Well here's the fourth chapter. Enjoy.

Before I go on though, I added something to the first three chapters so check out the edit on the first one.

Mandalore the Survivor - Thanks for the review, again. I kinda figured that killing someone for the first time would take it's toll on someone and I tried to show it with Jackson. You're also right in the fact that he's just a kid and this new world will begin to chip away at him, if he lets it. Especially with what I have planned later. And as for the 'no one noting his age' thing, that's coming up in this chapter.

The brush with death also, I think, helped him realize that he needs others to help him in this world so you'll be seeing more than one companion with him in his journey. Also I plan on having Vault 111 turned into a safe haven if Sanctuary gets attacked. As for the Pip-boys in Vault 111, I didn't see hide nor hair of any other ones in the entire vault which makes me think that there was only the one for the player to find left.

And one more thing. What is this 'planned storyline' you speak of?

'Thinking'

"Talking"


Sanctuary

October 24th 2287

Sleep was quick to leave Jackson who woke up at the crack of dawn and sighed to himself upon realizing that the events that had transpired were not in fact a twisted product of his imagination in the form of a nightmare. Getting out of bed and trying not to disturb his sleeping companion he elected to let Cindy get some more rest. Heading out of his makeshift home he headed out to find Sturges. He found the man working on the yellow house where the power armor of his was. "Hey Sturges."

"Nice work on the beds," Sturges told him, "Nice not sleeping on the ground for once. Having a place to sleep will improve everyone's spirits."

"Right," Jackson said, "What's next?"

"What we need now is a reliable source of clean water," Sturges told him.

Jackson thought about this for a moment before coming up with an idea, "What about the river?"

"We've been getting by, but the surface water isn't safe to drink regularly," Sturges replied.

Jackson shook his head in response, "No, I mean we use a water purifier to make the river water drinkable."

Sturges thought about it for a moment, "That could work too. Problem is no one knows how to build one."

"I do," Jackson replied thankful creating various mechanical devices such as water purifiers and generators were the last topic of his science class before the bombs dropped just in case... well the bombs dropped, "Just need materials and some extra hands."

"Well you can count me in on that," Sturges said, "I'll see if Jun and Preston can help out."

"And I'll do the same with Codsworth and Cindy," Jackson replied, "Any other issues?"

"Our food supplies are running low," Sturges replied, "We've got enough for a few more days at best. And after that..." he trailed off letting the rest of that thought tell itself, "If we're going to settle here, we'll need to get some crops established."

"Any suggestions as to what kind?" Jackson asked. Things like that were not his specialty.

"It doesn't much matter. Tatos, mutfruit, corn - whatever you can get to grow," Sturges responded, "Just give them to Marcy when you have some, she's tending to what's already growing around back."

"K," Jackson asked not entirely sure where to get things like this nor what they quite looked like, especially the 'mutfruit', "anything else?"

"Well the more we establish ourselves here, the more of a target we become," Sturges responded, "What we need is to get some defenses set up. Then maybe Preston will be able to relax a little bit."

"What kind of defenses?" Jackson asked.

"Walls, sandbags, turrets - whatever you can put together," Sturges responded.

Now turrets just so happened to fall under the 'mechanical devices' that Jacksons' class was studying in class, "I can work with that, anything else?"

"Not that I can think of," Sturges replied. Jackson left once the conversation was over to find Codsworth and Cindy. As luck would have it the two of them were at the same building he came out of when he woke up.

"Hey," Jackson said, "I need your help with a project." And so it was that Jackson, Sturges, and Preston begun work on a water purifier while Cindy, Codsworth, and Jun a generator to power it.

As the three men worked on the purifier Sturges asked him a question, "If you don't mind my saying so you seem a little young to be wandering around the Commonwealth."

Jackson sighed before speaking, "My little brother Shaun was kidnapped and our parents were murdered while trying to protect him. I'm not out here because I want to be, I'm out here because I have to be."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sturges said, "If it's any consolation Jun and Marcy know what it's like to lose family. If you need to talk to them I'm sure Jun would lend you his ear."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jackson replied as the group continued to work on the purifier. About an hour and a half later both projects were completed and powered up. Next up they set up three basic turrets, one near the destroyed houses where Sturges and Preston took up residence, one near the path to Vault 111 and the last one by Mama Murphy's house near the Old North Bridge. However there was still the lack of food that was an issue so Jackson, Cindy, Codsworth and Sturges decided to try and look around to try and find some food. Jackson whistled calling Dogmeat to join them before he left. After crossing the Old North Bridge the group decided to head southwestward to see what they could find.

After about five minutes or so of walking they cam across an old Ranger's Cabin from pre-war America. Hearing a noise coming from it the group readied their weapons just as two overgrown flies emerged and flew after them. They were quickly cut down however and Jackson and Cindy went to check inside while Codsworth and Sturges went to investigate the nearby high voltage pylon. Entering the cabin they were greeted with a skeleton laying on a mattress next to a suitcase. A female's skeleton if the dress on it was anything to go by. Jackson elected to check out the area near the skeleton while Cindy checked near the entrance. A few seconds later Cindy heard something akin to a voice coming from near Jackson's position but paid no mind to it. Once the voice had stopped talking Cindy heard a 'damnit' from Jackson just as she found something, a book of some kind. Heading over to him book still in hand she asked, "What's wrong?" once near him. Saying nothing he opened up his Pip-boys holotape player and quickly closed it causing the same voce from before to speak again. 'October 22, 2077. I finally told them tonight, and it was bad. Real bad. Dad was shouting, telling me I should be ashamed, that I had to get out of the house. Mom just cried, and somehow that hurt worse than anything else. She didn't say a word, not even when I packed my things. I can't go to John- he doesn't even know yet. Maybe he'll never know. If it weren't for the cabin I wouldn't have a place to sleep. Just need some time to think. Last time I was here, I was just a little girl playing clubhouse in this old cabin. Now I'm really scared. Will anything ever be right again?' Cindy gasped once it was over.

"So you remember her?" Jackson asked solemnly. Upon getting no response from Cindy he assumed she did not making him slightly angry, "Abigail. From our school, same grade. The girl you and your friends bullied frequently. She didn't come to school the day before we entered the vault after what you did. Guess we now know what became of her," Jackson continued getting angrier, "What was it you said to her? That she-"

"I remember alright!" Cindy yelled out surprising Jackson making his anger subside a bit before she became quiet, "I remember alright. I remember what I said to her, I remember how horrible she felt, I remember everything about that day," she said with tears in her eyes, "I remember... how much of an absolute bitch I was to her, to you, to your friends and for what?" she continued letting the tears fall, "Just so I could keep my friends I had. Friends that only stayed friends with me as long as I kept hassling others," she scoffed lightly before continuing, "What kind of friends are those huh?" she said pausing to let that question sink in. After about a minute she sighed and continued, "I was kinda jealous of you and your friends. They stuck by you during the whole accusation thing last year. Those are the kinds of friends I wanted but didn't get with the popular crowd," Cindy continued looking away from him, "I was constantly wearing a façade at school to keep up appearances with my friends but at Sanctuary Hills that was the real me. That's the reason I never had any of my friends over whenever there was a large gathering. Guess you should be careful what you wish for huh? I became popular but I didn't get everything I wanted out of it."

Jackson remained quiet as she essentially poured her heart out to him and he saw her in a bit of a new light. Here was a girl that wanted popularity and the friends that came with it but in the end the friends she got weren't the ones that she deserved to have. They were just fair-weather friends at best. If she had spoken her true opinions she would have been alienated from the popular group and it wouldn't have been likely that the people she had bullied would have accepted her into their social circle. She was essentially stuck with a conundrum; go left where nothing is right or go right where nothing is left. Anger all but forgotten he stepped up to Cindy and took her cheek and turned her head to look at him. Once looking into his eyes he spoke, "I can't forgive you for what you did to my friends," Jackson said making her look down slightly, "but I am willing to move past it and try to forge something new out of what remains of our old life. Are you?"

Cindy looked at him and spoke out after a few seconds, "I am." Jackson's response shocked her a bit when he enveloped her in a hug. She stiffened slightly, as she was not expecting it, but quickly returned the embrace. After a few minutes like that they separated and headed out of the cabin. Sturges and Dogmeat were both there but Codsworth was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Codsworth?" Cindy asked.

"He went on ahead to the south," Sturges replied, "he saw a structure over there and said he'd check it out while we waited here," he continued, "But anyway before that he and I were talking while searching and he said something that made me think of an idea. He said that you two needed a better way of communicating with each other over distances or something along those lines," Jackson slightly flinched at the memory of yesterday when he couldn't find Cindy anywhere, "So I managed to scavenge up some components that might do the trick on your arm devices there. Your robot friend gave me the rundown on how to upgrade them. May I have them?" Jackson and Cindy removed their Pip-boys and handed them to Sturges. After a few minutes of tinkering and a couple of 'No, that's not right's Sturges handed them back to each of them. "There we go," he said as they reattached them to their arms, "I added a line of communication between them with the possibility to add others."

"So we can talk to each other wherever we are?" Jackson asked impressed at this.

"To an extent, yes," Sturges replied, "They do have a semi-limited range. Should be able to reach Diamond City from Sanctuary, but no further than that."

"That's awesome enough as is," Jackson said, "Thanks Sturges." With their Pip-boys reequipped the group headed southwards and it wasn't long until they ran into Codsworth who had found what looked like a shipping depot.

"Ah young master," Codsworth said seeing them, "I take it mister Sturges upgraded your Pip-boy to your liking?"

"Of course," Jackson replied, "Anyways, what did you find?"

"The Wicked Fleet Shipping Lockup," Codsworth replied, "I'd imagine there would be an abundance of salvage in there for various necessities in Sanctuary Hills, however-"

"However what?" Cindy asked.

"My motion sensors have detected signs of movement in the area," Codsworth replied, "But I can't seem to get a visual on them."

"Sounds like Ferals," Sturges added, "They have a tendency to either hide or play dead then swarm anything that catches their attention."

"I'm guessing those are those 'Ghouls' Preston told me about in Concord?" Jackson asked getting a nod from Sturges and a confused look from Cindy, "Wonderful," he said before looking at Cindy, "I'd tell you but something tells me we're both about to see it."

"So you're suggesting we check it out?" Sturges asked.

"Don't see why not," Jackson replied, "If we're lucky maybe some settlers left some food before running from the Ferals."

"I think we've established that neither of us are lucky," Cindy muttered under her breath.

The group approached the shipping lockup but to get there meant crossing the water in their path as Sturges spoke up, "Don't linger too long in the water. Not unless you want to end up with an arm out of your stomach or a third leg. It's gotten better somehow over the last ten years but it's still far from radiation free." Quickly moving through the water the group noticed a gap in the fence big enough for everyone to get through. Jackson first, followed by Dogmeat, Cindy, Sturges and lastly Codsworth. Jackson noticed something ahead of him and asked the others to wait as he went to check it out. It was an old utility protectron still in its storage compartment that seemed to still be in working order. Quickly accessing the terminal after hacking into it he booted up the protectron and it stepped out of its compartment and turned to Jackson.

"Powering up. Protectron on duty," the protectron said, "Accessing chronological time stamp. Accessing... Accessing... Acquired. Date: Tenth month, Twenty Fourth day, Year Twenty-two eighty seven," the protectron continued, "Current employment records two hundred ten years out of date. Please identify yourselves."

'It must think we're current employees of this business. Might as well make use of this,' Jackson thought to himself before ushering the others over, "My name is Jackson," he said, "And this is Cindy, Sturges, a Mr. Handy bot named Codsworth, and guard dog Dogmeat," the latter of which barked in response to Jackson saying his name.

"Processing..." the protectron said, "Processing... Processing... Processing complete. Your names and faces have been added to the employment records. How can this unit be of service?"

Before Jackson could respond he heard a grown coming from his left. Out from under one of the shipping trucks came what looked like a disfigured human. Jackson took a wild guess that these were Feral Ghouls, "We have an unknown number of intruders on the premises. We need to eradicate them," he finished just as the Feral ran towards him and lunged. Before the Feral could reach him its head was detached from its body and was pinned to a trailer in the parking lot by a giant spike. It's body collapsed to the ground as Jackson looked at it then at the protectron who lowered one of its hands.

"Understood," the protectron spoke, "assist security personal in removal of trespassers." The protectron then began walking away from Jackson and the others.

"Glad it's on our side," Sturges said as the noise of more Ferals could be heard attacking the protectron inside the building.

Jackson and the others began searching around after the protectron had come out of the building saying that all threats had been neutralized. Sturges found a locked trailer but sadly the lock was too complex for Jackson to crack open even with his skills. Inside a building next to the fence where they could see a pond there were plenty of supplies to take back to Sanctuary. Used oil cans, jerry cans with fuel still in them, duct tape, you name it. Next to the building was a destroyed trailer that housed the body of a settler in it. Sure enough, just as Jackson had half predicted, there was an unusual fruit on his body that Sturges confirmed was mutfruit. There was also a silver locket on him in addition to a heavier version of the pipe revolver Jackson had found yesterday with a glowing set of sights on it. Lastly was a couple of frag grenades and a frag mine that Jackson figured he was in the process of setting when he was killed.

Across from this trailer was another one that was just as destroyed, only this one had three radioactive barrels at the opening. Sturges volunteered to go in and after about thirty seconds came out saying there was a Ferals body with some radaway on it as well as a silver chain. There were various miscellaneous things in there as well including four blocks that spelled out GARY in there. Entering the small part that stuck out of the main building right next to the destroyed trailer with the settler the group found in addition to ammunition, bottlecaps (which Jackson and Cindy couldn't quite figure out why they were important), and various building materials, a copy of Grognak the Barbarian: Blood on the Harp, the key to the trailer and another mutfruit.

Sturges volunteered to check out the locked trailer while Cindy, Codsworth and Jackson checked out the main building. Finding some duct tape and an ammo box straight away upon entering the door next to the area they just were the threesome headed left and found some gas canisters in addition to more bottle caps, ammunition, duct tape and other crafting supplies. Entering the main area they found a staircase and at the top they found more crafting supplies like gas canisters and oil cans and access to the roof which allowed them to get to the other side of the second floor, which was mostly destroyed. Reaching the other side they found a females skeleton with a pipe pistol beside it. Beside the remains they found an ammo box and more crafting supplies.

Leaving the building they met up with Sturges who was already out of the trailer. "Found some ammunition and weapons in a trunk in there," he said, "Figured the folks at Sanctuary could need them."

"Agreed," Jackson said, "By the way we found some more mutfruit," he continued atomizing the two he had found, "I'm guessing that this isn't quite enough though."

"You'd be right about that," Sturges said, "But best we get these things back to Sanctuary first though."

Jackson was about to head back with them but he spotted something near a different high voltage pylon than before that caught his attention, "You guys go ahead I'm going to go check something out then head back." Sturges and Cindy nodded their heads and began heading off in that direction, "Come on Dogmeat," Jackson said to the dog and began heading towards the high voltage pylon to the east-northeast of the Wicked Fleet Shipping Lockup.

Not even three minutes later at walking speed the area came into view. It appeared to be a farm of sorts with all kinds of what Jackson guessed were tatos if tatos were just post war tomatoes. It seemed that someone had managed a successful farm in this wasteland and that in an of itself was quite the accomplishment. He just hoped that the owners of the farm would be interested in doing some bartering for their food. Walking around the farm to what he guessed was the 'front' he found three people, a man and two women, working the field. Approaching them the man noticed him and was up on his feet and holding a shotgun directly at Jackson's head.

'Well... shit.' was Jackson's last thought...


And with that we'll leave it on a cliffhanger. Also... the weather here sucks. We got pretty much an entire thunderstorms worth of rain in the span of less than five minutes. I had to turn on my fireplace when I got home and had a hot shower. Life's a bitch like that.

Anyway you didn't come here to listen to me complain so here's your daily dose of Zoid

(V)_(;,;)_(V)