"Oh, I've no doubt of it." he said, looking from the dead lizard up to the horizon. "This is just the type of enviornment that these things are supposed to be able to thrive in. From what I can see, it's cold blooded - seeing as it's a lizard and as such a reptile - and so it would be able to stand the intense heat. I might be wrong, but I think there might be a water sack in it's chest area to store water..." the biologist prodded a spot on the creature's chest that protruded slightly from the rest of the scaly chest. It shifted underneath his touch, making a sickeningly squeltchy sound.

"The chance of there being more of these things is quite high, I'd say." Travis said, his voice totally nonchalant. "And I'm sure that there has to be something around that this thing uses for prey - and I'm sure that something else uses this for prey. Of course, God only knows how screwed up the food chain must be if things like this are coming into existence."

“I don’t remember this being in the brochure.” Jason said in an almost distressed tone. “A three day trek across the desert in sweltering heats, only to end by being eaten by your pet iguana overgrown and mutated Aunty.”

“These things don’t go down easy either and I’m sure your sister shouldn’t be throwing grenades around like they are some kind of candy.” Jason expressed. “That’s how people like me end up getting killed... And I did not sign up for that.”

Ral trotted over to the monster, treading very carefully as he approached with his radiation tools. He had not reacted quickly enough when it had appeared and was barely able to get his weapon out before Kat had subdued it. He wasn't proud of his slowness, so he felt he needed to contribute somehow.

Scanning the monster's body slowly, he frowned at the data scrolling across the small screen. "The radiation in this thing's cells is off the charts," he announced. "It's only recently been irradiated, probably with some very high frequency gamma radiation." He glanced at Roll. "We need to be careful with where we go. Something out here made this thing."

Peter looked at the sky. My face really hurts. He didn't really remember how he'd got here, or who he was, or where he was. He reached up and ran his finger over the four jagged gashes on his face. Now that he thought about it, he was really uncomfortable. That was strange. It was too warm here, and very dry. His throat was parched, and these grainy things were all over his back.

That's sand.

Peter sat up, wincing. The massive, mutilated body of the monster lay a few yards away. Memory began running back. Mostly of a giant, orange hand slamming into his face.

"Geez, what the hell was that?"

Rev had watched the groups rear until he heard about a 'monster.' Gripping his rifle tighter, he walked over to it and aim at its head.

"It's dead, right? If not, I got a bullet with it's name on it."

Peter stood up, swaying slightly, alternating his hands between his face and gut. "Yeah, it's dead. It's blown in half. Good job, by the way, Katherine. Could I get something for these? They're starting to sting."

Jason continued to look around and began to wonder why everyone was still standing around. “Guys I don’t want to be a pessimist but wouldn’t a dead bleeding animal attract these bigger and possibly nastier ones.”

"Damn straight they would. I think we should get moving. Now.

With that, Rev shouldered his rifle.

Onjo heeding the advice of Jason, he looked around then looked back down at the creature...

"Ya, we're probably going to end up like him if we keep standing around like this....dead"

He tightened his utility belt and shrugged onwards past the creature and up to Jason, he stopped for a moment then started walking again as he looked back,

"Lets go guys, I don't know what else is out there, and I sure as hell don't want to find out, so lets keep moving."

"Like I was saying before that critter backhanded me, it looks like there's something like civilization over there." He gestured towards the northwest, where a wall of various pieces of junk surrounded a tall rock. "It doesn't look like much, but it's better than staying here. Hey, Roll, you want to give me a hand with these?" He ran his finger across the four gashes in the side of his face. "I mean, if it's not too much trouble."

"Civilization!" Jason exclaimed as he began to look out down the horizon to see if he could see what Peter as talking about. "Maybe we can atleast get some decent food, i'm tired of these rations."

"Of course, Peter," Roll said, moving to his side and opening her medkit. After the creature had fallen, she had been at a loss for words and had only snapped out of her stupor when Peter had mentioned her name. She hoped her swift action would cover up her previously frozen state.

Using a medicated gauze pad, she wiped the gashes on the side of his face clean of blood and dirt. She leaned in, peering at the lacerations. "It doesn't look like you'll need stitches," she pronounced as she produced a tube of disinfectant from her kit. As she dabbed some ointment carefully onto Peter's face, she continued, "You will have to have a bandage on it for a while, though..."

"That... th-thing..." Charlie murmured. When the creature had turned to charge at the rest of the group, Charlie froze in fear. And she had not moved, not even at the bang of Kat's grenade. Now, though others were beginning to move again, Charlie had not. Charlie could not. She was used to computers and their inner workings. It had been something of a stretch for her to walk for three days with rather minimal computer contact... well, compared to normal, anyway. But now, this mutated... thing was just over the top.

"Here for a reason..." Charlie murmured to herself, trying to force herself to snap out of this fear. "Here for a reason, here for a reason, here for a reason, reason, yes, here, reason..." It was all she could do to keep from darting away back toward the Vault, though it was a full three-day trip away. With a faint groan, she sank to her knees, closed her eyes tightly, and wished she could be back in her comfort zone. But as she opened her eyes once more, she knew with a weary sigh that her wish would be denied many times over.

The world was an unfriendly place. And Charlie Dawes would have to adapt.

"Thanks." He grimaced as she dabbed the antiseptic in the cuts, then grinned at her when she bandaged it up. "He must have been one tough bugger. Looks like bullets didn't do squat against him. Anyone bring an anti-tank gun?" His grin died. "We better get out of here. We're lucky that thing didn't take somebody's head off, and if they're more of them, we might not have those strokes of luck."

"Agreed," Roll said as she finished putting away the rest of her medical supplies. Holstering her sidearm again, she hefted her pack and gestured for the rest of the group to follow her. "Shouldn't be too far off," she said, pulling her binoculars from her belt and training them on the site Peter had indicated. There was a tall, sloping rock in the distance, with spars of bent metal sticking up around it. "Probably a building that was obliterated in the blast," she muttered to herself. To the rest of her group, she said, "Let's go lads, shouldn't be too far a walk."

As they grew closer, the building became more distinct. Walls of blown-out cars, steel pipe, an ancient M1 Abrams tank, and the cockpit of a fighter jet. In the middle was a relatively intact car with two pullies attached to it. Two men crawled up onto the pile of junk and raised shotguns.

"їQuiйnes son usted y quй usted desean, gringos?"

Peter stepped back.

"I'm sorry? We don't speak...that."

"Who are you and what do you want?"

The second man lowered his gun.

"Calma abajo, Carlos. Estos gringos no son deathclaws. Aunque los arman a los dientes."

Peter turned and muttered in Roll's ear. "We better watch it, boss. I bet they're Chinese. It fits."

Ral stalked up beside Roll and Peter. "I'm no linguist, but I don't think that's Chinese," he said, scratching his head. He glanced at his readouts. "Preliminary scans show that this place is less irradiated than the area around it. No wonder people have been able to live here for what seems like an extended period of time." He refastened his scanner back on his belt, then crossed his arms and looked at Roll. "So what now?"

Onjo put on a sarcastic smirk

"Well we could always just put a bullet in their backs when they turn around!?"

He chuckled at his little joke but when he noticed that no one else laughed he felt embarrassed.

"Ok, so not the greatest idea, well then i guess we could always see what they are doing"

"Keep your voice down, you idiot. You're gonna get us all killed. They can hear you."

The two men had their shotguns aimed straight at Onjo. "You want to come a little closer and say that, Gringo? Because I'd be happy to open you up a bit."

He looked over at Peter, even if they can hear us, they don't speak english so it would mean nothing to them.

Onjo looked up and the men had a two shotguns pointed at his face, he threw is head back a little

"Little hostile?" Onjo questioned

"You want to come a little closer and say that, Gringo? Because I'd be happy to open you up a bit."

"O.. now you speak english, well isn't that just dandy" Onjo said as he slapped himself across the face

He stood staggered and thought "I got to stop opening my mouth like this its gonna get me thrown out of our expedition stranded in a trap or something"