Now I know what one of your reader's profile name means, thanks Andy !!! Awesome Write !!

Doggy Dee lite!!!

DANG I just know there's a gonna be a TON of stuff to catch up to when I gets back...sniff..sniff...

"Hey Danny, I'm thinking it best if we officialize the charter of Serenity for the duration of this little safari, considering."

We were standing on the rear of the old flightdeck belonging to the carrier that was Rivet City. Harkess was just walking back to the carriers bridge island, having secured the assistance of Danny's vertibird ?piloted by Maria, while it was parked there. Assistance in the form of 'if anything happens while you're here, we're glad you're here'. I joked with Maria in front of Harkess that it probably meant 'oh please, oh please, take us for a tour flight, please, please, please..' Ducking the daggers of death directed at me from my old boss, while displaying my scared-monkey grin. Even though it was just three weeks ago that I came through Rivet City, it was always good to see him.

"Making new and important friends, are we Andy?" He had walked up to the rooivalk class gunship on the rear flightdeck, as we were getting out.

"Nah, just filthy rich ones" Indicating no one in particular

"I bathe." Came from somewhere to the side of me. Looking, it was Danny and Maria who were standing there, with Maria looking at me, intently. I smiled my monkey-scared grin at her this time, until she laughed.

Introductions were made, Harkess took Maria's hand and lightly kissed it, saying that Rivet City was a more beautiful place because of her arrival. Accommodations were arranged for the evenings stay, with Danny, Maria and Lucius staying in the Weatherly Hotel on the upper deck level, while Carl, I and the BoS troopers would sleep in the security dorm.

"Actually, I'll sleep in the hotel as well if it's all the same" Carl mentioned. Sure, whatever, it was his monies.

As everyone made it back into the bowls of the carrier, I led Danny back inside the aircraft.

"Will it be safe just sitting here?" I wondered outloud. Danny grinned, patting the side of it as I climbed back in. Sitting down, Danny opened a panel , revealing a hidden..

refrigerator?

"Drink?" He asked, opening the fridge. "I have beer and brandy" Looking over, "All SA. Windhoek Lager, and Klipdrift tientje." I took a three finger of ten year old brandy.

Damn. This was as good as the Chivas. Danny took a malt beer "Trying to watch my weight. Or Maria is at least. Boerwors?" Pulling some dried meats from a ziplock baggie. "So. you had a proposition for me then?" Smiling like someone who had something to sell.

"I want to hire this taxi for the duration of the show." I stated simply. Now to figure out what it was he wanted, although I had an idea. "You wanted to tag along 'for the sport' which to me thinks you actually are in it for the sport." Pointing at the South African, "You want to bag some trophies for back home, right?"

"You make it sound so superficial. But yeah, basically." And he told me of his intended plan to stay a month on land and have Maria pick him up again and fly him back to

"Where? Or should I say what?" Trying some of the dried meats. It smelled delicious.

"The Minnow. Big [censored] off pre-war combi freighter with a bunch of other ships lashed onto it, zillions of people living on board, sailing the seas? Never heard of it?" My expression obviously was telling the truth for me, "Crikey! Don't get out much, do ya?" I shrugged, eastern seaboard mostly, except on foot, not in a cruise ships. But if that was where the dried jerky was coming from then it had to have merit.

Pointing at the deck of the aircraft he mentioned, "She could do the entire eastern sea board in a few hours, mate." Which was my point exactly. With the legacy of the needle tooth floater now increasing the shear deadliness of the DC ruins, I wasn't inclined to go sightseeing on foot to much anymore. Thankfully, he agreed. I asked for some more of the jerky.

"Sure, help yourself. Also Andy, I can call you Andy, right? I was suppose to get picked up in a month, not eleven bloody days. And even though Lucius and I conned my old lady into believing it was him she was extracting ?with my help. The truth is," Taking a sip, "truth is this is the most dangerous bloody place I've ever been to." I grinned. "Yeah, laugh mate. Honestly though, this place makes Jo'burg look well adjusted. So you see, we ain't getting her off my back until this show is over either, mate." Finishing the beer, he shrugged and poured a three finger of brandy, refilling mine in the process as I finished the last of the jerky.

"Just don't shoot at me again, 'kay?"

I could drink to that. As long as there was more of the godly dried meat available.

My biggest worries was the area surrounding our final destination, the DC national reserve armoury that lay up against the river and a stones throw away from RFK memorial stadium. It was also within spitting distance of DC General Hospital and the congressional cemetery, and all three were ghoul hotspots. as well as mireluks in the river in the middle of mating season.

"So we fly in with Serenity and land on the roof top." remembering there extraction earlier, I nodded, since my mouth was full and I was chewing.

"Which would be great except that the armouries outer defences are most likey still up and running, and it would put holes in this." It took awhile before able to say it, and some of the meat might have escaped while talking. Danny raised doubts about a two hundred year old defence network even capable of touching the Serenity. I corrected the bush-tracker, "Only a decade old. The brigade I was with installed it." And lighting a smoke, "It's their DC base of operations. It's deserted now because the brigade relocated up north,"

"Jersey?" I swear I thought he said jerky. The brandy was certainly doing its thing.

"Yeah, right, Jersey." And I was enlisted to guide towards and help obtain a working radio transmitter powerful enough to reach the entire DC wasteland and surroundings. That's what Lucius wanted, and he had the means to finance it. "Or are you the banker on this?" curious as to why he might.

"Not me mate. I stumbled onto Lucius, ah, 3Doggg in the ruins somewhere by accident, with one of those bloody big mutants,"

"Some people call 'em behemoths."

"Doesn't do 'em justice, mate. Needs more Gargantuan like.., mount Kilimanjaro kinda.., Oomph to it." He snapped his fingers, "Mountain giants!" Sure, why not. "..after my ass. Probably something I said at the time. But yeah, he said he was putting together this little expedition and I actually asked to tag along."

Maria could get us as far as Dog Town, which was basically built on the southwestern super freeway, and out onto the roofs of buildings and houses of east capitol hill. Then down into the metro at Potomac avenue station and follow the tunnels to the stadium armoury metro junction, and from there, into the armoury. Once inside I could shut down the defences and Maria could haul us and the transmitter out of there. Easy as snot.

+++

"Gezondheid." Archie said. Lizz sneezed again. "Gezondheid again. Hur hur. If yous makes niesen again then tomorrow is nice weather"

"You mean if I sneeze again Archie?" He nodded, "What a peculiar notion, that the weather is dependant on an amount of sneezes. And if I sneeze after that again? Then what? Rain?"

"Nope, more nice weather." He grinned, "Here, you wanna snuiten nose?"

"Blow my nose? Yes actually. Where do you get your language from Archie?" He rummaged in his own carry all bag he usually had with him. He looked up at the woman, "Me speaks?" He shrugged, "From books of family Vanderkamp. Me reads a lot to dogs from books. Vanderkamps have other speak that me knows some of." He grinned, "There words are fun. Sounds like me using dog-speak." He whistled softly to the animals who gathered, "Looks" He said,

"Verrrrrschrrrrikelijke Plaaaagggggeesten!!!" He roared in a low tone to the dogs while looking at each of them intently as he drew out all the 'Rrr' sounds, letting them roll, the rest a gutteral growl.

All the dogs bar none dropped to the deck and rolled over, crawling towards their master. Unsure what was awry, but confident that svcking up could never hurt, they lay their heads on his feet and in his lap, veying for the littlest attention.

"Hur hur hur hur. Har harhar." Archie laughed until tears ran down his cheeks, all the while petting them, scratching each and every one of them behind ears and over their backs, letting them know that all was well. He grabbed the roll of toilet paper from his bag and wiped his eyes off, then handing the roll to Lizz, who was still waiting. She gazed at the half used, off white, pristine roll of pre-war toilet paper. Multi layered!! She held it to her face. It was sooo soft!

"Archie, do you know what this is?" He shrugged. A roll of paper?

"Toilet paper, Archie. Real toilet paper." Made sense, he first found the rolls in the toilet block. He thought it was for sneezing.

"You mean you don't uhh.. clean yourself?" She asked, somewhat unsure whether she was ready to know about mutant hygiene.

"Th' brush next to toilet. Makes good clean with water." Archie was sheepishly smiling, his brow all furrowed, "Dat's clean nuff, right?" Lizz agreed laughing at his embarrassed experssion.

"Cleaner than a lot of men I've unfortunately known." And after a pause, "And you're a better man than any man I've ever known." Tilting her head in fun. "Are you sure you're not a woman Archie?" Now the mutant was blushing, crimson red. She could possible know about his clothing collection, could she? For Lizz's part, if there ever was a man she could actually admit to calling loveable, then somehow the massive mutant, with his rough features, sullen look and menacing built frame, was the closest she had ever in her life come to.

'And equally admitting, the former men in your life were kinda scraping the bottom of the gene pool as far as the male species went.'

"Are there any more of these toilet paper rolls, that I might buy for monies?" She asked cautiously. Archie jumped up,

"Yeah?! you wants to trade? Yay!" There was a complete stockroom dedicated to toilet paper for the personnel that didn't have a price!! He did a little dance, and Lizz laughed.

Soon they were standing outside the SEARS building. "Best yous waits here." Archie told Lizz pointing to a old bus stop across from the department store. "Dogs stay with you for safe being 'n stuff. 'kay?" And taking the duffelbag, started walking away from the building.

"Don't forget" she mentioned as he left. They were deep in dog country and she wasn't too keen on being there. Certainly without Archie. He turned back towards her, grinning, "Day looks after yous good. But dogs likes to hears stories 'n stuff so mebby you talks to them"

Lizz sat on a bench. Ivy came over and laid a large head on her lap.

"Jim and Darling Dear lived on merry well way. And early on Christmas morning Jim gave his wife a beautiful spaniel puppy, that they named lady." Ivy thumped her tail. A few of the other gathered closer. further in the shadows she could see shapes moving about in the late afternoon light. "Lady enjoyed every day with the Dears, and her best friends from the neighbourhood, a Scottish terrier named Jock and a blood hound Trusty."

Man, Andy, I never knew I was THAT good!!!

AAAARGH!!! WHY must you start unloading the good stuff just when I am about to leave for a while!!!

ANDY, you dang ole coot, I swear you're doing this DELIBERATELY...just you wait...grumble mutter growl...

Caught up again.

The par-tay was priceless! I enjoyed the teen hormones running amok then getting soused with the beer! Nice explanation on the ethics of women of the night, D. Foxy.

Enjoyed the pup naming ceremony. Got a kick out of some of the names. Uh huh, High School? Methinks that pup is going to graduate school!

Oh, shoot, yet another behemoth mutant? I hope Danny misses that last shot, for once!

Walking through the corridors of the carrier I came past Carl's hotel suite. The door was open.

"Yeah, come in. Close it will ya?" He was on the bed, all of his gear still packed, an unlit cigar of him in his hand. I tossed him a pack of cigarettes. Motioning around I added 'bad circulation'. He nodded and took a smoke from the pack, throwing them back. I grabbed one as well.

"S'up?" I pitched. Lighting and taking a drag, he watched the smoke curl up from the smouldering tip. Exhaling heavily, he sat on the cot in the classic I-[censored]-your-girlfriend position. Knees out, elbows resting on knees, eyes staring somewhere past his boots into the ground. I figured I'd help him out. "You [censored] Celeste, didn't you?"

"Huh? Whaa.. wait a sec, huh? I.., no I didn't.., hang on.., can I?" He even dropped his cigarette, he was that flabbergasted. "No, no. Way off, something else." Taking another drag, "That would have been easy compared to this." Now I was listening. "You know that synth I gotta bag, right?" How could I forget? "Yeah well," he looked at me, "Christ you gonna be pissed," looking down again, "When he escaped he made a clean getaway with a number of containers of FEV, high-grade solution."

+++

It was getting late in the afternoon, and Lizz was grateful for the company of Archie's pack family. Almost half an hour later Archie yells from the top of the SEARS building, waving.
She had just finished telling the dogs about where Lady and the tramp enjoyed a spaghetti meatball meal at Tony's Italian restaurante. Archie let the duffelbag down hooked onto a rope, catching and unhooking the bag, the rope was quickly retrieved. Lizz hesitantly opened the large shoulder bag only to find it..

filled with rolls and rolls of soft, downy, non-chafing, multi-layered, dont-squeeze-the-heavenly-woman's-toilet-articles. Real toilet paper! The bag alone would last her a year probably. Why, there had to be fifty rolls in here, buldging the bag outwards.

"Waits for me!" He shouted from the rooftop. Lizz was about to yell something in regards to the time and approaching dusk when he disappeared again. At least the dogs were still with her, but non the less she eased the auto shotgun into an easier holding position.

"Now where was I?" She asked Ivy, sitting down at the busstop. In response, the dog swished her tail. "Ah yes, I remember. Well, after the diner Tramp was escorting Lady back to the house of Jim and Darling when-"

"Wow, day's listening?" Came the sudden voice of Achie as he walked around a corner of the building. "Me tells story of lady dog an' tramp dog to dem mebby only once an' awhile cuz day's knows it upsides down even, and gets bored." Pointing at Ivy, "She's da worstest too fer gettings bored of dat story." Puzzled, Lizz looked over her shoulder in the direction that she had seen the big mutant leave for the first time, and then back at him. How could he so fast get back? "Me can jumps down on the back of the building, but climbing up da outside of it is not to smart." Looking at her as if explaining something very complex, "Me could fall."

"Where are you off to now Archie?" they were walking further south into East capitol hill, and thus there were increasingly more and more shadows and shapes moving through the buildings, and in front of them, crossing the street maybe fifty meters out ahead. Looking back she saw Archie's dogs in the early dusk following close behind. With other dogs trailing behind them.

"Care for that friend 3Doggs it good goes." They were walking straight through the dog territories and nothing even approached them or ant of the animals from Archie's extended family. A few growls could be heard from time to time, and the ever present red glow of eyes would shine back at them as Lizz lighted a flashlight. It was getting dark quick.

"You mean you want to look in on this person? Make sure he's alright?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know where he is?" Archie shook his head, "Then how will you find this person." He shrugged,

"Dunno. Me does to Dogs town. Ask there is peoples seen 3Dogg." Lizz nodded at the logic that lay therein. "Also, peoples at Dog town, day talks to me an' not shoot first like most other peoples. Most others sees me Acky-" Lizz frowned, "Uhh.., me Archie an' den starts shooting. Once day shoot a dog. He die." No Archie frowned, "Me wanna gets mad." Looking at Lizz, "And me gets mad too. But peoples not know dog was with family of me, and day all say sorry laters. You wanna goes to Dogtown too?"

"Dogtown would be fine Archie."

"You wanna me to push trolley?"

"Thank you Archie, how very kind."

+++

"Militia? Sweet deal." setting the machinegun back on the counter, "What does it do?" And looking at the riflecase that Danny pulled from the bottom of the gun cupboard, "And what's that?" curiosity getting the better of me.

"Picked it up 'bout a year and a half ago. Figured, while we're down here I'd show you." I opened the hard black shock resistance riflecase, and smiled while looking completely baffled all at the same time. Apparently it's a funny expression because Danny laughed. "I noticed you were missing some of your usual trappings upon your arrival."

In the case laid out in soft cut out forms of dura-foam and as shiny as they come, was a brand new never-before-fired M4 carbine. Along in the case with what looked to be a pristine TA31RCO-M4CP 4x32 ACOG scope, separate EOtech holographic sight in perfect condition, AAC 2K suppressor that smelled totally unfired, a Harris detactable bipod and finally a detachable 9" M203 forty mils grenade launcher with an AN/PSQ 18A M203 day/night sight. And a cleaning kit. I blinked.

"How.." Danny chuckled and turned the case around and pointed.

'Made in south Africa'

"When I got a chance to get back home after Baltimore I talked to an old school mate who's family happens to own one of the three premier weapons manufacturers in Frystaat." He was really happy with himself, "I explained, -at great lengths I assure you, to their designers and engineers what it was that you were using the whole time and they took it from there." He looked down into the case, "I think I got most of it right, what do you think?"

I picked up the sleek black rifle with it's matt finish and shouldered it, letting the familiar weight settle into my forrearms. Danny was holding two somewhat large round objects in both his hands, handing me one.

"These go with it. Sorry I only have two." 100 round clear sided drum magazines, also brand new.

"Happy Birthday, Andy."

+++

"Well ain't that a Merry [censored] Christmas day!" I was at that point where I was on the bridge by Frank's place again. I wanted to shoot the bastard. Walking to the minibar I pulled a bottle out and poured a glass.

FEV.

Jesus H. tap-dancing Christ on two crutches.. on ice..., drunk. No, make that tripping off his nuts.., and drunk. I wish he would have just said doomsday device. It would have been easier to digest, but FEV.

Eff-ee-mother-[censored]-vee.

It stood for Forced Evolutionary Virus, and was the result of the militaries take over of what was in certain circles known as the Pan Immunity Virion Project, an immune enhancement doctrine of applied drug treatments that faculties at the institute and out west, had been working on before the war. It was a possible, and at the time quiet theoretical, solution to any biological warefare agents that might be used in an attack. And where the bombs had stopped all of the research on the west coast, -as far as the Institute was aware of that is, the scientists in the east coast Institute labs still researched it's potential for enhancing humanity for life in the post war wastes.

The Institute's molecular biology and genetic research laboratories. Talk about scary stuff to get kids to eat their veggies. The labs were known collectively within the Institute as the freak show, where all the mishaps, goofs and botched attempts rested in jars while soaked in alcohol. My better judgement refrains me from explaining it in too graphic a detail, but if you think centaurs are creepy, or that needle tooth floaters are a great brown note trigger mechanism, then the clich? 'you ain't seen nuthin' certainly applies to the freak show. Apparently there were five levels to the freak show. I wouldn't know because I never made it past level two. Carl said he went down to level five once on a bet, but then Carl does then to exaggerate on occasion. not to mention royally piss me off as well. He looked up at me from his seating on the cot

"You're pissed, I can tell."

"As if being [censored] psychic could give you any better idea of my current emotions." I was pacing the room. "And lemme guess, not only did genius get away with the goods, but was working on it as well, huh?!" Carl nodded. I think my pacing quickened. "Jesus Carl.., Jesus!! And the time you've been tracking it.... Christ. And of course he's gonna culture the crap- " Stopping mid stride, I zeroed in one Carl, "He's has enough viral strain with him to create a growth culture and produce more of the compound." I stated it, because they wasn't going to be a silver lining on this cloud. Nope. Only a big ass tornado of bad news sweeping me up in it's force as a helpless tumbleweed, caught in its fury.

"Uh-huh." Carl lit another cigarette, probably figuring it would a the last for a condemned man. I poured another drink. I needed it, my hands were shaking. This wasn't Kansas anymore and he wasn't looking like toto.

"And what made you decide to all of a sudden come clean with all of this, by the way?"

"Your buddy Harkness, who you didn't introduce me to?" And in the smallest voice ever, "It's cool. I understand why," He looked me dead on, "He a synthetic, isn't he?" Aw hell. "C'mon Andy, who better to spot it than you or me? The straight cornering, the slight occssional stutter, the perfectly timed blinking of the eyes..? I mean," taking a drag from the smoke, "He is one of ours, I know it." Standing by his anolysis of my old boss.

"So?" Not admitting to anything, and not liking where this was going either. Carl looked at me with regret,

"I need you on this one." I could see he hated what he was implying, so was I.

"And you figured you can hold Harkness over my head as insurance that I'll help you? As if otherwise Harkness might disappear mysteriously one night?" I was almost shouting, but common sense that someone might here prevailed. "In true SRB fasion?"

"[censored] you Carl."

"Great, [censored] me. Fine, since I don't feel very good anyway. But are you in?"

"you mother [censored] asswipe! I said I was in back on the bridge. In is in, I'm in. we could be going up against freakin satan by accident, and I'm still in!"

"This guy is worse, Andy." and all of sudden there were tears, Carl was dropping his usual bravado, while everything from the last two years of tracking this madman came out. I poured another drink, and one for him, then sat down and listened.

Afterwards Carl suggested that he give his room to Sarah Lyons, being a woman she might appreciate the privacy, I grabbed the bottle from the wetbar. Great, then the BoS could cover the roomservice bill.

I didn't sleep very well that evening anyway.

You...

YOU DID IT AGAIN...

AND I HAD TO USE MY IPOD AT THE AIRPORT TO COPY AND PASTE AND EDIT IT AND TEXT THIS TO YOU...


Andy, just you wait. I shall spend my time in the boondocks composing an utterly obscene, scurillious, slanderous, and sulphurous poem, subject of said poem being YOU.


:stare:

I'll be taking a 10 day break for fear of losing my editor :hehe:
^{sorry, it's addicting.}




sorry Dee for you having to deal with internet connections at an airport

..you can do that with an iPod? :blink:
cool B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"So Drew, how are you sleeping?" while shining a god awful bright light in my eyes. "You look like you're dead."

"Oh, should I laugh now?Ah-haa, don't give up your day job doc. But anyway, nightmares mostly." The doc nodded.

'Yeah, and then you go to sleep, right?'

"You have a renewable prescription there, you know?" Dropping the penlight from my eyes and pulling out a tongue depressor. "I make the compound out of three different fungi that grow locally. Say Aaah." Shoving it in his mouth.

"Jah bu' dok, ah 'ave ta 'et 'ere an' datsth sho'tav- Gaahck.." taking the depressor out, "That's not why I do it and you know it." the doctor nodded,

'It's because "I am a masochist", yay!'

"Voices bad?"

'if he only knew, huh?'

"Annoyingly present." the old ghoul admitted.

'Is that all the recognition we get for all our hard work? "Annoyingly present", geez.. [censored] ingrate'

'But then, how grateful should he be since we're driving him bonkers'

'Helloooo, earth to non-existence, disembodied, imaginary outing of a psychosis, *We* *Are* *Him*.'

"Eight months on the wagon. Not even dog meat. Nothing with higher brain functions."

"Jesus, Drew. That's not human." Drew eyed the doc wryly, "Yeah, okay. Strictly speaking neither are we- or any of us here, human anymore. But [censored], you know what I mean." He went over to a cabinet and return with a small box. "This isn't renewable," holding up the box, "But you'll need 'em to get over it." Referring to the last three quarter year. Taking the box and reading the side of it

"Anti depressants? Geez.. what next, therapy? Group hugs?" he held then back at the doc, who refused to take them,

"The capsules of will take a few days before they start repressing the voices. Homeopathic remedies made from fungus extract tend to be a little slower than their pharmaceutical counterparts. Keep the venlaflaxine, it'll take some of the edge off while the caps do their work."

"Sorry, doc. Hate to be a bad patient, but there ain't no 'taking it easy' for me. I gotta go back out again, soonish." And still holding the box for the doc, "These'll just mess with me."

'Aww, he's attached to us'

'I think, just because of this, that we should give him some rest'

'Here here. But then we mess with him again, right?'

'Of course.'

"So, how's the research going?" Hoping for any kind of progress. "Is Ethyl proving to be any value?" And waving through the window at the ghoul living in the containment chamber behind the glass. "Hi ya, Ethyl." A ghoul, glowing with radiation waved back. "She's still completely out of it?"

"If you mean does she still think she's Ethel Merman, and sings at two in the morning. Yes, totally nuts." and answering the second half of the question, "Being really helpful though, and confirming a lot that I was pretty sure of, and now I'm positive about. That sort of thing."

"Such as?"

"Such as it's the specific human proteins that we don't naturally make anymore, due to being radiological being in a sense. Without it, a person increasingly succumbs to the paranoia's of split personality syndrome, until insanity sets in." Walking over to an other cabinet and taking out a rather large bottle of pink capsules, "Of course, eating human flesh, or other meats from animals with high brain functions, replenishes the protein temporarily, but then too much of that, and not only does the body not make the protein anymore, it starts to turn to mush because of it. Reverting us into the feral state." After giving Drew the bottle of pills, the doctor turned to through the window at Ethyl, "We know that radiation cures us, but it also mutates us further, thus something of a sword of Damocles."

"Haven't made much progress then, huh?"

"Guess not, other than stay away from human flesh and above all the brain tissue of all creatures with high brain functions, and don't over do it with the radiation, like Ethyl here."

"So where you headed to this round Drew? More feral purging?" the oldtimer looked up, "Yes, you told me in that bout of confessional zest you had few years back, remember? Doesn't matter, I won't tell anyone." The doctor shrugged, "Besides, it's for the best I've figured, what you and I do." Looking at Drew, "I keep us sentient and civilised for as long as I can, and you finish us off as fast as you can, once it's needed." I let the doc know I was headed for Undertown later on as I left the clinic and headed for the bar.

Underworld. What a place. set up by ghouls who didn't ?or couldn't hang in Undertown, which was the ghoul settlement under east Capitol hill, sprawled out in the old and modern subway tunnels, as well as the old and new sewers, storm drain system and some deeper laying natural caverns. Also part of Undertown, although above ground was the DC General Hospital and the Congressional Cemetery. Underworld was 50 ghouls, all huddled together feeling sorry for themselves in the ruins of the national museum of history basemant. The back part was the chop shop where doc burrows did his research, a friendly ghoul by the name of Tulip ran underworlds trading post "the underworld fitters". As the youngsters would say, 'epic fail.' One of the rooms in the basemant was converted into a bar.

Ninth Circle Bar
- open from now, until whenever -

"Well look what died and walked in."

"Yeah, hi Ahzz." And turning to the stoic figure standing in the corner, "Hi ya Charon." The ghoul nodded briefly.

"Looking for anything special?" The ghoul behind the bar asked, implying more than just drinks. Drew shook his head and ordered a beer, "I need some extra muscle for something. So I want to rent Charon for a week."

Ahzrukhal was the proprietor of the ninth circle and also the leading drug dealer, info broker, fixer and occasionally the person you went to if you wanted someone dead, and didn't want to do it yourself. Not that Ahz would do it either, that's where Charon came in. He was somehow bound to Ahz under a weird compelling contract that he wasn't about to sell on. But anyone who knew the fixer well enough could hire Charon into service via Ahz for a limited period. The fee was paid to Ahzrukhal, of course.

"Smells profitable, a whole week."

"Not really. You owe me, so lets say that we're square then, you and me."

"Hmm, where's the jaunt off to, and don't even think of not telling me." Straightening up behind the bar and grabbing the lapels of his worn blazer, "I need know you aren't going to take the capitol building back from the mutes single handed."

"I have some business in Undertown, and I heard of an expedition going out east that might open a few doors here and there. But since I don't know, I would like Charon's shotgun out there with me, riding shotgun so to speak." Charon grinned quietly in his corner. If only Mr. Drew would but off the bonds that held him shackled to the scumbag behind the bar.

If only.

Oh goody, the one shot missed!

But the reeaally important ones didn't!

So is Maria Danny's white knight in shining armor?

Really enjoyed all the fireworks on this one. The sound effects are particularly impressive. :lmao:

Years of marvel comics


Thanks

Andy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Everyone would shut the hell up for a few minutes and I might be able to get through this briefing before old age and senility sets in." I saw Carl open his mouth to say something else funny, and pointed at him, "Including certain individuals who should know better."

Harkness had given me the morning briefing, since things were going to be a little different for a few days, now he was trying to keep a straight face, and kept breaking up as he replayed the gag back in his mind. 3Dogg was close to tears, Danny was holding his gut saying it hurt from laughing so hard and the rest were either smiling or still chuckling, while I continued to look like an idiot. Christ, what a goof. Informing the security forces of the needle tooth presence when Lucius told how he blasted it in the ass. I corrected the anatomical nomenclature of the creature, and Carl piped up saying

'Wrecked 'em? Hell, [censored] killed 'em!' Okay, very funny. har-di-har. I crumpled up a piece of paper and beaned Carl in the head who was chatting in the back with young miss Lyons. Obviously, offering her his suit last night and taking the hard cots in security had warmed things between them. If I knew any better, I'd say he was taking it slow. I wagered ten caps with myself towards some kind of charity that I was right.

"Next item: due to some logistical problems at the citadel," I eyed the BoS troopers in the room hard, "And the gracious generosity of the Rivet City council our extraction craft will be parked here on the aft flightdeck, access strictly via Mrs. Maria Boerson who, I've been told might be kind enough to fly some of you guys around a bit if you are very nice."

"As in bloody best behaviour" Danny underlined.

"In the case of a hot extraction then an eight man team, picked by Harkness and myself, will stand assembled on the ready line and embark to the extraction LZ." Looking up, "Before I forget, Initiates Baker and Masters, you two will be standing down from the expedition and are part of the extraction team along with the other eight." Sarah was giving me puzzled looks "In the case that anything goes south, I want two rested and fully armed BoS troopers suited up in fourty-fives to back up the security team." And addressing the Rivet City security troopers, "Not to take anything away from you guys, but I thought you might appreciate a couple of tanks along." Nods of appreciation from them, Back to Baker and Masters, "You boys will fall under tactical command of the team's senior member, understand? He says jump, then you both best touch the sky." They nodded and both looked over at Harkness, who shook his head as I continued.

"Extraction team will be lead by Patrice Young, since Harkness decided that he wanted to be in on the ground, and she's XO around here." Some puzzled looks, "He knows east DC as good as I do." And smiling, "It's also a great motivator for all of you to come and rescue your beloved security chief if and when we get in a jam. Think about the bragging rights, people. This isn't some chump change we're talking about, you'll be sticking it to him for years." And that was the truth. Just as we were done with breakfast he mentioned that it had been too long since he 'stretched his legs' and being my old boss, if I didn't agree he would just slap me silly and come along anyway. So, after taking just a little too long to deliberate it, I of course agreed.

I might not have been a hundred percent sure of Sarah and her bunch, although it was up there in the ninety-nine percent region, but as Carl was right, it just wasn't programmed into him to be distrusting.

"Our choices are to either land at Lincoln park and huff it over ground the three kliks straight down East Capitol Street SE until we hit the Armoury." I looked around. Three kliks through the eastern capitol meant three kliks filled with lots, and lots of dogs. "Other option is to set down in Dogtown, traverse it to the Potomac Ave metro station and huff it underground for two kliks, and get in via service passages in the Stadium Armoury Metro junction." Others quietly voiced their versions on the pros and cons involved with both options. The tunnels meant ghouls. Since it was a toss up, we would take a pass over Lincoln square first.

"Because of the risks from the ground on the east side of the river, I'm designating the parking lots of the stadium as our fall back extraction LZ. If we use that route going in, then chances are someone or something will be waiting for us afterwards, and I assured Danny we wouldn't get it scratched due to the paintjob." More laughs at Danny's address, who deflected the good natured hazing with grace.

"Hey hey, hey-hey!" Standing up and addressing the room, Maria already hiding her face behind a hand. "Unless someone here can promise me that there's a half decent place in this wasteland where they draw pin-striping that's doesn't svck, then *not* *a* *scratch, 'kay." Voices of reassurance that either the pin-striper would be found, or that they'd simply just blame it on Maria's flying. This got her out from behind her hands, looking for the guilty party. That would have been me, smiling.

"Right, Funny stuff over, back to order of the day." I looked at Harkness, but he just relented back to me, "Which seems that my old boss wants me to do today, since he's feeling shy and not wanting to talk in front of people." I would have stuck my tongue out, but I am past the thirty.., scared-monkey smile. He happily flipped me the finger.

"Crowe and Dietrich, upper levels and the science labs. Spunkmyer and Ferro lower levels as well as the hydroponics and stairwell. Vasquez and Drake?" Scanning the room for the two A-gunners who were whispering at the back, "please wait until after class before planning to play spin the bottle behind the bicycle shed, m'kay?" Drake gave a look like that wouldn't be a bad idea, Vasquez punched him in the arm, "Vasquez starts on the bridge, Drake on the flightdeck, and by the way Drake it looked like rain earlier that I was out, just a heads up. Rotate with Vasquez." Looking for the last entry on the clip board, "Frost and Hudson are in the market today, and apparently a sidenote from Mr. young for you guys," Holding a note up, "there are *no* *more* *donuts*, so sorry." Done.

"Right, that wraps it, If I forgot anything, the worse that can happen is that you die. Now [censored] off, make vacuum." Harkness walked over to the lectern I was standing behind.

"you should never have left" He said smiling

ROFL !!! That mALX pup is going to be nothing but trouble! ROFL !!! Glad to see you visiting the TES site too, do you play it as well? Anyway, Awesome story!

:D
ah, you figured out my vehicle of revenge

Don't play Tes.. used to get the eebby-jibbies from fantasy.. long story, won't write about it

To anyone else.. I'm scooting up everything and making room. It's all in the same sequence, I just made use of posts (like this one) that didn't have a chapter attached (it will, soon.)

thanks for reading everyone

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We should never have come here." Shak mentioned sideling to Smiley. They were standing in the main butchery of Dog town, trying to barter away almost forty kilos of molerat jerky that they had spent the last day and a half smoking and drying. Looking around, the meat processing hall was a buzz of activity, with people stringing up dog carcasses on hooks suspended from a guide rail and at different stations different parts of the animal were deftly cut away until at the end there was almost nothing left hanging. And of course it was all dog meat.

The carcasses came in already shaved and skinned, something most likely done where they could treat the skins and produce leathers. All sizes of animal were lumped together in bins as they rolled in, and two people sorted out which ones were large enough to be strung up, and which were too small. The smaller ones went into a large cooking vat were the meat was boiled off of the bones.

"I'm tellin' ya, these are the dudes who know meat, man." Smiley whispered from the side of his mouth. A small fat Asian woman waddled back with the person who he had been speaking with. Spreading the dried meat out over the table top she inspected the jerky with the trained eye of a diamond cutter.

"Gao Quan?" Smiley waited until the woman realised he wasn't Asian. "Is dog?" She asked again.

"No mama san,"he said politely "Molerat, moole-raaat," drawing it out, hoping that she would understand. "Zhu shu?" she replied, and took a closer look, sniffing the dried meat. Looking up over her black rimmed reading glasses, the old Butcher gestured to try some.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure go ahead. It's freebee time at Smiley's place, why the [censored] not." Raising his arms in mock aggravation. "Y'all ain't had breakfast yet or something?" Tasting a small piece, the woman looked up at Smiley, her otherwise stoic features now betraying her reaction. Smiley picked up on it immediately, "Huh? Good, right? Better than damn dog twenty-four seven, ain't it?" Taking Shak by the arm,

"This here gentleman has brought his world famous Louisiana cajun recipe for smoked meats and as an exclusive one time offer," Flashing the reason of his name. "I am prepared to let you have all of it, in one easy payment. As a matter of fact, we'll probably be spending the money right here in your very own town, since we want to get some supplies."

The old butcher held a hand up, "Is ok. Better, me talk to supplies shop. Is number one son. Me take?" Pointing at a small piece of the jerky. Smiley realised it was a sample for someone else. Well, he'd done enough dope deals in his day to know how the game worked. Smiling still, he nodded in a generous fashion.

"Sure mama san, show your number one boy what ol' Smiley has for treats. I'll be here." She took another piece of the dried molerat loin and went out the door.

Not five minutes later, or one smoked cigarette bummed off of the first guy that they talked to while mama san went to get her family mobilised, they were back, in force. Mama san marching up front with her 'number one son' right next to her, and numbers two through fifteen in close pursuit behind them. Shak stood a little wary, the doubled barrelled shotgun still resting up against the table happily. Now hoping the rest would all do the same.

"Stay happy." Smiley mentioned through his teeth. The eldest son came up to the table. He was holding the meat, and chewing.

"Hey man. this is really good ti di gan, my mom wants to know from you the recipe." Smiley's eyebrow went up,

"Well, gentlemen, you do realise, that information comes at a different price all together."

+++ Back in the now +++

Danny and I exited from the lower casino entrance where the fights were held into level five and smack in between the two cargo holds. I needed to keep orientated because one thing I didn't want to do, was get lost around here. So now I was facing port ?the left side, Christ these effing nautical terms everywhere. So to my left was the rear of Midship City and to my right ?starboard, was 3sec. Danny motioned for us to go right. As we got up to the railing I noticed a structure that on the one hand, was a common enough sight to behold, but on the other hand, not ever in a cargo hold of a ship. Ever.

"Holy [censored]!" Sure, I could have been more eloquent, but how many times in a ship do you come across a

"Very own hanging bridge." As if he built it. "Not me, but someone I know had a hand in getting it done. Bloke by the name of Jimmy. Jimmy Brooklyn." Which, while spanning the eighty meters of the cargo hold, made it

The Brooklyn bridge.

ROFL, you were in your element on these chapters! Awesome write!

Okay I'm caught up yet again.

Loved the knockoff Romeo et Juliet storyline.

But those bloody mutants cracked me up! The obsession with snot is hysterical, and reminds me of a girl I used to know on the bus. I won't go into details, but I will say that you have brought back long-buried memories! Necromancer! :slap:

You have the Marvel Comics, I have the Batman TV series - BAM! BIFF! BOP! :toughninja:

Yeah! Danny's back!

"Danny" is going to go off on a raunchy poem when he gets back and sees how much he has to catch up on! :rofl:

AAAHHHHH!!! Ive finally caught up! dam, no more reading

At first I didnt think I could be bothered, and then, ill be honest, I got a little jealous , but now, seriosuly man, its freakin awesome, honestly and easily the best fan fic ive ever read. (Y)
As I was rading the pretty woman reference my smile was slowly covering my face ,
and dude, Metallica AND riders on the storm, thats like............awesome in can DDDD
Seriously, you should release a soundtrack, or maybe and iPod thingy

Definatly gonna buy a carbon copy when it hits WHSmith (Y)

Having read the first two pages so far, I think this is great. Keep writing and I'll endeavour to read the entire thread

He gonna rip me a new one, isn't he
I'm gonna hafta learn to type standing up for awhile

Lookit, more reading B)
And if the WHSmith fantasy actually does become reality, then I'm buying up sooo many copies they have to go straight to second edition, and everyone here gets a signed copy, you know, because I'm famous then :hehe:Thank you kindly

And here's the next chapter, with another all time favourite of mine that had to be included.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Honestly Jimmy, a [censored] bridge? Why in the name of sane investments am I even listening to you? Why am I not telling Rupert to chuck you out on your ass? This is going to need some explaining, my son.”

Jimmy looked over at the individual sitting across from him. If anything got done these days in Midship, this guy had a finger in it. And judging by the interior of his office -top floor at the most esteemed casino on board, wall to wall shag carpetting, a very large mini-bar, pool table and a few couches arranged around a big screen tv, it was a big finger.

Yup, Mr. Boerson was doing alright by the look of things, and having just developed the Dutchman's industrial quarter together with him, Jimmy hoped to pitch his next idea, this time for a project on the Minnow, instead of the Flying Dutchman.

“Listen, Jimmy. It's not that I'm against such an endevour, it's just that there are completely different forces at work here onboard the Minnow than there ever were on the Dutchman. There it was enough to have a good idea and point out to them that they actually needed said good idea -in this case the port side industrial barges, but here on board there are a multitude of different and often conflicting interests that all have to be taken into account.” Which sometimes meant just killing them, but okay. That was business, and always as a last resort. After all, they were all in this boat together -pun intended. Danny smiled at his inner wit while pouring a glass of mineral water from a cristal carraf. “Drink?”

The young engineer nodded, noting how parched he felt.

“You going to have to come up with a serious benefit for putting up a bridge between the two sides of the deck.”

“Well, the main access to the Cymean Princess is roughly halfway up 3sec, right?He was fidgiting, which meant he was thinking. And that meant the idea would be solid, if not solid gold. Danny listened.

“I'm listening..”

“And the only 'civilized' access to the aft section of the African Star is also roughly halfway in between 3sec, so everyone who wants to go fom one ship to the other has to walk all the way around the hold. And everyone knows the far end of 3sec, level five isn't the nicest place to visit.

“I know, I won't go near the place without Rupert and a shotgun.”

“See what I mean?” Jimmy continued, more confident now. “All that traffic can then be cut from going out that way if it can simply cross the hold. I mean, the only reason that that area is so bad with muggings is because-”

“So much traffic goes through the neighborhood in the first place. I know, I know. If I was in their shoes and kept seeing meal tickets walking by, I'd probably do the same.”

“Then it's an easy sell?” Jimmy looked as hopeful as he could muster. He didn't want to divulge the rest of his master plan just yet. A plan that included a complete lite rail system covering the ship laid out along level six, which was a wasteland as far as actual development went. The top level not having grown downward that far yet, and the hap hazard development of the Dreggs not having been built that high yet, the only thing on level six were upper level gangs, harrassing lower level gangs, and the poor shmucks who had no were else to go.

“Well, not impossible at least.Getting up from behind the desk, he walked Jimmy to the door of the office, being held open by the man-mountain named Rupert.

“Lemme talk to some people, have them talk to other people, then their people will contact our people, our people will talk to their people, and everone'll sit down for cannoli's and it'll get ironed out.And as they reached the door. “Have a stack of fiches, play the tables a bit, and above all..,” Giving the man a pat on the shoulder. “Lets keep this between ourselves, shall we?”

Jimmy nodded. Then Rupert was told to set up a line of credit for the man, and the heavy oak door slammed shut.

+++

The view was, breathtaking.

Of course, living in the penthouse suite of Ka-chinga towers, including a walk around balcony, that was more reminiciant of a full garden, than something on top of a building.

“Really Daniel, a bridge? Isn't that rather.. ludicrous? What do you think, Lovey? Thursten Howell the third opened the shaker he was holding, and poured the content into long stemmed glasses.

“Olive?”

Daniel nodded. When Thursten was making them, everyone drank martini's. As he saw his host finish making the drinks, a lady answered from the other room.

“Really darling, it sounds absolutely dredful to have to walk all that way around to just get to the other side of the ship.Thursten wanted to comment that most of the people on board ended up doing just that more often than not, but his wife was on a roll. “And then all those people walking past where other people live, trying to sleep no doubt. It must be awful.”

“Yes Lovey dearest,” He began, hoping that some reason could be interjected. “But in what way could it ever be profitable?”

“Toll.” Danny mentioned. “It would be a toll bridge obviously.” Thursten turned, suddenly interested.

“Go on my boy.” And Danny laid out the situation as Jimmy had, finishing with, “And that's not the best part.” Which had spilled from Jimmy after his second bottle and a turn of luck at the tables.

Thursten was intrigued by the idea of a ship wide rail and light transport system, made all the more easier by his wife, who clapped at the concept.

“Oh darling, it would be wonderful for those people to have a civilized way of getting about. Think of how much more friendly everyone will be towards each other.” Danny saw large tidal waves of hostility first if they were going to clear the area needed on level six.

“Yes Lovely dearest.” Handing her a martini.

One of my fave Alice In Chains songs !!!! I listen to music while I write, I'll bet you do too - it reaches into your soul and pulls out things you never knew were in there when you write to music !!



Here is the vid for the reader that asked for it above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d5t1cojAt8



And my fave that you have posted so far, last chapter in Part Two: Metallica - Nothing Else Matters:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyrWd_gfQNQ




*

Oh, no, he ain't gonna die! No, no, no!

Swarming needle whachamacallits! Geez! Run for the hills already!

I'm continuing to enjoy this stuff with a voracious appetite!

Oh, you got the samurai armour - I love that! So this will be confusing for the reader to dig back through the posts... Ok Andy, so did Lucas Simms board the Celeste train or not? Why did he realize suddenly after eyeing Celeste that he had to go in to work early? Can't leave us hanging out for details unless you put them in your comment answers !!

Last sentence, post #99

I re-wrote it for clarity, the way it was meant to read. Hope it works better now.

ps, like my almost picture/avatar? It's about the closest I'll ever get to posting my own picture on the webz.. This guy could be my freakin twin.

Oh shoot! Well, there goes all my excitement down the tubes! If you must throw lemons at us, can you make sure Celeste at least gets some we want to picture? ROFL !!! Just Kidding Andy! - Love your new Avatar!

Thanks again people And MalX.. uh.. never mind. You'll see

New chapters starting post # 128 or 131, depending on who you are (128 I put up yesterday or so.)

btw, I've taken everyones posts and comments, pasted them in word and printed them out. Now they are stuck to my wall and act as my inspiration.
Thanks for showing me another purpose I can pursue in my life.