Wastelands, Wastewaters and Wastelanders

[Maharg67]

:pirate:6.1[11] :geek:

 

MissFortune rode a big, strong, radhorse into the settlement of Megaton. She threw a small, reusable, cooler bottle of pristine water to a beggar along with three prizecaps (prize bottlecaps usable with vending-machines and being good currency). The beggar thanked her and took a small gulp of the water. Only very few knew that the filthy, rags wearing, radhuman man was a secret observer of the LawRegulators who was there as part of a large scale antislavery operation. The man squatted, close to his ragtag tent, close to the smaller powergate of the Megaton Outer Wall.

 

LawRegulators dealt with organised crime and special crimes such as slavery including of such as radghoulmans, androids, animans and others. Some were surprised that even slavery of supermutants, and radghouls, was illegal but it was. The DC Commonwealth of Settlements, the DCCS, was rising in DC as from the day that DCTown became its founding seat. Since then RivetCity, CantCom (Canterbury Commons), Rivertown and Towertown had joined but a fair few others were in the process of doing so. It was unlikely that such as 10pennytown, Slaverton and ParadiseFalls would ever do so. Indeed the 15Families, and the DCSyndicates, had already declared themselves to be enemies of the DCCS.

 

MissFortune was linked to the Mysterious Stranger and to MrWalker along with a few others. She was lightly skimpy, risque, in her vaguely cowgirl like gear, as she headed to a meeting with Moira Brown at the Extraordinary GoodsNServices Emporium, known commonly as the Craterside Emporium. It was not to be confused with Craterside Supplies, a general store run by the Brown Family who were mostly estranged from Moira. The irony was most Megatonfolk liked Moira, and the her twin siblings who lived with her, much more than they did other Browns with only some exceptions.

 

Professor Mortum Brown dwelt in the jet airliner crazily balanced, but firmly held in place, above Megaton. He had an apartment there, a laboratory-workshop and even an observatory with a fairly large telescope. For a small price, or none at all, people could look through the telescope. Most of the aircraft fittings had been salvaged long ago to be used in the settlement but much also remained.

 

MissFortune would be also visiting Mortum. She had known the two of them, along with others, for quite a long time. Indeed she would be meeting a few folk, a few of whom she would rather not be talking with such as Colin Moriarty of the Megaton GirlsNGames Saloon.

 

:pirate:6.2[12] :geek:

 

Then she was climbing off her steed, was leading Rambooka through part of Outer Megaton towards the Megaton Inner Wall. Megaton now had two walls because outwards expansion had seen the need for the development of Middle Megaton. Outer Megaton was just outside of the settlement but also a series out important outposts.

 

There were so called inposts there of the benevolent Orderhood, of the LawRangers, of the DCMilitia and of the DCRegulators. It was expected that the DCBoS would soon be sending an envoy and there was an envoy, already there, from the DCCS. The dubious Mr Burke, had been in town over a year and it was a poorly kept secret that he served the interests of the 15Families who owned-ran the 15 DCSyndicates.

 

There were special trained dogs at the outer gate and the inner gate because doppelgangers were a known threat to DCfolk. Except that such dogs were only very good against the most basic, less powerful, of doppelgangers.

 

A bonus was that sometimes the hounds picked up other threats such as infiltrating synths, a kind of cousin to a 'true android', from the DCInstitute; it was a well hidden outpost of the TriInstitute in the crumbling NewEngland Commonwealth.

 

Only more basic kinds of synths had so far been discovered being Type3s. Type1s were so obviously synths that infiltration had never been tried with them and though Type2s were more human in appearance, they did not stand up to closer examination by humans let alone snifferdogs.

 

There were both Megaton Security Guards and DCMilitia Guardsmen at Megaton, there being fewer of the latter but they were better armoured-armed than were the former. Guardsmen stood in full body-armour and held AKM16A1 autocarbines equipped with semiautomatic grenadeshell launchers. Security guards had security body-armour, fatigues and a range of shotguns, rifles and other such weapons including pipeguns.

 

MissFortune had good reasons for taking in all of these details. The security threats, to the DCWastelands, were increasing with every passing day and new ones appears to be arising but why? Had DC suddenly become a big sweet honeypot attracting all sorts of pests to its riches? The analogy reminded MissFortune of a promise she had made to Moira.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:yes:6.3[13] :no:

 

Megaton Crater was massive and though the surface was hard, buildings were half dug into it while networks were dug out of its side. Well repaired, neat-clean, rampways were there along with walkways, platforms, buttresses, flying-buttresses, pipes, emergency slideways often used at other times by children, two suspended jet-airliners of which one was bigger than the other, platform buildings, elevators and much else.

 

Above was the smaller Boe707 that was Professor Brown's place along with the Boe747 that was used by the Megaton Government. That is the Megaton Leadership Council, the Megaton Civil Office, the Megaton Archives and a few such groups and places.

 

Mayor Arnold Crankinsods had made it clear, only far too many occasions according to most, that he wanted Professor Brown to hand over his place to the Megaton Government. Not even the majority of Megaton Councillors supported him for Mortum had done a very great deal for the settlement with only the old aircraft given in exchange and was greatly appreciated by most Megatonfolk, including councillors.

 

After leaving her beloved steed with a friend, who ran a small stables and kennels, she caught an elevator upwards to a platform. At a speciality shop, the Honey Treats, she bought some radbee honey for Moira along with some for herself that she put into an impossible pocket. After that it was just a matter of navigating the moderately complicated maze of walkways until she got to Craterside Emporium that was next to Craterside Weapons on one side and Craterside Armour on the other. While many people went into those shops, far few went into and out of the emporium.

 

:no: 6.4[14] :yes:

 

Moira Brown was behind her large wooden counter, wearing a tight white Tshirt and nothing underneath, while she entertained some older boys with her eyes, her smile and her breasts along with her exposed midriff including bellybutton. Most of boys were trying hard to disguise their ogling of Moira and failing miserably to do so, one seemed oblivious of such factors and another was leering at her.

 

There was an unusual mixture of displays behind the long, tall, wide counter being on wooden plates such as weapons, tools and other things hard to define; a few items were almost impossible to do so with. Then there were those, like the rear fire pistol that had the curved barrel pointing at the user, that were very dubious appearing. There was also the knife with two blades instead of a blade and a handle. All were inventions of Moira Brown and were failures but were all such failures?

 

There were wall shelves with books, cans, boxes, figurines, vases with plastic flowers and much else besides. These were for sale for Moira Brown kept her own stuffstuffs in her bedroom.

 

MissFortune slapped Samson Moriarty lightly across the back of the head and then pointed to the front door of the Emporium. "Get out now! Come back when you learn not to stare."

 

Samson glared at her briefly but then fled from the scene. He was the nephew of Colin Moriarty but did not have the cunning based high intelligence of his uncle. What he did have was unusual strength for his age and even for a radhuman.

 

Moira smiled at MissFortune. "Oh, Samson is not so bad; I have only had to slap him a few times for trying to steal items. Albury now makes sure that he does not get up to too much bad."

 

Albury was the taciturn mercenary who guarded both Moira and the Craterside Emporium. He stood fairly close to both the front door and the counter. He wore rough tough Wastelander gear and held a semiautomatic shotgun.

 

MissFortune passed over radbee honey to Moira who jumped up and down with delight, much to the greater pleasure of the boys except for the one who just looked puzzled. The boys, except for the one, knew they would soon be ushered out but when they departed each had a foodbar and a single prizecap. They earned, what they did, mainly through the information that they gave to Moira. It was amazing how children, ignored largely by adults, could pick up.

 

Moira sighed. "Totot, you go and look at some comics, please, sweetie. I will be over there, soon, to read a story to you."

 

Totot smiled vaguely and then was going off quietly to a corner with comfy armchairs, a couch, a coffee table and boxes of reading material including lots of 2Dcomics and fewer 3Dcomics. Despite PostDD fantasies about the supposed paradise of the PreDD world, there had been far more 2D stuff than 3D stuff back then.

 

Moira had stopped jumping up and down. "The Professor has been running tests on poor Totot. He says that the boy is the result of genetic experimentation still taking place on this world. He was dumped just outside my door and I adopted him. Only three older children treat him with any real respect."

 

Then she smiled at the radbee jam. "This could go to my radmolerat pacification experiment."

 

MissFortune smiled. "Or you could eat it!"

 

Moira gave a look of surprise. "Oh, gee, that is a very good idea! I will share it with Totot. The Professor asked me to take you to him as soon as you arrived. Something is up but he will not talk to me about it until you are there to hear it also."

 

Moira asked Albury to look after Totot, which she did not need to do for the android had taken on the task of protecting the boy, and then they departed from the shop.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:laugh:6.5[15] :cool:

 

Professor Mortum Brown looked like an old, happy gruff, man and the old house robe he wore, along with the slippers, went on along with such an assumption. He sighed as he looked at the naked figure of Moira in a special examination capsule. "She will not remember a thing except vague recollections of a nice chat. The hard data, and samples, you have brought me will assist in reversing the negative effects of the process that was used in the cloning of Moira. My brother had no right in doing what he did and I am sorry to say I felt no regret when I put the damned fool into an early grave."

 

Mortum's brother had been a criminally insane scientist contracted to carry out cloning based research work by an unknown agency. Martin had been happy to take money, and resources, to begin his supposedly secret research development. Only he had chosen to use his own wife, Francine, to be the surrogate mother with out her agreeing or even knowing about it. Francine died, Moira was born with enhanced abilities but with problems, and Mortum executed Martin.

 

MissFortune nodded. "You should be able to reverse the negative effects of that dangerous experiment, once and for all."

 

Mortum sighed. "My brother did not know how to help Moira. When I read his instructions I discovered that he had cut corners in carrying out the experiment. I suppose the murderous fool got bored. I suspect that his secret employers would not have been pleased with him. I left in a hurry, taking baby Moira with me, and we finally found a home in Megaton. I made up a story about us having come from Canterbury Commons, that many call CantCom. Now I fear that those, who foolishly hired my brother to do his cloning project, have been trying to find Moira and they have come to here."

 

MissFortune gave a cold smile. "Then we will have to make sure that they do not find her."

 

Mortum sighed. "Why do I suddenly feel sorry for them?"

Edited January 29, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:pirate:7.1[16] :ninja:

 

With Sandy, and Justine, were the cattleherders Petra the radhuman woman, Brent the radhuman man and the two cattleguards Shent and Bradley who were both freelance women mercenaries. The last two were transformed vaulthumans having come out of ShelterVault-WDC0101 that had become the settlement of Rivertown. They had gone through capsule related changes as specified by the VaultTech contracts that they had signed to be able to get spaces in that ShelterVault just months before Doomsday took place. The two were physically more enhanced than they had been, before spending over 50 years in the experimental statuscapsules, but they had some odd handicaps.

 

Reynolds was the leader, of the group, but was looking to semiretire to RivetCity to be the manager of a larger cattle droving company. Except that he had been getting more aloof recently and increasingly entangled with with DCSyndicates. He had gone before the others, with his assistant and two bodyguards, to RivetCity though he should have kept with the group to guard the breeding stock.

 

Sandy was leading her radhorse and walking along side Sarah. Sarah spoke. "We call, those like Justine, personality shifters. How many personality shapeforms are there?"

 

Sandy sighed. "I am not surprised that you suspected something. You... see things most others don't. There are Jax, Jex, Jix, Jox and Jux but also, at times, surprises. You have met others of her kind so she must be familiar to you."

 

Sarah responded. "Justine is extreme, even by standards of BoS discoveries in the Twistlands of extreme mutations. Still, not even the BoS goes too deep into those places. Going between genders, with a personality shifter, is rare for it means fundamental changes. My guess is that while the males are in many ways male, they keep certain hidden aspects of being female."

 

Sandy shook her head. "Professor Mortum Brown, at Megaton, examined Justine in three of hisherit's shapeforms and said the change over was total. He was baffled. Jax and Jox are men, Jix and Jux are women as Justine was originally, and Jex appears often as a neuter but not always. The others are of a wide range. Oh, yes, the RivetCity Research Development Centre people also studied Justine. Certain shadowy folk are taking too much interest in Justine so its probably time we settled down somewhere safer. I suppose you would suggest staying with your people."

 

Sarah shook her head. "No, the Sages of Steel lack the compassion necessary to deal with somebody like Justine. They are better dealing with hard technologies such a robots, solidstate electronics and xolaserguns. The Orderhood people, who came with the air convoy, are the ones to see or even the more extreme Gaiafollowers."

 

Sandy gave a small nod but more to herself than to Sarah. "Information noted. I hope that they have the more specific biotech as needed by Justine. The DCWastelands seem to lack that except for darkly whispered about organisations such as the WCInstitute and the Finchata DCSyndicate that deals in illegal research work based in their own hidden complex."

 

:down:7.2[17] :sleep:

 

Sarah looked briefly around herself at the partly broken cityscape that they were going through. Above them the cracked WDC dome could just be seen being almost fully transparent. It would let rain in but filtered it and only let in so much. Darkening clouds meant a rainstorm was coming in from the Atlantic Ocean and that meant heavy rain but, apart from that which went through the fairly thin crack in the dome, most would flow down the sides and into great water channels only to vanish underground. In the distance was Washington Tower, having replaced the monument that was destroyed during the PanAmerican Civil War, not to be mistaken for the American Civil War that led to the splitting of the old USA into two nations of the bigger USPA and the smaller USC (United States Confederacy).

 

The howl of a deathclaw, most likely an alpha male or female, confirmed territorial rights but mainly over other deathclaws and such as larger packs of smaller killclaws.

 

Something flashed, exploded, way overhead in the sky where lay the Tribubble that surrounded the world with its three bubble barriers and two layers being one of zerograv atmosphere and the other of zerograv almost vacuum. The Tribubble had been created during the ASMM (Age of Scientific Miracles and Madness) that had taken up the late 1980s and most of the 1990s. Up there was also the dreaded Skynet, of the Trinet, that had gone rogue during the Doomswar and had added to the death-destruction of Doomsday.

 

Sarah was concerned at what they saw but Sandy did not know enough to be so. What had taken place up there was a fair sized nuclear explosion of one or more macronuke proportions or 100 times that in terms of mininukes or 1,000 times that in terms of micronukes. It had been a macronuke that had destroyed the EagleEnclaven's great ocean rig of its first EagleEnclave, supposedly wiping out that faction for good.

 

Soon they would reach the secret settlement of the Carpark Caves!

Edited January 27, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:ninja: 7.3[18] :ninja:

 

The Lyons Pride sharpshooters, Dusk and Colvin, kept up a more accurate, barrage of smaller volleys each of three bullets. Their battlesharp rifles, adapted heavily from standard battlerifles, were meant for knocking down more specific targets than were the standard battlerifles blasting away with larger volleys of bullets. There was a quiet competition between the two that had been going for years.

 

Knight Captain Vargas was frowning. "Bloody supermutants! These look to be wandering rogues, given their primitive gear."

 

Wandering rogue supermutants broke away from those known to be more orderly inhabitants of TechVault087 and Supertown in the Underworld along with others more secretive. Rogue supermutants were no better-worse than general raiders, some gangers, the most dangerous bandits, radghoulers in aggressive swarms, smaller numbers of deathclaws or other such threats. Except some were more canny, and less into suicide, than were others.

 

Some more shooting, another supermutant falling with a shudder, and the two sharpshooters had frightened off the supermutants. Despite foolish assumptions, and stories, supermutants were not suicidal unless cornered or gone 'berserker'. The supermutants took their death with them and were soon vanished away along with the two hulking canine mutthounds that had been with them.

 

Most Wastelands skirmishes ended in retreat of one of the parties, a parley or the fighting did not start at all. Nobody wanted to become so weakened that they had no longer chance of survival and none could afford to waste vital resources such as able bodied fighters.

 

:cool:7.4[19] :huh:

 

The fifteen Pridetroopers, and six cattleherders, along with eight radhorses and five radcattle, were soon going done a well concealed car rampway into an old underground carpark. It was beneath a mostly collapsed building with the entrance-exit shielded by walls of rubble, which was no accident.

 

Giggles, the behamoth ballerina, was with the wise, intelligent, and quietly charismatic UncleLeo the hulkamoth. There were other defensive-aggressive, or passive, supermutants there along with radghouls, radghoulmans, radmans and radhumans plus a few odd ones out.

 

While the cattleherders were taken quietly, as non threatening, only a few seemed to feel the same way about the Steelfollowers. In their power armour, the fifteen of them were quite formidable appearing as they moved with surprising grace and quietness. Sarah strode up to where Giggles, and UncleLeo, were sitting having just finished eating very large bowls of stew and big pieces of flatbread.

 

UncleLeo studied the two newcomers and then spoke. "Visions came to me, in my sleep, Knight Sentinel Sarah Lyons. The DCBoS is most welcome as long as it keeps to its new charter of the Reformers of Steel. Your mysterious benefactors are our mysterious benefactors that often work through the Mysterious Stranger and his followers including JackOman, MissFortune, Dogmeat, Dashwood and MrWalker."

 

Sandy showed surprise in her voice. "If you are talking about Herbert Daring Dashwood, isn't he dead or retired to Tenpenny Towers after the dreadful things that happened to Rockpolis?"

 

UncleLeo smiled. "The man, in that dreadful place of wealthy elites, was never the real Dashwood. Nor was Rockpolis really destroyed. It was a very clever ruse put together so that Dashwood, and his sidekicks, could lay low for a while and Rockpolis could make itself more secure against threats. Now Rockpolis is openly emerging again, the actor has been safely moved from Tenpenny Towers to Rockpolis, and the woman who supposedly betrayed the real Dashwood is now the wife to both Dashwood and Argyle who did not die. Rockpolis was not so damaged, by slavers, that it was abandoned. Instead the old, main, cave entrance to Rockpolis were partly destroyed and bogus skeletal remains of Argyle were placed there."

 

Sandy shook her head. "How could one poor woman deal with those two?"

 

UncleLeo responded wryly. "That supposedly poor woman was the one who made up the whole scheme that led to a large group of slavers being ambushed and many killed. The surviving slavers did not want to admit failure so never did refute the public story. They stated, instead, that they had been ambushed by a large group of raiders which was a feasible story. Her name is Rubyrose."

 

Sandy whistled softly. "The former assassin also known as the Ruby of Death! I met her once and we had a long talk. She was really nice to Justine and seemed to be very accepting of himherit just as you are, Uncle Leo." She turned to a sleepy Giggles whose actual name was Lilly. "As you are a wonderful ballerina, Giggles."

 

Giggles giggled in a great, gravelly, fashion and smacked her hands to cover much of her face with her eyes peeping over them. She did so with enough force to tip over a small truck.

 

UncleLeo nodded. "Giggles is graceful and beautiful. She is also good at shifting big, heavy, things for the good of the settlement of Carpark Caves which is mainly below here. We came up here to welcome you though there are plans to develop this level more. For now it is a defensive area."

 

Cleverly disguised defence barricades, made up of supposedly hastily abandoned vehicles with tougher materials hidden behind them, were meant to fight any coming down the main entrance. Sarah pointed to a high up corner down which water was dribbling.

 

"Did you check that out?"

 

UncleLeo nodded. "Water trickles down through closely packed rubble so that not much could get through it. We have some makeshift detection devices there but perhaps you could help us replace them with more effective devices."

 

So did negotiations began.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:mad: 8.1[20] :nuke:

 

The secret floor hatch was close to the hidden floor safe, both being in the secret room that was entered through a concealed door at the back of a not so secret closet in the diner. The safe gave up pristine PreDD cash, a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, two spare magazines for the pistol, a box of loose 9mm cartridges, a single 3Dphoto of a typical suburban family of four, a glossy 3Dmagazine of hardporn nature that was quite vulgar, a carton of ration quality tobacco cigarettes, and a few other items.

 

Rubin stared at the contents, of the hardporn magazine, in puzzlement, until Saltis took it off him and put it carefully away for later recycling.

 

The hatch led to the explanation why there had been no skeletal remains in the diner. Four bodies were in a statuscontainer never designed to save lifeforms. They were neither truly alive or dead. It was quickly decided to leave them there lest they turn out to be zombies, an uncommon result of people desperately trying to survive in statuscontainers.

 

Saltis touched the statuscontainer and a soft glow flooded from her through the device. It opened and the four humans were alive, fully human, and physically healthy. Minor miracles, like that, happened around Saltis, Rubin, Thomas and a few others there but only now and then.

 

The understandably confused young man, and three young women, clambered out in their working clothes of diner uniforms and looked around at the people confronting them. The young man trembled and one woman looked as if she was about to faint but the other two women just looked grim.

 

Saltis smiled. "I am Saltis, my brother is Rubin, there is Thomas the cat, Molie the radmolerat and lovely Scroobie the purple striped radroach along with Tannin the radghoulman..."

 

The woman fainted. The young man spoke. "A giant cockroach and a zombie!"

 

Saltis scowled. "Do not be so rude to my friends or I will give you a good slapping, I will! This basement has been outfitted as a basic shelter. A toilet cubicle, a shower cubicle, a kitchenette, a small workshop area, a library area, a 3DTV and lots else besides. We claim it but you can stay here with us and go with us when we leave. Is that fainted woman okay?"

 

Another of the women had caught the fainting female before she could hit the floor. She was a black woman and looked to be a sibling of the other, non fainting, black woman. She spoke. "Nadeline has a habit of fainting at the smallest provocation. Terrance is an idiot. Clovis and I, Marnis, are half-sisters. I am not sure I want to know but what year is it?"

 

Rubin responded calmly, as always. "221ADD meaning 221 years since Doomsday that took place in 2002AD, ending the Doomswar and the PreDD world. All four of you are now over 200 years old."

 

Clovis looked sad. "Then our families, friends and everybody we knew are probably dead."

 

Saltis spoke with a helpful tone. "Or turned into monsters!"

 

Tannin sighed. "Beloved Saltis does not always think before she speaks. No, I am not a zombie but you four almost became so if that statuscontainer had been opened before something special happened. I suggest we talk about it later but, for now, where do those three doors lead to?"

Edited January 28, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Characters so far noted (to be expanded, edited and moved)

 

Lyons Pride and other DCBoS Steelfollowers

Alice Lyons

Agent Sentinel (Lyons Triplet)

Owen Lyons

PrimeElder of the DCBoS

Sarah Lyons

Knight Sentinel and commander of the Lyons Pride (Lyons Triplet)

Terry Lyons

Guard Sentinel (Lyons Triplet)

 

Megaton based

Colin Moriarty

Radhuman, criminal, owner-manager of the GirlsNGames Saloon, linked with the Moriarty Family of the 15Families

Gob

radghoulman and GirlsNGames bartender

Moira Brown

owner-manager of Craterside Emporium

Mortum Brown

radhuman and professor type genius

Nova

radhuman woman and GirlsNGames prostitute

Mysterious Stranger Group

Mysterious Stranger 1/13

MissFortune 2/13

MrWalker 3/13

JackOman 4/13

 

Rank Scavengers

Clovis Banning

statuscontainer human, half-sister to Marnis (saved by the Wonder13)

(honorary Wonder13)

Crowcrow Rank

radcrow (Wonder13)

Eyebie

eyebot based junkbot (Wonder13)

Hattie Harris Rank

radhuman woman

(honorary Wonder13)

Juber Rank

raddog (Wonder13)

Marnis Banning

statuscontainer human, half-sister to Marnis (saved by the Wonder13)(honorary Wonder13)

Molie

radmolerat (Wonder13)

Moomoo

radcow (Wonder13)

Nadeline Smith

statuscontainer female human (saved by the Wonder13)

(probationary Wonder13)

Ramsey Rank

radhuman neuter (Wonder13)

Rubin Rank

radhuman male (Wonder13)

Saltis Rank

radhuman female (Wonder13)

(considered the leader of the Wonder13, especially by herself)

Scroobie Rank

radroach (Wonder13)

Supertinzi!? (Wonder13)

Tangleit Rank

Passive radghoul (honorary Wonder13)

Tannin Rank

radghoulman (honorary Wonder13)

Terrance Alright

statuscontainer male human (saved by the Wonder13)

(probationary Wonder13)

Tinlegs

protectron based junkbot (Wonder13)

Thomas Rank

radcat tomcat (Wonder13)

Wheelticky

junkbot based junkbot (Wonder13)

 

Rank Scavengers - Wonder13 - Reflection13

 

Uncle Leo Group

Giggles

supermutant behamoth

Uncle Leo

supermutant hulkamoth

 

Others

Rosie

​Phantom Provocateur of DC Deathzone

Edited January 28, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:sick: 9.1[21] :nuke:

 

"Treachery to the pure path of destiny is like a toxin against truth." The hairless, tall, angular figure of amazingly pale skin stood looking out from his new penthouse suit at Tenpenny Towers, being the tallest central tower of ten of them. His voice was cold, barely human, as he was barely human.

 

One was the tallest, central, one that was surrounded by eight tall, but not so tall, towers. Then another tower stood away from the others. The central tower was for the VIPs and those who served them directly. The outer nine were for varied ranks, castes, of followers and minions. The tenth was where the controlling council of 10pennytown was situated, being at the center of that walled settlement that served Tenpenny Towers in many ways.

 

Despite the best efforts of the Tenpenny Family, the rest of the Wastelands called the whole settlement 10pennytown instead of Tenpenny Towers as if the majestic towers were an offshoot of the settlement instead of the other way around.

 

Mr Arthur Tenpenny stood back from the Palelord in that one's black hoodrobe. The radhuman was very hard minded for one, being infamous for his rages, but Palelord TreKont was something way beyond that in danger. "Aaahhh, yes, but could we stay focused on more down to earth subjects. The arrival, and establishment, of the DCBoS has badly disrupted the DC Balance of Power. Those damned EagleEnclavers, from the north, are of a concern as well as are those raiders coming from the DC Coast."

 

The District of Columbia was expanded to cover Maryland, Delaware and other areas in the 1980s for security and political reasons long forgotten by most. Delaware, and Maryland, had become jointly known as the DC Coast for logical reasons.

 

The Palelord frowned coldly, of course for he did everything coldly. "The EagleEnclavers should not concern you for they serve the One True Cause of Purity. Those lowly raiders are being pushed inland by another faction that serves the Great Plan of Ultimate Truth. This apartment once belonged to a lowly mortal radhuman who pretended to be another lowly mortal radhuman; how disgusting! Still, I will live here as your tribute to the cause. In return you will gain bonus exotic resources, that is of the sort that you see as exotic. Five of my followers will dwell here with me. You can have all of the human items removed except for the very useful fixtures."

 

Mr Tenpenny dared not mention that he had been paid, by the fake Dashwood, for a 99 year lease and was still profiting from it. Nor did he say that he did not like the idea of living next door to the Palelord because his apartment was right next to that one. He wondered how other VIPs would feel about living so close to TreKont.

 

The Palelord grinned coldly at the radhuman. "They would feel as uneasy about living near to me as I feel about living next to you noisome mortals. The lease arrangements, with the fake Dashwood, are of no concern to me. I will reconsider my living arrangements and most likely will find another abode close to here but not too close to here. For now I have seen want I want to. We will meet again, soon!"

 

There was an uncomfortable feeling, at least for the radhuman, and then the Palelord flickered in a disturbing manner and was gone. Arthur felt like vomiting, for a short while, but the feeling passed much to his gratitude. The problem was that the fear remained. Not for the first time, he questioned his past wisdom in taking part in the deal but then again he had been pushed into it by the majority of the members of the 15Families Council. Also not for the first time, he cursed them.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:laugh: 10.1[22] :down:

 

The half-sisters, who had been half alive in the statuscontainer of the diner's hidden basement, had been quick to point out that, in theory, the basement had only one door in one wall. Now there were three doors in three walls.

 

The original door had led into a half collapsed underground chamber that was in in perfect condition. It had some double bunks, two basic exercise machines, and a 3Dcomputer workstation complete with special computer desk. With them were other fittings, furniture and decorations. The last were mostly of scifi type 3Dposters showing scantily clad, impossible 3Dcartoon spacegirls in front of rocketships, alien cities and much else of the same.

 

Clovis had frowned. "Jerry was a good diner boss, in some ways, but he was addicted to fan service stuff like that on the walls there. This place was largely destroyed. Well now it is part of our new shared home, I suppose."

 

The red door, that had recently appeared, led into a hallway that had eight doors either side and one at the end of the hallway. Each side hallway door, to the right, led to special use rooms such as a laundry, a kitchen, a workshop, a lounge room and four bedrooms each for four people. All side hallway doors, on the left side, led to storerooms full of semiuseful, useful and very useful items. All siderooms had a back door leading into a hallway that ran parallel to the main hallway.

 

The door, at the end of the hallway, led into a big garden chamber complete with two gardening remoterobots. It was a combination of morale service gardens and foodgardens that also grew herbs. All three hallways led to doors into that big chamber.

 

The other, recent, door led to a chamber with an elevator and a spiral rampway going both up-down as the elevator did. Except, for now, both rampway and elevator only allowed access upwards to another chamber that opened into the diner but in the chamber that Saltis had not been in. That was a storeroom, toilets, and office, serving the actual diner.

 

The Rank Scavengers had moved into the new premises, including the four newbies of which two had only dubious, probationary, membership. Clovis, and Marnis, were soon fully accepted. They spread out through the premises and were soon using them, sorting out and distributing storeroom items but leaving most in storage.

 

:laugh: 10.2[23] :down:

 

Ramsey, the neuter brother to male Rubin and female Saltis, was busy attending to some plants as helped by a slumbering company of animals and an active remoterobot. They were very useful herbs and Ramsey was a good cook.

 

Rubin was looking at the mainframe of the garden chamber computer. With him were the three Wonder13 robots who were observing Rubin's actions with much interest as he spoke to them of what he was doing and why he was doing it.

 

Saltis was with Hattie and they were talking as they looked out over an area of flowering bushes. Saltis spoke. "Do you think that those flowers are good for anything but looking nice?"

 

Hattie shrugged softly. "I have not seen those kinds of plants before though they might grow in the DC somewhere I have not been. Also I have not heard word of such from others. They maybe PreDD plants from outside the USPA or even from overseas."

 

Saltis was impressed. "Not just foreign but truly foreign."

 

Hattie sighed. "Even other parts of the USPA were rather foreign to DC by the time Doomsday came. Still, we Rank Scavengers are much better off now, thanks to the Wonder13."

 

Saltis shrugged. "Thank Supertinzi for the energies came focused through her, the very little cutie."

 

Supertinzi slept in a very small pouch on the front of Hattie's chest. She smiled extra, at Saltis' compliment, but did not actually wake. The exotic, tiny, baby figure spent most of her time sleeping. She spent time sleeping with Saltis, Ramsey, Rubin and also Hattie. Saltis said she was the core focus of the Wonder13 but that she, Saltis, was its leader because she wanted to be. Animals, and robots, made up the rest of the Wonder13.

 

Hattie nodded. "Three robots and six animals along with three radhumans and one Supertinzi."

 

Crowcrow landed on Saltis' left shoulder and silently studied everything around herself. She had been with Ramsey but came over for a visit with Ramsey. Saltis reached up and scratched Crowcrow's neck. Crowcrow clearly enjoyed that.

 

Saltis spoke. "We are no accident, we Wonder13 but not the honourable Wonder13 like yourself. You are a Gaiafollower!"

 

Hattie nodded. "A Gaiasister serving the Gaiamother Yalinta who is my mother and your grandmother. You already know this for I told you, and the others, when you were quite young. We have faith that the Wonder13 is an expression of the Gaiagoddess who one does not worship but serves in everyday lived faith."

 

Saltis shrugged. "Maybe I would be a Gaiasister one day and not a scavenger!"

 

Hattie smiled. "That would be good though Gaiafollowers do their own scavenging so you can be both."

 

Saltis nodded thoughtfully. "Scavenging is productive but is also fun! All of the Wonder13 are now in this one big chamber. It is good that we are together."

 

Hattie smiled!

Edited January 28, 2018 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:confused: 10.3[24] :laugh:

 

There were the others, in theory of the Rank Scavengers and linked somehow to the Wonder13. Yet few could detect them unless they wanted to be seen and-or heard and-or smelt and-or felt. There were thirteen of them, stealth shapeshifters cable of taking the quasi-shapeforms of almost anything, of the Wastelands, including such as lifeforms, robots and even geological formations.

 

Saltis came into the chamber that they were in, a bedroom, and brought snacks along with water. The creatures shimmered into solid existence to reveal themselves as thirteen large, colourful, garden gnomes. This amused Supertinzi who was sitting on the left shoulder of Saltis and the radhuman teenwoman laughed softly.

 

Then she spoke. "You can move, talk, as oversized garden gnomes so why not come into the big garden chamber."

 

The garden gnome, with a wheelbarrow of potplants, spoke and his mouth moved as he did so. "Hattie is in contact with another Gaiasister but has she told you this?"

 

Saltis nodded. "Hattie is not happy with all of the Gaiafollowers. Her mother is goodly, as are others with her mother, but Gaiamother Gaiahighrish has come to think of herself as the true leader of the GaiaOrder though she has no real deep wisdom and is not even accepted, as a Gaiamother, by most Gaiafollowers."

 

The garden gnome, with a shovel, spoke and her mouth moved as she did so. "I say we go into that garden chamber and spread out as garden gnomes. We are reflections, of the Wonder13, and here to protect, to serve, the Wonder13."

 

So the decision was made. Not only were the Reflection13 going to the big garden chamber but non Wonder13 people could now use the bedroom because the door would now open to them. Even Hattie had found the door locked to her.

 

Supertinzi was very amused by the metre high garden gnomes, that appeared in the big garden chamber, for a whole four minutes before she went to sleep in her special pouch on Saltis' chest.