Fallout 4: Rebirth At Vault 81

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Doc Sun nodded and turned back to his notes. Sico stepped out of the clinic, the weight on his shoulders easing just a little. But as he looked out over the market, he knew that peace never lasted long in the Commonwealth. There was always another fire to put out.

Sico took a deep breath, letting the cool evening air wash over him as he stepped out of the clinic. The hum of Diamond City's market continued, but there was a different energy now—a sense of movement, of rebuilding. The recent sabotage had left its scars, but the people were already working to fix them. That was the thing about the Commonwealth: it never stayed broken for long.

He turned his gaze toward the walls, where he could see the silhouettes of workers moving under the dim light of lanterns and torches. Sturges and his team had been working non-stop to repair the damage, patching up the weak points and reinforcing the outer defenses. They'd gotten most of the sabotage under control, but there was still plenty left to do.

Sico adjusted the strap of his rifle and made his way toward the construction site. The sound of hammers and drills filled the air, accompanied by the occasional grunt or curse from the workers as they struggled with stubborn pieces of metal and old wiring.

Sturges spotted him before he even made it to the wall. The handyman wiped a greasy hand across his forehead, smearing dirt and sweat. "Well, well. Look who finally decided to get his hands dirty."

Sico smirked. "Figured you'd need someone to show you how to hold a hammer properly."

Sturges let out a laugh and tossed him a wrench. "Then put your money where your mouth is, General. We still got some bad connections along the western section, and the last thing we need is another short-circuit frying our new security grid."

Sico caught the wrench and rolled his shoulders. "Alright. What needs doing?"

Sturges pointed toward a set of makeshift scaffolding running along the western wall. "The main power line took a hit when Morris' goons messed with the relay. We got it patched up, but I don't trust it to hold through the next storm. I need someone who won't get fried to tighten up the connections."

Sico gave a dry chuckle. "So, you want me to be the one who gets fried instead?"

"Exactly," Sturges said, grinning. "But if it helps, I'd feel real bad about it afterward."

Shaking his head, Sico climbed up onto the scaffolding, the old wooden planks creaking under his boots. The power relay in question was a tangled mess of wires and junction boxes, some of which had been visibly tampered with. Whoever had sabotaged the system had known what they were doing.

He knelt down, inspecting the connections. The wiring was loose in several places, and one of the power couplings was barely holding on. If left alone, it wouldn't just fail—it could take the entire section offline.

Sico got to work, tightening the screws and carefully rerouting some of the wiring. He wasn't as skilled as Sturges when it came to this kind of thing, but he'd learned enough over time to make himself useful. As he worked, he could hear the sounds of the city continuing around him—laughter from the Dugout Inn, the clatter of merchants packing up for the night, the distant chatter of Minutemen patrolling the streets.

After about twenty minutes, he gave the last bolt a final twist and wiped his hands on his pants. "Alright, try it now!" he called down.

Sturges flipped a switch on a nearby console, and the power relay hummed to life. A row of floodlights along the wall flickered on, illuminating the darkened section of the city's perimeter.

"Hell yeah!" Sturges whooped. "That's what I'm talking about."

Sico climbed back down, dusting himself off. "That should hold, but we should still run a full diagnostic in the morning. Make sure nothing else is waiting to blow."

"Agreed," Sturges said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You're not half bad at this, y'know. Maybe if you ever get tired of being General, you could take up a real trade."

Sico chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

Sico stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders, feeling the weight of exhaustion creeping in. The last few days had been chaos—dealing with the sabotage, hunting down Morris and his goons, and making sure Diamond City's defenses were back in working order. They had finally caught the bastards, but the damage had been done. At least now, things were starting to stabilize.

He glanced back toward the marketplace. Even this late at night, a few stalls were still open, their owners stubbornly trying to make up for lost business. A couple of Minutemen patrolled the area, rifles slung over their shoulders, chatting in hushed voices. The people were on edge, but life went on.

"You sticking around for a drink, or are you gonna pretend you have somewhere better to be?" Sturges asked, tossing his wrench onto a nearby crate. He leaned against the wall, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Sico smirked. "Tempting, but I think I'd rather get some sleep before I drop dead in the middle of the street."

Sturges chuckled. "Fair enough. Just don't expect me to drag your sorry ass back to your quarters if you do."

Sico shook his head, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder before heading toward the Minutemen's barracks. The city's lanterns flickered, casting long shadows across the streets. The cool night air was a welcome contrast to the heat from the day's work, but Sico knew tomorrow would be another long one. The wall still needed checking, and while Morris and his men were in custody, he wasn't taking any chances.

As he passed the Dugout Inn, he heard laughter spilling out into the streets. Piper was sitting outside, her notepad resting on her lap, her pen tapping idly against the paper.

"Writing up another story?" Sico asked, pausing near her.

Piper looked up, offering a tired smile. "Someone's got to keep people informed. Diamond City's been through a lot lately. Folks need to know what's happening—good and bad."

"Just make sure you mention how great my electrical work was," Sico said with a smirk.

Piper laughed. "Oh, definitely. 'General Sico: Defender of the Commonwealth and part-time electrician.' Has a nice ring to it."

"Glad you think so," Sico said, shaking his head. "Get some rest, Piper."

"You too, hero," she replied, returning to her notes.

Sico made his way to his quarters, stripping off his gear and collapsing onto the cot. His muscles ached, and sleep took him almost immediately.

The morning sun was already high when Sico stepped out, the warmth cutting through the crisp air. The city was alive with activity—workers carrying supplies, shopkeepers setting up their stalls, and Minutemen making their rounds. It almost felt normal.

Almost.

Despite capturing Morris and his gang, the sabotage had rattled everyone. Security was tighter, and the Minutemen had doubled their patrols. People weren't taking any chances.

Sico made his way to the western wall, where Sturges was already at work, checking the power lines and fortifications.

"Glad to see you didn't sleep in," Sturges called out, waving a screwdriver in greeting.

"Wouldn't want you screwing everything up without me," Sico replied.

Sturges let out a laugh. "That's rich, coming from the guy who almost fried himself last night."

Sico rolled his eyes and climbed up onto the scaffolding beside him. From up here, he had a clear view of the city. People moved below, their lives continuing despite the recent trouble. That was the thing about the Commonwealth—no matter how bad things got, people found a way to keep going.

"How's it looking?" Sico asked, nodding toward the power relay.

"Better than I expected," Sturges said. "That fix we did last night held up, but I wanna reinforce the wiring just in case. Last thing we need is the lights going out if another storm rolls through."

Sico grabbed a nearby wrench and started tightening some of the bolts. "You really think we'll see more trouble?"

Sturges sighed. "I hope not. But after what Morris pulled, I wouldn't bet on it."

Sico frowned. Morris had been one of those types—always stirring up trouble, always looking for an opportunity to exploit weakness. He had gathered a small group of loyal followers, convinced that Diamond City was better off without the Minutemen's involvement. His sabotage had nearly compromised the entire city's defenses.

But he was behind bars now. Whatever he had planned, it was over.

At least, Sico hoped it was.

"You hear anything from Preston?" Sico asked, shifting the subject.

Sturges nodded. "Yeah, he sent word this morning. Said they've got everything under control back at the Castle, but he's keeping an eye on things just in case."

Sico exhaled. "Good. We can't afford any more surprises."

"Agreed," Sturges said. "But hey, enough doom and gloom. How about we focus on getting this wall patched up before lunchtime?"

Sico chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."

For the next few hours, they worked in relative silence, interrupted only by the occasional joke or muttered curse when a bolt refused to cooperate. It was tiring work, but it was necessary.

By the time they finished, the sun was high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the city. The power relay was fully secured, the defenses reinforced. It wasn't perfect, but it would hold.

Sturges wiped his hands on his pants. "Well, I'd say that's a job well done."

Sico nodded, surveying their work. "Not bad. Maybe you do know what you're doing after all."

Sturges smirked. "Told you I was good at this."

Sturges stretched his arms above his head, letting out a satisfied grunt. "At this pace, we'll have the rest of the wall patched up by tomorrow," he said, nudging Sico with an elbow. "Not bad for a bunch of folks who were knee-deep in sabotage a few days ago."

Sico exhaled, glancing up at the towering wall. It was a mess just two nights ago, with exposed wires, broken panels, and scorched circuits. Now, thanks to round-the-clock work from the Minutemen and Diamond City's mechanics, it looked solid again—strong enough to hold against whatever the Commonwealth threw at them next.

"Good," Sico said, rolling his shoulders. "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can focus on making sure this never happens again."

Sturges gave a short laugh. "You thinking about putting alarms on every brick in the city?"

Sico smirked. "Something like that."

Truthfully, he wasn't sure what the best move was. Capturing Morris and his goons had been a relief, but it didn't erase the fact that they'd nearly brought Diamond City to its knees. What if there were more like them? People watching, waiting for their own chance to stir up chaos?

He shook the thought away. No use worrying about ghosts when there was real work to be done.

"Let's take a break," Sturges said, slapping Sico on the back. "Been a while since I had a decent meal that wasn't cold noodles or a stale mutfruit."

Sico nodded, feeling his stomach agree with the idea. The sun was now directly overhead, bathing the city in sweltering heat. A break sounded like a damn good plan.

They made their way down from the scaffolding, weaving through the bustling streets toward one of the city's food stalls. The smell of roasting meat and fresh-baked bread filled the air, a welcome distraction from the scent of sweat and metal they'd been surrounded by all morning.

Vadim Bobrov, one of the owners of the Dugout Inn, was already busy arguing with a customer over the price of a brahmin steak. He noticed Sico and Sturges approaching and waved them over.

"Ah! General and the mechanic—just the men I needed to see," Vadim said, grinning. "You work too hard, yes? You need drink, yes?"

Sico chuckled. "Maybe later. We were just looking for something to eat."

Vadim placed two plates in front of them, each piled with steaming meat, crispy tatos, and a chunk of bread. "You eat first, then you drink. Is how life should be, my friend."

Sturges wasted no time digging in, tearing into the food like a starving man. "Damn, Vadim," he said between bites. "You sure this ain't some pre-war steak you dug up from a vault somewhere?"

Vadim laughed. "Only best for Minutemen heroes! Eat, eat!"

Sico took a bite and let out a pleased hum. It wasn't exactly gourmet, but compared to the survival rations and questionable wasteland cooking he was used to, it was heaven.

As they ate, a group of Minutemen passed by, nodding in acknowledgment. Sico recognized a few of them—regulars on patrol duty, faces he'd come to trust. They looked more relaxed than they had in days, which was a good sign.

"Things feel… different," Sturges said after a while, pushing his empty plate aside. "Still tense, sure, but people aren't looking over their shoulders as much anymore."

Sico nodded, watching the way the marketplace moved. The nervous energy that had hung over Diamond City was fading.

"We did good," Sturges continued, stretching out his arms. "Not just us—everyone who pitched in. People see that, and they know they're not alone."

Sico sighed, finishing the last of his meal. "Yeah… but we can't let our guard down."

Sturges gave him a knowing look. "And we won't. But for now, maybe just enjoy the fact that we're not fighting off another crisis, huh?"

Sico chuckled. "Alright, alright."

After finishing their meal, they headed back toward the western wall to check on the remaining work. The afternoon heat was relentless, but the workers kept going, determined to finish repairs by the next day.

By sundown, the last of the major reinforcements had been put into place. The wall was stronger than before, the security grid more stable. Sturges let out a long whistle as he inspected their progress.

"Looks like we're ahead of schedule," he said, giving a satisfied nod. "Tomorrow, we do a final sweep, make sure everything's holding. Then? We take a damn day off."

Sico smirked. "We'll see about that."

Sturges groaned. "Come on, man. You gotta let people celebrate a little. You know how rare it is to have something actually go right out here?"

Sico thought about it. The Commonwealth was full of suffering—death, betrayal, loss. But moments like this, where people came together and pushed forward? They mattered.

"Alright," he said, much to Sturges' surprise. "One day off."

Sturges grinned. "That's the spirit."

The two of them stood there for a while, watching the sunset paint the city in hues of orange and purple. The walls stood tall and strong, a testament to the people's resilience.

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• Name: Sico

• Stats :

S: 8,44

P: 7,44

E: 8,44

C: 8,44

I: 9,44

A: 7,45

L: 7

• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills

• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.

• Active Quest:-