Point of Documentation: Cadence, Crew of HMW Betty

Dragging the man on to the walker was no small feat. The risk of exposure was far too great out there to take any of the armor off that he had on, so Roberts had to come out and help her haul the unconscious male up the ladder. Getting him a cot in the storage area was almost a no-brainer since it was the only section with a quarantine room in it. More of a med-bay, but right now both were apt.

Only after they had hosed the male down in decontamination sprays and put him on a bed did they ask the question: who the hell is this guy and what nation did he come from? He obviously wasn’t Wastelander trash, and he didn’t seem like one of the Badland Nomads either. His armor looked way too high tech to be any of them anyways.

Once the male was decontaminated, Roberts had pushed everyone out of the room to do a medical check-up on the unconscious male. Roberts had claimed that it was ‘patient-doctor privacy’ or something. Cadence knew the man was a medical doctor as well as a chemist, but some days she wondered if that doctoring was also based on his strange proclivities.

Cadence sat with the Captain in the living quarters in a pair of seats across from the latrine. There was a small table and a pair of chairs set up there for if someone wanted to eat while sitting down. It was mostly unused… up until now. She tore down her pistol in a methodical manner as the Captain leaned back in his seat and smoked. Cadence looked up at the Captain, wondering what he thought of all this.

As if on cue, the Captain spoke. “I haven’t seen one in a long time, but that kinda looked like an Outlander,” Confusion must have shown on Cadence’s face, as the Captain continued. “Outlanders are those that aren’t from Earth. We had stations in orbit before the Rifts opened around Earth and the Great Cleansing began. There were also stories about great arks trying to escape from Earth in the beginning days. Those were mostly true, but the stories were a bit more light hearted. Most didn’t make it. Most doesn’t mean all, though.”

The Captain did something strange then: he removed his Captain’s cap. Pointed ears rested under the cap. An understanding flooded Cadence as she saw this. “Fucking Elf, you lived to see it, didn’t you? I knew there was a reason you were so damn reclusive.” Her words were sharper than her tone relayed, but his visage hardened slightly at that regardless.

“No, my grand-father was the one there. Us Changed have some oddities about us, but the Elves are not immortal. Just a longer lifespan than most. I’m only 38, by the way. I’m not ancient.” He waved a hand and his face settled back into that neutral look. “Outlanders are an odd bunch. To see one out here in the Badlands… I can only imagine something went terribly wrong. They haven’t come to Earth in decades, I’d heard…”

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His words fell away as the door to the storage area opened up to reveal Roberts. “Hey you two, ‘Phoenix’ is awake. He’s not too injured, just some minor bruising and a concussion he’s been nursing. Just be slow with him, he might be confused.” Roberts then stepped back into the storage area as Cadence and the Captain shared a look.

Both of them got up and went to the decontamination room after Roberts. Inside, sitting on the makeshift cot, was the male. He looked young, no older than mid twenties. Cadence looked him over closely, trying to see if he had any alien qualities about him. The Captain ribbed her, causing her to divert her attention to the Captain. He had a look on his face that basically screamed ‘do not be weird’.

A huff escaped her lips as she took a step back. It wasn’t every day that you got to see an alien! Or… well, an Outlander.

The Captain cleared his throat and spoke. “I assume your name is Phoenix, as that was what you had said to my crewmate here?”

The male shook his head slightly, wincing in pain. Roberts offered him a sip of water from the canteen she had carried out earlier. With a moment of apparent relief, the male answered. “N-No sir. Marshall Locke, 11th Phoenix, Wing C of the Firebrand. Phoenix is just the name of the flight I’m in.” He paused for a moment, a look of loss seeming to come over him. His eyes darted up to the Captain. “Are we inside the Wall?”

With a shake of his head, the Captain took a step towards the man with an outstretched hand. “No, we’re still in the Badlands, but a little farther in after your arrival. You’re aboard the HMW Betty, and I am its Captain. This is Cadence and Roberts, my crewmates. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marshall.”

The man, Marshall, slowly reached out a hand towards the Captain to return the shake. Cadence’s eyes were on the hand as it moved, keeping an eye out for the intruder to make some kind of move towards the Captain. And yet, it never came. The hands met and they shook weakly, more so on Marshall’s side.

“Well, since we’re all acquainted now, you’re gonna give us some details on what you were doing out in the Badlands all by yourself. The ride isn’t a free one, and our rations are not either.” The Captain’s cool, laid back tone hid his striking points like a viper in the sands. The Captain wanted something from this man, and Cadence didn’t necessarily disagree. Free loaders were only a drain on them.

The man seemed nervous at first. His eyes went between each of the crew as a vigor slowly returned to him. A vigor he must have been building before this conversation. Cadence knew the look in those eyes. It was determination in the face of new horizons, the same look she had seen in the mirror before coming out to these Badlands with the Captain.

“Alright. I’ll tell you what you’d like to know. I need to get beyond that wall, no matter the price.” His words came out quickly, but not falling over themselves. Like a strong-willed stampede marching to a fate beyond their knowledge.

Cadence… thought this man would fit in fine with this rag-tag group of crew members.