Disclaimer: This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.
BRAVE NEW WORLD
Chapter 5 - Meeting of the Minds
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves."
- Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States.
"The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States
"If you want to see the fate of democracies, look out the windows."
- Robert Edwin House, President and CEO of the New Vegas Strip
It really wasn't easy being the General, but there were times when it was well worth it.
After a quick journey from East Boston to County Crossing, where a sizable Minutemen presence could be found alongside a growing settlement that had become prosperous in the last few years due to the Minutemen securing and repairing the old Training Yard for the National Guard, retrofitting it into a boot camp of sorts for the Minutemen on Nate's orders, the General and his convoy crossed into Bunker Hill, where he met up with a number of influential merchants and caraveneers, including Old Man Stockton.
Then he met with Kessler, filling her in on his plan and getting her feedback on it. The meeting took longer than he had planned but it had gone better than expected.
After that, it was only a short journey into Boston proper, albeit a journey interrupted on two occasions where the Minutemen had to deal with one of the last remnants of raiders in the area and put down an ambush by Mirelurks that had begun nesting near the bridge.
It didn't take long for the Minutemen companies to make their way into Goodneighbor territory, then into Goodneighbor herself, one of the major members of the alliance that had kept the Commonwealth safe for the better part of a decade now.
Among all the cities and settlements of the Commonwealth, Goodneighbor, along with Diamond City, Bunker Hill, Lexington, and Quincy, made up the 'Big Five'. That made her one of the most important cities in the new world that Nate was trying to build now.
Still, Nate couldn't help but feel that despite all the advances they had made in the eight years since rebuilding the Minutemen, there was always more trouble on the horizon. But it was, for the most part, straightforward.
Uncomplicated.
The Brotherhood Outcasts were no longer a major point of contention. That would certainly put the Commonwealth's alliance at ease. But because of his upcoming war with the Gunners, the situation was no longer simple.
And Hancock knew it.
"It ain't that simple," the ghoul grinned at Nate from his couch, a shot glass in one hand. "Pushin' this war of yours? Boy, oh boy, there's a whole slew of issues to mess with."
The General chuckled. Straight to the point, as usual. "True. But then again, John... When has anything worth doing ever been simple?"
Hancock snorted. "That's some serious bull you got there, Nate." He downed the alcoholic contents of his glass, savoring the burn as it made its way down his throat. "But let's get real here, man."
Nate gestured for him to continue.
"Another war with the Gunners is one thing but that's well beyond Commonwealth limits. It's, what, all the way down in..." He motioned for the General to supply the answer.
"Fall River." Nate smiled.
"Huh. Ain't that some piece of providence, eh?."
"That's Rhode Island."
"Oh," Hancock shrugged then, "No fun and games for Lonesome Rhode then."
"Biggest little state in the Union," Nate grinned. "But yeah, Fall River is where their boss is holed up in. There's Gunners along the way, but the majority of their manpower is tied up in maintaining Gunner control of all their territory around Fall River."
"Uh huh," Hancock waved that aside, "And once the Gunners are all shot up, you're planning on crossing into Lonesome Rhode."
"Rhode Island," Nate corrected with a smile.
"Thank you but I prefer it my way."
The General shrugged, conceding the point. "Yeah, once we finish the Gunners off, we'll be moving up toward Providence, then hug the coastline until we cross into Connecticut. After that, it's on to New York City then New Jersey."
"New York. Heard that place's a crater." Hancock grunted.
"Maybe, maybe not. If it is, I'll just have to find another place to cross. By sea, if necessary." Nate shrugged. "Then it's a straight shot from Newark to Philadelphia." He pulled out a cigarette from his pack, lit it up and took a puff on the aged tobacco. "After that, Wilmington. Then Elkton and Aberdeen, all the way to Baltimore."
Hancock cocked his head. "And after that?"
"Washington." Nate smiled. "The Capital Wasteland."
Hancock sighed then. "That kind of war, Nate... It's risky as hell." The ghoul poured some more rum into his shot glass. "The Brotherhood of Steel still has plenty of manpower. Weapons. Resources. If you're taking the fight to Maxson, he's going to be able to leverage the Capital Wasteland against you."
The General nodded. There was no getting around that fact. "You're right. I'm going to need plenty of support... Forward operating bases. Supply lines. The works."
"Hard to pull off when you're in the Capital Wasteland and we're all the way back here in the Commonwealth, I'd imagine." Hancock remarked.
Nate remained quiet then.
He knew what Hancock was getting at. There was really no way around this. The only thing there was here was to get Hancock on board. And even then, that was a crapshoot with Hancock. The man, make that ghoul, valued his independence more than anything else.
Though Nate couldn't blame him for that.
"Wiping the Gunners out," Hancock continued, "that's going to leave a power vacuum."
The General nodded. "It will."
And Hancock stared at him. "And you're trying to fill it with the Minutemen."
"Yes." Nate answered.
The ghoul sighed. "That is some heavy shit right there, Nate. You're not talking about starting a war. This kind of thing..." He downed the contents of his shot glass then. "You're talking about building an empire. Aren't we just trading one tyrant for another here?"
Nate smiled. Leave it to Hancock to be so melodramatic. Although, he had to admit that Hancock had a flair for it. "Because we're not the Gunners. We're the Minutemen. We're the good guys. We help people. We protect them from all the dangers of the wasteland. We defend them from the tyranny of others. We bleed so that they don't have to. We die so that their loved ones stay safe."
Hancock opened his mouth then, only for Nate to cut him off.
"Building an empire? Nah. That's not my goal here. This alliance has endured for eight years now. For all intent and purpose, the Commonwealth has been a provisional government. I'm going to use this war to transform the Commonwealth into a real country."
The ghoul was quiet for a time, digesting all of this. Then he sighed. "Of the people?"
Nate chuckled then. "For the people," he continued. "The Commonwealth is safe and secure. But the Commonwealth is not America."
"America's dead, Nate." Hancock shrugged. "Buried underneath all the ashes and ruins of the old world."
"It's a brave new world, Hancock." The General grinned. "And a brave new country needs a brave new president."
At that, Hancock raised his eyebrow.
"President? You're asking me to be the fucking President here?" He snorted then. "Listen, I became mayor of Goodneighbor because of a certain kind of bull, courtesy of Diamond City, but... That's a serious promotion there."
"Hey," Nate started with a grin, holding his cigarette away from his mouth, "Garvey walked into my town one day and promoted me straight to General. President's not that much higher up."
"All the same, Nate..." Hancock stared him down.
"Relax, old man."
"You're the old man here, remember?" Hancock replied, a smile on his ghoulified lips.
Nate chuckled at that, he had a point there. "Touche. All the same, Hancock..." He countered, before taking a puff on his cigarette, "It's not a promotion, because I'm not handing you the job. Nah, you and me, Hancock... We're both believers in democracy, aren't we? Of the people, for the people, and all that jazz."
Hancock nodded. "That we are, Nate. That we are." Then he realized just what Nate was getting at. "Hang on..."
Nate laughed at that. "That's right. Can't have a democracy without some voting, right?"
The ghoul snorted. "That's true, but... You're asking me to run?"
"Yup," the General nodded.
"I'm assuming you're asking others as well?"
Nate nodded again. "Talked to Kessler about this. Wanted her take on it. Not only did she like the idea but she wants to run as well, so that's two competitors now, if you're in. I'm headed over to Diamond City now, to talk to Mayor Sullivan. I've also asked for Gwen McNamara, the Overseer of Vault 81, and Blake Abernathy, one of the biggest brahmin barons around these parts, to join us as well."
"No shit?" Hancock placed down his shot glass. The ghoul held up his hand then, extending a finger for every name Nate wanted in the running. "Kessler, she's going to be big on trading. Sullivan's a bright kid. He's tough, but fair, no matter who he's dealing with. Gwen's got experience at making all the different bits work together for everyone. Blake, I'm guessing that makes him the agricultural option. And there's me, the outsider. You sure got plenty of options for the people, haven't you?"
Nate grinned. "Diversity's a good thing, no?"
Hancock sighed. "I ain't big on bureaucracy, Nate. But... It's been eight years. Wasn't sure the alliance was a great idea, wasn't even sure if it'd stick, but... It's holding. Guess this is just the next logical step."
The General tilted his head then. "So... You're in?"
Hancock nodded. "Yeah, I'm in. Not gonna be happy if I win it, but hell yeah, I'm in."
Nate grinned then. "Good." He stood up then, crushed what was left of his cigarette in the dirty ashtray, and looked down at Hancock. "I've got myself a meeting in Diamond City, so why don't you get your ass to Lexington. Kessler's going to be heading over there herself, and so will everyone else who's interested. Once we're all together, we'll start figuring out all the details for the election, how long it's gonna take, what's allowed and what isn't, the works."
Hancock stood up as well. "Yeah. Yeah, no problem, I'll do that."
The two shook hands then, before the General took off, whistling softly to himself. Now it was time to get to Diamond City. Then a short stop at Cambridge Police Station, on the way to Lexington.
In the eight years since his first time coming to Diamond City, Nate always found himself taken back by how much the city had transformed, almost as if a testament to what the Sole Survivor had said in his first interview with Piper Wright, the intrepid reporter of Publick Occurrences.
In many ways, Diamond City was a symbol of the enduring human spirit and how it could overcome all obstacles. A shining beacon for the rest of the Commonwealth to follow.
"The Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth," indeed.
While the Upper Stands were a constant eyesore, as far as Nate was concerned, the city had really changed since then.
In the aftermath of the Institute's destruction, Diamond City had become one of the largest recruiting centers for the Minutemen, going as far as to allow the Commonwealth's greatest heroes to set up a field office there, taking up the stands where Kellogg had made his home. The rapport between Diamond City and the Minutemen were at such a level that the city's guards and the Minutemen assigned there routinely trained and drilled together.
With so many refugees following the conflict between Maxson's Brotherhood and Nate's Minutemen, the city found its population doubling in size before they had to begin redirecting refugees toward Goodneighbor and Bunker Hill, then ultimately Lexington. But with so many refugees inside the Wall, it had a surprising effect on the city's election for her next Mayor. Many would have believed Geneva to win it, but by rallying the refugees and winning over the support of many of the merchants, Danny Sullivan had gone from being a glorified gatekeeper to a rising star in Diamond City politics.
And as Mayor, Danny Sullivan had made it his top priority to begin establishing new districts and redrawing all of the property lines in a fair exchange of wealth, something not many were against as Diamond City also saw a dramatic increase in manpower and in turn prosperity. Many of the refugees ended up bolstering the city's security force as well as making a living as salvagers, sweeping through the Fens and Boston proper for junk, resources, and materials. There were so many refugees that the city ended up producing a much larger surplus of fresh food despite a much greater population.
Then came in the Minutemen's newest addition of Major Teagan and his specialists after the defeat of Maxson and his Brotherhood. New greenhouses were erected, the city's standards of living were enhanced even further, and the miniature lake within her limits was drained and replaced with a more efficient purification system that could keep up with the city's needs better.
The fact that Sheng had been offered a contract to head up the water purification operation over in Weston, after the Minutemen had routed the Super Mutants there and taken the facility back from the Mirelurks, certainly helped.
There was even a red light district now, because if nothing else proves a city's prosperity better than the marketing of prostitution, peep shows, and 'special services'...
And there was also the fact that over the years, the Wall was no longer the only defense Diamond City had now. With the help of the Minutemen and Mayor Sullivan's own experiences as a security guard, her defenses had been expanded on in a major way, with a second and third wall erected around Diamond City, with major checkpoints and all of the buildings within her new limits being secured and cleaned out.
Even the Boston Public Library now fell within Diamond City's new sphere of influence, serving as the new school for both the younger members of the city as well as providing night classes for adults looking to pick up trade skills or the like. All this while there were people in the process of slowly restoring the building to its original purpose and searching for all manner of books, even going as far as to transcribe and put together new books to replace the old ones, or make fresh copies of old manuals and magazines, all in the hope of rediscovering and passing on the lost knowledge of the old world. The new Curator even claimed to be a member of a similar group out west calling themselves the Followers of the Apocalypse, having come to the Commonwealth alongside Maxson's Brotherhood then staying behind after his defeat.
Yes, one could safely say that Diamond City was now the Commonwealth's largest city, in terms of both space and population.
Nate couldn't help but feel proud of having helped Diamond City complete such a startling transformation. He peered out the windows of the Mayor's office, scanning the city below him, watching as everyone went about their business. He briefly considered paying Nick Valentine a visit but it was very likely that the synth detective would be away on a case.
No time for that anyway.
He turned his head to the side at the telltale creak of the doors, where Blake Abernathy had just walked inside. Nate smiled as he greeted the prosperous landowner. Mayor Sullivan was already at his desk, going over his own papers, while Gwen McNamara of Vault 81 relaxed on a nearby couch, helping herself to some ice cold Nuka Cola.
"Mister Abernathy." Nate walked over to Blake and shook hands with him. "Glad you could make it here."
The farmer turned landowner smiled back. "Oh, anything for you, General. Like I say every time, we're all in debt to you for helping out when you did."
Nate smiled.
He recalled those days. They had been some of the earliest since stumbling out of Vault 111 and into a whole new world. He had met up with Preston and the Quincy survivors already when he had gone to Abernathy Farm on Preston's urging, hoping to procure some seeds so Sanctuary could start growing her own crops.
Instead, the Sole Survivor found a family frightened for their lives and mourning the loss of a loved one.
That had struck a chord with Nate and so he found himself making the trek to an old Air Force facility, USAF Station Olivia. To make a short story even shorter, the Sole Survivor pacified the entire facility, took everything of some use, and retrieved a locket for the Abernathys.
And over that year, Sanctuary and Abernathy Farm developed such close ties that the two settlements, along with Tenpines Bluff, became the original supporters of the new Minutemen under Preston Garvey and Nate Howard.
Such support brought benefits to the settlements as well, but none more so than Abernathy Farm, where Blake Abernathy was given the chance to carve out a much larger territory for himself, encompassing everything north and west of the Farm as far as the river between Sanctuary and another future settlement, Sunshine Co-op, and extending nearly as far to the south toward Drumlin Dinner. Both an increase in livestock and workers soon made Blake one of the most successful land owners in the region, and over the years he had leveraged that into making himself the Commonwealth's most prosperous brahmin barons, though the Finch family of Finch Farm were nearly just as successful.
Nate motioned for Blake to seat himself, who did so quickly, and clapped his hands for attention from everyone.
"First things first, I want to thank all of you for agreeing to meet with me here." He smiled at everyone around the room, who all nodded back. Though, they all knew that there was no chance- of anyone present turning down a request from the savior of the Commonwealth.
And Danny was quick to point it out regardless, "You called, General, and we answered. Everyone in the Commonwealth owes you and the boys in blue their lives, and that's fact."
The General nodded. "Still couldn't have done it all without support from everyone, kid."
Gwen cleared her throat. "You called us all here for a reason, Mr. Howard..."
He chuckled and nodded, "I did, McNamara. It'll be public knowledge soon but... The Minutemen will be departing soon to wrap things up with the Gunners, who have massed south of here, in a preemptive campaign. The majority of my men will remain in the Commonwealth under Colonel Garvey's command, but I'll be leaving in about two months' time. The Free Militia have agreed to support my campaign, as have the Brotherhood Outcasts, who are also withdrawing from the Commonwealth. I'll also be taking any man or woman willing to volunteer for the campaign."
Everyone was silent then, digesting everything they had just heard.
Then the Overseer spoke up. "And are you asking us to spread the word for volunteers?" She tilted her head then, "Did that really warrant a meeting with us?"
Nate smiled. "No. I've already spoken to Hancock of Goodneighbor and Kessler of Bunker Hill, and they've agreed to participate in a bold new experiment I've proposed." And Mayor Sullivan perked up then, intrigued by the prospect of something that had already received endorsements from both Goodneighbor and Bunker Hill.
The General grinned at this. "The alliance that has unified the Commonwealth, kept her safe for eight years now, has proven itself. I think it would be a fantastic idea to take it one step further. The last time something like this happened..."
Blake nodded, he remembered this. "The Commonwealth Provisional Government." Gwen looked over at him then, confused. This prompted the landowner to explain further. "Years ago, folks got the same idea as the General here. There was some big talk about forming an official government, but..."
And Danny snorted. "The Institute put an end to that. Slaughtered everyone there, matter of fact."
Blake shrugged. "Maybe they did. Maybe they didn't. Fact is, there was just too much distrust back then."
Gwen nodded, understanding now. She looked at the General then. "And you think the time is right to try that now?"
Nate smiled. "I do. I'm proposing an election in a year's time. A year to campaign, to spread the word, to prepare the Commonwealth for their first taste of democracy. Real democracy. The Commonwealth is real. What we've built together is real. But now..."
The General looked at everyone then, giving every single one of them a measured stare to let them know he was serious.
"... It's time to make it official."
Danny stared back at the General then, "Make it official how?"
Nate sat down then, looking back at Danny. "We've got mayors all over the Commonwealth. Overseers and landowners." He gestured toward Gwen and Blake respectively. "There's a lot of voices in the Commonwealth, kid. A hell of a lot. And it's time to give them someone who'll listen to all of them."
Gwen cleared her throat. "Are you proposing we elect a governor to, well... Govern the Commonwealth?"
"Close," Nate looked at her then. "We've got dozens of settlements. We've got a military force by way of the Minutemen. We have a growing navy. We have a prison. We've got a postal service going now. We have four different newspapers now. We've reclaimed cities. And we have a very sizable population here. What I'm proposing is this..."
He looked around at everyone again. "We vote for a President."
Gwen looked thoughtful then as she pressed a finger against her lips. Danny and Blake looked lost then, unsure of what the General meant, but the Overseer nodded then. "You're referring to the office of the Presidency, the highest office in the United States of America." She turned to the other two, noticing their confusion. "America was a pre-war nation, the most powerful in the world before the Great War. The Commonwealth we occupy, formerly the New England Commonwealth, was one of the thirteen Commonwealths that made up the United States of America. And at the highest level, the President governed over all of the United States, with a governor for each of the fifty states that comprised the United States."
Nate chuckled. "Spot on, teach." He turned his attention to Danny and Blake then. "But that's it in a nutshell. By electing a President to represent us all, we're transforming the Commonwealth from an alliance into a real country. By electing a President, we're giving the Commonwealth someone to rally around. By electing a President, we're taking a very important step forward."
Danny cocked his head then, staring at Nate. "So are you asking us to elect you as President then?"
"Nah," Nate grinned. "One, I'd make a bad President. Two, that makes the Commonwealth a military dictatorship, and trust me, those never work out. I mean, look at Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong."
Gwen piped in then. "Pre-war tyrants. Hussein was a Middle Eastern dictator. Jong was also a dictator, he ruled North Korea with an iron fist."
And Blake tilted his head. "What's a North Korea?"
Nate chuckled as he waved the question aside. "Doesn't matter, doesn't exist anymore. My point was... I'm already the General of the Minutemen. I don't need to be the President as well. That's too much power in one man's hands. Nah, it's important to have a system of checks and balances. Whoever becomes the President, I'll be answering to him or her."
The landowner sighed. "So what are you asking from us then?"
The Sole Survivor smiled. "I'd like to ask the three of you to throw your hats in the ring." He stood up then, "That is, I'd like for the three of you to run for President. Mayor Kessler of Bunker Hill and Mayor Hancock of Goodneighbor have agreed to run. Between the five of you, I think that presents the Commonwealth with a great deal of options."
Gwen nodded. She could see where he was going with this now. "Alice Kessler of Bunker Hill. John Hancock of Goodneighbor. Danny Sullivan of Diamond City. Blake Abernathy of Abernathy Farm. And me, of Vault 81. You're giving the people of the Commonwealth a choice in what they want from their leader."
And Blake chuckled then, seeing it now. "That's pretty clever of you, Mister Howard."
Danny grinned as well. "No kidding. I can see why you asked all of us. Kessler's good for trade. Mr. Abernathy here would be great for farming. And Miss McNamara over there, she's brilliant when it comes to administration. But why me and why Hancock?"
Nate shrugged. "Don't sell yourself short, kid. You might be younger than everyone else, but... I've seen what you've accomplished as Mayor. You're tough but fair, and more than anything, the President needs to be fair. He represents everyone, after all."
"And Hancock?" Danny continued.
The General grinned. "Hancock represents the outsider here. In this kind of government, there's always a real risk of the tyranny of the majority over the minority. Hancock will make sure the little people have their voice heard. More than anyone else, including me... Hancock is democracy personified."
Gwen cleared her throat again. "That's not all, is it? You asked all of us to run, but there can only be one President."
Nate nodded. "Correct. I'm hoping that, whoever becomes the President, the rest of you can support him, or her," he gestured toward Gwen then who nodded in return, "by becoming a part of his, or her, administration. Every President in history has always had their own staff to rely on, their own administrators."
She nodded again. "The Cabinet, a gathering of handpicked individuals chosen to serve as Secretary of their respective branch."
The General snapped his fingers then. "You got it again. Say Sullivan here wins the election and gets sworn in as our President, I think you'd make a brilliant Secretary of State for him, and Mister Abernathy here would make a great Secretary of Agriculture. Catch my drift?"
Everyone nodded then. It was an ingenious scheme, really. By dragging some of the brightest minds in the Commonwealth onto the stage, Nate was giving the people a choice in how they wanted their country to be managed, and no matter who won, the President would have a superb team to support him/her in that role.
Furthermore, with a President in office, the Commonwealth would become the first state in a new Union that Nate hoped would come to encompass the entire Eastern Coast.
Already, the Commonwealth reached as far as Maine. Now, with his upcoming war, it would reach all the way to the Capital Wasteland. Gwen McNamara hadn't been wrong when she brought up the idea of electing governors. Until the election was done and the President was sworn in, any and all territory Nate secured would be treated as pseudo-states under martial law. He was, in effect, establishing a military dictatorship that would stretch from the boundaries of the Commonwealth to those of the Capital Wasteland.
He was hoping that by getting a President elected, the Commonwealth would ratify any and all territory brought under Minutemen control into new member states for the Commonwealth, releasing the General from the burdensome task of managing them and allowing him to focus on his real target.
Maxson.
Nate grinned then. "So... A show of hands, who's interested in running for office?"
It was unanimous.
Author's Note: Updated as of 6/14/2021