FO4 | Book 0: The Diaries of Anarchy ✔️

July 4, 2280

"Publick Occurrences — Issue 12, 'Will Chems Hinder our Way of Life?'

"Publish date: July 4, 2280

"Diamond City is truly a monument of peace and livelihood for those looking for a safe place to settle down. Our streets stay clean thanks to our passionate citizens, and our streets stay safe thanks to our unwavering guardsmen. Let's not forget the fair tax rates set by our generous mayor and approved by our dedicated town council.

"But sometimes, the unsavory trickles into the city. It can't be helped — we're surrounded by Old World ruins, and our city has healthy commerce with outside trade routes. But what I'm talking about is more than just raiders or synths or Gunners. What I'm talking about is chem dealers.

"If you take the time to really look around and notice, you will see that our alleyways and dark corners are home to small-time chem dealers and our very own citizens who have become addicted to the substances. But how does it become so widely available?

"Let's go back to taxes — Chems sold within the city are taxed as fairly as the rest of the goods that flow to and from our vendors at a healthy ten percent. However, after doing an interview with the town's doctors I have discovered a decrease in recreational chems sold at their clinic. Doctor Crocker and Doctor Sun both agreed that it was odd, considering that they had a word with the new Diamond City official chem vendor, Soloman Miles, who also states that his sales have dropped.

"I spoke to local chem enthusiast and connoisseur, John McDonough, who has a suspicion that chems are being smuggled into the city to evade the tax laws and ultimately provide more profit for outside dealers. John has a connection with the chem underground as he is familiar with Goodneighbor and has had run-ins with kingpin Ian Marowski.

"I conducted an interview with our famed detective, Nick Valentine, who gave me the official scoop on the closed case of Marowski's banishment. Marowski and his daughter, Vivienne, had a local chem dealer killed and fatally injured our very own John McDonough as a warning that they were the only chem dealers that should be making the caps in the city. A struggle on the docks between Nick, Ian Marowski, Vivienne Marowski, and John resulted in Vivienne's death and Ian's banishment. Word is that Marowski currently operates out of Goodneighbor, a haven for chem addicts and unscrupulous characters.

"Rumor has it that Marowski's chem warehouse was ransacked thirteen years ago. After interviewing the locals in Diamond City, they can recall the city being a lot less chem-infested during that time. Over the last few years, the number of addicts has increased. Evidence points to Marowski being the source of smuggled chems due to his past affiliations with Diamond City and his financial timeline, but it's mostly a strong hunch on my part.

"There are two dangers that we face here. The first is that the smuggled chems are a danger to our healthy commerce. Fewer caps flow into Diamond City's local trade and wind up in the hands of drifting dealers that operate in Goodneighbor and other unsavory city ruins throughout the Commonwealth. The second threat is the damage that these untrusted chems do to our citizens.

"Word of advice for those that dabble in chems and alcohol in their spare time — be wary of who you buy from. Spiked goods are no joke and can lead to illness, disablement, and death. Do not leave chems lying around where our children can reach them — Mentats and Buffout may look like candy. Use chems sparingly to avoid addiction. If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction, do not be afraid to speak out and get help — Diamond City's local doctors offer a rehabilitation program with no extra fees. Chems and other influential substances can lead a person to make decisions that they wouldn't normally do. If you feel as if you are in danger, contact the city guard immediately. And lastly, remember to pay your taxes!