VIGILANCE

Fear the Future? By Piper Wright

We've all succumbed to it, at one point or another. No matter how brave, or how strong we actually are, the people of the Commonwealth have known fear. Ever since the "Broken Mask" incident of 2229, right here in Diamond City, when the first human-looking synth infiltrated and attacked a group of innocent settlers, we have lain awake in bed at night, terrified of the Institute and everything it represents. Long have we dreaded the possibilities: Will someone I know be taken, snatched in the night for who knows what reason? Will one of my loved ones suddenly turn on me, because they are, in fact, a synth replacement? Or will the boogeyman finally step out of the closet and devour all who stand in its way? We, the people of the Commonwealth, remember the past. We live in terror in the present. But must we also fear the future? In an almost unthinkable series of recent events, the Institute has destroyed anyone in the Commonwealth who could conceivably stop them, including longterm player the Railroad, as well as the newly arrived Brotherhood of Steel. What's more, the shadowy, sinister organization has completed work on an advanced nuclear reactor that will provide them with nearly unlimited power for the foreseeable future. This surely means greater underground expansion, as well increased range of their teleporter technology (which, until recently, had been a closely-guarded Institute secret). So what exactly does this mean for the Commonwealth, going forward? "Nothing good" seems to be the consensus. In fact, most people assume the worst. But isn't it possible these fears are unfounded? The Railroad may have opposed the Institute, but they also defended all synths - even those who would potentially infiltrate human society. And the Brotherhood's mighty airship may now lie a smoldering wreck - but was the neo-knightly order really interested in the Commonwealth's best interests anyway? But perhaps the most compelling reason not to give up hope just yet is the fact that, if my sources are correct - and I know they are - the Institute is now under the direct influence of someone many of us have already met - the Vault Dweller. That lonely figure who came into our settlement searching for a missing child, and clearly found something else entirely. And maybe, just maybe, the Institute is all the better for it. So be wary as we go into a new tomorrow, my friends. But stay strong. And always, always remember that humanity lives and dies on the surface. Humanity IS the Commonwealth. And maybe, just maybe, the Institute can be a part of that now.

Moving Forward By Piper Wright

There is no disputing it now. Former Mayor McDonough was a synth - an agent in the pocket of the Institute, who used his power and influence to do untold damage to Diamond City and the lives within it. Abandoned by his masters, there's no telling how many more people he would have hurt or killed had he not been stopped. We have the truth, bitter as it is. We cannot predict how long it will take us to unravel all of McDonough's lies, to even begin to repair years of carefully orchestrated sabotage. Is the Wall truly secure? Will we ever know the fates of Diamond City's missing? Will the position of Mayor ever be entrusted to someone else? Everyone in Diamond City, whether they would acknowledge it or not, lived in fear of the Institute striking at them. Now they have. The city is still standing. Our daily routines keep grinding away. We still work, and eat, and sleep, and hope for a better tomorrow. Are you still afraid, Diamond City?

October, 2287 The Synthetic Truth By Piper Wright

Noodles. We all eat them. We all love them. And Diamond City's Power Noodles has supplied this sustenance for the past fifteen years. From the stilted mechanical cadence of Takahashi's programmed Japanese, to the fragrant steam that wafts from each bowl, to the scalding tang of each delicious mouthful - the ordering and eating of noodles is but one of many shared human experiences. Or is it? I was struck by this very question as I sat at the counter of Power Noodles last Wednesday night, just after 5:00 pm, enjoying a dinner I had so many times before. That's when I noticed our very own Mayor McDonough sidle up to a stool, and engage in the very same ritual. Right hand extending. Mouth opening. Teeth chewing. Yes, eating noodles. The shared experience of almost every Diamond City resident. So it must have also seemed to the residents of Diamond City nearly sixty years ago, on an uncharacteristically warm May evening in 2229, as they sat around this very same counter. But that was before the days of Takahashi and his noodles, when the bar served not noodles, but ice cold Nuka-Colas, frothy beers, and stiff shots of whiskey. The barman's name was Henry, and that night, he facilitated the shared human experiences of drinking, smoking, talking and laughing. That is, until tragedy struck. There aren't many among us who are even old enough to remember that evening - although some of the city's Ghoul residents certainly could have, had they not been forcibly removed, thanks to Mayor McDonough's anti-Ghoul decree of 2282. But there is one person among us who does remember, distinctly, the events of that evening: respected matriarch Eustace Hawthorne, who recounted her story in a Publick Occurrences exclusive interview. "Oh, I was there all right. Sitting right at the bar, sure as you're sitting in front of me now. Twenty-two years old or so, and just looking to have a good time. I was safe behind the Wall - we all were - so what was the harm? And let me tell you, that Mr. Carter made it easy. He came into town earlier that day, said he was from out west somewhere. It didn't really matter. What did matter was his smile, and his laugh, and the way he'd make everyone feel at ease. That night, at the bar, we all just sort of crowded around him. Everyone wanted to exchange a word, or hear about the state of the Commonwealth. And Mr. Carter, he was all too happy to oblige. It was just so wonderful. Until it wasn't." Eustace continued her account of that evening, and the moment when things turned sinister, and the truth about Mr. Carter was revealed. "We'd been drinking, and carrying on, must have been three hours. Mr. Carter had four or five drinks in that time. He seemed a bit drunk, I guess, like the rest of us. Then something just sort of happened. He was smiling, but the smile sort of went from his face, all in an instant. And then his cheek started twitching, kind of funny. And I remember watching him, clear as if it happened just yesterday. He reached inside his coat, took out a revolver, and then 'Blam!' - He shot Henry, the barman, right in the head. Didn't hesitate, didn't show any emotion - Mr. Carter killed Henry as casually as if he were paying him for a drink. But his cheek never did stop twitching. Let me tell you, all Hell broke loose after that." What Eustace is describing is, of course, is the infamous event known as the "Broken Mask," when the people of the Commonwealth learned for the first time that the Institute, the shadowy scientific organization responsible for the creation of combat androids, had actually succeeded in creating a model so advanced, it could effortlessly infiltrate human society. Unbeknownst to the people of Diamond City, the Institute had somehow evolved their androids into true synthetic humans. Synths. "After he shot Henry, that Mr. Carter shot three or four other people, too. Like I said, all Hell broke loose. The guards came running, they opened fire, and Mr. Carter he kept shooting, and throwing people around left and right. Finally, those guards put him down. Seemed like they had killed a man who had flipped his lid. Gone crazy. And he lay there like a dead crazy man, sure enough. God, it was horrible. But then we saw the plastic and the metal - this was one of them early synths, you see - and we realized it wasn't a man at all. It was then we all knew. The Institute wasn't just 'out there.' The Institute was everywhere now. Among us." It was never determined precisely why the synth known as Mr. Carter went on his killing spree. Some suggested he had somehow been remotely controlled by the Institute, who wanted to test his combat effectiveness. Still others felt he had simply malfunctioned (a hypothesis supported by the twitching cheek), and was never meant to kill anyone. But at that time, the "why" hardly seemed important. What mattered was that the humans of the Commonwealth had been truly infiltrated by an organization whose intentions and motives were, and still are, a complete mystery - using a model of synth even less advanced than the ones the Institute has in service today. Which brings us to noodles. Specifically, the noodles consumed by Mayor McDonough last Wednesday night, in the same spot that Mr. Carter the synth went haywire, and mercilessly killed several people - after spending hours sharing an experience the people of Diamond City assumed was reserved for members of the human race. They were wrong. Are we?

The Boogeyman Banished? By Piper Wright

We've all succumbed to it, at one point or another. No matter how brave, or how strong we actually are, the people of the Commonwealth have known fear. Ever since the "Broken Mask" incident of 2229, right here in Diamond City, when the first human-looking synth infiltrated and attacked a group of innocent settlers, we have lain awake in bed at night, terrified of the Institute and everything it represents. Long have we dreaded the possibilities: Will someone I know be taken, snatched in the night for who knows what reason? Will one of my loved ones suddenly turn on me, because they are, in fact, a synth replacement? Or will the boogeyman finally step out of the closet and devour all who stand in its way? We, the people of the Commonwealth, remember the past. We lived in terror in the present. But with the catastrophic explosion at the C.I.T. ruins quite obviously signaling the destruction of the Institute (which this reporter learned was actually located deep underground), the question on everyone's minds now is: has the boogeyman really been banished? It would certainly seem that way. As long as there's been an Institute, there have been those opposed to the shadowy, sinister organization. While most ordinary folk wouldn't dream of defying their merciless masters, the Railroad has waged a secret war against them for over thirty years. And the Brotherhood of Steel's arrival in the Commonwealth signaled the most overt opposition the Institute has ever faced. All empires must eventually fall. That said, perhaps it was never a matter of "if" but rather "when." So what exactly does this mean for the Commonwealth, going forward? That, dear readers, is the question. For the boogeyman may indeed have been banished, but isn't it possible other monsters may step out of the closet to terrorize us in the night? There are other players in the Commonwealth. None had been as strong as the Institute - but that's sure to change. Will they work with the Commonwealth, or against it? Are they for the people, or against us? This reporter hold onto hope, for one very specific reason. If my sources are correct - and I know they are - the Institute's destruction was actually orchestrated by someone many of us have already met - the Vault Dweller. it would seem that lonely figure who came into our settlement searching for a missing child actually found the monster that had taken so many children. And killed it. So be wary as we go into a new tomorrow, my friends. But stay strong. And always, always remember that humanity lives and dies on the surface. Humanity IS the Commonwealth. And maybe, just maybe, with the Institute finally gone, we can have the future we all deserve.

View from the Vault Part 1 By Piper Wright

Whenever I take a walk through Diamond City, there are so many things people tell me to be grateful for. Purified water, working lights, electricity, security. True, what we have would have been unthinkable even a few decades ago. But it's easy to forget that, even after all the progress we have made, we are still living in the shadow of the world that was. A world before the threat of radiation. Before the Super Mutant and the Feral Ghoul and the synth. So, as fortune often has it, I crossed paths with . Vault Dweller. A person who is experiencing the Commonwealth for the first time. What would fresh set of eyes say about how far we've come? Is Diamond City the "Great, Green Jewel" we have always claimed it to be? Before we begin to answer that question, we have to know who is. Where comes from. To my surprise, did not have much to say about life in the Vault at all. Because spent all that time staring at a piece of frozen glass. Every day. For over two centuries. That's right, isn't just a Vault Dweller, 's an original Vault Dweller. spent entire time on the inside cryogenically suspended. Continued in Part 2.

View from the Vault Part 1 By Piper Wright

Whenever I take a walk through Diamond City, there are so many things people tell me to be grateful for. Purified water, working lights, electricity, security. True, what we have would have been unthinkable even a few decades ago. But it's easy to forget that, even after all the progress we have made, we are still living in the shadow of the world that was. A world before the threat of radiation. Before the Super Mutant and the Feral Ghoul and the synth. So, as fortune often has it, I crossed paths with . Vault Dweller. A person who is experiencing the Commonwealth for the first time. What would fresh set of eyes say about how far we've come? Is Diamond City the "Great, Green Jewel" we have always claimed it to be? Before we begin to answer that question, we have to know who is. Where comes from. In speaking to , stressed that time inside the Vault was normal. But what is normal for a Vault? This reporter knows that life behind the sealed gear doors of a Vault-Tec facility is supposed to be a bastion of the old world. A preservation of life before the bombs. Continued in Part 2.

View from the Vault Part 1 By Piper Wright

Whenever I take a walk through Diamond City, there are so many things people tell me to be grateful for. Purified water, working lights, electricity, security. True, what we have would have been unthinkable even a few decades ago. But it's easy to forget that, even after all the progress we have made, we are still living in the shadow of the world that was. A world before the threat of radiation. Before the Super Mutant and the Feral Ghoul and the synth. So, as fortune often has it, I crossed paths with . Vault Dweller. A person who is experiencing the Commonwealth for the first time. What would fresh set of eyes say about how far we've come? Is Diamond City the "Great, Green Jewel" we have always claimed it to be? Before we begin to answer that question, we have to know who is. Where comes from. began our interview joking about time in the Vault. "It was just me and a thousand guinea pigs. They turned... carnivorous." Of course, this reporter knows that life behind the sealed gear doors of a Vault-Tec facility is actually supposed to be a bastion of the old world. A preservation of life before the bombs. Continued in Part 2.

View from the Vault Part 2 By Piper Wright

Continued from Part 1. So what does have to say about seeing Diamond City for the first time? "Can you even compare the two? The world out here? It's not even close to the one I left." While we like to think of our city as a shining jewel, it's worth remembering that not everyone comes here by choice. Sometimes people are forced from the comforts of their homes, and as the largest settlement in the Commonwealth, this is where they end up. Most are just looking for refuge, but sometimes they come here desperately looking for something. Or someone. You see, has a son. Shaun. And even though they were in the relative safety of a Vault, someone broke in, and took Shaun from his parent, and that parent is now risking everything - wandering through this strange and unfriendly world of ours - in order to save Shaun from his kidnappers. We all know the rumors and whispers that surround every missing person in Diamond City. The guilty looks we pass to mourning family members as we "thank the Wall that, this time, it wasn't us." You can end up dead in the Commonwealth for a million reasons. Why spend our time worrying about kidnappings? Why, indeed. Continued in Part 3.

View from the Vault Part 2 By Piper Wright

Continued from Part 1. So what does have to say about seeing Diamond City for the first time? "Honestly, seeing everyone surviving out here? Rebuilding the world? It gives me hope." Hope. When was the last time someone in our city talked about hope who wasn't some politician fishing for points in the next election, making empty promises at the Wall? But our outsider hasn't let the cynicism of our strange world get the better of . This is all the more remarkable because of the reason came to the Commonwealth. You see, has a son. Shaun. And even though they were in the relative safety of a Vault, someone broke in, and took Shaun from his parent, and that parent is now risking everything - wandering through this strange and unfriendly world of ours - in order to save Shaun from his kidnappers. We all know the rumors and whispers that surround every missing person in Diamond City. The guilty looks we pass to mourning family members as we "thank the Wall that, this time, it wasn't us." You can end up dead in the Commonwealth for a million reasons. Why spend our time worrying about kidnappings? Why, indeed. Continued in Part 3.

View from the Vault Part 2 By Piper Wright

Continued from Part 1. So what does have to say about seeing Diamond City for the first time? "I've been having too much fun blowing things up to think about it." It's important to note that was not actually blowing things up at the time, and that perhaps was referencing the violence that is all too common when you're traveling outside the Wall to the more dangerous parts of the Commonwealth. How curious, though, that first reaction to the horrors and tragedies out there would be humor? You see, has a son. Shaun. And even though they were in the relative safety of a Vault, someone broke in, and took Shaun from his parent, and that parent is now risking everything - wandering through this strange and unfriendly world of ours - in order to save Shaun from his kidnappers. We all know the rumors and whispers that surround every missing person in Diamond City. The guilty looks we pass to mourning family members as we "thank the Wall that, this time, it wasn't us." You can end up dead in the Commonwealth for a million reasons. Why spend our time worrying about kidnappings? Why, indeed. Continued in Part 3.

View from the Vault Part 2 By Piper Wright

Continued from Part 1. So what does have to say about seeing Diamond City for the first time? "You're all living in rusty shacks, killing each other, and my God, the smell..." Painful words. So much of civilization was lost when the bombs fell, and we have rebuilt without the comfort and security of the old Vaults. However arrogant and privileged 's statement seems, we have to remember where came from, and what we must look like to . Perhaps all this anger is really just to cover up what 's lost. You see, has a son. Shaun. And even though they were in the relative safety of a Vault, someone broke in, and took Shaun from his parent, and that parent is now risking everything - wandering through this strange and unfriendly world of ours - in order to save Shaun from his kidnappers. We all know the rumors and whispers that surround every missing person in Diamond City. The guilty looks we pass to mourning family members as we "thank the Wall that, this time, it wasn't us." You can end up dead in the Commonwealth for a million reasons. Why spend our time worrying about kidnappings? Why, indeed. Continued in Part 3.

View from the Vault Part 3 By Piper Wright

Continued from Part 2. It's easy for us to be cynical about the missing. We have spent so long knowing the Institute is out there, but knowing so little about them. They are not the only ones responsible for kidnappings, but the fact that they sometimes are, and the fact that we have been so powerless to stop them when they do, causes us to treat all victims of kidnappings as if they are a lost cause. But the people left behind, those loved ones, friends, and neighbors who may never see the faces of those taken from them again, they do not have the luxury of being able to just look away. They have to carry that lost with them, even if everyone else tells them to move on and forget. I asked to make a statement to Diamond City. To give us an outsider's perspective on what it means to lose a loved one, and how feels. Maybe, in some way, it's how we all should feel. Maybe we've forgotten what the right, human response to these tragedies are. "No matter how much you want to give up, don't." said. "You have to have hope. That you'll see them again. Or at least, that you'll know the truth." END

View from the Vault Part 3 By Piper Wright

Continued from Part 2. It's easy for us to be cynical about the missing. We have spent so long knowing the Institute is out there, but knowing so little about them. They are not the only ones responsible for kidnappings, but the fact that they sometimes are, and the fact that we have been so powerless to stop them when they do, causes us to treat all victims of kidnappings as if they are a lost cause. But the people left behind, those loved ones, friends, and neighbors who may never see the faces of those taken from them again, they do not have the luxury of being able to just look away. They have to carry that lost with them, even if everyone else tells them to move on and forget. I asked to make a statement to Diamond City. To give us an outsider's perspective on what it means to lose a loved one, and how he feels. Maybe, in some way, it's how we all should feel. Maybe we've forgotten what the right, human response to these tragedies are. "You can only take it one day at a time." said. "Just keep going. That's all anyone can do." END

View from the Vault Part 3 By Piper Wright

Continued from Part 2. It's easy for us to be cynical about the missing. We have spent so long knowing the Institute is out there, but understanding so little about them. They are not the only ones responsible for kidnappings, but the fact that they sometimes are, and the fact that we have been so powerless to stop them when they do, causes us to treat all victims of kidnappings as if they are a lost cause. But the people left behind, those loved ones, friends, and neighbors who may never see the faces of those taken from them again, they do not have the luxury of being able to just look away. They have to carry that lost with them, even if everyone else tells them to move on and forget. I asked to make a statement to Diamond City. To give us an outsider's perspective on what it means to lose a loved one, and how he feels. Maybe, in some way, it's how we all should feel. Maybe we've forgotten what the right, human response to these tragedies are. "Find who's responsible, and make them pay." said. "Simple as that." END

Deathclaw Egg, a la Wellingham A masterwork by Wellingham (of the Diamond City Wellinghams)

- Yields two servings INGREDIENTS - 1 tato, peeled, diced, sauteed - 1 Deathclaw egg, beaten - 1 vessel water, unpurified (for flavor)

Thursday, 8th February, 1894. Off Cape Cod, aboard SS Wakeful. I'm finally away. Emogene and Wilhelmina came to see me off, Emogene begging me not to go, as usual - poor girl, she takes these partings hard. Jack wasn't there, of course. He thinks I'm making a laughing-stock of the whole family with these expeditions - has no time for what he calls "ancient superstitions." No matter. This time I'll return with proof that even Jack will not be able to deny. Saturday, 10th February, 1894. In the Atlantic, aboard SS Wakeful. The weather is fine and the captain promises a quick crossing to Lisbon. The red tape involved in organizing this expedition tried my patience almost to the breaking point, but I'm sure it was better to obtain the necessary permits from the Omani authorities through the State Department. I can only hope that my sheaf of documents (and ready cash) will be enough to placate the local governor when I arrive. Wednesday, 21st February, 1894. In the western Mediterranean, aboard SS Wakeful. So far so good. Uneventful crossing. Metternich was waiting for us in Lisbon - with the welcome news that he had perfected his electrical sensing apparatus, which is now safely on board in its crates. If it works as well as he claims, this may save us weeks or even months of excavation work. Monday, 5th March, 1894. Suez, Egypt. Still waiting to finish hiring our team of diggers. I am beside myself with impatience to be on my way - we are so close now - but I know from long experience that we will have better luck with an experienced Egyptian team than relying on the locals. Wednesday, 14th March, 1894. Salalah, Oman. At last! We docked yesterday and have been unloading at a feverish pace. Any more delays and we will be in danger of having to postpone until the summer heat has passed. Friday, 16th March, 1894. Near Wadi Aydam, Oman. We are on our way. Nothing more stands in my way but the impenetrable desert and the secrets of the ages. Ha! I welcome those challenges - they seem like child's play after the endless delays and paper-shuffling bureaucrats I've had to overcome to get here. Thursday, 29th March, 1894. Empty Quarter, Arabia. We have reached the spot without incident. Some superstitious grumbling from our local guide which I take to be a good sign. Tomorrow we see if Metternich's apparatus works. If not, we begin digging in the traditional way. Saturday, 30th March, 1894. Empty Quarter, Arabia. Metternich's apparatus has been balky - sand in its delicate workings, no doubt - but he has obtained a favorable reading in a depression to the south. Heat during the day is tremendous. We'll set to work tomorrow and see what we see. Monday, 2nd April, 1894. Empty Quarter, Arabia. Nothing yet at the southern depression. Metternich swears that it wasn't a false reading. 2 more days and then I'll have to begin a search grid across the whole site, as disappointing as that will be. Tuesday, 3rd April, 1894. Empty Quarter, Arabia. Success! Late this afternoon, the diggers struck worked stone. Apparently the edge of a large circular structure. More trouble from the guide - the wisdom of not hiring the diggers locally now even more apparent, as they pay little attention to him. Friday, 6th April, 1894. Ubar, Empty Quarter, Arabia. I'm now convinced we have found Ubar itself! We've uncovered several fragmentary inscriptions, with runes that match the ancient texts. We've made excellent progress clearing part of what appears to be a monumental plaza. Wednesday, 18th April, 1894. Ubar, Empty Quarter, Arabia. All work has stopped - sandstorm, one of the worst I've ever experienced. We are huddled in our tents in the lee of one of the large outcroppings and must hope to ride it out. The darkness is complete although it is mid-morning. Friday, 20th April, 1894. Ubar, Empty Quarter, Arabia. Sandstorm continues for a 3rd day. Like nothing anyone has ever seen. The guide is becoming very troublesome - some of the diggers are beginning to listen to his wild tales of ancient curses and forbidden secrets. Even the normally phlegmatic Metternich is beginning to show signs of cracking under the strain. Saturday, 21st April, 1894. Ubar, Empty Quarter, Arabia. The sandstorm is over, but two weeks of work has been undone - the area we had cleared is now buried under several feet of new sand. The guide disappeared in the night - I won't miss him, but the diggers are even more unsettled. Thursday, May 3rd, 1894. Ubar, Empty Quarter, Arabia. We've located what must be the foundations of the Great Temple! So far nothing but stone and rubble, but something must have survived. Weather getting worse by the day. Metternich talking again of resuming work in the winter, but I won't hear of it. Not when we're this close. Sunday, May 13th, 1894. Ubar, Empty Quarter, Arabia. I must record everything, while it's fresh in my mind. Although it's hard to concentrate with the crown right here in front of me. It's almost unbelievable, even to me, that I hold in my hands an artifact so clearly not made by any human civilization. But let me set down how it happened as clearly as I can. We had worked for at least a week to clear the shaft beneath the Great Temple - even the diggers had caught the excitement. Then we hit solid stone - a cyclopean block (series of blocks, as it turned out) obstructing the tunnel, clearly deliberately sealed by the builders. We almost despaired of getting through - 3 days of laborious pick-work - I wouldn't risk explosives here of all places! - then, breakthrough into darkness. I was first in - the dust of ages covered everything - clearly a burial crypt - sarcophagus at one end of the chamber. We lifted the lid, and inside - even I fell to my knees in shock. The diggers that were helping us fled; Metternich white-faced, I feared he was having a heart attack (luckily no). We'll make a full catalogue of the tomb in the morning. I ordered it sealed up overnight - not that I really believe any of the diggers would dare to enter it again, but better safe than sorry. I removed only the crown, reverently, without disturbing the body or any of the other artifacts. And so - vindication! The crown waits, gleaming as if new-made although I know it is older than any human artifact ever uncovered. Later: I now know that this city's name was not Ubar, and that this building was not a temple, and what was beneath it was not a crypt. I have so much to learn, and so much to teach Wilhelmina, and Jack, and Emogene. When we return, we will return together. Monday, May 14th. Metternich was extremely surprised to see me wearing the crown this morning, and tried to argue with me when I ordered the men to bury everything we've uncovered. It doesn't matter now. The sandstorms will erase all evidence that we were ever here long before anyone can stumble across this site again. And the city's location is now safe with me, until I can return and uncover more of her secrets - when I am ready.

Open notice to anyone with a gun and some ambition. Feral Ghoul activity is on the rise near . They may not have much in the way of supplies, but they congregate near areas with good salvage. Plus, ridding the world of these monsters will bring a smile to your face. Keep what you kill. No other reward given.

Open notice to anyone with a gun and some ambition. Raider activity is on the rise near . They have money, gear, supplies. Everything stolen from honest, hard-working people. Keep what you kill. No other reward given.

Open notice to anyone with a gun and some ambition. Super Mutants have been spotted in . These greenskinned monsters threaten us all. They may be frightening, but that just means the supplies you can take off their disgusting bodies will be all the sweeter. And if that isn't enough, think of all the poor people they've butchered that you'll be avenging. Keep what you kill. No other reward given.

CASE: Earl Sterling's Disappearance Client: Vadim Bobrov Another disappearing act to unravel. Earl Sterling. Twenty-five year-old bartender at the Dugout Inn. One of the owners, Vadim Bobrov, noticed that Earl hadn't been into work for a few days. Security was called in. No investigation, of course. "The Institute took him" is the unofficial word about town. Like always. Vadim came into my office, half-drunk with a sob story about how he and Earl went way back, and that he just can't believe that Earl would get snatched up by the boogeyman. My gut says he's right. Earl didn't have any enemies, at least none with motive enough to kill the guy. Not living with anyone, either, so I'll have to see if Vadim or someone else at the Dugout has his keys. I'd rather not have to explain to security why I was picking the lock on Earl's door, if I slip up and get caught in the act.

Case: Eddie Winter Self-inflicted Ghoul, criminal kingpin Age: 200+ Offenses: Too many to count Location - Underground bunker, Andrew Station, sealed with a ten digit code The holotapes - Holotapes hold the key to Winter's bunker - Each tape has one piece of the entry code - Ten tapes total (nine left) - Cambridge Police evidence terminal, best lead for finding other tapes - Possible remaining holotape locations: Commonwealth Police departments, BADTFL HQ

CASE: The Mysterious Stranger Sightings of a man dubbed "The Mysterious Stranger" have been popping up sporadically across the old U.S. for years now. Best case, the man's an amoral lunatic. Worst case, a prolific serial killer. All anyone knows is his MO: appearing suddenly, killing without remorse, disappearing without a word. "The Stranger" has no known accomplices, no clear method for selecting his targets, no calling cards left behind. Sightings range from the NCR all the way to the East Coast, stretching back decades. Now he's come to the Commonwealth. Last thing this place needs is another psychopath running amok. Time to start putting together the pieces to put this one away. DESCRIPTION Human male. Outfits vary, but most recent sightings describe a large overcoat and fedora (guy has taste, I'll give him that much). One man? Multiple men? A Ghoul with minimal scarring? Might explain the long passages of time between sightings. Appears and disappears suddenly, suggesting preternatural infiltration abilities/access to advanced cloaking tech. All but earliest descriptions suggest "The Stranger" uses only conventional arms, making infiltration training more likely. (Perps like this make me wish the Institute had sprung for thermal detection before giving me the boot.) SIGHTING LOCATIONS - Commonwealth (confirmed) - Capital Wasteland (confirmed) - NCR (old rumors) - Shady Sands (really old rumors)