Megaton.
I wonder if every settlement left in this wasteland has such an accurate name.
I ran into a trader outside of the gates. He seemed friendly enough. I wonder if everything they taught us in the vault was a lie? Probably. His name was Crow, and apparently he makes his living by selling clothing and armor from settlement to settlement. He uses a pack animal called a Brauhmin, and has a guard with him. I didn't catch her name, but I did watch her chase down and kill some kind of wild beast. I think she called it a molerat. She had a glint in her eye when she came back and saw me talking to Crow. It wasn't a friendly one.
As soon as I entered the gates I was approached by an older man, with a gun strapped to his back and an old fashioned cowboy hat on his head. He introduced himself as Lucas Simms, Sherriff and sometimes mayor of Megaton. Sherriff? He seemed friendly enough. I wonder how many people said that about the Overseer though?
If nothing else, Simms was a useful source of information. I asked about a place to sleep, he pointed me out to Moriartys saloon.We chatted a bit about the area outside of the town, mostly wasteland, but there are a few pockets of civilization still. Crow had mentioned Canterburry Commons to me, and now Simms was telling me about a place called Rivet City. He was even able to give me coordinates for the Pip-Boy. I learned about the town as well. It's called Megaton after the bomb that the town was built around. I guess after the war, the survivors from Springvale found out about the vault. They tried to get in, and when they couldn't, decided to build themselves a town. Its amazing what they were able to create. It certainly lacks the technological comforts of the Vault, but it definitely has its charm. The other amazing thing about this place is that some of them actually worship the bomb. I'll get into that in a minute.
Simms has some concerns about the bomb itself. Most of the town think that if it was going to explode, it would have by now, but he's worried with the "Church of the Atom" poking around it all the time, it won't be forever before someone sets the thing off. I offered to take a look at it. I'm not as good as dad was with these things, but I do know a thing or two. He offered me 100 caps. Crow referenced the same thing when he was admiring my pistol earlier too. I guess the currency of the wasteland is now bottlecaps? With no printing presses to manufacture paper money, I guess they have to use something. Its interesting how they managed to form a centralized currency that no-one has the control to produce. Of course the barter system is still alive and well. It's how I managed to make enough "caps" for the meal I'm waiting for while I write this. I tried to haggle with Simms, after all, disarming a nuclear bomb seems worth more than 100 caps (or does it? I don't know much about the value yet), so I tried to up him to 600. He told me the town doesn't have that much, and that I could pretty much take it or leave it. I told him I'd take it.
Offering to help him out seemed to relax his guard a bit. I asked him again about dad, and he did remember someone coming through recently. I guess Dad went straight to the saloon, and promptly left. I'll definitely have to go there right after I eat. It's been a wild day so far, and I can't think straight as it is, I don't need to be wandering around town disoriented from hunger.
This nice girl named Jenny Stahl runs a food stand in the center of town, right next to the bomb. We chatted for a minute, but she seemed only concerned with taking my order. I explained that I didn't have the caps to pay for anything, but she did notice my sack, and asked what I might be able to trade. I offered her a security baton from the vault security guards. Quality weapons and armour seem to be in high demand out here. She gave me a few caps, as well as a "Braumin" steak. Not sure if its healthy, but I can smell it grilling, and it certainly smells delicious.
While I was waiting for my steak, I had a chance to chat with "Confessor" Cromwell. He's some sort of chaplain for the "Church of Atom". I guess they worship a deity named "Atom" and think that this bomb is his divine gift. They think that each atom contains a thousand universes, and when we split one, it doubles that number, so the splitting of many atoms is some sort of divine event. I can see why Simms is worried about these guys. He did give me a pamphlet to read, so maybe I'll give it a read while I eat.
Speaking of food, my steak is ready.
