[Krylo]

On Lucy's Morality@Tactics: I think I'm probably going to keep her kinda neutralish, like she has been. No being a monster, but no being a paragon of good, either.

I feel like, while being a total paragon is fun to play, the balance of self-preservation and occasional wasteland justice against classical morality (from the vault) is more interesting to read.

Also, I'll keep doing this even if just Aero and tactics are reading, but if there's more people I certainly wouldn't mind hearing feedback or chatter about it.

Motivates me a bit.

Also, fun fact, 115 unique images in this update. Doing a full quest per update is probably making them kinda large. Luckily, the links at the start link just to the update posts.

However, should I start putting them in swap tags to make side talking easier? Is there anyone who is even interested in talking off to the side between updates?


ANYWAY, on to the update:

A Pleasant Day at the Mall--------------------




I wake up a few hours later and head back into Three Dog's offices, and down through the barracks. Manage to grab a few bullets, but really, for an 'outpost' this place is barely stocked. They've got a few bunks and some standing soldiers, but I couldn't find much ammo to steal, much less to ask for.



Which means I'll be defending myself with the laspistol. Or, as I like to call it, 'the flashlight'.



Well, this looks promising.

I sigh and hop down the collapsed building, Dogmeat running out ahead.



Ah hell, that's a ghoul, I'd better get down there an--



Well, nevermind then. Looks like Dogmeat's got it handl--

"Grrrarr."

I recognize that sound, and turn to my right, to see two more ghouls running up for dinner.



First is turned to ash by the lispistols beam. Don't know how that even happened with this thing's power output.



The other, however, takes the blasts in a manner I'd more expect.



Multiple lasers lance off his head before he finally goes down under Dogmeat.

I take a moment to listen, but there's no other movement so I assume I'm safe and head up to check out the picnic table I can see above me.



Nice. One of those boxes has a few clips for my assault rifle, the other's got some mines, and there's the spare gun on the table. I don't take the gun, but I DO disassemble it quickly and replace a few worn pieces on my own. Still pretty low on ammo, though, so I stick to the laspistol for now.

I'm pretty sure Three Dog was saying something about Super Mutants last night and I'd rather save these for them, than waste them on ghouls.



I hop down below and head to the end of the. . . well I guess it was a street at one point?

Either way. . .









Old tunnels. Seem to be abandoned until I hear the sound of ghouls. Lots of cars around too, though, and I know from the old history reels that these things used to work on miniature nuclear reactors, and a strong bang could set them off.

So I figure I could fight an army of ghouls of I could back up to a wall and. . .



BAD PLAN!

The force hurls me backwards, as I cover my torso with both arms. I can still feel something heavy smashing into it, and blackness takes me. I'm not sure how long I'm out but, when my eyes open again. . .



Nothing but smoldering fires and the scent of charred flesh. I rifle through my coat and find a few stimpacks, injecting them while I lay there for a bit, feeling slightly nauseous. The rest and medicine does it's job, however and soon I'm back on my feet. . . and I think I see. . .



Must be this way.



Yup.

Ugh, feel like I'm going to vomit, though, but I don't know why. It's not. . . doesn't feel like it's from the trauma at least. Maybe I'm coming down with the flu, or something. No time to be sick, though. I'm sure it'll be fine.

The tunnels open up to an office and sitting in the corner. . .



An old friend.



I power him up just like before, and he reads my ticket again. Still valid, after all. And then I decide to let him go first.





Good idea.

I can only see one mutant, but I can hear another, and see flashes of gunfire coming from the left. Red lasers lance from the protectron, however, and I add my own, weaker shots.





We make a good team, Protectron and I.

However it doesn't seem to be interested in going anywhere else, so I head further into the tunnels, to find them collapsed but there's a door. . .



And it looks to be leading to where I'm going. I step through, figuring this is a supply line between outposts for those power armored guys back there. Should be relatively clear. Few ferals and super mutants probably wandered in.

But of course a bullet whizzing past my face informs me that I'm wrong.



I drop and return fire from a crouched position, lances of light bursting through a spray of bullets, and in a fraction of a second it's over.



Still a bit too close for comfort, though, so I grab a couple spare clips off the body and decide I should use something a bit more reliable.



Looks like he was bunkered in here pretty well. And probably not alone judging by the ammo and weapons I find.

I head forward a bit more cautiously, and with a few more clips for my 14mm, back into some service tunnels. As the door into the tunnels opens, however, I hear the sound of a chair leg scraping against the steel floor, and head in quickly, turning the corner into the noise hoping to catch whomever, or whatever it was by surprise.



It works out pretty well.

I take a deep breath and head back down, however, it's not long before the hall ends and opens into some sort of natural cavern. . . and bullets ricochet all around me. I hit the ground and duck out taking aim at an automated turret. . .



Damnit. Was trying to disable the targetting chip but I blasted the whole damn thing.

Bullets continue to ring around me, but I've got the high ground now, and well. . .





They don't.



The natural caverns truncate at a security gate, but when I open it. . .





Well, I don't like the looks of it.





At all.

Even though the trap was easy to disable by simply cutting the tripwire, thus releasing the tension. Still means these guys have been here for awhile.



. . . And I'm really starting to wonder about the guys in T-51. Why would you let psychopathic bandits, ghouls, and god knows what else populate your supply routes. Either they're really thinly stretched, or they've got no idea what they're doing.

Either way, it explains why I'm doing this instead of Lyons.




I turn into some more service tunnels and can hear shouting and gunfire. I take a deep breath and kick open the door. . .






They were distracted and go down quickly, but I know they were distracted by something, and so I step in quick, and sliding a toe under the combat shotgun--which the idiot with the welding helmet was using--kick it up into my hands.





It works really really well.



With the room clear, however, I take a moment to help myself to their stores. Ammo, couple grenades. I think about taking the gun too, but I've got enough of those, and honestly I'm not sure I could take the weight feeling like I do.

I reach up and rub my nose and eyes in an attempt to dispel a creeping feeling of exhaustion, and then, when that doesn't work, stomp my feet hard enough to send pains through my legs.

That does the trick. For now, at least.



Another one. . .



But not for long.









I start to lose track of the ghouls. Only thing I'm sure of is there's too damn many, and I'm glad I brought a lot of shotgun shells with me.







After awhile I come to a three way split, but luckily. . .



I need only follow the signs. I'm heading to the Museum of Technology, I think, for the VirgoII dish, and it looks like I was right about the Mall Outpost being in the same area. Pipboy says the Museum is right off the Mall, after all.

Even without the symbols I could probably find my way now.





Still, no reason to settle for the foibles of instinct when I've got all these markers up, right?

I open the door and almost immediately hear gutteral grawl to my left. . .



However, as the creature's blasted apart by close range buck shot, I hear something above me. A chair skidding, and a muffled voice.



He, or they--not sure he's alone--doesn't seem to be sure where the noise came from yet so. . .





I fire off a couple more rounds into the wall, just to make noise.



Bait taken.



. . .and so were his legs.

Well, I hope he wasn't planning to run any marathons.



Anyway, I head upstairs, and find what appears to be some kind of murderous bandits' rec room. Complete with pool table.

What the hell? If this is a marked passage for those soldiers to come through, how are bandits LIVING down here, and for long enough to set all this up? You'd think they'd clear out as soon as someone came through. . .

Well, I guess, they ARE clearing out, but I would think they'd be gone before me.



Ugh, bodies hanging. Haven't seen that since Germantown.

I can hear movement and reach into a pocket and pull out a grenade, before sliding out into the tunnel.





Blast knocks him off his feet and nearly kills him.



But nearly isn't nearly near enough, and I execute him.



Hear something behind me. Don't see anything yet, though, so I proceed cautiously, until I can make out another couple of them.




Grenade makes quick work of the first as it lands right as his feet, the second, is just barely in the blast radius and is only blown to the ground.



I finish the job as she pulls herself to her feet.



They've got their own little cubby hole back here full of ammo, which I help myself to. It's like a little bandit village down here. I don't understand, and make a point to ask someone about it next time I can.





I continue down the lines, stumbling a bit here and there, as my feet feel heavy, and nausea washes over me in waves. I can feel cold sweat starting to prickle on my skin.

Maybe I won't be okay, but I'm too deep now to stop and go back. Only way to go is forward.



Besides, I'm almost there.

I step out into the dusk, and. . .



Oh fuck, the place is crawling with mutants.



I roll back down the stairs and pull out my 14mm, and pop out to take a few shots at the closest monster.



I catch him in the forehead and he goes down, but I'm forced back into cover by a spray of bullets.

The others are too far to aim at properly with a pistol, so I switch off to my hunting rifle.



The whine of a minigun starting up, but I'm not going to let it happen. Can't get a clear shot on him, but that gun is big. . . and one of my bullets lodges itself inbetween the chambers. A moment later there's the sound of steel tearing and an explosion.



He staggers back as half the fingers on his right hand are missing, giving me a clear shot, and I follow with a bullet through his chest that puts him down.

At this point I set the hunting rifle down and switch off to pistol again. Still outnumbered and they're closing in.



Goddamnit. There's two of them out there right next to each other. . . if I can plant a grenade properly. . .



Yes! One down.



The other is injured and seems to have dropped his gun, but he's not letting that stop him as he charges into a hail of 14mm gunfire.



Gunfire on the other hand? that stopped him.



I turn to my left and run toward the mutant on the ledge, zigging further to the left and out of his line of sight, while preparing my shotgun.



I slide up against his barricade and fire off two shots in quick succession, blowing the beast apart, before I hop over the sandbags, and look down across the battlefield.



I have no idea how I survived that.



Well, we're not done yet.



Spot another ugly immediately upon opening the doors. I zip around the pillars to avoid his gunfire and get in close, firing a shot into his head, and then take a deep breath and look around.



Looks like I can just follow the signs again.




Orrrrr not.

I turn and head into the vault exhibit instead, being the closest door to the virgo. I'm hoping it'll open up on the other side of that trench.















Well that was incredibly uncomfortable.



Looks like the VirgoII is just past the Planetarium.



Of course the damned thing turns on as soon as I enter, and I hear voices behind me. Big, dumb, mutant voices.

I spin and press the stock of my shotgun to my shoulder.





Well, that handled that.

I head right out of the planetarium and end up in a small office.



With a gun cabinet.

. . . With a goddamn missile launcher, and enough 5.56 to hold off a small invasion. What the christ? I try to lift the launcher, but can barely move it, and in the close confines of this building it's not worth trying to lug around. At least not with the way I'm feeling.

Probably blow myself up, anyway.



I try the other exit, and can hear voices from the far door over the planetarium announcements.



It opens as I reach the end of the hallway and I find myself staring down a big ugly. My shotgun's already ready, though and I fire first, but it doesn't put him down, and he returns fire. I can feel hot lead tearing through my abdomen as I smash down on my own trigger firing shell after shell.



He finally goes down and I stumble against the wall, pressing a hand to my wounds for a second. The adrenaline is chasing off the nausea and the shakes I'd been feeling up until this point, and I hope it doesn't go away as I shoot a stimpack into myself, letting the painkillers and healing mixture rush through my system.



And there's what I came for. I pull it off the lander and grab a few straps of leather from the mutant to strap it to my back. I also drop my assault rifle and pick up his.

Chinese models are a bit more efficient, and have a bit more killing power than the american one I've been using. I'd rather stick with the american make, really, but patriotism must fall before pragmatism. Besides, I doubt anyone outside the vault even cares, anymore.



I head out the atrium exit, and end up overlooking the entryway. Putting a hand on the railing I toss myself over. When I hit the rubble on my shaking legs, I nearly fall, but manage to right myself when Dogmeat runs down and helps to push me up.

He's a good dog, I decide, as I head outside, the adrenaline leaving my system and making me feel like a corpse.



Luckily it's only a short walk to the monument.



I feel like I wanted to ask them something but. . . I can't think of it right now. Mind's foggy.

One of them opens the gate and I head up.



So glad there's an elevator. I don't think I could have walked up stairs if I tried right now.



When I reach the top I unstrap the dish from my back and fix it in place, before powering up the relay again. Then I turn on the radio on my pipboy to check reception.

"People of the Capital Wasteland, you can HEAR MEEEE!!!! Yeeeaa haaaa!!! You can't stop the signal, baby! That's right, from Megaton to Girdershade, Paradise Falls to the Republic of Dave, we are coming to you loud and proud, in a special live report! 'But Three Dog! You're in that cool radio studio in D.C. How do YOU know I can hear you, all the way out here in the ass end of nowhere?' Because of the kid from Vault 101, that's how! That gal actually managed to repair our antenna relay. How's that for ingenuity, folks? From here on in, it's bye-bye stupid static, hello magnificent music. So sit back, relax, and absorb these classic tunes. Kid, you get your ass back to GNR, you hear me? We've got some stuff to talk about!"

. . .Well, I guess it worked. Kinda nice to be thanked over the air like that. . .



And the view's really p. . ur...

I feel the nausea welling up in me and put down the gun for a moment as both hands go on the edge of the window, a rain of half digested Sugar Bombs and BlamCo Mac & Cheese rain down with a sickening splatter below, that causes me to wretch a few more times.

. . .Hopefully no one was standing under there.

I wipe my mouth and stagger back into the elevator heading downstairs. . .



Where I find Dogmeat cleaning my mess. I repress my urge to vomit again--made easier by my absolutely empty stomach, and tell the dog to get out of there and come along.



I head back the way I came and it's not long before I make it to the GNR building. Couple hours, maybe. No fighting, though, which is good, as I can barely stand.

I realize that when I woke up in that tunnel the geiger counter on my wrist was going crazy. . . No doctors here. Need to get back to Megaton. . . Moira mentioned radiation, maybe she. . . my mind's a bit fuzzy.

First, let's find out where Dad is. . .



Three Dog hears me come up the stairs and heads out to greet me.

"Hey, all right! The Hero of the Wasteland retu--Jesus, kiddo, you look like shit. No offense."

I lean against the wall and simply nod. "Yeah."

"You uh, sure you're okay? Need to lay down for a bit or somethin'?"

I shake my head, droplets of sweat hitting the ground. "Rad poisoining. Need a doctor, not rest. See one after this. Just, tell me. . ."

He nods and offers me a hand to help me stand. "Right, okay kiddo. Your dad and I had a chat, but I don't think I can bore you with the details looking like you do," he says, his voice taking something of a paternal tone. Weird from Screechy McShouts here. "So I'll just cut right to the chase. He said he was heading to Rivet City to talk to a Doctor Li about somethin' he called Project Purity. That's all I got, kiddo."

I nod and push myself off of him to my feet, and start to head out, one foot after the other. "You sure you okay to travel?"

I lift a hand. "Gotta. No doctor here. I don't plan on dying."

"Alright, kid. You ever need a place to stay for a few days, GNR's open to ya."

I nod.



One foot. After. The other.