Wanderer's Diary: Week Two
Day 8: Urge to Kill, Rising...
Today, I had an epiphany. I don't care about all the people I've killed because I really like doing it. It's not because they were jerks or deserved it. Not that they didn't. It's just that I like to kill people, and I want to start doing more of it.
I mean, think about it; I came out of the vault after just getting my first taste of blood, and killing God knows how many of my fellow vault dwellers, and I discovered Silver. She told me about Moriarty, and my first instinct was to find him and put a bullet in his head. But then she told me about the raiders, so I put a whole bunch of bullets in a whole bunch of people instead.
And when I got to the relatively violence-free Megaton, I shot a man the first day I was there, killed another with a grenade the following day, and when the third day came and I was out of villainous enough people to off, I went after Moriarty with my brand new silenced pistol and put him down too. Then it was off to kill Tenpenny.
My whole life now has started to be focused around finding someone to kill. I only kill bad people because it gives me the excuse. The Capital Wasteland isn't like pre-war America or the vault; there are no laws out here. If you can claim self defence, that'll pretty much be the end of anyone's complaints. No-one cared even slightly when Burke died. And if I can't claim self defence, I can call it Wasteland Justice™ and that'll be just as valid as an excuse.
The old world had a term for people like me. Serial killer. But after the apocalypse, most people are serial killers. However, those same people are also raiders, and hated. Me though? I can just decide to kill douchebags, and everyone will love me. Ha! Stupid trusting jerks.
Anyway, so how did I come to have this epiphany?
Well, it all started when I was heading north towards Megaton. After the town of the cannibals, I wanted to get some rest and prepare myself for my next journey. While doing so though, I came across a massive military complex. Fort Independence, home to the main contingent of the Brotherhood Outcasts that President Eden was warning me about.
My first instinct was to shoot them on sight, because I had been given warnings about them. Then I looked at their armour, and realised that my pistol probably wouldn't do much to them. So I tried to approach peacefully. There was a raider attack, and they took them out as they came. I talked with a few.
And this is the part where I nearly shot them anyway, because then these power armoured pricks had the gall to act high and mighty because they were supposedly smart and educated and all locals are ignorant tribals. This one bitch had the nerve to act surprised when I caught that she was making a Moby Dick reference when discussing the Brotherhood of Steel proper.
Hey, fuck you too, Outcasts! I came from a vault. You're dirty wastelanders just like the rest of these people as far as I'm concerned.
Well, they tried to set up a deal with me, in that I'd exchange technology like energy weapons, power armour, sensor modules, that kind of thing for my choice of payment, which could be ammo, medical supplies, etc.
Their leader, Protector Casdin, was more amiable than the rest, but I still didn't like him. I didn't like his attitude, I didn't like his face. So I was going to shoot him. And then I remembered my present company. And that's when I ran off westwards into the ruins of the nearby town to get away.
And then Hell descended.
Raiders everywhere. They were in the streets, they were in alleys, they were in buildings, they hid behind things...I couldn't keep track of all of them. Some had just pistols and other standard weapons, but one had a sawn-off shotgun, and at least one other had a missile launcher! Just like the raiders at the cave! Are missile launchers really standard issue for raiders?!
I fought them, but I wasn't doing so well. I used up all my grenades battling them, ran out and collected their guns when it was safe because my own weren't up to the challenge, and kept trying to put off using either one of the two missile launchers I was now lugging around.
Then came salvation, in the form of Sam Warrick, who's a raider, and a crack shot with his sniper rifle. Thing is, he's a raider who hates other raiders, so he was stealing my kills. Well, that or saving my life. I thought of it as stealing my kills though.
All I know is, the raiders soon went down. And I saw this guy, and my first thought was:
Ah! A challenge!
Out came the pistol, and then we were both going at it in the streets of Fairfax. Oh it was so good! There was blood all over, and that look in his eyes when I made the fatal shot! I came running out from my cover, charged him and stole his sniper rifle out of his hands! He looked up at me sadly, treating his own death all serious-like, and I was just dancing around and giggling like a maniac.
And then, I realised I didn't want to kill the Outcasts anymore. My urges were satisfied. I'd taken my share of lives for the day, and I was richer for it. So now I lay here, by a campfire, in one of the more intact buildings of the Fairfax ruins, creating an inventory of all the stuff I'd taken from the raiders as I write these journals.
Gonna start with breaking down the missile launchers and combining the best parts of both into one. I'm going to need the Fairfax raiders' full arsenal for tomorrow.
Because tomorrow, I assault Fort Independence.
Day 9: Cast Out Again. FROM LIFE.
Well, that's the end of the Brotherhood Outcasts.
They made a valiant effort, but I had a missile launcher, and once the guy with the minigun went down, I also had a minigun. After that, Protector Casdin barely stood a chance. Carrying both the heavy weapons was a bitch to do, but with personal armament like that, their armour was no longer a problem. And the best part was that I kept coming across more ammo as I went through their base.
It's really quite pathetic that these trained killers in power armour, who think they're so much better than the rest of the people in the wasteland, all couldn't stop one guy wearing a vault jumpsuit with a shoulder pad.
Well, after the total emasculation of the Brotherhood Outcasts was complete, I started picking out my prizes. Miniguns and missile launchers galore, and ammunition for all of them. One of the launchers was modified by the Outcasts to be more damaging and to fire in a weird way. Nothing that V.A.T.S. can't properly direct though. That's always a help when I can't make a shot by myself.
I also got a bunch of laser and plasma weapons, pistols and rifles alike, cells for all of them, plus cells for a kind of weapon I haven't even seen yet, a device that turns the user invisible(!) and all this damn power armour all over the place too. I wish I knew how to use power armour. I could be invincible if I wore this.
Then again, I took down the Outcasts all by myself. I may not even need it.
Still though, this is valuable stuff. I've spent most of the day collecting up damaged power armour, stripping it down, and mashing the parts together again to make less damaged power armour. I've thrown the corpses into the basement, and tomorrow I am going to make a long journey back to Megaton, carrying with me multiple suits of power armour and heavy weapons, and a load of scrap metal for Walter too.
It'll be tough, but hey, this is what will make me rich. I am SO getting a jukebox when I get home!
Day 10: AUGH YEAH FOKES.
This is the Lone Wanderer, as titled by Three Dog, writing to you from my bachelor pad here in sunny Megaton, Virginia. Is this technically Virginia? Is there even a Virginia anymore?
Fuck it.
This place is looking swanky now. It was a long journey, but I was right about it being worth it. Power armour is real valuable, despite the relative lack of people trained to wear it. It sold for a lot once I found a buyer, and by the time I found people to sell my excess of energy weapons to, I was swimming in caps.
Moira's done this place up good. I got a workbench to construct those grenades I found schematics for, I got a lab to brew up chems that also contains a supply of that pre-war addiction-treating stuff that Doc Church has, I got an infirmary to patch myself up, the jukebox I had my eye on, tuned to Galaxy News Radio of course, and Moira's even done a whole redecoration of the house's style, to make it look like the vault.
Home sweet home.
I started that library too. All the books I collected from the cave and the school are on my shelf now, as are all my new issues of Grognak, including one I forgot to mention earlier that I found in Andale.
Actually I picked up a lot of stuff I didn't mention. There was a book about flamethrowers used by the U.S. army I found in Fairfax, between Fairfax and Andale I found a book about a jerky vendor, and I picked up another pair of Quantum bottles too, one of which was actually in Fort Independence.
I find myself appreciating the new literature on a whole new level since Independence. It's like that bitch who didn't expect me to have read Moby Dick was there in my head, subconsciously making me read more into the works.
I could have been a book critic if I were born before the war.
I love this comic so much though. It reminds me of a time when I only murdered people in my fantasies, and my dad wasn't gallivanting around the wastes, likely getting himself killed by mutant bears.
The bears are called yao guai, by the way. At least that's what I'm told. And the insect thingies are bloatflies. While on the subject of mutant wildlife, I also came across some giant ants and giant scorpions fighting while on my travels, and the giant scorpions are called radscorpions. Like radroaches, except for scorpions. And yet the giant ants are just called giant ants. Weird.
What's left of my haul after the last adventure has all been gathered up, sorted and put in its place. Tenpenny's suit will be right at home next to the spare vault jumpsuits and security armour, and I've surprisingly enough found that the other locker has enough space for me to keep both the minigun and the special missile launcher there.
By the way, the Outcasts named it Miss Launcher. Fuckheads.
I'd like to carry them with me on my adventures, but sadly it just isn't practical. I've already decided I'm going to keep the other stuff with me. That's a laser pistol, laser rifle, plasma pistol, plasma rifle, sniper rifle, sawn-off shotgun, silenced pistol, frag grenades, combat knife I took from Sam and a pair of brass knuckles some raider had if all else fails.
That by itself is more than one man should ever need. I am NOT carrying around weapons meant to be used against buildings and tanks as well. I have enough. If I come across a target large enough to warrant that kind of firepower, then it's something I need to go back to Megaton and take a few days to plan the demise of anyway. I certainly don't plan to be making another Independence-style raid any time soon.
Do you even know how hard it is to strap all these weapons to myself?
Also been looking at those grenade schematics. I need to be on the lookout for Abraxo cleaner and turpentine. Tin cans I already have plenty of. Also on my shopping list is a conductor, fire hose nozzle, leaf blower and vacuum cleaner, because the caravan guy I sold some of the power armour sets to, and Moira, both coincidentally were selling schematics for a thing called the Rock-It Launcher.
Again, fuckheads.
They're both slightly different versions though. I don't know whose idea the initial design was, but I think these two were copying from different notes. Putting them together though, I think I can make a design that combines the best of both, if I get the parts. I think Moira sells what I need, but I can't be bothered to walk up to the shop again now. It's late, and the day's been busy enough.
Though I did find time to check in on the old saloon again while I was here. Nova and Gob are running the place together since Moriarty's death. Everyone seems a lot happier. And thus, my actions are justified.
Day 11: Trying New Techniques.
11:35.
Gave Walter the scrap metal I had after cleaning out Fort Independence before I left today. I no longer needed the caps because there's nothing else in town I want to buy, so I just gave it away. Helps boost my rep. He was ecstatic. I think Megaton's all set with regards to scrap metal for a while now.
Moira also asked me to see about doing the mines portion of the research now. Since I'm heading in that general direction, I need to stop by Minefield, navigate my way through the town, and bring her back a mine from that place for her.
Anyway, today I've decided to head northwards and deal with the problems in that direction. I really do want to get back to tracking dad, but these people are helpless without me, and I really feel like killing something today. I went all of yesterday without so much as shooting one of the vultures ominously circling the town.
I'm writing this just before I leave, because I want to keep track of everything. The Pipboy, in addition to this journal, contains a list of everything I need to do, and I like to keep it updated. I frequently forget to update until the end of the day though, because every day out here is usually full of explosions, angry mutant animals and people trying to run away from me who I want to kill.
I haven't left out any important details yet, but I fear I might if I continue at this pace. So I'll cut this off here, and update periodically throughout the day.
14:47.
Fuck this place.
I was an idiot. The pre-war version of my map said that there was a place called the Jury Street Metro Station a little ways west of Megaton. It's also directly south of where Arefu is supposed to be. I figured, rather than go in a straight line that way, I'd head to this place to see what's here first.
So what did I find?
Well, first I found raiders. They are now dead.
Then I found a radio signal that led me to a hidden underground bunker. There were raiders there. They are now dead. I also found a science book.
Then I went into the actual metro tunnels. I found a raider. Or a guy posing as one. Called Ryan Briggs. He is now dead. And good thing too, because this idiot was mixing glue into his food and thinking it was a good idea. People like that need to be put down, for their own good. Also added another book to the collection, this time Dean's Electronics. I love it when I find these things. Nothing beats a good book.
But that does not excuse the fates for what they did to me next.
I decided to search the stores. Hank's Electrical Supply first, which contained nothing of note, except a scoped revolver I took out of a safe I broke open. Oh, and RAIDERS.
WHO ARE NOW DEAD. ARE YOU SEEING THE PATTERN YET?
Finally, Gold Ribbon. And that's where it all really went to shit. The inside of the place was booby trapped. Things exploded in my face and there was a bear trap and...It just wasn't pleasant, okay?
I took everything I found, and there were things to be found there. More intact books! One on energy weapons, and another on tumblers, which could help me with my lock picking a bit. It's been a good day for my library, but not much else. There were missiles here though, which is always welcome. And another of those miniature nuclear bombs. If I can ever find whatever fires these, I'll be a happy man.
Then I stepped outside, and these assholes calling themselves Talon Company surrounded me.
I have fucking mercenaries hunt me down. Someone paid these people to kill me.
Fuck. This. Place.
Oh, and the Talon mercenaries are now dead.
16:02.
Can you believe my luck?! Diary, I found a fucking VAULT.
Seriously! I'm standing in the cave, looking at the open door to Vault 106 right now. I haven't dared step over the threshold yet, because I want to give vault security a chance to arrive. If 101's front door suddenly swung open one day when it wasn't supposed to, we'd probably be on high alert. I don't want anyone thinking this is an invasion.
It looks dark inside. I'm guessing there's not usually much call for the lights to be on in the vault entrance area. Lord knows they weren't constantly on in 101.
Still though, this is exciting as all hell. I'm going to meet vault dwellers from another vault! This is HUGE! I will be an ambassador from both the wastes, and from a neighbouring vault. I will greet these people, as they emerge, blinking in the sunlight.
This is a chance. A chance to put right what I did wrong back home. I'll show these new vault dwellers. I'll made dad proud of me.
16:19.
It's been over quarter of an hour, and no welcome party. I'm concerned.
Maybe they're waiting for me?
I should go inside.
23:36.
NEVER AGAIN.
Day 12: A Pale Imitation.
That vault was poison.
The scumfucks who ran it released a psychoactive drug into the vault through the vent system.
Most of the residents went insane, and killed each other. Some were immune, but as far as I can tell, none of them made it. They all just slowly went crazy and died. I found notes all over the place, by people worried about the state of things who hadn't gone insane yet, people slowly going insane, or already gone, even just people holding out against the insane ones.
To make it worse, it seems like a bunch of wastelanders, or raiders, or a combination of both maybe, got into the vault and were affected. There were a bunch of psychos that kept coming at me out of nowhere as I explored the place. At first I thought they were survivors of the event that killed everyone else, because they were wearing vault jumpsuits too.
Taking a look though, none of them wore Pipboys, which I did find on a few corpses, and they had wasteland weapons. Combat knives and swords particularly. Chinese swords. I took one to check it. Definitely Chinese. There was the wasteland standard of leather or metal armour to be found in the lockers too.
I figure they got into the vault, took to wearing the jumpsuits because they were cleaner than the usual wasteland apparel, put away their armour and got comfortable, stayed too long here, and the drugs in the air got to them. Good thing that they're slow acting enough that I was out before I went mad too. Though I did have some hallucinations in there. I... don't really want to talk about them. Just know that they were unpleasant.
I wish I could have found a way to shut down the vents that were dispensing the hallucinogens and stayed the night in the vault. Decayed and ruined though it may have been, it still reminded me of home, in a way that my vault-imitating shack back in Megaton cannot truly achieve.
It wasn't all bad though. I still managed to collect some interesting things there. More Nikola Tesla and tumbler books for the collection, another mini-nuke to slow me down until I find something to fire it with, and best of all, I found a new bobblehead. This one was extolling the virtues of science. I can appreciate that.
I consider myself a scientist, in a way. I used to be the Pipboy programmer back in 101. It was my own choice. I was originally slated by the G.O.A.T. to be a clinical test subject, which basically meant being experimented on by dad. I was all for working with dad in the clinic, but I wanted a job like Jonas's. Assisting in the actual doctor work, because that's what dad trained me for. No such luck though. My medical experience was rendered useless, and I put my computer programming skills to work instead.
I was always something of an intellectual. Surprised I find myself outclassing most of the actual experienced fighters out here in the wastes. I really wasn't a fighter, outside of occasional scraps with Butch when he picked on Amata. Maybe I'm just really lucky?
Who cares. Point is, Vault 106 is fucked, and I couldn't stay there. I killed everyone in the vault, looted what I could, and searched for an explanation of why my vision was going blue and I was seeing apparitions. Once I had done all that, I ran outside and headed east.
I stopped by the ruins of a pre-war bed and breakfast place, at least that's what my Pipboy map called it, and what I marked it as. It was being inhabited at the time by raiders. I killed them. One had a rather nice assault rifle, which I am now carrying along with me. I have too many weapons, and not enough reason to use most of them. The laser weapons for example are just less effective versions of the plasma ones. I think I'll sell most of these when I return to Megaton.
Good thing I've since taken to carrying a backpack with me.
Well, I was hoping then that I could have found an intact building to sleep in, but it was half destroyed and exposed to the elements, and it could have started raining radioactive water down on me at any time, so I begrudgingly went back to Vault 106 and slept in the cave entrance just by the side of the wooden door. I didn't fall asleep until maybe four in the morning because that vault disturbed me so much.
That was all yesterday. Today I woke up at two in the afternoon, and intended to continue my journey to Arefu. And I did. After I returned to the bed and breakfast ruins and found new raiders there, fighting a Brotherhood Outcast patrol that is. One of the raiders had a flamethrower, and the Outcasts were followed by a robot. I wish I could have taken those, plus that power armour, but I was already weighed down with too much crap. I left it there, sadly.
Well, I'm in Arefu right now. I eventually reached the place, and found that they were having problems with a local gang that had been harassing them, just as advertised. I found dead brahmin on my way in, and a fellow named Evan King nearly killed me as well, mistaking me for one of the members of this so called "Family."
He explained the situation and asked me to go check on the other residents, as he didn't have the time to. One of them was a bit crazy. Most were just annoyed. But the West family, who I was supposed to deliver the letter to? Dead. Or at least the parents are. One guy called Ian is missing, apparently Lucy West's brother. He may have been taken by the Family.
I inspected the corpses while I was in the home, and found bite marks on the neck, with no significant blood loss, strangely. No idea what bit them though. Logical deduction is that the Family either have dogs, or have some sick motherfuckers in their gang. I'll ask them when I come across them next.
Tonight though, I'm staying here in Arefu. I need a day to recover after the vault, and it was already late afternoon when I arrived. My sleeping pattern has been thrown off though, and old Evan King can't watch the runway up to the village twenty four seven. He's watching the rest of the day, and in a few hours, I'll take over watch duties for him and he can get some sleep.
In exchange, I get to stay in the West house for now, which is where I currently am, and when he returns to his shift I'll sleep in here for a while. He's agreed to wake me at midday, and then I'll set out to hunt down the Family for him. If I don't find them, I'll return here tomorrow afternoon, and we'll repeat the process ad nauseam until I find these guys.
I'm filling in this journal as I wait for my shift. After this I'm going to go through all the books I've collected since Jury Street Metro for the rest of my wait. That'll kill some time.
As a final note, I've decided not to do the thing where I fill this in as the day goes by, like I tried yesterday. It padded out my entry unnecessarily, and I don't like writing these. And, because I had already filled it in throughout the day, I didn't feel the need to add in the adventure in the vault when I did the last part yesterday, which just forced me to write it all down today.
So no. None of that. I'll stick to my usual "This is how my day went" formula from now on.
Day 13: Nothin' Like a Good Slaughter.
Ohh... I am feeling so much better now.
That vault really put me through a wringer. Now though, I am feeling like my old self again. All it took was a little bit of killing to set me right.
I stayed up until Evan's shift was over and did as I said I would. No activity to speak of, but I passed the time by updating my maps and marking the locations I've been to recently, as well as reorganising my Pipboy's files in general. It's funny, really. I never used this thing all that much in the vault, in spite of my job, but out here in the wastes, it's been a real life saver.
Anyway, Evan came back, and I slept well for a little while. When he woke me, I threw all my extra stuff on the bed, saving myself carrying all that dead weight this time, set four markers on my map, and went out to find the Family.
First was a baseball field. Fordham Flash Memorial. I have to admit, I got a little emotional there. Brings back old memories, you know? I miss baseball. I was never any good at it, but...
Well, whatever. It was pretty apparent that the Family weren't there, so I checked the Moonbeam Outdoor Cinema. They were also not there either, though I did find a book called Pugilism Illustrated on a picnic table there which I am finding to be a good read. It's about boxing.
Then I found a cave/bunker place built into the side of a small cliff nearby. Evan called it Hamilton's Hideaway. No Family, but there was a group of raiders, a Nuka-Cola Quantum, another Duck and Cover! copy, (I'm thinking maybe I might be able to sell duplicates of books I've already read), and some cherry bombs that I'm certain I'll find some use for later. Also a locked door, which proved irritatingly resistant to my attempts to pick it. I'll be back for you later, door.
And finally, I came to Northwest Seneca Station. It was inhabited when I got there, by a pair of ghouls called Murphy and Barrett. Murphy's cooking up a new drug called ultrajet, which is jet, except ultra. One of the additional ingredients needed is Sugar Bombs, and he's offered to pay me caps to bring him some. The stupid prick for some reason didn't want to try scavenging in the old grocery store just up above the station, where I immediately found multiple boxes to sell to him.
I found Talon mercenaries waiting for me on the steps too, granted, but I like to think of them as free ammo dispensers rather than a threat. They're not hard to kill. And I needed some more Talon armour pieces to fix some damage done to my own set, by some white crab-like abomination that crawled out of the nearby river earlier that day.
Did I mention that I've taken to wearing Talon armour now? Pretty sure I did. The stuff's good. Far more protective than metal or leather, and certainly better than the vault jumpsuit I've been wearing until now.
Anyway, a quick trip through an irradiated cave, and I was in a metro tunnel again. The Family set traps to kill me, but I got through them. Disarmed the mines, and now I have a supply of mines. Disarmed the rigged shotguns, now I have a combat shotgun. Really, it was just giving me more things to kill them with.
Side note: While I have the mines already, I think I'll head over towards Minefield anyway. There might be other things there worth my time.
I met their guard, and he let me into the main station where the Family are based. I didn't immediately open hostilities, because I wanted to find out where Ian West was being kept. After asking around, I soon found their leader, Vance.
Guy was a charismatic sort, but smug and pretentious as all fuck. Kept acting high and mighty with me for judging him, even after he revealed that the Family were cannibals, explaining the state of Ian's parents, I guess. I let him speak though, because when a man has a badass coat like that and a flaming sword, you let him speak. It's just courtesy.
I heard him out. He made his excuses about how the Family are just poor and misunderstood, and cannibalism really isn't so bad, and blah, blah, blah. He seemed to have forgotten that the reason I was there was because his gang were terrorising a small village, not because I'm trying to round up all the cannibals in the wasteland and gas them. Not that I wouldn't do that if I had the time and resources, but still.
Well, a slaughter soon followed. Firesword is mine, that damn fine coat is mine, and most of the things in this station that once belonged to the Family before I killed them all, are mine.
I found Ian West too, and let him out of his confinement. I explained the situation to him, but he seemed upset with me. Turns out he killed his parents and tried to eat them. Vance's people were "reforming" him. The Family's shtick is that while they are technically cannibals, they prefer to think of themselves as vampires. They have a bunch of rules and stuff, primarily that they only drink blood.
No eating actual flesh though, because that would be weird.
Whatever. I gave him his letter and sent him back to Arefu. I can dispense Wasteland Justice™ on him later if I can convince myself he deserves it. Honestly though, I think he really couldn't actually help it.
Right now though, I've got to claim the spoils of my victory here, and find a way to get it all back to Arefu where the rest of my stuff is.
Solved their problem though. I delivered my letter, and I killed the Family. Arefu's finally safe. I can't wait to see the look on Evan King's face when I give him the good news.
Day 14: Wasteland Justice™
Arefu is gone. I wiped it out.
Fuck Evan King, and fuck all the rest of these dirty, mutated, cannibal-loving, wasteland ingrates.