SEQUESTER

A group of desperate bandits wring what little worth they can from the surivivors that spot the dust-blasted wastes along the Urals. They descend from higher ground, beating scavenged drums and taking cover in the shadow of their bullet-spewing saintly idol: the Sequester. Completely silent but cooperative in the raids, the Sequester only takes regular infusions of water and canned food in exchange for its presence; something that has effectively turned the bandit group into a incontrovertable force of nature that strips everything to the bone and leaves only human misery in its path. It is devoutly worshipped by most of the bandits as some sort of nomadic holy site; a walking bulletproof Tabernacle. Some, under the influence of drink have discussed amongst themselves their theories on its nature as a military robot in service before the missiles fell, now aimlessly fighting according to some gameplan devised by its long gone original directors. Recently there had been a man who had joined the bandits briefly and was struck aghast when he first witnessed the Sequester. He spouted long and detailed stories about what the robot actually was, that the Sequester was a NATO QAPS unit, or Quadruple Amputee Power Suit, not a robot, and he desperately ran his hands over it looking for some access panel. He stammered that it appeared to be running autonomously, keeping its pilot cut off from the outside world, but still taking in food and water to keep him alive. His heretical calls for help in "cracking open the damned thing to save the poor bastard inside" were completely rejected, and the more pious bandits hastily had him broken on a wheel and left for dead.