7:09 AM: Woke feeling stronger this morning (Lvl 2. + 1 STR) and had a breakfast of baked bloatfly and cram with some of the water from the vault. I need to see if I can get a well going here at home. Obviously there is fresh water underground.
It's time to explore outside the Hills. Changed into a black vest and slacks I had for a little better protection from the elements (+2 END) and stashed all my unused ammo (shotgun shells, .45, and .38) in the small dresser of my room, along with a pipe pistol. Stowed the clothing I had scavenged in the bigger dresser and placed the cigar box I found in someone's home on to, then left the fishing poll in case I find a use for it. I put together a wooden box to hold a few other items for safe keeping. (Gold bars and cash among some other things...just in case)
Left the Mellon and dog food on the floor by the door to the hall. Mellon's too heavy and I don't want to eat that dog food…God I hope I don’t have too eat that...
Went across the street and stowed the rest of the junk in the crafting stations at the Rosa's place. I’ve always been handy but I feel like I’ll be figuring out new and inventive ways to reuse stuff now.
Codsworth shows no interest in coming...I'm sure he'll be fine though he thinks he's tending our garden...
10:11 AM: Ok, feels like I'm carrying around about 20 lbs. and I'm as equipped as I can be. Leaving the Hills now...
Just over the bridge I found a someone...unfortunately they were dead. Recently by the looks of it, maybe a week? He lay face down on the road near the foot of the Minute Man statue which is still standing. Looks like he got in a fight with some mongrel dog. Mean looking beast, dead too, with a tire iron sticking out of its ribs. Took the iron, will hit harder then my baton, and looted the corpse before dragging him off to the side of the road. (Dog's too heavy…weighs more then it looks) The dead guy had a bottle cap, some shotgun shells, .38 rounds, three stims, some patched together outfit and...a short double barrel shotgun! Took what meat looked ok from the dog after drawing his corpse off to the side of the road.
Well at least I know I'm not the last man on Earth like in the old movies. Changed into the dead Guy's outfit, it does not smell too bad, and it actually will serve as protection beyond normal clothes. (5 physical 7 energy resist)
Checked out the statue, amazing how good it looks, and found a duffle bag at its base. (Perhaps that man's?) Helped myself to the .45 rounds, a short pipe revolver rifle and two Molotov cocktails! These might be useful...
The Red Rocket was only a few yards away and I encountered someone else there. Thought it was one of those mongrel dogs at first and almost shot it…turns out it was actually a trained German Shepard, and friendly. I asked if he had an owner and he replied by sitting up on his hind legs. Seems to want to stick with me so...I guess I could use the company.
Holy shit! Just a few minutes after meeting my new friend we were at the Red Rocket and I found a first aid kit by one of the pumps with some purified water and two stims in it. The dog whimpered to get my attention and we were attacked by these giant hairless rat-things. Look like a cross between a mole and a rat and smell like an unwashed pile of soiled troop's fatigues. They came on fast and strong...I didn't think I'd make it. Took several bites and managed to back peddle away firing with Nora all the while. The dog killed one in the Red Rocket and distracted a few more. Without him I would have been dead.
Injected two stims and now I'm parched...need to sit down...
Ate the mole-rat chunks I cooked up on a spit behind the station and drank a nuka-cola. Three waters later and I'm feeling less light headed but still parched and jumpy due to the caffeine.
Checked out the Rocket and found a variety of useful junk: some more empty bottles for water, med-x, 15 caps, $280 pre-war money in the register and another cabinet, and several crafting stations besides the spit. Again, someone set up shop here at some point...wonder if it was the dead guy? The garage has a working radio, weapon station, and another power armor station is here. Can it be those suits are still in use after all this time?
3:26 PM: Accessed a terminal here at the Rocket, apparently Mrs. Rosa and her son were restoring their classic Corvega with help from a guy here...too bad they never got to finish. There was an entry about new equipment and a mention about them hiding some barrels in a cave right below the shop. Might wanna check that out. Read through the October service logs...mentioned the Vault-Tec van being service and critiquing the rep, said he was a uppity asshole...they were not wrong. Another entry about some some pre-atomic cycle repair, a coolant leak on a bubble-top, and the last entry about replacing an atomic alternator in a 2073 Corvega was dated Oct. 22...the day before it all went to shit. I don't know why I read these...I guess there is some comfort in the world I've lost but so much sadness as well.
I need to rest. Going to close the doors and take a nap in a sleeping bag I pieced together from scraps. Let's see if the dog is with me when I wake up...
5:23 PM: Woke after an hour, the sleeping bag is murder on this concrete floor. I'm still tired and lethargic. I've got to get a better cadence with my rest. Downed another water which quenched my thirst but now I only have three bottles left. Fiddled around at the weapon station for a bit then set about scrapping any junk that could be of use. This will make a good safe house between the Hills and Concord down the road.
The dog is still here, attentive to. I asked if he could find me anything and he exuberantly lead me to a hard hat I had missed by the spit out back. Good boy!!
With my new hard hat on I'm going to see if I can find this cave I read about in the logs...shotgun is ready...
8:59 PM: Well, I found the cave...nest would be a more accurate description. I made it back to the Rocket with only a few bites and a lot of salvage so it was worth it.
Apparently the cave is where the mole rats were coming from, three big ones and a rabid looking one as well! I went it prepared, kept quiet with my newly acquired shotgun ready, but they are smart. I switched to Nora and tried to pick off the only one I saw from the entrance and after missing all three shots the dog charges in...as two more burst up from the ground behind me. Switched to the shotgun and took their heads off after popping off four rounds just to take out the initial one.
Found a lot of glowing and brain-looking fungus on the floors and walls of the place. Besides that there was cast aside junk from the Red Rocket: Abraxo cleaner, hammers, a broom, wrenches, coolant and a gas canister just to name some. Found another set of glasses and an old burnt book. Can't read it but having a back up pair of specs feels nice. Down a back tunnel I spotted another molerat and quickly popped of a blast with the shotgun from my vantage point. The moment we locked eyes I could tell this one was different. Reminded me of Buck when I was 8 and Dad had to put him down because he got rabies. The thing scared me and I missed my next blast leaving me out of rounds and exposed. The dog jumped in while I fumbled for Nora, then the mole-rat-thing was gone back underground. A minute later the bastard popped up between the two of us but one shot to the back of its skull and it was done.
There was a safe with ammo and some other things...oh and on the way out I went down a smaller side tunnel that had my pip-boy jittering with rad warnings. Found another pipe pistol and a letter that read:
Mr. Benson,
On behalf of the Boston regional office, I would like to congratulate you and your team on winning the 2076 "trash busters" award for the greatest year-to-year waste reduction by a single store. Respect for the environment is an integral part of our corporate image, and we appreciate your innovative efforts in this regard.
Sincerely,
Gerald Phillips
Vice President, Boston Region
So they weren't just dumping waste to be lazy, but to win some God damned reward? It's no wonder the world went to hell.
It's late, I'm going to eat the mole-rat meat I harvested from the cave, drink a water, and scrap a bit of junk around here before hitting the sleeping bag.
Maybe I'll make another real bed tomorrow...
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