Embers of The World Part 1

This Fanfic brought to you by Enclave Radio.




Chronicle one: The dragons descent



Gui Tao looked as he saw the mainland in his view. It had been several days since he left from mainland China, chaos mainly being minor. Raiders were the only problem, and the Remnant government decided to take action. He had heard info from many Chinese friends that America was worse off in China, and that there was much fortune to be found. China was already on the verge of returning to a pre-war state and their largest rival was still on the verge of chaos.





" We're getting closer, be careful, the Shi have given reports that the Americans here are insane and they have many gang groups stalking the area. San Francisco is the only safe place for you. You have your gun ready?"



Tao looked over to see the ships captain, Shin Lai. He loaded his outdated AK-110 with a new cartridge and smiled.



" Its funny how a good weapon of war is phased out for a bunch of light flinging toys."



Lai looked over to him



" Those toys can burn a man into a nice crisp. I heard the government is shipping them off to the Americans, selling the models to mercenary groups."



" That's a shame they don't appreciate the hardship was spent into making them. Well, at most I do"



Shin Lai looked at him again



" You wouldn't mind turning on the radio, I'm a little bored."



"Sure thing"



Gui Tao then walked over to the radio sitting next to the Captains chair and turned the switch on. The "song of the volunteers" began to play, China's national anthem since the great times, as they said in China.



" Makes me wonder what to do with all our power. The U.S should have re-built by now. I wonder what's going on with them."



Gui Tao was about to say something when he saw a giant oil rig ahead of the ship.



" What the, they never said anything about an oil rig?!"



Before Shin could finish his sentence, a verti-bird appeared on the scene converging on the ship.





" This is the United States federal government, and you are trespassing on national waters"



Shin laughed



" They really are crazy!"



He pulled a lever on the boat and turned on the audiophone.



" We're Chinese immigrants, and no, we don't have passports"





The verti-bird stood there, silent. In a matter of moments, black nylon ropes fell from holes in the bottom of the machine. Six figures in bulky armor slid down them through an mechanical holster. They slid down and walked on the cold metal surface of the boat. They carried advanced weaponry and they looked sinister.



Gui Tao stood aside as one of them walked past him and pointed at Shin Lai.



" Are you the captain of this vessel?"



" Yes, I am"



" How do you know English?"



" Holo-tape"



" Holotape? Those are pre-war items. The only way you could procure them is if you manufactured them."

" We have factories back home. It's a little obvious."



" Interesting. Johnson, record this on a tape now, the president is going to want to hear about this."



Another figure in black armor walked through the narrow door and pulled out a white device. He then switched it on and recorded the conversation.



" So, China has factories?"



" Yes. We have many cities and towns as-well. The only place we don't have control over is in North-East Tibet, over the great mountains."



" Yeah yeah, great mountains, whatever. Do you have military capability?"



" Yes, very much. Submarines, a few warships, rusty though, and Stealth suit units"



" Did you say stealth units?"



" Yes. Crimson Dragoon units. Best of the best fighters around."



" Do you have raiders, slavers, ghouls, mutants, super mutants, around your cities?"



The Enclave soldier gripped his rifle



" No. The only mutants are the raiders over in Tibet, and we ruled out any in our cities. They are either dead or are being burned alive as we speak. Why do you give such interest?"



" Not crazy chinks after all. Lets see. Do you have any more....destructive weapons?"



" Weapons of great power? A few. The government calls them Bladesong missiles. "

" The government?"



" Yes, where have you been? A cave? The PRC government. We were sent here to export a few rifles and drop off an adventurer in San Francisco."



The Enclave soldier then nodded



" Well, do you have an affiliation to the Shi?"



" In a way. They arranged a meeting with us. "



The Enclave soldier chuckled



" Well then, Richardson is going to just love this. Enjoy your stay in America. If you find any thing that looks like an old military base, stay off. That's Enclave property you're stepping on and you won't enjoy the reception that is given by the armed forces."



" Well then, I'll put that on my to-do list. Is that all?"



" Yes"



The Enclave soldiers then left the deck and climbed aboard their verti-bird and flew off into the distance.



Gui Tao's jaw dropped the whole time



" Don't you know they are mei-gou's? They would have killed us! "



Shin laughed



" They don't care about politics anymore, even if they did, they are too busy rebuilding their own little hole. They don't care more than we do, just calm down Tao..."



Tao sat back down

" I'm getting nervous"



" Oh shut up, there is the dock. See, the Shi are waiting for us, there they are"



" Whatever you say"

Chronicle two: Land of opportunity

Gui Tao sat down as the boat rocked. Within thirty minutes of the encounter with the men in armor, the ship had landed at the dock. Shin came through the door.



" We're here. One hell of a trip, eh?"



" One hell of a trip my ass, we almost got killed"



" Calm down before I send General Jingwei's ghost after you"



" Yeah, at least I won't die of old age"



" Oh, and before you go, take these"



Shin pulled out of his pocket two ammo cartridges for Gui Tao's rifle.



" Just in-case you run into a few gangers around the area"



" I hope not"



" Good bye Tao. Stop by once in a while, I might have some weapons for sale. You never know"



" I'll try, that is if I don't get killed"



Tao then nodded and waved goodbye, walking down the metal plank, along with a few other men carrying boxes full of Chinese Assault rifles. They dropped the boxes on the dock and went back onto the ship. The plank then slowly creaked backwards, sliding in a small compartment of the starboard.



Several men in a form of combat armor and helmet ,approached him. The first one got in-front of Gui Tao and shook his hand.



" Welcome to America. We'll be taking care of your needs from here on out."



" I'm glad some friendly people stopped by"



The man nodded and smiled beneath his faceplate



" Let us leave. This dock is not safe. There are many bandits in here, and they are vicious. Lets go."



" Okay. Where do we proceed to"



" Chinatown. Its only a few blocks away"



Tao nodded and proceeded to follow the group of armed troops to a small gate. He smiled as he saw a nice array of red glowing lamps.



"Looks like I'm home"



He entered through the gates, into the strange land of America.





Chronicle three: The economics of violence





Gui Tao looked at the gate. Before walking inside, he turned to one of his escorts.



" Do you mind if I look around the city before entering?"



The trooper looked at him



" Fine. Just make sure to shoot anything that is aiming a gun at you or has more than two legs."



" Noted"



Gui Tao then left the gate and walked the empty streets and blocks, looking for something.



Kicking up the dust, Tao heard something in the distance. It sounded like a car.



" What the, hello! Anyone there!"



Before he could do anything, a large truck painted grey rushed passed him. Rock 'n Roll music playing , power armored figures shooting their weapons wildy as the truck stopped.



" Wohooo!!! [censored] yeah, fire on 'em!!!"



Gui Tao looked at them strangely before turning around to see a group of men in ramshackle armor charging in another car.





The first power armored figure screamed.



" For the Brotherhood, eat lead!!!!!!!!! Hell yeah!!!"



Gui Tao had heard about these people, but had never seen them. Before he had time to think, the other vehicle simply crashed into the Brotherhood truck, some of them falling off the truck. The Brotherhood soldiers brought out a mini-gun, firing on the enemy.



" Holy crap, what the hell is wrong with you people!!??"



The Brotherhood soldiers continued playing music, the driver of the truck jumping out and laughing, firing his laser rifle at the raiders.





" AHAHAH! Like that! "



One of the Brotherhood soldiers got blown apart by a rocket from a distance. An old highway was an entrenched position, a few of the raiders firing a rocket from there.



" Where do people get these things!"



Tao then ducked as more bullets and laser fire flew by.



" Screw this, I'm out of here!"



One of the Brotherhood soldiers stood there, laughing on, firing his mini-gun. He then laughed again as he saw Tao run off.



Tao continued running as the fight roared through the empty streets. He finally go to the gate of the Shi settlement, running inside.



" Close the gates, the worlds gone crazy!"



One of the escorts from earlier came up to him.



" No no, that's just the Brotherhood and the Jackals duking it out. Sadly they don't cease fighting. "



Tao then looked at him frantically



" Who the hell are they?"



The man chuckled



" The Brotherhood worships technology and they revere and scavenge it. The Jackals are a raider group that are in contrast with the Brotherhood, fighting against them, and destroying any working machines in the wastes. We have a fortified settlement, so they can't harm us without getting wiped out in retaliation."



"But it is a good idea to close the gates. Ming, close the gates!"



A woman above them nodded and then pressed a button, a large steel blast door rising up from the ground and blocking the entrance to the city. More gunfire was heard as the battle raged on.





" Do you mind if I watch from somewhere safe?" Asked Tao



" Be our guest"



The soldier then led Tao up a few metal stairs into a concrete fortification, a laser turret sitting atop. He handed Tao a pair of binoculars and left the bunker.



The Brotherhood soldiers charged the Jackals, charging with the Rock music still playing.



" Crazy bastards"



The Jackal raiders charged from behind, flanking the soldiers, only to get mauled down by their mini-gun.



Another man in combat armor approached Tao



" This is the morning commute, wait 'till you see the afternoon" He said, chuckling while he trailed off to whatever task he had.

Chronicle four: The madness



Tao sat down sighing, the battle was going no-where, and many of the Brotherhood soldiers drew out more reinforcements, soldiers pouring in from both sides.



" Lets see, anything big coming up......"



Withing minutes of the heated exchange, more men came from the gray trucks, dropping off more men to fight a hopeless battle.



Tao laughed on as he heard a deep rumbling. He trembled in his seat, when he saw something that no other wastelander would dare to understand. A M4 Sherman tank popped from one of the buildings, Brotherhood emblems covering it, spikes welded onto the hull. The Brotherhood speed freaks.



" What the hell is this!"



One of the guards ran up



" They got the tank fixed up, check it out!"



The Brotherhood tank charged through the Jackal ranks, destroying everything in its path. Two loud audiophones in the sides of its hull echoed more rock'n roll music.



The main cannon blared as it wiped out a column of dilapidated car barricades. A machine gun blared off, the Brotherhood infantry charging and slaughtering the rest of the Jackal war party. The tank blurted hot air from its exhaust vents. It smashed through the raider shacks, trampling many of them in a fell swoop.



" They have a tank?"



One of the gate guards nodded



" They've been working on her for what? Three years. They got her running finally."



The tank continued plowing through the highway until a large rocket blared from the last entrenchment, blowing apart the front. The tank spewed flames out as the crew struggled to get out, only to get beaten down brutally by the Jackals, axes and rifles pounding the lifeless crew. The savagery grew intense as the barbaric raiders charged the Brotherhood, hand to hand combat against them.





The factions continued butchering each other until they finally wore down their numbers. The Brotherhood soldiers and Jackals on the ground, lifeless, were completely battered beyond recognition. The final Brotherhood soldiers jumped back into their trucks, driving back to their base, pedal on the metal.



" That was just insane! Did you see that tank!"



Gui Tao continued staring through the binoculars as the battle died down. He sighed and left the bunker, heading down to the docked submarine. He passed a few buildings intact and tried to get into the submarine, only to get greeted by three guards.



" We're sorry, but this is research only personal territory. You'll have to take your leave, go and see Xing Lee for your quarters. Enjoy your stay"



Gui Tao nodded and left the deck walking down another plank and heading for the nearest building, the Chinese neon sign blaring the words "hotel" in bright colors.



Gui Tao then opened the door, showing his name tag on his shirt. The hotel manager nodded and handed him a pair of keys, telling him to go onto the third hall.



" Alright then, my quarters will be... quite nice"



He opened the door to reveal a brightly lit room, lamp, radio, and even a working T.V from the PRC.



" Everything I'd need"



He sat down and hunkered for the night.




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chronicle five: The new kid on the block



Tao opened his eyes to see the room, light shining through the windows.



" Here we go again"



He jumped from his bed and put on his cargo pants and white shirt, leather belt beside him. He then walked out of his hotel room and proceeded to get outside into the main courtyard. He walked around and yawned. He stood in the zen gardens and turned to the sky, watching it. Suddenly, two vertibirds flew by him, continuing their course Northward.



" Crazy alright, crazy with a good gun"



He then walked over to the gate where the battle erupted yesterday. He spoke to one of the guards again.



" Do the Shi permit exploration beyond the city?"



The guard tilted



" Wha- No! Don't you know there is FEV out there? Oh right, you're the new guy. Well look kid, there isn't anything worth jumping out there. We have the NCR republic to the North, Vault city and Gecko to the East, and S.F right here, on the west, and then you have New Reno to the northwest. The Den is forbidden, and Redding is mutant town. There is no need to go to any of these places. The airborne FEV infected most of the desert and surrounding area. You lucky you didn't get infected yet. We stay here, free of infection, friendly to the Enclave. There is no need to go fooling around out there. Stay inside the city limits. Don't go kissing a girl from outside, and don't try and be a hero, you'll get backstabbed. Got it kid?"



Tao frowned



" Got it"





"Then proceed"



" Alright"



Tao then walked away from the man and holstered his rifle over his shoulder, waiting for the steel gate to open. After letting it open all the way, he walked into the broken streets, the door closing again. He then walked off into the distance, looking at the ruined skyscrapers littering the area.



"Pity it came to this"



Tao wandered around the streets , looking for something of interest. Before he knew it, he found an old concrete fortification with a Brotherhood emblem on it. Approaching it carefully, he found that the main door hand been broken through, several Brotherhood bodies filling the floor. He carefully walked over them, going through the empty corridor. Taking a turn to the left, he went into a downstairs shaft, heading onwards. He walked on, finding a small switch.



" Wonder what this is"



He flipped the switch on, lights flickering to life and illuminating the shaft. He then walked downwards, getting to the bottom. He got to another metallic door and opened it, mechanisms whirling and twisting, revealing a large storage room.



" Nice digs, if it weren't for the bodies"



Tao looked around and saw several crates, closed shut. They read the marks " NCR property".



" New California republic hardware?"



Tao heard footsteps from the pile of crates, revealing three figures. One was a large mutant, green skin and bulging muscles. One was a human in a duster, sheriff hat and all. Another was a pale looking, skinless abomination with a leather jacket. They held their weapons in the air, aiming at Tao.



" What are you doing here? This is now NCR property, you have no business here!"



Tao nodded



" You're right, I don't......."



The group of men then began to aim their weapons again, pulling the triggers.



" Damn you!"



Tao ducked behind an empty crate, gunfire riddling the wall behind him, and the crate pushing back, shaking Tao's head.



" Screw you too pal!"



Tao lifted his CAR from it's holster and gripped it in his hand, turning off the safety. He waited for the three men to stop firing, lifting his rifle up and shooting at the mutant, blasting little holes into its chest.





" Ahh, that hurts! Now you did it!"



The mutant began to swell up, more bullets filling its chest. Yet before it could charge Tao, it fell to the floor, flat on its face.



" Marcus, no!" yelled the man next to it.



Tao laughed and lifted his body upwards, firing on the man, flinging several rounds into the mans chest. He fell down on his knees, lifting a strange revolver type weapon, and sending two shots into Tao's shoulders.



" Gah!!!"



Tao fell over against the wall. The other man falling to the floor, lifeless. The last survivor, the ghoul, lifted his hunting rifle and bolted back the spring. Tao looked at the thing and used his left arm to lift his assault rifle, emptying the rest of the clip into the ghoul, ripping off one of its arms.



" Good riddance"



Tao then holstered his rifle carefully. He took grip of his wounds and pulled out a small needle the people in America called a "stimpack".



" Here goes nothing"



Tao then lifted it and jabbed it into his shoulder, pressing a small pressure button, watching as the fluids filled his shoulders wounds with different stimulants. Within moments the wounds closed up, only leaving behind a small scar.



" Wonderful, now then, lets see whats in those crates"



Tao lifted himself from his crouching position and walked over the bodies of the three strangers. Something caught his eye. Looking down at the body of the human, he saw a strange device attached to his arm. The markings on the display panel read " Pip boy 2000". ( The Chosen one) Tao then looked at the mans neck, revealing several tatoo's, one of them reading "Arroyo".



" Weird, lets see that device of his"



Tao then pulled out a knife from one of his leather pockets and cut off the arm attached parts of the mans limbs. Tao then tried yanking off the device from the arm, to no avail. Then he heard a beeping sound.



" Oh no"



He leapt from where he was, throwing the device and arm away.



Within seconds, a loud boom was heard and an explosion followed. Tao looked over and saw that the device had triggered a safety measure, destroying it.



" So much for scavenging that"



He then walked over to the crates. Nothing but a few pistols, SMG's, assault rifles, and one laser pistol. Tao ignored the contents and opened a secure crate, a large silver lock holding the lid closed.



" Easy solution"



Tao lifted his car and inserted another clip. He aimed it carefully and blew off the lock of the crate.



" And the treasure is mine!"



Tao lifted the lid open, revealing an aged suit of combat armor and helmet. Next to the suit was a box full of grenades. Glowing ones.



" Plasma grenades from the looks. And then we have a suit of armor. Very good"



Tao then lifted the suit and helmet, changing his apparel.



Four minutes later



Tao looked at the suit's head visor, flicking a button on the side of the helmet. Then a large display panel flickered various functions of the suit, in plain English.



" Let's try Chinese"



Tao took out a Chinese modular circuit, to overcome the suits systems and override the language barrier. He inserted the bulky chip into the suits chip drive, removing the old one and placing the new one. The visor flickered again and everything displayed chinese characters and symbols.



" A little homey now"



Tao then triumphantly walked out of the bunker, a large smile on his face. Heading back the way he came, he reached the gate, waving over to the guards.



One of the guards chuckled



" The new kid on the block, eh?"



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Chronicle six: The yellow breeze





Tao walked through the gate, the guards watching him and his newly adorned armor. He simply chuckled and walked past them, uncaring of them. He got back to his apartment. Clambering his belongings together, he organized the room and finished cleaning it. He sat down on his bed and turned, falling asleep again.





Sweet dreams





Tao looked around him. A yellow mist blanketed him.



" What the?"



Several figures, raider in appearance, walked over to him, passing through his body.



" AHHHH!!!!"



Tao cowered to the ground in fear, watching as a giant face erupted from the cloud. It was his drill instructor in the PLA, Instructor Manchu.



" Tao you scabbering maggot! I should have you for dinner and spit on the corpses of your children. You are a disgrace to the republic and I will rip your insides out for it!!!"



Tao then screamed



" Sorry sir. I promise I will do better. Just one chance!"



" No more chances for you. Time to join the enemies of China in hell!!!!"



The face then lifted a large baton and smashed it onto Tao.



" NO!!"



Tao jumped from his bed. He smashed his face against the wall, the helmet taking in the impact for his skull.



" Ahh, that hurt. Eh, nothing broken, that's good"



Tao stood up and looked around. He was back in his room, clean and well lit.



" That was a seriously [censored] up dream"



Tao then smelled a mist from outside his room. He opened his door and continued walking through the hall, climbing upstairs, following the scent. Eventually he came up to a room. He knocked on the door, ringing the bell. After a few moments, the door swung open, and a man in a white lab coat stood there, various instruments in his hands.



" Yes yes, what is it? I'm quite busy right now"



Tao frowned at the man



" I was sleeping and having a gruesome nightmare when I woke up and smelled your...........chemicals"



The scientist smiled and jumped around



" Wonderful, it worked!!! I knew they would never believe me! Now they'll see"



Tao then looked at the man in disguise



" Oh sorry. My name is Dr. Liu Tang. Pleasure to meet you"

Chronicle seven: The right pair of shoes



Tao walked into the scientists lab. He carefully avoided a medical bed and walked aside, waiting for the doctor to finish.



" Ah yes. As I said, I'll be proving my theories to the brass. They are going to love this. Okay then. Now, what did you need?"



" Nothing, I just stopped by. I'm the new guy. If anyone already told you......."



The scientist smiled.



" I was working on a way to make combat armor more efficient against firearms and energy weapons. Do you mind if I quickly see your armor and fix it up?"



Gui Tao grew a little nervous



" Sure"



He then walked into the bathroom, changed into his white shirt and khaki pants and handed the armor to the doctor, awaiting his results.



" Perfect. Add a few filaments, some Kevlar-nylon solution, and here we go!"



Within minutes of handing the armor over, the doctor handed Tao back the armor and clapped.



" Oh please, tell me how it works when you ever get into a fight. I would love to see my creation work. Phoenix implants are very rare, you know."



Tao smiled and changed back once more into his armor. He looked at his suit and felt normal.



" I don't feel a thing"



The Doctor smiled



" No need for that. Here, take this pistol and fire it at your chest"



" What!?"



" Just do it, you'll see"



The doctor smiled. Gui Tao nervously took the Mauser pistol and aimed it at his chest.



" I'm not so sure about this"



" DO IT!"



Gui Tao pulled the trigger, waiting to die. He opened his eyes and mouth to see the bullet hand pinged off onto the floor.



" Holy cra-"



" Success! I told you! Now go make me proud and use your armor whenever you travel. Oh, here is another invention of mine. To see how my process reacts against filaments, take this FEV mask. It will protect you from the outsides and the hoards of filth in it. Use it with caution."



" Thanks, but I'll try not and get killed, if that disappoints you...."



The Doctor led Tao out of the room and closed the door.



" Awkward"



Tao then walked down the halls back into the main lobby, opening the large steel entrance door and walking back outside into the courtyard. Sprawling as ever. Tao walked past the small array of buildings back over to the front gate. He signaled for Ming, the door woman, to open the door. She nodded and the steel gate opened once more. Tao smiled then walked back into the ruins of San Francisco, strolling the empty streets.







Tao walked over the dried up corpses of a few dead merchants, their wares no where to be found. Tao frowned then continued walking on. He came across open desert at the edge of one of the streets. Looking over, he saw a family of three people running. Tao ran behind them only to lose them a few seconds later. Frowning again, he walked back to the city and followed the main highway, climbing up a deep slope.





" Seems like a boring day. No Brotherhood or Jackals, nothing. God, I should go back to China."



Tao walked through the broken and burnt cars along the highway, admiring the view from the height he was at. He started finding random junk in the cars, from teddy bears to nail clippers. He tossed them aside and continued searching.



Several hours later







Tao threw away an old pair of socks as he looked back on the horizon. Nothing but the outline of a former hub of activity and desert. Sighing and walking along, he came across the same family of three, cowering in a prone position.



" Hey, what are you doing?"



He waited for a response. Nothing. But Tao heard something in the distance. The familiar whir of a verti-bird. He looked back to see as it swept the dust from the highway as it landed. A large cargo door opened, and two men in black power armor came out. The stood in line, saluting.



" Them again?"



Before Tao could mutter another word, a giant figure walked out. A hulking mass of power armor and muscle, the figure looked at Tao.



" Don't interfere with Enclave business. I suggest you stay out of this"



Tao nodded slowly



" Of course. Your name, sir?"



" Frank Horrigan, that's who"



Tao slowly nodded again. The hulking figure approached the family. The two soldiers staggered behind him.



The farmer stood up



" You won't get away with this! The secret is mine to the grave, not for you to ever use!"



" Shut up old fool. Now I'm only going to ask ONCE. Where did you keep it!"



" I'm not going to tell you!"



The woman looked at the man



" Sam, he isn't going to let us go, just tell him the secret!"



" I'm sorry, but I can't do that"



The figure known as Frank Horrigan grunted under his armor.



" Then so be it"



Frank Horrigan then pulled out a minigun from his back side and aimed it at the family.



The man looked in horror as the hulking figure drew the weapon



" NO!!!"



The mini-gun whirled and the bullets flew, ripping apart the limbs of the small group. Limbs were torn off.



" Back to the vertibird. On the double"



The giant figure then slowly walked back to the helicopter. Before he entered, he looked at Tao.



" Your compliance is thanked by the government. Protocol dictates to figure out your identity. Give me a full brief"



Tao felt cold as he wet his pants



" Gui....Tao......the chink on the boat passing the oil rig, if your men remember.....?"



Frank Horrigan laughed



" YOU'RE THE CHINK! HAHAHAHA. Go on. Have a nice day....."



Frank Horrigan laughed on as he entered the vertibird, flying away back into the horizon.



" [censored], I'm not going back here anytime soon............."



Gui Tao then frowned as he walked the distance further down the highway. Upon arriving at the end, he found an old gas station.



" Johnson's gas"



He opened the door to see that most of the refrigerators were intact, the cashier, a terminal, a safe, even a bed and camera.



" Home sweet home I guess"



Gui Tao looked hard at the building. He had to live here for the next few years. This was his new home, in America.





Quickly overcoming his thoughts, Gui Tao immediately thought about organizing. He grabbed all the useless items and threw them out into the empty highway. Then he dragged out all the broken refrigerators and laid them down next to the trash. A large mound became apparent as more and more junk was tossed out. He then looked around and dragged one refrigerator into the station quarters, along with the bed and trash can. He turned on the terminal and dragged it over to the room with the bed. He turned it on, and started re-programming the terminal with an entry-log system. He then proceeded to use

ll the food that was contaminated as merchandise and set it on the shelves. He walked over to the cashier, opening it up to see it had some pre-war money in it. He opened it up and took the bills.





He grew with joy as daydreams of becoming a rich merchant filled his heads. He tried to open the safe next to him, to no avail. He searched the desk for a key, finding it hidden under the cash register. He opened the safe, read the combination instructions, put the money he had inside, and closed it shut.



" All set up and proper"



Tao spent the rest of the day arranging the gas stations fuel reserves in-case any Brotherhood patrols decided to stop by. Maybe even Enclave Vertibirds. He made a nice barrier of sandbags along the border of his store, fortifying it against any raiders. By the time of night, a new store had arisen from the wastes, with its new proprietor, Gui Tao.



----------------------------------------------



Chronicle eight: Committing to dirty deeds



Tao looked at the room around him, while jumping up from his bed.





" Alas, another day to work"





Tao headed over to his cashier and stood on the stool next to it. He pulled out a cigarette from the pockets under his armor and lit one. He forgot that there was airborne FEV beyond this area, so he quickly quashed the cigarette and threw it away.



" This sucks"



He continued waiting for someone when he saw a roving band of travelers in a large cargo truck. They pulled over into the parking lot and climbed out. One of them, the tallest, walked into the shop and over to Tao.



" You own this store?"



" Yes, I am the owner"



The man smiled



" Three brahmin steaks, roasted"



Gui Tao smiled beneath his helmet



" Of course"



He walked over to one of the shelves and took a box of dogfood. He walked back over to the counter.



" I have brahmin nuggets. I'm sure you'll enjoy them"



The man frowned



" Alright, I'll take it"



Seven dollars of pre-war money were handed over as the man left the store, back onto the truck. They pulled out and drove through the highway.



" Too easy"





Gui Tao then sorted the money into the cashier and started polishing his AK-110 when another band of people came driving into the parking lot. Several Brotherhood soldiers stood outside as one of them walked into the store.



" You own this store?"



" Yes"



" We need some fusion cells for our conductor. You wouldn't happen to have any?"



Gui Tao then walked away from the counter and went into the storage room. He lugged out a large box and set it on the counter.



" These are enough to power a tank. Six hundred, up front"



" I don't think so. 350, my offer"



" I own this store. You want to get out, you have to pay up"



" 450, that's as high as I am going"



Gui Tao grinned



" 500, or nothing"



The Brotherhood knight looked at Tao then drew a steady and angry expression.



" Fine"



He forked over a large pile of bills stacked on each other and lugged the box outside.



" Have a nice day, customer"



Gui Tao then opened his safe and piled the money into the small space. He closed it quickly and turned over. The Brotherhood soldiers were installing their fusion cells, taking all the time in the world. Gui Tao watched when they finally succeeded and drove off.



Tao brushed himself off and then sat back down.





" Today is going to be a long day"

Chronicle 9: Red Storm Rising



Tao looked over the empty shelf to watch as the traffic on the highway continued as normal. Ever since the dawn of the NCR and The Brotherhood syndicate everyone became mobile with the advance of new technologies. The Enclave still keeps to itself and the wasteland is re-building, for the most part. Tao never cared, only that he lived a prosperous life.





He continued watching until he saw the all too familiar sound of a Vertibird pass ahead. He simply waved it off and sat down on his desk chair. He pulled out his savings clipboard and started putting down his monthly profits. He set the board down and went back to waiting for customers.





He waited for 2 hours until a band of rough looking slavers came by his desk. The leader who was wearing leather armor stood up and came to the desk, signalling the others to stand behind the glass doors.



" Welcome to Tao's genuine store and fuel stop. What would you like?"



The man snarled and spit on the floor, already desecrating the aged tile.



" You in for the trade of slaves?"



Tao turned his expression into disgust



" No, I don't do slave dealing, I already told Metzger and I won't explain it to you! Now get out of my damn store you imbecile"



Tao set his AK-110 on the table and glinted his armor in the sun.



The slaver grew discontent and snarled again.



" Fine, but we'll be back. You can't deny the offers we have, and with the loads of cash ready to your store, you can profit"



Tao flipped the man off and let them take their leave.







The next group of men were a bunch of scavengers in odd looking leather padded clothing. The man came through the aged door and set his hands on Tao's desk, just like a business man of the pre-war days.



" You ever heard of the Capital wasteland?"



---------------------------------------------------------------------



Chronicle 10: The Ellis Island of hell





Tao looked at the man strangely.



" Capital Wasteland did you say?"



The Scavenger smiled and chuckled



" You bet. Land of opportunity and fortune! Nothing better than an irradiated paradise!!! *coughs* I mean REAL paradise!!"



Tao looked at the man skeptically



" How do I get to this "Capital Wasteland""



The Scavenger lifted up a small leaf of paper from his pocket



" A free trip to the wasteland, all you need to do is lend me a fission charger, would ya mind?"



Tao looked at him still. These Americans are crazy, remember there are a lot of gangs who will try and kill you. Tao remembered the Captains words and grew tense.



" Is there somewhere where I can get easy access?"



The Scavenger stood up, tossing up a cap in the air"



" Boat only, though you could always try and convince the Brotherhood to send you a small security detail for a cost of three fusion cells. Quite a cost for a trip. Just one Fusion Charger, for the opportunity of a lifetime! Imagine it, you could be king!"



Gui Tao didn't like what he was hearing. He was taught that Imperialism was the very reason why the world destroyed itself.



" Then you're coming with me"



The man stood silently, pale faced.



" Wait.....wa.....what!?"



Gui Tao smiled



" I'll give you you're charger, but you're coming with me. I need an "Expert", am I right?"



The man stood shaking, not knowing what to say.



Several minutes passed.



" Alrig.....ht.........you've got a deal"





Gui Tao smiled. He left the man at the counter while he amassed his wealth and started making runs and checks of his supplies. He piled them onto a small metallic cart and went back into the counter where the man was waiting, smoking a cigarette.



" Ready for your wonderful trip?"



The Scavenger chuckled slightly



" Let's get in the car. Billy!!! We've got a taker, but we're going with him"



The other scavenger opposite of the door nodded and rushed into their small truck. Turning the machine on, Tao and the man packed their belongings. Tao quickly locked the door to his shop and used the refrigerator scrap heaps as a shielding for his shop. He ran back inside of the aged machine and let the scavengers ride onto the highway.









Three hours into the trip without incident passed. Gui Tao grew bored listening to an old American pre-war radio station operation inside of the NCR republic, broadcasting more and more silently with each mile stepping out of range. The signal finally died out and the Scavenger changed the radio to the Continental Enclave Broadcast.



The trip became bland as the radio echoed Yankee doodle and the Scavengers whistled folk songs.





" Damnit, how far is the damn place!"





The Scavenger smiled



" Across the country!"





Gui Tao's jaw dropped





" WHAT!!!!!!??????"



" Seventy hours till we get there. You think we should camp out near Chicago, heard we might find the Midwestern Brotherhood there , offering up some housing in there"



Tao was furious



" You IMBECILE!!! I WASTED MY TIME TO GO TO A FORSAKE HELLHOLE ACROSS A FOREIGN CONTINENT OF WHICH I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHICH TO SPEAK OF!!!!"







The screaming and yelling continued for the entirety of the trip as the group moved onto Chicago. Home of the Midwestern Brotherhood, now known as the Middle Empire.





-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chronicle 12: Sailing the sandy sea's......



Chicago, Capital city of the Middle Empire









Tao woke up as he looked at the rusted roof of the truck he was in. All he could remember was that the scavenger was driving him towards a place called Chicago.





To his surprise he still had his combat armor and weapons on him. The Scavenger wasn't a common thief as Tao had thought. He raised his head up behind his black visors to look at the scavenger and a man in matte brown colored Power Armor talking.



" Yeah, we just came in from San Francisco. We've just got this one Chinese guy, said he'd want to go to the Capital Wastes. Don't know why he didn't know bout it, but I just wanted to stop by"



" Oh really, you know Bill, you have a lot of nerve coming up here after what you did"



The Scavenger at the drivers seat grew nervous and began to sweat, and Tao also grew nervous.



" I'll open the gates up, if you'll excuse me"



The Scavenger held his grip on the driving wheel incredibly hard. Tao felt a sign of danger was coming and he opened the door and walked out. The Scavenger turned around and called his name.



" Hey, hey, get back here!!!! I didn't come here for nothing! Get back you stupid idiot!"





Tao looked back at the screaming man, only to turn and look at the power armored figure.



" Open fire"



Within a matter of moments, Tao took cover behind a dead tree as a man with what appeared as a mini-gun ripped apart the truck and the scavengers. The machine exploded and flipped on it's side, nothing left of the men who occupied it.



" Not such a good idea after all......." Tao muttered.





Before he could give grace for his luck, the power armored figure walked towards him, raising his hand in a commanding posture. Tao stood idly, knowing it would be useless to resist.



The man caught up with Tao, and could see his nervous face complexion.



" State your name"



" Gui Tao"



" Hometown?"



" Guilin, China"



" What?"



" China. Yes China. It's not as bad of a place as it is here, we've got......"



Tao then closed his mouth as he remembered these men were Brotherhood soldiers, their main goal the inquiry of taking technology from others. If they found out where Liu's boat was.....it could be disastrous.



" Continue" The armored figure demanded



" Makeshift towns, a few wrecked cities, and some working mutants"



" Alright. Either way, you're in Brotherhood territory and you're going to have to leave. I'm sorry, but direct or-"



The man was immediately cut off as a sniper bullet ripped through his optical lenses and shredded his head off clean.



" Holy [censored]!"



Tao ducked again to the floor as another bullet rang off. A dozen power armored figures inside of the city walls began scrambling towards defensive positions, some drawing fire so others could get a fix on the assailant.



Tao ran towards the gates as more gunfire rang out from the main road. Jumping through a concrete barricade, Tao scrambled to his feet and took cover behind a wall, right next to a Midwestern Brotherhood soldier.



Tao turned to the man.



" Is this how all cities in your country are?"

Chronicle 13: Deja Vu



Tao opened his eyes at the end of the slight gunshot in the distance.


" Finally, it's over"


Leaving a sigh of relief. He looked at a large crowd of men walking in a military fashion, marching down the roads. All of them in the same matte brown armor. They looked like knights covered in Brahmin crap.


One of them nodded to Tao and took his helmet off.


" So it seems you survived. Lucky bastard we got, say, you don't happen to know if your buddies in the van were associated with the Viper clan raiders?"


Tao then looked as the man took out a small parchment of paper, the insignia of three snakes intertwined disturbing Tao's mind.


" Not at all. I haven't seen a single freakshow since we left San Francisco"


" You'll be glad to know that we have plenty of those here. Welcome to Chicago"


The man walked off and continued the march with the rest of the soldiers. Tao in the mean-while walked through the streets of post-nuclear Chicago. Much change was apparent.


Banners displaying the Brotherhoods emblem decorated the city like sand on a beach, and archaic buildings of all sorts, holes and punctured walls conjured up into existence with different bits of scrap metal exaggerating the wastelander feel to the city. Tao was reminded of the cost of nuclear war. Walking on, he drove himself into a narrow but bustling arms bazaar.


Looking at the hundreds of different weapons, he saw a few Chinese armaments for sale. Interestingly, they had even European weapons. Tao's chance was now.


Walking over to a certain shopkeeper, Tao looked at the man. A black Combat armor adorned with a Talon symbol showering in the dim light.


"Yeah, what you want?"


Tao quickly looked at the selection of items. A European 14mm gun was for sale, and the ammo was quite cheap.


Laying down the small token of money he had on the table, the man took it and handed Tao both the gun and ammo.


" Say, you look like a good fighter. That combat armor could use a little re-decorating though...."


Tao looked puzzled at the man , showing his interest.


" What group do you work for, I'm up for hire if there is a position available"


The man smiled


" There's always a position ready for you in Talon Company"

Pebble, QUIT STEALING MY POSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flattoecory wrote:

Pebble, QUIT STEALING MY POSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hehe, I'm such a little thief, aren't I.

By the way, why is labeled "albino"? It looks like a freakin' rabbit.

I dont know. Maybe the forum is hateful to albino's? Ill pretend to change it. Im too lazy. Fact is, it works.

Admin wrote:

I dont know. Maybe the forum is hateful to albino's? Ill pretend to change it. Im too lazy. Fact is, it works.

Heh, yeah. I just thought it was strange.

Lt. Pebble wrote:

Admin wrote:

I dont know. Maybe the forum is hateful to albino's? Ill pretend to change it. Im too lazy. Fact is, it works.

Heh, yeah. I just thought it was strange.

Albino Rabbit?

It's plausible; they're white anyway so it would be hard to tell.

Lt. Pebble wrote:

It's plausible; they're white anyway so it would be hard to tell.

And Brown, black and Once I had a blue bunny. That's right, I paint my pets.

The eyes....

And what happened in the later years of their lives?

Admin wrote:

And what happened in the later years of their lives?

The Rabbits? My dog ate them. I'm not mean to animals like I am people.

Did you take the animal friend perk?

I doubt he'd need it. He can just stare at a guai and they'll drop whatever their last meal was. A polite way of saying they'll crap themselves. Deathclaws, however, are made of tougher stuff....

Lt. Pebble wrote:

I doubt he'd need it. He can just stare at a guai and they'll drop whatever their last meal was. A polite way of saying they'll crap themselves. Deathclaws, however, are made of tougher stuff....

Deathclaws listen too, but you gotta show them who's boss first. A bitchslap works for awhile, but soon you need to just beat the living shit out of them, so that you can just stare them down.







We need a STARE emote.

Flattoecory wrote:

Lt. Pebble wrote:

I doubt he'd need it. He can just stare at a guai and they'll drop whatever their last meal was. A polite way of saying they'll crap themselves. Deathclaws, however, are made of tougher stuff....

Deathclaws listen too, but you gotta show them who's boss first. A bitchslap works for awhile, but soon you need to just beat the living shit out of them, so that you can just stare them down.







We need a STARE emote.

Hence the development of the mind-control helmet. Because we can't have Cory waste his time bitch-slapping deathclaws into submission.

Lt. Pebble wrote:

Flattoecory wrote:

Lt. Pebble wrote:

I doubt he'd need it. He can just stare at a guai and they'll drop whatever their last meal was. A polite way of saying they'll crap themselves. Deathclaws, however, are made of tougher stuff....

Deathclaws listen too, but you gotta show them who's boss first. A bitchslap works for awhile, but soon you need to just beat the living shit out of them, so that you can just stare them down.







We need a STARE emote.

Hence the development of the mind-control helmet. Because we can't have Cory waste his time bitch-slapping deathclaws into submission.

Nope I gotta oversee the retooling of the Pitt Foundrys.


"Back to work Employee!*whip sounds*, This Isn't a damn coffee break!"

Coffee survived the apocalypse? Where, where? gimme gimme gimme!

...I'd like some coffee too, but Cory's whip makes it hard not to spill.

Get AWAY FROM MY COFFEE!
*Pulls out shotgun*
You don't have a Mascot status here Pebble!

You have coffee too? I make mine out back, with imported beans our special ops guys bring in.

Those are irradiated. Soon, youll look like this