Holotapes of E. Perkins
These holotapes are the property of a Miss Ellie Perkins. They are now shoved in some drawer with some other old memories and keepsakes that she kept from her childhood.
Holotape 1 – October 8th, 2285 – Goodneighbor
"I'm finally doing it! I'm finally able to leave this godforsaken town! Although it seems kind of scary to leave, I'm sure that this caravan Daisy is sending me with will keep me safe. Dad always trusted her, and she was always really kind to me. I don't care what those bigots say; she's a good woman, ghoul or not.
"I think Dad's proud. I know he's not here anymore, but I think he'd be happy to finally see me out of this hell hole. As usual, Mom's as high as a kite. I don't think she'll even know I left. Daisy said she'd check on her for me every few days, but I honestly don't know if she'll need to do that for much longer. I think she'll be out of her misery soon. I know it's selfish to say this, but one of the reasons I'm leaving is because I really don't want to see her go out like that.
"This town ruined my family. Drugs and crime infest it. An unprovoked dagger took out my Dad, and now drugs are slowly but surely, taking out my Mom. It angers me to watch someone like our supposed Mayor encourage these kinds of behaviours. I'm sick and tired of being hurt by this town.
"You know what…I don't think Dad would be proud. I know he would be. Diamond City will be a safer place for me to live. Hopefully, I can flourish there. Hopefully, I can be happy there…
"Only time will tell! Anyways, I better finish packing. The caravan will be leaving soon. (sighs) I really hope Mom will listen to me when I tell her goodbye…"
Holotape 2 – October 8th, 2285 – Just outside of Goodneighbor
"Mom didn't even look at me when I said goodbye. She looked dead on the couch. Thank goodness, she wasn't but this is why I need to leave. I see that more than ever now. I need a better life and being in Goodneighbor will probably destroy me like it did to the rest of my family. Diamond City will provide me with that life…at least I hope it will."
Holotape 3 – October 10th, 2285 – Fallon's Department Store
"Unfortunately, we're kind of taking the long route to Diamond City. It was for a good reason, though! Apparently, we would have gotten killed if we went the normal route. Something about super mutants blocking our path? Dad told me that he'd fought one before and he said it wasn't pretty. I can only imagine (quietly laughs)…With a title like super mutant…I can't see something being pretty on the other end of that name.
"At least I know how to handle a gun. A lot of others who are travelling with this caravan don't even have a weapon. I can only imagine how scary the world is for them…I don't even know how they've survived this long in the wasteland without some sort of knowledge of fighting. Luckily, Dad taught me the ropes on how to shoot somebody. Thinking about it brings me back to the days when he would teach me to aim by shooting bottles in the back alleyways. Ahhhh, the good old days. Maybe learning about weapons from a young age is just a Goodneighbor thing.
"Either way though, I really hope I don't ever have to use this knowledge. I'd rather not have to shoot a person, but if it comes to that…I know what to expect.
"Hopefully we'll be able to get to the city soon…I can't wait to see the size of this "Jewel of the Commonwealth". Everyone in the caravan says it's a wondrous place. I'm so excited to finally start my life there and to stop worrying about constant death. I can't wait for the day when I don't have to sleep with a gun stashed in my bed."
Holotape 4 – October 11th, 2285 – About an hour outside of Diamond City.
"Holy smokes! Our group almost ran into a group of raiders! They were about to attack the caravan, but luckily, we were sneaky enough to totally by-pass them! Gosh, my heart was thumping! I thought I was going to give us away, it was so loud (laughs)! We really lucked out, but I got to admit, it was a lot of fun! It would have been a catastrophe if we were caught, but because we didn't…that was such a rush! I can totally see why my Dad liked going out of town to fight raiders away from Goodneighbor. I can only imagine the high he got from it.
"Dad got his kicks from fighting, Mom gets hers from the chems…gosh, what a terribly unnormal life I had before this (giggles sadly). I wish they could be here with me. We could have had such an awesome life in Diamond City. We could have just lived simply…shopping in town without worrying about someone mugging us, eating out in high-class establishments, talking about…you know! Average stuff that normal people could chat about (sighs). I wish I could have this life with them…but I know they would want what's best for me. This is it. I know Diamond City is going to be it for me!"
Holotape 5 – October 12th, 2285 – Diamond City
"Wow (laughs) this is it. Diamond City…I'm really here. I can't believe it. It's everything and yet not at all what I expected it to be. It has everything…and by everything, I mean everything. You can buy anything from a 10mm to a gown for a party! There are so many people here…walking into the market was, I'll admit, a little overwhelming. There's so much to see and so many people to talk to.
"It is not as clean as I was expecting though…from the way people were talking about it, I thought it was going to spotless. Some people told me it was pristine…I'm not disappointed by any means, but I was expecting something a little nicer to look at. It kind of just looks like any other settled part of the Commonwealth, but a bit bigger and maybe a little bit nicer. Ah well, can't have everything…it's still more than what I was expecting it to be. I shouldn't be ungrateful. What's a little mess anyway?
"I'm staying in this place called the Dugout Inn until I can find a place to stay. Apparently, there aren't many homes available right now so I either need to find a roomie or pay a hefty sum for one of these homes. I came with a decent number of caps, but not enough for the prices of homes around here…that's for sure. The inn should do for now, anyways. It's nice and the brothers that own the place are quite the characters! I really like them! The people around here already seem more charming than those in Goodneighbor!
"Gosh, I wish my parents could see this…I guess there's really no sense in dwelling on that, but I wonder if my life would have ended up any different if my family lived here throughout my childhood rather that Goodneighbor…"
Holotape 6 – October 20th, 2285 – Diamond City
"Unfortunately, I have yet to find a place to live. It seems that no one is looking for a roommate. I tried looking around town for a job, but no one wanted to hire me (sighs). I have enough money to last me a couple of months, but still…the sooner I can settle my roots, the better I'll feel."
Holotape 7 – October 31st, 2285 – Diamond City
"Still no job or roommate and still in the same room at the Dugout Inn (sighs). Happy Halloween to me…The only benefit of staying here is getting to know the owners and the regulars around here. Everyone in the Inn is so kind…but that might be because of the Brothers famous moonshine. It gets you drunk reeeeaal quick.
"The brothers wanted to offer me a job as a waitress, but they already have this girl named Scarlett working for them and can't afford someone else at this time. Although it sucks, I appreciate their honesty…it's refreshing compared what I'm used to."
Holotape 8 – December 5th, 2285 – Diamond City
"Another caravan came by the city today…Daisy sent me a message with it. Apparently (shaky gasp), Mom is dead. At least she's with Dad now…I've never felt more alone."
Holotape 9 – January 18th, 2286 – Diamond City
"Hmm, it's been a while since I just spoke to one of these things. Feels kind of weird (laughs). I think I should record this though…I don't know why, but it feels like I should. Like Mom or Dad might be listening to these things or something…I don't know. Before I get to corny though, I just thought I would say that things are finally starting to look up.
"I met this…man. He's a synth - I guess - but an early gen model. He scared me the first time I saw him. His eyes glow gold and he looks like he's gone to hell and back. Apparently, he's some kind of detective. I had heard of Valentines Detective Agency before, but I was never sure of what to make of those signs. They looked like they led to some kind of…strip joint. I wasn't sure if "Detective Agency" was some kind of innuendo for checking people out! I know it seems silly now, but the heart on the sign didn't help!
"Either way though, he came into the Inn the other night and asked the brothers if they knew of anyone who was looking for work. They pointed to me. I'm being interviewed by him today and gosh I'm nervous. I've been looking for work for months…What do you think Mom and Dad (laughs with a soft sigh)? Maybe this could be the start of my future…"