Chapter 5
Denial
"You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you."
-Alex the African Grey Parrot's last words
2281
In 2280, Milly promised me that we would go visit "Oasis" when we got the chance to see if it really was a nice place. Though she was one of my only friends in the world (as I've said one hundred and one times already), I found myself doubting her promise not long after she made it.
It wasn't that she couldn't keep her word. I simply felt like Oasis was too far out of the way to be worried about at all, even on a vacation. She surprised me this year. She got the coordinates off of Elder Lyons (with relative ease, because he'd been assigning us to quite a few missions in the weeks prior, and we needed down time), and we were off.
Walking to Oasis, we encountered some resistance (no more than on an average day in the wasteland). None of us got our hopes too high. We were all hoping that we would see real, living trees. Since 2277, we saw grass growing, but it rarely made it to a noticeable height. Scribes say that, given a few decades, the Capital Wasteland will become lush and green as opposed to dead and brown.
We all hoped to see real trees for the first time in our lives that weren't rotten chunks of wood, but none of us expected to actually find anything. Supposed paradises like "Oasis" were fairly normal in the wastes. Someone puts out a radio signal that advertises a place free of radiation and violence, and you go there, and it's either totally abandoned, or a trap. Either way, there's no truth to the statements.
Maybe we figured Oasis would be the best bet because it did not advertise itself. Why rig something as a trap if you're not inviting victims?
We were also worried that, even if Oasis did exist, we'd end up being told what to do. This was one of the few times even Milly wanted a break. None of us wanted to do any favors. The past few weeks of wandering up and down the east coast for the Brotherhood took it out of us.
"Do you think it'll be guarded?" I asked. Milly shrugged.
"Probably, but if it is we'll just show whoever guards it that we're only interested in R&R. If they won't take us, there's plenty of other things we can do to wind down."
She smiled up at me. "How's Kastine, by the way?"
"She's Kastine. Same as usual."
"Unreadable?"
I nodded. It was not possible to tell what Kastine was feeling. Ever.
Milly giggled, and turned on the radio on her Pip-Boy. Galaxy News was just finishing a broadcast, so we caught Three Dog introducing a song before playing it.
He played a song he called "Please Don't Bury Me", by some guy named John Prine.
We didn't focus too much on the song. By the time Milly put it on, we were standing before a large plateau with green things sprouting from the top. A bridge leading to it was not far off.
Milly told me the green things were trees. Naturally, we all lit up. Milly hopped onto my back, and Dogmeat and I rushed to what appeared to be a real "Oasis".
We still kept our guard up as we closed in, though. The bridge had no mines on it, there were no bear traps anywhere around us, and there wasn't a boulder that was going to drop down from the sky and crush us. All we had to worry about were a few guards, and they showed no hostility to us.
I was very surprised. They didn't really regard me much at all until we got within earshot. I let Milly off my back and she approached one of the guards.
"Welcome, traveller. Welcome to Oasis."
Milly blinked, and looked back at me before returning her gaze to the guard.
"...Thank you for not shooting at us."
"We only harm animals that approach with hostility. Your deathclaw ran, but showed no outward signs of ill intent."
I didn't say anything in return. I was struck speechless by the beauty of this place.
Yes, it had guards at the entrance, but these "trees" were beautiful. They were so thick that I couldn't see through to the other side. The air had a pleasant scent to it that I can't quite describe, it was cool, and I could even hear running water.
The trees weren't the only plant life to thrive in Oasis. Small bushes dotted the landscape, and these poofy things of various colors called 'flowers' decorated some of these bushes (I could only see them when I got close). With my heightened sense of smell, I could pick up a pleasant scent from these flowers. It mixed in the air and danced with the smell of the trees. The grass beneath my feet tickled and squished under my weight, as opposed to the dry earth most of the wasteland was stuck with.
Milly continued conversing with the guards, but all I really caught was the beginning. They let us into Oasis after they spoke for a few moments, and Milly stuck close to me. She smiled, happy that Dogmeat and I were so happy (Dogmeat was fighting tears, and I was too thirsty to have tears, or they probably would've been an issue), but I knew she was as thrilled as we were.
The trees towering overhead made for great shade from the sun, and there was a clear pond coming from underground. This place had just about everything. It even had game.
We met more of those that lived here (I referred to them as Tree-Huggers, and they took it as a term of endearment, which it was). They told us that the reason plant life was trying to sprout up in the rest of the wasteland was because of their God, which turned out to be a talking tree.
That was, luckily, the extent of the weirdness in Oasis. There was a talking tree named Harold, if I understood him right.
It was Harold that told us about the real reason behind plant life trying to return. He told us it was because some wastelander that stumbled upon Oasis a few years earlier mended his heart with some kind of sap. All I understood was "heart", and though I knew next to nothing about trees, I knew they didn't have hearts.
Then again, I didn't take very good notes when I was in Biology in Megaton.
He said that, had this man (Cookie something) done what he wanted, and destroyed his heart, Oasis would eventually succumb to the wasteland. However, Cookie decided to do what the Tree-Huggers wanted (half of them, anyway), and apply growth sap (I think some kind of paste) to Harold's "heart".
It sped up the plant growth, and in a few decades, trees would overtake the Capital Wasteland, just as the scribes predicted.
Cookie took care of really the only thing this place needed done, so we were in the clear for rest. Some of the Tree-Huggers heard of Milly and her talking deathclaw well, so they vouched for us. They convinced everybody else to let us stay for a week and enjoy a vacation. During that week, we spent most of our time having fun (Milly would do a few things for the Tree-Huggers, who for the most part needed next to nothing). We'd rest beneath trees, look at the plant life, swim, and just admire the beauty of old Mother Nature.
In your darkest hours in the wasteland, when you want to give up most, just thinking of a place like Oasis could fill your heart with joy. The idea of this beauty overtaking the land eventually was fantastic. The people of Oasis didn't want to conquer anybody. They did not want violence. After Cookie did what he did, they all grew to enjoy the idea that the dead Capital Wasteland would see life again.
There was no reason to fear these people. If Oasis covered the land, you wouldn't be forced to worship Harold (he didn't like being worshipped, anyway). You wouldn't pay tribute, you wouldn't have to give up your homes, you wouldn't be asked to leave... all that would change would be the scenery of D.C.
Thinking of the future was one of the reasons we all loved Oasis. None of us wanted that week to end.
Time, however, goes on. Our time in Oasis came to an end a week later. We left the Tree-Huggers on good terms, and they told us to return anytime. Milly told me we'd go back again one day, and I loved the thought.
We were all in a very good mood for our return trip to Megaton (where we were going to spend most of our time off when we weren't wandering).
About half an hour into our trip, five men approached, each heavily armed. They were Legionaries, and just the sight of them put a damper on my good mood. Four Legionaries had submachine guns and assault rifles (by now my eyes were too poor to really tell what type these guns were), and the fifth carried a sniper rifle. The leader carried a backpack, and in one hand he held a photo.
"Excuse me, Miss?" he called (Milly didn't acknowledge them before that). She turned to face them, as did Dogmeat and I. He held up the photograph and his eyes darted between it and Milly's face. He dropped the picture. One Legionary started backing up, putting distance between himself and us. Milly stared at the lead.
"This isn't personal," said the leader as he held up his weapon. He fired just seconds after Milly dove behind the skeleton of an old burned out truck. I took one Legionary next to him out not a second after he fired at Milly, and then I dove behind cover with her.
Now, Dogmeat, Milly and I were all behind this burned out truck being fired upon.
"What's going on?!" shrieked Milly as she gripped her Steyr AUG. I shook my head.
"I have no idea."
"If we sit here, we're all dead. Let's worry about what's happening later!"
I nodded at Dogmeat. "Milly, we'll shoot first, and ask questions-"
I was interrupted by what sounded like an explosion, and a round tore through the truck just to my side. That bullet ran right through the engine block like it was nothing. It startled us all.
Milly started firing blindly for cover, and it did stop the assault for a moment. I put my paw on her.
"I'm going to take out that sniper. Can you guys worry about the other three?"
Milly nodded. "Got it!"
I nodded too, and pulled myself over the wrecked truck. My eyes scanned for the sniper, and I saw him about two hundred feet off.
I started running towards him, and my eyes widened as I thought about that first shot.
He was using a Barrett M82 sniper rifle. It fired .50 caliber rounds, the very rounds that could tear a deathclaw to pieces as if it were nothing.
I didn't stop running...
BANG!
Revolution! Revolution!
Cord wasn't over the big rusty metal wall we put between us and the funny looking men for more than five seconds before we heard a second small explosion. Milly insisted that I stay behind cover with her, and I managed to peer through part of the wreckage we took cover behind at Cord.
The first round exploded through his left arm and essentially crippled it. It stopped his charge and actually caused him to stumble backward a few steps, his good paw clutching his crippled arm. He glanced at the injury, but...
...he kept running.
BANG!
This time, it tore through his lower waist on the left.
Like the first bullet, this one exploded out of his back and continued flying through the air over what we took cover behind. Milly was being fired at by the other funny looking men, but she wasn't injured.
After she took one out, she glanced at Cord and saw his injuries. He stood up after a moment from the second bullet and tried again to charge.
BANG!
The bullet tore through his back from the inner right shoulder. The wound didn't cripple his other arm, but he was bleeding worse than I'd ever seen him bleed before.
"Cord!" shrieked Milly. She tried to fire at the sniper, but was quickly forced behind cover again by the two funny looking men she had left to kill. She had her chance a few moments after taking cover again and took down one more, leaving just one of hers left before she could assist Cord.
I wasn't able to move, but once more, Cord tried to attack the sniper again. Though he was injured badly, he'd made decent progress towards the sniper. Just about fifty feet more, and he'd have him...
BANG!
The fourth shot tore through his chest and like all before it, exited through his back. He didn't recoil much that time, but he wasn't moving as quickly. He continued running forward, determined to close the distance. Milly managed to kill her final legionary...
BANG!
The fifth bullet caught him in his chest, too, and this time, Cord fell backwards to the ground. The sniper drew closer, to see if the deathclaw was trying to trick him. Cord squirmed slowly on the ground, bringing his wounded arm closer to his body. He took a shaky breath in, and coughed, dark red blood spurting out of his maw.
He collapsed no more than ten feet from his target.
It wasn't Milly that took the bastard sniper out. She wounded him before he could take note of her, but it was my teeth in his throat that drained his life from his neck.
I hadn't realized that my feet were taking me to end his life after his fourth shot.
Revolutions do not last.
Agony... my wounds burned, yet I was so cold. They... hurt, but... I w-was numb.
"Cord!"
Footsteps... Milly?
Her gentle hands pressed down on one of my wounds... and D-Dogmeat was on my other side.
Though my eyes... are poor... I could see th-the shock wash... over her face as she tried to stop my bl-bleeding.
Blood tastes bad. My blood... tastes bad.
She... tried to smile comfort...ingly at me.
"You're going to be alright, Cord..." she said softly, her eyes watering up. She grabbed her w-walkie talkie...
"This is Milly to Citadel! I need emergency evac for a critical injury! Can you get a fix on my location?!"
"Mil, this is Sarah. I have your location. Who is injured?"
"Cord! He needs help, now!"
T...tried to speak. Blood.
It tastes bad.
I... could hear footsteps again... Milly was my concern.
"Muh...m..." I croaked out, my words c-covered... blood.
"Shh... it's going to be alright!" she cried. She jabbed me with a st...st...stimpack, but I f-felt nothing. Not even the headache.
"Hurts..." I managed... croak out.
I saw that man... standing over Milly, eyeing me.
...s-said nothing to him.
"No! No, no, no! Hang on, Cord! Let the stimpack help a bit!"
...she couldn't stop my bleeding. I felt som...something on my other side.
Dogmeat... tears rolled from his eyes...
...plopped his head down beside mine.
"Don't go... Hang on. Hang on, Cord... you'll be okay. You hear me? You'll be alright, buddy..."
Milly... she tried hard...
...sleepy.
"No! Cord! Stay with me! Jesus... where's our evac?!" she screamed into... walkie talkie. She tossed it away and put her... hand on my face, tears leaking down hers. I looked at Dogmeat...
"I accept your apology!" he s...shouted through tears.
"Cord..."
Strange man's voice... He knelt beside Milly.
"It's time to go."
Put his hand... on my chest.
My luck ran out.
End of Chapter
2,678 words.
Cord was no longer of use. The only way I could use him anymore was to kill him. Had he survived the attack, Milly wouldn't have her anger towards the Legion, and Manifest Destiny would fall apart.
Want to know who the Strange Man is? I have no idea. He's a mirror image to the character from Red Dead Redemption. He's designed to be anybody's guess, though I would narrow it down to either God, the Devil, or a personification of Death. All I can reasonably tell you is that the Strange Man appears in 3 of my stories, and whenever he appears to one of my characters, that means that the character in question is not making it out of the story alive.
Next chapter covers Milly and Dogmeat reacting to the death, finding sensitive information on one of the dead legionaries, and using that info to attack a nearby Legion Camp.