Post

American Remains

Austin is a very somber sight in 2296, the unity of the 2280s had been eliminated by the brotherhood. The pet project of the eastern brotherhoods was in full swing, the half body of the goddess of liberty was shrouded, by the looming form of the Crockett, the armored airship that hangs over the hilltop behemoth of sunset granite. The Texas capitol building of before the war had a cult-like following in the wasteland and before the unity took power in central Texas, it was kept mostly in tact. During the years leading up to its liberation, the house chamber roof collapsed and the statue atop the dome was bisected.

Now, the brotherhood has returned, not to fight some horrible mutant threat, but to expand their hold westward and create jumping off points to move further west to gather the pre-war technology that the wasteland states of the west have harbored from them so long. Elder Houston decided that the capitol building, in all of its timeless beauty, would be a perfect place to set their base of operations and to control the wastelands of central Texas.

Firstly, to the south. A decision that came with much deliberation but, under the assumption that the culturally significant dust that once was the Alamo mission and the air force base in what once was San Antonio. Houston set his sights there. He sent the second and third companies to the remains of San macros visa aerial insertion. The show of force of over 100 metal men being dropped from flying machines was enough to fold the small province's leadership and, without a fight, they scoured the shops and inns for anything worth taking.

San Marcos's mayor, a pale, skinny man in a patchy suit with an uncharacteristically clean pocket watch, was infuriated with the neo-feudal deal the knight Sargent informed him of. When the mayor's difficulty was reported to Third company captain Lamar, the knight captain decided to pay a visit to the mayor.

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The painted symbols of Lamar's armor make him stand out from the other knights, he bears wide blue stripes on his pauldrons and knee guards.

"what is the problem Sargent" His voice comes over his armor's speakers and travels through the hot air.

"Captain" he puts a fist to his chest. "the mayor needs convincing, from what we heard he is far too popular among the people to be made an example of"

"you're God damn right I'm too popular, take your fancy metal bucket heads and get out of the town of Musbass." a sharp, whining voice interjects. Lamar looks at the stubborn mayor and at his Sargent.

"my apologies, sir. He is forgetting the protocol for encountering self sustaining and flourishing states. come, lets go to your office where we can discuss a mutual friendship." The power armored knight captain says cordially.

"finally some God damn mother f*cking respect, this way captain, I assume." the lanky man jumps up the steps of what seems to be the town hall. Captain Lamar steps out of his armor, seeing that he wont be able to stand on the lifted floor for fear of falling through it. Lamar still brings in his pistol.

"so... let's get down to business, The brotherhood of steel isn't here to take away your power, we just provide a service... protection, and access to technology. but as you know all services come at a cost" the captain paces as the mayor sits behind a wobbly desk. the building was built after the war and seems to have been functioning as the secular town meeting place for a few generations at least.

"of course... are you about to attempt to justify the same offer that your fellow just extended me. if so: no thank you sir" the mayor hisses.

"now, mister mayor, one cap per citizen with only a few rules about maintaining your own guard is not a steep price." Lamar points a finger.

"I'm afraid, sir, that it is. the average cap revenue is one and a half caps per citizen, a deal like that would mean that our little town here would fall to the shops within, no new buildings, no law, nobody in my employ to get you your caps... it would be a government su*cide mister."

"mayor... mayor... mayor. it really isn't an option. if you want what's best for your people, comply." the captain grabs the back of the chair across from the mayor.

"now now. you don't need to start nothn' I would love to work with you boys but I am completely incapable of doing so, our town fades whether we accept your terms or not" the mayor explains. "you don't want to tax no ghost town do ya'? give us a better deal and we can actually help each other out."

The captain sheathes at this, finally exploding by throwing the chair at a bookshelf in the side of the room. He storms over to a cabinet and throws it onto the ground.

"what do you think you're doing?" the mayor stands up in his seat in time for one of the bottles from his mayoral liquor Cabernet to fly by his head and smash into the window behind him. "no no no not that!" the mayor shouts as the captain tears down the center of a canvas painting. "get back here you no good son of a b*tch" the mayor scrambles to block the captain from returning to his troops outside.

"consider your first payment complete, we will return in a month and hope for your sake, y'all're ready." the captain pushes his way past and leaves.