|
Pulp Apocalypse
Submitted by: Roy
Penrod
Number of Players: 3
Number of Sessions: 2
Total Playing Time: 4 hours
Number of Starting Coins: 25
Number of Refreshment Coins: 5
Our game preparation looked like this:
- Story Element: Post-Apocalyptic Setting.
- Story Element: No spaceships.
- Story Element: Some household androids went berserk and turned on
humans.
- Story Element: No aliens.
- Story Element: Food and water are scarce.
- Rules Gimmick: Dice used against a Component during a Complication
are always added to the Opposing Dice Pool.
- Story Element: Mutants exist.
- Story Element: Modern firearms exist but modern technology (like
cell phones) have been lost.
SCENE 1
The location is a lonely street littered with rubble in a ruined city at
dusk. A man in a long black leather duster with dark sunglasses is walking
down the street.
A woman walks up to him and asks him if he's the one she's supposed to
meet. He quickly pulls out a revolver and puts it to her head. He wants to
see if she'll sweat under the pressure or if she's an android sent to kill
him.
The woman ducks under the revolver and dives behind a large dumpster. A
vicious mutant dog comes out of a building behind her and crouches for an
attack.
The woman backs into the street. The man levels his revolver at her. The
mutant dog jumps for her throat, but the man blows the hell out of the dog
in mid-leap.
The man lowers his gun and looks to the woman. "Yeah, I'm your man.
Let's get out of here. The street's no place for a lady," he says.
SCENE 2
The location is a ruined diner at midnight. The man, Lee Edwards, and the
woman, Alinda, are sitting and drinking coffee. In the background, a young
couple are sitting, drinking coffee, and talking.
Alinda tells Lee that the leader of her community, Chief Romano, went out
looking for food a couple of days ago. He never returned. She tells Lee
that the community wants to hire him to find the Chief.
Lee says he'll take the job "if the price is right."
Alinda offers Lee her horse, but he tells her a horse is just another
mouth to feed. He wants a share of the food that Chief Romano was after.
Alinda agrees to it.
The scene fades to black.
SCENE 3
The location is the street in front of the abandoned warehouse that Chief
Romano was looking for food in. It's dawn. Lee Edwards is standing in
front of the building.
Lee looks both ways but the street is clear. He walks up to the warehouse
door and kicks it in with his size 13 snakeskin boot.
Alinda comes running around the corner of the building and tells Lee that
she's coming with him. Lee argues with her, then shoves her to the ground
as he sees movement out of the corner of his eye.
A bullet whizzes by Lee's head. Lee sees a man running through the
warehouse.
Lee shoots the man, wounding him. Lee follows the blood trail and traps
the man between the wall and rows of crates. The shooter is the young man
from the diner!
SCENE 4
The location is the interior of the warehouse a few moments after Lee
Edwards found the shooter. Lee Edwards is facing the shooter.
Alinda runs up and stops beside Lee. Alinda is shocked and asks the
shooter, Richard, why he is shooting at them.
Fire fills Richard's eyes as he smirks. "You'll never stop him. He's
too powerful. Soon he'll rule the entire city."
"Who in the hell are you talking about, boy," asks Lee.
"The Reverend. The Reverend's going to take it all and I'll be right
there with him. I've been Chosen," says Richard proudly.
SCENE 5
The location is the interior of the warehouse a few moments after Lee
Edwards and Alinda found Richard, the shooter. Lee and Alinda are still
facing Richard.
A woman wearing a gas mask sneaks up behind Lee and Alinda. She throws a
canister of tear gas in front of Lee.
Lee spins around and tackles the woman wearing the gas mask, pinning her
arms to the ground.
Richard pistol whips Alinda, knocking her out.
Tears stream down Richard's face, but the Reverend's conditioning program
helps him resist the effects of the gas. Richard points the gun at Lee's
back as he cocks the hammer. "I'd suggest you get off my wife."
SCENE 6
The location is just outside the city a few hours later. Richard and his
wife Alexandria are standing while they wait for the Reverend. Lee and
Alinda are sitting on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs.
Lee looks up at Richard. "What the hell are you waiting for,
boy?"
Richard turns and kicks Lee in the face, knocking Lee to his back.
"You'll find out soon enough," says Richard, laughing.
Lee sits up as three figures approach, the bright sun behind them hiding
their faces.
A young man and woman step aside as a large man walks between them. He
smiles down at Alinda.
Alinda gasps. "Chief Romano! You're alive!"
The large man smiles sweetly at her. "That's the Reverend to you,
young lady. Of course I'm alive. Who else will lead my Chosen to claim the
Promised Land tonight?"
Alinda spits at Chief Romano, the Reverend. "You bastard!"
The Reverend just laughs at her. "May God have mercy on your wretched
souls, lest you spend eternity burning in the very depths of Hell when
you're crucified in front of the Chosen Ones tonight!"
Lee looks the Reverend straight in the eye. "I'll be waiting for
you."
The Reverend laughs then turns to Richard and Alexandria. "Get them
up."
Richard grabs Lee and roughly stands him up as Alexandria reaches for
Alinda.
Lee leans back and slams his shoulder into Richard, knocking him off
balance. Richard raises his gun in front of him, but Lee kicks it out of
his hand.
Alinda kicks out at Alexandria and knocks her to the ground. Alinda leaps
to her feet and runs away.
The Reverend tackles Lee and knocks him out with a solid right to the jaw.
"Get that bitch!"
SCENE 7
The location is a small cluster of trees with a clearing just a little
while later. Alinda is standing behind a tree, holding a large dead tree
branch. Alexandria and Richard are approaching the trees slowly, their
guns raised before them.
Richard hears a twig break somewhere off in the distance. He walks right
past the tree Alinda is hiding behind.
Alinda swings the branch down, knocking the gun from his hand. Richard
cries out in pain even as the branch crushes his temple, shattering his
skull. Richard's limp body falls to the ground.
Alinda bends down, picks up Richard's gun, and takes a step toward
Alexandria. Alinda raises the gun just as Alexandria turns to face her.
Suddenly, Richard jumps up and shoves Alinda to the ground. Alinda's shot
goes wide and hits Alexandria in the shoulder, spinning her to the ground.
Richard picks up the tree branch and lifts it over his head, preparing to
split Alinda's skull open. Richard's dead body tumbles backward as Alinda
fires three shots into his chest.
Alinda slowly gets up and walks over to Alexandria.
Alexandria looks up at Alinda, the haze of shock and pain in her eyes.
"You shot me, you bitch!"
Alinda's foot connects squarely with Alexandria's jaw, knocking her out
cold. Alinda puts Richard's gun into her waistband, then takes off her
leather belt and ties Alexandria's hands behind her back. Alinda picks up
Alexandria's gun and chambers a bullet. "I think it's time we pay the
Reverend a little visit," says Alinda to the gun.
SCENE 8
The location is an abandoned auditorium deep within the ruined city late
at night. The Reverend is standing on the stage, whipping a horde of his
Chosen into a frenzy. Lee Edwards is tied to a cross behind the Reverend.
The captured members of Alinda's community are in wooden cages on both
sides of Lee.
"I have delivered you unto the Promised Land," shouts the
Reverend. The cheers of his Chosen erupt.
The Reverend lifts a torch over his head. "Let us purify the spirit
of this Unbeliever with the Flames of Righeousness!" Again, the
cheers of his Chosen erupt.
The Reverend turns to Lee. "May God have mercy on your soul."
Lee smiles at the Reverend. "I'll save you a nice warm spot in
Hell."
A woman right in front of the stage pushes a hat off her head. Alinda
pulls a gun out from under her overcoat. "Oh, Reverend."
The Reverend's eyes widen as he hears Alinda's voice. Slowly, he turns to
face her.
"Nobody calls me a bitch," says Alinda as she pulls the trigger.
Blood splatters Lee as the Reverend falls backwards, a bullet hole in his
forehead.
Lee smiles down at Alinda. "What took you so long?"
Alinda shoots the ropes binding Lee's hands then quickly climbs up on the
stage. "I thought you were supposed to be the hero."
Lee just smiles as he finishes untying his legs.
A young woman runs toward Alinda, screaming like a banshee. "You
killed the Reverend! You killed him!"
Alinda calmly puts a bullet in her head.
"I'm your leader now," shouts Alinda to the gathered crowd.
"Anybody have a problem with that?"
The scene fades to black. The End.
|
|