Chapter 6: Lithium
The long, vast, dry emptiness of the Valley wasteland has greeted Arty yet again, with the irradiated winds of radioactive dust storms being his only relief from the intense heat. Arty used Pip's map of the Valley to lead the way to the camp of this supposed Super Mutant gang that he was soon bound to deal with, one way or another.
"Okay Arty, we're about a mile away from the mutant's territory, guess this is my last chance to convince you to change your freaking mind. Come on kid, there's plenty of non-lethal work for new waste landers like you, ya know, jobs that won't have an 80-90 percent chance of death!" Pip argued. Arty really didn't know what he was bound to get himself into. "Oh come on Pip it'll be fine, I have a plan anyway, I'm just going to convince these Super Mutant fellows to leave the town alone, I was recognized back in the bunker for having a sharp tongue."
If Pip had hands, he'd be doing the most intense face palm in his life "Ok I get it, you have a way with words, but Super Mutants aren't going to understand your words, especially the words of a human like you. They'll rip you apart when they get a first look at you." Pip argued on more and more, but Arty made up his mind. If he was going to be successful in the wasteland, he wanted to take it by the balls and deal with what it has to offer head on.
One Hour Later…
They reached the area that these Mutants are said to roam, if the coordinates that Sheriff Calvin gave to Arty, the camp should be very close and very obvious. To get around unnoticed, Arty began maneuvering behind rocks, plants and Brahmin carcasses until he got closer and closer to the destination.
The sun began to set, and moon began to rise, Arty was hoping he'd reach the camp by sun down; it'd be a hell of a lot easier to close enough unnoticed. Pip whispered "Well, guess you're really gonna do this… don't say I didn't warn you when these freaks are eating you for dinner." Arty hushed Pip and replied "What's going to get us eaten, is that negative attitude of yours, now please, quiet."
The two reached the camp, surprisingly it was empty, three very large rawhide tents occupied the space, and a large bonfire in the middle lit up the place. But the thing that caught Arty's eyes was the effigies, mutilated human corpses tethered to spike poles, skulls tied on string like some sort of fucked up Christmas decoration hung up on the ten doorways.
But the real thing that fucked up Arty was what he discovered behind the bonfire upon closer inspection. A person, skewered by a pole, charred and cooking by the bonfire like a roasted pig, Arty puked up the sugar bombs he ate earlier. "Oh god…ok maybe these mutants aren't one to be reasoned with." Arty thought to himself, to avoid an "I told you so" moment from Pip.
"Ya see? I told you this was a bad idea, now let's turn around, and get out of here before we get killed." Pip scolded. Arty was bound to agree, until he heard… a person, muffled cries of help from inside one of the tents. "Pip, did you hear that? There's someone inside that tent, and they need help." Arty began to ease his way into the camp "Arty, Arty what the fuck are you doing!?" Pip said in a hushed but scolding manor. "We need to see if this person is okay, we can't just leave someone here to these mutants." Arty replied as he checked the tent he heard the screams from.
The tent reeked, a stench so foul, even Pip was bothered it (somehow) Arty plugged his nose as he investigated the interior of the tent. Turning on the light on Pip revealed utter horror. Bags, large garbage bags, filled to the brim of human remains, body parts, organs, blood, you name it. He couldn't help but unload the contents of his stomach onto the floor at the gross scene in front of him. After he regained his senses, Arty continued looking, shaking in total shock and total fear. At last, the source of the screaming was discovered; Arty found a woman, hogtied and bound to a pole in the middle of the tent.
"Whoa, this broad caused that scream? She looks like she can barely even mutter a moan for help in her condition…" Pip mentioned. The two had to save this woman, in fear of her falling to the same fate that whoever's remains these belong to. Arty quickly untied the woman from her bounds and helped her to her feet. Fully standing, the woman was slightly taller than Arty, short cut, and messy purple hair. A soft, caramel like skin complexion, covered in days' worth of dust and dirt, wearing nothing but some sort of sleeping gown, she covered herself in slight embarrassment. "T- Thank you… I didn't think anybody was coming to help me." The woman weakly muttered "Her coarse voice suggested that she hasn't had anything to eat or drink for quite some time.
Arty popped open one of the Nuka Colas that he bought back in town and offered the girl a drink, she quickly chugged the whole bottle down and sighed in relief. "Oh thank god, such relief, even more thanks." She gasped. Arty was instructed to scan the lady using the scanner built in on Pip's camera for any injuries. "Well, other than some bruises and cuts, nothing serious other than fatigue." Pip declared. The lady led Arty and Pip to the chest containing her belongings; the stranger dressed herself and packed her items. Fully clothed, this lady wore some worn road leathers, and packed a double barreled shotgun, a machete and a satchel carrying some miscellaneous items.
"So, we ready to blow this joint? I got a sister back in town that's waiting for me." The girl asked, Arty remembered that he has a mission to do. "Look uh, as much as I want to get you out of here, I was sent to deal with these super mutants that are supposed to live here in this camp… where are they anyway?" The girl trailed off outside of the tent "I have no clue, the uglies left me in here after they butchered the people in these bags, and why they waited to kill me is beyond me." Pip interrupted on their discussion "Hey, guys, hate to break the ongoing chat, but we are in fact in a Super Mutant camp, maybe now isn't the time for light discussion, they can be back any moment!"
Arty and the woman agreed, they began to make their way out of the area "So uh, I didn't get a name from you… who are you?" The girl asks "Oh, my name is Arty, uh, who are you?" But before the girl was able to answer, the sounds of multiple rifles cocked behind them. "Hold it right there, human!" A loud and ugly voice barked behind the gang. Hands in the air, the two turned around slowly to see the mutants right behind them. 4 large, hulking, humanoid looking monsters, about the height of two regular humans, yellow skin and ugly scars. Dressed in what can be made out as armor, made from scrap parts of a car.
"Well, well, well, looks like this human is trying to take off with my soon to be wife!" The largest of the group said, Arty figured that he's the leader of this gang. The strange girl gave a look of disgust at the super mutants "Wife, that's what you kept me alive for? I'd rather be torn apart by the others than be forced to marry you, you fucking freak."
The mutants advanced a little closer, the leader standing over the two "Ha, ha, ha, you say that now, but just wait until after the wedding; you'll love me when it comes to our honey moon." The three goons behind the leader cackled. Arty, decided to step up to the leader "So, I assume that you are the super mutants that Sheriff Calvin of Toppenish mentioned for your crimes against the town." The leader got closer to Arty's face, his breath smelled like rotten ass and garbage juice. "I guess so, and who the fuck are you?" The leader asked. "Well… my n-name is Arty, and I was sent here on behalf of Toppenish city, to charge you for the killings of livestock and many other mischievous doings, now, before we continue, may I ask for your name, good… mutant… thing?"
The mutant leader grunted and said "Well, my name is Riggs. And I guess you can say that I'm the leader of this rag tag bunch of super mutants." Arty and the woman began to back away cautiously to maintain a reasonable distance. But to their dismay, the three other mutants already surrounded the two. "Well where are you two trying to go?" One mutant growled "Yeah, I hope you're not trying to take my fiancé from me… that would not be the smartest move."
"Riggs I hope you're ready to kill me, because I'm not marrying you." The mutant's gun cocked (again?) and Arty frantically replied "Now, now ma'am let's not do anything to upset these fine gentlemen… surely we can work something out that will give us all what we want." Riggs chuckled and said "I don't give a mole rat's ass about what you want. I'm merely interested in marrying this woman, and then maybe, just maybe, killing and roasting you for the reception dinner."
Arty didn't know what to say, jaw nearly dropped to the floor Arty knew that talking was out of the window. As ridiculous as it seemed, he had to actually fight… somehow. Sweating bullets, Arty snakingly replied "O-oh… well uh, I'm not sure if I'd taste too good… Truth be told I have the muscle tone of a canned ham." One of Rigg's henchman, irritated with all the talking of big words (or regular sized words that he was too dumb to understand) said "Gah I am tired of waiting! Let's eat the human man!" The Super mutants grunted in agreement and Riggs too was quite tired of the talking, gun aimed at Arty's head he said one last thing "Sorry this has to happen kiddo, but the wasteland… well, it sucks."