Alright, things start picking up around here.


V :: Pitch Woo To Me ::


"Welcome, my friend! I am Tobar the Ferryman, and this fine vessel is the Duchess Gambit!"

So yeah, there's this guy.

I raise an eyebrow, holding tight to ED-E's charger while he floats above my head; I had planned on swimming to Rivet City instead of taking the metros (boo metros, boo!) so I had to turn him back on, couldn't carry his heavy butt across the water, too deep. But then I saw the smoke and thought 'hey, look, fight!' but it turned out to just be this wacko and his boat.

"We're just on port from Point Lookout but we're getting ready to head out again. Interested?"

I shift my weight. "I might be. What's so special about Point Lookout?"

Tobar grins. "You look like a woman who's been around the Wastes," why yes, yes I do. "So I'll cut right to it. In Point Lookout, you'll find fresh-grown food, mysterious locales, and treasures as-of-yet un-looted."

Sounded like my kind of place.

"But," he started again. "Keep your wits about you, because there's more than a few exotic critters and inhospitable locals. So stay here if your too dainty to rough it!"

Boy, he sure knew how to pitch woo to me. Treasure, danger. . .jeez, it was a paradise. But even he looked apprehensive about it so I shook my head, taking a step back.

"No thanks, maybe next time you make port, hmm?"

He smiled. "Of course, of course! But how ever will I contact my most promising customer?"

I rolled my eyes but grinned; this was a man after my own heart. "I'll give you the signal to my Pip-Boy, just use a radio whenever your in town again."

His eyes sparked; great minds think alike and all that jazz. "Will do, will do. . ."


"Look, can you fix him or not?"

Doctor Li - or cunt, as I like to call her - places a steady hand against ED-E's chassis, rubbing her chin with her free hand. She shuts the panel after adjusting a few wires then nods, looking up with hard eyes.

"Yes, I suppose so but I will be paid."

I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "Fine, how much?"

"One thousand caps, give or take a few."

I sputtered. "O-One thousand caps?! Are you drunk?"

She narrows her eyes. "No, I'm not. That's a discount, because of your father. Speaking of him, where is he? Have you even tried to find him?"

My turn to growl. "Look lady, can you fix my robot or not?"

"Yes, just pay the thousand and he'll be good as new."

"Fine," I snap, pulling my coinpurse from my back pocket; I count out the correct amount, leaving a decent thousand left for myself, and give ED-E a sad look. "I'm gonna leave him here and pick him up in a few days, gotta stop by Underworld."

Li wrinkles her nose as she moves ED-E to a rolling surgical table, I follow her to a corner of the room. "A ghoul city? Whatever could you want down there?"

"None of your goddamn business," she pops open a panel, hooks a few wires to my little trash can and I scratch at the back of my neck. "I'm gonna go now, take care of him."

"I will," she doesn't even look up at me.

I huff, which ruffles my bangs, and turn on my heel. This whole city is a snobs paradise, even the poor people are snobs. It smells all rusty and. . .musty, all the salt water makes for bad breathing air. I want to get out of here as fast as possible. In doing so, I swing by the market, shell out fifty caps for some stimpaks, bubblegum and ammo. I do want a new gun but not from this place, too expensive. Maybe I can try my hand at sniper rifles. But that'll be saved for another day.

I wad up a shiny gray wrapper and toss it to the side as I thump my way down the metro stairs, chewing loudly on my gum. At least with ED-E I had someone to talk to, now its so quiet I want to claw my eyes out.

No sooner does the thought emerge, a bullet whizzes past my right ear. I hiss, feeling blood already leaking through my hair. I duck and roll, pulling my switchblade out of my boot and jamming it into the raiders skull. Blood sprays out from her teeth and into my eyes but I keep going, taking the pistol from my holster and hugging the dead raider tight as shield. I fire at her partner as I slowly stalk towards him, the extra weight hard to move with and my knife beginning to slip through her bone.

"Little bitch," the raider spits, his skin patchy and festering with infection.

I stop and give him a look of offence, which actually manages to stun him for a moment. "Excuse you, but manners."

I point my gun down and shoot him twice in the kneecap.