Life's Tough on the Rim: A Series of Terrible Decisions (ch. 2) (Patreon)

“Ah… fuck. Rimworld,” I realized as I came to a stop in the central park of the village. There, I saw what gave me the final clue that made all the other pieces click into place. At the center of the town green was a silverish blue tree with sky blue needle-like leaves while all around it was silverish blue grass -- an anima tree and anima grass. The graphics were pretty different but still identifiable.

There were a number of stone slabs set up in even spaces around the anima tree where people could sit and meditate. The meditation would feed the anima tree and sprout anima grass and once you had enough of it, you could gain a rank of psychic powers. What kind varied a whole lot, but given that I was seeing a lot of fireballs and lightning, I was starting to think this was Vanilla Expanded Psionics.

“Double fuck. Modded Rimworld,” I added, taking a seat on one of the stone slabs. Mostly to catch my breath. Messing with testicles took a lot out of me. If I had to describe it numerically -- if I had ten points, then Testicular Torsion took one. Meaning I only could do it ten times before needing rest.

Vanilla Rimworld was a shitshow, but modded Rimworld was a different beast entirely. For all I knew, some idiot across the globe was preparing a ritual to sacrifice the planet to Cthulhu at this very moment. Or there was a planet busting weapon under construction. Or someone was playing God and making unholy genetic abominations. Worse, it meant that my metaknowledge took a hard hit because there were a lot of mods for Rimworld. With enough of them, the game could become just about anything -- sci-fi, lovecraftian horror, medieval fantasy, modern warfare, and so on.

Or, if you were a true deviant that installed the forbidden mods, a planet of utter degeneracy.

“Can I even survive in this world?” I wondered and it was a genuine question. If this was modded Rimworld filled with characters from every fictional setting I could think of, then this world was a ticking time bomb filled with turbo mega death. I ran a hand through my hair, my gaze flickering up when I heard an explosion. Ashley's zombies were making a slow shambling march through the town, but she seemed to have some degree of control over them.

Then I smacked my cheeks, “I definitely won't with that attitude!” I scolded myself before standing up. I couldn't afford to get pessimistic. I needed to tackle my problems because if I didn't, then I would undoubtedly die. I needed to be proactive. To that end, I spared a glance at the anima tree before concluding that there wasn't enough grass to form a psychic link to the tree. And, even if there was, I'm betting that the process was more involved than a free power up.

I would keep it in my back pocket for now, there were other things I could accomplish. Like finding someone in this utter hellhole that, maybe, could be useful in helping me survive. To that end, I took out the gun I had grabbed off of Hughie -- the revolver was missing a bullet.

The bullet that I put in Spandam's head. Couldn't have him telling anyone I sacrificed his balls to a devil.

Which made me a murderer. And you know what?

I’d do it again.

My survival was all that mattered. Maybe, in some far-off future when I wasn’t under constant threat of turbo death, I would feel bad about it. Until then, I was going to keep on carrying on. And consoled myself that I didn’t murder Hughie -- I already torsioned his balls, there was no need to take his life. Tucking the gun in my waistband behind me, I pressed onward into the town. Smears of blood marked the cobblestone streets, but there were no corpses to speak of. They were all up and shambling around, leaving only traces of the inhabitants behind.

I could only guess at how charming of a town this place must have been before our arrival. It wasn’t a large town by any means, but there was a little market and neat rows of buildings. Homes and shops and whatever else. Interestingly, I saw traces of more advanced technology sprinkled about the medieval theme of the village -- light posts, appliances, and even guns. The latter two were few and far in between, but they were sprinkled about.

The town also had a rather simple layout. There was the main path, which everything important was centered around, which connected the gate to the castle. A castle that was currently under siege by the undead, who beat their hands against the tall walls. It was also where Esdeath and… our comrades, I suppose, were gathered up for an assault.

I approached quietly, the defenders weren’t idle. They were on the walls, and I saw it first hand. Some were conjuring fireballs from their hands, others lightning. Others had bows and arrows while some had fully functional assault rifles. They fired in upon the zombies, and on anyone that ventured too close or out in the open. They weren’t going down without a fight, I thought, my stomach churning.

I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even pretend like I could stop this mess. All I could hope to do is salvage something from it.

“Andy!” I was greeted when I approached, Ashley somehow sensing me despite me not giving my presence away. She turned around and smiled broadly at me, “You’re here!”

Meaning that I didn’t try to run away.

I mustered up a weak smile, “I am. Spandam didn’t make it,” I said, getting ready to explain but there wasn’t a need. Ashley visibly couldn’t care less. She simply grabbed my arm and dragged me into a building where I was greeted with a few faces. Rose Wilson lounged in a chair, her feet propped up on a wooden table, while she was cleaning one of her blades. The other occupant was Muscular, his arms crossed and appearing impatient.

“How fucking long am I going to have to wait?” Muscular growled at Ashley, and I could tell he barely registered my existence. Rose, however, was eying me warily. Much like one would a coiled snake that had entered the same room as them. And, honestly, that was pretty fair. All she knew about me was that I was Ashley’s brother, and that was all the reason she needed to be hella suspicious.

“You could go right now, if you want, bonehead! Have fun getting shot to shit! I bet you’d make a nice zombie, though,” Ashley said, not at all daunted by their size difference. Muscular was huge. Closer to seven feet tall than he was six, built like a brick shit house, and there was murder in his lone eye.

I tilted my head, “You’re making them use up their ammo on the undead?” I ventured and Ashley sent me a double V with her fingers and a smile. And the psionics would run through their heat tolerance. It could just be a game balancing mechanic, but psionics built up ‘heat’ every time they used the abilities. The stronger the ability, the more heat built up. It prevented chaining a bunch of high level abilities. It was then that Muscular seemed to register my presence.

“Who the fuck are you?” He half growled at me, and I just waved him off.

“Don’t worry about me,” I said, mostly for my safety. Muscular was another psycho who just liked violence. I’d very much prefer it if he forgot all about me. “So, the plan is they use up their ammo, then Esdeath kicks in the door?” I ventured, and I think I saw a ghost of a smile on Rose’s face.

Ashley shook her head, “No, she leaves that part to us. When the fighting starts, she’ll look for some prey and snatch them up.” That sounded about right. I walked over near a window, peeking out of it to see the wall was manned by a good hundred people if I had to guess. Maybe more. I didn’t see anyone I recognized, so that was something of a relief.

“And everyone else?” I asked, not entirely sure I wanted the answer.

It was Muscular that answered and he did so with a smile, “I slaughter them. All of them,” he said, his hands twitching and I idly noted that his hands were big enough to fit a human skull. I met his gaze and he tilted his head, “You got a problem with that, pussy?”

I’m going to blow up your balls, I swore to him within the confines of my own mind. “And if I do?” I asked, keeping my tone light and I saw the briefest flickers of concern pass over Ashley’s face.

“I’m going to rip off your head and shit down your neck,” Muscular growled and I blinked. Was this because we lost MHA’s PG-13 rating or was he just an extra violent thug? Roid rage?

“Ashley,” I said, my gaze not leaving Muscular. “What’s the standing policy about team killing?” I asked, my voice light and I hoped it didn’t betray my fear. It wasn’t even that I was so afraid that I looped back around to being calm -- It was instinct. Pure instinct that told me that if I flinched now, then I would die.

“To wait until we’re dividing up loot?” Ashley ventured, sounding uncertain. Less about the policy and more about me. I imagine, to her eyes, I was acting out of character. And I probably was.

“Hm,” I hummed in response and I was saved from having to say anything further when there was a beep at Muscular’s waist. He glanced down at a metal box with a green and red LED, and the green one was shining.

He let out a grunt before a wide smile crossed his face, “Be seeing you.” He said, shoulder checking me as he made his way out of the building. As he did, I saw muscle fibers begin to snake out from underneath his skin, and he began to bulk up massively. Bullets bounced off the fibers before he crouched down, taking aim towards the wall, and with a heave, he launched himself into the air like a speeding bullet. He crashed into the wall, much like a cannonball, but to far more devastating effect.

In but a moment, he reached the top of the wall and the very first thing he did was he grab someone’s head and crushed it underneath his hand before using the corpse as a club to reduce it and another into a bloody smear and chunks of meat. I looked away from the window as Rose got up from her chair, saying nothing to either of us before she simply walked out the door to join in on the attack.

“Andy, you’re being silly,” Ashley scolded and I was a little surprised at how she was approaching it.

“Schoolyard rules, sis,” I replied, trying to pay it no mind that a massive slaughter was happening behind me. I heard gunfire, explosions, cracks of thunder, and screaming. The defenders, I couldn’t do a damn thing about. Not really. At most, I could convince someone to spare them after they were defeated. I had to work within my means here or I wouldn’t accomplish anything at all.

“This isn’t the schoolyard, Andy,” she continued, pouting at me and clearly less than reassured by my lopsided smile.

“They still apply,” I replied, mildly surprised when Ashley crossed the distance and leaned into me. It felt like a familiar gesture to her, less so for me. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle him.” She glanced up at me, less than impressed, cocking an eyebrow at me. I offered a hollow sounding chuckle, even to my own ears. “I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.” To that, she rolled her eyes, but did seem more reassured by my confidence.

Slowly but surely, the sounds of combat began to die down. I let Ashley take the lead, knowing that she was far more used to this than I was. Following her out the building, I saw that the gate to the castle had been opened, letting us through. The courtyard was filled with mangled corpses, most of which were rising up again as the zombies spread whatever bullshit Ashley put in them. The front gate to the castle was ripped open, and there were sounds of combat coming from within.

It was something of a cold comfort knowing that some of the people that I would be looking for were the same kind of people that Esdeath would hope to recruit. It wouldn’t be a sure thing, but I’m guessing that fact would be present in everyone’s minds when they fought or slaughtered. Meaning, where I was needed was…

I heard a gaggle of screams echoing down the hall, followed by a mad cackle echoing down the hallway. Clenching my jaw, I sped forward, seeing a dining hall when I rounded the corner with Muscular standing before…

I knew her. Ai Hayasaka from Love is War. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a maid outfit. She… was exactly the kind of person that I was looking for, I thought. She was skilled, athletic, and a good actor. She wasn’t capable of cold blooded murder, I don’t think, and she wasn’t strong enough to do anything against someone like Muscular, much less Esdeath, but she was certainly more skilled than I was.

Muscular lumbered forward, raising a bloodstained hand to Ai and I saw fear in her eyes before I spoke up. “That’s enough,” I said, swallowing my own fear. Muscular froze before he looked over his hulking shoulder at me. He was utterly drenched in blood. “I’m calling dibs. Dibs is a thing, right?” I asked Ashley, knowing that I was provoking a fight. Her gaze lingered on me, a smile tugging at her lips ever so slightly before she nodded.

“What the fuck is going on in that head of yours?” Muscular questioned, seemingly baffled by me picking this fight.

So, I gave him an honest answer. “When you’re the new kid on the block, you introduce yourself by beating the shit out of the biggest kid already on it.” Except this wouldn’t end with some bruises and blood. The stakes were a whole lot higher. To my surprise, Muscular cracked a smile.

“Makes sense to me,” He allowed and I think he almost respected me in that moment. “When and where?”

Swallow my fear. Swallow it down and bury it. “How about here and now?” I asked him and his smile grew. At first, I thought it was because of my response but it was because of who stood behind me. I was only aware of her presence when she spoke.

“I shall allow it,” Esdeath decided and I felt a shiver race down my spine. I glanced over my shoulder to see that there was a smile on her face, approving of my gambit if I had to guess. I also think she just wanted to see what I could do. “To the victor, the spoils shall go.”

“Eh, so long as I get to kill ‘em, I’m good,” Muscular said, grabbing a long dining table and effortlessly flipping it across the room and into the wall. It was reduced to splinters, crumpling to the stone floor. He took a position across from me, cracking his neck. My gaze flickered to Ai, seeing her debate her chances. Her gaze met mine and I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but I shook my head ever so slightly.

I couldn’t spend any more focus on her as I took my position across from Muscular. I felt Ashley’s gaze on me, less worried and more… measuring.

“Let me see what you got-” Muscular began before I leveled a finger at him.

“I cast Testicular Fusion!” I exclaimed, turning his balls into ball. If Testicular Torsion took one point, then Testicular Fusion took about five points. The effect was worth it, however, because Muscular went still, his jaw dropping in a silent scream before his legs gave out from underneath him. He went to vomit as I closed the distance between us, yanking the gun out from my waistline before I lined up the shot with his one good eye.

The gun bucked in my hand and Muscular’s head snapped back. Wanting to make sure that he was dead, I pressed the barrel against his now empty eye socket, angling up, before pulling the trigger again to pop his top off. It doesn’t matter how strong and fast you are -- the brain was always going to be a weak point. And, to make sure that he was dead, I emptied the revolver into his head.

He hit the ground with a thump, red escaping from his skull. I looked down at him for but a moment before looking over my shoulder at Ashley and Esdeath. Ashley’s reaction was about what I expected.

She doubled over laughing, falling to her knees, “Balls magic? You have balls magic?! Ha! Hahahaha!” She thought it was hilarious, but it was Esdeath’s reaction that I was more interested in. I didn’t have any raw power that she prized. But, I was hoping to convey an image -- that I understood her philosophy. The strong lived while the weak died. If you didn’t want to die, then you couldn’t be weak. That what I lacked in raw power, I made up for in ruthlessness.

I think I managed it because she wore a slight approving smile, “Well handled. What was Musuclar’s is now yours, Andy.” She decided and I let out a small breath.

“Congrats, bro! You have your first sex slave!” Ashley cheered me on, giving me two thumbs up. I grimaced while Ai flinched. “Want me to hold her down for you? I know you’ve never raped anyone before-”

“No! No one is raping anyone,” I hastily interjected, making Ashley blink in surprise.

“What’s the point of having a sex slave if you aren’t going to rape them?” She asked and… god damn. There were moments when Ashley almost seemed normal. There was always a sinister undertone to her every word and action, but there was also an underlying warmth. She missed me. She wanted me to be happy. Her love was twisted to hell and back, but I’d almost call it pure. But then she said some serious out of pocket shit that reminded me she was a fucking monster.

“No one is becoming a sex slave. Just… a slave? A maid?” I ventured, half looking at Esdeath for permission.

Esdeath simply chuckled, turning away from the scene. “Your property is yours to do what you wish with. However, if she wishes to become a citizen, then she needs to impress me. Until then, do what you will.” She dismissed the entire issue while Ashley skipped over to Muscular and I realized she was going to turn him into a zombie. So, I stole the moment to approach Ai, who watched me. Tense. Ready to flee.

I understood. I understood so damn much I wanted to cry.

Crouching down near her, I leaned in, holding her gaze. “You have less than zero reason to trust me, but if either of us want to get away from these fucking psychopaths, then we need to help each other.” The words were said in a low whisper, but urgently. I couldn’t afford to be overheard, much less explain.

I could see her doubt. Her uncertainty. I tried to convey my sincerity with my eyes, so she would see that as much of a bastard I might be, I wasn’t a monster like the others. If it meant my survival, I might be capable of it, but I would never indulge in it like they did.

Slowly, cautiously, Ai nodded.

A coil of dread unwound itself from my heart when she accepted my hand to pull her up.

…

The loot that Esdeath chose to take back was mostly strategic. There wasn't anyone in the town that had managed to catch her eye, so the only sl- person taken was Ai. Instead, the trucks were filled with foodstuff -- grains, vegetables, fruits, along with casts of wine. The looks from the others were more respectful, I noticed. And I knew why.

I went from Ashley's little brother to Andy, someone who could hold their own.

No one questioned Spandam’s disappearance either, leaving me behind the wheel as we drove back to the compound. Ai was in the back seat, along with Ashley, who happily chatted away the entire drive. If she noticed the tension, she didn't show it.

It was upon our arrival back at the village that I started to relax. Ashley poked me on the shoulder, “I'll show you your new place!” She decided, and I nodded, getting out of the vehicle. “Oh, but first…” Ashley said, turning to Ai and reaching into the center console to produce one of the bomb collars that I had seen on the others. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, going still as Ashley reached across to loop one half of the collar around her neck.

Then, with a click, it was sealed. “Don't go fiddling with it! They're pretty sensitive,” Ashley advised, offering me a thumbs up. Ai went to touch the collar, only to pause at the warning. I could see her swallowing a lump in her throat before silently following me and Ashley towards my new home, I suppose.

“What about all the zombies?” I asked, glancing over at where Muscular was doing dumb labor. There was a difference between him and the other zombies, I'm pretty sure. I'm not sure how or why, but even with most of his gray matter sloshing out, he could stack and load crates.

“I just released them. I used to unleash them on the countryside, but that ended up driving a lot of people away,” Ashley said with a sigh, disappointed that she couldn't start a zombie apocalypse. I felt some measure of relief at that. That was one less thing that I had to worry about. Then she pointed to a building near the heart of the village, “There it is!”

The house was less a house and more of a convenience store converted into a gym/apartment. The bottom floor was racks and racks of weights, some of which were so large that I had no hopes of actually moving them. On one wall, the refrigeration was still there and I saw ungodly amounts of protein powder, creatine, and rows and rows of rice.

Above the gym was a dude bro’s bachelor apartment. It was pretty large where Muscular had busted out some walls. A king sized mattress tucked in the corner, walls covered in half naked women and workout posters. Muscular seemed to have been working on an engine of some kind because there were parts on the floor. The very first thing I did was open a window because the space smelled like BO and protein farts.

“Muscular was one of my lieutenants,” Ashley informed, opening a door to the bathroom so I could see a jacuzzi for a bathtub. “So, I gave him the next best digs right next to me! We're neighbors, Andy!” Ashley informed, pointing through the bathroom window at her house. That was less than pleasant news, but unsurprising.

I shifted at that, “Sorry?” Wait- did that mean Ashley was in charge of the village? Because that was… terrifying. Useful, but terrifying.

“Don't be! I like Muscular a lot better this way!” Ashley replied cheerfully. She took a step back and cast a glance at Ai. “I'll let you settle in, Andy. Let me know if you need some help raping her!” She offered with a cheerful wave before dipping down the stairs and I buried my face in my hands. Dragging them down my face, it was only then that I realized my hands were trembling ever so slightly.

This whole day was absolutely insane. And Ashley… Ashley wasn't acting like I thought she would. In the game, when Andy got a girlfriend, she harassed and threatened her until the two broke up. Controlling and jealous. It could be that Ashley was trying to make a good impression in her own massively fucked up way, but… I don't know. It just stood out to me.

Taking a seat on the bed, I realized Muscular didn't even bother with a bed frame. Glancing up at Ai, I felt a profound and tense silence blossom between us. And, to my surprise, it was Ai that broke it first. “This is like, totes, awkward, huh?” Ai remarked with a fake but realistic valley girl accent. “Should I call you Master Andy? Oh! I have experience as a maid! Oh, and my name is Ai Hayasaka!” She introduced herself, throwing a beaming smile at me that purposefully looked strained.

She didn't trust me. I mean, she’d be pretty stupid to at this point, but I would have liked it if she hadn't bothered with the fake personality. In Love is War, Ai hid behind a public persona of an energetic airhead to throw off suspicion that she was Kaguya's personal maid/bodyguard. Her true personality was a lot more stoic. She was good at acting, so I had to give her that. If I didn't know, I wouldn't have suspected.

However, hearing it made me realize that I couldn't trust her either. I knew of her, but to her, I was just a guy that had enslaved her, even if it was to save her life. I was part of a band of psychopaths that attacked her home without any warning or cause.

I was going to have to build trust with her. Slowly. I would have to take the first steps, but I couldn't trust her with everything yet.

“My name is Andrew,” I lied, “Ashley calls me Andy, though. I… wouldn't recommend calling me that. Ashley has always been… possessive.” I offered, and I could see Ai filing that away as she nodded energetically. “I just showed up today. Because of her. So, I was hoping that maybe you could fill in some blanks for me?”

To my surprise, I saw a flash of empathy in Ai’s blue eyes. I'm not entirely sure if it was real or not, but I appreciated it. “Of course, Master!” She decided and I swallowed a wince. “I showed up about six months ago, so I don't know too much but I'll tell you what I can!”

I found that I had a lot of questions. “How long has this been going on? These raids?” I asked, and Ai tilted her head, as if she were thinking about it.

“Well~ the Witch of the Forest, if you believe the rumors, has been raiding people for over two hundred years! But, things only got like this over the past three months,” Ai began, making my brow furrow. “The Cannibal Forest used to be the home of a lot of bandit tribes with some more civilized settlements sprinkled about. But, a couple months ago, we started hearing that someone was uniting the bandits. Lord Zoltast didn't believe the rumors.”

Even with her airhead personality, she couldn't stop some of the ire slipping into the last sentence.

Meaning that Esdeath had only been here for a couple of months. It was too early to tell if that was good or bad. It could be good, because her conquests might not have fully accepted defeat. It could be bad because she was such an unknown that the people that could deal with her didn't know of her existence yet.

“Lord Zoltast -- is he still alive, or-” I started and Ai nodded.

“Lord Zoltast controls a lot of the surrounding territory of Arendelle. It'd be better if I had a map to show you with, but he controls about two cities with a bunch more settlements between them. Aberlast was on the fringe of his territory.” Ai explained, and I was starting to get a picture of the situation.

I didn't know who Zoltast was, but I could guess Esdeath’s game. She was provoking a war to sate her bloodlust. Which was pretty bad for me, because I expected we would be on the frontline of that war.

Mentally I started sorting through my options. There were still bandits in the forest. Likely smaller tribes because I imagine that Esdeath would start from the strongest and work her way down. Then there was the king that, as far as I could tell, had overall medieval technology with psionics.

“Okay. That tree in the village green -- how long did it take to produce enough grass to make a connection to it?” I said, and I realized I probably tipped my hand when it came to knowledge I shouldn't have, but Ai had no reason to question why I knew it.

“Ummm… I'm totes not good with math, but Arberlast had about five hundred people in it? And we all had to meditate at the tree for at least thirty minutes a day! And it took about three months before I saw one of the connection ceremonies?” She offered, and that ruled out that idea. In the game, you could have a dozen pawns meditate at the tree for an hour and you'd have enough grass to make a link in about a week. “And, Master… could I ask a question of my own?”

I nodded, making plans and interrogating ideas. “Of course. And you don't have to call me Master?”

“When you said we needed to help each other get away…” She prompted and I grimaced.

“I meant it, but it's easier said than done. If Esdeath doesn't want us to leave, we won't. Plain and simple,” I told her and Ai’s lips thinned. “Today was my first day on the job. I think I managed to impress her, but the truth of it is that I'm on a tight leash between her and my sister. Because if I try to leave, and the attempt fails… death is the most I can hope for.” I was more afraid of Ashley’s rage than Esdeath’s. Esdeath would just torture and kill me. I couldn't even start to guess what Ashley might do.

“You're in a real pickle, huh?” Ai offered with faux sympathy. I still nodded all the same because I was. “So, what can I do to help, Master?”

Still calling me Master? Well, whatever. “Right now, the plan is to get some slack on my leash. If we can impress Esdeath, then you can get that collar off your neck too.” I said, hoping that would catch her interest a little. As far as I could tell, Esdeath was running a Sparta society. For every ‘citizen,’ there were ten slaves, but that citizen was one of the most dangerous people she could find.

So, impressing her was something of a tall order, but it was doable. I would need to see how the system actually worked, but what I knew of Esdeath painted her as… well, as a pretty reasonable boss. If I managed to scrounge up a team, we did something crazy to impress her, I plead their case for citizenship… I could see her agreeing pretty easily. It would give me allies, it would make my team feel indebted to me so they weren’t likely to screw me over…

It could work, I decided, leaning forward as I considered the possibilities.

I had to be aggressive. I had to be active. I couldn't cross my fingers and pray that a solution would fall into my lap.

“I want you to talk to the other… slaves,” I hesitated to call them what they were, but I couldn't think of a kinder way to put it. “Maybe they have their own plans and we can help each other out. For my part, I'm going to need some volunteers to help me with a mission.” I said, the string of bad ideas forming a terrible plan. “I need to bring something to the table. Something that will convince Esdeath that I know what I'm doing, that I'm loyal, and that she can trust me enough to give me an inch so I can take a mile.”

Esdeath prized violence. If I conquered a bandit tribe, perhaps that would impress her? Convincing some of her slaves to fight for me, to become citizens in her fucked up empire? I could become stronger. I could make another deal with a Devil? The very thought sent a shiver down my spine, but I would do what I had to.

To my surprise, Ai seemed pensive, “I… might have something that would work?” At my interested look, she continued. “There were rumors of an old Vault in Cannibal Forest. I'm not really sure what was in it or anything, but the Vaults were, like, super complexes that a bunch of people could live in? It was just a rumor at first, but I heard about how a bunch of mining equipment was stolen by some bandits.”

Meaning they might have found a Vault. A Vault-tec vault?

“I don't suppose you would know the name of the tribe?” I asked, and I knew I wasn't going to like the answer.

“The Branwen tribe.”

God fucking damn it.