☢Fallout☢: Curie and the Iron General (Eldrithe Whisperwind x Dr Herbert West)

[Dr Herbert West]

War...war never changes...​

Nate Wagner had gotten out of the Army with the idea of settling down with his gorgeous wife and having a family. Things were rough but with Nora being a lawyer they managed to do well when so many others weren't. It was an expensive time to be alive and Nate worried about his lack of a job. Nora kept assuring him that it was fine and that he would find something soon enough. That was went he had been asked to speak at the Fraternal Post 115. It wasn't a paying gig but it was a chance for him to possibly network and find work. Nate had been working on his speech and it seemed like perhaps things were on an upswing. Then the Mister Handy they had purchased, Codsworth, called them to the living room for a news report and Nate's world went away.

Over two hundred years later...

Flying out of what used to be the city, Nate headed for for Sunshine Tidings for the first time in months. Normally, as General of the minutemen he tried to stop at all of their settlements a bit more often but since discovering Vault 88 and overseeing it's construction Nate had found himself short on time. Landing about a quarter of a mile away, Nate let his jet pack cool as he strolled in his X-01 Power Armor.

The people who had allied themselves with the Minutemen had taken to constructing signs announcing it. Sunshine Tidings was no different and the sign was one of the first things Nate could see as he approached.

Sunshine Tidings
Part of the Minutemen Network of Settlements
Ghouls, Synths, and well behaved Super Mutants Welcome!​

The sign made Nate smile under all that armor, a smile that only grew larger when some of the settlers noticed him and started to wave and tell others that the General was there. One of the first things that caught his eye was that someone had started a modest little barber shop. It was good because Nate hadn't shaved in a few days. His black hair probably needed a trim as well. He'd taken to keeping his hair cut in the style that had been popular with the Brotherhood of Steel, long and combed back on top with the sides and back of his head shaved almost to the skin. But before he could do anything he had to stow his power armor.

Nate walked straight into the barn in the center of the settlement and hit the release so he could step out of his armor. Wearing the general's uniform, Nate felt good with the way it fit him. Originally he had worn the tricorne hat but it simply got in the way when getting in and out of his power armor. Instead he had taken to wearing a combat armor helmet that the armorer back at the Castle had painted Minutemen blue.

 

[Eldrithe Whisperwind]

Curie could still remember her days as a modified Miss Nanny Bot, floating around helping the scientist of Vault 81. She was sad when Dr. Collins had passed away, leaving her all alone for the next eighty three years. She was so lonely, roaming around the abandoned section of the vault with only the mole rats to keep her company. That was until she had encountered Nate Wagner down in the laboratories. Since then, she has gone on many adventures with him and even procured herself a synth body. It was hard to believe everything that has happened since becoming self-aware and Curie loved every minute of it. Often she would reflect on the past, wondering if the Dr. would have been proud of what she has achieved. Now she was apart of the Minutemen, doing whatever she could to help what was left of humanity. None of the humans in the settlements cared that she was a synth, they often welcomed her with open arms.

Today she was helping around Sunshine Tidings, picking mutfrit off of the trees. Curie found farming relaxing and would sometimes hum a tune that Dr. Collins and his team sang on their down times. Not only was she happy picking fruit, she was looking forward to seeing Nate during his visit today. It had been a month since the last time they had seen each other and she was eager to help him in any way she could. Curious about his recent journeys, she picked up her basket full of mutfrut and rushed off to the food storage building. Dropping off the precious food she quickly pivoted back into the direction she came from, eager to see the man that had changed her life.

Walking to the center of town Curie overheard excited chatter from the nearby settlers, talking about how the man that had built this safe haven for them was here. "He's here!" she whispered, her heart fluttering in her chest. Now dashing to the center of down, Curie spotted Nate walking into a nearby barn. Slowing herself down to a walk, she rounded the corner of the rickety wooden building just as he was exiting his power armor. "Nate!" she said while standing in the doorway. "How did everything go at the castle? how is Preston? is he still sending you on missions? I have many more questions to ask of you, but I'm afraid you'll get rather frustrated with me." Curie excitedly clapped her hands together. "I am so happy to see you. Is there anything you need me to do before you leave again?"

 

[Dr Herbert West]

Nate chuckled at Curie's manic energy. Patting Curie on the back he stepped past her to the mutfruit and picked up a nice looking one. "Where do I start..." Nate was amused and took a bite from the fruit before stepping back over to the pretty synth. It was odd having seen her transformation process. "Things at the Castle are going well. Preston is keeping an eye on things and I think we might be able to broker a sort of truce with the Brotherhood."

"Actually..." Nate started to say. Holding the mutfruit with his teeth, Nate removed his helmet and set it on the shoulder of his power armor. "...Preston hasn't been sending me on missions since we got Radio Freedom up and running. Our next priority is using FM signals to establish salvage teams." Taking another bite of the mutfruit, Nate chewed it up and swallowed before asking, "Maybe you could help me find something more substantial to eat?"

The hero worship was still odd for Nate. Since waking up things had moved so quickly that before he even realized what was going on he had saved Preston, taken down a Deathclaw and joined the Brotherhood of Steel. As a former soldier he fell right in line with the way the Brotherhood worked...until they asked him to betray Danse.

"Food, and you can join me...tell me everything you've been up to while I was gone." Nate smiled pleasantly and finished up his mutfruit.

 

[Eldrithe Whisperwind]

Curie smiled, "Food? Let me see what I can do. If you would please follow me monsieur." Curie playfully bowed as she turned to leave the barn, beckoning Nate to join her. "The settlers have recently set up a, what you call, a mess hall? The food isn't bad, every one here seems to like it." Buildings made of wood and rusty scrap metal towered over the dusty streets. Wooden stairs connected structures above the town, like an intricate web of splinters and rust. "As you can see a lot has changed here. The people have been hard at work adding new structures and making Sunshine Tidings as safe as possible. They have taken what you have given them and improved on it."

As they continued to stroll down the dirt road, Curie folded her arms. "I haven't done much since your absence. Mostly helping the settlements when I'm able. What have you been up too? You must have some fascinating stories to tell" She peered over at Nate, cocking her head to the side causing sections of her short dark hair to flutter across her face. "Things have been rather quiet lately..." Curie paused, "Ah, We are here."

The mess hall used to be one of the existing houses that was gutted out, walls knocked down to reveal a large area that is filled with tables and chairs. Only one room from the original house remained, it served as the kitchen area. "Please sit. I'll go talk to the chef." Curie bounced off towards the kitchen where she encountered Manny the chef. She ordered the finest food on the menu, deathclaw meat seasoned with salt, local herbs and brahmin fat with a slice of perfectly preserved pie and fancy lads snack cakes for herself. Returning with the food she offered it to Nate and sat down.

 

[Dr Herbert West]

There were many things about Curie that were absolutely adorable and Nate found it hard to remember that she had started her life as a modified Mister Handy. Before the war he hadn't been familiar with any of the models beyond the ones commercially available. He had read about them in the paper and seen them in the news but that was about it. Though there had been a few models like her at the hospital when Shawn was born, Nate and Nora had never directly interacted with them.

Nate happily followed her to the mess hall, looking around at all of the construction that was going on. They had really built the place up quite a bit while he'd been gone. Even as they were headed to the mess hall there was the faint sound of hammering coming from somewhere else in the settlement. Things were booming and it was because a wasteland economy was being set up. With the minutemen making the settlements safer people were able to come out of hiding and then when they made the roads safer trade started to happen at a much larger scale. It felt amazing to be a part of all of that.

A bigger smile spread across his chiseled features as Nate sat down and Curie ran off to get their food. At first he hadn't known what to think about her rapid fire questions but now he found it quite endearing. When she returned with the deathclaw meat and the smell hit his nose, Nate suddenly realized just how hungry he'd been. "Oh, Curie that smells incredible!" He gushed as she set the plate in front of him. She always seemed to be waiting on him which left him feeling a little bad. Nate knew it was just a part of her personality or at least it seemed to be for now but it left him wanting to be just a little extra gentlemanly just to make up for it. Standing up for just a moment he sat back down as Curie did.

"You know...when you said you were going to speak to the chef I was a little amused but looking at this I think the guy has absolutely earned the title." Nate said, picking up his mismatched fork and knife from the table. They barely showed any signs of rust and had been polished up quite nicely. Before the war he might have considered them a bit sketchy but it was amazing how the apocalypse could change your opinion of what was fine and what was sketchy.

Nate was still cutting up his meat when he glanced up at Curie, "You were asking what I was up to while I was gone...I should show you. I found a radio signal from a vault. When I investigated I found an incomplete vault..." Nate paused to start eating and groaned at the taste. The chef had done the meat just right so that the gamey quality was completely gone. Deathclaw could go tough and have a powerful aftertaste but what he was currently eating reminded him a great deal of pre-war beef. "Had to clear it of feral ghouls, rad scorpions, it was a mess...but I found the original overseer...she'd become a ghoul as well." Nate ate quickly, a bad habit from the army that had resurfaced after his time with the Brotherhood. After a few more fork fulls he more or less finished his story. "You should see it Curie. I think we can make it a place, a haven from the wasteland and the sheer amount of space...The overseer gave up, ran off when I wouldn't let her treat people like guinea pigs and I have total control of the place."

 

[Eldrithe Whisperwind]

The sensation of rising heat rushed to Curie's cheeks as Nate talked about the delicious food; blushing was such an odd feeling that she wasn't sure she would ever get used too. Curie was still getting the hang of her new body and she found the world around her becoming more interesting each day. The tastes, the smells, feeling, touching, emotions, everything was so alien yet exciting. It was thrilling experiencing something that she would have thought to be mundane and of no significance before the transition.

Watching Nate relish his food made her happy and proud to be his friend, it also made her hungry. Curie's stomach made a noise that was similar to a growling stomach. Opening her package of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes she delicately bit off a small section of the cake. "Mmmmmm." She groaned, "Food never ceases to amaze me. The taste, the texture. I wonder how this was able to survive hundreds of years without going bad. This surely can not be good for a delicate human stomach. I'll have to take some cultures and run tests later." She happily said while devouring another bite. The banging sound of rusty pots and pans bounced around the mostly empty room. Curie peered over her should to see Manny cleaning up the kitchen for the evening.

"An incomplete vault? have you discovered what type of tests it was meant for? Secret rooms? Hidden Labs?" Curie excitedly clapped her hands, "I'm sorry Nate, the vaults are just so fascinating. I would love to see it! Did the overseer tell you anything, anything at all? This is so exciting." She finished off the rest of her cake. "Oh! are vault dwellers still residing in the vault? and if so are they ghouls as well?" Curie couldn't help herself, being with Nate tended to bring out the curiosity and adventurous part of her.

Manny sauntered up to them while pulling off his ragged apron. "I'm closing the place up for the night. You two better get a move on."

"Oh, alright. Thank you for the delicious food Manny." Curie said while standing up. He smiled and gave her a nod of his head before walking away. "Nate, you must be tired. We could turn in for the night, that is unless you would prefer we talk some more."

 

[Dr Herbert West]

Nate loved to watch Curie experience the world a little bit at a time. The way she ate food made him wish he could step into a time machine with her and let Curie taste some of his favorite restaurants from before the war. Hell, just to take her to a grocery store from before the war would be an experience unlike anything she'd ever seen. The Super Duper Marts had been overflowing with food and drink, meat that had no rads, food that wasn't still around simply because they had been so pumped full of chemicals two hundred years earlier...Nate wondered if she would even be able to process it.

"Well...the Overseer was the only one still there. She was a Ghoul-" Nate stopped talking as Manny gave them the notice that he was kicking them out. Nate gave an understanding nod and quickly finished what little food he had left and got ready to leave.

Curie's question was a good one. There was a bed and sometimes even a residence kept for him at most of the settlements that had joined the Minutemen network. It had started off as just a place to lay his head while he helped get them going but the locals seemed to keep a place for him just to keep him coming by. Rest sounded amazing, he'd been going for the better part of a day. Still, he valued his time with Curie because she seemed the least jaded. It was a welcome reprieve from having to survive the wastes.

"Actually...I have some cigars I've been meaning to smoke and a bottle of bourbon I found. Why don't we sit out and look at some stars and just talk for a while?" Nate suggested warmly. "When I tell you what I've been through with that Overseer you'll understand why I need good company right now."

 

[Eldrithe Whisperwind]

"Ah, then shall we go to the outskirts of town? It's much quieter and not as bright." said Curie as she motioned for Nate to follow. "It's not that far of a walk." Outside it was dark, lit lamps around town emit a soft warming glow. The sounds of cheerful banter and laughing can be heard from the local bar halfway through town. Most people say that the alcohol taste disgusting but at least it does its job in getting you drunk. As they passed, slobbering residents waved at them gleefully as they tripped over themselves. Curie giggled and waved back at them, "Don't drink too much." She hollered at them.

Outside of town Curie led Nate to a watch tower that was still being built. Most of the tower was finished but there were some finishing touches that still needed to be done. "Let's go up here. Don't worry, it's finished for the most part. Just be careful when your at the top." explained Curie. Taking the steps they climbed to the top, the metal moan of the structure reverberated around the enclosed space. Emerging at the top Curie picked a spot and sat down, being mindful of the missing floor and railings that had yet to be installed.

"Isn't it beautiful out tonight? The stars are so bright tonight." Wind playfully nipped Curie's hair. "Now what was it you wanted to tell me? I'm curious about what the Overseer said to you."

 

[Dr Herbert West]

Nate followed Curie through the little town and was amused by how well she had settled into the community. At first he had worried whether she'd be accepted or if she would be happy. Now those concerns seemed absolutely silly in retrospect. Curie's interaction with the locals who were clearly drunk put a big smile on his face and made him admire Curie that much more.

When they got to the watch tower, Nate was impressed with the structure even if it wasn't complete. The settlers never ceased to amaze him with their ingenuity. Sure, he had gotten some of the structures started and had helped plot out "zoning" for the settlements but so much of what they had was the fruit of their own labors. Lord knew that Nate wasn't a civil engineer but to see things turning out so well felt really good. The directionlessness he had felt before the war was certainly gone. It was just sad that it felt like his purpose in life required the end of the world, as well as the end of his world.

Sitting down next to Curie it felt normal for him to sit with his shoulder and leg touching hers. Setting the bottle down and laying out the cigar and lighter, Nate chuckled at her question. "Well, for one, she was a typical Overseer...corrupt...sadistic...but she needed my help." Nate launched into the story of how he had insisted on controlling the experiments and how each one had been used to make life in the vault better rather than the usual Vault-Tec nonsense. After a handful of experiments she had stormed off, leaving for the wasteland rather than continue putting up with his altruism. By that point it hadn't mattered. The people of the vault had agreed that he would essentially be the overseer and he had worked with a team to finish the vault and create a safe, clean place to live.

"That's why I was gone for so long. It was just a lot of work." Nate said before pouring himself a little of the booze to sip on. He offered some to Curie, "Want to try some?" Nate wasn't sure if she'd tried alcohol in his absence or if she even liked it but he didn't want to be rude. As he waited for her answer, he found himself really gazing into her pretty eyes.

 

[Eldrithe Whisperwind]

Curie eyed the bottle of liquid with amusement, "I have never consumed alcohol before. Do you think it will have an effect on my synth body? I guess I won't know till I try it out." she reached for the bottle, "Bottoms up!" Delicately placing the bottle to her lips she took a rather large gulp. The sensation of heat quickly enveloped her tastebuds and throat. Curie's esophagus started spamming causing her to caught uncontrollably. "That tasted awful. How do humans drink such foul liquid?" She smiled at Nate and laughed while handing the bottle back.


"Nate, I would be delighted if you showed me the vault." Curie paused and looked off into the distance, the prospect of going out on another adventure sent shivers down her spine. She was aware that it could be a dangerous journey, but with Nate by her side she felt safe. Curie slyly glanced over at her male companion, "Don't drink too much, don't want you falling over your own two feet in the morning." With a swift hand she grabbed the bottle and with eyes closed she downed another gulp. The awful taste caused her body to tense up, "I don't think i'll ever get used to that taste. If I had to compare it to something, I think it would compare it the taste of brahman dung. At least.... I would imagine it tasted the same." This time she laughed so hard that she bumped Nate's shoulder.

"We better head out for the night. You need your sleep." As Curie tried to stand up her head became dizzy. "This is odd." She said, "My vision feels slightly off. Is this what tipsy feels like?" Using both hands to push herself off of the ground into a standing position she tried to walk to the staircase, but her legs wouldn't act properly. "Maybe the alcohol caused a malfunction? It might be best if I stayed up here tonight till the alcohol worked itself out of my system. Nate, I'm sorry I can't walk you back to your room." She looked at the ground in embarrassment, sad that she couldn't be a better companion.