CR Cragsand S2E5: Lost in the desert

===Chapter 5 - Lost in the desert ===
====Budget inventory====
Opening up the shop Sten displays a new inventory of firearms crafted by McCuldger as Scootz hovers in riding his cart, he wishes to purchase a firearm. He is not willing to spend money on a proper one and although Sten explains to him that that these are of very questionable quality and may break at any moment - he still decides on the cheaper option.
Mercury stops buy purchasing ammunition. Xion stops by the smithy to get some repairs for his armor by Patches and although claiming he gained some funds from a deal with Atlantis, decides against the council of Sten to purchase a cheap rifle of McCuldgers craft. He gets recommended maintain it as much as is possible to maximize it's life span but is given no promises towards its durability.
====A bounty for Rico====
A message is broadcasted on all frequencies across Scrap Town;
:"Rico Suave has not returned to the perimeter of the settlement in over 24 hours, emergency beacon is active and their current status is alive. Their last known location is the "bramble canyon" - compensation for their return alive has been posted at 100.000 credits, please notify security on their safe return."
Not about to pass out on this opportunity Sten goes to Ront's garage intending to join a caravan, out to collect on the bounty. Going out there are 3 trucks heading out to rescue, while another - according to Toolbox - of unknown composition is heading out instead wanting to finish him off. 
The teams heading for the rescue are the ones in brown and white trucks consisting of Ront, Trey, Sean, Maxwell, Xion and the purple truck with Sten driving with Toolbox, Mercury and Scootz in the back.
Gathering up at the oasis the teams find no trace of the mayor except someone who has somehow have gotten lost in the desert - namely Rebecca, the bothersome woman from yesterday. She had been led out and abandoned by her floating "orb thing" named Paprika. Angered by the distraction of the complaining woman insisting on being escorted back to Scrap Town, Trey would have none of it and pulled a gun on her, accusing her of delaying their progress - unless she somehow happens to be worth 100k to match the Mayors. Trying to calm the situation Sten offers her a side seat if she wishes to tag along. Eventually Toolbox offers to drive her back to town in his buggy and they depart while the trucks continues onward. 
====Where the heck are we?====
Driving after the white truck Sten loses sight of it and passing through a sandstorm the other vehicle is nowhere to be spotted. Hailing the other truck on the agreed radio channel their directions are uncertain and he drives the car around aimlessly searching for "bramble canyon", where the mayor is to be found. Searching they do happenstance upon a deposit of valuable crystals inside a cavern which Sten harvests and hands over to Scootz for safekeeping. Continuing the truck stops by what seems to be a gigantic sink-hole, looking down though it is evident to be the home of some enormous creature with tentacles stretches out from down below. Curious, Sten fires a shot at it with his revolver but it doesn't seem to react, Scootz gets very upset at this display of recklessness and insists for them to carry on.
Driving on looking for the white truck and going off a ledge with Sten driving, he manages to get the vehicle stuck. Not budging at all they evacuate, Sten slides down the ledge while Scootz falls down on his rear end and lacking any legs to break his fall he is both wounded and upset. Hurt pretty badly, he gets dragged out from the sands and luckily Toolbox turns up behind them driving his buggy - ready to assist - he truly is fitting the nickname of a "guardian angel". Scootz starts complaining about recovering his cart, even pulling the gun he bought before, he insists that they don't leave his dear cart behind. Failing to get the truck dislodged Mercury and Sten manage at least to get ahold of the cart, though it gets damaged in the fall. Hailing the other caravan on the radio it appears that the other truck with Trey, Sean, Maxwell, Xion and Ront have managed to save the Mayor from bramble canyon and are heading back via the oasis. Going the same way in Toolbox buggy, on the way back Scootz, who is usually complaining about most things goes eerily quiet. Sten puts the the pedal to the metal, rushing back to Scrap Town hospital.
Returning to the hospital it appears that fancy looking corporate people from Nirvana are leaving off "donations" to the hospital, to mixed reactions and lackluster appreciation. Sten picks up Scootz from the car and carries him into a hospital bed where Bean is ready to lend his healing magic. Spotting Ront and Sean carrying the mayor inside and get treated by C3-Burn it would appear that the rescue turned out a success after all. But who will claim the bounty?
====Recompense====
After Scootz recovery Sten helps push him and his cart back into his shop where Catherine is waiting and worried. Given a quick rundown of the events that took place in the desert Scootz accuses Sten of being responsible for all the failings and feeling guilty he offers him a proposal, in exchange for not directing any blame for totaling the car and truck - Scootz would get to keep the crystal for himself, get a repair for his cart free of charge as well as his gun mounted on it. Attempting to see the positive outcome in all of this the shop owners patience runs out, he agrees and shakes hand to the terms of but quickly orders Sten to leave afterwards; "get out of my store" he barks - and Sten obliges.
With the return of the Mayor, a hubub seems to stir around town, McCuldger and Ash are not exactly glad to learn of this and a call for a proper election is announced and the citizen gather outside of the restaurant to hold a proper council - and a council is formed. After some debate it seems that the wastelanders can agree on something - that what would be best for all, instead of monarchy, is a council. As such 3 representatives are voted in via hand-raising:
*McCuldger to represent the arena and pit fights.
*Ash to represent the scrappers and in charge of water distribution.
*Sean to represent the old governance.
The last being an unlikely nomination Sean's real loyalty is put into question but multiple hands are raised in his favor, claiming that although he served Rico in the past, he always seemed to have good intentions for the rest of the town.
Owning up to his mistake, the next person to inform of the crashed car was the owner, Miss Ront. Having a talk in private she confided her worries to Sten, wondering if she did the right thing, rescuing someone as questionable as Rico. Ignoring the question of morality Sten told her that it was worth it regardless, for such a huge bounty alone, who could say pass on such an opportunity? She took the news of the car rather well, having spotted it herself out in the wastes on the way back. Appreciating of Stens craft, the gun which he had crafted for her, without it today, she was believed that she would not have survived the daring rescue to bramble canyon. Before leaving the smithy she mentioned a hooded figure having come looking for Rico which she suspected was some assassin, these are truly troubling times. 
Ash stops by inviting Sten on another scrap run and together with McCuldger, Ryzy, Maxwell and Pepper, they head out to gather fruits at the oasis. The run is successful without any issues and on the way back they meet up with Sheila who appears all of a sudden driving one of the lost cars from before, and running it straight into Ash's truck no less. The shaman is delighted and overjoyed to meet everyone although almost running over Sten and Culdger. Even though Sten crashed one of the trucks before, he is paid gladly by Ash.
====Atlantis returns====
The sands moving in for the day, they do not settle before more corporate people arrive and ask to speak with the one in charge. Conrad Ludovic of Atlantis and Nadya is directed to McCuldgers office with Sten attending and keeping an eye on them. They tell of there being a situation with Sonitii trying to lay claim to imports from the wasteland, with them going to demand protection payment in the form of 25% tariffs in the future. With a corporate guarde stationed outside of the mayors "palace" Culdger meets in private with Nadya and asks Sten to leave. He does but nosy that he is, still attempts to listen in on what is said but he is unable to overhear anything.
Unknown to Sten, Nadya asks McCuldger to keep tabs on any special "boxes" being uncovered in the desert, something of great value to her appears to be out there. Culdger reasons that in order to agree to this she has to promise to maintain the deal from before - agreeing on protecting Scrap Town from any involvement from the other corps and mentions Mars having displayed some interest in planting their rules upon the wasteland. Culdger also tells Nadya of Nirvana's presence in the hospital, offering "donations" and them being the only reason he didn't blow "the calamari" Rico - "to kindom come".
After the secretive meeting Culdger goes around town informing that he had to make a personal sacrifice towars Atlantis in order to ensure the citizen of scrap town won't be needing to do any. - "A nessesary evil to keep the demons at bay."Twitch VOD: Callous Row RP S2 E5 - Lost in the desert YouTube
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Category:Callous Row Cragsand Episodes