Conquerors

Chapter 7

"Will Mags be angry if I don't show up?"

"No. She told you that little shpeel to get you to trust her. That's all she wants."

"Is she trustworthy?" I ask.

"Out of all the leaders of the gangs, she's the most trustworthy. But remember, any of them will back you up if it means they get caps and chems." He responds. "Now, c'mon. Let's go get some grub."

He leads me to the diner, pointing out different areas along the way. We pass the marketplace. When we enter the building we find lots of different raiders sitting at the tables.

"Good fight with Colter, boss!" One says.

"You showed him around." Another says.

"Maybe we'll finally start making some fucking caps."

Gage walks up to the counter. "Gimme two of your best steaks." He tells the server.

"Are you celebrating tonight?" He asks.

"Yep. I'm treating our new overboss to some good grub."

"This is for the overboss, eh?" He asks, his eyes falling on me. "If you say so." He turns his head towards the back. "Two prime steaks, and the overboss special!" He calls over his shoulder.

"Anything else?"

"Your oldest whiskey." Gage looks back at me.

"Nuka Cola quartz for me."

"You got is, boss."

Gage pulls out a bag from his pocket. I hear the sound of clinking inside.

"Eh, it's on the house Gage. Chef's treat. Now go find somewhere to sit, ya big asshole."

Gage sits in the corner with me at a booth. "He's an old friend. If anyone else talked to me like that they'd get a kick to the jaw."

"I get it." It reminds me of all my friends from before the war. They're all gone now.

"So, what do you think?" Gage asks. "About everything."

"It's overwhelming if I'm being completely honest. But I'm also excited, for once. It just means I'm one step closer to finding my baby and making something of myself out here."

"How long ago did you wake up?"

"A couple of days ago. I was put back to sleep after I saw my husband get murdered. But I'm guessing it wasn't long. It only felt like a few seconds."

"I've heard some stories about that Vault-Tec company while I travelled around the Commonwealth. They were never good stories. Some real fucked up shit. And that's coming from me."

"They marketed the vaults as a haven from death when the bombs dropped. Free from radiation. And we believed them. My entire neighbourhood fled to Vault 111. Only a dozen of us were let in. These were people I had known for years. And in an instant, everything I had ever known was ripped away from me. My family, my husband, my baby, my friends, my career, my home... all gone."

"What did you do before the bombs fell?"

"I was a lawyer. I just got my degree and a job, but then I had to go on maternity leave when I got pregnant."

"What's that?"

"You would get paid time off of work when you had kids. Made things easier when they were babies."

"The world used to be very different."

"Yes. So it will take me some time to get used to all of this. It never used to be a life or death fight constantly."

"Your food, boss." A gravelly voice to my left says. I peer over, my eyes falling on a creature that looks worse than a zombie. My eyes widen. It sets the plate in front of me, followed by another one for Gage.

"The Overboss special is coming." It says, and then walks away. It's shaped like a human but looks like it should be dead.

"You ain't ever seen a ghoul before, have you, boss." He says, though it's more of a statement, instead of a question.

"A ghoul?"

"They were humans. Some have been around since before the bombs fell. They've been fucked up royally by radiation and haven't had the good fortune to die."

"Wait, there are prewar ghouls? Are you saying these are people who have been around since 2077?"

"Good. You're catching on."

"These could be people I know!" I say, my eyes widening.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, boss. Almost everyone died when the bombs fell."

"Right," I say, realizing he's right. It's best to not get my hopes up.

The ghoul returns a moment later with a piece of pie, some kind of fruit and granola, Mac and cheese, a Nuka Cola Victory, and our drinks.

"Dig in, boss. And welcome to Nuka Cold World."

He walks away and I look at our meal. The steak doesn't look too far off from the steak I'm used to. I use the tarnished silverware to eat.

"You don't have to worry about pus pockets in this meat. When you say prime meat it means they've drained the pockets and cleaned the meat for you. Or just found a piece with no pockets at all."

I try the meat. It tastes like wild game. But it's tasty.

"Looks like they gave you some extra roasted tato and carrot salad. And some mutfruit and razor grain casserole. Might be a sign that they want you to put on some weight." He chuckles.

"I didn't eat for two centuries." I counter, giving a little laugh. I feel good for the first time in a long time. Despite everything that has happened I can relax for once.

I just met Gage but I'm already growing to like him. I feel protected around him. And I owe him for saving my ass in the gauntlet.

Coming to Nuka World was a better decision than I thought it would be. And I know it's a decision I won't regret.