19 The reality.

'Still observing?'

Looking towards the farmhouse I spotted a ghoul spying on us in…. Fearful Curiosity. 

They don't seem to be aware that they've already been caught by me.

Trying to wrack my mind around the situation, I felt my tail swipe at the dirt in annoyance.

I was contemplating on how I should go about interacting with them. Leaving now wouldn't do me any favors. My presence has already been discovered. That being the case…. Why not use the opportunity to dig for important information….. 

'Snow has already spoken to them. They may have already concluded that I have some level of intelligence… So if I were to act like a clueless animal, it may draw needless suspicion. Getting any useful knowledge from them is already going to be hard… No need to increase the difficulty.'

Even as I said this, there were still doubts in the back of my head.

Is it really alright if I reveal my intelligence? It could easily be written off as a successful mutation. But it may also cause trouble later down the line. If a powerful group were to learn of us… They probably wouldn't be too keen on allowing such an uncertain factor to move around unobstructed. A Deathclaw is one thing… But intelligent Deathclaws are another. 

I absentmindedly stared at the farm house not too far away.

'Regardless.'

I needed knowledge. Of this world. Of this region. But getting that information would be very difficult…. 

I can't just look at them, open my mouth and say 'Hey, what part of the United States are we in?' or 'What year is it?' Those are questions a Deathclaw wouldn't ask. 

'Perhaps I could try goading them into giving me information?'

That sounds more reasonable. But how do I go about asking for the information without outright asking for it?

I could try asking for general information. Like a curious child. I wouldn't get the information I wanted immediately, but maybe I can piece things together bit by bit.

This will have to do. For now at least.

I brought my attention back to the two ghouls looking at me from the house. My enhanced hearing picked up a couple of words here and there, but the distance made it hard to hear anything clearly.

He or she turned to look towards Snow and I when our eyes abruptly connected. The gray ghoul's eyes widened and the door was quickly shut.

'Thier terror is justified…. But It will make things harder.'

"Sigh"

There isn't much I can do about it at this point…. Let's just get started.

'Snow.'

I formed a connection before calling out to mother. After a moment, I heard her reply.

'Bal?'

'…..I'm gonna go "play" with those ghouls. I won't be long.'

'Play safe….. Snow will get food to eat.'

Now that she mentioned it… I am pretty hungry…. I never ate anything yesterday, did I?

'Alright Snow.'

She wouldn't be gone for long. The longest she's ever been on a hunt was 2 hours.

We both got up and I watched as she left towards the destroyed exit. The only reason she would leave me here after I almost died was because she knew those Ghouls were afraid of her… We also needed food. 

'Contrary to the giant holein the fence, this was probably the safest place around.'

I looked to the gaping entrance before walking towards the farmhouse.

'Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to repay these guys in some way. Not only are they half responsible for saving my life. My mother destroyed their gate.'

Striding to the stairs of the farmhouse I began climbing them…. Each step releasing a creaking noise as I pulled my weight forward.

Arriving in front of the door I raised my hand to knock but stopped just before I did.

'Knocking? where would a deathclaw learn such a thing?'

'It's rude but, do I just go inside? I don't really have any other choice. I'm definitely not going to scratch at their door like some dog. That'd destroy both my pride and their wooden door.

I don't want them thinking I could just sneak into their minds whenever I want either. So using [Mind Link] is out.

I thought in silence for a minute or two before reaching a consensus.

The doorknob it is then. One could also ask how a Deathclaw knows how to open a door…. But we're intelligent so it wouldn't be as far-fetched as knocking. They could attack me in surprise… But there isn't any other intelligent way to force a conversation to start… I need that information. As completely clueless as I am about my situation, I'm not sure just how much longer I can stay ignorant without any negative consequences. My Hp is full, so it should be fine… If we get into a confrontation then I can easily tank enough damage to retreat back outside. 

'Their terrified of mother. So that might also play in my favor....'

I made my decision.

'Someones about to get a heart attack.'

I reached out and grasped the knob, turning it…. The door opened with a creak and the inside was revealed.

.....

.....

.....

"Carly…. You gotta stop opening that damn door…. You're making me tense."

Bruce spoke up, annoyed. He was sitting around the table with the others… They were in the middle of cleaning their guns. Who knows if that thing will attack them. It's not like they can just leave. They got nowhere else to go. They won't attack first, Marcus would make sure of that..... But, they needed to at least be prepared. All the usable ammo was already gathered and sorted. Bullets were actually pretty rare. In all, they only had around 600… That was the various ammos combined. They had bows as well, but something like that would never work against the monster from before… So they weren't gathered.

'Lay off Bruce. You know she's just antsy….. Like the rest of us."

Tommy rebuked the cranky mutant in a flaky yet amused tone.

"Antsy my ass. She's been opening that door every 5 minutes."

"I can't help it! I'm nervous! You saw what it did to the gate. This old wood house wouldn't stand a chance."

This time Jacob chimed in.

"I got to agree with both of ya. That thing.. Ripped our gates off in one swipe. This old house wouldn't stop anythin if it decided to attack. Honesty it'll probably fall right on top of our heads. But you opening and shutting the door constantly isn't gonna help. We need your attention focused over here."

"Hahhhh Fine"

"Bert, stop sulking. It isn't even that big of a deal."

Bert was quiet as he cleaned the gun in front of him. He wasn't very good at using them. But cleaning them was something he's done for years now. He huffed and responded to Jill

"You wouldn't understand."

"I get it, Bert…. You're upset because the evil dinosaur decided to use your dirt as a bed."

"It's not dirt…. It's soil. Soil I've been working with for years. That heavy devil outside is probably compacting the soil with its massive weight right now… You didn't hold the small one. It was heavier than me Jill. That little thing…. The mother must be the weight of an elephant. If we manage to survive, I wouldn't be surprised if I went outside only to find out my precious soil was condensed into rock."

"Do you even hear the words coming out of your own mouth? You're worried about that dirt in our current situation? I knew you were starting to go insane but this is a new level. Even for you."

Bert didn't respond and just looked down. He even seemed a bit... Depressed.

"Sigh….. Damnit….. Your soil is probably fine….. Even if it's ruined, we have time you can start over."

She looked towards Carly and Tommy for help. They were the ones who usually cheered up others, They just pretended not to notice her stare and continued cleaning their guns. Carly even began innocently humming.

Marcus was the only one who didn't talk amongst everyone in the room. He was the type that focused on his work. It was easier to stay on track and get things done faster. He didn't know if there would be any confrontations with the monsters outside…. But he wanted to be ready for anything. He wouldn't have survived until now if he wasn't always cautious… Nobody would have.

"What do ya think Marcus? Of those things outside."

When Jacob asked the question Marcus ceased his hand movements, but after a brief moment, he started again.

"Nothing we can really do about it. We can only hope they don't become hostile. If they did, most of us would die. Even if we tried scattering. And if we tried fighting head on we would never win. We can only prepare to defend ourselves. We may be able to kill the little one. But that would just enrage the mother. Unless they attack you, don't try to fight them. I'd rather not antagonize something that could cause a giant stampede like the one we saw the other day."

"Or like how it swooshed our gate into the air!?"

Carly chimed in a bit hyperly. Raising her hands up to emphasize her point.

"like how it swooshed our gate into the air."

Dully repeating the words Marcus examined the gun… The loss of the front gate truly was a thing to be mourned.

"Our chances in a fight are really zero huh?"

Jacob asked in confirmation.

"If our walls were stronger we could have put up a stronger defense. Maybe then we might have stood a chance. But I wouldn't be too sure."

The chatter in the room died down as everyone had a depressed look on their faces.

*Creak*

"Carly, I thought I told you... to….."

Bruce began to speak but cut himself off as he noticed the woman he called out to was sitting right next to him. He was confused. Everyone was sitting at the table, right?

"If she didn't open the door then who did?"

His question was answered after a few seconds when a small figure appeared from around the corner.

Everything in the room stopped, the chatting, the moving hands, and even the breathing.

The moment didn't last long though as someone broke out of their trance.

Jacob reflexively grabbed his gun and took aim, but before he could press the trigger Marcus shot over the table. Forcing his gun down.

...…..

...…..

...…..

'Thank goodness. It didn't escalate.'

The risk may have seemed a bit unnecessary, but how else would I be able to interact with them face to face? Surely, they would never go out of their way to try and speak to me. I had to go to them first. It might seem foolish, and it was, to an extent. But the likelihood of any of them potentially trying to kill me was low. And if they did. The chance of them actually succeeding was far lower. One looked like he was getting ready to shoot and I prepared myself. But thankfully another stopped him.

I examined each of their faces. Most of them looked fearful. I knew this would happen. I knew it would happen beforehand, yet, it still felt a bit strange. Having the appearance that made others fear you. Surprisingly, not all of them seemed to be afraid. The one that was getting ready to open fire on me earlier looked to be having some kind of internal struggle. Should he shoot me? Should he not shoot me? Probably something along those lines. The one who stopped him on the other hand, had a serious expression on his face.

"Careful Jacob. If you do it, everyone will die."

The man, now known as Jacob hesitated for a bit, before lowering his gun. But he still held onto it firmly. Everyone seemed to be doing the same.

"Everyone stay calm. It doesn't seem threatening…. Just..... Carefully back away."

Seeing everyone start following the man's orders I took him as the leader of the group.

I opened my mouth and used actual words to speak to him.

"Do you…. understand?"

Hearing my voice caused them to shutter slightly. It was a bit deep… Yet it held some childish quality.

For a split second the man's eyes widened. Then replying in a cautious tone, he spoke.

"What do you want? Why are you here?"

How to get started?

'I…. Am interested….. I wanted to know…."

End of chapter.

Every ghoul in the room. All of them were taken aback by the creature's speech. It sounded unnatural.

Swallowing his saliva, Marcus asked a question of his own."...How were you able to heal so quickly? I saw your wounds the other day. One stimpack wasn't enough to completely recover those kinds of injuries."

The pale orange eyes of the creature stared into Marcus's own. It was unnerving. It seemed to be contemplating what it would say.

"This... is not the first time….. seeing ghoul. Long ago….. Managed to help one…. that... was hurt…. Abilities….. allowed us…. to communicate... with others even without… knowing their language. But…. only to a…. certain extent. Asked…. ghoul, to teach…. how to speak…. Very young back then... learned for short time….. But managed to understand…. After….. I learned more from books.... scattered around. But most... were ruined….. Each only had... little information. I did... teach mother….. some of the words…. I learned. "

The beast completely ignored the question Marcus asked… Instead it explained its ability to speak.

...…..

...…..

It was almost a perfect excuse. A lie, yes but it was a good one. All I need to do later is to tell mother not to reveal the truth and they would never be able to prove me wrong... Now I can just straight up ask for information because I "Read" about something in a ruined book...

Marcus was a bit skeptical of what he heard. He wanted an answer to the question he posed but didn't want to incite its anger, so he dropped it.

As he was about to reply, Carly opened her mouth without thinking.

"Ghoul? Is that what others have been referring to our kind as?"

Everyone looked at her and she covered her mouth in a panic.

A short silence dominated the room.

'How could they not know that? Isn't that basic information?... Something doesn't seem right.'

I cautiously worded the sentence in my head before speaking.

"That's... what he…. referred to himself…. as. Is…. it….. wrong?"

At that moment Marcus took back control of the conversation by answering the question.

"No, But we've always referred to ourselves as mutants. Now, what did you want to know?"

"I am Setherrog Bal….. Mother's name….. is Snow. Can I know.... your names?"

Names?..... The notion never even crossed any of their minds. Did these creatures actually have names? Setherrog Bal? Is that the name of some demon from mythology? And Snow? For the monster that obliterated their gate yesterday… The name was a bit too innocent.

"Cough, Cough"

Marcus cleared his throat getting their attention.

"Well.... I don't see a problem with telling you our names… My name is Marcus.

He pointed at himself before pointing to the others one by one.

"This is Bruce, Jacob, Jill, Bert, Carly, and Tommy. Our last names aren't really important anymore. Now, can you tell me what you wanted to know?"

The others didn't say anything. Choosing to stay quiet. They were still quite intimidated by the small devil in front of them.

"Alright... Let me think."

'What question should I ask first? It has to be a simple innocent question that can lead to follow-up questions. They're already weary of me. I need to ask something that won't make them very suspicious of me.'

"You call….. yourselves, Mutants?

Marcus hesitated to speak.

"Was it... a hard….. question?"

Sighing, he opened his mouth.

"No….. We were once humans. But after the bombs dropped…. Our bodies absorbed too much of the radiation, and we changed. We used to have smooth skin, but after changing we became like this. Our bodies mutated into something that while allowing us to survive, took away our ability to truly live. Someone started calling us Mutants at some point and the name stuck….. But it seems others are referring to themselves as ghouls… Does that answer your question?"

"Yes… But…. what do you mean... by bombs? What are bombs?.....What….. Is radiation?"

"That… That'd be difficult to explain...."

The ghoul paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. How could he explain it in an easy way to understand?

"Bombs are... destruction… A type of weapon that humans, something we used to be, created, to use against each other. They created loud explosions that damaged everything in a large area and practically nothing could survive the aftermath. The bombs that they used were extraordinarily powerful. So powerful that they destroyed not only their enemies but most likely the entire world. They also carried strange energy that when coming into contact with our bodies made us change into what you see before you. That energy was radiation. When most living things come into contact with it, they die… But we did not..."

I took a moment, picking apart what he told me… Fishing for another useful question....

"And?…. the world?"

"The word world is referring to all of the land, seas, and skies."

"Hmmm….. The land and sky... Looks fine…. To me."

The man paused for a moment. A sad look appeared in his eye… 

Suddenly, he released a soft chuckle. Even some of the others joined in.

'Was what I said….. funny?'

"Huh? No, not quite.... I just lost control of myself for a moment."

"It's fine…. But why did you…. laugh?"

"You wouldn't understand… You were born into this world and you will grow up strong… But before the bombs fell. Humans dominated the world for thousands of years. But now, us Mutants….. Us ghouls are the only ones left you can find….. The current world to you may not look bad, but to us? It's a hellish landscape. Completely uninhabitable by normal humans and filled to the brim with dangerous mutated wildlife."

By the end, Marcus was no longer chuckling, He instead sounded somber.

Honestly, a part of me had to agree with him. Even if I was a human in my last life I could never possibly understand how they felt… It's hard to remember, when I was first reborn as a Deathclaw I'm sure I was excited. But if I was born as just another ordinary human? Or even a ghoul? My first thoughts would most likely have changed too. 'Why did it have to be me?'

'Normal people have it hard in this world. They're made of soft flesh afterall. Unlike in the game. A single well-placed bullet should be enough to end them. They are not video game characters..... Can a human considered strong in the game be just as strong in reality? How would they compare to a Deathclaw? Which is faster than them, Stronger than them, has better perception than them, and has far higher endurance than them. Could they possibly win?'

'Their one and only advantage?… They have a high intellect… If they use that correctly, then they have a chance to win….. But, What about me? I'm not some dumb beast.'

The others in the room looked at me strangely…. I believe they took my silence as confusion….

"Humans?.... What happened….. to them?"

"Gone. They can't survive with the high amount of radiation in the air. There may be some surviving in those vaults, but if they were to be opened….. Then they would be considered as good as dead."

"What about... other places? Someplace….. has to have lower... radiation….. than here? And…. Vaults?"

The conversation continued flowing and the other ghouls started calming down. They relaxed…. But only slightly. Their hands still rested on their guns. But after speaking for a while they became noticeably less nervous….

"Ah. Hey."

Bert interrupted Marcus as everyone including me turned to look at him. Making him slightly apprehensive.

"Ahh, Well, Iah. Worked on a few Vaults before the world ended and….."

I had to fight to keep my facial expression under control, but if one was looking at me they'd notice my pupils contracting. Fortunately after speaking, Bert had everyone's attention on himself…. Well besides his own…. Bert was looking directly at me. But he was seemingly lost in his memories and didn't pick up on it.

"Before the world ended I worked as a SubContractor. It means I helped build things. Well, one of those things was a vault… Actually two….. One here in Oregon and the other up in Washington. And let me tell you they were built to last. They were built to survive an eventual nuclear fallout without even receiving a dent. Shortly after they were made, the first bombs began falling in New Mexico and everyone rushed to them. I was visiting my mother and father at the time. Unfortunately...…. Or fortunately, they didn't survive the radiation. I've been held up here ever since.

Halfway through Bert's explanation, I froze as a certain name sounded out in my ears.

'Oregon? I'm in Oregon? That's just above Vegas in Nevada… Am I in the Fallout New Vegas timeline? And why did I appear in Oregon? Was it random?'

I'm not even sure if this is good or bad. The radiation levels seem to be too high for humans to survive here so it eliminates a lot of enemies, but I have no foreknowledge about anything in Oregon.

"Oregon?"

"That's right. You wouldn't know but every region of the United States had its own individual names."

Wait a minute…. If the radiation levels were so high in Oregon, then how could anyone possibly survive only one state over? Suddenly, A sneaking suspicion appeared in my mind and I felt something clasp at my heart.

It was a thought.

"And.... When did these bombs fall?'

The mere assumption stunned me. I was so shocked I broke character.… 

Marcus's finger twitched as I did.

I could see confusion… then the gears began turning in his head.

Bert seemed to pause for a moment thinking in silence before answering my question.

"Well, seeing as we don't have a calendar we can't be sure. But it must have been around at least 17 or 18 years since the bombs fell..."

Shadow covered my eyes as I looked toward the ground…

A moment after he finished saying what he wanted to say… A tense silence invaded the room. 

Marcus finally seemed to realize something.

"You?... Did you?"

'Guess the cats out of the bag now. Not that it matters anymore. This news… It changes everything.'

"You gave me a lot of useful information… For that, I must thank you…"

After the words left my mouth… Everyone's mouth was agape. The fluency of my words… It was completely different from the previous unrefined speech. 

Carly pulled on Jacobs sleeve but the man didn't react.

"You lied about your speech."

Marcus spoke… Rather than a question…. It sounded more like a statement… 

"I did."

Everyone felt a chill go down their spine as they heard the words… Immediately they tensed back up… If a fight broke out they'd be ready.

"There's no need to be so tense… I never planned on attacking my saviors… But, if you were to say, attack me now… I will absolutely defend myself…"

Every word was like shattering glass. The demon had tricked them… Getting them to let down their guard as they indulged its desire for information…

"Was your mother also fooling us? What's your motive for coming here?"

Marcus spoke in anger… Had everything been set up? The injuries, The mothers rage? The dummy act? If so, He was played like an idiot.

"That isn't the case. Mother wasn't putting up an act, if that's what you're thinking…."

"Then why did you come in here?"

A ghoul in the corner spoke up… His name was Tommy I think.

He had a very serious look on his face. 

"Would I have been able to hold a conversation with you otherwise? Would you have gone out of your way to speak to me?" 

Tommy continued on.

"You said you were looking for information? When you heard you were in Oregon you dropped the act… You could have continued asking questions but you stopped. Why is being in Oregon so important?"

"....It seems that Marcus isn't the only one to have noticed. You're very keen… Oregon is…. Not important…. Or rather, it is…. Just not directly…With just that one name…. I learned a lot." 

"And why drop the act? Why not keep going?" 

"It's because you got the information you wanted right?"

Bruce asked in anger… alongside hidden fear.

"No, that's not it… It did play a part though….But the real reason I was playing dumb was because I had plenty of things I needed to ask… but I was afraid… Afraid that my intelligence would bring trouble to my doorstep later down the line... But things are different now. I know now, I don't need to play dumb… It's because I discovered something…. Something that, from this point on, will change how I continue moving forward...."

"You see… I won't die naturally… As long as I don't do something stupid… I will live…. And as I grow older I will continue growing stronger… I will be able to do things that others can't, go places that others can't, And I will be able to do so, with relative ease.… But… Even so… That's not my biggest advantage… You see… It's so early that I don't need to worry about others coming to pick a fight with me."

"W-what do you mean?…"

I looked toward the women who spoke.

"You were Jill, Correct?"

She averted her eyes in fear… Then the girl named Carly jumped in front of her. Blocking her from my view.

"Stop looking at Jill!"

Ignoring her. I scanned everyone in the room before slightly spreading my arms.

"I've realized now… I don't have to worry about others hunting me down. My biggest advantage…. I suppose, in a sense, I can be considered a Beta tester."

End of chapter.