I stepped back to let him in, making sure to secure the door behind him while Elli stood off to the side, her arms crossed. She watched him with a gigantic frown on her face that just showed how welcome he was.
I nodded, gesturing towards the workbench.
“Sit down, Enforcer Radulf. Make yourself comfortable.”
Radulf sauntered as he walked, making a big show of his power as he casually surveyed the shop. His eyes lingered on the towering piles of mech hands, and he smirked.
“See you got down to business. Master Boyerman is going to like that.”
Elli grumbled something and I moved to his side, gesturing for him to set the scroll cases down and get everything started.
“So, how’d it go? Got more terms to go through? Extra demands for us to sign off on?” I asked, folding my arms.
Radulf chuckled.
“Smart lad to know when you've got, boy. But there’s nothing new here. As far as I can tell, Boyerman likes you. At least enough that he’s not pushing any farther. Indeed, he was quite excited about the reverse-engineering aspect of your little operation. Using old tech to make new-tech masterpieces. So impressed that he not only approved your license, he even picked out a quest for you. A kinda welcome to the club sort of thing.”
I stared, hesitant, a roiling bit of doubt burbling in my stomach.
“A quest?” I asked.
Radulf stood up, rising up with a single scroll case in hand, its bottom situated as if it were the hilt of a sword.
“Yes! A grand and sanctioned quest! A pure and wonderful means of old tech resource extraction to give your new partnership the powerful start it needs to make waves in this city. Boyerman seems to expect a lot from this little operation, and so he’s giving you a priority mission. One that had been slotted to a rising journeyman of the guild even! Imagine that!”
I exchanged a glance with Elli, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“And what exactly does this quest involve?” I asked, wary of any tricks.
A sanctioned quest, right off the bat, with no petitioning or waiting involved just didn’t feel right.
Radulf leaned in, uncorking the case and pulling out the parchment from within.
“It’s an armory, pre-fall. Teams found it in the ruins of a place that records say was called Chic-A-Go. There are pretty statues there if you are an art lover.”
He was waltzing past the point deliberately, taunting me with the quest in a way that made me want to bust him in the nose.
I growled and his smile widened.
“So, what’s so special about it?” I asked.
His eyes widened.
“About Chic-A-Go? Why, it was one of the great capitals of the ancients! There were songs and performers who took the name, so in awe were they of the place. It was the forger of great artifacts, the holders of something called the Deep Dish. Apparently an item so powerful that it was honored by food items made in its name. Have you never heard of it?”
I frowned. The name was vaguely familiar, but more like something I’d heard in passing.
“Can’t say I have,” I responded, before turning to see Elli practically jumping out of her skin.
“That zone is forbidden!” she squeaked. “Mutants, rad-zones, the works! No one but roving mechs allowed I thought!”
“Yes, without special dispensation,” Radulf said, nodding, spreading out the scrolls from the case.
The first was a map, detailing where we were now, and the place that was Chic-A-Go. It was marked with skulls and crossbones, and the more detailed map underneath the travel map was chock full of hazardous curse marks and death traps.
But it was also full of scavenge points. Places that had been scouted and pilfered, yes, but others that had simply been marked for further exploration. I noted in the legend that the quests here were for ‘Level 10 or higher, special dispensation required’ and my heart began to beat more quickly.
“Boyerman has a lot of faith in my capabilities it would seem,” I muttered, tracing the massive spread of the ruined city with my finger. I nearly swore when I saw the distance measurements – it was more than a city. Size-wise, it was more like a nation.
“Take it as you will. He certainly has optimism in what you might be able to manufacture, given the right ingredients. It would seem that he has even procured permissions for a knightly escort. One Sir Alain Hembersworth. Says he cost a pretty cred. Which he will expect to be repaid upon return.”
I grimaced, trying to imagine what it must have cost to hire one of the Duke’s retainers on what was almost certainly a no-questions-asked backroom deal. It felt overwhelming.
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“Can we keep any of the salvage for ourselves?” Elli asked. “Or does it all have to go back into the sales operations.”
Radulf shrugged.
“I guess that he wouldn’t even notice if an item or two happened to fall into the cracks while you were making him some new merch. Just a hazard of the trade. Honestly, Chic-A-Go is a dangerous place from what I hear, but you’ll have a mech knight with you, so it might not be so bad. It’s definitely a better start than I’d expected you to get. Go in, retrieve anything of value, and bring it back. Simple enough, right?”
I snorted, thinking about the bunker that Techlock and I had knocked over.
“Simple, sure. Anything else we should know before we go?”
Radulf’s eyes gleamed with amusement.
“Not much else. Rads can be bad; the place was the site of some unholy battles, or so the legends say. Everything that lives there is dangerous. There are almost certainly other scavengers working for other bigwigs crawling through the place, so be careful of them. But, hey, mech knight. Sounds like you’ll all have a fair chance to succeed.”
Elli stepped forward, her eyes narrowing.
“Sounds kinda like a suicide mission.”
Radulf shrugged again.
“Couldn’t really tell you. Can say that he’s excited. Seems to consider it a test. Prove your worth, and I imagine Boyerman will reward you quite handsomely.”
I grimaced, thinking of my coming-of-age testing, and the notes at the end. He refused to let me have my freedom and move on to something better. I had no doubt all of this would work the same way.
Still, we had TUNI now. Could work the place over, have CD piggybacking us on the network to help find the really good stuff, and to keep watch for the biggest dangers.
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
“Alright, let’s see the details.”
Radulf spread out the parchment sheets, letting us go through them at our leisure. Elli and I leaned over them, absorbing the details.
Chicago Armory Salvage Quest #4BF7
Objective: Retrieve valuable pre-fall technological salvage from Class 10 Chic-A-Go Armory.
Location: Ruins of Chic-A-Go, identified by ancient records and scout reports.
Coordinates: Latitude: 41.8781° N, Longitude: 87.6298° W
Authorized Personnel: Alaric (Lead Scavenger), Elli (Engineer), Sir Alain Hembersworth (Knightly Escort)
Timeline:
Itinerary: One day of preparation.
Fast travel is provided by Mech transport. Estimated ETA 3 days to reach Chic-A-Go ruins.
Scavenging Operation time allotted: 4 days within the ruins.
Expected Return Travel time: 3 days
Estimated Time to Complete: 10-14 days total
Mission Phases:
Preparation: Provided Personal Gear
Radiation Suits: One for each team member, complete with gloves, boots, and hooding.
Protective Gear: Helmets, body armor
Weapons:
Melee: Short swords, knives
Ranged: Crossbows, each with 60 bolts
Tools for Navigation and Excavation: compasses and maps. old tech GPS Unit, shovels, pickaxes, crowbars, multi-tools, and screwdrivers.
Lighting: Midtech torchlights, good quality. Hooded Lanterns, monster oil. Battery backups.
Survival Supplies
Provisions: Dried meat, fruit, and hardtack. Water jugs. Canteens.
Medical Kits: First aid kits with bandages, antiseptics, and painkillers. Anti-radiation medication.
Repair Tools and Materials: Spare parts for gear and protective suits, duct tape, and sealants.
Portable Shelter: Tents, sleeping bags.
Specialized Equipment: Midtech Radiation Detectors.
Documentation: Parchment and writing supplies.
Scavenging and Salvaging: heavy-duty backpacks and storage containers. Magnetic lift tools for handling heavy metal parts. Blacksmithing kits, midtech, for on-site repairs. Miscellaneous Supplies
Miscellaneous Tools: Ropes and grappling hooks, pens. Matches, lighters, and fire-starting kits.
Ensure all team members are briefed and ready for departure. Conduct final checks on all gear before transit.
Travel to Chic-A-Go:
Follow the primary route marked on the mission map. Establish temporary camps each night, ensuring safety and security.
Scavenging Operation:
Upon arrival, secure a base of operations within the safer zone of the ruins. Begin detailed exploration of identified scavenge points. Prioritize retrieval of advanced salvage. Document and map findings for future reference.
Return Travel:
Retrace the route back to the city. Ensure all retrieved items are securely transported. Maintain vigilance against any threats encountered during the journey.
Reporting and Debriefing:
Submit detailed reports and inventory of all retrieved items to Master Boyerman. Repay Sir Alain Hembersworth’s fee as per the knightly escort agreement.
Special Notes:
High-value returns are expected from this mission. Any items deemed of exceptional value are to be reported. Cooperation and coordination with Sir Alain Hembersworth are crucial for mission success. His word is final.
Emergency Protocol:
Ensure all retrieved valuable items are protected and hidden if a full retreat is necessary.
I felt myself holding my breath as I read over the gear and objectives. It seemed like a lot. Though, to be fair, Techlock had also brought an impressive amount of equipment with him for our own undocumented salvage run.
“I assume that we will be picking all of this up at the guild?” I asked.
“It’ll be loaded into the mech’s cockpit storage. It is beneath a knight to come get you, Alaric. But rest assured that he will check all of the equipment and have everything ready to go when the two of you meet him, tomorrow, at the South Gate.”
“When?” Elli asked.
Her lips were pursed in a way that I knew well. She was both nervous and excited.
“Dawn.” Radulf stood. “The rest of the papers, sign them and bring them as well. I’ll be there to see you off, and to bring the contracts back to Boyerman.”
I blew out a long puff of pent-up air.
“So, this is really happening.”
“Damn right it is,” Radulf said, walking to the door. He looked down at the locked latch quizzically, reaching down and releasing the bolts while muttering something under his breath.
“What’s that?” Elli asked, her eyebrow arched.
“Just thinking,” Radulf said, sighing. “You've been dealt a shit deal, yet I can’t help but think this might really be something good for you two. Be thorough, follow the rules, and don’t keep Boyerman waiting.”
With that, he left, the door closing behind him with a resounding thud. I stared at the scroll cases lying on the workbench, waiting to be opened and signed, and I locked eyes with Elli.
“Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Elli muttered.
She sat down and uncorked the first case, while I stood there motionless, my mind awhir.
“You gonna help?” Elli asked, cocking her head at me and giving me a quirky side-smile.
“Yeah. Let’s do this,” I answered, smiling. I headed to the door and locked it back up tight before coming to join her.