The wasteland was harsh, and Rob cured himself for expecting anything less. Dr. Kurosawa drummed into his students that the Vault did more than protect people from the wastes, it insulated them too. Rob could easily picture Kurosawa's glare of disapproval. At least Rob had found a small trail, made by herdsmen of some type. The thought of finding some shred of civilization pushed him forward, and the dried dung kept him warm at night. When he crested the next hill, he couldn't help but let out a gasp as he sighted the village spread out in front of him. While it could easily have been swallowed up by Vault 13, it was impressive to a person travelling through the wastes.
A couple of hours had passed since Rob had entered the village, Shady Sands, yet he already felt more content than in days. The villagers were generous, offering him food and lodging. Crude as they might have been, they were luxurious to a man who spent the last few days warming himself with Brahmin dung. The doctor in the village, a man named Razlo, was also a man of science, and Rob had spent a comfortable evening discussing the finer points of Rockwll-Newman Theory. For the first time in fifteen years Rob regretted leaving his job as a scientist.
For Rob the morning began with the sound of wailing waking him from his slumber. He had barely risen and dressed himself when Razlo burst into Rob's room.
"Oh Rob, Tandi has been taken! This is the worst calamity the village has since the Yellow Brahmin plague!"
"Sorry for intruding upon your grief Razlo, but who is Tandi? And who could have taken her?"
"No, no. It is okay. You are a stranger here, and cannot feel our suffering. Tandi was Aradesh's daughter, and is much beloved by the community. Her kidnapping is felt by all of us, not just Aradesh's family. The only people who could have taken her are the Khans, raiders who live to the south-east of the village. They have long terrorized my people, but never like this!"
"Hmm... Razlo, would you mind pointing out this encampment on my map?"
Admittedly it wasn't his best idea. The only thing standing between him and a brutal death was a shotgun. Yet Rob was almost sure of success. From what he had heard from the villagers, Garl was a bully leading a bunch of bullies. Once Garl realized that he couldn't bend Rob to his will, he'd have to cave in. It was either that or completely lose the confidence of his gang, with all the bloodiness that it would entail.
"I've come in peace to negotiate the release of Tandi."
"Alright, and what do you offer for her release?"
Rob spent a few moments calmly wiping the barrels of his shotgun, seemingly unconcerned about Garl's growing impatience.
"The way I figure it, you either have to give her up to me, or I'll have to kill the lot of you."
Garl laughed.
"And you think that you can kill me?"
"I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to take this shotgun and shove it right up your ass. Do you know the agony of being shot in the gut? Imagine being shot in the gut, at point blank range, from inside your body. Of course you'll eventually die from your wounds, but can you imagine the agony? The terrible, gut wrenching agony as your liquefied colon tries to squirt out of your asshole? As your blood rushes in the fill the void, yet with nowhere to go? As your stomach ruptures, spilling acid throughout your body, each breath a struggle, a heart-wrenching agony so intense that it almost seems pleasurable as your diaphragm melts, leaving you to suffocate and die?"
To emphasize his point Rob lightly tapped his shotgun against Garl's leg.
"So what's it going to be?"
Garl's guards uncertainly milled around, not sure whether their leader was in mortal danger. They all knew that if Garl could deal with this stranger, it'd be them with the shotgun up their ass. Several moments passed as Rob and Garl stared at each other, both of them radiating hate and fury. Garl was the first to look away.
"Damn it, if you want the girl so much just take her. But do not, I repeat, do no come back here unless you want to face my wrath."
Rob nodded, secretly glad that he did not have to carry out his threat.
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Topic: Fallout 2: Let's Play Blind(ish)! (Read 61610 times)