August 17th, 2279

Zack awoke. His eyes shot open from the sound of a gunshot. He was able to lie still after just waking up, a skill that took much time to master from his days in the militia. If he had sat up quickly, he might have been spotted by whomever that shot had come from. He was up on a hill behind a rock outcropping that laid to his left. He had chosen this spot to rest because it offered shade from the sun as well as a good vantage point. The shot had sounded close, less than a half mile away. Zack wasn't too sure of which direction it came from however. It did sound like a small caliber weapon. He was very proficient in small arms. Zack remembered there was a small canyon to the south west of him, which he dared not venture for fear of Yao Guai or Rad Scorpions. He turned his head to his right, the east, and glanced as much as his field of vision allowed. If the shot came from anywhere here he would be exposed if he sat up. He didn't see anyone so he very carefully got into a crouched position behind the rocks and reached back for his pack which he used as a head rest.

Zack pulled down the tinted biker goggles he usually always wore down to his neck. He then took out a pair of black binoculars from the left side pocket of his pack. They were very old and worn. They had been with him for a long time. Only the right side of them actually worked, the left objective lens had been smashed a few years ago on a scouting mission he had been part of. He looked over the rocks very slowly and scanned the area. It was then when he saw them by the canyon he marked mentally in his mind earlier. They looked to be a little more than a third of a mile away from him. He raised his binoculars to his eyes and focused in on where they were at. He could see three standing people, two men and one woman. You can spot a raider fairly easy; they usually wear different variants of the same type of makeshift armor. Mainly composed of leather, metal scraps, chains, rubber and anything else they might deflect an attack. The raiders seemed to be standing over a body lying on the ground.

"He must have been some merchant or traveler, unlucky enough to be picked off by raiders." Zack thought to himself.

Zack saw the female raider crouch down checking the body. It looked like she was searching for any valuables. She put something in one of her pockets. The dark skinned one said something, the female stood back up and they all turned south and started walking.

"Good, they're leaving. Back to their camp I suppose."

Zack crouched back down and put his binoculars back in the left pocket of his pack. He wasn't afraid of confrontation with the three raiders. He would just rather save the ammo, and possibly injury to himself. A breeze picked up and cooled the back of his neck which had accumulated some sweat. He then sat down on his bedroll crossed legged. His bedroll was made of wool. Not the most comfortable material to have, but it cushioned the ground quite well and always stayed dried. It was however, about a foot shorter than him, he himself a little over six feet tall. He didn't mind however when the lower part of his legs were in the dirt while he slept. When not in use, his bedroll would hang from his pack underneath by straps.

His pack was a good sized back pack which held Zack's possessions quite well. It was made of some synthetic material that had one point been a rich navy blue with black trim when it was new. It was now however, a dusty bluish grey. The main compartment was quite large and it held the bulk of his items. He had a one and a half gallon water bladder that rested on the bottom which at the moment was full. On top of that he had a small wooden case which held two boxes of .44 caliber ammo, as well as a gun cleaning kit. Next to that he had some spare clothing. There was leather pouch here as well that held some hygiene items such as his razor, a crude tooth brush, and some paper scraps for when bathroom time rolls around. There is also some decent soap, which he mainly uses for deodorant and washing when water was abundant. There is a good sized tin container on top of this which Zack uses for his food storage. At the moment he some squirrel bits, Mutfruit, and quite a bit of Brahmin jerky. There is also some metal dinnerware here, one plate, one mug, and some silverware.

The next compartment is about half the size of the first and Zack uses it to hold mainly medical supplies. He has three stimpaks, a bottle of buff out, a box of mentants, and some bandages. There are a few surgical items in case there are any injuries to himself that he might be able to work on, a scalpel, couple of clamps, and some needles and thread for stitches. He has an old AZ Journal of Internal Medicine for reference in this compartment. He has had to use it a few times in his past, mainly to help others. He wouldn't call himself an adept doctor though, just a decent field medic. There is also about twenty feet of strong rope that is stored here as well in case he needs to get down into an area with no other way out except climbing. The best part of his pack resides here in this compartment. There is a false bottom a hidden zipper which has a small space for hiding certain things. He stores here the caps he has saved throughout his life, as well as a map that he was able to get from a caravan guard that shows much of the areas of the Arizona Wastes that the guard traveled on. It shows dangers, settlements, and places with clean water. This is the most important item Zack is carrying, without it he would be lost.

The smaller side pockets held the last of his gear. In the left side pocket he has his binoculars, as well as multi-tool incase he needs to open any kind of container or get wiring.. It also helps with lock picking with the screwdriver attachments on it. Zack also keeps a lighter here for sterilizing his medical tools, and starting cooking fires. In the right side pocket he has a small pry bar, for use in breaking windows, opening doors, and comes in quite handy as a makeshift weapon. There are a couple of bottles of wonder glue, for a short term fix for broken things.

Zack reached over for his canteen. It was a rounded one made of metal, but had Brahmin leather covering the outside of it which kept the contents from getting extremely hot He usually wore this over his right shoulder, and it hung at his left side. He screwed the cap off and took a few sips. The water was quite warm, but his mouth was so dry that it didn't bother him. The canteen was still about half full. From nowhere, thoughts of his mother came into his mind.

"I miss her so much."

It had only been two days since Zack left the town of Polvo, which he called home for the last fourteen years. The terrain had been rough and he had only made about sixteen miles since then. A week and a half had passed since he had buried his mother. She fell quite ill during the beginning of that summer. She had a high fever and had much problem keeping food down. It was only a matter of time before the inevitable would happened. Zack closed his eyes and thought back to the funeral.

The sky was cloudy and blocked out the sun, which helped with the temperature greatly. The funeral was early in the morning; it was his mother's favorite time of the day. Most people enjoyed watching the sunset, but she was an early riser, and loved to watch the sunrise. The cemetery was just on the outside of town. It was surrounded by a short wooden white fence that was starting to collapse in some areas. The cemetery had accumulated quite a bit of headstones and crosses over the years. All the people of Polvo came to pay their respects. His mother had been a very popular woman, always cheery to everyone, and was always the first to volunteer to help someone. Zack was silent for the funeral, he kept his eyes on the horizon, he couldn't bear look at his lifeless mother's coffin. His best friend Alex was standing by him throughout the funeral. Alex stood silently as well; he was there for moral support. Zack was glad he was there; Alex was the only person left he cared about. He let Mayor Sheppard give the eulogy, which he performed well. Sheppard had been the mayor for the last ten years, so he knew just the right things to say. There were sobs coming from the crowd that had gathered, which brought a small smile to Zack's mouth. He was glad that everyone adored her. Then they lowered her coffin, and buried her.

Zack then replayed the last conversation that he had with his mother while she was still coherent. It was obvious that she would not make it much longer.

"Look, Zack." She coughed a few times. "I know how long you have been waiting to go back. I know nothing I can say can change your mind from going there after I'm gone. I just wanted to say thank you for staying here all this time with me, you have been the greatest son a mother could hope for. I'm very proud of everything you have done to help with this town and in becoming a man."

She reached over to the night stand and opened a drawer and pulled out a small key. She handed it to Zack. "This will open the trunk of your father's belongings. Please treat them well."

She then took off her wedding ring and placed it in Zack's other hand. It was a small silver ring that had a sun, a crescent moon which both had faces, as well as three shooting stars. "This has always kept me safe since your father gave this to me on our wedding day. I want you to always carry it with you so you remain safe."

She closed her eyes for a moment and then re opened them. "I know you can do anything you put your mind to. I will be with you always in your heart."

Zack closed both his hands clenching them tightly with the key in one, and the ring in the other. "You did a great job raising me as a single mother where most would have turned to alcohol or drugs. I am very grateful that you have been so caring to me for my whole life and thank you for all that you have done."

"I will make the journey to New Vegas and revive our family name which was dishonored all those years ago. The Tull family will pay for what was done, and I will prove my worth in poker. I love you so very much." Zack leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

She stared up at him with her hazel eyes and smiled. "Do well Zack, I love you." Zack nodded and then turned around and left the room.

Zack's eyes watered as he was going over these painful memories, he reached down with his right hand to his chest where he wore his mother's ring on a small chain, and squeezed it.

"You're always with me."

Zack stared at nothing for a few minutes, remembering some good memories with his mother, and smiled. The breeze that had been such a blessing before had ceased. Zack snapped back into reality. He then put his pack by the end of his bedroll, and lay down. He pulled his goggles back up to his eyes. They did a good job keeping the light of the day out while he slept. He then closed his eyes and planned on resting till sundown.