Russel Herrington was not happy. He was frustrated and anxious, a bad combination for a compulsive young man like him. Russel did nothing to deserve this. Well, maybe he shouldn't have stolen that ammo, or thrown that cake at the generals, or messed with that fire hydrant. But his need for open space and activity was not negotiable. They knew what he was like. At least the mayor did. Russel kept on hearing his raspy voice over and over in his head. This expedition is perfect for you, a real challenge. He said. Please, son, you could make a change and revive life in New York City. You can either go on the trip or be exiled. I'm sorry, but those are your choices.
So he packed only what he could bring. 3 sets of clothes, a flashlight, a canteen, a few bags of food, a sturdy knife, a few band aids, and matches. Russel wasn't sure what the others were allowed to bring, but he wasn't given a gun or ammo, the only items he really wanted. He said goodbye to his parents and friends and left withing ten minutes of talking to the mayor. The mayor was standing by the town gate as Russel and the other people going on the expedition were getting into the jeep. He was the last one to arrive and had no choice but to drive. Russel felt his stomach twist as the gates closed behind him and the forest in front of him grew larger. 
He tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel of the military style jeep as they drove under a bridge. Five hours of driving on the remains of an ancient road had seemed to get them no where until he looked up. The suburbs of NYC had been completely demolished, from what looked like a combination of fire and floods. They were close now, only an hour at most. He turned around to look at what was now his friends and family and told them, "We're almost there."

Jane knew stealing that computer was a bad idea. And now she was in the back of a jeep, headed towards a destroyed city. The boy driving announced that they were close. It was a bit obvious, and Jane could tell he was arrogant and not very bright. He was handsome though. She sat back and relaxed as the wind continued blowing her short black hair in her face. It will all be over soon, She told herself.There has to be some usable technology that survived. All I have to do I build them a radio system and then I can return to the town like the mayor said. I'll only be here for two weeks at the most.

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Caroline sat comfortably in the passenger seat of the jeep. To say that she had come for an adventure was a bit of an exaggeration. She didn't want to be here in the first place. But since she had no family, no relatives, she had been forced into coming. Well, Care did have a foster family. But they hated her. They couldn't stand her. So the moment that the idea for this trip was announced they practically begged the mayor to pick her. Which of course gave her such an amazing confidence boost. One of the reasons that they hated her was her obsession with knives. Give her a knife and a target and she would hit it everytime. Caroline's long blonde hair was held in a braid, as to keep it out of her face. She couldn't handle when it whipped against her face. As they neared the city, Care's stomach turned upside down. She was really afraid. Not that she would let it show.

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Fume hated cars. Thankfully, gas was rare, and it must've said a lot about how much they were wanted gone from their home settlement. She was cradling all her belongings: mostly tools she often used to tinker with old technology, but a few notebooks full of notes on animals and such. At least here she might be able to live in peace and just raise animals, maybe something smaller than bears. And less dangerous.

Every bump made her grit her teeth as she nearly did more damage than good to whatever she was working on. The road there was in terrible shape from the many winters without any maintenance. She heard stories there used to be bridges to the island that New York was on...

She lifted her head up from where she laid herself out on the backmost seat, scanning the horizon, "Hey, how the hell are we getting across that river, though? I don't see any bridges here, just..."

She never saw skyscrapers in her life. Even from far away, they made her cut off, looking at them. What a marvel, something so tall she could sense its height from here.

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Russel checked the gauge that displayed the amount of gasoline in the tank. It was almost empty, but that didn't seem to matter. At the girls words he strained his neck and saw the river. Beyond that was the remains of the once great city. He searched the stretch of the river and there was no sight if any bridges. Russel drove the jeep until the ground ended and the river started. He turned off the car and pulled the single key out. He took off his coat, shoes, and socks and stuffed them in his backpack. Russel faced the girls and asked, "Can all of you swim?"

This jeep probably has some technology. Wires, chips, batteries... Jane thought as the boy asked them about swimming. She nodded her head and hopped out of the car. But how would I get the stuff through the river without getting them wet? She looked around in the back of the jeep. Nothing could keep any supplies dry. Maybe one of the other girls have something I could use? She glanced at one that seemed nervous, and the other irritated.

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Fume was trying to get her belongings settled in her pack when someone asked if she could swim. "I'm not going swimming and getting my things waterlogged. That's a damn river, I doubt we could swim across without exhausting or being swept out," she snorted, thinking for a moment before something clicked in her head.

"We could make a raft. It'll hold us and our things, and if we find enough rope, we can make a pulley system to the other side, making it easier. The first time we might have trouble, but I'd like a few days to see how the current goes. For all we know I doubt this river would move slowly. Besides, we can always make a base camp here to return to if things don't work out."

((Fun facts! The Hudson actually flows about 4 mph, and it is tidal! The tides apparently move up and down and they can be seen, which makes the river look like it flows both ways! Never knew about that and I live like an hour from NYC LOL.))

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Caroline scowled as the idea of swimming was brought up. She had always hated swimming. Even when her foster siblings teased her into going. She was more like a cat, not wanting a bath. But when the girl in back spoke up about making a raft, she scoffed. "Oh, and I suppose you've built a raft before, and know all of the mechanics to it?" She asked, doubt dripping from her words. But she had no other ideas to give out.

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Russel frowned at the idea. "How do you plan of making a pulley system on the other side of the river and what do we use for a raft?" He asked and gestured to the surrounding area of rubble. "And blondie makes a good point, if you've never done this before." When all he had on was an undershirt and cargo pants Russel examined the river in front of them. "I could probably swim it. I'm stronger than I look." The river did look a bit fast to him, but he wasn't about to show fear while the girls were there.

"I like the raft idea, but it sounds doable." Jane spoke after the boy had given his opinion. That means I can get some supplies across the river. She scanned the jeep for what could be reused in a raft. "These tires might work for flotation, and this board could be used as a base." Jane pulled out the wooden board that was used for seats in the car and saw it was sturdy enough. I don't want to waste a few days though. The faster I contact him, the more impressed he will be. But, the longer we stay here the more stuff I can sneak off the jeep. After deciding how much time she needed, Jane said, "A few days should be fine."

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Fume sneered at the comment Caroline made, "Fine, then we swim, lose all our electronics, drown, and or get lost or swept out to sea. Unless you have a better idea? Perhaps we teleport to the other side? Pray to some god to part the river so we can pass?" Her voice was acidic, deeply offended at the words.

Jane, though, made her flick her head towards the woman, the look on her face more neutral, but trying to twitch into a more angry one for a few seconds. "I doubt there's nothing usable here. There is definitely wood, various things... I don't even know, its not like we're in a sterile place with nothing but dust in it. And for pulleys... Just make a rope and trail it behind us, make sure its tied to something sturdy, do the same thing. We can get back to where we started without much problem just by pulling ourselves along, and not lose the jeep, possibly."

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Caroline glared at the boy as he referee to her as Blondie. However, she decided to keep her mouth shut, as they were trying to figure out how to get on the condemned island. But as she was sneered at by the other girl, a smirk stretched onto her face. Getting under people's skin was a specialty of hers. It was a nice pass time. Ugggg. She hated water. And they either had to build a raft or swim on it. Neither of which she was about to volunteer for.

Caroline hopped out of the jeep, not bother to see if anyone followed her out. "Alright then. Let's get this show on the road" she scowled. Food would be a good idea. But they also needed to start building the raft immediately. So much for a 'fun' adventure. As the blonde girl looked around, she didn't see anything appealing. She figured that she could fund a rabbit or two later tonight for dinner. At least for her.

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