Chương 258: 235. Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster Tragedy

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With their newfound loot and renewed determination, Sico and his team made their way to Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them in the next phase of their mission.

Sico and his team reached the entrance to Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster. The entrance foyer featured a door to the souvenir shop, chained from the other side, blocking their access. Ahead of them, a short set of stairs led up to the mine tunnel.

"Looks like we can't get into the souvenir shop from here," MacCready observed, examining the chained door.

"We'll have to find another way around," Sico replied, motioning towards the stairs. "Let's head up and see what we can find."

The team ascended the stairs, entering the mine tunnel. The dimly lit passageway had an eerie silence, with only the distant sound of dripping water echoing through the space. As they moved forward, Sico noticed an alcove on the right side of the tunnel.

"Hold up," Sico said, raising a hand to signal a stop. "There's something over here."

In the alcove, they found a male corpse dressed in cowboy attire. The sight was a grim reminder of the park's violent history. Next to the body, a crumpled note caught Sico's eye.

He picked it up and unfolded it, reading the contents aloud: "We're not letting those damn Raiders take over this park. Dry Rock Gulch always had the best defensive positions. We'll make our stand there. — Terry Tanaka."

"At least we know more about what happened here,but this corpse doesn't has a bullet shot in the body" Robert added. "Let's stay sharp."

Sico pocketed the note. "Alright, let's keep moving. We're getting closer to the coaster."

They continued through the tunnel, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The passage twisted and turned, leading deeper into the mine.

The team moved cautiously through the twisting tunnel, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. As they pressed forward, the sound of dripping water grew louder. Rounding a corner, they entered an alcove where a small waterfall and stream cascaded gently, breaking the oppressive silence.

"Looks like someone tried to make a camp here," Hancock observed, pointing to the extinguished campfire and a nearby shack with two sleeping bags.

Robert examined the area carefully. "There's a Master-locked door over there. Could be a supply room."

Sico nodded. "We'll check it out after we investigate the camp. Stay alert."

In the middle of the alcove, a dead brahmin lay on its side. Strangely, its stomach was moving, as if something was alive inside it.

"That's not normal," MacCready muttered, raising his sniper rifle. "Stay back. There might be something inside."

Sico approached the brahmin cautiously, his rifle trained on the swollen stomach. "Let's see what's going on here."

As he got closer, the stomach of the brahmin burst open, and a swarm of bloodworms erupted from within, their writhing forms spilling out onto the ground.

"Look out!" Sico shouted, jumping back and opening fire.

The team reacted instantly. Hancock fired his lever-action rifle, each shot taking down a bloodworm. Robert's laser rifle flashed, disintegrating the creatures as they poured out of the brahmin. MacCready's sniper shots rang out, picking off the worms with deadly precision.

The Protectrons moved in, their lasers cutting through the swarm. "Hostile targets detected," Sheriff Hawk announced, his laser beam slicing through the mass of bloodworms.

Despite the initial shock, the team's coordinated efforts quickly brought the situation under control. The bloodworms fell one by one, their lifeless bodies scattered across the ground.

As the last bloodworm was dispatched, Sico took a moment to catch his breath. "Everyone okay?"

"All good here," Hancock replied, reloading his rifle.

"Just a bit shaken," Robert added, checking his gear.

"Clear up here," MacCready confirmed from his position.

Sico nodded, relieved. "Let's check out that Master-locked door. There might be something useful inside."

Approaching the door, Sico pulled out a set of lockpicks. "Give me a minute to get this open."

He worked carefully, the lock clicking open after a few tense moments. Swinging the door open, the team found a small supply room. Inside, they discovered a stash of ammunition, medical supplies, and a few stimpaks.

"Nice find," Hancock said, grabbing some of the supplies.

Robert pocketed a few stimpaks. "This will come in handy."

Sico took a final look around the camp. "Alright, we've got what we need here. Let's move on to the coaster."

With the alcove cleared and their supplies replenished, the team continued their journey through the tunnel, heading deeper into Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster.

As Sico and his team emerged from the tunnel into the large boarding area of Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster, they were met with a tense standoff against the queen bloodworm and her brood. The air was thick with tension as the team assessed the situation.

"We need to take care of those bloodworms inside the dead brahmin first," Sico instructed, pointing towards the nearest carcass.

Hancock and Robert moved swiftly, their rifles at the ready. Hancock fired a series of shots, aiming for the squirming mass inside the dead brahmin's body. The bloodworms writhed and squirmed as they were targeted, their grotesque forms emerging from the carcass one by one.

Robert's laser rifle cut through the air with precision, each shot striking a bloodworm and preventing them from escaping the dead brahmin. "Watch your backs!"

Meanwhile, MacCready kept his sniper rifle trained on the queen bloodworm and her brood, ready to provide cover fire if needed. The Protectrons, positioned strategically by Sico, unleashed bursts of laser beams towards the emerging bloodworms, ensuring none would escape.

As the last bloodworm inside the dead brahmin fell, the team swiftly turned their attention to the queen bloodworm and the others nearby. They advanced cautiously, coordinating their attacks to minimize any counter-attacks from the bloodworms.

Hancock's lever-action rifle boomed, each shot finding its mark among the bloodworms that ventured too close. "Keep 'em off balance!"

Robert's laser rifle continued to hum with energy, cutting through the air with precision as he aimed for the bloodworms closest to the queen. "Focus fire on the queen!"

Sico joined the fray, his assault rifle spitting fire as he targeted the queen bloodworm. "We need to take out the queen before it can spawn more!"

The Protectrons intensified their barrage, their laser beams scorching the ground around the queen bloodworm. With each coordinated assault, the team pushed the bloodworms back, preventing them from regrouping or mounting a cohesive defense.

Finally, with a concerted effort, they managed to overwhelm the queen bloodworm. Its thrashing ceased as it succumbed to their combined firepower, its massive form collapsing onto the ground in a final, desperate twitch.

"Good work, everyone," Sico called out, breathing heavily. "Let's make sure there are no stragglers."

The team methodically cleared out the remaining bloodworms, ensuring the area was secure before they took a moment to assess their surroundings. Among the corpses of the dead brahmin and bloodworms, they found a few salvageable items: caps, a couple of stimpaks, and some scraps of useful materials.

"Found some caps here," Hancock said, collecting the currency from the bodies.

Robert gathered the stimpaks, placing them securely in his pack. "These will definitely be useful."

After securing the area and ensuring there were no remaining threats, Sico and his team took a moment to assess their surroundings. The large boarding area of Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster sprawled before them, scattered with the remains of their recent battle against the bloodworms. Amidst the carnage, they spotted several points of interest nearby.

"There's a shack over there," Robert pointed out, gesturing towards a small structure nestled near the entrance. "Looks like there's a sleeping bag and a cooking station."

Hancock approached cautiously, scanning the shack for any signs of danger. "Could be a good spot to rest up or prepare supplies."

Sico nodded in agreement. "Let's check it out."

Inside the shack, they found a rudimentary but functional setup—a sleeping bag neatly rolled in one corner, a cooking station with some basic ingredients still left out, and an extinguished campfire in the center of the room. It seemed the previous occupants had left in a hurry, possibly fleeing from the bloodworms or other threats in the area.

"Looks like they didn't finish their meal," MacCready remarked, pointing to the half-prepared food on the cooking station.

Sico inspected the area for any hidden compartments or items of interest, but aside from some scattered supplies, there wasn't much else to be found. "Keep an eye out for anything useful. Let's not leave anything behind that could help us."

As they searched, Robert noticed a steamer trunk partially obscured by collapsed flooring to the west. "There's a trunk over here," he called out, moving towards it.

The team gathered around as Robert worked to open the trunk. With a bit of effort, the lock clicked open, revealing a trove of treasures inside: additional ammunition, more stimpaks, and a few valuable chems that could prove useful in their journey through the coaster.

"Jackpot," Hancock grinned, reaching in to grab some of the supplies. "This will definitely come in handy."

Sico nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, let's secure these supplies and keep moving. We still have more ground to cover."

Their attention then turned to the northeast, where Sico had spotted a small control room behind two Advanced-locked doors. "There might be something important in there," he said, eyeing the doors thoughtfully. "MacCready, can you take a look at those locks?"

MacCready nodded, moving towards the control room doors. "I'll see what I can do."

With a few skilled movements, MacCready managed to pick the locks on the control room doors. The team entered cautiously, prepared for whatever awaited them inside. As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, they spotted a female corpse clad in a western duster, lying peacefully against the wall. Sico approached first, his expression somber as he checked the body for any signs of life.

"She's gone," Sico confirmed quietly, noting the peaceful expression on her face.

Robert knelt beside Sico, noticing a crumpled note clutched in the woman's hand. Carefully, he retrieved it and unfolded the paper, reading aloud the words written by Sam Teller:

"Bloodworms. Should've known they'd nest down below here. Came at us through the dirt. Only a matter of time now.

I'm not letting them take me. Not some worms. Not some Raiders. I'm going out on my terms.

My name was Sam Teller. I ran caravans and did good, honest deals out of Nuka-World for years. I fought the Raiders when they came. I led the holdouts. I was a mother and a wife and a sister and a daughter, and fuck you for taking that all away from me."

The team stood silently, absorbing the weight of Sam Teller's final message. The reality sank in that all the people who once inhabited this area had met a grim fate at the hands of the bloodworms.

Hancock broke the silence, his voice edged with respect. "She fought hard. Damn shame."

MacCready nodded solemnly. "Seems like she was a real fighter."

Sico carefully folded the note and tucked it away, a silent tribute to the brave soul who had left behind these words. "Let's see if there's anything else of use in here."

The control room contained various operational consoles and equipment, alongside a storage cabinet that yielded some technical manuals and spare parts. Among the clutter, they also found a small cache of fusion cells and a map detailing maintenance tunnels and emergency exits within the coaster.

"These could be useful," Robert noted, gathering up the technical manuals and fusion cells. "Help us navigate the tunnels better."

With their supplies secured and the note safely stowed, Sico led the team out of the control room. They regrouped in the boarding area, each member silently paying their respects to the fallen inhabitants of Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster.

"Let's keep moving," Sico said firmly, looking to his team. "We have a coaster to explore and a mission to complete."

As the team left the control room behind, they proceeded towards the southern tunnel that passed under the bridge they had crossed earlier. Before they could enter the tunnel, however, they noticed a small shack nearby. Inside, a dead brahmin lay, its bloated body showing signs of infestation by bloodworms.

"We can't leave these bloodworms to cause trouble later," Sico said, eyeing the carcass warily. "MacCready, you got any grenades left?"

MacCready nodded, reaching into his pack and retrieving a fragmentation grenade. "Just the one. Should do the trick."

With practiced precision, MacCready tossed the grenade into the shack through a broken window. The explosion reverberated through the small space, followed by the sound of chitin cracking and bloodworms shrieking in pain.

"Nice shot," Hancock remarked, his tone approving as the team watched the shack for any signs of movement.

A few moments passed, and when it was clear the bloodworms inside had been neutralized, the team cautiously approached the shack. Inside, the charred remains of the bloodworms and the brahmin confirmed their success.

"Good riddance," Robert muttered, wrinkling his nose at the acrid smell lingering in the air.

Sico nodded in agreement, gesturing towards the tunnel entrance. "Let's get moving. We have more ground to cover."

As the team proceeded through the southern tunnel under the bridge, they soon encountered another grim discovery—a human male corpse lying against the tunnel wall. Sico approached cautiously, checking for any signs of life and confirming the man was deceased.

"He's gone," Sico announced quietly, his gaze falling on the crumpled note clutched in the man's hand.

Robert carefully retrieved the note, unfolding it and reading aloud:

"We got pushed back into the mine. Don't know how long we can hold out. I keep hearing things. Tremors or something. I don't think we're alone here.

God help us.

Sign Ricky Braxton."

The team stood silently, absorbing the weight of Ricky Braxton's final message. It was evident that the bloodworm infestation had driven these people to desperate measures. The place has now become a grave for so many people, that even the outside world doesn't know what happen that made them wonder how desperate the fight inside the place.

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• Name: Sico

• Stats :

S: 8,44

P: 7,44

E: 8,44

C: 8,44

I: 9,44

A: 7,45

L: 7

• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills

• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint

• Active Quest: -