The ship had seen better days. While it was a big transporter, they kept it in minimum to visitors. Some few had been in the old ship. Usually merchants, some temporary workers. But nobody stayed except the crew.

Emma Gale was no captain. In fact, her old work there was as a repairman. It’s was obvious that she did not like the old crew. Never spoke much about them. It was never easy for a mutant to live among humans, robots r cyborgs. Mutants were outcasts. But fate had given her the power of the ship. And nobody of the crew questioned that.

Cortia was her second in command. A stubborn and unstable girl who kept to herself. A young lady on the age about 20. With incredible fighting skills, she tried to teach the others on board. Mostly in vain, due to her lack of interest in taking it one step at the time. She liked the captain a lot. And looked up to Emma as if it was her sister.

The older, chubbier man was a former politician of some sort. Lambert was there just by chance. But his people skills had helped them with the people in the town. Getting them some hints and help during their long stay in the harbor, while they tried to repair the ship.

Lambert had a bodyguard robot called DeadEye. He was an old model armed with a sniper of an unknown origin. DeadEye was, sadly, no longer with the crew.

The crew had two newcomers.

An old prison guard named Wally. Kind with all people on the ship. Never having any trouble helping out, even if his energy was limited.

And then it was Miles. A former convict who kept to himself. But Miles had a good friendship with Wally. One where they didn’t need to speak to understand another. Miles did not know it, but the younger Cortia had recently found Miles very interesting. Almost taken a liking for him. Miles did not, however, see any reason to care much about anyone more than them been walking bodies of flesh. Emma was not to pleased about his sinister view on the people around him. A man without a soul.

These people had come together by chance. And by chance they should travel, once the ship was ready to leave. Wally had been responsible for communications. Trying to find out where in the world they could go. Who could take on a team of such variations?

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The time on the old ship was getting the worse of them all.The cold corridors and the empty rooms messed with their minds. Cortia had sometimes claimed to have seen shadows where nobody was. It was clear that they were getting cabin fever. But the ship was the only rescue they had.

They only left the ship for various smaller tasks. Keeping out of trouble by staying in town. It was all work for them. Around the clock.

Emma had an idea of crafting the ships weaker points into stronger positions. This meant to craft and modify it to become a warship if need be. Emma and Cortia worked in the nearby hospital. Helped out in town where-ever they could to get Red Dollars or trade for new equipment. They both benefited the anonymous town to become a greater beacon for travelers.

The ship slowly got machine-guns installed on the hull. And a strong powerhouse shield to guard it from possible attacks. Emma named the nameless ship to the Behemoth Survivor.

But not all was as it seemed on the ship. Lambert had ideas to start using the ship as a traveling sales operation. He was in the midst of tuning in on different channels with other harbors to find out whatever items they might need. This was not appreciated by Emma. She saw this as his way to go behind her back! That he tried to take her home away from her! The sudden burst of rage out of Emma Gales mouth got Lambert spooked. He started to see her as a madman. And without DeadEye to protect him, he started to question where his alliance lied. Cortia was in a tight friendship with Emma. And if she tried to get rid of him somehow, Lambert would be gone without a trace.

There was one cold night. December. Snow gently falling from the sky to the hull of the ship. Miles sat out on an old wooden chair, freezing during the night watch. Even if the town was good to them, there could always be danger in the shadows.

Miles turned around where he sat, as he heard a strange noise. A man stood not to far away from him, a gun aimed at him as he sat on the chair. The man was a tall figure with a scar over his right eye, where a red light was glowing in the dark. A genetic implant that replaced the mans eye.

Miles tried to talk gently to the stranger, understanding that he could be a ton of things. An Avalon agent. A homeless person.

As the man took a few steps out from the shadows, Miles understood. By the dress code and the tattoo on the mans right arm. An Avalon soldier.

The man claimed to be one of the actual brothers to the guys the Survivors had killed in the police station long ago. Miles could not fathom how long this man had planned an assault. An act of revenge on his fallen comrades. But something told him that this was not an act from Avalon. But an act from a man driven by hate. There was a chance that the fellow was alone.

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Miles slowly rose up from his cold chair, hugging the thick coat he had around him and tried to talk it out to the man in front of him. Talking about how war has changed men to wild beasts. That another kill would change nothing.

The man lowered his gun. And his head in shame. Miles saw in the mans face. Saw the scars of emotional abuse. Years of pain and suffering. It reminded Miles of his own past. The violence that came to haunt his dreams. And now was a reality again.

The guard yelled a scream of pain. Tears rolling down his human eye. He then proceeded to raise the gun, but not towards the man in front of him. But to his real enemy. He put the gun in his own mouth. Miles watched without saying anything. Without reacting. As the man pulled the trigger and fell down to the cold floor.

The next week on the Behemoth Survivor was different than before. The shore was very silent. The town itself had gotten more quiet than usually. Everybody knew about the man who killed himself on the ship. He used to be a local. A man with psychological trauma who had, for no known reason, joined the sect called Avalon. The last time he lived in town, he had no prosthetic robotic eye. Last time he was in town, he was a shy and mellow person. And now he was dead.

The town folks had a vote in the town hall how to proceed with the event on Behemoth Survivor. The drama that had occurred in this scared community. Emma Gale herself was there, observing in silence.

It was clear that the community wanted the ship to leave the harbor. They were tired of the drama. Even if the crew had helped the town survive. Emma Gale knew it was about time to see where the ship would travel to.

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It was understandable for the crew that their time in Kansas was over. But they had to come to an agreement what the ship could do with the new modifications. Where to travel, who to assist. Behemoth Survivor was not made to lay in yet another harbor without a cause of reason. And Emma did not want to part from the old vessel.

Lambert was still active in trying to convince the team. To travel to places that needed aid in various forms. Like a rag-tag team of both merchandise and protections. He had the help from Wally to pin-point various locations that could be of use. Emma understood that it was the only call they could make. And they got along that she would be the captain and power behind the wheel.

Lambert would be part owner of the newly founded organization. Trying to locate costumers, merchandise of various form. Cortia would be the trainer for possible recruits. And a powerful asset in various solo-missions.

As for Miles and Wally, they were never fully part of the crew. And their future on the ship was still not set in stone. But they were given open opportunities to assist. Miles was clear with one thing. He did not share the passion for this project as they did. Miles Tenham had enough of the death and violent nature around him. It would appear that the ghost of his past. Whatever past it was. Still hunted him like a black dog in the night.

As for Wally. He was not getting any younger. Via the radio he found a location that would suit him. And they were ready to open up their arms for him. A village in Montana that was run by a peaceful religious group called Magnus Army. There was an old airplane that could pick him up in Nebraska.

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In the remaining years of the war, the ship called Behemoth Survivor went all over where it was possible to travel. From state to state. From friend to enemy. The ship was no massive success in it’s delivery. But the opportunities was strong enough for the crew to sustain in the dark times.

The ongoing war got the official name The Silver War. Then came The Event. That was the fine word to explain that a massive assault destroyed all of Nevada. Rendering the entire state in decay with radiation. Hard calls had to be made. And this dismantled the former nation of United States of America. Every state should now be it’s own micro nation. Starting with the land of Washington.

Times changed rapidly since that. New nations rose, with new powers and politics. The climate was rough in this new world. Everything on the face of the planet was re-made. A new counter was made. They called the days after The Event Year One. As a sign of rebirth on earth.

It was during this time that Behemoth Survivor became a huge success all over the new nations. Still large on the open seas, harbors and lakes. Anywhere it could be, it went.

Year 2 after The Event, Lambert died of a heart-attack. It was the day after he turned 72 years old.

Year 5. Emma Gale retired from her job as a captain and went to live in North Mountains, what used to be North Dakota and Minnesota.

Cortia never left her position on Behemoth Survivor.

As for Miles and Wally? The outsiders.

Miles Tenham lived on as a hermit in Quavera. A nation formed by what used to be New Mexico and Texas. The nation was run by former gangsters and gangs. They were given a second chance and made true power a good standard in Miles eyes. He saw people ready to fight for the people against judgment. Quavera had very low crime-ratings.

Miles lived on a mountain-side by himself with a few dogs and animals to tend for. He did not care much for the politics or people around him. But he liked to hear about the travels of the ship called Behemoth Survivor. He did, however, not have any contact left with his friend Wally.

Wally never got to his destination as he had hoped. He got sick before boarding the plane to Montana. Stayed four months in a local hospital. And died of cancer.

And here we end our travels with Wally, Miles and Behemoth Survivor. Who knows what else we will encounter in this dark, strange, new life.