Fallout 3 - Beautiful Stranger

Chapter 3 Part 2

"You're listening to the adventures of me, Herbert "Daring" Dashwood, and my stalwart ghoul manservant, Argyle. Today's episode: There Ain't Nothing Like A Dame."

"Well, Argyle, my most trusted friend, one more brandy before bed?"

"You know I don't drink, boss."

"You don't know what you're missing, old chum."

"Hey, boss, we got company. Phew, and she's a looker!"

"Mister Dashwood and ... friend. My name is Constance Dérobé and I need your help."

"Let it never be said that I, Daring Dashwood, would ignore a damsel in distress. How may we help, madam?"

"My husband, Albert, is a doctor. A nukula scientist. He hasn't returned from his lab in days and I'm worried something terrible has happened. Could you investigate for me. I would be very ... appreciative."

"Nuclear. The word is nuclear."

"Now, now, Argyle. The lady is married to a scientist. I'm sure she knows the correct words."

"Whatever you say, boss."

"Now, madam, we don't normally take cases like this, but we'll make an exception. For you. Where is your husband's lab?"

"Someplace called Old Olney. I'm not sure why he worked there, though."

"Old Olney! That's Deathclaw territory!"

"I'm sure we'll be fine. Better pack the big guns, though, just in case."

"Not ... the Deva-Strafer?"

"The one and only! Worry not, madam, Daring Dashwood and his implacable companion, Argyle are on the case!"

"Jeez. One day a dame'll be the death of us, boss."

"But what a way to go, Argyle. What a way to go."

"Be sure and tune in next time for another exciting adventure of me, Herbert "Daring" Dashwood and my stalwart ghoul manservant Argyle!"

-+-

Despite what Valrie said about the building being hers, the sign on the side proclaimed it as "Jocko's Pop and Gas Stop". A squat, square building that had, at one time, sold roadside nik-naks for people veering from the highway, it now had a hasty constructed side building made from various eclectic items. Not least of which appeared to be an advertising hoarding sawed, in a haphazard fashion, through the face of a cheery looking woman popping some kind of pill into her mouth.

"Wintergreen!" Valrie called as she reached the door, before pounding upon it without allowing whoever occupied the building time to answer. "Wintergreen! Open the damned door!"

Silence greeted them and Patience took the opportunity to perform quick glances around the corners of the building. Satisfied, she returned to Valrie as the older woman continued pounding on the door, which remained closed. Stoic and resolute.

"Nobody home?" She smiled as Valrie gave her a stern glance accompanied by a 'tut'.

"No. He's home. He's just too damned old. Losing his hearing." Valrie began repeated kicks against the door. "It's Valrie. Open the god damned door, you piece of god damned shit!"

They soon found themselves greeted by the sound of several locks opening and bolts sliding back and, after a while, the door opened. A crack at first and then wider as a metal eye popped out, whirring and clicking as it looked at them both.

"Why, Miss Valrie, it is so good to see you again." The door opened wide and a Mister Handy robot hovered into view. "Won't you please come in?"

"Of course I'll come in, you god damned rusted piece of shit. It's my fucking place!" Wasting no time, Valrie brushed past the robot, into the building.

"And who is your lovely companion?" Wintergreen, the Mister Handy bot, hovered to the side allowing Patience to enter. "If I had known you would be bringing company, I would have set to places for dinner, Miss Valrie."

"I did tell you! I radioed ahead last night, you dumb bucket of bolts!" Valrie had disappeared into another room, but her voice rang out clear and loud throughout the building. "My 'companion' is called Patience. Don't bother remembering it, we won't be staying long."

Wintergreen spun around and extended a clawed 'hand'.

"Welcome, Miss Patience. Will you be staying long?" Patience grasped the claw with a tentative hand and shook it. "May I take your coat and hat?"

"I don't have a coat or hat." She let the claw go and shimmied aside, navigating herself around the rusted, damaged and many times repaired robot.

"Would you like a coat or hat?" Wintergreen closed the door to the building and started turning the many locks and sliding the many bolts home. Only one of his three 'eyes' remained upon her, unblinking in its scrutiny. "We have refreshments, beverages, snacks and Schedule-1 drugs for your consumption."

Patience ignored the strange robot and made a cursory examination of the room. It appeared to be the front shop area. Shelves, filled with a vast assortment of things, half of which she had no idea what they were. Old chest refrigerators, that might once have held ice cream or other products, filled to overloading with other items. Almost every space had something to fill it.

"What the hell are you waiting out there for?" Valrie's voice echoed from the other room. "Come on in. Leave the damned robot out there. And don't accept any offers of drugs from him!"

Patience took one last glance at the shop and another, wary, glance at the robot and passed through the door to join Valrie. Wintergreen hovered, almost in silence, save for his engine, watching her as she moved.

She found Valrie packing the weapons and ammunition, she had found, into a heavy, metal gun cabinet. Finished, she closed the cabinet door, locking it with several padlocks of various sizes. Stuffing the keys in a pocket, she took a swig from the half-empty bottle of whiskey she had found.

"That's a strange robot you have there." Patience looked over her shoulder to see one of Wintergreen's eyes looking around the door frame. "It seems a little ..."

"Fucked up?" Valrie collapsed into a chair. She rummaged through several pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting two and holding out the other for Patience. "Found him wandering around out in the Wasteland. Moira fixed him up best she could, but he's always been a bit ... wired. You know?"

"Yeah. I know." She took a drag of the cigarette and looked over her shoulder again. The eye no longer watched her.

"Speaking of Moira, I radioed ahead and she's expecting us tomorrow." Valrie flicked ash into a nearby coffee mug. "She's real excited about getting her hands on that Pip-Boy. For research. Moira's a good kid. Never steals nothing from nobody."

"So, we're setting off now?" She found it ironic that the name Valrie called her was 'Patience'. It appeared she had little of that virtue.

"Plenty of time for that. I reckon we should relax for tonight. Get some food inside us and some rest. Wintergreen!" She dropped the half-smoked cigarette into the coffee mug. "God damn it. Wintergreen! Make something to eat! Wintergreen!"

Patience rolled her eyes. From what Valrie had told her, Megaton wasn't that far away but, by the time they arrived there, it would be three days since they set out.

Things seemed to move slow in the Capital Wasteland. Except when they didn't.