Making my way through the wasteland again, constantly checking over my shoulder. Sticking to tree line along the edge of the road is usually the safest route when traveling light. It also made traveling faster moving along even terrain. I force my focus on my surroundings to keep the doubts out of my head.
Now that I was out of Bowie's reach I started to wonder if my sanity had really started to slip. I started justifying how an assaultron would be a great companion. Most people would second guess picking a fight with me with an assaultron in tow. The amount of loot they could carry because of their mechanical advantage. There were a lot of upsides but nothing I could use to justify sticking my neck out like this.
If I were better equipped, if dog meat was here, hell if I was even slightly better at hacking I could believe any of those reasons. But in the pit of my stomach, and in the ache of my cunt I knew there was only one reason I was doing this. I let out a quiet sigh as I pushed through another bush. A glance at my pip boy shows I've been lost in thought longer than I realized.
I made my way onto the road so I don't seem like I'm trying to raid the place. This track has a 100 cap minimum bet to get in, higher than some of the other tracks I had been to. It was a more established track, guards at all the entrances and second gen turrets placed seemingly random around the place. Well, at least I wasn't gonna get mugged.
Taking a seat towards the top of the bleachers, away from the main crowd. I watched the race and watched people's reactions. Most were obviously there to drink and gamble their miserable existence away, but if you knew what you were looking for you could pinpoint the racers.
Some were obvious, using some kinds of machines to clock the speed of their bots. Most tried to casually sit towards the front of the crowd. This wasn't what I was looking for either though. I was looking for the one with their back turned to the track, probably eating some of the overpriced food here. The kind of confidence that comes from knowing you have the best of the track.
There were two assaultrons here. One missing a few pieces of their outer plating on its legs, exposing the piston furiously pumping with every lunge they take. The other seemed to have a fresh paint job, most of the awesome parts of the assaultron removed, probably to save on weight.
Scanning the crowd, I saw a gentleman with what looked like high end scotch. There were two obvious brutes sitting behind him on either side of his seat. He has the info I need but likely won't give it to me. Not for what I have on me anyway. A little more desperately I started searching the crowd again. A guy standing at the edge of the concession stand was picking at his squirrel bits and playing on his pipboy. Not even looking at the race. Out of nowhere, the more messed up looking assaultron kicked it into high gear. Easily dusting the others and winning on the last lap. I lost my caps, and so did the gentleman with scotch judging by his reaction.
He was definitely the man I needed to talk to. A solo guy not looking to draw attention to himself because he clearly wasn't struggling. As I made my way through the stands and over the concessions, I could make out his profile better. Ripped clothes and poor armor but the gun on his hip was heavily modified with hard to get parts. He was broad and very busy minding his own business. This all was perfectly lining up in my favor. Someone with something to hide meant they had something to use against them.
Before approaching him I stop at the concession stand and grab two beers. Casually leaning against the wall facing him, I pass him a beer. "Here," I put on my most charming smile. "I'm Maddie, but everyone calls me Mad," He laughed and raised an eyebrow.
"Mad huh? Is that cause you're crazy or cause I don't wanna see you pissed off? I'm Tyler by the way." Charm was thick in his voice. He was defitiently buying into the act.
"Oh it's just short for Maddie, I think?" I tap my cheek like I'm actually thinking about it. "How come you're not watching the race?" Using my best bimbo impression, I raise the inflection in my voice and smile like an idiot.
"It's not that interesting if you know what's gonna happen." He shrugged and held back amusement in his voice. His voice was gruff from plenty of smoking if the butts on the ground were any indicator. Sipping his beer, he gave me a smirk. "How about you? How come you're not watching the race?" I couldn't help the devious smirk dancing across my face. He had played right into my hands and it was written all over me like a book.
"Well I just think knowing how you held back your assaultron most of the race so it would only show off that impressive speed in the last lap is more interesting." The smile dropped right off his face. Standing straight up he was tense. I kept my voice low enough that we wouldn't be heard over the hustle at the concession stand so any reaction on his part would come off as over reaction. "Don't panic, I don't plan on letting anyone else know that bot is yours, as long as you tell me what I wanna know,"
"I can't tell you how it goes that fast," tumbled out of his face before anything else could come out. I couldn't help but laugh at how tense he was. He definitely had a lot to hide, too bad all I needed at the moment was how to hack guaranteed hack an assaultron.
"Relax. All I need is to know how to hack a Legendary assaultron to make it my companion." A huge sigh of relief escaped Tyler as he slumped back against the wall. He took a mighty swig from his beer before answering.
"Let me see your pip boy. I need to see your current capabilities." Unsnapping it from my arm, I held it up from him to see but didn't take my hands off of it. Without trying to take it out of my hands he started flipping through screens. His immediate compliance said a lot about exactly
how much he was trying to hide. "As it stands you have the capability to override and force them into companionship now. But doing so to a legendary modified assaultron means it might not keep its personality. Sorry I just saw it in your history when I was looking through your stuff. If you want one like KL-E-O, it's a bit more complicated than that."
This was going a lot more smoothly than I hoped but that wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear. "Okaaaaay. So what do I do to make it keep its personality?" Tyler gave me look like I was a dumb bimbo again. Pinching the bridge of his nose before pulling up his own pip boy.
"Okay, the deal with KL-E-O is that she over-rode her primary directive," He explained while pulling up the hacking schematics for his own bot. Lines and lines code being scrolled through as his practiced eyes scanned for something specific. "You can do this from your pip boy but you A.) have to know what you're looking for B.) have to know how to override it without messing up the rest of their code and C.) have to not die in the process of scrolling through and messing with their code. You're asking a lot at that rate. Still, this doesn't guarantee they'll be your companion. Once you remove their primary directive, their personality takes over as their primary directive and that means they sort of have free will. Inside the confines of what's considered "normal" behavior based on their code at least."
I nodded along as he spoke to show I was listening. Mentally though I'm laughing like a dying hyena because C.) was definitely not going to be an issue. I'm probably the only person in the wasteland that can say that too. "Okay so what am I looking for and how do I override it? Leave staying alive to me." Confidence poured off that last statement. I already survived two encounters afterall.
Still looking at me like I'm aboustly stupid, Tyler started to run his finger along the screen of his pipboy. "The code for assaultrons is actually pretty organized." He began explaining how to locate the primary command codes, and how I was only looking for the one locking them to that location. By eliminating this line of code it made the rest unnecessary since they're pretty much guaranteed not to choose to stay there of their 'own free will.'
This time Tyler had my full attention. I was doing my best to memorize what the screen in front of me looked like, and carve the words he was saying into mind at the same time. Bowie was coming home with me this time. "This was exactly the information I needed. Thank you." I snapped my pipboy back on, and gave Tyler a smile and a nod before I started to leave. He grabbed my wrist, stopping me short in my determined path.
"Tell me you're not actually planning to go try this. On a legendary assaultron no less." Concern was written all over his face. An uncommon trait in the wasteland, especially considering I was just blackmailing him two minutes ago. I smiled at him and gently pushed his hand off my wrist. Stalling for half a second to make something up so I could be on my way.
"I've already snuck onto this military outpost twice to scope it out. Once to try and get a fusion core, but instead finding this assaultron. And the second time to confirm it was still there before
coming here. As for whether or not it choices to be my companion, well I'm just hoping honestly." Tyler's face twisted from concern back to thinking I was absolutely crazy.
"I'm starting to understand why they call you Mad," It was said kindly but there was truth laced all over his statement.
"Now you're getting it! So can I be on my way now? I'm heading straight out of here, your secret is safe with me about your bot, I promise." I gave him a sincere smile hoping this would be the end of the conversation.
"Well, one more thing before you go. It might be in vain, but they do sell premium oil here. It could go tip the scales of companionship in your favor." Tyler pointed over on the other side of the track, next to where bets were placed was a shop for the racers to sell parts and buy last minute things.
Not that there was any doubt in my mind that Bowie would come with me, it couldn't hurt to be extra sure. "Thanks!" Another smile and wave and I was pushing my way through people and chairs again. A quick purchase and I was on my way again. More determined than ever, I made my way out of the race track and back to Bowie. And then finally, back to base.
