Gamma World Original Fiction by Tormentor

I participated in a PBEM called Trial by Fire run by Thorn.

My character from that game, Flametongue, is detailed in my PBEM section.

While we were waiting for folks to join up, I wrote some fiction about Flametongue to give him some background. It is about his journey back to the town where all the characters were to meet up at the start of the game.

"Henh, henh, henh", Tiek Rotcorp laughed his annoying laugh. The chinless man grinned, exposing gnarled teeth, covered in that sticky, smelly, white-green film that epitomized his lack of hygiene.

While he had no chin, he sure had an oversized adam's apple... at least grapefruit sized. His neck was so skinny, it almost looked like a snake swallowing a fat mouse. In fact, the man was so skinny, Flametoungue thought he must have been malnourished for years. His face so bleach-white, one would have thought him to be an albino, except for his jet-black hair. The hair made such a contrast, it appeared his eyebrows were charcoal marks smeared on a white sheet.

"How much farther?", sniveled Tiek. "I'd better get the other half of my pay, even though we didn't find anything."

Flametongue hissed, he could hardly stand the mutant, but they had to get back across the wastes, and there was safety in numbers. He projected his thoughts into Rotcorp's mind. 'Half to start, half on completion. We were just hired to look in places they had not searched yet. It's not our fault nothing was there to find. Don't worry, you will get what you deserve. They have never broke faith with me, through many dealings.'

"Maybe we will get the other half of T'Nerb's share.", whined Tiek.

Flametongue didn't bother answering him. That had been bad business, he thought. When they first set out for their quest, he felt he had been lucky to hire T'Nerb Nitram, a very capable fighter, skilled in martial arts and stealth. While returning from their fruitless search, however, he had begun to suspect T'Nerb of thievery. One night, he noticed some things were missing from his pack. After conferring telepathically with Tiek, he found the humanoid was also missing some things.

At first, T'Nerb had been a killing machine in the battles they had fought with denizens of the wastelands. About halfway home, however, T'Nerb had disappeared while they fought some giant mutant scorpions. Once they defeated the creatures, they found T'Nerb had apparently already been into the cave-lair of the scorpions and looted the bodies of the beast's previous victims.

Flametongue secretly read T'Nerb's thoughts that night and found festering greed. T'Nerb meant them no direct harm for the next few days, for he planned on using them to help him get back across the wastes...safety in numbers. He did, however, plan to kill them just before they got back to Jonah's Point.

Flametongue had a quick mental conference with Tiek and they decided that they would subdue T'Nerb on their next available opportunity. The man was so dangerous, they would have to strike first, and without mercy.

A day later, they found a cave 4 meters off the ground in the side of a rocky ravine in the wastes. They felt it worth exploring. T'Nerb used his skill to climb the rock wall face and tie a rope for them. They climbed up to join him and began investigating.

Not 10 meters into the cave, they found a 5-meter square pit (covering the entire width of the cave) blocking their way. The pit was about 6 meters deep and the floor was covered with wickedly sharp, wooden stakes.

T'Nerb said he wanted to proceed. He felt there could be much loot if the cave was protected this well. Because they resorted to traps, he reasoned, they may not have enough personnel to guard everything. He would climb across and carry one end of a rope with him so they could get across too.

That was ludicrous, thought Flametongue. Anyone who took the time to carve a pit 6 meters deep out of the natural rock floor was serious. Flametongue read T'Nerb's mind and found his true intentions. They were a day closer to Jonah's Point now, and T'Nerb thought to get rid of one of them. He planned to use a frayed rope he had and make one of them fall to their death on the stakes.

T'Nerb began his climb across the natural cave walls. It was amazing, the man was very skilled. Flametongue had to admire how his hands and feet found the tiniest of grips where there seemed to be just sheer wall. He was about halfway across the wall, above and beside the pit.

Flametongue quickly gave Tiek the mental message of what T'Nerb planned, and they decided they had to strike now, while he was vulnerable.

Flametongue prepared to attack, but before he could act, Tiek Rotcorp amazed him. Tiek began concentrating and pointing down at the bottom of the pit, creating a strong magnetic field. The studs on T'Nerb's leather armor, the steel shield slung across his back, and his sword in its scabbard became too attracted to the field.

T'Nerb was suddenly yanked from the wall and flung violently down to the pit. He was impaled on several stakes at once and began writhing and screaming.

After letting T'Nerb twist and bleed for a minute, at the bottom of the pit, Tiek then created a field up on the cave floor and ripped T'Nerb from the stakes, depositing him at their feet. Tiek released the field and immediately began clubbing him. Flametongue began rending T'Nerb with his claws.

Just then they heard the shot of a slug thrower. A projectile whizzed by their heads. The commotion they had created had finally attracted the denizens of the cave.

Several mutated weasels stood on the other side of the pit, leveling firearms at them.

Flamtongue picked up the corpse of T'Nerb and flung it out of the cave entrace where it bounced down to the ground below. He and Tiek made a fast getaway down the rope.

Flametongue didn't know how long it would take the weasels to get across the pit, but he was sure they had some sort of moveable bridge (a log or something) on their side.

They quickly looted T'Nerb's body of all valuables and ran off across the wastes, where Jonah's Point awaited them in another day.

Rotcorp had surprised him. The emaciated humanoid looked like a walking corpse, not like a capable mental warrior.

As day faded into twilight, Flametongue considered stopping. It was VERY risky for him travel after dark.

The 2 1/2 meter long iguana's hide was tough and armored like no normal lizard's....but alas, nature was cruel. With the good comes the bad. Flametongue had been cursed with hide that gave off a faint greenish glow. While unfortunately it wasn't enough to act as a real lightsource, it did have a nasty habit of attracting predators in the wastelands after dark. It also made sneaking around in caves and ancient installations more dangerous. Flametongue carried a large, thick, dark blanket in his gear to cover himself when they made camp and slept. He would drape it over himself as best he could when it was his turn for the watch.

Depsite the possibility of danger, he knew they were very close to their destination, so they pressed on.

Later, he projected into Tiek's mind 'The installation is over the next hill, we made it.'

Tiek grinned at him with that corpulent face and said "Maybe they will have another job for us."

Flametongue messaged him 'Oh, I am certain they will have another very good way to use you.'

Sentries challenged them as they approached the installation. Earthworks stood in front of dilapidated, rusted barries the ancients had once erected.

After passing the guards, they made their way to the building where the leaders held their council.

Tiek felt just as nervous being in this place as he had when they had accepted the commission.

As they passed into the leader's chamber, Flametongue projected his thoughts to the leader. 'O Raidant one, we found nothing like the rumors had led us to believe.' He then mentally related his adventures to the leader, who repeated it in spoken words for all his officers to hear.' In addition to recounting the treachery of T'Nerb, he alerted the leader, and each officer seperately, of his discovery of Tiek's powers.

The leader, a huge gorilla with green fur, said "So, Tiek, Flametongue tells us you may wish to serve us in another function." At the same time, one of his officers began carrying a bag of coins over to Tiek.

"Yes, your Raidance", snivelled Tiek, "It has been most profitable to be of use to you."

"Yes, we have another use for you, Tiek Rotcorp, indeed we do."

Suddenly, Tiek began writhing in pain. He felt an overwhelming feeling of confusion. Treachery! How, why? The officer that had been approaching him with the money, shoved a stun baton into his chest and discharged it.

Tiek crumpled to the ground. As he looked around through his confused eyes, he saw several of the officers had thrown back their cowls. Their bald heads were tatooed. Espers! He was doomed to whatever fate they had decided for him.

He could not move as large enforcers picked him up and began carrying him off, followed by the espers who kept him immobilized and unable to use his mental powers.

The leader laughed. "Yes, Tiek, you have served us well, and now you shall serve us well again. We will offer you to the Divine Raidant Glory in a glorious sacrifice!!!"

As Tiek was carried into the bowels of the installation, an officer gave the bag of coins to Flametongue. The iguana looked inside. It wasn't a lot, but should let him resupply.

"You have served us faithfully once again, Flametongue", said the leader. "There is something stirring in the city. Go find out, explore, and investigate, then return to us one day. The latest rumors we received from those traders did not give us any new holy lands, but what you find in the city and beyond may show us more."

Flametongue bowed his spined head and then left.

The next morning, he set out for the short trip to Jonah's Point.

After arriving, he went directly to his black-market contacts and resupplied his rations and "ammunition".

Flametongue exited the shady part of town where he had been making purchases, and headed over to where the traders and adventurers shopped and loitered.

If there was something stirring in town, he would find out about it there.