Life of a Trader

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Holotape Entry: 5

Time: 5:59

Date: August 22, 2279

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I have found recently that the more I face death....the more I get use to it. Recently I have taken up the duty of a caravan protector and handyman. I have found to be more the first then the latter. It is an obvious assumption to suggest that caravans...especially Lucky's....are the prime targets for bands of raiders out to plunder. Today, I have taken many lives with help. Does this make me a savage? Has this wasteland rotten and torn my soul down to the level of an animals? I do not kill for pleasure or fun, but I have killed for food and survival. Do animals not do the same? Once a man of science, I am now sitting here with a moral dilemma that makes me doubt my very humanity. If only I cou....*incomparable talking*

Being with a group in my travels makes my journey.....and even my entire situation to be somewhat pleasant. While the wasteland still shows her inhospitable nature, being with people to talk to and market wares in civilized way fills me with hope for humanity. I now realize why the Enclave is trying so very hard to help these people. You could say, "I was in the right place at the right time," and not be far from the truth.

After my successful attempt at stopping a supervillan, I spent most the next day around Canterbury Commons. I conversed with Roe more about the wasteland and spent some of the day better preparing myself and getting used to the wasteland. I "scaved" an old home outside of town and found some food and shotgun shells. To be honest it was uneventful, nothing really worth talking about. That is, until I meet Lucky and his bodyguard Lucy. *quiet laughing* The coincidence that they both meet out of chance and have rhyming names is still amusing to me.

It started simple by me giving Lucky a compliment while I traded him the AntAgonizer's outfit for a cut-off shotgun and some shells. He broke the outfit apart for parts, but I still feel I got the better deal. I told him, "what a great caravan you've got here! Wish I could be apart of such a fine business." That really got to him, for you see lucky has a "holy" prospective on what he does and sells. He is a weapon merchant that sells his wares to "better protect and empower the fine individuals of the wastes". In the end, he asked me if I wanted to come along with them.......as long as I didn't cause harm and proved my worth. Obviously I quickly accepted and later that night we took off down the road.

To be honest, everyone I have met that "guards" anything is a real....jerk. Their rough looks and attitudes make for a real short conversation. I guess that is why they are the ones guarding though. Anyway, the point is that Lucy isn't that way at all....quite the opposite in fact. Don't get me wrong, she is fierce in combat, but outside of it she always smiles and talks in a very cheerful way. I can barley grasp the concept of ending another human's life, even in self defense, while Lucy seems to brush it off and make jokes. A coping mechanism I am guess, it is common among soldiers after all.

Our trek was quiet at first, just our group walking down the road to our first "stop". Dioje seemed to have fun with Lucky's pack-brahmin. He ran along side it, making the much larger beast serpentine down the road in an aggravated attempt to brush away Dioje. I was upfront with Lucky, with the pets in the middle, and Lucy in back. I held the light out, for it was getting darker, and conversed with Lucky about his caravan. He explained that we traveled at night because most the animals were asleep and the raiders mostly make camp at this hour. I nodded in silent agreement that this was a man that knew exactly what he was doing with years of experience.

On the way, I asked Lucky how he got his name or if it was his birth label. He replied with a grand tale of when he was a caravan guard himself. Apparently, one day while heading to a place called Aerfu, they were ambushed by slavers. They successfully repelled the slavers and made it to town safely, but in the skirmish Lucky had a slaver's collar forced onto him. He managed to kill the slaver that caught him by surprise, but the collar was on securely. I am told when a collar is forced on you, there is a timer that starts and if you don't make it to Paradise Falls in time your head explodes. Sounds extremely gruesome, but luckily for Lucky the thing was a dud! They got a mechanic to remove the thing, which would be impossible if it wasn't a dud, and when they threw it away...the damn thing exploded!

After the story, I realized we were already at our destination. Of all places, our first stop was the Union Building! If there is such thing as destiny, this is a prime example. The union residents stepped out to greet our caravan and obviously surprised to see me. Hannibal gave me a pat on the back as he walked past to conduct his business with Lucky.

Lucy and Simone seemed to know each other well and were already hugging and conversing about their latest exploits. I said hi to everyone, but most of all Alejandra.....*noise of someone sighing*....I was so stupid! I never was good with people, especially women, and only managed to nod and fumble around words to answer her. She hadn't changed a bit....her eyes as deep and rich as sapphire. While I tried to act like the civilized and intelligent individual I normally am, Dioje and Four Score were busy playing around us.

The meeting was short, while Hannibal and Lucky shaking hands after swapping rather large bags. I looked puzzled as Lucky waved at me and Lucy, signaling it was time to leave.

"Are we not staying here for the night? It is late and this is perfect shelter," I questioned him as he came closer.

"Caravan never sleeps! We need to supply the righteous individuals of this land with our fine selection! Can't stop now or won't make it to Agatha's house by sunrise," he said with understanding.

I waved goodbye to everyone, while Lucy and Simone did an odd handshake, and off we went again. A rather regular occurrence for caravans to stop briefly to trade and move on it seems....lucky I caught them in Canterbury like I did. The trip continued on as normal, with a few wild animal attacks to keep us on our toes. It wasn't until we got to an abandoned factory that made me realize the life of a trader wasn't all long roads and friendly people.

Our path lay directly in front of an old pre-war factory that had a few office building surrounding it. Lucky explained that this was a prime site for traders to make camp, but our destination was too close to stop. It wasn't until we were directly in front of the factory that the first shot rang-out in the cold night. It came from behind a car as three raiders jumped out with various blunt objects to stop us. They charged with all their might, before Dioje jumped on the first guy and what looked like ripping his throat out. It was rather gruesome, with the man screaming until his ability to was snuffed out by Dioje's sharp teeth. The other two rushed to the man's rescue, but were quickly stopped by two precise shots by Lucy. Now thinking back, it all seems to have been planned out and more of an annoyance....but to be there....it all happened within seconds and was over before I knew what had happened.

I ran over after, but my ignorance of thinking those were the only ones cost me. Luckily, raiders are bad shots and the bullet that stuck me only went through my left arm. I shoot with my right arm luckily, but the pain caused me to drop. Survival instincts kicked in as I crawled behind a car and pulled out my recently-bought shotgun. I began to peek around the car to try and find my assailant, but all I found was Lucy standing above the corpses of a man and a woman.

This is when I heard screaming in my direction and faced the cause of this alarm. What I saw was Lucky on fire as a man with a flamethrower chased after him. I don't know why I did it....or what survival instinct kicked in....but I just pulled up my shotgun and pulled the trigger. The man with the flamethrower dropped in a pool of blood, as Lucy patted Lucky off. Lucky lived up to his name, for his burns were not serious at all thanks to Lucy's quick thinking. I am glad to have traded for this shotgun now.

Afterwards, we "looted" the bodies for anything useful or could be sold along our route. I was given all the shotgun shells we could find, while Lucky too the rest for his caravan. I found it to be fair and we continued on as if nothing had happened. Lucy must have noticed my grim face, because she randomly hugged me and said, "Don't worry hun, you get accustom to it!" I still feel shaken and my wound just amplifies that.

Needless to say we are at Agatha's House now....even if I haven't met the lady. Lucky went in to conduct business as me and Lucy stayed outside to guard the gear. Dioje bounded over to me when I sat down on a nearby rock and gave me a reassuring lick. I patted him on the head, found blood still in his fur, and took a bit of dirty water to clean it off. He looks a lot less wild and a lot more friendly now.

Well Lucky just stepped out and Lucy looks done cleaning her weapon, so i guess now is when we get to set up camp. What a reassuring thing to say...i just realized the extent of my exhaustion. *unintelligible noises* Signing off for now, this is Devs, the most exhausted man in the world.

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