"Hey you, welcome Back!"
Pegasus smiled weakly at Moira, who looked up from her counter covered with guns, seeing the hunting rifles that he'd sold her just hours before. A black man in a yellow jumpsuit, wearing a weathered cap with goggles on top of them, He looked over Pegasus and smiled
"Ah, a fellow student on the path of the Wasteland. Here to resupply before heading back out?" he asked boisterously.
"Actually here to sell." Pegasus said swinging the golf bag over his shoulders. "and resupply."
"Hey you're in luck Pegasus! This here is Lucky Harith and he specializes in weaponry! In fact, I was selling him what you sold me."
Lucky Harith shook Pegasus's hand and playfully slapped him on the back, sending a wave of pain through him. "It's my pleasure to bring hot death in a variety of flavors, and it looks like you found a few." he finished eyeing the rifles sticking out.
"Yeah," Pegasus managed to strain out. "you want to buy them?"
"Be a pleasure to look, and then I'll tell you what I think."
Pegasus nodded, sitting down in a spare chair by the door. He was tempted to fall asleep while Lucky Harith went over each gun. Taking them apart, checking the barrels and slides before putting them back together exactly as they were.
"A bit bloodstained," Harith said. "They need maintenance and cleaning. Take it you got these from some raiders or slavers out there?"
He nodded. "Got them from the raiders in the elementary school."
"You took them out?" Moira said agape. "Are you sure you don't want to help me out with my book!?"
"I told you Moira, when I've found my dad." Pegasus let out a sigh.
"You're hurt? You should go see Doc Church, he'll fix you right up!
Pegasus didn't need any more medicine injected in his system at the moment. "No thanks Moira, I'll be fine. So how much can you give me for all those?" asking Harith.
"Give you a hundred thirty-seven caps for the lot of them. They're in rough shape," he answered.
That wasn't enough to pay off Moriarty. He would have to find something else to do to scrounge the money needed, and get some more ammo for Wanda. "You carry any 5.56 ammo?"
"Got seventy rounds on me at the moment, a cap each."
"I'll take them all."
Harith took it out of what he gave for the guns. He left Craterside supply with nearly three full magazines for Wanda and 67 caps in his pocket. Feeling even more frustrated then when Moriarty first stiffed him. He needed to get that money together and fast. every day he waited was another day his dad got further away from him.
Moriarty's was pretty much empty when he got in. The saloon had a new smell mingling with the odor of rotting meat and dirty bodies - fermentation. Pegasus had no idea what fruits or vegetables they were using, but whatever it was smelled horrid.
Nova was behind the counter sadly staring off into the corner. She caught Pegasus' eye and smiled weakly at him. He wondered how badly Jericho hurt her.
"So what will it be handsome?" she asked when he approached the counter. "Another water? Beer? Or would you like a hit of Nova?"
"I just really want to know where my dad went. Think you can tell me?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry," and she truly sounded it. "But if I told you anything or went snooping around, I don't know what Colin would do."
"Why the hell doesn't Lucas just arrest him or boot him?"
"Moriarty knows the traders and outsiders that come here. He gives Megaton all kinds of sweet benefits that make him tolerated around here."
"Even what he does to you and Gob?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Still though, it beats having to live out there."
"Well do you have any idea how I can get some money?"
"You want my advice? Get out of here as fast as possible, you stay here for only a little bit. Then it's five years later." she muttered.
"Excuse me sir, did I hear you were in need of money?" A gentle low monotone said next to him.
Pegasus saw that it was the same man in the pinstriped suit that waved from earlier. He was surprised by how quiet he was. "Please Nova, by this gentleman a drink, on me."
"Okay," Pegasus said unsure of what was going on, "what's the cheapest you got here?"
"Oh, don't worry about price my young friend." he said resting a hand on his shoulder. "I remember you ordering water the last time you were here. If you wish for the most expensive thing again that is fine."
Nova poured in a clean glass a large cup of water. "Here you are. 30 caps Mr. Burke."
Burke paid for the drink and smiled. Pegasus was reminded of all the fake smiles the Overseer put on whenever he had to talk politely with either his dad or himself. "Will you come with me? I wish to talk with you privately about a possible source of income for you."
Unsure, he followed Burke nonetheless to the corner table, sitting down in a comfortable chair, a well-made cigar sat burning in the ashtray. Burke must've been rich to leave something like that just sitting there. Burke offered a fresh cigar but he turned it down. "So you are in need of financial gain," he said as a statement.
"That's right." Pegasus said taking a sip.
"Well it so happens that I can be of assistance to you. a thousand caps worth if you're interested."
Pegasus knew the shock showed on his face. Burke grinned bigger than ever. "That's quite a bit. What do I have to do?"
Burke reached into his coat pocket, taking out what appeared to be a pulse charge. "It's very simple, just put this pulse charge back into the bomb sitting in the middle of town, nothing more."
Pegasus did his best to make his face be like stone, not to show any of the horror that was swelling up inside of him. "And why would I do that?" he was proud of how controlled his voice was.
Burke must've thought that Pegasus was interested. "The person of interest I work for finds this place to be a blight upon the landscape. It obstructs their view and being forced to see this pile of garbage every day is infuriating to no end. The thousand caps would only be the beginning. You would also have the favor of the most powerful man in the wasteland."
"Who's that?"
Burke chuckled. "Your clear marking of an outsider and your ignorance of the wasteland are astounding. though they are the reason why I wished to approach you in this matter. Do not worry, you'll meet the man after the bomb is set. what do you say?"
I say you're fucking nuts. "I say give me a down payment of a hundred caps and the pulse charge and you got yourself a deal."
"Ignorant of the world but a quick learner. I like that." Burke said taking out a roll of caps from his pocket setting them and the pulse charge in his hand. "Come back here when it is set to get your next assignment."
"Are you serious?" Lucas Simms asked his eyes wide in shock.
Pegasus showed him the pulse charge and the roll of caps. "The bastard actually gave me a down payment to blow up the city."
"Burke you son of a-" Lucas swung his Chinese assault rifle from his shoulder. "Come on. I'm going to show you what wasteland justice looks like!"
Following Lucas back to the Saloon, they entered and Burke was sipping at his drink when Lucas hit him in the chest with the back of his rifle.
Burke didn't even flinch. "May I ask what the problem is Sheriff?" he said through a tight voice moving his hands to his suit.
"Keep your hands where I can see them Burke!" Simms said patting down Burke, not finding anything. "Just what the hell are you planning?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Burke said, though he couldn't see his eyes. Pegasus felt Burke glaring at him.
"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" Lucas said showing the pulse charge. "You were planning to blow up the town, your under arrest until I can get this whole thing sorted out."
"Sheriff. you seem to be operating on misinformation, I assure you that I'll deal with any problems. personally. Now if you'll excuse me."
Lucas aimed the rifle at Burke's chest. "You're in jail until I say otherwise."
"Why do you knuckle draggers always insist on doing things the hard way. Very well Sheriff, lead the way."
Lucas turned away from Burke, Burke jerked his hand, and a pistol appeared from the sleeve. He aimed it at the back of Lucas head.
"Look out!" Pegasus shouted, shoving Lucas to the side, grabbing Burke's wrist. The muffled gunshot missed Lucas head by only a few inches.
Burke recovered quickly and attacked Pegasus, for his age he was still quite strong and agile, surprising Pegasus and landing a few hits in his chest. The blows made his already bruised chest feel like it was on fire.
Pegasus tried to ignore it and managed to get the gun away from Burke, throwing it under the chair. Burke attacked again and the pain Pegasus was feeling was making him sluggish, it was all he could do just to block Burke's blows.
Burke shoved Pegasus back, making him stumble over Simms and bolted for the door. Lucas chased after him, the sounds of gunfire echoed back into the Saloon, Pegasus crawled and recovered Burke's pistol; finding it to be a n99 compact with an attached silencer. Forcing his way onto the chair Pegasus tried to catch his breath.
"What the hell was that all about?" Nova asked getting up from behind the counter.
"Wasteland justice I guess." Pegasus sighed. Lucas came back, a grim look on his face.
"The son of a bitch managed to get out of town!" Lucas said resting a hand on Pegasus' shoulder. "Thanks for your help, I must be getting slow in my old age."
"You shouldn't turn your back on someone dangerous." Pegasus said.
"Didn't realize he had a concealed weapon on him. I'll be checking sleeves more often from now on."
"Ah Sheriff!" Moriarty said interrupting them. "I take it, it was you driving away one of my most expensive customers? And you, young man, still hasn't found what you're looking for?"
"Burke wanted to blow up the entire town, I think you can deal with the loss of one customer instead of the loss of every single one along with yourself Moriarty." Pegasus said bluntly.
"Well then you better start sending them back in then to make up for his loss!" Colin snapped. "Just finished a fine new batch of brew and it needs to be drank soon! How about you two, care for a warm beer?"
"No thanks Colin, I hear you piss in the still." Lucas glared at him.
Pegasus could feel the tension mounting between them. Colin was the type who would do anything for a few more caps and Lucas was a man of law and order. When he thought about it, it was amazing that they hadn't shot each other yet. Remembering what Nova said, he saw clearly that they merely put up with each other for practical reasons: Lucas gave Moriarty the security he needed to thrive out here, and Moriarty gave Lucas the connections making sure they did thrive out here. An unofficial sharing of power between the both of them that they both put up with. Made him realize why the Overseer never liked his father or himself. They were a challenge to his authority and unlike Lucas and Colin, there was no need to share the power in the Vault.
"Colin we need to start bottling this stuff." The gravelly voice of Gob said, he appeared from the back door looking haggard.
"What was that?" Colin said smiling not taking his eyes of Lucas or Pegasus.
"Sorry Mr. Moriarty Sir!" Gob blurted out.
"That's better." he turned and shoved Gob back in to the room making something crash that everyone could hear. Nova flinched at whatever she saw.
"Don't take your frustrations out on Gob!" Pegasus shouted. Standing up, the pain in his chest flared up, making him grimace.
"Looks like Burke hurt you more then you realized." Colin said. "Maybe you're not cut out for the outside world after all. Go crawl back into your Vault and don't tell me how to run my business. unless of course you're looking to add to whatever Burke did to ya?"
He went back into the room. A smack was heard before the door slammed.
"You two should get going. He's in a bad mood, he'll get out of it in a bit though he always does." Nova said.
Lucas tipped his hat towards her. "Always a pleasure Lady Nova."
"See you later." Pegasus said following the Sheriff.
"Think he's going to come back?" Pegasus asked Lucas by Craterside Supply.
"If he does I'm going to give him a belly full of lead." Lucas said. "Though now I'm worried about the bomb."
"You weren't before?" Pegasus asked skeptically.
"Don't be sassy." Lucas snapped. "If all it takes is a pulse charge to get that thing working again, then anybody can possibly set it off."
"Can't just get rid of it?"
"How? Besides if we did the church would throw a fit."
"I'll take a look at it and see if I can disarm it." Pegasus offered.
"And the hell would you know about atomic bombs?"
"Possibly enough to know that it will never go nuclear, though it will still radioactively decay."
Lucas stopped behind an outside counter by a large shanty shack with a sign saying 'The Brass Lantern'. behind the counter was a young woman with short cut strawberry hair in a yellow jumpsuit handling what appeared to be meat on a stick. she turned and smiled at the both of them.
"Hello Sheriff, scotch and lizard on a stick?" she asked.
"You know my usual Jenny. Colin offered me a drink, but I wanted to come to the place I know the piss will be left out."
She laughed and smiled at Pegasus. "Now I know I haven't seen you around before and I know everyone in these parts. You just a passing stranger?"
"Possibly, I'm looking for my father. Wore a Vault suit and stopped by the Saloon. Know where he may have gone?"
"Sorry hon, I wouldn't know." Jenny said. "Know who you're talking about though, saw him only in passing."
She saw the disappointment on his face. "here. have a drink on me."
She poured them both a glass of scotch, though only giving Pegasus a quarter glass. he didn't mind, it was the first free drink he'd hadn't had to fight over, or clean since he gotten out of the Vault. It burned his throat when he swallowed. He remembered his dad liked to drink scotch back in the Vault, with the burning sensation and how he was already feeling thirstier then before he wondered why people even drank this stuff in the first place.
She had turned and started grilling the lizards, the cooking meat made his stomach growl. He needed to save as much money as possible just to pay for the information, but it would do him no good if he starved out here. He had three lizard sticks at a loss of twenty caps, but his stomach was telling him he made a good choice.
"So you really think you can disarm that thing?" Lucas said pointing at the bomb with the scotch in his hand.
Pegasus answered through a mouthful of lizard, whatever it was, Jenny knew how to cook it with juicy flavor. "I can take a look at it and see what I can do." He said spitting out several small bones. The lizards were good, but the bones kept trying to poke his mouth.
"Alright, if you can disarm it there be five hundred caps in it for you." Lucas said.
Pegasus stopped eating for a second. Five hundred was more than enough for him to pay off Colin and even have a little extra for supplies. "You're gonna try and disable that thing?" Jenny asked pointing at the nuke. "You crazy?"
Pegasus answered by giving her a technical layout of the bomb and its functions. Most of it was from what he could remember from the Vault physics books on nuclear power and weaponry, and some of it from his maintenance days with Stanley and fixing the nuclear generator in 101.
"Okay, okay, you know what you're doing, apparently." Jenny said sheepishly. "But stay here and give me a second." She went inside The Brass Lantern and a few minutes later came back out with a yellow wrapper. "Here's some Mentats. My brother uses them just to get high, but I know that can be used for more than just that."
Pegasus took the drugs and wondered if he could even use them. Mentats, from what he'd read about them, were supposed to improve cognitive functions, and make one smarter than they were, though at the cost of neurological disorders and potential migraines. He also wondered if, with the Stimpak already in his system, he would potentially overdose himself. Then there was also the fact the expiration date on these things said 2087, well over a century pass their shelf date.
In the end he figured he'd accept them and use them. he may die from a nuclear flash or from a drug overdose, either way he'd be dead, but at least these people may survive. he (pooped)popped out three of the little red tablets, the pre-war recommended amount and took them.
"Wow." Jenny said her eyes wide. "Never seen anyone take that much."
"That's what it says to do." Pegasus pointed at the blurred writing.
"Yeah but those things get potent as they age." Jenny said.
He was tempted to try and throw them up at those words when he felt a wave of euphoria hit him. A thousand thoughts came rushing into his mind each with a thousand separate possibilities. Some were genius, others stupid. All the potential places his father could go, how to get back in the Vault, all the different sexual positions and places he and Amata could do. The thoughts nearly overwhelmed him and he stood there looking in a trance.
Reality slowly came back to him with the worried looks on both their faces. He felt something in his face and realized he had been drooling, with the amount of drool running down his face he figured he had been in a vegetative trance for 2.3 minutes. With all the thoughts running through his head, it took him a few seconds to remember how to move his own body. His movements were quick and twitchy.
"I'M-GOING-TO-LOOK-AT-THE-BOMB," Pegasus didn't realize how fast he'd said it.
"You want to wait until your head's back on your shoulders?" Lucas said, cautiously.
"I'm fine." Pegasus forced himself to slow down. He started going through the Vault stretches he did in the morning, letting his mind reconnect with the rest of his body. He turned and stumbled towards the bomb falling on the dirt. He was getting irritated. His body couldn't keep up with the speed of his thoughts.
Taking out Burke's pistol and his own, he began to disassemble them and put them back together. His hands moving so fast that the pieces were slipping past his fingers. He took them both apart and reassembled them several times in the span of a minute. The next minute he finally got the speed down for his body to match his mind. Only two minutes had passed, but it felt as though days passed while he worked.
Feeling like he had his body back under control he walked slowly towards the bomb when his brain wanted him to run. Using his tools, he took off the panel and chuckled at what he saw. The pulse charge was missing and with some quick wiring work he had made it so it could never again be able to take a signal. The amusing thing was that from the decay this thing never had a pulse charge in the beginning, explaining why the thing never went nuclear in the first place.
Quickly, more quickly than if he would have ever tried without the mentats, he took out the core of the bomb, he wished that had a proper container for the thing. This thing put in a battery would power nearly anything for the next 10,000 years. He signaled for Lucas to come over, putting the core in his hat.
"Take that thing and make sure nobody can find it." Pegasus said, quickly moving to where the high explosive would be stored.
"I'll be damned! You actually did it!" Lucas smiled.
Pegasus took out a block of explosives, putting the bomb back together, the children of Atom would never know that it was even tampered with. "Now I did it. The thing will never go Nuclear ever. If you have a container and a safe I suggest you go put that thing in both and put a guard over it."
"Already have something in mind." Lucas said, carefully heading back up the ramps.
The job was done but the mentats hadn't worn off yet. He felt the extra moisture in the air. "Jenny, is Megaton supposed to be this humid?" he asked though he already figured no.
Jenny confirmed it. "Walter's been having trouble taking care of the leaks."
Pegasus started walking around Megaton, finding one leak up the hill where he first appeared, using his tools and some scrap metal from the wall he managed to patch it up. One leak wouldn't be making this much humidity, and so he started looking around even more. Finding another by the Church of Atom and another close to the back of town. The repairs were only temporary, but they would do until he could find a way to seal the leaks by fusing the metal over the cracks instead of just patching it up.
He checked his pip-boy and saw that not even an hour had passed since he'd taken those mentats and he was unbelievably bored. His mind was aching to do something else, anything else.
Heading up to the water processing plant (he figured that's what it was, with all the pipes leading to it), finding the entire plant to be a dully-lit run-down system with the pipes looking ready to crack at any second. A haggard old man was whacking away at one of the pipes.
"What the hell you doing in here?" he asked looking up.
"The pressures up and you're having problems with the excess." Pegasus stated.
He looked shocked. "Why, yes. How the hell you know that kid?"
"I just fixed three leaks out there and now I need to take a look at your pressure gauge."
The old man pointed at the back. Pegasus went over to it and with his mentat enhanced mind it was very simple to get the water pressure to a normal setting.
"There. Now, Megaton will have an 8% increase in water." Pegasus said doing the calculations in his head. These mentats were amazing. He glanced around and saw an old Mister Handy bot sitting in the corner. "You keeping that? Oh, I'm Pegasus and you are?" he asked.
"Got that thing from a passing robo trader a few years ago, and I'm Walter, that's Wadsworth." Walter said. "If you can fix the piece of junk he's yours."
"Simple enough." Pegasus was already looking over Wadsworth. Finding that some of his parts had expired or were broken. He would need new parts to get Wadsworth working again, but he could get it working again.
A quick stop at Craterside supply, and a short conversation with Moira (who wouldn't stop pestering him for his help with her book), he came back with parts that she got from the king of crap himself. Wadsworth started up and hovered off the ground.
"I'll be damned." Walter whispered. "who the hell are you kid?"
"Told you, Pegasus." The mentats were doing wonders for his technical skill but they were killing his social ones.
"Good morning sir!" Wadsworth said in the standard Mr. Handy voice, giving Pegasus a pang in his chest as he remembered Andy. "It appears I was deactivated for the past 1478 days. Were there problems with fixing my diagnosis?"
"You belong to him now." Walter waved.
"Hello Pegasus Master!" Wadsworth greeted happily. "I take it I am to thank you for my reactivation?"
"Yes are you good at maintenance and repair?" Pegasus asked.
"Of course sir, it was my primary duty to clean and maintain what is called the Megaton Water processing plant." Wadsworth stopped and seemed to glance around. "Even after over three years the place doesn't look all that different."
"Continue with your formal duties until I summon you." Pegasus stated.
"Of course sir." Wadsworth said using one of his hands to pick up an old worn broom and started sweeping.
"Not going to do you any good." Walter said looking at them both. "we need more metal to replace the pieces that rusted away."
"I'll see if I can't find you some." Pegasus said bluntly.
"How much you want for them?" Walter said with raised eyebrows.
"As much as you can afford."
"In that case I'll take them free." Walter said. Turning when someone else walked in. The person turned out to be the Sheriff.
"Jenny said you started wandering all over hell's half acre fixing things around the town." Lucas said smiling. "The bomb, now the water pipes."
"He even made it so the plant won't explode from the extra pressure." Walter added.
Simms laughed. "Hell, you're doing so much for us. Why don't you just move on in?"
Pegasus immediate response was no, but his enhanced mind let him go through the long term possibilities of having a home on outside. A place to come back to, to rest and look over any clues to his father's whereabouts or to just do research on whatever is out here without having to worry about being attacked. Mojo had lived out on the fringes for years, but one bad night was all it took to kill him. In Megaton he'd have safety and hopefully not have to worry about that.
"Sure you have a place in mind?" Pegasus asked quickly.
"I take it the drugs are still in your system." Lucas said laughing. "I'll show you your home and you need to talk to Moira, I'm sure she can help you with the interior decor. Just don't let her actually design, just supply!"
The house in question had two levels and was one of the bigger shacks in Megaton. better yet it even had its own power source in the form of several small fission batteries giving him untold amounts of electricity. It came with its own fridge and was connected to Megatons' water pipes. Though he only had possibly one gallon of water a day, and even then Lucas told him that he'd need to clean it just to be safe.
"What a lovely little shack master!" Wadsworth said, it was impossible to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "We just need some run down furniture and some ruined tables and we'll have a matching home!"
Pegasus ignored him and found that they had given him a desk and bed in the main bedroom, the best part was that it also had a close power source. A plan had been quickly forming in his head and now he was going put it in action.
"Wadsworth clean this place up and count my caps. guard those with your life." Pegasus said as he headed back out. Wadsworth said something that sounded like a joke about him not being alive, but he was too busy to care.
Back in the school he found the giant ants scurrying about the levels, dragging the bodies of the dead raiders back down to their nest. Pegasus ignored them though they were going to come in handy in just a few minutes. Trying to unplug Bogs old terminal, he found one cable that didn't match with the rest. Following it to a hollowed out portion of the wall, he moved an old poster to find a safe. Using the terminal to hack open the safe, finding a box of 5.56 rounds and several stacks of caps, his laughter echoed down the halls. This day was getting better and better! Taking the old terminal and his treasure find, he shot several of the worker ants that were in the classroom with the two fucking raiders. Gathering the ants' corpses and shooting three of the larger, warrior ants that came to stop him, he gathered them all and tossed them in an old wheeled trash bin he found in the halls and made his way back to Megaton.
His head was starting to hurt after he sold the larger warrior ants to Jenny. Getting a fair price out of them and even getting the worker ants meat processed for himself for free. He thought of going back to Mojo's old trailer and seeing if he could salvage the old dog and mole-rat meat but it was getting dark that would take too long.
"Welcome home sir!" Wadsworth greeted. "it'll please you to know sir that no rust got into your 723 caps sir!"
"Add these to it." Pegasus said tossing Wadsworth the extra caps. Taking the terminal up to the bedroom, he set it up and felt elevated when the green screen turned on. He started working over the terminal, doing a systems reboot to get rid of all the clutter from Bogs old logs and whatever else was on it.
"Sir it will please you to know that you now have 1103 of these bottle caps." Wadsworth shouted. "I must ask sir is Nuka-cola or sunset having a raffle or prize for all of these things?"
"They're currency Wadsworth." Pegasus said rubbing his temples. The Mentats were wearing off quickly, leaving him with a massive headache. Still over a thousand caps would definitely buy the information he needed from Colin.
Someone knocked on the door, he thought that it could very well be Colin coming to see if he would be willing to sell his house for the information. "Wadsworth get that." The computer had finished with its boot. Hooking his pip-boy up to the terminal he started a data transfer.
"Master, a Mister Gob wishes to speak with you." Wadsworth said. "Though I must say I suggest you do it through a quarantine area, he looks quite sick."
"Shut up you old robot it's not like you never seen me before!" Gob shouted.
"Let him up!" Pegasus shouted down. What would Gob be doing here?
"Hey." Gob said meekly waving "I heard you saved the town from being blown up."
"The Sheriff and myself." Pegasus said rubbing his temples, the headache was getting worse. He probably wouldn't even be able to look over the Vault files this night.
"Thanks for that, and thanks for standing up for me, you didn't have to." Gob tried to not look him in the eye as he said that before he blurted out. "I know where your dad went."
The headache disappeared at Gobs words. "Where!?"
"He headed to Galaxy News Radio to talk to Three Dog, but if you want my advice, I suggest you check Paradise Falls first."
"Why and what's Paradise falls?" he asked rubbing his eyes. The excitement died and the ache turned into a massive migraine.
"Haven't heard anything on the Radio or from passing traders about someone visiting Three Dog. Something like that he'd talk about." Gob explained. "If he never made it, he may have been captured by the slavers of Paradise Falls."
"Slavers." Pegasus stated leaning back in his chair. He'd thought that the raiders in the elementary school where capturing people just to dig, but now if it's true that a slave ring operated out here in the wasteland, then it was a very real possibility that his dad had been captured and sold. He trusted Gob more than he trusted Moriarty. "Know how I can get there?"
"I know the place. but if I were you I'd ask Jericho." Gob said. "The man was a former raider before coming to Megaton to retire. Though if you ask me he's probably still in the game."
"Or at the least still has contracts that will let me get in without causing too much of a fuss." Pegasus thought it over. Trusting Jericho not to sell him out the first chance he got was not easy. His mentat addled brain was hurting from thinking too much. Jericho was most likely more mercenary then raider. Caps would be able to solve the problem. Still left the chance Jericho would go back on his word though.
"Thanks for helping me Gob. You have no idea how much I appreciate it." Pegasus said getting up to walk Gob out. Stopping by Wadsworth, and telling him to give up three caps. "Here. I know it's not much but I may need every cap I can spare to buy my dad." The thought suddenly came to him. "How did you know it was my dad?"
"You look just like him." Gob said smiling he added. "And the both of you are some of the only people that actually treat me with respect."
Pegasus didn't know what to say to that. "I need to get some sleep Gob. I've had a busy day." He felt sheepish that just showing basic decency had been enough to get Gob to tell him what he needed to know.
They said their goodbyes and Pegasus laid down on the stiff bed, the springs groaned under his weight. feeling uncomfortable, he realized that he hadn't taken off his clothes for sleep in the past four days. Getting naked he laid back down and for the first time felt all the tension leave his body and drifted off into his first sound sleep out here in the Capital Wasteland.
