My third trip of the day. People are beginning to give me funny looks, maybe wondering where I'm getting all this stuff. Tough, if they want to know let them go find out. There will for sure be more of those things in there, coming and going. I think trouble is a way of life for us all now, so let someone else do the fighting.
Judy really had built up quite the stash. I wonder how many others she had stolen from, and how many of them might have ended up dead because of what she had done. She paid the price, and I have no sympathy for her now.
My hut is beginning to look pretty full now, but if I'm going to expand I'll need a bigger place. Larger, better spots cost caps, and lots of them, thousand more than I have, so sooner or later I'm going to have to go out beyond the local town and earn. For now though, a quick check what I have with me.
I have enough water here to last months. That was the hardest thing to carry, but I knew I couldn't waste it out there, and finally it's back safe. Seems to be around eight large leather pouches, all with purified water, and around ten bottles too. I have enough food, cans, packets, dried out salted meat, and other sundry items to last me months.
I have a wealth of tools, and weapons, and a huge amount of ammo. I will carry a useful looking pistol with me, and an automatic rifle wherever I go. They seem the best items to deal with any trouble and aren't too heavy, plus it's a benefit that I have a lot of ammunition for them, so I can finally hold my own in a firefight.
I found Judy had stashed well over three thousand caps in all in this little satchel. Pretty good. I can afford mostly anything in trade now, except more land, need bucket loads more for that.
I could easily sit back and eat, drink and be merry to my heart's content now, for years on end, no need to ever leave the compound. Course, that's not my way, so I will do as I do, find out more about myself if I can and improve my lot in life.
Quite why it's not my way I have no idea, because memories about myself are so short, but I feel deep down they will come back to me.
I sit a moment, and look up at the drifting sky. The clouds look so beautiful right now, across the deep shimmering blue ocean of endlessness beyond.
'Hey.' Someone says, and I jump, grabbing hold of my rifle before I realize I am in camp, should be no need for such things.
It is a woman, scrawny looking, seems as if she hasn't eaten in an age. I expect her to ask for food, but she doesn't seem interested.
Her eyes are pretty clear though, very focused.
'Can I have a word stranger?' She asks. I nod, waving her in. It is beginning to get cold outside, and she is only wearing a simple cotton dress. She looks around quickly, seems shocked at what I have.
'Want a drink of water? Something to eat maybe?' I ask politely.
'I'm not here for charity, and I'm not that kind of woman, so keep your stuff.' She says harshly, sneering at me.
The surprised look on my face catches her out, she was expecting something else.
'I only offered, out of kindness.' I say, no longer quite so polite. 'You can leave if you feel like that.'
She frowns at me, before breaking out into a smile. she has teeth missing, her skin craggy even though she is clearly quite young. Time and life haven't been kind to her.
'Sorry stranger, don't often get people being generous.' She says, glancing at the water. I reach over, take a beaker and fill it with water, then hand it to her with some dried meat. It is very salty, but tasty nonetheless.
She appears embarrassed to take it, but does anyway and drinks quickly, before wolfing down the food. I guess she needed it. She looks at me with kindly eyes, no need for thanks, that is enough.
'Word around town is you can handle yourself, and have the weapons to back it up.' She says, her voice stronger for the sustenance.
'Is that what people say?' Well, I'm no soldier, but I seem to have been lucky so far.' I reply.
'Well, it's like this, I have a brother, or had... He set out ages ago, maybe three weeks, to look for food and water, or anything. Never came back. I'm wondering if you can find him, or find out what happened to him?' She asks, her expression a constant source of new appearances.
I hesitate, thinking for a moment. I can't bring myself to ask what's in it for me, because it's an easy guess that she has nothing.
'Life isn't too bad for me here, not sure I want to go wandering further out and risk that.'
She nods back at me, and once again looks me square in the eye. 'My brother, he knows a lot of things, older than me, much older, and was around before all this kicked off. He knows about what happened.'
'Interesting.' I say mildly, still not sure I want to risk so much for something so simple.
'Word is that you have no memory.' She says and my ears prick up to this.
'Something like that.' I say, being deliberately vague.
'From the vault, word has it about you. My brother knows about them vaults, heard him talking about it.'
Now my mind flares up, erupting with thoughts like a volcano. Answers, maybe even just my name. No more wondering, I could find my identity.
'So I find your brother, and if he's still alive, then I help him back here and in return he helps me learn about vaults, and who I am?' I ask, rubbing my chin. Again she nods.
I have to, I have to go. 'First thing tomorrow, I'll supply up, and go looking, as long as it's not far.'
The woman seems elated. She has clearly struggled without him, but I'm not quite the fool I was. If she's lying, she will answer for it.
'Where did he head, and how will I know it is him?'
'He is a burly man, strong arms, a little shorter than you. He wears a very thick bushy beard. He always wore good clothes, and heavy, strong boots. You'll see him in an old cowboy hat, as he liked to term it. He went north west from here, no idea how far, that's up to you.'
'What's up there?'
'Supposedly an old railyard and town. It's in ruins, and no one goes there cos of all the trouble that comes with it.'
'So why did he go?' I ask, wondering if he didn't make it, how would I.
'We were desperate, hardly any food left and no water. No one would help us, so he had to go.'
I know the feeling.
'OK, I'll go looking, see what I can find. If I can't find him, I'll be back, likely not more than three days. After that, sorry but I can't help.'
The woman smiles again, and stands. She appears embarrassed again. She nods, once, then again and again, backing out of the hut, thanking me.
'Don't thank me yet,' I say, standing with her. '-no guarantee even I'll survive!'
She ignores this and wanders off. It is dark now, and I set to lighting a fire. My mind wanders too, wondering what I might find of myself, if I find this man. I shall go searching in the morning...
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