RPG:
Fernando was going to say something about personal conversations on public frequencies but Hondo beaten him to it. He notices that the convoy slows down to a stop, followed by chatter of somebody getting a flat tire. To conserve energy, Fernando turns off the headlights and marker lights on his vehicle. It was a long wait, it must have been one of the larger vehicles that caught a flat and not a smaller vehicle as changing a wheel/tire on a smaller vehicle would have taken a lot less time.
But no sooner than they started moving again, there was a flash of a orange glow in the sky reflected from the clouds above, followed by a loud “BOOM!” and the ground rumbling below their tires. Smoke can be seen rising from the orange glow, and everyone decides to become an on-air expert on the radio frequencies as to what it was they just witnessed and what it could be. Being the last one on the line, Fernando just listens to the commotion and waits for a voice of authority to calm things down and give an explanation.
Though traveling at a crawling pace, the distant sound of gun fire can be heard. Though the military was ahead to provide everyone protection, Fernando kept looking back at his mirrors to make sure no one was coming up behind them from the rear. The convoy sped up momentarily but then stopped again, perhaps covering another mile or two before stopping again. Fernando got his information from the military channels his other tiny radio, the bridge was blown up with casualties from the passing convoy rear not making it with the others.
General Jastrey calls all leading convoy group leaders and drivers to the front of the line for an impromptu meeting. Fernando trots to the front of line to get to the meeting. Nothing was said that he could have speculated on his own. With the information given, Fernando goes back to his Electric Camper. Soon they were rolling slowly again. He did notice that a few military and a couple civilian vehicles pulled over to the side of the road while the rest of the line continued forward. Whatever they were doing, it did not take long for them to return to the line. But once again the convoy crawls to a safe speed as they go down a steep hill leading into a valley. But another tire blow out stops the convoy again, and the driver and crew of that smaller vehicle step out to quickly make a tire change.
The military channels open up with chatter of “a smell” coming from below them in the valley. Soon the radio chatter on all the frequencies being to complain of “the smell.” Molly’s voice can be heard over the civilian frequencies for all within listening range to leave the immediate area. James came running to Fernando’s electric camper at the same time Jastrey gives the call on private channels for all military personnel to put on their gas masks and distribute masks out to those who do to who do not have one.
(See Note)
Seeing James knocking on his window, Fernando rolls down the window, and the smell gets his nose’s attention. Rotten eggs – the smell of something hideous that can turn into a deadly disaster if left unchecked. Hydrogen Sulfide, which can turn into Sulfuric Acid when it is mixed with water vapor, especially in the lungs of any person that breathes it in!
Fernando signals James to go around to the sliding door. Seeing James go around, Fernando crawls to the back of the camper to open the door for James and close it immediately. James was coughing a lot before he can say a word.
“I know. The Smell. You stay here and rest up while I figure something out.” Fernando tells him.
“*Cough! Cough! Cough!* Hondo *Cough* Went To *Cough* Rescue *COUGH!!*” James tries to say.
“Don’t speak anymore.” Fernando tells him. He looks around, finding Meeshie on the bench. “Meeshie. Bed. Under the blankets. Gas… Go!”
Meeshie hops off the bench and onto the bed, crawling under the blankets. Fernando goes over to Macey and lightly slaps her to wake her up. She tries to fight him off before waking up.
“Why you woke me up?” Macey asks.
“There is Bad Gas outside. Go to the bed and under the blankets with Meeshie and stay there, breath through the blanket to protect yourselves and stay there until I tell you it is safe to come out.” Fernando tells her. He turns to James, “You stay here until I come back.”
“Where are you *Cough...* going?” James asks as Macey gets under the blankets.
One of General Jastrey’s men knocks on Fernando’s Camper windows, holding up a gas mask. Fernando signals him to come to the sliding door, telling James, “You stay inside and don’t come out until I return.” When the solider gets to door, Fernando quickly slides the door and steps out, sliding the door closed. He takes the mask from the solder and puts it on. Together they head into the darkness.
Minutes later down in the ravine, Fernando finds Hondo trying drag one of the persons out of the ravine. He was big and heavy, having seen one too many donuts in his lifetime. Hondo could carry him out if he had help getting him on his back as the air tank was in his way. Fernando shines a flashlight given to him by General Jastrey’s men at them. Hondo turns to face the light and see a shadow figure head his way. The figure puts an arm on his shoulder and helps lift the man onto his back, before pointing the way out. Realizing it is Fernando, Hondo shifts the weight of the man on his back and carries him out while Fernando look for any others inside the vehicle.
Fernando finds “the wife” passed out in the vehicle with a wicker basket next to her. A soft coughing sound can be heard inside the wicker basket, which turns out to be a small baby inside. With both hands free, he could carry the mother on his back and the baby in the wicker basket. But first he had to make sure the baby’s face was covered by its blanket. Then he had to position the wicker basket as to pick it up once he is carrying the wife/mother. He hurried in his work to get both and begin race walking up the ravine once he has them in position to carry. Half way up, two of Jastrey’s men come down to help him with his load, as they helped Hondo with his load. Once out of the ravine they look down and then across. Somehow half of the military vehicles were already on the other side of the ravine.
Chatter on the radio’s military channels begin to get louder, with General Jastrey asking questions. Fernando looks at Hondo before taking off his mask. The smell was strong looking over the ravine.
“What do you think?” Fernando says.
“Couple of dead oil wells leaking gas.” Hondo answers.
“We are not all going to make it. First the bridge is blown up, now this. I think we are being a set up.” Fernando answers. He thinks for a moment before asking, “Hydrogen Sulphide flammable?”
“Very.” Hondo answers.
Fernando turns to the military men, “Is there another way around this?”
Those around him shook their heads though one stated that it would extend their trip by several days to go around the ravine and back down to Fight Town.
“OK, get everybody to move back a quarter mile or so and get me a flare.” Fernando says.
“What you intend to do?” Hondo asks.
“I’m lighting this sucker up to burn the gas.” Fernando tells him.”
“That would...” Hondo begins to say.
“Either we are delayed a couple hours or we are delayed a few days.” Fernando says to him.
After some time to work out a plan and get the couple’s vehicle out of the ravine, and a bit of sneak medicine given to the couple and their baby; Hondo, Fernando and a couple of Jastrey’s men stand by the ledge looking down. Fernando is given a flare and everyone at the ledge lay down on the ground. Fernando lights up the flare and throws it up and over the ravine. He and Hondo watch the flare begin to fall to where the oil wells were. A bright flash of Blue light appears and they both drop to the floor before the loud thunderous “BOOM!” comes out of the ravine. Flames shoot out after the shockwave making the wall of flames look like a sight from Dante’s Inferno.
The flames burn for a long while but it was fading into the oil wells where they gas was coming from. Eventually the flames burn like a 100 foot torch of fire from each oil well, lighting up the area with an eerie glow of reds and oranges. The air still stank of rotten eggs, but the smell was fading. Eventually it will become safe enough for somebody to walk through the ravine though the smell was still present. But that was not for at least another hour or so for the area too cool down. The convoy took this time to reassemble themselves to cross the ravine and check their vehicles for various things to fix as needed.
Note: From…
https://www.mainemilitary.com/productcart/pc/Israeli-Gas-Mask-Without-Straw-258p
3716.htm
Pages: 
After Chaos (Read 186596 times)
