About this image

From The Personal Recollection Of Leanne Walker

The news of Wild Bill's death hit everyone in Workgroup Eleven hard, Milly most of all.  She was stoic about it, and continued to pull her weight, but .... she was there, and yet she wasn't.  We were worried.

My status as the group's new forager seemed to make me the de facto leader, not that I did much with it, aside from resolving a few disputes within the workgroup or with others.  Midea remained unhelpful about Wernher, except to reluctantly confirm that he WAS in The Pitt 'somewhere', but Bristow's disappearance had slightly eased her worries.  I had expected some response to that event but, apparently, "tourists" mysteriously disappearing was just another thing in The Pitt.  Enclavers and Talons were seen less, but were in larger armed groups when they did show up.  The Guards themselves seemed unbothered.

Spent some off-time adjusting my Pitt armor.  Despite its ragged appearance, it functioned smoothly, and just needed some extra padding inside to make it almost comfortable.  That, and the hammer, proved very useful for helping meet the Workgroup's quotas. 

When I fronted up to Midea a couple of days later, she told me. "It's happening."

"What?"

"Ashur's special workcrews are checking the big TVs.  They only get used for Ashur's more important speeches, or for showing fights in The Hole.  That last has been closed for a while - Ashur shut it down after the riots, when Wernher tried to take over ... "

Yes, The Pitt had televisions.  Giant TV screens salvaged from who-knew-where and set up facing a number of open spaces around the city, to convey Ashur's face and words as he personally addressed those of us in Downtown.  He could have settled for simple radio broadcasts, but gigantic images of his face had special impact, I guess.  My friend Zhao Jiao, having learned to read properly and subsequently become a history buff, probably would have had things to say about (in)famous dictators who did that sort of thing.

Ghod, but I missed my friends.

"So, what does that mean?"  I already knew what The Hole was about.  Gladiatorial combat - you went in and, if you survived long enough, you were no longer a Slave.

"Ashur always meets the winner in private afterwards.  That is when The Cure is given.  You win, you see Ashur, and Wernher has some diversions planned for when you do.  You grab The Cure, and get ... it back to me."

Fight my way out of Ashur's HQ.  Simple.  Too simple.  I had the strongest vibe yet that Midea was holding back.  I would have pressed her for more data when a siren sounded outside.

"It's time," Midea said.  "That's for when Ashur is about to address us."

Guards and Slaves stood around the plaza, as a lone figure in armor similar to mine strode along the distant catwalk and took his place.  A pause as giant screens all over The Pitt flashed, flickered and eventually showed a grainy image of Lord Ashur himself.  Older guy, maybe forties, big and tough-looking.  His armor, seen in close-up, was a LOT like mine and also kind of familiar.  

Ashur, Lord Of The Pitt, spoke.  His voice was strong and clear and carried well, full of passion and certainty.  I guessed he'd found a bunch of books on inspirational speaking, and then studied them all.  His speech might have been good IF his audience had been a cheering volunteer army about to follow him to death or glory.  But it wasn't.

"Citizens of The Pitt, workers of Downtown, traders of Uptown, and all fierce souls who do what must be done! I bring you good news! We stand at the dawn of a new golden age."

You mean this ISN'T as good as it gets?

"Where others merely survive, we thrive!"

Wow.  Must really suck to be those other people.

"Our industry is the envy of the Commonwealth!"

If Dr Zimmer had been truthful, the Commonwealth was 'a war-ravaged quagmire of violence and despair'.  Not like here at all, nossir.

"Our safety is the envy of the Capital Wastes!"

Oh please.  Have you ever BEEN to DC?

"Our might is the envy of Ronto!"

Lucky us.

"And while I have led your efforts, it has been by your own strength that you have earned all of the envy of the world."

No, Lord Ashur.  All this is TOTALLY on you.

"They envy the steel shaped by the workers in our mills, and they envy the strength of our traders and raiders who wield that steel for The Pitt."

If by 'envy' you mean people thinking "I'm SO glad I'm not stuck in that hellhole", then sure.

"And most of all, they envy our victories in the struggle for freedom. Because, yes, freedom is what we all work towards."

Hmmm.  The King Of Slavers preaching to his captives about freedom ....

"Freedom from fear, freedom from disease, freedom to live as once we did before we were shackled by atomic fire!"

Freedom to go Trog.  Freedom of Guards almost as crazy as Trogs.  Freedom of sixteen hour workdays.  Freedom to die of things that a single Stimpack could have fixed.  Freedom of air you can cut with a knife.  Freedom of food that tastes like .....  

" And so, to celebrate this struggle, .... "

Huzzah!

" ... I ask my loyal workers: ... "

'Gunpoint loyalty', the best kind.

" ... who among you is prepared to fight for your freedom?"

Just take one small step down here, and we'll find out.

"Who among you will risk your life in the crucible to create a new life of freedom in Uptown? Who will take this rare chance to thrive?"

Pause for effect.

Then Midea's voice came out of the crowd, sounding thin and weak after Ashur's display.  "Here, Lord Ashur!"  She grabbed my arm and raised it high.  "THIS one is our champion."

Ashur's voice boomed out in acceptance of my "volunteering".  I barely noticed what he said then, or of the Guards forming up to escort me to The Hole, because I could feel a very familiar tingle from my Pip-Boy.  Someone had just sent me a message.


*********

Normal pic, then I got to wondering what Ashur needed most here.

Question:  What does a tech-savvy dictator, with his own industrial base and a high opinion of himself, REALLY want?

Answer:  Giant-@$$ TV screens for when he's speechifying and/or monologuing to his minions, of course.  ;)