Strangers were welcome in old Eureka, but only for what they had or could offer. Big Daddy Cool had set the decree at their first official meeting nearly a year ago when remnants of several west coast MCs banded together to form a new gang to ensure their survival and stem off attacks from their mutual rival. Before civil society fell, territory had been a source of pride and symbol of control and power, after the fall it meant so much more than that. It meant shelter, supplies, and fuel; all things that people thrust into a survival situation glamoured for. Civil society lost, but the nefarious world of outlaws and criminals thrived. In a world of law and order, they had long since developed ways to stay connected underground while the average people of society became more and more dependent on the bells and whistles of a high tech world. It was only natural that the criminal elements were able to hold themselves together while the rest of society fell apart and in so doing, take strong control of the urban areas quickly.<br/><br/>Big Daddy Cool had been unanimously elected to the position of Overlord when the smaller groups decided to come together as one. He represented something that everyone could relate to in one way or another. He was mixed racially, lived all over the country, a war vet, an ex-con, and to many people's surprise, a college graduate. Prison had it's benefits, and for Big Daddy Cool, a degree in Political Science had been one of them. Another benefit had been his introduction to a man everyone simply knew as Ratts, a prison tattooer with a personality that could pull very disparate parties together. Together they pulled the fledgling croup together, solidified it, re-branded it, and inked it on all the new members. Many still displayed their old patches, relegated to less prominent places on their jackets, but the new logo displaying a wrench and dagger plunged through a skull was displayed boldly.  Under the logo was the name 'Robber Barons', referencing the time in America when industry was king and those who didn't control it, we slaves to it.<br/><br/>After a short, uncomfortable ride as 'bitch' on the back of a Pledge's bike, Jack was taken to the Humbolt County Law Library in the heart of Eureka, the official headquarters for the Robber Barons. It was almost ridiculous in it's irony to see Big Daddy Cool and Ratts sitting there with the usual entourage of officers, enforcers, and 'ladies' surrounded by the pristine vestiges of a failed society, but beneath that it spoke of the grim truth of things. This was Cool's world now, and he was the caliber of noble savage that was perhaps the most dangerous type.<br/><br/>"Sit 'im down and the rest of you get out of here," he said with a casual terseness. 'The rest of you' included everyone but Ratts and soon Jack was alone with the two men face to face. Cool leaned far back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest and let Ratts do the preliminaries. It was their protocol; one that let Cool observe versus engage directly.<br/><br/>"So, you were picked up coming north from the bay. You don't look like a Brave," he indicated his knowledge of the trible settlement to the south, "so you must be passing through. A little stupid, or you got an agenda. Which is it?"<br/><br/>While he waited for the stranger to answer, Ratts went through his belongings himself, setting everything out neatly, looking for anything that would give information on the man; identification, photos, notes and papers.