"TLW, you need to see this," a soldier's voice crackled over the comms as the Vertibird flew over the now-silent ruins of Paradise Falls. Inside the bird, TLW sat in the command centre, eyes glued to the strategic map, but the soldier's urgency made him pause.
He leaned forward as the Vertibird swooped in low over the eastern corner of Paradise Falls. There, in the dim light of the fires still burning, three of Harkness's Diablos stood over what appeared to be a mass grave. The eerie stillness of the scene sent a shiver down TLW's spine.
One of the Diablos, a tall figure with a skull bandana, turned a half-rotted corpse over with a grim expression. "What the hell?" TLW muttered, as he recognized the decayed face from the clothes he was wearing as far as from the Vertibird.
"That's Eulogy Jones!" TLW said, more surprised than he wanted to admit. The slaver's leader had been lying in the grave for days, his body a grotesque sight of decay. It was clear from the condition that he had been dead long before the battle had even started.
"Indeed. Dead for days," another Diablo commented. "Looks like someone didn't appreciate his leadership during the war."
"Still," TLW said, his mind racing. "This leaves a lot of questions. Where's the rest of the leadership?" His gaze flicked over to the map, his fingers tracing over the coordinates. Some of the key players in the slaver ring were still unaccounted for—Carolina Red, Jotun, and Ymir were all missing from both the battlefield and the prison cells.
"They can't go far," Harkness's voice came over the comms from the ground. "Without their network, they're as good as trapped. They've got no place left to run."
"Let's hope so," TLW replied, the weight of the situation pressing on him. He couldn't shake the memory of Forty's last words—that Eulogy hadn't been the boss for a while. But those questions would have to wait. His body, exhausted from the battle, refused to let him dwell on them.
For now, the mission was complete. The slaver network had been shattered in the Capital Wasteland, and the Third Link would turn this place inside out to get the answers they needed. But in that moment, the feeling of victory over the broken chains of slavery was enough to push everything else aside.
A month later..
"So, to summarize, there has been no indication, no reports, or situations that suggest any slavery activity in the areas we control. The prisoners are now being used for manual labour in the eastern sector, where we still need work to clear the rubble. None of the interrogations conducted have shed light on the hierarchy of the slavers or the acquisition of military-grade hi-tech armour." The Third Link agent finished his summary in front of the war committee. It had been a month since the Battle of Paradise Falls, and now things seemed to be looking up. "In conclusion, we see no evidence of any large, coordinated threat to the Capital Wasteland that could challenge our armed forces."
"Thank you for that presentation," Elder Lyons said, then turned his attention to the war committee. "I think it's now time to slow down the rebuilding of the military and focus on infrastructure. As you all know, I've just signed the last two reform proposals: the establishment of an engineer corps and a military police corps. Reilly, can you give an update on those before we continue?"
"With pleasure. The establishment of the engineer corps is progressing well. I've set aside 200 men for this task, led by the finest engineers the Steels can offer. Their first training has gone well, and we see them becoming fully operational. As requested, we have specified their role as mobility assurance, bomb disposal, and radiation contamination. They will train with both normal equipment and hazard suits. That's the good news. The establishment of the military police is a different scenario. The first problem is that there is no legal code for them to follow. The second is that we do not have any prisons or courts to issue verdicts. Right now, our prisoners are being controlled with slave collars, which I guess isn't sustainable for the long term. In light of this, I've put recruitment on hold and asked the army scribes to prepare the logistics." Reilly sat down again.
"Indeed, the lack of a legal code and jurisdiction system is a problem. But the fact is, we haven't yet built the foundation to establish one. Until further notice, please keep this on hold. TLW, can you update us on the sustainability of the Wasteland?"
TLW stood up and looked over his notes. "The basic needs of society are being met. We have unlimited access to water due to Project Purity, for many generations ahead. As a side note, water tests have been done, and the purification has reached as far as Fort Washington. At this rate, the purification will reach the ocean within two years. Second, we need food. I can report that the Co-op of Brahmin herders has reported a 12% growth in their herd this year. This is due to better breeding and using all their available resources. They also believe there are still wild Brahmin that can be captured. The fertile soil also provides potential for further growth. The agriculture reform implemented last month has already seen the first farmhouses being built. So far, 85 farms are being established in the fertile area between here and Paradise Falls. Our subsidies for the first year, along with seeds from Rivet City, should yield the first products within a year or so."
He paused and looked around before continuing. "The recommendation now is to focus our manpower on building infrastructure. If you have the document in front of you, the Heart Road project is outlined. The facts are clear: within our protection, we have five large settlements. The Capitol city, with around 60,000 people; Megaton, with 5,000 people and expanding; Grayditch, which has become the Brahmin Co-op headquarters, with 3,000 people; and Canterbury Commons, with around 2,000 people. The remaining settlements have a total of around 500 people under our protection. So, about 90% of the population lives in this area." TLW pointed to the map in the document where the three cities were marked.
"The Heart Road project is a 150-kilometre stretch of road that will be paved and upgraded. The road will start at Dupont Circle, head northwest, crossing the bridge near the Super-Duper Mart, where it will split. One road will go through Grayditch, then towards the Citadel, before crossing Memorial Bridge and returning to Dupont Circle. The other road will go through the old farmhouse and stop at Springvale. Then, 3 kilometres of road will be built to connect to Megaton."
TLW paused as the members read through the document. "The construction of the road is just the beginning. We already have one person willing to invest caps to renovate one of the large buildings north of Dupont into a hotel for caravan traders. The Co-op wants to repurpose the Super-Duper Mart into a cattle auction site for traders. The travel time from Capitol to Megaton will be cut in half, making the journey just eight hours. We can also start settling Springvale soon. For Megaton, it means that the walls can come down, and we can build a helipad there for quick travel."
"And the cost of this?" Elder Lyons asked.
"It will be the largest infrastructure project we've undertaken, bigger than establishing the walls and renovating the houses. However, if it leads to increased prosperity, we'll quickly recover the costs through increased trade and economic growth. In some parts, the road only needs minor repairs, but we'll need to build a foundation and complete the final kilometres to the gates of Megaton. I estimate that the road from Dupont to Grayditch north will take 8-9 months to complete. The entire project should be finished within two years, and then we can start thinking about further roads to Old Olney and Paradise Falls."
It took another month to arrange everything, but on one sunny day, about 13 months after the war with the Enclave ended, the first work on the new paved road began. Outside Dupont Circle, the army corps, along with volunteers and the slaver prisoners, started the work. They followed a simple rule for the construction. First, they laid a bottom foundation layer of stone, then a middle layer of softer material such as sand or gravel, and finally a top layer of stone blocks or asphalt, depending on what was available. The centre of the road was elevated to aid drainage. The first 3 kilometres north took the most time, but soon the workers found their rhythm, and efficiency skyrocketed. TLW watched as the first kilometre was completed northwards.
At Dupont Square, things were much different than just two years ago. The square had been cleared all the way to the Washington Monument. The fountain wasn't working, but people were moving about, going about their business. Several stalls selling food had popped up around the place.
He passed the security check at the Metro and saw that just outside, in one of the towers, many people were working. In the distance, the roadwork crew was busy digging up the road, but just next to the metro station entrance, several people were busy building a barricade around the ten-story-high building. The owner, a man named Rodrigo, had received approval to build a hotel there, and while it was safer, there was still a risk from raiders or ghouls attacking before anyone could react. Inside the hotel, there was also hectic building activity. TLW had visited the area, and Rodrigo had offered him a tour.
The idea was simple: traders or visitors needed a place to sleep while waiting for entry into the Capitol area, or maybe they were just passing through. The hotel would provide that much-needed accommodation. Inside the lobby, people were painting walls or fixing lightbulbs. The hotel received its electricity from generators in the basement. There was no power grid in the Capitol, except for the line running from Rivet City to the Mall, which powered the streetlights. The only place with a nuclear reactor—and therefore almost unlimited power—was Vault 101, but that was another problem for another day. There was also a bar and kitchen that served food. Outside, a stall for the brahmin was being built.
The war committee convened on the same day. While "war committee" might have been a misnomer, the name had stuck by now. There was much to discuss. First, they addressed the army. The committee agreed to split the Diablo Reapers into two groups: one would remain in the Capitol, and the second would be stationed at Fort Bannister alongside the army group there. They also agreed to maintain a garrison at Paradise Falls. Although Hamlin had urged its complete destruction, the truth was that it provided a strategic northern garrison, keeping an eye on the northern border and The Pitt. Another 50 Reapers were to be trained and eventually stationed in the north. They also agreed on new uniforms for the army: camouflage green and black. However, it would be a while before the uniforms were produced. A task force had been established to assess the capacity for uniform production, and they were currently scouting factories.
In that regard, they were also planning how to increase factory output. A study by the scribes showed that, at this rate, the entire Capital Wasteland could be salvaged within five years. It was vital to expand the capacity to produce basic goods, and TLW had just the place to start.