1
"Get the hell out of the way.", Doc Sun called out. Two of Diamond City's finest carried their comrade into the Mega Surgery Center.
"Goddamn mutants, Doc. They/", the casualty proceeded to mumble as the doctor clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Step one - shut up and breathe. It's just your leg. Step two - one of you get over to Chem-I-Care and tell Solomon to bring everything that isn't going to the gate guard over here. Step three - strap him down. I need to drum-set the drum be-drum I can drum-PACK the in-drum", the physician tried to get out before he couldn't be heard anymore.
He stepped out from the makeshift medical center. Looking up, he could see the source of overpowering noise. A verti-bird, now emblazened with a Minutemen musket and lightning logo hovered over the market place. A COFFEE TIN fell from the vehicle.
Solomon came running up with his arms full. The Diamond City Security officer broke away from him to retrieve the metal container. Inside was a note. He read it aloud as the verti-bird soared away. Well, flew as best it could through pot shots of laser fire.
"This is Acting Mayor Geneva/"
"What's she want us to do?", the other security officer asked.
"Are the Minutemen going to be able to save us?", Polly interrupted.
Myrna started in. "I never did trust them Minutemen and now they're in bed with the synths."
"Everyone just shut up.", the first officer yelled. "Geneva says to tear apart the speakin' platform so they can land that the Minutemen can land that verti-bird inside the wall. So that means you, you and you are comin' with me and everyone else I find along the way."
2
The verti-bird hovered a few feet off the ground, trying it's best not to have a propeller blade come into contact with the Great Green Protector. It nearly lurched before settling on the ground amidst a pile of wood. The mounted gun swung out of the way to make room for the General.
"Who's in charge here?", she called out.
"Am I glad to see you.", the Diamond City security man told her.
"I said, who is in charge here.", the commander repeated.
"Uh, Mayor McDonough. Ma'am.", he answered. "Isn't he with you."
"I meant on the ground.", she clarified.
"uh...", the man stammered.
And then the tide broke. The citizens of Diamond City had come out en masse to where the verti-bird landed, having abandoned their stores and apartment to seek their salvation. And now that there own security showed weakness, they wanted to fall upon the General. A little more pressing, the verti-bird would be overrun by panicked civilians.
The General had seen it happen before. In the great big Before.
And then she was saved. Piper stepped out from the verti-bird. "Piper Wright, Public Occurences! The people want answers, General."
The crowd looked to Piper. If she was getting answers, they would take them. This also allowed the General to talk directly to one person and not try to control the myriad of moods that could turn the crowd into a mob. And given that Piper was a newspaper reporter, the people had already been conditioned to wait for the answers and analysis she provided.
"I will give you a personal interview to explain everything!", the General said. "Give me half a minute with this man here, and I'll accompany you to your offices. Provided you make all the information you have available to the populace as soon as possible."
Piper's smile nearly showed at the General passing the buck of holding back the mob to her while changing their demand to something she was going to do anyway. "You have my word, General."
She spun to the Diamond City security officer. "There's RAZORGRAIN and PURIFIED WATER on board that chopper. You and your men unload it and get it to your offices. In order to not disrupt the economy of Diamond City, it's only to be disbursed to keep good order. That means your men last, children first, and well after merchant supplies run out. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am. But where's/"
"Read the next edition of Publick Occurences. And make sure no one touches my verti-bird! The pilot has orders to take off without me if anyone compromises the aircraft.
"Alright, Ms. Wright. You have my undivided attention."
And with that, she cut through the already thinning crowd.
3
"So you do have a plan, right?", Piper asked. "You didn't just fly me in so that I could die along side my sister."
"Of course I didn't.", the General stated. "If I want a Diamond City to even exist after this, I'm going to have to keep these people calm. And in a siege, that means assuring them of supplies, information and an end.
"While I can't run an evacuation with one verti-bird, and I don't really have a place to evacuate them to if I wanted to, I can take the edge off the supplies issue. And motor pool has told me that they were already working on getting another one on line.
"Why I actually allowed you back was to keep these people informed. The read they're going to be looking for is whether or not I have this well in hand or not. And if I don't they'll burn the place down. But you've seen what the Minutemen have built up. Tell them. I just don't want particular details broadcast over Diamond City Radio. Super mutants aren't exactly educated, but they do know that the words coming out of radios mean something.
"And I do promise you this - I will end this siege. In my head, I'm thinking by weeks end. But I need to re-assess what I saw from the air and figure out the best placement of our forces. I'm not going to sacrifice my men willy-nilly just to break this siege as fast as possible when I can figure out a right way to do it that's slower and saves lives."
Nat spoke up. "So when are we going to print?"
"Right now.", Piper told her. "Fire up the mimeograph. I have a paper to publish."
"And I have a flight to catch.", the General responded. The woman darted out of the publishing office without so much as a peck on the cheek.
