ch 5 The Brightheart
. . .
. . .
On foot, the journey from Concord to Cambridge took most of the day, and by the time Nora could see the feint outline of Boston's distant, skeletal skyscrapers silhouetted on the horizon passed the bridge, the sun was just beginning to set. Sore and weary, she kept to the shadows, skirting the ivy tangled railing alongside the riverbed as she passed the Cambridge police station just outside Fraternal post 115.
Always within sight, Dogmeat sniffed the debris littered pavement curiously, hungry after two days of nibbling on her leftover provisions- game was scarce that close to the city, and she hadn't been able to bring herself to eat, without first making sure her new companion was fed- but scraps of dried meat and stale bran cereal wouldn't sustain both of them for long. She hoped they were close.
Finally reaching the bridge, Nora looked out across the structure warily. it was less than a mile across, and passing over would be risky, due to the lack of cover- but if she was quick, she would be able to make it into Boston before nightfall. So, keeping close to the rail, she followed the narrow, dirt stained cement walkway at a brisk pace, avoiding the two lane road littered with the rusted out frames of destroyed vehicles and stray tires in the center as mist began to lift from the channel below.
Coming to the middle of the bridge, Nora gave pause as she approached the rusted out, grated iron drawbridge- observing the wreckage in front of her cautiously as the sound of voices carried over the water somewhere within the fog below. The structure was half raised, metal beams twisted on the left side where a large steel naval ship had crashed into it two centuries prior- The ten ton iron ship had split apart at the bow, pushing the keel upward into bridge as the stern broke off into the water, dealing massive damage in its wake.
likely, it had crashed into the bridge after the bomb dropped, pushed inland by a tsunami in the aftermath of the explosions following impact.
climbing the steep incline carefully, Nora's muscles burned in protest as she gripped the rusty railing to help pull herself forward, keeping silent to avoid whomever now occupied the wreckage below- she could hear several voices, crowing out raucously in the pre dusk air as she passed by, making her sweat anxiously as she attempted to move passed undetected.
"You see the last guy we tried to pull into the store, with all the grenades?" A man asked someone within earshot as she inched over the steep incline little by little.
"No man, I was out and about doing my rounds." Another replied. "What about him?"
"Well, Becca pulled him in at the front of the store, and everything seemed fine, right? well, he must have got spooked or something, because suddenly, he starts throwing grenades everywhere!"
"What!?" Came the incredulous reply. " What did you guys do? How'd you get out?"
"That's the thing! turns out they weren't grenades after all- they were just rocks! he was making the sounds with his mouth- Pins being pulled and the whole nine yards. It was fuckin' nutts!" he exclaimed, thinking back on the incident with obvious humor.
"...Did you guys take him out?"
"No. We just stood there- couldn't believe what we were seeing." The man admitted simply, for lack of a better excuse. "After he threw about half a dozen rocks around the store, he started making machine gun noises and backing toward the door- Once he got outside, it sounded like he pretended to get on a motorcycle-which ofcorse didn't start right away. then he took off toward the freeway at what sounded like full throttle, shifting gears and everything..."
"That's insane- how does someone like that survive out here at all?" the second man wondered, befuddled as he tried to imagine what that must have been like to see.
"I don't know man, there's some lunatics out there..." the first man agreed in wistful tones.
Once Nora had made it to the bottom of the steep incline on the other side of the drawbridge, she breathed a sigh of relief, breaking into a jog in her haste to leave the voices behind as she entered the ruins of Boston just as the stars began to appear in the twilit sky- all around her, the empty, black windows of the ruined buildings seemed to stare down at her while she wandered inward, making her stomach tighten nervously as she wandered through the first intersection, overgrown with moss and ivy from the gently swaying traffic lights, to the faded billboards above her.
It was silent as the valley of death as she and Dogmeat continued down the debris littered two lane street, obstructed heavily by flipped, crushed and rusted out frames of once shiny, functioning vehicles- some were in good shape still, providing cover from any would be stalkers, while also posing a threat due to their highly combustible fusion engines; A single well aimed bullet could turn the junk strewn highway into a warzone.
Hoping Diamond city was close, she hugged the sidewalk, following the road into the heart of one of the cities oldest corners as she wandered slowly through the vaguely familiar streets of her youth- all around her, rusted out hubcaps and twisted metal pieces lay scattered, strewn across the surface of the faded, cracked pavement, forming small obstacles and roadblocks that forced her to maneuver with caution- as she passed a particularly well preserved station wagon, the empty sockets of a long dead skeleton laying against the stained, rotted out passenger seat starred back at her from its eternal resting place beside the body of what she assumed was its spouse, whose bones were pressed against the torn, moldy leather cased steering wheel in the drivers seat.
If i have to spend the night sleeping alone in this endless graveyard, I'll go insane. She worried desperately, brows furrowing as she scanned the area carefully in the waning light. As if God had been listening, Nora spotted bright wording scrawled across the corner of a ruined building, eroded right down to its foundation up the street, where Dogmeat curiously sniffed at a pile of rubble near by. Up close, it read "THIS WAY" in eye catching white spray paint, with an arrow pointing south.
follow the signs, a voice seemed to whisper in her ear.
Picking up the pace, Nora continued down the street, following the median as she searched the cityscape around her for more of the markers- the next was nailed to a wall, half obscured by thick overgrown ivy that had overtaken a small portion of the street, climbing up the brick exterior of a ruined commercial building. This time, it specified "DAIMOND CITY", with an arrow leading toward what Nora recognized to be Fenway Park- if she was where she thought she was, Boston Stadium shouldhave been just down the street from there.
The stadium...She thought suddenly, feeling as if a lightbulb had just gone off in her head- The walls were made of brick and steel, and there was plenty of space inside0 If a settlement had been built anywhere in the ruins of Fenway park, it had to be there.
Hope renewed, Nora continued south, hurrying into the remains of the once beautiful Fenway Park.
. . .
. . .
Piper Wright stood outside the immense green gate closing off the Stadium, fuming as the Gatekeeper- A young man by the name of Danny Sullivan- refused to grant her entry, leaving her standing alone in the center of Fenway park.
"What do you mean you cant open the gate? Stop playing around, Danny- im standing out in the open here, for crying out loud!" She cried, green eyes flashing nervously over her shoulder as the distant sound of gunfire carried on the cool evening wind, making her palms sweat as she balled them into fists.
"I got orders not to let you in, Mrs. Piper. Sorry- I'm just doing my job..." He apologized, sounding stressed- As a journalist, Piper Wright was notoriously persistent, and known for her relentless pursuits through out the commonwealth as the author and founder of the most successful newspaper to be distributed since before the great war- Public Occurrence's- and as a result, people tended to do their best to avoid catching her attention.
Danny Sullivan was no different.
"Just doing your job?" She repeated incredulously, voice raising a few octaves as her temper flared. " So protecting Diamond city means keeping me out, is that it? 'Oh look, its the scary reporter', boo!" She mocked sarcastically, feeling her stress levels rise as she thought about her little sister, waiting for her at home inside the city- It had been a full week since she had left, following up on a lead for a story she was hoping to publish for her next article in the newspaper she had founded, and she usually didnt leave the preteen alone for such lengthy periods of time.
"I'm sorry, but Mayor McDonough is really steamed- says that article you published is all lies. The whole cities in a tizzy..." At that, Piper had no words- as far as she was concerned, they should be. Someone had to tell the people the truth- that they were all being lied to by the person who was supposed to be taking care of them- That if they weren't careful, someone they knew or loved could be snatched up or replaced by a Synth impostor.
"Argh!" She growled, stomping in frustration. "You open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan! I live here, you cant just kick me out!"
Heaving a heavy sigh, Piper turned around, crossing her arms as she despaired internally, until the sound of soft footfall approaching caught her attention- lead by one of Diamond city securities black padded officers, An unfamiliar face ducked through the low wooden threshold of the flimsy outer gate, clad in an eye catching, skin tight blue vault suit- and like other's she had seen wearing those suits, her grey eyes were wide and wary, like a Stag caught in a floodlight as she took in their run down, ruined surroundings.
Perfect. She thought, an idea springing to her mind.
Timidly, Nora approached, giving the raven haired woman a wide birth as she absorbed the contrast between the beautiful, bright Fenway Park of her memory, and the closed off, washed out cobblestone plaza she now stood in- the only familiar thing about it, was the weathered statue in the center before the now ancient monster green gate, of a baseball player eternally poised with his bat, prepared to strike- the copper built statue was so old now, it was almost completely oxidized, turning a bright turquoise shade of green after centuries of exposure to the elements. Three crudely built watch walls had been erected from building to building across the roads leading away from the Stadium, creating a semi safe zone around the cities only entrance.
"Hey you- you wanna get into Diamond city, right?" Piper asked, taking advantage of the opportunity at hand. Nora hesitated, looking from the unfamiliar woman, to the closed, rusty green gate uncertainly before answering.
"I just got here- but yeah..."
"Shhhh!" The woman stressed, holding her gloved hands out nervously as she looked toward the security microphone- observantly, Nora noted that several of her fingers were exposed, the thin material of her gloves having worn away, rendering them almost useless against the autumn chill. " -Just play along...What was that? Your a trader up from Quincy? You have enough supplies to keep the general store stocked for a whole month?" She improvised, lying smoothly into the speaker as she shot Nora a sly look. Her eyes were bright jade green, standing out against the pale color of her lightly freckled skin- and Nora would have guessed she was somewhere around her own age.
"Hear that Danny? You gonna open up the gate and let us in, or are you gonna be the one to tell crazy Myrna about missing out on all the supply?" Nora raised a brow as she spoke, appreciating the devious smile decorating the other woman's pale pink lips as she expertly manipulated the situation- if she pulled it off, Nora just might have to try getting to know her- She could use a clever friend like that, in a world as unforgiving as this...
"Geez, alright- no need to make it personal, Piper...Gimme a minute." Danny surrendered reluctantly, knowing there was a chance it would come back to bite him either way- If the eccentric shop keep found out he had anything to do with obstructing her supply line, she would likely put an end to their secret rendezvous', but if McDonough found out, he could lose his job- or worse- end up on the notice...
Victorious, Piper beamed triumphantly back at her new cohort as the heavy steel gate began to make a mechanical humming noise, before jerking unsteadily as it rose up to allow them into the dimly lit tunnel.
"Better head inside quick, before ol Danny catches onto the bluff." She warned, brushing the dust from her waist length red leather jacket to make sure she looked presentable- the bottom edges of the coat were heavily worn, torn bits missing from the hemming after years of wear and tear. Before she could turn around to enter, Nora spoke up, holding her attention.
"This place- Diamond city...what is it?" She inquired apprehensively, shooting a furtive glance toward the shadowed entry way.
"Oh, the Great Green Jewel? Its a sight- Everyone whose anyone is from here, or got kicked out of here." She explained, using a thumb to point at herself as she spoke, grinning sheepishly as she did so. "A big wall, some power, working plumbing, schools and some security guards are what make diamond city the big monster it is...love it or hate it- you'll see for yourself soon enough. now Cmon, lets go."
Nodding, Nora gestured toward the open gate, unwilling to go first.
"After you." She offered, not wanting to get between the daring woman and diamond city security, should they be waiting for her inside.
"Wouldnt have it any other way." Piper responded confidently, momentarily steeling herself mentally before turning on her heel and striding confidently through the open threshold, waving shamelessly at a very suspicious looking Danny Sullivan, who looked Nora over doubtfully from his place inside the ticket booth as he got the distinct feeling he had been hoodwinked- there was no way the vault dweller had a months worth of supply in the black bag strapped to her back.
Keeping her head down, Nora avoided the young mans gaze guiltily as she followed close behind the bold, unabashed woman, allowing her to lead her through the dimly lit lobby, up the narrow stairwell and into the Stadium beyond.
. . .
. . .
Mayor McDonough stood at the center of his addressment stage before the wall, waiting patiently for the residents of diamond city to assemble in the outfield to hear him speak. As they gathered, his almond shaped black eyes scanned the faces before him stoically, torn between pride and disgust as he studied each unique, dirt streaked face that made up his little kingdom- For as long as he could recall, all he had ever wanted was to break free from the poverty he had known as a child, and rise above the rest of the crowd and be recognized for his contributions to the wealth, and wellbeing of the city and its citizens- and for many years, he felt he had achieved just that.
For two decades, he had lived a comfortable life, satisfied with his image in the eyes of his people- he had won them over, and now, everything he could see from the lower field to the upper stands, was under his control.
But no one in power ever stays comfortable for long.
"Everybody!" He called out over the hissing of low spoken whispers as the gathering congregated before the small, sturdy wooden stage. "Everybody- I need Everyone's attention!"
Dutifully, each person took a spot either on the narrow benches in front of him, or in the dirt, with a large portion choosing to remain standing, gathered around the stage to observe quietly with their friends, neighbors and families. When all eyes were on him, waiting expectantly, McDonough finally continued.
"Tonight, I would like to address the subject that is on everyone's mind- and that is the disgusting paper that Piper has written." He announced, getting straight to the point- the only way to combat rumors as dangerous as the one that infuriating woman had started about him, was to address them head on, and deny them outright. "Diamond city has stood united for over one hundred and fifty years, and what keeps us united are two things..." He explained, pausing to watch them absorb his words with varying expressions ranging from distrust and interest, to plain out boredom as he laid out the foundation of his speech in preparation for his conclusion.
"The first, is the great green guardian behind me- the wall. Our protector, and savior from the filth outside...And second, is our faith and trust in each other; The faith and trust that has given us prosperity, security and education for every man woman and child who has taken refuge here, and made this prosperous city their home- And while the paper might point their finger at Synths and other ghost stories to drive us apart, we will not betray this sacred trust!.. Now, i want everyone to hear this next part very, very carefully...I. am. not. a. Synth!" He declared, publicly refuting the bold accusation made by Piper Wright in her latest publication of her newspaper, Public Occurrences.
"I am the same flesh and blood boy who grew up on these streets, who was born in a little shack just down the waterfront to Martha and Patrick McDonough- The same hard working, dedicated man the good voters of Diamond city have elected to make this place the safe, and prosperous term after term- and I will not abandon my city due to the heinous accusations made by the press!" He vowed fervently, earning a supportive cheer from the residents seated on the benches closest to the stage.
As he concluded his testimony, the residents of the upper stands seated in front of him began to clap, encouraging other citizens to join in- a few even whistled, following up his statements with exclamations of pride and encouragement at his message. Pleased, McDonough took a moment to bask in his achievement, before raising his fist and issuing his final rally cry.
"God bless this city, and God bless the wall!"
"God bless the wall!" His supporters echoed proudly.
As the crowd stood and clapped in praise, he took careful note of all the faces who did not stand, and were not cheering- they were the ones he must still convince...Confidently, McDonough straightened his crumpled fedora atop his head before moving to exit stage to his left. Piper may have sewn the seed of doubt, and put a mark on his otherwise sparkling reputation- but he had proven today that the majority of the people were still with him.
All in all, it was just one more campaign- and just like the first one, he planned to win.
"Nice speech McDonough- too bad everyone knows your all talk!" A familiar, irritating voice challenged him as he made his way through the crowd as it began to disperse for the night, attempting to make his escape.
"Piper!" He exclaimed, instantly irate as he spotted her, leaning casually against the alley wall leading toward home plate. "Who let you back inside? I told Sullivan to keep that gate shut! You... devious, rabble rousing slanderer! the level of dishonesty in that paper of yours- Ill have that printer scrapped for parts!"
Distracted by the multi tiered settlement comprised of crudely built shelters made from assorted junk and scrap materials, Nora tore her gaze away from the unsettling view to listen as Piper was threatened by a very angry looking gentleman, impeccably dressed in a tan, patched three piece suit and crumpled fedora that reminded her of a time long ago, when men of status dressed to reflect their position on the social hierarchy- he struck her as someone of importance, the way he carried himself as he approached, meeting piper near the opening of a narrow alleyway between two rows of buildings that were built on either side of the runs between home plate and first base.
"Ooohhh is that a statement mayor McDonough?" She called him out, raising her voice so that anyone could hear. " "Tyrant mayor shuts down the press!"-Why dont you ask the newcomer?" she pointed, once again involving Nora in her shenanigans as she turned her attention back to her- she had followed the bold reporter toward the outfield out of curiosity, wondering what everyone had been gathering for before witnessing the Mayors speech. Now, she was beginning to wonder if that wasnt a mistake.,, "Do you support the news? Cos the mayor here is trying to throw free speech in the dumpster!"
"I always believed in freedom of the press." Nora admitted honestly as she came to stand beside Piper in the narrow intersection, defending the woman who had helped her gain access to the city- though it really wasn't any of her business. Suddenly noticing her, the mayor's demeanor seemed to shift, his anger melting away as he took in her weary, disheveled appearance.
"Oh, I didn't mean to bring you into this argument, miss- No, you look like diamond city material." He flattered apologetically. " Welcome to the great green jewel of the commonwealth. Safe. Happy- A fine place to come and spend your money, or settle down...Don't let this mudcracker here tell you otherwise..." He insisted in a generally friendly manor, black eyes narrowing toward Piper as he spoke the slander. She bristled at the insult, looking as if she were about to say something before Nora interjected, cutting her off before she could say something she might regret.
"What are you two arguing about, anyway?" She asked curiously- There had to be a good reason for the mans resentment- He was glaring down at Piper coldly, as if she were a bug that needed to be squashed- quickly.
"What do you think?" Piper answered bitterly, eyes narrowing toward him as she spoke. "Print lies and everybody's happy, but if you print the truth..." She shook her head, jaw tightening as she swallowed her sense of righteous indignance.
"That's enough of that!" McDonough barked at her, looking around nervously for anymore prying eyes before promptly switching the subject. "Now, is there anything in particular you came to our city for?" He asked, shifting his attention back to Nora pointedly- and while he appeared friendly, she wasn't sure if he was suspicious of her purpose there, or simply being accommodating in his attentions as he made his inquiry.
Idly, she sized him up, eyeing his clean, fine ironed outfit carefully as he spoke- it fit perhaps a little too snugly on his soft, pampered body, but other than that, he appeared impeccably made up, from his polished brown shoes, to his finely trimmed auburn mustache and silver streaked sideburns- if she had to guess his age, she would have put him in his mid to late forties at best.
"I'm trying to find someone- my baby boy, Shaun. he's less than a year old..." She explained earnestly, looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts to make herself appear smaller- more vulnerable. Beside her, Piper started in response to her plight.
"Wait- your son is missing?" She asked seriously, shooting the mayor an accusing look. " You hear that McDonough? is diamond city security just going to stand by while a mother searches for her infant son, all on her own?" This was exactly what she had been trying to tell people for weeks- Was their mayor really too spineless to stand up and do something about these disappearances, or was there a deeper, more nefarious reason behind his complacency?
"Don't listen to her-" The Mayor insisted defensively, shaking his head as he disregarded her question. " While I'm afraid our security team cant follow up on every case that comes through, I'm confident we can assist somehow...Diamond city has every conceivable service known to man- One of our great citizens can surely find the time to help you." He assured, attempting to skirt the subject. As a lawyer, Nora was familiar with politicians, and the way they worked- and thus, she had a good idea of how to get the information she desired.
"A Mayor of a great city must know everyone." She flattered unabashedly, stroking his ego as she looked up at him beneath her thick curling black lashes. " Who can help me?"
Piper sniffed, watching in amazement as McDonough blinked, befuddled by the newcomers wide, pretty grey eyes as she beseeched him-She was a damsel in distress, asking him to be her hero- but would he take the bait?
"W-well, uhm..." He stammered, Adams apple bobbing nervously as a blush crept up his angular cheeks. " There is one private citizen...Nick Valentine. He's A...A detective, of sorts- who actually specializes in tracking people down. Usually for debts and what not..." He explained, pointedly trying to keep his attention focused on her face as he spoke, nearly tripping over his words as his thoughts scrambled unexpectedly.
Incredulous, Pipers jaw nearly dropped as the mysterious vault dweller expertly extracted information from the tight lipped mayor- and she could tell the woman was pleased by the way her eyes lit up- a reaction McDonough seemed to enjoy immensely himself as he puffed up in response.
"Now, I have to get going- I'm sorry diamond city security doesn't have time to help, but I'm sure Mr. Valentine charges a reasonable fee. " He told her, giving her a friendly smile as he tipped his hat, preparing to take his leave after a job well done.
Valentine...She thought, repeating the name humorously, her brain instantly making the connection between the Detective, and her prophetic Brightheart.
"This is ridiculous!" Piper cried out relentlessly as he brushed passed her, outraged by his blatant lack of concern on the matter. "Diamond city security cant spare one officer to help? I want the truth McDonough- what's the real reason security doesn't investigate these kidnappings?" She hounded, following him as he strode toward home base at a brisk pace.
Nearly losing his composure, McDonough stopped suddenly before turning on the raven haired woman to face her down, patience wearing dangerously thin as he towered over her.
"I've had enough of this Piper!" He spat, fed up with her incessant meddling. " Consider yourself and that little sister of yours on the notice!"
Rolling her eyes, Piper snorted, refusing to show signs of weakness in front of her opponent despite the notice of her impending eviction from her home and place of business.
"Yeah?" She instigated boldly, calling after him as he turned on his heel once more to make a stiff retreat. "Keep talking McDonough- that's all your good for!"
"Hmnph!" He scoffed, ignoring her as he continued to march away. Piper glared daggers into his back until he was out of sight, retreating toward the comfort of his safe, comfortable Skybox to the left of the stadium entrance- it was illuminated on the high wall overlooking the field, accessible only by elevator to set him above the common rabble below. The stadium lights reflected off the glass surface of the immense window spanning the length of the box, where sports commenters used to give play by plays as the crowd watched the field from the stands...looking out over the leveled stands where crowds used to gather to watch the games, Nora noted that the homes that now occupied the elevated spaces were cleaner, larger, and appeared to be better built the higher they were.
"I'm impressed." Piper admitted after a minute, turning back to Nora and claiming her attention once more. "Not everyone can pull information out of McDonough's tight fisted hands...why don't you stop by my office after you see Valentine? I think i just found my next story..." She requested hopefully, a devious spark in her eye- Nora was about to respond, when they were interrupted by a high pitched, lilting voice that demanded their immediate attention.
"Piper! your back!" They looked toward the dirt landing before the rusted metal stairway leading to the tunnel entrance, where a little girl hopped off a milk crate she had been standing on before barreling toward them at an alarming speed with a wide smile decorating her broad, childlike features as she flew over the plyboard pathway toward home base, where they still stood.
"hey kiddo- how are the paper sales?" Piper greeted her affectionately as she skidded to a stop in front of her, reaching out to muss the childs dirty blond hair.
"Well, The presses are getting overloaded, but that motor is gonna go soon if we don't replace it. " She warned seriously, shrugging away from her touch- watching carefully, Nora wondered exactly how old the she was- She didn't look a day over ten years old, but her wide, childlike eyes held all the maturity of an adult in their deep green depths- it was obvious to Nora that the two were closely related somehow, from the uncanny similarities in their facial structure, but she didnt ask, not wanting to interrupt their little reunion.
"Ah, you've been saying that for weeks, and the old girl still keeps cranking...Stop worrying so much." Piper advised lightheartedly, giving her little sister a quick wink before moving around her toward a palette porch leading up to a rusted metal door labeled "public Occurrence's"- It was a sizable shack, built from various materials that were screwed and welded together, connected to a small garage that stood open to the public, directly across from a building Nora wouldn't have been able to guess was a church, if not for the sign nailed out front telling her it was the "all faiths" chapel.
"I gotta head into the office now- you just start whistling if you see or hear any angry politicians heading this way." She instructed the little girl cryptically, before shooting Nora a quick smile and wave as she moved to close the door behind her.
"Why? is something wrong?...Piper?" Nat watched in silent frustration as the door closed, leaving her and Nora standing alone on the narrow catwalk. Awkwardly, Nora shifted her weight uncomfortably, not exactly sure where to go from there- it was already dark out, and most of Diamond cities venues were closing for the night as its residents retreated indoors.
Nat looked up at her shrewdly, giving her a quick, critical once over before breaking the silence.
"Free paper to newcomers- if the institute comes and grabs you in the night, don't say we didn't warn you." She told her, suddenly shoving a crinkled packet of papers into Nora's empty hands.
"The institute?" She repeated strangely, brows furrowing as she read the headline on the front of the stapled packet of papers, hand written and titled "The synthetic Truth".
"You aint heard of the institute lady?" She responded incredulously, brows raising as she regarded her with a look of disbelief. " They snatch people up in the night, and no one hears from them ever again- its all in the paper- better read up, before they grab you too." She responded gravely, expression serious. Nora ignored the propaganda, dismissing it as a sales tactic to sway people to buy the sad excuse for a newspaper- if it could really even be called that.
"Whose missing?" She asked curiously, remembering Pipers earlier conversation with the mayor.
"Drifters, Residents- stadium seat snobs." She explained casually, shrugging. "Seems every year or so, someone you know is gone, and we all know why- so you better be careful newcomer- institute's out there, and they'll grab you too...like i said- its all in the paper."
Amused by the little girls entrepreneurial persistence, Nora offered her a grateful smile that wasn't fooling anyone.
"I believe you- thanks." She told her, folding up the article for later inspection.
"Pfft." The little girl scoffed, cracking her own small smile as she shook her dirty blonde head. "Your a real lost sheep in the wolves den, lady."
Tell me about it...Nora thought dryly, feeling stressed as she looked back toward the nearly empty center field. Nat watched her for a moment, studying her dirt stained blue vault suit, before finally blurting out the first question that came to mind.
"What brings you to Diamond city anyway?" Vault dwellers didnt leave the relative safety of the fallout shelters unless they had a good reason to brave the trials of the wasteland, and she knew it- even if she was young. Nora considered the overly mature preteen briefly, before deciding it wouldn't hurt to tell her the truth.
"I came here looking for someone..." She revealed, watching Nat's face as her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"And let me guess- that someone has gone missing, huh- thats what im telling ya!" She exclaimed, frustrated by people's general lack of concern despite the growing number of disappearances being reported in the commonwealth. "So, who is it?"
"A baby boy- my Son. He was...kidnapped." Nora admitted sullenly, not quite sure why she was confiding in someone so young.
"A baby huh? Thats a new one- usually its just adults." Nat admitted strangely, too young and too numb to the world to properly convey the right amount of sympathy. " Im afraid your in bad luck then lady- no one goes looking for missing people in Diamond city- missing people means the institute is involved, and nobody wants to get the institute's attention..." She informed gravely, emphasizing the name of the nefarious organization heavily.
"Your a smart girl...You have to know of someone who isnt afraid of this...institute." Nora inquired carefully, hoping at the very least that the girl might be able to point her in the right direction to find the detective McDonough had mentioned.
"Well...There is the Detective, Mr. Nick Valentine. " She offered helpfully, making a strange face as she spoke the mans name. "He's not afraid of anything- if anyone is going to help you, its him." Pleased, Nora continued with that line of conversation, hoping to extract more information about the slooth in question before rushing off to find him.
"What else can you tell me about Mr. Valentine?"
"Well, i know that most of the adults that go there dont like to admit it- aint that the way it is?" She complained on the detectives behalf, brows furrowing as she shook her head. "No ones ever grateful for the ones who help out the most."
"You know, im gonna be real disappointed if his business card isnt shaped like a heart." Nora quipped sarcastically, pondering the detectives name as she became more and more sure that this Detective was her Brightheart.
"Oh yeah, im definitely sending you to the right place- its just behind the market, headed toward second base- and remember newcomer, watch your back. the Institute's out there..."
"Thanks, youve been a big help." Nora told the little girl gratefully, encouraged by her brief description of the Detective. Giving her a polite nod and parting smile, Nora turned back toward home plate, beginning to make her way toward center field where the vendors were still busy securing their stalls for the night- with the exception of a few shops, open late to the public as the square became illuminated by bright strands of plain white Christmas lights that served as space efficient streetlights strung up from shop to shop.
As she entered, she did her best to make a mental map of her surroundings- in the middle of the nearly deserted commercial district, a brightly painted, circular bar now occupied the space where the pitchers mound once sat, surrounded by diamond cities many amenities on all sides- There appeared to be everything a person could need, from a barber, to a butcher, all the way to a small doctors practice- the first business she passed was the barbers, set up on somebodies sheltered patio just beyond home plate to her left. A young man sporting a greased dark pompadour stood behind an old authentic barbers chair, expertly feathering a severely dressed lady's bright blonde bob as an elderly woman blew smoke around his face from where she stood near by, smoking a cigarette casually while he worked.
"if anyone is one of those things, its that secretary of his- her and her perfect hair." She droned, taking a long, deep drag off her smoke.
"The mayors secretary?" The young man echoed doubtfully, shaking his head. " ma- come on. I cut her hair myself- and i know human hair." The woman in the chair seemed to be ignoring their conversation completely, too busy admiring her own reflection in her portable hand mirror to care what they were saying.
"That's just it Johnny- you wouldn't know the difference. If you niched McDonough with your razor, he'd bleed. don't mean nothin."
Finished with her cut, the young stylist removed the smock shielding the woman's clean white suit from harm, allowing her to rise from the chair, where she carelessly stepped down the shallow wooden ramp to collide with Nora as she attempted to pass by.
"Why hello there- another one of diamond cities poor and stupid, come begging for scraps?" The blonde asked sarcastically, brushing the clean material of her clothing off as if she had touched something dirty.
"The poor and the stupid?" Nora repeated dumbly, brought up short by the woman's blatant disrespect. The blonde clucked aggravatedly, Rolling her eyes before fixing Nora beneath the weight of her condescending stare.
"Oh don't act like you don't know- everyone knows there's two types of people in this town. Those who live in the upper stands, and everyone beneath us- I know everybody in the stands, and that doesn't include you...so why don't you make yourself scarce?" She suggested rudely, nose wrinkling as she spoke.
What the fuck...? Nora wondered, inspecting every inch of the woman's spotless, bright white suit slowly- surely, she must be someone of importance, to think so highly of herself.
"Who are you anyway?" She asked incredulously, finding herself unexpectedly heated by the exchange.
"Any Codwell, of the Codwell family?" She answered obviously, sounding almost insulted. " If you haven't heard of us, that just goes to show how unimportant you really are...now were you leaving, or not?"
At a loss for words, Nora could think of only one way to respond- the way her husband would have responded immediately upon meeting the pompous woman.
"Bitch." She spat, feeling her veins inflate reflexively in response to her anger. Outraged, the woman sputtered indignantly, face turning bright red at the insult.
"Well i never!"
"Woah woah woah!" One of Diamond cities security officers, clad in their signature black umpire's uniform, wearing a pair of pitch black shades called out from his post beside the street sign labeling home plate, near the alley going toward the outfield. "Lets just keep it movin'..." He advised, gently shooing Nora onward.
Eyeing his security bat warily, Nora nodded to the man, holding her hands up in a gesture of peace as she turned around to go about her business, leaving the audacious woman standing in outraged silence behind her.
who wears sunglasses at night? She wondered idly as she walked away, wandering further into the market as the vendors retired for the night. Bypassing the closed stalls quickly, she followed the worn walkway into the cover of a shadowed alleyway going toward second base- it was illuminated by several street lights placed at uneven intervals along the mud caked, narrow walkways, and Nora could hear a quiet, electric humming from somewhere up ahead as she walked.
"Sometimes you gotta wonder, does anyone fight back against the institute? They have to have enemies right?" A man was asking another man as she passed beside them, following the narrow alleyway toward second base between the buildings as they sat welding a twisted piece of metal that had been curling outward from the rusty wall while traffic was in for the night.
"What- you mean the Railroad? that's a fairy tail, man- they don't really exist..." His friend retorted pessimistically, using a hammer to beat down the red hot piece of metal, so that it laid flat against the rest of the building as they conversed.
"Nah- I heard from my cousin, who knows a guy that works for em- they gotta code phrase and everything. follow the freedom trail." He recited, unperturbed by the other mans lack of faith.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The guy responded negatively, looking nervous. "Your full of it, and that type of talk is gonna get you snatched up by the synths..."
Just then, Nora found the source of the electric humming, spotting an eye-catching, bright red neon sign nailed to the side of a lopsided shack just head- it was shaped like a heart, with an arrow piercing the center that pointed to the right further down the alleyway.
The brightheart? She wondered, following the illuminated arrow in the displayed direction, until she came to a nondescript doorway, with another sign labeling it the "Valentine detective agency". The whole alley was filled with the sound of the electric buzzing, glowing pink in the neon light.
Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, Nora reached out to grasp the cold doorknob.
Here goes nothing...
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