Chapter Twelve: Night Camp
I step back and look up toward Addison, giving her a soft, calmed smile, and looking at her still startled expression. It relaxes as she takes in my tranquil state. I'd love to continue staring at her, and I likely would have, but a voice pulls me from my fixation, "Yeah… uh… what're we doing next?"
Unable to control myself in time, I frown slightly, but a quick shake of the head sets me straight. Becoming determined, I turn back to the party, grabbing my bag, and pointing toward the front door to the building. Stuffing my things inside the bag, I quickly check the contents over; nothing is missing, at least from what I can tell, and the 10mm Pistol was added to the mix. Pulling it out, I check my collection of 10mm ammo and set the magazines in an easy-to-access pouch on the bag. Keeping a single spare on my belt.
Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I march out the building. Scanning the horizon, it seems to be midday – the bulb in full display. Bringing a hand to shield my eyes, my vision finds the vast expanse above to be brightly lit.
So dizzying.
"Woah, I don't think I'll ever get used to this sight," a hunched over Kyle states as he steps outside. I know what he means, it doesn't seem like an easy thing to deal with.
Anton walks ahead, scanning the horizon himself; as if he was looking for something. I guess he's trying to be extra prepared. If I wasn't mistaken, it had looked like he wanted to say something to Kyle, but refrained when he noticed me observing him.
"It looks to be a hot day," Addison says, rubbing a hand over Kyle's back to soothe him. Not far from her, I can hear Blake mumble an agreement.
Checking my Pip-Boy, the compass informs me of the South-Eastern direction. I then take that moment to point it out to the rest of the party. "So where do we go next?" I hear one ask.
"One moment," Addison replies, as she shuffles for her paper map. Unfurling the tattered paper, she studies it for a moment, "It should still be South-East from here… now which direction is that?" I stand there still pointing. Kyle pushes his left arm toward her so she can see his screen, and after a moment she turns toward where I'm pointing. "Okay, it should be this way," she waves toward the South-East.
Blake nods, "Roger," and begins in the direction. Kyle and Blake follow after her. I'm still there, pointing in the South-East, my finger now wavering.
A hand gently rests on my shoulder and Anton says, "Maybe next time." With that, I reluctantly followed after.
Several hours had passed since we started along once more, but an eerie silence hung in the air; threatening to consume any that dared approach the beast. It was suffocating. My only reprieve came from random Bloatflies darting along the raised ground we traveled. I'd started carrying my hunting rifle in my hands, that way I could respond to the winged stress-relievers in a quicker fashion. Sneak attack after sneak attack, I slowly dwindled the population down.
At least, I hope I am. There seems to be an endless supply of these things. No matter how many I shoot down, it seems almost as if three more are ready and able to take its place. Shaking my head, I threw the idea of infinite Bloatflies away and focused my attention back toward the horizon.
It wasn't long after that that I spotted a crudely cobbled together wooden palisade, splashed with the usual Raider flair. I couldn't explain it, but a sense of relief and a spark of joy washed over me. I shuddered at the possible cause, and poked Anton, as he was the closest.
As he turned to face me, quietly calling for the others to slow down, I pointed at the raider encampment, and Anton's eyes followed seconds later. The others looked, but Kyle mentioned not being able to see anything – I ignored his comment. Scanning around, I found a decent vantage point, and motioned for the others to follow. It wasn't all that late, but now was a good time to rest, recover, and eat – conserve our strength, and then attack when the defenses are at their weakest.
I scribbled my plan down and showed the others, I'd like to take down that encampment. We can attack at night or in the morning, whenever they are most unaware. RostRest for now. No fires. I didn't pay much attention to the following discussion, but from what I could tell, no one objected.
Our vantage point was at the peak of an incline, with a large stack of boulders protecting the sightline. We were resting in a small clearing amongst those rocks, there was a surprising amount of space. Moving toward the edge, where I could get a clean lookout of the encampment, I set my bag down and began checking my gear.
My Pip-Boy informed me about my impressive thirty-one Bloatfly meat and my other miscellaneous goodies. I then used the Pip-Boy's health tracking system to inspect my condition, but nothing stuck out to me. I then sorted through my bag, neatly laying things out – checking the condition of the weapons on my Pip-Boy (a function I wasn't even aware of until now) – and making sure I wasn't missing anything; by the end I had a proper list of both the wear and potential remaining usages.
Let's start on the smaller side and work up from there; 'Knife' was in poor condition, I could probably only use it a handful of times – which was odd, because I could barely remember ever using it. Shifting it in my hand, I tucked it back into my boot. After that came the two '10mm Pistol's that I had, neither was in great condition, but I had a good amount of ammunition – for now. After that was my trusty 'Double-Barreled Shotgun', it could use some maintenance, so I set it to the side – maybe I'd have to ask Blake for some pointers – and I managed to get more '12gauge Shots', so I shouldn't run out any time soon.
Next, I checked on my 'Hunting Rifle' and set it aside for further maintenance, as far as '.32 Caliber Rounds' went, I still had a good amount. Then I moved to the gun that gave me an odd sense of longing each time I saw it, 'Colere's Laser Rifle' which was in near-perfect condition. I had a couple shots, but it didn't even seem to be a full barrage's worth. Lastly, I checked the weapon which sent chills down my spine, the '.44 Magnum Revolver' and it, too, was in near-perfect condition; but I wished to never see it fired, so I tucked it away at the bottom of my bag. I had a lot of '.44 Magnum Rounds'. Honestly, far too many.
Grabbing the 10mm pistols, my book and pencil, my shotgun, and my hunting rifle I glance around the small clearing and spot Blake, sitting off to one side messing around with his arm. Headed over, I stand near him, staring. After a short while, he seems to notice me as he almost jumps out of his skin. I cock my head and set the guns down, then scribble in my book before he can formulate any questions.
I'd like some help. I don't know the most abaut gun maintenance. I write in plain, bold letters. Looking at what I wrote, though, my cheeks flush as I see the mistake…
"Ah, uh, yeah," Blake awkwardly replies, his mind clearly still recovering from the jump scare.
He then spends the next half hour or so explaining to me the basics of maintaining and repairing weapons, specifically guns. Disassembling the gun, cleaning it, then reassembling it; removing parts that are busted or bad and replacing them with pieces from another weapon. It was all very informative. I flipped to a page with Thank you! written on it, and then headed back to my slightly secluded area.
I spent some time figuring out how to disassemble each weapon, clean it (as best I could), and then reassemble them. I managed to combine the two 10mm pistols and came out with one in a pretty good condition. I rubbed a hand through my hair and dug out some of the Bloatfly meat in my bag, slowly chewing on it as I took the scope of the hunting rifle and peered down at the raider encampment down below.
A make-shift tower rested on the far North of the wall, yet nothing looked protected – as if a single kick could knock down the palisade wall. On the tower I could spot two raiders, they seemed to be hugging and being very affectionate with one another. Down below, several tents stuck out and a couple human poles, too. I can't even begin to explain why I don't feel sick looking at this camp.
Sadly, I couldn't spot any other raiders, as the walls are helpful for at least that much. I'd like to sigh. It's frustrating not getting an accurate gauge of the situation. Either way, if the tower savages are distracted, then that leaves an easier time sneaking into the camp. But what about outside? A quick scan suggests nothing, but that doesn't mean there is a zero possibility of traps.
If I took out the raiders in the tow— why are they—?
Perhaps the attack will be better to take later…
"Muna?" a voice asked incredulously. My heart skipped a beat, my stomach churned, and I felt my blood run cold as I forced my food to stay down. I slowly turned to look at Addison, and her face shifted from slight-concern to a near-horror. "I-I'm sorry!" she blurted out, her hands shifting around in front of her.
I felt like crying. Screaming, if I could. I thought about stomping off to calm down, but decided against it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then another, and another. Finally, I opened my eyes back in a semi-calmed state, and gave my best smile.
Setting the scope down, I opened my book to a page, Yes? With that, Addison still looked concerned, but my penetrating smile waved away the darkness and she let out a sigh. "We made some food, if you'd like to eat."
I held up the remaining Bloatfly meat in my hand, and her face twisted in disgust. Weird. "Oh…" she exclaims and turns and leaves, without another word. I have to wonder what that reaction was. I know Bloatfly wasn't the best, but it's definitely started growing on me.
The first bite was always the toughest, but once you broke through that. The natural sliminess helped carry the meat down, and the acidic flavor and gooey texture made every bite stand out. If I had anything to go with it, it'd probably be a staple of my diet out here.
Not long later, and I downed several more; but then I realized a major issue: I didn't have any liquids, and the liquid from the Bloatfly meat could only go for so much. I jotted something down in my book, and then headed over to the rest, each enjoying some sort of non-Bloatfly meal. Holding up my book, I waited until one of them saw it. One, two, three minutes later and Kyle was the one to notice. What was written was simple: Water.
Kyle, on the opposite side of the clearing, reached beside him and tossed over a water bottle. I flipped it in my hands – it was irradiated. But that didn't stop me from popping the cap off and pouring it back, with each gulp I heard the soft click of my geiger counter. Relieved, I smiled back toward Kyle and he returned a soft smile.
I then strolled closer to the group, looking at each of them, before getting ready to give my battle plan. Anton was slightly to my left, Blake sat near Addison on the right, and Kyle sat furthest from in the dead-center. Then, I took a seat and began to scribble in my book.
"'I scouted out the base. I couldn't see much, but I think I have a pla–' Hmm?" Anton hummed as I stopped writing. "Problem?" After a moment, I shook my head and continued writing, and Anton read it aloud, "'-n of attack.' Oh, I see. Well, what is it, then?"
"You couldn't see much?" Blake inquired, but I opted to ignore the question. Instead, focusing on explaining the idea I had.
I started by drawing an outline of the base in the dirt in the center of us, and the rest moved in closer to watch. I had a very rough sketch on the ground within moments, and began writing in my book once more. Kyle and Blake should move toward the entrance from the East, Anton and Addison can take the right; I'll provide cover fire with my rifle, then move in to help when the fighting starts. Any objections?
The others looked to one another, then Addison spoke up, "I… don't really feel comfortable fighting; but I can if I have to…"
I brought a hand to my hair and ruffled it. It'd be far less manpower to have her sit out, and we're already at a numerical disadvantage… most likely. But I can't quite force her. I fixed her a stern look, then nodded.
"I can look after her, if that would help," Blake stated next to her. I looked at him, then at Addison, and then back to him. I could see a fierce determination in his eyes, as if a fire were lit. With a quick glance at the others, I saw no objections, and gave an affirmative nod.
With that, I quickly revised my idea and showed them the page: In that case, Kyle, Blake, and Addison will attack from the East, Anton will wait on the West and will move in when the combat starts. I'll take out the guards on the tower and any I spot near the entrance, then move in to engage. If anyone is injured, fall back. I felt that last point was the most important, if someone gets hurt, then I could deal with the camp myself while they're all safe.
"Yeah, I can do that," Anton chimed beside me.
Kyle sighed, "You can count on me."
"Roger," Blake sounded off, a slight smile spread on his face. And Addison lightly nodded beside him.
I could feel a faint smile of my own, as I began flipping through pages and formed a response by hiding certain words on several pages. Right, we start in several hours, get some rest until then.
Through my scope, I could see the trio creeping toward the camp using whatever they could find for cover. In the night, it was especially tough to make out their figures. But I couldn't get distracted; focusing down the sight, I began to scan the camp, looking for any changes that might hinder the plan.
Nothing.
Good, we could start. I aimed toward the tower, at the two raiders relaxing on the top. I attempted to activate V.A.T.S. but found the results to be too minimal to want to rely on them. I'd have to free shoot this time. I adjusted the scope, took aim, steadied my breathing, and then squeezed the trigger. With a splash of gore the first raider slumped over as the bullet bore through his chest. Before the other could make heads or tails of the situation, my second shot splattered her head and I watched as it popped in a gooey, gorey explosion.
Even if I took out the guards on the tower, the echo of my shots alerted the camp, and activity began to buzz throughout. At the same time, Blake took a few pot shots at the few raiders immediately by the gate. After emptying his entire magazine for his pistol, he'd only managed to land a handful of shots – downing another two raiders.
The gate, being closer, had much more reasonable V.A.T.S. hit percentages, but I was going to have to rely on my own eyes for now. I aligned with a target taking shots at the trio, and squeezed the trigger. I saw the ping as the bullet ricocheted off some nearby metal and then splash against the dirt below. A moment later and my remaining magazine, I managed to only hit the raider's arm. His movements managed to save him.
Quickly reloading, I began to move down the hill, finding cover and taking careful shots. Once they realized where I was, I began to see dirt popping up as missed bullets found the ground near or around me. The rest of this second magazine and I'd only managed to drop one more, these raiders were moving around and shifting between cover.
Setting my hunting rifle away, I opted to charge closer with my pistol in-hand. My feet thundered against the ground as I rushed for cover, and as I was about to slide behind a large rock I felt something slam against my left shoulder. Just like that, I twisted and nearly dropped, throwing my weight forward as best as I could, it was all I could do to drop behind the cover.
Moving my left arm, I checked my mobility. The stinging was one thing, but I felt like I could ignore it – it felt like a bug bite at worst. Not finding much hindrance, I glanced past the boulder and hopped into V.A.T.S. targeting the nearest raider, each shot having seventy percent or higher odds. The first shot, aimed at his right arm, flew wide and rammed the wooden palisade. The second shot, aimed at the chest, barreled its way into his gut. While the third and fourth shots quickly followed suit. The fifth and final shot, aimed at his head, slammed against the raider beside him. My target released a howl, and emptied his weapon in my direction before collapsing.
I barely had time to duck back behind the boulder before lots of dirt was upheaved and tossed about. I didn't relent, though, and shot up from the other side of the boulder and carefully shot at that second raider. Three shots, four, and then six and he went down. The raiders began to retreat into the camp, finding or making cover against our attack. My feet carried me toward the gate, and I dropped prone by a metal box and pulled out my rifle once more.
Hearing rustling behind me, I saw as Kyle was carried away by Addison and Blake, a tight grimace held on his face as he clutched his leg. My eyes went wide, and I dropped the rifle beside me and pulled out my shotgun. Jumping up, I activated V.A.T.S. and took in my surroundings; nine raiders remained, at least within sight, each either behind cover or rushing toward. I targeted the closest raider out of cover and launched V.A.T.S. and watched as the bullets smashed against her back. She crumbled worse than a crumble cake.
Crouching down, I hastily reloaded and hopped over the box, running straight at the closest raider. I felt a few bites against my side and leg, but nothing was gonna stop me now. I knelt next to the raider, aimed toward his head, and pulled the trigger. Then immediately stabbed a stimpack into my leg, and threw it aside. With that, I rushed the next raider...
-Error in Transmission: Recapturing Data-
-Perk Acquired: Blake's Guidance-
Author's Note: Hello, I am Desh, the writer. I bring you this interruption for a small announcement and a shoutout. The past many chapters, from the introduction of Blake [Drury] in the story have been a collaborative effort (in a sense). I began working with PicadillyGrey [Link: u/15357997 ], where we began to intertwine our stories. We work on our own chapters, but with our own protagonist's perspective on events. In my mind, it works similarly to a DLC in a game. The quest with Addison being that added content. It wasn't mentioned until now, because we were posting elsewhere; but I've stopped posting there, and Grey has moved to fanfiction (and is working on a wonderful rewrite of their early chapters). Thank you for reading our stories, and I hope to see you all in the next few. Sorry for this long interruption, please give PicadillyGrey's story, Fallout: San Antonio, a read.
