Shout out to Natechi, who was involved in the first rework, as thanks to him, I became a better writer overall.
I have also received PMs and Comments asking about ghoul-like look of Courier Six. JUST TO CLARIFY: HE IS NOT A GHOUL. I was going to address that in later chapters, but for those of you that are curious, explanation is at the end.
Big Mountain, also known as the Big Empty, a pre-war research facility located somewhere in the North America. It was a home to the brightest minds of the 21st century, where hopes and dreams of century became realities in the electronic forges of the Big Mountain, a structure of the main lab similar to a massive stone dome. And now, inside of it, the scientists, now nothing more, but brains floating in mechanical bodies, were anxiously hovering around the lab.
"Uh oh, we might have a bit of a problem," Zero began.
"WHAT IS IT, DOCTOR ZERO? DID SOMETHING OCCUR DURING OUR DAILY CASE OF RESEARCH?"Klein yelled, his volume knob turned to maximum volume once again.
"Klein, you remember that prototype teleportation technology you installed, that we were going to ask the Lobotomite to test for us, right?" Zero asked.
"OF COURSE I REMEMBER, WHY, IT WAS ME WHO ORDERED IT'S CONSTRUCTION, DIDN'T I?" Klein pointed out.
"Yes, we know, you did. Anyway, the Lobotomite… well, he… used it, somehow," Zero explained.
"WHAT? BUT HOW? WE MADE SURE TO TICK ALL SAFETY ON!" Klein protested.
"About that, doctor Klein," Borous said, as he joined the conversation. "It appears that you forgot to actually engage the safety, meaning our Lobotomite has been an involuntary target of our prototype teleportation technology."
"OH…. THAT'S UNBECOMING OF ME. WHERE IS HE NOW?" Klein asked.
"% *%! %*(! %*" Zero explained.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ALTERNATE DIMENSION?! WE SENT THE LOBOTOMITE TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD AND DIDN'T ASK HIM TO BRING US ANY SAMPLES FROM IT?!" Klein yelled, not seeing the problem in the slightest.
"Doctor Klein, we first wanted to test the technology with robots, before sending in my little teddy bear. However, that's no longer the case and my little teddy bear is gone and we have got no way to bring him back," Dala added, as she began analysing the data left behind by the machine.
"Indeed, our lobotomite is gone, same with my youth… my youth! Lost!" Borous exclaimed.
"Oh really, Borous, all you did in High School was Commie fink-tattle-tale on all the kids you hate, you little teacher's pet brown-hound," Zero interjected, shutting down Borous for once.
"STOP ARGUING AND SQUABBLING WE HAVE GOT MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS TO ATTEND TO," Klein said, everyone turning towards him. "OUR LOBOTOMITE IS GONE, AND WITH HIM, OUR ONLY CHANCE TO EXPERIMENT BEYOND THIS CRATER, YOU GENIUSES! WE NEED TO GET HIM BACK!"
"That may be a problem, Doctor Klein," Dala said.
"WHY IS THAT, DALA?" Klein demanded.
"!% *%! *%! *" Eight explained.
"SO, NOT ONLY IS THE CIRCUITRY FRIED, WE HAVE ALSO LOST THE COORDINATES AND WON'T BE ABLE TO REPAIR IT ANYTIME SOON? DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE GOT OTHER BAD NEWS I MUST KNOW OF?!" Klein yelled out.
"There is one more thing, Doctor Klein," Borous began. "If you remember, our lobotomite promised to ' flush each of our brains down the toilet', if we were to do something 'stupid', as we may have done by now. Perhaps it would better if we… not brought him back anytime soon?"
"But won't the lobotomite get more mad it we stall for it?" Zero pointed out.
"It's true, but according to all our research, the natural human reaction to such event might take months or even years to fully accept, especially since we don't know where we sent my little teddy bear," Dala added.
"%!* % !*%! %," Eight said.
"You speak true, Eight. Perhaps we need to give the Lobotomite some time, before we bring him back. In fact, should we progress some of the scientific prospects he left us with, it could hopefully help 'mend the wounds' between us," Borous added.
"THEN IT IS DECIDED. WE SHALL FIND AND GIVE LOBOTO-BEAR A MARVEL OF SCIENCE SO HE DOESN'T VIVISECT US WHEN HE COMES BACK. GO MAN YOUR SCIENCE STATIONS. GO!" Klein ordered, everyone going back to their work. "I AM SURROUNDED BY CHILDREN."
After his little talk with Demeter, the duo set out towards the city, escorted by the same guards, who threatened him the first time. Sadly, they were talking in a language of 'Common', which meant he could not understand them, though based on the glances sent in his direction, he was certain they were talking about him.
In any event, after changing his attire, he noticed a noticeable shift in reactions of the people and… other aliens, he supposed. While previously, they often just looked at him with a mixture of fear, worry and astonishment, their reactions now were far more subdued. Sure, he received an occasional glance, a whisper or two, some giving him a better look, but nothing to the extreme when he first arrived.
"So, Six, is this really your true name? It sounds more like a job description," Demeter pointed out.
"It sort of is. I don't even bother giving my name at this point. Six, Courier Six are just far easier to remember and more recognizable anyway," He replied.
"Is that so? Is there a problem with your name?" She asked, while the man shook his head.
"Not really, I just don't give it away to anyone. Not worth the hassle. It's easier to stick to the Courier or Courier Six," He replied, as they passed a number of farms on their way to the city. "By the way, Miss Demeter, are all these farms yours and your Familia?"
These farms were a sight to behold, well maintained, full of harvest, with a number of workers constantly shifting around and cultivating the crops, feeding the animals or ploughing the fields. Cows, actual cows, not two-headed Brahmin were lazily eating the grass, others were being milked. He could see chickens roaming free, sheep, horses and other animals, which he rarely saw, most of them mutated far beyond their original form.
"You are correct, my Familia specializes in Agriculture and providing all the necessary food for the city itself. While there a few other smaller Familia dealing with it, majority of the city's upkeep falls on us," She explained. "How about you, Six, are the sights like the farms like this common where you are from?"
"Hmm… not really," He began, as he measured his words. "There are a few farms here and there, but nowhere near the size, scope or quality of yours. Besides, my whole area is located in desert, which is not the best environment for raising crops or animals."
"Desert? Like the Kaios Desert?" Demeter inquired, while Courier shook his head.
"Mojave Desert, you won't find it on any of the maps, it's a local name," He said the truth this time. No need to catch himself in a web of lies of his own making.
"I see… I assumed you come from Kaios Desert, as it tends to raise powerful adventurers, due to it's harsh climate," She explained, as she focused back on the road. "Besides, you seem like an experienced warrior, Six."
"Out of modesty, I won't deny that," He said with a slight smile. "And you? I mean, you rule a whole 'Familia', shouldn't you be strong as well?"
Demeter giggled in response, as she glanced towards him. "Hardly, most of my children are stronger than me, but I am the glue that keeps them together."
"A leader, huh? You didn't strike me as one," He admitted, as he looked around, taking in all the new races that seemed often like a mixture of human and other animals, like bunnies or cats.
"Oh, pray tell, who did you take me for?" Demeter asked, a teasing tone noticeable in her voice.
"If I am to be honest, based on our interaction thus far, you remind me more of a caretaker than anything else," He replied with a shrug.
"Appearances can be deceiving, can't they?" She pointed out, while Six nodded.
"Ain't that the truth? For all I know, you could only put on the mask of a kind and caring individual, only to turn out to be someone else," He said, while Demeter hummed in response.
"I see, so, you don't trust me, do you, Six?" She guessed, while the man shrugged.
"Can you blame me? A beautiful woman walks up to me, offers job, place to stay and even speaks the same language as I do, while nobody else does. No offence, but if you ask me, it sounds all too good to be true," He replied.
"That's reasonable, I assure you I have got no ulterior motive and I hope that my actions will prove it," She replied with a gentle smile.
"Looking forward to it, then," Courier replied, as they got closer to the city itself.
While the group was walking towards the city, Demeter couldn't help, but feel giddy on the inside from all she had learnt during the short time, she spent with the man. Not only did Courier Six come from Mojave Desert that she, a goddess, has never heard of, he also spoke language of 'English', which she also never heard of.
Thanks to her status as a deity, she could communicate with any mortal in the world, same with the rest of the gods. It would be hard to form a Familia without such ability, which all the gods decided was necessary and would avoid hassle of learning every language in the world, when they could be enjoying themselves instead. Languages were simply a produce of the mortals, which the gods have created themselves. No language was beyond her understanding, when made by a mortal.
This in itself was very interesting, as it meant that the individual came from very far away. In all her godly life, she had never heard of the Mojave desert, which for a immortal goddess was saying something. It could have been simply the case of a translation, as 'the Mojave' was a supposedly a local name. However, she doubted that was the case, as what the Courier said was true. She wouldn't find it on any of the local maps and 'Mojave' was the name of the place, where he came from.
Of course, kingdoms raised and fell over the milenia, it wouldn't be the first time something changed, while she remained static, like the rest of the gods. The Courier could have simply come from a place very far away, one that she hadn't visited or seen with her godly powers, when she was still in Heaven. And yet... she doubted that was the case.
Too much didn't add up. The Courier's lack of knowledge about Orario, the Dungeon, adventurers and such did not add up for someone, who appeared to be an experienced warrior. No matter where you lived, monsters inhabited the world, even if they were weaker on the surface than those found in the Dungeon. And yet, the man didn't even mention monsters, not even when describing adventurers.
She had no idea how it was possible and it excited her! A mystery, an enigma, a riddle for her to solve that she couldn't answer immediately was like a gift from Heavens themselves. Just with a few bits and pieces he mentioned, she wanted nothing more but to ask a barrage of questions regarding: 'Elite Riot Gear', 'Mojave', 'Black Ranger Armour' and such. Not to mention, she wanted to learn just where did he keep all the stuff he had on him, like the armour he first arrived with.
However, she couldn't rush it. It was obvious the man didn't trust her, not that she could blame him after what he told her. He was a fish out of water, as he didn't know what Falna was, hadn't heard of Orario or the Dungeon or even Adventurers and last, but not least, were his capabilities. She already knew he somehow managed to swap his armour for another without showing how he did it.
If she could get Courier Six in her Familia, give him a Falna and see just what he was capable of, she probably would have fainted from the sheer excitement of what she was about to see. Not to mention, she could see all his previous experiences and relive them in his own eyes. Oh yes, Courier Six was a treasure chest, one that she had to guard very carefully, if she wanted to avoid Freya or any other gods stealing him away from her.
As the duo got closer to the city, the Courier could not help, but stare in awe at the size of the walls surrounding the city. They were massive, easily taller than the ones in the Mojave, standing about fifty meters tall, preventing pretty much everyone and everything from being able to scale them safely. Well, unless you could fly, then they wouldn't be much of a problem.
On top of that, as he looked around he noticed the traffic has vastly increased, more so than at the edge of the Farmland of which he arrived at. Everywhere he looked he could see caravans being pulled by horses and other animals. A living, thriving economy that just begged to be exploited by NCR or the Legion. So many taxes and so many slaves you could take, thank fuck they didn't come here with him.
"Here we are," Dememter said, as they stood in one of the gates leading inside a city, where a number of humanoids was standing in line for the boot check. "All that's left is a simple check leading into the city."
"A check? What kind of check are we talking about?" He asked.
"Just a simple verification of lack of Falna. All you need to do is show the guild member your back, while they verify lack of the Falna. It's a measure to prevent unknown adventurers into the city," She explained.
"Okay, I will bite, what's Falna anyway?" Courier asked, as to him, it sounded like some kind of mark on the back.
"You could say, it's a tattoo of sorts, placed by me and other leaders of their Familias on the backs of our children that confirm their allegiance," She explained. "It can also be used to measure their growth and how powerful they have become."
"So, it's sort of like a vigour tester machine, huh?" He asked, while nodding. He had no clue how did a tattoo help measure someone's progress, but as an ID, it worked quite well.
"A vigour tester machine? What's that, if I may ask?" She asked.
"It's… well, it's basically a gizmo, that lets you know how smart, strong, intelligent you are, more or less," He explained, not keen on going into details. "Though, I have to ask, how does a tattoo help you measure someone's growth?"
Demeter smiled in response and giggled. "It's a secret, but if you were to join, I could give one to you too."
"Thanks, but no thanks, still not tying myself to one faction," He said.
"I understand. Now, it appears, it's our turn now. I will go in first, please follow me," She said, as she headed towards one of the guards posts, the Courier following closely behind.
"Lady Demeter, it's good to see you today," A female elf with short silver hair and blue eyes greeted the goddess.
"It's good to see you too, Sophie," Demeter said. "As you can see, I am back from the fields and brought somebody with me."
"I can see that," Sophie said, as she looked over the Courier, before turning towards the goddess. "Seems like an adventurer to me, did a new member join your Familia?"
"Not at all, he is an acquittance of mine, one without Falna. He will be staying under my care for the time being," She replied.
"I see, well, come on, big boy, let's see you checked in," She said, while gesturing the Courier to come forward. The Courier glanced towards Demeter, who simply nodded in response, while he sighed and followed the elf into the booth.
"Okay, please show your back so we can continue," The elf said, as she raised some weird lantern.
The Courier didn't respond, as he simply turned his back towards the elf and began manually taking the armour off piece by piece, leaving only the trousers and the helmet on. He wouldn't want to expose Vault-Tec's technology to a lesser civilization after all. As he progressed, the elf became more and more astonished, her eyes spread wide open, the mouth forming in the shape of an o. Only when he took the last of the armour, all she could feel was a complete and utter shock at the sheer amount of scars covering the man's body.
Everywhere she looked, she could see scars of varying shapes and sizes. Some looked like they were made by tiny balls or something similar, some looked like somebody poured molten lava on top of the man's skin, but nothing could compare to the giant scar in the middle of his back. It looked like it was made by a dragon, three vicious claw marks spanning from waist to the base of the neck. However, beneath all that scar tissue, she could see muscles honed by experience, similar to that of a statue. Muscles that were unfortunately under the cover of his irradiated skin which was not unlike that of a wasteland ghoul.
Whatever blush that was building up on her face was quickly dashed away by the sight of the skin she saw underneath them. It was dry and scarred, comparable to dried beef, a bit old and probably felt like dirty boot leather, she imagined that if he were to walk under the rain his skin would start growing moulds. Picturing that made her a little bit nauseous.
There was no sign of a Falna, as far as she could tell, but it could be locked, which made it invisible to prying eyes. It was a technique used by the gods to prevent the status of their adventurers from being read by other Familias. In cases like these, the guild used a lantern-like prop that revealed the existence of a Falna. It prevented spies from entering the city and it also allowed to check the status of the adventurer. Considering yearly wars with Rakia, courtesy of Ares, the god of it's country, it was just a precaution.
She used the prop and frowned, the object showing not a sign of a Falna. Sophie's astonishment was overpowering her disgust, the amount of scars wasn't normal nor was the condition of his skin, especially without a Falna, yet it was in front of her very eyes. However, it was true, the man possessed no Falna to speak of.
"Y-you can put your armour back on," She whispered, putting away the lamp, while the Courier took that as his cue to dress up.
"So, how did it go, Sophie?" Demeter asked, as she entered the booth.
"It's… complicated. There is no Falna, as you told me, but the sheer number of scars…," She began.
"Scars? How many scars are we talking about?" Demeter asked.
"That's…," She said, as she glanced towards the Courier.
"Oh, don't worry about him, he doesn't speak Common either, he can't understand us," She reassured the guild member, only for her to pause.
"He… doesn't speak common?" Sophie asked, while Demeter nodded. "That's… rare to say the least. Anyway, you mean, you didn't know he was scarred more than any adventurer I have seen in my entire life?"
"I am afraid not, it's not like he showed his back to me or any other part of his body for that matter," She replied with a smile. "So, how bad are we talking about, Sophie?"
"It's… insane. The amount of scars on his body… he should be dead or at least crippled for life, but he isn't, he seems fine, more than fine and I don't understand how," She admitted, while Demeter giggled in response.
"I see, I knew he was quite an interesting individual, when I first met him, it appears I was right," Demeter said with a smile. "I suppose, you won't have any problems with letting him pass through, no?"
"That's… no, I suppose not. The instructions are clear and your friend… what's his name?" Sophie asked.
"Six, Courier Six," She repeated his name in English, making the elf frown.
"C-Coriar?" She tried, the name foreign to her.
"It translates to Courier Six," She repeated, while the elf blinked in confusion.
"His name… is Courier Six?" She asked, not able to believe that.
"No, that's not his name, but that's what he calls himself. I am not sure why," Demeter replied.
"I see… anyway, I guess that's about it. You're free to go now," Sophie said and gestured them both to leave.
"So, can we go?" Courier asked, while Demeter nodded, the duo leaving the booth, the guards following shortly after them. "So, what were you talking about anyway, that lady seemed quite distressed for some reason."
"You have left quite the mark, Six. She has never seen anyone with as many scars as you have," She replied.
"Really? Well I guess I have been through a lot, more than average person," He admitted.
"Oh, care to elaborate?" She asked.
"Maybe one day," He shot down the subject.
Courier Six wasn't an ordinary person, he had been through things that would have left weaker minds mentally broken and scarred for life. Braving Sierra Madre, Big Mountain, the Divide, seeing things that made him question his sanity. But nothing could prepare him for the city of Orario. Walking along one of the streets, he could hardly believe his own eyes.
People with animal features like tails and ears on top of their heads, dwarves, elves, tiny humans that were walking side by side, talking, eating and working. Also hairs, hairs of colours that defied his entire biological and genetic knowledge. The fact that the colours of the irises were just as varied didn't help.
"And here I thought I'd seen everything," He muttered.
"It is quite astonishing, the city that is," Demeter said with a smile.
"Won't deny that," He said.
He had no clue how it was possible. Back in his world, supermutants and ghouls were often looked down upon, despite being former humans and less alien than the creatures surrounding him. Heck, the ghouls were often referred to as zombies, while the former suffered attacks from NCR mercenaries. Here though everyone was fine with each other, or at least it seemed that way. No obvious racism could be seen, which was too good to be true, as far as the Courier was concerned.
That wasn't even the oddest thing he had seen so far. The buildings in the city looked new, yet outdated. They looked similar to the ones built at the beginning of eighteen or perhaps nineteen-century brick houses back on Earth. The streets were clean, free of faeces, trash and anything of that sort, which implied active plumbing and some kind of public service. Not to mention street lights very similar to those back on Earth. There were also many different types of buildings, based on different cultures, remarkably similar to the likes of Chinese, Japanese, Western and others, he saw photographs of them on an old database.
One thing became painfully obvious the more time he spent walking the streets of Orario. The sheer difference between certain individuals was staggering. Thanks to VATS and AR Scanner, he was able to get a feeling of their capabilities. The people were weaker than on Earth, most of them didn't seem to be able to survive much.
However, among them, there were individuals, especially those in armour, who were comparable to some of the enemies he faced before. Most of them still didn't compare to Earth and the things he fought on a regular basis like Yao Guais, Deathclaws or just plain old raiders who could survive a surprising amount of punishment, before finally going down.
"Here we are, the Wheat Manor," Demeter said, as they stopped in front massive building that put most of the casinos on the Strip to shame.
You know, he used to think that the Ultra-Luxe casino was impressive and it was. However, compared to the manor in front of him, it looked like a ramshackle hotel. The manor was beautiful like something that came from a fantasy book. It looked as if someone made a beautiful villa with every design of walls, windows and the entire structure reminiscent to that of wheat and other plants, easily standing over five floors high.
The Courier whistled in approval. "Well, I will be damned. That's one nice building you have got, Miss Demeter."
"Why, thank you. Me and my Familia worked really hard to get to this point. Unfortunately, this is where things get a bit complicated," She admitted, her smile falling in the process.
"Let me guess, outsiders are not allowed inside, on the basis of sabotage, espionage and other relevant factors, correct?" He pointed out.
"Correct, impressive deduction," Demeter said, while Six shrugged.
"Not deduction, more of an experience. I was patted for weapons or straight out refused entry more than once and I can understand why. So, what happens now?" Six asked.
"You will not be allowed on the inside of the manor, but if you look to your right, there is a small side house adjacent to the building itself. It's mostly used for merchants that come and trade with Orario or other third parties. It's also where you will be staying for the time being," She explained and pointed to a small, but well maintained building.
"Fair enough, so, should I just go there and wait?" He guessed, while Demeter nodded.
"Sort of, I will explain your situation and join you shortly after that, until then, please wait for me inside," She said.
"Alright, I can do that much, just don't take long, I sunburn easily," He cracked a joke, while the goddess giggled.
"I am sure you do," She said, as she led him inside the building.
The building itself was in a similar design to the manor, but far more modest with just one floor and a barn next to it. Entering inside he noticed a bunch of rooms locked behind doors, a kitchen area, what appeared to be some toilets and few other bits and pieces. It definitely had the vibe of a motel or something to that effect, rather than a full blown house.
As he looked around, Demeter walked up to one of residents and began speaking in the local language, which he still could not understand for the life of him. His hands instinctively went for the pockets of his Elite Riot Gear, despite not wearing it, as he waited for the woman to finish her conversation.
"Everything is settled, please come with me," She said, as she led him to a small room, which was modestly furnished. It had a bed, a desk, two chairs, a wardrobe and some kind of lamp on the desk itself. "This will be your room for the next few days, please make yourself at home and take the key as well."
The Courier took the iron key, as he glanced over it, before stuffing it into his backpack, which then transferred it to the pip-boy itself. "Thanks for everything, Miss Demeter, I guess I owe you, no?"
"Yes, but I am sure you will more than make up for it in the future. Now, excuse me for the moment," She said and left the Courier inside the room, locking the door behind her.
"Well… that got way more complicated than I expected," He muttered to himself.
Making a deal with Demeter was a compromise he had to accept. As it was right now, he was limited when it came to dealing with a brand new world and it's set of own rules. On top that, he could not speak or write the local language, which further complicated his current circumstances. Sure, he could probably sneak inside the city, steal some books from library and learn on his own, but he doubted it would be very effective. And if he walked into the city wearing Elite Riot Gear or god forbid, a suit of power armour, he was pretty sure things would get ugly real soon.
He initially wanted to simply pay Demeter to teach him how to write, but there were a few problems with that. One, he didn't have a single coin of local currency. Two, massive gold bars from Sierra Madre were out of the question due to their size and value, as well as attention they would bring. Three, between bottle caps, legion coin, ncr dollars and such, it would be like screaming of being a foreigner or an alien.
That left him with very few options. He was able to lie his way to this point, but he wasn't sure how much Demeter believed his stories. And he wasn't sure if he could trust her anyway nor what her end goal was, but he would not let himself be caught the same way he was at the Sierra Madre and it's bomb collars.
What he needed right now was some extra clarity for one of the drugs he had on him, Mentats. They were basically mind-altering chems. They increased memory related functions and speed up other mental processes. The downside? They were fairly addictive, thought to a lesser extent than the likes of steady.
Lifting his helmet, he swiftly gulped the pills, as he waited for the drugs to take effect. Moments later, he could already feel the change sweep over him, as it felt as if his intellect grew to that of a level of genius! The Scientific problems becoming easier in an instant, his mind already feeling faster and sharper than on an everyday basic. It has been a while since he last used those babies and he clearly loved the sensation they provided.
However, he knew how bad they could affect him, Doctor Mobius was a prime example of that. Getting addicted to mentats was like working on a reduced mental capacity, until you kicked the habit, which is why he tried to avoid taking them, unless necessary. It also meant, he would not be able to take another dose for another day at least, if he wanted to avoid getting addicted in the process.
The more he took such drugs, the higher the odds of that happening. So he would rather pace himself and not take a dose more often than once every two days. In the meantime, Demeter returned, after knocking on the door and brought a bunch of books with herself, as well as relevant writing supplies.
"I am back," She said, as she placed the books on the desk, made herself comfortable and patted the seat next to hear. "Go on, Mister Six, it's time to start our lessons."
"Wait, just like that? I am not expected to work first?" He pointed out.
"And how do you expect to work, if you can't understand what to do?" She pointed out, while Six raised his finger and paused.
"Alright, fair point, let's get this started," He said, as he sat on the other chair, which creaked under his weight. "Though, I hope you don't me asking questions in the process, do you?"
"Only if you let me ask you some questions in return," She replied.
"I can work with that, though I do reserve right to refuse to answer certain questions," He said.
"That's fine with me. Now then, are you ready to get started?" She asked.
"Let's," Courier said, as Demeter began the first language lesson with him.
For the next few hours, the Courier took careful notes, doing his best to learn the new language. On the plus side, the basics of the language were not that different from some of the languages he knew. There was a set of letters, which could be combined into different words, similar to English and such.
However, the difference lay in the details. When he first came to this world, he considered the letters similar to runic or something to that effect. However, that was merely their visual side. Grammatically, the language of Orario known as 'Common' was more similar to German, which was also similar to English. There were parallels that could be drawn and differences he had to take into account, but overall, he definitely could see the logic behind it.
"And that about explains the basic of forming words with letters and the basics of grammar," Demeter said with a smile.
"I see, so that's how it works, pretty good structure of a language, if I do say so myself," He admitted. "Question, does everyone in the world speak Common?"
"For the most part, there are some nations with their own languages, but common is universally known across the world," She replied.
"Huh, that's neat, definitely makes it easy to communicate, I guess," He said.
"Is that not the case where you come from, Six?" She asked.
"Sort of. In my local area everyone uses English, but I did come across people who spoke their own language making it real hard to communicate with," He replied.
"That sounds like a rather interesting story, care to share?" She asked, as she smiled at him.
"It's not really much of a story, just a small interaction I had. I think they said something along the lines of: 'Hoi! Owslandr zookuh Joshua Graham?'" He replied.
"Are you looking for Joshua Graham?" She said, while Courier paused, as he turned towards her.
"How did you figure it out that easily?" He asked, impressed by the way Demeter easily figured it out.
In response the woman smiled and giggled. "You could say I have got a talent, when it comes to languages."
"Understatement of the century right here, not bad," He admitted. Not many people would be able to guess that one, he needed to be smarty-pants to figure that one.
"Why thank you, I am proud of it," She replied, witholding part of the explanation why was that possible. "Now them, let's resume our lessons." Only for a growl to escape her stomach, making her blush.
"Hungry much?" Courier guessed, while she coughed in embarrassment.
"You could say that, in all this excitement, I appear to have missed supper," She admitted with a sigh.
"If you want, I could cook something for you myself," Courier said, making Demeter blink.
"I didn't know you could cook," She pointed out, while the Courier huffed.
"I will have you know that I have got plenty of experience cooking and know quite a few mouth-watering recipes," He said, while Demeter smiled in response.
"I meant no offence, you simply didn't strike me as a person, who spends their time in a kitchen," She said.
"Fair enough, when I am dressed like this, I don't look like much of a chef," He agreed with a shrug. "So, what do you say, Miss Demeter? Care for a meal from the heart of the Mojave?"
"It would be hard to say no to such a treat," She replied, already getting excited about learning something new about the Courier.
"Right on then, give me a moment and I will have it done in a jiffy," He said, stood up and headed towards the kitchen, leaving Demeter alone. "And no peeking!"
"I know, I know, I will wait patiently," She replied, as she put away the book. "I wonder what will he make…?"
"Now then, let's see, what do I need to make Cook Cook's Fiend stew?" Courier muttered to himself, as he easily recalled the recipe. "Two beers, a slab of Brahmin meat, fresh potato and a jalapeño pepper. Yep, that should do it."
He walked up to the kitchen area, pulled a cooking board from his backpack, as well as a kitchen knife and the utensils, before setting his ingredients on it. He started by cutting the meat into small chunks, before pulling out a frying pan and… stopping in his tracks. There was a problem, this kitchen…had no slot for firewood or kindling even.
"Wait a second, this isn't a wood stove?" He muttered to himself, as he inspected the piece of equipment in front of him.
It sort of looked like the kitchens back in the Mojave, but he didn't see any electric lines, which excluded electricity. In fact, he was quite certain this thing wasn't gas powered either, which confused him for a moment. He began inspecting the stove, as he tried to figure just how it worked, his curiosity getting better of him, as he opened and closed every single opening he could find.
Then by a pure chance, he found what appeared to be a power source. It looked like some kind of metal cage, which had some kind of... crystal inside? There was a pause, as a neurons sparked in his brain, as he recalled certain power stones dropped by the 'goblin'. He immediately pulled one out, as he compared the two, realizing they were basically the same, size excluded
"So that's, how they work," He realized.
Instead of relying on coal and such, the people here used these stones to power their equipment. However, that also brought another question, if this stove here was common across the city, then how many of those things were needed to keep it powered at all time?
How many people were forced to kill these 'goblins' and other creatures to sustain the economy of such a scale? Was it the reason behind adventurers and the Dungeon itself? Did they delve into it's depths, kill 'monsters', carve out their power stones and use them as a replacement for electricity? If so, that would confirm Demeter's words, while bringing further confusion. There were simply too many unknowns for him to give any proper conclusion. He would need to investigate this Dungeon himself at one point.
Still, he had to admit, it definitely seemed like a safer, more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, even if it meant slaughtering hundreds if not thousands of monsters. Then again, humanity basically wiped itself over a bunch of resources, causing death to about seven billion people, all lost in an exchange that lasted a grand total of two hours. The war to end it all, the Great War.
"Something for later, but for now, the stew," He muttered to himself and resumed the cooking process.
Placing the pan over the source of heat, he poured about half a bottle of beer onto the plate, letting it heat up, before putting in the meat itself. He let it sear for the moment, moving it around the pan to prevent burning, until it reached nice crispy brown colour. Once that happened, he added the rest of the beer, lowered the heat and allowed the meat to cook in it's own juices as well as the beer itself.
In the meantime, he began cutting the potato and the pepper into small pieces, before adding them both onto the pan and increased the heat. He then followed it up with a the second bottle of beer, pouring it's contents into the pan. He also added a bit of cave fungus, just as a precaution to neutralize any and all traces of radiation. Moving the contents around, he made sure all the pieces were evenly cooked, before turning off the heat and pouring the stew into one of the bowls located in the kitchen. It was time to serve the meal.
"Here you go, Cook Cook's Fiend Stew," He said, as he placed a bowl of steaming hot stew in front of the woman.
"My oh my, it looks delicious. Cook Cook's Fiend stew, was it? That's an interesting name, what's the story behind it?" She asked.
"Not much of a story, just a recipe made by one nasty piece of shit, real good chef, if you ignore all the atrocities he committed," He replied.
"Oh, was he really that bad of a person?" She asked, while Six nodded solemnly.
"You have no idea, but I digress. Why don't you give it a try?" He said.
"Hmm… you are not trying to poison me, Mr Six, are you?" Demeter asked, while Six scowled underneath his helmet.
"How rude! I will have you know that wasting good food like this is something that I want no part in. Food is meant to be eaten, savoured and enjoyed, not wasted on poisoning someone. Besides, if I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking right now," He admitted, making Demeter blink.
"That's… not what I expected to hear. I didn't mean to offend you, Six," She apologized, while the Courier waved his hand at her.
"No biggie. Plus, I went overboard myself, apologies. Still, I hope you enjoy this humble meal of mine," He replied.
"I see, thank you, may I?" She asked, while Six nodded.
She took a spoon given by the Courier, grabbed a handful of the stew, blew on it a little bit, before finally putting in her mouth. The first thing she noticed was hearty, savoury richness of the meat, which was both tender and succulent. The beer, used as a stock, contributed to a robust and malty undertone to the dish, while the potatoes offered soft, almost creamy texture, which went well with a mushroom. She could also taste a bit of fiery kick, from a pepper of sorts, which was sharp and persistent, turning the whole dish into a hearty meal, perfect for any farmer or adventurer.
"Mmm… it's delicious, you could be a professional chef with skills like that," She admitted, wondering if maybe she could have Six cook for her entire Familia.
"Ow, you are making me blush," He said jokingly, while Demeter smiled, as she continued the stew undisturbed.
Only after leaving not a drop left, Demeter put away the bowl and the spoon, before wiping her face with a handkerchief and turning towards the Courier. "Thank you for the meal, it was truly delicious."
"Glad you enjoyed it, consider it part of our agreement, it's the least I can do after the hospitality you have shown me," He said.
"Of course, I will keep it in mind. Now then, as much as I would like to continue, it's getting late, I will be leaving the books here and return tomorrow. In the meantime, please try not to get lost in the city, Six," Demeter said. "Oh and I will make sure to provide you with meals from tomorrow onward, as per our agreement."
"Fine by me. Besides, it's not like I can communicate with anyone," He replied.
"Correct. Now, enjoy you stay, Six. I will see you tomorrow," Demeter said, as she turned towards the door, while the Courier opened the door for her. "Oh, and one more thing, Six. Don't tell anyone you don't have a Falna."
"I will keep it mind. Have a peaceful night, Miss Demeter," Courier said, while the goddess nodded, went through the door, while the man locked the door behind her. "… So far so good."
His deal with Demeter has been nothing short of fruitful at least thus far. Not only he was able to establish a working relationship with a rather influential figure, based on what he had seen thus far, he was also able to learn a few key details about this new world. Demeter seemed to be quite interested in him for some reason. And if that was the case, leaders of other Familias would be the same, if not outright worse in their behaviour. Yet another good reason, not to reveal his alien origin.
Besides that, there were a few other bits and pieces, he was able to confirm. Demeter wasn't out for his blood, as he wasn't immediately arrested or reported to local authorities, which already improved his opinion of her. She was also quite loaded and probably influential based on the farmland alone, which would be worth it's weight in caps in the Mojave. There was still that Falna tattoo thing, but he could ask about it later, it's not like he wanted to get one anyway. So, for the time being, he would cooperate and see where it would go.
"I'm still sleeping with a knife under my pillow," He concluded. "Still, there is quite a few hours left and I don't feel drowsy at all, so might as well do some self study."
Well, at least that's what he was going to do, when he suddenly felt dizzy, the rush of mentats wearing off. His hand reached for his head, his vision getting blurry, as he waited for the sensation to pass. No matter how many drugs he took, no matter how much he got used to them, the experience remained the same, unpleasant.
"Well, there goes that," He whispered to himself.
Self study could require another dose of mentats, which was less than ideal that or swapping of clothes. The thing about most of the drugs in his possession was a cumulative effect. The more dangerous drugs he took, the bigger the odds he would get addicted to them. Taking one or two doses of any of them was far less dangerous than taking like five of them at once.
That one time, he took five doses of Turbo drug, he needed to run to the nearest clinic for a cure, because he ran out of fixer and he had constant shakes during the trip back. Not a pleasant experience in the slightest, he would tell you that much. He would rather drink some coffee or put some clothes on that helped him focus or just feel smart in general.
Still, while he did say to Demeter he would try to not get lost in the city, he still had auto-mapping, which meant he could easily trace his way back to the home of his. Besides, it was a brand new world, brand new city, things he had never seen before! Between being coped out in the tiny room or having a stroll around, he knew which one he would rather do. And besides, it was just a simple stroll through the city, how bad could it go?
Although, there was still one thing left to do, before his nightly endeavour, heading into the toilet. If he was going to stay in this motel of sorts for extended periods of time, he needed to be presentable to Demeter. Sweaty and stinky armour was definitely a bit turn off for the opposite sex, that much was certain. Plus, nobody really liked dealing with smellies, not even in the Mojave.
So, he first headed into one of the toilets and immediately paused upon entering one. Compared to broken pissoirs, dirty brown water with radiation in it and lack of any soap, the toilet looked like it was taken straight out of the Ultra-Luxe. It was clean, it had paper towels for both wiping your intimate areas, as well as hands and it even had soap! A massive smile formed on his face, as he locked the door behind him, before he proceeded to wash himself. It even allowed him to choose water temperature, a luxury for him.
"Holy moly, now that's a nice change of pace," Courier admitted with approval in his voice.
He then walked up to the sink and turned on the water, which looked as pure as it could get. He put his armoured hand beneath the stream of water and watched as the geiger counter didn't even react. He then lifted his helmet up a bit, before getting his mouth close to the facet and drinking directly from the stream. Cool, fresh water entered his throat, the Courier swallowing it greedily, as he quenched his thirst.
"This has to be one the best purified water I have ever had in my entire life," He admitted to himself, before stopping the water flow. "Now then, it's time to do some exploring."
He then opened the door and quietly sneaked his way out of the room, before hitting the streets of Orario. Besides, there was one place he wanted to investigate more than anything else, that oversized tower he saw from miles away.
Unlike during the day, the traffic was far more subdued, though even at this late hour, he still see a number of people heading towards the Dungeon. And just like the last time, his armour brought the attention of quite a few, but thankfully enough, most of them simply looked at him, gave him a quick glance before returning back to their business.
As he walked around, he listened to the chatter and became even more confused as a result. Their language was so much different, it made talking with tribes at Zion look easy. If there was any consolation in this whole situation was the fact that his armour didn't bring nearly as much attention as he thought it might.
Sighing, he entered the tower and could feel his jaw drop, his eyes spread wide open. There was a massive hole with a set of a staircase on the edge that led down below to 'the Dungeon' Demeter mentioned. Supposedly people headed inside to fight monsters and bring back valuable materials, similar to the crystal he found before.
Well, there was only one thing left to do, checking the Dungeon itself! With a shake of his head, he entered the tower and began descending into the Dungeon, step by step, until he finally arrived at the end of the staircase. The first thing he saw was a hallway, wide enough to easily allow passage for a small army, illuminated by the light blue coloured walls.
It also explained why the adventurers felt no need to bring torches or other light sources. When he thought of the Dungeon he imagined dark forgotten crypt, devoid of light, not… this. It reminded him of the Vaults back in the Mojave, except for less spore carrier infestation.
One thing became obvious, as he progressed along the path. He couldn't keep walking forward forever, the path diverging in front of him. Since he had no clue, which way to go, he took the one on his right and began walking around. Oddly enough there were fewer adventurers here than on what he presumed was the main path. Most likely, due to the fact that the deeper one went, the better loot could be obtained, making early floors less desirable.
As he walked down the corridor, he heard the sound that made him stop in his tracks. It was the sound of monster birth, the walls cracking, as vaguely humanoid beings emerged from the walls, fully grown and ready to kill. He could feel his jaw hit the ground, as he watched the 'birth' occur in front of his eyes.
When Demeter mentioned monsters in the Dungeon, he expected them to simply live there and be born through natural means. Instead, it looked like they were being straight out created by some kind of biological factory, similar to robots being assembled. It defied all his scientific knowledge and made him what wonder just what exactly was 'the Dungeon?'.
The monsters that emerged from the walls were goblins, similar to the ones he saw before. The other ones looked like someone took a wolf's head and claws put it on a human torso and covered it in fur. They sort of reminded him of werewolves, but a quick look with VATS denied that notion, as it designated the new monsters as 'kobolds'.
In the meantime, the monsters charged, snarling and ready to kill, making him draw his sword in response. They seemed weak, but he was not the type to underestimate a new enemy. The group of monsters rushed forward, blood lust coming from their waves, no coordination between them. They were acting like animals, charging right at him, without a care for their own lives.
Taking a deep breath, he slashed horizontally, catching three monsters at the same time, killing them instant, blood splattering on the floor. One of the goblins tried to slash at his knee, but taking a step back, he was able to avoid the strike. He followed it up, by kicking the monster into another one, a sound of broken bones being heard across the Dungeon.
To his surprise, the monsters in the Dungeon were vastly stronger than their surface counterparts. Not enough to make a difference, but the difference between those he fought and those in the Dungeon was like between night and day. It also implied, that the deeper he went, the deadlier the monsters would be, while making him wonder, how far could he reach on his own.
In the meantime, it seemed like his attacks had an effect on the monsters, which stopped their attack, jumping away at the death of their comrades. The kobolds growled at him, while goblins gritted their teeth, not daring to move in for another strike. In fact, some of the monsters began turning around and running away, before the rest followed suit, the Courier not bothering to chase after them.
"Well, I'll be damned, they do have got a sense of self preservation," The Courier muttered to himself, as he placed his oversized bumper sword on his shoulder.
His first meeting with the monster kind of this world made him think that all the monsters would do is rush forward and try to kill him without care for their own lives. And yet, he had now witnessed something completely different. Were the monsters sapient? Programmed to attack all surface races? Enslaved to a will of the 'Dungeon'? Hell if he knew, but it did raise his curiosity. Leaving that aside, he turned his attention to the few monsters he had killed thus far.
"Let's see… average size of the 'kobold' seems to be six feet tall, with a muscular build and bipedal locomotion. For some reason, it possess humanoid torso, arms and legs, but canine fangs, feet and the head itself," Courier began his assessment of the corpse. "This almost looks like the failed splicing attempts of lobotomites and dogs from the Big Mountain, except this one was successful."
The Big Mountain research facility was responsible for a number of experiments, such as the nightstalkers and cazadors. In fact, it even had a splicing facility, allowing him to combine robots, nightstalkers, humans and even dogs. However, trying to fuse both human and a dog resulted in an instant death of both as well as massive lump of flesh on the floor. Something he repeated a number of times.
Why you may ask? SCIENCE! And guns of course. Each Lobotomite used in such experiment would often carry a decent gun on themselves he could sell later down the line. Shame the dogs had to die, but it was better than being trapped and experimented on by Borous and the rest of Think Tank, at least that's how he excused his behaviour.
"What else? The head itself is similar to that of a wolf, with a long pronounced muzzle, hinting at highly sensitive sense of smell. Strong jaw muscles allow for easily tearing off chunks of flesh, preliminary analysis indicating crushing strength of at least 88 PSI. Sharp claws with five digits allow for use of tools as well as providing means of slashing at their prey and predators. Heavier than the goblin, weight similar to that of an average human male. Possible omnivore, more likely carnivore," He concluded.
As soon as he removed the magic stone the size of a fingernail from the corpse, the rest of the body turned to ash, leaving nothing behind. He had seen it happen before with goblins, but seeing it with his own eyes, just left him confused about the monster kind. However just as the first time he killed the monsters, some of them left behind other items than just their power stones.
First was the kobold nail, which the pipboy described as: "A small nail taken from a kobold, more durable than would seem." The other one was a goblin fang: "A small fang taken from a goblin, seems like it could be shaped into a weapon."
"So, that's what they are. Perhaps a smith or someone could turn those into weapons?" The Courier pondered, before shrugging, besides he had no intention of selling them anytime soon, if ever.
He was too much of a hoarder for his own good, which almost got him killed on multiple occasions. Then as he carved the monsters up, he picked up another presence, making him stop. In front of him stood, what he would describe as a brightly coloured chicken, a fluffy yellow-green feathered rooster to be exact. The two of them looked at each other, before it clucked loudly and ran very fast in the opposite direction.
"Was that… a chicken? No, that can't be. No ordinary chicken would survive here for long," He concluded.
Okay, now he was curious. Most things in the Mojave tried to kill him on sight or scare him away by growling, snarling, etc. In fact, he could not remember a single animal, mutated or not, that would run away from him. So, to see a chicken run away from him was something he wanted to investigate. Now, how was he supposed to handle this?
Normally, he would simply go in the area that interested him, kill all the bandits/mutants/others on his way there, loot the place and move on to the next area. That's how he had done it back in the Mojave for the most part. However, there were times even he had to resort to being sneaky as a nightkin. And this seemed like a perfect opportunity to test some of the monster senses.
First thing he did was to lower his profile, settling into more of a crouch, his steps becoming silent in the process. This was enough to avoid being heard by pretty much everything and everyone. However, it only took care of the sound part of his endeavour. Avoiding monsters' sight in corridors such as this one was bound to failure.
Thus, he needed a way to make himself invisible and lucky for him Pre-War world had means to that. Raising the pip-boy to his arm, he once again browsed through his massive inventory, until he found what he was looking for, a Stealth Boy. It was a device, which generated a modulating field that transmitted reflected light from one side of an object to the other, making a person much harder to see. Basically an active camouflage. Those things were rare and valuable, making them perfect for both assassinations and reconnaissance.
Normally, he wouldn't use one, but with how big the Dungeon could be, he didn't want to take any chances. He might have had an implant that allowed for short bursts of stealth, but it was far less reliable than the Stealth Boy. Their only downside was that they burnt out after use, making them non-reusable. He also had a limited number of them, which meant he rarely used them. However, considering he was interested in learning more about the monsters and the Dungeon, things he had no real life experience in, he decided to make use of one.
With a flick of a button, the device came to life, as his body turned completely translucent and almost invisible to a naked eye, except for a soft shimmer, which could only be spotted up close. His combat shoes gently kissed the ground, not making nary a sound, as he did his best to follower the rooster's path, like a nightstalker prowling through the desert. Good thing too, as the Dungeon floor proved to be much bigger than he anticipated.
As he moved through the Dungeon, the monsters didn't notice him, not even the kobolds that he presumed had a better sense of smell than average due to their canine head. Then again, he could sneak up on the likes of Night Stalker, Cazadors, Deathclaws and such, even while dressed in a suit of power armour and standing right in front of their faces, perfect for a surprise attack.
The last thing, you never see, just as the First Recon rolled. It was also how he avoided consequences when killing those with high positions and such. Also, Marked Men, those things used anti-materiel rifles, which really bloody hurt. Getting the drop on them was one of the most satisfying experiences, especially after traversing the hellhole the Divide was.
As he moved past the monsters, he found himself in a room with a tall pillar, leaking some kind of white fluid. All around him he could see monsters, which were slurping loudly as they drank it, including the same rooster, he had seen two minutes prior, making him stop in his tracks.
"Wait, so those things need to eat?" He whispered to himself.
Okay, another assumption was thrown out of the window, as the monsters were easily one of the most confusing things he had come across in his entire life. Not only the were born adult, not only they had magical power stones in their bodies, but they also needed to eat and drink as well? What else? Use toilets?
His first assumption was that the power stones in the bodies of the monsters powered them, acting like some kind of battery for them, until they dropped dead. However, this obviously could not be the case. Just… what was purpose of the Dungeon? Why make monsters? Why have them drop items? Why did the monsters stay in the Dungeon instead of rushing towards the surface? Heck, why didn't they attack each other, despite being of different species?
His best guess was that the Dungeon was alive in some way and had a degree of control over monsters, preventing them from killing one another. He supposed the Dungeon needed to feed the monsters, if they had to hunt down all the adventurers. As for the rest of the features? He had no bloody clue, it was too confusing. He briefly considered killing the monsters, but decided against it, at least for know. Once he knew more about the Dungeon, there would be no mercy.
"Just you wait, my bags of caps, I will be coming back for you," He whispered to himself, as he turned back.
Satisfied, the Courier proceeded to leave the area, deciding it was enough exploring for a day. Until he found himself on the main corridor, turning visible along the way, the stealth boy running out. Now that he had seen a sample of what the Dungeon had to offer, he was satisfied knowing all the hard work he put into himself during his travels paid off in the long run.
Leaving the Dungeon behind him, the man entered the plaza surrounding the tower and noted the sun was slowly raising from the East, meaning he had spent the remainder of the night exploring the first floor out of who knew how many. He needed to hurry, if he wanted to be on time for next lesson! And thus, the Courier skedaddled!
Now, I made Courier Six look ghoulish is for a few reasons:
1. Narrative. Ever heard of Medusa? Power for Beauty? Deadpool…? This is a similar case.
In Fallout franchise (assuming we only use 1,2, New Vegas and Tactics) radiation and FEV are responsible for a good number of mutated creatures. In fact, Fallout 1 and 2 support my thesis of Courier looking like crap due to high radiation.
At 450 Rads: Hair is falling out
At 600 Rads: Skin is falling off
2. Rad Child, I haven't described it yet, as he didn't get hurt, but the TLDR is this: "The more irradiated Courier is, the stronger the healing effect."
Basically, he has got incredible healing factor with very few downsides that just keeps going. However, it has got no in-game effects except for slightly reduced stats (which really don't matter). So, to balance it out, I made him look ugly. That isn't to say, he can't recover from it. All he has to do is simply take some Rad Away and give his body time to recover, but it would also make him weaker in the process + take a fair bit of time.
3. Reactions: Basically, a Courier that looks like a human has been done before plenty of times. You can just search for crossover on fanfiction and I am sure you will find human-looking couriers with maybe some metal bits.
If you ever played Fallout 1, you could come across Necropolis and ghouls. If you have never heard or seen one before, they would look like rotting walking zombies, that would attack you, if you got to close. Just look at the old ghouls vs the new ones (bugthesda's shitty design), like Set, he looks horrible.
In fact, Van Buren (cancelled Fallout 3 that I wish was released) even had some ideas that made it into New Vegas, like the Hover Dam. Some didn't make the cut, like the experiment involving 'Born Ghouls', basically ghouls having children of their own. Courier merely looks like a half-ghoul, as a result of all the radiation in his body.