24/08/15 – Edited in preparation for Fallout 4
Fallout 3: The Wayward Soldier
"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel
Without my tiny little pills
Sudden emotions I have awoken
I'm wet behind the ears
To find myself in such a cruel cruel world"
-Darren Hayes, Cruel Cruel World
Chapter Three: The Road Less Travelled
Blood had been spilt on the sky when Alex set off; carrying everything she owned inside her wrinkled old leather sack. She sold everything she could and saddled up before she left the gates; Semi-repaired assault slung on her shoulder, belts of ammo strapped her stomach, Stimpaks stored in her main pockets and a few syringes of Med-X were carefully slotted into her back pockets. A quick encounter with Doctor Hoff and his travelling caravan allowed her to purchase various drugs beneficial of the coming hike. Her Pip-boy had plotted an optimal route for her to travel; straight over to the old ruins of a Super Duper Mart then onwards to Farragut Metro West Station.
"Thanks kid. Good luck to you now," called Doctor Hoff behind her. She returned the friendly gesture, pulled down her safety goggles and started on the long, daunted hike to the capital city.
The road was barren and listless, unnerving in a way she hadn't expected. The ground was hard; crunching loudly beneath her heavily booted feet and seemed to be colour of dried blood or perhaps just rust. The landscape was sparse, with very little shrubbery springing up through the sun cracked soil and empty husks of townships and roads littered the land. Even the phantom bushes and plants were hard pressed to support themselves. Worse still was the silence. Alex hitched her bag against her shoulder, anxiety creeping up on her. She was used to noise, and sound and constant social interaction. The silence of the wasteland was unsettling, and she suddenly found herself for someone, anyone's company.
Even Mister Burke would have been preferable to the eerie silence.
Alex snorted, narrowly avoided a cloud of dust, while she heaved herself upon the surface of a smooth granite boulder. No, Mister Burke wouldn't have been preferable at all. She needed her hands and legs in working order.
On the route, she scavenged what she could from various wreckages such as old silo barns and it wasn't too long before Alex reached the carcass that was once stocked and plentiful department store. She eased her way up carefully through the prickly shrubbery and slid down cautiously into a ditch. She peered up from behind her cover. A small group of what she assumed were raiders patrolled the outer perimeter.
She crouched back down in the dirt and sand to unhook her assault rifle. She would have rather not fought with them; not willing to waste the ammo before reaching the capital. She chanced another glance from behind her cover. Could she sneak on past? Perhaps. But the dust clouds would probably give her position away.
But an outright fight would likely see her dead.
As careful and silently she knew how, Alex slid down the slope but her boot chuffed hit a large rock and caused a domino effect for several others. She cursed and looked down towards the Mart. The raiders responded as expected of them and fired off several rounds in her general direction.
Dropping flat on her belly and foolishly winding herself in the process, Alex shuffled forward to crouch behind the cover of a large stone face. Although their efforts were obviously futile, bullets continued to rain upon the rock face. Alex was not nearly close enough to let any rounds off and her gun skills were severely lacking to chance attempting to snipe them off with her assault rifle. She was effectively pinned. They had numbers and ammo under her and an attempt to run would be suicide.
"How many have we got?" Alex thought over the hailstorm of bullets. Her Pip-Boy whirled in response, scanning the area around them. A total of five raiders blinked into her combat Hub.
"From the looks of it, we're looking at about five or so. Moderately armed. We need to get closer." Alex squashed her back against the cleft in the stone face, her assault rifle pressed hard against her pounding chest.
"Do we even have that much ammo?"
"No, you'll just have to make your shots count then."
Her lucky break came when the hailstorm of bullets abruptly stopped and the clicking fresh magazines being slid home was audible even from her hiding spot. Alex seized her opportunity and darted forward as quickly as possible; covering as much ground as her short legs could carry her. She dived behind another a crevice just as another storm fired up, panting hard and feeling like she had just sprinted a marathon.
"Now?"
Her fingers clenched around the trigger of the assault rifle and she willed them to stop shaking.
"Now!"
Alex blinked once and the sensation of cool gel pooled over her vision. The world phased into a dull green shade and blurred slightly except for her targets. Time halted to a standstill and Alex popped up from behind the stone orifice. Her finger squeezed the trigger and several rounds of 556mm from barked out from nose of her rifle.
Either she was actually aiming right or luck was on her side, Alex didn't care when three of the raiders dropped to the ground like rocks. She rounded onto another when a sixth raider appeared from the old double doors of the old supermarket.
Something hard penetrated Alex's left shoulder, accompanied with a spray of blood.
She slid down in a crumpled heap just in time to narrowly miss a hail of rounds. The audible thumping of metal colliding with rock was unmistakable, audible over her frantically hammering heart. She tried to reach for her gun again, only for the sudden burning sensation to spike through her shoulder, hotter than anything she had ever felt before. She could feel it dripping down her back, sliding along her spine. It took her a few moments to realise that it was her own blood that now plastered the rocks nearby.
Dad! It hurts! oh my god it hurts so much!
Her Pip-Boy flood into her consciousness, bringing with him a moment of cool relief. Stimpak! Now!
She tried to obey, but it was hard. Her hand clasped over her seeping wound, trying to keep the pressure on like she had seen her father do countless times in the past. "Squeeze for all you're worth" he had said. She grouped into her pocket for a Stimpak, yet her fingers struggled to obey.
Somehow, miraculously, she managed to seize the stimpak and get the cap off. She injected the drug into her left shoulder, her coordination all but gone. The chemicals in the syringe worked; almost immediately knitting the torn tissues and muscles back together again and giving her sweet, sweet relief. The Med-X followed, a shot straight into the freshly healed skin to numb the pain then she was back on her feet again.
Alex sprung up, her vision green from the Pip-boys interface, and fired a round of bullets at the last of the mildly pissed raiders. They had been retreating when she fired, expecting that the hit that had landed had put her down for good. Their heads popped like a couple of balloons; spraying bone and bone onto the rusty ground. Their bodies crumpled into a messy pile with a puff of dust.
She waited, shaking from the shock of her wound and the unfamiliar weight of the rifle.
A long second passed, then a minute. And finally three. No more raiders seemed to appear and she concluded they were all dead. A heavy breath of relief escaped her and Alex's legs gave way beneath her. She toppled onto the ground, her face pressed against the ground. Her damp forehead felt good pressed against the cool stone face.
"Alex, Alex pet wake up. Don't you dare go to sleep on me," buzzed her Pip-Boy on her wrist.
She would have swatted his screen if she had the energy. Her limbs felt thick and heavy, like lead pipes. "I'm not…I just…want to lie here for a minute."
His screen flashed amber. "No, you'll end up falling asleep. Get up."
"I've just got shot, give me a break."
"Alex you need to get up and eat. I detect your blood sugar level is incredibly low."
It was hard to sit up, but she managed it and rooted around in her bag for her supplies. Wolfing down some raw sugar bombs, she had to congratulate herself. She had just survived her first raider encounter and come out top dog. "We didn't do too badly," Alex said between mouthfuls. "Except for my shoulder."
"Let's hope our luck holds out eh."
Alex doubted it would.
Because it never did.
Nightfall had come far too quickly, like someone had flicked the switch and turned off the sun. At night, the Wasteland had a murky green look to it, like the colour of rotten seaweed. Sundown had taken both the colour and the heat with it. The temperature dropped rapidly in the evening, so quickly she had barely noticed it. It wasn't until her teeth were suddenly chattering did she check her Pip-boy and registered the temperature. She need not have bothered. When she breathed out, a breath of crystallised vapour rose into the cold air and when she breathed in, a gasp of cold winter knifes gouged into her lungs.
On top of the rapidly dropping temperature, the wound in her left shoulder had stopped tingling, replaced with a dull thumping that ached like a bitch when she move. It would be futile to continue onwards. She would just end up doing more harm than good and her wound needed rest.
She chose the covering of a hallowed out boulder, providing cover from any more raider assaults and sheltered her from the blistering wind; gusts cold enough to freeze the blood within her very veins. She squatted down in the dust once again and dropped her sack. She unrolled an insulated sleeping bag and positioned it on the softest bit of ground she could.
"Maybe we should start a fire? Your body temperature is very low," pointed out her Pip-Boy.
"No, it isn't safe." She didn't dare start a fire, fearful that the smoke would attract unwanted attention.
Her Pip-Boy turned himself off to recharge overnight, leaving her alone to her own thoughts. Swallowing down her tears, Alex snuggled deeper in an attempt to keep herself warm.
No Vault. No house. Not even a bed. Just a dusty, hallowed out rock.
At that moment, she wanted to raise her head to the skies and howl like a dog. Only last night, she was wrapped up in several layers of blankets, snoozing away without a care in the world. Now she only shivered in the dark. Alex wondered briefly if her father was in the same predicament, holed up somewhere in the capital Wasteland half frozen. Did his thoughts linger on her as she did on him? Did he still care at all?
No. That was silly. This was her father. Of course he still cared. He had to still care. She wouldn't be able to cope if he didn't
Alex bit into her knuckle to stop herself from sobbing. She would be damned if she'd start crying again. She had done more than enough crying for her father as of late. The girl closed her eyes and thought out everything she would say to him, rehearsing her words to herself in an attempt to distract herself from the chill in her bones
Even in sleep, Alex felt nothing but extraordinary cold. It was so intense and short that she awoke to the sensation of something frightfully wet nosing against her cheek. She tried to ignore it but the nosing persisted. She cracked her eyes open and the wet thing was suddenly pressing against her eye socket.
Huddle inside the stone crevice with her sat a small, four legged creature; shivering as much as she was. It took Alex a few moments to realise that the creature was a "dog." She had never seen one before as Vault 101 had never kept animals.
"Where did you come from hmm?" Her throat was like sandpaper and caused her words to be nothing more than a painful rasp. A slight twitch of his tail flickered in response, his head drooping slightly as if he actually understood her words. What a silly idea.
Still, Alex indulged herself. Even a conversation with a dog was better than nothing. "You abandoned too huh?" The dog whined in response, lifting his head somewhat to reveal a case of Heterochromia. One startling blue eye and one topaz coloured orb stared right back at her, oddly understanding and comforting.
"I know what that feels like….You need someone nice to look after you." The dog whined again, his tail flickering in a half hearted wag. Alex shifted in her sleeping bag.
"I can't look after you. I can barely look after myself," Alex stated. The canine woofed; a pathetic whine of a bark. Alex let out a groan. She needed rest for the next day's journeying and didn't have the motivation to try and chase him off.
"Alright alright, you can stay for tonight," Alex said, relenting as she opened her sleeping bag for the dog to clamber in. The canine pounced into the warmth of the sleeping bag and burrowed into her side. She zipped the sleeping bag up again. Despite his thick fur, he was almost as cold as she was. Alex stroked his head gingerly and he licked her denim jumpsuit in response before he settled down to sleep. Her head rolled onto her shoulder and Alex found herself staring at the night sky through the gap in the rock. Bright gems shimmered and glimmered away happily without a care in the world. Alex could have envied them. They had it good. They weren't camped in a hole, sharing their sleeping bag with a dog.
Once again, Alex awoke to the snuggling of a whiskered muzzle against her ear. She stirred and the great weight upon her chest shifted; stealing her heat as it left. Whatever it was, the hot water bottle wriggled out of the sleeping bag and she heard paws scrabble off rock. It could have been easy to simply lie there in the sleeping bag, but her back was sore, and her throat felt dry.
The sun had finally returned, bringing with it light and blessed warmth. She rolled her shoulders and felt nothing but a slight ting that was easily ignored. The throbbing in her shoulder had disappeared. The Stimpak and Med-X seemed to have done the trick.
The scuttling of padded paws against rock announced the return of her furry companion. Alex turned to scold him but the dog dropped a box into her lap then sat back, apparently pleased with his find.
"Good boy," Alex praised and stuffed the meat back into her pack in favour of the Fancy Lad Snack Cakes. It was easy to squash Alex's bad mood with food. Anyone could do it. Even a dog. The pair ate their fill; Alex tossing a cake to the dog every now and then before she packed up for the next leg of the journey. As Alex heaved her bag onto her shoulder and crawled out of the hollowed out rock, the canine behind her whined.
"Don't start. You know I can't keep you. I don't even know how to look after myself, much less you," Alex reasoned. The animal wagged his tail and barked twice.
Alex frowned and rubbed her cheek in frustration. Other than shooting him she didn't know how else to make him stay. "Alright you can come but don't go marking everything because you're just wasting water doing that," Alex relented. The dog barked in response and bounded out of the cavern to trot next to her, tongue lolling out in apparent happiness.
Alex activated her Pip-Boy and her device stirred to life, his inner mechanics whirling to life. He let out a synthesised yawn and activated the combat Hub on Alex's green eyed vision.
"Mornin. Sleep alright?" Alex remembered the blistering cold and shuddered.
"Would you sleep in those conditions?"
"I don't know. I don't sleep pet, just go through the motions."
"So what's with the fake yawns every morning."
"It's a habit programmed into me I suppose."
"How pointless," she said as stumbled over more wreckage. The capital couldn't be too far off, judging from the amount of rubble they were encountering. Dog bounded over and up like it was nothing, perching upon steady rocks to wait for her. With four legs rather than only two, he was swift and useful for scouting the area ahead. Every now and then, he would return with perhaps a clip of ammo or a packet of Mentats wedged between his jaws.
Alex soon reached a small building that they assumed as Wilhelm's Wharf. After a quick word with the owner of the shack, Alex traded over some of the junk she had found in exchange for a smattering of Caps and a bundle of Mirelurk meat- a sort of grey meat smelt nearly as bad as it looked. The older woman pointed Alex in the right direction of the Farragut Metro Station via the bridge. Alex trembled in her relief, glad that she would not have to cross the river. Before she left, old lady Sparkle had warned her of Talon Company mercenaries roaming around. Alex noted down their signature description of navy blue armour and Talon logo before continuing on her way.
The lone wanderer, her Pip-boy and the Dog headed Southeast towards the city, noting that the amount of debris. Simple boulders morphed large piles of stone concrete and sharp thorns of stone and metal spiked up from the earth like plant stems. Even the bounding Dogmeat stuck to her heels like wonderglue, barley venturing out more than a few feet in front of his Master. They found the bridge quickly and started to cross when Dogmeat, who had been silent, suddenly started barking loudly; shattering the still silence like glass.
Alex turned to him questionably, still plodding forward
"What's your problem dog?" He barked in response and darted forward. Alex felt his fangs sink into one of the straps of her bag, and he dragged her backwards. "Oi! Get off me! Let go bad dog!" she exclaimed, trying to shove him off before he punctured the water bottles. God did he have rabies or something?
Her Pip-Boy buzzed to life. "Hey I think laddie the wonderdog is onto something," She looked out onto the bridge and squinted through her goggles; noticing something that she had missed before. Dotted all over the bridge were small, rounded yellow mines.
She unsung her assault rifle and aimed for the closest mine.
"Back boy," Alex commanded and the dog retreated back several steps. A single shot 556mm bounced out of her rifle and collided with the mine. They exploded like potatoes left in a microwave for too long; one setting off a chain reaction that caused another to detonate and so on until the ground shook below them and the girl wondered briefly if the bridge would collapse beneath them. The tremor of an aftermath rippled beneath her feet, but the bridge surpringly held.
She turned to the dog – who was sitting back on his haunches and looking very pleased with himself. "Oh you are a clever dog," she praised, reaching out to scratch behind his ear. "I'd have never noticed that," she added before over.
The moment she stepped off the bridge, a chill scurried down her spine. It was a familiar feeling of being watched, just as Burke had watched her in the Saloon two nights ago. It was neither pleasant nor a welcome sensation.
Just as the young woman turned, moist gunk collided with her face. It slid down her cheek and further down, soaking the collar of her jumpsuit. Then pain followed, the sensation of heat sizzling against her skin. She turned on her booted heel just in time to dodge another chunk. Behind her was a creature quite unlike anything she had seen before. Vaguely humanoid in colour, that was where the similarities ended. It was pink, large and misshapen. Even from her position several feet away, Alex could smell the mixture of rotten flesh upon its breath. Three snake-like tongues coiling from its mouth and a row of razor sharp fangs lined the jaw; perfect for rendering flesh from bone.
The beast dragged its body towards her, using its six legs to gain momentum while it flung more chunks at her- which she managed to dodge in time. "What the hell is that?"
A green spark flashed from the corner of her eye as the Pip-Boy scanned the creature.
"A Centaur. Target the head." Alex dodged attack from another Centaur flanking her left side.
"The head, are you sure?"
"Yes! The head!"
Barking, Dog leapt forward; sinking his jaws into whatever he could. The creature flailed out, trying to detach the animal but he held tight. Alex took opening and raised her assault rifle. Bullets burst out of the barrel, colliding with the skull of the creature. Four shots missed but five made direct contact. She fed a fresh clip into the rifle and took aim again.
"Christ use your bloody V.A.T.S already!"
The sensation of ice flooding into the base of her skull returned and green bleed into her vision again. A fresh round of bullets pounded against the creature, narrowly missing Dogmeat. Blood splattered on the ground. creature let out a strangled gurgle before toppling over. Breathing hard, she rounded onto the next Centaur, Dogmeat on her tail. The next one was much closer and Alex closed the gap will Dogmeat ran on ahead distracting the creature. She unloaded a full clip of ammo into the pink mass and at her closed distance, it was lethal. A spray of blood erupted from the puncture wounds in its skin and the creature slumped to the ground in defeat.
Alex panted heavily, pulse roaring loudly in her ear as she waited for perhaps another assault. Thankfully, it didn't come and Alex sunk to the ground. She took several deep, calming breaths while she waited for the deafening, pounding blood in her head to ease. Dogmeat whined, licking his inured paw while Alex fished around her pockets for two Stimpaks.
"Come here Dog, this will make you feel better," she assured, injecting the chemical into his furry skin. She tossed the needle away then patched herself up as best as she could. The Stimpak worked to repair the skin when the Centaur's poison had soaked through her jumpsuit. Examining the wound, Alex concluded that the acid that the creatures fired reacted only to flesh; living tissue and cells.
Once again, the brunette saddled up and continued on her way but not before injecting herself with another shot of Med-X.
...
The Farragut metro station was indeed a dreary place. Most of the station had caved in, sealing off tunnels and creating dead ends. Rubble covered almost every inch of the place and when she breathed in, she felt the slight sting of radiation.
The lone wanderer and Dogmeat headed into the tunnels, following the compass on her combat Hub and the hastily painted signs towards G.N.R station. Her Pip-Boy whirled and buzzed on her wrist, gathering data and taking readings while they trekked through tunnels.
A sudden red target marker blinked onto her Hud, larger than any of the other ones. Alex and Dogmeat crept forward and crouched down behind shattered piles of concrete, peeking out ever so slightly. Standing in the mouth of the tunnel stood a creature made caused her breath to catch in throat in fear. Other than being bipedal, there was little human about it. The creature stood at least seven or eight feet tall with thick, waxy green skin more vibrant than anything in the surrounding environment. In the giant's hand clutched a long piece of wood with various lengths of razor sharp spines. Alex shuddered, only imagining the damage he could cause.
Perhaps they could sneak past him.
But Dogmeat growled a little too loudly for his own good and the massive creature turned and spotted her. His mouth twisted into what could have been a grin before charging the crouching female. Alex raised her rifle, her body reactiving automatically. Four rounds of 556mm ammo slowed the beast's assault and his bio-readings flashed critically. Dogmeat threw himself into the fight again, snapping and snarling as a distraction. Thump thump thump went her heart as she skidded underneath the super mutant. In an adrenaline high rush, Alex took aim and fired directly at the throat of the monster. Bullets tore open his throat with a roar; exiting out the base of his neck and separating its spinal column from its brain. The creature died instantly, and almost toppled on the Vault Dweller had she not jumped backward in time. Alex waited for it to get up.
But it didn't.
Her Pip-Boy flashed as he scanned the creature into his memory banks.
"Well done in slaying…whatever that it," he congratulated.
She wiped her damp brow on the cuff of her sleep, her pulse still a hum in her ear. "Yeah, but I almost lost my head in the process," she remarked, giving the body a nudge with her booted too. The beast didn't stir and Alex felt a smile spread across her face. It was a small victory. 24 hours earlier and she might have laughed if someone told her she'd kill a beast double her height.
They headed straight up and along the broken escalator, their pace quick and brisk. Shadows had stolen every corner of the station and cobwebs climbed to incredible heights up and down the wall. The whole place left the young woman feeling uneasy and she would be glad to reach the surface. Several minutes later and Alex finally caught sight of a shimmer of light and felt relief swell in her chest. She was beginning to think she would never escape the caverns of the Metro Station.
She pushed the gnarled gates open and the sunlight seemed to have been waiting to ambush her. Two sharp fingers jabbed Alex in the eye as she stepped out into the light, Dogmeat cautiously following her. She checked her Pip-Boy for their location.
North Chevy Chase.
Perfect.
Not too far away from GNR studios. Alex looked around at the seemingly unremarkable ruins and expected to find maybe only a few raiders, another Centaur at the most.
She hadn't been expected to be cuffed by a super mutant.
There was a terrified crack, then raw, white hot pain exploded up her arm. She didn't need to look, she knew her arm was broken.
Oh god oh god oh god.
Alex crashed into the ground with a scream of pain. The Super mutant rounded onto her, clutching a sledge hammer that had just collided into her arm. She couldn't feel her fingers even as she scrabbled against the gravel for her rifle. Black spots whirled in her vision and somewhere, she could hear Dogmeat snarling and barking defensively. The thought of moving didn't occur to her. She was immobilised with pain, trying in vain to find her rifle. The Mutant raised the sledge hammer to bring down on her fragile skull and Alex instinctively clenched her eyes shut, awaiting the impact.
But the pain never came. Instead, the offending creature let out a cry of pain as at least forty rounds of 5mm bullets burrowed into its left flank. Alex looked up, hardly able to believe her good luck as four soldiers encased in armour she had never seen appeared from behind the rubble of an old building. The mutant seemed to know who they were for it backed off slightly, shrunken eyes darting between them. A grinding of metal started up again and bullets hammered into thick skin mercilessly. The creature let out a howl of defeat and fell to the ground like a puppet without strings.
One of the soldiers approached her, pulling off a battered steel helmet to reveal a woman in her late twenties. She was a pretty with fine facial features and dark blue eyes. "What the hell are you doing out here civilian? Do you have a death wish or something? Don't you know the Super Mutants are rife in this sector?" said the stranger, sweeping a lock of sweaty blonde hair back behind her ear.
Another one of the soldiers had crouched down beside her and started to exam her arm. They didn't both to remove their helmet, simply settled down their weapon and started to fish out medical supplies from their combat belt.
"I didn't know," she said breathlessly, her stomach swirling.
"Are you stupid?" asked the stranger.
Alex would have been deeply insulted, had she not been in so much pain. The brunette swallowed down a sob as the soldier continued examining her broken arm neither gently nor harshly. "No, I'm from a Vault," Alex replied. It sounded stupid to her own ears, but it was the only answer she could give.
The female soldier's hostility bled away from her face. "Huh. That explains the suit then. I thought you were just a very stupid civilian with a death wish and a stolen suit."
A needle pushed into her flesh. "A clean break but you'll be fine in a few minutes. You're a very lucky girl. A blow like that might have shattered the arm of a Wastelander. Looks like those Vaults weren't a complete waste of time," said the medic, voice rasping through their helmet.
Alex managed a grateful smile as she felt the feeling return back to her arm. The intense pain ebbed away, leaving behind a dull throbbing as the bones knitted themselves back together. "Thanks…Who are you? I've never seen suits like those before," Alex said, gesturing to their outfits.
The blonde soldier squared her shoulders, wearing a look of pride. Considering that they had saved her life, Alex considered it well justified. "I'm Sarah Lyons, and we are the 'Lyons Pride', no other squad in The Brotherhood of Steel is better If I do say no myself." Sarah paused a moment to give her a curious look. "So, what's your name kid and what are you doing out here? You're a long way from a Vault."
Alex retrieved her rifle and checked for any damage. She breathed a sigh of relief to find none. "I'm Alex from Vault 101. I'm trying to find GNR studios. I need to speak with someone called Three Dog."
"You're in luck kid," exclaimed Sarah. We are going to back up our brothers at the GNR studios. You can tag along with us. We could use another gun."
After travelling alone for so long, Alex eagerly slung her rifle over her shoulder. She had been on her own for long, too long now. Company would be good, company would be great. It may even be easier to traverse through the city with the Brotherhood of Steel.
"Lead the way."
Alex felt as if she had been fighting forever and wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep for several days. No, maybe even several months. She couldn't remember the last time she had hurt so badly. Every bone ached, every muscle felt pulled. Med-X and Buffout weren't taking the edge off like they used to and she was out of Stimpaks. If it had not been for her Pip-Boy fighting as hard she was, she highly doubted they would have made it out alive.
The Brotherhood of Steel made it look easy. They dispatched the Super Mutants quickly, efficiently, as if they had done it all before. Judging from the way they could predictable the behaviour of the super mutants, they probably had.
She was stripping a dead super mutant of much needed supplies when she heard the thundering crack of concrete and rubble smashing together.
Alex turned, only to see the Brotherhood of Steel soldiers scattering in wake of another Super mutant crashing into the front foyer of GNR studios. It was larger than any super mutant she had seen to date, scaling over twenty feet tall with limbs as thick as tree trunks. Ropy muscles strained against waxy pale olive skin, flexing and stretching as he swung his crude hammer; smashing against anything it possibly could. A shield made of car hoods adorned his left hand and a belt fleshy, oblong human heads hung around his waist.
"Behemoth! Get to cover!"
Alex's legs barely obeyed and she found herself sprinting from boulder to rubble, trying to find something, anything. Her rifle was dry, and her pockets were empty.
"Where's the Fatman?" yelled Lyons over the radio.
"Johnson had it, and he's dead!"
"Shit!"
Her Pip-Boy flooded back into her skull as she crouched behind a pile of concrete shards. "Alex, there's a weapon twenty paces ahead of you under that car, the Fatman launcher."
"A what?"
"A mini nuke ya daft prat!"
Alex bounded the upturned vehicle and somehow managed to heave it upon her shoulder. It was heavier than she expected, and she could barely hold it without buckling under the weight. She popped her head up over the upturned car, the smoke camouflaging her from the Behemoth.
Fifty yards away, Sarah Lyons yelled for her squad to retreat from the area.
"Clear the area. 101 has the Fatman!"
"Come on. Come on. Come on," Alex begged as the Behemoth charged, thick arms swinging dangerously. The ground beneath her feet trembled and vibrated from the force of the creature. Perhaps it seemed to sensed death was near, and was making some kind of suicide run. If It got in too close, Alex could not risk firing the weapon and killing herself in the process. The light on the front of the Fatman suddenly pinged a bright green and Alex flicked into V.A.T.S. Her Pip-Boy lined up the shot and Alex fired.
There was a terrific bomb, then a blast of heat and fire that reduced the Behemoth into several thousand pieces at such a close distance. Alex felt the aftershock hit her; a blast of scorching hot air that might have singed her eyebrows had she not been wearing protective goggles.
When the thick haze of radiation cleared, only the charred corpse of the monster remained. Her mouth went lack. Had she done all that? Truly?
Her legs buckled beneath her and she suddenly found herself on the ground amongst the blood and gore. Her face felt wet, yet it didn't feel like sweat. A soundless sob escaped her chapped lips and she found herself suddenly crying. Alex really had no idea why she was crying. Maybe it was relief? Or perhaps joy? Or fear? She didn't particularly care. Even when the soldiers closed in around her she couldn't stop herself.
She was vaguely aware of someone picking her up from the ground, supporting her against a column of steel as she faded out of consciousness. After hours of fighting and travelling, not having to carry her body was complete bliss.
James preferred Wasteland whiskey. It was gritty, and was a drink of substance, not like the whiskey that was served in Vault 101. It had a horrible aftertaste, no matter how many times they changed the recipe. It never quite tasted the same as whiskey made on the outside. Wasteland Whiskey had character, like the people who made it.
He downed the last gulp of amber and felt it trickle down his throat into his belly. After almost twenty years, The Muddy Rudder of Rivet City had yet to changed; same rusted bulkheads secured together with weathered bolts, same damp and rank aroma lingering in the air and the persistent gurgling from faulty water pipes. Twenty years ago it annoyed him. Now, he welcomed the familiar sound. It distracted him from the problem at hand.
The Brilliant Doctor Madison Li had responded just as he had expected to; claiming he was indeed completely mad and flat out refused to help him. He hardly blamed her though. There just wasn't enough evidence to support his theory – even he barely believed himself at times. But James knew what he had to do. It was his duty. His duty to Catherine, and to the Wasteland. He would never allow her dream to die.
But yet...
James thought of his daughter, his little know-it-all. Was he doing the right thing? His stomach twisted with guilt. Leaving his daughter had been hard – second only to burying his wife outside the Jefferson Memorial. And to think they had quarrelled on his last night. Ridiculous, but not expected. Alex was frequently difficult. He missed her terribly, his constant source of exasperation and pride. If he could somehow change the wasteland, give humanity a chance to start over then perhaps Alex could have a proper life outside the Vault. James wondered briefly if she were mad at him for leaving.
He snorted to himself.
Of course she would be mad. She'd be hopping mad.
But hopping and safe.
The thought brought him more comfort than whiskey did.
He signalled for Belle Bonny once more. He still needed another drink to steel himself for the journey ahead. One more for the road at least.
An older woman appeared from the back store. Twenty years ago, Belle had been beautiful with intense dark brown eyes and thick strawberry blonde hair. Now, once flowing locks were dull and cut back into a more manageable style and secured back with a bandana. Thin lines marked every path the woman had taken in her lifetime, furrows embedded in her skin. Although time had worn away her looks, it had not worn away her quick mind.
"You're enjoying that more than usual James," Belle remarked, eying up his empty glass. James waved his hand dismissively in a manner similar to his daughter.
"A refill if you please Belle. I have a long journey ahead," James replied, dropping a handful of Caps onto the counter. Belle gathered up the Caps stuffed them into her back pocket then pulled out another bottle from under the counter. A vintage bottle he suspected.
That wasn't like her at all.
He rose his eyebrows at her and she gave him a thin lipped smile.
"Just because you've been away," the older woman stated, pouring him out a glass. "And just this once okay? Don't go telling everyone I have this bottle."
He managed a grin. "Thanks Belle. You're a gem."
Belle let out a short laugh. "You're too old for such flattery James," she said before returning to the other patrons of the bar.
The steel door to the Muddy Ruddy suddenly heaved open with a groan. James Halsey didn't bother looking up. He doubted it would be anyone he knew. Most people didn't even know he was back. It was just easier that way. He heard footsteps behind him approach the other side of the bar.
"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" James quirked his head slightly, somewhat intrigued by Belle's icy tone. It had certainly been a while since he had heard Belle speak to someone like that. She sounded wary, almost guarded.
"Why so defensive Miss Bonny? I only wanted to talk," was the reply of a liquid smooth voice. Hadn't he heard that voice somewhere before? It seemed very familiar – familiar enough that he felt a sense of unease.
"I know you; always slinking around like a fucking fantastic mister fox. Well, whatever you're up to I won't have it ya hear?"
"Calm yourself woman. I only wish to post a letter."
"Is that all?"
"Of course. Must you always assume the worst of me?"
"Always and with good reason. Hand it over. Where's it going to?" A curved sneer could be heard upon the man's next words.
"Megaton, Moriarty's saloon."
"Okay then, sixty caps."
"Sixty caps? That's highway robbery."
"You're the last person to preach about highway robbery."
"Oh very well. The things I do for this woman."
"For a fancy woman of yours?"
"My lady love if you must know, a rare little bird recently freed from her cage."
James's blood dropped a few degrees.
No, surely not.
It was impossible.
A scrapping of Caps being exchanged could be heard over the chatter of the bar. James heard the man excuse himself and start to leave. Only as he was retreating towards the door did James chance a glance over his shoulder.
He did recognise that man.
He had been in Megaton.
Suddenly James felt very sober indeed.