Crawlout Through the Fallout - Ch. 02

Welcome back, dear readers. This is chapter two in the story in my fan-fiction set in the Fallout 4 universe. Chapter One can be found here.

As always, I apologize for my poor proofreading and any errors that sneaked through. I welcome all feedback, whether good, bad or indifferent. Thanks for checking and I hope you enjoy!

#

When we left our heroine Beth, she had fled her home in Ratchet Falls and come to the Commonwealth to hide from the man who wanted to enslave her. She'd met David, who brought her to Diamond City. Beth tried to bluff her way past Nick Valentine, only for her story to fall apart. Now, held at gunpoint by Nick's secretary, Beth has to admit to her lies.

#

Valentine puffed his cigarette again. "Well?"

"My name is Beth--Beth Arnaut. I come from a town called Ratchet Falls, west of here. I'm sorry I lied but I was scared. I'm hungry and tired and..." The hopelessness of my situation enveloped me. I would have slumped if not for the barrel aimed at my head. I asked, not really wanting to hear the answer. "Are you going to kill me now?"

He scoffed. "We don't kill frightened youngsters without a damn good reason. However, until we can trust you, you'll need to surrender those."

At his gesture, David relieved me of my weapons. When he was done, I felt more naked than I had under the blankets with Matty Franks. Ellie remained where she was. The tension in her eyes relaxed as I was disarmed. She took two steps back and moved the pistol away from my head, while keeping it in my general direction.

Valentine pointed to a chair. "Have a seat."

I obeyed.

"Now, why don't you tell us the whole story."

So I did. I told them about Pops being killed and Jim Bradson's demands, about fleeing with what I could carry, about hitching a ride with Matty Franks and his subsequent death, finding the vault suit, and then how I ran across David and killed the man holding him hostage. I omitted the part about screwing Franks as the price of my ride.

Valentine took it all in without comment. His voice carried tone and inflection but his face and eyes were static, betraying no emotion whatsoever, so I wasn't sure if he believed any of what I said or not. When I was finished, when he turned to David. "Is that what happened?"

He nodded. "More or less. It was Mike Rogers, that security guard who stole the ammo from Arturo's and vanished. He was working with the Gunners."

Ellie snorted. "I never liked him."

"Yeah, he was a weasel." Valentine rubbed his chin. I wondered if it was a human gesture he'd been programmed to make or if his brain actually felt something on the surface of his plastic skin. He said, "Too bad about Franks though."

"If it makes you feel better," I said, "I overheard the raiders say that Franks was trading with them."

Valentine chuckled. "He probably should have known better."

David pointed my rifle at me. His voice was steady but his furrowed eyebrows indicated his anger. "So what do we do about her?"

Valentine addressed me. "What's your plan, Beth? Do you want to stay in Diamond City?"

"Yes. I don't have anywhere else to go."

"You'll have to work, to contribute. There are no free rides here."

I nodded. I hadn't expected anything different.

"Okay." The synthetic detective looked at David. "Take her to the mayor's office for the standard welcome."

"What? Just like that?" He glared at Valentine. "She lied to us."

"She was scared, David." Ellie moved to stand beside her boss and folded her arms. A flash of insight told me that she would probably take whatever position Valentine did, regardless of what it was. "You said she never did anything to hurt you. She could have let Rogers blow your head off."

He glowered.

Valentine's gaze returned to me. "Come to think of it, I could use another set of eyes and ears. A case has come up. I might need someone new to do some snooping--someone unknown to the dregs around here."

The hackles on the back of my neck stood up. The detective's musing suggested a high degree of danger, and with my jangled nerves, I wasn't sure I was ready for more of that just yet. "Uh..."

"If you want it," he said, shrugging again. "Otherwise, the Mayor will probably put you on farm detail or on a security team. Or on sanitation, though with all the rads in the water, you'd probably rather be on security."

I bit my lip. Bored or endangered. Great options.

"Go ahead, David. Take her to the mayor. And give her her stuff back." He stood aside and jerked his head at the door. "Beth, you can carry a gun in town but I'd leave most of your gear here. The guards aren't keen on everyone walking around armed to the teeth. Besides, I don't think I have to tell you what will happen if you start shooting inside Diamond City."

"It won't end well for me?"

"No, probably not."

I took Pops's rifle and shotgun from a still-sullen David and leaned them against the wall. I saw little point in worrying; if they wanted to take any of it, they could have while I was helpless. Franks's pistol, I tucked in my belt.

Valentine nodded. "Good. Go on, now, and let me know if you'd rather do something more interesting than digging up carrots and harvesting razorgrain."

David led me through the shacks and buildings of Diamond City. He didn't speak, for which I was kind of glad. My gut told me I shouldn't trust him. Or anyone. There was exactly one person I could have trusted and he was dead. At the same time, I knew I could use an ally, and David seemed like a nice-enough guy, so it was time to try the proverbial olive branch. And besides, he's easy on the eyes. "David?"

"What?" He didn't look at me.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. I thought that if you believed I was this Vault Dweller that you'd help me."

David stopped and whirled, still glaring. "Did you think if I knew the truth that I wouldn't help you?"

"Yes. Where I come from, everyone only looks out for themselves. I'm not used to anything different."

He stared at me through narrowed eyes for a moment, then gave me a clipped nod, and took off again. I scrambled to keep up.

The mayor's office seemed to be in the higher parts of the sloping walls of Diamond City. He led me up the slope to a flat platform. A flimsy-looking enclosure, held aloft by a tangle of cable, awaited us. David stepped into the carriage and gazed at me with clear impatience. "Well?"

"Is that the only way up?"

"Yes."

I swore under my breath and stepped beside him. The carriage creaked and swung.

I'd no sooner gotten on when David punched a large red button. With a lurch that made my stomach drop, the platform began its ascent. I stared at the walls of the stadium, knowing that if I looked out over the city as we rose, I'd be ill.

For his part, David stood with his arms crossed and his eyes focused on nothing. He looked a little less hostile than before, so I wondered if he was putting on appearances for this mayor or if he was getting over his anger.

We reached the top a moment later. The platform rattled into place and the gate opened. I followed David into the open space just off the riser. It seemed like a waiting room of some sort. The only place I had seen anything like it before was in the front part of Jim Bradson's "meeting hall" back home, where he used to make the citizens of Ratchet Falls wait to beg for favors or mercy.

This room seemed a little more cozy. Rather than the hard wooden benches Bradson used, all of the seats here looked cushioned and comfortable. Soft music played from somewhere. I said, "Where's the musician?"

"That's the radio." At my blank look, David's face softened a little. He raised an eyebrow. "You've never heard a radio?"

I flushed. "No, what is it?"

"It's a box that receives a signal. Someone can speak or play music in the distance and you can pick it up here with a radio. We have a broadcast station here, set up over by the farms."

I nodded, still trying to absorb the concept. "It sounds amazing."

David actually smiled. "I agree, it's pretty neat. Travis Miles runs the station and he does a great job, I'll introduce you to him later."

I laughed. "Why, is he cute?"

A woman sitting at the desk looked up from her paperwork at my words. Her eyes focused on me, and I was surprised to see stark dislike in her gaze. David said, "Hi, Scarlet. Is the boss in?"

"She is." The woman's eyes never left me. "Fresh meat?"

"Yeah."

Scarlet raised her voice. "Mayor? New arrival."

A woman's voice drifted out of the back office. "Send 'em in."

Scarlet held our her hand. "Pistol." When I gave it to her, she pointed at the door behind her. "In you go." She immediately returned her attention to her paperwork. I glanced at David, but he took a seat. I squared my shoulders and stepped inside.

The mayor's office was small, neat, and not very decorated. A steel desk covered with folders, forms, and notes occupied the center of the room, with some cabinets lining the walls. A window gave a view of the city.

The woman sitting behind the desk was probably my age. Her black hair hung straight to her collar. She wore the same clothes as everyone else I'd seen in the city, though a long red leather coat and a brown cap lay across the back of a chair next to the desk. Her bright eyes, piercing and sharp, fixed on me as I entered. She half-smiled, stood, an extended her hand. "Piper Wright. I'm the mayor of this shithole."

I blinked but took her hand. Her grip was strong and confident. "Beth Arnaut. I wasn't expecting that kind of greeting."

Her eyes flicked to my chest. "Nice tits. The vault suit really makes them stand out."

My mouth fell open.

Piper shook herself and released my hand. "Sorry, that was rude. It's been a long week and I'm tired and agitated." She returned to her seat and motioned me to a chair, which I took. "I didn't want this job. I'd rather be out digging up dirt."

"I don't understand."

She sighed. "I'm a reporter by trade. The newspaper down in the market? That's my baby."

I recalled the girl shouting headlines when David and I first entered. "I saw a teenager selling copies."

"That's Nat, my kid sister. I should be down there with her. But when I exposed the old mayor as a spy and a traitor, and then he got slagged, someone had to step in and do the job. The people wanted me to take over, whether I wanted to or not." The mayor looked away for a moment before coming back to me. "Never mind that. You're new here. Where from?"

"Ratchet Falls. It's a town west of here."

"What are you running from?"

"What makes you think I'm running from something?"

Wright leaned forward, placed her elbows on the desk, and laced her fingers under her chin. "Call it reporter's instinct. I love to hear new stories."

What the hell, I already told Valentine. "Can you keep it to yourself?"

"Yes, unless it threatens the safety and security of the city." She smirked. "Or unless it's a great story."

I took a deep breath. "My dad died owing the local warlord a lot of caps. To pay him back, he decided to make me into a slut to keep his men entertained. We argued, I fired a round through his leg." I expected some kind of reaction from her but Piper only nodded. Maybe my type of story was more common that I thought. "Bradson isn't the type to take being shot lightly. I had a long future of rape and abuse awaiting me, so I booked out of there. I figured I'd run to the Commonwealth and kind of disappear, and ended up here. I'd like to stay but David and, uh, Nick both told me I need to get a job to stay."

"Yes. Do you have any skills?"

"Scavenger."

"We're all scavengers, Beth. Nothing tangible? That pretty much means farming or sewage. Or security. That pays the best but has the most risk."

Basically what I had expected. I said, "Nick said he might have work for me."

Her eyebrows rose. "If Nick has work for you and is willing to take you on, grab that with both hands. You'll be much better off."

"All right, I'll do that."

Wright glanced out the window. "Good, I guess we're done here. I'm curious about your town out west. It might be worth an article, so we can talk later when we have some downtime, if I ever get downtime again. I suppose you should go so I can get back to juggling utility shortages, employment and all the other crap details that go with this job. Tell Scarlet your full name, and that you'll be working for Nick. We'll assign you an apartment in the Lower Stands in a day or two."

"That... sounds good. Uh, Mayor Wright?"

"Please, it's Piper."

"Are there any rules or restrictions I need to know about?"

"Don't start trouble. Pay your rent on time. There's no laws on contraband and you can keep your weapons but unless you're on the firing range, no shooting inside the walls except for self-defense. And just in case you decide to peddle your ass for caps, do it on the down-low. No street-walking. We have kids here. Got it?"

I opened my mouth to protest but shut it just as quickly. Considering what I'd done in my life already, acting outraged over the insinuation would have been hypocritical. Instead, I just nodded.

"Good enough." When I didn't move, Piper added, "You can show yourself out."

I took the hint that time, stood, and left. David and Scarlet still sat in the outer room. She ignored me but he said, "What's the verdict?"

"I guess I'm working for Nick."

"Great. You get that, Scarlet?"

"Yeah, I got it," she snapped. She shoved my pistol at me. "Beth Arnaut, working for Nick Valentine. By the mayor's order, find her an apartment in the Lower Stands. Fine, I'll file the paperwork. You can get her out of here any time now."

I followed him back to the platform we'd ridden up, cognizant of her eyes burning a hole between my shoulder blades the whole way. We got on board, the gate closed, and we started our descent. "What's her problem?"

He chuckled. "Don't mind Scarlet. Remember I mentioned Travis, the guy who runs the radio? She and him are an item. Scarlet chased him for a long time and she's insanely jealous of anyone who shows the slightest bit of interest in him. Travis adores Scarlet and he's far too much of a straight arrow to ever step out on her but Scarlet can't get that through her head, so your question about him being cute got her dander up."

I rolled my eyes. "It was a throw-away comment, for Christ's sake."

"Welcome to the Commonwealth, where even a joke might get you shot."

"Swell."

#

Nick took my decision to work for him with robotic aplomb. "Good deal. You can crash in the backroom until they get your apartment lined up. Rest up this evening, we'll get you started in the morning. You too, David." He strode out the door at a speed that suggested he was either on his way to visit the toilet or his mistress--neither of which could be true, obviously.

I glanced in the back room. Stacks of furniture lay to one side, two small beds on the other. I said to Ellie, "You know where I might be able to clean up?"

"Your apartment will have a shower stall. You can use mine this evening. Here." She handed me a small key. "That's for the office. Don't bother to steal anything. Both Nick and I can take one glance in here and know if a single thing is out of place."

"Ellie, what's the penalty for stealing in Diamond City?"

"Anything between a fine and death, depending on the circumstances."

I chortled. "I have almost no caps and I'd rather not die, so I'll pass on stealing."

"Wise idea." She stretched and rose from her desk. She bent and made a quick sketch before handing the page to me. "Here, directions to my apartment. My name's on the door. Come shower when you want. Since it's almost dinner time and the boss has gone, I'm gonna call it a day too. David, I'll see you in the morning."

Ellie walked out the door, leaving me and David facing each other in awkward silence. He gazed at me, his expression indeterminate. The longer his eyes were on me, the more nervous I got. Just when I gathered my courage to say something, he said, "Look, Beth, I'm sorry I was so angry."

"About?"

"About you not being honest. I get it, it's hard out there, and you didn't know me and needed to be careful. Then I made an assumption and jumped to conclusions. I was embarrassed when Nick called me out and I got mad at you, when I should be grateful for saving my life. Why did you, by the way?"

"I don't know," I said, flustered. "I saw Franks get shot and I ran, knowing he was going to die. I've felt guilty about it ever since. I just didn't want that guy to kill you."

"Okay." His eyes flicked at the backroom. "If you're nervous about sleeping arrangements, I can go crash somewhere else."

"I'm not going to run you out of your bedroom. Why haven't they gotten you an apartment?"

"I have one but it's right next to a newly-married couple who get, uh, a little amorous every single evening." He gave me a faint smile. "It's hard to sleep through, so I rest here most nights. It's okay; the bed is comfortable and Nick and Ellie stock a bunch of food in that cabinet. Besides, it keeps me close when Nick wants something. He doesn't sleep, so he works all night sometimes."

"He's a good boss?"

"The best."

I examined Ellie's map sketch. It looked easy enough to follow. "I'm going to go clean up, then come back and eat something."

"Sounds good, I'll probably do the same. I'll see you in a bit."

I found Ellie's place easily enough, in a row of similar tin-sided shacks lining the rows above the sloping away from the central market. She let me in without preamble and pointed at the metallic stall. "Shower's there."

"No door?"

She scoffed, sounding exasperated. "You've got nothing I haven't seen and I am not interested in girls."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound ungrateful."

"Apology accepted." She handed me a thin cloth. "Use this to towel off."

I have to admit, the hot water blasting my skin felt divine. I scrubbed every inch I could reach, simply enjoying the feeling of getting clean.

Ellie ignored me and spent the time reading.

When I was done, I was a little reluctant to put on the vault suit but it was all I had and as testy as she was, I was not about to ask Ellie for clothes. Aside from being terse with me, she was quite a bit wider in the shoulders and hips and none of her stuff would have fit me. I hefted the suit and was pleased to see that it had accumulated very little dirt or grit, and no stains. "Hmm, almost as good as new."

"A pre-war wonder of science," Ellie said without lifting her eyes from her book.

"This comes from before the war?"

"It does."

I held the blue fabric to my naked body. "It was a time of wonders, wasn't it?

"Not so much, or they might not have burned down the world and left us with the ashes."

"Fair point." I pulled the suit on.

David was already there when I got back to the office. He'd changed into some fresh clothes; his fingers drummed on the folded stack of now-clean clothes that I'd given him when we met. He handed me my clothes, then hefted a plastic bowl with a spoon resting in it. Steam rose from the bowl. "Here, have a noodle cup."

A delicious aroma filled my nostrils. I took the bowl. "Thank you." The stew, consisting of thick noodles in a creamy sauce, was quite delicious. David passed me a can of purified water.

We talked a little, mostly him just telling me about Diamond City and some of the people living there. I kept watching him from the corner of my eyes and caught him checking me out, more than he had done to this point. His glances were never lecherous--rather, they were speculative, like he was trying to figure me out.

If he's not mad at me anymore, I wonder if he's interested.