Chapter One: Into the Wastes
Shikira
When I was a little girl I dreamed of a perfect life, with loving parents, and plenty of food, and a warm place to sleep. But now I have forbidden myself from dreaming of such things, I have one life, and I intend to keep it.
The stars shinned ubove in the clear night sky, I starred into my small fire after finishing up my last few bites of mole rat. Tomarrow I will travel to Meagaton to sell the items I have scavenged out here in the Wastland. I leaned agansit a peice on cement a closed my eyes.
It was late Afternoon as I walked though the bleak wastland, the hot sun beating down. I had to be close to Megaton by now, I have been walking all day, but I held strong. Suddenly I herd pounding footsteps behind me, whitch could only mean one thing, Molerat. I quickly grabbed my assult rife and without even looking at the Molerat I blasted it two times in the head and kept walking. I have spent the last couple of months scavaging anything with value in the Wastland and selling for good caps in Megaton, you might think I live a lonley life, but all I care about is staying alive, and besides a deathclaw here and there nothing really gets in my way.
I slipped my assult rifle over my shoulder and saw the destingtive city walls of Megaton in the distance, a wave of relif came over me, I was beginging that the bomb those crazy people kept in the middle of their town had finnaly exploded, but sure enough there it was and it would only be about another hour before I would get there.
Fang
It was late afternoon, and I leaned agaist the clinic building whare I was meeting my brothers, Jet and Mole. I bet your wondering why we all have such cool names, well thats beacuse we named ourselves. Yeah, our parents died when we were little so Lucus Simis, the sherif/Mayor of Megaton raised us and we have lived in this small town called Megaton ever since.
"Fang!" Mole called, waving his arms while running toward me, Jet running beside him. Mole is short and a little chubby thirteen-yearold, but has a wicked sence of hummor, he is the kind of kid who you would never bring into danger and would worship you if you gave him a Nuka Colla. Jet on the other hand was your tipical fourteen-year old with deep blue eyes, when he starres at you, you'll get shudders down your spine, "Can I have some caps for a gernade?" Mole whinned at me, "Hell to the no." I shot back. Oh yeah, by the way Mole is obsessed with explosions.
We made our way to Morriarty's Saloon, our favorite place to chill. As we walked in the dreary room I caught Mole starring wide eyed at Gob, the ghoul bartender, Mole just never got over how he looked, I nudged him to stop staring and we took our normal table by the door, "I hate this town." Jet complained, "It's so borring" he whinned, "At least it's safe" I replied, "Come on Fang, you're sixteen, we don't need Lucus to take care of us, we have you" Mole said, "Yeah, we could move to Rivit City" Jet said agreeingly, "Not happening" I said, "But why not?" Mole whinned, "Because we would have to hirrer a guied to get us across the wast land, and we have only enough caps for food" I argued
"Hey Mole" called from the big chair in the conner "Come here, I need to talk with you" said. Mole looked at me for approval and I nodded my head. While Mole and were talking I went to go buy somthing to drink from Gob. I sat in the barstool next to the radio and turned it on Galxey News Radio, sipping from my beer I listned to Three Dog talk about how great the Brotherhood of Steel were, and how they are saving D.C one wastlander at a time, "Turn that crap off" said the wastland girl sitting next to me, she was very pretty and looked about my age, her dusty blond hair in a pony tail. I switch the off button on the radio, and suddenly her eyes got wide and she pulled a pistol from her belt, turned around and shot in the head, Mole, who was speaking with him looked horrified as fell at his feet, "Don't listen to anything he says" the wastland girl said to Mole. Morriarty ran out from his backroom "What the fuck is going on out here!" He yelled, he looked at the wastlander girl who slipped her pistol back in her belt, "Shikira, you can't just go shooting my customers" Morriarty screamed at her, " was bribing this kid to active the bomb" she said ponting to Mole, "Then you go to Lucus" he said "Note taken" she smiled taking a sip from her beer, "Tipical wastlander" Morriarty sighed and went back into his backroom. I quickly stood up and motioned Jet and Mole to follow me, I steped outside into the cool night air, "That was pretty crazy" Jet said coming up to stand by me, "Yeah" I sighed, "Lets go home" I said putting my hand on Jet's shoulder. The whole walk home Mole was silent while Jet and I blabbered about Three Dog and the good fight.
When we walked in Lucus was sitting at the table reading some pre-war book, "Hey kids, did you have dinner" he said in his deep voice, "Yeah, we stopped by Morriarty's" I repiled, "Oh, and some wasteland girl killed , for tring to bribe Mole into activating the bomb" I said giving a little laugh, "I knew that man was up to somthing" Lucus said shaking his head, "Well, were gonna go to bed" I said yawning, "Goodnight" Jet said hopping up the stairs, we went up to our room which was nothing speacial, just three matriesses on the ground. We laid down and blew out the candal. "Mole?" I said quietly, "Yeah?" he said back, "You weren't gonna blow the town up were you?" I asked, Mole was silent "Mole?" I said, "I thought I could get us out before it blew and said he would give us 500 caps, so we could hirre a guide to Rivit City." Mole said ashammed, "Mole! do you even relize you were gonna kill everyone!" I said angerly, "I'm sorry" He said, "Whatever Mole" I said in an angery tone.
I woke up before Mole and Jet as usauall and dragged myself downstairs to lucus who was eating some fire ant soilder meat, "Morinin' Fang" He said, I sat down at the table across from him, "Can we talk?" I said, "Sure" Lucus said fiishing his meal "You have done so much for us, and we appresiate it more than anything, but I'm almost sevanteen and I can take care of Mole and Jet, so I think it's time for me and the boys to go" I explained, Lucus crossed his arms and simled, "Whatever you want kid, but whare you gonna' go" He said, "Well I was thinking we'd go to Rivit City." I said, "Fang, Rivit City is far, about a four day trip, the wasteland is dangerous, your pretty good with a gun, but Mole and Jet don't know the first thing about fightin'," he said taking a sip from his flask, "I know, I was thinking about paying somone to guied us and help me protect them, but that would cost alot of caps and I only have 100 right now" I said, "Hmmmmm, Ya' know, the people of Megaton are desperate for caps, it might only cost ya' 100 or so, all ya' gotta' do is find da' right person " he said with a grin, "your right, thanks Lucus" I got up, grabbed my coat and walked out in to the late moring air, I used the latter on the side of our house to climb up on the roof and ubserved the people below for a possible escort, I looked at Jerihco hmmmmm, no he's too much of an ass, I spotted the wastland girl from last night lingering around the brass lantern, with a impresive Chinines Assult Rife on her back, It would be embarresing for a guy to ask a girl for help, but I think I can make it work. I hopped down from the roof and casually walked into town. "Excuse me," I said approching her, "What?" she sounded annoyed, "My brothers and I are traveling to Rivit City, and well my two brothers can't really handle themselves out there in the wastland, so I need some help getting there." I explained, "Hmmmmmm it's a long trip, how much you willin to pay?" she said, crossing her arms, "one-hundred caps" I said trying to make it sound like a good deal, "HA! what kind of dumbass do you think I am?" she said "One-hundred is all I have" I sighed "well you're gonna' have to get some more, I'm leaving tomarrow so if you don't have at least five-hundred you'll have to find somone else." she said lighting a cigerette.
Shikira
We had been walking for an hour and I was already regretting being their little escort. The fat one that I called pork chop was slow as fuck and all he did was whine about wanting a Nuka Colla, The one called jet or whatever, was really clumsy and kept tripping over all the debri on the ground, Fang was alright he was pretty good with a gun and never complained, I hate to admit it but he was probabbly one of the best looking guys I've seen.
"Can you two move any faster!" I called back to Pork Chop and Jet who were lagging about six yards behind me, Fang on the other hand was following close behind me. I was suprised in fact, most people could never keep up with me.
The sun was starting to drop so I picked a nice place to camp by an old rusted bus, "Alright, we'll camp here. Jet, you build a fire. Pork Chop you set up the beds, Fang and I will go hunting, If anyone comes just hide" I ordered.
Fang took out his 10mm pistol and handed it to Jet "Here, only use it if you have to, I'm running low on ammo" Fang explained to Jet, Jet nodded.
We walked for about a half hour and finnaly spotted a mirlock down by the shore of the river, I crouched beside a rock and Fand was next to me cluching his beat up hunting rifle, "Ok, we get as close as we can with out it spotting us, then as soon as it does, fire at the face" I explained.
We crept down slowly, we stopped behind a boulder and I raised my gun, took three long breaths and fired.
The Mirlock staggered back then at full speed came charging towarrd us.
"He's a tough motherfucker" I spat, and Fang fired with a smile but missed the face insted hitting the torso, witch did absolutly no damage to the Mirlock, I quickly shot it directly in the face, and it dropped to the ground.
It was dark by the time we arrived back at the camp, but luckly Jet had manneged to get a fire going, "whad' ya' get" Jet said, walking over to us, "Mirlock" Fang repllied, sounding tired. The boys all grabbed their share of Mirlock and fond a stick to roast it on. "Well arn't you gonna have some?" Jet said looking at me with his big blue eyes. "Um, I'm not hungry" I said, finding a soft pile of sand beneath a rock I unstrapped my belt with all my supplies attached to it, and rested my gun beside me leaving the night watch up to the boys, I quickly fell asleep.