CUT TO – FRONT OF THE STORE
Ma June sat behind the counter, polishing a dented shotgun.
Juno stepped out, wiping grime from his hands.
MA JUNE (not looking up)
"Hear that? That's music to a desperate woman's ears."
JUNO (smiling faintly)
"Wasn't too hard, love."
Ma June looked up, eyebrows raised.
MA JUNE
"Well I'll be damned. Ain't just a pretty face with a clipboard."
JUNO
"You said there was information in return."
Ma June leaned back, eyes narrowing.
MA JUNE
"Depends what you wanna know, Vaultie."
JUNO
"First—what happened here? Looks recent. Blood's still sticky."
MA JUNE
"Big fight. Over a bounty. A vault girl came through. So did a Knight of some kind. And a Ghoul with a mouth full of broken poetry."
Juno froze.
JUNO
"The girl… vault suit?"
MA JUNE (nods)
"33. She was lookin' for her dad. Had a hell of a grip on that pistol, but not much clue where she was goin'. A lil' annoying, if you ask me."
JUNO
"Did she say anything else? About Vaults?"
Ma June's eyes narrowed slightly. She crossed her arms.
MA JUNE
"Not the type to spill secrets. And I ain't the type to pry."
— [SPEECH CHECK: SUCCESS] —
JUNO (softly, almost to himself)
"I'm lost. I have no idea what's happening. I just woke up 2 days ago… and these Vaults—are they only thing I know."
Ma June hesitated, then let out a long sigh. She spoke lower now.
MA JUNE
"West. Toward what's left of the old water fields. The ghoul and the girl headed that way.
Knight stayed behind. Didn't end well."
She reached below the counter and slid a heavy object across: a battered handgun. Its slide was stiff, the barrel scorched. She added a black, weathered trench coat, folded once.
MA JUNE
"Belonged to someone who didn't make it. ShotGun's busted. Like most things these days."
(gestures at the coat)
"Too big for me. I got no use for it. It's fucked up anyway, but might scare off the wrong kind of eyes."
(beat)
"Get you some supplies, kid. It's tough out there."
JUNO (gently taking the gear)
"Thank you."
(He studies the items, the weight of their former owner clinging to them.)
"Feels a bit off, takin' it."
MA JUNE (shrugs)
"Feels worse lettin' it rot."
(beat)
JUNO
"Do you know anything about the Vaults… besides the girl?"
MA JUNE (scoffs softly, eyes flicking toward the boarded-up window)
"Bits and pieces. Stories.
Most folks don't come outta those holes unless something went wrong.
But that was the first one I've seen besides you."
(She pauses, then straightens.)
MA JUNE (gesturing toward the door)
Get you some caps if you can and be prepared to travel.
World's rough, and being broke makes it meaner."
INT. MA JUNE'S SUNDRIES – BACKROOM – MOMENTS LATER
Juno tightened the straps on his worn canvas bag. Inside:
— Two cans of food with faded labels
— A cracked multi-tool
— One stimpack
— Scavenged wires, fuses, and old connectors that might be worth something later
He slid a few strips of jerky into a side pouch and slung the bag over his shoulder.
The trench coat hung awkwardly—too big in the arms, heavy with someone else's life.
It didn't fit him. Not yet.
But it would.
His new pistol rested snug in its holster. Still functional. Only three rounds.
The broken shotgun, slung to the side, would need work. If he made it far enough to fix it.
He stopped near the counter, unwrapping a small cloth bundle he'd kept separate. Inside:
— Scavenged circuit boards
— A re-soldered spark cap rig
He slid it across to Ma June.
JUNO
"Got something. Not much, but it works."
MA JUNE (raising a brow as she inspects it)
(pause, then a small grunt of approval)
"alright I can use this"
She tossed a small pouch his way. It jingled.
MA JUNE
"30 caps. Don't spend it all not-dyin'."
Juno gave her a quiet nod, one hand lingering on the pouch, then turned toward the door.
He twisted the Pip-Boy's dial, aligning the map with her words.
Somewhere out west.
He paused one last time at the doorway. The silence between them held more than words.
Wind kicked up dust along the cracked pavement. The broken outlines of distant ruins loomed like silent witnesses.
Juno adjusted the coat, pulling the collar up. It still didn't feel right.
But maybe it would.
The Pip-Boy ticked softly—tracking, mapping, humming with new energy. A waypoint leading west.
JUNO
(to himself)
"Let's see where you went"
He stepped forward.
The horizon stretched before him—burnt gold, rust-red, and infinite.
[OBJECTIVE UPDATED: FOLLOW THE TRAIL WEST]
+100 XP
JUNO (quietly)
"Alright Then… let's do this."