ONN ENTERTAINMENT: The Wastelander™ - Episode 5: Angels

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First Broadcast on August 29th, 2493
ONN Entertainment/The Wastelander™ is a Production of Orbital Content Programming and House Storm.

[The credits start after a short recap of the previous episode, once the recap ends, the theme song kicks in.]

The credits now show a guest star appearance credit: Enka Aghazi as Anima Nera.

The pilot and Nalta are seen departing Nice Marsh, they are carrying travel packs and are completely geared up. As they travel the desolated wasteland, the camera zooms out to show the absolute vastness and emptiness of it all: Ruined roads, mutated trees, and the occasional smaller and relatively harmless monster, otherwise known as chimera to the people of Earth. As often as he had a chance, the pilot would glance at Nalta, keeping in mind her avian features, and the radiation burn on her arm. He wondered if she had mutated, or if she had been born a mutant, then again, considering the state of the Earth, the latter seemed more feasible, not that it mattered.

The journey was long, and difficult. The temperatures seemed to increase with every step, and the water, such as it was, started to run out. Nalta advised being careful with it, and with that strange dirt taste to it, the pilot wasn't too eager to finish it all in one go.

After several more hours, Nalta motions to the pilot, as a massive settlement, especially compared to Nice Marsh, was on sight. Just like the pilot suspected, it was a ruined city. Big city. And he had a clear idea where they were. As they moved forward, he saw a ruined sign that simply read "Angel s".]

"This Angel Settlement, many more people here, many raiders too, very protected and very dangerous"

[The pilot simply nodded, as they made their way forward. An enormous gate was standing before them, as well as two guards. They spoke that language the pilot didn't know, so Nalta did all the talking. After a few minutes, and what looked like a bribe, the gates were opened for them, Nalta returns to the pilot with a smile on her face.]

"Now we go, Angel Settlement awaits!"

[As soon as they walked through the gates, the pilot witnessed a thriving community as he had hoped, but not in the way he had expected. Merchants were trading everywhere, from goods, services, mutated animals, and even mutants like Nalta. The pilot frowned, simply sticking close to her just in case someone got any sudden ideas.]

"Where could we find the people to ask questions about Haven?"

[Nalta grins widely as she holds his arm and pulls him away.]

"Drinkslinger! Everyone who knows everything goes to Drinkslinger! This way!"

[Nalta's enthusiasm was infectious, and almost contagious, it was hard to argue with her. After running through a few blocks, they enter an establishment that did its best to look like a bar. It was relatively clean, it had generator powered electricity, and even a jukebox with music he was not familiar with. The establishment was also crowded, he could tell everyone in there was armed in one way or another, that made him feel uneasy. Nalta pulls the pilot to the bar, finding two seats. The barkeep, or as the pilot came to realize, the Drinkslinger was a large and corpulent man, his face partially deformed by radiation, with most of his body burned by it. Both the Drinkslinger and Nalta engaged in that strange dialect, and the pilot witnessed her trading some of their water for two drinks.]

"Drink first, make merry, then we ask! Skoll!"

[The change in language got everyone's attention, which made the pilot feel even more uneasy. Nalta was either too naive and unaware of what that could mean, or she was doing it on purpose. Trying to blend in as much as he could, he took a sip from his glass. It tasted like... Tequila? He was surprised to identify something in this world. He finished the drink in one go while Nalta was having difficulty with it.]

"Not used to drinking, huh?"

[Nalta coughs and recovers after a few moments, with a grin on her face.]

"Father wouldn't let me, but father is no here, so we drink!" [As they both kept drinking, the pilot heard footsteps approaching them. He glances at Nalta, and with a slow motion, he turns around to face an unexpected sight.]

"It's rare enough to find someone who speaks properly, rarer still if they are clean"

[A dark skinned woman towered over everyone in the bar, she was muscular, and her body was adorned with scars and a makeshift combat armor set. She also had a few bead necklaces and had a sawed off shotgun strapped to her thigh.]

"It's obvious you're not from around here, where did you come from?"

[Nalta, with her innocence and half buzzed, turned around and looked up at the statuesque woman.]

"Oye, you're some kind of titan... We come from Nice Marsh"

[The woman looks at Nalta, and then at the man, motioning for a man sitting next to them to move over so she could take the seat instead.]

"And what brings you two here? You don't look like regular traders"

"We're looking for answers for Ion!"

[The pilot wished Nalta would just be quiet, the dark skinned woman grinned. She wasn't burned or deformed like most people in the settlement.]

"Really? I might be able to give you some answers... If you have something to trade for them. I'm called Anima Nera, what answers do you seek?"

[The pilot hesitates for a moment, but decides to give it a shot.]

"I'm looking for the whereabouts of a skycity... Uh... It's a complex that---"

"I know what that is, which one?"

[The pilot took a closer look, the woman had black braided hair, ornamented with steel pieces, she wasn't a mutant, but she had to be enhanced somehow.]

"It's called The Haven"

"Name doesn't ring a bell"

"It took off when the War was at its worst"

[The woman grins after a moment.]

"Finish your drinks and follow me, I'll take you to a guy who knows a guy".