Chapter 1 - The Winter Reverie

The scene unfolds with the camera gracefully hovering above a suburban landscape blanketed in snow. Children relish their post-Christmas break, frolicking in the crisp, snowy wonderland with sleds in tow. The robotic hum of snow-clearing machines echoes, and in the distance, magretrine ships gracefully navigate the wintry sky. The festive season has drawn to a close, and life is gradually returning to its normal rhythm.

"Every Breath You Take" by The Police (1983) serves as a nostalgic soundtrack, weaving through the scenes.


The imposing Bona cooling towers stand in the backdrop, their stark silhouettes contrasting against the cold, grey winter sky. Scenes of residents carrying discarded Christmas trees to the curb for collection unfold, alongside recycling bins brimming with the remnants of festive gifts – cardboard and plastic.

As the opening sequence reaches its zenith, the music gracefully fades into silence. The focus narrows to a solitary figure atop the cooling towers. With arms outstretched and eyes fixed on the heavens, he stands in serene contemplation. The camera, initially distant, gradually closes the gap, revealing the man's shoulders and head. As he turns to face the lens, an expression of tranquil satisfaction graces his countenance.

The music abruptly stops.

A seemingly unnatural smile curls upon the man's lips, and in an almost ethereal motion, he leaps into the unknown. The screen fades to black, leaving an air of mystery lingering in the silence.

Lately, Tanya's writing has been populated by imagery of birds, after their encounter with Gunther and with the augmented pigeons.
Wings, feathers, flapping sounds. The shadow of airborne things. All sneaking where she least expects it, in a description, character thought. Even in the middle of a dialogue. Stowing away in her notebooks like clandestine passengers on a ship.

As her cuts from birds confrontations heal with time - those physical reminders that it hasn't been only a lucid dream - new cuts appear in her writer's mind, like details slowly appearing in a daguerrotype.

She reflects on this change, unsure if she should reject it as a sign of trauma, or if on the contrary she should embrace this new strand in her narratives, and let it surface freely through her phrases.

She now lifts her gaze and sees it is very late, and decides to close her notebook with a yawn.

She halts and smiles, seeing a small doodle on the back cover of the notebook. A stylized perched crow she doesn't remember sketching.

"What's wrong with the old jacket?" Robbie's mom, Anika, asks her, leaning against the outer wall of the changing room cabin and watching her daughter go through the racks of winter jackets.

"It's broken. There's a huge tear from the barbed wire fence," Robbie replies. "And besides, it makes me look like a blue snowman."

"I know. It's adorable," her mother chuckles. "I can fix the tear. You know that's no problem."

Robbie makes a face. "The other kids make fun of me for all my torn and patched up clothes."

"Kids are cruel," Anika replies. "But you're a tough girl. You've never let that kind of thing bother you."

"I'm not bothered," Robbie lies. "But it's not just about that. Maybe I just want to look nice for a change." She pulled out a white jacket and held it up in front of her chest.

"Really, Roberta, white?" Anika asks with a frown. "I'm happy to buy you something new, but maybe you can find something a bit more practical for the farm." Robbie sighs and hangs the jacket back. After another moment, she pulls out a red jacket. "Try it on if you want," her mother encourages her. As Robbie slips her arms into the sleeves, she asks, "This sudden interest in fashion, it wouldn't have anything to do with Tyra's kid, would it?" There's a smile on her lips. "I don't think she minds your clothes."

Robbie zips up the jacket and then looks at herself in the mirror, holding out her arms and turning in place to see herself from all sides. "I don't know what you're talking about," she mutters, her face almost as red as the jacket.

'No no no' Emilia mutters to herself as she rapidly opens the oven, smoke billowing from it. A small part of her wonders if he should be concerned that the fire alarm isn't currently going off, but it is overshadows by the panic as she pulls out a smoking tray. She looks a the very crispy meant-to-be cookies on them and sighs, going straight to the bin.

She returns for the lower tray and pulls a face. These ones may be slightly salvageable. Not perfect though, and that was a problem. ' Should have paid closer attention.' She mutters to herself as she places the tray on a cork mat, near some vegetables she had been chopping at the same time. So much for multitasking, trying to get dinner and practice baking at the same time.

Proudly wearing her new jacket, a nice, bright red instead of the already dull and worn blue of her old jacket, Robbie is waiting at the street corner where the three of them agreed to meet. It's a railroad crossing and the barrier has been down for a while now. Not that Robbie minds. She's already on the side she needs to be. It does give her a chance to peoplewatch as a small group has formed by now, wanting to get over to the other side, slowly growing restless.
Robbie is also a bit restless, eager for her friends to arrive. She has no doubt that they're going to show up. After all, the tiny little ice café in front of which she's waiting has the best hot chocolate in all of town, and she promised to buy a round for all three of them.

Tanya gets to the café at the agreed time and is surprised to see Robbie's new coat. It gives the girl a fresh, lively look.

"Hey Robbie! Wow, is that new? Red really suits you, you know?"

"It is new!" Robbie replies excitedly. She spins in place to show off her new jacket to her best friend. She thinks it looked really nice on herself, makes her look a bit less round and more shapely. But maybe that's just the excitement of a new piece of clothing. "I convinced my mom to buy it for me. Isn't it nice?"

"Very. If I had to write about it I'd say... Let's see... Her jacket was as red as a robin landing on snow. Oh. I did it again..."

She blushes. Then elaborates. "I Keep using these... bird images, they're the first popping into my head, these days..." she gives a little apologetic shrug.

'Sorry!' Emilia calls as she approaches the pair apologetical. 'I ran into something on the way here.' That something being Izzy. While she was sneaking around anymore when hanging pout with the pair and confrontation with the other girl was something she didn't want so when she saw her shopping with a posse she'd opted for a longer route.

'Oh new jacket? It suits you. Its cute' She gives Robbie a light smile.

Robbie feels a bit uncertain about the man, but there seems to be something in the air when he approaches them. That, and he seems weird, but also nice, even complimenting them and calling them ladies instead of girls. "Thank you," she says, taking the flyer from him and looking at him curiously.

Tanya didn't notice the man approaching at all. She looks around more carefully, to see if the campaigner has more allies, or if anyone else in the small crowd around them seems suspicious.

The man replies nonchalantly to Robbie, "No, I'm not worried at all. It's a beautiful day. A great day for a revolution." His peculiar response suggests a disconnect, either due to inattentiveness or inebriation. However, it suggests that the man is the opposite of relaxed. He must be nervous about something or at least was so before he became drunk.

Amid the small group waiting for the train, Tanya spots a woman in a more subtle ensemble of natural fibers, carrying a backpack of the same materials. Unlike the intoxicated man, her clothing colors don't cause her to stand out. She's not focused on the passing train but seems to be continually glancing down the road behind the group waiting for the train. Occasionally she opens her backpack and appears to converse with someone or something inside.

"Hey... Take a look. That woman's got something in her bag," she whispers to the others. "What's going on here? she looks nervous. Are they... Terrorists?"

She looks at her friends, concerned.

"A revolution?" Robbie asks. She looks at the flyer in her hand "Against Riksenergi?" She's unsure what they should do. There's something weird about the man, like he's confused. Or maybe scared. "Hey, how about we call my parents. My dad always complains about how the Loop is poisoning our ground water. I bet they would really like to hear about your revolution." She glances around for a phone booth nearby.

Without thinking this might be dangerous, Tanya walks to the woman she has noticed talking to something in her bag.
With a big childish grin, she says loudly, so to turn a few heads in her direction : "Hi Lady, do you have a cat or dog in there? Can I see it, pleeeeease?" she points at the woman's bag.

Emilia watches the man cautiously, sticking close to Robbie, not trusting someone who would approach a bunch of kids and start talking about such things.

Emilia keenly observes that, despite his intoxicated state, the man radiates passionate energy while distributing fliers. His unconventional communication style doesn't diminish the genuine belief he seems to hold in the advocated cause. Adding to the intrigue, Emilia notices a woven wristband on the man, adorned with a sewn tag that reads "Friends of Creekside Woods," suggesting his involvement with an organization dedicated to the upkeep of that area.

As the train nears its end, the group eagerly prepares to cross, anticipating the resumption of their journeys. However, an unexpected halt disrupts their plans, prompting groans and discussions about circumventing the train since its end is visible. To their surprise, the last two train cars stand out, distinctly labeled in English with markings indicative of U.S. military significance.

Tanya asks the women about her bag. The lady, visibly horrified, freezes momentarily. Tanya overhears a faint voice from a radio inside the bag, "Now? Did it stop. Is it a go? Astrid... hello?" The woman unfreezes, still horrified, maintaining eye contact with Tanya as she addresses the bag, saying, "It's a go."

Suddenly serious, the lady warns Tanya, "You should run away really fast right now!" Swiftly, she starts moving away, her face etched with a mix of urgency and fear.

Down the street, the distant rumble of a loud truck echoes, its speed suggesting an imminent, rapid approach.

Tanya looks up in confusion, trying to spot something in the direction of the loud rumbling sound.

Looking at the expression on the woman's face, she feels in danger, and the nerves take over.
She backs off from the woman, then runs towards Emilia and Robbie, grabbing each girl by the wrist to drag them away from the railway crossing area. "GO GO GO GO!! I think something's bad is about to happen, ruuuuun!!"

Robbie takes the other flyer, both because she wants to play along with the man and because it befuddles her enough for her instinct to take over. At his odd question, she tilts her head and is just about to say something when Tanya suddenly screams to run. Robbie immediately grabs Emilia's hand and pulls her with her as she moves away from the train tracks and the crowd. Somehow, she manages to shout at the man, "It was nice meeting you!" as she tries to get herself and her friend to safety, hoping her other friend can manage to get away from whatever it is as well.

Emilia frowns, caught off guard by the mans response. ' Robbie I think we...' She can't even finish her sentence before she's grabbed by first Tanya and then RObbie and dragged away. Not quiet sure what is going on she follows the others leads in trying to get away.

A sizable military truck, painted in vibrant colors and adorned with flowers, flies down the road toward the stopped train. Despite its eye-catching appearance, there are no signs of slowing down, and it becomes evident that a collision with the train is imminent. Panic sets in as shouts erupt, and people start running for safety. In the chaos, the woman with the bag trips, accidentally dropping her bag directly in your path. The urgency to evade the impending collision intensifies.

Do you try to flee further, grab the bag, duck somewhere, etc?

Once they're a bit farther away from the train tracks, Robbie comes to a stop. She returns the man's salute, mostly confused but wanting to be nice and supportive to him. He seems like he needs help and once Robbie has spoken with her parents, if he knows she's friendly, he might more readily agree to the help he needs. She sees the military vehicle and watches the situation, curious what exactly is going on. At the same time, she steps half in front of Emilia to shield her from any potential danger.

'Guys, what's going on why are you both pan..' She starts before her lock on the truck and she realises.. Even as Robbie stops she nervously looks around not sure if they are far enough away.

'Guys, what's going on why are you both pan..' She starts before her lock on the truck and she realises.. Even as Robbie stops she nervously looks around not sure if they are far enough away.

'Guys, what's going on why are you both pan..' She starts before her lock on the truck and she realises.. Even as Robbie stops she nervously looks around not sure if they are far enough away.

The truck, adorned in vibrant defiance, plows forward without halting, initiating a thunderous clash of metal and chaos as it collides with the train. The impact releases a shockwave that reverberates through the air, accompanied by a symphony of deafening metal and shattering glass. Colors and floral patterns burst forth into the atmosphere, creating a surreal spectacle amidst the collision. The witnessing crowd recoils in shock and fear as the air thickens with swirling dust and airborne debris.

The crash inflicts visible damage on the military cars, and if any of the characters look up, they witness the man in vibrant clothing tossing something into openings before hastily making his escape. Both military train cars begin to emit smoke, suggestive of something burning. The air becomes tainted with a putrid smell.

As the scene unfolds, wailing sirens pierce the air, announcing the swift arrival of emergency services. Upon assessment, the fortunate revelation emerges that there are no severe injuries. However, the emotional toll is undeniable; individuals sit along the roadside, their faces concealed by trembling hands, visibly shaken and fearful.

In the distance, Robbie discerns the vivid colors of the man's attire as he swiftly runs away.

Robbie doesn't really understand what's going on. Is this some kind of attack against Riksenergi? Were those train cars carrying something for them? She doesn't have much time to make a decision on how to act, so going for the first thing that occurs to her, she lets go of her friends' hands and runs after the colorful man. She's a pretty fast runner, despite her weight, so she's hoping she can... what? Catch up with him? Follow him? She's not sure. But get closer again to him for now, maybe see where he's going.

Robbie skillfully maintains her pace and catches up with the man as he darts into a woods. Once a distance inside, he abruptly stops, bending forward with hands on his knees, and vomits—likely a consequence of the excessive alcohol, heightened excitement, and the exertion of running. After the release, he wearily ambles over to a nearby tree, settles down, and leans his back against the trunk. Closing his eyes, it becomes evident that he intends to take a moment's respite, seeking solace and recovery amid the woodland calm.

Robbie looks away when the man throws up. That's pretty gross and she definitely doesn't want to watch. Once he's finished and he finds a place to sit down, she hesitates for a moment, then shuffles over to him. "Hej," she says shyly. "I just wanted to check that you're okay. That was pretty crazy there at the train and then you were running and you seemed a bit sick now. Are you feeling alright?"
She walks over to him and, unless he reacts unexpectedly, sits down against a tree near him, but too far for him to grab or touch her.

She catches her breath after the run, cowering after the loud crash of the shocking collision.

With a shaking voice, she checks on her friends. "Are... are you OK? Emilia? Robbie?... ROBBIE? Where are you running to??"

Shaken by the traumatic event, she doesn't find it in her to follow Robbie.

Emilia is shaken as she watches, pressing slightly into Robbie in front of her. Then suddenly her protector is running off. 'Robbie wait!' She calls after her but the taller girl moves much faster, and a quick glance at Tanya makes her feel like she should leave her alone. She places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She knows what she's doing. I hope..'

Emilia is shaken as she watches, pressing slightly into Robbie in front of her. Then suddenly her protector is running off. 'Robbie wait!' She calls after her but the taller girl moves much faster, and a quick glance at Tanya makes her feel like she should leave her alone. She places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She knows what she's doing. I hope..'

Emilia and Tanya
The atmosphere surrounding Emelia and Tanya gradually quiets as the realization sets in that, thankfully, no one appears to be injured. Soon after, the wailing sirens draw near, bringing with them a sense of order. Police and medical personnel traverse the area, checking on the well-being of everyone present. A police officer, accompanied by a first responder, approaches Emelia and Tanya. With genuine concern, the officer inquires, "How are you two doing? Are you hurt? We're going to start clearing people away from this area shortly so we can investigate and make sure that this doesn't happen again. Do you need any help getting home? "

Robbie takes the flier, unsure what else to do. "You look like you could use some rest," she tells the man. "How about you come home to my parents' farm with me. You can tell them about this." She holds up the flier. "And my mom can make her famous chicken soup for you. You'll feel better in a heartbeat."

Tanya is comforted by the situation being taken charge of by the authorities, after that crazy, shocking, anarchic event.

"No sir... I... think I'm good. I can get home alright... Just... scary, is all. Good that no-one got hurt... did they?"
He looks at the woods where Robbie ran into. She is out of vision.
"But our friend Robbie ran into those woods, would you mind coming with me to check on her, please?" she asks the officer.

Robbie makes note of the information the man is giving her. "Thanks, Skog," she says uncertainly. How could she convince him to come home with her? Maybe she can't. But if he's going to be at this meeting, perhaps she can talk to him then, when he's less drunk. "I'm Robbie, by the way. It's actually Roberta, but everyone calls me Robbie." She rubs her arm awkwardly, unsure what else to say. "I think that was really cool, at the train tracks." Actually, she found it really scary, but if she told him that, he'd probably take her for a kid who's not serious about this revolution, whatever that's supposed to be. "What was in those train cars?"

Emilia nods along with Tanya. 'Yeah she...there was someone here talking to us before everything happened. I think she ran after him. I'm not sure.' She wasn't still struggling to piece events together.

The police officer, intrigued by the description of the man provided by Tanya and Emelia, swiftly urges them to lead the way towards the woods where Robbie is located.

Skog, lying against the tree, opens his eyes and addresses Robbie, "Roberta... Did you say famous chicken soup? That does sound nice. We deserve a nice meal after all that. Let's go! On the way, I can tell you about the poison in those train cars that's being used to poison and change our Earth!"

Struggling to regain his balance, Skog slowly rises, his movements unsteady. As he and Robbie prepare to leave, the sound of approaching footsteps prompts Skog to freeze in uncertainty. To their surprise, the police officer, accompanied by Tanya and Emelia, emerges from the woods.

How does everyone react?

Robbie blinks in surprise at her approaching friends, and even moreso when she sees that they have a police officer with them. "Hey Tanya and Emilia," she says. To Skog, she explains, "Those are my friends, remember?" Then, to her friends again, she says, "I was just taking him home to the farm so he can cure himself out a bit."

"Robbie! Oh, good. You're safe. I got scared when I saw you running to the woods, and I asked this kind policeman to accompany us to check if you were OK," she explains.

She looks at Skog a little puzzled.

The police officer swiftly connects the dots and decides to put Skog under arrest. Despite his disheveled appearance, Skog offers no resistance, recognizing the consequences of his actions. His bleary eyes convey a sense of resignation mixed with regret, but there's also a flicker of understanding, a silent acknowledgment of the budding friendship with Robbie, whom he doesn't want to put in jeopardy. The officer takes charge, hauling Skog away from the scene. As Skog disappears into the distance, the woods once again envelop the three kids in solitude, leaving behind a mixture of confusion and unanswered questions.

This gives you all a moment to discuss things with each other. When ready, let me know what the next steps are for your crew.

"They shouldn't have arrested him," Robbie says, even if she is aware that he was definitely involved in whatever strange thing was being done at the train. "I don't think he's a bad guy. I feel bad for him." She looked down at the multiple flyers in her hand that he gave her. "I wonder what they actually did at the train. You stayed there longer than me. Did you see anything?"

"I saw a woman talking into a bag, I think she had a radio in there. I heard the name Astrid... But the woman warned me to run away... That's when I dragged you guys. This was really scary... I mean ... We could have got hurt! It was like... A terrorist attack, Robbie!"
She says, still shaken by what was probably the most traumatic accident of her life. Now it is sinking in, she feels really agitated, the adrenaline running wild in her system.

I'm sorry Robie I..I mean we ..were worried where you had run to, if youd got into trouble. He said hed help look for you. She hesitantly puts a hand on the taller girls shoulder to try and comfort her. She can't help but feel slightly responsible for Robbie being upset.

She looks ove rto Tanya as she speaks. 'Someone warned you? She might be the one reaponsible. Not..that guy?' She looks to Robbie again slightly confused, not even sure why she seemed upset about him.

Tanya considers Emilia's question. "It's almost like... the guy was attracting everybody's attention so this Astrid woman with the radio could go unnoticed. i think they were working together? And I am pretty sure the woman... gave the signal for the attack!" she says, realizing near what danger she found herself just minutes before.

Then turning to Robbie, "I didn't ask the policeman to come with us so he could... arrest anybody. Just because... I was scared, that's all."

Emilia's hand on Robbie's shoulder felt nice and cheered her up a bit. "I'm just worried about Skog," she said. "I'm sure he was involved in what happened in some way, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Do you think they'll let us visit him at the station? They're probably going to keep him there, right? Maybe we could go tomorrow when he's not as drunk anymore."

The evening news report about the incident goes like this:

A train collision occurred when an intoxicated driver unintentionally collided with a stationary train. Miraculously, no critical injuries were reported. Authorities assure the public that this was an isolated incident, involving a lone actor named Skog Nilsson, who has been apprehended and is currently in custody. There is no need for public concern. The train involved was transporting a variety of goods including a novel type of chemical fertilizer developed through collaboration between Riksenergi and their American counterpart, DART, based in the United States. It appears that the only cargo destroyed was that fertilizer.

In terms of how the evening plays out, it's entirely up to each of you how much you want to RP or if you simply want the highlights. These are some of the high level details of what I think would start the evening.

- Tanya and Robbie's parents would ask if either of those two were in the area during the time of the accident.
- Robbie's parents have heard of the fertilizer being tested and have negative feelings towards it.
- Tanya's parents have heard of the fertilizer and have positive feelings towards it.
- I don't know if Emilia would have a chance to speak with her mother, but she would see the news report.

After dinner, the Åström family, as they often do, sit down together in their living room, huddled together on the couch under a huge blanket they all share as they watch the evening news. Robbie has been itching to ask her parents a bit about the events of the day ever since she got home, but so far, she hasn't found the right opening to bring the topic up. And then the news deliver her the perfect introduction into the topic.
"I heard about this fertilizer," she says to her parents, who both turn to look at her. "I met this nice man today who was talking about it, and about how Riksenergi is poisoning the islands." She did notice that the news were definitely lying. What happened was not an accident, and Skog wasn't even involved. Okay, maybe he was, but they were still misrepresenting him. And he also wasn't working alone, since he has this group he told Robbie about. But she isn't about to unload all of that on her parents. Instead, she asks, "Is that true?"

Robbie's father leans back on the couch, considering Robbie's inquiry. "Poisoning might be too strong of a word to use, but the truth is we don't know much about this fertilizer," he begins, his tone measured. "A representative from Riksenergi started going to all the farmers and talking about this new miracle product that will produce better crops, have no impact on the environment, and be cheaper. It sounds like snake oil to me, but I could be wrong. The truth is that I want to know more about it. Show me some data and some tests, and I'll be more open to it. I feel like we are the ones being used for the testing."

Robbie nods, then she climbs off the couch and runs out of the living room without explanation. As her parents exchange a look and a shrug, she already returns, holding one of Skog's multiple flyers in her hand. "Look, this man I met gave this to me. He said this is from a group who are worried about the dangers to the ground water and so on." She hands it to her father, then quickly climbs back under the blanket and cuddles into her mother for warmth.

Tanya listens to the media coverage with great attention, and sees straight away that the public version has been altered and simplified.

When she hears about Riksenergi and Dart collaborating, she asks her Mom, employee of the former, if she had heard of the fertiliser, and if they had problems in the past at Riksenergi with terrorists. Suddenly, she feels worried for her Mom's safety.
The traumatic attack at the train crossing has shaken her, although she tries to hide it, and doesn't mention her presence there.

Robbie
Robbie's father accepts the piece of paper from her, his curiosity piqued as he examines its contents. With a brief expression of gratitude, he responds, "Thanks Robbie. I'll take a closer look at this later." He then returns his attention to the television.

"Huh? Yes, yes, Mom..." she answers a little too quickly. Realising her Mom picked up on something, she adds, "it's just... that news about the train collision, here on our doorstep made me nervous, is all... I mean... that's VERY close, right?"

Robbie looks a bit disappointed as she hoped for a more immediate reaction, but she doesn't prod. Instead, she looks up at her mother's face. "Mom," she says. "I'm meeting Emilia and Tanya tomorrow morning. Can we get up early and bake cookies after the feed round? I want to bring them to our meeting." For one, her mother's cookies are delicious and she wants to impress her friends with them. But also, she wants to share some with Skog. He must be feeling pretty bad in a cell at the police station, so she wants to cheer him up in the morning.

Robbie's mother looks at her with a warm smile, touched by the request. "Of course, sweetheart," she replies. "We can make a batch of cookies in the morning. It sounds like a lovely idea. I'll make sure we have everything we need. Just let me know what time you want to start."

"I'll get all my chores done early so we can start early," Robbie promises. She wraps her mom in a hug. "You're the best!"