It took me an hour to convince Jeff of my intentions. I was lucky that I had proven myself to him over the past few years that he had enough faith in my plan to do what I asked. He didn't want to leave us alone in the Wasteland, but if my plan was going to succeed, I needed him to take my letter and deliver it. He left the next morning. We had collected a large number of supplies and outfitted him with several different outfits to help him withstand the elements, as well as an additional one that I had made that evening. I insisted he wear it whenever he got the chance to deliver the letter. I had no doubt that he would succeed. He was a former Gunner, and they didn't recruit weak individuals. He'd also shown a great deal of ingenuity and survivability in the past few years.
Even if he made good progress every day, it would take him nearly six months to arrive at his destination. However, he was traveling through the Wasteland. I expected it to take at least twice that long. Still, I had faith that he would be successful and that he would return in two year's time.
After Jeff left for his journey, T'Preea and I began to prepare for our own. T'Preea began to cook and prepare foods that would last us a few weeks while I started to craft several different outfits for us. My ability to sew surprised T'Preea, but I explained to her that even dwarven princesses had to learn how to knit, sew, embroider, and do all sorts of other crafts. It was expected of female nobility and royalty. I found the whole concept ironic, though, since I never once had to sew my own dresses. The skill came in handy now, though, so I made the best of it.
A week after Jeff had gone, we left as well. T'Preea assured Preston that she would be back soon enough as she left him in the care of the Abbernathy family. Unlike T'Preea, I wasn't actually sure how long we would be gone. I had faith that I could get one part of our goal completed fairly quickly, but the other parts were still questionable. We were years ahead of the fourth game's timeframe, so there was no telling what we might encounter.
T'Preea, Meirune, and I set out heading northeast. I chose this direction because I knew for a fact that I could gain loyal followers starting this way. Also, the eastern side of the Commonwealth held some of the most important pieces of infrastructure I would need up and running to help with my plans. Travel was relatively peaceful, with the occasional large bug, molerat, or mirelurk attack. I could handle the attacks easily enough, though T'Preea insisted on being allowed to help so that she could practice her aim. She'd become an expert marksman with a bow back in Thedas, but now she was getting used to using guns. Her hand-eye coordination translated well enough, but her small frame couldn't quite handle the recoil the way an adult could.
We traveled along the coast, enjoying the salt air and the cool breeze that was constantly coming off of the water. This path also allowed me to begin absorbing a massive amount of radiation from the water. As we walked, I repaired the cracked and pockmarked roads, making them suitable for travel once again. I also repaired the bridges we came across so that they could be used safely. Occasionally, Meirune would want to hunt fish or other animals that were nearby. Whenever he decided to hunt, we sat down and took a break from walking. We may have been used to walking most everywhere thanks to our lives in Thedas, but our new younger bodies weren't quite as up to the task of it as our adult bodies had been.
It took us a few days to reach our destination. We rounded the bend of the large dunes to finally set eyes on the Nanako residence. This house was home to the Nanako family. In the game, their daughter believed that she was a synth and left for Far Harbor to join a community of synths. There wasn't any explanation as to how she got there, since her family's boat was still at the dock and Far Harbor was an island, but that wasn't an important detail at the moment.
We approached the house. It was an old shingle-style home made up of aged wood, a red shingled roof that was very faded, and a weather-worn porch that wrapped around two sides of the house. Compared to a lot of the Wasteland, it was actually in fairly good condition thanks to regular maintenance. The wood creaked as we climbed the steps and I could hear someone inside ask if anyone else had heard the noise. I reached up and knocked on the door.
After a minute of deliberation, an asian man in his mid twenties answered the door. He looked down at us and gasped, then quickly shut the door. "Is that a deathclaw?" he shouted through the door.
T'Preea and I both giggled.
"Yes, sir, it is," I responded. "His name is Meirune. He's my pet and very well trained. He won't harm you."
"Are you crazy? You can't train a deathclaw! Get the hell out of here with that thing!" came the response.
"That's just the thing, sir," T'Preea called out. "We'd like to hire your boat to take us somewhere."
"What? You think we're letting a deathclaw on our boat?" the man replied. "No! Go away!"
I sighed and shook my head, "Sir, I'd rather not steal the boat. Meirune won't hurt anyone unless they try to hurt us. We just want a ride to Far Harbor and we're willing to pay a lot of caps for the help."
"Oh, move aside, Kenji," an older voice could be heard saying. A moment later and the door opened to reveal an older looking asian man. His face was hard and sun beaten, and he squinted down at us. "Well, I'll be damned. It is a deathclaw. And you say it's tamed?"
I smiled up at the man and nodded, "He is. And he's smart. You can ask him anything so long as you're willing to interpret the answer."
The old man looked at us and sighed, "Nah. I have to believe he's tame enough since he hasn't eaten the two of you. And he's just standing there, waiting to see what happens."
"Dad, you can't be serious," Kenji, the younger man who had first opened the door, protested.
"When you've been in this world long enough, Kenji, you'll learn to figure out a situation quick enough," the old man replied. He opened the door fully and stepped aside. "Come on in, then. You can take a rest and then tell us why you want to hire our boat."
I offered a curtsy as thanks. T'Preea smiled and Meirune nodded his head. We walked inside and were led to a large dining room table. We set down our packs and took a seat. It was nice to get off our feet. Meirune sat down beside me. Kenji went to the kitchen while his father sat down at the table with us.
"You girls traveling all on your own?" he asked. "That's pretty dangerous. I'm surprised you even got here."
"Meirune keeps us safe," I said as I smiled at the deathclaw. Meirune made a rumbling sound in response.
"And I'm a pretty good shot," T'Preea added.
"Still, the Commonwealth is dangerous," the man replied. "You don't have parents who should be with you?"
T'Preea and I both looked at each other then back at the old man.
"My parents died in a raider attack," T'Preea explained.
"Mine recently died in an unexpected explosion," I answered, leaving out the fact that I was essentially the cause of the explosion.
"I see," the old man said with a tone that expressed his pity for the situation. "And what about that one there?" He pointed at Meirune.
I looked at Meirune and smiled, "Meirune's egg was all alone when we found it. He hatched pretty soon after that and he's stuck with us ever since."
"And he's never once taken a nip at either of you?" he asked curiously.
"Not once," T'Preea smiled. "He's a really dedicated companion."
A woman around the same age as Kenji entered from the kitchen with a tray, "I've got tea ready." She set the tray down on the table while keeping a wary eye on Meirune.
"He won't bite," the old man sighed. "Be sure to grab a bucket of water for him. If they're thirsty, he probably is as well."
The woman sighed, "Alright, Father." She left the room, obviously irritated that she had to fetch some water for a deathclaw.
"Now, before we get started, let's introduce ourselves," the old man smiled as he pour a glass of tea and handed it to T'Preea. "My name is Kenzo. You've met my son Kenji, and that was his wife, Rei."
I bowed my head as Kenzi handed me a glass of tea, "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Kenzi. My name is Merida Orodum."
"And I'm T'Preea Garvey," T'Preea said, then motioned to Meirune. "And this is Meirune."
"Well, at least now I don't have to keep calling him 'deathclaw'," Kenzi chuckled.
Meirune responded with a series of rumbles to emulate the chuckle.
"So you want to hire our boat?" Kenzi asked. "And where would you want us to take you?"
"Far Harbor," I replied with a smile.
"Far Harbor?" Kenzi echoed. "Why would you want to go there? Do you have family there or something?"
I shook my head, "No, sir. We have business there."
"Business?" Kenzi chuckled. "What business could you have in Far Harbor?"
"Conquering the Wasteland," I smiled brightly.
Kenzi stared at me for a moment before he bust out laughing, "You're going to take over the whole Wasteland, huh? And you're starting with Far Harbor? Alright, then. It's fine if you don't want to tell me. But you will still have to pay. Fuel is scarce and getting you to Fareharbor will cost a good bit of fuel."
"We're willing to pay two thousand caps for a one-way trip," T'Preea said.
"Two thousand caps?" Kenzi asked, shocked. "Where'd the two of you get so many caps?"
"We're very good at scavenging," T'Preea grinned.
"I trust that will be more than adequate to get us to Far Harbor," I smiled and then sipped my tea.
Just then, Rei returned with a five gallon bucket filled with water. As she passed me, I absorbed the radiation from the water before she set it down in front of Meirune.
"Thank you, ma'am!" I said to Rei. "I appreciate it. He tends to ignore his needs while he watches over us."
Rei looked at me and nodded, "You're welcome." She left the room, heading upstairs.
As Meirune began to drink from the bucket, I smiled at Kenzi, "So, do we have a deal?"
Kenzi sighed and nodded, "I think we do. Normally I would only charge a few hundred caps for a trip like this, but if you're offering two thousand, I can't really refuse."
"Awesome!" T'Preea cheered. "Can we leave right away?"
Kenzi shook his head, "I don't think so. It'll be night soon and I prefer not to be out at night. It'll be easier going during the day where we can watch out for any threats. I'll have a place for you two to sleep made up for you, then we can leave first thing in the morning after breakfast."
We spent some time talking about different things until it was time for dinner, and then bed. I spent the night absorbing the radiation from the ground in the area within my sphere of influence. While the ocean would continue to bring in radiation, cleansing the land would at least help to slow the process of the area's infection. The next day, we ate a quick breakfast, then boarded the boat. Meirune wasn't exactly pleased to be on the boat, and quickly curled up inside the cabin. It was a bit cramped in there with Kenzi trying to steer the boat, but Kenzi made do.
The trip took a few hours but was quiet and peaceful. T'Preea remained nervous, however. In two lifetimes, and now in her third, she'd never learned to swim. She kept close to the middle of the boat, holding on to the doorframe of the small cabin the entire time. Meanwhile, I took the entire time to absorb every ounce of radiation I could until I could sense the island coming within range.
"There she is!" Kenzi shouted as the island appeared over the horizon. "Far Harbor!"
I moved to the bow of the boat and looked at the spec on the horizon. I was still familiar with nautical distances and speeds. The horizon was ten miles out, and we were moving at approximately three and a half knots, or four miles per hour. At this speed, it would take us a little over two hours to arrive at the island. I smiled wide. Far Harbor was always my favorite part of the fourth game. I loved the nautical clothing, themes, and mystery of the island. Once I finished a playthrough, I would always have my characters retire there in a nice fishing house that I'd build on a settlement you could gain access to after a small quest chain.
By the time we were fifteen minutes out, we had passed a few other fishing boats. T'Preea and I changed our outfits. Mine was a mustard colored gambeson with green highlights, styled to look like a royal gown. On my head was a solid tiara with symbols of Atom acid-etched into it. I wore a set of armor similar to what I had worn during my days as Empress. Nothing looked like scrap since I had melted down metal and forged the pieces myself. Looking at me, one could mistake me for an armored priestess of Atom.
T'Preea wore a similar gambeson to mine, but she didn't wear the armor. She wasn't used to wearing it and preferred to wear something lighter. Her gambeson was primarily green with yellow highlights. I designed her gambeson with inlaid pieces of polished metal, giving T'Preea the look of a high acolyte of some cult-like faith. Both gambesons were embroidered with symbols of Atom, nuclear signs, and a made up mythology that we intended to sell to some of the occupants of the island. We also took turns painting out faces with black symbols of Atom.
Kenzi looked at us curiously after we'd finished changing, "Those are some strange outfits. What sort of business are you up to?"
I smiled up at him, "I told you; this is the first step to taking over the Wasteland."
"You should really take her seriously," T'Preea said. "She won't tell you this, but she already has the whole thing planned out. If I were you, I'd wait here just to see what she does."
"You kids are serious… aren't you?" Kenzi asked as he stared at us.
I nodded, "By the time you're ready to retire, this entire country will be under my control."
Kenzi's expression grew paranoid as he sensed the truth of my words, "Who are you?"
I carefully slipped my pack onto Meirune so he could carry my things before looking up at Kenzi, "I told you. I'm Merida Orodum, and I am going to conquer the Wasteland."
Kenzi stared at me for several moments before grinning, "You certainly have conviction, Merida, I'll give you that."
A few minutes later, we pulled up to one of Far harbor's docks.
T'Preea and I thanked Kenzi as he tied the boat to the dock.
"You girls stay safe," Kenzi smiled.
"Are you staying here for a bit?" I asked. I had assumed he would head back home immediately once we were dropped off, but here he was securing the boat.
"I'm curious," Kenzi replied. "So I think I'll remain here for a while to see what you two get up to."
T'Preea snickered, "Oh, just you wait!"
As we disembarked the boat, Meirune was sure to stick close to us. The docks were busy and our outfits, as well as having a small deathclaw with us, made us stand out. People were staring as we passed by. I think the only reason we weren't stopped is because T'Preea had Meirune on a leash. While the leash was only a leather strap tied around Meirune's neck, it seemed to signal more control over the deathclaw in people's minds than allowing him to simply walk around without any sign of control. Meirune hadn't liked the idea and protested stubbornly, but he eventually gave in.
I looked around as we entered Far Harbor's dock town and smiled as I noticed someone in ragged, patchwork clothes with wires and metal scrap wrapped around them. Now was the time for the theatrics to begin. I'd been practicing my control over radiation and combining it with my control over stone. I summoned a small cloud of light, dust sized sand particles, willing it to hover behind me in the shape of angelic wings while simultaneously manipulating radiation into the cloud to give the wings a nuclear glow. T'Preea lifted a bell I had crafted and began to ring it at a slow, methodical pace. People around us were now paying even more attention to us, and those who hadn't caught sight of us turned at the sight of the bell.
The person I had spotted was a Child of Atom, a member of a religious cult who worshiped Atom, the personification of nuclear power. The young man whose expression was awestruck, stared at me in disbelief.
"Behold!" I called out as I held my hands before me in a welcoming manner. "He is coming with the clouds! And every eye shall be blind with his glory! Every ear shall be stricken deaf to hear the thunder of his voice! Let the men, women, and children of the Earth come forth to gather and behold the power of Atom! Let those who dwell here in his favored land attend now to the words of the Daughter of Atom!"
I had remembered the speech given in the games, but altered the title at the end which normally said 'Prophet of Atom' to 'Daughter of Atom'.
As I approached, the man moved to his knees in supplication and his eyes began to water with tears of joy, "Your presence… I can see the Holy Radiance like angel's wings. Please! Tell me who you are. Have you come to spread Atom's Light to the world?"
I smiled at the man like a mother to her child and took his hands in mine, "I am Merida Orodum. I am the daughter of Atom, the granddaughter of Mars. I have come to reveal Atom's truths to the world and to correct the mistakes his servants have made in interpreting his actions. Tell me your name, brother, so that I might know you."
"Adam," the man wept with joy. "Adam Whately. Please, tell me how I can serve you."
I kept my composure, but internally I was shocked. Adam Whately was a character from one of the supplemental roleplaying games. He became a powerful individual in the Wasteland with unique power armor and a special gem that allowed him to control creatures in a large area of influence. I was mentally celebrating this turn of events, since Adam had the potential to become a fanatical devotee if I played my cards right.
I pulled his hand to me and kissed them lightly, "Adam. I see so much potential in you. Will you stand with me and help me reveal Atom's true teachings to the Atomites?"
Adam nodded emphatically, "Yes! Of course! Only tell me what I need to do."
"Then I proclaim you to be Zealot Whately," I said with authority. "Your duty will be to guard me, my Grand Acolyte T'Preea, and our faith with your life. I will forge your armor myself. From this day on, you will be the bulwark of our faith. Do you accept this great responsibility?"
Adam nodded, "I do! How should I address you?"
"High Priestess," T'Preea answered. "She is the daughter of Atom, and has come to us to spread his truth."
Adam stood and looked down at me with fanatical devotion, "Then I will guard you with my life, High Priestess."
I smiled and nodded, "Excellent. Would you please escort me to where the rest of the Atomites are? It's time we began enlightening them."
"Of course, High Priestess," Adam said and turned to motion for us to follow him. "Please, come this way."
We were led off of the dock portion of the town and into the town proper. The mist that would eventually engulf the island had yet to encroach this far. It would eventually threaten to engulf the entire island and put the Children of Atom at odds with the rest of the population. My goal was to gain control of the cult and its arsenal before that could happen. With the Children of Atom gone, the population would have no one to blame the mist on. However, this also meant that they would eventually be overcome by the creatures that made their home in the mist. However, I had a small contingency plan for that eventuality.
For now, though, gaining control of the cult and spreading its influence was my primary objective.