A New Hope

A New Hope
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I shook my head lightly “From what I can gather they have been here a while, they have an entire set up and I have heard whispers of some kind of project, I don’t know if thats why they were keeping us all in cages, to be used for whatever it is they are planning… Otherwise why would they keep feeding us” I shake my head lightly at the thought.

“I have no idea about this part of the Island but if we could find a cave opening it would give some coverage for now… Or maybe there are some buildings around here” I added hopefully. Moving aside I smiled “You lead the way”

Part of me wondered who else was with Amber although I know I wouldn’t like the answer if she told me Lex was there, the last I heard about him and the other Mallrats was when he had married Tai-San, after that I stopped asking traders information about them.

@Amber

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HAWK -

The rustling of the trees was pretty unnerving today, it was early morning and it was dark…

“Mouse? Are you okay?” I couldn’t see her anywhere & this was unsettling my nerves even more…

A small sweet bird song was coming from afar…it was Mouse! I’d taught her this call so we could always find her in the forest no matter where she was, clever little child she’d turned out too be & a part of our family she will always be.

“Hawk! Hawk! I’m so sorry…” she was panting with every little breath she took, bent over huffing, she’d panicked when she couldn’t see me through the darkness, but we’d come out this early to forage for a reason, there was trouble on the horizon & I could smell it, taste it, something was telling me that this island wasn’t no longer safe.

I cut through the trees, I reckoned we could get to the otherside in no time, after abit of rest and some food we would be right as reign, but first we needed to find out what was going on further afield.

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Cloe -

“Please will someone tell me where we keep the supply of lettuce?”

Probably the most exciting sentence that had left my mouth today…I needed to find a way out & this was exactly what I was going to do today!

I took myself outside to the lettuce patch that the techno guard had shown me, “this lettuce is dying, it needs some more food, could you fetch me some as I’m not allowed in the chemical cupboard?” now this was a request that couldn’t be turned down I thought…being the techno in disgrace that I am, I wasn’t allowed within an inch of any supply cupboard.

The guard looked at me with disgust, clearly annoyed at the fact that he was practically taking orders from me, this is your chance Cloe, just go, just get as far as you can, surely they can’t do anything worse than basically just kill me? Which at the minute isn’t even looking like a bad option.

As soon as his back was turned I was gone, surprisingly enough there wasn’t any other guards around? Maybe they’d got confident with all the good behaviour going on? I didn’t know, but I certainly wasn’t about to question it!

I ran and ran and ran until I found myself not even looking behind me, I’d gotten away so easy, surely this was going to backfire on me?

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Trudy

I’ve been keeping to myself a lot since last night. Best avoid Ebony and her questions while I can, as long as I can…because I don’t know what they will do to me if they know what I know.

But then a familiar voice calls out, and I snap out of my thoughts.
“Alice!”
I’m instantly glad to see her, yet panicking about what this means for my secret.
Quickly I scramble of the ground to go over to her, but Brady beats me to her.
“hi…” she says as she sees the familiar face, but pulls a face as she gets close to her.
“You stink!.. Like Lex!! Grooooosssss :nauseated_face::face_vomiting:”

@Jack

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Alice

Trudy looked like a rabbit in headlights as she scrambled to her feet hence why I gave her a choice on how she wanted to greet me. I did not just want to go in for the hug, I wasn’t ready for her screeching just yet.

Before Trudy reached me Brady got to me first. Golly she has shot up since I last saw her. And she speaks … Her first word to me was simply “Hi”, how sweet I thought. But then I saw her mother in her when she told me I stink like Lex.

"Why thank you Brady. Got a bit of a sharp tongue on you I see, mother like daughter hey!" I cheekily smile at Trudy who is now reluctant to come anywhere near me, Brady had made her choice for her.

I was certainly milking this reunion, but what the heck I am going to enjoy every minute off it. These beautiful people have been what has kept me going this whole time.

I now turn my attention to the new faces. In my head I think eenie, meenie, meinie, moe who should I pick first? The odd looking one with flip flops dangling from his clothing stood literally up Lex’s arsehole, the brown haired sulky brat, the ex techno who looks as gay as a ten bob note or hubba hubba.

I decide to stay put, if I did smell as bad as Lex I did not want to put newbies through that. As much as I love Lex he has always had a bit of bad waft about him. First up, odd bod; “Hi I am Alice, you must be Lex’s little lapdog now. You two look as thick as thieves.” I didn’t want to hear any smart cracks from his gob so before I could hear some back chat I moved on.

Next up, the ex Techno tosser. “Aw you must be that Commander Jay that lasted all of 5 minutes? Prisoners came and went and we picked up on names, and what was happening in the city. A lot kept referring to you as twinkle toes. I heard you couldn’t stay out of the women’s knickers! Congratulations on moving from the dark side and joining us Mall Rat’s over on the light side. Nice to have you with us blondie! Over and out!” I salute him. He is rather cute, but the bloke could not even fight his own way out of a paper bag.

Continuing my greetings I had my heart set on finishing last on the tribe hottie, but I wanted to make the young girl smile. She actually looks like a tough cookie, I think. I want her to like me.

I stare at the juicy adonis, and lick my lips. “Hello salty goodness.” I then give a cheeky wink and flick my hair, I was putting on a show. I could tell by the glint in his eyes he was falling for me. HA! I wish. I wanted to hear his response of his undying love for me, but I knew that was not going to happen and I could see the brown haired girl was becoming more grumpy. Being that bit younger than the others she probably felt quite lonely so I had to make her feel wanted.

"And who might you be? Thought I would leave the best to last. You are very pretty by the way!"

@Trudy @Lex @Zandra @Patch @Antonia1Fan

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SLADE

This woman, full-figured and confidant is still making her rounds when the littlest of us here breaks it down to her that she stinks. I’m chuckling to myself, at this outburst but the woman seems unbothered, quick to quip and moving right along. Her eyes turn to me and Lottie who has finally appeared.

Hello, salty goodness, she greets me and winks. “Hey, yourself.” I’m not taken aback and smirk at her, giving a wink of my own. A little, harmless flirting to be kind. Of course, now I’m looking at Ebony wondering how she perceived it.

Lottie

I am not at all amused at being woken up early and I don’t care who this lady is. What is going on here? I cross my arms as she says she saved the best for last. HA! That’s just a nice way to say I was an afterthought.

“I agree with Brady, you may wanna wash up a bit.” I take a step back. “I’m Lottie, by the way.” As far as being pretty, well I was no where as pretty as Gel, but just wait until my chest filled in and my baby fat was gone from my cheeks. I’d have all the boys eating out the palm of my hand and I’d knock all their heads together. If this group has taught me anything, it’s that love is stupid!

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Alice

I was quite content with the response I got back from mr eye candy, I wasn’t expecting that. Maybe he recognised me? Maybe he is the one? I couldn’t stew about it though so I was relieved I had chose the girl last. That was until the response I got from her after trying so hard with her.

"Well Pottie, you might want to start with washing your mouth out." She blew her chance, she can stay being lonely. I take my smelly self and stand back central to the Mall Rats that stood before me.

"Now we have established I pong, you lot need to know why that might be." I take a deep breath before I continue. “Since the Techno’s invaded the city I have been their prisoner until a few days ago. This island is swarming with them. They have cages somewhere on this island full of prisoners. I did not know anyone until I was joined by KC. He has been a complete trooper, and since our escape I was with him up to the early hours of this morning where we were split up. God I hope he is okay.” I was struggling to breath, I took a few breaths in and out. "There is so much more … The Guardian is also here. He is infact how KC and I escaped. The tribe helping the Techno’s added him to our cage, and this time he is really bat shit crazy. He recognised our tribe marking of the :penta:, and had to be separated from us. That is when we took our chances and got free. But until the Techno’s are defeated and I am off this island I will never be completely free."

I begin to well up. Moving both hands up to wipe the tears forming in my eyelids away my hands are shaking all over the place. I had more to tell but I needed to compose myself. Suddenly I broke down and dropped to my knees and buried my face in my hands and sobbed.

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“I take it that hole you fell out of isn’t enough to accommodate all of us, then,” I reply when Zandra suggests I lead the way.

“Suppose if this island holds enough interest for the Technos, maybe there are buildings.” _ Buildings full of Technos_ My pragmatic side catches up, but I don’t say the last bit out loud, for the sake of my companions. Zandra seems to have changed quite a bit though, no fuss over dirty fingernails anymore. Techno labor camps must have that effect on a person.

What on earth was Jay involved in? He kept saying he knew nothing, that it wasn’t his area, but then that’s kind of the same story I got from Ram. No one ever knew any freaking answers. So who pulled the strings? It was obvious the Technos were powerful enough and big enough to spread out far and wide. Had they come from this island, originally?

I get our group moving and for a while we walk through the undergrowth silently. For a while I listen for any strange noises, signs of vehichles, anything, but all I can hear are the birds chirping.

My curiousity gets the best of me and I turn to Zandra again.
“The Technos… they didn’t take you prisoner right after Eagle Mountain, did they? They weren’t even around back then… So what happened?”

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Zan

“No, it was a while after. When I… When I woke up I had to” I pause it was still hard to actually say the words outloud “I had to kinda dig my way out, I was lucky that a Tribe were passing because they helped me” I said and chewed my lip alittle “I made them wait by your grave for a while until it was obvious there was no moment and shortly after that I passed out. When I woke up I was further in the mountains, the tribe that helped save me, they were called The Circle, they were big on helping people find a peaceful path and learning how to use the earth for everything they needed and how to survive” I gave a small smile.

“At first I wasn’t in any state phyiscally or even mentally to return back to the city so I stayed with them while I got better, but we had a trader who used to come to us regularly and give us updates on what was going on. I heard all about the Mallrats finding the cure and how they were taking control of the city but after awhile I stated resenting them all because I wasn’t over what I went through, I had lost everything and they were living it large… And then came the news Lex and Tai-San was married” I stopped talking for a moment “I just got bitter and didn’t fit in with The Circle anymore so I left to find myself a new home. After maybe a year I was caught by The Technos and taken straight to the mines and then a couple of months ago I was transfered to this Island to the cages”

I don’t think I’d actually spoken to anyone about it before, especially the waking up in a grave part “What about you? You mentioned Ebony?”

@Amber

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Trudy

For a moment I am horrified by Brady’s words to Alice, though even from a distance, I can smell it’s the truth.

“Brady… it’s not nice to say that to people”

I say to my daughter as I grab hold of her.

I’m about to make her apologize as Alice mentions something my own fears hadn’t thought if yet.

“He’s here? The… the Guardian…?!”

I pull Brady close to me and look around in panic.

Being back here on this island is one thing… but with that maniac?

My mind goes through 10.000 scenarios, 9.999 of which end in my daughter being taken from me.

“It’s not safe here… Jack! Fix the damn boat! Make it run on… something! We need to get away from this place! NOW!”

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Jack

I had never seen Alice so weak before. The animated strong independent woman was a broken mess sinking into the sand. Bless her, I wish Ellie was here and not elsewhere on the island.

Standing over Alice I gently pat her on the shoulder. I wasn’t sure what to do, none of us did. Hearing her ordeal since the Techno’s invaded sounded very difficult.

Suddenly the volcanic Trudy erupts and tells me to fix the boat. I softly respond to her. "Calm down Trudy. Your going to burst a blood vessel. I cannot fix the boat, I maybe a genius but I am not a magician. We need fuel."

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Alice

Keeping my head in my hands crouched on the sand I hear the boiler of the Tribe blow. Trudy was losing her shit. Jack tried his best to calm her down but I really don’t think his response is going to stop Trudy rage.

I was starting to compose myself, and I was ready to tell the tribe everything else I needed too, but I thought firstly someone needs to help with calming Trudy. She is spitting like popcorn heating up in a microwave. Maybe someone like Salene or that saucy new hotpot will be able to calm down little miss hot head.

I completely understand Trudy’s panic though as she had a terrible ordeal with The Chosen. I have been on a similar rollercoaster being a prisoner to The Techno’s. But she has her daughter to think about. I do admire Trudy and love her for how amazing she has been bringing up Brady in our new world.

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Salene

I watch the reunion with a smile. i took a short look back, wondering where Gel might be?

Then i hera the word, the word which gives me a fright, a word i thought i should never have to worried about again: GUARDIAN

I turn back to the group, Alice has srta crying and Trudy starts screaming. Jack trys to calm her down, i look at Brady which also seems to be a bit scared, but i am not sure if it’s because of the guardian or because her mum srtas screaming. I walk over to Trudy and stop in front of her. " First of all, you need to stop screaming, or do you want them to find us? Find Brady?" i look down at the girl

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Lottie

The Guardian, is here? I feel a shudder roll through me. I may not have always been a Mall-rat, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t share the same fears. Anyone from the City knows to fear that maniac, especially me who had hidden away, contorted into a small space as her three brothers were snatched by the Chosen. She doesn’t know what became of them after that, but nobody ever came for her since that day, and there’s been no clue of the boys since.

“Do you think the others are safe?” I ask of our group out scavenging for food. Ruby had gone off with them. I’m worried about her, despite being mad at her for treating me like a kid.

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Alice

Lottie asks a question that intrigues me.
Slowly raising my head, I spot Salene trying to compose Trudy.

I respond to Lottie, “The others are hopefully okay. Yesterday the island had Techno’s darting around hunting for KC and I. As night fell it seemed like they had given up.” Whilst asking my next questions I was glancing around to the group hoping anyone would answer, "Is Ellie one of the others? My sister is alive isn’t she?"

I had been dying to ask about her, but I was afraid.

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Trudy

With Jack telling me the boat can not be fixed, and Salene telling me to calm down, I start to hyperventilate.
Brady puts her small little hand against my cheek as I hold her close.
“Don’t cry mommy… don’t cry…”
I stroke my daughters hair for a moment and hug her, as I look at everyone around me, don’t they get it? Or do they just not care what happens to us? To the children?

Quieter, I continue my rant.
“Don’t you get it? We have to get out of here… if he is on this island… It’s not safe… Not for any of us… Especially not for Brady… nor for little Bray! The blood of Zoot runs through his veins aswel!”

I turn to Alice as I hear the mention of Ellie.
“Ellie went to find some food… she’s with Amber and Darryl I think… unless the Chosen already have them…”
I glare at Ebony, she betrayed me to the Chosen before, who is to say she won’t do it again?
Who’s to say… she didn’t already do it to Amber…?

And Ram… did he know? Was he the one who send The Guardian back here? Wait… where is Ram anyways…
I look from Jay to Slade, hoping they know.
“Where’s Ram? If anyone knows this place… it’s him…”

@Catha @Patch @Jack @Antonia1Fan @Ash and @everyoneIforgottotag

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Luke

How could this be happening? How could my most loyal Techno’s fail me this way?
Maybe the brainwipe on Ved didn’t work as well as it should have, perhaps he let those bloody Mallrats go for old times sake.

But Debian… I had been so sure he was 110% loyal to our cause. How could he have failed in such a simple task?
Hopefully after a few days in project Atlantis… he wouldn’t fail me again.

Ofcourse… that hadn’t been an option for Ved, who knows what will happen if he runs into Cloe down there.
And though I would have much rather have done it myself, I had seen no choice but to send him with commander Danni, as her escort, to get her safely to our healing facility, and to stay with her until she felt better.

Which left me to wonder… about Paul…
Where was he? Why had he not responded to my order?
According to the data from his stun gun, he was stil alive. But why hadn’t he returned? What had happened? Did those bloody Mallrats manage to overpower him because he didn’t hear them coming?
I decided to give him a few more hours to return, and he’d better have a good explanation for me…

@Moz @Danni @Patsy

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Alice

After catching bits of Trudy ramble’s I hear her mention little Bray and that we have to leave. She then tells me that Ellie is safe with Amber and a guy named Darryl. Was this Ellie’s lover? Did Jack and her never get back together? I had so much to catch up on … Trudy continued asking of the whereabouts of Ram. I knew that name, he was a hot topic on everyone’s lips whilst I have been a prisoner. Of course he would end up with the Mall Rats at the end off it. I roll my eyes, we seem to have a way with letting the bad ones who seek to destroy us in after they have a change of heart.

It felt like Trudy and I were the only ones who had lips around here. I had to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. It’s time I told her about Bray. Before I open my trap once more I have a moment to think … how long has it been since the Mall Rats saw Bray? Had he ever returned after being banished? Maybe that’s why the baby is also called Bray? They could of gone with Bray Junior at least, or BJ for short … actually Bray is perfectly fine! I heard snippets from prisoners who came and went, but that was more about who and what the enemy were doing? Has Bray ever met his son? KC had told me that he had seen Bray over on Labour Island a few days before I reunited with him so he cannot be far now.

I blunt out to Trudy, “Oh thank goodness Trudy, thank you thank you.” I take a deep breath. "Trudy we cannot just go. We have to finish this once and for all. I want us to be all be a Tribe again. Big Bray could well be on this island now as KC told me he saw him on a neighbouring island just under a week ago!"

@Trudy

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Luke

Frustrated with life, the universe and everything; I make my way to the interrogation-room.
Atleast Ved managed to bring in a random virt before he took off with Danni.
“Right then, what have we here” I say as I am let in by the guard in front of the room.
I look over the girl, and, judging by her skin, she obviously hasn’t been here long.
Not even a hint of a tan, and clothes that still seem… reasonably ok…
She can’t be an escaped prisoner.
But… what does it mean?
Where did she come from?
Judging by her appearance she seems like a city girl, and one that tends to fuss about her looks aswel.

I sit down on a seat in front of the bars she’s behind.
“Goodafternoon miss, sorry for the way my men treated you… they’re a bit… barbaric at times”

@Salene

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GEL

“That’s an understatement!!” I mutter as I look at the bruise on my wrists… “What are you going to do to me?”

I look at the techno and try to do my girly fluting routine in the hope he will be nice and let me go, I know I have to be careful with what I am saying, as stupid as I act I know I can’t give the others away on the beach but some how I have to get a message to them to leave the island but I have no idea how to do it…

@Trudy

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