"I don't like the looks of it, Blue. Walls like that. Barbed wire. Turrets. Something doesn't sit right with me."
We were still some distance away. It definitely wasn't abandoned. But the gates leading inside looked firmly shut. In the distance, we could see a lone man on guard outside. Sat down, looking relaxed. "I can always come back."
"You don't have to…"
"It's fine, Piper. After what we discovered yesterday, even I just want to get back to Sanctuary and forget about it for now."
"Sure you don't mind?"
I glanced her way, and even though she couldn't see my face, I gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine, Piper. Don't worry about it. Got plenty to keep us occupied, and I'm sure you and Nick wouldn't mind returning home eventually."
We started our walk west when she glanced my way. "Aiming to get rid of us already?" she teased.
"I'll likely be visiting Diamond City often enough considering all the plans in my head right now. But I know Nick has his detective business, and you have your newspaper to attend to. Can't keep dragging you away."
"No complaints from me," Nick said, "Not often I get to explore the area."
"Got to admit, apart from one or two discoveries, it has been rather exciting," Piper added.
"I'm just glad to be out of the police station. Staring at those walls each and every day got a little grating."
"At least the radio works and you finally got some back-up," I replied.
"True. No idea what the plans are though. With the situation in the Capital Wasteland stabilising, no doubt the leadership will want to focus on new regions. And considering all the rumours further south about what's been going on in the Commonwealth, I think they'll arrive sooner rather than later."
It was dark again once we made it back to Sanctuary. Once I was out of my power armour, Preston took one look at our faces and knew we'd found something horrific. He made sure we were fed, placed more than one bottle of liquor on a table in front of us, and said we'd be left alone until the morning.
Piper needed company that evening. Haylen was still upset. Both suggested they needed my company, so we headed to my room, where I managed to place two mattresses side by side. Neither got undressed, so I didn't either, having one cuddle into me either side as I covered us with a couple of blankets. Receiving a soft kiss on each cheek from them made me smile, and both were asleep far quicker than I was. Admittedly, though they were a delightful distraction, I was mulling over what to do next.
Waking before either the next morning, turning to see them almost cuddle together without realising I was gone, I found Preston and Sturges already sat down for breakfast. In hushed tones, I shared what we'd discovered inside the vault. They were as shocked as anyone, and wondered what I intended to do next.
"Between you and me, not sure I can handle another vault visit. Not if it's anything like mine or that one. I'm now worried if I missed something regarding Vault 81. Already thinking I might have to make a return visit. Not sure if I'll find anything, and after two hundred years, you'd think they'd notice something amiss."
Haylen and Piper were up and about by the time I'd finished explaining what we found, so we moved onto other matters. "Interested in checking out the site for a possible new settlement, Nate?"
"Where is it?"
"Somewhere called a drive-in. I'm sure you know what it is."
"South-east of here?"
"Yeah. You know it?"
I had to laugh. "I know it rather well, Preston. The wife and I would go to see a couple of movies once a month. Of course, we'd generally miss the later movie due to…" I stopped and cleared my throat. "We'll give it a look."
"Seems like a lot of things provoke good memories for you," Piper said.
"Of course. I loved my wife, and when we were not at work or she was studying, we spent nearly all our time together. And, of course, being a married couple, it involved intimacy." I let the easy smile form. "A lot of intimacy. She wasn't ashamed of her sexuality nor the fact she desired sex with her husband."
"And the drive-in was one such place then?" Piper asked, a light tone in her voice, no doubt trying to keep the humour going.
"Sex in the backseat of a car wasn't the most comfortable of places, but you can generally make it work. We weren't the only car rocking later in the evening, though we were probably the oldest." Clearing my throat again, I looked at Preston. "We'll head there in an hour, scope it out, and see if it's worthwhile."
I rarely left Sanctuary without power armour, but as we had spent plenty of time clearing the region in what I called our borders. The drive-in was close to Lexington, and I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. In the end, with Preston, Sturges and I heading to the drive-in, I opted to leave the power armour behind.
Preston carried his laser musket, though Sturges had managed to make some improvements to it so the weapon at least fired quicker. Some of our new arrivals since we set up had shown some talent with metalwork and engineering, helping Sturges around the settlement, while agreeing to send them to the other settlements over time to help make improvements at each. It was going to take time but I was left thinking everyone was patient.
It was only a couple of hours walk to the drive-in from Sanctuary. Seeing the place as dilapidated as it was didn't surprise me. The fact the massive screen was still standing was a surprise. I'd walked by it a couple of times by now but simply hadn't taken any notice. The old complex where we had once bought food and drink was still standing. One of the wings had collapsed but it seemed to be in relatively good condition. The concern was a massive hole in the middle of the parking lot, which looked full of irradiated water.
"What do you think?" Preston asked.
"Okay, couple of things. That ridge line there is a problem in the event a group attacks from the north. You never want the enemy to have the higher ground, so we'll have to fence that off. If the back of the screen can still be climbed safely, that will be a good place to have lookouts as I'm sure the view from there would come in handy. Not sure where we'll get a supply of water from. Guess we'll have to get a pump working. As for food… well, guess they can make do with the soil around us, but we might have to keep them supplied otherwise."
"It is a little exposed, I guess," Preston added, "The fence won't keep out determined enemies."
"True. If we wanted to build our own fence, it would take a lot of material."
"Building could serve as a good base though," Sturges added, "Certainly build additional structures on top and across that wing there."
"You know, instead of here, there is somewhere else we could try. Follow me."
I led them further east towards the elevated highway before we turned onto the road south. The building was to the north-east of Lexington. I'd driven by it more than once before the war, and had seen it from a distance when I'd been busy clearing Lexington of raiders. Walking through the front door of Mystic Pines, it was in the same condition as nearly every other building I'd entered since waking up.
Finding skeletons wasn't a surprise, but apart from the usual signs of decay, and the fact parts of the roof had caved in, it was certainly a better idea than the drive-in. At least that's what I thought, and suggested that to Preston. We walked around, checking out what sort of space was available. And the fact it was close to Lexington had me thinking we could base a small team of Minutemen there, so they could ensure Lexington remained free of raiders.
Heading outside, we stood at the front gate, looking back at the building. "You know, I think this is a better idea," Preston admitted, "Patch the roof and holes in the walls, clear our all the rubbish, and we could make it a nice place for people to live."
"I'm mindful of the distance from here to Sanctuary, so what we could do is make the drive-in a small base of operations for the Minutemen. The building there can be a place they can relax while off-duty, but we can have our boys and girls patrolling the road between here, there, Sanctuary and even west towards Sunshine."
Preston glanced at me and grinned. "Given this some thought, Nate."
"Had all these sort of things to consider in Alaska. At one point, I was responsible for the lives of nearly a thousand soldiers. Had to make sure they had weapons and ammunition, armour and clothing, food and water. And I had to work in conjunction with numerous other outfits to make sure all that worked. It was a lot of responsibility."
Suggesting we return to Sanctuary, on the way I told them about the possible settlement we'd seen further east. Neither of them knew about it but were as surprised I had been about the sight of thick walls, barbed wire and turrets. I added that I might head that way later to make contact, but Piper had been left a little unnerved by it, wondering why such protection was necessary. The Commonwealth wasn't always friendly, but she wondered if it was to keep people out or in.
At least we returned while light still shone for once, receiving plenty of questions from the others about what we'd found. Gathering around the map a few minutes later, Preston and I explained what we'd found at both the drive-in and then at Mystic Pines. As none of the settlements were at we could consider capacity, what we agreed to do was send people to clean up the building and make the necessary repairs, then we'd consider sending a few settlers and guards.
"Preston, Sturges, is there anywhere else within these borders right now that you think would make a decent settlement, or should we now consider other opportunities beyond?" I asked.
"None that I can see. Concord is now clear. All we should really do is send a patrol daily to make sure no-one is trying to re-establish a presence."
I nodded my agreement. "We could definitely do what I've consider with the drive-in. Establish a small base. Considering Concord is a major route going south or east, it would be wise to ensure it remains secure."
Preston pointed west. "The Federal Ration Stockpile you mentioned. I'm assuming that means food. What I don't understand is how it's edible so much later?"
"Preservatives," I replied, "But you know the best one? Salt. Like we're already doing with any meat we've got. But the food you've no doubt found over the years. That's full of all sorts of stuff. I'm fairly sure food shouldn't be edible two hundred years later, but if it's not killing people now…"
"I assume it was established for post-war reasons?" Haylen wondered.
"Yeah, rationing was already in effect before the bombs due to various reasons, but I have no doubt the stockpile was for a real emergency, and bombs being dropped would be a good reason. Two hundred years later, I doubt the place is empty though I reckon we'll be dealing with a group having found it and made themselves at home."
"Raiders?" Piper asked.
"Probably," Preston replied, "Let's just hope they haven't eaten everything."
"Depends on how long they've been there," I suggested, "The place needed to supply food to millions of people for an unknown length of time."
"Should we scope it out?" Preston asked.
"Definitely. But as we have no idea what to expect, we go tooled up, ready for a fight. Nick, Piper, Haylen, you are free to join us or, if you wish, you may return home."
No surprise the three wanted to hang around at least a little bit longer. Piper was definitely feeling in a better mood that night, laughing away at a few stories as our group shared a drink, and I noticed Haylen and Jennifer sat to my other side, hearing the topic of their conversation. Piper eventually got to her feet, suggesting Haylen and Jennifer join her as they should probably go to the bathroom before going to bed.
"She's up to something," Nick stated, glancing at me, "And it definitely involves you, Nate."
"Probably. I'll see what happens."
"Might be in for a good time."
The three returned a few minutes later, Piper taking me by the hand, wishing everyone else goodnight, leading me to my room. Once the door was closed, Piper practically ordered me to strip naked. Doing so with nothing but a smile, the three women did the same thing, and I immediately rose to the occasion as I definitely liked what I saw.
To my amusement, Piper asked me to lie down. Doing so without hesitation, she sat down next to me as Haylen sat between my legs, Jennifer to the other side. What happened next surprised me, as she started to give advice on how to give a good blowjob. I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me, all three meeting my eyes and smiling.
"Haylen confessed she really wanted to try, but she's not very experienced regarding it."
"I'm sure I'll enjoy it regardless."
"True. But she wants to try, then all you're going to do is lie there while the three of us take turns riding you. Sound good?"
"Seriously?"
"It's been ages since we did anything," Jennifer said, a little sadly, enough that I had to grab her hand and pull her in for a soft kiss, "There is a young man here that's cute, but… he's not you. Just want a little more fun before you're dragged away for good."
"This is my home, Jen. Trust me, I won't be gone forever."
"I want to try too, Piper. Is that okay?"
"I really don't think Blue here is going to mind having his cock sucked by a couple of cute women."
She wasn't wrong about that, as after she'd given a few pointers, Haylen soon had her head bobbing up and down on my cock, eagerly trying to swallow as much as possible, before she moved away and Jennifer tried to match whatever Haylen did. As for Piper, she distracted me by kissing me constantly or whispering some very rude suggestions into my ear. I figured her sitting on my face was a good idea, but she said the only place her pussy was being placed was on my cock.
Haylen and Jennifer were enjoying themselves thoroughly but I had to warn them I was getting rather close. Piper asked them what they wanted to do when it came to my orgasm. Haylen surprised me by stating categorically that she wanted me to cum in her mouth. I couldn't help grin as she took control, doing things with her mouth that had me almost seeing stars, her eyes alive with lust as I looked down at her.
"Oh fuck," I groaned.
"Close, Blue?"
"So close, Piper. She's got some natural talent this one. Jennifer too."
"Cum in her mouth, Blue. Fill it up for her."
I groaned loudly and did just that, Haylen giggling as I felt spurt after spurt erupt into her mouth. She obviously wanted it in her mouth but then had to figure out what to do next, so the rather audible gulp even caught Piper by surprise. Once I'd obviously stopped, she dropped my cock and immediately kissed Jennifer. "Thought you should have a taste too," she said. Jennifer kissed her back, then took my cock in her mouth for good measure.
"Damn, Blue, looks like I have these two trained already."
"Uh-huh…"
"Reckon you can cum three more times tonight?"
"One for each of us?" Haylen asked.
"Of course. And I know he has no real problem staying hard for us. Might need a little suck in between, but otherwise, he'll be good to go. Isn't that right, Blue?"
Since the other two had blown me, Piper wanted to ride me first. Feeling my cock slide in her had me groaning lightly, her face lighting up with nothing but a smile. She leaned forward enough to rest her hands on my chest, then quite simply, rode herself ragged on my cock. Haylen and Jennifer lay either side of me, watching Piper enjoy herself thoroughly, enjoying a couple of orgasms along the way, aware I wasn't going to cum for quite a while yet.
She was soon sweating a bit from the exertions, but didn't even give the suggestion of switching a thought. When she was feeling too tired to do much, she rested on her forearms as my hands moved to her arse, the smile forming as I slowly started to pump up into her. "Fuck, that's good," she moaned.
"Just good?"
"Can't be giving your ego too big a boost, Blue. There are three women in here right now."
I lasted a few more minutes before I felt the urge, Piper kissing me deeply before almost begging me to fuck her hard for those last few minutes. Naturally, I obliged my lover, Haylen going so far as to move herself to watch, making sure Jennifer moved to watch me fuck Piper solidly until I finally came inside her. I think we both felt relief when I did. Soon as she figured I'd finished, she rolled off me and started to giggle.
"Wow, that's… I'm going to be tender tomorrow…"
Feeling lips around my cock, I glanced to see Haylen's head bobbing up and down again. She smiled while blowing me, though she quickly shared with Jennifer. "Could taste your pussy on his cock, Piper."
"Ever been with a woman?" When she blushed very brightly, that was her answer. "Serious or just fooling around?"
"Um… just fooling around but she was my first sexual experience. It was nice, but I have always preferred men. But when she showed an interest, and I realised I liked her in return…"
"Looks like we could be having a lot more fun in the future, Blue. What about you, Jen?"
"No… Nate was the first one to ever, you know… Not sex, but he made me cum…"
"Say no more. Would you ever be interested in fooling around with a woman?"
"I'm not sure. Just being here naked with other women is a big thing." She smiled. "I like it though. You're both… gorgeous."
"So are you," Piper replied, "And I think Nate definitely approves."
"Nate thinks he's the luckiest man in the Commonwealth right now," I said.
Haylen was the next to ride me, even Piper joking about how my cock managed to fit inside her considering she was the smallest one there. Piper snuggled next to me as we both watched Haylen slowly ride my cock, Jennifer deciding to show an interest in her by sitting behind her, running her hands up and down her body. When she started to gently fondle her clit, Haylen couldn't stop the grin forming as it definitely helped the orgasm that followed.
"Holy shit," Haylen whispered, "That was a good one."
"Did I help?" Jennifer asked.
Haylen answered that by turning and kissing her. Jennifer was slightly unsure to start before returning the kiss. That just made Haylen ride me even faster, as there was no doubt I got a little excited by watching the pair make out. Soon as they stopped, I pulled Haylen forward and fucked her as hard as I'd fucked Piper earlier. She loved every second, desperate to now kiss me, almost whimpering into my mouth as I had a firm grip of her tight little butt.
"Fuck her, Nate!" Piper cried.
"Oh god… oh god…" Haylen exclaimed. I felt her enjoy another orgasm, her pussy almost like a vice around my cock, she squeezed me so tight. "Oh god, keep going," she whimpered, "Keep going, keep going."
"I will, but I won't last too much longer."
"Don't care. Just need this."
When I did cum, I was a little worried about Jennifer, as I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me. To my amusement, as soon as Haylen rolled off me, giggling away again, Jennifer was immediately between my legs. I eventually had to ask her to stop, just to give me a few minutes' breather before we continued, so she straddled my lap so we could make out, though she eventually just cuddled on my chest.
Resuming making out, Piper and Haylen joining in kissing me or her, I was soon rising to the occasion, making Jennifer rather happy so she could lift herself up, gasping as she slid my cock inside her, and she happily rode herself to a rather quick orgasm, joking that she must have been rather turned on. Piper then though she'd have fun by sitting up and taking one of her nipples in her mouth, Haylen smiling and doing the same thing. Jennifer didn't know what to do, Piper kissing up her body towards her neck before they finally just started making out.
"Well, think she likes having fun with women too," Haylen whispered.
She was far too excited, enjoying a couple of orgasms before I was finally ready to finish for the last time. Dragging her forward, I had a firm hand on each cheek as I gave it to her nice and hard, watching her face just light up with a smile, begging me to cum in her just like the other two. When I did, I groaned so loudly, I probably woke up all of Sanctuary, but I knew that was it for me that night.
We all slept very well a few minutes later, snuggling up together under the blankets.
Apart from a knowing glance from a few people at breakfast the next morning, I had risen and dressed before the others, joining Preston outside by the map, as we continued to discuss ideas. Sturges walked over with a steaming cup of coffee. Still couldn't believe coffee still existed, nor that it was as tasty as it was two hundred years previous.
Piper was next to walk out, an almost dreamy smile on her face, kissing my cheek before pouring herself a coffee. Haylen was next out, blushing as everyone looked at her. "Jen is still dead to the world," she said.
"No surprise considering how hard he made her cum," Piper blurted out, looking up and around to see a couple of surprise faces, while I couldn't help chuckle, "Um…"
"I'm sure she'll be up and about shortly," I reassured everyone, "We all need a lie in every now and then."
"What about you?" Preston asked, "You're up not long after me every morning."
"Life in the army. After a few weeks, it's just natural surviving on a few hours at most. Could go more than a couple of days at the front with only a few minutes here and there." Glancing around I asked our guests, "After we visit the stockpile, will you be returning here?"
They all nodded. "You'll be heading back to or at least near Diamond City again shortly. We can return together," Nick replied.
"Guess I should return to Cambridge shortly. Can't spend all my days with you," Haylen said.
"But you'd like to?" Piper asked. Haylen just blushed, so that was the answer.
Checking the map, we figured out the best way to make it to the stockpile. South through Concord, under the elevated highway, then turning west before the next highway. With all being well, we'd be there within the day, pointing out that the stockpile was west of Arcjet, where I'd helped Danse retrieve the radio transmitter.
Back in power armour, I was joined by Preston, Piper, Haylen, Nick and Max. Walking south though Concord, we turned onto a different stretch of road just before an abandoned diner, following that as we eventually crossed under the highway, following the road as we eventually passed by Arcjet just before midday.
The road didn't approach the stockpile, turning off it and it was obvious, even from a distance, that the stockpile wouldn't be empty. Wooden shacks suggested some sort of presence, and when we heard shouts, Preston shouted that it was raiders, and those not in power armour spread into cover. Gunfire erupted immediately as I walked forward, hearing the bullets ping off my armour, my rifle opened up as my companions returned fire.
The raiders were not exactly dug in, and like usual, lack any sort of real tactics. I made sure most of them kept their heads down, quick and short bursts aimed wherever the gunfire erupted. More than one didn't get down in time, seeing my bullets hit the head of two, sending blood and brains flying, another raider taking a trio of bullets into the chest. Whatever armour they wore certainly wasn't enough to stop a few bullets.
"Preston, power armour!" I called, "Check if there's an F.C. If there is, it's yours."
We had a second set of power armour back at Sanctuary, but the fusion core was so depleted, we simply didn't risk taking it anywhere. The core in my power armour was going to last a long time yet. Feeling the presence of my companions behind me, Haylen proved she had some training with how she fired and moved, Nick not really showing any real self-preservation. Only Piper moved with real caution, considering she wore nothing but her regular clothing and jacket. But she still had a smile on her face.
Preston called out that the armour had a core, so he opened it up and stepped in. He and Sturges had been given training in how to use armour, as had one member of each small unit on patrol, in the event they came across power armour they could transport back to Sanctuary. The only concern I had now was a pair of turrets I didn't particularly want to destroy, so had Haylen move from cover to cover until she could find some way of switching them off.
Once they stopped firing, Haylen appearing from a nearby shack, giving the thumbs up, we searched around, checking bodies for anything worth taking, before we assembled near the door leading inside. "Right, no doubt there will be raiders inside. I'll take the lead, draw their fire. They're obviously pretty fucking stupid, or at least I think so. Arrogant or not, the only order I have is don't get shot. Preston, you watch our backs in case they do show a modicum of sense. We clear the area first before we start organising."
Heading inside, the door leading into the stockpile itself was locked tight. Nick offered to try his hand at cracking it, but even a synth didn't have lockpicking abilities. I'd been able to pick basic locks, but this one was something else entirely. We had to find another way in, eventually find an entrance into what looked like catacombs. But that was where we also found the raiders.
It was a shooting gallery. Calling Preston forward, I was surprised the raiders didn't break and run at seeing a pair of people in power armour arrive, but somewhat bizarrely, the raiders though standing and fighting was the best idea. Made our jobs easier, closing the distance and putting them down with our shotguns. It was a bloody, messy affair.
And there was definitely someone in charge, hearing a few of the others call a raider wearing what looked like a cage over her head and better armour than the rest 'Red'. "Keep her alive!" I shouted.
There were the usual idiotic taunts. Their weapons used .38 caliber. All they did was ping off our armour. I wouldn't want to be shot by a bullet anyway, but pre-war, unless you were shot somewhere important, you could survive more than one bullet… if you were lucky enough.
The gunfire drew in the other raiders. By the time the gunfire fell silent, there must have been a dozen bodies on the ground. Not just bodies, our shotguns had torn more than one limb from a body. Couple of bodies were missing heads as well. As for Red, she'd taken a shot in the leg, desperately trying to drag herself away. Following her, she swung her weapon towards me. I knocked it away and tore off the cage covering her head before grabbing her hair and dragging her back, hearing her cry out as I eventually threw her against a wall, Preston immediately at my side, shotgun levelled at her chest.
"Who the fuck are you clowns?"
"Major Shepard. This here is… Captain Garvey. Commonwealth Minutemen. The others have names that you don't need to know."
"Minutemen? Shit…" I looked down at her as she glared back at me. Thing is, give her a scrub, wash away the dirt, put her in some clean clothing, she might have actually looked nice. "Look, I heard what went down at Corvega. We all know about you. The man in the power armour."
I took a step back and got out of my armour, approaching her and crouching down to meet her eyes. There was no fear. Guess that shouldn't have been a real surprise. "I know you're organised somehow. The question is how. Who runs all of your groups?"
"What? You mean some sort of leader?" She snorted. "Man, you give us too much credit."
"How many groups are there in Boston and the surroundings?"
"More than you can possibly kill. I know word is spreading. They'll find where you are eventually."
"I almost hope they do, because it will make our job easier. So there is nothing you can tell me?"
"Look, I know telling you won't save my life. Think spilling my guts will make me feel better?" She scoffed. "Maybe you can do me a favour though. There is one other group nearby. Beantown Brewery. Some fuckwit called Tower Tom runs his group. He has my sister, Lily."
"Why would I care about your sister?"
"Because she's not like me, like all the others you've killed. She's a good kid. Never asked for this life. I did what I could to keep her safe. And I failed."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Hit Beantown Brewery, kill the fuckers there, find my sister, and take her with you." I couldn't help raise my eyebrows at that. "As I said, she's a good kid. She's not made for this life. I'm not asking you to do it, but if you're ever that way…"
"It's another group of raiders worth taking down, Major," Garvey said.
"I know where the brewery is too," I added, "Just over the river."
"It's your choice, Major. But what do we do with her?"
"I'm almost tempted to let her drag her sorry arse out of here so she could put the fear into the other groups. But if there isn't really that sense of co-operation, they'll probably just end up killing her or other things not worth mentioning." Grabbing my pistol from its place on my armour, I noticed her eyes glance at it before I placed the barrel on her chest. "I don't do this with heavy heart, but unlike any other raider I've met, you actually have a touch of humanity. You should have chosen another life. Might have kept you and your sister safe."
"I was always fucked from the beginning. Loved my little sister though…"
She took a deep breath. Met my eyes. Nodded. That earned a modicum of respect, from me at least.
I pulled the trigger, and she tipped over onto her side within a couple of seconds. Unlike any other enemy, I closed her eyes with my fingers. I remained crouching for a few seconds before nodding to myself. "We'll find her sister," I said.
"You've got a good heart, Blue. Not sure anyone else would agree to that."
"Her last words were of love for a sibling. Have to remember that even raiders are human. They just don't act like it most of the time." I sighed, lowering my head and shaking it. "Thought I'd left all this behind in Alaska," I muttered.
Standing up, I received a couple of concerned glances from those not in armour. Max walked up and sat next to me, leaning down to give his head a scratch. "Was Alaska bad?" Haylen asked.
"The only thing we never did in Alaska was drop the bomb. But anything you've seen in the Commonwealth, what the raiders look capable of… We were worse, we did it to them, they did it to us. To call us civilised at certain times would have been laughable. What we did was beyond barbaric. My wife…" I glanced at Piper, who simply smiled at me in return. "She helped me feel better. She was the reason why I never thought about going back."
"Sorry, Blue."
"Thanks, but I've dealt with it. Probably quicker than what would be expected, but that's just me. Deal with it, move on." I took the necklace from under my shirt with the two rings. "But I won't forget." Taking a deep breath, I gestured. "Come on, let's see what's still here."
It was a treasure trove. Sure, the raiders had made a dent, but there was so much food, we couldn't help but get a little excited. That's when I suggested to Preston that we would need some way of transporting everything. And I immediately thought of something like a couple of carts. There were tyres all over the place, so managing to put together a couple of carts surely wouldn't take that much effort. Filling duffel bags full of goods, we carried those all the way back to Sanctuary, reporting in what we found. What I realised is that we did hold some sort of influence in our hands. Most people no doubt struggled from day to day trying to feed themselves. The stockpile could possibly keep people fed for months, even years, if it was rationed correctly.
Sturges and a couple of others helped build a couple of carts that Preston and I could then take back towards the stockpile. We took Piper and Nick so they could help us load up, and despite the weight, Preston and I were able to wheel the carts back to Sanctuary without a problem.
Back in Sanctuary, now with three sets of power armour and more supplies I can think of, I knew we'd have to get organised. And while I trusted everyone around us, even I was hungry at times, and the temptation as going to be great. There was one house remaining that I designated as the place we would store everything. It would be guarded, and each room inside would be locked. Preston agreed immediately to that idea.
"Still food remaining there too," Preston stated as we gathered around the map.
"Doubt anyone will go searching anytime soon. What we should do is send word to the other settlements. Water isn't really a problem anywhere, though having clean drinking water immediately at hand is always nice. And we have crops growing at each settlement which are continually expanding. The food we have should simply supplement to crops and other sources we have, not replace them."
"Reckon there'll be other major sources?"
"I'm not sure. All we can continue to do is scout areas and decide whether they are worth exploring." Gesturing, I walked us towards the area we were growing crops. "What we need to do is expand this. Sanctuary should just become one big farm. If the soil is capable of supporting crops, we start planting. Same thing at Abernathy, that whole farm is ripe to start really producing goods. The other two places have enough land to sustain themselves, perhaps do a little training. What each place needs to do is have one main crop, then have small patches of other crops."
"Know your shit, Nate."
I met his eyes and chuckled. "Preston, I don't have a fucking clue about farming. The only things I can remember is soil erosion can be a problem, though I can't remember how. And you should let a patch of land rest every so often, otherwise it stops allowing crops to grow."
Preston took a deep breath. "Feels like we're getting somewhere though. This area now feels relatively secure. We've got enough food that we're not starving. Most of the houses are now fixed up enough that we're warm and dry. People keep trickling north as well. And, rest assured, every single arrival is being vetted. We even begin to suspect…" I looked at him as he just added, "Synths."
"You reckon? I'm more worried about other things at the moment."
"I don't know, Nate. I've heard enough horror stories, though." He paused before asking, "Were you serious about Beantown Brewery? I mean rescuing her sister?"
"In the sense that it will eliminate another group of raiders, though if we can find her, and she's actually as innocent as Red said she was, then maybe we can do something. But I'm not sure."
"It's your choice in the end… Major." I glanced his way and he grinned in return. "Once we're up and running, and I mean properly, the Minutemen are going to need organisation. And that means leadership."
"Given that thought. The Minutemen are back when we take the Castle."
"And we do that when?"
"I'm not sure. It's a hell of a way from here. We'll need a secure supply line, so that will mean, at the very least, bases that link the Castle to here, and perhaps to Diamond City. I think we'll need to have Minutemen based there again."
"Not sure they'll agree after what's happened…"
"We'll convince them when we push the raiders out of the centre entirely." We fell silent for a few minutes, just watching life continue on. I heard a cleared throat. "I was ready to die, Nate." I glanced his way, aware that wasn't going to be it. "In Concord, protecting the other four. After everything that happened, surviving Quincy then escaping, then just watching people die around me as we journeyed north, by the time we made it to Concord and we were but a quarter of what we were, I wasn't going to just give up, but if I took a few bullets and bled out, I honestly didn't care. If you hadn't shown up when you did, and we had managed to get out and made it here, I still don't know if I'd be alive." He glanced my way. "For the first time since… I honestly can't remember, I have hope, Nate. Hope that this will all work out in the end. But I can't be their leader. Not after everything that happened after Quincy. I lost fifteen people in my care. Those souls rest on mine. But I no longer feel like giving up. I'll go on for them, make sure everyone else has the chance they didn't have."
I knew when my fellow man needed a hug. Just a quick embrace, pat on the back, but it was something he appreciated. "Takes guts to admit something like that," I said, once standing side by side, "And I'm going to need good men and woman at my side going forward."
"I believe in the mission, Nate. We're going to take back the Commonwealth and give everyone hope. It's either that or I'll die trying. But now I don't want to die. I want to live and see this through. Keep building all of this. Time to stop living in fear."
"Damned right," I said, "And we're going to start by going south. It's time to send out scouts and really get the ball rolling. And while scouts are doing that, we start training soldiers."