I walked through the patrol I’d Mass Frozen. Walking up to one, removing his head from his shoulders, then the next, then the next. It was dull, but it was what I had to do while I waited for some kind of instruction or guidance. The Khan had been busy consolidating his gains as he pushed toward the Remnant’s center of power, the newly dubbed Fort Matthews, named for the cabinet member I’d killed in the opening salvo of the war. There were no bunkers I needed to investigate, or any raids I needed to avenge.

With the last soldier killed, I looked into what they’d been transporting. I sighed, finding only food, and a handful of lasguns. I destroyed both, and left the scene without bothering to do any cleanup. It would act as another reminder of what this war had cost STAR.

I walked into the nearest deadzone, pulling some radded deer meat from my pack and eating it as I walked. I hadn’t slept in a few weeks. There were always more patrols to kill, and they hadn’t tired or injured me enough that I required convalescence of any kind. I spent my days listening to Deux on the radio, severing heads, and checking the dead-drop in the hopes that I might find something there with leads I could follow. I’d tried interrogating people in patrols, even letting some of them live when they gave me what I asked for, but had turned up nothing of value. The patrols increasingly had fewer Remnants in them, and were just made up of rank and file STAR soldiers. They were no challenge, and I took no satisfaction in what I was doing.

I made it to the dead drop. It was hidden, not for the risk of Remnant forces finding them, but rather to hide that I was getting any communication from Pott’s at all on the off chance a Pott’s patrol traveled through on their own mission. I had run into a scouting party or two in other deadzones nearby, but they’d done what was proper, and not spoken with me, though some of them looked regretful of it. One had even started to speak and I’d simply shaken my head before he could talk and he’d nodded in understanding.

I was bored, but in some ways the way things were now suited me better. I wasn’t a natural to play the part of a hero, to receive praise from my fellow deadmen, the Horde, and even the occasional waster. Not having to interact, being separate even as I worked for deadmen and Pott’s was ideal for me. Being a secret, a boogeyman was a role I was better suited for.

I moved the large stone, and was gratified to see a metallic tube sitting under it. I uncorked it, twisting the metal cap which let out a hiss of trapped air. I tilted it onto its side and a rolled up piece of paper came out. I read it slowly, absorbing the information, and finding myself happy to hear from Nico, even if it wasn’t the way I’d prefer to.

Donovan,

The Remnants have moved the majority of their forces into Fort Matthews. Their power armored troops, what Shrikes they have, and all of their scientists and engineers. The Fort’s security has increased drastically as the Khan’s forces push closer and closer. Laser batteries, increased soldiers on the walls, additional layers of walls and even trenches and mines. Shipments into the fort have increased dramatically, but nothing is coming out. I haven’t been able to ascertain all of what’s flowing in. A large amount of it is raw materials, but Julian and his people can’t determine exactly what it may be being used for, there are too many possibilities. My sources have dried up, the majority of them were killed. The last piece of information I received was that the majority of the shipments were coming from the deepest parts of STAR territory, in its Northwest Region. From the maps you provided, there were three bunkers closely bunched together in that area. We need to know what the Remnants are planning, things have tipped in our favor, but the Remnants’ tech has proved decisive for them in the past. I’ll be checking this drop for any information you recover.

P.S. Be safe

Nico

I smirked at the final part of her note. ‘Be safe’, but also I need you to infiltrate deeply into STAR territory, explore bunkers that could have god knows what inside, and bring me any information you find. Still, it was exactly what I was looking for. A useful, difficult job that I could do in support of Pott’s. I went to return the rock to the hiding spot and saw, hidden in shadow, a hat sitting inside. I lifted it out of the hold, and brushed it off. It was flat topped, and wide brimmed, the style I’d always favored as it hid my face well, and kept the sun from my eyes. Inside the hat was a note.

Donny,

figured I’d get this for you in return for your coffee.

XOXO Deux

I slid the hat onto my head. I’d lost my other hat somewhere inside of the beast that had been the first. It was very like Deux to realize that I would be searching for a new one. I’d taken to wrapping my head in black cloth, but that was never quite the same, and unfortunately, while the people of STAR had the best boots in the wastes, their hats left a lot to be desired.

With everything retrieved from the dead drop, I returned the stone to its place, and started walking along the outside of the deadzone. The quickest route to the bunkers would be to cut straight through STAR territory. I felt relatively confident I could manage it, cutting a bloody swathe through the entire country to reach my goal. I felt tempted to do so after the doldrum I’d experienced while waiting for a new job, a new target, but then I remembered the final part of Nico’s message and decided against it. Which was likely precisely why she had made sure to include it.

I input my mission into the investigations window and it was accepted, then I reoriented myself. I’d cut up to the Cut deadzone and stay along the edge of it as long as possible until I could cut across the smallest sliver of active STAR territory possible to make it to the bunkers. That would limit the danger to myself, and far more importantly, it would allow me to keep my travel secret. Based on the letter Nico had given me, the Remnants were taking the utmost care to protect whatever it was they were up to. If they suddenly had a hundred reports of dead patrols, and slaughtered guards moving in a straight line to the bunkers. That concern was based on the assumption that whatever the Remnants were doing had something to do with those bunkers, but even if they didn’t, broadcasting what I was doing would be a bad idea.

I walked through the day, and night, moving across the deadzone while keeping my enhanced sense of smell active and scanning for any threats. I’d gotten cocky before and found myself in danger from wasteland threats, I was endeavoring to keep that from happening again. I ran through a mental inventory of my supplies. My ammo, food, and water supplies were in good shape. I had managed the majority of my raids on convoys with only my sword since I’d gained my mass modifier. The modifier felt…deeply unfair. I’d never had any issue being significantly stronger than my opponents, but simply freezing an entire group and holding them in place was a different level. Still, the wastes were unfair. That’s just how it was.

The rads increased and I balanced the level between myself and the air around me, feeling that odd sensation in which I couldn’t feel where I began and the wastes began. I existed in that state for a long time until something changed. I felt a kind of shift in the air, and my teeth began to itch. I couldn’t smell anything, nor did I sense anyone’s eyes on me, but something was off.

I stopped in place. There was a kind of pressure in front of me, as well as some kind of discoloration in the air. I turned around and found that the pressure and discoloration had appeared behind me as well. I reached a finger out, tentatively pushing against it, and immediately yanked it back, showing a blackened flat nub where the tip of my finger had been. I gritted my teeth and watched as the fingertip regrew, then looked around. I’d wandered into an unknown deadzone anomaly, and from what I could tell, I had no way out of it.