7:00 AM: I set off from the Rocket towards Concord after waking. As I approached the dead cow in the road I noticed two things as I got a better look: 1. It has two heads. 2. The other giant mosquito was sucking fluids from it. Thankfully the thing was so engaged in feasting it never saw me shoot it twice in the head. Took its proboscis and the giant sac it stores blood in. Never know what might come in handy.
Concord is a disaster. I'm starting to wonder if there's any friendly's left in the world. First house on my right when I came in was fruitful at least: solid baseball bat behind the front door and a Nuka-Cola Quantum in the fridge. Also found a red bandana and welders goggles for the dog. He let me put them on and seemed happy to have them. There is a safe upstairs but I lack the skill to pick it, like the one at the Russell's place back home.
Here's hoping the rest of the homes are as useful as this one...
12:00 PM: The past four hours have been a blur of bullets and blood…with a bit of hope after that. After that first house I continued down the main street of Concord, the rest of the buildings were boarded up and inaccessible. Then, as I turned onto main street, I saw somebody! I remember thinking to myself: “There's another person, another human being I can talk to, maybe get help from!" Turns out it was another hostile, something trying to kill me again, just so happens to be my own species. The man turned on me and attacked as I approached and called out to him. The dog saw this and lunged at him as I pulled the trigger, three times.
One missed shot then two to the head...he dropped. It was then that I noticed there were at least four other people, all seemingly shooting at the Museum of Freedom at the end of the street. I took cover behind the truck where I'd kill the man and then the dog, my dog, lunged forward. I don't know if it was to protect me or him, but I took aim and shot at the woman he was going for. Before I could take a second shot he tore her throat out and kept going. Seems I have a loyal partner in this mutt.
The rest of them went down quick, I can't quiet remember all of it…like my first firefight in China with the 108th. I crossed the street to the left side as my dog latched onto a woman. Taking cover behind a vehicle I reached into my bag pilling out one of those Molotov cocktails. In one swift motion I lit it with an old lighter I had found and threw it forward at an approaching man. Fire and screams filled the air, that he was down. Pulling Nora out I continued to fire as my dog jumped from person to person holding them down while I took aim. When all was said and done there were six dead and we were still alive.
Almost reflexively I went about looting the corpses and placed them all in the bed of the rusted truck where I killed the first one. They are still human after all. If anything, this unfortunate turn of events had provided me with an ample supply of materials to use and scrap. Just as I could feel the weight of my pack telling me to head back to the Rocket and unload I heard a voice:
"There are settlers inside! Grab that laser musket and help us!"
Apparently the people I had killed were raiders and the people inside were under the protection of the stranger who'd asked for my help: a young but weathered looking black man with an odd had and coat. He was on the third floor balcony of the museum and on the street below was another man in similar clothes, dead. I acknowledged him and grabbed the musket and fusion cells...then paused. I was loaded down, had too much to continue, then Shawn and Nora's faces flashed through my mind. He asked me what was wrong, if I was hurt. I said I would be back, but I had to return to the station down the street. His need was obvious in the tone of his voice, but I have my own needs as well, and I was not about to leave all of the salvage I had just gotten on the street or try and carry it through a firefight. He looked frustrated but I think I saw understanding in his eyes as well. He pleaded that I hurry.
So here I am, back at the Rocket, stripped down to the bare necessities and about to go back into war. I feel alive, like I have a purpose…a mission, and though I hate to admit it, I feel better with a gun in my hand again. (Lvl. 4: Gunslinger Perk Rank 1: + 20% Non Auto Guns) I don't know how many of these “raiders" are in the museum, or how many civilians there are either. I don't even know if this is a trap or if I'll make any more entries after this. I only know that this feels right, that it's something I have to do. Goddammit it's a greater purpose than just living off junk like I have been for the better part of the last week.
Hopefully I'll have another entry soon.
10:01 PM: What a shit show…I have to keep reminding myself these people, I use the term loosely, have been born into and grew up in this world. What I have to do to them to survive…it’s necessary. Telling myself that does not make it easier.
I entered the museum’s front doors crouched and quiet, the odd laser musket cranked up and ready. Didn't even have a chance to try and negotiate as bullets and curses started flying at me. First raider, upstairs on a bridge spanning the open main hall, disintegrated after my third shot found its mark. Second raider, a woman screaming like crazy and firing wildly, took a head shot through bars of the right hand side ticket window from Nora which i had switched back to. Third raider took three shots and tumbled from his perch near the first one disappearing on the opposite side of the ticket counters. I took a hit and after the exchange injected my only stim and pushed through the pain. I could not continue through the main hall, the gate between the ticket stalls was locked and beyond my skill. With no other option I headed through the Revolutionary War display to the right down a hall.
The display's mannikins and recordings were distracting. Took the head off a plastic lady when the lights in the tea party room flickered to life and recorded voices kicked in. I remember visiting this place back in elementary school…now its not just a ghost of my own past, but man kind’s. Slowly made my way through red coats and the revolutionary war to the opposite side of the gate. The floor had caved into what appeared to be the basement, the second and third raiders I killed lie in crumpled heaps: the woman in the ticket stall where she fell, the man down near some gate at the base of the collapsed floor which formed a slope. The woman I killed had a stim...thank God. Felt my wounds knitting as it pierced my skin, but made me so thirsty. Chugged a water as I was looting her corpse, taking all I could hold. I can use everything I find and the settlers upstairs, assuming there are any, might need this stuff.
The metal door the dead man lay next to was a security gate in the basement. I could not hack the computer and locked it up in mu clumsy attempt. Was able to pick the lock on gate though and gain access to fusion generator. It’s core was still operational and I could see possibilities in it. So I took it.
There were two more raiders upstairs in another room painted with some murals. Overheard them bickering over whether they should run or stay. One wanted to run, the other said he’d kill him if he tried. The first one had the right idea. From the shadows I shot one in the head with the musket, he turned to ash with a unsettling scream. Second one ran towards me as I cranked the musket and took his head off with a lucky blast, it exploding like a melon painting the wall.
The mural was of the great conflicts the US has been in and there was a plaque entitled: "America's Freedom Fighters". Ultimately all of that sacrifice was for nothing, the world destroyed itself and we’re still killing one another...
As I slowly climbed the stairs to the upper floor I overheard two more Raiders intimidating what I assumed were the survivors, banging on a door and yelling. It was a good sign that this was not a trick and I wasn't too late. Apparently they were more interested in hunting for me and left the door they had been pounding on saying, “You hear that?! I'm going to take a walk and then I'll be back, and your dead!" So much for that plan. The first one who came out of the door near me didn't see me hiding the shadow of the stairwell and my musket shot sent him crumpled to the ground as it hit him square in the back. The second one ran through the doorway after seeing his compatriot fall, pool cue in hand. Poor choice of weapon for this fight. One shot with my musket and his head exploded. I pushed forward hoping that was all of them.
I followed the shouts of the same man who asked for my help and eventually found the survivors. Looks like my gut was right, these people needed of my help.
Preston Garvey was his name. He says he's a Commonwealth Minute Man. Sure is dressed the part. I asked him what the Minutemen were, that they sounded a bit old-fashioned to me. Apparently he's the last one, and I expressed how confused I was with all these changes to the world. He seems thrown off by that statement and upon asking me why I was here, what brought me out here, I stated a missing person as I wasn't ready to fully trust him. He said they started as a group of 20, then 8, now 5. Told me the “ghouls” hit them hard in Lexington, then this mess in Concord happened. I asked what ghouls were and he was shocked I didn’t know. Apparently they are irradiated individuals who live very long time and some are like normal people, but many are like animals. Another wonderful titbit for me to try and digest. Apparently they thought they could settle in Concord but raiders were already here and pinned them down. With the main force and their leader still outside they were almost ready to give up till I came along, and now they have another idea.
When I asked him what the plan was Preston turned to let a man with a black pompadour of hair named Sturgis tell me. T-45 power armor! Apparently there was a suit of it left on the roof with a crushed vertebird from before the War. I was trained as a power armor operator in the 2nd battalion and I expressed my enthusiasm for this idea. Apparently the plan is to rip the mini gun off the crashed vertibird on the roof and take the Raiders out with that! I agreed it was the best idea we had but the problem was that the armor was out of power and had been sitting there for centuries. I told him I would help if I could then Preston interrupted explaining they needed a, FC, a fusion core. Good thing I stopped by the basement on my way up! When I told him that I already had it they were thrilled. Preston seemed pretty optimistic and they told me to go for it.
I took a few minutes to gather my thoughts and meet the survivors:
Sturgis was focused on a terminal in the room but encouraged me to get in the armor. Preston also was itching for me to go and in no mood to talk further.
There was an older woman named "Mama Murrphy” who started rambling slowly about a “dogmeat” to me when I said hello. When I asked what that was she explained it was my dog’s name, apparently. When I asked it he was her dog she said he, "was his own man" and loyal to the end. She said he would stick with me…that she "saw it". When I asked what she menu by that she said, “The chems give old mama Murphy the sight". I hesitantly asked what the "sight” was and she responded by saying, "I can see a bit of what was, what will be, what is right now." She said something was coming, drawn by the noise and chaos...and it was angry. When I pressed her about what it was she said she just didn't know. The site was not always clear but it was not a raider. She was tired so I let her be. Something about her makes me feel like she’s more then a crazy old bat.
There was a younger man, Jun Long I was told, who was suffering from shock. Just repeated "no, no, no” when i tried to speak to him. I'd seen men in that state before...
The last survivor was a woman, Marcy. Not so much in shock as scared and covering it with anger. Has an attitude, but I can't blame her.
As I was leaving for the roof I found a few things: a Vault-Tec bobble head (PER + 1) and a RobCo Fun mag, with a holodisk of Atomic Command. Before they screwed us I had been a fan of Vault-Tec and their Pipboy mascot...used to collect these damn things. I also held the high score amongst the guys in Atomic Command which I used to play way to much. Of course...that's all gone now. Well if I survive this maybe I can take solace in these relics from the past...
10:48 PM: Sturgis was right, crashed vertibird and a full suit of T-45, sans one core. I found a holodisk from a SSG Michael Daily. Listened and it was from Oct. 23rd, the day it all happened. They crashed due to EMP blasts from multiple nukes. He said it was world-wide, I was hoping it might not have been. The co-pilot died on impact and the pilot a day later from his wounds. Two of his fellow soldiers were shot and another went AWOL. With his suit out of juice he decided to join the deserters and try to make it to Boylston St. To see if his sister was still alive. He ended his entry with, "God bless America, or what’s left of it". God bless America indeed...
I stepped into the power armor after inserting the core, it's amazing how familiar it feels. This might be my last entry, I'm getting used to saying that, and if it is I can say that I survived the atomic apocalypse, lived to be over 200 years old…and died defending others who needed me. I don't know what I'm going to face, but God willing I will get not just myself, but these people's who are relying on me, through it as well.
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