[color=f26522]CELESTE BROWN[/color] -- entering Salem

Celeste didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to dread spending more time on the road.  She'd grown up hearing countless stories of the wasteland and its creatures, pitfalls, and other ugliness, and yet it wasn't until she saw it for herself that it felt much less exciting and far more terrifying.  The caravan and its guards kept her perfectly safe against the mutated beasts and drugged out raiders, but she found her enjoyment of the experience draining out with every passing moment.

The wasteland was barren, the water was poisonous, and if it lived, it wanted you dead.

By the tenth day of straight travel, she wanted nothing more than to find a decent settlement with some room and set up shop.  She was terrible at travelling, but serving those who did?  She was a gosh darned [i]professional[/i].  

The crew began muttering about stopping in Salem for some water and a rest.  She perked up, immediately.  "What's Salem?  Is it a town?"

"It's on the map," was all that she got from the leader, Cairn.  Celeste also decided that travelling with the same people who told magnificent stories was much less fun than just serving them drinks and socializing.

It would be another hour before the caravan marched into Salem.  They paused, standing in the road in front of the Museum of Witchcraft, looking further down the road.  Satisfied the place must be empty, they merely squat in the sandy patch just off the road, busted out some provisions, and talked quietly amongst themselves.

"Is it okay if I just go take a walk?" Celeste asked, gazing down the road.

"Just don't go where we can't see ya," chuckled Cairn.  The others stifled laughter.

"Great!  Be back in a bit," she chirped, making her way down the road.  She found herself fascinated by the sight and sound of the ocean.  "This place sure is quiet."  Celeste meandered east and saw a tall, intact sign that read DRUMLIN DINER.  A gruff looking man stood outside the building, leaning against the wall, and puffing on a cigarette.  "Hi, there!" she called to him with a wave.

The man turned towards her call and paused.  He nodded in response but said nothing.

"That yer diner, there?  Also, what is this place?  Isn't it a fantastic day!" she chattered gleefully.

Another pause.  "This is Salem, girl."

"Salem," Celeste repeated with a happy sigh, making her way up off the road to stand next to the diner, itself.  "A proper settlement?"

"With any luck.  Ain't you with that caravan up there, though?"

"Hmm?  Oh, no.  I just paid them to let me travel with them from Niagara Falls to Diamond City, but, ah...well, I just think this place is interesting!"  She nodded at the diner.  "I've been cooking, baking, and bartending my whole life, if you're lookin' for someone to run the place."

"I'm not.  Fella who goes by 'Ace' has spent a few weeks working on the place, by all rights the place is his."

Celeste's face and heart fell at the news.  "Oh, I see."

The man gave her another once-over before grinding his cigarette out with his foot.  "If you're sure you want to just set up shop, there's a fine set of rooms in the pre-war convalescent home.  The inside needs some cleaning out, like anywhere, but the place has got lockable rooms and whatnot."

Celeste blinked.

"You could run an inn, or a motel.  Probably could still have a bar and serve some light meals, if you wanted."

Celeste blinked once more.

The man sighed as if he had come to a realization.  "If you want to stay in town, you could run the inn.  Miss...?"

"Celeste!  Oh, I mean, Brown.  Celeste Brown."  She thrust out her hand for a shake.

"Barney."  He did not accept her hand and instead lit up another cigarette.

"So nice to meet you!  Now, where's this cova...conva...convent home?"

"Convalescent -- never mind.  It ain't that any more.  Come, I'll show you."

"HEY!" yelled Cairn from behind them.  "What the hell do you think you're doing, Celeste?  The caravan's leaving and it's going the other direction."

"Ah, oh.  Right!  I'm not coming with you!" Celeste replied with a smile.  

Cairn rubbed his forehead between his eyebrows.  "What?"

"I'm stayin' here!  I don't want to go to Diamond City.  I don't want to go [i]anywhere[/i].  This place has a spot for me and I'm gonna take it.  Diamond City might not have even had work for me right away, you know?"

Cairn regarded her for another moment or two.  "You sure about this?  Diamond City is probably the safest place you could ever be."

"This place looks pretty safe!  It's empty, after all.  Right, Barney?"

Barney raised his hands and shook his head.  Celeste looked back to Cairn.  

"I'll be fine, really!  You guys will come back through here with the caravan, right?  I'll see you lots!"

"Well, all right, then.  If you're [i]sure[/i]..."

Celeste wrapped her arms around the caravaner and gave him a tight hug.  Her head barely came up to his chin.  "Sure as anything.  I'll be just fine!"

A few minutes later, Celeste was standing in the road, waving goodbye to the caravan as they set off to the south once more.  Barney led her to the convalescent home and immediately made to leave.

"You're not gonna come inside?"

"Nah.  The place is yours, now!  But maybe you should come by the diner later today.  Ace is out huntin' as we speak."

"I see.  Well, thanks, Barney!  You've been really helpful!"

Barney waved her off and walked away.  Celeste turned to the double doors, took a deep breath, and pulled them open.  The foyer was caked with a layer of dust and grime that she somehow hadn't expected.  Sunlight filtered in through the ancient windows, tempered by the dirty glass.  There was a ruined couch and an armchair set up in the corner with a small coffee table.  On the other side was a broken down Eat-o-Tronic, and a Nuka Cola machine, centuries empty.

"All right...not bad..." she breathed, seeing the potential in the place, once she had cleaned it up.  Celeste made her way to the receptionist desk and rest her arms up on the counter.  She glanced to the object sitting next to her right elbow.

[i]Please RING for service![/i]

"Don't mind if I do!"  She reached over and pinged on the little button, chiming the bell.  It sounded quite loud in the emptiness of the foyer.

There was a sudden clattering from somewhere deeper within the building.  Celeste jumped, then ducked in front of the counter, waiting.

"Coming, coming right away!" buzzed an amplified voice, followed by the hiss and whirr of hydraulics.  Celeste covered her head, not even considering just running back out the way she came.  The sounds stopped approaching and sounded as though they were suspended in space.  She remained unmoving.

"Hello, there.  Are you quite all right?  Did you wish to check in?" the voice continued from the other side of the counter.  Celeste slowly stood to look across the counter at a fully functioning Mr Handy.  She blinked.

"Check in?" she repeated.  "No, I was told I could, uh, manage the place."

"Manage?  As in, site manager?"

"...y-yes...?"

"Wonderful!  That's most pleasant news.  We lost our previous site manager ten, twenty..." The robot paused, calculating.  "Hrmph.  Records indicate it has been over two hundred years since we last had a proper site manager.  That just couldn't be right.  Anyways!"  It turned and began pulling open small drawers beneath the counter before producing a key hung on a chain featuring a miniature, faded plastic Nuka Cherry rocket bottle.  "This is yours, and if you'd follow me..."