Chapter 8
"Out of the reactor into the ocean"
"There it is Ex, land ho." Stowing the binoculars in her shoulder bag. Ashrex strokes the back of her feline friend.
"Thirty more minutes and we'll weigh anchor, I'll take the float to shore and see what I find." She walks down into the cabin and rifles through a tall wooden box filled with rolls of paper. Finding the one she wants, a yellowed tattered roll, she moves back on deck to a table with a rusty metal top. There she spreads out the paper and anchors each corner with a magnet. Leaning on the desk Ash examines the rustic looking map; its hand drawn on thin leather unlike most of the other maps in the box which are pre-war; those were made by computers on plasticized paper called "vellum" making them more resilient than current maps which are usually drawn on plain bond paper or animal skin. This particular map is of the area she's approaching; it details all cities, villages, tribal settlements, and trader routs known at the time, also any areas to avoid like raider camps, bandit trails, gecko nests, and radioactive or otherwise hazardous places.
"There it is." She points to a large mark "New Reno. Said to be the most modern city since the war. It's also said to be the most dangerous, filthy, mercenary ridden, hotbed of crime."
Meow.
"Sounds like fun doesn't it?"
Rub.
"I know, I know. I wouldn't even hazard going in there if we weren't in such bad need of supplies. That guy I spoke to at Mantis pier, Mr. Avek, promised to pay well if I haul his cargo to the NCR port... honestly baby it's suspicious that he wants to send this cargo by sea when it would be faster to transport it by land in a caravan..."
Ash holds Extacy stroking her soft crème colored fur as she thinks on what the next three days might have in store for her.
"Don't worry CeeCee, I'll be careful."