Today in the CBO
News and Notes - Reports from around the Commonwealth
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
11 September 2298 - From the Publick Occurrences Archives
Hi, Publick Occurrences readers.
Our home team, The Diamond City Swatters, continues today in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs. In Game 2, pitcher X10-44 Mannson was named the Game MVP in the Swatters' first-ever playoff victory.
Today I want to continue our feature of a string of stories that indicate the change of Diamond City from a place of fear and loathing to an open city welcoming all. This story string takes us back to the first change in 2229; to 2287 when my sister, Piper Wright, wrote an article about the Institute history in Diamond City; to 2288 and the change; all the way to today in 2298 when Diamond City has become a beacon of the peaceful and equal Commonwealth. That change has led to people like X10-44 Mannson being welcomed in the city and a hero for Diamond City baseball.
Below is the second story in this string of stories by Piper. Please enjoy this Publick Occurrences classic, "Out in Left Field." Here, Piper gets personal about Mayor McDonough taking her article personally.
The story below:
Out in Left Field
By Piper Wright
8 November 2287 – From the Publick Occurrences Archives
Just over a week ago, I published an article titled “The Synthetic Truth.” It got people talking, but more surprisingly it made Mayor McDonough react in a bizarre way. You see, there are rumors flying, and they are not made by me. Whether I intend to or not, though, I am now a part of this story.
Mayor McDonough’s reaction to my article became personal. McDonough had already had a shady history as mayor here in Diamond City. His first action as mayor when he was elected in 2282 was to kick out all ghoul residents, including his own brother, John McDonough*. His “Anti-ghoul Decree of 2282” will remain an infamous change for our small city of how fear can cause bad things to happen. Now we are weaker and yet still divided.
That division now is ever-more present since 2282. Now that we are “all humans” in Diamond City, minus our one accepted synth, Detective Nick Valentine, and a few robot servants, including Wellingham at the Colonial Taphouse, our division is in those above versus those below. Those dwelling in the stands of the Great Green Jewel are our masters, our bosses, our benefactors. Those of us on the ground are to be spat upon, to be hated. To be feared. Mayor McDonough may have banned the ghouls, but he did not unite the city as he would claim. And yet he gave a speech today in front of us lowlies. He tried to tell us that everything is fine. He even mentioned me. Read my article. I claimed nothing. Nothing about him. Pretty guilty reaction, Mr. Mayor. Now read his speech in its entirety that he made next to our tall green wall:
“I would like to address the subject that is on everyone's mind, and that is the disgusting article Piper has written. Diamond City has stood united for over 150 years. And what keeps us united are two things. First, is the great green guardian behind me. The Wall. Our protector and our savior from the filth of the outside. And second, is our faith and trust in each other. The faith and trust that has given us prosperity, security, and education for every citizen. And while the paper might point their fingers at synths and other ghost stories to drive us apart, we will not betray this sacred trust. Now I want everyone to hear these next words very carefully. I. Am not. A synth. I am the same flesh and blood boy who grew on these streets. Who was born in a shack just down the waterfront to Martha and Patrick McDonough. And I will not abandon my city due to the heinous allegations of the press.”
Who said you were a synth, Mr. Mayor? I did not in my article, like you claimed. And yet, you locked me out of the city. You banned me, or at least you tried, before an interesting character came upon the city at that time and helped me to get back in.
What exactly are you hiding, Mr. Mayor? What would make you react in such a way that you would lock me out of the city? What would make you think separating me from my young sister, Nat Wright, would be a good way to protect the city? What dangers are you actually in, Mr. Mayor? You say I am sewing discontent. We groundlings think you are our biggest threat, dividing our city to make it easier for the Institute to pick off our citizens. We have 23 people who disappeared from existences in the last two years. Where are they, Mr. Mayor? What are you doing to find them?
Prosperity? For whom? Those living in the stands? Security? Tell it to the 23 missing people. Tell it to the vault dweller who just rode up on our settlement while looking for his infant son, also kidnapped. Education? A small schoolhouse that has a single teacher? All you have achieved, Mr. Mayor, is division.
Whether or not you are a synth may not matter. You are dangerous to Diamond City, and we hope the election next year brings in a new mayor who will unite this city. Not divide it. And we hope that mayor is 100% human. Unlike you, Mr. Mayor. Your guilty actions give you away, spy.
* Nat’s Note: John McDonough is now known as John Hancock, owner of the Goodneighbor Hancocks and mayor of Goodneighbor.
11 September 2298 - The Slog Catcher Avoids Major Injury
The Slog backup catcher Oscar Armor was lucky to be in full gear while clearing out a field southwest of The Slog.
Armor had recently invested in a small plot of land that he plans to build a shack, grow a few crops, and raise some animals. While clearing out the plot, he happened upon a solo albino radscorpion. That could have been a problem since Armor was alone. Well, alone but donned in his personalized armor.
Armor has become . . . famous . . . for a customized armor he wears made out of latex material. His teammates joking refer to his armor as his "wiener armor" since latex is a well-known material for protection of a different sort. Armor's armor is pliable and strong, allowing it to stop most small-caliber bullets and the penetrating bites and claws of many wasteland critters.
In his Wiener Armor, the albino scorpion would usually have an advantage against the latex, it's pointy stinger. However, this scorpion's stinger was broken off, probably from a different fight or encounter.
"I was lucky that thing didn't have a stinger," Armor said from the clinic at The Slog's clubhouse. "It had me in its claws, but my hoe did enough damage to blind it and then crush its skull."
Armor did suffer a broken bone in his leg where the scorpion held him in its claw, but he should heal well before the 2299 season.
11 September 2298 - Four Playoff Games Today, One Finished
There would be five games of action in the CBO/BMU today, except for the series that ended in a surprising sweep yesterday when the Fort Hagen Silver Shroud finished off the North Charles Association's #1 seed, the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys.
Instead, we will have only four games, allowing the BMU's Boston Minor Series to get some coverage today. That game will be broadcast by Diamond City Radio's all-robot crew on radio. It will not be televised. Game 2 features the Galleria Robotic Experts' Mike Longwalk facing off against the Natick Banks Big Leaguers' Jason Haynes. Galleria leads the series, 1-0.
The first game of the day will begin at 12:05 when the Oberland T-51s visit the Warwick Mirelurks. Oberland's Gerald Jerry gets the start, while Jerry Weisman takes the mound for the Lurks. That series is tied, 1-1.
Easy Town tries to clinch its series in four games when it hosts the Abernathy Adamantium today. Joe Penaltybox will take the mound for Abernathy, and Angel Waterdrink pitches for the Assaultrons. That game begins at 3:05.
The nightcap and featured game on BosCom Television as part of the Baseball News Network offering sees the Diamond City Swatters hosting their first playoff game against the #1 seed, Goodneighbor, at 9:05 PM. John Oldsink and Tyler Powers face off in the series tied 1-1.