Silver Lining

Routine Maintenance

Friday, September 24th, 2077

"No, officer." Kent heard Buster say as he walked in from his bedroom. Kent Connolly looked like he had just risen from the dead, and he felt that way as well. He hadn't been getting much sleep since the Friday before, and he knew the reason. He tried denying it, even when his brother chided him and when it distracted him so much from his job, he nearly severed his thumb fixing a tenant's garbage disposal. It took a moment for Kent to realize Buster was on the phone.

Buster Connolly didn't seem too thrilled with this conversation. Kent decided to let Buster finish and went to make himself some breakfast. Kent could see that Buster had been interrupted in the middle of eating, because his bowl was still full of the now soggy Sugar Bombs and his coffee was barely touched. The newspaper was unrolled, but not to any page in particular. Kent made himself a bowl of cereal and sat in his usual spot. He didn't like to, but Buster's conversation sounded too good to miss.

"Yes, I understand she's my cousin, but I'm not coming down there to get her…no, it's not that I don't have the money to bail her out, it's just that the family had decided long ago that if she wasn't going to get her act together, we weren't going to waste money helping her anymore. She can sit in that cell and think about what she's done like a big girl…no, I don't know any Nicole Connell. I can see how easy it was for her to take the car, though." Buster looked over and noticed Kent was at the kitchen table, listening. "No, no, don't send her to my place when she gets out, officer. She wants to pal around with that low-life boyfriend that keeps getting her into trouble, let her go home to him. I think he lives somewhere in Lexington."

After a few more affirmative grunts, Buster hung up the phone. Buster shook his head and sat back down at the kitchen table. "Cousin Nicole got caught again, didn't she?" Kent asked, dipping his spoon into his cereal bowl. If Kent was the black sheep of the Connolly family, then Nicole was the wolf in black sheep's clothing. Kent remembered playing with Nicole when he was a kid, because they were so close in age, but when they became teenagers, Nicole just went wild. She left Boston after just barely graduating high school and traveled around the country. Kent would have been jealous of that freedom if it wasn't spent committing crimes all over this great land. She had been arrested for everything from shoplifting to setting an ex-boyfriend's house on fire in Topeka.

Buster grunted. "Yeah, and to add insult to injury, they spelled her name wrong on the police report again. They spelled it C-O-N-N-E-L-L-Y."

There had been many instances in the Connolly Brothers' lives where their last name was spelled wrong. It was an honest mistake, but it bothered Buster more than it bothered Kent. It was probably because Buster was a journalist and he prided himself in being grammatically perfect. If he had to do it, then at least the world could too, even if they weren't being paid to do so.

Shrugging, Buster picked his newspaper back up after giving up on his cereal. Kent could tell something else was bothering Buster besides their cousin being arrested again. Over the last few days, things had started to change for the Connolly Brothers. Kent wasn't sure if he was comfortable with it or not. Buster didn't seem to adjust being put on the sports desk at work, but he tried to think about the positives of such a job. While free tickets to the ball games were enticing to both of them, Buster didn't think it was the meaty kind of reporting he wanted to do. Anyone who was anyone in Boston read the sports page, but that wasn't the type of reporting Buster wanted to get into when he was in college.

While Buster was busy trying to get used to the sports desk, Kent was doing everything he could to not think about the new clerk at Hubris Comics. Hannah Howard, the comic book loving, Silver Shroud adoring, and just overall lovely girl that ran off with Kent's heart the moment she picked up his hat off the sidewalk, when everyone else would have stepped on it and kicked Kent in the rear when he bent down to get it. Hannah Howard; her name sounded like the secret identity to some super heroine or the love interest of one. She could be the Mistress of Mystery to Kent's Silver Shroud.

Then he thought about how ridiculous that sounded in his head and went back to eating his cereal. A pretty, All-American girl like her would never go for a schmuck like Kent Connolly. Kent Connolly, building maintenance man, comic collector, and…that's it. Kent had never truly been on a date. He didn't count the times his mom or Buster set him up with someone. Those always ended in disaster. He either started to stutter due to his nervousness, or he bored the lady with comic book and holotape game talk. Kent resigned himself to never finding the Mistress of Mystery to his Silver Shroud.

Buster got up after a while and put his dishes in the sink. Kent was busy eating his cereal and reading the funnies, a part of the newspaper that Buster detested. Kent's day wasn't going to be too busy. He had some work around the apartment building to do, like making sure the boiler in the basement was in working order for the upcoming cold weather and a few minor repairs in some of the apartments. He decided to get to the boiler first and get it out of the way.

"Oh, Kenny, before I forget, you got a call last night." Buster said, washing out his bowl. "I meant to tell you, but I fell asleep before you came in."

Kent sighed. "Y-yeah, I got stuck upstairs trying to fix Mrs. Glass's oven. It died on her again. I fixed it as b-best I could last Friday, but it needs a part that can only be mail-ordered from General Atomics. I told her I'd have the building manager order it and install it when it gets here. She said she was okay with waiting, but I don't know how long they can eat take-out before they go crazy."

Buster laughed, seeing as he and Kent mostly subsisted on take-out and frozen dinners. They had menus to various take-out places stuck to the side of their refrigerator with magnets and Buster considered taking a few upstairs to Mrs. Glass. But he knew she liked to cook at home, and was a damn good cook judging by all the leftovers and cookies she gave the Connolly Brothers over the years. As much as she cooked and baked like any All-American housewife did, Buster wasn't surprised to hear the oven finally gave. She probably cooked and baked as a coping mechanism for Mr. Glass always working. Buster shrugged; some women turn to whiskey, some turn to younger lovers, but Mrs. Cheryl Glass turned to baking (and the occasional expensive shopping spree) to combat loneliness.

"The call was from Hubris Comics." Buster finally blurted out. Kent nearly choked on his cereal. "Your issue of 'The Unstoppables' finally came in."

Of all the things he didn't want to hear, Buster just said it. Kent had been fighting the urge to go to Hubris Comics all week and it was hard. He couldn't get himself to face Hannah, despite only really speaking to her once. But he had been waiting for this issue of The Unstoppables for a while now. But he had a lot to do around the building and if he didn't do it, he'd have no money and have to keep asking Buster for some. Kent sighed, fought his urge to ask Buster to take the bus with him, and decided to get to work.

When Buster left for work, Kent decided to go ahead and get started on his work load. It wasn't a lot to do on the maintenance sheet, but the things that needed fixing would take him most of the day. He hoped he'd be done in time to listen to The Silver Shroud that night. Last week's episode was still fresh in Kent's mind and he was nervous over who this person shadowing the Shroud was. Mayor Murphy was murdered by ruffians and now someone else was coming on the scene. He hoped it was the Mistress of Mystery. There was a rumor that she was coming back to the show.

Kent thought about this as he left the building manager's office with the list of things to be done. Another thing about the Friday before resonated with Kent as well. His brother told him the world was in denial and there was evidence of it everywhere. Buster wasn't allowed to work on the Roxbury story anymore, despite his constant insistence over the phone to his editor to let him keep running the story. Kent held up his clipboard while walking into the lobby of his apartment building. He could see Buster's reasoning; cars still zoomed past outside despite oil and coolant prices being absurd, people walked down the sidewalk in fresh tailored suits or freshly laundered dresses and brand new shiny shoes, domestic robots followed their child charges to school and one was even walking a dog.

The apartment building they stayed in was an older building, but looked very modern on the inside. It had about nine floors, with Kent and Buster's apartment on the third floor and the Glass Family living on the top floor in one of the bigger, nicer apartments. Of course, for whatever reason, the massive boiler in the basement appeared to have been there since the American Revolution because it was the oldest thing in the building and needed constant maintenance. Kent hated that boiler and was happy that it was only in need of a fine tuning. The building was ready for the cold weather. He made yet another memo on his sheet that the boiler needed to be replaced with something more modern before it blew up the entire building.

Kent left the basement, wondering why the heating in the building was so archaic compared to everything else when he almost ran into Mrs. Glass. He looked up from his clipboard and smiled at her. He still hadn't gotten a haircut and the disapproval on Mrs. Glass's face was pretty clear, though she didn't say anything. "Oh, sorry Mrs. Glass. I w-was just finishing up with the b-b-boiler."

Mrs. Glass smiled. At that moment, Kent looked down and noticed little Marlene standing by her mother. Marlene was about seven, had blonde hair like her mother that she kept back in two little barrettes, but had her father's serious looking eyes. Marlene was a cheerful little girl, despite the tension Kent could feel going on in her family. Kent looked at his wrist watch, noticing the time.

"Marlene isn't feeling well, so I'm taking her to the doctor." said Mrs. Glass, looking at her own wrist watch. "I'm sure it's just that cold that's going around, but better safe than sorry."

"Mommy says she'll get me ice cream if I'm good and don't scream at the doctor again." Marlene fluted, with a grin. "Mr. Connolly, can you come up later and have a look at Buttercup?"

Kent blinked. Mr. Glass worked at Wilson Atomatoys, the company that made the popular "Giddyup Buttercup" toys. So, of course, Marlene had a complete set. They came in all sizes: tiny collectable ones kids could take anywhere, medium sized ones for just play, and of course the big ones that were about the size of a full grown Great Dane, but build strong enough to hold an adult man on its back. It was marketed as "the ultimate in equestrian robotics", though Kent never saw what was so robotic about it. It made sounds, the big ones moved a little bit, and that's it. He hated its stare; cold and lifeless.

"I'm n-not a vet, Marlene." Kent joked, though he was bad at jokes. It seemed to amuse Marlene, though.

"Buttercup isn't bouncing right. I think one of her legs is broken. Mommy said you were good with stuff like that, and I don't want Buttercup to be sick, too! She's a special horsey and can't go to a regular horse doctor!" Marlene looked like she was about to cry, worrying about that metal pony toy.

Kent smiled. He was comfortable around Marlene. Maybe because, unlike the adults, kids never expected too much of him. "Alright, I'll have a quick l-look tonight, Marlene. Just have your m-mom bring it to my apartment after you all get home."

Marlene beamed and hugged Kent. Kent looked nervously at the child, but patted her head anyway. Marlene let go of Kent's waist and ran to the lobby doors. Mrs. Glass smiled too. "Thank you for humoring her, Kent. I think one of its back legs is busted, and Arlen has been so busy at work he hasn't had time to fix it. I know the building manager has you busy getting the building ready for winter today, so I'll just drop it off tonight and you can fix it sometime this weekend."

Kent nodded with a smile. "A-anything for Marlene. She's a good kid." Kent waved to Mrs. Glass and Marlene as they left. Kent watched them walk out of the building and into the day. He was amazed at how fast they blended into the crowd along the sidewalk. Kent wished he could do that without having a panic attack.

While up in one of the fancier apartments on the fifth floor, Kent attempted to once again coax Mrs. Gladstone's cat out of the vent. This wasn't part of his normal maintenance rounds, but the building manager told him to do it anyway just to keep the old woman from blowing up his phone. Mrs. Gladstone's apartment was odd, and that was an understatement. Everything had a specific order and if one ancient fashion magazine was out of order, she'd start her little rants. Kent made the mistake of bumping into an already cracked vase in the living room. He caught it before it could fall and break, but Mrs. Gladstone made him stay an hour longer than he needed to just to put it back "just right". She claimed it was one of a kind, but Kent could swear he saw the same vase on sale at a department store not too long ago.

Today, Mrs. Gladstone's daughter was there for her annual visit and Kent felt guilty for listening in on their conversation. The woman took one look at Kent, on his knees trying to fix the vent that didn't need to be fixed and trying to fish out Mrs. Gladstone's cat…again.

"Mother, this has gone on long enough." Mrs. Gladstone's daughter said, before taking a sip of coffee. "I know you like living here and I loved growing up in this building, but you're not well. For Pete's sake, you're making the poor maintenance man fish out your ill-mannered cat from the vent!"

"Oh, Kenny loves helping me with Fluffy. He earns his treats." Mrs. Gladstone fluted, her own hands shaking as she poured more coffee than she needed. "And Fluffy isn't ill-mannered! She loves Kenny."

That wasn't even close to the truth in Kent's mind. Mrs. Gladstone's cat was the most ill-mannered little monster in the entire building, and that included the horrid screeching parakeet on the second floor that got loose in the building and terrorized everyone for months. Fluffy scratched at Kent even when Kent wasn't trying to get her unstuck from something. He wondered if Hannah liked cats. If so, she'd probably be better with them than Kent was. Hannah looked like she could handle anything.

Kent shook himself from this thought when Fluffy hissed at him while swiping her sharp claws at his hand.

"Mother, I won't hear any more of this. You haven't left this apartment since Pop died and we think it's starting to affect your mind. I know you don't want to move in with us, but you need to be somewhere where you can be looked after by professionals and so your cat won't torture the poor maintenance man. Ronnie and I decided to put you up at Sandy Coves Convalescent Home." Mrs. Gladstone's daughter seemed quite pleased with her announcement.

"I won't have you take Fluffy from me and put me in a home!" Mrs. Gladstone shouted,

"They allow pets and you can take Fluffy with you. Lord knows why you'd want to. This way, you'll be taken care of, and you're only a bus ride away from us."

"You lazy thing! Can't even be bothered to take a ride into Cambridge to see your poor old mother! I don't want any strangers looking after me or my Fluffy!"

"It'd be best for you and us. The kids can come visit whenever they want and if you need us, we're not even a few minutes away. And it's completely state of the art! The staff is almost completely robots so they'll be on call day or night. You'll never have to worry about waiting until morning to have someone come and save Fluffy from the vent."

At that moment, a hissing sound caught their attention. They looked over at Kent who panicked and stood up as Fluffy came running out of the vent. Kent closed the vent and looked at his hand. It was only a scratch, but it hurt like Hell. Kent wrote up the report and left as Mrs. Gladstone conceded to her daughter's wishes. Kent knew the building manager wouldn't mind giving back her deposit. He would probably throw a going away party for all Kent knew.

After a few more rounds, Kent finally made it back to his apartment at a quarter to five. He almost went the entire day not thinking about Hannah Howard or Hubris Comics or anything. He hadn't left the apartment building all day and though he was smiling, he didn't feel proud of himself. Kent felt, even though he did everything on his list and got paid afterward, he felt like he had wasted the day. The sun was setting and it seemed that everyone else was either going home to dinner or getting ready to go out. Kent turned on the radio just to have some sound in the apartment.

The world is in denial. Kent thought, resting his head on the windowsill and staring down at the sidewalk below. So many bad things happening and no one seems to mind. I wish I could feel that free. I'd love to just hop on down the street without a care in the world. I wonder how other people do it. I shouldn't stay here in this apartment tonight. I'd hate to miss The Silver Shroud, but there is a world out there I could be a part of. But…that'd mean accepting this denial as well. Maybe they aren't in denial like Buster says. Maybe they worry as much as anyone and they've just decided to cope with it. Yeah, that has to be it. No one can ignore things like the massive shortages in Roxbury and just walk down the street to the grocers with a clear conscious. The world isn't that crazy. I can't keep doing this. Kent Connolly, you have to stop this! Do something different! So what if someone new has thrown a monkey wrench into your plans! If your brother can handle the change of being put on a new desk at work, you can handle a girl at the comic book store! A pretty girl…named Hannah Howard…

At that moment, the phone rang. Kent stood up, but was scared to answer it. What if it was Hubris Comics, reminding him to come get his order? What if it was Hannah calling on behalf of Hubris Comics saying his order was ready? What if it was Mrs. Gladstone about that damn cat again? Kent hesitated, but reached for the phone anyway. He turned down the radio with one hand and picked up the receiver with the other. He swallowed. "H-h-hello? Connolly residence." He stuttered.

"Hey, Kenny, it's Buster." said the voice on the other end. It was indeed Buster. "Listen, I'm going to be working on this assignment after hours, so I won't be home until super late."

This thought made Kent shiver. He hated it when Buster worked late because it disrupted everything. "Y-y-you're working l-l-late?" Kent asked, his hand shaking.

Buster sighed on the other end. "Yeah, I know you don't like being in the apartment by yourself for long, but I have to get this on the editor's desk before I leave. Look, I'll only be a few hours more, and I'll take the late bus home. If I'm not home before the Silver Shroud comes on, just head on to bed. Don't wait up for me. There is some Salisbury steak in the fridge if you want to heat that up for dinner. Or order up something from one of those menus we have piling up on the fridge. Did you get paid today?"

"Yep, I did. I d-d-did all my maintenance work today. I got a little extra when I told the building manager that Mrs. Gladstone was moving out. He popped open a bottle of whiskey and started doing a jig right there on his desk. I left b-b-before he asked me to join him." Kent tried to sound gleeful when he said that.

"Alright! We should celebrate! No more Mrs. Gladstone and her nutty cat calling at all hours of the night. Listen, tomorrow we'll go to that barbeque place at Revere Beach that you like. We'll have some burgers, watch the last of the summer tourists leave, we'll get out of the city for the day. My treat. I think we both need it." Buster made a sipping sound, as if he was drinking from a coffee mug.

Kent instantly felt better. Not just because he really liked the burgers at the little barbeque hut by the beach, but because he was spending it with Buster. Kent knew as long as he had Buster, things would be fine and he wouldn't have to worry. "I'd r-really like that, Buster." Kent murmured, finally relaxing in the chair Buster normally sat in beside the couch.

After a little more conversation, Kent hung up the phone. Buster did all these things for him and Kent couldn't even begin to repay him. Kent knew Buster worried about him. Buster was always worrying about his little brother and Kent was grateful for it. But Kent also knew that Buster would want him to be a little more self-sufficient. Tonight, Kent wasn't going to just eat frozen steak for dinner. Tonight, Kent was going to take a few more steps into self-sufficiency. He didn't want to rely on Buster forever. Buster had his own life to live.

Putting on his coat and hat, Kent opened his door just as Mrs. Glass was about to knock. "Oh, h-h-hello again, Mrs. Glass." Kent stammered, moving out of the way so Mrs. Glass could come in. She was carrying Marlene's Giddyup Buttercup, which was surprisingly lightweight for something that was supposed to be robotic. Kent figured Mr. Glass had it made especially for Marlene, so it was probably missing all the unnecessary parts that made the toy well overpriced.

Mrs. Glass looked around the apartment and nodded, placing the toy in the middle of the living room in front of the couch. Her apartment was more spacious, so of course she had to size up how the Connolly Brothers lived. "I thought I'd go ahead and drop off Marlene's toy tonight before I forget. Arlen is actually on his way home right now and when he gets home, we're going out to dinner as a family for the first time in ages!"

Kent smiled. "I'm happy to hear that, Mrs. Glass. Is Marlene feeling okay?"

Mrs. Glass nodded. "Oh yes, it was just a little cold. They gave her some medicine and she should be over it in a few days. She'll be well enough to go to school on Monday. Well, have a good night, Kent! Tell Buster I said hello!" And she almost skipped down the hall toward the elevator. Kent closed his apartment door and stared at the yellow horse toy sitting in the middle of the living room. Its creepy stare made Kent turn on all the lights in the apartment. When that didn't alleviate the creepiness, he put an open magazine on its face. He felt better, but not by much.

Nodding to himself, Kent decided that he's not going to stay in the apartment with that…thing staring at him. It was some sort of sign. He looked out the window one more time and saw the sky. The sun was setting and if he was actually going to leave and get something to eat himself, he needed to do it soon. At night, the crazies came out.

He took the first steps out of his apartment and went down the elevator. He was wearing his coat over a the t-shirt he wore to do his maintenance rounds that day, but he figured since he was just going down the block to pick up some take-out, no one would care too much. As long as he didn't run into the Glass Family.

He didn't, but he arrived downstairs as they were getting into their car outside the lobby. Arlen Glass was a tall man, taller than Kent, and looked much older than his wife and daughter. He had some crow's feet around his eyes, but he was probably no older than forty. His hair was greying, but Kent could swear Mr. Glass took on a more youthful appearance whenever he was around little Marlene. Kent had only talked to Mr. Glass a few times, but he seemed like a good man. He offered Kent a job at Wilson Atomatoys once due to his prowess with machines, but Kent turned him down. Mr. Glass told Kent that if he ever changed his mind, to come see him

Kent wasn't sure if Mr. Glass was joking or being serious. It was hard to tell. Kent was lost in this thought when he walked through the front door. He didn't see the girl he bumped into. Kent started to apologize and looked at who he bumped into. His mouth went dry and he started to hyperventilate.

Hannah Howard, today wearing a green dress of almost the same design as her blue one from last Friday, shook her dizziness away and looked at who bumped into her. She smiled. She seemed to be holding something under her arm. "Well, hello again!" she laughed. "I guess the guy I talked to this morning didn't rely my message when I called, but you never came to pick up your order and my boss got worried, so he told me to just drop it off at your place on my way home."

Kent swallowed and went to straighten his tie, when he realized he was only wearing a t-shirt and ratty jeans. "Oh, y-y-yeah, my brother, Buster. Yeah, I was b-b-busy all day." Kent tried to control his stammering but he knew she noticed. Hannah only smiled up at him. She didn't seem to care that he could barely find the words to speak to her or that he was so out of his comfort zone, he might as well have been on the moon. "I probably w-w-w-would have stopped by tomorrow after we got back from Revere Beach."

Hannah smiled. "I love going to Revere Beach! There's this little barbecue hut on the boardwalk that sells the best Nuka Floats!"

Kent perked up. "Right after you leave Revere Station? Yeah, th-th-they have these burgers that they grill almost to a crisp, but they taste great! My brother and I are going tomorrow, just to get out of the city for a few hours." Kent felt himself relax a bit.

"Hey, I didn't get a chance to ask you, but your brother wouldn't happen to be Buster Connolly, the reporter, would he?" Hannah looked at Kent curiously. When Kent nodded, she seemed to light up. "I read his article about the shortages in Roxbury. I used to live over there and it hurts to see the shortages effecting so many people I grew up with. I can't believe they had the nerve to stick such a great piece in the back by the opinions."

"Yeah, he was pretty mad about that. They told him they didn't w-want to cause a panic in the city, but he was so p-passionate about the story. They have him doing sports now, but he hates it. The only upside is that he gets free tickets to the games." Kent felt himself relax some more.

Hannah let out a little titter of laughter before remembering why she came out here in the first place. "Oh, right. Here is your order." She looked at her wrist watch and panicked. "Oh, I'd better hurry if I'm going to catch the bus home. It was great talking to you, Kent! I hope to see you around the shop more!" Hannah waved as she started running toward the nearest bus stop. She arrived just as the bus did and hurried on board. Kent had never taken the bus that late, so he didn't know where it was going or where she lived. But he still waved as the bus drove by him and he was happy to see she waved back.

Kent hugged his comic close, not caring if he bent the cover or not. Hannah Howard, clerk for Hubris Comics on Newbury, lover of Nuka Floats and reader of actual news and not that puff pieces in the front of the paper, came to his apartment for him. Granted, it was just to drop off a comic book, but she stayed to talk to him. He figured she got his address from the order slip, which he had to write down along with everything else when he placed his orders at the store.

"Hannah Howard…" he moaned. "She's a limited edition type of girl."

He realized he was standing there like a goofball and decided to go get some food. He felt a skip in his step as he rounded the corner. He stopped just short of a soldier in fatigues. Kent never thought he'd see a military checkpoint in the city, but decided not to get in their way. He took the long way to his destination.

When Kent arrived back at his apartment with food from the only Chinese place in Greater Boston that hadn't been vandalized by pro-American crazies, it was almost seven. Kent had to go the long way to avoid the back streets. He didn't just them, no matter how well-lit they were. He stayed to the main roads. He put his order and his comic on the kitchen table and looked around. Buster wasn't home yet. Kent swallowed by decided he wasn't going to think about it. It made him nervous, but there was going to be a time when Buster wasn't going to be able to look after him. Things were changing, and if Kent could walk to the Chinese place alone, then he could do other things, too.

Kent ate his dinner of noodles and some chicken dish he couldn't pronounce and decided to work on the Giddyup Buttercup while listening to the Silver Shroud. Kent grabbed his tools from the hall closet and sat on the floor of the living room. There was still some time before the show, but Kent liked having the radio on while he worked. He was amazed by how many advertisements there were on the radio. It was good grey noise for working, though.

Has your life taken a turn? Asked one advert after a catchy Nuka-Cola jingle went off. Do troubles beset you? Has fortune left you behind? If so, the Sierra Madre Casino, in all its glory, is inviting you to begin again. Come to a place where wealth, excitement and intrigue await around every corner. Stroll along the winding streets of our beautiful resort, make new friends, or rekindle old flames. Let your eyes take in the luxurious expanse of the open desert under clear star-lit skies.

Kent thought it was strange that they were advertising a resort in the Southwest here in Boston. He heard some of the patrons of the nicer apartments talk about it during some of his maintenance rounds, but figured he and Buster could never afford to go there. If Kent didn't know any better, he could have sworn that sultry voice in the advert was actress Vera Keyes. She was something of a famous actress, but most of her poorly written and awkwardly acted movies got bad reviews despite big box office earnings. Kent wasn't much of a romance guy, anyway. He wondered what kind of movies Hannah liked as he unscrewed the pony doll's head.

So if life's worries have weighed you down, if you need an escape from your troubles, or if you just need an opportunity to begin again, join us, let go, and leave the world behind at the Sierra Madre grand opening this October... We'll be waiting. The advert made a little jingle and then the Galaxy News Radio promo played. Kent wondered if his parents out west heard the same advert. He only shrugged, turned up the radio and went back to work. He hoped Hannah got home in time to hear this episode. He felt a calm ease wash over him, as he leaned against the body of the toy horse. He wondered if she was thinking about how cheesy that advert for a casino in the desert was for a place like Boston and if she was just now sitting down to listen. He sighed longingly, realizing that fighting it was pointless now.

When evil walks the streets of Boston, one man lurks in the shadows. Shielding the innocent, judging the guilty. That guardian is The Silver Shroud! Today's Episode: The Mystery of Mayor Murphy…


Hi-hi, again!

I tell you, I get such a charge writing this story. I haven't had this much inspiration since I wrote "Reconstructing Humanity" over in the Portal area. Go check it out if you have time!

So, as you can tell, each chapter is going to take place on a Friday, all the way until the second to last chapter, which will kind of take place on Friday/Saturday, the day the bombs fell. What happens? If you're roaming around the Fallout area of Fanfiction, you should know already. What happens between now and then? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out, huh?

To get a feel for the areas I talked about, I played Fallout 4 in those areas. I found a mention of a Nicole Connelly in a police terminal, but I'm not sure if she's related to Kent, either. For the sake of the story, I made it so and that their last name is frequently misspelled. Roaming around some more, I found no evidence of any Chinese restaurants, and I figured if America was so anti-Communist during the pre-war era, anything even remotely Chinese would be seen as a threat. So, I imagine despite Chinese take-out places being pretty prevalent during the 50's (meaning in retro futuristic America, they'd be there, too), they'd probably be to target of vandalism and such by people poisoned by propaganda. In retrospect, I could have made him go to a deli, but I've never met a bachelor that didn't eat Chinese food at least three times a week lol.

I find a lot of military checkpoints or military vehicles while roaming the area. I imagine most citizens tried to ignore them and pretend they were just part of the scenery. Oh, if only they knew what was actually going on…

So, how did I do? Did I get something wrong in the lore? Did you enjoy it? Do you want to see more? Well, write me a review and tell me so! Tell me what you feel and if there is anything specific you'd like to read about.

So, let's do this thing, huh? Leave a review and let's keep this train going! (Whoo-whoo!)

Kent Connolly and Fallout belong the Bethesda.