[A/N: Since for us it is the month of Halloween, I wanted to add some spookiness to the story. I will be taking some liberties with this subplot. Enjoy.]
The human soul.
Probably the most interesting subject of research in my eyes. There are many areas where that knowledge could make or break what we know to be true.
In the Fallout universe, there are things that often make you question the nature of the soul.
Like robots, for example. They are machines. Lines of code and hardware that make use of it.
But throughout Fallout lore, we see robots exhibiting traits that were not originally part of their programming. Traits that you would normally only see in humans.
Like Ada, for example. She was a robot companion character from the Mechanical Menace DLC for FO4.
She expressed feelings for her comrades, such as regret, sadness, and anger over their deaths, and often spoke about how she missed them.
Even Ada herself did not understand this, as these feelings did not originate from her programming.
Then there was everyone's favorite waifu (mine included), Curie, who started as a Miss Nanny and eventually developed the desire to experience what it was like to be human. She expressed curiosity and a longing for this, which, in my opinion, are some of the strongest human traits.
Getting a synthetic body only allowed her 'soul' to shine even brighter.
I'm not at all biased because of her sexy French accent. Not at all!
There are many such cases where robots seem to have somehow surpassed their programming and become... something more.
It reminds me a little of Toy Story. Perhaps the 'toys' actually can develop a soul and be considered a 'person,' but we are so arrogant in our thinking that we fail to accept the possibility of such a thing occurring.
And that's why I was set on seeing this haunted mansion we had arrived at for myself.
The soul.
I want to understand this universe a little better. Are ghosts considered 'souls' if they are real? Do they possess souls? Or are they only manifestations of energy with no ego or will? Can they communicate intellectually?
My own human curiosity was boiling over with the desire to know. If it were possible to capture and dissect a ghost, then I might just end up doing it to sate my hunger for knowledge.
The rules of this universe are so absurd that I have no choice but to get creative to understand them.
And there is also some pretty scary shit that needs to be approached cautiously. The more prepared I am, the better.
We walked southwest from our base camp, with Elizabeth holding my hand and Lady walking on her other side.
As we approached a Red Rocket rest station, my eyes, which occasionally flashed green from using VATS, locked onto something.
I pulled Elizabeth closer, looked over at Lady, and gestured in front of us with my chin.
"You handle it."
Lady nodded and pulled out her new pistol, Maiden's Devotion, a .45 Auto pistol I had installed a Bleeding legendary module into.
The new gun came from a plan I purchased for 5k caps and was featured in Fallout: New Vegas.
The gun is a bit iconic since it is the same one that Joshua Graham used in the Honest Hearts DLC. We learn in-game that this gun was designed by Mormons before the war, and the survivors in Utah who formed New Canaan gave the gun cultural significance. Receiving one and learning how to make them became sources of pride.
I felt Lady deserved a special sidearm, so I purchased the plan and made one just for her.
It cost me a pretty cap, but she was an investment that only benefited me anyway. More caps were scheduled to come in, so I wasn't worried.
The bleeding effect is particularly nasty, causing the .45-caliber bullets to produce heavy perforations at the wound site.
Victims without a stimpak or access to a surgeon are sure to die from blood loss if shot with this thing.
I took the liberty of giving the gun an ivory finish with gold trim. On both sides of the grip was a motif of an angelic woman wearing white robes and a blindfold, looking upward in prayer.
Lady absolutely broke down in tears when I gifted it to her. She swore to serve me forever and treated the gun like it was a child between us.
Lady walked ahead, and suddenly, the ground next to the road erupted as a creature emerged in an attempt to ambush us.
A radscorpion.
These scorpions are mutated descendants of emperor scorpions that were sold in pet stores or kept as pets before the bombs dropped.
Now they are giant ambush hunters that burrow into the ground and wait for prey. They are also pretty fast and use their stingers and strong pincers to take down their victims before eating them.
In-game, they can pretty much teleport by burrowing into the ground, but I had already confirmed that wasn't even remotely close to what they actually do.
They don't tunnel into the ground during a fight. That's just not a realistic or possible thing to do.
Lady jumped into the air and fired a few shots into its face, causing it to recoil before charging and retaliating with its stinger.
Its stinger and pincers frantically aimed for Lady, but she effortlessly led the thing around by the nose as her shots punctured its face and body.
Eventually, the thing collapsed, insect juice leaking from perforated wounds all over its body.
Its legs curled inward as its body released the last signs of life.
"Is... is it dead, Dad?" Elizabeth asked, looking at it curiously.
"Yes, Princess. It's dead," I said as we walked closer.
Lady had already removed the stinger and set it off to the side before beginning to butcher it for its edible parts and carapace.
When she was done, I made it disappear into my inventory, causing Elizabeth's eyes to widen in surprise once again.
"Just a little magic trick. Don't worry about it," I said smugly.
We continued on, making our way down the old, dusty road and across a small bridge until we reached the mansion.
There was a large sign and vendor stalls outside the entrance, along with a small shack where a ticket-selling Protectron was standing.
As we approached, a chill ran down my spine, and I looked up at one of the top-floor windows.
A little girl was standing there, looking down at us, and I couldn't help but stop and stare.
She vanished when Lady and Elizabeth followed my gaze and looked up.
"Sir? What's wrong? What are you looking at?" Lady asked with concern.
I shook my head. "Nothing's wrong."
I looked down at Elizabeth and told her, "This is supposed to be a haunted mansion. Are you still sure you want to go inside? You could stay out here with Lady."
Elizabeth shook her head and looked at me with a confident expression. "I want to stay with you, Dad. I won't get scared. I promise."
I didn't believe her, but I just shrugged, and we moved onward.
Lady went behind the Protectron and grabbed some tickets since the automated tour was supposed to still be functioning.
We opened the door and entered the creepy mansion.
'This feels like the opening to a horror movie...'