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nesiacha · 3 months ago

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The Journey of the Forgotten French Revolutionary Victor Bach: His Opposition to the Directory and Bonaparte, and Questions Surrounding the Mystery of His Death

Le Cœur - La mort de Victor Bach, le 18 brumaire, au pied de la statue de la Liberté, place de la Concorde - P460 - Musée Carnavalet (portrait representing the death of Victor Bach)

Before addressing the hypotheses regarding his mysterious death, it is essential to learn more about the journey of this revolutionary. Here is how he is described in the book Biographie des Contemporains (Biography of Contemporaries), written by Arnault and Jay in 1821: "Doctor in Paris, elector of the department of the Seine in (...) 1798; one of the most enthusiastic and passionate supporters of the Revolution. He was arrested by order of the Directory government and brought before a jury on charges of writing a satirical pamphlet against members of the Directory, particularly those responsible for the law of 22 Floréal, Year VII (May 11, 1799) (...). After being released, Bach continued to vehemently attack the directors and all enemies of the Revolution. In June 1799 (Prairial, Year VII), he delivered a fiery speech at the Jacobin Tribune on Rue du Bac, in which he again railed against the Directory, outlined the dangers threatening the Republic, and proposed the creation of an exclusively democratic government. He concluded his speech by reading a proposed constitution, in which he expanded the notion of democracy so much that the 1793 constitution (...) would have seemed like an aristocratic work by comparison. The revolution of 18 Brumaire, Year VIII, and General Bonaparte's rise to power as Consul, shook his already fragile mind; he took his own life at the foot of the Statue of Liberty."

Historian Bernard Gainot already notes an error in this biography. Victor Bach allegedly gave this speech at the Club du Manège, not at the Jacobin Tribune. Michaud places Bach in the political spectrum of Babouvism or neo-Babouvism, describing him as: "After the fall of Robespierre, he, in turn, was persecuted and narrowly escaped the prosecutions directed at Babeuf's accomplices and the assailants of the Camp of Grenelle." However, Bernard Gainot considers this portrait confused, as it seems to mix up the repression of Year III with the repression targeting the Babouvists from Year IV onward.

This is how Bernard Gainot summarizes this opponent of the Directory: He was born into a family of blacksmiths in Villefranche-de-Rouergue in 1764. His father was a Freemason, and his cousin played a significant local role during the French Revolution. After completing his medical studies, Victor Bach always made sure to mention his medical degree in his signature.

He was deeply committed to the Revolution. According to Gainot, documents from Year III describe him as a former police commissioner of the Chalier section. In his book Les Sans-Culottes Parisiens en l’An II, Soboul cites a denunciation by Victor Bach in Germinal, Year II, against "the wealthy members of his section who had contributed a smaller sum to a collection for saltpeter than the workers of the gunpowder workshop" (as quoted by Bernard Gainot).

Some documents present him as a supporter of Carrier. As a result, the Thermidorian period depicted him as a terrorist, even a Robespierrist (a term as confused as Hébertist, Dantonist, or even Girondin). Under the Directory, Bach remained politically active, living among the neo-Jacobins and continuing to be involved with political opponents of the Directory. He was a member of the Société Politique, where he interacted with well-known revolutionary opponents of the time, including Xavier Audouin, Felix Lepeletier, Antonelle (nicknamed "the Invariable"), Adjutant Jorry, René Vatar, and others.

Victor Bach is far from the unknown figure he is today. The speech he delivered at the Manège in 1799 was well-received within certain circles, but outside, it sparked controversies, such as Poultier’s accusation of Jacobin conspiracy, accusing him of advocating for a revolutionary system based on the suppression of private property. This provided a pretext to close the Manège.

Gainot disputes the idea that Victor Bach represented a split between radicals and opportunists.

Bach invoked the tragedies of the Revolution, not out of nostalgia, but to draw "lessons" intended to strengthen the maturity of the democratic movement. He glorified the "martyrs" of the revolutionary cause, reinforcing a cult of memory typical of revolutionary rhetoric, without necessarily advocating a return to what is sometimes called the troubled period of 1793 (I still have difficulty with the word Terror, knowing that it was coined by opportunists to rehabilitate their political reputations, though I accept it more than the silly term Reign of Terror).

Bach particularly stood out for his emphasis on progressive taxation, which he saw as a key tool for social redistribution and the consolidation of the Republic. This set him apart from other reformers of the time, like Félix Le Peletier, whose proposals, though converging on certain points, lacked the same programmatic coherence. Bach’s program reflected a socially oriented vision, deeply concerned with economic justice, as evidenced by his proposals for public assistance, education, and support for the disadvantaged.

Gainot also highlights that, while Bach aligned himself with the Constitution of Year III, his discourse was perceived as a threat by conservatives. They quickly exploited some of his proposals, particularly the idea of citizens' "co-ownership," to discredit his program by equating it with extreme revolutionary ideas, such as agrarian law or the abolition of private property. However, Gainot demonstrates that Bach was not advocating for the abolition of private property but for extending political rights to a broader segment of citizens. Unlike figures like Babeuf, Momoro, or Jacques Roux ( Jacques Roux who encroached on property during food store pillages), Bach was one of those republicans who believed in the sanctity of property rights.

In a broader perspective, Gainot connects Bach to other republican figures of the time, such as Bernard Metge (a staunch opponent of Sieyes and Bonaparte, as well as an adamant adversary of Babouvism) and François Dubreuil, who shared similar concerns about pauperism and the defense of republican principles. However, these militants, though active in the democratic opposition, were unprepared for the repression that followed under the Consulate, leading to their marginalization or political disappearance.

The article shows that Bach’s trajectory, and that of the neo-Jacobins in general, is emblematic of the tensions between pursuing revolutionary ideals and the reality of a republican regime in transition, seeking to stabilize while fighting internal and external threats. Bach, though aware of the dangers, seemed to believe in the continued existence of an open public sphere where democratic debates could still take place.

I appreciated Bernard Gainot's comparison of the similarities and differences between Victor Bach and Felix Le Peletier. Both were fervent republicans who sought to regenerate the Republic and combat corruption, particularly by defending the principle that civil servants should be held accountable, transparently revealing their income, for example. Both believed in the right of association, albeit for different reasons—one to defend political freedoms, the other to maintain contact with the people, who would be a key element in the struggle.

They sought to punish traitors and embezzlers and defended a social-economic program. But Victor Bach was more radical than Felix Le Peletier. He placed even greater emphasis on proposals such as progressive taxation and assistance to the poor, whereas Felix Le Peletier, though he mentioned these issues in his speeches, was more cautious, likely out of tactical prudence given that they were a minority facing the Directory.

Bach aimed his message more at the neo-Jacobins who would recognize themselves in his discourse, while Felix Le Peletier sought to appeal to a broader audience, including republican notables or part of the Legislative Body.

Now we turn to the circumstances of Victor Bach's death. Traditionally, he is seen as a republican who, upon witnessing all his fears materialize in the form of a military dictator and the destruction of the Revolution, killed himself with a pistol on 18 Brumaire at the foot of the Statue of Liberty when Bonaparte took power. However, this theory is challenged by several pieces of evidence. At that time, the press was not yet fully censored, and if a well-known figure like Victor Bach had committed suicide under such conditions, it would have been reported in the press at least. A man did indeed commit suicide on 3 Frimaire, Year VIII (November 24, 1799), but this man was named Carré and did so at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.

So, what happened to Victor Bach? Bonaparte had not forgotten him, as we know he used the machine infernale incident perpetrated by royalists as an opportunity to eliminate opposition from the left, sending some people he knew well (notably Giuseppe Ceracchi, tortured for false confessions and sent to the guillotine, among others) to their deaths.

Bach was listed for deportation, yet his name was later altered with the claim that he had committed suicide on June 5, 1800, in the Bois de Boulogne. However, this body turned out to be that of a certain Arson. So, what happened? What are the exact circumstances of Victor Bach's death?

Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Bois de Boulogne was a known location for duels. Gainot puts forward three hypotheses: Le Journal des Hommes libres reports that during the period of Year VIII, disputes escalated into duels, with one side consisting of democratic supporters and the other of those aligned with Sieyès. Victor Bach, being an opponent of Bonaparte, may have been involved in such a duel and died as a result. His body could not be identified, even though it was said that he died in the Bois de Boulogne.

However, there is another, more troubling hypothesis raised by Gainot: it is possible that an agent (perhaps acting under Fouché’s orders) secretly eliminated Victor Bach to rid themselves of a troublesome and well-known political adversary. This is plausible, as Bonaparte (or his advisors like Cambacérès, Fouché, Talleyrand) broke many legal norms. The fact that no evidence has surfaced could support the idea of the destruction of compromising documents. Given Bonaparte's history of eliminating bodies, as seen with the former slaves, rebels, and even innocent Black individuals drowned by Rochambeau and Leclerc under Bonaparte’s orders, one might wonder if such methods were employed against Bach. But in 1800, in metropolitan France, why would they do this to Bach and not extend the same treatment to other Bonaparte opponents like Buonarroti? And what would Bonaparte (or Fouché, Talleyrand, or Cambacérès) gain from such an action? Moreover, the surprise surrounding Bach's death seems genuine, as he had been on the deportation list, and it was only when his death was learned that a modification had to be made.

The third hypothesis is that of suicide. It is suggested that Bach might have taken his own life after Bonaparte’s victory at the Battle of Marengo (June 1800), which solidified the latter’s power and dashed the hopes of the republican opposition. However, his body mysteriously disappeared, leading to speculation that his friends may have discreetly buried him, or that the police erased all traces of his death. On the other hand, Victor Bach comes across as a fighter, an authentic revolutionary who did not waver even during the harshest periods of the Directory. But this hypothesis remains more plausible than the second. Personally, I lean toward the first hypothesis, but if that were the case, why was his body never found for identification, especially since he had family he was constantly in contact with, as well as colleagues nearby? Why didn’t they reported his death? I understand the part where they might have wanted to bury him in secret to ensure his body was treated with respect, but not to mention it at all seems odd. This whole affair is quite mysterious.

In any case, it seems safe to say that he died before the roundup of Jacobins for deportation or execution, and that’s likely the only certainty we will have. However, we can still remember his revolutionary work, both for the good he accomplished and for what he may be criticized for. We should strive to bring him out of the obscurity into which he has fallen, considering that he was well-known during his lifetime.

I end with some extracts from Victor Bach's speech qu'il a adressé au Directoire.

"… calculate, if you can, the sum of the vices, the crimes, and the evils of all kinds that have emerged from the cavern of the overthrown Directory, like another Pandora's box; count, if you can, the number of families they have plunged into misery, divided, decimated, or annihilated; measure, if possible, the tears and blood they have caused to be shed! The blood of several million men, the tears of almost all the peoples of both hemispheres, condensed on their sacrilegious heads, form a black, dark, thick cloud, from which the thunder will inevitably strike to crush them sooner or later. Illustrious spirits of the victims of Vendôme, sacrificed by Viellard on the altar of the bloodthirsty gods who desecrated Luxembourg! Revered spirits of the overly trusting republicans massacred at Grenelle, no less precious spirits of the democrats of Switzerland and Italy! And you, generous and immortal spirits of our heroes, reduced to every kind of deprivation, and sacrificed in the hospices and in battle to satisfy their insatiable thirst for blood and riches, who undoubtedly delight in soaring over this cradle of liberty—take back for a moment your bloodied bodies, gather your scattered limbs, rise from your graves, stand up, and come with us, with your mutilated comrades, with your widows and orphans, your fathers, mothers, sisters, and mourning brothers! Come, come demand with us from the Legislative Body full justice and swift vengeance!" ( I think that it is Victor Bach who make this speech)

Those are definitely from him: When he warns against impulsiveness: "It is certainly good and useful to have confidence in one's abilities and resources; but this commendable presumption, without which one cannot hope for victory in battle or in politics, has its limits. If these limits are exceeded, it becomes nothing more than recklessness, powerless bravado, a ridiculous boastfulness that turns the laurels, which one was certain to win, into cypress, had one only listened to the humble voice of wisdom and prudence…"

When he addresses the members of the Directory by name: "Yes, guilty as you may be, Reubell, Merlin, and all of you legislators, directors, or ministers who may be their accomplices! I do not wish for your death, but rather that you be sentenced to sweep the streets of Paris, dressed in those grand costumes that gave you the pride, greed, and cruelty of the kings you sought to imitate."

Rest in peace Victor Bach.

Sources: Albert Soboul Biographie des Contemporains (1821) by Arnault and Jay Michaud Journal des Hommes libres Bernard Gainot’s investigation into the "suicide" of Victor Bach, extracted from Annales historiques de la Révolution française

#frev #french revolution #the directory #napoleonic era #napoleon bonaparte #jacobin #history #1800s

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all-action-all-picture · 6 months ago

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1974 ad for Airfix model kits:

Supermarine S.6B - Designed by R.J. Mitchell who went on to design the Supermarine Spitfire.

BAC-SUD Concorde - BAC stood for British Aircraft Corporation and SUD was Sud Aviation. Concorde first flew in 1969, began commercial flights in 1976 and was retired in 2003.

Cutty Sark - still on public display at Greenwich, London.

H.M.S. Manxman - launched in 1940 and broken up (scrapped) in 1973.

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak - Entered service in the US in 1954, it retired from the USAF in 1964 but was still flown by National Guard units into the early 70's.

#07sep #1974 #model kit #schneider trophy #supermarine s.6b #supermarine spitfire #concorde #cutty sark #hms manxman #thunderstreak #airfix

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bizarre-blorbo-bracket · 1 year ago

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Round 1 Poll 28: the Concorde from Aérospatiale/BAC vs Gnash from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Ring of Fates

Propaganda under the cut:

The Concorde

It's a plane. The BEST plane. It has a moving nose, so sometimes it's got a drooping snout. It's one of the only supersonic commercial planes out there (there is only 1 other!) and can cruise at MACH 2! It's a thing of beauty, if I was rich I would love to be on one. Honestly, if it wasn't retired, I'd love to watch one take off.

Gnash

MY FERRAL AUTISM BOY!!! He talks to animals! I wanna squeeze him! I wanna use his double jump to sequence break and attempt to jump out of the map! He's cute and I used to kinda have a crush* on him (when I was 12. fuck that's 10 years ago shit fuck i'm old now) and if fictional characters aged with the passage of time I still would have a crush* on him now. He's still my cute scrunkly with sequence break potential and I have a crush* on an imaginary idea of what Gnash would be like as an adult because he kickstarted my love of fictional androgynous guys, and some of my FNAF AU/OC characters share some of his traits. *FYI I only have a vague idea of what a crush is. It's someone you find BOTH aesthetically cute AND you think you'd have a nice relationship with them, right? And people can pick their crushes, right? You think "hu, that fictional character is cute and a relationship with them may be sweet" and then you go through the "do I want to have a crush on this character" and if you select yes, that's getting a crush works, right? (Gnash will always tick the cute box but the latter box wouldn't work unless I was magically 15 again)

#aircrafts #gnash #Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Ring of Fates #final fantasy #concorde

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zack4x4 · 5 months ago

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Concorde: El avión supersónico francés-británico

Aeroespacial/BAC Concorde Concorde fue un avión icónico de la aviación supersónica en el mundo. En 1996, había 14 unidades sirviendo con sus lujosos vuelos. La mayoría de los aviones de pasajeros de hoy en día presentan un diseño similar: motores encapsulados, alas delgadas y barridas, y un fuselaje ovalado. Sin embargo, en los principales aeropuertos como Londres, Nueva York y París,…

#Aviones

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christophe76460 · 5 months ago

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Ces proverbes donneront aux gens sans expérience le bon sens et aux jeunes la connaissance et la réflexion (Proverbes 1:4).

Le mot traduit par gens sans expérience veut littéralement dire ouvert dans le sens naïf, qui est trop facilement influençable et qui ne reconnaît pas le danger. Dans les Écritures, ce terme a le plus souvent un sens négatif et veut dire stupide dans plusieurs proverbes (Proverbes 1:32; 8:5), par exemple :

Le stupide croit tout ce qu’on lui dit, mais l’homme réfléchi avance avec prudence (Proverbes 14:15).

Ou encore :

La folie, voilà ce qu’héritent les stupides (Proverbes 14:18).

Ici et ailleurs, le mot ouvert désigne des gens sans expérience de la vie et qui manquent donc de discernement et de prudence. Ces personnes ont tendance à s’associer avec des gens peu recommandables ou encore à faire un mauvais choix pour une école ou un travail.

Je suis l’illustration d’un stupide. Quand j’étais au collège, j’avais un bon copain très bien. Là, pas de problème. Seulement après la 3e, il a décidé d’aller dans un lycée technique et je l’ai suivi parce qu’il était mon copain. Ce fut une très mauvaise idée, car pour moi ce lycée s’est presque littéralement transformé en galère où j’ai dû ramer à fond la caisse pour pouvoir décrocher le bac. J’ai déjà expliqué que je suis incapable de me faire des représentations dans l’espace, alors en géométrie descriptive, en dessin industriel ou pour façonner une pièce d’usinage que je n’arrive pas à voir, je suis comme une poule qui vient de trouver un couteau.

Jésus ne se faisait guère d’illusion non plus sur ses disciples. Quand il les a envoyés en mission, il leur a dit :

Voici : je vous envoie comme des brebis au milieu des loups. Soyez prudents comme des serpents et innocents comme des colombes (Matthieu 10:16).

Un serpent se sait très vulnérable, alors il fait très attention où il met les pieds, pour ainsi dire, avant d’agir.

L’auteur dit : Ces proverbes donneront aux gens sans expérience le bon sens, ou plus exactement la ruse, mais sous un angle positif. Le bon sens est une connaissance intuitive pratique acquise par l’expérience. Je me souviens d’un prof qui nous avait dit :

La connaissance en soi c’est bien beau, mais pas très fiable. Par contre, savoir où dégotter l’information qu’on cherche est beaucoup mieux.

Par exemple, pour retrouver un verset des Écritures, il suffit tout simplement de connaître la Bible par cœur. Mais comme cet idéal est pour moi plus éloigné que la lune, j’ai appris à me servir des concordances papier et informatisée, qui sont mon pense-bête en somme.

Ensuite, il est dit :

Ces proverbes donneront aux jeunes la connaissance et la réflexion.

Le jeune étant dépourvu d’expérience, il est une proie facile pour les mauvais lurons. Il doit donc apprendre à discerner ce qui sonne faux et à choisir entre le bien et le mal, ce qui est généralement facile. Par contre, se décider entre bien et mieux, mieux et meilleur est beaucoup plus difficile. C’est là que ceux qui pensent être futés manquent de prudence et se plantent. L’instruction dispensée par les proverbes qui vont suivre va permettre aux jeunes gens d’acquérir la connaissance et le discernement nécessaires à une vie juste et sensée.

Quant à la réflexion, elle consiste à peser le pour et le contre d’une action et à mesurer d’avance ses conséquences. C’est l’attitude opposée à celle de l’insensé ou du stupide qui dans son arrogance se croyant plus malin que les autres agit tête baissée sans réfléchir. Ensuite, il ne lui reste plus que les yeux pour pleurer.

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jimbleswrites · 11 months ago

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Nora, the Sole Survivor

Chapter 6: Sanctuary, Rebuilt

The walk back to Sanctuary was more lively than my initial walk. Between Preston and Sturges talking to each other about the long trip and Marcy and Jun tending to Mama Murphy, there was a source of chatter the whole trip. The dog even followed us back, although no one knew if he was a stray or not. Even Moe and I had a talk about some of the things I hadn’t been sure of. It turns out ghouls weren’t the only new species of human, there was another race of ‘super mutants’ that evolved somehow. They were very aggressive, not very smart, and constantly attacked settlements, looking for ‘green stuff’, whatever that meant.

Diamond City, on the other hand, was a large city in the heart of old downtown. Apparently the biggest in the Commonwealth and one of the oldest still surviving. Moe talked about it with scorn, but I thought back to what Mama Murphy had said about ‘a neon heart in a big city’. Maybe Diamond City was the big city she meant? I decided to help the group settle, and maybe Mama Murphy would be able to clarify once she woke up.

We walked past the red rocket station as we walked, with night falling just as we hit the bridge before Sanctuary proper. Preston finally broke off from Sturges, coming up to join Moe and I in the front. “So this is it. Hopefully no one has set up camp here.” Preston looked forward, the wood creaking as we started to cross.

“Yeah, the neighbors are terrible. An ornery old robot and a human ice cube.” Moe laughed as he punched my arm.

I laughed with him. “Yeah, I’ve lived here for a while. But you’re free to set up home wherever works best for you.” I explained to Preston, who seemed confused.

“I thought no one had set up here past Concord. Guess our intel was wrong.” Preston mused. Codsworth was hovering around, trimming hedges until he noticed us.

He waved as we got closer. “Good evening, Nora! You’ve found some friends out there!” His voice was as chipper as ever.

“These people are looking for a new place to settle. Codsworth, I don’t suppose you can help them get set up for tonight?” I asked.

“Of course, ma’am. Please let me help!” He rushed off, coming back with some sleeping bags and guiding the group towards the house across from mine.

We set up sleeping bags and mattresses where we could, and everyone got a little food from Codsworth’s stash. All of them were tired from the day and decided to sleep for the night. Soon it was just Moe, Codsworth, and I sitting on a curb outside in the chilly night air.

“It will be lovely to have people here again after so many years!” Codsworth cheered. “But I do hope your quest was successful in finding more information about Shaun, Nora.”

“It was… something.” I sighed. “The world is so different now.” I looked over to Moe. “About Mama Murphy, are psychics a common thing now?” Mama Murphy’s words kept rattling around in my mind.

Moe shrugged. “The radiation has done a lot since you got frozen. Plenty of unexplainable things happen all over. I mean, I shouldn’t even be alive. I wouldn’t worry too much about some old lady muttering random words though.” He yawned through the sentence. “Get some sleep, and you can figure out the rest tomorrow.” He patted my shoulder as he got up, walking back into the guest home.

Codsworth’s eyes whirred as he watched Moe walk away. “That ghoul seems oddly familiar.”

I chuckled to myself. I looked up at Codsworth. Him and Moe were the last ties to the pre-war world I knew. “Codsworth… are you going to be ok if I take a longer trip?”

Codsworth nodded, his center eye moving while the others kept watch. “You’ll find that I can deal with these guests with the best of them, ma’am.”

“No, I mean… I have to go find Shaun. And I may not be back for a long time…” I spoke slowly, processing the full extent of the trip I was planning to take.

“You've no idea the horror these past two centuries have wrought.” Codsworth suddenly interrupted. I looked up at him, all his eyes staring back into mine. “The initial destruction, not knowing if you and your family were all right. It was a relief just to find the entrance intact!”

I teared up a little. “I'm so sorry, Codsworth. It was so sudden. Not even time for goodbyes.”

“I understood completely. Family safety first above all else.” Codsworth continued. “And yes, while it was hard at first, I was able to eventually move on. At first it was work, busying myself day and night, and believe me, there was plenty of it.” He gestured to the trimmed dead hedges of the suburb. “But eventually, the work became light chores. What truly saved me was my memories. Memories of you and the hubby, and young Shaun. Of your love and kindness.” His voice changed from his neutral tone to a softer joyful one. “I soldiered on, fueled by hope that one day, if not you and the husband, that Shaun, or perhaps Shaun's children would one day emerge.”

“You don't regret it? All the waiting?” My tears flowed as I spoke. I couldn’t imagine the wait of 200 years, and the idea that Codsworth stayed here the whole time, with only a vague premise that maybe someday someone would come out of the vault made me feel terrible.

“Never! If you ask me, it was worth it. All 200 years!” Codsworth sounded happy, and gently put his claw on my shoulder. “I just wanted you to know how much I consider you family. I may be a mere robot to some, but I do hope you've come to see me as more.”

“I consider you to be family, too, Codsworth.” I cried. “That’s why I… I…”

“You don't have to say anything, mum. I just... felt you should know what you've come to mean to me. So you can imagine the distress I felt when the bombs fell, after you fled to the Vault. And when you returned, I was overjoyed! I admit I ran a full diagnostics scan just to make sure I wasn't malfunctioning.” His tone was serious and concerned. “But the news. The news of Nate and Shaun. Believe me when I say, it takes a true hero to live through that.”

“I'm no hero, Codsworth. Believe me.” I thought back to the raiders I killed. The absolute violence that this world needed of me.

“In such a bleak world as this, think of all you've witnessed, and all you've done. But you, Nora, you have remained the very model of what humanity should aspire to be.”

I looked at the guest house. There were a group of people there that I helped today. They may have died if I wasn’t there. I wouldn’t call myself a hero, but maybe I did some real good today.

“You don’t want to leave, but Shaun won’t find himself out there.” Codsworth spoke. “I have the utmost faith you will find him out there. I will do my best to take care of our guests, and you are welcome to come back whenever you need.”

I hugged Codsworth, awkwardly wrapping my arms around his waist. There was a pause, then Codsworth put his claw on my back. “I’ll stay here for a few days to help them settle in, but thank you. For everything.”

“Of course, ma’am.” Codsworth replied. We stayed out for a while, watching the stars from the ruined curb, enjoying each other’s company.

***

The next few days were busy ones. I offered to help the group set up, and they had some big plans to make this place a home. Today was all gardening, expanding from the two mutfruit trees Codsworth had to several different types of flora. Corn, razorgrain, tatos, carrots, and melons from the group's pack were planted into the ground, and slowly we built a full garden in the backyard of the guest house. Most of the flora I saw was a little off but alright, but the tatos really weirded me out. The outside was like a tomato, but the inside was brown and starchy like a potato. No one really seemed to like them, but they grew very quickly so nearly all farms in the commonwealth had them growing.

After that, it was all about building a water purifier. Sanctuary already had a river nearby, so Sturges came up with the idea of building a purifier on the river itself to save space. We managed to gather enough raw materials to build it, and I found myself and Moe connecting pipes while the others worked on the water tank and supports.

“Any thoughts on what’s next, Nora?” Moe asked while threading on some nuts on the bracket.

“Well, I was hoping to get Mama Murphy to clarify what she meant.” I looked over to Mama Murphy, sitting on a chair overlooking the river. The dog laid at her feet, watching the people working. “But she hasn’t really said anything.”

“I mean, Diamond City is the biggest place around. I think that’s probably the only place that fits ‘a big city’ around here.” Moe explained.

“I think so too. Probably set up everyone tonight and head out tomorrow morning.” I agreed.

“We should stop by Concord again too. See what’s left over that we can take with us.” Moe added.

I couldn’t say that I was comfortable looting bodies yet, but Moe was right. We’d need more ammo and more armor wouldn’t hurt either. “Yeah, and I’m sure that any larger stuff could get lugged back here.”

“Glad to see we think alike.” Preston interjected. He sat down next to me. “Just came by to thank you two for helping us again.”

“You’re welcome.” I remembered something. “I wanted to ask a favor, as long as you’re all settling in here.” I pointed over to Codsworth, who was cutting metal with his buzzsaw for the water tank. “Codsworth means a lot to me, and if you could just watch over him while I’m away.”

��Of course. He’s been a great help since we got here.” Preston smiled. “How long has he been here?”

I remembered getting Codsworth from the store with Nate a couple months after Shaun was born. “He’s been here since the bombs dropped.”

“Really?” Preston narrowed his eyes. “I don’t mean to pry, but he was talking about you earlier and mentioned you before the war. Did you mess with his memory at all?” He laughed as he continued. “I mean, obviously you weren’t around before the war.”

Moe flashed me a smirk. I sighed. “No, he’s right. I bought Codsworth before the war. I lived over there, a long time ago.”

Preston laughed again, then paused on seeing my face. “Come on, I mean, you’re not a ghoul or anything. There’s no way you’re pre-war.”

“I was frozen in a vault until a few days ago.” I stated.

“Nearly 200 years on ice.” Moe added.

Preston looked in awe. “I… That explains why you looked so confused when we talked. And why you were so comfortable around a pre-war ghoul.”

“Hey, be nice.” Moe snarked.

“It’s been a transition for sure.” I shrugged. “But I feel like I’m finally getting a grip on how things work.”

“You said you were going away. What’s out there you need to find?” Preston asked.

“My son. He was taken away and I need to find out what happened.”

“Wow, that’s a lot.” There was a pause. “Listen, not to add on to your journey, but could you do me a favor?”

“Depends.” Moe responded. I looked at Preston for more information.

“Just past Concord, there’s a little shop in a Drumlin Diner. I got a call for help for the minutemen. No specific details, just needing help. Thing is, no one has responded yet. I think I might actually be the last minuteman, and I can’t abandon these guys while they still need help. Would you be willing to stop by and help?”

“The diner next to the drive-in?” Moe asked. Preston nodded. Moe put a finger to his chin in thought. “It’s on the way, but the boss will have to decide.”

“Of course we can.” I nodded.

Preston sighed in relief. “Thank you. Trust me, I’ll be back on the grind after they’re all settled here.” He clapped my back as he walked back to the others.

“Boss, huh? That’s a fun title.” I teased Moe.

“Hey, you technically pay me to watch your back.” Moe countered. “Now, hurry up with those, looks like they’re ready to set up.”

I looked over to see them moving things towards the river. Moe and I grabbed our supports and walked down to join them. Despite the non-stop labor today, It was the best I had felt since I was unfrozen. We managed to get the purifier set and running, so food and water were set. I told the group that afternoon that we were heading out, and they gave Moe and I the spare rations they had in thanks for all our help.

I was packing my bag for the trip when the dog came up and barked. I tried to pet him only for him to knock my hand away and look towards the river. I looked to see Mama Murphy still watching the running water. The dog wanted me to check on her, I guess? I walked down, eventually standing to her. She was still watching the water, wrapped in a blanket.

“Hey, Mama Murphy.” I crouched down next to her chair. “The dog wanted me to check on you.”

“Dogmeat.” Mama Murphy whispered. It was the first time she had spoken since she talked to me at the museum.

I looked at the dog, curled in Mama Murphy’s legs. I guess Dogmeat is what she named him.

“Right, Dogmeat. Are you feeling better now?” I asked.

Her voice was soft, like she still felt weak. “The Sight really knocks me out. But I need to tell you more about the journey.” She whispered.

“Please, tell me what you know.” I wanted all the info she could offer me.

“Diamond City holds answers, but they're locked tight.” Her eyes opened wide, suddenly talking at a louder voice. “You ask them what they know, but people's hearts are chained up with fear and suspicion. But you find it. You find that heart that's gonna lead you to your boy. Oh, it's... it's bright. So bright against the dark alleys it walks.” Her eyes shut, her voice lowered as she continued. “That's... that's what you need to do, kid. Follow the signs to the bright heart.”

She began snoring softly, apparently tired from her Sight. I sat on the ground next to her. Dogmeat moved from Mama Murphy to my side, lying next to me. I pet Dogmeat as we watched the water moving, feeling better than ever about my journey ahead.

#fallout 4 #writing #fanfic

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