Lucky looked to be a tall dude in similar outfit to Ernest's except he had a bandana over his nose and mouth and goggles over his eyes. He also had his hair slicked back smoothly as he looked at us casually.
"You certainly seem to still be kicking, I'm sure Ernest will be thrilled." I said and he looked surprised or as much as he could with his get up.
"Thanks, man. You really saved my bacon there. We really need to do something about these bandits. They're like drunk pissed off hornets now that Sledge is dead." he said with a heavy Irish accent that I chose to not question.
"Happy to help. What now?" Roland asked seriously.
"I wanna get back to Ernest, but I can't face another bandit. Fast travel would be okay, but it's been offline around here for ages. Mad Mel blocks Scooter from coming to fix it. If you could go and get it back up we'd all appreciate it. You just gotta climb the poles and flip the breakers along the road before throwing the master switch at the station at the end of the road, simple right?" Lucky said confidently.
We took this new quest and headed out the front of the building where there was a Catch-A-Ride and a bounty board that was currently empty. Scooter spoke up from our echoes at this point as the door to the building closed.
"Hey uh, hey, thanks for keeping that dickbag alive for me to pound on later. Much as it pains me to admit, Lucky knows the area better than anyone. Might wanna use him while he's alive from me not having killed him and all." he said with a begrudged level of respect for the guy in the shitter we just freed.
"I don't think that Lucky guy realizes Scooter wants him dead." Mordy points out and we all nod in agreement.
"Yeah but that just means once he gets around to it Scooter will have it easier to do as he does." I said and nobody argued against that.
The best target to try and kill is the one that doesn't realize that you are going to try and kill them after all. That way they are blissfully unprepared for when you kick down their door and blow their brains out though I have a sneaking suspicion Scooter isn't planning on being so kind with his kill.-
"Imma head down to the station to clear out the bandits that no doubt have the place infested. Echo me when the breakers are flipped." I said as I jogged over to my bike and hopped into the seat.
I revved up the engine and tore off like a bat outta hell down the road. It was mostly straight so I finally got to test my top speed on the badger that hit one thirty eight before I got to the station.-
I had to say that was pretty damn good considering how inefficient the structure of the engine was. It should be remembered that I had more or less used one of Scooters engines for the badger so it's performance was pretty set in stone from the get go. While not ridiculously fast that speed was still more than enough to make good time across the planet. Once I reached the end of the road I found the station. It was a small place really that had three floors almost entirely dedicated to generating power and controlling it in the region.-
The bottom of the station was enclosed with metal fencing and had thick metal supports holding up the actual building while there were electrical warning signs and storage units for parts down here. Naturally there was also bandits as well who took exception to my presence here.
"DIE MERC!" One of them screamed as he went to aim at me with his assault riffle.
He died first. One quick shot and he was wondering why he couldn't feel his everything. Honestly there weren't that many bandits here as besides that guy there were only nine others that came to try and kill me including a single midget.-
I only used a bit over one and a half whole cylinders to clear out the station which told me it really wasn't that important to the bandits for some fucking reason. I certainly wasn't going to fry my brain trying to understand why bandits did half the shit they did and just chose to accept it and move on with my life. To my surprise this station was actually not in all that bad condition, not pristine or anything but certainly decent enough. I think it might actually be the most taken care of piece of fucking anything I have seen on this planet so far.-
I casually walked up the metal grated steps and walkways until I reached the top of the station. Since I hadn't gotten an echo telling me to flip the big obvious as shit switch up here I headed into the control room and was interested in what I found. The control panel was dusty as fuck and some of the instruments were clearly broken and malfunctioning but on one of them there was a makeshift device that was clearly added at a later date and was sending data to an external site.-
I pulled out my echo and patched into the signal which clearly got the owners attention since I got a call almost immediately.
"What do you think you are doing!? Can your imbecilic brain even comprehend the importance of the data that you have so uncouthly hijacked!?" a female voice demanded angrily.
"Give me a second and I'll tell you." I sent back as I pulled up the data to look it over. "You are monitoring the seismic and energy readings of the planet. Looking for the vault too it seems." I said since I recognized this sort of data.
The line went quiet before a response came "You actually understand what you are looking at? Did a corporation send you?" she asked no longer angry but intrigued.
"No but I have studied everything about the Eridians that isn't under lock and key and even studied two vaults in person after I had already opened them. Not to toot my own horn but I am something of an expert on the races technology." I said with a proud grin.
"You've been in a vault before!? What was it like? How much data do you have on their functions? What was inside them?" The woman barraged me with questions excitedly.
"Yes, fascinating, quite a lot, and it varies respectively." I said answering all the questions.
"You simply must share your data with me! This could be the greatest scientific discovery since Typhon Deleon himself discovered the first vault on Promethea!" The woman said seriously.
"I assume that you are also an enthusiast for Eridian knowledge so I propose a trade. My information in exchange for your own." I said calmly.
"You would actually withhold information that might be vital to understanding the Eridians like this!?" she asked sounding horribly offended.
"I never said I wouldn't give it to you but it's rather unfair that I give up my own hard earned data while you keep yours to yourself no?" I said and the line went quiet again.
"While I loathe the idea of giving away years of painstaking research I must begrudgingly agree that you have a point. Counteroffer, you give a list of your data and I will trade you the information I have of equivalent value and not a word more." she said firmly.
"Deal! Alexander Drake, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I said with a grin.
"Patricia Tannis, I hope for a fruitful exchange." she said politely and I chuckled as I recognized that name immediately.
Lil had complained about this chicks collection quest in the Arid badlands and I remembered it as a result. After speaking to her "in person" I had to admit that she was quite rude though not like in the normal way but in that she sounds like she's looking down on you with every word which felt like a pretty fucking accurate a description to me. Anyways I free the signal from Tannis's device and Roland sent me the go ahead for the switch so I flipped that shit and was disappointed to find nothing seemed to happen.-
The moment I had that thought the whole fucking station shook and a massive blue beam of energy shot up from it and Roland let me know the fast travel network for Pandora was now up as a result. I grumbled a bit about the annoying delay before walking down the stairs and hopping in my bike. I drove back to the Watering hole where the others were waiting for me after Lucky had immediately used the fast travel to get over there to Ernest's place.-
"Hello! Ernest Whitting has made a new mission available!" A Claptrap spoke up over our echoes as I walked into the bar.
"I just fucking returned!" I complained while the others chuckled at the rather annoying timing.
"You can go ahead and find out what Ernest has for us, Lucky asked us to blow up some of the runners that the bandits have taken in the meanwhile to get Mad Mel's attention." Lil said and I nodded.
"Alright, i'll echo if I think the mission might interest any of you. Well maybe not if it's a creature hunting mission for obvious reasons at this point but you fucking get it." I said as I walked back out of the bar.
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https://www.pa treon.com/user?u=81578854#:~:text=pa treon.com/pa treon_loskro
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Alexander Drake
Lifeforce: 355,629
Integrated Traits: [Gun expertise-Uncommon grade], [Clever mind-Rare grade],[Enhanced senses-Epic grade]X2, [Omega body-Rare grade]x4, [Supreme armored hide-Epic grade]X2, [Bone regeneration-Uncommon grade], [Corrosion resistance-Uncommon grade], [Energy projection-Epic grade]x4, [Superior vitality-Epic grade],[Flame breath-Uncommon grade],[Regeneration-Epic grade], [Disease resistance-Epic grade],[Amphibious lungs-Uncommon grade], [Thermal sensing-Uncommon grade], [Water resistance-Common grade],[Active camouflage-Epic grade], [Eridian engineering expertise-Mythical grade], [Efficient lungs-Rare grade]x2, [Fire resistance-Epic grade]X2, [Elemental body(fire)-Legendary grade], [Shock resistance-Epic grade]X4, [Energetic sustenance(shock)-Epic grade]X2, [Radiation resistance-Epic grade]X3, [Energetic sustenance(radiation)-Epic grade]X2, [True omnivore-Rare grade], [Biometallic bones-Epic grade],[Elemental body(shock)-Rare grade]X3,[Quick thinking-Rare grade], [Hyperflexibility-Rare grade], [Strong circulation-Epic grade], [Minor spatial awareness-Epic grade], [Buzzaxe expertise-Uncommon grade], [Siren(Phaselock)(Altered)-Mythical grade], [Pugilist expertise-Uncommon grade], [Adrenal rush-Rare grade], [Mechanical engineering expertise-Uncommon grade], [Gunsmithing expertise(degrading)-Common grade]X3
Stored traits: [Fire resistance-Uncommon grade]X5