Fallout: Equestria - Lovely New Pegasus

by No one is home

They Shot the sherriff Pt 2

They Shot the sherriff Pt 2

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“I didn’t like it, right from the start.” Boss Lady scowls even better than she squints. “Five packages, going five different routes to the same place. That only left us with two single digit couriers at the post already. Not countin’ myself of course. My fightin’ days are behind me. If y’all lucky enough, you might live that long.”

“Wait, you said two, not counting you…” My damaged brain meat starts to percolate. “We draw routes by lots… Where was number Five?”

“He drew your route.” The hate in her scowl tells me she sees it too. “He took one look at his lot and looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Let Six have it, maybe the wasteland will sort him out.’ I let him know ain’t no courier backs out of a route after the lots have been drawn. And he quit on the spot.”

“He sold us out.” I’m not crying because I’m not sad. I wish I was even disappointed. “He knew… he bucking knew. How many of us are left?”

“At the Marejave Express? If you still call yourself a courier… then one.” Boss Lady snarls, bitter to the last of her patience. “I should have retired a long time ago. Jackie, could you fetch a tarp for number Nine?”

“But… how?” It hits me like a brick. None of the couriers made their deliveries. They were set up, just like I was.

Boss Lady gives a bitter laugh. “How do you end up running a raider bar? You let one raider hang out at your bar.”

I follow the boss into the Marejave Express office with Princess trotting nervously behind us. Jackie is tending to Number Nine. Boss Lady talks as she makes her way behind the ruined counter. “Oddly enough, Five left you a parting gift. It’s a broken robot. I think he knew you’d survive. Like he saw into your eyes from one radroach to another.”

My jaw actually drops at what the old grey mare lays on the counter. “Is that a fully assembled Giddyup Buttercup? Sweetie Belle addition?”

“Don’t get to excited, young buck.” The grey mare snorts. “The frame is intact, but she’s seen a lot of internal damage.”

“The spell matrix is intact! Most of this damage can be fixed with salvage.” I peel back her Equestrian steel carapace. The Faithfull Cybernetic Companion, AKA Giddyup Buttercup. A masterpiece of prewar robotics. Only a hooful of prototypes were ever released before the balefire bombs ended any hopes of full production. I carefully carry her to the workbench. “Prewar electronics was all modular. I got enough parts just grabbing scav from the old radio station to fix most of this. All she needs is a few transistors replaced and a spark battery.”

“Wait… he can fix robots?” Princess is making squinty eyes. “Because one hundred percent of everything I’ve ever seen him do is murder raiders, talk to himself, and blow shit up.”

“Hey, Jackie?” I can’t stop grinning as I work. “Can I borrow your backup spark battery to get her up and running. I promise I’ll get you a new one!”

Author's Note:

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Perk Obtained:  Making Friends
“They just need a little love and maintenance”

You can repair broken robots with the appropriate scrap and access to a workbench.  Repaired robots will always be friendly towards you unless directly attacked (Who’d do that?  Don’t do that…)