Sunday 18 November 2018

Fallout Diaries pt 3



December 27th, 2277 – Audio Log

Madison: What the goddamn fucking hell's wrong with this place?

Heather: It sounded like a legit advertisement! I didn't know this was here!

(Inaudible voice)

Madison: Fucking RedEye!

Heather: Madison! Focus! I need your help blasting this door open.

Madison: Stand back.

(Rapid gunfire)

Heather: Door still won't budge! Damnit, she's all alone in there.

Madison: Blast it o-wait, how is this thing recording?

December 29th, 2277 – Written Entry

We're on the monorail back from Nuka World after a couple days spent. Despite the hardships of raiders trying to kill us for their entertainment...Alayna's decided to not kill them all and instead focus on what spectacles she could take from Nuka Town. She said, after a few days of each thinking it all out, we're going to discuss what the future of Nuka World will be. It feels weird. Nuka World is such a small place by the grand scale of things but we're supposed to work out its fate? Just the three of us? That's still so many lives to take into consideration. Heather said her mind was already made up and the only reason she didn't just start shooting the raiders was because she didn't think she had enough charge to her weapon. I know where I stand.

I've seen it. Been there to witness what can happen with slave labor. People suggest that raiders only take and live off the backs of others, and that's true, but with slave labor things can get moving so much faster. It's horrible but we have to get out of this state at some point. Hearing it from the Brotherhood, it's no better around Washington. Seeing the Pitt for myself, seeing the Mojave...at some point someone just has to say it. The only way forward is on the backs of a generation. The only reason the Legion was set to fail regardless with what happened after I left was because their leader was a backwards idiot with a superiority complex. It could have worked if the leader was open to expanding upon things. They lost that first battle because they rushed guns with knives along an open plain. What did they think would happen?

I'm not saying what the raiders are doing is completely right, I'm just saying-and going to suggest-that they're on a acceptable path to changing the future. It just needs someone better at the lead.

January 2nd, 2278 – Written Entry
New year, new possibilities. We still haven't had that full group talk yet about Nuka World. In fact, all we've done so far is move house again from the penthouse Heather was always leery about. Who thought it'd be nice living in a place with super mutants right outside your front door? View was nice though but a little too...Alayna called it noir. Yeah, little too that I guess. Instead we're living in a vault now because two hundred and some years for her just wasn't enough exposure. She's working hard building it, honestly I don't know where she gets the energy. Entire sections just seem to appear in a day. As for Heather and myself...

Things have been silent between the two of us. Like uncomfortably silent until one of us coughs and the other assumes they said something only to be told “no” and then things get really, really awkward. It's that damn Nuka World doing this. I'm left to presume Alayna took notice of this because as soon as she finished our room she called us up. Heather and I noticed the small, waist high barricades between the beds (two beds. Alayna is definitely saying something about our relationship) and when Heather asked Alayna threw a pillow in her face. Thus started the great Pillow War.

Writing about this now it's sounds like a selfish event. We're having fun flinging pillows at one another all the while Brotherhood fights super mutant, scavengers are being chased by ghouls, raiders are threatening farmers. While all this happens, we're down below giggling about pillows hitting our shoulders and backs. But, even if it's just once in your life, you need moments like these. You need to kick those puddles, chase those birds, dance around your farm hoe when that one song hits the radio. You need to crack jokes, clink Nuka Cola bottles, stare longingly at the Nuka Girl's breasts. Just something to maybe convince yourself that the world isn't as bad as it seems. If you can do any of that at the end of the day...life's still certainly worth living.

Tomorrow I'll talk with Heather about killing those raiders and freeing those slaves. It's time some Nuka World puddles got kicked.

January 7th, 2278 – Written Entry

Pardon if I spend most of this entry venting. First thing's first; Cait's brains would've been all over that fucking wall if Heather hadn't stopped me. If it were Alayna there still might've been a chance of that happening. I'm writing this from the bell tower in the church at Jamaica Plains. So if you find it at the base of this place it's because some Gunner sniped me and the damn thing fell.

So starting...fuck Cait. Fuck her idea of ever coming here. That junkie bitch should've been left to rot in her cell at Quackton. If it weren't for her curiosity on the way to the vault to check that mail box she never would've found that flyer and suggest checking out the treasure. As soon as we got here we found we weren't the only ones here. Ghouls were all over the place. Heather, Alanya, Cait, and I were racing around just to make it so they couldn't attack from behind as well as the front. Just as we finished we saw a flare and before we knew it fucking Gunners were rushing at us! Suppose they arrived during the attack and figured we could wipe out those bitches for them then they could come and kill us. I don't know how many came. Alayna kept herself up in this bell tower as long as she could, until they started shooting missiles at her. Heather got it bad in the leg and when we were finally through with them that's when I pinned Cait against the wall pressing her own shotgun beneath her chin. Heather stopped me and I stormed away. As I did I heard Alayna mention going back but Heather didn't want any of that. She figured we came this far we might as well finish but Alayna put her foot down on it so...we'll be heading back tomorrow. I'm not upset. In fact, I'm looking forward to it.

This treasure most likely isn't even worth it.

February 2nd, 2278 – Written Entry

Cait, Heather, and I woke up this morning to loud squeaks like a pained cat! We turned to find Alayna holding a baby molerat she had found so, naturally, Heather reached for her rifle and Cait asked what the fuck she was doing. She wasn't paying any attention to any of us and as the mole rat pup squirmed in her hands she started talking to it. The pup didn't exactly calm down but soon she put it down and it ran to the nearest hole. Alayna then sighed and looked back at us proclaiming another five weeks to the nuclear winter.

Sometimes I wish I knew her better...other times I'm just too afraid to ask.

February 3rd, 2278 – Written Entry

Coastal Cottage will be our home.” Alayna told us from the rocks overlooking this questionable cave. I'm honestly glad she's around, giving these places names. If it were up to me this place would be called “Wrecked Beach house #76”. It was a brief debate on whether or not we work with what was there or just dismantle the house for material. The latter side won out as Alayna wanted to build this place up her way. Heather asked why we needed a place what with the Maple Leaf Rag, our room up in the vault, or even Sanctuary Hills. Alayna said she wanted a quiet place then looked to Cait. Guess she meant a quiet place for all of us. The place is quiet. Peaceful even.

Haven't talked much about Cait since Jamaica Plains. She let it all out. Her past, her abuse. However, even then I think she was wrong for turning toward drugs. In her weakest moment though she wanted to be clean so Alayna helped her. She's still traveling with us and I haven't said much to her. Part of me is expecting some sort of apology while another part, the growing part, is the nerve for me to apologize. Alayna brought her along, promised to help keep an eye on her and I guess she just wanted to repay her.

I'll apologize tonight.

February 4th, 2278 – Written Entry

For the past few weeks Alayna's been asking about my travels and I've been telling her the stories I remember completely enough to tell. It's hard to really remember the locations or even dates but I do recall events. She suggested I start writing them down so she can read them whenever she wishes. I said she could just ask me but she stated how she didn't want to be a problem. Supermutants, blood bugs, and radscorpions are a problem. She just laughed when I told her that.

The one common theme one runs into when wandering a wasteland is how laws hold no meaning. How there are locations like NCR, Megaton, the Strip where rules are set in place and you have those that enforce them. But most areas haven't caught up to that style of living just yet.

At one point I arrived at a small town that had been under the thumb of some local raider boss. He didn't want money or drugs or anything of the sort. He just wanted additions to his harem. Men, women...children. Didn't matter. Someone was expected the day after they came into town. So me, a traveler, with no ties to anyone there? Made the perfect sacrifice. One wrong cocktail later and I woke being dragged in some wooden cage. No real room to move, not even enough to sit up. Could only just stare up at the sky and try to at least enjoy the ride.

Eventually got to the guys stronghold, an old farm with a few intact buildings. Probably should have wanted money, if this was his kingdom. I was brought to him and he praddled on for a near ten minutes about how he was my “Master” and I was his newest acquisition. I remember nodding, giving an “uh-huh” and then grabbing the 9mm from a guards belt and blasting him in the head. Was still in my “just wanna die” phase of life. He fell over dead and his guards just stared in silence. Dropped the gun and walked out. Yeah, he really should've been asking for money. Money makes guards loyal, not the thought of working for some selfish yet horny raider.

Could've killed them all, they took all kinds. But the wastes are a lawless place. I killed a man not because he threatened me with his placement strategies, I killed him because I wanted to die. So could've killed them. Could've killed the town as well. But everyone was just doing what they had to do to survive.

Got back to the town and everyone was surprised. Sat down at the bar and ordered another drink asking “what sort of problem of theirs this one was gonna have me fix”. Took them a bit and, in the end, drink was on the house.

If I could go back and change anything to this story, it'd be to at least let those that were taken go free. But the town was right; I had no ties and the wasteland is a lawless place. I can act and then I can die. What's changed? Maybe it's that there are those who don't think that. Alayna is stubborn but I admire her dream. I'll make it come to fruition.

Moral of the story, since Alayna says there should always be one: Don't be a boss when you're really a bitch.

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