Jayden Cross had been through a lot these past few days, and what happened now was just the icing on the cake. To sum up the events leading up to where we begin, Jayden had been kidnapped, beaten, starved, and left in the waste of the commonwealth to die.
It was early morning, Jayden, with her long blonde hair, and slim body, was curled up in a ball behind a dumpster in an alley. Left there to die by her captors, the gunners. She was beginning to regain consciousness, and began thinking out loud.
"Where the hell am I?"
She looked around for a second.
"How did I get here?"
Jayden began rubbing her head, combing through her dirty hair with her fingers. She had forgotten where, when, and who she was.
"I've got to figure out what's happened."
Jayden stood up and started to walk out of the alley, she felt her muscles aching. She was in the heart of the commonwealth, downtown. The alley she woke up in was across the street from Diamond City, the "great green jewel of the commonwealth."
She heard talking and decided to see if anyone could tell her where she was. Jayden approached the guards outside the city gates.
"Miss, are you alright?" One of the guards inquired.
"Uh, not really, I can't remember who I am, or where for that matter…"
The other guard chimed in, "well you're outside the gates of Diamond City!"
"Thanks, I wish I knew what that was." Jayden said sarcastically, as she usually did when she wasn't in a good mood.
"Well miss, you look like you've had a hell of a time, I'm sure the mayor wouldn't mind if we let you in."
"Thank you."
"You can stay in the Dugout Inn tonight, take these caps, it should be enough for the night." He handed Jayden 50 Nuka-Cola bottle caps.
"I will pay you back once I get my situation figured out…"
"Don't worry about it miss, you look like you could use the extras for a nice warm meal."
At this point Jayden didn't know what to do, so she just hugged the man, and went on through the gate.
Jayden had come to the Dugout Inn, and paid for a room. She was lying down when one of the owners came to her door.
"Uh, miss… I don't believe I have your name, you look like you could use some food, take this."
"Thank you, I can pay sir."
"No, no free of charge." With that he walked away.
Jayden didn't know what it was, but she was getting handout like she was homeless. She went to bed that night with ease. Waking up the next morning at about nine she sat up.
"I need to find out what happened to me."
She got around, paid for another night at the Inn, and went out into the central market of the city to see what people knew. Just as she passed the Public Occurrences building, a nosy looking woman approached her quickly.
"Hi I'm Piper, I heard you lost your memory. Is that true? This would make a good story. How do you feel?"
"Woa, woa slow down Piper, I don't remember a thing. That's all I feel."
"Oh my, I'm sorry to pester you like that it's an instinct."
A frown crept over Piper's face, she held out her hand.
"I'm the reporter for the town newspaper, and it's kinda my job to be nosy."
"No, I understand. I'd tell you my name, but, well… I can't remember it." Jayden giggled a little at her own plight.
"That's unfortunate, so do you know what happened to you?"
"Nope, that's what I'm trying to find out."
Piper's expression lightened.
"I know who can help you! Nick can solve anything!"
"Nick?"
"Nick Valentine, the town detective. I'll take you to him."
"Sounds like a good place to start."
Jayden and Piper strolled to the Valentine Detective Agency, and Piper told Jayden she could find her at the newsstand any time. Jayden entered the building.
She walked in on two women and a robotic looking man talking about something. The woman was talking.
"Oh Mr. Valentine thank you for finding my son, I owe you his life."
"Oh no Sydney there's not charge after how you helped me with that gangster business, I'm just sorry it had to end the way it did."
With nothing left to say Sydney shook Nick's hand and left.
"Now, what can I do for you little lady?"
"I need help figuring out who I am…"
Nick's expression changed, Jayden found it odd for this "android" to have such human emotions.
"Amnesia huh? I can do my best to help."
"I also want to know who beat the daylights out of me, and left me for dead in an alley."
"That… makes this case more interesting!"
Nick smiled, "I love a good mystery."
The other woman in the room finally spoke up. "You always have Nick."
Jayden sat down and gave Nick her recollection of what had happened since she woke up.
"Well miss, I believe I might have some insight into what happened to you already."
"What?"
"An anonymous man reported seeing a "dead" body in an alley near the gate. He said he saw the Gunners dump it there. Said they were talking about her not having enough information."
Jayden was troubled by the news. How long had she been in that alley?
"Where do we start then?"
"With the Gunners. Can you use a weapon?"
"I think so."
Nick gave her a 10mm pistol. Nothing fancy, but it would get the job done.
"Time to head down the street."
Nick and Jayden ventured a mile down the desolate street toward what Nick claimed to be the Gunners' headquarters.
"They won't shoot us if we go in peacefully, just don't show them anything worth value."
"Got it."
They came upon a tall brick building with two guard outside.
"Can we help you two?" One of the scruffy sounding guards asked.
"Why yes gentlemen, you can. We're looking for some answers about this girl." Nick gestured at Jayden.
"Oh you're that scrawny chick from last week! Yea the boss might have some time for ya."
The duo followed the guard inside, and up a flight of stairs. Jayden had a bad feeling about this. These guys were know to be thugs.
They entered an office with a man in a suit sitting at a dark wood desk.
"Ah, it's you!" The suited man said, looking at Jayden.
"Why have you come back? You know I said I'd kill you if you did."
"When you dumped me in that alley, I lost my memory."
"Oh no, you lost your memory when we beat you senseless." The man said chuckling. "But since you survived I suppose I could help you."
"Please indulge me…"
"We kidnapped you to get information on the Railroad. When you claimed to not have any we beat your ass. We thought you died, blah blah blah, now we're here!"
"What's my name?"
"Jayden Cross. The girl from Sanctuary Hills."
Jayden suddenly began to remember a few things, her home, her name, but that was all.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?"
"Sorry that's all we know, we just wanted to know about the Railroad."
Nick spoke up, "I guess that solves that…"