Ground Zero
You're in this for rebuilding civilization, so you figure you should do all you can. You leave the town to get in a better transmitting area and radio in and explain the situation. Steve's working the radio (Never could go out again after the incident in the city)
" yeah, so if you can send some more diplomatic people here, that might help." You finish saying.
"So, you're saying there's a fresh supply of water and no standing defense force there?" Steve asks.
"No, not really. They don't have any problems with raiders, just with some of the more aggressive wildlife. Defenses basically consist of a few good hunters with rifles, but like I said they aren't interested in us being able to defend them. A different bargaining chip is going to be necessary."
Suddenly you're cut off for a little while, you think your radio is having problems, but soon you start getting a response again.
"Okay, report back to the Compound. We'll send Vivica and a few others to take care of it. We got the location of the place from your information." Steve says and signs off.
You head back to the Compound. You know Vivica's one of the more diplomatic types, so you don't think anything else of it. She'll ether be successful or she won't.
When you get back though you find out one of the "others" that went with her was Harry. You find that suspicious, he's NEVER gone on a single recon mission, let alone anything diplomatic.
Soon the group sent to Lost Springs returns and you see Harry and a couple of the more obedient people to him, who you don't see is Vivica. You can't help but think the worst.
And you turn out to be right unfortunately.
Harry tells a story to everyone of how the people became hostile and they had to defend themselves, Vivica was "unfortunately" killed in the process. He goes on to say that he's secured the town, by leaving some people in place. You're over hearing this in the courtyard of the Compound and you can't stay silent.
"You fucking murdering liar. Those people were fucking peaceful! I was there and never once were they hostile! You took that town by force and probably had Vivica killed when she tried to stop you and your fucking mindless lackies!"
"Watch your fucking mouth cupcake! Don't condemn my actions for your own failures because you're too much of a pussy to do what needs to be done! I'm telling you they attacked us! I got witnesses! What the fuck do you have? Shit, how do we even know you weren't fucking collaborating with them and trying to lead us into a trap? It's a well known fact you're not exactly loyal to the Compound."
"LOYAL? What the fuck? You fucking dipshit I'M one of fuckin' people who's been key in the HELPING the fuckin' Compound! Or have you forgotten all the good relations we have with other towns due to me?"
"Yeah and how do we know you're not getting all chummy with all these outsiders in the attempt to try to build up your own fucking army to take power? In fact I'm thinking I might be going on a lot more of these missions, I don't trust you and neither should the rest of you!"
At this point Marina steps in to say something, but you stop her causing Harry to taunt you again.
"Yeah, that's right Cupcake, hide behind Marina's skirt again."
"Harry, I dunno if you're more jealous of the fact that I'm actually more useful to the Compound, or the fact that I have access TO Marina's skirt, something I heard you attempted before I got here and failed miserably."
You struck a nerve there. Harry lunges at you and the both of you tussle on the ground for awhile before the Colonel finally arrives wondering what the fuck has been going on. After reprimanding the pair of you, he calls you in his office for a full report of what exactly happened when you were at Lost Springs, then he does the same with Harry, unfortunately Harry has a few people that are loyal to him that are willing to back up his bullshit. Assuming they would even be believed, the citizens of Lost Springs can't even back you up, since as it turns out later Harry killed them all.
And while the Colonel isn't taken with the idea that you have some sort of ulterior motive, he does allow Harry to start heading out on missions, since he did acquire a useful resource for the Compound.
Four more years pass
Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine.
Of course the term "alliance probably isn't really appropriate here. After the Lost Springs incident, things started getting a lot more authoritarian. Over time the towns you'd established peaceful relations with, Harry started hinting that a more permanent military force be established in them. (To help with raider problems more readily as he tried to claim)
New towns that were come across were usually bullied into "joining" or outright taken by force and lowest of all, there's been actual recruitment OF raiders, some of them being stationed in the very town they were attacking on a regular basis.
You can't believe the Colonel doesn't stop Harry's actions, but the problem is, is it IS working. The Combine is thriving under this aggressive strategy and becoming a strong entity. You on the other hand are eventually relegated to guard duty at Fort Jusitce, Marina finds the whole thing unfair and becomes really disillusioned with the new direction that this place has taken.
In fact she does something you never thought she would, she suggests you leave and you can't say you're not in agreement with the idea. Not just because you never really cared about the "rebuilding civilization" process anyway, but more because Harry's power is starting to increase day by day lately and the Colonel has been sick, in fact he's probably going to die any day now. It's only a matter of time before Harry is in total control and when that day comes, you'll be fucked if you're still here.
You and Marina pack what supplies you can and start loading them into one of the vehicles. This doesn't go unnoticed, in fact you start being questioned since there was no order to take one of the vehicles out and you're no longer on scout duty anymore. You try to come up with a lie on the spot, but words fail you at the moment and you resort to more direct measures and slug the nosey bastard in the face, dropping him.
"Get in the fuckin' car now Marina!" you shout as you do likewise.
" yeah, so if you can send some more diplomatic people here, that might help." You finish saying.
"So, you're saying there's a fresh supply of water and no standing defense force there?" Steve asks.
"No, not really. They don't have any problems with raiders, just with some of the more aggressive wildlife. Defenses basically consist of a few good hunters with rifles, but like I said they aren't interested in us being able to defend them. A different bargaining chip is going to be necessary."
Suddenly you're cut off for a little while, you think your radio is having problems, but soon you start getting a response again.
"Okay, report back to the Compound. We'll send Vivica and a few others to take care of it. We got the location of the place from your information." Steve says and signs off.
You head back to the Compound. You know Vivica's one of the more diplomatic types, so you don't think anything else of it. She'll ether be successful or she won't.
When you get back though you find out one of the "others" that went with her was Harry. You find that suspicious, he's NEVER gone on a single recon mission, let alone anything diplomatic.
Soon the group sent to Lost Springs returns and you see Harry and a couple of the more obedient people to him, who you don't see is Vivica. You can't help but think the worst.
And you turn out to be right unfortunately.
Harry tells a story to everyone of how the people became hostile and they had to defend themselves, Vivica was "unfortunately" killed in the process. He goes on to say that he's secured the town, by leaving some people in place. You're over hearing this in the courtyard of the Compound and you can't stay silent.
"You fucking murdering liar. Those people were fucking peaceful! I was there and never once were they hostile! You took that town by force and probably had Vivica killed when she tried to stop you and your fucking mindless lackies!"
"Watch your fucking mouth cupcake! Don't condemn my actions for your own failures because you're too much of a pussy to do what needs to be done! I'm telling you they attacked us! I got witnesses! What the fuck do you have? Shit, how do we even know you weren't fucking collaborating with them and trying to lead us into a trap? It's a well known fact you're not exactly loyal to the Compound."
"LOYAL? What the fuck? You fucking dipshit I'M one of fuckin' people who's been key in the HELPING the fuckin' Compound! Or have you forgotten all the good relations we have with other towns due to me?"
"Yeah and how do we know you're not getting all chummy with all these outsiders in the attempt to try to build up your own fucking army to take power? In fact I'm thinking I might be going on a lot more of these missions, I don't trust you and neither should the rest of you!"
At this point Marina steps in to say something, but you stop her causing Harry to taunt you again.
"Yeah, that's right Cupcake, hide behind Marina's skirt again."
"Harry, I dunno if you're more jealous of the fact that I'm actually more useful to the Compound, or the fact that I have access TO Marina's skirt, something I heard you attempted before I got here and failed miserably."
You struck a nerve there. Harry lunges at you and the both of you tussle on the ground for awhile before the Colonel finally arrives wondering what the fuck has been going on. After reprimanding the pair of you, he calls you in his office for a full report of what exactly happened when you were at Lost Springs, then he does the same with Harry, unfortunately Harry has a few people that are loyal to him that are willing to back up his bullshit. Assuming they would even be believed, the citizens of Lost Springs can't even back you up, since as it turns out later Harry killed them all.
And while the Colonel isn't taken with the idea that you have some sort of ulterior motive, he does allow Harry to start heading out on missions, since he did acquire a useful resource for the Compound.
Four more years pass
Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine.
Of course the term "alliance probably isn't really appropriate here. After the Lost Springs incident, things started getting a lot more authoritarian. Over time the towns you'd established peaceful relations with, Harry started hinting that a more permanent military force be established in them. (To help with raider problems more readily as he tried to claim)
New towns that were come across were usually bullied into "joining" or outright taken by force and lowest of all, there's been actual recruitment OF raiders, some of them being stationed in the very town they were attacking on a regular basis.
You can't believe the Colonel doesn't stop Harry's actions, but the problem is, is it IS working. The Combine is thriving under this aggressive strategy and becoming a strong entity. You on the other hand are eventually relegated to guard duty at Fort Jusitce, Marina finds the whole thing unfair and becomes really disillusioned with the new direction that this place has taken.
In fact she does something you never thought she would, she suggests you leave and you can't say you're not in agreement with the idea. Not just because you never really cared about the "rebuilding civilization" process anyway, but more because Harry's power is starting to increase day by day lately and the Colonel has been sick, in fact he's probably going to die any day now. It's only a matter of time before Harry is in total control and when that day comes, you'll be fucked if you're still here.
You and Marina pack what supplies you can and start loading them into one of the vehicles. This doesn't go unnoticed, in fact you start being questioned since there was no order to take one of the vehicles out and you're no longer on scout duty anymore. You try to come up with a lie on the spot, but words fail you at the moment and you resort to more direct measures and slug the nosey bastard in the face, dropping him.
"Get in the fuckin' car now Marina!" you shout as you do likewise.