I've decided to remove the word limit. I've learned its not the amount I write that affects the speed of the uploads, but how many times I get writer's block. Oh, I've also decided to make short stories about the three fallout main characters. Its short history lessons about their past and would normally not making into the main storyline. This one I have on display is one I sent to a Someguy an anon to explain what happen to Preston. This is also a two-parter by the way. Since this is a pretty big event and the second part is going to be pretty long. After that, we head on to the next big event that probably last around six to seven chapters. Then its the ending event.
I will also be asking questions at the beginning of the chapter. I would be reading and giving my own opinion.
Question of the chapter: Is there a difference between a synth and a human.
My Answer: I do believe there is a difference. Synths are almost exact replicas but have one major difference. We, humans, have an excuse to be flawed and are unable to remove such flaws. Synths don't have the same excuse as us to be either greedy, prideful or angry. If a synth is born, we don't want them like us, we want them better than us. To not only care for their own existence but to care for the happy existence of everyone and derive pleasure from it.
Chapter 13- The deal went south! Part 1
Six was in the middle of his planing the technological exchange. There were dozens if not hundreds of factors he needed to take into account. If any single one of them were not taken into account, they might end up destabilizing the governments of the world and cause millions if not billions of deaths. That's why he's tweaking every single one of them to be the worst possible scenario while aiming any blame of any future disasters of New Vegas. Still, everything is moving smoothly for the moment, except for one thing.
A knock was heard and then the double doors swung open to reveal two people. One clade the heavy rig version of power armor and the other a woman wearing a beautiful cocktail dress, with shopping bags in each side.
"As a representative of the west brotherhood branch, I cannot condone what you are doing!" The power armored figure bellowed out in a commanding voice.
"I have to agree with Paladin Danse six. The shopping here is just majestic compared to the wasteland. Oh! Unless we can strike a deal revolving around doing your thing and getting all the sparkling dresses." The woman sang while twirling around to make the skirt of her dress dance.
"Elder scribe Veronica, compose yourself! We're here to stop a tragedy!" Danse told Veronica off.
"Right right right! Sorry about that, it's just… I just look so fine! Do you think my gal will love it when I wear it for her!" Veronica said in her normal snarky tone.
Six smiled at his old companions joy. "I think she will, in fact, tell me about her. It will be refreshing to talk again" Six said with a genuine smile on his face.
"Oh six, I'm just so happy. We've been planning to tie the knot for a while now an-" Veronica was cut off by her counterpart.
"Enough! We have to talk!" Danse demanded.
Six lead back on his chair with a frown on his face, annoyed at his friendly reunion being disturbed. He stared daggers at the helmeted face of paladin Danse and saw him feat shift as and his helmet lense attempt to avert its gaze."101 already gave the green light for the plan. You have no right to speak out." Six said in a hard voice.
Danse didn't back away but he was shaken. He knew the legends and the boogie men stories from the legions. On how the legate challenged the courier into single combat when he was fresh and six was tried from the hours of combat. The butcher was stung upside down on a burning cross in front of all of his men, with Six holding a bloody ball pein hammer and a thunderous battle cry in his throat. The man was capable of impossible feats of martial prowess when faced with a challenge. Still, he had a moral obligation to uphold.
"The Brotherhoods mission is to stop technology from destroying the human race and your planning to go against those tenets. I cannot just stand by, I have to stop your mad strategy." Danse said firmly towards the leader of New Vegas.
"My friend, come, take a scene. I want to tell you something." Six told Danse in an uncomfortable soft voice.
Paladin Danse marched forward in his power armor until he stood in front of the desk made of wood he didn't know. In fact, he knew nothing about types of wood. The Paladin couldn't sit on the padded chair due to size and weight of his armor. Instead, he opted to stand and tower over six.
Veronica was going to join in the conversation and standby Danse. She steps up next to the Paladin with her arms crossed.
The courier just locked his fingers together and raised his head to stare at Danse, fixing him with a stone cold stare. "Danse, these people are on the edge. We have a choice to repeat histo-"
Paladin Danse interrupted him. Paladin knew what kind of rehearsed crap six was going to spew and he wasn't going to take it. He's planning to ruin a whole world with technology and he had to stop it. "We both know what you're planning! I bet if I checked on the files you're working on, I'll find it covered with every possible mistake. You know what you're doing!"
Six's hands clasped together in a death grip and his jaw locked. The Couriers cold eyes became daggers attempting to kill the person he was looking at. Still, he didn't lose composure. Veronica added her own argument. "There are billions of people lives on the line here and you're going to ruin them. For once Six, please don't think with cold calculations and for once try to think about anything else!" The scribe told off her former companion.
"Then give me an alternate and a good one." Six told them deadpan.
Veronica was the first to answer. "Ask the Japanese government for help. We won't need to invade the empire and avoid a bloody war. Then we can exchange technology and help each other from making past mistakes" Veronica pleaded.
Danse decided to give his own two cents. "I don't agree. It would be safer to just cut off relations and attempt to keep the dangerous technology under wraps." Danse answer was typical Brother doctrine. The organization may have changed but their goal of hoarding tech and improving them to be safer remained intact.
Six saw the flaws in both of these plans immediately. "Veronica, these people know how to solve our problems the amount I know about Mirelurk mating rituals, Jack shit. These people are in a global peace, yes, but they are going to fall to the same problem we got around the oil reserves in about twenty years. There are no good alternatives for it and any funds to research them are to low to make any real progress." Veronica's hands gripped themselves into fists.
Then Six turned to Danse next. "Your whole idea about protected these people isn't helpful, it's downright detrimental. The 2nd Gate humans are not us, they is no random wasteland stumbling upon a nuclear cache here. No, these are developing nation advancing scientific breakthroughs at a rapid pace. They are going to get robots, fusion, and fabricators, with or without our help. It might not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but they will get it. When I do drop the blueprints, it's up to them if the nations of the world can adapt. If they can't in their most prosperous, then they can't when things get dire."
Danse inhaled quickly. "Six couldn't be right about his theory. The Japanese from what he read is far off from their level of technology. It would take centuries to figure out the fabricator. Then again their robotic are incredibly advanced for their time, by the time they reach 2077, they'll have machines that make their look primitive by comparison. They might even invent synths years earlier than they have and fall to robotic revolt. They have to stop them… But how. They are struggling to compete with one of the world's least militaries countries, how in the hell would they fight this worlds china or America.
The massive power armor from of Danse tilted forward in defeat. "I-I don't know. There no real answer to it." Still, the paladin didn't agree with Six. "Still there must be a better way than railroading a whole civilization into destruction!"
Six shook his head in regret. "No, there isn't. They must either learn on their own in the harshest condition or suffer a future where a single mistake can destroy the world."
Veronica put her foot down. "Six! That just pulling a fear mongering act! You can't possibly believe anything you say is true!"
The courier didn't say a word. Instead put a finger up for them to wait and started typing into the desktop of his computer. It only took him a few seconds to get the video up. He took his monitor and swung around so the two of them could see.
For five grueling and minutes, it showed a machine and their advances. Advancing A.I. and years of advancements that eclipse their own in from the same year. Six watched their reactions, ones from moderate curiosity to complete horror. The video ended and they were completely silent. Six spoke. "These people are making advances in the field that once was impossible without advance nuclear understanding to give ridicules power needs. They are not going to slow down any time soon. The is a grantee chance of our two nation going to war, our philosophies are just polar opposites and with economies that are completely independent, there will be screams for blood. They will say we are tyrants without understanding our conditions and we will only become embittered from outsiders interference."
"We must cripple them before they grow too big," Danse muttered.
"Exactly" Six confirmed.
Veronica saw the lunacy of the logic. "That's decades away!" She pointed out.
"Yes, that what I meant. We are capable of taking care of ourselves and must rebuild our own economy before we can trade with these people and by the time we can, they'll only see us as barbarians swiping away a hand that tried to help."
Veronica wouldn't accept the things was saying. "You're just saying these things because that means putting your future in somebody else hands." Veronica accused.
Six had to admit to himself that she was partly right. He only believes in the future that he commanded, that's how the wasteland molded him to be. He was determined but completely inflexible in his goals. A trait needed in the wasteland but not here. Still, there was exceptions and good reasons why he doesn't accept help from the Japanese.
"I've made alliances with two people who rival myself in power. I know I can't control the future and wouldn't if I could. Veronica, you know me. I could have become a warlord with the securtions at my command, I can live like a king within New Vegas and never see the wasteland again. Instead, I walk it and figure out what we need. I understand what it needs more than anyone else and you know it. You know every other choice was rotten or outright wrong morally, search for other options, I left no other avenue unturned. If you want I can show you detail everything I search and you will see there is no other option." This time the courier's voice was soft and general.
Veronica's panicked thoughts were claimed and the memories of Six taking the extra mile to create the perfect outcome and executing them like no other could. He deserved to explain his plan to someone with an open mind and not one purposely trying to stop it at all cost. "Fine! But you better show me everything tomorrow and you better have not overlooked anything. I'd never let you live it down."
Six chuckled. That was my sole motivator. Your relentless teasing is what keeps me up at night."
"Then I better keep an eye on you. Maybe I'll get you to stop slacking." Veronica joked.
The two Brotherhood members spoke to Six further in other pressing matters but they were of the mundane quality. After that, the three said their goodnight and both brotherhood member walked off to their respective room. Six, on the other hand, got a message on his pip-boy.
He found the sergeant on the other side of the tempory of the temporary Embassy, in the pool room. Inside was the figure of the armored form of his Desert Jackal massive form cuddling a tiny pool cube, he was trying to aim the cube to knock a fresh group of balls. That is at least what six assume he was doing, he had no idea how the game was played, he never really took part in bar games. He never really drinks in bars either, he only entered them for jobs.
Either way, he moved to talk with the man. "I've heard you caught some bad news. I would have preferred that it was good news, buts it's better to have something than nothing." The courier told his Non-comm.
The power armored man thrust the pool cube forward and the white ball was able to impact the grouping of multicolored balls and scatter them. All of them entered a hole and made a muffled thump. "Yeyup" The man grunted out as he stood up straight to talk to the courier. "Your plan is making massive waves and quite a few people even caught on to it. Well, sort off, They know that you have a plan, but the theories that they are making are way off." The old veteran said.
"They are expecting me to ask for something big, or some sort of movement?" The courier asked.
"Variations of those two, yeah. I think you've painted a massive target on you. I mean just a bullseye the size of the moon with flashing colors rivaling the sun big." The sergeant exclaimed in a snarky tone.
Six just chuckled at that. "Afraid I made your job a hella lot harder?"
"I serious here!" The sergeant snapped. "I've already spotted four possible assassins in the past hour. This place is become too dangerous to hang out with our jimmy's hanging out. As your head of security, get your ass back to camp. Hell! Get everyone's asses back to camp, because if just one person dies, then it will be a massive diplomatic incident." the Sergeant warned.
Six crossed his arms and face fell deep into thought. "I guess we don't have to stay here, we can prep the package and come back in a time schedule. I'm sure the Japanese will understand. Let's just hope the people who know don't act too rashly." Then the courier remembered he was dealing with humans, the most self-destructive species history has ever seen and he bets that this earths humans are no different.
He moved forward, making sure that something obstructed him from a window. The sergeant lit up in amusement at watching the courier duck and wave like a madman, both as the silliness of it and that it was a sign that he agreed with him. "I already made preparations for it. We can go as soon as tomorrow but I fear that I'm missing something, there just so many new factors that this world offers." The sergeant said in defeat.
The courier made it next to the power armored man in the light rig version of power armor. The veteran took this opportunity to put on his helmet and shield the courier, turning himself as a makeshift cover, in case of any snipers have their crosshairs on six. It was an effective idea but if he had the heavy version of the power armor, he'd be able to just step out of it and give it to the courier. As he watched the checkered suited legend fix him with a questioning stare, he knew the courier wouldn't have accepted. The young man was just too confident of his ability to find danger before it hit him that it was common for the boy to just worry about those around him. Not because of some sort deep-rooted scenes of caring but normally he was slowed down by the effort of others. In anyone else, the sergeant would have socked them on the jaw for being so hot-headed, the courier was the exception but it still annoyed him.
The courier spoke. "Speaking of new factors, I may have borrowed an interesting… gifts."
The Sergeants face was obscured by his helmet but it was obvious to the courier that he didn't know. Six reached into his pocket and pulled out a rectangle piece of glass with plastic covering the edges and back. With a motion of his thumb, the courier turned the object on to show an image of a grassy field with small assorted pictures strew about. In the center was the time of the night presented in bold numbers and the Sergeant was taken in by the item. He threw a quick guess of what it is. "That sort of fancy earth 2 o'clock?"
The courier smiled. "Better, it's what these people call a smartphone but it's more of a computer that happens to have a phone attachment." Then he asked a quick question. "And I'm assuming this place is suppose to be earth 2?"
"Just a quick nickname I just thought of." The Sergeant answered. Then he returned to the machine in six's hands. "That thing, how does it stack up to a pip-boy?" He asked a bit worried at the technology earth's two humans held.
"The pip-boy was the best portable computing device that earth 1 ever created. The ability to keep track of your health that made it a portable doctor and the v.a.t.s. system that made the second stretch into minutes made it into a wasteland best friend. This smartphone in the other hand had none of those things and still, it blows the pip-boy out of the water. The hardware and software of this little thing could upgrade the Pip-boy and make it hundreds of times more powerful than the original." The courier said the words as facts, leaving no room for doubt, still, the man continued. "Wanna know the biggest bombshell? This is a cheap version meant to be easily available to most people. Eight gigabytes of ram and memory is cheap to these people. Gigabytes!" The courier laughed at that.
The sergeant in the other hand was more excited at the prospect of having a sample of such technology. "Do you have better versions of these things? And if so, how are we going to sneak them by Japanese customs?" The man asked the concert at unknowns.
The courier already had answers. "They don't know our computing abilities or at least our ability to miniaturize circuits is severely lagging behind their own. Turns out if you lug around eye-bots, people just assume your better at programming than them. Because of that, we can just ask to bring such products as advertisements to our own people. The Japanese will be able to buy that. If not, we can just ask it as an exchange for our tech. You know the ones that are planned to destabilize the governments." The courier explained.
"Right, that means more paperwork for me." The sergeant complained.
The courier nodded in agreement. "I already finished the files, I just need to send them via their fax machine." The courier said.
"Fax?" the sergeant asked perplexed.
"Another great invention of the human from earth one. It really is a quality of life improvement and something that makes me wonder on how Robco. didn't think about." The courier told his bodyguard.
"Damn, are we taking that too?" The sergeant asked.
"Later, we can't be too greedy or the Japanese will know they have a deck of cards." The courier said. "Speaking of later, it's around 1 A.M. and I haven't slept for five days. I need to sleep or I'm going to see ghosts." Six said with a large yarn.
The two said their good nights and Six floated toward his nonradioactive fluffy bed. The courier slept like a rock, as his tried body finally had a moment of rest. Still, there are people out there who won't let the courier have another rest for a long time.
The Sergeant was spot on when he said people saw through his bosses deception, what he wasn't counting on was how prolific the information network earth 2 had. The preparations of getting the courier out safely were already known, networks of spies and bugs that is far greater than anything than the wasteland has ever seen was already leaking the news. Dozens of scared CEO's of billion dollar companies were panicking, who political parties from dozens of nations were arguing and world leaders were preparing every organization to make sure the future is kind to them. The Sergeant thought he had only a few hundred problems to deal with, he thought that news would spread so fast in such an isolated nation. The Sergeant didn't truly understand what the internet was until it was too late.
Hundreds or merchs, assassins, special agents, and many more were given a similar target. The courier and anyone affiliated to him.
There already was a hit squad on its way to get their target, only to be intercepted by the Japanese government. An assassin had C4 explosives readied in the path the courier was planned to take, he was taken down by a Mi6 Agent. Terrorist sleeper cells were awakened and had garage built guns readied to attack the courier. Those were stopped by a CIA intelligence and the Japanese military. More stories like these played out across the city that Six was in. Each one intercepted by agencies who wanted the exchange of technology to go down. Still, even with most of the world governments working together working together so well in the first time in history, it still wasn't a perfect defense. There were many who did want the deal to go down, but the army more knew that their way of life would be ruined if every nation was able to have nearly infinite resources.
It would only take one, to ruin everything. The one that did was the most dangerous, a plan from the inside took place.
The Scribe Stoneheart walked alone within the sewers, with his lower robes covered in filth. His face was covered by a thick cloth and on his back was a duffle bag. It didn't stop the rancid stale air made the Scribe gag. Stoneheart was currently trying to find where the sewers ran under the temporary embassy of New Vegas. He was there alone, no other member of the brotherhood or any wasteland faction knew he was there and he wanted that way.
The other wouldn't understand, not when the two representatives came back telling the rest of them that no progress was made. The scribe Veronica obviously swayed by a past friend, he expected such from someone who abandoned tradition so easily. Then he saw Danse, a man who he thought embodied the old codex also yield at his duty. There was no one able to talk that madman of a courier down. He was going to extreme actions that outright defied the old traditions of the brotherhood. Something he held dear to his heart and something he planned to teach the newer generations, so it could live on. At least that's how he explained it to himself.
When 101 came and gave the outcast an ultimatum, blood was split. The woman crushed his family and showed their ways would not last if they fragmented. She had shown that people had to adapts and they were prime examples of it and the ruins of their base was a warning to them. Still, many died defiantly to the bitter end. It was why he decided to take what remained and cooperated with the woman, he expected his ways to be passed down, to make the sacrifice worth it. Over the years he thought that he was making progress, his natural skills and experience with the outcasts made him rise through the ranks. People trusted him and even turned to him for advice, even the bitch of the east, the woman of steel saw him as a valuable member.
He would have been glad to remain that way, ignoring the knot in his stomach every time he was told to create a civilian-friendly version of the technology. To hand it out to farmers and merchants, to nurture the rise of civilization. He was able to hold it back because it showed signs of irrefutable evidence of being true. THAT! Was stretching thin his loyalty, here where the tyrant of vegas outright stated he would destroy a whole world with the very thing he swore to protect the world from, shattered him.
It was then he decided to scavenge the extra fusion cores from the heavy rig power units and turn it into a makeshift bomb. The power behind the makeshift nuclear bomb would be able to atomize the building easy and hopefully keep the collateral damage to a minimum.
Stoneheart stopped for a second to pull out a map from his pocket. He checks if he was still in the right directions and saw he was only a sixty meters away from his destination. He folded up the map and walked the rest of the way in a straight line. He neared the corner and made the turned casually. He didn't expect anyone to be down here so he forgot stealth. He was proven wrong when a flash of light blinded him.
"Ah!" The scribe yelled out and dropped his flashlight on the filth-ridden ground. The first thing he noticed was the yelling and then his eyes adjusted and saw men in tactical gear. They were running at him with guns raised and Stoneheart immediately notice them as Japanese soldiers, most likely of the special forces variety.
The scribe knew from the beginning this was a suicide run but didn't expect resistance. The logs told him that no one was posted down here and he didn't take the time to ponder why as he rigged the explosives. Now he knew why. The Japanese government posted guards in the sewers, still, they didn't fire immediately, most likely because they wanted him alive and they didn't see any firearms on him. At least weapon they recognized as firearms.
Stoneheart turned the corner and threw a flashbang behind him and covered his ears as he did rounded the corner. When a deafening sound ringed in the air, hearthstone pulled out a plasma defender. He poked out his head and saw the men stunned but already recovering. The scribe threw in a plasma grenade in next and returned to cover. He primed the makeshift explosive in his duffle bag and ran the last fifteen meters to his objective.
The grenade detonated and let out a superheated burst of plasma into the air, vaporizing anything in a five-meter area, anyone beyond that point suffered third-degree burns. Hearthstone didn't know how many died and he didn't care, he was twelve meters away from entering the minimum range of the explosive. He saw a soldier rise and drew a beat on him, Stoneheart raised his gun and fired superheated plasma towards the soldiers center mass. It hit and burnt through the kevlar and melted the harden steel plate, adding to the damage done by the plasma. The soldier fell before he could even aim his rifle. Stoneheart fired again to the nearest trooper and hit one that wasn't even fully recovered from the flashbang. He fired again and this time he hit a leg of one of the Japanese and the plasma severed it from the body. Making the trooper to fall face first into the muck of the sewers.
Three meters away and Stoneheart readied to throw the bag the rest of the way. Several 5.56 rounds ripping through his legs before he could make it. Falling forward, only one meter away from the minimum range. He tried crawling but was stopped by a filth covered boot. His finger crawled at the filth, trying to make the last meters, to have a chance to kill that made courier. Any hopes were dashed away when he felt hands tear away the duffle bag from his shoulder.
A tear rolled down his cheek as his bomb would detonate and only achieve in killing a few pointless civilians.
Then one of the troopers started yelling orders to his comrades. Stoneheart didn't understand a word as they did so but he knew they have found the bomb. It was too late anyway, there were only thirty seconds left and doing anything to the devices would set off prematurely. A large hand grabbed him by the shoulder and violently turned him to face the old face young face of the Japanese man. In Broken English, he asked me a question.
"Is bomb?" He asked in broken English.
Stoneheart latched to the opportunity. "It's a makeshift fusion core bomb, that thing will destroy an entire block of buildings. The Courier… The courier is the one who ordered me to make it." The scribe lied.
The troopers face turned into horror and he screamed into his radio, he let out a couple of sentences before the bomb exploded.
Their detonation was massive, only rivaled by the first two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. In the center, the power of atoms fusion reaction was released, creating a ball of heat that lasted less than a millisecond before violently unleashing all of its energy. The building they were under was a government building, a postal office, were seventy-two employees were painlessly atomized. The area surrounding it was not painless. The energy wasn't as potent but when it reach the other building, it was far more devastating. A burst of heat and radiation killed most unarmored humans and started several fires that would burn throughout the night. Then the shockwave caused billions of dollars worth of damages and destroyed, it was even able to shatter the windows of the buildings next block and killing a few extra civilians.
The New Vegas Embassy was not destroyed but it was right on the edge of Killzone. Instead, its windows shattered and a couple of fires were started, injuring a few personnel in the process. Veronica and Paladin Danse were awakened and pulled into an emergency Brotherhood meeting. The Sergeant was in his power armor, when it happens and raced to find the courier. He found the man alive but a bookcase fell on the man.
The next three hours was the most intense firefight the courier was ever apart of.
[short story or history lesson]
Ahem...
It was during the Boston rebellions and the brotherhood fleet that held both 101 and 6 was half a year away. This is the event that took thousands of lives and finally broke 111's trust in people. To be fair it was a really good reason and it was started with a newspaper. The fact that 111 didn't destroy the institute but overthrew the leadership and took charge was discovered by Piper. It only took weeks for news to spread and over half of his former allies created the rebellion. Only the Minutemen who were trained by 111 and the tamed institute stuck with him. The railroad was dead though and the brotherhood of steel was nowhere to be seen. Which meant it was the Commonwealth of Boston, who were organized and armed thanks to 111 past efforts, who were out to destroy him.
The Rebellion was a shot war but a very bloody one. Thousands of minute men were bearly organized by 111 past companions and they were the first targets for 111. Strong was the first to go when leading a charge of super mutants towards the fort. They didn't even make it to the gates when they were cut down by pinpoint artillery fire. Cait ran when Goodneighbour burned with napalm and Hancock was killed by an assassin assaultron in front of her. Dean tried sniping 111 from a highway but was intercepted by 111 gen 5 synths and was killed by plasma. Piper was blackmailed into staying loyal when 111 treated her sister from a deadly virus. Curie, Codsworth, and Ada stayed loyal due to reprogramming. Dogmeat also stayed loyal. At this point, the Rebellion was a husk of its former self and all being lead by Preston. He tried waging a gorilla warfare but the old habits are hard to kick and he didn't have a general to boss around.
He tried recruiting Cait and her new raider gang but was intercepted by 111 and his newly reformed Minutemen, who were now the Marines. Cait was cornered and executed by 111. Prestons remained rebels took heavy losses and broke after the battle. Preston finally accepted defeat and tried to reform the Minutemen as vigilantes. It only too 111 a day to track them down and find them attempting to help a well-off settlement. When the two met it was a battle of wills and each one exchanged words. In the end, Preston was like a kid trying to explain good and evil while 111 was pissed off royally by an ally who backstab him. 111 was just going to arrest the guy but he uttered the words that mean him to snap. Preston looks off into the distance and saw the settlement being defend from the raiders and surviving. He looked at a tried 111 and knew he still had a list. He took the list of settlements in danger of being attack and told 111. "Another settlement needs your help general." In a snarky voice. Like clockwork, Preston annoyed 111 for the last time and turned the man into a living self-aware clock. Oh, and Preston has to suffer through sensory deprivation whilst being a clock.
Yes, I play as an evil sole survivor in Fallout 4.
