Chapter 1 – Sanctuary
Marcus walked slowly along the road, patrolling with his signature sniper rifle, Reason. He would often joke with the other settlers on patrol that any Raider that didn't listen to him, would always listen to Reason. It was another slow day however, and with the Commonwealth sun beating down, he soon found himself slick with sweat. Removing his duster, he took the opportunity to head down to the river and cool off. Walking down the road at a slow pace, he watched the settlers go about their duties with a profound sense of pride. When he had found this place, it had been nothing more than a desolate waste infested with radroaches and bloatflies. A shadow of its former self. With the help of Codsworth, a defective old Mr Handy, he had cleared the creatures, rebuilt the town, and was finally able to live alone in peace.
It wasn't long however, until the first settlers arrived. Tired and hungry, they had no other choice than to throw themselves before the gates. Marcus couldn't leave them there and so he welcomed them into Sanctuary, giving them food, water, and a roof over their heads. Other settlements soon heard of this place beyond Concord where they would be safe from the dangers of the Commonwealth, and they flocked to this safe haven from miles around. A pact was made whereby every able-bodied settler in Sanctuary would work for the entire community. Farmers planted the crops and made sure that the brahmin were well-stocked and well-fed. The engineers and tinkerers made sure the turrets were functional and made sure the power stayed on. There was even a pair of scientists from the Capital Wasteland who built and ran the water purification plant on the riverbank. He had built a self-sustaining community with all of the essential resources but the surge of people grew and he found himself unable to deal with the demands of so many. This influx of new settlers also, unknown to any within Sanctuary, created unwanted attention, and they soon found themselves the target of a ruthless group of raiders in an event that would later come to be called The Siege.
Nobody expected the attack. From afar, they took out the turrets, leaving the camp near defenceless. When the settlers realised what was happening, there was mass panic, with families scurrying to their new home whilst others attempted to erect makeshift fortifications. It was all for nought however, as the second wave attacked. Molotovs were thrown over the barricades and the dying writhed in agony as their flesh charred. Marcus was at the gates, trying to hold back the raiders when their commander, a brute of a man they called Gristle, walked out onto the bridge. In makeshift power armour, he called a cease-fire and called out to the citizens of Sanctuary to negotiate the terms of their surrender. Marcus was helpless to watch as this force threatened to overwhelm their newfound security.
That was when Preston came. Preston Garvey, leading a small group of minutemen and settlers started attacking the raiders from the east, from the direction of Concord. Surprising the raiders, their muskets charged and crackled with explosive energy, tearing through flesh and metal alike. Joining them, the residents of Sanctuary began the attack from their barricades and soon, the raider threat had either been killed or had surrendered meekly, pleading for forgiveness. They had done it. They had successfully repelled the raider threat and saved their home, though it was a hard-fought victory. The fallen far outnumbered the living and Sanctuary was once again a scorched ruin. But with the aid of Preston Garvey, the new general of the Minutemen, they were once again able to rebuild. And this time, they made sure to make defence a priority.
Sanctuary was now a fortress. Living up to its name, the citizens which now resided within the town lived in peace behind the great wall, a mighty structure which stretched around the entire settlement, built as a result of The Siege. Spotlights, turrets, and sniper towers manned by the most able settlers further ensured the safety of Sanctuary. With their numbers reduced drastically, the scarcity of food and water no longer became an issue and Sanctuary thrived once more. Preston and his band established a small outpost within the settlement, using it to reinforce their position in the western fringes of the Commonwealth.
Marcus' chest swelled with pride as he looked on what they had accomplished together. Families no longer existed in the Commonwealth, but here they lived. He made his way through the reinforced gates and crossed the bridge. The electric whir of the turrets as they scanned the horizon soothed his weary mind. Stripping away his vest, he entered the river. His Pip-Boy began crackling faintly, registering minor levels of radiation but he knew he could swim for hours before RadAway was needed. He let the river carry him a while, slowly drifting towards the sluice-gate which led to the water purification plant. Leopold, the scientist from the Capital Wasteland who ran the plant, noticed Marcus through the thick bars and leaned over the railing.
'Too hot to pat… patrol, eh?' he said, twitching slightly on every other word.
The Siege had been devastating on the citizens of Sanctuary. Those who had survived the horrendous ordeal had been left with their own scars. Some, like Marcus, bore physical reminders of that day, such as the deep scar running across his chest. Others, however, couldn't claim to be so fortunate. Leopold came to Sanctuary with Ernest Strang, a friend and colleague from their days in DC. The two were inseparable, building and running the purification plant together with the almost psychic connection from years of working together. During The Siege, Ernest was caught by a stray bullet, leaving him helpless when the molotovs came raining from the skies. Helpless to watch as Ernest slowly burned before him, the screams seemed to stay with Leopold, changing him.
'Yeah, Leo. Just needed a quick dip' said Marcus, trying hide his sad smile. Leopold hadn't seemed to notice.
'Jus… Just don't let Ol' Ern catch you in there. You kn… know how he… how he gets.'
'Yeah,' Marcus said wearily. Keeping up the pretence had become difficult lately. Leopold was getting worse and some of the others were beginning to talk. 'How is Ern lately?'
Leopold took his time to answer, his jaw working furiously before finally replying.
'He's good. Likes his privacy y… you know? Won't see him out too often.'
Marcus nodded in response before bidding farewell to Leopold and swimming back to the bridge. He had always liked the two scientists, even though the others had thought them strange and eccentric. To see what had become of one of the greatest minds he'd ever known gave him an empty feeling deep in his stomach. He thought, not for the first time, how easy it would be to just let go. Let the current take him away and slowly leave behind all of the worries and pain. Sanctuary would be in fine hands with Preston and the others, but something always pulled him back to reality, and he shook away the dark thoughts as he left the cool embrace of the river.
Back in Sanctuary, Marcus sat outside his home, enjoying the soft glow of the moonlight. The low hiss of Codsworth's jet propulsion system was a familiar undertone to the cool night breeze and the distant sound of the river. In his low-power state, Codsworth was barely able to function, much to the annoyance of Sturges and the other mechanics who would have appreciated the skill of a pre-war maintenance bot. Marcus had told them all that he was faulty and was liable to frenzy and there had been numerous offers to take a look but he had turned them all away. The truth was that Codsworth reminded him of a life he had tried so hard to forget.
Leaving Vault 111, Nate, as he had been called then, stumbled into the unforgiving wastes of the Commonwealth. Heading to Sanctuary, he had found it desolate and barren. Strange creatures had attacked him and chased him to his house, where Codsworth's timely intervention had saved his life. After hearing of Nora and her demise at the hands of the unknown man, and the kidnapping of Shaun, Codsworth was ready to set off in search of him. But Nate was reluctant to leave everything behind once again. To the admonishment of Codsworth, he clung to his past life as an army sniper and began fortifying Sanctuary, creating a small outpost. Through night-time forays into raider camps, he had amassed an impressive arsenal of weaponry and ammunition. Changing his name to Marcus, after an old spotter during the Great War, he began trading with local settlements, slowly building up not only his reputation, but the notoriety of Sanctuary itself.
Codsworth had ultimately had enough and decided to intervene. As the first settlers began to arrive, he began chiding Marcus for abandoning his old life and his responsibilities for nothing more than a facsimile. Clinging to his new life more than ever, Marcus decided to put Codsworth into a low-power state, ridding himself of the final vestiges of his past life. He was Nate no longer, but Marcus, the strong, capable leader of Sanctuary.
Putting the empty bottle down, he raised himself from the chair before wobbling slightly. Putting his hand to the fencepost, he chuckled to himself softly as his balance returned. He looked over at Codsworth, and seeing the power switch, allowed his hand to hover for a while. He stared intensely at the switch. His hand fell.
'Torn between two lives at the flick of a switch,' he thought to himself, allowing himself a sad smile. He turned to enter the doorway but stopped halfway. 'Stay safe, buddy.'
He whispered this softly as a single tear rolled down his cheek, losing itself within his matted beard. He placed his hand gently on Codsworth's chrome shell, feeling the cold metal beneath his fingers before turning back to the house and retiring for the night.
