TITLE: It's a Long, Long Road
CHAPTER: 1 Prologue, There's No Return
TIME AND PLACE: The Capital Wasteland, Spring, 2287. This story begins ten years after the events of the Lone Wanderer leaving Vault 101 and about the same time the Sole Survivor left Vault 111 to start her adventure.
"The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother."
I stood on the bank of the Potomac watching the sun struggle through the morning haze. The cherry trees were in bloom, their pink laden branches bowing to the morning breeze. The air smelled clean, and the Potomac sparkled in the growing light. I sucked in a breath to pull this beautiful morning deep into my lungs. Sitting at my feet, Dogmeat whined for attention. When I reached down to scratch his head, I wondered if reviving those trees might be the best thing I'd done here. The rest of it had been mostly killing and taking it upon myself to decide who lived and who died.
They still called me the Lone Wanderer, and this morning, as I turn away from the DC Wasteland, I could almost believe my actions of the last decade were justified. That the peace of this quiet morning would last and the choices I made were not those of a desperate killer. Ten years I'd been here working toward rebuilding the city. Project Purity had been a success, and I had an idea about heading up the coast to see if I could work out a deal to create a pipeline…or something, a way to share the water with others.
With another scratch behind his ears, I tossed him a mouthful of mirelurk, which he happily gobbled. I shouldered my pack and rifle and turned away from Vault 101, the city and the handful of people I had once called friends. They were mostly all dead now. Been dead since a band of Raiders hit Megaton while I wasn't there. Coming up from the city, I saw smoke on the horizon and began to run. I found the robot in pieces as if they'd beaten him with a baseball bat and the gates smashed open. Lucas lay just inside, his vacant eyes staring into the sun with his spent rifle still clutched in his hands. I had found Gob's head before I found his body with Moriarty sprawled next to him with a piece of rebar stuck in his chest. Bodies everywhere and I could put names to them all.
I sprinted up the steps toward Craterside Supply, where I found Moira sprawled on the floor of her shop. She lay bleeding out in the rubble of what had once been her pride and joy. In my rush to get to her, I tripped over the body of her guard. My feet slid on the blood coating the floor. They'd shot him once straight through his heart. They must have figured out he was trouble. The must have kicked open the door and shot him. By the way, his body lay I could tell he must have done his best to protect Moira. My heart pounded into my throat because I knew everyone here would have done their best to defend their town. But Raiders are evil creatures and kill without mercy.
I fell to my knees oblivious of the blood. They'd cut Moira's clothes away—bile rose in my throat and choked me so that I had to spit or vomit when I realized what mixed with the blood pooling under her hips. My pretty innocent Moira. Guilt tore through me until I retched helplessly and my numbed brain chanting, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I failed them. Failed them all. They must have all taken a turn at her. Then gutted her so she could bleed out real slow.
After I had applied what first aid I could, shouting all the while for the doc who would never arrive, I covered her with a blanket jacket. She stirred and when she opened those green eyes of hers, my heart filled with regret. With her open personality and pretty features she never had a chance. My lovely Moira had precisely the kind of nature that could get you killed out here in the Wasteland. I should have protected her. I should have let her know how I felt about her and why I always visited her first when I returned to Megaton. Once, after sharing a bottle of good wine, I'd 'found,' I almost asked her to move in with me. Hell, we were just kids back then, and I didn't have the courage. With me hardly out of the Vault and not yet twenty and her just starting out with her business the timing just didn't seem right. She was lost to me now and it was my fault.
As the light faded from her eyes, I selfishly hoped she might recognize me.
"Moira? It's Jacob."
"Hey, Jacob. Good to see you."
Instead of I love you, I blundered over how sorry I was for not being here. She just shook her head and smacked my chest with a bloody fist.
"You just take everything you can carry and get the hell out of here. Do that for me, Jacob. Don't let me worry they got you too."
"I will," I promised, and although I wanted to lift her into my arms and make it all okay. I knew she'd die if I moved her. I just stayed close, holding her hand, and watching her go in and out of consciousness.
"Ain't you got something to tell me?"
Tears stung my eyes, and I shifted my gaze to our joined hands. I hadn't cried since that first night out in the open after escaping the Vault and not even when I watched my Dad die. Come, the fuck on, Jake. You coward. With my hand gripped in hers, I managed to choke out the words from a heart long ago shriveled and broken.
"You're the prettiest girl...Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I should have told you years ago...that I love you, Moira."
She smiled, "Love you…too. Don' worry…never the time, anyway. Be safe. Hey, never actually been kissed..."
As long as I live, I'll never forget the feel of her lips or the taste of her as she used the last of her strength to kiss me back. Then I watched the light fade from those lovely green eyes and bowed my head again. I stayed that way while the tears I'd held back for a decade had their way with me.
That had all happened a year ago. I buried the bodies of my friends and hunted down the Raiders who sacked Megaton. Finally, when I couldn't take another lonely night, listening for footsteps on the empty paths of Megaton, I took her advice and packed up all I could carry.
The Brotherhood of Steel could kiss my ass or more likely shoot me. I didn't care which. Lucky for me, Crazy Wolfgang was passing through on his usual route through the Wasteland. I paid him to take my power armor and whatever I couldn't carry to Rivet City and told him I'd meet him there quick as I could. The Caravanner and I had become good friends, and I knew I could trust him—with enough caps for motivation—with my gear.
I stayed in Rivet City for a few months. Thought about opening a shop. Knew I'd go stir crazy in a month if I tried it. Got bored and started drinking like it was a career move. You know how it is in a small community. Everyone is in everyone's business, and after few of the women let me know, they'd be happy to warm my bed. I said no thank you and packed my gear. Crazy Wolfgang thought heading north sounded like a good idea too, so he offered to tote my stuff again. We made plans to meet at a small town just outside of Boston.
Now, all I have to do is start walking. But here I stand watching the sun come up and letting those memories slow me down. Regrets will get you nothing but drowned in a bottle of cheap whiskey. I'd learned that lesson. Dogmeat whined again. I know he's restless too and that's as good an excuse as any to start my feet moving north. I feel there's something more for me up north and maybe there is. I can't stay here. I turned my back on DC and set my feet toward Boston.
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
1969, The Hollies
"The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother..."