Story [Issue 16] The Crisis - Part 2

[Valletta 834]

Back to Part 1

 

 

“Attention all citizens! A severe malfunction has occurred on a global scale! I repeat! Stay away from the city industries!

 

...Attention all citizens! A severe malfunction…”

 

 

   The city alarms were all chanting that simultaneously. People fled from their offices, from their homes, from the streets into the nearby parks and green fields to avoid coming in contact with any more of the spazzing  fuel tanks. Along with the crowd ran Michael, Joseph and Jackson along with Emma and Paul, the camera operator. With no vehicle working die to the industrial quantities of fuel going up in flames, the group was forced to awkwardly speed-walk on the highway that lead outside the town. Major Zhukov was a funny sight, trotting along behind the group, as he wasn’t used to manual labor and was a man of some age, too.

 

 

   “Where are we going?” Emma worried.

 

   “They said to stay in the outskirts, where there are no fuel deposits…” Paul muttered. “My grandparents used to have a barn a few miles from here… I haven’t a clue whether its still standing but we could keep it as an option.”

 

   “Yeah…” Jackson said in a distraught fashion.

 

   Jack was looking in the sky, where all the wreckage and smoke from the industrial part of the city were “spat out”. There was a meteor-looking object flying in a parabolic trajectory to the ground. It had a flaming tail and a  standard size fuel barrel. And by the looks of it, it had been punctured in the bottom and caught flame, turning into a sort of missile. It fell several yards away from the side of the highway and started satanically spinning in all directions until it decomposed itself into tiny glowing particles that just puffed away.

 

   “That was odd”

 

   “What?” Michael looked in his direction.

 

   “Never mind.”

 

   After a couple of hours of walking, the group found a highway exit and strolled down a friendly looking little road. Major Zhukov left them halfway through there, after a Wasp (conveniently fitted with an electric generator) drove by to pick him up and get him to the next town’s call center. The rest didn’t wish to join him (probably judging by the Wasp’s size) and went on walking. By the time they got to some sort of structure the weather was getting cold, since it was already late autumn – the travelers were rubbing hands and snuggling in their coats.

 

   “Here we are” Noted Joe.

 

   “Where have you lead us?” said Emma and Paul simultaneously.

 

   Team Molotov was giggling.

 

   “If only you included this place in your interview…” Started Michael

 

   “…You would have made a fortune” Continued Jack with an impish smile.

 

   “What… I don’t understand… Mike, what are you saying?” Emma looked confused.

 

   Paul pulled her away from the three tankmen.

 

   “Look, I’m no professional, but I think this could be it… The hideout. You know… the elusive o–“

 

   Emma put her hand on his mouth (She was generally quite bossy, so she treated her colleagues like cattle).  Her eyes were glimmering as if she had seen a miracle. And indeed it was a miracle.

 

 

   This sudden burst of emotion needs some background explanation. The “Team Molotov” crew was an object of special attention for the “Stars and Tanks” talk show. Years ago, when the show was launched for the sole purpose to observe the inside world of the tank brigades, their tournaments and oddities, this specific trio became their #1 topic of discussion, as it was already on its way to the elite status it presently has. Emma herself was recruited as one of the best and most persistent reporters and her primary job was to deliver information concerning the team’s endeavors.

 

   The hideout was the mystical place “Team Molotov” kept their inventory. All the unique hi-tech weapons and hulls were stored there shortly after Mike, Joe and Jack met. It became an object of public interest since nobody actually knew its location. A news report that revealed its position and contents could potentially get thousands, perhaps millions…

 

   Emma was euphoric. Her eyes quickly lost their vibrancy once they met with Michaels, which clearly displayed a strict “You have no permission to be here” message. The reporter took control of herself and walked ahead seriously. Team Molotov were realizing they could potentially smear their elite status by exposing their secrets to a talk show reporter, but there was really no other choice – It was freezing outside and getting dark too, so a public reveal of the hideout was the smallest sacrifice they could make.

 

   Mike asked Joe to join him while Jackson stayed with the show people on the street. A minute later the place came to life. Hundreds of lights flashed from places they were least suspected to be and the very ground beneath the group’s feet trembled. A hatch roughly 20 meters before them opened to reveal a hangar of epic proportions. Mike, Joe and Jack entered along with the dazzled talk show crew.

“Now begins the insanity…” Emma thought to herself. Paul was just walking speechless.

 

   An enormous underground base with more than 20 halls was revealed. Each hall contained all one tankman could ever wish for – Tanks with turbofan engines and jigsaw tracks, Turrets with multiple add-ons, presumably at the level of an M6 generation of technology. Consumables that were never seen before, which would probably get banned from any tournament due to being too advanced. The list went on and on.

 

   “Come on” Jack snapped.

 

   They went past each of the halls through the complex system of automated walkways. Everything looked shiny and intact except for hall #6, which looked pretty beat up. It was the fuel supply hall.

 

   “Here – we will get the Hornets and take you guys to some nice quiet village until this thing is settled.”

 

   “But­–”

 

   “No Emma, I know what you’re thinking” Snapped Michael, as their eyes met again. “We have policies of pride here.”

 

   Silence.

 

   Joe broke it with a quite appropriate comment: “Amazing points there Mike, but… how will we drive those things?”

 

 

   It was a good point, as there was really no other means of sufficient powering beside fuel. The emergency batteries wouldn’t last long enough and wouldn’t provide enough power for a tank for a long travel. The boys would need some time to mull over this problem.

...

 

 

   Meanwhile, the developer team in Perm had successfully installed the update. Now they only had to wait 24 hours for the servers to accept the update and apply it.

 

   Back in the town where Team Molotov’s interview was held the most peculiar sight appeared. Among the wrecked streets with buildings with shattered windows and barrels of fuel still sizzling, a clean and tidy little building appeared out of nowhere. It sat completely out of place among the wreckage. Gradually other such 1 story high buildings appeared. Painted in white, with little sliding doors and a mini-market inside. With refilling booths outside. With shiny banners saying:

 

 

“Standard auto fuel – 10 crystals per gallon” 

 

[VectorSierra 199]

Excellent :3 Nice job! ;) 

[Valletta 834]

It's worse than the previous part imo... There's apparently a magical force that restricts sequels from being as good as the first part...

[aojsd 144]

It's worse than the previous part imo... There's apparently a magical force that restricts sequels from being as good as the first part...

Probably because it is something known as a "filler chapter," which has many essential parts of the story, but not as much action and suspense. Nevertheless, excellent article val!

Edited October 4, 2013 by aojsd

[q456wert 18]

Excellent

[hogree 4,179]

Great continuation, the idea of this story is exquisite.

[Valletta 834]

I'll take the compliment about the exquisite story, but I still think its a bad sequel  :wacko:

[donut70 97]

this is an interesting idea

[hogree 4,179]

I'll take the compliment about the exquisite story, but I still think its a bad sequel  :wacko:

Its not perfect for sure, there was a lot better lines you could have followed, but you have definitely given it something to run onto.

[Mithrandir1 17]

Valletta, please don't give the devs bad ideas!

[Valletta 834]

Valletta, please don't give the devs bad ideas!

Haha, let's hope the whole story remains a hypothetical idea...