Ever since I could read, I have loved books. Educational, fictional, even technical manuals, if it had information or a story to tell, I wanted to read it. While I loved reading books with practical knowledge, I had a soft spot for fictions, and one series stood out the most for me. The Savage Chronicles, featuring international rabbit of mystery, Jack Savage. I read all three of his books multiple times. Savage Seas was defiantly my favorite. Action, adventure, drama, and even romance. Everything a good story needs. At times I pretended that I was Jack Savage, sneaking through the Burrow as if I was on a mission to steal some secret plans, or find a kidnapped ally. My mother always told me to be careful, not to bother anyone with my playing. I often pretended that she was Jack's boss, the strict mouse that lead his entire organization. The one who kept reprimanding him for going too far with his work, but always forgiving him in the end because the job was completed.
Today I really felt like Jack Savage. Onion and I chose the least conspicuous routes and tried to keep as low of a profile as possible. Sure we could run into someone friendly, but from our experience so far, it's better to be safe than dead. Thankfully, we did not encounter much during the first half of our trip. I saw a few more of those cockroaches, and some large flying things, but they pretty much left us alone. Maybe it was me looking all bad-ass, sneaking around in my battered trench coat, like I just came from a war-zone. That, or the fact that every time one of them got too close, Onion brought out his stun baton. Nothing like an over-sized bug zapper to deter over-sized bugs.
The route we took followed the ruins of Highway twenty-one, and, with all the abandoned cars and steel and concrete from the wrecked roadways overpasses, we had plenty of places to hide in case of an emergency. We passed houses of all shapes and sizes, most of which did not look very hospitable anymore. The land was fairly flat, so we were able to see for a decent distance, but not once did we see any signs of life other than insects. That was probably a good thing.
Since nothing was happening, and we still had almost two hours till we made it to Beaverton, I was getting a bit antsy. I needed to do something to get me better focused, but what? As I was climbing over a car that had formed some kind of makeshift blockade, I heard a clink on the ground. I looked down and at my feet was the gun I had gotten earlier. That gives me an idea.
I rummaged through my bag and got out that unopened bottle of Rad! Cola. Using my multi-tool, I popped off the cap and it went clanging down onto the ground. Not wanting to waste a perfectly fine beverage, and the fact that I was down to one bottle of water now, I put it against my lips and took a sip. It was warm … very warm. It also tasted stale. It kinda tasted like recycled food chips before any actual flavor was added to it. It, however, did have a small bite too it. It was almost like drinking a near tasteless acid. Either it was better fresh, or people's taste buds died with the rest of the world. I downed the entire bottle, not wanting to waste what water was in this slurry, and held it up to the sun. It acted almost like a prism, creating a small rainbow across my chest. Pretty.
"Um, Miss? My indicators show that you have just taken a small amount of radiation poison."
"Excuse me?"
"That, drink of yours? It's irradiated."
A radioactive soda? What the fuck world? "Tell me you'rekidding. You're not kidding, are you?"
"I am afraid not Miss. I can, however, inform you that it was a very minor dose of radiation, there should be no negative consequences, although I would advise you against drinking anything you find laying around for the time being."
Great, just great. Since Onion did not seem too worried about it at the moment, it must not be a big deal, although next time I eat or drink anything I find I will use my radiation detector on it first, just to be sure. Then I remembered something and started to laugh. I think that caught Onion off guard.
"Oh dear, I guess that radiation was worse than I thought. You seem to be having bouts of uncontrollable laughter."
"I am fine Onion. I just remembered something. You know that C.A.T. that started this whole, adventure of mine? One of the questions actually feels applicable. It said that I was suddenly exposed to a large dose of radiation and now I am growing an extra limb, and asked what should I do. And here I thought it was a stupid test."
"All tests have meaning Miss, even if you can't see it."
"Yeah, well, if I start to grow an extra limb, please don't choose the first answer."
"And what would that be?"
"A bullet to the head."
"Rather grim if I do say Miss."
Rather grim indeed. So far this entire adventure has been a lot like that test. Confusing, misleading, and bound to put me where I don't belong. However, unlike the test, I have a much greater control of my outcomes. Now to get back to the reason I drank that radioactive soda. I took the bottle and placed it on top of a nearby car. I stood with the sun behind me and took aim with the gun. Unlike last time I used a gun, I had ample time to see what I was doing. The targeting of it was rather simple. On the back half of the gun were two small posts, with another larger one near the end of the barrel. I knew enough of a gun from my reading that I needed to line up the single post between the two rear ones. I did this and took aim at the bottle. Click.
Shouldn't something have happened? I pulled the trigger again. Click. What was I doing wrong? Last time I pulled the trigger, a bullet went burrowing into the ghoul in front of me. I looked over the gun, why was it not working? I wish I knew more about these things. I put down the gun and activated my Pip-Boar's item database. Luckily there was something in here that gave me a brief rundown on how to use a gun. I probably shouldn't have had access to this, hell I did not even know the Burrow had guns until I escaped. I bet I have my mother to thank for this. I read through it for a bit. Aha! I bet this is the issue.
I followed the instructions and ejected the magazine. Just as I thought, it was not even loaded. Good thing I wasn't in a fight, I'd be screwed. I removed the box of bullets from my bag and loaded eight into the magazine. That was not a whole lot, but then again I really hope I don't have to use it. Once the magazine was in and the gun cocked, I took aim at the bottle again.
Unlike with the last gun, when I pulled the trigger it was almost silent. I heard a small noise, like air quickly rushing out of tube. I also felt very little recoil. I like this thing a lot better. Unfortunately, I completely missed the bottle. I shot again, and it was another miss. It's only ten feet in front of me! I pulled the trigger once more and this time I made contact. I must have just barely nicked it because it did not shatter until it hit the ground. I really hope I don't need to use this thing anytime soon. Unless it's the size of a house. Then *maybe* I could hit it. I reloaded the magazine and put it back into its home between my belt and body. I'll try again when I find more bottles.
"Umm, Miss? I think we have company."
What? Fuck. Did they see us? "Onion, keep out of sight." I tried to hide as well, but I think I was too late.
"Hey! You there!" The voice came from behind me.
I chanced a peak up over the car I was behind. There were two wagons. Unlike the one before, these were actually crafted out of scraps into something out of the frontier time. Both of the wagons had a similar tent-like covering, preventing me from seeing their goods. They must have been connected because when one stopped, the other did as well. In front was the largest animal I have seen, apart from that rhino ghoul. It was abison. He was huge, and not just he was taller than me. His muscles bulged from beneath his shirt. I think he could bend steel just by breathing on it. From one side of the wagon walked out two wolves. They contrasted each other, one's fur was white, while the other's was black. They both wore simple vests and slacks.
"You, rabbit! I know your there, no point hiding."
Fuck. Maybe these guys are nice?
"Oh, me? Sorry. I got, um, startled is all. Got attacked by some ghouls yesterday, just trying to be cautious." I shouted at them, trying to be composed, but I don't think it worked. I put my hand on my gun as I whispered towards Onion, "I am going to meet them, stay hidden and be prepared for anything."
I stood up fully and slowly walked towards them, attempting to not seem threatening. It must have been working, because the now visible guns the wolves had were still in their holster. Phew. The bison stared at me as I walked, but he did not say anything. He did not have too. His muscles were obviously doing all the talking. They said 'Don't try anything, or else I will break you in half.' I gave him as much room as possible.
"Ok, stop right there and don't make any sudden movements. What you doing out here rabbit?"
What should I say? I escaped my Burrow and am now trying to find my way in this world? Heck, they would probably laugh, shoot me, and be on their merry way. I wanted to punch myself. Stop thinking the worst Olivia.
"I, well," I had to be focused. I needed to plan my words carefully. "I am on my way to Beaverton, my brother is expecting me in a few hours. Unfortunately, I was attacked by a couple of ghouls about an hour's back that way, and it slowed me down a bit."
"Ghouls you say? You look pretty healthy for being ghoul bait. You alone?"
"Funny story. I had this radio with me, one of them emergency wind up ones, and I was able to distract them with it while I ran. As for being alone? I actually have a friend with me. He went to look for some food while I rested. He should be back anytime now. I'll be fine, you can be on your way."
The wolves looked at each other for a moment. The bison still had not moved or said anything. The wolves reached for their holsters, I went to move my paw towards my gun, knowing that I was probably dead. My paw froze when I saw them unbuckle their holsters and place them on the ground near their wagons.
"We mean no harm rabbit. We are just a couple of friendly traders out to peddle our wares," said the black wolf, giving a very large, and slightly unnerving smile.
"That's right. My brother and I simply travel from town to town, collecting and buying anything that seems worthwhile, and we sell it at fair and honest prices." The white one seemed to say it more naturally, as if he actually meant it.
I started to feel a bit more comfortable. I slowly opened my trench coat, took out my gun where they could see it, and also placed it down on the ground. If they openly disarmed themselves, it would be rude not to do the same. If they meant me any harm, they probably would still have them on their body instead of on the ground.
"See? We show peace and they show it back brother. Now then, I have a proposition for you Miss Rabbit."The white wolf must have been the one in charge, he seemed to exude confidence from himself.
"The name's Olivia, and what is this proposition?"
"You see Olivia, ma'am, we just so happen to be heading towards Beaverton. It's still quite the journey to be doing this on foot, and since you said you are waiting for your friend anyways, let's make a small wager." He continues to talk as he folds out a small table attached to the side of the front wagon. "My brother and I love a nice card game. Helps to pass the time, and often we find some nice travelers such as yourself to deal in a game. We usually play for trade, if they win, we give them something for free, if we win, we simply charge them full value for something they were planning to buy anyway – it's a win-win situation."
He pulled out two chairs from the back of the wagon and placed them on either side. He then pulled out a deck of cards and placed them on the table as he waved me over. "Tell you what. Play me a nice game and if you win, we will give you and your brother a free ride to Beaverton."
"And if I lose?"
"Well then, you can offer up something of yours. Don't worry, you don't have to decide now, let's just see how fate unfolds."
Fate, there's that word again. In my experience, every time fate deals a hand, it is filled with nothing but misfortune. Of course this is just a simple card game, right? What is the worstthat can happen? The most valuable things I have on me are probably my gun and my supplies, both can be re-obtained once I get to Beaverton, and both are worth potentially cutting my trip in half.
"Ok, deal me in. What's the game?"
"Perfect. The game is called King of Queens."
"Never heard of that one."
"That is because it's a house specialty. The rules are simple," he takes out the cards as he speaks and pulls the top four and lays them down face up in front of me, "these are the four kings. Each one has its own suit and color. The object of the game is to be the first one to pull a matching Kind and Queen of the same suit and color. That's it. I've seen a hand won in two turns, I've seen it play out for an hour."
He deals takes the four Kings and shuffles them into the deck, he then cuts it twice and hands it to me and asks me to shuffle and cut it once. I have never played a card game before, but the rules sounded very simple. It seemed like it was less strategy and more just pure luck. I handed the deck back to him and he deals out two cards face down, one to him and one to me.
"Every turn we draw one card. It draws it out, but makes every card pull suspenseful. You can't have fun without a little suspense."
I took a look at my first card. It was a ten of diamonds. Dang, I was hoping for a good draw for my first turn. I looked at him but his friendly face was replaced with one void of expression. Looks like he was really getting into this. I tried to break the ice a bit, maybe see if I could get him to show a little hint at his hand.
"So, I did not catch your name."
I drew a card, it was an Ace of Hearts.
"That's because I didn't throw it, but since you obliged me with yours, the name is Jack, and this here is my brother Max."
"Jack? I was actually just thinking about a Jack earlier, Jack Savage, you ever read any of his books?"
This time I got lucky, I drew a Queen of Diamonds. Now I just needed a King to match.
"Yeah, I've seen a couple of them, never read them myself. Tell you what, I got a copy of the fourth book, if you win I will throw it in, free of charge." He drew another card, but his expression did not change.
"A FOURTH book? I thought there were only three."
There were more than three? If I had an expressionless face, it was gone now. A free ride and a book I haven't read? That would make this the best day ever. I drew another card and got a Six of Hearts. Damn. Come on King!
"Yeah, from what I have seen, they made six of them I think, then the war happened and they closed down the publisher to make more room for military funding. I have seen the others, but never a complete set. I heard a full set is worth a bit of caps."
Caps? No, don't tell me …
"Caps you say?" I just opened my mouth and said what was on my mind. Shit, if they realize I am new to the outside, they could take advantage of me, then again, he has been friendly thus far. Better not risk anymore slips, just in case.
"What, you from a Burrow or something? Caps, you know those bottle caps from sodas like Rad! and Slothsparilla?"
"Well you see, my family deals mostly in direct trade. Food for clothing, ammo for medicine, that type of stuff. You can put a price on something, but if you don't have the money, it's worthless."
"Ha, you got that right kid. I've run into many who did not have a single cap to their name, but we still managed to make a deal. Do I know your family? I've been all over."
Eight of Diamonds. Damn, at least he seems to have the same luck as me. "Probably not, you know us rabbits, we like to multiply so it can be kinda hard to keep track of, especially when some of us leave the family to find fame elsewhere."
"I know what you mean. I had a sister once, she left the family to go exploring some abandoned factory, she heard rumors about a ton of pre-war weapons there, wanted to start her own gang. Stupid girl. She did not even make it there before becoming a snack to a pack of savage ghouls."
"I, I'm sorry to hear that."
"It was her own damn fault that she lost her life. Just like how you just lost this game. Read 'em and weep." He slapped down a King of Spades and a Queen of Spades.
"Well damn it. Ok so what possession do I have to give up?"
I was so preoccupied with listening to him, that I never saw his brother sneaking up behind me. Suddenly I felt his arms grab me and yank me from the chair. He was tall enough that he was able to lift me a few feet off the ground with relative ease. He bent in, his muzzle touching my cheek and the stench of his breath invading my nose.
"Your life." Max said the words slowly, like he was enjoying each one.
"Let me go! I thought you were simple traders!"
"We are, rabbit. We trade in all sorts of things. Food, supplies. Slaves. And you, my dear Olivia, are our newest piece of inventory."
"You better let me go this instant! Once my friend gets back …"
"Oh, I don't think I buy your story. You are alone, and in fact, I do believe you are not from these parts. How did life in a Burrow treat you? Not good enough since you're up here I am guessing.
How, how did he know? Did some Burrows actually open on their own? I knew that we were not the only one, but no one knew how many there were, or even where they were. I couldn't give up. I had to think of something to do.
Jack pulled back the sleeve on the arm where my Pip-Boar was attached, "just as I thought. Only Burrow residents have a Pip-Boar, especially one in such good condition. This will fetch at least a few thousands caps, on top of what I can get for you. What do you think a purebred Burrow dweller goes for? Ten, twenty thousand caps?"
"She smells sweet. I bet we can get at least thirty for her. From the looks of it, she has not been around here for more than a couple days. Probably doesn't even have any radiation poisoning."
"You got that wrong asshole, I drank a nice big bottle of Rad! Cola, so there!"
They both started to laugh, so much that Max almost dropped me. "Rad! Cola? You would have to drink a hundred bottles of that to even make it worth a trip to the doctors. Stupid bunny."
Fuck. What the hell can I do? I can't overpower two of them. They were about to take my Pip-Boar, so signaling Onion was out of the question, and even if they did not take it, it's not like they would let me take the time to call him. My gun is at least forty feet from me, and theirs are within reach,so even if I could make a run for it, they would gun me down in a heartbeat. On top of that, I could still see that bison standing there, emotionless. He must be a body guard or something. Onion, I wish you were here.
I suddenly got dropped to the ground. I smelt burning fur as I turned around to see Max convulsing on the ground. Right behind him was Onion, stun baton extended. I just wanted to kiss him, but now was not the time. I turned towards Jack and saw him running towards his gun. I had an idea. When I was younger, I was always told that rabbits were great jumpers, and because of this I pretended that I was a gymnast, jumping over everything, doing back flips off the wall, anything that could make my mother proud. The wagon seemed sturdy enough so I quickly jumped to my feet and put all my strength into my legs. I jumped into the air, rebounded off the wagon and right on top of the wolf. I impacted him so hard that he went flying a few feet, away from his gun. I grabbed the gun just as I saw him extend his claws. He was pissed.
"Why you fucking cunt! You will pay for that!"
He was charging full speed towards me. I hesitated for a second, but only a second. When I heard Onion shouting at me to watch out, my instincts kicked in. I pulled the trigger. Jack let out a loud howl as he fell to the ground, blood coming from his leg. On that cue, Onion floated over to him and gave him a long enough jolt to knock him unconscious like his brother. My heart was still racing when I noticed movement out the corner of my eye.
I turned around to see the bison, no longer motionless coming straight for me. I forgot about him. I pulled the trigger but it only clicked. Fuck, only one bullet? Even I had the common sense to reload my gun after using it. Onion was still floating over Jack, and he was not fast enough to reach me in time. I braced myself as the bison grabbed me in his arms and held me up high. It would only take a few seconds, and I would be dead. I did not even last a full three days out here. Or so I thought. I was still alive. Was he, crying?
"Thank you! Thank you little bunny!"
That was, very unexpected.
"You can thank me by not crushing me, I am starting to losethe feeling in my legs."
He put me down, and wiped away his tears. He stood, no, towered in front of me. I don't even think I could jump that high! I killed these two wolves, yet he was thanking me. What kind of twisted world is this?
"Ok, ok. Tell me something. Who are you. Who are they? And why the fuck did they just try to take me like some piece of scrap lying on the side of the road?"
"You really are not from around here, are you?"
"No, I am not. Please enlighten me."
"They are slavers. They go around finding helpless animals and trick them into captivity before selling you at the nearest slave camp. That's how they got me, that's how they get everyone. At least until you came around."
"But your twice as big as them, you could probably kill them without breaking a sweat."
"It is true. I am very strong. I used to be a pit fighter before I met my wife. Once I found out she was pregnant, I put that life behind me to start a family. My family is why I was enslaved. Here, let me show you."
He led me to the rear wagon. Onion floated near me but I assured him that it was all over, and to watch over the wolves in case they wake up. When we got there he threw back the fabric panel and standing in the dark interior were two figures. He assured them it was okay and they both slowly got out of the wagon. Despite being a different species than me, and her clothing more tattered than my trench coat, she was actually very pretty. Her dark brown fur was surprisingly clean, compared to his. She was wearing a simple dress but I noticed a flashing light coming from a strange collar on her neck. Behind her was a small girl. Her fur was lighter than her parents, but had the same cuteness her mother had. She must have been very afraid, she kept hiding behind her mother. I noticed the same collar on her as well.
"Your family is very lovely. I can't believe that there are animals that would buy and sell others like property."
"It is a very unforgiving world we live in. I should have been able to protect them, but one day when I was out gathering wood for a fire, these filthy creatures broke into our home and held my family hostage. When I got home they said that if I played a card game and won, they would free them, if I lost, that I would take their place as a slave and they would be free."
"Let me guess, you lost. I get that, they went back on their word, but like I said before, why did you not simply over power them? I doubt a small gun would have stopped you from protecting your family."
He asked his wife to step forward and pointed at the collar around her neck, "you see this? It's a special collar that is used by slavers. It contains a small explosive. If they push a button, or if someone tried to take it off, it will explode, severing their head, and killing them instantly. Some of them are even rigged so that if their owner died, the collar would go off. They already had them on, so even if I tried anything, I would be killing my family."
Bomb collars? That's messed up. I am guessing since they are still alive the wolves did not get a chance to activate them. Thankfully they did not place one on me yet. I would have been really screwed. I walked over to Jack who was still unconscious. I went through his pockets and found a small brick shaped device with a single button on it. The detonator.
"So, how do you get these things off?"
"You can't. Only the slave camps have the ability to remove them. Prevents the slavers from double crossing them and stealing the slaves for their own."
Of course. Why wouldn't there be a simple solution? Time to make use of my brain. I told them I will not leave until I figured out a way to free them from the collars. The bison looked a bit hesitant.
"You see that robot over there? Say hi Onion."
"Err, hi."
"Well I made him all by myself. From scrap I found lying around. I even programmed him myself. I did that when I was a kid as well after my mother … well let's just say I had no help whatsoever. I think I can disarm a small bomb."
"Ok. But please, be careful. They are the only things left that matter to me."
Great, put more pressure on me. Thanks. I took out my tools and found a screwdriver small enough to open the remote. It was a simple enough design. Push button, activate transmitter, boom. Unfortunately, it was too simple. There would be no way to override the collar's lock with this. I set it down, away where it won't accidentally get activated, and asked if I could take a look at one of the collars. He looked at his wife and gave her a smile. She sat down on the ground as I stood on one of the chairs to get a better look.
This thing was a mess. I found the explosive easily enough, and the transmitter, but it looked like it was thrown together in the dark. Some of the wires did not even connect to anything. I did, however, see a large bundle of wires that went throughout the entire collar. They must be what senses if the collar is cut. Best to leave them alone. At this distance, if I set this thing off it would probably take us both out. Since I couldn't physically do anything, I got down and retrieved the detonator again.
"I have an idea that should work. There is at least a ninety percent chance of it."
"And if you are wrong?" He asked with worry in his eyes.
"Then, I will give my own life for that of your wife's. It's only fair."
"Miss Springs!"
"Quiet Onion. If I kill her, I am no better than these fuckers and I would deserve anything that happened to me."
"That … you are not like anyone else I know. Please, do what you can."
I took out my Pip-Boar's physical connector and spliced it with what I hoped was the main wire of the transmitter. I opened up my Hackatron application and started to punch in some commands. I successfully interfaced with the transmitter. It seemed that it had two separate channels. One of them was connected directly to the receiver that connected to the explosives. Don't want to mess with that. The other signal was buried deep within the first. It took me about twenty minutes, but I was able to finally isolate it. Once I decrypted it, modified it and re-encrypt it, I was ready.
"Ok, ma'am? Would you please stand over there, and sir, I would take your daughter. I promise you, with my own life, that this will work."
He hesitated again before calling his daughter over. She started to cry, calling for her mommy. I was starting to tear up. If I failed, she would grow up without a mother, and I know that pain all too well. No, don't get all emotional now. I *know* this will work. It has to! I closed my eyes and activated the program.
I braced myself for an explosion that never came. Instead I was greeted by a small clank on the ground. I opened my eyes and saw that the collar had fallen off. She was free. Both of them started to cry, and since they were crying it caused their daughter to cry even more, but I could tell these were tears of happiness. I found the signal for the daughter's collar and successfully disarmed that one as well. I was starting to cry to as he ran over and grabbed me again. I just stayed there, giving into his hug as I could feel his tears falling on my head.
"I'm starting to have trouble breathing."
He put me down just as the wife, smaller than him, but still much taller than me, hugged me as well, only this time she bent down and it felt like a loving embrace, rather than a wrestling move. The daughter gave me a hug, even though I could tell she had no idea what was going on. She had to have been around four or five years old.
I smiled at them, wiping my own tears away and asked, "So what will you do now?"
"Head very far from this place. There is a town called Hope far North of here. It is the only place within a hundred miles that one can truly feel safe. If we sell these slaver's goods, we should have enough money to sustain us for some time."
"Hope? Haven't heard of that. I was heading to a place called Beaverton myself. Heard it was the nearest trade settlement, and I am searching for both work and supplies."
"I would stay clear of Beaverton if I was you. I never been, but I hear that they are not the friendliest bunch. Sure they will trade you anything for anything, but at what cost? How about you join us? We can travel to Hope together."
That was a very good offer. Protection and company, plus I wouldn't have to worry about my feet getting sore from all the walking. Then I remembered the letter.
"Sorry, I appreciate your concern and your offer, but I have an urgent letter for someone in Beaverton. Two cheetahswere killed trying to deliver it in a rush. To tell you the truth I have no idea what is in it, but I can at least deliver it for them."
"I am sorry. Did you know them well?"
"Actually, I did not. They did not even know me. I watched as the wife was killed - too afraid to do anything. They were killed by animals that feigned kindness, just like these two. They were the first people I saw since leaving the Burrow, so I did not know any better. Her husband was killed by ghouls, and I found the letter earlier today. Even though they did not know me, I owe it to them. If I was stronger, I could have at least saved her life. That's part of the reason I helped you, I already saw one death, I did not want to add any to it."
"You really are something rabbit. If there were more like you, this world might actually stand a chance. If you ever find your way to Hope, look us up. I promise you a place to stay, and food to eat. That is the least I can do to thank you."
"I will take you up on that offer. If Beaverton is the place you say it is, once I am done I will make my way to Hope."
The bison asked me to wait a moment and went into the first wagon. He rummaged in there for a few moments and came out with a small bag. "Here, take this. Food and medicine. There is plenty here for our trip."
"Thank you, Mr.?"
"You can call me Bo."
"That reminds me, what should we do with these two?"
"Leave them, they will get what's coming to them. Now if you excuse me, we should get some rest before our travels. Good travels Olivia."
"Likewise."
I smiled and waved at him as he climbed into the back with his family. As I was heading to get my gun I stepped on one of the collars. Explosives came in handy before, so I picked them up and put them into my bag. As long as the transmitter was disabled, they should be fine. I signaled to Onion that it was time to go.
After we were a good distance away Onion was the first to break the silence. "You really shouldn't gamble with your life like that, what if you failed?"
"It was a risk I had to take. So far our encounters with bad animals has greatly outnumbered the good. Someone has to be the hero."
"I just wish that someone wasn't you."
The rest of our trip was met with little resistance. We ran across two of those large flying insects again, but this time they tried to attack me, spitting some sort of sticky acid at us. I did not hesitate to pull out my gun and shoot them. My aim was getting better. It took only three bullets to take both them down. I was getting better at this, and somehow that scared me.
The highway ended about twenty minutes ago, and with it so did the abandoned cars that we had been using for cover. Everything was open, and it was making me nervous. There were still buildings here and there, but nothing really worth investigating. Those supplies that Bo gave me came in handy. Three more bottles of water, some canned asparagus (which I never had but it was amazing!), and some more of those carrot rations. Guess they were not exclusive to the Burrow. There were also some basic medical supplies. Gauss, antibiotics, and more Quick-E Fix. If Beaverton doesn't pan out, and we get to Hope, I will have to find a way to repay him for the supplies.
Speaking of Beaverton, according to my Pip-Boar, it should be right over this ridge. From the topography on the physical map, it seemed that this flatland ended at a cliff that divided Savanna Central, where we were, and Sahara Square. I pulled up a geology book on my Pip-Boar and saw that we were actually walking in what was a river. Since there was no sign of water anywhere, I am assuming it was long dried up. The river flowed over the cliff face into the harbor that the water treatment plant was built on.
As we got closer to the edge I could start to smell something, like something was burning. I also could see a bit of smoke rising up. A fire in this weather? Then again, we were nearing a desert biome, so maybe they like it hot. Also, if it was anything like the water purifier in the Burrow, it used the heat from the power generator to filter the water through evaporation, maybe this is how they did it. It would make sense. I am sure electricity is hard to come by out here, but fire, that can be made anywhere.
We finally got to the edge of the cliff and I froze. I expected to see a large bustling town, homes and people everywhere. I thought I would see children running through the streets, while their parents worked the businesses, and traded their wares. I expected to see life, a civilization thriving in the middle of a wasteland. That is not what I saw.
Ruins. The smoking ruins of a town. Nothing was left. Buildings were burnt to the ground, some of the fires were still burning, but it was mostly smoke. Then the smell hit me. Even from up here, I could smell burning flesh. It was horrible. Who could do something like this? Slavery and murder- that was one thing, but this? This was unadulterated evil. I don't care what someplace did to deserve this. No town can be so bad that you have to burn it to the ground along with their own.
"Oh dear. That is, was Beaverton."
I closed my paws together and held them with every ounce of my strength. "I will find out who did this, and they will pay."
"You don't even know who they were. What if it was an entire town like those two wolves, or even worse, what if this was a slave camp?"
"I don't care Onion. If these were lowlifes like them, they still deserve better. A trial, jail time, or something! There still has to be some sort of justice out here. Even if it was a slave camp, wouldn't that mean that slavers and slaves alike would have died? Shooting someone is quick, do it right and it should be painless, but burning someone? No one deserves that."
Sure, I don't know what it is like to die. Get hurt, yeah, but not die. I do know, however, the pain of getting burned. It was only a few years ago. I was working on making Onion when one of his circuits caught on fire. Stupid me decided that I would just put it out with my paws. I burned not only my fur off, but a layer of my skin. For the few moments that I felt the burn, it was like no other pain I felt. Imagine going minutes, or longer with that feeling, knowing that it will never end until you do. From the looks of it, this place looks like it must have housed a population of at least a hundred, if not more.
"We need to check for survivors."
"Do you really think that would be wise Miss? What if whoever did that is still here?"
"I don't care. We need to offer whatever help we can, even if it is simply to ease their pain."
This world is chaos. Only Bo and his family have shown that there is good still left in the world. I keep hoping that there is more than just them, that good cannot be so easily defeated, no matter how much evil is in the world. Burrow Seventy-Six was safe, safer than this, but it was misguided. Those who could help were put into positions where they couldn't, at least not to their full potential, out here you are free to choose your way. May it be good, evil, or balancing the line between both, you can decide your own fate. I have narrowly escaped death three times now, coming from it unscathed. I for one am starting to believe in fate now, and I believe that fate has chosen me for something greater than myself.
This world needs good. This world needs a hero. Until it finds someone better, looks like I need to be that hero. Your move fate.