Story of a Roach

Part 3: Fire

No matter how people might say it, diving into water is not carefree and it is not fun. Especially when it's the freezing Potomac. Hitting the ice cold water as gravity mercilessly hurtles you below the surface at a frightening speed is like having half your body whipped by a live electric wire. Luckily, that woke me up just as I heard about 5 feet from me: “Keep your head above the surface, it’s too murky below to see.” That would be Blight the enigmatic and wise roach who formerly served the Radroach King as an assistant. I didn’t know much about him, but I knew he could be trusted and he could handle himself in a fight. Honestly, out here in the wastes that’s all you really could care about.

 

I’m not sure how humans swim, but it's likely much easier. With roaches it’s slow and meticulous form and even slower progress. Not so simple as cutting through the water at a certain angle or stance because we are not maritime creatures and we are not flexible. It was similar to how a dog would swim more or less, but with slightly faster progress, credited that our limbs numbered more than a dog. I felt the swish-swash of water pounding my exoskeleton and enter my orifices as I saw my destination on the far shore draw closer, and closer. “I may have forgotten to mention a few things about the city!” Yelled Blight over the sound of the waves. “Are these details vitally relevant to this situation then?” I responded back with equal loudness. He thought for a second and responded: “Well more or less things to avoid. Mirelurks, Ghouls, Super Mutants...those things”. “Well shit” I said plainly.

 

I didn’t exactly feel comfortable being unable to see the bottom of the river. Whatever could have been down there, hypothetically could've pull me under and end me at any time. I've grown to be naturally paranoid of things. So let’s just say when I reached the concrete platform along the riverbed on the far side, I was more than relieved. Blight reached it first and helped me up with a smug comment “I win the race." “I wasn’t aware we were competing” I replied. “Well as of now, we might as well be. May the best Blight win." The water dropped off our exoskeletons with a faint pitter-patter which receded as we spent time drying off. We began by locating a stairwell which led onto the city level, which wasn’t all that difficult considering the sheer size of it. We began to make for the concrete stairs when we heard a yell. This wasn’t one of fear or shock, but aggression. That followed with gunshots in such quick succession that our ears rang for minutes after it ceased. “What the hell was that, Blight?” I whispered sharply. “Super Mutant more than likely. We’re going to avoid them” he replied while checking from out behind cover.

 

We waited only several minutes, but it seemed like an hour for it to be silent up on the city level. After the pause, Blight ushered me up the stairs and I began the ascent. Climbing those was really good aerobics; between that and our little swim. Somehow I don’t believe the architects considered mutated roaches as civilians back in the time before the war. Once I got up the stairs I immediately was overwhelmed by the scent of blood. I stared at the mutilated, fresh, corpse of some giant creature of abominable appearance. It bled green blood which oozed all the way through the streets, down to the slope until it reached my feet my feet. I was standing in warm, green, fresh blood. It was like standing in syrup and then add smell like damp lead and you get a reasonable estimation of how it felt. Blight’s voice behind me said “poor Mirelurk, didn’t stand a chance against those damn mutants”. I was about to agree when he continued “then again, better it than us. If we went up there that thing would’ve killed us with even more ease than this." I thought of being squashed, then banished the thought and we continued to move into the hallowed alleys.

 

“Now you’d think that roach culture stops outside the city limits. That; Hunter, my vengeful friend is where you’re wrong." “There’s roach culture of their own inside the city as well. Food isn’t exactly a concern and neither is shelter. So they amuse themselves by whatever means they can." Blight stopped and began observing tracks. After a short pause he continued “you’re going to find that some people would do anything for half an hour of good fun. Some people don’t know their limits; I’ve yet to meet a roach, person, or ghoul who has”. We stopped at a dumpster where he gestured for me to give him a boost and I complied. He squeezed in between a crack and then came out and threw me some crumbs of Sugar Bombs. “Bon appetite” he muttered as he began to eat his portion. I looked down at the dry and stale food and then began to eat it as well.