DAY 16, November 7th

6:44 AM: Slept 10 hours and I feel refreshed but still lethargic. Still no dreams...dunno if that's good or bad. Super thirsty from the meds and booze though, and it sounds like another storm, joy. I hope it's on one of those "rad" ones....

8:27 AM: Ok, well I used the antibiotics from Carla as I was adjusting my inventory some more. Realized I had stashed some 10mm ammo in the dresser and took 17 more rounds  Also stashed some scrapped steel I had at the bottom of my pack in the Rosa carport. Feeling a little better after my breakfast of well water and that ribeye with a roasted gourd. 

I’m now standing a the the bridge leading out of Sanctuary with Dogmeat, the Corvaga Plant as our goal. Spoke to Mama Murphy on my way out and after thanking me for her chair she asked for Mentats this time. I told her later and she was agreeable enough. If she has an addiction to chems she sure is able to manage it...

Sky's still rumbling but has only produced a drizzle so far. I've brought along Nora, my musket, the combat knife I traded from Carla, and one Molotov cocktail. Thirty 10mm round and forty fusion cells are all the ammo I've brought to keep weight down...my patchwork leather armor and raider pieces are heavy but offer more protection then plain clothes. I should have a clear path to the road where I spotted the Plant, hopefully.  

As we crossed the bridge the skies cleared to a sunny canvas of blue with white wisps. Here's hoping that's a good sign. Dogmeat is eager to get moving so here we go.

10:19 AM: Saw a pack Brahman like the one trashcan Carla has blow past me on the road, right near the billboard where I had made camp the other night when I met her. I hope she's ok.

No sooner had the thought passed through my mind I saw one of those molerats slither by me in the brush. Pulling my knife I lost track of it as I noticed several mongrel dogs behind us at the junction of the streets.Switching to my musket I shot one in the torso and took it down, then switched back to my knife as a second one rushed me. Five or six bloody stabs later it was dead at my feet, the third one dispatched by dogmeat. Just as I started to catch my breath I noticed the molerat coming back, it's sights set on dogmeat. Pulling Nora I popped off a round and took it's head off. Harvested two chunks of dog meat, one chunk of molerat meat and some teeth. Also found a single bottle cap, and a fuse near their bodies.

10:40 AM: Was jumped by a smaller bloodbug, maybe a hatchling, and dispatched it with my knife. Took a scratch or two, nothing too bad. Also found three wild corn plants on a small hill near the storage buildings of the Starlight's movie screen...some more food for the trip can't hurt.  Stopped by the cooking spit at the Starlight to cook up the meat that I had, not sure when I'll get a chance again. 

11:02 AM: Made it to Lexington, so far no one here. It’s oddly familiar but unrecognizable all rolled together. Like a dreamy Déjà vu. There’s another Red Rocket and Slocum's Joes near a parking lot where I've entered town. Going to scout then out...

11:53 AM: Slowcum's Joe looked like I remembered it, only with all the windows blown out and most of the booths destroyed. The booth I preferred was still there, straight from the doors on the left in the back, but I passed on taking a seat.  A quick search turned up some plates and mugs, a few caps in register, a hot plate, toaster and coffee pot as well as a stash of 21 caps stash.  Moving into the kitchen I found a dried up sweet roll, another hot plate, a box of Fancy Lads, and 2 Nuka colas along with a cake pan.  It’s hard to resist the urge to try and just take everything now that I see the value in anything…but I have to keep my weight in check.

With nothing on the ground level I pulled Nora, switched on my Pip-Boy’s green light, and headed into the basement.  It seemed to have faired better then the rest of the shop.  Picked up a few brown bottles and a  tato in a cooler from the counter in the center of the room.  Found a bobby pin, gas canister, and a sequin dress in a suitcase under a dressed skeleton.  Someone who died that day.  Sweeping the room I only took a small  selection of junk: a bunch of bottles and tin cans and two boxes of abraxo cleaner on a shelf.  As I turned from the shelf I saw the clock on wall said 9:48, it seems to hold my gaze. As I was looking at it I somehow noticed the shelf to my right was odd, off somehow.  Upon closer examination there appeared to be a elevator call button between it and the next shelf the cleaner boxes were on. I pulled on the odd shelf and it swung open like a door!  Unfortunately the closed elevator behind that seemed out of order and pressing the button did nothing. I’ll have to investigate later...

Leaving the basement I headed upstairs but only found a collapsed celling  I can see the gaping hole Slocum's donut character sign still happily holding his steaming cup of coffee eternally above his head, as if nothing happened. Beyond it was just blue sky..nothing more. 

I’m heading across the street to the Red Rocket...

12:19 PM: Not much here. There is an armor workbench outside and inside I found a plastic bottle coolant and a combination wrench on counter as well some turpentine in a  knocked over cabinet.  I went ahead and snagged another coffee pot from small table in the corner by the door.  These things are usefull when broken down.  As I turned to leave I saw clock on the wall here also reads what looks like about 9:48.  I remember where we were that day too…

There’s not much here and I'm getting thirsty. Going to drink some water and move out.

12:32PM: Noticed a Faded Glory Laundromat across the street that was still standing, its door unlocked, but I stopped before going in. I need to find the Corvega Plant, can’t take chances on buildings hiding God knows what. 

1:37 PM: Just as I was deciding on which direction to go we were attacked by four people…or at least I thought they were people. They rushed us from an alley just around the corner from the laundry mat scrambling on feet and hands like animals.  As they charged screeching I used my musket to take down all four of them one by one with dead-on shots to the chest while Dogmeat distracted them from his forward position.   As we approach the alley they from the smell hit us: a mixture of decay and unwashed bodies.  Before I could get a good look at them three more jumped down from the walkway above. I took them down with the musket while dogmeat attacked and we stood ready for several silent minutes after they were dead just to be sure it was over..

These must be those feral ghouls Preston told me about, he failed to mention how quick and terrifying they are. After taking a minute to catch my breath I began to loot their corpses and got my first good look at them.  Their flesh is…desiccated.  Like a display of an ancient Egyptian mummy in a museum, but not all dried up.  Brown and red with beef-jerky like wrinkles of skin, most were missing their noses and lips.  Ghouls is a pretty accurate description, like undead from a scary movie.  I can’t imagine how they could be anything more then deranged animals, but Preston said some are just like normal people.

Going to see if I can push through the smell and see what they had on them.  By the loots of their tattered clothes I’ll wager its not much…

2:49 PM: Trying to not breath through my nose I search them and my initial suspicions were correct.  Only came up with twenty .38 rounds, a shot glass, silver pocket watch, a tin can, a wooden child’s block, a tablespoon and a total of seventeen bottle caps. Even though they jumped us, literally, I'm feeling like I'm more alert and aware of my surroundings…like that call button in the basement of Slokom Joe's, I'm noticing little things better than I had just a week ago. (Level 8: + 1 PER)

As I was finishing looting the corpses dogmeat alerted me with a bark. He led me back to a small shop behind the Red Rocket, looks like it could've been a clothing store, and howled at the register on the counter.  Inside was $400 in cash, I guess he thought we could use it? Good boy!

As we left the shop I noticed that there was a power armor station behind the Red Rocket and a weapon workbench. If I had the time and materials I could make use of these but not now.  At least it’s nice to know that they're here. I need to continue following my way point towards the Plant.

3:19 PM: We found the Corvega Assembly Plant and took cover behind a cement support for the freeway high above our heads. Using my musket scope I scouted two raiders near an elevated doorway across from my location, and another on some stairs above that leading to the roof of the Plant. Not wanting to alert them I backed off and we search the surrounding ruins but did’t find much to find other then another weapon workstation and a lot of bombed out rooms with missing walls and crumbling staircases. I'm going to try to get higher to get a better vantage point on my target.

3:41 PM: From the fourth floor of a bombed out building I was able to view the Pant’s main entrance clearly. Leaning against a railing on the stairs near the door I saw the first raider I has spotted earlier. and just below him was…a machine gun turret. It’s a Mark One, like the one we have back at Sanctuary. Great.  I need to pull back and formulate a plan.

4:56 PM: Not wanting to draw attention to myself I decided to double back to Slocum Joe's and then down the street right past a parking garage I saw when entering the city.   We made our way cautiously towards the Super-Duper Mart. Sensing that there was probably someone, or something, living in the old building Dogmeat and I circled around the side of the structure picking up some empty milk bottles, a Nuka-Cola, and examining a Port-a-Diner on our way. (Most of the food was rotted but it still had it’s logo on it: “Authentic diner experience"!)

As we squeezed through the gap between the parking garage and the side of the Super-Duper Mart leading to its rear I noticed a makeshift bridge of 2x4s connecting a hill to an old cargo container. Dogmeat barked, alerting me that he found something, and led me inside of the open green container. There was a destroyed mattress with a nude male mannequin on top and a straw pillow nearby on the ground. Just beyond that was a locked wooden crate. It was a simple lock and once inside I found one of those monster’s large clawed hands, a RadAway, and a dirty toothbrush. Every little bit counts, so I took them all.

5:36 PM: I'm now at the rear side of the Super-Duper Mart near two loading bay doors, a control terminal is on the wall but it's well beyond my abilities. I’m feeling peckish and a little parched so I'm going to go ahead and make a meal here of a mutt chop, some water, and the potato crisps I’d been holding onto. There's an open field leading to a bombed out building and some more intact ones passed some rusted semi trailers. I’m thinking maybe will make our way across that and use the dead trees as cover. I want to circle around to the other side of the Plant and scout out more of the raider’s operation.  First we need to eat...

8:43 PM: From a small patch of burn trees I was using my scope to survey the bombed out building just north of the Super-Duper Mart’s loading area. On the roof of the building behind it I noticed what looked like a cook pot near an open grill, and I have the feeling that somebody was using it as a base.  With the sun setting we slowly made our way across the field, open and exposed, and then I saw them: Raiders on the rooftop!

I managed to get one shot off with the musket and hit before he returned fire. We pulled back to the trees and after missing with two more shots I stowed my musket and pulled out Nora. Two shots later and he fell backwards onto the rooftop dead. Switching back to the musket I scoped the roof and saw no signs of movement. Continuing cautiously we crossed the field again, keeping an eye on a doorway at the top of stairs at the rear of the middle building. I noticed that an alleyway between the bombed building and the middle one that had the raider on top of it had tin cans strung up to alert them of any intruders. Smart. As I was crossing through the back area of the buildings I saw a raider walk over a wooden bridge connecting the second building to another bombed out third one. He never saw my shot and fell silently.

Expecting more close quarters firefighting I switch to Nora and slowly ascended the metal stairs towards the blue door in the rear of the middle building. Holding my breath I opened the door and peering through saw that the second-story floor had collapsed inward providing a steep ramp to the lower level. I could see through a hole in the first story wall to my right down to the tin cans strung up in the alleyway below. Just as I was about to stand I saw a machine gun turret through the window across for me. Staying down I quietly switching to my musket and slowly cranked it up. Carefully I aimed for the combat inhibitor on the back of the turret, just like we had been trained in the service, firing once and taking it out an explosion of sparks and twisted metal.

Retreating back down the stairs I cranked up my musket but there were no sign of where the remaining raiders were other then their shouts and taunts. After a few minutes I ascended the stairs again, musket ready, and entered the second floor skirting around the perimeter of the sagging floor. As I slowly made my way through the building the sky turned dark with the setting sun and I could hear a storm coming. It had the echoey sound of the radiation storm earlier in the week and I could feel my skin tingling, not what I needed! I crossed the makeshift bridge to the third building where I sniped the raider from the ground, his corpse half dangling through a hole in the floor. On a table was some jet which I grabbed and a safe with a lock to complex for my skills.  With the sky a angry-bruised green-gray above me I crossed another little bridge and grabbed some shotgun shells out of an ammo box before looting the dead raider nearby. The moment I touched him his corpse slipped into the floor’s gaping hole. I grab his glow-sited automatic pipe rifle and hopped down through the opening to get to his body. On him he had fourteen .38 rounds of ammo, a carrot, and raider armor over some road leathers. I took everything for now and made my way into the corner of the room where the ceiling above was still intact and provided some shelter. I'm going to wait the storm out here.

10:51 PM: Once the sky had cleared I exited the room through the destroyed wall and saw some corpses of ghouls in the street.  Just as I started to approach them another unseen turret opened fired catching Dogmeat in the side. Thankfully it could target me from it's cubbyhole and I readied my musket as I made my way down an alley between the two buildings. My plan was to drop through the hole in the second-story floor again and take out the second turret from behind. When I got up there I realized it was too risky, if I jumped down I wouldn't be able to get back up, so I went back down the stairs and into the next alley with the hanging cans to see if I can get a better shot. That was the right idea and taking aim at this one’s combat inhibitor with the musket I took it down with two shots while Dogmeat barked angrily as it exploded.

It was getting dark so I quickly looted the feral ghouls of their bottle caps, a fuse, and some dog tags, then made my way back into the structure where the second turret was. Scattered among its remains were some 5.56 rounds, an enhanced targeting card, power relay coil, and some more fuses. This stuff will be extremely useful back home! I also went ahead and “disarmed" the tin can chimes, gathering quite a few cans for scrap, before making my way back up the stairs to see if I could find out how to get to the rooftop.

There were some more stairs to the roof top of the first building past the initial turret’s position and once up there I saw there was indeed a cookpot and and old rusted grill. I also found a box with two Med-X in it.

I'm standing here now, looking out on the ruined city. it's great highways twist through it high above with rusted vehicle scattered about like children's toys. The Corvega Plant is lit up in the distance and, despite all of the destruction, there's a certain beauty to it all. I can't help but imagine how terrifying it must have been the day the bombs fell while we were descending into our own hell in Vault 111. I'm going to toss this raider off the roof, rest here for a little while, and gather my thoughts.  It's dark and I need to figure out what my plan is.

11:00 PM: Strapped a double barrel shotgun and my laser musket to Dogmeat for him to carry.  Going to use the glow cited automatic sniper rifle since I found on the raider since I'm running low on fusion cells. I’m also running low on water and it's getting darker by the minutes, I don't think I'm going to find anywhere to sleep tonight...

11:25 PM: Thank God! Just when I'd lost hope of finding anywhere to sleep I stumbled across the old Mystic Pines Nursing Home! I remember Nora and I always commenting on how we would never let ourselves be put up in a place like this when we are older.  Ironic that I'm considering myself lucky to be curling up in one of the old beds here now.  I suppose I am two centuries old. Going to get a full night’s sleep and then in the morning reassess the situation. Thinking I can stash a lot of the armor that I found in the dresser of this small room to keep light and then scout the Plant from it’s side or rear. Maybe I can pick off some of the raiders from cover as well. Well, I figure it out tomorrow, right now I'm exhausted.