Covenant:RickyHawkins

Richard "Ricky" Hawkins

The Headlines

“Family prays for safe return of rebellious child”

Friday, June 14th – Jasper and Bernadette Hawkins will hold a candle light vigil Sunday night, June 16th, at the gateway to the Strip Mine where their son Richard was last seen three days ago. On Tuesday night, Richard and some friends were playing around near the strip mine when the young man crossed the barricade and enter the mine.

“We dared him to do it, but we never thought he actually would!” said Franky Schmidt, a friend of Richard since childhood. “We all knew we weren’t supposed to go in.”

The Hawkins phoned police on Wednesday morning to report their son missing. “He’s stayed over at friends’ houses before without telling us, but when he didn’t come home the next day we knew something terrible happened.” Said Mrs. Hawkins.

Police Sargent Ethan McHugh asked any citizens with information about Richard to contact the Covenant police department. McHugh strongly urged the Indentured to stay away from the mine.

“I can not stress this enough: the Strip Mine is a dangerous place. It is simply not safe for anyone and the barricade must be respected. We have no reason to believe Ricky is hurt. We think he is simply lost in the maze.” Sgt. McHugh had no comment when asked whether a police search team had been dispatched into the mine.

The candle light vigil will be held at Sunset at the first gate of the Strip Mine barricade. All in attendance are invited to bring photos of loved ones lost during The Apocalypse.

What Happened

One of the Indentured Chosen (the citizens of Covenant) – Richard Hawkins – disappeared into the Strip Mine on Tuesday night, June 11th. Ricky had, for some time, wanted to go into the mine. The dare his friends made was just the excuse he was looking for. Ricky was seen as a bit of a trouble-maker in town. He could often be found at or near the scene of various vandalism, pranks, and rough-housing, as a young man is expected to commit. After all, he was only 16. Despite his regular truancy and no-goodnik status, he was beloved by many and was a whiz at science: small mechanics and electronics and such.

Ricky wasn't an anarchist or in any way interested in disproving the all-pervasive belief that Covenant is the last and only town on Earth. He's just rebelious in that misdirected teenager sort of way. The worst thing he ever did to anyone was ruining Mrs. Weaver's mailbox. Going into the mine wasn't an act of rebellion against the beliefs of the townsfolk. Rather, it was the act of an overly curious boy who wanted to know what was beyond the barriers and gates.

The Science Fair Debacle

Ricky was suspended from school for a month last year following the Science Fair. After reading about psychic mediums and occult figures like Alister Crowley and others, the young boy decided to build a device to commune with the spirits of those who died in Armageddon. His aptitude for basic electronics combined with a book he borrowed from Caleb Lynch helped him build such a device. In truth it was a small CB Radio that could reach as far as Chicago.

At the science fair, Ricky's table featured a poster which illustrated some, but not all, of the steps in the construction of his "Spirit Medium Box." It also displayed "research" from occultists and other psuedo-scientists and theologists. Ricky was on his way to a bad grade due simply to poor research and a hokey Spirit Medium act, but he was barred from participation when the science teacher heard the boy start playing a cassette tape of a recorded conversation.

Ricky and his infernal contraption were sent to the principal’s office before he could even finish introducing his taped conversation with "Black Jack." The device and the recording Ricky brought to school were confiscated and destroyed. No one bothered to listen to the tapes. That is, except for Ricky’s friend and confidant, Caleb Lynch. Caleb may or may not still have copies of those tapes.

At first Ricky thought he was communing with the spirit of one of the unfortunate souls who perished on that fateful Halloween. But soon he became convinced that the story about the world ending really was just a fairy tale told to keep people in line. There was something Black Jack said about the strip mine that rang true, but at the same time contradicted everything Ricky knew about the Armageddon. That’s why he went in when dared. It gave him an excuse and a plausible cover story. If he came back and was questioned about why he ignored the barrier he could say it was all just part of a prank or a dare.

Unanswered Questions

• What is it about Ricky’s story that an Outsider would find so compelling and believable?
  • What about it would make them think that the secret to escaping from Covenant is hidden in that mine?
  • What does Caleb have to say about the tapes?
    • What connection does he have to Ricky’s science fair project?
      • or is he simply blamed for having filled Ricky’s head with mechanical nonsense?

• Could Ricky have unknowingly passed the first test to become one of The Watchers?

The voice on the tape actually belongs to the recruiter for The Watchers. The mine is laden with booby traps and tests of skill and strength. Someone who manages to get past all the tricks and traps discovers the lair of The Watchers and is worthy of joining them. Not only that, but the spook-show they witness on their descent serves to warp their mind and make them suitable for conditioning once they reach The Watchers’ compound.

• Does Ricky ever return to Covenant from the mine?
  • If so, how has he changed?
  • what has he seen in the mine?
  • What are his beliefs about Armageddon now?
    • Is he more skeptical or has he regained his faith?

Jabonko