...
Why are you staring at the sun?
B: Waiting for the store to open. Got sick of staring at the town.
I can understand that. Is it open yet?
Yes it is! Go inside fast before they close again.
Nice store. Follows the theme of "junkyard city full of crap" pretty well.
B: At least they got a workbench here. You wanted me to make some fuel, right?
Yes, but look! There's a female there! A mechanic by the looks of it. You should totally hit on her.
MB: Good to meet you! I'm Moira Brown. I run Craterside Supply, but what I really do is mostly tinkering and research.
Say, I'm working on a book about the Wasteland -- it'd be great to have the foreword by a vault dweller. Help me out, would you?
B: Sure, I've got plenty to say about life in the Vault.
MB: Great! Just tell me what it's like to live underground all your life, or to come outside for the first time, or whatever strikes your fancy!
B: The "Outside" place is amazing. In the main room, I can't even see the ceiling!
MB: Hah! Yeah, you wouldn't imagine how hard it is to replace that big light bulb up there, too!
That's great for a foreword - open with a joke and all that. Here, take the suit - something tells me you might need it.
That'll be good for the book. In fact, want to help me with the research? I can pay you, and it'll be fun!
B: Pay? What sort of pay? And what sort of work?
MB: Let's see, dealing with radiation, testing an experimental device, and I won't lie, it may include some reading. That sort of stuff, you know?
But for all that, I can pay you with caps, meds, chems, and maybe even a few of those unique inventions, if you do a good job. Interested?
B: Sounds good. Tell me more.
MB: Well, it's a dangerous place out there in the Wastes, right? People could really use a compilation of good advice. Like a Wasteland Survival Guide!
For that, I need an assistant to test my theories. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of a mistake. Nobody's ever happy when that happens.
No... Then they just yell a lot. At me. With mean, mean words.
B: Okay. I guess I'll help you with this "Survival Guide".
MB:: All right, then! Now, I think the first chapter will have to be about surviving day-to-day dangers.
Things like where it is and isn't safe to find food, the dangers of radiation, and how to avoid and even profit from dangerous landmines.
Ooh, sounds like fun, doesn't it? Which do you want to do first?
B: Getting food doesn't sound so bad. What are you looking for?
MB: Well, food and medicine. Everyone needs them once in a while, right? So they need a good place to find them!
There's an old Super-Duper Mart not far from here. I need to know if a place like that still has any food or medicine left in it.
B: What's the pay?
MB: Hopefully, you'll be finding food and medicine, but I could sweeten the deal by paying more food when you get back, regardless of the results.
While you're away, I can at least search through my junk and see if there's anything that'll go with old food to make it more appetizing.
B: Okay, I'll check the Super-Duper Mart.
MB: Oh, great! Food is most important, but see if you can get medicine, too. And if there's nothing to find, then just come back in one piece, okay?
B: Let me see what you have for sale.
MB: What do you need?
Hey Buzz? I didn't know you where from a vault?
B: I'm not. She just seemed so excited, so I played along. Got me this suit, didn't it?
I guess so. Doesn't matter much anyway, seeing how she'll be blow to bits soon. So, what are you selling?
B: This knife.
Is that all? You got a lot of other junk you know?
B: You mean my tools? I need my tools. I'm a mechanic.
Yeah, sure.
Great. Now you got one cap more. Not exactly what you can call great profit, now is it? Bah, just make the damned fuel and get out of here.
B: This is a nice workbench. Sturdy, with a nice surface to work on. I need me one of those.
Well if it costs 1 bottlecap you are in luck my friend!
B: Fuck you.
Hey! If you don't watch it, I will jump you off the walkway out here!
B: There, I made the fuel. Happy now?
I sure am! Let's plan our course of action.
We still need to go all the way to Tenpenny Tower. The waypoint to the Dealership is also there, in case we need to go there. I think we should park the bike there. Don't think we can get much farther with only one unit of gas.
One last look at that damned bomb. I hope.
What? Oh, that's right! You got a few bullets lodged in your torso. I had forgot that.
B: You could have noticed my slight limp at least...
The clinic is thankfully open. Now let's hope there is an actual doctor in there, not some Brahmin herder who got his hands on a scalpel.
DC: If you do bother me, you better be damn near dead. I'm busy enough takin' care of people I actually like.
Follow my rule, I'll keep you patched up, I'll keep gettin' paid, and we'll get along just fine.
B: I'm hurt, I need help, Doc.
DC: Let's see... moderate lacerations, maybe a broken bone or two... I should be able to do you up for 75.
B: All right, here's your money.
DC: Now... where did I put that scalpel? Ah! There it is...
---------
---------
---------
DC: Alright, that should do it. You need anything else?
B: That's all I need.
DC: Alright then.
Wow, that was some medical treatment. Buzz? Buzz? Hello?
B: Huh?
Ah, he drugged you up a bit, did he?
B: Think so.
Well, you just sit here for a minute. Then we'll go fix that bike.
There it is! Our beauty. Well, at least it is ours. But now that I come to think of it, this bike just sat here... we should fix it fast and get it away from here before the owner shows up! Hurry!
Yeah yeah, fuel it up.
Nice, one whole unit of fuel. But wait... 0.0 % condition? Does that mean it doesn't run.
B: Yeah. It shouldn't even be standing up. From what I see it only lacks a few parts here and there. Nothing major, but it won't run.
And why didn't you tell me this before?
B: I couldn't be bothered.
...
Well, fix it up! You have some parts and tools, so get at it.
B: There. I used some of the scrap I got, and one Conductor. It's only at 5.6 % though, so not sure if we should try to start it.
Bullshit! Start it up!
...
I did not like that sound.
B: Yeah, we broke it again.
Goddamn.
B: There. I used everything I got. Up to 20.7 %. Might still break I'm afraid, so we should get some more parts before trying.
Fine! Just... I don't know. Go back to that small town nearby. Where we got the money from that Silver woman.
B: That way?
Yes, that way. Now go. I want to get that damn bike running, and I want to get it running fast!
B: I still got one Conductor, but I need it as reference.
What?
B: In case I find more. Need to see if they will fit in the bike.
Yeah, whatever.
That's the place. Now just go nuts. Search everywhere. You know what we need.
B: I don't think we are going to find what we need there, but fine. I'll try.
This mailbox looks like it contains something.
Wow. A hockey mask and an ashtray. Who the fuck stuffs their mailbox with these things?
B: This cabinet was full of goodies.
Hey! No drinking until we have blown up Megaton. If you hit the bottle now we'll never get away with that bike.
Wow. Someone actually left a lot of ammo in this footlocker. I thought the Wasteland was scavenged to death by now.
B: There is a Pre-War Book here as well.
Which book?
B: Catch-22.
Take it. You need something good to read once you get somewhere to sleep.
I hope there isn't anything perishable in that fridge...
B: The smell... isn't that bad actually. You would think that food lying in a fridge for hundreds of years would smell bad, but it's not that much different from what everything smells around here.
I'm glad I sit on this end of the screen.
So, the town didn't yield much for the bike, so just follow the road. Maybe there is a broken down bike with some parts on the way.
Can you salvage anything there?
B: No, nothing. If I could, I wouldn't touch it anyway. The slightest bump could set the engine to blow.
Really? Must remember that.
More useless junk. God, this place sucks.
Aaaand Wasteland as far as I can see. Great. You can just as well run back to Megaton. Maybe Moira got some parts for sale. Is that barking I hear?
Oh crap! Shoot!
Wow, that was a nice shot.
B: Thanks.
You sure you are a mechanic?
B: You would be surprised to hear how often being a mechanic involves fighting renegade robots.
God fucking damnit. I hate that town. You know what? Fuck it. Go someplace else to look for scrap first. Moira will be a last option.
B: I'll go the other way through this town then. Towards the stop sign.
There is so much crap here, and you cannot use any of it?
B: No. Wrong kind of crap.
Crap.
That's a nice welcome. I spy a cabinet back there. Go get it Buzz!
B: It's locked. Just have to pick it open.
Great! More booze. If all else fails, we could just drink you into a stupor and hope everything works out in the morning.
This time I say "Fuck you Stop sign!"
So this was a school. Did elementary schools teach mechanics? If they did, we might be lucky.
I am almost disappointed now. No dirty words because of missing letters. Oh well.
Woah...
This seems a bit harsh... I didn't think punishment like this was legal in schools.
B: If you look closer, you can see that these people where adults.
Hey, you can still go to elementary school even though you are an adult.
B: Are you sure? You would have to be pretty stupid if you...
Yeah, well, let's just forget about that.
B: I think that guy is alive.
Leave him for now. Don't want the teachers to be angry with us as well for letting him out.
Hey, who said that?
Holy shit! That ain't no teacher! Shoot him!
B: I'm trying to!
You got him! But I think I hear another one coming down the hall. You better get him fast.
B: Steady...
Hah! You don't mess with Buzz!
B: Yeah. I nailed him good, didn't I?
Haha, fucking funny. Now get a move on.
B: Wait, I just have to...
What? Undress this guy?
B: He got stuff, I need stuff. Stuff is worth money.
Yeah yeah, just leave his underwear on.
Great. Unprocessed meat in the kitchen. What kind of school is this?
B: I think those guys where raiders, so I guess calling it a school now would be wrong.
Yeah, I guess you are right. Finding anything good?
B: Some Stimpaks, a knife.
B: Some glue. And more stimpaks with some other drugs scattered around. I'll just pick up everything useful.
But no bikeparts?
B: None whatsoever.
Damn.
B: I think I heard something.
Yeah, another raider. You know what Buzz? Running away isn't always the cowards way out.
B: Fuck, I don't care. Rather be a coward than a dead mechanic.
B: Should I let this guy out now?
Sure, why not.
RC: Here, I managed to hide these supplies before they tied me up. You take them, it's the best I can do to thank you...
B: I'll take that. Now get out of here.
RC: They won't catch me again...
-----
What did you get?
B: No idea.
Check it out then.
B: I don't want to touch stuff he managed to "hide away" before getting tied up without having running water nearby.
Oh yeah... good call. Now flee!
Run you stupid man! They are coming for us!
Haha! Look at him run!
B: That was kinda mean.
Yeah yeah, whatever. Guess we should just bite the bullet and go back to Moira. Now we got more stuff to trade for parts at least.
What are you doing?
B: Checking if I can break apart some of the stuff I looted. Maybe I can make repair parts out of it.
Good thinking!
How did it go?
B: Didn't work. The stuff sucked, so I can just as well sell it.
B: I haven't gotten around to it, yet.
MB: Oh. Well, could you get on that? Thanks!
B: Let me see what you have for sale.
MB: Sure thing!
Wow, you got some nice crap there. Some armor, knives, pack of sigs. You really want to sell that sniper?
B: Yeah. We need the money, right? And I only got two bullets for it.
Yeah, you are right.
B: Hmm. Not sure if these repair parts will fit. But at least she got one Conductor. Very expensive though.
Buy it anyway. We need to get out of here. I just remember that Burke and Tenpenny could theoretically push the button any time...
B: Shit, you are right...
Yeah, you too! Hehe.
Okey... what? Wasn't the condition up to 20 something last time we checked?
B: Yeah. Maybe someone tampered with it?
Fucking hell! Maybe we should have taken the keys with us.
B: That would have been a good idea. Now we know.
B: With the parts I got now, I can only work it so far. 23.7 is the best I can do.
Shit. Okay, just try and start it. If it starts, then great. If not, then we need more parts anyway. And there is one option left. The dealership. He had parts, so we could go to him. It's not that far.
B: Yeah. I'll try to start it anyway.
Great. Eight more points down the fucking crapper. We should get plenty of parts from the dealership then.
B: Sure. Shall I go now?
No, wait till next time. But you could have some fun with the stuff you found today in the meantime.
B: Like this?
Yeah, like that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
