Wow I love all the views this is getting. Anyway can you guys help me out? I'm still a little new. When I look at the story traffic what's the difference between visitors and hits?
The Wildcard
Chapter 3
"What the hell?" Plague mumbled when he saw the large dead lizard under him. Sure Plague had killed many mutations since he left the vault, but this…thing he just killed was nothing like he had ever seen. He must have been in an area with more radiation than anywhere he had ever been.
'What had it evolved from? A toad? No, it's reptilian, not amphibian.' Plague's mind was working in overdrive. 'No. It has armor… Maybe it evolved from a human…? No. the structure does not support that idea. Maybe a new kind of super mutant?'
As Plague breathed heavily he noticed something. The air was cleaner. Sure in a way it smelled like ass to him but, it was a good change from the smells he had been forced to inhale. Just a little…ok a lot of work the air could be close to a malfunctioning air filter standards you would find in an almost run down vault.
With this on his mind he looked above him. He was no longer in a wasteland. He was surrounded by metal.
'Maybe it is a Vault…' Plague thought before he noticed the creatures around him.
The first thing he noticed was all of them stood on two legs. The colors and shapes of their bodies varied. His mind frantically tried to piece together what he was looking at. They actually had on clothing. To Plague that meant they at least have some kind of intelligence. Though it was hard for him to read most of their faces, Plague felt they feared him. It was when he saw one of the creatures in the crowed that Plague realized his guess was right.
He saw a purple humanlike face. He assumed it was female since she had a familiar woman like shape with smooth skin. If he was not practically hyperventilating, he would probably say the woman looked quite attractive.
Plague then looked at another mutant; this one was almost taller than him. It had what looked like a fringe sticking out of the back of its head while the face had a mouth with an appendage on both sides. They seemed to function like pincers, or something similar. Its skin looked leathery. For a split second Plague wondered if a knife would have a hard time penetrating the hide.
The third kind of creature he examined was skinny, slightly shorter than the last creature, and had a rather large head with big black eyes.
After the seven seconds of silence he was using to determine how much of a threat they were to him, he activated his Pipboy and said a few numbers as fast as he could. Throughout the process of his armor appearing on his person, he never looked away from the crowd.
Once he was geared he activated the stealth function he had taken out of the original Chinese suit and wired into his favorite armor's pieces and vanished.
The creatures looked even more stunned.
The next thing Plague did was run for the closest dark spot he could find which ended up being a downward staircase that took him to a dead end. When he was about to turn around he noticed a counter to his left and hid behind it. It was then he noticed all of the salvaged parts around him. He had hid himself in some kind of kiosk.
Once he was sure he was alone he deactivated his stealth field. Plague rested his head against the surface. His thoughts flew around in his head like a swarm of bees, his heart was pounding, and he felt a bit dizzy. Sure he had seen many things throughout his time in the wastes, but he didn't expect to be thrown in the middle of some mutant tribe.
'I was supposed to be with Sarah!' Plague shouted in his thoughts.
In response his hands clenched into fists as his fully armored arm punched the metal floor next to him.
In his confusion Plague held his head in his hands as his slowly growing headache started to annoy him.
Plague had done many bad things in his life, but he felt he didn't deserve this torment. What was the point of him losing his mind in that darkness only to be once again denied seeing his love?
'I don't deserve this hell.'
His thoughts were interrupted by someone walking around the corner.
"Keelah se'lai…" the helmet wearing man said to him with a slightly altered voice.
Plague's hand was already in his coat ready to grab his ripper. The only thing that stopped him from gutting the man was his slightly humanoid shape and that mask that looked a lot like his helmet.
"Hei silocily…" he stopped talking when Plague reacted to the man raising his three fingered hands as if to calm him down."…Beel grans'a gree human…" the human shaped creature said when he took a step back and started rubbing the back of his mask. "…Ish glaned sil quarian…" he said with a slight chuckle as he pointed to both Plague's helmet and his mask.
Plague had no idea what he said but he was able to piece together what he might have said. It looks as if it thought he was one of his own.
The creatures face was hidden but Plague could see two light blue orbs looking at him with an.
"Kenn'Shra vas Omina." he said as he held out a hand to Plague unaware of what could happen to him if his movements appeared violent.
In response plague slowly took his hand out of his coat and shook the three fingered hand.
With this Kenn not trying to rip Plague's head off he assumed he was like those few super mutants that could talk and behave.
"Plague…I like your choice of headwear…" Plague said weakly in a joking voice.
He was surprised when the creature started laughing as he shook his hand. Somehow it understood him.
"…Can you understand me?" Plague asked and received a reluctant nod from the man.
When their hands separated the creature motioned for him to stay while he started rummaging through a crate. After the sound of something hitting something else in the crate Plague's host almost shouted something that sounded like "Bosh'tet" and returned with what looked like a plastic loop.
"Omni tool…" he said as he showed Plague the loop.
He then pointed to another loop he had around his wrist and then pointed to where his ear could be under his mask.
It didn't take a lot of brainpower to piece together what he was told.
His host put the loop in his hand and the motioned for him to put it on.
After examining it Plague figured it was too small to be a bomb. The next thing he did was slide it onto his left wrist opposite to his Pipboy.
Plague finally stood up as he looked at the strange loop.
"Sle veast." Kenn said as he reached for Plague's loop.
When he moved a hand over the loop Plague jumped as his arm was covered in an orange hologram. His jump earned him another chuckle from Kenn as he started pushing buttons.
"Shimp lase gro…strange for a human to show up on Omega without even getting an Omni tool first." Plague's eyes widened as some voice translated what was said. "I'm guessing you have never been here before."
"Um…I understand you now Kenn…" Plague said as Kenn gave him a pat on the back.
"Good. I didn't want to have to play…what do you humans call it? Charades?" Kenn asked.
"Yaeh… Now Kenn… now that I understand you… mind if I ask you something?" Plague asked as he looked at the Omni tool trying to find out how to turn it off.
"By all means. Though mind if I ask why you look like a quarian?"
"A what?" Plague asked back.
"…I'm guessing you aren't from around here…" Kenn said. "…Well I'm honored to be the first quarian you have ever met then." He said as he rubbed the back of his mask again. "…When I found you I thought I ran into someone from the Flotilla. Your helmet is oddly shaped…if you don't mind me being blunt."
Hearing this Plague started to turn off the magnetic locks and then lifted his helmet off his head.
"…Is that better? Now we can talk face to…" Plague stopped when he realized Kenn took a step back.
"I…I'm sorry. It's just strange seeing someone take off they're helmet if it looks so much like a quarian mask. Makes me think you are going to keel over…"
'Fuck radiation…' Plague was about to say until he realized his Pipboy showed it was safe.
"Why do you say that?" he asked as he calmed down quickly from his two second panic.
"We quarians have a weak immune system." Kenn explained. "That's what you get from a few generations of being in a sterile environment. We practically wear our enviro-suits our whole life." Plague listened to the quarian with bewilderment on his face. How could they survive the wasteland? "One rip or puncture and we can get extremely sick, or die."
"W…where do you find food?" Plague asked. If there was an uncontaminated food source around here, Plague wanted to know where it was.
"I have a place here I found that sells me nutrient paste. Guy's an extremely racist bosh'tet, but at least he's an honest merchant. If you are looking for something to eat I wouldn't recommend it. Dextro-amino and levo-amino acids and all."
"Acids?" Plague asked confused.
With this Kenn did the closest thing to a face palm and shook his head.
"How have you survived this long?…I'm a quarian. I have dextro-amino acids. That means it's safe for me to eat dextro-amino food. You…" Kenn points at Plague to further emphasis the word. "…are a human. You have levo-amino acids. If we ate each other's food we both would have an extreme allergic reaction. You could die if you don't get medical attention fast. Me however I'm…I think you humans say screwed."
'Great. Mutants and food that can kill me.' Plague thought to himself.
"If you see an asari, or salarian eating something though it's alright. They are levo-amino like you." Kenn explained and then let out a sigh as Plague gave him another look. "Look over there. But don't make it obvious." Kenn nodded to the stairs. Walking through the corridor were a few more creatures. Another large headed one and one of those female human looking ones with tentacles sticking out of the back of her head, but this time she was blue. "The one that looks closest to a human with blue skin. She's an asari. They are all mono-gendered. Both male and female. But they are shaped a lot like human females. Well… and quarian females minus the leg and hand structure." Kenn explained with a little shyness in his slightly altered voice. "Don't worry if one hits on you. They are able to mate with anyone. No matter what gender you are if they want they could get pregnant and have an asari daughter. It's actually part of their culture."
Plague's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider. Sure now that he was not panicking, he kind of found them attractive, but that whole mate with anyone deal just confused the hell out of him.
The topic was just as confusing as why the birds and the bees talk which involves doing the deed, was fucking called the birds and the bees. The name of the talk alone would drive anyone insane with confused madness.
'They have to be getting a DNA samples or something and using that to give birth like cloning.' Plague thought to himself with the only answer he could think of while at the same time trying to push a rather creepy as hell Vault incident back to the back of his head.
"And don't forget they can live for a thousand years or so."
Just when he thought his eyes couldn't get any wider.
The only thing Plague could think of living that long was a super mutant or a ghoul, but they get to about a thousand years. But it was hard picturing the beauty walking by the stairs would be alive for that long.
"Ok enough about them. The big headed one with those big eyes. He's a salarian. They have a fast metabolism. They think fast, move fast. They also talk fast. Just a heads up if you want to have a conversation with one. They sleep for about an hour a day. There are downsides to this. Lifespan wise, they live for about forty years or so."
The salarian Plague was looking at was a shade of green. The horns on his head didn't look that dangerous but Plague knew not to underestimate things. What they lack in strength, they could easily make up for it with the combination of their speed and a nice gun in their hand.
"Ok those two are two of the three main Citadel races. The third are Turians. They have dextro-amino acids like me. I…dam I can't see one from here." Kenn said as he leaned as far over the counter as he could without falling. "Um…imagine six feet tall, metallic exoskeleton. It's stronger than human skin, but it isn't a natural armor. They are avian-like with this crest on the back of their heads with…"
"Mandibles? I saw one earlier. Tough looking." Plague interrupted.
"That's them." Kenn said as he started managing his kiosk. "Well I think I covered the important stuff… Oh, if you see any large lizards with kind of a hump. Stay out of the way. They are strong and can regenerate. They also live to fight so watch yourself."
"I think I'll be ok." Plague reassured with what happened earlier in his head. He would still have the blood on his hands if it wasn't for the fact that whenever he atomized or re atomized the gear they would be cleaned. "Well anyway, thanks Kenn'Shra. You might have saved my life a few times." Plague said as he put a hand in his coat to hide him re atomizing something. "Here. For the omnitool." Plague put one of the 9mms he carried for parts into the quarian's unsuspecting hand along with some ammo.
Before Kenn could say anything Plague walked off not knowing that a functional antique gun like that along with ammo could get Kenn out of his debt, and off Omega, and still have enough to buy a small ship as Pilgrimage gift.
Plague put his helmet back on as he walked. In the wasteland the best thing you could give someone was one of five things. One: Food. And since Plague didn't have any on his person that idea was gone. And even if he had any, Kenn wouldn't be able to eat it. Two: Water. That option has the same problems as the first one. Three: Shelter. Being in what looks like a Vault and having your own little spot at the bottom of those stairs made a nice shelter and could easily be defended. Four: someone to share your bed with for a little fun. That was probably the worst option. His weak immune system would take him out. Even with protection. Maybe if Plague could find him a nice quarian girl… Five: would be a weapon and ammo for obvious reasons. Never know when you'll wake up with a molerat trying to sneak into your house and try to eat some mystery meat, AKA Kenn in a nice air sealed bag to keep him tasty-fresh.
"I really hate my condition." Plague reminded himself as his cannibalistic side showed itself in mid thought.
When the sound of his stomach growling got his attention he started looking around. He still didn't feel comfortable around those unfamiliar mutants, but that didn't stop him from walking among them as long as they played nice. Strangely they looked at him more then he looked at them. Maybe they also kept confusing him for a quarian like Kenn did.
Plague walked until the smell of roasting meat got his attention. He walked up to what looked like a food cart out of the way of the crowd traffic with seats set up along the side.
He saw a turian working at the grill flipping what looked like a colorful blue stake. The turian had a silverfish shade what looked like blue paint on his face in a wavy pattern.
"How could I help you quari…human?" he asked in a strange voice making Plague shiver a little down his spine.
"You got levo-amino food?" Plague asked as he sat down.
"Yes human. We have varren steak, and pod crab (those gray crab things that live on Virmire) legs. That's about it. Drinks-wise we got water."
Plague listened as he took off his helmet and had no idea what any of those things were.
'How many new mutants are in this region?'
"I…guess I'll take the crab." Plague ordered.
The turian opened what Plague assumed was a fridge and pulled out four gray crab like legs with sharp points on the tips. Each leg was almost as long as the turian's arm. He then threw them on the grill making the legs make a shrill sound.
"Ever had pod crab before?" plague shook his head. "Me neither. Downside of not being a levo-amino life form. Smells delicious. The weird thing is they are hard to kill and…actually they are easy to kill. It's just finding a way to kill them without them blowing up and leaving nothing left. You have to tranquilize them and kill them quickly with a knife. Sounds creepy though when you do It." the cook the pulled out something that looked like a hedge trimmer and started cutting the legs in half while they were on the grill. "A human I know says they sound like when you drop a live lobster in a boiling pot of water. Do you humans really do that? It sounds disturbing. I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or pulling my leg."
"I personally haven't although I have eaten mirelurk. They try to get in your boat or grab you on dry land with their claws. They're bigger than a human. Practically made of one giant shell with a big eyeball as big as a basketball."
The cook was in awe as he listened to his customer. He never knew Earth had such creatures.
"They work like ants. But by themselves they are not that bright. Just drop a grenade in the water and they try to eat it." Plague and the cook both started laughing as if it was the best joke they ever heard.
"That's interesting human." mumbled a deep voice that came from a krogan in red armor who sat next to Plague.
The cook went silent as he flipped the large blue steak that had been cooking the whole time Plague was there.
"Congratulations. You are the first krogan I have started a conversation with." Plague said as he twirled a fork in his hand.
Plague looked over to the lizard with a small smirk. The krogan had dark scales while the crest was a dark brown color.
"How lucky you are to have a member of the Blood Pack welcome you then… Hey turian, flip the damn steak." he snapped at the cook who obeyed with his mandibles twitching quickly. The krogan let out an annoyed growl and then continued. "So human, where do you hail from? I can smell dried blood on you over the dam cuttlebone's cooking. FLIP!" He shouted to the cook. "Can't trust damn turians.'"
Plague didn't care that much about the whole argument but the word cuttlebone made the turian cook cringe so he assumed it was the equivalent of calling a ghoul a zombie.
"No one likes a racist. Let him have a clear mind while he cooks our food." Plague announced in a calm voice.
This seemed to get a chuckle out of the krogan.
"Well…" starts the krogan as he gets out of his seat and starts walking around to where the cook is."…if he's cooking 'our' food he should at least know what it tastes like so he knows how to cook It." he then grabs the turian's fringe and pulls it back. The effect is similar to someone grabbing a handful of hair on a human.
The cook's head goes back as he shouts out in pain. With the krogan's free hand he grabs a piece of Plague's crab off the grill and starts forcing it into the cook's mouth.
Meanwhile the krogan is laughing but stops when a fork flies into his eye, replacing the laughing with roars of pain. He let go of the turian to cover his eye as he looks for who threw it.
What he saw was not the human he had been sitting next to. What he saw was a savage glare looking at him while the human licked his lips before giving the krogan a toothy smile.
"You don't mess with a man's food. Now step away from the cook so I can reorder, although it's been a while since I've had reptile."
The krogan roared as he went around the counter and charged at Plague. In his rage he forgot he was armed. Before he could get to him Plague had already jumped on top of his chair, and then landed on top of the krogan.
The Blood Pack krogan was confused for a second when Plague skipped off the back of his head and landed behind him.
If he had been a little calmer he would have noticed the two lights flash as he turned.
Once he saw the human he thought his eye was playing tricks on him. In the human's hands were two knife-like weapons. The odd thing about them was one had chainsaw teeth around it while the other was connected by some hose going from the hilt to a pack that appeared on his back.
The krogan took a step back when one of the knives bellowed fire while the other revved up making the engine roar.
Once the krogan finally made sense of the situation it was too late.
Plague closed the small gap, stabbed the fire weapon into his chest with enough force to penetrate the armor while, ripped it out as he howled in pain, kicked him into the counter making his head slam into the grill. As he tried to pull himself away from the fire he found himself being held down by a strong human hand.
He howled in pain as his face burned.
After a few seconds of burning, Plague pulled the krogan's head off the grill as some parts of his hide still sizzled.
"No one likes a racist." Plague whispered next to the krogan's head. "And no one like waiting for their food to cook. I'm done waiting. Don't you agree?"
If the krogan was going to respond he didn't get a chance to. The ripper dug into his neck making both the sound of the engine and the krogan's gargling echo for a bit.
By the time the krogan stopped thrashing around Plague had sawed halfway through the neck.
He pulled out the ripper and sawed off part of the dead Blood Pack member's burnt face and let him fall. Finally he killed the engine as both his weapons atomized.
Plague walked around the counter and saw the turian having an allergic reaction to the crab meat as Plague bit into reptilian meat he had never tried before.
As he ate he looked around behind the counter. The cook works with levo food all day so he has to have something in case something happens.
Finally he found what looked like a first aid kit and took it to the turian, opening the case and showing it to the cook who was still able to move an arm. His hand grabbed a needle and he stabbed it into his arm.
Plague then put the case on the ground next to him and patted him on the shoulder before he stood up and walked off after picking up his helmet.
The crowd that formed around the scene moved out of the way as he walked casually past them.
Once he was far enough away he put his helmet back on. He walked for a while and froze when he saw the void before him. After a few seconds Plague walked closer and realized he was not seeing the same void.
The void he was looking at was space through a viewport.
I like quarians. I don't know why. Maybe it's the way they can always make something work. Anyway I thought I'd reward Kenn for his help in the chapter even though I had to make up his full name, since he never says it. I really couldn't think of any other way to get Plague to fully notice his surroundings without killing everyone.
Anyway free internet cake for the first person to review and say what the fire weapon was. Anyway Plague's madness will continue next time. Have a good one guys.