The Fallout Wasteland

442 Days Ago

New Decandsor wrote:

Chapter 3: Operation Hearth

Following the Battle at Cottonwood Cove, the Courier heads back through the gates of New Vegas with his remaining two-hundred and seventy Securitrons. He didn’t pay any attention to the residents who gawked and watched the Courier. He didn’t pay any attention as he walks through the doors of the Lucky 38 and heads to his Suite. Arriving inside he storms into his room and begins packing his belongings. ED-E hovers nearby and curiously beeps, but the Courier ignores him.

A few minutes later, Arcade Gannon walks into the Suite. “What happened?” The Courier doesn’t respond, still packing his things. “I have reports from people about bodies floating in the Colorado. Tell me-“ The Courier turns and stares down Arcade before grabbing his bags and exiting the Suite. Arcade rushes after him and stops him in the hallway, “Just tell me what happened.” The Courier sighs before turning to face Arcade, “I lost control, it was a switch, I couldn’t stop it. . .” Arcade shakes his head, “You’ve always been able to control it.” The Courier looks away, “I used to. But not after Big Mountain. . .not after-“ The Courier points to the surgical scars where his brain had been removed and then placed back, “Not after that. It’s why I always leave, why I never stay. . .I shouldn’t have come back. . .Arcade, I’m leaving, and I’m not coming back, so-“ Arcade walks and places his hand on the Courier’s shoulder, “Listen, we need you here. People aren’t happy about the Securitrons we have across the Mojave, there are new gangs popping up in the New Sector, we need you now more than ever.” The Courier turns his back to Arcade, “You don’t. I placed you and everyone else on the Council for a reason. You never needed me.” The Courier begins to walk away, but Arcade calls out, “Jeremiah!” The Courier stops in his track and turns his head, “Goodbye Arcade.” Arcade closes his eyes as the Courier walks into the elevator and leaves the Lucky 38. ED-E, hovering nearby, gives a lingering mournful beep. Arcade sighs, “Follow him, make sure he stays safe ED-E.” The little eyebot cheers up and beeps happily before going after the Courier.

Arcade turns over and notices the large portrait of Mr. House in the hallway. He could almost here the former ruler of New Vegas laughing through the painting. Arcade remembers the old mantra of House, ‘The House Always Win.’ With everything happening, a part of Arcade can’t help but feel like this is all House’s revenge. He never liked House, but over the years Arcade gained more of an understanding of the man, Robert House. A man that spent his life pushing technology and humanity, a man that spent so much for the city of Vegas, only to be betrayed and to lose everything he had ever built and worked on in the end. Arcade turns and leaves the Suite, his fate, the fate of Vegas, and the fate of the entire Mojave now heading into an uncertain future.

Tommy Part I: Happy Times

. . .So wish on the moon
And someday it may be tomorrow
You will suddenly hear chimes
And you'll have your happy, happy times. . .

The room burst into applause as Bruce Isaac and his companion, the Lonesome Drifter, give a bow on the stage. Tommy can't help but smile, the act of Isaac and the Drifter have brought in more caps to Gomorrah than he could've ever imagined. Tommy claps for the duo as they exit and head backstage. Up next was the typical nightly show; Jenny and her band of seven prostitutes who'll give their usual showing. As Jenny's Crew arrive on the stage, a man in a purple pinstripe suit walks over to Tommy. Tommy knew instantly who it was, his good friend Devan, the often too serious second-in-command of the Serenity Family. "Tommy, we got that package in from, uh. . .you know who." Tommy smirks, this package has been a long time coming. He had a sweet deal worked out with an associate that just arrived in town. "Alright," Tommy beams, "Let's go see the merchandise."

Tommy heads with Devan to the main elevator, down to the lower levels of Gomorrah. The lower levels were where the dirtiest, nastiest deeds of the Serenity Family take place. Prostitution rings, smuggling of drugs and weapons, and much more. Tommy knows what it takes to stay on top in the Strip. And he has to beat Swank and his Chairmen at the Tops. So everything is on the table. Including. . .the package. Heading into his own personal suite, Tommy is greeted by a beautiful brunette, dressed in a stunning red dress. "Oh my," Tommy has already fallen in love with just one look, "I was expecting a different package, but. . ." Devan elbows Tommy, and then Tommy notices the large container in the room, a crowbar sitting on top of the package. The woman smiles, "Just as you asked for," She takes the crowbar and pries the container open. Inside was a man gagged and bound at the feet and hands. The woman drags the man out, and Tommy can make him out. . .Swank. "Oh how the tables have turned!" Tommy exclaims, he couldn't be more happy if he tried. The leader of the Chairmen, his biggest competitor, in his palms. Swank's eyes were filled with terror and fear. "Thought you were the hottest man on the Strip, didn't you?" Tommy says, mocking Swank. He delivers a kick to Swank's abdomen, who grunts under his gag. "Not so hot now, are you? Haha! Oh this is great. . .this is great! Devan, put our new friend in the down low and let Frank down there to give him some company, haha!" Swank cries out beneath his gag as Devan drags him away. Once they are gone, Tommy turns to the woman, "Happy times are ahead darling. When I rule the Strip, I promise you and our mutual friend all of Vegas." The woman smirks, "I couldn't care less about Vegas right now. . ." She approaches Tommy and grabs him by the tie, "Right now, I want you," She kisses Tommy, and the two embrace. Right now, Tommy couldn't be happier. Happy times are indeed ahead.

Official Construction Edict by the Presidium, the Functionariat and the Secretariat in Regards to the Prefecture of McClellanville

In a new edict issued by the Industrial Bureau of the Secretariat of the United Prefectural Directorate on behalf of the Director and enacted by the Presidium, it has ordered that the following Prefecture is to construct a foundry in order to facilitate the swift and efficient supplying of the United Prefectural Directorate's nascent industrial base. It is the hope of the Presidium that this foundry will serve as the foundation of South Carolina's industrial heartland and will supply its factories with valuable metals with which to produce the many kinds of equipment needed for the Commissariat and its Protectors.

[Constructing: Medium Foundry, Completed 3/19/21]
[Resources Expended: 6 Concrete/8 Steel]

442 Days Ago

New Decandsor wrote:

Chapter 3: Operation Hearth

Following the Battle at Cottonwood Cove, the Courier heads back through the gates of New Vegas with his remaining two-hundred and seventy Securitrons. He didn’t pay any attention to the residents who gawked and watched the Courier. He didn’t pay any attention as he walks through the doors of the Lucky 38 and heads to his Suite. Arriving inside he storms into his room and begins packing his belongings. ED-E hovers nearby and curiously beeps, but the Courier ignores him.

A few minutes later, Arcade Gannon walks into the Suite. “What happened?” The Courier doesn’t respond, still packing his things. “I have reports from people about bodies floating in the Colorado. Tell me-“ The Courier turns and stares down Arcade before grabbing his bags and exiting the Suite. Arcade rushes after him and stops him in the hallway, “Just tell me what happened.” The Courier sighs before turning to face Arcade, “I lost control, it was a switch, I couldn’t stop it. . .” Arcade shakes his head, “You’ve always been able to control it.” The Courier looks away, “I used to. But not after Big Mountain. . .not after-“ The Courier points to the surgical scars where his brain had been removed and then placed back, “Not after that. It’s why I always leave, why I never stay. . .I shouldn’t have come back. . .Arcade, I’m leaving, and I’m not coming back, so-“ Arcade walks and places his hand on the Courier’s shoulder, “Listen, we need you here. People aren’t happy about the Securitrons we have across the Mojave, there are new gangs popping up in the New Sector, we need you now more than ever.” The Courier turns his back to Arcade, “You don’t. I placed you and everyone else on the Council for a reason. You never needed me.” The Courier begins to walk away, but Arcade calls out, “Jeremiah!” The Courier stops in his track and turns his head, “Goodbye Arcade.” Arcade closes his eyes as the Courier walks into the elevator and leaves the Lucky 38. ED-E, hovering nearby, gives a lingering mournful beep. Arcade sighs, “Follow him, make sure he stays safe ED-E.” The little eyebot cheers up and beeps happily before going after the Courier.

Arcade turns over and notices the large portrait of Mr. House in the hallway. He could almost here the former ruler of New Vegas laughing through the painting. Arcade remembers the old mantra of House, ‘The House Always Win.’ With everything happening, a part of Arcade can’t help but feel like this is all House’s revenge. He never liked House, but over the years Arcade gained more of an understanding of the man, Robert House. A man that spent his life pushing technology and humanity, a man that spent so much for the city of Vegas, only to be betrayed and to lose everything he had ever built and worked on in the end. Arcade turns and leaves the Suite, his fate, the fate of Vegas, and the fate of the entire Mojave now heading into an uncertain future.

Mayat Part I: Deal, No Deal

Mayat finds no comfort in this alleyway. It's dark and dusty and graffiti covers rhe walls of the buildings, marking territories of different gangs over the years. Mayat just wants to get this deal over with and go back home. The clients were already late. . .nearly half an hour late. She's beginning to suspect she has been duped. But she might as well wait just a little longer. She has traveled all the way from her village, Unas, to Freeside. No point in heading back without seeing this out. As the Sun sinks below the buildings and the lights of Freeside begin to come alive, a group of three arrive in the alley. The trio were dressed in unsuspicious suits and looked more upkept that usual residents in Freeside. One from the trio, a man with a noticeable panhandle mustache, speaks up, "You have what we wanted?" Mayat nods, she reaches into her bag and brings out three packages, filled with various chems. "Yeah," She says, offering the bag, "Everything's in there." The man takes a quick glance at the packages before handing them off his to accomplices. "What about my caps?" Mayat asks. The man coldly smiles, "Unfortunately, the boss man doesn't want loose ends." The man pulls out a pocket knife and attempts to stab Mayat, but she had been prepared. She manages to grab the man's arm and hold him back. The two struggle until the man forces Mayat to the ground as the other two watch. Mayat struggles to keep the man off of her, he was much stronger than her. Suddenly, there are more voices in the alley. The two turn and quickly fall to the ground as gunshots ring out. The man, now distracted, looks back in shock. Mayat quickly reaches into her pocket and grabs her switchblade and drives it into the man's neck. The man gasps and grabs his neck, dropping his knife. He falls to the ground, bleeding out.

Looming above her, Mayat notices two men dressed in greaser jackets, their hair slicked back. One of them offers a hand to Mayat, and she gladly takes it. He helps her up to her feet, and then Mayat places her switchblade against his neck, "And who the hell are you?" The other man with him aims his 10mm pistol at Mayat, but the other greaser calmly responds, "We're the Kings lady. Thought you'd be more grateful to the people who just saved your skin." Mayat glances over at the Kings member with the pistol aimed at her, "I had everything-" She was interrupted by the other Kings member, "No you didn't. Lady. . .what were you doing down here? This alleyway isn't a good place for anyone to be so late." Mayat doesn't respond as the Kings notice the bags of chems on the ground next to the corpses of the asshole trio. "A drug deal?" One of the Kings asks, but Mayat again doesn't respond. While she is distracted, the Kings member grabs her switchblade from her hand and forces her to the ground. They aim their weapons at Mayat, "A drug deal in our neighborhood is a no no miss. You're going to have to see the big man."

Research Report #3

Due to the influx of pre-war technological blueprints and documents provided by the Antiquarian Bureau of the Secretariat, the Scientific Bureau, or more informally the Doctorate, has seen an explosion in the energy technology of the Directorate. Despite the massive stockpile of ethanol fuel, which at this time has not been used at all due to the lack of vehicles which would require fuel, it has come to the attention of the Doctorate that perhaps the latest designs being tested by the Industrial Design Bureau may require a higher grade of fuel with which to operate on. Nevertheless, this increase in technology will surely find some applications with the civilian bureaus.

Energy Five Research: Complete
Engineering Three Research: Started

442 Days Ago

New Decandsor wrote:

Chapter 3: Operation Hearth

Following the Battle at Cottonwood Cove, the Courier heads back through the gates of New Vegas with his remaining two-hundred and seventy Securitrons. He didn’t pay any attention to the residents who gawked and watched the Courier. He didn’t pay any attention as he walks through the doors of the Lucky 38 and heads to his Suite. Arriving inside he storms into his room and begins packing his belongings. ED-E hovers nearby and curiously beeps, but the Courier ignores him.

A few minutes later, Arcade Gannon walks into the Suite. “What happened?” The Courier doesn’t respond, still packing his things. “I have reports from people about bodies floating in the Colorado. Tell me-“ The Courier turns and stares down Arcade before grabbing his bags and exiting the Suite. Arcade rushes after him and stops him in the hallway, “Just tell me what happened.” The Courier sighs before turning to face Arcade, “I lost control, it was a switch, I couldn’t stop it. . .” Arcade shakes his head, “You’ve always been able to control it.” The Courier looks away, “I used to. But not after Big Mountain. . .not after-“ The Courier points to the surgical scars where his brain had been removed and then placed back, “Not after that. It’s why I always leave, why I never stay. . .I shouldn’t have come back. . .Arcade, I’m leaving, and I’m not coming back, so-“ Arcade walks and places his hand on the Courier’s shoulder, “Listen, we need you here. People aren’t happy about the Securitrons we have across the Mojave, there are new gangs popping up in the New Sector, we need you now more than ever.” The Courier turns his back to Arcade, “You don’t. I placed you and everyone else on the Council for a reason. You never needed me.” The Courier begins to walk away, but Arcade calls out, “Jeremiah!” The Courier stops in his track and turns his head, “Goodbye Arcade.” Arcade closes his eyes as the Courier walks into the elevator and leaves the Lucky 38. ED-E, hovering nearby, gives a lingering mournful beep. Arcade sighs, “Follow him, make sure he stays safe ED-E.” The little eyebot cheers up and beeps happily before going after the Courier.

Arcade turns over and notices the large portrait of Mr. House in the hallway. He could almost here the former ruler of New Vegas laughing through the painting. Arcade remembers the old mantra of House, ‘The House Always Win.’ With everything happening, a part of Arcade can’t help but feel like this is all House’s revenge. He never liked House, but over the years Arcade gained more of an understanding of the man, Robert House. A man that spent his life pushing technology and humanity, a man that spent so much for the city of Vegas, only to be betrayed and to lose everything he had ever built and worked on in the end. Arcade turns and leaves the Suite, his fate, the fate of Vegas, and the fate of the entire Mojave now heading into an uncertain future.

Xavier Part I: The Sick & The Weary

Nipton was once known to many as a sick, debased, and corrupt town. Gangs, prostitutes, and criminals were allowed to roam freely without any repercussions. But now, Nipton has been realigned, now known as a beacon of law and order in a chaotic Mojave. Nipton has grown in recent months following the failures of Operation Hearth. And that is all because of Mayor Ray. . .and Xavier. Xavier was modest in his role in helping Nipton, he just helped people in the town, handing out supplies and medicine where needed. He desperately wants to join the Followers of the Apocalypse and roam the Wastes, helping those in need. But for now, he is content with staying in Nipton and helping others. Today at first seems like any other day to Xavier. The Sun is shining, people on the streets are handing out locally produced foods from farms at stands. Xavier went about his routine, visiting Lilly at her stand, talking with Marge and some of the older residents, and begins his path to the Town Hall to speak with the Mayor.

As he walks the path, he notices a gang of individuals entering the community. They were all dressed in leather jackets and leather armor. Every one of the gang members have a brand on the right side of their face, a marking that resembles a bird. With firearms brandished on their sides, they stride through the town as if they own it. After taking a small glance through the town they begin opening fire. Bullets fly throughout the town, through windows, striking many residents. Civilians are caught off guard and quickly get shot down. Xavier, shocked and stunned, runs with his head down to the Town Hall as gunfire rings out behind him. Rushing inside, he desperately searches for Mayor Ray. He spots him calmly walking down the stairs. "Mark!" Xavier exclaims, "Raiders!" The Mayor seems unimpressed and says, "They arrived late." Xavier, confused, shakes his head, "What are you talking about?" The Mayor stares down Xavier, "You would be wise to wait here and keep your mouth shut."

Through the front doors one of the gang members arrives. He was brutish in appearance, the man's face was scarred and burned in many places. The Mayor remains calm as he speaks to him, "Karl, you took your time." Karl smirks, "Can't rush these things Mr. Mayor." He looks over to Xavier, staring right through him. "And who's this?" "Not part of the deal," The Mayor quips back, "You know our agreement." Karl doesn't take his eyes off Xavier but only nods before turning back and leaving. "Mark, what the hell are you doing?" Xavier asks. The Mayor has always been a good man, dedicated to building up Nipton. Never has there been an open agreement with murderers and gangsters. Mayor Ray sighs, "The only thing I can do. You need to leave, get as far away from here as possible. These people, the Newborn, they won't stop here. All I can do is buy time. Xavier, it would be best if you left the Mojave. There is nothing left here that is worth a damn thing. Everything has already happened before, you would be wise to avoid it at all costs." On that note the Mayor leaves Xavier alone to ponder his words as outside, the Newborn commit atrocities ravaging the town of Nipton.

Vault 257 Presidential Office.
Elm Mountain, Killeen, TX.

As an aide drones on about the state of Fort Hood, President Archer Graves peruses the handful of exploration reports sent in from the three man scout teams that had set out a week prior. "Mr. President, as it stands the old fort is in a state of ruin. The Darnall Medical Center is one of the last buildings left standing in the southern sector, as the southern motor pool seems to have been hit by multiple long range missiles - none of them nuclear, thankfully. The Seven Seventeen motor pool looks to be intact, though a majority of the vehicles left have rusted to nothingness or are otherwise inoperable due to exposure to the elements. Representative Stefek believes..."

Blocking out the aide, Graves focuses more on the reports - they offer no conjecture nor mindless suppositions so common in the aides sent from the various Representatives of the Vault.

Alpha Team Report: Harker Heights
Team deployed with orders to investigate town of Harker Heights one week prior to this report. Gathered intelligence suggests existence of other survivors in the vicinity of Killeen, as three bodies were discovered outside Eastern Hills Middle School - some tattered bits of flesh remained upon the bones. Had there been no flesh, these corpses would have been assumed to be victims of the Great War. Cursory investigation of surrounding HEB, Target, and Walmart reveals small amounts of canned goods and preserved foods in the storerooms, with little to none on the shelves. Hunting and fishing supplies are available in moderate quantities in Harker Walmart - team suggests recovering the gear as soon as possible in order to bolster food stocks from the Vault.

"...Mr. President? Are you listening?"

Graves looks up with a weary smile, although the cold look in his eyes betrays his irritation at the aide. "Of course, son. You had mentioned Representative Stefek?" The aide smiles, oblivious to the look in Graves' eyes. "Yes, sir! Mr. Stefek wishes to move his people out of the Vault and into the First Army Division West HQ, to let them experience more freedom."

"He may do so, but I would recommend they stick closer to the Vault. Alpha Team's exploratory report came back today and they don't think we're alone in the city; and I will not lose any of our people if I can help it. Have them move into the complex around East Range and North Nolan; far enough to give them a bit more freedom from the Vault, but close enough that our soldiers can provide support if need be. Now if you'll excuse me, son, I have a meeting with Representative Bell from Hydroponics. This Vault - the Republic - can't make food appear from thin air, after all."

Official Construction Edict by the Presidium, the Functionariat and the Secretariat in Regards to the Prefectures of Hampton, Walhalla, Pickens and York

In a new edict issued by the Industrial Bureau of the Secretariat of the United Prefectural Directorate on behalf of the Director and enacted by the Presidium, it has ordered that the following Prefectures are to construct farms and begin agricultural efforts in order to further supply the needs of the population of the United Prefectural Directorate, ensure ample foodstuffs for conversion into ethanol fuel and to increase the standard of living across the UPD and its South Carolinian Prefectures. It is the plan of the government that with this edict, no citizen will ever suffer the scourge of starvation again.

[Constructing: Simple Farmsteads, Hampton, Walhalla, Pickens and York]
[Resources Expended: 16 Scrap (4 Simple Farmsteads)]

Reclaiming Tennesse
Part 5

As the sun set, the troops of the 1st Infantry continued their advance into Eastern Tennessee, following the old I-40.
Before arriving in the proper city area of Knoxville, the soldiers crossed the Clinch at Kingston, small settlement notable only for the large coal powered plant that towered above the ruins and makeshift homes. It wasn't the first, but the NCS engineers already knew that trying to put it back to work without the proper knowledge was arduous, so it was left alone until new orders arrived.
Soon after, the first scouts were in wieving range of the city itself: in the outskirts many large settlements of wastelanders that lived scavenging the ruins were present, but the downtown itself had been abandoned completely, or actually, been overrun by feral ghouls. The reason of such a high density of ghouls wasn't certain, but the most accredited theory told that the particular position of the city, "captured" between the mountains, addled to the natural accumulation of radiations in urban areas, created a zone were low-strength radiations continued to persist much longer than the normal.
Now, the city itself didn't hold much value, the wastelanders in the surroundings had already accepted, voluntarily or not, the Confederate rule, and many in the NCS despised the city itself, as a place where Southern brothers took arms against each other; many couldn't ignore how history repeated itself just before. The real reason the NCS wanted the city was for the energy: all power plants that they controlled, as well as the dams, needed specific know-how to be run, as well as administrator codes and much more information. All of this could be found only in one place: the TVA, Tennesse Valley Authority, headquarters, which happened to be located in the heart of Knoxville.
Two full companies were sent to clear the city from the ghouls. Their numbers were impressive for sure, but the 1st was now made of battle-hardened veterans and, despite losses were inevitable, all feral ghouls presence in the area was slowly but surely eradicated.
While various platoons were sent to check the buildings for any further ghoul presence, a group of soldiers was sent to investigate in the TVA headquarters: the eastern tower had collapsed long ago, maybe during even the initial nuclear blast, but the western one was still explorable.
The building auto-defense systems were still active, but probably the TVA made some cuts to the security budget before the bombs dropped, or maybe something didn't work in the electronics, because the NCS soldiers had to fight their way through just a few turrets and many harmless protectrons to reach the company archives, where they found the information they needed.
Knoxville was once again in Confederate hands, and soon power would arrive in the NCS.

Pop Loss/Gain +1537

In the archives were also found many blueprints and other technical data which wasn't directly related to the power plants, which was then retrieved for other use.
Technical documents found

Praal wrote:

Vault 257 Presidential Office.
Elm Mountain, Killeen, TX.

As an aide drones on about the state of Fort Hood, President Archer Graves peruses the handful of exploration reports sent in from the three man scout teams that had set out a week prior. "Mr. President, as it stands the old fort is in a state of ruin. The Darnall Medical Center is one of the last buildings left standing in the southern sector, as the southern motor pool seems to have been hit by multiple long range missiles - none of them nuclear, thankfully. The Seven Seventeen motor pool looks to be intact, though a majority of the vehicles left have rusted to nothingness or are otherwise inoperable due to exposure to the elements. Representative Stefek believes..."

Blocking out the aide, Graves focuses more on the reports - they offer no conjecture nor mindless suppositions so common in the aides sent from the various Representatives of the Vault.

Alpha Team Report: Harker Heights
Team deployed with orders to investigate town of Harker Heights one week prior to this report. Gathered intelligence suggests existence of other survivors in the vicinity of Killeen, as three bodies were discovered outside Eastern Hills Middle School - some tattered bits of flesh remained upon the bones. Had there been no flesh, these corpses would have been assumed to be victims of the Great War. Cursory investigation of surrounding HEB, Target, and Walmart reveals small amounts of canned goods and preserved foods in the storerooms, with little to none on the shelves. Hunting and fishing supplies are available in moderate quantities in Harker Walmart - team suggests recovering the gear as soon as possible in order to bolster food stocks from the Vault.

"...Mr. President? Are you listening?"

Graves looks up with a weary smile, although the cold look in his eyes betrays his irritation at the aide. "Of course, son. You had mentioned Representative Stefek?" The aide smiles, oblivious to the look in Graves' eyes. "Yes, sir! Mr. Stefek wishes to move his people out of the Vault and into the First Army Division West HQ, to let them experience more freedom."

"He may do so, but I would recommend they stick closer to the Vault. Alpha Team's exploratory report came back today and they don't think we're alone in the city; and I will not lose any of our people if I can help it. Have them move into the complex around East Range and North Nolan; far enough to give them a bit more freedom from the Vault, but close enough that our soldiers can provide support if need be. Now if you'll excuse me, son, I have a meeting with Representative Bell from Hydroponics. This Vault - the Republic - can't make food appear from thin air, after all."

Unmarked Building, Corner of East Range & North Nolan.
Killeen Outskirts, Texas.

Three days later, Representative Stefek and his forty-odd civilians have emerged from Vault 257; a day prior a small team of Vault Police ensured that the chosen building was clear of any threats. Although the elements had long ago wiped away any sign of the building's original designation, the group now inhabiting it has rechristened it to be 'Nolan's Dawn', both to signify the road it sits on and the dawning of a new age for the men and women of the Republic of Texas. Various vehicle husks lay outside, and Stefek sets to work with an eagerness not seen in fifteen years, since the election of President Graves - shifts are assigned to his forty person group, moving the vehicles out of the way of the building proper, allowing easier access to the interior.

Within are dozens of filing cabinets and ancient computer banks, all filled with information kept by the US Army of old. As the early morning turns to mid-afternoon, the shifts move inside to clear out space for living arrangements, allowing Stefek to peruse some of the papers within the cabinets. Many of the documents are simply about Fort Hood's budget and how best to allocate soldiers and supplies throughout the compound, as well as more papers regarding the Communist threat in China and how urgent it is to train more soldiers to fight in the name of the United States. While Stefek browses the paperwork, the 'settlers' properly establish their living quarters, using the filing cabinets to construct makeshift walls when necessary, and the building soon fills with laughter and excitement.

This is the first step to reclaiming the wasteland, to rebuilding civilization. The Texans are proud of even this, such a miniscule move in the grand scheme of things - merely moving into a building a mile away from their Vault is something to celebrate after generations of living underground.

Deez Big Rocks, Part 2
After what must have been weeks of ceasefire, the mountain insurgents finally launched an assault, on three of the pins simultaneously no less. By this point, the fort walls have been able to be reinforced into red bricks, with a wooden inner fence. Watchtowers have been built in most of them, allowing for deployment of pins in more areas, unrestricted by geography. A much harder nut to crack, now that they have let it grow.

The defense seems to be holding. They're pushing back the militants. But then, one of them sprinted forward, carrying "a large, metallic tube" on their left shoulder. He lies down on the ground, ankles red from scratching the rough soil, aims the weapon, and pulls the trigger. A white cloud blows out his back, while a projectile, larger than anything these soldiers have seen, is pummeling towards the wall.

It hits like a truck, blowing away the bricks and the wood, peppering fragments and splinters everywhere. The fort has been breached. The junglemen, as if this was planned all along, immediately rushed forward. Troops desperately formed on the hole, blocking and returning fire. If there's one good thing, the slope allowed them to deploy machine guns in a dominant position. The launcher man did not live to tell the day's tale, nor did many of his comrades. While it was a win for the Republic, it was pyrrhic at best, and proved that these pins are not as invulnerable as they seem.

That said, the attackers left behind a lot of equipment, including their valuable shoulder cannon. It may prove useful for the infantry and especially the mobile charros.