At The Precipice Of Something New

Something Molecular

The Commonwealth
June the 17th, 2289
10:27

"The name's Sturges. I know this is going to be one hell of an undertaking, but I'm sure, putting our heads together, we'll work it out. Imagine it must have been a hell of a hike, so try and make yourselves as comfortable as possible. I know an old gas station ain't the nicest place to be, but we couldn't risk doing this at the Castle, not with the Brotherhood having showed up there."

Taken aback by the somewhat frigid demeanour of the woman who had arrived alongside a much more enthusiastic tinkerer, Sturges jammed his hands into the pockets of his overalls when it became clear the woman had no intention of shaking his hand and, instead, began to quickly assess the site. Much happier to see him was the woman who had asked him to lead the endeavour. Nora Norwich accepted a loose hug from him with a smile when he offered, happy to see his friend again, with Cait Felgate doing the same before taking the former lawyer's nearest hand, unease still not having fully left her. In the distance, a couple miles northwest, the town she had called home, where she had meant to raise her son, was visible on the horizon. The changes there still having yet to settle for her, she tried not to dwell on the sombre unease she had felt stepping into Sanctuary for the first time in over a year, and upon seeing how much of it had been rebuilt. In some ways, it was beginning to look as it had before the War again; an effort she had no doubt was being directed by Codsworth. The sight and the growing number of people settling there had been difficult enough to see, but seeing her own home being repaired and the only one no one had been allowed in made her heart sink when she thought about it.

The bittersweet feeling of the good happening at Sanctuary against what she wished had never been damaged by the War in the first place dissipated entirely, however, when her eyes fell on the ever more weathered billboard just outside the gas station they were now working in. Vault-Tec.

"I don't really know what we'll need to pull this off, but..." Nora sighed when Sturges turned to her, looking worried. "Is there any chance we can demolish that billboard? I...I don't want the reminder when we're trying to..."

"Had already been planning on it," Sturges replied with a reassuring smile. "We're going to need a lot of steel, and melting chunks of that sucker down could lighten the load we'll have to scavenge. It'll be down before you know it, just have some of my guys coming down from Sanctuary this afternoon after they've got all their supplies together. We're going to do everything we can to hit the ground running with this."

"Thanks," Nora said, returning his smile with a weak one of her own. "I know you've only had a chance to take a glance at them, but did the plans make any sense to you? I," She lowered her voice, seeing Desdemona and Tom in the distance over his shoulders. "I gave you the original copies," She quietly explained. "They...they have photocopies I had made in Diamond City as soon as Nick and I...well, as soon as we returned with them."

"Figured as much," Sturges said, keeping his voice just as low. "Don't worry, I'll be extremely careful with them for you. I know this has all put you through the ringer, these last near two years, so, whatever you need, just let me know. I'm just glad to see you again and see you're doing as best you can, Nora."

"It's good to see you again too," She said, sighing when Desdemona and Tom slowly began to approach them. "How was your work?" She said, quickly changing the subject. "You said you were investigating with Hancock?"

"After finding out about some concerning things Vault-Tec had been planning on, yeah," He shook his head. "Ended up surprisingly well for everyone. The experiment they had planned had been sabotaged by its own project leaders, so the Vault that was supposed to be fucked with is actually alright. They've been a perfectly functional, stable Vault since the bombs dropped, and currently trade with the rest of us out here."