The APC eventually arrives at the FRS sometime later without issue and everyone disembarks from the back no worse for wear. A quick explanation about what happened and the settlers began to head inside the FRS to make themselves at home.

  “I wanted to thank you, again, for all you have done for us, Adam.” Arden said as he approached Adam, his hand outstretched. Adam shook it.

  “Its no problem at all. I’m happy to have helped.” Adam smiled. “I just hope all this effort ends up giving you all a sense of home finally.”

  “Oh I'm sure it will, we are all survivors, this place is sturdy and needs some work but I’m sure we can make it a home. By the time you come back you will see nothing less than a thriving community here.” Adam chuckled.

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “I’d expect nothing less.” Adam then turned to the protectron in the back of the APC and called out to it. “Protectron, come to me.”

  “Confirmed.” The protectron responded as it walked over to Adam stopping a few feet away.

  “As of now command privileges are transferred to this gentleman here. His instructions are tantamount above all others, you will come to him for directives as needed.” Adam commanded.

  “Confirmed.” The protectron said before turning to look at Arden. “Confirming name of new operator.” Adam gently gestured for Arden.

  “Tell him your name. Then, from now on, he will listen to you.”

  “Arden Connoley.” Arden said a bit more stiff than Adam would expect but it made no difference as the Protectron seemed to process the information fine.

  “Confirmed, what is my directive, Arden?”

  “Uh… for now if you would be so kind as to stand near the front entrance and keep a lookout for any nasties that might threaten us, I will… talk with the others and give you clearer instructions later.”

  “Understood, moving to guard building.” The protectron said as it walked over to the entrance and then stood guard to the left of the door.

  “Well that's about that.” Adam smiled.

  “Am I able to let others give him orders too?” Arden asked, curious.

  “Of course, you just need to make yourself clear to the guy, but you can add as many operators as you want.” Arden nodded.

  “Give me one moment, I’ll be right back after speaking with the others to give you all the money owed for your services.

  “Take your time.” Adam said as he leaned back against the APC and waited patiently. Salvatore then walked over.

  “Never thought I'd see anyone turning this place into a home, figured since it was a super mutant home it was off limits. But I guess when you live long enough you see everything.” Salvatore said casually as he leaned on the APC next to Adam and smoked his cigarette.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “I think it's good. It's a sturdy location and much of the infrastructure already exists, just needs some touch up, cleaning, and a new fusion core.”

  “Just like Midway was.” Salvatore said nonchalantly.

  “Were you here when Midway was founded?” Adam asked, curiously.

  “Nah, I wasn't in Chicago at the time, I was out and about doing… other work with some guys I used to know. I didn’t see Midway until after the walls were all set up, and by then it was more or less how it looks now. Though with a lot less people back then. People have migrated to Chicago for Midway. It is one of the few large cities left in the East, ‘specially after the Minutemen fell in Boston.”

  “So wait, Midway is one of the only places in the entirety of America?”

  “Nah, definitely wouldn't go that far. There’s still Dog City, New Vegas, Phoenix, Shady Sands, A place down in Miami, The Queens in New York and a bunch of other places. But in this part of the East? Up here? Yeah.” Salvatore took a slow drag of his cigarette. “Lots of places have come and gone. I could go on all day about the places that rose and fell. And talk about the pretender cities, but just know Midway is one of the few that stood the test of time.”

  “Wow, glad to know my home city did so well to survive.” Adam said, impressed.

  “Well survive is relative. Chicago was hit badly by bombs, the industrial sector was nearly all destroyed but the people lived. And where people live, communities grow. That's just human nature.” Salvatore shrugged.

  “So of all the places you visited how does Midway compare? Or all of Chicago anyway?” Salvatore just shrugged again.

  “Depends what you are looking for. But it's not much different than anywhere else. Chicago’s politics are a lot tamer compared with the stuff that was going on out West a few years ago, or on the East Coast more than a decade ago. But then again we got the Horsemen so…” He shrugged a third time.

  “Maybe I will need to take a trip with this guy here to see the world at some point. I’d love to see how others are living elsewhere.” Adam said as he gently patted the APC. He was about to get a response from Salvatore when Arden came back out holding a backpack.

  “This is payment for everything.” He said as he handed it over, Adam took a look and it was full of caps. “1400 caps. 400 for our trip and 1000 for our new robotic defender over there.” Adam considered counting it out but to be quite honest, he couldn’t be bothered. Counting out over a thousand caps would take way too long, and he’d rather just trust it was all there. Besides they were likely not about to screw him over, they had built up a rapport and he gave them the protectron at a discount, plus Salvatore was staying here for a bit so it would be quite unwise to screw him over.

  “Thank you.” Adam said with a smile back as he threw the backpack inside the APC. Working with these people had netted him a huge sum, he did feel a bit bad about charging them so much, but they got somewhat to the other side of Chicago in only a few hours, safely, that is something you can’t really put a price on. Regardless, the rest was up to them. “Well it has been wonderful working with you.”

  “You as well, lad. I do hope we will have a chance to meet again. Perhaps under better circumstances when we can offer you some hospitality.”

  “I look forward to seeing the community you will build here.” Adam then turned to look at Salvatore. “I’m taking off, you all good?”

  “Yeah kid.” Salvatore said before snuffing out his cigarette and putting it away. “I’ll see you again real soon, kay?” He grinned softly and patted Adam’s shoulder.

  “Don’t have too much fun without me.” Adam joked as he hoped up on top of the APC.

  “That’s my line. I know how you are, don’t go do something insane without letting me know.” Adam chuckled.

  “No promises.”