Moving around without robots to slow me down made things much easier for me to safety navigate the wasteland.
With my Marsupial mutation, I could navigate the toughest terrain quite easily.
Jumping over obstacles in my path and also moving quickly with Speed Demon.
The only thing I'm missing is perks to decrease my AP use while running.
I have to slow down and pace myself to get my AP back but I still cover quite a bit of distance in very little time.
I made it to a place called Taffington Boathouse, one of the settlement locations in the game.
This location is close to Malden so I decided to make a temporary camp here.
Upon arrival, I found the two story house in disrepair but not as bad as it would be later.
The paint was peeling and the roof was partially collasped.
I didn't find any enemies around, and put my sleeping bag down in the upstairs bedroom floor as well as a portable stove and some food.
It was still early in the day, so I left to scout out Malden.
Malden was a pretty nice place back before the bombs dropped. I have memories of being here from my earlier days as Frankie Winter.
Medford Memorial Hospital, located here, was where I saw my mother for the last time, after the car accident.
But that doesnt affect me, it's just a shame the place is a shithole now.
I stalked my way around the outskirts with my binoculars to track any enemies in sight.
I was just outside a place called Med-Tec Research. It was a large structure with rounded angles and a small parking garage attached to the rotary in front of the building.
Two rusting fusion powered cars were still parked in front of the building and I spotted three feral ghouls.
One in front of the entrance, and two laying down behind the cars.
I wasn't stupid though, with feral ghouls, there is always more that are hidden nearby. Sometimes hiding under rubble or tipped over furniture, ghouls are a menace that shouldn't be taken lightly.
Ghouls have their own regenerative abilities when subject to radiation and if there is a glowing one present they can continually Arise as if the glowing one was the god damned shadow monarch.
Luckily, all I saw were regular ferals here.
I activated stealth and pulled out my silenced Fuckbringer. Sneaking around using the new techniques I learned from my Sneak perk trying not to alert the ghouls while I got in position.
I had all three ghouls' heads within line of sight now. I activated VATS and observed all my chances were high 80's and mid 90's and then I opened fire.
*pew*crack* x3
The crack of the explosive effect signaled the end of the three ferals. My [Hidden] effect to sneaking indicated there was still an enemy in the area that heard something since it changed to cautious.
*grrr...*
A feral that had been hidden nearby in the parking structure seemed to have heard the sound because it came out followed by two more that were looking around and growling.
This isn't the game where enemies will just think it was the wind and then walk away unfortunately. And suppressors dont eliminate as much sound from gunfire as games make you think.
I was still in stealth but the ghouls were fanning out to investigate the source of the earlier sound.
It seemed like these were the last of the ghouls in this area so I stepped forward and pulled out my second 12.7mm pistol so now I had both guns equipped.
I took aim and began firing at the first two. One of them took 2 round to the chest and one to the head. The other was hit by the explosive effect to the knee and fell but couple follow up bullets ended it.
The last feral snapped to attention and roared before lunging at me like a pouncing jungle cat.
As it lunged, I sidestepped to evade so I could finish it off as it rolled on the ground.
*pew* x3
Two silenced rounds to the chest and one to the head ended the ghouls struggle permanantly causing it to still.
I eliminated six ferals so far and had 14 more to go.
I decided to enter Med-Tec. This was a place that a follower named MacCready would bring you for one of his personal quests.
There was supposedly a cure for some disease here but I remembered that a password was required to get into the basement lab.
But I was here for ferals, not cures. But if I could hack my way into the basement while here then I'd happily get the recipe for any cures here ahead of time.
I cracked open the entrance doors slowly and peeked inside. Not seeing anything, I entered and closed the door behind me.
I snuck quietly and checked the room around me.
I was in the building's lobby. In the front was a reception desk that had a working terminal and there were many chairs for people to use while waiting. But most of them were flipped over and scattered alongside fallen ashtrays.
Sections of the walls were crumbling showing the decay of time and dripping sounds could be heard in several places.
To the right of the reception desk was a door that was locked. I jiggled the handle and couldnt open it.
I didnt have the lock pick skill. But that's because I didnt think I would really need it.
Because this ain't a game...
I raised Fuckbringer and aimed at the door handle.
*pew*crack* x3
It took three explosive shots but now there was just a scorched hole where the door handle use to be.
At this point I was able to easily push the door open.
Inside was a terminal, a few bottles of booze, two ammo boxes and a first aid kit.
'Nice!' I thought happily. 'More loot is always welcome.'
I got some .38 and 10mm ammo from the boxes and then looted the first aid kit which had a stimpak, alchohol wipes and some bandages.
I then crept back out into the lobby and made my way to the back. There was a Nuka-Cola machine that had one full bottle of regular Nuka-Cola.
'Yoink! Love finding these. Not only are they delicious, you get a free bottle cap whenever you drink one.'
While I had the urge to drink it then, I needed to focus on the task.
The entire place was on lockdown. The elevators were not working and the door leading to the labs were sealed shut.
I made my way through the back area where the sealed doors were as well as the men's and women's locker rooms.
I looted those areas and found some chems and good loot like soap, Abraxo, duct tape, and various other things that I put into my inventory.
I still had plenty of carry weight left so I wasnt worried at the moment.
I encountered my first enemy within the building before reaching the stairwell to the second floor.
I easily dispatched the sleeping ghoul before it could get up.
On the second floor, I entered a room filled with workstations that had large monitors attached.
Using VATS I was able to see two ghouls in the room, but I could hear a few others making growling sounds and shuffling about.
'At least four ghouls? Maybe one or two more?'
I decided to play it smart and thin the herd before entering a full on engagement.
I crept silently into the room without being detected thanks to stealth and then began throwing mines down into the narrow walkways.
I then retreated back to the entrance of the room and the tapped the metal door frame with my pistol.
*clang*clang*clang*
*Rrrgh?*x7
I started hearing bodies getting up and then the pitter patter or numerous feet.
'That was more than I thought...'
I hid behind a corner and waiting.
'3...2...1...'
*boom*x5
Five mines exploded only moments apart as the ferals made their way toward the sound I made.
I turned the corner with both pistols up and quickly activated VATS again.
I was able to see the silhouettes of the remaining ferals, and began firing.
However, I failed to see one feral that had been blown over to my blind spot on the left side after the mines went off.
*grah*
The ghoul jumped at me and pushed me against the wall behind me.
Its hands clawed at my suit while it tried to bite me but I had my arms raised defensively.
I managed to push it away from me and then shot it thrice before turning back to the remaining ferals still picking themselves up after the explosions.
Two that were left stood up and then ran at me, but the distance was enough that I could take a breath to line up my shots and execute them quickly.
When the last feral in the room went down, silence swept the area. There wasn't much in the way of loot there so I moved up the third floor when I encountered three more ghouls in the executives office.
Once again I used stealth tactics and killed them quickly.
The room had some luxury items like cigars, booze, and a bottle of cologne. There was also the terminal where the lockdown could be cancelled and access to the basement could be gained.
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I spent an hour trying to crack the security on that terminal.
While hacking, I kept running into 'dead ends' of code and couldn't manage to find the right password.
I nearly triggered a lockout several times so I decided to stop. It was a shame I couldn't get access to the basement.
But brute forcing my way in there without ending the lockdown would be risky and it wasn't why I came here anyway.
With the building clear of ghouls in all the accessible areas and all the desirable loot grabbed, I exited the building and then continued to lurk through Malden.
I had 6 more mutants to go.