Fallout Equestria: S.T.A.L.K.E.R

by aegishailstorm

Chapter 19: A Short Time To Get There

Chapter 19: A Short Time To Get There

In the early hours of the afternoon, Nikolai and Flashpoint once again found themselves walking along a barren stretch of four lane highway. That spanned from nowhere to.... Well, also nowhere.

" I got an idea you stupid blin, let us play the 'I' spy!" Nikolai shouted. He whipped around and pointed off in the distance at a random destroyed skyscraper. He stopped walking, and shifted his gaze off into the barren expanse of what must have once been grassland to point at a dead tree about half a kilometer off the main road.

"I spy with my bloodshot eye, an ecological calamity! Oh wait-" He raised up both of his arms. "Ты дурак! Everything is dead! The soil, the trees, the sky, that mutant rat with four eyes which I just turned into roadkill." Nikolai wiped the putrid bloodstain off his boot. Flashpoint rolled his eyes.

" I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about our situation. But don't you think we should have spent some more time back in Whiskey Springs to rest and recuperate?" The Stalker shook his head. "Nyet!"

"But why? My hooves were just starting to stop hurting." The Stalker turned and looked down into Flashpoints glowing eyes.

"You soaked up so much of that magic radiation and God knows what else back in Splendid Valley that I wouldn't be surprised if people started calling you a ghoul. " The damaged skyscraper that Nikolai had been pointing to in the distance collapsed as he said that. Followed by a faint crashing noise about 45 seconds later.

"Speaking of which, don't you think it is little odd that we have come across so many living creatures?" The Zebra looked perplexed by this statement.

"What do you mean?"

"I did not have the much time to count, but it seemed like Whiskey Springs had hundreds of ponies inhabiting it. And Dodge City before that at least as many. Yet, it seems like the only ones I come across on the road either want to kill me or are just terrible people in general. I am not best judge of character... But I see a pattern here." Flashpoint chuckled and trotted up to Nikolai's side.

"I actually agree with you. But that's because they would rather take it from creatures that have things than look for it themselves." The Stalker smiled under his mask and hefted his AK 101.

"I get bored quickly. And I like money. There is good reason for me doing what I am doing."

With a snap of his fingers Nikolai reached back to his vest mounted radio and began to fiddle with the knob, scrolling through wave after wave of earsplitting static and white noise.

"Hey, how does that radio of yours work anyway? I was never really taught stuff like that as a foal."

"Hah! When you have half family in Soviet military and half family work either in potato field or automotive factory- You get pretty good idea at stuff like that. Is cheaper to repair things than buy new thing. Radio wave, or signals, is invisible bursts of electricity- Like radiation. Which a radio, a sensor can pick up. That is essential explanation. If you are asking how it can pick up a signal from a world away... Well... I do not know, and I am almost scared to try to take it apart to find out."

In truth, Nikolai did know how to properly disassemble and put his portable radio back together. but how it was able to pick up signals, specifically-' Zone FM'. Which played everything from air raid sirens to American Country music to Russian Hard bass and Ukrainian folk music to Upbeat synthwave music. It also served as a sort of podcast for Stalkers to teach other Stalkers about the Zone and warn outsiders. But Nikolai never really cared much for that. He was more into the, 'copious amounts of alcohol to stave off radiation poisoning crowd'. But all of that aside, he truly didn't know what made his interdimensional radio tick. Especially when one went and considered that the signals seemingly originating from Equestria seemed to have difficulty making their way through unless he was near a large city or a radio tower. Meanwhile, his practically a smartphone PDA was relegated to the menial task of a digital notebook and primitive mapping system.

"Forget I asked." Flashpoint muttered quickly, kicking a rock with his left hoof. " And forget that spying game. There's nothing interesting out here. Everything is just shades of brown and grey. "

"Like the Ukraine in Winter, but in summer... Well, is like fantasy tale... Like Florida. Minus crackheads and subsequent crackhead alligators." Flashpoint didn't seem to get the joke. And Nikolai didn't feel like explaining it to him.

"Anyway... Let us try the radio. There is nothing here to worry about. And that thunderstorm from earlier is gone. We still have a few hours until night. And we will probably be on this road several days." As he switched his radio back to Zone FM, a new song began to drift through its speakers.

"Six days one the road ya know Imma gonna make it home tonight!"

"Blyat!" Nikolai shouted. "Is not helpful!" Nikolai shifted his rifle and checked his map. While he was preoccupied, he heard Flashpoint say, " I like it." Nikolai checked his radio.

"Dave Dudley. Good stuff, but I am not anywhere near home." The Stalker set his hands in his coat pockets and began to fiddle with some of the odds and ends inside. "I've never had a real home." The Zebra's voice trailed off. His ears drooping.

"Oh really? You are feeling sad for yourself now?" Nikolai inquired. " You know, home is whatever and whenever you make it. You could just define it as a place that a vampire cannot get into."

"What's a vampire?" Flashpoint asked. Nikolai waved the question away. "Oh, never mind, let us just enjoy the radio. We can save the talking for tonight." Nikolai turned the volume dial up a few notches. And let the sounds of steel guitar drift off into the grey sky.

The distant crackle of gunfire broke the silence about two hours later. Far off in the distance, Nikolai and Flashpoint could just barely make out muzzle flashes and the blurry silhouettes of ponies moving and falling. Nikolai fumbled around for his binoculars, and calmly took a knee in the center of the road, right by a cracked concrete divider, he toyed with the magnifier until it was all the was out to 8 times magnification, adjusting the focus, he was just barely able to make out the distant altercation, about a kilometer away. Beyond the range of Nikolai's shoddy marksmanship skills, but also far enough away to not pose any serious threat to his or Flashpoint's life.

"Perhaps we should investigate?" Nikolai inquired. " Just getting a little closer wouldn't hurt. Plus, it would mean early pickings of the loot!"

"You of all should know that would be a bad idea. I say, we let them fight it out, and then, when the shooting stops. Then we go in their and sift through their bodies." Nikolai nodded in agreement. "Your plan is better. We shall wait them out."

The fight went on for the next 30 odd seconds, and then ceased abruptly, followed by screaming, and, finally, silence. Five minutes passed, and then five more. And when it became clear that the victors would not be returning to the scene. Nikolai And Flashpoint began to move up. A few minutes later, as they came within a hundred or so meters, they began to hear resumed screams.

"Blyat, what now!?" Nikolai thought to himself, he held up his right hand in a fist, and motioned for Flashpoint to head to the ditch on the opposite side of the road.

"Try and flank around." He shouted out. Pointing forward, towards the wagon wreckage ahead. Flashpoint nodded, and scurried off down the left side of the highway, Nikolai meanwhile, continued moving up the right. He transitioned his rifle off safe, pulling down to semi auto, keeping one eye down the iron sights, and another at the environment.

"Hello!" The Stalker called out out. " If you're there, call out to me!"

"Help! Please help me!" The shrieks' sounded female. Nikolai glanced around at the dozen or so bodies, he walked over to the side of the highway, and kicked over a tarp, raising his rifle and resting his finger on the trigger,

"Please no more! Don't hurt me!"

It was a young unicorn mare with a formerly yellowish coat that was covered in dirt and blood. The lacerations on her hooves and neck told him that she hadn't exactly been taking the best care of herself. The hypodermic needle marks on her right shoulder and partially torn black leggings weren't a very good sign either. She was shivering and cradling the tarp over herself as if trying to hide something . Her eyes were wide with terror. Nikolai glanced around at the dead bodies. Something didn't seem right about this situation.

"I am sorry if I startled you ma'am! I just heard screams down the road and came to investigate, I do not mean you any harm."

"Nikolai!" Flashpoint's voice shouted from across the road. The Zebra emerged from behind a rusted out car wreck with his gun held low.

"You look awful, what happened here?" Nikolai took his left hand off his gun and began to remove the tarp. The mare pulled it away in an angry fit.

"Don't touch me!" Her voice sounded more depressed than angry. The Stalker backed away and slowly raised his gloved hand. "Ok, ok. But I cannot help you then. Please ma'am, you do not look well." Slowly but hesitantly, the mare began to remove the tarp. Flashpoint watched her intently for anything that might even resemble a weapon.

"There, you happy asshole?" The mare asked ,her voice shaky voice filled with irritation, she threw off the tarp, and instantly crossed her legs and balled up.

"Now now, that is no way to talk to a good Samaritan. Now bend over." The mare's eyes went wide with shock. "No, not a chance!" The Stalker raised his hands in protest. And Flashpoint chuckled.

"No, not at all ma'am, there's a deep cut across your back. I'd just need to sterilize and bandage it. It would take all of 30 seconds, I promise you, and here-" Nikolai reached into a side pocket on his rucksack and pulled out an emergency foil blanket, he unwrapped it and tossed it to the mare, who eyed it suspiciously.

"This is your idea of a blanket?" Nikolai took a knee and edged closer. "It will capture body heat and warm you up faster, trust me. I am professional. Do you like the eh... Sparkle Cola?" The mare shook her head slightly. Nikolai wagged a finger in Flashpoint's direction, and the Zebra unbuckled his saddlebags and fished out a bottle of Sparkle Cola, Nikolai twisted it open and set it at the hooves of the mare.

Flashpoint just smiled and watched his friend work, "Professional, hah!"

"Go on then, just try not to move to much." The mare had already begun to drink away. Nikolai pulled out his IFAK, and drew a Gauze square and a roll of bandages from it. He poured a little Vodka on the dressing, and then began to wrap the mare's wounds. By the time she was finished with the drink, so was Nikolai with his impromptu first aid. The mare paused, and slowly backed away from the Stalker. Who pulled off his mask and gave a warm smile to the mare. "It is ok." He said.

"Get your bearings, and then you can tell us. Oh, and that reminds me. Flashpoint, start taking stuff off these dead hoodlums, caps, ammunition, gun parts, food, clean water, cool stuff. The usual." His friend rolled his eyes and walked away to begin pillaging.

"Glad to see you're having such a fun time with my friends." The mare murmured quietly, Nikolai head the statement, but ignored it.

"You're wondering what happened, right? I was traveling here with a couple other mares and two stallions, we were headed to Whiskey Springs. When we were ambushed by raiders. They killed every pony except for me, who they... Well..." Her voice trailed off, and she began to tear up again. Before finally simply saying. " They raped me." Flashpoint glanced up from a bodies saddlebags and turned to listen in. "I played dead, and they just left after a while, laughing as they did. And... then-" She stifled back a tear.

" And then you showed up." The Stalker sighed, " Oh boy. This places things in quite the pickle." The mare's gaze shifted from Nikolai to Flashpoint. Nikolai pointed at his friend, and then beckoned over to the far side of the road. He looked back down at the mare. "Stay here, please." She curled the foil blanket over herself and whimpered. The Stalker led his friend away and crouched down and whispered into his ear.

"Well? What do you think? We cannot leave her here, she will die. But, on the other hand... Have you taken a good look at her? I'm sorry, do not take wrong way. But I do not want a some crazy victim minded drug addict stripper travelling with us! No, not alright! And I don't want to tie her up and carry her back to Whiskey Springs either. And we cannot give her a gun!" Flashpoint sighed.

"She never said she was a stripper... But that's not the point! She clearly isn't in good shape, and we just need to get her to the nearest settlement. Then we can leave her and never worry again. But right now, she doesn't even look like she can walk!" Nikolai facepalmed, and walked back over to the mare.

"Where is nearest settlement North of here?" He asked her, pulling out his PDA. The mare hung her head.

" I don't... Um... Maybe Green Meadows? But that's an almost half day walk from here. What are you planning on doing with me anyway?" The Stalker groaned. " Look, I've talked it over with my friend, Flashpoint over there." The Zebra gave the both of them a shy wave, and then went back to rummaging through the battlefield.

"Look, we do not mean you any harm. It was not part of plan, but we can escort you to Town, and then we will leave, and you will never have to speak to us again. It is least we can do for all this free stuff." The mare looked surprisingly unfazed by the statement.

"You and that Zebra with the glowing eyes? Hah! I think don't think so!" Nikolai shrugged. " The lady had spoken, have fun with the monsters! Or... You could come with us, have a hot meal tonight, and protection at no cost to you self whatsoever. I never asked you, but what is your name?"

"It's Amber, Amber Reins. And, thank you for everything." Nikolai smiled, and redonned his mask. " You can keep the blanket, I have plenty anyway. Her expression changed to a smile, and she stumbled to all fours.

"Can you walk? If not, then I'm sure Flashpoint over there would love some company." The Zebra waved again. And the mare's facial expressions faded back into discomfort. "Um... That's alright, I don't feel that bad." She said, trying to mask the pain coming from her cuts and bruises.

"Just stay right here, and when we're done, we will leave and find place to camp for night. You said you knew those dead ponies." Her ears perked up. "Oh yes, yes! I didn't know then that well. So... You know... I'll just get my things." Nikolai rolled his neck, and nodded.

All in all, Nikolai and Flashpoint were actually able to salvage quite a bit from the wrecked wagon, aside from a some magic bandages and a single healing potion, they had also found several spare magazines for Flashpoint's pistol, another 15 caps, and a slightly tarnished .357 Magnum revolver with an ivory grip which Nikolai took for himself. The grip was designed and fashioned for a pony, sure. But he insisted on keeping it. A big bore revolver was still a big bore revolver. Amber collected a few items in a leather bag, though none of which Nikolai was able to get a good look at, and enthusiastically came along with the others.

Nikolai, Flashpoint, and their new tag along, Amber Reins, walked for another whole two hours until Nikolai had found a bit of raised ground with dead tree stags spread about that he could set up his tent. It was small, but, but it made up for it in practicality, it was waterproof, windproof, and not too difficult to set up. And, seeing that tent pitching was not one of any of the 3's strong suits, Nikolai was grateful to have it.

"Alright now, we need fire. Flashpoint, watch her while I'm gone. " The Zebra grunted softly in agreement, Nikolai drew his small folding camp axe from the bottom of his rucksack and laughed at him. "I am going to go and get the firewood. If you need anything-" He glanced over at 'Ms. Reins'. Who smirked back at him in a nervous manner. He laughed again and twirled the hatchet around.

"... Feel free to scream incoherently! Da, yes, good?" He handed Flashpoint his backup mini maglight and left the two equines with the words, " Do not waste battery." As Nikolai's footsteps faded off into the dark shadows of the late afternoon, Flashpoint and Amber were left sitting alone on the cold, rocky ground.

"Well... This is awkward." Flashpoint thought to himself, peaking glances over at Amber.

"So... This Nikolai, how long have you known him?" She finally asked, breaking the silence.

" A few days ago, he just showed up out of nowhere and rescued me from a Slaver caravan. By which I mean, he killed all the guards, and then freed me. And now... Here I am." The mare giggled a bit.

"Alright, here's a personal question. " She motioned towards Flashpoint's face.

"How'd you get those glowing green pearls?" She asked smugly. Her hoof brushed up against his fur. Flashpoint smiled, and pulled himself away.

"Oh, well... You see, it all started two days ago when-" The faint sound of Titanium Blade meeting 200 year old dead tree echoed through the campground. Followed by the even fainter sounds of Bandit Radio. It was getting darker and darker. Amber laughed, and Flashpoint awkwardly laughed along with her. Eventually, Nikolai's rifle light turned back towards camp, and he came out of the shadows with an armful of branches and a sack full of logs right behind him. He arranged them in a triangular pattern, and then sparked some dead grass with a match and funneled it underneath. He sat on his rucksack, probably not the best thing to sit on next to a campfire given it's contents. But he was working with what he had. He had chosen this spot because of it's denseness of what used to be foliage. All of which served to obscure most of the firelight from view of the road. Nikolai reached out into his rucksack, and pulled out 2 more ration packs. He was starting to run low. He pealed back the airtight resealable packaging and began to heat it up by holding them just over the fire one at a time, slowly pour bits of water into portions of them and stirring them with the 'clean' blade of his knife.

"Alright, what's for dinner-" Amber paused midsentence when Nikolai set a small plate of salami, citric oatmeal, and stale buckwheat down in front of her. Flashpoint immediately began to devour his portion, Nikolai took it slightly slower. And their mare companion simply prodded at the meal, before 'gracefully' biting into it face first.

"Heh, someone was hungry."

"What is this... It's very, um... Salty!" She exclaimed, Nikolai chuckled, and fumbled with the lid of a small thermos.

"Is traditional Slavic dish, but made to last forever! Meat, grain, and of course... Pickle!" He removed his gloves and pulled a dark green cucumber out of the canister. "Go on, try it." He broke it into three pieces, " I have to conserve them, I don't know when I'll find more!" He said, laughing and snickering to himself.

"How's your friend in the way of sanity?" Amber asked slyly, tapping Flashpoint on the shoulder, the Zebra shifted his tail from side to side, causing the fire to waver a little bit.

"Well, in my professional opinion, I think that the mask he goes around wearing all the time doesn't let enough air through. And he's constantly in a state of delirium!" The Stalker over in the corner crossed his arms. "I do not like the cancer. Is that really so hard to understand?"

"Say's the creature that carries around a glowing ball of radioactive death in his rucksack." Flashpoint countered. Nikolai facepalmed and finished his meal.

"I should have threatened to not feed you. Then you perhaps you would have been more considerate. I am going off to bed, I made the improvise tent for you. And no," He turned to Amber, "I am not letting you sleep with me. Go with Flashpoint, trust me, he sleeps like a clobbered goat. Adorable, and funny looking. " Nikolai said that last big through gritted teeth.
The Stalker crawled into his lean to, and took one last look out at the dark expanse of Wasteland that lay in all directions. Scattered across the land, he noticed dozens of glowing green patches in the darkness.

"Balefire Bomb craters. Not every bomb hit its mark on the last day. There are entire swaths of the heartland that you can't even pass through without getting sick, or outright dropping dead after a few minutes. But of course, you look fine... Mister I don't like cancer!" Nikolai almost gave her the finger, but restrained himself.

"Goodnight friends, is very beautiful death glow. I love you all very much. Now go the blyat to sleep! Big day tomorrow! Death and more death and so on! Blyat I hate this!"

With that, Nikolai almost instantly blacked out and dozed off. Leaving Flashpoint and Amber on their own as the two tried to figure out the least awkward way to fall asleep next to one another.

"Ah... Oh, Golden Wheat Fields. You take me back..."

A smile crept over Nikolai's face as he fantasized about being back in his hometown in Central Ukraine. Going mushroom and apple picking with his family, hunting with his dad, watching TV, partying with collage friends... He was happy. When, like a Bazooka through a window pane, his sleep was shattered by the sound of nervous laughter, followed by kissing. An it took him a moment to realize where it was coming from. But when he did, he couldn't have been madder.

Nikolai's eyes snapped open, for an instant, he just lay there sore in his bed roll, his gloved hand on the grip of his rifle. He didn't felt exhausted, he checked his watch for the unwelcome surprise that he had woken up in the early morning. With just 7 hours of sleep in between the previous night and now, he was in no whatsoever mood to contend with this.

After listening for another 20 or so seconds he decided to get up and do something about it, he snatched up his mask, and stepped out of his tent and walked past the smoldering campfire to Flashpoint and Amber's tent. He heard Flashpoint giggle. And he actually sounded happy for a moment. A passing thought crossed Nikolai's mind that, perhaps he should just go back to bed, throw a pillow over his head, and just let them...'Hug' it out. But, as he turned to walk away, he heard Flashpoint utter a halted cry of;

"Wha- AH!" Nikolai rushed over and threw the tent flap open, drawing his sidearm as he did.

"What happened!?" As the gloomy figures shifted up out of the foil blankets, Nikolai realized that Amber was holding Flashpoint's gun to his head.

"It's a shame, I can't believe you. I just can't. You know, you all put on such a convincing act. I actually enjoyed my time with you all. Especially you, Flashy." She grinned at Flashpoint, who wore an expression comprised of both distress and bewilderment on his face. Nikolai kept his gun at low ready.

"Blin, I was right!" He cried. " I told you she was bad news! Even after you insisted I befriend and help her. But I never thought she'd go to the lengths of lying about rape and then trying to seduce my only friend in this world! There is a special place in hell for people like you leeching cyka!"

"I wasn't lying... I-I Modified the truth."

Nikolai's facial expression turned to deadpan sarcasm. He had no patience for this, this mare was as good as dead. He grimaced, and began to pull back the hammer of his Makarov.

"Defend yourself with words-redeem yourself, and maybe, MAYBE, I won't shoot you right this instant!"

Comments

[AmlpfanREADER]

I knew it I fucking knew it I knew she was lying i'm not surprised.