Elias pushes himself up on the couch, one hand braced on his bandaged ankle. The room goes quiet as he looks from Mara to Dane, then back to Benjamin.
Elias
My name is Elias. I got separated from a military transport near the heart of Old Orleans.
Elias
I saw a secure extraction point. It could be what you are all looking for, a real base, but the route cuts through the worst sectors.
Mara Miller
A military extraction point? You are sure?
Dane
If it is real, then we do not stay split up out here.
Louis straightens beside the kitchen doorway, wary but listening. Jenny keeps her eyes on Elias, gun still ready, while Benjamin has the weight of the room on him for a beat.
Elias swallows hard and adds that the transport was moving people, not just gear. If the route still holds, it could be the closest thing to safety anyone has seen since the outbreak.
✓ Quest Accepted
Decide whether to stay or leave
“Can we trust that this extraction point is still active?”
NO (Unlikely, rolled 73)
Benjamin studies the map Elias sketches on the table, but the details are faded and the landmarks are long since overrun. The silence in the room grows heavy as the reality sets in that the extraction point is likely nothing more than a ghost of a plan.
“I tell everyone we stay and fortify here”
SUCCESS (Legendary Leadership, rolled -2)
Benjamin straightens from the map and plants both hands on the table. The room stills around him.
Benjamin
We stay here. We fortify this house.
Louis
Louis exhales hard, then nods once. "Good. This place can hold if we make it hold."
Jenny
Jenny lowers her chin, eyes sharp toward the windows. "Then we need fields of fire, locked doors, and no surprises."
Mara Miller
Mara lets out a slow breath, relief replacing the strain on her face. "Then this is where we build."
Dane
Dane leans over the map and points at the streets outside. "Say the word, and I'll help board the weak spots."
Elias
Elias goes quiet, then folds the sketching hand back into his lap. "If you're staying, tell me what you need first."
Quest Complete
Decide whether to stay or leave