Chapter 74: Chapter 71

Salvation had come to the Commonwealth, at least it seemed that way to many settlements and farms. News of the Nexus’ rise and the Institute’s fall, followed soon after by the rumors of the destruction of the cult of Atom, had spread from traders and better armed Minutemen patrols.

Packs of deadly robots patrolling the wastes were sighted, hunting down raiders and super mutants and feral ghouls and leaving nothing in their wake. Those lucky enough to actually meet the robots would be greeted with a prerecorded message:

“Be not afraid. We represent the Nexus Severalty, and we are scouring the Commonwealth for raiders, super mutants, and other threats. Should you have any information, kindly provide it to us that we may deal with it.”

The robots’ interaction with the common settler was coldly polite and scarily efficient, typical of military robots. They ignored the odd accidental shots from a scared farmer, cleared farmlands and ruins of mutated vermin and rodents, and in Oberland Station their swift intervention brutally ended a super mutant raid.

Small wonder then that people began trickling towards the Nexus. Most of them heard the rumors of the bounties that awaited them in exchange for good behaviour. The stories about the Nexus’ ruler varied, from a fickle warlord who was sated by the boys and girls under his protection, to a benevolent guardian that looked after those under his care with paternal protectiveness.

Four months after the Institute’s fall, Sev and the Nexus were well known names within the Commonwealth. A cult of sorts had grown, and people shared stories of the Lord of the Nexus’ exploits.

Sev had survived the Institute’s nefarious attempts at ruining his Nexus, attempts that included, supposedly, a pack of synths piling up on him and detonating the nukes built into them. For that, Sev had broken the Institute, and it’s name was slowly becoming associated with a hellhole for the Nexus’ enemies.

His progress of purging radiation from his lands earned him the ire of the Children of Atom, but their attempts to assassinate him failed and resulted in their shattering. Even their crazy rad-magicks were useless against him.

Sev had his favored girls who were granted gifts that made them as inviolable as him. They were second only to him, and carried great influence within the Nexus. Some said that Sev was always open to add another consort, but the requirements for that were nigh unachievable.

Some whispered that if you were sincere enough in your appeals to him, Sev would send his robots to purge the threats that endangered you. It was how the many raider camps were wiped off the map and their slaves liberated, they said. A slave had prayed for Sev, and then because of that the raiders were gone, and the robots had escorted the freed slaves to a better life.

Whether or not you have to promise your body and soul to Sev depended on who told the story though.

Still, for many of the oppressed, Sev became a name evoked on their lips when no one was looking. For many of these many, they would encounter the bladed robots soon enough, and would enjoy freedom and the promise of a home in the Nexus, as the raiders were put down and broken into mangled heaps before their eyes.

Nora found the whole thing both depressing and amusing. A good number of people she had met in her short travels had little clue about the true nature of the Nexus, but were happy to just spread the tall tales they’ve heard from passing caravans instead of actually making their way there. For all the greatness of the Nexus, they had enough sense to doubt something that sounded too good to be true, and were happy with their current lot in life.

That Sev was sending out his robots to roam the Commonwealth helped a lot of these small settlements remain where they were. Nora heard the tales of the dangers one usually encountered out in the wasteland of Massachusetts, but so far she’d only encountered feral dogs, oversized mole rats, and a small pack of feral ghouls. It seemed that the raiders and super mutants were being culled rather effectively.

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She still had mixed feelings about Sev though. On the one hand, the young man was clearly willing to share the bounties of his realm with anyone who asked nicely, and by all accounts was a fair and generous leader.

On the other hand, she’d seen and heard of his ruthless streak, with the fate of the Institute and raiders being prime examples. And then there was the disturbing fact that he was fucking his younger charges, particularly those boys and girls he first rescued. Clearly there was an unhealthy, exploitative relationship between saviour and rescuee, but the kids were aware of that dynamic and were more than happy to embrace it, so Nora couldn’t really do much to change that.

They adored Sev and were wholly devoted to him, and while Nora could understand how such a relationship might happen, it still rubbed wrongly against her sensibilities. It didn’t help that these children were happy to boast about being ‘owned’ by Sev, as if it was the best thing to happen to them.

Sev could have done better, in Nora’s opinion. He could’ve been more than just the reluctant man who easily gave in to his vices, been the example to set for the rest of the war-blasted world, instead of tainting the news of his rule with sadistic cruelty and exploitative relationships.

She could understand why he did what he did, and that he was still human at the end of it. At least he didn’t try to justify or deflect as most actual monsters would do.

Maybe he was truly the best choice for those who sought his protection. But that’s why Nora left the Nexus, she needed to find out if the world outside was well and truly fucked, and she admitted to herself she also needed to come to terms of how Shaun was lost to her.

Would she return to Caladan eventually? Maybe. And maybe she could reconcile herself with Sev and his Nexus. For now though, Nora just needed to get away, to see the world and clear her head.

At least she wasn’t travelling alone.

“C’mon, boy.”

Dogmeat followed after her obediently with a happy whine, tail wagging eagerly, as if he hadn’t just tore through a few molerats.

A feral pup cleaned up in the dark labs of Tleilax and gifted to her by Sev, the loyal Alsatian was far from the skinless, rabid mongrels she had encountered. Whether or not he reported to the Nexus was irrelevant, Nora decided early on. She was already carrying other gear Sev had offered her, and Nora highly doubted that the Nexus’ ruler would do something as sinister as ordering Dogmeat to suddenly turn on her.

They trudged through the wasteland together, keeping to the trail of Kellogg, the murderer of her husband. Nora was confident she was catching up to him, maybe down to just days behind.

Vengeance isn’t too far away, she was sure of it.

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