Deadman - Book 2 Chapter 20: The Presents

Book 2 Chapter 20: The Presents

Julian walked toward the entrance doors, and opened gesturing someone inside. A white robe appeared, a smaller deadwoman who was holding a box that seemed too large for her, and she walked over and handed it to me. I checked the weight of it and I set it down on the ground, and pried it open with my hands, the nails holding it in place coming out with ease. I looked up to see another white robe, a man holding a crowbar, looking a little lost until he gradually stepped back into the edges of the room.

Inside the box I found a long black rifle, several cases of ammo, multiple bags of ammo, and a few of what I assumed were grenades. I hefted the rifle. It was the same I’d seen the new deadman guards wielding on the edge of the agricultural quarter. It was light, and now that I could see it up close I realized it was a lasgun. It was different then the ones I’d used before, larger, and heavier, with what looked like three rotating barrels. I looked up at Julian, who was just sitting back down, questioningly.

He smiled, that spark in his eyes lighting up again. “There our own variation on the design that was in the production facility. The original version was made for…those less fortunate and had a number of protections to keep rads from seeping out of it, and to avoid firing with enough force to cause significant kickback. We got rid of those precautions, since we don’t need them, and this is what we’ve devised. In keeping with the theme here at Pott’s I’ve named it ‘The Cerberus’. Meant to guard us from intrusion.”

Mama smiled and shook her head looking at Kit. “Julian and his toys.”

He heard that comment and coughed slightly, fixing his posture and reasserting the calm composed face I was more used to seeing from him. “The only issue is with the capacity. We’ve developed a way to charge and reload them here, but in your case once it’s empty it will just be a hunk of metal. We’re still working on a way to correct it.”

I hefted the gun again. It felt insubstantial compared to my shotgun and rifle in a way that made it hard to imagine it had as much destructive potential as Julian described, but I believed him. I double checked the safety and started loading everything from the box into my pack. It was heavier than I preferred, but once I dropped off my excess loot from the job for the Khan at Nico’s, the weight shouldn’t be too much of a burden.

I looked up at Julian and nodded. “Thanks.” Then to Kit. “And thanks for the food.”

She nodded.

I turned around and walked out of the Mausoleum. Ignoring a line from Jim about not dismissing me yet. As I walked I pulled up the messaging feature that Leah had granted me.

In Pott’s. Provide rally point.

There was no immediate response, so I continued on my way, heading toward Nico’s house. I let myself in and was surprised to find Deux inside. A cigarette in his mouth and his revolver disassembled in front of him. He had changed and was wearing a shirt with the name ‘The Dunces’,across it. He smiled a bit more widely when he saw me, “Hey Don. Been too long.”

“That’s alright. When I’m with you, every minute feels like an eternity.” I looked around, the house was still sparse, with looted art on the walls, and stacks of books scattered all throughout. I though I noticed a few new pieces of art and the book piles had shifted, but aside from that everything was as it had been the last time I’d been there. “Nico’s here?” I asked.

Deux shook his head. “No, I just like to break in every once in a while to clean my gun. There’s really no better place for it than Nico’s.”

Nico stepped out of a back room and flicked a cigarette butt at Deux, who managed to catch it, but burnt his hand and wound up dropping it. “He came by to mooch some food and borrow some old radio equipment I looted a few years ago.” She looked at me. “Welcome back. It’s good to see you safe.”

“Thanks.”

“I heard a bit about what you did from Deux and through the grapevine. Have you ever once considered taking a more subtle approach to anything ever in your life?”

“I tried this time. Did steakouts, snuck around, attempted sabotage, didn’t go in alone guns blazing.”

“But it still wound up with you alone guns blazing?”

“…yes.”

“Can confirm,” added Deux.

I shook my head. “You don’t have to worry about me. Deux doesn’t fuss over me like this.”

“He certainly prefers that you don’t think he does.”

I just sighed and stood staring at Nico for a few moments. I didn’t really have anything else to say.

She sighed too, and matched my stare for a few moments. “So, why’d you stop by?”

I flung my bag off my back and started to take out all the excess loot I needed sold. “Well, I was hoping you could swing this by Murphy’s next time you’re in Jasper, put it in for credit for me, we go sixty-forty?”

“Fifty-fifty.”

I sighed. “Deal”

She nodded, and started looking at what all I’d laid out. Taking a mental inventory in much the same way I usually did.

I watched her for a moment, thinking something over. I’d been considering it for quite some time, but now that I’d be, at the very least, gone for a long time, and could even very easily die. I pulled up my citizen sheet, then scrolled through a number of notifications until I found what I was looking for.

Congratulations! You have been granted the job of Federal Marshall (temporary)!

You are carrying on the legacy of men like Wild Bill Hickock, Wyatt Earp, and Bas Reeves!

That a marshal shall be appointed in and for each district for a term of four years, but shall be removable from office at pleasure, whose duty it shall be to attend the district and circuit courts when sitting therein, and also the Supreme Court in the district in which that court shall sit. And to execute throughout the district, all lawful precepts directed to him, and issued under the authority of the United States, and he shall have the power to command all necessary assistance in the execution of his duty, and to appoint as shall be occasion, one or more deputies. – Judiciary Act

I still had no explicit ability to deputize, but the more I learned about the system, the more I realized that many features were hidden, or simply didn’t work properly. I decided to try it out.

“I, with the authority of the United States, appoint Nico Walker my deputy.”

Nico looked up from her inventorying and raised an eyebrow, then her eyes glazed over for a moment in a look I recognized as someone looking at their notifications.

“You uh, get into my stash when I wasn’t looking?” asked Deux.

“What is this?” asked Nico, her eyes now clear.

“I was just testing something. The job description for Marshall had the ability to deputize listed in it, but there wasn’t an explicit ability on my sheet. It did something?”

She nodded. “I have an offer for an additional class, Deputy Marshall, but next to it in parentheses is the word ‘test’.”

“Test? I’ve never seen that in my sheet before.”

Deux nodded. “Me neither.”

“I don’t know what it means, but the abilities and skills listed under this… I’m going to accept it.” Nico’s eyes glazed over again for a few moments, clearly reading something, then they became clear again.

“Oh, do me next!” said Deux.

I frowned. I hadn’t really thought about it, but I didn’t see a reason not to. “I, with the authority of the United States appoint, Deux Du Ponte Du lac my deputy.”

I received a notification.

Current function still being tested. Limit 1.

“Hmmm, nothing on my end,” said Deux.

“Looks like it’s limited to one.”

Deux sighed. “Probably for the best. I don’t know that I could stomach being a pig quite as well as you and Nico. I’m too punk rock for that.”

Nico nodded. “Yes, the only one of the three of us who works directly for the undertakers and hangs out with babies all day is ‘too punk rock’.”

He shrugged. “Babies can be punk.”

I leaned against the nearest wall, watching their banter playout. As I stood there I received a message with a series of coordinates from Leah. I looked at them, they were closer to STAR territory than I expected. It was, from what I could tell, the nearest area a human could approach Pott’s without dying of rad poisoning. I sent the coordinates back. My teeth itched, and I brought a finger to my teeth, picking at them.

Confirm? Y/N

Less than a minute later I got a response.

Yes

I pushed off the wall, and slung my pack back over my shoulder. “It’s time for me to go, just got the coordinates from the Remnants.”

Nico and Deux exchanged a glance. Deux stood and wrapped me in a hug before I could react. I kept my hands straight at my side, unsure of what to do with them.

“Be careful Don,” he said, patting my back twice before backing off.

Nico stepped forward and put her hand on my shoulder. “You’re coming back.”

I thought about that statement. I was crossing the Cut, something only one person had done successfully. I meant to come back, but it was far from certain. That was part of why I wanted to be the one to do it. I looked down at Nico. “I’ll come back.”