Whitechapel Charlie increased the volume on his speakers. "Alright, you louts! Settle down now. The right honorable's 'bout to speak his piece."
The drifters and Watchmen and...well, riff-raff really, that attended the third rail grudgingly settled down. After all, their mayor was the only one scheduled for a radio appearance during the opening ceremonies.
"Back with you after the excitement is me, Travis 'Lonely' Miles of Diamond City Radio. Bringing you the night's festivities with me is Radio Freedom, Minuteman Radio."
"Hello."
"And strutting to the state now is Mayor John Hancock of Goodneighbor. Not a city with the most savory reputation but hard to deny is one of the largest communities in the Commonwealth. The expressions of the representatives from Diamond City are backing that as hard as polite society will allow. On the other hand, the Institute's representative has been hidden behind a CLEAN ROOM SUIT and a gaggle of synths from the start, so who knows what their reaction is. And now Hancock has stopped preening and is about to begin."
"Look at everybody that came out. We actually might make a go of it.
"And we need to. There's a lot of people relying on us to make good.
"Because there's a simple concept that I think a lot of us have forgotten. And that's driven a lot of people into the ground. Whether it's the Institute playing the boogeyman on everyone else or Diamond City chasing everyone up to the Slog. Any government has to be 'For the people, of the people'."
The entire bar raised their glasses. "Huzzah!"
The radio continued.
"Let me hear you say it: 'For the people, of the people'."
*a murmuring that may have been those words*
"Because there is only the people. Without them, there's no city. No town. No nothin'. And if you think you can set yourself up as 'in charge' and not be looking out for them, you're only looking out for yourself. No better than a common raider. And when you press down, the people are going to be there to rise up and press right back. And you don't want to find out the hard way. I know my *ahem* predecessor didn't like it - at all.
"But fortunately for the people, we're here to make a government that speaks up for them. The people are gonna have their rights defended. The people are gonna have people speakin' for them.
"Like this one drifter who walked into the mayor's office in Goodneighbor. The Watchmen are ready to drill him. My bodyguard's looking at him like he's lunch. But I says not to touch him. You know why? He's the people. He's the reason there's government at all. Doesn't matter if he's got a cap to his name or if he moisturizes. He's one of us - the people. Same voice as anyone of us right here.
"And thanks to the General, I get to go back to Goodneighbor and look him in the eye. Diamond City and the big bad Institute itself sat right down with me and said: you go the right to walk down the street without lookin' over your shoulder. Vault 81 came up out of their hole and said: you and me, we got a right to a home. Atom Cats came to say you got a right to strut your stuff. And can't nobody take that away.
"So lets hear it. For the people!"
*and the crowd answered back*
"Of the people!"
*and the crowd answered back*
"Now I gots a real treat for the people tonight. Some said they didn't think they'd live to see the day. Some said they'd die if it happened. Well, I'm callin' their bluff.
"Because right behind me. I got the show stopper herself."
"Travis here. I didn't believe it. I heard the rumors from my sources, but I didn't believe it!"
"Magnolia, please come to the stage!"
*applause breaks out*
"The crowd is wild. Even Radio Freedom has some color in his cheeks."
"Well..., Ms. Magnolia lives up to the legend, it appears."
"And a legend matching appearance it is. Strolling right out from the wall of the Castle in a shimmering RED DRESS like something out of classical mythology. The crowd is deafening. Even the Institute's synths are clapping. Folks at home, on the range, or wherever you are tonight: there seems to be one thing we can all agree on. And that's/"
"I'm sorry, gentlemen. But something tells me that they want to hear a song, so pardon me while I take the signal - will you? Radio Freedom and Travis 'Lonely' Miles everybody. Don't know what they call him 'Lonely' - he doesn't have a face for radio, if you know what I mean. Now let's see if I can get everyone in a mood. To cooperate, if you couldn't tell."
