ch. 2: When freedom calls
Nora woke at noon from a dreamless sleep, and wasted no time in preparing herself for the long journey ahead, going to the bedside closet where Nathan had stashed a floor safe beneath the vinyl tiles, already knowing what she would find inside- a large bug out bag filled with an assortment of survival tools, and camping supplies that would benefit her greatly in her endeavors.
Opening the safe, she thanked God that everything was still there, and began to rifle through its contents systematically, reflecting on her good fortune that her husband had possessed the foresight to prepare for this outcome. Strapping the black military backpack to her shoulders, Nora ruminated on the irony that she had somehow managed to survive the nuclear holocaust, when Nate- who had been the only one prepared, and was vastly more qualified for survival- had not. Surely, it was some kind of cosmic joke, she brooded idly as she examined the blade on the long, black machete strapped to the side of the bag- it could use a sharpening, but would otherwise prove affective in a pinch should the need for a mele weapon arise.
Along with the bug out bag, there were a few other items scattered beneath a layer of dust at the bottom of the safe- three thousand dollars stacked into three separate piles and banded together with a rubber tie, Nate's military dog tags, and their family photo album- Tears sprang to her eyes at the sight of the leather bound book, and she couldnt bring herself to look at its contents, leaving it safely tucked away at the bottom of the safe- but she did take the dog tags, slipping Nate's wedding ring onto the chain before adorning herself with it and tucking it safely inside her vault suit, out of sight and harms way.
"Heading out mum?" Codsworth asked as she emerged from her bedroom, prepared for whatever the road might have in store for her.
"Yeah, i dont know how long i'll be gone for either Codsworth, so stay safe." She informed him carefully- she didnt exactly have a plan, and without having an idea of what was out there, she couldnt say exactly when she would return, but she knew she would eventually- it didnt matter if two centuries had passed, or just one week- this was her home still, and she would always return.
"Alright!" He responded dutifully, giving her one last robotic salute. "I shall secure the home front in your absence- Safe journey, mum!"
with a curt nod, Nora continued out the doorway, giving her family home one last, lingering look before turning on her heel and heading down the faded, cracked pavement in a southerly direction as her still bare feet slapped against the weathered surface of the cracked pavement, bound for concord- it wasnt far. She could hear Codsworths directions repeat inside her mind as she crossed the dilapidated, splintering remains of the Old North Bridge- a wood bridge that had been built almost four centuries ago now, before the first American Revolution.
Nora felt as if she were in a time warp as she passed the moss covered, weathered statue of a colonial militiaman, clad in a fashionable military frock, sporting a thick, elegant low ponytail tied back to the nape of his neck by a leather thong, with sturdy, heeled knee high riding boots adorning his feet as he lifted his long, slender traditional musket up in a proud, eternal solute to the minutemen- so much history in one place, and now it seemed as if it had all come to a halt, and time no longer meant a thing...She pondered philosophically as she continued down the road, until she paused to consider the remains of a familiar gas station she had once frequented regularly on her trek to and from work- freezing when she spotted movement in the weeds surrounding the dry, barren fuel pumps.
Fuck. She swore internally as a stray dog came sniffing out of the bushes- he was a healthy looking German Shepard, probably no older than three or four years old. Ears perking, he caught her scent as the wind blew behind her, eyes snapping up to meet hers as he froze, mirroring her own cautious response. For the span of several heartbeats, they starred each other down, wary of one another but each curious to meet another living being.
After a minute, Nora slowly knelt to the ground, extending a hand in offering to allow him the chance to sniff her and see she was friendly- hoping fervently that he was friendly too.
Suspicious, the dog crept toward her slowly, ears low as it came nearer to sniff her fingertips- Nora held her breath, hoping the animal wasnt hungry as it sniffed her hand for the span of several long, tense moments, before apparently deciding she wasnt a threat- Long, wide ears perking, it let out a happy sounding bark of approval, looking up at her with an expectant expression as it relaxed, tail wagging slowly. Relieved that she had been accepted, Nora relaxed, letting out her pent breath as she let the happy animal lick at her extended hand, allowing her to reach out with the other to scratch affectionately behind its ears.
Grateful to have found a friendly face, Nora addressed the dog conversationally as she continued to stroke his head and neck with both hands- he reminded her of the Dog she had adopted from the local police force, to keep her company during Nate's last tour of duty while she was stuck at home on maternity leave; She had bought it at Nate's request, forming a rather unexpected bond with the animal before he unfortunately went missing a week after Nate's return, much to their mutual disappointment- Nate enjoyed the quiet companionship of mans best friend as well, having worked closely with k-9 soldiers throughout his military career.
"Hey boy- did you lose your person?" She asked him gently as she continued to pet him, running her fingers through the thick, dusty scruff around his neck as his mouth hung open and he began to pant happily in response, pleased by her attention. "I know how that feels- i lost mine too recently...Maybe we should stick together?" On que, as if he understood every word she had spoken, the dog gave her another playful bark, suddenly launching into motion and bounding around her happily as he wagged his tail, looking up at her with shining, innocent black eyes.
"Alright then, lets go." She told him wistfully, turning back toward concord and continuing down the narrow two lane road with a elevated sense of optimism, despite the persistent aching sensation in her chest that seemed to be a constant, nagging reminder of her loss since she had stumbled out of her Cryo-pod only a day prior- Nora knew the first intersection coming into Concord wasnt far up ahead now though, and it served to further brighten her mood as she followed close behind the German Shepard as it pranced at a comfortable pace onward, pausing briefly to allow her time to catch up whenever she began to lag behind- somehow she felt safer now, knowing there was a pair of sharp ears, eyes and a nose around to alert her should anything hostile approach them within the ruins of the once charming, quiet rural city ahead- unlike in Boston and Cambridge, the buildings in Concord didnt exceed three stories, and were already a few hundred years old before the bombs fell, making the term "City" seem like a poor description of the small cluster of private, family owned businesses and old, brick and wood built homes lining the narrow, two lane streets that separated the town into blocks, forming quaint, pretty little neighborhoods around the main strip where tourists once strolled up and down main street, visiting the little shops and restaurants on their way to or from the cities major attraction- the old Museum of Freedom, which once housed a great number of fascinating historic exhibits documenting and preserving relics from Colonial America during their struggle for independence from England, and onward through each war, up to the liberation of Alaska from the communist Chinese, which ended shortly before the bombs dropped back in 2077...
As they finally approached the first three way intersection entering the ruins of Concord, Nora took in her surroundings with wide eyes, awed by the way nature had already begun to reclaim the land- healthy, thick green and brown ivy wound its way up the wooden telephone poles and metal street lights, creeping out across powerlines to form thick curtains of vegetation alongside the streets and across rusted over traffic lights that swung gently in the wind. Everywhere she looked, Moss sprang up from the cracks in the faded, broken blacktop, forming thick, spongey green blankets over nearly every surface capable of holding moisture from the ground to the rooftops, where it clung to the soft, molding wood where the asphalt shingles had long since fallen away, exposing the thin wooden paneling below.
"Todo- i have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore..." Nora murmured to the dog sarcastically, taking a deep breath to prepare herself before pushing forward, following what was left of the road into town.
. . .
Preston Garvey stood on the balcony of the old Concord museum of freedom- an ironic place to be making his last stand against the group of Raiders that had followed him and his dwindling group of refugee's all the way across the commonwealth, from Quincy- they had ran themselves ragged trying to keep ahead of them for the majority of the journey, and now that they were weak and outnumbered, he had a feeling they wouldnt be able to hold them off much longer- not unless a miracle somehow occurred.
Sweat trickled down his brow from beneath his dirt stained cowboy hat, stinging his eyes as he peered through the scope on his long barreled laser musket, readying himself for the final wave of raiders that would be coming to back up the ones already inside the building. Sturges- one of the surviving refugee's he had been guiding- was holding them off at the door of the small office room they were holed up in, trapped by the invading hostiles.
wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, Preston squinted through his exhaustion, struggling to make his vision focus as he watched the road ahead, waiting for them to arrive and lay siege to the building- After a minute, he spotted a lone figure garbed in blue walking casually down the road ahead, headed in their direction. straightening, he rubbed his eyes, fervently hoping he wasnt starting the hallucinate before peering through the scope once more, thanking a God he didnt particularly believe in when the figure remained, continuing toward the museum at a languid pace- Soon she was close enough that he could make out her features, and see that she was accompanied by a familiar looking German Shepard who seemed to be leading her right to them.
"Its Dogmeat- he found help!" Preston exclaimed in disbelief, shouting to Sturges to let him know. By the doorway, Sturges' fingers rapidly typed away at an old desktop terminal, hoping to find a way to unlock the electric door downstairs, so that they could get to the Fusion Core hooked into the generator- there was a suit of military issue Cherry-T power armor just waiting for them on the rooftop, provided they could get the Core to power it- if they could manage that, they might just have a chance at making it out of the dank, dusty museum alive.
"Well i'll be damned!" He shouted back to let Preston know he had heard.
As the stranger approached below the balcony to examine the fallen corpse of his fallen comrade, Preston shouted down at her to get her attention, pleading with her desperately to convey his need.
"Hey you- ive got a group of settlers in here, and were being attacked by Raiders! They've got us cornered inside and there's more on the way!" He warned. "Pick up that laser musket on the ground and help us fight them off- PLEASE!"
Below, Nora squinted into the sunlight as she looked toward the balcony of what she knew to be the old museum of freedom, just in time to see the man who had called to her retreat into the ruined building. Eyes landing on the laser musket in question, laying a short distance from the dead man by her feet, she bent to pick up the strange weapon quickly, pausing momentarily to consider her options- whoever was inside needed her, and thus, posed no great threat- and if hostile's were really coming, she either needed to take her chances and retreat- or take her chances and aid the people inside...
In the end, Nora's new canine companion made the decision for her, nosing his way inside the ancient structure fearlessly to rejoin the people inside. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Nora followed his lead, slipping in quietly behind him, and keeping to the shadows as she assessed the situation- The lobby was vacant, but she could hear people scuffling around above her, shouting out various threats to the people holed up on the top floor three stories up.
keeping low, Nora brandished her new weapon, breathing slow and deep as she climbed up a shallow set of stairs, before ducking right, down a narrow hallway decorated with dark oak paneling and faded, torn floral print wallpaper. from up ahead, she could hear the sound of gunfire and people shouting- but it was strange and static obscured, like some kind of recording.
Entering the first exhibit, everything suddenly made sense as Nora viewed a group of wax figures clad in aged red frocks and tricornered hats holding fake, traditional musket's- the gunfire and voices were coming from a speaker in the corner of the ceiling, recorded centuries ago during a lively reenactment of the American revolution- Someone must have turned the power on, bringing the old exhibits to life again.
Lining the walls around her, old oak built display cases lay barren, their original contents having been looted long ago- Thankful for the noise cover, Nora followed the German Shepard onward as he crept to the next room, hackles raised and ears down- ready for a fight. Absently, she listened to the speech of a man long since dead, as he recited the famous speech made by the colonial general as he lead the Boston tea party in a crusade to end taxation without representation by dumping tons of expensive English tea into the harbor to protest British oppression in early new England.
passed the exhibit, she entered into a once spacious room, where the wooden floor had half collapsed into the basement below, where she could see a secured generator protecting a still working Fusion Core, sending powerful energy coursing through the buildings ancient, faulty wiring after centuries of being dry- Recognizing its potential value and usefulness, Nora knew she had to extricate it from the confines of the secured room before moving on, but the only way to open the door was to either pick the lock or hack the security terminal- two skills which she was thankfully proficient in, due to her time in the military.
creeping silently around the gaping hole in the mold rotted floor, to the staircase leading down into the basement, Nora quickly- and effortlessly- hacked the low security terminal, successfully acquiring the Fusion Core before making her way back up carefully to ascend the grand staircase to the next level of the museum.
keeping low as she snuck up the creaky steps, she breathed a sigh of relief once she made it to the landing on the second floor, moving slow and silent like through a narrow cobweb infested hallway as she continued to follow the dog into the next exhibit, pausing for a few moments to appreciate it on her way through. Whatever had been on display on the floor had long since been taken or destroyed, but the best part of the display still remained- it was a giant mural that covered the entire expanse of one wall, depicting every war fought in American history-Surprisingly, the colors were still vivid despite the passage of time.
Nora lifted a hand to gently touch its textured surface, admiring the attention to detail as she studied the patriotic tribute to the soldiers of old, before respectfully saluting the image of the rippling American flag waving in the sky over the battlefield- if only out of respect for her own husband, who had dedicated the better part of his life to uphold the ideals it represented.
At the base of the painting standing front and center, was a post with a plaque attached, dedicating the great work of art to all the fallen heroes, and veterans of the American military who had served, and given their lives throughout history.
War never changes, Nora thought sadly, echoing Nate's words from so long ago before reluctantly pressing on, peeking through the next threshold cautiously before rounding the corner and ducking carefully through a hole in the crumbling brick wall, allowing her access to a narrow, spiraling wooden staircase leading to the top floor.
"Come on man, lets take a walk- its not like their going anywhere..." She heard a man saying close by, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. Anxiously, she checked the mechanics of the unfamiliar piece of weaponry she was holding, making sure the safety was off and checking the scope as she listened for the sound of approaching footsteps up ahead.
"Okay," A gruff, angry voice replied, before issuing their target another threat. "Hear that? we're gonna take a quick walk- but then we'll be back, and you'll be dead!"
Nora swallowed hard, heart hammering against her sternum as she lifted the heavy gun up, aiming toward the doorway ahead as her canine cohort crouched, teeth barred as he waited for their targets to enter, prepared to pounce. As she sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils to calm the frenzied beating of her heart, she heard Nate inside her mind, reminding her to take a deep breath to steady herself, holding it in as she focused her aim where she knew her targets would enter...As the first man ducked through the low threshold, she squeezed the trigger, bracing herself for the recoil as a bolt of red light shot out, vaporizing his whole body on impact and reducing him to a pile of glowing ashes on the floor as his partner jumped in surprise- before he could react, Dogmeat sprang into the air, launching himself at the man and sinking his teeth deep into the flesh of his unprotected forearm, snarling viciously as he reared back, holding him in place as Nora frantically turned the crank on the musket in preparation for her next shot.
"Get off me, stupid mutt!" The raider shouted, face contorting in pain as he struggled to free himself- but he wasnt quick enough. Again, Nora pointed, aiming to short barrel of her gun toward him just as he managed to shake the animal off, barreling toward Nora quickly in a desperate attempt to disarm her before she could shoot- he was too late though. Frantically, she squeezed the trigger, burning a hole right through his chest just before he could tackle her, killing him instantly. Exhaling her pent breath, she watched as his blood rapidly puddled on the boards beneath him where he fell, soaking into the floorboards and dripping down between the cracks as she recovered from the shock of her close call.
When her pulse finally slowed and she could breath comfortably again, Nora forced herself to continue, stepping over the remains of her victims to follow the dog through the threshold they had come through.
"Quick- in here!" Someone hissed at her vehemently from the doorway to her right, prompting her to enter the room quickly- Two men stood just beyond the doorway, both dressed in travel worn, sweat stained clothes and dirty cowboy hats as they stood protectively between her, and the three other people holed up near the back of the room. Nora counted two women and a single man, who was cowering fearfully on the floor, rocking back and forth anxiously in front of an old desk as he muttered frantically to himself under his breath- close beside him, a young, angry looking woman paced nervously back and forth, pausing only briefly to peer curiously passed the men toward Nora as she entered.
The person who stood out the most though, was the frail, silver haired elderly lady sitting quietly on the musty blue sofa pushed against the wall in front of the rooms only window. She was garbed modestly in strange, ill fitting clothes that reminded Nora of the cheesy fortune tellers that she had seen at Carnivals and Fairs before the bombs destroyed everything- She starred toward Nora pensively with unsettling milky blue eyes that seemed to look right through where she stood.
"Man, i dont know who you are- but your timing's impeccable." The tall, dark skinned man who had shouted to her from the balcony complimented, making her blush. Shifting uncomfortably in place, Nora looked shyly toward her still bare feet, wiggling her toes nervously before forcing herself to look back up at his face- she couldnt afford to show signs of vulnerability around unfamiliar people. "Preston Garvey- Commonwealth minutemen."
Preston Garvey politely extended a gloved hand for her to shake as he introduced himself, offering her a friendly smile. Reluctantly, Nora reached out to shake his hand, giving him a curt nod as she gave it a quick shake, not wanting to be rude to the only ( friendly ) people she had encountered since waking.
Minutemen? Nora wondered silently, once more getting the sense that she was in some sort of time warp, where the past and the future had somehow become tangled together.
"So now im traveling backward in time?" She asked rhetorically, shaking her head at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Preston Garvey's full lips pulled up in a lopsided grin, forming the feint impression of dimples beneath the dark five oclock shadow clinging to his jawline.
"'Protect people at a minutes notice'" He explained, reciting the ancient mantra of the colonial militia men. "-That was the idea, anyway- Thats why i joined up, wanting to make a difference- And i did- but...things fell apart. Now it looks like im the last minuteman standing..." He admitted sullenly, looking back over his shoulder toward what remained of the refugees from Quincy.
"Who are these people?" Nora asked curiously, following his gaze toward the eclectic trio behind him- The angry looking woman continued to pace restlessly in circles as the petrified man beside her continued to rock back and forth on the dirty floor- looking closer, she noted that he was clearly of mixed asian- american decent, while the woman beside him appeared to be of Latin heritage. Unlike them, the old woman on the couch appeared unworried, sitting calmly as she rested against the dingy cushions, listening quietly as they got acquainted with each other.
"Just folks lookin for a new home- a fresh start." He responded simply, sounding tired. "Ive been with them since Quincy. Lexington looked like a good place to stop for a while, but the ghouls drove us outta there... A month ago there were twenty of us- Yesterday there was eight. Now, we're five...Its just me, the longs- marcy and jun- thats mama murphy on the couch, and this here's Sturges." He introduced, pointing to each person as he named them off until he landed on the broad shouldered man leaning against the computer desk beside him. He was of average height, and solid build, wearing a pair of dirty denim suspenders over a white cut off T shirt that showed off his toned, muscular biceps.
"Hey." Sturges greeted, offering her a friendly smile that lit up his features- he had the prettiest blue eyes Nora had ever seen in person, and a dimple in his chin that would have made lesser women swoon.
"Ghouls?" Nora asked, backtracking before he could get ahead of her. "What are ghouls?"
"Wow- you really arnt from around here, are you?" Preston asked, amazed that she had never encountered a ghoul- though from the look of her bright, clean spandex vault suit, she hadnt spent much time in the wasteland at all- Like others he had met with those suits, she had likely spent her whole life underground before venturing up to the surface.
"Ghouls are...Irradiated people." He explained carefully, looking for the right words. "Most are just like you and me- They look pretty messed up, and they live a long time, but theyre still just...people. The ones im talking about are different- The radiation has rotted their brain and turned them Feral. They'll rip you apart just as soon as look at you- Anyway, we figured Concord would be a good place to settle, but those raiders proved us wrong."
"Do you have any idea's?" Nora asked hopefully, worry creasing her brow as she was reminded of the incoming threat.
"Well, we do have one..." He admitted, giving Sturges a sideways look.
"Great- lets hear it."
Suddenly all business, Sturges stood straight to give her the run down on his plan, keeping the directions short and simple to avoid confusion.
"Theres a crashed Vertibird up on the roof- old school. Pre-war." He informed her confidently, managing to make Nora feel ancient as well as intrigued. "Lucky for us, it looks like one of its passengers left behind a seriously sweet goodie- we're talking a full suit of cherry T-45 power armor. Military issue."
Power armor. Oh goodie, Nora thought nervously, not sure where this was going- in the military, she had seen high ranking officers wear the armor to protect them in high risk situations, where they would be enduring heavy weapons fire or intense heat- which werent circumstances she had experienced as a mere foot soldier just trying to make it to college. She had no idea how to operate it.
"Sounds...Useful." She responded blandly, not sure how to reply- She had apparently chosen the right adjective though, because he nodded in agreement enthusiastically, an excited spark in his eyes.
"Hell yeah- we're talking a Wes tech certified servo system! Inside that baby, Super is the new normal. You'll be stronger, tougher, resistant to Rads- and...If you get the suit, you can rip the minigun right off the vertibird. Manage that, and those raiders get an express ticket to hell, ya dig?" Nora nodded, not quite reassured by his confidence- Even the best gun was only as deadly as its owner. What good was all that if she didnt know how to use it?
"Mini gun?" She echoed anxiously, having just as much experience with those as she did power armor. "Is that the same as shooting a Rifle?"
"Its pretty standard- just aim, pull the trigger and give em the ol' spray and pray." He educated casually, seeming to have complete faith in her ability to pull it off.
"Sounds like a plan." She concluded wryly, still not convinced- it sounded good, but if it was that easy, why hadnt they already put this plan into action?
"Well- there is a hitch..." He admitted honestly, as if he had heard her thoughts. " The suit's out of juice- its probably been dry for a hundred years. It can be powered up again, but we're a bit stuck..." He told her, glancing back toward the doorway suggestively. Understanding, Nora nodded- they hadnt been able to get to the basement because of the raiders, and the power armor could only be fueled by a high powered nuclear battery- a Fusion Core.
"What you'll need is an old pre war F.C.-a standardized fusion core. Your high grade, long term nuclear battery used by the military and some big corporations way back when- and we know right where to find one." Nora winced at the usage of the words "old" and "way back when", realizing that she was as much a relic as the items in question.
"You mean like this one?" She asked smugly, swinging her back pack over her shoulder to retrieve the Fusion Core she had extracted from the basement before making her way upstairs- The two men shared a quick look of silent approval, reflecting on their good fortune that she had come along when she did, and was willing to help them.
"Well, it looks like our luck is finally changing." Preston exclaimed optimistically, breaking out into a real smile that made his tired brown eyes sparkle. Nora had to remind herself not to stare- he might get the wrong impression. Handsome or not, romance was the furthest thing from her mind in that moment. "Get to the roof and put on that power armor- I'll cover you from the balcony."
Feeling as though she were back in the military taking orders from her captain, Nora nodded an affirmative before turning on her heel and starting for the door leading to the roof exit, stopping when she noticed her new canine friend sitting dutifully next to the old woman, as if he belonged there.
"now look who dogmeat brought to us." She exclaimed as Nora neared her on the sofa, looking straight into her eyes as if her vision was clear as day.
Dogmeat? she wondered strangely, not enjoying the sound of the name.
"Oh, so he's your dog?" She asked, observing the way he parked himself next to her like a silent guard.
"Nah, he aint my dog. No sir, Dogmeat's what you'd call his own man." She admitted, giving the pooch an affectionate pat on the head. "You cant own a free spirit like that- but he chooses his friends, and sticks with em...He'll stay by you now. I saw it."
Nora's brows furrowed, wondering what exactly the woman meant by "She saw it." Clearly, she was as blind as a bat.
"You...saw it?" She coaxed curiously, hoping for an explanation. Mama murphy shrugged, before offering up a simple explanation.
"Its the chems kid- they give ole mama murphy the sight. Been that way for as long as i can remember..." Nora raised a brow, looking back at Preston questioningly. He only shrugged, rolling his eyes, as skeptical as she was.
"Whats the sight?" She inquired skeptically- Being a generally rational thinker, Nora had never believed in a true sixth sense.
"I can see a little bit of what was, some of what will be- and even what is right now.." She answered simply, gasping as she trailed off, milky blue eyes becoming far away as she looked up, as if seeing something that Nora could not. "And right now, I can see something coming- drawn by the noise...and it is...angry!"
The hair at the nape of Nora's neck stood on end and a shiver went down her spine as she knelt before the couch, looking into the older womans unsettling, sightless eyes intently, searching them for any hint of falsehood before humoring the old woman.
"What is it mama murphy? Whats coming?" She inquired, hoping for an explanation.
"I...Im not sure- the vision is blurry. But, believe me when i say, it aint no raider...I see...oh, its horrible, kid! claws and teeth, and horns- the very face of death itself!" She warned, shuddering at whatever images were playing inside her minds eye before suddenly sagging back against the couch cushions once more.
"Thats all i can manage," The old woman informed weakly, suddenly looking ancient as exhaustion overwhelmed her. "Thats all...I need to rest now, and you have a job to do."
Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, Nora nodded, standing back up and turning as she made for the door before her resolve could waver, nearly running into Marcy as she paced across the floorboards nervously, glaring at the dirty planks as if they were personally responsible for all of her problems in life. Recoiling away from the contact, the other woman huffed in annoyance before eyeing Nora critically.
"We send for help, and we get a vault dweller?" She asked incredulously, eyeing her form fitting vault suit disapprovingly. "What are you gonna do in that stupid vault suit anyway- bleed to death?"
Nora scoffed, ignoring the insult as she brushed passed her to open the door on the far wall, stepping through to follow a brittle, broken section of wooden floor leading toward the roof access.
Emerging from the stairwell, Nora took a deep breath- Going outside was a momentary relief from the smell of dust and woodrot, and she wasted no time in popping the fusion core inside the power core of the ancient combat suit- once upon a time, it had been shiny, painted a bright metallic cherry red- now, it was rusted and grey, the paint having worn off and chipped away over the years of exposure to the elements.
Turning the activation mechanism, Nora watched in fascination as the suit came to life, its back panels opening up to allow her entry- excited and nervous, she grabbed the handles on its back with both hands, hefting herself up easily. Once her arms and legs were in place, the panels closed back into place around her, forming a near impenetrable metal exoskeleton around her vulnerable human body.
"Awe, yeah..." She murmured, feeling superhuman as its intuitive internal sensors allowed her to move the suits limbs as easily as her own. Wasting no time, she climbed into the crashed vertibird, ripping the minigun off the rusted vehicle without difficulty, before stepping out onto the other side of the roof, observing the sizable group of raiders that were closing in on them, moving into place around the building to begin opening fire.
"Hey- we got company up here!" A man shouted from the rooftop opposite her. Lapsing into battle mode as if it were only yesterday she had been engaging enemies in the field, Nora raised the minigun and aimed it in his general direction, reveling in the feeling of power as she pulled the trigger, spraying the rooftop with bullets. Pleased, Nora watched as the raider toppled over the side of the building, falling three stories to the sidewalk below- dead.
Undeterred, the raiders ignored him, taking aim at Nora despite her obvious advantage. She watched, fascinated, as the bullets they fired ricocheted off the metal surface of her power armor, doing virtually zero damage- Had this been how Nate had felt, when he had donned a suit of power armor during the battle of anchorage? Vaguely, she remembered the way he had lit up when talking about it, giving her an enthusiastic account of events that had transpired as if he were talking about a videogame- there had been bad parts, where he had become brooding and withdrawn, but for the most part, it had been the most exciting event in his life...
Determined and fearless, Nora stepped over the edge of the rooftop, allowing herself to drop the three stories to the pavement below, examining the cracks her feet made in the pavement on impact as she landed with excited amusement, before straightening to face her enemies- there was at least a dozen of them, all wearing makeshift armor fashioned from scavenged junk over stained, dirty long johns and leathers.
Singling out the leaders easily, Nora raised her weapon again, unleashing a torrent of lead in their direction and killing three men who had not been quick enough to take cover as the rest frantically dove out of harms way- freezing when she spotted movement in the road up ahead.
squinting, Nora didnt know what to make of it at first, but, as the hulking black creature came closer, she remembered mama murphies vision only minutes ago- claws, teeth, and horns- the very face of death itself, approaching at a frightening speed as its heavy feet pounded against the brittle blacktop.
Shit.
Terrified, nora watched in horrified amazement as the raiders scattered, all but forgetting about her as the beast began to tear through the gathering, razor sharp talons slicing through armor and flesh like butter from behind. Ruthlessly, it tore through the raiders in its path, grabbing one up and ripping him limb from limb, spattering the pavement with guts and gore.
"Shoot it! You have to shoot!" Preston called to her from the safety of the balcony, unloading his laser musket on it from above. Before she could even raise the minigun, the giant reptile launched itself at her, reaching out for her with talons dripping with blood.
Purely out of instinct, Nora raised her arms just in time to catch it by the shoulders, using all her strength to hold her ground as she pushed against it, dropping the minigun by her feet. For a moment, they strained against each other, until the creature caught her in the helmet with a hard swipe of its right hand, disorienting her as she was knocked to the ground.
"Hey- up here!" Preston called to it, attempting to take its attention off of her as she groped for the minigun. It opened its jaws wide and let out another deafening roar of rage in his direction, becoming distracted long enough for her to reaquire the gun, aiming it up at the beasts immense chest from her spot on the ground.
catching her movement in its peripheral, the monster turned back toward her abruptly, red eyes glowing with anger. it barred its teeth, growling menacingly as it prepared to attack again- knowing her life depended on it, Nora squeezed the trigger on the minigun, letting out her own scream of frustration and anger as she squeezed her eyes shut tight, holding the trigger until the weapon ran out of ammo and the muzzle glowed bright red.
After a moment of silence, Nora opened her eyes just in time to see the creature fall, deflating as it breathed its dying breath, before going limp in a puddle of its own thick, black blood. It took a minute for her to fully register that the danger was over, and for her heart to start beating normally again, but after a quick survey of the surrounding intersection littered with corpses, she finally managed to settle down, allowing herself to bask in the glory of victory, making her way back inside the building to regroup with the others.
Inside, they had gathered in the far corner of the lobby, near the narrow hallway leading to the revolutionary exhibit as Preston prepared to brief them on the next move- now that they didnt have to worry about the Raiders anymore. As Nora approached, he regarded her in an appreciative manor, looking quite impressed.
"Damn, you really held your own out there- im just glad your on our side." He complimented, bringing her up short. Nora had to resist the urge to inform him that she wasnt on anyone's side, not wanting to be rude.
"So what happens next?" She asked, ignoring the comment. Preston looked back toward his ragtag group of survivors, considering their tired, worn appearances- they couldnt keep pushing themselves like they had been, or they may lose mama murphy along the way. She was looking a little worse for wear, as of late.
"For the longest time, Mama murphy has had a vision of this place called Sanctuary- its an old neighborhood, but one that we can make new again." He explained simply, putting his faith in the old woman and her uncanny ability to see things. "Why dont you come with us? We could really use your help."
"What would i need to do?" She asked curiously, deciding to forgo telling him that she had come from Sanctuary- at least for the time being.
"Youd need to stay strong, like youve been!" Mama murphy interrupted, fixing her milky blue gaze back on Nora from her seated position on a sturdy wooden bench pushed against the wall. "Cos' there's more to your destiny- ive seen it, and i know your pain..."
Suddenly feeling very vulnerable, Nora looked away from her, wanting to reject her words despite having witnessed the proof of her abilities.
"What do you mean, My destiny?" She asked instead, not quite able to keep the cynicism out of her tone.
"You are a woman out of time- out of hope. But, all is not lost...i can feel your sons energy. He's alive..." She revealed, eyes once more growing far away as she starred blindly into the aether, seeing things that nobody else could. Interest piqued, Nora grasped for any hope she could find, blurting out the first question that came to mind after hearing her speak of Shaun- How had she known?
"Where's my son? Where is Shaun?" She demanded, needing answers. The old woman frowned, looking at her with sad eyes as she shook her head.
"Oh, I wish i knew, kid- really i do, but its not like i can actually see your son. I can just... feel his lifeforce. His energy. He's out there." She explained patiently, while Preston and Sturges listened carefully- Neither had bothered to ask the mysterious vault dweller what exactly had brought her out into the wasteland, but now that the immediate danger had passed, they began to grow curious about their new friend.
"Well, even mama murphy doesnt need the sight to be able to tell you where you should start lookin!" Sturges chimed in, adding his voice to the conversation. "The great, green jewel of the commonwealth- diamond city. The biggest settlement around."
"Whats in diamond city?" She asked, aiming the question back at mama murphy. "Is Shaun there?" Tired and road weary, the old woman shook her head.
"Look, kid, im tired now. Maybe later you'll bring me some Chem's- the sight will paint a clearer picture." She told her innocently, trying not to sound like she was attempting to use Nora's need for answers to feed her insatiable drug addiction.
"No, mama murphy- we talked about this." Preston scolded the older woman. "That junk...It's gonna kill you." But mama murphy didnt seem perturbed by the prospect, shrugging it off as if it was of no consequence to her.
"oh shush, Preston. We're all gonna die eventually- we need the sight, and our new friend here- she's gonna need it too." She insisted, unwilling to ditch her lifelong habit for the possibility of a few more years on earth- and Nora could hardly blame her. There didnt seem to be a whole lot to live for anymore. "Now lets get going- Sanctuary awaits."
Preston shook his head, incredulous, turning to address the Long's, seated quietly on the floor below one of the large support columns lining the trashed lobby- Marcy had at last ceased her endless pacing, but the man still appeared to be in a state of shock, starring off wordlessly into space as he sat, legs crossed on the floor.
"Alright folks- thanks to our friend here, its safe to move out. We're headed for that place mama murphy knows about- Sanctuary. Its not far." He assured them as he helped mama murphy to her feet.
"She knows about it?" Marcy asked irritably, not appreciating his misleading description of the old woman's uncanny predictions. "You mean she had one of her visions while she was stoned out of her gourd- and now you want us to head out onto another wild goose chase, based on no better plan than "mama murphy saw it"?"
Irritated by her negativity and blatant lack of appreciation for the protection Preston had provided her, Nora had to remind herself not to be rude again- she had no idea what these people had really gone through, so she resolved to keep an open mind- Maybe there was a reason the woman seemed perpetually pissed off at the world...
"It can hardly turn out any worse than..." Preston started, the words dying in his mouth as he realized what he was about to say- and to whom. Helpfully, Sturges spoke up again on the other mans behalf before he could put his foot in his mouth.
"Hold on, Hold on- everyone just take it easy. We're all in this together right? So marcy- you got a better idea of what we should do next?" He mediated nuetrally, giving her a fair opportunity to weigh in, before making his point. "No? well then, Sanctuary it is- lets just hope it lives up to its name." He joked sarcastically, before hefting his travel pack over his shoulder and leading the way toward the exit.
lacking a better plan, Marcy grudgingly let her qualms go, sighing heavily as she pushed herself to her feet.
"Come on Jun," She told her husband gently, breaking him out of his internal reverie. "Its time to go."
"Oh." He mumbled absently, before robotically forcing himself off the dirty floor to his feet- As he stood, for the first time, Nora noticed for the first that his long sleeved white shirt was heavily bloodstained, stiffening the material and turning it a rusty brown as the gore oxidized inside the threads. he moved stiffly, absently allowing Marcy to herd him in the direction he needed to go, falling into step with the rest of the group as they continued on their pilgrimage to find Sanctuary.
Nora followed silently, keeping close to Preston as they exited the building, allowing him to lead the way even though she knew exactly where she was going.
"Dont forget the price we paid to get this far." He reminded his companions sagely, before starting down the cracked, blood stained road littered with raider corpses. "Now lets move out- I'll take point. Stick close, everyone."
"Right behind ya, boss."
Sturges assumed his usual position at the back of the group, letting out a long whistle as they passed by the fallen body of the Godzilla-like creature Nora had killed, eyeing it warily as if it might jump to life at any moment as they crept passed.
"Never seen one of these up close before." He admitted, shuddering at the sight of its long, razor sharp talons. Nora reflected on her luck at managing to kill the monstrous creature silently, wanting to be proud of her accomplishment- but somehow, it didnt feel like such a great feat, since she had had the advantage of power armor to protect her from the beasts scythe like talons and sharp, jutting fangs.
"What was it, anyway?" She asked him curiously, keeping her voice down as they moved carefully through the abandoned city, eyes scanning their surroundings constantly for any sign of danger or movement- she could hear their footsteps echoing, bouncing off the pavement and ruined buildings eerily, triggering her anxiety. Sensing her discomfort, Dogmeat came to walk beside her, ears perked as his tongue hung out the side of his mouth- completely at ease.
"That was a Deathclaw- the wastelands apex predator." He educated her casually, strolling behind her at a languid pace. "Hard to believe they evolved from something as harmless as a chameleon...man, i cant wait to leave behind this festering boyle on the ass end of the commonwealth- no offense if your from here or something..." He recovered smoothly, wincing before giving her an apologetic look. Nora only smiled, looking ahead just as Jun finally raised his gaze to observe his surroundings through swollen, bloodshot eyes.
"Marcy," He called out to the raven haired woman walking ahead of him. "Where are we going?" Nora pitied the disheveled man- he sounded miserable. Even more miserable than he looked, if that were even possible.
"Dont worry about it Jun, just stay close to me- everythings going to be fine." She tried to assure him, sounding almost irritated- Jun didnt seem to care though, nodding absently in response before lapsing back into his usual brooding silence. The sun was just beginning to set in the sky, when they began to climb the shallow slope just outside the city limits, leading to the Red Rocket gas station where Nora had found Dogmeat that very morning.
"Hell yeah, thats what im talking about- i think i just found my new vacation home." Sturges exclaimed, surveying the truck stop appreciatively as they made their way passed.
"Might be some useful salvage in there," Preston noted, giving the building a critical once over. "We'll have to come back and scavenge for anything that might be of use another time- We're getting close to Sanctuary. We should be there before nightfall."
Nora found herself absent mindedly picking up the pace as they got closer to the village, catching up to Preston near the head of the group as it came into view in the distance. standing tall beside the old north bridge, the copper statue outside of town saluted them in the distance, greeting them from afar as if it had been waiting for them to arrive.
Minutes later, they finally reached their destination, passing beneath the statue as Preston peered up at it appreciatively.
"look- this is the monument to the original minutemen. I knew it was somewhere around Concord!" He enthused, taking a moment to appreciate the piece of history. "That means that this must be the Old North bridge- where the first shots of the revolutionary war were fired! I think id call that the best thing ive seen since we left quincy."
"I dont know what your talking about, boss- but im glad your happy about it." Sturges told him pleasantly as they crossed the bridge leading into town, observing the quiet neighborhood littered with all manor of junk and debris as they wandered further in- it would take forever to clear away all the broken glass and rusted metal, but the houses were still standing at least- for the most part anyway. With time, dedication and a little elbow grease, they could turn the run down culdesac into a refuge worthy of its name.
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okay first off I would like to thank MadmanDSD for his favorite, and Lowkeyofassgaurd for their follow- but top kudos goes to SomeRandomBastard for their review. He asked if I would be detailing weapons more, and settlement building, going forward. For anyone else wondering, I will be layering in more detail and description as I edit each chapter, and editing is CONSTANTLY underway. I encourage you to leave constructive reviews like this as much as possible, to make this as satisfying and immersive as possible.
thank you for your time :)