The Bridges I westward expedition
The Bridges I westward expedition was a 3-year expedition put together and lead by Amelie with the goal of convincing isolated communities across what remain of continental America, and Mexico, to join the United Cities and connect to the Chiral Network. The expedition began 3 years before Sam rejoined Bridges.
Story[]
As President of the United Cities, Bridget Strand longed to see a fractured America made whole again, passing on much of her aspirations to her daughter, Amelie. In an effort to bring her mother's hopes for America to fruition, Amelie planned an expedition with the goal of convincing isolated survivor communities across continental America to join the United Cities and connect to the Chiral Network. Gathering the best of Bridges, Amelie and her allies traveled west, with Amelie using her preternatural ability to anticipate craters and BT-occupied territories to help the expedition team circumvent such areas while looking for survivors. Though the expedition team was able to convince many communities to join the UCA, a significant number of them refused, not sharing the UCA's vision of unity.
Halfway through the expedition the group split in two: one team, led by Amelie, proceeded towards the west coast while the other headed south, towards Mexico.
The Homo Demens capture Amelie
Three years into the expedition, the expedition team managed to make it to Edge Knot City on the West Coast. The expedition met an abrupt end when the Homo Demens ambushed the expedition team, killing all of the Bridges I members under Amelie's leadership and taking Amelie hostage as an insurance policy against the UCA. The Homo Demens allow Amelie to use Edge Knot City's facilities and communicate with her UCA allies, but do not allow her to leave the city.
Recruitment of Sam[]
Communities convinced to join the UCA that were left behind by the expedition team managed to set up terminals to be connected to the Chiral Network; however, the terminals were left isolated and offline after the expedition's abrupt end. Amelie convenes with Die-Hardman holographically in an effort to convince Sam to continue connecting locations from east to west to the Chiral Network, and to rescue Amelie from Edge Knot City. In their initial attempt to do so, they are unable to convince Sam to undertake the mission. Eventually, Sam agrees to the mission and undertakes his own succeeding expedition.