"Nomads?" Like they used to live on the road?" Adam asked.
"Exactly." Mira nodded. "Apparently one of the groups used to be called the 55ers, because the route they walked was the old interstate 55. Of course they stopped being 55ers when they settled down here. The other group of nomads are called 'The Patrolmen' and they scavenged their uniforms from old highway patrol stations. It's the last bit that remains from the time when they were always on the move."
Oh! That makes sense. Adam was wondering why the guards were wearing police outfits. He did notice they didn't look like the outfits that the police in Chicago wore though, and that confused him, but if its state police uniforms, collected from out of state, that would explain not only the discrepancy from Chicago police but also the variety of police outfits he had seen.
"So then why did they end up here? And if they were two different groups of nomads how did they end up at the same place?" Adam asked.
"Again, take this with a grain of salt, after all only 1 hour investigating I can't verify the validity of this information. But I heard something big was happening down south and that it cut into the hunting grounds of the 55ers. With their migratory route blocked they decided to head up here and settle in The Tower because it was the safest place, at the time. Go figure." Mira shrugged and chuckled. "Apparently before they settled here they used to visit Chicago, and specifically this place every year. So basically they settled down in one of their trading posts." Adam nodded, getting the picture.
"And what about the patrolmen?"
"Ah, well they are a different story." Mira said, getting ready for even more of a lore dump. "Apparently the current generation leader of the patrolmen was getting disillusioned with the state of their organization. They have tried to uphold old world styles of justice, even going so far as to hold trials and convict criminals. Their entire group descended from actual old world patrolmen. So they say." She then paused to muse. "I guess that makes them not too dissimilar to the Brotherhood of Steel, in a way." She said, thoughtfully. Adam chuckled but let her continue, which she did after a few more moments to muse.
"Anyway, they have been upholding the old world rules for generations but it seems the current generation leader felt that corruption and misalignment with their founder's principals had caused their group to lose their way. So, they decided to join with the 55ers, who they already knew, and settle here and find their morale compass again, or something to that effect."
"So it sounds like both groups could simply move on when they solve their external issues."
"Maybe." Mira said with a shrug. "Both were originally nomads, so it makes sense that, for them, this is a temporary arrangement."
"I must say, ma'am." Percy said, cutting in. "That is quite an impressive debrief considering we are only split up for around an hour." He chuckled. Mira grinned looking a bit proud of herself. A smug smile etched into her face as she responded.
"Well I am pretty good aren't I?~" She said playfully before she then laughed it off and got serious again. "But again, take this information carefully. I haven't had enough time to truly verify any of it. This is just what I heard."
"I am interested in these… What did you call them? Patrolmen?" Deccanus said, seeming to voice his thoughts aloud. "If they are so concerned with their predecessor's legacy why do they not patrol like their name suggests? Surely they could be serving a role in Chicago none too dissimilar to the Knights of the Round?" Mira just shrugged again.
"I don't know, you'd have to ask them. But I think they aren't a big enough group to do what the Knights do. They have enough people to keep this settlement more than safe enough but not much beyond that. Just speculation though." Adam was the next to speak up.
"I also was curious about something."
"Oh?"
"I was told that this place was called The Highrise? Or maybe I misunderstood and that is another settlement altogether? I'm not sure." Mira looked at Adam just as confused as he was.
"I don't know. I know nothing about that. Could just be they renamed the settlement. Happens all the time. I wouldn't fret over it too much." Mira said with a shrug. Adam took a moment to glance around the table at the other two but quickly realized the others didn't know anything either. He had, after all, taken exclusively non Chicago residents on a trip with him. Perhaps if he had brought Eve with him he could have gotten answers directly. But oh well.
"Anyway, what about the rest of you? Learn anything interesting?"
"I found little of note, Of course I explored but I did not glean any useful information. I apologize." Deccanus said almost dejectedly. Adam waved him off.
"Don't worry about it. There is only so much information you can get in an hour. Mira is just… exceptional." Adam chuckled.
"Thank you~" Mira said playfully with a wink to Adam.
"Well I may not have the skills of the miss over there, but I did realize something interesting." He gestured around. "This community here? It is rather affluent. I mean notably so." He said with a small grin. "Notice that there seems to be no homeless? No starving kids? No one living in rags or begging for money? You will find those types in almost all big towns. This place though, they are notably absent." Adam paused to consider.
"What do you think that means?" He asked in a conspiratorial tone.
"I think it means either one of two things. Either everyone here can afford to be affluent, which, if so, good for them. That's great to see."
"And if not?"
"Then they are ensuring that there are no homeless here. Could be as simple as kicking them out or…" He left the rest unsaid. Adam chose not to dwell on it. After all there was nothing he could do to change the situation even if he knew. So long as it was not literally the worst case scenario, which was very unlikely, it was probably fine to just turn a blind eye. There was only so much Adam could do alone and he had his own life to live.
"And you?" Mira asked Adam.
"Well I-" Adam began before a waiter showed up to take their orders. The conversation paused as the group then placed their requests, Adam buying a steamed vegetable and Bighorner steak dish for 42 caps with a complimentary water, and the other three ordering for themselves respectively. Once the waiter had taken their orders and left. Deccanus spoke up.
"You were saying?" He asked, curiously.
"Oh!" Adam said back, surprised. Having already forgotten the story he was going to tell by the time the waiter left. "Yes. Well I found the DJ and Radio host Silver Ray Johnson." Adam grinned. "And better yet, I'm going to be on the radio."