At daybreak on a typical not hot, not cold but a little windy central coast morning team CURE piled into the Nissan. Even though it was early they were greeted by a shuffling of curtains and staring eyes peering through tiny slits in several windows of Zigoat's apartment complex. The group turned toward the onlookers and gave them a "Don't worry nothing suspicious is going on here" smile and little wave before silently lurching down the road.
Matrix's uncle had been kind enough to lend him the car for the journey and even though the road was wide open the trip started with a few hiccups. When composing the paranoid list the night before no one considered the fact that neither of them had driven more than 3 miles at a time in the past 5 years, moreover, none of that driving had been done at highway speeds. The result of this with Matrix at the wheel was several jumped curbs and accidental emergency stops before they reached highway 101. Eventually he got the hang of the controls and the group quickly started knocking off miles between them and the compound.
It didn't take long for everyone to slip into a throwback road trip mode giggling and playing nonsense games. Looking out the window with a 1000 yard stare Katt remarked at how the landscaped had changed. Beach towns that were once overrun with families cluttering the piers and local shops had been abandoned leaving the sea air and the elements to consume the faded remains of recreation. Long stretches of cracked road were overgrown with wild grass and moss creating a jungle like atmosphere just steps from the pavement. The 250 year old mark made by America conquering and harnessing the power of the land was quickly eroding. Betelgeuse thought that the trip would be part business and part nostalgia but as they traveled it became apparent that what they were driving through was a completely different country from a completely different era.
