Chapter Text
Despite how rough the first few weeks were, I was actually beginning to somewhat adjust to the wasteland. For the most part at least. I sill frequently found myself gazing at buildings and homes that I once visited centuries ago. There were many locations that I remembered well such as my local grocery store and the gas station near my house. Other locations were just vaguely familiar to me and yet I couldn’t remember what their significance was to my old life if there even was one. Despite it being mostly thrust upon me unexpectedly I believe I have grown into the title of General. I still feel unworthy of the title and I am still a bit confused on why Preston was so willing to spring such a heavy responsibility on someone he barely new. I have apparently been fulfilling the role well or at least that is what people have told me.
I have still not managed to find my son. I have told multiple people what happened, and yet the only helpful information I have really been given was to go to Diamond city because it was the biggest settlement in the area. Mama Murphy also made sure to tell me that she still felt my son’s energy so he must still be alive, but I honestly have no fucking clue what she meant by that. I suppose it is the thought that counts and I decided against giving her chems to try to get more information out of her. While at Diamond city everyone seemed to point me in the direction of a detective that could supposedly help me. Unfortunately I have terrible luck. The detective was not in Diamond city and no one knew when he would be getting back.
I also recently started traveling with a random mercenary that I met at the bar in Goodnieghbor. When we first started traveling together he was quite closed off, lately he had seemingly begun to grow comfortable around me. He opened up to me about his kid and how he is trying to find a cure for him. One downside to traveling with him is the fact that he is insistent on not traveling at night. I suppose it isn’t really a downside as it is definitely safer to travel during the day. Honestly I am beginning to question why I was so against the idea, I was actually getting pretty tired.
I glanced over at MacCready who was passed out on the couch. He was lying on his back his hat covering his eyes and arms crossed in front of him. I don’t know why he always slept like that no matter what. He also always insisted on taking the couch or the floor whenever there was only one bed no matter how many times I would say he could take the bed. I turned away after probably way too long. I definitely didn’t want to make a habit of staring at him. I rolled over to lie on my back facing the ceiling as I began to slowly drift off to sleep.
I said goodbye to the Vault Tech salesmen and I made my way over to the couch to sit down. I hardly had the time to take a sip of coffee before the television switched to a news program. I watched as the news broadcaster announced the terrible news of the impending nuclear attack. I didn’t have time to think as both Nora and I rushed to Shaun’s room to get him. She looked as terrified as I felt and Shaun started crying almost as if he knew the gravity of the situation. Nora quickly picked him up and we rushed out of the house without a word.
“Which way is the vault?” Nora asked in a shaky voice.
I wasn’t certain of where it was. I remembered hearing about it being built somewhere near the neighborhood, but I in my panic I was failing to remember the exact location. I saw a couple of the neighbors running in a certain direction. “I think it’s that way!”
Nora and I were quick to follow where everyone else was running. We ran up the winding path until we arrived at a gate. I saw the exact same salesmen that helped register me into the vault get turned away by the guards. I had no time for sympathy so I pushed passed him and informed the guard that we were on the list while trying to keep my voice steady. In the corner of my eye I saw my neighbors sobbing a few feet away from me. The guard let us in with no trouble so me, Nora, and Shaun followed the direction given by the guards up to the gear shaped platform. Shaun’s crying rang into my ears as the elevator started it’s painfully slow decent downwards. Before we were even half way underground we saw the mushroom shaped cloud from miles away. Luckily we managed to get fully underground before the actual shock wave reached us.
“Boss…. Boss..uh Nate, come on man wake up”
I sat up quickly clearly startling MacCready a bit. I ran my fingers through my hair and attempted to calm down my racing mind. Everything was fine.
MacCready gently tapped my arm. “Uh boss, you good?”
I nodded my head. “Yeah, I’m alright. Thanks for asking.” I got up from the bed and then immediately sat back down because got up way to fast.
MacCready was already done gathering his things by the time I was up and moving. He leaned against the wall and watched me as I got ready clearly getting a bit impatient, and yet surprisingly not making a comment about it.
I finally finished getting my things. “Alright, I think we’re good to check out now.”
MacCready gave me a confused look. “Check out?”
“You know, turn in our keys.”
“We weren’t given keys.”
Fuck we weren’t. She just told us what room to go to. I was actually beginning to feel a bit stupid and yet I kept talking. “Oh right. Um…We should tell the front desk lady that we are heading out now right?”
“Why would we do that?” He asked as he opened the kind of broken door. He seemed genuinely curious.
“Well I-” I think for a moment, but decide not to explain pre war hotels to him. “Fuck. I don’t know man. Let’s just go.”
MacCready shrugged “Alright you lead the way.”
We made out way out of the hotel and out of Goodnieghbor with no trouble as expected. Outside of Goodnieghbor was where the trouble would start if there was going to be trouble.
I checked my Pip-boy once we left town. As I was looking through the map I felt MaCready awkwardly lean over my shoulder. “So where we headed?” He asked.
“The HalluciGen building, remember? We literally discussed this with Fred yesterday.”
“Oh right.” He eventually stops leaning over me, and instead stands right next to me still closer than he used to.
I turn on the Diamond city radio and then set off in the direction the HalluciGen building with MacCready following close behind me. We walked in silence most of the way over letting the radio playing fill the silence, and likely draw attention to us, but god dammit I refuse to walk in silence. MacCready occasionally glances at me as we walked clearly wanting to say something about the radio, but refusing obviously wanting to avoid another argument. After an approximately 25 minute walk and literally walking past the building twice we finally arrived at our destination.
“Something about this place makes me nervous.” MacCready said as he looked at the completely unassuming building with only a few corpses near the entrance.
“What makes you say that?” I asked looking over the building. “It seems fairly normal.”
“I don’t know. Something just seems off.”
“I don’t know what you mean by that. So you ready to go in?”
MacCready nodded reluctantly. “Yeah let’s go.”
We entered the building and we were immediately greeted by a thick haze of gas that filled up the entirety of the room. I looked around the room and spotted several corpses of what appeared to be gunners beneath the gas.
“Is this toxic?” MacCready asked while covering his mouth and nose with his scarf.
“Why the fuck would I know?” I walked over to the terminal at the receptions desk, unfortunately all I found on it was gas leak warnings.
He leaned over my shoulder to look at the terminal as well. “Okay based on the warning I’m going to assume it’s toxic.”
I swatted him away. “Yeah. It’s probably not that toxic thought. We’ll be fine.”
“Well let’s at least try to make it quick then. I don’t like it here.”
“It’s no picnic for me either.” I said as I walked through the hallway to the left of the receptionist’s desk.
I pried open a sliding door and watched as a gunner slammed his rifle against his companion’s head. The other man immediately fell to the ground either dead or severely brain damaged. (I wouldn’t know I have the medical knowledge of a mouse.) Before I had time to properly react MacCready had already taken him out with a single shot from his rifle. I high fived him and then kicked the other guy to see if he was dead. His body didn’t move, but I shot him anyway to give myself peace of mind.
I coughed and looked at the map on my Pip-boy. It was completely unhelpful I have no idea why I thought it wouldn’t be. “Alright, I think the canisters would be in a storage room or something. Right?”
MacCready shrugged. Either a storage room or maybe a lab.”
“A lab storage room.”
“Sure. Wherever it is we need to find it soon.” MacCready coughed again.
“You can just sit this one out. I don’t mind.”
“Absolutely not!” he shook his head. “You would just get yourself killed.”
“You do realize that I have survived worse, right?” At this point we both started walking further into the building.
“Barely.”
I rolled my eyes and lightly punched his arm. “Shut up.”
He snickered and followed closely behind me.
We wandered around the building for what felt like hours looking for that canister. At every corner we found gunners fighting each other and more of the very likely toxic gas. Eventually we reached what I am pretty sure was a control room overlooking a bunch of test cells. By this point I was beyond annoyed with MacCready and I was resisting the urge to strangle the darn kid. After the fifth set of gunners we found fighting we realized that something was probably going on so we made a promise not to hurt each other no matter what.
I leaned down to look at the terminal even though I knew it would likely offer no assistance to either of us. Where is that fucking lab!”
While I started randomly pressing buttons without really caring what they would do MacCready looked around the rest of the room for anything useful or at the very least one of those god forsaken canisters.
“Find anything useful?”
“Not since the last time you asked.” MacCready tossed an empty aluminum can against the wall. It hit the wall with a slightly melodic thud and then fell to the ground as expected.
“Now who’s attracting unnecessary attention?” I mumbled. He glared at me and I rolled my eyes. “Maybe the lab is through the test chambers.”
“Why would they put the lab there? We probably already walked passed it, you have a terrible sense of direction.”
“You can help find it too. Why am I always in charge of navigating? Maybe you should try it for a change asshole!” I sighed and grit my teeth trying to calm myself down.
“You’re the one with the fu….fricking map!”
“Oh you know it doesn’t work indoors! But you know what fine! You lead the way this time. Show me where I’m supposed to be going since you know so much!”
“Gladly.” MacCready pushed passed me and led the way through the test chambers and not surprisingly there was no lab back there. Just more of that stupid gas and more gunners fighting each other. We were easily able to take them out since most of them where either fighting each other or weakened from fighting. I was beginning to not trust myself with a gun. I knew MacCready felt the same. He seemed to be actively avoiding eye contact with me. I didn’t talk to him after he didn’t manage to lead us to the supposed lab. I didn’t want to start another fight because I was worried about where that would lead.
After a bit more wandering in silence we finally found the lab. It was an absolute mess, but I managed to find one of the canisters Fred wanted. I ended up snagging a few more canisters just in case.
“We only need one. I’m not helping you carry the other ones.”
I ignored him and pushed through the rest of the lab to find an exit. I finally find a trapdoor that lead outside, and I immediately forced it open taking in the fresh air for the first time in who knows how long. MacCready pushed past me and then sat down next to a nearby dumpster clearly trying to cool off.
I sat next to him leaning against the wall. After a few minutes he fumbled around in his coat clearly trying to find his lighter so I offer him mine. He accepts it and lights a cigarette. I look out at the colorful sunset reflecting over the very polluted river nearby. I felt relaxed for the first time in days. I rarely took the time to relax for any reason. This was partially because I needed to keep moving to survive. You don’t have caps for food or ammo unless you take the time to earn it. I also rarely let myself stay in one place not doing anything for any period of time because I rarely liked being alone with my thoughts.
I looked over at MacCready who was quietly smoking a cigarette with his hat rested over his eyes concealing his face. I found myself staring a bit longer than I should have before shifting my gaze back to the sunset. There was something relaxing about watching the yellows, pinks and oranges blend together on the horizon.
“Sorry for getting upset earlier.” I finally said after several agonizing moments of silence.
“It’s fine.” He offered me his cigarette and I took a puff. I’m not entirely sure when we started doing that. Supposedly it was to save caps on cigarettes or at least that is what I have been telling myself.
I handed the cigarette back to him. “I don’t say it enough, but thanks for putting up with me.”
He sits up a bit and pushes his hat back.”What do you mean?”
I continued to stare off at the sunset. “You know. How you have stayed with me the whole time, and how you always do your best to look out for me, and keep me safe.”
“You pay me to do that.”
“Well yeah obviously I pay you to do that. But what I am trying to say is that you have become a good friend to me, and I don’t know what I would do without you.” I realized at that point that I might have said a bit too much.
MacCready is silent for a moment clearly unsure what to say. After a few moments he smiled and finally responded. “Well thanks for saying that I guess. That was nice of you.” He stood up and brushed the dust off his pants out of habit. “You ready to go.”
There it was. Back to the usual routine. I was definitely relieved that he wasn’t uncomfortable with what I said. I nodded. “Yeah let’s get moving. It’s getting pretty dark.” He helped me up and we started on our journey back to Goodnieghbor.