The Journeyman from Ryu-Kyu

[RangerShade]

"Water please, and a menu."

Death checks the overall condition of his table. How clean is it?

[Brian]

It's California Resturaunt Code Clean.  Clean enough to eat off of, at any rate.  Samantha comes back with a menu and a glass of water, just in time for your stomach to growl loudly.

[RangerShade]

Death checks the menu.

[Brian]

Sheesh, it's almost like they ripped that off of a Denny's, too!

[RangerShade]

Death orders the cheapest filling burger available.

[Brian]

They've got a few.  Within minutes, you're given a burger, fries, and garnish.  Mmm.  Garnish.

The food's not half bad, either.

[RangerShade]

Death eats and observes the other people inside.

[Brian]

The coffee-chugger is the one who seems most attention-worthy.  He's apparently a trucker, and he talks to Samantha whenever she refills his mug.  From what you can gather, he's headed down through San Francisco, though he doesn't sound like he's looking forward to it.  In his words, "It's a creepy ghost town."

[RangerShade]

Death decides to introduce himself and mention to the trucker that he's headed in that direction too. Perhaps it would be less creepy if someone rode along with him?

[Brian]

The trucker hesitates, then eyes you for a bit.  Maybe he decides you're trustworthy, and maybe he just thinks he can handle you if it gets to a fight.  Either way, you can tell he's genuinely afraid of going to San Francisco alone, because he offers to pay for your dinner.

[RangerShade]

Death accepts gracefully.

Death waits for whenever the trucker is ready to go.

[Brian]

He's ready to go right then, so after he forks over a few bills, you climb up into the cab of a semi after him, and start cruising south on Highway 1.  You're about an hour and a half away from San Francisco at the start of the jouney, and the trucker wants to talk about his kids.  Could be worse.

The interior of the cab is sparsely decorated, except for a faded pair of fuzzy dice.

In short order, you come into sight of the Golden Gate, barely illuminated in the darkness.  The trucker asks you, as you approach the bridge, where you would like to get out.  You can't see the city in the distance.

[RangerShade]

Death says he will ride with the trucker through San Fran, the trucker can let him off once he's at the other edge of the city.

[Brian]

He's immensely cheered by this, and then starts to regale you with the story about when he used to drive between L.A. and Sacramento, briefly switching to a tangent on how nice San Francisco used to be.

You reach the southern edge of the city, though the city itself is a blur.  Everything seems abnormally dark, the streetlights only just able to illuminate the ground.  There's no traffic, and every traffic light is green when you get to it.

You can honestly understand the trucker saying the place is creepy -- it's almost like it's deserted.  He drops you off at the edge of the city, wishes you good luck, and drives off, leaving you in a pool of moonlight barely able to dispell the darkness of the city to your north.  Immediately around you are abandoned houses, and scrub brush.  You only have enough time to look around before clouds cover the moon.

Shortly after, it begins to snow.

[RangerShade]

Death grabs his stuff and heads for the nearest building that looks the most intact.