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-<gamebook xml:lang="en-UK" version="0.11.3">
-
-<!--
-
-$Id$
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-Revision 1.10 2007/05/20 22:00:17 Wibbleboy
-o Made several changes in response to suggestions in Wiki.
-
-Revision 1.9 2007/04/30 17:55:17 Wibbleboy
-o Made several changes in response to suggestions in Wiki.
-
-Revision 1.8 2006/09/14 14:48:00 Wibbleboy
-o Made various errata/non errata changes.
-o Updated errata section to combine all changes for a given page in a single entry.
-
-Revision 1.7 2006/09/12 08:49:08 Wibbleboy
-o Made several changes in response to suggestions in Wiki.
-
-Revision 1.6 2006/09/07 14:05:53 Wibbleboy
-o Added ammo usage footnotes
-o Corrected various errata and non-errate errors.
-
-Revision 1.5 2006/09/06 09:01:34 Wibbleboy
-o Fixed a few formatting errors
-o Implemented series-wide consistency changes
-
-Revision 1.4 2006/06/19 08:21:47 Wibbleboy
-Made errata changes for consistency with other books in series.
-
-Revision 1.3 2005/12/07 12:43:22 Wibbleboy
-Applied misc formatting changes to match manual of style.
-
-Revision 1.2 2005/12/01 17:19:47 Wibbleboy
-Major update: added front/backmatter, corrected numbered references, added illustrations.
-
-Revision 1.1 2004/11/09 06:47:16 jonathan.blake
-Initial Freepository revision
-
-
-//// RCS Revision Log ////
+<gamebook xml:lang="en-UK" version="0.12">
-Revision 1.1 2002/10/20 05:26:08 jblake
-Initial revision
-
-//////////////////////////
-
--->
<meta>
<title>Slaughter Mountain Run</title>
<creator class="short">Joe Dever</creator>
- <creator class="medium">Joe Dever<br />Illustrated by Brian Williams</creator>
+ <creator class="medium">
+ <line>Joe Dever</line>
+ <line>Illustrated by Brian Williams</line>
+ </creator>
<creator class="long">
&inclusion.joe.dever.bio.fw;
&inclusion.brian.williams.bio.fw;
</creator>
<publisher>Project Aon</publisher>
- <date class="publication"><year>2005</year><month>12</month><day>17</day></date>
+ <date class="publication"><year>2007</year><month>7</month><day>25</day></date>
<description class="blurb">
<p>You are Cal Phoenix, the Freeway Warrior, champion and protector of Dallas Colony One. From the sanctuary of Big Spring your convoy of survivors begins the next stage of its life-or-death exodus: a journey to the fortified border town of El Paso, a destination that lies hundreds of miles beyond the sun-scorched wasteland of West Texas. In Slaughter Mountain Run your mission is to rescue Kate Norton from the clutches of your arch enemy<ch.emdash/>the HAVOC leader Mad Dog Michigan. You have just seven days to free her and to rendezvous with the colony before it runs the gauntlet of fire that protects the only mountain road to El Paso.</p>
</description>
<description class="publication">
<p>Internet Edition published by <a href="&link.project.website;">Project Aon</a>. This edition is intended to reflect the complete text of the original version. Where we have made minor corrections, they will be noted in the <a idref="errata">Errata</a>.</p>
</description>
- <rights class="copyrights">Text copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Joe Dever.<br />Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Brian Williams.</rights>
+ <rights class="copyrights">
+ <line>Text copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Joe Dever.</line>
+ <line>Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Brian Williams.</line>
+ </rights>
<rights class="license-notification">
- <p>Text copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Joe Dever.<br />Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Brian Williams.<br />Distribution of this Internet Edition is restricted under the terms of the <a idref="license">Project Aon License</a>.</p>
+ <p>
+ <line>Text copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Joe Dever.</line>
+ <line>Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> 1988 Brian Williams.</line>
+ <line>Distribution of this Internet Edition is restricted under the terms of the <a idref="license">Project Aon License</a>.</line>
+ </p>
</rights>
</meta>
<data>
<dl>
<dt>Transcription</dt>
- <dd>Mohamed Sha'Aidil</dd>
+ <dd>Mohamed Sha<ch.apos/>Aidil</dd>
<dt>Illustration Transcription</dt>
<dd></dd>
<dt>XML</dt>
- <dd>Jonathan Blake<br />Iain Smith</dd>
+ <dd>
+ <line>Jonathan Blake</line>
+ <line>Iain Smith</line>
+ </dd>
<dt>Proofreading</dt>
- <dd>Mohamed Sha'Aidil, Iain Smith</dd>
+ <dd>
+ <line>Mohamed Sha<ch.apos/>Aidil</line>
+ <line>Iain Smith</line>
+ </dd>
<dt>Editing</dt>
- <dd>Simon Osborne, Iain Smith</dd>
+ <dd>
+ <line>Simon Osborne</line>
+ <line>Iain Smith</line>
+ </dd>
<!-- <dt>PDF Layout</dt>
<dd></dd> -->
<dt>Coordination</dt>
</meta>
<data>
- <p><strong>1990-1998</strong><br />Rise of global terrorism on an unprecedented scale. Political violence funded by organized crime syndicate called HAVOC<ch.emdash/>The Hijack, Assassination and Violent Opposition Consortium.</p>
- <p><strong>1998-2003</strong><br />The governments of many small and impoverished nations fall into the hands of HAVOC. International terrorists receive arms, training, and shelter in these 'Badlands'.</p>
- <p><strong>2003-2008</strong><br />Raids on oil and gas installations, assassinations, and the kidnapping of prominent world statesmen become commonplace as HAVOC attempt to terrorize the civilized world into submission. Despite public outrage and growing international tension, the major powers refuse steadfastly to give in to HAVOC's demands.</p>
- <p><strong>2008</strong><br />President of the United States and General Secretary of Supreme Soviet both assassinated at emergency summit meeting. US, USSR and major European nations create the World Defence League and declare war on HAVOC. The Badlands are invaded, key HAVOC bases destroyed, and thousands of HAVOC agents are captured.</p>
- <p><strong>2009</strong><br />HAVOC leaders imprisoned for life in 'Deep Pens'<ch.emdash/>maximum security gaols located deep underground<ch.emdash/>to prevent their escape or release by HAVOC agents still at large.</p>
- <p><strong>2010</strong><br />New leadership emerges to unify the scattered remnants of HAVOC and plan revenge.</p>
- <p><strong>2011</strong><br />A WDL train transporting seventeen 100-kiloton nuclear warheads, destined to be neutralized and dismantled, is attacked by HAVOC agents. The train is destroyed and its deadly cargo stolen.</p>
- <p><strong>2012 New Year's Day</strong><br />HAVOC hijack a WDL news satellite and broadcast a chilling ultimatum. They have planted the seventeen stolen warheads in major cities throughout the US, USSR and Europe. They call for the immediate release of all HAVOC agents held in Deep Pens, plus the payment of $2 trillion in gold bullion, or they will trigger the warheads one by one until their demands are met in full. A twenty-four hour deadline is set. WDL leaders declare emergency and request that the deadline be extended. HAVOC refuse.</p>
- <p><strong>2nd January</strong><br />First warhead detonated at Brie Nuclear Energy Plant, ten miles south of Paris, France. Blast and radioactive fallout claim millions of lives. HAVOC repeat their demand and extend deadline by twenty-four hours.</p>
- <p><strong>3rd January 'The Day'</strong><br />World Defence League agents discover location of HAVOC command headquarters on an island in the South Pacific Ocean. Immediately orders are given to infiltrate and destroy the HQ and its occupants. The assault is swift and decisive; the complex is quickly overrun and its inhabitants are killed. Yet, ironically, as the news of this victory is being relayed around the world, HAVOC enact their ultimate revenge. A transmitter hidden on the island, fitted with a time-delay mechanism, clicks on, sending its high-frequency radio signal to a communications satellite orbiting the earth. This signal is amplified and returned to earth where, simultaneously, it triggers the remaining nuclear warheads. The initial explosions set off a disastrous chain reaction that feeds on civil and military nuclear installations all across the northern hemisphere. Hundreds of millions of people are killed within days, and many more perish during the years that follow, falling victim to the lingering radioactivity and the severe climatic changes that affect the earth.</p>
- <p><strong>2012-2019</strong><br />Gale force winds sweep across the world, carrying enormous amounts of dust into the upper atmosphere and preventing much sunlight from reaching the earth's surface. Temperatures plummet, deterring survivors from remaining above ground. Communications are disrupted by gamma radiation, making all radio, cable and satellite contact impossible. Small colonies of survivors develop in total isolation from one another during these years of darkness.</p>
- <p><strong>2019-2020</strong><br />Gradually, the dust storms die down and the sun penetrates the atmosphere, thawing the earth's frozen surface. Radiation has decayed to tolerable levels, and survivors emerge to reclaim what little remains of the world they once knew.</p>
- </data>
+ <p><line><strong>1990<ch.endash/>1998</strong></line>
+ <line>Rise of global terrorism on an unprecedented scale. Political violence funded by organized crime syndicate called HAVOC<ch.emdash/>The Hijack, Assassination and Violent Opposition Consortium.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>1998<ch.endash/>2003</strong></line>
+ <line>The governments of many small and impoverished nations fall into the hands of HAVOC. International terrorists receive arms, training, and shelter in these <quote>Badlands</quote>.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2003<ch.endash/>2008</strong></line>
+ <line>Raids on oil and gas installations, assassinations, and the kidnapping of prominent world statesmen become commonplace as HAVOC attempt to terrorize the civilized world into submission. Despite public outrage and growing international tension, the major powers steadfastly refuse to give in to HAVOC<ch.apos/>s demands.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2008</strong></line>
+ <line>President of the United States and General Secretary of Supreme Soviet both assassinated at emergency summit meeting. US, USSR and major European nations create the World Defence League and declare war on HAVOC. The Badlands are invaded, key HAVOC bases destroyed, and thousands of HAVOC agents are captured.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2009</strong></line>
+ <line>HAVOC leaders imprisoned for life in <quote>Deep Pens</quote><ch.emdash/>maximum security gaols located deep underground<ch.emdash/>to prevent their escape or release by HAVOC agents still at large.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2010</strong></line>
+ <line>New leadership emerges to unify the scattered remnants of HAVOC and plan revenge.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2011</strong></line>
+ <line>A WDL train transporting seventeen 100-kiloton nuclear warheads, destined to be neutralized and dismantled, is attacked by HAVOC agents. The train is destroyed and its deadly cargo stolen.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2012 New Year<ch.apos/>s Day</strong></line>
+ <line>HAVOC hijack a WDL news satellite and broadcast a chilling ultimatum. They have planted the seventeen stolen warheads in major cities throughout the US, USSR and Europe. They call for the immediate release of all HAVOC agents held in Deep Pens, plus the payment of $2 trillion in gold bullion, or they will trigger the warheads one by one until their demands are met in full. A twenty-four hour deadline is set. WDL leaders declare emergency and request that the deadline be extended. HAVOC refuse.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2nd January</strong></line>
+ <line>First warhead detonated at Brie Nuclear Energy Plant, ten miles south of Paris, France. Blast and radioactive fallout claim millions of lives. HAVOC repeat their demand and extend deadline by twenty-four hours.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>3rd January <quote>The Day</quote></strong></line>
+ <line>World Defence League agents discover location of HAVOC command headquarters on an island in the South Pacific Ocean. Immediately orders are given to infiltrate and destroy the HQ and its occupants. The assault is swift and decisive; the complex is quickly overrun and its inhabitants are killed. Yet, ironically, as the news of this victory is being relayed around the world, HAVOC enact their ultimate revenge. A transmitter hidden on the island, fitted with a time-delay mechanism, clicks on, sending its high-frequency radio signal to a communications satellite orbiting the earth. This signal is amplified and returned to earth where, simultaneously, it triggers the remaining nuclear warheads. The initial explosions set off a disastrous chain reaction that feeds on civil and military nuclear installations all across the northern hemisphere. Hundreds of millions of people are killed within days, and many more perish during the years that follow, falling victim to the lingering radioactivity and the severe climatic changes that affect the earth.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2012<ch.endash/>2019</strong></line>
+ <line>Gale force winds sweep across the world, carrying enormous amounts of dust into the upper atmosphere and preventing much sunlight from reaching the earth<ch.apos/>s surface. Temperatures plummet, deterring survivors from remaining above ground. Communications are disrupted by gamma radiation, making all radio, cable and satellite contact impossible. Small colonies of survivors develop in total isolation from one another during these years of darkness.</line></p>
+ <p><line><strong>2019<ch.endash/>2020</strong></line>
+ <line>Gradually, the dust storms die down and the sun penetrates the atmosphere, thawing the earth<ch.apos/>s frozen surface. Radiation has decayed to tolerable levels, and survivors emerge to reclaim what little remains of the world they once knew.</line></p>
+ </data>
</section>
<section class="frontmatter" id="tssf">
</meta>
<data>
- <p>You are Cal Phoenix, a survivor, born in California on Thanksgiving Day in the year AD 2000. In 2012, whilst on winter vacation at your Uncle Jonas' and Aunt Betty-Ann's ranch in Texas, you were invited to visit a shale-oil mine near Austin, the first of its kind in Texas. As Chief of Construction, your uncle was proud to take you on a guided tour of the whole underground complex, which, for security reasons, was totally self-supporting. It was during this tour on 3 January 2012, that the unthinkable happened.</p>
+ <p>You are Cal Phoenix, a survivor, born in California on Thanksgiving Day in the year AD 2000. In 2012, whilst on winter vacation at your Uncle Jonas<ch.apos/> and Aunt Betty-Ann<ch.apos/>s ranch in Texas, you were invited to visit a shale-oil mine near Austin, the first of its kind in Texas. As Chief of Construction, your uncle was proud to take you on a guided tour of the whole underground complex, which, for security reasons, was totally self-supporting. It was during this tour on 3 January 2012, that the unthinkable happened.</p>
<p>You remember how the ground shuddered when the shock waves from the first distant explosions reached the mine. Immediately you assumed it was the start of an earthquake, which you had experienced many times at home in California. However, as the levels nearest the surface began to collapse and the central elevator shaft filled with rubble, you realized the awful truth: the holocaust. At first there was no way of telling the extent of the surface devastation. Below ground, the safety generators had switched into operation automatically when the main power supply failed, and the tremors had faded quickly, which encouraged your aunt and uncle to believe that the damage above was superficial. Uncle Jonas was confident that the military would mount a rescue operation and that you would be brought out within a few days, a week at the most. Aunt Betty-Ann, too, was optimistic. After all, there were emergency supplies<ch.emdash/>enough to feed 200 men for a whole month. Little did she know that the three of you would end up consuming all those supplies, or that the mine would become your home, your shelter and your prison for the next eight years of your lives.</p>
- <p>It was early September in the year 2019 when eventually you broke through to the surface. When first you set eyes on the landscape surrounding the mine, it was like looking at the surface of another planet. Few structures had survived the blizzards and intense cold that had swept around the world in the years following 'The Day', and now, after the dust had settled and the sun had returned, the once-fertile plains of Austin resembled little more than a desert of parched and broken rock, littered with the artefacts of an absent civilization.</p>
+ <p>It was early September in the year 2019 when eventually you broke through to the surface. When first you set eyes on the landscape surrounding the mine, it was like looking at the surface of another planet. Few structures had survived the blizzards and intense cold that had swept around the world in the years following <quote>The Day</quote>, and now, after the dust had settled and the sun had returned, the once-fertile plains of Austin resembled little more than a desert of parched and broken rock, littered with the artefacts of an absent civilization.</p>
<p>During the first few days, when you set out to explore this wilderness, it was easy to believe that you were the only survivors. But on the morning of the fifth day Uncle Jonas made chance radio contact with a family called Ewell who were living near the ruins of McKinney, thirty miles north of Dallas. They told him that they had been in touch with a handful of other groups who had managed somehow to survive the holocaust. Most were isolated and unable to move due to lack of fuel, food, or water. They had urged those who could travel to join them in McKinney to start a new community there, and some people were already on their way. When your uncle and aunt accepted their invitation, the Ewells were enthusiastic, but they also warned you to be wary<ch.emdash/>not everyone who had survived wanted to establish a new community. The ruins of some large Texan cities, such as Dallas and Fort Worth, were controlled by gangs of criminals who fought with each other and terrorized anyone seeking to reestablish law and order. They urged you to avoid these gangs at all costs.</p>
<p>It took more than a week to discover a vehicle that could transport you to McKinney. It was an old school bus, one that had been parked in an underground lot and had survived the years of sub-zero blizzards. With fuel and spares salvaged from the mine, you managed to coax it back to life, and then set off on your journey north.</p>
<p>When you arrived at the town, it was easy to find where the Ewells lived<ch.emdash/>their ranch was the only place that was still standing. It looked more like an old frontier post than a ranch, with its fortified perimeter wall, lookout posts and stake-filled moat. However, after being ambushed and shot at by the city gangs of Fort Worth during the final stages of your journey, you fully appreciated the need for these defences.</p>
- <p>'Pop' Ewell, the seventy-year-old grandfather of the Ewell family, was the leader of this small colony of survivors, and it was he who had urged Uncle Jonas to join them when they had first made radio contact. The colony numbered less than a dozen at the time of your arrival, yet, as the airwaves became clearer and new contacts were made, soon this number had more than doubled to twenty-five. It was decided that a name was needed to identify the settlement. The name 'Dallas Colony One' was adopted, known as 'DC1' for short. From that day on, everyone worked hard to make DC1 a secure haven for those seeking refuge from the hostile wastelands and marauding city gangs.</p>
- <p>'Cutter' Jacks was one such refugee. Before 'The Day' he had been chief mechanic at the International Grand Prix Circuit near Lake Dallas, and his incredible skill with, and knowledge of, engines was soon to prove invaluable to the colony. He taught you how to drive, and from a pile of old wrecks that you helped him salvage from the circuit, he built you a powerful, customized car. You used it to patrol the highways north of the city, keeping a lookout for gangs of city punks who frequently mounted raids to steal or destroy DC1's supplies. Cutter also taught you to shoot. It was your natural prowess with a gun, and your skill behind the wheel, that was to earn you the begrudging respect of your enemies, who took to calling you 'the Freeway Warrior'.</p>
+ <p><quote>Pop</quote> Ewell, the seventy-year-old grandfather of the Ewell family, was the leader of this small colony of survivors, and it was he who had urged Uncle Jonas to join them when they had first made radio contact. The colony numbered less than a dozen at the time of your arrival, yet, as the airwaves became clearer and new contacts were made, soon this number had more than doubled to twenty-five. It was decided that a name was needed to identify the settlement. The name <quote>Dallas Colony One</quote> was adopted, known as <quote>DC1</quote> for short. From that day on, everyone worked hard to make DC1 a secure haven for those seeking refuge from the hostile wastelands and marauding city gangs.</p>
+ <p><quote>Cutter</quote> Jacks was one such refugee. Before <quote>The Day</quote> he had been chief mechanic at the International Grand Prix Circuit near Lake Dallas, and his incredible skill with, and knowledge of, engines was soon to prove invaluable to the colony. He taught you how to drive, and from a pile of old wrecks that you helped him salvage from the circuit, he built you a powerful, customized car. You used it to patrol the highways north of the city, keeping a lookout for gangs of city punks who frequently mounted raids to steal or destroy DC1<ch.apos/>s supplies. Cutter also taught you to shoot. It was your natural prowess with a gun, and your skill behind the wheel, that was to earn you the begrudging respect of your enemies, who took to calling you the <quote>Freeway Warrior</quote>.</p>
- <p>Six months after you arrived at DC1, the colony was faced with a major crisis. A heat wave was causing a drought that threatened to destroy the food supply. Crops were failing and the colony's artesian well, its only source of uncontaminated water, was beginning to dry up. The drought was also provoking more attacks from the city punks, who were desperate for food and water. Their common need had united them and now they posed a very real threat to the security of DC1.</p>
- <p>It was the last day of May, 2020, when Pop Ewell made radio contact with another colony who were based in the city of Big Spring, 300 miles west of McKinney. Their situation was completely the reverse of DC1's: they had food and water in plentiful supply but they were desperately short of fuel. They told of their contact with survivors in Tucson, Arizona, who were also without fuel. The Tucson colony reported that the territories west of the Sierra Nevada mountains had been spared the worst effects of the radioactive blizzards that had devastated the rest of the country and, miraculously, much of southern California was still widely populated. In fact, it had survived the last eight years virtually intact. When you heard the news you could hardly believe your ears. Perhaps your family was still alive. After all that had happened, there was now a real hope that one day you might be reunited with them.</p>
+ <p>Six months after you arrived at DC1, the colony was faced with a major crisis. A heat wave was causing a drought that threatened to destroy the food supply. Crops were failing and the colony<ch.apos/>s artesian well, its only source of uncontaminated water, was beginning to dry up. The drought was also provoking more attacks from the city punks, who were desperate for food and water. Their common need had united them and now they posed a very real threat to the security of DC1.</p>
+ <p>It was the last day of May, 2020, when Pop Ewell made radio contact with another colony who were based in the city of Big Spring, 300 miles west of McKinney. Their situation was completely the reverse of DC1<ch.apos/>s: they had food and water in plentiful supply but they were desperately short of fuel. They told of their contact with survivors in Tucson, Arizona, who were also without fuel. The Tucson colony reported that the territories west of the Sierra Nevada mountains had been spared the worst effects of the radioactive blizzards that had devastated the rest of the country and, miraculously, much of southern California was still widely populated. In fact, it had survived the last eight years virtually intact. When you heard the news you could hardly believe your ears. Perhaps your family was still alive. After all that had happened, there was now a real hope that one day you might be reunited with them.</p>
<p>A meeting was held to decide how best to deal with the crisis facing DC1. Everyone agreed that to stay at McKinney would lead eventually to death, either slowly from starvation or suddenly at the hands of the murderous city gangs. The only choice open to DC1 was to try to reach California; only there lay real hope for the future of the colony. The decision was relayed to the survivors at Big Spring and a deal was struck to rendezvous with them as soon as possible. DC1 would refuel them in exchange for food and water, and together they would join up with the Tucson colony for the final stage of the journey to California.</p>
- <p>Careful preparations were made for the long trek, and three vehicles were chosen to make up the convoy: the school bus, your customized roadster, and a gasolene tanker laden with 5000 gallons of petroleum siphoned from underground storage tanks at the Ewell ranch. Supplies of food and water were adequate but the colony lacked sufficient firearms and ammunition with which to defend itself. So, on the day before the convoy was due to leave, one of the colonists was sent north to search the town of Sherman for weapons. He radioed back to say that he had found a cache of hunting rifles and ammunition, but that his truck had broken down and he was stranded in the town. He had also found a survivor<ch.emdash/>a beautiful teenage girl<ch.emdash/>and he requested that you be sent to Sherman to pick them up. As soon as you arrived you were ambushed by the scouts of a brutal gang of bikers known as the Detroit Lions and, in the ensuing gun battle, you killed Stinger<ch.emdash/>the scouts' leader.</p>
- <p>Later, you learned that the girl, Kate Norton, was the sole survivor of a Kansas City colony, which had been attacked and wiped out by the Detroit Lions. The Lions' leader, who calls himself 'Mad Dog Michigan', had taken a liking to her and spared her life. Mad Dog had once been a high-ranking HAVOC agent. He had escaped from Pontiac Deep Pen near Detroit, and he and his gang, most of whom were also HAVOC escapees, were heading for the Fort Hood Military Reserve near Killeen, Texas, the largest armoury in the whole of the United States. There he hoped to find enough weapons to equip the other HAVOC clans who were now in control of cities all along the eastern seaboard. Kate had managed to steal a motorcycle and escape from their camp, but Mad Dog had been determined to get her back. He sent his brother<ch.emdash/>Stinger and a handful of his best scouts to track her down. They had finally caught up with her at Sherman.</p>
+ <p>Careful preparations were made for the long trek, and three vehicles were chosen to make up the convoy: the school bus, your customized roadster, and a gasolene tanker laden with 5000 gallons of petroleum siphoned from underground storage tanks at the Ewell ranch. Supplies of food and water were adequate but the colony lacked sufficient firearms and ammunition with which to defend itself. So, on the day before the convoy was due to leave, one of the colonists was sent north to search the town of Sherman for weapons. He radioed back to say that he had found a cache of hunting rifles and ammunition, but that his truck had broken down and he was stranded in the town. He had also found a survivor<ch.emdash/>a beautiful teenage girl<ch.emdash/>and he requested that you be sent to Sherman to pick them up. As soon as you arrived you were ambushed by the scouts of a brutal gang of bikers known as the Detroit Lions and, in the ensuing gun battle, you killed Stinger<ch.emdash/>the scouts<ch.apos/> leader.</p>
+ <p>Later, you learned that the girl, Kate Norton, was the sole survivor of a Kansas City colony, which had been attacked and wiped out by the Detroit Lions. The Lions<ch.apos/> leader, who calls himself <quote>Mad Dog Michigan</quote>, had taken a liking to her and spared her life. Mad Dog had once been a high-ranking HAVOC agent. He had escaped from Pontiac Deep Pen near Detroit, and he and his gang, most of whom were also HAVOC escapees, were heading for the Fort Hood Military Reserve near Killeen, Texas, the largest armoury in the whole of the United States. There he hoped to find enough weapons to equip the other HAVOC clans who were now in control of cities all along the eastern seaboard. Kate had managed to steal a motorcycle and escape from their camp, but Mad Dog had been determined to get her back. He sent his brother<ch.emdash/>Stinger and a handful of his best scouts to track her down. They had finally caught up with her at Sherman.</p>
<p>When Mad Dog learned that you had killed his brother, he vowed to get even with you at any price. He abandoned his plans to loot Fort Hood and embarked instead on a relentless pursuit of your colony as it crossed the sun-scorched wastelands of central Texas. The journey to Big Spring was fraught with great danger. Yet, in spite of the many perils you faced, perhaps because of them, you felt yourself falling in love with Kate and you sensed that she, too, was becoming increasingly fond of you.</p>
- <p>Sadly, the convoy was only a few miles from Big Spring when disaster struck. The land surrounding the settlement was controlled by a gang of bikers, a renegade clan called the 'Mavericks' who had been the bane of the Big Spring colony for many months. As the convoy drew nearer to its destination, the Mavericks launched an attack, and, in the running battle that ensued, they captured and abducted Kate. The convoy entered the fortified gates of Big Spring to a rapturous welcome from the colonists of that settlement, but for you the mood of celebration was soured by the vivid memory of Kate's abduction. You vowed to rescue her, and, from that moment on, every waking minute of every day at Big Spring was spent thinking about little else.</p>
- <p>By chance it transpired that the leader of the Mavericks, a blond-haired murderer called Amex Gold, was a former HAVOC agent who had served under Mad Dog Michigan before 'The Day'. He offered to join forces with the Lions, and, as a token of his loyalty to his former commander, he returned Kate to him. Together, the Lions and the Mavericks launched a hasty attack on Big Spring. However, although they outnumbered the colony by more than three to one, they were unable to breach the settlement's fortified perimeter wall, and were repelled with heavy losses.</p>
+ <p>Sadly, the convoy was only a few miles from Big Spring when disaster struck. The land surrounding the settlement was controlled by a gang of bikers, a renegade clan called the <quote>Mavericks</quote> who had been the bane of the Big Spring colony for many months. As the convoy drew nearer to its destination, the Mavericks launched an attack, and, in the running battle that ensued, they captured and abducted Kate. The convoy entered the fortified gates of Big Spring to a rapturous welcome from the colonists of that settlement, but for you the mood of celebration was soured by the vivid memory of Kate<ch.apos/>s abduction. You vowed to rescue her, and, from that moment on, every waking minute of every day at Big Spring was spent thinking about little else.</p>
+ <p>By chance it transpired that the leader of the Mavericks, a blond-haired murderer called Amex Gold, was a former HAVOC agent who had served under Mad Dog Michigan before <quote>The Day</quote>. He offered to join forces with the Lions, and, as a token of his loyalty to his former commander, he returned Kate to him. Together, the Lions and the Mavericks launched a hasty attack on Big Spring. However, although they outnumbered the colony by more than three to one, they were unable to breach the settlement<ch.apos/>s fortified perimeter wall, and were repelled with heavy losses.</p>
<p>On the day after the attack, Pop Ewell discovered the radio frequency that the clansmen were using and was able to eavesdrop on their communications. He learned that Mad Dog had ordered another HAVOC clan, based in New Orleans, to come and reinforce his command; they were expected to arrive within the week. He also overheard Mad Dog arrange a meeting with Mekong Mike, the leader of the Angelinos, a gang that controlled the city of San Angelo. He wanted him as an ally and was prepared to offer guns and ammunition in return for his help in destroying the Big Spring colony.</p>
<p>Two days later, Mad Dog Michigan set off for San Angelo at the head of a motorcycle pack 200 riders strong. Those few clansmen who remained with Amex Gold tried myriad tricks to convince the colony that the Mavericks and the Lions still surrounded Big Spring in strength, but to no avail. The senior members of the newly enlarged colony convened a meeting at which it was decided that, with the clansmen now at their weakest, and with the appearance of the New Orleans gang expected at any time, a breakout had to be attempted without delay.</p>
- <p>There is only one way for the colony to reach Tucson overland and that is to follow the remains of Interstate Freeway 10 through the arid, mountainous territory of western Texas. Precisely half-way between Big Spring and Tucson is situated the city of El Paso, which is chosen as the colony's first destination. The city lies at the end of a long, steep and tortuous stretch of mountain highway, and few doubt that the journey to El Paso will prove the most exacting test of strength and endurance any of you are ever likely to face during your long journey to California.</p>
+ <p>There is only one way for the colony to reach Tucson overland and that is to follow the remains of Interstate Freeway 10 through the arid, mountainous territory of western Texas. Precisely half-way between Big Spring and Tucson is situated the city of El Paso, which is chosen as the colony<ch.apos/>s first destination. The city lies at the end of a long, steep and tortuous stretch of mountain highway, and few doubt that the journey to El Paso will prove the most exacting test of strength and endurance any of you are ever likely to face during your long journey to California.</p>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>Your Ammo Pouch is where you store any spare ammunition for firearms. It can hold a maximum of the following:</p>
<p>
- 40 rounds of 9mm calibre Pistol/Machine Pistol ammunition<br />
- or<br />
- 20 rounds of 7.62mm calibre Rifle ammunition<br />
- or<br />
- 10 rounds of 12-gauge calibre Shotgun ammunition
+ <line>40 rounds of 9mm calibre Pistol/Machine Pistol ammunition</line>
+ <line>or</line>
+ <line>20 rounds of 7.62mm calibre Rifle ammunition</line>
+ <line>or</line>
+ <line>10 rounds of 12-gauge calibre Shotgun ammunition</line>
</p>
<p>When carrying mixed calibres of ammunition, use this equation to check how much space you have left in your Ammo Pouch:</p>
<p>4 x 9mm rounds = 2 x 7.62 rounds = 1 x 12 gauge round</p>
<section class="frontmatter" id="canteen">
<meta><title>Water Canteen</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Water is essential to life, and your life will depend on having a sufficient, uncontaminated supply. You will need to drink regularly during your adventure. One drink is equivalent to half a pint and your canteen holds exactly two pints of water: enough for one day
's needs. When instructed to drink, be sure to tick off one box in the Water section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
+ <p>Water is essential to life, and your life will depend on having a sufficient, uncontaminated supply. You will need to drink regularly during your adventure. One drink is equivalent to half a pint and your canteen holds exactly two pints of water: enough for one day
<ch.apos/>s needs. When instructed to drink, be sure to tick off one box in the Water section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
<p>If you do not have any Water when instructed to drink, you must lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
</data>
</section>
</meta>
<data>
- <p>There will be occasions when you will have to fight an enemy in hand-to-hand combat. The enemy's <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> level will both be given in the text. Your aim in close combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points to zero or below while losing as few of your own <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points as possible.</p>
- <p>At the start of a close combat, enter both your own and your enemy
's <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in the appropriate boxes on the Close Combat Record section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. The sequence for close combat is as follows:</p>
+ <p>There will be occasions when you will have to fight an enemy in hand-to-hand combat. The enemy<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> level will both be given in the text. Your aim in close combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points to zero or below while losing as few of your own <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points as possible.</p>
+ <p>At the start of a close combat, enter both your own and your enemy
<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in the appropriate boxes on the Close Combat Record section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. The sequence for close combat is as follows:</p>
<ol class="paragraphed">
<li><p>Add any extra points gained through the use of close combat weapons to your current <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> total.</p></li>
<li>
<p>Subtract the <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> of your enemy from this total. The result is your Combat Ratio. Enter it on the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
- <p>Example<br />Cal Phoenix (<typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> 17) is attacked by a Renegade Clansman (<typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> 18). He is not given the opportunity to evade close combat, but must stand and fight his adversary. Cal Phoenix is armed with a Hunting Knife, so he adds 2 points to his <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ>, giving a total CLOSE COMBAT SKILL of 19.</p>
- <p>He subtracts the Renegade Clansman's <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of <ch.plus/>1 (19 <ch.minus/> 18 = <ch.plus/>1). He notes this <ch.plus/>1 on his <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> as the Combat Ratio.</p>
+ <p>
+ <line>Example</line>
+ <line>Cal Phoenix (<typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> 17) is attacked by a Renegade Clansman (<typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> 18). He is not given the opportunity to evade close combat, but must stand and fight his adversary. Cal Phoenix is armed with a Hunting Knife, so he adds 2 points to his <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ>, giving a total CLOSE COMBAT SKILL of 19.</line>
+ </p>
+ <p>He subtracts the Renegade Clansman<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of <ch.plus/>1 (19 <ch.minus/> 18 = <ch.plus/>1). He notes this <ch.plus/>1 on his <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> as the Combat Ratio.</p>
</li>
<li><p>After working out your Combat Ratio, pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p></li>
<li>
<p>Turn to the <a idref="crtable">Close Combat Results Table</a>. Along the top of the chart are the Combat Ratio numbers. Find the number that is the same as your Combat Ratio and cross-reference it with the number that you have picked (the random numbers appear down the side of the chart). You now have the <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points lost by both Cal Phoenix and his enemy in this round of close combat. (E represents points lost by the enemy; CP represents points lost by Cal Phoenix.)</p>
- <p>Example<br />The Combat Ratio between Cal Phoenix and the Renegade Clansman has been established as <ch.plus/>1. If the number picked from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> is a 4, then the result of the first round of close combat is:</p>
+ <p>
+ <line>Example</line>
+ <line>The Combat Ratio between Cal Phoenix and the Renegade Clansman has been established as <ch.plus/>1. If the number picked from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> is a 4, then the result of the first round of close combat is:</line>
+ </p>
<ul>
<li>Cal Phoenix loses 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</li>
<li>Renegade Clansman loses 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</li>
<data>
<p>Throughout a long and moonless night, the colony loads up and manhandles into line the vehicles that are to transport you west to Tucson. Preparations for the breakout did not begin until an hour after sundown, for Amex Gold has men positioned on nearby Signal Mountain with orders to observe and report all activity within Big Spring. These lookouts are especially vigilant; their leader is expecting the colony to attempt an escape and they know that their lives will be forfeit should they fail to predict exactly when it will occur.</p>
- <p>In near-blackness you service and refuel your roadster by sense of touch alone, while all around you the chill night air is alive with movement and whispering as your fellow colonists furtively attend to their allotted tasks. Although you cannot see them you know exactly the positions of the five other road vehicles that comprise the convoy. At the head of the line, twenty paces back from the west freeway gate, is the armoured tow truck that will lead the breakout. The driver is 'Pecos' Pete Tyler, and beside him you can picture his brother Rex riding shotgun. In the open back of their truck is Rickenbacker, a former flying circus stunt pilot, who has chosen to ride out in the open so that he can look after 'Icarus'<ch.emdash/>his motorized hang glider<ch.emdash/>which by now he will have carefully dismantled and strapped aboard. Next in line are two Amcorp Landcruisers<ch.emdash/>solar-assisted roadbuses that carry the Big Spring colonists, and behind them is positioned the gasolene tanker with Uncle Jonas at the wheel. The DC1 school bus is next and your roadster last, the back marker until the convoy is clear of Big Spring.</p>
- <p>Once your preparations are complete you leave your vehicle and feel your way along the side of the school bus towards the boarding door. Cutter is sitting in the driver's seat, staring thoughtfully at the night sky, his face lit by the faint green glow of the instrument panel.</p>
- <p>'Cal, you'd better get back and watch out for Pecos Pete's signal,' he says, on seeing you at his side. 'We're outta here in fifteen minutes.'</p>
- <p>'I've decided I'm not goin' to Tucson with the convoy,' you reply, your voice steady and resolute. 'I'm not gonna abandon Kate. I'm the only hope she's got of cuttin' loose o' that psychopath Mad Dog Michigan, and I'm not gonna betray that hope. He's sure to have taken her with him to San Angelo, and I've thought out a plan to spring her from there while he's busy fixin' a deal with the Angelinos gang.</p>
- <p>'I understand how you feel, Cal,' says Cutter, sympathetically, 'but you've a duty to the rest o' the colony that you can't just ignore. You're the convoy scout, the convoy's eyes and ears. We're gonna need you to get us across the mountains in one piece.'</p>
- <p>'Rickenbacker in his micro-glider can scout for the convoy. With a CB on board he could stay in radio contact with Pop and be your eyes in the sky. He'd make the best scout the convoy could ask for,' you reply, convincingly.</p>
- <p>Cutter stares at you in silence then, begrudgingly, he nods in agreement. 'OK, Cal. As soon as we're safely away from here I'll talk to the others and get them to listen to your plan. But first we've gotta concern ourselves with gettin' out o' here in one piece<ch.emdash/>agreed?'</p>
- <p>'Agreed,' you reply, relieved that at last you have told someone your decision to rescue Kate.</p>
- <p>Suddenly the discordant blare of an auto horn splits the silence: it is Pecos Pete's signal to the other drivers to start their engines. Quickly you return to your roadster and, as you fire up its engine, you see the twin tail lights of the school bus shrinking in the dark as it heads towards the now-open freeway gate. The breakout has begun.</p>
+ <p>In near-blackness you service and refuel your roadster by sense of touch alone, while all around you the chill night air is alive with movement and whispering as your fellow colonists furtively attend to their allotted tasks. Although you cannot see them you know exactly the positions of the five other road vehicles that comprise the convoy. At the head of the line, twenty paces back from the west freeway gate, is the armoured tow truck that will lead the breakout. The driver is <quote>Pecos</quote> Pete Tyler, and beside him you can picture his brother Rex riding shotgun. In the open back of their truck is Rickenbacker, a former flying circus stunt pilot, who has chosen to ride out in the open so that he can look after <quote>Icarus</quote><ch.emdash/>his motorized hang glider<ch.emdash/>which by now he will have carefully dismantled and strapped aboard. Next in line are two Amcorp Landcruisers<ch.emdash/>solar-assisted roadbuses that carry the Big Spring colonists, and behind them is positioned the gasolene tanker with Uncle Jonas at the wheel. The DC1 school bus is next and your roadster last, the back marker until the convoy is clear of Big Spring.</p>
+ <p>Once your preparations are complete you leave your vehicle and feel your way along the side of the school bus towards the boarding door. Cutter is sitting in the driver<ch.apos/>s seat, staring thoughtfully at the night sky, his face lit by the faint green glow of the instrument panel.</p>
+ <p><quote>Cal, you<ch.apos/>d better get back and watch out for Pecos Pete<ch.apos/>s signal,</quote> he says, on seeing you at his side. <quote>We<ch.apos/>re outta here in fifteen minutes.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>ve decided I<ch.apos/>m not goin<ch.apos/> to Tucson with the convoy,</quote> you reply, your voice steady and resolute. <quote>I<ch.apos/>m not gonna abandon Kate. I<ch.apos/>m the only hope she<ch.apos/>s got of cuttin<ch.apos/> loose o<ch.apos/> that psychopath Mad Dog Michigan, and I<ch.apos/>m not gonna betray that hope. He<ch.apos/>s sure to have taken her with him to San Angelo, and I<ch.apos/>ve thought out a plan to spring her from there while he<ch.apos/>s busy fixin<ch.apos/> a deal with the Angelinos gang.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>I understand how you feel, Cal,</quote> says Cutter, sympathetically, <quote>but you<ch.apos/>ve a duty to the rest o<ch.apos/> the colony that you can<ch.apos/>t just ignore. You<ch.apos/>re the convoy scout, the convoy<ch.apos/>s eyes and ears. We<ch.apos/>re gonna need you to get us across the mountains in one piece.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Rickenbacker in his micro-glider can scout for the convoy. With a CB on board he could stay in radio contact with Pop and be your eyes in the sky. He<ch.apos/>d make the best scout the convoy could ask for,</quote> you reply, convincingly.</p>
+ <p>Cutter stares at you in silence then, begrudgingly, he nods in agreement. <quote>OK, Cal. As soon as we<ch.apos/>re safely away from here I<ch.apos/>ll talk to the others and get them to listen to your plan. But first we<ch.apos/>ve gotta concern ourselves with gettin<ch.apos/> out o<ch.apos/> here in one piece<ch.emdash/>agreed?</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Agreed,</quote> you reply, relieved that at last you have told someone your decision to rescue Kate.</p>
+ <p>Suddenly the discordant blare of an auto horn splits the silence: it is Pecos Pete<ch.apos/>s signal to the other drivers to start their engines. Quickly you return to your roadster and, as you fire up its engine, you see the twin tail lights of the school bus shrinking in the dark as it heads towards the now-open freeway gate. The breakout has begun.</p>
<choice idref="sect293"><link-text>Turn to 293</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
</footnotes>
<data>
- <p>The crack of your pistol shot is echoed by the clansman's shocked scream.<a id="sect4-1" idref="sect4-1-foot" class="footnote" /> He drops the knife and clutches his hands to his wound before crashing lifelessly to the floor. With fear in their eyes, the other two reach for their pistols as they back away hastily from the guard's bloodstained body.</p>
+ <p>The crack of your pistol shot is echoed by the clansman<ch.apos/>s shocked scream.<a id="sect4-1" idref="sect4-1-foot" class="footnote" /> He drops the knife and clutches his hands to his wound before crashing lifelessly to the floor. With fear in their eyes, the other two reach for their pistols as they back away hastily from the guard<ch.apos/>s bloodstained body.</p>
<choice idref="sect335"><link-text>Turn to 335</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>5</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Your killing blow tears open the sniper's chest and flings him to the floor like a torn puppet. With a gurgling groan he rolls over on to his back and dies, his rifle still clutched in his hands. (If you wish to keep this weapon, you discover that it contains eight rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.)</p>
- <p>You walk to the window and shout an 'all clear' to the others in the street below before you turn to leave.</p>
+ <p>Your killing blow tears open the sniper<ch.apos/>s chest and flings him to the floor like a torn puppet. With a gurgling groan he rolls over on to his back and dies, his rifle still clutched in his hands. (If you wish to keep this weapon, you discover that it contains eight rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.)</p>
+ <p>You walk to the window and shout an <quote>all clear</quote> to the others in the street below before you turn to leave.</p>
<choice idref="sect239"><link-text>Turn to 239</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>7</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>This corridor services a number of offices and conference rooms before it ends at a wide staircase leading downwards. You descend three floors and discover the remains of a large private restaurant which, along with the kitchen, occupies most of the sub-basement level. A small 'fire exit' sign hangs over the double doors leading to the kitchen and you head straight for them.</p>
+ <p>This corridor services a number of offices and conference rooms before it ends at a wide staircase leading downwards. You descend three floors and discover the remains of a large private restaurant which, along with the kitchen, occupies most of the sub-basement level. A small <quote>fire exit</quote> sign hangs over the double doors leading to the kitchen and you head straight for them.</p>
<p>As you are crossing the restaurant floor, your rumbling stomach reminds you that you have yet to eat anything today. Then the thought occurs to you that there could still be some canned food in the kitchen, and you decide to search it before you leave the building.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Perception skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect159">If your total score is now 11 or less, <link-text>turn to 159</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>9</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>To your left is the open doorway of an empty locker room and you slip inside quickly to avoid being seen by the two guards. Having already removed the grenade from your pack, you set its variable timer to detonate four seconds after the pin is pulled. A quick glance into the corridor lets you know the guards' position; you pull the pin and lob the grenade at them.</p>
+ <p>To your left is the open doorway of an empty locker room and you slip inside quickly to avoid being seen by the two guards. Having already removed the grenade from your pack, you set its variable timer to detonate four seconds after the pin is pulled. A quick glance into the corridor lets you know the guards<ch.apos/> position; you pull the pin and lob the grenade at them.</p>
<p>In the confines of the corridor the grenade explodes with devastating effect. Even though you are in an adjacent room, shielded from the direct blast, the concussion makes your ears ring and leaves you gasping for breath. You grab a towel that is hanging behind the door and use it to cover your mouth as you run down the smoke-filled corridor. The clansmen lie dead at the foot of the stairs. As you leap over their bodies and ascend the steps, you see the door to the observation block begin to open.</p>
<choice idref="sect268"><link-text>Turn to 268</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>11</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Kate rushes over to the dead man's bike and salvages a machine pistol, while you return to the car and finish the repair. The sight of their leader dead leaves the remaining clansmen in a state of confusion, which lasts just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car with Kate.</p>
- <p>As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the Angelino scouts cradling their leader's body on the bank of the South Concho River.</p>
+ <p>Kate rushes over to the dead man<ch.apos/>s bike and salvages a machine pistol, while you return to the car and finish the repair. The sight of their leader dead leaves the remaining clansmen in a state of confusion, which lasts just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car with Kate.</p>
+ <p>As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the Angelino scouts cradling their leader<ch.apos/>s body on the bank of the South Concho River.</p>
<choice idref="sect249"><link-text>Turn to 249</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>For three long, hot, tedious hours you sit watching the two clansmen through your binoculars (during which time you must take a Drink or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points). You see them finish their meal and then attend to the repair of one of their motorcycle engines. You are beginning to fear that they have no intention of ever leaving the bridge, when another biker appears atop a ridge of high ground on the far side of the river. He approaches them and stops briefly to talk. Then the two clansmen mount their machines and follow him back across the bridge, accelerating away to the south.</p>
- <p>Once you are sure that it is safe to continue, you start your engine and drive towards the bridge. As you approach the entrance you see the remains of the clansmen's campfire, its ashes still smouldering.</p>
+ <p>Once you are sure that it is safe to continue, you start your engine and drive towards the bridge. As you approach the entrance you see the remains of the clansmen<ch.apos/>s campfire, its ashes still smouldering.</p>
<choice idref="sect111">If you wish to stop and search the area around the campfire, <link-text>turn to 111</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect213">If you decide to cross the bridge and press on towards San Angelo, <link-text>turn to 213</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>14</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>A hail of automatic rifle fire tears into the sides and rear of the jeep as you crash your way through the barrier and accelerate across the open ground. You are twenty yards from the safety of the southern ruins when two bullets penetrate the jeep's gasolene tank.</p>
+ <p>A hail of automatic rifle fire tears into the sides and rear of the jeep as you crash your way through the barrier and accelerate across the open ground. You are twenty yards from the safety of the southern ruins when two bullets penetrate the jeep<ch.apos/>s gasolene tank.</p>
<p>The steel-jacketed rounds cause a spark that ignites the fuel, and, in one chilling instant, the vehicle is transformed into a blazing fireball. A kaleidoscope of shapes assails your eyes as the jeep somersaults end-over-end, before you are engulfed by a wave of searing white heat that kills you instantly.</p>
<p>Tragically, your journey and your life come to an end here in San Angelo.</p>
</data>
<meta><title>15</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today's event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
+ <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today<ch.apos/>s event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
<p>Facing you, on the far side of the stadium, is the glass-fronted observation block that was once used by television and radio commentators. Your curiosity is aroused by it when you notice that the door to the block is heavily guarded. Fixedly you stare at its full-length windows and count five occupants: four clansmen and one blonde-haired girl. You cannot see her face clearly, but you know that she is Kate Norton.</p>
<choice idref="sect346"><link-text>Turn to 346</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>The bullets whine as they ricochet off the side of the Chevrolet and pass within inches of your body. You reach cover and Kate tosses her machine pistol to you over the side of the roadster. You catch it near the ground, but before you can draw back the firing bolt and return fire, you spot the outline of a man standing away to your right. He is armed with a pistol and he has you dead in his sights.</p>
- <p>'Do like the man said, buddy, or take your last breath,' he says, and reluctantly you let the G-12 slip to the ground.</p>
- <p>'Ain't no good you hidin' in there, honey,' says the voice from the pay booth. There is a pause, then slowly Kate climbs out of the car and stands beside you.</p>
+ <p><quote>Do like the man said, buddy, or take your last breath,</quote> he says, and reluctantly you let the G-12 slip to the ground.</p>
+ <p><quote>Ain<ch.apos/>t no good you hidin<ch.apos/> in there, honey,</quote> says the voice from the pay booth. There is a pause, then slowly Kate climbs out of the car and stands beside you.</p>
<p>The man with the pistol is tall and muscular and dressed in green army fatigues. His blond hair is cropped close to his head and his eyes are hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses. With his pistol still aimed at your heart, he walks slowly towards you, stopping at the entrance to the pay booth. Two more men in uniform emerge from the doorway<ch.emdash/>the rifleman and one other, armed with a sawn-off shotgun.</p>
- <p>'They don't look like clan punks, Sarge,' says the rifleman.</p>
- <p>'We're not,' interrupts Kate. 'We're running from the clans.'</p>
- <p>Bemused, the blond-haired man scratches his chin and turns to say something quietly to his two companions. It is then that you notice the faded sergeant stripes and the circular globe-of-the-world emblem that adorn his sleeve. Instantly you recognize the latter: it is the emblem of the World Defence League. At length, he turns to face you once more and says, in a friendlier tone, 'I think you two had better tell us your story.'</p>
+ <p><quote>They don<ch.apos/>t look like clan punks, Sarge,</quote> says the rifleman.</p>
+ <p><quote>We<ch.apos/>re not,</quote> interrupts Kate. <quote>We<ch.apos/>re running from the clans.</quote></p>
+ <p>Bemused, the blond-haired man scratches his chin and turns to say something quietly to his two companions. It is then that you notice the faded sergeant stripes and the circular globe-of-the-world emblem that adorn his sleeve. Instantly you recognize the latter: it is the emblem of the World Defence League. At length, he turns to face you once more and says, in a friendlier tone, <quote>I think you two had better tell us your story.</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect321"><link-text>Turn to 321</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>17</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Mad Dog Michigan is poised to shoot you dead when suddenly a loud cheer fills the stadium. Ricky Riot, the top Angelinos rider, has just crossed the line and won the race, and it is this victory cry that distracts Mad Dog's aim at the vital second. His shot goes awry, hitting the lifeless body of Mekong Mike, who is slumped at your feet. He fires again but this time the pistol jams. In desperation he hurls the weapon at your head. You dive to avoid it and it glances off your shoulder: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
+ <p>Mad Dog Michigan is poised to shoot you dead when suddenly a loud cheer fills the stadium. Ricky Riot, the top Angelinos rider, has just crossed the line and won the race, and it is this victory cry that distracts Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s aim at the vital second. His shot goes awry, hitting the lifeless body of Mekong Mike, who is slumped at your feet. He fires again but this time the pistol jams. In desperation he hurls the weapon at your head. You dive to avoid it and it glances off your shoulder: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
<p>When you get to your feet your enemy is speaking into a radio handset. In his hand he now holds another pistol and, with a cruel sneer, he raises it and takes deliberate aim at your head. He is about to squeeze the trigger when Kate appears behind him with a wooden stool clutched unsteadily in her hands. With one fell stroke she smashes it down upon his head and leaves him sprawled unconscious on the floor.</p>
<choice idref="sect45"><link-text>Turn to 45</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<li>Enough canned food for five Meals</li>
</ul>
<p>If you choose to keep any of the items in either list, remember to adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly.</p>
- <p>Before leaving the kitchen, you hide the clansman's body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that leads to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
+ <p>Before leaving the kitchen, you hide the clansman<ch.apos/>s body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that leads to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
<choice idref="sect269"><link-text>Turn to 269</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>The track leads to a cluster of log cabins and adobe huts that look as if they have only recently been constructed. Nearby, erected around the entrance to a cave, you see a palisade and, standing at the gate in this wall of logs, you notice a large group of men, women and children. They are dressed in animal skins, and their faces and hair are dyed with bright colours. At your approach they scurry inside the gate and take cover behind their log wall.</p>
- <p>The instant you bring your roadster to a halt you smell the strong, oily aroma of gasolene. With trepidation you inspect the bullet-riddled trunk and discover, to your horror, that gasolene is gushing from the spare fuel containers. They are so badly holed that an attempt at repairing them would be futile. The roar of your pursuer's motorcycle is growing louder, and Kate urges you to abandon the car and take cover with the others behind the wall of logs. You nod your agreement and run towards the gate but as you get nearer, a man steps forward to block your access. He is holding a loaded bow. A flint-tipped arrow is drawn taught to his lips and he is pointing it at your chest.</p>
+ <p>The instant you bring your roadster to a halt you smell the strong, oily aroma of gasolene. With trepidation you inspect the bullet-riddled trunk and discover, to your horror, that gasolene is gushing from the spare fuel containers. They are so badly holed that an attempt at repairing them would be futile. The roar of your pursuer<ch.apos/>s motorcycle is growing louder, and Kate urges you to abandon the car and take cover with the others behind the wall of logs. You nod your agreement and run towards the gate but as you get nearer, a man steps forward to block your access. He is holding a loaded bow. A flint-tipped arrow is drawn taught to his lips and he is pointing it at your chest.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<creator>Brian Williams</creator>
</footnotes>
<data>
- <p>You pull the trigger and immediately duck your head behind the roadster's reinforced steel door.<a id="sect26-1" idref="sect26-1-foot" class="footnote" /> The speed of your reflexes saves you from being hit by the Maverick's gunfire as, in the throes of death, he empties his pistol into the side of your car.</p>
- <p>With the screams of the other clansmen ringing in your ears, you force yourself to concentrate on restarting your roadster. This time, despite an almost overwhelming urge to stamp the pedal straight through the floor, you take your foot off the gas as you turn the ignition switch. The move works<ch.emdash/>the engine roars back to life<ch.emdash/>and within seconds you are accelerating away from the Mavericks with your eyes glued firmly on the convoy's tail lights, glowing red in the distance. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the school bus and pass beyond range of the clansmen's guns.</p>
+ <p>You pull the trigger and immediately duck your head behind the roadster<ch.apos/>s reinforced steel door.<a id="sect26-1" idref="sect26-1-foot" class="footnote" /> The speed of your reflexes saves you from being hit by the Maverick<ch.apos/>s gunfire as, in the throes of death, he empties his pistol into the side of your car.</p>
+ <p>With the screams of the other clansmen ringing in your ears, you force yourself to concentrate on restarting your roadster. This time, despite an almost overwhelming urge to stamp the pedal straight through the floor, you take your foot off the gas as you turn the ignition switch. The move works<ch.emdash/>the engine roars back to life<ch.emdash/>and within seconds you are accelerating away from the Mavericks with your eyes glued firmly on the convoy<ch.apos/>s tail lights, glowing red in the distance. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the school bus and pass beyond range of the clansmen<ch.apos/>s guns.</p>
<choice idref="sect312"><link-text>Turn to 312</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>29</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You awake shortly after dawn, your neck stiff and aching after an uncomfortable night's sleep. Little light is filtering from the surface of this underground lot, but there is sufficient for you to be able to take stock of your surroundings and make sure that you are alone. After checking your equipment, you leave your roadster and ascend to the surface, where you make a mental note of this location before beginning your trek towards the downtown stronghold of the Angelinos.</p>
- <p>The heat is bearable at this early hour and you encounter no sign of the city's occupants as stealthily you make your way through the shattered streets. An hour later you reach the southern section of their perimeter wall and stop to observe those who are guarding it. They look like a motley group of criminals armed with an assortment of weapons and equipment, much of which appears rusty and incapable of functioning. All that identifies them as Angelinos is the symbol they wear on their jackets and T-shirts: the skull of a long-horned steer.</p>
+ <p>You awake shortly after dawn, your neck stiff and aching after an uncomfortable night<ch.apos/>s sleep. Little light is filtering from the surface of this underground lot, but there is sufficient for you to be able to take stock of your surroundings and make sure that you are alone. After checking your equipment, you leave your roadster and ascend to the surface, where you make a mental note of this location before beginning your trek towards the downtown stronghold of the Angelinos.</p>
+ <p>The heat is bearable at this early hour and you encounter no sign of the city<ch.apos/>s occupants as stealthily you make your way through the shattered streets. An hour later you reach the southern section of their perimeter wall and stop to observe those who are guarding it. They look like a motley group of criminals armed with an assortment of weapons and equipment, much of which appears rusty and incapable of functioning. All that identifies them as Angelinos is the symbol they wear on their jackets and T-shirts: the skull of a long-horned steer.</p>
<p>After having studied the defences and watched the guards for the better part of an hour, you decide that the best place to gain entry to the stronghold is through an office block that interrupts the perimeter wall. The wooden planks that have been used to seal it are warped and split, and gaining entry to the building should not prove too difficult. Patiently you wait for the right moment before you break cover and sprint across the rubble-strewn street towards the main entrance.</p>
<choice idref="sect189"><link-text>Turn to 189</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>You radio back to the convoy that you have sighted something suspicious in the hills to the south. You bring your roadster to a halt, and, as the convoy draws closer, Cutter disembarks and comes running forward to find out more. You point out the place on the ridge where you saw the reflections, and he scans the area with his powerful binoculars.</p>
- <p>'Whatever was up there has gone now, Cal,' he says. 'If it was clan scouts you saw then we'd better keep on movin' before they rustle up enough of their kin to bushwhack us.'</p>
+ <p><quote>Whatever was up there has gone now, Cal,</quote> he says. <quote>If it was clan scouts you saw then we<ch.apos/>d better keep on movin<ch.apos/> before they rustle up enough of their kin to bushwhack us.</quote></p>
<p>You keep a watchful eye on the ridge as you lead the convoy along this section of the freeway. Anxiously you expect an ambush to take place at any time, but, despite your fears, an attack does not materialize. At length, the stores and houses of Van Horn appear on the road ahead. The town looks deserted but you decide to take no chances. You bring the convoy to a halt within a mile of the town limits and, accompanied by Sergeant Haskell, you leave your roadster and enter on foot to check that the place is safe for the convoy to pass through.</p>
- <p>The tumbledown buildings are deathly quiet as you walk along the main street of Van Horn, and you notice nothing out of the ordinary until you reach a bar near the centre of the town. A motorcycle is parked beside the entrance, its fuel tank emblazoned with the ace of spades emblem of the Mavericks clan. You decide to search the bar and, if possible, try to capture and question the bike's owner. Haskell suggests that it would be a good idea if one of you were to enter by the rear door and you nod your agreement.</p>
+ <p>The tumbledown buildings are deathly quiet as you walk along the main street of Van Horn, and you notice nothing out of the ordinary until you reach a bar near the centre of the town. A motorcycle is parked beside the entrance, its fuel tank emblazoned with the ace of spades emblem of the Mavericks clan. You decide to search the bar and, if possible, try to capture and question the bike<ch.apos/>s owner. Haskell suggests that it would be a good idea if one of you were to enter by the rear door and you nod your agreement.</p>
<choice idref="sect131">If you wish to enter the bar from the rear, <link-text>turn to 131</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect13">If you choose to enter the bar through the front door, <link-text>turn to 13</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>Quickly you stop the car and peer through your binoculars at the little town of Christoval.</p>
- <p>'Can y'see what's kickin' up that dust?' asks Kate.</p>
- <p>'Looks like a pack of wild coyote fighting among themselves,' you reply, as you focus on the action taking place at the centre of the town.</p>
- <p>'Hey, Cal,' she replies, tugging at your sleeve; 'that ain't the dust I'm talkin' about.'</p>
+ <p><quote>Can y<ch.apos/>see what<ch.apos/>s kickin<ch.apos/> up that dust?</quote> asks Kate.</p>
+ <p><quote>Looks like a pack of wild coyote fighting among themselves,</quote> you reply, as you focus on the action taking place at the centre of the town.</p>
+ <p><quote>Hey, Cal,</quote> she replies, tugging at your sleeve; <quote>that ain<ch.apos/>t the dust I<ch.apos/>m talkin<ch.apos/> about.</quote></p>
<p>Lowering your lenses, you turn to see her pointing back along the highway at another dust cloud, which is fast approaching. You do not need binoculars to be able to see that it is being kicked up by a pack of bikers, who have come racing out of San Angelo.</p>
- <p>'I think it's time we were movin' on,' says Kate, uneasily.</p>
- <p>'I think you're right,' you reply, as hurriedly you reach for the ignition switch.</p>
+ <p><quote>I think it<ch.apos/>s time we were movin<ch.apos/> on,</quote> says Kate, uneasily.</p>
+ <p><quote>I think you<ch.apos/>re right,</quote> you reply, as hurriedly you reach for the ignition switch.</p>
<choice idref="sect310"><link-text>Turn to 310</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>Bellowing like an angry bull, you burst through the kitchen doors with your gun held before you, ready to fire. To your left you sense a movement and you turn to face it. A clansman is crouching in front of a food locker, trying to prise the door open with the edge of a meat cleaver. When he sees you his eyes open wide with shock.</p>
- <p>'I'd drop it!' you shout.</p>
- <p>'I'll drop you!' he screams in reply, and draws the cleaver back in preparation to throw it at your chest.</p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>d drop it!</quote> you shout.</p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>ll drop you!</quote> he screams in reply, and draws the cleaver back in preparation to throw it at your chest.</p>
<p>You shoot once and hit the clansman in the head, the force of your gunfire spinning his body across the kitchen floor and killing him instantly.<a id="sect35-1" idref="sect35-1-foot" class="footnote" /> Slowly you lower your smoking barrel and walk forward to search the body of your would-be attacker.</p>
<choice idref="sect126"><link-text>Turn to 126</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>37</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You are almost relieved to see that the cause of your irritation is a small, brown, spindly legged spider. Casually you raise your right hand to slap it from your arm, but just as you bring your hand down, Kate's eyes widen with fear. 'No!' she says. 'It's a Fiddleback!'</p>
+ <p>You are almost relieved to see that the cause of your irritation is a small, brown, spindly legged spider. Casually you raise your right hand to slap it from your arm, but just as you bring your hand down, Kate<ch.apos/>s eyes widen with fear. <quote>No!</quote> she says. <quote>It<ch.apos/>s a Fiddleback!</quote></p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
- <choice idref="sect202">If the number you have picked is 0-6, <link-text>turn to 202</link-text>.</choice>
- <choice idref="sect280">If it is 7-9, <link-text>turn to 280</link-text>.</choice>
+ <choice idref="sect202">If the number you have picked is 0<ch.endash/>6, <link-text>turn to 202</link-text>.</choice>
+ <choice idref="sect280">If it is 7<ch.endash/>9, <link-text>turn to 280</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>44</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Kate discovers that you are carrying an anti-toxin in your Medi-kit that will neutralize the Fiddleback
's bite. She breaks open the ampoule and forces the bitter liquid into your mouth, washing it down with a few drops of water from your canteen (remember to erase this Medi-kit unit from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>).</p>
+ <p>Kate discovers that you are carrying an anti-toxin in your Medi-kit that will neutralize the Fiddleback
<ch.apos/>s bite. She breaks open the ampoule and forces the bitter liquid into your mouth, washing it down with a few drops of water from your canteen (remember to erase this Medi-kit unit from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>).</p>
<p>It is slow to work, but gradually you recover as the anti-toxin breaks down the poison circulating in your bloodstream: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
<choice idref="sect291"><link-text>Turn to 291</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>45</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You rush forward to take Kate in your arms and she yields to your embrace with a kiss that is warm and passionate. 'I thought I'd never see you again, Cal,' she says, her voice trembling and her wide blue eyes brimful with tears of joy. 'They told me you were dead.'</p>
- <p>'Do I look dead?' you reply, half-jokingly.</p>
- <p>'No <ch.ellips/>' she laughs. 'You look just great.'</p>
+ <p>You rush forward to take Kate in your arms and she yields to your embrace with a kiss that is warm and passionate. <quote>I thought I<ch.apos/>d never see you again, Cal,</quote> she says, her voice trembling and her wide blue eyes brimful with tears of joy. <quote>They told me you were dead.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Do I look dead?</quote> you reply, half-jokingly.</p>
+ <p><quote>No <ch.ellips/></quote> she laughs. <quote>You look just great.</quote></p>
<p>Then the sound of running feet alerts you both to approaching danger. Before Kate knocked him out, Mad Dog radioed his men and reported your presence in the observation block. Now a dozen of his toughest clansmen are racing along the corridor in answer to his call.</p>
- <p>
'Let's get outta here, Cal!' says Kate, and starts to run towards a fire escape door. You follow her, pausing briefly to snatch the map that the two clan leaders were studying when you burst into the room. (Record this <typ class="item">Mad Dog Map</typ> in the margin of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>; you carry it tucked inside your jacket and therefore you need not record it as a Backpack item.)</p>
- <p>You race to catch up with Kate as she runs along the gantry that lies on the other side of the door. A burst of machine pistol fire echoes in your wake as the first of Mad Dog's men enter the observation room. Bullets begin to scream past on either side of you. Twenty yards along the iron gantry you come under additional fire from clansmen in the stadium below.</p>
+ <p>
<quote>Let<ch.apos/>s get outta here, Cal!</quote> says Kate, and starts to run towards a fire escape door. You follow her, pausing briefly to snatch the map that the two clan leaders were studying when you burst into the room. (Record this <typ class="item">Mad Dog Map</typ> in the margin of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>; you carry it tucked inside your jacket and therefore you need not record it as a Backpack item.)</p>
+ <p>You race to catch up with Kate as she runs along the gantry that lies on the other side of the door. A burst of machine pistol fire echoes in your wake as the first of Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s men enter the observation room. Bullets begin to scream past on either side of you. Twenty yards along the iron gantry you come under additional fire from clansmen in the stadium below.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
</footnotes>
<data>
- <p>The sharp report of your rifle is echoed by the clansman's shocked scream as your bullet passes straight through his body and punches a hole in the observation window behind.<a id="sect49-1" idref="sect49-1-foot" class="footnote" /> He drops his knife and clutches his hands to his wound before crashing lifelessly to the floor. With fear in their eyes, the other two reach for their holstered pistols as hurriedly they back away from the guard's bloodstained body.</p>
+ <p>The sharp report of your rifle is echoed by the clansman<ch.apos/>s shocked scream as your bullet passes straight through his body and punches a hole in the observation window behind.<a id="sect49-1" idref="sect49-1-foot" class="footnote" /> He drops his knife and clutches his hands to his wound before crashing lifelessly to the floor. With fear in their eyes, the other two reach for their holstered pistols as hurriedly they back away from the guard<ch.apos/>s bloodstained body.</p>
<choice idref="sect335"><link-text>Turn to 335</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>The valve clicks open<a id="sect52-1" idref="sect52-1-foot" class="footnote" /> and the tell-tale aroma of gasolene rises from the tank to greet your nostrils. A fuel gauge on the inside edge of the valve shows you that the tank contains 125 gallons of premium unleaded gasolene, more than sufficient for your needs. When the others come to inspect your handiwork they congratulate you unstintingly.</p>
- <p>After filling the tank of your roadster, Sergeant Haskell and his men set about destroying the remainder of the fuel to prevent it from falling into the hands of Mad Dog Michigan's clansmen. Then, with a view of the station ablaze in your driving mirror, you set off west along Freeway 10 to keep your rendezvous with the convoy.</p>
+ <p>After filling the tank of your roadster, Sergeant Haskell and his men set about destroying the remainder of the fuel to prevent it from falling into the hands of Mad Dog Michigan<ch.apos/>s clansmen. Then, with a view of the station ablaze in your driving mirror, you set off west along Freeway 10 to keep your rendezvous with the convoy.</p>
<choice idref="sect300"><link-text>Turn to 300</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>53</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Automatically you check to see that your safety catch is set on 'Fire'. Then you take a deep breath as you get ready to make your move.</p>
+ <p>Automatically you check to see that your safety catch is set on <quote>Fire</quote>. Then you take a deep breath as you get ready to make your move.</p>
<choice idref="sect40">If the weapon you are holding is a Pistol, <link-text>turn to 40</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect271">If it is a Machine Pistol, <link-text>turn to 271</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect181">If it is a Shotgun, <link-text>turn to 181</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>When eventually you regain consciousness, you feel as though you have broken every bone in your body (lose 6 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points). Fortunately, your bones are still intact and, as your strength returns, you look around for some means of escaping from the shaft.</p>
<p>Eventually you discover a service hatch in the roof of the elevator. The bolts undo with little resistance and you are able to lower yourself into the elevator compartment. Without power, the doors will not respond to the control buttons, but an emergency crank located in the floor allows you to wind them open by hand.</p>
- <p>Beyond the doors you discover the remains of a large private restaurant which, along with its kitchen, occupies most of the sub-basement level. A small 'fire exit' sign hangs over the double doors leading to the kitchen and you head straight towards them. As you are crossing the restaurant floor, your rumbling stomach reminds you that you have yet to eat anything today. Then the thought occurs to you that there could still be some canned food in the kitchen and you resolve to search it before you leave the building.</p>
+ <p>Beyond the doors you discover the remains of a large private restaurant which, along with its kitchen, occupies most of the sub-basement level. A small <quote>fire exit</quote> sign hangs over the double doors leading to the kitchen and you head straight towards them. As you are crossing the restaurant floor, your rumbling stomach reminds you that you have yet to eat anything today. Then the thought occurs to you that there could still be some canned food in the kitchen and you resolve to search it before you leave the building.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Perception skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect159">If your total score is now 11 or less, <link-text>turn to 159</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect233">If it is 12 or more, <link-text>turn to 233</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>After your meal you try to think where you might find some gasolene. Sergeant Haskell and his men<ch.emdash/>Marines Gunter and Knott<ch.emdash/>have searched every square inch of Fort Stockton and know that there is none to be had here.</p>
- <p>'What we need is an old road map,' says Haskell. 'One that would show us where the freeway rest stops and gas stations in this area were located.'</p>
- <p>'I've got a map,' you volunteer, and take from your jacket the map that you snatched from Mad Dog Michigan's table at the stadium in San Angelo.</p>
- <p>'Hey, where did you get this?' says Haskell, as he examines the notes and other markings that have been made on the map of the United States. You tell him its origins and he scrutinizes it at length. Finally, he comments, 'What you've got here is a blueprint of a major HAVOC operation to take over the country. This is one hot piece of property: it shows clan strengths, supply areas, HAVOC strongholds, controlled cities, everything<ch.emdash/>even pockets of WDL resistance on the eastern seaboard. We've gotta get this to El Paso. If there's anything left of WDL headquarters then they must be warned about what is happening in the East.'</p>
- <p>'OK,' you reply, uneasily, 'but what about fuel? My roadster has barely enough to make it another twenty miles. All we need is enough gas to get as far as Kent in time for the rendezvous with the colony. Then we can refuel from the tanker and you can catch a ride with us all the way to Fort Bliss.'</p>
- <p>'There's a rest stop here,' replies Haskell, pointing to the map at a place on Interstate 10 that is half-way between Fort Stockton and a town called Brogado. 'There's no knowing if there's still any gas in its storage tanks but it's our only hope. It looks like a 25-mile-drive<ch.emdash/>do you think you can make it?'</p>
- <p>'I can try,' you reply. 'Like you say, it's our only hope.'</p>
+ <p><quote>What we need is an old road map,</quote> says Haskell. <quote>One that would show us where the freeway rest stops and gas stations in this area were located.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>ve got a map,</quote> you volunteer, and take from your jacket the map that you snatched from Mad Dog Michigan<ch.apos/>s table at the stadium in San Angelo.</p>
+ <p><quote>Hey, where did you get this?</quote> says Haskell, as he examines the notes and other markings that have been made on the map of the United States. You tell him its origins and he scrutinizes it at length. Finally, he comments, <quote>What you<ch.apos/>ve got here is a blueprint of a major HAVOC operation to take over the country. This is one hot piece of property: it shows clan strengths, supply areas, HAVOC strongholds, controlled cities, everything<ch.emdash/>even pockets of WDL resistance on the eastern seaboard. We<ch.apos/>ve gotta get this to El Paso. If there<ch.apos/>s anything left of WDL headquarters then they must be warned about what is happening in the East.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>OK,</quote> you reply, uneasily, <quote>but what about fuel? My roadster has barely enough to make it another twenty miles. All we need is enough gas to get as far as Kent in time for the rendezvous with the colony. Then we can refuel from the tanker and you can catch a ride with us all the way to Fort Bliss.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>There<ch.apos/>s a rest stop here,</quote> replies Haskell, pointing to the map at a place on Interstate 10 that is half-way between Fort Stockton and a town called Brogado. <quote>There<ch.apos/>s no knowing if there<ch.apos/>s still any gas in its storage tanks but it<ch.apos/>s our only hope. It looks like a 25-mile-drive<ch.emdash/>do you think you can make it?</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>I can try,</quote> you reply. <quote>Like you say, it<ch.apos/>s our only hope.</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect281"><link-text>Turn to 281</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>59</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The heat of the sun hits you like a blazing hammer as you walk back to your roadster. Slowly you ease yourself into the driving seat and pause for a few moments to look at your <a idref="map">map</a>. You estimate that Sterling City is a little over thirty miles away, less than an hour's drive if the highway and your luck hold out.</p>
+ <p>The heat of the sun hits you like a blazing hammer as you walk back to your roadster. Slowly you ease yourself into the driving seat and pause for a few moments to look at your <a idref="map">map</a>. You estimate that Sterling City is a little over thirty miles away, less than an hour<ch.apos/>s drive if the highway and your luck hold out.</p>
<p>You must now take a Drink or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points before you leave this ruined town, a place once known as Garden City.</p>
<choice idref="sect290"><link-text>Turn to 290</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</footnotes>
<data>
- <p>At such close range, the blast from your shotgun virtually rips the clansman in two.<a id="sect62-1" idref="sect62-1-foot" class="footnote" /> With a gurgling scream he crashes down in the middle of the table before rolling lifelessly to the floor. Hurriedly the other two reach for their pistols as, with fear in their eyes, they back away from the clansman's torn and bloodstained body.</p>
+ <p>At such close range, the blast from your shotgun virtually rips the clansman in two.<a id="sect62-1" idref="sect62-1-foot" class="footnote" /> With a gurgling scream he crashes down in the middle of the table before rolling lifelessly to the floor. Hurriedly the other two reach for their pistols as, with fear in their eyes, they back away from the clansman<ch.apos/>s torn and bloodstained body.</p>
<choice idref="sect335"><link-text>Turn to 335</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>Silently you draw your gun and slip off the safety catch. The clansman is less than six feet away when he sees you crouching on the dry river bed. His eyes widen and he opens his mouth to scream a warning to his partner, but it is a scream of pain that leaves his lips when you open fire at his chest. (Remember to erase the appropriate number of rounds from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.)</p>
- <p>As the clansman's body topples into the gully, you catch sight of his partner running head-down towards the bridge. He pauses to grab a machine pistol from his motorcycle before diving for cover behind one of the iron bridge supports. Seconds later he reappears and fires a stream of bullets at your position.</p>
+ <p>As the clansman<ch.apos/>s body topples into the gully, you catch sight of his partner running head-down towards the bridge. He pauses to grab a machine pistol from his motorcycle before diving for cover behind one of the iron bridge supports. Seconds later he reappears and fires a stream of bullets at your position.</p>
<p>You keep your head low and wait for a lull in the shooting before you break cover and return fire at the clansman.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your current Shooting skill score. For every round of fire that you wish to discharge at your opponent, add 1 point.</p>
<choice idref="sect246">If your total score is now 9 or less, <link-text>turn to 246</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You keep as still as you can and try not to breathe as a Detroit Lion clansman rummages through a tool box less than four feet from where you are hiding. Fortunately, he finds what he is looking for quickly, returns to the cab, and restarts the engine. Shortly the truck stops once again, but this time you notice that it has drawn up alongside three others in a section of the stadium that has been turned into a pits area. You slip away from the truck before the driver disembarks, and make your way through the crowds of clan mechanics and riders towards an empty section of the arena.</p>
- <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today's event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
+ <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today<ch.apos/>s event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<creator>Brian Williams</creator>
<meta><title>71</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The clansman's bullets whistle within inches of your head, and tear chunks of mineral from the stalagmites behind which you have dived. Razor-sharp splinters pepper your face and you skin your hands and knees as you land heavily on the jagged, unyielding stone floor: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
+ <p>The clansman<ch.apos/>s bullets whistle within inches of your head, and tear chunks of mineral from the stalagmites behind which you have dived. Razor-sharp splinters pepper your face and you skin your hands and knees as you land heavily on the jagged, unyielding stone floor: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
<p>Moments later the gunfire ceases and you hear the clansman utter an agonized scream. You lift your head in time to see him staggering slowly towards you, his eyes wide with pain as he works his hands frantically behind his back as if he were trying to clutch at something. Then his body stiffens, and, as he falls to the floor, you see what it was that he was trying so desperately to clasp. It is the spear-like tip of a broken stalactite, hurled from the ledge above the defile by a mortally wounded caveman in a last desperate act of defiance.</p>
<p>Kate moves forward to check that the clansman is dead and to search his body. She keeps what she needs: his machine pistol, a quantity of ammunition and his water canteen, and offers the rest of his possessions to you:</p>
<ul>
<meta><title>73</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Haskell continues to question the clansman until finally he replies. A trickle of blood escapes from his lips as, with his dying breath, he says: 'Mad Dog'll make sure you never get through <ch.ellips/>'</p>
+ <p>Haskell continues to question the clansman until finally he replies. A trickle of blood escapes from his lips as, with his dying breath, he says: <quote>Mad Dog<ch.apos/>ll make sure you never get through <ch.ellips/></quote></p>
<choice idref="sect147"><link-text>Turn to 147</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>74</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The sound of their engines is getting louder with every passing second and yet you are unable to find a safe way down to the river bed<ch.emdash/>it is far too steep. Desperately, you drive back and forth along the edge of the bank until a volley of shots echoes across the plain and the first of the clansmen's bullets start to whistle past. You have been seen.</p>
+ <p>The sound of their engines is getting louder with every passing second and yet you are unable to find a safe way down to the river bed<ch.emdash/>it is far too steep. Desperately, you drive back and forth along the edge of the bank until a volley of shots echoes across the plain and the first of the clansmen<ch.apos/>s bullets start to whistle past. You have been seen.</p>
<p>Quickly you abandon your attempt to hide and steer your roadster back on to the freeway in a frantic bid to outrun the pack. The fastest bikes give chase and relentlessly they pursue you until the leader is within twenty yards of your tail. With mounting fear, you glance in your rear-view mirror to see him draw a stubby-barrelled weapon from a tube strapped to the fuel tank. At first you think it is a sawn-off shotgun, but then you recognize the weapon and your heart sinks. It is a D-40<ch.emdash/>a laser sighted grenade launcher. You see the muzzle flash, then moments later there is a deafening explosion. The last sensation you feel is that of being hurled skyward, surrounded by fire and fragments of your roadster.</p>
<p>The armour-piercing grenade has penetrated the trunk and exploded the spare fuel tanks you were carrying. Tragically, your mission and your life end here.</p>
</data>
<meta><title>75</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>A battered Chevrolet pick-up is parked with its hood raised at one of the station's four gasolene pumps. It looks far cleaner than any of the other auto wrecks that lie scattered around the town, and your suspicions are further aroused when you notice a large black pool of oil on the ground beneath the engine compartment. You stop your roadster alongside and step out to investigate it.</p>
- <p>'Hey, this oil's still wet,' you say to Kate, as you dab your index finger in the pool. You are wiping it clean on the leg of your jeans when you hear an unexpected reply. 'Drop your weapons <ch.ellips/> or I'll drop you!'</p>
- <p>It is a man's voice and it is coming from inside a derelict pay booth.</p>
+ <p>A battered Chevrolet pick-up is parked with its hood raised at one of the station<ch.apos/>s four gasolene pumps. It looks far cleaner than any of the other auto wrecks that lie scattered around the town, and your suspicions are further aroused when you notice a large black pool of oil on the ground beneath the engine compartment. You stop your roadster alongside and step out to investigate it.</p>
+ <p><quote>Hey, this oil<ch.apos/>s still wet,</quote> you say to Kate, as you dab your index finger in the pool. You are wiping it clean on the leg of your jeans when you hear an unexpected reply. <quote>Drop your weapons <ch.ellips/> or I<ch.apos/>ll drop you!</quote></p>
+ <p>It is a man<ch.apos/>s voice and it is coming from inside a derelict pay booth.</p>
<choice idref="sect241">If you wish to obey the command, <link-text>turn to 241</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect164">If you decide to dive for cover, <link-text>turn to 164</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>76</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You help Kate to her feet and check that her windpipe has not been damaged by the clansman's attack. Her throat is badly bruised, and although you can tell she is in great discomfort, stoically she ignores the pain and suggests that you both get out of here before the dead man's confederates turn up. After stooping to snatch his pistol, she follows closely in your wake as you hurry south towards the ruins of the Sears megamarket.</p>
+ <p>You help Kate to her feet and check that her windpipe has not been damaged by the clansman<ch.apos/>s attack. Her throat is badly bruised, and although you can tell she is in great discomfort, stoically she ignores the pain and suggests that you both get out of here before the dead man<ch.apos/>s confederates turn up. After stooping to snatch his pistol, she follows closely in your wake as you hurry south towards the ruins of the Sears megamarket.</p>
<choice idref="sect106"><link-text>Turn to 106</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>77</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>At your killing blow, your adversary drops in a limp and lifeless heap at your feet. Meanwhile, his confederate has run back to his motorcycle and armed himself with a machine pistol. You dive aside just in time to avoid his first burst of fire, and, as you scurry for cover, you retrieve the pistol that you had kicked from his dead partner's hand.</p>
+ <p>At your killing blow, your adversary drops in a limp and lifeless heap at your feet. Meanwhile, his confederate has run back to his motorcycle and armed himself with a machine pistol. You dive aside just in time to avoid his first burst of fire, and, as you scurry for cover, you retrieve the pistol that you had kicked from his dead partner<ch.apos/>s hand.</p>
<p>With a vengeful scream, the clansman comes running at you, firing his machine pistol from the hip. Bullets tear up the ground where you lie, forcing you to stand up and meet this madman head on. Quickly you cock the pistol and take aim at his chest as he comes bounding across the rock-strewn highway, his teeth bared and his eyes blazing with hatred.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your current Shooting skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect151">If your total score is now 6 or less, <link-text>turn to 151</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You hand the rounds to Kate (remember to erase these from your Ammo Pouch) before you start work on changing the damaged front wheel. Quickly she reloads her pistol as the clan scout leader, believing that you are now out of ammunition, comes riding across the river, howling curses and whirling a heavy motorcycle chain in his left hand. The moment her gun is ready, she takes aim and silences the screaming Angelino with a single shot to the heart. The sight of him crashing into the river stuns the remaining clansmen just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car.</p>
- <p>As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the scouts retrieving their leader's body from the South Concho River.</p>
+ <p>As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the scouts retrieving their leader<ch.apos/>s body from the South Concho River.</p>
<choice idref="sect249"><link-text>Turn to 249</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>The wheels and tyres squeal as you stand on the brake pedal in a desperate but futile attempt to halt the skidding roadster. Then, with a shuddering jolt, the car slams sideways into the service bay door and comes to an abrupt halt. The reinforced passenger door withstands much of the impact, but the crash leaves you concussed and badly bruised (lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points).</p>
- <p>Wincing from the pain of your injuries, you try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roar past the lot. Soon they have gone and, despite your pain, your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog's men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
+ <p>Wincing from the pain of your injuries, you try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roar past the lot. Soon they have gone and, despite your pain, your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
<p>After satisfying yourself that the damage to your roadster is superficial, you cast your eyes around the derelict car lot.</p>
<choice idref="sect124">If you wish to search the lot, <link-text>turn to 124</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect342">If you wish to leave and continue your journey to San Angelo, <link-text>turn to 342</link-text>.</choice>
<p>You press your lenses to your eyes and focus on the distant ridge. Two men are climbing towards the crest of Black Peak, and although you cannot identify them, you can see that they are carrying rifles. They reach the crest, pause briefly to stare at the freeway, then continue across to the far side and disappear from sight.</p>
<p>You return to your roadster and keep a watchful eye on the ridge as you wait for the convoy to close up the gap. Then, when the vehicles are once again visible in your driving mirror, you continue along the freeway. Anxiously you expect an ambush to take place at any time, but, in spite of your fears, an attack does not materialize.</p>
<p>At length you see the stores and houses of Van Horn appear on the road ahead. The town looks deserted but you decide to take no chances. You bring the convoy to a halt within a mile of the town limits and, accompanied by Sergeant Haskell, you leave your roadster and enter on foot to check that it is safe for the convoy to pass through.</p>
- <p>The tumbledown buildings are deathly quiet as you walk along the main street of Van Horn, and you notice nothing out of the ordinary until you reach a bar near the centre of the town. A motorcycle is parked beside the entrance, its fuel tank emblazoned with the ace of spades emblem of the Mavericks clan. You decide to search the bar and, if possible, try to capture and question the bike's owner. Haskell suggests that it would be a good idea if one of you were to enter by the rear door and you nod in agreement.</p>
+ <p>The tumbledown buildings are deathly quiet as you walk along the main street of Van Horn, and you notice nothing out of the ordinary until you reach a bar near the centre of the town. A motorcycle is parked beside the entrance, its fuel tank emblazoned with the ace of spades emblem of the Mavericks clan. You decide to search the bar and, if possible, try to capture and question the bike<ch.apos/>s owner. Haskell suggests that it would be a good idea if one of you were to enter by the rear door and you nod in agreement.</p>
<choice idref="sect131">If you wish to enter the bar from the rear, <link-text>turn to 131</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect13">If you choose to enter the bar through the front door, <link-text>turn to 13</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>84</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You force yourself to breathe slowly in an attempt to calm your racing heart. The clansman's footsteps seem unbearably loud as you wait for the right moment to launch your ambush. With sweating palms, you lift your rifle, then, as he comes to a halt, you rise up from your hiding place, aim and fire.</p>
+ <p>You force yourself to breathe slowly in an attempt to calm your racing heart. The clansman<ch.apos/>s footsteps seem unbearably loud as you wait for the right moment to launch your ambush. With sweating palms, you lift your rifle, then, as he comes to a halt, you rise up from your hiding place, aim and fire.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Shooting skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect292">If your total score is 7 or less, <link-text>turn to 292</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect18">If your total score is 8 or more, <link-text>turn to 18</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You turn the handle and gently push open the door. You have taken but one step into the kitchen when a large glass storage jar falls from a shelf above your head and smashes down on your unprotected skull: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
<p>Wincing from the pain of your wound, you notice that the jar was attached by a thin cord to the inside handle of the door: it had been placed there deliberately. Not only have you lost some blood, but this primitive trap may have also lost you the element of surprise.</p>
- <p>With your nerves on edge, you advance through the kitchen and into the bar beyond. As you enter, you whisper Haskell's name in case, in the darkened interior, he mistakes you for a clansman.</p>
+ <p>With your nerves on edge, you advance through the kitchen and into the bar beyond. As you enter, you whisper Haskell<ch.apos/>s name in case, in the darkened interior, he mistakes you for a clansman.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Perception and Stealth skill scores.</p>
<choice idref="sect270">If the total score is 13 or less, <link-text>turn to 270</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect190">If the total score is 14 or more, <link-text>turn to 190</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>87</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>With numbing force, you slam the coyote's head against the dashboard and fracture its skull. Immediately, its jaws slacken and Kate is able to pull the creature away by the scruff of its neck and bundle it out of the car. You are shaken but uninjured by the attack, the thickness of your leather sleeve having protected you from the coyote's fangs. Quickly you regain full control of the roadster and steer it with consummate ease towards the Christoval bridge.</p>
+ <p>With numbing force, you slam the coyote<ch.apos/>s head against the dashboard and fracture its skull. Immediately, its jaws slacken and Kate is able to pull the creature away by the scruff of its neck and bundle it out of the car. You are shaken but uninjured by the attack, the thickness of your leather sleeve having protected you from the coyote<ch.apos/>s fangs. Quickly you regain full control of the roadster and steer it with consummate ease towards the Christoval bridge.</p>
<choice idref="sect324"><link-text>Turn to 324</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>88</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The cabin door is unlocked. With the toe of your boot you push it open and cast a sceptical eye over the debris that lies within. The hut was once used to store all the food mart's routine paper documentation, most of which now lies scattered across the floor.</p>
+ <p>The cabin door is unlocked. With the toe of your boot you push it open and cast a sceptical eye over the debris that lies within. The hut was once used to store all the food mart<ch.apos/>s routine paper documentation, most of which now lies scattered across the floor.</p>
<choice idref="sect22">If you wish to sift through the documents, <link-text>turn to 22</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect204">If you choose to abandon the hut and continue your search elsewhere, <link-text>turn to 204</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>89</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>To avoid being seen by the two guards, you slip inside a doorway to your left and discover that it leads to an empty locker room. Having already removed the signal flare from your pack, you glance quickly into the corridor in order to establish where the guards are standing. Then you hold the flare out at arm
's length, point it in their direction, and pull its ignition cord. (Remember to erase this item from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.)</p>
+ <p>To avoid being seen by the two guards, you slip inside a doorway to your left and discover that it leads to an empty locker room. Having already removed the signal flare from your pack, you glance quickly into the corridor in order to establish where the guards are standing. Then you hold the flare out at arm
<ch.apos/>s length, point it in their direction, and pull its ignition cord. (Remember to erase this item from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.)</p>
<p>In the confines of the corridor the flare erupts with devastating effect, its crimson smoke and hissing flame blinding and choking the two clan bodyguards. You grab a towel, which is hanging behind the door, and use it to cover your mouth as you run down the smoke-filled corridor. When you reach the stairs, the clansmen are incapable of defending themselves and you silence them swiftly with a close combat weapon. You are half-way up the stairs when you see the door to the observation block start to open.</p>
<choice idref="sect268"><link-text>Turn to 268</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<creator>Brian Williams</creator>
- <description>With one fell stroke Kate smashes the stool down upon Mad Dog Michigan's head.</description>
+ <description>With one fell stroke Kate smashes the stool down upon Mad Dog Michigan<ch.apos/>s head.</description>
</meta>
<instance class="html" src="ill5.gif" width="386" height="626" />
<instance class="pdf" src="ill5.pdf" width="386" height="626" />
<meta><title>92</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You dive and roll behind an auto wreck for cover. As you come to a halt, a second shot rings out and a puff of dust rises from the road near the place where you first landed. Angered by this attempt to kill you, and by the heart-rending moans of wounded Marine Gunter, you decide to flush this sniper out and even the score. Kate and the others are pinned down on the other side of the street and cannot move without exposing themselves to the sniper's sights. Only you can reach the drug store entrance with some degree of cover.</p>
- <p>When a third shot hits the helpless Gunter, your anger explodes. Despite Kate's pleas to stay down, you spring to your feet and sprint towards the drug store entrance.</p>
+ <p>You dive and roll behind an auto wreck for cover. As you come to a halt, a second shot rings out and a puff of dust rises from the road near the place where you first landed. Angered by this attempt to kill you, and by the heart-rending moans of wounded Marine Gunter, you decide to flush this sniper out and even the score. Kate and the others are pinned down on the other side of the street and cannot move without exposing themselves to the sniper<ch.apos/>s sights. Only you can reach the drug store entrance with some degree of cover.</p>
+ <p>When a third shot hits the helpless Gunter, your anger explodes. Despite Kate<ch.apos/>s pleas to stay down, you spring to your feet and sprint towards the drug store entrance.</p>
<choice idref="sect338"><link-text>Turn to 338</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>99</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You watch tensely as the bikers ride into the town. You give a silent prayer that they will pass through Eldorado without stopping, and, to your relief, your prayer is answered. With the immediate threat gone, you decide to remain where you are and get a few hours' sleep before waking Kate and continuing your journey at dawn.</p>
+ <p>You watch tensely as the bikers ride into the town. You give a silent prayer that they will pass through Eldorado without stopping, and, to your relief, your prayer is answered. With the immediate threat gone, you decide to remain where you are and get a few hours<ch.apos/> sleep before waking Kate and continuing your journey at dawn.</p>
<p>In the clear light of early morning you can see for miles across the rocky plain that surrounds the highway south of Eldorado. Although it appears empty, you remain on the alert every second of your drive to Sonora, the next town marked on your <a idref="map">map</a>, for it is in this direction that the Angelinos were heading when they rode through Eldorado last night. You are less than a mile from the ruins of Sonora when you are greeted by the welcome sight of Interstate 10, stretching east-to-west across your path. This is the freeway you hope will take you all the way to your rendezvous with the colony at Kent, and then on through the mountains to El Paso.</p>
<p>You join the freeway and enjoy the feel of a firmer, clearer road surface beneath your wheels as you begin the long drive west. Still you can see no sign of the Angelinos, and Kate voices her hope that they have decided to search Sonora, thinking you may have hidden there last night. You want to agree with her, but suddenly, in the distance, you see something that proves her wrong.</p>
<choice idref="sect306"><link-text>Turn to 306</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>101</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>A search of the dead Angelino's body reveals the following items:</p>
+ <p>A search of the dead Angelino<ch.apos/>s body reveals the following items:</p>
<ul>
<li>Pistol</li>
<li>Eight rounds of 9mm ammunition</li>
<data>
<p>Their eyes widen with a mixture of awe and avarice when you produce the bottle of bourbon from your Backpack. Greedily, the short clansman snatches it from your hands and takes a large gulp of the liquor. Then his partner takes a swig, replaces the cap, and grins delightedly.</p>
- <p>'You jus' bought yourself a grandstand seat, fella,' he says, slipping the bottle inside a satchel he carries slung over his shoulder. His companion eyes him with distrust, and begrudgingly he agrees to help you into the stadium. Once more you climb the pile of rubble, but this time you are accompanied by the two clansmen. They help you over the wall and then return to the avenue, chuckling and celebrating their good fortune.</p>
- <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today's event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
+ <p><quote>You jus<ch.apos/> bought yourself a grandstand seat, fella,</quote> he says, slipping the bottle inside a satchel he carries slung over his shoulder. His companion eyes him with distrust, and begrudgingly he agrees to help you into the stadium. Once more you climb the pile of rubble, but this time you are accompanied by the two clansmen. They help you over the wall and then return to the avenue, chuckling and celebrating their good fortune.</p>
+ <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today<ch.apos/>s event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
<p>Facing you, on the far side of the stadium, is the glass-fronted observation block that was once used by television and radio commentators. Your curiosity is aroused by it when you notice that the door to the block is heavily guarded. Fixedly you stare at its full-length windows and count five occupants: four clansmen and one blonde-haired girl. You cannot see her face clearly, but you know that the girl you are looking at is Kate Norton.</p>
<choice idref="sect346"><link-text>Turn to 346</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>Your gunfire hits the sniper in the chest and flings him against the wall.<a id="sect103-1" idref="sect103-1-foot" class="footnote" /> With a gurgling groan, he slides to the floor and rolls over on to his crimson-stained stomach, his rifle still clutched in his hands. (If you wish to keep this weapon, you discover that it contains eight rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.)</p>
- <p>You shout an 'all clear' to the others in the street below and then turn to leave.</p>
+ <p>You shout an <quote>all clear</quote> to the others in the street below and then turn to leave.</p>
<choice idref="sect239"><link-text>Turn to 239</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>A bullet smacks into the passenger door and another ricochets loudly off the hardened steel plates that protect the headrest and back of your driving seat. The sound makes you flinch involuntarily, but you suppress your fear and force yourself to concentrate. You take your foot off the gas as you turn the ignition switch, despite an almost overwhelming urge to stamp the pedal straight through the floor. Too much gas would flood the engine for sure, leaving you stranded, a sitting duck for those Mavericks who are now beginning to close in on all sides.</p>
- <p>Your restraint pays off; the engine roars into life and within seconds you are accelerating away from the barricade, your eyes glued firmly on the convoy's tail lights. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the school bus and pass beyond the range of the Maverick's guns.</p>
+ <p>Your restraint pays off; the engine roars into life and within seconds you are accelerating away from the barricade, your eyes glued firmly on the convoy<ch.apos/>s tail lights. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the school bus and pass beyond the range of the Maverick<ch.apos/>s guns.</p>
<choice idref="sect312"><link-text>Turn to 312</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
</footnotes>
<data>
- <p>At such close range, your burst of automatic fire lifts the heavy clansman clean off his feet.<a id="sect107-1" idref="sect107-1-foot" class="footnote" /> He screams, and with a crash he lands on his back in the middle of the table, before rolling lifelessly to the floor. The other two reach for their pistols as hurriedly they back away from the clansman's bloodstained body.</p>
+ <p>At such close range, your burst of automatic fire lifts the heavy clansman clean off his feet.<a id="sect107-1" idref="sect107-1-foot" class="footnote" /> He screams, and with a crash he lands on his back in the middle of the table, before rolling lifelessly to the floor. The other two reach for their pistols as hurriedly they back away from the clansman<ch.apos/>s bloodstained body.</p>
<choice idref="sect335"><link-text>Turn to 335</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>110</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Kate catches you as you emerge from the library and pulls you a safe distance away. Moments later, the roof of the library collapses with a loud, splintering crack, and clouds of sparks whirl into the night, carried upward by the strong, gusting wind. Silently you look at Kate's smoke-blackened face, and then at the blazing library, and you realize just how lucky you both are to have got out of that inferno alive.</p>
+ <p>Kate catches you as you emerge from the library and pulls you a safe distance away. Moments later, the roof of the library collapses with a loud, splintering crack, and clouds of sparks whirl into the night, carried upward by the strong, gusting wind. Silently you look at Kate<ch.apos/>s smoke-blackened face, and then at the blazing library, and you realize just how lucky you both are to have got out of that inferno alive.</p>
<p>By the time you recover fully from your ordeal and return to your roadster, the storm has blown itself out. The eastern sky is lightening as dawn approaches, and you decide to leave Bakersfield now, before the sun rises and the temperature becomes unbearable. Beyond the town, the freeway climbs steadily towards a distant line of mountains that shimmer on the horizon. You keep your speed as low as possible and cover forty miles with your fuel gauge nudging the zero mark. Then the silhouette of Fort Stockton appears on the road ahead and your hopes of finding some gas are rekindled.</p>
<p>The first thing you see upon entering the town is a gas station. Like everything else, the station appears deserted, but there is something about this building that makes your skin prickle with presentiment.</p>
<choice idref="sect75"><link-text>Turn to 75</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You hold your breath and try not to move as the clansman rummages through a tool box less than four feet from where you are crouching. Unfortunately, the dust he is stirring up causes you to sneeze, betraying your presence. Suddenly, one of the gasolene drums is rolled aside and you feel two strong hands grab your jacket and drag you to your feet.</p>
- <p>'What are you up to?' growls the scar-faced Detroit Lion, his stinking breath making you pull away in disgust. 'Sabotage, is it?' he spits, accusingly.</p>
- <p>'Nah <ch.ellips/> I ain't no saboteur,' you reply, stalling for time, as you let your hand drift slowly towards your close combat weapon. I'm an Angelino who jus' wants t'see the race. I'm supposed to be patrolling the south zone but ain't nothin' ever happens down there. Gimme a break, will ya?'</p>
+ <p><quote>What are you up to?</quote> growls the scar-faced Detroit Lion, his stinking breath making you pull away in disgust. <quote>Sabotage, is it?</quote> he spits, accusingly.</p>
+ <p><quote>Nah <ch.ellips/> I ain<ch.apos/>t no saboteur,</quote> you reply, stalling for time, as you let your hand drift slowly towards your close combat weapon. <quote>I<ch.apos/>m an Angelino who jus<ch.apos/> wants t<ch.apos/>see the race. I<ch.apos/>m supposed to be patrolling the south zone but ain<ch.apos/>t nothin<ch.apos/> ever happens down there. Gimme a break, will ya?</quote></p>
<p>As your fingers close around your weapon, you see something that makes you hesitate. At the rear of the truck you glimpse a large crowd of clansmen who are queueing to enter the stadium. The sight dissuades you from attacking your accuser, and instead you decide to try offering him a bribe.</p>
<choice idref="sect161">If you possess a <typ class="item">Bottle of Bourbon</typ>, <link-text>turn to 161</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect207">If you do not possess this item, <link-text>turn to 207</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>116</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You press yourself against the damp stalagmites and gently flick your shotgun's safety catch to 'fire'. The clansman's footsteps seem unbearably loud as you wait for the moment to launch your ambush. As he comes to a halt, you rise up from your hiding place and open fire.</p>
+ <p>You press yourself against the damp stalagmites and gently flick your shotgun<ch.apos/>s safety catch to <quote>fire</quote>. The clansman<ch.apos/>s footsteps seem unbearably loud as you wait for the moment to launch your ambush. As he comes to a halt, you rise up from your hiding place and open fire.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Shooting skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect292">If your total score is 3 or less, <link-text>turn to 292</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect18">If your total score is 4 or more, <link-text>turn to 18</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>119</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Before he can draw his gun, you land a punch to the side of the clansman's head that sends him reeling to the ground. Kate collapses against the rear door, her hands clasping her throat as she gasps painfully for breath. You are about to help her stand when the clansman lashes out with his foot and brings you down with a vicious kick to the knee: lose 1 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> point. Before you can recover fully, he leaps on you and tries to strangle you to death with his powerful hands.</p>
+ <p>Before he can draw his gun, you land a punch to the side of the clansman<ch.apos/>s head that sends him reeling to the ground. Kate collapses against the rear door, her hands clasping her throat as she gasps painfully for breath. You are about to help her stand when the clansman lashes out with his foot and brings you down with a vicious kick to the knee: lose 1 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> point. Before you can recover fully, he leaps on you and tries to strangle you to death with his powerful hands.</p>
<combat><enemy>Hang-Ten</enemy><enemy-attribute class="closecombatskill">16</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">25</enemy-attribute></combat>
<p>Owing to the speed and fury of his attack, you are unable to draw a close combat weapon until the third round of the fight.</p>
<choice idref="sect76">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 76</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>120</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>'This should open the gate nice and wide,' says Haskell, as he takes the Leviathan from your hands and settles himself into position at the edge of the freeway.</p>
- <p>'Stand clear!' he shouts, and then releases the trigger mechanism and sends the high explosive missile screaming towards the centre of the barricade.</p>
+ <p><quote>This should open the gate nice and wide,</quote> says Haskell, as he takes the Leviathan from your hands and settles himself into position at the edge of the freeway.</p>
+ <p><quote>Stand clear!</quote> he shouts, and then releases the trigger mechanism and sends the high explosive missile screaming towards the centre of the barricade.</p>
<choice idref="sect350"><link-text>Turn to 350</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>121</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Quickly you retrieve your weapon and step outside into the corridor. There, lying next to the siren. you see the guard's machine pistol. (If you decide to take this weapon, you discover that its magazine contains twenty-four rounds of 9mm ammunition.)</p>
+ <p>Quickly you retrieve your weapon and step outside into the corridor. There, lying next to the siren. you see the guard<ch.apos/>s machine pistol. (If you decide to take this weapon, you discover that its magazine contains twenty-four rounds of 9mm ammunition.)</p>
<p>You pick up the siren and switch it off as you run towards the iron staircase. You are half-way up the steps when you see the door to the observation block start to open.</p>
<choice idref="sect268"><link-text>Turn to 268</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>122</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Her gunfire silences the screaming Angelino. He throws his arms wide and tumbles backwards out of the saddle. The sight of him crashing into the river stuns the remaining clansmen just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car. As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the scouts retrieving their leader's body from the South Concho River.</p>
+ <p>Her gunfire silences the screaming Angelino. He throws his arms wide and tumbles backwards out of the saddle. The sight of him crashing into the river stuns the remaining clansmen just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car. As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the scouts retrieving their leader<ch.apos/>s body from the South Concho River.</p>
<choice idref="sect249"><link-text>Turn to 249</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>123</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The case-hardened steel padlock is difficult but not impossible to cut. Eventually it gives and you are able to gain access to the hangar-like building. Inside you discover an armoured truck, one of many that were once used by banks to transport cash and bullion around Texas. This one was hijacked shortly before 'The Day', and was brought here where its cargo was to have been shared out by the robbers. However they never had a chance to divide and spend their loot, and the vehicle still contains over thirty million dollars in cash, a sum now completely worthless.</p>
+ <p>The case-hardened steel padlock is difficult but not impossible to cut. Eventually it gives and you are able to gain access to the hangar-like building. Inside you discover an armoured truck, one of many that were once used by banks to transport cash and bullion around Texas. This one was hijacked shortly before <quote>The Day</quote>, and was brought here where its cargo was to have been shared out by the robbers. However they never had a chance to divide and spend their loot, and the vehicle still contains over thirty million dollars in cash, a sum now completely worthless.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<creator>Brian Williams</creator>
<instance class="html" src="ill6.gif" width="386" height="617" />
<instance class="pdf" src="ill6.pdf" width="386" height="617" />
</illustration>
- <p>The truck's fuel tank is a quarter full, but it is diesel oil and cannot be used in your roadster. Cursing your luck, you search the truck and the building for anything that may be of practical use and you discover the following items:</p>
+ <p>The truck<ch.apos/>s fuel tank is a quarter full, but it is diesel oil and cannot be used in your roadster. Cursing your luck, you search the truck and the building for anything that may be of practical use and you discover the following items:</p>
<ul>
<li><typ class="item">Tool Kit</typ></li>
<li><typ class="item">Air Pump</typ></li>
<li>Enough canned food for five Meals</li>
</ul>
<p>If you choose to keep any of the items in either list, remember to adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly.</p>
- <p>Before leaving the kitchen, you hide the clansman's body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that lead to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
+ <p>Before leaving the kitchen, you hide the clansman<ch.apos/>s body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that lead to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
<choice idref="sect269"><link-text>Turn to 269</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>The first two clansmen to enter the workshop fall victim to your gunfire. The others duck back and crouch either side of the doorway as their leader, a wiry biker with a badly broken nose, offers you the chance to give yourselves up. Defiantly you both refuse.</p>
- <p>Seconds later a clutch of grenades are thrown into the workshop and they explode with a thunderous flash. You are both mortally wounded in the blast, and when the Angelinos finally summon enough courage to storm into the room, they find you dead in each other's arms.</p>
+ <p>Seconds later a clutch of grenades are thrown into the workshop and they explode with a thunderous flash. You are both mortally wounded in the blast, and when the Angelinos finally summon enough courage to storm into the room, they find you dead in each other<ch.apos/>s arms.</p>
<p>Your journey and your life end here in Eldorado.</p>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>132</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>'Eldorado, the imaginary land of riches,' you say sardonically, as you scan the tumbledown buildings of this derelict Texan town. 'Somehow I jus' don't reckon we'll find any riches here.'</p>
- <p>'I guess you're right,' says Kate. 'But we might find us somewhere to rest up a while. I sure could use a few hours' sleep.'</p>
+ <p><quote>Eldorado, the imaginary land of riches,</quote> you say sardonically, as you scan the tumbledown buildings of this derelict Texan town. <quote>Somehow I jus<ch.apos/> don<ch.apos/>t reckon we<ch.apos/>ll find any riches here.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>I guess you<ch.apos/>re right,</quote> says Kate. <quote>But we might find us somewhere to rest up a while. I sure could use a few hours<ch.apos/> sleep.</quote></p>
<p>The dangers you have encountered during the day have kept you mentally and physically alert, but now that the immediate threat has passed, the fatigue of your ordeal catches up with you all at once. Your need to rest makes the thought of stopping here almost irresistible, but, no matter how tired you feel, you cannot ignore the fact that you are being hunted by the Angelinos.</p>
<choice idref="sect6">If you wish to stop and rest in Eldorado, <link-text>turn to 6</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect180">If you decide to continue driving, despite your fatigue, <link-text>turn to 180</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>133</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Coughing and popping, the roadster lurches to a halt in the middle of the highway. You try to restart the engine but it refuses to run smoothly for more than a few seconds at a time. You are running over all the possible faults that could have caused the breakdown when suddenly you remember the comp-aid digipad that Cutter fitted to the dashboard while you were in Big Spring. He had salvaged the unit from the wreck of a '99 Mercedes Malibu Coup<ch.eacute/> and modified it so that you could use it to run an automatic systems check on your roadster. Hurriedly you tap in your access code and immediately the unit's LCD identifies the fault : <ch.ellips/> FUEL FILTER <ch.ellips/></p>
+ <p>Coughing and popping, the roadster lurches to a halt in the middle of the highway. You try to restart the engine but it refuses to run smoothly for more than a few seconds at a time. You are running over all the possible faults that could have caused the breakdown when suddenly you remember the comp-aid digipad that Cutter fitted to the dashboard while you were in Big Spring. He had salvaged the unit from the wreck of a <ch.rsquot/>99 Mercedes Malibu Coup<ch.eacute/> and modified it so that you could use it to run an automatic systems check on your roadster. Hurriedly you tap in your access code and immediately the unit<ch.apos/>s LCD identifies the fault : <ch.ellips/> FUEL FILTER <ch.ellips/></p>
<p>It takes you an hour to dismantle, clean and replace the fuel filter, during which time you must take 2 Drinks or lose 6 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points due to dehydration.</p>
- <p>The fault rectified, the engine starts sweetly the first time you touch the ignition. You accelerate away but within a few minutes you see something in the distance that makes you slow to a snail's pace.</p>
+ <p>The fault rectified, the engine starts sweetly the first time you touch the ignition. You accelerate away but within a few minutes you see something in the distance that makes you slow to a snail<ch.apos/>s pace.</p>
<p>It is a girder bridge that carries the highway across the North Concho River. The bridge is intact and passable, but you are worried by the sight of a lazy plume of wood smoke rising from a spot near its approach ramp.</p>
<choice idref="sect296">If you possess <typ class="item">Binoculars</typ>, <link-text>turn to 296</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect224">If you do not possess this item, <link-text>turn to 224</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>With Sergeant Haskell beside you, you drive out of Sierra Blanca, heading west on Interstate 10. A few miles later, you see a forest of strange plants growing on either side of the freeway. They are ten to twenty feet high, with stiff, spiky leaves and topped with white, bell-like flowers.</p>
- <p>'Those are yuccas,' says Haskell, clearly amused by your open-mouthed reaction at seeing these almost science-fictional plants for the first time.</p>
- <p>'I'm amazed they've survived where everything else has failed,' you reply. 'They must be good at adapting to their new environment.'</p>
- <p>'That's the key to survival, Cal. We all have to adapt if we are to survive.'</p>
+ <p><quote>Those are yuccas,</quote> says Haskell, clearly amused by your open-mouthed reaction at seeing these almost science-fictional plants for the first time.</p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>m amazed they<ch.apos/>ve survived where everything else has failed,</quote> you reply. <quote>They must be good at adapting to their new environment.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>That<ch.apos/>s the key to survival, Cal. We all have to adapt if we are to survive.</quote></p>
<p>You keep your car at a steady sixty miles per hour until the ruins of Fort Hancock loom into view. Like Sierra Blanca, this town is deserted, having been looted by the Mexicans months ago. Sergeant Haskell radios back to the convoy to tell them that the town is safe to enter. When they arrive, you continue towards Fabens to scout the barricade.</p>
- <p>You are less than three miles from Fort Hancock when you see a vehicle approaching on the highway ahead. Rather than run the risk of a head-on confrontation, you pull your car off the freeway and hide it among the yuccas. As the vehicle grows nearer, you see that it is a military truck, loaded with munitions, and manned by a group of Mexican clansmen. Both you and Sergeant Haskell realize that if this truck is allowed to reach Fort Hancock, it could destroy the colony's hopes of ever seeing El Paso.</p>
+ <p>You are less than three miles from Fort Hancock when you see a vehicle approaching on the highway ahead. Rather than run the risk of a head-on confrontation, you pull your car off the freeway and hide it among the yuccas. As the vehicle grows nearer, you see that it is a military truck, loaded with munitions, and manned by a group of Mexican clansmen. Both you and Sergeant Haskell realize that if this truck is allowed to reach Fort Hancock, it could destroy the colony<ch.apos/>s hopes of ever seeing El Paso.</p>
<choice idref="sect162"><link-text>Turn to 162</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>141</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You enter through a gaping hole in the store's front window. The shattered remains scrunch loudly beneath the soles of your boots as you explore its darkened interior. The place is a shambles, the fittings and stock having been exposed to the elements for many years. It is a relief to be out of the midday sun but you soon experience difficulty with your breathing for the air is becoming saturated with a fine dust stirred by your movement.</p>
+ <p>You enter through a gaping hole in the store<ch.apos/>s front window. The shattered remains scrunch loudly beneath the soles of your boots as you explore its darkened interior. The place is a shambles, the fittings and stock having been exposed to the elements for many years. It is a relief to be out of the midday sun but you soon experience difficulty with your breathing for the air is becoming saturated with a fine dust stirred by your movement.</p>
<choice idref="sect130">If you wish to continue your search of this dust-choked store, <link-text>turn to 130</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect59">If you decide to return to your roadster and leave the town, <link-text>turn to 59</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>146</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The clansman curses you with his dying breath, then keels over and falls heavily across his dead partner's body. Your limbs ache viciously from the bruises and fatigue of your ordeal, and before you can carry on you must take a Drink or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
+ <p>The clansman curses you with his dying breath, then keels over and falls heavily across his dead partner<ch.apos/>s body. Your limbs ache viciously from the bruises and fatigue of your ordeal, and before you can carry on you must take a Drink or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
<p>Once you have fully recovered, you decide to bury your enemies. But first you search both bodies and the bikes, and discover the following useful items:</p>
<ul>
<li>Machine Pistol (containing twelve rounds of 9mm ammunition)</li>
<meta><title>149</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You bring your roadster to a halt beside the pick-up but leave the engine idling in case you have to make a fast getaway. After checking to make sure that it is not booby-trapped, you lift the hood and take a look at the truck's engine. The ground beneath it is stained black where oil has leaked from a shattered sump; the damage looks irreparable.</p>
+ <p>You bring your roadster to a halt beside the pick-up but leave the engine idling in case you have to make a fast getaway. After checking to make sure that it is not booby-trapped, you lift the hood and take a look at the truck<ch.apos/>s engine. The ground beneath it is stained black where oil has leaked from a shattered sump; the damage looks irreparable.</p>
<p>Inside the cab you find a <typ class="item">CB Radio</typ> attached to the dashboard. It has its own self-contained power supply and the unit is still in good working order. Having satisfied your curiosity, you return to your car and continue on your way to San Angelo.</p>
<choice idref="sect303"><link-text>Turn to 303</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>150</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You decide to spend the night in the library's main hall. After clearing a space near the centre, you build a small campfire, using a few of the many thousands of books that line the walls. Then, once it is ablaze, you help Kate to prepare the food she has found. Outside, the weather has grown steadily worse. Thunder rolls across the surrounding plains and the jagged flashes of forked lightning illuminate the roiling clouds of dust with increasing regularity.</p>
- <p>'I don't like it<ch.emdash/>it looks real bad,' you say, as you stare anxiously out of the window at the raging storm.</p>
- <p>'It ain't all bad,' replies Kate. 'At least we don't have to worry 'bout Mad Dog's boys showin' up outta the blue.'</p>
+ <p>You decide to spend the night in the library<ch.apos/>s main hall. After clearing a space near the centre, you build a small campfire, using a few of the many thousands of books that line the walls. Then, once it is ablaze, you help Kate to prepare the food she has found. Outside, the weather has grown steadily worse. Thunder rolls across the surrounding plains and the jagged flashes of forked lightning illuminate the roiling clouds of dust with increasing regularity.</p>
+ <p><quote>I don<ch.apos/>t like it<ch.emdash/>it looks real bad,</quote> you say, as you stare anxiously out of the window at the raging storm.</p>
+ <p><quote>It ain<ch.apos/>t all bad,</quote> replies Kate. <quote>At least we don<ch.apos/>t have to worry <ch.rsquot/>bout Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s boys showin<ch.apos/> up outta the blue.</quote></p>
<p>The food and wine taste delicious (restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points), and, after eating your fill, you both settle down to sleep in front of the glowing embers of the campfire.</p>
<p>It seems as though you have only just closed your eyes when you are stirred to consciousness by a loud crackling sound and the acrid smell of smoke. Horror fills your senses when you open your eyes to see yourself surrounded by a blazing wall of yellow flame. Lightning struck the library roof while you were asleep, starting a fire that has been fuelled by the shelves of dust-dry books, and which has now spread to the main hall where it threatens to consume you both.</p>
<p>Quickly you wake Kate and together you fight your way towards the main door. You are within ten feet of the exit when a burning bookcase falls across your path.</p>
<meta><title>151</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The coarse staccato sound of a machine pistol and the sight of a clansman's grinning face are the last sensations you experience as a dozen bullets rip into your chest. Mercifully, the bullets deliver a quick and painless death.</p>
+ <p>The coarse staccato sound of a machine pistol and the sight of a clansman<ch.apos/>s grinning face are the last sensations you experience as a dozen bullets rip into your chest. Mercifully, the bullets deliver a quick and painless death.</p>
<p>Your life and your journey end here.</p>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>You pass between the shattered stores and houses of Broome with your nerves on edge, half-expecting to run into a clan patrol or fall prey to an ambush. Yet your visit passes without incident and soon you find yourself back on the open freeway, heading southeast to San Angelo. You are hungry, and during your drive you must eat a Meal or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
- <p>When you first see San Angelo, the sun is a quarter hidden below the skyline, its soft red glow reflecting upon a cluster of tall buildings that stand at the city's centre. They are the ravaged shells of banks and state offices that were the pride of this once-prosperous city before 'The Day'. Surrounding them, for many miles, is a sea of dust and rubble. Your skin prickles when you realize that this is all that remains of the city's suburbs, an area that once was home to more than a million Texans.</p>
+ <p>When you first see San Angelo, the sun is a quarter hidden below the skyline, its soft red glow reflecting upon a cluster of tall buildings that stand at the city<ch.apos/>s centre. They are the ravaged shells of banks and state offices that were the pride of this once-prosperous city before <quote>The Day</quote>. Surrounding them, for many miles, is a sea of dust and rubble. Your skin prickles when you realize that this is all that remains of the city<ch.apos/>s suburbs, an area that once was home to more than a million Texans.</p>
<p>You are about to drive towards the centre when you notice that a fortified wall has been erected around the tall buildings of the downtown area, and the northern freeway approaches are controlled by roadblocks. It would be near-suicidal to approach any closer, so you make a wide detour around the city limits and try an approach from the south.</p>
<p>It takes nearly two hours to reach the south side of San Angelo, by which time night has fallen. Fortunately, your decision to go south has paid off: this section of the city is virtually uninhabited by the Angelinos and your approach goes undetected.</p>
<p>Hidden by the darkness, you are able to get within a mile of the downtown area before you encounter any sign of clan activity. You know that if your rescue of Kate is to be successful you must not allow your roadster to fall into enemy hands, and with this thought in mind, you search for somewhere safe to leave it while you venture into the downtown area on foot.</p>
- <p>An underground parking lot situated below the looted ruins of a Sears megamarket provides just such a safe haven, and it is here that you hide your car. You are tired after the rigours of your journey, so you decide to get a few hours' sleep and attempt your rescue at first light.</p>
+ <p>An underground parking lot situated below the looted ruins of a Sears megamarket provides just such a safe haven, and it is here that you hide your car. You are tired after the rigours of your journey, so you decide to get a few hours<ch.apos/> sleep and attempt your rescue at first light.</p>
<choice idref="sect29"><link-text>Turn to 29</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>For a moment you are blinded by a deluge of stones and stinking water as you drive through the aftermath of the explosion. Then, as you catch sight of the opposite bank, there is another blast and you feel your steering wheel pulling sharply to the left.</p>
- <p>'We've lost a tyre,' you shout, as you battle to get the car on to dry land. You succeed in reaching the far bank and skid sideways to a halt. You both leap out quickly and take cover behind the engine compartment. The clansmen seem to have exhausted their supply of grenades, but they are all armed with machine pistols and they proceed to empty them in your direction.</p>
+ <p><quote>We<ch.apos/>ve lost a tyre,</quote> you shout, as you battle to get the car on to dry land. You succeed in reaching the far bank and skid sideways to a halt. You both leap out quickly and take cover behind the engine compartment. The clansmen seem to have exhausted their supply of grenades, but they are all armed with machine pistols and they proceed to empty them in your direction.</p>
<p>Kate draws her pistol and prepares to give covering fire while you inspect the damage. The front left tyre has been shredded by shrapnel and is beyond repair. You will have to replace it with the spare tyre you carry in the trunk. However, in order to retrieve it, you will have to expose yourself to bursts of machine pistol fire.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Stealth skill score. Now add the combined figure to your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score.</p>
<choice idref="sect144">If the resulting total score is 28 or less, <link-text>turn to 144</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>156</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You act purely on instinct, yet the speed and precision of your actions are enough to save your life. Skilfully you decelerate, using the roadster's gears and brakes in unison to prevent the car from ramming into the panel truck. Then, before the engine stalls or the surviving Mavericks are able to close in, you pump the gas and take off once more, your eyes now glued firmly on the tail lights of the school bus. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the convoy and pass beyond the range of the Maverick's guns.</p>
+ <p>You act purely on instinct, yet the speed and precision of your actions are enough to save your life. Skilfully you decelerate, using the roadster<ch.apos/>s gears and brakes in unison to prevent the car from ramming into the panel truck. Then, before the engine stalls or the surviving Mavericks are able to close in, you pump the gas and take off once more, your eyes now glued firmly on the tail lights of the school bus. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the convoy and pass beyond the range of the Maverick<ch.apos/>s guns.</p>
<choice idref="sect312"><link-text>Turn to 312</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>157</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Haskell dispatches three of the four clansmen, and the survivor manages to escape into the yucca forest. You are about to give chase when he says, 'Let him go, Cal. He won't get far on his own. Let's see what they had on board the truck.'</p>
+ <p>Haskell dispatches three of the four clansmen, and the survivor manages to escape into the yucca forest. You are about to give chase when he says, <quote>Let him go, Cal. He won<ch.apos/>t get far on his own. Let<ch.apos/>s see what they had on board the truck.</quote></p>
<p>You discover several crates and lockers filled with munitions: mortars, anti-tank weapons, heavy machine guns and the like. However, you cannot find any ammunition for these weapons. You are about to set fire to the truck, to prevent them from falling into the hands of other clansmen, when you discover one item that could be of some use after all.</p>
<p>In a sealed locker at the bottom of the heap, you discover a portable Leviathan ground-to-air missile, a weapon with approximately eight times the destructive power of a bazooka. If you wish to keep this <typ class="item">Leviathan Missile</typ>, you must reduce your Stealth score by 2 points due to its size and weight.</p>
<p>Having set fire to the truck, you return to your roadster. You are just about to climb in when you feel an arm snake around your neck and pull you backwards into the yucca forest.</p>
<meta><title>160</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>'It's them!' cries Knott, as he sights the convoy vehicles trundling along the freeway towards Kent. Led by Pete Tyler's tow truck, the convoy pulls into the town with all horns blaring and everyone shouting their relief and delight that the rendezvous has been accomplished. It is a joyous reunion, made especially happy by the return of Kate to the colony.</p>
- <p>After the excitement has abated you settle down to discuss the more serious matters at hand. From his vantage place in the sky, Rickenbacker has been able to track the movements of Amex Gold and his Maverick clansmen. A large contingent have been shadowing the convoy and are now in ambush somewhere in the mountains ahead. Also, Pop Ewell has monitored by radio the movements of a large Mexican clan, who have crossed the border in search of fuel and food. And, to make matters even worse, Mad Dog Michigan has linked up with the 'Saints', the clan from New Orleans, and now they too are somewhere in the vicinity.</p>
- <p>'Looks like we're surrounded by enemies,' says Cutter, volunteering his opinion. 'Seem's to me we've got to keep movin' if we're to stand a cat's chance o' gettin' to El Paso in one piece.'</p>
+ <p><quote>It<ch.apos/>s them!</quote> cries Knott, as he sights the convoy vehicles trundling along the freeway towards Kent. Led by Pete Tyler<ch.apos/>s tow truck, the convoy pulls into the town with all horns blaring and everyone shouting their relief and delight that the rendezvous has been accomplished. It is a joyous reunion, made especially happy by the return of Kate to the colony.</p>
+ <p>After the excitement has abated you settle down to discuss the more serious matters at hand. From his vantage place in the sky, Rickenbacker has been able to track the movements of Amex Gold and his Maverick clansmen. A large contingent have been shadowing the convoy and are now in ambush somewhere in the mountains ahead. Also, Pop Ewell has monitored by radio the movements of a large Mexican clan, who have crossed the border in search of fuel and food. And, to make matters even worse, Mad Dog Michigan has linked up with the <quote>Saints</quote>, the clan from New Orleans, and now they too are somewhere in the vicinity.</p>
+ <p><quote>Looks like we<ch.apos/>re surrounded by enemies,</quote> says Cutter, volunteering his opinion. <quote>Seem<ch.apos/>s to me we<ch.apos/>ve got to keep movin<ch.apos/> if we<ch.apos/>re to stand a cat<ch.apos/>s chance o<ch.apos/> gettin<ch.apos/> to El Paso in one piece.</quote></p>
<p>His opinions are shared by the majority, and so it is decided to leave Kent this afternoon and press on to El Paso without delay.</p>
<choice idref="sect252"><link-text>Turn to 252</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>161</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The clansman's eyes widen with a mixture of awe and avarice when you produce the bottle of bourbon from your Backpack. Greedily he snatches it from your hands, pulls the cork, and up-ends the bottle into his mouth. Five gulps later he replaces the cork and grins delightedly.</p>
- <p>'You jus' bought yourself a grandstand seat, fella,' he says, hiding the bottle inside his jacket.</p>
+ <p>The clansman<ch.apos/>s eyes widen with a mixture of awe and avarice when you produce the bottle of bourbon from your Backpack. Greedily he snatches it from your hands, pulls the cork, and up-ends the bottle into his mouth. Five gulps later he replaces the cork and grins delightedly.</p>
+ <p><quote>You jus<ch.apos/> bought yourself a grandstand seat, fella,</quote> he says, hiding the bottle inside his jacket.</p>
<p>Still grinning, he returns to the cab and restarts the engine. Shortly the truck stops once again, but this time it is parked alongside three others in a section of the stadium that has been turned into a pits area. You leave the truck and slip away through the crowds of mechanics and riders towards an empty section of the arena.</p>
- <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today's event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
+ <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today<ch.apos/>s event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
<p>Facing you, on the far side of the stadium, is the glass-fronted observation block that was once used by television and radio commentators. Your curiosity is aroused by it when you notice that the door to the block is heavily guarded. Fixedly you stare at its full-length windows and count five occupants: four clansmen and one blonde-haired girl. You cannot see her face clearly, but you know that she is Kate Norton.</p>
<choice idref="sect346"><link-text>Turn to 346</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>You plan to use the siren to lure the guards away from the stairs to a place where you can ambush them. To your left is an open doorway and quickly you slip inside to avoid being seen. You find that it leads to an empty locker room, and here you remove the siren from your pack and set its volume switch to maximum before pushing it outside into the corridor. Then you take your missile weapon and use its barrel to reach out and trigger the siren.</p>
- <p>In the confines of the corridor the sound is deafening. Immediately the two guards come rushing forward to investigate, and, as they appear outside the locker room, you raise your gun and fire.<a id="sect163-1" idref="sect163-1-foot" class="footnote" /> The Detroit Lion opens his mouth but his dying scream is lost in the siren's blare. The Angelino survives your gunfire and leaps through the doorway to kick your weapon from your hands. Instinctively you reach for a close combat weapon as the burly Angelino unsheathes his hunting knife and attacks.</p>
+ <p>In the confines of the corridor the sound is deafening. Immediately the two guards come rushing forward to investigate, and, as they appear outside the locker room, you raise your gun and fire.<a id="sect163-1" idref="sect163-1-foot" class="footnote" /> The Detroit Lion opens his mouth but his dying scream is lost in the siren<ch.apos/>s blare. The Angelino survives your gunfire and leaps through the doorway to kick your weapon from your hands. Instinctively you reach for a close combat weapon as the burly Angelino unsheathes his hunting knife and attacks.</p>
<combat><enemy>Purple Haze</enemy><enemy-attribute class="closecombatskill">18</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">27</enemy-attribute></combat>
<choice idref="sect121">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 121</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>164</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>'Get down Kate!' you shout, as you dive to the ground and roll for cover behind the abandoned pick-up. But before you make it, two shots ring out almost simultaneously, one from a rifle and the other from a pistol.</p>
+ <p><quote>Get down Kate!</quote> you shout, as you dive to the ground and roll for cover behind the abandoned pick-up. But before you make it, two shots ring out almost simultaneously, one from a rifle and the other from a pistol.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Stealth skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect278">If the total is 6 or less, <link-text>turn to 278</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect16">If the total is 7 or more, <link-text>turn to 16</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>When you emerge from the caverns you are astounded to see that the Angelinos have been completely overwhelmed by this colony of cave dwellers. The few clansmen to have survived the ambush have been trussed up like turkeys and are being guarded by a circle of spear-wielding women. The rest of the colony are so busy stripping and searching the bodies of those they have killed that they fail to notice you and Kate, as you leave the entrance quietly and make your way back to the roadster. You admire their bravery but there is something about these people, something about their appearance and their silence, that unsettles you.</p>
- <p>You inspect the damage to the truck. Your fears are confirmed: you no longer have sufficient fuel to reach Kent. You siphon the tanks of the clansmen's bikes, and save what you can from the bottom of the two perforated fuel canisters, but you estimate that in total you have only enough to take you 120 miles.</p>
+ <p>You inspect the damage to the truck. Your fears are confirmed: you no longer have sufficient fuel to reach Kent. You siphon the tanks of the clansmen<ch.apos/>s bikes, and save what you can from the bottom of the two perforated fuel canisters, but you estimate that in total you have only enough to take you 120 miles.</p>
<p>As you are leaving, you notice that the cave people are preparing a funeral pyre for those who were killed in the fighting. It strikes you as a very sensible and civilized way to dispose of the dead, and makes you think that perhaps your suspicions about these people were groundless after all. Your illusions about the cave people are soon shattered, however, when Kate points out that they are not burning the dead at all: they are cooking them.</p>
<choice idref="sect56"><link-text>Turn to 56</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>You slow your roadster to a halt and, with your hand held to your forehead to shield your eyes from the glare of the evening sun, you try to discern the source of the dust cloud.</p>
- <p>'It's no good,' you say in frustration, 'I can't tell what's going down in that town.'</p>
- <p>'Me neither,' says Kate, 'but I've got a pretty good idea what's going on back there.'</p>
+ <p><quote>It<ch.apos/>s no good,</quote> you say in frustration, <quote>I can<ch.apos/>t tell what<ch.apos/>s going down in that town.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Me neither,</quote> says Kate, <quote>but I<ch.apos/>ve got a pretty good idea what<ch.apos/>s going on back there.</quote></p>
<p>She points back along the highway at another dust cloud, which is fast approaching. You do not need binoculars to be able to tell that the dust is being stirred up by a pack of bikers that have come racing out of San Angelo.</p>
- <p>'I think it's time we were movin' on,' says Kate, uneasily.</p>
- <p>'I think you're right,' you reply, as, hurriedly, you reach for the ignition switch. 'Let's detour around this town and follow the river. We can pick up the highway again at Eldorado.'</p>
- <p>'OK,' she replies, 'but step on it Cal. Those bikes are movin' real fast.'</p>
+ <p><quote>I think it<ch.apos/>s time we were movin<ch.apos/> on,</quote> says Kate, uneasily.</p>
+ <p><quote>I think you<ch.apos/>re right,</quote> you reply, as, hurriedly, you reach for the ignition switch. <quote>Let<ch.apos/>s detour around this town and follow the river. We can pick up the highway again at Eldorado.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>OK,</quote> she replies, <quote>but step on it Cal. Those bikes are movin<ch.apos/> real fast.</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect317"><link-text>Turn to 317</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>172</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You rise at dawn and spend the morning servicing the engine of your roadster, while Sergeant Haskell and Marine Knott take it in turns to act as lookout from the roof of a Baptist church, the tallest building still standing in Kent. It is two hours before noon when you hear a faint buzzing noise, high in the sky towards the northwest. You search the cloudless expanse and your hopes soar as you see Rickenbacker's motorized hang glider circling above the town. He comes down and makes a low pass, waving his arms excitedly as he flies directly over the roadster. Then he is gone, rising above the surrounding peaks and returning the way he came.</p>
+ <p>You rise at dawn and spend the morning servicing the engine of your roadster, while Sergeant Haskell and Marine Knott take it in turns to act as lookout from the roof of a Baptist church, the tallest building still standing in Kent. It is two hours before noon when you hear a faint buzzing noise, high in the sky towards the northwest. You search the cloudless expanse and your hopes soar as you see Rickenbacker<ch.apos/>s motorized hang glider circling above the town. He comes down and makes a low pass, waving his arms excitedly as he flies directly over the roadster. Then he is gone, rising above the surrounding peaks and returning the way he came.</p>
<p>An hour passes before Knott sights a cloud of dust on the eastern horizon. You are all gathered in the town, waiting expectantly for the convoy to arrive, but he cannot be sure that it is the convoy that is coming. At such a distance it could be a gang of marauding clansmen.</p>
<choice idref="sect160"><link-text>Turn to 160</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>Using the cover afforded by the undercut banks of Lacy Creek you are able to creep to within twenty yards of the bridge unseen. The harsh, greasy smell of roasted coyote wafts over your hiding place as silently you watch the taller of the two clansmen fan the campfire with his hat, while his partner kneels down and carves himself a large slice of the blackened meat. He chews it without enthusiasm before finally spitting it out in disgust.</p>
- <p>'Goddamn dogmeat!' he growls. 'I ain't never gonna git used to it.'</p>
+ <p><quote>Goddamn dogmeat!</quote> he growls. <quote>I ain<ch.apos/>t never gonna git used to it.</quote></p>
<p>He gulps a mouthful of water from his canteen as he rises to his feet. Your pulse quickens as he turns and starts to walk straight towards you.</p>
<choice idref="sect65">If you have a missile weapon and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 65</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect240">If you do not possess a missile weapon, or do not wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 240</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>180</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>'At this rate we'll reach Interstate 10 in an hour,' you say, but Kate does not reply: exhaustion has got the better of her and she has drifted off into a deep sleep. Without her conversation to stimulate you, fatigue eats away at your concentration and gradually you lose interest in the road ahead. You fall asleep at the wheel and reawaken only when the roadster veers off the highway and crashes into a rocky spur.</p>
+ <p><quote>At this rate we<ch.apos/>ll reach Interstate 10 in an hour,</quote> you say, but Kate does not reply: exhaustion has got the better of her and she has drifted off into a deep sleep. Without her conversation to stimulate you, fatigue eats away at your concentration and gradually you lose interest in the road ahead. You fall asleep at the wheel and reawaken only when the roadster veers off the highway and crashes into a rocky spur.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
<choice idref="sect234">If the number you have picked is 0-7, <link-text>turn to 234</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect298">If it is 8-9, <link-text>turn to 298</link-text>.</choice>
</footnotes>
<data>
- <p>You step sideways into the corridor with your shotgun held at waist level. The guard to the left of the staircase sees you and tries to shout a warning but his words are lost in the boom of your gunfire.<a id="sect181-1" idref="sect181-1-foot" class="footnote" /> The force of the shot flings him against the wall, and as you swing the barrel towards his partner, you know only too well that you must make your second shot count just as effectively. But his partner's reactions prove razor-sharp, and as you focus on him you are shocked to find yourself staring into the muzzle of his machine pistol.</p>
+ <p>You step sideways into the corridor with your shotgun held at waist level. The guard to the left of the staircase sees you and tries to shout a warning but his words are lost in the boom of your gunfire.<a id="sect181-1" idref="sect181-1-foot" class="footnote" /> The force of the shot flings him against the wall, and as you swing the barrel towards his partner, you know only too well that you must make your second shot count just as effectively. But his partner<ch.apos/>s reactions prove razor-sharp, and as you focus on him you are shocked to find yourself staring into the muzzle of his machine pistol.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Stealth skill score and your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score.</p>
<choice idref="sect297">If your total score is 15 or less, <link-text>turn to 297</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect197">If your total score is 16 or more, <link-text>turn to 197</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You tell Kate to follow you as you dive for cover among the rocks that border this section of the highway. Your speedy reactions save you from being seen by the pack of Angelinos as they race along the highway, heading south. You stay hidden until their lights have disappeared, then you resume your long walk back to Eldorado.</p>
- <p>Three hours later you reach the town and begin a systematic search of all the buildings. In the ruins of a repair shop you discover what you need: a <typ class="item">Welding Torch</typ> and a cylinder of <typ class="item">Oxyacetylene</typ>. You are dragging these items out of the building when suddenly, from the shadow of a doorway, a gruff voice barks an order: 'Stay where you are and put your hands up!'</p>
+ <p>Three hours later you reach the town and begin a systematic search of all the buildings. In the ruins of a repair shop you discover what you need: a <typ class="item">Welding Torch</typ> and a cylinder of <typ class="item">Oxyacetylene</typ>. You are dragging these items out of the building when suddenly, from the shadow of a doorway, a gruff voice barks an order: <quote>Stay where you are and put your hands up!</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect339"><link-text>Turn to 339</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>186</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You dive aside, but your reactions are not quick enough to save you from the cleaver's spinning blade. It slices through the arm of your jacket and lays open half an inch of flesh below your right bicep: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
+ <p>You dive aside, but your reactions are not quick enough to save you from the cleaver<ch.apos/>s spinning blade. It slices through the arm of your jacket and lays open half an inch of flesh below your right bicep: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
<p>You grit your teeth against the pain as you try to stand, but before you are back on your feet, the clansman comes rushing across the kitchen with a knife in his hand. Instinctively you leap away from his first strike, and manage to kick the weapon from his hand when he stabs at you a second time. Angered by your moves, he leaps for your throat and tries to drag you to the ground.</p>
<combat><enemy>Rockblitz</enemy><enemy-attribute class="closecombatskill">15</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">24</enemy-attribute></combat>
<choice idref="sect248">If you win the fight, <link-text>turn to 248</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>Kate places her shots carefully in an effort to conserve ammunition. The effectiveness of her covering fire keeps the clansmen pinned down long enough for you to retrieve the spare tyre, jack and wheel brace from the trunk of the car.</p>
- <p>As you start work on changing the damaged front wheel, you see the clan scout leader riding down the opposite bank towards the river. Believing that you are now out of ammunition, he has decided that he will be the one to enact his clan's revenge on you for the killing of Mekong Mike. Howling curses, and whirling a heavy motorcycle chain above his shaved head, he rides his bike into the shallow river. He is half-way across when Kate takes aim and silences his screaming with a single shot to the heart. The sight of him crashing into the river stuns the remaining clansmen just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car.</p>
- <p>As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the Angelino scouts retrieving their leader's body from the fetid waters of the South Concho River.</p>
+ <p>As you start work on changing the damaged front wheel, you see the clan scout leader riding down the opposite bank towards the river. Believing that you are now out of ammunition, he has decided that he will be the one to enact his clan<ch.apos/>s revenge on you for the killing of Mekong Mike. Howling curses, and whirling a heavy motorcycle chain above his shaved head, he rides his bike into the shallow river. He is half-way across when Kate takes aim and silences his screaming with a single shot to the heart. The sight of him crashing into the river stuns the remaining clansmen just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car.</p>
+ <p>As you reach the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the Angelino scouts retrieving their leader<ch.apos/>s body from the fetid waters of the South Concho River.</p>
<choice idref="sect249"><link-text>Turn to 249</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>Before you can regain control of the car, it slams broadside against a steel pillar and comes to an abrupt halt. The reinforced passenger door withstands much of the impact, but the sudden jolt leaves you concussed and badly bruised (lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points).</p>
- <p>Wincing from the pain of your injuries, you try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roars past the site. Soon they have gone and, despite your pain, your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog's men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
+ <p>Wincing from the pain of your injuries, you try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roars past the site. Soon they have gone and, despite your pain, your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
<p>After satisfying yourself that the damage to your roadster is superficial, you cast your eyes around the derelict construction site.</p>
<choice idref="sect48">If you wish to search the site, <link-text>turn to 48</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect230">If you wish to leave and continue your journey to San Angelo, <link-text>turn to 230</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>196</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Moments after you reach the safety of the street, you turn to see the roof of the library collapse with a loud, splintering crack. Clouds of sparks whirl into the night, carried upward by the strong, gusting wind. Silently you look at Kate's smoke-blackened face, and then at the blazing library, and you realize just how lucky you both are to have got out of that inferno alive.</p>
+ <p>Moments after you reach the safety of the street, you turn to see the roof of the library collapse with a loud, splintering crack. Clouds of sparks whirl into the night, carried upward by the strong, gusting wind. Silently you look at Kate<ch.apos/>s smoke-blackened face, and then at the blazing library, and you realize just how lucky you both are to have got out of that inferno alive.</p>
<p>By the time you have recovered fully from your ordeal and returned to your roadster, the storm has blown itself out. The eastern sky is lightening as dawn approaches and you decide to leave Bakersfield now, before the sun rises and the temperature becomes unbearable. Beyond the town, the freeway climbs steadily towards a distant line of mountains that shimmer on the horizon. You keep your speed as low as possible and cover forty miles with your fuel gauge nudging the zero mark. Then the silhouette of Fort Stockton appears on the road ahead and your hopes of finding some gas are rekindled.</p>
<p>The first thing you see upon entering the town is a gas station. Like everything else, the station appears deserted, but there is something about this building that makes your skin prickle with presentiment.</p>
<choice idref="sect75"><link-text>Turn to 75</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>198</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You hurl the grenade, but it glances off the edge of an auto wreck and is deflected away from the ammunition chest. It explodes with a brilliant white flash that illuminates the barricade and draws the clansmen's attention to your position. Frantically you run for the safety of the yucca forest, but before you have taken a dozen steps, you are cut down by a long burst of automatic fire.</p>
+ <p>You hurl the grenade, but it glances off the edge of an auto wreck and is deflected away from the ammunition chest. It explodes with a brilliant white flash that illuminates the barricade and draws the clansmen<ch.apos/>s attention to your position. Frantically you run for the safety of the yucca forest, but before you have taken a dozen steps, you are cut down by a long burst of automatic fire.</p>
<p>Tragically, your mission and your life end here at the Fabens barricade.</p>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>200</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Six black-clad bikers are riding along Interstate 10 towards the rest stop. Affixed to the rear of their saddles are long, whiplash aerials, which are topped with black pennons that bear a lion's head symbol. You stare at these small black flags and a tingle runs down your spine: it is the emblem of the Detroit Lions clan.</p>
+ <p>Six black-clad bikers are riding along Interstate 10 towards the rest stop. Affixed to the rear of their saddles are long, whiplash aerials, which are topped with black pennons that bear a lion<ch.apos/>s head symbol. You stare at these small black flags and a tingle runs down your spine: it is the emblem of the Detroit Lions clan.</p>
<p>The bikers catch sight of your roadster and bring their machines to a halt a hundred yards from the rest stop. Then all six spread out and, using the rocks and boulders that litter the landscape, they make their way forward slowly. Sergeant Haskell orders Gunter and Knott to take cover and open fire at the advancing clansmen; they must not be allowed to capture or destroy the fuel tank.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<meta><title>201</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>On the other side of the hatch you discover an electrical cable duct that is just large enough to accommodate both of you in some discomfort. You enter first, then Kate squeezes in, closing the hatch behind her. It is now pitch black and very claustrophobic. Outside you can hear the angry screams and pounding feet of the clansmen as determinedly they try to track you down. The news of Mekong Mike's death has been broken to the Angelinos and you have heard more than one of them vow that they will kill you when they find you. The only escape route open to you now is to descend the rusty rungs of the iron service ladder on which you stand.</p>
+ <p>On the other side of the hatch you discover an electrical cable duct that is just large enough to accommodate both of you in some discomfort. You enter first, then Kate squeezes in, closing the hatch behind her. It is now pitch black and very claustrophobic. Outside you can hear the angry screams and pounding feet of the clansmen as determinedly they try to track you down. The news of Mekong Mike<ch.apos/>s death has been broken to the Angelinos and you have heard more than one of them vow that they will kill you when they find you. The only escape route open to you now is to descend the rusty rungs of the iron service ladder on which you stand.</p>
<p>Forty rungs later you reach the bottom of the shaft. You can feel the walls of a tunnel leading away to your right, but it is too dark for you to see where it leads or what it contains.</p>
<choice idref="sect109">If you possess a <typ class="item">Box of Matches</typ> or a <typ class="item">Solar Torch</typ>, <link-text>turn to 109</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect238">If you do not possess either of these items, <link-text>turn to 238</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>202</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Before the spider is brushed aside, it bites into your skin and injects its toxin. Almost immediately you are gripped by a terrible pain that courses up your arm and radiates across your chest. Frantically Kate searches through your Medi-kit for an anti-toxin, as the effects of the Fiddleback's bite drag you to your knees in agony.</p>
+ <p>Before the spider is brushed aside, it bites into your skin and injects its toxin. Almost immediately you are gripped by a terrible pain that courses up your arm and radiates across your chest. Frantically Kate searches through your Medi-kit for an anti-toxin, as the effects of the Fiddleback<ch.apos/>s bite drag you to your knees in agony.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it the number of Medi-kit units that you possess currently.</p>
<choice idref="sect155">If your total score is now 10 or less, <link-text>turn to 155</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect44">If it is 11 or more, <link-text>turn to 44</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>205</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Beyond Sterling City the freeway follows a wide, dust-filled gully that was once the North Concho River. You are staring at this dead watercourse, trying to imagine what the river must have looked like before 'The Day', when a road sign flashes past. You stop the car and turn back to read it. It says:</p>
+ <p>Beyond Sterling City the freeway follows a wide, dust-filled gully that was once the North Concho River. You are staring at this dead watercourse, trying to imagine what the river must have looked like before <quote>The Day</quote>, when a road sign flashes past. You stop the car and turn back to read it. It says:</p>
<signpost>BROOME<ch.emdash/>2 MILES</signpost>
<choice idref="sect220">If you possess a <typ class="item">CB Radio</typ>, <link-text>turn to 220</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect46">If you do not possess this item, <link-text>turn to 46</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>207</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>'What exactly you offerin' in return for a free ride and a ringside seat, eh?' replies the clansman.</p>
- <p>Slowly you unshoulder your Backpack and flip open the buckles. 'Choose,' you say, inviting him to look at the items you are carrying. Roughly he pulls the pack from your hands and tips the contents on to the floor of the truck.</p>
- <p>'I'll take these two,' he says. 'You can keep the rest o' the junk.'</p>
+ <p><quote>What exactly you offerin<ch.apos/> in return for a free ride and a ringside seat, eh?</quote> replies the clansman.</p>
+ <p>Slowly you unshoulder your Backpack and flip open the buckles. <quote>Choose,</quote> you say, inviting him to look at the items you are carrying. Roughly he pulls the pack from your hands and tips the contents on to the floor of the truck.</p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>ll take these two,</quote> he says. <quote>You can keep the rest o<ch.apos/> the junk.</quote></p>
<p>Erase from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> those items which you have noted in the second and third sections of your Backpack Items list. These are the items chosen by the clansman in return for free passage into the stadium. If you possess less than two Backpack Items, you must erase either two Medi-kit units or one close combat weapon instead.</p>
<p>With a smile on his face, the clansman pockets your bribe and returns to the cab. He restarts the truck but shortly it stops once again. He has drawn up alongside three other trucks in a section of the stadium that has been turned into a pits area. You leave the truck and slip away through the crowds of clan mechanics and riders towards an empty section of the enclosure.</p>
- <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film that you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today's event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
+ <p>From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film that you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today<ch.apos/>s event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be fought out in deadly earnest.</p>
<p>Facing you, on the far side of the stadium, is the glass-fronted observation block that was once used by television and radio commentators. Your curiosity is aroused by it when you notice that the door to the block is heavily guarded. Fixedly you stare at its full-length windows and count five occupants: four clansmen and one blonde-haired girl. You cannot see her face clearly, but you know that she is Kate Norton.</p>
<choice idref="sect346"><link-text>Turn to 346</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>208</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>With your pulse racing, you raise the binoculars to your eyes and focus on the approaching bikers. They ride machines bedecked with a strange symbol: a priest or some other holy man, dressed in flowing white robes, with a halo above his head. It looks a curiously pious symbol for a clan to adopt, until you remember that before 'The Day', the name of the professional football team based in New Orleans was 'the Saints'. Suddenly you realize that this pack of riders, some 400-500 strong, are the New Orleans clan that Mad Dog Michigan sent for. It would be disastrous for the convoy to run head-on into a group of this size, and you hurry back to the colony as quickly as you can to break the bad news.</p>
+ <p>With your pulse racing, you raise the binoculars to your eyes and focus on the approaching bikers. They ride machines bedecked with a strange symbol: a priest or some other holy man, dressed in flowing white robes, with a halo above his head. It looks a curiously pious symbol for a clan to adopt, until you remember that before <quote>The Day</quote>, the name of the professional football team based in New Orleans was <quote>the Saints</quote>. Suddenly you realize that this pack of riders, some 400-500 strong, are the New Orleans clan that Mad Dog Michigan sent for. It would be disastrous for the convoy to run head-on into a group of this size, and you hurry back to the colony as quickly as you can to break the bad news.</p>
<p>With the New Orleans clan approaching from the north, a large Mexican clan crossing the border to the south, and the threat of a Maverick ambush to the west, the prospects of reaching El Paso unscathed now look decidedly unpromising. With no time to discuss the situation at length, the convoy reverts to the original plan: to stay on Interstate 10 and approach El Paso from the west. It is the shortest, most direct route, even though there is a very real chance of falling prey to a Maverick ambush.</p>
<choice idref="sect250"><link-text>Turn to 250</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>You keep a watchful eye on the ridge as you wait for the convoy to close the gap. Then, when the vehicles are once again visible in your driving mirror, you continue along the freeway. Anxiously, you expect an ambush to take place at any time, but, despite your fears, it does not materialize.</p>
<p>At length the stores and houses of Van Horn appear on the road ahead. The town looks deserted but you decide to take no chances. You bring the convoy to a halt within a mile of the town limits and, accompanied by Sergeant Haskell, you leave your roadster and enter on foot to check that it is safe for the convoy to pass through.</p>
- <p>The tumbledown buildings are deathly quiet as you walk along the main street of Van Horn, and you notice nothing out of the ordinary until you reach a bar near the centre of the town. A motorcycle is parked beside the entrance, its fuel tank emblazoned with the ace of spades emblem of the Mavericks clan. You decide to search the bar and, if possible, try to capture and question the bike's owner. Haskell suggests that it would be a good idea if one of you were to enter by the rear door and you nod your agreement.</p>
+ <p>The tumbledown buildings are deathly quiet as you walk along the main street of Van Horn, and you notice nothing out of the ordinary until you reach a bar near the centre of the town. A motorcycle is parked beside the entrance, its fuel tank emblazoned with the ace of spades emblem of the Mavericks clan. You decide to search the bar and, if possible, try to capture and question the bike<ch.apos/>s owner. Haskell suggests that it would be a good idea if one of you were to enter by the rear door and you nod your agreement.</p>
<choice idref="sect131">If you wish to enter the bar from the rear, <link-text>turn to 131</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect13">If you choose to enter the bar through the front door, <link-text>turn to 13</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>212</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You crouch behind the rack and fumble for a close combat weapon as the clansman's bullets pepper your position. Then you see Kate running towards you with a machine pistol in her hands. She opens fire at the clansman, but he returns fire and one of his bullets smashes the barrel of Kate's gun, rendering it useless. In the next instant he leaps on to the rack but, before he brings his weapon to bear, you lash out and smash his knee with the edge of your hand. He drops his gun and falls forward, landing on top of you with a jolt that leaves you breathless.</p>
+ <p>You crouch behind the rack and fumble for a close combat weapon as the clansman<ch.apos/>s bullets pepper your position. Then you see Kate running towards you with a machine pistol in her hands. She opens fire at the clansman, but he returns fire and one of his bullets smashes the barrel of Kate<ch.apos/>s gun, rendering it useless. In the next instant he leaps on to the rack but, before he brings his weapon to bear, you lash out and smash his knee with the edge of your hand. He drops his gun and falls forward, landing on top of you with a jolt that leaves you breathless.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<creator>Brian Williams</creator>
<meta><title>214</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The clansman's footsteps seem unbearably loud as you wait for the moment to launch your ambush. You check that your G-12 is 'safety off' and set to burst fire then, as the footsteps halt, you rise up from your hiding place and open fire.</p>
+ <p>The clansman<ch.apos/>s footsteps seem unbearably loud as you wait for the moment to launch your ambush. You check that your G-12 is <quote>safety off</quote> and set to burst fire then, as the footsteps halt, you rise up from your hiding place and open fire.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Shooting skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect292">If your total score is 4 or less, <link-text>turn to 292</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect18">If your total score is 5 or more, <link-text>turn to 18</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You return to find Kate sitting on the hood of the roadster, sifting through a box of items she has found. She, too, has been unable to find any fuel, but she has salvaged enough food for a decent evening meal.</p>
- <p>'I even found some wine from your home state,' she says, proudly holding out a bottle of Californian dry white for your inspection.</p>
- <p>'That's great,' you reply, with a smile. 'Now all we need is a corkscrew!'</p>
+ <p><quote>I even found some wine from your home state,</quote> she says, proudly holding out a bottle of Californian dry white for your inspection.</p>
+ <p><quote>That<ch.apos/>s great,</quote> you reply, with a smile. <quote>Now all we need is a corkscrew!</quote></p>
<p>As night draws in and the temperature falls, a strong wind arises that whips along the freeway, howling like an angry ghost. You sense that it is the prelude to a storm and you suggest to Kate that you look for somewhere to shelter. An old brick-built library standing close by seems like a good bet: the walls are strong and it still has a roof, which is more than can be said for over ninety per cent of the Bakersfield buildings.</p>
<choice idref="sect150"><link-text>Turn to 150</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>You reach down into the passenger foot-well and retrieve your rifle. Fortunately you know that the weapon is loaded and all you have to do is thumb back the safety catch to make it ready to fire. The moment the clansman sees you rest the barrel on the door, he veers across to the left lane of the highway as quickly as he can. You smile as you realize the purpose of this manoeuvre: he is trying to increase his chances of survival by making it as difficult as he can for you to shoot at him with your right hand.</p>
- <p>Keeping the roadster in a straight line, and the sheer force of the rushing wind whipping around the end of the rifle's barrel, make it impossible for you to take aim. You try to get as near to your enemy as you can before squeezing the trigger, but just as you are about to fire, you hit a pot-hole and lose your grip.</p>
+ <p>Keeping the roadster in a straight line, and the sheer force of the rushing wind whipping around the end of the rifle<ch.apos/>s barrel, make it impossible for you to take aim. You try to get as near to your enemy as you can before squeezing the trigger, but just as you are about to fire, you hit a pot-hole and lose your grip.</p>
<p>Add your Stealth skill score to your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score. Now pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add it to your total.</p>
<choice idref="sect251">If your total score is 32 or less, <link-text>turn to 251</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect307">If your total score is 33 or more, <link-text>turn to 307</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You try to wake Kate but she is in a deep sleep and does not respond immediately. When at last you succeed in rousing her it is too late to attempt a quick getaway by car.</p>
- <p>You watch tensely as the bikers ride into the town. You give a silent prayer that they will pass through Eldorado without stopping, but to no avail. They bring their machines to a halt in the middle of the town and begin a search of the surrounding ruins. 'They mustn't find us,' you whisper, as you look around the workshop for somewhere to hide. 'If they do we're as good as dead.'</p>
+ <p>You watch tensely as the bikers ride into the town. You give a silent prayer that they will pass through Eldorado without stopping, but to no avail. They bring their machines to a halt in the middle of the town and begin a search of the surrounding ruins. <quote>They mustn<ch.apos/>t find us,</quote> you whisper, as you look around the workshop for somewhere to hide. <quote>If they do we<ch.apos/>re as good as dead.</quote></p>
<p>The sound of footsteps echoes through the building as you help Kate to conceal herself in an old stationery cupboard. Once she is well hidden, you slip inside an adjoining storage room that is filled from floor to ceiling with musty mohair blankets. Minutes later, you hear a clansman walk into the workshop. You hold your breath and listen to his every move, but your concentration is suddenly broken when you feel something crawling up the back of your left hand.</p>
<p>Add your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score to your Perception skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect343">If your total score is 22 or less, <link-text>turn to 343</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>It occurs to you that the colony may still be close enough for radio contact. As it may be the last chance you will get to speak to them before your rendezvous at Kent one week from now, you decide to give it a try. You invert the handset of your CB and key in the frequency that Pop Ewell monitors aboard the school bus. But, for some unknown reason, the frequency is saturated with static and you are unable to transmit. You search for a clear channel and, by chance, you lock on to part of a two-way conversation:</p>
- <p>'OK Gold<ch.ellips/> Sit tight and quit y'bellyaching<ch.ellips/> I'm sending some o' my men back to cover it. You just put a tail on 'em <ch.ellips/> keep 'em in sight. We'll let 'em run a while and then hit 'em when they reach the mountains. D'you copy<ch.ellips/> over?'</p>
+ <p><quote>OK Gold<ch.ellips/> Sit tight and quit y<ch.apos/>bellyaching<ch.ellips/> I<ch.apos/>m sending some o<ch.apos/> my men back to cover it. You just put a tail on <ch.rsquot/>em <ch.ellips/> keep <ch.rsquot/>em in sight. We<ch.apos/>ll let <ch.rsquot/>em run a while and then hit <ch.rsquot/>em when they reach the mountains. D<ch.apos/>you copy<ch.ellips/> over?</quote></p>
<p>There is a loud burst of static, then a voice replies:</p>
- <p>'I copy <ch.ellips/> Gold out.'</p>
+ <p><quote>I copy <ch.ellips/> Gold out.</quote></p>
<p>The channel falls silent and you are left staring at the handset, trying to make some sense of what you have just overheard. Then you hear quite a different sound, a sound that sends a shiver of fear coursing down your spine.</p>
<choice idref="sect276"><link-text>Turn to 276</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>226</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Unable to crack the code, reluctantly you abandon the storage tank and content yourself with siphoning what you can from the fuel tanks of the dead clansmen's motorcycles. Unfortunately, your efforts net you barely enough gasolene to reach Brogado<ch.emdash/>the next town on the freeway. As you pull away slowly from the service area you are not the only one who is praying that you will find some fuel in Brogado.</p>
+ <p>Unable to crack the code, reluctantly you abandon the storage tank and content yourself with siphoning what you can from the fuel tanks of the dead clansmen<ch.apos/>s motorcycles. Unfortunately, your efforts net you barely enough gasolene to reach Brogado<ch.emdash/>the next town on the freeway. As you pull away slowly from the service area you are not the only one who is praying that you will find some fuel in Brogado.</p>
<choice idref="sect347"><link-text>Turn to 347</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>227</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>'What are you carryin' in that bag o' yours?' says the short clansman, pointing his stubby finger at your Backpack.</p>
- <p>Slowly you take off your pack and flip open the buckles. 'What do you want?' you say, inviting them to look at the items you are carrying. Roughly, the clansman pulls the pack from your hands and tips the contents on to the ground.</p>
- <p>'I'll take these two,' he says.</p>
- <p>'And I'll have these,' says his partner. 'You can keep the rest o' the junk.'</p>
+ <p><quote>What are you carryin<ch.apos/> in that bag o<ch.apos/> yours?</quote> says the short clansman, pointing his stubby finger at your Backpack.</p>
+ <p>Slowly you take off your pack and flip open the buckles. <quote>What do you want?</quote> you say, inviting them to look at the items you are carrying. Roughly, the clansman pulls the pack from your hands and tips the contents on to the ground.</p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>ll take these two,</quote> he says.</p>
+ <p><quote>And I<ch.apos/>ll have these,</quote> says his partner. <quote>You can keep the rest o<ch.apos/> the junk.</quote></p>
<p>Erase from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> those items which you have noted in the first four sections of your Backpack Items list. These are the items chosen by the two clansmen in return for their help in getting you into the stadium. If you possess less than four Backpack Items, you must make up the difference by erasing Medi-kit units instead.</p>
- <p>With broad smiles on their faces the two clansmen pocket your bribe. 'You jus' bought yourself a grandstand seat, fella,' says the taller of the two as, once again, you climb the pile of rubble. This time you are accompanied by the two clansmen who help you over the wall and then return to the avenue, chuckling and congratulating each other on their good fortune.</p>
+ <p>With broad smiles on their faces the two clansmen pocket your bribe. <quote>You jus<ch.apos/> bought yourself a grandstand seat, fella,</quote> says the taller of the two as, once again, you climb the pile of rubble. This time you are accompanied by the two clansmen who help you over the wall and then return to the avenue, chuckling and congratulating each other on their good fortune.</p>
<choice idref="sect15"><link-text>Turn to 15</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>While you do your best to staunch the bleeding, Haskell continues to question the Maverick. Finally, on the brink of death, the clansman changes his mind and begins to speak. He says that he is a Maverick outrider, a scout, one of a large group sent here to ambush the Big Spring colony. While drunk, he fell off his bike and broke his leg. Unable to ride, his fellow scouts left him here with the promise that he would be collected when they returned. His group are fighting a Mexican clan near Sierra Blanca. He says that the Mexicans are trying to steal their supplies.</p>
- <p>Haskell asks him about Mad Dog Michigan, but he refuses to answer. A trickle of blood escapes from his lips and, with his dying breath, he says: 'Mad Dog'll make sure you never get through <ch.ellips/>'</p>
+ <p>Haskell asks him about Mad Dog Michigan, but he refuses to answer. A trickle of blood escapes from his lips and, with his dying breath, he says: <quote>Mad Dog<ch.apos/>ll make sure you never get through<ch.ellips/></quote></p>
<choice idref="sect147"><link-text>Turn to 147</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>As your hand reaches out to push open one of the doors you hear a faint sound, like a human cough, coming from the kitchen beyond. Instantly you freeze in your tracks and reach automatically for a missile weapon. As you ease off the safety catch, you contemplate your next move.</p>
<choice idref="sect35">If you decide to kick open the door and rush into the kitchen, <link-text>turn to 35</link-text>.</choice>
- <choice idref="sect113">If you decide instead to shout, 'Come outta there with your hands up!', <link-text>turn to 113</link-text>.</choice>
+ <choice idref="sect113">If you decide instead to shout, <quote>Come outta there with your hands up!</quote>, <link-text>turn to 113</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>The crash brings the car to an abrupt halt and you are brought back to full consciousness when your chest is slammed by the hub of your steering wheel: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. Kate is saved from serious injury by her seat belt harness, which she had fastened before she fell asleep. The bone-breaking jolt of the crash has awoken her and, disorientated and bleary-eyed, she asks why you have stopped.</p>
- <p>'We ran out of road,' you say, sheepishly, as you stagger out of the driving seat and go to inspect the damage. Your heart sinks when you discover that the front chassis, the frame on which the wheels and engine are mounted, is badly bent out of shape. To repair this damage you will need to cut and re-weld the buckled frame.</p>
+ <p><quote>We ran out of road,</quote> you say, sheepishly, as you stagger out of the driving seat and go to inspect the damage. Your heart sinks when you discover that the front chassis, the frame on which the wheels and engine are mounted, is badly bent out of shape. To repair this damage you will need to cut and re-weld the buckled frame.</p>
<choice idref="sect90">If you possess a <typ class="item">Welding Torch</typ> and <typ class="item">Oxyacetylene</typ>, <link-text>turn to 90</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect105">If you do not possess both these items, <link-text>turn to 105</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>237</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Kate emerges from her hiding place and helps you search the dead clansman's body. Apart from his pistol and a quantity of 9mm ammunition, which Kate chooses to keep, you discover that he was carrying the following items:</p>
+ <p>Kate emerges from her hiding place and helps you search the dead clansman<ch.apos/>s body. Apart from his pistol and a quantity of 9mm ammunition, which Kate chooses to keep, you discover that he was carrying the following items:</p>
<ul>
<li>Water Canteen (containing enough water for three Drinks)</li>
<li>Bandages and Antiseptics (enough for two Medi-kit units)</li>
<data>
<p>When you reach the street, Kate and the others are standing in a circle around Gunter, staring at his inert body. You reach for your Medi-kit, but Sergeant Haskell looks up and shakes his head, and you leave the pouch unbuttoned.</p>
- <p>Without speaking, the sergeant and Knott take Gunter's body away for burial and you and Kate busy yourselves by searching the station wagon. This vehicle belonged to the sniper, and inside you discover the following items, which he looted from the store:</p>
+ <p>Without speaking, the sergeant and Knott take Gunter<ch.apos/>s body away for burial and you and Kate busy yourselves by searching the station wagon. This vehicle belonged to the sniper, and inside you discover the following items, which he looted from the store:</p>
<ul>
<li>Enough medicines and dressings for six Medi-kit units</li>
<li>Enough tinned food for eight Meals</li>
<data>
<p>Reluctantly, you let your gun slip to the ground as the muzzle of a rifle emerges from the darkened doorway.</p>
- <p>'You too, honey,' says the disembodied voice, and Kate obeys, tossing her machine pistol out of the car so that it lands deliberately near your feet.</p>
- <p>'Don't even think about it,' says another voice, away to your right.</p>
+ <p><quote>You too, honey,</quote> says the disembodied voice, and Kate obeys, tossing her machine pistol out of the car so that it lands deliberately near your feet.</p>
+ <p><quote>Don<ch.apos/>t even think about it,</quote> says another voice, away to your right.</p>
<p>From behind a wrecked auto steps a tall, muscular man, dressed in green army fatigues. His blond hair is cropped close to his head and his eyes are hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses. Pistol in hand, he walks slowly towards you, then stops at the entrance to the pay booth. Two more men in uniform emerge from the doorway<ch.emdash/>the rifleman and one other<ch.emdash/>armed with a sawn-off shotgun.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<instance class="html" src="ill13.gif" width="386" height="628" />
<instance class="pdf" src="ill13.pdf" width="386" height="628" />
</illustration>
- <p>'They don't look like clan punks, Sarge,' says the rifleman.</p>
- <p>'We're not,' interrupts Kate. 'We're running from the clans.'</p>
- <p>Bemused, the blond-haired man scratches his chin and turns to say something quietly to his two companions. It is then that you notice the faded sergeant stripes and the circular globe-of-the-world emblem that adorn his sleeve. Instantly you recognize the latter: it is the emblem of the World Defence League. At length, he turns to face you once more and says, in a friendlier tone, 'I think you two had better tell us your story.'</p>
+ <p><quote>They don<ch.apos/>t look like clan punks, Sarge,</quote> says the rifleman.</p>
+ <p><quote>We<ch.apos/>re not,</quote> interrupts Kate. <quote>We<ch.apos/>re running from the clans.</quote></p>
+ <p>Bemused, the blond-haired man scratches his chin and turns to say something quietly to his two companions. It is then that you notice the faded sergeant stripes and the circular globe-of-the-world emblem that adorn his sleeve. Instantly you recognize the latter: it is the emblem of the World Defence League. At length, he turns to face you once more and says, in a friendlier tone, <quote>I think you two had better tell us your story.</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect321"><link-text>Turn to 321</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>243</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Your driving skill and swift reflexes enable you to regain control of the roadster. With barely inches to spare, you steer it away from the service doors and swing it around to a halt alongside the service bay. Immediately, you cut the engine and try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roar past the lot. Soon they have gone and your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog's men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
+ <p>Your driving skill and swift reflexes enable you to regain control of the roadster. With barely inches to spare, you steer it away from the service doors and swing it around to a halt alongside the service bay. Immediately, you cut the engine and try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roar past the lot. Soon they have gone and your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
<p>After satisfying yourself that the clansmen have gone, you cast your eyes around the derelict car lot.</p>
<choice idref="sect124">If you wish to search the lot, <link-text>turn to 124</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect342">If you wish to leave and continue your journey to San Angelo, <link-text>turn to 342</link-text>.</choice>
</footnotes>
<data>
- <p>You jab the barrel of your gun into the clansman
's ribs and squeeze the trigger. At point blank range the effect is awesome; he is torn away from Kate and spun around like a top.<a id="sect245-1" idref="sect245-1-foot" class="footnote" /> His whirling dance of death finally comes to a halt when he hits the wall of the alley in which you are standing.</p>
+ <p>You jab the barrel of your gun into the clansman
<ch.apos/>s ribs and squeeze the trigger. At point blank range the effect is awesome; he is torn away from Kate and spun around like a top.<a id="sect245-1" idref="sect245-1-foot" class="footnote" /> His whirling dance of death finally comes to a halt when he hits the wall of the alley in which you are standing.</p>
<choice idref="sect76"><link-text>Turn to 76</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>247</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You try to dodge behind the stalagmites to avoid the clansman's fire, but your reflexes are dulled by fatigue and your movements are uncertain. A line of bullets punctures your chest and the taste of blood fills your mouth. As you fall to the ground, strangely you feel no pain, only an irresistible desire to sleep.</p>
- <p>Moments later the clansman falls victim to Kate's pistol, but it is a shot you do not hear, for you have already slipped into the timeless embrace of death.</p>
+ <p>You try to dodge behind the stalagmites to avoid the clansman<ch.apos/>s fire, but your reflexes are dulled by fatigue and your movements are uncertain. A line of bullets punctures your chest and the taste of blood fills your mouth. As you fall to the ground, strangely you feel no pain, only an irresistible desire to sleep.</p>
+ <p>Moments later the clansman falls victim to Kate<ch.apos/>s pistol, but it is a shot you do not hear, for you have already slipped into the timeless embrace of death.</p>
<p>Tragically, your journey and your life end here in the caverns of Sonora.</p>
</data>
</section>
<li>Enough canned food for five Meals</li>
</ul>
<p>If you choose to keep any of the items in either list, remember to adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly.</p>
- <p>Before leaving the kitchen, you hide the clansman's body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that leads to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
+ <p>Before leaving the kitchen, you hide the clansman<ch.apos/>s body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that leads to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
<choice idref="sect269"><link-text>Turn to 269</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>A cloud of fearful anticipation hangs over the convoy as it passes through Van Horn and begins the journey to Sierra Blanca. You feel especially vulnerable as the freeway approaches the narrow mountain pass between Devil Ridge and Slaughter Mountain. Even the names of these landmarks serve to increase your dread of what could happen there.</p>
<p>You are a little over five miles from Van Horn when you hear gunfire in the distance, and see a pall of black smoke rising into the cloudless sky. At its base, the buildings of a tiny town called Allamore are feeding the flames, and in the pass beyond this burning town, a gun battle is raging between the Mavericks and a group of invading Mexican clansmen. You assess the situation and decide that the best hope for the convoy lies in speed and surprise. If you can drive straight through this battle zone while both sides are busy shooting at each other, the convoy will be long gone before either side can redirect all its firepower.</p>
- <p>With trepidation, the colony agrees to your plan and the convoy is drawn up into its break-out formation, with Pete Tyler's tow truck leading the way.</p>
+ <p>With trepidation, the colony agrees to your plan and the convoy is drawn up into its break-out formation, with Pete Tyler<ch.apos/>s tow truck leading the way.</p>
<choice idref="sect20"><link-text>Turn to 20</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>257</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You dive to the ground. Then you look up at the front of the drug store for some indication of where the shot was fired from. A second shot rings out and you pinpoint the sniper's location just a moment before a stinging sensation assails your eyes. The bullet has hit the road surface a few inches in front of your face, and a handful of grit has been kicked up into your eyes: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
- <p>Angered by this deliberate attempt to kill you, and by the heart-rending moans of the wounded Marine Gunter, you decide to flush this sniper out and even the score. Kate and the others are pinned down on the other side of the street and cannot move without exposing themselves to the sniper's sights. Only you can reach the drug store entrance with some degree of cover.</p>
- <p>When a third shot hits the helpless Gunter, your anger gives way to a grim determination. Despite Kate's pleas to stay down, you spring to your feet and sprint towards the drug store entrance.</p>
+ <p>You dive to the ground. Then you look up at the front of the drug store for some indication of where the shot was fired from. A second shot rings out and you pinpoint the sniper<ch.apos/>s location just a moment before a stinging sensation assails your eyes. The bullet has hit the road surface a few inches in front of your face, and a handful of grit has been kicked up into your eyes: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
+ <p>Angered by this deliberate attempt to kill you, and by the heart-rending moans of the wounded Marine Gunter, you decide to flush this sniper out and even the score. Kate and the others are pinned down on the other side of the street and cannot move without exposing themselves to the sniper<ch.apos/>s sights. Only you can reach the drug store entrance with some degree of cover.</p>
+ <p>When a third shot hits the helpless Gunter, your anger gives way to a grim determination. Despite Kate<ch.apos/>s pleas to stay down, you spring to your feet and sprint towards the drug store entrance.</p>
<choice idref="sect338"><link-text>Turn to 338</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>You shoot less than a second before the Maverick discharges his pistol, yet your aim is deadly accurate. You deal him a fatal wound to the head that spins him sideways with the force of its impact.<a id="sect258-1" idref="sect258-1-foot" class="footnote" /> Unfortunately, the pistol in his hand is not a standard factory model: it is a weapon he has customized to fire in fully-automatic mode. The selector is set to auto and, as he falls to the ground, he squeezes the trigger and empties the fourteen-round magazine in a line across your car.</p>
- <p>A sharp, stinging core of pain erupts in your left arm as one of the 9mm bullets finds its mark: lose 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. With determination, you force yourself to ignore the agonizing pain and concentrate instead on escaping from the clutches of the other Maverick clansmen. Again, you attempt to start the car, but this time you take your foot off the gas as you turn the ignition switch, despite an almost overwhelming urge to stamp the pedal straight through the floor. The move works<ch.emdash/>the engine roars back to life<ch.emdash/>and within seconds you are accelerating away from the barricade, your eyes glued firmly to the convoy's tail lights. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the school bus and pass beyond range of the Maverick's guns.</p>
+ <p>A sharp, stinging core of pain erupts in your left arm as one of the 9mm bullets finds its mark: lose 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. With determination, you force yourself to ignore the agonizing pain and concentrate instead on escaping from the clutches of the other Maverick clansmen. Again, you attempt to start the car, but this time you take your foot off the gas as you turn the ignition switch, despite an almost overwhelming urge to stamp the pedal straight through the floor. The move works<ch.emdash/>the engine roars back to life<ch.emdash/>and within seconds you are accelerating away from the barricade, your eyes glued firmly to the convoy<ch.apos/>s tail lights. A few poorly aimed bullets chase your escape but you soon catch up with the school bus and pass beyond range of the Maverick<ch.apos/>s guns.</p>
<choice idref="sect312"><link-text>Turn to 312</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>It comes as a relief to discover that the town of Sierra Blanca is deserted. Here the convoy halts to assess the damage and treat those who were wounded during the run. Cutter is among those who need treatment, having stopped a bullet in his left forearm. However, although you can tell he is in considerable pain, he does his best to hide it.</p>
<p>Kate greets you with a kiss that leaves you in no doubt about how pleased she is to see you alive and in one piece. Together you go to the school bus for some food and water (restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points), and while you are there, you listen to Pop Ewell as he tries to make radio contact with the WDL unit in El Paso. After several attempts, he manages to raise them, but they refuse to acknowledge his call unless he gives a WDL security call sign, a sort of radio password that will prove he is not a clansman trying to trick his way into the city stronghold.</p>
- <p>'Cal, will you go an' fetch Sergeant Haskell. I think we'll be needin' his help to solve this,' says Pop, and eagerly you oblige.</p>
+ <p><quote>Cal, will you go an<ch.apos/> fetch Sergeant Haskell. I think we<ch.apos/>ll be needin<ch.apos/> his help to solve this,</quote> says Pop, and eagerly you oblige.</p>
<choice idref="sect50"><link-text>Turn to 50</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>261</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You manage to pull yourself over the wall and gain access to the stadium without being seen. From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today's event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be run in deadly earnest.</p>
+ <p>You manage to pull yourself over the wall and gain access to the stadium without being seen. From a position high among the tiers, you look down at the rows of empty seats that encircle the dusty arena and observe the preparations taking place around the perimeter track. This stadium once hosted international sporting events, many of which were televised and beamed live around the world. Now it plays host to a sporting event of a very different kind. The Angelinos have challenged the Lions to put forward four of their best riders for a twenty-lap motorcycle race around the arena. The track itself reminds you of an old film you saw when you were a child, a film about the wild chariot races that took place in Ancient Rome. Today<ch.apos/>s event is meant to be a friendly challenge to celebrate the signing of their alliance, but with clan honour at stake the race will undoubtedly be run in deadly earnest.</p>
<p>Facing you, on the far side of the stadium, is the glass-fronted observation block that was once used by television and radio commentators. Your curiosity is aroused when you notice that the door to the block is heavily guarded. Fixedly you stare at its full-length windows and count five occupants: four clansmen and one blonde-haired girl. You cannot see her face clearly, but you have a strong feeling that the girl is Kate Norton.</p>
<choice idref="sect346"><link-text>Turn to 346</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>You grab Kate by the wrist and take cover among the rocks that border the highway, but it is already too late. You have been seen by the approaching Angelinos and, as they get nearer, they fan out and encircle your position. Their newly elected leader, a wiry biker with a badly broken nose, offers you the chance to give yourselves up. Defiantly you both refuse.</p>
- <p>Their first attempt to capture you leaves five of them dead. Rather than risk losing any more of his men, the leader orders grenades to be thrown. They explode with a thunderous flash and you are both mortally wounded in the blast. Then they spray your position with automatic fire. When the Angelinos finally summon enough courage to close in, they find the two of you lying dead in each other's arms.</p>
+ <p>Their first attempt to capture you leaves five of them dead. Rather than risk losing any more of his men, the leader orders grenades to be thrown. They explode with a thunderous flash and you are both mortally wounded in the blast. Then they spray your position with automatic fire. When the Angelinos finally summon enough courage to close in, they find the two of you lying dead in each other<ch.apos/>s arms.</p>
<p>Sadly, your journey and your life end nine miles south of Eldorado.</p>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>263</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You feel a jolt against your shoulder as one of the clansmen stubs his toe against the raised edge of the cover and is sent sprawling to the ground. Quickly you try to replace the hatch but it is roughly pulled aside by the angry Angelino. The instant he sees your face, he draws his pistol and empties it into the shaft. Pain erupts in your head and chest as seven heavy .45-calibre slugs knock you off the ladder. The last thing you hear, as you plummet into the darkness, is Kate's echoing scream of horror.</p>
+ <p>You feel a jolt against your shoulder as one of the clansmen stubs his toe against the raised edge of the cover and is sent sprawling to the ground. Quickly you try to replace the hatch but it is roughly pulled aside by the angry Angelino. The instant he sees your face, he draws his pistol and empties it into the shaft. Pain erupts in your head and chest as seven heavy .45-calibre slugs knock you off the ladder. The last thing you hear, as you plummet into the darkness, is Kate<ch.apos/>s echoing scream of horror.</p>
<p>Your journey and your life end here.</p>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>You signal to Kate to come over to your position and immediately she obeys. You point to the two circling clansmen and she nods her silent understanding of the situation. Together you abandon your cover and shadow the two men as they circle around to the rear. An old tyre rack propped against the side of a derelict car wash offers you a good defensive position, and quickly you scurry towards it. Kate reaches the rack first, in time to see the Lions halt. For a moment they duck out of sight, but soon they reappear and come running, half-crouched, with guns at the ready, towards your newfound hiding place.</p>
- <p>Kate cocks her machine pistol and takes aim as the first clansman scurries between the rocks that litter the edge of the service area. He is less than twenty yards away when she squeezes off a burst of fire, bringing him crashing to the ground. His partner hesitates, then abandons his stealthy approach and comes running towards you, screaming hysterically, his own machine pistol blazing furiously at his hip. Bullets rip into the tyre rack and one smashes the barrel of Kate's gun, rendering it useless. In the next instant, he leaps on to the rack but, before he brings his weapon to bear, you lash out and smash his knee with the edge of your hand. He drops his weapon and falls forward, landing on top of you with a jolt that leaves you breathless.</p>
+ <p>Kate cocks her machine pistol and takes aim as the first clansman scurries between the rocks that litter the edge of the service area. He is less than twenty yards away when she squeezes off a burst of fire, bringing him crashing to the ground. His partner hesitates, then abandons his stealthy approach and comes running towards you, screaming hysterically, his own machine pistol blazing furiously at his hip. Bullets rip into the tyre rack and one smashes the barrel of Kate<ch.apos/>s gun, rendering it useless. In the next instant, he leaps on to the rack but, before he brings his weapon to bear, you lash out and smash his knee with the edge of your hand. He drops his weapon and falls forward, landing on top of you with a jolt that leaves you breathless.</p>
<combat><enemy>Kalashnikov</enemy><enemy-attribute class="closecombatskill">16</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">25</enemy-attribute></combat>
<p>You cannot evade combat and must fight the clansman to the death.</p>
<choice idref="sect308">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 308</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>265</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The bullets whistle past within inches of the scout leader's head, but he continues undaunted. He steers his machine towards the front of the roadster and, as he rides past, he lashes out at your unprotected back with his length of heavy chain.</p>
+ <p>The bullets whistle past within inches of the scout leader<ch.apos/>s head, but he continues undaunted. He steers his machine towards the front of the roadster and, as he rides past, he lashes out at your unprotected back with his length of heavy chain.</p>
<p>Add together your Perception and Stealth skill scores.</p>
<choice idref="sect25">If your total is 5 or less, <link-text>turn to 25</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect277">If your total is 6-8, <link-text>turn to 277</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>269</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Your escape from the building goes unnoticed by the few clan patrols that are operating in the area. Mekong Mike has brought most of his men up to the central and northern sectors, partly as a show of strength to Mad Dog Michigan and partly as a precaution in case Mad Dog's talk of an alliance turns out to be a bluff, and he is really here to try to take over the city.</p>
+ <p>Your escape from the building goes unnoticed by the few clan patrols that are operating in the area. Mekong Mike has brought most of his men up to the central and northern sectors, partly as a show of strength to Mad Dog Michigan and partly as a precaution in case Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s talk of an alliance turns out to be a bluff, and he is really here to try to take over the city.</p>
<p>The further you venture north, the more clan activity you find, and you are forced to stay hidden for longer periods as you snake your way through the ruins towards the centre of the stronghold. You are working on the assumption that Kate is with Mad Dog Michigan, and he is likely to be found where the number of clansmen is greatest.</p>
- <p>It is shortly before noon when you catch sight of a building that dominates the centre of San Angelo<ch.emdash/>the Reagan Memorial Stadium. Scores of motorcycles and their riders are gathered around its entrance where two large, tattered banners are fluttering symbolically in the breeze. One bears the lion's head mark of the Detroit Lions clan; the other is emblazoned with the long-horned steer skull symbol of the Angelinos clan. From your location opposite the entrance you overhear two Angelinos talking. You learn that some sort of motorcycle race is to take place here this afternoon, to celebrate the signing of a pact between the two clans. Now you feel sure that Mad Dog and Kate are here somewhere inside the stadium, and you apply yourself to finding a way in.</p>
- <p>After watching the entrance for over an hour, only two options appear open to you. You can try to hide in one of the trucks that are carrying spares for the clansmen's bikes, in the hope that they will enter the stadium before the race; or you can attempt to scale the stadium wall at one of the many places where it has partially collapsed.</p>
+ <p>It is shortly before noon when you catch sight of a building that dominates the centre of San Angelo<ch.emdash/>the Reagan Memorial Stadium. Scores of motorcycles and their riders are gathered around its entrance where two large, tattered banners are fluttering symbolically in the breeze. One bears the lion<ch.apos/>s head mark of the Detroit Lions clan; the other is emblazoned with the long-horned steer skull symbol of the Angelinos clan. From your location opposite the entrance you overhear two Angelinos talking. You learn that some sort of motorcycle race is to take place here this afternoon, to celebrate the signing of a pact between the two clans. Now you feel sure that Mad Dog and Kate are here somewhere inside the stadium, and you apply yourself to finding a way in.</p>
+ <p>After watching the entrance for over an hour, only two options appear open to you. You can try to hide in one of the trucks that are carrying spares for the clansmen<ch.apos/>s bikes, in the hope that they will enter the stadium before the race; or you can attempt to scale the stadium wall at one of the many places where it has partially collapsed.</p>
<choice idref="sect299">If you decide to try to stow away in one of the service trucks, <link-text>turn to 299</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect93">If you decide to attempt to climb over the wall, <link-text>turn to 93</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>275</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The clansmen dive aside as you crash through their barrier and accelerate across the open ground towards the safety of the southern ruins. They recover quickly and soon the staccato hammering of their assault rifles is echoing in your wake. With twenty yards left to go, five bullets rip their way through the jeep's rear tyres, which explode with a tremendous bang. For a moment you lose control as the vehicle slews sideways, rises on two wheels and then comes to a sudden halt. Quickly you abandon it and run for cover.</p>
+ <p>The clansmen dive aside as you crash through their barrier and accelerate across the open ground towards the safety of the southern ruins. They recover quickly and soon the staccato hammering of their assault rifles is echoing in your wake. With twenty yards left to go, five bullets rip their way through the jeep<ch.apos/>s rear tyres, which explode with a tremendous bang. For a moment you lose control as the vehicle slews sideways, rises on two wheels and then comes to a sudden halt. Quickly you abandon it and run for cover.</p>
<p>Ahead, you see the ruins of a fire station. You shout to Kate and point at the building; immediately she acknowledges your message with a thumbs-up. Then a string of bullets ricochets off the rubble-strewn ground around your feet, kicking up a cloud of dust that engulfs your whole body. Kate looks over her shoulder with fear stark in her eyes, but when you scream that you are OK, and tell her to keep running at all costs, her expression relaxes and she obeys your command willingly. More shots ring out, but they fall short of their mark and you reach the ruins of the fire station unscathed. Inside, you discover that much of the roof has collapsed, although you can see that one vehicle, a paramedic truck, has survived the devastation virtually intact.</p>
<choice idref="sect232">If you wish to search this vehicle, <link-text>turn to 232</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect148">If you choose to ignore it and press on with your escape, <link-text>turn to 148</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>The spider is swept from your arm and sent spinning into a dark corner of the workshop. Quickly you move forward, intending to crush it beneath your boot, but it has already scurried into the safety of the woodwork and no trace of it remains.</p>
- <p>'You were lucky, Cal,' says Kate. 'A bite from that little fella would have made you real sick.'</p>
- <p>'Yeah,' you reply uneasily, as you wipe the sweat from your brow, 'that was close.'</p>
+ <p><quote>You were lucky, Cal,</quote> says Kate. <quote>A bite from that little fella would have made you real sick.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Yeah,</quote> you reply uneasily, as you wipe the sweat from your brow, <quote>that was close.</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect291"><link-text>Turn to 291</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<p>You decide to leave Fort Stockton at dawn the following morning, but the weather deteriorates, putting a swift end to your plans. For two days and nights the town is hit by lightning storms and tornadoes, forcing you to remain in the basement of the motel. It is not until the morning of the sixth day of your mission that the tornadoes blow themselves out and you are able to leave the town in safety.</p>
<p>With Kate beside you, and the three marines clinging to the hood and trunk of your roadster, you crawl the twenty-three miles from Fort Stockton to the Balmorhea rest stop that Haskell found on your map. It is located at the entrance to a pass through the Barrilla Mountains and at first glance it appears to have suffered extensive damage in the recent storms. You bring the roadster to a halt with your fuel tank virtually empty, and it is with great trepidation that you and Sergeant Haskell go to inspect the fuel storage tanks while Kate and the others watch the road.</p>
<p>Of the eight underground fuel tanks located beneath the gas station area, only one looks promising. Of the others, six are empty and one is contaminated with diesel oil. A coded security valve locks the access pipe to the tank and, after a brief examination, you realize that the code must be cracked if you are to get at the contents. Any attempt to break off or cut through the valve would be sure to cause a spark that would blow the tank, and whoever was tampering with it, sky high.</p>
- <p>You are studying the valve when you hear Marine Gunter shout a warning: 'Clansmen on the freeway!'</p>
+ <p>You are studying the valve when you hear Marine Gunter shout a warning: <quote>Clansmen on the freeway!</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect200"><link-text>Turn to 200</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>285</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You leave the freeway and drive due east across the dusty plain. In the distance you can see a derelict ranch house and traces of a highway that pass close by. You are about to drive past the ranch when you notice a pick-up truck parked outside an adjoining barn. Judging by the condition of the vehicle's bodywork it is still serviceable.</p>
+ <p>You leave the freeway and drive due east across the dusty plain. In the distance you can see a derelict ranch house and traces of a highway that pass close by. You are about to drive past the ranch when you notice a pick-up truck parked outside an adjoining barn. Judging by the condition of the vehicle<ch.apos/>s bodywork it is still serviceable.</p>
<choice idref="sect149">If you wish to take a closer look at the pick-up truck, <link-text>turn to 149</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect303">If you decide to ignore the truck and press on with your detour around Sterling City, <link-text>turn to 303</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>288</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>When you first see San Angelo, the sun is a quarter hidden below the skyline, its soft red glow reflecting upon a cluster of tall buildings that stand at the city's centre. They are the ravaged shells of banks and state offices that were the pride of this once-prosperous city before 'The Day'. Surrounding them, for many miles, is a sea of dust and rubble. Your skin prickles when you realize that this is all that remains of the city's suburbs, an area that was once home to more than a million Texans.</p>
+ <p>When you first see San Angelo, the sun is a quarter hidden below the skyline, its soft red glow reflecting upon a cluster of tall buildings that stand at the city<ch.apos/>s centre. They are the ravaged shells of banks and state offices that were the pride of this once-prosperous city before <quote>The Day</quote>. Surrounding them, for many miles, is a sea of dust and rubble. Your skin prickles when you realize that this is all that remains of the city<ch.apos/>s suburbs, an area that was once home to more than a million Texans.</p>
<p>You are about to drive towards the centre when you notice that a fortified wall has been erected around the tall buildings of the downtown area, and that the northern freeway approaches are controlled by roadblocks. It would be near-suicidal to approach any closer, so you decide to make a wide detour around the city limits and try to approach from the south.</p>
<p>It takes you nearly two hours to reach the south side of San Angelo, by which time night has fallen. Fortunately, your decision to go south pays off; this section of the city is virtually uninhabited by the Angelinos and your approach goes undetected. Hidden by the darkness, you are able to get within a mile of the downtown area before you encounter any sign of clan activity. You know that if your rescue of Kate is to be successful you must not allow your roadster to fall into enemy hands, and with this in mind, you search for somewhere safe to leave it while you venture into the downtown area on foot.</p>
- <p>An underground parking lot situated below the looted ruins of a Sears megamarket provides just such a safe haven, and it is here that you hide your car. You are tired after the rigours of your journey, so you decide to get a few hours' sleep and attempt your rescue at first light.</p>
+ <p>An underground parking lot situated below the looted ruins of a Sears megamarket provides just such a safe haven, and it is here that you hide your car. You are tired after the rigours of your journey, so you decide to get a few hours<ch.apos/> sleep and attempt your rescue at first light.</p>
<choice idref="sect29"><link-text>Turn to 29</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>289</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You retrace your steps all the way back to the front lobby, continue across it, and enter the other corridor. This services a number of offices and conference rooms before it ends at a wide staircase leading downwards. You descend three floors and discover the remains of a large private restaurant which, along with its kitchen, occupies most of the sub-basement level. A small 'fire exit' sign hangs over the double doors leading to the kitchen and you head straight for it.</p>
+ <p>You retrace your steps all the way back to the front lobby, continue across it, and enter the other corridor. This services a number of offices and conference rooms before it ends at a wide staircase leading downwards. You descend three floors and discover the remains of a large private restaurant which, along with its kitchen, occupies most of the sub-basement level. A small <quote>fire exit</quote> sign hangs over the double doors leading to the kitchen and you head straight for it.</p>
<p>As you are crossing the restaurant floor, your rumbling stomach reminds you that you have yet to eat anything today. Then the thought occurs to you that there may still be some canned food in the kitchen, and you resolve to search it before you leave the building.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Perception skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect159">If your total score is now 11 or less, <link-text>turn to 159</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>291</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Eventually, the clansmen return to their motorcycles and ride out of Eldorado, heading south. With the immediate threat now gone, you decide to remain where you are and snatch a few hours' sleep before continuing your journey at dawn.</p>
+ <p>Eventually, the clansmen return to their motorcycles and ride out of Eldorado, heading south. With the immediate threat now gone, you decide to remain where you are and snatch a few hours<ch.apos/> sleep before continuing your journey at dawn.</p>
<p>In the clear light of early morning you can see for miles across the rocky plain that surrounds the highway south of Eldorado. It appears empty, although you remain on the alert every second of your drive to Sonora, the next town marked on your <a idref="map">map</a>, for it is in this direction that the Angelinos came when they left Eldorado last night. You are less than a mile from the ruins of Sonora when you are greeted by the welcome sight of Interstate 10, stretching east-to-west across your path. This is the freeway that you hope will take you all the way to your rendezvous with the colony at Kent, and then on through the mountains to El Paso.</p>
<p>You join the freeway and enjoy the feel of a firmer, clearer road surface beneath your wheels as you begin the long drive west. Still you can see no sign of the Angelinos, and Kate voices her hope that they have decided to search Sonora, thinking you may have hidden there last night. You want to agree with her, but suddenly, in the distance, you see something that proves her wrong.</p>
<choice idref="sect306"><link-text>Turn to 306</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>The convoy leaves the sanctuary of Big Spring with its headlights blazing and its gas pedals pressed flat to the floor. The deafening motor noise rolls across the surrounding land like thunder, and the twisted auto wrecks that litter this section of Freeway 20 seem to flash past with ever-increasing speed as you accelerate your car into the slipstream of the school bus. Above, you see a smoky pinpoint of fire climb into the night sky, then explode with a brilliant flash. It is a signal flare, and it has been launched by the startled group of Maverick gang lookouts, who are manning a barricade less than half a mile ahead.</p>
- <p>The barricade comprises a line of old cars and other debris that has been dragged into a haphazard line across the freeway. As the tow truck screams towards its centre, you can just hear the crackle of automatic gunfire above the roar of the convoy's engines. Then, with a grinding crash, the truck slams into the barricade and ploughs straight through without slowing. Torn and buckled sheets of rusty metal are spun skywards, together with the bodies of those Mavericks too slow to jump clear. Still in line, the convoy follows Pecos Pete through the ragged gap carved by his truck. As you approach it, you grit your teeth and tighten your grip on the steering wheel.</p>
+ <p>The barricade comprises a line of old cars and other debris that has been dragged into a haphazard line across the freeway. As the tow truck screams towards its centre, you can just hear the crackle of automatic gunfire above the roar of the convoy<ch.apos/>s engines. Then, with a grinding crash, the truck slams into the barricade and ploughs straight through without slowing. Torn and buckled sheets of rusty metal are spun skywards, together with the bodies of those Mavericks too slow to jump clear. Still in line, the convoy follows Pecos Pete through the ragged gap carved by his truck. As you approach it, you grit your teeth and tighten your grip on the steering wheel.</p>
<p>To your right you notice the steep embankment that borders this section of the freeway. An old panel truck is perched near the top of the slope, held there in defiance of gravity by blocks of concrete that are wedged in front of its wheels. Feverishly two Mavericks are trying to pull away these chocks and, as you reach the gap, they succeed. Your stomach churns as the panel truck comes careering down the embankment on a collision course with your car.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<data>
<p>You complete your detour of Sterling city without incident and rejoin Freeway 87 a few miles south of the town. The hour you spent driving across the dusty plain has made you very thirsty, and you must now take a Drink or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
- <p>The freeway follows a wide, rock-strewn gully that was once the North Concho River. You are staring at this dead watercourse, trying to imagine what the river must have looked like before 'The Day', when a road sign flashes past. You stop the car and turn back to read it. It says:</p>
+ <p>The freeway follows a wide, rock-strewn gully that was once the North Concho River. You are staring at this dead watercourse, trying to imagine what the river must have looked like before <quote>The Day</quote>, when a road sign flashes past. You stop the car and turn back to read it. It says:</p>
<signpost>BROOME<ch.emdash/>2 MILES</signpost>
<choice idref="sect220">If you possess a <typ class="item">CB Radio</typ>, <link-text>turn to 220</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect46">If you do not possess this item, <link-text>turn to 46</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>For the next hour you wind your way through the ruined city, crawling over the rubble and sprinting across every open area to minimize the risk of being seen. At length you reach a place that overlooks the southern perimeter wall. There you stop to settle your nerves and catch your breath. In a hushed voice, you tell Kate the whereabouts of your roadster, just in case you do not make it out of San Angelo.</p>
- <p>'Don't talk like that, Cal,' she says, gripping your hand as if her life depended on it. It scares me.'</p>
+ <p><quote>Don<ch.apos/>t talk like that, Cal,</quote> she says, gripping your hand as if her life depended on it. <quote>It scares me.</quote></p>
<p>You tell her as much as you can about your planned rendezvous with the colony; how in six days from now you are to meet at Kent. There is so much you want to tell her, but the sudden arrival of four clansmen in an open-topped jeep puts an abrupt end to your conversation. The vehicle screeches to a halt and the four grim-faced men leap out, brandishing machine pistols. The driver grunts something and they fan out and start searching the ruins.</p>
<p>Beyond the wall there is fifty yards of cleared ground separating the stronghold from the ruins of the southern suburbs. To reach your roadster, you will somehow have to cross this killing zone.</p>
<choice idref="sect64">If you wish to climb over the wall and make a run for it before the clansmen get any nearer, <link-text>turn to 64</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>308</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You step away from the clansman's body and run to where Kate is standing. She looks a little shell-shocked but is otherwise unharmed, and together you return to the front of the service area in time to see the sole surviving Detroit Lion making a speedy escape back along the freeway.</p>
+ <p>You step away from the clansman<ch.apos/>s body and run to where Kate is standing. She looks a little shell-shocked but is otherwise unharmed, and together you return to the front of the service area in time to see the sole surviving Detroit Lion making a speedy escape back along the freeway.</p>
<p>Sergeant Haskell and his men cheer his retreat, then conduct a search of those who did not get away. Although few personal possessions are found, they do recover some weapons and ammunition and you are offered a choice from the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Machine Pistol</li>
<meta><title>309</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Swiftly you regain control by steering into the skid. Then, as the wheels begin to grip, you bring the car around in a spectacular 180-degree turn and simultaneously cut the engine. You try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roar past the site. Soon they have gone and your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog's men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
+ <p>Swiftly you regain control by steering into the skid. Then, as the wheels begin to grip, you bring the car around in a spectacular 180-degree turn and simultaneously cut the engine. You try to keep as still as possible as the pack of clansmen, fifty riders strong, roar past the site. Soon they have gone and your spirits are raised by the thought that there will now be at least fifty less of Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s men to face when you reach San Angelo.</p>
<p>After satisfying yourself that the clansmen have gone, you cast your eyes around the derelict construction site.</p>
<choice idref="sect48">If you wish to search the site, <link-text>turn to 48</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect230">If you wish to leave and continue your journey to San Angelo, <link-text>turn to 230</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>312</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You can see the first rays of dawn light in your rear-view mirror as you pull out from behind the bus and start to overtake the convoy. As you draw level with the tanker, a watery spray speckles your windshield and you catch the strong, unmistakable smell of gasolene in the air. A stream of the precious liquid is escaping from a bullet hole in the tanker's side, and, as you draw level with the cab, you signal anxiously to Uncle Jonas to stop at the first opportunity.</p>
- <p>You have covered less than a mile when the freeway approaches the ruins of Stanton, a town long since looted and forgotten by the Mavericks, and you bring the convoy to a halt. Pecos Pete offers to help Uncle Jonas patch up the damage, and while you are waiting for them to finish their work, you ask Cutter to help you tell the rest of the colony your plan to rescue Kate. At first there are many who think you are being crazy and irresponsible. But gradually, after listening to Cutter's pleas on your behalf, they relent and finally consent to your rescue attempt.</p>
+ <p>You can see the first rays of dawn light in your rear-view mirror as you pull out from behind the bus and start to overtake the convoy. As you draw level with the tanker, a watery spray speckles your windshield and you catch the strong, unmistakable smell of gasolene in the air. A stream of the precious liquid is escaping from a bullet hole in the tanker<ch.apos/>s side, and, as you draw level with the cab, you signal anxiously to Uncle Jonas to stop at the first opportunity.</p>
+ <p>You have covered less than a mile when the freeway approaches the ruins of Stanton, a town long since looted and forgotten by the Mavericks, and you bring the convoy to a halt. Pecos Pete offers to help Uncle Jonas patch up the damage, and while you are waiting for them to finish their work, you ask Cutter to help you tell the rest of the colony your plan to rescue Kate. At first there are many who think you are being crazy and irresponsible. But gradually, after listening to Cutter<ch.apos/>s pleas on your behalf, they relent and finally consent to your rescue attempt.</p>
<p>Your plan is to go it alone to San Angelo. When you arrive there you will infiltrate the town while Mad Dog Michigan and his gang are busy wheeling and dealing with the Angelinos. Once you have found and rescued Kate, you will leave the city and make your way west to rendezvous with the convoy at a town called Kent, situated at the fork where Freeway 20 joins Interstate 10. The rendezvous is planned to take place exactly seven days from now. If either you or the colony fails to get there by midday, the party that does arrive is to assume the worst and press on to El Paso without delay.</p>
<p>Before you leave, two large plastic containers, filled with sufficient fuel to enable you to complete the 400-mile detour you have in mind, are loaded into the trunk of your roadster. Then, with the tanker repaired and your preparations complete, the colonists, especially your aunt and uncle, bid you an emotional farewell. They are fearful of what might befall you, but all, without exception, admire your bravery and determination to save the girl you love.</p>
<p>Silently you watch the convoy rumble out of Stanton until it has passed beyond the western horizon. The sun has now risen, and the pot-holed remains of State Highway 137 can be seen cutting a straight line to the south. A wave of uncertainty unsettles your stomach as you think about the difficult mission you have set yourself, but you are quick to dismiss these fears.</p>
- <p>'I've got a job to do and I'm gonna see it gets done!' you shout, as you start your engine and point your car southwards.</p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>ve got a job to do and I<ch.apos/>m gonna see it gets done!</quote> you shout, as you start your engine and point your car southwards.</p>
<choice idref="sect167"><link-text>Turn to 167</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>314</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You remove the grenade from your pack and set the timer to four seconds. Then you ease out the pin, roll the cylindrical explosive into the sniper's room and quickly turn your face away from the door. The deep thud of the explosion shakes the walls and sends a gout of smoke and flame gushing into the corridor. When the smoke clears, you rush into the room and find the sniper lying dead at the foot of the window with his rifle still clutched in his hands. (If you wish to keep this weapon, you discover that it contains eight rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.)</p>
- <p>You shout an 'all clear' to the others in the street below and then turn to leave the flame-scorched room.</p>
+ <p>You remove the grenade from your pack and set the timer to four seconds. Then you ease out the pin, roll the cylindrical explosive into the sniper<ch.apos/>s room and quickly turn your face away from the door. The deep thud of the explosion shakes the walls and sends a gout of smoke and flame gushing into the corridor. When the smoke clears, you rush into the room and find the sniper lying dead at the foot of the window with his rifle still clutched in his hands. (If you wish to keep this weapon, you discover that it contains eight rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.)</p>
+ <p>You shout an <quote>all clear</quote> to the others in the street below and then turn to leave the flame-scorched room.</p>
<choice idref="sect239"><link-text>Turn to 239</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>You are nearly at the top of the wall when you lose your footing and fall backwards. In a cloud of dust and loose debris, you tumble head-over-heels down the heap and come to an abrupt and painful halt in the avenue below: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
- <p>'What were you up to?' growls the shorter of two ugly-looking Detroit Lions who have appeared suddenly and are now standing over you.</p>
- <p>'Why ain't you using the North Gate, eh? That's where the Angelinos are supposed to be meetin'.'</p>
+ <p><quote>What were you up to?</quote> growls the shorter of two ugly-looking Detroit Lions who have appeared suddenly and are now standing over you.</p>
+ <p><quote>Why ain<ch.apos/>t you using the North Gate, eh? That<ch.apos/>s where the Angelinos are supposed to be meetin<ch.apos/>.</quote></p>
<p>Stiffly you clamber to your feet and begin to brush away the thick layer of dust that covers you completely, until you realize that it is the dust that is concealing the fact that you are not an Angelino.</p>
- <p>'I'm an Angelino who jus' wants t'see the race. I'm supposed to be patrolling the south zone, but ain't nothin' ever happens down there. Gimme a break you guys, will ya?'</p>
+ <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>m an Angelino who jus<ch.apos/> wants t<ch.apos/>see the race. I<ch.apos/>m supposed to be patrolling the south zone, but ain<ch.apos/>t nothin<ch.apos/> ever happens down there. Gimme a break you guys, will ya?</quote></p>
<p>A grin spreads slowly across the faces of the two Lions as they see a chance to make some easy pickings. They agree to get you into the stadium, but at a price; you will have to bribe them.</p>
<choice idref="sect102">If you possess a <typ class="item">Bottle of Bourbon</typ>, <link-text>turn to 102</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect227">If you do not possess this item, <link-text>turn to 227</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>The heat and flames force you back from the entrance, and as you reach the centre of the hall, you look around desperately for another way out but every exit is now ablaze.</p>
- <p>Using a heavy rug from the floor, you cover Kate's head and tell her to make a dash for the main door. Bravely she obeys your command without hesitation, and she succeeds in escaping through the tunnel of flame and out into the street beyond. Heartened by her success, you raise your jacket over your head, take a deep breath and sprint after her.</p>
+ <p>Using a heavy rug from the floor, you cover Kate<ch.apos/>s head and tell her to make a dash for the main door. Bravely she obeys your command without hesitation, and she succeeds in escaping through the tunnel of flame and out into the street beyond. Heartened by her success, you raise your jacket over your head, take a deep breath and sprint after her.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Stealth skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect139">If your total score is 7 or less, <link-text>turn to 139</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect34">If your total score is 8 or more, <link-text>turn to 34</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You leave the highway and drive across the stony ground that borders the town of Christoval and the South Concho River. The land here is far too rough for you to be able to drive at speed and, as you glance in your mirror, you are sorely aware that the bikers are closing the gap. Your only chance of escape is to find a way across the river and get back on to the highway.</p>
<p>Kate too senses the danger, and knows what must be done. She keeps her eyes peeled on the river, looking for somewhere suitable to cross, while you negotiate a way through the boulders that lie scattered in your path.</p>
- <p>'Over there, Cal!' she shouts, pointing to a shallow-sided section of the river bank. Immediately you steer towards it and power your car down the gentle slope towards the foul-smelling water. Here, the tainted river is less than a foot deep and the rocky bed provides a firm grip for your tyres.</p>
+ <p><quote>Over there, Cal!</quote> she shouts, pointing to a shallow-sided section of the river bank. Immediately you steer towards it and power your car down the gentle slope towards the foul-smelling water. Here, the tainted river is less than a foot deep and the rocky bed provides a firm grip for your tyres.</p>
<p>You are half-way across when you hear a dull thud. Suddenly there is a flash of orange-red flame and a column of splintered rocks and black water erupts from the river a few feet ahead. The clansmen are firing grenades!</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
<choice idref="sect42">If the number you have picked is 0-3, <link-text>turn to 42</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You tell the soldiers who you are and how you came to be here in Fort Stockton. At first, they listen to your fantastic account with cool scepticism. They cross-examine you both in an attempt to find a flaw in your story, but when they are unable to find any, their attitude begins to change. By the time they have finished their interrogation, you have managed to win their respect and admiration.</p>
- <p>Once they are convinced that you are genuine colonists they recount their own tale. They are WDF marines who, before 'The Day', were stationed at an underground tracking facility in Brownsville, Texas. Twelve of their unit survived the post-holocaust years, but soon after their return to the surface they were the victims of a clan attack. They were the only survivors of the attack and were forced to flee Brownsville on foot. Eventually they managed to find a vehicle that worked<ch.emdash/>the pick-up truck<ch.emdash/>and had got this far when the fuel ran out and the engine broke down. They are trying to reach their command headquarters at Fort Bliss, located just north of El Paso, where they hope to rejoin remnants of their unit. They arrived in Fort Stockton three days ago and have been prevented from continuing their journey on foot by the blistering day temperatures and the fierce night storms that have swept down from the Barrilla Mountains.</p>
+ <p>Once they are convinced that you are genuine colonists they recount their own tale. They are WDF marines who, before <quote>The Day</quote>, were stationed at an underground tracking facility in Brownsville, Texas. Twelve of their unit survived the post-holocaust years, but soon after their return to the surface they were the victims of a clan attack. They were the only survivors of the attack and were forced to flee Brownsville on foot. Eventually they managed to find a vehicle that worked<ch.emdash/>the pick-up truck<ch.emdash/>and had got this far when the fuel ran out and the engine broke down. They are trying to reach their command headquarters at Fort Bliss, located just north of El Paso, where they hope to rejoin remnants of their unit. They arrived in Fort Stockton three days ago and have been prevented from continuing their journey on foot by the blistering day temperatures and the fierce night storms that have swept down from the Barrilla Mountains.</p>
<p>They have set up camp in the ruins of a nearby motel and they invite you there to share their food and drink, and to formulate a plan to find some fuel for your roadster. Their provisions are basic but you receive them gratefully: restore 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
<choice idref="sect58"><link-text>Turn to 58</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>323</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Your pulse is racing as you wait for the optimum moment to launch your ambush. The clansman's footsteps seem unbearably loud but still you hesitate. He stops and instinctively you spring to your feet, aim and fire.</p>
+ <p>Your pulse is racing as you wait for the optimum moment to launch your ambush. The clansman<ch.apos/>s footsteps seem unbearably loud but still you hesitate. He stops and instinctively you spring to your feet, aim and fire.</p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Shooting skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect292">If your total score is 6 or less, <link-text>turn to 292</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect18">If your total score is 7 or more, <link-text>turn to 18</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>330</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The foul-mouthed scout leader is half-way across the river when Kate snatches your gun, takes aim and silences the screaming Angelino for good with a single shot to the heart. The sight of him crashing into the river stuns the remaining clansmen just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car. Kate leaps in beside you, stows your gun behind your seat and shouts: 'Let's get outta here!'</p>
- <p>As you mount the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the scouts retrieving their leader's body from the South Concho River.</p>
+ <p>The foul-mouthed scout leader is half-way across the river when Kate snatches your gun, takes aim and silences the screaming Angelino for good with a single shot to the heart. The sight of him crashing into the river stuns the remaining clansmen just long enough for you to complete your wheel change and jump back into the car. Kate leaps in beside you, stows your gun behind your seat and shouts: <quote>Let<ch.apos/>s get outta here!</quote></p>
+ <p>As you mount the top of the bank and speed away towards the distant highway, you glance over your shoulder to see the scouts retrieving their leader<ch.apos/>s body from the South Concho River.</p>
<choice idref="sect249"><link-text>Turn to 249</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>331</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>As the noise of the explosion fades and the smoke thins, you approach the door to discover that the padlock no longer exists. Firmly you push open the shrapnel-pitted door and enter the hangar-like interior. Inside you find an armoured truck, one of many that were once used by banks to transport cash and bullion around Texas. This one was hijacked shortly before 'The Day', and was brought here, where its cargo was to have been shared out by the robbers. However, they never had a chance to divide and spend their loot, and the vehicle still contains over thirty million dollars in cash, a sum now completely worthless.</p>
- <p>The truck's fuel tank is a quarter full, but it is diesel oil and cannot be used in your roadster. Cursing your luck, you search the truck and the building for anything that may be of practical use and you discover the following items:</p>
+ <p>As the noise of the explosion fades and the smoke thins, you approach the door to discover that the padlock no longer exists. Firmly you push open the shrapnel-pitted door and enter the hangar-like interior. Inside you find an armoured truck, one of many that were once used by banks to transport cash and bullion around Texas. This one was hijacked shortly before <quote>The Day</quote>, and was brought here, where its cargo was to have been shared out by the robbers. However, they never had a chance to divide and spend their loot, and the vehicle still contains over thirty million dollars in cash, a sum now completely worthless.</p>
+ <p>The truck<ch.apos/>s fuel tank is a quarter full, but it is diesel oil and cannot be used in your roadster. Cursing your luck, you search the truck and the building for anything that may be of practical use and you discover the following items:</p>
<ul>
<li><typ class="item">Tool Kit</typ></li>
<li><typ class="item">Air Pump</typ></li>
<data>
<p>The force of the bullets throws you flat on your back, knocking your weapon clean out of your hands. You lie there winded for a few seconds, then you grit your teeth and try to rise, but a wave of pain robs you of your strength and you slip and fall heavily against the body of the dead clansman at the bottom of the gully.</p>
- <p>Then you hear a sound that chills your blood: the running footfalls of the biker as he rushes forward to finish you off. Desperately you look around for a weapon and notice a pistol tucked into the waistband of the dead clansman. The biker's face appears above the edge of the gully at precisely the same moment that your fingers close around the pistol grip. Simultaneously you curse each other, then take aim and fire at each other's head.</p>
+ <p>Then you hear a sound that chills your blood: the running footfalls of the biker as he rushes forward to finish you off. Desperately you look around for a weapon and notice a pistol tucked into the waistband of the dead clansman. The biker<ch.apos/>s face appears above the edge of the gully at precisely the same moment that your fingers close around the pistol grip. Simultaneously you curse each other, then take aim and fire at each other<ch.apos/>s head.</p>
<p>Add your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score to your Shooting skill score.</p>
<choice idref="sect151">If your total is now 22 or less, <link-text>turn to 151</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect187">If your total is now 23 or more, <link-text>turn to 187</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>333</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Clutching your wounded leg, you hobble after the sergeant and find him in the corner of the bar, kneeling beside a clansman who is bleeding from a chest wound. You also notice that the man's leg is set in splints, as if recently broken, and that the leather jacket he wears is marked with the Maverick ace-of-spades symbol.</p>
+ <p>Clutching your wounded leg, you hobble after the sergeant and find him in the corner of the bar, kneeling beside a clansman who is bleeding from a chest wound. You also notice that the man<ch.apos/>s leg is set in splints, as if recently broken, and that the leather jacket he wears is marked with the Maverick ace-of-spades symbol.</p>
<p>Haskell lifts his head from the floor and asks him what he is doing here. Stubbornly, the dying clansman refuses to answer.</p>
- <choice idref="sect231">If you have a Medi-kit unit and wish to use it to treat the clansman's wound, <link-text>turn to 231</link-text>.</choice>
+ <choice idref="sect231">If you have a Medi-kit unit and wish to use it to treat the clansman<ch.apos/>s wound, <link-text>turn to 231</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect73">If you do not possess a Medi-kit unit, or do not wish to use one on a man who just tried to kill you, <link-text>turn to 73</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<meta><title>336</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The cupboard door creaks open and Kate emerges from her hiding place, her face lined with fearful concern until she sees that you are unharmed. She suggests that you search the dead clansman's body, but even as the words are leaving her lips, you hear the other clansmen rushing up the stairs to the first floor, drawn by the sound of their confederate's dying scream.</p>
+ <p>The cupboard door creaks open and Kate emerges from her hiding place, her face lined with fearful concern until she sees that you are unharmed. She suggests that you search the dead clansman<ch.apos/>s body, but even as the words are leaving her lips, you hear the other clansmen rushing up the stairs to the first floor, drawn by the sound of their confederate<ch.apos/>s dying scream.</p>
<p>Only two options are open to you as the Angelinos come running along the corridor towards the workshop: you can stand and fight, or you can leave by jumping from the first floor window.</p>
<choice idref="sect127">If you wish to stand and fight the approaching clansmen, <link-text>turn to 127</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect66">If you choose to escape while you still can, <link-text>turn to 66</link-text>.</choice>
<meta><title>337</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>You deliver your killing blow, sending your adversary sprawling to the ground, limp and nerveless. His companion was unable to get a clear shot at you while the two of you fought hand-to-hand, so he decided that he would join in. You look to the bridge and see him running across the highway at you with a flick knife held before him at arm's length. He is screaming like a madman as he launches his first attack.</p>
+ <p>You deliver your killing blow, sending your adversary sprawling to the ground, limp and nerveless. His companion was unable to get a clear shot at you while the two of you fought hand-to-hand, so he decided that he would join in. You look to the bridge and see him running across the highway at you with a flick knife held before him at arm<ch.apos/>s length. He is screaming like a madman as he launches his first attack.</p>
<combat><enemy>Supa-Nova</enemy><enemy-attribute class="closecombatskill">15</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">24</enemy-attribute></combat>
<choice idref="sect146">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 146</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>A bullet passes close by your shoulder, yet you reach the drug store entrance unscathed. The rear of the station wagon occupies most of the doorway, it having been parked there with its tailgate open. Inside, the luggage compartment is stacked with items looted from the store.</p>
- <p>The store's interior is very dark and it takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust. When they do, you see a staircase at the back and you approach it cautiously. You have reached the first floor landing when there is another shot, and at once you sense the sniper's location: a room at the far end of the corridor. Silently you creep to within inches of the open door and steel yourself for an attack.</p>
+ <p>The store<ch.apos/>s interior is very dark and it takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust. When they do, you see a staircase at the back and you approach it cautiously. You have reached the first floor landing when there is another shot, and at once you sense the sniper<ch.apos/>s location: a room at the far end of the corridor. Silently you creep to within inches of the open door and steel yourself for an attack.</p>
<choice idref="sect314">If you possess an <typ class="item">HE Grenade</typ>, <link-text>turn to 314</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect177">If you do not possess this item, <link-text>turn to 177</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<meta><title>339</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>Carefully, you drop the welding equipment and obey the command. Then a swarthy Angelino steps out of the shadows with a pistol in his hand. He sniggers with delight unable to hide his glee at having captured you both single-handedly and reaches into his pocket with his free hand. He removes a pair of handcuffs and tosses them casually at Kate's feet before ordering her to put them on your wrists.</p>
+ <p>Carefully, you drop the welding equipment and obey the command. Then a swarthy Angelino steps out of the shadows with a pistol in his hand. He sniggers with delight unable to hide his glee at having captured you both single-handedly and reaches into his pocket with his free hand. He removes a pair of handcuffs and tosses them casually at Kate<ch.apos/>s feet before ordering her to put them on your wrists.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<creator>Brian Williams</creator>
- <description>The Angelino tosses a pair of handcuffs casually at Kate's feet.</description>
+ <description>The Angelino tosses a pair of handcuffs casually at Kate<ch.apos/>s feet.</description>
</meta>
<instance class="html" src="ill20.gif" width="386" height="560" />
<instance class="pdf" src="ill20.pdf" width="386" height="560" />
<meta><title>341</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>The chain sails within an inch of your scalp as you duck behind the wing of your roadster. An instant later you retaliate by hurling your brace at the scout leader's bike. The tool jams between the spokes of his front wheel, causing the machine to up-end and slam its rider face-first into the river bank. Then the heavy machine crashes down with a sickening crunch, crushing the Angelino to death under the weight of its l000cc engine.</p>
+ <p>The chain sails within an inch of your scalp as you duck behind the wing of your roadster. An instant later you retaliate by hurling your brace at the scout leader<ch.apos/>s bike. The tool jams between the spokes of his front wheel, causing the machine to up-end and slam its rider face-first into the river bank. Then the heavy machine crashes down with a sickening crunch, crushing the Angelino to death under the weight of its l000cc engine.</p>
<choice idref="sect11"><link-text>Turn to 11</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<data>
<p>Having briefed the convoy, you return to Sergeant Haskell on the freeway outside Fabens.</p>
- <p>'The convoy's ready to roll straight through here as soon as they see my signal flare,' you inform him.</p>
- <p>'That's great. Now all we need to do is open up the gate and let 'em go.'</p>
+ <p><quote>The convoy<ch.apos/>s ready to roll straight through here as soon as they see my signal flare,</quote> you inform him.</p>
+ <p><quote>That<ch.apos/>s great. Now all we need to do is open up the gate and let <ch.rsquot/>em go.</quote></p>
<choice idref="sect120">If you possess a <typ class="item">Leviathan Missile</typ>, <link-text>turn to 120</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect219">If you do not possess this weapon, <link-text>turn to 219</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
<data>
<p>It is almost noon when you drive into Brogado. The storm-shattered ruins of this mountain town do not inspire much hope of finding fuel, and, after making a thorough search of its two gas stations, your initial fears are confirmed: one station has been looted and the other has been gutted by fire.</p>
<p>It is beginning to look as though you will have to walk the last thirty miles to Kent when Marine Gunter sees a station wagon backed up to the entrance of a drug store, and he calls it to your attention. All five of you are walking along the main street towards the vehicle when a shot rings out from the first floor window of the store, and Gunter is brought to the ground, clutching his bloodstained chest.</p>
- <p>'Sniper!' shouts Sergeant Haskell. 'Hit the deck!'</p>
+ <p><quote>Sniper!</quote> shouts Sergeant Haskell. <quote>Hit the deck!</quote></p>
<p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> and add to it your Stealth and Perception skill scores.</p>
<choice idref="sect257">If your total score is 10 or less, <link-text>turn to 257</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect92">If your total score is 11 or more, <link-text>turn to 92</link-text>.</choice>
<li>Enough canned food for five Meals</li>
</ul>
<p>If you choose to keep any of the items in either list, remember to adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly.</p>
- <p>Before leaving the kitchen you hide the clansman's body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that leads to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
+ <p>Before leaving the kitchen you hide the clansman<ch.apos/>s body in an empty refrigerator. Then you hurry through the fire escape door and make your way up a flight of rusty steps that leads to a service alley at the rear of the building.</p>
<choice idref="sect269"><link-text>Turn to 269</link-text>.</choice>
</data>
</section>
<p>You have indeed earned the right to celebrate, for you have freed Kate from her abductors and reached El Paso, thereby achieving everything you set out to do when you left Big Spring one week ago.</p>
<p>The celebrations continue in El Paso for several days until the victorious mood is soured by the arrival of Mad Dog Michigan, and an army of clansmen over a thousand strong. He has persuaded the Mexicans to join his cause and now they surround El Paso with a ring of steel.</p>
<p>Mad Dog has promised to avenge the death of his brother. Now he reaffirms that vow and delivers the additional threat that neither you, nor any of your colony, will ever get out of El Paso alive.</p>
- <p>For you, Cal Phoenix, the chance to defy Mad Dog Michigan's threat and continue your life-or-death journey to California awaits you in Book 3 of the Freeway Warrior series entitled:</p>
+ <p>For you, Cal Phoenix, the chance to defy Mad Dog Michigan<ch.apos/>s threat and continue your life-or-death journey to California awaits you in Book 3 of the Freeway Warrior series entitled:</p>
<p><cite><a href="&link.03toz;">THE OMEGA ZONE</a></cite></p>
</data>
</section>
<li>Subtract the <typ class="attribute">CLOSE COMBAT SKILL</typ> score of your enemy from your total. The resulting number is the Combat Ratio.</li>
<li>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</li>
<li>Turn to the <a idref="crtable">Close Combat Results Table</a>.</li>
- <li>Find your Combat Ratio along the top of the chart and cross-reference it with the random number you have picked. (E indicates enemy's loss of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. CP indicates Cal Phoenix's loss of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.)</li>
+ <li>Find your Combat Ratio along the top of the chart and cross-reference it with the random number you have picked. (E indicates enemy<ch.apos/>s loss of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. CP indicates Cal Phoenix<ch.apos/>s loss of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.)</li>
<li>Continue the combat from stage 3 until one combatant has zero <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points or below, this is when he is declared dead.</li>
</ol>
<meta><title>Errata</title></meta>
<data>
<p>(<a idref="dtd">Dateline to Disaster</a>) Replaced <quote>training and</quote> with <quote>training, and</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="tssf">The Story So Far</a>) Replaced <quote>re-establish</quote> with <quote>reestablish</quote>, <quote>syphon</quote> with <quote>siphon</quote>, <quote>'the Freeway Warrior'.</quote> with <quote>the 'Freeway Warrior'.</quote>, <quote>fuel, food or water</quote> with <quote>fuel, food, or water</quote>, and <quote>'the Mavericks'</quote> with <quote>the 'Mavericks'</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="gamerulz">The Game Rules</a>) Replaced <quote>if you pick a O</quote> with <quote>if you pick a 0</quote>, <quote>On pages 6 and 7 you will find an Action Chart</quote> with <quote>An Action Chart has been supplied</quote>, <quote>the Random Number Table at the back of this book</quote> with <quote>the Random Number Table</quote>, <quote>zero</quote> with <quote>zero or below</quote>, and <quote>survival skills</quote> with <quote>Survival Skills</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="gamerulz">The Game Rules</a>) Removed <quote>For ease of use during play it is recommended that you photocopy these pages</quote>.</p>
+
+ <p>(<a idref="tssf">The Story So Far</a>) Replaced <quote>re-establish</quote> with <quote>reestablish</quote>, <quote>syphon</quote> with <quote>siphon</quote>, <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Freeway Warrior<ch.rsquot/>.</quote> with <quote>the <ch.lsquot/>Freeway Warrior<ch.rsquot/>.</quote>, <quote>fuel, food or water</quote> with <quote>fuel, food, or water</quote>, and <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Mavericks<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote>the <ch.lsquot/>Mavericks<ch.rsquot/></quote>. Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
+
+ <p>(<a idref="gamerulz">The Game Rules</a>) Replaced <quote>if you pick a O</quote> with <quote>if you pick a 0</quote>, <quote>On pages 6 and 7 you will find an Action Chart</quote> with <quote>An Action Chart has been supplied</quote>, <quote>the Random Number Table at the back of this book</quote> with <quote>the Random Number Table</quote>, <quote>zero</quote> with <quote>zero or below</quote>, and <quote>survival skills</quote> with <quote>Survival Skills</quote>. Removed <quote>For ease of use during play it is recommended that you photocopy these pages</quote>.</p>
+
<p>(<a idref="equipmnt">Equipment</a>) Replaced <quote>map of Western Texas</quote> with <quote>Map of Western Texas</quote>, <quote>potassium iodine</quote> with <quote>potassium iodide</quote>, <quote>C.B. RADIO</quote> with <quote>CB RADIO</quote>, and <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="cmbtrulz">Close Combat Rules</a>) Replaced <quote>cross-refer</quote> with <quote>cross-reference</quote>, <quote>zero</quote> with <quote>zero or below</quote>, and <quote>as <ch.plus/>1 If </quote> with <quote>as <ch.plus/>1. If </quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="cmbtrulz">Close Combat Rules</a>) Replaced <quote>are reduced to zero, at which point the one whose score is zero is declared dead.</quote> with <quote>are reduced to zero or below, at which point that combatant is declared dead.</quote> and <quote>with a reduced ENDURANCE point score</quote> with <quote>with his ENDURANCE points possibly reduced</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="cmbtrulz">Close Combat Rules</a>) Removed <quote>on the inside back cover of the book</quote>.</p>
+
+ <p>(<a idref="cmbtrulz">Close Combat Rules</a>) Replaced <quote>cross-refer</quote> with <quote>cross-reference</quote>, <quote>zero</quote> with <quote>zero or below</quote>, and <quote>as <ch.plus/>1 If </quote> with <quote>as <ch.plus/>1. If </quote>. Replaced <quote>are reduced to zero, at which point the one whose score is zero is declared dead.</quote> with <quote>are reduced to zero or below, at which point that combatant is declared dead.</quote> and <quote>with a reduced ENDURANCE point score</quote> with <quote>with his ENDURANCE points possibly reduced</quote>. Removed <quote>on the inside back cover of the book</quote>.</p>
+
+ <p>(<a idref="sect4">4</a>) Replaced <quote>blood-stained</quote> with <quote>bloodstained</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect8">8</a>) Replaced <quote>gun fire</quote> with <quote>gunfire</quote> and <quote>monumentous</quote> with <quote>monumental</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect12">12</a>) Replaced <quote>camp fire</quote> with <quote>campfire</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect18">18</a>) Replaced <quote>gun fire</quote> with <quote>gunfire</quote> and <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect23">23</a>) Replaced <quote>Small blanket</quote> with <quote>Small Blanket</quote>, <quote>Medi-kits units</quote> with <quote>Medi-kit units</quote>, <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>, and <quote>unleash a round of fire at the door</quote> with <quote>fire at the door</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect28">28</a>) Replaced <quote>despatch</quote> with <quote>dispatch</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect30">30</a>) Replaced <quote>bushwack</quote> with <quote>bushwhack</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect36">36</a>) Replaced <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect38">38</a>) Replaced <quote>manouevre</quote> with <quote>manoeuvre</quote> and <quote>(minimum equals one; maximum equals four)</quote> with <quote>(minimum: one round; maximum: four rounds)</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect48">48</a>) Replaced <quote>Backpack items</quote> with <quote>Backpack Items</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect49">49</a>) Replaced <quote>blood-stained</quote> with <quote>bloodstained</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect61">61</a>) Replaced <quote>gun fire</quote> with <quote>gunfire</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect62">62</a>) Replaced <quote>blood-stained</quote> with <quote>bloodstained</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect64">64</a>) Replaced <quote>Backpack items</quote> with <quote>Backpack Items</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect71">71</a>) Replaced <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect94">94</a>) Replaced <quote>H.E. Grenade</quote> with <quote>HE Grenade</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect107">107</a>) Replaced <quote>blood-stained</quote> with <quote>bloodstained</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect111">111</a>) Replaced <quote>camp fire</quote> with <quote>campfire</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect112">112</a>) Replaced <quote>new-found</quote> with <quote>newfound</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect115">115</a>) Replaced <quote>queueing</quote> with <quote>queuing</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect123">123</a>) Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect124">124</a>) Replaced <quote>Backpack items</quote> with <quote>Backpack Items</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect126">126</a>) Replaced <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect127">127</a>) Replaced <quote>gun fire</quote> with <quote>gunfire</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect130">130</a>) Replaced <quote>Plastic tube</quote> with <quote>Plastic Tube</quote> and <quote>Four rounds of 12-gauge Shotgun shells</quote> with <quote>Four rounds of 12-gauge ammunition</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect133">133</a>) Replaced <quote>Coupe</quote> with <quote>Coup<ch.eacute/></quote> and <quote>woodsmoke</quote> with <quote>wood smoke</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="sect153">153</a>) Replaced <quote>south-east</quote> with <quote>southeast</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect143">143</a>) Replaced <quote>blood-stained</quote> with <quote>bloodstained</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect150">150</a>) Replaced <quote>camp fire</quote> with <quote>campfire</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect152">152</a>) Replaced <quote>new-found</quote> with <quote>newfound</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect153">153</a>) Replaced <quote>south-east</quote> with <quote>southeast</quote>. Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect157">157</a>) Replaced <quote>despatches</quote> with <quote>dispatches</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect168">168</a>) Replaced <quote>syphon</quote> with <quote>siphon</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect172">172</a>) Replaced <quote>north-west</quote> with <quote>northwest</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect175">175</a>) Replaced <quote>camp fire</quote> with <quote>campfire</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect178">178</a>) Replaced <quote>machine-gunning</quote> with <quote>machine gunning</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect179">179</a>) Replaced <quote>(minimum equals one; maximum equals four)</quote> with <quote>(minimum: one round; maximum: four rounds)</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect183">183</a>) Replaced <quote>syphoned</quote> with <quote>siphoned</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect205">205</a>) Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect207">207</a>) Replaced <quote>Backpack items</quote> with <quote>Backpack Items</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect208">208</a>) Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect224">224</a>) Replaced <quote>camp fire</quote> with <quote>campfire</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect226">226</a>) Replaced <quote>syphoning</quote> with <quote>siphoning</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect227">227</a>) Replaced <quote>Backpack items</quote> with <quote>Backpack Items</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect230">230</a>) Replaced <quote>south-east</quote> with <quote>southeast</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect232">232</a>) Applied bold style to <quote>Foil Blanket</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect239">239</a>) Replaced <quote>syphon</quote> with <quote>siphon</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect248">248</a>) Replaced <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect250">250</a>) Replaced <quote>gun fire</quote> with <quote>gunfire</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect251">251</a>) Replaced <quote>weapons list</quote> with <quote>Weapons List</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect253">253</a>) Replaced <quote>Backpack items</quote> with <quote>Backpack Items</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect264">264</a>) Replaced <quote>new-found</quote> with <quote>newfound</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect268">268</a>) Replaced <quote>dispairing</quote> with <quote>despairing</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect270">270</a>) Replaced <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect279">279</a>) Replaced <quote>(minimum equals one; maximum equals four)</quote> with <quote>(minimum: one burst; maximum: four bursts)</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect288">288</a>) Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect292">292</a>) Replaced <quote>gun fire</quote> with <quote>gunfire</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect296">296</a>) Replaced <quote>camp fire</quote> with <quote>campfire</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect299">299</a>) Replaced <quote>someobody</quote> with <quote>somebody</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect303">303</a>) Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect311">311</a>) Replaced <quote>Loxoscees reclusa</quote> with <quote>Loxosceles Reclusa</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect315">315</a>) Replaced section references. The original text directed the reader to sections <a idref="sect161">161</a> and <a idref="sect207">207</a>, however those references are the result of being apprehended by a single clansman in section <a idref="sect115">115</a>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect320">320</a>) Replaced <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect321">321</a>) Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect328">328</a>) Replaced <quote>despatch</quote> with <quote>dispatch</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect331">331</a>) Replaced <quote><ch.lsquot/>the Day<ch.rsquot/></quote> with <quote><ch.lsquot/>The Day<ch.rsquot/></quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect332">332</a>) Replaced <quote>botton</quote> with <quote>bottom</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect342">342</a>) Replaced <quote>south-east</quote> with <quote>southeast</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect344">344</a>) Replaced <quote>woodsmoke</quote> with <quote>wood smoke</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect346">346</a>) Replaced <quote>H.E. Grenade</quote> with <quote>HE Grenade</quote> and <quote>checkered</quote> with <quote>chequered</quote>.</p>
+ <p>(<a idref="sect347">347</a>) Replaced <quote>blood-stained</quote> with <quote>bloodstained</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect348">348</a>) Replaced <quote>sulphonamides</quote> with <quote>sulfonamides</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="sect112">112</a>,<a idref="sect152">152</a>,<a idref="sect264">264</a>) Replaced <quote>new-found</quote> with <quote>newfound</quote>.</p>
+
<p>(<a idref="sect18">18</a>,<a idref="sect23">23</a>,<a idref="sect36">36</a>,<a idref="sect63">63</a>,<a idref="sect71">71</a>,<a idref="sect101">101</a>,<a idref="sect126">126</a>,<a idref="sect138">138</a>,<a idref="sect146">146</a>,<a idref="sect183">183</a>,<a idref="sect187">187</a>,<a idref="sect232">232</a>,<a idref="sect248">248</a>,<a idref="sect266">266</a>,<a idref="sect308">308</a>,<a idref="sect348">348</a>) Replaced CCS Bonuses in <quote>[]</quote> with <quote>()</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="sect48">48</a>,<a idref="sect64">64</a>,<a idref="sect124">124</a>,<a idref="sect207">207</a>,<a idref="sect227">227</a>,<a idref="sect253">253</a>) Replaced <quote>Backpack items</quote> with <quote>Backpack Items</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="tssf">The Story So Far</a>,<a idref="sect123">123</a>,<a idref="sect153">153</a>,<a idref="sect205">205</a>,<a idref="sect208">208</a>,<a idref="sect288">288</a>,<a idref="sect303">303</a>,<a idref="sect321">321</a>,<a idref="sect331">331</a>) Replaced <quote>'the Day'</quote> with <quote>'The Day'</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="sect4">4</a>,<a idref="sect49">49</a>,<a idref="sect62">62</a>,<a idref="sect107">107</a>,<a idref="sect143">143</a>,<a idref="sect347">347</a>) Replaced <quote>blood-stained</quote> with <quote>bloodstained</quote>.</p>
- <p>(<a idref="sect12">12</a>,<a idref="sect111">111</a>,<a idref="sect150">150</a>,<a idref="sect175">175</a>,<a idref="sect224">224</a>,<a idref="sect296">296</a>) Replaced <quote>camp fire</quote> with <quote>campfire</quote>.</p>
+
<p>(<a idref="crsumary">Combat Rules Summary</a>) Replaced <quote>cross-refer</quote> with <quote>cross-reference</quote>, <quote>Combat Results Table</quote> with <quote>Close Combat Results Table</quote>, and <quote>zero ENDURANCE points</quote> with <quote>zero ENDURANCE points or below</quote>.</p>
</data>
</section>
Project Aon Git Repositories / project-aon.git / commitdiff