hardly dangerous. 

 

Until it got a little more rugged, a little more drifty. Enough to make one slow down. 

 

There! The WEST station, hard to see - small, underground. And something else!

 

Another snowmobile!

 

Despite the snow and sun in his eyes, the Archer had the eyes of the eagle. Even at distance, he could make up a woman - middle aged, at a guess, flecks of grey hair, wrapped up warm - driving the snowmobile. A twisted face, angry, bitter, maybe anxious. 

 

And driving at full speed straight towards him!

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

Thankfully, God invented flash goggles, which made it much easier to see, even if it wasn't perfect. 

 

Racing across the snow, the other snow mobile is easier to make out that the WEST station as it moves towards him. The woman riding it looks pissed off. At him? Maybe. He doesn't know what the hell is going on here, but he's confident that he can deal with her. Too confident? Maybe. He doesn't care.

 

Putting the snowmobile to a halt, he keeps the bow on his back as he puts up his hands to let the woman know that he means no harm. He can get to it at a moment's notice, or get out of the way, if she keeps going at him.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Snowmobile stopped, maybe a hundred or two hundred feet away. It was hard to say in the monochrome whiteness of it all, the snow on the ground, the snow in the air, and the sun shining on it all. Even Archer, who could calibrate distances better than most men alive, could not swear to the range. 

 

There was a pause. Even the snow seemed to wait in the air, wait for the tension to dissipate. The moment hung, the standoff carved out like a sculpture. 

 

And then, with a flurry of snow, the woman was off!

 

She slid the snowmobile expertly, taking an acute ninety-degree angle. A plume of snow spewed into the air from the tracks. 

 

Whatever else the woman was, she knew how to ride a snowmmobile... and she was making a runner!

 

Heading to? Well, it was hard to say in the middle of a snow storm, but it seemed she was heading to more rocky, uneven territory. And that mean more dangerous territory - at least, if one was going to ride through it full speed on a snowmobile!

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

Oh hell no. 

 

First person that Connor sees as he's heading towards what's probably the bad guy's place, and she starts running? 

 

Not happening. Not today.

 

Revving up the snowmobile, he gives chase, quickly accelerating as fast as he can go. It's not that difficult from his skybike, but it's a much bumpier ride, and he doesn't know the terrain. Not that he's gonna let that stop him.

 

"Hey! Cut the power or I'll cut it for ya!" 

 

He doesn't know if she can ever hear him, across the distance and the roar of the snowmobiles. Doesn't matter. He feels like yelling right now.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Archer managed to pull up close to the woman, driving parallel to her. She knew how to handle the vehicle, but Archer simply had better reflexes and a certain boldness - elegantly jumping over slopes and weaving between rocks without losing any speed. 

 

Up close, he could see the driver was middle aged - flecks of grey in her hair, a determined look in her face. 

 

"Back off!" she shouted at him, over the roar of the engines and the falling of snow. 

 

"This is a free country. I am going for a ride! I'm not breaking any law, and I'm not stopping. In fact, you are harassing me and driving dangerously! I will be reporting you to the local police, I will!"

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

"I don't give a crap if you're breaking the law or you call the cops!" Archer shouts, making sure that she can hear him over the sound of their engines.

 

Connor moves in as close as he can get. He could go for his bow, disable her snowmobile, but that's not gonna win him any favors.

 

"I hear bad stuff's going down at the WEST Station, and you came from that direction. How about you tell me what you know, and then I go and take care of business?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"I'm a member of that station, idiot!"

 

She flashed an ID badge. It was hard to see in the snow, with the snowmobiles, but Archer had good eyesight. It looked genuine, but it would need close examination to tell if it was a forgery or not. 

 

Dr J. Janis. Biomedical Research. WEST. 

Clearance level Beta

 

"How about you get your ass out of here! There's a containment breach. Biohazard. Unless you are a robot or a zombie, I would get yourself well out of range."

 

She pointed at the horizon. 

 

"And get yourself away from me too! For all I know, I'm infected. Going to go and wait in the snow ranges. See if I go symptomatic."

 

She pointed back at WEST station, still driving. "Go and be a hero if you want. Save the world. Or turn into a mutant zombie trying. I'm not telling you not to go, but I won't stop you if you want to kill your idiot self. Probably do the world a favour, moron!"

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

Right. Yeah. Of course she's part of the WEST Station. She came from there, Connor guessed as much, but the whole outbreak thing? That's new.

 

"A mutant zombie outbreak?" He might sound stupid asking about it like that, but what can you do? "What the hell were you working on there? How far does that crap spread?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Mutant Zombie Outbreak. At least, thats what I call it. Mitochondrial RNA modification. Dead cells, reanimated. Highly infectious."

 

She took a breath, gasping from the shouting. 

 

"Do you want to go an discuss metabolic pathways? I have plenty of time, but I'm not stopping and frankly neither should you."

 

She put a little extra juice into the snowmobile to emphasise the point. 

 

"Or you can go back and firebomb the place. Save the world, that kind of thing. You look like a hero. I'm just a coward. But honestly, if you knew what I know about viral replication, you would probably call me realistic instead!"

 

 

[RocketLord]

ARCHER II

 

Metabolic pathways? What the hell?

 

Connor stares at the woman for a moment longer, then lets go of his throttle, letting her leave. Chase her, or go to that damn place and keep things from getting worse.

 

Not really much of a damn choice, is it?

 

He doesn't know enough about viral infections or zombie viruses or whatever that he haven't seen in movies, but he's not about to let that stop him. Bad stuff's happening, big risk of infection, the crashed plane and the whole damn drug thing. 

 

Not any damn choice at all.

 

Revving the throttle, he turns back, heading towards the WEST Station. He reaches for his ear piece. Who knows if Keller is up at this point?

 

"Hey, old man, you there? The weird drug thing has turned into a weird viral zombie outbreak. Don't suppose you got any suggestions?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Zombie viral what?" 

 

There was a pause as the old mans brain tried to scramble into some type of cohesion. 

 

"A weird viral zombie outbreak? Is there any goddamn type of viral zombie outbreak? I never heard nothing about no virus, no zombies. But I can guess two things..."

 

He cleared his throat. 

 

"One. It ain't good."

 

He cleared his throat again. 

 

"Two. Fire. Kills viruses, kills zombies. At least in the movies!"

 

"And as for what I suggest, you best find out what the outbreak is, unweird it, and make sure your thermal explosive arrowheads are in good working order!"

 

Continued in... Synthetic Rehab!