AUGUST EVENT: DRAGSTRIP RIOT

[sailmods]

[it begins with a PA announcement on the morning of the 12th, Friday’s voice coming through clear and cheerful.]

Any passengers that wish to debark to our latest port of call can exit the ship through the metal detectors on deck zero! Please be advised that all alcohol will be confiscated prior to your exit!

[and whoever heads down to the lowest deck will find that what she said was true: there is a metal detector set up there, with Friday manning it. after placing all metal objects (including weapons, and all your weapons) onto the tray, she gestures for the passenger to step through the metal detector.

they exit in an entirely different location. suffering from a splitting headache, and wearing an entirely different outfit than they had put on this morning, but unscathed. they even got their weapons back!

the interior of the diner is essentially your average jonathan rockets establishment. the narrow lane between booths and counter is manned by an entirely mute Friday clone, who cheerily takes orders and serves up food (cooked??? somewhere???) with an almost unnatural talent for roller blading. there is a jukebox in the corner that can be fed with quarters passengers will inexplicably find on their person. the available songs range from the 50s to the 80s, with a particularly wide selection of songs from the platters.

outside, the diner is a great chrome boxcar, circled by a small parking lot. a large neon sign proclaims it to be GIL’S; it buzzes and flickers on and off often. passengers who have regained vehicles will find these vehicles parked outside. there are also a handful of midcentury American cars; none of them seem to require keys, and the gas tank seems set at full.

past the parking lot is a seemingly endless expanse of desert sand and scrubland, bisecting by the empty highway that the diner abuts. a few miles down this highway, the road forks into a smaller one, which winds its way up a steep, ragged mountain until plateauing into another parking lot, with only a small, old wooden fence between the cars and the edge of the cliff.

should they wish to return to the ship, passengers can leave at any time the same way they entered: walking through a doorway that now claims to be a mop closet. passing through will leave them on deck zero, again with a splitting headache. it’s probably fine.]

Comments

[secondtick]

Ekko was already going to be scavaging for parts for his own project, but this car. This was something that was worth putting off the hunt for a bit. Ekko had to agree that it was good to be able to lose whoever was chasing you because it wasn't always someone that would stop at arresting you.

"Of course! I can at least ride shotgun to get the full experience right? I've got to see it in action."

And like that Max had Ekko's attention and friendship.

[makesomedeals]

"Since Ava isn't around, yes. She called permanent front seat privileges."

The technical term is 'dibs' but he doesn't actually know that. The passenger door pops open for Ekko. Sure there's door handles, but that's not nearly as impressive and cool, and Max is one who's a stickler for appearances. He slides himself into the drivers seat, fitting perfectly like the seat was made for him (it was).

"A shame there's not much out here to drive around, but we'll make do."

As soon as he's in the car Max is pressing a button to start the engine, and taking off.

[secondtick]

"Guess I am lucky she'd not here to call dibs, because as nice as it is, it doesn't look like you can hardly see anything from back there."

The door had barely had time to open before Ekko was inside, keeping hands to himself but noting the radio and wiring, looking at all the bells and whistles that you wouldn't find pretty standard. And at those things which were a bit more than he expected. Not much was better than nothing and there was still enough for a good point of reference to gauge their speed, and that was all Ekko needed.

When it roared to life he laughed a little making sure he was buckled up. Hearing it roar to life with the push of a button, he steadied hands on the dashboard. This was the best part of the cruise thus far.

"There's always something you can find, we could set up a course carts and barrels."

[makesomedeals]

The car floats a little less than a foot off the ground, and the gyroscopic stabilizers create a ride so smooth it's barely perceptible other than the scenery whipping past the windows. The dash widgets are projected onto the bottom of the window in a soft blue color, and the rear view mirror is inset into it as well, not an actual mirror but a relay from a camera hidden in the back.

There's a screen in the middle of the dash which handles the temperature control, radio, navigation, and other various features. Currently it's simply telling them the temperature inside and out and keeping track of the thrust and lift of the various propulsion points.

"It's not really designed for the back to be scenic, I usually only use the backseat with a driver when I'm travelling somewhere that I may be attacked. The car shell is bulletproof, but the windows are not. They're resistant but eventually they'd break." He says it casually like assassination attempts are just a normal everyday part of life. "But I do much prefer driving myself, sometimes it's just not practical."

[secondtick]

The hovering Ekko was used to, it was clear that the car used something quite a bit different than his board though, just from the sheer weight that it lifted and the fact that it wasn't kicking every bit of dirt and sand under them up. The display was pretty cool and Ekko had admit effective, something he'd try mocking up in a future project maybe.

But there was a certain style that seemed to be missing, no offense to the classics but where was the color, where were the lines and life.

"Got yourself a ride and a tank in one huh? Must come in handy. I usually just have to hope I have time to avoid the shot."

Which he mainly did, with a little help.

"I can see why, if I had something like this I'd be driving everywhere. Stopping long enough to fill it up and grab some fuel for myself."

[makesomedeals]

"You have a lot more maneuverability on a hoverboard, and you can get yourself into crowded areas where usually you're less likely to be shot due to collateral damage. Unless you're being targeted by those that don't care about that sort of thing."

It was always touch and go for him if Overwatch was willing to level the city to capture him or if civilians were precious snowflakes that must be protected at all costs. It seemed to change with the weather if they cared or not.

"Why are you being shot at?"

[secondtick]

For Ekko it was a matter of which side it was that was shooting at him, the ones that were working for Silco and the underbelly scum of Zaun, or the enforcers of Piltover that didn't care for the interference with the shipping manifests. Either way neither group was friendly and bother were quick to the trigger at times, Jinx being the fastest and most volatile of course.

"Pretty sure they'd call it pest control. They don't like what we find or might be what we take, usually, I don't stick around long enough once they start shooting to ask why."

[makesomedeals]

"Ah, you're cutting into their profits. That makes you expendable to them." He won't mention that he understands, and would shoot at anyone looting him as well. He figures that likely goes without saying.

"I assume you're pilfering tech which you then use to make your devices? I have an associate who if she ever winds up here would probably love to be friends with you."

He almost shudders to think of the trouble that Sombra and Ekko would get up to together.

[secondtick]

"Probably the way Silco saw it. Don't really think the Pilties ever felt like they needed a reason other than the fact we're from the wrong side of the bridge."

Ekko understood well enough exactly why each side was an enemy, and why the fireflights had declared war not just on Piltover but also the streets of Zaun. They had become just as corrupt, turned brother and brother with the promise of wealth, fame, and power for all. Only to provide none.

"Tech, spare parts, fuel, food, water, whatever we needed that we weren't able to get any other way. Usually the drugs we just dump."

[makesomedeals]

"Every culture needs a scapegoat to blame and that they can unleash unchecked violence onto. Makes them feel like they can assure their own superiority."

He even understands to a degree, it's the reason he's so innately antagonistic to humans in general.

"You don't have enough food? Sounds like the utopia promised by advanced tech doesn't hold true no matter the reality."