"You-you're what?" The ghoul who had been holding the gun up to Adam's head up till now faltered. His gun drooped a bit, his expression became one of confusion and worry and even his compatriots elsewhere in the building all looked equally shocked or interested.
"As I said. I found out only recently that I am actually a clone. When I first woke up I thought I was Adam Baxter, after all I have all his memories. But after going to Second Life all the pieces fell into place. I was born out of his old work's efforts to create superior bodies for rich pricks who wanted to live forever. They are all dead. I only woke up, as far as I can tell, because the Vault lost power and could no longer afford to keep me on life support. When I woke up I had the memories of a 200 year old war veteran with no idea why the world I knew was gone." Adam recounted slowly. "I just… did what I could to survive. I found that there was a lot that I could do to help others, and myself. I didn't want the fame, it was an accident. But I was not about to sit back and let my home city be destroyed by a horde of mindless ghouls!" Adam shouted passionately.
There was a long moment of silence that followed as the room seemed to sit on a knife's edge before the ghoul burst out into a laugh. He laughed incredibly hard, his gun was dropped to his side and his free hand covered his forehead as he laughed up into the ceiling of the warehouse.
"This city sucks, kid!" The ghoul said through laughter before finally calming himself down. "Well shit, fuck." The ghoul said as he seemed to relax a bit and let off a big sigh as he paced around in place. "A clone huh?" He asked again.
"Yes. I am a clone." Adam reiterated.
"I want to say you are lying, I mean, after all, it's such a fucking stupid lie. But I can see it. In your eyes." He let off a big sigh. "Shit, I thought I'd never hear that name again. Who would have guessed it would come back up after all this time." He shook his head and then pulled over another nearby crate to sit on, seeming lost in contemplation. Adam let the silence sit for a moment before he decided to press his luck a bit.
"I only have memories from whenever Adam was scanned by Second Life, which was in late September, before the bombs fell. I didn't realize Adam survived… I always thought…" Adam petered off and then switched gears. "Can you tell me… how did you know Adam?" He asked, curiously. The ghoul raised an eyebrow and then grinned before laughing.
"You don't get it, do you?" He stood up straight again. "That fuck. Adam Baxter? That's me. I'm him. You…" He said as he leaned in close. "Are me." He said with finality.
In that moment Adam's world was rocked. This man, this ghoul was him! The Adam Baxter. The man who he was modeled after! He had survived the bombs and the passage of time and became… this… He was truly at a loss for words.
However the original Adam Baxter was not at a loss for words, unlike his clone.
"Of course I stopped being Adam a long time ago. Dropped that name a few years after the world ended. No need for two names when everyone is dead, after all." He grinned. "Now I am just… Baxter." He then reached out his arms wide. "And this here, is mine. My Baxter Brigade." He said with dramatic emphasis.
"Boss, I didn't know you had so much flair." The woman working on the missile launcher without so much as looking over.
"Oh shut it, I'm just riding the moment. This is as far outside of my expectations as I could have ever possibly guessed."
"He still could be lying…" The man with the balaclava said as he continued to play with his knife. "Maybe we should carve him up a little, learn the secrets inside his body." He said, slightly maliciously.
"No no, if this kid really is me or some twisted fucked up fever dream version of me, I can't be harming his beautiful face. After all, his face is mine~" He said as he touched his own face as if he was admiring it.
"I doubt you were pretty even when you were human." The woman on the rocket launcher said again.
"I didn't ask for your opinion Karey!" He shouted at her but it was not an angry shout more like a sarcastic shout.
"What… happened to you." Adam asked, confused, so much was happening right now he felt compelled to understand this other Adam… no… this man named Baxter. If he was him… or another version of him, is this a vision of the future? Or…
"What didn't happen?" Baxter said with a shrug. "You live for over 200 years, you see it all. Betray, get betrayed, steal, get stolen from, eat, be eaten." He grinned. "Eventually you learn the only way to survive is to ensure you are on the winning team. Sometimes that means you gotta make the winning team. Been leading this outfit for a long time." Baxter then turned to look at the big man who had not said anything for a moment and then looked back at Adam. "Truth is kid, the world's a game, and it's rigged against people like us." He chuckled darkly. "Gotta make do with what I can."
"So then what-" Adam began before the sound of an explosion could be heard from nearby. Through the dust that was kicked up by the explosives planted on the loading bay door came a number of familiar faces.
Eve, her head laser fully charged, Mira, recharger rifle in hand, Rae, hands outstretched ready to shoot, Deccanus with the cowboy repeater loaded, Salvatore, surprisingly, with a grenade rifle. Even Mr. Cantelli holding a strange gun Adam didn't recognize wearing T-60 power armor flanked by two other guild members in their own power armor.
Baxter just turned to look at the commotion and smiled.
"I was not expecting company, but welcome~" He said theatrically.