The Tale of Basil Bob

[Kastrenzo]

20190212_210530 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

A minifig awakes naked in the woods

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~~~

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He looks around, and then hears a squeal and the sound of something being punctured,

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In the distance, another guy is stabbed to death by someone with a spear.



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The killers then run off, he hides behind a tree

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He watches the killers charge into an inhabited area.. the residents aren't paying attention

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The heavily bearded guy pokes someone with a spear and he starts bleeding. A commotion ensues with axes and fists flying.


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A third resident appears and blows one of them away with a gun..


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The axe man charges with reckless abandon

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And the gunman kills him, too


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The minifig walks out of the woods, calling out to them

Minifig: Hello? Don't shoot, I'm uh. Bob!

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He's immediately shot dead ....


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Bob wakes up in the woods again.

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~~~

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He thinks it's all a dream, but then he see's the corpse on the hill...

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He approaches the buildings again.. and the bodies are still there, exactly how they were left, except his body is gone.. It wasn't a dream.

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~~~

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~~~


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Bob looks through the porthole of the fort..

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The people who shot him, it looks like some kind of gang. They are in there!

Voice: See something interesting?

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Bob jumps back and see's a construction worker in front of him.

Foreman: Fresh?
Bob: What?
Foreman: Did you just die?
Bob: How did you know?
Foreman: That's... what the world's like.. you die, and you come back later, somewhere else.
Bob: I did die.. one of these guys shot me, but I woke up in the same place as last time
Foreman: Aha,,, Newbie!.. but, That shouldn't happen, not the being shot part, these guys are dicks. But no one ever spawns in the same place twice, except for a gate... I've never heard of that.

20190212_212455 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Chains rattle behind them and more approach

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Thug 1: Hey, naked! you're our slave now. Surrender or you die!
Foreman: Come on guys, this guy's a newbie! it's his first time!
Thug 2: First time?! HAHA....
Foreman: You guys are gathering up the savages, this guy hasn't bothered anyone

20190212_212552 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

The thug points a gun at Foreman

Thug 1: You wanna join them then?
Bob: Fight back! I thought if we can't die, what's the sense of doing this?
Foreman: Actually... there's an incentive not to get yourself killed.... as you'll lose all your shit and start over who knows where!

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Then, a whoosh sound echoes nearby, and Four Red armored soldiers appear at the edge of the plate, they approach

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Vorhut Confessor: What's going on here now? Punishing the savages?
Bob: I'm not a savage! I just woke up! I don't understand what's going on!
Thug 1: Shut up, naked!
Confessor: A new citizen huh? Why don't you let this one go... Every new soul starts pure... Thou shall not judge a being before witnessing his character!

20190212_212827 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Thug 2: Fugg off man! this isn't your territory, it's private property!... what you're looking for is on the other side of the plate in the Dustbowl!. Get the fugg out of here and leave us alone! I'll call the Authority!

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Confessor: We're here at the request of the local Authority, if you don't back off, we'll kill you all and raze this pathetic excuse of a base to the ground!

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The thugs back away and yield to the Vorhut soldiers

Thug 2: Fine just let us take this one, he keeps attacking people!
Confessor: Agreed..

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The thug then double crosses them, and pulls his weapon

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The confessor cuts him down with a shotgun

TBC, not done

[Kastrenzo]

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Vorhut soldiers start shooting and they chase the thugs down

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Foreman grabs Bob, and drags him away from the violence

Foreman: Come on! this isn't a place we wanna be right now, it's the fugging purge right here!

20190212_214023 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Elsewhere, he leads Bob into a fortified settlement

Foreman: Vorhut.. those red guys, they're a pretty serious clan.. a proper Army.. They're like a Cult... generally they'll leave you alone, but if they think a place is "impure" they'll go on a rampage and even guys like you and me will get axed..

Bob: What is this place?

Foreman: This is Novgorod Trade Post, it's managed by the Bay City Authority... a place where everyone from the surrounding plates come to buy and sell.. Kind of like a shopping mall or market for a rural area.. It's protected under a treaty.. Don't cause shit here, and you're safe.

Bob: so is this like, the Capital?

Foreman: Not even close.. this is just an outpost... But sure, it's the only thing of any real importance here on Basil

Bob: So what's Basil, is this like, a planet?

Foreman: Not quite. Think of it as an Island.. in an ocean of islands... but you can't see the others.. With a personal teleporter... I'll get you set up with one in a minute... but with a teleporter, if you walk to the edge of the island, you can teleport to hundreds of other islands.. you can do it every few minutes if you're just by yourself, 5-10,
sometimes 20 others can move in and out of a region a time.. anything more than that though, and they're either gonna have to get a ride in a Ship and fly over the islands... or take a drive..

Bob: How can you take a ship if you can't see the other islands?

Foreman: The ship and islands is an analogy. The ship isn't a boat, it's a space ship... The islands are interconnected , just not physically, Think of it like a line of four islands. You can Teleport from A straight to D, if others aren't doing it too... you can fly from A, Over top of B and C, to D... or you can drive through all 3 of them in order until you reach the Destination... get it?

Bob: I mean... I guess. This is all confusing

Foreman: Haha.... you think this is confusing, try watching a Council meeting.. the drama those fools stir up will make your head implode trying to understand it

20190212_214037 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Foreman shows Bob a statue at the entrance

Foreman: See this? this statue is a warning to raiders, criminals and others who might try to attack it... There's a lot of clans, factions, armies and quasi-States fighting each other on the plates... but the majority of them agreed on a few simple rules of war... one of them was that some areas be protected... And this sign warns potential attackers that to mess with the Authority is to mess with all the mean nasty freaks on the Council, and all the armed goons following them

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He takes Bob inside and introduces him to a small trader to get him some clothes.

Foreman: Hey Ned. Get this newbie some clothes will ya!
Ned: It's not free you know!
Foreman: Come on, Ned, everyone knows half the stuff you sell has been taken off dead bodies... just give us something.. Do me a favor and throw in a PT.. and I'll help you with House supplies Tommorow!
Ned: Fine..

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Ned gives Bob a generic outfit, and a personal teleporter..

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Foreman hands a hammer to Bob

You should be all set... here, have this, you might need it if you decide you're gonna build yourself a base.. Or maybe to smash someone's head... I dunno.... I've got to get going, though... Go talk to the Mayor if you want to make some money, they're always hiring people for odd jobs..

[Kastrenzo]

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Bob meets the Mayor of Novgorod, Who tells him of a high paying convoy escort job that's leaving the Post soon, taking some supplies to the Port on the other side of the plate

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Bob goes outside to the convoy assembling outside, A woman waits for him at the back of the last vehicle

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Upon seeing him, she gets upset

Mercenary: You've got to be kidding me... No guns, no armor... Shit... if I had of known they were paying every bloke from here to Timbuktu for this, I'd of brought my own friends!

Bob: Why do we have to drive this stuff if it's just on the other side of the plate. They said that we can see the station from here!

Mercenary: And what, get stuck in the woods? drive right through the front lawn of the Scrap Palace and get ganked?
We go the long way because it's safer... now shut up and get in the car

20190212_220407 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Bob gets in, and the vehicles start moving

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The Convoy passes Fort Bluetop.. Vorhut soldiers stand guard, and dead bodies line the streets, The Vorhut wave at the passing cars

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Radio: This is how it starts man, first they come in and shoot up one base... then it's the whole block!
Radio 2: They don't have any reason to come after us, though...
Radio: Don't worry.. they'll find one!..

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The Convoy stops, and someone jumps from the lead vehicle.

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he opens a gate, and the trucks start moving through


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One of the trucks splits off and leaves

Mercenary: Short range delivery.. no pickup.. they'll be there and back before sundown..

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The trucks cut through some bushes and pass straight through a small Burg called "Greener Pastures"

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The lead vehicle slams on it's breaks

Radio: Obstruction ahead!

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A cold figure holding a guitar, theatrically strums a few notes whilst blocking the road... when his notes stop however...

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Pouf! several heavily armed goons appear and hold up the convoy

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The lead driver steps out of his truck and confronts them

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The moron is shot dead and the assailants charge

Mercenary: Legion!

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The other trucks start driving trying to get out of there

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She shoots one of the attackers with her rifle

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The machine gun lands in Bob's lap

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The vehicle up front gets stuck, and the guard bails and flees

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Bob points the gun at the goon down range and shoots at him, hits him a few times and he flies back bloody and dead

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The truck finally pushes the convoy out of the log jam.

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The guitar creep attacks Bob from the side of the car, scaring him

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He gives him the big boot sending him flying back

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An engine roars.. Something approaches


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Bob turns around to see a black attack vehicle speeding toward them, just in time to see the crash..

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The jeep rams the truck, sending the cargo flying and upsetting the car

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Bob awakes on the ground a moment later

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he crawls and hides under the debris

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A creepy Soldier approaches the Merc from behind.. She crawls to her gun

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She grabs it and rolls over to attack

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But gets gored by the guitar..

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More vehicles approach.. The leader does a motion with his arm and the truck turns itself around and they intercept the cars coming in

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A bunch of dirty guys in rags with guns driving ramshackle shitbuckets contront the Legionaries

Scavver: What the fugg? This is our raid!
Legion Champion: Is it? You're late for your own party... do you want to be late for your own funeral?

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The Scavvers get in their cars and retreat with their tails between their legs

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Bob grabs his gun...

[Kastrenzo]

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He goes to run away, but another vehicle is approaching from behind. He hides

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A large black car rumbles forward and stops. Someone gets out and walks forward

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Clad in black armor, it looks like another Black Legion freak.

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He's standing right next to him, Bob points his gun at the guy's head

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The soldier looks over and quietley mutters

Kast: Don't...

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The Legionaries return, and Kast drops the face shield on his helmet

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He mows down the Legionaries..

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Champion: WTF?!

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~~~


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He jumps on the car, and the survivors hightail it out of there

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~~~

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Bob: Holy shit... uh.. thanks..t.. take what you want

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Kast: I don't want any of this crap... I came to fight them, not rob Bay City's junk.. Why don't you check some of those boxes and see if you can find some armor in any of them... and then take the rest to the station... Say some of it got stolen..

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Bob returns a moment later, with some armor he found in a box

Kast: Nice... dumb bastard who that belonged to is probably hundreds of plates away.. Insurance will take care of that for him... tell you what.. I've got another idea.. load all the stuff into that truck, and I'll take care of the bodies, seperate the guns, too,

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The two gather up all the guns they find on the battlefield

Kast: Normally you'd want to take those supplies to the scrap palace.. but seeing as they were already going to the station, you might as well take them there, and better yet you get all the pay that would have been divided up between these saps...

Kast: The guns, you're gonna want to keep. Believe me, they're worth their weight in gold.. the good ones at least.
A gun on the 'plates is just as important as food, or a roof over your head.

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Kast: I'm gonna take this truck back to Nov'go. and try to avoid those Vorhut hanging around

Bob: Why's that?

Kast: Well, The Authority will pay for the return of belongings of good folks... they usually arrange to have them sent to them wherever they end up.. and I can collect a bounty for these other deados.. But I don't want Vorhut to see them because the second they see a group like Black Legion in this plate, they'll triple their presence, and that's bad for business. When you're done, meet me back at Nov'go, outside at the gate...

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Bob delivers the supplies, and is paid a hefty amount, as far as the Authorirty knew, he had completed the job by himself, and was entitled to everyone else's share... he returns with an appropriated truck of his own.. lots of guns.. and lots of money...

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He finds Kast by the pond

Bob: So... you don't seem like the kind of person to just help random dudes... why are you helping me?
what's your name even?...

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Kast: I'm Kast..... and the thing is.. Bob?.... I can tell you're a newbie.... and it's just... you look real familiar.. I'm pretty sure I got you killed the first time... you probably don't remember. Most don't remember their first time... But.. I was in a market... and I kind of used you as a shield when someone tried to shoot me...

Kast: I was here looking for something... and then I saw you and felt kind of bad about it.. it's kind of an unwritten rule that if you ever "Do someone" the first time, if you ever meet them again, you're supposed to buy them a drink... or something... I dunno.

Bob: you killed me? I had a whole other life before this? you ass!

Kast: Don't take it personally... but I think you were a bum... a hobo.. I'll tell you what though, I wanna make it up to you. I've been invited to go to Anwar, and attend a council Meeting.. Why don't you come as my plus-1.. And I'll introduce you to some of the most powerful minifigs on the 'plates.. maybe set you up with one of them? And if you don't like that.. I'll take you on a few jobs with me till you figure out what you want to do

Bob:.. A hobo? fugg you.....I Don't forgive you.... but fine. you owe me that much

~Fin

[ninja_bait]

Okay, I'm ready to play this video game

[Kastrenzo]

It's not video gamey.. its... spaghetti magic

[ninja_bait]

It's not video gamey.. its... spaghetti magic

i don't know... It feels like the start of a pretty good RPG video game so far, with Bob being the standard "no memories and minimal personality" protagonist.

[Kommander Ken]

I liked the little Half-Life 2 reference, also a wild Kast appears!

[Kastrenzo]

you know, in HL2.. When that guy said "They don't have any reason to come to our place.. and the other said "they'll find one"...

I didn't get what he meant until just now like 14 years later. lol