Disclaimer: I read online about the Nukashine challenge: Drink a Nukashine and with no armor, one purified water, a knife (mine is level 10), and only in underwear, make it back to either your camp or Vault 76. I figured I would try a couple of these and write down what happened. The events are as followed.

Nukashine Adventure Three

The final drop of the blue liquid touches the back of my throat. I look to the skies and the familiar purples and blues have returned for a sequel. Boy does it feel good to be wasted in this dystopian world. I pause and gaze at faraway puffy grey clouds releasing rain then abruptly the familiar black returns…

I find myself in disgusting brown water again, this time I'm drowning. I quickly lift my head above the surface of the murky water. Warnings of waterborne disease flash on my Pip-Boy again. I take shelter underneath a sprouting red vine that looks intrusive on a former beautiful tree. I look to my map to find I'm just south of Ransacked Bunker. A light rain falls and makes tiny shockwaves on the water. I head south where I encounter my first enemy: bloodbugs. Their long needle-noses send feelings of trepidation, but courage follows after. I decide to fight them.

I discover there are three of them. Glowing neon green and disease-ridden, they spring an attack at the sight of my pale skin. I swing my small knife into their enlarged compound eyes. They drive their painful nose into my arm and I contract parasites. I stab one, sending blood flying into the air. Realizing this is a losing battle, I run into the water and dash farther south. Their ominous buzzing grows distant.

I remain in a large body of water, an orangish rusty bridge on my right. I swim across and find a boxcar perfectly angled out of the scummy pond. I shutter at horrifying memories fighting hermit crabs hidden inside buses, thankfully the one I pass is not occupied.

I head up a narrow ravine and under a broken bridge and enter Harper's Ferry. I run onto a cracked street and past long-abandoned cars to see two scorchers patrolling the road — One holds a knife and the other a gun. I sneak behind the long boat-like cars on the other side of the road and remain hidden from sight. I pass the courtyard of Harper's Ferry Armory and I'm flooded with memories coming here to complete the Tourist's photograph list, that poor soul.

I exit Harper's Ferry and head into the long bushy matted grass. The deciduous trees now burnt red and hollow. I cross another former busy road and continue into the grasslands. The rain still falls at a constant rate, soaking my exposed skin.

I then see a wooden box structure not on the map. It's a camp owned by another vault dweller, EvilMonkey. I open the door and walk into his cabin to find two floors with various posters, a dingy bed, and an alarm clock. Normally I would leave a passing gift, but I must continue on my journey back home. His turrets watch my every move to make sure I don't get any devilish ideas.

I continue west through small ferns and over another road to find Sugar Grove. I use a hole in a broken fence to get through and a family of glowing molerats awaits me. I stick my blade into their thick bodies. Thick blood splats onto the concrete like buckets of paint. More appear and I stab away, contracting rads as I do. Blood now coats my small knife after my animalistic kills. I cut away slabs of excess fat for meat, my health now down to 3/4's.

I hear a familiar beeping and decide this time to see if I can find the nuke code. I head to the roof of Sugar Grove and the beeping grows. I look through a large gash in the roof made courtesy of a Brotherhood helicopter that obviously lost control and see a machine-gun turret. The beeping seems to be coming from down there.

I find an emergency staircase to find a way to flank this machine-gun, my exposed body would easily be shredded by its destructive stream of lead. I crouch and enter behind the spinning turret, smoke rises from its grinding small engine. Then on my right, a nasal voice announces, "Intruder." A protrectron fires red laser beams at me. Tears welt in my eyes as the stinging pain blackens my skin. Overmatched, I turn and run, regrettably quitting my mission to find the nuke code.

I exit back up the stairs and glance at my health bar now at 1/4th. I can hear a Major Gutsy on my tail as I continue my forced escape. I dart up the side of the hill and lose my pursers. I gather blackberrys, hoping to find a way to recover some health as I am dangerously low. Nothing helps. I decide to keep my knife handy and stay positive. My camp is close. I use thick crimson brush as cover as I look at my light inventory for something to recover health.

My appetite drains from the poisonous parasitic insects in my stomach. I force myself to eat the uncooked molerat meat. I get an update on my location to find I am just north of Site Alpha. I come to a large white rocky path. I keep my eyes peeled for any nefarious figures.

As I cross the final road to my camp, Route 63, I stop and gaze at a petrified corpse. Their grey crusty frame with open cracks of green. I shiver as I think what their last thoughts were before death rudely greeted them.

I run up the small hill and rejoice to find my camp. I dig into my stash box to locate a disease cure. I swallow them dry and instantly feel relief in my stomach as my annoying guests are killed. I sit on my chair and look out over Appalachia. The high noon sun feels great and warms me as my adrenaline falls. I think of the cold Nukashine sitting in my fermentor. I really need to stop pre-making these…

Endnote: I will be doing another one of these next week. A story/author follow would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!