Discovering the aftermath of the attack

Saskia is stood in shock, staring at the evidence of unbridled violence on the ground in front of her. A messy dragline of blood led from the rendezvous point outside the NCR outpost into the darkness of the forest. Someone or something had gotten to them while she was in there. Were they all dead? She thought to herself in horror. She'd been talking to them not much more than twenty minutes before. She strained her eyes in the darkness and inspected the trail, but couldn't tell if there was only one or multiple dragged over one another. She had no choice. She had to follow. If what the scientists said was true, everything was at stake . Hello and welcome back to another episode of A Wasteland Story. In the last episode of the show, Suskhaid, with the help of a strangely youthful looking century-old ghoul, managed to escape her imprisonment from the settlement of Newark. She was loaded up with a pit boy and a shiny new rifle from all around Tough Gal seia North. She set off back into the wasteland in search of the Brotherhood of Steel to deliver a message and a call for help. Along the way, she was attacked by some wild dogs, but she did find and befriend a good boy, the best boy, Dogmeat. Halfway to their destination, Dogmeat and Soskaid made camp to rest for their journey ahead and were come upon by a mysterious stranger. Will Soskaid find the Brotherhood of Steel? Yes and no. And will they be further propelled down an increasingly thickening plot surrounding the mysterious mutation inducing substance, the FEV, of course. So stay tuned to find out what happens to our heroine and her little friend right now. Okay, chapter six. Suskeard has just survived an attack from two mutant dogs on her way traveling to try and find the Brotherhood of Steel in Springfield. After successfully defeating the dog she found a friendly good boy lying in the tent there, named Dogmeat, and Dogmeat is now a companion of Suskade. Suskade and Dogmeat had spent the day scavenging around the camps ite of the luckless soul who'd met their end at the hands, or pause, of Dogmeat's ex Pac. She was surprised at how quickly Dogmeat had taken to her. She giggled when he tried to push his head between her legs as she stood on the ridge and tried to make sense of her location and plan their route for the next stint of the journey. He had yet to learn what a whistle meant though, and a few times Suskade thought he had left her when he patted out of sight. He always came back though with a small morsel to drop at her feet. Now as the sun was setting, Soskaid peered around her to see where he was. Dogmeat, she called, somewhat in vain, but then heard his panting coming from up behind her. He dropped down at her feet and started chewing on a gnarled grey stick. So what that means is basically he can uh when she attacks, he can assist her attack and at his own damage as long as he's in range, as in can leap at them. He can also help sniff things out so she gets a reduction to the difficulty of perception tests. He finds his own food and water and he can help her scavenge to find food and ammo and whatnot as well. So super cool. I love dogmeat. I always loved dogmeat in the games. I knew he was gonna come and join up Suskate at some stage. Being a solo character, she needs all the help she can get, and this seemed to be a good time to do it. Suskade picked up the stick and Dog Meat sprang to his paws, eyes locked on his prize. Suskade had always liked dogs. There'd been a couple around her village, and she used to spend hours out the front of the settlement throwing sticks for them while waiting for her father to return from one of his excursions. They always knew he was coming before she did, and she remembered how her heart had always leapt when they, as one, would drop the sticks and run out in the direction they'd sensed the party returning from. It meant he was home. And now he'd never be coming home again. She felt tears begin to well up behind her eyes, but snapped out of it when dogmeat made a little whimper, barely containing his excitement for the potential of a thrown stick. She wondered for a moment if he had had an owner at some stage. He looked a lot healthier than the wild dogs that he'd been running with after all. Okay, boy, she said, and she threw the stick as far as she could into the distance. Dog meat pounded off over the dust, and when he reached the stick and turned, Suskade whistled, attempting to ingrain the association of the sound with him returning to her. So now the expected scene is that Saskaiid camps without any incident and continues her journey towards Springfield, which is now it's already been a day and a half. She's camping at night. That's what we expect to happen. Let's see what happens. So we are testing the expected scene. If we roll over five , it happens. If we roll under five, something else happens . Five . Okay, so it is not over the chaos factor and it is odd, which means it's an altered scene. Sasuke had picked up the drop stick and threw it again. She was getting better, she noticed, as the stick flew even further than the last time . She watched it land and waited to see the small dog sprint off after it. Instead, Dogmeat let out a low growl behind her. So let's see at how we adjust it. Okay, let's see. Is it a random event that happens or is it a NPC? So let's call it 5050. Yes, it is a random encounter. So it's a seventeen, which means itiner ant bartender . Excuse me, young lady. Soska had swung around, her pistol in hand, although she didn't rem draemberwing it. A merchant sat in the company of one or two other scavengers, is sat at the fire, and conversation seems likely. The merchants headed to open up their own bar at another settlement, and they're willing to sell beverages to pay for the endeavour. They have six D20 caps on hand . Okay . So this kind of works out as both. So he's a character as well. Let's roll up a name . Mia or Mikey. I didn't mean to startle ya, said a friendly looking ghoul, hands raised passively in the air. There was a bored looking ramen behind him a little way off, strapped high with a haphazard collection of salvage suitcases and bags. Susuke had looked him over briefly before relaxing and lowering her pistol slightly. Mikey's the name, said the stranger, slowly lowering his hands. And Mikey runs along, he has a Brahmin with a big pack on it and stuff, and Mikey comes up and um while Soskeird is sitting at the campfire at night, scratching dogmeat's head, she hears a rustle. And she quickly turns around and she grabs her gun. And as she as she pulls her gun up, she hears this guy say, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, don't mean you any harm, don't mean you any harm. Um I'm just a humble merchant. Uh I was looking for a spot to camp for the night and I saw your fire. Do you mind if I join you? Do you mind if I join you? My creaky knees could do with the rest. Soskade nodded, and settled herself down on the opposite side of the fire next to dogmeat, looking at the ghoul expectantly . So Saskade is uh skeptical, but he does have a Brahmin with a pack horse on it and he doesn't appear to be carrying lots of weaponry or or partic be particularly violent or anything like that. So she says, yep, okay , fine, but keep your distance and then move on. So he tells her that he is going to set up a bar in a nearby settlement. Susu had made no effort to break the awkward silence, and after a few minutes Mikey said, Heading off to start a new life for myself, since you asked. Susuide nodded and absentmindedly put her hand on Dogmeat's head once again. Dogmeat started chewing on his paw happily, any sense of threat apparently out of his mind . Suske had relaxed further. Whereabouts? She said after another slightly too long silence. Let's see what this settlement is that he's gonna set up a bar in . So let's see what he looks like. Mike, he is um Sin ister. No, I don't think he's sinister. He is eleg ant . Elegant features. So he's he's a really richly dressed merchant in so far as wastelanders can be. He seems like a friendly guy and he is tell Susque d of a settlement call ed Kaisha . Now I wonder where this settlement is. He said it's nearby . So is it within a day's walk? I think it's likely . No, it's not within a day's walk. Um, so then I think it is closer. I think it's just around the corner. Keshar, it's called just, over the ridge over there, or at least I hope it still is, said Mikey amiably. I'm finally gonna follow my dream and set up shop in a place that a face like mine can feel welcome in. Clearly finding the urge to fill another silence, Mikey went on. Combining my two loves I am, he said, Tinkerin' and drinkerin, he said with a chuckle. So she's currently in near Rice Hill, and just on the other side of the highway, sort of just out of sight over a little ridge to the west no east did it again is K Shah. Let's mark that on the map. That a map? said Mikey, pointing to the small square of ancient plastic coated paper that was poking out from her vault suit. There, just to the west of Rice Hill where those two roads intersect, he said, pointing vaguely as Susu had pulled out the map and held it protectively to a chest. A good place to know about if you need supplies, especially water. If you don't mind the company of ghouls, that is, said Mikey. I can mark it for you if you like . He reached out his hand. Suskade flinched and stuffed the map back inside her clothes. No, that that's okay, thanks, she said, feeling herself glow slightly with a little flush of embarrassment. Mikey respectfully returned his hand to his pocket. A Suskade, by the way, she said by way of apology. Nice to meet you, Suskade, said Mikey, motioning to the tip of the hat that he wasn't wearing . Not to come on too strong or anything, but couldn't interest you in some beverages for your travels, could I? Two so here's beverages brown and milk bourbon blood pack and beer. It's brown milk. Brown milk heals radiation damage, cost fifteen. So we're gonna buy a Brahmin milk and a blood pack, costing twenty-five. Nice doing business with ya, said Mikey as he fiddled with the buckles on the various suitcases strapped to the Brahmin's back, and apparently distributing the Suske had inspected the Brahmin milk in the dusty glass jar. Good for the rads, he said, nodding at the milk. Straight out of the udder of old Bessie that. Straight out of the udder of old Bessie , his uh pack Brahmin. And that's about it . Mikey, the merchant, I'm gonna put on the character list, he may show up later. Well, said Mikey, I'd best be on my way. I still plan to get to Kesher in time to secure myself a bed. If you ever find yourself down that way, look me up. You were my first official customer, and that means something in my book. There'll be a drink on the house for you . Suskead stayed quiet as he started to walk away. Wait, she heard herself say suddenly. Mikey turned. Could you mark it on my map, please? Mikey smiled and without saying a word, walked back over, took the Proffed Map and circled a small crossroads. I hope to see you there one day, he said. Good luck, Soskaid . He gave Dogmeat a little tickle on the ear and strolled off with the lumbering Bessie in tow. Suska had settled in to get some rest. Okay . So that was the altered scene. After that, Mikey moves on his way, um, they have a good chat, she gets some rest, no other dramas during the night, and then she sets off the next morning to continue her travel. So it'll take her 10 hours to get a full dice distance on the map. She's starting to go through some more foresty areas now. Ah, the weather, we didn't do the weather. So she wakes up in the morning. It was sunny yesterday. I know I said it was something else, but I changed my mind. Sunny yesterday, and now it is warming up. So it was sun ny , and now it's a sunny haze. A sunny haze had thickened throughout Suskade and Dogmeat's day of travel. It made the air feel sticky, sickly, even, but it did make her feel a little less exposed to the long sightlines when travelling over open ground. At one point they'd come across an abandoned gas station of some sort before they'd left the winding road as it made a turn towards the west. The gas station had been pretty picked clean, but with Dogmead's help, they did find a few morsels of food and a first aid kit jammed behind a fallen locker, as well as a pipe gun hidden under the counter . Now as the hazy day wore on, they came to the edge of an ancient forest. A few stubborn brown needles clung to the close knit trees and a proper fog had started to settle on the ground. Dogmeat whined slightly, but seemed ready to follow her lead. They pushed forward into the forest. And just for something different, I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about using ChatGPT as a bit of a dungeon master or game master prompter . And so just for fun, I put I asked ChatGPT um what does she encounter on her way to on the last stretch of the journey, as well as, assuming they're there, who the Brotherhood of Steel members are. So what ChatGPT told me is that Suscaid and dog meat are travelling through a quite a dense forest. Now this is not lush and green forest, it's basically sticks of dead wood barely hanging on that was once a forest. And so as she's travelling through there, she runs into some rad stags, and these are mutated um deer, basically. And we return to another entry in The Denizens of the Wasteland. On today's discovery, the Radstag. These creatures are the mutated descendants of the common deer. While they retain a mostly unchanged form, insofar as their body remains deer-like and they sport magnificent antlers, radiation has caused them to gain an extra head. Two are better than one, hey? Interestingly, the inner eye of each head is blind, forcing the animals to navigate with both heads simultaneously. These creatures travel in packs and are usually docile and less threatened, in which case they can do some nasty damage with their powerful kick and pointy antlers. An hour or so had passed since Suskade and Dogmeat had trekked into the woods. Dogmeat seemed to sense the tension in the air in this new environment and had stayed close to her the entire time, barely making a sound. Stopping for a minute to rest behind a long fallen red oak, Sasuke had shared one of the precious remaining purified water containers with the grateful dog . As she was trickling the last of their clean water into his mouth, he stopped lapping all of a sudden. The water splashed in the dirt and she stopped pouring. Dogmeat's ears pricked up and his head tilted. Then he let out a low, barely audible growl. Dogmeat alerts Saskai that they're there and she sort of sees them um what do you call it? Grazing in the forest . And we're gonna find out I think initially they're not hostile And we're just gonna find out if they're going to stay that way . So Suskay ad gripped the shoulder strap of the hunting rifle on her back and peered over the felled tree. She couldn't see anything much through the fog, so she strained her ears instead. There! A small crack of a twig pulled her gaze to the left, and she saw a few silhouettes moving gently not 50 meters away. She crept closer, through the swirling fog . She recognized the animals. Deer, her father had called them, although she'd never heard anyone else refer to them as such. There'd been a reasonably common prize amongst the hunting parties that had regularly departed and returned to her village. Once she'd even been allowed to go with them and remembered thinking she'd never seen such a majestic animal. It had always made her sad when the hunting party shot them, but she understood. It was a good day when someone came back with one of these. The skins had been tanned to make shelter and clothing, the antlers to make some basic tools, and the meat had fed the small village for a week. These animals looked cautious, but not aggressive. Suske had soothed dogmeat and she told him to stay where he was. Stay there, she said. I If need you , I'll call, okay ? She patted him again and began to approach the wild animals slowly. She sees these radstags they're cautious, not immediately hostile um but we're gonna see if something happens. So there's no checks, no skills for animals or anything like that. So let's go with survival perception? No. Let's ask me thick . So there's three radsta gs. She holds her hand out to one of them, and we're gonna see do they remain not hostile . As she approached, the rad stags watched her carefully, shuffling their hooves slightly. She made clicking sounds with her mouth the way that she'd seen her father do at that time out on the hunt, and slowly presented the back of her hand towards the largest of the beasts. And I think it's very likely that they remain not hostile . So Or let's say are they do they turn on Susquea? I mean it's very unlikely . No. Extreme no. The animal snorted hot air on the back of Suscaid's hand, and then after a moment, gave it a lick. The tongue was rough like pitted metal. She gently stroked the beast on the side of the muzzle. The ratstag nuzzled back, and then turned slowly to walk away. After a few steps it stopped and turned as if to check if she was following. So not only are they not hostile, but they actually um I think they actually sort of lead her, they befriend her sort of and they lead her to a small pretty clean water source and so we're actually gonna use the opportunity to get some purified water clean water I'm not sure if it's the same thing or not let's say purified water. There's not many clean water sources, but perhaps it's an underground spring or something that's bubbled up and they've found it. Or are they gonna lead her to a cave or something else of interest? So let's say do they lead her to water ? I think that's very likely because they're animals, that's something that you know is important to them. So I think it's very likely they lead her to water. Yes, they do. Suskade called to Dogmeat to follow, and he caught up with her just as the leading creature stopped and bowed its head at the foot of an old torn-out stump. Suskeade bent down and saw that under the stump there was a tiny bubbling spring and a small trickle of water snaking its way through the dirt. It must have come from very deep down to be as clean as it smelled. Thank you, she said and couldn't help but smile at the animal as she patted it aga in. It gave her a friendly push and then turned to lead its herd back the way they'd come. Yeah, so they do lead her to a stream of water and she's gonna take. She's gonna collect three pieces of purified water. Sasgad pulled out a few empty plastic bottles they had and began to fill them with water . And I guess we could kill them at this point and and hunt them, but I think we're not gonna do that. So I think she sort of thanks them, pats one of the radstags on the crusty neck, and uh continues on her way. Um they have a little rest there, maybe by the stream. She feels pretty safe because dog meat's there and the animals are there calmly grazing along. So I think we're going to be rested. We might eat something so that we are sat ed or or full as well let's eat some of that corner I think we're not gonna eat anything. We're gonna see if we can get fed at the Brotherhood. Deeming this as good a spot as any to rest, Sosuke had sat down and pushed her back up against the stump. She drank a few handfuls of water gratefully from the spring and laughed as Dogmeat waited patiently, looking at her for permission to take his turn. Tickling him on the head by way of giving him the all-clear, dogmeat lapped up the water greedily. Soske be looked in her backpack and assessed her resources. She didn't like eating the last of her food, even though she was hungry. You'll know when you really need it, her father had told her once. However, she did take out the last piece of squirrel meat they had, and gave it to her new friend. I'm sure you'll pay me back, she said smiling, and pulled out the map . It shouldn't be more than a half a day from here, she said quietly, but we should rest a few hours now and then push on to arrive before nightfall. Dogmeat watched her settle in and sat down himself in front of her, looking proud as punch to be an alert mod So she goes on her last leg of the journey, that was the random encounter. We're going to do one more roll to see if she runs into anything else on her way. Yes, she does . So just as she's coming into Springfield, the forest uh comes out on top of a hill and sort of comes to an end, and then looking down at it she can see a pretty much blown out um it's not a city, it's a town, I'll say. Um but it's it's pretty wiped out, I think . Um she can see in the distance there's one major building nearby that's quite intact , and she can see some sign of um Brotherhood's members there. Maybe there's a vertebird sitting in the in the corridor. Maybe she sees someone on guard, I'm not sure yet. We're gonna see if they're there. But before that happens. Dogmeat and Soskade made it to the far edge of the forest before sunset. They'd made good time. As she peered out through the treeline, she saw a chain link fence and the unmistakable hulking shape of her brotherhood vertebird in the distance. It's like a helicopter thing . This has to be it, she thought, pushing down the rising feeling of hope she'd felt in her chest. She looked down at her side for dog meat, but he was stalking away off to the left edge of the tree line, ears pricked. There was something over there. She's still in the trees . Let's roll a D20 . It's gonna be a choke point . So this choke point is actually nervous settlers. So the choke point is the path to a nearby settlement, and there are a small group of settlers out here on guard. They'll allow people to pass so long as they holster their weapons and show no ill intent. They're reluctant to fight, but they will do so against anyone who doesn't comply. The road leading up to the corner before the Brotherhood base entrance, Soskades saw a small camp. Less than a dozen, maybe eight people, were milling around, beginning to light cookfires and secure tents. They mustn't have been there long, and probably didn't scout much before making camp, otherwise they probably wouldn't have set up so close to the outpost. The Brotherhood weren't likely to take all that kindly to civilians clogging up their access point. Her heart sank. Maybe they weren't there after all . The camp looked civil enough, Soska had thought, bringing her focus back to the situation at hand. They seemed to be mostly women and children, she noted, hanging washing and repairing clothes. They looked hungry, and she figured they probably weren't going to be hostile. She'd take the risk and go and make contact. They might know something about the whereabouts of the Brotherhood. So let's talk to these settlers. Um Suskade comes in and she she puts her weapon away. She asks them , do they know if if the Brotherhood of Steel are there . I think it's very likely because they're camped outside there, and I'm pretty sure that this is an outpost. Do you know about the Brotherhood of Steel? No, they don't. So either they haven't been there very long or they haven't ventured out there, or the Brotherhood of Steel are not there, or it's a small outpost and they remain well hidden. The group were cautious but calm as she approached, watching Post. So she says, Thank you. Do they have anything to trade? I think that's 50. I think it's lik ely . Definitely not. So 98. That's an extreme note. Not only do they not have anything to trade. As she said her thanks and turned to leave, she looked around and saw the desperation in all of their eyes. She stopped and turned back, fishing in her backpack. It's not much , she said, but it's really all I can spare. She handed out her few remaining morsels of food. Hopefully the Brotherhood would help them out, if they did find them, and at worst, she thought, they could always go back into the forest and track the radstags . Do you have any weapons? she said. They shook their heads. Our fighters went out scavenging and never came back, one of them said. Anyone know how to shoot ? A few of them nodded. Good. Take this. She handed them the pipe rifle she'd found back at the petrol station. She was going to sell it, but they needed it more than she needed the caps at the moment . They took the gun and nodded gratefully. Thank you, one said, and Suske had nodded . She hesitated for a moment and then pulled out her map. Look, I haven't been there myself, but someone told me about this settlement nearby and said it was safe. Maybe it's worth a try if you have no other direction in mind. Soskade wasn't sure if she'd done the right thing. She hadn't properly thought it through, but it was done now. She wished the sett lers luck, and she moved on. A suskaid's gonna help them, I think. She's gonna give them She's gonna give them the meat that she found. And we're gonna add them to our character list . So she's helped them out . Um she's also gonna she gives them the pipe gun and a little bit of ammo as well. She's good. So they've got at least some chance of defending themselves a little bit, maybe hunting for some food. And she makes her way to see if she can find the Brotherhood of Steel. The afternoon wore on as they left the settlers and made their way carefully up to the gate of the Brotherhood outpost. Suskade stopped at the gate to the chain link fence and listened for a while. All was still. Really still . So , are the Brotherhood of Steel currently in the outspots? I think as she's wandering through um does she run into any danger nope she doesn't run into any danger. So it's pretty abandoned by the look of it. She comes across what she assumes is the Brotherhood of Steel Outpost because it does look like it's been at least a little bit fortified in such a way . I'm picturing like a like a police station on the outskirts of town. Um and it does look like it's pretty much intact. The fences have been repaired, maybe. So are they there? I think it's very likely they're there. Are the Brotherhood of Steel currently there ? 9 0 . So the Brotherhood of Steel are not currently there. This did look like it was the outpost, she thought as she dropped down on the other side of the fence. Wait there. Good boy, she whispered to Dogmeat. He whimpered slightly and wagged his tail, but sat down in front of the locked gate. The fences had been recently repaired and somewhat fortified. The vertebird sat there quietly, a hunched shape looking like an overly muscular dragonfly. She made her way up to the small building along the left fence, likely the main quarters since, the only other building was the hangar that the aircraft sat out in front of. Peering through one of the barred and opaque windows, she could see a faint glow of green. She knocked. She knocked again, and then tested the door. It swung open. She goes in there, and she can get in there and she looks around. It's clearly set up for a s a very small base of operation. So there's maybe a terminal there, there's maybe a small weapons workbench, cook station. We'll we'll find out exactly what's there. Um, and there's currently no Brotherhood of Steel there. So let's see if we can access the terminal and see if we know where they went. Hello she said more bravely than she felt as she pushed the door further open without actually stepping into the building. Still no answer. She made her way cautiously through the door, pistol ready but lowered in case there was a member there. She didn't want them to shoot first and ask questions later. After a few minutes it was clear that the place was completely empty. She made her way up to the small terminal in the corner. Is the terminal locked ? No. The terminal's not locked. The screen was still on, and it appeared to be unlocked. Between that and the open door it struck her as a little careless. She would have expected more from what she knew about the Brotherhood. So she opens up the terminal and she sees some messages in there. I'm not I don't think the terminals are necessarily connected, they can't send messages to each other , I don't think. Um, but you can I think the Brotherhood used the terminal to maybe save messages there for other Brotherhood members who come. So they're probably coded in some way, but we'll see. The screen glowed brighter as Suskade tapped on the keys and it started making clicking noises. While the terminal was booting up, she checked back through the small building to make sure that no one was creeping up on her. There was no sound or any sign of movement, so after a minute she returned to the terminal . The loading logo made a pixelated little explosion and three messages blinked onto the screen . Rice Hill Police Station T one Internal Memo . Casual shooting ban extended to include the breakfast period. Internal memo. Conflict resolution consultation move to interrogation room one. And the final one. T X three Z T M Tully Bread crumb. Suske had opened the third message. There's one message there. There might be a couple of other things that aren't important, but there's one relevant message there about the Brotherhood's current mission or perhaps about their whereabouts. So first we'll see if it's coded. I think it's very likely that it's coded . It's not coded. So she opens up the terminal and she f sees a message about Triumph and adversity. So triumph over adversity. So the message is about that the Brotherhood have managed to establish this base. I think that's the triumph over adversity. I think that's why there's nothing around. They cleared out this part of town. They've established this as a base, coming down from their northernmost base in um Vancouver . And because they want to get down to this part of the country where there's there's reports of this FAV, this is a good successful spot, a strong position for them to be able to hold, and it's quite a defensible position, which is why they wanted to take it. And so this is their base of operations. Southward facing base of operations secured. Note for reinforcements. Upon arrival, perform perimeter check and prepare for southern deployment. Preparations should include supplies for an approximate five day march. They're not here . Is there any indication of where they've gone ? If not, we're just gonna wait for them to and assume they'll come back. So is there any there in any indication of where they're gone? I think it's I think it's very likely , because if they're going to establish this as a place, if something happens to them um and other Brotherhood members are going to be coming through this area, they want them to be able to find them. So is it is there any indication of where they went ? Yes. So there is . And they w ent 90 take . Friend. In case of absence of landing team by the specified regroup time, immediately investigate at the following location. I think they're going to rescue someone who can help them with the FEV threat. So I think they're trying to rescue a scientist who went missing . Maybe he was taken by raiders or something nearby . Maybe it's the NCR . I think it's the NCR. The NCR have taken a scientist from the Brotherhood. They don't believe in the Brotherhood's policing of the Commonwealth, and they want a more democratic society, if I remember correctly about, the NC R. And so they are sort of policing things as well, but they don't have this anti-mutants and ghouls and and pro-tech thing that the things have. So I think that's what's going on. Is the NCR 's base within a day's? I think it's I think it's one or two days journey. Is it within a days journey? Yes it is. Suske had clicked on the bolded word location and a map appeared on the screen. There was a you are here arrow pulsing gently at the bottom left of the map, and a perfect green circle to the east. It was a lead at least. Suske had copied the location onto her map as best she could and headed back to the fence where she hoped Dogmeat would still be waiting. So within a day's journey to the one, two, three, four, five, six, seven . So that would be southe ast from here in Fall Creek is where the NCR are hold up . Now the Brotherhood aren't particularly against the NCR , other than if they're getting in their way. The NCR, like the main thing the Brotherhood are against are mutants and that kind of thing. And but they will , you know, try and achieve their mission at all costs. So I think we're gonna make a day's journey. We follow the road to see if we can get there before the Brotherhood. I think they've left within an hour or a few. So I think if we use an action point, I believe we can use action points to speed up something . So I think we can let's say we spend two action points to travel really fast and see if we can catch up with them. She compared the time that the message was written with the current time on the corner of the screen. The message had only been recorded on the terminal an hour or so earlier. If she was fast, she might be able to catch up and meet the brotherhood there . So we're traveling to Fall Creek . Okay, so we're going along the highway. I think we managed to catch up with them just as they're approaching Falls Creek. It took Suskade and Dogmeat only an hour and a half to reach the NCR outpost. The rubble of the old highway following the tree line was cracked and worn, occasionally disappearing altogether under shallow tracks of dirt and dust. But it had been easy enough to keep on track. Dogmeat appeared to be having a ball during those flat sections where Soskad deemed it safe enough to carry on at a light jog, his ears flapping in the gentle breeze as he ran . As they neared another bend in the road which led away from the trees, Soskade spotted the outpost down a smaller road off to the side She slowed and caught her breath. In the feeble orange light of the setting sun, she could see three figures in a crouched position just outside the entrance. It must be the Brotherhood. So, Soskiad walks, she catches up to them, they turn around as she's coming up, and she makes a bit of a signal, like, or she shouts out, and then she says, Hey, don't mean to startle you. Um I'm a friend. We need to talk. Halt said one of the Brotherhood members, and they all turned to face Suskade. She stopped in her tracks, palms outward. We don't have time for this , one of the three said. Drop this filthy wastelander and get on with the job at hand. He had a ratty face and a nasty smirk. The first member, clearly the leader, ignored him. What's your business here? he asked. Laser rifle partially raised but mostly unthreatening. And so they immediately turn around and they say, um You know, put down your weapons, they do this sort of police thing. Put your weapon on the ground, kneel down, and she does all this. She she trusts that uh they're not gonna kill her or anything like that. So they walk up to her, they notice her vault suit, which they're intrigued by because they really are into pre-war technology and the vault dwellers are sort of the last remnant of the non-Ghoul pre-war descendant line, I guess. And the vaults have a lot of technology in it. They ask her a series of questions. Um Do you have any mutations? Are you sick? Are you a member of any raider faction? All this sort of stuff. Let's see who we have. According to chat GP T , we have Elder Marcus Tully Seasoned Veteran, Greying Hair , and Stern Demeanor. He's initially skeptical of Saskaiid, but he does listen as she reacts her experience. He values evidence, but he's open to investigating potential threats to the Brotherhood. Leader's questions promptly and explained the situation, slowly handing him the note that Sayah had given her. He read it gravely and handed it to the woman on his left. She immediately wrapped it in some plastic and tucked it carefully into one of her many pockets. The leader reached out his hand to help Suskeard to her feet. Elder Marcus Tully, Scout Division. Suskair took his hand and stood. Dogmeat sat, relaxing, and the ratty faced Mamma looked at the dog with distaste. Then we have Scribe Sarah Hawthorne . So she's young, bright-eyed , and enthusiastic . And she's fascinated that um Susque id is wearing a vault suit . She's often seen with her nose buried in books, she's very intelligent, and she's clearly a stribe. So she's intrigued and she's eagerly asked for more details, probing for any technical or scientific aspects related to the FEV. She believes in the importance gathering information. Scribe Sarah Hawthorne, said the woman, also extending her hand. Her eyes lingered on Susqueh's vault suit with interest. You must have some stories to tell, she continued, but received sharp look from the third member and dropped her gaze to her feet. And this is Rami rez, said the elder. Night Ramirez to you, he said with a huff. He didn't motion to shake Soscaed's hand and continued to stare hard into the distance in an apparently mocking gesture of attention. Marcus Tully ignored him. And then we And then we have Knight Caleb Rami rez. And he is a skilled warrior . But he's very skeptical of Suskade and her story. And he'll be looking for reasons to um poke holes in her story or create doubt, I think So we have some characters, that's nice. So I think she goes up she explains the story, she explains what happened at um Newark. Suske had explained the situation to the elder. He listened thoughtfully but his face remained stern. So c can you help? said Suskade, when she'd finished. Ramirez spat on the ground, and Elder Tully thought for a few moments. This is bullshit, snarled Ramirez. We don't have time to be entertaining any filthy fucking wastelanders, little I believe your story, said Elder Tully after a silence. But unfortunately the Brotherhood are on an important mission and we can't just change our tack, at least not without evidence or renewed directive from up top. Suske had deflated slightly. Nodding at the scribe who was already carefully writing down what Soskayad had said. And if our current mission takes us back that way, we'll make a point to check in on Ewar k. Give Sayamai regards, and now you must be on your way. The Brotherhood collected their things and started moving off towards the chain fence. Soskiad could feel everything start to slip away. What would she do now? She couldn't head back without the Brotherhood. Wright would almost certainly make an example of her, and maybe Cory and Saya as well Wait she said. The Brotherhood kept walking, but the scribe Hawthorne did turn her head slightly and offer an apologetic look before it was shot down by the daggers that Rami rez stared at her . I know about the FEV . The three of them stopped, dead, and turned. Because Marcus Tully wants evidence, he values evidence, she she explains to him that she was at the West Tech facility. That she didn't . She explained the story that six fish rescued her and was killed, and that the rest of the team were then killed by supermutants. She managed to escape and she can prove it because she has the dog tags and Tully Elder Tully then asks and was there a map? Elder Tully fingered the dog tag sadly, and scratched impotently at the baked on blood and rust covering the code name of the boy. Six fish, said Soskate. He told me before he died. I tried, I I couldn't We have to end this, sir, said Ramirez, his fingers flexing on the trigger guard of his weapon. She knows too much, and she probably killed the damn kid anyway . Stand down, knight in training said the elder, calm but emphatically. He looked hard at Saskaid, watching her face intently. The map? And Saskaid does not want to give up this map just yet. She doesn't want to hand over everything to the brother hood. So maps, old world maps are probably really rare, because it's paper . So she is going to try and lie , just a little lie, that no, she didn't find a map. Suskade was ready for the question, but she felt her heart rate rise nonetheless. She held the elder's gaze. So she's gonna need to do a Speech She would need to roll under a four. So she's really gonna try hard. She really has fallen in love with this map. She's gonna spend Um one to buy one, so she's gonna spend three action points to buy two more dice and see if she can convince that no, she doesn't have the map. It's hidden under it slipped into her um . I think it's gonna be sneak. Sneak and speech. I'm gonna allow myself sneak because it's sneakily hidden. They are patting her down, um, and they ask her if she has the map, which is nine and a tag skill . I didn't see any map, she said, her voice steadier than she thought it would be. She's fucking lying, shouted Ramirez, but the elder ignored him once again. Oi, and we got a crit, thank you. So we get an action point back for that . And he says, Was there any map? And she says, No, sorry, I didn't see any map. And he pats her down, and because she's sneaky, she's able to to hold on to the map. Whether that's gonna get her in trouble later, I'm not sure, we will see. But so far, Elder Tully inscribe Hawthorne at least are convinced, and they say, well , we can't give you any classified information other than resolving the issue with this FEV is of the utmost importance to the Brotherhood and we did suspect that there was something going on down around that area, that's why we were in Westtech. And so yes, we will come to Newark , but we need to get our scientist out first. Okay, said Tully. If what you say is true, then the sudden appearance of a supermutant in New Ark may make the situation there relevant to our mission. Scribe Hawthorne, he said, turning to his left, code a message including the updated mission parameters into Morse. After we collect the package from here, we can head back to the outpost and inform HQ . Elder Tully turned, and there was a brief inaudible huddle Our scientist needs to get down there uh and investigate whether this is a strain of the FEV that is being um modified? Is it being synthesized, manufactured down there, or is it coming from an old source in the West Tech facility or somewhere nearby? Suskade nodded, relief flooding over her. For now we'd like to keep you close. You are not a prisoner, but we would rather you not to disappear for the time be ing. Squad, get into position, and prepare to move in. Can I say something? said Susqueid. So Suskaid says OK but can she convince them to not go in shooting? Sasuke doesn't want to go in shooting. She has always had good experiences with the NCR when they used to come through her village, and she wants to convince them to allow her to try and go in and get the prisoner back without it turning into a fight. I can get in and out of there without being seen. Plus, I'm not Brotherhood and I don't look like a raider. I might have a chance to get what you need without this turning messy, said Soskade, speaking quickly. This is a joke, sir, this bitch is taking you for a ride, said Ramirez incredulously. This is an official warning to stand down night in training Rami rez, said Alder Tully, not shouting, but only barely. We do what I decide, and you would do well to remember that you are already on probation after the last time you took the situation into your own hands Charisma and speech, and this is where I'm going to spend those action points. So I'm going to spend one for one. So I'm going to spend three total. I have six. That'll take me down to three . And we need to get a we need to get under a four Ha excellent we got a two and we got a one that is excellent I don't like it, but I tend to agree that do ing this as quickly and quietly as possible is of the utmost importance, said Marcus decisively after a few moments thought. There is only one way in and one way out, he said quickly anticipating and successfully quashing the expected outcome Hawthorne nodded to herself and Elder Tully continued. We don't expect to have to go loud, but the retrieval of the package is mission critical, so we are cleared to do so if absolutely necessary. He turned to Suskade . Scientist's name is Dr. Susan Drake, short hair, usually gets around in a white coat. She's a friend of the Brotherhood, but not technically a member. Since you already know about the virus, you can tell her what happened in New Ark if you think it will help convince her. I personally trust her to do the right thing. Any questions? No? Then go. You have twenty minutes . The elder twisted a small device he fished out of one of his tactical pockets. It had little bells on it, but they were wrapped in a greasy rag. It started clicking quietly. Don't make me regret this. The three members turned and settled themselves behind the cover of a long dead bust that had long come to rest along the fence line of the building's perimeter. Okay, so she manages to convince them to let her go in and try and get this scientist back without a fight . And I think that's gonna be the end of this current scene. I'm gonna update things a little bit and we'll be back . And now it's time for some exposition. Suskite is gonna try and sneak in and break the scientist out. Is this scientist there against her will? I think it's lik ely that she's there against her will because she was a friend of the Brotherhoods . So is it likely she was there against her will? That's a 35% chance. Is she there against her will ? 100. So she is absolutely, definitely not there against her will. So maybe the Brotherhood think that she was taken, but actually she was convinced by the NCR to go and help them. And maybe she doesn't she doesn't want to come out and help the Brotherhood necessarily. But Marcus doesn't know that. So that's just for the for me to know . So Okay Okay . Is the NCR outpost heavily guarded ? I think it's unlikely anyway because it's a small outpost . The NCR , as I just r read up on the NCR came out of Vault fifteen uh shortly after the war, twenty years after the war or so, so they're fairly new into their democratization of the wasteland. And they established using the GEC from Vault 15, which we find out in Fallout 2 , they used that to help establish the settlement of shady sands, which turns into the which becomes the new California Republic in Fallout 2. So what did I just ask? Is it heavily guarded? So I don't think it's guarded. I think that the NCR are currently sending out small parties to try and establish little havens to then go out and recruit settlers um to come in and and build up settlements. I think that's what they're doing. So is it heavily guided? I think it's unlikely. It's only a fifteen percent chance it is not heavily guarded. Suske had set a timer for fifteen minutes on her pit boy, wanting to make sure she had enough time to get back out again. She would have to move quickly. Wait there, boy, she said, I'll be right back. Dogmeat gave a small whimper, but settled to the ground, head on his paws, looking a little anxious. In that case, I think there's probably two guards. Um, which should be easy enough for Saskade in the dark to sneak through. She is very sneaky. And I think we're gonna make it get progressively more difficult as she gets closer and closer to the sneaks into the outpost undetected. Suska had weaved quickly and deftly between the crates and along the walls, crouching all the while. She stopped regularly to listen and watch for any signs of security. So she sneaks into the outskirts of the outpost undetected. She I'm not gonna have to do any checks on that. She's able to get in there and she's able to get up to the main building that's in there. In order to find the scientist, Suskade is going to have to not only sneak into the building, but actually she doesn't know where exactly this scientist is, so she's gonna have to sneak in and sneak around to try and find the scientist. She paused and caught her breath for a moment just outside the entryway to the main building of the outpost. There was still no sign of sound or movement . Her heart was beating fast, but as much with adrenaline as with fear. She was good at this. Was it even perhaps thrilling? She looked at the timer on her Pip Boy. Thirteen minutes, thirty five seconds remaining Are there more than five NCR agents in there? I think it's unlikely . No, there's a strong, strong yes that there is not more than five. So then I only think I think maybe only there's there's um maybe there's no one it's an extreme no are there more than five no so I think there is just I think there's one. I think there's the two guards on the outside of the uh of the perimeter who Soskyard successfully snuck past. And then I think there is one NCR representative in there and the scientist. As Sosuki had made her way along the corridor and up to the first corner, she peeked around the edge, holding her breath. So Suski is gonna see if she can successfully sneak through the main building and find the scientist. I think it's a it's only a difficulty one because there's only one other guard in there, and her sneak is uh agility sneaks that is a twelve and it's tagged difficulty one. Saska id looked left and right around the corner. To her left at the end of the hall she could see the elbow of a figure apparently leaning against the wall. Looking the other way, she could see a door with a thin glass window running down its centre. There was a familiar faint green glow illuminating the floor in a wonky strip. A terminal. She would bet anything that that was the scient She glanced again to her left. The elbow hadn't moved, so she took a deep breath and prepared to make her way to the door. And we get another crit, these dice are on fire for me today, so we get an action point. Just as Suskade steeled herself to creep along the hall, she saw the elbow move out of the corner of her eye. Now, she thought, and moved quickly, staying low until she got to the door. She peered inside . And she manages to find the she was expecting a cell , but actually she finds that the scientist is just asleep in a um comfortable by 4LAT wasteland standards, a relatively comfortable room where she's asleep in there. So Soskiyad quietly makes her sneaks into the room, closes the door behind her, and she does that thing in the movies where she puts a hand over the mouth of the scientist and and wakes her up and says, you know, don't scream. Don't scream, I'm a friend, whispered Susque it as the scientist's eyes snapped open fearfully, her face glowing slightly with the light of the nearby terminal quietly clicking and running some sort of data across the screen. The scientist's eyes calmed slightly and she nodded. Suskai had slowly removed her hand. Getting you out of here, she whispered, and glanced around behind her, making sure she was n't visible through the door's window. I'm a friend. I'm here to help. I'm here to get you out of here. And the scientist does not want to go. She said, Oh, you must be with the Brotherhood. Um and the scientist says the scientist explains thirty four dispute and seventy five is pov erty . So the dispute makes sense to me. I think that she got in an in an she was with the Brotherhood of Steel and she got in an argument with them about how best to approach the FEV problem. I think the Brotherhood want to go in and they want to kill all the super mutants and kill anyone who is involved with it and really try and erase any potential for more super mutants to be to be created. The NCR are all about democracy, so I think that um the scientist, we should probably name her. The scientist's name is She's Susan Susan Drake. Susan Drake, said the doctor, a thin middle-aged woman with intelligent but tired eyes. Take a seat. She motioned to the chair at the desk and sat herself on the edge of the small bed. I assume the Brotherhood sent you? she said with a sigh. Suske had explained what had happened at the facility and at Newark. She's an intelligent woman. She's a scientist. She was friends with the NCR, with the Brotherhood of Steel, so she's not against what they're doing. She does want to create a safer place for the wasteland. She does want to stop the FEV production of supermutants, but she just doesn't agree with going in and killing anyone involved with it. She thinks that's not the way to go about things. And she actually went and sought out the NCR, knowing their position , and she went freely to them . So now the question is , does Soski ad follow the instructions of the Brotherhood of Steel and get her out of there ? Or does she risk going back and explaining to them, hey, she doesn't want to come , knowing that that might mean the Brotherhood go in and shoot up the NCR representatives, which she also doesn't want to happen. Look, I appreciate that you're just caught up in this and only doing what you're told, said doctor Drake, after Soska had explained the situation. But it's not that simple. The Brotherhood are honourable enough, she said. But subtle they are not, and to handle this situation without the unnecessary loss of innocent lives on both sides, it's beyond their level of delicacy. With the NCR, I'm developing a solution where we can get rid of this virus without going in and killing everyone. And as it happens, the only missing piece was to have someone capable of getting in and out of a guarded location without being seen nor heard. She looked meaningfully at Susqueed. This is bigger than factions, bigger than discrimination, the fate of nearly every loc So Soskier has a conversation. I think I know what what the conversation is gonna be about . Wild and anxious. So I think this is a they they talk together and they're getting along and I think one or both of them have a crazy ide a which does make Sosgaid anxious, and I think the idea is I think the idea is to lie to the Brotherhood of Steel and tell them that she's not there. I don't think we want to tell them that she was killed because that might pit the Brotherhood of Steel against the NCR. The idea might be to tell the Brotherhood of Steel that she's not there, but say that she collected some information that will help them with the FEV case. Soske listened intently. The woman seemed trustworthy, but maybe she was becoming too quick to trust, something her father had always warned her against. She thought about Eya, and about how Wright had mercilessly killed him. She thought about the look of pain on the face of his mutant sister as she carried his limp body out of the settlement. She gritted her teeth. Okay , she said. What do I have to do? And I think that information is that if they can find a sample of the FEV, it's a way to test hm Hmm, hang on . I think it's a way to test whether the FEV is um old stock as it were or whether it is a newly synthesized variant. Old stock is a better problem to have because that's easier to just destroy it, and then the problem is ameliorated or if it's newly synthesized, that is a problem because it means someone is creating, and then we have to find who is actually creating it. I don't think it's right. I don't think he's that kind of person. He's just the political pawn. I think the master is actually already around. Um I forget his name, Richard Gray, maybe. We're gonna see about that. So I think this idea is that the scientist gives Soskaid a test kit to be able to test this FEV. Doctor Drake rustled around in one of the big drawers of the desk for a moment and pulled out a small plastic bag . Inside was a sealed test tube containing a small amount of grey liquid. There was also a plastic stick of some sort and a piece of paper with various colours printed on it. You need to take this kit and get a sample of the FEV, said Susan. A small beeping sound came from Soskade's Pip Boy, signalling that her time was up. She looked up anxiously. The doctor seemed to understand, but went on. Ideally, you can bring me the sample, but if you can't for whatever reason, get a drop of it into this tube, drop in the stick, and seal it back up . Soske had hurriedly stuffed the kit into her backpack. I plan to stay here for a while, but if you can't find me again, give the sample or kit to any of the NCR base heads. They will know what to do with it. Okay, said Soskeyd. I I've got to go. One more thing, said the doctor, as Soske had turned to leave, peering out through the glass in the door, checking the corridor was still empty. I don't know about that. I don't know about that. What could be wild and anxious? Okay, I think that uh the scientist, Susan Drake, Dr. Susan Drake, to give her her full title, she is concerned she sh okay, she's concerned about Knight Cal Caleb Ramirez , who is the stoic disciplined skilled warrior, but he's also very skeptical and he is maybe a little bit almost xenophobic about anyone who is not Brotherhood of Steel, and she's worried that he will cause bloodshed for these NCR representatives. Which Susan Drake does not want. Um she supports the NCR's vision. Only talk to Marcus about this. I assume it's him you came with, she said quickly. Ramirez is dangerous, and the less he knows, the better. Now go Susked stopped at the door and turned. Would you just come with me? I I am not sure I I'm not sure I'm equipped to do this, she said, pleading in her eyes. Does she come with us? Let's ask mythic . I think it's unlikely that she'll come with us because she was heavily not there against her well. Uh let's say it's fifty fifty, which is how he's wondering. But does she come? Does she agree to come with us back to the Brotherhood of Steel? She doesn't. So she refuses to come. Suskate is then gonna go back and explain the situation. The scientist is gonna write a a note to Elder Marcus explaining that she is there by choice . She doesn't want to cause any trouble. She does want to help. But she's not willing to go with her Brotherhood of Steel at this time. I can't, said the doctor finally, but she thought for a second and scribbled a note on a scrap piece of paper and handed it to Soskade. Give this to Marcus, tell him it's from Susie. She looked slightly embarrassed. Suskade took the note, nodded, and slipped out of the door, not looking back. So she writes that note, she gives it and signs it, gives it to Suskade, and she gives Suskade a small testing kit that she has developed. Okay, so now we have to try and sneak back out. We're gonna do a sneak test to see if we were spotted on the way out. I think now it's still a difficulty one to get out of the building. She moved much more quickly down the corridor this time, glancing down at her pit boy again. Minus four minutes. The Brotherhood could come barging in at any second. She saw a shadow move from around the corner where the guard had been earlier. Holding her breath and trying to stay as quiet as possible, she kept on moving. Yep, so we successfully sneak out of the building. And then we need to do a perception check to see if she can ascertain the location of the guards . If she can ascertain the location of the guards, it'll be a difficulty one to get out there's only two of them. If she can ascertain location, then it's a difficulty zero to get out. If she can't, then it's a difficulty difficulty one. So perception and it's a Bible. There's a leaven. Oh . Ooh . Okay, so yes we succeed , but there's a complication . Soskaid made it quickly back to the entrance of the building, adrenaline beginning to fill her veins once more. She was nearly out. She had nearly done it without the need for the Brotherhood coming in. Plus, she had more information now and an actual plan on how to help Newar k. She was sure that with the Brotherhood's help, she could get back to town and make everything right. Finally, something of a glow at the end of the tunnel. Maybe she gets out and the Brotherhood are gone. I like that idea. Suskade saw the two outside guards still standing and chatting off to the side. They were a fair way away now and it was dark, so she had a straight shot out of the front of the gate and to the rendezvous point at the She made her break for it, and two minutes later she was coming up to the spot. She slowed, looking around. There was no one there. They must be hidden still. So she gets out of there, no problem, and she goes back to the spot they were supposed to meet, and there's just nothing there. Does she see any evidence of where they've gone? Perception survival? Yeah, she does . So is the evidence that she sees violent ? It is. It's an extreme, yes. Oof . Saskaid turned on the light of her pit boy, confident that she was out of sight of the NCR guards. She stopped dead and looked down, staring at the evidence of unbridled violence on the ground in front of her. A messy drag line of blood leading from the rendezvous point and into the darkness of the forest. Someone or something had gotten to them while she was in there. Panic started to rise inside her, but subsided slightly when she heard a small whine coming from underneath the bus . Two pinpricks of reflected moonlight. Dogmeat peeked out and then ran over to join her, licking her hand. At least he was okay. So she gets out there, and not only are there not there but Tully Elder Marcus Tully is dead on the ground and there's drag marks of blood leading off into the forest . And no sign of the other two . Suske had inspected the body of Elder Marcus Tully quickly. His throat had been slit, a growing pool of blood surrounding him. She searched the body looking for any useful information that he might have. She didn't know why. Soske had peered into the darkness at the forest's edge. There was only one thing for it. She had to go after them. Actually gonna take the dog tags back . Okay, I'm gonna write that up and we are now in a bit of a mystery. We really need the Brotherhood's help. We need to find them and probably rescue them from whatever managed to drag them in there. It's gotta be something sneaky. We didn't hear any gunfire or anything like that ? Oh dear, I did not expect that to happen. Thank you, Mythic. We're gonna leave it there. Thank you for joining me today on another episode of A Wasteland Story. Check out the links in the show notes if you want to see where the music comes from from this episode. A big shout-out as always to Fallout Cascadia for a bunch of it, and there are also links to other content creators who inspired me to start playing. In fact, I have started hunting down all these creators in a friendly way, not like a raider way, to interview them over on my other show, the Solo Role Players Podcast. So if you want to hear more about their stories, you can go and check that out too. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can email me, pj at a wastelandstorypodcast at gmail.com or find me lurking around the solo roleplayers Reddit thread under the name PJ Sack. I'm off to start writing the script for the next episode, and in the meantime, while wandering out in the wasteland, don't forget to keep your friends at arm's length and your enemies dead. Bye !