It rained overnight, but by morning the precipitation had tapered off, leaving behind a wall of fog that started right at the tree line. I took a walk around the camp, examining the buildings and also checking out the trail that Dirk had mentioned the day before. It was overgrown and pretty easy to miss, so I had to give Dirk some credit on that score. One branch looped back to the east and eventually ended at the shore of the reservoir, while other branches went west and north, the latter being especially badly overgrown. 

 

 

Nick and I followed the northerly trail for a while, but other than occasional remains of the country club grounds, we didn't find anything of interest. It seemed that, for whatever reason, this area had remained untouched for quite a long time. I wondered if that was, itself, a sign of danger - perhaps something lurked in the woods that had scared off past visitors before they could establish a foothold. But Nick offered up a less exciting theory.

 

"Campground's full of ghouls. Big lake, but without a water purifier it's more of a liability and an asset. These trails seem to lead to nowhere, so only one good route in and out. This place has a lot to go for it as an army camp, but maybe not so much as a settlement."

 

"You might be right," I agreed, "but I'm still going to encourage Dirk to strengthen up the defenses. Something's not quite right, but I can't put my finger on it."

 

"If you say so," the synth drawled. "Far be it for me to tell you to not listen to your gut. That's one of the first rules of being a cop: don't ignore your gut."

 

 

Dirk's squad hadn't wasted time while I was away, continuing to reinforce the guardpost on the road into the camp and also, a bit to my surprise, erecting a large outdoor cage and erecting a set of gallows. When he had a moment, I called him over to review the new construction with him.

 

"I'm a little surprised to see this cage going up," I admitted, "we haven't had a lot of resistance yet."

 

Dirk nodded. "General Garvey designated this site are our collection point for prisoners as the operation moves forward," he explained. "We'll hold them in this enclosure until we determine their status."

 

 

"And that's where those come in?" I asked, pointing at the gallows.

 

"Only if we can prove a few specific offenses... cannibalism, child murder, sabotaging water purifiers, that sort of thing. No one is going to want to have those people around, and we can't just let them go. But once we screen out those worst-of-the-worst types, we'll send the rest of them up to Concord for sentencing. I imagine you'll either imprison them or put them to work - but that's not really our business."

 

"That's a sensible position to take - and one that I appreciate."

 

"Well, thank General Garvey, it was his idea."

 

"What about the fortifications? Did I see some wire up by the guardpost?"

 

He nodded, "yeah, nothing fancy, but it'll make the post harder to overrun if someone decides to rush it. Eventually we want to put up concrete walls, like you have at your towns, but that'll take a while to get the supplies we need. Until then we have to work with whatever we can scrounge up."

 

"Speaking in scrounging, did I see you tore down the outhouse?"

 

"Yeah, we didn't have much of a choice. The corner we put up the radio tower on was buckling - whole roof was going to come down at any moment. Fortunately, it turns out the ASAM sensor has a plan for a... um, 'human compost collection and processing facility,' which is just a nicer, safer version of what was down there before. Matthew's getting the materials for it now... except..."

 

Dirk was looking past me and I turned to follow his gaze. Whatever the ASAM had directed Matthew to retrieve, I doubt it involved peering into the window of one of the cabins.

 

 

"Let me guess, Jean's working in there?"

 

"Oh, fuck me," Dirk spat, "I gave that cabin to Luna and Jean. I guarantee you he's peeping in on his sister."

 

"How about I go and put, what did you say? The fear of God on Earth in him?"

 

Dirk rolled his eyes. You promised to use the kid gloves, remember? But yeah, see if you can get to stop fucking around."

 

I clomped over to the cabin and whistled to get the kid's attention.

 

"Hey Park," I said, "aren't you supposed to be fixing the latrine?"

 

"Whoa!" he said, jumping, "this... this isn't what it looks like. I was just, um,"

 

I crooked an eyebrow, "you were just what?"

 

Matthews face cast down, is eyes avoiding me "Ah, alright, you got me. I just can't help it. You know?"

 

 

"As a matter of fact," I said, I don't know. So maybe you should explain." I said, trying not to sound too menacing.

 

"Jean's just... I don't know. I know she's my sister and all, but I just can't get my eyes off her. She looks so... good."

 

"Does she know you're peeping on her?" I pressed.

 

"No, no!" he sputtered, "can you imagine if she... I mean, she's my sister, alright?"

 

"Seems like maybe you need to find a girl of your own," I said.

 

"Maybe," he conceded, "but, you know, that's like a tall order. I mean," he glanced back towards the cabin, "look at her."

 

Looking past Matthew, I couldn't deny that his sister was pretty. She had kind of a passing resemblance to Winter, actually. I also noticed that she was glimpsing back towards me, now that her brother wasn't looking anymore. Fuck, I thought, she knows what he's up to.

 

 

For some reason, this conversation made me think of my conversation with Wolfgang back when Piper and I had visited Drumlin Diner. Maybe I really did need to think about the status of sex work in Vault 111's sphere of influence. I hadn't seen anyone practicing - and indeed, based on my conversation with Sue back at Ridge it sounded like at least some people were coming here to get out of that life and make a fresh start. One thing I was sure on right away, that was one rabbit hole I didn't want to go down without getting a lot of advice from my advisors.

 

I considered Matthew, then said, "how about you take a few laps around the camp to work off that horny energy, then get back to work. The rest of the guys are counting on you to fix that shitter."

 

He looked at me a little as if he wasn't sure how to react. At length he asked, "I'm not in trouble?"

 

"Not unless you don't get your ass in gear. But don't take advantage of Dirk's indulgence. When he tells you to do something in the future, I expect you to obey him, understood?"

 

"Yes, Overseer," he stammered, before making his escape.

 

I waited a little while for him to get some distance from us before I knocked on the wall of the cabin. "OK, Jean, I think we need to talk," I called.

 

Matthew's sister emerged and I beckoned her over. "I saw you glance back," I said, "how long have you known about this peeping Tom business?"

 

 

Jean shrugged, "it's been going on more or less the last seven years - not just me, mind you, any girl that catches his eye. Of course, I think the wardrobe around here probably magnifies his problem."

 

"He 'problem,' huh? You seem pretty calm about it."

 

"I don't think you understand, Overseer, my brother isn't a creep. If anything, he's a sweet young man. He can't help being the way he is."

 

I laughed dully, "I've heard that one before."

 

"No, really. Do you know about the IHFM gene?"

 

I shook my head, "never heard of it."

 

"I hadn't either until about a year ago, but where we come from lots of people have heard about Breeders. They're mutants who look normal on the outside, but they're different on the inside. One of the big ways is that they get pregnant real easy... and sometimes they start to resemble the people who they sleep with. My mother's a breeder, she found out about when she was pregnant with me. It's the whole reason she fled to the Commonwealth."

 

"I see... but I'm not sure what that has to do with your brother."

 

"IHFM is a gene and it runs in families. In a woman, it makes pregnancy easier and, like I said, can change a woman to be more like her partner. But in men... it just makes them horny, all the time."

 

"Too bad your brother isn't gay," I said, "plenty of single men in this camp." 

 

She shrugged, "yeah, it would make things easier for me. And too bad there's no other girls in the squad. Other than mom at least."

 

"So what's your plan? Just let him peep and pretend you don't notice?"

 

"I was kind of thinking of taking him down to Diamond City next time we get leave and seeing if I can help him meet a girl, but with the war on, who knows when that'll be."

 

"You think that's all he needs? A girl to distract him?"

 

"Yeah, he's been like this since he hit puberty - like seven years ago now. The peeping and staring is nothing new, its not like he ever puts his hands on me. And he does it just as much for any other pretty woman he sees."

 

Yup, I definitely needed to give Wolfgang's idea a second thought. If there were more terminally horny young men like Matthew in the Commonwealth, it made a lot more sense to give them an outlet for their energy then let them wind up until they popped and did something rash. 

 

"Alright," I said, "it sounds like this isn't some new thing for you. Is there anything I can do to help? At a minimum, I can ask for Concord to send down some reinforcements so you and your mom aren't the only girls in town."

 

"That would be helpful," she agreed, "though I really hope he can meet someone he has real chemistry with. I'll definitely take him down to DC once the war's over and see if I can get him a date with someone nice. Any suggestions?"

 

I shrugged. "I don't know that many people down there," I admitted, "though Vault 81 seemed to have a lot of young, single people. Maybe he'd have some luck down there?"

 

"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. For now though, I had better get back to work. It's bad enough we have one person in the family who's easily distracted."

 

Luna returned from her supply run the next morning, and asked to speak with me. I met with her in her cabin, and immediately I could see the family resemblance with her daughter. 

 

 

"Luna," I said, "you wanted to see me?"

 

"Overseer, thank you. Jean told me that you know about our family condition now."

 

"I admit, it was a bit of a surprise. One thing seemed off to me, though. Jean said that Matthew's been... this way, for like seven years, but you only found out about the gene a year ago."

 

"Let me explain," Luna answered. "I was originally from the Pitt, but I left when I was pregnant with Jean. That would be 22 years ago, now. Back that way, people know about Breeders, but they just think we're mutants and don't understand any further. Here in the Commonwealth, there isn't even that level of understanding. It wasn't until we talked with Doctor Wolfe in Diamond City that we learned about the gene."

 

"Doctor Wolf? You mean that quack in the market?"

 

"Oh God no," she laughed, "that's Doctor Sun. To be fair, he's not actually a quack, but Doctor Wolfe is a real doctor, from way out west. She was able to do a blood test to confirm that we're Breeders, and she explained about the gene."

 

"Interesting. Sounds like I need to have a talk with this Wolfe sometime - I obviously have a lot to learn about your condition. But why did you ask to see me?"

 

"Well, to get right to the point, I don't want you to throw us out. I know my son's behavior isn't the greatest, hell, that all the lusting after his sister he does probably makes people uncomfortable. But it's not his fault. He's drowning on hormones and he doesn't have an outlet."

 

"Let me stop you there," I said. "I'm not planning to kick out your son, and I'm certainly not planning to kick out your whole family. I appreciate the risk you all took by volunteering to join the Minutemen - I don't take that kind of commitment lightly. But I am concerned that his behavior is at odds with Dirk's expectations for discipline. He seems to be taking it easy so far, but I don't know if that'll last. Honestly, I was kind of thinking of bringing some working girls down here so the men - your son included - could let off some steam."

 

Luna chuckled, "that's definitely one solution. I'd assumed that prostitution was banned, though. I haven't seen any hookers at all since we moved here."

 

"It's an unintended state of affairs. I hadn't adopted a policy one the matter one way or another, hadn't even thought about it, but I think the whole culture of body openness and free love took away some of the mystique."

 

"Yeah, things are definitely different on that score around here. Look, I'm supposed to go through the old church south of camp to look for anything useful. You want to tag along and we can brainstorm? I'm delighted you're even thinking of a solution other than just punishing Matthew, and I'd like to help. Besides, it'll make the shift less boring."

 

"Sure," I said, "my schedule's clear. Lead the way."

 

 

As she walked, we chatted more. "I just don't know what to do with him," she admitted. "I want him to be happy, sure. And I know the way he looks at his sister at least is harmless daydreaming, but I wish there was a better way than just sending him off to the brothel every time he gets lonely. He's such a sweet kid... if he had a little more self-confidence, I'm sure he could find a nice girl to settle down with - one who'd appreciate that endless reserve of sexual energy. Maybe that's part of why we joined the Minutemen... to 'make a man out of him,' as they say."

 

"I can understand that," I said, "ironically, I think if he was more forward with his desires he'd attract more female companionship. It's the peeping and staring that a lot of women find off-putting."

 

"Ha, tell me about it. I was on the receiving end of it when I was in the Pitt."

 

"You mentioned that before. I'm not familiar with that place." 

 

"Sorry, I forgot that you're 'new here,' so to speak. You'd know it as Pittsburg. When I was there it was a real hell-hole. Raider common ground, like Natick but a hundred times worse. I was a slave, you know. It wasn't an easy life, doubly so being a breeder. And let me tell you, my master knew about that and used it to his full advantage."

 

"Jean wasn't your first child, then?"

 

"She was my first human child. It was the prospect of losing her that gave me the courage to finally escape."

 

You know that moment in a movie where the scene freezes and they play the scratched-record sound? That's what I experienced just then.

 

"Hang on, what do you mean, your first human child?"

 

Luna shook her head. "So Jean left that part out, did she? Breeders don't just get pregnant easily, they get pregnant with anything easily. Doctor Wolfe called us super-hybridizers. Let's just say that if the baby can fit in my tummy without tearing anything, I can probably get pregnant with it. And you'd be surprised at what can fit inside a tummy."

 

"That... kind of boggles the mind," I admitted.

 

"You're having a kinder reaction than most folks. Usually it's confusion, disgust, and anger, in that order. Sometimes followed by violence on a bad day. The idea of a human being being an 'invisible mutant' is scary enough for a lot of folks, but the idea of a woman giving birth to puppies... or to a brahmin calf? It's too much."

 

"The idea of someone forcing you to do that is worse," I countered."

 

"Yes, yes it is. I guess what I'm trying to say, Overseer--"

 

"Charley, please."

 

"OK, what I'm trying to say, Charley, is that you've already done more than most people just by still talking to me. And I appreciate it."

 

By this point, we were coming up on the church, and I found myself thinking more deeply on what she'd said - but I forced myself to table those thoughts to acknowledge her words. "I'm glad," I said. "I feel like this isn't something you should need to thank me for. It's not your fault that you carry that gene, and I don't see any reason why you can't be part of our society. You're not a monster."

 

 

She sighed. "That's kind to say. It's just that... not being a monster isn't really enough. I want to be... normal."

 

I scoffed. "What's normal? Normal's a word that means whatever the people in power want it to mean. I'm in power here, and for me, normal means that you treat your neighbors with respect, that you work hard to make the Commonwealth a better place, and that you try to do the right thing. Seems to me like you fit that definition."

 

We spent most of the afternoon going through the church. The building was in pretty terrible shape, with trash strewn everywhere and more than a few signs of unsavory inhabitants. Still, we gathered up a number of useful items - either things that we could directly use or things that we could break down in a Workshop for raw materials. While we did this, we talked about the challenges that face someone who isn't naturally outgoing. Obviously, the acute sex imbalance here in Sunshine Tidings is an immediate problem. If Matthew wasn't open to some bisexual play - and his mother didn't think he was - then he didn't have many prospects. The bigger issue was venue, though. Even in 'big city' Concord, the only real place to congregate was Lily's little combination bar/general store, and it offered minimal facilities. For a shy guy like Matthew, having some more organized options to relax and socialize would help.

 

This chat just kept taking my mind back to the comm hub, and to the locked down blueprints. Jake had mentioned something about one of the plans being for a restaurant, and I suspected there was a lot more in that vein. I'd have to follow up with him soon on how that effort was proceeding. 

 

As we wrapped up, I promised to do what I could to make things easier for them, and I asked if, in the days ahead, Luna could tell me more about the Breeders, so I could understand them and make sure they were treated right in our community. She agreed, but also asked me to join her for a little family meeting. 

 

 

Luna talked frankly with her children, and with me, about her life in the Pitt and how she refused to go back to that lifestyle. She warned her daughter sternly to not let anyone talk her into breeding animals, even if it sounded like it would help the community - and she admonished me to refuse any plan that involved Breeders boosting livestock numbers, even if the women volunteered. She warned me that this was probably how the enslavement of Breeders around the Pitt got started. 

 

"Once you normalize sex with animals," she explained, "it stops being a sacrifice for the community. Instead, the people will feel resentment when a Breeder doesn't enthusiastically agree to carry a litter, or a birth a calf. And then its only a few short steps until Breeders are drafted for the good of the community, and compelled to birth animals. At that point, they're slaves in all but name."

 

"To say nothing of the issue of an animal's inability to give consent," I pointed out.

 

Luna shook her head. "I never even thought of that angle. I suppose that's true as well. So is that clear, Jean? No animals, period."

 

"Ew, obviously," her daughter answered.

 

"It might seem obvious now, but eventually someone will try to persuade you. Say no. I cannot say this loud enough."

 

"And if they go any further than persuading, if they try to coerce you in any way, report it to your commander. If your commander doesn't do anything, come to me directly. I'm in complete agreement with your mother on this, Breeders are welcome in my sphere of influence, but I don't want a breeding industry started here," I added.

 

"And you, young man," Luna turned her gaze on Matthew. "The feelings you're experiencing? I'm sorry to say that they are going to be with you for the rest of your life. You need to find a way to manage them that doesn't involve fantasizing about your sister. If, God forbid, you two ever tried something, it's very likely she'd get pregnant, and you don't want to deal with the baggage that comes with a child between siblings. Once more people come to this outpost - and I expect they will soon - you need to either find a girl you have chemistry with, or you need to experiment with a man."

 

"Jeez, no thanks," he muttered. 

 

I smirked at him. "Don't knock it till you tried it, kid."

 

"I'll work on meeting a girl, I promise. Jean said she was going to take me to Diamond City next time we go on leave, maybe I can meet someone there."

 

"Do that," Luna said. "This isn't just normal motherly nagging. You need some balance in your life, and masturbating while you peep on your sister isn't cutting it."

 

"Mom!" both siblings protested against her frankness.

 

"Charley," she said, ignoring the outraged kids, "I want to thank you for all your support. This is literally the most understanding I've got from a 'normal' person in my entire life. You've taken me from constant fear that we wouldn't be able to fit in here to seriously wondering if we've finally found a home. Thank you." 

 

 

"I'm going to tell General Garvey about the Breeders as well. Preston is an interesting man, and I think he has some unique perspective into the challenges you face. I expect you'll find a lot of support from the Minutemen in the days to come, as well."

 

"I don't want any special treatment," Luna said. "I just want a place where we're real citizens, and where people don't try to take advantage of our mutation."

 

"I understand," I confirmed. "I want the same thing."

 

The next morning, I radioed Concord to give them an update. I advised them that Dirk had finished construction on the POW lockup, and that we were ready to bring in additional troops for the garrison. At the same time, I received word that Preston had dispatched scouts to Forest Grove in the hope that we could make contact with any survivors there. When they mentioned Preston, it reminded me of the previous evening's conversation and I asked them to pass the word that I'd like to speak with Preston soon, if he would make the time for a visit.

 

Work continued on the camp, as the Minutemen finished cleaning out the cabins and, under the tutelage of an ASAM sensor, refurnished one where the beds had all been damaged beyond repair. This was all relatively slow work compared with Sanctuary or Concord, in part because, while the camp did have a Workshop, it was running the cheapest, most heavily-restricted license I'd ever seen. Until I could get Winter down here to mess with its guts (and ideally unlock it like we'd done in the past), we could only do very basic fabrication on site. The high point of the day, however, was when Matthew of all people found a real prize - a clawfoot bathtub that, but for some dirt and grime, was in perfect condition. 

 

We cleaned it up and set it out in front of my cabin. I made it clear that everyone was free to use it, but that I'd be claiming my rights first thing the next morning.

 

When morning rolled around, it was raining again, but by that point I was feeling pretty grimy, and I hopped into the bath without any regard to the pelting rain. While I worked up a lather, I put some thought into the whole Breeder situation. I was happy adopting a policy for my territory that was more or less in line with Luna's wishes; I agreed with her concerns and I wanted to attract as many talented people as I could. Reaching out to a marginalized group like the Breeders seemed like a good way to accomplish that. I wasn't sure how public to make the policy though. I thought back to my conversation with Gwen MacNamara, and I realized that not every leader would see the issue the same way I did, and us taking a strong public stance on the issue might just raise awareness enough for others to institute less enlightened approaches. 

 

 

 

 

As I mulled this over, I heard a chirp coming from my right side. Leaning over, I saw that my Pip-Boy was receiving an incoming call. When I thumbed the button to receive, the speaker immediately crackled with Jake Evans' voice.

 

"Charley," he said, "you will not believe what we found!"