I have autonomous risky woohoo enabled and while I wasn't paying attention, Carson and Mollie conceived another baby! I ended the pregnancy through the Pregnancy Controller mod because they're 8 days away from becoming elders and already have a grandson.
Origin ID HillyPlays P.A.C.E- Positive Attitude Changes Everything
https://i.postimg.cc/CxWZwb0Y/Screenshot-68.jpg
Sammie: I wish my guy was here to, so I could hit him!
Linda: What did go wrong between you two?
Sammie: There was another girl, and I asked him about her.
You know you're in trouble when the word "just" comes before friends.
Melanie: that's how most of my relationships ended to.
A new ghost Hibiki Fukami
He was the earliest guitarist from Viper's band, and he and Shion have a relationship beyond friendship. He also Ju-Ri's ex and looks like Rain
Same as Yutang, everyone knows Shion is a villain and a band toxin, but why did he become like this
Entrance to the abyss
sims.fandom.com/wiki/User:ShadeAssassin
It's a scratch-off ticket
There's a "_" in my usename. My usename is Shadow_Assassin, not ShadowAssassin or others
Sometimes it's not me who talks to you, it's machine translation
Jenny Richards Diary 16th of March 2726 AD
Brendon Gentry came over last night, darn this young fella is abortable and very flirty. Can’t deny I enjoyed the visit, although of course we did not do anything, you know like kissing or worse.
From Terry Scully’s letter to Suzan Gibson, written 18th of March 2726 AD
Dear Sue
One of the builders told me you got married, I’m so happy for you…honest. I know what happened between us was all my fault. I did and do really love you and miss you a lot, but I just could not resist that beautiful young boy. He could not admit to his sexuality after that one night, but I do not regret what I did. I am satisfied with my choice to move to the river. I just hope you will be happy too.
Jenny Richards Diary 19th of March 2726 AD
Brendon came over again, and again I can only say I enjoyed his company. We did flirt a little, but we also just had a good time together, he read one of my books, I painted a little, was like having “a man”. Gosh he is engaged, that am I thinking.
From Terry Scully’s notes and jottings, written 20th of March 2726 AD (*)
After I had written the letter to Sue I felt a great relief, the next day I went fishing as I often does when I need to think. I thought maybe I should also send a letter to my family, haven’t heard from them since the day I moved. The scandal from Sue cancelling the engagement mush have been hard on them.
Jenny Richards Diary 26th of March 2726 AD
I was working on the canvas as Brendon suddenly came over, been a few days so I thought he was about to cool down our relation, which would be understandable. He was not, as before very flirty, nice and beautiful all in one unholy package. There is no way I can resist those wonderful attacks.
Thanks God we did not take it further than that, although my entire body wish we had.
From Marble Beach letter to her farther Thane Beach, written 27th of March 2726 AD
Dear farther
We have safely arrived to the settlement. It is nice here and both me and Brandon have made many new friends already. Last night I made a nice Mac and Cheese, unfortunately Brendon did not make in back in time to share it with me, I think he was out fishing with one of the boys.
I got sick after eating and I threw up all the food, haven’t told Brendon anything yet but it might be that I am pregnant. So thrilled and excited about all that is happening and glad we came here.
Say hallo to mother.
Greg Preston’s Notes for next Ent Council meeting, written 31th of March 2726 AD
The new couple have settled well within the community. Marble Beach already on very good terms with Elder Michiko Vaughan. Brendon Gentry great with the young boys John Hallett and Terry Scully, likely very curious about the rough life he had when he was young. He and Elder Jenny Richards also seems to have found a lot to talk about, which is great as she tends to be alone too much.
Marble Beach seems to be a very strong character, I am sure she can be an important asset for the entire community, she is already spending time hunting for animals and collectable stones after I told her about all the good locations I know.
(*) Editorial:
Economy after this period.
Greg Preston household: Cash 8.540 – Net Worth 34.705
Jenny Richards household: Cash 8.300 – Net Worth 16.201
Michiko Vaughan household: Cash 1.251 – Net Worth 10.346
The Elders do not know the economy of the new household, as long as their final home is not yet ready.
(*) Terry Scully’s notes and jottings, may have been intended for a self-biographical novel or article he never wrote, they were found in a box amongst his belongings, upon his dead
Everything was autonome in this episode.
comments @DivaDoodle
Thanks for comment
Yes the faucet leaked from October to February (that as almost 5 ingame days in my story)
@GraceyManor Oh dear, not good and in the middle of an outbreak when she is supposed to be finding the cure, she ups and leaves.
I guess she missed the part that he said he was engaged to her.
Linda needs to grow up and fight for her man. He didn't flirt back. Open your eyes Linda!
Not sure what goes on in Linda's head, but she is sure not a very good scientist ignoring the pandemic like that and reforming her musical group.
I think I like her better as a redhead.
Nice of the girls to try to help Ryan out since Linda is being such a "B".
Why did Ryan shave? Oh, nevermind!
The 'mistake' is one of your pictures didn't post. The url is there for it but no picture.
@Tamijo I glad that David is now living with Grace and Gregg and that they are pulling him back into life again.
I couldn't hear this song as it said not available in my country. I dislike when that happens!
The words of the opening sound very poignant. "you moved further from my side year by year...dutifully sincere." So very sad!!
Jasmin seems outgoing and glad to see her with some friends.
Awesome crowd for the show! Glad to see the band again.
Thanks for the comment on the coaster/monster picture.
@Nikkei_Simmer River looks beautiful in her dress. Perhaps a little overdressed for a graduation, but beautiful.
Congrats to Bebe on her graduation.
The uncles are a twist that I don't recall in your first version.
Glad River is on the ball fixed that little problem.
@DivaDoodle Looks like Alfie and Cherie are gonna work out.
Love the love day party! Everyone looks terrific all dressed up and no one wore their undies!
I've had a few big sim chats but didn't realize it wasn't a normal thing. lol
Lots of watching the stars!
I'm going to pop Alfarin in my test save this afternoon and see what is in his inventory. I do remember he was stinkin' rich!!
When he touched her face, he was tempted to take away her confusion, but decided to leave it alone, some emotions are better experienced in the long run.
New girl! Oh, she's married with kids. Happily?
I love having kiss set so it doesn't make a couple romantic.
Congrats to Victor on his promotion.
lol at the parking dilemma
I enjoyed the updates! Looks like more babies soon.
@HillyBeth congrats to Eric! Lovely seeing the family grow.
@Brandontaylor Updates!
Christian looks very healthy exercising!
Nice party!
oh, Michael's eyes look all racoony!
Thanks for the comments on my update!
Poor Quentin looks older than his father in law!
Ruby and Christian look like a cute couple!
aha! Quentin looks much better now!
Daisy is a beautiful young adult!
Congrats to Daisy on her new job.
Great day! That is a huge puddle!
Bummer no one paid attention to her.
Nice she got hearts for someone. I guess she is still looking.
@Turjan I hope she will be happy with Malcolm.
Poor Alfred! Mom needs a personality transplant!
@emorrill Thanks!
I'm having fun poking fun of Jorge and Judy as they explore. Good thing I'm not saving those. I think they would be mad at me.
Cute version of the theme song.
The sun picture is adorable!
I noticed in game how well the lights looked from the truck, front and back. Can't see the front lights in the picture as good as it was in game. They were shining bright as Jamie took the truck back to get his motorcycle.
@emorrill Sometimes, you only have the decision between bad and worse. Then again, who knows what it's good for?
@DivaDoodle Thank you. We still have snow, but at least it gets noticeably brighter now. I should probably just go a bit more outside now, pandemics or no pandemics. Looks as if your sims are still happy with each other . I love your crazy fire station .
@Tamijo Thanks, I hope so, too. It should be spring soon. Your new arrivals look like interesting additions with very distinctive bios.
Edit: Those pics of the last update are gorgeous. All of them .
@bekkasan Thank you. Yeah, she should probably use that "couch" from the university expansion.
_______________________________________________________________________________
For those of you who felt sad for Alfred, he's actually doing fine. He grew up in what is basically a trailer, and his dad isn't a nice person (euphemistic understatement). However, his dad was never mean to him, the occasional "evil scare" notwithstanding. They have a good relationship. It may not all work as he wished, but he's on track for a great future, with friends and a new relationship.
Here he just bought the level 9 guitar track and is learning the new song. He also mastered painting and could basically live on his own by now.
His mom is as crazy as her mother Holly Alto. Not much you can do about that.
https://i.postimg.cc/CxWZwb0Y/Screenshot-68.jpg
Sammie: I wish my guy was here to, so I could hit him!
Linda: What did go wrong between you two?
Sammie: There was another girl, and I asked him about her.
You know you're in trouble when the word "just" comes before friends.
Melanie: that's how most of my relationships ended to.
https://i.postimg.cc/CxWZwb0Y/Screenshot-68.jpg
Sammie: I wish my guy was here to, so I could hit him!
Linda: What did go wrong between you two?
Sammie: There was another girl, and I asked him about her.
You know you're in trouble when the word "just" comes before friends.
Melanie: that's how most of my relationships ended to.
No No you just forgot to "img" this picture
Really? It shows up for me
Strange see all the other but have to click that one to make it open.
https://i.postimg.cc/CxWZwb0Y/Screenshot-68.jpg
Sammie: I wish my guy was here to, so I could hit him!
Linda: What did go wrong between you two?
Sammie: There was another girl, and I asked him about her.
You know you're in trouble when the word "just" comes before friends.
Melanie: that's how most of my relationships ended to.
No No you just forgot to "img" this picture
Really? It shows up for me
Strange see all the other but have to click that one to make it open.
Yes, sweet, young, innocent Oakley, you heard the jingle. Your husband wishes babies with you, and Watcher sometimes lets risky happen!
Oakley awakens early, thinks for a moment.
She is so in love with Victor, of course she's willing to give him what he wishes. But a baby? Already?!
Don't they take up a lot of time?
Oakley & Victor
"Will I still have time for my mani/pedis? And time to go shopping, and to luncheons, and to the galas with my girl friends?'' Oakley is a snob and requires things for her happiness.
Victor overhears. He wraps her in his big arms. She is so pretty, so perfect. His perfect gem.
"Shh there, there, of course you will. I will take care of everything!."
Victor likes his wife happy! He is the Man, the Boss, He can handle Anything! He will be Super Dad!
"aww I'm a Daddy!"
"Happy wife, happy life, eh, Watcher?!."
Yes. I hear my husband say that all the time. And I will help you, Victor!
Oakley is very happy to hear this news!
Very happy indeed! and oh Victor!
~~~~
A quick glance around, Quigley and Fern are fine, sleeping peacefully. Angels really!
Max and Faelie? "We're always fine Watcher!"
And Alfie? Where is He?
He decided to sleep over at Cherie's! She had returned home, and was very happy to see Alfie arrive! They awoke early and were having a Fairy party, drinking fairy punch! I hear party horns and laughter and chatter!
It's so beautiful by the water, Alfie loves it here! And loves Cherie! Alfie
They love to discuss art.
But the young lovers conversation always leads back to love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poor Quigley!
"I have a mood! Watcher!"
"My mood is worse!" says Fawn
They discover the Only thing that helps this terrible mood is each other! So they plan to have a date which will help lessen this mood, and skip school! because school will only makes things worse!!
"I hate everything and everybody!" says Fern
"Me too!" replies Quigley "Well, I do love You!"
"Me, too!" says Fern "c'mon Quigley, let's get out of here before the bus comes!"
"yeah!"
Quigley and Fern
"ew This place?!"
"oh c'mon Leely, no one ever comes here! It will be fun!" Hop On!"
Of course Quigsley does whatever Fern wants Even when he is in a bad mood!
"Yikes! Ferny keep on the tract!" Although Quigley would never say it, he doesn't think Fern is a very good driver.
"uh! Can't we just go somewhere safe like the movies?"
"ohh Leely, calm down, people will see us there, we can go later after school is out, I promise!"
"Ferny, you always make everything better! I never want to be without you!"
"I'm right here Leely, I got you. Always."
And looking at her, right then, he knows! It doesn't matter that on any normal day, they had thought they might wait.
Even though they had both sets of parents blessings.
His Dad is right, The When is irrelevant. What matters is the Now!
Quigley proposes to his young soul mate.
"Ferny, will you be mine forever and through out all time?"
"Oh Leely, I already am! You know that."
"Leely, that's the school bus! We're missing the field trip!"
"We can go if you want, but we've already been to the music field trip though. What would like like to do Ferny?"
"Prank the school!" she grins!
"Let's Go!" Quigley smirks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faelie gets her notice! She wants a girl!
Faelie and Max
She runs to tell Max!
"oh my beautiful wife I'm so happy!"
Just as Max is hugging and Kissing Faelie,
Quigley gets caught by the Popo!
RUN Quigley!!!
No! The other way!!!
The Popo!
Poor Quigley is very nervous!
And instead of going inside and explaining to Dad,
He runs!
Fern knows where he went!
Quigley asks Cabana Boi for protection.
"Yes of course Quigley, but you don't need protection from your Dad! He is very reasonable. Now just tell me all that happened today!" Says Cabana, he thinks the poor kid just needs to talk it out.
It's actually quite amusing, Cabana thinks
"Just relax Quigley, try to clam down. I know that you already know what you did was wrong. let me call your Dad and have a chat.
Don't worry."
Spent most of today dealing with the cats...(in real life); headed up to the store, got cat litter and cat food...came home, exhausted...and rested - am just going to relax and enjoy my AP - Homeless save, the one that I'm playing without having to write anything. Tomorrow it's back to River and Haruo.
...oh and the JAG sims too.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
I'll give reply comments soon. But for now...please enjoy this next scene in Chapter 12.
(I wrote it all within a 24 hour time period. That must be some kind of record for me! ) Pelican Town to Sims Town Continuation of Chapter 12
During Haley and Emily’s quarrelling, Abigail slipped out the back door again and made her way to the Graveyard. She was still on a mission to get in touch with the Wizard Rasmodius and still lacked a very important ingredient for the spell. Her research turned up nothing and she was hoping the one person who was most familiar with Appaloosa and the countryside would have an answer for her. If she’d see her again.
Perhaps it was fate, because as she turned toward the grand fountain her eyes immediately took hold of the pink, ghostly figure aimlessly floating about.
“Donna!” she called with a wave of her hand.
It was rare indeed for Donna to hear someone call her name anymore. Her body turned and a smile lit up her face when she saw it was Abigail; the girl from another world. She approached her as quickly as her spirit would allow.
“Thank goodness you’re here!” Abigail expressed. “I was worried I’d never see you again!”
“Miss Abigail,” Donna greeted, stopping before her. “It warmed my spirit to hear you calling my name. I too wondered if I’d ever see you again.”
“I guess you were thinking the twelve of us would be back home by now huh?”
“Not really…”
“I know this sounds strange, but...I’m kinda glad we’re still here,” Abigail admitted, with a cheerful look in her eye.
Any living person in Abigail’s life would not fully understand why she’d say that, but Donna knew. “Because here you can be your true self, unlike how it is back home.”
“Exactly.”
“Perhaps after this experience...all that will change.”
“It is my greatest hope!”
The two smiled at each other for a short moment, until Donna asked, “What is it you desire of me Miss Abigail?”
“You can just call me Abby.”
Donna shot her a look saying she appreciated her kindness, but didn’t wish to repeat the question; like an annoyed teenager.
It made Abigail chuckle. “I need your help finding something. A gemstone.”
“Oh?”
“I wish to communicate with the Wizard who sent us here, and I found a spell that opens up a communication channel between worlds.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, but I lack the most essential ingredient. A luminorious gem. Do you happen to know where I might find one?” She silently prayed Donna’s answer wouldn’t be that they rested in areas outside the barrier.
A knowing smile played across the ghost’s lips. “You needn’t look far. For one, maybe more, are here in this very cemetery.”
“Seriously!?”
“In the Mausoleum,” she informed, gesturing with her head. “Deep in the catacombs.”
Hearing that made Abigail gulp, losing her excitement. “Oh.” She may not generally fear the supernatural, but dark, creepy and musty, deteriorating catacombs holding the bones of the dead made her spine tingle.
“It will be quite the search, but I feel you consider it well worth the effort.”
Abigail nodded.
“It is a purple gem, of an orchid hue. Do not confuse it with the rich, dark purple hue of tanzanite. I wish you well in your search.” Sensing Abigail’s nervousness she added, “I’d offer to find and fetch one for you, but as you know...I lack the substance to do so.”
“That’s okay Donna. It’s very kind of you to offer,” she smiled then sighed, glancing behind herself at the Mausoleum. “I will brave the catacombs myself. Being able to chat with the Wizard is definitely worth it.” She turned back to face Donna. “My magic will guide and protect me if need be. Hopefully.”
“Your powers have grown then?”
“Yes. I’ve been practicing.”
Donna nodded. “Then I wish you happy hunting.”
“Thanks!” Abigail expressed as she took the girl in for a hug. All she felt was cold air, and was practically hugging herself, but that was okay. Donna’s soul felt warmer than it had in years from her touch. “I knew you’d be just the one who could help me! I hope our paths cross again.”
“I hope so too,” Donna said as they broke their embrace. “And don’t ever wait for a reason to come and see me Abby. Come by and chat with me anytime. Your call will guide me here if I’m not already present.”
Abigail smiled. “I will.”
“Thank you for being my friend Abby...I never thought I’d find friendship ever again in the afterlife.”
Tears 🐸🐸🐸🐸'kled behind Abigail’s eyelids hearing those words from the heart. “Thank you for being my friend too Donna. I never thought I’d have a ghost for a friend.” She winked. “It’s like seriously the coolest thing in the world!”
The two chuckled.
Once Abigail bid Donna farewell she ran over to the Mausoleum to begin her search. She had no idea how long it would take to find the gem and she only had until dawn to do it. Hopefully it doesn’t take me all night to find it! I wanna cast this spell!
It only took the better part of two hours to find a luminorious gem. It was nestled among other valuables on a shelf in one of the crypts. Her curiosity prompted her to explore even deeper into the catacombs, seeing what other treasures or helpful ingredients she might find. At the end of one of the hallways, it led into another basement chamber. She gulped as she descended the stairs into the pitch black room, with only an orb of light floating just above the palm of her hand to lead the way.
When she reached the middle of the stairs she gasped in a startle as the torches on the walls ignited all by themselves, revealing a grand room that housed various magical items, books, and furniture. Her heart raced as she took a quick look around and soon her face lit up with a broad smile, realizing what she just discovered. A treasure trove of everything magic.
“Oh my holy stardew look at all this stuff!” she practically squealed as she promptly descended the rest of the steps.
Her feet stopped before a mirror on the wall, her eyes unavoidably gazing deeply into it and wondering.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” she asked it with a little giggle. It sure would’ve been neat if the mirror replied to her, but it didn’t. “Drats! Oh well. That would be super cliché anyway.”
She had a feeling the Wizard didn’t care for anything cliché.
Her eyes lit up like jewels as she approached a thick spell book resting on a stand supported by a stone pedestal with an oddly shaped cauldron sitting right next to it. Carefully, she flipped through the time worn pages, reading with her finger and whispering the various different spells, wondering if she was pronouncing some of the words correctly. It was fun. “There’s some GREAT stuff in here! I’ll have to come back and write down some of these spells, even make up some of these potions!” There were some pretty humorous ones.
Speaking of potions, some rested on a table in the corner and there was plenty of shelf space next to it for more. “Hmm...Do I even want to know what the hell that thing is in that jar?” A squeamish chill rattled her entire body. She had no intention of ever finding out!
The next thing that caught her attention was an intricately stone carved coffin with lit candles resting upon it, nestled near a corner on the other side of the room. Upon closer inspection she got the feeling it wasn’t a coffin, but something else entirely. Something she’d only ever read about in books and never thought she’d see, let alone discover, with her own eyes. “Are there vampires in this world? Or were there? Was this a vampire’s lair? Interesting…
Well one thing’s for sure, I’m never sleeping on this no matter how tired I get working down here!”
The last thing she approached was some kind of mechanical device that seemed so out of place in a room like this. It’s like steampunk, she thought, but what exactly is it?
Some kind of instinct prompted her to drop the luminorious gem into the mouth of the machine and she found herself greatly regretting doing so after hearing it fall in with a loud thump.
That’s when the machine came to life. It started shaking like a generator, gears turning, and sparks flying. The teeth clenching sound of a rock being drilled into pierced Abigail’s eardrums. Normally she would’ve thrown her hands over her ears to drown out the painful noise, but she was too curiously mesmerized by what the machine was doing to move.
When the machine finished its purpose, the lid on the other end of it spun open to reveal a beautiful pile of luminorious gem dust. It sparkled like glitter in the faint light of the torches. Abigail’s smile lit up again. “SWEET!” To do the spell she was going to need to crush the gem into dust, like she did with the blue topaz, and this machine did all that hard work for her. “I sure wish I’d known this was around when I was crushing the blue topaz!” That had been a royal pain!
Did this just happen out of coincidence? She was beginning to think not.
Searching around, she found a leather pouch - among many - in a drawer below the empty shelves and scooped the gem dust into it. That’s when her eyes finally noticed the fire pit in the middle of the room, having been obscured by darkness that the torches on the wall couldn’t quite reach. Two chairs sat on either side of it. A fire pit was also needed for the spell and once again Abigail was beginning to believe that discovering this chamber was indeed fate. I’m going to converse with the Wizard tonight! she thought as her body giddily shook with excitement. She had all the ingredients and items right at her disposal. Okay Abby it’s time to focus now. Concentrate.
She pulled out a paper from her pocket, re-reading the directions for the spell and committing the incantation to memory again. Then she tucked it away and pulled out her wand, the anticipation and her heart’s desire fueling her magic and making it stronger. She waved the wand over the fire pit while reciting the spell just above a whisper, enchanting it to become her channel to the outside world.
She repeated the spell over and over again, her voice growing louder each time, making for darn sure the channel would be wide open enough for her voice to reach across the cosmos and into the Wizard’s ears.
She had to say and do everything right, for one simple mistake would cause the spell to fail. And failure was not an option!
Sure she could just try again another time if she failed, but in her mind there wasn’t another time. She wanted to speak to the Wizard NOW! She was tired of all the looming, unanswered questions in her mind about her magical abilities, tired of all the headaches that came from casting magic, and was very tired of keeping her magical abilities secret from everyone she loved because she didn’t know what repercussions of revealing herself would bring. She wanted answers...she wanted guidance...and she wanted them now. Not to mention it’d be great to gain some more insight on why they were all sent to this world, if Rasmodius would even divulge a sliver of that to her.
Feeling the channel open, Abigail drew in a breath and went on to the next step; lighting the fire.
“Alright,” she confidently said, cracking her knuckles. “Let’s do this!”
The final step was to sprinkle the blue topaz and luminorious gem dust into the fire, along with crushed basil leaves. Part of her wondered if the basil leaves were just for aroma and weren’t really necessary for the spell to work, but she wasn’t going to gamble on that.
The gem dust crackled in the fire creating numerous sparks like fireworks as the smoke, combined with the ashes from the basil leaves, rose up into the air and through the ceiling. The spell had been completed. Abigail stood for a moment with pride.
She sat herself down on one of the chairs and closed her eyes, breathing steadily, thinking of how to begin her conversation with the Wizard. It felt weird to do, but she thought if she likened it to uttering a prayer to God, that should make it feel a little less weird. And it did. God help me reach the Wizard...
“Rasmodius,” she called, then paused, thinking that perhaps she should be more specific as heaven knows who might be hearing her across the cosmos. “This call is to the Wizard Rasmodius, from Pelican Town in Stardew Valley. Rasmodius, it’s me...Abigail.” She gulped as a surge of emotion gripped at her throat. “I really hope you can hear me. I don’t even know if this will actually reach you…”
Thousands of miles across a couple of galaxies, the Wizard Rasmodius stopped dead in his tracks from what he was doing. His brow furrowed, feeling an intense magical connection that was quite unfamiliar to him, but more than that...it was hearing his name. Then he heard it a second time.
His heart palpitated as he approached the cauldron, finding Abigail sitting by a fire. Her lips were moving and he could hear every word. His eyes widened with unsuspecting surprise. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I need your help,” Abigail went on. “I don’t know exactly why you sent us to this world, but I’m beginning to wonder, for me, if it was a way to help me grow in my magical abilities. Learn to embrace it more than be afraid of it. And I can’t thank you enough for that.” She smiled. “I’ve never felt more free in all my life being in this world, but,” she frowned, staring into the faraway wall. “I know that feeling won’t last forever. Because someday I’ll return home...right back to the life I didn’t always care for. A life where I felt like I didn’t belong. Where magic is forbidden and I always had to hide who I really was for fear of being cast out like you.” She huffed for a second. “I guess I’m still hiding here aren’t I?”
She could hear water dripping from somewhere within the walls, reminding her of just how quiet and alone her life really felt.
“But I don’t want to hide anymore! My magical powers are growing. So much so that I am struggling to keep it concealed. It’s like, if I don’t use my powers in some way or another, for longer than a couple of days, it begins to fester and I have to release it or I get all...shaky. I don’t want it to explode at the wrong time. And not only that, I get these terrible headaches after casting any spell - which is super annoying - and I know there’s got to be a way to alleviate that I just...don’t have any idea.” She lowered her head, but then gazed up at the stony ceiling with longing. “But I know you know...and that’s why I’m reaching out to you. I’m desperate, Rasmodius. Speak to me. Teach me, guide me. I know you can…”
There was no response.
“Please,” she implored, tears prickling behind her eyes. “Half the time I don't exactly know what I'm doing with my magic and I don’t want to cause anything catastrophic...like I almost did that one time. You’re the only one who can help me. I can’t wait until we’re back home for me to become your student. There's so much I need to learn now! Please...help me!”
A minute passed, then two, and still she heard nothing. The Wizard’s silence felt like a dagger to the heart.
“Are you really not going to answer me?” she asked, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Surely he wouldn’t be so heartless as to not respond to a plea like that. She shrugged. “Or maybe the spell didn’t work because I really don’t know what I’m doing as much as I think I do...”
The Wizard gripped the sides of the cauldron and leaned over it, expressing a painful sigh, but shook his head at it. He had to.
In a fit of anger and disappointment, Abigail found a nearby poker and stabbed at the fire with it, putting it out.
Then she ran up the stairs, through all the winding corridors of the catacombs, and burst out of the mausoleum, gasping for a breath of fresh air. Her chest rose and fell as she gazed up into the night sky, a tear escaping her eye.
I can’t give up, she told herself. I’ll find a way to reach him. I won’t stop until I do.
@HillyBeth autonomous risky is RISKY!!! Wowie! Good thing you caught that!
is the risky that for your whole town?
@Silverofdreams30 so if the Vampire asks, can the 'victim' say No?
Cute sim Serena you made! is she going to be dinner?
@Shadow_Assassin nice sims! the person outside want to meet them! I love their clothes!
that ghost is very scary!
@Tamijo Robert Palmer videos are so good! now I want Red lipstick and a dress like that! it will be my new everyday wear! ... oh yeah, I'm not 20, darn!
here is my favorite
Wow Terrys letter is sad to me. so he ends up with no one?
Beautiful incredible pics at the end!
@bekkasan Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed the updates! I love reading your comments! yes I think they will work out great! I'm playing ahead and Alfie never came home from her house lol. ''Everyone looks terrific all dressed up and no one wore their undies! '' that IS strange for my sims!
Faelie is so happy to have the pregnancy resumed!
@Turjn Thank you I'm glad you love the crazy fire station!
Yes I need to get outside too. I am so used to being indoors now. I wonder if I have become agoraphobic? I hope not!
Alfred looks amazing playing his guitar! I am so happy he is doing well!
Ryan: There goes my heart beating
Cause you are the reason I'm losing my sleep Please come back now
Ryan: There goes my mind racing And you are the reason That I'm still breathing
I'm hopeless now.
Ryan: I'd climb every mountain And swim every ocean Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken Oh, ‘cause I need you to see That you are the reason
Ryan: There goes my hands shaking Cause you are the reason My heart keeps bleeding
And I need you now
Ryan: If I could turn back the clock I'd make sure the light defeated the dark
I'd spend every hour, of every day Keeping you safe
Ryan: I'd climb every mountain
Ryan: And swim every ocean Just to be with you And fix what I've broken
Oh, ‘cause I need you to see That you are the reason You are the reason
Yeah, yeah...
Linda: That...was beautiful Ryan...are you crying?
Ryan: of course I am, I love you Linda...I don't want to lose you.Please
give me just an hour of your time...if you still don't want to come back,
I'll go.
Linda: Okay, but we should go somewhere quiet, Sammie and Melanie are sleeping
Ryan: I know the perfect spot.
Ryan brought Linda back to the top of Mt Pison, to spend sometime
with her.
Linda: ...Okay, you know exactly where to take me don't you?
Ryan: There's nowhere better than the place I realized I loved you.
Linda: You are making it really difficult to stay mad at you.
Ryan: I wasn't flirting with her.You walked in at the wrong moment, Linda
I was trying to get her to stop without being mean about it.
Linda: Then why didn't you tell me?
Ryan: I tried, but you left without even giving me a chance, that really
killed me Linda.
Linda: I guess I did....but from my view, it looked quite opposite.Rolls reversed,
how would you feel?
Ryan: ...I'd probably want to kill them...I'm sorry, Linda.I should have
understood your position.
Linda: I'm sorry to, I should have trusted you more.
Ryan: I don't blame you after the way a few of your friends treated you.
I get it.
Ryan: Please...will you still marry me?
Linda: I'd love to.
Ryan: May I ask a favor though?
Linda: Yes?
Ryan: please put your hair back to its natural color.X
Linda: You don't like my hair?!
Ryan: I do, but I love your natural hair color better.
Linda: So do I.XD
Linda: Eww gross
Ryan: Are we interupting?
Wilson heads to the hally way.
Wilson: Hello, Ms Wayfield, Mr.President.
Sammie: He's cute...:p
Linda: Gross! XD
Linda: I'm so confused...I feel like I'm in some weird episode of
the twilight zone.
Ryan: .......
Linda: My thoughts exactly.XD
Powerful spell Abigail did, too bad he did not reply to her
pleadings, but she did a good try at reaching him.
Great shots of her in this part of the chapter.
I'll be answering tags later today. I just want to vent, I spent my Tuesday redecorating the library in Roaring Heights. It was cute despite some parts that I didn't like very much. Later, I decided to test it out and my sim spent a freaking hour to get to the last floor!!!! I should've imlpemented elevators! I had a doctor appointment today and, while waiting, some new ideas came up. I consider disabling a few floors and keep only one for the whole library.
BTW, Roaring Heights is an interesting world but there is some stuff that I can't stand. I can't stand 15x20 lots and this world has plenty. I think the minimum should be 20x20 (although I cringe at those, too). Like, how the heck will I make upgrade those homes? Those houses even contrast with the massive buildings with huge empty rooms. Another thing that didn't click is the bookstore, so humongous and... it doesn't even have some windows to tell there's a bookstore in there. I almost felt the same way witht the market, but then I realized it looks like a department store. Another frustration is the gym downtown. There's this amazing court on the second floor but the ceiling is too low for the basketball hoop. That's another place I'll be bringing down in the future.
On the other hand, the sims and the textures of their clothes are outstanding.
@emorrill nice!!! aw Donna is so sweet, that broke my heart when she said ''Thank you for being my friend Abby...I never thought I’d find friendship ever again in the afterlife.”''
The pics of her waving her wand over the fire pit the the next WOW !!!
Gosh I can smell the crushed basil, now I want a salad with it.
Gee poor Abby!
@Silverofdream30 ok good! yes my Vampires can only drink from friends, but it seems like they prefer the plasma juice from the fridge to their friends!
Sims Not in my active family Will drink, like Ayden VanGould. The vegetarian sims will just drink the plasma juice.
Oh, and they don't drink as Teens, only the YA and older get the thirst to drink! kids and Teens eat normal food.
@thuggishsplicer that sounds really frustrating! I don't have RH but always love the looks of the clothes and hair from it! I don't like lots smaller than 30x30 myself!
New Section Written at Bottom - Story now re-edited into a Prologue and four chapters - will have to do the same to the story in the Stories section of the forum (adding in Chapter # and Part instead of individual chapters)
From a tortured world, new life was beginning to sprout and the frequent forays by Artie made sure of the situation. Artie had radiation meters built into his torso so he was able to just by being within the environment measure exactly what the radiation dosage on his dosimeter would give to an actual human being. And from there Bebe and Kimber managed to figure out the actual time-in-environment for a human being to receive a LD (lethal dose) of radiation. That way they figured out exactly when it would be safe to emerge from their bunker. Trees were much hardier than humans and thus were able to come back a lot quicker than humans would if given the same rate of rad exposure.
The explosions had wiped out a lot of the vegetation and habitable buildings surrounding the target area, but things were slowly starting to make a come-back. And from what they could tell of the recordings that Artie was able to bring back from his forays, people were starting to come back into the area - at least those who survived the initial bombardment by the Chinese and Russians. The burnt grass was starting to revive and greenery was starting to come back in the form of deciduous and evergreen trees. Though the sprouts were small, they knew that eventually the environment would favor renewed growth.
During the bombardment with the 800KT nuclear weapons, the bunker occupants were down in the lower part of the bunker hoping and praying that they were able to keep themselves secure. Harm's eyes were wide open in fear as this was something that none of them had ever experienced in their lives. And it was also something that they would never have thought was possible but had come to pass.
Some took the situation much more readily than others did. It appeared as though River figured that such was par for the course of world events and decided to get on with life as it was now. And some of the military folks in the bunker took it harder than others as they knew exactly what was at stake and that they had signed up to fight and quite potentially lose their lives for their country. But they were all now stuck in a hole hiding from the very destruction that they were supposed to be fighting. It was a very cognitive dissonant feel to the whole situation.
There was also tension in the bunker as well as many had unresolved issues and Kimber was one of them, taking long glances at Tosh in any case. Whether it was a case of Kimber having longed for Tosh since he was her squadron-mate or whether she was pretty po'd at Tosh for doing the horizontal mambo with Meg Austin, it was hard to say; but she wasn't too happy with the situation.
There were no cloud-breaks. The soot and ash that had been raised from the various nuclear explosions had gone into the stratosphere and was now circling the globe lowering global temperatures that foretold of a severe nuclear winter to come; one that would test human survival to its very limits. The fact that lower global temperatures would have a severe impact on food production in the areas that were not affected by radiation and fallout was going to severely impact the survival rate of those stuck on the surface of the planet. It was not hard to realize that being in the bunker was probably the safest bet for those who had survived. At least they had the benefits of the equipment and food that they had stockpiled pre-war to get them through the worst of it while the earth healed itself. Sunset Valley was a major target with CFB Gnome being just over the ridge and the 800KT nuclear warhead that hit the base and the other 800KT warhead that hit Sunset Valley City Hall definitively caused major destruction in the city center.
Tosh looked over at Meg, Bebe and Jen solemnly and said, "Well, it appears that we're not going to get the medical personnel that we asked for." It would have been funny if the situation had not been so dire; stating the blatantly obvious. Meg nodded. Either the Pentagon prior to the bombardment had been tied up with strategic issues; or communications had been broken between the Pentagon and the bunker
"We're going to have to improvise..." Meg stated clearly looking at Tosh. "There's no way that we can survive this without medical staff..." and looked over at Bebe.
"I've noticed that you've increased your science skill immensely prior to the attack." noted Tosh as he glanced in Bebe's direction, "We can definitely use that skill of yours and it's directly transferrable to the medical field if you are so inclined."
"I'll do whatever I can to help the situation." Bebe nodded her assent. "If there's books on medical procedures that I can read up on...I'm willing."
"That's good that you're able to consider the option." Meg stated, nodding her own assent. "We don't know what the situation will be like in the future and we know that we'll need someone with medical skills. Command Master Chief Coates? Would you also be willing to assist her with medical procedures?"
"Yes, ma'am. Whatever is necessary." Jen stated.
"Good...then that's settled." Tosh said decisively. "Vice-Admiral. Can you make sure that everything is set up so that Ms. Hart and Command Master Chief Coates will have access to the necessary educational materials needed for their medical training?"
"Yes, sir." Meg replied, a twinkling in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. Military formalities.
Elsewhere in the bunker, Mac and Phil took their Young Again potions and in the office, CMCYN Coates (Jen) did the same. They all knew that they needed to become young again in order to make certain that they would have the opportunity to be at their physical best in order to increase their chances of survival in what they would learn was a physical challenge to beat all physical challenges.
...and with that they had all taken their potions and would hopefully manage to navigate the perils involved in a post-apocalyptic environment.
Artie's Reconnoitre - S*** Happens
When Artie emerged from the bunker; the multiple blast-doors keeping the rest of the occupants safe from any residual radiation in the air; he noticed how grey and ominous the clouds were. Much of the radioactive soot and ash that was kicked up by the nuclear detonations ended up in the atmosphere and it was going to take a lot of time for it to clear; falling from the atmosphere as nuclear fallout. And that was going to remain hot for some time after it hit the ground. Human skin could get radiation burns from even touching the soot and breathing it in was a slow death sentence as the ash and soot would cause radiation burns all along the inside of the lungs causing the lungs to leak fluid and eventually suffocate the victim. It was not something that any human being would want to experience, hence Artie was the one who went out to survey the six month aftermath of the nuclear devastation.
As Artie walked along the overgrown path of what used to be a road he noted that the trees were stunted and blackened stumps of dead trees were still visible through the new growth.
Artie turned to go down the hill brushing off soot from his metal torso and headed down towards the devastated town center. He was not looking forward to the revelation of how destroyed the town was. It didn't seem as though there was a building standing.
Looking around, all he could see was sheer devastation once he reached the flats within the town center and the clearing. What used to be a hill leading down to the beach was now submerged underwater. Evidently the blast wave blew the water out all the way and when it came back in, it came back as a tsunami, covering all the low-lying areas with water which with the devastation, the waters had not receded.
What he could still see standing was the Canadian flag.
To his utter shock, his deductive circuitry barely parsing the data his visual circuits were relaying to him. There was a man standing half frozen in the park lake up to his mid-calfs and looking around as if nothing was wrong.
His auditory circuits caught a slow "Wooooah..." from the blond-haired man "Dude...those are some really gnarly clouds...man..." he said...just as Artie looked up to see a flash in the sky. This was not good. Then he heard a half strangled scream...from the man.
The frenzied jerking and spasmodic reflexes amidst the spluttering told Artie all that he needed to know about what was happening. The guy was being electrocuted. And considering the fact that Artie was metal himself...that he wouldn't be able to help him at all. The electricity in full impulse signal was enough to fry his inner circuits to a crisp. So in the pretext of self-preservation, all Artie could do was watch the poor fella suffer.
When the electrocution subsided, the man staggered away from the frozen pond...the electricity hot enough to melt the area where his feet were stuck and stood on the bank staring up at the sky as if half-expecting yet another bolt from the grey to fry him to a char-broiled crisp.
As if that wasn't enough...a sudden explosion sent debris flying..
...as poor Artie ducked fearing that the man himself was now dead as a doornail. All he'd heard was the whistling screech of something cutting through the air at well over terminal velocity.
Artie looked up just long enough to see a black smoke cloud rising from where the man had stood. He wondered if the man had survived the impact of whatever it was that fell from the sky.
When the smoke cleared he saw several large burnt looking rocks that now littered the ground. Some were even larger than he was.
There was yet another explosion as another rain of rocks came flying down and the man and Artie were lucky enough not to get hit this time. The last he saw of the blonde-haired man was him staggering away from the park area. Artie chose to stick around and pick up what he thought were quite valuable space rocks. Surely they could be helpful to the humans that he was with.
Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor in that large heavy space objects were falling from the skies and he had no desire to become an aluminum pancake...Artie decided that it would be best if he cut his reconnoitre short and head back to the bunker. That was perhaps a wise choice.
Keeping Busy Around the Bunker
The physical and emotional qualifications to survive an apocalypse are naturally equalizing ~Lauren Cohan In the words of FADM Toshio Nakamura
There were plenty of things to do in the bunker after the bombs dropped. Mostly it was keeping up skills and making sure that we were prepared for when we had to emerge from the bunker after the radiation levels went down. It had been six months and Artie had just come back from his weekly recon of the area. The images that he'd brought back via video were unsettling. Especially things falling from the sky on a regular basis. We didn't know what was going on in terms of these meteors but it proved that the earth was a much more dangerous place now than it was before.
Everyone had settled into what appeared to be a routine. Meals were taken whenever people were hungry - breakfast in the morning was at around oh-four hundred; dinner was between seventeen hundred and eighteen hundred hours. These were long days because we knew every second of our day counted insofar as survival was concerned.
Harm noted that he was working on more nanites; evidently he'd come to grips with the fact that Meg and I were dating and it seemed like the tension had eased a bit. He informed me of his intention that plumbots were the best way to insure security around the bunker and that the possibility of the Chinese nuclear attack being the precursor to a full-scale invasion. This was most definitely a "cut the head off the snake" attack since all messages from the Pentagon had ceased the day of the nuclear attack. We were more certain than ever that what was left of the military center of the United States of America was now a six hundred foot deep crater in the middle of what would be Potomac Bay. The Chinese and Russians wouldn't be satisfied with one five megaton warhead set for surface detonation, they'd hit it with three or four. This was not going to be a good situation for DC.
But for us, it was survival. We were in Sunset Valley, British Columbia, far enough away that our only targets hit by 800KT warheads were city hall and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gnome.
"Harm, I haven't heard anything from the Pentagon...since the detonations, and well, it looks as though we're on our own...for the foreseeable future." I noted. Harm nodded in response - he knew what that meant for us. No help at all would be forthcoming.
The rest had their own tasks to accomplish and I didn't want to load any more on them than they already had. They knew what the deal was in terms of having to get their skills up to increase their chances of survival.
When one was upstairs in the Agricultural sector of the bunker, one could hear the rain hitting the concrete reinforced bunker roof. And most of us were very uneasy knowing that the roof was all that was between us and the post-nuclear holocaust rain falling from the sky. From what I could tell, the radioactivity in the rainfall was dropping very sharply as rain doesn't hold on to radioactive materials that well. And since Artie, thanks to Harm's foresight had instrumentation on-board that would measure radioactivity in the environment, we were certain of the fact that radiation levels were dropping within the immediate area. However the center of town was still considered hot and despite scientist recommendations in past written journals on radiation measurement stating that places where nuclear weapons were detonated would be safe for travel and decontamination in three to five weeks; we opted to stay away from the sites and considering the fact that Artie's onboard geiger counters went crazy everytime he ventured near what used to be CFB Gnome and was now called Crater Lake; we opted to stay clear away from there as well.
Meg's and my relationship had grown quite considerably since she first admitted to me that she was interested in me. Let's just say things were quite amicable between the two of us. And the nights were very cozy.
Some of the night shots that Artie brought back were very troubling as vivid colors meant that radioactive dust was still circulating in the atmosphere, which meant that if we were to go out, we would have to wear full on gas mask respirators to prevent us breathing in any radioactive dust and thus suffering internal radiation burns.
Harm also learned the technical know-how to create a plumbot recharging station and thus Artie was able to keep fully charged and ready to go and do the tasks necessary. Artie was an all-around plumbot to have. With the Steel Chef Trait chip he was able to make every recipe that we wanted to eat. With the Competent Cleaner, he was quick on the draw as far as clean up was concerned. Every morning, as a RoBotany Gardener, he went upstairs to the Agricultural Sector and gardened our plants. He was also a Handibot and an AI Angler, though with the surrounding area at minus three, our pond froze over (which was surprising since we were covered. Oh well, the fish have a chance to breed when the weather warms up...if it warms up and Artie's handibot trait allowed him to upgrade our appliances. At least we knew that we'd never have to live in fear of anything breaking down with Artie able to fix things. But that still didn't mean that we could lie around and do nothing. We had our own skills to learn...some that aligned with Artie's current skills and others that were more esoteric.
Artie told us about a human consignment store clerk who had set up shop in the vacant lot next door on what used to be the Landgraab estate and well...the Landgraab's property had gotten the worst of the blast of those houses on top of the hill; after all the blast wave had travelled outwards at the speed of sound...and pretty much knocked everything flat. Since our bunker roof was so low to the ground it wasn't affected. So whoever this consignment store clerk was...she now had free ownership of what used to be a multimillion dollar estate. So it goes; when things detonate...prices drop precipitously.
Dinner was at least a time for us to get together and bring the group closer as a team. Things had been rough for the past six months as we adjusted to a new normal and we knew that things would never be the same again. Humanity had seen to that. Breakfast was often hurried as we all had things to do. Hopefully we would walk the surface of the planet again.
And of course there was some interesting news in the fact that both Haruo and River had managed to become the first to potentially bring a new child into this post-apocalyptic world. Evidently someone was active...last night.
I went down to the Brain Analyzer and decided to hook myself up to it to see if I could increase my gardening skills. At least I didn't get zapped.
Artie went and tried to conjure some more gemstones and fishes for us in the magic cauldron - which pretty much blew my mind. Metaphysical things happening did not register in the realm of possibility in my mind or anyone else. Military officers worked on logic. We didn't lark around in fits of fantasy. We survived by using logic and personal initiative. Magic was in the realm of fantasy books and movies. But somehow Artie made it all work. Then he went up stairs and cooked us a perfect meal. We had a lot to thank Artie for.
At least he was keeping us from having to eat burnt mac and cheese.
Flambe Phil and Other Activities
Needless to say there wasn't much to do other than the daily tasks of having to skill up in whatever skills were deemed necessary for survival. The occupants of the bunker weren't able to know when the environment would be suitable for survival top-side again. Whene the missiles rained down on CFB Gnome, it wasn't sure how many distinct rumbles they'd heard, but it was at least one large warhead that had detonated. However many, it was certain that it wouldn't be safe with the radiation in the surroundings to go out. And none of them were willing to test the surrounding area even with protective gear on. In any case, they were staying indoors without question.
Of course they had plenty of things to do while indoors.
Tosh and Meg took advantage of the fact that they had their own private shower. Ever since they'd admitted to each other of their mutual attraction, they'd spent a lot of time together doing extra-curricular activities. ~smirk~
River McIrish-Chikamori, who was going to be providing the bunker's first child, worked on her alchemy skill, while Chief Yeoman Jennifer Coates worked on her science skill hoping to be able to clone gemstones that would probably end up becoming the corner-stone of trade in the post-apocalyptic wilderness.
...and of course, Commander Phil Burrows spent time at the inventing table trying to increase his skills with varying amounts of success. Luckily someone had the foresight to install a shower near the inventing tables as Phil did manage to light himself on fire on several occasions.
It wasn't sure what was funnier, him hopping up and down in pain or him flailing his arms as he ran for the showers. Either way, he managed to extinguish himself, distinguishing himself as a klutz of the greatest order after lighting himself up like a tiki-torch.
However it wasn't much later that Captain Kimber Benton did pretty much the same thing with less humorous results as most in the bunker were sweet on her. Luckily she managed to get to the showers without incident and douse herself with water thus taking care of the flames and enabling her to escape injury.
They did resume their work on the inventing tables, hopefully with less flammable results.
Harm succeeded in reverse-engineering a nanite which increased his robotics skill-level significantly as he was hoping to add a few more trait chips to Artie to make him more versatile than he already was and Harm's robotics skills were steadily increasing.
Meanwhile, Bebe was getting extremely frustrated with chess to increase her logic skill-level insofar as gaming on the computer was concerned. Not being able to see the opponent's face and gauge their level of frustration was a new way of a playing the game and the relentless tactical strategy the AI employed was a new level of trying to play the time-honored game of kings.
The dogs in the bunker knew that their humans were getting frustrated and tried not to get in the way of things. The only things that they needed were each other for socialization and food.
Taking long, romantic showers together wasn't the only thing that Tosh and Meg did, they also concentrated on making sure that they skilled up in both logic and science skills.
With the temperature taking a nasty dip outside the bunker, it was clear that the cold, if not the radiation was seeping in as the pond froze over and no-one was able to crack through the sixteen inch thick ice. Even Artie, metal body and heavy though he was, was able to walk on the ice covering the pond with no adverse effects. This meant that fish was off the menu.
It appeared as though the scientists were right in that a wide-spread nuclear exchange would result in nuclear winter - a winter with no foreseeable end, plunging the world into an ice age that could last for potentially thousands of years and if the rumors were true that there was an age-freeze potion...they would see each and every day of that long period of time.
Eventually the earth would heal itself. And hopefully they would still be around during the rebuilding process. But for right now, they had to figure out how to survive the coming years.
Within the bunker
In the words of Vice-Admiral Meg Austin
The past six months have been eye-opening. River has given birth to a new life; she has a new son, Andrew McIrish-Chikamori. Of course we hadn’t known that she was three months pregnant prior to coming into the bunker and thus we now have a jump-start on repopulating the planet. Haruo has practically been hovering over his wife and his newborn child but he has also been busy trying to make sure that he has had everything upstairs in the greenhouse taken care of as well. The Seabees had definitively made the bunker radiation tight and when we take our geiger counters up to the top floor to measure the readings, there’s no spike in the background radiation, which means that the crops and the fish are safe to eat.
Tosh and I have committed ourselves to each other. I know that the JAG would probably have had fits, but this is our new reality. We have no outside command structure. What used to be the Pentagon is now an eight-hundred foot hole in the ground and there has been no communiques from Cheyenne Mountain either. And even if they had, I wouldn’t give up Tosh. He is my reality now; my mate for the rest of our lives. Our bunker is our life-line and our bunker-mates our family and they are the only ones who would defend us against all attackers.
And it is even more important that we as a group stick together. I’m pregnant; with Tosh’s child, a mother now. As vulnerable as a mother is; we have to make certain that we are secure. That there are no upheavals in the current situation that we find ourselves in. I remember a moment back when we were still at the Pentagon having had the news given to us that the world was going to come to an end. I distinctly remember him saying “I’m going to need you...” and smile as I caress my tummy that encapsulates my womb that carries our child. Well...he did end up needing me a lot more than just as an XO...as a grin reaches my lips.
With my scientific background I’m utilizing the science station and taking samples of food and other items within the bunker so that if worst comes to worst that we can take it and clone food for ourselves to survive.
Jen has taken to science like a fish to water and she is busy making certain that there’s samples to research. It is important that we cross-train on different subjects so that we aren’t vulnerable and those with a background in science will be crucial to rebuilding our future.
As I currently analyze a soulpeace so that we can make more if necessary to bolster our finances, Tosh is upstairs working on perfecting his martial arts skills. He was already a black belt in three different martial arts, however he is planning to master that skill and we need it in this post-apocalyptic wilderness.
The pictures that Artie brought back from his recons tell a tale of the wild regaining its land. And of course that made it so that we had to deal with the potential for hazardous new creatures evolving from the radiation that was in the air. Even with the compounding effect of radiation decay, the number of nuclear weapons that had been unleashed was enough to cause genetic mutation and we didn’t know what that would create. There were enough dangerous animals and with the fact that humans had gone into hiding; these animals had a chance to proliferate amongst the wilds that surrounded us. Those still on the surface were either dead or dying or if they had a genetic resistance to radiation, it would still manifest itself in skin scarring through radiation burns.
Harm is busy at the plumbot station, trying to create a plumbot that works to augment Artie. His attempts at making nanites and trait chips are growing ever more successful and I hope that we can have a few plumbots to round out our recon team. The nice thing about plumbots is that they work in places that we can’t go into. If we read high-radiation counts in a zone, we can’t go in, but Artie can. And just so long as we hose him off to get the radioactive dust off him, he’s fine to be around. I know that Harm is exceedingly uncomfortable about our situation. The fact that he used to be senior to me in rank is eating at him and he feels despair about the fact that Tosh and I are now a couple. I know that there’s tension between him and Sarah Mackenzie, however it’s not any of my business. I have Tosh...and that is enough for me.
The images that Artie brings back are terrifying still and I wonder to this day how people can still live on the surface. On occasion you will see a furtive human darting from tree-line to tree-line on the video feeds that he brings back after his recon sorties. And there are chilling cries on the sound files that I’ve heard of animals that I’ve could never have dreamed of. This would be nightmare fuel if we saw what emitted those cries.
Tosh usually goes upstairs to work on his martial arts skills so that they don’t diminish. And the one thing about that is that its highly arousing to know that he’s able to defend both himself and me without weapons as his hands and feet would be considered deadly weapons. Haruo also is a martial artist and he too goes up and trains. And hopefully when I give birth, after recovery, I can train as well. It is important that we as a group are able to defend ourselves even if our weapons are wrest from our hands.
I can see to my left as I take some samples from a soulpeace that Lia and Mac are busy learning alchemy. There is something in the air that speaks of change in the metaphysical. I wouldn’t have believed it before and as a serving uniformed officer in the United States Navy, I’d have kept my mouth shut since I didn’t want to be mustered out on a section 8. But there is something there. Something that speaks of the fact that things have changed...the rules have changed somehow – that magic is a distinct possibility now.
Behind me, I can tell that Phil is hard at work on something at the inventing table. He’s a bit nuts but at least we know that he will be able to help by building things that we need. Captain Benton is also doing the same thing at her inventing table. So far things have settled down and neither have lit themselves on fire in a while. Luckily there are showers right next to the inventing table to forestall that eventuality.
Jen is busy at the science station next to me increasing her skill in science. I think that every member of our bunker needs to be honed on science as well as the potion table. We will need these things in the future. Our future is going to be one where technology might take a backseat to the metaphysical or they might work hand-in-hand.
I’m gratified that I have some success with caching some mineral samples from the soulpeace gemstone that Atlas had found prior to the nuclear warheads detonating. It may not seem like much, but the soulpeace gemstones are valuable and may give us a leg up on currency when we do start bartering once we regain the surface.
And of course...Tosh and I have some time to ourselves; since we no longer have to keep up with any communiques from the Joint Chiefs. After the nuclear exchange, there had been no contact and any attempts to contact them by VHF band had resulted in static. So my presumption is that the Pentagon is now a smoking hole in the ground eight hundred feet deep and at least a mile across.
It is our hope that the nuclear exchange resulted in all of those horrific weapons being utilized and that we no longer have anything to fear about these things ever again.
Post edited by Nikkei_Simmer on
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
I see Rainflower and Annalove Ivy going for a nice drive! That is their house in back of them.
It must be their chauffer's day off. LOL I never saw a sim drive this vehicle before!
~~~
What are the Teenagers at the Teen house doing still up?
Tula! You parked your car incorrectly! Why?
oh. ok, well I understand! All is forgiven, when Tristan is involved!
Hi Cabana! How is it going being the Teen Chaperone?
"Watcher, I want to marry Marigold and have a place of our own! The teens are fine and can live on their own without me, I think. They all get along great, cook and clean. they are good kids and do very well in school already. I don't think they need me here, except as a friend. But I could be a friend from Marigold's house, ... if it weren't for my promise to Dante and his household."
I'll come to your house soon. I know you all have been waiting! Faelie is pregnant right now so I can't leave just yet.
"Very well Watcher." and Cabana Boi continues his duties. He is a very good caretaker!
~~~~`~~~
The Fire Station is very lonely now, since I changed it.
What's the matter Teddy? You look sad.
"When you deleted the old fire station the other day, and added it back to a bigger lot, the game took away Vlad and Adan!" *cries*
wth! Poor Teddy! ---and i can't figure out how to add them back!
Do you want to see if you like Larry? I can bring Him here, or I can go back 2 days.
"You would have to redo everything with Alfie, Quigley & Fern, Oakley, not to mention ...*cries* That girl!''
What girl?
''The cute one, Anya.''
No she's safe. Gee you really are undecided!
Larry, think we'll rename you Laz
Teddy thinks Laz is cute!
I don't know if our guys will stay here as firefighters but Victor can invite them over!
Adan is happy to see his pal Teddy!
The the boys react to the Alarm and do their jobs! Cool! since they are here as guests!
Vlad
Vlad ignores poor Teddy
Adan thinks Laz is cute, but Laz mostly likes to stare out the window!
For me, it’s hard to think of Animal and Meg together. When I look at Vice-Admiral Meg Austin, I still see the young fiery Lieutenant JG that I used to work with. But she’s now a vice-admiral; three ranks ahead of me and now I have to refer to her as Ma’am when carrying on a conversation with her. And Animal would be one to have me stand at attention while doing so; the sadistic 🐸🐸🐸🐸. What I do see when I look at her is the mental vision of her and Animal doing it, which in turn makes me want to douse my brain in industrial strength bleach.
I know that these are weird things to be thinking about when our very survival is at stake. But our minds cling on to things to normalize the situation or we’d all go crazy. Evidently for me, there is now two options in the bunker outside of Mac (who I find that we can’t seem to find common ground, even though she tries to talk to me. There’s been too much that has happened between the both of us to ever find common ground ever again. I don’t know where I’ll find happiness, but I have been talking with Bebe Hart and with Kimber. Captain Kimber Benton is the same rank as I am so we find commonality there. However she is still reeling emotionally from the fact that she had a crush on her former commanding officer and that Meg having taken him...has done a number on her as well as myself. Lia would be an option too, if she wasn't four ranks ahead of me as an admiral. So my options for a relationship are pretty limited.
Outside of relationships, I‘ve been doing my best to try to learn robotics. This is mind-twisting for me as I’ve never found myself to be interested in cybernetics or robotics – but Artie is special to me as he’s the first robot that I’ve ever constructed in my entire existence and successfully too, I might add. And he’s been a crucial part of our bunker staff since he’s the only one that is allowed to go out and reconnoitre the area. And he’s the one that brings back the crucial intel that allows us to determine just how much radiation levels have dropped in the last six months. We have yet to go through the majority of our rations, but we are at a crux. We need to make sure that we are able to last in the bunker through the rest of the year so that radiation levels are low enough that it won’t be much of an elevated risk to live on the surface.
The sounds though that Meg describes as chilling are also what worries me. Will the weapons that we have work to protect us from these new creatures? And how many of these new creatures are now a permanent part of the environment that will be what will meet us when we live at the surface of this new Earth? What percentage of humans still survive on the surface who weren’t so lucky as to have a bunker to take cover in when the warheads started going off? Do we dare take ourselves from our secure bunker and try to live at the surface again like before the war or do we just resign ourselves to living in the bunker for the rest of our existence and only come out in packs to form hunting parties for rations? Our bunker is our security but it can also be our crypt if we aren’t careful. There is only one exit and that’s directly into the maelstrom of the surface and we could be trapped if there is a concerted effort to attack our only refuge.
These are all questions that serve to keep me up at night. Though I know that the bunker command staff is actively looking at these questions, I have to think of these as well. It could very well mean our survival as a whole.
So what do we do to survive. All I know is that in the meetings that we’ve had we have been actively looking at increasing the numbers of our group. Of course that will take more rations and over time will start to seriously deplete what we have. In that regards we will have to look at moving to the surface and forming hunting parties to make sure that we don’t run out of food. But are the creatures that now populate the surface edible...and which are now venomous or poisonous? We don’t even know what the radiation has done to the living creatures that we’ve known in the past. Will we run across nightmare deer with horns and dripping fangs and bears that have grown ten times the size of what they were? How will we managed to survive if we’re looking over our shoulder trying not to get eaten.
(End Part One)
Post edited by Nikkei_Simmer on
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Comments
HillyPlays
P.A.C.E- Positive Attitude Changes Everything
asking to eat from other sims, it's not working in my cc folder.
I created a test sim for that testing
Serena
No No you just forgot to "img" this picture
Aww Rain
Spring is coming so your snakie is...
？？？
A new ghost Hibiki Fukami
He was the earliest guitarist from Viper's band, and he and Shion have a relationship beyond friendship. He also Ju-Ri's ex and looks like Rain
Same as Yutang, everyone knows Shion is a villain and a band toxin, but why did he become like this
Sometimes it's not me who talks to you, it's machine translation
She/Her but you can call me as any pronouns
@Nikkei_Simmer
https://www.thesimsresource.com/themes/campingandcaravans/downloads/details/category/sims3-lots-residential/title/the-caravan/id/1042902/
How can it be permissible - She compromise my principle, yeah yeah!
Jenny Richards Diary 16th of March 2726 AD
Brendon Gentry came over last night, darn this young fella is abortable and very flirty. Can’t deny I enjoyed the visit, although of course we did not do anything, you know like kissing or worse.
From Terry Scully’s letter to Suzan Gibson, written 18th of March 2726 AD
Dear Sue
One of the builders told me you got married, I’m so happy for you…honest. I know what happened between us was all my fault. I did and do really love you and miss you a lot, but I just could not resist that beautiful young boy. He could not admit to his sexuality after that one night, but I do not regret what I did. I am satisfied with my choice to move to the river. I just hope you will be happy too.
Jenny Richards Diary 19th of March 2726 AD
Brendon came over again, and again I can only say I enjoyed his company. We did flirt a little, but we also just had a good time together, he read one of my books, I painted a little, was like having “a man”. Gosh he is engaged, that am I thinking.
From Terry Scully’s notes and jottings, written 20th of March 2726 AD (*)
After I had written the letter to Sue I felt a great relief, the next day I went fishing as I often does when I need to think. I thought maybe I should also send a letter to my family, haven’t heard from them since the day I moved. The scandal from Sue cancelling the engagement mush have been hard on them.
Jenny Richards Diary 26th of March 2726 AD
I was working on the canvas as Brendon suddenly came over, been a few days so I thought he was about to cool down our relation, which would be understandable. He was not, as before very flirty, nice and beautiful all in one unholy package. There is no way I can resist those wonderful attacks.
Thanks God we did not take it further than that, although my entire body wish we had.
From Marble Beach letter to her farther Thane Beach, written 27th of March 2726 AD
Dear farther
We have safely arrived to the settlement. It is nice here and both me and Brandon have made many new friends already. Last night I made a nice Mac and Cheese, unfortunately Brendon did not make in back in time to share it with me, I think he was out fishing with one of the boys.
I got sick after eating and I threw up all the food, haven’t told Brendon anything yet but it might be that I am pregnant. So thrilled and excited about all that is happening and glad we came here.
Say hallo to mother.
Greg Preston’s Notes for next Ent Council meeting, written 31th of March 2726 AD
The new couple have settled well within the community. Marble Beach already on very good terms with Elder Michiko Vaughan. Brendon Gentry great with the young boys John Hallett and Terry Scully, likely very curious about the rough life he had when he was young. He and Elder Jenny Richards also seems to have found a lot to talk about, which is great as she tends to be alone too much.
Marble Beach seems to be a very strong character, I am sure she can be an important asset for the entire community, she is already spending time hunting for animals and collectable stones after I told her about all the good locations I know.
(*) Editorial:
Greg Preston household: Cash 8.540 – Net Worth 34.705
Jenny Richards household: Cash 8.300 – Net Worth 16.201
Michiko Vaughan household: Cash 1.251 – Net Worth 10.346
The Elders do not know the economy of the new household, as long as their final home is not yet ready.
(*) Terry Scully’s notes and jottings, may have been intended for a self-biographical novel or article he never wrote, they were found in a box amongst his belongings, upon his dead
Everything was autonome in this episode.
comments
@DivaDoodle
Thanks for comment
Yes the faucet leaked from October to February (that as almost 5 ingame days in my story)
The caravan can be found here:
https://www.thesimsresource.com/themes/campingandcaravans/downloads/details/category/sims3-lots-residential/title/the-caravan/id/1042902/
Yes David was in sleepwear, he actually woke up in his bed and played right there without my help, I just send Robert over to capture the moment.
@GraceyManor Oh dear, not good and in the middle of an outbreak when she is supposed to be finding the cure, she ups and leaves.
I guess she missed the part that he said he was engaged to her.
Linda needs to grow up and fight for her man. He didn't flirt back. Open your eyes Linda!
Not sure what goes on in Linda's head, but she is sure not a very good scientist ignoring the pandemic like that and reforming her musical group.
I think I like her better as a redhead.
Nice of the girls to try to help Ryan out since Linda is being such a "B".
Why did Ryan shave? Oh, nevermind!
The 'mistake' is one of your pictures didn't post. The url is there for it but no picture.
@Tamijo I glad that David is now living with Grace and Gregg and that they are pulling him back into life again.
I couldn't hear this song as it said not available in my country. I dislike when that happens!
The words of the opening sound very poignant. "you moved further from my side year by year...dutifully sincere." So very sad!!
Jasmin seems outgoing and glad to see her with some friends.
Awesome crowd for the show! Glad to see the band again.
Thanks for the comment on the coaster/monster picture.
@Nikkei_Simmer River looks beautiful in her dress. Perhaps a little overdressed for a graduation, but beautiful.
Congrats to Bebe on her graduation.
The uncles are a twist that I don't recall in your first version.
Glad River is on the ball fixed that little problem.
@Sleepstar Bummer.
@Emily4331 Beautiful! Striking! Gorgeous!
@DivaDoodle Looks like Alfie and Cherie are gonna work out.
Love the love day party! Everyone looks terrific all dressed up and no one wore their undies!
I've had a few big sim chats but didn't realize it wasn't a normal thing. lol
Lots of watching the stars!
I'm going to pop Alfarin in my test save this afternoon and see what is in his inventory. I do remember he was stinkin' rich!!
When he touched her face, he was tempted to take away her confusion, but decided to leave it alone, some emotions are better experienced in the long run.
New girl! Oh, she's married with kids. Happily?
I love having kiss set so it doesn't make a couple romantic.
Congrats to Victor on his promotion.
lol at the parking dilemma
I enjoyed the updates! Looks like more babies soon.
@HillyBeth congrats to Eric! Lovely seeing the family grow.
@Brandontaylor Updates!
Christian looks very healthy exercising!
Nice party!
oh, Michael's eyes look all racoony!
Thanks for the comments on my update!
Poor Quentin looks older than his father in law!
Ruby and Christian look like a cute couple!
aha! Quentin looks much better now!
Daisy is a beautiful young adult!
Congrats to Daisy on her new job.
Great day! That is a huge puddle!
Bummer no one paid attention to her.
Nice she got hearts for someone. I guess she is still looking.
@Turjan I hope she will be happy with Malcolm.
Poor Alfred! Mom needs a personality transplant!
@emorrill Thanks!
I'm having fun poking fun of Jorge and Judy as they explore. Good thing I'm not saving those. I think they would be mad at me.
Cute version of the theme song.
The sun picture is adorable!
@Silverofdreams30 Good luck with your testing. She's a cute sim.
I noticed in game how well the lights looked from the truck, front and back. Can't see the front lights in the picture as good as it was in game. They were shining bright as Jamie took the truck back to get his motorcycle.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
@emorrill Sometimes, you only have the decision between bad and worse. Then again, who knows what it's good for?
@DivaDoodle Thank you. We still have snow, but at least it gets noticeably brighter now. I should probably just go a bit more outside now, pandemics or no pandemics. Looks as if your sims are still happy with each other
@Tamijo Thanks, I hope so, too. It should be spring soon. Your new arrivals look like interesting additions with very distinctive bios.
Edit: Those pics of the last update are gorgeous. All of them
@Silverofdreams30 Thank you
@bekkasan Thank you. Yeah, she should probably use that "couch" from the university expansion.
_______________________________________________________________________________
For those of you who felt sad for Alfred, he's actually doing fine. He grew up in what is basically a trailer, and his dad isn't a nice person (euphemistic understatement). However, his dad was never mean to him, the occasional "evil scare" notwithstanding. They have a good relationship. It may not all work as he wished, but he's on track for a great future, with friends and a new relationship.
Here he just bought the level 9 guitar track and is learning the new song. He also mastered painting and could basically live on his own by now.
His mom is as crazy as her mother Holly Alto. Not much you can do about that.
try this version
Really? It shows up for me
@bekkasan
I thought the same when I saw him, I was like what the heck?
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
Strange see all the other but have to click that one to make it open.
Weird, on this end its not like that.:o
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
Yes, sweet, young, innocent Oakley, you heard the jingle. Your husband wishes babies with you, and Watcher sometimes lets risky happen!
Oakley awakens early, thinks for a moment.
She is so in love with Victor, of course she's willing to give him what he wishes. But a baby? Already?!
Don't they take up a lot of time?
Oakley & Victor
"Will I still have time for my mani/pedis? And time to go shopping, and to luncheons, and to the galas with my girl friends?'' Oakley is a snob and requires things for her happiness.
Victor overhears. He wraps her in his big arms. She is so pretty, so perfect. His perfect gem.
"Shh there, there, of course you will.
I will take care of everything!."
Victor likes his wife happy! He is the Man, the Boss, He can handle Anything! He will be Super Dad!
"aww I'm a Daddy!"
"Happy wife, happy life, eh, Watcher?!."
Yes. I hear my husband say that all the time. And I will help you, Victor!
Oakley is very happy to hear this news!
Very happy indeed! and oh Victor!
~~~~
A quick glance around, Quigley and Fern are fine, sleeping peacefully. Angels really!
Max and Faelie? "We're always fine Watcher!"
And Alfie? Where is He?
He decided to sleep over at Cherie's! She had returned home, and was very happy to see Alfie arrive! They awoke early and were having a Fairy party, drinking fairy punch! I hear party horns and laughter and chatter!
It's so beautiful by the water, Alfie loves it here! And loves Cherie!
Alfie
They love to discuss art.
But the young lovers conversation always leads back to love.
Poor Quigley!
"I have a mood! Watcher!"
"My mood is worse!" says Fawn
They discover the Only thing that helps this terrible mood is each other! So they plan to have a date which will help lessen this mood, and skip school! because school will only makes things worse!!
"I hate everything and everybody!" says Fern
"Me too!" replies Quigley "Well, I do love You!"
"Me, too!" says Fern "c'mon Quigley, let's get out of here before the bus comes!"
"yeah!"
Quigley and Fern
"oh c'mon Leely, no one ever comes here! It will be fun!" Hop On!"
Of course Quigsley does whatever Fern wants
"Yikes! Ferny keep on the tract!" Although Quigley would never say it, he doesn't think Fern is a very good driver.
"uh! Can't we just go somewhere safe like the movies?"
"ohh Leely, calm down, people will see us there, we can go later after school is out, I promise!"
"Ferny, you always make everything better! I never want to be without you!"
"I'm right here Leely, I got you. Always."
And looking at her, right then, he knows! It doesn't matter that on any normal day, they had thought they might wait.
Even though they had both sets of parents blessings.
His Dad is right, The When is irrelevant. What matters is the Now!
Quigley proposes to his young soul mate.
"Ferny, will you be mine forever and through out all time?"
"Oh Leely, I already am! You know that."
"Leely, that's the school bus! We're missing the field trip!"
"We can go if you want, but we've already been to the music field trip though. What would like like to do Ferny?"
"Prank the school!" she grins!
"Let's Go!" Quigley smirks
Faelie gets her notice! She wants a girl!
Faelie and Max
She runs to tell Max!
"oh my beautiful wife I'm so happy!"
Just as Max is hugging and Kissing Faelie,
Quigley gets caught by the Popo!
RUN Quigley!!!
No! The other way!!!
The Popo!
And instead of going inside and explaining to Dad,
He runs!
Fern knows where he went!
Quigley asks Cabana Boi for protection.
"Yes of course Quigley, but you don't need protection from your Dad! He is very reasonable. Now just tell me all that happened today!" Says Cabana, he thinks the poor kid just needs to talk it out.
It's actually quite amusing, Cabana thinks
"Just relax Quigley, try to clam down. I know that you already know what you did was wrong. let me call your Dad and have a chat.
Don't worry."
.
...oh and the JAG sims too.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
I'll give reply comments soon.
(I wrote it all within a 24 hour time period. That must be some kind of record for me!
Pelican Town to Sims Town
Continuation of Chapter 12
During Haley and Emily’s quarrelling, Abigail slipped out the back door again and made her way to the Graveyard. She was still on a mission to get in touch with the Wizard Rasmodius and still lacked a very important ingredient for the spell. Her research turned up nothing and she was hoping the one person who was most familiar with Appaloosa and the countryside would have an answer for her. If she’d see her again.
Perhaps it was fate, because as she turned toward the grand fountain her eyes immediately took hold of the pink, ghostly figure aimlessly floating about.
“Donna!” she called with a wave of her hand.
It was rare indeed for Donna to hear someone call her name anymore. Her body turned and a smile lit up her face when she saw it was Abigail; the girl from another world. She approached her as quickly as her spirit would allow.
“Thank goodness you’re here!” Abigail expressed. “I was worried I’d never see you again!”
“Miss Abigail,” Donna greeted, stopping before her. “It warmed my spirit to hear you calling my name. I too wondered if I’d ever see you again.”
“I guess you were thinking the twelve of us would be back home by now huh?”
“Not really…”
“I know this sounds strange, but...I’m kinda glad we’re still here,” Abigail admitted, with a cheerful look in her eye.
Any living person in Abigail’s life would not fully understand why she’d say that, but Donna knew. “Because here you can be your true self, unlike how it is back home.”
“Exactly.”
“Perhaps after this experience...all that will change.”
“It is my greatest hope!”
The two smiled at each other for a short moment, until Donna asked, “What is it you desire of me Miss Abigail?”
“You can just call me Abby.”
Donna shot her a look saying she appreciated her kindness, but didn’t wish to repeat the question; like an annoyed teenager.
It made Abigail chuckle. “I need your help finding something. A gemstone.”
“Oh?”
“I wish to communicate with the Wizard who sent us here, and I found a spell that opens up a communication channel between worlds.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, but I lack the most essential ingredient. A luminorious gem. Do you happen to know where I might find one?” She silently prayed Donna’s answer wouldn’t be that they rested in areas outside the barrier.
A knowing smile played across the ghost’s lips. “You needn’t look far. For one, maybe more, are here in this very cemetery.”
“Seriously!?”
“In the Mausoleum,” she informed, gesturing with her head. “Deep in the catacombs.”
Hearing that made Abigail gulp, losing her excitement. “Oh.” She may not generally fear the supernatural, but dark, creepy and musty, deteriorating catacombs holding the bones of the dead made her spine tingle.
“It will be quite the search, but I feel you consider it well worth the effort.”
Abigail nodded.
“It is a purple gem, of an orchid hue. Do not confuse it with the rich, dark purple hue of tanzanite. I wish you well in your search.” Sensing Abigail’s nervousness she added, “I’d offer to find and fetch one for you, but as you know...I lack the substance to do so.”
“That’s okay Donna. It’s very kind of you to offer,” she smiled then sighed, glancing behind herself at the Mausoleum. “I will brave the catacombs myself. Being able to chat with the Wizard is definitely worth it.” She turned back to face Donna. “My magic will guide and protect me if need be. Hopefully.”
“Your powers have grown then?”
“Yes. I’ve been practicing.”
Donna nodded. “Then I wish you happy hunting.”
“Thanks!” Abigail expressed as she took the girl in for a hug. All she felt was cold air, and was practically hugging herself, but that was okay. Donna’s soul felt warmer than it had in years from her touch. “I knew you’d be just the one who could help me! I hope our paths cross again.”
“I hope so too,” Donna said as they broke their embrace. “And don’t ever wait for a reason to come and see me Abby. Come by and chat with me anytime. Your call will guide me here if I’m not already present.”
Abigail smiled. “I will.”
“Thank you for being my friend Abby...I never thought I’d find friendship ever again in the afterlife.”
Tears 🐸🐸🐸🐸'kled behind Abigail’s eyelids hearing those words from the heart. “Thank you for being my friend too Donna. I never thought I’d have a ghost for a friend.” She winked. “It’s like seriously the coolest thing in the world!”
The two chuckled.
Once Abigail bid Donna farewell she ran over to the Mausoleum to begin her search. She had no idea how long it would take to find the gem and she only had until dawn to do it. Hopefully it doesn’t take me all night to find it! I wanna cast this spell!
It only took the better part of two hours to find a luminorious gem. It was nestled among other valuables on a shelf in one of the crypts. Her curiosity prompted her to explore even deeper into the catacombs, seeing what other treasures or helpful ingredients she might find. At the end of one of the hallways, it led into another basement chamber. She gulped as she descended the stairs into the pitch black room, with only an orb of light floating just above the palm of her hand to lead the way.
When she reached the middle of the stairs she gasped in a startle as the torches on the walls ignited all by themselves, revealing a grand room that housed various magical items, books, and furniture. Her heart raced as she took a quick look around and soon her face lit up with a broad smile, realizing what she just discovered. A treasure trove of everything magic.
“Oh my holy stardew look at all this stuff!” she practically squealed as she promptly descended the rest of the steps.
Her feet stopped before a mirror on the wall, her eyes unavoidably gazing deeply into it and wondering.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” she asked it with a little giggle. It sure would’ve been neat if the mirror replied to her, but it didn’t. “Drats! Oh well. That would be super cliché anyway.”
She had a feeling the Wizard didn’t care for anything cliché.
Her eyes lit up like jewels as she approached a thick spell book resting on a stand supported by a stone pedestal with an oddly shaped cauldron sitting right next to it. Carefully, she flipped through the time worn pages, reading with her finger and whispering the various different spells, wondering if she was pronouncing some of the words correctly. It was fun. “There’s some GREAT stuff in here! I’ll have to come back and write down some of these spells, even make up some of these potions!” There were some pretty humorous ones.
Speaking of potions, some rested on a table in the corner and there was plenty of shelf space next to it for more. “Hmm...Do I even want to know what the hell that thing is in that jar?” A squeamish chill rattled her entire body. She had no intention of ever finding out!
The next thing that caught her attention was an intricately stone carved coffin with lit candles resting upon it, nestled near a corner on the other side of the room. Upon closer inspection she got the feeling it wasn’t a coffin, but something else entirely. Something she’d only ever read about in books and never thought she’d see, let alone discover, with her own eyes. “Are there vampires in this world? Or were there? Was this a vampire’s lair? Interesting…
Well one thing’s for sure, I’m never sleeping on this no matter how tired I get working down here!”
The last thing she approached was some kind of mechanical device that seemed so out of place in a room like this. It’s like steampunk, she thought, but what exactly is it?
Some kind of instinct prompted her to drop the luminorious gem into the mouth of the machine and she found herself greatly regretting doing so after hearing it fall in with a loud thump.
That’s when the machine came to life. It started shaking like a generator, gears turning, and sparks flying. The teeth clenching sound of a rock being drilled into pierced Abigail’s eardrums. Normally she would’ve thrown her hands over her ears to drown out the painful noise, but she was too curiously mesmerized by what the machine was doing to move.
When the machine finished its purpose, the lid on the other end of it spun open to reveal a beautiful pile of luminorious gem dust. It sparkled like glitter in the faint light of the torches. Abigail’s smile lit up again. “SWEET!” To do the spell she was going to need to crush the gem into dust, like she did with the blue topaz, and this machine did all that hard work for her. “I sure wish I’d known this was around when I was crushing the blue topaz!” That had been a royal pain!
Did this just happen out of coincidence? She was beginning to think not.
Searching around, she found a leather pouch - among many - in a drawer below the empty shelves and scooped the gem dust into it. That’s when her eyes finally noticed the fire pit in the middle of the room, having been obscured by darkness that the torches on the wall couldn’t quite reach. Two chairs sat on either side of it. A fire pit was also needed for the spell and once again Abigail was beginning to believe that discovering this chamber was indeed fate. I’m going to converse with the Wizard tonight! she thought as her body giddily shook with excitement. She had all the ingredients and items right at her disposal. Okay Abby it’s time to focus now. Concentrate.
She pulled out a paper from her pocket, re-reading the directions for the spell and committing the incantation to memory again. Then she tucked it away and pulled out her wand, the anticipation and her heart’s desire fueling her magic and making it stronger. She waved the wand over the fire pit while reciting the spell just above a whisper, enchanting it to become her channel to the outside world.
She repeated the spell over and over again, her voice growing louder each time, making for darn sure the channel would be wide open enough for her voice to reach across the cosmos and into the Wizard’s ears.
She had to say and do everything right, for one simple mistake would cause the spell to fail. And failure was not an option!
Sure she could just try again another time if she failed, but in her mind there wasn’t another time. She wanted to speak to the Wizard NOW! She was tired of all the looming, unanswered questions in her mind about her magical abilities, tired of all the headaches that came from casting magic, and was very tired of keeping her magical abilities secret from everyone she loved because she didn’t know what repercussions of revealing herself would bring. She wanted answers...she wanted guidance...and she wanted them now. Not to mention it’d be great to gain some more insight on why they were all sent to this world, if Rasmodius would even divulge a sliver of that to her.
Feeling the channel open, Abigail drew in a breath and went on to the next step; lighting the fire.
“Alright,” she confidently said, cracking her knuckles. “Let’s do this!”
The final step was to sprinkle the blue topaz and luminorious gem dust into the fire, along with crushed basil leaves. Part of her wondered if the basil leaves were just for aroma and weren’t really necessary for the spell to work, but she wasn’t going to gamble on that.
The gem dust crackled in the fire creating numerous sparks like fireworks as the smoke, combined with the ashes from the basil leaves, rose up into the air and through the ceiling. The spell had been completed. Abigail stood for a moment with pride.
She sat herself down on one of the chairs and closed her eyes, breathing steadily, thinking of how to begin her conversation with the Wizard. It felt weird to do, but she thought if she likened it to uttering a prayer to God, that should make it feel a little less weird. And it did. God help me reach the Wizard...
“Rasmodius,” she called, then paused, thinking that perhaps she should be more specific as heaven knows who might be hearing her across the cosmos. “This call is to the Wizard Rasmodius, from Pelican Town in Stardew Valley. Rasmodius, it’s me...Abigail.” She gulped as a surge of emotion gripped at her throat. “I really hope you can hear me. I don’t even know if this will actually reach you…”
Thousands of miles across a couple of galaxies, the Wizard Rasmodius stopped dead in his tracks from what he was doing. His brow furrowed, feeling an intense magical connection that was quite unfamiliar to him, but more than that...it was hearing his name. Then he heard it a second time.
His heart palpitated as he approached the cauldron, finding Abigail sitting by a fire. Her lips were moving and he could hear every word. His eyes widened with unsuspecting surprise. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I need your help,” Abigail went on. “I don’t know exactly why you sent us to this world, but I’m beginning to wonder, for me, if it was a way to help me grow in my magical abilities. Learn to embrace it more than be afraid of it. And I can’t thank you enough for that.” She smiled. “I’ve never felt more free in all my life being in this world, but,” she frowned, staring into the faraway wall. “I know that feeling won’t last forever. Because someday I’ll return home...right back to the life I didn’t always care for. A life where I felt like I didn’t belong. Where magic is forbidden and I always had to hide who I really was for fear of being cast out like you.” She huffed for a second. “I guess I’m still hiding here aren’t I?”
She could hear water dripping from somewhere within the walls, reminding her of just how quiet and alone her life really felt.
“But I don’t want to hide anymore! My magical powers are growing. So much so that I am struggling to keep it concealed. It’s like, if I don’t use my powers in some way or another, for longer than a couple of days, it begins to fester and I have to release it or I get all...shaky. I don’t want it to explode at the wrong time. And not only that, I get these terrible headaches after casting any spell - which is super annoying - and I know there’s got to be a way to alleviate that I just...don’t have any idea.” She lowered her head, but then gazed up at the stony ceiling with longing. “But I know you know...and that’s why I’m reaching out to you. I’m desperate, Rasmodius. Speak to me. Teach me, guide me. I know you can…”
There was no response.
“Please,” she implored, tears prickling behind her eyes. “Half the time I don't exactly know what I'm doing with my magic and I don’t want to cause anything catastrophic...like I almost did that one time. You’re the only one who can help me. I can’t wait until we’re back home for me to become your student. There's so much I need to learn now! Please...help me!”
A minute passed, then two, and still she heard nothing. The Wizard’s silence felt like a dagger to the heart.
“Are you really not going to answer me?” she asked, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Surely he wouldn’t be so heartless as to not respond to a plea like that. She shrugged. “Or maybe the spell didn’t work because I really don’t know what I’m doing as much as I think I do...”
The Wizard gripped the sides of the cauldron and leaned over it, expressing a painful sigh, but shook his head at it. He had to.
In a fit of anger and disappointment, Abigail found a nearby poker and stabbed at the fire with it, putting it out.
Then she ran up the stairs, through all the winding corridors of the catacombs, and burst out of the mausoleum, gasping for a breath of fresh air. Her chest rose and fell as she gazed up into the night sky, a tear escaping her eye.
I can’t give up, she told herself. I’ll find a way to reach him. I won’t stop until I do.
***************************
@HillyBeth autonomous risky is RISKY!!!
is the risky that for your whole town?
@Silverofdreams30 so if the Vampire asks, can the 'victim' say No?
Cute sim Serena you made! is she going to be dinner?
@Shadow_Assassin nice sims! the person outside want to meet them! I love their clothes!
that ghost is very scary!
@Tamijo Robert Palmer videos are so good! now I want Red lipstick and a dress like that! it will be my new everyday wear! ... oh yeah, I'm not 20, darn!
here is my favorite
aww cute Jenny wants to kiss!
Wow Terrys letter is sad to me. so he ends up with no one?
Beautiful incredible pics at the end!
@bekkasan Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed the updates! I love reading your comments! yes I think they will work out great! I'm playing ahead and Alfie never came home from her house lol.
''Everyone looks terrific all dressed up and no one wore their undies! ''
Faelie is so happy to have the pregnancy resumed!
@Turjn Thank you I'm glad you love the crazy fire station!
Yes I need to get outside too. I am so used to being indoors now. I wonder if I have become agoraphobic? I hope not!
Alfred looks amazing playing his guitar!
.
Ryan: There goes my heart beating
Cause you are the reason I'm losing my sleep Please come back now
Ryan: There goes my mind racing And you are the reason That I'm still breathing
I'm hopeless now.
Ryan: I'd climb every mountain And swim every ocean Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken Oh, ‘cause I need you to see That you are the reason
Ryan: There goes my hands shaking Cause you are the reason My heart keeps bleeding
And I need you now
Ryan: If I could turn back the clock I'd make sure the light defeated the dark
I'd spend every hour, of every day Keeping you safe
Ryan: I'd climb every mountain
Ryan: And swim every ocean Just to be with you And fix what I've broken
Oh, ‘cause I need you to see That you are the reason You are the reason
Yeah, yeah...
Linda: That...was beautiful Ryan...are you crying?
Ryan: of course I am, I love you Linda...I don't want to lose you.Please
give me just an hour of your time...if you still don't want to come back,
I'll go.
Linda: Okay, but we should go somewhere quiet, Sammie and Melanie are sleeping
Ryan: I know the perfect spot.
Ryan brought Linda back to the top of Mt Pison, to spend sometime
with her.
Linda: ...Okay, you know exactly where to take me don't you?
Ryan: There's nowhere better than the place I realized I loved you.
Linda: You are making it really difficult to stay mad at you.
Ryan: I wasn't flirting with her.You walked in at the wrong moment, Linda
I was trying to get her to stop without being mean about it.
Linda: Then why didn't you tell me?
Ryan: I tried, but you left without even giving me a chance, that really
killed me Linda.
Linda: I guess I did....but from my view, it looked quite opposite.Rolls reversed,
how would you feel?
Ryan: ...I'd probably want to kill them...I'm sorry, Linda.I should have
understood your position.
Linda: I'm sorry to, I should have trusted you more.
Ryan: I don't blame you after the way a few of your friends treated you.
I get it.
Ryan: Please...will you still marry me?
Linda: I'd love to.
Ryan: May I ask a favor though?
Linda: Yes?
Ryan: please put your hair back to its natural color.X
Linda: You don't like my hair?!
Ryan: I do, but I love your natural hair color better.
Linda: So do I.XD
Linda: Eww gross
Ryan: Are we interupting?
Wilson heads to the hally way.
Wilson: Hello, Ms Wayfield, Mr.President.
Sammie: He's cute...:p
Linda: Gross! XD
Linda: I'm so confused...I feel like I'm in some weird episode of
the twilight zone.
Ryan: .......
Linda: My thoughts exactly.XD
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
I read they have to be good friends to have the option show up. Haha no I just needed a sim to see if the option will show up.
Powerful spell Abigail did, too bad he did not reply to her
pleadings, but she did a good try at reaching him.
Great shots of her in this part of the chapter.
I'll be answering tags later today. I just want to vent, I spent my Tuesday redecorating the library in Roaring Heights. It was cute despite some parts that I didn't like very much. Later, I decided to test it out and my sim spent a freaking hour to get to the last floor!!!! I should've imlpemented elevators! I had a doctor appointment today and, while waiting, some new ideas came up. I consider disabling a few floors and keep only one for the whole library.
BTW, Roaring Heights is an interesting world but there is some stuff that I can't stand. I can't stand 15x20 lots and this world has plenty. I think the minimum should be 20x20 (although I cringe at those, too). Like, how the heck will I make upgrade those homes? Those houses even contrast with the massive buildings with huge empty rooms. Another thing that didn't click is the bookstore, so humongous and... it doesn't even have some windows to tell there's a bookstore in there. I almost felt the same way witht the market, but then I realized it looks like a department store. Another frustration is the gym downtown. There's this amazing court on the second floor but the ceiling is too low for the basketball hoop. That's another place I'll be bringing down in the future.
On the other hand, the sims and the textures of their clothes are outstanding.
That's it for now.
@emorrill nice!!! aw Donna is so sweet, that broke my heart when she said ''Thank you for being my friend Abby...I never thought I’d find friendship ever again in the afterlife.”''
The pics of her waving her wand over the fire pit the the next WOW !!!
Gosh I can smell the crushed basil, now I want a salad with it.
Gee poor Abby!
@Silverofdream30 ok good! yes my Vampires can only drink from friends, but it seems like they prefer the plasma juice from the fridge to their friends!
Sims Not in my active family Will drink, like Ayden VanGould. The vegetarian sims will just drink the plasma juice.
Oh, and they don't drink as Teens, only the YA and older get the thirst to drink! kids and Teens eat normal food.
@thuggishsplicer that sounds really frustrating! I don't have RH but always love the looks of the clothes and hair from it! I don't like lots smaller than 30x30 myself!
.
Chapter Four
Destruction and Rebirth
Six Months After the Nuclear Exchange
From a tortured world, new life was beginning to sprout and the frequent forays by Artie made sure of the situation. Artie had radiation meters built into his torso so he was able to just by being within the environment measure exactly what the radiation dosage on his dosimeter would give to an actual human being. And from there Bebe and Kimber managed to figure out the actual time-in-environment for a human being to receive a LD (lethal dose) of radiation. That way they figured out exactly when it would be safe to emerge from their bunker. Trees were much hardier than humans and thus were able to come back a lot quicker than humans would if given the same rate of rad exposure.
The explosions had wiped out a lot of the vegetation and habitable buildings surrounding the target area, but things were slowly starting to make a come-back. And from what they could tell of the recordings that Artie was able to bring back from his forays, people were starting to come back into the area - at least those who survived the initial bombardment by the Chinese and Russians. The burnt grass was starting to revive and greenery was starting to come back in the form of deciduous and evergreen trees. Though the sprouts were small, they knew that eventually the environment would favor renewed growth.
During the bombardment with the 800KT nuclear weapons, the bunker occupants were down in the lower part of the bunker hoping and praying that they were able to keep themselves secure. Harm's eyes were wide open in fear as this was something that none of them had ever experienced in their lives. And it was also something that they would never have thought was possible but had come to pass.
Some took the situation much more readily than others did. It appeared as though River figured that such was par for the course of world events and decided to get on with life as it was now. And some of the military folks in the bunker took it harder than others as they knew exactly what was at stake and that they had signed up to fight and quite potentially lose their lives for their country. But they were all now stuck in a hole hiding from the very destruction that they were supposed to be fighting. It was a very cognitive dissonant feel to the whole situation.
There was also tension in the bunker as well as many had unresolved issues and Kimber was one of them, taking long glances at Tosh in any case. Whether it was a case of Kimber having longed for Tosh since he was her squadron-mate or whether she was pretty po'd at Tosh for doing the horizontal mambo with Meg Austin, it was hard to say; but she wasn't too happy with the situation.
There were no cloud-breaks. The soot and ash that had been raised from the various nuclear explosions had gone into the stratosphere and was now circling the globe lowering global temperatures that foretold of a severe nuclear winter to come; one that would test human survival to its very limits. The fact that lower global temperatures would have a severe impact on food production in the areas that were not affected by radiation and fallout was going to severely impact the survival rate of those stuck on the surface of the planet. It was not hard to realize that being in the bunker was probably the safest bet for those who had survived. At least they had the benefits of the equipment and food that they had stockpiled pre-war to get them through the worst of it while the earth healed itself. Sunset Valley was a major target with CFB Gnome being just over the ridge and the 800KT nuclear warhead that hit the base and the other 800KT warhead that hit Sunset Valley City Hall definitively caused major destruction in the city center.
Tosh looked over at Meg, Bebe and Jen solemnly and said, "Well, it appears that we're not going to get the medical personnel that we asked for." It would have been funny if the situation had not been so dire; stating the blatantly obvious. Meg nodded. Either the Pentagon prior to the bombardment had been tied up with strategic issues; or communications had been broken between the Pentagon and the bunker
"We're going to have to improvise..." Meg stated clearly looking at Tosh. "There's no way that we can survive this without medical staff..." and looked over at Bebe.
"I've noticed that you've increased your science skill immensely prior to the attack." noted Tosh as he glanced in Bebe's direction, "We can definitely use that skill of yours and it's directly transferrable to the medical field if you are so inclined."
"I'll do whatever I can to help the situation." Bebe nodded her assent. "If there's books on medical procedures that I can read up on...I'm willing."
"That's good that you're able to consider the option." Meg stated, nodding her own assent. "We don't know what the situation will be like in the future and we know that we'll need someone with medical skills. Command Master Chief Coates? Would you also be willing to assist her with medical procedures?"
"Yes, ma'am. Whatever is necessary." Jen stated.
"Good...then that's settled." Tosh said decisively. "Vice-Admiral. Can you make sure that everything is set up so that Ms. Hart and Command Master Chief Coates will have access to the necessary educational materials needed for their medical training?"
"Yes, sir." Meg replied, a twinkling in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. Military formalities.
Elsewhere in the bunker, Mac and Phil took their Young Again potions and in the office, CMCYN Coates (Jen) did the same. They all knew that they needed to become young again in order to make certain that they would have the opportunity to be at their physical best in order to increase their chances of survival in what they would learn was a physical challenge to beat all physical challenges.
...and with that they had all taken their potions and would hopefully manage to navigate the perils involved in a post-apocalyptic environment.
Artie's Reconnoitre - S*** Happens
When Artie emerged from the bunker; the multiple blast-doors keeping the rest of the occupants safe from any residual radiation in the air; he noticed how grey and ominous the clouds were. Much of the radioactive soot and ash that was kicked up by the nuclear detonations ended up in the atmosphere and it was going to take a lot of time for it to clear; falling from the atmosphere as nuclear fallout. And that was going to remain hot for some time after it hit the ground. Human skin could get radiation burns from even touching the soot and breathing it in was a slow death sentence as the ash and soot would cause radiation burns all along the inside of the lungs causing the lungs to leak fluid and eventually suffocate the victim. It was not something that any human being would want to experience, hence Artie was the one who went out to survey the six month aftermath of the nuclear devastation.
As Artie walked along the overgrown path of what used to be a road he noted that the trees were stunted and blackened stumps of dead trees were still visible through the new growth.
Artie turned to go down the hill brushing off soot from his metal torso and headed down towards the devastated town center. He was not looking forward to the revelation of how destroyed the town was. It didn't seem as though there was a building standing.
Looking around, all he could see was sheer devastation once he reached the flats within the town center and the clearing. What used to be a hill leading down to the beach was now submerged underwater. Evidently the blast wave blew the water out all the way and when it came back in, it came back as a tsunami, covering all the low-lying areas with water which with the devastation, the waters had not receded.
What he could still see standing was the Canadian flag.
To his utter shock, his deductive circuitry barely parsing the data his visual circuits were relaying to him. There was a man standing half frozen in the park lake up to his mid-calfs and looking around as if nothing was wrong.
His auditory circuits caught a slow "Wooooah..." from the blond-haired man "Dude...those are some really gnarly clouds...man..." he said...just as Artie looked up to see a flash in the sky. This was not good. Then he heard a half strangled scream...from the man.
The frenzied jerking and spasmodic reflexes amidst the spluttering told Artie all that he needed to know about what was happening. The guy was being electrocuted. And considering the fact that Artie was metal himself...that he wouldn't be able to help him at all. The electricity in full impulse signal was enough to fry his inner circuits to a crisp. So in the pretext of self-preservation, all Artie could do was watch the poor fella suffer.
When the electrocution subsided, the man staggered away from the frozen pond...the electricity hot enough to melt the area where his feet were stuck and stood on the bank staring up at the sky as if half-expecting yet another bolt from the grey to fry him to a char-broiled crisp.
As if that wasn't enough...a sudden explosion sent debris flying..
...as poor Artie ducked fearing that the man himself was now dead as a doornail. All he'd heard was the whistling screech of something cutting through the air at well over terminal velocity.
Artie looked up just long enough to see a black smoke cloud rising from where the man had stood. He wondered if the man had survived the impact of whatever it was that fell from the sky.
When the smoke cleared he saw several large burnt looking rocks that now littered the ground. Some were even larger than he was.
There was yet another explosion as another rain of rocks came flying down and the man and Artie were lucky enough not to get hit this time. The last he saw of the blonde-haired man was him staggering away from the park area. Artie chose to stick around and pick up what he thought were quite valuable space rocks. Surely they could be helpful to the humans that he was with.
Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor in that large heavy space objects were falling from the skies and he had no desire to become an aluminum pancake...Artie decided that it would be best if he cut his reconnoitre short and head back to the bunker. That was perhaps a wise choice.
Keeping Busy Around the Bunker
The physical and emotional qualifications to survive an apocalypse are naturally equalizing ~Lauren Cohan
In the words of FADM Toshio Nakamura
There were plenty of things to do in the bunker after the bombs dropped. Mostly it was keeping up skills and making sure that we were prepared for when we had to emerge from the bunker after the radiation levels went down. It had been six months and Artie had just come back from his weekly recon of the area. The images that he'd brought back via video were unsettling. Especially things falling from the sky on a regular basis. We didn't know what was going on in terms of these meteors but it proved that the earth was a much more dangerous place now than it was before.
Everyone had settled into what appeared to be a routine. Meals were taken whenever people were hungry - breakfast in the morning was at around oh-four hundred; dinner was between seventeen hundred and eighteen hundred hours. These were long days because we knew every second of our day counted insofar as survival was concerned.
Harm noted that he was working on more nanites; evidently he'd come to grips with the fact that Meg and I were dating and it seemed like the tension had eased a bit. He informed me of his intention that plumbots were the best way to insure security around the bunker and that the possibility of the Chinese nuclear attack being the precursor to a full-scale invasion. This was most definitely a "cut the head off the snake" attack since all messages from the Pentagon had ceased the day of the nuclear attack. We were more certain than ever that what was left of the military center of the United States of America was now a six hundred foot deep crater in the middle of what would be Potomac Bay. The Chinese and Russians wouldn't be satisfied with one five megaton warhead set for surface detonation, they'd hit it with three or four. This was not going to be a good situation for DC.
But for us, it was survival. We were in Sunset Valley, British Columbia, far enough away that our only targets hit by 800KT warheads were city hall and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gnome.
"Harm, I haven't heard anything from the Pentagon...since the detonations, and well, it looks as though we're on our own...for the foreseeable future." I noted. Harm nodded in response - he knew what that meant for us. No help at all would be forthcoming.
The rest had their own tasks to accomplish and I didn't want to load any more on them than they already had. They knew what the deal was in terms of having to get their skills up to increase their chances of survival.
When one was upstairs in the Agricultural sector of the bunker, one could hear the rain hitting the concrete reinforced bunker roof. And most of us were very uneasy knowing that the roof was all that was between us and the post-nuclear holocaust rain falling from the sky. From what I could tell, the radioactivity in the rainfall was dropping very sharply as rain doesn't hold on to radioactive materials that well. And since Artie, thanks to Harm's foresight had instrumentation on-board that would measure radioactivity in the environment, we were certain of the fact that radiation levels were dropping within the immediate area. However the center of town was still considered hot and despite scientist recommendations in past written journals on radiation measurement stating that places where nuclear weapons were detonated would be safe for travel and decontamination in three to five weeks; we opted to stay away from the sites and considering the fact that Artie's onboard geiger counters went crazy everytime he ventured near what used to be CFB Gnome and was now called Crater Lake; we opted to stay clear away from there as well.
Meg's and my relationship had grown quite considerably since she first admitted to me that she was interested in me. Let's just say things were quite amicable between the two of us. And the nights were very cozy.
Some of the night shots that Artie brought back were very troubling as vivid colors meant that radioactive dust was still circulating in the atmosphere, which meant that if we were to go out, we would have to wear full on gas mask respirators to prevent us breathing in any radioactive dust and thus suffering internal radiation burns.
Harm also learned the technical know-how to create a plumbot recharging station and thus Artie was able to keep fully charged and ready to go and do the tasks necessary. Artie was an all-around plumbot to have. With the Steel Chef Trait chip he was able to make every recipe that we wanted to eat. With the Competent Cleaner, he was quick on the draw as far as clean up was concerned. Every morning, as a RoBotany Gardener, he went upstairs to the Agricultural Sector and gardened our plants. He was also a Handibot and an AI Angler, though with the surrounding area at minus three, our pond froze over (which was surprising since we were covered. Oh well, the fish have a chance to breed when the weather warms up...if it warms up and Artie's handibot trait allowed him to upgrade our appliances. At least we knew that we'd never have to live in fear of anything breaking down with Artie able to fix things. But that still didn't mean that we could lie around and do nothing. We had our own skills to learn...some that aligned with Artie's current skills and others that were more esoteric.
Artie told us about a human consignment store clerk who had set up shop in the vacant lot next door on what used to be the Landgraab estate and well...the Landgraab's property had gotten the worst of the blast of those houses on top of the hill; after all the blast wave had travelled outwards at the speed of sound...and pretty much knocked everything flat. Since our bunker roof was so low to the ground it wasn't affected. So whoever this consignment store clerk was...she now had free ownership of what used to be a multimillion dollar estate. So it goes; when things detonate...prices drop precipitously.
Dinner was at least a time for us to get together and bring the group closer as a team. Things had been rough for the past six months as we adjusted to a new normal and we knew that things would never be the same again. Humanity had seen to that. Breakfast was often hurried as we all had things to do. Hopefully we would walk the surface of the planet again.
And of course there was some interesting news in the fact that both Haruo and River had managed to become the first to potentially bring a new child into this post-apocalyptic world. Evidently someone was active...last night.
I went down to the Brain Analyzer and decided to hook myself up to it to see if I could increase my gardening skills. At least I didn't get zapped.
Artie went and tried to conjure some more gemstones and fishes for us in the magic cauldron - which pretty much blew my mind. Metaphysical things happening did not register in the realm of possibility in my mind or anyone else. Military officers worked on logic. We didn't lark around in fits of fantasy. We survived by using logic and personal initiative. Magic was in the realm of fantasy books and movies. But somehow Artie made it all work. Then he went up stairs and cooked us a perfect meal. We had a lot to thank Artie for.
At least he was keeping us from having to eat burnt mac and cheese.
Flambe Phil and Other Activities
Needless to say there wasn't much to do other than the daily tasks of having to skill up in whatever skills were deemed necessary for survival. The occupants of the bunker weren't able to know when the environment would be suitable for survival top-side again. Whene the missiles rained down on CFB Gnome, it wasn't sure how many distinct rumbles they'd heard, but it was at least one large warhead that had detonated. However many, it was certain that it wouldn't be safe with the radiation in the surroundings to go out. And none of them were willing to test the surrounding area even with protective gear on. In any case, they were staying indoors without question.
Of course they had plenty of things to do while indoors.
Tosh and Meg took advantage of the fact that they had their own private shower. Ever since they'd admitted to each other of their mutual attraction, they'd spent a lot of time together doing extra-curricular activities. ~smirk~
River McIrish-Chikamori, who was going to be providing the bunker's first child, worked on her alchemy skill, while Chief Yeoman Jennifer Coates worked on her science skill hoping to be able to clone gemstones that would probably end up becoming the corner-stone of trade in the post-apocalyptic wilderness.
...and of course, Commander Phil Burrows spent time at the inventing table trying to increase his skills with varying amounts of success. Luckily someone had the foresight to install a shower near the inventing tables as Phil did manage to light himself on fire on several occasions.
It wasn't sure what was funnier, him hopping up and down in pain or him flailing his arms as he ran for the showers. Either way, he managed to extinguish himself, distinguishing himself as a klutz of the greatest order after lighting himself up like a tiki-torch.
However it wasn't much later that Captain Kimber Benton did pretty much the same thing with less humorous results as most in the bunker were sweet on her. Luckily she managed to get to the showers without incident and douse herself with water thus taking care of the flames and enabling her to escape injury.
They did resume their work on the inventing tables, hopefully with less flammable results.
Harm succeeded in reverse-engineering a nanite which increased his robotics skill-level significantly as he was hoping to add a few more trait chips to Artie to make him more versatile than he already was and Harm's robotics skills were steadily increasing.
Meanwhile, Bebe was getting extremely frustrated with chess to increase her logic skill-level insofar as gaming on the computer was concerned. Not being able to see the opponent's face and gauge their level of frustration was a new way of a playing the game and the relentless tactical strategy the AI employed was a new level of trying to play the time-honored game of kings.
The dogs in the bunker knew that their humans were getting frustrated and tried not to get in the way of things. The only things that they needed were each other for socialization and food.
Taking long, romantic showers together wasn't the only thing that Tosh and Meg did, they also concentrated on making sure that they skilled up in both logic and science skills.
With the temperature taking a nasty dip outside the bunker, it was clear that the cold, if not the radiation was seeping in as the pond froze over and no-one was able to crack through the sixteen inch thick ice. Even Artie, metal body and heavy though he was, was able to walk on the ice covering the pond with no adverse effects. This meant that fish was off the menu.
It appeared as though the scientists were right in that a wide-spread nuclear exchange would result in nuclear winter - a winter with no foreseeable end, plunging the world into an ice age that could last for potentially thousands of years and if the rumors were true that there was an age-freeze potion...they would see each and every day of that long period of time.
Eventually the earth would heal itself. And hopefully they would still be around during the rebuilding process. But for right now, they had to figure out how to survive the coming years.
Within the bunker
In the words of Vice-Admiral Meg Austin
The past six months have been eye-opening. River has given birth to a new life; she has a new son, Andrew McIrish-Chikamori. Of course we hadn’t known that she was three months pregnant prior to coming into the bunker and thus we now have a jump-start on repopulating the planet. Haruo has practically been hovering over his wife and his newborn child but he has also been busy trying to make sure that he has had everything upstairs in the greenhouse taken care of as well. The Seabees had definitively made the bunker radiation tight and when we take our geiger counters up to the top floor to measure the readings, there’s no spike in the background radiation, which means that the crops and the fish are safe to eat.
Tosh and I have committed ourselves to each other. I know that the JAG would probably have had fits, but this is our new reality. We have no outside command structure. What used to be the Pentagon is now an eight-hundred foot hole in the ground and there has been no communiques from Cheyenne Mountain either. And even if they had, I wouldn’t give up Tosh. He is my reality now; my mate for the rest of our lives. Our bunker is our life-line and our bunker-mates our family and they are the only ones who would defend us against all attackers.
And it is even more important that we as a group stick together. I’m pregnant; with Tosh’s child, a mother now. As vulnerable as a mother is; we have to make certain that we are secure. That there are no upheavals in the current situation that we find ourselves in. I remember a moment back when we were still at the Pentagon having had the news given to us that the world was going to come to an end. I distinctly remember him saying “I’m going to need you...” and smile as I caress my tummy that encapsulates my womb that carries our child. Well...he did end up needing me a lot more than just as an XO...as a grin reaches my lips.
With my scientific background I’m utilizing the science station and taking samples of food and other items within the bunker so that if worst comes to worst that we can take it and clone food for ourselves to survive.
Jen has taken to science like a fish to water and she is busy making certain that there’s samples to research. It is important that we cross-train on different subjects so that we aren’t vulnerable and those with a background in science will be crucial to rebuilding our future.
As I currently analyze a soulpeace so that we can make more if necessary to bolster our finances, Tosh is upstairs working on perfecting his martial arts skills. He was already a black belt in three different martial arts, however he is planning to master that skill and we need it in this post-apocalyptic wilderness.
The pictures that Artie brought back from his recons tell a tale of the wild regaining its land. And of course that made it so that we had to deal with the potential for hazardous new creatures evolving from the radiation that was in the air. Even with the compounding effect of radiation decay, the number of nuclear weapons that had been unleashed was enough to cause genetic mutation and we didn’t know what that would create. There were enough dangerous animals and with the fact that humans had gone into hiding; these animals had a chance to proliferate amongst the wilds that surrounded us. Those still on the surface were either dead or dying or if they had a genetic resistance to radiation, it would still manifest itself in skin scarring through radiation burns.
Harm is busy at the plumbot station, trying to create a plumbot that works to augment Artie. His attempts at making nanites and trait chips are growing ever more successful and I hope that we can have a few plumbots to round out our recon team. The nice thing about plumbots is that they work in places that we can’t go into. If we read high-radiation counts in a zone, we can’t go in, but Artie can. And just so long as we hose him off to get the radioactive dust off him, he’s fine to be around. I know that Harm is exceedingly uncomfortable about our situation. The fact that he used to be senior to me in rank is eating at him and he feels despair about the fact that Tosh and I are now a couple. I know that there’s tension between him and Sarah Mackenzie, however it’s not any of my business. I have Tosh...and that is enough for me.
The images that Artie brings back are terrifying still and I wonder to this day how people can still live on the surface. On occasion you will see a furtive human darting from tree-line to tree-line on the video feeds that he brings back after his recon sorties. And there are chilling cries on the sound files that I’ve heard of animals that I’ve could never have dreamed of. This would be nightmare fuel if we saw what emitted those cries.
Tosh usually goes upstairs to work on his martial arts skills so that they don’t diminish. And the one thing about that is that its highly arousing to know that he’s able to defend both himself and me without weapons as his hands and feet would be considered deadly weapons. Haruo also is a martial artist and he too goes up and trains. And hopefully when I give birth, after recovery, I can train as well. It is important that we as a group are able to defend ourselves even if our weapons are wrest from our hands.
I can see to my left as I take some samples from a soulpeace that Lia and Mac are busy learning alchemy. There is something in the air that speaks of change in the metaphysical. I wouldn’t have believed it before and as a serving uniformed officer in the United States Navy, I’d have kept my mouth shut since I didn’t want to be mustered out on a section 8. But there is something there. Something that speaks of the fact that things have changed...the rules have changed somehow – that magic is a distinct possibility now.
Behind me, I can tell that Phil is hard at work on something at the inventing table. He’s a bit nuts but at least we know that he will be able to help by building things that we need. Captain Benton is also doing the same thing at her inventing table. So far things have settled down and neither have lit themselves on fire in a while. Luckily there are showers right next to the inventing table to forestall that eventuality.
Jen is busy at the science station next to me increasing her skill in science. I think that every member of our bunker needs to be honed on science as well as the potion table. We will need these things in the future. Our future is going to be one where technology might take a backseat to the metaphysical or they might work hand-in-hand.
I’m gratified that I have some success with caching some mineral samples from the soulpeace gemstone that Atlas had found prior to the nuclear warheads detonating. It may not seem like much, but the soulpeace gemstones are valuable and may give us a leg up on currency when we do start bartering once we regain the surface.
It is our hope that the nuclear exchange resulted in all of those horrific weapons being utilized and that we no longer have anything to fear about these things ever again.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
I see Rainflower and Annalove Ivy going for a nice drive!
It must be their chauffer's day off. LOL I never saw a sim drive this vehicle before!
~~~
What are the Teenagers at the Teen house doing still up?
Tula! You parked your car incorrectly! Why?
oh. ok, well I understand! All is forgiven, when Tristan is involved!
Hi Cabana! How is it going being the Teen Chaperone?
"Watcher, I want to marry Marigold and have a place of our own! The teens are fine and can live on their own without me, I think. They all get along great, cook and clean. they are good kids and do very well in school already. I don't think they need me here, except as a friend. But I could be a friend from Marigold's house, ... if it weren't for my promise to Dante and his household."
I'll come to your house soon. I know you all have been waiting! Faelie is pregnant right now so I can't leave just yet.
"Very well Watcher." and Cabana Boi continues his duties. He is a very good caretaker!
~~~~`~~~
The Fire Station is very lonely now, since I changed it.
What's the matter Teddy? You look sad.
"When you deleted the old fire station the other day, and added it back to a bigger lot, the game took away Vlad and Adan!" *cries*
Do you want to see if you like Larry? I can bring Him here, or I can go back 2 days.
"You would have to redo everything with Alfie, Quigley & Fern, Oakley, not to mention ...*cries* That girl!''
What girl?
''The cute one, Anya.''
No she's safe. Gee you really are undecided!
Larry, think we'll rename you Laz
Teddy thinks Laz is cute!
I don't know if our guys will stay here as firefighters but Victor can invite them over!
Adan is happy to see his pal Teddy!
The the boys react to the Alarm and do their jobs! Cool! since they are here as guests!
Vlad
Vlad ignores poor Teddy
Adan thinks Laz is cute, but Laz mostly likes to stare out the window!
But No time!
After all there's an emergency!
"Never Fear, Victor's Here!"
.
Chapter Five - Part One
Coming to Grips with Reality
In the Words of Captain Harmon Rabb Jr.
For me, it’s hard to think of Animal and Meg together. When I look at Vice-Admiral Meg Austin, I still see the young fiery Lieutenant JG that I used to work with. But she’s now a vice-admiral; three ranks ahead of me and now I have to refer to her as Ma’am when carrying on a conversation with her. And Animal would be one to have me stand at attention while doing so; the sadistic 🐸🐸🐸🐸. What I do see when I look at her is the mental vision of her and Animal doing it, which in turn makes me want to douse my brain in industrial strength bleach.
I know that these are weird things to be thinking about when our very survival is at stake. But our minds cling on to things to normalize the situation or we’d all go crazy. Evidently for me, there is now two options in the bunker outside of Mac (who I find that we can’t seem to find common ground, even though she tries to talk to me. There’s been too much that has happened between the both of us to ever find common ground ever again. I don’t know where I’ll find happiness, but I have been talking with Bebe Hart and with Kimber. Captain Kimber Benton is the same rank as I am so we find commonality there. However she is still reeling emotionally from the fact that she had a crush on her former commanding officer and that Meg having taken him...has done a number on her as well as myself. Lia would be an option too, if she wasn't four ranks ahead of me as an admiral. So my options for a relationship are pretty limited.
Outside of relationships, I‘ve been doing my best to try to learn robotics. This is mind-twisting for me as I’ve never found myself to be interested in cybernetics or robotics – but Artie is special to me as he’s the first robot that I’ve ever constructed in my entire existence and successfully too, I might add. And he’s been a crucial part of our bunker staff since he’s the only one that is allowed to go out and reconnoitre the area. And he’s the one that brings back the crucial intel that allows us to determine just how much radiation levels have dropped in the last six months. We have yet to go through the majority of our rations, but we are at a crux. We need to make sure that we are able to last in the bunker through the rest of the year so that radiation levels are low enough that it won’t be much of an elevated risk to live on the surface.
The sounds though that Meg describes as chilling are also what worries me. Will the weapons that we have work to protect us from these new creatures? And how many of these new creatures are now a permanent part of the environment that will be what will meet us when we live at the surface of this new Earth? What percentage of humans still survive on the surface who weren’t so lucky as to have a bunker to take cover in when the warheads started going off? Do we dare take ourselves from our secure bunker and try to live at the surface again like before the war or do we just resign ourselves to living in the bunker for the rest of our existence and only come out in packs to form hunting parties for rations? Our bunker is our security but it can also be our crypt if we aren’t careful. There is only one exit and that’s directly into the maelstrom of the surface and we could be trapped if there is a concerted effort to attack our only refuge.
These are all questions that serve to keep me up at night. Though I know that the bunker command staff is actively looking at these questions, I have to think of these as well. It could very well mean our survival as a whole.
So what do we do to survive. All I know is that in the meetings that we’ve had we have been actively looking at increasing the numbers of our group. Of course that will take more rations and over time will start to seriously deplete what we have. In that regards we will have to look at moving to the surface and forming hunting parties to make sure that we don’t run out of food. But are the creatures that now populate the surface edible...and which are now venomous or poisonous? We don’t even know what the radiation has done to the living creatures that we’ve known in the past. Will we run across nightmare deer with horns and dripping fangs and bears that have grown ten times the size of what they were? How will we managed to survive if we’re looking over our shoulder trying not to get eaten.
(End Part One)
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~