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50.07% Steel Waste / Chapter 355: Prim Primm

Chapter 355: Prim Primm

Elsewhere :

Elder McNamara was slumped in his chair while rubbing his temples, the recent report had everyone on edge. But not only that, it had a few partitioning him to release the lockdown and allow the Chapter to start actually performing their duties.

They'd been trapped in this bunker for years now, and McNamara was more or less leaning towards actually listening to them... Their pursuers the NCR had been continually pushed back by the Legion and barely had enough men to keep their roads safe, let alone search for the Brotherhood... Even then, they'd already given up looking many years ago.

Despite all this, he was still incredibly wary of actually revealing themselves to the outside world again. Their position made it almost inevitable that they'd be attacked on two fronts from both the NCR and Legion if things continued to progress as they currently were.

You would think that the Legion would be more lenient in their dealings with them, but you'd be very wrong in that assumption. The Legion hated any and all technology more advanced than a simple ballistic weapon. Even then, he'd read reports that most ran into combat with nothing but machetes...

If everything wasn't bad enough yet, the ventilation systems were still on a crash course for failure. Dust particles were steadily beginning to gather, no one had notified yet but in a couple years the situation would be untenable... And that's not even mentioning his most recent report...

Apparently, a literal army of Deathclaws charged up Black Mountain. Usually, he and the rest of the Brotherhood would celebrate at the deaths of so many Supermutants, but they still hadn't determined the reason the Deathclaws attacked in the first place.

This was very, very worrying. No information in their database on Deathclaws gave any indication, so, as most would do in this situation, he sent some Knights to scout the Quarry to see what was going on...

McNamara sighs to himself when he remembers it. They'd found almost nothing. Not 'nothing' in the 'nothing had occured', but 'nothing'. As in theentire Quarry was entirely emptied of Deathclaws. His men did notice signs of battle, blood spatters and craters here and there, but no corpses.

This should have been impossible. If the Deathclaws had been killed, then their corpses should still be around. Unfortunately, he had no scouts in the area at the time, so they were currently in the dark about what'd happened...

It was possible that the Deathclaws were attacked and simply moved to another location... But that wasn't good for the Chapter either. The reason the bunker was in such a good location was because the NCR rarely moved through the area.

Now that the highway was clear, the NCR would begin using it for supply routes, making their situation more tenuous than ever. Hardin and his supporters would only make things worse, as they simply could not leave the bunker now, or after the trade routes start.

Once single mention about someone seeing a Paladin would have the NCR storm back into the area... They may not miss their bunker the next time.

Elsewhere :

Afton and the rest of the group are lead into Primm, he and Karl both gawking at the previously desolate place that'd apparently regained some vibrance. Some of the ruined building had been given a make-shift patch up while many new faces seem to have settled here.

In the main street, Afton could see a few stalls selling small amounts of vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuffs. Hell, there was even a Geckop roasting over a fire, making the whole area smell of roasted meat.

"Is this the same town we saw months ago? Because right now, I'm on the fence." Afton states, surprised at the dramatic change.

Meyers chuckles, "I'm surprised, considering you two are primarily responsible for it."

Both Afton and Karl raise a brow at him and he continues, "With the Powder Gangers almost entirely eliminated from this area, we haven't had trouble from raiders for a while. The few who tried seemed afraid that you'd come back and sort them out." he says gesturing at Afton with a smirk.

"Personally, I can't see what they're so afraid of. You don't look like much, even with that goofy outfit and all those guns." he mutters.

"They must've heard about what he did in Westside... I'm not gonna bitch t though, fuckers deserved it." Karl spits.

"Yeah, I heard somethin' like that... Butchered two kid-fuckers in front of everyone and threatened to do the same to anyone else who committed similar crimes." Meyers shrugs, with Anja and Josie giving Afton a weird look.

"What? They literally sold children to the Fiends. They should be lucky I hadn't just castrated them and let the crows have 'em." Afton says disinterestedly.

Meyers just shakes his head, "Anyway, most of the folk who come here now are runnin' from the Legion. They've apparently taken to raiding small settlements and enslaving any they capture. So, families 'av been headed West to escape them. Fortunately for us, we're in the perfect place to get protection from the NCR, while also not paying taxes." he explains.

"Not paying taxes?" Afton mutters, "I wouldn't be surprised to see the NCR taking forces from the front lines to make you pay them." he says semi-sarcastically.

Meyers shrugs, "They need people stationed here for us to pay taxes. Right now the closest NCR base is the Mojave Outpost south of here. Anyway, the lack of taxes has only encouraged folk to settle down here, the lack of raiders and Legionaries is just the cherry on top." he explains.

"All this talk is making me worried about Novac." Afton mutters. He wasn't wrong to be afraid either, as Novac was the closest settlement to Nelson, the place that the Legion had recently recaptured.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Niggross Niggross

Hope you bois liked the chaps, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!

next chapter

Chapter 356: Ed Edd and ED-E

The group continues walking around Primm, Meyers showing them the various improvements that'd been made. The casino had been 'fixed up' and the Bison Steve Hotel had finally been cleared of the bodies Afton and Karl had left there.

It'd also been renovated to the best of the resident's abilities and made into a proper hotel. Though, right now no one was paying rent. Instead, it was basically owned by everyone in town and people who didn't have another residence would simply stay in one of the rooms.

Meyers said it was messy and a bit mismanaged but worked for the influx in population for now. As they walked Afton eventually spotted another familiar face, Johnson Nash. The elderly man was sitting in a lawn chair with any mechanical components on the floor in front of him.

"Huh, would have thought you guys'd make him Mayor..." Afton mutters, having got the impression back when the old man pulled a pistol on him in the casino.

Meyers chuckles, "He is our mayor..."

...

Indeed, that brought many questions... "Why is your mayor selling scrap metal and not managing the town?" Afton asks with a dull expression.

"He's a smart guy, why can't he do both? Not like having an office makes you a better mayor or somethin'. This way he can earn some money without being a corrupt asshole like most of those douchebags." Meyers scoffs, and Afton had to give it to him, that certainly a benefit.

Before they walk past the old man's stall however, something catches Afton's eye. "Hang on... Is that an Enclave eyebot?" Afton murmurs to himself, bending down and looking the robot over. He remembered reading about these things in the Brotherhood database, they were apparently designed to spy on the populace and broadcast propaganda.

"You know what this thing is, kid? I tried to fix it up but never managed it... The wife wanted it outta the house..." Nash admits.

"Yeah, I know it... Yo Nash, you remember me?" Afton asks.

The man gives him a glare and eventually nods, "Bout to say you looked familiar. My mind must be leaving me if I couldn't recognise the guy who saved our asses. How've you been doin'?"

"Good." Afton states before focussing on the robot, "Anyway, how much for the robot? I doubt anyone other than me would be interested in it, and even if they were it'd only be for scrap metal." he explains.

Nash shrugs, "50 caps."

Afton suppresses his enthusiasm and slowly nods before handing the caps over, "Fair."

"Hmm? I guess you're stayin' the night then? I doubt you'll be wanting ta' lug that thing around the place." Meyers says from the side, looking at the heavy exercise ball-sized machine Afton had just purchased.

Afton nods, "I'll get it fixed by tonight, we'll be gone tomorrow. That alright with you guys?"

"Course, you guys can take a couple rooms in the hotel." Nash adds, and the group nod gratefully at him.

"Alright, since we're stayin' here for the day, I might as well hit up the casino. Need some practice for New Vegas." Karl adds, leaving and taking Boone with him.

Afton looks to the girls, "Guess we better pick out some rooms, we can go see what trouble those two'll get themselves in afterwards." he says, carrying the robot towards the hotel.

The group spends the rest of the day relaxing in the casino, they weren't strapped for caps in the least, especially since they'd just completed one of the best paying jobs the NCR had. Once they returned to Camp McCarren they'd be one of the richest group in the Mojave. As well as the most well-armed.

Some of the group are confused at why Afton isn't trying to fix the machine now, but he just waves them off saying he'd do a couple tweaks to it at night. Obviously, these 'tweaks' would be him sleeping next to it and allowing [Mechanicus] to do the job.

From what he'd learned by looking the robot over, it'd apparently been shot out of the sky and had a few vital components damaged. Nothing too difficult to fix, but annoying nonetheless. Fortunately, like most robots, it had some basic info printed on the inside of its chassis...

It was designated Eyebot Duraframe Subject E, but Afton decides to just call it 'ED-E' as it seems more... Fitting? Hopefully, it'd have more personality than most robots, otherwise he might just render it down to its components and use them to upgrade his next vehicle.

Unfortunately, most of the other information he'd hoped to find in the chassis had been destroyed by external sources... Bullet holes make it difficult to read after all.

"What do you think Nyx?" he asks, wanting to know his 'closest' companions opinion on the robot.

"I hope it will be fun... I wish it could sneak, but it doesn't have legs..." she mutters.

He chuckles, "You don't need legs to sneak you know... In fact, lacking legs probably makes you better at it."

"OOooohh? Shall we remove yours then? You can always be better at sneaking, user."

...

"Er, no. I need my legs for, eh, walking... Anyway, we'll see what ED-E is like tomorrow morning." he states.

As the night rolls around, Afton and the rest of the group are forced to drag Karl's drunk and unconscious body to their hotel room... Seems like he'd gotten a bit too 'relaxed', though, it was funny to see him brag about killing a Deathclaw nest and having no one believe him.

As recompense for getting drunk while they still had things to do, the group writes a few things on his face with marker pens. Due to the lack of mirrors around the wasteland, Karl would probably not find out until someone mentions it...


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Niggross Niggross

Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!

If you like my content please go to https://www.p.atreon.com/Nagross, I'd appreciate it.

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