Chapter 2: Welcome to Paradise
Early October, 1099
The Ark
Rhodes Island. Some may think of the pharmaceutical company, others the settlement it rules over. Much of Terra has heard the name at some point or another in recent times. For many, it was just another corporation. For a certain population, it was their last hope of survival. Some came here to create a better future for all of Terra. Many came here because they had nowhere else to go.
It was just another day at school for some kids. For others, it was their first time in a classroom. Many of them had difficulty containing themselves. Sauin was around the corner and they couldn't wait for the festival. Sweets, parades, costumes, prank wars. But that was still days away, though. For now, they must soldier on and be good children. Who knows? Maybe the teachers will throw a party for the occasion?
The woman entering the classroom was not one of their usual tutors. In fact, she looked like she just waltzed off of a catwalk. Black high heels, an asymmetrical skirt, a tight-fitting office blouse. Ivory hair with blue flowers wrapped up in its strands. It was hard to gauge her race, but many suspected her of being a Liberia. Some students looked at her in awe, as if she were an angel. Others rolled their eyes, considering her to be some rich snob.
Then they noticed the badge on her purse. She wasn't a model from some faraway country. She was an employee of the company itself. And from the looks in her eyes, she wasn't afraid of getting into a brawl either. Everyone went silent as she cleared her throat.
"Good afternoon children," She said formally. "I am Orchid, and today I will be your tutor."
"Where's Mr. Irons?" Asked a little girl.
"With one of our doctors," She replied. "He's come down with a little something and we are treating him right now. In the meantime, I will be your substitute."
That "something" was his Oripathy. Much like herself, he was an Infected individual. Yesterday he called in for an appointment due to some complaints about his personal health. She didn't want any of the children to worry about it, though. Not while they themselves also suffer from the same affliction.
She fiddled around with the projector on Irons' desk and brought up a holographic image of the world. "This will be a review for most of you," She began. "But to the newcomers around here- those who were cut off from the rest of society- this will be your first lesson. First question; what is the name of our world?"
One of the students raised a hand. "Terra!" He said.
Orchid smiled. "So none of you have been living under rocks." She pressed a button and brought up another image. It was a black crystal, glowing in a fiery red light. "What is Terra's number one source of energy?"
Another one raised their hand. "Originium," She said.
Orchid nodded. "And what is one of the dangers of using such a mineral?"
"Rock disease!" Shouted a kid with scales.
The woman frowned. "I mean what is its formal name?"
The children were silent for a moment. She wasn't sure if it was because they really had no idea or would rather not say. One eventually gained enough courage to answer.
"Oripathy," Said an older kid. "It's like that Savra said. Turns your flesh into Originium."
So some of them did know. They just didn't want to face that cold reality today. "And where can you get treatment for such a thing?"
Many of the kids pouted, giving off a look that said 'Seriously?'
"Here at Rhodes Island. Duh," said a child in a deadpan tone.
Orchid resisted the urge to bash that one with her umbrella. Then again she couldn't quite blame him for his attitude. Oripathy's not a fun experience.
"Some of you may have also noticed that the company and city both rest on a mobile platform," She said. "This isn't an uncommon sight on Terra. Do you know why these nomadic cities exist?"
"Catastrophes!" Said a little boy.
"And what are they?"
"Natural disasters," Said an older one. "You can usually find Oirginium after they dissipate."
Orchid smiled as she selected another image from the projector. "So you do know the basics," She said. The next picture that popped up was a map of Terra.
"Let's try something more advanced for you. Specifically the nations and powers of our world."
The map began converting into a swarm of hexagons, many of them sharing a certain color.
"I am from the nation of Columbia, for example," She said. "Where is its territory on the-"
Someone was knocking on the door at that point. She turned to see a woman with silver hair and draconic horns. The latter was a mix of ebony and blue. Isn't that Liskarm?
She turned back to the students and picked up her purse. "Excuse me for a moment," She said.
She left the room and gave the Voulvire her attention. "What do you want, Liskarm?" She asked with crossed arms.
"Kal'tsit is building up a squad for a new mission," She said. "And she wants you in it."
"Really? When?"
"Right now. I'll explain on the way."
Orchid frowned. As much as she liked heading into the battlefield, she didn't like leaving any business unfinished. "So who's going to-"
An "ahem" caught her attention. She turned to see two young ladies. One was a pink-haired Liberi, the other a Vulpo mercenary with hoary hair color.
"Oh," said Orchid.
"Frostleaf and I can take it from here," said Ceylon. "You go on ahead with your mission."
Orchid stood there for a moment, processing the information, trying to come up with something to counter it. She nodded in defeat, following the dragon-woman to the nearest hanger.
"So what is the mission?" She asked. "Extraction? Escorting cargo?"
"Extraction. A person of interest has been spotted at Great Lungsmen."
Orchid raised an eyebrow. "So? Why not let the LGD handle them?"
"Because they're carrying some serious heat. Heat that would draw all sorts of attention to them. If the Empire of Ursus or Yan got their hands on them first…"
Orchid got the message. "But they might not be one for listening?" she noted.
"It is a concern. We may have to use force to keep them out of the spotlight. Your abilities would be valuable in such a scenario."
Orchid swallowed. "This person… how dangerous are they?''
"Enough that Kal'tsit has branded him a 'Hyper-Lethal Vector'," Liskarm claimed. "We already have confirmed kills of several people and beasts. The numbers for each category are in at least the dozens. Maybe a hundred total. He's probably killed even more before arrival."
Orchid blinked. 'Hyper-Lethal Vector'? That's military jargon, ain't it? Just how many lives did he end to receive that designation? She also couldn't help but notice something off about that last sentence.
"What exactly do you mean by 'arrival'?" she asked. "Arrival from where?"
Liskarm fell silent. "...I will debrief you on the way to the objective, but you mustn't speak of any of this to anyone outside the mission."
Date: Irrelevant
Location: Space Between Spaces
To say that Six was tripping was putting it mildly. Billions upon billions of images flashed all around Six faster than he could keep track. He looked around for ED-E whenever his eyes could bear the bombardment of colors, but he could never find him. But he did find some strange shapes underneath the armada of visions.
A dragon snarled down at him while her shadow took on a more humanoid form. It cackled and grinned at him like a maniac, pointing at something behind him. He turned to see three starving lions, all circling around him like vultures. Gators snapped at his ankles while demonic beasts soared above. Opposite of the dragon was a massive bear, fur as dark as the night sky. Yet all of them fled at the sound of a strange bellow.
An earthquake went off in his skull. He fell onto a knee as something began worming its way into his brain. A thousand voices whispering into his ear, a contorted chorus singing in an unfamiliar tongue. An invisible force slithered and snaked around his body, tapping his skin at every turn. And though he couldn't see it, he was certain something saw him.
There was that bellowing sound again. And this time he saw the source. Closing in on him was what could be best described as a Ghoulified killer whale. Black rocks protruded from its rotting skin and a red sludge leaked from every orifice. It opened its maw and swam in to devour him. All he could do was brace himself.
Yet the beast never reached him. Instead, there was a blinding light. He could see something up ahead. A roving city on treadmills, with a giant chess piece at the center. A storm of green shards flew toward the beast, slicing through its rotten flesh and spilling gore into the void. The creature retreated into the abyss, leaving behind a trail of blood and gibs in its wake.
The silhouette of a horned rabbit- a Jackalope?- hopped from the roving city, taking on a more humanoid form. It assumed the shape of a young girl, while two more shadows appeared beside her. Both of them were hooded figures, but at least one of them had an obvious hourglass shape. The remaining one was more broad and mysterious though. For a moment Six thought he was staring at the grim reaper.
The child held out her hand. Six however was hesitant to shake it, let alone get near any of them. Then more shadows started popping up behind them. Dozens- hell, maybe even over a hundred of them. Most of them possessed some type of animal trait, such as extra ears or tails. Some of the shadows also seemed to be made of crystalline material. Yet none of them lifted their weapons. They were mimicking the girl's gesture.
Suddenly the aurora lights faded, leaving everyone in the abyss. Then blood-red storm clouds formed above them, crackling with ebony bolts of lightning. Meteors rained down upon everyone, scattering them. Six ran -or swam, hard to tell in a void- towards the city, hoping for some shelter. A blast sent him flying toward the settlement, causing him to scream at the top of his lungs.
An invisible hand caught him, though. He looked to see another female silhouette, this one surrounded by six towering figures. She gestured towards a bunker not far from their position. Six hesitated once again but changed his mind as the storm drew closer. He ran towards the doors and leaped inside. It was deeper than he anticipated, and he ended up plummeting into a rabbit hole. A bright light enveloped his vision, blinding him...
Date: September 28th, 1099
Location: Outskirts of Kazdel wastelands
Six gasped as he regained consciousness. While his eyes were readjusting to reality, his ears picked up something. Grains shifting. Wind blowing. His nose caught the scent of dust and sand. Melded circuitry and smoke. His eyes widened as he recognized that particular smell.
ED-E… Six remembered. He got hit by that wave too.
The first thing his eyes were greeted with was the wreckage of the Eyebot. Six broke off into a sprint to reach it and knelt down. This was bad. A lot of the hardware was reduced to smoldering plastic and copper. The metal inside was still melting from the heat produced by the overload. No telling how long it'll take for it to cool down. But worst of all was the internal workbenches. They were burnt to a crisp, useless.
Then he remembered the repair kits. He took one out of a pouch and pressed a button on it. Sparks danced as it came to life, and he began sliding it across the robot. The metal and plastic bits began to cool and remold themselves back into position. Any surviving wires or circuits were tied or soldered back together. Automated repairs were coming back online. Six smiled.
Note to self, He thought. Learn how to make more of these beauties.
ED-E soared to life and spun around like a bee. It chirped happily as it looked at the Courier.
"Welcome back to the land of the functioning," Six said. "Was worried I lost you for a moment."
ED-E emitted a prideful bleep. "That was one hell of a trip, huh?" Then he looked around and frowned. "Speaking of which, where the hell are we?"
Not in a cavern or near a lake, that's for damn sure. They were standing in the middle of some ruins, a small town from the looks of things. But there were fortifications everywhere. Sandbags, barbed wires, blockades. There were even some bodies garbed in what appeared to be military uniforms. But they didn't resemble any army that he knew of, pre-war or post-war.
Then there were the bodies themselves. Some of them appeared to have pointed ears and horns. The skulls of some skeletons also possessed horns, though some had holes for what appeared to be an extra set of ears. And then there were their weapons. The majority of them wielded melee weapons and… bows? Where are the guns, the energy weapons? And who were these beings? A new breed of mutants?
He wasn't the only thing that got teleported here though. Raider bodies and the broken frames of their robotic minions were scattered around the place. Some other items from their hideout- electronic scraps, weapons, bullets, cells, chems, food- were also scattered about. Six helped himself to some rations and bullets, naturally. ED-E could produce energy cells with his workbench... once he got repaired of course. There were also chunks of that obsidian-like material too. It was giving off a lime-green glow. Considering everything that happened with the obelisk, he decided to put some distance between them and himself.
Six drew up the map on his Pip-Boy. It was glitching like crazy, flashing the same shade of crimson as that blast back there. Beneath the static, he could only see a blank slate. Great. Looks like everything on the device was locked up. Status, inventory log, even the map. He'll have to manage his stock and body the old-fashioned way. A bummer, but at least feasible.
There were some tents nearby. Probably where these people used to rest. Maybe they left something behind for him. He decided to take a peek in each one. There were some rations here and some bolts there, but no bullets. No electronics. Not even energy cells. He sighed. Looks like he'll have to be conservative with his ammo. Six went back to the bodies and claimed a crossbow from their dead hands. At least he gets to try out a new weapon.
He went into some of the ruined buildings. Nothing worth taking. He did notice something odd though. All of the writing present- between old papers and what he assumed were advertisements- wasn't in English. Some of it resembled a dialect from one of Graham's tomes. What did he call that tongue? 'Hebrew'? He noticed some bits that resembled vaguely Asian characters. Did the satellite teleport him to China or some other part of Asia?
He saw another tent in the town. This one appeared to be set up near a radio tower. Perfect. Maybe he can get some answers. He made a dash for the tarp, ED-E trailing behind him. He slipped inside and found what he assumed to be a captain's office. It had a folding table, bedroll, storage for gear, even some radios. He fiddled around with the Ham radio, but all he got was static.
Rummaging around the box revealed some basic tools. He unfastened the straps on the Pip-boy and placed it on the table. He opened it up and began to examine it. Just like with ED-E, there were some melted boards and broken wires. He gave one of the new Kits a try, but it didn't do jack shit on the machine. Guess it really was for robots. He decided to dissect the handheld radio next. Maybe he can at least replace some of the parts.
Something was off about the hardware, though. Some of the wires and circuits were glowing red while other components had this green crystalline substance. ED-E let out some unsettled bleeps as the Courier hovered a gloved hand over them. He could sense a certain aura from it. Same as the shockwave and the obelisk. Must have been refined as a conductor or a power source. A small red battery seemed to further cement this.
And speaking of batteries, the fission battery in the Pip-Boy burnt out. Frankly, it's amazing that it didn't combust. He was gonna need a new one, or at least something of a similar lifespan and wattage. Doubtful that the crimson energy would be compatible with the current tech, though. He'd need to study this material even further to even consider an upgrade. For now, he'll just have to discard the old thing. Just because it didn't explode now doesn't mean it won't later.
ED-E bleeped out to him. He was looking at some papers on one of the walls. Six walked over and examined it. Most of them were written in that alien tongues, nothing too interesting right now. But what did interest him was the map. First of all, it was in English (or at least some other Latin-based dialect). Second was all the words on it.
Kazdel. Ursus. Yan. Victoria. Siracusa. Leithanien. Lungmen. Higashi. Rim Billiton. Columbia. What the hell did all of these mean?
But the ones on the bottom-right caught him off. World map. No, that can't be right. This doesn't resemble anything like Earth, let alone old America. Maybe this civilization is just cut off from the rest of humanity? Wouldn't be the first time some folk in a post-apocalyptic world believed this to be all there is.
Six put a hand on his chin. Columbia was the personification of the United States in pre-war memorials. Maybe someone's trying to revive the old-world spirit? They'd hardly be the first. There was an era in Britain named after Queen Victoria. There's a constellation called Ursa Major, so maybe something to do with a Bear? The NCR perhaps? Minos probably alluded to the Minotaur, a Greek mythological creature composed of man and bull. Caesar's Legion came to mind. Yan was a Chinese word, so probably a settlement akin to a Chinatown. Perhaps the Shi had some connection to it? Lungmen-
Wait. He heard that word in the Paladin's holotape. Is that where the masterminds behind the satellite's theft are hiding? Or someplace they planned on raiding? He shook his head. No point in trying to connect the dots if he couldn't understand a damn word at this point. He'd to translate it all somehow.
He spotted a backpack nearby. Larger than his current one, even had a slot up top for a bedroll. He smiled. This will come in handy. He rolled up the cot and strapped it atop the bag. He transferred his weapons and supplies into the new pack, then rebuilt his Pip-Boy. Even if the wrist-mounted device was useless, he still held onto hope for restoring it. If there was civilization here, maybe they could repair it. Only complication would be payment. He'll cross that bridge when it gets to it.
He grabbed a compass at the table and held it up. If he was reading this right, he needed to head north. He beckoned ED-E to follow and the two left the ruined town. He had no GPS, no Fast Travel, and his Transportalponder was a pile of slag back home. But he still has a working set of legs. That's something.
He looked back at the radio tower. While he doubted that he'd get it working again, he could at least get a layout of the landscape from up there. He climbed up the ladder and onto the top platform. He drew out his sniper rifle and began scanning the horizon through the scope. The landscape for the most part was something he was accustomed to; barren wasteland, little to no vegetation. But he did spot some grassland to the east. And something else. Was that... Smoke?
Six sheathed his gun and slid down the ladder, breaking off into a sprint. ED-E chased after him, chirping in confusion. After half an hour of jogging, they entered a savanna and were staring at a rotting old village. The smoke was curling up into a black cloud now. He could pick up bits of ember in the dark stream too. Something diffidently was burning.
It turned out to be a bonfire. People were dancing around it, roasting game, running market stalls, singing songs. This was a thriving settlement. A settlement of… mutants? Some of them had antlers like a stag, others horns. The stag-like ones had the fluffy tails of the deer, while the horned folk had devil-like tails. There were also some pale-skinned people with pointed ears.
But the thing that stuck out to him the most was the black crystals sticking out of their skin. Just like Jigsaw. Was that some kind of infection? No, impossible. What kind of pathogen creates or turns into crystals? There was something else at work.
Six's stomach rumbled. He glanced ahead at the roasting pits. He had to admit all that meat looked juicy from up here. Maybe they'd be willing to trade something for those ribs? He shook his head. No, he was in uncharted territory and he needed information. Even if he didn't, he had nothing to offer to them. And besides, he already had rations for emergencies.
The Courier slid down a slope towards the crowd but ended up rolling down the hill after tripping over a rock. Thankfully he was able to straighten himself back up and save some grace. Many of the townsfolk drew weapons the second he made his entrance. Some of them with swords, some with bows. ED-E let out an alarmed bleep as it caught up with him. It dawned on him that he didn't think this through.
One of them barked something at him, but he didn't understand a word he said. Six chuckled nervously and raised his hands up. "One of you wouldn't happen to speak English, would you?" He asked.
Everyone turned to one another, obviously just as confused by the language barrier. Someone stepped up and managed to break it. It was a pale-skinned man with antlers, probably around Six's age group. He had a faint German accent in his voice.
"Englisch? I believe you mean 'Victorian'?" said the young lad.
"Maybe? I've been living in the wasteland for the last few years, so I'm a bit out of the loop."
One of the older villagers said something to the deer-man, and he retorted back at them in the same tongue. He turned back to the Courier. "So what brings you here, stranger? Going out to war?"
Six tilted his head. "The only thing I've been fighting has been the environment. And raiders. I'm just looking for a technician to fix my Pip-Boy and friend over here."
"Your what?"
Six lowered his arm to show him the wrist-mounted device. "Personal Information Processor. It got fired by this weird glowing black crystal. Kinda resembles the ones growing on you all now that I think about it."
The man's face went from puzzled to stifling a laugh. He couldn't hold back and just let it all out. "Sounds like you've been poking around in one of the ol' Originium mines."
"Originium?"
Now the lad's face was screaming 'seriously?' at the Courier. "You daft, bengel?"
"Maybe. I did get two bullets lodged in my skull years ago."
The man's eyes furrowed as if daring him to prove it. He obliged him by removing his helmet. Everyone lowered their arms when they saw his face. He brushed aside enough of his hair to reveal the scars on his forehead. The next words out of his mouth came out in a serious- if not vitriol- tone.
"A robot dug me out of an unmarked grave and brought me back to a doctor in a nearby town. And no, it wasn't this robot. The one that rescued me had arms. The gentleman patched me up as best he could, but there was some permanent damage. Lost my memories and identity, my mind's not the most stable. So forgive me if I ask some elementary questions for the next hour or two."
"Where's your extra set of ears? Or horns? Hell, where's your tail?"
Six raised an eyebrow. Are such traits common around here? "When I woke up I didn't find any on me. Whatever set of extra appendages or kibble I had were probably cut off by the bastards that tried to cap me."
Some of them gulped and shuddered. He slipped his helmet back on. "And don't worry about them. I've already dealt with the assholes. They won't be hurting anyone ever again. Is there a seat I can take?"
One of the villagers pointed at a tree stump nearby. The Courier plopped his bottom on the ancient stump while ED-E hovered over next to him. He put his helmet back on before he resumed his inquires.
"Have any of you heard of a place called America? The Mojave? Perhaps Japan or China? Britain, The NCR? Earth?"
Those that understood him shook their heads. "Are each of those some type of town or something?" A girl asked.
Six frowned under his helmet. "You… could say that," He said.
If they haven't heard of such words before, then there're two possibilities. Either they're more cut off from the world than he thought, or he's in another one altogether. The second probability was madness, but then again he had faced mad science before. At this rate, anything is possible. He brushed that train of thought aside.
"So what is the name of the world then?"
"Terra, dumkouff," Said a villager. "And if you're wondering which part, Kazdel."
Six put a hand on his chin. If he read the map correctly, that's at least somewhere east. "Anyone here a mechanic or electrician?"
One of the demonfolk raised a hand as she approached him. Six removed the Pip-Boy off of his arm and handed it to her. She examined the object in her hand for a minute before shaking her head. After stripping the Pip-Boy back on he motioned her towards ED-E. The Eyebot let out some protesting bleeps, but a look from the Courier shot them down. Reluctantly it allowed the she-devil to approach it.
Six joined her and deactivated the robot, allowing her to inspect its insides. She marveled at the circuit boards and modems, but she shook her head again and closed the panel back up.
"I've seen some stuff at Great Lungmen," she said. "But nothing like this before. No traces of Orundum whatsoever. Where'd you find this fella?"
"Out in the wastes," Six claimed as he rebooted the robot's systems. "Your friend said something about Originium earlier. What is that?"
The demon girl looked at him in disbelief. "A naturally occurring battery, dummkopf. You'll find it in most pieces of tech these days. Microwaves, smartphones, drones, even cars. Pretty good for Arts too."
"Arts?"
"Magic, fool," butted another horned person. "Fireballs, tornadoes, mudslides, tidal waves, snowstorms. That sort of stuff. You can even make golems if you're skilled enough."
Six blinked under his helm and looked at the villager. Even if his face was obscured, they could sense the words running through his mind. His demeanor right now screamed 'Seriously?', but the man didn't smile or laugh. Then he remembered the Brotherhood corpses back at the drive-in theater. Those crystals can do that?
There was a rumbling sound over one of the other hills. No, growling? Roaring? It didn't sound like a creature, so-
Six's hand instinctively fell onto That Gun. "We've got company," he said.
Everyone grabbed their weapons. Sure enough, several cars drove over the mound and into the air. They landed on all fours in the middle of the settlement with a jolt. To his surprise, they appeared to be humvees. Working humvees. Six's trigger finger twitched as it dawned on him. Anyone who could get a set of wheels working again was not someone to be trifled with back in the Wastelands. He prayed that wasn't the case here.
Several figures exited the vehicles. They all bore the same pointed ears, tails, and horns as the demonfolk present. Their faces were obscured by pitch-black masks with a single glass opening. Most of them wielded bows or blades, with the occasional stick or staff. Two of them were the size of a Super Mutant, one wielding a greatsword and the other a massive crossbow.
One of them- a man with crimson markings- barked something in an alien language, but Six couldn't understand a damn thing they said. Most of the townsfolk froze up, and the figure howled at them again. This time Six was able to pick out an English word; 'Mudrock'. From the sounds of things, it was something of interest to them.
The stag-lad mustered up the courage to confront him and replied in their tongue. The leader -or at least what Six assumed to be the leader- snarled and grabbed the man by his shirt. He bellowed in fury at him, if his tone was of any indication. The civilian scuffed and retorted at him, though he did seem a bit offended. He was thrown to the ground and the masked man drew his blade.
It didn't take a genius to see where this was going. The Courier drew out That Gun and shot the uninvited guest in the arm. He shouted in pain as the bullet ripped through his clothes and dropped the weapon. Six fired more rounds at his chest, but all they did was go 'ding' after impact. The man regained his composure and barked some orders to his men. ED-E shuddered and let out alarmed bleeps.
Should've seen that coming, he thought to himself.
Two other swordsmen charged at him, only for one to explode into a shower of red lights and ashes. ED-E was charging forth into battle, broadcasting its little leitmotif. The other goon backed away and made a run for it, falling prey to an arrow to the skull. Six looked to see the stag-man rallying his fellow villagers. The man shouted something and they scattered, taking positions. He turned to Six and spoke in English again.
"Get to cover, hard case," he shouted.
Six nodded and ran behind a ruined house, ED-E following suit.
"Go help the other guys," he ordered the robot. "Some of them looked a little green for my liking."
ED-E protested with a concerned beep. "Oh don't worry about me," he reassured. "I eat assholes for breakfast."
ED-E eventually complied and flew off, wading past arrows and bolts. Three bowmen took cover behind a humvee and opened fire on the Courier. To his surprise, they were moving in rapid succession. They must have automatic clips attached to their weapons. He smiled. He really could use such a mod. When they were reloading, Six sprinted to a rock nearby and flanked them. One bullet hit the back of a sniper's skull, instantly killing him. The others tried to avenge their fallen brother and returned fire.
A villager appeared from around a corner and sliced off the hand of another. While he was howling in agony that same person slit their throat and stabbed them in the chest. He didn't have time to celebrate as the remaining goon put a bolt into his leg. The man cried out as the arrow pierced his skin and broke the bone beneath, crippling him. Six came to his defense by firing two bullets into the offender's temple. He fell to his knees as they ripped through his guts, clutching at the wound. One more tore through the side of his head and splattered his brains everywhere.
The villager squirmed as the gore fell onto him. Obviously, he'd never seen such a mess before.
"Sorry," Six apologized. "Didn't think his brains would explode like that." He knelt down before him, ripping the bolt out (earning a yelp of pain) and injecting him with a Stimpack. "There, that should do it."
The chemicals began to regenerate the lost tissue and repair the broken femur. The settler thanked him in his native tongue and ran for one of the houses. Six looted one of the fallen's crossbows and examined it. Sure enough, there was an ammo clip attached to the underside of the weapon. Holding the trigger down, Six fired a steady stream of bolts at one of the corpses before the canister ran out of ammo. He grinned. Now that's more like it.
While he was scrounging around for more loot, something collided with him. He looked back and rolled just in time to dodge a projectile. It wasn't a bolt or bullet, though. Rather they appeared to be Energy. Black energy. He looked up to see a robed figure with a stick in hand. No, it wasn't just some stick. It was made from the obsidian material he saw earlier. Was it a wand?
His answer came in the form of another black jolt. Six rolled and fired a few bullets into the figure. They went limp before their body hit the ground. More swordsmen charged from around the corner, but Six crippled the leg of each one. They were literally dragging their feet to him now. He reloaded before they got close and went for a headshot on the nearest one. The bullet bounced off of the forehead though, so he sent another one into the throat. Instant kill.
So the masks are bulletproof, Six noted. Damn. At least I can still aim for an artery or organ.
One of the bastards snuck up on him and slashed at his back. Six growled as the blade shipped away at his armor. That coat cost him an arm and a leg to repair! When the man made another swing Six drew out Chance's Knife and jammed it under his jaw. It didn't reach the brain like he had hoped so he ripped it out and into the neck next. That put the asshole down.
As the corpse hit the earth he risked looking back at the village. The people seemed to be handling this pretty well. While there were some injured so far, none of them appeared to have actually lost their lives. He could hear the stag-lad shouting at the top of a building, no doubt issuing orders. His gut told him that there was more to that man than he let on.
Someone let out a battle cry some distance ahead. He looked and jumped just in time to dodge a dark blur. Something ran right through all of the vehicles and tore them to shreds. Walking out of the wreckage was a towering figure with shoulder pauldrons and cloth over his helm. He was carrying a lance in his hand, its blade about as long as the hero was tall.
Six fired some bullets at the raider, but they just bounced off is armor. He strode towards the hero, swinging the lance around like a club. Anytime Six tried to close in on him he stabbed away with the tool. He managed to slice open the sleeve of an arm so far, drawing a bit of blood. Six hissed under his breath.
He switched out That Gun with his Plasma Defender and fired. The raider screeched as the green goop melted through his armor and into his skin. Six smiled. Much better. He rolled to the left as the bastard charged forth, pelting him with Plasma bolts into his back. The man collapsed in a heap, flesh boiling under the sun.
Someone grabbed him by the back of his head and threw him into a house's side. That same hand rushed over and began battering his skull against the wall until it broke. Its owner flung him back onto the battlefield and into a rock. Six coughed in pain as his torso was crippled. He wheezed as the giant swordsman strutted towards him, laughing at and taunting him.
The horned mutant stopped in his tracks when they heard something. Something roaring. Something fast. The two cranked their necks to see another humvee fly into the frenzy. But this one wasn't like the others. It lacked the rust and wear of the first wave and had a different coat of paint. Something smaller flew toward the swordsman, but he shrugged it off. Yet he seemed… sluggish afterward. Slow.
The car ran him over before he could dodge it. It skidded to a halt and bashed its side into another raider. He heard its doors open and someone had the misfortune of being slapped silly by one. There was an unseen struggle on the other side if the yells and screams were any indication. While the giant was rising onto his feet, Six discharged his Defender at him, burning into his coat and the armor underneath.
The man snarled and charged at him, spinning around with his sword. Another blast jumped from the car, though, slowing him down once again. Six stepped aside and allowed the swordsman to crawl by him. He blinked. What the hell was that? Some kinda stasis field? He shook his head and switched out his defender with the pistol. Two rounds into the back of his skull dropped the bastard dead into the ground.
A bolt whizzed past him and exploded. The other giant had taken point at an old church and was firing from the windows.
"ED-E, we got a problem," Six called out.
The robot beeped in acknowledgment, followed by inquisitive beeping.
"Try to flank him. I'll keep h-"
The man fired another explosive dart at him before he could finish his sentence. It never reached him, though. If anything, it ended up hitting something else. Another humvee from the sound of things. No. No, it wasn't as loud and certainly not as fast. When the smoke cleared, he was staring at the cutest mutant he had ever seen.
Sitting between him and the brute was a lightly tan lass on a motorcycle. She had black brahmin horns and a tail, with long fiery orange-red hair and a couple of braids. She wasn't all that armored either. If anything she seemed to be dressed for a day of sunbathing. In one hand was a giant sledgehammer, the other a shield.
The girl smiled a toothy grin and winked at him. "Howdy," she said in a Southern accent.
Someone leaped onto the roof of the humvee. A blue-haired lass with a dark halo and holograms floating behind her fired a sapphire bust of light at a group of enemies. They either went down in a dazed heap or were trapped in yet another stasis field. A smaller shape- a blond child with fox ears and several tails- scuttered onto the top floor of a ruined building. Her attire was typical for a wastelander, but something about her demeanor seemed off to him. She cast a golden ray of light upon the field from her staff (or rather antenna from the looks of things), draining the raiders of their stamina. Those that didn't fall would be shot down by another wastelander with bunny ears and ebony hair.
Another motorcycle rode into battle, this time helmed by a lad with blond hair and rabbit ears at the seat. He pulled up behind a house for cover and ran into battle with some sort of lance. With a wave he conjured a bolt of lightning into the air, soaring and landing on some goons nearby. Another cycle pulled up beside his, carrying a red-haired chick with a grenade pistol and what appeared to be a railgun. She held the latter up and rained hellfire down on the enemy. Any that tried to get up close was cut down by him. Six could only stare at it all in disbelief.
"Magic," he muttered. "Fucking MAGIC… I'm high, I have to be fucking high."
The ox-girl blocked another explosive bolt and shook her pretty head. "Naw," she said. "Ya ain't. What, ya never seen Arts before?"
Six shook his head back, causing her to tilt hers. "Really? Have ya been-"
A battle cry interrupted them. They looked to see the blademaster in red running towards them, sword now aflame. The bull-girl was forced to leap off of her bike before the sword got anywhere near her neck. Six didn't see any pipes or gas tanks attached to the weapon, though. How the hell was it producing the fire? Was it made of Saturnite?
Now he was flinging streams of fire around at them. Six had to roll, flip, spin, and dance around the blasts to avoid being scorched. The bowman meanwhile kept firing his bolts at the duo. Six tried to fire Sleepytime at him but he couldn't get a bead on them. Not while he was under fire. Then he saw something moving above. He smirked.
Sure enough, the bastard's backside was being pummeled with laser fire. When he turned around to face the robot The Courier let loose with his Plasma Defender. The man cried out as the green goo burned into his flesh. At this point, he'd wager it was causing internal damage too. The girl was keeping the walking flamethrower at bay with her shield, but he could see her sweating like crazy. Eventually, the shield became too hot for her to hold and she ended up dropping it. She yelped in pain and blew at her hand, trying to cool it off.
The asshole used the opportunity to charge at her. Six wasn't gonna let that happen and instead tackled him to the ground. He placed the Defender at the man's forehead and pulled the trigger. All he received was a 'click' and fizzling light. The damn Cell was outta juice. The blademaster kicked him in the solar plexus and shoved him off before he could reload.
He was about to jam the blade into his chest when an arrow buried itself into his shoulder. He snarled and turned around in time to be hit in the knee. He stumbled back and nearly toppled, growling as the projectile cut into his leg. Six was able to replace the Energy Cell during this time, but he opted for using the Knife instead. No need to waste ammo in uncharted territory.
As Six approached him the man swung at him wildly. Every attempt either ended with him ducking under, sidestepping, or parrying the blow. The archer and metal eyeball weren't giving him an easy time either. Six managed to land some stabs and slashes across his body, finally spinning behind him to deliver a backstab. The man let out a cry as the blade severed the connection between his neck and spine.
The Courier yanked the dagger off of the dead body and gave it a good flick. Whatever blood didn't fly off was wiped on his sleeve instead. After sheathing it he took out a Stimpak and injected it into his shoulders. He let out a sigh of relief as it repaired torn muscle and mended a rib or two. He swiftly reloaded his weapons and then turned his gaze back to the villagers.
Turned out it wasn't exactly a clean victory. He counted at least three corpses on the field, all of them middle-aged adults. One of the bodies had a child pinned underneath it, crying her heart out. The blond lad ran over and lifted it off of her, giving her a hug. The bodies were being moved by the townsfolk. There was a somber atmosphere as they went to work burying them, but also a hint of hope. The stag-lad from earlier approached them.
"Thank the Eight you lot came along," he said to the strangers. "If you hadn't shown up-"
He froze as he looked at their humvee. Six turned his attention toward it as well and noticed some new details. The first thing that he saw were the words 'Penguin Logistics'. The next was an oval in a circle. At first glance, it appeared to be a pill, but the upper half curved downward on one side. The Ying and the Yang? No, there was another circle at the top corner. An eye from the looks of things. Was it supposed to be a bird's head?
Someone slapped his back with the strength of a Bighorner. He was nearly thrown to the ground by sheer force, but he managed to steady himself. He looked back to see the bull-girl rubbing the back of her head. He growled and started rubbing his own back. How the hell is she so strong?
"Ya did well out there," she said.
"Watch it," he chided. "You'll break someone's spine with that kinda force."
Good thing I got that NEMEAN implant when I had the chance, He privately noted.
The lass let out an awkward chuckle. "Sawry," she replied. "Sometimes I forget how strong I am."
She looked to see her bike lying in the dirt back at the church. She walked over to straighten it back up and began washing it off. "Hardly a scratch," she said. "Gud. I paid a fortune for this ride."
The fox girl placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. She spoke in that alien language in a rather soft tone. He couldn't understand the words, but he had an educated guess as to what they were saying. The blue woman was moving towards him, calling out to him. He still couldn't understand that tongue so all she got was silence. From where he was standing, those holograms behind her looked like wings. Kinda gives her a fallen angel vibe now that he thought about it.
"You wouldn't happen to know English would you?" He asked.
The girl tilted her head. "Don't you mean 'Victorian'? she replied in an emotionless tone.
Six groaned. "Victorian, English; Tomato, tomato. Just glad to meet someone that can understand me."
She offered a slight smile. "I think I can relate."
"Not that I'm complaining about saving our lives, but what brings y'all here?" he asked.
Her smile and tone didn't change. Creepy. "Oh, they're just here to escort me while I make some deliveries. I'm a Messenger."
"Messenger? Like a courier?"
"Something like that. Why, you've never heard of such an occupation?"
"Just not that particular usage of 'messenger'. Who're you running a delivery for?"
The blue-haired lady looked at the unofficial leader of the village. "Him. I have a letter from a friend of his."
She took out an envelope from her bag and began walking towards him. Six followed and the two engaged in conversation. It was that tongue again, but he did pick out a word going back and forth between them; Brändle. Must be the stag-man's name. Another one popped up, this one more familiar. Mudrock. The man practically jumped at the word alone. He tore open the envelope and read its contents. It was written in that dialect too so he couldn't read it. But he did notice tears of joy running down Brändle's face.
Six looked back at the villagers. The bunny-eared girl was helping them bury the fallen, settler and raider alike. That was surprisingly humane of them. Most other settlements he knew of would've just thrown them into a ditch or burnt them. They did go into two categories though. One of which consisted of individuals with obsidian material on their bodies. Call him crazy, but the crystals appeared to be spreading now, covering entire limbs and bursting out of the bodies as spikes. Hell, some of the corpses appeared to be turning into crystals themselves. Six blinked. There's no way that's normal.
The lad with the rabbit ears was tending to his own bike. Well, 'bike' was putting it mildly. It looked more like a pack brahmin than a motorcycle with all that loot. How the hell was it carrying all of that without breaking down? The gearhead inside of him was rather envious right now. He's just dying to see what makes them tick.
That other redhead was leaning against her own bike, having a staring contest with some of the demonfolk. Her trigger finger itched as her hand hovered over her grenade pistol's holster. She had strange truffles in her hair, almost like that of a pre-war bird. He had to admit, she had a rather nice body.
An idea popped into his head. They're basically a caravan, right? Maybe they could give him a ride? He went back to the blue-haired girl and cleared his throat.
"I don't usually ask for favors but…" Six paused, trying to get his sentences together. "I need to get my robot and some tech patched up. Since you've got a working set of wheels, I was wondering if…"
The blue-haired girl could see where this was going. "I'm not sure if we've got enough room for both of you in the car, but you could ride on one of the motorbikes. Did you have anywhere, in particular, you wanted to go?"
"Great Lungmen, if that's alright."
"That's not going to be our next stop, at least not for a while. You could probably hire a driver to chauffeur you to Lungmen, though."
Six sighed. "They don't take bottle caps as payment, do they?"
Now the lady had a bewildered look on her face. She looked at Brändle. "He's serious, miene dame," he said. "Claims he's been suffering from brain trauma."
The lady looked back at him wide-eyed. It took a few seconds to process before she could give a proper answer. "Brain trauma? And you're still alive? Going back to your question, no. What kind of place would accept such a thing anyway?"
The kind that springs up from nuclear fire. He thought to himself. He let out a sigh. "What do they take then?"
The woman reached into her bag and procured what appeared to be blue dollars. "LMDs. Lungmen Dollars. Most businesses trade for them these days. If you don't have any you could always do some odd jobs here and there. Or barter if you're desperate. As for who can fix your tech, we are stopping by an office in Siracusa. One of our employees could look at your gear if you want."
Six didn't respond for a few seconds. "Would anyone be looking for a hired gun? I can always provide security for caravans."
The woman frowned. "In Siracusa? Probably not. The place has become… volatile over the last decade. My employers may be interested in hiring you, though."
Six looked back at the humvee and pointed with his thumb. She nodded. "Of course, mail delivery is far from our only specialty. We have at least twelve other business ventures if you're not feeling adventurous."
Six looked over at ED-E. "Give me a moment to think about it," he asked.
He and the robot both went into the ancient church. When he was sure that no one was around, he whispered into the machine's audio receptors.
"What's your max speed?" he asked.
ED-E seemed offended at the question at first but eventually relented and answered.
"Thirty miles per hour? Something tells me those things can outrace you, buddy. You're gonna have to take a seat in the car until we can find a repair shop."
ED-E immediately protested against the idea, unleashing a wave of bleeps bouncing between worry and anger.
"I don't like it either, but they're our only rides for right now. They have the layaway of the world and we don't. We need to get more intel before we venture off on our own. For now, just play along. And besides, I still have a radio in my helmet and you have your cannon. If they try anything funny you can just blast out of the car."
ED-E let out some somber notes but complied and hovered towards the humvee. Six made his way back toward the blue-haired woman and cleared his throat. When she had a moment she turned to face him.
"I'll take your offer," he informed her. "ED-E can ride in the Humvee while I go on one of y'all's bikes."
"Do you know how to drive one?"
Six shook his head. "Only ones I've ever seen were collecting rust."
The woman beckoned him to follow her. She shouted something at the redhead with feathers and motioned her over to them. The two bantered with each other in some native tongue before the redhead started whispering in her counterpart's ear. Six could've sworn he picked up pieces of Latin in their dialect, but their voices were too soft for him to confirm this. The redhead had this wary look on her face as they muttered with one another, passing the occasional glare at him. Eventually, she shook her head and walked back to her bike.
The bluehead led Six to the bull-lass instead. She wiped the sweat off of her brow and waved at them as they approached her.
"What can I do for y'all?" She asked.
"Would you be willing to give our mysterious stranger a ride? He doesn't have a license - let alone the knowledge- to operate a cycle."
The bull-girl looked at him in disbelief. "Wha- you can't drive a beauty like this? Have you been living under a rock for all ya life?!"
"Wasteland, actually," Six corrected her. "We've never had a working set of wheels where I'm from. Everybody just walked."
Croissant just stared at him. The shock quickly died out and gave way to her trademark smile. She hopped onto the cycle and patted the passenger's seat. "Hop on then, partner."
Six plopped up onto the backseat and relaxed a bit. He looked around for a seatbelt but was surprised to find none. The girl giggled.
"Ya' supposed to grab onto the driver, silly," She said.
The wanderer's arms wrapped themselves above her shoulders. "Lower," she said. They moved down to her abdomen. "Better."
Three horns sounded off. She honked hers back and all four vehicles sped off. The village vanished from sight and gave way to barren wasteland. He could make out more settlements gathering dust, along with large chunks of that dark crystal all around. Some of them lay in craters, others in the buildings themselves. It looked like they fell from orbit or something.
"This is gonna be a long ride," the girl warned him. "Howler if you need a break or somethin', okay?"
Six let out an acknowledged grunt and nodded. "This thing got a radio?" he inquired.
The lass shook her head. "Naw, not this model. Sawry. But hey, we both got lips. Might as well have a nice chat on the way."
There was a pause. "Oh yeah, we've never introduced ourselves, have we? My friends call me Croissant."
Six snickered. "Croissant? Where'd you get that name from?"
The bull-girl pointed at her horns.
Oh. Duh, six thought to himself. If he weren't clinging on for dear life he'd slap himself silly by now.
"So what's yers then, if you don't mind me asking,"
Six lowered his head as he retreated back into his mind. He tried digging up memories from before the gunshot but nothing came up. All he could see was gunsmoke.
"Six," he confessed. "Or at least it's the closest thing I've to a name these days."
He might not be able to see her face, but he could feel her concern radiating from her body. "The closest? What happened?"
"Let's just say my memory's not the best these days. I could use a guide or two on the outside world, though. Do you mind if I ask you some questions on the way?"
There was a sort of warmth to her now. It must be her smile. "Ask away," she offered.
A/N:
So here we are at last. At the opposite end of the bridge.
The intro was based on those in New Vegas's DLC. Some of you might be wondering why I started off in Kazdel instead of somewhere more familiar like Cheronberg or Great Lungsmen? That's because I wanted to jump into an environment familiar to Six before sending him into the wider world. Plus it's as wartorn as his homeworld, so it fits thematically speaking. Add in the fact that the Sarkaz are a proud warrior race, and the stakes are greater for our Courier.
The same logic went for the Operators introduced- or rather, to their choice of attire. The Vitafield series of clothes focus on surviving in similar environments to the ones in the Fallout series. Except for Mostima and to a lesser extent Croissant. And I know that Mostima usually travels alone, but that will be explained later down the line. And she'll have another role to play in the future.
Writing for this fanfic began around the beginning of 2021 honestly. The main reason I held off on publishing it was because of the Rainbow Six crossover event. That provided context on the differences between Earth and Terra, plus some details on Oripathy. That, and I technically already have another X-Over project going on, and life has put me a couple of years behind it. And speaking of which, expect that (and writer's block) to be an obstacle down the line.
I already have a rough idea as to where to go with Six's first week or two on Terra, so I have an arc planned for him right now. In the meantime, stay tuned.
Edit: Decided to push the timeline of the fanfic ahead on the AK side of things, so Fiammetta ain't skulking in the shadows anymore. Part of the reason is open up potential interactions with more Operators down the line. I don't want to push him too far into the future, though, due to the ambiguous fate of... another redhead. That, and not all of AK's events have an actual date or place on the timeline. As much as I want him to interact with the Sui siblings, I don't to screw over (or heavily rewrite) continuity too much. Just don't have the time and energy for that sorta thing.