Interloper III
There it stood before me, a large six-story building no different from the ones around it. It blended it well with the neighborhood, just another worn down gray block. Looked no different from all the other ones, just like it.
Credit where it's due, these triple something guys know how to blend into this city. Well, they try to at least. Got a good view of everything on the street, all the little people moving about their day. The front door was being guarded. Two big guys in pressed suits stood guard over the entrance. Deterring any would be robbers or trouble makers.
They can't see me, of course. Held up in an abandoned apartment across the street, I have to be careful. People still live in this building, any loud noises could spook them. Have to keep quiet as I scan the building across the street.
My binoculars make it easy to see through the open windows, and I could see the triad members walking about inside. It gave me a better idea of what to expect inside.
Then I focused on the small stream of people that entered and left the first floor. From what I can tell, this place masquerades as a restaurant. Given the smell of spices that surround the building. And that weird flower sign on the front. I think it's a flower anyway.
Would be stupid to just waltz in and shoot this 'Zolt' guy in broad daylight? Only someone like Ford would do something that dumb. And I hate Ford. No, I need to gather more information. I know more about what's going on inside, and got a clearer picture, but I need to get in.
Figure out enemy placement and best method of assault. Could scale one of the nearby buildings, maybe? Take the boss out quick and clean before anyone knows I'm there. One problem, I don't even know if 'Zolt' is there or not.
Bastard could be off somewhere with a trail of kicked kittens behind him and I wouldn't know. Christ, another reason to hate this place. Too crowded, hard to track a target through all the smog and noise.
Nothing like the Mojave, a hunter's paradise. No, I need to pick up the slack in order to catch my prey. That's fine, I can wait for the right opportunity.
Second after second, which turned to minutes, which turned to hours. The guards would be rotated out every two hours, changed three times while I stayed hidden. And the members inside would circle around each floor every hour. They run a tight ship for a bunch of dirty gangsters.
Waiting for about… four hours, I think, from dawn to noon and the only things that changed were the people that went and came. And the guards. No sign of the boss, would just interrogate one on where he could be. That'd be a waste of time, and I would need to learn more Chinese to do it right.
Can't stay here all day, other stuff I have to do, and I can't assume that this 'zolt' guy is hiding there. Oh well, not a complete waste of time. Found new information and that's always good.
Got up from the chair I was on and got another look at the abandoned apartment that served as my observation spot. The red paint on the walls had faded and chipped in some places. Stained brown wood floors barren of any furniture. Yet… it still looks new. Cleaner than most rooms I've seen in the wasteland.
Why is that? It's been bugging me ever since I got here. Everything here is too new. It's not like any of the bombed out old-world cities with scattered factions living inside. No, nothing like that.
It doesn't make any sense. How could this place have survived the way it did? Hmmm, well, they do have books. I imagine they also have records on what happened after the war. Another reason to learn the language as fast as possible.
With a nod, I walked to the apartment door and opened it, stepping into the hallway as I closed the door behind me. The hallway is a softer cream color, and it has no noticeable decoration. Makes sense. This is an apartment building, not a hotel.
As I walked towards the elevator at the end of the hall, one of the doors to my left opened. A man in his mid twenties stepped out, dressed in a mechanic's uniform. The man paused as soon as he saw me before he nodded at me and stepped out. I nodded back before I continued on my way to the elevator, joined by the other man as he walked behind me.
When we got to it, I pressed one button on the elevator panel and waited a moment as the machine hummed to life. A second after I pressed the button, the doors opened, revealing a woman in her late 20s with a young girl holding her hand.
As soon as the mother saw me her eyes widened for a moment before she just waved at me. While the girl looked at me with curiosity in her eyes. I didn't want to deal with this, so I just tipped my hat at them and practiced one phrase I've been learning.
"Knee how, uh, knee how, ma." I cringed internally at how thick my accent was. The woman narrowed her eyes before she nodded at me. Both she and her daughter stepped past me and into the hall. I sighed before stepping into the elevator. The guy behind me stepped in as well and glanced at me with a raised eyebrow. I ignored him and pressed the button for the first floor.
Ugh, I need to practice a lot more at that. Don't want to embarrass myself every time I open my mouth. Oh well, at least I'm making progress.
"So, Nǐ zěnme yàng?" Huh? Oh, wait, shit. The guy just said something. Oh god, he wants to strike up conversation. Uh, I looked at him as his deep blue eyes scanned me. I just gave him a thumbs up. He raised an eyebrow again before he nodded.
"Cool… cool… uh…" The guy just stood there for a moment as he looked away. Good, I don't feel like chatting when I could barely understand most people.
"What's up with the mask? If you don't mind me asking." God damnit, of course I could understand that question. I did not want to waste time, so I just looked at him and then pulled one of my gloves off.
His eyes widened as he saw the scarred flesh around my long, thin fingers and the palm of my hand. The man looked at it for a moment before his eyes shifted away. I shoved my hand back into the glove as a small silence formed in the elevator.
"Uh… sorry." He muttered. I glanced at him before I shrugged and gave him a thumbs up. That seemed to ease the mood as he smiled and nodded at me.
A ding rang out as the elevator doors opened. Both of us stepped out into the lobby, it being the same soft scream color as the hallway upstairs and just as sparsely decorated. After we made it out the front door, we went our separate ways. He moved down the right as I went left.
People and cars crowded the narrow street. I felt suffocated by all the surrounding people. Too many unknowns packed too close. Just bear it and keep calm. I looked up, the large gray buildings blocked the sky. Didn't do anything to stop the heat as it beat down on me.
Ignore it, and ignore the way everyone bumped into each other. Into me, something visceral gnawed deep inside whenever someone rubbed against me. Even if it wasn't intentional, it still disgusted me.
After a short walk I could see an opening, a small cramped alleyway in between another apartment block and a small corner store. I shoved my way past other people and ignored their shouts as they insulted me. I don't care. It didn't take long for me to enter the alleyway as I walked to a manhole cover nested within.
I grabbed the cover and lifted it out of place; I dropped into the sewers soon after. My boots hit the cold concrete floor of the first layer. Like every other city, it's a perfect way to traverse. Easy to lose any pursuers in the never ending maze of sewer lines, both new and the ones long abandoned.
This concrete maze is unknown to me, right now it is at least. I can and will learn more about, get lost in the details and winding paths. Feel more at home here than up there, nothing in common with the people of this city.
Whatever, just need to get back to base. As I continued to wade through the sewers, I paused for a moment. I'm being watched again. Glanced behind me, I could see a blue suit for a moment… and they're gone. Just as fast as they came. Hmmph, buncha bullshit.
Lifted the manhole cover back to the surface, just enough to peek through. No one nearby, with that I moved it aside and pulled myself up. I then pushed the cover back into place and moved towards my base, the same old house that my 'employers' had set up for me.
Better than nothing. Pushing the door open I moved toward my reloading bench. Had to make most of the tools from scratch, it seems that guns are hard to get here. Typical. However, thanks to those resources I 'borrowed', I could get it set up pretty quick.
All the right tools in the right place. Most of which were handmade, it was impossible finding them with how strict this city is about anything firearm related. The only things I didn't have to make myself were the scale and the boxes. Had most of what I needed. All I'm missing is gunpowder.
I could make it myself, but it'd be hard to. Smokeless would be preferable, only problem with that is I lack the proper chemicals and protective equipment to make it. Black powder would be the way to go. I'd have to clean my revolvers more often with it. That'd be fine. I can handle that.
Charcoal's easy enough. I can make myself with the furnace and all the trees nearby. Potassium Nitrate and sulfur would be harder to get; might have to rob another workshop for what I need.
Would need more lead too; have to cast a lot of bullets to keep my revolvers well fed. Hmm, can't rush it though. Expect the best and nothing less, semi-wadcutters with brass packed to the brim with powder. Along with power, it brings another boon. Fear. Fear of the shockwave that rattles their bones, the fireball that blinds them, fear of death made all too apparent.
My build helped in that matter, along with my reputation. Back in the Mojave, everyone knew who I was. It was… euphoric, seeing once stoic mercenaries beg for mercy before me. Knowing that even the most drugged up out of their mind fiend would hesitate upon seeing me. All reduced to scared little children, staring wide eyed at the boogeyman.
"Heh… hehehehehe." Cover my mouth to suppress the giggles, I got lost in my reminiscing. While no one knows who I am here, it could still prove useful.
Better for blending in when you're a nobody. That, and it would be interesting. Working my way up here as well. If I want that to happen, I'm gonna have to get back to studying.
Walked up to the second floor and grabbed one of the children's books and my notebook before I plopped down on the bed. Both books in hand, I began the tedious process of learning a language on my own.
Going through the motions, repeating the small phrases inside to myself while writing them down in the notebook. The characters are easy, it's just that there's so many of them. Symbols that look the same aside from some minor variation.
Can't be helped, just have to take it one step at a time. Besides, there's something nice about the repetition. After all, repetition is the only way one improves their mind and body.
Minutes turn to hours as I continue the routine, study the words in the book, and write them down. Providing what I assume to be their English translations underneath them. Given the context clues and images provided.
Regardless, I'm tired of doing this, so time to stretch my legs. I got up with a sign and stretched my legs, getting the blood flowing as I did so. After a few minutes of doing various stretches, I walked downstairs and out the front door.
Been wanting to do some star watching for a while, might be far away enough from the inner city to see something.
As I walked along the front path I looked up into the sky, a grimace formed on my face. Even from this far away, the stars are almost impossible to see. It's one thing I didn't like about Vegas. The light pollution made it hard to see the stars.
It was more of a problem with this place, so many people with so many electronics on. The city glowing brighter than anything set in the night sky.
Vegas had a lot of issues, but I could call the place home. I had something in common with the people there; they knew me and I them. The lights weren't a problem, the neon splendor of Vegas was enough to make up for it.
This city, however, there's nothing about it I seem to like. There's nothing beautiful about the lights of this place, it's just an eyesore. A big blob of bright yellow, a beacon of mediocrity and confusion. Am I being too harsh? Maybe. After all, it's not this place's fault I was kidnapped and dumped here.
Whatever, it's just another thing to ignore about this place until I can get back home. I steal another glance at the sky and… and… wait… something feels… off.
"What?" I whisper as I narrow my eyes at the night sky. I can just barely see a few stars hanging above me if I focus past all the light pollution. The stars look like… they look different somehow.
I can't recognize a single constellation from the stars that I can make out. It all feels… different. What is… no, no I'm just tired. That has to be it, yeah. I'm just tired. I'll get out further tomorrow night and get a better look.
Yeah, that sounds good to me. Shaking my head, I turned around and made my way back to the house, ignoring what I had just seen, and closed the door behind me. I'll get some shuteye and continue on with the plan. I've wasted enough time as it is.
Rain, cold hard rain. I can feel it hit my body as the sharp wind's chill to the bone. I'm freezing, caught in the desert as the hurricane continues to pelt me.
I don't know where I am; I don't recognize this desert. I can only continue forward, hoping to find shelter against the freezing cold waters.
For a moment I spot it, lights in the distance. A city, shining in the midst of the storm. It is the best option available to me. But a part of me feels disdain when I see it and wants me to turn around and find somewhere else.
I can't, if I turn around now. I would die. So I continue forward, marching towards the gleaming city.
I awoke with a jump, eyes glanced around my room as I sat up. A slight frown on my face. Strange, that's what it was. I can't remember the last time I 'dreamt' of something. When I sleep, all of me sleeps. No room for dreams in the wires that make up my brain.
Can't recall it either, something about a storm I think. Regardless of that, this is a first for me. I don't quite know what to make of it.
Best not to dwell too hard on it. I'd just end up getting lost in thought. Got up from bed and stretched the kinks out of my body.
With that I plop down to the ground and begin doing push-ups, which helps me think sometimes. Driving out the unneeded thoughts, it keeps me focused. The first two dozen are easy. After that a dull ache formed in my arms.
The stars last night, I can't get them out of my head. Hard to chalk it up as me just being tired. There's a lot more to this, and I need to get to the bottom of it. That guy with the dumb name and his cronies can wait.
Constellations didn't match up, even if I'm on the other side of the world. I should at least recognize one of them.
Stood up and stretched my arms, getting the dull ache out of the muscles. With that I began doing squats, anything to keep the body aching and my mind sharp.
There was another thing that rubbed me the wrong way, this place. It's advanced enough where most people have cars and the ones that don't can take trains whenever they need to go. Stores selling books that aren't over two hundred years old, made of fresh paper and ink.
There would be records of the war, of American troops roaming the countryside, killing and pillaging whatever helpless civilians they could get their hands on. Both before and after the bombs dropped. When I first got here my armor was clearly American, my current clothes too. Shouted English at some random guy, too. Should have been an angry mob chasing me down by now, shouting 'Die American!' However, there wasn't.
Why is that?
Need to check the nearby area. There would be pre-war landing bases or old battlefields nearby. Could be a good source of weapons and armor. As well as providing some very needed answers.
Sounds good to me. I stood straight up. Legs burned somewhat, but that's fine. With a plan of action set, I walked downstairs and out the front door. I'll go back to that bookstore again, see if they have what I need. Hopefully, I won't make a fool of myself again.
I only made it three steps before my stomach began to rumble. Hmm, well, a quick detour to that food cart wouldn't be so bad.
With a quick change in directions, I followed the route to the food cart, at least, where the cart should be.
The smog from the cars and those big factories filled my lungs. The longer I stay here and the worse this place seems to smell. It's awful, little things that I haven't gotten used to. All combined together to make me as miserable as possible. Whoever designed this city seemed to love the smell of crude gas.
Wouldn't be surprised if asbestos lined most of these buildings or if they used lead-lined sewage pipes. Would not be surprised at all.
Ignoring that thought, I had to stop for a moment. There I stood, at the foot of a crosswalk as a dozen cars passed by me. Filling the street with noise and more smog. I sighed and waited for an opening so I could walk across.
Waited for about five minutes before I could cross the street. Stupid, what a waste of damn time. The moment I crossed the street, the endless flow of cars resumed behind me. Whatever, I carried on to my destination. Entering the park area and walking toward the food cart, and it was there. A small line in front of it as people waited for their food.
However, there was another thing that caught my attention. Near the outskirts of the park was a small crowd. All of them gathered around a man on a platform, screaming something on a megaphone. Behind the man was a poster of a hooded figure wearing a mask that resembled a stylized human face. That's interesting.
I could hear him clearer the moment I got into line. I looked at him from across the park, hearing what he had to say.
"Cāozòng zhě shòu yāpò de shídài hěn kuài jiù huì jiéshù! Wǒ de xiōngdì jiěmèi men, join Amon! And we shall rise up!"
Hey, I could kinda understand him. But who's 'Amon'? Might be the masked guy on the poster. Hmm 'Rise up'? Do these followers of Amon feel as though they're oppressed? Doesn't seem like the enforcers are doing anything to them. Hmm. Oh well, not like it's my problem.
Turned my attention back on the line and I saw that I was up next. I walked up to the lady. A flash of recognition formed in her eyes as she saw me. That's bad if I want to blend in. Hmm, but I'm not Chinese either. So regardless of the mask, I'd stand out. Might as well stay comfortable while I'm here, so the mask stays on.
I just pointed at the same meat I got two days ago and held five fingers up. The old woman just nodded and pointed a spoon at the rice.
"With rice?" She asked. I blinked at how clearly I understood the question. I've progressed far faster than anticipated, hmm. Could be because of the cybernetics in my brain; combined with that mentat bath it took when I was lobotomized. The think tank themselves had told me that I could learn faster than most people now. Something to look into when I get back.
"Uh… She… da." I replied, the woman narrowed her eyes at me. She looked at me for a moment before she just shrugged and grabbed a paper plate before filling it with rice and the meat I got last time. I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the same amount of money I paid her last time and grabbed my food. I then walked off and pulled down my bandana. Shoveling pieces of meat and rice into my mouth as I walked towards the bookstore.
Food's still pretty good. That lady knows how to cook a damn good meal. With it finished, I wiped my hand on the coat and pulled my glove and bandana back in their place. I then crumbled up the paper plate and tossed it aside.
I only made it two steps before a shrill whistle reverberated across the park. That hurt my ears somewhat. I turned around and saw one enforcer had walked up to me, an angry look on his bearded face as he held a baton.
"Nǐ yǐwéi nǐ yào qù nǎlǐ?" He said… no idea what it means, he just sounds angry. He then pointed at the crumbled up plate on the grass. Why's he… oh.
"You better pick that up." He continued, at least, that's what I think he said. So cars and big ass factories can spew out as much black smoke as they want. But one paper plate is just too much, eh? Tch, whatever, I don't want to waste time. I just nodded at him and picked it up, shoving the junk into my pocket.
The enforcer smirked, no doubt pleased by my obedience. He then hooked his baton back onto his belt and walked off. Asshole.
Well, with that debacle taken care of. Time to get back on track and go towards that bookstore I visited when I first got here.
"Alright, that will be two yuan." Xiu said, the man across from her nodding as he pulled out five yuan and placed it on the counter. He then grabbed the book and walked off. Xiu just took the yuan and put it into the register.
Today's a busy day, people dotted around the store and as they browsed the books and various knick knacks on display. A moment later, a dark-skinned woman walked up to the counter, holding half a dozen books about the history and culture of both the Northern and Southern Water tribes.
"Ooh, studying for a project or something?" Xiu asked as she looked at the price tags on the books. The woman across the counter just shook her head.
"Nah, I just figured I'd learn more about my heritage. You know?" She said. Xiu nodded at the words.
"Makes sense. Well, that'll be twelve yuan for these." Xiu said. The woman nodded at her and reached into her pocket. Just as she pulled the right amount out, the door swung open. Everyone turned to see who stepped inside and Xiu felt a sense of déjà vu.
There stood the masked man from two days ago, blocking the doorway as he scanned each individual person in the store. Everyone turned their attention to him as he just stood there. Curiosity turned into awkward glances as the customers just waited for him to do something, or anything, at all.
His attention then turned to the woman across from Xiu, the poor girl froze in place as the man kept his gaze on her. The woman gulped before she glanced at Xiu who just shrugged.
The woman then looked back at the masked man before waving at him. "Uh… hello?" She said. The words caused the man to jump slightly before he waved back. He then, without a word. He just walked over to the history section as he ignored all the weird looks sent his way.
The woman across from Xiu rose an eyebrow at him before she shrugged. She then paid for the books and left the store soon after. The clerk turned her attention back to the masked man, who just stood at the history section. Not moving an inch, almost like a statue.
She could see everyone else in the store had kept a wide distance from the man. More cautious than anything else. Weirded out by the strange masked man and his bizarre mannerisms.
Xiu gulped as she looked down at her desk and tapped it nervously. She then sucked in a deep breath and looked back up and almost screamed as the masked man was now directly in front of her.
Managing not to scream as she kept her composure, she could see that the man had placed four items on the counter. A large book titled 'A brief history on the great war', another notebook, a pencil sharpener, and a box of bobby pins.
"H-How… m-much." The man's words caused her to look back up at him. Her eyes narrowed as she heard his thick accent. An accent she couldn't quite place, didn't sound like any other accent she's ever heard before.
"Uh… it will be fifteen yuan, sir." The man paused and just looked at her for a moment before nodding. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out thirteen yuan and placed it on the desk.
"N-No, I said fifteen yuan sir." Xiu repeated, louder this time. She figured that the man had trouble hearing. The man stared at her again before nodding. He then pulled out an additional two yuan.
Xiu then nodded as she placed the money inside the register. The man tipped his hat at her before he walked out of the store. Xiu thought the man was strange, but he couldn't be a bad guy if all he did was walk around in a mask. She hoped he had a nice day.
That woman in the store, the one that left as soon as I got there. She was Native American, or at least, she looked like she was. Same skin complexion, different from the clearly Chinese inhabitants of the city.
But the more I walk around, the more I notice others like her. Deeply tanned skin with bright blue eyes. Now that I thought about it more, the people of this city had uncommon eye colors.
The most common ones were green eyes, a rare phenotype in people. Yet whenever I look at the eyes of the surrounding people, it's the most common color. Second most common is dark bronze, not brown. But bronze. Their eyes glowed somewhat in the sun.
Then the blue-eyed ones, dark tanned skin like the woman in the store and with deep vibrant blue eyes.
Could it be a mutation of some kind? Results of minor exposure to radiation? Radioactive particles have resulted in weirder mutations before. So it's not impossible.
Hmm. I might blend in better than I thought… ah, whatever. I'll get there when I get there.
Right now, I need to get back to base and learn what I can from this book. It might answer some questions I've been having, or prove that I'm just being crazy about those stars.
When I have everything I need, then I can take care of that Zolt guy. Just need to get back home. Blending in with the crowds as best I can, even if the people continued to give me a wide berth.
What's the deal with these people? They're acting like I'm some kind of masked maniac.
Before I could laugh at my joke, I had to stop at a crosswalk. A stream of cars has yet again blocked me from making progress… Damn, that's a lot of cars.
A sigh left my mouth as I continued to wait at the crosswalk, tapping my foot as I stared at the passing by cars. And after three minutes of waiting, I could finally cross the road.
Thank god.
It doesn't take me long to get back to base, and I have to admit. The old house began to grow on me, just needs some fresh paint and it'd be good as new. After closing the door behind me, I walk over to the couch in the center of the first room and sit down on it. The old furniture groans under my weight, but it remains intact.
Well, better get to reading then. Opening the book, skipping past the table of contents, sources, authors, etc. Where's page one? Ah, there it is. Ok, there it is, prelude to the Great War. At least, I think that's what it means. I can only understand some words here.
Alright, so… hmm… hmmmmm. This is gonna take a while.
I'm only halfway done with this book, and it's complete nonsense. What a waste of my time. Whoever wrote this book was clearly a crazy person. They had to be. It's the only explanation for all the downright bizarre things written down in it.
How annoying, whatever. It won't be a tall task to search the nearby coastline for any U.S. Army bases or beached warships. I can glean more information there and get a clear idea of what's going on. As well as stock up on some much needed supplies.
I nodded to myself before I tossed the book aside and got up from the couch. I then walked out of the house and back into the city. The sun hung high in the sky as it beat down on me. Still surrounded by the large grey complexes that housed many laborers and the vagabonds hidden in the alleyways.
Stepped over piles of trash here and there and I made my way to the outskirts of the city. Large grey apartments gave way to smaller houses similar to my current base, more lived in but just as decrepit. Children ran about the streets as they looked for any form of entertainment. Their parents watched from afar as they continued their chores.
So different from the inner city that was just a stone's throw away. Similar to the worn down grey buildings that were so close by in how weathered these houses are. But different in a way I can't really describe.
Fewer cars here as well, mainly just the big semi-trucks that carried supplies to and from the city. The cracked sidewalks turned into dirt paths. The only proper road was the one the vehicles were on.
The air felt crisper here as well, cleaner now that I was farther away from those smog spewing factories. Far less trash piled up on the side of the street as well.
Soon, there weren't any dirt paths for me to take. Just one solid black road that connected the city to the world beyond. Vast grasslands as far as I could see, with mountains off in the distance.
The small apartment buildings and old houses that made up the outskirts behind me as I looked out into the distance beyond. Engraving the shape of the mountains to my memory. It's like a different world out there. The sun sat way up high as it continued to beat down on me. Nothing compared to the Mojave heat.
Continued to walk forward, across the vast plains as I made my way to the beaches. Top priority is to find any rusted ships that had crashed into the wet sand. Expand my search from there if I hadn't found anything.
I kept my search to the coastline as I wandered, seeing nothing but empty plains and sandy beaches for as long as the eye could see. The mountain ranges in the distance should be avoided for now. If I don't find anything on the coast, there could be an F.O.B. in the mountain ranges.
Other than that, there were some birds that flew overhead, but nothing else was worth a mention.
Noon turned to evening as the sun journeyed alongside me. Noon turned into evening. With no pre-war bases or old battlegrounds in sight. It doesn't make any sense. I should have stumbled into something by now. At the very least, a pre-war robot running around, one of the harmless ones at least.
… Hmm. The Republic reprogrammed numerous pre-war robots throughout the NCR. That should have been the same here, but there isn't a single one running around. My search for any kind of pre-war base turned up nothing so far.
Given how close I am to the city, there's a very real possibility that any bases were long scrapped for their supplies. But that leads back to my first point. If that were the case, then those enforcers would have assaultrons and sentry bots doing their job for them.
Alongside energy weapons and power armor that I haven't seen once. It's like they took them all and destroyed them. Why? Same with pre-war naval vessels, some of them should have, at the very least. Should have been beached along the coast, yet I haven't seen a single one.
Wait… that book I read earlier. What if it wasn't made by crazy people? What if it was propaganda, rewriting history to wipe all traces of 'America' and what really happened during the war? Paint the Chinese as the blameless victims and America the 'Fire nation' as the all conquering villains.
Similar things have happened in the past. Authoritarian regimes love to scrub history. Keeps the population docile and blinds them with moronic nationalism. America did the same thing before it died. Why couldn't the Chinese?
I'll think about it more later. I could see a forest up in the distance. And a dense one at that, lots of tall and strong trees. Could be a good place to look, might find an old battleground. Before I waltzed up there, I grabbed my binoculars and peered through them.
Hundreds, no, thousands of trees made up the place. Tall pines swayed gently in the wind. Sometimes I could see some animals in the woods. They looked strange. I can't quite place down why. The blurry lenses on my goggles combined with how dark it was made it harder to see them properly.
However, I did notice something else as I scanned the forest. On the outskirts is what looked like a large camp. Dozens of tents with a large pile of lumber on the edge of the camp. Lots of tree stumps dotted about the forest near the camp along with some burnt down trees. The only building I could see was a large three-story wooden cabin in the center of the camp.
Some small campfires here and there, mostly people just chatting with each other. Keeping to their own small little groups.
I lowered the binoculars and shoved them back into my satchel. Should I avoid the camp? Maybe, I don't want to get involved with any minor squabbles any of the locals might have. It's not my problem.
The setting sun illuminated the forest, a sea of orange painting itself across the trees. If I had my camera, I'd take a picture, but alas. I continued down the dirt path leading towards the woods as I snuck past the logging camp.
Ducking and weaving through the stumps to stay out of sight as I passed by. I didn't need to, but better safe than sorry. Didn't take me long to make it to the edge of the forest, the camp behind me as I blended in with the shadows cast by the trees. Surrounded on all sides by the forest as I began my search.
I rushed through the undergrove of the forest as I jogged over roots and small mounds of dirt. Scanned around for any obvious signs, skeletons sticking out of the ground along with their armor. Rusted weapons or bullet casings glinting in the dark.
So far, nothing. Even as I search through bushes and hedges, I can't find a single trace of any battle. Nothing at all.
Christ, this is frustrating. Might have to expand my search deeper into the mountains. Should be harder for those bastards to dismantle every base hiding there. Be it American or Chinese.
I nodded to myself as I continued forward, need to find a clearing so I could orient myself and find a path out of this forest. The trees made it harder to guess, but given the moon looking down at me, it must be nighttime.
Could get a clearer look at the stars too once I found a clearing, the light pollution of the city made it harder to get a good view. It should be easier here.
As I carried on I noticed a clearing in the distance as the trees grew sparser. I soon found myself near an old dirt path leading back the way I came and another path leading to a beach off in the distance. However, what was more noteworthy was the large walled off building in the middle of the clearing.
Because of the tall stone walls, I couldn't see past all too well. So, to circumvent that, I climbed the nearest tree I could. Using Blood-nap to make it easier as I scaled the pine.
Once I made it to the top, I could see the inside better, one large building on the far end. Facing the gate that led inside, with dozens of smaller buildings lining the wall. Or, rather, inside the wall.
What caught my attention were the dozen people inside the courtyard. Most of them looked like women wearing white robes. They remind me of… Nuns; I think that's what they're called.
I shifted my gaze to the three men inside, wearing all black uniforms with some kind of lettering on the back. Uh, something industries, I think, must belong to the guys that own the logging camp.
The three men seemed to be arguing with the nuns about something, too far away to make what they're arguing over. I don't care either. I scan the company men further. All of them were rough looking with broad builds. Hired muscle.
Narrowed my eyes at them, the eldest nun. Whom I assume is the leader said something to the hired muscles. That must have ticked them off, given how their posture changed. Then, something strange happened.
The one upfront stomped on the ground and it shifted beneath his feet. The ground swallowed the old woman's legs as the man beside him shot fire from his hands, actual fire. With the third waving his arms around, which caused some liquid to fly out of two urns and float around in the air.
What the fuck? How are they doing that? That's not… that can't be possible. Unless… shit, I guess that Vault Dweller guy wasn't lying about psykers. They're real after all; and from the looks of it. They're about to hurt a bunch of defenseless civilians.
Well, tough shit. I don't care, it's not my problem. No skin off my back if they die or not. Doesn't change the fact that my body jumps down to the ground from the top of the tree. I ignored the pain as the moment my boots hit the ground, I took off towards the wall as fast as I could.
Damn me, damn me and my bleeding fucking heart. Always causes more trouble than it's worth, but I can't stop myself as I scale the wall in a heartbeat and jump down to the courtyard. All eyes on me now. Both the nuns and the hired muscle paused as soon as I landed.
No words are needed as I pull out Blood-Nap and point it at the trio. No need to waste bullets for scum like them. Moved fast, too fast for anyone in the courtyard to react as I closed the distance between me and the fire shooter. He tried to turn to me as the flames from his hands grew wild and shot out toward me. I ducked under the flames; the heat tickled me as it passed by.
Blood-nap glinted in the moonlight just as I thrust the blade into his chest. I could feel that the blade had pierced through the ribs and into one of his lungs. The man's eyes widened as a gasp left his mouth. I ripped the blade free and slashed his throat open. His blood sprayed all over me before it flowed down his throat.
I then grabbed him by the arm and threw him as hard as I could at the water guy. The man's eyes widened as he tried to use the liquid as a barrier to stop the body. It only slowed it down. Both of them collided with a meaty thud as the water user collapsed to the ground, as his buddy bled all over him.
That just left the dirt thrower. I could hear him as he stepped back. Wanted to increase the gap between us as he swung an arm. A large rock shot out of the ground and toward me. I side-stepped the rock and rushed him. He threw two more punches and more rocks flew out of the ground and homed in on me.
I side-stepped the first one and rolled under the second as I continued to close the distance. He then stomped on the ground and it cracked in a line that was headed for me. I tensed my legs before I jumped high into the air. A small pillar shot out where I had stood. I then used it as a springboard as I soared across the air and tackled the man.
As soon as we landed, I could feel that I had broken something inside him. My weight and momentum had crushed some of his ribs and parts of his spin. He lived, and I had to rectify that.
Blood-nap in hand, I stabbed it into his shoulder, a scream left his mouth as he tried to beat his fists into my sides. Panic overtook any sense of disciple in him as I stabbed him again in the stomach. The knife was a blur as I stuck him repeatedly. Blood began to cake my right arm with each thrust of the blade.
His screams turned into gurgles as his life left him. I paused as I heard the water guy get up. He yelled something I couldn't understand as he formed a whip of water. I turned to the side and used the earth guy's corpse as a meat shield. The whip struck him in the back, and I could hear more of his ribs break under the force. Better him than me.
I then rolled to the side as the water guy adjusted his aim and struck where I had been. The whip had cracked the pavement as it struck. I don't want to get hit by that.
He kept his distance as he tried to hit me with that whip of his. Each strike missed by a hair's breadth. This guy was fast and precise. This wasn't his first scrap. However, with each miss, I got closer to him. He knew that too, the sweat that formed on his brow. The slight tremble in his arms as his eyes darted around. He was about to lose his nerve.
This is taking too long. I need to do something unexpected. A quick glance around and I spotted one of the overturned barrels nearby. I dodged another whip strike before I made a beeline to the barrel and grabbed it. I then flung it at the man, who crossed his arms and turned the water into a wall of ice. The barrel crashed into the ice and cracked it, but it stayed firm.
Bingo, I used the small time frame I had to close the gap. The ice turned back into water, but it was too late. I burst through the water and tried to stab him. He reacted quickly. Some of the water enveloped my right hand and had turned into solid ice. Didn't mean much when my ice covered hand slammed into his side. I could feel something burst inside his stomach from the blow. Given how he doubled over and vomited a little he felt it too.
I followed up with a haymaker to the side of his head. The head snapped to the side as he slumped forward. I then picked him up and suplexed the man. His head slammed into the ground as a loud crack echoed across the courtyard.
When I stood up, I could see the back of his head had split open and he just laid there. His muscles spasmed for a moment before he stilled, as dead as a doornail.
"Heh… hehehe." I had to cover my mouth with my free hand to stifle the giggles. Just couldn't help it. I had forced myself to calm down. Push that giddy feeling back down into the recesses of my mind. That's better.
Looked down at my frost-covered hand and flexed my fingers. The ice cracked before it all fell off, and with Blood-nap free I sheathed the blade and turned my attention to the nuns.
All of them looked at me wide eyed. Not a single one moved an inch as they just gawked at the carnage I had committed. I hate that look of shock, the ones people gave me whenever I do something. Like they're surprised by it. Surprised by the reality of violence.
I looked up at the stars as the moon hovered high above as it mocked me. The dead illuminated for all to see. What mattered more to me were the stars. I could see them clearly now. How wrong they were. I was right, not a single one was familiar. It was all just… wrong. A pit formed in my stomach. Something bad had happened. Something I knew nothing about.
"Excuse me." The words cut me out of my thoughts. I turned my attention to where the voice came from. It was the elderly nun. I could see the age on her face. The wrinkles that lined her skin and the weary gaze in her green eyes. She didn't seem scared of me, no, but I could tell she pitied me.
"You didn't have to go that far." She continued. I could understand her, but it took every ounce of my concentration to do so. To understand what she meant. I just looked at her and hoped she'd just move on. She didn't.
"It's always a tragedy when a life is lost. Even people like them didn't deserve such a fate." She said as she glanced at the dead bodies. I glanced over and saw the other nuns kneeling next to them, like they were in prayer or something.
"Why… care?" I cringed as the words left my mouth, still heavily accented. The nun just glanced at me, an unreadable expression on her face.
"I can ask the same of you." She retorted, and I didn't have any response to it. She then looked back at the bodies.
"We'll give them the proper rites. I can only hope they find peace in the next life." She then turned back to me. Her eyes narrowed on my frame as she analyzed me.
"You look tired, please. Stay the night."
"But-"
"I insist, young man. We sisters are supposed to take care of the lost after all, and something troubles you. I can tell." She said as she cut me off. She almost sounded genuine. Few truly are, that I learned real fast. I could walk back to the city, but this place feels more… serene.
If anything does happen, I'm more than capable of taking down some old ladies and any of those 'psykers' that come around. I just nodded at her. The old woman smiled at me in a way few people did. Like she was happy.
A stark contrast to the other nuns, who looked at me like I was a monster. Strange.
She opened her mouth to say something, but I held a hand up.
"Library?" I asked. The elderly nun raised an eyebrow before her neutral frown returned.
"We have a library, young man, but I would recommend some rest first." She said before a hard look entered her eye.
"I know what you are, and you're not ready for what you will learn." Now, that was peculiar. So she knows I'm American? If so, what 'thing' am I not ready for? It doesn't matter. I need answers now.
"Library, now." I replied. The nun just sighed.
"I cannot stop you. Our archives are within the basements of the main buildings. I will lead you." She stated before she turned on her heel and toward the large building on the other end. I glanced at the other nuns who had gathered the bodies and seemed to be in prayer… or… meditation?
Whatever. As we walked past her sisters, I followed the nun. Could feel them glare at me as I walked past. Silly me, how could I have forgotten? This isn't the wasteland. People here aren't used to this kind of violence.
Never had to fight to survive. Guess it's not their fault, even back in the wastes I was hardly 'normal'.
Something to keep in mind. I shove the thought to the side as I follow the old woman. We made our way to the large central building and entered. She slid the paper doors out of the way as we stepped inside.
The interior has very little in the way of decoration. The only things I could see were some paintings on the light cream-colored walls that hung alongside some calligraphy. A small plant sat on the table in the center of the room. It looked like a small tree of some kind.
"The library is just around the corner." The nun said, pointing down a hallway to the left. She then turned toward me. "I will leave you to your studies. I must help with the funeral rites and contact the company the men worked for." She continued. I just nodded at her. With that, she turned around and left the room, she closed the door behind her.
That just left me alone with my thoughts. Those men, did they really deserve to die just because they threatened a bunch of defenseless civilians?
… Yeah, I don't regret that in the slightest. They deserved it and much worse. However, it was dumb of me. Just make these situations more… delicate. Ah, whatever. What's done is done.
Moved on from my thinking and walked towards the left hall, where the library should be. As I walked down the hall, I realized that my boots were tracking mud all over the clean wooden floors… I'll clean that up later.
When I made it to the library door, I slid it open and looked inside. Dusty tomes and rolled-up scrolls sat on about a dozen bookshelves. In the center was a large desk with multiple chairs around it. All very neat and tidy.
Alright, I went up to one of the bookshelves and looked over the tomes to see if it had what I needed. Hmm… Nature of War, no… one-hundred and one traditional recipes… maybe. Opium: its uses and how to grow it… could be useful.
Hmm, skimming past the tomes, most of them seem to be spiritual books or philosophy related. With a few… notable exceptions.
Where are the… ah, these look promising. A few books about history and a box full of what I assume are scrolls with the label 'historical records' on it.
I grabbed what I needed and made it to the desk. Sat down on one of the chairs as I set the books and the box on the wooden table. I opened the box and took out about a half dozen scrolls and a folded up piece of paper. It's a… map, I think.
I unfolded the map and looked at it, a small frown on my face as I looked at it. It's a map of four different continents, but I've never seen these before. I've looked at a globe before, and I've never once seen any of these landmasses there.
Strange.
I set it aside and picked up one of the books. It looked ancient. Probably a hundred years old given the worn down leather and yellowed pages. However, it's preserved far better than most books I've found in the wastes.
When I opened the book, I didn't really know what to expect. I sat there for hours reading its contents, and it reminded me of that one history book I read in the city. This book corroborated much of what that one told me, some small variations here and there. But not in a way that could be malicious, just genuine human error by the author.
This doesn't make any sense, so I tossed the book aside and picked up another one. They were interviews of soldiers from the 'great war', and not a single one so much as mentioned the bombs or America or even China. This one was just as old as the first book and it told the same story, just from different perspectives.
Every single one of them talked about their lives in places that don't exist and fighting in battles that didn't happen. The locations they talk about are all places I've never seen on a globe or a world map before. There are extensive libraries in the Big MT and I've never heard of these events while reading through the books in that place.
God damnit, what the hell is going on? I shoved that book aside and moved onto the last back. I forced it open and scanned its contents. The personal accounts of Firelord Zuko post war. It was a copy of his memories and poems he had written. According to the note on the side, it was meant to be spread all over. This 'Firelord' intended to unite the fire nation with these… poems and short stories.
That, too, was shoved aside as I began to unravel and read through the various scrolls.
It was more events I had no idea existed, the founding of 'Republic City'. The struggles faced by people from a hundred year long war. Going into depth about the cultural norms of the four nations and how they interact in this 'United Republic'. The mythology of various 'Earth Kingdom' cities.
More things that don't make sense, a culture that was familiar yet alien. It's… fuck. That can't be it. More scrolls, more patterns repeat. All tie back together and corroborate a larger story I had been denying for a long time.
These books and scrolls are old, very old. There's no way that a government hellbent on information control would just let these be. And it's equally impossible that they could be able to control information from hundreds of years ago.
The picture is clear now. I can see what's going on. History that never happened, continents that shouldn't exist, stars being where they should be…
A chill ran down my spine. That hadn't happened in years. I could hear something drop to the ground, but I have no idea what it was.
I just sat there. Slowly, I came to a realization. I'm not on Earth…
I'm not on Earth.
"One." It's ok, it'll be ok. "Two." Just count to four and breathe in. "Three." It will be ok. "Four." I sucked in a deep breath, the damp air of the library filled my lungs.
"One, two, three, four." I let out a breath. My heart rate slowed down just by a bit. It's going to be ok, I'll adapt. I always do…
Count to four, breathe in… count to four, breath out.
…
God damnit, how the fuck do I always end up in these kinds of situations?