Oliver and Thrust's Road Trip Continues!
Sacramento hadn't exactly been a waste of time for Thrust and Oliver-- Thrust found enough components that his refuelling station got out of the planning stages and into the 'cuss and weld' stages, and Oliver had a whole collection of stuff, from bottled water to clean clothes and a razor.
On the downside, most of the city had been attacked by mutated plant life after the statues quit moving, and though the few surviving humans had managed some cleanup efforts, most of the city was still splattered with the remains of killer tomatoes.
They decided, then, to head east-- rumor had it there wasn't much of the Californian sector left untouched, and no one had even heard from San Francisco, the nearest major port city, in weeks. I-80 turned out to have more interesting scenery than I-5 as it wound up into the mountains; snow made it slow going, but the roads were still maintained. Thrust decided that there had to still be humans around, keeping things clear in case someone needed to get in or they needed to get out. (Reading the historical markers at the Donner Memorial State Park while Oliver and Beauregard did organic things convinced him it was the latter.)
Which catches us up with where Thrust and Oliver have found themselves now-- on the North Shore of scenic Lake Tahoe, where it's cold enough for the snow to stick. Their plans are to refuel, stock up on fresh water and food for Oliver and Beauregard (the tourist information advertised horseback riding, so they might find something useful), and loop back around to I-80... maybe stop long enough for Thrust to put his refuelling station together, if they can find somewhere warm enough for Oliver and Beauregard to sack out while Thrust works.
So. Thrust, Oliver, and Beauregard, in a chilly, rather quietly empty, slightly snowed-in Tahoe City, looking for salvagables in the lakeshore resorts and hotels.
If nothing else, even Thrust has to admit it's pretty, for an organic planet.
On the downside, most of the city had been attacked by mutated plant life after the statues quit moving, and though the few surviving humans had managed some cleanup efforts, most of the city was still splattered with the remains of killer tomatoes.
They decided, then, to head east-- rumor had it there wasn't much of the Californian sector left untouched, and no one had even heard from San Francisco, the nearest major port city, in weeks. I-80 turned out to have more interesting scenery than I-5 as it wound up into the mountains; snow made it slow going, but the roads were still maintained. Thrust decided that there had to still be humans around, keeping things clear in case someone needed to get in or they needed to get out. (Reading the historical markers at the Donner Memorial State Park while Oliver and Beauregard did organic things convinced him it was the latter.)
Which catches us up with where Thrust and Oliver have found themselves now-- on the North Shore of scenic Lake Tahoe, where it's cold enough for the snow to stick. Their plans are to refuel, stock up on fresh water and food for Oliver and Beauregard (the tourist information advertised horseback riding, so they might find something useful), and loop back around to I-80... maybe stop long enough for Thrust to put his refuelling station together, if they can find somewhere warm enough for Oliver and Beauregard to sack out while Thrust works.
So. Thrust, Oliver, and Beauregard, in a chilly, rather quietly empty, slightly snowed-in Tahoe City, looking for salvagables in the lakeshore resorts and hotels.
If nothing else, even Thrust has to admit it's pretty, for an organic planet.