Fallout Stories Epic

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
Zero 1.2[16]

The Clawmaster gained the psychic impression that the two EagleEnclaven vertibirds were fleeing from something and he began to 'sense' danger. At once he reached out, with his mind, to alert his followers. Most were already in hiding and the others were a short way from good, secure hiding places.

One vertibird exploded dramatically as it was struck by a powerful, glimmering, pulsebeam of energy that came from some unseen The Clawmaster withdrew more into the shelter of the ruins, his bodyguards moving with him.

The second fleeing vertibird disintegrated even as the surprisingly quiet aeroship came flying into view overhead. Part fanjet aircraft, part liftergas airship, the heavily armored massive machine was a gracefully squat saucer with the new Enclaven's altered symbol showing big on the metallic belly. The new Enclaven's symbol was now more simplified and less grand than the old one had been.

Flying with it were two formations of sleeker looking, more advanced vertibirds than the ones that had been destroyed with a huge energy weapon that was likely a pulseblaster. There was also a formation of jet-fighters that he suspected were subsonic jumpjets, basically agile interceptors and hovering weapon platforms.

But the nasty surprise was far from over for two other massive Enclaven aeroships appeared higher in the sky along with more vertibirds, jumpjets and also five aeroboats; the aeroboats were very big though much smaller than the aeroships. They were also heavily armed and armored.

He would have to contact the Prime One as soon as possible and warn him. He would also have to start withdrawing his forces from Southern Americanada, going southwards towards DC. Between Americanada, and DC, was the toxic madness of the swamplands of Point Lookout. Getting to DC would not be easy but there was no way he was going to stay in Southern Americanada when the Enclaven had gained such massive firepower.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 10.1[17]

The second secret subway tunnel, from Megaton Subway Station, was discovered and it was soon proven to lead directly towards DeepMegaton. It was smaller than the less hidden tunnels but the same size as the tunnel that led towards TekVaultDC101.

Professor James Graphin noted the platform and the boxes, canisters and other containers neatly stacked there enough to fill about a third of it. It appeared that there was a large delivery, of equipment-supplies, taking place when the Doomsdays had struck. Reconners of Steel were pleased to go carefully through the trove of valuable goods. The Reconner Team would not only serve the Brotherhood of Steel well, with the find, but earn themselves some nice wage and other bonuses. Much of the equipment-supplies would go to serving the outpost but some would go to Megaton or to the DC Citadel if not other Brotherhood outposts.

James frowned as he was 'sensing' something troubling but he could not define it, could not focus it down.

A radroach scuttled across the monorail track in the distance and vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Star Paladin Cross had departed to go into Megaton with out explaining to him what she was up to other than stating it was Brotherhood of Steel business. Annoyed, he had gone on looking around. The Reconners had worked with him at first but then, being satisfied that they had found anything of use, they had begun sorting through what they had found. Three Reconners were on sentry duty along with two portable turrets and two protectrons they had found and had reprogrammed before activating. In future the protectrons would be upgraded to Brotherhood of Steel standards with enhancements and augmentations.

James looked along the subway tunnel, past a monorail tram that was on its side but which would be salvaged, and wondered what he was fearful of. He had decided to leave the area when it happened.

The robe-tunic wearing Followers of the Atom Disk came charging along the tunnel, chanting madly and holding up strange metallic disks centered with gold, silver or copper. The copper holding followers were most common and the gold ones were least so. Clearly it was a ranking system of sorts. Sparkling energies went around the bodies of the strange attackers and around their disks that spat bursts of energies at the Reconners, turrets and robots.

A protectron exploded in sparkling madness, being destroyed at once. A Reconner fell back as her power armor sparkled. Then the battle truly began as the Brothers of Steel struck back with well disciplined speed. Turrets blazed and the other protectron fired off a security autoshotgun.

James would have helped but suddenly he was struck by some kind of strange psychic force and he found himself sinking into a strange state of semiconsciousness as if he was in some kind of bizarre dream state. From there he sank into blackness.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 11.1[17]

Colonel Eagleson, of the elite Talon Mercenaries, had his Talontroopers give direct support to the Talon thug-mercenaries who were having trouble with the acid radants. The nest was proving to be much bigger than had previously been assumed but the real surprise was that the radants were acting with true tactical moves; they were under the command of some kind of higher intelligence. According to Eagleson's psyker officers there was some kind of powerful, insane, psychic influence both commanding and driving on the radants.

Eagleson was not pleased because the Talon Syndicate High Command would not be pleased, situated as it was in the underground fortified bunker complex of Fort Bannister. The Talon Syndicate was carrying out a contract given to them by the infamous Tenpenny Family of the DC Syndicate Families. Despite being commander of the elite Talontroopers, in their power armor that was much like that used by the Brotherhood of Steel, Eagleson was angry that he was left in the dark about the contract mission's long term goal. All he knew was that he had to clear away the radants; he had not been warned about the strange psychic influence commanding the radants.

An urgent courier message to Fort Bannister had led only to a fast courier reply that Eagleson was to be patient and that more vital information would come to him soon. Until then he was not to send any more couriers unless he had to because of security concerns. He was not informed of what these security concerns were.

In the heavy cloud caused semidarkness, with lightening slashing through the sky above, Eagleson crouched in his power armor that looked exactly like that of any other Talontrooper; he did not want to make himself into a priority target for the enemy to strike at.

From where he crouched, high in a half collapsed Springvale office block, he could see thug-mercenaries trying to hold onto battle pits of sandbags, carefully arranged rubble and even some dirt filled electric cars. The thug-mercenaries had gained the use of some heavier weapons such as arrow missile shoulder-launchers and portable mortars. They were using the these with surprising precision for this was one of the best of the thug-mercenary brigades.

The battle noises would have been deafening, to him, if he had not been wearing power armor and it was so to the thug-mercenaries. The body-armor clad thug-mercs were shooting mainly M16A2 autorifles equipped with grenadeshell launchers or grenaderocket launchers; the first fired up and over while the second shot straight at targets. There was the use of 10guage autoshotguns, rocket-grenade launchers and light machineguns firing the same 5.5mm cartridges as the autorifles did.

Yet there were also archers, using special military compound bows, shooting heavily poisoned arrows at the radants; those radants struck became weaker or even died if they were of the smaller kind. Military tactics had to adapt to special classes of enemies and the archers had proven to be most effective against dangerous radcritters. Crossbowers were also effective against such threats, especially when using special electric crossbows.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 11.2[18]

All of this information was going through Eagleson's mind as he tried to think up a way to better deal with the radants.

A Talontrooper 105mm howitzer shell dropped amongst a bunch of acid radants, blasting them to oblivion. The Talon military vehicles were back away from Springvale proper because only the lightly armored hovercraft, with their fanjets, could get over the rubble. The thug-mercenaries used wheeled machines that could not get past barriers of rubble and collapsed, still largely intact, buildings.

Then it happened and even Eagleson was surprised as the hulking battle-mechas stomped over the rubble, each emblazoned with the Talon Syndicate logo and with a pilot and gunner in light power armor. Each mecha unleashed firepower from a pair of 40mm autocannons or four 20mm autoguns along with arrow multiple purpose missiles and powerful energy weapons. Six of them stomped into view and they began to drive back the radants at once.

Colonel Eagleson was pleased but shocked. He had not even known that the Talon Dynasty had such as battle-mechas let alone that six of them would be sent to assist him. He turned as a power armored figure approached and then crouched next to him. She, an officer he had not even known existed, spoke to him. “Major Teresha of the Talontroopers' Mecha Brigade, newly founded and organized in Fort Bannister. Don't ask me where the battle-mechas came from. I was recruited because I was a thug-merc with some experience in using a work-mecha in Fort Bannister's warehouse chambers.”

After a pause she went on talking. “Commander Jabsco, and the rest of the High Command, are acting all antsy. The contract they are carrying out promises to be highly profitable but also highly problematic. We are to go down into the tunnel leading towards TekVaultDC101 but we need to divert away from there and somehow get past Megaton and into DeepMegaton. The problem is there is a Megaton Subway Station between us and DeepMegaton that the Brotherhood of Steel have turned into an outpost. The place is crawling with Reconners of Steel, elite of the elite steel scum.”

He frowned. “That 'steel scum' could probably destroy your battle-mechas in a couple of minutes. Do not underestimate them.”

Teresha frowned. “Since I have fought them in the past, was lucky to get away alive as the only survivor of a two thug-merc platoons, I know how tough they are. Two hotshots, in my platoon, thought they could take on the Reconners with rocket-grenade launchers and all paid the price except for me.”

The radants were now in full retreat, vanishing down large holes that they had dug most of. With surprising speed they were gone.

The Major spoke again. “They call her the AntAgonizer, a crazy psyker mutant with the ability to control radants. The one we are contracted to has given us more information.”

Edited April 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 11.3[19]

Eagleson scowled. “This mission is getting more complicated with every passing moment. How many battle-mechas do you have?”

“Twelve but also two support-mechas and four big 8x8 armored wheeled vehicles, those amphibious Atomic Land Armored Vehicles with hybrid-electric back up and some nice extras such as deflector plating and robotic weapon turrets.” The woman shrugged. “Yes, somebody really wants us to get into DeepMegaton. Hopefully they will get around to telling us what we are supposed to be looking for before we get there.”

Eagleson was getting an increasingly bad feeling about what was going on. The Talon High Command's apparent security paranoia was not making things better. Very soon they would start trying to find the tunnel and a way into it before the AntAgonizer got a chance to strike again; Eagleson doubted very much that they had seen the last of her and her monstrous mutant ants.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 12.1[20]

The appearance of the cyborg-ghouls, with the Followership of Atom symbol on them, had changed matters. The Brotherhood of Steel reported the incident to the Megatonfolk and the Megaton Leadership Council sent Chairperson Elaine Thompson herself to investigate. Elaine was highly agitated and for good reason; the Followership of Atom had been seen as fanatical, strange but not dangerous by most Megatonfolk but now there was a shift in attitude.

When Professor James Graphin was informed that the Followers of Atom were looking for him, he was not at all pleased and Star Paladin Cross was quite concerned. She went at once to speak with PsyRegulator Jane Calamity who in turn sent a message to Graharg (the Mysterious Stranger), A meeting was held with Star Paladin Cross joining Graharg and Jane Calamity along with Dan Sanders, a tough experienced Regulator with good antipsyker abilities of being able to create strong psychic shields; he was not a psyker but antipsykers never were.

The meeting was held in an unofficial Regulator 'safe house' in Megaton. It was occupied by a married couple who were both undercover Regulators but both of them were out doing tasks in the settlement.

Graharg steepled his fingers before him, a sign that he was in deep thought. “Jane Calamity, and I, have already discovered that the Followers of Atom are after the professor but not why. I read the minds of two 'followers', which was not a pleasant experience, and they did not know why James Graphin is wanted by their masters. Such Followers of the Atom Staffs only inhabit the outer areas of DeepMegaton and are not privy to the 'deeper atomic holy secrets' of the Followers of the Atom Disks or other crazy castes of the Followership. I did get the strong 'sense' that the two Followers of Atom were frightened at failing their task for 'something' had put strong threatening pressure upon them. Also that 'something' was new to them in more than one way.”

He went on talking. “I have gone into DeepMegaton but it was decades ago. Back then it was little more than a largely unused, abandoned bunker complex as designed and built by the Ministry of Defense, Department of Defense Construction. The original people had fled, being USNE military people and their families along with such as mouser cats and guard dogs. They even took their goldfishes. Those that had replaced them were religious fanatics, the Followers of Atom, who did not have access to much of the bunker complex; I made sure of it for there were some nasty items stored there. I had hoped to return and remove them but events caught up with me.”

Graharg had dealt with some nasty threats, many with the assistance of the Regulators, the Brotherhood of Steel and-or other forces but a few with out them. He did not tend to talk about the secret stuff but became grave when questioned on the subject. All he would say was that the NewEarth had darker, deeper, older aspects to it than most folks even guessed at. All most NewEarthers seemed to know was that a few ancient 'ruins' existed that had been there long before humans came to NewEarth.

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 12.2[21]

“The theory is that DeepMegaton stored only modern weapons of mass destruction and related equipment-supplies.” Graharg frowned. “I am reluctant to tell you that there was something else hidden there being an ancient artifact of one of the ancient peoples that existed here (NewEarth) long before we humans came. They were called the Antarans, of the ArisanTi Thirteen Peoples, and they were a different kind of humanity being lesser immortals with special abilities as psykers and psionictants. They did have much in common with OldEarth humans. We know little of psionics except that it was based on psyker abilities but was far more dangerous in more than one way. Psionics could be an amazing powerful weapon, or tool, but was dangerous to use for the user or users.”

He frowned. “Stored away in DeepMegaton was an Antaran Psionics Helmet meant to be used by any powerful enough psyker to generate, to utilize, psionic powers. The psionic powers are variable and come out differently from different individuals using the helmet.”

Graharg shook his head. “I left the artifact in DeepMegaton hoping it would be safe and assuming that I would soon be able to deal with it. It was not to be. Later I gained a feeling that I had missed something, that DeepMegaton had held more secrets than that of the one ancient psionics artifact but I was unable to further investigate thanks to other demands. I sent a team to investigate for me but they vanished with out a trace. They were special followers and I could afford to send no others, not even to try to rescue the three. It was a deeply painful decision and some of my special followers never forgave me for it. Perhaps they were right.”

Jane Calamity shook her head. “I know enough of you, grandfather, to know you would never make such a decision unless you had to do so.”

“Thank you, sweetness!” He frowned. “Two of my special followers left, with out my permission, to rescue the other three and they also vanished. It is time to do something about all five of them but what I intend to do will be risky.”

Graharg soon departed, using a secret exit and tunnel to do so. Megaton boasted a surprisingly large number of secret tunnels; there were so many of them that the Leadership Council had been forced to find, and fill in, many of them because they were risking instability to Megaton structures. Most tunnels were well known as went from the sides of the craters.

The others were about to leave when the shooting began, being muffled sounds from outside.

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 13.1[22]

The attackers made one big fundamental mistake from the start!

The Followers of the Atom Staff assumed that Megatonfolk were inferior and that their supposed primitive guns would make no impact on the 'spiritual superiority of the Followership.

About half of Megatonfolk carried guns openly though most were basic shotguns, bolt-action rifles, revolver-pistols or four barreled pistols. Others carried at least knives and a few had bows or crossbows for hunting purposes. Using bows, or crossbows, saved on cartridges and both arrows and bolts could be more easily made, reused or repaired.

So the drugged, crazed, Followers of the Atom Staff came charging out of a tunnel mouth and into the Megaton crater with surprisingly high speed. They whirled their staffs to knock down people and tried to thrust their staffs at people. Sometimes strange energies spat from the forward caps of their staffs and other energies sparkled around them as if for protection. But the energy bursts were only of short range.

The settlers were used to onslaughts being made on the settlement, at times, by different kinds of threats from flying wingclaws to swarms of army radants and others, they reacted quickly. Guns were fired from all over, arrows and bolts were shot. Civilians were as deadly as were the few Security Guards and law enforcers in range. There were mercenaries firing autorifles and experienced professional bounty-hunters, slayers of radbeasts and other professional killers.

The robe-tunic wearing aggressors hit a wall of death as their exotic force fields failed to protect them against such a massive onslaught. Bodies jerked and fell. Fanatics screamed in shock and pain, despite the drugs they had taken. Failing to even get close enough to hurt one local, they started to die very quickly. Then they were running back towards the tunnel with surprisingly good agility, speed and reflexes. Even so by the time the attack was over, at least half of the attackers were dead, dying or were wounded enough that they could not escape.

Deputy Yvonne ordered cease fire and the shooting stopped at once, much to her surprise. Perhaps the people had stopped the killing because the attacking fools had clearly been not of sound mind and also of no real threat despite their bizarre energy technologies.

Doctor Church appeared with his doctor's bag. He was of the Megaton Medical Clinic that provided medical care to the poorer folks of the settlement as out patients. It was not to be confused with the underground Megaton Hospital or the private practices of two other doctors who had no interest in serving the poor.

Other medical people soon appeared, including the two private practice doctors who had both grudgingly signed an agreement that they would freely assist the settlement during troubles. One was a hack and the other was highly gifted.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 13.2[23]

Brothers of Steel, duster wearing regular Regulators, other Sheriff's people came along with others from the hospital, emergency volunteers and amongst them was Star Paladin Cross, Jane Calamity and Dan Sanders.

The hack took care of less important wounds, being oddly honest about his lack of real skills. The dying were often not able to be saved and the focus was on saving the lesser wounded. Some of the dying were lucky enough to be sent to the hospital.

Elaine Thompson came, with some of her people, and to the surprise of others she began to assist directly in dealing with the wounded. It was known by only a few Megatonfolk that she had once been a fully trained nurse.

Then came word that Followers of the Atom Disk, more powerful and deadly than the Followers of the Atom Staff, had attacked the Megaton Subway Station. Over half had been killed but they had wounded some Reconners of Steel, despite the power armor, and had abducted Professor James Graphin. Jasmine was safe with the elite Brothers of Steel.

Star Paladin Cross, Jane Calamity and Dan Sanders were quite concerned; soon they were making plans, with others, to assault DeepMegaton. DeepMegaton had many forms of defense so would be difficult to get into.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
Zero 2.1[24]

The hulking peaceful behemoth of Uncle Leo sat cross legged on a grassy hill in AphaSanctum, his robed figure having some children, of different sorts, and giant molerats sharing his great lap. A quite large glowing purple radroach was perched on one shoulder.

The voices spoke to one another but were of a psychic-spiritual nature always in the background of his mind. Some he could understand but most were just nonsense to him. They were the communications of the semiconscious Ancients. So far he had never found any of them though he had looked; none others living normally in the Sanctum knew how to find them. Only a few could hear the voices and most of those that did suffered from doing so until their minds could be safely screened off; they were not harmful to Uncle Leo.

AphaSanctum grew stronger, larger, more fertile as the lifeform numbers increased in it along with the variety. Grassy hills stretched out into the distance, many also thinly covered with trees. Wooden, brick and other materials made structures were mainly entrances to underground complexes.

There were humans, being smoothskins and other kinds such as patchskins and furskins. So called beastmen, who preferred to call themselves animans, were amongst the humans as were ghouls of different kinds, quiet supermutants, androids (mostly more basic duplicants) and many others.

There were robots but also cyborgs such as brainbots. The tracked brainbots did show brains inside domes, at their tops, but these were holographic illusions concealing bits of secondary equipment; the real brains were deep inside layers of armor.

Then there were some never found in the Wastelands such as the tall, angular, aemons who had dwelt in many of the Sanctums for many thousands of years. With them were the low chunky oemons, the winged uemons, the amphibious eemons and the agile climbing iemons. All had been genetically engineered to serve the Ancients but that was a very very long time ago.

Uncle Leo's mind stretched out and noted rivers, streams, pools and lakes teeming with life. Some grey clouds were appearing from the north, promising to bring rain. Farms were there with orchards, crops and livestock. There were plantations, biomass mines, guard-towers and some other surface structures including solar power arrays and wind power cylinders.

There were sacred groves of the Aaman Peoples (aemons, eemons, iemons, oemons and uemons), various human religious temples (Christian, Islam, Children of Atom, Followers of the Goddess, etc.). There was a big semi-enclosed multiple purpose arena. There was even a big holographic dome-arena.

The ancient structures were metallic stone shapes of illusionary simple appearance being spheres, cubes, disks, half circle archways and more. Sometimes such shapeforms were fused together. Often there were smaller shapeforms of metallic glass or such metallic nature, mostly melded to bigger shapeforms of metallic stone.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Maharg67