Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-5543592-20190327223159/@comment-3293219-20190330142722

It hadn’t changed much over the years, like its rival, Megaton but Rivet City was still one of the greatest bastions of civilization that the Capital Wasteland had to offer. Clean water, security, walls and a community inside them.

The gargantuan aircraft carrier was never thought to be a place that people could live in but somehow its residents defied the odds. Now, their mission was to contribute, with trade caravans to make the rest of the Capital Wasteland just as inhabitable.

With the help of Project Purity, the Brotherhood of Steel and the Lone Wanderer’s actions, so many years ago, life almost seemed like it would just keep getting better.

However, life for Rivet City was about to change…

-

Harkness awoke feeling beyond strange… at first, he thought he was hungover but he didn’t exactly remember drinking and he never got sick for some odd reason.

He rolled over on his spongey naval cot, groaning loudly as he sat up, rubbing his head as he tried to figure out what on earth could be the matter with him. Nothing seemed real at the moment, like he’d just woke up after fainting or like he was drugged on anaesthetic.

He tried to rub the feeling away, with his hands wincing as he felt the blisters on them and having to look down to see what the damage was. He’d seemingly grabbed something sharp or prickly but he couldn’t figure out what it could be.

None of the cuts on his hands looked he same. Some were deeper, like he’d grabbed a knife and some looked like overglorified paper cuts.

He tried to recall but he couldn’t. He didn’t even have a single image as to what he did or when it all started and the furthest he could remember back to was… Wednesday.

Was it Thursday? Friday? Had it been a week?

He decided that he was well enough to find answers, he didn’t feel faint and he clearly had the strength to get up. However, he then met his… more challenging obstacle. Opposite him was a row of ten steel bards. He almost didn’t recognise it from this side but this was most definitely the brig, he was being kept in.

The Brig was basically the drunk tank, though they sometimes held thieves and brawlers here too. This possible alluded to him being drunk last night or however long he’d been here but somehow he had doubts.

“Chief Danvers! He’s awake!” A Guard called, from down the hall, most likely seeing his shadows and hearing his soft groans. At least he could trust Danvers, she was a good officer and friend, so he was at least in good hands.

He expected for her to march over, shout or something but she took her time getting there. He heard footsteps but instead of her usually confident strides, they were timid tip toes.

It took her the best part of a minute to appear behind the bars and when she did, Harkness immediately could see why. She was terrified of him. She was as far back as possible; her eyes were wide open and her pupils dilated. She didn’t look like she felt safe, even with these bars between them.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Danvers, what’s going on? Why am I in here?” Harkness found himself snapping at her. Not out of any outrage, he just needed to know, right now. It honestly felt like he was in some kind of nightmare.

<p class="MsoNormal">Danvers eyed him, obviously confused that he’d have to ask.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You honestly don’t know?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No, I wouldn’t ask, if I didn’t.” Harkness pointed out as he wrapped his hands around the bars.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What’s wrong with me, why do I feel so… why am I so cut up?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Danvers had to pause to examine him, she could see the desperation in his eyes and as much as she didn’t want to believe it, this was the Chief… or former chief.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You… You killed them, Harkness. Seagrave and Dargon? During the last council meeting, you… shot Seagrave with an entire clip of your rifle before you murdered Dargon with your bare hands.” Danvers, folding her arms and glancing around.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I came here to ask you why but… I’m not sure if that’s even the right question anymore.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Harkness paused, trembling a little. This was a nightmare, wasn’t it? Why would he do this? How could he do this? How does he not remember doing this? He didn’t exactly see eye to eye with Seagrave but he would’ve taken a bullet for that man any day. Dargon had never said a bad word about him and his vision for the Rivet City Science lab was… It didn’t make sense to kill him, not now when they had achieved so much together.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I…” Harkness murmured, falling back onto his cot and taking a seat, burying his hands in his hair.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I killed… With my bare hands?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You crushed his neck, with your hands and tore his head clean off, dragging is spine out with it.” Danvers elaborated.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t believe it, until I saw it myself… It looked like a super mutant had got him.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Harkness’ hands quickly reached up to his forehead, clutching his hair as his breaths grew more erratic, his feet hovered off the floor before slamming them down again. How could he do this? Not just on a moral level but how could he, when he’s just a man, do this to two people?

<p class="MsoNormal">“People think I did this? That I… Why would I?” Harkness snapped, hands trembling.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Nobody knows. Some think it’s you trying to be the sovereign leader of Rivet City. Some thing you snapped and went postal. Some people think you’re some sort of Enclave plant. The rumours are messy and few, if any of them are the same but…

<p class="MsoNormal">Regardless, most of the city agrees that you’re to be executed for it.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Harkness fell silent. It made sense, to him at least, that someone who did such a thing to the city and its people should be executed. Exile would just give them a chance to come back and do worse…

<p class="MsoNormal">However, as guilty as he felt, he didn’t want to die. Nothing about this made sense to him, on his own and he didn’t want to pay the price for a crime that he was just a puppet for. Harkness was the murder weapon, not the murderer.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Danvers…” He began, glancing up.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I assume I am stripped of my command?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes.” Danvers said.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I took over, from your position.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“What’s your verdict?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t have one… I have to act out the concil’s will but there’s no council, it’s just me. The scientists are arguing among themselves as to who should replace Dargon and the Merchants are divided as to whether or not this is a sign that Banner should be re-instated or whether or not he’s the one behind all of this.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Somehow I doubt that. The man’s a snake but he isn’t a genius mastermind.” Harkness said, lowering his hands.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What would your council verdict be?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Danvers, for the first time, didn’t hesitate at all.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Investigate before we do anything. You know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t authorize and execution, without knowing how or why it happened.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Harkness nodded, with a faint bit of, what felt like, laughter.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I just… Wouldn’t blame you, if you felt your hands were tied. Those people died by my hands, no matter what the reason for it was. Even if I am cleared, this could happen again…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No.” Danvers said, firmly.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We’re not going to allow it to happen again. We’ll find out what happened and stop whoever used you to do their dirty work.

<p class="MsoNormal">Until then, you’re to be detained here for your own safety and the safety of the people of Rivet City.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes Ma’am.” Harkness nodded, he found it quite reasonable… beyond really.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Don’t leave this cell, even if someone tells you. Only trust me or someone who knows our… safeword.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Harkness thought on it a little. That was a good codeword but it was beyond awkward to be reminded of it and when it was last used. Still better than going on another killing spree.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Alright. As you command, Chief.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Danvers gave him a rather somber nod before walking away, as if she struggled to look at him. Even after everything that had been said and done, she was still afraid of him and who could blame her?

<p class="MsoNormal">There could be a monster, hidden beneath this scared face of his. The worst part was that even he wasn’t sure, what if there was a ‘real’ him, just waiting to activate?

<p class="MsoNormal">For the first time in his life, he was afraid.