A Normal Day... [Closed][Finished]

"Hold on a moment," Starry interrupted, her eyebrow raised skeptically, "I've never heard of a raider who doesn't shoot first and ask questions never. I was eager to get the chance to waste a bunch raiders, but if these guys can be talked to, then I'm not sure they're the sort of terrorizing savages who deserve to be put down." She raised her hoof to imply that she was not done speaking, as she paused to collect her thoughts.
"Furthermore," she continued, "I don't have any weapons on me. I was hoping we could sneak in there and steal a few explosives before we confront these guys, because as it stands, if they really are the savage raiders I'm afraid they are, and negotiations do go south, and I don't have even a single stick of dynamite, we're gonna get bucked pretty hard."
Starry looked between her two comrades, hoping they were following along. "And as the only mare in this group, let me assure you that I'd be getting bucked in a wholly different and infinitely worse sort of way."

"I still don't buy the they're raiders thing." Trails replied. "They may be dumb like raiders but there's two things raiders don't do: attack slavers and plant minefields. They've got an understanding with slavers and don't want to make a bad step while tripping on chems. I reckon if we go up there and I approach as a lone caravan they'll be eager enough to come on out. What happens next is up to you guys, but I won't do any fighting 'til I get shot at."

"I'd still like to get my hands on something I can use as a weapon before we try talking. I'd be much more at ease if I could get my hands on some explosives before we try something as risky as this. I was actually looking forward to the mine field, it would've been an opportunity to disarm and collect a few of them."
"Well... why don't we hammer out the specifics when we get there? We're still at least an hour away from the factory. I'm sure that the three of us will come up with some brilliant, flawless strategy on the way there."

Silver picked up his binder and threw it into his saddlebag muttering under his breath as started off in the same direction he had been heading. Then he turned around and thought his next words carefully. "So Starry you want explosives? Trails, you want the whole factory as a building? And me, I want the PipBucks and what ever information is there. Sounds like a plan. Lets get going guys!" Silver fluttered into the sky a few feet and headed back towards the trio and landed behind them. "Daylights burning guys, we need to get there soon."

Starry Night started trotting down the road, "Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" She tilted her head back towards Trails. "Get those brahmin moving, I wanna get there as quick as possible."
Starry wanted to get there quickly. She was both excited to get her hands on some new explosives, and while the conversation with Trails hadn't take more than a few minutes, it felt like much longer. Her impatience showed in her voice, and she wanted to keep moving.

Techno strolled down the road at a leisurely pace, having no particular destination in mind. He heard voices from further down the road and went to investigate, although a bit cautiously, not wanting to be caught by raiders, hoping that it was at least slavers, whom he could probably sweet-talk his way safely through. Instead, he saw a fairly well-kept blue unicorn, a grey pegasus, and a brown earth pony with some brahmin trailing behind, whom Tech assumed was a trader. He still kept his mind about him, though, ready to fire off a spell if needed as he approached the group.

"Hello there. You wouldn't happen to be traders, would you?"

"I'm a caravaner, yes." Trails answered. "These two ponies are just partners in a new venture I'm looking into. If your looking to trade for anything o ther than radigator you're shit outta luck. I just got done with a run to Arbu, sorry."

Techno raised an eyebrow.
"You sell nothing but Radgator meat? Business must be kinda tough if that's all you're selling, no?."
Techno looked to the side for a second before looking back at Trails.
"You wouldn't happen to know any place for me to find medical supplies, would you? Like a hospital or something?"

Silver Hoof Pointed down the road with his wing, "Theres a small settlement down the road a bit, Its about an hour or so trek from here, but theres a good enough doctor there, learned everything he knows from old world books. As for us, we gotta hit the road if we want to finish our business before sundown." Silver Hoof floated up into the sky and looked into the distance. He could make out the building, It looked like a different chunk of it was gone. He just hoped it was a rock blocking it. "Come on guys, we have got to boogie, daylights burning and all that good shit." Silver was not afraid to show his anticipation.

"Wait, so what exactly do you need medical supplies for? You don't look injured... are you a medical pony or something?" Starry inquired, walking in a circle around Techno as she tries to discern his motives.
"You know, there's a decent chance the three of us will be in urgent need of medical supplies in the next few hours, and I'd assume there'd be a medical center in the factory, considering the sort of medical disasters an accident in such a factory might cause."

Techno nodded. "Yeah, I'm a medical pony. Was never into that fighting stuff. Sadly, that's gotten me into trouble before." he said, while warily keeping his eye on the other blue unicorn "And you're inviting me to come with you to keep you alive. May I ask where you intend to get severely injured?"

"Well, it's not quite that I'm intending to get severly injured, it's just probably an inevitability," Starry clarified, casually acknowledging her expectation that she and her friends would end up horribly maimed before sunset.
"We're planning to talk to the Boomers over by an old explosives factory down this road. Boomers is what we've taken to calling them, they're more like raiders, but we're not quite sure. Anyway, if Happy Trails here-" she gestures toward her brown-coated earth pony companion, "can succeed in winning these folks over, we might get a chance to check out their base, and maybe scavenge some dynamite and medical supplies. If not..."
Starry bites her lip softly, thinking of how to phrase it softly, "then... then your skills might come in handy."
"Oh!" her eyes widen for a moment, "I forgot to introduce myself! How silly of me. My name's Starry Night, number one science fan in the wastes! Pleased to make your acquaintence."

Techno just stood there and blinked. "You want to scavenge an explosives factory after talking your way through semi-raiders. I see why you expect the need for medical help." he stated, somewhat amused, somewhat sorry for them.
"Anyways, name's Techno. Techno Illuminate, Fairly good equipment repairpony and medic. Nice to meet you, Starry, and you, mister Trails. Now, about these 'Boomers', they're just raiders that use an excessive amount of explosives, judging from the name, right?"

"I think so. I'm honestly not quite sure. I take it from the plan that my comrades have concocted that these Boomers might actually be willing to talk, which would make them a step-up from raiders, and yes, they are armed to the teeth with explosives. Don't tell these two I said this, but I'm expecting our plan will go up in smoke the moment we step in grenade-lobbing distance."
Starry raised a hoof to her chin, thinking deeply. "I'm sure they have good reason to keep a pony around who's as skilled with explosives as I am, and they could probably use another doctor, so if fighting back fails, you and I could probably do well for ourselves if we surrender. Assuming they take prisoners, that is."
Starry Night dropped her hoof to the floor, and put on the cheeriest face the wasteland had to offer. "So! Now that you know our brilliant, flawless plan, would you care to be a part of it? We could certainly use you! I can promise that it'll be one of the most exciting adventures you've been on! And I'm absolutely sure that their medical center is just filled with every delightful sort of potion and elixir that you could possibly dream of!"

Techno withheld a smile. "First, you do know the others are right behind you, right? And second, since I've been looking for a group to travel with, I'll come with you."
Then he added, "Just so you know, I'll be avoiding the fight. I'm absolutely terrible with a gun, but I'll shoot some spells when the need arises. So, how far is this place?"

"It's probably about half-an-hour's trot now, we're nearly there, and welcome aboard!" Starry Night couldn't help but smile, "Wow, all my life in the stable, and I couldn't make a single friend who didn't think I was too much trouble to be around, and only hours after making my first big trip into the wastes, I've already made three new friends! I should wander aimlessly and unarmed into the wastelands more often!"

"Please, for the love of what little is holy out here, do not go around unarmed saying a hello to every pony you meet." Trails pleaded exasperated. If anypony else had said what Starry did he would've written it off as a joke, but this was Starry. "And if our plan does go up in smoke I doubt anything short of a time machine will keep us alive. That's why I'm going load the dice as it were. These smokes make me look cool, looking cool makes ponies like you, when ponies like you they do what you want, Old trader trick." Trails smacked his brahmin's flank to get them moving again. "But if all does go to hell I can make some basic healing poultices from ferns and roots. Also Silver I want you in the air for rapid support. Try and keep a low profile. Starry and Tech, worst comes to worst use my brahmin for cover, they can stop a rocket at least once."

Trails took the lead and went over his frankly half cocked plan over and over in his head. He doubted the other ponies liked his barking orders, especially Silver with his pseudo military chanting. He didn't care though, he'd lived in the wastes all his life. Spent more time than he cared to remember dealing with raiders. It was his job to keep these stable ponies alive long enough to learn one end of a gun from the other.

Techno nodded at Trails's plan, and turned and started down the road with the others. He mentally ran the plan through in his head before voicing his concerns. "So the plan is to just waltz in there, sweet talk a few RAIDERS into letting us in to scavenge their factory for explosives and medical supplies?"

"Sorta. The plan is to get them to take something they perceive to be of equal value for it, ie: my caravan."

"So you're trading your caravan for the right to scavenge an explosives factory."

"The right to use it as my new homebase." Trails sighed. "Caravaning isn't a cap press. Fact is I just picked it up from my folks and we've had some lean years leading up to this. My Arbu run would net me just enough to get over to Appleloosa then I'd have to hope for the best. Fact is prospecting is better caps, just caravaning's a safer and more stable choice. I'm not looking for either any more." Trails looked back at his tired brahmin and patted them on the shoulder. "Sorry my goodbye isn't going to be like we planned. Hope they don't eat ya right away."

Techno nodded as Trails was finishing his explanation. "Now that makes more sense." he said.
Finding nothing else to say, he fell back in the line, ending up next to Starry.

"I'm still not sure we can trust these folks. Even if everything works out fine, and we get ourselves a new base of operations and some fancy explosives, I'd be afraid of them changing their minds and slitting our throats in the middle of the night."

"Plus, if we scavenge some truely awesome stuff in that factory, they might feel like they're getting the short end of the stick, and blow their fuse." Starry snickered, holding her hoof to her mouth to try to withold her amusement. "Get it? Short end of the stick? Blow their fuse? It's an explosives factory! Man, that joke is dynamite!!! HAHAHA!" Starry fell to the floor and rolled on her back, laughing uncontrollably.

Trails smirked at the blue unicorn and shook his head. "We'll set up another minefield or something. Besides they probably wont survive long enough caravaning to get revenge. It may be safer and more stable than prospecting but it's still a damn sight more dangerous than about any other profession."

Silver had been flying above the steadily growing party listening to them and worrying If this keeps up we will have a whole herd of ponies ready to storm the gates. Oh shit. That;s not good. That's really not good. I don't see any of those guys from a few days ago. Silver Hoof landed in front of the three other ponies. He made sure they all paused and he walked forward a few steps to make sure he could whisper and them hear him. "Guys, the Boomers aren't there. None of them. I cant see a one. I'm not sure if its a trick, seeing as we have have two brightly colored ponies or not, but I don't care for this at all. What do you think Trails? Still want to walk up or do you want me to do a quick fly over?"