Fallout New York (dunruffle & margeree)

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Dunruffle

Poltergeist Who Loves Oreos
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
Genres
fantasy, sci-fi
Nils was in his room preparing himself for his journey. Putting his pack on and checking his pip boy, Nils holstered his lazer pistol and walked out. The overseer met him at the vault entrance. The grandfatherly old man smiled and patted Nils' shoulder. "you are very brave Nils, I hope your journey is safe and that you can find the technology needed to save our vault." Nils nodded solemnly, "i will overseer, I will be back with what we need." The overseer nodded and motioned to the guard waiting at the door control panel. The guard nodded and pressed the big red button that operated the vault door. Lights flashed and the giant vault door groaned and slowly opened. Nils walked out into the long tunnel that lead to the surface. Taking a deep breath, Nils began walking up and out of the tunnel.
 
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It was hot, it was humid, and Margaery was tired of the wasteland. Leaving the confides of the NCR and the west coast she knew so well, she had decided to venture east in search of adventure and self-discovery. Every muscle ached, and with every stimpack she took, she grew more tired and dehydrated. All she wanted was sleep, but she could only manage a few hours here and there. Every since she struck out on her own, leaving the caravan and the Commonwealth behind, her journey had been wrought it dangers the girl hadn't anticipated. She was smart enough to hide, sneaking along the base of buildings and avoiding detection at all costs, but it sure the hell wasn't easy. It had been with dismay that Margaery discovered her favorite 10mm pistol was almost pointless in the wastes, and ever since that point, she strove to be nothing more than a passing shadow.

"What was I thinking?" She muttered to herself, sitting inside an empty public transportation vehicle, or what was once known as a bus. It's metal hull protected her from the strong winds issuing in from the coast. Before her was the only bit of food she'd found today; Sugar Bombs. They were so old and so stale it was difficult to swallow, but she washed it down with some unpurified water. The thought disgusted her, but she drank anyways, knowing it made no difference coming from this bottle or the river she'd got it from.

Pouring the rest of the water over her head in a small effort to cool herself, she sighed and resolved to nap before she left again. Her path was to continue south along the coast until she found the remains of New York City, the ancient metropolis so famous in it's time. The idea elated her, and fitting underneath the farthest seat from the door, she closed her eyes, dreaming of the wonders and tales she would one day take back home with her.
 
As Nils reached the end of the tunnel, he covered his eyes as the bright sunlight nearly blinded him. The tunnel entrance was on top of a small ridge, hidden behind large bushes. Pushing his way through the brush, Nils stood on the ridge and looked around. There was a large road nearby along with a red rocket station and several rusty car husks. In the distance, the tall skyscrapers of New York city could be seen. Looking around, Nils decided it would be best to start at the red rocket station. Maybe there would be a clue as to where the recon team went. Shouldering his pack and checking the lazer pistol, Nils slid down the ridge and began walking. Arriving at the red rocket, Nils looked around the building. There was a broken mr handy laying in the corner along with discarded bottles of nuka cola and several empty jet inhalers. Looking back at the road, the only noticable feature was the husk of a bus. Shrugging to himself, Nils went over and began examining the mr handy. Pulling out several plates of metal and throwing them aside with a clatter, Nils began stripping the robot of any useful salvage.
 
The bliss of sleep barely touched Margaery before she awoke to the sounds of metal not too far away. It was constant, but irregular, and immediately she felt her stomach tighten. The area had seemed deserted enough. Gingerly, she hoisted herself up on her elbow and strained to hear the noise better. It was definitely metal, no doubt about that but... what's going on? Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she found herself peering like a small child over the seat and through the window above, searching for any sign of movement. As far as she could see, there was nothing there.

Yet the noise continued. As quietly as the girl could muster, Margaery crawled out of the bus and took another look around. Almost empty of buildings, only a long road that lead from a Red Rocket Station to the distant city, New York. It almost sparkled in the daylight with a majestic beauty only found in ancient civilization. The heat pounded on the back of her neck, making her perspire beneath the leather jacket she wore. Just a little ways down the road, her eyes found the Red Rocket Station, seemingly deserted still, but now she wasn't quite sure... If she was correct in assuming, the clattering of metal came from the garage.

It could be Super Mutants... or worse. Raiders.

As she was planning her quiet departure, her eyes noticed a blue suit. That must be them! But as far as she could tell, the person was alone. There was no other movement than their shuffling and persistent clanging sound. Making sure there was nothing else around, she scattered to some bushes between her and the station, to better watch this person. Once settled, there were two things she was positive of; one, this man was completely alone... and two, he was a vault dweller.
 
After stripping the mr handy for parts, Nils began to rummage through his pile of salvage. Pulling out the saw blade and a small motor, Nils retrieved a roll of duct tape from his pack. Grabbing a metal rod from a nearby mop, Nils quickly went to work attaching everything together. After a few minutes Nils stood up and examined his new weapon. The saw blade had been attached to the end of the mop handle along with a battery and motor. Several wires ran down the length of the handle to a makeshift grip that had a trigger on it. When Nils pulled the trigger the saw blade spun up with a whirr. Nodding in satisfaction, Nils put the rest of his salvage in his pack and resumed searching the Red Rocket.

Soon, he found a holotape in the drawer of a cash register. Putting it into his pipboy, Nils listened intently. "This is mathews of the vaut 182 recon team. We are headed towards the tall buildings in the distance. Hopefully we will find something of use there." As the recording ended Nils walked out of the station and stared at the city in the distance. After a moment of silence Nils began to walk down the road, using his polearm weapon as a walking stick and occassionally inspecting the various car husks strewn about.
 
Margaery felt conflicted. She thought hard about the stories of vault dwellers she'd heard in the past, about everything she'd ever read about them. These people had grown up away from the wastelands, far from radiation or people. They were self-sufficient, intelligent, and mostly friendly. Being alone was taking its toll on the poor girl; it had been weeks since she'd left the caravan behind, and since then she hadn't spoken to a single person. The thought of being able to converse with someone, to just have someone watching her back while she got some much needed sleep was very enticing.

But fear was still deep in her mind as she realized she didn't know him. He might not even be a real vault dweller. This guy could have just as easily found that vault suit nestled in junk somewhere, and decided it was better than wearing nothing. Being absorbed in her thoughts, Margaery didn't hear the bloatfly that was approaching her. It spit at her, hitting her in the shoulder, and without hesitation she took her 10mm and shot three rounds into it's fat body. Watching it fall to the ground, twitching as ooze spilled from the bullet holes, Margaery stood up quickly, knowing this man had heard her gun. She looked over at him, still holding her pistol but not aiming it at the supposed vault dweller.

Debating, she decided to speak first.

"I was being attacked," she said, keeping a close eye on the man. Whatever his intentions, she planned on reacting first. "I wasn't shooting at you."
 
Nils spun around when he heard the gunshots. Shakily pulling out his laser pistol he was greeted by the sight of a young woman. Intrigued by the prospect of talking to a new person, Nils lowered his gun. "Oh...um..hello.." Looking around, Nils pointed at the city in the distance. "Do you know that place? I am looking for a group of friends. they left the vault about a week ago...oh, my name is Nils." He held out his hand to shake, obviously being a sheltered person as a proper wastelander would never leave himself open to attack like he was.
 
Margaery was instantly relieved by his awkward demeanor. Smiling, she holstered her weapon and shook the man's hand. "Hello Nils, I'm Margaery." Her eyes followed his gesture to the great ancient city still sparkling in the distance. It was so beautiful, the way the skyscrapers pierced the sky and the rich history invited her to come explore. Nodding, she began to respond. "That's the remains of New York City. I'm actually headed there myself." Heart beating quickly, she hoped they could travel together. As far as she could see, Nils truly was a vault dweller, and nothing he had said made her think he was lying. His stance, his tone, his eyes all spoke true. Looking him up and down, there wasn't anything that intimidated her. The man seemed genuine.

"As for people, I haven't seen anyone in quite a while. Granted, I haven't actually been here for very long, but I definitely haven't seen a group of vault dwellers." She wanted to ask if he'd like the company, but she didn't want to seem invasive. "Are you planning on going there?" She asked him tentatively, hoping beyond hope he'd say yes and invite her into his party. "I was going to explore the city, hopefully find some treasures and stories I could take home."
 
Nils smiled and nodded. "Yes i am going there. Do you want to come with me? I just left the vault so i dont know much....b-but i can fix things!" Nils gestured to his deadly homemade walking stick. Looking around, Nils looked back towards where Margeary had been shooting. "So what were you shooting at?"
 
Margaery was so relieved she could weep. How long had she waited for an opportunity like this to rise? "Yes!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together with a girlish excitement. "I'd love to come with you. It'll be so great to have some company." Looking back to where Nils gestured, she laughed. "It was a bloatfly. It snuck up on me, if you can believe it. I guess I was pretty distracted looking at your weapon. How'd you learn to make something like that?" His abilities were impressive, to say in the least. Up close and personal, Margaery was able to see the wires running from the motor, to the trigger, and then to the blade. And he had made it in such quick time. Very, very impressive, Mr Nils the vault dweller...
 
Nils smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "My father is the head engineer of the vault. He was training me to take over his position. We make use of every single thing and reuse just about everything. Um...what is a bloatfly?"
 
She couldn't help but notice his demeanor. It made her question why this man would venture out alone. He was intelligent, that much was obvious. Skills inside the vaults were passed down to those who could handle them, which meant if he was training to become head engineer, this man knew what he was talking about. But he seemed almost nervous, trying to transition from one harsh reality to a complete opposite. In a way, she understood that.

The question made her chuckle, and she waved her hand so Nils would follow her. The body of the bloatfly had stopped twitching, several whole shot into its mass, one wing crushed and bent beneath it. "This," she started, nudging it with her foot, "is the bloatfly of the wastelands. Don't let them bite you, it'll itch for hours and be sore for days." Eyes finding his, she wondered how well he was taking all this. They had to have chosen him because he was stable of mind, but you could never be too sure out here. The radiation could rot your brain as swift as an mental breakdown.
 
Nils bent down to look at the bloatfly and grimaced. "Does everything look as gross as that?" Standing back up he shrugged and looked around. "So is there anything else that is dangerous? What about people? I bet the people are nice!" He nodded enthusiastically and waited for margaery's response.
 
The girl tried to imagine what his life had been like on the inside. Being protected from the radiation that devastated these lands, of course a bloatfly looked grotesque to him. "Not everything has been mutated," she began explaining, peering from one horizon to the next. "I've seen old pictures of what this place used to look like, before the Great War..." As usual, the thought saddened her. Everything had seemed so perfect before the nuclear blasts, and now all that was left was a husk of what life used to be. "I used to have a cat once upon a time. Their species seems almost unaltered after all this time..."

Now as for his reaction about people, Margaery was unsure of how to put it to Nils. If she had learned anything from venturing out on her own, it was that trust got you killed. The wrong person could actually be a raider, ready to perform horrific acts of sadism. Debating on her approach, she decided being honest was best.

"The people... can be okay," she said hesitantly, putting the words together in her head. "Most major settlements are welcoming of strangers, obviously for means of trading and such. But there's a lot of bad people in the world who wouldn't think twice about stealing everything we own, killing us... or torturing us." The last sentence brought back images of things she'd seen on her travels. "We'll have to be careful and very perceptive. Seeing the enemy first is our key to surviving."
 
Nils' smile wilted and he looked down at the ground. "You are right...sorry..i am just used to the vault where everyone helped each other." Turning around to look at the city, he began walking and gestured for margaery to walk next to him. "So how long have you been travelling?"
 
"Not long," Margaery replied, falling into step beside Nils. "I'm originally from the west coast, from a city called The Hub. I... I'm from a wealthy family over there. We help the NCR with food, provisions, and we aid them as diplomats." Thinking of home made her stomach clench. She wondered how they were faring without her, all the way on the opposite end of the continent. Probably fine, she assumed, shaking her head, letting her hair fall gently around her face. How many times am I going to be homesick until it just stops? Deep down, she knew it probably wouldn't.

"How long have you been out here, Nils?" It couldn't have been long, not with as much as Nils didn't know. "How long have your friends been missing?" All during their conversation, Margaery kept her eyes and ears focused on everything around them. Walking down the road as they were, she felt vulnerable, but in general, they still appeared to be alone.
 
Nils turned to look at margaery. "I have not been out here that long. Less than an hour. My first stop was that building with the robot in it. My friends have been gone for a little over a week now. They were supposed to return a few days ago so i volunteered to go out and look for them. What is the NCR? Is that a group?"
 
That interested her; this man knew nothing of the world outside, yet he'd risk everything to find out what happened to his fellow vault dwellers. It was a self-sacrifice Margaery wasn't accustomed too, here in the wastelands. She wondered whether he'd realized the dangers he would face. Probably not, considering his reactions this far.

"The NCR is an organization that covers most of the west coast," she explained. "They govern lands there, making sure that everything runs smoothly and the common folk are taken care of. New California Republic..." The thought brought back more memories from home. "They're the best chance this world has to reclaim itself. They're hoping to expand their territories east, but so far, it's been difficult to pass the Mojave." Margaery paused, looking around. All seemed silent, but an unease was creeping up on her, and she realized the sun was beginning to climb back towards the horizon.

"We... should consider finding shelter soon. It's dangerous out here, more so during the night." Margaery was fond of resting in the remains of cars, their metal husks providing a safety she relished. No one ever looked inside them. There weren't many to chose from, but she did notice a small cluster of buildings coming up alongside the road. They would probably be better, giving there were two of them now "If they're empty, we could try camping in those." She pointed to them. "What say you, Nils?"
 
Nils looked around and nodded. "sure, lets check it out." Walking up to the house, nils pushed on the door. With a loud creak the door swung open. The ceiling in the living room had mostly caved in, but the side rooms were mostly intact. "it looks okay. What do we do now?"
 
It certainly wasn't cozy with the ceiling falling in and debris all over the floor, but at least the side rooms were relatively intact. One room contained a couple mattresses from it's previous owners, along with empty beer and whiskey bottles and a suitcase. Upon inspecting the suitcase, Margaery discovered several rounds of energy cells. She tossed them over to Nils.

"It looks like we found our camp for the night," she said, kicking aside the glass bottles from the center of the room. Sitting down upon the heavily stained mattress, she took out her pistol and began her nightly ritual, cleaning her weapon to start. She glanced up at Nils, and shuffling through her backpack some, tossed him the rest of her box of Sugar Bombs. "They're not great," she warned. "They're stale and taste like crap, but it's food." The comment made her think, and she had to ask Nils. "How did you guys eat in the vault? Were there just stacks of pre-War food like this?"
 
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