Revised on the 25th of October 2017
Hey guys, PoeticPillock here! I just wanted to apologize for how extremely late this chapter is. As I predicted, Uni and life have been kicking me in the ass/ keeping me busy and giving me less free time to write stuff for this story, so much so that writing this specific chapter has been a slog. Hell, I had some bad cases of writer's block through some parts of this chapter (spanning entire weekends!) and had to revise or scrap some sections. But it's here now and I hope you guys enjoy it.
On another note, I am planning to revise every chapter I've posted so far, so the quality is at least a tad better. Completion date? When it's done :)
Also, did you guys read the latest comic released by Blizzard titled "Binary" with Bastion? It's pretty cute.
The morning Sun shined through the window, the curtains impeding its progress and not fully illuminating the dingy motel room. The motel room wasn't anything special; It was small, had one Queen-sized bed in the middle, a couch parallel to it that hugged alongside the bottom of the window, and a set of drawers and dressers that furnished the wall in front of the bed. It was even furnished with a T.V., despite there being no broadcasting stations for the past two-hundred years. The walls were peeling, much of the red carpet was stained, and the bathroom could be in better condition. However, it always served the man sleeping on the bed well, whenever he visited Novac.
As the morning only dragged on, rays of light getting through the curtains began to land on the man's face, making him stir more in his sleep. He tossed and turn, attempting to shield his face. Until finally, he groaned and slowly sat up, trying to wipe away the drowsiness from his eyes. He stops, blinking a few times for his eyes to get into focus, then looks around his grimy home away from home. One of them, at least.
It looked the same as it ever did, yet somehow a bit more messy than usual. He looked to see his gear resting upon the drawers and his weapons up against a cabinet, with a plate of a half-eaten steak and an empty Nuka-Cola bottle beside the defunct T.V. He then looked to his right, and saw his armor and clothes splayed out over the couch. However, he noticed there were other articles of clothing that accompanied his. A pair of faded jeans that seemed too slim, a pink-white plaid shirt, a brown leather jacket, and a straw hat. He felt movement tremor on the left side of the bed and turned to see a woman, lying on her side with her back to him, the bed sheet only covering the lower half of her naked body. She was light-skinned, had red hair, and a pendant around her neck. On her nightstand was a bottle of moonshine.
He released an annoyed grumble, rubbing his face with his Pip-Boy gloved hand. When he opened his eyes again, however, he just stared at the woman's naked form. Watching as she serenely laid there with her chest slowly moving. He could faintly see the rose blushes on her cheeks, and not just the ones on her face. Slowly, his frown shifted into a calm smile. At least it looked like a fun night, even if his memory was hazy on it.
Leisurely, he laid back down on his side and got up close to his friend's back. She stirred a bit more as he did so. With a sly smile, he wrapped his right arm around her belly and hugged her close to him, prompting, even more, stirs and tired groans, but no signs of protest. His chest was up against her smooth back, and his bearded chin nuzzling up against her rose hair. She still smelled like whiskey.
"Hnnggh…" out came another sound from her, her head turning slightly over her shoulder. "… Could it kill you to give a gal some personal space? Sure, we fucked, but y'know I'm not the affectionate-morning-type."
"I know, Cass," her friend responded, still hugging her close. "Still, you can't deny this is somewhat pleasant, can ya'?"
"I can. Just don't overdo it."
"No promises."
Despite the protests, the two just continued to lie down together, snuggling up to each other and not really wanting to disturb the peace they had. Moments where they could genuinely enjoy peace and quiet, especially with others, were far and few in-between with their travels across the Wastes. Anytime the opportunity pops up, they made sure to relish in it as best they could. Not just the friends sharing the bed, but everyone in their party. These two were just more… Intimate about things.
Before they could soak in more of their alcohol-ridden morning, a series of knocks hit the motel room door, making the man groan more than the morning sun would. The Whiskey Rose woman promptly grabbed and lifted his arm from her stomach, much to his displeasure, before sitting up and stretching her arms up in the air.
"You best answer that," she said, yawning as she stood up wearing nothing but a pendant.
He was too focused on her ass to respond.
"Nathan?" another feminine voice called out from outside, accompanied by more knocking. "Hellooooooo? Nathan, are you there?"
"Yeah!" he called out, still groggy. "J-just, hold on."
"You better put your clothes on!" the woman exclaimed. "I know what happens when you drink too much with Cass!"
That only prompted him to shake his head and groan more, turning back and watching the naked Caravanner disappear to the bathroom with the moonshine in hand.
With a sigh, he got up from the bed and went over to the couch to retrieve his clothes, to at least be somewhat decent. The knocking became more incessant the longer it took for him to clothe himself, not really helping as there were still sensations of the hangover aching his brain.
"Alright, alright, Christ," he said, walking over as he finally put his shirt on. "No need to rush things, Veroni-"
Without warning, a black hook embedded into the wood of the door, making it splinter where it hit. He spun around to see a figure fast approaching with a cable before it crashed right into him. It slammed him against the door, shaking the motel walls. He fell to the carpeted floor on his ass with a pained yelp, his back stinging and getting numb. He rubs his head, trying to get himself back up.
"Cass, what the hell!" he yelled, now wide awake. "The fuck are you doi-…?!"
He looked up, but instead of the brash, whiskey rose cow-girl he's traveled hundreds of miles with, there was a woman with blue skin, wearing a skin-tight purple suit that exposed a much of her chest and a set of spider-eye goggles over her long strands of dark-blue hair. She had a strange blue rifle in her arms, the muzzle of the elongated barrel obstructing most of his vision as he looked up. Her eyes, unnaturally yellow and lifeless, stared down at him with an emotion that was stuck between apathy and disdain. She was hauntingly beautiful.
His eyes drifted behind her, spotting the bathroom door wide open and an arm limp on the floor, the rest of her body unseen. Nathan looked back up, his mouth snarling and curling a hand into a fist, looking at the blue woman's dead, lifeless eyes with rage in his. All the while, the knocking on the door never relented and only grew in its intensity and frequency. Becoming white noise for him.
The Courier only seethed, his teeth gritting.
The blue woman rose a thin, manicured eyebrow at him. As if prompting a question, wondering how to respond to the visual cues. Then, the blue assassin's face contorted into a small yet playful smile as she let out an ominous chuckle. As if this was all just all in good fun. Joined by the crashing on the door, the blue woman continued laughing as she crouched down to his level. The Courier wanted to do something, to get her away from him and to enact revenge for his friend… But he couldn't move. As if he was frozen and being smothered against his own will. The man could barely move his head as she got close, the iciness of her skin radiating on to him. The pounding on the door still refused to cease.
The scantily-clad sniper suddenly – and forcefully - grabbed the back of his head, her fingers yanking on his short hair, pivoting his head to stare her directly in the eyes. Staring down at him, rather wistfully, before her lips contorted into a quaint smile. She cocked her head to the side, opening her mouth slightly and slowly guiding her face towards his, her victim trying to pull away but feeling the force of her hand somehow keeping him in place. Her lips hovered mere centimeters from his, her breath icy and stinging. The lady then uttered a phrase, the words foreign to him and dragging it out with a thirst for lust in her voice. Dripping with ecstasy and callousness, feeling every inhalation brush against his lips. Contrasted with the desperate panting from him
"C'est la vie."
Nathan's eyes shot open, before sitting up and scrambling in the sheets. For once relieved to see he was not back at Novac.
Instead, he was at the fine, luxurious hotel room with clean walls and puffy bedding, very different from the room he spent many nights in back at Novac. He gave a heavy sigh, not of relief, but of exasperation. The sweat glistening over his body making the air around him feel cold, like the blue woman's skin.
He leaned forward, resting his face in the palms of his hands. Breathing into them and feeling his breath warm up the sweat on his brow. It had been weeks ever since their "introduction", and yet he still had dreams about that blue woman. The one that almost killed him at Gibraltar. Why?
He roamed the wastes for years, seeing many horrors and atrocities committed by man and mutant. The Wasteland inflicting so much onto him, mercilessly, and he doubted there were many here that could share the same sentiment. The things he's done, the things he's been forced to go through… They all left their mark on him, in some way. But why did she invade his dreams, the few he has, so frequently and unforgivingly? Was it because she almost killed him? She wasn't noteworthy in that respect, but she left a mark that was questionably so profane. It was almost as profane as the ones carved into his skin.
'What was her name?'
Thoughts shattered as three successive knocks hit his bedroom door, making him look up and feel his heart skip a beat. His nerves calmed when he heard it was just Fareeha Amari.
"Brin?" she called out, knocking again. "Are you awake?"
"I am now…" he grumbled, getting out of bed. "I'll be out soon."
"We'll be waiting."
The Security-Chief walked away, the Courier alone with his thoughts, again.
Oasis, Iraq
2076
After a quick shower, Nathan lumbered out into the living room, dressed in the same outfit he wore when they first came into the city, except with a bit more wrinkles. The first thing he noticed walking in was the smell of something pleasant, potent enough that it almost woke him up from his dazed state. The aroma luring him into the main living area, there was a dining table filled with plates of foreign food. Well, foreign to him. There was an assortment of diced meats, veggies, spices, and some type of flatbread splayed all over the fine wooden surface. There was even what looked like an omelet. Not only was the smell enticing, but the appearance was also appealing. Enough to make the Wastelander's mouth water. Almost enough to make him forget what he dreamed about.
"Look who's finally up."
His eyes peered up from the food to Ana Amari, without the cloak and tactical gear, but just a slim Overwatch shirt. She sat at the far end of the table, nestling a little teacup in her hands, the contents still steaming as a tag on a string hung from the side. Nathan looked to see the others were present around the table; Fareeha, Angela, and even Jack all occupied their own seats. While the Sniper and Doctor were helping themselves to the meals, the old Soldier seemed content with just a mug of coffee and a small plate of bread while the Career-Soldier was focused on a holopad, occasionally taking a bite out of some food.
"Mornin'," the Courier listlessly greeted, taking the remaining empty seat that was between Angela and Jack. "Where were you guys? Didn't see you the entire night."
"We decided to do a bit of 'sightseeing' when we got here," Ana explained, taking another sip before continuing. "It was difficult, but there was plenty to observe. Places of interests and noteworthy sights. Whether it will help with the mission, we'll see."
"Then, we shouldn't be staying here," Morrison spoke up, looking up from his coffee to his comrade, but not with a commanding gaze. "We need to be out there and scoping out as much as we can. The sooner we find this Hakim, the better."
Rather than agreeing with her comrade, Ana gave her old Commander a displeased expression followed by an amused huff. Shaking her head, she takes another sip of her tea and savors the warm liquid with a closed eye.
"Oh, Jack…" the Sniper hums. "I know we're old soldiers, but there's no shame in some occasional relaxation. Moreover, it's daylight, and I'd rather spend the free time I have with my 'ḥabībtá'."
"Mother, please…" Fareeha groaned, looking up from her tablet at the older Amari. "We still have a job to do."
The Mother regarded her daughter with a thoughtful look, before gently respiring as she sipped at her tea, again.
"I know, Fareeha."
Meanwhile, Nathan had already assembled an arrangement of meat and bread over his plate, with some vegetables siding the dish. Not sure how he had to go about eating the cuisine, the Californian just ripped off a piece of the bread and sandwiched whatever he could gather within the fold. Mostly, meat with some sprinkling of green in between the folds. He brought it up to his mouth and bit a chunk off, instantly feeling the warmth of the bread overlap with the moist flavors of the meat and greens. He was slightly caught off-guard by how delicious it was despite being such a basic meal. Happily chewing on it before swallowing, then repeating the cycle by ripping off and ingesting more of the bread. It wasn't long until he started digging in further, soon going for seconds after he depleted the contents on his plate.
"Speaking of work…" Nathan uttered, scooping up more meat into his plate. "What's the plan for today?"
"I've been invited to Oasis' University," Dr. Ziegler explained, eating as she looked over a document on her holopad. "To be given a tour, I presume. No doubt the Ministries want to show off one of their most prized sites to their guest of honor."
"What about the banquet? When is that going to happen?"
"I am told tomorrow night, but they are still apparently working on the event."
The Courier frowned when he heard the news, not liking how they only had a day before the main event and how much of that they were going to spend on trying to find Hakim. They did not even have a proper lead and could very well be chasing ghosts at this point. The "why" of Hakim even being associated with Oasis had yet to be answered.
Even though he hasn't dabbled in the profession long, being an armed escort wasn't a very rewarding affair. Having to constantly watch not just his back but another's, as well, was always more stressful than it should've been. On top of that, being in a completely alien environment would only complicate things, further. At least the person he had to watch over had medical expertise.
"So, how much of that time are we going to spend finding Hakim?" he asked, almost begging for an answer.
"I wish I could say," the blonde admitted, shaking her head to show she shared the sentiment. "When the opportunity presents itself, I hope? Honestly, I don't think touring a University could help us find a Talon-associated criminal-in-hiding."
"Could the Ministries be involved in any way? Surely, they'd be the one to know what happens in and around their beloved city."
"They could, but it's doubtful they would know the whereabouts of someone like Hakim hiding in their city and not do anything about it. Especially someone associated with Talon."
'And that somehow worries me,' the Courier thought to himself.
The fact that Oasis was a city meant to be run by scientists with the appealing prospect of "no restrictions" already gave him suspicions to be wary of. Ignoring his past experiences with "brains in jars", people that always act so prim and proper, greeting everybody with smiles and handshakes, were sometimes the ones hiding secrets. Nothing, other than one man's name and job, was laid out for him. He hoped they could prove him wrong.
"So, the 'Old Soldiers' will probably deal with most of the espionage while I guard the 'guest of honor'," he summarized the plan so far before he turned to address the younger Amari. "What are you gonna do?"
"Hold down the fort and keep the comms online between us and Gibraltar," Fareeha stated but with an unsatisfied sigh. "Boring, but someone has to do it. Still, I'd prefer having my boots on the ground, searching for Hakim, that worm."
After she muttered that, Ana's eye glanced at her daughter for a second before going back and just blissfully sipping her tea with her eye closed. Fareeha's eyes were still focused on her tablet. Nathan noticed, however, and shook his head after as he went back to finishing breakfast.
"Well, if we ever find him and need to interrogate him," Nathan said, stuffing more of the bread into his mouth. "I'll be sure to loosen him up for you."
The younger Egyptian chuckled, looking up at the Californian with a sense of gratitude. It probably wasn't genuine, but the graciousness wasn't something to pass up. Especially with what she's been through.
"I'm sure my men and I would like that."
However, as they went back to finishing their breakfast, no one noticed the older Captain giving Nathan a critical eye. It was only for a split-second before she finally finished her tea.
Leaving the hotel and being given another limousine ride, Angela and "James" were on the highways, again. The car ride was relatively silent for the duration of the trip, Angela looking down on her pad and scrolling through some holoscreens while her bodyguard sat on the opposite seat and just stared out the window, his eyes fixed on the tall, black skyscraper still in construction and towering over everything else in the city. It drifted slowly along the horizon while everything else zipped by.
He turned his head around and looked to the other side to see the Doctor staring out of her window, too, an arm propped up against the car door and supporting her chin. She seemed bored, her eyes blankly glued to the horizon. Nathan couldn't help but sympathize with the Swiss woman. This "manhunt" was starting to become boring rather quickly. Hell, more so than the mission at King's Row since Oxton's (and oddly enough, the local population's) snarky attitude kept things interesting until the exciting conclusion that rocked London. They were sent into an Oasis in the desert on a cold trail. Perhaps the old-timers will have better luck. They're certainly in a more flexible position
"Bored?" the Californian asked as he reclined in his seat and stretched his arms.
"Hmm?" the Swiss woman let out, broken out of her trance as she looked over her shoulder. "Oh, no it's not that. It's just…"
"What?"
"It's just I feel like I'm wasting my time being here. Being the guest of honor to this city for my humanitarian work, while at the same time taking a break from the humanitarian work."
Nathan's face scrunched up at the last statement, noticing how it contradicted with something she said the day before.
"Weren't you making remarks on how you wished you were here 'strictly for pleasure'?"
"I did, but scoping out a wanted man isn't what I would call 'humanitarian work', either. At least, for a doctor."
"What would you prefer to be doing, right now?"
Dr. Ziegler turned to face the Wastelander when he posed that, her face shifting thoughtfully as she tried to form an answer. What it meant for her.
"Giving aid to those in need," she finally replied, somewhat pridefully. "Young and old. Rich and poor. All over the world. Giving a helping hand, to whoever needs it the most in any way I can."
She looked up and saw Nathan staring at her, his brow furrowed, giving the doctor an odd reaction to the statement she just made. Angela just lets out a short chuckle.
"Sorry," Angela tried to apologize, feeling a tinge of embarrassment. "That sounded really melodramatic."
"Eh," Nathan shrugged, not really bothered by it. "Least I know the 'Followers' would love you."
Before the Doctor could follow through with that statement and get some clarification, the limousine came to a halt and pulled right up to Oasis's University. The Academy that very well could be the city's crown jewel.
The two exit their limo, Nathan being the first to leave the car and holding the door open for the Swiss guest. She stepped out, dressed in semi-formal attire consisting of an orange dress shirt and black dress pants with her doctor's coat over it. She carried a bag with the things she needed over her left arm. He shuts the door after she climbs out, the two now walking side-by-side to the University entrance. The institution was quite an impressive structure, its architecture emulating the smooth and clean curves of the neo-futuristic style the rest of the city proudly flaunted. Angela looks up with a sense of awe and respect for this state-of-the-art institution, excited for what she might see inside and briefly forgetting the woes she voiced, earlier. Nathan glanced around, curious, but not nearly in the same state of awe as the woman beside him.
They walked through the ivory tower's front door and immediately saw the expansive inside of the school, lined with walls that were filled to the brim with bookcases and hallways that led to lecture rooms and laboratories for young, eager minds to learn. Many of those minds meandering about the campus square, some curiously in white long coats.
"It's good to see I dressed properly for the occasion," Dr. Ziegler noted, looking around.
"Cum Romae esse," Brin iterated as his eyes scanned their surroundings, not noticing the Physician look up at him in frank surprise.
The blonde guest then turned around as she heard someone approaching and saw a young woman, dark-skinned with long black hair. One of the students.
She wore a casual formal dress under a white coat, had glasses over her eyes, and a smile on her face. Calling it a smile would be an understatement; the girl seemed to be beaming.
"Dr. Ziegler!" the young woman greeted proudly with a slight accent, then bowing deeply to the older woman. "Welcome to our city's University! My name is Aida, and might I say I am SO excited to finally meet you!"
"Is that so?" the Doctor asked, second-hand joy making a smile forming on her face, too.
"It's just that- I-I apologize if this seems so forward, but I'm probably your biggest fan!"
Aida started to get giddier, the smile on her lips stretching even further and her body having a hard time to stay still. Bubbling in place. Nathan stood back, just watching the two interact and seeing how this goes. Ziegler probably didn't need a bodyguard to intervene, for the moment.
"I've looked up to you ever since I was a little girl," the student proudly boasted. "When you were still with Overwatch and even after. You were the reason I pursued Medical Technology as my field and I jumped on the opportunity to be your tour guide through my school when it was offered. I-I'm sorry if I'm being weird, it's j-just so exciting to finally meet you!"
Dr. Ziegler was grinning ear-to-ear, as well, taking the young woman's words to heart. More than flattered by how her actions have inspired this young, eager mind. Seeing how her work has done good even outside of disaster zones. That was one good thing to come out from her time in the old Overwatch. Inspiring many young minds.
"Aww!" the blonde let out, holding her hands to her chest as she tried to contain herself from outright hugging the girl. "It's all right. I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you!"
"Thank you!" Aida responded, a bit meeker as she raised her wrist to reveal a bracelet around it. "Umm… D-do you mind if we take a selfie?"
Angela laughed as she shook her head and got closer to her fan.
"Of course, I'll take a selfie, Aida!"
With that smile becoming even brighter, Aida practically bounced over to Angela and they wrapped their arms around each other, hugging close as Aida raised her wrist. A hologram projected out of a small screen on the watch, revealing an image of them staring up at it with their smiles in full view. The image then flashed, and the sound of a camera shutter played from the watch, simultaneously. Then, they finally separated, still standing close to each other as Aida giddily manipulated her "watch" and examined the picture they had just taken. First happy and excited about her memento, it slowly shifted to confusion as she saw someone standing in the background with a confused look on his face. She spun around to see, now acknowledging the man's presence.
"Oh! Uh… Hi," she awkwardly greeted, embarrassed that she didn't notice the man that was there throughout the entire exchange. "Wow, sorry I didn't see you there…"
"Aida, this is… James," Angela introduced the tall man to the young woman, nearly forgetting the alias. "He's my bodyguard. To make sure I'm safe."
Aida stared up at the man, her mouth slightly agape as she saw how large he was.
"I see," the student noted, a bit intimidated by the bodyguard. "Well, it's nice to meet you, James."
"Likewise," he bluntly responded.
"If you don't mind me asking, you didn't happen to visit the… What's the word?... 'Super Human' store, did you?"
That made him react significantly more, jerking his head as he squinted down at her in confusion and slight annoyance.
"No, I haven't… Is it because I'm tall?" he said, more than aware of the reason for why she would ask that.
"That's part of the reason. Erh, sorry for assuming. You probably get that question, a lot."
"James" could only perk his eyebrow further, caught ajar by the conversation.
"So, Dr. Ziegler," the student said, bringing the conversation back on subject. "Shall we get this tour underway?"
Her idol smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, we shall. And please, call me Angela."
So, Aida gladly began to take them through the innards of her University, barely able to contain her excitement as she was about to present the best of what this campus had to offer to the one-and-only Dr. Angela Ziegler! Also, her bodyguard, James Boone.
She discussed and addressed a myriad of subjects with the Doctor, ranging from University policies to her daily life, inside and outside of the school. Dr. Ziegler was a very pleasant woman to talk to, seeming enamored and genuinely interested in what the student had to say, even slipping some Arabic into their conversation so the two could better interact. Her bodyguard did loom over them, following close to her wherever they went, but that was to be expected and he wasn't overbearing in his presence.
As Aida continued to talk about the University, she had led the two to a large, square courtyard with a circular hole in the middle with glass barriers around it. There were benches around the square, some of them occupied by students who were either socializing or studying. The Sun was shining on the yard as this part of the University was exposed to the outside, but it still maintained a comfortable temperate feeling.
Angela walked over to the hole in the middle and looked over, seeing a dark room with glowing blue hexagons all over the walls and a curving pillar at the center.
"What's this?" the older woman asks.
"This is where we store the school's data files," the student explained, leaning over the barrier with Angela. "It's basically a server room, though it can act like a library where students can access the files for whatever they need."
"Sounds ideal. I'm sure it's used often."
"Like you would not believe!"
Nathan, leaning over as well, noticed how similar the site of the data room looked to what's he's seen before at Big Mountain. Similar in the sense that they were a bunch of hexagons accompanied by a dim blue glow. They were some people below, too, manipulating the hexagons or just chatting on the sides. However, there was one woman in the corner of his eyes, obscured by the pillar in the center. She was attentive to the task at hand, purposefully operating one of the storage units and not paying any mind to the others around her. A familiar orange glow around her eyes and left hand.
'Vaswani?' he recognized, careful not to announce his confusion. 'What is she doing there?'
Then, without a second thought, the Vishkar Representative completed her task and inserted the unit back into place, before swiftly exiting the room.
Aida then led them outside of the courtyard and brought them further into the campus. As she kept talking, she was unaware that Nathan pulled Angela back a bit to discuss something with her.
"Na- James, is something wrong?" she asked in a hushed volume.
"I saw the Vishkar representative in the server room – Vaswani," he explained, in an even quieter tone. "She was doing something with one of the servers."
"Really? Did she see you?
"Nope. She left the room seconds after I saw her. Looked like she was in a hurry."
"I see. We'll report this to the team when we get back. I'm sure they'll find this interesting."
Not paying attention to what was in front of her, she bumped into something with enough force to make her lose her balance and fall backward. Luckily, her bodyguard caught her and she quickly gained a semblance of herself. Rubbing her forehead, she looked to the ground and saw the thing she bumped into was the Vishkar employee they were just discussing, having come out of stairwell that led into the ground. Aida was by the Architect's side, trying to assist her.
"Oh, Ms. Vaswani!" Angela exclaimed, her eyes becoming wide as she went over to help. "I'm so sorry! I was distracted and I didn't-"
"Please," Satya stopped her, holding up her gloved hand and getting up without Aida's or Angela's help. "I am quite fine, Dr. Ziegler. Thank you for your concern. Now, if you'll excuse me."
As fast as she bumped into Angela, Satya swiftly went on her way and brushed past the two and disappeared into a hallway. Not even giving a second glance.
Nathan and Angela exchanged glances, more than curious to see what all of that was about.
Then, he noticed a gentle electric humming coming from his left. Looking down to his waist, he sees a strange robot hovering up to his left hand. Its eyes showering his Pip-Boy in a blue light.
"What the…?" he let out, seeing a robot he's never seen invade his personal space.
His right ear perked and looked up to see another one hovering right to his face, its eye staring at him straight in his. Immediately affronted by this, he arches back and tried to scoot away from the machine, but it only floats closer to him as he tries. Nathan notices in the corner of his eye that Aida looking back at him, also witnessing something she wasn't expecting. A few other passersby even stopped in their tracks and watched what was happening. Making it blatantly clear this wasn't normal.
The drone close to his face then began to shower his face in a blue light, blinding him and irritating him until he had enough and forcefully pushed the drone away.
"Fuckin' bloatflies," he snarled under his breath, treating them like pests as he made the drone scanning his face tumble through the air with a hard shove before it stabilized itself.
The drone scanning his wrist was also brushed to the side, the Pip-Boy's casing making contact and sending it away with an audible clank as he pushed it. It got upturned, its body becoming wobbly before stabilizing in the air and stared at the Waster. He was about to punch it in the face to drive the point home, but it finally floated away, as if it was not phased from the encounter.
Aida ran up to him, worried and confused about what just happened. More so than what happened moments earlier, with the Vishkar lackey.
"I'm so sorry!" she said to him, pleading for forgiveness. "They've never acted like that, before!"
"Really?" the bodyguard questioned. "You sure they're not programmed with personal space in mind?"
"Well, I've never seen them act like that before. That is the first time I've seen them scan a person. They're only supposed to catalog the books."
Nathan's gaze widened slightly when she said, glancing down to his Pip-Boy for a second. It seems the drones found something interesting about him, so much so that it warranted a scan. He could understand why one would scan his Pip-Boy but not why one scanned his face. Unless their scans could go skin-deep.
"Let's just hope it doesn't happen, again," he wished, softening his expression.
"Yes," she agreed, a bit flustered and trying to save face for not just her but the school. "I'll have to report this to the robotics department. I'm sure this will be something they'd like to know. Please, let's go on with the tour."
Finally, after a few more buildings and rooms to visit, their tour had ended at the University and Aida led them back outside to the school's entrance to see a limousine already waiting for the woman she had the honor of meeting. With a gracious hug, the older woman said her goodbyes to the young student.
"Thank you so much for touring me through your University, Aida," Dr. Ziegler expressed her gratitude, hugging the young student tight.
"You're welcome, Angela!" Aida reflected the generosity. "I can't wait to see you again at the banquet. Have a good night!"
With their final exchange of the day, they separated, and Angela walked to the limousine where Nathan was already waiting. Opening the door for her and climbing in after her, the car sped off into the highway and back to their hotel. On the ride back, Angela let out a deep sigh of relief, finally able to catch a breather.
"A moment to enjoy some peace and quiet," she admitted, before a small, disappointed smirk formed on her lips. "Probably just a moment, though."
"Well, if we don't consider what just happened with Vaswani, that is," Nathan remarked, already helping himself to the limo's refreshments. "Could be something, or could be nothing."
"I'm aware of that. Hopefully, the others can help clue us in."
As she reclined further into the leather seat and tried her best to take a breather, a grumbling noise suddenly rang from Nathan's side, making the man bring an arm to his stomach. He growled a bit, annoyed by the sound and sensation with how loud it was. Angela raised an eyebrow, before looking down and feeling her own stomach feel a bit empty.
"Hungry?" she asked.
"Yeah," he responded, gulping down a glass before continuing. "Wouldn't happen to know any place to grab some grub, would you?"
She smirked as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, manipulating the holoscreen with her fingers.
"I think I might."
Coming off from the freeway, their limousine had driven up not along the front of their hotel but a restaurant that was close by. It was nighttime when they had reached the city center, the gold-yellow holographic sign above the entrance seeming bright and inviting in the relative dark.
The car's door opened, Angela climbing out and the light from the restaurant bouncing off her fair skin. Nathan climbs out after her and is also greeted by the golden sign hanging above the entrance. His eyes glinting with interest in the glow.
The Californian followed the Swiss woman into the restaurant, darkness soon being replaced by the well-lit walls. Like almost every other building they've walked into in this city, the interior of this restaurant was wide and open, high to the ceiling. What immediately struck him was the aesthetic, how clean and tidy everything was, even more so than the laboratory they had just visited. Neo-futuristic tables decorated with equally fancy dinnerware, Omnic waiters in suits floating like Zenyatta in between them. Well, half-suits as the waiters didn't have legs. That struck him the most.
"This place sure is fancy," he observed, also noting how much he and the doctor stood out from the other patrons. Mainly him, really. "You sure we're supposed to be here?"
"I have an idea…" was all the blonde said as she went up to the podium where the restaurant greeter was.
The greeter, who was also a legless Omnic, was looking at the ledger on his desk before he looked up and regarded the approaching woman. Before Angela could even get a word out, he spoke up.
"Oh my, Dr. Angela Ziegler!" the Greeter exclaimed, clasping his metal hands together. "Welcome to the elBuffi! We have been expecting you."
"Have you?" the guest asked, acting a bit coy.
"Well, to be truthful, we weren't sure whether you would be visiting this establishment. I know you have been quite busy with your business around Oasis, but the Ministries have requested that we reserve a spot for you, just in case. It seems their wisdom hasn't failed us, yet again. Would you like a table?"
"Yes, I would. For me and my friend, here."
"Wonderful! Follow me, madam and sir."
The Omnic Greeter grabbed two menus from his podium before he turned and led them to a table. It was like the others, white and sleek with a black top, with chairs that complimented it. It only had two chairs, however, Nathan occupying the one closest to the wall and Angela occupying the opposite. The chair was a good size for him to rest on, but the rather foreign design let much to be desired for the lofty man. The Greeter gave them their menus.
"We have an excellent selection for you, today, here at elBuffi," he said, hands folded behind his back. "Would you like to order your meal for the evening, now? Or would you like an appetizer to occupy you as you wait for the main course? I highly suggest the olives."
"Anything to drink?" Nathan was the first to ask, and of course, about the beverages. "Alcoholic, preferably?"
"We have a fine selection of wines and spirits."
"Your hardest liquor, then."
Nathan gave a small smirk up at him, then noticing Angela giving him a waggish look.
"I'll have some water," was all the Doctor ordered.
The greeter left, soon attending to other errands.
The usually basic Wastelander found himself looking around, taking in more of the establishment from the chair he was in. Constantly fidgeting on it.
"So, how did you know that would work?" he asked, leaning onto the table to speak to the blonde sitting across from him.
"I didn't," she honestly answered, taking off the white coat to reveal her orange shirt's sleeves that she proceeded to fold up to her elbows. "Since the Ministries have been treating me the way they have been, I figured they would have taken every possible outcome into account. They are scientists after all. And as you said, they are not really sparing any expense having me here."
"At least this is paying off more than the mission. Well, it will when I get my liquor."
"And while we wait, maybe we can chat some more?"
The Courier's eyes snapped to the Doctor, giving her a bemused expression. He smirks and let out an amused huff, crossing his scarred arms as he leans back into his chair.
"Jeez, you're still going to rag me about that?" he asked, not to be demeaning but astonished at her tenacity.
"Why not?" she innocently shrugged, a shrewd smile on her face. "We have time to kill. Hakim can wait, can he?"
"I'm sure Morrison and the Amari's would take exception to that, but fine. We're here, and it's a free wasteland."
Angela's manicured brow perked, a bit surprised how easy it was to coax him into talking unlike the previous times back at the base. The brooding man must've been starting to lighten up, with her at least. She might need to talk to the others about Nathan when they get back to Gibraltar. However, she wasn't sure how she would be able to converse with Bastion about their mutual acquaintance. Still, it was a welcomed change of pace for the blonde field medic.
"For starters, one thing I would like to know is how do you know Spanish?" she asked, the question gnawing at her since the day before. "Or Latin for that matter. I assume foreign language classes are not that existent in the Wastes?"
"Not really," the Courier responded, matter-of-factly. "Not a lot of people can travel the vast distances needed to speak another language. Spanish, at least. No, I learned bits of it from a friend I traveled the Mojave with for a time. He was born in Mexico, before the war."
"Before the war?" Angela questioned, a bit astonished before she began thinking back to the interrogation. "Was he one of those… Ghouls, you told me about when we first met."
"Yup, he's still kicking, last I checked."
"I see. What about the Latin? Few people, even today, can speak it."
That incurred a peculiar response in the bearded man, making him squint at the blonde woman. As if he had a hard time believing that statement.
"Really?" he earnestly questioned. "Huh. Well, Latin was just a random hobby I picked up when I was younger and didn't have anything better to do around the old village. Reading books and watching old holotapes. Helped that I also traveled with a friend with a similar interest in the dead language."
"He knew Latin, as well?" she asked, her mind twitching with the information she jotted down onto her holopad some time ago. "Was he a part of that 'Caesar's Legion' you described?"
The New Californian instantly burst into laughter, his head bowing forward as his chest shook. Feeling some of the tremors reverberate through the table. Honestly, that kind of caught her off-guard.
"No," he answered, shaking his head, and still smiling. "He was not! In fact, he was very adamant about not being associated with the Legion when I asked about where he learned Latin. He hated them. That being said, when it came to the Legion, speaking Latin proved to be more than helpful."
"How so?"
"Plenty of Legionaries spoke Latin, sometimes better than English. I even met a lot of slaves who could only speak Latin. Hell, my Latin's probably better than my Spanish since I only ever spoke that language with just one person."
"Maybe I could help you practice? Keep your wits sharp?"
He looked at her with an astonished look.
"¿Tu hable español?" he questioned in his old friend's tongue, a bit rough as he hasn't spoken it in a while.
"Si," the Swiss woman responded in the same language, the words soon rolling off her tongue with ease. "También hablo francés, árabe, alemán y inglés. But you already knew that last one, did you?"
"Huh. You're certainly better at it than I am."
Their exchange was then interrupted when an Omnic Waiter floated to their table with a tray in hand, carrying glasses with a pitcher of ice-cold water and a bottle of whiskey with a shorter glass. The waiter poured Angela a glass of refreshing water and Nathan a glass of liquor, the caramel colored liquid mixing with two big cubes of ice. After pouring their drinks, the waiter bowed and left. Nathan watched him float away, curious as to why these Omnics were different from the ones he's seen so far. Was it necessary to have them without legs? He also noticed that throughout their entire trip, he didn't see that many Omnics, in comparison to what he saw in King's Row. Puzzled, his eyes followed the waiter, making his way to the kitchen. However, the bodyguard's eyes stopped tracking the waiter and landed on the opposite corner of the room, on a table with two occupants. Something wasn't right about them.
They were dressed largely in dark clothing that obscured most of their bodies, one in a hoodie while the other was in a cap and glasses. They were not locals, and while the restaurant also had other tourists, they stood out from not what they did but what they were not doing. They weren't conversing, they were barely moving, and they weren't even eating anything. Their table void of anything but glasses of water. The bodyguard occasionally spotted the one with his back to them occasionally glance over his shoulder and to their side, but couldn't tell if they were looking at him and Angela. After observing them for a few more moments, noting more odd behavior, he leaned towards her.
"Don't look, but there are two guys at the opposite corner of the room," he explained, not breaking eye contact with her. "And I don't think they're supposed to be there."
Her blue eyes widened in surprise, darting to the right side of her head but restrained herself from turning her entire head.
"Really?" she asked, hoping for confirmation. "How are you so certain?"
"They're acting funny. They're dressed suspiciously. They're only drinking water. And one of them keeps glancing over here for some reason."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"Well… We could wait and go about our meal until one of them tries something. Or we could leave and get back to the hotel. It's not far is it?"
"No, it's only a few blocks away."
After she mentioned that, the man in the ball cap got up from the table and started walking. Nathan's eyes followed him until he walked out one of the side doors and disappeared out of view.
"Okay, one of them just left," he noted, feeling his back tense. "Don't know if he left to piss or something else. So, what now?"
"I think we should leave," Angela directed, as she put her coat back on. "A shame, but we need to inform the others."
"…Well, that was quick."
"Better safe than sorry."
They got up, Angela barely touching her water while Nathan took a quick gulp and swallowed the fiery liquid. The Doctor went over to the Greeter.
"I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid we have to leave right now," she said to the Omnic, not wanting to seem rude. "Something has come up and I have to attend to it."
"Oh?" the Greeter questioned, expressionless but sounding disappointed. "I'm so sorry to hear that. You haven't even tried the olives!"
"Maybe next time. Please, put it on the Ministries' tab!"
She looked back to Nathan and gestured to him, wanting to get a move on.
They walked out onto the city streets, the cold air the first thing to greet them, even in a desert. Unfortunately, there was no limousine waiting for them at the curb and they would have to resort to walking back to the hotel. It wasn't far, but the distance was the least of their concerns.
"You lead the way," her bodyguard instructed, patting the back of his waist to make sure his carry gun was there. "I'll look out for you."
"Thank you," she gratefully acknowledged.
"Thank me when we're at the hotel."
They began to walk the stretch, Angela's heels clopping hurriedly against the sidewalk as Nathan stayed close behind, his head on a swivel. There were some other pedestrians that occupied the night with them, either strolling by their lonesome or chatting with others along the shops. It wasn't crowded, which should make spotting out any suspicious persons easy. It also meant they didn't have a lot to hide behind and left them out in the open. Underneath tall structures that loomed over them.
They had crossed the first stretch of sidewalk, the shops shining their lurid colors over them along with the clean street lights. Walking through a set of large archways and down a set of stairs, they were now in a wide-open courtyard, circular in shape with a domed structure in the middle. It was sparse with people, provided little cover, and they had to choose which direction to take now. There were a set of stairs on the left, the right, and straight past the dome cylinder. Maybe they could lose possible pursuers through one of these routes? Or walk directly into a trap? It was foreign territory for the two of them, so they weren't sure.
Before her bodyguard was about to provide input, the Doctor turned and walked towards the set of stairs to the left. He bounded over to her, not really questioning her motives.
"We can take a shortcut through here," she explained in a hushed volume. "I believe there is a jump-pad here we can use to cut through the building."
"A what?" he asked, his eyes scanning the roofs for unnatural silhouettes. Making a mental note to be especially of anything with a tinge of purple.
As they rounded a corner, the sight of a golden hexagon on the floor that sent rings of light into the air answered his question. The walls that surrounded it also glowed gold patterns and hummed with power.
"I think you should go first," Dr. Ziegler offered, gesturing to the pad. "Check to see if it's clear. You should be able to just step on it."
"And?" the Waster asked, hesitant to see what would happen.
"You should go up."
Nathan squinted his eyes at her, unsure if that was deliberately facetious. Turning to the jump-pad, he walked forward, not even two steps in before he felt his body become lighter and flying. The pad makes a mechanical noise as it flung the man up, his arms flailing and trying to level himself with the ground. The air rushing around him as he fell onto the concrete walkway, landing on all fours with a grunt. It wasn't hard, but it wasn't the softest landing he could've hoped for. Quickly getting up, he looks and scans the surrounding area and finds that they are also alone on this walkway.
"No one's here," he called back to her.
A moment later, the jump-pad hummed, and Angela flew up but landed much more gracefully onto the platform than the Waster.
Taking the lead once more, Angela began walking across the platform and led them to a door on their left. In another building and out of the open, they walked through the halls without paying much mind to the interior surroundings. The blonde polyglot spotted a sign with the word "Exit" in Arabic with a diagram of stairs. She pointed to it, Nathan opening the door and peering inside before signaling it was clear. They then climbed down three flights of stairs and rapidly reached the exit, which had led them through a door that took them back out onto the sidewalk, where the stores were established. Which also meant they were close to the hotel. They walked through, bounding over the sidewalk and not heeding any mind to what the bright lights had for them. The bodyguard and the charge were out in the city streets, again, but their hotel was much closer and in view. Beckoning them to come to its shelter. With one final stretch, they walked side by side, Angela fixated on the hotel entrance and Nathan keeping his hand close to his waist. It was a strange feeling, her heart thumping and her feet springy, as she walked in what was scientifically proven one of the safest cities in the world. She hoped it was nothing but paranoia getting to her, getting caught up in the moment because of the concerns of the man beside her. However, in the back of her mind, she couldn't doubt that there was the possibility that she was genuinely in danger. The man next to her was much better at hiding the anxiety, seasoned enough to not let his demeanor break. Vigilantly watching over the Doctor.
The two were now a mere twenty meters away from the entrance, their salvation almost at hand. However, Nathan noticed one of the strange looking cars was parked at the front of the hotel, right in front of the entrance. It had not moved since they got out of the stairwell and he couldn't see if there was anyone inside because of the tinted windows. They were now a mere five meters out from the hotel entrance, closing in fast. Right about as it looked they were in the clear, the sound of a car door opening made the Courier spin his head around and whip his hand to the back of his pants. Angela stopped as well, peering from Nathan's arms as he shielded her with his body. Everything seemed to slow down as the door was swinging open, the Wastelander getting ready to hurl a wall of .45 ACP towards the tiny, snail-like car. As the door opened, and light flooded out, it revealed a frail, old woman in a modest dress and gray hair tied into a bun.
The Courier exhaled out of relief and slight embarrassment, watching the old lady slowly get out of her ride before wrapping his left arm around Angela and guiding her into the hotel. Crossing the lobby and not even addressing the receptionist's desk, they made it into the elevator and felt it move as Angela swiftly slipped the keycard into the slot.
Finally, after holding it in for ages, the blonde let out a deep sigh. Relieved and comforted she would at least be back to the fluffy clouds of her suite's bedroom. She opened her eyes and looked up at her protector, seeing him pinch the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut.
"Guess we're ordering room service," he lamented, letting go of his nose to address Angela. "Sorry, about that."
"It's fine, Nathan," she reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for thinking about my safety."
"I might've overreacted. This whole 'Hakim thing' and the business with Vaswani is probably making me jumpy. At least the suite's bar will keep me-"
The elevator's door dinged, notifying they had arrived at the suite. As the lift's door slid open, they were immediately met with a cold gust of wind. Almost instantly, Nathan pulled out his .45 and flipped the safety off, knowing there was something out of the ordinary. Angela got behind him, reaching into her bag and pulling out her Caduceus Blaster. The pistol-wielding man casting a curious glance, wondering how long she had that.
The Courier slowly got out, motioning to the woman behind him to stay before walking out into the suite. Some lights were on, but it was still dim to where he could barely see around him. Up ahead, he noticed one of the doors that led to the balcony was wide open, the curtains swishing from the wind blowing in. He slowly approached them, wondering why they were left wide open. Where was everyone else? Had Morrison and the Senior Amari left for late-night reconnaissance? Where was Fareeha?
The door to the hallway on his right opened, Nathan swiftly turned with his muzzle at the ready. A wrinkled eye with a tattoo under it greeted him.
"Jesus Christ," Nathan muttered under his breath, flipping his pistol's safety on before holstering it. "What're you still doing here? I thought you were going to patrol the city?"
Ana merely stared at him, decked out in her gear and with the mask upturned to reveal her withered visage. The Sniper had her arms crossed over her chest, giving the Waster an unimpressed expression.
"We did," she explained, pointing a gloved thumb behind her. "We found something interesting."
She turned around and walked into the hallway, prompting Nathan and Angela to follow her. Going down the hall, Ana had brought them to a set of doors that led to the "game room" of the suite and opened it for the two. Revealing the room, some of the furniture and tables were moved to the sides and in the center, was a man in a gray uniform bound to a chair and gagged with duct tape. Morrison and Fareeha were inside the room as well, keeping an eye on the man. Angela gasped and held a hand to her mouth, while Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"I see that someone has better luck than us," he observed, getting closer to the gagged man, and crouching to look at his face. "Who's he?"
"A Talon operative," Morrison stated, under the mask. "He doesn't bear any of their markings, but his uniform and the equipment he was hauling with him match to a T."
"What the hell was he doing when you found him?"
"Spying on you and Ziegler."
The Soldier then passed a set of binoculars, Nathan catching it and examining it before looking back at the man in the chair.
"And I thought our side had something," he quipped. "You got anything out of him?"
"No, he's been knocked out ever since we found him," Ana explained, walking past Nathan and to the tied-up Talon agent. "Though, we're sure he has very interesting things to say. What about you? Find anything useful, for once?"
Nathan stood up and cast a glance to Angela, the two instantly recalling what happened.
"We spotted Satya Vaswani of Vishkar at the University," Ziegler explained, addressing the other agents in the room. "Nathan spotted her doing something in the school's server room. She left in a hurry, even after I accidentally bumped into her. We don't know what she was doing at that University."
"Vishkar, huh?" Morrison questioned under his mask, saying the name with disdain. "I've seen what they did in Brazil. Whatever reason they have for being in Oasis, it's nothing good."
"Do you think they may have anything to do with Hakim?"
The Agents looked around, trying to find input in each other's expression.
"Doubtful," Ana answered, leaning her back against a pool table. "Hakim has a lot of connections, but none with the megacorporation. Talon on the other hand… Might. Thankfully, we have this prisoner. We just need to interrogate him, and it shouldn't take long."
The Courier stepped forward, his grabbing the unconscious man by the chin and propping his face up, examining his features.
"Well, if you ever need any help extracting information," he offered, letting go of his head and letting him slump forward. "I might know some techniques that could help."
Ana regarded him, not out of graciousness, but of suspicions.
"Like what?" she questioned, her eye judicious.
"Prodding him in the rights spots, for starters," he merely stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "With the time we have, this could be our quickest option."
"We're not here to torture people or cause unnecessary suffering! Besides, we're in a hotel. Someone would be able to hear his screams if you're suggesting such things."
"Not if we gag him."
Ana's face visibly hardened when he said that, not very fond of the idea of making the man suffer when there were clear alternatives that could produce the same results. He may have been Talon, and they may have been here to fight them, but she wasn't willing to go down that road. She never was. The Old Sniper was about to give the man the Wastrel a piece of her mind before her daughter stepped forward.
"I think we should try Mum's approach, first," she mediated, noticing the tension between the two bubble up in such a short amount of time. "It's cleaner and won't draw as much attention, as she said. It shouldn't take long for her to get what she needs, knowing her."
"Your prisoner," he relented, holding his hands up in surrender. "We still have one more day to find Hakim. So, we need to be quick."
He looked back at the older Amari, who still regarded him with a callous stare. Nathan returned the gesture.
Big Mountain Research and Development Center
2285
The rescuers and the rescuees were assembled out in front of the Antennae Array, the sky beginning to get brighter in color to indicate that dawn was fast approaching. It was still dusk, though, and the only other sources of light were the sensitive blue glows from the surrounding structures or the rainbow of colors the dormant scientists were emitting.
Since hauling them back by hand would be a pain, Boone was currently tying every one of the scientists into a chain with some rope, then attaching the rope to two of the three surviving Robo-Scorpions to act as makeshift Brahmin. Mechanical scorpions probably had a ton of benefits over the two-headed bovines. As he did so, Veronica hanged back and was sitting down by the Array's front door, accompanied by Cooper.
The Scribe was clearly shaken from her encounter with the tall robot on top of the satellite, with how close she came to be being at the mercy of the machine. In all her time with the Brotherhood and travels with the Courier, she had never seen such a specimen. Especially one so human-like, yet at the same time so… Alien. It's design and construction making it seem as if it was from a different world. That didn't explain how it spoke to her in English, cold and calculating in its tone. Playing down its intent to kill her behind technical euphemisms. Its red-eye simply staring at her as it tried to.
The sound of dirt shuffling and a shadow coming over her made her look up to see Parmley going over to her, his right arm now in a makeshift sling from some spare cloth.
"You alright?" he asked, sitting down next to her.
"Not really," she honestly answered, breathing in sharply before exhaling. "Nearly got choked to death by some super advanced robot and lost my favorite punching glove. You?"
The Ranger looked at his arm, feeling it sting when he tried to move it the slightest. He was going to have to pay a visit to the metallic doctor right when they get back.
"Not doing too hot, either," he honestly admitted, too.
They sat there in silence, blankly staring at the ground avoiding each other's gaze as their day became more chaotic than they would've liked. Honestly, their whole journey has been getting progressively more chaotic with each passing day, ever since they got Veronica out of the old Mormon Fort.
As much as she hated to admit, slivers of doubt were starting to creep into the back of her mind. Doubts, not just about whether they're going to find Nathan, but if they were going to last in doing so. They had already seen so much more than the average Wastelander and found themselves in two life-endangering situations in just the span of a few hours. And she hated to admit this more so, but Nathan wasn't there with them. He was always the one leading the party, charging into the fights, and exploring the paths ahead. He was the Courier, and they were just the Company.
'But…' her mind scrambled, trying to keep some semblance. 'Nathan would never say that.'
He always stuck by the few companions he met and befriended, even her. Especially her. She owed him so much. A lot of people owed him so much. It was only right she repaid the favor, even if it wasn't the first time she had to get his ass out of a sticky situation.
She felt something move between her legs and saw that Cooper went over and poked his head through, looking up at her expectantly. The Follower reached over and started to scratch behind the canine's ear while giving his chin a rub with the other hand. Cooper closed his eyes and let the hands go all over his scalp, enjoying the sensation of his fur and skin being massaged by the fingers and thumbs. Reaching into places he wouldn't normally be able to himself. Soon, the dog's tongue was a hanging freely from his mouth and his tail started kicking up gravel as he wagged it. Seeing Nathan's dog relish in the sensation gave Veronica a little smile to bare, enough to make their situation less gloomy, somewhat. At least all it took for the dog was just a couple pets to make him feel like there's nothing wrong.
However, faint whimpers made her look back down at the dog and see him laying his pointed head on her lap, laying down as if he wanted to rest. Her naked right hand planted itself on top of his furry head and gently stroked him.
"I know, Coop," Veronica said, giving the dog a reassuring palm. "I miss him, too."
The 1st Recon Sniper had finally gotten the ropes tied and the group was heading back to the Think Tank, Boone leading the Robo-Scorps as Veronica and Parmley hung back a bit with Cooper and Rex. They took the more scenic route and looked around their world with more attention to the details, no longer being rushed by a reckless scientist.
The gravel landscape that surrounded them wasn't pretty to look at, marked with mountains and rock formations that weren't easy on the eyes either. Some of them looked like natural formations, created by the shifts of the Earth thousands of years past. Others seemed much more artificial, possibly the works of some of the mechanical brains they were hauling with mechanical scorpions. Other than the rock formations, they were man-made facilities scattered around the crater, some of them appearing dilapidated and out of commission while others were still churning out smoke and emitting a clean blue glow. Their purpose and function eluded them, and speaking from past experiences, none of them were keen to go exploring the Pre-War scientific ruins. Another thing did elude them was why the entire facility was a crater, lacking the mountain in its namesake.
They wondered what it was like for their friend to explore this facility. The secrets he unearthed from this Old World. And whether any of the scars he had on his body were sustained from his time here. Wherever he went, he always brought back the most interesting things.
"Veronica," she heard the man next to her call.
"Yeah?" she responded.
"Is it really true you know nothing about those robots we just fought? Even for a Scribe like yourself."
"Trust me when I say that I have never seen such machines in my life. Not even when I was traveling with Nathan, and we saw a lot of weird stuff, together."
"Where do you think they're even from?"
"I don't know. They're very human-like and act rather human. They even speak English, which was kind of terrifying to hear. But whoever made them must have some serious technology behind them to create things as advanced as those. They couldn't be from here since Klein and Mobius are oblivious to these things."
One of the Robo-Scorps erupted with its speaker.
"PREPOSTEROUS," the voice of the former spoke out. "MY NAME AND THE WORD 'OBLIVIOUS' DO NOT BELONG IN THE SAME SENTENCE!"
That only uttered annoyed groans in Parmley and Veronica, Boone just shaking his head.
The sun was beginning to flood the crater with light, the bright rays illuminating the rather disorganized mess of a facility and all the junk scattered around. As Boone scanned the view ahead, seeing they were getting closer to the big dome Think Tank, the sun was blotted out for a second and he instinctively turned his head to the East, toward a hill. While it was a bit hard to see because of the glaring Sun, he saw the silhouette of something he didn't expect to see in the Pre-War research facility.
"Is that a Nightstalker?" he asked aloud, unslinging his rifle from his shoulder.
Indeed, the four-legged figure on the cliff was a Nightstalker, the body of a coyote standing on the rock with the head of a rattlesnake staring straight at the caravan. Shortly after he spotted it, Veronica ran up to the front and to Boone's side. She let out a dumbfounded huff, instantly remembering how painful their bites were. During and after. Rex was at her side, barking at the hybrid. Then, the lone Nightstalker let out a hiss and ran back behind the cliff, out of their view.
"What is that thing doing here?" the Scribe asked, wondering how it got into this far from the Mojave.
"We should get a move on," Boone suggested, checking his rifle to see if it was ready for use. "There's always a pack nearby."
At least that made sense. Restraining her Scribe mind from investigating further, she got back to the task and soon the whole caravan was moving at a much quicker pace than they were a minute earlier. The dome soon coming into view, thankfully.
Just because Big Mountain had secrets didn't mean they had to go about and finding them all. One secret at a time, lest they want their sanity to be shattered like the rocks. Robots, Lobotomites, and Nightstalkers. At least this place was interesting.
Sorry that the chapter is basically more exposition/fluff. Things will get spicier, soon. And please, remember to leave reviews/criticisms. Sure, being praised is nice and all, but I won't improve as a writer if that was all I heard! Thanks for reading, anyway!
