"Well, I've got an Enclave eyebot with compatible memory if you want me to swap the chips. They always have more than they need because the Enclave wants to keep parts consistent across all of their robots and power armor. Let me pull up the list of books." He typed a few things into his computer and a list of books started scrolling up the screen. "Here you are.", he said, turning the computer around so that the customer could see it. Then the customer mentioned the Overseer. "Well, yeah, we started off with a human Overseer, a Computer expert if I remember my history lessons, but we kept advancing our computer and robot technology. After fifty years the vault's main computer got a mind of its own, then decided to take over. It used our robots against us and, after slaughtering most of us, offered to spare our lives if we agreed to keep the robots working."
Jenny winced. She had heard of how the Old World had developed Artificial Intelligence, and had made great strides in developing reasoning, sentient electronic minds. However, those minds tended to be benevolent and obedient.
"I thought there were rules programmed into robots and AI to make sure they're obedient. What happened? How did it break free of its controls? And what happened after it took over?"
Sparks was now fully engrossed in the story. Part of her was just following the story as a cautionary tale, but part of her was already wondering if said Vault contained a trove of precious technology to be excavated.
@shadowsaint007@Letter Bee John took of his hat and pulled up his cloth hood as Par broke down the watch tower and shots rang through the air. He moved around the corner of the wall Rap ad just entered. He looked around the corner and changed the sight of his gun from scope to iron. He was lucky enough to stumble on a military cache a few years ago and snag a decent sniper. He poked around with his gun aimed straight taking out anyone he saw coming that Gabe hadn't already. "kids a damn good shot" He though looking back over his shoulder to where the quick flash and bullets rang from. As he neared one of the corners into the main fields he caught up with Par, holding back in fear of what the beast would do. "Nice work kid" He yelled as a bullet whizzed by his feet. He returned fire blindly into the dust created by all the running and firing. A man screamed and ran up with a chain saw, John pulled out his revolver and shot him as he ran upon them. "No alarms?" John looked around as the fighting settled. "I guess we got in quietly..?" He asked in general confusion. John knelt next to one of the dead guard bodies and looked back to Par and nodded, "Let's get in and out, no need to raise the whole place" He said quickly and began moving forward as he strapped his rifle back to his back.
Gabriel kept his rate of fire, taking care to favor the quality of each shot over quantity; each shot had to count. The pattern was the same; breathe in, aim, breathe out, gently squeeze the trigger. The mulish kick of the rifle butt against his shoulder informed him of each shot fired, and each bullet swiftly flew through the air at its intended target. Anyone who could pose a threat to the attackers was a priority target. Heavy weapon wielders were priority targets. Flamethrowers and grenade users were priority targets. Anyone who could shoot back at him from a distance was a priority target.
To keep his mind off the fact that he was adding the to body count in the Wastelands, Gabriel kept his mind on the fact that he was supporting people trying to free captives, slaves. He kept telling himself that his targets were the enemy; people who abused others and tortured them into obedience, throwing aside the weak and the broken to die as trash. Death may be a constant in the Wastelands, but here, it was also necessary.
He quickly pulled out his flask of water, a small piece of gauze, and some distilled hard alcohol. With the water, he flushed his eye of dirt, straining his ear to ensure nobody was closing in on him. Once he had the dirt out of it and could just blink it out, he poured some alcohol on the gauze and dabbed at his forehead. Nothing serious; just a flesh wound. Pain was good; pain kept him alive. And pain was telling him the bullet had only left a slight gash on the skin and not gone deeper. Thank God for small mercies.
((Collab Post between Letter Bee and Madly33))
Par nodded respectfully to John, while at the same time noticing that Gabe was both some distance away and, well, was looking good. Good as in professional, and good as in...that way. The young merchant would be mesmerized by how the blond looked as he wove through the available sources of cover, but eventually chose to react to John's words:
"Thanks, although my intention was to distract the guards while you guys go and escape with the slaves; basically, I and George here," he patted his steed, "were going to make as big a ruckus as we could, then get away once we've made our rampage. Even now, I still think that plan is workable; I'll move east to where the arsenals and blockhouses are, then try and break through to the North Woods*." Par then looked at John again.
"What do you think? Also..." he felt the urge to add, "keep Gabe safe."
"Anything you think would help" he said in responce "...And..sure?" he said in confusion before looking at him and it processing "Ahh.. Yes" He nodded and signaled at Gabe to inform of the new plan.
"Thanks," said Par, before going off to the northeast; he knew it would give Gabe a bad impression for him to leave so soon and go it alone, but hopefully, John would explain things to the other boy better. Sigh...why must the blond be so hot?
Fortunately, no attackers materialized; the camp was well and truly subdued, with the defenders trying to fight for their lives. Once he was sure that he was safe to come out, he tied the gauze to the wound using a headband, and peered up. He caught John trying to signal a new plan, and nodded, trying to follow the older man as best he could.
Getting closer, he managed to get in talking range to John.
"What's the new plan, sir?" he inquired. "And don't mind me; just got lucky the bullet hadn't gone an inch to the left."
The whole time John was quiet, resting in the front of the group and always keeping an eye on his rifle when they rested. Every time they would stop he would groan. Wasting our god damn time.. He hissed to himself. After a few hours the stopped, Par explained the outline for the slave camps to Gabe quickly and quietly. John looked over and brushed the dirt off his shoes "They have dogs too, and fences are nearly impossible to get over or under." He said, slightly interrupting Par's last words. "Only way in if we don't want to get caught is the only way out of that shit hole." He looked off to the hill as the sun slowly set on it. "Trash toss" He said with a glare and a smirk, was a disgusting place. He paused as they looked at him. He rolled his eyes "..Where they throw the dead ones. The 'Trash'" He said caustically. "It's a direct link to the hill on the other side of the camps" he looked over at Par and Gabe and sighed and looked down "It is guarded at night, we will need to take out the guards quickly" He paused again expecting the 'How do you know this?' questions. He stood up and rubbed his hands together, pushing the dirt off his palms. "Spent some time here after my Mom died" He uttered. "Anyway.. What's your plan for this?" he asked directing at Par. "You are a smart kid, I know you have something" He picked up his rifle ready to move after given a plan.
Gabriel paused, not saying a thing. But at least it explained why the old man was chomping at the bit to hurry up and reach the slavers' camp. He became more respectful of the old timer.
Paradise 'Par' Rapids - Old Man's Corner
"The 'Trash Toss' would work well, being a hole that leads both inside and outside the walls. However," Par turned to Gabe, "you'll have to swim through rotting naked bodies; are you sure you can do that?" Yes, Par was showing his 'too-quick-to-criticize' flaw again. Then, an idea would come upon Par.
"I've got it!" he whispered. "The Trash toss is an attraction to scavengers, like Feral Ghouls, stray dogs, and, of course, wandering Yao Guai, either from the countryside or escaped from the Zoos of New York." He would presumably see incredulous looks. "No, I've heard about it from the Slavers'; Yao Guai do come to Central Park at times, and would logically search out local food sources.
Par then smirked, then spoke:
"You guys heard of the Capital Wasteland, right? About the Brotherhood and Enclave? Well, the news was brought to us by a Scavenger from that place down south...who had a Yao Guai companion* and was willing to teach a paying customer some tricks, especially on said customer's 18th Birthday." Expecting incredulous looks, Par continued:
"Yes, I'm saying a Scavenger from the Wasteland taught me how to tame a Yao Guai. How do you think I survived all those truck trips through and from Upstate New York alone? It's easy; Yao Guai are occasionally friendly with Bloatflies...you still don't believe me, don't you? Fine, I'll show you!" And with that, he went off the woods quicker than anyone can catch him.
"Wait, where're you-" Gabriel tried to stop Par, but the kid was already gone. And Gabriel didn't have a damn clue what he was babbling about.
And no, Gabriel wasn't going to try and swim through a river of rotting corpses.
It was quite a while before the other boy came back at last....
Nightfall; Three Hours Later
A snarling, clawing Yao Guai, aka a mutated black bear, would burst out of the woods...Par on his back and tugging at the beast's ears.
"Steady! Steady!" he shouted, before clamping down his hand, which smelled of Bloatfly, at the beast's nose, causing it to cry out in distress, before quieting down.
"Okay, did not think this through."
Gabriel looked at the big beast in annoyance, unsure of why the bear was brought in, what it had to do with anything, and why he had to waste three hours getting the thing instead of trying to rescue the slaves as quickly as possible. It was cold, it was getting dark, and God knows what was happening to the slaves.
Presumably seeing more incredulous looks, Par said:
"We've lost enough time already; I'd teach Gabe because he's the more outdoorsy type, but right now, the slaves are cleaning up before they are taken to bed - in more than one sense." That last part was unwelcome.
"I'm going to go to the watchtower on the top of the hill, and then go on a rampage across the fields; the slaves have been withdrawn from them as its nighttime and farming is less productive at that time. You guys go to the 'Trash Toss' and go rescue the slaves."
Some Hours Later
The Watchtower had been cleared, and Par and his mount had broken through to Old Man's Corner, surprising a patrol of guards. Par, as his mount bit off the head of one of Forty's men - not that he knew that person served Forty - fired blindly at a couple of approaching thugs with his submachine, missing, but forcing them to take cover anyway.
((Going to have Gabriel be the one to start off the attack) Gabriel, meanwhile, had hung back, staying silent. Staring down iron sights, he tracked his targets by the glint of firelights or even the flash of lighters. Huddling close to cover, he breathed quietly, picking out his targets even as his ears strained for anyone who might get close.
Then he got his chance. His first round shot through the darkness, starting the attack with a well-aimed shot right into a spotlight. He waited a few seconds, spotting his next target by their own flashlight as they tried to investigate what happened. They received a high caliber round right in the right eye goggle for their effort.
With the second shot, Gabriel got out of cover and began a hurried pace to another planned sniping spot. One thing he had learned about sniping in the Wasteland; fighting people wasn't the same as fighting wolves. Wolves took a round or two, started falling like flies, and then the rest of the pack runs off to safety rather than risk sudden death. Humans were often smart enough to make out where the bullet had come from, and often had the means to retaliate. Fire a couple shots, stay low, be a moving target in the darkness, and you'll avoid the worst of enemy retaliation. It helped that he generally got the first hits in accurately, reducing enemies efficiently before moving on.
<Snipped quote by shadowsaint007>
"I've got plenty of sensors, analyzers, and the like, if parts salvaged from robots are good enough. As for pipboy compatibles, all I've got is a few holo-books over at the library I just set up. If you're having problems with it, though, I might be able to find something to replace damaged parts or upgrade the software."
"Yeah, I am pretty good with it," he said after her last comment. "You had to be when your AI overseer got rid of those that weren't."
"Nah, my Pip-Boy's working fine," she said, doing a quick diagnostic. "The RAM could be expanded a bit, though. So what's on the holobooks?"
However, the words about an AI overseer gave Sparks pause. That was an unusual phrase.
"AI Overseer?" Sparks inquired. "You mean like a Vault overseer? And weren't those all human as a rule?"
@shadowsaint007Greg was in the back of his shop getting some supplies together when he heard someone calling from the front of his store. He was going to try and finish building a few laser rifles using robot parts, so he grabbed the box of parts and walked to the front of the store. "Sorry about that" he said, setting the box down on his workbench. "I was just in the back. Can I help you?"
"Oh, no, it's fine," Sparks waved aside his concern. "Just looking for some good electronic stuff. Sensors, analysers, etc... Got any new Pip-Boy stuff? Pip-Boy 3000 compatible, if possible, but I can work with anything, I guess."
She looks around and whistles, trying to hide being impressed but not quite succeeding. "Say, you must be pretty good with this stuff."
"Oh, very well, I'll just wave a giant neon sign next time I give a warning," Gabriel grunted scornfully. "I know what I was doing, and I said I was giving a warning."
He did, however, stay quiet when Par explained the outline of the camp, his eyes keenly observing the growing dirt map and trying to find any holes in its defenses.
Manhattan Island: Another corpse, tossed by the wayside. Another who couldn't or wouldn't make the trip back to the slavers' camp. Any possessions she might have had were taken from her before her fatal march, while her boots were taken shortly after she expired. Gabriel was hunched over the body, forcing himself against his will to examine the injuries and agony the lamented had suffered. Age? Young, still a child, probably no more than 14. Gender? A girl. Her dreams and hopes? Did it matter? Yet another lost soul that expired in the savagery of the Wastelands.
Another senseless waste.
Gabriel looked into her half-lidded, empty eyes for a moment, before reaching out with his hand and closing her eyelids. When he withdrew his hand, she almost looked peaceful.
He got up, giving her one last look. She needed a burial, a plot of land to call her own now that life itself had been stolen from her. But he had no luxury of time or effort to do that; others needed his help. Her body would be exposed to scavengers and the elements until they can find her body in more generous circumstance. If they ever found her body again.
Gabriel turned back to the group.
"West, that way," Gabriel pointed. "They're probably at their camp by now. We can follow them, but if the camp is heavily guarded, we're going to need to look out. I'll scout the way, give a dog howl when I find something."
He stalked up ahead, making his way through rubble and roads to track the slaver group. Already, the steps were becoming more and more obvious, a path clearly getting more and more used by people, whether slaves or their newest victims. A few bodies also marked the way, half-eaten by predators and worn away by wind and dirt. Some were just thrown in piles, other crucified or hung on trees as a warning to trespassers. He had gotten close, standing by another dry pit which had probably been another pond before The Fall. Already, the stench of the slave camp was strong upon the wind.
Best to turn back, he thought, fighting against every muscle and sinew that cried out for vengeance. Best to go back and call the others, get some backup before he does some damned fool thing like take on an entire slaver camp on his own. He grit his teeth sharply, feeling them being pushed back into his gums, before he stiffly managed an about face, cupped his hands to his mouth, and uttered a long, mournful howl into the wind, like a lost mutt wailing in hunger. With another effort of will, he began walking back, first trudging, then moving silently to avoid bringing attention upon himself.
When he finally returned to the group, he looked at the assembled men.
"They're up ahead, just due North-by-Northwest," he spoke up. "Probably heavily armed and defended; I saw a couple guard towers."
He knelt down and began sketching the southern outline with a stick. A rough map of the southern part of the camp was quickly made.
"If anyone has any plans," he said, "now would be a good time to say it."
Liberty Island: Sparks couldn't stop worrying over Gabriel; the journey through Manhattan may not be long, but the savagery of its inhabitants made up for the lack of its size. If she had been a more religious sort, she would have made a prayer to her deity of choice. For now, all she could do was hope he was alright.
In the meantime, her errands weren't over. She was scouring the markets, trying to find any pieces of Old World tech worth noticing or salvaging, making notes on her Pip-Boy 3000 as she progressed. Most of it was junk, of course, and by 'most' it meant 'mostly all'. There were a few good pieces here and there, but the prices were either outrageous (3,000 bottlecaps for a spare generator transformer coil? No thanks!) or the parts were simply not worth buying; spare pieces and replacement parts at best. However, she did find a good place to start looking for some actual useful stuff.
"Helloo?" she called out, knocking on the workshop door. "Anybody there? I'm looking for a Greg Holden? I need some parts, and was told you had the best electronics and equipment."
She tried to peer through, trying to see if anyone was there, or even catch a glimpse of any good stuff inside.
Sparks has dark red hair, goggles covering her green eyes, and wears general survival gear. She has a salvaged Pip-Boy 3000 on her right arm.
There is another solution; we post as quickly as possible for the players and get the game running quickly rather than wait for us all to be on at the same time for collabs.
The two figures got off the boat, the shorter one turning around to pay the ferryman. The other took off their hood, revealing a shock of messy blond hair underneath. The other removed her hood and goggles, revealing a young girl with long dark red hair tied in a braid.
"Well, here we are," she exclaimed, "Liberty Island. Hope you're not disappointed, Farm Boy, cause this trip has no refunds."
The other removed his own mask to reveal a toothy grin.
"Nah, it's fine," he replied. "Glad we finally got here."
"So is it everything you expected, Gabe?" the girl continued, shouldering the straps of her backpack. "I mean, it was a fortnight's march to get here..."
"I'm still convinced the important stuff is on that island over there," Gabriel replied, pointing to Manhattan. "You said your people were there, though."
"Yeah, the Brotherhood," she replied. "Sorry, but Manhattan's kind of a forbidden zone. Lots of tech, but it also got nuked to hell and back. Also, lots of Super Mutants. Big, ugly freaks; you don't want to meet one up close. Trust me on that."
"Sounds like you ran into one, Sparks," he replied as he walked the streets, looking at the various stalls and the people milling about.
"Just saw a couple videos," she responded, keeping pace with her companion. "Though I did see a dissected Super Mutant in a lab once."
"So, uh, Sparks," he spoke up, his tone hesitant, "I know I've only been here for a couple minutes, but something's... off. Everyone seems a bit... nervous."
Jennifer could never guess how Gabriel had an eye for these things. He just had a way with people, which was a shame; had he been born in a more civilized territory, he'd have made himself a name as a trader or negotiator really quickly. But there was no denying it; everyone seemed... scared, for some reason. Fortification and defenses had increased, and a general feeling of worry and fear was pervasive.
"I dunno," Jenny answered, finding herself more and more concerned. "I mean, sure, they get the odd Raider attack and sometimes a freak or two washing ashore, but this looks like they're setting up fortifications."
Gabriel flagged down a nearby guardsman.
"Sir, can I ask about the situation here? I know I'm just a newcomer and I'm just passing through, but it seems like the whole place is getting boarded up."
"Jus' came into town, huh?" mused the guardsman. "Damn, you've got some lousy luck, boy! We're getting more raider attacks these days, and we're probably going to go into lockdown. Whole place fortified."
"But... why?" Sparks cut in. "Raider attacks aren't anything new, and they're not big enough to warrant all this."
"Lady," replied the guardsman gruffly, "things have changed. We're not talking a handful of raiders. Scouts on the water reported a massive number of boats, canoes, and rafts forming on the other side of the river. Attacks are increasing in size and frequency. And it seems these guys ain't takin' no fer an answer."
"It doesn't make sense," Sparks mused, shaking her head. "That sounds like half of Brooklyn's showed up."
"Brooklyn?" Gabriel inquired.
"Brooklyn's all Raider territory," Sparks explained, pointing in the direction of the other side of the Lower Bay. "Considering the distance, they only cross when they want slaves, or if they need something. And this community doesn't like slavers."
"So what's bringing them all over here?"
"Kid, hell if I know," replied the guardsman as he gripped the strap of his rifle. "All I'm saying is, if you have business here, hurry up and get it done quickly. It looks like trouble's coming, and we ain't goin' to help people who ain't gonna help us fight 'em off."
With that, the soldier moved back to his post, feeling the rifle between his fingers, as though to calm himself before the storm arrived.
"You heard the man, Gabriel," Sparks spoke up, unable to hide her concern. "Let's finish our business here and head home."
"What about the Brotherhood?" Gabriel inquired, unable to turn away from the uncertain faces of the populace. "Can't they come to help?"
"The Brotherhood can't afford to send out a lot of Paladins right now," Sparks said, her voice getting a defensive tone to it. "The New York Chapter is a new one, and we don't have that large a presence here compared to the Capital or the West Coast. And it's at least ten miles between here and the base."
Gabriel didn't push the issue, but Sparks couldn't help but wonder why the Brotherhood hadn't responded yet. And what was causing this... migration of Raiders all of a sudden?
Name: Jennifer "Sparks" Svarowski Aliases: Jenny, Sparks Age: 16 Gender: Female Appearance: Redhead with short hair, freckles, and green eyes. Slightly stocky appearance. Has the symbol of the BoS tattooed on her left shoulder. Height: 5'6" Weight: 132 lbs Faction: Brotherhood of Steel Backstory: Jenny's ancestors first came to America in 1945 after the chaos of World War 2 had settled in Europe. They quickly became hardworking Americans, partaking in the American Dream. Jenny's grandparents had joined the US Army prior to the Fall, and had been part of the original Brotherhood of Steel when it was forming. Her parents were also proud devotees of the Brotherhood, taking their only daughter, Jennifer, with them when the were assigned to the new BoS chapter in the remains of New York City.
Jennifer grew up a firm believer in the Brotherhood of Steel's tenets, with an almost instinctive love of technology since youth. She also proved particularly headstrong and wilfull, taking her own path when it became clear to her elders it was better to humor her than to oppose her, as long as she wasn't breaking any important rules. She was a strong believer in using the power of technology to enlighten the Wastelands, to bring back the lost civilization of centuries past. One day, she was sent out on a quest to prove her mettle as a BoS initiate; seek any and all technological artefacts, and bring as much as she can back to the Brotherhood's headquarters for study and analysis. If not, she was to make detailed records of her findings.
However, as she walked out into the wide world, she realized she had little skill or knowledge about life in the Wasteland, having been sheltered by the Brotherhood and living most of her youth among machinery and electronics. To her luck, she found a traveling young man who offered to be her guide.
Electronics Wiz Kid (bonus to unlocking electronics and security systems)
Energy Systems Expert
Math Genius
Skilled
Flaws:
Stubborn
Curious
Equipment:
Basic BoS combat rifle
Light Armor
Goggles, Night Vision
Goggles, welding
Survival outfit
Tools & Tool belt
Geiger Meters & Analysers
Salvaged & Repaired Pip Boy
* * * * *
Name: Gabriel James Walker Age: 17 Gender: Male Appearance: Dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, athletic if slightly thin appearance Height: 5'9" Weight: 139 lbs Faction: Wastelander Backstory: Gabriel is a child of the Wastelands; strong, adaptable, and cunning. Growing up on his parents' farm, he was a solid, dependable person, with a rather magnetic personality and skill with medicine and disease. To protect the farm, he would often hunt nuked pooches and other wasteland monsters, using an old rifle and skill. Yet he dreamed of bigger things beyond the edge of the farm, and from time to time he would wonder about the outside world and the Old World.
However, on his 13th birthday, tragedy struck. His youngest sister caught a strange sickness while she was out in the farm. Some say she was stung by a venomous creature, others said it was a disease that had mutated in the Wasteland's radiation. Either way, while she was fortunately not infectious, she was sinking fast. No herbal concoction nor the limited medical repertoire of the local clinic could do anything to save her, and within a fortnight, she was gone after being delerious from pain and fever. The incident changed Gabe's life for good, and he promised to be a doctor. Leaving his older sister and younger brother to run the farm with their parents, he set off to Liberty City, seeking medicines and the secret of being a doctor, so that nobody would ever get sick again.
Along the way, he found a young redhead struggling to get help from others regarding directions to a town, and offered to help her. While she initially found it suspicious, he proved he was a gentleman with no ulterior motives. He just likes to help people. Along the way, they became fast friends.
Member
Damycles
Cleveraptor
Visyn
Vlad Tepes
Eviledd1984
Izurich
Psyker Landshark
xxjessicaxx
Carlyle