[Krylo]

They Call it the Wasteland for a ReasonWell, guess I'll get on the road and start walking. I'll figure it out from there.



Dust clogs my nose and lungs as the wind blows through the barren landscape. There's nothing left.



Everything's gone. I can't imagine my father actually coming out here.



The cities are just burnt out husks.

I happen to glance over at a mailbox that's been rusted open and take a look inside.



...Grenades? Why would there be...? Well, whatever. I stuff them into my jumpsuit and take one last look at the burnt out buildings of the city.



And ponder the grenades I found.



I decide not to go that way.

Not that this is much better. I haven't seen any people yet, or even any signs that any are still alive out here.


Wait...



"Hey!" I wave my arm wildly in the air, trying to get their attention, and it works, though I only know that as a bullet wings past my head.

I immediately stumble backwards in terror rolling down the small hill behind me, and for a second I think I might be safe. Maybe they think I'm already dead.



Maybe one of them will come to make sure. I can see the gun in his hand as he comes down the hill and I pull my own out as well, firing off a few quick shots to startle him as I start to run.

That's not good enough though and he gives chase. I hear the shot and feel the bullet fly past my ear this time. That was too close, I was almost dead.

Fear and adrenaline are the only things keeping me moving as I spin around and level my gun at him.



I pull the trigger I don't know how many times and I can hear the bullets tearing through him as his head vaporizes it a cloud of gore



And then he hits the ground. I'm panting from the exertion and fear, but I can't stop yet. He wasn't the only one.

I turn and run.

I hope to god they aren't following me, I can't hear any gu...



What the fuck is that!?


It leaps at me, but I'm still holding the gun and the adrenaline is still pumping through my veins in higher concentration than blood.



My finger twitches backwards instinctively the bullet entering the creature's mouth, blasting it's skull apart like a child's pinata. Complete with chewy red candies.

If I weren't so terrified I'd vomit.

As it is, I don't even stop to look at it's body as I keep running, and I don't stop until I come to... a town?







Well I've always wanted to live in a gated community, and they aren't shooting at me... so that's a good sign.

The guard reaches back toward his gun as I approach the gate, though, and I freeze in my tracks as he asks who I am.

"I'm just lost... that's all."

He relaxes a bit, maybe at the fear in my voice.



He's got fear in his, too. I guess we must be kindred spirits.

"So, where do you come from?" he asks, still sounding fearful, and a little suspicious.

"I..." I don't want to tell him I'm from a vault, at least not if he hasn't figured it out from the giant Vault 101 on my back. He probably thinks I just scrounged it up from somewhere.

"I don't know... I lost my home so I'm just wandering the wastes now."

It's the truth. More or less.



I nod and walk in, only to be accosted by another resident of this fine community.



"Oh who am I kidding?" he continues, his voice losing most of it's edge, though not all, "Look, we're in trouble here. If you want to help, great. If not, just please do't kill anyone while you're here."

"Trouble?" So far this gated community thing is looking a little iffy.

"Well, we've got Super Mutants out that way, and Slavers up that way. Take your pick." He doesn't actually point to any ways. I don't think he knows how to communicate properly.



"The best we can ever hope for is that they get here at the same time and fight over who gets to kill us."

This is getting a little uncomfortable, listening to all his problems. I don't know what they expect me to do. "Why don't you just leave?" It's about the only suggestion I can think of. It's what I'm planning on doing.



"Besides, the bunch of us can't even hold this town. Can you imagine us shlepping across the wasteland?"

It looks like they're going to die either way, but I don't say that. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Yeah, we'll see." He sounds angry. I don't think it's with me, though.

I'm about ready to leave but then I think of something, "These... Super mutants? What are they?"



"They came and rounded up a bunch of us and carried them off! God! They... they must be doing awful things to them..." his voice seems somber for a minute, but it passes as he quickly reapplies his false demeanor of bravado, "I'd go rescue them, but then who'd protect the rest of us? I patrol every day now, and I got a little surprise for those Muties when they come back. This Kick Ass Gun! Yeah Baby!" He laughs. It doesn't sound... sane.

"So where do they come from, anyway?" I try to avoid the subject of his 'bad assery'.

He looks over my shoulder right out the bridge into town. "Up north, the Germantown police station. You... going to rescue them." There's hope in his voice for the first time. I don't know if I have the heart to crush it.

"I uh... maybe. I'll look anyway."



His voice is drooping now, the hope draining out of him, visually even. He knows I was lying.

I feel like shit, but what could I do?

Whatever, I walk away and notice a girl with what looks like a rifle on her back.



"Hey, is there anyplace I can get supplies or anything?"



"Oh..." I glance around a bit, and I notice that there's no children at all. Just this group of people. No old folks either, but that might just be because of the slavers and mutants, but there should at least be a few kids somewhere... and more people than this.

"Where did you all come from, anyway?" The last guy mentioned Lamplight, and maybe that's a city that's not a total hell hole.



She sounds happy as she reminisces, but, like most good things, it doesn't last, her voice becoming somber and dark as she continues, "But then we got big and we had to leave. Those are the rules... so we left and came to Big Town, but...



"I'm so tired of being frightened all the time." She sounds like she's going to cry.

I make some half-hearted apology for her situation and head back out of town. This isn't sounding like a place I want to stay.



He said the mutants were coming from the north... I was going that way.

Maybe I should re-evaluate.


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So, do we help them or not?

Note, Arefu is almost due west of our current location, while Scrapyard is North by North East. Mostly north.[/swap]