"Up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's the moon: so you know Three-Dog is howling."
"Warlord of the times, the General, is on a rampage. Her and her thugs just destroyed all of Arefu - to the man, woman, and child. Which of the towns that she has taken hostage is next. Yours? This ole dog knows when to jump the fence when he sees it.
"In kindly, little old lady news - Agatha's station will not have anything original to play. Another casualty of Minutemen aggression, the innocent woman was last seen alive before Minutemen came to her house and killed her. With her body missing, I suppose we're meant to be kept guessing. But no one ever accused raiders like the Minutemen of smarts."
The General glared at the radio. She turned back to Abraham Washington. "I had wanted to explain exactly what was required of you if you agreed to take the job of Rivet City's sheriff. We'd go over the farming on deck, the water purification, the command structure - the whole nine yards. But now you're one of four or five number one priorities I have on my plate."
"What are the others?", the old man asked.
The woman rolled her eyes. "Well, it's just been brought to my attention that a place called Little Lamplight exists. There are a group of children of unknown number that have no adults to take care of them in this world but are on a shoot first because who wouldn't survival strategy. I have to get them food, water, adequate shelter, and an education before something even more terrible happens to them. And not get anyone killed in the process.
"I need to find out what really happened in Arefu. And then figure out how to make certain that it never happens again to anyone else.
"Which created my other, other problem: the vampires."
The old man shook his head. "Vampires?"
The woman let out a sigh. "Well, you know how there's not zombies but ghouls, and not Frakensteins but super mutants, not a Loch Ness Monster but plenty of those to go around? Arefu was protected by a nest of vampires in exchange for blood. I don't...didn't believe in vampires. But I have met some blend into shadow, live away from the sunlight, make exchanges of violence for blood people. So now I have to protect everyone from vampires. Hence, the additional type II synths that don't have blood armed with lasers that should have gone to the Marines to fight the Brotherhood patrolling communities and settlements. But what if vampires don't show up on sensors? So I have them commanded by 'mortals' from the Minutemen. What powers do they have? Can they be starved of blood? How do they make more of themselves.
"That reminds me. Your people live inside. Make sure that absolutely everyone, including the Minutemen, are taken up to the deck for direct sunlight exposure every single day. I don't want to not know if anyone is turned or just a spy with some 'wear the mask of the dead' power. Anyone that doesn't go needs to be imprisoned with more than one living guard watching them, no matter how many synths they have for back up, just in case of any 'look into my eyes and obey' type of ability."
The old man looked confused. "But how would they even get in here?"
The General gave him a most desperate shrug. "Shapeshifting into mist, a bat, bats, vermin? Walking unseen, stepping out of the shadows, passing through locked doors, someone looking into a mirror and speaking their name three times? I don't know! Maybe I'm being paranoid and the running water that surrounds this place keeps them from crossing."
She turned and pointed at the radio, as if the radio cared. "But that instigating piece of...Before, maybe - maybe, I could have solved this by talking to Vance. But his mouth just kept me from betting on diplomacy instead of precaution. And taking anti-vampire precautions makes us look guilty, so he has to take his revenge - whether because of internal politics, or because some aspect of the 'vampiric curse' is abiding by binding promises but not in my favor."
"So you're going to take Three-Dog off the air. Permanently.", Abrahamn assessed.
"Oh, I wish.", the General told him. "But the constitution specifically protects freedom of expression. And he hasn't done so much as issued his own threat. But I will put a leash on him, and before he causes any more damage."
