OOM: Making Tracks, Part 2: Dodge This

[blueshifted]

It's nighttime now, though you wouldn't know it. The eerie glow of the superportal lights up the entire area--a constant reminder that while they're shielded enough from any portal storms, they're also sitting ducks for anything tramping through this area

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[smelltheashes]

The others know it, which is why they're doing everything they can to get the train working again. None of their attempted repairs are working, though. not enough to get the damn thing to move.

There is a quietly growing sentiment among the little rebel group that they're going to need to radio for help, but there's no one willing to make that call without permission- and there's very few willing to consider waking Barney up just at the moment.

[blueshifted]

It's a paradox: if Barney could tell them to wake him up, he would.

As it stands, he's asleep... and the clock is ticking.

[smelltheashes]

Eventually there's a fit of hasty discussion, and a drawing of straws. An extremely unhappy-looking fellow with disheveled brown hair edges over to where Barney is sleeping. "Sir?" he whispers. Then, a little louder: "Mr. Calhoun?"

[blueshifted]

Barney shifts a little, the haze of sleep clearing away when he hears his name being called. "Eh? Whaddayanee?"

[smelltheashes]

"Sir..." The younger man fidgets. "We're not having a lot of luck with the repairs. We, uh. We need permission to call for help."

[blueshifted]

That brings Barney to full wakefulness, and he gives the man a frustrated look.

"Not the damn Nazis," he mutters under his breath, and then he turns to the kid. "If it's necessary, then go ahead. We're not buying ourselves anything by keeping radio silence if the Combine can just storm in here and take us all anyway."

[smelltheashes]

"Yessir," the younger man says, and scrambles away to find whoever's got hold of the radio. The sooner this is done, the sooner they can all run for their lives.

[blueshifted]

There's no way in hell Barney's getting back to sleep now, and he pulls the vest from his armor back on before grabbing his gun and following the man out to the rest of the resistance. "How're we doing?"

[smelltheashes]

"Not so good, sir," says the dark-skinned woman who's currently up to her elbows in the train's electrical wiring. "It's like the pulse that went out from the Citadel fused... pretty much everything about this train's innards. We're doing what we can with what we have, but none of it seems to make any real difference."

[blueshifted]

Barney grimaces, peering at it a second, but it's completely beyond him. "Sent out the radio call yet, or are they workin' on that?"

[smelltheashes]

"I think it's going out now, sir."

[blueshifted]

Barney nods, waiting. He doesn't like being stuck here one bit.

[smelltheashes]

There's a radio crackle, and their lone radio operator says, "Calling White Forest- are you there? White Forest, this is-"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," comes a man's voice from the other end. It's staticky, but audible. "What's your position?"

"Not far outside of City 17. We were the last evacuee train out."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Nossir. We're stranded and can't get the train operational. We need help. Reinforcements. Is there anything?"

"Well, I'll see what I can do, but..."

[blueshifted]

Barney sighs. If you want something done right... "White Forest? This is Barney Calhoun speaking--please, we've gone innocent civilians on this train! There's gotta be something you guys can do up there."

[smelltheashes]

"All right, all right," says the voice on the other end. "I'll send what we can spare. Hold out as long as you can. I'll let the docs know what happened."

[blueshifted]

"Thanks a lot," Barney says, looking around at the other Resistance. "Anything else, anybody?"