Part I:
Shattered Future
Chapter One
Tigress could suddenly feel a dizzying sense of vertigo, as though the world around her were spinning. Her eyes cracked, then slowly opened. Her vision was blurred, but adjusted. She found herself in a room with grey walls of what appeared to be stone. Looking down at herself, she saw she was dressed in a gown of some sort – nothing she was familiar with. It was colored a teal blue. Where were her clothes...? She looked up and saw them hanging on a coat hanger.
Where was she? Was this the entrance to paradise? She was so confused.
She looked down at her left arm, where she felt the prick before she died, and saw a bandage there. This was no afterlife – this was an infirmary. She was alive. Tigress felt a powerful sense of elation. But how? How did she survive... whatever it was that happened to her?
The white tiger, she told herself. He had to be the reason she was alive. He put himself at risk, wading into that toxic mist to haul Tigress out. Such a noble spirit. But where was he...?
A door opening and subsequently closing answered her question. She found herself frozen in place as she saw a shadow walk around the corner, and the white tiger appeared shortly thereafter, walking around the corner dressed in some kind of battle armor. He looked Tigress directly in the eyes and smiled.
"You're finally awake," he said. "I was beginning to think you might never wake up, despite assurances to the contrary."
"Where am I?" Tigress asked, suddenly transfixed by fear.
"Calm down – you're safe. You're in one of my safe locations; specifically, a renovated clinic inside the city of Megaton," the tiger replied calmly.
Tigress frowned. "Where?" She asked.
"Megaton – it's a scrap-metal city built around an undetonated atomic bomb," the tiger explained. "Don't worry, the bomb was diffused long ago."
"Whose bright idea was it to build a city around a bomb?" Tigress queried.
"Well, it sure as hell wasn't mine; I'm just glad I was able to deep-six the nuke before some dumb fuck set it off – the last thing this world needs is another nuclear warhead detonation," the tiger chuckled.
Another deed performed by this mysterious tiger, putting himself in harm's way to save others. Truly a noble soul. "You must truly be noble to do such a thing," Tigress said. "Speaking of which... thank you, for rescuing me."
"Ah, don't mention it – I try to help whenever I can. I just happened to be in the area when, by sheer luck, you appeared nearby," the tiger stated.
"Yes, I... I remember being thrown through some kind of... portal. The man who threw me through said... something about seeing what was to come," Tigress explained, avoiding saying the Eden's name.
"Yeah," the white tiger said, tapping a device on his wrist. "The computer registered it as a temporal rift."
Tigress again frowned. "What's a temporal rift?" she asked.
"It is, essentially, a portal in time. You were thrown... god-only-knows how many hundreds of years forward into time," the white tiger told her. "Not only that, but from what the computer tells me, you were thrown through from another location. Judging by your clothes, I assumed someplace in China."
"Yes... I was thrown from my homeland, the Valley of Peace," Tigress affirmed.
"I see," the white tiger said, stroking his chin as though he had a beard. "A piece of advice – keep that bit of your past to yourself. While I hold no malice against China – especially the China of your time – a lot of people here do. They blame China for the Apocalypse."
"Well, I imagine we'll have more time to discuss this world's history later," Tigress said. "Back to my recent history – what was causing that toxic mist you found me in?"
The white tiger sighed. "During the Atomic Apocalypse of 2077, so many nuclear warheads struck so many places on this world, it plunged it into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation," he explained. "That was... two hundred years ago. The radiation has pretty much gone away at this point, but there are still spots that are heavily irradiated. You ended up in one such spot."
"Yes, the... the air itself seemed toxic, making me sick and weak," Tigress said.
"Yeah, that's what radiation poisoning will do to you," the tiger responded. "I managed to inject some Rad-Away before it killed you, then dragged you to safety here. I had to get creative to get you out of your coma, but... seems my little concoction worked – though exactly what effect it'll have on you remains yet to be seen."
"Concoction?" Tigress repeated. "What did you give me?"
The tiger inhaled, then explained, "You see, I was born with a natural and transferable immunity to radiation and all kinds of mutations, diseases, and, scariest of all, forms of aging. I had been working for years to see if I can transfer my-"
"Hold on a sec – you're immune to aging? Like... Immortal?" Tigress asked.
"Basically, yes," the tiger affirmed. "I had it on good authority that I could transfer these immunities to others, and had worked up a concoction that would give others all these abilities. However, I never had a live subject to test it on – and I was worried it would kill you, as I'd never tested it before. However, there are... other abilities that my concoction may have given you."
"Like what?" Tigress asked.
"Well, considering I derived the serum from my own DNA, you should have access to the... powers... that I have access to. But, as I said, I've never tested this concoction, so you may end up with a different set of powers. We'll really have to play it by ear and see what happens," The tiger said.
"So, basically, we're gonna have to stick together from here on out," Tigress surmised.
"Not just so I can both train you in the use of these powers and study the effect my serum had on you," the tiger said, "but because, frankly, I'm going to need your help."
"Very well," Tigress responded. "You helped me – twice – so it's only fair I help you. What do you need help with?"
"First of all, you don't owe me anything – I've never abandoned anyone in need. Usually, I helped from afar, but in your case... it was different," the tiger explained, walking over to get Tigress's clothes and handing them to her. "Second, I need to get you some armor and a weapon, so that you can better survive the wasteland."
"Yes, that's one question I wanted to ask – where am I, exactly? As in, what province, or state, or something?" Tigress asked.
"You're in what's left of the United States of America – we, specifically, are outside the ruins of Washington, DC, America's Capital," the tiger replied. "And after we get you equipped and prepped, we're gonna have to scavenge around in DC for a part we're going to need for a device that'll get you back home." He walked around the corner and leaned against the wall, his shadow telling her he was facing away from her – to give her privacy while she redressed. She got out of the gown and began to dress as she asked,
"I have to ask, since we're working together... what's your name? I didn't get a chance to ask you when we first met."
The tiger laughed, apparently getting Tigress's implied joke. "Name's David – David Priznat. You?"
"Tigress," Tigress answered. She got her tunic on as she asked, "Where are we going to get my armor and weapon?"
"I have a house here in Megaton – it's not glamorous, but it's a home in this region. I have a spare set of armor identical to this one and an assault rifle there," David said.
"Is the weapon really necessary? I am, after all, a Kung Fu Master," Tigress stated.
"Perhaps – but most hostiles out here are armed with guns, and there are a number of them that Kung Fu skills just won't cut it – like Super Mutants, for instance," David said. "Those bastards will rip you limb from limb, armor or no. It's better to drill them from a distance. And then, there's those devil-headed stormtroopers running around out there – the Enclave. With the power armor they wear, you'd be hurting yourself more than them if you went toe-to-toe with them using Kung Fu skills alone. No, you're gonna need a decent rifle to survive here."
"Super mutants?" Tigress asked.
"Yeah – big motherfuckers, twice – if not triple – your size with the strength to single-handedly tip over a semi-truck," David explained. "As I said, those bastards will rip you limb from limb, armor or no – but that's only if you're lucky. They're actually fond of capturing you and hauling you off to god-knows-where to torture you or – god forbid – eat you. Nasty motherfuckers. So if you see one, go for the head and make sure it explodes. They deserve it."
"I'll keep that in mind," Tigress said. "But what about the Enclave?"
"Ah, my old 'pals' from the Enclave," David scoffed, "The remnants of a corrupt America under the leadership of their president – the last president America had before the war and subsequent apocalypse. If I ever find that motherfucker, I'll rip his heart out."
"You sound like you hate the Enclave – and their president," Tigress observed.
"Of course I do – who doesn't? The Enclave corrupted my homeland. They corrupted America and turned it into something it never should have been!" David exclaimed. He paused, sighed, then added, "You should have seen America back before the war. It was paradise here."
"I bet it was. But should we not be heading out?" Tigress asked, now fully dressed and walking around the corner.
"Yes... we should," David responded. "Just keep close to me, and let me do the talking."
David opened the door, and after he stepped through, Tigress stepped through, and her eyes were greeted by blinding light. Her eyes adjusted, and she found herself staring at exactly what David described – a scrap-metal city built around a massive bomb, unlike anything Tigress had ever seen.
She followed David away from the bomb, through the city, and started up a hill when someone called out to David. David and Tigress turned to see a young feline, running up to them. She paused before them, panting heavily.
"Steady, Daala, catch your breath," David said. Daala complied, then said,
"I... managed to get one of the weapons on your list. It's stored in your house, as you requested."
"Just two weeks after the last one? Shit, Daala, you work fast," David chuckled.
"Hit a lucky break on this one – nicked it off a Talon Company merc who got killed in an ambush," Daala said. "I was lucky to get out of there before his friends came looking for him."
"Great – which one was it?" David asked.
"The modded Kalashnikov Assault Rifle – you know, with the special rail system specific to aye-kays," Daala responded.
"Did you attach the mods I specified?" David asked.
"Wouldn't have stashed the rifle in your house if I didn't. Had to repair it, first – it was in piss-poor condition. But once I had it nice and pristine, I attached the mods; folding stock, dual mags, laser sight, that odd foregrip, ACOG scope – all of it," Daala replied. "And while I did this, I was wondering – what do you need it for? You usually favor the larger-caliber rifles, like that... that... one rifle of yours, the one made by Dragon Arms."
"It wasn't for me," David said, looking to Tigress. "It was for her."
Daala looked at Tigress and frowned, as though surprised. "Is she...?"
"Yep. The one that came through the temporal rift," David said.
"David... she... that's master Tigress, from the Jade Palace," Daala whispered hoarsely.
Tigress was shocked. How did Daala know...? "How do you know who I am?" she asked quietly.
"We can deal with that later," David said. "Suffice to say... there's some bits of this world's history you aren't going to like." He motioned his head for Tigress to follow him, and she and Daala followed David into his house. Inside, Tigress saw what she assumed was the rifle David had intended for her, laying on a small table. It was a gun, that much was certain, but it wasn't any kind of gun she was familiar with. Even the rifles in China didn't come close to this.
"Go ahead – pick it up. Feel the weight," David told Tigress. She complied, walking over to and picking up the rifle. It was much lighter than she was expecting, yet heavy enough to not worry about aiming troubles. She held the rifle in both hands, keeping her finger away from the trigger for fear of accidentally setting the weapon off.
"Don't worry, it isn't loaded," Daala assured her. "And that weapon is easy to use, reload, and maintain. All Kalashnikov weapons are like that."
"How long does reloading take?" Tigress asked. "And what does this rifle fire?"
"Reloading speed depends on how much you've practiced reloading a weapon like that," David explained, "And by how fast you can move. As for what that thing fires..."
"That's a variant of the archaic AK47 – and as such, it fires 7.62x39mm rounds. David here has a supply of that kind of ammo in both the standard and depleted-uranium variety," Daala stated. David walked over to a metallic box marked "762x39", retrieved a small, pointed, metallic item, and tossed it to Tigress.
"It fires those," he said. Tigress caught the metallic item – an advanced-design bullet, upon closer look – and examined it. It looked to be split into two parts – the solid head, and the hollow casing that held the head.
"I assume that the casing holds the gunpowder charge that sends the bullet on its way?" Tigress asked.
David raised an eyebrow. "That's a little to good to be an assumption. You work with guns before?"
"No," Tigress admitted, "But I've seen how they work... well, the ones from my time. This... this is beyond anything I've ever seen. Smaller, yet somehow, deadlier."
"Well, get used to it – the faster you learn the basics of that rifle, the faster we can move on to the more advanced designs. And while you're learning that rifle, you may want to suit up in the armor I have for you."
"What kind of armor is it?" Tigress asked.
"The latest kind of battle armor made before everything went ka-blooie," David said. "Only a small step removed from the Power Armor that the Enclave typically uses, but more advanced and with the added benefit of advanced computers and – best of all – a highly-resilient energy shield. This armor should get you through the journeys ahead of us."
"You seem awfully well-equipped for a person in this wasteland," Tigress commented. "I would have thought such military weapons and technologies would have been destroyed in the apocalypse... or looted by scavengers and looters."
"Mm... you seem to know a lot of what would happen in such situations," David replied. "How?"
"About a year before I encountered the man who threw me through that rift, my... friends and I saw firsthand a major riot because of a political upheaval in another part of China. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty," Tigress said.
"Hm," David answered, "Well, under normal circumstances, you'd be correct – but the apocalypse that struck here struck with such speed, it left looters and scavengers little time to loot everything. In fact, the scavengers didn't appear to loot the old pre-war buildings until... fifty or sixty, seventy years later, when radiation levels dropped to tolerable levels. After the nukes first fell, with my... natural immunity to radiation and everything else, I was able to raid everywhere to get what I needed. Because everyone who wasn't in a vault was dead, no one could stop me. My armor and yours were among the items I scavenged."
"Where did you get them?" Tigress asked as David walked to a closet.
"Depot just outside Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada," David said, opening the closet to reveal a set of armor identical to his. "When first worn, it automatically adjusts to fit the size – and in your case, shape – of the wearer."
"Wasn't it irradiated when you—oh, wait... with that serum of yours, you gave me the same immunity to radiation you have," Tigress corrected herself.
"Well, immunity or not, at the time I got these, it didn't occur to me that I could do that. So, when I could, I cured these suits of any and all radiation. And they also serve as an additional barrier against radiation, so they also function as radiation suits as well as combat armor," David stated.
"What are they?" Tigress asked, moving over to take a closer look, "I've never seen armor so... complex, yet so... simple-looking."
"Dragon Arms Advanced Dragonskin Tactical Combat armor; overlapping, high-tensile strength, linked and suspended ceramic discs with a flexible underlay for better mobility and reinforced with an ablative plating overlay for extra protection in addition to the energy shielding," David said. "Go ahead, try it on. As for me, I've got to install the final attachments to the rifle I'm using."
"What rifle are you-" Tigress began, before she saw David pull from a locker a rifle even more alien than the modded Kalashnikov rifle she had. Where her rifle had the bullet magazine in front of the grip and trigger, his rifle had the magazine situated behind the grip, with a small, unknown device connected to the foregrip via a pair of wires on either side, and another device imbedded within the foregrip.
"Here," Daala offered, "Let me help you with that stuff."
With Daala's help, Tigress found it easier to get into her armor. It was surprisingly comfortable, considering it was battle armor. Even easier to understand was her rifle – in under six hours, she managed to get down the basics of how to shoot, operate, clean, and reload this rifle. David just watched from afar, working on his own rifle.
Here marked a new path for Tigress – and it was a path she would not walk alone. Her rescuer walked with her...