FO4 | Book 1: Bombs on Monday Morning ✔️

Ch 18: Swimming the Glowing Sea

"Hancock... what if there was a peaceful solution? What if all those people didn't have to die?"

He simply shrugged. "Maybe they didn't have to. But they sure as hell deserved to. They took Freedom away from the People, and I don't stand for that shit."

Hearing him say this almost strengthened my resolve. Some people were just too toxic, too dangerous to let live, especially in this lawless wasteland. Maybe it was for the better after all.

"I just hope you get where I was comin' from. I ain't about to bring harm to anyone that didn't earn it. Though I'm getting the distinct idea that you got the same plan."

I shot him a smile, though he couldn't see it past my helmet. "Yeah. I do."

"Well, I'm sure you've heard enough of me runnin' my mouth for one day." He dropped his cigarette to the ground and didn't bother putting it out. 

"I don't mind. I like listening to you. Tell stories, that is."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I got a few more for ya. We'll save 'em for later, though. Looks like that cloud of radiation is getting closer. We're almost in the Glowing Sa."

The way became clearer because all the trees in the area had been completely demolished and no building was left standing. Rotting tree trunks and various debris littered the ground. It was a barren wasteland. Further in, my Geiger counter started going crazy.

The ground was blackened as if it had been badly burned or mixed with ash. We stepped over rocks, broken trees, oil-like puddles, and broken-down cars.

"Be careful," he whispered. "It's pretty irradiated now. We must be gettin' closer to the center of the blast."

We walked slowly through the area. Everything was turning... green. And hazy. Like we were walking through a vermillion mist. It was becoming hard to see, so we slowed our pace even more. Hancock's black eyes searched the area; he seemed to be able to see just fine.

Eventually, it felt like I was beginning to roast in my suit. A layer of cold sweat formed on my skin from warming up too fast.

"Hold up," said Hancock. He put a hand on the arm of my suit and tried to hank me down, but I couldn't feel anything. "Get down," he ordered.

"What?"

"Radscorpions."

My heart skipped a beat. "Where?"

"Just up ahead. One to the far left, too. Follow me and stay low."

We crept along the ground with our knees bent and back hunched. There were some rocks just to the right of us, and he had me climb over to the other side of them. I felt better with some cover between us and the giant scorpions.

We came to a capsized factory. I wasn't sure what it used to be; it felt like it had been ages since I had been in this area. It looked so different, now, like an alien planet, and I couldn't remember anything about what I was seeing.

"Wanna see what we can find?" asked a curious Hancock.

I was beginning to notice his curiosity was worse than my own. This wasn't exactly the best time or place to go looting, but I nodded and drew my gun anyway. Maybe we'd find extra supplies inside. After all, this area stayed devoid of human life. There was no way it could have been completely looted already.

We went down some concrete stairs and into a room with a metal ramp and railings, much like the ones in the Vault. Down the stairs were shuffling, lazy footsteps. Hancock led the way, shotgun drawn. When we got further down the ramp, Feral Ghouls came into view.