Chapter 370 - Fast Times

It'd been a couple weeks since the soldiers had visited, but there hadn't been any indication of anymore. Afton didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, as if the NCR simply forgot about Novac, the town wouldn't be screwed the moment he and his companions left.

Regardless, the townsfolk seemed fine with that after having decided to take their safety into their own hands. Afton wondered what the expression of the next tax collector would look like when everyone refused to pay.​​

It was fair though, no protection, no tax. Afton didn't think the NCR would be willing or able to send troops to force compliance either, if they tried Afton would take a stand, even if doing so would cause many, many problems.

He reckoned he could win the PR war though. The people would support a rebel fighting against tyrants as opposed to an oppressive government, especially since Afton was quite well known around the Mojave already... It helped that people in hard times were drawn to going against authorities like the NCR.

During these weeks Afton and the gang had begun putting all hands on deck when constructing the newest vehicle. It would be a relatively large truck with an engine, but that was just to secure another vehicle.

Afton intended to use the truck to tow a Fire Engine to Novac from Camp Searchlight. Afterwards, he had half a mind to give the tow truck to Novac to help secure supplies and other essentials. He was slightly worried about doing that however as it'd just put a larger target on Novac.

Afton, Josie, and Daisy could usually be found in the garage fixing up the truck, while the others were either patrolling around the town or helping secure parts necessary to fix the vehicle.

Of course, the latter was just a cover so Afton could use his [Mechanicus] and [Jury Rigging] Perks without prying eyes constantly on him. The Gibson Scrap Yard up the road helped cover his rather unnatural abilities, to both his companions and to those who might be spying on them.

As everyone was far more familiar with the process of repairing a vehicle than last time during Dirt-Birds construction, it took far, far less time to finish it.

By the time the third week rolled by, the truck was completed. It had previously been a simple truck with a bed in the back allowing it to carry small things. But with some modifications of Afton's design, it now more resembled some sort of Winch truck.

The arm on the back had a rolled-up bundle of steel cables Afton'd managed to 'find' which should be strong enough to tow a Fire Engine. Of course, he'd put in a larger engine and reinforced the chassis to make sure nothing would break before it got back to Novac.

His modifications had made it a great deal heavier, which would help with pulling the larger vehicle, but did put a lifespan on it... The Winch Truck simply wasn't designed for what they were using it for, and would eventually break without occasional repairs.

The reactor engine would burn itself out far too quickly, and the chassis itself was still not comparable to a specifically designed Winch truck, making it vulnerable to bending, breaking, and a whole manner of other potential disasters.

Still, if nothing else at least Josie and Daisy enjoyed the process. The former woman jumping up and down giddily as they prepared to start the engine for the first time. Afton decided to take the first ride to christen it as he felt he'd put in the most effort...

He inserts the makeshift key into the ignition and turns it, causing the reactor to hum to life. The headlights illuminate the dim garage and Josie cheers at the apparent success.

"Let's drive it! Come on!" she urges, and Afton felt that if she could she'd force him off of the driver's seat and start driving it herself.

Afton just smiles and nods while opening the garage door. He gently accelerates it and exits the workshop, causing a couple of townsfolk to move out of the way as he drives through the street. This wasn't the first time they'd seen him driving a new vehicle, so their surprise was limited at best. Though, some of the newer residents gave big enough reactions to satisfy him.

Once they were on the outskirts of town Afton hops onto the back and allows everyone to reposition themselves, Daisy getting into the passenger's seat while Josie excitedly grabs the wheel.

"Now, you remember what we said about driving, right?" Afton asks from the back of the truck, hoping she'd not crash their new creation.

"NOPE!" Josie chirps as she slams her foot on the accelerator, almost causing Afton to rolls off of the back. Daisy and Josie are both forced into their seats as the truck rapidly speeds up.

It's lucky that the highway was relatively clear, even with all the cracks and potholes running across its surface, otherwise, Josie might've flipped and completely totalled the vehicle.

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she cheers, pushing the truck faster as it races down the highway, its suspension barely managing to stop the wheels from being torn out from under them due to the rough road.

Despite the rather manic driving though, Josie proves that she's quite a good driver... Afton had expected it after she'd spent most of her life learning about vehicles, but for a first-timer, it was quite the sight.

The trio continued to race the vehicle around Novac until the sky darkened, even then Josie hadn't had her fix of speedster fun, and she was already wanting to go again. Though, Daisy refused to drive with Josie again...

When Afton was in private, even Nyx stated her concern for their safety at Josie's driving, something he hadn't expected as Nyx had been with him when he was driving at top speeds to Camp McCarren.