The Winding River Project

[mrbisonm]

Glad to see you both here again.
Thanks Swordmaster,for telling me, I didn't test the link. I fixed the picture upload link above. Now you will be able to see the region in its original size. I changed the browser that I usually use to upload this post and therefor some adjustments of my account weren't saved on it yet, that's why the image was resized to 800x something.

Glad to be back

Fred

[Ricky112233]

YES! Finally, you're back! Hope you were still able to enjoy your summer

Oh and, Happy December 1st everybody! Time to open that first box-thingy and eat that first piece of chocolate!

-Ricky

[rambuckel]

My bedtime lecture will be back  I'm really curios about what will happen next

[eldaldo]

I am also glad to see you back.  I love your story and always enjoyed reading each new update.  i can't wait to see more!

[CabraBuitre]

We've been on the edges of our seats for a while now... can't wait to find out more about the 10 rocks!

[KoV Liberty]

Nice to see you back Fred. I have some catching up to do.

[mave94]

Fred/mrbisonm,
I am slowly catching up on the story. I stopped at the point that it was said that the sawmill in Access was sold on page 21.
I like the way you tell the story. It is a good idea to use different colours for the 'general' story and when Charlie is telling the story; that makes it clearer. There are some very interesting things happening. I'm still curious to know who the murder was. If I had the money I will immediately buy a house on the shores of the Grasslake, so I could have a nice and silent place to live.
Perhaps I will think of a character when I'm somewhere in 1967, but before that there is a lot of the story to enjoy still.

-Matthijs

[mrbisonm]

Fred/mrbisonm,
I am slowly catching up on the story. I stopped at the point that it was said that the sawmill in Access was sold on page 21.
I like the way you tell the story. It is a good idea to use different colours for the 'general' story and when Charlie is telling the story; that makes it clearer. There are some very interesting things happening. I'm still curious to know who the murder was. If I had the money I will immediately buy a house on the shores of the Grasslake, so I could have a nice and silent place to live.
Perhaps I will think of a character when I'm somewhere in 1967, but before that there is a lot of the story to enjoy still.

-Matthijs

Sold the sawmill? Nah, Slye moved it to Phlox, where it is today and soon it will have a railway attachment to deliver his products to Beecherfalls, the harbour town. Rails are already laid.
Oh yeah, I remember that murder, it was the first in Access. I think it will be next year (1968) when the murderer will be released from the Lakestead  Federal Prison.
Glad to have you with us mave94.

Thank you guys, the next update will be this weekend. It will talk about the Ten Rocks, the highway, the airport and the rails and of course a little about some of our "heroes".

Fred

[threestooges]

Hey! A post from Fred! Thanks for the update and looking forward to seeing the story continue.
-Matt

[NASCAR_Guy]

glad to see you more active again Fred

[mrbisonm]

UPDATE 86




October 23 rd, 1967

10:15 hrs AM

phone ringing.......

<< "Gabber Constructions, Access Center, good morning", the secretary, Debbie, of the Gabber Office in Access Center answers the phone.

86.01


A low voice politely asked: "Could I please talk to Mr Gabber?". "I am sorry, but Mr Gabber is on vacation for the week, can I help you?", the secretary said. The low voice continued, "Well, is Mr Allheimer available then?" the man continued. "Sorry , but Mr Allheimer is with Mr Gabber on a fishing trip on the eastcoast". The secretary announced.
Five seconds of silence.
"Ok then please tell Mr Gabber that Mr Willard Deforge from the Simland's History Commission in Lakestead has called to tell him that the site with the ten rocks will be to be considered as an important historical find and we would like to have it announced publically with his name as the official discoverer. We need to have his permission. If it is possible could you please inform him of this matter as soon as possible, since we would like to announce it to the public this week." the man from the historical office explained." After the secretary confirmed that Mr Gabber will receive the message at the latest by tonight, she left a message at the moteldesk where John and Mike are staying.>>

John is in Winding River Outlet with Mike, a small and new town on the eastcoast, fishing the seas during this calm and beautiful week of late automn. Calling in the evening from the motel in Windning River Outlet, and he told Debbie, his secretary, that he will meet her at the Midway Restaurant in Access for lunch at 11:30 hrs. It is only 20 Minutes away by hydroplane.

86.02


Just a little side note about The Winding River Oulet region, which is actually the end of the Winding River that flows here into the ocean on the eastcoast. The river produced a few islands at its mouth with its some thousand years of existance and which is a region well known for its richness of fish, crabs and oysters. Below is the Simland picture to see where this region is exactly located compared to all the others that we talk about in this MD.

86.03





The little town of WR Outlet or called officially, Radler's Outlet, is partially on the mainland and the other half on the first island to the east. It is a town of approximately 11,000 Sims and it was established right after the second world war finished, around 1946, and when German U-Boats stopped surveying and menacing the eastcoast of Simland. It is actually a very new town, the Baby of Simland. Today, around twenty years later, it mostly lives from fishing and some agriculture. We will visit the region in more details when we continue our regular Simland Region visits.

86.04


When John and his secretary met at the restaurant in Access Center, they discussed the matter of yesterday's call ,and John told Debbie to call Deforge back and tell him to announce the names of the two Loggers, his foreman Al Baumer and his company's name as the finders of the ten rocks on Wimmer Road, and that he himself has nothing to do with finding or discovering the historical site at all. "Get that all cleared up, Debbie", he said. To John, the matter was closed.

86.05


Later that week, still on his week off, John wanted to see if things were alright on the Wimmer construction site and he went to see where the road has come to now. While driving by the ten rock site, he noticed that the whole area was already fenced in and a gate was installed which seemed to be locked. Wow, he thought, that was a quick fencing job.
At the end of the Wimmer Road, he met Al Baumer, his foreman on this project. Telling Al that he was surprised to see the area of the rocks already fenced in, Al told him that it was done the next day with the help from the army. It took them 6 hrs to do the job. John's jaw dropped. Then after a few seconds Baumer said with a smile on his face that he would like to have workers like this, and how they proceeded to build the fences and continued with telling that two guys in white overalls went over the entire site with a "Geiger Counter" or something like this, especially concentrating on and around the rocks.
Then Baumer explained the construction of the Wimmer road in all details, everything that has been encountered and that they found and keep on finding small strange marked and engraved rocks and stones here and there,  and which were set aside for the archeologists to see. John wasn't surprised that they found other "stuff" that is affiliated to the ten rock site and added again with a smile. " If it continues likes this, we will end up finding Atlantis.....lol". Al laughed and said that we're not alone anymore in this region, the region was conquered before us it seems.

86.06 


86.07


Then John drove to the highway construction site and see where they are now. The site is only a few miles away from the Wimmer road intersection.
There John met with Alex Puto.
<<"What the heck are you doing here?" John asked being surprised to see Alex on the job far from the bridges, as Alex's job is Project Manager and Engineer for bridges and seeing him on the highway is quite a surprise to John." Didn't you know that Mike asked me to take his job during his week off? Someone has to take care of these workers while he's gone, right?" Alex answered John's question.
"Yeah, you're right, forgot about that." was John's answer.
"By the way, aren't you supposed to be somewhere on the sea and fishing your brains out?" Alex asked with a smile on his face.
"Well yes, but the office called me for some important stuff with those ten rocks. I go back this afternoon, Mike is unpatiently waiting, but I guess that he's just snoring his day away in the motel as much as I know him." John told Alex.>>

John drove back to Grasslake where his cottage is located and his hydroplane waiting for him to fly back to the motel in Radler's Outlet. 

86.08


In Phlox the rails for the new railways that Slye has planned to ship his finished sawmill products to Beecherfalls have been connected with the regional rails. Now T.S. only needs a train and some openflat wagons to start delivering the planks to the City. His contract with the greatest Building material Supplier in Simland starts on January 1st, which is only a little over than 2 months from now.

86.09


86.10


In Access, on the airport district, Steve Gibson, our bushpilot, has been busy with his bushpilot buissness and only a few months ago he has built himself an office and some space in the airport area and finally opened a new Company, Gibson Air. Now, just yesterday, he ordered a small transit airplane for passenger service from Access to Lakefield and Beecherfalls. With help from Guy Racsan, Steve got a good price on his first small jetengine plane, which jetmotors come from KECO, a Racsan company right here on the spot of the airport. Gibson can't wait to take his flying lessons for his first run with a jetengine plane. The plane will arrive in a month, just in time for christmas.

86.11


In the last minutes, the Radio of Access announced that the son of John Gabber, William (second youngest), was saved from a terrible car accident in Lakefield's harbour. He got away with no injuries but a broken image of himself. He got stuck with his foot between the gaspedal and the transmission wall, when trying to show some friends in the harbour how powerful his pick-up was. He went right over the seawalls, "breaking a new record".......

86.12




Well, I'm back with a very little different approach, using a little of TS2 screenshots also, but the same story....and Hohhh, I'm out of practise, it took me 6 hrs to make the pictures right looking. (I mean placing and plopping and growing things in the game)
For today, that's it, my first update this fall. Hope you all liked it and soon I will be fully back into the story, maybe even start clearing up some older myths and mysteries. Btw, what were those fellows in white overalls doing at Ten rocks and who were they? Testing or looking for what?.......I wonder......Anyone has an idea? Let's hear your suggestions and explanations. Have a nice weekend



Fred

[Schulmanator]

An entertaining update with great pix and story. Now it would be sad but true to say I know someone who did the same thing with a truck but for a slightly different reason. Though the water wasn't quite so clear. But this friend of mine doesn't take bets anymore!

[mrbisonm]

An entertaining update with great pix and story. Now it would be sad but true to say I know someone who did the same thing with a truck but for a slightly different reason. Though the water wasn't quite so clear. But this friend of mine doesn't take bets anymore!

Well, you know what they say, Schulmanator, there's a little bit of reality in every story. I also know someone who had a similar "accident". It wasn't a harbour, but a lake and it was clear, but it was for the same reasons. Today he doesn't "show off" anymore.
Thanks for dropping in. 

Fred

[rambuckel]

I'm sure I'll have a great bedtime lecture tonight!!!!! I'm really looking forward to read it!

[Cyclone1001]

Very good update, its great to see this story continue.

[bat]

Some nice pictures there! And great continuation of the story.
Looking forward to the next update...

[sunv123]

Interesting use of the Sims.....

It great to see that you have not given up on this.

[KoV Liberty]

You really do know how to tell a story Fred. Amazing work.

[mrbisonm]

Thank You for coming and leaving a comment. It is always appreciated and also confirms that the MD is still read and enjoyed.


Update 87

Friday, October 27th, 1967


87.01


It was time for Mike to gather all his friends to John Gabber's mainoffice in Access Center, one of the safest places to discuss his secret matter.
As we know already, Mike had plans to "invade" the armybase and get to the bottom of what all the mysteries are about West River earlier this year. He is ready , and he needs some help now.
He has been planning the intrusion of the armybase in every detail since this spring and now it is time to present it to his gang, that had already been there a few years ago.
Since Mike has been a part of the French invasion in 1945 and together with John, they were special infiltration specialists, his plan was very detailed and well organized.

<<" That's it", he said once sat down on the right side of John's desk, "I'm ready to go and see what is going on in West River's army base."
Everyone was silent for a few seconds and everyone knows since this spring that Mike has intentions to uncover the secrets of the strange buildings on the base, then John had a go,
"You sure you know what you're putting your nose in. right?."
"Yeap" knodding positively his head."I'm readymore than ever."
"You know that you're not 25 years anymore like when we were stationed in France, right?" John continued.
"You know that I have been physically training since June and I think that morally, mentally and physically, I am in top shape now and it is time to find out the truth about the West River installations. Ever since they found my two dead highwayworkers and then ridiculously shut off the area as if they didn't want us to know what's going on, making us believe that the Porolium gas is at a dangerous level, and then pn top of that came up with those stupid other explanations, I have been having nightmares of this, just like all of you, and now is the time to go and put an end to this. I want to know." Mike explained.
"I guess now you want some outside help with that." Alex asked looking at everyone else's reaction to his words.
" Yep, I need a ride to go and another one to pick me up, plus some other preparations and I also need some stuff.", looking at Alex,
"Your girlfriend has some diving equipment you told me earlier this summer, do you think you would be able to get it for me?" Mike continued.
"I guess, I will ask her and tell her it's for a friend that wants to go see the underwater world at the coast. No problem." Alex answered.
" Me and John have most of the other equipment that I will need for the trip, but I will need a few more things from Al and Slye," looking at both of them. Both nodded positively their head and announced they were ready to help.>>

So Mike started telling his plans in every detail, that he will be entering the base through the river once again, but this time underwater. He will then try to work up his way to the strange double towers and se how it is possible to enter them without getting caught. As a specialist in this situation, Mike will probably stay on the base for a day or two and see how everything is organized, especially the security at the buildings and underground entries. Once this known he will decide whether or not, at this time. to go for it. If not he will come out and plan his next step first. Al Baumer with his advanced fifty years said that he wishes that he was ten years younger and let everyone know that he envied Mike for his plans. Then Mike announced the date, the week before christmas, when most of the base is quiet.
John, having been a special infiltration agent also during the war, was strongly against the dat and suggested the last week of november, where the base is still very active and someone like Mike could easily disappear in the crowd, while the last week before christmas seemed to be more risky since every suspect could be more easily remarked and identified. The date was changed and all agreed on November 28th, 1967.

Their private discussion went on for more than an hour and after things were clear for everyone and all questions were answered, John invited all of them for lunch at Barbies Biergarten and Mainstreety corner. That sounded good on this Thursday.

Now let's go and look around town and the region a little bit, something we haven't done for quite a while. The four towers, as they call the new  first Hi-risers in Access' downtown, have been finished in the last weeks, although no office really moved in yet, the buildings seemed to be ready for their use. The interior will still take a few months and it was said to be finally ready before springs arrives next year when thousands of new office workers will invade downtown Access.

87.02


These office buildings are of the very newest architecture ever seen in Simland. Shining all their splender, they rise high above all the others buildinbgs of the town and don't seem to fit in this environment yet. What offices they will exactly house, we don't know yet, or let's say that it hasn't publically not been announced yet. All it was said, that offices like governmental, financial and directional will be the most needed ones and since Access and the Winding River has some very important development coming, concerning the industrial manufacturing and refining, the town will indeed need the offices for the companies that are being established here. The Johnny B.Badd's Laundry buissness just on the side of these Hi-Risers, seems so small now compared to these futuristic giants of steel, glass and concrete. Even once the highest building of the downtown area, the Wellington Office, somehow disappeared from the view of these towers. The looks of the area that once was housing the first big shopping Mall is forever gone. The town of Access is growing and it shows....

87.03


Here is a picture of what the area looked like last fall and earlier this year.

87.04


Not far to the west, Mayor Bartlett has again problems with his garbage disposals. Empty space is seriously running out, something never thought before. Specialists from Lakestead said that it is a matter of one and a half to two years before the site will be totally filled up. And besides this, some folks nearby already complained about the flies in the summer and the smell that comes along when the wind strikes heavily from the west. An important sum as a budget for the study of this problem was released by the the council of the town. A solution has to be found before it is too late.

87.05


And while we are in the area, a picture of the Fingerlake Dam, that brings the town all their drinking water and electricity shows that the lake is dangerously low for this time of the year, maybe because of the growing municipality's demand for water and power, maybe because of the unusual dry summer they had or maybe because a combination of both. Mayor Bartlett gave the order to some investigators to find a source to produce more power and a supplementary source of freshwater for the future years to come. With the new industrial projects coming to the area in a year, water in big quantity is badly needed.

87.06


On the other side of the mighty Winding River within Phlox's limits, some land was zoned industrial because of a great demand for industrial space in the area. Ever since they think that the river can be tamed for shiptravel up to Access and further one day, industries of all kinds are very interested in investing in a piece of land near the river. The biggest terrain was already reserved for Palmer Coal Industries from Reverant, because for the future, Palmer is very interested in an open coaling mine near the eastern Stoke Mountains and it needs a place where tostore and ship their product, pure coal. It is all a matter of the leasing of the land from the government and the righful paperwork for the years to come. Something that could bring thousands of jobs to the valley.

87.07


From the birdseye view, we can easily understand why this area for industrial growth was chosen. Close to the river and the highway, the transport of the finished products will be easyily managed.

87.08


The Minister of National Waterways has been discussing the matter of opening the Winding River to shiptraffic since four years now, and starting next year, a more intense study will start to see if the river is deep and safe enough to receive bigger ships. Some parts of the river are shallower than others and also cause some inondations downriver during the snowmelt in the mountains or heavy thunder and rainstorms. Digging these out deeper could also help the passing of larger ships. Not many rivers in Simland are navigatable far into the land and not many are as big as the Winding River, where the water flow never decreases. The river drains a whole mountainchain in the west. There's one specific spot on the Winding River inside the valley, near the Brick County, that has shallow waters caused by the accumulation of rocks, gravel, sand and debris with the years. A good fishing spot though, but not so good for navigation.

87.09


Only the Winding River is on more stable flatlands while the northern Duck River, also a fairly big river that starts on the Reverant lake and empties into the seas at Frampton, has a few torrent waterfalls and rapids where the groundlevels vary as much as 380 feet on a length of only 1000 feet, which means a bigger installation of hydrolic Locks will be necessary. And that is on several locations of the river like this. The slow flow of the Winding River though is very welcomed for shiptravel.
As seen on the picture below, we understand that the opening of the Winding River would be a lot more interesting for Simland than spending millions of simoleons on the Duckriver's Locks. If this is possible, then the ships may go right straight to Lakefield, the Capitol and the second biggest city of Simland.

87.10


Back again to Access Center, we haven't been to the Fingerlake residential project lately, which has enormously changed. They were able to add more than 500 new homes around the lake by now, all at a very expensive price, and these taxes are improving the Town's budget by several levels, which will surely help to improve the garbage, water and drainage problems. There is even a small commercial area that has itself developped to supply the citizens with their daily needs. Access Center has reached its 150,000 population mark in last September, which means that the whole region now is up to 190,000 or so.

87.11


Some citizens of the hew delopments above the lake have lately started to complain about a foul smell rising the hills from the lower fingerlake's swamp, now left at even lower waterlevels and slowly heating up with the last warm automn's sunrays. The little bay almost dries up completely if the lake's level lowers another few feet.

87.12


A close look at the little swampy bay shows the trees that were left behind when the dam raised the water and flooded the area several years ago.

87.13


And finally a last look at the changed downtown area of Access Center. The town that is slowly growing out of its limits. What we actually see here is about 30% of the whole town, which is spred over four different city tiles, but it is the most importyant part of the town.

87.14


That's it again for this week. When we come back, we have another look at Access and its region, but also enter the Dark Forest with the construction of the Wimmer road. Baumer complains that his measuring instruments don't function properly anymore. He needs those instruments to work properly to be able to keep his road construction in line...........

Have a Merry Christmas Everyone, don't hurt small animals and don't do what I wouldn't do, ok? Have fun, enjoy yourselves and make sure to be here in one piece when we continue the story of the Winding River Project.

Fred

[Swordmaster]

Thank you Fred. I enjoyed this update, especially the scenes of nature at the end. The last picture shows how good you are at integrating nature and buildings.

Cheers
Willy