With their work done at the construction site, plenty of molerat meat and bags of cement ready to transport, they all loaded back up into the APC and Adam took a detour to the possible settlement they saw. He did not especially have any expectations but finding a settlement like this out of nowhere was both exciting and interesting. He also had many questions, namely, how did they survive while the East was overrun with Famine's horde. They were ghouls but that only saves them from the ferals, not necessarily the issues with overcrowding. Hopefully they were friendly.
Adam drove up close to the ramp that led up to the part of the highway he saw the ghouls wandering around and found that there was a makeshift barricade of cars and a bus that had been all parked sideways so that it created a wall of sorts. It was, undoubtedly, the worst wall he had seen so far, gaps only filled with scrap wood and sheets of scrap metal, but it was a wall nonetheless. Though he had not expected to see a wall at all so it was a surprise.
As he pulled up a ghoul wearing what looked to be grimy pre-war business wear, a brown suit and brown fedora, obviously worn with time and age, popped out of cover from behind a car along the wall and pointed it at the APC. Adam was quick to try to diffuse the situation.
"Hey there friend." Adam said as he slowly popped out of the APC through the hatch, arms raised above his head, trying to show he was not looking for a fight. "I'm not gonna hurt ya." He smiled at the ghoul nervously, unsure how this meeting would go. It was a bit of a gamble but out here meeting new people can sometimes be hazardous. Especially when they aren't expecting visitors and he pulled right up to their front gate with a military combat vehicle.
Adam had not actually intended on doing that, he knew that the presence of the APC could be seen as a threat, however he assumed he could park the APC at the ramp and then walk the rest of the way to the people. The wall that blocked him, however, was completely out of sight until he was right on top of it, so unintentionally he drove right up to their front gate.
"W-who are you?" The unarmored ghoul guard said with a worried tone.
"The name is Adam Baxter, I was just in the area and I noticed your settlement. I figured I'd stop by and see if I could make some friends, maybe make a trade or two." The ghoul seemed to size him up for a moment and then scoffed.
"We don't need smoothskins here, your kind only causes trouble, buzz off. Besides, what would a smoothskin even want with a ghoul settlement anyway?" The ghoul said with an annoyed tone.
"I can certainly leave if that's what you want…" Adam said, slowly lowering his arms. "But I promise I'm just trying to learn, make friends, and make trades, I didn't know you people were out here. It really was simple curiosity, I swear."
The ghoul seemed to size Adam up for a few moments before slowly lowering his shotgun. It was, without a doubt, still in a position that it could be snapped to his shoulder and fired, but it was clear that the man was finally loosening his guard.
"I'm not stupid enough to turn away traders…" He said hesitantly. "But I'm not sure I trust this…"
"How can I prove myself?" Adam asked. The ghoul remained silent for a moment and then finally let his shotgun fall to his side, no longer ready for a fight.
"Wait here, I'll be back in a few, I'm going to talk to some of the others." He then turned around and left his post, leaving to head up the ramp towards the settlement, leaving Adam just standing there in the open hatch.
This was… really stupid of this guy. He was the sole guard of the gate that acted as, probably, the only entrance into the settlement. And, in the middle of his shift he left the gate to return to the settlement to speak with others. Not only that but he had left an unknown entity, Adam, with his massive APC out front without any supervision. This guy was… very much not trained… if this was the standard of security around here they might be the most vulnerable of any settlement he had ever seen. Let alone the disadvantages that being on a raised platform with two centuries of structural decay had.
Luckily for them Adam was a good samaritan, but it did not give him great hope about their chances of long term survival over here. Adam explained the situation to both Deccanus and Rae and waited patiently for the man to return. After a little bit he did, along with another man in a much neater black suit,who was, of course, also a ghoul.
"Hello good sir." The man said as he approached, flanked by the brown suited fellow from before who looked a bit sheepish. "I hear you are Adam Baxter? The one who killed Famine?" He asked with a professional smile, clearly well practiced. He also seemed to have an Irish accent. It was not very pronounced but it was notable enough for it to be a defining characteristic of his tone.
Adam was momentarily caught off guard by his reputation proceeding him but he was only stunned for a second, then he decided to take it in stride as he saw the man in the nice suit open the bus door, used as the gate, and approach the APC.
Adam, upon seeing him approach, hopped out of the APC and onto the ground.
"Yes, that is right. Though I hesitate to claim all the credit, we only succeeded because of the numerous people who showed up to help."
"Indeed." he said as he offered Adam his hand. "But that does not make your efforts any less impressive, Mr. Baxter." he smiled. "My name is Arden Connoley, something of the spokesperson for this… settlement." He said with hesitation. "I was informed by Mr. Ratric here that you were interested in coming inside." Adam took the hand and shook it.
"If that is okay, of course." Adam said with a smile.
"I see no problem with it, though you may not find all my colleagues here to be as friendly as I am, many of the folks here are of less… gentle disposition." Adam chuckled.
"I do not mind, Mr. Connoley. I am used to rougher types."
"Arden will do, my good lad." He said with a firm smile and handshake before he finally let go. "But then by all means, we welcome any who would chance upon our safe haven." He smiled.