Another Day In The Commonwealth

Another day in the Commonwealth”. Nora thought to herself. Whilst her (prolonged) cryo-stasis saved her from exposure to the resulting nuclear winter after the Great War, the heat now was unrelenting. The sun seemed particularly hot that day, beaming down on the two travellers with a scorching ferocity. They continued eastward. Since destroying the Institute, the travellers had not stopped save for a few nights at the Railroad headquarters, where Des debriefed the team that lead the assault on the organisation that had held the Commonwealth in fear for so long. The world was changing, and next on the agenda for the Railroad was to ensure the safe passage of synths into their new life. That first night was the worst, the victory over the Institute marred by the persistent image of her son dying in his bed behind her eyelids every time they closed. She had destroyed everything he held dear, his life’s work, his friends, and his family (a surge of rage passed through Nora at this thought). Most of all he died disappointed in her…and coming to terms with this fact was going to take time. She had honoured his last wish though, which was revealed posthumously through the holotape the young “boy” had produced so eagerly. She remembers the apprehension she felt when he waited so innocently for her at the transporter. He was not her son, she knew that, but she also knew that if she left, those pleading eyes that were so remarkably like her very own would haunt her just as much (if not more so) than the face of the old man dying in his bed. The constant reminder that was synth Shaun was too much for Nora, and she knew she had to get out of there.

“Hey Blue!” Nora was drawn back into the present. The sweat was starting to drip down her forehead, and the Railroad Armour Mark IV and Gauss rifle were feeling unbearably heavy in the heat. She whisked around to see Piper a few feet behind. “So where exactly are we headed?” The stalwart reporter had been her companion for the majority of her journey, by her side every step of the way since their meeting at the gates of Diamond city. She recalled her thoughts at that time. Who the hell was this annoying, loud crazy woman shouting at the Fenway intercom? Her hand at the ready to draw her gun if need be. Yet the two had since developed a bond that could only be forged in the fire and blood of the wasteland. Piper’s outspoken unwavering demand for justice was a trait that Norah greatly admired, and reminded her of her reasons for acquiring a law degree after her military service. “Hello? Are you there?”

“Uhh…yeah…”

“We’ve been walking a long time blue, not that I mind…I mean, if there’s a story, we’ll find it…just…I don’t know what we’re looking for.”

Piper regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. She knew exactly why they were out there. Blue had been extra quiet since they brought down the Institute. It was clear that she had gone through a traumatising experience, and only now that the goal of saving her son was gone did her mind have the room for all those dark thoughts that had been kept at bay by her mission creep in, and this was why they had blasted every bloodbug, radscorpion and the like they had come across into oblivion.

“I told you that you didn’t have to come Piper.”

“What!? I may be a girl of the Commonwealth Blue but some of us do know to respect our elders, and I couldn’t just let a relic such as yourself wander around unsupervised.” Piper said this with the wriest of smiles, hoping her attempt at humour would elicit some kind of reaction from her friend.

Nora looked at the shorter woman’s face beaming up at her. She really is such a good friend, she thought. Looking at her, she realized how selfish she had been. She felt a pang of regret as she looked at the woman before her, convinced that she would (and arguably, already had) follow her into the gates of hell itself. She could be safe back in Diamond City, eating noodles, spending time with Nat…anything but walking the state carrying around her stuff and risking life and limb following her. She thought Preston was impressed by her deeds, but Piper was somehow even more so. She didn’t say anything and continued walking.

Soon Nora felt the familiar crunch of sand under her boots. They were finally at the coast. The ocean was a welcome sight. Nora always loved the sea, the cool breeze offered some welcome respite from the heat…and for a moment, looking at the setting sun, she was taken back to the pre-war days, forgetting about the toxic radiation in the water, and who knows what monstrosity lurking beneath its depths. She turned to face Piper.

“Piper.”

“Hmm?” She responded, somewhat taken aback by the break in silence.

“So Kingsport lighthouse is up ahead, it’s a settlement Preston and I cleared out a little while ago. We can rest up there, last time I was there, the settlers were in talks about setting up a bar.”

A familiar clacking sound could be heard approaching. Mirelurks.

“Sounds fantastic Blue. Right behind ya!”

And off they went.

TO BE CONTINUED….