Fallout Stories Epic

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 23.1[55]

The transvator opened into a great big glowcrystal cavern where there were neatly stored toxin filled boxdrums of large size. Glowcrystal had the very unusual effect of causing toxic materials to loose their toxicity and to become benign over decades. The boxdrums had been there for centuries.

They headed out through the cave system and past ancient statues of metallic stone being of curious humanoids with oversized round heads and powerful muscular bodies. Each of them had two sets of arms, the one above being thinner and ending in nimbler digits while the lower ones seemed focused on strength. Some were women with four breasts and others were male with only two breasts. The figures were naked so it was otherwise easy to see what sex they were. Most of them were three metres tall, some were impressively six metres tall and very few were a hulking nine metres tall.

Graharg examined the statues carefully as if seeking out something. Jane looked puzzled at his behavior and so he spoke. “The statues are not just statues but once acted to carry out the wishes of the Ancients that dwelt here. Once upon a time these caves would have been partly filled with solid illusions projected by the Ancients along with mattercated items produced from the exotic mattercater machines. There would have been a few hand crafted items from peoples that served them along with family and clan heirlooms. I grew up in a glowcrystal cave system much like this one but we used no solid illusions or mattercated items. We crafted our own goods and traded such goods with others. That place, my home, is named AraHaven!”

He shook his head. “Everything is gone now, of the Ancients, from this place except for the power artifacts. Such is ironic for it was the creation of, and use of, such power artifacts that help lead to the ending of the Ancient's great Empire of Empires. We were as living gods and then we tried to be actual gods and came crashing down. Now those of us who remain live most quietly with only a few exceptions.”

Jane spoke. “Would you not like to see the return of the Empire of Empires?”

Graharg shook his head. “Never! During the Great Collapse over a million worlds were devastated and trillions of lives were lost. A great dark age followed that led to even more suffering. No, the Empire of Empires can remain gone. Now to find the Waygate.”

They headed onwards and picked up the traces of the movement of various kinds of entities bey they undead or unlifen or zetans or Graynari or of other kinds.

Graharg spoke again. “If the Waygate is active then that might explain why the undead and unlifen are here, along with the Graynari. AlphaOmega wants to use the Waygate for some reason but the unlifen and undead may simply be drawn here by a powerful undeath force, as they can too easily be. Graynari are of an undeathly state but one different from that of the more generally known undead. As for the Graynari there could be a wide range of reasons for them being here.”

Edited May 21, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 23.2[56]

A massive Terraforming machine was parked inside a status-bay larger even than itself. It was three big bodies flexilinked to one another. Each body had huge tracks but the vehicle was capable of hovering over rough terrain; this used much more energy than traveling on the tracks. It was a heavily armed machine and its powerful lasers could easily be used as weapons as could other aspects of it.

It turned out there was a whole line of the Terratractors, each having different secondary network-systems, devices to carry out special tasks. All fifteen machines bore the symbol of the United States of New Earth Terraforming Taskforce. There were other Terraforming and guarding them, ready to spring into action, weapon turrets and combat robots. Those were only the large, visible, defenses. The Terraforming machines, powered by massive atomic motors, had been priceless even before the Doomsdays but now would be of amazing value to any who gained access to them.

Graharg halted and signaled the group to do the same thing. From one of the machines came five more of his special followers, all looking like formidable individuals, but also twelve power-armored figures. The latter were much like Brothers, and Sisters, of Steel in appearance but different enough to show they were not so.

Graharg spoke. “The power-armored general soldiers, and specialists, are members of the SisterBrotherhood of Gaia. They serve me when I ask it of them and I serve-support them as much as I can. They are based a very long way from here and of that I can not speak of, will not speak of, at least at this time.”

Dan spoke out. “Only Jane and I do not know of such things, I take it.”

Graharg shook his head. “No, only you, and that is because I have gained information that makes me suspect your true loyalties. You are more than just an antipsyker. You are a very advanced form of android, a simulicant.”

Simulicants grew up from being children, could reproduce with special assistance and had other very human traits. Graham Maharg himself, supposedly the most intelligent Terran human who had ever lived, had perfected the simulicants. In theory all simulicants had served World President Graham Maharg but there had been reliable stories of a minority of simulicants demanding greater freedom or even going dangerously rogue.

Dan nodded and turned to Jane. “I hope you do not mind.”

Jane smiled. “I already worked out your true nature. I had to tell grandfather so I hope you can forgive me, sweetness.”

Dan Sanders nodded. “Of course!” He turned to Graharg. “I serve Androidia and, because I am a field operative, I know little. I infiltrated the Regulators not to do any harm but to simply gather data and send it to a cause that is not an enemy of the Regulators.”

Edited May 21, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 23.3[57]

Jane sighed. “The Regulators will have to dispense with your services, Dan, but you can be given the status of auxiliary agent. There can be no conflict of interests in the Regulators. The Regulators can also form some kind of working treaty with this Androidia of yours; this will make it easier for you to work with the Regulators. I have more questions but they can come later.”

Graharg went off and had a discussion with some of his special companions. The original five special companions remained with Jane and Dan. The SisterBrotherhood of Gaia gave them some food rations, pristine water and sturdy fold-up chairs to sit on.

It had become clear that the SisterBrotherhood of Gaia had successfully hacked into the machines and had was preparing to use them in some way. Smallish, powerful, tracked machines had appeared along with worker mechas that were soon busy helping to take one massive Terratractor out of status. It was not an easy task for various technical reasons and practical reasons.

There were battle-mechas there also along with military vehicles. The SisterBrotherhood of Gaia had started out intending never to use such things but after other factions began to attack them, to steal their resources or worse, they had to change. With the guidance of Graharg, and others, the SisterBrotherhood of Gaia had remained defensive aggressive only in their mission to heal the NewEarth. More than Graharg supported them.

Graharg soon returned looking concerned. He spoke as he sat on a fold-up chair with a large plastic army mug of coffee in one hand. “A large unlifen force attacked the SisterBrotherhood of Gaia not far from here but were slaughtered. The problem is that the battle may have attracted more unlifen, the undead and worse the Graynari. The SisterBrotherhood of Gaia are tough, have assistance, so will be able to defend themselves but the change in situation may end up making our getting to the Waygate much harder. On top of that AlphaOmega is still here in DeepMegaton. The AlphaOmega that left was a superclone of the real AlphaOmega. For now I can not tell you how I have come to know this; I am sorry that I have to keep this a secret from you.”

Graharg went away again, for another discussion but this time he did not say who, or what, he was meeting or why. Jane was slightly annoyed despite that her grandfather had done this sort of thing before and had always had good reason to do so; often he informed her later of what had taken place and why though sometimes he never did. She trusted him enough to assume he had good reason for doing what he did. The others seemed unfazed by what was going on.

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
Zero 6.1[58]

Professor Brown, the real one, was busy looking around the changed Megaton Research Development Centre. AlphaOmega had added some resources, of many valuable kinds, but had also improved the layout of the centre. More underground areas had been added including chambers, hallway tunnels, rampway tunnels, along with people.

With him was a new employee, a research scientist named Alexia Ravina, who had come from an obscure settlement named SanFransco a goodly distance from DC. She intended to learn and then to move onto other settlements before returning home. She had brought skills, knowledge and rare PreDoomsday scientific publications with her that were being copied.

She indicated a large cube shaped machine. “AlphaOmega was clearly interested in the very close examination of core samples of rock, sand and other such materials. This machine will be very valuable in many ways such as in improving the farming of the Megaton Terraces. Such technologies are not easily found and few would give them up. Also this machine is very new as if either found in a status-container or recently manufactured.”

Professor Brown nodded as if he understood just what kind of machine it was but in truth he was finding himself being faced with technologies beyond his learning and experience. He was a very good scientist by Hopelands standards but this was beyond those standards.

Moira Brown was looking around, dressed in a tight white Tshirt, and short-shorts, that could have been more modest. A couple of gawking, besotted, male teenagers were with her as was often the case. Maggie Creel, adopted daughter of Billy Creel, was also with Moira and kept frowning softly at the teenage boys; she was annoyed at the way they kept staring at Moira's body but Moira seemed to be oblivious of this.

Most people in Megaton assumed Moira to be not very smart but the aware ones, the observant ones, knew better; Moira was very bright but, like her uncle Professor Brown, eccentric in nature. Both were prone to amazing moment of insight but also of coming up with impractical crazy ideas.

Alexia spoke again to Professor Brown after giving Moira, and her companions, a mild look of amusement. “AlphaOmega took some of his machines with him but he left most of it for Megaton. Yet nobody seems to remember just what he took. That is most odd.”

The professor sighed. “I was in a status-cell, comfortable and safe but unaware of anything going on outside. Over a year I spent like that. I am still catching up with everything that has changed in Megaton. Mind you most things have not changed.”

At that moment a woman entered in the robes of a Sister of Compassion. With her was a body-armored Brother of Protection armed only with a handgun and a combat knife along with an electric stunner (Estunner) that could stun with special prongs or wire-darts. The patchskin Sister of Compassion spoke. “Greetings from the SisterBrotherhood of Compassion. I do not mean to intrude but I bring a message from my people.”

Edited May 22, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
Zero 6.2[59]

Moira giggled and shook her finger at young Harry Handy who had just whispered something into her ear. The Sister of Compassion gave Harry a soft frown but he just poked his tongue at her. This earned a deeper frown in return.

Moira spoke to Harry. “You apologize to the Sister of Compassion right now or you do not get to keep company with me any longer.”

Harry looked surprised but then he spoke to the Sister of Compassion. “I am very sorry.”

Professor Brown shook his head and gave a mild grin. “You kids best be off for now. Moira needs to do business with out being distracted. I am sure you will have plenty of time with Moira later. Also you boys stop hogging her attention and give some more to others, including Maggie.”

Maggie smiled at those last words but the two male teens looked annoyed. The three of them were soon gone after Moira gave each a kiss on the forehead, the two male teenagers taking the opportunity to look down the front of her Tshirt at her breasts that were braless.

After the children were gone, Moira spoke. “Uncle, I was planning to send the boys away and have some alone time with Maggie.”

He nodded and spoke to the Sister of Compassion. “What is the message, Sister?”

She smiled, drew out a black pistol of odd design and shot him with a dart. It struck the Professor in the forehead. Nothing happened except that he reached up and pulled it out. “You clearly are not a real Sister of Compassion but some kind of spy or assassin or something as bad as that.”

The fake Sister of Compassion was obviously surprised and fearful. The fake Brother of Protection went to grab his powerful looking handgun but Moira went into action. With amazing speed, agility, and power she killed both of the frauds with deadly martial arts moves.

She turned to her uncle. “What will we do now?”

The Professor sighed. “We will contact some people and make some confessions, then try to make some kind of deal. It is all we can do. AlphaOmega discovered my nature as a simulicant android and I was forced to tell him more. The surprise was that he did not seem very surprised or interested. Then again he is an Ancient and most like just put away the data for later possible use.”

The pair turned to Alexia who did not seem at all surprised. She spoke. “I am another simulicant, as you suspected Professor Brown, but am not a rogue as you two are. Your days of rogues are over. I serve Androidia and now so do the pair of you but in a different way.”

Edited May 22, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
Zero 6.3[60]

Moira spoke with some evident anxiety. “In what way different? I want to keep living here, running my Emporium and enjoying the company of young people.”

Alexia smiled at Moira. “Of course that will continue and you will go on picking up information from your young adoring, ogling, male friends along with some others that most like to do the staring at least.”

Moira nodded as she became calm again. “It is surprising what male teenagers will pick up as gossip. Some of the Megaton Families, with a darker reputation, have been meeting in secretly at the GirlsNGames Casino, perhaps in the infamous basement area that nobody seems to know much about.”

Moira then focused on matters linked with DeepMegaton. “James Graphin, and his group, gathered here from outside of Megaton and then vanished; they probably left for TekVaultDC101. Megatonfolk returned from DeepMegaton with a goodly amount of valuable equipment-supplies and some special items. There is squabbling going on about who should get what but Chairperson Elaine Thompson seems to be taking well care of the situation. AlphaOmega's secret followers, at least the ones we learned about, have vanished. The Followership of Atom has left DeepMegaton, following some exotic entity known as Uncle Leo. I did not learn all of this from my adoring sweeties.”

The Moriarty Family were but one of the 'Dark Megaton Families': there were also the Bellatales, the DeGostins and the Savbers along with the less power Miltars and McBanes. Yet there were plenty of whispers that spoke of at least one of the so called Megaton Founding Families being the actual most dangerous of such people and having much secret influence on the others.

Most folks believed it was most likely, most probably, the reclusive and eccentric Mastodon Founding Family or the rudely arrogant Allane Founding Family. Other Megaton Founding Families were generally considered to be beyond such things; they were the Thompsons, the Browns, the Vargases, the Stahls, the McGrahams, the Tashes and the Simms. All of the Megaton Founding Families were involved in the day to day activities of the settlement, even the reclusive Mastadons. Members of them were to be found in many important positions which not all of the residents, of Megaton, appreciated.

Other noted families were such as the the Wests, the Pennys, the Fudds, the Kellys, the Turners, the Byers, the Creels, the Churches and the Hopkins.

So an agreement was made between the rogue androids and Androidia in which the pair would do tasks for Androidia and gain more resources in turn, including employees. The pair knew very little about Androidia except it was whispered to be some kind of android paradise, a place where androids ruled themselves and were not enslaved by others. The pair had escaped from the horrors of the TekCommonwealth where androids were created but also enslaved as valuable property. The irony was they were often treated better than most of the living citizens of the TekCommonwealth where TekCorps still ruled but where the infamous TekFoundation was very powerful, wealthy and influential.

The dead assassins would be quietly disposed of.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 24.1[61]

The group headed further in a pair of moderate sized vehicles that were amphibious hover-track machines able to travel any of three ways. The were moderately well armed-armored only and relied on speed and quietness to survive. They were recon machines that were left overs from the Great War that had happened just before the Doomsdays.

There were great patches of quasiliving crystaline growths, often elegantly beautiful and falsely fragile looking along with of amazing variety. Mutated plants grew there also along with mushroom-trees and great mounds of moonmoss. Radroaches flourished where the moonmoss grew but so did many other lifeforms including things that fed on radroaches.

They made good time and escaped a horde of shambling, strange leathery zombies, soon after leaving behind the SisterBrotherhood of Gaia base. The zombies seemed lost, with out guidance by more powerful types of undead, and then Graharg detonated a UV flash-burn missile amongst them and their misery was gone as they burned away.

They came upon more artifacts of the Ancients but they were passive ones with out any form of direct interaction such as control interfaces. There were globes, pyramids, cubes and other basic shapeforms of metallic stone; sometimes more than one shapeform was melded to, ore even into, another. They had once been the general technological service-support to the whole Artifacts Network found through out the glowcrystal caves and beyond.

They came across terrible battlegrounds where there had been many deaths of unlifen, and undead, entities but far fewer Graynari. There were signs of zetan forces having fought other factions including the Graynari that they had once served. Half melted dronebots would be scattered close to dead zetans, zetamans and abominations.

Again, and again, Graharg would have the vehicles change direction with out explaining his decisions. They moved quickly, easily, over the even rocky floors of the quasinatural cave system.

Once they came close to an Ancients' artifact that was a semiactive mechanism. The burned remains of many dead Graynari, and their dead quasiliving technologies, lay scattered out from it. Clearly they had tried to make the Ancient device work for them and had paid dearly for the attempt. Graharg locked, and sealed, the device that was something called a transmodullizaser. He only explained that its purpose was amazing sophisticated but also obscure and to do with the production of extremely advanced portable artifacts of the Ancients such as the helmet that Mad John had been using.

Most of the journey was with out incident, through glowcrystal lit and warmed caverns and tunnels, avoiding smaller caves and tunnels. Twice they came upon the very slowly crumbling remains of building complexes that Graharg appeared to know about but seemed most reluctant to speak of. The undead, the unlifen and the zetan forces staid away from those structures and Graharg pointed out danger signs close to them. He also pointed out that they were all heavily sealed up and not by those who had once used them.

Edited May 25, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 24.2[62]

Many peoples had dwelt in such places after the Ancients had vanished and far from all had been dark in nature.

Once, in the distance, loped long legged people with double jointed legs so their legs were twice longer than their bodies and they were very tall. They were very human appearing otherwise but with dark, dull, purple skin and brighter purple hair. Graharg nodded at the distant figures and one of the leaders turned and nodded back. All he would say was that they were a warrior group of the demihuman leggits or, more officially, the Leggitari. They had human like gear, some of it adapted, and also human gear such as autorifles. They ran with amazing speed, appearing quickly and vanishing quickly into a great maze that was the DeepMegaton Caves.

Once they came upon the very slowly crumbling remains of a PostAncient people who had not been so dark but their buildings were also heavily sealed. Fortified structures of sloping, dome influenced, kind melded into one another and into the cavern floor and wall. People tended to avoid such ruins but were not sure why they did so.

Graharg assured the group that they were getting closer to the target Waygate.

Edited May 25, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 25.1[63]

They halted with the massive Waygate structure in the distance. They were on a great ledge, having come onto the very hard stone structure from a large tunnel entrance that was itself an ancient Artifact of an archway. A short lived, strange tingling sensation went through them all as they came into the vast cavern chamber, stretching out into the unseen distance.

Leaving the vehicles, the group moved out onto the ledge.

Jane Calamity spoke. “Everything feels just a little out of place here as if the very fabric of reality is slightly out of kilter.”

Graharg nodded. “That is because it is; this chamber is impossibly bigger inside than outside but there are also other oddities about it.”

His grand-daughter spoke again. “We did not reach the special artifacts place that John the Mad spoke of.”

In the distance Graynari machines, exotic and strange things like spheres with many large metallic tentacles, were busy with some kind work close to the far larger Waygate. A bizarre structure was emerging into existence. One might say it was typical Graynari in appearance but Graynari did not have 'typical' as part of their ways.

Graharg shook his head. “No, it appears to be somewhere inside this great transdimensional chamber. There are two rampways down to the ground level. We will go left though it might seem to be the more exposed way to go from our point of view. The Graynari could easily spot us but what they will do is near impossible to guess.”

The surprise did not come from the Graynari but from a force of zetans, zetamans, abominations and dronebots. The real surprise was that they did not attack, two zetan leaders coming forth and requesting parlay. They were clearly nervous of Graharg but soon calmed under his influence. They chatted away in fluent Zetanese, an odd sounding language difficult for humans to use but Graharg was not really human though he had hinted that his distant ancestors might have been 'human'.

So a wary alliance with the zetans was formed and plans were made to meet the main zetan force later at a particular place. The zetans, using odd looking hovercraft, went down the right rampway while Graharg's group went down the left side ramp. The smaller zetan force was meeting up with a large one gathered at the foot off the great, gentle sloping ledge that was very wide.

Graharg explained to the others. “Zetans have a secondary mentality, as do the Graynari, but weaker. The zetan leaders, that I parlayed with, will have passed on the decision by now. We are still seeking that important artifact archives. I have come to realize that it is very important to get some items from there before we tackle the Waygate directly. There are some other things that I have to do there.”

[Maharg67]

Fallout Stories Epic
One 25.2[64]

The trip down the big sloping ledge was fairly quick, given the speed of the vehicles and other factors. At the bottom of the rampway they were not yet on the main floor of the vast chamber but what seemed to be a big rock quasinatural table top. A great ring of Ancients' artifacts stood there like a much bigger, smoother, straighter, version of Stone Henge back on the OldEarth.

Graharg made sure they avoided going inside the ring of thirteen great 'tooth-stones'. All he would say was that dangerous energy patterns had built up there for thousands of years. Indeed the others could see odd sparklings, shimmerings and other effects inside the great circle. When Jane asked him what had taken place there, her grandfather only looked grim faced and shook his head. Clearly he was not at peace with what had taken place there though it had been a very long time ago.

They came to a PreDoomsday human robotic designed and constructed base cut into hard rock of a wall. The work would have needed the most powerful cutting technologies that PreDoomsday humans could get hold of.

There were heavy security autorobotic network-systems including robots, turrets and heavy armored power-doors. Graharg went to hack into the computer network-system but suddenly the base opened for them.

ZAXDM111: “Greetings, it is good to be able to communicate directly with you again, Graharg. I could observe you at times but not talk to you.”

Graharg nodded. “How are you doing, ZAXDM111?”

ZAXDM111: “I am fine, considering the circumstances, Graharg, but thank you for asking.”

The base was only moderately sized for cutting it out of the rock would have been slow, difficult, work. There were features normal to any base such as accommodation, administration, security and technical support. Then there was the big power wheel-door fronted archives. The big chamber was impressive and half filled with armored display-cases showing zetan, human and other important artifacts. PreDoomsday human experimental prototypes were next to zetan disintegrater rifles and some unexplained items found on-in NewEarth. But there were no artifacts of the Graynari or the Ancients.

Dan spoke out. “Some of these items could turn out to be very useful to the Regulators, to the Brotherhood of Steel and to the DC Settlements Alliance.”

Graharg nodded. “They could be useful except that they are not the artifacts that we need to find. Those are far more powerful, far more dangerous, and it is time that they were made safer, one way or another. I suspect that more than one will need to be carefully deconstructed with care or even destroyed with extreme care. Such artifacts are never easily deconstructed or destroyed."

Edited May 26, 2014 by Maharg67