Chapter 1: Cause and Effect
Throughout the wasteland, mother nature had brought upon it a beating of rain and gust. Somewhere in the midst of it, was a suit of armor fighting through the harsh gale the blew against it. Following behind were two more, forcing their way through the weather's temperament. "Damn it, this storm is irritating me." Said one of them. "Zeke, can you see anything in this?" He turned his head. "Not really. It's kind of hard to make out where we are going."
Zeke noticed someone straying a little bit far behind. "Johnston, help Clandestine out will you?" He complied, backtracking. "Hey, are you alright?" Said Johnston. "Yeah." Said Clandestine. "It's really hard to move in this weather."
Johnston nodded. "Likewise." He held out his hand. "Let me carry that bag, we need to move quicker or else we'll get buried." Clandestine slipped off the duffle bag, handing it over to Johnston. "Alright, we're good." He said. As the three continued on through the wasteland, Clandestine couldn't help but wonder how she ended up in this situation. A few hours ago, she was stationed inside a small café with a different crew.
Since the Brotherhood of the East coast had set its' eyes beyond American borders, they decided to deploy a team towards the North, right into the land of Canada. So, with a Vertibird in tow, Clandestine and her crew were sent off. They would later on find themselves trekking through the ruins of Crescent wood, not a little far off from Winnipeg. Its' province was that of Manitoba.
While the team scoured the area, they came across a steel door hidden behind the counter of a café. Of course, no one was able to open it, and the crew had sent for a Scribe at once to deal with the conundrum. In the meantime, Clandestine and her fellow men were tasked to guard the area.
Clandestine kicked at the ground for some slight stimulus, watching the dust particles fly. Her squad members seemed to be doing other things to relieve their boredom. "Guard duty sucks." Said Clandestine. "Don't you think so Miles?"
"Well, it's not bad." He Said. "Right Javier?" He looked at Miles and shrugged. "How about you Betty, how are you holding up?" She stared out the window, catching a glimpse of a Radroach scurrying by. She shot at it and turned to Miles. "I'm doing okay. It's much better than having Derick breathing down my neck all the time."
Miles sat himself down on the counter. "Well, I can take to account that Courtney over there might be enjoying this." She appeared to have dozed off causing Clandestine to giggle. "Just be glad we're not doing something suicidal, like clearing out a nest of Deathclaws." Said Betty. She flicked a rock at Courtney's Power helmet startling her awake.
"What do you suppose is hidden beneath this place?" Miles shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe old world antiques? Or probably something worse." Clandestine couldn't help herself. "Like what?" Miles lowered his voice, darting glances left and right. "A lifetime supply of... Jimmy Hats!"
"Disgusting!" Exclaimed Clandestine, throwing Miles a box of Abraxo. Both he and Javier started laughing as Clandestine and Betty groaned. Courtney seemed to still look out of it. The gang bickered on for hours, throwing out various topics of their choosing. It was right then, they heard the unmistakable sound of rotor blades. Betty poked her head outside and saw a Vertibird hovering overhead.
"Finally! A few more hours and I would've started walking back to HQ." Said Clandestine. "Sure, a twenty two day walk doesn't sound that bad." Said Miles. The Vertibird slowly descended and came to a touchdown. Clandestine watched as the door to the vehicle opened. Emerging out from it was a Scribe that she soon recognized.
"Well what do you know, it's Dickerson." She said. The Scribe appears to be a man in his fifties, but he had the air of a someone in his late twenties. He saw Clandestine and smiled. "Ah, what a wonderful surprise." He said, walking towards the café. "So you're the unlucky one dispatched on this mission huh?"
"Let me guess, the Scribes forced this assignment on you, right? They probably didn't want to die early and chose you as a worthy candidate." Said Clandestine. "Surely you jest, eh Clandestine?" Dickerson took notice of the rest and immediately recognized them. "Ah, why if it isn't the infamous 'Steel Heads', Betty, Courtney, Miles, and Javier. I see the old gang moves together eh?"
"Of Course." Said Miles, trying to put on a serious tone. "Why, if Clandestine were to be assigned to a bunch of stuckups, I'm pretty sure she'd be doing the waltz with a horde of feral ghouls by now." Clandestine lightly shoved Miles. "Now, where is this problem you wanted to show me?" Javier led Dickerson around the back of the counter. "Just down here."
There was an opening with a flight of stairs going down. Dickerson descended until he reached the door. Beside it, was a console that bared numbers. He studied it closely. First, he fiddled with the buttons by pressing onto them.
He noticed that some of them were sticking, while the others popped back into default. The numbers that he was looking at was three, five, six, and nine. Four numbers, twenty four possible combinations. "Seems like I won't be using the modified electronic lock picker for this." Said Dickerson, smiling to himself.
He tried out four different combinations, until he heard a click on his fifth one. The door started to grind its gears, and it opened, releasing the musty air of the old world. Dickerson went towards ground level to tell the crew of his feat. "Well, I got it to open." He said. "How'd you manage that?" Asked Clandestine.
"Luck and Perception." Said Dickerson. "But, this is just the start of the discovery. You guys can have the pleasure of sweeping the interior first." Miles nodded. "Well then, shall we see what lurks within?" All four of the Brotherhood descended down the stairs.
Ahead of the opened door was a hallway with an elevator situated at the end of it. The crew approached it before stopping at the elevator's console. Miles pressed the button that for some reason, had a sticker of an apple on it, and the elevator hummed for the first time since its' discovery.
A few seconds later, the doors opened and Miles studied the interior. He nodded, as though presented with a question regarding entrance. "All right, here we go." He walked in, and settled in the back corner. The rest of them piled in. "Clandestine, if you may." She pressed the button next to her and the elevator doors closed.
The floor shook, marking the elevator's descent downwards. After a few seconds, the doors opened up, and the team was greeted with a sight that stunned them. It was a huge laboratory, with pods lining the walls. Scientific instruments were strewn over tables, and there seemed to be more doors leading towards other sections of the lab.
Blueprints were emblazoned on boards, some of them crossed out with red. "Holy mother of all that is hairy." Said Javier. "The Scribes will be jizzing themselves if they see this." Betty scanned the room. There seemed to be no threats right at the very moment. "All right, let's sweep this place. You might never know what the Old World might've left for us."
The team moved about the lab, looking at the many things that was laid out. "February 22nd, 2076." Said Clandestine, looking at a clipboard. "The Disperser, designed to break up a crowd in the case of a panic. Stage one of test: Sudden explosion of dislodged shell electrocuted a group of my colleagues, putting them out of commission. Shock shells needed to be tweaked in order to contain electrical charges."
Javier opened one of the doors, and was greeted to an underground railroad. There on the tracks, was a train the didn't succumb to the disasters of the Great War. Written on it was 'Weapons Testing Facility.' The other doors led to other railroads as well, each marking a different area of the lab. "Okay, this sweep is going to take longer than I initially thought." Said Miles. "But that will come momentarily. Clandestine, I need Dickerson down here."
A few moments later, Clandestine emerged with Dickerson by her side. He seemed to be caught up in the atmosphere of the place, and started walking around, throwing glances in all directions. "Marvelous... simply breathtaking." He said. Dickerson looked at a blueprint that was displayed on a screen. He studied it for awhile, clearly lost in his own little world.
Opposite of him on a table, a shipping manifest caught his eyes. He picked it up and read its' contents, gradually nodding to himself. It indicated various locations the weapons were sent to, some of which found its' way around Alaska. This information will greatly enhance for a more thorough exploration of Canada itself. Finally, he turned his attention towards the steel members.
"I say, certainly this is all intriguing. Why, with this manifest, we can track down the shipment of weapons that were distributed prior to the Great War." He brought his eyes back on the paper. "Well, we can't necessarily track all of them down. To be able to cover all this will require a significant amount of manpower and effort, to which of course will take time."
But, that would all have to come later. Dickerson's main focus was on the lab's varieties of projects. "It's a shame... most of these designs didn't even make it past the stage of creation." Said Dickerson. "But, with these blueprints, I'm pretty sure we can recreate some of these failed designs, even possibly knocking out the kinks." A flame of inspiration started to dance in his eyes. Clandestine couldn't stop herself from smiling. "There he goes, once the furnace starts, you can never shut it off."
Dickerson winked at Clandestine's remark. "Well, in the meantime, Clandestine, you should report back to HQ and inform our Elder of this discovery." He said. Clandestine slumped her shoulders down. "Aw man, just when things was about to get interesting." Miles laughed. "Hey, weren't you ranting awhile ago about leaving this place?" Clandestine shot a glance at Miles. "In any case, we need some extra hands here. Be sure to borrow a few people."
Clandestine sighed. "All right. I'll head back and let our great one know of our progress." Miles chimed in. "Don't forget Clandestine, people." He extended his arms wide. Clandestine nodded. "Right." Dickerson walked towards Clandestine, patting her shoulder. "I trust that you will have a safe flight." He said, giving her a smile.
"Don't worry." Said Clandestine. "I'll be in a Vertibird miles high above ground. What could go wrong?" Dickerson released his grip from her shoulders. "All right. Zeke and Johnston are waiting on you." Clandestine gave a small nod. "Oh, and one more thing, I've talked to the Quartermaster regarding the requisition you filed. You should be able to replace that defective rifle and get yourself a better weapon."
Clandestine looked overjoyed. "Finally! I've been denied replacement for so many months! Thank you Dickerson." She waved everybody off and left for the ground floor. Outside next to the Vertibird stood Zeke and Johnston. They seemed to be on guard, cautiously scanning their environment. As soon as Clandestine appeared at the threshold of the café, Johnston's gaze landed on her.
"So, what's going on?" He asked, rotating his left shoulder. "We head back to headquarters." Said Clandestine walking towards the Vertibird. "I have to deliver news of our findings and procure an extra team." Zeke opened the door of the Vertibird. "All right, we are set to go." He got in, and Johnston followed thereafter.
Clandestine boarded the Vertibird, shutting the door behind her. The propellers started spinning to life. Slowly, the big metal aircraft started to ascend, reaching its' peak of height. Then, it took off, gradually becoming a small speck in the sky. It continued to sail off towards the horizon to the point where finally, it wasn't visible anymore.
Aboard the aircraft, Clandestine sat quietly as she stared at the unoccupied seats across her. It would be a long flight, and Clandestine sought out ways to try to kill the time. She looked at the rifle that she held in her hands, and brought the barrel up to eye level. Taking the energy cell out, Clandestine tossed it up, watching it fall before catching it in her hand. Well, there ain't much to do here besides wait. Thought Clandestine. She heard laughter from the front, and curiosity soon got the best of her.
Clandestine directed her sight towards the cockpit where Zeke and Johnston sat exchanging dialogues. They seemed to be talking about their younger years, as some of the conversation involved mostly of Johnston's embarrassing moments. "Remember that panty that you proudly stole?" Said Zeke. Johnston's body movement indicated his displeasure. "Don't you dare Zeke, I thought you promised not to bring that up!"
"It turned out to be Senior Scribe Linda's undergarment!" An image of the old lady popped up in his head. "Why Zeke, why? Bleargh!" Johnston shuddered violently. "You seemed so happy rubbing that thing between your legs." Said Zeke, bursting into a fit of laughter. Clandestine tried to contain herself. Poor Johnston, she thought, and a small snicker escaped her. Realizing what she had done, Clandestine tried to cover it up with a cough. "You okay back there? You sound sick." Said Zeke.
"No... I mean, yes, I'm fine. Must've been a stray dust I inhaled." Johnston sighed. "It's okay. Considering we're all in a cooped up vehicle, that bit of spoken dialogue is impossible to overhear." He patted Johnston on the back. "Come on now, it wasn't that bad. Why, I remembered when..." Johnston almost jumped out of his chair.
"Oh no you don't!" He exclaimed. Zeke laughed, shaking his head. "Just kidding, no need to get so hostile." He made some adjustments on the console. "Don't mind us Clandestine, we usually pass time this way. It's unfortunate, in Johnston's case."
Johnston flicked Zeke off. "Aaaaaaand, there he is gentlemen, he's come back to us." Clandestine smiled at the two's behavior. "Both of you are very close friends, huh?" "Pretty much." Replied Zeke. "We've been friends ever since I was eight years old. This sap is about a year under me."
Johnston leaned back on his seat. "Zeke is kind of like an older brother." He said. "Every time I got myself in trouble, he was always around covering my ass." Zeke nodded. "Yup, that's true. Though, there were days I found myself questioning Johnston's competence." He stared at Johnston as though he was some sort of puzzle. "Fuck you, go choke on a fat one!" The two broke out in sound laughter.
"So, Clandestine, what brings you out here?" Asked Zeke. She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I was just out and about the grounds of our base one day, and the next I know, I was strung up on a mission to rediscover Canada." She crossed her arms, recalling that day. "Of course, it was the idea of Senior Paladin Derick. He said that I wasn't taking my training seriously and was condemned to scouting the wasteland."
"Ouch." Said Johnston. "It isn't too bad. My friends eventually caught wind of this, and they quickly threw themselves in the fire with me." Johnston laughed. "So, you guys move as a family, huh? You seem to be very important to them." Clandestine smiled. "Yeah... you could say that I'm like their baby sister. They're just worried about me, that's all." She said.
"Well, they ain't got much to worry about. Aren't you like an Aspirant? You're pretty much underway to becoming a Knight." Said Johnston. "Yeah... well, becoming a Knight? Fat chance." Zeke wagged one finger. "Hey, don't put yourself down. I'm pretty confident you will make it." Clandestine smiled mildly.
"But take Johnston here for a moment, he..." Johnston countered with a friendly insult and the three of them started to laugh. For the remainder of their time, Zeke brought up old memories of his escapades with Johnston, and how they encountered strange things out in the wasteland. Of all the stories he told, the most interesting one for Clandestine was how Zeke and Johnston discovered an abnormally large footprint in the mountains.
It was not until half an hour later in their flight, Zeke spotted an airborne object flying towards them. "What in the..." Seconds later, the Vertibird shook violently. "Shit! Something hit our propeller!" Exclaimed Zeke. The Vertibird started to lean left. "I can't control it!" Clandestine entered into a mild state of panic. "What should we do?" Johnston gripped the steering wheel hard. "Fasten your hold on that grab handle and don't let go!"
Clandestine clutched at the metal grab handle. The Vertibird started spiraling down. "Hold on tight!" In that brief moment, Clandestine blacked out. For a while, she was engulfed in darkness that stretched around her. Then, in the distance, a faint light started to dance, and Clandestine found herself pinned under a pile of debris. Where was she? A blurry figure came running to her, but she can't make out who it is.
The silhouette appears to be a child who seemed to be clearing the debris off Clandestine. "Wha... what is going... on..." Her voice was trailing off. "Where am... I?" The child started yanking on Clandestine's arm desperately. She noticed a large shadow in the background moving towards her. It scooped the child up, and the both of them started to pull away from Clandestine.
The child was shouting in protest, but the words itself were all muddled and barely audible. Both the shadow and the child disappeared, leaving Clandestine to her fate. Suddenly, she felt something tugging at her. Darkness started to pour in from all the directions, smiting Clandestine of her vision. Then she woke up. Kneeling beside her was Zeke.
"Hey, are you okay?" He said. Clandestine clutched her head. "Yeah... I'm fine." Johnston was standing beside Zeke. He wasn't particularly injured in any way. "It looks like we all made it." Said Johnston. Clandestine struggled to get up, so Zeke offered his hand, pulling her unto her feet. "We have to continue on foot. This Vertibird isn't going anywhere in this state." Said Zeke.
"Johnston, pool together any necessary items, we need to get moving as soon as possible." Johnston reached under the passenger's seat, pulling out a duffle bag. He started gathering amenities that was needed for the journey ahead. Zeke went over to the door and manually opened it, letting the stagnant air of the wasteland blow into the Vertibird. "We're all set." Said Johnston.
The interior started heating up. "We've got to get out of here." Said Zeke. All three of them stumbled out the door. After gaining a great distance from the Vertibird, they watched as it blew up. Pieces of metal flew in all directions. "There goes our ride." Said Zeke. "And our asses." Said Johnston shaking his head. "Nothing we can do, except press on." Clandestine studied the landscape. "Where are we exactly?" She said. "Well, I'm actually not sure. We should've packed a map."
Johnston produced a little trinket. Clandestine can't help but wonder what it was. "What is that?" She asked. "This thing right here, is a compass." He said. "A very useful item for pointing you to the right direction." He tapped on it, and the pointer landed on North. "Let's see here, we need to travel South East of here, so..." Johnston made a few turns. "That way."
Up ahead, Clandestine noticed a stretch of grey in the air. Lighting illuminated the thick expanse. "Ah shit, not now." Said Johnston. Clandestine picked up the bag that was lying next to him. "I got this. We should get moving." She said. Zeke took lead, scanning the area around him. It was not until twelve minutes later, all three of them were being beaten down by winds and heavy rain that ravaged the land. "Damn it, this storm is irritating me." Said Johnston. "Zeke, can you see anything in this?"
He turned his head. "Not really. It's kind of hard to make out where we are going." Zeke noticed Clandestine straying a little bit far behind. "Johnston, help Clandestine will you?" He complied, backtracking. "Hey, are you alright?" Said Johnston. "Yeah." Said Clandestine. "It's really hard to move in this weather."
Johnston nodded. "Likewise." He held out his hand. "Let me carry that bag, we need to move quicker or else we'll get buried." Clandestine slipped off the duffle bag, handing it over to Johnston. "Alright, we're good." He said. The three trudged on through the wasteland while the rain continued to beat down on them. It wasn't long until they came across a river. "Damn... We have to find a way across." Said Zeke. "How?" Inquired Clandestine.
Johnston looked around, hoping there was an available working bridge. Instead, he spotted a shanty alongside the river. "Hey, look at that." He said, pointing at the run down shack. Zeke stared at Johnston's general direction. "Great, let's go have a look, shall we?" The three of them trudged towards the shanty. As soon as they arrived at the door, Zeke signaled them to stop.
He slowly opened the door and cautiously walked in, drawing his rifle. Inside, items of various things were strewn about. Makeshift bedding laid sprawled on the ground, indicating that somebody had occupied the shack before. Zeke holstered his weapon. "The room is cleared. You can both come in." Clandestine walked in with Johnston trailing behind her. He dropped the bag, setting himself down on the floor.
"Well, we now have a problem. We can't get to the other side because there's a wild turbulent river blocking our passage." Said Johnston. "Any ideas?" Zeke paced himself around the room, contemplating. "As of right now, there's not much to do." He said. "We'll just have to follow the river and find a safer route."
Johnston nodded. "I guess that's the only option then. We'll check as soon as this ridiculous storm passes over." Said Johnston. Clandestine sat down, staring at her hands. She rubbed it together, calming the cold that gripped it. The room grew silent.
The only noise present was the sound of rain and wind hitting against the tin of the shanty. Clandestine lifted her head and spoke, breaking the silence that engulfed the room. "Say, what do you suppose blew the propeller off the vertibird?" She said. "That was very unusual." Zeke thought about it. "Well, it could've been an RPG, though I can't tell who took us down."
Johnston opened the duffle bag and started to rummage through it. "We won't be finding that out anytime too soon." He said. "But I can only assume that we might've been flying over a battlefield." Clandestine continued rubbing her hands. "Heh, what rotten luck then huh? What was the probability of that happening to us?"
Zeke collected two cinderblocks together, making himself a seat. "I know, this is quite a predicament we've landed ourselves in." In the meantime, Johnston brought out three land mines. "What are those for?" Said Clandestine. Johnston got up, stretching out his legs. "Well, I'm going to set these outside. You might never know who are what might be out there. Can you hand me those packages?" Clandestine got up and gathered three empty boxes of sugar bombs.
She handed them over to Johnston. "Okay, I'll bite, what are those for?" Johnston activated one of the land mines. "Disguise. I'm gonna lay these explosives out. There's nothing suspicious about trash littered about the front anyways." Johnston opened the door. "If anything or anyone tries to pull a fast one, they are in for one hell of a surprise." He took the items and left, leaving Clandestine alone with Zeke.
"You should get some rest." Said Zeke. He checked the energy cell on his rifle, ensuring it still had juice running through it. "I'm going to take the first watch for a couple of hours." Clandestine nodded. She walked over to the makeshift bedding, fixing it to her liking. Somewhat satisfied, she plopped herself on it. "Alright, I'll see you in a bit." Said Clandestine. She tried to find a comfortable position, shifting herself around for a moment.
"Uh... are you alright?" Said Zeke, watching Clandestine in amusement. She continued to shift herself around. "Yeah... just trying... to find a good... spot." This continued for a couple of seconds. Finally, she found a position that felt comfortable. "Okay, that's much better." Zeke laughed. "Sleep well." Clandestine gave a small tired nod. Slowly, her eyelids began to drop as she eased herself to sleep. After a few minutes of silence, Clandestine was whisked off to the land of dreams.
What, is that noise? Clandestine woke up three hours later. Zeke was standing at the door, while Johnston looked over his shoulder. "What do you think it is?" He said. Zeke drew out his weapon. "I don't know." He said, looking concerned. "Hey, what's going on?" Asked Clandestine, confused. "Oh, you're awake." Said Johnston staring at her. He fixed his gaze outside the door.
"Something out there set off one of the landmines... I..." An explosion was heard not too far from them. Clandestine's mind suddenly became clear. Everyone went on high alert. Zeke pointed his rifle out the door. "I'm going to go check it out." He said. "Alright, just be careful." Said Johnston reloading his rifle. Zeke walked out into the dark, disappearing in it. A couple of minutes went by since Zeke had left. Johnston stood by the door pointing his rifle out.
Clandestine prepared herself. She took out the microfusion cell on her rifle, and pulled the trigger, testing it out. Okay, I just hope this doesn't jam itself again. "Where in the world is Zeke?" Muttered Johnston. Dead silence filled the air. "Johnston, I think we should look for Zeke. It's already been eleven minutes since he disappeared." Johnston thought about it for a while. He stared outside for a couple of seconds. Then, he turned to Clandestine.
"Okay. But we should limit our search to only five minutes. If we don't find Zeke within that margin, we regroup back here, understood?" Clandestine nodded, placing the microfusion cell into the weapon's slot. Johnston walked out into the dark wasteland with Clandestine following right behind. "I'll take the right, you take the left." Said Johnston. "Remember, five minutes, no more than that." He said. "Got it." Said Clandestine.
It was pretty hard to see in the dark. Clandestine kept her eyes open, cautiously scanning the environment. One minute went by. Two minutes, then three. Still no sign of Zeke. Clandestine pressed on, walking slowly. Suddenly, streaks of red lights lit up the dark. "Shit!" That was the unmistakable voice of Zeke, and it sounded like he was in trouble. Clandestine drew closer to the lights and spotted a large rock. She slipped right behind it.
"Zeke! Zeke, where are you?" A reply came back to her. "I'm pinned down behind a couple of rocks!" Clandestine peered out and saw a small crew of armored people shooting at a large pile of rocks. The Enclave? Here? Of all the rotten luck! Zeke popped himself out from cover, showering his attackers with lasers before retreating back into position. The barrage from the opposition continued as the armored group inched their way towards Zeke.
Something small flew out of the dark and landed next to one of them. "Aw shit, it's a grenade!" It detonated, creating a blast of green superheated plasma, dispatching one of the armored men. Johnston came out of nowhere, joining himself with Zeke. "There you are." He said, peering out from the rocks. "Where is Clandestine?" He asked. "I'm right here!" Clandestine stuck her arm out, waving it at Johnston before withdrawing it back to safety.
Zeke peeked out from the rocks, checking the status of the enemy. They seemed to be recovering from the sudden attack. Zeke brought his head in, turning his gaze at Johnston. "Do you still have any grenades left?" He nodded, producing two plasma grenades. Zeke grabbed one and lobbed it towards the enemy's vicinity. The grenade, however did not reach them. It was instead shot in midair, causing it to blow up prematurely.
Clandestine watched as more of the armored people showed up from the darkness. "Guys! They've got reinforcements!" "How many?" Said Zeke. "About a dozen of them!" Said Clandestine. Johnston looked mortified. The men started firing away. "Shit!" Exclaimed Clandestine. "Johnston! Give me the last grenade!" Johnston dropped it in Zeke's open palm. "Clandestine! I've got a plan! We'll make a run for it at my signal! Are you ready?"
"I'm ready when you are!" She replied back. Instead of throwing the grenade as he did before, Zeke dispatched it by rolling it towards the men. They started to scramble for cover, but the grenade blew up, killing at least two of them. "Now!" All three of them started to run. "Quick! let's go this way!" Yelled Zeke. They proceeded northwest. Along the way, they were met with more men in armor.
"Fucking damn!" Said Johnston irritably. They quickly made a detour by running west. That choice, to their horror, was a huge mistake. There, the steel members were met with a blockade of water. "Damn it! We're cornered!" Said Clandestine frustratingly. The three of them turned around as they heard a large number of footsteps approaching. Finally, they were staring face to face with their aggressors. Clandestine was now able to see the enemy more clearly.
What she had originally thought was they were facing were the Enclaves. She was wrong. These guys looked nothing like the Enclaves. Their helmet resembled something like that of an insect Clandestine's seen in pre-war books. One of them stared at Zeke, moving his gaze down to Johnston, and finally on to Clandestine. "Well, well, well... why if it isn't the infamous Brotherhood of Steel. I thought we had thinned your herd greatly... it seems like we missed a few back in Chicago."
Zeke looked puzzled. "What? What are you talking about?" The man's tone of voice changed. "Don't be coy, you three are originally from the mid-west, am I right?" Johnston stepped in. "Like Zeke said, we have no idea what you are talking about!" The man started to get irritated. One of the men in the crowd spoke. "Sir, their armor seems to differ from the variants we've come across." He looked at Zeke's armor. "Ah, I see, you are correct."
"Enough talk! Who are you people?" The man was taken aback. "Very well. It's fitting to at least part you with such information before dying." The man took his power helmet off, revealing a scarred face. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arthur. The group you see gathered here today are a force to be reckoned with." He outstretched his arms, as though waiting for an embrace. "We are known as the Cause."
"Never heard of you." Said Johnston. Arthur laughed. "That's not a surprise. You see, unlike the Brotherhood of Steel, we tend to take a much discreet approach when disposing our enemies. Oh, by the way, how is your Vertibird doing?" Clandestine looked surprised. "It was you? You shot us down?" Arthur started to laugh again.
"Yes, I shot that miserable junk out of the air. My only gripe about that was, you guys had survived the crash, and I am here to correct that mistake." Johnston made a small step towards Arthur, but Zeke held him back. "Smart move. Though a kind gesture, you are only delaying the inevitable." This makes no sense. Why are these guys after us? Thought Clandestine. "Why are you doing this?" She asked, gripping the barrel of her rifle tight.
"Well, you can say it's in the best interest of the people across the wasteland. You take what does not belong to you, and even slay those who stand in your way towards your conquest of 'human preservation', blinded by your own foolish ideology." Arthur popped his knuckles and continued. "Furthermore, you take the sons and daughters of every village you come across, all in exchange for protection and most importantly, their own right for independence. You can say what you may, but at the end of the day, the Brotherhood of Steel are nothing but a group of scum that only thrive on Dictatorship."
"That's a load of bullshit! We've done none of what you are speaking! The only reason for the existence of the Brotherhood is to keep the world from tearing itself apart!" Said Johnston angrily. Arthur seemed amused by the outburst. "Ah, so you think you're doing humanity a favor by playing government. That is interesting, but it matters not anyways." Arthur held up his hand. "And now, my friends, it is my pleasure to bring you into a quick retirement." He smirked, staring at the three of them.
Zeke looked at Johnston and Clandestine. For some reason, it's like they knew what Zeke was telling the both of them. Having no second thoughts, they quickly spun around, running straight for the river. "Shoot them! Now!" Shouted Arthur. Everybody opened fire, and the dark lit up with the beams of laser flying towards Clandestine and her crew. One of the lasers found it's mark on Clandestine leg, causing her to limp. "Agh! God damn it!" But that didn't stop her from advancing.
"Don't let them get away! Shoot damn it, shoot!" The three threw themselves into the turbulent waters. The river started bashing itself upon the unfortunate group as they were dragged downstream. Clandestine tried her best to fight the current, but it was just too strong. She felt herself going under, and within a couple minutes of being thrashed about, Clandestine fainted. Both Zeke and Johnston were lost beneath the waters of the river as they shared the same fate along with Clandestine.
"What should we do sir? Should we follow them downstream?" Arthur stood at the rivers edge, watching the water flow violently. "No, that is unnecessary. Odds are, they are probably dead." The man looked uncertain. "And if they somehow survived?" Arthur turned around, planting his dead eyes on the man. "We might cross paths somewhere down the line. Now come, let us go and continue our cleansing." He placed his power helmet back on, and together with his men, they walked into blanket of darkness, disappearing on sight.
Out in the horizon, the sun was starting to rise. The rays started to touch parts of the land, bringing about what was hidden away in darkness. From that light, a female individual was seen squatting down alongside the river. She seemed to be rummaging through multitudes of junk that was strewn about. "Hmm... nothing of importance here." She said. The woman continued walking a little bit further down, stopping at certain spots and going through more junk. "There is nothing here either." She sighed. "I think I'll call it a day."
She was about ready to turn in to her hideout until something had caught her attention. "What the?" The woman was staring at a hunk of steel. She walked over and got a good look at the strange thing. Immediately, she soon recognized what she was staring at. "The Brotherhood of Steel? What are they doing up here?" The woman kneeled down, placing her ear on the chest piece. "Still alive."
She carefully removed the power helmet, and soon, she was staring at an unconscious Clandestine. She wasn't breathing. The woman started to perform CPR. She started off with chest compressions. She moved to the mouth, exhaling air to provide artificial ventilation. After a few minutes of compressions, Clandestine started coughing out water.
The woman looked slightly relieved. She grabbed Clandestine's left arm and lifted her up. "Oof! I forgot how heavy these things were." The woman adjusted herself, carefully balancing Clandestine. Setting her sights North, the woman started walking, all the while supporting Clandestine along the way.