Fallout Antiquity

Chapter V

8 months and 500 miles later
Crossing the Virginia/Tennessee Border into Tennessee

Blood came out of his shoulder as the man began crawling backwards away from me. He grunts as I pull my knife from his dead comrades throat. More blood splattered the ground, narrowly missing my trench coat and boots. With the blade facing down I approach him, stepping over another dead comrade of his.

"Pe-please. You don't, ugh, have to do this," He groans as he stops, a large rock lying behind him.

"Why? You guys ambushed me. If I were in your shoes would you have done the same? If I lied before you, bleeding and groaning?" I asked, standing right before him and squatting down.

He looks at me, was about to respond but then decided not to and just looked away instead.

"That's what I thought. You Raiders are all the same. Bloodthirsty and power hungry. Merciless to those that can't defend themselves but the second you get overpowered, the second you know your life will end you cower and beg for mercy. I, like you and your deceased friends over there, have none to give," I said before thrusting the blade into the Raider's heart.

He gurgled as his lungs began to fill with his blood. I watched as the life in his eyes went out and he lied restless against the rock. I pull my knife out and wipe the blood on his pants before tucking it away into its sheath attached to my left shoulder underneath my trench coat. I quickly pat down the four dead raiders but didn't find much. Some pistol ammo, a switch blade, a couple of Browning HP pistols, a 10mm smg and roughly 20 rounds of 10mm ammunition, and a wooden plank with nails on it. I discarded the board and put away my new loot into my pack. I take one look back and then proceeded the way I was going, West.

After crossing a hill the wasteland before me became a desert. Where once there was luscious green fields, now there was only sand. Sand as far as I can see. No dead trees, no ponds in river beds, not even destroyed buildings. Just dunes of sand. I marched on, the sun glaring down on me. I notice something off in the distance. Something that is reflecting the sunlight towards me. As I got closer that object took shape. Buildings, many buildings. Many more the last time I was there. Paths have been made into the sand leading out of the town and further into the desert. People are entering and leaving the town. As I got closer I could hear noises; Machinery, the roar of engines, chatter, the squeaking of a wooden trailer, a Brahmin mooing, a baby crying, doors opening and closing, honking, a town full of life and productivity. A great cement wall surrounded the town with watchtowers on each corner. I can see the men standing there, armed with T93's or R98 assault rifles or leaning behind 50 caliber M2 Browning turrets mounted on the railing. They wore black painted combat armor and skull shape face masks. Pierson and his ideas. The large metal gate was open with people of all kinds marched in or out of town, some carrying large jugs tied to long sticks. Those leaving had their jugs filled with water, those entering carry empty jugs. Caravans too walked through the town, their Brahmin either have crates or jugs tied to their backs. Each head of the two headed cow huffs and grunts as they follow their human owner. A sign hung over the gate; 'Welcome to Sweetwater'. So he changed the towns name. Much better than Deadwood. As I stepped into town I hear a car approach me then honk at me. I turn around and see an old Corvega. Rust has mostly taken over most of the car, hiding its true color of ocean blue. Its driver stuck his head out and began shouting angrily at me.

"Hey dumb ass! Get out of the street. There's a sidewalk there for a reason!" He shouts, pointing at a sidewalk on each side of the road made of wide planks of wood. There pedestrians were walking where as on the road I am vehicles and Caravans are walking. I simply nod and step on the sidewalk to the right. The driver sticks his head back and drives off.