Duck and Cover

Hi, guys I am back... I've dealt with my problems much sooner than I hoped. Anyway, my plans have changed and now I can spent some more time at fan fic... You know, it consumes all my time. I think about it every day - new story tortures me as hot iron needle in my ass. I need to post in here to stop it. Of course, only few will read it - it really sucks to read this text from the screen, but it suits me fine - I am so shy person

As I said, new story is awaits... I am ready for some serious lonf stuff. I shut down all my recent activity and now concentrate at this story. New chapter every one-two days... Surely I can use one's help. If you want you can join me. It's a great chance stuff, believe me. I write it no because I want to be great writer or smt like that - it is childhish - it is sily great to feel such ispiration. You should try yourself... And of course, you will hear no angry cries here. Post whatever you want... I am not prof and my English is bad. So there will be no critics...

I begin my story in a two days. I need to reconsider several things and wait for your responses. Anyway, even if you don't want to join it your chance to express your ideas, to add your character - after the begining of the story you can join too, but you'll have to use created main persons. And you know - you can add your thoughts about the development of story even after the story will begin. I will read it all.

Ok, it's time to show my thoughts - I have no title for my story yet and you can advise me smt... The story will be half-serious. I am not so good with jokes, but I'll try. I will write it about month. I hope I'll have enough time. This is real problem.

Storyline - group of losers, drunkards, druggies are travelling through the wastes. They solve many problems, they have many advantures... most of them even don't know what happens. Their luck can be 10. Some of them has such perks, as jinxed or bloody mess(I admit that I stole it from Sykotic. Sorry pal). Anyway, they survive all harshes of the wastes... There can be one hero, who saves their sorry asses, but only one... There can be several bad guys, who are hunting after them... They are following the great chosen one, they heard about, but often are mistaken as chosen one himself or some advanturers... They had to take some quests they solve or run away...

Timeline - all happens after the several months after the begining of FO 2. Chosen one is still somewhere out there, saving the world. But tales about him are roaming the wastes. That bunch of losers want to join him in his quest in search for honour and glory(and money and chics...). So they met each other in Den, full of his admirers, and decided to follow him.

Style and other stuff - if you want to join - feel free to do it. Style is not important. It will be good enough to understand what do you want to say and the storyline shouldn't be different from the main plot. You can create your own person, do with them all whatever you want... Try to write enough so it looked like long story, but it doesn't matter very much. One request - you must finish what you want to begin. Even if it means the death of your hero... :twisted:

Ok, once again. I am waiting for two days and begin the story. I surely can use one's help...

PROLOGUE

Chosen one left his village slowly. Hot sun was behind him. The great bridge to the wastes greeted him grimly. Cold air from the canyon below chill his blood... His soul was cold too. He left all he hold dear - his friends, his family, his people - all depended from he. Chosen one looked at his village last time and left it. Cold wind was the only one who said good bye to him... as it was decades ago with his ancestor. Lone figure went by the wastes, empy and emtionless. Chosen one felt nothing, but only chill wind. Blue suit didn't protect from it. It was becming colder every minute... suddenly chosen one heard the quiet lonely song. It was heard in wind itself, their words were sounded in one's heart. It was a song of the Hakunin, their tribe's shaman. Chosen one looked at the west, where he left his people, smiled quietly, I continued his journeys... He knew that he would be able to do it than...

Song of the Shaman.

From the sands of the Wastes,
From the depthes of the Vaults,
You were summoned above
To take quest with no faults.
In your travel below
Many dangers were found,
But by your mind and fists
It were taken care about.
Many legends were told,
Many tales were found,
But the one will remain
The untold and profound.
Many journeys ahead,
Many travels below.
From the end to the end,
And the death is reward...

... A hero you were called,
Your exploits shine as sun.
But darkness wails ahead
And the way is full of blood.

You will take a rest one day
And will leave a road ahead.
But people will never forget
And new heroes will rise instead...

Heheh Drunken heroes of the wastes! That sound funny and im sure you can make it work

"Wwwhhere tthe hell issss my botttle!?" Buck said witha drunken voice and accidentally fired his weapon. The bulled bounced all over until it hit a raider who was going to knock Buck from behind. lucky bastard!!

This has potential as a satire of Jesus and his Apostles. ^_~

I'm looking forward to seeing the story.

Your support is my main inspiration, guys... Thanks BB, I can promise you that you will tired to read the whole story. Usually I write a lot and when I have inspiration, it's even worser. But it is good to be noticed by such profs...

And Lia, you damn right. I saw enough of that in real life so it will not be difficult to describe it. (Most of that stuff usually happened with me :oops: ) And how about your story? I waiting for it impatiently...

Time has come to begin my story. I can't wait any more. I have the title for it already. I thought about it a whole day - rather difficult stuff - but I am the winner... So, I'll be alone in my journeys. It's a pity... Well, at least I have some audience... The title of story will be - Endless march through the wastes or the search for holy... "something" . There is not enough space to post it. Ok, it is time to begin. Don't judge me too harsh - I only do what I like. There willn't be jokes in every word - one here, one there. This is a long story - be patient.

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Part 1 - Den's misfortunes

Chapter 1 - The meeting.

An old man looked at the bottom of his bottle of booz. Evening sun shined nicely in it's almost dry bottom. Beatiful sunrays were dancing at his wrinkled face. An well-known calling began to be felt. He drank last drops of booz, remained there and threw the bottle away with hatred. It was his last bottle and all his money ran away... But he knew what to do. He looked around with lifeless eyes in hopeless search for bar. He was afraid that it was another wasteland without no signs of life and booz. But he was wrong - he was standing in some small town. Before that moment nothing cared him - raiders, mutants, deathclaws... He saw all that stuff in his long life and the only point of life and survivalness was his dear alcohole... And old man looked around again. Several half-destroyed buildings, some church to the south...
"Uhhh... graveyard..." - the hands of an old man instinctivly reached to his belt. Some time ago there was a fine shovel... but there were no shovel now... and no belt... One fucking bartender in nearby town took away most of his stuff as payment for his little party with one local guy, called the greeter...
"Uhhh... good times." - he muttered quietly and continued the researching of that strange place.

To the east there was some sort of large building with fenced off backyard. It looked like there was taken some real fight. All windows were broken. There were seen several holes from bullets. The doors were smashed away:
"A nice place to plunder, but I doubt that something remained there..." - he said, looking at the signs of old blood on the walls... and the signs of new one's.

He continued his watching. His drunk condition disappearing slowly and he began to notice some people around him... Well, most of them could be named peoples hardly:
"Drug-heads... all of them... This is Den, definitly..." - he mutters with weak smile. His head was making some strange stuff with his stomach, but even now an old man smiled. The Den was his home for all his life - his headquaters, his main way of life, his little druggy eden. Of course, with all these jet's boys around it was rather difficult to make fortune around so he had to travel, but at the end it was not so bad. Merchants gave him some booz and he traded it with local tribes. Too bad that he lost all his goods lately... He sighted heavyly and made several unsteady steps:
"There were some bar around..." - he was hit by some wall, apeared from the mist of drunkness. - "Blasted wall... Simple people even can't walk without runing into it everywhere...". He looked at the wall with hatred, but than smiled happyly. There was some sort of weater-battered sign with almost unreadable words. Dust and dirt covered it's surface but well-known words of every drunkard of the wastes could be read easily and warmed one's heart:
"The Hole" - one could read the sign, hanging at the wall.

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Bartender looked at the newcomer:
"Another piece of shit" - muttered he quietly and looked at his new customer. This old man looked like brahmin after the night of love with drunk supermutant. His clothes, his skin, his face - all looked like he borrowed it from the dead man. By the smell of booz and by the bright gleam of his eyes he knew already what he would ask.
"Booz" - he moaned. An old man look at the bartender as he was his savior. His eyes were full of love and admiration.
"It's you, Tod. I thought that wasteland took finally your old ass... Ok, as an old customer... and friend" - loud laugh arose in the bar - "... I'll give you discount - 2 coins, but I know that you have no money so get lost..." - he looked at old man with evil smile. Tod smiled senseless and looked at him, trying to understand what did he want. Audience of the bar tired already of that show and returned to their business, but one thing attract their attention once again:
"Bartender, I buy to this poor soul and bottle... Here you are two coins" - everybody looked at this guy with surprise. This was really a sight. This one looked even more poor than that old man, but threw away money so willingly. He was young, but his skin already had marks of hard life - several old and fresh scars were seen through an old torn cloth, that were even more older than he was.
Bartender looked at this boy and grinned:
"To you, gecko's ass, it will cost 10 bucks - I don't like smart asses here."
"Here you are, scum. And now shut up and give me what I want." - bartender looked at the money, than put it away and gave dirty bottle with quiet muttering. Than he returned to his business, without noticing these two men. Tod had finally understood what had happened. He looked at the bottle in his hands and great powers attracted him to drink it, but there was a boy near him. He was standing and was waiting for something - "Another would-be hero" - he thought temperly and made grateful smile:
"Thank you, kind sir. It really was a kind..."
"Shut up, you old moron. I wanted to get discount and now I lost 8 bucks. I'll get it from your hide..." - the eyes of that fella promised nothing good.
"Errr, may be we can discuss it..." - Tod began to come closer to exit, hiding the bottle under the clothes, but his quick hand catch him:
"Where are you going, pal?! We have a problem to discuss..." - an old man looked at the exit with jealous and prepared to something bad. It looked like that people around didn't want to interfere...

"... and so merchant wakes up and looks at me. I am standing near his empty safe. His naked wife is on my hands and even his clothes in my bag..." - Tod laughed as loudly, that he bothered others in the bar. They were siting after the one of the tables of the bar and telling each other stories of their life. Several empty bottles were standing nearby. It helped to their discussion greatly:
"So, Tod, what do you think about my idea? I see that you are experienced traveller..." - new exposion of laugh shoke the basement of the bar - "... and I am a good thief. Together we will be able to do it..."
"Brian, I can tell you one thing. This is..." - he lost his consciousness - too many alcohole knocked him down... or accidental mug, thrown by some dirty fella from the other side of bar.

It was night already. Almost everybody left this bar or was sleeping. Only several people gathered near unconsciousness Tod and were discussing something. Bartender looked at them with worry, but kept silent. They looked like the usual trash of the wastes. One middleaged tall fella with grimly look, two young rather pretty fellas - boy and girl - looked like brother and sister, an old thin man, covered with scars and burns as nobody else he ever saw, and of course that blasted ghoul, he saw recently - more ghasty creature could be difficult to imagine. "Yeah, would-be heroes, I guess." - he thought with grim smile and turned away.

"So, Brian, is he agree?" - asked young girl. His face expressed worry and concentration look.
"I don't know. Fred knocked him down." - he looked at old thin fella with hatred and turned away - "I don't know how you do it, but people around you hurt or dies too quickly. Don't you think?"
"Leave him alone, boy" - said ghoul seriously and looked at him with one his yellow, blooded eye - "We all have problems, don't you, Jet head?"
"Fuck you, fried ass. I don't need your lessons..." - he wanted to leave, but looked at his sister and stayed.
"Good move. You know what we need..."
"Chosen one... Oh, sure. He will solve all our problems..." - Brian grined and spited at his feets. Ghoul made a look he didn't notice anything and continued - "we need this drunkard. He surely knows all this wastes as his... five fingers. Anyway, I suppose he will come with us. Why not?" - he looked at his friends and smiled. Horrible smell rotting flesh wraped up the bar. - "So we are leaving tomorrow..!"

Two persones were watching after the dialogue of these people. They were discussing something quietly, but sometimes their speech became loud. So they became quiet immidiatly and looked around if somebody looked at them. Everybody were busy with their own problems and they were left alone. It continued until the final loud words of the ghoul, but than one of them stood up and came quietly to them:
"I have a few words with you, ghoul." - said the figure. In darkness of the night it was difficult to say something about who it was. - "Follow me." - ghoul looked at his friends with worry and followed. The others wanted to do the same, but they were interrupted by loud voice of another man. - "Only ghoul!". His voice was the voice of a man who got used to command. Nobody wanted to chalange him...

"So, ghoul, you are the leader of that trash." - said the man in shiny metal armour with strange insignia, when they came to him. Ghoul didn't know what to say and nodded. It looked like that the man was satisfied with the answer - "Now you see, Kath, what scum you'll have to travel with"
"This is my choice, Joshua. May be you are my commander, but I have enough wits to..."
"To stay in slaver pits as all these morons. You know how it all will end."
"I know and WILL do it." - she looked (the other person was rather young woman in ordinary clothes, but with air of confidense around her) at ghoul and said with warm voice - "Sorry for the behavior of my friend. I am Kath, fellow advanturer and in need of travel party now. Can I join you?" - her voice was kind, but ghoul understood that there were no option for him. He looked at her grining friend and said:
"My name is Craig. Welcome to the board..." - she smiled cheerful and noded. - "You can leave me now, Joshua. I will be able to solve all other stuff without you." A man looked at her evily and whispered quietly:
"As you wish, Initiate... I hope you know what you are doing." - he looked at them last time and left. The air became somehow lighter after the time that guy left the Hole. Everybody relaxed and became more cheerful. Their new friend smiled happyly - "Finally I've got rid of that dumb ass. Ok guys, I buy round today. Tomorrow we are leaving..." - everybody supported her with loud cries. They all liked her now. Booz was fine, happy smiles didn't leave their faces. Even an old Tod was with happy smile on his face, though he was very upset the next day.

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Well im still building up my story and plots..BUT i will write a news report soon

Im not adding any new chapters yet but i will keep ya all informed about my story.
..........................

good start follower, I got a bit confused in the middle but otherwise, good.

The only problems I can see so far is your grammer. Keep up the good work.

Yeah, grammer is real problem. To tell the truth I don't care much about it and I don't want to do it. When I check my story for mistakes, it kills all my ideas. It really sucks to change something written... or to look for some words in vocabulare... I hope you understand me and I hope that my mistakes are not so bad.

Lianora, I hope you willn't torture your readers for too long time

Pyro, what made you confused? Tell me and I'll try to change it.

Ok, the story flows easily as a river. Story continues... I hope I shall be patient enough to finish it.

Chapter 2 - Interesting propsal

Tod looked around and tried to understand what has happened. Sunrays were dancing at the floor of that dirty bar. At the evening all seemed so beatiful. People, booz, some talk - but now all looked lifeless. Bar was half-empty. Only the lastnight visitors were lieing at the dust of dirty floor. Several chairs and tabels were broken. It looked like somebody had a great party here...
"Uhhhh..." - an old man took his head and with pain began to search holy stuff. With senseless look he went around the bar and checked all bottles - "Empty" - he sighted unhappyly and sat down. His drunk condition of mind began to return him to his lovely world of fantasy. Sometimes if he didn't have alcohole for some time he began to see and do something strange. Voices, motions, strange shadows passed by. Tod watched after them, heard what they said. In one tribe elder named him shaman. He thought that he heard spirits by means of holy "firewater" that Tod sold to them...

"You, an old bloodsucker, do you hear me?" - Tod heard the well-known voice and smiled lightly. He was beyond the viel of reality. An old man was there but his spirit was...
"Here is your booz, scum. Now shut up and get lost with your friends..." - said the bartender, looking at the mess of last night. Well, he saw much worser. There were some fight with slavers recently. It was not very pleasant picture - dead poeple everywhere. Slaves and slavers - their blood, their guts... Their blasted blood spoiled his dear floor... Bartender sighted deeply and gave a bottle to Tod. That girl payed for everything so he had to be happy - he tried to smile, but when he looked at the face of ab old man, his smile disappeared. Nobody can be cheerful, when you see such happyness at one's face. He spited and went away. There were nothing for him to do here anyway...

The booz, holly stuff - Tod quickly returned to life and with incrediable speed drank all the bottle. When he held an empty bottle in his hands he sighted unhappyly and looked around. He began to remember what happened with him - his new friend lay nearby. Several men and women lay nearby - one of them joined the company of onwer of the Hole - creepy old fella... but he payed good money. Tod smiled, remembering something and turned around to go away, but one's voice made him to stop:
"Not so fast, pal. I think I have business with you..." - Tod slowly turned around ready, if it will be needed to run as fast as his thoughts(not so fast, I must say). An old man saw a young woman in simple cloth, but here pose told him already that she was good fighter. It was bad. He couldn't handle something more, than drunk brahmin with his rusty 10mm pistol:
"What's the matter? I can pass by, don't I?" - he asked with rather unsteady voice and look.
"We have some business to discuss" - she answered simply and smiled. Young woman waved her hand and invited him to sit down. He did it and she joined him soon after. At least she was not interested in smashing his skull - Tod smiled. It was rather pleasant difference. An old man look at her and waited when she began to explain something, but she didn't do nothing. She simply sat down and looked at him. After some time Tod tried to get up, but met her look and sat down immidiatly. She was waiting for something. Tod sighted deeply and made more comfortable at the dirty, unsteady, halfbroken, crumbling to dust chair...

"So, what do you think?" - an ghoul was standing near Tod and asked finally that question. This ghoul, Craig, could easily send him to hell. At least it looked the same and an old man didn't hurry with answer. He was made and proposal - to join that fucking group of losers in searchfor some guy who will solve all their problems. He heard about all this shit yesterday and it looked like joke, but know... All these fellas gathered around him. He saw nothing good in his eyes... that's for sure. To tell the truth, an old drunkard was not very pleasant sight, but it could be worser if he would give wrong answer. He looked around in search for exit, but all windows were closed. The only exit was through the door, blocked by that guys. Even drunk Tod understood what had to be done:
"Of course I will go with you" - he cried happyly - "I always dreamt to be a... traveller" - he tried to be happy, but everybody understood his thoughts. An drunkard couldn't hide it... and didn't want to do it. He looked at them with his senseless smile, saying "You will sorry for your decision", but the deed was done. Travelling company was ready.

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"Help... HELP" - loud cries were heard everywhere. Some old fool, covered with grease ran by the street, shouting something. He looked a bit confused, but had some thought in his head. He stoped near the Hole and cried again. Our company looked at him for some time with interest and than turn away. Surely he didn't want to say something pleasant.
""Help" I cry. Don't you see I need help" - he cried angryly, entering the bar.
"And what are waiting from us - that we began to cry too and help you?" - the last words of Craig made the others to smile.
An old fella stoped for a while thinking about these words and than looked surprised at them - "Are you advanturers? I thought that old bartender said that there were some fools for hire. I need to get some thing from pre-war bunker, full of radiation, robots and other deadly stuff... I thought that I'll make you crawl there for free making you think that you save world. But now..." - he looked with sorry at his hands - "I had to do it myself"
"Yeah, that work is just fine for us" - Tod laughed. - "We all dream to fry our asses in some freaking underground vault"
"Are you?" - sarcasm of Tod disappeared in dumb face of that fella - "Great. I'll go bring map than. This base is near..." - he left them with hurry, don't listening any more.

"Great... Simply great. I feel that our travel will be something interesting..." - said Brian and looked at Tod with hatred. - "Now we'll have to solve all problems of that fucking town..."
"Don't worry, pal. Great Chosen one already solved all, what has left unsolved... This old fool don't know what he is talking about. Let's return to our business" - Kath said with smile. She began to like all that stuff.
"Oh really. Now we'll have to save poor chidren of starvation, an old men from terrbile raiders, return books to their owner..." - sister of Brian said.
"You are right, Cree" - he said supporting sister - "We need to get out of here. Without slavers this town will be a large pile of shit... and we will be a top of it as usual."
"Don't worry, Jetty. We will be in it's basement... In full colours, if you know what I mean..." - anwered Fred and laughed. He didn't care worry looks of others or angry cires of Brian. This young boy was rather abnormal with hi Jet addiction, but he didn't afraid of him... He saw things much worser than the evillooking blade of that guy...
Their discussing continued for a long time and nobody know what they had to do. Craig said to go to the East - to Gecko. Some rumours said that chosen one was there and saved the power plant. Brain and his sister were talking about New Reno. Tales of exploits of Chosen one there were heard even in the most far away village. Fred said about NCR - "Everybody will be there, sooner or later." Kath were talking about Redding - this place is the best to look. And only this tall fella was silent. He stood near with distant look without doing nothing.
"What's the matter with him?" - Tod asked quietly Craig and he asnwered:
"Chris..? It's hero's sickness, I suppose. He saw chosen one once... and of course that stuff that he don't care about it. He think usually about some smart stuff. He is scientist, you know?" An old man looked at that guy with strange look:
"HE is that fella with glasses. Are you joking?" - ghoul wanted to answer something, but loud cries made him to shut up.

"What a hell is going on? Den's revolution or something..?" - angry Brian's voice disappeared in waves of exalted cries. Large crowd of people gathered around the bar and were crying a lot. Thier loud shouts were heard in bar much more louder and that made them to think about leaving:
"What do they want?" - cired Cree in fear. Her brother toof her in his hands and cried loudly:
"Who cares. Get out of here. Most of them are helpless scum. We'll clear our way easily." - he began to go to the exit and than stoped. Kath were standing at his way:
"There are too many of them, boy. They will tear you apart" - she said calmly, but her voice were heard through the cries of the crowd. There were becoming more of them with every minute.
"Brain is right. We need to get out of here" - cired Craig and came to the exit - "I'll try to know what they want. Sit here!"
"Sure... Show me the other way" - said Fred with grining smile. Ghoul looked at him with worry and left the bar.

Time was runing slowly. Craig didn't return for a long time. Sometimes he was seen in the crowd, sometimes his loud voice was heard before the loud cries of people - but mostly he was covered by the crowd. Brain was ready to run away every minute, but look at Kath stoped him. There appeared sweat on his forehead. His eyes began to run fast, he was becoming more agitated with every minute - "Jet addiction - he will need some soon thought Tod with smile" - bottle of booz was near and he was happy. Nothing could spoil his happyness - even crowd of that scums, ready to kill them...

Finally Craig returned. His face was pale, though it was difficult to tell because he has no skin. He looked at Tod with hatred and muttered:
"If I'll stay alive I'll kill you, old man - these bastards want us to explore some underground vault. It looked like that they have one down here."
"Than why nobody explored it already?" - asked Cree with surprise - "It must be very interesting."
"Let me guess - because nobody returned from there, right?" - Fred laughed evily - "Guys, I begin to love it more and more..."
Craig looked him and smiled - "At least we all will die there. They want to see great heroes in action."
"I am not going to die today. You will clear our way or I'll do it" - Brian growled quietly.
"Oh yeah. Try to do it, if you want. These guys are much stronger than you think." - Craig said - "Ok, it looks like we have our first advenure... Thanks to you, Tod."
"You are welcome." - answered drunkard with happy smile. He didn't listen to him and was exlporing the reaches of the bottle.

They were standing near the small hole, leading into the drakness. Crowd of people surrounded him from all sides. Expression of admire were looked at theire faces, covered with dust. It was not very pleasant picture - that's why nobody try to look an them:
"I'll kill that old fool, who began all that stuff... and you too Tod. Even if some robot will tear my ass I'll cut off your sorry ass with my last breath..." - he whispered evily and disappeared in the hole.
"Chris... Are you going?" - asked him evily Fred and disappeared after him. There were only Chris and Tod remain there. An middlaaged tall fall was talking with somebody in the crowd. Tod was standing near and looked at the people with interest. Usually nobody noticed him and it was pleasant to feel himself so important. Soon Chris disappeared in that hole too and Tod followed him without unwillingly...

Im doing my best. Im just finishing the re-editing my first two chapters and im starting the third chapter. Chapter three: Dead men tell no tales 8) I have the main plot ready so that´s why im re-editing my strory so the torture continues Im also adding new lines and so on, so the story is slowly forming to what it shoud be.
The names of the chapters:
Chapter one: Sound of silence.
Chapter two: Enemies within.
Chapter three: Dead men tell no tales.
Chapter four: Buckshots sting like bees.

Chapter four is still on the table but i will work with it while im writing chapter three. As you can see it will contain somekind of action *Winks* :2gunfire: :snipersmile:

Well i have lot´s of work to do with this story so... :morning:
I will tell you when im adding the new additions and chapters

Thanks, it will return smile too my poor face and hope to my dark soul ... and as I said, another chapter... It's so boring to post it by keyboard, but I'll do my best. Sorry again for my mistakes - I see them, but I have no strength to delete them. I hate to rewrite something...

Chapter 3 - An hour of red cup

Outskirts of Den had little difference from it's downtown - couple of ruined buidings, piles of junk and other trash, wasteland... The main difference was that there were no people. They afraid to walk here - even slaver tried not to go here too often. Nobody said about it, but there was a legend about... who know about? Everybody talked about their own shit, but people disappeared here and it was fact. Dark hole was seen near ruins one of the buildings - so it meaned that some fools would go there saving this blasted town. Tod looked at the crowd with hatred and crawled into the hole.

The hole was rather large ordinary man could crawl easily there. The walls of it were smooth and greasy. The hole was leading little by little under the ground and was becoming large. There were seen no signs of danger. Finally our friends stood up and began to walk by foot. It was not a hole, but tunnel with bricked walls. It promised nothing good. The tunnel was very old - some brickes crumbled in dust at their's eyes - but overall the tunnel was clean... too clean. Kath looked around and there were fear in her eyes.
"We must return" - she said quietly, falling back. Nobody heard her and continued the way. The end of the tunnel was seen already ahead. A young woman struggeled for a moment and than joined them.

"STOP... wait... HALT" - an old man was runing by the tunnel, shouting loudly.
"Good. Now the man, who began all that stuff will join us..." - Fred smiled meanly. He was the same man, who gave them their "quest"...
Friends looked at him with no words. They all had something to tell him, but kept silent, waiting when he came close enough.
"I think that my dagger will cut off his thin neck in a second. Anybody bet me? No? Than I'll prove it to myself..." - Brian smiled happyly and checked his lovely weapon, hanging on his belt. Craig looked at his friends and came to the visitor. They really could kill him.

"What do you want, old man?" - he asked coldly. If look could kill, than he would lie dead already.
"I am Smitty" - he answered happyly. He looked at his angry stare, than at his friends and continued with more caution- "... and I was sent here by people above to... help you." - he looked back with hatred and than looked at them again. - "May be I'll wait here and you will call me when you free the way..." - Craig looked at him coldly and cried:
"Brian, come here. Smitty have something to offer you..."

Everybody gathered around manehole leading into the darkness. An old, rusty ladder was disappearing in dark tunnel below. There was some source of light, but not strong enough to see something from here.
"I think Smitty want to go first" - said Fred with evil smile and looked at old man. His nose was broken, his eye was beatn hardly. All his look was very unhappy and he said nothing, but began to come down by the ladder.
"Stop. Fred - shut up." - Craig looked at old man with sorry and took his place. He began to come down first - everybody else followed him.

"What's the place is it?" - asked ghoul quietly. They were standing in the middle of large empty room. The walls disappeared in darkness, small light was coming from somewhere under the floor. This light was rather strange - very pale, cold and lifeless for sunrays.
"I don't know" - Smitty muttered - "We knew about this place for a long time, but nobody dared to go here. There were a lot of rumours about it - graveyard of ancestors, underground vault, storehouse of pre-ware technology. When I heard that you appeared in town I thought that you are like that fool... Save people, crawl in every hole to do something... I suppose I was wrong." - he looked at his broken nose and sighted deeply.
"You was wrong, old man." - growled Brian angryly and then lower his voice, looking around with fear - "You must thank our ghoul that I didn't kill you. I wish I could smash your guts..."
"Brother!" - Cree looked at her brother with reproach. He looked at her became silent.
"So, Smitty - why have you gathered all these people there?" - asked Tod with happy smile. All this stiff began to like him more and more.
"I thought that you will be happy, that so many people will know about your heroic deed." - he looked around in search of way to retreat. - "There is something bad here. We should return... A lot of people went here... and nobody returned." - he made one step to the ladder they came down from, but met Brian and jumped away quickly.
"You will not survive their thanks to you, hero!" - muttered Fred - "Lead us, oh great Smitty" - an old man looked at him with hatred and came into the tunnel, seen ahead in the darkness.

They were coming slowly in the darkness. This tunnel was much more dirty, than the other one above. There were some junk under the feets, several big rats were runing nearby, but they were not interested in eating their guts. It looked like that had enough food here already. Strange smell of grease was felt in the air around. Floor and walls were covered with strange goo. There were almost nothing seen in the darkness, but there was something else there with them. Everybody felt it, but kept silent. They thought that it was their imagination...

Small light was seen ahead. The tunnel was not so large, but our company had to went by it very slowly. There were a lot of some unknown junk under their foots. Some of them could easily broke his leg or neck there:
"Fucking darkness. How can anybody see something here" - whispered Brian with hatred. - "I could swear that I felt something alive here. What a fuck is going on..."
Large shadow jumped at him from the darkness and threw hardly to the wall. He couldn't dodge it as it was unexpected and it hurted him badly. Brian fell back trying to go away from the danger and get into the pile of the junk. It was...
"Bones..." - he muttered quietly, losing his senses...

"Hey, Brian. Are you ok? What has happened?" - Cree was siting near him and was looking around with uneasy stare.
"What..? Where are we?" - he stood up quickly. He was hurt badly, but nothing was broken. Several fresh scars and bruises. Blood had already stoped runing. He was unconsciousness for half an hour and all that time the company were waiting for him patiently. They didn't want to know go forward until they would know what has happened.
"So, pal. What's the problem?" - expresses common thought Tod. He drank almost all bottle and began to express at least some interest to outside world.
"Nothing... nothing to you" - he growled angryly in response. "Craig, we have a problem..." - his voice changed and was full of fear - "This tunnel is like graveyard. All floor is covered with bones... And that thing, that atacked me. It was a robot. I saw these things already. Nasty stuff - they will broke all your limbs and you are helpless against him..." - stimpacs, Brian had, made good work with him and he was almost healthy.
Craig looked at him and said nothing. He continued his way, leaving Brian. Everybody else joined him soon. There were heard only their footsteps in the darkness:
"We had no choice" - his sister whispered and helped him to get up.

"Oh, great storehouse..." - cried Fred meanly - "Congratulations, Smitty. You are a proud owner of pre-war junkyard." Our company stood in the huge hall, full of all kinds of jarbage - food, hich tech, magazines, all other sorts of trash - mountains of it. Small light was coming from several working lamps. In dark air would-be riches of "happy" Smitty were seen not so clearly. But this hall was really big. Craig tried to imagine how large it is, but couldn't say it. Far away walls were not seen.

"Are you sure that this stuff, that atacked you, was robot. Who will place something like that to protect junk?" - asked Cree with doubt. Brian answered nothing and kept silent. Everybody stood around without knowing what to do.
"So, are we returning home? My booz is almost ended" - said Tod with interest. Ghoul looked at him angryly and asked Smitty:
"Do you know another exit from here? There is something - I feel it and we need to get out of here..." - an old man kept silent for some time and then answered. - "You know, may be I know something useful. I own some junk in the town... and one day I found that manhole... may be it's leading somewhere here. It looks like that my junk is a small part of these "riches"" - he looked at grining Fred and smiled happyly - "Yes, it must be the way here. I am sure."
"Than we should get out of here quickly" - said Kath. She was quiet all this time, but now suddenly began to talk - "this is really pre-ware junkyard. Often there were working robots-scavangers. They were cleaning the junk, taking care about radioactive stuff, defend it against..."
"So I was atacked by some scavanger..." - Brian smiled - "this thing was much worser, than these robots in NCR."
"They were developed as destroyers, cleaners of the sewers from all kinds of mutated and normal life form... including humans" - began to talk Chris suddenly. Everybody started from it - he was silent most of time. His voice sounded so strangely, espesially here... - "A lot of poor people lived in underground complexes below the site. In the end government decided to create these machines... they had body of bug with sensors of movement, strong armour, that was able to protect them from all harshes of underground sewers and radioactive stuff, and powerful nuclear engine. They are true hunters for alive creaures. I thought that they all had been destroyed already..." - he looked at his friends and became silent once again.
"Great." - Brian whispered. He looked at his scars once again and noticed that they were caused by very sharp weapon. The edges of it were clean and plain...

"Hey, Fred, I am sure that this stuff is looking for you. You are so lucky. May be that's why this thing released me." - Brian laughed. They were coming slowly through the piles of junk, looking for exit. Everybody was frightened, but tried not to show it. They were cheerful, but their worry look said everything without words.
"Oh yeah, go suck your jet. This stuff should rid the world from your sorry ass..." - was the answer of Fred. His voice was even more meaner than usually. He looked around with fear. Everybody else try to keept silent. Kath took in hands metal tube and was waiting for something. Fred with Smitty were searching the junk around for some treasures. Most of it were useless junk, but who knows. Brian's sister were coming with him, hanging his hand and looking around. Chris and Tod... they were busy with their own toughts and didn't care much about anything else. Craig was going the first and looked around with caution. He had the best weapon in the party - hunting rifle. He knew that this stuff was helpless against robots, but he hoped that they didn't meet it again.
"Hey, Tod, look - a good present for you." - cried Fred and threw him a red cup. It was a simple cup with strange word "Nescafe", written on it's cover.
"What does it mean, I wonder?" - Tod said and began to turn it in his hands. It was so interesting to examine ancient relics of the past, that he continued it for some time.

"Hey, I see exit" - cried Smitty happyly. I knew that it was somewhere there. He ran to one of the piles of junk and showed tiny ladder, leading upstairs at the incrediable distance.
"Well, much better than..." - Craig couldn't finish his words. Loud noise of broking junk was heard nearby. He looked around, but knew what he would saw there... Loud noise was coming to him too quickly...

Kath was coming after Craig. She knew that robot will accomplish it program - kill all life forms. It was only matter of time. She wanted to run away, but there was no way to run. Kath cursed herself that she didn't take something more serious weapon than her fists. Her father offered her plasma pistol, but she said that her wit was weapon enough. She grined. Smitty began to cry something and suddenly she noticed the large robot... It was beatiful. His dark, smooth armour shone in small light by dark colours. His strong, but beatiful and graceful limbs were working as alive. He looked so impressive, that Kath forgot about everything. Like some dragon from the tale, she read in the childhood, this robot was lieing at the pile of "treasures", he was set up to defend. Robot waited for several seconds and began to atack...

Chris heard the robot. It's quiet and graceful moves - "peoples of the past surely knew how to build things" - he thought and took one of the stones, lieing nearby. His sceptical smile showed his thoughts, but it was best avaible weapon.

Brian and his sister were standing near the ladder and talked with Smitty. Tod was standing nearby, hanging the cup in his hands. Fred was near with his mean smile at his face, as always... The noise attract their attention from old man and they with fear looked at the coming robot. Brian ran forward, crying something about hiting to the eyes, but he was not heard, as a large pile of junk fell to the ground... Cloud of dust rose in the air and nothing was seen. Everybody prepared to be torn apart by terrible claws of metal monster... expect Tod.

When Smitty found ladder, he lost all interest to this blasted cup. It was so boring. It had no use - it was cracked, it had no interesting stuff, it was ordinary cup. He threw the cup and began to look for his bottle. Only it could return good mood to him. Large noise of falling pile of junk made him turn around. He did it just in time to watch as huge robot was buried under the pile of junk. There were a lot of metal junk there and it left no chances to it:
"Nothing can withstand power of mighty cup and mysterious "Nescafe"" - whispered Tod with admire. He didn't notice that cup accidently fell to that pile of junk and made it to fall to the robot. He saw only broken remains of robot.
"I held it in my hands..." - muttered Fred with jealous...

***************

Chapter 4 - Journey begins

Tod was standing in some junkyard and listened the endless speech of Smitty. He was telling something about pre-war times, machines, some technology... and old man was fighting all the time to remain in consciousness. His friends left him with this old snob and went away to buy supplies - the journey could be long and they found a lot of junk in the underground complex to sell. Our company had already found their's way to the surface and now was preparing with all haste for future. Cries of the crowd were heard not far from there...

It was to get away from this underground prison. The way was half-destroyed or barricated by old junk. Strange creatures lived there and they were not happy to see an unexpexted visitors. There were no light again. Craig cursed himself once again that he had no fire with himself and than went to buy lighter. His companions were eager to buy something like it too. In darkness there were so many strange things... It was difficult to go through the junk, that was lieing in that tunnel. There were seen little light in the end of that damned tunnel, but they had to go through it:
"Why shouldn't we return? We killed that thing." - cried Smitty tiredly. He was carring large amount of junk at his back. It was very hard for an old man, but he was a stubborn kind...
"Your friends will make us to clean some more vaults... I suppose" - cried Kath in response. She was going slowly to the exit. Tunnel was rather steep. Large piece of junk flew near her head and disappeared in darkness, below:
"Be cation, Fred, or you will be the next who will fly there" - she cried angryly... It was a difficult way to get out of there.

"... and that's why you need to be caution, when you deal with such stuff. The old ones used uranium slung and now it has interesting thing to explode in your hands..." - Tod lost the meaning of this endless speech long time ago. He was looking for his bottle in the pile of junk, they carried from there. Tod forgot that he threw away empty bottle in the junkyard. Sometimes his mind played some tricks with him:
"Hey, Smitty, have you seen my booz. Damn, I can't remember where did I put it." - an old fella looked at him with grim smile and threw him a new one:
"Here, I think I own you some..." - he muttered to himself and looked at Tod. - "hey, old drunkard, do you know anything about cars..?" - Tod looked at him with unclear eyes and happy smile - half of the bottle was empty already. But Smitty didn't notice it - he was busy, digging in the heap of trash - "Ok, listen. You saved my ass, pal, so I want to thank you... Not long time ago I sold to one guy an excellent piece of pre-war tech... I left little in my disposal. But I found several parts downstairs and I think it will work fine with one thing here..." - he looked mysteriously at Tod, but noticed that he was not impressed and sighted hopelessly - "Come here, pal. This thing is specially for you, I am sure..." - it sounded rather ominous, but Tod didn't care. His lovely booz was with him...

Small company were returning to the junkyard. They bought enough food and other stuff - Den was interested in all sorts of pre-war junk, it was a good sign:
"Why did you buy Jet, Brian? You know that it will kill you." - Cree asked him with worry look. Her brother didn't answer anything and continued his way. His face was grim and senseless. He spent most of his money to it and bought several packs, but it wouldn't be enough for long... Everybody else already tired to say something to him and left him alone, but his sister continued with hope - "It will kill you. Look around, all these poor souls. Try to fight with it..."
"Fight?!" - angry voice of Brian made her frightened and she fell back. She looked at him with sorry look, but saw there only hatred and disgust - "You say "Fight"? YOU say fight?! You've never fought it your life. All your life you crawled after me with your little complaints... And now you say me to fight. Do you know what does it mean - look around. This muttering slobbery idiots, that are hanging all around - you want me to be one of them..." - he looked at her with hatred. She didn't know what to say, she was confused. Her eyes were runing in haste. One can notice tears in her eyes, though she tried to hide it:
"Cool a little, pal" - Craig said and looked at him with warning. He surely didn't like all that stuff. Of course, it was their own business, but to go so far in their discussion...
"Back off, fried ass. It my business..." - he looked at Cree once again and became silent.
"Thank you for attention, but it is really our business. We'll solve it by our own." - young girl looked at him gratefully and turned away.
"One day it will become a large problem..." - Kath whispered quietly, though Craig heard it.

*****************

"To tell the truth I don't know what is happening between these two." - Fred said quietly to Craig, when they returned to the junkyard. Everybody were packing their stuff, but an ancident was not forgotten. Kath looked at them both with sorry look. Craig and Fred were discussing them and didn't come to some decision. Tod was busy with Smitty. An old fool tried to explain something to drunkard, but most of his words were disappeared in his lost mind. Chris stood quietly in the dark corner and read some stuff from the manual, he got from one boy. Though sometimes one could notice that he watched after them all...
"So, can you explain me why did we need him..? And why did he need us? This jet-head is interested in his fucking drug only..." - Fred was rather angry by such behavior of Brian. It was a sight! His weak shaking hands were ready for fight, his old battered body was full of anger, his face reflected all hatred of the world. Craig looked at him and tried to be serious, though it was hard:
"We can use his talents, he will be rather useful for us... I don't know what are his aims of our travel, but we all search for fame and money... and chosen one... we all have our own reasons to do it and I am sure that his are not the worser that yours, Fred... And he can get some advantages from our company - who else will take drug-addicted with his sister? Though he hate her, he love her too, that's for sure. Only look at him now - expression of world's remorse..." - Fred looked at him and smiled grimly:
"I hope he feels himself like he lookes like... Ok, we have little time to lose. So, where are we going, wise leader?" - he asked his question quietly, though everybody heard it and looked at him with interest. An old ghoul looked around with with uneasy feeling and said:
"I heard that chosen one was here recently and now is going to Redding... And this town in nearest from here... Right, Tod?" - Tod looked at him with misty gaze and smiled happyly. Kath answered:
"Yes, it is. There are rumours that our hero is going there soon. Or may be he is now already. It is the only possible way for us." - she said and smiled.
"Why does she want to go there?" - Fred asked suspiciously. - "She sounds too eager to go there."
"And why we all gathered here, my friend? I look for cure for my people in Gecko; you try to get a lot of money - Brian. May be he want to get rid of his addiction. Tod and Chris... well, may be they like to travel... who cares. Free road is calling for us. Journey begins..." - he smiled cheerful and took his large bag. There were enough food, medicines and ammo for his rifle. His new leather armour creaked with every move and it was rather uncomfortable, but all has it's cost...

Everybody was ready - Brian was silent. Cree stood near and was silent too and looked under her feet. Everybody else checked their stuff. It looked like all was fine. Tod looked happyly and his bag, full of booz, beer and all other sorts of alcohole. That strange bar/casino was a so cheerful place. Smitty went away long time ago and left them alone. Tod tried to remember something he forgot and couldn't. Craig said that he shouldn't drink until they begin the journey and without his booz he couldn't stay in senses for a long time. Now he tried to remember what this old snob was talking about:
"CAR..." - he cried happy suddenly. Everybody looked at him with pity. They didn't notice his muttering any more, but now he was talking with them:
"Hey, guys... Smitty gave us a car!" - Fred looked at broken and rusty carcases of nearby cars and smiled meanly:
"Yeah, right. This guy is very generous. If you want, you can take any car you want. I wonder how far you will far away... I think that you will be near NCR with all your booz soon..." - he laughed and turned away.
"Heeey... seriously... "hic"... Smitty showed me a car. With some new parts it works... "hic" Here it is." - he walked in some direction, pointing on something.
"THIS is a car?!" - Brian forgot about everything and couldn't believe that it was true. His sister wasn't surprised lesser:
"It looks like this car seen better days."
"You are too kind. This "thing" is shit. Most of the cars down here are in better condition, than this one" - Fred stood near formless pile of junk, that looked like car. It looked like that something horrible crawled down there and died. By form it looked like all other cars here, but by the condition...
"Hey, it works... Let me show you." - Tod with happy smiled crawled in it, almost buried under the pile of junk, which fell at him. In a several minutes he tried it again - "So, take your places... We are leaving!" - companions looked with doubt at this strange construction, but got in. If they were sure that this strange pile of junk will go, they wouldn't do it, but they wanted to get rid of them foolishness of an old drunkard and do it quietly. Even Chris looked at this strange thing with surprise and didn't wait that it will work:
"So where is my keys? Smitty put it somewhere here..."
"Are you sure that it is a good thought?" - Craig asked. He began to think that this thing may work - most of equipment in this car were in workin order. He heard something bad about drunkard in car. He thought it was dangerous. - "er, Tod. May be..." - he tried to get away from this car, but it was too late:
"Let's goooooo..." - happy voice of Tod and fightened cries of his companions disappeared in the distance. Only small cloud of dust reminded about them...

******************

An evening has passed. Cold desert wind began to blow strongly. Sand and dust were rasied by it. Desert storm was coming. A lonely figure was coming down the street to the bar. Night had already come to the town. In the dark air were seen very little. Everybody hid in ruins of destroyed buildings - desert storm was very dangerous, espesially in this parts... Several drug-heads lay at the streets and muttered something about flowers. They were dead man, for sure. This stuff would kill them. An old man smiled evily. He was hurry to his bar. The Hole was a good place to crawl in and he would have a lot of customers today...

Blasted street didn't want to end. He knew that his bar was somewhere near. He had passed graveyard already, but didn't see his bar. Gloomy air surronded him. Sky was covered by large, heavy, gray clouds. They were coming from the south and bringing problems:
"As everything else..." - muttered an owner of the Hole and continued. Suddenly several large figures appeared near him. He was pissed off by the recent accident and looked at them evily:
"What a fuck you want? Don't you see that you stand on my way. Who are staring a..." - he was interrupted by strong blow in chest. One of the figures came closer. It was a large man in combat armour and heavy weapon... may be even energy weapon - an old guy was not bright in this stuff. This blow knocked him out, but he quicky got up. He was ready for all sorts of problems. The guy was there. He looked at him with no senses and in his dark eyes he saw nothing pleasant for him:
"I am looking for chosen one..." - his voice was as cold, as the wind around here. His eyes reflected coming darkness. His pale, but strong and scarred body expressed only confidence... There were several more men in the distance, but they were unseen in dark air.
"I don't..." - muttered an old man and another strong blow threw him to the street to one of the druggies. The large man said nothing more, but he knew what would happen next. On the face of large man appeared mean, sadistic smile - he took evily looking knife and came closer to him.
"I am not sure... but..." - an old man felt already coldness of steel at his skin. - "Wait, I know, what you need, Morton..." - he noticed that large man stoped for a second and smile disappeared from his face. He was listening...
"There were a group of fools here... recently." - he swallowed nervously and continued with hurry, looking at sharp blade - "They are the one you seek. They are going to Redding. They will..." - he noticed that large man came closer to him. His face changed now - there was mask of hatred... and dark pleasure at it. He was coming closer and blade shone with dark light at the cold wind.
"What..." - terrble pain made an old man to became silent. His mouth was shut by large hand, but the other one was doing... An old man was looking in his eyes... senseless and cheerful eyes of the killer...

Night was coming. Storm began. Dust and sand whirled madly in endless dance of wind. Cold autumn's night was mercyless to everybody. It's chill breath took every alive thing in it's presence. But one thing was beyond it. Small shadow lay motionless at the street... and the puddle of dark cold blood flowing slowly to the ground, hurried by wind...

Damn your a fast writer! I wish i could write my story las fast as you do Excellent story my friend!

yes, I write fast. The only problem is that nobody will read it except you may be... and it is really hard sometimes to turn on my imagination and mind after several mugs of beer. But I must finish story in a month. I hope I'll have enough time. This story will be really long, you can believe me.

Thanks for attention, Lianora. It is good to know that I have readers.

Readers are like raiders. They come when there´s a easy target..And readers come when there´s a good story

Only readers make the story to be good. They decide if the story is good or bad. Writer can only offer them his to story and his wits, but only readers can judge him.

Once again about fast writing - this stuff is bad. I don't have enough time to think about main plot, I don't have enough time to think about dialogues, I don't check my mistakes - I simpy write. Delay makes me nervous, I can't write... It helps me to tnlarge my vocabulare, I learn English better, I train by brains, but what is more important - I like it. So, to write fast is bad, you should think about your story, as you do.

Part 2 - Safari in the Redding

Chosen one was sitting near the fire and was listening a long story of the aged traveller, sitting nearby. Night sky was empty and lifeless. Stars and moon disappeared in the height. There were seen sun rise in west. Small line of light under the endless wasteland... small line of fire. Chosen one looked at the dancing fire and closed the eyes. He was tired - he made a long journey today and needed a rest... and travaler was muttering something all the time. He didn't listen to him but then he heard strange song in his words... It was voices of many people. They were singing, whailing, whining. There were hatred, anger... and delight in their voices. Was it a dream or reality? Who knows... only few hours remained until the sun rise. Soon chosen one will stand up and will continue his journey, but now he is resting and hearing the quiet song...

Song of the Traveller

By many roads, by many ways
We go through life, we run through days.
We lose a hope, we lose a life
and in exchange we get a wife.
And our wife is our life
We go with it through pain and strife.
It has no end, it has no life,
And only road is our strife...

The road is coming to the east.
The sun is calling to west.
The home is waiting in the north.
The hope is lieing toward forth.

We go through life all days along
And wind is singing years long,
And stars are watching after us,
And sun is runing toward us.

The road is opened all the time,
But only bravest follow it,
And only dumbest start the fly
And only strongest will survive.

Chapter 5 - Misunderstanding on the road

The sun was rising slowly. The time was lost in these long-forgotten damned parts of nothing. The wasteland surrounded this place as dumb watcher and defender of former glory of this cursed place.
"Another graveyard." - muttered Fred tiredly and looked around. Several destroyed buidings, several looted gravesightes... as always. - "There is nothing else to get here any more, let's continue..." - everybody was agree with him, except one person. Kath looked around with no words and than said:
"Stop. I need to do something..."
"Hey, you were doing "something" several hours ago. In that time Tod almost killed us, when he tired to stop that cursed car. And now you want..." - Fred noticed angry look of Kath and became silent. Tod understood it as silent agreement of all companions and began to stop a car. He was almost able to drive it. He knew how to run, how to make a speed of it... of course, he didn't know exactly at what pedal he should push to stop a car, but it was not important. Everybody agreed that he knew about cars more, than everybody else in their party(except Chris may be, but he didn't take part in dialogue)... but after the first try to stop, they began to rethink about it. Anyway, the wheel was seen as a hope of all good in the world and Tod held it firmly... if he was not busy with his dear bag, full of "treasures". The same story happened now - he began to lower the speed, but the body called him and so he took a bottle and left a wheel...

Beatiful smoke was seen far away. By some miracle our friends survived and even save a car(again). While everybody else were busy, saying what they think about Tod, Kath quietly left. She came to one of the gravesights and stood there silently. Young woman didn't say or do anything, she even didn't changed in her face, but one can noticed that something has changed in her.

This place wasn't different from any other place in the wasteland - some unnamed ruins from the glorious past. There were several fresh gravsightes as reminder of harshes of today's life. Ruins were black, silent and lifeless. Sand and desert plants made a good living there. The gravesightes were ordinary too - simple wooden handmade crosses. Some words were written there and there were seen some strange lighting insignia at their's cover. Kath stood near one of these graves and looked directly at it... Her eyes were senseless...

"I tell you - it's not my fault." - Tod cried, saving his precious bag from atackes of madmen. Brian with quick move tried to grab him, but an old man was incredibly quick. Brian missed and fell to the ground, cursing all around. Fred tried to get him from his back, but Tod noticed that manoeuvre and dodged it, throwing him far away. Chris looked around and noticed that he remained alone against terrbile drunkard - Craig lay nearby unconscious with large cone. Fred flew far away and hadn't get out from the pile of junk yet, Cree were siting near her angry brother and tried to take away his knife, shining deadly in sunrays. Kath was not even near - he didn't see her and it made him worry. He looked around and noticed her near the graves. It promised to be not very good... and he had to deal with this blasted drunkard. Tod was standing before him and looked at him suspicious:
"Listen, pal." - Chris fell back and smiled easyly - "I admit that our companions were rather harsh - to take away your lovely alcohole. This is outrages... but you must understand them. You almost killed us all... again. May be you will give me your bag... and I'll keep it save. Is it fair enough?" - on the drunken face of Tod appeared sign of though. His eyes got some sense in it:
"Ok, PAL. I'll give it to you. I think you are capable enough to keep your word..." - he looked around with hatred and than added - "But if you lie to me, you will feel the wrath of terrbile drunken master". He said it and fell unconscious - he drank too much in hopeless try to save his aclohole.

"Let me cut his blasted neck, I'll cut off his heart and feed to scorpions... I'll smash his guts through..." - Brian was rather angry and didn't want to keep it as easy. Tod was lieing near him and he could easily made to life all his treats. Cree looked at her brother with fear and tried not to hear his words. He was really terrbile, but Craig saw punks much worser, than this one:
"Cool a bit, Brian. Tod had his right to protect his property. Chris gave us good solution and this is enough for me."
"Blasted ghoul - go suck brahmin milk. He smashed you, like a rat, and you want to foget about it. Even now Fred is trying to get from that blasted sand. He deserved several lessons of pain..." - red Brian's eyes , full of blood, saw nothing more, than lieing old man.
"I SAID - cool a bit, Brian." - voice of Craig was cold and masterful. He wasn't any more tired and old ghoul. There were seen strength in his eyes. Brian looked at him and couldn't do anything. Like a rat before snake, his was hypnotized by his look. He looked down and put away his knife:
"As you wish" - he muttered quietly and fell back to his sister. Cree looked at Craig with gratitude and turned to her brother. An old ghoul sighed deeply and went to see what had happened with their car.

Kath was standing near one of the defiled graves. She was doing nothing - she only was standing an watching. Young woman heard no noises of fight, no noises of talk, no noises of coming closer footsteps. Tall, middleaged man came to her and looked at the gravesight. He said nothing - he only stood near and watched after her. Time was passing slowly, but everybody had their own businesses - Craig and Fred tried to make the car to run. Brain and his sister were busy with their stuff, Tod was lieing peacfully and slept. Kath finally looked at Chris with hatred - at least one sign of feeling appeared on her face:
"What do you want?" - she asked quietly, but there were heard a treat there. Chris answered nothing and looked at her.
"Are you mocking at me?" - this time her voice was much louder. Her eyes were full of anger. She asked nothing more and threw herself to him. With loud growling young woman tried to knock down this man by single blow, but with surprise found herself at the ground. Chris was standing near with cold face. This made her even more angry - she got up and atacked man with all her strength and speed, she was capable of...

Craig tried to return this blasted car to life, but he didn't remember what he should to do. Only Tod knew it, but he was unconscious - one thing an old ghoul knew for sure. He shouldn't allow Fred to this car. There were small nuclear reactor there - he felt it's warm radiation by his old bones - and if this old coot will get this car... well, it would be much warmer down here. He looked at Fred suspiciously and returned to his business. Small noise attract his attention - Kath and Chris were fighting against each other. It was a sight - Craig found Chris in one small town, called Klamath, where he was muttering to him something about crushed "verrybird" or "verybirds" or something like that. When ghoul noticed about journey this man joined without question. It looked strange, but he was strong fella and Craig didn't ask any more. Now, when he was looking after his swift and graceful moves, he asked himself once again who the hell he was. This man surely was not simple book worm, if he could withstand such furious fighter, as Kath... Kath - this woman terrified him from the very beginning. He saw power in her eyes, but he never thought that she was such dangerous. Her atacks, her fury and rage, her deadly and quick moves - Craig afraid to imagine what she was capable on with weapon. Her bare fists were her weapons now... and very dangerous one. She surely knew how to use weapons and how to fight. What did she want from them? This mystery made him nervous. He was not sure that to have such dangerous person in their company is a good though...

Suddenly he noticed another move from the back. Quiet noise of steps coming here made him to look around. He was ready to any fight, but not to this one... He moaned quietly. Several dirty, tired persons in torn, poor clothes were coming to him. It looked like that these ruins were their home and sounds of fight made them aware of their presence...
"Prepare to lose all your money, Craig." - said Fred with smile. - "Some time ago I worked with such people and they are capable of to take all your belonging..." - Ghoul looked at him grimly and turn to the coming homeless people.

"Please, good sir, help..." - began one of the homeless people and then looked with surprise at this travelling party. It looked rather different from all other ones, he saw. They were rather tired, weather battered and in torn clothes as they were. Their faces were even more pitiful, than his own men had. Their belonging - collection of junk, rusty useless stuff. There were one ghoul - miserable creature - couple of madmen, fighting each other, their old enemy and competitioner - Fred... and TOD. Leader of homeless people moaned quietly:
"Once again I see that fool. I must be cursed to see him again..." - than he looked at ghoul, that was their leader, with pity and said:
"I see you need it more than we do..." - he threw several coins to Craig, looked at Tod once again and quickly went away. Others followed him. Fred said nothing and only grined...

Dirt... She felt earth and dirt once again. Kath got up and looked at her opponent with hatred. To tell the truth she had already tired of this foolishness, but she couldn't stoped. She didn't like to lose to somebody - espesially if this somebody was not the part of Brotherhood. Kath atacked once again, but was captured by strong arms of this man. She couldn't do anything else - she lost. He could beat her easily from the very begining, but he played with her. This made her angerly - she tried to break herself away, but couldn't. He was too strong:
"What do you want, Chris..?" - she growled through teeth.
"Nothing. I only want you to relax..." - he answered calmly.
"Oh yeah, that's why you are mocking at me - to make me calm..." - Kath tried to break free once again, but it was hopeless - "What's the point of that game?"
"No point - you simply need a way to express your anger. I see that one your brothers died. I am sorry..." - she looked at him with surprise, than looked at the defiled grave and whispered:
"I should understood earlier... What are you doing here, brother?"
"No, no..." - Chris smiled sadly and free her - "I am not part of your organisation... or any other. I am a simple traveller, who saw a lot. You lost a friend, but life continues..."
"Shut up or I'll kick them to your bloody throat..." - cried Kath angryly - "I need no help or sorry. This grave belongs to my father. Several weeks ago he was alive. The man, who did it, will pay for it... His life is destroyed, his grave is defiled..." - she became silent for a while - "I thank you for help, Chris. I needed it... but next time I'll win." - Kath smiled and went to the others, though there was seen lonely tear in her eyes.

You write songs too!? Hoho that´s KEWL!! your a fast writer i must say *Nods firmly* OI dont steal my characters!! The chosen one is one of my characters! (Oath Abaró) Well maybe is another chosen one 8)

Great story but dont forget to add good humor!



PS. I will add the two new chapters (Dead men tell no tales and Buckshots sting like bees) When they are ready. Also the new additions to the old chapters will be added

I try to place humour in every place where it is possible. There is some in my story...

Chosen one is passive hero of my story - something like prologue... I don't know why I write about him, but it feels cool - connection to original source...

I am waiting for new chapter of your story... Any news are welcome. Thanks

I will write a "Trailer" about my upcoming blockbuster chapters! :DD

I will write a news report tomorrow 8)

You'd better say bestseller... Ok, see ya tomorrow