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Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 4 2020, 02:33 PM

Well, I never thought I'd be posting in this particular subforum before now. But with all these ideas bouncing in my head of what post-Great War Florida would look like in the Fallout universe, I have taken to jotting them down and (hopefully) making a cohesive guide to it. I don't really write fiction, so I don't think I'll be writing actual stories like you all do, but I suppose we'll see. For the time being, it's really going to be a guide of sorts, somewhat like a wiki or what textbooks would say.

This will obviously attempt to adhere to Fallout canon as much as possible. I chose Florida as the setting not only because it is my home state (though that is definitely the biggest reason) but because, from what I can tell, so little about the Southeastern United States is talked about in Fallout lore, giving me a lot more room to operate in. And, of course, it's the state I know best and would love to see the most as a setting for a Fallout game.

So here's the plan for all this:
[*] I'm going to break up each section of the guide into its own post to separate it sufficiently. This one will be the introduction to the setting.
[*] I may include some incomplete information on here for several reasons. For one, it'll be an easy repository to refer to just in case the Word doc I am using has something go screwy or that my computer messes up or whatever. Two, it can be a little taste of what's to come. Three, I just want to get down as much content as comes to me.
[*] The tentative list of sections to have here include, but are not limited to (and not necessarily in this order):

[*] General overview of the setting and how I am breaking up the parts of Florida
[*] The Bestiary
[*] The Timeline
[*] The Factions
[*] Profiles of each of the regions I am making

Some of the stuff you see will definitely be subject to change if needed to make it cohesive. I'll try to document what I change to make it clear.

And most of all, I hope you all like it and I'd like to hear whatever feedback you have. Presenting and communicating information is one of the things I enjoy most, although I'm more used to doing so for real-life content (particularly political science).

First section of the guide coming up!



While not experiencing the same level of nuclear barrage as places such as Southern California, New York, and D.C., Florida was plunged into nuclear fire just like virtually everywhere else in the world. This was especially true of the Tampa Bay Area, Orlando and its surrounding areas, and South Florida, centers of great economic and political importance in Pre-War America. Being the 3rd-most populous state in the country, the Great War extinguished far more lives than average here and left plenty more to pick up the pieces in the post-apocalyptic, anarchic wastes. The exceptional biological, geographical, and human diversity of Florida led to a far more varied impact on the former Sunshine State when the bombs fell.

Nevertheless, many settlements started to crop up in the decades just after the Great War, even in those once-densely populated cities and metropolitan areas. In time, former towns and cities were beginning to be resurrected and reclaiming their old names, and brand-new ones started to form. But post-War Florida--and the rest of what used to be the country's Gulf Commonwealth, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi--was still highly fractured. In the 22nd century, the first of many ambitious attempts was made to reunite this once-thriving landscape. While extraordinarily difficult at first, a string of successes in reunification gave birth to the Gulf Coast Union, a nation similar in concept to the future New California Republic (NCR). The so-called Great Reunification--a somewhat hyperbolic title, at least currently--started extending through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and even some of southwestern Georgia, though it has yet to reclaim the whole of any of these former states.

The process is far from completed, however, and many other factions both big and small struggle with the Gulf Coast Union for dominance in the former Southeastern United States. Many of the conflicts take place in what used to be the Sunshine State. The Gulf Coast Union was successful in claiming virtually all of Northern Florida and has made inroads into the Central Florida wastes. Major and minor powers violently feuding with each other and with the Gulf Coast Union have made the GCU's grip on these lands somewhat tenuous, preventing any attempts at expanding into South Florida.

As of this guide, it is currently the year 2130, over a half-century since the world was irrevocably changed. To most easily understand the lands that were once called Florida, it is best to divide the area into ten distinct regions--even if the divisions are a bit crude, arbitrary, or too convenient. Each have their own set of conflicts being waged, major and minor players vying for power, and civilizations trying to carve out a life in these harsh wastes. Welcome to the Sunshine State's post-apocalyptic wastes.




Though these broken-up zones are somewhat crude and arbitrary, it'll be easiest to understand post-apocalyptic Florida this way. However, major conflicts in one region can definitely spill over into another.

1) Panhandle (13): Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Liberty, Franklin, Gadsden
2) Big Bend (8): Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Lafayette, Dixie, Levy
3) North Central Florida (8): Hamilton, Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Alachua, Gilchrist
4) The First Coast (6): Nassau, Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler
5) The Space and Treasure Coasts (7): Volusia, Seminole, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee
6) Central Florida (8): Marion, Sumter, Lake, Orange, Polk, Osceola, Hardee, Highlands
7) The Tampa Bay Area (6): Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee
8) The Gold Coast (3): Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade
9) Southwest Florida (7.5): Sarasota, De Soto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, Collier, Monroe (mainland only)
10) The Keys (0.5): Monroe (Keys only)


Just a quick side-note: The Panhandle West/East dichotomy is one I totally made up for my own purposes. They are, as far as I know, not referred to as such in real life. It is just the Panhandle, and the real-world Panhandle doesn't necessarily include all of the counties in Big Bend.

Posted by: Renee Jun 4 2020, 04:14 PM

You are right about the Fallout series not having much to say about southeastern United States. As can be seen https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1GP3QtQFvcDiezEVWJ-VnteAULXs&ll=37.68623903806901%2C-91.20112471484384&z=4, Florida hasn't got any vaults or towns or settlements mentioned at all. But that's just because none of the devs have gotten around to adding these areas into lore. Certainly, Florida would have its own Fallout locations going on.

I'd really hate to see mutant alligators. Mutant manatees.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 4 2020, 06:48 PM

Neat! I love to see good brainstorming at work.

I imagine there would be mutant anacondas in the Glades. Or maybe a mutant serpent-man race (Nagas?)

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 4 2020, 07:36 PM

Right. Although there was a canceled game, Fallout: Tactics 2, that was to be set in Florida. I will be incorporating a few bits of what little we know about that game's premise.

Not sure what I'm going to do with manatees, but wait until you see what I've got cooked up for mutant gators and crocodiles. Oh, if only I could draw, especially concept art.




Oooh, Anacondas are a good idea. I have a name for a creature called a Gladewalker, but no idea for what it will be beyond that. Maybe that's what I'll make it...


And speaking of: The (work-in-progress) bestiary is next!





The Great War was deadly for species of animals and plants across the whole world, especially so for the exceptional ecological diversity of former Florida. Still, many species made it through one of the darkest days in history, even thriving afterwards. But almost all of them were changed significantly due to the high levels of radiation, with all sorts of different mutations.

1. Swamp Demons (Super Gators) and Rad Gators: Already a deadly predator, alligators saw major changes in their biology, but it was not uniform across the board. Some were changed so greatly that they became larger, had heightened regenerative abilities, acquired even longer lifespans than usual, and became bipedal. These alligators started to become known as "Swamp Demons" or "Super Gators." Some even exhibited a higher level of intelligence due to Enclave and U.S. Government experiments and the compounding fallout from the Great War. Swamp Demons (one of the two versions of the "Floridian Deathclaw" also gained more resistance to damage, particularly in their head, meaning headshots from weapons are not necessarily effective at bringing them down. Yet for reasons unknown, some gators continued to be four-legged creatures, though they still gained some resistance to damage along with regenerative abilities. These gators are simply known as "Rad Gators."
2. Longsnouts and Rad Crocs: Similarly to alligators, crocodiles also diverged into bipedal creatures and those that still stayed low to the ground on four legs. The former came to be known as "Longsnouts," referring to their longer, narrower jawlines and snouts compared to their gator cousins. This mutation only elongated said jawlines and snouts, heightening their sense of smell compared to mutated gators yet making them more vulnerable to damage to the head. For reasons unknown, they also did not gain quite the regenerative abilities and intelligence that Swamp Demons did, though crocodiles were also experimented on comparatively less by the Enclave and the U.S. Government. Crocodiles that stay four-legged are simply known as "Rad Crocs." Longsnouts are the other type of "Floridian Deathclaw."
3. Radfrogs: Plenty of species of frogs called Florida their home in Pre-War times, and while many species were wiped out by the bombs, many others survived and continue to populate the Sunshine Wastes. Curiously, not all frogs have become hostile creatures, but those that are are a force to be reckoned with. One of the defining differences between frogs and toads is that the former have moist skin, and mutations have given Radfrogs the ability to secrete and spray radioactive liquid onto their foes. They can also use their tongues as a weapon. Their skin gives them higher resistance to radiation and energy damage...but makes them more susceptible to regular ballistic damage.
4. Radtoads: One of the defining differences between frogs and toads is that the former have moist, softer skin while the latter have tough, dry skin. This was also reflected in the difference in mutations. Radtoads tough, dry skin helps them run into enemies and cause bleeding damage due to how rough and jagged pockets of skin can be. They can use their tongue as a weapon as well to deal radiation and poison, just like the Radfrog. The tough skin makes them more resistant to regular ballistics damage...though they have a weaker tolerance for energy damage. [NOTE: Radtoads also appear in Fallout 76, though while they have many eyes in that game the Floridian version still maintains the normal 2 eyes.]
5. Pouncers: In the real world, the Florida Panther is a heavily endangered species, with less than 150 left that are still alive. In the Fallout world, they were still endangered in the lead-up to the Great War, but less so than in our world. Many would survive that dark day, becoming what are referred to as "Pouncers." The radiation damaged their mental faculties to make them far more aggressive than pre-Great War. Their signature hooked-tail became a powerful tool in the Pouncer's arsenal, which it often uses to stun its prey before sinking its teeth or its lengthened claws into such organisms unfortunate enough to cross paths with it.
6. Armadillos: While many creatures came to be (more) aggressive due to the radiation, the armadillo was an exception. Although becoming larger and gaining a tougher shell, armadillos are docile and friendly toward Sunshine Wastelanders. Some have even been tamed by wastelanders and used as pets.
7. Mirelurks: Florida's Mirelurks are much like their Commonwealth and Capitol Wasteland counterparts, though the have some aesthetic differences due to being different species of crabs that live in the Sunshine Wasteland.
8. Brahmin: Brahmin in Florida mutated more or less the same way as Brahmin from other parts of the United States.
9. Anoles: These once-tiny lizards have grown exponentially compared to the original size, though the biggest ones aren't much bigger than a mole rat. They are also generally friendly toward humans, and have become pets for some Sunshine Wastelanders.
10. Great Blue Herons: The Great Blue Heron just got even bigger in the Post-War wastes, growing up to 8 feet tall with a wingspan up to 10 feet long. They still generally mind their own business, though Sunshine Wastelanders should still take care not to feed them. Great Blue Herons have been known to get very upset and attack Sunshine Wastelanders when the latter feeds them but then stops doing so.
11. Cicadas/Sirens: Fallout from the Great War has increased the size of creatures to about half that of an average human male. Known for their loud calls during the daytime, mutations have made them capable of emitting even louder sounds than before the Great War, giving them the nickname of "Sirens." Typically, these are only used when they perceive a threat. There doesn't seem to be much of a rhyme or reason to whether they are hostile or friendly. Some nests have been indifferent to or afraid of humans, while others are much quicker to provoke.
12. Nutria: These semiaquatic rodents are similar to the Mole Rats that can be found in places such as Mojave Wasteland, the Commonwealth, and the Capitol Wasteland, and act in similar ways. Nutria, however, are found in more aquatic environments such as marshes and tend to be a bit more dangerous than mole rats.
13. Rad Boas: Already a potentially dangerous creature to tangle with in the wild in Pre-War times, boa constrictors have gained more of a penchant for trying to wrap around its prey and squeeze tightly. Yet just as in Pre-War times, these snakes can be tamed, though it is tougher to do in the Sunshine Wasteland.
14. Otters: These friendly fellows still manage to be mostly friendly even as their mental and physical faculties have been wracked by radiation, though one can find the occasional aggressive one.
15. Flamingos: These birds didn't change all that much despite surviving the Great War. However, they rarely sport the pink feathers they were once known for, and one can see patches of exposed skin where feathers once were.
16. Giant Iguanas: Green Iguanas were an invasive Pre-War species that first appeared in South Florida in the mid-20th century. Their enlarged Post-War iterations aren't necessarily friendly or hostile but are still invasive, and still destroying property and general infrastructure. Despite not generally physically threatening Sunshine Wastelanders, one ought to care to set up settlements or camps with these creatures nearby, as what you build may very well be tramped by this nuisance.
17. Kolossus (Monitor Lizards): Cousins of the Komodo Dragon, Monitor Lizards garnered the nickname "Kolossi" (singular: Kolossus) for their immense frame and greater mass and weight than other creatures about their size, both results of nuclear fallout. Some Sunshine Wastelanders have somehow found ways to tame these creatures, though it is extremely rare. Still, they usually stay away from humans and are generally not quick to provocation with them, though curiously they are aggressive towards many other mutated creatures.
18. Manatees: While a legally-protected animal in Pre-War times, no such protection is possible in these post-apocalyptic wastes. They simply traded the threat of boating accidents, etc. for threats from mutated creatures, particularly Mirelurks. They still retain a friendly but skittish disposition toward humans, along with a faint green ting to their body.
19. Key Deer: This species of deer acquired a sickly green coat, extended antlers (for those that would have them), and yellowed eyes, though they are still skittish and docile.
20. Spore Plants: Animals weren't the only organisms to suffer from the fallout of the Great War. This type of plant became capable of attacking humans and other creatures. Virtually any organisms that cross paths with a Spore Plant will be attacked by one--even giant creatures like Swamp Demons or Longsnouts. Spore Plants have the ability to spit poison projectiles. [NOTE: Spore Plants appeared in Fallout 2, which this version is more-or-less based on.]
21. La Boca del Lago ("Mouth of the Lake"): Reports have surfaced of a strange, mysterious, and terrifying creature that lurks in the depths of Lake Okeechobee, but they conflict on what exactly the creature is. Some reports have suggested it is a giant, mutated fish, others saying it is a scaled creature, and still others that report it simply having regular skin. There isn't even agreement on whether it is one creature or several. Whatever it is, the reports generally agree on two things: That the creature is enormous and very deadly. Several destroyed settlements on the banks of Lake Okeechobee are said to be the work of this monster.
22. Gladewalkers: Gladewalkers are perhaps the most dangerous creatures in all of the Sunshine Wastes, an impressive feat considering they have competition from other menaces such as Swamp Demons. Few human beings have seen these creatures (or at least who lived to tell the tale), but their reports are all generally similar: Some abominable, humongous, abhorrent mixture of creatures that should not exist. Due to few reported sightings and these sightings' limited geographical spread, many Sunshine Wastelanders who have never encountered a Gladewalker might be justified in thinking them to only be a myth--even in a Wasteland that is particularly filled with a wide variety of diabolical monstrosities. Unfortunately for them, Gladewalkers are quite real. Due to some unknown property in the Everglades' water, along with toxic waste, possible Enclave experiments, and fallout from the Great War, parts of the Everglades became a melting pot for walking horrors. The Gladewalker is one such beast, but there have been several different mixtures of creatures spotted--one being a combination of toadfish, anaconda, alligator, bat, and snapping turtle borne out of the noxious marshes. Gladewalkers can grow to as big as 15 feet tall.

More creatures coming soon, including some urban legends...

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 5 2020, 02:02 AM

Aren't toads poisonous? I would go with them having a radioactive poison that damages anyone who hits them in melee, or whom they hit.

I love La Boca del Lago. It reminds me of a monster alluded to in The Call Of Cthulhu. The actual short story, not the rpg.

There were legends of a hidden lake unglimpsed by mortal sight, in which dwelt a huge, formless white polypous thing with luminous eyes; and squatters whispered that bat-winged devils flew up out of caverns in inner earth to worship it at midnight. They said it had been there before D’Iberville, before La Salle, before the Indians, and before even the wholesome beasts and birds of the woods. It was nightmare itself, and to see it was to die. But it made men dream, and so they knew enough to keep away.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 5 2020, 03:48 PM

Oooo! Looks like Big Crescent now has some trading partners down the coast to the east! Be expecting a visit from Désirée Devreaux soon!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 6 2020, 05:24 PM

After checking up on it, it seems that they generally are poisonous though the toxins aren't always enough to kill predators. But good point. What I'll do is make their tongue do radiation and poison damage, though I still want to keep the rest the same to sufficiently distinguish Radtoads and Radfrogs.

Ah, good ol' Lovecraft. I was actually somewhat inspired by a boss in Resident Evil 4 called "Del Lago" but this would be right up Lovecraft's ally.




Haha, I guess so. Even though they are just our imagination I'll try not to make my Fallout concept conflict with yours too much. It would be pretty cool to get ideas from other people to flesh out the world I am building, or at least try to make them consistent. It may even indirectly make mine more cohesive.

Do you have your version of Fallout on these forums? I'd love to take a look at it if you want to share it. When is it set? And what is your concept of New Orleans in 2130? In my headcanon, I have it as being a warzone and fought over by a bunch of groups, though I haven't named them.





And now, time for some factions! I've got a lot of working names in my document I am working on, so I may put them down here as well.

1. The Gulf Coast Union: In 2110, four small nation-states controlling much of the Gulf Coast--New Florida, The Alabama Compact, Republic of Mississippi, and the Louisiana Union--agree to join forces and create one single nation after years of cooperation through trade and interpersonal relationships. Each of the former nation-states was led by a single executive at the time--Emilio DeSoto (Florida), Sarah Devereaux (LA), Frederick Gepford (Mississippi), and Bernice Jackson (Alabama). The resulting government still retains some elements of the old order, with each of the small nation-states having representation.
2. Brotherhood of Steel - Midwest Chapter: Operating mostly of former Texas and Oklahoma, the Midwest Chapter had made inroads in lands east of their territory, cutting through Louisiana and knocking on the metaphorical doors of Gulf Coast Union lands. The chapter also displays a much more militaristic mindset, getting into direct confrontations with the GCU and other smaller groups controlling their own territory. In 2130, they have been heavily involved in the war-torn, highly fractured ruins of New Orleans (of which many groups are fighting for control in), as well as Hattiesburg and Pensacola, the last of which threatens to sever Florida from the rest of the GCU.
3. Brotherhood of Steel - Southeast Chapter: The Southeast Chapter and the GCU in Florida and Alabama have been at odds for many years, though not always in direct conflict. Although the Southeast Chapter falls under an overarching banner with the BoS Midwest Chapter, the similarities mostly end there. While they both are militaristic and seek out the Brotherhood's ultimate purpose--to acquire Pre-War technology and preserve it in their organization's hands--the Midwest and Southeast Chapters have developed an interpersonal rivalry. It hasn't resulted in bloody conflict between them--yet--but it has become a particularly tense situation between the two groups, with each seeing themselves as the most capable of preserving technology and the other as incompetent at best.
4. Conquistadors: In the years before the Great War, many Europeans sought to escape the political and economic turmoil following the Resource Wars, Euro-Middle Eastern War, and European Civil War. For Spaniards in particular, a popular destination was the First Coast of Florida, site of the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States-St. Augustine, which was also settled by the Spanish in 1565. The Conquistadors are descendants of these immigrants, taking on this name Post-War to evoke the real-life Spanish conquerors who set out all over the world to claim land for their home country. The Conquistadors have been at odds with the GCU for a long time, dating back to when New Florida still existed. More recently, they have also had to contend with the Southeast Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and unrest within the Conquistador ranks--the intragroup faction El Basti�n, which while not separating from the Conquistadors for fear of being too weak to take on either the GCU or the Brotherhood or even local raider groups, has certain sharp differences with Conquistador leaders.
5. El Basti�n (The Bastion): A minority within the Conquistadors, El Basti�n has been at odds with the larger intragroup faction, such as regarding military conflicts. The Conquistadors favor a more aggressive approach with the GCU and Brotherhood, while El Basti�n is concerned about spreading themselves far too thin. The Conquistadors also favor forcibly conscripting Sunshine Wastelanders unaffiliated with any group into their armed forces while El Basti�n think a diplomatic approach is more practical, such as by agreeing to protect them from local raiders in exchange for more soldiers. Both factions try to keep said divide as under wraps as possible, lest the GCU or Brotherhood find out and try to exploit it.
6. Buccaneers: A considerably large raider group has become perhaps the major power in the Tampa Bay Area. The Buccaneers take heavy inspiration from the pirate-themed culture of the area from Pre-War times--such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team and the pirate-themed festival, Gasparilla. They operate predominantly from what used to be Pinellas County and are very active along the rest of the bay's coastline.
7. The Scaled Legion: Swamp Demons and regular Rad Gators are a menace in many parts of Florida, but none are as fearsome as The Scaled Legion, a group of these creatures that have banded forces thanks to the efforts of a handful of intelligent Swamp Demons. Enclave experiments on this type of irradiated alligator produced several that could speak English and read, yet still communicate perfectly with other gators. Chief among them was Methuselah, who had spent a long time cooped up in zoo exhibits before the Great War. Eventually, the Enclave acquired him and started experimenting on him with FEV along with other mutagens and chemicals. Methuselah was the first of the experiments and became even stronger than he had already become due to mutations from nuclear fallout. At some point, Methuselah broke free from his Enclave captors and annihilated them, leaving behind mostly-eaten corpses for other Enclave personnel to find later. The interactions with humans he had and those he had witnessed other gators in deeply embittered him against humanity, with him vowing to wipe out all that we could. Breaking the few fellow intelligent Super Gators free as well, they grouped together and found others of their kind to create their own society, which would come to be known as the Scaled Legion.
8. Alabama Dissidents: For many Southerners, the rebel spirit dies hard. Such is especially the case for this group. When the GCU was formed, not everyone in their former nation-states was happy, and the Alabama Dissidents are perhaps chief among them. Freedom fighters to some, insurrectionists and terrorists to others, and simply a nuisance to even others, the Alabama Dissidents have fought against the GCU (but so far, not the Brotherhood of Steel), seeking to create their own nation. The Dissidents see the GCU as some faraway power too beholden to interests outside of Alabama. Although the GCU have derisively referred them to as dissidents and such, the group took such names as badges of honor. Currently, they are heavily active in the Pensacola area, hoping to cut off the lands of Florida from the rest of the GCU. While on paper the GCU should win easily, GCU forces are strained by being involved in many different conflicts: They have been battling with the Brotherhood and other major factions active in Florida and they have had significant trouble brewing in the Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas over in Louisiana. If the strain proves too much for the GCU, the Dissidents may very well get their wish of their own independent nation.
9. The Challengers: A mysterious group whose name is inspired by the space shuttle flights of the same name, the Challengers have gained control of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and surrounding area. While not violently hostile, they are very distrusting and suspicious of outsiders, especially the Hubologist cult that wants to access the KSC. One may wonder why they would call themselves the Challengers given the tragic Challenger space shuttle explosion. The Challengers' leader is Carrie McAuliffe--a descendant of teacher Christa McAuliffe, who died aboard the ill-fated flight--who decided to take the moniker both to honor her ancestor's memory and to signify that the group would "œchallenge" any obstacle to come their way. The Challengers are clearly more interested in knowledge and discovery than warfare or expansion, though what exactly their ultimate goal is is unclear to outsiders. Within the organization, there is some difference in opinion of what they should be striving for: To discover technology that can help rebuild the Sunshine Wasteland, or to one day escape Earth altogether and start anew on the moon or a different planet.
10. Hubologists: This Pre-War cult managed to survive the "Great Deluge," their term for the Great War. Founded by Dick Hubbell, Hubologists believe that existence hinges upon the Great Wheel, with the Hub at the center. They seek to augment their spiritual power by purifying "neurodynes" in their bodies, believing that one day they will be called to the "Star Father" on the planet Quetzel. The contingent of Hubologists in Florida reside in the Space Coast area hoping to access what is left of the Kennedy Space Center facility, believing that the space travel technology there can help them achieve their ultimate goal of uniting with the Star Father. The Challengers, however, are a group that already has control of the facilities, putting them at odds with the Hubologists. [NOTE: Hubologists first appear in Fallout 2 and appear again in the Nuka World DLC for Fallout 4.]
11. Keepers of the Glades: The Keepers are a cult that mostly reside on the outskirts of Everglades National Park. While others run in fear at the sight or sound of the giant Gladewalkers, the Keepers instead were awestruck and took to worshiping them as "living gods." They see it as their duty to protect the "holy ground" of the Everglades, stopping outsider "heretics" and "uninitiated" from entering their sacred place. They will not necessarily outright attack on sight and it is possible to talk to them, though they are mostly only interested in proselytizing and sometimes trade. Beyond that, they try to firmly get outsiders to leave. Anyone who tries to enter the Everglades or insults Gladewalkers strongly enough will be subjected to violent action from the Keepers. It isn't clear if Gladewalkers really do see the Keepers as allies...or that they simply haven't found them to try to make a meal out of them.
12. The Collier Republic: The CR is a burgeoning nation-state based in what used to be Collier County in Florida. The president and founder of the Republic, Ezra Maddox, claims to be the grandson of the last Florida governor. While many CR citizens see him as an inspiring leader, others are suspicious of him and skeptical of who he says he is and what his vision for the CR is. It's hard to say what the full story is on him is.
13. The Enclave: You already know them: The remnants of the U.S. shadow government who seek to rebuild the country according to their own twisted vision. The Enclave is still active in 22nd century Florida, with several bases scattered throughout. They also continued and improved on some pre-War U.S. government experiments, including the intelligent Super Gators that still reside in the state. The Enclave are bad news as always, though what their specific end goals are in Florida is unclear.
14. Falcons: This mercenary group from Atlanta has traveled all the way from their home base in Georgia's former capital--the NFL's Atlanta Falcons' stadium, the namesake of this group--to the outskirts of North Central Florida, though who or what they are hunting down is unclear. Given that they have traversed such a long distance, their target(s) must be a highly important one, though whether they are good or bad (or somewhere in between) is unclear to Sunshine Wastelanders.
15. Devil Rays: The Devil Rays are another raider group battling for supremacy in what's left of the Tampa area, developing an intense and bloody rivalry with the Buccaneers. The Devil Rays' namesake comes from the original name of the Tampa Bay Rays, the area's MLB team. Tropicana Field, said team's former stadium, serves as their home base.
16. Seminole Indian Tribe: The Seminole Tribe hails originally from Florida, though in the lead-up to the Great War the majority of them lived in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma contingent's status is unknown, but in Florida they managed to survive. Despite being in conflict every so often with Florida's state government over the years, the Seminoles controlled most of the gambling industry in the state, even buying the Hard Rock Cafe brand of hotels, resorts, and casinos. When the bombs fell, two Hard Rock casino locations miraculously escaped total destruction: Immokalee in Southwest Florida and Coconut Creek along the Gold Coast. The Seminoles have rebuilt these two locations into well-known economic powerhouses, a sort of southeastern version of Mr. House's New Vegas.
17. Miccosukee Indian Tribe: The Miccosukees were another prominent Native American tribe, having several reservations in South Florida before the bombs dropped. Being far enough away from the cities and from Everglades National Park made it less difficult for them to escape the brunt of the nuclear bombs, but it still certainly wasn't easy. They still mostly keep to themselves, though they will sometimes engage in trade. The Keepers of the Glades, however, have been giving them some trouble as of late.
18. Veterans of the Second Cuban Missile Crisis -- Americans: The Cuban Missile Crisis in our world proceeded the same way as in this Fallout timeline, though in 2076 the Second Cuban Missile Crisis began. It was a far more protracted affair than the first iteration, being a full-out war in all but name. Cuba and China became allies in the 2070s. While they bonded due to similar political ideologies and their hatred for the U.S. government, Cuba also desperately needed military and financial backing to combat the U.S. (as well as supplies to help keep unrest in the Cuban citizenry to a minimum). Meanwhile, China sought to have another location for an offensive against the U.S. while the latter was also preoccupied with liberating Anchorage from China's control. Some American veterans from the Second Cuban Missile Crisis survived the Great War but turned into ghouls, although there are still human descendants of soldiers who fought in it.
19. Veterans of the Second Cuban Missile Crisis -- Cuban Nationals: But trouble related to the Second Cuban Missile Crisis is still brewing. Some Cuban military personnel involved in the conflict also became ghouls following the Great War and there are still human descendants. Some of them have made it to the southern extremities of Southern Florida, apparently looking for some particular technology. In their minds, acquiring this technology and using it to destroy whatever they can of Florida would finally mean "victory," despite the Great War happening over 50 years prior. The Americans are trying to find this technology first to not only prevent the Cuban Nationals' goals but to employ it against the Cuban mainland, though there are a few dissenters in their ranks that want to simply destroy this technology without it claiming more lives. Whatever this technology was and why it wasn't used before the Great War isn't exactly known.
20. Veterans of the Second Cuban Missile Crisis -- Cuban Exiles: Many Cuban refugees who escaped their homeland's government in the 2060s and 2070s would fight alongside the Americans in the Second Cuban Missile Crisis. And just like for the previous two groups, there are still ghouls from the conflict as well as human descendants of veterans. However, unlike most of the American contingent, they want to destroy whatever this technology that the Cuban Nationals are looking for instead of use it against their country. The Cuban Exiles are still hoping to one day return to their homeland, no matter what ruins are left there.
21. La Familia: La Familia is a Cuban-themed faction that (mostly) controls Miami and some of the surrounding area, headquartered in Little Havana. While they are the largest proportion of the group, being Cuban is not a requirement and La Familia counts many other Hispanic and non-Hispanic members in their ranks. The citizens of post-apocalyptic Miami come from a wide variety of ethnicities as well, just as they did Pre-War. Lately, they've been having more trouble with local raider groups, Mirelurk and other monster attacks along the coast, and the conflict between those veterans of the Second Cuban Missile Crisis and their descendants.
22. Los Huracanes ("The Hurricanes"): Los Huracanes are the pre-dominant raider group in the Keys, who have gone so far as to enslave several local populations on the islands. They have their eyes set on controlling the rest of the Keys...and eventually expanding their operations to the mainland, which would set themselves up for war against the Collier Republic, Second Cuban Missile Crisis Veterans, La Familia, and local raider groups. First, however, they have The Restless League to contend with.
23. Apalachee Indian Tribe: In Pre-War times, only several hundred descendants of this tribe existed and all of them lived in Louisiana, but their ancestors came from Northwest Florida. In the 2120s, they returned to Northwest Florida, though no one outside of their group knows why they would travel back so far. They reside in the Apalachicola National Forest area, or at least what's left of it, in the Panhandle.
24. The Restless League: The only serious challenge to Los Huracanes in the Keys is the Restless League, though the latter is at a disadvantage in numbers, weapons, armor, and organization. They are also based far into the extremities of the Keys to the west, making it significantly harder to seek out or receive help from would-be mainland allies and limiting their already-dwindling supplies. If their fortunes don't turn around soon, Los Huracanes may not have to engage in all-out warfare and simply just wait them out until The Restless League starves to death or capitulates to the raiders' rule. [NOTE: The Restless League is a direct reference to one of the two main factions in The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard].
25. The Old Guard: The Old Guard is somewhat analogous to The Enclave at the state level, being the remnants of the Florida political elite class. Yet make no mistake: The similarities to the Enclave mostly stop there. The Old Guard loathes the Enclave, laying much of the blame for the Cold War at their feet. The Old Guard seeks to claim (or in their eyes, reclaim) what they feel is rightfully theirs: The lands of what used to be Florida. They have mostly laid low, waiting for the right moment to kickstart their plans, but they have bases in multiple places around the state. Right now they are mostly involved in Southwest Florida...and may have already infiltrated the Collier Republic government's ranks.
26. The Red Rangers: Recognizable by their distinctive red-dyed combat armor, the Red Rangers are arbiters of justice in the Sunshine Wasteland much like the Regulators become in the Capital Wasteland. Little is known about them by most outsiders, including where they are based and who they are led by (if there is even a single leader at all). Something that is known is that they operate in multiple regions of the Sunshine Wasteland, which may indicate that they are split into several major units.
27. The New State of Florida: The NSF is an unlikely conglomeration of robots, feral and sane ghouls, and other monsters that dominate the ruins of "Old" Tallahassee. They are led by a brilliant yet unstable and megalomaniacal ghoul named Ezra Davidson, a scientist and Pre-War state senator with Florida gubernatorial ambitions. He established the NSF as the "true, legitimate, and rightful continuation" of Pre-War Florida's government, though certainly the Old Guard would have something to say about that.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 6 2020, 08:59 PM

So are the Falcons a raider gang based in Atlanta?

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 6 2020, 11:29 PM

I was thinking about doing that, but after thinking about it a bit more, I think it is a bit hard to believe that a raider group would come so far from there to be involved in Florida (yeah, I know, plenty of unbelievable things happen in video game settings happen all the time). So I've just made them a mercenary group coming to North Central Florida for as-of-yet unknown reasons.

Fleshed out some more factions. Will finish later the other ones I have currently listed. I love coming up with factions and building them up.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 8 2020, 03:32 PM

Nah man, it’s not nearly as... developed... as your idea for Florida is. If you want to look at my ideas for it check out the Khajiit’s Fur Brained Plots thread a bit further down here in the Fan Fic forum. Feel free to use any info from there you like (just be sure to give me credit for it ).

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 9 2020, 01:17 AM

Well, if you do expand on it, I'd be interested in seeing it. I know very little about the real-life area. I took a look at what you had, and a couple of ideas you had were similar to mine, such as war-torn New Orleans and bipedal gators (though my development and name for them is different).







Here's the first region profile I have (mostly) done. To make it more easily visualized, I hope to create a map of the area that delineates where all the locations are (especially the totally/partially fictional places, seeing as how...well...they're mostly or completely fake and therefore you can't even look it up on Google maps.

First up, the Panhandle.




Counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Liberty, Franklin, Gadsden

Brief Description: The Panhandle is the northwestern-most limits of Florida, bordering the state of Alabama. While sparsely-populated in comparison to the central third of the state and especially down in South Florida, the Panhandle was nonetheless very important to Pre-War Florida's geography, history, and culture. The region now serves as the GCU's gateway between the rest of Florida and the non-Florida land.

Alternate History Tidbits: TBD

Major Settlements: Pensacola; Panama City; Eastpoint; DeFuniak Springs; Crestview; Fort Walton Beach; Santa Rosa Island; Destin; Apalachicola;

Minor Settlements: St. Teresa; Lanark Village; Cottondale; Escambia Farms; Laurel Hill; Alpine Heights; Blountstown; Freeport; Mexico Beach; St. Joe; Walnut Hill

Other Points of Interest:

• Environmental Areas: Apalachicola National Forest; Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area; Tate's Hell State Forest; Bald Point State Park; Point Washington State Forest; Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park
• Landmasses: Okaloosa Island, Avalon Beach, Alligator Point; Dauphin Island; Walnut Hill
• Larger Complexes: University of West Florida, Liberty Correctional Institute; Tyndall Air Force Base; Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport; Port Morgan
• Smaller Complexes/Particular Buildings: St. George Island Lighthouse, Emerald Bay Golf Club; Duke Field Airport; Indian Pass Raw Bar
• Other: Apalachicola River; Choctawhatchee Bay; Choctawhatchee River Water Management Area; Gulf World; Old Muscogee Cemetery; Muscogee Road

Totally Fictional Locations: Gulf Coast Union Outpost Gamma; Gulf Coast Union Outpost Iota; Brotherhood of Steel - Laguna Beach Bunker; Gulf Coast Union Government Center (Pensacola); Nuka-Cola factory; Benton House

Partially Fictional Locations: Apalachee Indian Village; Mart-Town (repurposed Walmart SuperCenter in Crestview, which has become its own little city)

Primary Factions Involved: Gulf Coast Union; Brotherhood of Steel - Midwest Chapter; Alabama Dissidents; Apalachee Indian Tribe

Main Storyline: The GCU is getting trouble from the Brotherhood of Steel and the newly-formed Alabama Dissidents. The Brotherhood and Dissidents have also been known to be hostile to each other, though a few GCU intel reports speculate that they may have brokered a temporary truce and are working together for the time being. GCU-held Pensacola has not yet seen a full-scale assault from either or both groups yet, but tensions are running high and war is considered practically inevitable at this point. Some citizens have already or are considering fleeing in anticipation of conflict. The GCU is not at full numbers in the area due to problems that have also formed on the east coast as well as trouble out to the west, which has spread their military presence thin.

The Apalachee Indian Tribe has also returned to their ancestral lands, though no one outside of the tribe knows why. There is some speculation that they may have been forced out of their homes in Oklahoma and wanted to at least go back to the lands of their forefathers and foremothers, though many suspect that there is also something specific they wanted to find. Whatever the case may be, the GCU didn't see any reason to oppose their resettlement in Florida and let them settle in the Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area since no GCU citizens had been living in the area, though the GCU also didn't want to have yet another problem on their hands. For their part, the Tribe has shown no interest in getting involved in the GCU-BoS-Dissidents conflict, though overtures have been made to them.

Other Storylines: TBD, but at least one I want to include involves the Mart-Town, the just-conceived idea I had for a Walmart Supercenter being repurposed into a little city. I guess that makes it somewhat like Rivet City in the Capital Wasteland.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 9 2020, 09:26 PM

Shouldn’t it be a Super Duper Mart instead of a Walmart?

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 9 2020, 10:14 PM

Definitely a Super Duper Mart. Don't forget to sprinkle in some Poseidon Energy gas fission stations as well.

And maybe instead of a Nuka Cola factory, they have a Florida-based pop company with lots of orange/citrus flavors (locally sourced of course). The brand name might be Fusion! (with the exclamation mark in the title of course), and the flavors be Orange Fusion! Lemon-Lime Fusion! Grape Fusion! and so on.

The remnants of the Deepwater Horizon would be a great lair for a villain.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 9 2020, 11:33 PM

Update 6/9/20 6:30 PM EST: Added a couple more factions a day or two ago. Have several ideas for "real" mythical creatures to add to the Bestiary. Fallout 76 was sort of an inspiration in that regard with their inclusion of cryptids such as the Mothman and the Wendigo.

Haha, I thought about it, but I feel like Super Duper Mart wasn't quite as expansive a corporation as Walmart. I think of it more as a regional, strictly grocery shopping establishment, one that would equate to Publix. But of course, as a loyal Floridian, Publix is most certainly going to make an appearance later.




I was trying to think of something more Floridian, but I've also been attempting to conjure up some background story about Nuka-Cola infringing on that company's territory, sort of like with Vim! in Fallout 4. I really like that name though--Fusion! Being Florida, one of if not the most popular flavor of theirs will be Key Lime (in real life, the official state pie--yes, that is a thing--is the Key Lime Pie).

Good point about including Poseidon Energy. I should include more stuff about utility companies in general, alluding to some of the real-life political dealings that they have engaged in at the state government level.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was much, much closer to Louisiana, so I don't think it would work well to incorporate it in Fallout: Florida, even though it affected the whole Gulf of Mexico. But I could still maybe have some background reference to it if and when I start to write more actual stories here. That is a cool idea; it sounds very similar to the Enclave Oil Rig in Fallout 2.


See, this is one of the cool things about this whole thing: While I'm brainstorming and throwing out the foundation of this world here, I get feedback and suggestions that I can more easily take into consideration and possibly incorporate into my conception. This is quite fun!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 9 2020, 11:59 PM

I don’t know how accurate it is, but according to https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Super-Duper_Mart_(company), Super Duper Mart as a company had locations all across the Pre War United States.

*Edit*
Yeah, apparently there are advertisements For Super Duper Mart in New Vegas, which would indicate that there were some in the Mojave prior to the war.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 10 2020, 12:25 AM

Oh lawd, I’m having a thought! How about Sam Walton did establish a chain of Walmart stores as he did in our own timeline, but it didn’t make it out of the South for some reason. Now, imagine a clan of Point Lookout-esque Swampfolk dwelling in an abandoned Walmart!

If it were a game, the quest involving them could be called “People of Walmart”!

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 17 2020, 08:25 PM

Back when I GM'd a Shadowrun pen and paper game I imagined that the Waltons conquered a South American nation like Guyana with a mercenary army. They then ruled it as their personal kingdom - Waltonia - and enslaved the inhabitants to make everything sold in the Walmarts in the UCAS and CAS.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 17 2020, 09:18 PM

Lol that is gold! With John Boy as Minister of Foreign Trade!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 18 2020, 09:24 PM

I haven't been able to add much to Fallout: Florida for the past week or so, but I did have an epiphany about what the overarching storyline would be last week. I don't want to spoil too much of it yet, but what I will say is that it takes some inspiration from what the concept of Fallout: Tactics 2 would have been. The regional storylines would then all tie directly or indirectly to the main one. The excerpt from the Fallout wiki:

Also, I've thought some more about the discussions about Pre-War businesses, and I thought that would be a nice background theme for the alternate history: Detail on several different corporate and political competitions.
-Federal vs. State Government: I already had a working concept for dissension between the Enclave and the Old Guard. They're similar entities in their essence (i.e., shadow governments that are the real puppet masters), but while the Enclave is at the federal level, the Old Guard is at the state level. Many disagreements, especially the Old Guard blaming the Enclave for the Great War which directly affected other plans of theirs. To build off of that, I'm thinking of putting lore in that the Old Guard was even trying to get Florida to secede from the United States. Fallout 76 has something similar with a group called https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Free_States.
-National vs. Regional/Local Corporations: On the corporate side, we are going to have a similar and related battle, and on several different fronts. Since we see several national corporations in bed with the federal government in some of the lore, I'm going to carry it even further here with national businesses impeding on the territory of the regional and local businesses. While the federal government backed these national corporations (both through legal and illegal means), the state government backed the regional and local businesses (also both through legal and illegal means). This is another thing that creates tension between the federal and state government--and by extension between the Old Guard and the Enclave. I'm hoping to include terminal entries at some point that talk about all this.
-1) First, we have Super Duper Mart vs. Publix and possibly Walmart. I'm thinking I'm going to consider Walmart a southeastern corporation in the Fallout timeline, but the heart and founding of the Publix establishment here and in real-life is in Florida (although it, too, can be found throughout much of the southeastern U.S.)
-2) Next is Poseidon Energy vs. Local utility companies. I'm also partly inspired by the fact that, in real-life, Florida's major utility companies have a lot of lobbying power with the state government. Given that I have studied political science at both the undergraduate and graduate level, this is a natural inclusion.
-3) And finally, we have Nuka-Cola vs. Fusion! (h/t @SubRosa, I can't think of a better name for this fictional soft drink company).




I was going to say that it's vague just how spread out Super Duper Mart is, but see above for what I am thinking of doing. It also helps that I am doing (and have to do) anything Fallout-related for free, so I have a lot of leeway with what brands I can include (such as the inclusion of Publix and possibly Walmart in the lore).




I have a working concept for swamp people a la Point Lookout. Stay tuned.



Haha, nice.

Posted by: Renee Jun 19 2020, 06:21 PM

RaderOfTheLostArk needs to get hired as a dev. I can just see his credit listed for Fallout V: The Panhandle.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 21 2020, 02:57 PM

Lol, I don't know about that but I appreciate the vote of confidence, Renee. And unfortunately, my vision of a Fallout: Florida is going to be impossible to implement fully into a video game. The technology couldn't do it. But it is still fun to think about.



Haven't been able to do much more with this project recently, but I finally finished up another regional profile.






Counties: Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Lafayette, Dixie, Levy

Brief Description: Big Bend gets its name from being the section of land that “bends” between the Panhandle and the rest of Florida. The main theater of action at this time is Tallahassee by far, which is sometimes considered part of the Panhandle. As the capital of what was once Florida, the place has all sorts of secrets and Pre-War treasures waiting to be uncovered. And that is exactly what the major factions in this region are attempting to do.

Alternate History: TBD

Major Settlements: Monticello; Perry; Madison; Williston;

Minor Settlements: Wakulla; Otter Creek; Homestead Ridge; Fish Creek; Morriston

Other Points of Interest:

• Environmental Areas: Lake Talquin State Park; St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge; Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park; Mallory Swamp Wildlife Management Area; Twin Rivers State Forest; Goethe State Forest; Devil’s Hammock Wildlife Management Area
• Landmasses: Cedar Key; Bonita Beach
• Larger Complexes: Florida State Capitol Building; Florida State University; Museum of Florida History; Florida A&M University; Governor’s Square Mall; Florida Supreme Court Building; Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare; Taylor Correctional Institution
• Smaller Complexes/Particular Buildings: Fort Braden Community Center; Leon County Solid Waste Division (Fort Braden); Donald L. Tucker Civic Center; Florida Governors’ Mansion; The Grove Museum; St. Agape Orthodox Church
• Other: “Old” Tallahassee, Williston Highlands; Oakland Cemetery; Lake Rousseau Boat Ramp

Totally Fictional Locations: Gulfwatch; Sundown; Vault 100; Green Anole Ranch; Big Bend Lookout

Partially Fictional Locations: New Tallahassee; Fort Braden Ruins; The 98; Chief’s Land (Chiefland in real-life)

Factions Involved: Gulf Coast Union; The Old Guard; The Enclave; New State of Florida

Main Conflict: Most of Pre-War Tallahassee lies in ruins due to a direct hit from a nuke, and it is now referred to as “Old Tallahassee.” Displaced residents would set up a settlement outside of new Tallahassee as the old city was taken over by all sorts of dangers, and it was uninhabitable for some time anyway due to lethal levels of radiation. In recent years, the radiation has mostly dissipated but the Gulf Coast Union has kept the area strictly off-limits to its citizens due to the monsters and robots that still infest it. As a result, Old Tallahassee was not part of GCU control despite being within its borders.

Recently, forces from the GCU, Old Guard, and the Enclave have been seeking to access the city and recover secrets and lost information regarding the rest of Florida—but another faction stands in the way of all four groups. The self-proclaimed “New State of Florida” (not to be confused with the “New Florida” that became part of the GCU), a conglomeration of robots, feral and sane ghouls, and monsters that rule the city, have been very successful in keeping outsiders away. The NSF is led by a brilliant yet emotionally unstable and megalomaniacal man turned ghoul named Ezra Davidson. Davidson was a Pre-War state senator for Leon County (the county which Tallahassee resided in) and a scientist who had gubernatorial ambitions. Of course, that last part was thwarted by the Post-War. But Davidson saw an opportunity to build a new nation of his own: He has proclaimed his government the “true, legitimate, and rightful continuation” of the Pre-War Florida state government, and he has the resources to back his power up.

GCU hope to find lost information in Old Tallahassee that will help them expand throughout Florida and rebuild Tallahassee to bolster their economic, political, and military power. But it seems that both the Old Guard and Enclave have more of an idea of what they are looking for, something (or multiple things) more specific…


EDIT: After thinking about it some more, I'm going to remove the Brotherhood from this place. They are already involved in the Panhandle and I don't want to overuse them. Plus, the Midwest Brotherhood is going to be involved in places outside the GCU, so having them too numerous spread out too much isn't going to make sense. The Southeast chapter will make an appearance in a later region, however.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 23 2020, 06:14 PM

Counties: Hamilton, Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Alachua, Gilchrist

Brief Description: This subtropical part of the Deep South was filled with many smaller communities prior to the Great War. The major exception to this was the city of Gainesville that was home of the University of Florida Gators, one of the top academic schools in the entire country and one of the most recognizable team names in college sports. The small community aspect is virtually unchanged even after the Great War, with few major settlements rising back up from the ashes.

Alternate History: TBD

Major Settlements: Gainesville (parts of it); Lake City; Lake Butler

Minor Settlements: Micanopy; Tioga; Macclenny; Worthington Springs; Starke; Waldo; Jennings

Other Points of Interest:

• Environmental Areas: Osceola National Forest; Woods Ferry Conservation Area; St. Mary’s Shoals; Raiford Wildlife Management Area; Graham Conservation Area; Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park; Watermelon Pond
• Landmasses: Island Grove; McCormick Island; Bird Island; Hixon Island
• Larger Complexes: University of Florida; The Oaks Mall; Santa Fe College; Lawtey Correctional Institution
• Smaller Complexes/Particular Buildings: UF Health
• Other: Santa Fe Ruins; Lake Sampson; Crosby Lake; Lake Powell; Hawthorne; Lake Santa Fe; Newberry; Melrose Ruins; Roline Boat Ramp

Totally Fictional Locations: Fusion! Bottling Plant; Chasalatchkee; Falcon Outpost Alpha; Falcon Outpost Beta; Red Rangers base; Super Duper Mart; Publix Shopping Center; Toxic Waste Disposal Site

Partially Fictional Locations: Junction 23 (where State Road 23 crosses into Georgia, real life St. George); Jai Alai facility; abandoned Walmart Supercenter (Starke); The Burning Pools (a nuke just missed Gainesville, hitting the lakes SE of it and E of Micanopy)

Factions Involved: Gulf Coast Union; The Scaled Legion; The Red Rangers; Falcons

Main Conflict: The Scaled Legion, a band of Rad Gators, Swamp Demons, Rad Crocs, and Longsnouts (all mutated alligators and crocodiles, a few even being intelligent and able to speak human languages) have recently made headway into North Central Florida from Central Florida. They now control most of Gainesville, particularly the ruins of the University of Florida (the mascot of which, perhaps somewhat ironically, was the gator), killing and displacing humanoid residents. Outsiders are not sure what they are looking for, but what is clear is that they are highly organized and that they are looking for something specific in the remains of the university. The Scaled Legion is led by Methuselah, the First Super Gator and revered by his kind as “The Progenitor.” (The name is a reference to the longest-living person from the Bible, due to Methuselah being a particularly old gator).

Meanwhile, another new player has entered the fold: A mercenary group known as the Falcons. They take their name from the NFL team for Atlanta and have come all the way from said Post-War city to North Central Florida. Ostensibly, the Falcons’ mission is to capture a dangerous fugitive that they have hired to hunt down, though many GCU citizens have a hard time believing their claims. They have not incited violence or otherwise caused a real disturbance, however, and the GCU’s resources are stretched so thin that it is hard for them to drive the Falcons out. But the Red Rangers have also come to town, another secretive group but one that ultimately has good intentions. They are also not very forthcoming about their objectives for security reasons, however, but are trying to stop the Falcons for unknown reasons.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 26 2020, 04:41 PM

I actually decided to start writing a real story that will go through at least several of these regions. I'm still going to do the other stuff like regional profiles, world-building documents, referential info, etc. of course. That's what I am mostly focused on when I get to work on this project. The idea I have in my head is that I am going to have 5 or 6 regions tie into the main storyline and then the remaining regions will be "DLC"/"expansion" kind of stories. They will have their own separate main stories, but still have some sort of tie-in to the main story.

When I get some more free time later, I will also be adding some more monsters to the bestiary.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jul 11 2020, 12:16 AM

I am in the process of writing the synopses for each part of my story, which is project to be 5 or 6 parts. Each part will probably have 4-6 chapters if I don't rush it. I'm concerned I won't have the time to write out the entire story, so I may decide to release the synopses with a bit more added detail if anybody wants to read them. I finished the synopsis for the Panhandle (Part 1 of the storyline) and I'm going to think about what I want for the Big Bend region (Part 2 of the storyline).

I may also revamp some of the regional profiles in lieu of this development. A lot of the locations I put in them are not going to be in the main story. Rather, they are just to flesh out the world with some side stories, almost like if this were going to be an actual Fallout game.

Posted by: SubRosa Jul 11 2020, 12:56 AM

TBH, I would cut out the Enclave and Brotherhood of Steel. They don't have to be in every single Fallout game or setting. Those horses have really been whipped to death by now. Your original factions are much more interesting than those tired old retreads.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jul 11 2020, 01:38 AM

I get why you say that. Thanks for the feedback. Truthfully, that was one of my concerns when I was first formulating ideas for this story. It's why, for example, I'm not including Super Mutants in the bestiary. Yeah, BGS has found a way to make it work lore-wise for them to be on the East Coast, but it feels really shoehorned in. (And yes, they are in Fallout 76 too.) Deathclaws are another example that I am not putting in here. Swamp Demons and Longsnouts are the Floridian analog for them.

But with the plans I have, however, the regions I DO have them involved in will make sense for the stories I want to tell. For example, I want to expand on the bloody rivalry between the Enclave and the Old Guard, which is sometimes derisively called "Enclave-lite" because they are similar but for the state government. In fact, I'm going to actually remove the BoS from one or two of the regions I was going to involve them in because I am starting to feel that it would be shoehorning them in. Probably in the Big Bend region because I have the Old Guard and the Enclave there (the only delineated region that I am planning to have the Enclave play a heavy involvement in.) Once I amend BoS involvement, there are only two regions that I am going to involve them in.

Trust me, I will make their inclusions make sense and not overdo them.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jul 24 2020, 01:39 AM

And here it is: The first chapter of the Fallout: Florida story. Kind of nervous about posting it, but might as well do it before I decide not to. Hope you enjoy it.

August 4, 2130

Traversing the Southeastern Wastes almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter.

That is what Mariah thought to herself as the caravan she was riding through what used to the southeastern edge of Alabama, the sun blazing overhead. With her trusty 10MM, a large canteen of water, and a bag full of caps, she caught a ride from Mobile heading down to Pensacola, Florida. A thermometer in her caravan cart read a whopping 98 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mariah did not really give anyone a clear answer as to what the reasons for her travels were—in fact, she was not entirely sure herself. She had been a sojourner for a long time and the thought of her settling down in one place was a foreign concept at this point. Now in her late 20s, she had been all around the wastes of the former United States. But there were a few things that drew Mariah to Florida. She heard about some interesting opportunities to make caps like scouting out the wastes and mercenary work. She was a good shot with her 10MM. She also heard that her grandparents on both sides of her family had lived in Florida.

But that was before the War. The Great War. That fateful day that humanity, desperate to tear itself apart over the remaining resources on Earth, bathed itself in nuclear fire, plunging the world into a new, chaotic era. On October 23, 2077, the world’s major powers all launched nukes at each other in a two-hour span of mutual assured destruction. It may have been over 50 years ago at this point, but occasionally Mariah met a wastelander or two that lived before the War (or so they claimed, at least). It seemed more likely to be true whenever she met a ghoul, though even then you could not always be sure. It seemed so long ago, but the oldest living generations still seemed to bear fresh scars from the tragedy.

It apparently could be ridiculously hot in the summer months for much of the Pre-War southeastern United States, particularly Florida, as Mariah was told. Clearly, the bombs did nothing to improve the weather’s disposition, as indicated by the temperature and humidity. The distance was hazy. Looks like leather armor was a bad choice, Mariah thought to herself as she tried to cool herself off in the shade of the caravan tarp and sipped from her canteen. But the wastes could be a dangerous place, and the leather armor was the best protection she could get for now. If she had to profusely sweat in this heat, at least she had some defense in case of an ambush.

At least Mariah was not the only one having to suffer the heat. The convoy heading to Pensacola had multiple carts being pulled by Brahmin, with plenty of goods for trade in tow. The driver for Mariah’s particular cart, a Hispanic man in his 50s by the name of Gabriel, had been doing this for over two decades now. While she made conversation with him and did not want to be standoffish, Mariah also had a policy of being very careful about what she told people about her life story. Gabriel didn’t seem to mind though. Understanding, even.

“Ah, here comes the Alabama/Florida border.” Gabriel said triumphantly as they came up on a Pre-War sign indicating the approach of the state line. “Welcome to Florida!” the sign read, though the greeting and the state outline were heavily faded. The sign was beat up so badly at this point that the last Florida governor’s name was not readable at all.

“Do your travels take you here often?” Mariah struck up conversation with Gabriel again.

“Oh, plenty. The weather may be a mean old [censored], but there is a lot to like about Florida. Well, what used to be Florida anyway. Used to be one of the go-to tourist destinations before the world went to hell in a handbasket. You can even still see some remnants of that depending on where you go. But most importantly…” Gabriel paused as he turned his head to Mariah and smiled while patting his pouch of caps. “Lot of these bad boys to be made through these routes.”

“Have you gotten to visit much of Florida?”

“Sadly, no.” Gabriel shrugged. “I try to stick to GCU territory.” He was referring to the Gulf Coast Union, a conglomeration of states that arose from the ashes of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana—parts of them, anyway. They used to be part of the Gulf Commonwealth in the Pre-War United States. Fledgling states managed to rise up some time after the War—an impressive feat in a relatively short span of time after the Great War—and they eventually made a compact that formed one nation, the Gulf Coast Union. Mariah did not know a whole lot about them, but she had spent enough time in their lands to have some familiarity with them. Gabriel continued. “You hear all sorts of crazy things going on outside the borders, and there’s already enough going on within them too.”

This topic Mariah heard more about. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard people talk about some of it, but I haven’t really gotten any clear information about them. You know anything about these guys making all this trouble lately?”

“Apparently you got a couple of troublemaking groups. Some hooligans from Alabama that got their pants in a bunch about the GCU. Think they’re being oppressed or something. I don’t know, the GCU has been pretty good to me. Making plenty of caps. I can’t imagine they’re having it that bad. Always got to have somebody complaining about something, I suppose.”

Mariah then suddenly remembered one of the names she heard about the groups. “The Alabama Dissidents, that’s their name. Or at least one of them. I remember that now. Heard about them in a bar in Mobile before the caravans left. Seemed like there were a few sympathizers in town, too. They call themselves freedom fighters or something along those lines.”

“Ah yeah, right. I heard basically the same thing too.” Gabriel chuckled. “Well, in any case, I ain’t too worried about them. Now those other guys…”

“What other guys?”

“Call themselves the Brotherhood of Steel or something. I ain’t ever seen one, but from what I have heard they don’t mess around. Few enough sightings that some people don’t even believe they are around here. They got those guns that fire laser beams and their armor makes them look like machines. What’s it called? Power Armor, that’s what they wear. Apparently rolled out by the U.S. military before humanity decided to blow itself up.” Gabriel paused again, then sighed.

Mariah wondered aloud, “What would they be out here for? I heard a lot about them further west. They are apparently pretty active in the midwest. But Florida is way far out from where they should be.”

“Guess they think something big is around these parts. They got a lot of pre-War technology on their side, but they seem to think it’s their divine right to hoard it all for themselves. Supposedly, anyway. It’s what I’ve heard from some people, though I don’t know how they would know about it. Guess they’ve come up to one of those Brotherhood guys in person. But again, there have been relatively few sightings of them. Most people think it’s just some myth that has been cooked up to scare people more than they already are.”

Mariah was impressed by how much Gabriel knew about the goings-on of the land. “You’re really on top of things here, Gabriel.”

“Ha!” Gabriel turned back to her again and smiled. “My dear, when you have been doing this gig as long as I have, you hear all kinds of stories. I’ve heard about all sorts of creatures further down in Florida like these giant, walking gators, for example. Sometimes hard to tell what’s true, but this kind of stuff I have heard a lot around here. That’s why the caravan companies pay so well to carry cargo across these parts. It’s all that danger. Honestly, though, I don’t worry too much about it.”

Mariah was puzzled at that last remark. The Brotherhood certainly sounded like a force to be reckoned with, and the presence of the Alabama Dissidents must have only made the situation worse. “I don’t know, Gabriel. I’m fairly confident in my ability to defend myself, but these guys sound like serious business. I mean, energy weapons? Power armor?”

Gabriel simply shrugged again. “Can’t tell you why. I guess doing this for so long and having relatively little trouble makes you feel like you’re invincible or something. Like those people who think that bad things can’t happen to them but then they do. I suppose you got a point.” Gabriel took a swig from his canteen and then bit into some Squirrel Bits. “At the same time, I try to keep calm. Not just for myself, but for my passengers, you know?”

Gabriel sat there for a moment and then turned to Mariah again. “But you make sure you take care of yourself, you hear? I don’t want to sound like a creepy old guy, but you are an exceptionally beautiful young lady out here in these desolate wastes.” He was right. Mariah was a strikingly attractive woman, with a slender build, fair skin, and blonde hair that was straight on one side and had several slight curls on the other side. Some people called it ‘the seductress’ haircut. “I can tell you can defend yourself well, but there are a lot of creeps that roam about. And they will not hesitate to do…awful things to you.” He started tearing up at the thought.

Mariah suddenly became concerned. “Are you okay, Gabriel? Did something happen to someone you know?”

“No, no, no, no, no.” Gabriel regained his composure. “It’s just…I have a daughter right about your age. Fortunately, nothing terrible has happened to her. In fact, she lives in the city we are heading to now, Pensacola. But it’s something that comes to mind a lot and I’ve heard many horror stories about raider groups. I can’t help but think about some of these worst-case scenarios. Especially since my wife died several years ago. Now my daughter is all I have left. She’s a tough cookie like yourself, but…”

Mariah almost teared up herself. The only thing she could think of was to pat her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear about your wife, Gabriel. You’re a good man and your daughter is lucky to have you.”

Gabriel turned to her again and flashed a smile, clasping her hand for a moment. “Thank you, sweetheart. You’re a good kid. Whatever you’re looking for out here, I hope you find it.” He then pointed to a long box in the caravan to Mariah’s right. “There, open that box.”

Mariah did as he said and pulled out a sword from the box. It was a light blade, but she could tell that it could do some serious, quick damage when effectively used. “Wow, this is an impressive blade. How’d you come across it?”

Gabriel didn’t answer the question, but instead simply said, “It’s yours.”

“What? I’m sorry Gabriel, I can’t take…”

“Please, Mariah.” There was some urgency in his voice. “You can make much better use of it than I can. I don’t know if you have much training with melee weapons, but I think it will serve you well. You got yourself a firearm, sure, but if you run out of bullets or you are in close quarters, this sword will be your best friend.”

Mariah stuttered, not sure what to say. “I…I’m honored, Gabriel. Thank you for entrusting this to me. I’ll do you proud.”

“My pleasure. And hey, you can remember me by it, too.” Gabriel turned back and smiled at her. Mariah smiled back as well, but she wished she had something to give him in return. But he must have sensed it. “And don’t worry about giving me anything. It’s a gift. Besides…” He tapped his pouch of caps again and laughed. “I got plenty of these coming my way at the end of this. I can just buy another weapon.”

Mariah laughed too. But the touching moment was cut short when gunfire suddenly erupted. Chaos ensued as the Brahmin became frightened, carts were toppled over, and the protectors for the caravan were caught off-guard. Mariah was flown off her cart by the scared Brahmin pulling it and landed face down in the dirt as the cart pinned one of her legs down. She was disoriented for a moment and could not see what was going on, only hearing the exchanges of bullets between the caravan guards and what ostensibly was some roving band of raiders. Lots of words were being shouted back and forth too, but it was hard to make out what was being said in all the commotion.

When she regained her bearings, she pulled herself out from under the cart that was now her cover and whipped out her 10MM pistol. There was no gunfire coming her way, giving her the chance to survey the attackers and return fire. That’s when she noticed a particular patch on the armor they were wearing. She couldn’t make out all of it, but she did notice the shape of Pre-War Alabama with several stars around it.

These were no ordinary raiders. They were Alabama Dissidents.

Mariah then cocked her pistol and took careful aim, killing three Dissidents with as many bullets. But she hadn’t noticed the Dissident sneaking up behind her, who must have somehow lost his firearm since he was coming up to her with a blade.

Right as she noticed his presence, she gasped and turned toward him, fearing that she would not react in time. But as soon as the enemy was ready to plunge his blade into her, the caravan driver Gabriel yelled, coming out of nowhere and tackling the Dissident to the ground. They struggled, constantly changing position and preventing Mariah from taking a clear shot at the Dissident. But the Dissident had another dagger in his belt, taking it out and plunging it into Gabriel’s chest.

It was at that point that Mariah seemingly lost consciousness as rage took her over. She took Gabriel’s sword and charged at the Dissident, thrusting the sword multiple times in weak points in his armor. After several agonized screams, the Dissident met his end as she slashed his throat. He dropped to the ground, his face frozen in terror.

The Dissidents had decimated the caravan guard and were about to turn their attention to Mariah, when suddenly something else caught their attention. “[Censored]! Sentinels! Fall back!” one of the Dissidents yelled. They were referring to Gulf Coast Union Sentinels, an elite group of GCU soldiers, who were out on patrol near Pensacola. The Sentinels quickly made their way over to the caravan wreckage and made quick work of most of the living Dissidents, having far better equipment than the attackers. A few of the Dissidents made a run for it, and one of the Sentinels, clearly one of those in charge, sent some soldiers to chase them down.

One of them uttered in disgust, “Damn it, we were too late!”

Mariah was on her knees over Gabriel, who was drawing his last breaths. He turned to her. “Take care of yourself, Mariah. My daughter, Valentina…she works for the GCU in town. Introduce yourself…and tell her…I love her.” Gabriel bled out, the last casualty of the caravan. Over half of its members—travelers, guards, and drivers—had been murdered at the hands of the Dissidents. Mariah felt too much shock at all that had transpired to cry. It certainly wasn’t the first time she had seen tragedy in the post-apocalypse. But the same could go for almost everybody.

One the GCU Sentinels, an imposing Haitian man measuring 6-and-a-half-feet tall, approached Mariah. He only had a faint accent from his homeland, suggesting he had been born there but moved to post-War America a long time ago. “It’s okay. It’s over now. I’m Commander Bertrand,” the Sentinel said in his resonant voice. “Here, let me give you a hand.”

Mariah took his hand and pulled herself up. “Thanks,” she said in barely more than a mumble.

“Sounds from other survivors here that much of the thanks goes to you for driving them off,” Bertrand said, pointing to several of the living members of the caravan. “Hell of a job, from what I hear. I’m sure it doesn’t mean much, but…”

“Why did this happen?! Where was the GCU?!” Mariah blurted, cutting Bertrand off. She wasn’t in the mood for accepting some meaningless accolades.

Bertrand didn’t argue with her, simply explaining, “We were tipped off by one of our scouts that there was Dissident activity this way, though he was only by himself and couldn’t take them on. We tried getting over here as soon as we could. And we came late…again.” Bertrand turned to the corpse of the Dissident that Mariah had eviscerated and kicked it. “Son of a [censored]!”

Mariah was still fuming, but she at least appreciated Bertrand’s honesty and the fact that he didn’t make up some excuse. She toned her anger down. “I hear this has been going on a lot lately. How is the GCU not putting a stop to this?”

“It’s only recently that these guys have been getting this bold. But don’t worry, we’ll put an end to it.”

“It would’ve been helpful if you had already done it,” Mariah sniped back, apparently disregarding Bertrand’s huge size advantage. She was too angry to care about his imposing figure. But Bertrand still didn’t get upset at her attitude. Rather, he understood it.

“I know. I promise you we’re trying.”

One of the soldiers, a white man shorter than Bertrand but still muscular and tall, called out. He was one of the soldiers who chased down the fleeing Dissidents. “Commander Bertrand! We got a live one!”

Mariah and Bertrand turned to see one of the Dissidents wounded but not mortally. He was groaning, clutching his shoulder and having some trouble standing.

“Nice work, Jacob. Take his [censored] down to the station. We’ll get information out of him,” Bertrand said. He then turned to Mariah. “Look, maybe you can help us out. You helped defend this caravan. You might know something about these guys—the Dissidents—that we don’t. Anything you heard or saw. Anything helps. But first, let’s get you and the others to town. You can rest up a bit and then we’ll contact you.”

Mariah was still upset but had cooled off. She sighed. “Yeah. I can do that. This is my first time in this town, though. I don’t really know anything about it.”

“Very well. Jacob!”

Officer Jacob walked over to Bertrand. “Yes, sir?”

“Please see this young lady—”

“Mariah.” Mariah interjected. “The name’s Mariah.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mariah. Jacob, please see Mariah to town. Show her the ropes of Pensacola. We’ll need her at the station later but let her relax a bit. Everyone here has been through a lot.”

“Yes, sir.” Jacob said. “Please follow me, Mariah.”



The survivors were brought into Pensacola, though Jacob and Mariah departed from the group. They walked down one of the main streets, with him telling her a bit about the town and where some of the major establishments were. As per her personal policy, Mariah did not say much about her background, but Jacob understood. “Can’t be too careful, these days,” he shrugged. “Especially when you come to a new area.” Mariah appreciated his understanding. She did tell him a little bit about things such as where she had traveled, where she was coming from to Pensacola, and some of the things she had heard about pre-War Florida.

Jacob brought her to one of the bars in town called The Blue Angel. It was a reference to a pre-War U.S. Navy flight team based in Pensacola that did air shows around Florida. Posters for the Blue Angels could still be seen around the town, although they were mostly faded and worn away. Pretty impressive that they are still there at all, Mariah thought. The Great War was already over a half-century ago.

When they walked in, they both ordered drinks at the bar. As Mariah reached for her caps, Jacob waved his hand. “This one’s on me.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.”

“Yeah, well, you deserve it after helping push back those Dissidents from the caravan.”

Mariah relaxed some more, telling a few stories of her travels. Jacob, in turn, talked about some of the GCU missions he had been on. They had been talking for about half an hour, listening to each other’s stories so intently that they initially didn’t notice the beautiful Hispanic woman with a black-haired ponytail in GCU attire approach them. “Jacob, it’s time. We’re questioning the captive from the caravan attack at the station.”

“Great. Thanks, Valentina. I’ll do my best not to break the [censored]’s face.”

“Wait, Valentina?” Mariah said. “I’m Mariah. You must be Gabriel’s daughter. He was my caravan driver. I’m…I’m sorry for your loss. He wanted me to introduce myself and asked me to make sure you know that his last words were that he loves you.”

Valentina stood still for a moment. She was clearly trying to hold back her emotions. After clearing her throat, she said, “I appreciate that, Mariah. Thanks. And nice to meet you. Are you ready to come to the station?”

Mariah took a deep breath. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jul 24 2020, 04:41 AM

Fun read Rader! Keep it coming!

Posted by: SubRosa Jul 24 2020, 05:29 AM

A nice (well, maybe not nice introduction to the Gulf Coast wasteland. Tbh, it would be a good tutorial for one of games. Starting on the caravan gives you some background about the area, some action, and finally throws you out into a wilder world. While at the same time the prisoner and attack might form the basis for a good starting quest.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jul 24 2020, 02:50 PM

I was thinking the same while reading it.

Posted by: Renee Jul 24 2020, 04:48 PM

This intro makes me sad but also fascinated at the same time. My characters are often also in the habit of trying to imagine what life was like "before the war." You also consider Mariah's thoughts on weather quite a lot too, as well as seasons. Mine also do this.

My main New Vegas character had this same, exact thought as I gamed with her a few months ago. In fact she was wearing leather at the time. But now in her game, it's December. Below freezing at night for sure, so leather is now appropriate.

Nice. He gives her a blade. And she's got a seductress haircut.

Damn. Gabriel already got killed. What the. Well at least she met his daughter. I have a feeling she'll play some part in the future.

What is the significance of Mariah? Any real-life influences?

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 2 2020, 05:36 AM

@Cheshire - Thank you. I will certainly try to update as much as I can.

@SubRosa - Thank you. I didn't really think about it, but yeah, this could be a nice introduction to an actual Fallout game. Have something different than someone coming from a Vault, although I suppose Fallout has already done that multiple times (2, NV, and I think Tactics, for example).

@Renee - Thank you. Yeah, I'm trying to include little things to flesh out the characters but not too much to drag it on. As for Mariah, maybe there is something subconscious but I just really like the name. There is the goofy reference to the minor character of the same name in The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (which I've posted before, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4NThslOItA), but that had no bearing on my choice of that name.

Chapter 2: Old Wounds

Mariah, Valentina, and Jacob made their way over to the GCU station, just a bit down the block from the bar. It was a pre-War police station for Pensacola, making it a convenient location to convert for the GCU’s purposes. The sun was starting to set, and the station was getting less busy, but there were still plenty of GCU officers inside.

As the three of them entered the station, Commander Bertrand was talking to another GCU officer, who handed him several papers. “Well done, officer,” Bertrand told him. “You may return to your post.” Then he noticed the three of them approaching. Valentina and Jacob saluted their superior. “Ah, there you all there. Some of the others found some intel on the Dissidents from their bodies. Only problem is it seems to be in code. Figures…” Bertrand scoffed. “We’ll get the codebreakers on it after the interrogation.”

“Have you found anything else out? Motives? What they were looking for? Where they are holed up?” Mariah asked eagerly.

“Not yet. But that’s why we have the prisoner in there. We’ll make him talk.” Bertrand gestured toward the Dissident, the one captured from the caravan raid, sitting in the interrogation room behind him. “They’ve been more active in these parts as of late. We’re far from their land, which is up in the north of pre-War Alabama. So why a bunch of them are out here is anyone’s guess, but they must think there is something important here that we have. They’ll also have to have some sort of base set up that they are launching their operations from.”

Bertrand continued. “We’ve been able to fend them off no problem before, but they have been getting the jump lately, so we’re increasing patrols in the area. We have to be careful about overextending though, because our numbers are strained. The GCU’s got problems in other places besides here.” Bertrand was referring to the fact that the Panhandle of Florida was not the only place that the GCU was fighting with local groups in. It was not even the only place in Florida that there was trouble. To the east of Pensacola was Tallahassee (the pre-War capital of Florida), Gainesville, and Jacksonville, each with their own set of issues. But there was also a lot of trouble brewing over in Baton Rouge and near New Orleans in Louisiana. Then Bertrand asked, “Before we interrogate the prisoner, though, I need to know what Mariah saw or heard. Mariah, is there anything you can tell us? Anything you know can help us out here.”

Mariah thought for a moment. Then she frowned and shook her head. “No. They just came out of nowhere. I was knocked out of my cart and disoriented for a bit, but I couldn’t really focus on anything until I regained my composure. But these aren’t just some raiders. They must have been looking for something that they thought the caravan had, right?”

Bertrand sighed. “I can only speculate. Let’s go get some information out of the prisoner. Jacob, you come with me inside. Valentina and Mariah, you stay behind the glass and watch. Look for any sorts of cues he may unknowingly give, anything. Mariah, you can see through the glass but he can’t see you. Some sort of pre-War tech that many police stations used. Called them one-way mirrors.”

The four of them went to take their positions. The Dissident prisoner had been sitting there silently, looking down on the floor. When Jacob and Bertrand walked in, the prisoner finally looked up and simply laughed in a low register when he saw them. “And so the GCU dogs have come to squeeze something out me. Bark! Bark! Ha! Loyally serving your corrupt masters.”

“Can it,” Bertrand shot back.

“Can it? You want info out of me and you tell me to shut up? Seems contradictory to me,” the Dissident smiled smugly. “But I suppose no one ever accused GCU personnel of being smart.”

Bertrand dismissed the remark. “You’re going to tell us what we want to know.”

“And why should I tell you anything, lap dog? Why don’t you just…”

“I’ll ask the questions here. Not you. If you are not cooperative, I promise you we have ways to make you talk.”

“Oh yeah? Gonna pull another stunt like the GCU did in Birmingham? Remember that? How the GCU slaughtered some of our people because we were defending our land? We remember quite well.”

“Slaughtered? Defending?” Jacob said incredulously, his face turning red. Steam was practically coming out of his ears with how quickly angered he became. “I’m going to rearrange that face of yours!”

Jacob took a couple of steps toward the Dissident before Bertrand held his arm out. “Officer Jacob, stand down! He’s just trying to get into our heads.”

“Yeah, Officer Jacob. Stand down,” the Dissident said in a deliberately mocking voice. “You know, speaking of names, you never even asked me mine. Is that how you treat all your guests? My name is Gerald. Let’s see you get anything else out of me.” It seemed that this Gerald was full of smart [censored] quips.

“Okay, Gerald,” Bertrand said. “We pulled some information off one of your dead buddies. A coded message. Our codebreakers are going to decipher it soon. But why don’t you spare us the trouble, tell us what we want to know, and we’ll think about going a bit easier on your compatriots.”

Gerald’s playful mood started to dissipate. “What are you going to do to me, huh? I’m a prisoner. I have certain rights. Or maybe it’s different for you dogs. You gonna murder me like the GCU did to our people around Birmingham?”

“Awfully bold of scum like you to accuse us of murder after what you guys did to that caravan.”

“Call it retribution. You guys had it coming,” Gerald brazenly defended his organization’s actions. “You’ll get nothing out of me and nothing out of that scrap of paper you picked up.”

Bertrand pounded the table with a loud thud. For a moment it startled Gerald, but he quickly regained his smug smile. “Enough! Why did you attack the caravan?! You guys clearly wanted something from that caravan and we want to know what it is. Where are you launching raids from?”

Gerald simply disregarded the questions. “The GCU’s time is coming, bootlickers. We know all about the trouble you guys are having throughout your territory. Got too big too quickly. Thought you can take what isn’t yours by force. Like the Brotherhood. We’re here to regain Alabama’s sovereignty. The Alabama Compact threw away our self-determination, as if outsiders should determine what’s best for us. Well, they don’t represent us. YOU don’t represent us.” The Alabama Compact was a post-War nation that sprung up relatively quickly after the bombs fell, an attempt at a rebirth of pre-War Alabama. They eventually joined similar governments from former Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana to form the Gulf Coast Union.

“You want to play this game, you waste of oxygen?” Bertrand growled. “Fine, we’ve got a special solitary place for people like you. You spend some time there, and you’ll talk. Believe me.”

Mariah had heard enough and furiously stormed to the interrogation room door. Valentina tried to grab one of her arms but Mariah quickly pulled it away. She burst into the room to confront Gerald herself. “You stupid son of a [censored]! Answer the [censored] questions!”

“Damn it, Mariah!” Bertrand’s temper rose. He and Jacob grabbed Mariah as she was getting ready to pull out her sword and threaten Gerald.

“Whoa-ho! Well, hello there, sweet thing,” Gerald said, struck by Mariah’s beauty. “You know, Commander, you’re really no good at this interrogation thing. Should have sexy women like this doing the questioning. More likely to get me to answer.” Gerald creepily winked at Mariah.

“I’ll cut you up just like I did your friend!” Mariah shot back, facing him while desperately trying to break free from Jacob and Bertrand’s hold on her. They were far too strong for her to even get her hand to grab the sword’s hilt.

It was at this remark that Gerald dropped his sarcastic demeanor completely, getting visibly angry for the first time there. “That was you? Listen, you little [censored]. I’m going to get out of here eventually, and when I find you, we’re going to have some fun. Well, maybe just me. Mark my words.”

“You won’t do a damn thing!” Bertrand bellowed, still trying to push Mariah out the door. “Jacob, see to it that our prisoner gets put in the ‘special box.’”

“What the hell is that?” Gerald asked with some trepidation in his voice. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Well, you still won’t get me to talk! The Dissidents are going to bring the death knell to the GCU! And the Brotherhood will get what’s coming to them too! You’ll all pay!” Gerald was still yelling as Bertrand slammed the door.

Mariah had spent some considerable energy trying to break free from Bertrand and Jacob’s grasp and she was already tired from the day’s events. As she was catching her breath, Bertrand addressed her. The patience he had exhibited with her earlier was gone. “What the hell are you thinking, Mariah?!”

“That [censored] wasn’t talking,” Mariah said exasperatedly.

“And you thought that what you did was going to help? I let you stand outside the window there. We rarely let civilians this far into the station, and it’s not normally something we should be doing. But I did it because I figured you could help us and that your actions at the caravan merited that.” Bertrand paused briefly to let go some of the anger. “Look, I know you’re angry. We all are. Every single one of us here wants to end that degenerate’s life. But we can’t let this opportunity go to waste and we certainly can’t have our emotions spill over like yours just did.”

“Yeah, because the GCU is really doing their job well,” Mariah shot back sarcastically.

Bertrand finally had enough after she said that. “This discussion is over. Time to leave the station. Valentina, please see Mariah out.” Valentina gently placed her shoulder on Mariah’s back and gave her a slight nudge toward the station’s entrance. While she was still furious at the unsuccessful interrogation and Bertrand, Mariah didn’t want to cause Valentina trouble, and she obliged.



Mariah went back to the Blue Angel, exhausted from the day’s events. It was surprisingly quiet inside. The human bartender that was at the bar earlier must have left for the evening, as he was now replaced by a Mr. Handy. Normally used to help clean Pre-War homes, Mariah had seen some Mr. Handy models repurposed for other means like shopkeeping in her travels. She sat down at the bar with a heavy sigh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXWCaQPXE_0, a Pre-War favorite for many Americans and even for some people outside of the U.S., started playing on the radio.

The Mr. Handy floated over to her and cheerfully spoke in the trademark English accent typical of its kind. “Good evening, madam! You look lovely tonight. Can I interest you in a drink?”

“Just a bourbon, please,” Mariah muttered tiredly, handing over a few caps.

“One bourbon for the young lady coming up!”

Mariah sat there ruminating on the day with bourbon in hand. After all that transpired, she was not sure what to do from here. She wanted to find more on the Dissidents, what they wanted, and where they were based nearby. But after what happened at the station, she figured her chances of being further involved were slim to none. It was probably unlikely to begin with, given that she was not working for the GCU. Perhaps she could have done some mercenary work, though.

After five or ten minutes, Mariah heard a familiar voice call out her name. “Hey, Mariah.” It was Valentina.

Mariah turned around, perking up a bit. “Oh. Hey, Valentina.”

“You can just call me Val if you want. Rolls off the tongue much easier.” Mariah could see Valentina’s eyes were significantly red, indicating that she had been crying a lot. She must have finally had time to mourn her murdered father, Gabriel, now that her work for the day was over. “May I join you?”

“Of course.”

Valentina sat down next to Mariah at the bar with a heavy sigh and ordered a bourbon from the Mr. Handy bartender. After she received the drink and sat for a moment in silence, Valentina spoke up again. “Hey, uh. . . thanks again for telling me about my dad. It may seem like a small gesture, but it meant a lot.”

“Absolutely.” Then she gestured toward Valentina’s drink and chuckled. “Your dad seemed to see a lot of you in me. Judging by your drink choice, I guess he was right.”

“Ha, yeah.” Valentina laughed too, looking down at her bourbon. Then she looked straight forward and spoke somewhat wistfully. “Yep, sounds like him alright. He was very protective of young women in the wasteland. Easy to see why with his life experiences.”

“What happened?” Mariah asked, quickly adding, “Um, if you want to say, that is.”

“Don’t worry. It’s good to let it out sometimes. My dad seemed to trust you. He had a good eye for people, so I trust his judgment.” Valentina paused again then had to clear her throat. “He raised me by himself for quite some time. Mom died while I was still a kid. Raiders attacked our settlement where we were living at the time. And it. . . it wasn’t enough for them to just loot everything, or even to just kill everyone. Typical raiders had to go even further and do even more horrifying things to some of the people there.” It was clear what kinds of things she referred to. They were raiders, after all.

After another pause, Valentina continued. “A few survivors were able to push the raiders out and kill most of them. But the damage was done. Men, women, children—experiencing the horrors of the wasteland firsthand. A few of the raiders escaped but my dad and a handful of survivors tracked them down. And when they found their hideout, they. . . they found women and children imprisoned in cages. The women had barely any clothing on and the children were in tattered rags. My dad and the rest of them butchered the raiders and rescued the prisoners.” She was on the verge of sobbing again.

Mariah stayed silent for a while, but it seemed that Valentina was hoping she would say something. Valentina was having trouble speaking again. “I’m sorry, Val. If it’s any consolation, a lot of that is similar to what I experienced when I was young too.”

Valentina had been looking down holding back her tears, but she turned toward Mariah. “Really?”

Mariah cleared her throat. “Yeah.” She took another swig of her bourbon. “Raiders hit our settlement when I was kid too. Except it was my whole family—mom, dad, brother, and some extended family—gone. Back then, I wasn’t a fighter. Despite all the [censored] that goes on in the wasteland, mom and dad tried their hardest to shield us from it. I was a happy-go-lucky kid. . . until the raiders came. They came to our settlement and. . . razed it all down.” Her voice started to take a defeated tone. “I wish I could have gone and quite literally ripped them all apart. But I didn’t know the first thing about combat. I just ran, like my parents told me to. Still, I feel like I let them down.” Tears started streaming down her face as well. “Guess that’s why I get angry so easily. I wish I had the spine to go after those raiders and make them suffer. But I didn’t. I still feel like I have to atone for it.”

Valentina placed her hand on Mariah’s shoulder. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Mariah. No one would’ve expected you to face down all those raiders by yourself.”

Mariah turned to Valentina and gave a faint smile. “Part of me wants to agree with you. But it’s still a feeling I can’t shake. It’s good in a way, though. Drove me to learn how to fight, how to shoot a gun, and all that. I wouldn’t have been able to help defend the caravan otherwise.”

“That’s sort of like my dad. Wanting to dispense justice in the wasteland. He did for a while, but he told me that after a near-death experience he stopped. Said he really started to think about how I would’ve been alone if he was gone. So, dad stopped living the mercenary life pretty quickly. When I grew up, though, I knew that I wanted to protect people after that. Help bring justice and safety to the wasteland. So, when I was old enough, I joined the GCU. My dad wasn’t a fan at first, but he understood eventually. As much as he wanted to keep looking out for me, he saw that I wasn’t a little girl anymore, and he returned to caravan driving. Thought he could at least look after people that way, and his body wouldn’t have held up to the mercenary life. But he always made sure to check up on me periodically. Of course, now…” Valentina paused again.

Although she still wasn’t ready to spill her whole life story, Mariah was relieved that she finally found someone in Valentina that could be some sort of confidant. Something about Valentina immediately gave Mariah the feeling that she was trustworthy. Both of them had a similar trajectory in life, although Valentina seemed to have more of a reverence for (or at least adherence to) a real structure and rules while Mariah was more of a questioner about how things operated. Mariah couldn’t envision herself working for an organization like the GCU, although their basic goals seemed to be the same.

Still, Mariah wanted to change the topic. Something else was on her mind. “Val, the Dissident—Gerald—he mentioned “Birmingham” repeatedly in that interrogation and held it against the GCU. What was that about?”

Valentina was also relieved to change the topic. She took another drink from her bottle of bourbon and emptied it. “Well, I wasn’t there, but I’ve heard some of the others at the station describe it. Commander Bertrand was there, in fact. The way I understand it, Dissidents were violently revolting against the GCU there and claimed it was their land. Bloody fighting broke out and scores of Dissidents and GCU were killed. And as if that wasn’t enough,” she chuckled wryly, “the Brotherhood of Steel joined too. Out of nowhere. They must have thought they could take advantage of both sides weakening each other. There was a huge battle at an old, abandoned military facility that had just been discovered. We drove off the rest of the Dissidents and the Brotherhood, though we took some serious casualties. But Commander Bertrand was honored for his actions there and was promoted to his current post.”

“When did it happen?”

“Sometime in the past couple years. Can’t remember for sure, to be honest.”

“Hmm,” Mariah pondered what she said, but something about the way that Gerald had talked about the incident at Birmingham still bothered her. “Gerald seemed to really believe that it was the GCU and Brotherhood’s fault.”

“Are you taking his side?” Valentina joked. “You know how these types are. They delude themselves into believing that they are on the right side of history and they’ll do anything to justify their actions.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Mariah certainly didn’t believe that the Dissidents were right about…well, anything, certainly not after that day’s events. And those events seemed to finally catch up to Mariah as another wave of tiredness overcame her. The clock on the wall only showed 9:30 PM, but she was exhausted. She yawned. “Thanks for talking, Val. But I got to hit the sack. Where’s a good place to stay in town?”

“Oh, no no no,” Val shook her head and waved her hand. “You don’t need to spend some caps to get a room. You can crash at my place. I don’t have to go into the station until tomorrow afternoon, so I can show you some more around town in the morning.”
“Wow. Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude on…”

“Don’t be silly.” Valentina flashed a bright smile. “It’s been a long day and you’ve done a lot for me today. It’s nice to be able to just let things out sometimes, you know? Besides, you’re new to this area, right? I can show you some of the ropes, places to stock up on supplies, and all that. And I think—no, I KNOW—you can still help us. As long as you are still interested.”

“I sure am. But…I don’t think Bertrand will want my help now after today.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll vouch for you. I’ve known the Commander to be a reasonable man.”

Mariah was not so sure like Valentina. But she really wanted to help, even if only for Valentina’s sake. It was the least she could do for Gabriel. And Mariah wasn’t quick to let a chance at vengeance go. “You’re awesome, Val. Let’s get going then.”

Posted by: Renee Aug 14 2020, 01:24 PM

I like that... "some sort of pre-war tech. They called them one-way mirrors..." It's like the difference between the Great Pyramids and those of later dynasties, which are oddly cruder in design.

Well anyway, that prisoner's in for it now. When that police station was built there were all sorts of laws. "I want my lawyer!" for instance. That would instantly cease a police interview. Not now, though. Now there are no laws.

I actually agree with the Dissident! Gerald gets frazzled too easily. He's not very good at the mind games some interrogators employ. Mariah did a better job of getting under the guy's skin!

Let's see if some time in solitary will change Gerald's mind.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 14 2020, 09:10 PM

Well, that interrogation went well.

They delude themselves into believing that they are on the right side of history and they’ll do anything to justify their actions
Yep, seen that before. Gerald reminded me a lot of various White Supremacists.

I see Mariah and Val are definitely teaming up. It will be nice to see where this goes.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 15 2020, 03:07 PM

Looks like things are heating up!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 19 2020, 04:16 PM

@Renee - Indeed. The success that Dissidents have had lately is getting to Bertrand. Perhaps he'd do better otherwise.

@SubRosa - Yep, all sorts of people get caught up in what they believe and dismiss anything that even remotely challenges it.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - Yeah. It can be difficult to balance the need for action and the need for downtime. Too much action and things don't develop well. Too much downtime and it gets boring. I'm trying to balance it as best I can. Chapter 4 is going to really ramp up the action.


I noticed in SubRosa's writings that she made a Google map indicating locations in her story. I wasn't sure if you could do that before, but that is a really neat idea. Thus, I'm making a Google map of the world of Fallout: Florida. Of course, it'll be subject to many changes as it is a work in progress, but it will at least have the important story locations. I'm debating how much to include non-story locations as well, sort of like if it were a real Fallout game's map. I hope to also add notes to each location to give more background lore for each. I'll make the map available soon.

Chapter 3: Hatching the Plan

Mariah fell asleep almost as soon as she crashed on Valentina’s couch around 11:30 PM. When she woke up the next morning, a clock on the wall read 9:30 AM. Valentina needed the sleep too, as she woke up at about the same time. For the most part, she was holding her emotions in check over her father Gabriel’s death. Valentina and Mariah left not too long after, the former telling the latter more about the city of Pensacola and GCU territory in former Florida in general.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OTqEfRk0lI]

That morning, one of the main streets have the city was hosting something similar to a farmers’ market, though many vendors were selling wares other than food. Merchants from out of town, as well as residents of Pensacola who didn’t have their own storefront, had booths set up on either side of the street. In a few stalls, chem dealers were toting their wares, though it seemed that the city government had many restrictions on what they could sell. One could see the usual Stimpaks, Rad-Away, and Rad-X, as well as Jet, Buffout, and Mentats, though the latter three had to be of diluted quality. Chem dealers were explicitly forbidden, however, from selling other chems like Psycho, Daddy-O, and Daytripper. Whatever the rhyme or reason was for these ordinances, Mariah was not sure. It seemed sort of arbitrary to her what chems were allowed to be sold.

There was plenty of variety elsewhere. Some weapons and armor salespeople were around as well, though there were several GCU personnel hanging around for extra security. A few vendors had tamed animals for pets on sale. The green anole lizard was a tiny creature in the Pre-War days that grew considerably in size due to radioactive fallout. Some were even the size of larger dog breeds. Despite the mutations, anole lizards remained mostly friendly towards humans and were a relatively popular pet. Some stalls featured Pre-War relics, from the relatively common to the harder to find. Mariah bought a hat that came with an advertisement denoting that it was a product from Florida-based Cooler Heads Technology, with the tagline of “Cooler Heads Prevail!” Apparently, the Pre-War company sold various accessories that were supposed to cool someone off in the hot sun by generating their own cool air, even more desirable in the Post-War heat. Surprisingly, the hat still worked.

Mariah and Valentina split up briefly to poke around the stalls that interested them. Mariah stocked up on some extra 10MM ammo for her pistol. She also looked at the anole lizard pets, though much as she would have liked to buy one, she figured it would be best for now to hold off on doing so.

Mariah finished perusing the stalls and went to find Valentina to regroup, but one last stall surrounded by a dozen people particularly caught her attention. Some of them were already departing when Mariah went to go check it out. The tarp had a symbol on it featuring what looked to be several buildings with sunlight shining down on them. Brochures and other paraphernalia were on the stall’s table featuring the same symbol.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x279g_F3MV8]

As Mariah approached the stall, she saw a man sitting on the other side of the table. His left arm appeared to be mostly bandaged. He sat with his hands clasped in front of him and sat upright, talking to some of the citizens that came to the stall. As Mariah started looking at a brochure, the man turned his attention to her, having finished with the other citizens as they walked away with brochures in hand. “Ah, well, hello there, young lady,” the man spoke in a resonant voice. “Can I interest you in a bit of a chat?”

“Oh, um, sure.” Mariah had not planned on staying very long, but her curiosity got the better of her.

“Wonderful. Please, have a seat, dear child,” he gestured politely to the seat on the other side of the table.

“Oh, please don’t call me child,” Mariah laughed nervously, sitting down. “My name’s Mariah.”

“Ah, my apologies, Mariah. I hope I did not offend. My name’s Jonah.” Mariah got a better look at Jonah, seeing some gray stubble on his chin and jawline. He appeared to be no older than his late 40s or early 50s. “Are you new to this city?”

“Yep, I come from . . . quite far from here. Far from Florida.”

“Indeed, something about you indicates that you are well-traveled. Traveling may be dangerous, but it opens your mind to the world around you.” The way Jonah spoke—his clear and resonant speech, the rate at which he talked, and his level of volume—his posture, everything about him indicated that he was talented at public speaking. Something about him made him very approachable. “Given that you are new to the area, I assume you have not heard of my organization, the Temple of New Life. May I talk with you about that?”

“Oh, uh . . .,” Mariah stuttered. She had seen her fair share of Post-War cults, both benign and malevolent. There always seemed to be something off about the people in them, even if they were not outright violent. Jonah did not seem to give off any of these sorts of vibes, but Mariah was still unsure.

“I understand the apprehension. Obviously, it is easy for me to say, but I assure you we of the Temple of New Life are not like any cult you may have encountered in your travels. We are not merely a religious organization. We are a way of life, a community, a shelter from the dangers that the Sunshine Wasteland and beyond have to offer.” It was one of the few times Mariah heard somebody refer to Florida as the Sunshine Wasteland. His words put her more at ease.

While Mariah was not exactly in the market for proselytization, Jonah’s words made her more curious about what this Temple of New Life was. “Well, that’s reassuring. So, are you a priest or something?”

Jonah chuckled. “I suppose you could say that, though I and my Templar Brothers and Sisters do not use that terminology. We prefer the term ‘Speaker.’ Speakers go out all across the wastes to spread our message of faith, community, and hope. Such values are in desperately short supply in these lands, don’t you agree?” Mariah nodded her head. “Well, while we aren’t so fanatical and abrasive, those values are ultimately what lead people to join these cults. To join any group. And those values lead to one overarching concept. Something endemic to the human spirit. What do you think that is?”

Mariah pondered for a moment, then simply shrugged and shook her head. “What is it?”

Jonah gestured with an open palm. “It’s purpose.” He paused as if to let the power of the answer fill the air. “Think about it, Mariah. What leads people to join these organizations you hear about? The ultimate reason, I mean. It’s a common thread whether you are a cult, the GCU, the Dissidents, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Temple of New Life, you name it. The goals and beliefs may all differ, but at the end of the day, human beings want to find meaning in their lives. They want to matter in some way. To feel as though they made some sort of impact. To be completely forgotten in the annals of history and by future generations is one of the most terrifying prospects for many people. And I believe that your journey for purpose is what brought you here to Florida.”

Mariah cocked her head, giving a slightly confused look. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You may not realize it, Mariah, but that is what brought you to these lands. Long-wandering sojourners and wayfarers that constantly move about do so because they are searching for their meaning in life. When the Great War happened, most of the survivors were left wondering what their purpose was. What the purpose of life in general was. When the bombs dropped, it led many people to abandon their faiths. Their values. They felt they had nothing to turn to, and so they had to seek out some sort of purpose. Many people from all sorts of religious backgrounds—Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, tribal beliefs, you name it—abandoned their faiths when nuclear fire engulfed the world, though many of them certainly still survived. Many people turned to the numerous cults that sprouted in the Post-War world. Regardless of religion, many ostensibly, formerly, or would-be good, neighborly people turned to raiding. They felt that that was all they had. Attempts to recreate civilization have been made all around the world. And it all leads back to one thing: Purpose.”

“I . . . suppose so,” Mariah considered what Jonah had to say. She was not really sure what drew her to Florida, but maybe Jonah was right. Maybe she had been searching for purpose all this time.

“And that’s why the Temple of New Life does what it does. Sure, we have our religious beliefs. But more importantly it is to help people find purpose. Community. Hope. The meaning of life.”

As Mariah considered his words some more, Valentina came from behind. “There you are! It’s almost noon and I have to head down to the station. You’re still coming, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Val.” Mariah turned to Jonah. “I, uh, gotta go, Jonah. But this was, um, interesting.”

“Of course, Mariah. I do not wish to keep you from your business. But please, take a brochure to learn more about the Temple,” Jonah handed her one. As Mariah took it, Jonah added, “And remember my words. What brought you to this table.” Mariah paused and then simply nodded her head.

As Valentina and Mariah walked away, the former teased the latter. “Looking to join a cult?”

“Haha. No, I was just curious about it. Seemed pretty popular over there earlier. He didn’t seem crazy, though.”

“The ones who are good at concealing the crazy are the ones you need to watch out for most,” Valentina half-joked.

Mariah chuckled. “Yeah, I guess.” But she could not help but think about Jonah’s words as they walked down to the station.



As Mariah and Valentina came through the front door, Jacob and Commander Bertrand were talking to one of the codebreakers. Bertrand turned to them. “Ah, good, you’re here Val.” Bertrand then looked at Mariah. “And hello again, Mariah.”

“Hello, Commander,” Mariah nodded. It was still awkward between the two of them though tensions had significantly lessened since last night’s confrontation.

Bertrand held up a piece of paper. It was the coded message that was found on one of the dead Dissidents from the caravan attack. “Gerald may act like a tough guy, but one night in prison and he got talking. And now we know where they are holed up.”

Mariah’s face lit up. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get going!”

“Whoa, let’s slow down, Mariah. First of all, we are preparing to head out. This is not some spur-of-the-moment thing. This is a whole operation we are planning. We are figuring out how many troops we can and should spare. We need to get our Anole and Kolossi mounts together as well as . . .”

“Wait, what? Anole mounts? And what are Kolossi?”

“Oh, right, you’re from outside of Florida. You may have seen and heard of some amazing creatures across the old U.S., but I can guarantee that you haven’t seen anything like what Florida has to offer. It was arguably the most biologically impressive and diverse Pre-War state, and a lot of species made it through the War, though the radiation has caused some significant changes. Some of the Anole lizards are big enough that they can carry cargo or even hold a human or two as riders. The Kolossi—what used to be monitor lizards and sometimes mistaken for Komodo Dragons—are big units now and especially well-equipped for those duties, though there are many out in the wastes that are hostile. There is very little Pre-War technology like bicycles at our disposal that we can spare right now, so we often go a little more . . . organic.”

“That’s incredible,” Mariah said, her mouth slightly open in wonderment.

“It is indeed. Anyway, we are gathering up our resources and preparing to head out tomorrow. But secondly—and I know you do not want to hear this—we cannot bring you with us, Mariah.” Bertrand held up his hand before Mariah could object. “And before you say it, no, this is not because of last night. I think that would be petty.” He sighed. “Look, I know what you are capable of, Mariah. I appreciate what you did for the caravan and I know you can fight. But this is a full-fledged operation we are talking about. We cannot take civilians with us on something like this.”

Mariah was not the only one taken aback. Valentina apparently did not expect Bertrand to prevent Mariah from joining. “Commander, please, if I may.” Bertrand stayed silent for a moment, indicating that she could continue. “Sir, please reconsider your decision. We need all the fighters we can get, and I think Mariah deserves to have a shot at this after what she went through. Jacob, please tell me you feel the same way.” Valentina turned to Jacob with a look of hope on her face.

Jacob stood still for a moment and then simply sighed. “I’m sorry, Val, but that’s Commander’s orders. I know what Mariah is capable of, but the Commander is right. She is a civilian and not trained for anything like this.”

“Look, Mariah,” Bertrand added, “I know you want to help. I understand your desire for revenge. But this is not something you are ready for and your emotions may cloud your judgment.”

Mariah may have been defiant yesterday but now she could only feel disappointment. She knew that neither she nor Val could change the Commander’s mind. But she was determined to find out all the information she could about the operation. She was going to find some way to join even if she had to do so surreptitiously. “Well, can I at least know where you are going?”

“I’m sorry, but no. We must keep as many details under wraps as we can. I cannot just tell civilians all of the inner workings of what we do. Besides, something tells me that you would follow us. I’m not going to put you in harm’s way if I can help it.”

Dejected, Mariah responded, “Alright.”

“I’m sorry, Mariah. Please, go back to wherever you are staying in town. I need to brief Jacob and Val on this.”

“You can still stay at my place. Here’s a key,” Val said to Mariah, also with a disappointed look on her face.

With Val’s key, Mariah left outside the front door of the station and stood in place on the street, not sure what to do next. She pulled out the brochure that Jonah handed her earlier in the day and read the content inside. It talked about a city named Eden far to the south in Florida, though it did not give any specific location, perhaps for its protection. The brochure also mentioned someone simply called “The Redeemer,” which Mariah supposed was their god. But when she read further, the paper seemed to indicate that it was an actual person that was their spiritual guide. She was not really sure. Mariah was not exactly interested in joining, per se, but she figured she’d learn as much as she can about what goes on in Florida. After all, she wasn’t planning on leaving it any time soon.

As Mariah put the brochure away, she suddenly had an idea of how to find out where the GCU was going to attack the Dissidents. The GCU station’s jail stood right next door, having not only a connected hallway to the station but a separate door from the street as well. If Mariah was going to find out the information she needed, she needed to go straight to the source: Gerald.

As she stepped into the jail’s entrance, a guard stood watch over the cells. He looked up at Mariah as she walked through the door. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Hi. Can I speak to one of the prisoners?”

“I’m sorry, but the jail is not open for visitations right now.”

“Please, it’s urgent.”

Skeptical, the guard folded his arms. “Who do you want to see and why?”

Mariah thought the truth would not get the guard to let her go by, but she could not think of a convincing lie. The truth was all that she could go with. “It’s the Dissident prisoner. He attacked my caravan I rode in on the way here and I want to confront him about it.”

“Hmmm . . . I suppose Dissidents could always use a beating, even if it is only verbal.” The guard thought for a moment longer. “Fine, but only because I think you’re a good kid. Even though I shouldn’t be doing this right now. Just make it quick, okay? We don’t need either one of us getting in trouble."

“Thank you,” Mariah said with a sigh of relief and a hint of surprise. She wasn’t thrilled about going to see Gerald either, so she didn’t plan on spending much time there. But she needed to know what he told Bertrand and Jacob.

“He’s in the tenth cell to the right.”

As Mariah reached Gerald’s cell, she saw him sitting on a stool against the wall. But he looked far more ragged than before. His prisoner’s clothing was drenched in sweat and dirt and his skin was red from sunburns. He looked up when Mariah stood in front of the cell, wryly smiling. “I knew you couldn’t get enough of me, baby. Nice of you to visit. Why don’t you show me a little skin?” Gerald apparently amped up the sarcasm and creepiness from yesterday. His voice was as ragged as he looked due to thirst.

Mariah had to stop herself from vomiting. “You’re looking pretty awful right now.”

“Yeah, well, that ‘special box’ that your GCU overlords stuck me in can be thanked. Tied me up in place and gagged me and made sure to put me underneath a hole in the roof so I could be roasted like a brahmin by the sun. And some mirrors or something on the roof to make it even hotter. Anything goes in these parts including torture, it seems.”

“Not like you didn’t deserve it,” Mariah sniped back. The ‘special box’ seemed to have been quite effective at getting Gerald to talk.

“Oh, spare me your self-righteous drivel. What do you want, anyway?”

“I want to know what you told the Commander. Why you attacked the caravan and where your friends are hiding.”

Gerald leaned forward with an irritated look on his face. “You want me to tell you after what you did to Evan? Oh, that’s right, you don’t know Evan. He was the guy that you cut up at the caravan.”

“Oh, you mean the guy that murdered my caravan driver and friend right in front of me and thought he could kill me from behind? That one?”

Gerald was visibly angered. “Yeah, him, you [censored]. He was my friend. You can’t do anything to me here. You’ll get nothing out of me.”

Mariah then remembered she had a bottle of purified water on hand. With how parched Gerald looked, she knew he would want some. And she certainly was not going to give into any of his carnal desires. “You look thirsty, Gerald. But you know, I could use a drink, too. Maybe I’ll just drink this water right in front of you.”

Gerald’s thirst got the better of him and he switched to begging mode. “[Censored], please give me some, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know! You have my word," he said hoarsely.

Mariah understandably wasn’t confident that his word could be trusted, but she had no other choice if she wanted to get information out of him. “Very well.”

Gerald gulped down half of the bottle and let out a refreshed ‘ah.’ “As much as it pains me to say it, thanks. You may be a GCU dog, but I’m a man of my word. So I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“I’m not part of GCU.”

“You work with them. Might as well be one of them. But fine, what is it you want to know?”

“I want to know why you attacked the caravan and where you all are holed up.”

Gerald lowly chuckled. “Oh, the Commander and his lackey didn’t tell you? Of course the GCU is going to be secretive. They don’t want anybody knowing anything truthful about them.” Gerald pulled the stool closer to the cell door and gingerly sat back down. His sunburns were clearly painful. “Do you like storytime?”

Mariah furrowed her eyebrows. “What does that have to do with what I asked?”

“Because it’s relevant. And you should know what the GCU is all about. What they don’t tell you.”

Mariah was going to have to hear what Gerald had to say and she knew it. “If the story is good, sure,” she said somewhat tongue-in-cheek. “Is this about Birmingham?”

“Ah, perceptive, aren’t you? Perception one of your strong suits? Anyway, yeah, it’s about that.” Gerald took a deep breath. “When the Alabama Compact became part of the GCU, us Dissidents weren’t thrilled with it. Downright angry about it. We didn’t need some blowhards in Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana making decisions for us. So, we decided we’d go up north, distance ourselves from our fellow Alabamians that betrayed us and their new out-stater friends. Out-staters are what we call people from those three Pre-War states, and now we use it for Alabamians in the GCU because we are the true Alabama.

“Anyway, we go up north and separate ourselves, right? We are just a humble, sovereign, and self-determining people. We don’t cause much of a fuss. We just leave. Well, years later, GCU decides they want some of our land now. They got their panties in a bunch because we didn’t want to be a part of them. They come to annex some of our land and we fight back. In particular, they want this Pre-War military facility that we have over near Birmingham--or rather what was inside that facility. So, naturally, they decide that something that is not theirs belongs to them. And as we start fighting, you know who else decides to join in on the fun? The Brotherhood of Steel. The guys in the power armor and with the energy weapons. At first, we thought the GCU brought them along, but we realized quickly that the Brotherhood was doing it on their own. The Brotherhood ain’t about working with anybody outside of their group. Hell, they might be even worse than the GCU, but they just don’t have their own country. We knew about them being further out to the west, but now they start coming way east. They’re just like GCU in thinking they have some divine mandate to take anything they want and keep it away from everyone else.

“And so there is this big three-way battle between the GCU, Brotherhood, and us. Lots of dead bodies on all sides. Absolute massacre. And people living in Birmingham that had nothing to do with it also died. In the end, this thing that was in that military facility was gone. GCU and Brotherhood claims that the other had it or we did, but we know at least one of them is full of [censored]. Now we’re coming to reclaim that thing that was ours and to push out the GCU. Pay back the Brotherhood too and give them a taste of their own medicine.”

“And what is this thing that is supposedly yours?” Mariah asked.

“Some sort of prototype technology from Pre-War. I don’t understand it, honestly. But it’s something very important, I assure you. GCU and the Brotherhood wouldn’t have showed up otherwise.”

“You thought our caravan had this technology?” Anger started creeping back into Mariah’s voice.

“GCU’s got it. We know it.”

“You don’t even know! You attacked our caravan on a hunch! There was nothing to indicate that we had it and people needlessly died because of you [censored]!” Mariah felt the urge to pull out her 10MM pistol but fought it back.

“Look, I don’t expect a GCU lackey to understand. And I’m not going to reveal all our secrets and intel. But I’ll tell you where we are. You can find out more about us up close and personal. I did give you my word.”

“Then where are they?”

“There used to be a Pre-War town called Holt, right on the old U.S. Route 90. Obliterated in the War. In the town is an abandoned Fusion! factory. You know Nuka-Cola? Well, Fusion! was a Florida-based soft drink company and Nuka-Cola came to infringe on its turf, so there is an abandoned factory for Nuka-Cola not too far from there as well. But you got to find the one that is for Fusion! We are holed up in that area.” Gerald became thirsty again from all the talking. He chugged the rest of the water bottle and tossed it back to Mariah through the cell bars. “There. You got what you wanted. Much as I like you as eye candy, it also drives me crazy when I’m sitting in this cell. Unless you want to join me?” Gerald slowly licked his lips.

“Ugh, gross.” Mariah almost vomited again. “You’re lucky I don’t just pop you with a bullet or two, Gerald. Still, thanks for the info.”

“Sure thing, darling.”

Mariah turned and started walking away, but one more question came to mind. She turned around. “You know, you seemed pretty defiant yesterday. And then one night goes by and you start talking. Why? Was it that bad of a tough-guy act?”

Gerald thought for a moment. “I just . . . decided to change my mind.” It sounded like he wanted to say something else initially. He walked up to the cell bars and wrapped his hands around two of them. “Because you don’t know what you all are in for.”

Mariah pondered his ominous words, thinking about what exactly he meant. She then continued walking back out of the jail. She headed back to Val’s home to start hatching a plan to join the GCU raid on the Dissidents’ compound.

Posted by: Renee Aug 21 2020, 02:53 PM

Hey, what month is it supposed to be in this story? I know it's always hot in Florida for 9 months out of the year. That Cooler Heads hat would be nice to have, especially if it were solar-powered. That way, sunlight would actually keep it running.

Daddy-O and Daytripper. Never heard of those chems.

Jonah's sermon is convincing.

Mariah is being told she can't join their operation. Similar to Buffy (Acadian's character) being told she can't go into the meatier parts of battle. She was put off to the side. But at least Mariah hasn't proven herself yet (not in an official sort of way) whereas arguably Buffy has.

Gerald is yucky! Even sitting in jail and all stinky and beaten, he's still making a pass at her.

Well that's going to be interesting. She's going to go to the Fusion! plant on her own, by the sound of it. Or maybe her and Val will go. Yicch, Fusion! sounds yiccky.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 21 2020, 08:10 PM

I keep meaning to add soundtracks to certain parts of the story to hopefully make it more immersive. I added a couple to the beginning of the chapter. It's mostly going to be from Fallout games, but if there are other tunes I find that I think fit the setting I will include them too.

Ha, try 11+ months out of the year, with 1 cold month's worth (and not necessarily consecutive days) at most. At the start of the story, it was August 4, 2130. Only one day has passed so far, so it is August 5.

Both Daddy-O and Daytripper first appear in Fallout 4 and they are also in Fallout 76. I think a couple other chems first appeared in Fallout 4 as well, and New Vegas brought some new ones as well, I believe.



EDIT: Here is the link to my Google Map. It's going to eventually include ALL of the regions of Florida and there are going to be A LOT of locations, though I am going to amend some later or take them out completely. Haven't decided yet how many locations outside of the story I am going to mark.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1yPQjeSDm_UQHhx6uL7DR-_oAzWCegGjU&usp=sharing

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 23 2020, 05:21 PM

Prior to the Great War, the federal government and Florida’s state government were constantly at each other’s throats and there was extraordinary hostility between the two. This had a significant impact on the lead-up to the Great War and will also play a big role when the Old Guard and the Enclave (remnants of the state and federal governments, respectively) are introduced in Part 2: Big Bend.

The start of the enmity is not known (because I have not thought it out yet, though I may just leave it ambiguous on purpose). But it manifested itself in many different industries and facets of day-to-day life. Here are some of the issues:

• Nuka-Cola vs. Fusion!: Everyone knows about Nuka-Cola. They were THE soft drink in basically the whole country (with perhaps at least the exception of the Mojave, where Sunset Sarsaparilla was highly popular). In Florida, the soft drink king was Fusion! They had a large variety of flavors, one of their most popular being Key Lime, as Key Lime Pie was the state pie (and yes, that is the case in real life) and the Key Lime flavor is very Floridian. The state government also back Fusion! with tax breaks and other favors, having a very friendly relationships with the latter’s lobbyists which certainly led to some corruption. To spite Florida’s government, the federal government backed the expansion of Nuka-Cola into Florida with their own tax breaks and other favors. Fusion! was still the bigger of the two in Florida when the bombs dropped, but Nuka-Cola did make some major inroads into the market.
• Poseidon Energy vs. Florida Utilities: In real life, Florida utility companies are a very powerful player in state politics. The same goes for the Fallout: Florida universe. As with Nuka-Cola, Poseidon Energy made attempts at expansion into Florida—but by buying out the competition instead. While Nuka-Cola only had Fusion! to deal with, Poseidon had a bunch of state and local utilities to play hardball against. They were more successful in buying out local companies, though they did buy out at least one state company. Some of Poseidon’s primary adversaries included East Coast Power and Gulf Electric and Gas Company. (NOTE: Neither of these are real companies. I debated whether to include actual companies in my story, but I decided to make them up instead. Gives me more freedom to decide what to do with them.)
• Company Subterfuge: Companies backed by the federal government and those backed by the state government engaged in a lot more than market warfare. They routinely attempted to infiltrate and sabotage each other from the inside, and leak real and fake stories about each other’s shady, unethical, and downright illegal dealings to the public.
• Secret Experiments: While the Enclave engaged in their own horrible experiments, mostly with the FEV, the Old Guard had been doing their own secret experiments. Despite the hostilities, both sides were able to mostly hide their actions from each other on this front. (NOTE: And look out, because later in the Fallout: Florida storyline these experiments are going to become highly relevant.)
• Foreign Affairs: The U.S. federal government focused pretty much solely on China in the Sino-American War, annexing Canada for its resources in 2059 to fight China and then fighting to reclaim Alaska from the Chinese. But China would also ally itself with Cuba in an attempt to further pressure the U.S. and from a completely different direction than Alaska. Thus came the “Second Cuban Missile Crisis” (the First one being the one that happened in real life). It was mutually beneficial: Both countries had similar political ideologies, and China could use Cuba’s strategic location while Cuba’s struggling economy would be propped up by China. The U.S. left Florida mostly to its own devices, partially because it didn’t regard Cuba as a real threat and partially to spite Florida’s government. As you can imagine, this only deepened the hatred between the two governments. These events will play a big role in the Gold Coast storyline for Fallout: Florida, though it is a long ways away. (NOTE: The stuff about annexing Canada and reclaiming Alaska is all established as canon. All the lore about Cuba is from my own headcanon.)

Hostilities reached such a boiling point that some Florida politicians and citizens started openly advocating for secession from the United States. Some Floridian politicians even tried to coax the other members of the Gulf Coast Commonwealth to join them in seceding. It didn’t come very close to fruition when the Great War happened, but it would have been inevitable if the bombs had not dropped.

Many of the politicians and citizens who hated the federal government for its intrusions on state affairs did not push for secession, however. They were sympathetic to those who did support it, but they tried to find other ways to counteract federal actions. It wasn’t just about what they felt was the federal government eroding the state’s sovereignty, but not wanting to be associated with the federal government in the war. Aggressions with China were not in the state government’s interests for the most part, though the issues with Cuba did change that a lot.

And in the Post-War world, these long-standing resentments between the federal and state governments lived on and arguably became even worse. And that’s what you’ll start seeing when Fallout: Florida reaches Part 2: Big Bend.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 23 2020, 11:48 PM

I can relate Mariah's consternation over how some chems are legal and others not, like how oxycontin is legal in the US, but opium is not.

I love the cooler heads hat.

The Sunshine Wasteland is also a great name. It is like the apocalypse with added oranges.

So we got to meet Jonah Koresh. I suspect we will be seeing more of these Lifers in the future.

They have guar mounts!

I wonder what this macguffin is in Birmingham that everyone wants so badly?

Am I the only one who thinks Big Bend sounds pornographic?

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 24 2020, 04:08 AM

Lots of words from our Alabama friend, and not even one “Roll Tide!”.

I love this! Having lived within about 4 hours drive of these places you are writing about all my life, it’s fun to imagine them in this universe. Also, the dissidents sound like some of the Alabama, as well as Mississippi folks I’m around on a daily basis, so it feels very realistic! Good work!

Also, I wanted to say that this chapter had a sort of cinematic quality about it that I really liked, no doubt thanks in part to the inclusion of the links to the soundtrack.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 26 2020, 06:30 PM

Yep, governments do nonsensical, arbitrary things all the time.

I wish guar were real.

Lol, I guess it does sound a bit dirty. It's the informal name of that rough area of Florida since that is the big curve around the Gulf of Mexico.




Thanks, Khajiit. Glad to know I succeeded on the realistic part. Didn't want to make just some generic Southerners. I often like playing a soundtrack in my own head for certain stories, so I thought it would be a good idea to include some here.

Chapter 4: Subterfuge

Now that Mariah knew where the Dissidents launched attacks from and what they were looking for, she set about back into downtown Pensacola to figure out what to do next. Bertrand was not going to let her join the excursion and it might not be feasible for her to tail them the whole way. But before that could be determined, Mariah figured it was best to find out what information she could about this town of Holt. It was apparently obliterated in the Great War according to Gerald, which could make it much harder to find—and there were plenty such ruins in the wasteland. Yet if there were a couple of Pre-War factories still standing, it could make the search much easier. Since she was still new to Florida, Mariah sought out locals that could tell her what she needed to know.

Eventually, she was directed toward a cartographer in town. The cartographer had scavenged plenty of Pre-War maps of the Panhandle, which would still give a good sense of where locations still stood even though the Post-War landscape had changed so much. Somewhat surprisingly, the maps were not terribly expensive despite their age and usefulness, and they were fairly well-preserved.

But an antique map was not going to tell her everything she needed to know about the area now. After selling the map, the cartographer told Mariah how to get to the old Pensacola News-Journal building, the Pre-War local newspaper, where she may be able to find out extra information about what was there or any news coming from that direction now. The people there had been able to preserve old news stories on holotapes and terminals as well as their paper forms, which could indicate some of what to expect there.

When Mariah got to the PNJ building, an old and tired-looking woman sat at the reception desk. “Oh, hello there,” she said in a monotone voice when Mariah came up to the desk. The old lady didn’t mean to seem rude or disinterested. She clearly was just fatigued.

“Hi. I’m looking for some information on a town not far from here. I was told to come here to find out any news and such about the area. Could you tell me anything about Holt?” Mariah asked.

The old lady perked up a slight bit at the mention of the town name, but not for a cheerful reason. A little apprehension crept into her voice. “Oh, no, no, no, darling, you do NOT want to go there. Nuh-uh.”

“Why not?”

“New to the area, are you? Well, sweetie, let me just tell you right now that if you are planning go there—or even just through the road that way, good heavens—don’t go. There is nothing good that can come of that.”

“Oh? How come?”

“That place is notoriously bad news around these parts! Even GCU parties are reluctant to go around there. Sometimes it’s roving bands of raiders. Other times, it’s monsters like Sirens, Radfrogs, and Radtoads.” Sirens were mutated cicadas, obnoxious and loud insects from the Pre-War days. Mutations made them bigger and louder. It was a random chance that any you came across would be friendly or hostile, though why this was the case was anyone’s guess. Frogs and toads also sometimes (though not always) grew larger from radiation and could be vicious as well. Both could use their tongues to attack enemies, but Radfrogs also could secrete a radioactive liquid from their moist skin while Radtoads used their rough and jagged skin to cause extra bleeding. “And some people even say the place is haunted!”

Mariah wasn’t sure how seriously to take the old lady, wondering if it was just tiredness on her part or if she may have been somewhat senile. Maybe both. But she refrained from openly questioning her on those counts. “So, people don’t go by there often?”

“Not if they know what’s good for them! Traders usually take the old I-10 instead of Route 90 because of the dangers. Tends to be busier and better guarded. Just stay from Holt, young woman! It’s bad business!”

“For heaven’s sake, you’re going to give yourself a stroke, Hazel!” A younger man, though not much more so than Hazel, came up to the desk from behind. “Stop working yourself up! Go get yourself some sleep.” The man gently ushered Hazel to a room in the back that had beds in it. It seemed to be an establishment that the proprietors also lived in. He came back to the desk to talk to Mariah. “Sorry about that, ma’am. Ms. Hazel has had a lot of, uh, personal things going on. Anyway, I heard you say you were looking for information on Holt, correct?”

“Yeah. Is there anything you can tell me? Any news? Anything even from the past that might help?”

“Well, it isn’t often that people want to go directly to Holt. While it’s in the GCU, it has never been re-established as a settlement since the War. And Ms. Hazel’s outburst aside, there have been reports of dangers around there. If you really want to go there . . . well, why do you want to go there?” He gave Mariah a quizzical look.

Mariah could not tell him the truth, so she had to improvise. It was easier to come up with a lie this time, unlike with the jail guard and Gerald. “I’m . . . going relic-hunting. I just want to know what I can before going there.”

“Another adventurer, eh? Well, I’m sure you can find some lucrative treasures there. Ms. Hazel might seem a bit off her rocker, but she does have a point about the potential dangers there. I’d greatly advise against going there, but if you insist, I’ll help you out. Stock up on ammo and defense and stimpaks before you go. Now, let me see what old news articles there are that can lead you to some treasures.” The man went towards the back of the building, spending about five minutes going through terminal entries, holotapes, and preserved newspaper articles. He returned with a stack of some old newspapers and a small booklet. “Ah, here we go. Got some stuff on an old Fusion! plant right in town, including an article about Nuka-Cola coming to the area. Was a big deal back then. Nuka-Cola relics can fetch a pretty cap, but you can find those all across the United States. The real prizes are found in the Fusion! plant because that was the state’s soft drink corporation. Especially anything related to their Key Lime flavor, ‘cause Key Lime Pie was the official pie of the state. Then you got the usual stuff like an old church there, police and fire departments, and so on. Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want to hear me go on and on, so here it all is. And this booklet here contains some of the reports of dangers nearby.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of stuff. Thank you.” Mariah tossed a few caps the man’s way for the service. She could not take any of the papers with her, so she was going to take a few minutes to comb through the information to memorize and take notes on before leaving.

“Sure thing, young lady. Oh, and one more thing: The GCU has an outpost nearby and there are a couple caravans heading out that way. They got some GCU troops helping to defend them along the way, at least until they are far from Holt. Not sure if they are taking U.S. Route 90 or I-10 though. You’d have to ask around at the caravan depot.”

Mariah’s eyes lit up. “You don’t say?”

“Yep. With the uptick in attacks on traveling traders, caravan guards have been in higher demand and GCU has had to provide protection as well.”

“Thanks a bunch for the help, sir. One more thing, though: Why is Holt so dangerous if there is a GCU outpost there?”

The man shrugged. “The way I understand it is that they have cleared the place out before. But it doesn’t stay empty for long. Raiders and monsters don’t exactly have respect for the law and civilization. And lately the GCU has been preoccupied with other issues. Just watch yourself out there, you hear?”

Mariah nodded. It certainly sounded like an intimidating place regardless of Dissident activity, but Mariah was not going to stop now. She wanted revenge against the Dissidents. Still, she thought it was odd that they would pick such a dangerous spot to launch operations from. It wasn’t like raiders or irradiated creatures would be very keen on having another occupant in town. Was it because nobody would suspect that would be where they are based? Was it the only place they could find that had the facilities they needed? Did the Dissidents even know what dangers lurked there? In any case, Mariah now knew that she could use the caravans to get to her destination.

The next item on Mariah’s list was to go to the caravan depot and ask around about who was heading in that direction and what kind of protection was being provided. She found that there were three different caravans going at 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 12:00 PM tomorrow. Each of these caravans was going to a different location: Niceville, some place called Mart-Town, and Defuniak Springs. But which of them was best for Mariah to go with? She did not know what time the GCU raid on the Dissidents was planned to be or how the GCU was moving troops. She primarily wanted to avoid Commander Bertrand and Jacob so they did not suspect her attempts to be involved, but would they help protect any of the caravans? They may not be with any of them at all. It looked like she was going to have to stake out the depots from a distance to see.

Afterward, she bought a few RadAways and Stimpaks along with some extra bullets for her 10MM pistol on her way back to Valentina’s house.



As Mariah was finalizing her plans on the living room couch that night, a dejected-looking Valentina walked through the front door. “Are you okay, Val?” Mariah asked, concerned.

“They aren’t letting me go either,” Val mumbled.

“What? Why not?”

“Commander Bertrand is concerned that my emotions will cloud my judgment as well.” Despite being GCU, the Dissidents were directly responsible for her father Gabriel’s death. “I’m going to be relegated to the office for the day. I suppose I understand but . . .” Valentina suddenly pounded the table. “Damn it, I should be going! They need to suffer for what they did to my dad! To all those people! I . . .” She burst into tears.

Mariah scooted over and put her arm around Valentina’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, Val.” For a moment, she considered telling Valentina her plans for tomorrow. She quickly decided against it. Valentina may have felt similarly about the situation as Mariah did, but she was unlikely to go directly against Bertrand’s orders. It wasn’t her personality to be that defiant and it would jeopardize her employment with the GCU anyway. Mariah wasn’t beholden to such constraints. And Valentina might even try to warn Bertrand to protect Mariah from getting herself into danger.

“You’re a really good friend, Mariah,” Valentina said once some of the emotion subsided. “I know we’ve basically only just met, but I really appreciate you being here.”

“Same to you,” Mariah smiled. “So, what happens for you tomorrow?”

Valentina heavily sighed. “Desk work, I suppose. Hopefully they have something that’s actually engaging in town though.” Valentina reciprocated Mariah’s side hug. “It’s been a long day and I need to get some sleep. I’m going to the station early tomorrow, so ‘good morning’ if I don’t see you then,” she laughed as she got up off the couch.

If Valentina was gone early in the morning, that would make it easier for Mariah to execute her plan. It suddenly crossed her mind that she was, in a sense, going behind Valentina’s back. What would she think if she knew what Mariah was going to do? And Mariah didn’t want her to feel some sort of abandonment while going off to fight the Dissidents. For the first time that day, Mariah second-guessed whether she should really go forward with her plan. But she was a stubborn individual and she was determined to make the Dissidents pay. She soon went to sleep to make sure she was well-rested for the big day.



Mariah woke up at 8:15 AM the next morning, noticing that Valentina had already left. It was time to set her plan into motion.

Mariah arrived at the depot just before 9:00 AM, when the first caravan was leaving. Its destination was Mart-Town, a settlement that repurposed a huge building for an old corporation called UniMart for living and trading purposes. UniMart was not as big as some similar stores like Super Duper Mart elsewhere in the country, but it was a well-known corporation in the southeastern United States. Holt was basically right on the way to this Mart-Town, stopping at the GCU outpost nearby.

There were GCU officers standing ready to move out with the caravan. Mariah even saw a few of those Kolossi and Anoles that Bertrand had mentioned yesterday. Fortunately for her, Bertrand and Jacob were nowhere in sight. Looks like I get a head-start, she thought. She paid a fare to ride in the caravan, climbing on board a cart being pulled by Brahmin.



A few hours later the caravan arrived at the GCU outpost. The caravan was taking a quick break, so Mariah used the opportunity to hop off her cart and surreptitiously departed from the caravan. She was going to have to lay low for a while to avoid GCU detection. There were a few rundown buildings nearby that had nothing going on in them. Mariah checked them out and, having determined that they would be a good place to stay for the time being, started using them as her own makeshift base. The ruins of Holt could barely be made out in the distance.

Another hour or two later, another convoy arrived at the outpost with GCU soldiers in tow. As they filed into the main building, she overheard a conversation between two of the soldiers.

“Man, I’m telling you, I saw him! The guy with the yellow trenchcoat and dirty fedora!” The first one said.

“Dude, you’re crazy. Do you believe everything you hear?” The second one said.

“Nah, man, I told you I saw it with my own eyes. Nobody knows who he is, but he exists. Some Mysterious Stranger. Popped a couple raiders and then just left. He just vanished!”

“Why don’t you go get some water, my man. Heat’s playing tricks on you.”

“Fine, don’t believe me. I know what I saw.”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I29bgJLxm8M]

Mariah thought that was a rather curious conversation. It sounded like yet another legend out in these wastes. If there was a bottle of purified water for every legend, real or imagined, you could irrigate the whole wasteland and still have enough to sate everyone’s thirst. Mariah didn’t have time to ponder it, however, as she glimpsed Bertrand and Jacob. The time for Mariah’s revenge on the Dissidents was near.

The soldiers all entered the GCU outpost, undoubtedly to pour back over the raid’s plans to make sure this pre-emptive strike went smoothly. They soon came back out, armed to the teeth. As they marched toward Holt, Mariah tried to stay out of sight while tailing them, a tall task as there weren’t many places to hide and there were many soldiers on alert. Several snipers looked through their scopes to scout the ruins before signaling to move forward. The Fusion! plant could be seen not too far from the main section of Holt, surprisingly still in pretty decent shape considering the condition of the rest of the town. Most buildings were either completely leveled, had collapsed roofs, or otherwise showed significant damage.

Mariah, and some of the soldiers, could not help but feel some apprehension at entering Holt, regardless of the operation. No wonder the town’s ruins had its reputation. There was something about the atmosphere that just seemed eerie, more than your usual ruins. As the soldiers approached the road to the Fusion! plant, the snipers scouted with their scopes and signaled the all-clear once again.

It was then that a voice, not from anybody in GCU, suddenly bellowed “Open fire!”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcKIy2nJlRA]

Chaos erupted as various weaponry fired off at the GCU, who had to scramble for cover as Commander Bertrand barked orders. The Dissidents had ambushed them. GCU had to quickly return fire and find whatever cover they could.

Mariah was shocked as she found a wall to hide behind. How the hell did the Dissidents know the GCU was coming? Mariah wondered. The snipers had found no sign of activity. Holt was ostensibly abandoned. The scouts would have seen them coming out of the Fusion! plant but they practically came out of the damn walls. There should have been no way the Dissidents got the drop on the GCU, yet they did anyway.

As Bertrand kept yelling orders to his soldiers, Mariah noticed a Dissident with almost a clear shot at him. She reacted quickly, firing several bullets the Dissident’s way and killing him. Somehow, even with all the pandemonium, Bertrand was able to distinguish the sound of Mariah’s 10MM pistol from the rest of the noise. Nobody else was using that weapon. He saw where she was hiding, which was about 15 feet away from his position, and gave her an exasperated look. She could still hear his voice over the gunfire. “[Censored] damn it, Mariah! I told you not to come! What are you doing here?!”

“Sorry, Commander, but I was not going to miss this!” She yelled back with a determined look on her face.

“You’re going to get yourself killed! Stay down!” Bertrand returned to surveying the landscape and barking out orders. Dissidents and GCU soldiers seemed to be dropping dead left and right.

And then things got even more chaotic.

After a few minutes of warfare, nearby mutated creatures joined the battle, being drawn by the excessive amount of noise. Several people on both sides of the fight yelled out the arrival of the creatures. Sirens, Radfrogs, Radtoads came out of the woodwork, just like Mariah was warned about back in the Pensacola News-Journal office. There were many crazy monsters that she had seen traversing the wastes, but these three kinds were new to her. As if the guns weren’t loud enough, a couple of Sirens blasted an intensely loud shriek. It was so loud that literally everyone firing weapons had to temporarily let down their guns to cover their ears. Radfrogs started secreting a noxious liquid trying to cover any enemies nearby and Radtoads flicked out their tongues to try to strike prey. Of course, the monsters didn’t have any preferences for which side they wanted to win: They attacked GCU, Dissidents, and each other in an attempt at a meal.

Mariah was not able to find many clear shots, firing one every so often at any Dissidents or monsters she could see. But she needed to be careful about using up all her ammo. Suddenly, one of the Radtoads noticed her and started running toward her. In a panic, she gasped and unloaded an entire clip’s worth of bullets into it to down the creature as it was getting ready to lash its tongue out. She was so scared that she had to stop engaging in combat to catch her breath. The fear was especially unexpected given her singular focus on vengeance against the Dissidents, but these creatures were far more intimidating than what she expected. And these mutated animals were only for starters. Florida had a lot of diverse, mutated fauna to offer.

Mariah regained her composure and reloaded her gun. There was no end to this battle in sight—not for most of the combatants at least. Suddenly, a hand reached around her face, covering her mouth with a cloth drenched in some sort of sedative. She accidentally dropped her gun at the surprise and fought desperately against whoever was attempting to overpower her. But it was no use. She could not see the attacker. The sounds of battle slowly started slipping away as Mariah drifted off into unconsciousness.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 26 2020, 11:26 PM

Dissidents make me think of https://youtu.be/XbWZ8In9Ois

Rad Toads, Sirens, Raiders... the Dissidents keep good company.

Niceville sounds like a nice place. I see it is even real! Well, if France can have Nice, then Florida can have Niceville.

That was a delightful nod to the Mysterious Stranger!

I wonder if the Dissidents might be laired up in the Fusion! plant? It is mostly intact, so it would make a good base.

Oh boy, that turned into a real furball, real fast. Even the monsters are getting into it! Hope there aren't any Swamp Demons or Gladewalkers around...

Oh noes! Mariah has been taken!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 30 2020, 03:07 PM

This was a fun entry! Loved the MS reference and the fatal 3 way at the end! I wonder who could’ve grabbed Mariah? Seems to be a very premeditated kinda thing. Was she followed? Guess we’ll find out next time!

Posted by: Renee Aug 31 2020, 03:37 PM

I'd vote for some Skynard or Allman Brothers as background music. Blackfoot. Some other southern rock band. Or, you also have country. Shania Twain, since our protagonist is female. Maybe even Taylor Swift. I'm just thinking out loud though. You're wanting to add actual Fallout games' music.

You really go into some detail here with the background! Poseidon Energy sounds like Enron.

I can see this; it's not too far away from real-life at many points in America's history. Overall Rader, you are just like a real-life friend of mine (the one who introduced me to table-games when I was in high school). He also played all those Avalon Hill games (he's a Civil War buff, for instance) and he's very much into historical stuff. Unfortunately I've never been able to persuade him to play Elder Scrolls or Fallout games, although oddly, his daughter LOVES Skyrim and Fallout 4.

I like how Mariah must discern clues from several people. Very RPG-like.

Yicch, radtoads. I also can't imagine cicadas which are even larger and louder!

The Mysterious Stranger sure gets around, doesn't he?

Uh oh, Bertrand has spotted her. And those monsters have joined the fight. I recently did some Wikipedia reading on cicadas (what you call sirens in the story) and learned that they actually disable their own hearing when they make their annoying song. They have to. They'd ruin their own aural organs, otherwise.

I wonder who has chloroformed her at the end? Jeez.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 31 2020, 09:48 PM

Florida means https://youtu.be/R82OM5tzcrk

Posted by: Renee Sep 1 2020, 12:59 PM

Yeah, there you go. I know that song from somewhere.

Also, The Dixie Chicks. Oh wait. They're just THE Chicks now.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 1 2020, 04:48 PM

I've almost got the next chapter ready. I'm just finishing the end of it and then making sure what I have makes sense.


SubRosa - I'm looking forward to when those two types of monsters are introduced, but unfortunately they are still a ways off. But don't worry, I got another extra special creature cooked up and coming in a few chapters from now.

Khajiit - Dun dun DUUUUN!

Renee - Fallout gameplay music is going to probably be most of it, but I'm going to do more than that. In fact, this next chapter is going to have some dark ambient piece that I really like and think fits well with Fallout. There is also going to be a link to a song from the 1950s/1960s in this chapter as well.

Funny you should mention that about the music, though. I have been imagining what I'd like the intro to be if this were an actual, main title Fallout game that was published. The song of a choice would be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7ofnHmxE-I. The intro would be like a mix of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG3uBgQmTnk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_xQdnyTcio in how it plays out.

It begins centered on and zoomed in on a jukebox in a dimly lit bar. Suddenly, the jukebox lights flicker on, the styles gently comes down on the record, and that Lovin' Spoonful song comes on. The camera starts panning around, showing various Florida-themed posters and art in that signature 1950s and 1960s style; advertisements for companies such as Fusion!, state-based utility companies, and Publix (or maybe I'll make it a different name in-universe); and flashes of several Pre-War events such as the Second Cuban Missile Crisis and anti-federal government protests. And then, when the song ends, the ruins of several cities (such as Miami, Tampa, and Tallahassee) come into full view. After that, we come back to street-level and a Swamp Demon lumbers into full view, turning slowly toward the camera and growling.

Of course, we then get narration by Ron Perlman...



Well, unfortunately, I must be going. I'll finish this thought later.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 6 2020, 10:23 PM

Hours later, Mariah began to stir. It took her a bit to regain her consciousness and get her bearings, but the first thing she was able to make out was a radio playing music. The song choice was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxRfbJvjsN8, an enormously popular Pre-War tune. Mariah looked around the room to find it lit well enough to be able to see, though not to the point that everything was easy to make out. She also found herself sitting in a metal chair, but surprisingly not tied up by her captors.

As the song was approaching its end, Mariah heard a pair of boots walking behind her. She was still stiff and groggy from sitting unconscious it the metal chair for hours, preventing her from turning around fully to see who it was. “The one thing the GCU is good for: They play some damn good music,” a gruff voice said, belonging to the person who was walking in those boots thumping on the cold, hard floor. Right after the song’s final notes played, the man clicked the radio off. “Welcome back to the world, sunshine.” The man pulled up another chair and sat about five feet away in front of Mariah, turning it around to face her. It was then Mariah noticed the Alabama Dissidents patch on his clothing, though he was dressed somewhat differently than the rest of them. He looked much more authoritative, with a gray beard and hair, and some extra military-like patches that suggested he was a high-ranking officer. Maybe the highest-ranking officer.

“Where am I?” Mariah muttered.

The man took out a cigar and lit it up. The light from the lighter gave a better look at his facial features. A small scar was on his left cheek and the wrinkles on his skin were more pronounced in the light. Despite being an older man, he still appeared to be move around fairly well and his body was still somewhat of a solid frame. “That fight with the GCU got frantic. Of course a bunch of damn Sirens and Radtoads and Radfrogs would jump in. If we had a bunch of raiders hopped up on Jet and Buffout, that would’ve been a real party.” The man scoffed. “Lucky for the GCU, we didn’t get to deal the lethal blow we wanted to. They had to retreat and so did we, in case even more monsters came. But we nicked the Unies real good.” Apparently, Unies were another nickname Dissidents gave to the GCU. “Don’t worry, though. You’re in good hands now.”

“Good hands? You’re full of [censored]. You’re savages.”

“We are not barbarians or savages.”

“Really? Your men ambushed my caravan on the way to Pensacola and killed most of the people. People who had nothing to do with your conflict. You’re—"

“I did not authorize that attack,” the man cut her off. “My men did not follow instructions and they paid the price for it. It was supposed to be a recon mission. I’m not GCU, who likes to murder people that have nothing to do with the conflict.”

“You’re such a [censored] liar!” Mariah yelled at him, shooting up out of her chair. Apparently the stiffness had subsided. “You made a big mistake and I’m going to make you all suffer.”

The old man was not phased in the slightest by her outburst. “And what exactly are you going to do here? You’d be put down in an instant. There’s no need to tie you up. More of my soldiers are outside the room and tending to their own business, but they would be more than happy to give you pieces of their minds. And they would if it weren’t for me.”

Mariah knew he was right, despite her anger. After a moment of silence, she sat back down in her chair, but still incensed. “What do you mean?”

After another puff of his cigar, the old man spoke again. “Despite the consternation of some of the men and women of my outfit here, I told them to not kill you. I wanted to capture you.”

Mariah became less visibly angry, though she was still seething. “Why? Why not just kill me? What else did you to do to me?”

“It was just a simple knockout agent. Nothing more. And you’re much more useful alive. I wanted to meet you face-to-face. Have a little chat and tell you what we are really about. After all, you ain’t GCU. You would have gotten yourself killed out there if not for me.” The man took another long puff of smoke and finally introduced himself. “The name’s Russell. Captain Russell. I’m leading the Dissidents’ charge here in the Panhandle. And no need to introduce yourself. I know who you are, Mariah.”

Mariah’s fair skin grew paler. “How do you know my name?”

“I have eyes and ears everywhere. Places you wouldn’t suspect. It’s also how I knew the GCU was coming for us and that you were coming on your own. The GCU likes to keep things to themselves. They aren’t about the truth. But I’ll be forthright with you. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

“You expect me to believe anything you have to say?”

Russell took another puff from his cigar, not quite directly answering her question. “I just want to have the chance to tell you our side of things. The real side of things. Then you can determine for yourself. I think you’ll understand where we come from.”

Mariah was never going to believe what Russell had to say and the fact that he would try diplomacy after everything that had happened was crazy to her. But if Russell was going to talk and figured he could convince her of his mission, what else was she going to do besides listen? He might also let slip some information that would help bring down the Dissidents if she were able to break free from them. “Well, guess I have no choice,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air and letting them fall, slapping back down to her sides.

“That’s the spirit.” Russell took a longer puff from his cigar. “To understand what we’re about, I need to teach you a history lesson.”

Mariah rolled her eyes and folded her arms. “If you’re talking about Birmingham, I already heard what that creep Gerald had to say about it.”

Russell seemed unamused to hear that name. “Ah, yes, Gerald. Complete dunce. But damn, if he is not committed to our cause. And he’s still useful being holed up in that GCU, believe it or not. More on that later,” Russell held his hand up to stop Mariah from asking what he meant by that last comment. “But I’m talking way before then. Pre-War. Would you believe that I was actually born before the bombs dropped? I was, in 2072. Most people born before the War are ghouls now, but there are still a few of us old fogeys left that are still human. I may have been young, but I still can remember some of those days. What my parents taught me. I got to see what kind of monstrosity distant and selfish governments and powers can be.

“The Pre-War United States was made up of 13 Commonwealths, which 50 states were split amongst with their own governments. And then there was the overarching federal government for the country. Little by little, the federal government tried to strip away local autonomy from many of the states and their commonwealths and engaged in foreign affairs that were highly detrimental to the country at large. It warred with the other major world superpower, China, at the expense of its own people. It persecuted anybody who even remotely disagreed with them and those who sought their own well-being instead of what the government wanted. And it drove the Gulf Commonwealth—Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana—to start fending for itself. There were rumblings of the commonwealth thinking about seceding and making their own country, separate from the increasingly corrupt and selfish federal government of the U.S. But out of nowhere, Florida decided it didn’t need anybody else, and they start pushing to be their own entity. They threw the rest of the Gulf Commonwealth away. And then, Mississippi and Louisiana’s governments started bailing on it. It became everyone for themselves.

“And you know what that taught me? It taught me that far-away powers can’t be trusted. That was the case with the U.S. and that was the case with Florida. You can only put your faith in the communities around you. Those who share local histories with you. Those who deeply value our communities and their sovereignty and don’t swear allegiance to outsiders. But don’t mistake ideological uniformity for a lack of diversity. For us, nothing else about your background matters. Not your race, your gender, your religion, whatever. And we’ve got plenty of people from all sorts of walks of life. All that matters is that you believe in Alabama’s right to be independent and to determine its own course.

“But then our fellow Alabamians betrayed us. The Alabama Compact threw in their lot with those other governments that came to make up the GCU. Even when we left—peacefully, might I add—the GCU got their feelings hurt. They wanted more and more and stepped on our turf. They grew too big and too fast and now look at the trouble they are in. It’s what always happens when outsiders try to trample on others. That’s how countless Old World governments were: The U.S. and China were prime examples, but Florida also showed its true colors. And now the GCU wants to force us back into a new commonwealth of sorts. One where they run the show. And they have the nerve to be surprised when we bite back?”

It was a lot for Mariah to take in, and she did not know what was truthful and what wasn’t. “So, what really happened in Birmingham?”

“Whatever Gerald told you was the truth, I imagine. The GCU claimed a Pre-War military facility that was on our land was within their territory. Our civilians were slaughtered, and not just by GCU. The Brotherhood is arguably even worse. They don’t even have their own [censored] nation and yet they want to intrude on everyone else’s. They think everything Pre-War, especially technology, is theirs by divine mandate. They represent all the ills of the Old World.”

So far, the Brotherhood was basically just legend for Mariah, given that she had never seen them in-person, but she obviously knew they were real. “There was a specific technology that Gerald mentioned. What is it? What did everyone want so badly?”

Russell leaned in closer, finishing off his cigar. “It’s a prototype that never got to be truly tested. But it’s potential is greatly powerful. It’s called the ‘F.A.C.T.,’ the ‘Fabrication Accelerator for Combat Technology.’ It’s a 3-D printer of sorts. You know what those are? A fabricator capable of mass-producing weapons and ammunition—possibly armor—very quickly, and it can make them with far less materials than usual because of an algorithm that makes the most efficient use out of all the materials. It uses some sort of patented matter recombination process. But it needs a sufficient power source, some sort of particularly advanced technology, and a facility with the materials necessary to use it. We were hoping this Fusion! factory would provide the resources, but it does not appear to be the case. If we knew where this technology was originally supposed to arrive at, we’d know exactly to where to go. Some other military facility, I imagine. One that would have the power and technological input that we need.”

“But you don’t even have the technology. How would you even know?” Mariah interjected.

“That’s what our more tech-oriented people are here for. Some of the brightest men and women I have ever encountered. We trust their judgment.”

“You still need to figure out who has it!” Mariah flailed her arms in disbelief. “If you don’t have it and the GCU doesn’t, who does? The Brotherhood?”

“Both of them claim that they don’t have it, but one of them has to. Someone’s putting up a ruse and I intend on finding out who. My money’s on the GCU. They are just playing coy. Keeping it close to the vest and misleading everyone to save their own skins.”

The anger started rising up in Mariah again. “So that’s why you keep attacking caravans? You think this technology is going to be on some regular caravan? Do you have any idea how stupid that is? Why would the GCU keep something so important with ordinary civilians?”

Russell furrowed his eyebrows. “You don’t understand how GCU operates, young lady. It’s the perfect cover for something like that. And they are going to have it well-guarded. That’s why we scout these caravans.”

“And yet you still raid all of them! Even if everything else you said is true, you lied about not authorizing attacks on these caravans. I know mine wasn’t the first incident, and there is no way that many ambushes are ‘recon missions.’ [Censored] you!”

Russell demonstrated his own anger for the first time, rising out of the chair. “You listen here, Mariah. You don’t take that kind of tone with me. I don’t expect an outsider to understand, even if you aren’t with the GCU or the Brotherhood. And if you still think we’re the bad guys, know that the GCU or Brotherhood are far worse. We only want sovereignty for our land. If the GCU would just leave us alone . . .”

“Did you really think that you could convince me your cause was just?” Mariah asked incredulously. Apparently, Russell thought he could avoid her questions about all of the caravan attacks and other issues. “You people are delusional! You think all of your ends justify the means! You’re hypocrites! Monsters! I don’t know how much I care for the GCU, but I sure as hell will take them over you any day.”

“I gave you the truth, you little [censored]. That’s far more than what those [censored] would give you.” Russell growled and jabbed his finger in her direction, his teeth gritting. “You want to support the wrong side, that’s on you. But you aren’t leaving us. I’ll find a better use for you. Maybe you’ll fetch a nice amount of ransom money or something.”

“Why don’t you go to hell, Russell? Maybe you can find some land to call your own there!” Mariah shot back.

Suddenly, the factory’s PA system blared. One of the Dissidents was shouting on it in a panic. “We got company! Brotherhood inbound! And lots of them! Repeat: Brotherhood inbound!”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egzkjb0zOow]

Russell kicked the chair he was sitting on previously. “Son of a [censored]! Brendan, watch over Mariah. Make sure she doesn’t try anything slick. Mariah, I’ll deal with you later.” Russell rushed out the door of the room.

“Yes, sir.” Brendan said, closing the door behind him. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch over you real good,” he laughed, turning to Mariah. He grabbed some rope and ran over to her, attempting to tie her to the chair. She had to think quickly about her next move. She noticed her belongings, including her firearm, on a table off to the side. It still seemed nonsensical to her that they would not tie her up even if she was trapped, and then they just left her belongings on a table near her? Mariah supposed it was a ploy by Russell to get her to trust them. But Russell seriously miscalculated Mariah’s threat and the possibility of convincing her that his side was in the right.

But Mariah could not think about that right now. She grabbed her chair and then slammed it on Brendan’s head right as he reached for her, disorienting him. Then she quickly grabbed her possessions and rushed for the door, but Brendan blocked her way. He started to pull out a gun from his holster, but she quickly shot him in the arm and chest to down him. Brendan, dropping his gun, screamed and writhed in pain on the ground as Mariah bolted out the door.

As she stepped out the door, Mariah started audibly hearing the sounds of battle, including the unmistakable sound of laser rifles. She was high above the ground, the metal walkway going in three different directions. She took the way that led her down to the ground floor, trying to stay as far away from the combat as possible. But she had no idea where she was going. She simply had to hope for exit signs or some other clue of where to get out of the factory.

As Mariah started going down one hallway, she had to quickly slide to a stop as a Brotherhood Paladin walked around the corner in front of her. Mariah ducked into another connecting hallway as the Paladin, decked out in damaged T-51 Power Armor, fired his laser rifle in her direction. Down several hallways she went, turning down them basically at random, when she finally noticed signs denoting an exit. Following the signs, she came out into the factory’s largest room. Dead bodies, both of Dissidents and Brotherhood, were strewn about the floor. Mariah quickly swiped up one of the laser rifles on the floor and some microfusion cells, figuring they could serve her well later. She was surprised that not all Brotherhood members wore Power Armor as some of the bodies just had combat armor or even lower-grade protection on. The rumors she heard about them made sound walking, mechanical juggernauts.

But the Paladin Mariah encountered before was still behind her and giving chase. She took cover behind a factory machine as he fired in her direction. Several grenades with the pins still in them were conveniently next to several dead bodies of Dissidents and Brotherhood, include a plasma and pulse grenade. She pulled all their pins at the same time and, after waiting a moment, lobbed them around the corner at the Paladin. He didn’t have enough to get out of the way. The collective damage from the grenades annihilated him, blowing apart most of his Power Armor.

Mariah had to stop to catch her breath, trying to hide in case any Dissidents or Brotherhood came her way. On the other side of the large room, warfare was still being waged. One of the other Paladins yelled toward the Dissidents. “Where is the F.A.C.T., Russell?! Tell me where it is now, and we can make your deaths much less painful!” Perhaps he was the leader of the Brotherhood in these lands.

“Maybe it’s in hell, Obadiah!” Russell shouted back, crouched behind cover. “I got a one-way ticket straight to hell with your name on it, so you can go find it there!”

Mariah wasn’t about to stick around to see the end of the fight. The room had the main exit from the facility, but as she stealthily looked out the windows, she saw a few Paladins waiting outside. No going out that exit. Mariah went back down the hall she came from, carefully stepping around the remains of the Paladin she killed. She looked for something, anything, that could tell her where another exit was. It was then that Mariah noticed that there was a map on the wall, indicating where several exits were. Memorizing them as best as she could, Mariah ran down several more hallways, finally finding a single-door exit. She gently opened the door and peaked out. It was very dark outside, but she didn’t notice any Brotherhood soldiers out there or make out any other figures in the darkness.

Mariah crouched down and moved slowly until she was sure it was all clear. When she made that decision, she started running as fast as she could away from the factory. Running blindly into the darkness certainly wasn’t ideal, but she couldn’t stay in the factory. Mariah had no other choice but to brave the gloom. She ran as fast as she could as far as she could as the sound of gunfire grew ever more distant.


[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SkDX_SyEQw]

Mariah finally stopped to catch her breath after a minute or so of running. She felt she was far enough away that she did not have to worry about the battle between the Dissidents and Brotherhood anymore. Now she finally focused on where to go next after resting for a couple more minutes. But the darkness was so suffocating that it almost felt like it was weighing down on her chest. She was not able to see any landmarks of any sort to indicate what direction she was going. Not even the ruins of Holt could be made out in the darkness. She could not even find Route 90. These were completely foreign lands to her. Mariah just had to hope she was heading in the right direction, back toward Pensacola. Clutching her laser rifle tightly, she picked a way and walked it.

The more Mariah walked in the metaphorical and literal darkness, the more fear crept into her. It was a fear she seldomly felt since her settlement was raided and her family was killed when she was a young kid. She had to go live with one of her aunts and uncles for a time, but she still felt alone for a long time. She’d sometimes wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares in a cold sweat. Even now, she still had those haunting dreams occasionally. But this time the nightmare was real.

Mariah walked for what felt like hours—maybe it was actual hours—when she finally came across the ruins of a residential neighborhood. Was it a fortunate occurrence or was it a death trap? Sometimes you didn’t know with these kinds of places. It could have been just a home for ordinary wastelanders to live in or it could be a haven for raiders. Maybe it was completely deserted. But Mariah’s legs were ready to give out after running and walking for so long. Her heart was still racing from the events of the day. She had no choice but to take a chance.

The houses were still relatively intact. Luckily for Mariah, there were no signs that anyone lived there. One of the doors was unlocked. She treaded lightly through the pitch-black interior. No telling if someone set up traps for some unsuspecting wastelander. There were two bedrooms, and one of the bedrooms had two skeletons on it, suggesting that it was a couple that lived here at some point. The other bedroom had a bunk bed that fortunately had no bodily remains on it. She propped the room’s dresser in front of the door to prevent any intruders from rushing in. The windows were already boarded up. As tired as she was, the dread and anxiety Mariah felt was hard to shake. Yet after laying down on the lower bed for a while, she found a way to shut her eyes and fall asleep.


Mariah opened her eyes next morning to find light peeking through the windows where the wooden boards did not cover it. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief at making it through the night. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she got up out of the bed. What had before been beautiful, clean hair was now dirty and matted, seemingly a metaphor for her time so far in Florida. As she moved the dresser to exit the door and then leave the house, she still had her trigger finger ready.

Before she left, Mariah looked around for any supplies she could find. The cabinet still had some Cram and Dandy Boy Apples in it that were still sealed. It was far from ideal, but she needed to eat something. Then she found a couple bottles of dirty water. No purified water in sight. Hopefully these don’t have too many rads in them, Mariah thought to herself. It was then that she realized the RadAway that she bought yesterday wasn’t on her. Did she miss picking them up when she escaped the Dissidents’ clutches? Maybe they weren’t on that table with her possessions to begin with. In any case, dirty water was her only option. Steeling herself, Mariah closed her eyes and gulped down one of the waters. The impurities made it taste awful, almost like she could feel the rads enter her system, but her thirst subsided.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDhhT5_4gIk]

Out into the wastes Mariah walked once more, walking in the direction she was travelling last night. As dark as it had been, she could remember the orientation of the house relative to what way she was going and continued that route. For several hours she kept walking through destroyed landscapes and residential streets. She passed through a few other small, deserted residential neighborhoods, her surroundings eerily quiet. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for some raiders or irradiated animals to attack.

The time had just reached noon. The sun was at its peak, scorching the already sunburned wastes. Mariah had to drink the other dirty water she had on hand in the oppressive heat. If she didn’t find civilization soon, she might have passed out and died from dehydration. But after about another 30 minutes, she caught the outline of another city, though there was no telling whether it was friendly and alive like Pensacola or some desolate death-trap like Holt. Mariah was going to have to take a chance either way.

As she came closer to the city, Mariah finally found an old Pre-War road heading toward it. A battered sign was still legible and indicated it was State Route 85. She remembered seeing the number on a map she was reading back in Pensacola, but not exactly where it led to. At last, Mariah got to exchange the dirt and grass trails she had been walking for an actual road, albeit one severely damaged by the Great War. She finally got close enough to the city to see a sign bearing its name: Niceville. Mariah recognized the name as one of those places that caravans at the Pensacola depot were heading to. She started thinking about Bertrand, Jacob, and Valentina, wondering if the two men made it out of Holt alive and how Valentina was holding up back in Pensacola. She undoubtedly knew that Mariah had gone to the battle on her own with the Dissidents at this point.

But it was almost as soon as Mariah read the sign that she heard gunshots ring out behind her. They were not aimed at her, however. A few merchants and their two brahmin were holed up in a broken-down building missing its roof just off the road. A gang of raiders was trying to murder them and take their belongings. Mariah was tired from her trip, but the sight of raiders was enough to give her a second wind. With a renewed energy and anger building inside her again, she checked to see a full clip of microfusion cells loaded in her laser rifle, cocked it, and rushed to save the merchants.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 7 2020, 12:10 AM

Mariah sure does know how to handle herself! I almost feel sorry for those Raiders; they don’t stand a chance!

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 7 2020, 02:42 AM

Instead of writing [censored], I suggest inventing new, setting-specific swear words. Like the way Skyrim has 'milk-drinker'. Like Radsucker, or ghouman.

FACT sounds interesting. A lot like the Star Forge from Kotor 1.

Mariah really has a lot of passion.

The Brotherhood's arrival sounds like a golden opportunity for Mariah to make her getaway.

And it was! Now Mariah is back to Lone Wandering.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 17 2020, 04:48 PM

While I am going to include some regional swear words and slurs (I've only incorporated a couple slang words so far), regular swear words are a normal part of Fallout as we have seen from the games. Granted, I don't want to just constantly write "[censored]" all the time and it gets a bit...I don't know...cringy, I guess? Maybe I will include the first letter followed by a bunch of dashes. But yes, I'll have some setting-specific slurs and such.



And now for something completely different.

I'm still writing Chapter 6. I have a synopsis planned for all of the Panhandle storyline, but this point I should've fleshed out more, so it is taking a bit longer. But to build up the world some more, here is the (preliminary) soundtrack for Fallout: Florida. A few songs are slightly out of that 1950s-and-earlier sound typical of Fallout, but that isn't unprecedented in this series and I think they fit well with the setting. I also simply just wanted some new songs for the series, although there are few familiar ones here. I had to go looking for some music more evocative of Florida and Florida-born musicians, so I learned a bit more about my state's history myself.

The Cyrkle – “Red Rubber Ball”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd-DJJfdyLg

Skeeter Davis – “The End of the World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHa6a3FtPJg

Louis Armstrong – “What a Wonderful World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63H0EgTcWFY

The Lovin’ Spoonful – “Summer in the City”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7ofnHmxE-I

The Ink Spots – “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmIwm5RElRs

Ben E. King – “Stand By Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkUeWTBH1Kg

Bill Withers – “Ain’t No Sunshine”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuKfiH0Scao

Gene Kelly – “Singin’ in the Rain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZer-HMhiFI (Perfect for radiation hurricanes.)

Patsy Cline – “Crazy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXWCaQPXE_0

Nina Simone – “Feeling Good”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNMKGYiJpvg

Mel Tillis – “The Violet and a Rose”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K-QXud1tt0

Fats Navarro – “Bouncing With Bud”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szpVBjPpX8o (A Jazz musician, Fats was born all the way back in 1923 in Key West, FL, with a merging of Cuban, African, and Chinese ancestry [or at least he may have been]. Sadly, he had a drug addiction he couldn't kick and his health issues were then compounded by a tuberculosis diagnosis. He died in 1950, a few months shy of 27 years old. Kind of even crazier to think about considering that I just turned 27.https://www.npr.org/2011/06/20/4192940/fats-navarro-the-fats-navarro-story. http://csis.pace.edu/~varden/navarro/bio.html.)

Fats Navarro – “Avalon”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8p_DBjohw0

Cannonball Adderley – “What’s New?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-7isGsg6Fs (Real name Julian Edwin Adderley, he was born in Tampa, Florida in 1928. He was a high school band director in Florida before he moved to New York for a time. He was also in a quintet with his younger brother, Nat. He unfortunately died from a sudden stroke in 1975.)https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cannonball-adderley-mn0000548338/biography. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cannonball-Adderley.)

Cannonball Adderley – “Straight No Chaser”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOnQZ3J2H9c

Thelonious Monk – “Bye-Ya”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVkPWUsFIe0 (I was reading something about him and his connection to Florida, but now I can't find what it is.)

Slim Whitman – “Roll On Silvery Moon”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LzP67bI7BU (His real name was Ottis Dewey Whitman, Jr. Born in Oak Park, FL in 1923, the legendary country music singer was far more popular in the UK and throughout Europe than in his native U.S., at least toward the beginning of his career. He was a Florida guy through-and-through, living in Orange Park for a long time. He died there in 2013 at the ripe old age of 90. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jun/19/slim-whitman-dies-89. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Whitman.)

Gabriel Brown – “I Am Just Hard Luck”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1GFwojYjxo (This blues singer may be the oldest musician on this list, being born in 1910 in possibly Gadsden County. It is not known for sure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Brown.)

Frank Sinatra – “Come Fly With Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQq6yLe2ww (https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/miami-history-through-15-songs-10310351 that inspired Sinatra to write this song. Apparently, Sinatra was very fond of Miami Beach.)


To be honest, I'm personally not a fan of all of these songs, but I think they go well with the setting in some way.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 17 2020, 09:48 PM

Skeeter Davis' End of the World is a lot different from https://youtu.be/Z0GFRcFm-aY.

Keep in mind that in prose, you do not have to write the exact words people are saying. You can be vague but still plain about things like slurs. I ran into this while writing the neo-Nazis in the Stormcrow fic. Wherever I could I used direct quotes from RL white supremacists, because I wanted it to be genuine. I did not want to put words in their mouth, but use their own. I quickly ran into a brick wall however, because I lot of those words are just not fit to print. So instead I wrote a mix of things like this:

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 18 2020, 04:45 AM

Lol, that’s good. I like that!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 21 2020, 07:14 PM

@SubRosa - I see what you mean. I'll go that route whenever it is appropriate and I can reasonably work it in.

And finally, we are on to Chapter 6.

Chapter 6: The Plot Thickens

It did not take long for Mariah to dispatch the raiders. They were caught off-guard by her energy weapon. Their attempts to flee at the sight of lasers was in vain as each of them fell. A couple of them even burned up into piles of ash. The merchants came out of hiding upon seeing that the raiders were slain. All of them and their Brahmin survived. When they came to meet Mariah, one of them practically prostrated at her feet out of a mix of exhaustion and praise.

“Whew, I thought we were goners. Thank you, ma’am,” one of the merchants hugged Mariah.

“I hate raiders. I kill them every chance I get.” Mariah said matter-of-factly.

“I’m glad you’re on our side,” the same merchant responded. “Anyway, we appreciate the help. What brings you to our town of Niceville?”

Mariah could not think of where to begin and she didn’t want to spill too much info. “A bunch of reasons, but mostly I’ve been looking for some sort of real civilization for the past day or so. I need to find GCU personnel in town. Do you know where I can find some? It’s very important.”

“For you, sure! You saved our lives after all. Follow us into town and we can give you a basic lay of the land.”



While Niceville was an important part of the trade routes in the Panhandle, the town itself was somewhat small. Although Pensacola was not a huge Pre-War city, it was considerably bigger than Niceville. And despite the decades that had passed, you could still feel a little bit of the small-town vibe Niceville emanated from the Old World. It was still early in the afternoon, but the town seemed to be rather sleepy.

The merchants directed Mariah to the town’s GCU station. She walked to the front desk of the building in a hurry and spoke in an urgent tone to the officer sitting there. The officer could not even get a greeting in before Mariah started talking quickly. “Please, I need to see whoever is in charge here. Who runs the show here? I need to know now.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, miss.” The officer put his hands up as if to stop her. “You look tired and distraught, but I need you to stay calm. Commander Darius is in charge in these parts, but I cannot just get him out here because one citizen says they need to see him. What’s the problem?”

“You don’t understand! It’s about the Dissidents and the Brotherhood! It’s urgent and I need to make contact with the GCU back in Pensacola. I came from that direction and…”

“Ma’am, please slow down.” The officer tried to speak in a reassuring but firm tone. “Why don’t you get some water and sit down? Now, I need you to . . .”

“There is no time, officer!” Mariah slammed her hands down on the desk. “Please!”

The officer was unsure of what to do next. “Ma’am, you need to stay calm. I, look, we can’t have you making a scene here, but there is protocol to follow and . . .”

A more authoritative voice spoke up from behind. “It’s alright, son. I’ll take it from here.” The voice said son not in a familial way but more like a mentor. Out walked a well-built, six-and-a-half-foot or so man, bigger than even Jacob or Bertrand were. Mariah was taken aback initially at how imposing his figure was. The man patted the officer on the shoulder and turned his attention to Mariah. “Hello, young lady. I’m Commander Darius. I head this area’s GCU outfit. I heard you mention the Dissidents and the Brotherhood. What’s going on?”

Mariah was looking for the next words to say. “. . . I’m Mariah. Is there someplace private we can talk about this? I’ll explain later.”

Darius raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “I suppose so. Follow me.”

They walked into a room where it was just the two of them and another GCU officer. Darius introduced this other man to Mariah as Jordan, his second-in-command. The three of them sat down at a metal table in a room away from eavesdropping ears. Darius spoke first. “Now, Mariah, normally I would not just bring in any wastelander or civilian or anyone that is non-GCU. Anyone can claim they have something that we need to check into. But it’s not everyday that someone barges in and says they have information on our two biggest enemies in the Panhandle, and something about you tells me you’re serious. Well, let’s hear it.”

Mariah recounted everything relevant since she tailed the GCU to the ostensibly deserted town of Holt: All the things that Russell told her, about the F.A.C.T., the Brotherhood breaking into the Dissidents’ stronghold, and so on. Darius soaked in all she had to say. After a long moment of silence, he spoke again. “So, you were the civilian who tailed our forces. I heard about you.” Mariah nodded, her face slightly reddening from embarrassment. “And you know about the technology, then. Yes, it’s true that we sought out the F.A.C.T. But we honestly don’t have it, and you say the Dissidents think we have it and that the Brotherhood thinks that the Dissidents have it. Something doesn’t add up . . .”

“What’s that?” Mariah asked with a puzzled look on her face.

“If we don’t have it, the Dissidents don’t have it, and the Brotherhood doesn’t have it, then who the hell does? As far as I know, we are the only three organizations that are actively seeking it. If another group has it, you’d think they would have used it by now and we would know.”

“Couldn’t it have been destroyed in Birmingham?”

Darius shook his head. “We found no trace of it after we pushed out the Dissidents and Brotherhood. Someone must have snuck in and took it, but I have no damn clue who it could be. The F.A.C.T. needs a powerful supercomputer and power source to operate, which I seriously doubt anyone else is going to find a way to access. Maybe that’s why we haven’t found any trace of it—whoever has it has not had the opportunity to put it to use.”

“What about raiders?” Mariah asked.

“I don’t think so. They’re generally too stupid to know what this kind of technology is or how to get a hold of it, and none were in the Birmingham area at the time. Hmm . . .”

As Darius sat there pondering, Mariah steered the subject in a slightly different direction. “Can you tell me what exactly happened in Birmingham? I’ve heard several different answers and I honestly am not sure what to make of all of it.”

Darius had already been looking down at the table, but it seemed that a hint of perhaps guilt could be seen in his face. About ten seconds had passed before he answered. “I was there. It . . . wasn’t the GCU’s finest hour. A lot of innocents were caught in the crossfire. But we did NOT murder anyone,” Darius said and pointed his index finger out with emphasis. “I wouldn’t put it past the Dissidents to use their own people as human shields, and the Brotherhood doesn’t seem to care about ‘collateral damage’ as long as they get their hands on whatever technology they can hoard. We had it on good authority that the Dissidents would’ve used whatever they could to invade southern Alabama—where GCU territory is not in dispute. We had to stop them. We had to get the F.A.C.T.” Darius sat silently for a moment before forcefully pounding the table. “Those b------- can’t get over the fact that their own country wanted to join forces with other states for unity, trade, and protection. They’re still hung up on Pre-War bitterness when it’s long been over.”

“You mean the whole thing about Florida’s government wanting to go its own way and Mississippi’s and Louisiana’s following suit?” Mariah finally spoke up again.

“Yes, exactly. Many in the old Gulf Commonwealth thought that they were going to stick together and stand up against the federal government. Make their own nation. But much of Florida’s delegation surprised everyone by wanting to be completely independent of everyone else. The Dissidents think that the GCU is basically a redux of the old commonwealth, where we, Florida, will abandon everyone else when it suits us. They see Mississippi and Louisiana in much the same way. I’m sure Alabama’s government would’ve or did do the same, but the Dissidents wouldn’t ever admit anything was wrong with them. But that is long in the past. The GCU is not the Gulf Commonwealth.”

Learning more and more about Florida—at least the Panhandle—its major players, and conflicts helped to make Mariah feel like much less of a stranger in the Sunshine Wasteland. It was a big step she took to even come to these parts that were completely foreign to her, but it certainly wasn’t the first time in her life that she had gone somewhere totally new. Something about Florida, however, made her feel like she could actually stick around for a long time, unlike her previous stops. Perhaps it was that purpose that the New Lifer, Jonah, had talked about, or maybe it was her emotional investment in the Panhandle after the Dissidents attacked her caravan. Possibly both.

“So, what about the Brotherhood?” Mariah asked. “What do they want the F.A.C.T. for? I heard they came out from further west. How would they even know about this technology?”

“Well,” Darius said with a heavy sigh, “They’re a very secretive organization, but we do know a few things about them. They’ve been around for a while, though we don’t know how long. And from other people’s few interactions with them—along with my own—their main mission is to round up Pre-War technology to keep it out of the hands of ‘outsiders.’ To what end, I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s not good for the GCU.”

While the situation was dire, Mariah couldn’t help but be somewhat fascinated not only with what she was learning but with how on top of things Darius was. Even though it was part of his job to be in the know, he seemed to be particularly adept at accumulating intel. “Something tells me you know a lot of this from your own personal interactions instead of just from other sources.”

Darius nodded. “Besides the Birmingham incident, yes, I’ve had to deal with the Brotherhood and the Dissidents on multiple occasions. And regardless of how that battle at the Fusion! plant went, we’ll most certainly be hearing from both groups again. No way did either of them have their full forces there. Those two names you mentioned—Russell and Obadiah—I know them. Quite well, in fact.”

“Really? What else can you tell me about them?”

Darius scoffed just thinking about them. “Both of them were in Birmingham but we’ve known about both of them for even longer. Russell has been a troublemaker for a very long time. Like he told you, he was born before the War. He’s been one of the loudest opposition voices ever since the Alabama Compact joined to form the GCU. Any violence related to that he has probably had at least some involvement in, even if indirectly. Given his experience and dedication to the Dissidents’ cause, it makes sense that he is leading their charge in Florida. Make no mistake: He’s a crazy son of a b---- but he is an excellent combatant, even as an old fart.”

“And this Obadiah? I haven’t even interacted with him.”

“We don’t know what particularly drives him beyond his loyalty to the Brotherhood. I personally think Obadiah has more to his agenda than that. But what we do know is he is far from the first leader of the Brotherhood. Maybe this is how the Brotherhood has always been or maybe just under him. I can’t say. Like I said, the Brotherhood hasn’t made it easy to get info on them.”

Mariah’s mind went back to her friends in Pensacola. “So, if you’re GCU, are you able to make contact with personnel in Pensacola? I need to tell them what I learned. Let them know I’m alright. You must know Commander Bertrand, right? Do you also know Jacob and Valentina? Did Bertrand and Jacob make it out of Holt?”

Darius nodded. “I know Bertrand and Jacob quite well. They are the counterparts to Jordan and I. This Valentina doesn’t sound familiar though. And yes, Bertrand and Jacob are okay. But since you have been in captivity and have been trying to find civilization, you probably didn’t hear.”

“Hear what?”

“Bertrand has been suspended indefinitely from his duties for the botched attack on the Dissidents. Higher-ups made the decision. Bertrand and I lead our respective areas for the most part, but there are higher-ranking officials that oversee the whole Panhandle, the whole of Florida, and the whole of the GCU. The Panhandle overseers heard word about the incident quickly, so they are putting Bertrand on leave while they investigate.”

Mariah shot up out of her chair. “But it’s not the Commander’s fault! The Dissidents knew they were coming! Something tipped them off!”

Darius just shrugged. “Look, it’s not my decision. But I know Bertrand well. He would not have rushed soldiers into combat like that if he had any sense that something was glaringly wrong with the operation. But how did the Dissidents know? In any case, let’s contact our mutual friends in Pensacola.” Darius took a radio in the room and started tuning it into the necessary frequency. GCU had had to make repairs to communication lines that were destroyed in the wake of the Great War. He got Jacob and Valentina on the other end, the latter at Mariah’s request. Jacob apparently was placed in charge in the interim while Bertrand was suspended. “Jacob, it’s Commander Darius. I got some news from a friend of yours. She’ll explain.”

Without even letting a pause enter the conversation, Mariah spoke. “Jacob, Val, it’s Mariah. I know what the Dissidents and the Brotherhood are . . .”

“Mariah?” Jacob said, shocked. “Holy s---, you’re alive! We couldn’t find you after what happened in Holt. I’m happy to hear from you, but what the hell were you thinking coming there?”

“We thought you were dead, Mariah! You could’ve easily gotten yourself killed!” Valentina exclaimed. She was hurt that Mariah would leave without telling her what she had planned.

Mariah felt some guilt at leaving Valentina in the dark. “I’m sorry, Val. Jacob. But can we talk about this later? I know what our enemies are up to. The Dissidents captured me and I was told by their Captain what they were planning.” Mariah recounted all that had transpired for her to Jacob and Valentina, as well as what she and Darius discussed.

After a long pause, Jacob breathed a heavy sigh. There seemed to be a lot of sighs from everyone lately. “Damn it. Of course that’s what they are here for. We thought one of them might have the F.A.C.T. for some time, but it became clear after dealing with them for long after Birmingham that neither of them had it. Russell and Obadiah—damn the fact that they are still around—would’ve found a way to use it if either of them had it, I think. Or maybe they had been having trouble finding a sufficient power source like you said, Commander Darius. Did Russell tell you anything else, Mariah?”

Sifting through her memories, Mariah thought about one thing she had left out. “When I asked him how he knew the GCU was coming, he said something about how he had eyes and ears everywhere and in unexpected places. . .” She trailed off. That’s when it clicked for her. “Jacob, I think there is a mole in your department.”

After muttering several more expletives under his breath, Jacob said, “You’re right. That’s the only way they could’ve known. But how? We vet our officers thoroughly. Any sympathy for the Dissidents should’ve been rooted out. And Gerald has no means of contacting them in his cell—yes, we still have him cooped up in there. I don’t know how I am going to go about figuring out who is a traitor, but I’ll come up with something. Going to also petition the powers-that-be to reinstate Commander Bertrand now that we have all this new information. We need his leadership.” He stopped for a moment, then added, “Thank you for all the help, Mariah. But please, do not put yourself in that position again. We were really worried about you.”

“Yeah,” was all that Valentina could add.

“I . . . I’m sorry. I’ll try to be better. For both of you.” Mariah said, dejected.

Darius ended the communication. He threw his hands up in the air. “Well, now we’ve got to figure out where we go from here. But that’s not your job, Mariah. Go get some rest. See what Niceville has to offer. And thank you again, we’ll keep in touch.”

“Thank you,” Mariah said.

“Wait,” Darius said right when Mariah was about to exit the room. She turned around to hear what he had to say. “Make sure you think about what Jacob said at the end there. It’s clear just from that call that he and Val care a lot about you. From what I understand, you seem to be someone who rushes into danger, often recklessly. It’s all well and good to be brave and standing up for others, but you need to think more carefully. It doesn’t just affect you. It affects your loved ones and it can have unintended negative consequences for them if you unthinkingly rush into the face of peril. That doesn’t mean always playing it safe, but it does mean you make better calculations about danger. Do you understand?”

Mariah knew he was right. She just couldn’t find the words to say in response. Instead, she simply nodded and closed the door behind her.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 21 2020, 11:27 PM

Thanks to Covid, early afternoon is definitely sleeping time for me!

I must admit that I like the complex political situation you have developed in the Panhandle. It provides a lot of angles, and a lot of sources of conflict to drive the plot.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 22 2020, 03:04 AM

^
Same. (Well, except for early afternoon being sleepy time, lol)

These are really fun reads!

I wonder who has the F.A.C.T!

Posted by: Renee Sep 22 2020, 05:57 PM

[censored], I have fallen behind. Wow, Mariah is really fiery, bold, and maybe even insolent! She's getting right into her captor's face.

I think I know one of them. That odd guy she met in the outdoor market is an example. I forget his name. The guy who seemed sort of peculiar.

F.A.C.T. sounds like a bunch of bull. Maybe they're all fighting over something which doesn't really exist. You can't make somethings substantial out of nothing.



So he WAS targeting that caravan Val's father was on. I agree with Mariah then. That was no recon mission, it was "shoot to kill, ask questions later" more likely. Still though. I understand her anger but damn, she's gonna get herself r4ped or killed if she doesn't tone it down.

Ha I like the Fallout 4 danger music, that's perfect! She is lucky at that moment as BoS shows up. And now she has a lazer rifle, good for her.

I finish the next chapter in due time. Must head back to work.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 22 2020, 09:29 PM

I figure it’s probably the same technology that is utilized by the vending machines in the Sierra Madre casino from the New Vegas dlc “Dead Money”.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 22 2020, 10:00 PM

Basically the replicators from Star Trek. They rearrange existing atoms into new elements, and build what you want from there on up. All it requires is the total control of matter.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 22 2020, 11:53 PM

Lol, yeah, you know, that’s all it requires. No sweat.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 23 2020, 01:45 AM

It just needs some SCIENCE!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 23 2020, 01:48 AM

Totally!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Oct 7 2020, 02:15 PM

@SubRosa - Thank you. I personally almost always find it more interesting when there are 3+ factions involved in a political struggle instead of just 2. Of course, throwing in factions for the sake of it is detrimental, so I thought hard about how to make it work with 3 groups here. BUT...there may be another minor group or two that plays an important role too...

@Khajiit - Much appreciated. I'm having fun writing them whenever I get the chance to.

@Renee - Hopefully you were able to finish the chapter, because things are ramping up even more now.

This chapter turned out to be longer than I expected, but it worked out, I think. I try to find the right balance of enough exposition to explain things while still leaving things up to the reader to piece together and imagine. Don't want to be confusing but I also don't want to handhold when readers are capable of figuring some things out on their own.

I also wanted to be true to the Fallout-style in another way: While things can get bleak and dark, there are touches of self-awareness and silliness to the setting. Hopefully I am succeeding on that front as well.

And look out for some subtle references to game mechanics incorporated as a normal part of the story. I did a few times in previous chapters and I've got at least a couple more in here.

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Turn

Well, what now?

Mariah couldn’t stand the idea of just waiting for Darius to contact her. Who knew how long it would be until there was a development in the search for the F.A.C.T.? Even though there wasn’t much she could do, it felt like a waste of time to not do something about it. Mariah decided the only thing she could do, however, was take Darius’s advice and check out the rest of the town.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ffNAcvsuwU]

Niceville was a rather sleepy settlement, especially compared to Pensacola. People could be seen walking about the street, but for the most part it was rather quiet. Remnants of the Old World could still often be seen. In one case, Mariah saw a poster for what appeared to be a local utility company—Panhandle Gas, Electric, and Nuclear, or PGEN for short—being bought out by the giant Poseidon Energy corporation. Mariah had become familiar with Poseidon over the course of her travels with its various ruins dotting the landscape, so it was a name she knew well. Poseidon, like a bunch of other Pre-War nationwide companies, also tried to establish a foothold in Florida, attempting to buy out local and state utility companies—PGEN being one of them. Judging by what she had been learning about the Pre-War strife between Florida’s state government and the federal government in particular, Mariah figured that many Floridians weren’t happy about Poseidon also wanting a piece of their pie.

There were also advertisements for enlisting in both the U.S. military forces and the Florida National Guard, another juxtaposition of the state vs. federal schism. Another sign for that Cooler Heads technology was barely legible on a brick wall of the one of most rundown buildings in the area. Posters for Pre-War local and state-level political candidates were also heavily faded.

As Mariah kept going south, the Choctawhatchee Bay came into clearer focus. The bay was the body of water sitting between the land where settlements like Niceville and the strip of land with the ruins of the small towns of Destin and Miramar Beach. On the other side of that strip of land was the Gulf of Mexico, a key part of the economic engine of the Gulf Commonwealth. She would have kept heading toward the bay, but yet another sign caught her eye. This time it was for something that was made Post-War, a place called the All-Faiths Center on a street called Valparaiso Boulevard. Curious, Mariah followed the directions to it. Years of erosion had wiped out the original font on the street signs in Niceville, but newer white paint had been applied to them to keep these old road names alive. Mariah had been going down what used to be Palm Boulevard. It intersected with this Valparaiso, and Mariah turned to her left to follow it to this All-Faiths Center.

When she reached the Center, it was quite an impressive sight—not so much from an aesthetic standpoint, but at the fact that it really did have a lot of different religions represented. It wasn’t a singular building, but rather a bunch of buildings side-by-side with various houses of worship. There was a Christian church, an Islamic mosque, a Jewish synagogue, a Buddhist monastery, a Hindu temple, and even a Sikh gurdwara, among several other types of religious places. The fact that a relatively small town could even have enough people to sufficiently represent these faiths—and that there would even be so many different faiths with at least one adherent—side-by-side was remarkable. It was rare to see such tight coexistence in the Pre-War world amongst groups that often had tense relations with each other, and that probably was still the case in the Post-War world to some extent. But at least in the small town of Niceville, these factions were able to come together harmoniously through the shared hardship of living after the nukes. Mariah thought it was a shame that such coexistence was exceedingly rare amongst diverging groups throughout the wastes.

Mariah noticed some of the names of the buildings upon closer inspection. On the Christian church was an inscription for the Abbey of the Road—which sounded vaguely familiar to her, but she could not be sure. Even if it was a familiar name, there was no way to know for sure if it was the same Abbey. None of the other religious building names rang any bells—except for one that had a trademark emblem of a sun shining down on several buildings. Beyond that, it didn’t have any distinguishing features like the other houses of worship.

It was another establishment for the Temple of New Life.

A young man who seemed to barely be 20 years old stood at the door for this particular Temple, looking a bit forlorn as if nobody had come to the Temple all day. He looked up to notice Mariah looking toward the building and his eyes lit up. “Hey! Over here!” He called out jovially, waving his right arm to be noticed. Partially out of a sense of pity for the young man being alone and partially because she was curious to hear more about the place, Mariah walked toward him. She didn’t have that brochure that Jonah gave her back in Pensacola anymore. Mariah couldn’t quite place why exactly this Temple intrigued her. It’s not like she was looking to join. Maybe it was just her curiosity about the unknown and mysterious.

“Hi there,” Mariah greeted him.

The young man blushed at being noticed by Mariah. While she had picked up a lot of dirt and sweat over the past couple of days, her natural beauty could still be seen. “Hey, um . . . nice to meet you. Sorry, I get nervous talking to pretty women—er, people in general. Heh. My name is, uh . . . Bryson. Yeah, that’s it.”

Mariah found the young man’s awkwardness sort of charming. “I’m Mariah. Nice to meet you. You’re part of the Temple of New Life, I presume?”

“I sure am!” Bryson said with childlike enthusiasm. “You’ve heard of us before?”

“Oh, only once. When I was in Pensacola, I met a man named Jonah. He called himself a . . . Speaker, was it?”

An audible gasp escaped Bryson’s mouth. “No way! You met the Emeritus himself?”

Mariah cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. “Emeritus? I thought he called himself a Speaker or something?”

“Oh, well, he is, heh. But he’s also just being humble. He is a Speaker, someone who basically just goes about preaching our faith to others. But he’s also the Emeritus, which is sort of like the head honcho of Speakers, I guess. He has more duties than that, though. But that’s amazing you got to meet Jonah!”

“You have quite the high opinion of Jonah. He did seem pretty nice, if a bit mysterious. Have you met him?”

“I sure have. I hope I can be just like him one day.” Bryson struck a heroic pose with his fists on his hips. “Man of conviction. Helping people. Being such a good speaker, too. He has a way with words the likes of which I’ve never seen—er, heard, I guess. Jonah’s the one that introduced me to the Temple, in fact. Said he saw something in me and asked if I wanted to help grow the Temple here in Niceville.”

“So, you’ve lived here for a while then?”

“Yep. Lived here my whole life. But it’s been . . . pretty hard,” Bryson said, his youthful exuberance toning down. “My dad died years ago and my mom has been addicted to chems ever since. Particularly Jet. I didn’t really know what to do with myself. Almost fell in with the raiders near town, but I . . . I didn’t want to hurt people. And they do chems all the time. I’ve seen what it has done to my mom. And I don’t want to leave her because I want to help her. She hasn’t been the same since my dad died. Then Jonah found me. He talked to me about my purpose in life and how I just hadn’t tapped into it yet. Said he could also help my mom. And she has seemed to have gotten better, even if she isn’t back to her old self yet. I don’t know what Jonah did, but it seems to have worked.” Bryson’s bright personality beamed again. “That’s when I knew I found my place here at the Temple. I’m still young and inexperienced, but I’m trying!” He pumped his arm in a can-do fashion.

Mariah couldn’t help but laugh a bit at his cheerfulness. “You’ve got quite an enthusiastic personality. That’s got to help a lot in the wasteland. Have you gotten many people into the Temple today?”

“No,” Bryson shrugged. “But that’s okay. It’s a process. That’s another thing Jonah taught me. Life’s all about processes. And a lot of people appear to already belong to one of the other places of worship here. And that’s okay too! We’re supposed to live in harmony with others. Were you . . . uh . . . hoping to join?” Bryson started blushing again.

“Oh, no, I’m just curious about this Temple, that’s all,” Mariah clarified, shaking her hands in front of her with the palms facing outward. “Not that there’s anything wrong with the Temple!” She quickly added when she saw Bryson’s expression turned sad. “Just like to . . . know all of what’s going on around here.”

“I understand,” Bryson said, regaining his smile. “It’s a big step. I was afraid at first, too. I was involved in one of the other places of worship here before, but with everything with my mom and dad, it just felt . . . I don’t know . . . pointless. But hey, sadness has brought people to those other faiths too, so I’m not trying to say anything bad about them. The Temple seemed to be the perfect fit for me, though. It’s great that all these faiths sit side-by-side with each other. The Temple preaches coexistence.”

Mariah raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “Well, that can’t be all that the Temple is about.”

“Oh, of course not! But the coexistence thing is pretty important. And not just with other human beings. We also must respect nature and technology. But there is a common thread among all of them. Go on, take a guess at what that is!” Bryson started to play the part of a Pre-War game show host.

Mariah simply shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know.”

“They need a guide!” Bryson shouted enthusiastically. “Nature makes the world run, but it can be pretty hostile to people, especially with all the radiation and mutations. Technology is capable of great things, but it can easily be abused. And people have practically unlimited ingenuity and innovation, but they can easily become selfish and deliberately hurt people. So we teach that we need to see all the good that people and nature and technology can do but recognize their limitations. There needs to be a guide for it all to work harmoniously.”

“And I suppose that’s where your god comes in?”

“Well . . .” Bryson trailed off. “He’s not exactly a god in the way that Christians or Muslims or Jews or Hindus or whoever talk about. He’s a spiritual guide that is one of us. He’s just become enlightened and strives to make peace wherever he can. How we can ‘renew’ ourselves, be part of something greater.”

“And who is he?” Mariah asked, masking her skepticism. Not that she was persuadable in favor of Temple beliefs in the first place, but it was starting to sound a bit . . . goofy? Vague? Generic? She couldn’t really think of the word or words she was looking for.

“We call him The Redeemer. He has several other titles, too, like The High Guide, but we mostly call him The Redeemer. I haven’t met him yet because he lives way further down south in Florida. There is a city called Eden there. But that would basically be the Holy Grail of sorts, to meet The Redeemer. I hope I can one day.” Bryson stopped for a moment to daydream about that potential encounter. “But Jonah said the Temple needs me here to bring people into the fold. Which is fine. I’m still sort of scared to leave for a brand-new place. And I can still help my mom here.”

Despite her skepticism and how hokey it sounded to her, Mariah couldn’t help but be intrigued by this Redeemer and the city of Eden. It was interesting that the Temple chose to name the city ostensibly after the Garden of Eden from the Bible even though the Temple was a completely different faith. Then again, the concept of Eden was one that spanned throughout a lot of societies and outside of the Christian faith. It seemed this was a case of the latter. “I bet. I’ve travelled a lot, but the first few times I had to go somewhere new I was scared too. The unknown can be intimidating. Well, if you are sticking around here, have you had much success bringing people to the Temple?”

“Not a whole lot,” Bryson said, pursing his lips. “But there have been a few people and there were a few adherents that came here already, so it’s not like I’m totally alone, luckily. It’s a small town, though, so we also try to reach people outside of town. People like the Apalachee.”

“The Apalachee?” Mariah wasn’t sure if she had heard of them before.

“Yeah, a Native American tribe from way to the west. No one knows where exactly they came from or why they came here to the Panhandle but you hear all sorts of theories. The other religions in town have tried to reach out to them too, but . . . well . . .” Bryson trailed off.

Mariah leaned in waiting for an answer. “Well, what?”

A flash of trepidation was visible on Bryson’s face. “Raiders. Go figure, right? Well, there is one particular gang of raiders called the Bullsharks. Sounds a little bit wannabe edgy to me, but whatever. Anyway, they have made it tough to go preach outside town. The Temple and the other faiths have had people kidnapped by them, so the town council doesn’t let anybody in or out of Niceville without proper clearance.”

Mariah figured that those raiders she wasted just before coming into Niceville must have belonged to these Bullsharks. “They sound nasty. But what about the Apalachee? What more can you tell me about them?”

Bryson shrugged. “Not much more, unfortunately. They have been very reluctant to contact any civilized areas. No offense to them, I mean! The most anyone I know of that has interacted with them is through trade, and even that is rare. They aren’t hostile, just reclusive. They’ve probably had some issues with the Bullsharks too.”

Mariah once again pondered what he had to say. If the Apalachee came from further west, is there something they would know that could help against the Brotherhood or the Dissidents? Both of those organizations came from the west as well, so perhaps the Apalachee knew something about them. At this point, it didn’t seem like the GCU was going to get any new information on the F.A.C.T. on its own. Mariah wasn’t about to sit on her hands and wait for word from Darius. It may have been a longshot, but Mariah determined the next course of action was to find these Apalachee. “I really appreciate all the help, Bryson. But before I go, where are the Apalachee?”

“Well, no one knows exactly for sure. They seem to be pretty mobile and they only have a few of their people make themselves available for outside contact, so wherever they are living isn’t known. But last I heard, someone had done a little bit of trading with them to the southeast. Wait. You’re not going to look for them, are you?”

Mariah wasn’t sure how to answer his question, so she didn’t give him a straightforward response. “Why do you ask?”

“Those Bullsharks, remember? You can’t go by yourself! They’ll kidnap you or do something even worse to you! I don’t want anything to happen to you because of something I told you.” Bryson was pleading with her at this point. “PLEASE don’t go.”

Mariah found his concern very cute. “You’re a sweetheart, Bryson. But I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.” She showed him her laser rifle, 10MM, and sword. “I’ll be extra careful. For you.”

“You—you will?” Bryson’s cheeks turned their reddest yet. He seemed to have been prone to blushing and he was enamored with Mariah. “Er, of course! You can take care of yourself. I don’t want to be overbearing or anything. Just watch yourself out there, alright? And uh . . . thanks for talking to me. I know I probably talked a lot.” He scratched the back of his head. “It gets lonely out here sometimes.”

“Of course. It was nice talking to you, too.” Mariah gave him a big, bright smile and started walking away. “I hope your, uh, preaching goes well,” she said, turning around to him while walking backward briefly.

“Thanks.” Bryson sighed, sitting back down at the Temple’s doorstep.



Despite the town council ordinance on people coming in or out of the town, Mariah had no trouble leaving its limits. She crossed a bridge heading southeast across a body of water called the Rocky Bayou. There were some ruins in the distance. Most of the buildings were leveled or barely had any structure left standing, but some old businesses were still standing. Mariah didn’t notice any signs of life, save for some overgrown brush. But she knew better than to let her guard down. With a cocked laser rifle in her hands, along with her 10MM and Gabriel’s sword at the ready, she pressed on.

As she came closer to the ruins off the main road, Mariah’s mind went back to Bryson’s warning about the Bullsharks, which then went back to Commander Darius’s advice on rushing into danger. For a moment, she thought that maybe she was pressing her luck too much this time. Her determination, stubbornness, and burning hatred for raiders ultimately won out, but Mariah was starting to learn about assessing the dangers of certain situations better. She couldn’t help but think about Jacob and Valentina and how worried they were about Mariah’s well-being. Especially Valentina. Mariah vowed that she would find a way to make it up to her if she got to see her again. But she wasn’t going to turn back around.

What the hell am I even doing? Mariah thought. She was so focused on trying to make some sort of progress on her investigation that she didn’t really think about just how little information she had to go by. Bryson only knew that some traders contacted them to the southeast, but not how far in that direction. And now that she thought about it, would the Apalachee really use dilapidated ruins as their base? From how reclusive they sounded, they probably resided somewhere far off the metaphorical and literal beaten path. How would she find them? This was still new territory to Mariah. She had a lot of guesswork ahead of her and she didn’t exactly know where civilization ended and ruins—or nature—began.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omQ7OpC4mfA]

In fact, this seemed more like somewhere that the Bullsharks would hole up . . .

Suddenly, Mariah heard gunshots ring out. She took cover behind a wall, peeking around the corner to look in the direction of the noises. She saw four people, two males and two females, dressed in raider garb. They must have been Bullsharks. Mongrel dogs were attacking them, but the raiders were able to put them down with ease. One of the male Bullsharks picked up some sort of bulky object that they had dropped but Mariah couldn’t make out what it was from where she was positioned. Almost spontaneously, the raiders started laughing amongst themselves and they stepped into a small warehouse. Constantly checking her surroundings to see if any other Bullsharks were coming, she crouched down and walked quietly to another entrance of the warehouse. When she got inside, she stayed hidden behind some crates while trying to get closer to see what they were doing.

“It’s a good day to be a Bullshark, ain’t that right, boy and girls?” One of the male raiders cockily asked in a rhetorical manner, placing the bulky object down on a table. “Those tribals didn’t even see what was coming.”

“I was just hoping we could take more of them. A handful wasn’t enough to sate Delilah’s bloodlust here,” one of the female raiders piped up and tapped her gun. Apparently, that was what she named Delilah.

“You know, you naming your gun normally would get a big ‘yikes’ from me,” the other male raider said. “But ah, what the hell? With this score, name your gun whatever you want.”

“I love killin’, but you know what I love more? Those fat stacks of caps coming our way,” the second female raider said with a cackle.

“Which reminds me: I been thinkin’,” the first male raider said, grabbing everyone’s attention but particularly the second female raider’s. “With the cash coming our way, I been thinking you and I could finally put this life behind us. Get a farmstead, start a family, raise some livestock. Just peace and quiet and put this all behind us.” After a moment of silence, all of the raiders started laughing again. “Who am I kidding? I can keep this up forever if it means more caps and more body counts! But tell you what, baby, I got something for you that’s better than caps coming your way tonight.” The male raider and the raider who was apparently his girlfriend were about to get a little frisky.

“Alright, save that for the bedroom,” the first female raider said, putting up her hand as if to stop them. “Let’s get this job officially done first. Then you two can go for your romp when you’re alone.” She turned to the other male raider. “And then you and I, Johnny…” she did an obscene gesture with her hands.

“Oh, hell yeah!” Johnny blurted out, but cleared his throat and regained composure. “But you’re right, doll. Let’s get this Facial-something-or-other to our employer.”

“Geez, Johnny, you can’t be THAT bad at reading. The word was ‘fabrication.’ I know the big-boy words are tough for you, but come on,” the other male raider said, playfully punching Johnny’s arm.

“Whatever, I’ll just buy reading lessons or somethin’ with our soon-to-be payout. Reading done nothing for me anyhow. The hell does this thing do?” Johnny asked.

“Don’t ask me. All I know is we’re getting paid to get it. I don’t care if this thing will nuke half of Florida. I see and hear caps, you get my attention. These words on the side mean absolutely nothing to me.” The unnamed male raider turned the object around to display its name.

Fabrication Accelerator for Combat Technology. The F.A.C.T.

How in the world did the F.A.C.T. get here? How did the raiders manage to get a hold of it? And who did the raiders get it from? And better yet, who was paying them to get it? Conspiring with raiders wasn’t the Dissidents’ or the Brotherhood’s M.O. given how xenophobic they both are.

Mariah felt like one of those protagonists in a story that took a convenient, arguably contrived turn, given how she happened across the F.A.C.T. When Mariah read the technology’s name, she let out an audible gasp. Upon realizing she did so, she covered her mouth and tried to stay completely out-of-sight.

But it was too late. The female raider with her gun Delilah was alerted by Mariah’s sound. “What the f--- was that?”

“S---, thought I was the only one who heard it. Sounds like we got company,” the unnamed male raider said, readying his assault rifle. He then yelled in Mariah’s direction. “Hey! We know you’re there! Quit playing games and come out! If you come out now, I may even be feeling a little generous and I’ll let you go if you pay up with all your caps and loot.”

As gently as she could, Mariah stayed crouched and tried to move farther away while staying in stealth. No way was she going to trust anything a raider said. She hoped she get the drop on them while they still focused on her original hiding spot.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5nQ72e4ys0]

“Can’t hide forever. Come out and play!” Johnny’s girlfriend taunted, tossing a smoke grenade at Mariah’s previous position. As soon as it went off, Mariah popped out from her new cover and fired her laser rifle in their direction. She could only get a couple shots off in their direction but they missed—the raiders reacted quickly and took cover of their own.

“Can’t wait to count out your caps!” Johnny shouted, reloading his hunting rifle. “You’ll be so much easier to rob when you’re dead!” The raiders and Mariah traded some more shots, but nobody was going down. And Mariah was running low on ammo for her laser rifle. Even though she still had her 10MM, she wanted to save it if she could. No telling whether she’d need it to get out of there. There could have been other raiders nearby, for all she knew.

With no end in sight, Mariah tried to formulate another plan. As she surveyed her surroundings while still trying to be concealed, she noticed that there was a flammable canister right near the cover of one of the female Bullsharks. As that raider reloaded her weapon, Mariah quickly blew up the canister with a laser rifle shot. The impact sent the raider sailing out of her hiding spot, seriously wounding her. And with that window of opportunity, Mariah shot that raider dead.

The sight of his girlfriend being snuffed out enraged the raider named Johnny. “You wasted my girl! No! You’re gonna f---ing pay for that!” The raider tried to rush Mariah’s position in a blind frenzy.

“Johnny, no! Stay covered!” The other male raider pleaded. But it was too late for him. Mariah quickly popped above cover and shot him in the head while he tried to pepper her barrier’s sides with bullets.

In addition to bullets, the living female raider hurled every profanity and slur in the book toward Mariah’s direction. She finally capped it off with, “Your head’s gonna look real good as a mantelpiece, little girl. You ain’t the first I’ve killed, and you won’t be the last.”

Mariah needed to think of a new tactic fast. Her cover was getting broken apart by the sheer number of bullets pelting it. She looked around in her vicinity for something, anything, to give her an edge. A red, wooden crate that looked unlike the others around her was just a few feet out of her reach, out in the open where the raiders could shoot her if she tried to grab it. Mariah found a long piece of broken wood and was able to position it so that she could get the crate. Sure enough, her hunch was right: Inside the box was a grenade. She had seen similar crates elsewhere in her travels that also had ammo, explosives, and even firearms. It seemed that such containers had a knack for being in a convenient spot.

Mariah didn’t have that good of an aim with explosives, but she had no choice. She tossed the grenade underhanded toward the living female raider to better aim it and, hopefully, not make it obvious like an overhanded throw until it was too late. Perhaps Luck was on Mariah’s side, because it was perfect placement of the explosive and the raiders had not popped out of cover to see it. When the raider saw the grenade, there was no time for her to react. The explosion riddled her with shrapnel, forcefully sending back her corpse toward her boyfriend raider. “Mary!” The raider yelled. He was distraught and crying, touching her as if there was some desperate attempt he could make at reviving her. Now it was his turn to level insults, expletives, and incredibly offensive terms at Mariah. “When I’m done with you, your body will be unrecognizable!” It was amazing how murderous scumbags like raiders had the gall to be offended when somebody gave them a taste of their own medicine.

Grabbing his dead girlfriend’s submachine gun, he incessantly fired at Mariah’s position. He broke down enough of Mariah’s cover so that a bullet got through and caught her right arm. With a yelp, Mariah involuntarily tossed the gun and grabbed her arm where she had been shot. The searing pain, while not a mortal wound, was more intense than perhaps any other physical pains she had experienced before.

“Ha! Got you now, b----!” The living raider shouted, much more so out of anger than out of triumph. His girlfriend and his other two buddies were laying on the ground lifeless, making his seeming victory hollow. Even raiders could have feelings. “Never should have come here. And I’ll make sure you regret it for the last few moments of your life.” He started walking over towards Mariah with his hunting rifle, ready to fire at her should she try something sneaky. “Could’ve just walked way, but nooooo, you just had to play hero. Well, hero, your story ends here,” he said with sarcastic emphasis.

But just as the raider was almost in position to get a clean shot at Mariah, they both heard a loud, guttural noise coming from behind him. The raider and Mariah could see the fear on each other’s faces as they slowly turned in the direction of the noise. It was the unmistakable sound of a Radfrog—and a very hungry one at that. Ribbit, bellowed the frog. It may have sounded funny if Radfrog noises were being recited in a story, but when it came to being face-to-face with the monster, it was anything but that.

The raider fumbled with his rifle as the Radfrog moved towards him. The shaking of his hands caused him to miss the creature. It lashed its long tongue out at him before he could get another shot off, flooring him and knocking his gun to the ground. He desperately reached for his submachine gun but the Radfrog came charging at him, violently discharging liquid poison from its skin. The raider’s bloodcurdling screams were cut short as the monster bit into him.

Mariah was frozen in fear as the monster feasted on the raider. He may have gotten what was coming to him, but she couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pity—more so terror—at the way he went out. The pain from her arm subsided enough that she could reach for her laser rifle, though the panic also helped overpower the hurt. She stood up to steady her aim and unloaded an entire clip into the Radfrog, wincing in pain with every shot. Mariah seriously regretted not buying some Stimpaks before leaving Niceville.

The Radfrog, however, resisted the energy damage. While it was hurt, it wasn’t down for the count. At that moment, Mariah remembered hearing previously about how certain creatures could more easily shrug off certain types of damage. She specifically recalled hearing how Radfrogs were more susceptible to regular ballistics but more resilient against energy weapons. Sure would’ve been nice if she remembered that before, she thought. As she tried to reach for her 10MM, the Radfrog turned its attention to Mariah and flicked its tongue out at her. The wind was knocked out of her as she flew backward and hit the cold, hard floor. Her gun landed away from her, out of reach.

The Radfrog started barreling toward Mariah, hoping to make a meal out of her just like it did with the raider. Despite her panicking, fumbling hands, she was able to unsheathe her sword. As it stood just above her ready to chow down, Mariah thrusted the blade through its mouth and into its brain. The creature cried out in agony, and she pulled out the blade again to cut its throat. She rolled out from under the creature before it collapsed on top of her. Her mind flashed back to the battle in Holt where a Radfrog tried to kill her as well, but the fear she felt this time eclipsed her previous encounter.

Panting, Mariah gingerly and slowly picked herself up off the floor. She retrieved her guns and shuffled over to the F.A.C.T., clutching her stomach. The technology stayed right where the raiders put it. “Is this . . . just some box?” Mariah muttered out of a mixture of exhaustion and confusion. Examining the box some more revealed latches to open the contraption up, but Mariah figured it was better to leave those alone. “Just got to . . . pick this up . . .” The tech was very lightweight despite its bulk. She paused and started coughing up a bit of blood as she was trying to exit the warehouse. At first, she figured it was just due to her injuries, but a closer look at the blood show a bit of green liquid. “Oh no . . . Radfrogs . . . their tongues are poisoned.” A chill went up her spine as she recounted more of her Radfrog biology lessons. Desperately, she stumbled around at the boxes around her in the hopes of finding some antidote or any other healing agent, but there was nothing there. The monster must have gotten in a really good shot, because the poison was acting quickly. Gently letting go of the F.A.C.T., she slowly slumped to the floor.

Is this really the end? Mariah wondered. This was supposed to be the part where big moments in your life replayed in your mind, before you drew your last breath—or so she heard. She thought about some of her travels prior to Florida. About her settlement being attacked and her family and friends being slaughtered when she was young. About Bertrand, Valentina, and Jacob. About Darius. About Bryson. She was resigned to the belief that she would never see them again. Darius was right: She needed to be better about assessing danger. But it looked to her that this miscalculation was fatal. “I’m sorry . . . everyone . . .”

After several more minutes of labored breathing, Mariah’s eyes were fluttering as she frantically tried to keep them open. It was no use. She thought she heard footsteps but she could not tell if they were real. Her head hung down as she drifted into unconsciousness—and possibly toward her death.

Posted by: SubRosa Oct 7 2020, 11:41 PM

I keep thinking that Darius is the King of Kings of Persia...

Nice background info on the Posiedon takeover of PGEN. It builds more on the whole Pre and Post War attitudes and feelings of Florida.

No Church of the Atom? I suppose the New Life Church will have to do. It always makes me think of the Universal Brotherhood from Shadowrun.

Sounds like these New Life Speakers would make for great spies.

Oh, the Redeemer is an actual, real person? Straight into cult territory now. I'll pass on the grape Flavor Aid, thank you.

I like giving names to Raider bands, like the Bullsharks. That was one thing I liked about New Vegas, they had names like the Jackals, etc... Instead of being just generic Raiders.

That Facial something sounds like just what Mariah is looking for. I wonder who is paying the Raiders to steal it?

Whoa, that Radfrog is nasty!

Uh oh, Mariah's been poisoned!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Oct 8 2020, 06:59 AM

Man I love Raiders. They’re kinda like the Sith in Star Wars. They’re so incredibly stupid but for some reason I just find them really fun! Maybe it’s because they tap into that very small part of me that would love to just say “[censored] it all.” and go start a bandit clan, lol.

Rader, I really enjoyed the fight with the Raiders, Rader ( ). Also that Radtoad is so delightfully repulsive! I really do feel like it would be terrifying to come across one of those, and I think it fits perfectly in the Fallout universe’s bestiary. As a matter of fact, I’d be disappointed if a future game set somewhere in the south didn’t have them as creatures in it.

Posted by: Renee Oct 8 2020, 02:24 PM

I say it's somebody not connected to Bertrand. Could be a janitor, for all we know...

Yes, there are some moments of Fallout humor here and there. I've found myself chuckling occasionally, at the descriptions of Fusion! for instance. It seems the FDA was decommissioned at some point in the Fallout-sidetracked universe! ... PGEN also just made me laugh out loud. These folks have no idea of the negative reputation nuclear energy has generated in our own reality. And I suspect those in the Fallout universe also had all of our meltdowns...

I can't help but picture her like Mariah Carey, albeit frequently sweaty, unwashed, and grim-faced.

I also enjoy Mariah's impatience and fire. Everyone keeps telling her to chill, do NOT get involved. She is nobody--the GCU will handle everything without her input. All of this keeps getting ignored. She reminds me of Carrie in that HBO show Homeland, although without any of Carrie's mental issues.

I like Bryson. His antics must be fun to write up. I picture him with a Gomer Pyle sort of accent, almost.

What?? A small gang of lowlife Raiders got the F.A.C.T.? HOw?? They're making all these other more organized groups look bad...

Well hopefully those footsteps belong to somebody who isn't nefarious.

Posted by: SubRosa Oct 8 2020, 08:30 PM

Have you seen Fallout? I don't think they have janitors. They just leave the skeletons from 200 years ago laying around!

Posted by: Renee Oct 9 2020, 04:00 PM

Yeah, good point, ha ha!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Oct 16 2020, 04:15 AM

@SubRosa - While I am trying not to get too bogged down with having every single minute detail compatible with the existing lore, having the Church of Atom here would be quite unfriendly to Fallout canon. They don't appear until the 23rd century in Megaton. I'm trying to build something entirely new that I think will fit well with the setting. I also don't want to be too reliant on organizations that already exist in lore. (Although, perhaps you may have noticed a reference to the Abbey of the Road. More on that later in the story...)

I, too, enjoy when raiders are not so generic. Even if there isn't that much backstory to them, at least give them some distinction. I think Bethesda improved a bit on this with the Nuka-World DLC for Fallout 4.

@Khajiit - Fallout 76 https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Radtoad, though it is far different than my conception of the Radfrog/Radtoad. But yeah, I hope future Fallouts get even more creative and expand more with mutated wildlife. As much as I like seeing updated versions of old enemies, it gets kind of stale and goofy to have the same creatures repeatedly pop up all over the place (looking at you, Deathclaws).

@Renee - Well, if Mariah listened, there wouldn't be much of a story, now would there? But this is a personality trait that is going to be a key theme for her throughout the whole work. How does she develop in this regard? Where do you draw the line between being observing and obeying orders or advice, and going with your instinct or what you believe is right? And so on. Stay tuned.



Fresh off the presses is the next installment of Fallout: Florida! (Maybe I shouldn't post this yet since I'm rather tired, but I think this is good enough.)

Chapter 8: Foreshadowing

Mariah’s mind started playing tricks on her, blurring the line between reality and delusion. Was it just because of the poison? She wasn’t sure if she was even still alive and crazy visions were simply what happened upon death. Several strange scenes that felt so real played out in front of her. Mariah wasn’t simply an observer either—it seemed that she was a direct participant in whatever was going on.

The first vision that played out looked to be the ruins of some sort of Pre-War office. There were several silhouettes of people standing next to her and an angry ghoul in a tattered suit and tie in front of them. The ghoul seemed to have a serious grudge against Mariah and whoever the shadows were supposed to be. He forcefully pointed a finger towards them and simply yelled, “He sent you, didn’t he?!” Whatever this was about, Mariah wasn’t able to find out as a flash appeared in front of her and a new vision played out.

The next scene that played out was just as perplexing and had even less context. Mariah found herself in the ruins of what appeared to be a Pre-War university. Suddenly, a giant, mutant alligator approached her—walking on two legs just like a human! To make it even more bewildering, the gator bared his teeth and spoke in English. “Humanity’s penance is at hand. Nature shall repay it by wiping its stain from the Earth.” Just as suddenly as the last event she witnessed, the vision concluded in a bright light.

The third and fourth episodes played out even more quickly. Mariah found herself standing in an old parking lot, with a centuries-old fort to her left and the surrounding ruins of a major town around her. Amazingly, the fort looked to still be intact. In front of her, a man stood facing a river that separated a couple different parts of the city. He was clad in some sort of long-outdated outfit that Mariah did not recognize. The man simply uttered, “So you came.” After another flash, Mariah looked up at a large, Pre-War scientific complex with a ruined space shuttle off to the side. She recognized that it was a space shuttle from reading some Pre-War books about the Space Age. But what was this place she was looking at? What were any of these places she had seen?

And finally, one last experience played out. Buildings in a swampy area were all around Mariah. A couple of enormous, unrecognizable creatures stood towering above her. It was almost as if they were some amalgamation of several animals—they stood on two hind legs, their bodies covered in scales, long and sharp claws and teeth, and fins around their faces. It was perhaps the most unsettling, freakiest site that Mariah had ever laid eyes upon. But just as soon as she got a good look at the monstrosities, everything went black.



Mariah woke up in a cold sweat with a loud gasp. Her heart was racing from all the absurdities she had just witnessed in her mind. When she finally regained her bearings, she looked around to find herself inside a tent, sitting on a cot. Mariah then looked at her arm where the raider shot her. It was bandaged and the pain she was feeling had dissipated, save for some soreness. Much of the grime that had been accumulating on her body the past few days looked like it had been cleaned off. She smelled a lot better too. And she wasn’t feeling any more ill effects from poison. Those footsteps she heard when she was slipping into unconsciousness must have been real and were from an ally—or at least somebody that wasn’t an enemy. But who?

Gingerly, Mariah swung her legs over so that she was sitting upright on her cot, her body still feeling stiff from laying in the same spot for so long. How much time had elapsed since she passed out wasn’t clear, but it was dark outside. A moment later, a man came through the tent’s door flaps. Judging by his complexion and attire, he appeared to be a Native American. A large, white feather adorned his headband that he wore. “You return to wakefulness.” The man stated.

Mariah looked back to her bandaged arm again in disbelief. She couldn’t believe the recovery she made. “You saved me,” she responded.

“No, child,” the man simply shook his head. Mariah wanted to gently admonish him for calling her ‘child,’ but she did not have the strength. Not to mention the fact that he played a huge role in her still being alive. She let the comment go. “Your spirit is what saved you. I simply assisted it in realizing its own strength.”

“Uh, sure,” Mariah said with a slight dismissiveness. It was not meant to be a rude retort—just that it sounded a bit nonsensical to her. “What did you do to me? How long have I been out?”

“A natural concoction that my people developed. It flushed the toxins out from your system and helped speed up the healing process and overall strength. But we do not completely reject medicine from the outside world. We also received some Stimpaks through trading and administered one of those as well. You’ve been dreaming since before last night, and we cleaned you up a bit and kept your body nourished.”

“Thank you.” Mariah replied, surprised at the lengths a stranger would go to save her life, particularly one who seemed to be mostly isolated from the outside world. “But . . . why did you help me?”

“We found you in a warehouse just outside of one of the GCU’s towns. Those raiders you brought justice to—they attacked us. Stole something we had been keeping safe. You clearly were not in league with them given that they were obviously killed by you and you didn’t have their look. They also took the lives of several of my people.” The man was mostly stoic, but his recounting of several of his dead friends brought some sadness to his face.

“Your people? One of the raiders said something about stealing from ‘tribals,’ so I guess they were referring to you. Wait . . . are you one of the Apalachee?” The man simply nodded his head. “I was also hoping to find your people, actually. Somebody in Niceville told me a little about them, but there wasn’t much he could say. I wondered if you could help me with an . . . investigation, or sorts.”

The man kept his arms folded. “Are you with the GCU?”

“Well, sort of,” Mariah scratched the back of her head. “It’s kind of complicated. I’m not really working for them. More so against a couple of other organizations. And for myself, as a matter of fact. Turned out that you had some technology I was looking for.”

The Apalachee man stayed silent for a moment. He must have been deciding if there was anything further that he wanted to inform her of. Judging by his reaction, he was not trusting of the GCU or outsiders in general. He finally responded with, “You must know about this F.A.C.T. then.”

“Yeah,” Mariah said. “I heard that you came from out west, so even though it was a longshot I thought maybe you would know something about it. I know the Brotherhood came from roughly the same direction. And as it turns out, you did have the F.A.C.T. this whole time. But why? And how?”

“First, I must know why you are aware about the F.A.C.T., if you aren’t in league with anyone in particular,” the Apalachee man said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. Mariah thought it was a fair response, and so she gave him the basic rundown of her adventures thus far in the Florida Panhandle. The man’s stoic expression didn’t change. “So you escaped from the Dissidents’ clutches and avoided the Brotherhood. Impressive. Maybe it was you that I saw in my dream after all.” Mariah gave him a puzzled look, wondering what he meant by that last sentence. Before she could ask, the Apalachee man spoke again. “I am the chief of the Apalachee people here. In your native tongue, I am known as White-Feather.” He pointed to the large, white feather in his headband.

“I’m Mariah.”

“Is it good to meet you, Mariah. You must forgive my reluctance to open up too much to an outsider. It is necessary to protect my people. We cannot stay completely insulated, but there are others who are not keen on our presence in these lands. While you strike me as someone trustworthy, I must still be careful about what I say for my people’s sake.”

Mariah nodded. “I understand. I’m not quick to talk about certain things about myself to new people either.”

“Then perhaps you have some understanding about our situation. Good. I shall try to keep to only the important details of my people, the Apalachee.” Chief White-Feather cleared his throat. “Long ago—hundreds of years ago—our ancestors lived close to here, a bit further east. Outside interests forced us to relocate to what was Oklahoma. For . . . various reasons, after the Day of Conflagration, or what you would call the Great War, we sought to return to our ancestral homeland. With the collapse of societies and governments around the world, we believed this was the opportunity to come back. So began the Great Trek eastward. It has been a grueling, arduous journey, but we are close to the end of the road. But along the way, we encountered the peoples known as the Brotherhood of Steel and the Alabama Dissidents. Each even tried to earn our favor by proposing an alliance against the Gulf Coast Union, in which they would help us reclaim our ancestral lands in exchange for helping fight against the GCU.

“But it was clear to us the darkness of their spirits. Their hidden natures. We refused. We wanted to simply live on our own, free from any outside influence—something that has eluded us even after the Day of Conflagration. And as you can imagine, this did not sit well with either group. We learned that their mutual enmity, along with their rivalries with the GCU, were going to come to a head in the city known as Birmingham. So, we claimed this technology, this F.A.C.T., before any of them could, and attempted to make greater haste for our ancestral lands. We had no intention of using this device, but if it fell into the hands of the Dissidents, Brotherhood, or GCU, it would not bode well for us. Thus, we kept it hidden this whole time. That is all I can tell you in this regard.”

“But why not the GCU?” Mariah asked. “I have firsthand experience as to why the Dissidents and the Brotherhood shouldn’t have it. I’m not sure how much I care for the GCU itself, but I have friends in it, and it’s definitely the best option of the three.”

White-Feather’s expression did not change. “You must understand the experiences of my people. Outside governments have rarely had our welfare at heart. And the GCU made it clear that we were not welcome here—not just some of the citizens, but GCU officials as well. If they weren’t so caught up in fighting the Brotherhood or the Dissidents, or embroiled in conflicts farther away, they would not hesitate to stop us through force. We are a foreign entity, and as such we have aroused suspicion. We are fortunate that not everyone feels this way, but even then we must be wary toward those who are friendly toward us. Even if they do not wish us harm, they may unintentionally give away information about us that enemies would use against us. Even in your case, we must be cautious. Vigilance is what has protected my people, and I will protect my people until the very end of my days.”

“Well,” Mariah said, “I see your point. Is there some way I can earn more of your trust? Maybe we can work something out with the GCU. If you help them against the Dissidents and the Brotherhood, we can use that as leverage for some sort of treaty so that you can have your old homeland back.” A glimmer of hope was noticeable in her voice.

White-Feather pondered her proposal for a few moments. “I am still very doubtful about the GCU, but I have high hopes for you. Perhaps you could help us wipe out this raider problem we have been having. And with the threat they have been to the GCU in this area, that would give us greater clout for a treaty with the GCU. I don’t know how some of these raiders were privy to where some of our camps were, but we must end them before they imperil the rest of the Apalachee. I’m sure we are not the only ones that these raiders are giving trouble to. If you help us in this endeavor, I promise you we will consider helping the GCU.”

“Fantastic!” Mariah shot up with joy, wincing in discomfort. She was still a bit sore and stiff. “Oof. Shouldn’t have done that. Well, let’s come up with a plan. These raiders, they’re called the Bullsharks. I overheard the ones who stole the F.A.C.T. from you that someone hired them to get it, but not who. The Dissidents and the Brotherhood may have been willing to make a deal with you, but I can’t see them working with raiders. But who knows?” Mariah shrugged. “Maybe somebody else knows about the F.A.C.T., but I can’t imagine who. That’s all I know.”

“Then we must be alert for whoever else may be involved,” White-Feather said. “But for now, we know about these Bullsharks, where they are based, and who leads them. A man who goes by the name of Skull-Splitter. We must cut off the head of this snake, but it won’t end them for good. We must wholly eliminate them. Let’s introduce you to the rest of my warriors that are in this camp right now. It is not our full force, for I have ordered some to stay with our other camps to protect them and remain hidden.”

Mariah and Chief White-Feather exited the tent and met with the rest of the Apalachee contingent to discuss the further details of the plan. Several of the warriors also helped improve her skills in stealth, lockpicking, and hand-to-hand combat—three of the skills that many members of the tribe were particularly adept at. But for practicality’s sake, the warriors were not relegated to what would be considered primitive weaponry. They also knew how to use various firearms in addition to their preferred method of combat, melee. It was necessary for the survival of the tribe. But the beginning of their siege on the Bullsharks’ base would be heavy on sneaking and close-quarters combat.

With the plan in place, Mariah joined Chief White-Feather and the rest of the Apalachee Tribe to rain fury down on the Bullsharks—to end them once and for all.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK1PV_WTTtw

Apart from a light breeze blowing that night and faint, intermittent sounds of wildlife, it was a quiet night. The Bullsharks’ base was far enough from GCU civilization where it was difficult to find them, but close enough to where they could still catch travelers off-guard to rob and kill them. Debris from nearby abandoned houses, a few existing shacks, and some other scrap from elsewhere were used to build this place that these raiders called home. Judging from the size of the compound and the number of raiders that could readily be seen, it appeared that their whole gang was here.

Several male and female raiders stood watch on the perimeter, but there weren’t many guards that could be seen by Mariah and the Apalachee at their vantage point in the dark. Perhaps the Bullsharks didn’t expect to be found out here but kept a few sentries on lookout just in case. It was a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack. Further inside the compound, most raiders were either asleep or hanging out and chatting with each other.

There was one particular raider that White-Feather pointed at for Mariah’s attention. “That is the head of the snake. Skull-Splitter.” It was obvious from looking at him how he earned that moniker: Adorning his metal armor were bits of human skulls to give off a frightening aesthetic. Perhaps it was Skull-Splitter’s way of tallying his kill count. He sat slouched on his makeshift throne, also gilded with bones, talking with several other raiders while he repeatedly flipped a bottlecap in the air and caught it in his hand. They were too far away to be heard.

When the raider guards were separated enough, White-Feather gave a signal for his warriors to move in. Silently, several Apalachee grabbed the raiders, covering their mouths and slitting their throats. Several of their guns were also looted for extra firepower. To hopefully make it less obvious that they were gone, the dead raiders’ corpses were dragged away into the dark.

White-Feather was seeking another prime opportunity to waste some raiders before they were alarmed by the Apalachees’ presence. Minutes went by before a few other raiders were to change shifts with their now-deceased compatriots. They noticed something was amiss but were not ready to sound a full-blown alarm. “Hey, boss,” one of them called out to Skull-Splitter. “Looks like our boys and girls are off their posts again.”

Skull-Splitter scoffed and spoke in a gravelly voice. “Probably think they’re tough going to handle some Radroaches or some s--- in the shadows. Or maybe just drunk and fell on their a---- to the ground. Go find them.”

The small group of raiders went over to the guard posts to survey where their fellow Bullsharks were. It wasn’t until they got close that they started noticing the blood stains and streaks from their bodies being hauled away. “What the . . . ,” one of them started to say, before they were assaulted by Apalachee throwing knives and spears.

This time, Skull-Splitter was there to see the action, though not where the Apalachee and Mariah were hiding. Things were about to get hectic. “Hey, lazy f----!” Skull-Splitter barked to his fellow raiders. “Get up! We got company! My mantle could use some more bones, so make whoever is out there regret coming here.” And with that, he pressed an alarm to quickly wake up his underlings. The whole base was swiftly on alert.

Now was the time for a full-scale assault on the compound. Mariah stayed hidden, using one of the dead raider’s hunting rifles and firing at whatever enemy she had a clean shot at. After she felled the first raider, the rest started moving and looking for cover.

“Presents for ya!” Skull-Splitter announced, pressing another set of buttons. Parts of the outside perimeter were rigged with hidden traps. Mines exploded, grenade bouquets dropped, and tesla coils went off around the area. Some of the Apalachee warriors were not able to evade in time and were quickly cut down. Fires illuminated the immediate vicinity, revealing other Apalachee fighters that were in cover. Chaotic gunfire then erupted between the two sides.

Meanwhile, White-Feather silently nudged Mariah. The two stayed crouched down and maneuvered to the backside of the raiders. A few more Apalachee were killed, but the Bullsharks were suffering greater casualties.

“Scared, huh? You should be,” Skull-Splitter yelled. “But don’t worry. I’ll make good use of your remains.” At his side was a combat shotgun, but for fights at farther range he wielded a .44 magnum revolver modded with a laser sight. With careful aim, he popped a few Apalachee on his own square in the head. Even with the laser sight, they were far shots, showcasing Skull-Splitter’s prowess as a marksman. He evidently had some tactical capabilities as well, for he suspected that his enemies were trying to flank him. White-Feather and Mariah found stout cover and looked for an opening on Skull-Splitter’s position when he whipped around and fired in their direction. “Think you’re smart, huh? Ain’t my first rodeo. I know exactly what you’re doin’.”

For some time, it seemed like it might be a slow battle of attrition as both the Bullsharks and Apalachee were slowly being killed. Mariah and White-Feather had no opportunity to fire back as Skull-Splitter kept them pinned down. It wasn’t until one of the other Apalachee warriors grabbed a dead raider’s Molotov cocktail and lobbed it at Skull-Splitter’s wooden shack that the tides of battle started shifting. Skull-Splitter adeptly ran out of the shack and kept his eyes on where Mariah and White-Feather were held up. He moved in closer, switching to his combat shotgun. “Get a load of this!” They could almost feel the force of the shotgun shells on their metal defenses as Skull-Splitter laughed maniacally. He, however, had less defense than he had previously.

White-Feather called out to one of his warriors and gave him instructions in their native tongue. The Apalachee in turn lobbed several spears to where Mariah and White-Feather were, luckily landing in spots where Skull-Splitter could not shoot them. “Mariah,” White-Feather said, “I’m going to use these spears as a distraction. When I throw them at Skull-Splitter and he evades them, that will be your time to shoot.” Mariah nodded. When Skull-Splitter stopped to reload his shotgun, White-Feather chucked one of the spears in his direction. Despite his metal armor, Skull-Splitter deftly side-stepped the throw, but in doing so had to stop reloading his weapon. At that moment, Mariah stood up and fired off an entire clip of her 10MM. Some of the shots merely dented his armor, but bullets caught his unprotected right hand and a part of his right leg that was uncovered. Skull-Splitter dropped and cried out in pain but was able to crawl behind a barrier, trying to clutch both of his serious wounds. “Ain’t . . . urgh . . . getting me that easily,” he said through clenched teeth. He still had his revolver on hand and reloaded it.

The Bullsharks saw that their leader was wounded and started panicking. Desperation led to mistakes, which tipped the scales in the Apalachees’ favor. One-by-one, the rest of the raiders were meeting their ends through a barrage of bullets. The Apalachee lost more than they anticipated, but there was no denying it was a rout of the Bullsharks. Skull-Splitter frantically fired off his remaining weapon, but it was no use. Every single one of his buddies was dead. The pain from the bullet-holes he received was too great and he had to let go of his revolver.

Mariah, White-Feather, and the Apalachee closed in on Skull-Splitter and surrounded him, making sure he didn’t have any more tricks up his sleeve. Several spears were aimed at his chest and throat. “It’s over, Skull-Splitter.” White-Feather stated matter-of-factly.

“Beaten by . . . urgh . . . a bunch of f------ tribals . . . gah,” Skull-Splitter was still running his mouth, even through gritted teeth.

“Shut the hell up,” Mariah snapped. “You got what was coming to you. I killed several of your buddies who stole some technology from the tribe and I heard them say they were hired on by somebody. Who put you up to it?”

“So, you’re the one that got them, huh? Well, even if I knew who exactly our employers were, I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of knowing.”

“You mean you don’t know?” Mariah was incredulous. “You take employment from somebody and you don’t even know who they are?”

“If it means caps, doll.” Skull-Splitter chuckled despite his pain. “Yes, even the Bullsharks would answer to someone else if it means getting paid and upping the body count. At least, I would take the offer. They didn’t say who they were so the deal couldn’t be traced back to them if it went south. All we were told to do was get something called the F.A.C.T. and that it was with the Apalachee. And then when we got it, we were to contact our employers.”

“Was it the Brotherhood of Steel? The Alabama Dissidents?” Mariah asked, even though she didn’t believe it was either one of those groups.

“No. None of those weirdos. If it was Brotherhood, they could’ve just done it themselves. And the Dissidents wouldn’t work with anybody that wasn’t them. I don’t have any love for the GCU, but I wouldn’t want to work with those idiots from Alabama either.”

White-Feather spoke up this time. “How did you know where we were then? I have taken great pains to keep my people safe and hidden as much as possible. Did your employers know?”

“Yeah. Don’t know how they knew, but it made our job a whole lot easier. Until you all showed up, obviously.” Skull-Splitter grunted. He sat there for a moment or two before he spoke again. “Well, what are you waiting for? I’ve told you enough whether you want to know more or not. Just get this over with.”

There was nothing else useful that was going to come out of Skull-Splitter’s mouth. White-Feather took it upon himself to put the final nail in the raider’s coffin. He grabbed a spear and jammed it straight into Skull-Splitter’s head, a somewhat ironic twist of fate given his name. And with that, the Bullsharks raider gang was no more.

Mariah shook her head in disgust. “Well, that wasn’t very helpful. But we killed an entire raider gang, at least.”

“Indeed.” White-Feather agreed. “It is time for us to head back to the camp.”

“Will you consider allying with the GCU then? The Brotherhood and the Dissidents won’t be able to stop our combined forces and we can finally convince the GCU to set aside your homeland.”

“I promised that we would consider an alliance. There is still mutual suspicion between the GCU and us. But given the current circumstances and your help, it seems that forming a pact would be the best option. It’s likely the only way we’ll be able to reach what we have sought for so long. But I have not decided yet.” White-Feather held up his hand to keep Mariah from getting too hopeful. “Regardless, know that your assistance is appreciated by myself and my people. You have proven yourself a friend to the Apalachee.”

It was getting deep into the night. With their work at the Bullsharks’ base done, they took some spoils of war and headed back to their own camp.



It was mostly a quiet trek back, save for some crickets chirping and the crunching of dirt and grass. But there was something that White-Feather had said in their first meeting that she remembered wanting to ask about. “Chief White-Feather?”

“Yes, Mariah?”

“Before, you said something about seeing me in a dream. What were you talking about?”

“Well . . . it is hard to explain to an outsider, even one who is a friend to us. But sometimes I receive visions. Sometimes it is simply through regular sleep. Other times, it is done through a rite that we perform. Unfortunately, however, not everything can be revealed to us, and receiving these visions too often and too quickly can be painful for the mind. That which is revealed to us may only show possible future occurrences, or even hint at somebody significant to our destiny coming to us soon. They are also often vague. Even I do not understand all that I see in my mind, nor do the leaders of our tribe.”

“Huh. Does this happen to people from outside of the tribe that are in close proximity? Because I think I had some similar . . . visions, I guess.” Mariah recounted what she had seen in her dreams before she had woken up. “What do you make of that?”

“Perhaps you have been blessed with some level of foresight as a residual effect of our rite. You have been asleep for some time in our camp. But I cannot say for sure. The nature of the Great Spirit’s revelations is not entirely understandable.”

“The Great Spirit?” Mariah asked. “Is that your own god? Or is that your name for a god that people outside the tribe worship?” She asked because White-Feather had already shown that the tribe sometimes had different names for terms that people from civilized areas used, such as the ‘Day of Conflagration’ instead of the Great War.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7zfrSJUEbY

“The Great Spirit—,” White-Feather suddenly stopped in his tracks as did the rest of the tribe. Mariah had no idea why everyone halted. “I smell fire and smoke. It’s coming from . . . no!”

“What is it?” Mariah still did not know what was going on.

“The fire and smoke is coming from our camp! We must hurry!” Mariah and the tribe rushed ahead, still about a half-mile away from their destination. Everyone had their weapons ready.

When they came into the clearing for their camp, fires were set to many of the tents. The Apalachee that had stayed there while Mariah and the others were on their excursion were either dead or on their knees with their hands behind their heads. Suddenly, their group was also surrounded, with loads of energy weapons aimed right at them. Several of the soldiers, clad in Power Armor, ordered Mariah and the tribe to lay down their weapons, and they complied. “So, Chief White-Feather. We meet again. Long time, no see,” one of them said, walking towards them.

It was Obadiah. The Brotherhood of Steel had arrived.

Posted by: Renee Oct 17 2020, 12:29 AM

Is the opening sequence inspired from a real dream?

That is something which could happen, eh? Native Americans going back to their more original ways, especially as the greater societies around them fall apart. I have heard it is possible to totally hide in Florida's swamps, even in modern times.

Even now, the Apalachee are considered a 'foreign entity', I tell ya. Anyway, I hope nobody finds out they have this stupid F.A.C.T. device. Seems more trouble than it's worth. But I also trust Mariah should help set things right.

I like how she's getting training in Lockpicking, Sneak, and Unarmed, without using capital letters.

Uh oh, the Brotherhood are here. I already don't like them much at all. Bastards. But again, it seems they've located the Apalachee solely due to this technology they're harboring. Well, I assume they've still got it. You did not actually say where this F.A.C.T. is in this new chapter.

Posted by: SubRosa Oct 17 2020, 02:55 AM

I wonder how much of what Mariah saw in her visions might be real, and how much prophecy?

Ah, so the Apalachee had the Fact it seems.

I wonder if this other group that hired the raiders might be the creepy church?

Oh boy, out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Oct 22 2020, 02:31 AM

I enjoyed it, for the most part. The assault on The Bullsharks’ compound was fun!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Nov 5 2020, 02:29 PM

Rest assured, I have not forgotten about this. Real life has just been getting in the way, but I've got most of the next chapter done. Got a lot of IRL work ahead of me today, though.

Posted by: Renee Nov 6 2020, 08:03 PM

It's okay. We'll be here.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Nov 11 2020, 09:21 PM

And we're finally back! We're coming close to the end of Part 1, but the overall story has only just begun. Here's Chapter 9 up at bat.

Chapter 9: Burying Grudges

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7zfrSJUEbY

“I thought you didn’t trust outsiders, Chief.” Obadiah said with a faint half-smirk, extending his arms out to his sides. Seeing him up close made his physical features more visible. Obadiah had jet black, short hair and a trimmed beard of the same color that followed his jaw line. He was of a stocky frame, a bit above average height but not exceptionally tall. “And yet, who is this lovely lady here?” He gestured toward Mariah. “She doesn’t look Apalachee to me.”

“I actually gave him a reason to put his faith in me, Obadiah,” Mariah retorted.

Obadiah furrowed his eyebrows quizzically when Mariah said his name. “Do we know each other? I’m quite good with names, but I don’t know yours.”

“I recognize her, sir,” one of the Brotherhood knights piped up. Obadiah looked in his direction. “I saw her escaping from the Fusion! plant where we fought those yahoos from Alabama.”

“Oh, I see,” Obadiah said, chuckling and turning back to Mariah. “You were the one who escaped from the Dissidents. What is your name?”

Mariah debated whether to spite him and not answer his question. She decided against doing so. Defiance wasn’t a viable nor wise option in this circumstance. “Mariah.”

“Mariah? Hmm. I think I have heard of you. Killed a bunch of Dissidents that attacked a caravan of yours, right? You must have been in that battle at Holt that we heard about, too. Otherwise, how would you be in the Dissidents’ clutches?” Mariah gave Obadiah a puzzled look. How did he know this much about her? “Yes, I know who you are. You’d be amazed at how quickly news travels. Not to mention my men and women here are quite proficient at deducing and finding out information. Well, if you were wondering, we sadly didn’t wipe out the Dissidents. Couldn’t even kill Russell, slippery old b------ he is. But that’s okay. We’ll be dealing with them in the near future.”

“How did you find us?” White-Feather demanded to know. “Why did you even come find us?”

“Like I said, we’re quite good at detective work. Found out you were doing a bit of trading in these parts and scouts were able to track down your location.” Obadiah wouldn’t explain that point further. “And given that neither the Dissidents nor the GCU had the F.A.C.T. in their possession, I realized that there was only one group that could’ve possibly had it: Yours. Yes, I know about it, so don’t feign ignorance. You’re the only other group who could have known about it and you would have been in the Birmingham area at the time it went missing. You must have snuck in the facility it was staying at before anyone else could take it.”

“Were you the ones who hired the Bullsharks to steal the F.A.C.T. from them?” Mariah asked accusatorily.

Obadiah seemed legitimately offended by her allegation. “Do you think that we would stoop to that level? To work with such filth like raiders? No, we did no such thing. But speaking of bargains . . .” Obadiah turned his attention back to White-Feather, “you made a big mistake not accepting my offer, White-Feather. Could’ve had your lands you so desperately seek if you just helped us out. I mean really, how did you think you were going to achieve that goal without us?”

“I saw the darkness inside you,” White-Feather said. “You would’ve betrayed us when you had the opportunity. This is far from the first time we have had trouble with you, you know.”

Obadiah did not directly respond to the accusation. “I don’t give a damn about your lands, White-Feather. We may have our history with your people, but I was willing to cast that aside. Your lands mean nothing to me as long as they don’t have Pre-War tech that we need to protect. And as long as you aren’t holding Pre-War tech that you shouldn’t have, I won’t seek trouble. But you have something that is rightfully ours, and we’re here to take it. Shows exactly why we can’t even think about working with outsiders. I clearly made a mistake even offering you an opportunity, because I’m guessing it led you to the F.A.C.T. You can be rest assured that mistake won’t happen again.”

“What do you even want the F.A.C.T. for so badly?” Mariah said. “Why is it so important that you are slaughtering people for it and that you came out all this way east for it?”

“Come on now, Mariah, even many civilians have a basic understanding of what we are about. The Brotherhood’s mission is to retrieve and reclaim—others would erroneously say ‘hoard’ or ‘steal’ or something along those lines—Pre-War tech so that fools like you don’t abuse them. We keep them safe from outsiders. And I suppose you could also say in that sense that we’re protecting outsiders from it, too. It’s a favor we are doing.”

“A favor? You’re ruthlessly killing people over it!” Mariah said indignantly. “You’re a monster!”

“No, I’m not. You are missing the big picture,” Obadiah said, shaking his head. “What we’re doing is for the greater good of civilization. While others seek to misuse technology and knowledge, the Brotherhood does what it has to do to save it. These people we ‘murder’ are not some sort of innocents like you portray them as. If we must put down those who would exploit it for their own gain, then it is our duty to do so. Especially for something as powerful as this tech is supposed to be.”

“But you’re the one who is looking to abuse it!” Mariah exclaimed incredulously. “You’ve deluded yourself! You’re just like the Dissidents!”

Obadiah bristled at her comparison. “You’d do well to not equate us to that glorified backwater gang. Look, I don’t expect an outsider to understand. The Founder of our organization, Roger Maxson, has laid out the mission for the Brotherhood and it is my responsibility to make his visions a reality. It might not be quite in the way that he envisioned—he believed in outsiders too much. But I do what is necessary. You might see us as barbarians, but what we are doing is what will resurrect civilization and make it thrive in the long run. That means that tech and knowledge like the F.A.C.T. cannot be in the hands of the Dissidents, GCU, Apalachee, whoever this other shadowy cabal is that wants it, or anyone else. It’s the Brotherhood’s destiny to claim it. If I ever do get to see High Elder Maxson again, he will be proud of what we are doing. If he is still alive, anyway.” Obadiah didn’t mention the fact that there were multiple chapters of the Brotherhood of Steel throughout the former United States, something that Mariah and White-Feather were not aware of.

“There is a price that will be paid for this bloodshed, Obadiah.” White-Feather vowed. “My people’s deaths will be avenged one day.”

Obadiah angrily jabbed an index finger right at White-Feather’s chest. “It’s your fault that more of your people are dead, Chief. You had them conceal something that is highly dangerous and belongs in our hands. And you could’ve avoided all of this if you just assisted us.” Obadiah cleared his throat. “Speaking of which, we’ll be taking the F.A.C.T. now. No need to tell us where exactly since a couple of your tribe’s members pointed it out. And to demonstrate how we are not cruel, I’m not going to have you all gunned down. You have learned your lesson, I hope. Just don’t even think about trying to impede us again. Not that you really could anyway. Oh, and Mariah?” Obadiah looked Mariah straight in the eyes. “The same goes for you. Don’t attempt to bring your precious GCU into this. Or deceive yourself into doing what you think are heroics.” Now he addressed his fellow Knights and Paladins. “Ad victoriam, brothers and sisters! Return to base. Don’t shoot any more of them, but make sure they don’t try anything slick either.” His soldiers responded affirmatively. A couple of them grabbed the F.A.C.T., which had been hiding in a dense thicket right next to the camp, while others kept their weapons trained on Mariah and the Apalachee until they left.

All was quiet. No one moved. None of them knew what to do. After a few minutes of silence, with the Brotherhood long gone, White-Feather dropped to his knees. “I’ve failed my people,” he said, anguished.

“What?” Mariah said.

“Many of my fellow Apalachee are dead because of me. Because of my hubris. It is my obligation to lead my people to safety and prosperity. Perhaps Obadiah was right. I should’ve just taken a deal with them. People under my watch would still be alive if I had. We would have been that much closer to our goals.”

“Absolutely not!” Mariah said indignantly, not toward White-Feather but toward Obadiah’s propaganda. “You could not have known this was going to happen. Obadiah showed you exactly why you couldn’t trust him. You did the right thing.”

“It is kind of you to say that, Mariah, but it does not change the fact that I couldn’t save our dead. Their losses are indicative of my failure.”

“Chief, look at me.” Mariah said, but White-Feather still looked at the ground. “Chief,” she said more forcefully. This time he turned to her. “Your job is inherently dangerous. Conditions for your whole tribe are inherently dangerous. There is no way you could have saved them all. The wastes are incredibly hostile to all of us. But the men, women, and children of your tribe look to you as their leader for a reason. You are the one best equipped to lead them, to bring them to their ancestral lands. I’ve seen it firsthand. You’ve come all this way and you can’t give up now. And it’s not just your tribe that needs you. The GCU needs you and I need your help, too. We can still stop the Brotherhood from fully utilizing the F.A.C.T. for whatever it is they are trying to do. Please.” She held her hand out to White-Feather. He grabbed it as she pulled him up.

“You are right,” White-Feather said with a renewed resolve. “I am the Chief of the Apalachee. It is my duty to lead, and by the Great Spirit, I shall. We shall defeat the Brotherhood, and the Dissidents the next time they come around.” He called the rest of the tribe that was present over to him. “Men and women of the Apalachee, let us bury our dead and honor them. We will rest tonight, and with the rekindled spirit of battle we will move out in the morning. We shall ally with the GCU to defeat our mutual enemies, and they will give us the land we seek.”

As the Apalachee moved about to lay their fallen to rest, Mariah talked to White-Feather again. “So where is the closest city? Are we close to Niceville?”

“There is a large settlement called Panama City that is closer to us but still too far to reach quickly. But I do know there is a GCU outpost fairly close to where we are. We’ll need you to be our emissary. There is still mutual distrust between our societies. Can you do this for us, Mariah? They will have to listen to you after what you have done for them.”

Mariah was reluctant to give explicit promises to people. She was anxious about failing to live up to a promise, no matter how hard she tried. But she was determined to see this through. She told White-Feather as much. “It is not often I promise things, Chief. I can’t stand the thought of not coming through. But damn that, you have my word that I will make this happen.” She held out her hand for a handshake. White-Feather obliged, shaking her hand in return.

“When this is all over, Mariah, I will see to it that your deeds are passed down in the annals of our oral traditions. But first thing’s first. Let us rest tonight and begin our plan tomorrow.”



Mariah had been exhausted for much of the past week, but a restful night’s sleep, resolve, and adrenaline amped her up in the morning. She and the Apalachee headed for a GCU outpost—Outpost Theta, to be exact—along one of the old Pre-War state roads. Going out ahead of them, Mariah walked up to the outpost and pleaded with the soldiers there to use their communication equipment. With an extra bit of charisma, and her knowledge of some of the GCU leadership, the soldiers couldn’t resist a pretty face. Mariah did not like having to use her attractiveness to help her achieve goals, but it certainly had come in handy for her in the past.

She first contacted Darius, the commander from Niceville, who again reprimanded her for her recklessness. Nonetheless, he was appreciative of Mariah’s efforts and receiving updates on the situation with the F.A.C.T. “I’ll inform Commander Bertrand and Lieutenant Carmichael immediately. He oversees the GCU for all of the Panhandle and will more than likely be leading the charge. I’m not sure how well GCU leadership will take working with the Apalachee though. A lot of wariness there, but I will vouch for you. I have no doubt that Commander Bertrand and Jacob will do the same for you.” Mariah wondered if Valentina would be joining an assault on wherever the Brotherhood were taking the F.A.C.T. But since she was not in a leadership position, Darius would not have any idea, so Mariah didn’t ask him about her. “Do you know where the Brotherhood took off to?”

“No,” Mariah said with a heavy sigh. “From what the Apalachee told me, it was southeast of where we were. But I’m still not too familiar with the lay of the land, and I’m not entirely sure where we were camped at. They’ll have to give you more of the details.”

“Alright, we’ll figure it out when GCU leadership convenes. Thanks, Mariah. Be careful out there.” Darius ended the transmission. Even though time was precious, it was going to take a day or two for GCU personnel to convene.



Another day passed. GCU leadership wasn’t able to fully meet in person yet so some were relegated to radio communications again, like Commander Bertrand. But Commander Darius was in town, along with the Commander for Panama City, a woman of Japanese descent named Masako. She wasn’t tall or bulky like her contemporaries, but she could give off a tough demeanor when needed.

The convention was held in a meeting room at the GCU headquarters in Panama City. White-Feather and some of his best warriors were also in the room. The tension between the GCU and the Apalachee was palpable, and it was going to be up to Mariah to ease it. Ironic, she thought, considering how she often found herself willingly participating in conflict and far from a mediating position.

There, Mariah met face-to-face with Lieutenant Carmichael, the overseer of the Panhandle that Darius had mentioned. He already knew who she was and some of her exploits. “So you’re that spitfire I’ve heard so much about. I’m Lieutenant Carmichael.” The two of them shook hands. “You’ve been making quite a name for yourself, Mariah. While your behavior has sometimes been . . . questionable, at best, I know you are also responsible for helping us in many ways. But before we begin, I need to know how you became aware of the Brotherhood’s possession of the F.A.C.T.”

“Well, they came to . . .” Mariah froze. How would they react if she told them the Apalachee grabbed it right from under the noses of the GCU, Brotherhood, and the Dissidents? What if that tanked any chance of a truce between the GCU and the Apalachee? She tried to think quickly about some other answer, one that wouldn’t be a lie but wouldn’t give the full story, but nothing came to her.

“Ah. Would it be because these tribals here took it first?” Carmichael asked with a thinly veiled animosity toward the tribe. “Tribal” wasn’t always used in an offensive manner, but it was often a derogatory term used toward uncivilized groups, regardless of who they were or where they came from. Tribal groups could be just about any ethnicity. It wasn’t clear if Carmichael asked this question because of his general suspicion of the Apalachee or if he logically deduced that it must have been them that took it. She could see even see it on many of the GCU personnel’s faces that, despite their cynicism toward the Apalachee, they were uncomfortable at the Lieutenant’s offense.

White-Feather spoke up. “It’s alright, Mariah. I’ll answer this mouth-breather. Yes, we had it. We kept it safe, and the enmity of buffoons like you is exactly why we had to keep it safe in our hands.” The meeting was already threatening to break apart when it had barely begun.

“You bite your tongue, Chief,” Carmichael growled, stepping towards White-Feather, who stood up in response, ready to fight. Tension was rising quickly. Apalachee and GCU officer alike were all ready to draw weapons.

This time, it was Mariah’s turn to be the voice of reason. She stepped in between White-Feather and Carmichael. “Stop it, both of you!” Everyone in the room turned their attention to her. “F---‘s sake, we are all on the same team here! We’re wasting time when the Brotherhood has this tech, and who knows what exactly they’re going to do with it? Now come on, we need to figure out how to band together to stop them. Let’s sit down and figure this out.” Lieutenant Carmichael’s face expressed indignation at her attempt to take authority of the situation but obliged. Mariah continued. “Look, the Apalachee may not have done everything the way they should have. But their intention was to keep the tech from the Brotherhood and the Dissidents. And when they met the antagonism of the GCU toward them, they decided it was best for them to continue holding onto it. I think that’s understandable.”

Carmichael scoffed. “If they just gave us the device, we would have been much nicer to them. Could have avoided all this trouble.”

“Oh, really, Lieutenant?” Mariah asked pointedly. “With the way you treated them? How would they know? I wouldn’t be giving to people who were nothing but hostile to me either, especially some tech that can create weapons seemingly at the snap of fingers. But here’s the thing: We all need each other now. The GCU has a lot of firepower but they can’t do it on their own. The Apalachee are very familiar with the Brotherhood, more so and for far longer than us, and we need as many people as we can get to take them on. I’ve seen firsthand what the Apalachee are capable of. We wiped out the entire Bullsharks raider gang near Niceville.”

“It’s true,” Darius spoke up. “Absolutely no reports of them showing up near the town. Some travelers even found their camp, laid waste to and strewn with Bullshark bodies. They might even turn it into a small settlement of their own with the threat over.”

Carmichael grudgingly admitted that that was an impressive feat. “Those a--hats have been a lot of trouble lately, so that does free us up now that they’re dead. But those are just some dumb raiders. I don’t see how these Apalachee can help us against such a technologically-advanced foe.”

Commander Bertrand chimed in on the radio. “Lieutenant, if I may, I have something to add.” Carmichael gave him the go-ahead. “For all the trouble she can get into, Mariah has been dedicated to our mutual cause. She fended off a Dissident attack on her caravan when she first got to Florida. She figured out that we were sending a force to Holt to stamp out the Dissidents on her own. She got a lot of information on the F.A.C.T. and more insight into the Dissidents and the Brotherhood which we might not otherwise have. And personally, she is directly responsible for my reinstatement as a Commander, as she discovered there is a traitor in our department leaking information to the Dissidents. We’re still working on rooting out who our Dissident mole is. I think we need to give her a chance here to make her case.”

It was somewhat astounding to Mariah that Bertrand gave such commendation to her after his frustrations with her when they last saw each other. She blushed a bit at his praise. “Thank you, Commander. That means a lot.”

“Fine, fine,” Carmichael relented. “So, what do you propose here then, Mariah? What is it that the Apalachee want?”

“All they want is the land that their ancestors had from centuries ago. They left Oklahoma because of some trouble there—which also had something to do with the Brotherhood—but that was where their people lived when the Great War happened. I don’t know where exactly the land is but . . .”

“It is what used to be the Apalachicola National Forest,” White-Feather said. “That’s all we are seeking.”

Commander Masako spoke for the first time. “That’s not far from here. But it hasn’t been truly settled by anyone yet, despite being within GCU borders. Irradiated creatures reportedly infest the place. I suggest great caution if you are looking to settle there.”

“Okay, so what do we get in return?” Carmichael asked, this time earnestly. “It’s one thing if we agree to a deal, but the GCU government’s Florida delegation still has to approve of it. And they’ll need a reason to.”

Mariah looked to White-Feather to see what they were willing to do. He answered. “You can have the F.A.C.T., but we must have a guarantee that our residence in our ancestral lands is permanent. Mutually beneficial trade can also be established, and together we can make strides in killing the dangerous wildlife there, so they don’t threaten any of us. My people have become adept at dealing with many such creatures.”

“And then, of course, we’ll take down the Brotherhood together,” Carmichael added. “Alright, we’ve got a deal, as far as I’m concerned. We’ll work out the details more later, but we’ll get our tentative agreement written down so we hold each other to it. Fantastic.” He clapped his hands once, but he kept a stoic expression. “None of that is going to matter, however, if we don’t deal with the task at hand. We need to figure out where the Brotherhood ran off to. We know that they need a particularly powerful supercomputer to use this tech, and Masako’s team has been trying to research whatever info they can find on one. Did you or your officers find anything, Masako?”

“We’ve pinpointed some candidates nearby and, based on what we know of the direction the Brotherhood went, we’ve narrowed it down some more,” Masako replied. “But we can’t verify there is working technology in any of these places. There have been rumors of a bunker somewhere in Laguna Beach that was used by the United States military, but no one has confirmed a sighting. The only other place that we think any sort of supercomputer could be is at Tyndall Air Force Base.”

“So one place we do know the location of, right outside of town, and another that we have only a general idea of,” Carmichael shook his head. “Not to mention all the other dangers along the coast in this area.”

“What dangers? Like radfrogs or radtoads? Sirens?” Mariah asked.

Carmichael chuckled but not in an amused way. “Oh no, those are child’s play compared to what’s out there. I mean, there’s probably some of those, yeah. We had some settlements along the coast in Laguna Beach a long time ago, but they had to be abandoned. Giant fricking aquatic abominations that we’ve taken to called ‘dreadnoughts.’ Then you’ve got Mirelurks, basically mutated crabs. They might be near Tyndall as well, but we definitely know the base is absolutely infested with feral ghouls. Some of the robots on base are active as well. Defense protocol because of the War, I suppose. We’ve tried clearing the place out a couple times before, but it seems that they just keep repopulating.”

“Do you think the Brotherhood knows about these monsters?” White-Feather questioned.

“Doubtful,” Carmichael replied. The hostility between the two leaders had mostly dissolved and they started treating each other with more respect. “They come from near where your tribe does, right? There’s no way they are familiar with this territory. They may be good at finding out info or scouting or whatever, but no way are they prepared for the horrors along the gulf there. Quite frankly, I’m not sure we are either. But we will likely have to deal with monsters and the Brotherhood at the same time.”

“So . . . what exactly are these dreadnoughts?” Mariah inquired. The name certainly sounded menacing. Mariah wasn’t taking them lightly, but she was somewhat skeptical of them being considerably worse than Radfrogs or any of the other irradiated animals she had already crossed paths with.

“They sort of look like giant turtles. Yeah, those same little guys that usually hide inside their shells when threatened. Don’t laugh, because dreadnoughts don’t act anything like them. To be honest . . . I don’t think they’re just turtles. They seem like they got something else going on in them biologically because they have features that aren’t turtle-like, but I can’t say for certain. Anyway, whatever they are or their origins, they are often as big as a house and are extremely, and I mean extremely, aggressive. I’d advise everyone in this operation to be prepared for at least one of them. The Brotherhood better watch out too unless they want to become food.”

“Noted. So, where do we go now? Tyndall or Laguna Beach? We can’t just split up our forces but what if we send everyone to one place and we’re wrong? We—”

Carmichael raised his hand, signaling Mariah to stop. “Easy there, spitfire. You’re going to play a big role in this operation, believe me. But we’ll handle the strategy. Time is of the essence, but we can’t just run somewhere without a plan. Now that we have the Apalachee here, we can better formulate one. Listen closely, everyone. Here’s what we’re going to do . . .”

Posted by: Renee Nov 12 2020, 03:55 PM

Gosh Mariah, stop being so defiant! Kidding. I always cringe when she gets like that though, especially in the face of somebody who's got an obvious upper-hand against her. She's going to get her knee caps busted one of these days, or something such.

Right, and I imagine some of these chapters are more nefarious than others. The D.C. area chapter led by what's-his-name is arguably not as bad as Obadiah.



Oh no. No you can't, defiant one.

I do believe she can act as a go-between the Apalachee and GCU. All she'll need to do is tell Darius and Bertrand that the natives had the F.A.C.T., which is now in Brotherhood hands. Everybody is going insane over this F.A.C.T. thingie for some reason. They'll join forces just to get it. I say they should ALL join forces against the radfrogs, but whatever. Nobody'd listen to me!

She uses her Charisma.



I do. They'll be able to help in the same way Native Americans were able to help against the British during the Revolutionary War, and against the Bullsharks for that matter. They're better with subterfuge and infiltration, as they have the ability of using the land itself to their advantage.




In the backwards world of Fallout, in which all terminals are apparently greenscreen CRT technology we saw back in the 1980s, what does this 'supercomputer' equate to, compared to our modern world? Windows 95? 98? Kidding.

The end of this chapter is interesting, if only because Carmichael is the first 'official' to finally not tell Mariah she's not to be included in whatever comes next. I mean, if he said "NO you can't come with us" ... well, we all know how that would play by now...

Posted by: SubRosa Nov 16 2020, 02:36 AM

I liked how you showed the Brotherhood's sense of entitlement here. In their mind Pre-War tech is rightfully theirs. So they are entirely justified in killing people and taking their technology.

Things are coming together now. It feels like we are moving toward a conclusion. Unless the Dissidents turn up again.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Dec 3 2020, 02:53 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Q2WlVuaqs

The old U.S. Route 98 was the major thoroughfare that ran through Panama City, and one of the longest roads in the state. It was also going to play a critical role in the GCU operation. One direction went directly toward Tyndall while the other cut through the ruins of Panama City Beach and to the vestiges of Laguna Beach. To reach these destinations, the GCU would have to traverse bridges over large bodies of water. These bridges miraculously still stood mostly intact, except for some makeshift crossings of wood, steel, and concrete laid out over gaps.

Lieutenant Carmichael was betting his money that the Brotherhood would mostly go for Tyndall, as the location of that was relatively well-known and it was definitively a real place, not to mention the major Pre-War military center in the Panhandle. But there was still the distinct possibility that this fabled military bunker in Laguna Beach was real, and there was no way to know for sure if the Brotherhood knew about the myth and were going to look for it as well. Commander Darius was going to lead the charge there, with his second-in-command Jordan staying in Niceville to lead operations there in the interim. Sunny Hills’ Commander Bradford was able to spare some of his men and women to be led by Darius. “I would have Bradford leading the outfit based on proximity, but Darius has more experience in combat, and he does have familiarity with GCU personnel around Sunny Hills as well,” Carmichael explained.

Meanwhile, Commanders Bertrand and Masako would follow Carmichael into Tyndall Air Force Base, with Mariah coming with them. There was likely to be some resistance from feral ghouls and various robots at Tyndall, but there was no way to know for sure. The GCU set up their base just after they crossed the bridge in what used to be the Tyndall “FamCamp,” a facility where military personnel’s children could play while not at school. It was, hopefully, far enough away from the base that they wouldn’t be seen. Bertrand and Masako’s squads took different sections for camp.

Mariah and the Apalachee were getting significant upgrades in gear for the operation. Mariah finally got to trade in leather armor for the much sturdier defense of GCU combat armor. Even with the new equipment and her penchant for rushing into danger, she started to feel some level of apprehension about this mission. She had not been a part of anything like this before. A lot of people’s lives depended in part on her performance, when before her reckless actions mostly only directly affected her, at least in her mind.

Masako must have noticed Mariah’s nervousness, for the former clasped a hand on the latter’s left shoulder. “Are you alright, Mariah?”

“Oh, hey, Masako—er, Commander Masako. Yeah, I won’t lie. I’m feeling anxious. I know that’s not helpful for the GCU but—"

“There’s nothing wrong with being nervous about this mission, Mariah,” Masako assured her. “It’s a normal feeling. I’d actually be more concerned if you weren’t nervous at all. But judging from what I have heard about you and meeting you face-to-face, I’m confident that you have really grown from your experiences in the Panhandle.”

Mariah was a bit surprised at the statement. “Really?”

“Absolutely. You’ve been impetuous in most of your actions, even if they have mostly turned out to be a boon to our cause. But already now, you’re listening more to authority. You’re being more thoughtful about what you are doing. And you’re being more cognizant of how your actions are affecting and will affect others. I think you should be proud of that. I am.”

Mariah was blown away by the compliments and couldn’t help but blush a bit. “Thank you, Commander Masako. That means a lot.”

“Well, I also appreciate how you handled the Apalachee. I know what it feels like to be unwelcome because you are different.”

“What do you mean?” Mariah asked.

“I have Japanese ancestry. When World War II happened—close to 200 years ago at this point—Japan was one of the main enemies of the U.S., the U.K., and Russia. And when the U.S. got into the war, they indiscriminately threw many Japanese-Americans into internment camps. Some of my ancestors had to live in those camps. They weren’t unlike the internment camps that Chinese-Americans were thrown into before the Great War. The Japanese and the Chinese may have had some long-standing bad blood between them, but I still don’t believe how many Chinese-Americans were treated before the War was right. But war shows you just how terrible human beings can be too each other. Any group of people is capable of treating another group of people inhumanely and finding some excuse for why it’s justified. And I do mean anyone. Doesn’t matter what is your race, religion, gender, politics, whatever. It’s basic human psychology.”

Mariah didn’t know a whole lot about Pre-War history and told Masako as much. “That’s awful. But what about you? Have you personally felt unwelcome?”

“Well, I was born outside of GCU lands and didn’t move to Florida until I was already into adulthood. A lot of people can tell easily if you are from outside of the GCU, not just this state. And with groups like the Dissidents, Brotherhood, and some from Pre-War Georgia or in Florida outside of the GCU, it makes it easier for citizens here to show blanket hostility to outsiders. Not everyone in the GCU does it, of course, but a lot of people are feeling tense.

“And even when my general presence was warmed up to, some people weren’t too keen on me climbing up the military ladder to becoming Commander in Panama City. It wasn’t even the fact that I’m a woman—other Commanders have been women—although for some people, that didn’t help. It’s more that I was not a card-carrying member of the establishment. When you aren’t a member of an ingroup, you tend to be looked down on as someone in an outgroup. My small stature gives them a convenient excuse, though.” Masako was only about 5’6” and 125 pounds, but she was tough. She had to be to be a Commander. “Anyway, I know the Apalachee were met with suspicion when they came to Florida, and they were suspicious towards anyone outside their tribe. The Lieutenant, as you could see, isn’t very fond of them either. Same with some other GCU personnel. They’re outsiders in a time where outsiders are putting people on edge. My experiences probably haven’t been quite the same as theirs, but I know a bit about what that’s like.

“But you didn’t treat them like that. You helped them out and you found a way to bring the GCU and the Apalachee together for a common cause. That takes a lot of guts and effort, and I commend you for that.”

“Well, it’s nice that someone noticed,” Mariah said with a single, slight laugh. “Maybe it helps that I’ve traveled a lot and met a lot of different kinds of people.”

Commander Bertrand then walked into their tent. “Hello, Bertrand,” Masako said, saluting him.

“Hi, Masako,” Bertrand reciprocated the salute. “Can I speak to Mariah for a few alone?”

“Of course,” Masako said, patting Mariah on the back and leaving.

“Long time, no see, Commander,” Mariah greeted him. “Definitely not how I imagined us meeting again. Or hoped.”

“Indeed. It’s amazing how much can transpire over a simple matter of a couple of weeks. How are you holding up?” His frustration with her from the last time they saw each other was long gone.

Mariah started to feel like she was going to be sick. “To be honest, I’m pretty nervous. I know I can be pretty stubborn and head-first and all, but I haven’t been a part of anything like this before. There’s a lot at stake here.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Mariah,” Bertrand said, leaning in slightly. The ‘secrecy’ was a bit tongue-in-cheek. “I still get those proverbial butterflies in my stomach on major missions.”

Mariah’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really? But you’re so experienced at this.”

“If you don’t have at least a bit of nerves when you’re part of an operation like this, then you are not approaching the situation correctly,” Bertrand answered, echoing Masako’s sentiment. “This is giving me some flashbacks back to Birmingham. All the death and destruction that felt avoidable to some extent. And then to top it off, we didn’t even acquire the tech. The Brotherhood and the Dissidents are still around. The seemingly endless fighting means a lot of opportunity to die in the wastes. At the same time, however. . .” Bertrand gestured to outside of the tent, indicating all of the GCU soldiers there. “I know what our forces are capable of, and I’m a firm believer that we can win the day. And you know what the major difference is now?” Mariah just shrugged after thinking for a moment. Bertrand pointed towards her and cracked a smile, something Mariah had not seen from him before. “We have you. And we have the Apalachee. Not to mention we are much more familiar with our enemy now. I’m determined to defeat the Brotherhood of Steel for good—and the Dissidents when the time comes.”

“Well, I’m with you there,” Mariah said. Bertrand’s determination and confidence began to rub off on her. “By the way . . . thanks for vouching for me the other day. That meant a lot.”

“You’re welcome. I’ve seen and heard of what you are capable of, Mariah. I’m glad you are on our side and that you are here. I believe in you. But I need you to promise me that you will follow the plan. Do not go off on your own unless it is a last resort. We need you to make it through this and we need you to make sure this whole campaign goes accordingly. Can I count on you for that?”

Mariah’s resolve solidified. “You got it. You have my word.”

“Good. When this is over, we’ll have to find time to celebrate. But it’s time to focus on what’s at hand first. Let’s go back and meet with the Lieutenant and the others.”

Mariah grabbed Bertrand’s arm before he turned around. “Oh, before we go: Is Valentina here? Feels like forever since we last saw each other. I . . . still feel kinda awful about not telling her that I was leaving town.”

Bertrand nodded. “Yes. But she is with the squad I am leading on our side of the base, so you won’t be able to see each other for now. I’m hoping to keep her out of combat as much as possible, as she isn’t as experienced as we would like for this mission. Still, she’s a valuable member and has other talents at her disposal.” Mariah was disappointed but understood. She planned to meet Valentina first thing after this whole ordeal was over.



Lieutenant Carmichael reiterated the plan with the GCU and Apalachee leaders as well as Mariah. The Apalachee’s penchant for reconnaissance and stealth would be key to scouting the area for any signs of the Brotherhood, along with the possibility of robotic and feral ghoul threats. Tyndall Air Force Base was a sprawling, wide-open complex. The remains of aircraft and other military vehicles was strewn about the grounds, providing extra cover in case of a firefight. Yet there was one building that was ostensibly the main area of operations for Pre-War military stationed here, and it was likely what the Brotherhood would be most interested in. Meanwhile, the forces for Commanders Bertrand and Masako would be split up in an attempt to flank any Brotherhood when the time came to fight them, with parts of each force designated to move into this main building while others stayed outside. Carmichael would be coordinating between the two overarching squads.

The Apalachee scouts were given two-way radios that the GCU was able to spare for the mission and moved further into the base’s grounds. After several minutes, one of them reported on the GCU frequency to Chief White-Feather, who was with Masako and Mariah. “I only see some dead ghouls and inactive robots, Chief. Looks to be fresh activity but can’t tell for certain. No clear indications of the Brotherhood being outside.”

“Understood. Stay vigilant,” White-Feather responded.

“Do you think the Brotherhood know we are here?” Mariah asked, more so for a confirmation of her suspicions than as an actual question.

“Not necessarily. But I’m certain they are prepared for us to be here.” Masako replied. Then she turned on her two-way radio. “Alright, division one, move in very slowly and stay low to the ground and close to cover. Always better to prepare for traps than to be surprised by them.” Her squad did as she commanded.

The seconds passing by were starting to feel like minutes, and the minutes felt even longer. The base was quiet—too quiet. Mariah was getting restless and anxious. She had to suppress her impulsive nature to stick to the plan. As GCU and Apalachee personnel walked further into the complex, signs of recent entry into the buildings became more noticeable. The dead feral ghouls were still warm and steam from laser weapon shots still emanated from wounds. The Brotherhood was definitely here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN8VAlBrg2U

As the time dragged on, soldiers were awaiting further orders. Before Carmichael or Masako could give them, the sound of weapons could be heard in the distance. Everyone’s adrenaline began pumping again as they frenetically looked in all directions. The weapon firing was coming from near the GCU camps. That was when Bertrand tuned into their frequency and bellowed, “S---, we got Brotherhood inbound! Patrol was walking around, and they found us! They’re calling in reinforcements from inside the complex, so get ready!” Bertrand and most of his squad were still at the camps and the sound of energy and ballistic firearms could be heard through the radio.

The time to fight was now.

“Soldiers take cover! Brotherhood will be pouring out of the buildings at any moment!” Masako yelled. And sure enough they did, not long after the declaration. Out first came several Knights and Paladins clad in Power Armor, but most of the Brotherhood only had their own style of combat armor to protect them. Many of the Brotherhood had energy weapons like laser rifles and even a few plasma rifles, while the GCU and Apalachee mostly had ballistic weapons. They undoubtedly had been searching for more technology to claim while they were here. Mariah wondered if there were some Power Armor units inside the complex that were still usable. If so, the Brotherhood were undoubtedly scrounging through the place for them as well.

And so the pandemonium ensued once again.

Mariah still had her 10MM pistol and sword, but along with her upgrade in defense came an automatic combat rifle and a couple stimpaks. It was a lot to carry, but luckily her armor was designed to accommodate a bigger inventory. She took cover with Masako and White-Feather. Grenades, bullets, and profanity flew seemingly everywhere. There was already a need for GCU leadership to improvise, but they were pinned down behind a rusted-out military truck. Mariah wasn’t confident she was going to get out of this situation this time, but she did her best not to show it. “Commander Masako! What do we do now? We can’t get any shots off!” She had to yell over the incessant firing.

“Let’s try this!” Masako quickly ducked underneath the truck. There was still enough a gap to get under and she tried shooting low at any Knights and Paladins she could. She managed to drop a couple of them by shooting out their feet and lower legs. One of them writhed in pain but was able to desperately crawl back behind her cover. The other Knight wasn’t so lucky as either a GCU or Apalachee member dispatched him. It seemed that other Brotherhood saw what Masako was up to and fired at her position underneath the truck. She scurried back behind her defense as quickly as she could, but she may have died if it weren’t for White-Feather’s quick thinking. He grabbed Masako’s legs and pulled her away before she could be shot. “Whew. Thank you, Chief!”

“As long as we are allied, I will see to it that I keep alive as many of my allies as possible,” White-Feather replied matter-of-factly. “We need to get Mariah and some of my warriors into the main building now! She seems to have a penchant for solving these problems and they will be best suited for sneaking around the facility if they have to.”

“But we can’t!” Mariah said as more lasers and bullets hit their truck. “They’ll kill us the moment we pop out of cover!” White-Feather pulled hard on the truck’s passenger door to see if he could find anything that would help. The condition of the vehicle was so deteriorated that the door was unintentionally pulled off of its hinges. “Well, that sure is convenient,” Mariah noted.

“This door is big enough to protect you.”

“But how is it going to hold up against weapon fire? You just broke it off its damn hinges!” Mariah was flabbergasted at his suggestion. White-Feather quickly whipped out a pistol and started firing into the door before she put it in front of her, startling Mariah. He looked at the other side of the door and found none of the bullets penetrated. “You could’ve warned me, Chief!”

“Every second counts, Mariah. I was careful anyway. This was an Old-World military vehicle, so they were going to give its exterior extra protection. But perhaps there is something in this truck I can use to provide better covering fire.” He rummaged through the glovebox for any sort of big weapon, but to no avail. The truck was angled enough that he could search in the truck bed without being shot by Brotherhood soldiers. “As your people might say, ‘bingo.’” He was referring to the fact that he found a missile launcher. It only had a few missiles with it, which was hopefully enough for this situation.

Yet as was always the wastes’ wont, things got more complicated—for both sides. Loud mechanical noises blared as some of the inactive robots started to wake up. Most of the gunfire from both GCU/Apalachee and Brotherhood ceased as they turned their attention to a new enemy. It soon became apparent that neither faction turned them on, because the robots were ready to kill any and all humans. Were they programmed to awaken if fighting broke out on the Tyndall grounds, or did somebody else turn them on? In any case, most of the robots were the usual types: Protectrons and Mr. Gutsies. But there was another type Mariah hadn’t ever seen before. They walked on spider-like legs and sported dual .50 caliber rifles and long serrated blades they could switch between. “What the hell are those things?!” Mariah blurted out as the automatons started discharging their own weapons. It felt a lot like Holt, only this time with machines instead of irradiated monstrosities.

“Aegis bots! As far as I know, they’re only in Florida,” Masako said, her face turning grim.

“Seems like a lot of things happen only in Florida!” Mariah responded with a mixture of sarcasm and seriousness. They all still had to yell to each other over the gunfire.

“It’s a crazy state, I’ll give you that! Heard it could be that way Pre-War, too. Anyway, it’s got two rifles and sharp blades, and it can arguably be worse than a Sentry Bot. Might be able to go toe-to-toe with an Assaultron. Can jump short distances, too. We got a few up-and-running in a few places in the GCU, so I’ve seen them in action.”

White-Feather interjected. “This is the best time to get Mariah out of here! The robots aren’t preoccupied with our position yet.” They were busy attacking the Brotherhood and other spots where GCU and Apalachee soldiers were. “You must go now, Mariah!” White-Feather called to a couple of his warriors a short distance away, who were not being attacked by the mechanized entrants of the battle yet either, to go with her to the main building. “And may the Great Spirit be with you!”

“Watch yourself and come back in one piece!” Masako chimed in.

Mariah nodded to both and readied her makeshift shield, bolting across the open field with it on her left side. She met with the two Apalachee who were to escort her as they ran to the main building. They found one of its doors, but it was locked tight. Mariah pulled out a bobby pin, always carrying a few with her wherever she went. As she was focused on picking the lock, one of the Aegis bots turned the opposite corner and caught sight of them. “Trespassers, lower your weapons and stay where you are,” it uttered in a deep, robotic voice. “Obey or you will be swiftly terminated.” Mariah’s hands started to sweat and fumble with the lock as she lost focus and tried to improvise what to do next.

White-Feather must have noticed the issue because he shot a missile right at the Aegis bot. It was severely wounded, though not down for the count. But that gave Mariah all the time she needed to reconcentrate on the lock. After about another ten seconds, the door was opened. Mariah and her Apalachee companions quickly filed into the door as the Aegis bot retargeted them, barely missing with them its rifle shots. It tried a last-ditch effort to pounce on the door, but they closed it just in time before the Aegis bot could reach inside with its blades. It tried to break in, but the door material was heavily reinforced. Mariah quickly locked the door back up.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW3DTCIO5Zs

Mariah and the two Apalachee walked carefully through the hallways of the complex’s main building, crouching down intermittently in case there were enemies nearby. As they got deeper into the building, the sounds of war outside faded further. So far, it was silent inside the base. But they had no idea where anything was in the building. All the clocks they found walking around were broken, making it difficult for them to tell how much time was passing.

“We need to figure out where the supercomputer is in here,” Mariah whispered in case there were any adversaries around, Brotherhood or robotic. “There’s got to be a map or something somewhere. Maybe a terminal. Then we can relay the information back to the leadership.”

“Maybe there’s an . . . office? Around here somewhere. That’s what outsiders call them, right?” one of the Apalachee said. His cheeks had four red stripes of war paint. “Maybe this room down the hall to the left.” It was indeed an office for a Colonel by the name of A. Jackson, judging by the nameplate on the door. This time, it was unlocked. The room also featured a terminal and a map of the complex on the Colonel’s desk.

“Perfect!” Mariah said excitedly but still at low volume in case of danger nearby. Miraculously, there was still power running through the terminal, but she needed a password. “Damn,” she lightly pounded the table. “Come on, there’s got to be something . . . aha!” She found a journal of the base’s colonel in one of the desk drawers. After thumbing through the journal, she came to its final entry. Apparently, the Colonel—despite what his status might have suggested—was a forgetful person and had to constantly have a map of the complex at his side and wrote down his password. I already have trouble remembering things at my age, and now we have to change our passwords every fricking month. Mariah read in the last journal entry, dated October 22nd, 2077. I’m a Colonel. Why should I have to? I’ll have to devise some sort of hint system or something. Not the best move to write a password down, but what else am I supposed to do? I can’t even remember where everything in this fricking complex is. The sentence after that contained the password. Mariah logged into the terminal.

As she scoured through emails and other entries, she found all sorts of interesting information. One of them talked about some tech called a G.E.C.K. Mariah wondered to herself what that could be all about, because the email itself didn’t say much about what it was or where it was going. If the GCU won the day, they would have to look through all the data. She then finally came across information about the supercomputer, so there definitely was one here. Further details noted it was somewhat similar to the ZAX supercomputers created by Vault-Tec, but obviously designed with military usage in mind. The same entry talked about the F.A.C.T. and how it was indeed supposed to make its way to Tyndall. Mariah’s jaw dropped at all the new information and how it came together. But there was no time to go through any more of the data on the terminal. “I think we got what we need, guys. Let’s move out.”

As the three of them followed the map and walked through the facility, Mariah hoped that some of the GCU squads made it inside. Mariah and her two Apalachee compatriots certainly couldn’t take on Obadiah and whoever else was with him on their own. She couldn’t help but wonder about whether Bertrand, Jacob, and Valentina survived the Brotherhood patrol that attacked them. Pessimism about their fates creeped into her mind and she had to promptly shake it off. Positive thoughts, Mariah, she started telling herself. Focus on what we need to do. But she wasn’t sure what exactly to do next.

The three of them came closer to the supercomputer’s room. A chamber above the room, protected by a set of bulletproof windows, contained the supercomputer’s primary controls. They knew they were near when the sounds of whirring and electricity got louder. Mariah feared that Obadiah was already making use of the F.A.C.T. They quickened their pace, but as they rounded another corner, two Brotherhood guards came into view, facing toward their direction. “Halt! You’ll go no further!” One of them shouted.

Mariah gasped as the Brotherhood soldiers readied their weapons. “Mariah, get out of here,” the second Apalachee, who had similar war paint to his fellow tribesman but in white, urged her.

“I can’t just leave you guys,” Mariah protested.

“My brother is right,” the red-painted Apalachee said. “You are more important to this mission. We’ll hold them off.”

“But. . .”

“Go!” He pushed her into a different connecting hallway as the two Apalachee preemptively fired on the Brotherhood, who returned the attack. Reluctantly, Mariah bolted down the corridor. She could hear four distinct yelps of pain from their direction as she ran, followed by complete silence except for the mechanical whirring. It ostensibly appeared that the Apalachee and Brotherhood had both killed each other.

Mariah had to reorient herself to her location after the detour, but she realized that she didn’t have the map anymore. She couldn’t remember if she had it and accidentally dropped it or if she had given it to one of the Apalachee. It was too late to go back to retrieve it. She did not recall where they were relatively to where she was as she focused on running away as fast as she could. Doing her best to follow what she thought she remembered on the map, she looked for location-identifying information on the walls. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath, readied her combat rifle, and walked slowly. The corridor she soon found herself in was riddled with debris, more so than the rest of the building she had explored so far, and had several connecting hallways in all directions. Mariah creeped slowly past the rubble. A couple more minutes passed by as she tried to decide which direction was the right way.

Her pondering stopped, however, as the clicking of a pistol cocking came from directly and closely behind her head. “Well, well, what do we have here?” the pistol’s wielder said. The color drained from Mariah’s face as she froze. The voice was unmistakable. She immediately recognized it.

“Gerald?”

Posted by: SubRosa Dec 3 2020, 07:13 AM

One thing I like about your story is that I can use Google to see where everything is. Given that, have you considered making a Google Map of all the Mariah Fic sites? I did it for the Stormcrow fic, and it turned out to be really easy.

When you aren’t a member of an ingroup, you tend to be looked down on as someone in an outgroup.
Ain't that the truth.

The Aegis spider bots sound really creepy!

“Seems like a lot of things happen only in Florida!”
Seems like the Florida Man ... meme is still alive and well.

I was wondering if the Dissidents would turn up for the big final brouhaha! Cool.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Dec 3 2020, 06:37 PM

Mhm, I do have a map. I posted it once or twice on here, but now that you mention it I really should just link it every new chapter. Here's the map so far. I've included some extra places not in the story that I hope to have little lore tidbits about on the map. It's also layered so you can easily tell what locations are in which region of the state. There's very little I've put up yet beyond the Panhandle, but that will come in due time.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&mid=1yPQjeSDm_UQHhx6uL7DR-_oAzWCegGjU&ll=30.43646870473674%2C-85.93385398323126&z=9

Aha, you did catch my subtle reference to Florida Man.

Posted by: Renee Dec 7 2020, 04:30 PM

I notice Mariah's demeanor has shifted in this new chapter. She's now not as headstrong and defiant. She's working with others now. Thank goodness for that. I was worried about her having her fingernails removed during a torture session, or whatever.

This story starts off with a lot of apprehension. And then the part when the robots start activating is really mysterious. How are they coming online? That's creepy. At least it breaks up what could have been a slam-dunk defeat for the better-equipped Brotherhood though, right?

A cliffie at the end. [censored].

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Dec 11 2020, 07:38 PM

Fear not, Renee, for we are resolving that cliffhanger now.

This chapter got pretty long, and it was initially going to be even longer. I was reluctant to end this chapter right where it does because I wanted the first part of the next chapter to go with this one. But I think it works out alright this way. I don't want a chapter to drag on too long but I also don't want to be too arbitrary in how it cuts.

Here is the Fallout: Florida map. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&mid=1yPQjeSDm_UQHhx6uL7DR-_oAzWCegGjU&ll=30.411300240641317%2C-85.92174889550934&z=9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w-LZrSPs5Y

“Surprised to see me, dollface?” Gerald said with his trademark smugness. He was still standing behind Mariah, but she knew the expression that was on his eminently punch-able face.

“What are you doing here, Gerald?” Mariah said, keeping her voice from trembling.

“Same reason everyone else is, of course. Put that combat rifle of yours down on the ground.” Mariah did as he said. Non-compliance wasn’t an option here and she was hoping any little bit of time she could stall for would result in somebody saving her. “Now kick it away from you.” Mariah obliged, pushing it away with her feet.

“I mean how did you even get here? You should be locked up in that cell of yours. . . . Must be the inside man you have in the GCU, right?”

Gerald chuckled, something he seemed to be quite fond of doing. “Perceptive as ever, aren’t you? I figured you would know about that, by now. Smart woman. And beautiful. Oh, what I would give to see what’s under that armor of yours. . .” Mariah shuddered at his increasing creepiness. He leaned in closer to her. “I could’ve shown you what a real man is.”

“Gerald, please,” Mariah said. “We need to stop the Brotherhood. They’re going to . . .”

“The Dissidents will take care of the Brotherhood, don’t you worry. We’re going to bury them just like the GCU. But if it makes you feel better, I’m sure we will leave your new Apalachee friends be—provided they don’t get in our way. They haven’t wronged us.” Gerald kept his gun trained on Mariah as he now walked in front of her. “I thought you were such a tough girl? Not so easy to be such a smarta--, or so strong, when you don’t have the upper hand, is it? It’s all just a show to fake your strength. Deep down. . . you’re just a scared little girl.” He placed extra emphasis on the word ‘scared.’

Mariah’s anger rose quickly, visible on her face, but she was not in a position to do anything about it. And while she knew he was trying to get in her head, a part of her couldn’t help but take his words to heart. Her mind went back to the days when she was a kid and her settlement was attacked, her family and many others being murdered by raiders, and her fleeing as she was told to do by her parents. She still felt some guilt over it. Mariah started to think that maybe he was right—that maybe she was just acting tough because she was weak on the inside. “I can see it in your face,” Gerald continued. How much you want to just pulverize me, grind me into the ground, make me pay for perceived atrocities. Can’t do that when you’re staring down the barrel of a gun.”

“Who do you have on the inside of the GCU?” Mariah asked, shaking with fear and even more so rage. “What is their name?”

“Come now, Mariah, I can’t tell you everything.” Gerald was still smiling obnoxiously.

“You’re going to shoot me anyway, so you might as well just tell me.”

Gerald thought about it for a moment. “I suppose you have a point. You have a way with speech. Helps to have that rockin’ body of yours.” Gerald appeared to be incapable of steering away from any sexual references. “Very well. I believe he is not someone you have met before, but his name is Jonathan Samuels. Not quite at the rank of what’s-his-face . . . Jacob? Yeah, that guy. But still, he isn’t some pencil pusher. He’d be in on a lot of the major decision-making when it happens.”

“And those robots turning on outside—were they your handiwork?”

“I’m flattered that you think I’m that smart.” Gerald pretended like he was going to blush. “But no, that wasn’t me. Not my wheelhouse. We have some intelligent, tech-minded men and women . . . but it wasn’t them either. But I have to say, mighty fine timing from whoever did do it. Or maybe they just came on themselves, I don’t know.” The two of them stood silent for a little while as they both thought about what to say next. “So anyway, I have a job to get back to, so this monologue is over. Sort of like those Old World movies where the villain was compelled to spurt a bunch of fancy exposition about his evil plan. But I’m no villain. You still think me delusional, a creep, a monster, but I have certain morals. While it’s a shame that I won’t get to see some . . . extra action from you, I’m not going to do anything to you physically. I won’t go that far. I’m simply going to just shoot you and be done with it. That’ll be enough to settle the score between you and I.” He readied his handgun again, aiming straight for her forehead. “I hope you’ve made your peace, Mariah. Nice knowing you.”

Mariah braced herself for what seemed to be inevitable. She closed her eyes and then flinched and gasped as a gun went off, but it wasn’t Gerald’s. When she opened her eyes, she found Gerald lying on the ground with a gaping wound in his head. He was twitching, barely able to make any sort of noise as he desperately clung to life. But he was able to turn toward his assailant, who stepped over him.

“That is for my dad, you b------!” The assailant fired her weapon into Gerald’s head once more. He was finally dead. Mariah finally got a look at who it was—Valentina.

A wave of happiness and relief overcame Mariah. “What a stroke of luck! Am I delighted to see you!” she said, giving Valentina a tight hug that she reciprocated.

“I’m happy to see you too, friend.”

“But, how did you get here?” Mariah continued, mostly relinquishing the embrace. She still had her hands clasping Valentina’s arms.

“Got separated from Commander Bertrand and Jacob’s group.” Valentina shook her head. “The Dissidents have shown up in force and are trying to take advantage of the robots cutting down Brotherhood and GCU numbers. I hid in this building with a few others after the Commander told us to get inside, but the rest of the crew with me fought with some Brotherhood soldiers in here and they told me to run for it. I can fight, you know!” Valentina said that last sentence exasperatedly. “I just need a chance.”

“Well, we certainly need each other now.” Mariah said, flashing a big grin, but it faded somewhat when she continued. “Hey . . . uh . . . I’m really sorry about leaving you back in Pensacola. I just didn’t want you to try stopping me from going to Holt. It still doesn’t excuse it, but, well, I thought you should know what I thought at the time, you know? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“I understand,” Valentina said. “I just hate when my friends get into serious danger. I know that’s the way of the wastes and with the lives we live, though. But we can talk about that later. From now on . . .” Valentina walked over to Mariah’s combat rifle on the ground and picked it up, handing it back to her. “We’re a team. From now on, we fight together.”

“Absolutely,” Mariah’s said, smirking. Her resolve had returned. She readied her combat rifle. “Come on. Let’s go get the F.A.C.T.”



Mariah and Valentina made their way to the control room above the supercomputer. They crept up the flight of stairs leading up to it, finding the door to the room open. There were a couple of Brotherhood soldiers operating controls there, but they were on high alert. Fortunately, neither of them had Power Armor on. As they turned to shoot at Mariah and Valentina, the latter two were quicker on their triggers and cut the soldiers down.

“What’s going on up there? Knight Jenn? Knight John? Report,” a voice came through the intercom near the control panels. It was Obadiah’s voice. “Damn it, who’s up there? Show yourselves!”

Mariah obliged, pushing the intercom button to speak. “It’s over, Obadiah! We’re here to stop you. Give up the F.A.C.T. now.”

“Mariah,” Obadiah growled. “I warned you not to get involved further and you didn’t listen. I let you live once. I won’t make that mistake again. Regardless, you’re too late. We finally got this tech to work and put it into action. Observe from your perch up there.”

Valentina and Mariah walked to the windows overlooking the supercomputer. The F.A.C.T. was finally fully unpacked from its plain, box-shaped state. They couldn’t get the best look at it from their position, but it was one of the most futuristic-looking machines they had ever seen. It had a glass panel showcasing several blueprints of weaponry, with several sets of buttons on the sides. One of Obadiah’s henchmen pressed a couple of buttons on the machine and a surge of power emanated from inside it. In just 30 seconds, it took what looked to be rather few materials, recombined its matter, and coughed out three laser gatling weapons, generating them seemingly out of thin air. Valentina and Mariah’s jaws dropped at the sight. How could one machine do that, and so quickly?

“You see that?” Obadiah boasted. “This F.A.C.T. may be a prototype, but it is astounding what it can do. It destroys the original weapon so that it can document the design in its system, as we found out. Then you select the design that’s in there, it gives you information on what materials are needed for input, and then out come the products. It sucks up a lot of power, too, but fortunately we found some working power cores in here.” Another Knight picked up one of the laser gatlings, loaded a power core into the side, and handed it to Obadiah. “Now you see why we can’t let foolish outsiders have this tech. Wastelanders’ nature is to abuse power when they get it. And it’s the Brotherhood’s mission to prevent that.”

“You’re the one who is abusing it!” Mariah protested. “How could you have such little self-awareness?”

“I can’t make you understand, Mariah.” Obadiah simply dismissed her accusations. “You can only see the short-run. The Brotherhood understands the long-term implications of holding onto this equipment. It is our duty to rebuild civilization. And if we must cut down those who would use Pre-War tech for their own selfish ends, then so be it.”

Valentina wanted to take a turn on the intercom. “The GCU is going to win in the end, Obadiah! You’re a psychopath, and we’re going to dig your grave.”

Obadiah scoffed. “Got a GCU dog to tag along with you, Mariah? That’s a shame that you brought someone else here to die. Paladin Allen, Paladin Valerie—end them. Then secure the F.A.C.T. Paladin Victor and Paladin Sharice, you stay here with the F.A.C.T. in case company arrives—GCU or Dissident. And terminate them with extreme prejudice.” Obadiah was aware that the Dissidents were in the vicinity.

“Ad victoriam!” All of the paladins shouted in unison, saluting Obadiah and tending to their orders. Another subordinate suddenly contacted him.

“Sir, incoming squads of Dissidents and GCU!” A frantic voice called from a different intercom. “Russell is with the Dissidents and the GCU is led by Bertrand. They’re—" The voice was cut off by gunfire.

After a few moments of silence on the other end, Captain Russell’s voice echoed through the speaker. “Looks like we have a party starting up soon. We still got a score to settle, Obadiah, and I still got that one-way ticket to hell with your name on it. I’m delivering it to you personally.”

Obadiah led out an especially angry and drawn-out ‘argh.’ “I’m finally going to put you six feet under, Russell. Maybe deeper so no one ever finds your body,” he stated angrily. “I’ll make examples out of you and Bertrand.”

“The two of you better be ready to pay for your sins at Birmingham. It’s been a long time coming. And I hope you can hear this too, Bertrand. Death comes for the two of you S.O.B.s in a hail of bullets.” And with that, Russell cut off comms. The imminence of a final three-way showdown was palpable throughout the place.

“Paladins Allen and Valerie, you still have your orders,” Obadiah barked. “Kill Mariah and her pal up there.” The two Paladins immediately turned to head toward the main control room.

“Damn it, we can’t take on those Paladins,” Valentina said, fidgeting around trying to figure out something to do. “There, use the furniture along the wall to barricade the entry. These dead Knights have some superior weapons to what we have, so we can use those as a last resort. But I need you to cover me while I work some magic.”

“What are you going to do?” Mariah said as she started cordoning off the doorway.

“I’ve never had a chance to show you, and only a few chances to show to Commander Bertrand and others, but I’ve got a knack for computers. These things have always fascinated me ever since I first saw a terminal. This looks tougher than anything I’ve worked with, but I’m going to make it work. This looks like it might have control over the entire facility, so I may be able to reprogram the automatons outside. And I know what you’re capable of. We’ll get through this.” Valentina got to clacking away on buttons and keyboards. If Mariah had any lack of confidence then, Valentina’s positive attitude brushed it away.

Mariah picked up an automatic laser rifle from one of the dead Brotherhood Knights and attached some of the microfusion cells to her belt. She loaded it, ready to fire when needed. Bertrand’s voice finally patched through to Mariah’s radio. “Mariah? Mariah? Please respond! Are you there?”

“Commander!” Mariah replied. “You’re alive! Yes, Val and I are together, but we have a couple of Brotherhood Paladins heading our way. We’re in the main control room above the supercomputer and Obadiah has already used the F.A.C.T. And Russell and some Dissidents are coming, too.”

“Damn it,” Bertrand said. “So our showdown is finally happening. We’ll try to send you some help, but our numbers are low. What are their numbers like?”

“Obadiah only has four people left, but two of them are coming for us. I don’t know how many Dissidents are coming.”

“Commander Bertrand, you’re okay!” Valentina said, joining the conversation. “I’m doing my best seeing if I can get this supercomputer to help us out, but Mariah and I need help. Is Jacob fine?”

“It is good to hear your voice, Val. Yes, I’ll send him to help you out. We’re trying to follow maps and signs on the walls to where you are. Hang in there!” Bertrand hung up.

Barely a moment after Bertrand finished, Mariah could hear those Paladins, Allen and Valerie, stomping in their Power Armor up the stairs. Even with the suits, they couldn’t physically bust the door down with the barricade there. “Stand back, Paladin Valerie,” Allen said. The sound of a gatling laser spinning was quickly followed by laser rounds being pumped out to cut through the door and the makeshift barriers. The door was reinforced, but it wouldn’t stand for long.

“Uh, Val,” Mariah nervously said. “They’re getting through. We really need that magic of yours now.”

“I’ve almost got something, but I have to concentrate, Mariah!” Valentina said with some frustration at the interruption. The Paladins were almost through. “Aha! There are some turrets online inside this facility that I can access from here . . . this one should do it for us.” A turret could be heard emerging in the hallway that started rapidly firing on the Paladins. They shot it down, but not before it did serious damage to their already weakened suits.

“Impressive trick you pulled off, but you just delay the inevitable, scum,” Paladin Valerie taunted Mariah and Valentina. “Let’s get ‘em, Allen.” They soon pushed through the barricade, and Mariah uncorked an entire round’s worth of fusion cells into the doorway to push them back, cutting through more Power Armor. The Paladins had to retreat into the hall. “Enemy on our six!” Valerie suddenly cried out. What sounded like an automatic combat rifle was being unloaded on the Paladins. As they were preoccupied, Mariah reloaded her auto laser rifle, poked her head out of the doorway, and shot at them too. Weakened points in their armor gave way, and with the combined force of Mariah and this other assailant, the two Paladins were killed. Yet Mariah wasn’t sure if this was a truly friendly combatant, who was also clad in Power Armor, so she waited for them to make any moves.

“Hold your fire, Mariah,” the individual said. He held his weapon to his side and pulled his helmet off. “It’s me, Jacob.”

Mariah let out one of the heaviest sighs of relief in her life. “You’re a lifesaver, Jacob. Val will be ecstatic to see you, too.”

“Jacob!” Valentina called out, still examining the computer screens in front of her. “Impeccable timing. This computer seems to control and override just about anything in this building, and I’ve got the automatons on our side . . . right . . . now!” A block of green text on the screen scrolled onto the screen, accompanied by a robotic voice from the computer reading it out loud: ‘Defensive Automaton Targeting Systems recalibrated. New enemy target descriptions uploaded. New enemy targets engaged.’ The enemy target descriptions matched that of the Brotherhood and the Dissidents.

Jacob attempted to call Lieutenant Carmichael. “Lieutenant! Can you hear me? Lieutenant! It’s Jacob!”

Carmichael responded, “This better be good, Jacob. It’s a bloodbath out here.” Gunfire was audible through the radio.

“It is, Lieutenant. One of my soldiers, Valentina, made it into the base and it looks like she reprogrammed the robots to attack just Brotherhood and Dissidents.”

The Lieutenant didn’t respond initially. After about a minute, he called back, “Holy s---, stop firing on the robots! GCU and Apalachee personnel, I repeat, stop firing on the robots! They’re only attacking our adversaries now!” Carmichael turned his attention back to Jacob, his voice in utter disbelief. “You’re right, they just suddenly stopped shooting at us. I don’t know how you all pulled this off, but you’re a bunch of fricking miracle workers.”

“You can thank Valentina and Mariah for that,” Jacob replied. “Valentina worked absolute magic with the main computer and Mariah, well, she simply delivered again. I don’t know if it’s Luck or what, but she seems to be Providence incarnate.”

“Well done to you two ladies, but we still got a fight out here. I imagine you still have one in there, too. This ain’t over but it looks like the tide might be turning. Carmichael out.”

After Carmichael ended his message, Obadiah bellowed into the intercom again with such fury that he started fumbling words, including every profanity that he could think of. He was uncharacteristically unhinged. “I will make sure every f------ one of you feels agony and suffering and, and, anguish, and torm—, torment the likes of which you have never felt! Take . . . this!” Obadiah threw a couple plasma grenades at the room’s window overlooking the F.A.C.T.

“Get down!” Jacob yelled, shielding Mariah and Valentina from the blast. His Power Armor took a lot of damage, but it still protected him as he saved the two women.

“I got a lot more where those came from, folks!” Obadiah screamed. He only seemed to get increasingly irate with each passing second. “I still have the F.A.C.T. and I can create a whole lot more of those! I’ll—” He was cut off as a door from a high-up balcony loudly burst open. It was Captain Russell and a couple of his Dissident minions. One of them was Brendan, Russell’s lackey who was supposed to keep Mariah from escaping the Dissidents in the Fusion! factory. He was still bandaged in the places where Mariah injured him.

“Well, I was hoping Bertrand would be here by now. But what’s this?” Captain Russell said as he saw Mariah all the way across the room. Their positions were at about the same height from the ground. “Mariah! How lovely to see you again. Should have taken the chance to join the winning side when I offered it. Now you get to be slaughtered just like all these other pigs.” It was right then that Bertrand came into the room with a couple of GCU officers in tow. His position was on the same level of the floor as Obadiah’s. “And speak of the devil himself,” Russell continued. “It’s just like one of those old movies I watched when I was a little boy, before and just after the bombs. A final showdown between old foes, ready to put an end to long-simmering hostilities. I used to imagine myself in the situation of the hero, and now I get to actually live it! Destiny smiles upon me, scumbags! Time for your penance!”

“The Dissidents and the Brotherhood die today.” Bertrand retorted. “The only crimes here are those which your two organizations have committed, and the penalty is death by my firing squad. The GCU is the best hope for these wastes and it is here to stay. And I’m all. Out of. Mercy.” Bertrand added with livid emphasis, loading his weapon.

“You two morons forgot who has the upper hand here,” Obadiah said, reminding them that he still had the F.A.C.T. “I’ve already seen what this tech can do, and there is no way I will let it fall into the hands of miscreants and reprobates. There are 206 bones in the adult body, and I will break every f------ one of them in all of yours before I am done! Now, enough with this dialogue. I’m sick of your voices.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCvcqgWvEMU

“Imagine that. Something we can all agree on,” Russell said. “I’ve had enough of hearing you, too. Die, you filthy degenerates!” Russell and his two cohorts immediately booked for the stairwell connected to their balcony, shelling the positions of Bertrand and Obadiah, along with their soldiers, thoroughly enough that the latter two groups had to find cover behind whatever debris or standing tech that they could. It was an even three versus three versus three for the three factions.

“We need to get the F.A.C.T. shut down now, Val!” Jacob said. “We can’t let Obadiah use it anymore. Can you turn it off?”

“I’ll try! I should be able to do that, but this mainframe isn’t making it easy. The Brotherhood must have spent a long time trying to get this thing to work.” Val said as she returned to rapidly pressing keys.

“I’ll go down and help Bertrand,” Mariah said.

Jacob grabbed her left arm before she could leave. “No, Mariah. You’ll get eviscerated down there. Stay here with Val and help her in any way you can. Defend this position if anyone comes,” Jacob said, re-equipping his helmet. “I have a lot more protection right now than you do, so I’m going to help the Commander. We will win this, just stay put for now.” He then sprinted out of the room, his Power Armor causing tangible trembling in the floor. Mariah was frustrated, but she knew Jacob was right.

“Obadiah, quit hiding behind your suit, you coward!” Russell chastised the Brotherhood leader. “Fight like a real man, for once!” Debris from computers and furniture were flying all over the place.

“Says the man who constantly defers to guerilla tactics and ambushes!” Obadiah shouted back, revving up his gatling laser and firing away on the Dissident position, chipping away at their defense.

Bertrand, for his part, was waiting for any opening. Paladin Victor started marching on his spot, putting too much faith in his Power Armor to protect him while trying to pin the GCU down with gunfire. Bertrand maneuvered behind another pile of rubble and started pelting the Paladin’s armor. When the Paladin was distracted with Bertrand, one of the other GCU soldiers popped out of cover and started shooting the weakened points of armor. The Paladin made an effort to retreat to cover and lob a plasma grenade at the GCU, but as Victor tried to pull the pin the other GCU soldier inadvertently shot the grenade before it was thrown. Paladin Victor was emulsified into a green goo before he could react. That same GCU fighter, however, was quickly shot dead by one of the Dissidents. All these events happened in less than half-a-minute. A couple of errors cost two of the factions one of their combatants. Russell and the Dissidents now had the upper hand.

“Take that, you carpetbaggers!” Russell said, cackling. “That’s some wasteland justice right there, and we ain’t finished yet!”

Mariah was getting restless standing around, feeling like she wasn’t doing anything. Her impulsive nature was starting to get the better of her, though instead of rushing down to the battlefield, she crawled up to the edge of the control room overlooking the combat, where it was blown open by Obadiah’s grenades. She found a vantage point where she could take out one of the Dissidents. She unloaded her automatic laser rifle at him, burning him severely before it quickly killed him. Brendan, the other Dissident, saw what she was up to and started shooting her way. She was barely able to retreat in time.

“Mariah, stop! You’re going to get yourself killed!” Valentina pleaded with her.

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing, Val! And I don’t know these anything about these electronics even close to what you do. I’m useless right now,” Mariah said.

“No, you’re not. We wouldn’t be in this position to win without you. It is okay to stay put once in a while, you know.” Valentina assured her. Mariah felt slightly ashamed as she thought about her reckless actions again. That impulsive nature of hers couldn’t be suppressed all the time. “Hang on! I think I got it! Yes!”

The computer mainframe read out loud a new message. ‘Rerouting power. Connection to FABRICATION ACCELERATOR FOR COMBAT TECHNOLOGY offline. Mainframe shutting down.’ The visible surge of energy that was present in the F.A.C.T. dissipated.

Obadiah’s following outburst was a series of angry, unintelligible sounds rather than coherent sentences. But he did regain the ability to speak in an understandable fashion. “I will skin all of you and hang your corpses for everyone to see! The F.A.C.T. is mine! MINE!” Even his living Paladin subordinate, Sharice, was uncomfortable being next to him. “Just you wait, all of you are going to feel—.” He stopped blathering when he discovered his gatling laser’s power core was empty. The power core in his Power Armor was also depleted. He had been so focused on keeping the F.A.C.T. in his hands that he didn’t pay attention to his dwindling supplies. Obadiah got out of the suit since it was near useless now and switched to an assault rifle. Everyone exchanged gunfire for another couple of minutes, and by the end of that series the three faction leaders were the only ones left standing. Paladin Sharice, Brendan, and the other GCU soldier all had been riddled with bullets. There was now little cover left to take. Each of the leaders was waiting for someone else to make the next move.

“Both of you will suffer for the lives of my men and women cut down. I’m right on the cusp of my storybook ending, and I’ll be damned if either one of you takes it from me,” Russell said. He was less sardonic and angrier now. “The Brotherhood will soon be dead and the head of the GCU serpent will be severed.”

There was some shooting going on outside of the room. Mariah hoped it wasn’t reinforcements for Obadiah or Russell. She was going to take it upon herself to get involved again, but with a bit of a different tactic. She gave Val a signal to keep quiet and come with her as they went to the doorway that led into the control room and, as quietly as possible, contacted Bertrand. “Psst, Commander.” The shooting outside would help mask their conversation.

Bertrand was very annoyed at the interruption. He replied at a low volume as well. “Mariah, this is REALLY not a good time right now, you know.”

“No, please, Commander, listen. I have an idea to—”

“Mariah, whatever thought it is, forget it. You are not getting involved here. This is not your fight and I am not going to have you endanger yourself more than you already have.”

“I’m not jumping down there or anything, I promise. But I got an idea to break you out of this stalemate.” The bodies of Paladins Valerie and Allen that were still up with the two women still possessed two frag grenades that Mariah discovered. She discussed with Valentina and Bertrand what she was thinking, but Bertrand immediately rejected the notion.

“Forget it. You could still get shot. You are not getting involved in this anymore. If I have to die, then—”

“With all due respect, Commander, I don’t think you have any better ideas.” Just as Bertrand was adamant about her staying put, Mariah was as steadfast. “Please trust me on this.”

“Mariah . . . ugh, damn your hardheadedness. Fine. But do NOT put yourself in a position where Russell can shoot you. The only thing he’d love more than that is to perforate my body with lead.”

Russell, for his part, went back to trash-talking, attempting to get Obadiah or Bertrand to overreact. “Come on, men. You scared to die? You should be. I’ve been at this since before either of you dung-eaters were even born. As long as I cripple the Brotherhood and the GCU, me dying is just fine. My life’s work will be complete. You only delay the inevitable now. Get out here so I can finally end the both of you.”

“Shut your f------ mouth, Russell,” Obadiah berated him, seething so intensely that his body could practically explode with all his pent-up anger. “And you’re awfully quiet, Bertrand. Finally realized you’re in over your head?”

“I don’t need to say anything more until I’m through with the two of you,” Bertrand snapped. “I’m a man of action, not talk.”

“Maybe that’s your problem, Bertrand,” Russell chided him. “If you stopped to think and talk things through once in a while, maybe you wouldn’t constantly screw up. Maybe you wouldn’t have been to so quick to murder my fellow citizens.”

“A murderer claiming somebody else is a murderer? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You’ll say and do anything to rationalize your actions. You’re a wannabe arbiter of justice. We did NOT murder anyone at Birmingham.”

“You two demonstrate once again why the Brotherhood is the only hope these wastes have. Both of your nations act tough on the outside, but inside you know they hang by mere threads,” Obadiah said. “They’re unstable, ready to eat themselves up from the inside, continually squabbling, and barely able to repel outside forces.”

Russell always had a remark ready, and this time was no different. “This coming from the guy whose organization doesn’t even have a nation. Ha! Should’ve taken up comedy instead of this line of work, Obadiah. You’re a funny guy. But I’m cutting this career of yours short.” Their constant bicker made for a good distraction for Mariah’s plan to work. On her signal, Valentina lobbed one of the grenades to Russell’s position while Mariah shot her laser rifle his way to pin him down. “Son of a . . . damn you, Mariah!” He yelled. As the grenade exploded, all that she could see was a giant pile of wreckage. Russell’s snarkiness had ceased.

As that happened, Valentina lightly tossed the other grenade just over the ledge to where Obadiah was. When it clinked on the ground, Obadiah instinctively reacted by running away from it, though there was no other place to scatter to then out in the open. He figured he would try shooting at where Bertrand so that he couldn’t shoot back, but the grenade’s explosion was close enough to cause him to stumble and involuntarily try to protect his eardrum closest to it. It gave Bertrand the window of opportunity to unload the rest of his rounds into Obadiah, who had no more Power Armor to protect him. Obadiah dropped to his knees, gurgling blood, and clutching his chest while he dropped his remaining gun. “I’m . . . sorry . . . Elder Maxson. . . . Long live . . . the Brotherhood.” He then slumped forward to the ground—dead.

Jacob finally made it into the room, ready to fire on the enemies. “Stand down, Jacob,” Bertrand raised his hand. “They’re gone. Russell and Obadiah . . . they’re finished.” He was breathing heavily, exhausted from the events of the day. Valentina and Mariah hugged each other and cheered as the four of them emerged victorious. Bertrand let out a rare laugh. “Easy there, ladies. We aren’t out of the . . . woods yet. Come on down here . . . if the coast is clear.”

“I was met by unexpected hostiles in the halls, but they should be clear. Still, be careful, ladies.” Valentina and Mariah rushed down there as quickly as they could, still wary of potential foes coming out of the woodwork. Nobody came, so they made it down to the floor with Jacob and Bertrand. Both women embraced Bertrand. He grimaced at the pain at first, then laughed again and reciprocated.

“Mariah, you’re our angel . . . once again,” Bertrand thanked her. He was still breathing hard. “You did good. No . . . you did fantastically. And Val . . . to say you went . . . above and beyond . . . is an understatement. I’m sorry I haven’t . . . given you more chances to . . . demonstrate your prowess.”

“I’m just happy you made it, Commander,” Valentina said.

Bertrand finally caught his breath. “Well, we’re not out of the woods yet. We need to see how our comrades are doing outside. Jacob, secure the F.A.C.T. If there are still some Brotherhood and Dissident stragglers, when they see this in our possession and hear that their respective leaders are dead, they’ll be quick to surrender. Mariah and Val, I need you to—”

Three gunshots rang out, hitting Bertrand in the back. “Commander!” Valentina and Mariah shrieked, their faces in shock. Jacob grabbed Bertrand before he hit the floor. They turned to see who the assailant was.

It was Russell.

The cockroach managed to crawl gingerly and quietly out of the rubble. He was bloodied all over and in immense pain, but he made it out to pull one last trick. The best he could expel was a snicker. “You can’t . . . kill the Dissidents. We will . . . be free.” He tried to use whatever ounces of energy he had left to reload his weapon to try to shoot the rest of the group. In a blind rage, Jacob laid Bertrand down gently on the floor and rushed toward Russell. Russell managed to reload his gun and shoot at Jacob, but his Power Armor was still in decent shape despite being marred by his battle in the halls. He kicked the gun out of Russell’s hand, grabbed him by the throat, and shoved him up on a wall. For the first time, Mariah could see a look of fear on Russell’s face—and it would be the last. Jacob reeled back his right fist and whaled into Russell’s head, beating it into a bloody pulp. His face became unrecognizable, but Jacob still kept punching him. Russell got away before, but he was most certainly dead now.

Even Mariah and Val couldn’t take it, having to look away from Russell’s remains for fear of vomiting with how viciously Jacob beat him. “Jacob, please! He’s dead! Stop!” Valentina cried out. Even Mariah had to plead with him to cease. Bertrand, however, was still gasping for life. Jacob came back to his senses, tossed Russell’s body to the side, and rushed back to the group.

“Commander, I, I, I still have my Stimpaks,” Mariah said, taking one out as she stuttered. She had one out before Bertrand put his hand up.

“No, Mariah . . . it won’t work. You can still . . . use them for yourself,” Bertrand barely had the strength to speak.

“You’re dying! I can still save you!”

“Mariah, please,” Bertrand grabbed her hand. “You’ve done enough here. It’s . . . my time. My wounds are too great. It’s okay. I did . . . what I set out to do.”

“Commander. You can’t . . .” Jacob’s said, his voice trembling. He took his helmet off. Save for his anger she saw when Gerald was being interrogated by him and Bertrand, this was the only time Mariah could think of where she saw emotion from Jacob.

“You’re the commander now, Jacob. You will just refer to me as Emmanuel now. Or . . . Bertrand. But I’m not your superior officer anymore.” GCU commanders sometimes went by their first names with their title while others went by their last name. “We knew this day would come . . . at some point. Just would have been nice if . . . it was because of retirement. But I’ve . . . lived a good life. I can’t overstate . . . how proud I am . . . of all three of you.” Tears were streaming down everyone’s faces at this point. “I count you all among my legitimate friends. Even if I . . . had to interact with you as a . . . commanding officer only.”

“Commander Bertrand . . .” Mariah said, her voice breaking.

“I know there’s big things waiting for you, Mariah. And you, Val. And Jacob . . . you’re ready. I’m . . . at . . . peace. Goodbye. I’ll see you soon . . . Marisol.” Bertrand’s breathing slowed until it finally stopped. Jacob checked his pulse even though he knew what the result would be. Bertrand was gone. Death came for Obadiah and Russell first, but for the survivors it felt like a pyrrhic victory.

Jacob, Valentina, and Mariah simply sat there, silently sobbing. A lengthy moment passed before the silence was gently broken. The facility started to lightly tremble as tiny bits of dust and other debris drifted down to the ground. Lieutenant Carmichael called into their radios. “I hope to God every one of you in there is still alive and has some more miracles left in them. We’ve just about finished off the Brotherhood and Dissidents but we’re now all in a deep pile of s--- because we’ve got a dreadnaught coming our way. For the love of everything, please tell me this place has some more defenses left over, because these remaining robots aren’t going to cut it. Otherwise, everyone living is screwed regardless of which side they are on.” A sudden roar was heard echoing throughout the facility and on their radios.

Dreadnaught. That was the creature Carmichael told Mariah about.

“We’re on it, Lieutenant,” Jacob replied. “Alright, Mariah and Val. We’ve still got work to do. We will come back for Comm. . . Emmanuel Bertrand after the Battle of Tyndall Air Force Base is over. Val, I need you to get back to that computer and see if there are any turrets or robots or whatever that we can power up. Anything that you can find. That machine seems to be able to control everything electronic in this facility, at least the major things, even if an override is needed.”

“You got it, Jac—, er, yes, Commander,” Valentina said, rushing back up to the control room.

“Mariah, take this Power Armor.” Jacob attached the helmet back to the rest of the suit and then stepped out of it. “I need you to get outside and help out the rest of our people with whatever they require.”

“But won’t you need this?” Mariah asked.

“You need it more than I do. I’ll secure the F.A.C.T. and provide cover for Val if absolutely necessary, but I’m certain—well, mostly sure—that all threats in this building are gone.”

“I have no idea how to use this thing!” Mariah protested. She had witnessed only a few suits of Power Armor, let alone stepped inside one. It was an intimidating set of equipment.

“You’ll get the hang of it, trust me. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you’ll get the hang of it. And you always deliver when we need it most.” Jacob put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. While Mariah was still a bit hesitant, his belief in her instilled her with enough confidence.

“I won’t let you down,” Mariah said as she stepped into it.

“I know you won’t,” Jacob said. Mariah felt awkward in the Power Armor at first, but just entering it gave her a feeling of incredible strength. It would take a bit of practice to use to its fullest potential. She rushed out of the room as quickly as she could, trying to get the hang of the suit as she went.

Posted by: Renee Dec 11 2020, 08:13 PM

Gerald the creep is gone, thank the Nine Gods. I wonder if this Jonathan Samuels is also Jonah, that guy from the New Church who was mentioned earlier.

Okay, finally we see the F.A.C.T. in action. It does indeed create something into something, apparently from nothing. How weird. Didn't somebody say this is similar to some device in Star Trek?

Val starts controlling all the robots, how hilarious.

Not including the Apalachee. Where are they during all this? Well I guess it doesn't matter. All three leaders lost their lives. Good lord.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Dec 31 2020, 10:50 PM

@Renee - Nope, Jonah is not part of the GCU. That's all I'll say about him for now.

As for the F.A.C.T. it isn't quite from nothing. As Obadiah indicates, it needs a weapon to deconstruct the matter of for a blueprint, but making subsequent weapons requires significantly less materials and significantly less time to make it. Almost instantaneous. It's only a taste of its potential.

And if you want a little spoiler that isn't really much of a spoiler but does hint at the future...


And you will see about the Apalachee right about now.

With the end of the years merely hours away, it's a perfect time to finally finish part 1 of the Fallout: Florida saga! It's frustrating that it is taking so long to write the whole thing. I really want to show all the story beats that I have planned ASAP. I have the basics of the story in notes and in my head, but the finer details are what need to be developed.

To be honest, there's something about my writing at a few pieces of this chapter that I don't like, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Sentence structure? The flow of it? Dialogue? I don't know. Maybe it's just the whole "you are your own worst critic" kind of thing. I do that a ton. But I do think this is good enough to publish. And I want to have it out as a send-off to the first part of the entire saga on New Year's Eve. A turning-over-a-new-leaf in multiple ways, as you will see.

So, without further ado, here's the last chapter dealing with the Panhandle. The adventure has only just begun.







Mariah went out a different door than she used to enter the building. She had been in there for so long that she had to reorient herself to where everything outside was. As she got around to the front where the battlefield was, she saw that all the combatants had retreated to their sides as a hulking beast came from her opposite direction. It was the Dreadnaught.

Mariah was stunned at the sight. She hadn’t seen any creature like it before. Coming from the Gulf of Mexico, which Tyndall was right on the coast of, it had been alerted by all the noise from the warfare. The only descriptions that Carmichael gave back in Panama City were not vivid, but they were accurate—it was a giant turtle-like creature. The shell of the monster was dotted by barnacles, algae, and moss. The face was still sort of turtle-shaped, but it had rows of sharp teeth similar to that of a shark. The tail was scaled and long. It had tough skin and an even tougher shell. A reddish hue ran along most of its skin and shell. And lastly, that loud roar it belted out was unnatural. How such an unholy amalgamation came to exist was confounding.

What was readily apparent was every living person at Tyndall was terrified of the behemoth. It was fortunate that the creature was still slow-moving because it was extremely resilient to attacks. While it would react in anguish at some of the gunfire, it still kept moving. It already destroyed much of what remained of a few buildings, and it was going to make it to the main part of the complex soon. Sometimes it would swing its tail to attack prey. Other times, it swung its head or chomped. And still other times, it could store water in its body to spew out and knock down opponents with extreme force. It already used those abilities on Brotherhood, Dissidents, GCU, and Apalachee alike.

Mariah had no clue what she was supposed to do against a beast like this as all of the factions were hunkered down on their respective sides. Mariah got a glimpse of the GCU side and took off her helmet briefly to show it was her. “Mariah! You’re alive!” Commander Masako called out to her. “Quickly, help us bring our wounded out of here! This monster has taken a serious beating, but it is still going, and we need to get our soldiers out of here.” The Dreadnaught had suffered many wounds, but it didn’t seem like it was that close to dying. The fiend was baring down on the wounded combatants, shaking the ground as it kept moving. It didn’t feel like anyone here was going to make it out alive.

Mariah tended to her orders. Thanks to her newfound strength in the Power Armor, she was able to carry away seriously injured GCU and Apalachee fighters. The creature thrashed around as the last few operational turrets popped out of their hiding spots, undoubtedly the work of Valentina. But they would do little but distract the creature. As they were in the process of reloading, the Dreadnaught took out the ones it could reach with its head or tail. For the last couple that were too far away, it spouted a deluge of water that was so forceful it separated the turrets from their bases. They were the last of the base’s functioning defenses.

Mariah ran to get the last couple of wounded soldiers when the Dreadnaught turned its attention to her. She froze in fear when they locked eyes. As it charged after her, she fired her combat rifle as fast as she could, though it was in vain. It viciously headbutted her, sending her flying 20 feet back and knocking the wind out of her. If Mariah didn’t have the Power Armor, she would most certainly have been killed by the sheer force. She lifted her head up to see the monster draw closer. It was getting ready to charge.

“Face me, you beast!” A voice called out to the Dreadnaught. It was Chief White-Feather, and he was carrying a Fat Man. When the Dreadnaught crashed into one of the buildings, it broke open the walls into an armory that otherwise would have been near impossible to break into. When the monster turned toward the voice, Chief-Feather shouted a war cry and launched a mini-nuke square at its head. The creature roared in anguish one last time, gurgling as a large chunk of its head was blown off. It slumped toward one side. For a moment, everyone was afraid it was still going to move after the hammering it had taken, but it stopped moving and breathing. The Dreadnaught was finally finished.

The Battle of Tyndall, at long last, was over. The GCU and the Apalachee were officially victorious.

Mariah recovered enough to pick herself up gingerly, the Power Armor critically damaged. The remaining Brotherhood and Dissidents, their numbers depleted, had surrendered. She was breathing heavily, some of it in relief. She looked around at the devastation caused at the base. So many lives lost over one piece of technology, albeit a powerful one. Tyndall still held plenty of secrets to uncover. Luckily, however, the GCU and Apalachee wouldn’t have to fight someone for them.

As she gently walked back towards her comrades, Mariah couldn’t help but feel she was being watched from afar. As she stopped and turned around, there was man standing on a hill, far enough from the action but still close enough to survey the events with the naked eye. He had his arms folded, wearing a large black coat. The bottom part flared out slightly from the top and was open in the front. He was a rather stereotypical mysterious-looking person, but she could see enough of his face to know it wasn’t someone she had ever seen before. Why in the world would somebody be wearing something like that in the Florida heat? It wasn’t as hot as many other days were since Mariah arrived, but it was still Florida in the summer.

As Mariah and the man in the black coat locked eyes for a few seconds, the man simply unfolded his arms and strolled away like nothing happened. She wanted to go after him to see what was up, but she was exhausted, and she had to report back to her allies.

“You sure saved us in the nick of time, Chief,” Mariah said as she returned, grimacing in pain. “Thanks for saving my hide.”

“The Dreadnaught unwittingly provided us with the means to defeat him, breaking open that armory. Truly, the Great Spirit was with us.”

“Well, whatever the case may be, we won,” Masako said. “But I can’t help but feel like the cost may have been too great. We lost a lot of fine men and women today.”

“It had to be done, Masako,” Lieutenant Carmichael said, stepping forward. He put a hand on her shoulder. “The F.A.C.T. was too important to let it continue to be in the wrong hands. I’ll see to it that our soldiers' sacrifices are remembered.”

Mariah wanted to rest, but she remembered that there was one other issue she had to resolve. “Wait, I almost forgot. Do you guys personally know a man named Jonathan Samuels?”

Carmichael scratched his chin as he racked his brain. “Oh yes, he’s one of Bertrand’s higher-ranking officers. Hard to keep track of all the officers below the seconds-in-command in each division sometimes. You’ll find him with Bertrand, I’m sure.”

“No,” Mariah said, her voice coming close to breaking at the mention of Bertrand’s name. “Commander Bertrand is . . . he’s gone. I was with him in the end . . . along with Valentina and Jacob . . . well, Commander Jacob now, I guess.” A dark pall fell over the group. No one was sure what to say next. Even Carmichael’s rough exterior let down. “But wait, if Samuels is not here, then where?”

“Why do you need to know this, Mariah? What is so important about him?”

“He’s the traitor!” Mariah suddenly blurted, startling the group. She explained her encounter with Gerald and what he told her.

“I’m not sure we can trust what a Dissident has to say, though,” Carmichael said. “He could have been totally screwing with us. But if that’s the case, then . . . oh, my God.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlSPkJ0zy7M

They turned to find a soldier limping and bleeding heavily towards them. “Lieutenant!” The soldier gasped. “Lieutenant, we’ve been betrayed!”

“Slow down, soldier. Someone get a medic here right now!” Carmichael ordered. “What are you talking about, soldier? Stay calm.”

“One of our own, sir.” The GCU soldier was having to stop every several words to catch his breath. “We found him communicating with the Dissidents when he thought he was alone, and he shot all of us. I had to play dead, but all of my buddies are actually dead. It was . . .”

“Johnathan Samuels,” Mariah finished his sentence for him.

“Yeah, actually,” the soldier replied, stunned that she knew what name he was going to say. “Yeah, Corporal Samuels.”

“We have to warn Commander Jacob and Valentina! He’s probably going after the F.A.C.T. in a last-ditch effort!”

“S---, you were right, Mariah. We need to contact them right now.” Carmichael said, tuning the radio to the correct frequency again. “Jacob, do you read me? Jacob!”

Valentina answered on the other end. “Yeah, we’re here. But Jacob was wounded pretty badly. I’m patching him up right now, but the assailant stole the F.A.C.T. We don’t know where he went and we didn’t get a good look at him, but he wore . . . a GCU outfit.”

“That’s got to be Samuels, then, the b------. We almost lost a second commander today after just losing his own commander. Stay put, Val. We’re sending people to your location. Mariah, do you have enough left in the tank to help us pursue Samuels?”

“I think so,” Mariah answered. She was exhausted, but the rush of adrenaline gave her what she hoped was enough of a second wind. And she wasn’t going to let Samuels get away with his crimes.

“Alright, troops!” Carmichael called out to everyone. “Make sure we have the Brotherhood and Dissidents all rounded up and cuffed. I need some of you to secure the area. One of our own is working with the Dissidents still and he’s about to make out of here with our main objective. Now!” He started picking out a few soldiers to go with Mariah. “Chief, can you go with them?”

White-Feather nodded. “Let’s go and finish this, Mariah.” Mariah gave a thumbs up and retrieved her combat rifle.



Mariah, White-Feather, and a group of GCU and Apalachee fighters in tow heard a door burst open right before they reached the back of Tyndall’s main building. The man that must have been Samuels was trying to run as fast as he could with the bulky F.A.C.T., which had by now reverted to its boxed state. He heard everyone chasing him, and with his free hand shot at them with a submachine gun, slowing down his chasers but missing them with his bullets. He was still out in the open, and with Mariah’s crew still in hot pursuit he had no choice but to duck into a hangar with several dilapidated fighter jets. They had him cornered.

“It’s over, Samuels! You’re not getting out of this one. We know all about you.” White-Feather shouted at him.

“As long as I’m alive, it ain’t over,” Samuels called back. “You may have won today, but you’ll never stamp us out. Our day will come.”

“Why’d you do it?” Mariah asked incredulously. “You were supposed to be one of the GCU, and you betrayed everyone here. A ton of people died here today because of you. They might have made it out of here alive if not for you.”

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Samuels wryly replied. “Hurts to have so many of your people die. Now you get to experience it. You know nothing about me, little Ms. Hero.”

“Care to enlighten me, then?” Mariah mostly just wanted to shoot him when she had the chance. Yet she also desired—no, needed—to know why he did it.

Samuels thought about whether to entertain the question. He finally relented after deciding that it was necessary to justify himself. “I come from the Birmingham area. About five or so years ago, I joined the GCU. Back then, I was fully conned into buying into what the GCU was selling. I thought the Dissidents were just a bunch of arrogant blowhards that didn’t want to play nice with everyone else. At the time, I thought the GCU was looking to unite everyone across the wastes under one banner, trying to rebuild civilization and make things better.

“And then the Birmingham incident happened. Countless friends and family of mine massacred who had nothing to do with any issues the GCU was involved in. That’s when the Union showed its true colors. The façade was broken. It wasn’t about unity for them. It was about control, power, forcibly instilling its own vision like they had some sort of divine right to everyone’s territory. I finally understood what the Dissidents were about: Freedom. Sovereignty. Self-determination. Any hope for widespread unification died when the world did. I eventually met with Captain Russell and other leadership, and we figured that me staying as an officer in the GCU would be more conducive to our goals. So, I waited. I moved up the ranks to Corporal. I became more ingrained in the strategy and tactics of the higher-ups in the GCU. And we finally started turning the tide in our favor. Even when you came along, Ms. Hero, we were still coming so close to our goals.

“But now, obviously, we’ve hit some serious setbacks. Yet like they say: It ain’t over ‘til it’s over. And I’ll be damned if I let you take this from me. I’ve worked too hard to get to where I am now.”

“You’ve already lost, Samuels.” White-Feather said. “This can only end one way, and we all know what that is. I’m sure you’re too far gone, but you can still do the right thing before the end. Give up the technology. Now.”

Samuels laughed derisively. “You’re right about one thing, Chief. You aren’t going to convince me of anything. If I have to die, I’ll at least do it knowing I was on the right side of history.”

“Right side of history? You know how many people died because of you?” Mariah snapped. “You’re a coward. You’re arguably even worse than the rest of the Dissidents, except for Russell. At least we knew what they’d be from the get-go. We’ll take particular pleasure in offing you.”

“Then let be in a barrage of lead. I’ll take you all with me!” Samuels popped out of his hiding spot and starting shooting at everyone. He was able to do that a couple of times, but he didn’t kill anyone. When he came out a third time, multiple GCU and Apalachee personnel perforated his body. Samuels was dead before he hit the ground. Victory for the GCU and the Apalachee had finally arrived, albeit at a high cost.

The power core in Mariah’s armor had finally depleted, but she was ready to get out of the suit anyway. With no more danger around, she finally stepped out of her stuffy, confining suit. She collapsed to the ground, completely fatigued from the day’s events.

“Are you okay, Mariah?” White-Feather asked, kneeling down. He handed her some purified water.

“Yeah. Thanks, Chief,” Mariah said, gulping down half of the bottle in one go. “So . . . it’s finally over?” White-Feather nodded silently. “Honestly, doesn’t feel much like we won. Just that we . . . I don’t know. Didn’t lose the worst.”

“The wasteland has a way of doing that,” Masako said, walking up from behind. The base had finally been secured. “It beats down everybody. Until we restore civilization, it’s going to keep on mercilessly slamming us to the ground. The lawlessness feels like its own entity, doing everything it can to make humanity give up. But we can move forward. We have to. What we build now will achieve victory in the long run. It’s a worthy endeavor.” Masako had a matter-of-fact way of speaking, never condescending but emotionally balanced.

Mariah pondered Masako’s words. “I guess you’re right.” She took another long guzzle from the bottle of water. “I guess you’re right,” she said again, this time muttering to herself.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd_fO_SUgPs

Commander Darius’ crew had a great deal of success with their mission. While they had come across some Mirelurks, it wasn’t too hard for them to handle. They luckily did not have to go into the ruins of Laguna Beach or Panama City Beach, or else they would have gone up against a whole infestation of the aquatic abominations and who-knows-what. The bunker they were looking for turned out to be real, near the outskirts of Laguna Beach. His squads managed to track down some Brotherhood scouts, who had apparently found the bunker themselves and used it as their own base of operations. How they found the bunker already wasn’t immediately known, and it would be one of the subjects of interrogation of the surrendered faction.

Whatever the case was, the Brotherhood had hoped the bunker would have sufficient power for the F.A.C.T. to be operated by the time they got it. They did find some other Pre-War tech, but after taking possession of the device it became evident that the F.A.C.T. would not work on the computers there. They did not provide the necessary power and infrastructure for it and it was designed specifically to be used at a supercomputer like the one in Tyndall Air Force Base.

The GCU force that traveled there had outnumbered the Brotherhood by a sizable margin, and there weren’t any Dissidents that showed up. That indicated that Obadiah and Russell had put most, if not all, of their eggs in the Tyndall basket. The GCU suffered some casualties, but not anything near the scale of what happened for the factions that were at the Air Force base. A heavy but short battle resulted in victory for Darius and company. Now the GCU controlled both this bunker and Tyndall and could uncover many of their secrets for themselves. But there were still other investigations that needed to go on, like studies of the dead dreadnaught and how Jonathan Samuels had funneled information out of the GCU.



A memorial and celebration of the life of GCU Commander Emmanuel Bertrand was held back in his adopted home of Pensacola in the following weeks. Most of the speakers at his funeral were unsurprising—among them were Commander Darius, Commander Masako, Lieutenant Carmichael, and now-Commander Jacob. Many GCU personnel attended, though some were not able to come as they had to attend to their normal duties. They would be able to pay their respects later. Many of the Apalachee, including Chief White-Feather, were present as well in solidarity.

At the memorial, many aspects of Bertrand’s life were covered. He was born in Haiti in 2080, only three years after the Great War. As much as the War had ravaged the whole world, Haiti was one of the worst-off countries. Already struggling economically for an extended period of time, the devastation of the island nation was so severe that just about all signs of civilization were wiped out. There had been intense civil strife on the island leading up to that fateful day, and the fallout exacerbated it exponentially.

Bertrand’s parents tried hard to shield him and his older sister, Fabiola, from all the dangers in Haiti—the collapsed government desperately trying to maintain control, gangs similar to raiders, the irradiated animals and even plant life that were hostile to humans, and disease. But there was only so much they can do. When Bertrand turned 18 years old, their parents shipped him and his sister out on a boat heading for the United States in the hopes that they would find a better life there. The two young adults pleaded with their parents to come with them, but there was little room on the boat and limited resources. Their parents were also coming down with an illness and feared spreading it, feeling too weak to make the journey anyway. The parents and children bid each other farewell, heartbroken. They would never see each other again.

The boat captains feared they would be unable to make the full trip to the United States with their limited supplies. A few of the boat’s passengers fell ill and died on the way and the captains made some mistakes in navigation. Weather conditions, impacted greatly by the Great War, also made the journey dicey. All of these factors led to them making landfall in Varadero, Cuba, far off course, in the hopes of finding more food and water and to find places to give a proper burial to their fellow Haitians. It was here that Bertrand met a Cuban girl only a few days younger than him named Marisol, who was part of a group of Cuban refugees trying to escape the island themselves. The Cuban government was in league with China, the arch-nemesis of the United States, in the lead-up to the Great War. Some of its members survived the bombs and continued to oppress their citizens even more so than Pre-War. This group of refugees had finally found their break to leave for the United States and, finding a sort of kinship due to their similar circumstances, joined the Haitian refugees, agreeing to share whatever supplies they could. Two boats left, with Marisol joining Bertrand and his sister Fabiola on theirs.

The target destination had been to land in South Florida. Navigational mistakes as well as unfamiliarity with the territory, however, diverted their course much further north to Tampa Bay. Their stay would be short due to the high levels of pirate and raider activity in the region. The refugees sought refuge within the domain of a mysterious organization colloquially referred to as ‘the Society,’ based out of the ruins of the University of South Florida in Tampa, but they were refused entry. There was nothing else resembling a stable, larger-scale community in the area, and the desire to find somewhere that was stable led the refugees even further north, this time on land. Travelers coming from the north spoke of a relatively secure, fledgling nation called New Florida.

The Haitians and Cubans finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but more tragedy struck. Many of the refugees fell ill and died from disease, complications from radiation poisoning, exhaustion, or attacks from irradiated animals. Among these victims was Fabiola, Bertrand’s sister, at only 23 years old. It was at that point that Bertrand and Marisol became very close and fell in love, finding comfort in each other as basically everyone they knew was gone. They finally reached New Florida, the borders of which were far smaller than what the GCU’s part of New Florida was today and called it home. Bertrand would join New Florida’s military out of a sense of duty to protect people—the way he wished he could’ve done for others like his sister over the arduous journey from Haiti, and the way his parents protected others. About a year later, Bertrand and Marisol would get married. The Gulf Coast Union formed on July 4, 2110, and New Florida joined as one of the founding members. At that point, Bertrand had already been in the military for a decade. He was soon after transferred to Pensacola and became the Commander only a few years afterward.

But the cruelty of the wastes would strike again in 2120. After 20 years of a happy marriage, Marisol became sick from an accumulation of rads and an unspecified disease. They did not have any children, leaving Bertrand by himself. Grief-stricken, Bertrand would pour himself into his work to take his mind off of his loss. Sometimes he considered giving up completely. But he found a lot of promise in one of his younger officers, who had only been in the GCU force for five years: Jacob Parker. Bertrand took Jacob under his wing and they became close friends outside of work. Despite the fact that Bertrand was black and Jacob was white, Jacob became like the son that Bertrand never had, while Bertrand became like a father to Jacob. His real father he didn’t really get to know after he disappeared when Jacob was young. Jacob’s talent and tenacity led to him becoming second-in-command of the Pensacola division behind Bertrand. Having someone basically become family to Bertrand helped to keep him going, to soften the blows of all the losses Bertrand experienced up to that point. The mentoring that Bertrand gave to Jacob would lead to the latter assuming the position of Commander in the present day.

A bunch of other people that knew Bertrand personally had some words at the end of the funeral, when anyone could speak. Mariah and Valentina, however, did not. They could not bring themselves to talk in front of everyone, electing to sit with each other silently throughout the memorial.



September 25, 2130

Mariah had only been in the Panhandle for only about close to two months, but the cacophony of events since she arrived made it feel like several years. Yet the past couple of weeks or so were relatively uneventful, which was just fine by her. Mariah came back to Pensacola and helped around doing various jobs here and there, including scavenging from the ruins of the nearby University of West Florida. She stayed at Valentina’s home and the two of them hung out whenever they were both not working.

Jacob, meanwhile, had settled into his new position as the Commander of GCU’s Pensacola division. And while she was not even close to the second-in-command, Valentina became an unofficial aide of sorts to Jacob thanks to her actions at Tyndall Air Force Base and their friendship. She became one of the go-to people for tech-related issues, particularly when it came to terminals and computers. She also demonstrated some promise and talent with her combat skills, although they were still somewhat raw.

The thorough defeat of the Brotherhood and the Dissidents meant they were done troubling the region. The survivors of each were exiled out of GCU lands, sending the former back to the Midwest and the latter north into Georgia. In addition, the Brotherhood and the Dissidents had to give up any technology they had acquired to the GCU. They would be provided with some means to survive treks through uncivilized areas, but that was it.

The GCU also kept their word with the Apalachee, holding the F.A.C.T. but handing them the land in what was once the Apalachicola National Forest. The Apalachee and regular GCU citizens had made strong headway into eliminating the hostile wildlife there. The Apalachee retained autonomy over their internal affairs but concerns that dealt with the GCU and its citizens had varying levels of joint decision-making between the two groups.

Mariah, Valentina, and Commander Jacob were sitting at a table in the Blue Angel Inn back in Pensacola. It was the evening. Panhandle Radio played softly in the background. They laughed, traded stories, and had a few drinks, though not in excess. Some of the stories even involved people that passed, such as Bertrand and Valentina’s father, Gabriel. It helped to ease the pain. While they still faced dangers due to the lives they lived—not to mention the general perils of the Sunshine Wasteland—the past few weeks were a nice reprieve from the hectic times dealing with the Brotherhood and the Dissidents.

Still, the events were fresh on their minds, particularly the death of Bertrand. In some ways, it still felt a bit surreal even after several weeks had passed since the memorial and funeral held for him. As if on cue with the changing of their thoughts, the DJ was putting in the next tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmIwm5RElRs. Perhaps there was no more song title more ironic than that following the Great War, and it was a popular tune in the Old World.

A moment of silence followed the beginning of the track as their thoughts reverted to their former Commander. Jacob spoke first. “If only Commander . . . if only Emmanuel could have lived to see the results of our work. Would have been a nice send-off into the proverbial sunset.”

“He was thinking of retiring soon?” Mariah asked.

“Yeah. At least from combat duties. He used to talk about it happening in a year or two, but after all that happened at Tyndall? Maybe he would’ve done it first chance he got. It would be one hell of an end to a career. I suppose it still was, though obviously . . . would have been nice to end it differently.”

Mariah took another sip from her drink. “I thought your speech at the memorial was really nice. So, he was like a father to you, huh?”

Jacob nodded silently. “When I was young, my father ran out on my mother. At least that’s what she thinks. Just left one day and didn’t come back, but why he did I can’t say. It’s been a long time. I’m not sure if he did abandon us or if he just got killed out in the wastes. Hard to know for sure a lot of times when you live, well, pretty much anywhere.” He took another swig of his drink, a local brew called the Pensacola Punch. “But we can all relate on that to some level: Losing a father. Including Bertrand, as you heard at the memorial. He had a really rough life. This might sound awful, but . . . maybe this was for the best, the way he went out. He died in one last act of valor. With all the people he’s lost, if he retired, he might not have been able to handle the solitude. Work with the GCU was the way he took his mind off things and if he didn’t have that anymore, the loneliness would have completely crushed him. At least now he can see his parents, sister, and Marisol again this way.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Valentina said. “It’s still hard to see someone who took such interest in my development personally and professionally be killed right in front of me like that. He was sometimes overprotective, but I knew he cared and believed in my capabilities. Sometimes, it was hard for me to feel like I belong in the GCU forces, but Bertrand liked me a lot. Even as a low rung on the ladder, he interacted with me a lot more than most people in the service. It . . . meant a lot when his final words were to me were about how proud he was of me. He was sometimes like a father to me, too. Especially with my actual dad being. . .” Valentina’s lips started to tremble again as tears started to silently stream down her face.

Mariah put a comforting arm around Valentina’s shoulders, although she, too, started to feel emotional again. She cleared her throat and gathered her thoughts, changing the subject to the relief of all of them. “So, what exactly did you want the two of us to meet you for, Jacob? Somebody that we are supposed to meet, right? How come you haven’t told us who it is yet?”

“It’s a . . . surprise of sorts, for lack of a better term. Somebody I think you and Val should meet, but that’s all I am saying until he gets here. I’ll let him tell you why I’ve kept it under wraps,” Jacob said.

“Is it somebody that we should know?”

“Not necessarily,” Jacob waved his hand. “I don’t see how you would have heard of him already. Val may have heard of him briefly before, but it’s not an individual she necessarily should have already known about. Until now, that is. And here’s the man of the hour himself.” Jacob stood up as a man in a GCU uniform walked through the Blue Angel Inn’s front door. “Sergeant Waller. Long time, no see.”

“Good to see you, too, Parker,” Sergeant Waller said, shaking his hand.

“Wait, a Sergeant?” Valentina quickly stood up to salute one of her superiors. “I, uh, it’s good to meet you, Sergeant. Sorry, I didn’t know who you were. . . .”

“At ease, soldier,” Waller assured her, extending his hand. “It’s quite alright. You had no need to know of who I am beforehand.” She shook it in return.

Mariah wasn’t sure how to address him. “Um, hello, Sergeant Waller. Nice to meet you. I’m Mariah.”

“Don’t worry, young lady. I know exactly who you are,” Waller said as they also shook hands. “I’ve heard about many of your exploits already. Jacob here has told me quite a bit about the two of you and what you did at the nearby Air Force base. Impressive work by both of you. Now, has the Commander informed you why I am here?”

Mariah and Valentina shook their heads.

“I thought it would be best to hear what you had to say directly from you, sir,” Jacob said.

“Kept it a surprise, huh?” Waller took a moment to clear his throat. “Well, ladies, let’s cut right to the chase. I have a proposition for you. Your ability to solve problems interfering with GCU operations has not gone unnoticed. And these problems go far beyond the Panhandle. The Dissidents and Brotherhood were real thorns in this area, but they were just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. I have come from what is known as the Big Bend region of Florida, around where the former state’s coastline turns decidedly south. Specifically, I come from near the old capital, Tallahassee. We have called it Old Tallahassee since the Great War and New Tallahassee was established where Wakulla Springs once was. Old and New Tally, for short.

“Anyway, Old Tally was hit hard in the War, and we had kept it off-limits for citizens and GCU personnel alike in case the radiation was still too dangerous. But for some time now, it’s clearly been taken over by someone. Whoever it is seems to have re-established the city and has effectively kept us from ever controlling it. It appears to often keep to itself, but when it doesn’t, it causes a lot of trouble. Bands of ghouls, robots, even humans have come out of there and attacked settlements. We don’t know why they get aggressive, or why in the world someone would try to bring back the old city. But we do know it isn’t for anything good.

“Additionally, there have been some problems with at least a couple of other groups in the greater Big Bend region, and unfortunately we do not know much about them either. But we are trying to keep what little information we have under wraps. News about the attacks from Old Tally have already gotten around—not like you can stop any reports from that spreading anywhere and we aren’t looking to. But any potentially sensitive intelligence about either situation needs to be kept close to the vest.

“So, before I brief the two of you any further on the state of affairs, let me finally make my formal offer: How would you like to come to New Tallahassee and help us out? I assure you that you will be suitably compensated in terms of pay and accommodations. Particularly for you, Mariah, this is not a formal induction into the GCU. We have processes for that. But we have room for, for lack of a better term, special agents that assist us in certain military operations. If you do wish to eventually become an official part of the GCU military and enforcement, there may be something for you depending on how these troubles are solved. And specifically for you, Valentina, this is a promotion. Of course, there are still plenty of superior officers to answer to, but rest assured you will be much more involved in what we do.

“Now, what do you say, ladies? Take a moment to think it over if you need to. You shouldn’t rush the decision.”

Mariah and Valentina looked at each other, hoping the other would be the first to indicate their choice. When neither did, they looked to Jacob for advice. “What do you think, Commander?” Valentina asked. “Did you know all the details?”

Jacob nodded. “I have to know what’s going on in nearby regions whenever communication is possible in case issues there spill over to the Panhandle. I am aware of some of the finer details about what’s going on around the two Tallahassees. I informed Sergeant Waller of my thoughts on the matter. Personally, I think this is a great opportunity for the both of you. You can really make your mark on helping to truly re-establish civilization in the Sunshine Wasteland—and hopefully beyond. For you, Valentina—Mariah as well, but Valentina particularly so—I believe it is best if you find yourselves some new scenery. A new start of sorts. To move on from the pain and suffering you’ve experienced here in the Panhandle. I’ll truly miss the two of you, but I also truly consider this to be for the best. And given how close of friends you are getting, I imagine that you are a package deal,” Jacob said with a slight chuckle and smirk. The last part was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it was true that neither one of them wanted to leave alone for different pastures.

Mariah and Valentina laughed. “That’s true,” Mariah said. “You get one, you get the other. The two women looked at each other for affirmation of the decision, nodding. “Alright, Sergeant Waller. We’re in.”

“Excellent,” Waller said with little fanfare, though he was clearly pleased with the answer. “We will be heading out tomorrow. So, get yourselves some good rest tonight. Say your farewells to the people you know around here. Finish whatever business you need to by early tomorrow afternoon. We need to head out ASAP. I’ll explain more when we leave for New Tallahassee. Welcome aboard.”

END OF PART 1: THE PANHANDLE
UP NEXT – PART 2: THE BIG BEND REGION

Posted by: Renee Jan 1 2021, 05:23 PM

Ah, so this Corporal Samuels is the traitor. Has this name been mentioned before? I don't remember. I pride myself on trying to figure out plotlines. I thought the traitor was somebody not connected to GCU at all.

Is power armor supposed to be air-conditioned? Like a cool suit?

Oh my gosh what a dolt this Samuels is.

White Feather hands Mariah some purified water. I like how you distinguish what kind of water she's getting. Overall I like the righteousness of their actions, at their less-civilized level of existence (compared to ours now in 2021). In other words, it seems like GCU is doing what they think is right, Dissidents are doing what they think is right, and so on. Everybody wants to rebuild society in their own ways, and some are more considerate than others. I suppose early America was like this, as we tried to break away from staying a British colony. Colonists were doing what they thought was right, and same goes for the British, and Native Americans.

I like that: Old Tally and New Tally. I hope those gals know what they're getting into.

I know, I get this too with my own stuff sometimes. Usually if I go back and look at what I wrote a few years ago, sometimes I can see what bothered me. And then I want to edit stuff, even though it was written years ago!

You just have to continue to tell the story. Just get it told. Do the best you can, et cetera.

Posted by: SubRosa Jan 2 2021, 03:04 AM

That was a quite a fight with Godzilla the Dreadnaught. A good capstone to the big final battle. Then finally the traitor cornered like the rat he was.

And we are off to Big Bend!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jan 13 2021, 05:55 PM

It's a bit refreshing to take a bit of a different approach now that there is a new situation down in the post-apocalyptic Sunshine State. Without spoiling too much, obviously: Big Bend is going to be where the real meat of the main story arc for Fallout: Florida begins.

September 30, 2130

Mariah was feeling like she might have found a place to settle down in the Panhandle, but now she was back to something that she was all too familiar with: Travelling to someplace new. Despite being well-acquainted with sojourning, it still was not something that she was keen on doing again. Yet this time was different in some ways. Instead of feeling like she was aimlessly wandering from place to place, Mariah felt a distinct purpose in coming here to the Big Bend region of Florida. She was going in without being totally blind about what was happening in these lands. And she had someone in Valentina that she knew and befriended already instead of completely starting from scratch.

The two women had made sure to bid farewell to all those they knew, though for Mariah that wasn’t many people. Valentina had gotten to know a lot of people in the time that she resided in Pensacola, and it was harder for her to leave than Mariah. But she was dedicated to the GCU, and their request for help in a new area would not go unanswered by her. Mariah was swayed more by an abstract desire to aid people in general who needed it rather than for the GCU specifically, though she had warmed up somewhat to the organization over the past couple months. With the crisis dealing with the Dissidents and the Brotherhood out of the way, a new call for assistance from a different land beckoned to them. It was time for Mariah and Valentina to put the past issues behind them.

The route to New Tallahassee took them through the Apalachicola National Forest, which gave Mariah a chance to say goodbye to Chief White-Feather. He bestowed a prayer to his Great Spirit upon Mariah. She wondered if this Great Spirit was wholly unique to the Apalachee or simply their name for a deity that already existed outside their culture. In any case, she was grateful for the gesture. White-Feather also conferred upon her the complimentary nickname of “The Sojourner.” It was symbolic in several ways. Like Mariah, the Apalachee were well-traveled, and sojourning to them was synonymous with gaining wisdom, fortitude, bravery, and so on. But perhaps most importantly, it was also the nickname of a legendary, ancestral figure from Apalachee oral traditions who came to their people, and even to outsiders of the tribe, in their time of need. Since that figure’s life long ago, other Apalachee heroes have been bestowed the honor of the name. While Mariah wasn’t sure whether she was the first non-Apalachee to receive the title, she appreciated the accolade. She liked the moniker, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.

But there wasn’t any more time to chatter. Mariah bid her Apalachee friend farewell. Valentina did not get to know White-Feather, but they exchanged pleasantries all the same. Before they left, they got to see some of the foundation of the budding Apalachee state in the old Apalachicola National Forest. Several hubs for trade with GCU citizens had been hastily established on the forest’s outskirts. Surprisingly, much of the Forest was still relatively lush and green compared to the nearby lands despite the Great War. They all hoped these new settlements, and the partnership between the Apalachee and the GCU, was the start of something monumental and positive for the region.

The official boundary between the Panhandle and the Big Bend region ran roughly along the former county delineations between the pair of Leon and Wakulla Counties and the group of Gadsden, Franklin, and Liberty Counties. Even though much of the visible Pre-War demarcations were wiped out in the Great War, it still made a convenient boundary from yesteryear for the GCU to use.



The convoy that Mariah and Valentina traveled on had a varied number of modes of transportation. Kolossi pulled several carts while others were hauled by Brahmin. Mariah, Valentina, and Sergeant Waller were riding in a restored Pre-War car, a rare sight in the wasteland. Some GCU mechanics had parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents that were in the same trade and had passed down their knowledge and preserved magazines about how to build and modify cars. A couple of favorites included “Corvegas Today” and “The Future of Automotives.” A few automobile experts that were still around were even alive before the bombs dropped, some of them managing to stay human (though they were now old and mostly frail) while others were turned into ghouls by excessive radiation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUA-BD5p2-g

As the cavalcade entered old Wakulla County, Sergeant Waller had already been filling in Mariah and Valentina about the current situation that the Big Bend division of the GCU was contending with.

“So . . . who exactly are these two groups, the Old Guard and the Enclave?” Mariah asked the Sergeant.

“We aren’t entirely sure,” Waller replied with a hint of irritation, not at Mariah’s question but at the fact that the GCU military leadership had not uncovered much information on them. “Witnesses that have come to us haven’t had many interactions with them. They aren’t exactly friendly folks, either group. But we have gathered a few important pieces of intel. For one thing, dialogue that our citizens have had with them has demonstrated that the two groups hate—or better yet, despise, loathe—each other. We’ve even seen the result of a few skirmishes between them that have left both Old Guard and Enclave members dead. Whatever they are doing here, it’s definitely not anything that we would sanction.

“At the same time, however, they are not the faction—or for all we know, the factions—that operate in Old Tallahassee. GCU citizens that have been harassed by the Old Guard and the Enclave have reported being questioned a lot about the city, how to get in, what’s in there, and so on. Multiple reports seem to demonstrate that this Old Guard makes a particular claim to ownership of this city, because they have asserted themselves as the continuation of the old state government of Florida. If that’s the case, looks like someone else has already beaten them to it. Meanwhile, the Enclave has proudly declared itself as the continuation of the U.S. federal government. It would make sense, then, that these two groups want to eviscerate each other. The relationship between the state and federal government administrations Pre-War was . . . strained, to say the least.”

“So we’ve heard. Apparently, the Dissidents, being more or less remnants of old Alabama, hated both of those governments too,” Valentina said. “They’ve outright said so.”

“Then you’ve seen that some resentments just never die,” Waller said. “Well, whatever the case is, we’re going to see that this little grudge match doesn’t amount to more trouble for the GCU. We’ve already got our hands full with whatever is in Old Tallahassee. And, it seems, so does this Old Guard and this Enclave. Be prepared for the likelihood that, however this entire situation gets resolved, it’s going to get even messier dealing with three or more factions. This is uncharted territory for us.”

As the crew came closer to New Tallahassee, Mariah and Valentina could already see the aesthetic differences between here and the Panhandle. There was a more futuristic feel to this area. Old Tallahassee, back when it was still Wakulla Springs, had been a major Pre-War tech hub, especially compared to the Panhandle. Of course, a lot of this tech was severely and negatively impacted by the bombs dropping, but there were still echoes of the scientific and industrial eminence of the area. Some faded posters for businesses and local political candidates, among other things, still clung to the walls of some boarded-up buildings. Some of the taller buildings even mostly stood up, although the colors had diminished in vibrance. A few of these structures were now home to some scavengers, hoping to pick out some Pre-War treasures to make some money.

At about 2:30 PM, their convoy came up to one of the gates leading into New Tallahassee from the west. There was a commotion just inside the city. At first, it just seemed to be the usual business, the hustle and bustle typical of a major city. But upon closer inspection, it was clear something out of the ordinary was up. “What the hell . . . ?” Sergeant Waller muttered under his breath. The vehicle came to a stop. Mariah, Valentina, and the Sergeant all got out of the vehicle to see what was going on. Laying on the ground were a small band of dead ghouls, a few of them visibly degenerated to the point that they were obviously feral. There were also a couple of humans that accompanied them in death on the concrete. A bunch of the city’s residents had crowded around the scene as several GCU officers were trying to get them to disperse. One of them caught sight of Waller and called out to him. “Sergeant!”

“Callahan, status report.” Waller said to the soldier, getting straight to the point.

“Another small-scale attack,” Callahan said, shaking his head. “We assume they came from Old Tally, but they don’t have on those ‘New State of Florida’ logos that the others had. Probably to conceal their origin. They appeared to be doing some recon, because witnesses saw several of them in town well before this attack asking questions.”

“Trying to keep a low profile? What were they looking for? And what about these ferals?”

“We’re still asking people, including other GCU soldiers that were on duty here. Some people say they were asked about a ‘Langston,’ so that sounds like a lead. Nobody seemed to know who they were talking about, though. Got some people searching through residency records to see if we have a ‘Langston’ on file. As for the ferals, the non-feral ghouls were able to keep them under wraps until things went south. Someone noticed strange activity lying in wait, so I guess that is what set off this group. Seems the non-feral ghouls were able to keep the ferals from attacking their human compatriots and from jumping out right away, but I don’t know how that is possible.”

“Any casualties?”

“We had several injuries, but nothing that a few Stimpaks can’t handle.”

“Very well. Report back to me ASAP when you find something noteworthy. Before you go, let me introduce you to our new help. This is Mariah and Valentina,” Waller said, pointing to them respectively. “Ladies, this is Desmond Callahan, Commander of the New Tallahassee garrison for the GCU. Callahan, these are two of our heroes from that battle at Tyndall Air Force Base back in the Panhandle.”

“Oh, yes, I believe your two names have been specifically mentioned. Well, welcome aboard, ladies,” Callahan greeted them. “I wish we could be more accommodating, but as you can see, we have a situation on our hands that requires our immediate attention. I hope for more proper introductions later. Unless Sergeant Waller needs you for something right now, feel free to familiarize yourself with the city. Once you get situated, we’ll call on you.”

“Yes, meet us at the main GCU station downtown at 5:00 PM,” Waller added, giving them directions to the location.

“Affirmative,” Valentina said, already reverting into her formal GCU demeanor.

“Sure thing,” Mariah said.

“Alright, show’s over, people!” Commander Callahan shouted at the citizens that were still crowded around the scene. “This is official GCU business. Disperse from the area immediately.”

“More zombie freaks attacking our great city?” Someone called out from the crowd. “When are you kicking out these walking corpses? It’s only a matter of time until the ones living here attack us.” Some of those in the crowd were muttering or audibly voicing their approval, while others looked away uncomfortably at the man’s words.

“I said to disperse! Now! Or you’ll be held for interfering with military affairs!” Callahan yelled, already having lost his patience. His threat was effective at getting the citizens to quickly leave.

Mariah and Valentina were disgusted by the anti-ghoul sentiment. “Bigots here too, huh? Ghouls are people too.” Valentina said.

“Tensions have been getting particularly bad between ghouls and non-ghouls lately.” Callahan said, shrugging. “Most of the ghouls live in one district in this city because of the harassment, forming their own little community. But you still see them around elsewhere.”

“And the GCU or the city government have done nothing about this problem?” Mariah asked.

“Look, it’s not our job to handle it,” Callahan said with a hint of dismissiveness. “I don’t like it either, but there is nothing I can do. I don’t give a damn what your skin condition is as long as you don’t cause trouble in this city. And if ghoul or human starts it, then we end it quickly. You’ll have to take it up with the mayor or the city council if you get the chance to meet them.”

Mariah was about to object further, but Sergeant Waller cut her off. “Mariah, we have other objectives to focus on here. You may not be formally inducted into the GCU, but this partnership still requires you to abide by certain guidelines. I don’t support the behavior of those citizens either, but we all need to stay focused on the task at hand. You can’t go crusading about all this other stuff.”

“But . . .” Mariah’s naturally defiant side was shining through again, but Waller and Callahan visibly did not have any tolerance for it.

“Mariah, wait,” Valentina gently but firmly placed her hand on Mariah’s shoulder to get her to stop. She knew that Mariah’s behavior was not going to go over well with their superiors. Instead, Valentina was going to try a more diplomatic route. “Sergeant. Commander. Is there a way—just for a little bit—to go down to wherever the local government conducts business? Just to help us get a lay of the land since we’re new here. Maybe they will know something that we can use in this investigation. We’ll be focused on the main reason we are here, I promise. Right, Mariah?” Valentina looked at Mariah, not-so-subtly hinting to her to go along with it. She didn’t want to lie to the Sergeant and the Commander, so instead she gave another good reason for her and Mariah to meet the city’s administration. Valentina did, however, want to talk to them about the tensions related to the ghouls.

Mariah thought for a moment, recognizing Valentina’s approach was the more effective way forward. “Yes. Sorry . . . Sergeant. Commander.” It was not easy for her to get those words out, still feeling some indignation at what she saw as their superiors’ callous disregard for the ghoul plight in the city.

“Very well,” Waller relented. “If you really need to see those politicians, you can show them your GCU badge, Valentina. But do not get caught up in some other mission. Understood?”

“Affirmative, sir,” Valentina replied, saluting.

“Mariah?” Waller waited for her reply.

“Yes . . . uh, sir,” Mariah said.

“Good. Well, go do what you must do. See you both in a couple hours.”



Mariah and Valentina got a map of New Tallahassee, finding where the local government center was. Their efforts at gaining an audience when they arrived, however, were in vain. Sheila, the city clerk—a middle-aged woman with fully silver hair, dyeing it that way to cover up some premature gray hairs, though her skin was in good shape for her age—told them that the mayor and the council were knee-deep in meetings with each other and prominent citizens of New Tallahassee and other settlements. “Sorry, but it’s nearly impossible to book something on such short notice, especially when you aren’t known to the council. You seem like lovely, bright young ladies, but there is only so much I can do. However,” Sheila paused, searching through her calendar. “There may be something else that is open later this week. But I’d need to know who exactly the two of you are and why you need to talk to the city government. For our records. Unfortunately, dears, I cannot simply tell them that you are GCU. They won’t let you in on that basis alone.”

Valentina spoke after she found the right words. “We would like to speak them on a couple of things. We want to discuss how to resolve these tensions with the ghouls, because it can’t end well for the city. Secondly, we’re conducting an investigation regarding the attack just inside the city gates earlier this afternoon. Maybe the mayor and the council can give us any sort of information that the rest of the GCU hasn’t thought about or uncovered.” She kept her promise to Sergeant Waller that she and Mariah would not put so much focus on the ghoul situation.

Sheila gave them a sweet smile. “Well, you aren’t the first one to bring up the ghoul situation. I feel bad for those poor souls. They were human once. We can just be so mean to each other, you know? I wish that were enough to get you in, but our government won’t accept that as good enough for an audience. As for the earlier attack . . . hmm,” Sheila pursed her lips as she thought about it. “I think that might work. I can’t guarantee it, but try coming in at 8:00 tomorrow morning. Sometimes they will have some ‘free’ time that they can work something in or see a general audience. And occasionally, people who need to meet the council and mayor are late for appointments.” Sheila leaned in to whisper the next sentences. “They are politicians after all. Got to seem open and listening to the public as much as possible.”

“Well, I guess we’ll try that then. Thank you so much, Sheila.” Mariah replied cordially.

“Indeed, thank you a lot, Sheila.” Valentina chimed in warmly as well. She pointed out the clock to Mariah. It was 4:30 PM. “Come on, Mariah, we need to be at the station soon. Let’s get there with time to spare.”

“Anytime, sweethearts,” Sheila responded happily, waving as the two of them waved back and walked out the door.

/////////

Mariah and Valentina arrived at the station about ten minutes before 5:00 PM. Sergeant Waller and Commander Callahan were already waiting for them in one of the offices as the front desk receptionist directed the women to them. “Ah, you came in before the appointed time,” Waller said. That’s good. I was always taught that being on-time was late and being early was on-time, so you two are off on the right foot.”

“So, do we know who this ‘Langston’ is?” Mariah asked.

“Not exactly,” Callahan said as he was still looking at some paperwork. “The terminals and paper files for residency records don’t have anybody by that name. So, if they are in this city, well, they shouldn’t be. They haven’t gone through the proper channels. Nobody likes paperwork, but the law’s the law. Though since we need more information on why this ragtag group of misfits wanted this Langston so badly that they were willing to die to nab him, we can’t afford to just kick him out once we find him. Maybe he can shed some light about what goes on in the Old Capitol.”

“But how do we not know what goes on there? If it’s safe enough that humans are living there, why hasn’t the GCU gone to fight back?”

“Because for one, we don’t know what exactly these people are capable of yet,” Waller said. “I don’t like taking hits and not being able to fight back either, but we aren’t trying to start a full-on war. Besides, they’ve got that place locked down tight, and I mean real tight. We haven’t seen anybody going in. They have some serious defenses up with turrets and robots and guards, human and ghoul. And there could still be some lingering radiation. In fact, I’d count on it. But I figure they’d have to have a lot of RadAway, Rad-X, RadShield, and so on if that’s the case as they have regular humans walking about. We’d have to send some of those with our own troops to be safe, though, and we don’t need them marching into a death trap whether they get rads or not.”

“So, we haven’t ever sent any stealth units in there for recon?” Valentina asked this time.

“A few times, but they’ve never made it back. Comms have gone nowhere with them, so we assume they are KIA. The furthest we’ll go now is send some scouts to spy from a distance. That’s mostly how we have the intel that we do now. And then there are those Old Guard and Enclave louts to deal with, so we can’t put all our eggs in one basket.”

“We have had a few recent influxes of people to the city lately, mostly ghouls but some humans,” Callahan said. “Some move on to other cities, but a lot of them have sought asylum and residence here. If this Langston is here in town, I bet he’s one of them, only trying to lay really low to avoid attention.”

“So, he’s probably from Old Tallahassee then,” Mariah reasoned. “If he’s one of those newcomers, at least some of them must be refugees and that’s why that gang wanted to find him.”

“Exactly.”

“How do we go about finding these new arrivals then? This city must keep a close eye on them,” Valentina said.

“Indeed. There’s a part of town specifically designated for people looking to move into the city as they go through the paperwork channels. Temporary housing. But we’ve had times before where they snuck into other residency districts and we had to remove them by force. There are a few small settlements outside the city walls where people we’ve had to kick out go to. But I bet this Langston knows he’s being hunted and being outside of the city is going to be too dangerous for him. He’ll try his damnedest to stay within our confines.”

“He must be very resourceful if he got out of Old Tally though,” Mariah remarked. “If few—if anyone—gets in, whoever runs the city would have made it extremely difficult to get out. He could be anywhere.”

“Good point. That’s why we’re going to question people around town about any new entrants they remember seeing,” Waller said. “See if they have heard of this Langston character. The two of you, however,” he said, pointing an index finger each at Mariah and Valentina, “are mostly done for the day. You’re still not familiar with the lay of the land, so we’re going to have you both get acclimated some more. Those past couple of hours are you just scratching the surface. But remember: Stay focused on this mission. When you are out and about, still see if you get any answers about Langston, but Callahan and I are doing most of the legwork tonight. Tomorrow, though, is when things really ramp up, so see to it that you are ready then. That’s when the real work begins. Be here at 9:30 AM.” Waller then motioned with his right hand that they were free to go. “Dismissed.”

Valentina saluted the Sergeant. Mariah hesitated at first, still feeling sort of awkward about this slightly more formal role she had with the GCU. She finally saluted, which led to Waller giving away the faintest hint of amusement, blowing air through his nose as if to chuckle without opening his mouth. “You don’t necessarily need to salute if you aren’t an official GCU soldier, Mariah,” he remarked. “But I do expect a general sense of respect and for you to follow orders when I give them.”

“Oh. Uh, okay,” Mariah replied awkwardly, following Valentina out of the room and into the station lobby.

When they were outside and out of earshot of anybody, Valentina spoke again. “9:30 . . . that gives us some time to go down to the government center tomorrow morning. Hopefully, Sheila can get us in.”

“Yeah. At least we have some time to think about what we want to say tomorrow. Have to make every second time count with the mayor and council. I’m . . . not really sure what to say to them,” Mariah said, scratching the back of her head.

“We’ll figure it out,” Valentina assured her, smiling. “I don’t know about you, but I am ravenously hungry. I saw an inn called “Wakull-Over-Ya.” She giggled at the name. “Clever play-on-words, I suppose. What do you say?”

As if right on cue, Mariah’s stomach rumbled. “Count me in,” she said as the two of them laughed, going down the street to see what this inn had to offer for food.

Posted by: Renee Jan 15 2021, 08:28 PM

Good to know the Apalachee survived all those battles, and will continue alongside with the GCU. Hopefully their pseudo-alliance will last and last.

Corvegas and Chrysluses (Chrysli?) also live on, although they are rare. I did go through a phase during which I tried to see if there were any automobile mods in Fallout 3 back when I began playing that game on PC. Nope, couldn't find any, although there is a good motorcycle mod.

Mariah is already getting hot-tempered at this Callahan guy!

That's cute when she doesn't know if she's supposed to salute or not. Who is this Langston? Guess we'll find out.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Feb 6 2021, 11:32 PM

About time I got the next chapter out, eh?

Part 2: Big Bend

Chapter 14: Capitalizing on Opportunities

“And what will you be having tonight, dears?” The waitress asked Mariah and Valentina soon after they were seated inside the bar, Wakull-Over-Ya. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRfRITVdz4k was playing in the background of the establishment.

“Brahmin steak and purified water, please,” Valentina said, handing a menu back to the waitress.

“I’ll have the Radfrog omelette and a purified water as well. Thank you,” Mariah said, handing back her menu.

“Absolutely. We’ll bring them out as soon as possible,” the waitress cheerily replied as she walked back to the bar’s kitchen.

Purified water was not a common commodity throughout most of the post-War world, though the city of New Tallahassee was fortunate to have the nearby Wakulla River, along with the means and people with the expertise to create water purifiers. With ready access to such a precious resource, the profits that were generated helped New Tallahassee rise from the ruins of Wakulla Springs as the city could export surplus water throughout GCU-owned Florida and beyond. The post-War world was harsh, but at least in settlements like New Tallahassee, many aspects of that unforgiving nature could be somewhat mitigated.

“This is for all those times a Radfrog tried to eat me instead,” Mariah joked, though for her there really was an element of retribution to it.

“Ha ha! Well, I don’t want to ever be in the same vicinity as one of those even when they are dead. Hearing about them is enough for me,” Valentina said, putting her hands up as if to stop something. “You actually came to face-to-face them before?”

“Yeah,” Mariah recalled as a chill went up her back. “Once in Holt when I followed the GCU and once when I found the F.A.C.T. near Niceville. Got poisoned the latter time and was saved by Chief White-Feather.”

“Well, you’ve certainly got some incredible endurance and luck, then.” The waitress came back with the waters for the two of them. “Thank you, ma’am,” Valentina said to her.

“With your penchant for tech, I think you’ve got me handily beat when it comes to intelligence.”

“I think you should give yourself more credit, Mariah. Intelligence isn’t all about knowing how to click a bunch of keys or reading computer screens or making some complex algorithms. You have a knack for figuring things out too, you know.”

“Well . . . thanks, Val. That’s very kind. You know, it takes a lot of endurance to go through what you have personally and professionally. It’s not just physical.”

“I suppose. But hey, that’s what makes a good team, right? Everyone has their strong suits, and they complement each other for maximum effect. It certainly worked for us in the Panhandle. I sure hope it works out that way here, too. I have no idea what we are supposed to do to resolve the issues in this area,” Valentina sat back and sighed, pursing her lips. The issues in Big Bend already seemed like a step up from those in the Panhandle. A mysterious city that was ostensibly impenetrable? Belligerent groups that claimed to be the continuations of the Florida and U.S. governments and were causing trouble in the region? And for all they knew, another faction could be involved in whatever was happening. There were a lot more unknowns here than just to the west.

“You certainly have me there,” Mariah said after thinking for a moment about what to say next. “Do you at least have any thoughts on who this Langston is?”

“I guess he ran afoul of whoever is running Old Tally. They went so far as to send some agents into this city to find him. But it sounds like there have been small squads sporadically attacking this area for some time now. Why would they do that? What’s to gain from that? Who or what else would they be looking for?” Valentina leaned forward on the table and shook her head. “It just doesn’t seem to make sense. Maybe that’s just because we’re new here, but it seems that Sergeant Waller and Commander Callahan don’t have any idea either. Maybe the mayor and the council could give us some ideas?”

“If they even see us,” Mariah reminded her. “I’m not exactly hopeful that some politicians are going to even give us the time of day. But we have to try. And these tensions between ghouls and non-ghouls can’t end well. I hope we can do something about that, but something tells me the hatred is deep-seated. Perhaps it is because of the attacks from Old Tally. Seems to be mostly ghouls there.”

“Maybe. Guess there’s only one way to find out.” Mariah and Valentina finished their meals, paid their caps, and headed for the place Sergeant Waller had set up for them to sleep at.



Mariah and Valentina were up bright and early, heading down to the city government center in the hopes that they would be granted an audience with the mayor and council. As luck would have it, the original early appointment that the elected officials had—with traders that came from the town of Perry, east down the old U.S. Route 98—was canceled. The traders seemed to be late to arrive. Sheila, the receptionist that Mariah and Valentina met the day before, contacted the mayor on an intercom to notify him of the situation and told him of the newcomers’ arrival. “Very well, send them up,” the mayor said. “But if those traders come in soon, we must see them immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” Sheila replied. She turned her attention to Mariah and Valentina. “Well, good news for the two of you! Mayor Treadwell will see you. You can take the elevator or the stairs up one floor. Signs will point you to the audience chamber. Sounds like the council is tied up with some other business at the moment, so you’ll just be seeing the mayor.”

“No problem. Thank you, Sheila,” Valentina said. She and Mariah followed the directions and opened a double door to a room that could fit about 120 audience members in it. On the other side of the room was a long, curved dais for the mayor and the four council members to seat themselves at. It even had working microphones. For the damage from the Great War that could be seen on the outside of the building and elsewhere in town—even the lobby of the government center to some extent—the audience chamber was noticeably cleaned up and restored.

On the other side of the dais was a rotund man in a gray three-piece suit staring out a large window. He wore a black bowler hat and sported a gray-and-white handlebar moustache and goatee. He held up a gold pocket watch in his right hand. The man was unapologetically old-fashioned even by Pre-War standards. It was Mayor Treadwell.

“Excuse me. Mayor?” Mariah piped up to get the man’s attention.

“Ah, forgive me. I was lost in thought. You don’t get much time to just passively think about things when you’re the mayor in this city,” the man said, speaking in a throaty voice. He turned around to greet them. “Welcome to our fine, humble city! I believe formal introductions are in order first. I am Mayor Justin Treadwell. You must be Valentina Santiago and Mariah Walker, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” the two women replied.

“Hmm, yes, I do believe that I’ve heard about you from the Panhandle. Oh, it is so exciting to have newcomers pay a visit to New Tallahassee—the only Tallahassee, as far as I’m concerned! But from what Sheila told me about the two of you, this is more than some simple business trip, unlike some certain tardy people,” the mayor said with a bit of sarcasm unsubtly mixed with irritation at the traders’ lateness. “Nevertheless, I help whenever I can. What can I do for you?”

“Well, we were wondering about a couple things actually,” Mariah said. “First, we’re with the GCU conducting an investigation into these recent attacks on the city. We were hoping to find any new info about why they are happening and who exactly is behind them.”

“Ah. And I see your GCU identifications,” the mayor said with a slight frown, pointing to their badges. “Did Waller and Callahan send you in their stead instead of coming to talk to me themselves?”

“Um, sort of. We petitioned them to . . . wait. Is there a problem between you and the Sergeant and the Commander?” Mariah noticed that Treadwell didn’t sound fond of talking about them.

“Oh, it’s nothing you need to worry about,” Treadwell laughed, motioning his hand as if to dismiss the question. “The city administration and the GCU military arm just don’t always see eye-to-eye, that’s all.”

Mariah’s inquisitive nature led her to press for more info about Treadwell’s comment. She made a charismatic bid to get more data from him. “Well, Mayor Treadwell, this could help us with the investigation. If there is any issue between you and the commanding officers, it could shine a light on some holes in this probe and we could fix them. We’re just here to help.”

Treadwell seemed to find it a convincing argument—or maybe he really did want to say something and changed his decision. “Oh, very well. I suppose the two of them would mention it eventually anyway.” The mayor took a deep breath. “We’ve butted heads with the GCU military personnel stationed here in New Tallahassee a lot. They see themselves as the rightful governing force, believing they are the ones that should be running everything here, not the city government. And it’s not just here. GCU military often have little regard for the GCU government. They’re very independent from each other in some respects, and people like Waller and Callahan are of the opinion that they should be calling the shots when it comes to governing. They disregard the legitimacy of our governmental institutions and processes whenever they can. They even supplant the city guard when it suits them.” Anger was slowly but steadily rising in Treadwell’s voice. He stopped to recollect himself, clearing his throat. “Ahem, I apologize again. This is not your concern and I’m not trying to turn you against your superiors—though I’m quite confident they would try to do so against me. But I’ll help you in any way I can.”

Mariah wondered if this hostility was the real reason that Waller and Callahan were reluctant to let her and Valentina chat with the mayor. How much was what Mayor Treadwell said the truth? Mariah wasn’t sure how to respond to Treadwell’s diatribe, so she tried to push it to the side for now. “So, can you give us a basic rundown of when all this started and how it has progressed? Any idea what these hostile units keep trying to attack the city for?” She refrained from mentioning Langston for the moment.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that they come from Old Tallahassee. I don’t know why they repeatedly harass us, but it is awfully strange that they do so in small, erratic packs. Perhaps they don’t want to risk an all-out assault. Maybe it’s reconnaissance they are trying to perform, and they get a little too spirited in their mission. I can’t say. But if they keep coming here, there must be a reason. Something that would make them go so far as to put their lives on the line. Even if we can’t discern a rhyme or reason to it all.”

“Are you sure this isn’t another group?” Valentina asked. It was her suspicion that they came from Old Tallahassee too, but as an investigator she was doing her due diligence. “We’ve had reports of other named bands that have been operating in Big Bend.”

“You must mean this Enclave and Old Guard.” The mayor started stroking his goatee thoughtfully. “Yes, I’ve heard all about it. I’m the mayor, after all. I have to know about any potential threats to the city. But they have not been verified to be near this area. Those reports come from way to the northeast. Plus, the groups that have run themselves to their deaths here have been found to have some ‘New State of Florida’ emblems when we’ve examined their bodies. I doubt that would be something that this Enclave or Old Guard would display. After all, they’ve made clear what their organizations’ names are.”

“Well, do you know anything about this New State of Florida?” Mariah said.

“I’m afraid not,” Treadwell shook his head. “I’ve had city employees search through library records and official documents. Nothing about this New State of Florida has turned up, save for these ruffians and louts that think they can take on this city.” The mayor said, pointing in the direction of Old Tallahassee. “That speaks to how well that eyesore excuse of a city is keeping what they are doing under wraps. We know basically nothing about them, even in all this time that they have been operating there.”

“And how long have they been operating there?”

“Oh . . . the better part of two or three years, probably? Hard to say when the city was still dangerously irradiated until these past few years. Expeditions that were attempting to brave its ruins suddenly found a civilization building there one day. How anyone could get a semblance of a sovereign city-state in such a short span of time is beyond me, especially in that hellhole. Somebody, or a bunch of people, clearly knew what they were doing when they set up shop there.”

While they were piecing together new bits of information, Mariah and Valentina were disappointed that it was nothing close to a breakthrough. But perhaps mentioning this Langston individual would lead to something substantial to work with. Valentina posed the question. “In this last attack, Commander Callahan reported that multiple people recalled the group mentioning someone by the name of ‘Langston.’ Does this name ring any bells for you?”

“Langston? No, that . . . nobody briefed me on that detail. Waller and Callahan must be keeping me in the dark deliberately as much as possible,” Treadwell scoffed. He cleared his throat again, quickly steering back on topic. “Anyway, no. That name does not mean anything to me. I’m guessing he is another new arrival, because to my knowledge it has not been reported that any New State of Florida—let’s just refer to them as NSF to make it easier—combatants have mentioned this ‘Langston.’ But the new arrivals to this city have been mostly ghouls, and there are a lot of ghouls in these NSF parties, so perhaps this Langston fellow is also one of them.”

It was clear to Mariah and Valentina that there wasn’t a whole lot more that Treadwell could tell them, but they still had one topic to address. “Speaking of the ghouls,” Mariah said, “Val and I have been hearing about these tensions between them and regular humans. We even heard a citizen of this city refer to ghouls derogatorily. Has the city government done anything about this?”

Treadwell was indignant. “You don’t think we’ve done anything about this?” Mariah and Valentina were caught off-guard by his heated response. He quickly reigned himself back in, laughing uneasily. “Please forgive me for that outburst. There’s been a lot more stress than usual lately, and even I can lose patience too quickly. I’m only human, you know. But I assure you, the city’s laws regarding physical harm, theft, and so on apply to everyone in this city equally. Ghoul or human. Citizen and non-citizen. GCU and not. But such deep-seated passions often do not respect laws. When it is reported and when it is verified, the city guard takes swift action. More than can be said for certain . . . apathetic parties.” It was clear he was taking another shot at Waller and Callahan. “Rest assured, we are doing everything we can, and we will resolve this.”

It wasn’t a satisfying answer, but there was no more time to press Treadwell further. The time that Mariah and Valentina were ordered to be at the GCU station was near, and the traders that were supposed to meet with Treadwell had finally arrived. “Apologies for our late arrival, Mayor Treadwell. There was trouble on the road here,” one of the traders said.

Treadwell masked his displeasure at their tardiness and put on a good politician face. “Oh, no reason to worry, Marcus. There’s always time to discuss business.” He turned to the two women. “I apologize, young ladies, but I must tend to this original appointment. But it was a great pleasure to meet the two of you.” Treadwell shook their hands firmly. “Please excuse us.”

“Sure thing,” Mariah said. Something about Treadwell didn’t sit well with her, but she wasn’t entirely sure what it was. Maybe it was just the fact that he was a politician. But while her hopes for getting workable information were higher, there was some useful information—perhaps the discord between the mayor and the GCU leadership most of all. How much would Waller and Callahan entertain questions about it? Mariah would inquire about it when the opportunity presented itself.

Mariah and Valentina waved to Sheila the receptionist as they went down the stairs and through the first-floor lobby. “That was sort of disappointing,” Valentina said to Mariah. “I’m not sure having more time to question the mayor would have revealed much more than we already know.”

“But we do know the sergeant and the commander are not friends with the mayor,” Mariah said, pointing a finger up in the air as if to rebut. “That may be really helpful to know and we could question them about . . .”

“I don’t think they will look kindly on us asking about it, Mariah,” Valentina cautioned. “They want us focused on the mission they specifically gave us. They’ll think all that stuff about their relationship with the mayor is superfluous and that we are losing our concentration.”

“Oh, come on, Val,” Mariah pleaded. They stopped at the front steps to the city government center. “I know you are very observant of the military structure and all, but I have a hunch talking to them about it is going to tell us something valuable. Why wouldn’t they say anything? It just makes them seem like they are hiding something if they don’t and they’ll want to put out their side of the story. Look, I’m not even a formal member of the GCU. This is my idea, anyway, so if they do get upset, I’ll take the heat.”

Valentina placed a hand on Mariah’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to be in trouble, Mariah. You already almost were when we first got here when you were getting testy with the commander. But between you and me,” Valentina said, lowering her voice, “I agree with you. There is something more there that they don’t want to tell us. But I don’t believe that asking them outright is going to help. Maybe they’ll just bring it up naturally, telling their side of the story.”

As they were talking, a ghoul man in sunglasses walked up to them. “Excuse me. May I speak with the two of you for a moment? It’s very important that I discuss something with you.”

Mariah and Valentina looked at each other, pondering how much time they had to spare before they had to meet with the sergeant and commander and whether they should talk to this random stranger. “Sure. But we have to be somewhere soon.”

“You are Mariah and Valentina, are you not?” The ghoul asked in a raspy voice, getting straight to the point. Excessive radiation typically did a lot of damage to ghoul vocal cords, or at least mutated them.

Mariah and Valentina were taken aback at this stranger knowing their names. “How do you know who we are?” Valentina asked with some suspicion and nervousness.

“I do not mean to alarm you. But I cannot tell you too much about who I am or how I know. Though, I am aware that you have been looking into the issues between ghouls and smoothskins . . . er, non-ghouls. It is rare that someone takes notice of our plight, let alone demonstrates a desire to resolve it. It is unusual for people that are working in the GCU. And the city administration, for that matter.”

“What do you mean?” Mariah asked. She and Valentina were still slightly apprehensive, but more so curious. “And how do you know that we were looking into that?”

“I am afraid I am not at liberty to say,” the ghoul said, keeping up the mystery. “But for what it is worth, I and others trust that the two of you are trying to do the right thing. It is just that we must constantly keep our guards up, given many residents’ . . . distaste at our presence. And both the GCU military and the city government have mostly been, at best, uncaring about us unless it causes serious trouble that affects or reflects badly on them. Maybe they want to believe that it is the other’s responsibility. Apathy is almost as dangerous as unequivocal antagonism. And the relatively few humans who do try to help us are looked upon with condescension by their fellow citizens.”

If this ghoul knew so much about what they were doing and who they were, Valentina reasoned that he may know about Langston. “If you are from the southwestern district of the city and you know this much about us, then perhaps you can help us with a sort of missing persons case,” she said. “We are looking for someone named Langston. A recent attack from people identified as ‘New State of Florida’ agents has indicated that they are looking for someone by that name. Does it ring any bells for you?”

“Most certainly. And I can let him explain the whole story,” the ghoul added after seeing their reactions. “But first, we need some guarantees from the GCU, and you two are our only option to go through.

“Look, sir,” Mariah said. “Val and I are not in a position to be making guarantees. We aren’t high-ranking officers. I’m not even a formal member of the GCU. The only thing I can promise is that we will do our best to help you.” Valentina nodded in affirmation. “How exactly can we meet with Langston? We have to tell the commanding officers about all this.”

“Ah, but that is why I have prepared precautionary measures for our segment of the community.” The ghoul’s expression did not change as he crossed his arms. “It’s also why I have not told you my name yet—for the sake of simplicity, you can refer to me as ‘H,’ when you report to your superiors. We need something tangible that says that more will be done to protect the ghouls from discriminatory actions in this city. Their safety is one of my utmost concerns. For your sake, I want to help you. It benefits us both. But given that you are not in charge, I need your help convincing those who do run the show. I promise that it will be well worth the GCU’s time to make a deal with us.”

Mariah and Valentina still weren’t sure what to think about the situation, but there wasn’t much choice. This could be their best chance at finding Langston. “Okay. What is your idea, H? We really need to meet with this Langston,” Valentina said.

H pulled out a letter sealed in an envelope. “Deliver this letter to your bosses. You don’t need to concern yourselves about all the details and trying to remember everything. This letter will circumvent such burdens, as it outlines all that we are seeking and the problems that plague us. What I will tell you, however, is how to find us. When you come to the district’s main gate, you will find an old cul-de-sac several blocks directly ahead. In the middle of this cul-de-sac are several cooking fires, a place where the residents often commune while eating. Out loud to the people there, say the following words in this exact order: ‘Quiet waters mask the dangers hiding underneath.’ One of them—though I will not tell you who—will address you and take you to where Langston is. But,” H added with emphasis, “It must be either you, Valentina, or you, Mariah, that utter this phrase. We know you are on our side and we will cooperate if you are present. But if your superiors insist on doing it themselves, nothing will happen.”

“But why can’t you just tell us who this specific person is that we must talk to? Or where exactly to find Langston? Or why it has to be me or Val that say this specific phrase?” Mariah asked. She was confident that H was well-intentioned, but she still wasn’t fond, nor entirely understanding, of the level of secrecy.

“If I did, your commanding officers may find an excuse to keep the two of you away because they have all the details they need,” H said matter-of-factly. “As aforementioned, we do not trust the GCU leadership. The city administration is no better. In case your . . . supervisors are of the notion that they will handle this themselves, we have taken measures to have two of the few people we believe we can trust be present in all of this. The way that I understand it, your bosses don’t want you to concern yourselves with our troubles, since there is another mission that you are here for.” How in the world did H know about all these things? Who has been watching and listening to Mariah and Valentina? Even though they seemed to be on the same side as the two women, the latter were somewhat creeped out by the surveillance. “But remember these words, which would be a good lesson for the city government and the GCU—as a great man once said, ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’” It seemed that H was well-versed in American history, even as the nation died along with every other country in the world over a half-century ago. Being a ghoul, though, H may have been alive when the Bombs fell. “Hopefully, they will realize that a body cannot withstand external pressures if the internal strains are too great.”

Mariah had felt that Waller and Callahan were dismissive about the ghoul situation earlier, but to be wholly untrustworthy about it? Perhaps there has just been some misunderstanding, Mariah thought. Or they could have been so swamped with all these issues with this ‘New State of Florida,’ the Enclave, and the Old Guard that they didn’t want to put another conundrum on their plate. Whatever the case was, it wouldn’t be satisfying to Mariah, but there was a fine line that she and Valentina would have to walk if they wanted to have a chance at fixing this mess. Mariah would have to be wary of keeping her temper in check.

“Okay, H. We’ll take this letter and tell the sergeant and commander everything. Speaking of which, we must meet them as we are almost late. Thank you for your help.”

“No. Thank you,” H said with a bow. “We eagerly await your arrival tonight.” With those final words, he casually strolled away. As he left, Mariah and Valentina continued down the street toward the GCU headquarters in the city.

“That honestly made me uneasy,” Valentina remarked. “I understand they want to protect themselves and they aren’t trusting of others, but to go to these great lengths to set something up is awfully strange. Knowing as much as they do is unsettling. Has someone been following us?”

“I don’t think we have any choice but to trust them,” Mariah said. “This is probably our best shot at finding this Langston. It’s kind of creeping me out, too, the way they went about this, but maybe it was the only way for them. In any case, we need to let the Sergeant and Commander know.” Valentina nodded in approval as they continued to the station.



Sergeant Waller and Commander Callahan, for now, didn’t say anything about Treadwell when they heard about the meeting, save for some clear facial expressions of antipathy at his name. They had turned up next to nothing in interrogating civilians and going through documents regarding Langston. If his name hadn’t even be mentioned by the band of New State of Florida agents before they died, no one would even know to look for him. With next to no info on him, the officers were starting to think that this wild goose chase was seeking a nonexistent person. But instead of being relieved or please about a potential breakthrough when Mariah and Valentina told them about their encounter with H, Waller and Callahan met it with intense skepticism.

“This is a joke, right?” Waller said indignantly, already in a sour mood at the fruitless time he had spent looking for information on Langston since they last met up. “This is absolutely absurd. You’re being shadowed by this person and you trust him?”

“Sergeant, we’re just relaying what we were told,” Mariah said, surprised and, although she hid it, upset at his reaction. “This is all we have to go on to find Langston.”

“And you didn’t think about this possibly being a trap?” Sergeant Waller shook the letter that H wrote. “And why are they so trusting of you, exactly? Why do they specify that the two of you have to come to their district tonight? I hope you didn’t spend much time looking into the ghoul situation.”

“No, sir,” Valentina quickly answered. “But perhaps that is intertwined with what is going on with Langston. The ghouls don’t trust the city or the GCU. . .”

“If so, being surreptitious is not a way to get law enforcement on your side,” Waller said, wanting to yell at the ghouls that weren’t even in the building. His anger was directed at them, but Valentina and Mariah were getting an earful in their stead. There was a vibe that Waller gave off when he was mad that intimidated even Mariah. “Cooperation is key to building such relationships. We aren’t here to play games with them, so they should stop playing them.”

Mariah had several things in her head that she wanted to say in response. Valentina could sense it after getting to know her. But for both their sakes, and to Valentina’s relief, Mariah did not rebuff Waller on any of his points. “Sir, this could be the break we’ve been looking for. We haven’t found anything else about this Langston guy, and time is short for us.”

As frustrating as the situation was for Waller and Callahan, Mariah had a point. “Sergeant, if I may,” Callahan said. Waller motioned for him to continue. “She makes a good case. This man has made himself exceptionally difficult to find and it would not be efficient for us to try turn over every stone we possibly can. I don’t exactly trust this H, and we should still be on our guard. But there was nothing that said that our officers here have to go alone or that we cannot be there. Maybe the people there want to strike a sort of deal with us. For what reason is beyond me, but if this New State of Florida wants to get him, then maybe it has something to do with them.”

Callahan got a harrumph out of Waller, who thought it over for a moment. “Fine. We’ll do it their way, then. But the two of you—do not let your guard down. You can never be too wary, especially with this clandestine operation they are running. And that is a shady part of the city we are going to. We don’t need to bring an army with us—not that I want to, anyway—but I’m going to enlist a handful of officers to come with us. A squad will be on standby outside the district in case something goes down.”

“Sergeant, what if they get scared off by the GCU presence in . . .” Mariah protested before Waller cut her off.

“Mariah, I did not ask for extra input,” Waller snapped. Mariah flinched. “I’m handling the strategy here. You just do what they asked you to do, and what we tell you to do. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Mariah affirmed.

“Valentina, is that clear?” Waller said, turning his attention to her.

“Yes, sir.” Valentina saluted.

“Good. Then tonight is settled. In the meantime, we’re researching this Old Guard and Enclave. Quite ballsy of them to so openly conduct themselves the way they do and to outright state who they are. We’ll see to it that that cockiness makes them sloppy and puts an end to their operations. There is an old library in the city that has been largely restored with a surprising number of texts that have been preserved. See if you can find anything about them and who they say they are, what makes them so brazen, what the reasons are for wanting into Old Tally, and so on. And see if you can find some of the eldest residents of New Tally to see if there is anything they can tell us. There’s still a few people that were alive before the Bombs. Return here at 6:00 and then we will go into the southwestern district. Dismissed.” Waller adjourned the meeting. Mariah and Valentina left without saying another word.



Rummaging through old books and scouring through running terminals brought the pair no closer to understanding what the motives of the Old Guard and the Enclave were. The names didn’t appear even once in all of the information that bombarded their eyes.

The next best bet was going off of what little Mariah and Valentina heard about in reported sightings in Big Bend. Given that the Old Guard was supposedly the self-proclaimed continuation of the Florida state government and that the Enclave was that of the federal government, they researched information on those administrations. Mariah remembered hearing in the Panhandle about how the two regimes were hostile to each other, and some of the research expounded on that. While it was not clear when it all started, some texts noted many ways in which the bitter rivalry manifested itself. Perhaps chief among them was how some national corporations infringed upon the market territory of the state-based and regional corporations. Nuka-Cola was trying to cut into the market share of Fusion! soft drinks. Super Duper Mart—a hugely popular supermarket chain in the northeastern United States, among other areas of the country—was in the infancy of its campaign to supplant the likes of UniMart and others. National utilities like Poseidon Energy took a different approach and bought out some local and state utilities, who were themselves major players in Florida’s state politics.

Mariah recognized the names of Nuka-Cola, Super Duper Mart, and Poseidon Energy from her various travels. She also vaguely remembered the name of Panhandle Gas, Electric, and Nuclear (PGEN) early on in her Florida adventures. It appeared that there was no situation like these, however, with Vault-Tec, which surprised her. There was no regional or local competitor from what she could tell, save for smaller businesses or personal projects resulting in bunkers on a much smaller, cheaper scale. Perhaps the market just didn’t lend itself well to another major corporation being involved. Mariah’s knowledge of the Old World was quite limited, but she still wondered about Vault-Tec’s presence in Florida. There wasn’t much data she could find on it, including what Vaults were being constructed. Even with the troubles between federal and state, surely a high-population, prominent state like Florida would have some Vaults hidden somewhere, right?

There was one old citizen, who said he was in his 80s, that did talk to Mariah and Valentina about the Old World. The words “Old Guard” and “Enclave” did not mean anything to him, but upon hearing their supposed ties to the Pre-War governments, he symbolically spat upon the name of the latter. “I don’t know about these Old Guard folk,” the old man said in a gravelly voice, “but if them Enclave are the federal government, then to hell with ‘em. No respect for state or local sovereignty. Hope they get what’s a-coming to them.” He then regaled Mariah and Valentina with several stories about the rivalry between the groups’ predecessors. Tensions were so bad that some in the Florida state government advocated for secession well before the Great War. While the U.S. fought with China, Florida smostly dealt with a Cuban government that allied with the reds, which the U.S. ostensibly was content to leave Florida alone on. The old man even claimed to be involved in a “Second Cuban Missile Crisis,” the importance of which was lost on Mariah and Valentina. Other transgressions that the federal government were guilty of, at least according to him, dealt with a “New Plague,” secret biochemical experiments, and more.

The amount of information the old man recited made the two ladies’ heads spin. They couldn’t keep track of it all. What could be gathered could be useful in the long run, perhaps, but it did not seem like they were demonstrably closer to understanding this Old Guard and Enclave. Valentina suggested that, if they were to finally meet Langston tonight, that maybe he would know something. It seemed to be a longshot since they had little idea who Langston was supposed to be, but Valentina called it a hunch. “Couldn’t hurt to ask, right?” Valentina shrugged.



Mariah and Valentina met with Sergeant Waller and Commander Callahan at the appointed time. A group of 16 other officers were accompanying them, much more than the handful that Waller suggested it would be, and 12 of which would stay on the outskirts of the district in case backup was needed. Waller wasn’t quite throwing everything but the kitchen sink at this situation, but the GCU presence made it clear how little he trusted the ghouls with this meeting.

As the crew came through the district, with Mariah and Valentina following the instructions laid out by H, the residents of the district became quickly aware of their presence. Many of them would get quieter or stiffen with apprehension as the soldiers came by, and it was not just the majority-ghoul community. The humans were just as suspicious of the military and the city guard. Waller and Callahan didn’t seem to be aware of the sentiment, or perhaps they chose to ignore it. Mariah, and even Valentina, did not like how the two commanding officers approached the overall issue, but they kept their objections between each other.

They soon came to the cul-de-sac that H had talked about. Some of the houses were of a standard Pre-War model in style and size, remnants of the old American suburban image, but rundown and in the process of being restored by some of the residents. Other tenants had set up wooden and metal shacks right next to the houses. When they came to the communal area where a group of ghouls and a few humans were eating, the locals were almost completely silent at the GCU presence.

Mariah and Valentina decided that the former would say the passphrase H gave them. Mariah stepped into the middle of the commune as some of the people eyed her warily. It was a very awkward moment. “Uh . . .” Mariah stuttered nervously in front of the strangers. Without any sort of lead in, she said, “Quiet waters . . . mask the dangers hiding underneath?” with an inquisitive inflection at the end. Besides the obvious oddity of the situation, Mariah felt the phrase was strange with a pseudointellectual quality when it came out of her mouth. In what world would something like that naturally come out of my mouth? Mariah thought.

Perhaps the locals thought something similar. In any case, it changed the mood. Instead of the hushed atmosphere, some of the residents returned to talking to each other in a low register. Soon after, another ghoul walked toward Mariah and Valentina while looking at the other GCU soldiers nervously. “You must be the two that our mutual friend told us about?” She said sheepishly.

Mariah nodded. “I assume so. H said that he had some information for us. I take it you will take us to meet . . . well, whoever it is we are supposed to meet.”

“Yes, but we . . . don’t have room for all your friends in the house. Is there a way they can stay outside?”

Sergeant Waller walked up as Mariah and Valentina looked to him, both unsure of how to answer. “I’m Sergeant Waller,” he introduced himself to the ghoul gruffly. “This is Commander Callahan to my right. I won’t ask you to take in everyone here, but the Commander and I will be going inside with the two of them. I urge your cooperation in this matter.” For Waller, ‘urging’ was more of a demand. The ghoul got the picture.

“Oh, uh . . . of . . . of course,” the ghoul replied slowly and nervously. Waller ordered the rest of the GCU squad to stay guard outside of the house the ghoul was taking them to. He was making it clear to the community that he was not messing around. The residents would keep to themselves as the GCU soldiers stood on watch.

Mariah, Valentina, Waller, and Callahan followed the ghoul into a two-story, faded-green house. The inside still had some restorative work that needed to be done, but it looked to have come a long way from whatever its previous state was. The ghoul lady invited them to take seats in the living room at the front of the house. Mariah and Valentina sat together on a couch while Waller and Callahan took their own leather-backed single seats. The ghoul excused herself, saying that she would return shortly and asked if they wanted any refreshments, but everyone declined. Waller and Callahan were leaning forward in their chairs with their right hands on their handgun holsters, waiting for some sort of ambush.

No ambush came. After a minute or two, the ghoul lady returned with another guest. “This man is much better suited to answering your questions.” Mariah and Valentina recognized that it was H, even though he was wearing different clothing from before.

“H? Is that you?” Mariah asked, surprised. She did not expect to see him again.

“Hello again,” he replied cordially. He had on a different outfit this time, a plain white, dirty lab coat. The label near to his left shoulder had some letters forcibly taken of, but it was clear that it once read ‘New State of Florida.’ “Yes, it is me. But also, no.”

“Huh?”

“H is just a random letter I came up with in the attempt to stay undercover until the right time. Nobody calls me that.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “My real name is Dr. Vernon Langston.”

Posted by: Renee Feb 8 2021, 03:25 PM

They order purified water in the beginning. That would be interesting. In our world if we're in restaurant, we simply order "water". But I guess in their world they have to differentiate between purified and dirty.

Their opening conversation (full of talk of S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes) had me giggling! Radfrog omelette ... yicch!

Lol, Mayor Treadwell is reading like somebody really old-fashioned, like a cross between Thurston Howell the Third, and that guy on the Monopoly box. Southern drawling accent, for sure. But he does come across as suspicious. Or... something going on there.

And H the Ghoul is really mysterious. Indeed, how does he know so much information about the two ladies?

I like that it says this. Helps me to understand all these factions a little more.

Those final scenes are tense. I kinda suspected that H could be Langston. Goodness, this is confusing (in a good way)!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Mar 4 2021, 04:07 AM

I'm debating whether it is better to break these posts up further due to the long length of time in between them. Now I've got a much bigger project in the works (I'm trying to keep it under wraps for now) that is not simply just something I do in my free time. I might break up chapters into two parts for now, even though it would be kind of awkward transitioning. I really want to keep this going, but other things keep getting in the way. The posts themselves would get shorter, so it'd probably be easier to read.

For those who are reading this story, do you have any thoughts you want to share about this idea?

Posted by: SubRosa Mar 4 2021, 05:23 AM

Acadian, myself, and others learned a long time back that smaller chunks are more easily digestible. That is why we tend to try to keep our story posts to 1,000 words. The Stormcrow fic has had such a high word count that I tend to post it in the 2k range. Once and a great while 3k. But only if I have a single scene that takes up that whole space.

Posted by: Renee Mar 4 2021, 02:01 PM

I was going to suggest you make them shorter last reading, so yes, break them up.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Mar 4 2021, 03:07 PM

I agree. Then it is settled. I'll break them up into multiple parts from here on out, though they will still probably be a bit longer than what SubRosa normally does. I'll label them "15.1," "15.2," and so on, with "End of chapter" when appropriate. This will be a lot easier for all of us--those who read it won't be inundated with giant blocks of text that really stretch the browser page's length and can follow more easily, and I can get content out more easily and put less pressure on myself.

Chapter 15.1 should be coming up in the next couple of hours or so.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Mar 4 2021, 05:19 PM

Chapter 15: Capital Issues

Mariah and Valentina displayed shocked looks on their faces when Langston revealed himself. Callahan was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed with one eyebrow raised up at the surprise. But Waller’s expression was still unamused and irritated. If anything, his eyebrows furrowed even more. He still had one forearm resting on one leg and the opposite hand pushing down on the other leg.

“I apologize for the subterfuge,” Langston continued. “I am not fond of run-arounds. I do not normally act or talk like I have been. But I hope you will understand—"

“So you’re the son of a b---- we’ve been looking for?” Waller said, cutting off Langston. “Do you realize how much trouble you have been causing?” Mariah’s heart sank at how quickly the situation was turning sour.

“I can imagine, but I can explain why I am here,” Langston said, trying to be somewhat diplomatic.

“Oh, you better,” Waller quickly retorted. “You have 15 seconds to explain why I shouldn’t just haul you off to a cell for all of this nonsense.”

“It’s going to take a lot longer than that, but I can tell you all about what exactly is going on in Tallahassee—Old Tallahassee, as you call it—and why it needs to be stopped. I’ll even inform you all about who the Old Guard and Enclave are. Things I know are causing this GCU of yours trouble and that you know little about.” Langston’s raspy voice became sterner.

Waller sat up in his chair, mouth clenched shut as his anger simmered. While the antagonism didn’t relent, he leaned back in his chair and gave Langston a chance to air what he had to say. “Fine. I hope you have some useful intel. For your sake.”

“I do. Trust me, I’m on your side here. I do not have any love for the Old Guard, Enclave, or ‘Governor’ Davidson’s regime. Not in the slightest.”

“’Governor’ Davidson?” Mariah asked.

“Right, sorry. I have to remember that none of you have any idea what occurs in that city.” Langston took a deep breath and cleared his throat. It was clear a long-winded explanation of the entire situation was coming. “Within the past few years, a large migration of people—mostly ghouls, but there were some regular humans—from elsewhere in Florida and further north into Georgia started to file into the old city. The man who headed up this exodus is named Ezra Davidson, who I was just referring to. He was already a ghoul long before then, and both he and I were alive well before the Bombs. He used anti-ghoul sentiments to his advantage, preying upon their feelings of being outcasts. And he did the same thing with the humans that came to his fold. Humans who felt thrown away by other societies, uncared for, or had nowhere else to go.

“Davidson was a state senator from around these parts, so he knew this area incredibly well. To clarify, in the Pre-War U.S., there was a federal government, a regional ‘Commonwealth’ government, and a state government along with various local governments. He was a state-level official, and he had gubernatorial ambitions. He felt downright entitled to it. The Great War torched any sort of chance he may have had, but he had deluded himself into thinking that he was going to usher in a golden age of sorts for the state of Florida, and he was one of many officials who advocated for seceding from the United States. Various political disputes with the federal government led to similar . . . uprisings elsewhere in the country, such as the Free States in Appalachia where West Virginia used to be. But there was nothing to the scale of what Floridian officials were doing. And those officials were the forerunners of what is now called the Old Guard.”

“And how exactly do you know all this?” Callahan questioned Langston, still on the fence about trusting him. “How are you privy to what the Old Guard is about?”

“It’s an awful lot to just conjure out of thin air, don’t you think?” Langston responded with a subtle amount of irritation in his voice. “I know a lot of things about the Old Guard because I was one of the Old Guard.” Silence fell across the room at his admission. Waller was glaring at Langston. “Emphasis on the word ‘was,’ Sergeant,” Langston said, directed at Waller. “I bought into all that bull---- a long time ago. But that was over 50 years ago. The Old World is gone and so is my old self. There’s no reason to hold onto those grudges anymore, and I saw both the federal and state governments for who they really were, eventually. They share blame for many problems in this state.”

“What caused you to leave?” Waller asked. He had relaxed slightly from a moment ago, though he was still tense. “And if the Old Guard want to get into Old Tally, why wouldn’t this Ezra Davidson let them in? Is he on the outs with them too?”

“Yes, both Ezra and I left them. There had already been rifts forming between him and many of the other officials about the direction of the organization, and his ambitions of being the head government official of Florida still burned vigorously. A great, bloody schism ensued, and he took many of his loyalists with him. I had originally been on his side, but it took me some time to finally wake up and realize just how insane he was. The first chance I got after that is when I departed.”

“And how did Davidson take that?” Valentina chimed in. She was interested in the story beyond just this investigation.

“Not well,” Langston said, scoffing at the non-present Davidson. “He is not a man who takes any sort of slight, real and perceived, without responding to it. And if I were a lower rung on the ladder, Ezra would have had no qualms about having me killed. But he could not do that because he needs me. So, when he found me again, he essentially conscripted me into his service.”

“And what is it he needs you for?” Waller asked, surprisingly with little spite this time. “I guess you’re a scientist of some sort based on your lab coat. What is it that you do?”

“Ezra is a crazy son of a b----, but he is still a brilliant man. Yet he cannot do everything on his own. He’s particularly talented with all things robotics, and that is also one of my strong suits. Ezra was heavily involved in creating Pre-War automatons in this region, especially for Tallahassee, and he is attempting to resurrect many of these projects. That is far too much work for any one person, so he needs me for a lot of it. And he is trying to uncover all sorts of secrets still buried deep in Tallahassee, which he needs me for to have any hope of succeeding. Davidson truly believes that he can rebuild this area—this state—to what it once was and to even greater heights. It is never going to be what he idealized anymore, but it is a lost cause that he cannot accept. But,” Langston pointed his index finger upward for emphasis, “He is still a dangerous man that can shape much of Florida to what he wants it to be if he gets the chance. And that is something that directly impacts this GCU of yours.”

“And what kind of secrets are we talking about?”

“There are a lot of things that you would not believe, even with all the other crazy things you have seen in the wasteland. Secret biological experiments performed by the Old Guard, attempts at sabotage by the Enclave, weapons schematics, and plenty more projects of which many records have been destroyed or lost. The passage of time has contributed significantly to that. Many of these are things even I do not fully know about. Yet there is perhaps one matter that is most important to him . . .” Langston said, pausing for dramatic effect. “. . . a Vault.” Everyone in the room perked up when he said the word.

“A Vault? As in a Vault-Tec Vault?” Mariah said, making no attempt to hide her intrigue. She had heard plenty about them in her travels, but she had never set her eyes upon one for herself.

“Indeed.” Langston nodded. “Vault 100, to be specific. It is . . . one of the few things he wants of which I am not sure why. But there is evidently something in it that he wants.”

“So, when Mariah and I were trying to find some information on the Old Guard and Enclave on our own, we found a lot of sources that talked about the state and federal governments being at each other’s throats, including national companies busting into the economy down here.” Valentina asked. “But it didn’t seem like Vault-Tec had any sort of issue like that. Did they not have any sort of competition or resistance to their presence in Florida?”

“No.” Langston shook his head. “Vault-Tec was immune to the disputes between the state and national stages. There was no one else like them. There were certainly some small-scale companies that made some personal bunkers for Floridians, and sometimes people made their own bunkers. Yet they were nothing remotely comparable to the capabilities and resources of Vault-Tec. Despite the political climate, everyone still wanted and needed the services of that corporation.”

“So, there is a Vault here!” Mariah said excitedly. “I have always wanted to see one! Where is it?” Waller was not pleased at her enthusiasm, but Mariah was too focused on possibly seeing a Vault to notice.

“Therein lies the issue: We don’t know. It has been over half-a-century since that happened and the information has been evasive. And that’s why Ezra needs me. But there is still a lot he can do on his own, and that spells immediate trouble for all of us. All of these refugees coming into the city? Most of them are from what you call ‘Old’ Tallahassee. Despite your treatment of us, people would rather take their chances here than in that prison of a city. It was billed as a haven for the outcast ghouls and humans that came there, but many found out the truth. It was all a farce, even though Davidson is also a ghoul and a pariah in his own right. He has his own plans.”

“I don’t take kindly to your characterization of how we operate, Langston.” Waller said, getting annoyed again. “We do not single out people here. We are here to keep the peace, and many of these expats here have disturbed that. And we stop the longer-residing citizens as soon as they get out of line, too.”

“And I do not take kindly to your refusal to be introspective about how your GCU and city guard operates here,” Langston shot back, his raspy voice hitting a lower tone. He was losing patience. “In your attempts to ‘keep the peace,’ your actions have only caused more unrest.”

Waller stood up quickly and jabbed his finger in Langston’s direction. “The city guard is separate from my forces. Any problems you have, you can take it up with the lousy excuse of a mayor that this city has.” It was the first time that Mariah and Valentina heard an explicit opinion of the chief executive of the city come straight from the sergeant’s mouth. “We do our jobs at the GCU. Mayor Treadwell exhibits nothing but incompetence.”

“I am no more thrilled about this situation than you are, sergeant,” Langston said angrily. “I would argue I am even less so. Yet the fact of the matter is that we need each other to resolve the problem that Ezra, the Old Guard, and the Enclave pose. You and your GCU need my allies and I. We need all of you as well. We went to Mariah and Valentina here because we know where their hearts and minds are at. Maybe you and the rest of the GCU leadership could take a damn page out of their playbooks for once.”

“These two young women are very fine agents,” Waller yelled at Langston, pointing to Mariah and Valentina. “But we also know damn well what we are doing! Maybe we’d more trusting of you and your cohorts if you came directly to us instead of operating in the shadows!”

The next few moments were filled with Langston and Waller trying to talk over each other. Mariah couldn’t handle it anymore. “Sergeant! Dr. Langston! Please stop!” Mariah yelled. The two of them stopped talking and looked in her direction. Waller was not pleased at what he saw as insubordination and talking out of turn. “Please, Sergeant Waller,” she continued. “He’s right. We need each other to take these guys out. There are too many of them to take on alone. We need all the allies we can get.” Mariah took a deep breath. “Dr. Langston, what about the Enclave then? I get the whole state versus federal thing, but how do you know about the Enclave specifically?”

Langston nodded his head in her direction. “I knew we could count on you and Ms. Valentina here to understand. If the Old Guard are the remnants of the ‘shadow government’ of Florida, then the Enclave is that of the U.S. in Washington, D.C. Countless attempts at sabotage and subterfuge Pre-War made both sides aware of the other’s existence. Some of those operations would come into the public light, but civilians and even other government officials were not aware of the respective organizations that would become the Enclave and the Old Guard. Relatively few officials and political players in Florida were part of the Old Guard, and the same goes for those in D.C. and the Enclave. But those who were members were the puppet-masters of everything.” Langston stopped what he was going to say next, changing course to a different topic. “A truly in-depth examination of either group would take far too much time that we do not possess. Time is of the essence. I can tell you more when the time comes up, but we need to begin plans of how we are going to defeat Ezra and his minions. They are currently the biggest threat. Then we can formulate how to defeat the Old Guard and the Enclave.”

Waller grudgingly acknowledged that Mariah had been right to ease tensions in the room, though he did not vocalize it. “Okay, Dr. Langston. Then how do we do that? The city seems to be locked down pretty tight, though you apparently escaped with others. I’m sure that we will need to get in there.”

“You are correct,” Langston nodded. “Both you and I will need to gather some allies to fully discuss what must be done. Take this.” Langston handed the sergeant a stack of papers bound together. “This will explain the inner workings of the city, of Ezra, the Old Guard, the Enclave, and more. I was able to smuggle out some of the New State of Florida’s official documents, but I know of a place where I can retrieve more. When you internalize the information, we can formulate a course of action.”

Waller stood there looking at the stack of papers as he took them from Langston, barely acknowledging that he heard him. He addressed Langston again after a moment of silence. “Alright, Langston. We will look this over in the meantime. Meet us at our station tomorrow, early in the afternoon. Make it 2:00 PM. I’m sure we’ll have something figured out then.”

“As you wish.” Langston replied. He turned to Mariah and Valentina. “And I cannot thank the two of you enough for this. When this situation is resolved, I will repay my debt to you in some fashion.”

“It’s what we’re here for,” Valentina said with a bright smile. “We want to end this problem just as much as you do.”

“Although payment wouldn’t hurt,” Mariah said jokingly. Waller conspicuously cleared his throat to indicate that it was time to go that instant. He was still not pleased with the fact that Langston had gone directly to low-ranking agents of the GCU instead of him. Mariah and Valentina got the not-so-subtle hint and followed him out the door.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Mar 7 2021, 06:49 PM

As Mariah, Valentina, Waller, and Callahan stepped outside, they could hear a commotion right near where the GCU soldiers that accompanied them were ordered by Waller to wait. But their opponents were not residents of the district, as Waller and Callahan initially expected—it was some of the city guards. A shoving match ensued between them as well as some choice words, though it had not quite come to blows yet. It was the first blatant demonstration to Mariah and Valentina of how the rivalry between the city government and the greater GCU extended beyond just the grudge between Mayor Treadwell and the duo of Walker and Callahan.

“Hey!” Waller shouted, power-walking over to the scuffle. Residents of the district watched quietly and nervously as the tensions simmered. “What the f--- do you wannabe bada---s think you are doing to my crew?” The question was directed at those city guards. Waller got right up in front of a couple of the city guards’ faces, looking like he was spoiling for a fight himself.

“What a surprise, Mr. Big D--- is interfering with city affairs again,” one of them said, stepping out to ‘greet’ Waller. His distinctive uniform compared to the rest of the city guard already made it clear that he was at least the leader this outfit, and the badge signifying ‘Captain’ evidenced that he oversaw the entire law enforcement arm of New Tallahassee. Their confrontation prompted the GCU and city parties to stop their own altercation and focus on the two leaders. “Always with the tough guy act, desperately trying to compensate for his tiny p----.”

“Gibson, you’re lucky I don’t rip your Godd--- face off,” Waller growled. “You can’t keep the order in your own city, so we have to do it for you.”

“And what a swimming job you are doing of it!” Gibson shot back, extending his arms and looking around to indicate he was referring to the recent events in New Tally. “You have always been so full of s---, Waller. We were doing just fine until you showed up acting like you owned the damn place.”

“In case you forgot, lowly city captain, I’m a Godd--- sergeant of the GCU military,” Waller said. While he was grumpy the whole night, he was really fired up now. “I don’t answer to you. Unlike you, I actually demonstrated some competence to get to where I am.”

“Yeah? Is that why the GCU can barely keep the peace within its borders?” Gibson retorted. “All these outside organizations running rampant in these lands and you want to talk competence? You mistake failing upward for being successful. You’re always escaping responsibility. Tell me, how many jockstraps did you have to sniff to get where you are now?” Mariah and Valentina were shocked at the language the two officials so brazenly leveled at each other in public. Gibson noticed the two of them standing there. “Great, did you brainwash more people into your little personality cult?”

“Isn’t it your daily ritual to go f--- yourself at this time?” Waller got right into Gibson’s face, ignoring his question. There was little room left to get closer. “Or was that hourly? Probably the latter since you’re never doing your job.”

“You’re all flash and talk, little man.” Gibson was not referring to Waller’s height—both were around six feet and two inches tall. Neither man was intimidated by the other. “All words because you have nothing else noteworthy about you. And when you inevitably fail again, who is going to take the fall for you this time? Hmm? These two lovely women here?” Gibson pointed to Mariah and Valentina. They were still standing there with their mouths open, dumbfounded at what was transpiring in front of them. “I’m sorry you have to see this, ladies. Your commanding officer here is a snake, so you better watch yourselves for when he turns to bite you instead. ‘Responsibility’ is not in his vocabulary.”

“You want some ‘fancy’ words, hotshot?!” Waller snapped. “How’s this? Your constant references to size are what is called ‘projection.’ You always felt the need to compare yourself to me.”

“Ha! Believe what you want, Waller. And your comebacks are as bad as your leadership capability. Now, why don’t you run back to that mutual brown-nosing fest of yours at the GCU station? We have jobs to do.”

“Already did my job here, Gibby. Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you don’t like that nickname,” Waller said sarcastically.

“Case in point about your comebacks,” Gibson said, though his face betrayed the fact that ‘Gibby’ really did bother him as a nickname. “Actually, that’s the one thing that is worse than your ability to lead. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have some work to take care of.”

“Work that I’m sure we will have to take care of for you later,” Waller replied. They were already walking away from each other with their respective squads in tow, but they still faced each other to trade some more verbal blows.

“Your work is too hard for you, so you try to claim credit for that of other people. So pathetic. Until next time, Waller.” Gibson said, ending their exchange. He and Waller flipped each other two middle fingers and finally went their separate ways.

Mariah and Valentina had no words, only able to look at each other with their mouth opens as if to ask each other if that really did just happen. Even if they did have something to say, Waller’s temper at the moment made them very reluctant to do so. The entire squad walked in silence toward the main gate into the district. It was amazing that the confrontation did not turn into an all-out brawl.

When they were back in the main part of the city, Waller finally spoke up again, first toward the other GCU soldiers. “See you in the morning, people. Go about your regularly scheduled duties.” Now it was time for him to address the other three. “Mariah and Valentina, come in tomorrow morning so we can go over the next plan of action with you and prepare for the meeting with Langston in the afternoon. Things are going to start moving very quickly. Commander Callahan, come with me to the station so we can look over what Langston just gave us.”

“Yes, sir.” Callahan replied. He had been quiet for almost the whole night. “Have a good night, ladies.”

“You too,” they muttered back and departed in the other direction.

As they walked toward the room they were given to stay in during their time in New Tallahassee, Mariah and Valentina were initially quiet. What could you really say after that incident? It took a minute before Mariah was the one to break the ice. “Well, that was . . . something.”

“Yeah,” Valentina said, relieved that Mariah was the first to say something. “Things are worse here than we thought. I’m really worried, Mariah. We have at least three outside organizations to deal with in this region, but it feels like we are on the verge of destroying ourselves. How are we supposed to defeat the New State of Florida, or the Old Guard, or the Enclave, or even resolve the ghoul situation if the GCU and the city government are openly at each other’s throats?”

“We’ll figure it out, Val,” Mariah assured her, though even she had trouble believing her own words. “We have to.”

“You know, I’m really glad I did not have to come here on my own. This already feels overwhelming. I just hope that Dr. Langston knows what he is doing. This New State of Florida appears to have far more resources at its disposal than the Brotherhood or the Dissidents could have ever hoped to have.”

“But they haven’t faced the dynamic duo of Mariah and Valentina before!” Mariah said, lightly and playfully punching Valentina’s right arm.

“Heh. I guess you’re right.” Valentina chuckled, flashing her pretty smile. They gave each other a side hug. “Come on. It’s time to go get some shut-eye. I imagine we have a big day ahead of us.”

***End of Chapter***

Posted by: Renee Mar 8 2021, 05:33 PM

15.1 Ah-ha, so Langston the Ghoul was once a part of this Old Guard, which is causing all sorts of havoc and confusion among the upper management of GCU. I would pay a dollar just to hear how a ghoul pronounces the word 'schism' by the way.

That part about Vault-Tec being allowed to do what they do without resistance from politicians or governments is interesting. And just in general, there are a lot of directions their discussion is going. I may have to backtrack to the previous battle in fact, just so I remember how Langston fits in (because my memory sucks) so I'll do that then finish 15.2 later.

15.2 Wow, these folks really hate each other!

Off-topic, but I think some of the bleeps might be okay, right? Like goddamn should be okay, can one of the moderators chime in on this? I'm just asking because in my own stories it seems like I've had characters say goddamn or badass. Only the actual four-letter words should be bleepable, right? I would say the B word has its place on the *BLEEP* list here and there, other times it might be okay? Depends, I guess. Hmm.

Well I guess it depends on what I'd accept my teenager reading, maybe even saying occasionally. I don't want to hear her saying four-letter words in my presence. There are times when goddamn or ass might be okay. Depends, I guess.

Posted by: Renee May 21 2021, 05:01 PM

Please continue this.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk May 23 2021, 04:54 AM

I'm glad that you are still invested in this. I hadn't really had the time to write more, but I just returned to doing some tonight. Perhaps I should give it a bit more time before posting, but I feel fairly confident that it is satisfactory. Plans for this chapter and the rest of Part 2 have still been stewing in my head for quite a while.

So, without further ado, we begin Chapter 16.

Chapter 16.1

The morning sun was considerate enough to not beat down the land with searing heat. There was a light breeze in the air. In Pre-War Florida, this was about the time of year where there could start being legitimately cool, even cold, days. Apparently, even the Post-War weather, irrevocably altered by the bombs, could be at a reasonable temperature at times. Whatever was in store today, at least Mariah and Valentina would not have to worry about passing out.

The two women stepped into the GCU station and found that Langston was already there with Waller and Callahan, despite originally being scheduled to come in the afternoon. As if he could read their minds, Langston answered their questions before they could even ask them. “Change in plans, you two,” he said in a gravelly voice typical of ghouls. “The Sergeant and I decided that it was best to just proceed with our plans as soon as possible.”

“And what exactly are those plans?” Mariah asked. She did not expect that a course of action would already be mapped out.

“Langston says there is an old, isolated facility that he used to escape Old Tally,” Waller replied. “Based on what he has told us and some of the documents he was be able to smuggle out, there is a giant network of tunnels that the Old Guard had constructed beneath the city and the surrounding lands before the War. How they managed that is beyond me, but that is what we are dealing with.”

“A considerable number of sinkholes cropped up in this region of the wastes,” Langston added. “The bombs that dropped in this area hit with such significant force that they were forced open. Sinkholes posed a serious problem even across Pre-War Florida and the bombs exacerbated the issue. Some survivors believe that the U.S. government itself may have bombed the state capital when it was clear that China and every other nuclear power were unleashing their atomic arsenal.”

“Oh my God,” Valentina said, horrified. “Why would the U.S. do that to their own people?”

“You must remember, Val, that these two governments loathed each other with every fiber of their being.” Langston said, shaking his head. “Hatred can drive human beings to commit the most heinous atrocities, even to those who are supposed to be fellow citizens. The most hateful people can massacre each other simply out of spite. If it were not for China, Florida and D.C. would potentially have been the most bitter rivalry in the world. Hence, the Old Guard and Enclave still continue this bloody feud over a half-century later.”

“But if the Enclave was the federal government, why do they care so much about Florida?” Mariah asked. “I would think they have interests throughout what used to be the United States, right? Why here? Is it really all about spite and old grudges?”

“I highly doubt it,” Langston said. “These are two groups that hold grudges better than almost anyone else, but the Enclave would not send some of their forces down here if there were not more to the story. They do not possess that many resources. I have enough insight about them to know they are going to be aware of some of the technology that was in Florida and actively looking for it. Florida was a hotbed of scientific discovery and advancement from medicine to astronomy to biology and so on. It is the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone—they can claim potent Pre-War tech while simultaneously thwarting those who are currently their most bitter enemies. That is more than enough incentive for the Enclave to get involved here.”

“You think they know about Vault 100?”

“I am positive they have some information on it. Vault-Tec was in bed with the federal government, though do not assume that meant they were completely opposed to working with the state government. Vault-Tec was too important economically and politically for D.C. to punish them for working with Florida to some extent. So, the Old Guard will have some level of awareness about it, too.”

“Then why has neither of them already found the Vault?” Valentina asked. “And why do they not know more about Old Tally now?”

“The all-encompassing destruction of the Great War,” Langston sighed, as if vividly remembering the hours when the bombs dropped. “Countless people died, including many of those who would have close knowledge about the Vaults. Many of the databases of the world were lost or destroyed, so any that have survived have to be recovered. That includes data on the Vaults. And many decades have passed, which inevitably leads to a loss of records because they were not maintained.”

Sergeant Waller had been audibly tapping his foot, waiting for their conversation to finish. He finally interrupted, speaking with more than a hint of annoyance. Perhaps there was still a bit of seething from last night’s encounter with Captain Gibson. “Okay, folks, let’s save the chit-chat for the trip. Time is of the essence here. Langston is going to bring us to this facility we talked about earlier and we need to get moving as soon as possible. He says that there is more critical data there that he could not bring back or does not know about.”

“Ah, yes, of course.” Langston replied. “Indeed, we must commence the journey. I could only carry so much, and I did not have any more holotapes or room in my folders to take some of the data with me. Some of the facility’s data I do not even know about. It could potentially enlighten us more about Ezra’s goals. Perhaps it could tell us more about what the Old Guard and Enclave are looking for as well. There are many secrets buried beneath the landscape. Some of them living.”

“Huh?” Mariah said with a puzzled look. “Living? Like what?”

“I . . . I do not know.” It was the first time that the group had seen Langston seem dumbfounded. “There were beasts that I have never encountered previously. I may have been Old Guard at one point, but I was not privy to all their experiments and projects. They are not your average monstrosity that you have confronted in these wastes. I had no chance against them and was fortunate to escape with my life. Be prepared for what is to come.”

“That is why we are taking an entire squad with us,” Sergeant Waller said. “About 25 people. We don’t know what else we will meet face-to-face with on the way there. But we’re by no means taking a whole army with us. Commander Callahan, you hold down the fort in this city until we return.”

“Yes, sir.” Callahan said, saluting. “Good luck, people. Stay safe.” He then left the room.

“Worse than Radfrogs, Radtoads, and Sirens?” Mariah quipped dismissively, though beneath her confidence there was a bit of trepidation at the unknown. “I have seen some pretty nasty wildlife already.” Valentina looked at her quizzically, then shook her head. Mariah looked back at her. “What?”

“I don’t know if you are just psyching yourself up, Mariah, but you’re reverting back to your not-taking-danger-seriously self. That has already gotten you into trouble many times.” Valentina replied. “And did you forget that dreadnaught we saw at Tyndall? Chief White-Feather had to kill it with a Fat Man, for goodness’ sake!” Mariah felt a bit embarrassed. She knew that Valentina was right about the attitude.

Waller was unamused by Mariah’s bravado. “You have not seen anything yet if that is all you can refer to. I don’t know what awaits us in this facility, but there are plenty more horrors than you have seen in these wastes. And if these really aren’t anything like what is on the surface, like Langston says, then we are in for a wild ride. Time to round up the troops and be on our way. The facility is somewhat close to Old Tally where you can see the old city, but they should not be able to spot us. Now, enough talk. Grab some Stimpaks and ammo. We can discuss more of the plan on the way.”

Posted by: Renee May 25 2021, 01:05 PM

Ah that's right. Y'all have sinkholes down in Florida. We've heard about them up here. Like, an entire section of road or somebody's pool will just go underground one day. *sweoop!*

Yes it does not matter the era or the place, humans always hold grudges. Look at what's going on in the Middle East lately... all of that began two generations ago. Still, that's pretty shocking the Enclave would bomb what is basically their own territory.

My work shift begins. Let me finish this later...

Yes, there could be all sorts of new monsters down below as they head toward Vault 100. Who knows what new species could be around, right?

I agree with Val, Mariah should just stay home. But she won't! We all know she won't.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk May 29 2021, 08:42 PM

I have, fortunately, not had to witness a sinkhole as it was happening, but I have seen them after the fact. People have gotten sucked in and are never seen again. Pretty scary stuff.

Human nature is something I am trying to explore in-depth with this story, in what I hope are unique ways, so always be on the lookout for that.

They are not heading down to Vault 100 yet, though. They do not know where it is. But they may find something about it soon.

The real-life wildlife in Florida helps make for a creative, interesting bestiary. I am a big fan of when there is a varied, well-realized bestiary in games.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVu3qlU22qc

The outer limits of the Pre-War capital city was visible in the distance. It was not only Mariah and Valentina’s first time seeing Old Tallahassee. Some of the 25 other soldiers in tow had not previously laid eyes on it either. They all marveled at what they saw. It was not particularly pretty—though it did not look ugly either—but even as far away as they were, some of the city’s impressiveness could be seen. For one, it no longer looked like it took a nuke straight to the face. Mariah was used to seeing bigger cities as either complete skeletons, devoid of any civilized societies, or reinhabited but mere shadows of their former selves. Old Tally was not pristine by any means, but its current aesthetic was commendable, all things considered.

How much had been rebuilt was quite remarkable. It was not quite back to Langston’s depiction of the city as one of the fertile grounds of Pre-War scientific progress—not from what their unit could see, at least—but the buildings looked to be in comparatively good shape to most other Post-War cities. One of them especially stood out, though, noticeably taller than the rest of its neighbors. Perhaps symbolically, it looked to be roughly in the center of the old city.

“Wow,” Mariah said as they kept walking, dragging out the end of the word. “This place got directly nuked? You can hardly tell.”

“That is mostly the handiwork of what is practically an army of automatons,” Langston said. “Some of them were somehow still running when we began to recolonize the city, though I would posit most were construction-oriented machines, programmed to make certain fixes in the event of destruction. They had just been going about their days as if nothing had happened to the city. Davidson and I led the project to reboot the rest of them. Many of our compatriots were experienced fighters who eliminated the oversized wildlife that sparsely populated the streets. And before you knew it, we had a legitimate, burgeoning society.”

“What about that tower in the middle?” Valentina asked. It was obvious which one she referred to. “Looks like that one got some special treatment.”

Langston gruffly scoffed. “Of course, it does. Davidson made sure to have his megalomaniacal, self-absorbed desires tended to, simply calling it ‘The Spire.’ It is what used to be the Florida Capitol Building, where the governor and the state legislature conducted business. The state supreme court was close by, and the preceding Capitol building was repurposed into a museum when the current iteration opened. There is a considerable amount of fascinating history to those places and a lot of others. Although . . .” he trailed off and sighed heavily. After a pause, he continued. “Not like any of that matters anymore. The world went to hell.” Something about these places clearly held some personal meaning to Langston, though nobody pressed him on it. Even Mariah’s inquisitive nature did not prompt her to ask him about any of it. It was best to leave the subject alone. For now, at least.

After about ten more minutes of mostly silently walking, Langston pointed directly ahead. “Over there.” While much of the foliage in close proximity to Old Tallahassee was still trying to grow back from the fallout, there were still many dense pockets of vegetation further away from it, as well as those sinkholes that Langston had talked about before. One such pocket conveniently covered up the facility that he was bringing them to. “In this vicinity. It will not look like much at first, merely pretending to be marginally more than a shed. Yet there is a substantial complex below.”

“So, what exactly are we going to find here?” Valentina asked. “What more do you have to show us?”

“I am not sure of all the contents,” Langston replied. “Ostensibly, Ezra does not even know that this place still exists. The passing of the decades wipes away many memories and traces of the past. Yet with Davidson resurrecting some Pre-War projects, we might be able to find more information on how they started, or what else goes on deep below the surface. Maybe even data on Vault 100. I will peruse any working terminals to see what I can find.”

“Val is really good with computers, too,” Mariah said. “I have seen it firsthand, and she can help—”

“That will not be necessary,” Langston cut her off. It was unusually abrupt from him.

“Why not?” Valentina said, struck by his reaction. “Do you think I cannot do it?”

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no,” Langston stuttered. His facial expression showed that he was scrambling for a response. “Nothing like that, it is just . . .”

“What are you trying to hide, Langston?” Sergeant Waller said, stopping the unit and turning to face the scientist. He was always looking for something to be suspicious about, whether it was warranted or not. “I swear, if you are trying to pull something, I’ll—”

“There is nothing sinister, I assure you,” Langston said, regaining his composure. “I have already told you about my past, so why would I hide anything else?” He cleared his throat, addressing Valentina. “Pardon me, Miss Val. I did not mean to call into question your talents, which I am sure are quite considerable. It is just that these are not going to be your average terminals. They are likely to have formidable security measures, possible setting off traps or feeding you false information. And as this is a former Old Guard depot, I will be the only one with insight as to how this place works. All I need is for all of you to clear out the fiends that inhabit this location, as I am of little help in a fight.”

Waller turned back toward their destination only about 50 yards ahead of them, still sneering at Langston as he did so. “Fine. Just tell us what needs to be done.”

“Of course. I need to operate that terminal next to this entrance first. I used it to close off access.” As Langston stepped up to the screen to type in the requisite password and command, he furrowed his brows. “What? That is preposterous, I did not . . .” He simply trailed off.

“Did not what? What is it, Dr. Langston?” Mariah asked worriedly.

A grave look fell over Langston’s face. “The security has been bypassed. The command prompts were already present. That means only one thing.”

“Somebody else is already here,” Waller said, snarling. “Godd--- it, Langston, what was the password you put in? ‘Password?’ ‘12345?’ I’ve once heard of an idiot who made that one his luggage code.”

“Save your pathetic attempts at humor,” Langston shot back, his facial expression changing from concern to frustration with Waller and the unknown intruders in the facility. “Nobody else is cognizant about this facility’s location.”

“And yet there is someone here. I will have your head for this if you have led us into a trap.”

“Your inflated sense of self-importance will cause your own head to explode before you could attempt that.” Langston got into Waller’s face this time.

Mariah and Valentina were nervous about getting in the middle of what seemed to be the prelude to a fist fight. Fortunately, one of the other GCU officers with them stepped in. “Sergeant! Doctor! Please! We are on the same team here! These trespassers could be just below us.”

Was Waller’s behavior so problematic that officials under him had to often plead with him to stop? Mariah thought to herself. How could this be the temperament of a commanding officer, to the point that a subordinate would have to brave the divide in military rank to beg him to stop? It was astonishing to her and Valentina that when they first met Waller in the Panhandle, there was nothing about him that signaled he would be quick to anger. It would not be the first time Mariah had seen someone show their true colors after first meeting them, however. She started to wonder if taking on this job was worth it.

For all his rage, Waller seemed to be able to be reasoned with, at least by somebody who had enough of a way with Speech. “Normally, I would say you are out of line, Officer Damon,” he replied to the man who tried to be diplomatic. “But you are right. Focus on the task at hand. Alright, people. We have a developing situation on our hands. We have unknown trespassers in this place, and we don’t know how many of them there are, so be on your guard at all times.” He started to direct them into a clear formation, putting Mariah and Valentina closer to the back end but still with several soldiers behind them. “Have your weapons at the ready. We are going in. The primary goal is to find whatever stuff it is that Langston here wants to retrieve. Tread carefully.”

As the door loudly creaked open, what was supposed to be a secret staircase was in the corner of the room. A secret drive on the terminal next to it was what had opened it. Whoever these intruders were, they certainly seemed to be quite adept at hacking, or at least someone among them was.

“No talking unless it is necessary. And if you do speak, keep your voice down,” Waller said. “We might be able to get the jump on these guys.”

As the crew descended into the facility’s depths, there was a feeling of oppression in the atmosphere. Maybe it was just because of what Langston told them, or the knowledge that someone else was here, or the fact that this facility was supposedly abandoned for about a half-century. Yet it felt like there was something more tangible in the air, almost like they could grasp the inevitability of conflict with whoever was already in this place. The unit carefully descended into the dimly lit corridors below.

Posted by: SubRosa May 30 2021, 05:54 AM

The plot certainly thickens as Langston spins his tale of new threats, and even a Vault! I wonder what secrets, or horrors, might lurk within Vault 100?

Plenty of conflict to go around here, along with plenty of factions, all with their own agendas. Mariah is going to have her hands full dealing with all these outsized personalities.

So it looks like Vault 100 is the going to be the nexus of this phase of the story. Everyone seems to want what is locked away there. Or at least what they think is in there.

Posted by: Renee May 30 2021, 04:11 PM

That's one of the cool things about writing fiction in our own regional area, we know what 'works' and what doesn't. For Vicious's tale here in Maryland / Virginia / D.C., this includes radcicadas. In real-life we are getting the 17-year cycle of these little beasts, which means there's this constant white noise going on at all times, assuming it's daylight. So I imagine it's the same way in the gameworld too, especially since it's late summer.

Whoa, that's crazy! So Old Tally was rebuilt by machines, basically. I suppose that's a good way to do it. Anybody wanting to colonize the area (any bad folks) are going to need dealing with bots then, who'd probably been programmed to eradicate any baddies, somehow.





I am guessing it's probably a bot, or bots, which are down there? Guess we'll find out.

Posted by: SubRosa May 31 2021, 08:51 AM

Back when I worked at EDS (when it was still a company), the default password they used to put on many of their servers was EDS123. Seriously. Sometimes for shits and giggles I would see how many servers I could log into with that. It turned out to be a lot of them.

*I write this now because the company is long gone, and that password is not going to work on any servers today.*

Posted by: Renee Jun 10 2021, 03:29 PM

EDS = Electronic Data Systems?

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 10 2021, 10:32 PM

That is the one. We used to call it Ed's. It was eventually bought by HP, who folded all of it assets, and the people they did not fire, directly into their own company.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 29 2021, 03:32 PM

Sorry for the delay. Lots of life stuff happening. But I've got the next part of Chapter 16 done! One more part to go before Chapter 17.

@Renee - Have you seen the movie Spaceballs? The "12345" bit was also a reference to one of the many funny scenes in the movie. This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6iW-8xPw3k

@SubRosa - LOL, that is astounding. You'd think a tech or tech-related company would know better than to do that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTqB3jhsL9A

While the corridors were not well-lit, it was not quiet in the facility. Audible machinery in the distance could be heard and several pipes were spewing steam. The first corridor was narrow for a group their size but walking down the steps led to three slightly larger hallways. Waller ushered about half the group—including Mariah, Valentina, and Langston—to come with him, putting Officer Damon in charge of the other group. Clearly, Damon was not some ordinary officer, but Waller had not mentioned what his title was at the end of his tirade with Langston. Several soldiers, including Damon, had two-way radios on hand in case of an emergency. Waller gestured a reminder to stay as quiet as possible, in case they could pre-emptively strike whoever was already here.

As Waller’s group walked down their hallway, a stairwell came up on their left. “I remember proceeding this way,” Langston whispered. “I specifically registered this orientation of the pipes as I ascended. Let us continue this direction. Be prepared for anything.”

“What can we expect here? You’ve been awfully cryptic about what is here,” Mariah muttered.

“Well, that depends in part on your knowledge of the state’s wildlife. The Old Guard were conducting experiments on various creatures before the war, and I recognized what some of them used to be. Their respective biological compositions have been altered, enhanced, in a controlled manner unlike most of what you see on the surface. That is mostly the work of radiation, though not always.”

“And you contributed to this?” Waller asked accusatorily. “This is the kind of thing you did for the Old Guard?”

“I will not profess to being guiltless, but I was not aware of what was occurring here when it happened,” Langston quickly defended himself. “I was not a high-ranking member or someone who participated in these experiments. My membership in the Guard long afterward, however, made me privy to some of it after the fact. There was an abundance of documentation.”

“So, what kind of creatures are we talking about?” Valentina asked. “Are they not native to these parts?”

“A few you may have seen in your travels, but yes, others do not come from around here. One of the monstrosities I recognized from reports: the Prowler.” Langston would silently gesture at the next direction to go, the group still walking cautiously in anticipation of the unknown entrants to the facility.

“Sounds overly menacing,” Mariah quipped. “What’s a Prowler?”

“They used to be what were known as Florida Panthers. They were an endangered species in the Pre-War, only found well into South Florida, but the status of the species overall is unknown. There are some Old Guard cells in that region, but we . . .” Langston cleared his throat again. “Pardon me, they, the division I was a member of, lost contact with those cells some time ago.”

“And a panther is. . .?” Mariah had never heard of any before.

“They’re basically big cats, Mariah,” Valentina said. “I’ve never seen one, but I’ve heard about them from well-traveled immigrants to the GCU. There were also a couple Pre-War books around with pictures of them. There were apparently conservation efforts underway to save them, and they mostly steered clear of humans, but they could certainly be dangerous like other big cats such as tigers and lions. I’m guessing they are much more so now, so don’t take any of them lightly.”

“Indeed,” Langston agreed. “Here. This is the lab where it all happened. At least in the case of the main trials.” The group stepped out into an expansive room with a bunch of different kinds of electronic and other scientific equipment. Much of it looked like it had not been touched in decades, while other parts looked recently examined or used. A large balcony room overlooking the lab, protected by bulletproof glass, sat high above them. For some reason, the lab was well-lit even though it seemed the rest of the place was barely illuminated.

Langston gestured towards some large, broken test tubes that apparently used to house the creatures. “The gallery of experiments also included ophidian creates—snakes—like Constrictors, which used to be Boa Constrictors, and the Burmese Python, an invasive species. Porcupines are not native to Florida, but a small population lived in zoos around the state. They naturally had sharp quills on their backs, and records nicknamed them “Quillbacks” as a result. If you do not know, zoos were Pre-War locations where families could go see animals in close proximity and learn about them, though the animals were usually caged.”

“I’ve heard of zoos in my travels before,” Mariah said. “I came through a town once that repurposed an old zoo. With the wildlife we have now, it’s hard to believe that that kind of thing existed. What else was here? Better yet, what were they even here for?”

“I believe it is best if I just show you. There are bound to be terminals and papers around here, though I suppose they will not make clear the reason everything here was happening.” Langston took a pause and then sighed. He started to type on one of the terminals. “The short version is that members and affiliates of the federal government had been conducting their own secret experiments on wildlife. A disease called the New Plague ravaged the country, and some time down the road, the true puppet masters behind the scenes created FEV, the Forced Evolutionary Virus. They were trying to create living bioweapons, “super soldiers” from human and animal alike. If you have ever heard of Deathclaws in your travels, they were partially the result of FEV.”

“Yeah, I have heard of them,” Mariah replied. She had heard stories about them throughout her travels, though how much of them were true she could not be sure. “Never met one before, which I guess is fortunate.”

“Most certainly, and even more fortunately, you will not find any in Florida. The Jackson’s Chameleon, the species from which Deathclaws originate, was never brought to the state according to intel. Yet we have worse things than those brutes: mutated crocodiles and alligators. Now, before we get too off-track, the Old Guard and what would become the Enclave possessed robust reconnaissance operations. When the damage in the relationship between the federal government and the state government, they employed spies and assassins against each other.

“The Old Guard, or at least what would become the Old Guard, had coincidentally been conducting similar studies of their own—as well as researching a potential new generation of weaponry—to stake their claim to independence from the United States and to decisively slaughter the forces of communist Cuba. While the U.S. and China, the two superpowers of the world when the Bombs dropped, were engaged in a never-ending struggle, Cuba was propped up by China to wage war against America on multiple fronts. It mostly just became Cuba versus Florida at that point, and that history . . . would take an incredibly long time to explain. Time we do not currently possess.”

Most of the unit that came with Waller heard some stories about the struggle between the United States and China and had a surface understanding of the clash between them, but not much had been concretely explained to them beyond some struggles known as the Resource Wars. Waller interjected during a pause in the conversation. “You sure know a lot about what was going on. You sure you’re not hiding anything about your involvement?”

“I have put all my cards on the table, Waller,” Langston said, irritated by Waller’s constant jabs. “And as I said, I had a considerable amount of intel to study after the fact. I was not with the Old Guard when they conducted these experiments. I was also alive then, one of the Pre-War ghouls you have encountered already. I am extensively knowledgeable about what the geopolitical climate was then. In some ways, those conflicts are still transpiring today.”

Before anyone else could say anything, however, an intercom bellowed into life. “Indeed, it does, and ultimately we will be vindicated,” a voice boomed into a loudspeaker. The group quickly looked around, setting their sights on that balcony high above them. A man was standing at the microphone with a group of soldiers in tow. He had somehow heard their conversation, or at least the end of it. As they would soon find out, the intruders were members of the Old Guard.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 29 2021, 11:11 PM

Panthers, Constrictors, and Quillbacks, oh my!

Oh noes, the Old Guard!

Posted by: Renee Jul 1 2021, 03:11 PM

I saw Spaceballs when it was in theaters long ago, would have still been a kid. And now that you mention, I do kinda have a trace memory of the 12345 password. Makes me wonder how many other hidden references are in Fallout: Florida. I always put references in my stories, intentionally or unintentionally. An example is one of the latest chapters, Vicious is in Germantown HQ, with Shorty (Big Town NPC) being held captive in the basement. So I couldn't help but put https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Shorty_(film) somewhere in there. "... I'll see if I can go get Shorty..." something like that.

I like how they all explain to each other what zoos are, what a panther is (or was) and so on. All of these things long ago in the past.

Cool. Didn't know the lore behind deathclaws, but I suspected they were the result of lab experiments gone wrong, as well as super mutants. What happened to manatees in this story? In real-life, I just heard there are less than 700 of them in Florida.

Uh oh.

Posted by: SubRosa Jul 1 2021, 10:41 PM

I just watched an old Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau episode on the Florida manatees. They are so adorable! https://youtu.be/O9MV3kKqPN4

Posted by: Renee Jul 2 2021, 01:01 AM

awesome , thanks!

Edit: the Twilight Zone guy, Rod Serling, narrates. Knew I knew that voice.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 4 2021, 02:55 PM

FINALLY back with another installment. A huge IRL project is coming close to completion, which might free up some time to write for this story. Or maybe not. It depends on a bunch of factors, so we'll have to see.

Also, I unintentionally lied--there is one more section to this chapter. However, it is definitely going to be the last one for Chapter 16 and I more-or-less know what I want to write.

@Renee - I'm not sure where manatees stand in my story yet, but I do plan on having them at some point. Probably dolphins, too. Right now, though, there isn't a reasonable place to insert them in the story. We are too far inland for that. North Central Florida, where Part 3 of this story will take place, has more inland lakes and such, and in my conception of the region in-universe the bombs from the Great War leveled a bunch of land so that the bodies of water became larger and more numerous. I might put manatees there. Water management districts are a key type of government body in Florida, too, so I'm trying to think of ways to incorporate them into the story as well.

@SubRosa - Yeah, they are pretty cute. Unfortunately, they get killed in boating incidents and such kind of regularly. This year is especially bad, breaking the yearly record within only a half-year, IIRC.

“I believe you are on restricted property,” the man continued. He stood at 6 feet and 2 inches tall, though that was not obvious from the angle the GCU unit was viewing him at. He sported a brown crewcut with a thin but noticeable beard of a slightly lighter shade of brown than the hair on top of his head. A noticeable scar crossed his left cheek. “And we don’t care much for uninvited guests.”

“And I believe you can kiss my a--,” Waller replied. “This property belongs to no one but the Gulf Coast Union. This is, and has been, the Union’s territory for some time. Whoever you are, you are part of an illegal entity. Surrender now.”

The man simply scoffed. “No, I am here to put an end to this city’s regime. It is run by a fugitive from our order, and he will be summarily dealt with when we get to him. As far as I’m concerned, your Union is the illegitimate entity. These are the true government of Florida’s lands, unjustly ripped from us because of a War we wanted no part of. It does not belong to this sham “New State of Florida,” and it certainly doesn’t belong to your GCU. You can’t even keep the peace within your borders.”

“So, you are one of the Old Guard, then,” Mariah said. “How did you get in here? This place was sealed.”

“This is Old Guard property, you know. It took some scouring and retrieval of data that we are slowly piecing back together, but we have records on this place. Little by little, we are reclaiming that which belongs to us, including many labs and other facilities. You will know no more than that. We had our ways of circumventing your miserable excuse for a security measure here, not to mention the brilliant folks on my team when it comes to tech. Speaking of which, your doctor friend there seems to know quite a bit about our history. Who are you, doctor?” Langston was not wearing his lab coat anymore, and even if he did, Hawthorne would not have been able to read it from where he was. “You must be a former member of our order, given what you know. That, or you are with those arrogant, imperialistic bas---- from the Enclave.”

“No, who are you?” Waller immediately replied, cutting off any potential response from Langston. “I am doing the interrogating here. The Old Guard are an illegal organization, and as such will not dictate how this conversation goes. How did you hear our conversation?”

“This balcony room captures much of the audio from down on that floor. It took some repairs to the electronics here, but it was in surprisingly good shape, all things considered. Now, even though I asked the question first, I will entertain yours. You can refer to me as Reubin Askew, Standard-Bearer of the Old Guard. A high-ranking member, that is all you need to know.”

Langston laughed out loud mockingly. That was the first time the crew had seen him laugh like that. “Um, Dr. Langston? What are you doing?” Mariah asked, bewildered by his reaction to the mysterious man’s response. “You know, this really isn’t a good time to . . .”

“Is that what the Old Guard is doing these days?” Langston said to the man in the balcony. “Naming yourselves after old Florida government officials? That must be a new development. Are you building a cult that venerates long-dead politicians in this state, too? I suppose that is not surprising, considering the Old Guard’s fixation with all things Pre-War Florida.”

“What do you mean?” Valentina asked.

“The real Askew was a governor of Florida, roughly a century before the Great War. I assume this man has associates that identify themselves as ‘Bob Martinez,’ ‘Haydon Burns,’ and ‘LeRoy Collins,’ too,” Langston said sarcastically. “They were also governors from a long time ago.”

“You certainly know your history,” ‘Askew’ said, still calm and collected. “I suppose there is no point in denying that it was simply an alias. Now who—”

“Wait, I know exactly who you really are!” Langston exclaimed. “I recognize your voice and that scar. Silas Hawthorne. Of course, it would be you, of all people.” Everyone looked at Langston, somewhat alarmed by his words. What exactly did he mean, ‘of course’?

Hawthorne finally indulged his ire at Langston. He did not deny that was his name. “So, we have some personal history, as well. Then answer my question, damn you. Who are you?”

“Remember Operation First Coast?” Langston replied. “I told you directly that you would regret what you did then. That ‘quiet waters mask the dangers underneath.’” It struck Mariah that that was the passphrase he gave her when she and Valentina came to meet with him.

The man stood quiet for a moment, with a scowl on his face. “Vernon Langston. You son of a b----. Always trying to sound oh-so-philosophical and high-falutin. So, trying to break into Tallahassee now? I thought you were Ezra’s pet. Did you upset your master? For a lapdog, you sure are spineless and disloyal no matter who you affiliate with. What did these people offer you? Do they know about you?”

“I’m here to atone for my sins whilst in the service of both the Old Guard and Davidson, though none are anything like what you have done. I—"

“A coward and betrayer wants to lecture me on morality? I stand for something, at least. All you have ever stood for is saving your own skin. Figuratively, of course.” Hawthorne said, referring to Langston’s ghoulification. “I wasn’t going to let you out alive anyway, but now I’m going to take great pleasure in ending your life. Shame that you dragged your newfound friends to the same doom.”

“Wrong answer,” Waller growled. “Quit hiding and come down here with whatever little army you have. If you don’t surrender—which I’m sure you won’t—I am well within my authority to use deadly force against you.” Waller had surreptitiously turned on his two-way radio during the conversation, in the hopes that Officer Damon would hear the situation.

“You have zero authority over me,” Hawthorne snapped. “But I will be more than happy to initiate combat with you. Guardians, come—”

The dialogue was interrupted as the sounds of gunfire and explosions rippled through the facility. The ground shook, causing everyone to stumble slightly. A female soldier for the Old Guard came rushing to the balcony room to Hawthorne, out of breath. “Standard-Bearer, sir, I . . . there’s . . .”

“What is it?” Hawthorne urgently turned his attention to her, leaving the intercom on. “What is going on?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVnwYRCyb6Y

“There’s . . . a hostile . . . group we . . . just encountered.” Noticing the GCU group below, she pointed to them, hands on her knees as she panted. “Same uniforms . . . Union force. Trying to . . . flank us. And . . . more of the creatures . . .”

“At ease, soldier. Catch your breath. We will deal with them summarily.” Hawthorne turned back to the GCU soldiers. All of them took the break to grab cover behind desks, cabinets, overturned tables, and whatever else they could find on the lab floor. “End of the line, Union! Your cowering won’t save you! Guardians, to arms!” And with that, the battle was on. Several doors on the opposite side of the room from the GCU unit, below Hawthorne’s balcony, opened up as a group of these Guardians, of roughly equal number to Waller’s present crew of soldiers, poured out and fired on the GCU’s position.

Mariah was relegated to lifting her firearm just to the side of the table she was hiding behind to fire blindly on Old Guard positions. Popping out from cover was guaranteed death. Valentina, Waller, and the other GCU soldiers with them were mostly in the same position, though Waller managed to put down a couple of the Guardians. But within a matter of moments, the fighting intensified as creatures that were experimented on in the facility approached. Mariah caught a glimpse of one of the Prowlers. It still looked similar to its old form as a Florida Panther, but its eyes were noticeably yellow, patches of its fur had peeled away, and its muscles had been visibly augmented. More curiously, the fur that didn’t fall off had a reddish tint to it similar to the Dreadnaught at Tyndall. Was that a coincidence?

Several Constrictors and Pythons also crawled into the lab. They seemed to not have much interest in each other or even the Prowler. Other monstrosities could be heard echoing through the halls, ostensibly fighting the other Old Guard and GCU units in the facility. For Mariah, it started to feel like the Battle of Holt again, where Radfrogs, Radtoads, and Sirens has sowed chaos between the GCU and Alabama Dissidents.

“Valentina! I require assistance!” Langston called out from behind a table next to his ally, pointing to a nearby wall. “I cannot proceed to the terminal on that wall from where I am located! You are in the best position to do so. There is a secret door along the wall that you can access with the terminal.”

“I thought you said you needed to handle the terminals?” Valentina asked.

“Now is not the time to argue!” Langston shouted back. “Access the terminal now!”

When Valentina readied herself to make a break for it, bullets sprayed the ground next to her. She stayed put for the moment. “Easy for you to say, Doctor!”

Most of the creatures were killed by then by the warring human sides. Hawthorne was about to redirect Old Guard forces to try to close in on where the GCU unit was when Officer Damon’s group came to their rescue, accessing the lab through another door on one of the balconies. His company forced Old Guard soldiers back into their own cover. It provided just enough time for Valentina to dip behind the wall where the terminal was situated. She furiously typed away on the keyboard, but it didn’t take long for her to find the command to open the secret door. Given that this lab itself was supposed to be a secret, the function didn’t need to be well-hidden itself. “Sergeant Waller! We have an exit!”

Waller didn’t want to leave his other unit behind, but Officer Damon urged him to go. “We’ll cover your exit, Sergeant! Go!”

Waller laced a string of profanities under his breath. “Make it back to base if you can, Damon! Don’t you die on me! The GCU needs you!”

“I’ll do my best, Sarge! Just please, go!” Damon ducked as some more weapon fire came his way.

Waller rallied the rest of his troops that were still standing and made a break for the exit. Five of his GCU soldiers had perished in the fighting. Mariah was the last one to run for the door, with a Prowler coming for her, but she tripped. She lost her weapon, leaving her defenseless. As the thought of being panther food crossed her mind, Waller unloaded the last of his chambered magazine into the Prowler’s head, killing it instantly. He quickly grabbed Mariah’s left arm, forcefully pulled her up, and ordered the door slammed shut behind them.

Posted by: Renee Aug 5 2021, 02:23 PM

Glad you are back. Been waiting for some FF, but we understand you are busy. By the way, I am pretty sure bastards doesn't have to be bleeped out. I bleep the word b1tch out of my own story, but it's just for effect. Up to you, of course.

I am enjoying all the bantering between Old Guard and New Florida proponents. Langston sure knows his Florida political history. It also is good that Waller has allowed Langston to side with them (sort of), he seems to be a great asset so far, in these depths under Tallahassee. Wow, I just spelled Tallahassee right!

Uh oh. The end is a cliff-hanger. So uh oh.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 6 2021, 01:59 AM

Well that was an interesting discussion as Langston catches up with old friends.

Another multi-directional battle between the two 'human' factions (I think Langston is a ghoul right?) and paranimals. And a timely escape before the panther's fangs closed in!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 10 2021, 04:14 PM

Damn, I keep writing more than I originally plan to for a section or chapter. If I realized what was going to happen, I would have broken Chapter 16 up into two chapters. This part is a bit longer than recently, but I really wanted to wrap up the chapter. And as you'll see, I finally got to reintroduce a certain something at the end.

@Renee - I figure erring on the side of caution when it comes to profanity is the best way to go.

It helps that I find Florida's political history very interesting. It really helps to flesh out Fallout: Florida and make it its own thing without relying on concepts from the work of Bethesda/Obsidian/Interplay (the latter being the company that originally developed Fallout), while still (hopefully) keeping it familiar enough and a good fit within the Fallout universe.

If it is easier for you, you can simply say 'Tally.' That is its nickname in real life and how it has been sometimes called in this story.

@SubRosa - Haha, "old friends" indeed. Langston has gotten a lot of people pissed off at him, that's for sure.

Yep, Langston is a ghoul. And I've probably already said it before (with the Alabama Dissidents and Brotherhood of Steel in part 1), but I think it is always more interesting to have 3 or possibly more factions (since technically the animals are their own in this case) in a conflict. But just you wait, because in the next few chapters or so it is going to get A LOT messier on the faction front. I'll just have to be careful not to make it confusing or overbearing.

Chapter 16.5

The door’s hermetic sealing and reinforcement—in part due to being designed to look like the wall it was hidden within—muffled much of the gunfire on the other side. The GCU crew stayed there for a minute to catch their collective breaths. A cool draft permeated the hallway they were in. Soon the fighting on the other side of the door died down, though it was hard to hear exactly what was happening. Waller checked on his whole team to see if there were any injuries. . . except for Langston. After he verified that everyone else was okay, Waller unleashed a furious tirade on him. “What in the flying f--- was that?! You said this f------ facility was secret! You led us into a f------ trap!”

“It should have clandestine. These were unforeseen circumstances. There was no way to predict that the Old Guard would have found this place.” Langston said, standing his ground.

“Your pal Hawthorne apparently begs to differ. This was an Old Guard lab, but you assured us that an issue like this wouldn’t arise. Yet they recovered data letting them find this place.” Waller took a couple steps toward Langston as his rage built up.

“I promised nothing of the sort!” Langston shot back. “And if you did not expect any resistance, why did you bring a force of over 25 individuals? Why did you, a sergeant, a high-ranking official in the GCU, feel compelled to come here? Why—”

“Don’t you f------ lecture me on tactics, you skinless prick.” Waller was only steps away from Langston now. The tension was palpable. “We’re right near this Goddamn city and it was reasonable to prepare for resistance. But that is not the same as close quarters combat in a building where we have no idea how it is laid out, and where supposedly only a couple of stray dangerous animals had made their home. And let me guess, we didn’t even get what we came here for, now did we? All these supposed documents and other intel in this lab that you supposedly needed, and we can’t even access them. Now we’re trapped in this hellhole because of you!”

“You still do not comprehend the gravity of this situation, sergeant,” Langston fumed. “If the Old Guard, and I assume the Enclave, are right on the doorstep of this city, and Ezra Davidson is continuing his operations, then we do not have the luxury of time to deliberately cogitate on this operation.”

“You’ve given us little to go on, Langston. We have to go in blind because of you. You have unnecessarily endangered my crew here. These men and women put themselves on the line enough as it is, and now five of them are dead. And if my regular soldiers don’t mean anything to you, what about these two?” Waller pointed to Mariah and Valentina. “They seem to think of you as a friend, or at least more than a simple acquaintance. They vouched for you. And yet they almost died because of you!” With that emphasis, Waller decked Langston across the face. Despite the tensions between those two, it shocked everyone else that it finally got physical. Even Mariah could not find words to say or try to stop it.

Langston spit out some blood, caressing his jaw while slowly standing up. For once, he relented somewhat in an argument with Waller. “I truly apologize for the loss of life. There has already been enough of it in these wastes. But you do not realize what we are confronting. Letting Ezra continue unabated will lead to graver danger to the people of these wastes, GCU or not.”

“We have only gotten very general information from you about what this wannabe governor is doing. He wants to get into a Vault? We don’t know why! Some secret experiments going on down in a sprawling complex of tunnels? You’ve barely hinted at what those are! You have no plan as to what we are going to do once we get into Old Tallahassee—and knowing how this is going, I assume that is our only destination now. Wait, the fighting died down on the other side. We can exit back out. Valentina, can you get this door open?” Waller asked her, pointing to the wall-mounted terminal. As soon as Langston began to object, Waller immediately cut him off. “Shut the f--- up, doctor.”

“Let me see what I can do, sir,” Valentina replied. But within seconds of her typing away on the computer, she grunted in frustration. “I’m locked out, sir. The Old Guard must have hacked into it somehow. One of them must have given themselves administrator privileges when we got onto this side. Hawthorne said his soldiers were really tech-savvy after all.”

Waller growled and banged the wall with his fist with infuriation. As much as he wanted to punch Langston again, he restrained himself. “Langston, you are lucky we still need you. Otherwise, I’d kill you myself. Now. . .” Waller stopped talking as he looked past his group at a small, spiny creature watching them nearby. “How long has that thing been there? Doesn’t matter. . .” Waller trailed off as he aimed his assault rifle at it. The creature squealed—if that’s what you could call it—readying its spines in defense.

“Wait! Don’t kill him!” Mariah pleaded, finally saying something. “He’s not doing anything to us.”

“Mariah, what do you think you are doing?” Waller was unamused, though he reserved his anger purely for Langston. “Just because you occupy an unusual space within the GCU does not mean you get to be insubordinate.”

“But this little guy hasn’t done anything to us,” Mariah said. She was a little exasperated, but not angry. “He’s sat there the whole time. That must be one of those Quillbacks, right, Dr. Langston?”

“Indeed,” Langston said matter-of-factly. “While their quills have become sharper through radiation and experimentation, they are not deadly. They can certainly induce great pain, however. But Quillbacks are defensive creatures. Their test results did not exactly please their captors, who hoped to use them in real combat.”

“Need I remind you what your trust in Langston has got you thus far, Mariah?” Waller interjected. “He has almost gotten you and your best friend killed, along with fellow GCU citizens and fighters.”

“But he’s so cute.” Mariah said, pointing at the Quillback again. “And he isn’t attacking us. He’s just scared.” She knelt, trying to coax him over to her. There was something so endearing about the Quillback to her. He walked over to her after some hesitation. After he sniffed her hand she held out, he put his spines down, though he wasn’t entirely sure about all these humans yet.

“Have you not had a pet before? You know what, to hell with it. Keep him. Maybe he’ll somehow be handy.” Waller did not feel like arguing the point, and he had bigger issues at hand. “But he is your responsibility. And if he gets in the way for any reason, I will not hesitate to put him down. Understood?”

“Yes. . . er, sir.”

“Good. Let’s be on our way. You better have a way out of here, Langston.”

“I do. Right this way,” Langston said, leading the rest of the surviving group. “I don’t want to be down here anymore than you do. And let me provide you some more words of caution. When we get inside this city, do not refer to it as ‘Old’ Tallahassee by any means. As far as everyone above is concerned, regardless of whether they support Davidson’s regime, this is the only Tallahassee because it was the original one. Calling it anything other than simply ‘Tallahassee’ will immediately raise suspicion. We must be surreptitious.”

The group walked for about five minutes down several hallways. The complex must have been absurdly large, especially considering how dicey it could be to build things underground in Florida. What was it with these Old World government and scientific organizations and their fetish with giant, subterranean facilities? Mariah wondered to herself. Construction had to be exceptionally careful and well-calculated in most places, lest they cause sinkholes or other issues. Then again, that seemed to create even more cover for Pre-War operations by the Old Guard. No one would suspect.

Langston was becoming gradually and visibly unnerved, looking around at any real or perceived noise that echoed through the halls. “What’s your problem this time?” Waller said to him bluntly. “You’re making this more tense than it needs to be.”

“Abominations reside down here. More Old Guard scientific trials. Animals were not the only subjects of tests. Humans were also used for nefarious purposes, as were the tests the Enclave performed with their FEV. That is all I can articulate on the matter.”

“You sure as hell know a lot about all this secret research for someone who supposedly did not participate in most of it,” Waller said.

“There are many things I am guilty of, but experimentation on human beings is not one of them!” Langston rebutted emphatically.

“Hmph. Whatever you say.”

The Quillback that had been walking along with them suddenly stopped in its tracks, raising its spines defensively. But it was not faced at the group. Mariah took notice. “Wait. The Quillback senses something.”

“Damn it, Mariah, we don’t have time—”

The Quillback squealed apprehensively and started skittering nervously. He looked back at Mariah as if to say something, even though he had no such ability. “What is it, buddy? You hear something?”

Waller decided that maybe the creature was on to something after all. “Langston, these experiments you talked about. . . are the subjects still alive?”

“I am not certain. I could not ascertain from—”

A loud banging noise and inhuman roar reverberated from the other side of one of the walls. Everyone was now on edge.

“Move. Now.” Waller ordered. “Langston, hurry us to the exit immediately.”

“Yes, right this way,” Langston said, picking up the pace. Several more clangs and unnatural noises echoed again. Something started pounding on one of the doors behind them. After just a few knocks, the door busted open and a humanoid creature popped out. It still looked mostly human but had clear aquatic features—webbed feet and some slightly scaled skin. It must have been one of those human experiments Langston mentioned. Whatever horrors it had undergone, the monster was certifiably driven insane. When it looked at the group, it let out a horrific shriek as it pointed at them.

“What the hell is that?!” Mariah gasped.

Waller wasted no time shooting at the creature. It was quick to dodge some of the gunfire, but it was eventually struck. Its skin seemed to have some imbued resistance, however, for the creature recoiled and it quickly recovered. What was worse was that the noise alerted more freakish atrocities like it. Some of them looked like the first abomination. Others possessed different animalistic features like patches of fur or oily skin.

“Fall back!” Waller yelled coarsely as he and several other soldiers fired away at the humanoids coming after them. But the corridors were too compact for everyone to start shooting. The Quillback shot some spines from its back in defense, helping the GCU.

The exit was fortunately right nearby, but the door was locked, presumably by Langston when he had escaped the city. Or at least, that was what he thought initially. After furiously typing away, he cursed under his breath. “It is not responding to my inputs! Someone else has accessed this computer!”

“Doctor, with all due respect, you are awful at locking terminals!” Mariah yelled over the gunfire. She was not in a position to shoot at enemies but had her weapon ready in case she needed it. It was the first time she made a verbal jab at Langston, for even she was getting frustrated with him.

“We are dealing with multiple factions of highly resourceful enemies, Mariah!” Langston protested. “This is not my doing. Valentina, I need your assistance!”

“Already on it,” Valentina said, already up at the terminal before Langston finished his sentence. With a laser focus, she looked for any exploit to breach that she could. After about 30 seconds, she got the door open. “Sergeant, door’s open!”

“Good work! Everyone, through the door, now!” The crew all filed in through the doorway one-by-one, with Waller coming in last. The hallway had filled up with enough of the horrors’ bodies that a few of the last living ones had to maneuver over and around their fallen compatriots. When the GCU unit was all on the other side, Valentina used the terminal on the opposite side to close and lock the door. The Quillback squeaked in with them. They were all finally able to catch their breath again.

“So, who the hell could it have been this time that breached your incredible defenses, Langston?” Waller said mockingly. The sergeant had been so angry for so long at the ghoul it felt like he could have had an aneurysm at any moment.

“As aforementioned, a highly resourceful nemesis,” Langston said in his own defense.

“Really? I don’t see how you could have helped your buddy Ezra rebuild this city with machines. You seem to have no clue how to use anything electronic. What he kept you around for is beyond me.”

“I will not have my abilities impugned, sergeant,” Langston said through gritted teeth. “You should be more concerned with your own deficient capabilities.”

“You want me to show you deficient, doctor?” Waller was ready to unload a punch on Langston again.

Mariah finally had it with the two of them. Valentina sensed it but she couldn’t stop Mariah from saying something. “Guys, enough! We’re stuck with each other! We’re a team whether we like it or not. And we need to get out of here.”

Waller and Langston gave her a side-eye, but mostly because they were still fuming at each other. Surprisingly, Waller refrained from giving Mariah a lecture on insubordination. Perhaps he was too concerned with completing this mission, the goal of which had rapidly changed over the span of a few hours. What was once a simple recovery and recon operation had turned into an inside job.

“Mariah is right,” Waller said. “Looks like now we have ourselves an entirely different mission. Going back the way we came is impossible at this point, and with the city above us, it seems that is our only way forward. If the Old Guard, and potentially the Enclave, are already here, I suppose Langston is right that we don’t have enough time to go back anyway. But maybe we can use their presence to our advantage if we need to go at Ezra Davidson’s regime directly. It could cause significant chaos and spread out their resources. We’ll figure it all out soon. Langston, you better have the real exit nearby.”

“It is auspiciously so,” Langston said as he pointed down a small corridor. At the end of it was some rubble and a set of stairs. “There is a dwelling above us that we can use as a safehouse. Though it is warranted that I tell you this.” Langston lingered for emphasis. “There are other occupants above. I assure you that they are harmless. They are . . . strange people. But harmless, nonetheless.”

“That’s really vague, doctor,” Mariah remarked. “There is a lot of ‘strange’ in this world. Especially in Florida, from what I have gathered. What kind of ‘strange’?”

“A Post-War cult. I have encountered them elsewhere in the wasteland. They even had an establishment in your version of Tallahassee. You may have missed it with how little time the two of you had spent in the city.” Langston pointed to Mariah and Valentina. “But they do not have a predisposition toward violence. And remember not to use the phrase ‘Old Tallahassee’ or ‘New Tallahassee’ amongst the citizens above.”

“I suppose that qualifies enough for strange,” Waller said. “In any case, it’s what we must deal with. Let’s go.”

When the crew got to the stairs, Langston proceeded first and knocked on the hatch door at the top. A man in robes opened the door and jovially greeted him. “Dr. Langston! You have returned safely! And you have brought new folks along?”

“Indeed. They are here to aid with . . . the situation in this city. Please give them any assistance you can provide.”

“But of course!” The man in the robes turned to the rest of the group. Mariah noticed an insignia on the front, suddenly recognizing it. “Good evening, folks! Please, come make yourselves comfortable. And welcome to the Temple of New Life.”

***End of Chapter***

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 11 2021, 01:28 AM

I love that Waller checked everyone for injuries, except Langston!

Honestly, Waller really, really got on my nerves this episode. He seems to be incapable of dealing with any adversity that comes his way, let alone any surprises. Sure Langston probably knows more than he is saying. Duh! But trying to blame him for everything that does not go perfectly is ascribing to him a level of omnipotence that no mortal is capable of. He is a whole lot more patient than I am. I would have killed Waller about a quarter of the way into this episode. Even January - who is kind to a fault - would have decked him when he threw that punch.

I am trying to remember the Temple of New Life, but it is escaping me if they are an old Fallout faction. Are they something you created? I was expecting the Children of the Atom. Before Fallout 4 they were a pretty benign faction. Now I remember! The new religion from earlier in the tale. It has been a while since we saw them. Nice to continue their presence here. Carry on.

Posted by: Renee Aug 12 2021, 04:20 PM

Oh yeah, Waller is quite the prick. It's a compelling read since he is so abrasive and adverse, but part of me hopes Waller falls into a sinkhole!

I like where it says they shouldn't refer to Tallahassee as "old" Tallahassee. Clever.

Ah see, the quillback is helping them, without even knowing so. Good call, Val, persuading Waller to keep it alive.

Wow, it's a guy wearing a robe. And he's not hostile! Is this the same New Lifer who appeared earlier in the story?

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 13 2021, 09:30 PM

@SubRosa - Oh, good, you found them. Yeah, unfortunately, I haven't been able to include the Temple of New Life quite as much as I have wanted to. It's just how the story has turned out so far. But it might actually work out in my favor as I slowly build them up.

To play a bit of devil's advocate on behalf of Waller (though I would certainly agree with you if I was in your shoes), think about it from his point of view. The GCU already has a full plate with issues in the wastes. New Tally has been getting harrassed by small bands of New State of Florida crazies. Their search for this one ghoul scientist, Langston, is the reason those attacks have gotten more frequent, and he used to work with that enemy. Tensions in New Tally have risen. He is at odds with the mayor and the captain of the city guard in New Tally. And now Langston (unintentionally) led them into what was basically an ambush when the original mission was ostensibly just recon and data recovery. Now they are trapped within the city. And he's already a hardass. Whether right or wrong, his outbursts are somewhat understandable.

@Renee - Ha, well, you'll have to wait and see about Waller.

Nope, he is not the same New Lifer. The one you are thinking of was named Jonah, whose name is going to come up here again.



Well, the protagonists sure are in a conundrum, huh? Let's see what happens next!

Chapter 17: The Inside Job

“The Temple of New Life is here, too?” Mariah said to the robed man. He had an unassuming look about him, with a bald head out in the open since his robes did not have a hood with them.

“You’ve seen these people before?” Waller asked.

“Yeah. There was someone in Pensacola I met. Jonah, I think? And then a young guy named Bryson in Niceville,” Mariah responded to him. Then she turned back to the New Lifer. “I guess you guys are dotted all over the place, huh?”

The robed man’s face lit up at the mention of Jonah. “I am not familiar with this Bryson fellow. But you are truly blessed to have met the Emeritus himself! Jonah is a remarkable man, is he not?”

“Uh . . . sure, I guess.” Mariah shrugged. “He seemed nice enough, but I didn’t talk to him much. For a high-ranking man of a new religion, I kind of expected him to be creepier.” She then closed her eyes and exhaled as she realized she was saying that out loud, silently calling herself an idiot for doing so.

“Geez, Mariah! Haven’t you heard of tact?” Valentina chided her. It’s not that she necessarily disagreed, but she was not the type to normally verbalize such things.

“That’s quite alright, my dear,” the man laughed and assured Valentina. “Do not worry. I understand that an outsider—for lack of a better word that has no negative connotation—is unlikely to see things the way we do. I know she means no harm. You are allied with Dr. Langston after all, which is a sign of positive developments to come. The Temple is not inclined toward violence, but unfortunately we recognize that it is inevitable with the developments of this city.”

“What developments?” Waller said.

“There have been grumblings among the populace about our Governor Davidson’s regime,” the man continued. “But even if the dissatisfaction were widespread enough, no one would dare start a rebellion. The New State of Florida, as they call themselves, has a tight grip on municipal affairs. Yet even that has slipped to some extent, for you are not the only infiltrators in this city.”

“What?” Langston was alarmed. He had been shuffling through some papers on a table until he heard what the robed man just said. “Who is already here?”

“I’m not sure,” the robed man said, slightly frowning. “They would not give us much information to go on, I’m afraid. But they somehow found your passage that you came through. I know you said the caverns and hallways below were sprawling, Dr. Langston, but I still find myself surprised that they discovered your route.”

“Damn it. Do you have any other information to go on?” Waller asked. “What did they look like?”

“Well, their uniforms were a bit strange. They requested—rather pointedly—some different clothing with which to walk through the city in a more clandestine fashion. On one side of their chest was a symbol. An ‘E’ with stars around it.”

“What?!” Langston blurted. If he still had skin, it would have turned pale. “Are you sure that is what their symbol was?”

“Quite so, doctor. Come to think of it, are they those . . . hmm, the name escapes me,” the robed man said, scratching his chin while he pondered. “I know you warned me about their potential presence.”

“The Enclave.” Langston said gravely, his voice dropping. Everyone went quiet at the name.

“Oh no. The Enclave is already here?” Valentina said worriedly after a moment of silence. “And the Old Guard is right behind. Surely Davidson and his cohorts can’t take them and the GCU on, right?”

“If Ezra gets all that he is trying to dig up, you’d be amazed at what he can do,” Langston replied, shaking his head. He turned back to the robed man, whom he finally addressed by name. “But Roger, why did you grant the Enclave entrance here? I warned you about them.”

“I apologize, Dr. Langston,” Roger said calmly, though slightly embarrassed. “I thought that you were the only person who knew of the hatch door, so their presence surprised me. There weren’t many of them, as it seems some of their compatriots died in the depths below. Believe me: I would never have opened the door if I knew that it was not you.” While Langston considered what to say next, Roger added, “But there is something else you should know about, doctor—there are Blackcoats in the city.”

“Wait a minute, who?” Mariah interjected. “We haven’t heard of them before. Who are they? You mean there’s another group in this city?”

“I wish I could answer that for you, my dear,” Roger shook his head. “They are incredibly mysterious. I have no idea who they are. I do not even know what they label themselves. We only call them Blackcoats because of what they wear. But I’m quite sure that they are with neither the Enclave nor the Old Guard. And I’ve seen them from well outside Tallahassee’s limits, so I’m certain they are not with Governor Davidson’s administration either.”

“Quite the party, then. Sure are a lot of uninvited guests in Tallahassee.” Mariah almost added ‘Old’ before the city’s name but remembered Langston’s warning about making the differentiation amongst the populace, though that would not have been a problem around Roger. “Sounds like Davidson’s supposed strength is just for show. Perfect timing to bring him down! What’s next?”

“Do not put the proverbial cart before the horse, Mariah,” Langston said as he threw his hands up in a ‘stop’ motion. “This requires careful planning and foresight. We cannot strike at Ezra head-on, even if there are other enemy groups here to oppose him. We will need to weaken him and his hold on the city. Fortunately, the presence of the Old Guard, Enclave, and Blackcoats will also keep his underlings busy.”

“Langston is right,” Waller said, as much as he didn’t want to give the ghoul scientist credit. He had his arms folded as he rubbed his chin pensively. “Well, we definitely have our hands full now. But what we need right now is some rest. Time may not be on our side but running in reckless is not going to be conducive. So, Roger, is it? Do you have supplies and housing here that we can use?”

“Absolutely, sir! Any friend of Dr. Langston is a friend of mine,” Roger said cheerily. Waller refrained from making a snide comment about being Langston’s ‘friend.’ “Unfortunately, however, there may not be enough room to accommodate everyone in a comfortable manner.”

“I’ll sleep on the floor if I have to,” Waller said, waving his hand like it was no big deal. "I need you to make sure that everyone else here receives as much aid as possible.”

Roger nodded. “Certainly, sir. We have some food and drink here. We may be able to spare a Stimpak or two if anyone has injuries they need to attend to. Dr. Langston’s foresight has helped us to prepare for when help would come to liberate the city.”

“Thank you.” Waller then addressed his unit. “Alright, everyone. You’ve earned yourselves a break. After we rest a bit, we will discuss our next move.” He then pointed to a clock on the wall, the hands of which indicated it was 6:00 PM. “Regroup at 1900 hours. Dismissed.”

As everyone dispersed to do their own thing, Roger came up to Mariah. “Miss Mariah, since you have heard of our Temple before, would you like to learn more about what we believe? We have a few new acolytes in our fold, and we are trying to show them the basics of our tenets. I do not wish for you to feel obligated, however. And your friend is certainly welcome as well.” Roger motioned to Valentina with an open palm facing upward.

Mariah reasoned that if this Temple of New Life had enough presence to spread out across the wastes, it would be worth knowing more about them. “Um, sure, why not? What about you, Val?”

“Sure, I’ll join,” Valentina affirmed, her own curiosity piqued.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 17 2021, 08:05 AM

There is an old saying “Adversity reveals the genius of a general; good fortune conceals it.”. It does not just apply to war and leadership. Adversity really shows what people are made of. Who will stand by you, who will turn their back on you. Who folds under pressure, who keeps calm and carries on. Waller getting a dose of adversity, and he is not rising to the occasion.

So if you wanted Waller to be someone who is in over their head, and cannot handle the pressure they are under, you succeeded. If not, you might want to go back and revise his behavior to make him more cool and calm.

Uh oh, the Enclave is there as well. Tallahasee is a popular place right now!

And we will learn more about these New Lifers. They seem to be really well dispersed. If I were to say, want to run a spy organization, I could certainly do worse than use them for a front.

Posted by: Renee Aug 19 2021, 01:06 PM

The New Lifer guy is just a hoot! It's just so unexpected to find him at this point when everything seemed to be going wrong. In my imagination, I hear his voice as being similar to the Church of Atom guy in Fallout 3.

Nice detail, there. And if some girl gives him a kiss, he won't have to worry about blushing.

I have a feeling now, and it's not a good feeling.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 22 2021, 05:13 AM

Oh, I don't disagree. We have all sorts of IRL phrases to more-or-less say that adversity shows people's true strength. That's why I said I was playing "devil's advocate" and that I would feel the same way about his character as you if I was in your shoes. The point was just that I'm explaining his behavior. It's not entirely justified, per se, but I wanted to make sure that I had enough reason for him to act this way that was consistent with his character. This is the way I intended his character to be. We'll see soon enough if adversity truly breaks him or not.

And I forgot to mention it last time, before you went back to refresh your memory on the Temple of New Life--there were a few reasons I didn't want to use the Children of Atom.
1) I didn't want to reuse them, of all groups. Sure, I have the Enclave in here and had the Brotherhood of Steel in Part 1 (their time in the sun is done for Fallout: Florida), but I made sure to have them make sense and be lore-friendly.
2) It would be lore-breaking to include the Children of Atom, and while I'm not trying to be a purist about it I am keeping as consistent with the established lore of Fallout as much as possible. (I certainly won't call myself an "expert" on it, but I do love it and try to soak in as much as possible).
3) They don't make sense thematically here. Why that is the case will become clearer as the story goes on.




I'm trying to think of the best way to describe the voice for him that is in my head, but I'm having trouble with that. He does have some similar speech patterns, though. (The guy from Fallout 3 is named Confessor Cromwell, who founded the religion in Megaton.)

It's Fallout. When is it ever a good feeling?

Chapter 17: The Inside Job

As Roger brought Mariah and Valentina over to a small seating area, Mariah inquired about the Temple of New Life’s presence in Old Tallahassee. “Hey, Roger? Can I ask you a question first?”

“Of course, you may,” he said, nodding with a smile.

“So, how did you even get into this city anyway? The New State of Florida is very . . . insular, from what I understand. They let pretty much nobody into the city, I thought.”

“A reasonable question. An expected one, too.” Roger said as he prepared a holotape for insertion into a device that could play it. “It is true that they are not a welcoming bunch. However, they have not always been this way. They billed themselves as a refuge for outsiders, outcasts, anyone who felt that they did not belong anywhere. While they did not just let anyone in, they still needed to grow their population so that it could truly be a remarkable city, especially if they want to be their own nation. These particularly stringent entrance requirements they have now are a more recent occurrence. Fortunately, this Temple establishment was, well, established about . . . hmm . . . six months ago or so. Before this obstinance to the outside world.”

“But why come here of all places?” Valentina asked. “Dr. Langston said you had a Temple in—I suppose we can say this around you—New Tallahassee. Why not just stay there?”

“Ah, but why would I do that, young ladies?” When Mariah and Valentina gave him a confused look, he answered his own question. “The folks at the Temple there are doing a fine job, and we are trying to reach as many people as we can. Thus, we cannot all be cooped up in one place. But more than that—think about what this city is supposed to represent.” Roger spread his arms out wide and looked around in a gesture toward all Old Tallahassee. “This municipality was billed as a haven to the lost. Those who feel they don’t belong, who feel they haven’t been welcomed anywhere else. We want to minister to everyone, of course, but the downtrodden and those who simply want something different from this world are an emphasis. The Temple has a prime opportunity to reach out to these people, especially now that there are grumblings from the populace about this New State of Florida too. I fear that with this discontent, your GCU’s presence, the Old Guard, the Enclave, and the Blackcoats, devastation is imminent. When that time comes, the Temple will be the light for these people.” Roger inserted the holotape into the device but held off on pressing the play button.

“Now, I know you have a lot more questions,” Roger continued before Mariah could ask him about these ‘Blackcoats’. “But I have a feeling many will be answered in this message from The Redeemer himself, and I must tend to the new members of our flock. Speaking of which, let me introduce you to them.” He cleared his throat and addressed the three young men sitting in chairs in the seating area while ushering Mariah and Valentina to open seats. “Welcome to the Temple of New Life, new acolytes! I am Roger, a Sower and Tutor with this wondrous organization. It is a monumental thrill for me to have new faces come into the fold, along with some guests. Please, greet each other.” Mariah and Valentina exchanged a simple “hi” with the acolytes, who greeted them the same way in return.

“Good!” Roger said jovially. “Now, I certainly do not know much about your lives up to this point, but I know why you are here. You are dissatisfied with the state of this world. You wonder why the wastes have to be the way they are. You can’t understand why humanity continues to tear itself apart, even though that is what brought this world to destruction in the first place. It seems that no matter where you turn, the world is completely broken. But rest assured, acolytes. There is indeed hope. I was much like you until I found the Temple of New Life. It seemed to be the only option left, and joining this family was the best decision I have ever made. It truly has given me a new life. Still, despite your openness to our beliefs, you probably still know little of what we are all about. But we must all start somewhere, right? Fortunately for all of you, we have the words of our Great Leader to ease you into your rebirth, your New Life . . . The Redeemer.” At that moment, Mariah remembered the mention of that name, back when she met Jonah, this ‘Emeritus,’ and he had given her a pamphlet that she had long since lost.

Roger finally pressed the play button on the device. The voice of a well-mannered, articulate man echoed from the device. “To all who listen to this holotape recording, I bid you welcome. You are listening to this because you have been newly inducted into our family, an event that never ceases to excite its current members. But as with all new ventures, you naturally have some doubts about this new path you are undertaking. Not to worry. It simply means you are thoughtful, and forging a new life is daunting. I am here to start dispelling those concerns of yours.

“So, what is it that this Temple of New Life is about? I believe this warrants an introduction on my part first. As you first learned about this Temple, you learned about me. You have perhaps heard of me by many names that have been bestowed by my followers. The Great Leader. The Great Guide. The High Trailblazer. And more. But the most common title of all is The Redeemer. Such effusive praise may lead you to believe that the Temple heralds me as a god, but that is not the case. I am not divine. Such hubris is for others, those foolish enough to believe that power and prestige is owed to them simply through virtue of their existence.”

Well, at least he doesn’t deify himself, Mariah thought to herself. Too many denizens of this post-apocalyptic world seemed to think and act to the contrary. But what exactly does he call himself?

Conveniently, The Redeemer answered that very question. “I see myself as a guide. A shepherd of sorts, one who seeks to forge a new Promised Land, as it were. Even then, I must be wary that haughtiness and pride do not overtake me. All of us struggle against our human nature, the nature that not only obliterated the Old World but continues to oppress the globe today. The destruction was, however, only physical. You see, despite prevailing beliefs, the Old World never truly died. It was merely placed on life support. The ills of the past—greed, dogmatic ideologies, hatred, and the like—still plague the planet today. One would hope that taking a single look at the smoldering ruins of once-glorious cities, the desolation of formerly beautiful lands, and the rest of the irrevocable damage on this world would convince those who managed to outlive the Great War to put aside their differences and rebuild the world for the better. Alas, that was not meant to be. The depravity of human nature still abounds as plentifully today as it did then. There is an ever-relevant phrase that I am always reminded of . . .”

There was a long pause, as if to let all The Redeemer’s words sink in physically, mentally, and spiritually. In any case, everyone was gripped by what the man had to say. Finally, he spoke the phrase.

“War. War never changes.” Mariah and Valentina felt like they had heard that specific saying before. They looked at each other, mouthing if the other had thought it sounded familiar.

“But as foreboding as that may seem, what if we can change the course of humanity? What if we actively acknowledge and fight our nature to become something greater? What if we could chart a new path that separates itself from the Old World? What if we could transform ourselves physically and spiritually? That, my friends, is what the New Life is all about. My vision is that one day humanity can reach its greatest heights, freed from its self-imposed shackles. It requires a true understanding of the strengths and flaws of this world, and not just among humanity. I like to describe it as a triangle for those newly minted individuals in our fold. At one point is humanity. The second point is nature. The third point is technology. In its simplest terms, here is what this triangle is about.

“Humanity is destructive and selfish, yet it is capable of immense creativity and innovation. Nature is completely governed by its instinct and the balance of power has tipped too far into its favor, yet it is what makes this world possible and brings about a beauty to life that only nature can. Technology and its abuses, ironically, have led to immense setbacks and stagnation for the world, yet it is the real key to our salvation when used properly and it is the only way for us to reach our fullest potential. It is only when these work in unison that this world can truly heal.

“The New Life is the road to building a new society, free from the chains that bind the rest of this world. It is the road to amplifying the capacities of humanity and to transform it. That is why I founded the city of Eden as a haven for others who want to see this world completely eschew the vestiges of what destroyed it in the first place and rebuild it into something new. Unfortunately, however, there are still those that would stand in our way. As a result, we must be vigilant about what we reveal to others. I can only tell certain people where exactly Eden is, for example. However, as you come to understand more about what we are all about, more of our doctrines will organically be revealed to you. And no, we do not require monetary contributions in exchange for access. All we require is being open to our teachings and to serving the Temple wherever and whenever possible.

“I will leave you with these final thoughts. Do not completely cast aside the rest of the world. It will still be a process for you to immerse yourself in our ways, and you can still reach out to those who are lost, alone, or feel that the world has not had anything sufficient to offer to them. The vices of the Old World still rule this planet. But do not be afraid to take your first step toward enlightenment and toward your New Life. Our set of codes, tenets, and parables are in our text known as ‘The Synthesis.’ Begin studying it, and your mind will begin opening and expanding. Farewell for now, and welcome to your new family. Your New Life.” With those parting words, the holotape clicked to a stop. The Redeemer’s recording ended.

Mariah had no intention of joining a post-War religion—if the Temple even called themselves a religion—but she felt oddly gripped by The Redeemer’s words. Even from the holotape recording, he spoke with a Charisma almost as if he was in the room. No wonder people were being inspired by this man, as strange and secretive as he was. Of course, it helped that many people were in a desperate state in the world, even in relatively civilized lands like the Gulf Coast Union.

Roger stood up to take the holotape out of its playing device. “Even with my experience and tenure with the Temple, his beginning messages are still edifying and comforting for me,” he said with a smile as he turned back to their small group. “They set a wonderful foundation, an accessible first step, toward a fulfilling way of life. How do you feel, new acolytes?”

One of the young men—none of them could have been older than their early 20s—stood up with conviction. “I may be young, but this is the first time in my life that I’ve really felt like I’m a part of something worthwhile. Something different. Something big and meaningful. I’m ready for this new life.” The other two young men with him concurred.

“Such exuberance gives me great joy!” Roger said, clutching his chest as if his heart was beating fast. “And what did you think, Mariah and Valentina?”

“Oh,” Mariah stuttered. For some reason, she didn’t expect the question. She scratched the back of her head as she searched for an answer. “I mean, uh, well, it was compelling, for sure. This world does suck a lot. But this isn’t for me, though.” The words of The Redeemer were still a bit flowery and vague for her, but then again, the recording was supposed to be accessible to newbies—a baby step of sorts.

“It was interesting. I see why others are joining the Temple, but like Mariah, I have my own beliefs,” Valentina said. “Sorry.”

“Oh, no apologies necessary, dear Valentina!” Roger said as he waved off the concern, not breaking his smile. “I know the two of you weren’t looking to join. Nevertheless, I wished to offer the opportunity. You never know who it will speak to, after all. Dr. Langston isn’t much for it either, but he has demonstrated his friendship and trustworthiness to us. As you are his friends, I know that you can be trusted as well. Now, as for our new New Lifers,” Roger beamed as he turned back to the three men. “I’m so pleased to truly welcome you into the fold. Unfortunately, I cannot give all of you your own copies of ‘The Synthesis,’ but I can let the three of you borrow this one. The foreword will give you some pointers about how you should go about reading the book.”

“Thank you, Roger. Or, uh, sir?” One of the new acolytes said, unsure of how to address him.

“My official stations are Sower and Tutor, but just calling me Roger is fine as well,” Roger said, handing over a copy of ‘The Synthesis.’ “I know it is getting late, and I don’t wish to keep you any longer. But I look forward to seeing the three of you tomorrow.” The three acolytes thanked him and said goodbye, heading out the door.

It was perfect timing, too, because Sergeant Waller walked over to them. “Mariah. Valentina. We are discussing our plans going forward in just a minute. Right now, the idea is to have our meeting, get to sleep early so everyone can recover enough to continue, and then strike out early in the morning. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” both women responded.

“Fantastic. Roger, Langston said you would have some valuable information for us on our enemies. This is unusual to ask of someone who would be considered a civilian, but I request that you join us.”

“Certainly, Sergeant,” Roger nodded.

“Good. Let’s go.”

Posted by: Renee Aug 23 2021, 03:34 PM

Ha good point!

Yes, Confessor Cromwell, that's the voice I hear, thank you. I usually tend to 'assign' a voice to characters in a story. So for example, I hear Waller's voice as sort of higher-pitched for some reason. I imagine when he went through puberty his voice didn't deepen all that much. Maybe this is a small, subconscious reason why he's so abrasive; he's had to fight to prove his masculinity. Could be wrong of course. Waller is your character, so you know him better.

Roger's explanation makes a lot of sense. He wants Temple of Light to be everywhere, which is quite piously noble in my opinion. I wonder if we should not be trusting him, actually. Hmm.

Actually, It almost sounds like Roger is full of himself!

....“So, what is it that this Temple of New Life is about? I believe this warrants an introduction on my part first. As you first learned about this Temple, you learned about me. You have perhaps heard of me by many names that have been bestowed by my followers. The Great Leader. The Great Guide. The High Trailblazer. And more. But the most common title of all is The Redeemer....

But then he goes on to explain that others have given him these titles. Which he merely shrugs off.

Wow, Roger really goes on and on! Then again, he is a religious man with a mission! Have we ever heard of a religious man with a mission who can't deliver a good sermon?

I like Val and Mariah's reactions to this! That cracks me up.

How many people are left in this group overall? Especially after getting attacked earlier?

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 23 2021, 08:12 PM

Oh, no no no. You misunderstand. That wasn't Roger talking--that was The Redeemer. They are two completely different people. Hence, Roger put in that holotape instead of speaking, and he doesn't talk like The Redeemer does. Roger just heads up the Temple of New Life in (Old) Tallahassee. Remember that Roger says this:

"Fortunately for all of you, we have the words of our Great Leader to ease you into your rebirth, your New Life . . . The Redeemer."

Roger's titles are Sower and Tutor, as he tells the new acolytes. Thanks to that Shortie Thread opened up here, I'm thinking of including passages from the Temple of New Life's codex of sorts, The Synthesis, there. I'll explain different titles there like Sower and Tutor--and Emeritus, as Jonah is called. He was the very first New Lifer in this story, back in Chapter 2 (or was it 3?).

Posted by: Renee Aug 23 2021, 08:44 PM

Either way, Roger or the Redeemer, they both know how to talk up a good sermon!

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 24 2021, 07:43 AM

“War. War never changes.”
That line still gives me goosebumps.

Interesting speech on the foundations of the New Life Temple. I liked how you incorporated the triangle of Nature, Technology, and Humanity. It was a nice touch.




nit:
Our set of codes, tenets, parables, and tenets are in our text known as ‘The Synthesis.’
You have a repetition of the world "tenets".

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 6 2021, 03:51 PM

@Renee - If we had game stats, The Redeemer would have over 100 Speech and 10 Charisma. But looks like Roger didn't quite pass the Speech check on Mariah and Valentina, though.

@SubRosa - Whoops, nice catch. I fixed that error now. And thank you.


I need to update my Fallout: Florida map and post it here again, but I don't have the time to at the moment. I'll be sure to do it next post, though.

Chapter 17.3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ3qvaE1n0g

In a side room was a large round table with a map of Tallahassee sprawled out on it. The city had expanded its boundaries in the years leading up to the Great War, gobbling up smaller communities and integrating them into the greater Tallahassee area. With its increasing technological prowess, population, and significance in the overall political landscape of the region and the country, Tallahassee needed to extend its reach. Even though the city had been rebuilding under Ezra Davidson to mimic a lot of the city’s past glory, the map was still outdated given that it was copyrighted in 2074. Yet for being nearly 60 years old, the map was in pretty good condition. It must have been stored somewhere that helped keep it well-preserved.

“Pay close attention,” Langston said. “This may be a timeworn map, but it represents what the city is today sufficiently. Regardless, the New State of Florida would not disclose what I am going to show you, so newer maps wouldn’t divulge any of this anyway. Here is what we are dealing with.” Langston had a black marker in hand, drawing a circle around what was practically dead center in the city. “This is the heart of the regime here. The old state capitol is there, and a little bit to the north is the Governor’s Mansion. Right next to there is The Grove, a residence for a couple of state governors from long ago but was turned into a museum. Now it houses a few horrifying experiments. Ezra Davidson splits his time between the Governor’s Mansion and the State Capitol building, the latter of which he wishes to build back up its old height of over 25 stories. Much of it was knocked down during the War.”

“Why would he do that?” Mariah asked, puzzled. There didn’t seem to be any logical reason for building such a tall structure. “What’s the point?”

“Hubris. What else would it be for?” Langston replied matter-of-factly. “Ezra is dangerously unstable and full of fragile pride. He wants to demonstrate his strength to the outside world, a world he truly thinks is fated to fall under his rule. Or Florida, at least. But I know how he is. He will never stop trying to take whatever he can. Delusional as such grandiose ambitions are, he is still a danger to the rest of the Sunshine Wasteland.” Langston turned the attention back to the map, tapping inside the black circle he made around these aforementioned points of interest. “We cannot hope to take the NSF head-on. Not yet. Maybe the Enclave and Old Guard will be foolish enough to do so, but we have other avenues to take.” He then made smaller circles near the circle he already drew—one just a bit to the west and one just a bit to the south. “These are what used to be Florida State University and Florida A&M University, abbreviated FSU and FAMU,” Langston said about each of those new marks, respectively. “What had not been obliterated on those campuses is mostly off-limits to civilians unless they have NSF escorts.”

Langston then drew several squares around the outer limits of the city before continuing. “In the southwest is what was Tallahassee International Airport and the headquarters of what was Menendez Security Services. Even before the tensions between the U.S. and Florida state governments blew up in the open, private security companies were setting up shop throughout these lands. I suspect they were already in league with elements of Florida’s government who wanted the state to break away from the rest of the country, as these security companies essentially became small armies. They even got into the business of creating smaller-scale bunkers for families.”

“Couldn’t they have just gotten Vault-Tec to do that?” Valentina asked. “I would have thought they would have had the market cornered on that.”

Langston shook his head. “Even the mighty Vault-Tec only had so many resources. Besides, they were already too close with the federal government to do too much in Florida beyond what they were already here for. Vault-Tec had to complete the Vaults they already were in the process of building. Enter these private security companies, Menendez being the biggest, who could step in and create more cost-efficient, privately tailored bunkers to those who could afford it. As they acquired exorbitant amounts of profit, they also garnered goodwill amongst the population and make the federal government look worse in the process.” Langston realized the tangent he was going on. “Now please, we must focus on what needs to happen now. I can provide more information that is less salient to this matter later.

“Menendez Security Services and its armory were a major partner in Florida’s surge in combat technology. Power Armor became much less available in Florida as a result of the severing of the U.S.-Florida relationship, but Florida’s government and military wanted its own version so that it could stand on its own. Through this partnership between state government and private security companies, they eventually devised their Warsuits. Warsuits sacrificed much of the protectiveness that Power Armor provided, yet it gained greater mobility and decreased mass. They also still provide better defense than armors that you are perhaps more familiar with, even scout and marine armor. Some of these Warsuits are still in that armory in the southwestern section of the city. We’ll need to capture some of these ourselves to stand a chance against Ezra and the NSF, along with the Old Guard, Enclave, and these Blackcoats.”

“And who exactly are these Blackcoats? We have heard nothing about them in GCU intel.” Sergeant Waller said gruffly. It annoyed him that a major faction could possibly be operating in Gulf Coast Union territory without its military knowing.

“That is likely because that is not what you call them. Truth be told, we do not even know who they really are,” Langston said. “No one does. That is simply what we call them because we know nothing else about them apart from how they are dressed. But please, we can come back to them soon. This is a priority here.” Langston tapped the two small circles around the Pre-War universities he mentioned earlier. “The biggest reason that Florida State University and Florida A&M University are so closed off, beyond official government dealings, is that each of them has one potent communications inhibitor on their grounds. In short, these devices control what information comes in and out of the city. If you have tried to contact your base in Wakulla Springs—or what you now call ‘New’ Tallahassee—you will have noticed that you are incapable of establishing any outside connection. In any case, please do not attempt to do so now. These communications inhibitors they have can and will track whoever tries to establish a channel to anywhere outside the city.”

The fact that the northeastern section of the city had no markings by Langston on it caught Mariah’s eye. In a way, that interested her more than the areas Langston was talking about. “What about over here? Why don’t we care about what’s over here?”

Langston stood there silently for what seemed like a whole minute as he looked at where Mariah was pointing. There seemed to be some measure of fear in his expression. Everyone in the room kept looking at him, waiting for him to answer the question.

“Dr. Langston?” Mariah asked again with more concern in her voice. The Quillback from the facility they escaped was sitting at her feet, oblivious to what was going on. “What is—”

“You do not want to go over there. Ever.” Langston said tersely. “That is all you need to know.”

Mariah was somewhat frustrated. She couldn’t stand not knowing something when she realized there was something interesting and/or important to know. “Well, now I really want to know. Why can’t you just say what it is?”

Langston groaned. For the first time, it seemed that Mariah tried his patience, though it may have just been because the subject matter was something he particularly did not want to think about. “If you really must know, Mariah, it is effectively where the prison section of the city is. It is colloquially referred to as ‘the Zoo.’ Some of Davidson’s . . . projects end up there. Remember those deranged humanoids we encountered below the surface? Well, Davidson has managed to round a few of those up, among other things, and put them there. Any individual who offends the city administration in any manner meets a horrifying fate within the Zoo’s walls. It is his method of keeping the population in line.”

“So, those experiments aren’t Davidson’s,” Waller said. “They’re old Old Guard experiments and they’re just one thing Davidson is trying to retrieve.”

“Correct.”

“But if he was once Old Guard, why does he not have an easier time capturing those subjects? Why does he not know more about them.”

“It is as I said before. The alterations in the landscape, destruction of documents, lack of insight as to what remains, and the passage of time have sealed up much of what was done in the past. Ezra also was not involved in every Old Guard experiment, so he does not have prior knowledge about many such trials. His specialty is in robotics. That is why he has invested an immense number of resources towards recovery efforts.”

“Very well.” Waller peered over the map some more while everyone awaited word of the plan he was concocting. He decided to talk it out loud, mostly with himself to better process Langston’s intel but to also explain to everybody else what they needed to know. “Clearly the comms inhibitors and this Menendez depot are the priority targets right now. I’m afraid our unit is too small and under-resourced to go after both at the same time, but if we pool all our efforts toward one of the targets the NSF will undoubtedly try to shore up security at the other when our first objective is complete. I have a feeling that they are going to be more protective of the Menendez depot given what is there.

“The Old Guard, Enclave, and these Blackcoats are wildcards. They probably are more intuitively aware of the Menendez target if they know the city’s history. Whatever happens, however, we’ll need to call in reinforcements. War is right on our doorstep, and we do not have the numbers now to be sufficiently prepared for when all hell breaks loose. The NSF won’t be able to contend with everybody at the same time, and we need to capitalize on that. So, we’re going after the comms inhibitors first. Do you know the exact location of these devices, Langston?”

“I do not possess precise coordinates, but I know who does,” Langston replied. “We are fortunate enough to have certain members of the NSF who also secretly oppose Davidson. I know that a few of them patrol the grounds of those universities. Even if we do not encounter allies, I hypothesize that the devices will be where the schools’ student radio stations were.”

“I suppose that will have to do. Mariah, Valentina, Langston, you’re all coming with me. You as well, Sarah,” Waller said, pointing to one of the other GCU soldiers. “Javier, you are in charge of the rest of the squad. See if you can scout FAMU’s grounds, but do not proceed onto its campus unless you have absolutely no other choice. We are pressed for time, but I’m not about to send you on a suicide mission. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Javier simply replied.

“Good. In the meantime, my group will be heading to FSU. Take your smaller firearms like your pistols so they are easier to conceal. If you really think you can stay out of sight of any NSF troops, then bring your bigger ordnance.” Waller rolled up the map, trying to think of a safe place to store it. “Alright, people, get some rest. We’re going to move out early when there are less people out and about, but obviously stay alert for NSF. My group will head out first at 6:30 AM, while Javier’s group will leave at 7:00 AM. If we all head out at the same time, we might attract suspicion.” Waller cleared his throat, checking in his head to see if there was anything he missed. “Roger, I understand that you are not the violent type, but do you have any supplies to restock our ammunition?”

“Indeed, Sergeant,” Roger said. He walked over to a loose panel in one of the corners of the room and pointed down into it. “There are a few crates here that can replenish your supplies. The doctor and a few of his allies have arranged to smuggle some of them here.”

“Excellent. Alright, people, make sure you get some good rest. Things are seriously heating up and we all need to be at the top of our game. Dismissed.” And with that, the meeting was adjourned. Shortly thereafter, everyone went to sleep.

***End of Chapter***

Posted by: Acadian Sep 6 2021, 08:25 PM

Rader, when do you you plan on releasing the rpg to support this story?

It looks like you've really done some neat world building here to bring your future Florida to life, including various factions, political intrigue and the drumbeats of war.

Posted by: Renee Sep 8 2021, 01:15 PM

Ha, I wonder what Mariah's stats would look like. Definitely high Perception. Charisma, as well. And Luck. By golly that girl's got some Luck on her side. She's survived more high-pressure, high-risk situations...

That's a good point about Vault-Tec only having so many resources. Indeed, I imagine their primary devotion would be toward political areas, and they'd also be after some profits. But they can only do so much / go so far.

I like the sound of Warsuits. None of my characters so far have been into Power Armor, mostly because they prefer being sneaky & mobile.

The quillback is still with them. Makes me smile. I think I know why Langston won't answer the question. Monsters! Hmm, well I was sort of right.

Seems Waller has cooled off quite a bit. He's getting along with everyone in Chapter 17.3.

Just don't sign up with Avalon Hill! Not without a good copyrights lawyer.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 9 2021, 01:03 AM

Ezra is sounding very much like Mussolini or Hitler in his grandiose designs for power. Nice touch.

I also liked the private security companies growing in power and going into the Vault business, while edging out Vault Tec. It is a nice comparison to the rise of mercenary corporations in the real world.

The Sunshine Wasteland has a decidedly ironic twinge to it that I find absolutely delightful!

The Warsuits sound neat.

The Zoo sounds nice and creepy. I can't wait until the story goes there!

Time to go back to school!

Posted by: Renee Jun 28 2022, 06:55 PM

Um, Rader...

... FINISH this!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jul 17 2022, 05:03 PM

Sorry, everyone. Lots of stuff has been happening in real life over the past year-and-a-half. (That includes writing a REAL book and getting it self-published!) So not only have I not had much time to devote to writing this story, but I haven't been logged into Chorrol in forever or reading other people's stories.

BUT I plan on changing that soon. I know more or less where Part 2 of Fallout: Florida is going. I just need to actually get it written down.

Glad to see you are still interested in it, Renee! Hopefully other Chorrolites are too. I can provide a refresher for readers if need be.

I'll get out the next part of the adventures of Mariah and co. as soon as I can.

Posted by: Renee Jul 17 2022, 05:06 PM

Nice, glad you have returned. What is your real-life book about? Since it's already published, is there a link we can post to?

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jul 18 2022, 12:52 AM

I'll show you in a private message. If any other Chorrolites are interested, I may do the same for them. I just don't want it publicly shown on the forums, at least not right now.


And now, after a very long hiatus...it's back to the story of Fallout: Florida! So glad to be able to continue it again, and hopefully my fellow Chorrolites are eager to get back into it. I'll try to read others' stories as much as I can.


********************






Sunlight wasn’t even peeking out over the city skyline when the GCU crew were up and about. If it weren’t for the exhausting events of the previous few days, they would have had trouble sleeping. Now everyone was ready to carry out Sergeant Waller’s orders, mostly refreshed.

The quillback, Mariah’s new companion, was skittering about nervously. At first, she didn’t seem to think much of it. As if fed up with her inattention, the quillback gently nudged her leg with one of his spiky quills, not enough to hurt her but enough to get her to notice. “Hey, what’s the big idea?” Mariah gently chided her animal friend. The quillback jumped up and then pointed his quills toward one of the windows near the front door.

“It seems that your little friend senses something outside,” Roger, who was also awake to see them off, said as he went over to the window. The window was too high for the quillback to see through, even though it was larger than a regular porcupine, but it seemed that Old Guard experimentation greatly increased his awareness of the surroundings. The quillback’s suspicions would prove correct as Roger looked out the window and gasped.

“What is it?” Mariah asked. Roger’s gasps had put her and Valentina, who overheard the exchange, on edge.

“Oh no, no, no, no . . . Doctor Langston!” Roger said in a loud but whispering tone.

Doctor Langston had been anxious since he woke up, and Roger’s panic made it worse. “What is it, Roger? This better be of vital importance.”

“Look outside! It’s Constantine! And he has other NSF soldiers with him!”

“What?! Let me see!” Dr. Langston walked over to the window to see a 6-and-a-half foot tall man with a bandolier loaded with bullets and an assault carbine on his back. He was flanked by five other NSF soldiers who were shorter but still well over six feet tall themselves. “Confound it! What is he doing here? The NSF must be on alert already!” Langston quickly shook his head from side-to-side to figure out what to do next. It was unusual for the GCU crew to see him so flustered.

“What is going on, Langston?” Waller inquired, weapon drawn already for whatever trouble was nearby. The rest of the GCU group had their hands on their weapons, ready to pull them out as well.

“It is Ezra Davidson’s right-hand man! He is a ruthless b******, and I have personally witnessed it on multiple occasions.” Langston then pointed emphatically to the basement door that was the GCU’s entrance into this Temple of New Life. “We must get back downstairs now!”

Waller wasn’t going to argue. They couldn’t afford to have any mistakes on this mission, especially when it only just started. “Move it! Downstairs, now!”

Langston saw that Constantine and his crew were about to cross the street toward the Temple. “Roger, I need you to do whatever it takes to drive them off. I suspect they will rummage through here if no one is here to meet them. And we need you to conceal the hatch.”

“Of course, Doctor.” Roger said, trying his best to calm himself and appear unsuspicious to Constantine.

Quickly, Langston, the quillback, and the GCU personnel filed through the staircase underneath the hatch, with Roger quickly covering the door. Not even 60 seconds later, there was a loud knock on the front door of the Temple. Roger waited a moment to open it and then greeted Constantine. A gravelly voice answered, which must have been Davidson’s right-hand man. One could tell that he was no-nonsense just by the sound of his voice. “Hello, priest.”

“Ah, hello, sir. What can I do for you?” Roger said without barely a hint of apprehension in his response.

“I have it on good authority that there are . . . troublemakers. Outsiders that have infiltrated the city and threaten its stability and peace. As a good citizen, you know quite well that it is your duty to report any suspicious activities to NSF authorities. So . . . have you witnessed anything unusual?”

“I’ve heard about these outsiders, yes. Unfortunately, I cannot help you because I have not witnessed such activity myself. But I heard a rumor that they may be operating nearby the . . . Menendez building, is it called?”

“Who told you this?”

“Oh, nobody told me specifically. I was at the UniMart yesterday in downtown and I heard some gossip.”

“Are you lying?”

“No, sir!” Roger said in response to the thinly veiled threat. “I do not want this wonderful city being undermined by insurgents or any outside influences. All I want is to bring new sheep into the flock of this Temple of New Life.”

“Yes, I’m sure you do. Very well. That’s all for today. Alright, troops. Let’s move out.” And with that, the NSF group of soldiers left. Roger let some time pass after they took their leave, in case they came back, before uncovering the secret hatch and letting the GCU members out.

“Was what you told them true? About the Menendez building?” Waller said as he came up the stairs. “Constantine may have a knack for smelling out bull****.”

“Well, yes . . . though somewhat misleading,” Roger said with a nervous chuckle. “I was the one who told somebody else—a trustworthy person who also works against the Davidson administration—while I was shopping at the UniMart. The Enclave soldiers who came up through the same hatch as you, I overheard them as they were discussing their plans. Very arrogant people who must have thought I had no idea what they were talking about or that I wasn’t listening. So technically, I did overhear a conversation at the store.”

“Good work. Thank you, Roger.” Waller said. “Did you overhear anything else?”

“I heard a few names. One stood out in particular because they noted his rank: Colonel Blackburn.”

“Hmm. Yes, I believe I know his name,” Langston said ponderingly. “I am not sure how long he has possessed his rank, but his name does sound familiar.”

“With any luck, the NSF will be focused on the Menendez armory, and they will be less focused on the old grounds of FAMU and FSU,” Waller said. “We need to make haste now. And I’m revising that order about bringing smaller weapons—bring any ordnance that you can take with you. We cannot afford to be spotted, but if we are we need to be able to defend ourselves to the utmost capacity. No sense in handicapping ourselves. Javier, take your group to FAMU right now. My group will head over to FSU immediately. Move out.”

Posted by: Renee Jul 21 2022, 01:03 PM

Hey man, welcome back. Just so I make sure I've got the story right, I am going to make a bunch of statements, some of which are wrong.

They are in New Talahassee? And from what I remember, Langston is a ghoul scientist who is knowledgable about some bunker (something like this) in which they are all delving into, right? Sargent Waller and Langston and maybe a couple others are all at odds about their latest mission. Nobody trusts each other.

And they found a quillback, which I believe is an irradiated version of a porcupine. I believe Waller wanted to kill it, but somebody else (Val or Mariah) wanted to keep it around. Which was a good idea because the prickly creature is adding some merit to the party.

Constantine is here. I remember that name. "Are you lying?" asks the soldier? That made me laugh a little. Like, what answer did he think he would get?

Posted by: SubRosa Jul 21 2022, 11:08 PM

Welcome back Rader. Nice to see you back on the case.

I just noted that Mariah has an animal companion. If her father was only a king, she would be a Disney Princess. https://youtu.be/uF76FxiScz8.

Uh oh, bad guys snooping around.

Time to get a move on while they can.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jul 23 2022, 05:40 PM

Old Tallahassee. New Tallahassee is right nearby. With the Great War, Tallahassee was hit hard by the bombs (though that is possibly the work of the Enclave, as the Florida state government and the U.S. federal government were at bloody odds with each other, which leads to the rivalry between Enclave and Old Guard). The former Wakulla Springs, which was growing before the war, was near the original Tallahassee and, with the formation of the GCU, Wakulla Springs became styled as "New Tallahassee." Eventually, "Old" Tallahassee was becoming habitable, but by the time the GCU started trying to operate there, they found somebody else had taken over much of the place.




Hey, Sub! Good to see you again, too. I will get back to reading The Stormcrow as soon as I can.

Yeah, I'm probably going to make the quillback (what used to be a porcupine) the Fallout: Florida version of Dogmeat. Makes for something different but is still a homage of sorts, I guess.



It feels good to get back to this more consistently. Hopefully I can keep that up. Here's Chapter 18.2


***************************

Chapter 18: Inhibiting the Inhibitors

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3SSZ86syrk]

Roger showed the group a backdoor to exit the building more discreetly. Save for Constantine and his posse of NSF soldiers, there was almost nobody out on the streets yet. The two GCU groups kept their wits about them, looking in all directions and sticking to alleyways and other methods of keeping out of sight. They eventually split up so that Javier’s group headed to FAMU while Waller’s—which included Mariah, Valentina, Langston, and the quillback—made haste to FSU.

With Langston’s knowledge of the city’s layout, the group was privy to many nooks and crannies available to them so they could stay out of sight, but it took them longer to get to their destination. The radio station on the FSU campus, call sign WVFS, was dangerously close to other city landmarks. These included the still-ruined remains of City Hall, the Museum of Florida History, and the towering Florida Capitol Building that had the historic capitol building right behind it. Even after being mostly rebuilt by Ezra Davidson’s legion of automatons and human and ghoul workers, one could still feel some of the old Florida town vibe that Old Tallahassee possessed before the War.

Mariah certainly noticed the historic feel. “This place would be amazing to dive into it if it weren’t lorded over by a psychopath,” she said.

“That is an astute observation,” Langston said in agreement. “If only you could have seen it before the bombs dropped.” He sighed at the thought of a dead era that was never coming back.

“So, this is the heart of the city, huh?” Waller remarked. “This place should be crawling with NSF, but it seems awfully quiet. Why?” While it was still somewhat early in the morning, it was expected that there would be a noticeable NSF force hanging around.

“I can only speculate. With the Enclave, Old Guard, and Blackcoats in the city, maybe their forces are strained.”

“You know, for a group dressed so conspicuously, these Blackcoats sure are otherwise mysterious,” Mariah said. “You really know nothing about them?”

“No, but Ezra seemed to have a particular axe to grind with them. He would not tell me anything about them. I suspect he knew more about who they are than what he would say.”

Suddenly, a PA system at the city center blared over speakers wired throughout. Out of the speakers came an exceptionally raspy voice. It was Ezra Davidson. “This is your governor speaking, reminding you of your duties as citizens of our great New State of Florida to report any suspicious activities and individuals.” Even for a ghoul, Davidson’s voice was growly. “We have insurgent factions within our city. It is your responsibility as citizens to do your part in making the quelling of these insurrections as quick as possible.”

He even sounds like a bona fide psychopath, Mariah thought to herself. How in the world did this guy get so many people to follow him?

Ezra’s voice kept rambling, but Waller took the attention away from it to refocus the group on the task at hand. “Forget the wannabe dictator for now. We have a job to do. I don’t know why this place is so lightly defended right now, especially with something as critical as this comms inhibitor, but we need to move fast to take advantage of it. How do we get inside the WVFS station without being seen, Langston? I guarantee somebody is waiting at the front door.”

“There’s an emergency exit around the right side from where we are. It goes down some steps below the ground and is covered up by a wall. And with any Luck, a fellow resistance fighter within the NSF will be here. I know that she is often posted here.”

“Perfect. Have your weapons ready just in case, people,” Waller said. The group traversed the grounds as surreptitiously as they could. There were some NSF soldiers walking the streets nearby, but there weren’t many of them. The GCU group was able to stay out of sight, in part thanks to some tricks Mariah learned from the Apalachee back in the Panhandle. But there was still a nagging question: How could this area be left nearly defenseless?

Whatever the case was, the group safely made it down the steps to a mostly-glass door. And that luck that Langston was hoping for was on their side, as that inside woman was positioned at the door. Waller and company had their weapons at the ready before Langston frantically waved in front of them. “Stop! She’s on our side!”

“Dr. Langston?” The woman perked up. Unlike many other NSF military members, she was not a ghoul. “To be honest, I didn’t think you were ever coming back.”

“You must keep the faith, my dear Akila,” Langston said in a reassuring tone. “I was hoping I would see you here but . . . are you the only one here?”

“I can’t say for certain about the inside,” Akila replied.

“Why is there almost no one from the NSF patrolling the streets?” Waller asked. “This makes no sense.”

“I don’t know, sir,” Akila said with a shrug. “But a lot of soldiers were sent over to the old Menendez building. Trying to protect the Warsuits over there. They won’t say it, obviously, but there is clearly a lot of concern amongst NSF leadership about what’s been going on. I think they know they are on the cusp of losing this city.”

“We can only hope,” Mariah said. “You probably know this already, but we need to destroy the comms inhibitor here at the radio station. Where exactly is it?”

“Sorry, but I’m not aware of what this inhibitor is. Leadership doesn’t tell us about everything. All we know is that there is important stuff here,” Akila said. She then raised her eyebrows in a sort of “a-ha!” look. “You know who might know, though? The DJ.”

“There’s a DJ here?”

“Yeah, his name’s DJ Lowe. He’s here a lot to do the music and all for people living in the city. He has to spout a lot of the propaganda for Governor Davidson’s administration, but I know he complains about many of the constraints they put on him. Told me as much because, well, he’s hit on me multiple times. Fancies himself a ladies’ man,” Akila said, shaking her head and scoffing. “He’s harmless, but he thinks he’s got way more Charisma than he actually does. But some women clearly like him in that way. Not my type, though.”

Mariah and Valentina looked at each other—both had met more than a few men like that.

“Ah, yes. DJ Lowe. ‘The One-Man Show’ as he likes to call himself,” Langston said, clearly unamused by the man. “But that makes sense that he might know. Is he on air right now?”

“Yeah. But there are often two or three soldiers posted at the door to the studio to keep tabs on him. I don’t know how you all made it, but I don’t think stealth is going to get you through them. I would help, but I have been ordered to stay posted out here. If I go against orders . . .”

“We’ll figure out a way. Thank you, Akila. You’ve been a major help,” Waller said, shaking her hand. “Don’t put yourself in more danger than you have to.”

“Thank you, sir. I can open the door for you at least.” Akila took out a pair of keys and unlocked the door. “I’ll have to lock it behind you, but you can still open it from the inside.”

“Whatever you need to do.” It seemed to the group that Waller had softened a bit. Maybe it was just his level of focus on the current mission. Maybe it was just that fortune finally was on their side. In any case, it was a welcome change from his hardened attitude. “Let’s work quickly. Have your weapons out.”

Mariah looked at her erstwhile quillback buddy. His quills were standing on end as if he expected enemies at any moment. Mariah smiled at him, took a deep breath, and stepped through the doorway with her companions.

Posted by: SubRosa Jul 24 2022, 04:53 AM

We get some old tyme Tallahassee charm as the chapter begins. It is nice to compare and contrast the present to the past. Well, often depressing in games like this. But it reminds us that there was indeed a past, and that history is one of the things that created the present we currently live within.

Blackcoats. That sounds like it could be good. The black flag is the symbol for anarchism, going back at least as far as Nestor Mahkno. OTOH, Blackshirts have a distinct OG fascist history. Or granted, it might just be an arbitrary style choice of yet another faction.

I wonder if this area appears so empty because it is a trap? My sense of paranoia is slowly increasing.

DJ Lowe. ‘The One-Man Show’

Posted by: WellTemperedClavier Jul 24 2022, 07:24 AM

Hey, just chiming in to say I've read the first three chapters (and the introductory material). As a Fallout fan, it's fun to see how the setting might look in parts of the US that the series hasn't visited. Florida's own unique history would certainly put its own spin on post-nuclear life, and it's no surprise that there'd be a lot more in the way of mutation in such a bio-diverse place.

The GCU's certainly gotten on its feet impressively quickly. Though, as I think you mentioned, northern Florida wouldn't have been bombed as heavily as California or the Northeast. As much of a peril as the wildlife is, as the Kolossi and others demonstrate, it can also be a boon when handled correctly.

Mariah's got a good head on her shoulders. She's of the Wasteland, but not (yet) completely hardened. And as is so often the case in Fallout, she's to some extent a hero of happenstance. Being on that caravan led to one event, which led to another, and so forth. As an outsider, she's well-suited to introducing the reader to the Sunshine Wasteland (what a great name, along with Cooler Heads, which is so wonderfully Fallout). The politics of the GCU, the Dissidents, and others already seem pretty byzantine, however, and it seems that this battle over Holt's Fusion! factory will just be the tip of the iceberg.

Posted by: Renee Jul 27 2022, 06:30 PM

"They eventually split up so that Javier’s group headed to FAMU while Waller’s—which included Mariah, Valentina, Langston, and the quillback—made haste to FSU....."

I love how the animal is now part of the group. It occurred to me this past weekend that there's the possiblity the armadillo is domesticated?

Remind me what Ezra is supposed to be like? Skinny? Overweight? Tall? Short? I just wanna be able to picture the guy. Okay, I see he is a ghoul.

But yah, he does sound sort of psychopathic, or at least paranoid. He gets on the loudspeaker and what does he say? Turn in any insurgents! -- Almost reminds me of Jim Jones, during his church's cult's final days in South America. Jim would also get on a loudspeaker, high on whatever, and ramble to his congregation, right up until he made them drink the Kool Aid.

There's a D.J. here?

I love how you keep capitalizing the SPECIAL attributes! Luck. Charisma!

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 1 2022, 02:47 PM

@SubRosa - Something I always thought was particularly interesting in Fallout was the comparison of past and present. So many philosophical questions come out of that. As for DJ Lowe, I was inspired by an actual DJ in the Tampa Bay area of Florida who, while his name is obviously different, he similarly has a tagline that rhymes with his name.

@WellTemperedClavier - Glad to see a new face join the story! And you must be one of the newcomers to Chorrol that joined in my absence, so allow me to give you my "welcome, aboard" myself! https://en.uesp.net/wiki/General:Fishy_Stick. I'll give your own story a read whenever I can, too.

@Renee - Porcupine. And I haven't gone into too much detail about his past, but he was an Old Guard experiment and, despite that and radiation, did not become a hostile animal. But he's got more spunk and toughness that his size indicates. I haven't described what Ezra looks like yet, but you'll see soon enough. He will be met face-to-face.



A little bit later than I hoped, but here's the end of Chapter 18! Meet DJ Lowe, The One-Man Show!

Chapter 18: Inhibiting the Inhibitors

***Chapter 18.3***

The inside of the building was well-lit and quiet, save for some faint mumbling upstairs. Whether that was the sound of NSF soldiers or DJ Lowe doing his thing wasn’t clear from where they were standing. A couple of doors could be heard down the hall and around one of the corners, warranting further caution from the GCU crew. A door to a stairwell was on their right side as they walked down the hall with their weapons drawn. Plastic placards were screwed into the wall next to the door, one of them reading “radio station – 2nd floor”. Waller quietly tapped the placard and pointed upward to his unit, who nodded in affirmation.

As they ascended the stairs, the mumbling was replaced with a song that was being played on the radio, though which song it was wasn’t clear yet. Hearts started pumping as they realized their destination was right around the corner, with likely a couple enemies standing in the way. But curiously, the quillback wasn’t on edge. On the contrary, he seemed rather tranquil, happy to be in the company of his newfound friends. Waller, however, wasn’t going to take chances. He pointed to his weapon silently to signal his unit to keep their guard up.

It turned out that the apprehension was unwarranted, for when they turned the corner the crew saw two dead NSF guards sitting outside the door to the studio the DJ was in. Curiously, there were two “calling cards” featuring a stylized logo with the outline of Florida, one that the GCU crew had not seen before. The guards seemed to have been surprised by whoever their assailant, or assailants, were. If it weren’t so fortuitous, Mariah would have been getting annoyed at the fact that all these would-be obstacles were already overcome. It didn’t make any sort of sense. Were NSF forces really that strained? Was somebody else that was also opposed to the NSF responsible for the lack of NSF defense in the area? What was going on? Mariah couldn’t help but feel that the tides would turn back against them at any moment.

In any case, Waller was just about to break the door down until he heard the song had ended. A cocky voice went into a radio host spiel. “And that was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTjs7a9l0hM. Catchy song, but as the ladies know, ol’ DJ Lowe the One-Man Show doesn’t need any concoctions to find love, ha ha HA! How are you all doing this fine day, eh? If you’re a lady,” Lowe said, briefly changing his voice to sound low and seductive, “I can make it finer. Ha ha HA! Anywho, Governor Davidson wants you all to be rest assured that his administration has got the recent troubles in this city well in hand. And to show you just how normal things are, I’ve got another couple of classics on tap. But you always play classics, DJ Lowe!” Lowe said in a purposely goofy, scratchy voice. “I know, I know. I always give the people what they want. Especially if they are females.”

Does this guy ever stop talking? Mariah thought to herself. Akila was clearly right about DJ Lowe’s thoughts about himself.

“But I’m not just an admirer of the female form,” Lowe continued, suggesting the answer to Mariah’s question in her head was ‘no.’ “I’m a big fan of the female voice. And we’ve got some great lady singers, human AND ghoul, over at the Governor’s Club in downtown tonight starting at 7:00 PM. But for now, we’ve got another Pre-War great. It’s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9G0-4TWwew.

As soon as the new song came on the radio, that was the GCU unit’s cue. When it was clear that Lowe turned off his microphone, Waller busted the door open. The sudden action turned the voice of the self-satisfied DJ into a startled, almost shrill one. “AAAAHHHH! What did I say?! I didn’t…” Lowe exclaimed, whirling the chair around and getting up higher in his seat, as if it would get him further away from the intruders. “Wait . . . you’re not NSF.” Lowe wasn’t quite a scrawny man. He appeared to be of an average height for a male and had some muscular definition, but he was thin and far from an imposing figure.

Lowe’s gaze met Mariah and Valentina. Struck by their beauty, he recomposed himself, slicking his black, gelled hair back. “Ahem. . . . Hello there,” he said in that low, would-be seductive tone he used earlier.

“Can it. Not interested.” Mariah quickly retorted.

Lowe still had a look of hope on his face as he turned to Valentina, but she simply shook her head with a stoic expression. He sighed, throwing his hands up and slapping his hands down on his chair’s arms. “Ol’ Lowe’s on a cold streak. Knew I should’ve taken some Mentats,” Lowe muttered to himself. “Alright, what’s the big idea? Can’t you see I’m working here?” He gestured towards the radio controls.

“That’s not your priority,” Waller said impatiently. “You need to focus on assisting us. Whatever songs you need to keep playing to make things seem normal to your listeners, do it.”

“Yeesh. Are you competing with the NSF to see who is bossier?” Lowe said, folding his arms. “Another instance of The Man trying to keep me down.”

“And I’ll keep you down if you aren’t cooperative,” Waller said testily.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy!” Lowe put his hands up as if to calm him. “Look, what do you want? How’d you even get in here anyway?”

“Your guards at the door are dead,” Mariah said matter-of-factly. “Did you have anything to do with that? What are these calling cards with the shape of Florida that we found on their bodies?”

Lowe grinned and sat up straight in his chair. “I’m flattered that you think that. I’m a pretty strong guy, if I do say so.” He flexed his right arm, the bicep of which had a little but not much definition, in a failed attempt to impress Mariah. She pursed her lips to one side of her mouth and lowered her eyebrows, showing she was still unamused. “Lighten up a little, lady. But no, I didn’t have anything to do with it,” Lowe said, back to being serious. “Don’t know anything about those cards, either. If you had nothing to do with it, I have no idea who did. So, who are you people?”

“Sergeant Waller. We represent the Gulf Coast Union,” Waller replied. “We’re here to topple Ezra Davidson’s regime and to thwart whatever these other insurgent groups are trying to do. And you need to help us in that regard.”

“Sergeant? You’re GCU? The little nation outside the city walls? So, you ARE going to liberate this city!” Lowe said excitedly, quickly clapping his hands several times. “Oh, ho ho! This is great! Finally going to stick it to The Man! NOBODY keeps DJ Lowe down or tells him what to do! Well, not for long, at least. Okay, I’ll help you. But on just one condition.”

“You’re not in a position to bargain, Lowe,” Waller said, his impatience already rising.

“Then why come to me, huh? You obviously need me. You don’t even know what I’m going to say!”

“Then what is it you want?” Mariah said. Waller shot her a look. He was expecting to be the sole negotiator and didn’t want any potential complications. Mariah threw her arms up. “What? He’s right.”

“Thank you!” Lowe said emphatically. “It’s simple. All I want . . . is to keep this radio station after you curb-stomp Ezra.” The song on the radio had ended then, so Lowe set the next one to play without interjecting his own commentary to the listeners. He started playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-bbKZ4CPlA.

The GCU crew was surprised. Waller wasn’t buying that that was all there was to it. “What’s the catch?”

“Maybe it’s hard to believe for someone in a position of power, but I’m just a regular guy. I don’t want for much. Money’s nice, sure. Property? Cool. But the radio is my calling. It’s my life. And I just want to get my voice out there, man. There’s this incredible freedom that comes with talking out over the airwaves. And in this day and age, the radio is one of the few things that people can always rely on for some level of comfort. I’m here for the people. All I want is for DJ Lowe’s voice to be heard all across the land.” Lowe motioned his hands as if to paint a picture of what he was talking about. “Well, and women, too. But I don’t need you to give me those. Every woman goes crazy over a DJ. Well, except for . . .” Lowe gestured one of his hands wildly toward Mariah and Valentina.

“Fine. You have a deal,” Waller said. It took little thought to consider Lowe’s proposal, if that was really all there was to it. “Now, back to business. Dr. Langston here says that there is a device here that inhibits communications to anywhere outside the city. Where is it?”

“Dr. Langston?” DJ Lowe said with a raised eyebrow. “Aren’t you that guy that the NSF has been going crazy about finding? You sure stirred up a hornet’s nest. Isn’t that how that saying goes? Anyway, that must be that thingamajig in that locked room over there.” Lowe pointed to a door on the other side of the room. “Going to need a key, though. Can’t help you there. Maybe it’s . . .”

Before Lowe finished his sentence, Mariah took out a lockpick and walked over to the door. It had an unassuming look, as if it didn’t protect a mechanism that was key to Davidson and the NSF keeping their grip on the city. After playing around with the lock for about 30 seconds, Mariah got the door open.

“Well, then,” Lowe said with a look of bewilderment. “Nevermind, I guess. But you’ll need a lot more than that to handle that computer in there. Even a top-flight hacker would . . .”

Now it was Valentina’s turn to demonstrate her capabilities. She walked through the now-open doorway courtesy of Mariah’s Lockpicking skill. Before her lay a large control panel and some large wires leading to the roof, indicating that the comms inhibitor itself was on the roof so that its signal was not blocked. It took a couple minutes for her to hack into the computer, but she got through and disabled the comms inhibitor. It struck them that the computer looked very similar to the one Valentina had to hack in Tyndall Air Force Base, when the GCU and the Apalachee waged that climactic battle against the Alabama Dissidents and the Brotherhood of Steel. It wasn’t one of those RobCo computers, as was so prevalent in the Old World.

“Wow,” Lowe simply said, his mouth agape. “Hot AND talented? Now that’s my kind of women!”

“Mariah and Valentina may be green, but they are quite capable,” Waller affirmed. “That’s why I have them with me.”

“No kidding. Mariah and Valentina . . . what lovely names,” Lowe said, daydreaming about the two women succumbing to his charming abilities that he had inflated in his mind. “Well, I guess that’s that. Any way that I can help, you just call on your pal DJ Lowe—The One-Man Show! Just . . . don’t get me killed please. Can’t talk on the radio if I’m dead, you know.”

“We are doing all that we can,” Waller said. “Just keep doing what you’re doing as if nothing has changed.” Waller turned his attention to his unit. “Grab those walkie-talkies off the guards. Hopefully, we’ll be able to hear what has happened at FAMU and the Menendez building. Then we can regroup with Javier’s group.”

“Roger that, Sarge!” Lowe said gleefully as the GCU crew started leaving. It was time to put the next song on the radio, and Lowe chose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je5wMVo4sd4.

Of course Lowe would pick that song, Mariah thought.

“You all take care of yourselves. Especially you, Mariah and Valentina,” Lowe said. “Don’t forget your most adoring fan, DJ Lowe, after all this!”

For once, the comment managed to get a slight smile from the two women, even though they still had no romantic interest in Lowe. “Somehow, I don’t think we will,” Valentina said. Even that positive reaction from the two of them was enough to make Lowe’s heart flutter.

The GCU crew grabbed the walkie-talkies off the dead NSF guards and dragged the bodies into a broom closet right next to Lowe’s studio, though there were still blood stains on the floor. Langston also picked up one of those calling cards with a stylized logo featuring the shape of Pre-War Florida. “I have seen this symbol before, but I cannot recall where that was.”

“Probably best to take a couple of them with us, then,” Mariah said, picking up one of the cards herself. “Doesn’t look like an Old Guard symbol. Maybe the Blackcoats?”

“Maybe. They don’t seem like the type of organization that does that, but who knows? We still have no intel on them,” Waller said, rekindling his frustration at knowing nothing about the shadowy cabal. “But if it was them, why wouldn’t they disable the comms inhibitor themselves? They oppose the NSF, too. Whatever the case, we need to get moving before any NSF soldiers realize what is happening and come snooping around here.” With their work done, the GCU unit went back down the stairwell toward the door they used to enter the WVFS station.

Posted by: WellTemperedClavier Aug 5 2022, 01:16 AM

Thanks! I wasn't on the classic Bethesda forums, so I missed the whole "fishy stick" thing, but I do know of it secondhand. Much appreciated.

Up to Chapter 7. Seems like a true Fallout situation. The Dissidents are definitely troublemakers here, though the GCU isn't quite squeaky-clean either. I suppose moral compromise comes with trying to manage a country.

Regardless, the GCU does seem to be in pretty good shape. Clearly, they've gone for a pretty inclusive approach, which is serving them well. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about the New Life folks, yet, though they seem pretty harmless.

Something like the F.A.C.T. would be a game-changer. I could see it helping the GCU maintain hegemony (and, potentially, giving them an unhealthy amount of power), or enabling the Dissidents or some other faction to break away. The BoS certainly has motivation.

Now Mariah's found it... but the poison's taken it's toll. A tense situation, indeed.

Posted by: Renee Aug 7 2022, 05:11 PM

It's good you are reading all the back stories there, Clavier. I'd like to do this too, there's a lot I've forgotten. Only so much time, though...

What a really weird scene Waller and the others are walking into! Like Tallahassee's version of Three Dog. Jeezus, what a love machine he purports to be!

Ha, this music's great!

"Ah, hello there!" ... "Can it! Not interested." ... Omg DJ Lowe is so gross!

I like how obvious their skillsets are in this scene. Mariah has some Thief perks for sure, while Val's trained more in Science. 🖥 Even the DJ seems to have a version of Lady Killer, although it's not really working so well for him today.

There's so much going on with all these groups and organizations in Postwar Florida. I wonder where it all will lead.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 8 2022, 04:21 AM

Curiouser and curiouser. The calling cards on the bodies makes me wonder if Pickman was in town looking for new models?

DJ Lowe does not seem to be perturbed by the dead men outside door. I wonder if he knows they are there?

That's right DJ Lowe, stick it to the Man!

Mariah and Val show why they are on the team quite efficiently.

Loved the Adoring Fan reference.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 8 2022, 03:39 PM

@WellTemperedClavier - Yep, I took a bit of inspiration from the NCR for the GCU in the sense of there being some level of moral greyness, though of course with a Gulf Coast flavor to it. You also used the term "byzantine" to refer to the political situation in the region, which is great. As long as its understandable, that's what I was going for. I think it's much more interesting when more than two factions or viewpoints are involved in a dispute.

And thanks for taking the time to read the previous parts of the story. I wouldn't have blamed you at all for skimming or skipping through it since there is a lot there. Similarly to Renee, it also helps to hear your reactions in case I forgot something from then since I had such a long hiatus from writing the story.

@Renee - Hey, cut DJ Lowe some slack. He's just missing a bunch of Speech checks lately.

@SubRosa - Thank you for catching the Adoring Fan reference! I enjoy when people notice the little references I put in. I'm a big fan of the inclusion of Easter eggs in stories, games, etc. It's like playing a little game while reading a story.



Speaking of references, there's a callback to a previous Fallout game that likely no one here will know of unless I link it. So look out for some bolded text with a YouTube link. (It's Fallout 2, which I have only played a couple hours of and is not anywhere near the part of the game that is in the video.) You should watch the whole video, but the specific thing I'm referencing is what I set the timestamp at.

And without further ado, onto Chapter 19! (Would've rhymed if it was Chapter 22...)

Chapter 19: Capital Punishment

Chapter 19.1

For the first time in a while, it finally seemed like things were trending positively for Mariah and company. Murphy’s Law apparently had been in full effect: Troubles from the Old Guard and Enclave; the presence of Blackcoats and no closer to knowing who they are; getting into a firefight with Silas Hawthorne and his Old Guard underlings while being attacked by creatures that were experimented on some time ago; getting attacked by some sort of animal-human hybrids in close corridors; and then getting stuck in the city. But now a communications inhibitor, key to Ezra Davidson’s grip on Old Tallahassee, was down. They hoped, and in some cases prayed, that Javier’s group was successful in disabling the other inhibitor.

But ever the vigilant one, Waller reminded them to stay on their toes. “Well done on this mission, but it isn’t over yet. We need to get back to base. The NSF may be back on the prowl here in downtown, so stay alert.”

As if heeding his words, their quillback companion’s spikes had flared up again. The group stopped before they went back through the door they used to enter the building in the first place. “What is it, little buddy?” Mariah asked.

The quillback turned toward the opposite direction. A few NSF soldiers had turned the corner, assault rifles in hand. “There! More insurgents!” one of them shouted. They must have somehow known Mariah and company were in the building. “By order of Governor Davidson, stop! Put away your—”

“Open fire!” Waller bellowed. He, Mariah, and Valentina unloaded on the NSF patrol, who ducked into corridors connected to the hallway. Even Langston did what he could, even though he wasn’t much of a marksman. But there was only one way for the GCU unit to go, as they had no defenses themselves. “We don’t have any cover! Fall back outside!” Waller ordered. Without hesitation, the group busted through the door.

But as they stepped outside, they found themselves cornered. Four other NSF soldiers awaited them, one of them with a firearm at point-blank range behind Akila, who had her hands on her head. “Well, well,” one of the NSF smugly said. “What have we here? Drop your weapons. Now. Or else this traitor gets it.” Clearly, he was referring to Akila, who had her eyes closed and an emotionless expression.

The NSF soldiers from inside the building came out from behind them, pointing their weapons at the GCU group. There was nowhere to go. “Stand down,” Waller said calmly to his unit as his mind raced to think of how to get out of this rut. As much as Mariah wanted to turn on the impetuous side of herself in this situation, she knew they had no choice. She glared at the NSF soldiers as she placed her weapon on the ground. The quillback skittered behind her ankles—even he seemed to understand the predicament they were in.

“So, you thought you could just waltz into downtown and get out without trouble?” A different NSF soldier, a ghoul, started speaking. “Big mistake.”

“So, this was just one big trap, huh? Probably should’ve done something before we took out your little toy up there.” Mariah said, turning on her defiant tone.

“Mariah, please,” Valentina pleaded, worried that the soldiers would decide right then to end their lives.

“Actually, no. Why any of our superiors thought leaving downtown so unattended was a good idea is beyond me. But I guess it worked out to some extent. We got Dr. Langston himself. Oh boy, are you in trouble now, doctor. Governor Davidson is furious with you, you know. We’ve got orders to bring you and any insurgents with you to Governor Davidson himself, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. See that building over there?” The soldier pointed to the tall structure which served as the Florida Capitol building in the Pre-War era. A large portion of it had been rebuilt by NSF workers and Davidson’s robots, but it was still far from the pinnacle of what it once was. “For you outsiders, that’s what we call ‘The Spire,’ and that’s where we’re going. Now move.”

But before the NSF squad could start marching them to the Florida Capitol building, a new combatant entered the fray, standing atop the wall that obscured the stairs and the level of ground they were on. Though the rays of the sun obscured who he was, his silhouette could be made out enough to show that he was striking a heroic pose with his hands on his hips. “Unhand them, ruffians!” The mysterious man triumphantly said. “No one escapes the reach of sunshine justice!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEDCupW-6dA&t=56s

“Hey, is this the guy we saw in WVFS?” One of the soldiers from behind the GCU crew said.

Without answering, the mysterious man leaped down with blazing speed, throwing projectiles at several NSF soldiers. Several of the other NSF soldiers shot at him to no avail. Mariah, Valentina, and Waller took advantage of the confusion to grab their weapons off the ground and kill several of the NSF troops, while Akila took vengeance on the one who had his gun at her back. Even the quillback joined in, shooting several spines right into the throat of another NSF soldier. In a matter of seconds, the fight was over. Seven NSF troops were dead, and everyone else was alive and well.

Akila collapsed to the ground, not from injuries but from the sheer stress of the situation. The strange man held out his hand to help her up. “Are you okay, citizen?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Akila replied, taking his hand to get off the ground. She dusted off her pants. “Thank you for saving me and my allies. But . . . who are you?”

Everyone finally had the chance to get a good look at him. He was . . . dressed as a superhero?

“Why, I’m FLORIDA MAN!” The man shouted emphatically. “The shining ray of justice! The champion of the daylight! The incandescent bane of evildoers everywhere!” Florida Man wasn’t quite buff like the superheroes of comic books, but he had a decent build to his muscular structure. His outfit was mostly white, with orange boots, bracers, the area around his waist, and his mask; though his eyes, nostrils, and mouth could still be seen. Parts of his costume bore aquatic creature motifs like fins and alligator scales, and his chest bore the stylized symbol of Florida with sunrays that the GCU unit found on the calling cards on the dead NSF soldiers upstairs. It seemed that this Florida Man was to thank for a lot of their good fortune here. “As long as there is lawfulness to distribute in this state, I will be there!”

“Um, is this serious?” Mariah said, asking the question that her flabbergasted companions wanted to say. “This can’t be serious.”

“It would appear so,” Langston said in confirmation.

“I mean, I’ve heard of the Silver Shroud and Mistress of Mystery and all that. But . . . Florida Man?” Even many wastelanders knew of those popular Pre-War comic book characters like the Unstoppables, Captain Cosmos, and even K.D. Inkwell.

“Back in the Pre-War days, ‘Florida Man’ and ‘Florida Woman’ were nicknames used to describe residents of the state who performed bizarre acts, usually crimes done in a strange way. They featured frequently in the news, making them the target of many jokes in-state and around the country. The Florida state government commissioned a comic book company in this state to turn ‘Florida Man’ and ‘Florida Woman’ into superheroes instead of buffoons in an attempt at a positive spin on the monikers.”

“So, he’s what, discount Manta Man?” Mariah asked sarcastically.

“I suppose you could say that. The Unstoppables and other Hubris Comics characters like Captain Cosmos considerably overshadowed Florida Man and Woman, even here in Florida. Clearly, however, Florida Man lives on.” Langston appeared to take this bizarre situation all in stride.

“He does, indeed!” Florida Man proclaimed. “And he will never rest until the blazing rays of justness come searing down on the foes of righteousness!” Florida Man’s tone, however, suddenly changed from triumphant to what seemed accusatory as he narrowed his eyes at Langston. “Say, haven’t I seen you somewhere, before?”

“What? Uh—” Langston was taken aback, as if he suddenly recognized who Florida Man was. The side of himself that was at a loss for words was rare to see. “Er, no. I am sure we have never seen each other before.” Waller’s suspicions of Dr. Langston, unsurprisingly, heightened again. But he decided to wait until they returned to the Temple of New Life to question Langston about his reaction.

“Well, we should definitely thank Mr., uh . . . Florida Man here, in any case,” Mariah said. “So, thanks, Florida Man. Can we count on you to help the GCU? We have a lot of enemies in the city, and we could use all the help we can get.”

“Of course, ma’am!” Florida Man exclaimed. He seemed to completely forget about Langston. “You all appear to be upstanding people. If this GCU is on the right side of justice, you can always count on the singing rays of justice from Florida Man!”

Waller briefly brought Florida Man up to speed about recent events, who Waller and his comrades were, and how Florida Man could help the GCU. “And with any luck, we’ll be able to communicate with our forces from beyond the city soon. Perhaps we can call on your services in law enforcement once this ordeal with Davidson is over. Take this walkie-talkie to listen in on NSF comms.”

“Very well, Sergeant! And you, young lady,” Florida Man addressed Valentina. “Here is my card. Always remember you can call on Florida Man’s assistance in your time of need.” The card had no sort of information about contacting Florida Man, so how he expected her to call on his assistance was beyond her.

“Oh, we found a few of them on those soldiers you killed upstairs,” Valentina said with a nervous laugh, still puzzled at the very existence of this self-professed superhero before them. “But, uh . . . thank you. Florida Man.”

“Capital!” Florida Man said jubilantly, proud of the city pun he just made. “I only have a limited number of these cards. It isn’t easy getting a hold of the paper for it—a problem I shall rectify once we liberate this city and its good-natured inhabitants. Farewell, citizens!” And with a speedy, superhumanly high leap onto the wall, Florida Man ran off to dole out more justice. The group stared in awe at Florida Man’s physical abilities. How did he do that?

“Well, that was something,” Waller said dryly. “We don’t have any more time. We need to get out of downtown and back to base ASAP. Hopefully, Javier’s unit will be back when we return to the Temple of New Life.” He turned to Akila, who had recomposed herself. “Akila, why don’t you come with us? In case other NSF know that you helped us too.”

“You’re right. I don’t think there is any choice. You can count on me.”

“Great. Welcome to the squad. Just follow my lead. Now, let’s move out.”

-----------------

NSF troops were starting to filter back into downtown and the surrounding area, making the GCU unit’s return to the Temple of New Life dicey. The return trip took longer than to get to the WVFS station, and by the time the group approached the Temple the sun had almost set. Waller listened in on the NSF’s comms and found out the FAMU comms inhibitor was destroyed as well. But what happened to Javier’s group and the battles around the Menendez building was unclear. Little was heard about the Old Guard, the Enclave, or the Blackcoats.

Waller spoke up when his unit came up to the alleyway they used to leave the Temple of New Life earlier in the day finally came into view. “I hope that’s a good sign that we haven’t heard anything about Javier. It may mean that they escaped capture or a worse fate. Or not. I obviously do not wish to think of the latter, but in my position, you must be ready for anything.” Waller checked around them to make sure nobody had seen them.

“But what about the other factions in the city?” Mariah asked. “Seems strange that we heard nothing about them either.”

“Indeed. Maybe they know we’re listening in, or that one of the other groups are,” Waller speculated. “We’ll go over our next course of action inside the Temple and fill Roger in on the day’s events. And I would be remiss if I didn’t note this: You all did a great job today. It takes a lot of guts to pull off what we just did. Even Mariah’s new buddy assisted,” Waller said, pointing at the quillback. The animal cocked his head curiously at Waller’s finger, unaware of the accolade bestowed upon him by the GCU sergeant.

“Thank you, sir,” Mariah and Valentina replied at the same time. It always felt good to be recognized for their work. Langston, though, said nothing.

“That goes for you too, Akila.” Waller said, assuring her that she could also speak.

“Oh. Um. Thank you, sir,” Akila said. As happy as she was to be with a company of people that were trustworthy and she wasn’t surreptitiously working against, it was still a bit of an adjustment period.

But there would be no time to reflect on their accomplishments nor calculate their next move. As Waller opened the Temple’s side door and walked in, the group noticed a pool of blood on the floor and that some of the lights were turned off. He turned to the quillback, who hadn’t reacted in a way that indicated danger was nearby. “A struggle occurred here, but the quillback isn’t sensing anything,” Waller whispered.

Mariah knelt next to her animal friend. “Hey, little guy,” she said quietly. “Anything off around here?” The quillback simply gave an inquisitive look.

“We can’t take any chances. Keep your guard up,” Waller said, voice still lowered. The group obliged, keeping their firearms up to their chests. As they walked out into the main lobby, they didn’t see any sign of Roger or anyone else.

That is, until a gravelly voice pierced the silence. “It’s advised that you put your weapons down.” A light switch was suddenly flipped as eight soldiers clad in NSF uniforms walked into the room, automatic firearms trained on Mariah and company. But none of them were the source of the voice.

“Stand down,” Waller bitterly said to his unit, who obeyed his command. “Who the hell is that? Reveal yourself,” Waller said.

“Certainly,” said the low voice again. A tall, intimidating man suddenly appeared, casually leaning on a counter in front of them. He had been using a Stealth Boy to conceal his presence.

Langston gasped. “Constantine!”

“Vernon Langston. Welcome back to Tallahassee,” Constantine replied with emotional neutrality.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 11 2022, 03:18 AM

I wonder who this Mysterious Stranger is? The one from the Perk? Or perhaps the one who killed those guards at the radio station and left the calling cards on them?

It's Florida Man! Now that is perfect! If the Capital Wasteland can have the AntAgonizer and the Mechanist, then Florida definitely has its titular Man.

And another player has entered the chat. I wonder if Constantine has already found Javier's crew? We shall see soon enough...

Posted by: WellTemperedClavier Aug 16 2022, 03:51 AM

Finished Chapter 10.

Did a bit of reading on the Apalachee. It does seem that some were being sent to Oklahoma as late as 1901(!), often with promises of getting land. These promises turned out to be lies, in many cases.

Mariah's vision is intriguing. It does seem to be setting her up to play a bigger part in the Sunshine Wasteland, though in a suitably ambiguous way. As a free agent, she can move between the various factions. Some of them, anyway. While the Apalachee could take out the Bullsharks fairly easily, there's no real counter for the BoS's massive tech advantage.

While Mariah making an accord between the GCU and the Apalachee is a useful one, I do have to wonder how long the GCU will respect this treaty. Without the FACT, the Apalachee don't have much recourse if future GCU administrations change their mind.

For the time being at least, it seems they can work together. And work together they must, since the Brotherhood is a dangerous foe. With Gerald's presence, it seems that the Dissidents are also involved, which only deepens the danger.

Posted by: Renee Aug 18 2022, 01:52 PM

Yeah, the D.J. kept failing Speech checks because Mariah and Val both have high Charisma of their own!

Is the quillback domesticated? It seems really comfortable around humans. Or maybe it's one of those animals which is wild, but has those genetics which allow it not to be afraid, but also affable, and maybe more perceptive than usual. Then again, I imagine most small animals in the Falloutverse must have higher Perception. Due to Darwinian forces of the best being able to survive...

Ah no. They've been cornered. Whoa, but not for long. Wow, all of them got pwned. Is Chuck Norris anywhere on set today?

No, it's not Chuck, it's FLORIDA MAN!!! 🦸Wow, he saved them all. What a coincidence that both our Fallout stories have super characters this week: a super villian (Mouse Man) in my story, and a hero in yours!

Florida Man seems like he's got Teflon for brains, just like the classic characters in the comics from our parents' generation. Right, how is somebody supposed to call the dude if his card hasn't got info?!

"Capital!"

Whoa, Constantine is here. You're going to have to refresh my memory here. He's sort of a "good" guy, right?


Edit: come and think of it, Florida Man seems to have that odd ability to just 'show up' like the bot we meet in Goodsprings, right? That bot (forget its name) just shows up occasionally in the Mojave as we're going throughout the gameworld.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Aug 20 2022, 07:30 PM

@SubRosa - It wouldn't be Florida if it didn't have Florida Man/Woman! You'll certainly see and hear more of him later on in the story.

@WellTemperedClavier - Sounds like you are getting fairly close to being caught up. Thanks for taking the time to read it all. Yep, I researched a bit about Native American tribes, and there are a lot of them with a rich history that were or currently are in present-day Florida. At some point in Fallout: Florida, I want to include the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes, who are a couple of the more well-known tribes in the state and play a role in state politics (especially the Seminoles).

@Renee - Constantine is Ezra Davidson's right-hand man, so no, he is not a good guy. But as you will see below, he isn't exactly evil either. That robot in New Vegas you are thinking of is Victor. Florida Man isn't creepy like Victor, but there is more to the wannabe superhero than meets the eye.



Here's Chapter 19.2! And with it, some dark secrets are revealed.

Chapter 19: Capital Punishment

An up-close look at Constantine revealed that the towering figure had black stubble around his chiseled jawline and sported a black crewcut. It was hard to find any fat on his 250-pound frame of pure muscle. No wonder he was the head honcho to a psychopath with a penchant for dictatorial control.

“I’m somewhat surprised you came back, Vernon,” Constantine said, still betraying little emotion. He got up from leaning on the counter and walked toward the GCU group. “Brought some new friends to clean up your mess, did you? Typical.” Constantine uncorked a swift right hook that audibly slammed into Langston’s cheek. A couple of rotted teeth shot out from Langston’s mouth as he hit the ground.

“Hey! Leave him alone!” Mariah found herself blurting out. She had meant to keep the statement in her head, but once it left her mouth, she was going to stand defiant, as scared as she was of Constantine.

Instead of getting angry, Constantine kept his composure as he looked at Mariah. “And what are you going to do about it…” He leaned toward her, lowering his head to her height. “…Mariah?”

Shivers shot up Mariah’s spine at the mention of her name. “How do you know my name?” Mariah said. She tried to sound brave, but there was shaking in her voice.

“I have my ways,” Constantine replied, brushing the flecks of flesh off his knuckles that came from Langston’s ghoulified face. “I’ve learned quite a bit about you and your friend Valentina, here.” Valentina became more nervous at the mention of her name as well. “You’ve been making some noise in the Sunshine Wasteland over these past few months. There are certain people who have taken an interest in you.” He looked Mariah in the eyes again. “So, you’re here to topple Davidson, are you? Bold. But I don’t think you truly realize the situation that Langston here dragged you into. What exactly did he tell you?”

Mariah wasn’t sure what Constantine was trying to play at, but she figured it was information that Langston already told them. “Hate to disappoint you, but you won’t surprise us. We already know he served with the Old Guard. We know he used to run with Davidson and that he helped him bring a bunch of robots online. And we know Davidson wants Vault 100 for . . . some reason.”

“What else?”

Mariah cocked her head to the side. “I mean, he’s showed us some documents and other stuff. But what do you mean, ‘what else’?”

Finally, Constantine displayed something over than neutrality. He let out a single chuckle and looked down at Langston, who was slowly getting to his feet after the blow Constantine dealt him. “Always keeping secrets. Always trying to save your own skin—metaphorically, at this point. Looks like you’ve got some more explaining to do to your friends here, Vernon.”

“What are you talking about?” Mariah said, unnerved about what could be coming next. Was Waller right that there was something more to Langston after all?

“I’m saying your friend the doctor here left out some critical details about his past. Details that probably would’ve ultimately kept you from working with him. Care to tell them, Langston? Or should I?” Langston had gotten back to his feet, though still woozy. Yet he kept looking at the ground. He was clearly ashamed of something.

“Dr. Langston . . . what happened?” Valentina asked. “You have to tell us.”

“Oh, he can’t. Because he’s a coward,” Constantine said, waving Langston off. “First off, his specialty isn’t robotics. Davidson doesn’t need him for that. He has helpers for that, but he is an exceptional mind when it comes to anything mechanical. No, Langston’s area of expertise is anatomy and biology.”

“What?” Mariah said, not sure whether to believe Constantine. “But . . . why would you lie about that, Dr. Langston?” Langston’s head was still hung in shame.

“That’s because he doesn’t want you to know about the experiments he’s performed. Experiments including unwilling human subjects and turning animals into bioweapons.”

“You’re lying!” Mariah shouted. “He may have worked for Davidson and the Old Guard, but he’s . . . he said he was trying to atone for it. He wouldn’t have helped us if that was . . .” She trailed off as the turn of events started to set in.

“Oh, I suppose Langston’s guilty conscience sometimes gets too heavy for him to bear.” Constantine said, looking away from them as he paced back and forth, hands behind his back. The rest of the NSF guards still had their firearms at the ready in case anyone in the GCU made a sudden move. “He’s changed in some ways. But he was, still is, and always will be, a spineless pr***. At some point, he would’ve tried to wipe any evidence of his past dealings he didn’t want anyone else to know about.”

Even the quillback, who had been hiding behind Mariah’s right leg, seemed to have some grasp of what was being said. Perhaps it was because his human companions had all trained their gazes of disbelief or anger at Langston. The quillback hissed at him and acted as if he was ready to shoot some of his spines at the ghoul doctor. Langston seemed to not even notice. Perhaps he was wallowing too deeply into his feelings of remorse.

“You lied to us, doctor!” Valentina shouted at Langston, a rare angry outburst coming from her. “Experiments on people and animals? How could you do that?!”

“Oh, that’s not all,” Constantine said, almost sounding giddy at the fact he was exposing the doctor’s past. “He mentioned that he worked for the Old Guard and for Davidson. But you know what else he left out?” He let the moment of silence hang for an uneasily long time before he turned back to the group. “Another particularly important employer of his. He used to work for Vault-Tec.”

Mariah and Valentina gasped. “V-V-Vault Tec?” Mariah stammered. “THE Vault-Tec? Why . . . why would he leave that out?”

“Because like Langston, there are many things Vault-Tec didn’t want people to know,” Constantine said. “See, they advertised the Vaults as safe havens for people to avoid the Great War’s destruction. And it’s true that a small number of them were designed that way. But many if not most of them had an ulterior purpose to them. Unbeknownst to almost everyone in these Vaults, secret, often unethical and cruel experiments were conducted on their populations, as we came to discover.

“Now, what exactly this was in Vault 100, we don’t know yet,” Constantine continued. “A lot of this information is still new even to Davidson and I. Langston was very good at concealing his past in Vault-Tec even from most of those who knew or currently know him well. We have good reason to believe that he was heavily involved in whatever experiment Vault 100 operated under. Davidson is extremely interested in it, though, almost as if he has some idea of what is there. In any case, it seems that our discovery of Langston’s Vault-Tec ties was ultimately what led him to flee this city like a little b****.”

“That is not who I am anymore,” Langston weakly protested. “I know I cannot completely make up for the past, but I . . . I . . .”

Waller had been quietly steaming as the conversation unfolded, but he couldn’t contain his rage any longer. The blood vessels in his forehead looked like they could burst at any moment. “YOU MOTHERF*****! I KNEW YOU WERE HIDING SOMETHING! I’LL F****** KILL YOU, YOU—”

Langston drew back as Waller lunged at him, but Constantine stopped Waller by grabbing his GCU uniform and throwing him backward to the floor. “I reserve the right to beat Langston senseless, not you! Besides, you know a thing or two about hoarding skeletons in the closet,” Constantine lowered his voice as he leaned over the sergeant. “Don’t you . . . Waller?” Waller’s uniform had his identification on it, but Constantine said his name in a way that indicated he was already familiar with the GCU soldier.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“DON’T F****** LIE TO ME!” This time it was Constantine’s turn to scream. He grabbed Waller by the throat and lifted him all the way off the ground. It was an incredible feat of Strength as Waller was a tall, muscular man himself. Everyone in the room, even Constantine’s fellow NSF soldiers, trembled in fear. “Maybe you need a reminder!” Constantine yelled as Waller gasped for air. “Remember years ago? A convoy of ghouls and humans at Monticello? You led a unit of GCU soldiers as you scouted for some raiders and ghouls responsible for some nearby attacks! And what did you do? You unthinkingly opened fire on us! You and your unit! You assumed that we were the ones causing trouble! You MASSACRED most of the people that I knew!”

Constantine finally threw Waller to the floor again with all his might, injuring the sergeant. “You were there? It . . . was an accident, I swear,” Waller groaned. “It’s one of my biggest regrets. I never—”

“Shut. The. F***. UP.” Constantine said emphatically. “Your pathetic excuse for remorse does nothing to bring any of them back!”

Mariah and Valentina despaired at how much both Langston and Waller hid from them. For all their bickering back and forth, it turned out they both had a lot to make up for.

After a stunned moment of silence, Constantine continued. His voice now had a slight quiver to it, which was unexpected coming from a man so intimidating. “My wife. My daughter who had just barely turned 18. My son who was still a young boy. All cut down by the gunfire.” Constantine paused, putting his hand up to his chin to keep it from trembling. “Like many wastelanders, I once thought that ghouls were just monsters. But our old settlement became too irradiated to live in, and my family . . . they took in a severe amount of rads. I saw as the flesh gradually peeled away from their skins. They became ghouls.” Constantine took out some keepsakes from his jacket: his wife’s ring, one of his son’s baseballs, and one of his daughter’s hair buns she used before ghoulification erased most of her hair. “I saw that they were still my family. And that’s when I knew that ghouls were still the same people they were before.”

After another moment of quiet, Constantine then put the keepsakes back in his jacket, continuing his dialogue. “From that point on, I swore that I would find a cure to that horrible condition. To somehow reverse ghoulification. To stop them from becoming feral. To prevent others from experiencing the same pain that I did. I eventually found Davidson. He promised that he and his colleague, Vernon Langston, would cure ghoulification. They had a stake in the game, after all, being ghouls themselves. Davidson proclaimed how he was founding a place for the outcasts. The downtrodden. The people who felt the most hopeless in this hellscape we call the world. Davidson boasted how he would one day build a nation for these people. That this New State of Florida would be what the GCU claimed to be but wasn’t.”

Mariah noticed that Constantine never once gave any sort of deference to Davidson. As afraid as she was to speak, she had to know why. “Why don’t you call him ‘Governor’ Davidson? Aren’t you his right-hand man?”

Constantine looked at the floor, scoffing at the notion. “Perceptive of you to notice something was off. Yes, everyone knows me as Davidson’s aide-de-camp. And for a long time, that was true. But things have changed.” He looked up at Mariah. “I’m tired of it, Mariah. I’ve become disillusioned. All that Davidson promised has been lies. He may seek to harness the powers of ghoulification while eliminating the drawbacks, but it’s all for his own purposes. The deranged bas**** is convinced that he is owed control of the wastes. It’s a long story as to why he thinks that. And honestly, even I don’t know all of it. But I know there is a lot that he has kept to himself. No matter.” Constantine started pacing slowly with his hands behind his back again. “He’ll get his comeuppance. So will Langston here. And Waller. But I’ve got plans for those two.”

“I think you have a lot to answer for, too,” Mariah said, regaining some confidence. Although she felt bad for some of what Constantine had gone through, he was still an enemy and had his own misdeeds he committed. “You aren’t exactly clean, either.”

“You’re not wrong,” Constantine replied. Mariah expected at least some protest from him. “I will make up for my own transgressions. In fact . . . I’ve already started to.”

“What do you mean?”

Constantine gave her a half-smile. “Tell me, Mariah: Did you enjoy your stroll in downtown? Didn’t see too much resistance, did you?”

Mariah’s eyes lit up at his implication. “So, it was because of you! That’s why we ran into so few NSF soldiers. You deliberately set it up so that the NSF would be responding elsewhere, like at the Menendez building, so we could sabotage the comms inhibitors. To loosen Davidson’s grip on the city. You let the Old Guard and Enclave in so they could cause more trouble to strain NSF forces and you could try to cover up the fact that you pulled the strings. You could blame it on sheer numbers of the opposition.”

Constantine nodded. “I can’t take credit for everything, but I take a lot of the responsibility for these outside forces being inside the city. When you can’t get through damn-near impenetrable walls, you must go under them. Though I must give recognition for how it has all worked out to someone else. Multiple people, actually.”

“And who are they?”

“My new employers.” Constantine snapped his fingers at one of his NSF subordinates, who brought him a long black coat that appeared to be a duster. It looked just like the one that Mariah had seen that Blackcoat at Tyndall Air Force Base wearing!

“You’re a Blackcoat, now?!” Mariah exclaimed.

“No, that’s just what everybody else calls them when they don’t know who they are,” Constantine said, waving his right hand at her dismissively. “They have an actual name. Harbingers.”

Finally, they could put a name to these mysterious figures! It would be some measure of relief if it weren’t for Mariah and company’s current predicament. “And who do these Harbingers work for?”

“Come now, Mariah. I can’t tell you everything. But truth be told, I’m still learning a lot about them. Still, they have shown me that there is a better future for these wastes. ‘Harbinger’ is an apt title for them.” Constantine took his jacket off, taking out his deceased family’s keepsakes that were in it and placing it in his new coat as he slipped it on. “Your mayor in New Tallahassee also has dirty secrets, but I believe it’s been a long enough spiel from me.”

The mayor too?! Mariah thought to herself. Something certainly seemed off about him when she and Valentina met him back in New Tallahassee, but she didn’t necessarily suspect something nefarious.

But when Mariah was about to ask the mayor, Constantine quickly cut her off. “I don’t have time to explain everything. I’ve got special plans for Langston. And especially Waller. Mariah and Valentina, on the other hand . . . I won’t kill you, like I will these other two at some point. It seems my new employers are too interested in the two of you to do that. However, I have been told I can do something else. If Langston has even a shred of decency, he probably told you about it already.” Constantine paused as if for dramatic effect. “You’ll be going to the Zoo.”

Mariah gulped at how ominous that sounded. In Pre-War times, that phrase would probably indicate a family-friendly outing. But now it sounded more like a death sentence. Then she remembered the fear Langston felt when he first told them about it. That same fear came bursting forth as Langston finally spoke up. “No! Please, Constantine! Do not put them there! You cannot—”

“Oh, caring about people other than yourself for once, Vernon?” Constantine asked sarcastically. “Too little, too late. You’re going to lead me to Vault 100 before Ezra figures out where it is. In fact, we’re going to pay the ‘governor’ a visit at the Spire. But first, you’ll watch as I torture Waller. Seems that the two of you hate each other judging from him going after you, but you won’t be able to stomach what I’m going to do to him. When all is said and done, I’ll put an end to your miserable existence, too, Vernon.” Constantine then addressed his subordinates. “Tie up the hands of Waller and Langston. Put Mariah and Valentina to sleep. And I suppose their little pet can go with them, too.”

One of the NSF soldiers took out a tranquilizer and shot the quillback, which had started chattering and readying its spines again. The animal then quickly fell asleep. Two other soldiers grabbed Mariah and Valentina and started choking them out. The ladies flailed about to no avail. As they slipped into unconsciousness, the last thing they could hear was their commanding officer futilely yelling at the NSF. “Get the hell away from them! Let them go!” Constantine ended his protests by kicking him in the stomach.

Soon, the darkness set in. When Mariah fell into deeper sleep, she began experiencing a horrific nightmare.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 22 2022, 01:37 AM

So time for some revelations about Langston. I am not surprised. I mean, I never imagined that he was an angel or anything. I always thought of him as similar to any number of Nazis from Operation Paperclip.

Wow, everything is all tied together I see. Constantine, Langston, and Waller, and what is really going on here underneath it all. So I am guessing the Vault is where they were experimenting on reversing ghoulification. Knowing the Fallout games, I assume that whatever actually happened there would constitute a War Crime today.

So Harbingers? Now that is quite an ominous name.

Posted by: Renee Aug 30 2022, 01:55 PM

Constantine sounds like a real prick. Then again, Langston has some weird stuff going on. Not that this warrants getting slammed to the ground. Maybe the ghoul did some experiments with one of Constantine's family members...

Wow. You know, there is some weird [censored] which used to go on in some of those vaults for sure. In Fallout 3 for instance, that one vault with all the cloned humans, all with the same names.

A-ha, there it is. Family members. I don't like Constantine at all, but he does have some points.

Sheesh.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 14 2022, 01:45 PM

@SubRosa - That's a pretty good analogy with Operation Paperclip. Maybe that was a subconscious influence on how I set it up. The name "Harbingers" just came to me one day and I thought that was the perfect name for them and their goals.

@Renee - "Ha ha, Gary!" "Gary?" "Oh, Gaaaary!" Yep, every so often a good old-fashioned, moustache-twirling bad guy obsessed with power is fun to see, but it's much more interesting to give villains a motive.



Sorry for the delay as real life has kept me busy the past few weeks, but I've got the end of Chapter 19 right here for you all.

Chapter 19: Capital Punishment

***Chapter 19.3***

Mariah opened her eyes at the sounds of piercing screams and roaring fire. She was already standing, frantically looking around at a settlement on the brink of destruction. She started running around trying to find the source of the screams so she could help, but there was no one around. Mariah ended up in front of a charred two-story building, sensing some sort of personal tie to the place but unable to pinpoint what it was. That’s when it struck her.

The building was where Mariah had grown up in. This settlement was once her home.

Mariah’s father and mother had done a lot of work on a crumbling Pre-War home, like many of the other people in the settlement had done for their residences. Mariah lived with her parents and younger sister and brother up until she was a teenager—when raiders hopped up on chems came and laid waste to the entire settlement. While she had thought about her lost home and family many times over the years, this dream was the most vivid and realistic of them all. Mariah tried to reassure herself that this is all it was: A dream.

“Hello, Mariah,” a voice familiar to her intoned to her left. At that point, the screams around the settlement stopped.

“D-dad?” Mariah turned quickly to him. “Oh my God!”

Mariah gasped at the sight of her father, but not because of the reunion with a loved one. Her father looked like a shambling corpse. Some bits of flesh across his body were missing, showcasing the muscle once protected by his skin. Bullet holes riddled his chest, and the left side of his face was charred from the smoldering flames engulfing the area. Other parts of his skin were black and blue. Yet there her dad was, talking to her as if nothing was wrong.

“Look at you, all grown up,” Mariah’s father said. But he didn’t talk to her as if he was happy to see her. He sounded vindictive and passive-aggressive. “I guess that’s what happens when you get to live. When you run away as everyone who cared about you dies horrifically.”

“Wha…what?” Mariah was taken aback, still processing her father’s form. “I…I didn’t…you told me to run! I didn’t want to leave you all behind, but you said you would hold off the raiders!”

“And here you go again, telling yourself all these lies so you don’t have to face the truth,” her father said, shaking his head. He spat on the ground. “Is that how you get yourself to sleep at night?”

“How could you say that, dad?” Mariah shook her head violently trying to wake herself up. “No. No, this is a dream. I know what you told me. This is all just in my head,” she said quietly to herself.

Somehow, her dad still heard her words. “Oh, a dream, huh? You think it was a dream for me? For your mother? For your siblings? Hey, Jennifer! Our so-called daughter thinks this is all a dream!”

“Is that right, Allen?” Mariah’s mother said, leaning against their house. She wasn’t there when Mariah looked at the house, but she instantaneously appeared at the sound of her name.

“Mom?” Mariah said in a quivering voice at the sight of her mother. Similarly to her father, Mariah’s mother looked like a corpse. Yet she leaned nonchalantly against the front wall of their home with her arms folded.

“Our darling daughter finally decided to come home. That guilt sure must be heavy on you, dear.” But her mother didn’t speak out of concern, either. She sounded resentful. “Off to play hero, again? You always played hero with Leah and Quinn. They looked up to you so, so much. And yet you left them behind. Your father and I, too.”

This is my mind playing tricks on myself. It always does. Mariah thought to herself. Just be calm. It’s not real. I know what happened.

“And now she tries so desperately to be a savior once again. Like she couldn’t be for us,” Mariah’s father chided. He said it right next to Mariah’s ear, startling her as she didn’t hear him move. “All of us. All gone. You think you’re some messiah? Why don’t we ask Leah and Quinn?” He pointed behind Mariah.

As Mariah whirled around, her siblings were suddenly there as well. They, too, looked like they had just risen from the dead. Mariah was the oldest of the three, followed by her brother Quinn and sister Leah. “Why did you leave us, M? You were supposed to always be there for us,” they said in unison, calling Mariah by the nickname her family often used for her.

“I didn’t leave you!” Mariah cried out, kneeling on the ground to reach their height. Despite their decaying appearance, she touched her siblings’ outside shoulders to try to reassure them. “Dad told us all to run, remember? I tried finding you, but I couldn’t.”

“Heroes don’t make excuses, M,” Mariah’s mother said bitterly, now directly behind her. “You just always go running around the wastes trying to make amends for the past. Trying to make something of yourself. But you can’t. We died while you lived. You’re not a hero. You never were.” She then leaned right into Mariah’s face. “And you never will be,” she said with a sense of finality.

Mariah didn’t have any words. She often struggled to reconcile her memory of what happened to her settlement with what the critic in her mind told her. Mariah’s own mind basically gaslighted her. It often left her wondering if she really was weak and a coward.

As Mariah sat there in the dark cloud of her thoughts, she sensed another person’s presence. She turned to some figure that she could make out very little of. Mariah couldn’t tell what exactly they were wearing as it was somehow obfuscated to her. The face appeared as nothing but static and then colored, vertical bars. It was like what she had heard about those Pre-War things called televisions showing if a TV program wasn’t appearing on the screen.

“Who are you?” That was all Mariah could muster. She thought it strange that none of her family were reacting, but when she turned all four of them were lying on the ground dead. It was as if they had never gotten up to begin with. “Tell me what the hell is going on!” Mariah demanded of this mysterious figure, quickly facing him again. “Answer me!” Whoever this figure was, he had not been there in reality when her settlement burned to the ground—or so she thought, at least. Mariah was questioning her recollection of events again.

The figure simply extended their right hand calmly, palm facing up. When they spoke, it was clearly a male’s voice, echoing as if multiple copies of him were speaking out of his mouth at the same time. He sounded like his voice had been modulated to sound deeper—while mostly human, there seemed to be a robotic quality to it as well. “Come with me, Mariah.”

Mariah was still scared, yet she strangely started feeling calmer at the sound of his voice. “Who…who are you?”

“Someone who seeks to cast a light into this dark, depraved world. Like you,” the strange man—if you could call him that—said reassuringly. “I know how it feels to be gripped by a debilitating sense of failure. That all my efforts mean nothing. But I can show you how to overcome all of this. How you can be a part of something greater than yourself. How you can bring true change to this carcass of a planet so that humanity no longer kills itself over the scraps.” The man somehow extended his hand farther out to her. “Come with me. Together we can cleanse this world. We can repair the damage done by the Great War.”

“What are you talking about? How can that be possible?” Mariah had no idea what all of that meant, but she felt compelled to touch the man’s hand. Suddenly, everything around her disintegrated into a bright white light.



Mariah woke up with a jolt, finding herself panting heavily in a hot sweat. She was laying on a wooden floor in the bedroom of a decrepit metal shack. Moonlight poked through holes in the roof. When she finally got her bearings, Mariah cried quietly for what seemed to her like an hour.

After her outpouring of emotion, she got herself up off the floor and brushed herself off. If it weren’t for the moonlight and some holes in the wall, the room might have been pitch black. Next to a mattress that Mariah figured she had rolled off of in her nightmare was a cracked mirror. She gently grabbed its handle and found a smooth spot to look at herself in. What was once beautiful, blonde hair had been matted down and considerably darkened, caked with dirt and sweat. Mariah ran her hand through her hair to straighten it out and remove some of the grime. Mariah then walked over to the wall and peeked through one of the holes. Surveying the surroundings revealed a bunch of rundown buildings, an empty street, dilapidated shacks, and overgrowth of flora.

She was in “the Zoo.”

***End of Chapter 19***

Posted by: Renee Sep 24 2022, 08:55 PM

Yeah, GARY!!!! That's the vault I'm talking about; everyone's named Gary!

Whoa this is intense. It's a dream, right? Yesh it is. Phew. A very vivid dream. Dad's not being very nice. Mom's not being very nice. You've written this part very well, Rader.

And mom's wrong about Mariah never becoming a hero, Mariah's already done heroic things!

Ah crap she's in the Zoo. 🦏 What is this Zoo, anyway?

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 26 2022, 07:42 AM

It feels like this is a dream (well, nightmare) that Mariah is starting within. Yep, bad times from the past, the unhinged her from an 'ordinary' life, or at least what passes for such in the wasteland.

And so here we see the inciting event that pushes Mariah to be who she is. Her need to save who she can, because of who she could not. Plus an unhealthy dose of survivor's syndrome.

Somehow this final messianic figure fills me dread. Maybe it is just Fallout being Fallout, things always get worse.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Nov 23 2022, 04:29 PM

@Renee - Thank you. Remember that this is just Mariah's mind playing tricks on her. The Zoo is . . . well, you'll see in a moment.

@SubRosa - Yep. I only made a couple short mentions of her past, but I wanted to incorporate it in a way that was more integral to the overall story, not just in how it made her who she is.



My apologies for another delay. If it isn't life getting in the way, sometimes my creative juices aren't flowing. But I've got the next installment right here. Thank you to those who are sticking with this. I know it's a bit difficult to do so considering the erratic schedule I am keeping to. But I will do my best to be more consistent with writing this story.

Chapter 20: Night at the Zoo

It was easy to see why this sprawling prison, a sectioned-off part of the city, was called The Zoo—the area was teeming with ubiquitous plant life and noises of various creatures. No doubt it housed some psychotic individuals, too, whether they deserved to be in this place or not. And Mariah hadn’t even stepped out of the run-down building she was in yet. The feeling of the environment was just that visceral.

“Focus, Mariah. You can get out of this. You’ve gotten out of sticky situations before,” Mariah said out loud to herself, still shaking herself out of the feelings she just experienced from her dream. She wasn’t injured, which was a nice start. But when she opened the door of her room, she found someone who wasn’t so lucky. The corpse of a man on the floor of this main room was still clad in Temple of New Life robes, though it wasn’t Roger. That blood on the floor in the Temple that Mariah and company found before Constantine ambushed them was most likely his, but where was he? What did Constantine and his underlings do to him?

Mariah tried to push the pessimistic thoughts away as she focused on the task at hand. She noticed that there was a book in the left hand of the dead apostle. Looking closer revealed it was that central tome that Roger had shown her before, the Synthesis. “Maybe there’s something here that can tell me more,” Mariah said to herself. She doubted that it would shine any light on her situation, but she needed to try something, anything. The passage that the dead man’s thumb was on was one of the many sermons—if that was what they were called—from The Redeemer, this mystery man who founded the Temple of New Life:

The fundamental flaw of this world is that the Old World refuses to die. It desperately attempts to cling to survival through the last vestiges of humanity. They may not realize it. They may not even have a strong concept of what the Old World really was. But the roots of the ideologies and strife of the Old World persist. Instead of creating something brand new, humans insist on rebuilding the old, even if unintentionally.

But that is why we are building something different, something wholly other. The only way to free ourselves of what destroyed us is to understand what destroyed us in the first place and why. Every worldview of those before-years—political, religious, areligious, cultural, and so on—in some way led to the Old World’s demise. All these old concepts must be shed for humanity to truly rebuild and become something greater. Otherwise, we will repeat the mistakes of the past.

Take heart, dear reader. While those individuals and groups still shackled to the greed, lust, and short-sightedness of the Old World will do all they can to stop us, we are on track for a much greater purpose. Know that you are a critical part of this trajectory. One day, our efforts will be vindicated when we build the New World and show others the Light.

It felt as if the very words of The Redeemer, this enigmatic man so central to the Temple of New Life, spoke right to Mariah. It was a very strange feeling to her, one that she had seldom experienced before.

But unfortunately, it gave her no direction for how to save herself from her current predicament. Mariah turned her attention away from it, standing up and turning to the front door of her shack. She took a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRHxoiwpHpM]

Save for moonlight, only flickering streetlights lit up the dilapidated street that she stepped out into. One of them illuminated a half-eaten corpse of a man along with a severely lacerated Radfrog, lying next to an irradiated, hunched-over palmetto tree. Mutations caused the palmetto to grow several giant branches. The Radfrog must have been eating the dead body, but what killed the Radfrog?

Next to the corpse was a .357 magnum and some ammo cartridges. How a weapon could get into a prison was beyond her, but she wasn’t going to question it. “Perfect,” Mariah muttered to herself. But when she reached for the equipment, a sudden rusting startled her. She quickly looked up and fell back as the palmetto tree swung one of its branches at her! Sharp palmetto leaves almost doled out the same fate to Mariah as it did to the Radfrog. “Holy s---!” Mariah yelled, catching her breath as her heart rate suddenly accelerated. She quickly covered her mouth following her outburst, remembering that more dangerous flora—or fauna, or other prisoners—could come after her at any moment.

Next to Mariah was a large tree branch, though not from the mutant palmetto. It was long enough for her to use to pull the gun and ammo toward her, which she did. With the equipment in her possession, Mariah got off the ground and dusted herself off. I guess the best option is to follow down the street, or what’s left of it, Mariah thought, now keeping her commentary inside her head. As she traversed down the path, she turned to look at the palmetto, which felt like it was looking right at her despite having no eyes. Happy to get the metaphorical last word, she scrunched up her face and flipped both of her middle fingers toward the botanical assailant before continuing down the road.



Mariah had no means of gauging how much time had passed. She surprisingly had not yet encountered any enemies as she walked down the tatterdemalion street and her thoughts turned to Valentina and their Quillback companion. Mariah couldn’t help but feel pessimistic about what happened to them, but she was determined to find them before leaving this prison.

Mariah then made it to an old intersection of what used to be storefronts, now mostly rubble. Most of them were connected to each other. Holding her weapon to her side and crouching down, she quickly ducked into one of the buildings, hoping to find anything she could use for armor. In the back of the former store, behind a counter, was a dead body with a note. Reading the note, Mariah found that she had died by suicide by shooting herself in the head, distraught at her unjust imprisonment. Mariah put a hand on the deceased woman’s shoulder. “I’ll avenge you. I’ll avenge this whole city,” Mariah said under her breath.

The note also gave permission to access a stash hidden in a closed but unlocked giant safe in the corner of the room. The woman hoped that somebody else could make good use of it, and that’s what Mariah was determined to do. A laser pistol, energy cells, and makeshift metal armor were stashed inside the safe. The woman’s firearm was also a .357 magnum but with a scope, so Mariah emptied it of its bullets and took the scope and spare ammunition lying around as well.

Suddenly, Mariah caught a whiff of smoke coming from the east. Equipping her .357 magnum and donning her new armor, Mariah went back outside and followed the smell, crouching and hugging the wall. When she got further down the street, she found a campsite across an open way with a small tribe of people hanging around it. Mariah looked down her scope to get a better look. The surrounding ruins had effectively turned the campsite into a dead end. The only connecting streets were the one Mariah was coming from and a large street ahead and to her left, separated by a median strip lined with dead trees.

These people weren’t human, at least not fully. They looked a lot like the humanoids she had encountered in the lab when she and her allies were infiltrating Old Tallahassee in the first place, humans with animalistic features like scaly faces and webbed feet. They were unfriendly then, and they were certainly going to be unfriendly now.

They also had Mariah’s Quillback companion. It could’ve been any Quillback, but there was a tranquilizer dart still in its side. Unless the Harbingers or the New State of Florida had thrown another sedated mutant porcupine in this place, it was definitely Mariah’s buddy. If he hadn’t still been out cold, he almost certainly would have evaded capture with his spiny defense measures.

Mariah suddenly realized they planned to eat him!

“Oh, no you don’t!” Mariah said. Without giving it a second thought, she darted behind a rusted car that was closer to the campsite. Making sure her gun was fully loaded, she aimed down the scope and fired straight into the head of one of the tribesmen, killing him instantly. His compatriots got up in a panic and frantically scanned their surroundings for Mariah, but she picked off a couple more. The loud sound of the .357 magnum was undoubtedly going to draw unwanted attention, so Mariah tried to kill the tribe quickly so she could rescue the Quillback and find somewhere else to hide.

But as usual, a sudden complication arose.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R0PaXLC6kE]

As Mariah reloaded her weapon, an arrow struck the windshield of the car she hid behind. “Whoa!” She exclaimed as she flinched. She saw to her left more of these human-animal hybrids coming down a connecting street. Several of them had bows and arrows but most were relegated to primitive melee weapons. They must have been a part of the tribe that Mariah was making short work of, coming back from searching for more food.

“It’s a full-blood!” One of the hybrids grunted. “Kill her and add her to the meal!” The tribesmen at the campsite banded together with their comrades and ran toward Mariah’s position. There were too many of them and she didn’t want to risk getting struck by their ranged weaponry, so she fled back down the street she came. But as she sprinted, she had no idea where she was going to go to get away from these hybrids. Some of the buildings were inaccessible and others might turn out to be dead ends.

Then a familiar voice called out to her from one of the buildings. “Mariah!”

“Val?” Mariah called back out, gasping as she was running out of breath. She spotted Valentina in a two-story building to her left.

“Get in here!” Valentina motioned for Mariah to come inside a building the former had been using as a base of sorts.

Mariah burst through the door as the two of them slammed it shut and locked it. “Am I . . . glad to . . . see you,” Mariah said, panting between every couple of words.

“Likewise, but we can exchange pleasantries later. The windows were already secured, but I need your help to barricade the door,” Valentina said as she started pushing on a heavy hutch. Mariah pushed with her to get to fortify their defense. “There’s a water fountain here if you need it, though it isn’t exactly clean.”

“Not . . . surprising,” Mariah said. She was going to have to accept the rads that came with the drink as she took several big gulps.

“What were you thinking taking on those people?” Valentina chastised Mariah. “They’re insane! I saw them slaughter some other prisoners earlier. And they were making these weird animal noises. Why would you—”

“They have Quinn!” Mariah blurted out.

Valentina cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Who’s Quinn?”

Mariah realized that she had only just now named her Quillback friend. Whether it was subconsciously a result of her dream she had prior to waking up, she named the Quillback after her deceased brother. “Oh . . . that’s what I named the quillback, I guess. Just now, actually. That was my little brother’s name.”

“Oh. That’s really sweet to honor him like that, Mariah.” Valentina said, touched.

“Well, I had a dream where . . .” It struck Mariah that now was not a good time to explain her nightmare. “I’ll tell you about that later. We need to figure out what to do about these guys.”

“Come to think of it, they look a lot like those people we saw in the underground lab. Maybe they’re some of Langston’s experiments.”

Langston hadn’t even crossed Mariah’s mind since she woke up. “Probably are. I still can’t believe it. I mean, I know he worked for Ezra and the Old Guard and all, but I didn’t think that would be the nature of his work. He said he just worked on automatons, didn’t he?”

“Yes. And if we see him again, we’re going to give him a piece of our minds,” Valentina said. “I don’t care if he is contrite now. He’s going to face justice.”

“Oh, I’ll give him more than a piece of my mind,” Mariah said, cracking her knuckles. “Waller, too.”

Valentina sighed. “People in the GCU like Sergeant Waller make me miss people like Commander Bertrand and Jacob even more.”

Their conversation was cut short as the hybrids started banging on the doors and boarded-up windows. Mariah and Valentina could tell that their defenses weren’t going to hold up for long.

Posted by: Renee Nov 24 2022, 01:16 PM

Welcome back, Rader. Good to see you. ☢ It's weird how last time a story was posted in this thread was September. It seems like months and months ago. Maybe because it's been so cold already this mid-fall. 🍁🍂

No worries about lack of creative thoughts. Either the words are there or they aren't. Only thing is you might want to remind us of names, what's going on, etc. For instance, I remember Langston (the ghoul scientist) was getting the [censored] beat out of him for ... I don't remember why. Experiments, I think. Yeah, he was experimenting on live, human subjects? And there was a colonel who'd caught them as they roamed through Tallahassee. And they're all in BIG trouble.

One of the reasons Fallout: Florida is awesome is (within my own mind) it strengthens the events which go on in my own Fallout story. It's like we're building upon the fictional post-apocalyptic world, chapter by chapter.

The part where it says "and Mariah hadn't even stepped out of this part of the run-down place ..." indicates she's at least not tied down or locked up. Phew. I like how there are apostles in this story! That's something we don't have in modern religious times.

Radfrog. Oh wow, she's got a gun. Mariah's a full-blood. They're fighting now. Weird how this 'prison' allows so much free roaming. Why do I get the feeling they're all being watched? Maybe that's why this is called The Zoo.

Valentina, and the quillback. I believe that animal's gotta be somewhat domesticated. It's real comfortable around people. Even warned them occasionally, iinm.

Uh oh, looks like they're trapped.

Posted by: SubRosa Dec 2 2022, 12:27 AM

The title makes me think of https://youtu.be/X27IfAgzhTY.

As soon as you described that mutated tree, I was thinking it was going to attack Mariah!

Quillbacks and complications. Who is M going to attract with all that shooting? Hopefully a friend.

Uh oh, more of the Half Blood tribal cannibals. It might be time for Mariah to relocate...

There's Val! Now that the dynamic duo is barricaded in against the zombie horde, they are going to have to come up with a plan to get out of this sticky situation, and get Quinn back.