The Commonwealth
July the 8th, 2288
16:29
More than anything else, working with the people of the Commonwealth directly and hearing them want to help each other reminded Preston Garvey why he had to keep going, why he had dedicated his life to being one of the Minutemen.
Though their group had thinned with several members opting to stay behind at a couple of their stops to help either defend or build at settlements supporting their cause, Preston was certain those still travelling northeast towards a small farm which had requested their aid were at no higher risk for attack than usual. At lower risk, even, than they had been just a year prior. Sombre as the memory of Quincy was, it was also becoming further and further away, getting ever closer to being a year removed from the day the gunners attacked; it was not the end and, while it had felt it might be then, things were looking up. The Finch family were able to be reunited, and their son learnt why being a raider helps no one, not even oneself. The couple at Oberland Station are building a small safehouse for people to stay in if needed while travelling the Commonwealth. The Abernathy family have been able to receive closure on the loss of one of their own. The people of University Point don't have to worry about unwanted attack or intrusion by the Brotherhood again, although... University Point. Knowing the people of the town were safe, and the security provided to them by the Minutemen would help deter the Brotherhood, was a relief. Knowing they were, even minorly, siding with the Institute, however, was unnerving. The woman there, too, the woman who brought the girl from the town home during visits away from the Institute had left him with far more questions than answers, some of which he was unsure he wanted to know the answers to.
The only thing clear about the Institute to him, now, was the fact they were, at least to some extent, willing to work with the people of the Commonwealth but why they wouldn't do so more openly was something he couldn't understand.
For as uncomfortable as it was knowing they were, even marginally, on the same page as the Institute for even one thing was, keeping people safe was what mattered most. If the Institute began hurting people in the settlements they were duty bound to protect – including University Point – then they would do what was necessary to protect the people and nothing more. It wasn't only the Institute he had set the rule for. Still can't believe I'm the General of the Minutemen, but I'll do what I have to in order to keep us from falling apart, especially with so many people threatening the innocent people of the Commonwealth. They need protection, and no one can defend themselves completely alone. We all need each other. Passing by an old brewery and onto a bridge into the once intellectually thriving Cambridge area, Preston reached for his musket, hearing the sounds of heavy gunfire growing closer and closer until it was all but consuming the noise in the air when they reached the other side of the bridge. Waiting for the noise to subside, he looked between his companions. Sturges, though he had a gun at the ready, was slowly moving ahead of them to get a first glance over what lay ahead. Derek reloaded his shotgun. Codsworth swiftly followed after Sturges to survey the area. When the noise significantly abated after a few minutes, Preston and Derek shared a long, knowing look before reconvening with the rest of the Minutemen with them, Sturges, and Codsworth.
Reaching one of the main roads cutting through Cambridge, the group paused, a moment, at the sight of carcass after carcass of feral ghouls littering the sides of the roads, all in varying states of decay. Several of the Minutemen grimaced, taken by surprise at the smell of death, and Preston, too, stopped for a moment. Though he quickly regained himself, something about the sight left him unnerved, and he tried not to dwell on it or the thoughts it gave him. This was clearly a fight, a lot of them probably ended up killing each other. It's a horrible fate, and it wasn't their fault. It was the War, and the fog. The fog. The second the words came to him, he pushed them away. It was partly cloudy, though not particularly wet. It was a normal day, a normal, quite warm, summer's day in the Commonwealth. The air was clear, the only haze coming from the lingering scent and colour of gunpowder left from the fight. Taking a look at the people around them as they walked, Preston only raised an eyebrow, startled, when he saw many of them were wearing similar uniforms. They took note of him and the Minutemen every so often, but more, it seemed, the closer they got to what he, as a best guess, supposed might have been a police station before the War. It was only when he noticed the serious, reconstructive efforts taken and going on at the building he found himself truly unsettled, not by the efforts themselves but by the people who were taking them on. About to pass the police station by, he took a few steps back when two men in power armour and a woman in uniform stepped in front of their path, stopping them in their tracks and eyeing all of them critically.
"State your business here, civilians," One of the men said with a harsh, condescending edge to his voice. "This is a military installation."
"We're not looking to cause any trouble," Sturges said quickly, stepping forward and waving a hand dismissively. "I know I might look like a bruiser, but I try to avoid violence myself, and we don't want any trouble. We're just passing through."
"As he said," Preston said extending his hand towards the man who simply stared at him in disgust. "I'm Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minutemen. This here's Sturges, Derek, and –"
"BR-109KC?" The other man in power armour said, looking at Derek, almost as surprised as he was hearing at the man address him that way. "My apologies for Knight Rhys' tone, Knight Captain," The man said, sending the first man a sharp look. "I was given to understand you were no longer on the list of our Brothers and Sisters in the Commonwealth."
"I informed Elder Maxson I would not be rejoining, not that I would leave the Commonwealth," Derek replied. "My family and I have quite the good life, settled here, and I'm not going to stop serving the people of the Commonwealth as one of the Minutemen just because the Brotherhood are here now."
"So you're choosing to be part of a group of...civilian peacekeepers instead of returning to duty?" Knight Rhys said, disgusted. "You're either with the Brotherhood or you're against us. Why would –"
"Knight Rhys, that's enough. Return to your security patrol," The other man in power armour ordered. When Rhys nodded, albeit walking off with a suspicious look at the Minutemen, he and the woman turned back to them. "Apologies for Knight Rhys' tone. Our mission in the Commonwealth had been far from smooth until the arrival of the Prydwen."
"You guys sure know how to make an entrance, no doubt about that," Preston remarked. "I just hope the Commonwealth doesn't get caught in the crossfire of whatever your plans are here."
"Don't worry...Garvey, you said?" The man in power armour said with faint, smug smile. "There shouldn't be a problem for you, as long as you and your Minutemen don't get in our way. From what I understand of you, your cause is noble. But you remind me of the Brotherhood when Elder Lyons was in charge...unfocused and far too charitable for your own good."
"Elder Lyons may not have executed his ideals perfectly, but he was focused on ensuring the safety of the people of the Capital Wasteland before the gains of the Brotherhood," Derek said, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "If the Brotherhood want to help the people of the Commonwealth, then the first thing you need to do is earn their trust."
"We will, but they don't realise the Brotherhood is the Commonwealth's last hope for survival. I wish everyone here believed in our cause, but they've been blinded by rumours and misinformation," The man said, pointedly looking at Preston. "I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Paladin Danse, and, beside me here, is Scribe Haylen. Our team has been in the Commonwealth for several months, and the one thing we've come to know for certain is the necessity of our mission."
"And what's your mission, then?" Preston said, surprised by his own boldness. "Because knowing that might ease the fears some folks have about your being here."
"Understandable," Danse said, a mildly menacing smile dawning on his face. "We're here to put an end to the Institute and their abominations...by any means necessary."
𑁋￮✦￮𑁋
Railroad Headquarters
July the 10th, 2288
10:11
"So...how did things go at University Point?"
Rarely a nervous man, the uncharacteristically irritated and upset look he got from Hadley when she walked through the first set of doors into the crypt and reset the cipher caught Deacon by surprise, even more so when the typically talkative woman said nothing. Uncomfortably following her down the corridor and then through the second door and down the stairs, the enigmatic spy tried to lighten the mood with some small talk of his own, to which she barely responded. He relaxed a little when he realised he wasn't the only one surprised by the otherwise cheerful if not bubbly woman looking tired, strung out, and upset. Glory almost instantly glowered at him, but her gaze soon shifted to one of shock when it became clear to her Deacon hadn't said something unintentionally insensitive or disturbing to upset her. Carrington, too, seemed surprised to realise – at least, on the surface – Hadley's demeanour had nothing to do with Deacon. Stepping over to the map laid out on the crypt's makeshift centre table, she glanced between Glory, Desdemona, Carrington, Tom, and Deacon before taking a look at their new routes for runners and Heavys. A bit hesitant to do so in her presence, having heard one lecture too many over the years, Desdemona eventually took out and lit a cigarette, sighing when Hadley suddenly looked up and over at her.
"Do you have any to spare?" Hadley said, her voice wavering. "Or is that too much to ask?"
Desdemona eyed her strangely but nevertheless took out another cigarette, lighting and handing it to Hadley who closed her eyes and took a few long draws, her free hand running over her hair and fidgeting with her glasses.
"Don't look at me like that," Hadley finally said when she opened her eyes to find Glory staring at her. "I haven't had a cigarette in over twenty five years, you don't get to judge me for having one now."
"I'm not judging," Glory replied, frowning when the woman took another draw. "But I do have questions up to and including why –"
"I had my first cigarette in twenty five years a few days ago, and I'm perfectly allowed to have another one now," Hadley snapped, though she fell silent at the tone of her voice. "I'm so sorry, Glory, I shouldn't have said it like that."
"Did things at University Point go badly?" Desdemona said, turning worriedly towards her. "I thought, from what I read in the initial report, we got excellent news about the Minutemen striking an alliance with the town. At least, that's what Deacon led me to believe after retrieving a cursory survey from a dead drop at Bunker Hill yesterday."
"The town itself is fine," Hadley said, taking another draw on her cigarette. "There was just an unexpected and very unwelcome discovery while we were there."
Deacon turned to her in horror. "Did the Deathclaws regroup? If they did, I'm going to –"
"No, your old gang didn't regroup," Hadley quickly reassured him. "But it's far worse. You know how we learnt the Institute had taken a girl from the town? Well, it turns out a dear old friend of mine is one of the people responsible for that."
"What?" Desdemona said, taken aback. "How did you –"
"She didn't make it too much of a secret," Hadley bitterly replied. "Not as though she had to. She's just about as high up as you can get. Not that she said so herself. I got it from the father of the girl she helped the Institute kidnap. Apparently, my old friend is now one of the leaders of their programmes."
Deacon let out a low whistle. "That's a shit surprise."
"Wasn't the only one," Hadley said, swearing under her breath and taking yet another long few draws on her cigarette. "But it was the most concerning one. I can't believe it. I never thought she would ever do something so...just..."
"Sounds weirdly personal," Deacon said nervously when Hadley sat down, blinking rapidly. "I mean, how –"
"Madison was one of my closest friends, even before we moved to Rivet City," Hadley said quietly. "I met her when May was three, and I was visiting the city while Derek was deployed. She's the one who helped foster my son's skill in and love for science...and, apparently, she's in love with my husband."
"One of five people you're possessive over," Deacon took a step back when she scowled at him, still blinking rapidly. "You might not like hearing it, Lay, but it's true."
"Helpful, Deacon," Glory said dryly. "And, while none of it's good, we've got a serious problem on our hands. The Institute being active there means we're at serious risk!"
"Some of it's good," Deacon pushed back. "The Minutemen were able to strike an alliance with University Point, and we know for sure now about the Institute having a hand in the town's day to day. It's a lot better we learn about it from Lay than from the Institute finding and taking out our headquarters again."
"Randolph was already on ice, but, you're right, Deacon, it's good we know for sure the situation there isn't safe for our operations," Desdemona hesitated. "I don't think it's controversial, anymore, to say we have to cut them loose. With Institute operations being right there, it's officially far too risky."
Glory nodded. "Are you going to be able to keep working in the field?" She said, raising an eyebrow when she saw Hadley brush aside tears. "I know it might sound harsh, but this is a lot more important than –"
"Do you honestly think I don't care about rescuing synths just because I know one of the Institute's leaders well?" Hadley exclaimed. "Of course I'm still going to be able to work in the field! I'm just going to need to take a step back for a little after Derek and the Minutemen return from responding to a request for aid from a few settlements a bit farther to the north!"
"You're being too emotional about all of this, Hadley," Glory said, pushing away a faint bit of frustration clawing at her. "Whomever this woman was when you knew her a decade ago doesn't matter. She's with the Institute, and she's –"
"Madison Li isn't just an old friend or an Institute official, now," Hadley said, falling silent and taking another draw. "She was one of the few people willing to stand up to the Brotherhood when they did something wrong, when things they –"
"Li?" Glory repeated, her voice darkening. "Is she Dr. Li?"
Hadley stared at her, confused. "Yes, but why?"
"She's more than any other Institute leader," Glory said coldly. "She's one of the people responsible for what they did to me. What they made me do as a Courser."
"Shit, she's right..." Deacon turned to Glory. "Wasn't she the one you...well, I guess Amari helped you remember...wasn't she the one who mentioned something about a Courser chip and a Molecular Relay?"
"She was," Glory said, anger simmering. "Every time that bitch shows up in my memories, she's a smug, condescending –"
"She's not that bad," Hadley said, pausing when she realised she had snapped at her again. "I can't say I'm happy about...about any of this, but she's not a bad person, Glory. She's..."
"She's one of them, so, yes, Hadley, she is a bad person," Glory shook her head. "How can you say she's anything but a bad person when you just told us you learnt she's spent years wanting your husband and is at the top of one of the Institute's programmes?"
"Because I can still know someone while being angry at them and..." Hadley shook her head, drawing on her cigarette. "I don't know what to think of her right now, but I don't...she's not..."
"Take a break, Hadley, get yourself together," Glory said, softening her tone when she realised the woman was still trying not to cry. "You told us what we need to know, which is a hell of a lot more than we thought we'd ever get about University Point, so step back and get yourself together while we make sure things keep going the way they're supposed to around here because, clearly, you're in no state to anymore."
𑁋￮✦￮𑁋
Goodneighbour
July the 13th, 2288
22:48
"How are you feeling?"
"Better than I have been and...thanks. You didn't have to do anything for me."
"After all you've done for me and Duncan? I wanted to, and it's good to see you smile."
Laughing lightly when Robert Joseph MacCready reached for her hand, Annette Davis happily twined her hand around his, letting him twirl her, her skirt fanning out and her nearing calf length hair flying up. The blue light of the Third Rail made her light pink dress seem to change colour as they moved; pink or blue and, sometimes, one of the dress' long sleeves would briefly seem purple. Forwards and back, right to left, twirl and pull close, twirl out and let go, reach out and pull close. Linger. Her hands resting lightly on his chest, Annette smiled, only briefly startling when he accidentally knocked her reading glasses out from where they were loosely hanging, folded up against the v-neck of her dress. Catching them, she began to laugh a little again when he apologetically looped his arms tighter around her and briefly kissed her. With one last twirl when the song was over, MacCready wrapped an arm lightly around her waist before the two of them finally sat down at the bar. Gruff and irritable as usual, the robot bartender began muttering swears when MacCready and Annette handed him caps for their drinks but grudgingly handed over her decidedly full glass of wine and his whiskey. Used to Whitechapel Charlie's sarcasm, it was only then, when he saw the look of almost motherly approval Magnolia was giving him out of the corners of his eye, he realised his face was warming a little, and he reached over for Annette's free hand. He smiled when she held onto and squeezed it, though he paused when he realised she was staring at him.
"I'm not drinking funny, am I?" He laughed when she shook her head. "You alright?"
"Just happy you're here," She replied, squeezing his hand again. "It's been a while since I've had a good birthday. I'm curious, though – how'd you find out I love to dance?"
"You know how you found out things about me from Daisy and Magnolia?" He teased. "Works both ways, Netta."
"Netta?" She said softly, setting down her wine with a smile. "That's the nickname you came up with?"
"And doll," He said, surprised when she reached over and kissed him. "Take it you like it?"
"I do," She happily replied. "And thanks for taking me out...it's really sweet of you."
"Couldn't leave you alone on your birthday," He said, lightly teasing. "But, really," He set down his whiskey. "I'm glad to have met you."
Annette blushed. "I'm glad to have met you too, Bobby. I...I think things are...well, they're certainly going better than they have in a long time."
"Seems that's been true for both of us," He said, affectionately squeezing her hand. "Don't let me forget, but Duncan has something he wants to give you tomorrow morning. He...reminded me of it before I left and I thought he should do it himself. Speaking of which, close your eyes."
"Alright," Annette said, taking a sip of her wine again before doing so. "Whatever you want to do, go ahead."
"Give me your hand," He said, letting his fingers playfully dance on the palm of her hand for a few seconds before taking something out of his pocket and clasping it around her wrist. "Take a look."
Annette glanced to him in surprise nearly the second she saw what he'd put on her wrist.
"How'd you know I love butterflies?" She whispered, looking between him and the delicate gold bracelet and its pink butterfly charm. "I don't think I ever..."
"Duncan told me," MacCready admitted, smiling when she kissed him again. "He said you told him why you said it was good luck when a butterfly landed on his head the other day. I thought it was really sweet, and I saw this while I was in Diamond City and knew I had to get it for you."
"It's perfect," Annette said, briefly blinking back tears. "Thank you, Bobby...for this, for...for..."
"Had to keep things even after what you did for me on my birthday," MacCready said, kissing her cheek and brushing her long hair over her shoulder. "Like I said, I keep things nice and even."
"You don't have to, but I do appreciate it," She said, leaning into him when he gently wrapped an arm around her again. "It's been a while, it really has...and maybe that was for the best."
"You went through a lot, a lot no one should have put you through," MacCready said, his free hand affectionately treading through her hair. "What that Brotherhood leader did to you was wrong, and I can't even imagine how the one good relationship you had before and after that breaking down felt."
"It was my fault," Annette said quietly. "I pushed Amata away, the last two years we were together. I'd been...home for about three, four years, just about, and until then things had been great. I don't think I'd have gotten past any of what happened during...well, during my time as a Brotherhood 'civilian medical student' without her. But it doesn't change what I..."
"You don't know anything about love, anymore, do you?"
"I'll be better, I'll be around more, I'm trying to drink and smoke less, I'm trying to sacrifice –"
"You're so full of your own lies, Annette. Maybe if you were willing to leave the Vault, you'd see it."
"Even if it was your fault, you've clearly changed a lot since then," MacCready said, and she nodded weakly but sighed. "And you're not the same as you were when you left for the Commonwealth, either."
"Does it matter, though? I spent nearly two years sleeping with my best friend to make Amata jealous after she married someone else, and I hurt him when I left because I hadn't gotten attached but he had," Annette hesitated. "When Amata announced her engagement to Winifred for the entire Vault to know, I drank nearly a whole bottle of wine at the event and then threw a glass at Winifred's head after Amata and I got in an argument and she asked me if I were going to cry. No, I wasn't, I was going to..."
"Having been a selfish, bitter, and angry person at one point doesn't mean it's who you really are. Heck, I was once too," MacCready shook his head. "Even after Lucy and I had Duncan, I...she never knew what I really was. What I really do. I never had it in me to tell her. Most women I've met – when it's not been casual – have not wanted anything to do with me once they learnt I have a kid and especially after they learnt I'm a mercenary. You don't judge me for it, and I'm not going to judge you for where you've been."
"You do everything for your son, it's admirable," Annette said, twining her hands around his and looking up at him. "He couldn't be luckier to have you. Duncan's a sweet kid, and he has just as sweet a man to call his father."
"More than anything, really, I'm just proud of him," MacCready said, squeezing her hands. "The kid stared death in the face and wasn't too afraid to fight back, and, now, he's gotten better. I haven't seen him this happy in so long and, now I'm not constantly...now the thought of him dying isn't floating around in my mind every second of every day, I'm relieved he's getting to be a normal kid again."
"Being sick wasn't fun, but I read a lot! I can read almost anything, I bet, daddy!" Duncan had excitedly babbled, not caring his wet hair was getting his pyjamas damp while his father began brushing and braiding his hair for the night. "You and Daisy are good. And I like your special friend."
"I like her too," MacCready had said with a smile. "I like her quite a bit, actually."
"You see her on her birthday soonish, right?" Duncan had grinned, turning back to look at his father, who briefly paused braiding his little boy's hair. "I think I know the perfect thing for her."
MacCready had laughed. "And what is it?"
"The soldier," Duncan had said simply, startling his father. "It'll keep her safe. I want her safe."
MacCready had, after a moment, nodded.
"I want her safe too."
"I think you're beautiful, and a lovely person, Netta," MacCready said, taking a few seconds to sweetly kiss her. "And, even though we can't change the past, we can choose to be better people...you clearly have, and I try to as well."
"You are a good person, Bobby," Annette said, squeezing his hands. "And it shows."
𑁋￮✦￮𑁋
Diamond City
July the 17th, 2288
13:31
"Just look at this beauty and the way it captures the light. Had to leave after getting it, though, because it was bloody disgusting there but look at how gorgeous this is! So, here I am – too disgusted to keep going with Nicky, Nora, and Piper, and too eager to show off me new knife to everyone I know. The jewel encrusted hilt and the pure silver blade make this one of the most gorgeous knives I've ever seen!"
Cait grinned and pulled her newest knife away from Rowdy, who was all but transfixed by it, eyes wide when she finally was handed it to get a closer look. Beside her, Lissy was almost giddy in curiosity, and all but leaned over Rowdy's shoulder to get a better look at the knife. Winking, Cait teasingly blew the both of them a kiss before leaning back against the bar and grabbing her bottle of moonshine from behind her. Popping the cap off and taking a long sip of it, the former cage fighter closed her eyes, for a moment, and hummed to herself. Holding the knife up to the light, slow and delicate, Rowdy let out a low whistle in approval, running the tip of her finger against the sharp blade, careful not to draw blood. Curiousity getting the better of her, Lissy took the knife from Rowdy, focused more on the jewels than the blade, eyes widening behind her glasses when it seemed clear they were, most likely, real. Shifting her gaze to the blade, the twenty two year old began excitedly babbling with Rowdy about its impeccable construction. When she and Rowdy handed the knife back to Cait, the former cage fighter tossed the knife up in the air and caught it by the blade without accidentally cutting herself on it as though it were nothing. Noticing Travis stepping into the bar, Cait waved him over, excited to show off her new knife to yet another person, the thrill of getting a new toy (read: weapon) far from having worn off.
Ever cautious, Travis nervously approached them, the memory of the bar fight still a little too fresh in his mind. Seeing Rowdy didn't have her studded baseball bat with her made him feel a bit better. Seeing Lissy was drinking in the early afternoon did not, and he shuddered a little at the thought of what else she might accidentally tell him, very much unsettled to know she and the Cats had been, in part, the ones who convinced Vadim to cause a fight in his honour. For my honour. They meant well, especially Vadim. Can't really imagine life without him, never have, even when he was just my only real friend. A bit awkwardly, he sat down at the bar next to Cait, who winked at him and began twirling the knife in her hands. To his surprise, it was completely polished and clean with not a speck of dried blood in sight. Trying not to laugh at the novelty of it, Cait's fondness for knives usually an unsettling reminder of her abilities as a former cage fighter, he focused on the hilt of the knife. At the end of it, so far as he could tell, was a perfectly cut, round emerald. Gold rose up the knife from the emerald, almost as though the emerald were the ground and gold little trees were growing from it. Then the dark, polished stone forming the underlying hilt could be seen in peeks, distracted from by more, albeit smaller, emeralds adorning it before more gold began and reached up to the start of the blade. The silver of the blade was almost reflective, and the tip of the blade hinted at just how sharp the knife really was. Nervous again at the realisation, Travis scooted a little away on the bar stool, uncomfortably smiling when Cait turned and grinned at him.
"Fancy testing this beauty out?" She said, offering him the knife. "You can use it to uncap a pop, or de-cork a bottle of wine. I wouldn't object to either of those, just so you know."
"Although, if it were a sword, you could do a champagne sabrage," Lissy remarked, pushing up her glasses. "They did it at Brotherhood promotion ceremonies. It was pretty neat."
"Sounds...dangerous," Travis said, unnerved. "As for the knife...Cait, you...it's a nice looking knife. Looks really expensive...you didn't steal it off caravaners or anything, did you?"
"Got it as a weird fucking 'present' of sorts from a serial killer," Cait shrugged when he took in a sharp breath, nervous. "Don't worry about it, Travis, he ain't going to come out and hunt you down. He's got a bunch of raiders to decapitate and paint with, after all."
"Bloody disgusting," Lissy said with a snicker. "Bet he thought he was real clever."
"Serial killers – and raiders in general, really, – ain't exactly the brightest," Rowdy said offhandedly. "I mean, I definitely wasn't when I was constantly fucked up all the time as a raider, but I think just starting out from the fucking offset will tell you just how dumb a lot of these motherfuckers really are."
"I'd like to avoid raiders at all costs, thanks," Travis shook his head. "Sounds awful. I really don't want to have to deal with people like that."
Cait shrugged. "You do you," She perked up again with a grin when she saw Yefim coming over to them. "You giving us free drinks? I wouldn't mind taking a crack at breaking Vadim's record for number of shots done in two minutes."
"You'll have to wait to do them with him," Yefim irritably replied, crossing his arms and stopping no more than two feet away from them. "Speaking of, we need to talk."
Rowdy raised an eyebrow, amused. "What do you mean? Dimy sleeping off a bad hangover again?"
"No," Yefim said, struggling to keep himself calm. "They took him! They took Vadim!"
Travis paled, hands beginning to shake. "Wh...what?"
"Those men, the ones who messed with you," Yefim anxiously explained. "They came back, said Vadim owed them money, that they had a deal. He wouldn't pay, and they grabbed him and said they'd make him pay! And then they just dragged him out!"
"Dragged him out?" Lissy snorted. "Did they hit him over the head with a frying pan or something? And then did they go and somehow drug security to make sure no one noticed?"
"This is serious!" Travis snapped, turning to her and scowling when she nonchalantly sipped her beer. "He could be in a lot of danger! What if they plan to –"
"How well did he know those guys?" Rowdy calmly cut in, looking to Yefim. "They former friends or something?"
"They used to party together, though they hadn't spent a lot of time around each other for years. I told him, when he came up with the idea and was talking at me – 'Vadim, don't hire those rascals again!' But did he listen? No!" Yefim let out an aggravated growl, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "No, he doesn't listen, and now he's been taken!"
Cait nodded. "So...do you got any idea where –"
"No bar fights!" Yefim suddenly turned towards where, in one corner of the bar, a man was choking another man he was with using his whole arm in one corner. "For God's sake," He muttered when the man let his companion go before they both sat normally and clinked their beer flasks together. "I know they hole up in an old brewery," Yefim said when he turned back to Cait, Lissy, Rowdy, and Travis. "Beantown, I think it's called."
"Been there before," Rowdy mused. "Not a great place, but definitely where raiders hole up."
Yefim sighed. "Please, I am begging the four of you, he's my only brother. I know he's stupid, but he's family. I can't lose him. I know he makes terrible decisions, but he's the only family I have and I can't run this place alone."
"Vadim's missing?" Scarlett said, stepping over to him, twirling a broom in her hands. "What happened?"
"Those men kidnapped him," Yefim said. "The ones who messed with Travis. I already told them," He gestured at the four at the bar in front of them. "We need to get him back."
"If you can hold down the fort here, I can help," Scarlett smiled when he nodded. "We'll get him back, Yefim. Don't worry."
"Sounds fun," Lissy said, downing her beer. "Especially with Cait and Rowdy."
"I have been wanting to test out my new gun," Rowdy said almost wistfully. "It's almost space like and a P50."
"We'll find him soon, Yefim, don't worry," Cait added, hopping up and brandishing her knife. "Picking a fight with raiders is good fun."
"Vadim's one of the only people who's ever been there for me unconditionally," Travis' voice wavered for a moment, but he took up a look of resolve. "And I'm not going to let anything awful happen to him. This is bad enough...but I am going to get him back."
𑁋￮✦￮𑁋
Goodneighbour
July the 21st, 2288
19:10
Despite having heard a lot about the city, Nora Jacqueline Norwich realised, briefly startling her, she had never set foot in Goodneighbour before. Thinking she might have, however, was disorienting.
Walking through the gates with Piper and Nick, the first thing Nora noticed was how different it was to Diamond City. In some ways, it looked more polished; the streets were paved by stone and brick, while many of the buildings were constructed with neatly made bricks, glass windows, and wood and stone roofs. In other ways, it was less polished; empty bottles of alcohol were littered about, some of them completely shattered, and drug paraphernalia was left laying around, too. Then, there was also the man who had met them just past the gate and only backed down on trying to extort them when Piper pulled out her gun. He all but ran off and down the street before disappearing around the corner. When she was sure they wouldn't be bothered again, Nora took another look around. There were two stores on the first floor of an apartment building, one three stories high and either untouched by the War or well repaired in the two centuries since then. One of the two stores was a fairly busy market, manned by a sweet looking woman, and left unbothered by her customers despite being a ghoul. Crazy how McDonough doesn't let ghouls into Diamond City...most of them are just like us. The other store, just as busy, surprised her when she realised it was manned by an assaultron. She stopped, nervousness grabbing her before Piper elbowed her and the two of them and Nick began down the street, some of the streetlights already on despite the sun not fully gone on the horizon yet.
Shifting her bag on her shoulders, Nora's fingers began to wrap around the strap. Piper hummed to herself, slipping her gun back into her purse, and Nick kept looking around, seemingly suspicious of their surroundings. When they turned the corner, Nora's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the Scollay Square sign. Didn't the reconstruction of the historical Scollay Square finish a few years before the War? The original had been destroyed in the 1950s and redeveloped, hadn't it? Then, the Commonwealth wanted to rebuild parts of history in the city during the 2040s and took down the redevelopment to resurrect the historic look and layout. At least, that's what we were taught in middle school, in 'Massachusetts History' class. The sounds of shouting drawing her back from her memories, Nora laughed when she saw the shouting had been from two boys, no older than thirteen, wrestling in the street. Nick chuckled briefly, too, and Piper smirked before whispering something to Nora about how Nat had fought Peter Pembroke for trying to kiss her. It was only when a woman stepped out of the large building under the Scollay Square sign and approached them they stopped, a bit startled. Nora tensed, but relaxed, a little, when it was clear Nick knew the woman.
"Well, well," She drawled, setting a hand to her hip when she reached Nick. "Mister Valentine. I thought you had forgotten about little ole me."
"May have walked out of the Den, Irma, but I'd never walk out on you," Nick replied. "What's going on?"
"Follow me," She said, then waving at Nora and Piper to follow after her too. "This is a conversation needing to happen in the Den."
Her body tensing a bit, anxiety coursing through her veins again, Nora glanced between Nick and Piper before quickly walking with them into the building behind the woman called Irma. She raised an eyebrow when they entered the low lit hallway and, then, the main atrium. Walls painted red, purple, and gold, dark wood floors, red, plush chairs and chaise lounges with some strange looking chairs within which a few people were sat in, a pod over their heads. Sashaying over to an older woman typing at a computer terminal at the left end of the atrium nearby a stairwell, the woman called Irma came over and rested her arms atop the computer terminal, smiling coyly at the woman typing. When she looked up, the older woman sighed, saved what she had been typing, and then gently pushed her arms off the top of the computer terminal. She looked between Irma and Nick, her eyes narrow and critically observing them, before glancing briefly at Nora and Piper. A bit intimidated by the woman, Nora took a small step back. Piper reached into her back pocket and pulled out her notepad and pen, fidgeting with them and hoping to hear something – anything – worth reporting on.
"I received a rather surprising package from Lorainne and Amelia this afternoon," The older woman said, frowning at Nick. "A cryogenically sealed package. I assume you know exactly what's inside it."
"I do," Nick said, unfazed. "And it's important, Amari."
"Well, in that case..." She replied. "What is this about?"
"We need your help," Nick said, looking to Nora. "This is Nora Norwich. She's searching for her son, who's been kidnapped by a man named Kellogg, whom was, himself, working for the Institute."
"How am I supposed to be able to help?" Amari said, suspicion tinging on the periphery of her voice. "I'm no investigator, Nick, I'm simply a neurologist."
"Which is why we need you," Nick said, and she eyed him critically. "We need a deep dig, Amari, but it's not going to be easy because the perp, Kellogg, is already cold on the floor. I know it's asking for a miracle, but you've pulled off the impossible before."
"Are you two mad?" Amari gaped at him and Nora. "Putting aside the fact you're asking me to defile a corpse, you do realise the memory simulators require intact, living brains to function, don't you?"
"Technically," Piper said, awkwardly bobbing on her toes. "The corpse has already been defiled."
"I doubt I want to know how or why," Amari coldly told her, turning back to Nick. "What's cryogenically preserved?"
"His head but, specifically, his brain," Nick said calmly. "This dead brain had inside knowledge of the Institute, Amari. You need at least some of what may be in the old merc's head, and so do we."
Amari sighed. "Fine. I'll take a look, but no guarantees," She looked to Nora. "Come with me. Nick as well, of course."
"Wait, I can't –" Piper began to protest.
"This is a very complicated matter, Miss Wright," Amari said, raising a hand to silence her. "The less people in my laboratory for something this...questionable, the better."
"But –" Piper started again.
"Listen to her, Piper," Nick said pointedly. "Amari knows what she's doing."
Piper hesitated but eventually relented and walked over to a couch at the other end of the atrium, sat down, and took out a book, beginning to read. She looked over the top of her book every so often, watching Nick and Nora speaking with Amari in hushed tones. Irma stepped over to one of the chaise lounges and sat down, and Piper awkwardly looked away when the woman winked at her, disconcerted by her mannerisms. I know this place technically is just a place for people to relive their memories but everyone and their mother knows it's also a high end brothel. I'd rather not have to witness any of that. Flipping through the novel, she tried to focus though she found her mind a bit too curious. Lighting up a cigarette and pouring herself a glass of wine, Irma watched her for a moment before looking back at where Amari was still speaking with Nick and Nora. She glanced away when a few people came into the atrium, customers, and she directed three of them upstairs and two of them to sit down and wait, which they did, though on a couch on the other side of the room from Piper, who barely noticed them, apparently having finally gotten herself into her book. With a hint of a smile, Irma looked back at Amari, Nora, and Nick, and waved at her business partner before she, the lawyer, and the detective disappeared around the corner towards the stairs.
"Do you know how fast a brain decomposes?" Amari said sharply, beginning down the stairs with Nora and Nick. "Preserved or not, I doubt you got it into decent preservation quickly enough after death."
"We did our best to keep it from decaying over the course of about a week before we were able to get it back to Diamond City and preserved," Nick explained. "Getting back to Diamond City itself took only about four days, but we had to be careful to avoid running into any confrontation as we had to transport...quite a bit. The first two days after the old merc died, we had to regain our bearings. Things were...discombobulating, to put it lightly."
"That gives me very little hope," Amari told him. "Much of the brain had likely severely decomposed by the time you got it preserved."
"It wasn't a normal brain," Nora said, and Amari paused to eye her strangely. "There were these...cybernetics. We have no idea how deeply entwined they were in his actual brain. All we know is it was almost certainly put there by the Institute."
"If that's so, it could make things much more difficult," Amari cautioned her. "Institute technology is incredibly complex. How much contact have you had with Institute technology before?"
"I...I don't think much," Nora said, rubbing her neck. "I haven't been...I haven't been out here a long time. I...I was born before the War. And I...my son, my husband, and I...we survived in a Vault. Where we were cryogenically frozen alongside over a thousand others, our neighbours, our..."
"Dear God," Amari looked between her and Nick when the three of them entered her laboratory. "Alright, then," She said, closing and locking the double doors into her lab. "Let's see what we can manage."