ND Cragsand S3E10: Wasteland Race

:Return to character article: Sten Berglund
==Season 3: Neon Divide==
===Episode 10: Wasteland Racing===
====Work and trade====
Through collaborative efforts the town watch tower should now be completed. 
Finishing up Maya's sniper rifle she arrives enthusiastic as ever to retrieve it. Smaller caliber than usual and since she needs to be very light on her feet to keep airborne it seems to fit her perfectly, not weighing her down. 
Fee-Bee got her new armor installed and thankfully not as intimidating as Sten imagined in his mind. Though she has a clear logo of Astral on it hopefully that won't be enough to confuse her for some corporate.
Having seen good business Sten tells his employees the status of the inventory and that if they need an early salary he can pay it out if needed, wanting everyone in the store to profit from it. Willie mentions that volcanium may be explosive and could potentially be used for grenades or bombs. Making a note to handle them with extra care, any such crafts might be best to attempt elsewhere outside of the shop. 
Hearing shots being fired with the sound coming from the gates Sten and Willie head over to see what's happening. Things calming down, some strangers are holding up seeking refuge inside the gates after being attacked by bandits. They have some trade but aren't at first interested in credits. One of them is named Hank, who strangely also wears a cybernetic tail... and is also a doctor... just like Scrap Town's own Hank Solomon. Suspicious about this Sten insists on them not walking about town unattended for the time being, at least until their intentions become clear. Any potential guns sold to them, they'd have to pick up as they're leaving, just to be safe. Admiring the different locals armor and looks Sten tells them that Scrap Town is a diverse melting pot of many different cultures. 
Ima's "experiment" or whatever he was attempting seems to have been a success. Sampling and consuming a part of Torok's shell his transforming cybernetic parts has inherited his characteristics. Sporting a tortoise look with a similar shell and helmet looking like his head. Very strange. 
The questioning of the newcomers get interrupted when Herk asks Sten how good he is with a gun. Not exactly inspiring confidence Sten tells the deputy that he can hit practice dummies. Good enough, he is shouted at to join in a quick rescue mission. With Silas driving, Sten, Herk and Charles pile into the same car and ride out to engage these bandits. Encountering a group of at least 8 raiders, Silas speeds up and drifts around them and they notice Ty and Mercury walking alone. Ty is slightly injured and picking them up they all return back to Scrap Town. A chaotic attempt that somehow turned out successful. Charles speculate that the raiders were probably protecting something, and that being the reason for not pursuing yet. 
====Busted Gate====
Deciding to erect defensive positions in case of any counter attack Sten positions himself standing guard at the rear of town over the racetrack. Maya puts her new sniper rifle to good use, stationing herself on top of the completed watchtower and reports what she sees over the radio. Listening to the radio things turn sour, shouts from the main gate erupt and Sten abandon his post. At the gates, the raiders have attacked again and rammed the gate with a vehicle. Damaging it so much that it can't be closed again. He gets to work immediately together with Mr Prowler and Henderson to do repairs to ensure they're not left open for another attack.
While on guard duty Sten meets a huge dangerous looking synth with a "wrecking ball" of a weapon on its back. Walking around aimlessly Sten asks what it's doing. It explains confusedly that it's not supposed to be on this planet and was dropped from off from a cargo bay of some ship. Asking who it responds to for commands to or if he has an owner it responds none. Sten suggest that it at least try to makes itself useful by assisting in protection of the Scrap Town gates. At least courteous the giant introduces itself as "Peaches" and gave a firm handshake. 
Doing what they can for the gate it wont budge, it's gonna take a whole day to repair. To secure the entrance Sten bolts some scrap reserves to the sides. Vehicles and crates are placed to block the entrance for any future ramming attempts.
====Still gotta work====
Even though the gates are busted one has to make a living. Rotating people on guard duty, Sten resumes some work.
Checking by the restaurant to get some food, Hadwyn is working a shift there. The councilman informs that he's getting housing for the newcomers as they've decided to settle down in town. They traded some boxes of salvaged parts which Sten offers to crack open. Opening it up, inside is a medium tech part he hands over to Odd for Hadwyn, free of charge since it's council business. 
:-450 credits for food
Running into Midge she's wearing clothing and a wig over her damaged parts to blend in better. Sten asks her if she learned anything new about what happened to her friends, the synths who malfunctioned and blew up. She traced the virus signal down to a facility somewhere in the inner city where the synths are luckily backed up. Risky business going into the inner city, she managed to make it out fine. Maybe their conscious minds live on somewhere in cyberspace, who knows. It's all above Sten's head but its at least comforting that they're not completely "dead". Another problem, something attempted to deck into Midge's PC which she tracked to the radio tower in Scrap Town. Knowing who lives there, Sten tells her that it's the home of Gustavo and to speak to him. Running into him later he gives his contact info via the computers for Sten to pass along to Midge.
Turns out it actually was Hanks old tail that attached itself to this other Hank. Returning the tail, Hank asks Sten if he can give it some maintenance. Being mechanical and covered in rust it needs to have its joints oiled up. Not really sure what is the point of having a mechanical tail like that Sten obliges regardless. 
Meeting a masked pale stranger from the city in the shop, he gives a name that sounds like a codename; "Zacharia Fast" or "Zach" for short. Though undoubtedly shady placing an order for a sniper rifle Sten still agrees. He isn't familiar with any locals in town so he's not getting any discount. He agrees to 150,000 credits with 30,000 up front with expected delivery tomorrow midday.
:+30,000 credits (120,000 remaining out of 150,000)
:-2 Steel
:-2 Titanium.
:+Sniper Rifle (will take a day to get ready)
Henderson has two job orders, one to smelt down 10 Titanium and fashioning a GU Rifle for Skully. A lot of manual labor, Sten is stuck by the forge for a while. Skully informs that he's taken over the Junk Mart general store in Hanz absence. Handing over scrap firearms that were looted from the bandits those will be deducted from the price and lends him a scrap shotgun in meanwhile while getting his rifle done. 
:+3 Scrap Pistols
:-1 Scrap Shotgun
The newcomers including "Hank 2" from before do visit the shop so Sten purchases some curiosities from them. Coming from the wastes, the use of credits there are questionable at best so they had to get a cred stick from the junk mart first. Offering some pointers about finding lodging, they can either go via Hendersson or try bunking with someone. At first preferring to find a trash can or container Skully offers them lodging, Hank 2 appreciating "that fine Scrap Town hospitality". 
Cracking open the salvage part, it later turns out to just contain some scrap. It was a bad trade but at least the newcomers got some cash to help them get started in town. 
:+1 Iron 
:+1 Bottle with a treasure map ????
:+1 Scrap Metal
:-9,000 credits 
Savire orders another harpoon for injecting fluids into victims similar to a dart gun. Sten gets to work.
:+1,000 credits, dart
:+3,000 credits, ammo for Shiloh
Juno was given a Shometsu make pistol from Charles and needs it cleaned. Sten does so free of charge. Carrying these corporate weapons around constantly needing maintenance and attracting attention might not be the best idea.
Hearing a space ship landing in the salt flats, too busy to investigate.
Jeremy having trouble firing his GU Rifle with just one arm asks to trade it for something else. He agrees to the offer of 100,000 and even lowers it. 
:+1 GU Rifle
:-90,000 credits 
Lilith stops by and purchases more kevlar and would appreciate a continued production. She uses it for making armor and tailoring outfits. 
:+4,000 credits
:-2 Kevlar
====Race track====
Ima announces that that the race is starting so Sten brings his own chair and starts looking for a good vantage point. Not finding much luck there's something weird going on at the pit stop. Sheila keeps speaking to "Crabby" but the giant crab is nowhere to be seen. Asking her what she is on about she explains that she turned "Crabby" into a person. Flabbergasted Sten sees a bare-chested tribal looking man who supposedly is none other than Crabby. Mumbling words he doesn't seem to speak well. Trying to communicate telling him he's Sten, the friend who put on his armor before, there seems to be some recognition there. 
Those participating in the race are mostly strangers to Sten. A lanky man in a jumpsuit, an insectoid with a passenger, Dash Spacer from the row clinic on a hoverbike and a man from Trident. Yuna holds up signs as the grid girl as the race starts.
In the audiance watching is a familiar person "Bishop", not recognizing him for the armor he aided in securing the town last year during the titan incident. A former local from scrap town who now lives in the upper city. Not everyone can be so lucky. He's moving somewhere else and wanted a last look of his home town.
Congratulating the winner, Maya sprays them with confetti. Moving in for a closer look it's the insectoid and his companion, both of them clearly sporting Valkyrie logos and colors. Listening in on their conversation the earnings doesn't seem to be that much and since they're corporate, they probably won't need them anyway. Not the most exciting of shows, organizing a race just for locals seems much more fun that just being entertainment for the rich.
====Guard duty====
The "fun" cut short, there's gunshots at the gate again. With all the racers inside, the entrance is barricaded up while repairs on the gate mechanism resume. Outside a group chases after raiders and another hunting crabs so Sten calls on the radio to ensure there's always people active on guard duty.
On guard, Skully calls Norbert brother all of a sudden, considering him a fellow synthetic. Having most of his body parts replaced by cybernetics, Sten tells him that it fits. All he needs to replace is his torso and head and he's pretty much a synth. More philosophical than ever before Skully says he would also need to replace his soul. This gets everyone talking, trading different traditions from their people. Sten tells how his settlers traditional farewell to the dead is to light them on a bonfire, as a passing for the soul. Not a believer in such things, magic however he remarks is very real and shouldn't be underestimated. A short trip to the undercity will convince anyone of its reality.
Returning Reeza and "Hunter" Charles hand over looted weapons from the raiders. Also successfully in hunting Charles purchases a new revolver, having gotten his previous one stolen by the raiders.
:+3 Scrap Pistols
:+15,000 credits
:-Revolver
A bit late to head out for scrapping Sten smelts and sells prowler some steel, to spare him heading out risking the sandstorm. He gives him another shock grenade, to sell and keep the profits for.
:-2 Iron ore
:-2 Carbon
:+20,000 for Steel 
:+1 Shock grenade
A girl with a similar flying personal drone as Prowler, has it speaking in her stead, acting as her voice module or translator of sorts. She shows her corporate ID to Sten, naming her "Rachel Faust" and "restaurant trainee". Asking if she's looking for work or interested in purchasing anything she shakes her head and the drone explains she is looking to take pictures. As she takes a photo of Sten, he recommends her to climb the new watchtower for a good view, gives her directions and tells her it's safe enough as long as she doesn't go outside the gate, or what's left of it.
Shura visits to drop off what remains of his sword, to be reforged using two pieces of titanium he acquired. Some good work for Maxie. While "Crabby" has become a "human", it seems Shura is turning "Crab", or parts of him at least. He has a crab claw now... As a craftsman Sten tells him he'd never want to lose any of his fingers. Sten gives him a preliminary price range of 20,000 for all the work, which will go directly to Maxie. Already working up a debt he agrees to continue his payment plan. Chester pays for some ammunition for Shuras revolver and announces that they're forming a new mercenary guild. Moving into the old Dunewalkers place, they've already rented it form the council. Aiming to head out scrapping Sten trades the treasure map he got before with the promise that they bring back more materials like iron.
:+4,000 credits to his armor debt to Maxie (paid 13,800 out of 30,000)
:0 out of 20,000 for a titanium blade in debt to Maxie
:+5,000 credits
:-1 Treasure map
Henderson comes to collect the forged Titanium. Asking how much he owes Sten, he is told he can call it an I-owe-you and deliver some materials like scrap and iron from the next run and that should be good enough. Always glad to help the council out.
Not sure what to do before the sandstorms roll in Sten resumes work on repairing the scrap town gates. Together with Fee-Bee and Henderson they do a collaborated effort to restore it enough so it can close again. 
Henderson has a serious topic he wants to discuss. Recognizing the importance and to be careful about what to say next he tells Sten that he can't allow competing scrapping crews to head out on their own without his permission. Meaning Fee-Bee hosting her own scrapping runs any unsactioned by Henderson, they can't expect to get any backup at all if something happens. Since Sten has always been good to him in the past, Henderson reports that Reeza is retiring from the scrapping crew to focus more on her magical endeavors but that any crew heading out still need to go through him in the future. 
Not quite a threat, Sten realizes that they will need to pay a tribute to Henderson on any upcoming expeditions. A small price to pay for the shared ensured security of any team heading out, he reasons that its the kind of protection money which is actually worth paying. Informing Fee-Bee and Willie of the situation they seem skeptical at first but he manages to convince them it's an insurance worth investing in and not a threat. Pay up and report before heading out, and make sure you can get backup if there is an emergency. As long as he doesn't claim any earnings returned from scrap runs Willie and Fee-Bee seem on board with the arrangements. Fee-Bee ever useful, thinks she can improve the armor of the vehicle she got rented from Astral to aid in the scrap runs, to be even more armored.
Henderson heads out through the gates on some task in his truck alone before the day ends. The crew on guard at the gates are hesitating to close up. Staying there until the end Sten reports several times on various radio channels but Henderson never returns. Wishing him the best of luck on whatever he's doing out there the crew on guard pushes crates in place at the gate to ensure nobody comes in and resumes taking cover from the sandstorm moving in.
:Next Episode: S3E11: The Maw Blockade
==Inventory==
Sten personal inventory tracker after episode...
==Store inventory==
Store inventory tracker after episode... This is shared with employees, credits are stored in the smithing registry.
==Links==
*Twitch VOD: Neon Divide Season 3 Episode 10: Wasteland Race 
*YouTube VOD: Neon Divide S3 E10: Wasteland Race
===Twitch Clips===
==Gallery==
ND Crag S3E10 1 Maya gun.png
ND Crag S3E10 2 Fee-Bee new armor.png
ND Crag S3E10 3 Wasteland traders.png
ND Crag S3E10 4 Hank 2 tail.png
ND Crag S3E10 5 Jeremy Norbert Hank 2.png
ND Crag S3E10 6 Torok Zes Ima Torok armor.png
ND Crag S3E10 8 Ima Torok shell.png
ND Crag S3E10 9 Ima Torok armor Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 10 Ima Torok shell.png
ND Crag S3E10 11 Ima Torok shell.png
ND Crag S3E10 12 Ima Torok Shell.png
ND Crag S3E10 13 Silas Herk driving.png
ND Crag S3E10 14 Driving Herk Raiders.png
ND Crag S3E10 15 Mercury wasteland.png
ND Crag S3E10 16 Silas driving.png
ND Crag S3E10 17 Silas driving.png
ND Crag S3E10 18 Warren.png
ND Crag S3E10 19 Peaches.png
ND Crag S3E10 20 Peaches Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 21 Peaches.png
ND Crag S3E10 21 Peaches_crop.png
ND Crag S3E10 22 Sten dining.png
ND Crag S3E10 23 Sten dining.png
ND Crag S3E10 24 Sten dining.png
ND Crag S3E10 25 Midge Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 26 Midge.png
ND Crag S3E10 27 Midge.png
ND Crag S3E10 28 Midge Gustavos place.png
ND Crag S3E10 29 Zach.png
ND Crag S3E10 30 Zach.png
ND Crag S3E10 31 Sten Willie.png
ND Crag S3E10 32 Sten forging.png
ND Crag S3E10 33 Sten forging.png
ND Crag S3E10 34 Traders.png
ND Crag S3E10 35 Traders.png
ND Crag S3E10 36 Traders Hank 2.png
ND Crag S3E10 37 Traders Hank 2.png
ND Crag S3E10 38 Scrap Town race.png
ND Crag S3E10 39 Scrap Town race.png
ND Crag S3E10 40 Scrap Town race.png
ND Crag S3E10 41 Scrap Town race.png
ND Crag S3E10 42 Scrap Town race.png
ND Crag S3E10 43 Scrap Town race Artyom Fedorov Lilith Norbert Jyggal Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 44 Scrap Town race Artyom Fedorov Lilith Norbert Jyggal Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 45 Scrap Town race Artyom Fedorov Lilith Norbert Jyggal Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 46 Scrap Town race Artyom Fedorov Lilith Norbert Jyggal Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 47 Scrap town race Dash spacer.png
ND Crag S3E10 48 Scrap Town race Crabby and Sheila.png
ND Crag S3E10 49 Scrap Town race Crabby and Sheila.png
ND Crag S3E10 50 Scrap Town race Lilith Crabby and Sheila.png
ND Crag S3E10 51 Bishop Blayne Penn.png
ND Crag S3E10 52 Bishop Blayne Penn.png
ND Crag S3E10 53 Scrap Town Racetrack.png
ND Crag S3E10 54 Scrap Town race Yuna.png
ND Crag S3E10 55 Scrap Town race Yuna.png
ND Crag S3E10 56 Scrap Town race Yuna.png
ND Crag S3E10 57 Scrap Town race Yuna.png
ND Crag S3E10 58 Scrap Town race winners Nyx Torvik.png
ND Crag S3E10 59 Scrap town broken gate Skully Norbert.png
ND Crag S3E10 60 Scrap town broken gate Willie Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 61 Scrap town Sten repairing the broken gate.png
ND Crag S3E10 62 Scrap town Sten repairing the broken gate.png
ND Crag S3E10 63 Scrap town Sten repairing the broken gate.png
ND Crag S3E10 64 Scrap town Sten repairing the broken gate.png
ND Crag S3E10 65 Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 66 Sten.png
ND Crag S3E10 67 Rachel Faust.png
ND Crag S3E10 68 Prowler Rachel Faust similar drones.png
ND Crag S3E10 69 Prowler Rachel Faust similar drones.png
ND Crag S3E10 70 Rachel Faust ID.png
ND Crag S3E10 71 Rachel Faust ID.png
ND Crag S3E10 72 Rachel Faust.png
ND Crag S3E10 73 Rachel Faust.png
ND Crag S3E10 74 Rachel Faust.png
ND Crag S3E10 75 Rachel Faust Chester Shura.png
ND Crag S3E10 76 Chester Shura Rachel.png
ND Crag S3E10 77 Chester Savire Rachel Shura.png
ND Crag S3E10 79 Shura.png
ND Crag S3E10 80 Shura.png
ND Crag S3E10 81 Sten shock grenade.png
ND Crag S3E10 82 Chester Shura treasure map.png
ND Crag S3E10 83 Fee-Bee armor.png
ND Crag S3E10 84 Henderson not liking the competition.png
ND Crag S3E10 85 Wrench.png
ND Crag S3E10 86 Toolbox Willie.png
ND Crag S3E10 87 Willie.png
ND Crag S3E10 88 Willie Fee-Bee.png
ND Crag S3E10 89 Ima moving block into place.png
ND Crag S3E10 90 Charles cutting.png
ND Crag S3E10 91 Sten.png
NeonDivideCreditsInfographicThingy.png|Neon Divide RP approximate prices infographic (outdated)
Category:Neon Divide Cragsand Episodes