Not So Lonesome Road 28 Come Fly With Me Part 4

"Who are you and what are you doing here" I asked even though I already knew the answer?

"I am Jason Bright, the prophet of the great journey! And all the ghouls you see here are members of my flock" he motioned to the various ghouls working in the area.

"So what exactly is this great journey you're on about?"

"Me and my people are sick of the barbarism of the wasteland, especially the violence and bigotry of its human inhabitants. The creator has promised to my flock a new land, a place of safety and healing, a paradise in the far beyond!"

"So when will you be leaving then" I asked "because all the feral ghouls here have cut off Novac's only source of income."

Bright let out a sad sigh "I am aware of my peoples presence on the town but, alas preparations for the great journey were nearly complete when the demons arrived."

"By demons I a.s.sume you mean all those dead nightkin I've seen scattered around."

"Yes, they appeared one day as we went down to the bas.e.m.e.nt to worship. Or should I say didn't appear for they cannot be seen. The most you will ever see is a shimmering in the air like sunlight reflecting off water."

"So if I can get rid of these 'demons' then you and your flock will leave?"

"So you will help us! Praise the creator, praise you traveler, praise th-."
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"Ahem" I cleared my throat "if I get rid of the will you leave or not?"

"Oh, my apologies yes once the demons are gone it will be a simple task to prepare for the great journey. The demons are still hold up in the bas.e.m.e.nt and are extremely dangerous. I managed to lock them down there after their first attack so you will need this key to open the door."

"Thanks" I said accepting the key.

"Be careful stranger" Bright clapped his hands together "I will pray for your success."

"Um, I'd better get going then" I said eager to get away from the guy. I didn't really have anything against religion but, people who are so in your face about it always made me a bit uncomfortable.

I then left after receiving a couple more smoothskin insults from the fake ghoul and made my way back down the catwalk.

The bas.e.m.e.nt was actually just out the door and to the left. I avoided it earlier because I wanted to talk to Bright first.

I descended the stairs and came upon a blood splattered door. The blood had long since dried and there was no sign of whoever it came from.

I carefully went inside wary of any sneak attacks and examined the room. And noticed the bas.e.m.e.nt was completely different from the rest of the building. The walls were concrete inside of drywall and wood, there were pipes and electrical wires crisscrossing the ceiling, and the doors were opened and closed with pneumatics(air pressure).

A quick check with VATS confirmed there were any enemies inside so I entered inside closing the door behind me.

I considered my options from this point I had two choices.

One, convince the nightkin to leave peacefully because they were actually pretty smart regardless of their sanity.

Or two, kill them all which surprisingly might be the easier option.

Even though the nightkin were smart they were also stubborn as a mule. If I wanted to convince them I would have to choose my words carefully. To that end it seemed like it might be a good idea to use another one of my magazines.

I pulled out my copy of Meeting People volume 16 "Ten No's And A Yes Is Still A Yes."

It only took a moment to read all of it and receive the +10 to Speech bringing it up to 60. I was also tempted to take a couple mentats to raise my Charisma but, decided the chance of getting addicted wasn't worth it.

I opened the exit to the room and winced as the door hissed and clanked open. I ran to the darkest corner of the room and grabbed on of my Stealthboy's ready to go invisible at the slightest movement. But, after several moments of silence and confirming once again that no one was there using VATS I let myself breath again.

"d.a.m.n doors" I cursed why did they have to be so loud! If I didn't know better I would a.s.sume they were made that way on pur-, no wait they probably were made that way to make it difficult for any thief's or spies to sneak around.

Luckily if the bas.e.m.e.nt was the same as the game I would only need to open one more door to get to my destination.

Peaking my head out into the hallway to make sure it was empty I caught the sight some strange ripples as they went around a corner. Seizing the moment I silently rushed down the hall pa.s.sed another closed door and intersect until I arrived.

There was another set of stairs that led down toward another door which I opened.

"What's that Antler we have a visitor" a large nightkin turned to look at me? "An a.s.sa.s.sin more like! I say we kill it for safe's sake!"

He menacingly marched towards me as I did my best not to draw my gun when he suddenly stopped.

He looked at the brahmin skull atop his staff and started mumbling to himself.

"Huh, Antler . . . but, . . . that's not! . . ok I'll ask" he turned back to me and in an awkward voice tried to talk back to me. "Uh, hi hooman why you here?"

"I came here on behalf of the ghouls upstairs" I pointed up "they wanted me to ask you to leave."

"Hmm, a hooman who is friend to ghouls suspicious. You mean one's in red robes? Antler called them on intercom tell them to stay away but, they come anyway. Kill several of my brothers you friends with them?"

"I'm not just their friend I want to be yours too."

"Ha! Now, I hear everything you want to be friend to me!"

"Why is that so funny?"

"Good intentions hooman but, I can not allow. My brothers are . . . not right in head, they attack you on sight ghouls too .They crazy! Your ghoul friends will have to wait until we find what Antler brought us to get."

"Your talking about the shipment of Stealthboy's right? If you are I can tell you where they are."

His eyes went wide "You know where they are tell me me now! Or I'll ki- . . . no Antler . . I was just tryin- . . . fine." He bowed "Antler wants me to apologize hooman I was rash. It's just Stealthboy's are too important for me and my brothers. Can you please tell me where they are located?"

I nodded not expecting him to be so polite, it was a little disconcerting talking to him but, not as much as talking to Bright. I wonder what that says about me?

"The shipment of Stealthboy's was never supposed to be sent here in the first place, it was a mistake. They were packed up and sent back to Robco but, the day they were sent back was the day the bombs dropped. So they could be anywhere on the road from here to there."

"What" he screamed! "They not here! This just waste of time!" He smashed the metal table in front of him like it was nothing and looked like he was going to continue his rampage before stopping. "Yes, Antler your right. I am a leader and cannot lose myself to emotions like this." He turned to me "Human thank you for telling me this. I believe that you are telling the truth, there is only one room here we have yet to search and if they were here. That ghoul would have used them to escape days ago."

I blinked what just happened one moment he was going berserk and the next he's using proper grammar and calling me human inside of hooman.

"I will gather my brethren and we will depart to try and track down the shipment" he began to walk pa.s.sed me and to the intercom on the far wall seeming far older than he did before."

"Wait" I jumped in front of him!

"What are you doing human? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"No" I shook my head "I wanted to help you."

"And how will you do that?"

"There's a settlement to the northwest of here deep in the mountains called Jacobstown. It's a settlement of supermutants and nightkin. They'll be able to help you and your brothers there."

He huffed "Marcus already told me about his town and how nightkin aren't allowed to use Stealthboy's there."

"That's because their killing you" I screamed! "They're the reason all of your brothers are crazy!"

What I said seemed to anger him and he grabbed me by my collar and lifted me up to his height "You think I don't know that! We have been fighting this addiction for decades! Centuries even! It's impossible for us to quit! We have no other choice than to keep using them!"

"Maybe you can't quit" I choked out "but, one day there won't be anymore Stealthboy's left for you to use, what will you do then?"

"We will die" he let me go.

"Maybe" I said "but, there's something about Jacobstown you don't know. There's a doctor there a brilliant neurologist named Doctor Henry whose working on a cure for you. And if that doesn't work he's also trying to invent a low power Stealthboy that won't make you insane."

He narrowed his eyes at me "are you speaking the truth human."

"I am" I nodded.

" . . . Very well then. Antler says that it's worth a shot. If what you say is true then maybe we can be saved."

After that he spoke over the intercom to inform his brothers that they were leaving and a flood of mirages started pa.s.sing by.

The large nightkin was the last to leave but, before he did he shot me one last look. "I never did get your name hooman."

It looked like whatever flash of clarity he had was already leaving him. "My names is Devin. How about you?"

He turn back and walked out the door "I am Davison."