Heading down the highways they had to take a off-ramp to keep following the road to the Race Strip. There they ran into a group of raider that they had it out with. It ended with Roach jumping from the hood of the Hauler onto Gorbo's Gunny-Car as the Hauler veered off the highway and exploded in a ball of flame. This was after Roach had killed its crew with repetitive shotgun blasts through the window slits.
Billy J Syths race strip was a paved runway back before the big death. Now for 5 gallons of gas a car load of anybody can come in to watch the race. The old air strip now has 10 foot high metal plating 8 feet off each side of pavement for the length of the strip. Above both side of that a scaffolding holds rows and rows of bleachers with Syths own viewing stand above and centered on the north side of the track. Any driver can put his vehicle into the pool to be called to race. Racing involves both cars facing off and flying down the airstrip at each other with guns blazing. At anytime a driver can give up and drive out of one of the ends of the strip but then he lost. what do you get? Nothing. what do you get if you win? Usually nothing, unless you kill the other drivers crew then you get salvage rights on his vehicle. So why would people race for nothing? Thats were Mr Syths's real money maker comes in. Gambling.
Any salvaged items you want are collected and given a value. Their then traded in for chits that can be used to bet on the races with. Winning are then claimed from collected salvages. Trading in their salvage Rambler and Hank started placing bets on the races. After a short time Rambler had won over and over and found himself with a load of chits while Hank found himself over his head in dept to the track. Telling the Sec men he owned a car they put him and Gunny car into the pool of drivers.
Rambler found himself taken up to the private booth of Mr Sythe, the man he was sent to look for. Talking for a short time Billy Sythe seemed to like Rambler. It was that Rambler saw Hank and Gunnycar being taken out to the track as the announcer said that he was driving to pay off dept to the track. Rambler then convinced Billy Sythe that Hank was to good a battlecar warrior for a regular race. Billy Sythe called of the race and put Hank back into the pool to run during the mixed class.
Rambler then told Billy what had happened in Big Springs and how Solar Tower 3 had sprung a leak and that the city wanted more molten salt to resupply the tower. Billy said that north west of New Platte there a storage area that had a tank of molten salt from before the Big Death. They would have to find it, heat the tank up so it becomes liquid and get a transport to get it out of town, and no they wouldn't get any help from him. But the information was free.
Roach then striped Jesus's car, Lady, for part for Gunnycar. Loading it out with an extra machine gun a grenade launcher and ram and solid tires they were done in time for their race. The mixed class put Gunnycar up against a huge armored pickup with a heavy machine gun in the back bed.
As the match went on Hank was able to get the upper hand by tear gassing the rear gunner. The race ended with Gunnycar all but destroyed and the pickup a smoldering hulk. Talking their winnings the group then paid to get both cars fixed up.
They then drove north to Chappell and spend the night in the walled city that made its money from selling fuel. The next morning they saw a tanker truck leave town escorted by a armored pickup and 4 battlecars. The party talked about attacking the convoy to get the truck and then decided that it be easier to get jobs as battlecar escorts and then they would only have the pickup and 2 battle cars to deal with.
Finding the convoy boss they asked for a job and were told they have to interview with the big boss first. Going in the towns tavern they were taken upstairs and into a large office with lots of Sec men around. Behind the desk was Billy G Ray Sythe who knew immediately what they were up to. he told them to get the hell out of their town and if he ever found them causing him any problems he would have them maimed and left for raiders along I80. As they were being escorted out of the room he told Rambler to stay. He poured Rambler a drink and told him that he'd have tried the same think in his youth. Laughing and talking for awhile he them left him go.
Heading east to New Platte they didn't find any real problems. At one rest stop they came across some nomads who they traded for a big cowboy hat for Gorbo and a huge #8 NASCAR belt buckle for Rambler.
At the exit to New Platte they found allot of activity. One quarter of the exit seemed to be a lite up memorial in front of a Inn turned into a church hospital. Heading North off the exit they passed a huge wooded fortress with the words Trading Post across it. Entering the ruined city Rambler noticed gang symbols right before they were forced stop when they noticed mines in the street in front of them. They then were shot at from a hotel to their right and from the second story of an office building to their left. With Gunnycar being shot Gorbo got out and ran at the hotel room with his hammer as Ramblertook the drivers seat of Gunnycar. Gorbo broke into the hotel room and started hammering on raiders as Rambler opened fire on the side of the hotel somehow missing Grobo and killing the raiders that gorbo hadn't gotten to.
Hank and Roach killed several of the raiders in the office building and they last one disappeared into the building. From behind the building there was a roar of engine and a Humvee took off across the parking lot. Behind them Rambler followed once Gorbo got into the car. Roach gave chase and as they got near he told hank to take the wheel as he climbed out the window and jumped onto the Humvee. The Humvee then sideswiped Lady making Hank loose control of her and crashing nose first into a ditch. Rambler continued to give chase until Gunnycar ran out of gas. Gorbo quickly got out and continued to chase the Humvee on foot. Hank climbing out of Lady finding himself surrounded by ganger's of another gang.
On the Humvee the driver made a sharp turn as he came to the barrier at the edge of his gang territory. Hanging on Roach shattered the windshield and then reached in and yanked the steering wheel as hard as he could sending the Humvee up and over the barricade in a flying barrel roll. Waking up Roach found himself, Gorbo and Hank all tied to crosses surrounded by 20 flesh loving cannibals.
Rambler found himself surrounded with ganger's and dropped a grenade out his window. Using one of his points, he found that his car hadn't ran out of gas and the grenade explosion was enough to restart the car. Rambler then took off to follow the trail of the cannibals.
Rambler managed to find the clearing and his friends tied up. Reeving up his engine Rambler flew into he middle of the clearing opening up with the cars weapons while running over others. At the same time the tied up member managed to break loose and join the fight. left with only the leader who had a gun to Hanks head there was a shot fired from outside the clearing and the leader slumped to the group with a bullet through his brain. In the distance, on a horse was a bearded man who introduced himself as Buffalo Bill.
Buffalo Bill lead them back to his ranch that was just across the rail lines to the North. The Cody ranch was nice and they starting point from where the Codys were bringing order to Norther Platte.
Over dinner the group told what their plans were and the next day Buffalo Bill had his men take the group to the tower of molten salt and took them o get a hauler with a tanker trailer. Roach then started the heaters on the storage tower. The group noticed that there was a rail line behind the storage area and lines that connected large special tanker train car to the salt storage tower. Gorbo then, while no one was around, hooked up the tank to the tanker trailer and started to transfer molten salt into the tanker. Roach was able to turn off the flow when he noticed that the molten salt was melting the tanker trailer.
The group then decided to get a diesel engine from the rail yards. They also hooked up a car transport train car for Gunnycar and a flatbed train car for the hauler. After some talk about getting a caboose the idea was forgotten and the group headed to Big Springs.
The train consisted of the engine with Rambler and Hank driving, then the car carrier with Gorbo in Gunnycar. The molten salt car and then flatbed with the hauler tractor and Roach on it. On the rails some raiders along route 30 decided to try to attack the train. As the 3 raiders vehicles caught up to the train Roach started shooting at them aiming for their tires managing to shoot out 2 of the pickups tires it gave up the chase. Hank sped up the train getting up to about 70mph. As the cars passed the train Gorbo jumped onto the lead car. As he fought for his footing the car passed the engine and the passenger started shooting out at the trains fuel tanks from across the roof of the car. Rambler shot the passenger and the shot the driver sending the car out of control. The car severed onto the tracks in front of the train. Hank gave the train more speed as it collided with the car smashing it to pieces. As the car crumbled Gorbo jumped from the top of the car onto the speeding train. At the same time Roach made a called shot on the driver of the last raider killing him. The last raider car careened off the road and under roaches flat bed train car. As the train cars rear wheels drove over the wreckage of the battle car Roach spent adventure points to make sure that the train cars rear wheels landed right back onto the tracks safely.
Back at Big Springs the group was hailed as hero's and paid well for their adventure.
This is where we stopped playing Atomic Highway.
Sam
