They disrupt background radiation in identifiable ways, if you know how to look and have the right tech."
He smiled, "fortunately for you, I can teach you how to look and tell you where the tech is."
He explained that the old RobCo factory just outside Haven City had the necessary sensor arrays but Elara and Robbin would need to bypass the security measures.
Scope studied their faces and pointed to the PipBoy on Elara's wrist, "I can programme that to do what's necessary when it's linked with the RobCo system, and I'll also programme it to download the data I need in return to get you back into your Vault."
Elara and Robbin looked at each other the back at Scope and nodded. If Scope was right, Robbin could rescue his brother and Elara could be one step closer to going home.
Following the mission to find the tech-salvager Scope Calder, Elara and her companions, Robbin the Scavenger and Marlene the Settler decided to head to Haven City before making for the RobCo factory.
The reasons for not going straight for the factory were twofold. Firstly, although Robbin had recovered from his rat bites, Marlene was still poisoned as I've decided that 'injured' on the recovery table means the character has a condition. Poisoned made most sense.
The second reason was that Robbin managed to injure himself again whilst foraging and would miss the next battle. Therefore I needed to get to a settlement and get my team healed before making for the factory.
Unfortunately, the travel table had other ideas.
I was once again 'waylaid by foes' and so another 'passing through' battle needed to be fought, this time in the 'wilderness' and on a 4'x1' table.
I was going to have to run the gauntlet.
To complicate matters, I was without Robbin (at least this would save on medical bills) as he was injured and bringing up the rear whilst the others scout ahead. Also, unless I found some healing, Marlene only had five rounds until she collapsed from the poison coursing through her system.
I was going to have to get moving.
The closest inhabitants were generated as a pair of Feral Ghouls. They are least should be slower in getting to me, but they had the punch to cause me real issues if they got close.
Two more inhabitants tokens lurked further down the table, waiting for Elara and Marlene to get closer before revealing themselves.
"That's the direction I saw movement in," said Elara. "We need to check it out, but it's probably best if we let Robbin rest that ankle of his."
Marlene nodded silently.
Elara had noticed that the settler she had saved had barely spoken for the last hour and was not looking too well. She tried not to think too hard about it. She could let them both rest, who knew what was lying in wait.
Suddenly the all too familiar shapes of Feral Ghouls lurched towards them. These seemed more robust that those Elara had encountered in the vault, but they were definitely suffering from the same dreadful affliction.
One of the stumbled forwards but to Elara's surprise suddenly ducked behind a ruined wall.
Could they think? Were they sentient? Elara's mind raced.
Two loud shots boomed out of Marlene's pipe-rifle and the still visible ghoul crumpled into a heap. Marlene was one hell of a shot!
Seeing no reason to wait around for the hidden ghoul to jump out at her, Elara darted forward, trying to draw the creature into Marlene's deadly sights.
As she ran, she tripped on what seemed to a pipe jutting out of the ground and a jet of noxious fumes billowed out, enveloping her and sending her Pipboy's Geiger counter into overdrive.
As Elara coughed a spluttered in the toxic fog, she turned just in time for her streaming eyes to see the ghoul staggering towards her...as planned.
Marlene's pipe-rifle sounded and a chunk was blown out of the creature's side, but it still came one.
Narrowly avoiding it's clawlike hands, Elara managed to bring her pistol up beneath its chin and blow the ghoul's head clean off.
Her head still spinning, Elara pushed on. Looking over her shoulder she saw Marlene following.
Elara was glad she had the support. Marlene's deadly aim was reassuring, although the way her shoulders were sagging and her head dropped were equally worrying.
A rattling and whirring sound drew Elara's attention back to the mission at hand as a battered pre-war Protectron lumbered slowly into view.
The robot was walking steadily forwards and didn't seem to have registered their presence.
Elara hoped it would stay that way. She was not sure that either of them were in a fit state to take on the Protectron's deadly lasers.
The robot continued trundling forward, as if on some preprogrammed route. Marlene was right in front of it, leaning on a pile of rubble got support, but the Protectron carried on past, oblivious.
Looking further ahead, Elara though she saw a larger shape emerging from behind a burned out car, but breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to be just a knot of tumbleweed caught on the fender.
A noise behind her caused Elara to look back.
The Protectron had stopped and was apparently facing her. Had it recognised a threat?
After several tense moments Elara realised that the robot had responded to the noise, just as she had.
It was the noise of a body falling to the ground.
Marlene lay in a heap by a ruined wall. Whatever she'd been struggling with had finally overcome her.
Elara didn't know what to do. She had no medical supplies and they were far from help. With Robbin injured, she would not be able to move Marlene, let alone get her to Haven City.
At least the route was clear. Well, it would be when that damned robot stopped staring at her.
***
For the second time, and Into the Wasteland scenario begins with life-threatening danger and peters off into tense, anti-climactic exploration.
I will admit that with Robbin injured, Marlene poisoned and Elara on half health after drawing a danger card from searchable token, I thought the mission would be impossible to complete.
However, I got very lucky drawing a Battered Protectron that did not engage and the third inhabitant token turning out to be nothing.
On the other hand, I got less lucky when the recovery roll resulted in Marlene's death. It's a shame because she never really got into the storyline and her accuracy was a massive boost.
To add insult to injury, she broke the bolt-action pipe-rifle in her fall, so I only managed to retrieve her measly switchblade.
The only upside of this mission was that the News Travels roll turned up a contract when we get to Haven City. Maybe this was the reason Marlene was heading in that direction and Elara found the details on her body. I'll wait and see what theduce turn up before making a final decision.
Elara and Robbin look like they are going to have to face the defences of the RobCo factory without any backup.
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