Heart of Steel
Chapter 3: Friendship Heights Settlement
Daniel Roe and the others followed the raider named Aden up the staircase of the metro entrance. The other raiders still had their weapons trained on the initiates, two other raiders had gone down to pick up their weapons. The other initiates looked at Roe, and he felt their fear burn into him, causing him to pale considerably. He stood face-to-face with the female raider leader. The young man extended his hand in greeting and friendship, the female leader waited a few minutes before embracing Roe's hand in welcome. There was no smile on her face, she appraised them and resolved that their threat level was minimal.
"I am Boadicea, leader of Friendship Heights," she exclaimed, "you are welcomed here in our encampment as long as you make no trouble."
"Understood," replied Dan as the other nodded, he turned to see Alvarado pale more and nod his head back passing out in Schieber and J.R.'s arms, "our man really needs to be looked at."
Boadicea whistled, two more raiders came forward and motioned for Schieber and J.R. to pass them Alavrado. They were hesitant to hand him over, but Roe nodded and motioned for them to join the two raiders. Boadicea nodded allowing them both to walk with the raiders to the medical tent in the back of the outpost. The others Brotherhood of Steel initiates were lead into a large sitting area that was also the encampment kitchen. They sat at picnic tables, Zimm and Pop rested their heads on the table. Newton turned and cracked her back, while LaCroix took her helmet off and let her hair fall out. Roe sat down tentatively, scanning his surroundings more and more.
Boadicea sat down, Aden at her right hand and Roe at her left, as the other raiders returned to defense or their camp duties. They was silence for some time, the only noise was Aden's puff and chewing of his cigar.
"What do you have for trade," asked Boadicea.
"What is it you need," asked Newton, looking at Roe from the corner of her eye.
"We heard what you need, but we're asking what do you have for trade-stuffs," she said, her ice blue eyes shifting from the red head to Roe.
Roe turned his fellow initiates. They huddled together lowering their voice to a whisper.
"We've got very little," said Anna LaCroix, "I've got some more Cram, but not much else."
"Not to mention ammo," exclaimed Zachary Zimm, "we're dangerously low, maybe less than a clip each."
"It's a lot less than that," replied Hannah Newton.
"I'm completely out of ammo for my R91," interjected Roe, "how do you feel about these guys."
"I dunno," replied Lolli Pop, "they don't seem too trusting."
"Do you blame them," said LaCroix, "we came up from right under their feet into their home. The Brotherhood to them is just a more organized raider group."
"It's tough out here in the wastes," commented Newton.
"You can say that a million times, doesn't make it easier for any of us," exclaimed Zimm.
"I know that," rejoined Newton, "but we can make their lives easier, have the water lines reach them to make them more...stable?"
"That's a good idea," replied Roe, the others looked at the two and agreed with them, Dan turned to Boadicea.
"We do not have any trade-stuffs," answered Roe; the bald, female leader with ice blue eyes stood up from the table.
"We're done here, after your man is fixed, please leave our encampment," she said turning away from the initiates she just saved.
"Wait," shouted Roe, semi-standing from the table, "we have something to give you out of good faith."
Boadicea turned to look at Roe forcing him to sit back down in his seat with her gaze. She stepped back to the table and leaned against it with all her weight on her palms. Her bandolier hanging forward loosely to clank against the table. She looked Roe right in the eyes and nodded for him to continue.
"I'm sure you know about project purity," Dan said, knowing that the whole wasteland knew of the clean water coming from the Jefferson Memorial.
"We know of it," replied Boadicea.
"It's controlled by the Brotherhood," said Dan as he pointed to his insignia, a motion that made Boadicea feel unintelligent and frown, "we can get a caravan out here, to Friendship Heights, to supply clean, pure water for your encampment."
"How are we certain that the Aqua Pura will reach us," demanded Boadicea as she pointed to down on the table.
"The faster we get to the Citadel, the faster you'll get a shipment of Aqua Pura," said Roe as he shifted in his seat.
"Forgive me for not trusting you Brotherhood types so quickly," she sneered, "the only reason we're talking to you is because you got rid of those Enclave shits. Consider this the one favor for the Brotherhood of Steel."
"We won't disappoint you," said Roe, trying not to growl, "but we need some leeway here. If we're to get to the Citadel, than frankly we'll be in your debt. I know I'll recommend it, but we'll get you your Aqua Pura."
"I want a contract," replied Boadicea, "one that I can present to any Brotherhood lackey and they see that we do positive dealings with you Steel heads."
"I'll put my name, the name of our Paladin Commander, and our seal," said Roe, "but we're going to need your complete co-operation. That means we need ammo, food, and spare parts for repairs."
"We will spare what we can if you give us a contract with the Brotherhood," said Boadicea as she stuck out her hand.
All Roe did was nod and shake her hand. The initiates were welcomed to the camp, J.R. and Schieber joined them as there was small welcome party. There were half barrel grills that were used to feed the Friendship Heights community and the guests. The initiates went to bed on mattresses and woke early to revive their fallen comrade. They waited in the kitchen area before setting out on the path they were told to follow by Aden and a capacious individual named Gregor.
Roe walked out of the sitting area to the banister that was used as a settlement wall. The lithe character of Gregor wrapped in his rages and dirty storm catcher hat and Boadicea were in heated conversation. He approached the two of them, who turned silent and looked at the approaching man. Roe removed his helmet, his brown hair already a little damp from sweat.
"What's the hold up," he said, looking over the thin man whose dirty face hid his whiskers.
"Gregor needed to give you something," Boadicea said, motioning to her sickly companion.
With a high pitched, squeaky voice of uncertainty Gregor handed Roe several worn metro tickets, "when we visited some tunnels, we activated a Protectoron. It's been keeping the Farragut West Metro Station completely clean and operational."
"Sounds good," replied the young man as he pocketed the tickets.
"I don't think you get it," continued Gregor as he reached into Roe's pocket to grab the tickets, "the Protectoron is active and firing. It's killing anything without a metro ticket. IT is the ONLY way to pass IT!"
"So what do my people and I do," he asked calmly.
"The unit can't be harmed, it's helping keep the tunnels clean," squeaked Gregor holding a moldy ticket up, "when it asks you to present this, have your men take the tickets out. Then it won't harass you and your people."
"By harass you mean shoot?" Questioned Dan Roe as Gregor nodded.
Boadicea continued, "Gregor will lead you to the Farragut Metro West Station but not out of it. Aden will give you some tactical support down in the main entrance, with a few of my other men. It'll be a good haul from the ghoulies and maybe some radroach meat."
"Sounds good," replied Roe looking back at the sitting area where his team mates were eating a light breakfast and informing Alvarado about the plans, "we'll move out in an hour, can your men be reading then?"
"They're ready now," replied the raider leader, "but you still us something Steel head."
"I didn't forget," said Roe as he took some worn paper that had lost it's original ink from over two hundred years ago, "I hope you'll appreciate the language of this document."
Boadicea unfurled it and read it out load, "The Settlement of Friendship Heights is hereby recognized as a legitimate salvage camp under the leadership of Boadicea in the year 2279 by the Brotherhod of Steel, under the command of Elder Oywn Lyons, Paladin Bruce and the people of the Capital Wasteland. A caravan of Aqua Pura from Project Purity will be commissioned and shipped to this settlement as long as the citizens disavow raiding for salvaging. What the fuck is this Roe," she tossed the paper at him, "telling us how do out job?"
"I'm just saying, I can sell this," he replied earnestly as he flourished the paper in front of her, "you'll have complete right to salvage in the north end of the D.C. Ruins, that is a pretty good deal, not to mention safer than raiding trade caravans. Heck, you could even do legal trade with caravans."
"You may have a point, Steel head," she replied, "but frankly, I don't like being told what to do."
"Fine, do it, don't do it," said Roe nonchalant, "but if you don't do it, then the Brotherhood will investigate. It'll be better to be on our side than a problem we'll need to solve later."
Boadicea returned to her settlement, a sour look on her face. Dan returned to his team members and told them how there were to proceed from the tunnels to Farragut West Metro Station to the Anchorage Bridge and back to the Citadel. It would be a whole day of travel, under tunnels and across areas with some raider presence that were a less friendly than Friendship Heights.
"We need to get back, and get back in once piece," said Roe solemnly in his pep talk, "no more people left behind."
"I second that," said J.R. as he continued to smoke, passing one to Schieber who took it and lit up as well.
"Tight formations, watch ammo levels," continued Roe, stepping into his leadership role more, "we're almost home."
They began their descent into the tunnels again, with the assistance of Aden, Gregor and several raiders. They would not come out of the dank tunnels and metro ways until they were able to see the sun dying down on statue of the vitruvian man removing himself from the idea of perfection. There would be a few cars in the parked lot outside of Farragut Metro Station, but they would prove to be more of an assistance than an obstacle.