Operation: Loud and Clear

Operation: Loud and Clear was a minor operation headed by Private Barnett and Private Hawkins. Several transmissions from outside West Virginia have been pouring in and the group needed to find ways to amplify the signals and receive better quality audio without persistent interference from the surrounding Appalachian Mountains.

Hawkins' Camp
Isaac Hawkins had received several transmissions from outside sources but the signals are not very clear. His initial reaction was to clear the signal up by fashioning a Spectrum Wave Antenna from bits of copper, circuitry and plastic he had nearby. Calling upon the assistance of those would answer, he asked for an escort team to take him to the Radio Site which was where his old camp was located and where one of his Repeaters is located. Travelling through Morgantown and up to the Radio Site (just up the hill from Grafton Dam), he was able to install the Spectrum Wave Antenna and clear up the first transmission which revealed the sender to be a Henry Campo'. ' Campo was holed up in a Firewatch tower and mentioned two groups of people that he wanted off his mountain.

SPOILER::::

''This is Butt Mountain Firewatch Station 243. Message received Isaac Hawkins.''

''God, it’s strange to hear other voices. It’s been... decades of silence. And suddenly there’s radio chatter, and movement on the roads. They’re beneath my Mountain right now. I watch them all day and all night, just like I used to watch you.''

'' There’s one group camped out by a stream, all neat tents in little rows. They have a generator. It’s lights out! At 10pm, lights on at 5am. It’s like a tiny clockwork village. I like them. They’re safe from my rocks.''

'' The others! The others though... if they just stopped moving about every night I would crush them so dead. It’s like they’re looking for something. I know how to spot them. All the tiny camp fires. Don’t they know it’s wild fire season? Every few nights a huge bonfire. Sometimes, when the wind is right I hear music and smell roasting flesh. I don’t know what they’re cooking, but it sure smells like people meat to me.''

''I want them off my mountain Hawkins. So either tell them how to find you or come here with your Five-0 and shoot them all in the head while they sleep. That’s usually how I do it.''

''I’m done talking now. My throat hurts. Henry Campo, signing off.''

END SPOILER::::

Another transmission had come his way but this time, it was an encrypted message. The broadcast had come by way of a Military/Emergency frequency meaning that the sender was a member of the military or a similar affiliated faction that had access to military infrastructure systems. The encryption algorithm however, matched many used by the Brotherhood of Steel. To properly decipher this message, Hawkins would need the Blackboxes from 3 Vertibirds, 3 Targeting chips from Sentry Bots, and a large computing output system from either the Grafton Mayor or Grafton's MAIA.

Whitesprings
Once the team arrived near the perimeter of Whitesprings, the heavy unit consisting of Sgt. Wright, Pvt. Plisken along with Lt. Day as a medical attache, found a breach in the walls of Whitesprings exterior and set forth to find 3 Sentry Bots while the rest of the team rallied at a nearby maintenance shed to secure the area. Once the heavy unit (with medical unit in tow) arrived, the rest of the Five-0 fireteam ex-filtrated by way of the railroad tracks. Using the tracks they proceeded to Watoga to find three Vertibirds in the area.

Watoga
Upon entering the city limits of Watoga, the fireteam came to the conclusion to separate into teams of three to secure the Blackboxes from the Vertibirds. The Blackboxes are flight recorders that transcribe all actions and chatter between the pilot, crew & vessel which then is transmitted to the proper individual. The Blackboxes would provide bits of encryption data as they were transmitting the data by way of encrypted data strings. Once the teams collected the Blackboxes, they would clean and sweep the area-proceeding to the Watoga Municipal Center to pay MAIA a visit. Once Hawkins collects the Blackboxes from the teams, he pulls apart the housing and hooks up various wires to MAIA and the BoS transmission is heard/transcribed:

SPOILER::::

''This is Knight Horrigan to Paladin Taggerdy. We investigated the area for the mysterious creature and found it. It’s been hugging the lake and can only be described as a bipedal freak of nature. The appearance matches that of ghouls being pressed together into one body. Three heads, multiple arms, but two massive legs which makes this creature stand at around 10-12 foot tall. We did not engage but I think it sensed our presence.''

''We are en route to Defi---What the hell was that? Caruso, check it out…..OH SHIT…''

[gatling laser fire and monster noises]

END SPOILER::::

Top of the World
After the BoS signal is heard, the following message appears on everyone's Pip-Boy:

''HEY ASSHOLES! Are you messing with long range radio? I’ve intercepted two messages for you guys. Guess where they come from!!! BUTT MOUNTAIN!!! That’s RIGHT! Someone named a geological feature after his ASS! I haven’t laughed so much since that time I puked Jet-Tats out my nose! ''

''With your weak ass BAND-PASS DUPLEXER I doubt you could read these signals clearly. I could fix that for you... for a price. You clean out all the uninvited guests from the Top of the World & the Ski Lodge and I’ll get you receiving loud and clear!!!''

Love and kisses

X010111010X

Rose

The team then proceeds to the Ski Resort and from there they split into two teams: One to clear the Ski Resort, and another to clear the Mezzanine level. After both sectors are clear, they rendezvous at the Mezzanine to take a breather while Hawkins and Lt. Day go to Rose and inform them of their success. Rose, making good on her deal and getting offered some Mentats; makes adjustments to Hawkins' Pip-Boy and the following is broadcasted through everyone's Pip-Boy.

SPOLER::::

''Hey, this is Big Poppa. I’m head of what we call The Family. We’re just a bunch of fuckin’ farmer types who want to live in peace and grow our crops and shit. We got your message and it sounds real sweet. I bet you’ve got... all that good shit that makes plants grow and stuff. Yeah, like... nice dirt?''

''We’ve gotten the fuck outta North Carolina and made it to the mountains but we’ve gotten our asses lost. We need a fuckin’ homing beacon so we can find you. We’ve got, like a caravan of women and children and cows and shit. You don’t want them all lost do you? I can tell from your voice you’re a real good guy. I reckon you wouldn’t pussy out saving a bunch of people. So yeah, we’ll just circle the wagons into a nice little camp and wait for your homing beacon. Poppa out.''

END SPOILER::::

With that out of the way, the group needs to decide on whether or not to assist The Family by building/placing a Homing Beacon. Before they come to a final conclusion, bits of Morse Code come streaming through the Pip-Boy's. Different statements go to different people and it's up to them to put the puzzle together and figure out what they are saying.

SPOILER::::

Prospector Clan here Message Received Cabarrus

 Mine breached must leave NC Hunted by 

cannibal family Wish settle Ash Heap Can

 offer Generator and gold pan tech if yes activate 

Rockhound Blair Mountain We listen and hope 5 0 invite

END SPOILER::::

A general consensus is had on whether or not to assist The Family and the Prospectors. Either way they can choose to ignore both, help both or help one of the factions. Any way they see fit. The group decided to assist both parties with their troubles and set forth to the Rockhound at Blair Mountain.

Ash Heap (Rockhound)
An insertion of Five-0 New Responders made their way to the Rockhound and defended the perimeter while someone put together the Ignition Cores in order to start the Rockhound. After some time and debate, the Ignition Cores were properly crafted and supplied the Rockhound with the necessary power to function. The crew came back together to the operations bay and fired up the Rockhound with resounding success. The Rockhound dug away at the charred Earth and the signals were sent back to the Prospectors, letting them know that Five-0 welcomes them to West Virginia.

Epilogue
Bill Campo of Fivewatch Station 243 is delighted when both sets of strangers leave his mountainside.He survives three more years at Butt Mountain Firewatch Tower. He dies, alone, watching the sunrise on midwinters day. It is exactly how he wanted to go.

'''Homing Beacon is provided. '''Surprised but pleased The Family sharpen their man-skinning knives. The Family puts out an open call to all Raider Gangs in the area. For a modest fee Big Poppa arranges to guide them straight to the Five 0. When the caravan of murderous thugs arrives, West Virginia is in for some big changes…

Rockhound is started. The seismographs at the Prospector’s forward base hear the Rockhound start up. The Five 0 have invited the Clan to join them! Delighted, the scouts share the good news with the folks back in Cabarrus county. In the dark and toxic depths of their subterranean hideout, hope begins to bloom. It’s a long walk to West Virginia, but in a few months the Prospectors will finally find a place where their children can know the light of the sun