The world had gone to shit, that much was clear. No one needed some fancy pants degree to figure out something like that. But that didn't mean there weren't still people who eked out an existence in the ever constantly filling toilet-bowl that was life. Take for example one of America's most cherished rock'n roll singers, Buddy Holly for example. Having been a pioneer of the rock and roll scene in America, Buddy seemed to have had the world in his hands. Having started out with Owen Bradley as his manager, Buddy soon grew disenchanted with how much control Owen seemed to have over
Buddy's music. It wasn't until Buddy signed up with Norman Petty and joined up with the group known as
The Crickets that he finally hit the button that would take him straight to the top.
But sadly it seemed prosperity and Buddy were not meant to be. For after embarking on a plane trip which was supposed to kick off his grand tour of the United States, it crashed killing Buddy, Ritchie Valens, and others. Or that's what some people say. After the world's gone belly up with tensions rising left and right, what can people really be sure of these days? Will we ever find out the truth of what happened to Buddy Holly?
"Yeah." The voice of a nearby bystander quipped as he responded to the TV which had been blaring the same news broadcast over and over. Lighting a cigarette he'd walk over and the man the voice belonged to seemed suspiciously similar to a certain American singer but there was just some minor distinction that you couldn't put your finger on it. Maybe it was the cigarette plucked in between his lips or how well dressed he was, even in a shitty wasteland like this.
"
I know what happened to Buddy Holly. He got sick of all the egocentric little men running the world's great powers and putting Joe Average and Plain Jane's lives in danger. So he up and left the world behind and honey? He can see that even after the world's nuclear arsenals have been thrown around like pigskins, the world still hasn't changed."
He'd then raise one of his shoes and tip the TV down a nearby hill where it'd crash and spark with a satisfying *bzzzt.* "Heh." Pleased with his handiwork, the man turned to head back to the car that he shared with what appeared to be a wild rascal of a kid with a racooon skin hat on his head and wooden blocks tied to the bottom of his feet so he could reach the brakes/gas. Climbing back in, the man leaned back in his seat and folded his hands neatly behind his head.
"Well? What's the matter with ya, Kid? You some kinda slowpoke or something? I did my business and now we can get movin. Beats standing around here in the heat doing nothin but tweedlin my thumbs."
Kid nodded his head before pressing one of the blocks down onto the gas as he began to drive off. Kid's history with the man was complicated. After slaying some weirdos dressed up as astronauts who murdered Kid's parents in cold blood, the brat had gotten attached to the man's side and followed him wherever he went. Much to the man's displeasure as he constantly tried to sell Kid off to whoever would take him which included a cheery family of cannibals, a midget and his two bodyguards. But every time the man felt guilty for what he had done and went back to retrieve Kid and as of right now the pair didn't have any real destination in mind. The man just
really wanted to show a TV a thing or two.
Reaching for the Fender Stratocater he had slung over his shoulder, the man propped his feet up on the dashboard and began to play. It didn't seem like it at first but it quickly became obvious that he was no novice with this guitar. In fact if one had a sharp enough ear for music, they'd be able to tell he seemed incredibly talented with the guitar. However, he'd pause as Kid briefly took his eyes off the road to pay attention to the guitar-playing.
"Hey hey! Last I checked you don't need your eyes to hear, Kid. Keep your eyes glued to the road." He'd chide and Kid frowned but did as was expected of him. As soon as Kid looked away though, the man flashed a small smirk. He knew that Kid had always enjoyed his music and to see him so pleased with it was a treat. As the two continued on their drive however, Buddy noticed something that seemed out of the ordinary. "Hey Kid, hold up a second. Looks like we got some kind of toll booth set up here." You would have thought that if they hadn't been destroyed in the bombings, no one would have been manning them out of being more concerned for their lives. But this one seemed manned and the guy inside the booth didn't seem too friendly. Most guys in suits like that didn't.
"Hold it." The suited man ordered as he stuck one of his gloved hands out and sparing a brief glance to the man, Kid nodded and brought the car to a halt. Slinging his guitar over his shoulder once more, the man looked over to the man who appeared to be running the booth and folded his arms. "I dunno if you noticed the whole world ending but we're a bit short on cash, boss man." He snarked but the toll booth man didn't seem to be in any mood for jokes as he held up what appeared to be a radio after hearing the response.
"That's unfortunate. The last few people who've passed through this toll booth all had responses similar to yours. They all succumbed to the same fate as well. Delta, Beta, Zeta, Gamma? We have another lawbreaker here. Over."
*radio static*
"We hear you loud and clear, Alpha. Over."
As both the man and Kid exchanged confused glances at just what this guy was going on about with the radio and the code names, the man's eyebrows narrowed at being called a lawbreaker. Thrusting a finger right at the one designated as Alpha, he got himself going on a triade.
"Hey, now you listen here! I'm a lot of things. Plenty of those are things I'm not too proud of but don't you ever accuse me of breaking one of the laws of this fine country!" Or well formerly-fine country until idiotic leaders ruined it. Before he could continue, the sound of footsteps quickly approaching grew louder and more urgent and looking over he saw four other men dressed in identical suits making their way towards him and Kid wielding what looked like pistols of some kind. Getting the hint quick enough, the man raised his hands and motioned for Kid to do the same and exit the car. As they did, Alpha exited the booth and shut the car doors before drawing his own laser pistol.
"So, what's the plan? We all gonna hold hands together and sing campfire songs? I think I'll need another light and some whisky if we're gonna go that route. Because it seems like you fellas are quite the sour bunch-" He was cut off as Alpha began to speak from behind them.
"I'm afraid you and the boy aren't going to have a peaceful experience. You see we need to make ends meet just like everyone else. Even in a world like this it's all about having the right amount of money to earn whatever luxuries are left in this world. But if you're like us and spent a huge chunk of our lives failing to prepare for this conclusion it's even more vital. Hence the toll both method of getting the cash we need. The last few people who've passed through here were about as cooperative as you're being right now. If you noticed some ashes blowing in then wind.." Alpha let it hang and slowly sink in for the man and Kid.
"You guys are one sick crew, ya know that? Greed and power is what helped turn the world into such a crater and even now you want more of it? If you guys weren't so loco I think I'd be even more shocked. But, alright you win. You can do what you want with us and we won't fight. But, I've just one last request that I hope you won't mind." He'd inquire as the masked goons looked among themselves before nodding. They had the two dead to rights so it wasn't like they could have done anything to change that. Smirking, the man nodded and reached for the umbrella he had strapped to his back. Opening it up, he held it up over his head. "Yeeeeep, thanks you guys. Sure, it's got a couple of bullet holes in it but think that just adds to the charm, eh?"
"Is this seriously what you wasted your last request on?"
"Nah, it was just a ploy to distract you suckers. Run Kid!"
Kid didn't have to be told twice and hauled ass away from the scene as fast as his six year old legs would take him as some of the goons turned to face him with their laser pistols aimed. "Stop the kid! He can't tell others about our method!" Before any of them could have even gotten a shot of, the last thing they'd see before departing from the mortal coil would be the umbrella being tossed in the air and the sound of a katana being drawn from the sheath as the man rushed forward and cut through Delta, Beta, Zeta, and Gamma like a hot knife through butter. It was clear with how clumsily they handled trying to deal with Kid running off and then unexpected sword attack, that these guys weren't meant for straight up combat. Watching as his friend's bodies collapsed to the ground and the man turned upon him next, Alpha flung his pistol to the ground and held up his hands.
"W-Wait! Hold on a second I surrender-"
*THWACK*
The sound of glass breaking rang out through the land, as the sole of the man's shoe smashed into Alpha's helmet knocking him onto his rear. "You think after you and your gang of buddies admitted to me that you've held up other people and then sent em packing with the fishes if they didn't have dough and then making the mistake of threatening us that I'd let you go so easily? Just who are you guys?"
Rolling around on the ground as he prayed to god that no glass from the shattered helmet got into his eyes, he'd glance up at the man clearly frightened out of his mind. "W-We're former contractors for the US military! We were supposed to help design weapons to try and take nukes out of the equation! The project ended up being a failure and we were out of the job when the bombs did hit! I-I'm so sorry we killed all those people! But we just want to survive, like you and the kid!" Alpha was quickly silenced as he was grasped by the collar of his suit and yanked up so his helmet would be pressing against the other man's face.
"Don't you ever put Kid or I in the same league as you! We do what we have to do to survive. But we don't rely on petty thievery and murder to get what we want. What you've done is inexcusable and while your pals may have gotten the easy way out, it ain't gonna be so for you. You're gonna take me to the lab where you did all this stuff, now."
"O-Okay, okay! Just please don't hit me again!"
Dragging Alpha into the car and calling for Kid to return from his hiding spot, Alpha lead the two to one of the designated secret labs that him and some of his comrades had been tasked big money by the US Government to try and come up with an alternative to nuclear weapons. Using some duct-tape that Kid had found in his previous scavenging attempts, Alpha was bound and gagged before being placed in the trunk of the car. But he'd have some gumballs tossed in case he got hungry. He'd just have to get creative is all. But now that he was dealt with there were more important matters at hand. Sure, it probably didn't matter now since the world had one whole leg crammed in the shitter but Buddy was curious to see what other plans the good ol USA may have entertained that didn't involve ending the world in a fiery radioactive inferno. Wanting Kid to stay in the car and scream if he saw something, he went on and headed inside the lab alone.
"Yeah, dark and grimy baby. That's how I love my creepy laboratories to be."
He muttered as he tried to fumble around for any kind of light-switch. After a few moments of uselessly meandering about looking for a light source, Buddy just lit another cigarette to try and give himself some light. Holding his lighter's flame up, he'd notice that the room hadn't looked like it'd been touched in years. Which only added to the unsettling factor. But what he discovered next shocked him the most. There were three machines set up against the wall that looked vaguely like some kinda futuristic coffins. Some sort of science fiction experiments or something? After a brief glance through the windows on each of the 'coffins', he noticed that there appeared to be something within the confines of the box labeled #16.
Gripping the side of the container with both hands, he propped a shoe on it and pulled with all his might. Surprisingly the door gave way without much resistance. Probably due to how long it's gone without being maintained . Tossing the door down to the ground, he'd draw his sword and slowly inch his way closer to the open container. Only to nearly jump out of his skin as something stood up and started to make it's way out of the container. Taking steps back without really being aware of it, he'd point the sword towards the entity.
"Yeah, let it be with my luck that I unleashed something even worse than nuclear hellfire on this land."
He groaned but the entity in question didn't really seem to have much interest in the sword being pointed at it. It'd even walk right past the man as it glanced around the laboratory. It stood at least 7'3, a whole foot taller than the man. It looked like it had some kind of green armor on it or something and a out of this world haircut. Readying himself however as the being turned to face him, the man was actually surprised with how gentle it sounded.
"..Where are the birds? Where are all the deer drinking from the lake? All I see here is a lab that looks like it hasn't seen much use in a long time." He said as if completely oblivious to the other's presence before his bright blue eyes finally rested on him. "Excuse me, sir? Do you know what it's like outside?"
"..The heck kinda question is that? You've probably been cooped up in that box for way too long. Take it from me when I say that compared to some of the outside world? This place would seem like Shangri-La. But I think it's more of a 'see it to believe it' kinda deal. Who or what are you though?"
"..Oh. Then it's nothing like my creators showed me, correct?"
He'd say as he could recall vividly that while he was being worked on, his creators fed him a color-coated biased image of America and all that it stood for with the peaceful animals and just being a peaceful place in general. But while also keeping him aware that there were bad people in the world who would try to hurt America and the innocent animals within it. As for the question directed at it, the green-armored being stared for a moment before responding.
"I believe I was number 16 in the production line of synthetic androids designed to protect America from it's enemies. Unfortunately, it seems I was both left with an image that didn't fit the reality and uncompleted. Many of my key components are most likely outdated depending on how much time has passed and only a few key people know how to maintain those parts effectively. So, I suppose in that regard I will always remain a prototype. But, who are you?"
Sheesh, this thing didn't seem so bad. If this was the end-result those contractors got before throwing in the towel then it seemed like a damn good try. Sure, from what he could gather he was 'spoon-fed' a version of America that basically cut out the bad parts but made it look like some angelic wonderland which the man knew from experience wasn't the case. It was actually kinda pitiful that this guy never even got a chance to really see the world for what it was. Still keeping his blade drawn just in case this gentle facade faded, the man sighed.
"Name's Buddy. Yeah, it sounds to me that they only wanted you see the America they envisioned. Not the whole truth. But stick with me and you'll get as much of the truth as you can stomach. You'll just have to take the backseat."
He'd say with a nod before motioning 16 to follow him. The android seemed confused by the request but seeing any better alternative quickly followed suit and piled into the car after Buddy. As Kid stared at 16 in awe, the android glanced down and waved to the child. Buddy on the other hand wasn't too keen on the whole meet-greet.
"Alright, 16 meet Kid, Kid meet 16. I'm glad to have another pal to lug around and look after. But can we get the show on the road now?" With a smile Kid put the pedal to the meddle and they were off. Exploring the wasteland was a naive android, a cynical former idol, and a child.
This was gonna be fun.
@Unlimited RP Works
