Jack Parsons and the Walk in the Park
"I don't think I've ever seen such a high concentration of basket cases in my life!" complained Jack, referring to the baseball field-turned city growing smaller in the distance behind them.
"They're just scared. Smart people do stupid things when they're scared," came Preston Garvey's level-headed reply.
They were walking through the more-or-less empty streets of Boston toward Park Street Station, on some kind of rescue mission for a Synth detective. Jack Parsons reviewed the facts in his mind, to stay focused on the rational instead of the emotional parts. He was living a normal live in the suburbs when all-out nuclear war reared its ugly head. He had been duped into getting cryogenically frozen until god-knows-when, and at some point in the last 200 years, his son had been taken by somebody for some reason, possibly a secretive group known as the Institute for some secretive purpose. His wife had been murdered in the process. He had been ejected from his icy sleep and forcibly reacquainted with the Commonwealth. He and the city he called home both found themselves a little bit worse for wear and a lot more desperate. Now, his only link to his old life was a missing son who nobody had seen, and his best lead was an artificial human who moonlighted as a detective, who himself happened to be missing. He now traveled with his old robotic butler and a man dressed as a musketeer. The former had proven himself both annoying and surprisingly proficient in combat. The latter was trying to resurrect a brutally decimated peace-bringing force who modeled themselves after an ancient civilian militia, who prided themselves on being able to get ready really fast. The facts made his head spin, blood pressure rise, and breath shorten. His new life was giving him anxiety.
He wanted things to go back to the way they were. However, part of him knew that things would never be normal again. As a consolation prize, he settled for revenge and whatever numbing agents he could get his hands on. At this moment, he thought that the only fitting distraction would be some conversation.
"Say, Preston, I realized I never really asked your story. What got you started with the Minutemen?" he asked. The soldier walking next to him took a while to formulate his response.
"You know how when you were growing up, you had heroes?"
"What, like the Unstoppables? I confess I listened to a Silver Shroud program or two, but I can't say I walk around now in a black trench coat and silver scarf."
"No, I mean like, real life heroes. Look, when I was growing up around the 'Wealth, there was no one to look up to. Danger all around, and barely squeaking out a living. The only decent people are were the Minutemen. They would be ready at a moment's notice to defend you, or help you get by. I joined up as soon as I could… I was 17 then, wide-eyed and eager to join a band of soldiers..." at this, Preston paused. "Huh, I guess I'm probably the last one, now." Jack could sense that his companion was in being vulnerable, so he offered some empathy.
"Well, for what it's worth, I know a little bit about what you're saying. I was a soldier too, and like you I started as young as I could. And, like you, I am pretty sure there isn't anyone left from my band of soldiers," stated Jack, letting out a grim chuckle. "But what you're trying to do for these people, it's noble. Maybe, once I find my son, this old specialist can lend some knowledge or even his gun to the Commonwealth Minutemen." Preston grinned.
"That's very optimistic of you. Time will tell if there will be any Minutemen to lend knowledge to after all this is over. I am starting from the ground up. It's going to take some effort to win back the people's trust. Besides, I've got a feeling that some big changes are coming to the Commonwealth. Mama Murphy said as much."
"You really believe that old pusher?"
"Well, she found Sanctuary for us. She told me that you would get a clue in Diamond City, and here we are, following that clue. She may know a thing or two. If the chems weren't so dangerous, I would ask her to enlist as an intelligence officer!" This time, it was Preston's turn to chuckle.
"Sirs, I don't mean to interrupt, but I believe we're here," informed Codsworth. The robot was right. In the midst of their conversation, they hadn't realized that they had reached the edge of the Boston Common. Here they would find Park Street Station, and hopefully the Synth detective who had disappeared. He remembered, with a twinge of guilt, that he had agreed to go to the park with Nora on the day that the bombs dropped.
Jack took a step forward, but Preston quickly motioned him to stop.
"Hold up. The Minutemen used to avoid Boston Common. People had a habit of disappearing here. Be on guard," he warned. Well, obviously people have a habit of disappearing here, Jack thought. We're tracking one of those disappearances right now.
They strode carefully and deliberately into the park. Everything seemed quiet. A little bit too quiet. Apparently, not even the ubiquitous raiders ventured here. Odd. They made their way toward the station.
"Say, does anyone have a clue why people disappear around here?" Jack inquired. Preston opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a gigantic super mutant emerging from the water behind him with a roar. At one glance, our hero realized that they did not have the firepower to deal with this threat. The monster had a face painted like the world's scariest clown, and was big enough to wield a large boat anchor as a melee weapon.
"Run!" he shouted.
They took off at a full sprint and a full hover toward Park Street Station. Jack thought that they might be able to make it in time.
"Look out!" Preston yelled as he tackled Jack to the ground. Just above them a boulder flew and landed on the ground with a sickening thud. It would have been more than lethal, had the hit registered. They scrambled to their feet and ran toward the station, but the monster was closing in. The crashing footsteps were reaching a deafening crescendo behind them! They were almost to the doors when Jack chanced a look over his shoulder and saw the mutant was almost within striking distance. Then he saw a flash of gray. Codsworth had hovered into the distance between the soldiers and the behemoth. He let out a full blast of his flamethrower, which cause the beast to cover its eyes and stagger backwards.
"Go on sirs, I'll hold him!" asserted Codsworth in his cheerful British voice. Jack Parsons didn't hesitate. He took off at full speed and ducked through the doors, Preston close behind. Hopefully the door frame would be too small for their new enemy to fit through. They were in the entrance to Park Street Station, which consisted of a small entryway leading to two escalators. Codsworth backed toward the door slowly, waving a small stream of flame menacingly.
"Come on, you scallywag! En guarde!" he shouted. The mutant roared and advanced.
Preston, just inside the door, turned and yelled.
"Codsworth! Get in here! Now!"
The robot turned to face the soldiers and began to float toward the door, full speed. He never saw the anchor coming toward the back of his chassis, also at full speed. The shot landed with a vicious clang and propelled Codsworth through the door frame and past past the entryway. The shot paralyzed his entire frame and he went clattering down the escalator. It sounded like the world's rustiest pinball machine. At the foot of the escalator, he went limp.
Preston and Jack rushed down the escalator as fast as they could. They heard furious roaring behind them, but the mutant could not fit through the doors.
"Codsworth! Stay with me? How are you doing?" Preston asked as he slid down to the damaged Mister Handy's side. Codsworth's mechanical "eyes" focused on Preston.
"Sir, I think I'm going to go to sleep now. It was a pleasure to be of service," he stated, his mechanical voice beginning to fade. Jack felt his very first pang of concern for the robot. He had originally been reluctant to purchase a Mister Handy, but he had watched that same Mister Handy wait for him for hundreds of years, go into combat with him, and now sacrifice himself for his owner's benefit.
"Codsworth. Thank you," he said quietly.
"Pleasure to be of service!" the robot replied, each word sounding weaker than the last. "Do give Master Shaun my regards." At this, the mechanical eyes slowly unfocused, and Codsworth lay still.