The Family is even creepier than the stories I'd been told, but for different reasons. I didn't manage to get the whole story, but it's an attempted vampire clutch led by a deluded guy that sounds rather convincing. I managed to sweet talk Lucy's brother out of there, but there's more to the story I'm sure.
With that little diversion out of the way it's more north to the minefield. I stumbled upon a hidden shack up in the hills that I only found by seeing a rope bridge crossing a gully. First pass through the old lady wouldn't talk to me, but the gnome outside looked like he wanted to join the posse.
I later returned when I realized that in sneak mode you can only pick pockets rather than talk to people. Duh! She's also got problems to solve. Violins!!?! Whatever, give me the waypoint and I'll get back to you.
A bit further north is another distraction; a scrapyard that's full of junk but nothing to hoover. I did find a dog though, and through a couple of barked out exchanges he's now my best friend (Note to self: Hide the dog meat). He's able to sniff out food and guns(!), which turned out to be pretty useful in the scrapyard.
He wasn't so handy in the minefield though. The mines are tricky to time the approach and disarm without a dog running about wanting to play fetch. Eventually I took him home and left him in the shack. The butler can look after him if he condenses any more water.
1/2 way though the mine field and things get weird. Mines start to go off near me and I'm taking radiation from something. Some coot has set up shop in one of the taller buildings and is taking potshots at me!
It was a good setup. Concentrate on the mines. Keep looking down intently for the next one. You don't expect a sniper up high in a ghost town. It took a couple more trips back to town to collect all the mines and mower blades around the place. Moira will be pleased.
The next task she has for me is fixing radiation sickness, which involves, well, me getting irradiated. She makes it sound fun, and in her own naiive way it might just work. Luckily there's an abundant radiation source in the middle of town so this task will be way quicker than the last one. A couple of sips and I'm positively incandescent!
I also want to know where the Atom guy gets his boots. He's standing in this stuff day in, day out. Moira's pleased I'm back so soon; I'm pleased that her radiation treatment worked. Sorta.
I'm not sure whether she should be running a gun store with her 'experimental' nature, but at least she's happy about it and is kinda fun to work with. It looks like you can talk her out of doing another chapter, but I'd rather see what else she's got ideas on. Waving a stick at rock moles? Maybe she does need the straightjacket. At least it's on the way to the radio station where Dad was supposed to have been.
Heading east from the ant town I can't help but stick my nose in a couple of open buildings to see what's going on. A bit like Oblivion it doesn't take me long to get off the beaten path. A lady down by the river warns me that someone's looking for a recent escapee from vault 101. I know it's me and that can't be good. Sure enough I get sprung on one of my retail fast-travels by 3 guys from Talon company (or something). I vaguely remember bumping into some of those guys through an unmarked door north of ant town. They outnumbered me and outgunned back then and it looks the same now. Luckily Dogmeat is with me to provide a distraction while I shove a rifle in their heads. A couple of Stimpaks and some jet gets the battle done. Good boy Dogmeat! Good boy!
I should be going to bed, but I'm wired after the last fight. The bridge east is littered with mines, however I'm used to disarming them on the run now so I don't even bother telling Dogmeat to stay put. Over the bridge are even more distrations; a pump station taken over by mirelurks. They used to be really tough to drop, but now with Dogmeat and a laser rifle to the face they curl up pretty quick. Sometimes they even disintegrate!
Somewhere in here there's a plotline, but I'm missing it. Time to hit the hay. 2:30am? Shit.
I'm still pleased at the VATS mode cinematography, although the amount of blood and various giblets exploding from criticals makes me shudder how bad the Bloody Mess perk would be ...
