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Chapter 4:
Can you help?
-Snake! Wait up! - Gilbert struggles to keep up.

-Leave me alone kid.

-But, I have nowhere to go. Not until I find that air filtration system.

Snake turns to him-And why do you need me?

-Because you know your way around here better. Please help me. I have a gun! I can protect myself, I won’t get in your way, I promise.

-A gun you didn’t use in the gas station!

-Uhh…right…why didn’t you kill her? Veronica, I mean.

-You never kill unless you really have too. She was unarmed and submitted.

-But she will come back.

-Yeah…but I’m not a murderer.

There is a brief moment of silence.

-Is she always that sexy?-asked Gilbert.

-Yeah…It’s her way of tricking people.

-But she seems fixated on you.

-Because she still can’t kill me.

-She almost did though.

-Because of you, you were followed by her. When I said that I was in a hurry, I was trying to evade them.

-Who are they?

-Talon Company Mercs. They wanna kill me cause I’m a bounty hunter. You know, like kill bad guys or arrest them, get paid. Save lives. That stuff.

-Ahh…sooo…can we travel together?

-There’s a settlement close to here called Primm. They may have the technology you need.

-Thanks…hey, aren’t you injured?

-I can manage.

-Here. Have a stimpack. The Vault has a lot of these so I can spare.

Snake looks at Gilbert,-Thanks, really.- he then injects the Stimpack to his blood, helping with the pain and accelerating the healing process x3.-It’s getting dark…we need shelter.

The two start scouting for a place to spend the night and find an abandoned building. They enter it, block the door and find some beds on the floor.

-You hungry, Snake?

-Yeah, but I didn’t have time to hunt today, so all I have is water.

-I have some Fresh Carrots and Potatoes.

-Vault?

-Yeah…

-I’m starting to like having you around.

They share the food and drink some water before going to sleep.

It seems like only seconds when they awake the next day. Gilbert’s Pip-Boy sounds an early bird alarm they set the day before to 6:00 AM in the morning. The Pip-Boy also tuned in to the radio and downloaded the new map data with the stats of Snake and his current health condition, which at the time is not bad. The Pip-Boy starts broadcasting the popular radio show “Radio New Vegas”.

-Good morning, kids, I’m Mr. New Vegas, we are having a nice day today, October 23, 2277, a beautiful Sunday. Our forecast for today is still excessively violent with lots of radiation, like it has been for the last 200 year, and chances of decapitation by raiders seems to have dropped a 2%. I hope your doing well, and to start the day off, let’s play a nice song about love. “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” by Dean Martin.

The guys slowly wake up to the music and stretch. They go to the bathroom and wash their faces, drink some water and Gilbert heads for the door.

-Wait,- Snake declared-We can scavenge around, maybe find some food and valuable items. You check the fridge and get what you can carry.

-Alright-responds Gilbert and heads to the kitchen.

He opens the door to the fridge and takes 2 Sugar Bombs and some dirty water. He puts it in the table and wait’s a couple of minutes for Snake. When Snake returns, he gives the stuff to him and he puts it in his pouch, along with some conductors, fission batteries, paint guns and sensor modules he found in the house’s basement. They clear the barricade and head out towards Primm. It was a long walk but Mr. New Vegas kept them both entertained.

-Snake?

-Yeah?-he responded as the continued walking down the road.

-What’s New Vegas?-wondered Gilbert curiously.

-New Vegas is like this resort like place? With a bunch of casinos and other sorts of entertainment.

-Ah. That’s nice.-Gilbert started to wonder why the people of Vault 37 were still in there, when they could all exit.

After a couple of minutes they finally arrived at Primm, and apparently, Snake had been here before. He just walked in as if he was in his home and entered a house. Inside was an old man and a broken robot that Gilbert recognized from his Rob-Co books. An Eyebot. He went to tinker with it while Snake talked with the man.

-Nash. Good too see you-he addressed the man behind the counter.

-Oh, hello there young one. We meet once again. How can I help you?

Snake reached in his pouch and retrieved 3 fission batteries, a conductor, a paint gun, and a sensor module-I’m looking to sell these.

-Hmm…67 caps. Sound right to you?

-Sure, why not.-he responded as he accepted the money, which, after the war, was old Nuka-Cola bottle caps.-I’m also looking for an air filtration system.

-Sorry sonny, I can’t help you with…wait. A man outside may help you. You may want to talk to him, he seems decent enough and is a lot younger, maybe he knows were to find one.

-Alright, Mr. Nash. Thanks.-he said and left, Gilbert leaving behind him.
-Oh just call me Johnson boy!-he demanded as the door closed.

Snake looked around and finally found the person he was told about. He was a big man. Big in the muscular sense. Wore a beret and a bandana wrapped around his neck. He had a machete on his back. For all Snake knew he could be a mercenary. Snake approached the man, while Gilbert watched from afar.

-Hey, big guy. I’m looking for an air filtration system, you know were to find one?

-Nope.-he responded.

-Not a clue? You seem like you travel a lot, can you at least point us in the right direction.

-I can, sure.

-Thanks man. Really tha…

-For 500 caps-he interrupted

-But I don’t have that money.

-Then sorry, I can’t help.

-Look, I think gentlemen like us should be bartering like this. If you do this for me karma will pay you back. You’re not a bad man, friend. Why change now? What do you say, pal.

-Somebody has been reading “Lying, Congressional Style” a lot. But your speech skills won’t work with me.

-Look. Take us there and we’ll pay you back with whatever we find besides the filter. And what I owe I’ll pay back.

-Deal. But if you don’t pay me, I’ll cut you up.

-Gilbert! We are leaving.-he declared.

They followed the man for miles and miles. With barely any talking. All they knew about him is that he called himself Colonel, and that he was an ex-mercenary but is now more of a businessman. After 2 hours of walking, they arrived at a scarp yard and there it was. Good as new. Gilbert would finally be able to return. Snake scavenged around for Colonel’s pay and they left to the vault, which Colonel agreed to follow since he had nothing better to do.

Nightfall arrived and they were still in the open. As they walked a slight noise was heard. So low that Gilbert didn’t hear it, but Snake and Colonel did. Colonel quickly drew his machete and Snake a hunting shotgun he found in the scrap yard. Growling was heard. But nothing was there Gilbert was terrified.

-What the hell is out there!-he panicked as he reached for his 10mm.

-Calm down Gilbert. Just stay wary…-Snake scanned the area.

-We have Night Stalkers.-declared Colonel.

-Night Stalkers?-asked Gilbert confused

-It’s half Coyote, half rattle-snake. They are invisible due too Stealth Boy exposure…but it runs out once they get too loud or injured…move too fast…-responded Snake.

There was a brief silence…the wind blew…some rattling was heard in the distance…tumbleweeds hoped around the desert road. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Night Stalker jumped on Snake and a shot flew to the sky from Snake’s shotgun as he fell, yelling as the beast bit on it. Another jumped towards Colonel but he sliced it with the machete and saved Snake. Snake stood up injured and spotted another running to him. He aimed his gun and fired. The bullet flew through the sky and penetrated its head, through its skull, bursting the brain and causing a pool of blood to form instantly. Gilbert panicked as the two fought the beasts. He heard a noise and saw another. He aimed his gun at it, and pulled the trigger. The bullet burst the beast’s eye and killed it instantly.
Everyone had survived and Gilbert impressed himself with that shot. This was the first time he ever used a gun. But Snake was bleeding. It was nothing some stimpacks would heal. He stumbled around for a few seconds before Gilbert and Colonel helped him stay up. Gilbert cleaned the wounds and bandaged them while Colonel gave him a bottle of whiskey to suppress the pain. The three all walked the rest of the night towards the vault and Gilbert’s medical training ensured Snake’s survival, but he still needed a doctor.