Once More (Unto the Breach) [FINAL RESULTS]

Community Challenges & Competitions
346

Previous time block

Sunday, 6AM - 8AM Eastern Time

Legend of Terms:

POI NOTE: I will NOT be pre-warning of upcoming POI points. I will ONLY auto-stop teams for two things: fuel and, when completely exhausted, rest. Anything else you want (including tourist POI, restaurants, premature fuel, rest at any point before complete exhaustion), YOU need to PM me in advance (before I run the time block that you’d complete it in). Also, please don’t map out everything from here to the end in one PM… try to keep it within a couple time blocks. Remember: Tourist POI and sit-down restaurants (not fast food) give bonuses to morale and fatigue, but take some time. Tourist POI also give points to the POI award at the end.

BD: Block Distance. This is the amount of mileage covered during the current 2 hour period.
OD: Overall Distance. This is the total distance that the team has covered since the event started.
FS: Fuel Status. Approximate fuel reading on the vehicle’s fuel gauge.
MRL: Morale modifier
FTG: Fatigue Level
Last Town: Last town of note that was passed (will not include tiny villages)
Next Waypoint: Should be self explanatory.
Weather Condition: Current weather condition at the end of the time block.
Notes: Any notes I have for your team during this time block. Including POI results, car issues, etc.

VicVictory:
BD: 0 mi OD: 1918 mi FS: 1/2 MRL: +1 FTG: -2
Last Town: Wisconsin Dells, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team wakes up at 7am and will be on the road at the start of next time block. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Elizipeazie:
BD: 90 mi OD: 1918 mi FS: REFUEL IN PROGRESS MRL: +0 FTG: +0
Last Town: Wisconsin Dells, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has diagnosed a bad RF ball joint. Parts stores are not open right now, so team has continued on for now. Team is refueling in Wisconsin Dells at the end of the time period. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issue: Bad ball joint.

@BannedByAndroid:
BD: 134 mi OD: 1962 mi FS: REFUEL IN PROGRESS MRL: +0 FTG: +0
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team is pulling in to a fuel station in Madison at the end of the time block.
Ongoing issue: Vehicle is making a clunking noise from the front going over bumpy roads. SES light is on. Hesitation and misfiring; car cannot exceed 80 MPH.

@kobacrashi:
BD: 129 mi OD: 2025 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +1
Last Town: Beloit, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Wisconsin Dells, WI
Ongoing issue: Car is making a grinding noise when turning right.

@Madrias:
BD: 144 mi OD: 2062 mi FS: 1/2- MRL: +0 FTG: +0
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 60 degrees, clear
Notes: None. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH
Ongoing issue: Rattling noise in engine. Chip in windshield.

@mart1n2005:
martin
BD: 5 mi OD: 1710 mi FS: FULL MRL: -5 FTG: +0
Last Town: Albert Lea, MN Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: CRITICAL FAILURE: Transmission fails shortly after getting up to highway speed; most of the gear splines strip off, leaving only reverse intact.
Final MRL/FTG: +1 (meh), +0 (fully rested)

@Mikonp7:
BD: 138 mi OD: 1980 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 60 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Madison, WI.

@Centurion_23:
BD: 0 mi OD: 1705 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +1 FTG: -4
Last Town: Sioux Falls, SD Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team wakes up at 7am and will be on the road at the start of the next time block.

@Xepy:
BD: 69 mi OD: 1897 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +0
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 70 degrees, clear
Notes: None.

@Private_Miros:

miros
miros960×540 167 KB

BD: 0 mi OD: 1918 mi FS: UNKNOWN MRL: -5 FTG: +0
Last Town: Wisconsin Dells, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: CRITICAL FAILURE: Team smells and sees smoke under the dash before even leaving the hotel parking lot. Failed BCM has caught fire, melting a lot of wiring and damaging the ECU.
FINAL MRL/FTG: +4 (pretty good) / +0 (fully rested)

@Boiled_Steak:
BD: 147 mi OD: 1842 mi FS: FULL MRL: +1 FTG: +1
Last Town: LaCrosse, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in LaCrosse, WI. Waypoint complete: Red Cloud Park
Ongoing issue: Slight hesitation at high speed. More pronounced now that the speed limit has increased.

@GetWrekt01:
BD: 146 mi OD: 1901 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +1 FTG: +0
Last Town: Wisconsin Dells, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team works on diagnosis of their issue. Waypoint complete: Red Cloud Park. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issue: SES light is on, black smoke out tailpipe under acceleration.

@Ryan93:
BD: 163 mi OD: 1666 mi FS: 1/2- MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: Jackson, MN Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: None

@Radster:
BD: 137 mi OD: 1902 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +1
Last Town: Wisconsin Dells, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Rochester, MN. Waypoint complete: Red Cloud Inn.

@SkylineFTW97:
BD: 0 mi OD: 1537 mi FS: LOW MRL: -2 FTG: +0
Last Town: Sioux Falls, SD Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team is awake. Parts store is not open for another hour after end of time block.
Ongoing issue: Radiator failed, team has to wait for parts stores to open.

@Keikyun:
BD: 0 mi OD: 1828 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +2 FTG: -2
Last Town: LaCrosse, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team wakes up at 7a and will be on the road at the start of next time block. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

Vehicles that are traveling in packs:

Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range. Group chats via social media are available.

Team Greasy Lightning

(will post later)

8 Likes
347

OOC: As if a 400hp V8 couldn’t run any richer…

3 Likes
348

Team Tiger Trouble (+1)

When the time came to leave, Kayden got up and told the others, “Okay, time to go. We’ve got a lot of miles to cover.”

Kiva managed to get away from the inquisitive parent, calling Mal on his communicator.

“I need a ride out of here, Mal.”
“Can’t do that. You know the rules, no ships in daylight hours without special reasons.”
“Mal, you’re not going to strand me out here. I. Need. A. Ship.”
“And I would send you one, but someone hit me three times with their tail during last night’s session. Consider this my version of a prank.”
“Well, how am I supposed to get outta here?”
“Kayden might let you ride on the roof, or maybe if you ask nicely, the trunk.”
“Shit!”

Kiva slapped his comm shut, then raced out just in time to see Team Trinity’s car smoking, and in the process, stopping Team Tiger Trouble from leaving right away. Kaylie was in the driver’s seat, Kayden was in the front passenger seat, and Jaden was in the back, behind Kaylie. “Wait! I need a ride, but Trinity’s in trouble.” Kiva yelled, his voice carrying an unnatural amount of power.

Kiva ran toward the smoking car of Team Trinity, both hands in motion as he redirected the fire from the Body Control Module, trying to give them every chance to escape unharmed. Once he had the fire under control, he put it out, but unfortunately the damage was already done. With his duty done, Kiva waved to John, then got into the Traville, grimacing as he was forced to fit 6-foot-6 of Hybrid directly behind 7-foot-8 of Tigrilan Warrior. He clicked the seat belt on, and Kaylie weaved around the nonfunctional car of Team Trinity.

Jaden grinned at Kiva’s discomfort, then said, “I’m sure they would have been more than willing to share a ride, once they called for some support.”

Kiva shook his head, then said, “Any other team, I might have considered it. I know one of them, from back at The Lake. I don’t need to go through a debriefing right now, and I certainly don’t want to be asked about missions I’d be perfect for. It’s bad enough that they have my comm number. I want to enjoy my vacation.”

Kayden nodded, then said, “I know that kind of life. Not knowing from one day to the next whether today is the day you take the Long Sleep or what you will be doing. Never being able to get the blood out of your clothes.”

“Unable to sleep without hearing the gunshot and seeing each person you shot fall in your scope. We are both warriors of our time. You fight using blades and powerful energy weapons, I favor a scoped lever-action rifle and a good knife.” Kiva replied.

Kaylie, however, looked a little uncomfortable in the driver’s seat. Soon after, all hell broke loose.

It started when Kayden groaned and rolled down the window. Jaden gagged, wound down his window, and found out to his horror that it only went down halfway. Kiva gave a disgusted look, then snapped out, “Who shit!?” Kaylie, realizing that it was obvious now that she did it, simply rolled her window down.

“Damn! Someone let loose a silent-but-deadly. Whoever did that, own it, because if you did that in a smaller space, it might actually be classified as a weapon. Sun and Moon, that was awful.” Kiva said, looking slightly ill.

“Sorry.” Kaylie said.

5 Likes
349

RIP. I missed so many RP opportunities because of a sudden work increase that I’m not even disappointed.

Good luck to the other entries!

5 Likes
350

TGGBA: SC

They remain sleeping. One more insight is provided into Yuri’s dream.

Suddenly, she remembers why she is here. Standing next to a familiar old van, suddenly she was called by a private defense organisation which she works for, stating that she was to be picked up on order of the UN. Soon after, a convoy of Haruna Isekais arrived. She was ordered to get in a certain silver-and-red Isekai Wagon, marked “E331” with 6 others. She introduced herself awkwardly, to the two people next to her; Kairi, a younger girl like Yuri, and Keiji, a male of the same age; all 19 years old, as the Isekai’s diesel engine rattled away. They were told they had to go to the Tokyo facility, so they made their way to the nearest international airport where the aircraft were located. In that time, Yuri got to know those inside the car: 2 [REDACTED] pilots, 2 scientists, an engineer and a high ranking official.

Suddenly, it was back to the present day, where Kairi piloting Unit-E331, now realised it was coloured similarly to the Isekai that originally transported them, and also the damaged Unit-E233, a distressed Keiji calling for help. Yuri realised that it was about not just the individuals; it was about the whole group.

Thus, Yuri ran to Unit-E233, and helped save the critically damaged Unit-E233. But it had only begun…

YURI wakes up, feeling very distressed.

They all are awake now, and prepare to continue their journey.

YURI is suddenly attentive of any HARUNA ISEKAI vehicles.

6 Likes
351

Team Greasy Lightning

Fuzz sighed as he cleared the litter from his breakfast and placed it on top of his plate. He walked somberly to the garbage can and scraped everything off, before depositing the plate and fork in the bussing bins. Moving to the coffee station, he paused momentarily and shook his head at the mess left by someone previously; two tea bags that appeared to have been soaked in coffee then just left on the counter. Filling a cup to near full, he prepared the beverage with his customary amount of creamer and sugar, snapped a lid on the top of the cup, then made his way to the hotel lobby.

His sister was there, her arms crossed, nostrils flaring.

“What?” he asked.

“This is your fault. Go help Rick clean it up,” she growled.

“I have no idea what you’re… wait, did the Tigrilans punk us?”

Jen nodded, her stare burning a hole right through him. He took his phone off of airplane mode and just a moment later got a notification of a private message. I hope you like the present I left you. I’m sure it’s worth the time and effort needed to open it.

Fuzz made a hasty exit to the parking lot. There, before him, was the silhouette of their Keystone Senator. Wrapped for Christmas Day, with seemingly out of place lavender and sienna ribbons criss-crossing over the vehicle. Rick, looking both amused and pissed, stood by the driver’s door, slicing down through the B-panel gap with his lockblade, trying to get through the multiple layers of wrapping paper.

“Yeah, ok, we had this coming,” Fuzz grinned sheepishly as he flicked out his own blade and walked toward the passenger side.

“We?” Rick replied, his eyebrows arching. “There was no ‘we’ in this. This is all you, buddy. I’d make you take care of it all yourself, but we’ve got to get on the road. Now give me a hand with this.”

5 Likes
352

Previous Time Block

Sunday, 8AM - 10AM Eastern Time

Legend of Terms:

POI NOTE: I will NOT be pre-warning of upcoming POI points. I will ONLY auto-stop teams for two things: fuel and, when completely exhausted, rest. Anything else you want (including tourist POI, restaurants, premature fuel, rest at any point before complete exhaustion), YOU need to PM me in advance (before I run the time block that you’d complete it in). Also, please don’t map out everything from here to the end in one PM… try to keep it within a couple time blocks. Remember: Tourist POI and sit-down restaurants (not fast food) give bonuses to morale and fatigue, but take some time. Tourist POI also give points to the POI award at the end.

BD: Block Distance. This is the amount of mileage covered during the current 2 hour period.
OD: Overall Distance. This is the total distance that the team has covered since the event started.
FS: Fuel Status. Approximate fuel reading on the vehicle’s fuel gauge.
MRL: Morale modifier
FTG: Fatigue Level
Last Town: Last town of note that was passed (will not include tiny villages)
Next Waypoint: Should be self explanatory.
Weather Condition: Current weather condition at the end of the time block.
Notes: Any notes I have for your team during this time block. Including POI results, car issues, etc.

VicVictory:
BD: 140 mi OD: 2058 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +0
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 69 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Rockford, IL. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Elizipeazie:
BD: 44 mi OD: 1962 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 68 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has driven to Madison, WI to kill some time and wait for a parts store to open. Part obtained, repair in progress. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issue: Bad ball joint (repair in progress).

@BannedByAndroid:
BD: 137 mi OD: 2099 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +1
Last Town: Chicago, IL* Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 69 degrees, clear
Notes: *Team is just entering the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Ongoing issue: Vehicle is making a clunking noise from the front going over bumpy roads. SES light is on. Hesitation and misfiring; car cannot exceed 80 MPH.

@kobacrashi:
BD: 119 mi OD: 2144 mi FS: 1/4+ MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Chicago, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 69 degrees, clear
Notes: Front end noise is getting more intense. Team has run into some moderate traffic passing through the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Ongoing issue: Car is making a grinding noise when turning right. NOISE IS GETTING MORE INTENSE.

@Madrias:
BD: 112 mi OD: 2174 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +0 FTG: +1
Last Town: Gary, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 70 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has encountered moderate traffic traveling through the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Team has refueled in Chicago, IL. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH
Ongoing issue: Rattling noise in engine. Chip in windshield.

@Mikonp7:
BD: 121 mi OD: 2101 mi FS: 1/2- MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: Chicago, IL* Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 69 degrees, clear
Notes: Team is making their way through moderate traffic through downtown Chicago at the end of the time block.

@Centurion_23:
BD: 139 mi OD: 1844 mi FS: 1/2 MRL: +1 FTG: +0
Last Town: LaCrosse, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 68 degrees, clear
Notes: Waypoint complete: Red Cloud Park. If you were seeing a discrepancy between where they were last few time blocks and now, I had accidentally marked them down as being in Sioux Falls instead of Albert Lea. The mileage calculations are all automatic and correct, even if my flavor text sometimes isn’t.

@Xepy:
BD: 138 mi OD: 2035 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +1
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 69 degrees, clear
Notes: Team had a flat tire, replaced using their spare. Team has refueled in Rockford, IL.

@Boiled_Steak:
BD: 140 mi OD: 1993 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Beloit, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 68 degrees, clear
Notes: None.
Ongoing issue: Slight hesitation at high speed.

@GetWrekt01:
BD: 145 mi OD: 2046 mi FS: LOW MRL: +1 FTG: +2
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 69 degrees, clear
Notes: None. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issue: SES light is on, black smoke out tailpipe under acceleration.

@Ryan93:
BD: 146 mi OD: 1812 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +6
Last Town: Rochester, MN Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 68 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Albert Lea, MN. Team is planning a rest stop in LaCrosse, WI, near the start of next time period. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.

@Radster:
BD: 142 mi OD: 2044 mi FS: LOW MRL: +0 FTG: +3
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 69 degrees, clear
Notes: None.

@SkylineFTW97:
BD: 0 mi OD: 1537 mi FS: LOW MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Sioux Falls, SD Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 59 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has obtained a replacement radiator and is just finishing repair at end of current time block.

@Keikyun:
BD: 144 mi OD: 1972 mi FS: 1/2 MRL: +0 FTG: +0
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 68 degrees, clear
Notes: None. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

Vehicles that are traveling in packs:

Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range. Group chats via social media are available.

Team Greasy Lightning

“I still don’t see why you had to have Rick pick out my breakfast for me,” Fuzz whined. His stomach had begun to gurgle in hunger. “Now I’m gonna have to have a big lunch, and that’s gonna make me need a big nap.”

“Poor baby needs one,” Jen needled.

“Ha-ha. No, seriously. Whoever said that fruit and oatmeal will fill you up and keep you full was a lying sack of shit,” he continued. “It’s been what, and hour? I’m already starving.”

“Yeah, but do you hear that?” Rick asked?

Fuzz paused for a second, but only heard the drone of the cruising V6 engine. “No.”

“Listen again.”

Fuzz strained to hear, but there was nothing he could note. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Well I’m sure you smell that,” Rick added.

Fuzz sniffed. The vague mustiness of a nearly 40 year old car, but nothing else. “No.”

Jen grinned. “Exactly. It shut your butthole up, and that’s all I care about.”

Fuzz turned beet red, crossed his arms, and glowered at his sister. She continued to laugh, so he rolled over onto the pillow and stared out the window at the gently rolling Wisconsin countryside.

6 Likes
353

Team Tiger Trouble (+1)

In Chicago

“What on Earth is with this traffic?” Kaylie grumbled, as yet another car cut them off to then make an immediate turn, lane change, or just slam on the brakes for no apparent reason.

“It’s Chicago, Kaylie. You have to be a special blend of crazy to want to live in a place where they have to build upward in order to fit more loco locals in town. Crazy breeds crazy, and only the crazy would want to live in one of those giant steel dicks thrusting upwards into the sky. Whole city’s compensating for something.” Kiva said.

Jaden groaned, then said, “That is not an image I needed in my head. Sometimes I wonder why I signed up to be the Tigrilan Cultural Liaison back home.”

“I don’t get it.” Kayden said, and Jaden instantly grabbed Kiva’s muzzle to keep him from explaining in his own crude way.

“The humans have an unfortunate cultural obsession with phallic objects. I think it’s subconscious, but once you point it out, everything starts looking like, well…” Jaden said, letting Kiva go.

“It’s not an obsession with phallic objects, it’s a cultural thing from mating being a taboo subject here, so everything reminds the humans of that.” Kaylie said, connecting the dots. “They are so obsessed about not mentioning any bedroom activities that everything starts to show signs of the suppressed instincts and unrelieved tensions.”

Kiva grinned, then said, “I was born in Nevada, but not in a place like this. Grow up around soldiers, you learn that those suppressed instincts aren’t so suppressed in those who, well, could die any day if a mission goes badly.”

Jaden grumbled out, “And like you’d know?”

Kiva turned in his seat, then moved brutally fast, clipping Jaden in the side with a rather savage left-handed punch. “You’d be surprised at what I’ve learned in my 30 years. The Lake isn’t that far from Vegas, and the humans have a wonderful saying about that place. ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’ Some of us would head up there to piss away our pay, get drunk, and come back the next day. Occasionally someone found black and red fur in their clothing the next morning.”

Kayden shrugged, then said, “I don’t see a problem with that. As far as I’m concerned, you are a soldier first, and a hybrid second.”

Nova added in, “As the humans would say, ‘you are a hybrid, not a saint.’ They can’t create you and then expect you to ignore your instincts, or the instincts of others.”

Kiva looked up at the dashboard, then said, “Fuel light. There’s a gas station on the right.”

Kaylie pulled the car up to the pump, then shut it down, got out, and filled the tank. When someone tried to take their picture, Kiva got out of the car, his wolf-like face wrinkled in a snarl, his teeth bared as he looked at the guy, igniting a fireball as he stared him down.

“Fuckin’ crazy!” The man yelled, running away. Kiva could hear him cursing about ‘demons threatening to blow up the gas station’ for the next half a block. Kiva grinned, then said, “I love scaring stupid people.”

When they all got back into the car, Kaylie started the engine and they rattled their way out of the Windy City.

(OOC: No, I don’t actually have a problem with Chicago, other than I despise trying to drive through there.)

5 Likes
354

Team “Buy Skyrim”

After they woke up, ate breakfast, and prepared themselves, they have resumed their journey.

Of course, they have saw the broken window after the car was nearly being stolen. Nothing was gone from the car.

VINCENT: Who the fuck did just…

NATHAN: Nah, just asked the guards. Nothing was stolen as far as I know.

VINCENT: Fine.

Sadly, the car isn’t even fixed, the front is still clunky, and anything over 80 MPH is impossible due to some small problems. However, when they have finally arrived in Chicago, they ignored the problems and started wandering the city with the crappy little wagon.

image
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NAOMI: What a beautiful city! I went to Chicago in like, years ago, as a high school student in a field trip, and I didn’t remember it was a nice city.

VINCENT: Yeah, it’s sure it’s beautiful, what’s more beautiful is I have actually have ordered a meal on the fancy restaurant you wanted to go. I’ll think it’s near the coastline,

NAOMI: Aww. I have already known that is going to be happening. I love you, baby. kisses Vincent

NATHAN: dozes off

And so they eventually arrived at the fancy restaurant. They came out from the car with something fancy and entered the restaurant.

6 Likes
355

TGGBA: SC

Not much to note here, other than there being a few 80s and 90s Haruna Isekais driving around.

YURI: slightly scared seeing a grey Isekai overtake them “なに!?”

1 Like
356

Previous Time Block

Sunday, 10AM - 12PM Eastern Time

Legend of Terms:

POI NOTE: I will NOT be pre-warning of upcoming POI points. I will ONLY auto-stop teams for two things: fuel and, when completely exhausted, rest. Anything else you want (including tourist POI, restaurants, premature fuel, rest at any point before complete exhaustion), YOU need to PM me in advance (before I run the time block that you’d complete it in). Also, please don’t map out everything from here to the end in one PM… try to keep it within a couple time blocks. Remember: Tourist POI and sit-down restaurants (not fast food) give bonuses to morale and fatigue, but take some time. Tourist POI also give points to the POI award at the end.

BD: Block Distance. This is the amount of mileage covered during the current 2 hour period.
OD: Overall Distance. This is the total distance that the team has covered since the event started.
FS: Fuel Status. Approximate fuel reading on the vehicle’s fuel gauge.
MRL: Morale modifier
FTG: Fatigue Level
Last Town: Last town of note that was passed (will not include tiny villages)
Next Waypoint: Should be self explanatory.
Weather Condition: Current weather condition at the end of the time block.
Notes: Any notes I have for your team during this time block. Including POI results, car issues, etc.

VicVictory:
BD: 109 mi OD: 2167 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +0 FTG: +1
Last Town: Gary, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 79 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has encountered moderate traffic driving through the Chicago Metropolitan Area. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Elizipeazie:
BD: 132 mi OD: 2094 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 79 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has finished ball joint repair. Currently sitting in Chicago area traffic. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@BannedByAndroid:
BD: 121 mi OD: 2220 mi FS: 1/2- MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: South Bend, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 79 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has encountered moderate traffic passing through the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone.
Ongoing issue: Vehicle is making a clunking noise from the front going over bumpy roads. SES light is on. Hesitation and misfiring; car cannot exceed 80 MPH.

@kobacrashi:
BD: 138 mi OD: 2282 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +0 FTG: +3
Last Town: Fremont, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather: 80 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in South Bend, IN. Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone.
Ongoing issue: Car is making a fairly intense grinding noise when turning right.

@Madrias:
BD: 141 mi OD: 2315 mi FS: 1/4+ MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Holiday City, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 80 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH
Ongoing issue: Rattling noise in engine. Chip in windshield.

@Mikonp7:
BD: 124 mi OD: 2225 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +6
Last Town: South Bend, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 80 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has encountered moderate traffic going through the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone. Team has refueled in South Bend, IN. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.

@Centurion_23:
BD: 145 mi OD: 1989 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +1
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 78 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Madison, WI. SES light turns back on. Oil pressure light comes on at the end of time period.

@Xepy:
BD: 118 mi OD: 2153 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Gary, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 79 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has encountered moderate traffic passing through the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

@Boiled_Steak:
BD: 108 mi OD: 2010 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: Chicago, IL* Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 78 degrees, clear
Notes: Team is currently fighting traffic in Chicago.
Ongoing issue: Slight hesitation at high speed. Hesitation is getting worse.

@GetWrekt01:
BD: 114 mi OD: 2160 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: Gary, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 80 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Chicago, IL. Team has encountered moderate traffic in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issue: SES light is on, black smoke out tailpipe under acceleration.

@Ryan93:
BD: 16 mi OD: 1828 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +3 FTG: -3
Last Town: LaCrosse, WI Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 78 degrees, clear
Notes: Waypoint complete: Red Cloud Park. Team has stopped for 2 hours at Red Cloud Park for rest. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Radster:
BD: 117 mi OD: 2161 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +0 FTG: +5
Last Town: Gary, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 79 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has encountered moderate traffic passing through the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Team has refueled in Chicago, IL.

@SkylineFTW97:
BD: 165 mi OD: 1702 mi FS: 1/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +0
Last Town: Jackson, MN Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 75 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Sioux Falls, SD.

@Keikyun:
BD: 126 mi OD: 2098 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +1
Last Town: Chicago, IL* Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 78 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Chicago, IL. Team is currently experiencing moderate traffic in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

Vehicles that are traveling in packs:

Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range. Group chats via social media are available.

Team Greasy Lightning

(later…)

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Team Tiger Trouble (+1)

Kaylie grinned as they started to put on the miles again, the engine still rattling away as she kept pace with traffic.

Kiva decided to break the silence, asking, “So, two questions. What’s the story behind the missing plastic hub cap, and why does this car sound like it’s powered by a big box of angry Mojave Rattlesnakes?”

Kayden responded with, “I broke the plastic wheel cover. I cut a corner a bit hard on the first day.”

Jaden answered the other question. “The car, as you called it, rattled a little when we bought it. As the journey has gone on, it has gotten a bit worse.”

Nova added, “There is a high probability of main bearing damage. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the most common failure of the Sinistra L-Series 60-degree V8 engine is the main bearings, at least in the early models, and the fact that the metal composition is not factory standard, which means that at some point in time, someone rebuilt this engine with aftermarket parts. Further support is provided by the duration the engine has continued to operate, and an analysis of the acoustic profile suggests that it is not limited to a singular knock per engine revolution. The occurrence is also slightly random, not regular as a rod knock would most likely be.”

Kaylie rolled her eyes, then said to Kiva, “It rattles because something is going wrong inside it, and it’s not something we can really fix. Best we can do is try to keep it from getting worse.”

Kiva nodded lightly, then looked at the strange box tossed unceremoniously on what would be the driveshaft tunnel in a normal car, and asked, “So, what’s with the box?”

“The race officials left it in our car. One for every team. We are not to open it until we are told to.” Kayden said. “And if it is contraband, then there will be bloodshed for staining my honor as a Warrior.”

Kiva nodded, then said, “Yeah, I know honor’s a big deal for your kind. Well, you’d have my support, and I’m always sure that Mal would be up for a good fight. His sense of honor is about as weird as yours.”

Jaden picked up the box and placed it between himself and Kiva, before saying, “Better to have a weird sense of honor than none at all.”

Kiva growled, and Kaylie slapped her hand down on the window switches to reduce the chances that Kiva would shatter them, hearing the door windows vibrating.

“That was stupid, Jade. You can’t run away from him when you’re trapped in the same car with him. And he has a mercenary’s honor, he fights for those who pay him.” Kayden said. “Kiva, try not to kill my brother, I would be forced to fight you to the death if you did.”

Kiva nodded, then settled instead for a rather nasty backhand to Jaden’s chest, knocking the wind out of him. “Next insult’s pistols at dawn, Jade. And while I’m not the best duelist that’s ever lived, I can damn well out-shoot a cat. I’ve shot the rattles off of rattlesnakes.”

Jaden gave a worried look, not knowing that Kiva’s choice of dueling pistols fired foam darts.

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Meanwhile at Team Gizzle

After a seemingly endless night-drive, the duo arrives at their POI stop. They decide to pop the hood and inspect the car.

Jayson is bent over the engine while Zack is looking for some place to get fed.

He absentmindedly is going through the things in need of a check-up.

Z: Oil?
J: We good.
Z: Coolant?
J: Nice try… not gonna unscrew that cap when it’s still hot.
Z: Anything else dowh there?
J: Negative.
Z: Close it up and check whatever else needs checking. I’ll get some food and we’ll meet up in the park.
J: Jo… [annoyed] “And check whatever else needs checking…”
Z: What was that?
J: I said yes sir.
Z: There we go. I’m starting to like you…
The whole last night without you rapping, which i don’t really miss anyway…
J: Whatever… Grab me a Red Bull.
Z: [jokingly] Yes sir.

He heads off to some 24/7 store.
Jayson secretly continues rapping as his phone rings.

J: Hi Mommy… Yes Mommy, i love you… Yes Mommy… Miss you too and i love you and see you soon Mo-

Zack appears out of nowhere and is looking confused.

J: [surprised] Mo… Mo… Morris. [hangs up; tries to be cool] Bitches and stuff… You know what they wanna hear…
Z: [still confused] Morris is your Mom, right?

Jayson’s face turns red as he snatches the Red Bull can out of Zack’s hand, trying to reach the park as quickly as possible.

Zack just shrugs and follollows Jayson.

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Previous time block

Sunday, 12PM - 2PM Eastern Time

Legend of Terms:

POI NOTE: I will NOT be pre-warning of upcoming POI points. I will ONLY auto-stop teams for two things: fuel and, when completely exhausted, rest. Anything else you want (including tourist POI, restaurants, premature fuel, rest at any point before complete exhaustion), YOU need to PM me in advance (before I run the time block that you’d complete it in). Also, please don’t map out everything from here to the end in one PM… try to keep it within a couple time blocks. Remember: Tourist POI and sit-down restaurants (not fast food) give bonuses to morale and fatigue, but take some time. Tourist POI also give points to the POI award at the end.

BD: Block Distance. This is the amount of mileage covered during the current 2 hour period.
OD: Overall Distance. This is the total distance that the team has covered since the event started.
FS: Fuel Status. Approximate fuel reading on the vehicle’s fuel gauge.
MRL: Morale modifier
FTG: Fatigue Level
Last Town: Last town of note that was passed (will not include tiny villages)
Next Waypoint: Should be self explanatory.
Weather Condition: Current weather condition at the end of the time block.
Notes: Any notes I have for your team during this time block. Including POI results, car issues, etc.

VicVictory:
BD: 148 mi OD: 2315 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Holiday City, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has crossed into the Eastern Time Zone. Team has refueled in Holiday City, OH. ISSUE: Car is starting to smell of burnt trans fluid. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Elizipeazie:
BD: 119 mi OD: 2213 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +5
Last Town: South Bend, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@BannedByAndroid:

BBA
BBA922×519 151 KB

BD: 73 mi OD: 2293 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: -5 FTG: +3
Last Town: Fremont, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
CRITICAL FAILURE: Car suddenly overheats and rapidly loses power, coming to a stop just before the Ohio state line. Head has cracked.
Final FTG/MRL: +1 (meh)/+6 (still pretty fresh)

@kobacrashi:
BD: 141 mi OD: 2423 mi FS: 1/2 MRL: +1 FTG: +5
Last Town: Milan, OH Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather: 84 degrees, clear
Notes: Waypoint complete: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.
Ongoing issue: Car is making a fairly intense grinding noise when turning right.

@Madrias:
BD: 142 mi OD: 2457 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +1 FTG: +4
Last Town: Cleveland, OH Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather Condition: 84 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Toledo, OH. Waypoint complete: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum TEAM MORALE IS HIGH
Ongoing issue: Rattling noise in engine (which has intensified slightly). Chip in windshield.

@Mikonp7:
BD: 145 mi OD: 2370 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +8
Last Town: Toledo, OH Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather Condition: 84 degrees, clear
Notes: Waypoint complete: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum. Team is feeling tired. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Centurion_23:
BD: 39 mi OD: 2028 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: -1 FTG: +4
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 82 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has had to stop multiple times in the short time on the road this time block to add oil. Team has limped vehicle to a garage in Rockford, IL and is in the middle of replacing a failed rear main seal.
Ongoing issues: SES light is on. Rear main seal is leaking (repair in progress)

@Xepy:
BD: 150 mi OD: 2203 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: Holiday City, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone.

@Boiled_Steak:
BD: 107 mi OD: 2208 mi FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +6
Last Town: South Bend, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Chicago, IL. Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.
Ongoing issue: Slight hesitation at high speed. Hesitation is getting worse.

@GetWrekt01:
BD: 36 mi OD: 2196 mi FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +3
Last Town: South Bend, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has stopped in South Bend, IN to replace multiple parts. This will bleed slightly into the next time block. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issue: SES light is on, black smoke out tailpipe under acceleration.

@Ryan93:
BD: 134 mi OD: 1962 mi FS: LOW MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 82 degrees, clear
Notes: Team is pulling in to Madison, WI at the end of the time block, and will refuel/eat/sleep next time block. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Radster:
BD: 137 mi OD: 2298 mi FS: 1/2 MRL: +0 FTG: +7
Last Town: Fremont, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has passed into the Eastern Time Zone. Team is feeling slightly tired.

@SkylineFTW97:
BD: 153 mi OD: 1855 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +1
Last Town: LaCrosse, WI Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 82 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Albert Lea, MN. Waypoint complete: Red Cloud Park

@Keikyun:
BD: 126 mi OD: 2216 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: South Bend, IN Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 83 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has crossed into the Eastern Time Zone. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

Vehicles that are traveling in packs:

Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range. Group chats via social media are available.

Team Greasy Lightning

(and now the windows are down… not because of Fuzz’s butt gas, but because of a stanky-ass car)

Message in the group chat, from the event coordinators:

You have all made it at least halfway. But there are fewer than half of you left. Whose car and team has the mettle to make it all the way? We wonder…

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Team “Buy Skyrim”

After the meal, they decided to move on…until like 60 miles later, when Naomi saw the car is putting out steam.

NAOMI: What the hell has happened?

NATHAN: Probably just some random steam from the car. I know Hessenburgs of that era is pretty much famous of putting out steam from leaky radiators…due to some quirky design that is so complex that sometimes a leak is probably normal…but we can’t tell it either since that could be even worse.

Somehow, the car have gotten a bit crappy. The car keeps losing power, and people in the car started to worry.

VINCENT: I sense the worse thing is incoming. Be prepared, fellas.

image
image1600×1000 607 KB

Turns out the worst has happened. The car is overheating, and then vehicle died when they are nearly approaching Ohio. Luckily, Nathan called in a road assistance group, and several minutes later the car was fixed. For them, the race is (finally) over.

But what they got is, the race is not just about anything about winning. It’s the experience they got matters. Infact, all of them loved the race and they wanted to compete it again…of course if they got the time as well.

image
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A lot of things have change several months after the race. Vincent is successfully graduated from Harvard Business School and started his own company, selling phone software that is somehow very successful. Naomi finally got her parent’s permission to date with Vincent, and now she is Vincent’s fiance and they are now happily after together. And Nathan found his passion on vehicle tuning and he started his own car tuning vlog channel in YouTube. This endeavor is really successful and he gained a lot of followers too.

But the most important thing is…where’s the car right now? Everyone is expecting it is going to be sold or scrapped, but actually, it wasn’t.

https://i.imgur.com/0LRZvZM.jpg

In fact, Naomi, who drove the car for most of the time ended up loving the car so much that she bought the car later since she haven’t got anything to drive yet. Obviously, it was fixed, and improved with loads of parts ranging from a new engine, brakes, suspension and also interior improvements. The result is a 310 horsepower high-performance daily driver with better handling and much reliable than before. Yeah, although the car is mostly funded by Vincent but yeah, it’s still her new daily driver.

https://i.imgur.com/xYfUUl9.jpg

The other different thing compared to the original is the colour. She painted the car in bright red because she feels like the car fits the color well and of course, red is her favorite color.

END

Epilogue

November 21, 2019, 1:00 PM, San Francisco

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That day Vincent and Naomi went to a 5-star hotel for a stay, as they are planning for a trip there. And then behind their car there is a 1979 Sisten Country Cruiser moving. (Don’t worry, the car is NOT following them at all)

And there are 2 guys Inside the old wagon. One of them is the Henry “Death Eye” Quinn, the notorious gang leader of the infamous “Death Eye Club” gang, and the one that drives the car is indeed, his driver.

HENRY: Yeah. are we at the bank yet?

DRIVER: Nah, boss. but soon we’re going to start a mayhem. Trust me.

The car arrived at the bank, armed with guns. Later another van came, and that van carries more armed gangsters. All we can say is nobody in the bank has prepared for a bank heist yet.

Notes from bxDroid

Starting from this point, due to several reasons I decided that I will retire from competing in any Automation competition, and this will probably be my last ever competition I will join. Now, if you ask me that is a bad thing, nah, I don’t think so since I’m pretty much tired doing it as of these days. I will still continue producing cars for my companies, and Drivers.com is still going on with no stops as well.

But wait, what the hell is that epilogue? Random shit?

As I stated, I will stop joining competitions, but this doesn’t mean that I will not starting any in the future. Yes, my friend. I’m planning for an Automation competition soon, perhaps using a similar format like this one, and that guy is involved as well. Stay tuned, because there’s going to be a fun time coming.

Huge thanks to the people that joined the competition as well, and always, have a fun time. And those who are still running, I wish y’all have a good race.

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Team Tiger Trouble (+1)

As the team closed in on the Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum, it was Jaden who said, “I really wish we had the time to stop there. I mean, the Humans have such a respect for these transports, and the engines that propel them.”

“I’m not stopping, Jade.” Kaylie said, her clawed hands gripping the wheel more firmly as they cruised along.

“I may be able to be of assistance.” Nova said. “Accessing the Toledo Ironworks Museum database… Compiling data… Rendering 3D holographic images… Hard-light projector is warmed up. Beginning History Lesson.”

Kiva tipped his head, then watched as Nova materialized in the car with them, in miniature scale, standing on the center console.

“In the year 1919, Toledo Ironworks started the construction of automobile internal combustion engines. Under contract by Townsend Coachworks, they produced a 397 cubic inch flathead inline eight cylinder engine, the first engine the company produced. Converting the units, that is a 6.506 liter engine.” Nova said, accompanying the information with an image of the engine.

“In 1925, Townsend Coachworks purchased Toledo Ironworks, and through an unusual partnership, allowed them to keep their company name and operational autonomy. During the event the humans call ‘World War II,’ through the years 1941 to 1945, Toledo Ironworks constructed engines for military aircraft.” Nova showed an image of a propeller-driven fighter plane, which turned and banked as if it were currently in the middle of combat, before it dissolved into bright particles as she continued.

“After the war, in 1946, Toledo Ironworks produced a small displacement twelve cylinder engine, with the cylinders grouped into two banks of six. The common designation is a V12. This engine, at 305 cubic inches, or 4.998 liters, was intended for use in luxury automobiles. Initially offered with four carburetors, a later model replaced this arrangement with three two-barrel carburetors.”

Kaylie noticed that they were running low on gas, and stopped to fill up the tank again. At the same time, Nova continued with the history lesson.

“In 1952, Toledo produced the 287 cubic inch Iron Eight. This engine is a V8, of 4.703 liters, and is part of a long-lived series of power units, being referred to as late as 1969, by the name of the Ardent Small Block. By 1953, Ardent Motor Corporation purchased Townsend Coachworks, which included Toledo Ironworks. By 1959, the Iron Eight was modified to a displacement of 333 cubic inches, or 5.457 liters. At this time, it was still referred to as the Iron Eight.” Nova showed another image, this time of the engine with one of the cylinder heads rendered transparent, and showed the difference in size between the 287 and 333 cubic inch versions. “In 1965, a performance oriented variant of the Iron Eight was created, and given the name ‘Triple Three.’”

The next image was of a car, and Nova explained, “From 1960 until 1972, Townsend made a luxury car using a 500 cubic inch V12, exclusive to this model. At 8.194 liters, and constructed entirely of cast iron, this engine is quite heavy, but due to the cylinder arrangement, it is incredibly smooth.”

“In 1967, the Ardent Big Block was created, with a displacement of 444 cubic inches, or 7.276 liters. Unofficially, the engine gained the name ‘Triple Four’ though no Ardent documentation ever shows this engine being called that. Two years later, in 1969, the Triple Three T/A was created, producing 230 horsepower from the factory. That same year, the Big Block was given a ‘Super T/A’ variant, with 372 horsepower.”

By now, the gas tank was full, and the fuel was paid for, so Kaylie got back into the car and started them back onto the road.

“In 1972, Ardent Motors purchased 40% of Suzume Motor Manufacturing Industries of Japan, with agreements to share their technology. By 1974, Toledo Ironworks lost what was left of their autonomy-” Nova said, though paused briefly as Kiva spoke up.

“That rattling just got louder. Are you sure you didn’t accidentally buy snake oil instead of gasoline?” Kiva said, deciding that humor might relieve some of the tension.

“I’m sure. I didn’t use the pump with the big red nozzle, so I think I got the right stuff.” Kaylie said.

Nova, never to be deterred, continued. “-autonomy, and their American operations was completely folded into Ardent Motors as part of their Powertrain Design Bureau. In 1979, the engineers were tasked with creating more efficient and compact engines for Ardent Motors. By 1982, the 1.9 liter Toledo Trivalve four cylinder inline engine was created. It is of a single-overhead-cam design with three valves per cylinder, 12 valves in total. This engine design was used with minimal design changes for almost 25 years.”

As Nova finished displaying the four cylinder engine, she switched off her holographic projector, gracefully disappearing in a flash of orange light. “That concludes our virtual tour of the Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum. I hope you do not mind that I made a slight donation of 30 Silver Crowns to the museum for the use of their database.”

Kayden shrugged, then said, “It was worth it to avoid the stares we would’ve gotten if we stopped. So we spent the same amount on our transport, but we enjoyed the virtual tour.”

Just then, Nova piped up with, “Incoming text-based message from the event organizers.”

“Well, we’re going to damn well try!” Kaylie said, as Nova read the message out loud.

“Are you asking me to send that as a reply?” Nova asked.

“No. We don’t need to taunt the organizers, Kiva already did that by turning the chat room purple with yellow font.” Kaylie said.

(OOC: A huge thank-you to @VicVictory for the information! He wanted an info-burst, and honestly, I wanted to do the same, but couldn’t find the right way to ask.)

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For people who are a bit behind on RP: You’ve got a little chance to catch up here. I’ve got an IRL (car-related) event planned for this weekend which requires significant disruption of my personal/sleep schedule. Hard to say when my next update will be, but 72 hours seems to be a good bet.

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TGGBA: SC

They trundle along at a reasonable pace.

YURI began speaking to EMILY about the dream.

YURI: “Emily… last time I slept I had a really weird dream”, spoke in a somewhat weak voice.
EMILY: “What happened!?”
YURI: "So you know when we were watching “End of Evangelion”… I had a dream like the “End of Evangelion.”
EMILY: “Sounds interesting…”
YURI: “So basically, I was piloting some mecha thing called “Unit-E231” along with two other units, another girl in the “Unit-E331” and a boy in “Unit-E233”, and we had to fight a lot of these weird big creatures, which were very powerful, just as powerful as our mecha robot things. The “E233” was very damaged later, and suddenly I had a flashback to when we first went to see these mecha, where a Haruna Isekai picked me up from a stopped van and took me there.”
EMILY: “Wow… that somehow sounds awfully like the End of Evangelion at parts.”
YURI: “In the end, I went to save Keiji.”
EMILY: “Who’s Keiji?”
YURI: “Keiji… he piloted Unit-E233.”
EMILY: “Wait, you said about being picked up from a stopped van?”
YURI: “Yes. I was in a van touring America with 2 boys and a girl, and at some point we stopped.”
EMILY: “Why does this sound so familiar?”
YURI: “Wait. It could happen?”
EMILY: "It’s only a dream… I don’t think it’ll happen.
YURI: notices a red Isekai pass them “I hope no–なに！？” (What!?)
EMILY: “What’s wrong?”
YURI: “I just saw a Haruna Isekai.”
EMILY: “Don’t worry, all will be fine.”
YURI whimpers and trembles in fear that she will experience that scene similar to “End of Evangelion” in reality.
Yuri’s concern that her dream may be reality. Emily tries to help her, but it doesn’t do anything.

3 Likes
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Previous time block

Sunday, 2PM - 4PM Eastern Time

Legend of Terms:

POI NOTE: I will NOT be pre-warning of upcoming POI points. I will ONLY auto-stop teams for two things: fuel and, when completely exhausted, rest. Anything else you want (including tourist POI, restaurants, premature fuel, rest at any point before complete exhaustion), YOU need to PM me in advance (before I run the time block that you’d complete it in). Also, please don’t map out everything from here to the end in one PM… try to keep it within a couple time blocks. Remember: Tourist POI and sit-down restaurants (not fast food) give bonuses to morale and fatigue, but take some time. Tourist POI also give points to the POI award at the end.

BD: Block Distance. This is the amount of mileage covered during the current 2 hour period.
OD: Overall Distance. This is the total distance that the team has covered since the event started.
FS: Fuel Status. Approximate fuel reading on the vehicle’s fuel gauge.
MRL: Morale modifier
FTG: Fatigue Level
Last Town: Last town of note that was passed (will not include tiny villages)
Next Waypoint: Should be self explanatory.
Weather Condition: Current weather condition at the end of the time block.
Notes: Any notes I have for your team during this time block. Including POI results, car issues, etc.

VicVictory:
BD: 151 mi OD: 2466 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +4
Last Town: Rocky River, OH Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Waypoint complete: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issues: Smell of burning transmission fluid.

@Elizipeazie:
BD: 133 mi OD: 2356 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +6
Last Town: Holiday River, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Holiday River, OH. Team is starting to feel tired. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@kobacrashi:
BD: 137 mi OD: 2560 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +6
Last Town: Erie, PA Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather: 89 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Erie, PA. Team is feeling slightly tired.
Ongoing issue: Car is making a fairly intense grinding noise when turning right.

@Madrias:
BD: 103 mi OD: 2560 mi FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +6
Last Town: Erie, PA Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather Condition: 89 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled and performed an oil change in Erie, PA. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH
Ongoing issue: Rattling noise in engine. Chip in windshield.

@Mikonp7:
BD: 137 mi OD: 2507 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +0 FTG: +10
Last Town: Cleveland, OH Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Cleveland, OH. Team is exhausted and will autostop next time block unless otherwise specified. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Centurion_23:
BD: 0 mi OD: 2028 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: -0 FTG: +3
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 89 degrees, clear
Notes: Team is in the middle of replacing the rear main seal. Repair will bleed into the next time block.
Ongoing issues: SES light is on. Rear main seal is leaking (repair in progress)

@Xepy:
BD: 148 mi OD: 2451 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +1 FTG: +6
Last Town: Cleveland, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Waypoint complete: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum. Team has refueled in Toledo, OH. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Boiled_Steak:
BD: 126 mi OD: 2334 mi FS: 1/2- MRL: +0 FTG: +8
Last Town: Holiday River, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Team is tired. NEW ISSUE: car is down on power, and backfiring frequently. SES is on.
Ongoing issue: Slight hesitation at high speed. Hesitation is getting worse.

@GetWrekt01:
BD: 141 mi OD: 2337 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +2
Last Town: Holiday River, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has has completed repairs. NEW ISSUE: SES re-illuminates after 15 minutes on the freeway. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
Ongoing issue: SES light is on.

@Ryan93:
BD: 0 mi OD: 1962 mi FS: LOW MRL: +3 FTG: -6
Last Town: Madison, WI Next Waypoint: Red Cloud Park
Weather Condition: 82 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has eaten a BBQ picnic meal, and checked into the Hampton Inn in Madison, WI. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

@Radster:
BD: 144 mi OD: 2442 mi FS: LOW MRL: +1 FTG: +9
Last Town: Toledo, OH Next Waypoint: Niagara Falls
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Waypoint completed: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum. Team is very tired and will auto-stop next time block unless otherwise specified.

@SkylineFTW97:
BD: 152 mi OD: 2007 mi FS: 2/3+ MRL: +0 FTG: +3
Last Town: Rockford, IL Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: Team has refueled in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

@Keikyun:
BD: 135 mi OD: 2351 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: Holiday River, OH Next Waypoint: Toledo Ironworks Heritage Museum
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, clear
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.

Vehicles that are traveling in packs:

Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range. Group chats via social media are available.

Team Greasy Lightning

“Ugh, it’s getting worse!” Jen groaned and wrinkled her nose.

“You’re just imagining things, dear,” Rick soothed.

Fuzz looked down at the dash, taking stock of the gauges. Nothing out of the order, no pressure or temperature warnings. “I dunno. Everything feels fine, but I gotta agree with Jen. It seems like it’s getting worse.”

Rick shrugged. “We’ll check the fluid at the next stop.”

6 Likes
365

Team Tiger Trouble (+1)

Kaylie pulled into the gas station, the Sinistra’s engine coming to a rattling stop as they all got out. Kayden was paying for the gas, Kaylie was going to do the oil change, Jaden was heading in for some snacks with his new ID and credit card, and Kiva was being barely helpful by moving the seats around so that Kayden could drive.

While Kaylie was busy with adding fresh oil, they heard a horrible crunching, grinding rattling noise as a Reduit GSR 20 (@kobacrashi) joined them at the station.

“Hey, that’s one of your competitors, Tier 3 Autosport.” Kiva said, before Kayden grabbed Kiva’s hand and pulled him back into the front passenger seat, the hybrid landing in the seat with a grunt.

“We have no reason to prank them.” Kayden said. Just then, Jaden joined them with the big bag of junk food, and said, “Twin Suns, that boxy thing over there made a lot of noise when it arrived.”

“Yeah, that wagon sounds quite bad indeed. Sun and Moon, I’d place good money on the CV joint going out.” Kiva said, watching as they got back in after refueling. Kayden, Kaylie, and Jaden were also in the Sinistra at this point, and the two teams started their cars at the same time. The Sinistra Traville gave a tremendous rattling roar as Kayden mashed the gas pedal, aiming to get on the road just before the Reduit could, though it was door to door with them once they hit the road.

Kiva cackled as the two cars began the slow drag-race, blocking faster traffic as they were urged onward by drivers more intent on saving their cars than actually pulling a sizable lead.

3 Likes