@Renee - he may be losing control but today's story shows that he's still quite intelligent.
@TheCheshireKhajiit - when in trouble, you gotta remove the trouble.
@Acadian - cheer some more and maybe your wish will be granted.
@SubRosa - unfortunately she won't be the last.
Today's story is slightly more 'complicated' than others, particularly to those haven't played Fallout before. I tried to write it as clearly as possible but if there are some questions, I'll answer them.
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XIVLucy West’s happiness was short-lived.
Before Sonora's regulators would come to Megaton to question the new deputy, Cory Costner died.
Killed by the same unknown man who killed Leo Stahl, another Megatoner, earlier that night.
When sheriff Simms passed her the sad news, Lucy wanted to kill herself and probably would if her friend Jenny Stahl, late Leo’s sister, wouldn’t be there to comfort her. Jenny lost a brother and Lucy lost a boyfriend – how could life be so cruel? It was sheriff Simms who found the mutilated corpse of his young deputy close to Vault 101.
“I’m sorry, kid,” Simms was on the verge of tears, standing next to what remained of young Cory. “I’m sorry that I ever invited you into our ranks. You’d be alive now if it weren’t for me.”
On rocks above the sheriff the
young man who was presumed to be dead, was watching the sheriff through the scope of his magnum revolver. His plan had worked as intended and deputy Cory Costner died that day.
Earlier that day he noticed a young man eating in the Brass Lantern. He was about the same size as him and had a similar skin tone. The young man’s name was Slim and he was a wastelander who just briefly stopped in Megaton to buy some supplies. Deputy Costner offered him five hundred caps if he’ll run out of Megaton at exactly 11 PM, then meet him outside Vault 101. An odd request, especially from a lawman, thought Slim, but first of all the pay was too good to refuse because the deputy gave him half of the promised sum in advance and second, it was supposed to be a test of sort for some other lawman, or so the deputy said. “All will be explained later,” said deputy Costner and handed Slim two hundred and fifty caps.
At exactly 10:55 PM deputy Costner sneaked into the water processing plant of Megaton. There Leo Stahl, the town’s drug dealer, was waiting for potential customers as he did every night. Instead of some junkie, deputy Costner waltzed in and without saying a word, shot Stahl in the head, killing him on the spot and then took all his drugs. As he came out of the water plant, he yelled that Leo Stahl’s been murdered and that he’s going after the killer. He also ordered the closest citizen who happened to be Old Walter, to wake up sheriff Simms.
Deputy Costner ran out of the town, through Springvale and met with Slim right outside Vault 101, as agreed.
“I did my part, deputy. Not sure I get it but as long as I…”
Deputy Costner didn’t bother to reply, instead he shot Slim in the head, from much closer distance as he shot Leo, turning Slim’s head into a bloody pasta. He quickly undressed and put his duster on Slim’s corpse, then cut off his limbs. He carried his corpse to the road below Vault 101, tossed it on the ground next to his distinctive regulator hat and rifle.
Then he ran back up and hid behind the rocks, waiting for the sheriff to come. Simms fell for the trick and why wouldn’t he? The plan was foolproof.
Wastelander Slim who came to Megaton that day, was probably a junkie and was supposed to buy drugs from Leo Stahl. Something happened between the two of them, they argued and Slim killed Leo, then stole his drugs. Deputy Costner was close enough to hear the shot and promptly ran after Slim who was spotted running out of Megaton, confirmed by three witnesses – guard Stockholm, beggar Carlos and robotic deputy Weld. A few minutes later deputy Costner ran out of the town as well, going after the killer. Unfortunately the deputy was careless and Slim obviously ambushed him by the vault. But it wasn’t enough just to kill him, he cut off his limbs too, probably as a message not to follow him.
That was how Simms explained the sad events of the bloody night the following morning and that’s what Megatoners believed. As the sun was rising over the sad town, a distance south of it the man presumed to be dead, already decided for a new name – Chester. It would be his last fake name in the Capital Wasteland because he was planning to head west soon. It was fun while it lasted but he was getting bored of the Capital Wasteland already. Only a little more time needed to pass for the story of his sad death to get around and the it will be time for the final act of the card killer.***
In the following days news of Cory’s death reached Sonora Cruz, the leader of the regulators. Lucas Simms himself went to report the sad news.
“Whoever did it, hacked my deputy to pieces,” said Simms, saddened.
“Did he? And what did you find on his corpse?”
“Was I supposed to find something special?” Simms was confused.
“Just tell me what did you find, Lucas,” patiently said Sonora Cruz.
“His rifle and his hat were next to the body but there were also cigarettes, stimpaks, some snacks, a few keys…”
“Was there a yellow radio headset?” Sonora interrupted him.
“What? No, no headset. Why are you asking me this?”
Sonora said nothing but leaned back in her chair. The unknown murderer killed the deputy yet he didn’t take his stimpaks but the yellow radio headset.
I believe it brings me good luck so I always carry it with me since I bought it, said Cory as he came to enlist, she remembered his words very clearly.
“I’d ask you a favor, Lucas,” continued Sonora. “Search his house in Megaton and send me a message if you find a yellow radio headset. No questions, just do it, alright?”
The following day a courier delivered a message to Sonora – there wasn’t any trace of a yellow radio headset found in the late deputy’s house.
Sonora Cruz was concerned – it could be that the late deputy gave the yellow headset to someone else as a gift, it could be that he lost it but it could be that he staged his own death. With the blown-up head and chopped body who can say for sure?
Sonora Cruz had a good reason to be concerned.
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Wastelander Slim, the unsuspecting victim of the deputy's plot
Death of Leo Stahl (to avoid confusion, Leo and Slim are similar to each other but Slim has a beard)
Deputy Weld......witnesses Slim running out of Megaton"I did as you wanted."Useful no moreMutilated bodyWatching "his" corpseSimms at the sceneSad sheriffNothing personal but......the killer needs new armorThis post has been edited by Lopov: Nov 10 2017, 06:23 PM