Protect & Survive: Matt's Quest (Collaborative)

Matt's Quest

This is the story of an average person in extraordinary circumstances. Matt Stone is a socially awkward 20-something who never achieved much. He's living a dead end life with a dead end career, but it's his life. As Matt will find out on February 21, 1984, his town is at the epicenter of a direct atomic attack. Jamestown, New York is hit by a Soviet nuclear weapon, quite by accident. He will survive it, perhaps, in the fallout shelter he has constructed for himself under his apartment. The world afterward will be wiped clean, but it is not as simple as his post apocalyptic comic books and movies make it seem. Who will survive and what will he do in this brave new world?

This is a collaborative effort. You may write a new passage or add onto a previous passage if it is open to further completion. The development of the story is at your discretion. If there are no takers, I will continue the story at my discretion.
 
Jamestown, New York
February 21, 1984
Early Morning


"...reports of detonations in Germany. President Reagan has..."


"Matthew!!!" his voice yelled, followed by the bells of the opening store door. Matt Stone turned around from the television on the wall. His manager leered at him from over the counter. "God dammit, Matthew! How many times do I have to tell you, the TV is for business only!"

Matt fumbled with wide eyed anxiety, "But, Mr. Sanford, I was only..."

"I don't care what you were doing! Now, I already told you this Monday. I swear to God, Matthew, I better not have to tell you this again tomorrow."

Matt hated being called 'Matthew'. But he did not have the confidence to say anything. He was a 23 year old culture nerd who spent most of his time watching Star Trek reruns, listening to fringe rock music to feel deep, and playing Dungeons and Dragons. He had bombed out of community college, was slightly overweight, had a gap in his front teeth. He was never that popular, was never a success with girls, and did not have the social skills or the self esteem to stand up to his boss. So swallowed his pride and nodded apologetically.

Mister Sanford was a balding fat man. His hair was sandy brown, and his face was worn by stress lines from years of yelling at everything in sight. His hair was combed over in a fashion no one but himself thought looked decent. Like Matt, he was dressed in a white and yellow shirt that said 'Sun Video', with an art design made by a high school art student Sanford paid $15 dollars to. Sanford was a dick, but he was the only one who took Matt's application. Matt wished the grocery store had gotten back to him sooner. Sanford grabbed the remote off the counter. The screen flickered with blocky green numbers as he flipped through the channels, landing on one that said "VCR INPUT".

Sanford shoved a video tape into Matt's stomach, which he grabbed and put into the video player. A reel of trailers for new and upcoming releases came on the screen. Explosions, slapstick and feminine jiggles were narrated by a slew of deep voiced men, with the words "Not For Distribution" at the bottom of the screen.

"I'm gonna need you to do stock duty in a minute. You should like it. It's some of that Star Track stuff you're into."

"Trek, sir," Matt said in a mumble.

"What?" Sanford shot back with a dirty look.

"Nothing," he relented, "Uh, Mr. Sanford, do you know when the new 'Star Wars' is coming in?"

"No. But don't hold your breath. It only came out a year ago."
 
Jamestown, New York
February 20, 1984
The Night Before


"Drako and his barbarian Orc hordes continue to grow around your encampment. The sun is against their backs, glistening off their snouts and porcelain tusks. You do not know how the battle will turn, but one thing is certain. Much blood shall be spilt this day!"

"Ardellen casts magic missile!," said the valiant wizard dressed in a KISS 1978 shirt.

"You can't cast magic missile. You already used it on the harpies back at the point," came a voice from the heavens.

"Wait, I thought we agreed we got three magic missiles a day?"

The Dungeon Master glared at Jeremy over his game screen. The four noble warriors sat at a kitchen table, flanked by dice, marble notebooks, and cups filled with the elixir of Dr. Pepper. A pizza box sat by a microwave that blinked 12:00. Noah was running the game, and he was not one to be corrected.

"We agreed to three magic missiles a day, pursuant to the success of the previous magic missile. You cast the magic missile at the harpies, and it failed and lit Brad on fire."

"You didn't say that before!" Jeremy protested.

"Bullshit! I did so," the Dungeon Master retorted.

"...Soviet forces continued to advance near..."

Through the open doorway opposite the kitchen, Matt sat in front of the television on his ratty couch in his ratty apartment. The room was dark, and he was lit blue by the changing images on the television screen. It was Monday night, and his friends were playing Dungeons & Dragons. The game would normally have taken place over the weekend, but it had been delayed by work schedules and world events. For all intents and purposes, World War Three had started yesterday, but the game had to go on. While his friends busied themselves in worlds of fantasy, Matt sat terrified in front of the television, waiting for the other boot to drop.

"...amid fears of nuclear exch..."

"Matt, get in here!," Noah shouted.
 

cgomes

Banned
Yes, please continue

Even though I don't trust my writing skills enough to help hahaha
 
I am with both the Emperor and cgomes on this. With such a great start my own writing skills don't have anything to offer for noe. Please continue
 
Having slept under our stairs during the Cuban crisis, expecting to have to go 'troglodyte' in the crawl-space when the house collapsed around our ears, I've a couple of dire cautions.

Remember, you've the flash, which may irradiate you with gammas etc. It will dazzle, perhaps blind, even by reflection. It will cause deep burns, start prompt fires, may ignite sidings, curtains, papers etc.

The EMP will trash anything drawing power. Stuffed in a strong metal cupboard or safe as both Faraday & magnetic shield, your laptop or tablet may survive. Don't forget the wind-up or solar charger...

The following shock-wave will blow in windows, shower interior with jagged shards and splinters, may demolish partition walls. Buildings may collapse, blocking access with fires and rubble.

Then you've the fall-out. Literally, every breath you take, every move you make without CBW gear will kill you by inches.

I've understated the apocalyptic effects; there's enough 'protect & survive' stuff to tell it as it really would be.

So, your hero should be in a secure, well-stocked cellar, preferably with some way to block the air-flow. Then, it gets hard...

Perhaps the weather helps ? Wind & rain would knock-down the ash, hopefully make it some-one else's problem...

Have fun !!
 
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