Chapter Two
"Awaken!"
My eyes snapped open and my body flung itself into a sitting position at the shout that echoed through my head. My eyes squeezed shut and hands flew to my head as it pounded mercilessly. It felt as if my brain would rip itself from my head before it suddenly stopped. It was than that I realized that the shaky, sweating palms against my head were my own. Opening my eyes, I looked around myself and felt fear spread through me like wildfire.
I was in a destroyed house, that much was for certain as the walls were but waist-high barricades around the pile of rubble that I was sitting on. I appeared to be on a hill as I looked down at the rolling desert all around the lone house. Looking up, I could see a haze in the sky. Morning fog maybe? I mentally asked myself as I looked back down. Seeing a car out front, I focused my gaze on it to see that it was styled like the older vehicles from the nineties.
Hearing a beeping to my left, I spied a cumbersome looking monitor sitting among the rubble. It's green screen had lighter green lettering on it. Approaching it, I could see that the keyboard seemed to be attached to it but it had no visible mouse. Something at the top of the screen drew my attention.
"RobCo. Where have I heard that before?" I asked myself as I saw only one option on the screen. It was a simple black dot highlighted by a light green bar. Looking around myself, I hit the 'Enter' key. The screen than changed to show an Audio Signal Viewer that currently showed a flat line.
"Greetings Tyler. I understand that you have many questions," though the monotone voice didn't ask it, I still found myself nodding my head, "They will all be answered in due time. However, I will answer one question right now and inform you of something you have no idea about. The reason you are here is that you are an experiment to test your... adaptability to a new environment. What you do not know is that another has been transferred with you for... insurance. They are one of your closest friends and someone that you cannot live without, even if you do not know that you possess that feeling. If you try to terminate yourself, your friend will be killed. If you try to save your friend before the test is complete, your friend will be killed. To your left is a locker buried into the rubble. There you will find some basic supplies that you will have basic knowledge for. Use caution, however. Your new form may still be a bit... stiff."
With that, the terminal turned itself off.
"A test?"
Looking to my left, I could see the locker peeking up from the rubble. Moving over to it, I removed any of the rubble that had covered the door and flung it open. I gave heed as I peered at what was inside. Puzzle pieces began to fall into place as I stared at the items given to me at my unknown kidnapper. It wasn't exactly the Stimpack that triggered it. Nor was it the modified set of Combat Armor. It was the pistol whose design had been ingrained into my head as it was the most versatile, beginner weapon in the game. The N99 10mm pistol lay to the side of the Combat Armor. Stacked under it were four boxes of ammo for the pistol and some extra clips.
Taking out the pistol, I noted that a full clip was already in the well. Pulling the slide back, I let it go slowly to watch as the bullet slid forward into the chamber. A distant howl and explosion brought me from my daze as I looked around myself with a sense of paranoia. Flicking the pistol's safety on, I set it down and dug out the Combat Armor. Instead of the shoulder pads covering the top of the shoulders and collar bones, the left pad were re-arranged to become pauldrons that covered the side of the shoulder and the upper arm. The right pad was missing completely while sewn into the sleeve was a black Omega symbol with a number 57 on the inside of the Omega.
"Damn straight," I muttered as I took one last look around me before stripping out of my shoes, socks, jeans, and shirt. After pulling on the bodysuit, I slipped on the provided socks. The boots came on last and I laced them up with a speed gained from doing it many, many times before. I made sure to tuck the bottom of the pants into the boots before tying them tight. Finally, I began to attach the armor pieces.
After much frustration and complete stops as I scanned my surroundings, I finished attaching the armor pieces. Sliding the helmet on my head, which fit perfectly, I delightfully noted that the armor came with a pair of goggles for my eyes and a breathable wrap to cover my mouth from the dirt. With the wrap covering my nose and mouth and the goggles sitting above the brim of my helmet, I peeked back into the locker.
Pulling out a pack, I spotted two shaped metal pieces on either side of the treated leather. It than struck me that I was looking at the body and barrel of a Sniper Rifle. Setting the pack down, I opened it to find three bottle of what looked to be clean water, a couple boxes of what could only be food, a worn out map of the DC area, a torn but still usable sleeping bag, some basic medical supplies, and a blank notebook with a pencil stuck in it's binding rings.
"Guess that's for a Journal or to keep me from getting bored," I commented with a shrug, still aware that I was alone. "Gotta stop talking to myself. People might think I'm crazy," I mutter with a chuckle as I re-pack the supplies. After loading all the extra ammo from the locker into the bag, I swung the bag onto my back. Now, the only items in the locker were a Chinese Assault Rifle, over a dozen extra mags for the Assault Rifle, three extra mags for the Sniper Rifle, the extra clips for the pistol, and a Combat Knife.
I had noticed the many pouches along chestplate of my armor for the AR mags as well as the pouches attached to the belt for the rest of the clips and mags. An empty sheath was attached on the front edge of my pauldron so that I could get it easily enough. Grabbing the knife, I slid it into the sheath and clipped the safety strap closed to hold the blade in place. First came the loaded pistol clips as, if I was discovered now, that would be the only thing I would remember to grab before getting the hell out of dodge. The three clips easily slid into the three pouches on the belt under my right arm. With those secured, I looked around again before taking the loaded AR mags one by one and putting them in the pouches covering the front of my torso armor and the front and left part of my belt.
Lastly, I grabbed the Sniper mags and looked at them, satisfied that these too were already loaded, as my hand felt along my belt for their pouches. I found the pouches in the back, directly under my pack. Noting that I may be laying down while shooting the rifle, it made sense for them to be back there.
With the extra magazines secure, I holstered my pistol before reaching down and grabbing the AR. The weapon was similar to the AK design back in my...
Hell, what do I call it? Dimension? Time-line? Universe? Hmm...
...dimension. The weapon was light and easy to hold. Hopefully it had the same similarity with the AK and could be easily cleaned. Noticing that there was already a magazine loaded into the rifle, I pulled the bolt back and let it go with a satisfying clang.
It was than that I stood up straight, looked around, and-
sat down onto the rubble.
Goddamn it. Okay, Tyler, think. Somehow, you have been dragged into Fallout. You have no idea where you are however, due to the map, it's safe to assume that this is the Capital Wasteland. Wait, is this the Wasteland before or after the Wanderer?
Looking around, I couldn't see anything definitive that would tell me the answer to my question.
Right. I'm gonna assume that it's before the Wanderer. Need a plan of action. I could go to Megaton. Make myself useful there. Earn some caps and wait for the Wanderer to come out of the Vault. I doubt I could do that though as that would require trekking across these wastes, getting in there, getting on Simms's good side, and than staying in one place. I could go for the Citadel. See if they're recruiting. However, I doubt they are and, even if they were, I don't think they'd let me leave to join the Wanderer.
A thought than struck me that launched me from my internal monologue.
Why am I planning for myself to join the Wanderer already? I should be making sure about me first. Get somewhere and get more info from my kidnapper before doing anything at all. He said that this was a test for my adaptability. He must have certain criteria that need to be met before that test can be completed.
That was when the rat-a-tat of automatic weapons reached my ears and snapped me out of my thoughts. Keeping a low crouch, I moved to the direction where the gunfire seemed to be coming from. Tiny, black specks were moving towards my hill and shooting at something between them and my hill. The green blobs made me swallow whatever saliva I had.
Setting the AR aside, I pulled off the pack and set it beside me. As my hand touched the body of the sniper rifle, a bright blue light entered my head. When the light cleared, I saw a person standing behind a table with the weapon pieces on the table. The man was wearing a clean, green bodysuit but that was all I could see of him as his face was covered with a heavy blue haze. In fact, the entire image seemed to be covered with a blue haze. The man than began to move. First, he grabbed the body of the rifle and slid it under his arm to where the scope rested beneath his armpit. Using that hand, he grabbed the magazine to steady it as he grasped the barrel with his other hand. Pulling that to the body of the Sniper Rifle, he quickly snapped it into place and gave it a firm twist. With the rifle assembled, the man set the rifle back onto the table.
With another flash of blue, the image faded and I found himself back in the real world. Looking down the hill, I could still see the fight happening. Shaking my head to clear it, I pulled out the body of the Sniper Rifle and tucked it beneath his right arm like the Blue Man had done. Pulling off the barrel, I tried to snap it into place but found that he couldn't. Slowly, I rotated the barrel until it finally snapped into place. Giving it a sharp twist, the large flash hider straightened.
"Nifty," I muttered to myself before getting down low behind the broken wall. Setting the barrel in a nook on the wall, I looked through the scope a the greenish blobs. To my dismay, my assumption was right and I was staring at a group of about half a dozen Muties. Aiming my weapon a bit higher, my seemed to scroll upwards before it rested on the group of black specks. It was a small squad of humans. Maybe four in total, who wore black armor with gray bodysuits underneath.
"Talon Company," I noted, almost wordlessly.
-to test your... adaptability.
A smirk appeared on my hidden face as I aimed back at the Muties. Sighting on one of the monstrosities, I was suddenly glad that my dad taught me how to shoot scoped weapons back in my Dimension. Aiming at the back of the cranium, I exhaled slowly. As the last of the air left my body, the crosshairs steadied. Squeezing the trigger, the rifle bucked back into the shoulder as the bullet sped from the barrel with a loud crack and a bright flash.
Ignoring the pain flaring up in my shoulder from the recoil, I watched as the Mutant's head seemed to cave in from the bullet. Choosing my next target, I did the same as before and watched as the round struck the Mutant behind the left shoulder. He wasn't dead, however, as his flesh seemed to simply absorb the round. The angered Mutant turned to where I lay with the permanent snarl on his face. Quickly, I fired again and watched with satisfaction as the bullet with through the creature's open mouth and a geyser of blood marked it's exit.
Thank you dad. I thought to myself as I briefly remembered the shooting lessons my dad would give me with my own 5.56, Savage bolt-action rifle.
"Puny human! I find you!" came the deep roar of a nearby Mutie. Snapping my head up and to the left, I could now hear the crunching of the rocks as the large Mutant approached my little sniper nest.
Damn it. How could I be so stupid? I cursed to myself as I set my Sniper Rifle down and grabbed my Assault Rifle. Quickly, but as silently as I could, I vacated my sniping position and moved to the other side of the rubble. If the game and fanfictions had any truth to them than the average Mutie should be as dumb, if not dumber, than a rock. They should only have the primal sense to shoot, eat, and reproduce. If I remembered correctly, they used vats to create new Mutants and, thus, took many humans alive.
Soon, I could see the Mutant come upon my nest with a sledgehammer in hand. The Mutant looked around in confusion.
"Where he go?" it asked, as if half-expecting me to pop out and say 'Here I am! I want to be dipped in acid and turned into a freak!'. Well, at least half of that was true.
Standing up from behind my cover, I leveled my rifle at the back of the thing's head and pulled the trigger. The rifle bucked in my hands as the bullets sped towards their intended target. The target, however, turned after only three rounds struck. Those rounds did little to put down the monstrosity before the thick frontal plate was absorbing the rounds like they were spitballs.
"Found you!" the Mutant shouted as it charged at me. For something so large, it was fast! Soon, the sledgehammer was swinging at my side and action came before thought. Before I could feel anything, my back slammed against a still-standing support beam, my head following suit. Luckily, my helmet took most of the damage but my vision still blurred as I fell down to my feet. Shaking my head, I noted that the ground was shaking.
Quickly looking up, I was met with the sight of a large object being swung downwards at my head.
"Shit!" I shouted as I dived to the side. Rolling to a crouch, I saw the Mutant pick his sledgehammer from the rubble and turn to face me.
"Stand still! Me smash you!" it snarled. An idea came to me as it berated me. Sliding my knife from it's sheath, I held it at the ready in my right hand and stood on my feet with a slight bend of the knees. Again, the Mutant charged and the sledgehammer found it's way swinging at my side again. Dropping to my stomach, I rolled to the side as the large weapon was swung over my head. I could feel the pain in my side from the first hit but the combination of adrenaline and fear kept it from hindering me as I jumped back to my feet.
When the Mutant swung it's sledgehammer again, it did so in a downwards motion. Jumping back out of range of the hammer, I waited for it to near the ground before rushing at the Mutant. I barely realized that I was screaming as loud as I could when my feet began to move. I felt my knife rotate in my hand so it was held in a reverse grip. About a second after the hammer hit the rubble, my right foot stepped on the head of the hammer. My left foot found it's way onto the monstrosity's huge right forearm. Propelling myself with my left foot, I forced myself into the air with knife drawn back to strike.
Stabbing my knife into one of the Mutant's eyes, I held on tight to the blade as I swung around to land on it's back. Wrapping my left arm as far around it's neck as I could, I withdrew my knife to just stab at it's other eye again and again.
"It hurts!" it screamed as it fumbled to get me off of it. The bastard was strong though and even as I stabbed repeatedly, the bastard kept stumbling about the rubble like a drunk.
Two, large hands than grabbed onto my sides as I withdrew my knife. With unheard of strength, I found myself being ripped from the back of my target and being sent sailing through the air. I briefly caught a glimpse of the second Mutant that flung me before I crashed into a weak wall. The wall couldn't stand up to the impact and shattered, sending me tumbling through the air with splinters and other pieces of debris.
Finally, I landed on the bare ground of the hill. My already injured side exploded in pain as it was the first to hit the ground and I felt my helmet leave my head and my knife leave my hand from the impact. Slowly, I rolled to a stop on my stomach. Looking up, I could still see the broken house. An explosion rocked the hill as the house lit up in a bright light. Chunks of what I assumed to be the two Mutants flew in multiple directions.
I didn't have time to celebrate their deaths or mourn the probable loss of my equipment as a rough kick to my uninjured side caused me to roll onto my back. Before I was even fully on my back, the barrel of an American Assault Rifle was shoved in my face with a not so pleased, feminine face behind it. Her black armor and helmet were a dead enough give-away and the white, outstretched talon on her breast was just reaffirming what I already knew. I managed a small smirk behind my mask as my eyes found hers.
"Howdy."
A/N: Well. That finishes Chapter Two. All that equipment and it's basically gone within the first day. Damn, I'm careless. Hehe. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this one and the action within it. Please leave a review of what you thought of it. I would especially like feedback on the combat scenes.
I know that next chapter should be fun to write. What with Talon Company and all.