Part 61: Bunker Epsilon: Power-er Armor

Post 61: Bunker Epsilon: Powah Ahmah



The squad rarely rested at the bunkers, if all. With some combat missions taking place a day's or more ride from the base, many of them spent the travel time in the hammock they rigged up in the APC. The Brotherhood did attempt to fix the major roads connecting communities in conquered territories, but the squad was striking out into terra incognita. So while the road was a little rocky, the APC managed it pretty well.

The base showers were really good, though!



As always, Flashman made a beeline for the requisition officer. This time, he was buying; getting EMP shells for Stitch, Gauss ammo for Mandy and a suit of Advanced Power Armor really made a dent on their funds.

When the dust settled, a third of their funds was gone.



Advanced power armor looked even more intimidating – a usefull feature for shocktroops!



However, the improvement in protection was marginal. After all, there was only so much you could do with the already impressive power armor without completely redesigning it with new materials.



Mandy felt the weight of the Gauss pistol in her hand. The shape was weird and the feeling of bringing a pistol to a gatling fight was weirder, but Gauss technology made it as accurate and long ranged as her sniper rifle, and ammo likely had better armor piercing properties, too.

It was a sidearm that really wanted to replace the main weapon.



The medical officer let it slip that the situation was dire. Many of the living were suffering from laser burns and lacerations from ambushing scurry bots.







Flashman took the time to look at the new recruit roster. It seemed that Brotherhood was willing to take anyone who had experience, and not just new, young recruits who could be easily molded into model innitiates.



While Flashman was thumbing through the dossiers, Stitch took his time to visit the barracks, looking for anyone with lighter wounds in need of tending. This was also his chance to give his hand-me-down power armor a trial run.



Flashman could sense the tension as he approached the war tent. However, at least the guard seemed resolute.



A nuclear reactor, eh?

I just hope it doesn't pull any self-repair miracles on me!



He left the war council, and the elders and the general immediately resumed their planning,



The squad mounted up in their vehicles and, with tank taking point, left the base.



The trip to the reactor was filled with various close brushes and near misses as robot patrols criss-crossed the desert and various denizens of the wasteland attacked the fleshless invaders.

It began snowing as the squad approached the reactor, but the tracked vehicles had no trouble with it, and the APC was reasonably heated.

The reactor appeared so suddenly, it seemed that it jumped out of the ground.

But it wasn't the only surprise.



You'd think those guys would wait for us, coordinate and cooperate.

Here's a lesson, wee Mandy: not every paladin is rwrthy of the title.

And a few have problems of the noggin of the kind power armor only makes worse.

Next Post: Ractor Mission, Part 1: This Whole Mission Is Bullshit

I'll give props to the devs that idiot squad here is actually six strong. Other than that, it should already be obvious that the only competent power armored individual is the player. If anyone else gets a suit, it so they could die and show you that shit's real/BoS is bad.

Incidentally, this game sparked an undying love for BoS in me way back when I was little, so I was mighty angry indeed when I saw what happened to it in New Vegas...or that I couldn't conquer it all for the Brotherhood.