Nope, in for a penny in for a pound. If nothing else, Marina's still there and the fact her actions basically saved your life is enough to make you stay.

The rest of the trip is Steve still ranting to himself about the deaths of his friends. True, they weren't your friends, but you guess you can see why he might be upset. You'd radio in to the Compound, but Roger was the one carrying it and he's a headless (and probably now eaten) corpse back in the city.

You don't say anything else until Steve nearly drives the car into the gate of the Compound at which point you step out of the car and remove the hot ass radiation suit and demand to see Harry. Everyone is wondering what's going on.

Harry hears your shouting and comes out of barracks, the Colonel does as well; good you want him to be here as well.

"What is your major malfunction you screaming queen?" Harry asks angrily, as if you're the one at fault.
"My malfunction is sending us to the goddamn city was a fucking stupid ass idea! What made you think there would anything of any use there anyway? You just trying to get us all killed?"
"No, just you, cupcake."
"You call me fuckin' cupcake one more time and me and you are gonna go round and round you dumb fucking gung ho military wanna be asshole!"

Before Harry can respond to your insult the Colonel steps in.

"ALRIGHT ENOUGH! I won't have infighting in my Compound! Harry we talked about this before that I didn't want any recon missions to the city! At least not until we got better established!"
"But Colonel, I though we should…"
"You DON'T THINK! That's for ME to do! You obey fucking orders! I'M in fucking charge around here and you better not forget that!"
"Yes Colonel." Harry utters grudgingly.

Now the Colonel turns his attention to you.

"And YOU do not fucking rant like a goddamn maniac in front of everyone lowering morale and encouraging dissention! Like it or not, you're going to be sent on dangerous missions. If you want to stay here you better start learning to get with the fucking program and follow orders!"

You're getting really tired of hearing that one.

"So, all this aside, what exactly happened in the city and what did you find?"
"Nothing! There's just a bunch of crazed cannibal freaks living there, armed and dangerous."
"I see, well then all future missions to the city are going to be called off. I'm not risking anymore of my people's lives by sending them there. We've lost too many people on these recon missions quite frankly. I sent a couple of people on a special assignment and I haven't heard any word back from them, not to mention the people we've lost trying to contact other known towns. Fortunately, it hasn't been a complete loss we how found a few pockets of civilization. We need to start developing good relations with them now though. This will help in our rebuilding process. For now you're dismissed, but don't get too comfortable. I'll be sending you out again soon."

You turn away and go back to your room in the underground part of the Compound wondering if you shouldn't just fucking leave, just then you get a visit from Marina. You're kind of glad to see her despite your pissed off mood.

"Are you okay?"
"Hell if I know I just spent a day in radiationville. I'll find out when my balls start shriveling up in three days!"
"I think those suits would protect you from that happening."
"Yeah, I know everyone thinks they're magical…nevermind I'm not even mad about that, I mean I understand we all got this lofty mission of re-establishing civilization or some shit, but I just don't see the fucking point in it. And I REALLY don't see the point in getting sent on suicide missions!"

Marina sits next to you and tries to explain.

"Okay, that WAS a mistake. In fact I wish you would've told me! I could've told the Colonel and he would've cancelled the mission! Harry likes to think he's second in command, but he's really just louder and more aggressive than most around here and that's why he's in a command position, but I think you could do just as good a job. I mean you've already braved and lived through going to the city and from what you described and Steve's mental breakdown it sounds like it was pretty bad. Total anarchy and lawlessness. And that's one of the reasons why rebuilding civilization is important. Do you really want to live in a world like that? I know you think this is all some sort of paramilitary bullshit, but we DO have a plan. Isn't it more advantageous to try to make the world a better place and have some sort of order?"
"Trying to make the world a better place…yeah a lot of people in the past have thought they were doing that too and you can see how that turned out…THIS! Look, it's a nice idea, but I don't see it happening, not then, not now, not ever. I'd say our best bet would be to just try to live out the rest of lives as comfortably as we can in this hellhole of a world and not go messing around with shit unless its necessary."
"…so I take it you're going to leave?"

You look a Marina before responding.

"No, I'm not leaving, but I'm staying for you, not an ideology or plan. My feelings for you override whatever disagreements I have with the current political agenda, if that's even the proper term for it."
"Well that's sweet, but I do hope you develop a more positive attitude about this place." Marina says hugging you.
"Doubt it, but I suppose anything's possible now."

A year passes…

You don't feel any different, but you're used to the Compound's plan of "re-building" civilization. You've moved up the ranks due to the fact that you're competent, something the Colonel realizes and respects even if Harry hates you. But due to your "loner" attitude you're usually sent on scouting missions by yourself rather than given any kind of command position. Ironically, you've been one of the key people in developing good relations with the nearby towns, since you've developed the knack of the sniper's art over the past year which really comes in handy when killing raiders. The Colonel's of the idea that if the Compound can prove its able to help defend towns from raiders, more people will want to join, the towns will be more willing to trade or even better a whole town will want a formal alliance.

Perhaps slightly imperialistic, but what the hell, it's better to be the top dog and at least the intention is somewhat for good reasons. All part of the rebuilding process.


Right now you're in the town that you found called Lost Springs, it's a remote little town that doesn't have any problems with raiders due to its somewhat hidden location (Though the wandering mutant bear is a problem sometimes) and while they're friendly with you, it's clear they just want to be left alone and keep to themselves. This might not be a problem, except they have a continual supply of fresh water from some underground stream. Not even mildly radioactive! (Though you're still convinced you're going to start mutating any day now since your trip to the city) It's a resource that can't just simply be ignored, but you're not exactly a diplomat, so you're not going to be convincing them on your own (And it's not like you can impress them with your super duper raider killing skills)

You get some help

You're in this for rebuilding civilization, so you figure you should do all you can. You leave the town to get in a better transmitting area and radio in and explain the situation. Steve's working the radio (Never could go out again after the incident in the city)

"…yeah, so if you can send some more diplomatic people here, that might help." You finish saying.
"So, you're saying there's a fresh supply of water and no standing defense force there?" Steve asks.
"No, not really. They don't have any problems with raiders, just with some of the more aggressive wildlife. Defenses basically consist of a few good hunters with rifles, but like I said they aren't interested in us being able to defend them. A different bargaining chip is going to be necessary."

Suddenly you're cut off for a little while, you think your radio is having problems, but soon you start getting a response again.

"Okay, report back to the Compound. We'll send Vivica and a few others to take care of it. We got the location of the place from your information." Steve says and signs off.

You head back to the Compound. You know Vivica's one of the more diplomatic types, so you don't think anything else of it. She'll ether be successful or she won't.

When you get back though you find out one of the "others" that went with her was Harry. You find that suspicious, he's NEVER gone on a single recon mission, let alone anything diplomatic.

Soon the group sent to Lost Springs returns and you see Harry and a couple of the more obedient people to him, who you don't see is Vivica. You can't help but think the worst.

And you turn out to be right unfortunately.


Harry tells a story to everyone of how the people became hostile and they had to defend themselves, Vivica was "unfortunately" killed in the process. He goes on to say that he's secured the town, by leaving some people in place. You're over hearing this in the courtyard of the Compound and you can't stay silent.

"You fucking murdering liar. Those people were fucking peaceful! I was there and never once were they hostile! You took that town by force and probably had Vivica killed when she tried to stop you and your fucking mindless lackies!"
"Watch your fucking mouth cupcake! Don't condemn my actions for your own failures because you're too much of a pussy to do what needs to be done! I'm telling you they attacked us! I got witnesses! What the fuck do you have? Shit, how do we even know you weren't fucking collaborating with them and trying to lead us into a trap? It's a well known fact you're not exactly loyal to the Compound."
"LOYAL? What the fuck? You fucking dipshit I'M one of fuckin' people who's been key in the HELPING the fuckin' Compound! Or have you forgotten all the good relations we have with other towns due to me?"
"Yeah and how do we know you're not getting all chummy with all these outsiders in the attempt to try to build up your own fucking army to take power? In fact I'm thinking I might be going on a lot more of these missions, I don't trust you and neither should the rest of you!"

At this point Marina steps in to say something, but you stop her causing Harry to taunt you again.

"Yeah, that's right Cupcake, hide behind Marina's skirt again."
"Harry, I dunno if you're more jealous of the fact that I'm actually more useful to the Compound, or the fact that I have access TO Marina's skirt, something I heard you attempted before I got here and failed miserably."

You struck a nerve there. Harry lunges at you and the both of you tussle on the ground for awhile before the Colonel finally arrives wondering what the fuck has been going on. After reprimanding the pair of you, he calls you in his office for a full report of what exactly happened when you were at Lost Springs, then he does the same with Harry, unfortunately Harry has a few people that are loyal to him that are willing to back up his bullshit. Assuming they would even be believed, the citizens of Lost Springs can't even back you up, since as it turns out later Harry killed them all.

And while the Colonel isn't taken with the idea that you have some sort of ulterior motive, he does allow Harry to start heading out on missions, since he did acquire a useful resource for the Compound.

Four more years pass…

Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine.

Of course the term "alliance probably isn't really appropriate here. After the Lost Springs incident, things started getting a lot more authoritarian. Over time the towns you'd established peaceful relations with, Harry started hinting that a more permanent military force be established in them. (To help with raider problems more readily as he tried to claim)

New towns that were come across were usually bullied into "joining" or outright taken by force and lowest of all, there's been actual recruitment OF raiders, some of them being stationed in the very town they were attacking on a regular basis.

You can't believe the Colonel doesn't stop Harry's actions, but the problem is, is it IS working. The Combine is thriving under this aggressive strategy and becoming a strong entity. You on the other hand are eventually relegated to guard duty at Fort Jusitce, Marina finds the whole thing unfair and becomes really disillusioned with the new direction that this place has taken.

In fact she does something you never thought she would, she suggests you leave and you can't say you're not in agreement with the idea. Not just because you never really cared about the "rebuilding civilization" process anyway, but more because Harry's power is starting to increase day by day lately and the Colonel has been sick, in fact he's probably going to die any day now. It's only a matter of time before Harry is in total control and when that day comes, you'll be fucked if you're still here.

You and Marina pack what supplies you can and start loading them into one of the vehicles. This doesn't go unnoticed, in fact you start being questioned since there was no order to take one of the vehicles out and you're no longer on scout duty anymore. You try to come up with a lie on the spot, but words fail you at the moment and you resort to more direct measures and slug the nosey bastard in the face, dropping him.

"Get in the fuckin' car now Marina!" you shout as you do likewise.

You take the wheel

Marina slides over and you take the wheel and screech off. Considering Harry's hatred of you and the fact that this is considering going AWOL and stealing Combine equipment, you aren't just going to get away with this.

You don't get far when you're soon pursued by other vehicles. You tell Marina to fire upon them, while you attempt to lose them. She does her best, but she's not an expert marksperson like you. One of those raider scumbags that have been an all too common in the new Combine recruitment policy manages to drive up to your side window and shoot a crossbow bolt right through your neck.

You clutch at your mortal wound and lose control of the car, flipping it over and killing Marina as well.