The Gauntlet

The Thrilling Conclusion of the Rescue of Dr. Zhukov
A Kate and Kip Adventure

Last time, our heroes rendezvoused with Dr. Zhukov. Together, they defeated a raider attack. Then they were able to escape from the ruined city on the planet Devastation. Now they are approaching the landing pad where their ship is.

"Oh, oh." Kip declared. "More raiders."

"Can we make a run for the ship?" Kate asked.

"We can try." Kip replied.

They rushed through the gate in the chain link fence. Kip blasted a raider in front of them while Kate took out one behind them.

Shots rang out from behind some barrels on their right.

"I'm hit!" exclaimed Kip.

Suddenly raiders rushed out from the hanger. One struck Kate with his club. As she staggered backward, she pulled her trigger. Her assailant went down.

Our wounded heroes took cover around the corner of the hanger. Another raider went down.

"We have only one chance. Run for it!" declared Kate. Kip shook his head in affirmation. On the count of three, they rushed toward the ship. Gunfire erupted around them.

One problem. Dr. Zhukov remained behind the hanger.

"Hurry up, Doctor!" screamed Kip. The doctor gathered up his courage and rushed into the open. Shots rang out and struck him.

With Kate and Kip covering him, the doctor ignored the pain and stumbled toward the ship.

He made it in. Kate began to follow him.

She and Kip ducked into the ship. The raiders began shooting the ship, but its shielded hull easily resisted the shots. Kip revved up the engines and blasted off from Devastation.

Soon, our party was back home in Federation space.

Let's Get Outta Here!

Part 1 of the Rescue of Dr. Zhukov
A Kate and Kip Adventure

The Fringe world now known as Devastation was once a thriving world. Then an Imperial-inspired rebellion led to a nuclear holocaust. Now the planet is a post-apocalyptic nightmare. But for some, it is a dream come true. The noted biologist Doctor Zhukov has completed ground-breaking research on the effects of radiation on planetary ecology. Unfortunately, his expedition was attacked by raiders and the rest of the party killed. He escaped, found refuge in a ruined city, and put out a call for help. Kate and Kip to the rescue!

Kate and Kip find the doctor in the city. They are escorting him to their ship, on the outskirts.

Kate and the doctor slip through a window into a building. From another window, Kate has a clear shot at a raider. She does not miss.

Kip is trying to sneak through the streets when he runs into a patrol. He guns the raider down.

The attacks draw an onslaught of raiders. Kate races across the street into another building. Both our heroes miss shots.

Kip races to join Kate and Zhukov but he is intercepted by club-wielding raiders. He dodges their attacks. Again, our heroes miss.

Kip retreats into another building, pursued by raiders. Kate shoots one down. Suddenly, bursts of gunfire erupt through the windows. Kate is stuck.

Kate and Kip blast a path across the street, allowing Zhukov to retreat to Kip's building. A raider bursts through a window and prepares to shoot at Kate!

Kate rushes to Kip's building, only to run into a pursuing raider. A few of the other raiders, however, have heard enough screaming. They decide to retreat hastily from the battle.

The raiders' leader rushes down the street toward our heroes' hideout. Kip blasts her through one of the windows. Meanwhile, Kate guns down the last raider.

Doctor Zhukov is still safe, for the moment.

What other dangers lurk in the ruined city? Tune in next time for the further adventures of Kate and Kip!

Aftermath

Gone. All gone. In just seconds.

That's what happened to our world of Elysium. We thought we had the perfect world. For centuries, we witnessed unrivaled progress. Our world's finest minds applied themselves to improving the human condition. We learned to eradicate disease and lengthen our lifespans. We developed new technologies that eased our burdens. Machines and robots performed routine physical labor. Automated vehicles and aircraft allowed us to travel the world at breakneck speeds. We had even been exploring the other planets of our solar system. The world was truly our oyster.

We thought our world was perfect but we ignored the warning signs. The Temple tried to warn us, but we turned deaf ears to their admonishments. They were living in the past,we thought. Yet there were parts of Elysium that did not enjoy our unprecedented prosperity. The Enemy took advantage of the cracks in the facade.

The Enemy was what we called him but his followers called him Savior. The Temple roundly denounced him but we preferred to ignore him. That is, until he organized the derelict masses, filled them with anger and a desire for revenge, and then unleashed them on the world. Their jihad wreaked havoc. We fought back, and our superior technology seemed to sway the tide of battle. We broke the Enemy's armies and surrounded him in his capital. That's when he released his doomsday devices.

Now, 200 years later, only remnants of our civilization remain.

Notes:
I have been playing a lot of Fallout lately and have been in a mood for post-apocalyptic adventure. On a whim, I decided to do some solo pen-and-paper post-apocalyptic gaming so I decided to jot down some backstory.