Journal title: Busywork
March 12
I miss the comhub. Communications have slowed to a halt; using broadcasts and letters has never been ideal. It's why my time invented phones. Anyway, I guess until we get my comhub back, I'll just have to rely on the broadcasts to keep up what's going on at the castle and settlements. Danse didn't leave like I thought he would, said that he needed more information for Elder Maxson, and for the time being, he'll keep this between us but will stick with me for "moral support." He pointed out that he knew John was still with us, and having been found out, he came over. Saying that he didn't want to leave me with the tin can, but he heard through the grapevine there was an issue at GoodNeighbor that needed dealing with personally, that if I needed anything to send word for him. I agreed, we hugged (mostly to annoy Danse), and he left... for real this time.
Me, Danse, and dogmeat are making our way back to the prydwen, figuring it'd be best to stay away from the settlements while we wait for word from Adgoran( that gunner dude who I guess is now awol from the gunners). Without me checking up on the settlements, we figure the gunners might feel a bit braver and pull something. Aside from that? My opinion of Danse is still... mostly negative. It's always BOS this, BOS that but... I think he's coming around? Or at least learning. He didn't say anything when John hugged me, and he could not answer a question I gave him.
"if you woke up tomorrow a ghoul, not a feral, just a normal ghoul-like john, would you be okay with being put down like a dog"
He refused to answer, just pointed out that we were close to the prydwen. His silence was all the answer I needed. Back on the warship(i still can't get over how massive this thing is or that they even got the blimp to fly), we were given a lot of busywork. Find out why food was going missing, escort a scribe to the police station, mess hall duty. Boring, boring, boring.
Journal title: Class is in session
March 14
After a few days, they finally made their move. I had two broadcasts this morning. One from John and one from Preston. Prestons simply explained what had happened and where the gunners hit. I guess they felt brave enough to capture one of my settlements, stupid move. After I send out my broadcast responding to John, Danse and I will be heading over to retake it and hopefully find some orders on the people. John's broadcast was just him venting about what's going on at GoodNeighbor. I guess that guy skinny we had a run-in with is now selling chems to kids in town, and Valentine was with John to help find him, though both are dead-end and want me to help when I can... yea, thats going to take a while. I need to worry about the gunners right now and make sure Old paul is okay (I can't believe the geezer is still kicking, let alone running a settlement... well was before the gunners hit it)
Danse finally answered my question... with a question.
"If I did, not that I would want to be put down, but what's stopping me from going feral? All ghouls are just a feral time bomb waiting to go off."
Does the BOS not know how ghouls become feral? I mean, they have to, right? I know how it happens, and I'm "new-ish" to this world; he said no that.
"The BOS knows they all just go feral one day, like flipping a switch."
That...was fun to explain. It took the entire walk to the settlement to explain how it happened. I told him that the process of turning into a ghoul can take months, sometimes years. That it's not an instant process, though the first sign is you no longer get radiation sickness, then your hair thins eventually falling out(though there are exceptions), your voice will become raspy, as the radiation damages your voice box, and your skin starts to dry out and slides off in patches, though quickly being replaced with scar tissue(but sometimes depending on your level of radiation it would just stay as exposed muscle) Lastly(again it varies, this happens to most but not all) things may "fall off" such as your ears and nose. And while you are going through this, your friends and family are forced to watch, unable to help.
But it's not even guaranteed that you will go through this; depending on your genes, the radiation might just kill you instead. Suppose you are lucky (or unlucky enough) to have the gene that lets you turn into a ghoul. In that case, you then need to worry, "well, at the end of the process will I be mostly normal or will I be feral?" or "if I turn into a ghoul will my friends and family turn me away?". The process isn't easy or painless, but on top of all that, you then have to deal with the world holding the idea of "going feral" over your head for the rest of your unnatural life. Yet the dice roll of going feral depends on a few factors, 2 of which are easy to avoid. Your genes will determine if you're a normal or feral ghoul at the end of the process. The lucky ones stay "normal," the unlucky ones turn feral right off the bat. Those who didn't turn feral right off the bat don't become that way overnight (though their rage and strength might tell you otherwise); no, normal ghouls can become feral if they are overexposed to FEV(which, from my understanding, is harder nowadays due to a lack of FEV liquid in the world) and if after being overly exposed they are isolated for months on end.
During this, Danse didn't say a word, just listened as I talked, his eyes burning a hole into the horizon as we walked. Our guns were now drawn as we approached the settlement; I left him with a question.
"Knowing all that, that non is the person's fault, that you or even Maxson could suffer that fate. Can you really say putting down non-feral ghouls is the right, moral thing to do?"
Journal title: I will have to be angry later
March 17
Elder Maxson had us secure this base that had a stockpile of fucking nukes. I want to be made about, but I have bigger issues. We didn't find anything of use on the gunners who took the settlement; however, we got a broadcast from Adian that the gunners had taken over vault 81, and we needed to hurry.
Thank you, Vertibird access Brotherhood
We were airlifted and made it there in record time. Aiden was waiting for us outside; he thought the guy responsible for kidnapping jake and taking the comhub was inside. Great because I have a score to settle with him.
Update: It's... he wasn't there... this was just a distraction he... Old Paul... some birthday, here I was hoping for some good news... Rest well, you old nutter, I will have that man's head on a pike for you.
Journal title: War was always an option
March 19
I'm on my way, alone, to Concord to meet up with Jake; a faction war was always an option, but now it's going to happen, and I need help. I left Danse at the prydwen told him I was requesting a meeting between the Elder, me, and Preston. That this is important, and I need bodies. He said he would talk to the Elder, finally, tell him all that's been happening and make sure to bring only those he knows will tolerate the ghouls in my group. Thankfully, Piper was at the prydwen as well, and I asked her to collect Preston, Hancock, and for all of them to meet up at Concord. As I left them on the deck, piper hugged me, and Danse gave me a brotherly punch to the arm, saying that I had his support.
I'm sad to say the walk to Concord was uneventful; I really needed to blow off steam. Still, I made it there in record time. When I told Jake what happened he... He broke down, Old paul was a good, long-time friend of his, and despite not being as "violent" as me, he wanted war as well.
Audio Recording 3/22/2788
Initialising
Program running
Time: 8:00 AM
Detected voices: Gibson, Callie. Error, Jake
Jake: How many are coming exactly?
Callie: mmmm Preston, Piper, some of my other commanders, Hancock, I think valentine is coming with him, Danse, Elder Maxson... some of the BOS members.
Jake: This is a bad idea
Callie: I know
Jake: No but this... a war... them?
Callie: Jake, I know. This is a really bad idea, but we don't have a choice. You, the comhub, my eye, our settlements, old paul. They brought this on themselves
Jake: But how do you know all of them will play nice?
Callie: I don't, but my people know better, and Danse swore he would only try to bring those who can play nice as well
Jake: I hate this
9:00 AM Detected voice "Hancock, John."
John: PRINCESS!
9:01 AM audio detected "impact."
9:01 AM detected voice "Wright, Piper."
Piper: I told you he was going soft and something was up between them
9:03 AM detected voice "Garvy, Preston."
Preston: yes, babe, you wouldn't shut up about it. Hancock, get off the General, although we're all SO proud of you for... whatever you two have going on, we have matters to deal with.
Callie: Motherfucker that's going to leave a bruise
John: Right right, sorry, Piper said something about war?
Jake: Pretty much, she's declaring war on the Gunners for all the shit they've done.
Callie: They've killed old paul, kidnaped Jake here once, took our comhub, why communication has been shit, and have been assaulting settlements, ones we own or not.
Piper: jeeze, not old paul, poor bastard. And Okay, so we need to put them in their place, but we don't have the numbers they do.
Callie: I know, but Danse is bringing the Elder to see if I can't convince him to help
Valentine: Elder? The Brotherhood? Do you work with them?
Callie: yes and no, also hi nick sorry I never came back been busy as you can see.
9:12 AM Voice Updated "Valentine, Nick"
Piper: we joined them in hopes of bringing most to our side. It's going... okay
Nick: That's dangerous though I can see the reasoning.
9:16 AM audio detected " distant yelling."
Callie: sounds like they are finally here. Let's go.
Callie: MEN STAND THE FUCK DOWN. Elder Maxson, please?
Maxson: Fine, men stand down. What is this meeting you've called Knight?
Callie: Thank you, let's go inside
10:00 AM Maxson: I don't like this Knight Gibson, but if the gunners are as big of a threat as you and Paladin Danse says, then fine. You can have the men Danse picked out to help but, understand this. If any of your freaks get out of line, your brothers and sisters won't hesitate to shoot. Are we clear?
Callie: Crystal
Maxson: Good, I'll be taking my leave then
10:30 AM Callie: ALL RIGHT EVERYONE, LISTEN UP. First, thank you, the gunners are a threat to us all, not just me and mine. Despite our issues, we all need to play nice to take them down, to push them back. Most if not all of the buildings here have been cleaned out, so take your pick. We will take the next three days to stock up and make a game plan for attacking their plaza. So get, go rest up and fill your packs because we're not Brotherhood and Minutemen right now. We're one group, understand?
Unknown: Understood, and don't worry, Gibson, Danse only picked those who are friends with you.
Recording process terminated
Ending log