Back at Sunshine Tidings, I was struggling a little with the whole Red Tourette situation. The woman had a bizarre, childlike naivete that I caught myself allowing to color my interpretation of her actions. On the other hand, she also had a childlike viciousness to her, like a kid who pulls the wings off of flies and has trouble understanding why it's bad. Talking to some of the members of her gang while I helped them dig new wells, I learned that the reason for the gruesome execution of the mutinous faction had been couched to them as a fun 'last hurrah' before they moved on with their new life.

 

Once we go straight, she'd said, we're gonna have to give up all the torturing, so get it out of your system now. And that idea, of having one last violent purge of their bloodlust, wasn't something Red stood apart from. The horrible, lingering death she'd dealt out to her would-be successor Tiffany definitely contained a strong does of catharsis for the ex-raider boss. It also left me with serious doubts about her commitment to leaving behind the raider life, and even about whether she really understood how 'normal' people live. I wasn't sure if I could reasonably expect her to successfully change her lifestyle when she didn't comprehend what was expected of her.

 

I spent most of the morning pondering on that, and I found the view from my porch kind of framed my options. 

 

 

On the left was the farm plot the Minutemen had nursed back from overgrown ruin. That was certainly one path for Red's gang - give up the life entirely and just find honest jobs. The impressive automated defenses at their hideout would likely keep most simple troublemakers at bay, and just about anyone can learn to work a farm. On the right stood the hill of gallows, and beyond it the prison cage. If I decided to give up on rehabilitating them, that would be their fate. I didn't know if they could be rehabilitated, but I knew one thing for certain - this absolutely had to be a one way street, with no option to quit if a raider decided they didn't like life on the other side. 

 

And then right in front of me, I saw that big "free the robots" sign the previous inhabitants had hung up. Letting them chart their own course, which surely would involve a lot of violence, was an option. If I unleashed them against Kellogg's mercs, their chances depended entirely on how much I supported them. If I left them on their own, most of the problem would resolve itself in the bloodbath to follow. Realistically, though, if I was going to use them up on the battlefield, making them be cannon fodder wasn't the best way to do it. Red had kind of imagined her people becoming native scouts or bush rangers, turning their knowledge of the country to our advantage, and on some level that appealed to me. I could envision how we could use soldiers - soldiers, not raiders - like that. 

 

At length, I decided to table my ruminations and get on with my day. There was plenty of time to decide what to do with Red, and whatever I settled on, it wouldn't get done today. The camp itself was coming together nicely. The Minutemen had put up a small warehouse using directions from an ASAM sensor, and had used a second to build an observation post watching that northwesterly path. And yes, that means exactly what you might be thinking it means: while we were out raiding the brewery, Jake and Susan transmitted the firmware update that unlocked all the new construction options on the sensors. Not just defense and commerce, like Susan and Lily had hoped for respectively, but also a wide array of recreation and civic services options. The warehouse was one of the latter, and we'd already started using it to store supplies coming down from Abernathy Farm.

 

 

One of the other things that had come down from Abernathy Farm was Noelle Fletcher. When I saw the woman, who was dressed in a technically-illegal-by-treaty ensemble of a Vault 111 medical suit and a Minutemen jacket, I was sure I'd seen her face before. In making our introductions, I'd learned why: she was one of the hostages we'd rescued from Beantown Brewery. As soon as she got to Concord, she immediately volunteered to join the Minutemen and turned right around to serve as the new camp physician for Sunshine Tidings. Noelle explained to me that she'd been traveling to Boston to join the Nightingales when she ran afoul of Tower Tom's gang. They'd kept her for months as their new, and involuntary, doctor, until she'd got on his bad side and ended up given to one of his guards as a 'wife.' That was the guard who I'd summarily executed in our initial rush, and she'd apparently been quite impressed by how we handled the situation.

 

 

I also found it rather interesting to learn that Susan Cain had installed herself as something of an unofficial head physician for Concord in my absence, and she'd vetted Noelle before dispatching her to the co-op.

 

"I'm impressed with Doctor Cain," Noelle told me, "she really opened my eyes to the benefits of your unorthodox lifestyle here. I'm going to work hard to be a part of what you're building here, and not to hold you back."

 

"Really?" I asked, "and how did Doctor Cain explain things?"

 

Noelle thought on that for a moment, then answered, "I think I'd boil it down to three ideas. Total sexual equality, openness to anyone who's willing to be part of the community, and critically reviewing traditional values and mores; discard anything that harms society without sentimentality."

 

I nodded in agreement, "that's maybe a little reductive, but I think Cain explained it well. I take it you didn't find our way of life too shocking?"

 

"Honestly," she shrugged, "if you asked me that last Summer, I'd have told you some of your practices were pretty shocking. Tower Tom," she scowled at his name, "gave me lots of time to get comfortable being naked in public; apparently I was his type and he enjoyed having his eyes on me. The rest? Who wouldn't like the rest of your ideas. Sure, they have to get over that shyness hump, but otherwise it's a home run."

 

"Doctor Fletcher?" a voice called. I looked past Noelle and saw it was Luna Park, standing on the porch of her cabin.

 

Noelle turned, asking, "anything I can help with?"

 

"If you're all done with the Overseer," Luna said, "I'd like to talk with you. Do you have a moment?"

 

I smiled, "I think we're all set for now. Go help Luna."

 

Piper and I spent the rest of the day with a couple of Dirk's men, running electrical wire around the camp. We didn't have many working lights yet, but getting the the wiring set up would let us really improve the quality of life at Sunshine Tidings over the next few days. When we were done, I noticed Noelle was working late in the central barn, and I went to check on her. To my surprise, she was messing around with the backpack to my powersuit. 

 

 

"Something wrong with my suit?" I asked, making Noelle jump a little.

 

"Overseer," she said, "you snuck up on me." She pointed at a series of vials laid out on the workbench, some of them already open and empty. "Doctor Cain sent me with these chems to fill up your suit's reservoir."

 

"I remember she mentioned those. What exactly are you loading up?"

 

She pointed to each vial one at a time, explaining, "Propranolol; beta blocker to stabilize heart rate and improve blood oxygen level. Amidinosarcosine; improves muscle performance. Thiazide; manages blood pressure, diuretic. Duloxetine; SNRI, reduces anxiety. Pregabalin; treats opioid withdrawal - should help if the suit injects you with Med-X. Those last two, by the way, aren't standard issue - Doctor Cain prescribed them for you. She gave me instructions for how to set up the suit for them. Metoclopramide; anti-nausea agent. According to Doctor Cain, it should function as a replacement for the suit's prolactin supply, which she can't source in the amounts she needs. All of these will administer automatically as needed through the rectal route except for the last one, which will go in intravenously through your axillary implants."

 

"I'm smart, Doc, but that's a lot to digest. Can you dumb it down for me?"

 

Noelle tried again, "most of these will keep you cool under pressure and let you get the most out of your suit's boosted strength. They'll also help prevent you feeling beat up afterwards. Also, you're going to find that your biofuel supply is better, though you'll also need to add more water. The suit monitors your electrolyte levels and will tell you when you need more, and if you submerge in water, like the reservoir here, it'll automatically take in the optimal amount. By the way, that suit is amazing. Where did you find something like this?"

 

"Would you believe I found it in a root cellar?"

 

She shook her head, "I'm inclined to say no, but that sounds like just the sort of crazy find people stumble over in the Commonwealth."

 

An idea stuck in my mind. "You heard about the Red Tourette situation?"

 

Noelle frowned and nodded.

 

"What do you think?"

 

"I get how this is one of those 'accept anyone who's willing' type deals, but if it were up to me, I'd have wiped them out. Don't get me wrong, I think I understand why you gave them a chance. Tom constantly talked shit about them, how they were too soft to kidnap children, how Red wouldn't let her guys rape hostages, how they were too picky to eat long pig, stuff like that. Kind makes it sound like they weren't cut out for the raider life... but they did live the raider life, and they did it for a long time. I'm just not sure how you turn someone around when that's all they know. Does that make sense?"

 

I nodded. "It's been on my mind recently. Thanks, Doc, I appreciate the perspective."

 

That night I asked Piper, "did I make the wrong call with Tourette?"

 

 

She seemed to think about it for a while before she answered. "I think you made... a risky decision. If she goes back to the raider life, people are going to question your judgment in the future. But if she makes good, they'll say 'only Overseer Ellison could tame a raider queen,' or something melodramatic like that."

 

I smiled at that, "let me guess, that'll be the headline of your newspaper."

 

"Damn straight!" she affirmed.

 

"I guess my problem is... in my mind, as an idea, getting raiders to change their lifestyle is totally in line with the values I'm pushing. Just like the Breeders, welcome them in, don't single them out because of their circumstances. But then I met her and I'm... I'm questioning myself."

 

"Living a hard like ain't pretty, Blue," Piper said. "I'm not making excuses for Red Tourette. Honestly, I think she's more than a little nuts. But she was being the person she had to be to survive. That's kind of a bitter pill for me, because you know how raiders touched my past, but didn't you think she... and her gang for that matter, were kind of pathetic? I don't know about you but I never felt threatened or intimidated. It was like being around a bunch of kids who were desperate to look tough because they were afraid of what the bigger kids would do to them."

 

"Yeah, they sure were pathetic, I agree with you there. But that massacre of the other raiders... what do next time Red decides her folks need to 'get it out of their system' and does that to a bunch of prisoners?"

 

"You punish them according to our laws," Piper said. "And that probably means somebody ending up on the end of a rope."

 

"Shouldn't I at least put them all in punishment suits and make them work the farms, break up their settlement and scatter them?"

 

"Nothing's stopping you from doing that whenever you think it's called for. Trust your gut for now, don't overthink it. Your first reaction was to give them a chance - so give them a chance. Now, are you going to moan about this all night? Do I need to take your mind off of this?"

 

I yawned, but she was right, this was going to keep running around my head unless I distracted myself. So nodding, I said, "I'd like that, sweetie."

 

Piper scooched down to the end of the bed, pulling on the strap on, before slipping under my legs and up against my hips, entering me with slow pressure. Leisurely, she fucked me with the rubber cock until the tension started to flee my body. I didn't even come, I just relaxed and, ultimately, felt myself drifting off to sleep in a warm haze.

 

 

Before I could completely pass out, however, Piper gently roused me. "Clean up before bed," she whispered, holding the juice-slick strap-on in front of my mouth. 

 

"Of course," I purred, before taking the cock most of the way into my mouth and gently suckling it. I moved up and down by increments, only briefly fully gobbling down the toy, before letting most of it back out and lazily sucking at the tip until Piper seemed satisfied. Piper cuddled up next to me, and after a kiss goodnight I at last slid into a deep and restful sleep.

 

The next morning, we had a little trouble up at that northern trail, right where Dirk had worried about unwanted visitors. Fortunately, the watchstander on the observation post saw them coming and we were able to muster for a fight. "Them," in this case, was a pack of hostile robots. Like the group I'd encountered outside Concord some time back, it was a motley assortment of patched up frankenbots led incongruously by a pristine pre-war Eyebot.

 

 

The flying ones rushed the north part of the camp, but we were able to lay down concentrated firepower and destroy them one at a time. Further back, walking models were taking pot shots at us with laser cannons. Once the flying threat was under control, we advanced on the snipers and neutralized them before they could hurt any of my people. Unfortunately, we subsequently discovered they'd already done some damage. When we moved in to check the robots, we found that the walkers had been firing at us from the remains of a small campfire - strew with the bodies of travelers. I wondered if these people had been trying to reach Concord or Abernathy Farm when their luck had run out, or if they were just passing through.

 

 

Once we were sure there weren't any more robots lurking nearby, we stripped the wrecks for valuable materials. They were in bad shape, and it wasn't much of a haul, but every bit of circuitry and steel still helped. Curiously, this time the Eyebot hadn't exploded, and inside it's computer core we found a holotape loaded with recorded audio. When I played it on my Pip-Boy, a robotic voice emanated from the speaker.

 

"Attention, people of the Commonwealth. I, the Mechanist, have come to bring about an age of peace. Do not be alarmed. These robots are your allies."

 

"Interesting way they show it," Piper muttered.

 

"Your protectors. And they will not rest until the Commonwealth is saved."

 

"Wasn't the Mechanist a comic book hero back before the war?" Nick asked.

 

"Now that you mention it," I admitted, "I think so. This robot situation just gets stranger and stranger."

 

I decided to take a walk around the camp and look for any more areas where we might need to shore up the defenses. I had a really clear feeling like we needed more protection, but even after surveying the camp I couldn't settle on where we needed it the most. Maybe down by the reservoir, at the water treatment equipment. Placed right, a guardhouse there could cover the dam and spot trouble on the way in. On the other hand, the west side of the camp might benefit from some further protection - maybe some turrets. I decided to consult Dirk on which option he felt was best.

 

While I was doing my survey, however, another rainstorm rolled in and soon I slipped under cover into one of the cabins, where the men stationed there had set up a rather nice improvised kitchen. Nodding to the guy inside, I gestured to the cooking food.

 

 

"Quite a setup you've got in here. Pritchard, right?"

 

He nodded, "yes, ma'am. What can I say, man's gotta eat."

 

"Is that noodles you've got cooking there? I don't think I've seen noddles since my last visit to Diamond City."

 

"Little bit of scavver wisdom for you, ma'am, those fried noodles that come in a plastic bag? They literally last forever. As good today as the day the bombs dropped."

 

I grimaced a little, thinking of all the barely-regulated preservatives and additives that went into convenience food like that. "And what's cooking next to it?"

 

"Took down a radstag on my patrol yesterday. So meat's on the menu... for a little while at least."

 

"Sounds like maybe we need to bring in some civilian help to broaden the diet, then."

 

Pritchard shrugged. "I've got nothing against tatoes, ma'am, but if you can get some variety, I won't complain."

 

"Speaking in variety, can I ask you something a little personal?"

 

"Sure, why not?"

 

"Your hair down there," I pointed to his cock. "I've seen that style more and more. That the new thing?"

 

"What? The little moustache? Yeah, the girls eat it up. No pun intended. Why? You don't like it?"

 

I shook my head, grinning a little, "nah, don't let me get in your way. I just never saw that style before the war. But fashion's always changing, and if it's getting you the kind of attention you want, who am I to stop you?"

 

"Who indeed," he laughed, "but I gotta watch the meat or it's gonna burn. Anything you need from me?"

 

I shook my head. "No, that's all. Carry on, Pritchard."

 

Walking back to my cabin, I heard voices inside the central barn, and curious I peeked inside as I passed.

 

"...if Matthew needs treatment, it's important that all four of the restraints are secure," Noelle Fletcher was saying to Luna. "He's going to lose interest in the treatment as soon as he has his first ejaculation. That's normal, and it's a psychological thing, not physical."

 

Any time I hear the word, 'ejaculation,' it makes my ears perk up. That's doubly so when my eyes landed on the sight of Matthew Park strapped to an angled table, with a pink dildo sliding in and out of his ass. Park seemed nonplussed with the experience, but the two women didn't appear to share his discomfort. 

 

 

"I assume you'll take care of all the preparation, though?" Luna asked.

 

Noelle nodded, but cautioned, "yes, but if I'm away from the camp you might need to help get him set up. I'd like to keep him completely drained, at least on days when he's on duty, so he needs to report here before muster and at lunch break."

 

Matthew continued to watch silently, as the women discussed his fate. Then his body tensed and a few pulses of milky semen spurted from his mostly-flaccid cock.

 

"See, this is what I'm talking about," Noelle said, cleaning off the mess with a moist towelette, "even though Matthew will think he's done, he'll still have more accumulated fluids."

 

"In fact, based on the amount he's let out here..." as Noelle spoke, she looped her thumb and forefinger around Matthew's penis and squeezed out more cum in a smooth tugging motion. Matthew's face screwed up like he was going to sneeze, and I noted that his cock twitched a little at the stimulation. "...I think he may need at least one more cycle before he's entirely emptied. This might be a side-effect of the IHFM gene, or it might just be your son, but it looks like he has a rather fast rate of semen production. In any event, he needs to stay on the treatment chair until we can observe an orgasm with no discharge."

 

"Do I have to," Matthew finally managed to ask, the dildo still wicking in and out of his ass.

 

Noelle shook her head, "This is going to be important for curbing your disruptive habits and your daydreaming," she explained. "I admit I'm not an expert on IHFM, but from what I understand if you don't manage the condition it will become more and more disruptive over time. And there's the heightened risk of prostate and testicular cancer if you don't regularly flush out your system."

 

"Can't I just, you know, handle it myself?"

 

Luna looked indulgently at him, "I think you've tried that for quite a while, right? Let the doctor try it her way and give your sister a break for a while."

 

"Isn't there any other way?" he pleaded.

 

"Well, I could just suck your cock until you let loose," Noelle started.

 

"Yes," Matthew said, "I like that much better."

 

"The problem is, I'm your doctor, not your girlfriend. So let's keep this professional. The other option is that we remove your testicles. That would almost immediately get your hormones under control."

 

Luna smirked at that, "it would certainly simplify things."

 

"No, I very much do not like that one," Matthew blurted. "I'll try the therapy."

 

"Fletcher," I asked, "what are you doing to this poor kid?"

 

 

 

Luna turned to face me, a bit of a mischievous look in her eye. "Overseer, good to see you. Doctor Fletcher was just discussing part of her prescription to help Matthew with his peeping tom problem."

 

"Yes," Fletcher added, "it's a multi-part treatment. As you can see here, we'll ensure that he's kept full satisfied at all times, which should help damp down on his urges towards disruptive behavior. I've also logged some Workshop time to decorate his room in a way that'll help give him alternatives to gratifying himself by staring at his sister. All in all, oh, there we go."

 

Matthew had tensed up again, but this time only a trickle of clear fluid ran from the tip of his cock. Once more, Noelle squeezed out the remaining fluid, nodding with satisfaction. 

 

"OK, young man, I think you are dry. Let's get you down from there, and then I'll see you first thing in the morning for your next draining."

 

The young man looked a little dazed. "How many times do I need to do this?"

 

Noelle considered, "let's start with every work day for the next month. After four weeks, we can look at your progress and adjust accordingly. Of course, if you find a partner, let me know right away. We'll need to make some adjustments to the plan."

 

"But it's all men here," he protested.

 

Luna shrugged, "I keep telling you that you should give it a try. I'm sure there'll be some women assigned here eventually, though. Until then, just be patient and keep up your therapy."

 

I tracked down Luna later that day to confirm that she was actually on board with Fletcher's rather unorthodox treatment plan. 

 

"I was a little uncomfortable with the whole tying up part, but otherwise? He needs something like this. It's like Doctor Fletcher said, if he just touches himself he'll quit after he hits his first climax - so he'll never get completely satisfied. Until he can find a nice girl who can take care of his needs, this is a good solution."

 

 

"He seemed a little uncomfortable," I pointed out.

 

"Oh, sure, I can't blame him. I don't think he's ever had something in his rear end like that before. But Doctor Fletcher said that prostate massage is the best technique for thoroughly draining him, so he's going to have to get used to it. Hell, maybe he'll end up liking it."

 

"Just remember that for all his immature behavior, Matthew's an adult. If he puts his foot down and says he wants to stop, I expect you and Fletcher to honor it. Understood?"

 

"Of course, ma'am. That doesn't mean I won't try to persuade him to do what's best for himself."

 

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Does Dirk know?"

 

She nodded, "he's already agreed to give him some flexibility in his schedule in case his treatment runs long."

 

"OK. And I don't know if you know the answer, but if we get other Breeder men, are they going to need treatment like this too?"

 

She shrugged. "I have no idea. If anything, Fletcher might know better."

 

Before I left her be, I poked my head inside the Parks' cabin to see what Noelle had been talking about regarding Workshop time. I was a little worried I'd find more bondage devices in there. The reality was a little out of the ordinary - she'd moved most of his furniture out of the way to hang up a variety of erotic prints on the walls. Evidently that's what she meant when she talked about giving him distractions.

 

 

I shook my head at that, thinking out loud, "why is it that I never attract normal doctors?"

 

On this topic, I found Fletcher waiting for me in my office when I returned from the day's work.

 

"Doctor," I said, "what brings you here at this hour?"

 

"Two things," she answered, "first, I want to apologize for taking you by surprise with Matthew's therapy. I wanted to get a baseline for his treatment requirements before I briefed you, and you walked in on our diagnostic session. I know he seemed reluctant at that moment, which is normal for someone his age when women are seeing him in an aroused state, but I assure you he gave fully informed consent before we began."

 

"Was that consent predicated on him avoiding castration?" I asked wryly.

 

"Certainly not. In fact, when you heard me mention orchidectomy was the first time I raised the subject."

 

"OK," I said. "Luna probably already told you, but I was very clear with her that I expect you to stop if Matthew withdraws his consent. Understood?"

 

"Absolutely," she said firmly.

 

"Good. Now what's the second thing you came here for?"

 

"Winter Ainsleigh asked me if I would do her a favor."

 

"Really?" I asked, crooking an eyebrow. "Something to do with the suit?"

 

"Actually no, she wanted me to send her love to you and Piper."

 

"To me?" Piper asked, evidently a little surprised.

 

"Winter said she's been thinking about the conversation you had before you led the operation to Sunshine Tidings, and she wanted to know that she's sorry about the things she said. She said that you're important to her and that she wants both you and Piper to be part of her life. To that end..."

 

Noelle tossed her hat onto my desk and looked first me, then Piper, in the eyes. "Winter asked me to have you lie down and give Piper a big kiss while I eat your pussy."

 

"Well, that was unexpected," Piper muttered.

 

"Not so unexpected," I admitted, "this kind of sounds like Winter's style. What do you think, sweetie? Up for a threesome?"

 

Piper laughed, "Blue, I've worked hard to avoid getting pulled into your broader love life until now." She paused noticeably, then shook her head, "but I guess if we're going to keep being an item, I need to get in good with Winter, too. So if this is a gift from Winter," she leaned closer, "then let me at those pretty lips."

We got comfortable, me pulling Piper close and feeling her squeeze at my breast. I tried to reach around towards her, but Fletcher clamped down on my wrist and held me steady. A moment later, I could feel her breath between my legs.

 

 

"Holy shit," she said, "Winter wasn't kidding. How do you like it, Charley? Do folks suck on it like a dick?" Unable to respond with Piper stuck to my face, Fletcher apparently took that as a yes and pulled my clit in between her lips, gently squeezing and sucking it with a delicate slurping sound. While plenty of people had licked, fondled, and sucked on my clit, no one so far had really approached it like fellatio, and Fletcher's attentions were an interesting and original experience. Soon I found myself tightening up and I wrapped my legs around her head. From there, it was just a matter of time before the rhythmic contractions of orgasm set in and I squeezed her head hard between my thighs. To her credit, Fletcher kept going until the last of the spasms in my pelvis settled down, then she looked to Piper.

 

"Got a strap-on?" she asked, matter of factly.

 

"Of course I've got a strap-on," she said. 

 

It wasn't long after that I found myself rolled over on top of Piper and getting pounded in both holes by her and our Winter-substitute. Double penetration was something new for me (two 'news' in one night!) and I quickly found myself overwhelmed by the intense stimulation, mostly just lying there while they smashed me.

 

 

"Is this what it feels like when you're running around in the powersuit?" Noelle asked, "every hole all filled up, stretching and squeezing as your body moves?"

 

I intended to say something witty about having four holes filled in the suit, but instead I eloquently groaned, "uhhhhhhhhh."

 

Soon I was lying on the floor, completely boneless, and I heard Fletcher walking away. Before she could go far, Piper stopped her. "Hold up, Noelle," she said. I flopped over on my side, and saw that Noelle had been walking to the sink.

 

"Didn't Winter tell you? We have a special way of cleaning up afterwards. Whoever takes the strap-on, cleans the strap-on."

 

Obediently, I licked clean each of the strap-ons, then looked to Noelle, "are you planning for this to be a regular thing?" I asked.

 

She gave me  thoughtful look. "I was planning it as a one time thing, just a favor for Winter. But... if you and Piper had fun, I wouldn't mind playing some more in the future."

 

Piper chuckled. "Careful, once Blue gets her hooks in you, there's no escape."

 

As it happened, though, events were conspiring to keep us distracted for quite some time to come.