Chapter 2: New Start
I woke up to the humid heat and the bright sun of the Mojave Desert, and as I adjusted my eyes, I realized I was spending another day in the world of Fallout New Vegas, my favorite video game.
Rising to my feet, I found myself resting by the shade of a boulder, near our caravan wagon, pulled by our family Brahmin. While the rest of my family was inside the Armored Personnel Carrier my father had rebuilt. The vehicle boasted six wheels, several guns mounted on the front and top, and reflective lines on the left and right corners of the front bumper.
The interior was spacious, with two benches on each side, storage compartments labeled with numbers, and a Power Armor unit standing in its two-piece station, supported by two struts with a wide base. If it were up to the old me, I would have stayed relaxing under the boulder's shade until the day's work was done.
It turns out, that the original owner of my body, Six VI, was attacked by a Radscorpion before I took over. To save his life, his father Viktor, a Caravan Merchant, used a healing serum that the family had saved for years. The serum was meant to heal, but it caused his body to grow immensely instead.
Now, he is Six XI, a 19-year-old who stands 215 cm tall and weighs 110 kg.
"I guess the ROBs really know how to set the stage for their Merchant Gamers."
Six mused as he accessed the main menu of his Pip-Boy 3000.
Level: 1
NAME: Six XI
GENDER: MALE
STRENGTH: 10
PERCEPTION: 10
ENDURANCE: 10
CHARISMA: 10
INTELLIGENCE: 10
AGILITY: 10
LUCK:8
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BARTER: 41
ENERGY WEAPONS: 26
EXPLOSIVES: 26
GUNS: 41
LOCKPICK: 26
MEDICINE: 26
MELEE WEAPONS: 26
REPAIR: 41
SCIENCE: 26
SNEAK: 26
SPEECH: 26
SURVIVAL: 26
UNARMED: 26
Six selected two initial Traits for enjoyment: Built to Destroy and Wild Wasteland. He then tagged three skills: GUNS, REPAIR, and BARTER, reflecting his heritage from a long line of Caravaners. His stats were elevated due to the Super Soldier Serum, granting him a 13% Critical Chance, a Carry Weight of 250, Melee Damage multiplied by 5, 300 Base Hit Points, and 95 Action Points.
With an Agility level of 10, Six's base speed was 150% of the normal rate. Consequently, his reload time was reduced by a factor of 0.67, making it take only two-thirds of the usual time.
He navigated to the inventory menu and scrolled down to the apparel section, where he found the starter pack.
-Lightweight Leather Armor
-Lightweight metal armor
-Tribal raiding armor
-Binoculars
-Weathered 10mm pistol
-Sturdy caravan shotgun
-Broad machete
-10X throwing spears
-Mercenary's grenade rifle
-3X super stimpaks
-5X bleak venoms
-3X doctor's bags
-4X weapon repair kits
-40X 20-gauge shotgun shells
-20X 40mm grenades
-50X 10mm rounds
-100 caps
-Vault 13 canteen
Six took a sip from his Vault 13 canteen, clad in Lightweight Leather Armor, with a weathered 10mm pistol at his hip and a sturdy caravan shotgun on his back, he began his journey through the wasteland.
One thing that immediately stood out in his new family was that his father was a mechanical genius. He could have been the chief engineer of any NCR research section if given the chance.
Instead, he entered the family business as a Caravan Merchant, but profit-making was not his forte. So, he married his mother Betty, a tenacious woman who took over the business side with an iron fist, allowing him to thrive as the Family Caravan Inventor.
Eventually, he heard a man's voice calling his name. Realizing the sun had set low, he exclaimed.
"Shit! I'm going to be late for dinner."
And started running towards the voice. He found his father, Viktor VI, waiting at the campsite with an annoyed look, accompanied by the Caravan Guards.
Upon entering the campsite, he heard rapid footsteps before a small body crashed into him. Looking down, he smiled at his little sister Dora clinging to his leg. She gazed up with big puppy dog eyes. She was a little girl who resembled 'Dora the Explorer.'
"Big Bro Six, where were you? I'm so hungry I could die!"
Patting her head, he replied.
"Sorry, little one, I was enjoying the shade's breeze."
"But now the food's getting cold!"
Six chuckled and offered.
"Tell you what, I'll give you my box of Sugar Bombs as an apology. Okay?"
Her teary face instantly transformed into a broad toothy grin.
"Yay! I love you, big bro!"
She ran back to their mother while bragging happily yelling about how happy she was that she was going to get to eat her brother's Sugar Bombs tonight.
As they rested from their long journey through the Mojave Desert, he remembered why they were traveling to Goodsprings; the Crimson Caravan had decimated their family's caravan business. Now they were heading to Goodsprings because his mother's family was there, ready to help them rebuild.
Reflecting on recent events, Six realized their family caravan had been covertly attacked. Made to appear as a Brotherhood assault, the caravans and their cargo were obliterated, wiping out most of the family business's assets. This incident bore a striking resemblance to the same fate of Cassidy Caravans.
It seemed that Alice McLafferty, the manager of the Crimson Caravan, had orchestrated the purchase of the company to remove a rival. His family's caravans were probably secretly destroyed by the Van Graffs, following a deal with a Crimson Caravan's manager.
He also harbored unease towards the guards his father had hired. It wasn't their appearance but the impression they gave off that they might betray his family.
'These guards seem untrustworthy. I'd better watch them closely.'
While Six was setting up his sleeping bag outside the Armored Personnel Carrier, keeping a watchful eye on the four guards, he was interrupted by his first system alert.
Ding!
[Quest: The Good The Bad, And The Ugly]
[Objective: Successfully eliminate the crooked guards by 48 hours]
[Reward: Super Rare Gold-Tier Item summoning ticket]
[Failure: You and your family's death]
After receiving the system alert, he decided to initiate the quest: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, to prevent his and his family's demise.
"Hey, old man."
"What is it now, Six?"
Viktor inquired with his usual gruff tone.
"Can we talk for a bit... inside the Armored Personnel Carrier with the family?"
He regarded his son for a few seconds before giving a nod.
"Alright. Wait for me at the Carrier. I'll bring the family there in a few minutes."
After a short wait, his entire family appeared.
"You mentioned you wanted to talk to us. So, what's on your mind, son?"
Six inhaled deeply. This was the moment they would either soar or crash and burn. If he couldn't persuade them to assist, he would have to consider locking them inside by force. Knowing his mother disliked indirectness, he opted for a direct approach.
"I need you all to lock yourselves inside the Carrier and provide covering fire against the guards. The sooner, the better."
His father raised an eyebrow.
"This is quite sudden, Six. Would you explain why?"
"Yes, I can. I'm fairly certain our Family Caravan was systematically taken out by the Crimson Caravan, using the Van Graffs to disguise it as Brotherhood attacks."
His mother, Betty, narrowed her eyes.
"Hmm, and why are the guards a threat to us?"
"Dad, please don't say you hired the guard from a Crimson Caravan affiliate, did you?"
Realization dawned on his father's face.
"Uhhmm..."
"Dammit, Viktor! You're always too trusting. That's why people take advantage of you!"
As his mother scolded his father, she discreetly started locking down the Carrier, leaving her son outside. Betty knew that the serum had changed her son; he was no longer the slacker he used to be. She had seen his intense training in the Mojave Desert, his sharpshooting skills, and his strenuous workouts, which he completed without breaking a sweat.
Six quickly surveyed the locations of the four guards. Two were by the campfire, resting and conversing, while the other two were out on patrol. He stealthily crouched and approached the guards at the campfire.
Remarkably, he remained unnoticed despite being 215 cm tall and weighing 110 kg, with a physique akin to Captain America's, and unparalleled in combat strength.
"So, when do we act? I'm fed up with this damn family!"
"Don't worry, Morry. This job ends in two days. Then we'll meet a Legion party to sell them all."
"Damn it, boss! Can't I have a go with the mom and daughter?"
"Sure, Morry. Just remember we need them alive."
"Hahaha! Don't worry, boss—"
Morry's words were cut short as a spear pierced his chest, causing him to choke on his own blood.
After enduring the guards' vile talk, Six hurled one of his throwing spears, taking out a guard. Furious over their intentions towards his mother and sister, he charged at the guard leader, skewering him with another spear.
Six realized he had ended two lives, yet felt only revulsion as he gazed upon the corpses. It dawned on him that the Super Soldier Serum had not only transformed his physique but also his mindset into that of an alpha predator, indifferent to the lives of those threatening his family.
His eyesight clarity was immediate; describing the visual acuity of a Super Soldier is challenging. He could discern each guard patrolling the desert from meters away.
"Uhrg!"
A guard's short cry rang out as another spear found its mark. Six aimed his weathered 10mm pistol, activated V.A.T.S., and was unsurprised to see a 95% hit chance on each target area as he took aim.
Thinking of having fun Six unloaded a shot at each of his hands, then shot both his legs crippling him to the ground, and then finished him off with a headshot. Scoring a critical, the Guard's head exploded in pieces everywhere like a watermelon.
Ding!
[Quest: The Good The Bad, And The Ugly. Complete]
[Objective: Successfully eliminate the crooked guards by 48 hours]
[Reward: Super Rare Gold-Tier Item summoning ticket]
Ding!
[You have leveled up!]
Level: 2
NAME: Six VI
GENDER: MALE
STRENGTH: 10
PERCEPTION: 10
ENDURANCE: 10
CHARISMA: 10
INTELLIGENCE: 10
AGILITY: 10
LUCK:8
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BARTER: 41
ENERGY WEAPONS: 26
EXPLOSIVES: 26
GUNS: 41
LOCKPICK: 26
MEDICINE: 26
MELEE WEAPONS: 26
REPAIR: 41
SCIENCE: 26
SNEAK: 26
SPEECH: 26
SURVIVAL: 26
UNARMED: 26
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone