3 hours later
Somewhere in the Kentucky Desert

Hungry buzzards screech away from the chunks of human remains strewn across the sand as the Sandcrawler stops just ten before it and we get out.

"Jesus there's nothing left," Zoey says as she looks at the scraps of metal, chunks of human flesh, and bullet casings littering the ground.

"How many of you where there? How big was this caravan?" I ask, picking up one of the shell from the ground.

"Not that big. We didn't want to seek unwanted attention with a larger one. It consisted of the war rig, and three Corvegas with a dozen men for protection.

"Describe to me how it happened."

"It was quiet. Some of the men started to relax cause around here we don't get attacked but all of a sudden kaboom! One of the Corvegas blows up. We come to a halt and another strikes the Sandcrawler, knocking off the tanker. Bullets zip by us and we floor it but the other two Corvegas get hit hard. I barely made it out of there. I spent the following two days repairing the damages. Pierson wasn't happy but was glad the Sandcrawler and its driver made it back in one piece but looking at all this it doesn't look it."

"Supermutants dragged away any survivors and bodies away back to their hideout. All we need to do is follow the tracks," I said, starting to mess with my lenses, flipping between different functions.

"How? It's the desert. Any tracks that were there have been wiped away by the sand," She says while giving me a profound look.

"Normal tracks perhaps but not all. Living beings leave behind body heat that can be seen as foot prints or hand prints. My lenses here can switch to a function that allows me to see these body heat prints. Ah there we go," I said as my environment turned a light green with yellow foot size dots filling the ground and a trail of them leading further down the desert.

"It goes on for a long distance. I can also many large prints as if someone got dragged this way," I said as I start following tracks.

"Wait what of the Sandcrawler?" Zoey asks, pointing at my truck.

"We're taking it of course. Not walking all that way. Who knows how far it'll take us," I said, getting back into the truck. She did the same and proceed on following the trail.

We drive for many hours and Zoey began asking me more about my past and I happily indulged her curiosity of before the bombs. I ask her about the golden rings she wears and she simply says they belonged to her parents and are the only memento she has of them. After her saying that I stayed quiet and she did the same. A day and a somewhat restful night under the star passes and a large facility comes to view. with the rising sun behind us.

"Where are we?" Zoey asks as we come to a hold, the facility still far away and hopefully from prying eyes.

"We are in... Indiana. Evansville, Indiana. Well the Evansville, Indiana portion of the Kentucky Desert," I said as I grab a pair of binoculars and take a look at the pre-war facility sticking out of the sand. It's teal blue paint miraculously survived all these years but I see no windows. The top of a large sign sticks out of the sign and in big letters it says 'West-Tek'. Around the facility stood tall walls made of repurposed metal and tires. Two guard towers made of the same material as the walls standing twice as tall. Within the top I could make out large turrets mounted on top and a large green Supermutant manning it. Behind the wall I could make out large, sheet metal warehouses and through an open garage door I could make out vehicles, some destroyed beyond recognition and some in good shape. I see mutants carrying out pieces out of the warehouses and bringing parts in. Sparks fly out of the open warehouse.

"What do you see?"

"Walls, turrets on guard houses, dozens of Supermutants. It looks more like a chop shop than a freaken mutant den but that facility itself is creating more questions than giving us answers."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a West-Tek facility. I don't know much about them except they designed all the Power Armors. T-45d's, T51b's, and T60's. Why would Supermutants be interested in a facility like this? Unless West-Tek did more than just build Power Armor," I said as I lower my binoculars.

"Any sign of the tanker?"

"No. Must me deeper inside somewhere."

"Then what is our plan of action?"

"Well we can't run in guns blazing. But I don't think they'd be prepared for the Sandcrawler to bust in," I said as I climb up onto the bed of the truck, tying myself to a handle on the back of the truck. "How do you feel about driving?" I ask, placing my backpack on the bed of the Sandcrawler and unslinging my rifle, pulling the receiver back and forth, loading an armor piercing round into the chamber.

She smiles and gets into the drivers seat.

"Hit it!" I shout and the truck roars to life and speeds off towards the compound. With the guard tower in my sight I fire off a few rounds, striking the Supermutant behind the 50 cal turret. I turn to the next tower and did the same, killing two Supermutants this time before the Sandcrawler smashes through the wooden gate. Wooden pieces rain down as the truck screeches to the right. Supermutants reacted quickly as they ran out of the shanty work shop, only to get gun downed by me. I retrieve my knife from my boot, cut myself free, return the knife, and jump off of the truck, rolling to dampen my fall, and stop standing on my knee and continue firing. Bullets zip by me as I see Zoey jump out of the truck and climb on top of the bed of the truck, firing her smg at the approaching Supermutants coming out of the second shanty warehouse. I see one Supermutant toss a grenade towards Zoey just as she jumps off the truck. It lands a foot away from her. I shoot the Supermutant dead and sprint toward her. I push her out of the way just as the grenade goes off.

I hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of me. My ears ring heavily as everything becomes a blur before I could hear Zoey but it was a muffly. All I could make out was "Oh my god John!" before everything went dark.

"John?" I hear a familiar female voice say.

"John, are you listening to me?"

I wake up, finding myself in some laboratory. Metal walls, floor and a sliding door with the number 44 on it with a vault door around it. I was sitting by a desk with a terminal, a cold mug of coffee, and papers strewn all over the desk with charts, formulas, and other scientific writings. Beside me stood the woman from my visions in a vault jumpsuit flashing me a comforting smile. Her green eyes look at mine as she places her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah. Sorry Rachel. Was I asleep?"

"Mhm. You work too much John. Come home. I miss you," She says as she grabs my left hand. I notice a golden ring on my left ring finger and one on hers.

"I can't. Those sick people are counting on me. Whatever countermeasure I come up with against this virus, it just gets tougher and more resilient! I-"

"Have done a lot and needs to come home cause his wife is worried sick about him. You need a break. You've been locked in your lab for days now. Clear your mind. Tomorrow you can come back with a more relaxed mind," She says as she pulls me out of the chair and guides me out of the lab.

I close my eyes and say "Sounds good Rachel." But I found myself on the desert floor, Zoey kneeling over me and tossing away an empty Stimpak.

"Phew you're back from the beyond. I was afraid I'd have to find the tanker myself," She says, stretching out an open hand. I accept it and she pulls me up.

"Thank you for saving my life, I'd be nothing but red mist if it weren't for you John," She says handing me back my rifle.

"Sorry, I had to use it," Zoey continues, pointing at the dead mutants around us.

"Well if it weren't for you I'd be riddled with bullets or dying from a concussion so we're even," I said, reloading my rifle.

"So, where shall we look? Inside or out back?" Zoey asks, reloading her own gun and wiping away the beads of sweat from her forehead.

"Let's check out back first, before more mutants show up. Our entrance wasn't exactly quiet," I said as we head right, passing another warehouse with dead mutants littering its entrance and the yard ahead of it.

One of them began to cough all of sudden, clutching a bleeding hole on its chest, staining its red painted armor of repurposed steel and tires.

Zoey aimed her gun at it but I stop her. 

"Wait. I want to know what exactly we are dealing with," I said as I approach the wounded Supermutant.

"Speak, and I'll ease your suffering," I said, pointing my rifle at the green mutants head.

"Humans did this eh?" It says, coughing. "I'm not surprised. I warned my brethren about this you know. That taken such a big tanker would attract attention." The way it talked caught us off guard and we both lower our weapons.

"Ha ha. Surprised to hear one like me talk full sentences. I'm a-"

"Generation 1 Supermutant. Once part of the Masters army," I finished.

"Oh now that's a surprise. How do you know of us? We're you there? Couldn't be. It was over a hundred years ago," The mutant says as it slowly gets up. We keep our fingers on our triggers as the mutant starts twirling its shoulders as if its stretching.

"I was there. I saw Mariposa and the Cathedral light up with my own two eyes. Are you the only one or are there more of you?" I ask it as it stops stretching

"No. All the others here are the dumbed down second generation of Supermutant. Wretched things. Look I know the perception you have of us but I am not like them."

"You wiped out my caravan. You are no different then your dumbed down mutant brothers!" Zoey shouts, pressing the barrel of the weapon against the mutants neck.

"I wasn't there. I stayed here, working on whatever vehicles they drag back. I don't harming humans and I stay out of their way," The mutant says, gently placing its hand on Zoey's smg. It's hand shadows over the smg as it slowly moves it aside and away from its neck.

"I don't believe you," Zoey says with closed teeth.

"Hold on. It could have easily over power us by now. Let's hear it out," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. She angrily shrugs off my hand and pulls away her smg.

"Grrr fine. But if it so much as twitches at us I'll riddle it with lead," Zoey says, taking a few steps back.

"Thank you. My hate for the humans have died with the Master a long time ago. I am used to getting shot at but when I came here I saw more of my kind. I felt I belonged but it wasn't like Gecko where everyone was equal whether you are a mutant or not. It was just like before. Our new leader wanted to build an army, raiding small towns and unsuspected caravans. Let me help you."

"Why would we need your help?"

"I know you two are after the tanker and I know where it is and that you'll need my help to get it," the mutant says pointing at us.

"How so?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"It's inside the loading bay but its doors are locked tight and could only be opened from within. The second problem is that the loading bay entrance is a little crammed and your truck won't fit so you'll need someone strong to push it out of there."

"If that is the case what do you want in return. I doubt you are doing this for free," I said, my arms still crossed.

"Take me with you. This place isn't what I was hoping for it to be."

"What were you hoping for?"

"Home. A place I could settle down in with my mutant brethren but they follow this new master and he is no better than my old master."

"Wait. New master? What is going on here?"

"I'll tell you the short version. I stumbled across this place about a year ago. My kind were already here and lots of them. This master they keep talking about is not like mine was but is still sinister, grabbing whoever he can and dipping them in the tanks."

"This place has FEV like Mariposa?" I ask, Mariposa lighting up in the back of my mind.

"What's FEV?" Zoey asks, giving us a look of confusion.

"Forced Evolutionary Virus. Designed by the government to create the perfect specimen to survive the nuclear apocalypse. Mariposa did such nasty things and when the Master got his hands on the FEV he wanted to create the new super race. Mariposa got destroyed though and the Master killed, his remaining forces scattered out into the wastes. But how can this be? FEV was developed in Mariposa!"

"It wasn't. West-Tek developed it and experimented with it on the local townsfolk. I've read the terminal files here."

"Bastards. Wasn't Mariposa enough?" I remark angrily.

"Wait what about this new master?"

"I don't know much just that he's some raider that fell into the pits and became a mutant like me. Wants to create an army and take control of the entire desert."

"Mutants in vehicles. Just thinking of that horrifies me," Zoey remarks, shivering at the thought.

"That is exactly what I can help you with too," The mutant says, pointing at the government facility, "Destroy those FEV vats."

"Wait you them destroyed?"

"I do. I don't want another mutant uprising. Will you help me?"

"Hold on a sec. I need to discuss this with my partner," I said glancing at Zoey and motioning her to come closer.

Inches away we discuss.

"What do you think Zoey? Should we help him?" I ask in whisper.

"I don't know. What he says does make sense though. I just don't know if we can trust it."

"Yeah me neither but it seems we don't have much of a choice here. Who knows how many more muties are in there but we have to destroy those FEV vats."

"But how?"

"FEV is highly flammable. A grenade, a lighter, anything that can create a spark basically."

"But we can't until we get the tanker out of here."

"That is true. So, should we let this mutant help us or no?"

"I don't like it but if tries anything I won't hesitate to shoot it."

"Okay. Alright um..." I said louder, parting from Zoey and approaching the mutant leaning against the wall, crossing its arms.

"The name is Simon," it says.

"Simon. You got yourself a deal," I said, handing it a stimpak. It was about to grab it but I held back. "But, if you do anything-"

"Yeah yeah. You'll riddle me with bullets. Gotcha," I Simon says, snatching the stimpak and injecting it into its neck.

"So what's the plan Simon. How many of your kind are we dealing with?"

"Too many count. Nightkin are amongst those numbers."

"Nightkin?" Zoey asks.

"Gray skinned muties that use stealthboys. Constant usage led to schizophrenic behavior. They are unpredictable," I say, checking the ammo status of my rifle.

"So being one of them I'll divert them away from the tanker and FEV tanks. They're dumb. They'll believe whatever I'll tell them. That is a Pip-Boy under your sleeve right?"

"Yes it is," I said revealing it.

"Let me upload the facility into it and mark the tanks and tanker for you," Simon says as he approaches me. I let him and after pressing a few holographic buttons on the screen the schematics of the facility appeared with two markers at different spots.

"Thanks. Shall we?"

"Oh and before we go in, holster your weapons. Those second generation are so stupid, I can make them think you're one of us."

Zoey looked shocked, but cooperated and slung her smg over her shoulders. I did the same as we step towards the double doors the horde of mutants burst out of earlier. The doors hiss open, darkness awaiting us and we step in.