Gray Matters

When we last left off...

Game #8 5/25/14

Day 7

The moral debate among members of our group is far from over. Concerns about mob rule and might making rigt fill the air. Before the team moves forward, some members want to have a sense of legitimacy. The decision is made to do nothing to rescue Jules Saint for now, much to the consternation of Sergeant Carville.

To this end, they redouble their efforts to find the retired colonel they had sent feelers out for days prior. After a bit of hunting around, they find him. His name is Harlan Ruger, a retired Marine Colonel with a background in law. After leaving the military, he became a superior court judge in Grays Harbor County. Since the request to step in and help restore order to Elma was made, Ruger made his rounds of the local area, recruiting his own posse that he could trust and moved them and their families into the area. His return doesn't occur a moment too soon--they whisk him off to City Hall to meet with the mayor.

Declaring martial law is ordinarily a pretty big deal, and something normally put into effect by people with more clout and authority than a small-town mayor and a retired military officer. Given the circumstances (being cut off from any higher authority, direction or support), Ruger makes the argument that declaring martial law could be a justified and defensible action. The mayor makes the call and transfers authority to Ruger.

Doug is back on his feet after recuperating from his torture-related injuries. Marie is keeping an eye on him and trying to fill him in on recent happenings, but seeing the depths of Doug's suspicion toward anything alien-related, she fears if she tells him her own recently-discovered alien influence, he will drop her like a hot rock, so he is only getting half the story from Marie.

At this point, the power goes out in Elma. The problem is traced back to the geothermal steam plant near the Satsop Development Park which is supplying most of the local electricity. The system has been tapped into and the electricity is being diverted to Olympia, then to the WSP academy at Shelton. AJ gets a call from his wife. She tells him a WSP officer came looking for him. She last heard he was going to city hall, so she sent the trooper to look there.

Meanwhile, Doug tries to use ham radio to contact governmental civil defense personnel...(to be continued!)