FO4 | Book 1: Bombs on Monday Morning ✔️

Ch 13: Bad Neighbors in Goodneighbor

After taking inventory in my bag, I knew I didn't have enough Rad-X and Radaway to walk through the Glowing Sea this exposed — not that it something like that would even work. I didn't have what I needed to fix my suit of Power Armor back home, either. And, to make things worse, I didn't have the caps I needed to buy any of those things.

I told Nick he should head back to Diamond City to rest up. He looked a little tired, for a Synth.

"I shouldn't leave you here alone," he protested.

"I'll be okay. I need to look for work, and you have your own work to do back in Diamond City. I can't keep you from your job."

He grumbled to himself for a moment. "... All right, but if you have any trouble, go straight to the mayor."

"Why the mayor?"

"I know he didn't make a great first impression, but trust me when I say he's the only one you can trust around here."

I raised an eyebrow at him. This felt like a serious lapse in judgment on Nick's part. Mayor Hancock killed one of his own as soon as we entered Goodneighbor.

"Are you sure the incident at the Memory Den didn't have an effect on you?"

"I know what I'm talking about. I've known Mayor Hancock for a long time, way before he was even a Ghoul. Be careful, kid. I'm heading out."

As Nick left me in front of the Memory Den, I decided it was time I got to know this town before I started looking for work. I wandered aimlessly, looking at all the buildings and vendors and people. The people here looked a little down on their luck — sleeping in alleyways and makeshift sheds, wearing tattered clothing, in desperate need of showers, underweight and malnurished — but most of them were laughing and conversing in the street. Despite these pressures of life, they looked rather carefree.

All the guards around here were dressed in various pressed suits and fedoras, a noticeable contrast to the guards at Diamond City where they all wore matching umpire uniforms. They carried pistols and assault rifles. Some were Ghouls.

As I came closer to the State House, I heard a distinct, gruff voice yell, "Hey, everyone! Gather 'round, don't be bashful. Tkae your time..."

I looked up at the balcony to see Mayor Hancock standing there, overlooking the town. He waited patiently for people to start gathering in the street below. I joined the crowd curiously, but stood at the back away from everyone.

"Now," he began once about twenty people accumulated. "I know you all are doing your own thing, but I don't want anyone here to forget what matters."

Then, he seemed to get distracted and pointed to someone in the crowd. A Ghoul woman in a tan suit with thin hair pinned up on top of her head.

"Hey, Daisy! Glad you could make it. How's my favorite girl doing?"

She bashfully waved him off.

"Didn't I see you on a date with Marowski the other day?"

"Ha, he wishes!"

A peal of light laughter spread through the townspeople.

"Alright, alright. We're gettin' off track. What was I saying? Oh, that's right! What matters. We freaks gotta stick together! And the best way to stick together is to keep an eye out for what drives us apart, ya feel me?"

"Yeah, you tell it like it is, Hancock!" said a member of the guard.

"Now, what out there in our big, friendly Commonwealth would wanna drive us apart? What kind of twisted, un-neighborly boogeyman would wanna hurt our peaceful community?"