Chapter 348 - Ambush?

"Yeah? That's because they are 'that' advanced. Big Mt literally has real Holograms and forcefields..." he says, causing the others to look at him with suspicion... Sure he'd showed them some high tech stuff, but holograms and forcefields were shit you'd see in sci-fi movies and novels... Not something that could be made in real life... Though, by the way Afton looks and his miraculous survival, it was somewhat believable.

Afton himself elects to avoid telling them about the Giant Robo-scorpion that was currently being repaired, the army of super-advanced Cyberdogs, and Big Mt's teleportation technology.​​

"Yeah... There were some side effects of contracting the fungus though." he mutters, pulling back his sleeve and revealing his 'plant-arm'.

Josie gasps, but everyone else just looks on appraisingly at the limb, "So that's where that thing came from... Huh, you think I should try out the 'fungus treatment' if I lose somethin'?" Karl asks semi-sarcastically.

"I think that's what Doctor Usanagi was trying to figure out as well. But I doubt it. The serum used to neutralise the fungus removes its ability to spread and produce spores. I reckon another hour of no treatment and I'd be one of those Spore Carriers we found in Vault 22." he says, glancing to Anja who nods grimly.

"Spore Carrier?" Josie asks.

Afton nods, "Basically humanoid plant zombies that were way faster than a regular human could move... They crawled on all fours and had no eyes, somehow sensing their surroundings with sound alone. It wouldn't have been all bad down there, the Spore Carriers and deadly fungus were tough enough, but there were more mutated strains..."

"Like what?" Josie asks, curious.

He shrugs, "A rose-bush that swung whips that had poisoned thorns covering them, plants that'd shoot deadly acid out of their mouths. And a giant tree that could literally cause an earthquake by itself..."

"Freaky... You don't think I'll have to fight anything like that, do you?" she timidly asks.

Karl shakes his head, "I fuckin' hope not. Otherwise, I'm headed in the opposite direction. I'm just a retired soldier, I ain't dealin' with world-destroying threats like that shit you described."

Afton nods, "Yeah, same. If we see anything like that I'll find a way to get rid of it without going near. I've had enough close calls this year..."

...

"So what's the plan for the Deathclaws?" Josie asks.

Afton shrugs, "I was thinking to grab some of those Fiend corpses and use them as bait. They won't have started rotting yet, but'll be pungent enough to attract some attention from at least the younger Deathclaws. After that we'll find a good position, trap the fuck out of the land between us and them, and snipe at them until they're all gone."

Boones nods, "Good enough for me."

"I don't know... I've seen Deathclaws climb better than most creatures... Even if we find a high place to set up, they'll be on us in minutes depending on the distance." Karl explains.

"Yeah, that's why we'll ambush the young ones first. The only thing that'll be tough to deal with is their numbers. The big ones will be fairly easy to put down with a couple .50cal shots to the head, but if twenty, thirty, or maybe even forty young Deathclaws charge our position, we'd be up shit creek without a paddle."

"You guys are making this sound less and less appealing..." Josie mutters, Anja nodding in agreement.

"It's alright... If any reach us we'll just have Dog-meat bite their ankles or something." Afton jokes, the Cyberdog barking along as if affirming him.

Karl just grumbles at him, "Whatever, if I die doing this job I'll come back and haunt you all." he says, turning around and laying out his sleeping bag.

Afton chuckles and begins doing the same, deciding to get up bright and early tomorrow so they can scout the area around the quarry before doing anything.

...

The next day the group is all on their way towards the highway leading to the Quarry. Josie and Anja were 'competent enough' to be useful should shit hit the fan, so Afton didn't they needed any last-minute adjustments to their technique.

Unfortunately, as they were about to enter the danger zone classified as Deathclaw territory, Afton felt a foreboding feeling coming from the West of their position. Without even waiting for the first shot, he throws himself at the others, pulling them all to the ground just before bullets whizz past where they'd just been standing.

"What the hell is that!" Karl exclaims, wondering who would be attacking them this close to NCR territory... Camp McCarren was literally just a couple miles up the street after all.

"I don't know, but I doubt they'd be willing to tell us." Afton says, pulling his Ant-Material rifle off of his back and aiming down the scope, spotting the enemy...

"Ah... That makes sense." he quietly mutters, but the others hear him despite the bullets whizzing overhead.

"What?" Karl asks.

"Some old friends of ours Karl... Powder Gangers." Afton states, before looking around in confusion. "Wait, where's Dog-meat?"

...

The others glance around as well but don't see the animal... That is, until they all hear a loud bark that echoes through the desert. Afterwards the bullets stop, the only thing audible being the sound of a man screaming while getting mauled.

Afton looks through his scope and spots Dog-meat tearing the flesh out of a guys arm while his unconscious buddy lies next to him... The sonic blast must've taken out the other one. "Found him... Maybe we can get some answers out of them after all. Good too, my torture techniques were getting rusty."