Collateral
Dead trees moan as harsh desert winds howl about. Greg's eyes burn as the sand picks up in the beginnings of another sandstorm. Greg watches the scientist speak, but the sound of the wind and the sand makes it impossible to hear. Greg decides to duck into a nearby building until the storm blows over.
"Now, why are you so insistent on not going back to Frisco?" Greg demanded an answer from this scientist.
The scientist breathed in, and then exhaled and looked at each member of Greg's group. "The Brotherhood has me participating in experiments I refuse to be a part of any longer. I managed to successfully escape, and was then captured by slavers hired to bring me back to the Brotherhood."
Greg's eyes appeared startled for a moment, then narrowed as if trying to hold back all of his anger, "That bastard, Joe! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him! He set us up!" Greg slammed his fist hard on a table.
"So what should we do? We can't go back to Frisco now. We have the scientist they're after, so they'll be sure to come after us." Kelvin rarely spoke, but when he did, he made sense.
"We could just kill them all!" the raider chimed in, perky at the thought of using her AK some more.
"You're rifle worked good against slavers. I don't see it fairing well against power armor. No, we should flee for now, and make distance. We try to get to another Brotherhood outpost before they reach us. If we can't, we kill our pursuers then find some bodies and fake our own deaths." Gary seemed to be able to carry himself as goofy, but it seemed he had a serious side too.
Greg thought for a moment, "Screw the Brotherhood, we can seek amnesty in the New California Republic. We're North of Frisco right now, as soon as this sand storm is behind us we can get a head start."
"And then what, become citizens of the NCR? And what happens when the Brotherhood still forcibly pursues us into NCR territory and incites war again?" Gary was definitely thinking things through.
But so was Greg, "Easy, they wont. The NCR had difficulty beating the Brotherhood last time. The NCR has grown since then, they've also acquired nifty technology that will put them on par with the Brotherhood."
"Aren't we a good distance from their territory?" Kelvin motioned for Greg to pull out his map.
"No, we're only about five miles from their southern most outpost and marking the start of their territory. I had the same plan when I was captured by those slavers." The scientist chimed in.
"Only five miles? We can make that. We can go back to that camp, and take two of their vehicles, and make it even faster." Greg was sounding optimistic now.
As the sounds of the sandstorm were dying down, they began to move. It took about fifteen minutes, but they reached the slaver's camp again. Yet, their luck turned south. There were about twenty Brotherhood soldiers in power armor searching the ruins.
"What should we do? Hold out until they leave? There is twenty of them, we can't take those odds on." Gary seemed nervous now.
"Well, I suspected they were able to track us before. Now, I don't think they can. I was almost positive they would have used some kind of bug on us. I guess they're not as smart as ..." Before Greg could finish talking, all of the Brotherhood soldiers looked directly at their location. "Well, damnit."
The Brotherhood didn't even wait to begin open firing at them. Sand exploded all around them as they ducked for cover behind the hill. Greg already formulated a plan, as he reached into his pack and pulled out several flashbangs and smoke grenades.
"I'm going to throw these. Wesley, and the girl will make a run for the two near by vehicles as they're probably the fastest. Greg, Kelvin, and I will give you cover fire. Bring those vehicles around the hill, and we'll survive this yet." Before Greg was even finished speaking, he had already begun hurling the grenades and flashbangs over the hill.
Immediately Wesley and the raider began running as fast as possible. Greg jumped up and leveled his railgun. This time he dug the two front legs deep into the sand and began firing.
Kelvin and Greg also stood up and unleashed a fury of bullets, though Gary began conserving ammo when he realized Kelvin's chaingun was doing a fair enough job keeping the Brotherhood down and under cover.
Within moments though, the Brotherhood began firing back, and the three had to duck back down below the hill line.
"Shit, I hope those two can make it!" Greg shouted, yet his question was answered at the sound of two vehicles approaching. "Quick, get in!"
Greg stood up and fired his railgun, like a novice again. It blasted him clear off the hill, and he felt himself collide with one of the vehicles.
Kelvin lifted Greg into the vehicle with a single hand, "Go. I wont be able to join you in those vehicles as I am far too large. I will meet up with you again, in Junktown. Wait there for three days." Kelvin smiled for the first time, since joining them. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can.
A vertibird screamed into the air, it's engines roaring like a Pterodactyl in heat. Kelvin immediately began firing at it, taking out one engine and then the other. The vehicles were already moving away at a fast pace.
"I can't believe we're just leaving Kelvin like that." Greg muttered to the raider, though mostly to himself.
It seemed that Wesley and Gary had the faster vehicle as it was ripping through the sands at incredible speed.
"We didn't leave him, it was his request. He's a true warrior. Give him the respect he deserves." The raider didn't even seem bothered or concerned. "And believe he can succeed."
This cheered Greg up a bit. All this for the damn scientist, who was being excessively quiet. Greg was amazed by the speed, for within five minutes they had already broken into NCR territory. Greg was also amazed by the lack of Brotherhood pursuers.
The two vehicles began to slow down as they approached the southern most NCR checkpoint. Countless guards were posted, probably due to the gunfire in the distance.
"The New California Republic, here we come."
A few hundred miles away
After a few days of traveling, Elizabeth and Rick had reached a small town to resupply. They were still hundreds of miles from California, but making good progress. This small town was a well guarded barter and trade town.
"Father, find us a room, I'll get us supplies." Elizabeth seemed to be the leader of their group now.
They parted ways in the town center, as Elizabeth began looking for the supplies she would need. As she walked through the open market, she began hearing stories.
"Yeah, I heard it on the shortwave! A group of people stuck it to the Brotherhood, they stole a scientist and got away into NCR!" The man seemed excited about this.
"Yeah, and some super mutant massacred the Brotherhood that was pursuing them. Talk about luck right!" The second man laughed carefree.
"No, from what I heard, the super mutant was traveling with them. As if these stories can be accurate right?"
"Excuse me, but, exactly how much further are we from NCR territory?" Elizabeth jumped into the conversation. She didn't know anything, but something screamed that Greg must be in that group.
"Well, I'd say about two hundred miles before their territory begins. Don't go by foot though. There is a place here you can get a vehicle that'll make it. There are several places to refuel on the way too."
Elizabeth simply nodded, content with the response.
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- Chapter Eight
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"Now, why are you so insistent on not going back to Frisco?" Greg demanded an answer from this scientist.
The scientist breathed in, and then exhaled and looked at each member of Greg's group. "The Brotherhood has me participating in experiments I refuse to be a part of any longer. I managed to successfully escape, and was then captured by slavers hired to bring me back to the Brotherhood."
Greg's eyes appeared startled for a moment, then narrowed as if trying to hold back all of his anger, "That bastard, Joe! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him! He set us up!" Greg slammed his fist hard on a table.
"So what should we do? We can't go back to Frisco now. We have the scientist they're after, so they'll be sure to come after us." Kelvin rarely spoke, but when he did, he made sense.
"We could just kill them all!" the raider chimed in, perky at the thought of using her AK some more.
"You're rifle worked good against slavers. I don't see it fairing well against power armor. No, we should flee for now, and make distance. We try to get to another Brotherhood outpost before they reach us. If we can't, we kill our pursuers then find some bodies and fake our own deaths." Gary seemed to be able to carry himself as goofy, but it seemed he had a serious side too.
Greg thought for a moment, "Screw the Brotherhood, we can seek amnesty in the New California Republic. We're North of Frisco right now, as soon as this sand storm is behind us we can get a head start."
"And then what, become citizens of the NCR? And what happens when the Brotherhood still forcibly pursues us into NCR territory and incites war again?" Gary was definitely thinking things through.
But so was Greg, "Easy, they wont. The NCR had difficulty beating the Brotherhood last time. The NCR has grown since then, they've also acquired nifty technology that will put them on par with the Brotherhood."
"Aren't we a good distance from their territory?" Kelvin motioned for Greg to pull out his map.
"No, we're only about five miles from their southern most outpost and marking the start of their territory. I had the same plan when I was captured by those slavers." The scientist chimed in.
"Only five miles? We can make that. We can go back to that camp, and take two of their vehicles, and make it even faster." Greg was sounding optimistic now.
As the sounds of the sandstorm were dying down, they began to move. It took about fifteen minutes, but they reached the slaver's camp again. Yet, their luck turned south. There were about twenty Brotherhood soldiers in power armor searching the ruins.
"What should we do? Hold out until they leave? There is twenty of them, we can't take those odds on." Gary seemed nervous now.
"Well, I suspected they were able to track us before. Now, I don't think they can. I was almost positive they would have used some kind of bug on us. I guess they're not as smart as ..." Before Greg could finish talking, all of the Brotherhood soldiers looked directly at their location. "Well, damnit."
The Brotherhood didn't even wait to begin open firing at them. Sand exploded all around them as they ducked for cover behind the hill. Greg already formulated a plan, as he reached into his pack and pulled out several flashbangs and smoke grenades.
"I'm going to throw these. Wesley, and the girl will make a run for the two near by vehicles as they're probably the fastest. Greg, Kelvin, and I will give you cover fire. Bring those vehicles around the hill, and we'll survive this yet." Before Greg was even finished speaking, he had already begun hurling the grenades and flashbangs over the hill.
Immediately Wesley and the raider began running as fast as possible. Greg jumped up and leveled his railgun. This time he dug the two front legs deep into the sand and began firing.
Kelvin and Greg also stood up and unleashed a fury of bullets, though Gary began conserving ammo when he realized Kelvin's chaingun was doing a fair enough job keeping the Brotherhood down and under cover.
Within moments though, the Brotherhood began firing back, and the three had to duck back down below the hill line.
"Shit, I hope those two can make it!" Greg shouted, yet his question was answered at the sound of two vehicles approaching. "Quick, get in!"
Greg stood up and fired his railgun, like a novice again. It blasted him clear off the hill, and he felt himself collide with one of the vehicles.
Kelvin lifted Greg into the vehicle with a single hand, "Go. I wont be able to join you in those vehicles as I am far too large. I will meet up with you again, in Junktown. Wait there for three days." Kelvin smiled for the first time, since joining them. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can.
A vertibird screamed into the air, it's engines roaring like a Pterodactyl in heat. Kelvin immediately began firing at it, taking out one engine and then the other. The vehicles were already moving away at a fast pace.
"I can't believe we're just leaving Kelvin like that." Greg muttered to the raider, though mostly to himself.
It seemed that Wesley and Gary had the faster vehicle as it was ripping through the sands at incredible speed.
"We didn't leave him, it was his request. He's a true warrior. Give him the respect he deserves." The raider didn't even seem bothered or concerned. "And believe he can succeed."
This cheered Greg up a bit. All this for the damn scientist, who was being excessively quiet. Greg was amazed by the speed, for within five minutes they had already broken into NCR territory. Greg was also amazed by the lack of Brotherhood pursuers.
The two vehicles began to slow down as they approached the southern most NCR checkpoint. Countless guards were posted, probably due to the gunfire in the distance.
"The New California Republic, here we come."
A few hundred miles away
After a few days of traveling, Elizabeth and Rick had reached a small town to resupply. They were still hundreds of miles from California, but making good progress. This small town was a well guarded barter and trade town.
"Father, find us a room, I'll get us supplies." Elizabeth seemed to be the leader of their group now.
They parted ways in the town center, as Elizabeth began looking for the supplies she would need. As she walked through the open market, she began hearing stories.
"Yeah, I heard it on the shortwave! A group of people stuck it to the Brotherhood, they stole a scientist and got away into NCR!" The man seemed excited about this.
"Yeah, and some super mutant massacred the Brotherhood that was pursuing them. Talk about luck right!" The second man laughed carefree.
"No, from what I heard, the super mutant was traveling with them. As if these stories can be accurate right?"
"Excuse me, but, exactly how much further are we from NCR territory?" Elizabeth jumped into the conversation. She didn't know anything, but something screamed that Greg must be in that group.
"Well, I'd say about two hundred miles before their territory begins. Don't go by foot though. There is a place here you can get a vehicle that'll make it. There are several places to refuel on the way too."
Elizabeth simply nodded, content with the response.
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