Brisbane

Khan trudged down the road, Mount Nebo Road according to his map, and the sight of houses through the trees gave him the willpower to continue. He was hungry, a feeling he was practically married to as a result of his trekking, and Brisbane was the nearest population center that Khan knew was occupied by traders and merchants, the lords and kings of the new world. From rumors, it appeared that Australia was one of those countries that had escaped most of the negative effects of the event, but Khan quickly realized that they were just that, rumors, and that no-where was unscathed.

Looking at the map, the biggest text showed the small town he had entered was called 'The Gap', and that it was all residential. There appeared to be a shopping center near to where 'The Gap' merged with Brisbane, but he held no hope as to its contents. Looking at the map, Khan once again was gripped by mild frustration in that it wasn't 3D. Sure, contour lines help greatly in judging the height of land, but there was no indication as to the height of buildings - hinting at where a sniper may reside - or any indication on what the building looked like; if it was a fortress, home to a rich man or to a useful business that wasn't a Hospital, Golf Course or Parking Lot. He felt the urge to whip out his PDA and scan the surroundings, but the gentle clicking of the Dosimeter was telling him to leave it in the electrically insulating lead casing a while longer.

Khan made he way between the houses in an effort to remain free of holes. There were no shots hear, either nearby or in the distance, and, upon further listening, there wasn't any sound at all bar the wind in the trees. He was expecting to hear the tell-tale sound of a wind-up music player, a guitar, laughter, boots on tarmac or the reloading of a clip, but there was nothing. No dogs barking, no birds chirping, just him and the wind. Surely even a residential area would be populated by some people. Despite his better judgement, he made his way back onto the road and started towards the Mall.

There were some burnt out cars, but no sign of a riot of firefight. Glass remained in windows, and the dosimeter wasn't angrily clicking at any deadly particles, remaining at the calm, collected clicking that it had been doing since he woke up. He would ask the people of Brisbane about 'The Gap' later. As he neared the Mall, sounds could be heard, but not the ones he was expecting. The distant noise of crowds, smaller than before Armageddon, but just as distinct. He casually made he way past the mall and over the Waterworks road bridge while remaining vigilant to the sound of a weapon cocking, but there was no threats. He worked his way into the Ashgrove district and spent a good hour or so walking down waterworks road. As he neared another shopping center on his left, he heard the noise he was dreading. Three rifles to the top of the Rockaway shop, one on the opposite building and two behind him on the chemists. He was by far outnumbered and accepted the ambush. "Not as nice as they said", he muttered, and hoped service would be better in the city center, because he would escape. He always did.

The bony hands of Augustus wound up a pocket watch, and checked the time. There was something about knowing the time which left a lingering feeling of the old days, providing a sense of hope and control. After the disaster, nobody was bothered to keep the time or the day; life had become just an endless parade of uncounted seconds. He replaced the pocket watch into his trouser pocket, and moved slowly towards the windowsill. The window was long since boarded-up to keep out the desperate world, but a peppering of bullet holes in the wood allowed him to see through to the outside. He squinted in the bright daylight, which was a stark contrast to his unlit home. It really wasn’t much of a home, at all; he just inhabited a tiny two-floor apartment building. The previous owners didn’t seem to mind, the dead simply catered to the living at this point.
Gus had promised a rendezvous with a young lady with whom he had talked earlier in the week. She shared his vision of Roma, and wanted to let him cross-check his research with her own. The problem was that she was currently somewhere in South Brisbane; her journey would be a long and tiring one.
He looked out across the Victoria Bridge to see if the lady had arrived. No such luck- he would now stand at a diligent watch until she entered his line of sight. Gus crossed his arms and admitted to himself that he was worried for her safety, especially with the gangs and thieves wandering the streets. Giving a cheerless glance back to the charcoal drawing of his wife, he regretted not being the one to make the journey.
---
On the other side of Brisbane, a petite redhead rushed along past the Terminus hotel. She clutched a stack of papers in her arms with a death-grip; to anyone else these papers would be fire tinder, but to her, these were her most valuable possessions. In the oppression of the mid-day sun, she felt exhausted from her journey, the fact that she was wearing a sleek rubber jacket to keep away the UV light was only making her travels more miserable. She wanted nothing more than a bubble bath and a hearty meal, two things she knew she would never enjoy again, considering the current state of the world. Even though it was just a fantasy, she kept those thoughts in her mind; they urged her on and fought against the heat stroke waiting to take her down.
The walls of faded advertisements surrounding her on every side seemed like a haunted fortress, and the unused vehicles seemed like a hostile ghost army. The litter on the road whipped around in the mild breeze with an unnerving crackle. Her eyes flashed wildly about to assess the possible threats, and to avoid any undesirable encounters. Paranoia crept in, and she doubted that she would make the entire journey without being assailed, especially now that there were so many rooftops and corners to hide in.
She stalled when she reached the park, partly because she was unfamiliar with the area, and partly because she felt like she couldn’t feasibly travel another step in this heat. Adelaide slumped under a tree, fanning herself with her papers, and craving some toasted bread.

'You really want me to kill him?'

The question hung in the air for a moment. Neither spoke. A light rain began to fall on the singed tiles of roof of the former Mater Misericordiae Hospital, yet the small flame that had been started there the night before still continued to burn.

'You understand, of course,' the man continued, 'that this could cause a dispute that could spiral out of control? Out of anyone's control?'

Alisdair "Ali" Earnst turn to face the man that stood crouched next to a living dead man. The man-a politician, in fact- had been conflicted by unknown means with a disease that resulted in an extreme form of muscle atrophy. The disease obviously showed, the man had eaten his share of breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the day, yet still he looked starved. Ali and his temporary companion-whome had offered to pay for the help and supplies- were at first determined to cure this man. However, as soon as Ali came up with an administered a cure, the virus' anatomy changed.

At that point, Ali knew that it was pointless. It would take years of time and a full team of scientists and medical professionals to develop a cure strong enough to cope with a virus of this caliber. As far as Ali was concerned, this man had the potiential to infect the entirety of Brisbane. He had to be terminated, the body burned.

Wiping off a few droplets of water that clung to his bald head, Ali took a few steps closer to his contractor, the contours of the hazmat suit making his steps awkward.

'The man that you kneel next to has the potiential to kill this entire city. I'll spare you the logistics and present you with an answer: The man must be killed before this virus has a chance to spread.'

Ali's contractor sighed. There was a long pause as he contemplated what Ali had just proposed. He found to rebutle.

Without another word, he withdrew a small letter opener from the back pocket of his dirty khaki slacks. Ali was respectful enough to look away as the contractor held the thin blade up against the quivering man's neck. There was a final gasp from him, then silence.

Heading back towards the door that lead to the ground floor (Where Ali's "home" happened to be), Ali did his best to comfort the contractor.

'There's no need to pay me. You asked for a cure, and no cure was produced. Only blood.'

An inaudible gasp left Adelaide’s mouth, as she swiveled and took two steps backwards. She hadn’t seen the man now occupying the doorway of the Terminus Hotel, and she reprimanded herself for not paying attention earlier. Despite her time spent in Australia with the BRM, she couldn’t pick out his Aussie lingo; instead, she stood there, dumbfounded, and questioning what to do. The first thing she noticed was that the man didn’t seem threatening, even though he had jumped out suddenly. The second thing was that he had a sort of rough aesthetic, as if somebody had taken sandpaper to The David. Although she didn’t know what he wanted, she noticed that he was eying her stack of paperwork, which gave her a clue. Maybe he was interested in research as well? No, he looked too scruffy to be a researcher. Part of a gang, perhaps? No, he was too friendly. Puzzled, she decided that she’d try to talk with him as best she could; that was why she was stationed in Australia, after all.

Stepping forward, then, she did a small curtsy with her over-sized rain jacket, and brushed the stray hairs off of her face.

“I don’t want any agro, and it looks like you don’t want any, either. You mind tellin’ me why you jumped me in the threshold? You don’t look to be the blackguard type,” she said cautiously, tilting her head slightly, “Is there anything I can do for ya?” Spots of her Irish accent shone through noticeably, just like the distinctive freckles on her face, even though she had picked up the Australian accent, for the most part.
Adelaide was still startled from the encounter, but put on a friendly face and grin. She eyed his strange facial markings with an inquisitive glance, and subsequently noted from his defined cheekbones that he must be dead hungry. She offered him an orange flavored candy from a small metal tin.

“This’s all I’ve got, sorry”.

Still, she wasn't pleased that she had not noticed the man before, and wondered how many others were waiting to jump out at her. She didn't know what she'd do if she came across someone who was armed; this thought bothered her, and she decided that it would probably be best if she ducked inside the hotel with the man. Standing outside, she was just a red-headed target and a sunburn waiting to happen.
---
BRM- stands for the Blue Ribbon Movement, an organization created after the apocalypse, comparable to the Red Cross. They station volunteers in remote locations to help the refugees with supplies, rebuilding, and medical treatment.
Agro- aggression, picking a fight
Blackguard- a ne’er-do-well

Khan strode in a little too casually making a woman (a surprisingly bleached woman in leather) jump quickly. She must stay indoors a lot. Khan made a mental note to be polite to her if he ever decided to talk to here and looked around for an owner or a bartender. It took him a good half minute to realize the splendor of the place. This was definitely a hotel in business.

Despite the well kept nature of the hotel, there was actually nobody in the area (Excluding the woman and, upon closer inspection, a thin man who was likely a local). The woman hadn't stopped staring at him and was whispering to her friend, making him feel a little uncomfortable. At that moment, a group of 5 men barged their way past him, making their way to a corner of the lounge without even thinking and slumping down. The fact that they had wondered in without notifying anyone told Khan this was a lax hotel, and he a set of seats in the opposite corner. He unslung his backpack, making sure not to crush his rifle, and unholstered his pistol, sticking it at his said. He tried to relax, leaning back in his seat, but out of the corner of his eye he saw that woman again. That infuriating woman, why was he interested in her?

Well she had an odd symbol painted on her face, a tribe mark? No, too generic, designed so children could paint it on. What was it about her? Her skin, and the stack of papers in front of her? Yes! She was a student! No, a researcher! This perked Khan up a little, he could do with some knowledge on the local area. He decided he would intercept her as she was leaving, hopefully without that blackgard friend of hers, and ask her about trading times and any local issues he should be aware of. He would also trade her information of his, that's what she dealt in, right?

Calmer now he had worked out what she was, he pulled out a bottle of vodka. He cursed when he realized the thieves had stolen the other one and this one was a quarter full. "Guess I ain't tradin' this" he muttered, and began to down the rare and expensive beverage.

The girl who had confronted the researcher suddenly turned to his direction and eyed up his vodka, quickly followed by him. He watched out of the corner of his as she primped herself up and somewhat stumbled in his direction, almost comically. She sat at the end of the table, crossing one leg over the other. She looked barely legal pre-sizzle, and he was old enough to be her father, hell, her grandfather. He slightly smirked. This would be interesting.

She dipped her finger into his glass and sucked on it, attempting to act like the women in those magazine. The effect was...diminishing, and somewhat embarrassing on her part. She appeared convinced, though, that what she was doing was good. "Delight?" she asked him, her voice clearly affected by the strength of the vodka.

"I'm afraid not, girl. I have other things to take care of." She looked at him blankly, as if he was either speaking another language or that 'No' wasn't in her vocabulary. Khan continued. "You can possibly help me, in a different way of course".

She looked slightly interested again, though Khan judged she was thinking of her original offer again. She didn't seem too intelligent, which may be a benefit. She shifted closer to him over the table and stumbled. Khan stifled a laugh.

"So, I'll give you a sip of this high quality vodka if you tell me who owns this hotel and where I can talk to him."

She looked unhappy with that response.

"Hello Annika, my names Khan" he responded. This woman certainly appeared more respectable than Moonie. She also wasn't flashing her cleavage into his face, which was a plus. "I was only asking to get some knowledge of the local area, mainly trading times, but also if there are specific territories and rules I should adhear to." He paused for a second before adding "I'll give you the rest of the bottle if you can tell me."

Her reaction didn't change one bit, giving the illusion that she was professional. Hell, she could be an assassin, it wouldn't surprise Khan too much. She offered to provide him with info and she was all he could trust at the moment. She pondered for a moment, before indicating the researcher.

"You seem like an intelligent man, so you have probably all ready noticed the symbol on her face." As if noticing she was being talked about, which would have been hard considering the disturbances Moonie was causing, the researcher twitched a little. "Well that's a Let-Hex for the area, a sort of get out of jail free key. Designed for people not of a tribe to grant unharrased travel throughout Brisbane, so a child can paint it on, and is surprisingly effective." she explained.

"Wouldn't members of tribes use that in the effort of espionage, though, to get access to other tribes areas? That's what other societies I've seen do." A simple, obvious question that was promptly answered.

"No, we look down on spying and espionage, it is the tactics of a coward, despite its possible use. And anyway, the tribes are at a sort of truce with the starvation." She paused, before asking "You mentioned other societies, yet you look more than a lowly traveler. Where are you from?"

"England, and I'm a guide." This statement hushed the room a little, though not to silence - Moonie was still flailing about on the floor after being thrown off by Ari.

"A...guide?" asked Annika, slightly whispered, slightly scared.

"Look, we're not the enigmatic super humans from days gone by who are there to fix everything when life goes wrong! Sure, we help people out, but come on, are we that much of a legend? We are just travelers who learn about the new world and who help where we can, so please don't talk to me like a president, a general, a celebrity or a god, Ok?" he responded, a little too loud and angered. "And for the love of the moon, we are not agents of the New World Order or... what is it called...?" he pondered his memory of the day up to now, there was a word in his head that he had saw, something important. "We are not agents of Roma! Alright? Now please, the trading times."

The researcher stopped her discussion abruptly at the word of Roma.

Khan stopped before Ari, with the researcher down on the odd structure below, a mash of cars, small boats and wood platforms. She was obviously angry, maybe scared of him, which considering his attire was completely reasonable. Ari simply stood there, not baring his way but challenging him to do something hasty. Khan, slightly out of breath from trying to catch up, simply shouted "Ma'am! You're a researcher right?" (He quickly regretted using the overly formal 'Ma'am', but it had a slight effect of cooling her anger - He didn't speak like a tribesman or a thief).

"Yes I am, and would yer please leave me alone!"
Ari altered his face gesture a little, saying 'You should do it', but made no comment.
"I'm interested in the latest developments. That's why people call me a guide. If it's beneficial to the human race, I'm interested." before appending "Don't worry, I'll pay you for the info if you want." Is stuttered slightly at the 'want' upon realizing Annika had his bargaining chip of genuine pre-ignition Vodka.

Adelaide was obviously late for something, otherwise she wouldn't have given up so easily. "F'Fine! Just...leave me alone when we're done! And don't try anything, I can fight for myself!" Ari smirked a little, finding it a little amusing. Luckily for him, he was facing Khan and Adelaide couldn't see. Ari stepped aside and they began to walk down to the docks.

***********

Annika took a swig of the Vodka to the jealousy of her friends, but in doing so she eyed Moonie 'sneaking' out the door. You could tell she was trying to be hidden by the fact she was going into the stereotypical 'I'm not going to make a sound' pose, yet the light from the sun made her shine out. Was she going after Ari? Most likely, but if that man was interested in the researcher...? This could be at the very least amusing, and if Moonie was involved it would be downright hilarious. Annika made an excuse to he friends, some of them giving audible disappointment at not getting the flame, and decided to follow Moonie, with her sneaking being infinitesimally more effective.

Moonie gave an attempt to hide in the shadows, choosing the smallest and least effective shadows where the sun reflected off her hair, almost blinding Annika at times from her vantage point. Annika spotted Ari and the man as soon as they reached the intersection, Moonie obviously didn't. First she headed towards the Art gallery, before turning round (Nearly spotting Annika in the process) and headed back to the Hotel. She turned round again, went to the intersection and spent a good minute or two locating Ari, before deciding to sneak up to them via Stanley Street, regardless of how easy it was to do down the main street. When they finally got to the bridge, Ari, the Researcher and the guide were already getting onto a boat. Annika could already tell that Moonie was going to try and find a 'stealth' boat or swim or something, but wouldn't intervene until it was dangerous or worse, that Moonie would become MORE intelligent from being hit on the head. Annika silently giggled at her joke, before continuing to watch Moonie in her quest of ultimate stealth. Oddly enough, they hadn't been detected regardless, though it was beginning to get painfully hot.