NationStates Jolt Archive

The Incorporated States of DJ_Enuro(I.S.D.)'s most southern coastal region got a surprise today: The good news is that no sharks got the munchies or snacked on swimmers. The bad news is that the approximately 75 pounds of marijuna that floated ashore near I.S.D.'s southern-most island never made it to the bong. A report of "strange packages" on the beach led to the recovery of 15 well-packaged bricks. The bundles had no marks to indicate where they had come from, said Chief Deputy Garry Wilson. "Maybe someone was startled by I.S.D. coast guards and threw them overboard," he opined. The offending, polluting party(ies?) are obviously not familiar with I.S.D. customs regulations and the laws surrounding such product. The beach remains open to local residents only while deputies search the coastline for additional bricks, but if any more were found none were turned in. "The packages are being held for evidence and will be consumed if not claimed by a foreign nation," said Wilson. I.S.D. will wait 5 days for a nation to claim their lost treasure, after said time the lot of the retrieval will be consumed.

(ooc: put that in your pipe and smoke it. :) )

From
King Chucky of Jufonce


"I claim this as part of Jufonce. We had some that were to be sent to Jufonce, but never showed. I highly believe this is it. Please give it back."

King Chucky,
The Royal Family,
Jufonce

From: I.S.D. (PM Tom Hebert)
To: King Chucky
Re: Lost baggage.
Message Reads: We are glad to receive your rapid response to our press release. We anticipated that claims would be made swiftly. We also anticipate that much of these claims will be assumable false-hoods. We request that you furnish some sort of proof of ownership such as invoices of the shipment showing quantity shipped and quantity misplaced or some other form of dated, notarized evidence. Our scientists are conducting experiments on a small sample from on of the bricks to see if it can be determined from what part of the world this product has come from.

To: Tom Hebert
From:King Chucky

"I have no other proof but that we bought marijuania from one of our dealing countries. I can't give out the name of this country until further notice that they allow us to, which is stated in contract of our partnership. I wish that you make a longer deadline just in case and reserve the product. That is a waste of bloodths if it is given to a country whom it doesn't belong to. Please get back to me on this.

King Chucky,
The Royal Family,
Jufone

Out of Character: If someone wants to jump in please do, they could make their country play the role of the country which I made look like a partner of Jufonce.

From: I.S.D. (PM Tom Hebert)
To: King Chucky
Re: Lost baggage.
Message Reads: It is unfortunate that some nations must delve into secrecy in order to avoid international persecution. Given the circumstances, however, it is most understandable. We will extend the dead-line for proof of ownership by thirty (30) days. I will store the product in my personal humidor to keep it nice and moist until further proof is furnished.

Re: Side note.
Our scientists have been unable to find a geographical source from the sample they took. They would like to know if they could secure an additional 1/4 oz. of the merchandise for further testing. They asked me to tell you to keep in mind that this would be in your benefit as they claim to have an 88% chance of discovering the source if they test a slightly larger sample.

From: jimmy. im the janiter
To: the guy who owns the pot
Re: im not sure what re meens
Message Reads: hey. i snuck in heer to ask if you cood sel me a litel. i have 10seed but i gotta get gas so can you sel me 5? thanks man your the coolest!!1

"What do you mean it's gone!"
"I'm sorry, sir," the hobbit replied, "The Captain told us to abandon ship! I'm just the cook, sir! I didn't know about the cargo!"
"Then how do you know it's gone!"
"I saw the packages floating in the water. Please! I was just trying to stay afloat!" he was on his knees begging at this point.
"Very well. Get out of my sight!"
"Thank you! Thank you!" The hobbit ran out of the room as fast as he could.
"Ramos!" yelled the man from behind his desk,"What happened!?"
"It was simple," replied Ramos, a tall, skinny man with long, blond hair. "When the delivery ship tried to leave Belfalas, one of the Navy's Defenders (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/Mirkwood-classdefender.jpg) caught it and tried to run a customs check. Captain Darnest ran, and was shot at." Ramos moved to the wall, where a large map was hanging. He pointed into the water next to an unknown beach. "He did get away, but the ship sunk anyway. When we went to check it out, all we found was the hobbit cook."
"No cargo?"
"Nothing."
"Damn!" He slammed his fist into the desk. "This is not good. That shipment was already paid for. Do you have any idea how much that cost me?" He walked over to study the map. "Get a team out there, now! I want that cargo!"
"That may be difficult. Local authorities claim to have recovered it on the beach. But I believe that I can arrange to have it returned."
"Go! Get me that cargo!"


To: Jimmy the Janiter
From: Ramos
Message: I need to get back what you have found. Can you arrange to deliver it to me? I will make it worth your while.

(IC)7:00PM. All of the parliamentary staffers aside from janitors have left the parliament complex for the evening. Jimmy, one of the not-so-bright night janitors has "jimmied" his way into Prime Minister Tom Hebert's office. He does this on occasion to send communications to world leaders for his own benefit. As mentioned earlier, however, he's not to bright and his communiques lack that certain luster you find in a well polished address to nations. Regardless of Jimmy's form and format he is often in a position of greater power than he realizes. He has a lot of patriotism and faith in his PM...but his mind does wonder when there is some personal treasure to be gained. With dull, glassy eyes and a mind about as sharp as a tennis ball Jimmy sits down at the PM's desk and begins to type a reply.

From: jimmy.
To: ramos
Re: i stil dont no what re meens.
Message Reads: i got your mesagge. luckely mister hebert didnt. please dont send me mesagges unles its betwean the hours of 7pm and 6am. because i might get in trubel on acount of my not suposing to be in heer. you tell jimmy what needs to be dun and i will do my best to pleez you. i know wear he keeps it. wel i have a flore to mop. talk to you sune. by. oh yeah. i tuk enuff to rol myself a joint. sorry thanks.

"Honored Deputy-Director, I believe I have some good news for you."

"What is it? And hurry up, I'm late for a meeting with the Director-General."

"75 pounds of marijuana floated up on the southernmost part of the I.S.D. yesterday, sir."

"And why do you think that I'd think that was good news?! Move out of the way!"

"Sir, the marijuana was Delkoran."

"I see. Anything else?"

"Yes sir, the cargo ship carrying the marijuana was fired upon by a Navy ship just outside Belfalas during a customs check."

"And?"

"And the ship was a Defender with Delkoran markings."

"AND?"

"Well, remember Project 39Q?"

"You are trying my patience today, aren't you. The project the Director-General briefed you about and I told you to ignore!?"

"Uh...y-yeah, that o-one."

"What about it?"

"Well, uh, sir, he's the Director-General - he ordered me to do it!"

"Damn it Sylvna! But wait, if you're bringing this up, that must mean Project 39Q worked."

"Yes, sir. It did."

"Then that means..."

"Yes, sir. It does."

"I'll inform the Director-General at once."

"Good day, sir."

**OOC: I'm glad I didn't define what Project 39Q exactly was...it made changing this MUCH easier :)**

In Jufonce...

"I'll be damned if Jufonce's marijuana is in another country and hours late.", says Dave Wats, during a meeting on how to improve Jufonce's imports and extorts, so this doesn't happen again. "What is there to do? We don't grow enough marijuana to start selling it.", says another Household member in the meeting. "I say we just bomb the hell out of this country holding on to our marijuana, I mean why ruin an underground partnership just so we can get a product, when we can take it?", says another member. "Jufonce isn't the right of health to get into another battle, we already have a war going on as we speak.", says Kathy Nicks, a respected member of the Household. The members go back and forth on why their ideas are better. The argument is broke by King Chucky, who has enough problems for a while.
"Seize!", King Chucky's loud and upset voice yells out in front of the members of the Household. "First off; we can't bomb anyone. Secondly; we are all good with this little problem, we will either get it or someone else will lie and do such a good job, they will get it for their country. Lastly; we are not able to grow marijuana, there are not enough of those around here.", says King Chucky. The members get quiet and think of more plans, that will most likely be denied."

To: DJ_Enduro
"Regarding This Problem"
From: Jufonce

" We understand that your decision on who gets the product it hard to make, but we assure you that the product is ours. I want you to know that the rumors of your country being bombed over this is not true. Our citizens like the marijuana but we are not going to war over it. Yes your scientists can keep a 1/4 oz.

(OOC: Sorry about the confusion. Belfalas is my largest port city (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/railmap.jpg). The illegal ship and the Defender are both Delkorian, the illegal belonging to a crime lord.)


To: Jimmy
From: Ramos
Re:
Message Reads:
Understand your situation, and message times. We need the "packages" that your government recovered from the beach. Tell me where and when you can get them. Take your time. No mistakes. Pull this off, and you'll never mop a floor again....

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: I.S.D. Prime Minister Tom Hebert has heightened security around the coastlines of his nation as well as inside the capitol building and around the capitol complex perimeters. The PM stated today that this was not in fear of attack or forceful retrieval the high-grade marijuana but was decided upon based on entirely unrelated matters. Local media has uncovered some rumors of a military strike in the woodworks but PM Hebert denies the possibility of military action over such a small amount of marijuana, regardless of the quality. "There is no reason to suspect," PM Hebert stated in a press conference earlier, "that any nation would be foolhardy enough to cause such a raucous over a few bricks of marijuana." Foreign media backs his story up as there have been no reports of military talk outside of I.S.D.'s local media. In another press conference held later in the day Secretary of Defense Paulin Cowell stated that he couldn't release any terribly revealing information about the "unrelated matters" the PM had mentioned earlier. "There was a breach in PM Hebert's private quarters at some point in the evening," Cowell stated, "We are questioning all of the night time staff at this time. We have no further cause for alarm." Ironically, marijuana is I.S.D's number one cash crop so it's no wonder that I.S.D.'s population is surprised that 75 pounds of marijuana is a big deal. "All this fuss over 75 pounds?" queried Peter Tosh, who works on a federally run marijuana plantation, "this one plantation alone generates almost 1,000 times that amount per year. I'm not sure how many plantations are in DJ_Enduro but you see what I'm getting at." Most people who were interviewed had similar responses. Betty White, 15-year employee at a local furniture refurbishing factory was flabbergasted when she heard about the multitude of claims for the marijuana. "It seems everyone wants to stake a claim," said White, " so it must be some really good stuff...and if that's the case Prime Minister Hebert had better get some of those seeds so we can use them for our own benefit." The decision of who gets the marijuana is still up for debate but the view from the citizens of I.S.D. is clear; it's just marijuana.

To: Jufonce
From: DJ_Enduro (PM Tom Hebert)
Re: Lost baggage.
Message Reads: The decision is only tough because we want to ensure the fairness of the matter. We are a small nation with a noble population and what is right will always dominate what is convenient; especially in international affairs. The average populous doesn't always grasp this immediately but I assure you that the decisions made here will come up if conflict were to arise. We are a peaceful people but we cannot control the actions of other nations. We have received several telegrams from other nations making similar claims to yours. Oddly enough someone breached my quarters last evening and accessed my telecommunication services. I'm not sure who it was or why they were in here but the surprising event has caused me to heighten security. Do not take offense to this measure as we do not believe you are to blame; we simply want to assure the safety of the materials who's ownership is in question. We have moved to product to an undisclosed location to ensure it's safety. Scientists will continue testing while we wait for proof from one of these nations.

(ooc: guys who sent me telegrams should get in on this. I feel like I'm meta-gaming when I'm roleplaying in two seperate venues...also, the story could go two directions. :( Please only send me telegrams if you wish to play a role in relation to this thread and need a venue to discuss private, in-character matters. I don't mind if you OOC me a proposition but expect your nation's name and proposition to come up in my press releases. I've left you out...this time.)

To: ramos
From: Hebert National Public Library (Guest1986@hnpl.gov)
Re: why does everycomputor i get on have a re typespace? oh. its for ramos
Message Reads: ok. i got a dikshunary and found re. its supost to tel you what the mesage is about so its for ramos. oh this is jimmy by the way. i cant get on mister heberts computor becuz the guys who asked me queshtuns wont let me cleen in there now becuz i tutched his stuff. i have to cleen the bafrooms now. its gross but anyway im at the library becuz i can send you a mesage from heer. im not sure wear the stuf is at anymor. i saw sum guys takin it in 1 of those big army cars sumwear. they went hold on i need a map. they went south. i was gonna fallo them but i dont have enuff gas. can you send me sum gas so as i can try and find it? i want to help but im poor. are you rich? cuz i dont want to cleen anymor. i want to be rich to. igot a screanname heer at the library so you can send me a mesage. by.

(ooc: i never realized how much harder it is to play a borderline retarded guy. you gotta be really smart to type really dumb. :) )

(OOC: Yes, a useless press release to build character and bump this thread to the front page: Anyone else want to get in on this? Feel free to send me telegrams with OOC propositions if you wish.)

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: The debate over the misplaced marijuana continues as news of the unusual incident spreads throughout The 420 Belt region. All 6 nations within the region are on a heightened security alert, with DJ_Enduro adding additional measures to yesterday's security influx. The formerly oceanic cargo has been moved to a secret military installation about 150 miles south of Capitola, the nation's capitol. "We should take all this publicity," mused Abraham Dilinger, local pizza delivery guy, "and strike up a deal with foreign nations to sell them our marijuana. It is our #1 cash crop, after all, and sales have been low due to low crop yields because of the drought." Not all citizens in Capitola are so passive when asked about the issue. "It's ridiculous," claims Roger Moore, business analyst, "we produce monumentally more marijuana than most nations are able to consume, yet are tax dollars are being wasted on the protection of 75lbs. of some other nation's product. I realize that it may be superior to the product we produce but I don't think it's wise to invest so much money into this matter when we have our own locally fueled marijuana problems within the industry." Moore goes on to state that the stock market in DJ_Enduro has had a bumpy ride over the last year. "Within the last year," Moore continues, "five nations have popped up in The 420 Belt region. With the addition of each nation the stock market in our home nation takes a hit until the other nations are able to rise to become an economic power. I hope there is no military conflict over this because that is the last thing our poor economy needs." Moore has been a business analyst in Capitola for the last 13 years. He had a 6-year term in Parliament which was cut short due to impeachment. His radical ideas were costing the government serious budget dollars, as was in the news several years ago, and he was removed because of these ideologies. PM Hebert has mentioned nothing about an international conflict as of yet but with heightened security in all nations of the region the populous is starting to wonder. One woman, who was hanging laundry to dry while an M1Abram Tank cruised about 1.2Km north of her house in the desert, claimed that she still feels safe even though there have been rumors of an attempted illegal recovery of the product. "It's a little unnerving to watch several tanks and army planes pass by in the morning," she stated, "but at the same time it's reassuring to know that our defenses are in place in case the unimaginable happens." The population has yet to decide on a unanimous verdict. Low marijuana sales of recent and a rocky economy are now fueling mixed emotions amongst the citizens of I.S.D. While it's still under debate amongst the citizens if the heightened security is unnerving or reassuring it's clear that I.S.D.'s security measures are, most definitely, unrelenting. Expect more updates in the future.

(OOC: lol... Oh, and I got no real agenda here, just playing it by ear and enjoying myself...)

To: Guest1986@hnpl.gov
From: Ramos
Re:
Message Reads:
Give me an account to place some cash in for you to use. That should get you a good vehical and fuel. If you want to be rich, then get that cargo! No stuff, no cash.

(ooc: I have a mild agenda(ic) and a story-line goal(ooc) but I initially started this thread to test the "roleplay waters" so to speak. I'm enjoying the way the story is forming, however...my IC agenda was formed after my initial post. My OOC goal was defined this morning when I checked telegrams.)

To: ramos
From: Hebert National Public Library (Guest1986@hnpl.gov)
Re: its about gettin rich
Message Reads: i went to the bank. they rote down a number a said it was wear my monee gose. the number is 190-96-3077. i have a car i just need gas. its a chevy. its name is betsy. do you no how to get the monee out or shud i ask the bank lady? oh i herd on the news that its at that base souf of the capital. i no wear that is so gettin there is not a problum. im goin to the bar. i hate wauking.

To: Guest1986@hnpl.gov
From: Ramos
Re:its about gettin rich
Message Reads:
$300 has been deposited into account 190-96-3077. Use it to get that cargo. Pull this off, and you we be rewarded.

-------------------------------------

"Ramos!"
"Yes, sir?"
"Where is my cargo?!"
"In a military base. My contact is arranging to get it back for us," Ramos replied. He stood in front of the map, his tall back hunched over, hands folded at his chest.
"He better be good. My client will not wait much longer." The silence was broken by the sound of a chair scrapping against the floor. "I've got a meeting to attend. Take care of this!" With that, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Yess," Ramos muttered to himself, "it will work out in the end. At least for us." He laughed quietly while holding a piece of paper with the numbers 190963077.....

The Commonwealth of RolandSmoke has just been informed of the loss of the cargo originally located by Prime Minister Tom Hebert. The Interior Minister of the Commonwealth has just informed me that the cargo was lost in transport around our peninsula to one of our more remote islands. This cargo was intended to supply the small community there with weed rations for the next month. However, a replacement shipment has been dispatched. So The Commonwealth of RolandSmoke's official position is "Finders Keepers".

Thanks you!

(OOC: Roland, was that intended to be a stake of claim on the marijuana? ...or just a statement of political position?)

(IC)
Jimmy the janitor waits patiently while the bank clerk counts out the money to be withdrawn. "...260, 280, 300," she pauses to look at Jimmy and continues, "Will there be anything else today, sir?"
"No thanks, ma'am" Jimmy replies, "I've got important things to be doing."
"Have a good day, sir."
"You too."

"That lady at inside there sure smells nice," Jimmy said aloud to himself as he strolled towards his beaten up Chevy, oblivious to the strange look he receives from an elderly couple as they pass him on the walkway. Climbing into his faithful steed of a sedan Jimmy retrieves his car keys from his front left pocket and inserts them into the ignition. After a few seconds of starter-gear gnashing against a near-expired flywheel and several pumps of the gas pedal, timed with such calculation you could swear Jimmy has at least some brains up there, the car rumbles to life. With squeaking suspension and the left tail-pipe dragging, Jimmy leaves the parking lot and heads south into Capitola's suburbs...after stopping for gas, of course.

As he cruises down a long country road the scenery of civilization begins to fade away slowly. First the stores and businesses start to become less frequent sites, than houses begin to drop from Jimmy's available roadside eye candy cache. After about a half hour of driving Jimmy pulls into a trailer park in the middle of nowhere. A couple of kids are hanging out around the park's sign that reads, "Pine Park Village." Jimmy pulls up to a trailer that's tucked way in the back of the park. Two gruff looking men have situated themselves around the front end of what was a nice car once upon a time. One's holding a wrench and smoking a cigarette. The other man is looking at Jimmy with a look most people wouldn't want looking at them.
"Hey, Marcus," the wrench-less man says.
"Yeah?" Marcus replies.
The man points in Jimmy's direction. Marcus nods.

As Jimmy steps out of his car Marcus and the other fellow walk towards him. Even a fool would leave at this point, but Jimmy's not your average fool.
"Hey, fel-" exclaims Jimmy, cut off by Marcus's interjection.
"I thought we told you you weren't welcome 'round here anymore. Unless your bringing us some much deserved cash," Marcus interjects.
"Hey, buddy, be cool," replies Jimmy, "I'm gonna be comin' into a ton of cash real soon. I'll be able to pay you guys everything I owe you." Jimmy goes on to explain how he's been talking to the leader of country who wants the marijuana that was discovered a few days ago. He explains his plan (which didn't take long, nor make sense I assure you) and requests that they sell him a firearm and $80 USD worth of pot. They agree to this under the condition that they get half of what Jimmy gets. Jimmy agrees.
"Hey, Jimmy," says the formerly empty-handed man who has now lit a cigarette for himself, "don't fuck us on this one. You're not the only one who has connections on an international level. Small time pot money you owe us won't get you killed...but larger denominations might."

As he rode off into the late sunset, towards the military installation where the marijuana was being held, Jimmy sparked up a joint. As the road begins to wind through the desert Jimmy tries to stay focused on the task ahead of him. There's a question in the back of his mind, however, that's been distracting him since he left Marcus's house; "What does demonenation mean?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: ramos
From: Hebert National Public Library (Guest1986@hnpl.gov)
Re: its about gettin rich
Message Reads: i got the monee you sended to me. thank you. im gonna go strate to the base and get your stuff. im gonna send you a mesage as soon as i get it. if you dont heer from me by tumoro plees come help me. by.

EDIT: (OOC: Someone is more than welcome to continue Jimmy's scene at the base if they wish. I care not how the situation turns out as I'd rather do some more improvisational role-playing anyway. Jimmy's an expendable character as far as I'm concerned. There is one nation interested in his IC motives, I'm sure, but that's why I left the "nameless, empty-handed fella" to revitalize that nation's IC goals if Jimmy were to be terminated. If no one does the scene by the time I get off work then I'll try and complete it if I'm not too tired to excrete literary excellence.)

(ooc: bump! going to work...back to page 1.)

"SYLVNA! Get in here now!"

"Y-yes, sir?"

"Status report. I.S.D. Now."

"Yes, sir. Our "contacts" in I.S.D. and the surrounding areas have reported that the marijuana was recovered by I.S.D. Coast Guard agents. One of our Naval Skimmers picked up some slightly burnt wood chips floating in the water in a clandestine overnight operation."

"Okay, why does that matter?"

"I'm getting to it! Uh, sir. Upon the recovery of these chips, they were taken to the lab and analyzed. The lab has found the exact area where the wood originated from." *pulls out map* "If you note this forested area in the northeastern section of Delkor, the Mirawood section, well, this is where the wood that the ship was built from originated."

"Ah, so that's why Project 39Q matters..."

"Yes, sir. We've also been detecting incoming and outgoing messages from I.S.D. to Delkor. We're afraid a war may break out in the region. I've spoken with the Deputy-Director for International Safety's Office, he concurs with me. I think you need to inform the Director-General."

"I agree. Keep me posted."

*The newly appointed Deputy-Director for International Intelligence, Efranz Snioshpa, strides down the hall to the Director-General's office*

"Honored Director-General?"

"Come in Efranz, and please give me some good news."

"I truly wish I could, sir."

"Well, fine. Out with it then."

"We have reason to believe that Delkor and I.S.D. may be considering going to war over that marijuana issue."

"What the hell does that mean - 'may be considering'?"

"Well, sir, there have been multiple transmissions in both directions."

"Over 75 pounds of marijuana? I mean, I.S.D. doesn't even have regulations on it! Just because WE'D blow that ship out of the water doesn't mean that they'll fight for the weed. I need more concrete evidence than this to do anything."

"But, sir...think about Deputy-Director Flozip." (OOC: See here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=547436) for the story.)

"You do have a point there. So be it...get some of the Xubran Jetforce Fighters scrambled. But I want this clear...do NOT send them anywhere but Xubran airspace. I don't want this to escalate. Now please leave me."

"Good afternoon, honored Director-General."

"Good afternoon."

Ramos entered the office, "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes," came the reply from behind the desk, "Do you have anything to report?"
"My contact will be making an attempt to recover your cargo," he places a printout of the last message from Jimmy on the desk.
"Hmmm," after reading the message, "You don't plan of helping him, do you?"
"Of course not. If he gets killed or captured, we find another lost soul to take care of this problem."
"I ment pay him."
"Oh," Ramos paused for a moment, "No, that was never the intention, either."
"Good. This delivery has cost us enough as it is. What of the next shipment?"
"That is the bad news. The new King, Tironus (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=546742), has recalled the entire Delkorian Navy. From what I have heard, no naval vessel is allowed to leave our territorial waters. This makes smuggling extremely difficult, as they now have plenty of ships for coastal patrols."
"Understood. Recomendations?"
"I suggest that we place the shipment in a regular shipping container, and hire a commercial vessel for transport. Perhaps one of the ships from Van Luxemburg?"
"Arn't they delievering the new diesel generators for United Rail's new locomotives?"
"Yes," Ramos replied, "and they will be empty after delivery. Surely one of the freighter captains will be interested in some extra profit."
"Good. I will contact my customers, let them know that shipments will continue. Now, get back that shipment!"
"Right away, sir." With a bow, Ramos left the office....

(ooc: Man...work wore me out last night...let's see what I can conjure up in my mind today...)

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: Drought has plagued this region for almost a year now. At 6:14AM I.S.D. National Weather Service (NWS) reported precipitation registered at Capitola's only airport. By 8:00 the entire north side of the country was covered in thick, gray rain clouds and water falling from the sky faster than teenagers fall in love. The people of I.S.D. received the best news they've gotten in a good, long year: The drought is over. Marijuana production had almost hit an all time low due to the dry conditions, but local meteorologists predict heavy rains for the next two days, followed by some light showers and partly cloudy days for the rest of the week. They expect marijuana production to return to normal within a month and anticipate that those highly inflated prices (especially for high-grade product) will begin to subside. The population sees this as a time to celebrate and a parade will be held tommorow at noon, running the length of Embassy Boulevard in Northern Capitola, rain or shine, sources indicate.

In other, mildly-related news, scientists have made an announcement about the misplaced marijuana that had been in the media of recent. Although evidence is still inconclusive as to where the marijuana came from originally, scientists have successfully extracted enough DNA from the seedless, high-quality product to engineer a new type of seed that will be resistant to drought like conditions. "We have concluded that the marijuana found some time ago originally came from a warm, dry climate," stated lead researcher for the I.S.D. federal botany forensics lab, Thomas Cruz, "Knowing this we simply performed a few experiments with our own plants to successfully produce seeds that are nearly immune to desert-like drought conditions." Non-federally funded scientists around the nation are clamoring to perform their own experiments on the product. "We've never seen marijuana with this level of low-moisture endurance before," said Marty Bellfast, self-employed inventor and botany buff, "and I'd like to develop a seed with some special traits that I could patent for profit. There's a fortune to be made, here." Local-level scientists and independent researchers have been urging PM Tom Hebert to release a large sample of the marijuana for public examination but Hebert has not shown any intention of doing so.
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Jimmy pulls his old Chevy off the side of the road and 45 feet into the tree line. He knows he's about 1/4 mile north of the base where the key to his fortune is being held. "Better leave my car here," he thinks aloud, knowing that the guards would be suspicious if he appeared to have money for gas. He's spent a lot of time around this base. He knows the guards well and they know him. It was his first assignment as a federally employed Janitor. Due to the secrecy of the base the hiring of janitors and other low-level employees are based on intelligence; The lack there of, not the quantity contained. Staff is rotated every two years out of the secret base and into other federal installations to ensure that no employee, regardless of IQ, holds to much pertinent information at one time. Jimmy has entered the base on several occasions to visit former co-workers and friends who were "rotated-in" since he was "rotated-out" himself to the parliament building last year. There's not a doubt in his mind that he will be granted access to the interior.

Opening the trunk of his Chevy Jimmy scans his tools. The contents of his trunk are as follows; Mop bucket, broom handle, tool box, spare tire, tire iron, scissor-jack, cooler full of ice & beer, some marijuana in a portable humidor and the gun that was purchased from the gentlemen at the trailer park north of the base. Jimmy grabs the gun and sticks it in the rear-most portion of the waist line of his pants, pulling his shirt over the bulge now located in the center of his lower back. The large .44 caliber pistol makes it's presence known to Jimmy as the cool steel rests against his back, sending a chill up and down his spine. He opens the humidor and grabs out some marijuana. He produces some hemp rolling papers from his shirt pocket and commences to rolling himself a joint. Once the marijuana cigarette is tubular and ignited Jimmy grabs a beer from the cooler and waits for nightfall, indulging in some of life's better known and well enjoyed vices before he attempts to complete his mission.

As the sun retreates south of the horizon Jimmy is bagging up a little bit of marijuana to take with him. Eight beers later and fermenting THC in his brain the less than savvy janitor begins his stumbly, bumbly walk toward the base. "BURP!" Jimmy ejaculates, knowing that he just set the foundation for the inevitable and inconvenient hiccups caused by the rapidity of alcohol consumption. Sure enough, like clock work, Jimmy's diaphragm begins to twitch at near-regular intervals causing audible "HICKs" to escape his mouth. "HICK! DAMNIT!" Jimmy exclaims, placing a hand over his mouth, "fucking HICK...hiccups...HICK! Shit."

Nearing the end of his fifteen minute walk Jimmy's hiccups begin to subside slightly. The bright, high-density sodium security lights around the military complex that is now in view glow with an ominous, amber-orange light that illuminates the old, cracking concrete of the main building structure. There are few cars in the parking lot north-east of the main entrance, and even fewer cars in the north-western lot. There are 16 armed, armored APC vehicles parked sporadically within sight around the two southern parking lots. There are two Abram M-1 Tanks parked on either side of the building as well. If Jimmy is concerned he doesn't show it.

Strolling up to the gate like a child on his way to school Jimmy is stopped by the two armed gate-house watchmen.
"What's your business, Jimmy?" asked the guard to Jimmy's right, "You know we're on heightened security...especially since that press release involving our scientists discovery."
"*HIC!* I just wanna to go see Billy & Chuck for a *HIC!* little while. I brought some smoke for them." *HIC!*
"Sorry, Jimmy," replies the guard to his left, "under normal circumstances we'd allow you access but with all the publicity over the scientific discovery every citizen and private enterprise in the nation wants to get near that marijuana."
"*HIC!* I know, man...but I got my own *HIC!* smoke, see?" Jimmy produces a small bag of marijuana about the size of a bag of furniture hardware. He looks are the guards with a pleading eye. "Come on, guys...*HIC!*...I'll give you a little if you let me in to smoke with *HIC!* my buddies."
The guards look at each other as if they are unsure as what to do. After all, Jimmy's obviously been drinking, he's much too dumb to have an ulterior motive and a couple joints would make the usually calm, quiet, tremendously boring night shift a little more tolerable and pleasant. After a brief pause guard number one whispers into guard number two's ear. The guard to the left of Jimmy pipes up, "We could possibly get in a lot of trouble for this but we've known you for a long time, Jimmy, and we have no reason to suspect that you are here to cause trouble for us. We'll allow you inside for one hour to relax with your friends. If you're not out after the hour then we will send someone to escort you out of the building."
"Gee...*HIC!*...you guys are the greatest," Jimmy replies, producing a few pinches of marijuana from his bag and dropping them into the hand of the guard to his right, "I'll see you fellas in an hour."
"Have fun, Jimmy!" -Guard #1
"Don't do anything stupid...like gettin yourself killed. One hour." -Guard #2
"I'll be alright, fellas...just got to see my buds," Jimmy replied while turning to face the main entrance. Forty-two footfalls and 7 hiccups later Jimmy pushes his way into the main complex.

(ooc: Gotta take a smoke break real quick. It's hard to write when I'm not stoned. :( I'll finish this later today if possible, unless someone else wants to take a stab at it. I'm gonna go try and get involved in some other RPs after my smoke break. Tired of just checking up on this one thread.)

(OOC: I hear ya. I've been checking my own threads while at work, lol. Thinking about what to say here. Oh, and I'll have a response about the train thing after work, about 3 hours...)

(ooc: going to fix a buddy's computer. bumpidy-bumpbumpbump.)

(ooc: bump to top. to drunk to write (arn't most great writers alcoholics? anyway, bump.)

(ooc: sorry it's taking me so long to finish this guys...I know you're just dying to read my drivel....lol. Actually I'm working on some artwork to accompany Jimmy's scene at the base to add to the detail of the story. Hopefully I'll have the artworks completed by Sunday and will be able to finish out the story. Anyone else should feel free to incorporate themselves into this RP but my suggestion that someone should finish Jimmy's scene is retracted. After working on the artwork for a few hours I find myself in love with this scenario. So...in other words: bump!)

(ooc: sorry it's taking me so long to finish this guys...I know you're just dying to read my drivel....lol. Actually I'm working on some artwork to accompany Jimmy's scene at the base to add to the detail of the story. Hopefully I'll have the artworks completed by Sunday and will be able to finish out the story. Anyone else should feel free to incorporate themselves into this RP but my suggestion that someone should finish Jimmy's scene is retracted. After working on the artwork for a few hours I find myself in love with this scenario. So...in other words: bump!)

(ooc: I'm gonna try something different here...comments welcome.)


Jimmy approaches the eye-scanner at the large, armored door.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i197/djenduro/Jimmy-CH1/ClosedDoorClose.jpg
He takes a deep breath and places his eyes into the padded areas around the retinal scanner.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i197/djenduro/Jimmy-CH1/EyeScanner.jpg
"Ding!" The machine vocalizes, "access granted." A low, mechanical rumbling shakes the ground beneath Jimmy's feed. The large door in front of him slowly slides to the left creaking and groaning the whole way.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i197/djenduro/Jimmy-CH1/DoorOpening.jpg
The door opens to reveal Jimmy's next bright idea. A getaway vehicle. "I bet I can find me some of dem Hummer keys," Jimmy reckoned allowed.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i197/djenduro/Jimmy-CH1/DoorOpened.jpg
Jimmy takes one last look at the Hummer's while stepping through to now open door way. Jimmy looks to his left and then to his right. He decides he should first figure out where they are keeping the marijuana.

Left:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i197/djenduro/Jimmy-CH1/JimmyLooksLeft.jpg
Right:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i197/djenduro/Jimmy-CH1/JimmyLooksRight.jpg

(ooc: I want you guys to tell me whether or not Jimmy should go left or right. I'll take a 2-day vote or something.)