(Project Purity)
Scribe Bigsley was about to crack, he knew it, his subordinates knew it and Brotherhood command knew it, it wasn't so much about being overworked, although he never missed an opportunity to say he was, he had little to no time to sleep but he never slept much anyway, every single person in the wastes seemed to have a complaint to throw at him and Lyons, that old bastard wasted no opportunity to reprimand him as he worked him to the bone for his little 'mission' of charity for every illiterate waster out there, fuck him, fuck the water and all of the pricks out there who have nothing better to do than bitch at him. He caught a reflection of himself in his terminal's screen, god he had become so pale, never stepping outdoors can do that to you, and the bags under his eyes were starting to look as though somebody had punched him, twice, while wearing brass knuckles, he really was not looking good. Bigsley stared at the ceiling as he tried to catch a quick nap a feeling he had become quite accustomed to began to overtake him , he hated his work, hated how tired he was, but it was something else, he was… bored, shipment orders, inept scribes and caravan payments, he was born into the Brotherhood like anybody else, but he stayed because he wanted to see the technology of the old world, the innovations, the mistakes, the wonders, Project Purity offered none of these, sure it was innovative, hell brilliant even (though he'd never admit it) but it was finished, they didn't him, he fixed, improved, analysed and developed, this was a job for a bureaucrat, he was a scientist, and with every minute that passed he wasted away in this scientific purgatory, dear god he needed to get out of here. Bigsley looked down as he heard footsteps approaching.
"Oh hey was there something else?" Bigsley asked as the Lone Wanderer, walked through his door.
"Tell me Bigsley are you completely satisfied working here?"
The Wanderer asked with a sly smile.
(Megaton Common House)
Jackal sat on his shitty bed and casually ate his squirrel stew, he was only seventeen but he had already made enough doing any job he could to finally get his own place. He had roamed the wasteland since he was twelve and had been getting by doing odd jobs in places like Rivet City, when he turned fourteen he had saved up enough for a pistol and some ammo, after that it was any job that he could get, scavenging, mercenary work, assassination even, after a while he earned a reputation and got better job offers, one job led to another and after a while he earned enough to buy his own place. As he finished his squirrel stew he got up and headed for the door, the common house was a shithole, full the desperate and worthless, he hated it there and leaving it gave him the best feeling he had for a long time. He strolled down the hill and past the bomb, he admired himself in the inert bomb's reflection, he filled out his leather armour quite nicely, no more sleeves to long for him or big boots, his skin had quite a nice tan for an Asian and his black hair complimented his skin tone rather well, he was handsome, much like his father had been but he was a man now and he was damn proud of it, and he knew his old man would be proud to. He nodded his head and smiled, five years and now he was about to start settling down, he re-checked his backpack, five thousand caps clanked about inside of it and he wanted to make sure no-body got any ideas. He continued his stroll up to the main gate of the town and approached a small stall; it was a new installation, apparently the Lone Wanderer's idea, the stall's sign read: Megaton Citizen Directory and floating behind it was a Mr Handy robot called Wadsworth, a donation by the Lone Wanderer, Wadsworth had become the town mayor of sorts, it didn't make the decisions per se but Jericho the town's sheriff listened to it quite carefully.
"Hello sir! Do you have a complaint?" Wadsworth said in a cheery British tone
"No, stupid robot, I want to buy a house" Jackal impatiently grumbled
"I'm sorry?"
"Uh I said I would very much like to purchase a house… please" Jackal said trying to hide the desperation in his voice, there was no way in hell he was going back to the common house. Jackal was about to hand over the caps when out nowhere some random tackled him to the ground. "What the hell!" was all Jackal could say before he hit the ground, the assailant tore the backpack off of him and made for the open gate. Jackal chased after the thief but she was small and fast, by the time they got into Springvale he lost her. He fell to the ground and repeatedly beat it with his fists, all of the shit he went through and now he was back where he started. He just sat there for hours, looking at the ground, so enthralled in his loss he didn't even notice the three raiders sneaking up behind him.
"Hahaha, well I'll be damned fresh meat!" one of the raiders screamed as he bashed Jackal's head with a lead pipe. Jackal hit the ground hard but rolled forward to get some space; he'd been hit before and could deal with the pain later, right now he had three bastards looking to make a meal out of him. His pistol was in his backpack and all he had on him was a combat knife. He was lucky that none of them were packing or he would already be dead, but he had play this real carefully, raiders are fucking cowards who just rush their target when they have more numbers, but he can use that to his advantage. Just as he thought, the three of them came at him screaming, wildly flailing their lead pipes about, Jackal lunged forward at the one in the middle, in one smooth motion Jackal slit the raider's throat and rolled away, unharmed by any of the raider's clumsy attempts to hit him. The raider's looked down at their comrade and then at Jackal who gave them his coldest look and he had more than a few, they decided that he wasn't worth the trouble and simply ran away, Jackal had considered chasing them, but there was no point, he decided, with much reluctance to head back to the common house, looks like the quiet life wasn't in the cards for him yet, but goddamn if he ever got his hands on that little bitch, Jackal spat at the ground and trudged back through the Megaton gate, and once again past the bomb, he didn't admire his reflection this time though.
"Hey man, I thought you were getting your house today, what the hell you doing here? Jesus what the hell happened to you!" A young man said as Jackal sat at his old bed again. Jackal knew the man as Pit; apparently he called himself that because he was briefly a slave in the Pitt before the Lone Wanderer hit that place like the second scourge. He was a peppy bastard, always talking, but could be real quiet when he had to be. They had worked a few jobs together and struck up a friendship, Pit did most of the talking for both himself and Jackal. Jackal felt his head and grimaced when he saw blood on his hand, Pit quickly patched him up as Jackal recalled the last couple of hours to him. "Aw shit bro, I'm really sorry, I thought I saw one of those kids, remember when we hit that raider joint and pilfered the place for the Brotherhood, yeah I didn't think one of the little freaks would follow us!" Pit sunk his head down obviously ashamed, Jackal told him not to worry about it, his old man never let shit like this get to him, Jackal was so ready to be a real grownup, like his father, his own place, a job hell maybe even find a girl of his own but it was all gone before he even knew what happened. Any of the anger he felt just washed away as the world buzzed around him, one of the advantages of get smacked across the head. Pit sat the end of Jackal's bed as he lay down, couldn't risk falling asleep in case he had a concussion. Pit turned on the radio he carried around and tuned into GNR in an attempt to take his mind off of it.
"Hello my children and welcome to the coolest station in the wasteland. It's been so nice and quiet lately hasn't it? Seems like I don't got shit to talk about any more, it's finally time for ol' Three Dog to hang up his disks and take a breather… Psyche! Hahaha I'm just kidding children don't cry just yet, Three Dog' still got a few tricks up his sleeve yet, like the long awaited tales of the Lone Wanderer series! That's right children, after weeks of digging and with the cooperation of the Wanderer himself we got a new program to lift your little hearts out of those wasteland blues! In loving memory of our first adventurers Herbert 'Daring' Dashwood and Argyle, rest in peace and hope you enjoy the show." Pit jumped up in excitement and Jackal sat up as they both heard this. The two had lived hard lives in the wastes and were still young, almost boys, even though they were making the transition into men they still looked up to the wanderer like a child to a super hero, perhaps Three Dog did have a way to get rid of those blues. The residents of the common house seemed to gather around the radio, equally as interested as the boys were, some brought chairs over and some just sat on the floor, but the radios inside of the house all had a small circle around them. They all kept quiet as a deep yet energetic voice bounced of the out of the radio.
"You're listening to the adventures of the Lone Wanderer played by Knight Sergeant Wilks of the GNR Brotherhood detachment in: A Behemoth of Troubles.
"Damn there are super mutants all over the city! How could my father have gotten through here alone? Oh no more of them!" the sounds of bullets shot through the radio, some the wastelanders who hadn't been in many fights jumped, Pitt and Jackal just sat contently listening.
"There they are sentinel, the super mutants that were flanking us!" presumably a paladin said in an overdramatic tone
"What is that wastelander doing here, he'll get himself killed!" a sultry female voice exclaimed
"Oh my god sentinel Lyons, he, he shot their heads off, with only a 10mm pistol!"
"Hello miss I trust you weren't harmed?" the Wanderer said suavely
"No of course not, the Brotherhood is trained for this, but that was impressive Mr?"
"Many call me the Lone Wanderer, and who might you be Miss?"
"Lyons, Sentinel Lyons, a pleasure, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to make it to GNR before these detestable super mutants, destroy it, we'd all be lost without Three Dog's wonderful radio station."
"You're quite right Miss Lyons and has chance may have it I'm on my way there now, perhaps we could travel together?"
"Why it would be a pleasure" Many of the Wastelanders were laughing as they made suggestive jokes about Lyons and the Wanderer's 'behemoth'. The sounds of obviously fake running and panting dominated the radio for a few minutes; the room became smoky as many of the wastelanders lit cigarettes during the brief intermission.
"Look there it is GNR, what beautiful sight after those super mutants!" Lyons said while panting
"Hahaha we kicked those muties asses" a brash voice said obnoxiously
"Damn it Redding quit clowning around and secure the area by that wall of cars over there" a military like voice barked
"Wait what's that rumbling? Oh no, Redding get away from those cars!" the Wanderer yelled followed by a loud crash and growl.
"It's a behemoth! We're doomed!" Lyons yelled in flimsy voice
"Wait that Fat Man over there may just be our ticket to salvation, duck and cover!" a large explosion sound followed and the crowed jumped even Jackal and Pit. "Tune in next time to hear the adventures of the Lone Wanderer played by Knight Sergeant Wilks" The crowd laughed and some even clapped as they sat back after the show. All of a sudden Three Dog's voice jumped out at them
"Don't change that dial yet children I've just received a holo-tape from the man himself and its marked important!" The crowd was once again enthralled as the deep brown voice of the real Lone Wanderer filled the room in a much more serious tone.
"To the men and women of the capital wasteland, I am starting a group dedicated to protecting the people of the capital wasteland, any who wish to make DC a better place or want to see advanced technology should apply for testing, I need as many combat veterans, tech-savvy scientists and tinkerers who can work with advanced technology and skilled doctors as I can get, all must have a wish to keep the peace and experience in their field. All applicants are to make their way to the MDPL-13 Power Station just north of Minefield. Thank you and good luck this is the Lone Wanderer, leader of the Wasteland Restoration Movement."
"And here I was thinking the wasteland was getting quiet awoooo! You heard the man children if you have the know-how and the heart of gold try your luck and see if you're WRM material." The room was completely quiet; Jackal and Pit looked at each other, and they both knew that there wasn't a thing that was going to stop them meeting their hero. Jackal smiled at his friend and said
"Screw the quiet life, we're gonna be heroes."
(MDPL-13 Power Station)
The Wanderer spun around on his chair as Bigsley typed at the terminal on the desk beside him. They had taken the small power station outside of the large power plant and converted it into a recruitment office; their definition of convertment meaning turning the desk to face the door.
"You know I left the Brotherhood because all they had me do was office work" Bigsley grumbled as he prepared the terminal to record the names of people who get accepted.
"Trust me Bigsley, when we get the people I'm going to show some technology that'll make your head spin, literally if you're careless" The Wanderer chuckled as he continued spinning like a child. He was wearing his old regulator duster and a particularly shady hat; he had his medic armour lying around somewhere, probably got tired of the damn thing talking all of the time Bigsley guessed. The message that the Wanderer had delivered to Three Dog had been played a little more than three hours ago if the Wanderer was any judge he guessed that the first of the applicants should be arriving very soon.
"You still haven't told me where we're going after this" Bigsley said quizzically, looking at the strange man from the corner of his eye.
"No I haven't" The Wanderer said in a devil may care tone. Bigsley sighed and surrendered the point; whatever it was that the Wanderer was hiding from him must be good for him to be this paranoid. The two men heard knocking at the door and prepared themselves for the throngs of people looking to chase their fortune or see this advanced technology promised; it was going to be a long day.
"Am I late?" A blonde haired man wearing white combat armour asked meekly as he stepped in through the door.
"Oh Elliot I thought you were going to be but you're just in time, Bigsley meet Dr Elliot Tercorian a friend I… bumped into quite a while ago." The Wanderer said as he continued to spin.
"Ha if by met you mean captured by –"
"Shut up! You'll ruin the surprise!" The Wanderer yelled throwing a baseball that was lying on the desk at Elliot
"Hahaha sorry, sorry! I'm sure he wouldn't believe me anyway." Elliot chuckled as he held up his in defensive manner. Bigsley and Elliot quickly shook hands and continued preparing for the applicants.