Scout, Wedge, Fighter and Sniper
Access level: high.
Transcript of a conversation between Seeker Grigio and a prisoner of the Lunatics Sacrificial Altar.
Introductory information
The first informant kept his word and arranged a meeting for me with another escaped prisoner who worked on cars for the arena. The man only agreed to meet in a public place, “The keyhole”. He came in wearing a hooded robe that concealed his face, introduced himself as John, and immediately stated a new condition: that there should be fried mushrooms and stew on the table. The man greedily devoured the best food that was available in the “hole” (or in the entire Valley) and only started speaking when he ate half of the order.
< Start of recording >
John. Why are you quiet, Seeker? Are you shy? You’ve never been in captivity?
Grigio. You are too self-confident for a prisoner who escaped from captivity.
John. And you’re too silent for a Seeker.
Grigio. You came to talk, and I came to listen. Isn’t that true?
John. Well, listen here, then. You can get a lot more than a roof over your head and dinner for stories of what I saw while being held by the Lunatics.
Grigio. Then why are you here?
John. After meeting the Mentor, I try to learn to choose the right side. And so far it has led me into the raiders’ cage, to the altar. I hope that I’m not wrong this time. What do you want to know? How does it feel to sleep on the ground?
Grigio. They say that in captivity you worked on armoured cars.
John. Just as an assembler, nothing more.
Grigio. What kind of equipment was there? The Lunatics were assembling these vehicles for themselves?
John. Uh, no, brother. These things are definitely not for the Lunatics. They are unlikely to learn to ride anything except saws and spears. Only shotguns, maybe… No, it’s absolutely not for them. It’s somebody else’s order, we were just doing the job.\
< Sound of chewing and glass clinking >
Grigio. What kind of vehicles were those?
John. The good kind. They were invented by smart engineers. They filled them with top-notch weapons and thick armor. And they sent us high-quality parts. There were also some second-hand parts, of course, but we patched everything up. We were captives, after all. Work or starve to death. In the end, you’ll be sent to feed the others anyway. Do you want mushrooms?
Grigio. What kind of weapons are we talking about? Can you elaborate?
John. Well, the first one was a good one. Two “Storm” autocannons, the “Torero” cabin, it’s been a while since I saw those, radiators and coolers. In capable hands, it’ll turn anyone into a sieve. It’s a dangerous thing, too: it drives fast, it shoots fast. They called him “Scout”. You’ll probably want the blueprint. You got any paper?
< Paper rustling, pencil creaking >
John. Here — I made some sketches from my memory. Another vehicle was called the “Wedge”. You know, because of its shape? You probably saw a couple of those yourself. But you definitely saw such "slides". Our brother often drives one of these. So, this “Wedge” reminded me of the “Scout” a lot. It’s also fast, but it’s dangerous up close: it has “M-38 Fidget” machine guns and the “Growl” cabin or something like this. I’ll tell you a secret: its armor is weak, and it has no camouflage. With such a car, you need to drive up close and shoot, or you’ll be the one who bites the dust.
Grigio. What about the rest of the cars?
John. It’s all there, brother, I just need to refresh my memory... Why are you just sitting there? Come on, order more. The thoughts are slipping away, we need to catch them.
< Recording stop >
Grigio. So, what about the other cars?
John. And I’m like, “I’m going to stick your head in the tire and put the pedal to the metal — you’ll be like a Ravager, looking in all directions at once but with two eyes only”.
< Long laughter >
John. The cars, cars. Think about the people! It’s funny! Seeker...
< Sound of chewing and clinking of glasses >
John. “Fighter” was also there. A huge thing. Fast and durable: four “Sledgehammers” and the “Favorite” cabin. Just awesome. Six heavy wheels and thick bumpers will prove to anyone that you need to communicate in a polite manner. Dangerous creep, I was afraid of him back in the garage. It can crush you and that’s it. And it doesn’t even have its engine running yet.
< Pencil creaking >
John. That’s a beauty. And the last one is “Sniper”. Handling such a thing requires more experience. Three “Joules” mounted on the “Harpy”. There is a trick: the autocannons were mounted in a ladder formation, so it’s possible to simultaneously shoot them left, right and forward. And this thing goes fast. An unpleasant guest at any time.
Grigio. Is that all?
John. Try to order more and we will find out.
< Pause >
John. Tell me, do you have soft beds in the Order? These bunk beds are killing my back.
Grigio. Yes, they are soft. What else is known about these vehicles or their production?
John. Nothing! I was a prisoner, not a factory commander! We were working on four cars. They took the most skilled workers to another garage to build something. I don’t remember the name of the place. Somewhere near the Old town. Give me the map, I’ll show you the approximate place. Why don’t we order some more?
< End of recording >
Service note
The informant was brought to the territory of the Order. He has been provided with a bed and food. The Scavenger Reserve is located near the place that John indicated on the map — it is a powerful production area and a large storage of parts. I’ll head there tomorrow. According to the informant’s drawings, we managed to recreate the appearance of the armoured vehicles. The examples are presented in the report.