Chapter 11: Mass Deportation (*KILLAP*)
From the journal of Carlos Vargas, Defender, 29 September 2242, Arroyo:
"Sulik y yo travel north of Hecko and find humansity there.
"This place called Abbey. It look like a church, and people seem happies there.
"There was a graveyard in front. The name on one cross sounded familiar, make me think of the octopus overlords we saw in Redding for some reason.
"Place very quiet, but I see things that not make sense to me.
"Inside church, man name Brother Matthew start giving long, rhymey speech about importance of books.
"I try listen, because I know it important. But it kinda boring, too. I feel asleep. I even started drooling, and when I start drooling it hard for me to stop.
"When sermon was over, I left some money in the poor box and explored the rest of Abbey. There was a doctor office there. I talk to Doctor Jack to see if he can fix my arm and Sulik leg, but I was still drooling.
"Other people in church were copying books to computer. I try help.
"I find good books that they let me take. A couple of medical books, an electronics book. Don't know much about a science book. Maybe I sell it. I also find a technical repair manual on the 'T-51b Power Armor,' whatever that is.
"On second floor, I meet nun who ask me for favor.
"I go down to BASEMENT. Along way, I found purple robe. Tag on robe says, "Children of the Cathedral." Hmm, who they? I put it on, maybe it help me fit in here.
"I find Max working in BASEMENT.
"I look around and find another purple robe for Sulik to wear. I also find this:
"This could help me hide from la migra if they catch up with me.
"BASEMENT was different from rest of church. It was messy and dangerous, so we start cleaning. There were ratoncitos crawling around. Sulik used his bad leg as excuse to not fight. Come on, Sulik, they just ratoncitos!
"Deeper in BASEMENT, we run into some cucarachas. Sulik still not wanna fight. I continue to clean basement on my own until I saw...
"A chupacabra! We run away into desert and go on siesta until we got back all our puntos de hit. I no can fight chupacabra on my own; Sulik gotta help me. Even though my Doctor skill is still way too really low, I try using Doctor's Bag on Sulik to fix his leg. It work! I try it on my broken arm and that work too. Now we fight as team again.
"Back in BASEMENT of church, chupacabra hit us really hard, but I use tacotics to cripple him. Then he start running away. He ran away through exit grid so we no could catch him.
He even run right through walls. Mighty chupacabra! We wait a long time for him to come back out, but he did and we finally kill him.
"We finished cleaning basement, finding more dead bodies and a strange book.
"We brought the book to the head monk of Abbey.
"That about all to do in Abbey. There were some guys behind the church trying to fix water pump, but they need new motor and I not have that. So we move on.
"We were heading back toward Den to trade, gamble, and spy on Metzger's slave shop again when I feel big headache. My nose start bleeding. My cabeza feel like calabaza. It was Hakunin, my village healer, trying to contact me with dream. I not sure what he say, but it sounded bad. We travel to Arroyo, even though I not found HECK yet.
"When we got to Arroyo, the bridge to my village was destroyed. There was no way to get across chasm. Hakunin was lying at the edge, reaching to me weakly.
"I had to hold my head, my heart, my stomach all at same time. Hakunin muerto, my entire tribe deported! I look across chasm, my eyes fill with tears. I could not move, I not know what to do. South and west ... where? Then, through my tears, I notice map on my PipChico. There was a place south and west, beyond the Primitive Tribe."
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It may take a week or two for Hipolito Hankies to transcribe the next few pages of Carlos's journal because they are streaked with tears. We leave you with the entirety of the survival manual that Max gave to Carlos. This manual would have been useful to the residents of Arroyo, though some wasteland denizens are undoubtedly familiar with it:
- Buy an AK-97 assault rifle.
- If there's someone hanging around your neighborhood you don't know, shoot him.