October 21st: To recuperate caps spent in purchasing the painting, the Meld commences its first attempts at revenue. Amber volunteers to make crafts, while Charlotte converts the colony's excess rations into restaurant quality dishes. The Meld opens for public dining but fails to gather initial traction. Meals run for six caps; fabric goods for fifteen.

October 26th: The Happy Trails Caravan makes contact with Vault 48. Concerned about wanton expenditures, Henry, Ace of Clubs assigns siblings Queen Isabel and King Justin Moore of Clubs to assist colonial finances and foreign affairs, respectively. Despite his aloofness, Justin is renowned for deft negotiations around Sac Town. They arrive on the 29th.

October 28th: The "Failfest," a local festival that commemorates the day upon which multiple systems across the vault malfunctioned simultaneously. In celebration, all non-vital elements shutdown, leading to a temporary cessation of outside communications. Cutoff from instant messaging regardless, Daniel Floyd takes the opportunity to jokingly, temporarily, declare independence. Fine beverages are purchased for the occasion.

November 2nd: Henry Hinshaw falls ill. Layman doctors concur that the symptoms are caused by terminal cancer. He appoints a successor: the promising Jack of Diamonds Faye Cannon. Tradition dictates that the remaining Aces select a new leader from amongst themselves after the death of a predecessor. Hinshaw's revolutionary decision causes great turmoil. Eve Cannon, Ace of Diamonds and Faye's equally capable younger sister, is the most vocal opponent.

November 5th: Eager to assist the flood relief efforts but too distant for effect, the colony agrees to donate all excess foodstuffs to the Omertas' and White Gloves' food programs. Isabel protests, and her outcry is duly logged and overruled by Floyd. The Queen of Spades helps serve the impoverished and homeless. Choked of supply, the diner closes and has not since resumed operations.

November 6th: Hinshaw passes, leaving behind a fledgling empire of his own creation. He is celebrated as a hero by the entire clan, despite his final testament, maybe genuinely but perhaps in a bid to garner popularity. Portraits and similar artwork adorn his grave and appear throughout the facility. He is sealed in stone under a defunct room on the premises.

November 9th: To compensate for revenue loss, Bradley proposes to take up woodworking, and Charlotte recommends pottery. Both initiatives are fully endorsed. Driftwood is gathered from the ruins of destroyed housing to supply Bradley's endeavor. The first furnishings are crude but practical and commercially viable. The Expedition prospects for clay pits, though the Green limits their options.

November 12th: Eve sends an emissary and Faye arrives personally to beseech Floyd's support. In the heated discussion Daniel leverages the tension by detailing visions for a machine parts factory under the control of the Expedition. Neither party makes promises. He expresses neutrality but affirms his broader loyalty, sending them both away with homemade wood and fabric crafts but otherwise empty handed.