Morgan awoke to Rook shaking her again. "I'm up...I'm up..." She grumbled, pushing herself off his lap and stretching as she sat up.
"You are pretty comfortable."
Rook canted his head at her with a raised eyebrow, and said nothing.
"Anyway, shall we get back to it?"
"Affirmative." Said Rook, rising to his feet. "It would be better if we could proceed without anymore hostilities with vegetation, but a statistical analysis would come to a different inference."
"Yeah I'll help you clear out." Morgan nodded, wandering back over to Garry and Heather.
Heather looked up to them, finding it difficult to hide her disappointment that Garry didn't have more time to recover.
"He's awake, I think he'll be able to walk, so long as we don't push him too much."
Morgan nodded. "With me hacking away, it'll be slow going..."
"Erm... I could do it, I mean, I'm a little more used to using blades than you probably are." The Former Slave offered, though this was mostly an assumption based on the fact that Morgan mostly used guns.
"Well...I'd prefer that too." Morgan noted. "I can help Garry."
Garry nodded as Heather took his arm and pulled him to his feet, trying to ignore his disoriented groan as he rose to his feet, stumbling back and forth as he tried to find his balance.
"I... I can still shoot, just need someone close..." He explained, in a weakened voice.
"We'll support each other." Morgan smiled, extending a weak and shaky arm around Garry's waist.
"We'll get out today."
"Alrigh'..." He whispered, glancing over to Heather and giving her an reassuring nod.
"You go with Rook... Don't wear yourself out, okay?"
Heather nodded obediently before waiting on Rook's lead, leaving Garry to hang his head, with a sigh as he composed himself.
"I'll try not to slow you down too much."
"Do I need to carry you?" Asked Rook. "We may move faster that way."
"We need you to hack the bush..." Morgan said to Rook softly before turning on Garry. "We'll be okay. Just stop me if you need to rest."
"Right... I'll be fine, so long as I keep movin'." The Former Slaver insisted, prompting Heather to nod and start leading them on.
"C'mon... We need to carve a path through the jungle."
Rook just nodded, hefting his axe.
"Stay behind me. If anything engages us, I would prefer it hit me first."
"Yeah... Me to." Heather replied, though it was obvious not intentional or malicious, moreso saying the first thing that came into her head.
"Erm... Y'know, since you'd handle it better..." She added as save, drawing her machete and getting it at the read.
What if we get attacked from behind? Morgan thought with a shrug before nodding. "A sound plan..."
With that, Rook lead on, deeper into the jungle.
They passed an old park bench. virtually unrecognizable under all the foliage. The bench stood parallel with the way they were going. So under all that vegetation, they were probably were walking along an old path.
"What are those little... Gold things on the backs of those seats?" Heather asked, curiously, referring to the plaques on the backrest.
"Well...I think people used to memorialise others with benches when they died. An odd thing..." Morgan mused from behind.
"Oh... Like the stones?" Heather asked, looking over her shoulder and getting a nod from Garry.
"Yeah... Like that..." The Wastelander winced, feeling his joints stiffen, though he did his best to shrug it off.
"C'mon we can take it slower..." Morgan soothed.
"Nah... I can rest on the ferry... Keep movin'." Garry insisted, uttering under his breath so that Heather didn't hear it.
"Aight..." Morgan smiled, pressing on and watching Rooks behind.
"You two... Always been this way?" Garry asked, resisting the urge to laugh at Morgan's lack of subtlety.
Rook did not release what the question was asking, so he did not answer it. He reached down and unfastened his holsters, making sure his guns were easily at hand.
Morgan shrugged. "I've always felt something I guess..." She admitted, going red in the face. "I know it's...different for him."
"Nah... I just... didn't know you before, so I dunno." The Wastelander explained, holding himself together.
"What do you make of it?" Morgan asked, pretty curious.
Rook was still oblivious to what they were talking about.
"Er... Him bein' a robot?" Garry asked, assuming that that's what she meant, since nobody could make the false assumption of him being an idle gossip mongerer.
"Don't really matter... So long as it don't hurt anyone or nothin', I couldn't care less what people do to eachother."
"I wonder what others will think..." Morgan admitted. "It's not exactly...ethical."
"What do you mean?" Garry asked, unsure as to how it was unethical.
"Well I'm a human and Rook...isn't. Some are bound to find whatever we share, wrong." Morgan sighed.
"Yeah? And those people probably 'share' with a dog or children..." Garry uttered, swallowing back the urge to vomit as he remembered some of the things the older slavers used to talk about.
"Trust me, this is far from bein' bad for me..."
"Ah I understand..." Morgan nodded. "Thanks for not being...creeped out or anything..."
"Don't... Mention it." The Wastelander wince, glancing up to her.
"I think it's good to be honest... For both of you, it was the best thing that ever happened to me."
"Had..." Garry corrected her, glancing up in front of them both.
"It... Didn't end well."
"Ah, sorry..." Morgan nodded, not wanting to pry beyond her boundaries for a change.
"S'alright... Wouldn't be here if it didn't happen, so I guess that it's lucky for you." The Wastelander said, ending on a slight smirk as he glanced up, wondering how much more of this forest he'll have to cut down.
Rook halted.
"We are here. Frequencies emitted from beyond the treeline cause me to conclude that the jungle is nearing its end."
"Wow... Looks like Garry ended up doing the hard work after all." Heather uttered, amazed at how few trees she had to cut down.
"We're almost there..." Morgan exhaled in relief. "Thank God!"
"If this... Ferryman asshole says anythin' other than 'welcome aboard,' I'm gonna tie him to the boat and have him dragged along behind us." Garry uttered, through gritted teeth.
"I am sure Rook can sail the boat anyways." Morgan chuckled.
"Negative, I do not possess any knowledge on sailing. I do know how to operate a small powered craft, though."
"Oh well...better hope this ferryman is a nice guy then." Morgan shrugged as she gave Rook a smile.
Rook dropped back a bit, to walk alongside Morgan.
"What intel do you possess on Governor's Island?"
"Not much." Morgan admitted. "What I do know, is that Liz sent people there from Sanford, and they never returned. She told me it is a special clinic for the especially sick. I...do not enjoy the thought of going there."
"What kind of 'sick' were they? Radiation?"
"Injured, Insane...You name it..." Morgan sighed.
Rook just nodded. "Affirmative."
Morgan gave Rook a tired and worried smile. "It'll be ok..."
"I do not need reassurance." He said, as he took her hand, knowing very well that she did.
Morgan sighed quietly. "I know you don't. I'm trying to make myself feel better."
Knowing my rate, I am gonna end up missing an arm or something…
"It will, Morgan."
Morgan nodded, looking straight ahead of herself determinedly.
I'll protect myself. I've done it before, I will do it again. I'll...protect Rook too...
Rook just held Morgan's hand firmly and trudged on.
A.R.C.
"You are tuned in to A.R.C. radio! With your host, Me! Maxwell Flower. Have I got news for you..."
"Guess that weather forecast was right. It's been said that it will keep raining or be rainy for the duration of a week. Again... No way to verify this, and those "weathermen" with antenna dishes on their head seemed kind of cuckoo... Still... bless 'em. Also, for those who hadn't noticed yet. The rain is not radio-active. So no... Your face won't melt off. Yes, I'm responding to you, Misses Pierson of Broadway."
"Anyways, while this New York 'dew' passes by, Johnny Mercer is here to remember you should Accentuate The Positive
The jungle started to clear up a bit, indeed. But they were far from out of it.
The frequency pick up was because they had gone to slightly higher ground and the trees had cleared up a bit. It appeared the frequency came from Belvedere Castle. Which was odd. Considering it was an old structure which never had any radio technology installed. So what could possibly be emitting this frequency?
Rook released Morgan's hand to slid his around his holstered shotgun.
"Trouble."
Heather stepped forward, drawing her .32 pistol, in case she had to shoot from long range.
Morgan drew her pistol as well and kept a firm support on Garry.
"What kinda trouble?"
"Alien frequency southwest of our position."
"We gonna investigate? Could be that T2..." Morgan worried.
"Negative. If it was, I would have felt him already."
"Maybe we should move around it?" Heather suggested, tightning her hold on her weapon.
"I mean, antagonising it can't be a good idea, can it?"
"Yes, but if the signal has a lock on us, proceeding forward exposes our rear to it."
"So, we're fucked either way. Let's just keep moving." Morgan sighed.
If Morgan was an android, he would've sent his sever disapproval over the link, and then used his superior ranking to override her command.
Alas, she was not an android.
"Affirmative. We will continue." He agreed, despite the fact he found it tactically unsound. It was always better to confirm and destroy threats than to let them sit and wait.
"What? You'd rather risk that we die?" Morgan muttered. "I realise how it annoys you, but we can cover ourselves."
"I did not say it annoys me." Said Rook, remaining stoic. "But there is a famous quote, Morgan. 'Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.'"
"And the mistake is?" Heather asked, feeling somewhat lost at this point.
"Exposing our back to a potential hostile in a superior and fortified position in their territory."
"And the alternative is...what?"
"Confirm the status of the target, whether it is friend or foe."
Morgan rolled her eyes.
Five caps says its a foe. It is always a foe.
"Fine, whatever. Let's go check it out."
The frequency got more 'tangible' for a transmitter to receive as they approached. Instead of static it played soft... jazz?
"And if it is a foe?" Heather asked, nervously.
"Neutralise it." Asked Rook, seeing little change from noise to noise.
The frequency identified itself as the "Vault 266 distress system"
"Thi.. Is Con... He... Scie... Vau... 66... rong..."
It appeared to be a distress signal. going on a loop.
Rook analysed the distress signal for a few moments, before speaking.
"It is an old transmission. It only picked up due to our proximity."
"Yeah... Thing's probably ancient, on a loop or somethin'..." Garry uttered, remembering several transmitions like it from his journey from DC.
"Think that Vault's the reason that everythin's overgrown?"
"From the nature of the transmission, one would come to that conclusion."
"Y'never know... They could've run out of toilet paper." The Wastelander suggested, with a shrug.
"They are other means of cleansing one's extremities than toiletry tissues."
"If you're the Overseer? Sure... Everyone's lickin' your ass then." Garry agreed, then pausing as he remembered what Morgan said.
"Erm... Figuratively..."
Rook stared blankly at Garry.
"Regardless," He continued, forgetting the arsehole comments, "I doubt we will find any non-plant life at the castle."
"Then we should keep movin' and head to the Ferry..." Garry winced, slowly lifting his eyes up to meet Rook's gaze.
"The sooner the better..."
Rook nodded.
"Agreed. Let us continue."
Wait what? I said the same thing like 10 minutes ago and got taught a lesson. So much for eliminating a threat...Morgan thought bitterly.
She was highly tempted to just drop Garry and walk off on her own.