Fallout 4- A state of Decay- book 2 by J. N. Petersen
John Hancock stood beside the front door of the old Boston statehouse, looking out over the dreary, trash strewn remains of Scollay square thoughtfully as he took a drag off a stale, nearly three century old cigarette. Exhaling a cloud of smoke into the chilly morning air, he listened to the sound of familiar footsteps approaching from the alleyway to his left, marching toward him with purpose.
"Wha'did ya find out?" He asked as his daughter- Farenheight- came to a stop at the foot of the steps, never taking his stark black eyes off the view before him as the town- his town- began to wake for the day.
"Not much." She admitted boredly. "We managed to intercept the raider spy Bobbie had contracted inside the Massachusetts state house, but all we could get out of him is that she had hired him to get her hands on some pre war map of the old Boston tunnels..." As she spoke, she looked down idly to inspect the blood drying beneath her fingernails, using her thumbnail to scrape it away.
Vexed, Hancock nodded slowly as his suspicions were confirmed- local ghoul and notorious thief, Bobbie No-Nose, was up to something nefarious again. The news didn't surprise him- she was who she was- But, it did disappoint him; He had given her a chance despite her reputation, and allowed her to take refuge in his town under the condition that she play nice with the rest of the kids in the sandbox- A condition it didnt seem she was willing to hold to...
"Do you want us to take care of it?" The eager adolocent prompted hopefully, when he failed to provide further instruction- always excited for the chance to torch another deserving victim...He would have to disappoint her though, this time.
"Nah- lets wait and see what happens." He decided, tossing away the spent cigarette butt casually as he turned to face her freckled face at last. "I wanna know just what shes up to..."
Farenheight nodded curtly, having already guessed what his response would be- He and the Ghoul in question went way back, and she knew he couldnt make a call like that frivolously... The tall young redhead shifted her weight uncomfortably as she prepared to give him the rest of the news, knowing it would please him even less.
"Another thing... The men that Skinny Malone has holed up in those old warehouses here in town...Seems one of em tangled with a drifter, and left him bleeding out in the alley this morning with empty pockets."
Hancocks eyes tightened in response to her words as she spoke. Skinny malone- A small time wannabe gangster from back in Vic's day, who recently managed to muscle his way out of the neighborhood in search of his own set up after deciding he didnt like taking orders from a bunch of irradiated freaks... He should have done something about his outfit a long time ago- but like Bobbie No Nose, he was trying to give the smooth skinned bastard the benefit of the doubt...
Memories of a time long ago flashed before John's eyes, and as Farenheight watched, his weathered face hardened, and she knew there would be no more mercy for Skinny Malone's men- A hero of the downtrodden, her father would not tolerate such behavior inside his own walls. Just then, the small metal door that served as the entrance to the sleepy town opened, and both heads turned to watch as two young women timidly wandered inside, eyes nervously scanning the plaza as they entered.
"Looky what the cat dragged in..." Hancock murmured absently, eyeing the newcomers with interest- he recognized Piper Wright immediately- the overzealous reporters reputation in diamond city preceded her, though the term activist seemed like a more apt description of her chosen occupation, from his experience...Unlike her past visits to Goodneighbor though, this time, she was not alone- The woman following close behind her was unfamiliar to him, clad in one of those fancy spandex vault suits that the vault dwellers were all so fond of wearing. It hugged her curves as close as skin, making her stand out in the washed out, grey ruins that made up his little town.
Damn. He thought appreciatively, feeling his throat go dry and his ears heat as he eyed her up and down- had he ever seen hair so thick and long? A body so voluptuously healthy? Even beneath the layers of wasteland grime, her smooth, milky skin seemed to glow with youthful radiance...
It almost hurt to look at her.
"Nice vault suit- isnt that other one that journalist from Diamond city? You know, the one that wrote that paper on McDonough?" Farenhight asked idly as she eyed the girls almost predatorily... with a frown, Hancock remembered the article in question, titled "the synthetic truth"- since the morning he had read it, the accusations within the paper had unsettled him deeply, forcing him to think about his past, and many reasons for which he had ended up in Goodneighbor- reasons he'd rather forget...
Interrupting his thoughts- and his view- a stout man by the name of Finn Sawyer caught his attention as he exited KLEO's artillery shop in front of them, approaching the gate at a leisurely pace. Eyes narrowing shrewdly, Hancock watched the cocky man saunter toward the girls boldly, as if he owned the place.
cute.
"Hold up." He told her quickly, distracted by the events unfolding before them.
. . .
Nora and Piper opened the door slowly, peeking in cautiously before entering the small settlement built within the ruins of Bostons old red light district. As their eyes scanned the remnants of historic Scollay square, they noted that it was eerily quiet here- very few people seemed to be out, and those that were eyed them with unfriendly faces as they went about their personal business... To the left, boxing them into the little square, was the commonwealths ancient ancestral seat of power- the Boston Statehouse- and to their right, was an improvised junk wall separating Goodneighbor from the rest of the mutant ruled Fens. A small shadow shrouded alleyway between the statehouse and two improvised shop buildings built off of a row of old warehouses, was the only route available between them and their destination...
"I cant believe the Statehouse survived the Nuclear holocaust." Nora exclaimed in awe, shaking her head as she eyed the brick and wood built building incredulously; the ancient white paint had all but chipped away, exposing the splintered wooden planking beneath- but the structure still stood strong despite centuries of neglect and abuse. Apparently, they just didnt build things the way they did in eighteenth century new England anymore, she pondered thoughtfully as Piper took the lead.
"Keep an eye out- This isnt the kind of neighborhood you want to just stroll around in." The young reporter warned, keeping her voice low as they went, surveying their surroundings nervously. "Nothing here but Ghouls, Drifters and Junkies..."
Nora remembered the heavily corroded, scarred faces of the men she had seen in vault 114... Ghouls- The irradiated victims of the nuclear war that had somehow managed to survive the bomb, only to fall prey to the deadly radiation that plagued the atmosphere for decades after, making life above ground nearly impossible...at first, she had been shocked, and even revolted by their horrific, cadaver like appearance- but then, she remembered what Preston Garvey had told her back in Concord; They were still just people too...As if to back up Pipers statement, they were approached then by a lone roughian, who barred their way forward as they neared the half wall skirting the edge of the old cobblestone square.
leering at them predatorially, the tall, broad shouldered man took a long drag off a nearly depleted cigarette, before flicking it to the pavement by their feet.
"Well now, what do we have here?" He asked rhetorically, letting out a stale cloud of smoke as he sized them up, bloodshot blue eyes lingering boldly on Nora's breasts beneath the thin material of her vault suit. "New faces? You know, you cant just go wandering around a place like Goodneighbor without insurance..."
His threat was subtle, but Nora and Piper understood immediately- Quickly, the brave vault dweller looked around them to the faces of the few witnesses present within the small plaza, and decided to gamble, calling the man out on his bluff- if she showed weakness here, everyone would know they were easy targets, but if she stood her ground...
"Unless its 'keep dumb assholes away from me' insurance, im not interested." She challenged, raising her chin defiantly and forcing herself to make direct eye contact as her pulse began to race- Pipers eyes widened and she gave Nora a look that questioned her sanity, but the dauntless woman ignored her, refusing to break eye contact with their assailant... After a long moment, the man scoffed, the edges of his small, cracked lips twitching into an amused smirk as he shifted his weight between his feet, weighing out his options.
"Now dont be like that...I think your gonna like what i have on offer." He growled, stepping closer despite her confident façade. Beside her, Piper shrank back in fear, hands twiching for the butt of the 10 mm, tucked safely in her jacket. "You hand over everything you got in your pockets, or accidents start happenin' to ya- big, bloody accidents..."
This time, the threat was obvious.
"Whoah Whoah, time out!" A graveled voice interrupted somewhere behind him, diffusing the sudden tension. " Not cool Finn..."
Anxious, Nora and Piper peered behind the brawny man curiously as a new face approached, stalking toward them smoothly at a lazy pace. "Someone steps through that gate the first time, they're a guest- you lay off that extortion crap." He ordered firmly.
caught off guard, Nora starred, unsure what to make of the newcomer- He was tall and athletically built, with familiar, thin, scarred skin, similar to the men she had encountered working for Skinny Malone- A Ghoul- but, unlike the Ghoul's working for Skinny, this one had somehow managed to retain his nose, and carried himself with complete confidence, dressed loudly in a bright red colonial frock and cravat, complete with an American flag sash holding up his faded blue jeans, and a black tri-cornered hat adorning his dirty blonde head- Again, Nora got the perverse sense that she was traveling backward in time, rather than forward...
"What do you care?" The big man- Finn- responded insubordinately, disregarding the Ghoul's assumed authority. "She aint one of us."
Their unexpected savior cocked his scarred head to the side slowly, eyes gleaming dangerously beneath his strong, weathered brow- Watching close, Nora's insides tightened apprehensively in response- they were black as pitch from iris to cornea, ravaged by radiation like the rest of his burnt visage, burning black above his sharp, angular cheekbones. Beside her, Piper tensed.
"Whats with Paul Revere?" Nora inquired below her breath, reading the look of recognition in the reporters narrowed green eyes.
"Thats Mayor Hancock- my second least favorite politician in the commonwealth..." She confided quietly as they watched the scene unfolding before them, internally acknowledging the irony of her statement, given the current circumstances. Nora rolled her eyes at the name, unimpressed- it was obviously an alias, crafted to match his colonial Statesman persona and the surrounding local- A facade...But Why?
"Whats the matter, Finn?" The mayor asked casually, his textured voice full of faux disappointment. "No love for your mayor? I said, leave em' be."
Unperturbed, Finn scoffed as the smaller man reiterated the order. Spitting, he turned away from the girls to face the leader of Goodneighbor, irritated by his interference- Briefly, he considered his opponent, before taking his own gamble.
"Your getting soft, Hancock- You keep letting outsiders like these walk all over us, and one day there'll be a new mayor..." He threatened boldly, gaining the full attention of what few witnesses were present in the little square.
Unintimidated by the thinly veiled threat, the ghoul closed the distance between them casually, putting a friendly hand on Finn's shoulder as the other reached back discreetly beneath the folds of his frock to pull out a nondescript switchblade. Nora's eyes widened apprehensively as she realized what was about to happen, and her intake of air was audible as she watched from the sidelines.
"Awe C'mon man, this is me we're talking about!" He responded easily, chapped lips turning upward in an easy smile as they stood, face to face. stiffening, Finn glanced suspiciously toward the hand on his shoulder, distracted by the unexpected contact. "Lemme tell you something..."
Nora's lips parted in a silent gasp as Hancock yanked the larger man forward suddenly, thrusting the blade savagely into his diaphragm, and stabbing him twice more in the liver and abdomen before kicking in the back of his legs, and pushing him carelessly to the pavement at his feet- She and piper gaped, frozen in shock as blood began to pool around Finn's body in the center of the plaza.
Shaking his head in disappointment, the mayor of Goodneighbor heaved a long sigh as the man sputtered, choking pitifully on his own blood. "Now why'd ya gotta go and say that? Breaking my heart over here..." He complained apathetically, callously wiping the bloodied blade against the worn material of his faded frock, before slipping it back smoothly into the hidden pocket of his worn, tattered blue jeans...
The women shared a brief look of concern as he cleared the phlegm from his throat, before turning the weight of his unsettling black stare on them.
"Now i know you two had ol' Finn here handled, but a mayor's gotta make a point sometimes...You ladies alright?" He inquired suavely in his husky, slightly nasal voice- and though Nora wasnt good at discerning Ghoul facial expressions, she thought he looked genuinely concerned.
"You killed him!"
"Your a Ghoul?"
Piper and Nora shared another quick look as they stumbled over each others words, making him chuckle- a low, gravelly sound that made Nora's insides flutter strangely.
"Yeah- Like my face?" He rasped humorously, eyes sparkling as he ran his long, bony fingers over the slightly corroded skin of his strong, square jawline- his flesh was pale, with angry pink burn scars adorning the surface of his thin, gaunt features- They were thin and irregular, as if someone had splashed him in the face with hot oil, and let it heal before doing it again...
"I think it gives me a sexy "king of the zombies" kinda look- Big hit with the ladies... but, between you and me, you might wanna keep those kinds of questions on the low burner next time- alota walkin' rad freaks like me around here." He warned smoothly in a feint, crass new English accent, grinning widely as he did so.
Abashed, Nora blushed, looking down at her feet as she mumbled an apology- She hadnt meant to sound rude...
"Gotta good pair of eyes on ya though- Goodneighbor's of the people, for the people, ya feel me? Everyones welcome- And I'd really appreciate it if you'd try not to let first impressions ruin your outlook on our little... community."
"Of the people, for the people..." Nora found herself echoing uneasily, peering behind him suspiciously as she realized they were being watched. "Sounds like anarchy..." A few yards behind him, a tall, leather clad redhead watched their interactions carefully from afar, leaning against the wall of the statehouse patiently as she gripped the sawed off double barrel shotgun in her hands...
Amused, Hancock followed Nora's gaze discreetly toward his daughter standing guard a few yards away, chuckling as he read the anxiety in the vault dwellers posture- She was tense, standing straight and still, chin down as she looked up at him from beneath her long, dark eyelashes- briefly he wondered what it would be like to have those bright eyes looking up at him from on her knees...
"Heh- The best kind of anarchy." He agreed lightheartedly, shifting his weight casually as he addressed her. "We cobbled this little neighborhood together out of all the freaks and misfits that just wouldnt be accepted anywhere else- You'll see. You make enough friends here, and you'll call this place home soon enough..." leaning in, he fixed her with a stern stare, capturing her wide hazel gaze with his. "...So long as you remember whose in charge."
Nora shivered in a way that had nothing to do with the cold, giving Hancock a curt nod as she tore her gaze from his to look at the now still body of Finn, laying lifeless on the cobbles- a clear example of what could happen should she cross him...
Satisfied he had made his point, Hancock straightened, giving Piper a polite nod as he lapsed back into his laid back, easy going façade.
"Traveling with Piper, huh? Im jealous." He joked, giving the young, raven haired reporter a lazy grin as he prepared to take his leave. She nearly cringed, looking away from him nervously to avoid his disconcerting black stare- a reaction he was well used to after his near decade living as a Ghoul.
"Yeah, i dont know if that was a compliment, a pick up line, or both- so uh, we're just gonna go now..." She responded uneasily, awkwardly excusing them as she shot Nora a pointed look to discourage further conversation.
"Sure- you two stay outta trouble now." He warned lazily, subtly reminding them that he would be watching, before looking away to give the reporters new companion one last, deliberate once over while she remained... Nora's face heated as he looked her up and down, and vainly, she wondered if it was the suit he was admiring, or her while she moved stiffly to follow Piper, giving him a wide birth as they made a hasty retreat toward the narrow alleyway that skirted the statehouse going toward downtown. Goodneighbor...
"I could've handled Finn you know." She herd the redhead complain behind them as he rejoined her by the statehouse steps, annoyed that he had stolen all the fun- Still feeling his gaze burning a hole in her backside, Nora stole a quick glance back at him as he joined her.
"Yeah, but its better if people know i can still get my hands dirty." He explained, distracted as he watched the vault dwellers retreating form look back toward him... "Besides, it wasnt personal- No need to torture the guy..." Farenheight pouted in response to his joke, not entirely placated.
"You never let me have any fun..."
"Whose that?" Nora asked Piper as they passed below the statehouse balcony, where the Boston massacre had taken place hundreds of years prior- focused on the destination in front of them, the younger woman had to pause, and think about the question before answering.
"His bodyguard- dont know much about her, other than she's a major pyromaniac." She admitted, leading them out into another open stretch of road that was blocked off by tall walls of repurposed junk to keep the dangers of the wasteland out. "Well, he we are- the Memory Den. If i know Nick, he's probably inside already, getting the scoop from Dr. Amari..."
The Memory Den was a privately owned and managed establishment founded by the female neurobiologist, Dr. Amari, and her mysterious colleague Irma, that allowed patrons the opportunity to relive their memories with the use of highly advanced mnemonic technology- It was built out of the ruins of the old burlesque theater, where the actresses of old used to sing and dance provocatively, and host parties for Boston's swanky elite gentlemen during the age of prohibition, becoming infamously known as the red-light-district from then on...Rusty, faded out aluminum pin up posters still adorned the walls, nailed to the side of the building like an open history exhibit, and Piper offered Nora an uneasy smile as she reached for one of the brass handles on its red double doors, exhaling heavily to relieve her pent up anxiety while they prepared to enter.
"Welcome to Goodneighbor!" she exclaimed sarcastically, lips twisting into a wry smile as she attempted to ease some tension with her usual dark wit. "You ready?"
Nora hesitated before answering, looking back toward the alleyway, where she knew Finn's body was beginning to grow cold on the cobbles beyond- after everything that had happened since she had met Piper outside Diamond City, she knew she shouldnt be surprised by anything anymore, but the truth was, she was feeling deeply unsettled, and anything but ready- but she had come too far to break down now, so instead, she put on her best reassuring smile and gave the reporter a quick nod.
"Yeah...Im ready."
. . .
. . .
Thank you for reading- Ive put a lot of time, effort and thought into this creative writing project, and i would very much appreciate it if when you have finished, you could leave a comment and share your thoughts on my work thus far, so that i know if this is something i should continue with or not. Time is- after all- a precious commodity... ;P
was there enough detail?
are the characters true enough?
is the protagonist interesting, relatable, or too one demensional?
are chapters too long or too short?
Hows grammar, spelling, and punctuation for you?
is the pacing okay?