Prologue
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, August of 2258
"It breaks my heart when I think I'll have to leave this place behind, that I'll have to abandon the project… but I'm a father now, now I must put the needs of my child before my own."
Doctor Madison Li sighed and settled her heavy glasses on the bridge of her nose as she watched James Whitaker turn off old recorded and remove the holotape inside.
She stood under the door frame. There were so many things she wanted to reproach him in those moments, so many unsaid words; yet, she made an effort to restrain herself. This wasn't the time to be emotional, no, this was the time to keep a cool head and see the big picture. If James couldn't do it, then the task fell on her.
It had only been a couple of months since Catherine's death, and the wound was still raw for both of them.
Project Purity, the project that represented not only the hope of a better life for the Capital Wasteland but also eight years of challenging scientific research, was at the doorstep of death; no progress had been made in the last year, and the Brotherhood of Steel was considering withdrawing from the Jefferson Memorial what remained of its soldiers, taking with them the much-needed protection they offered to the team of scientists and engineers.
Madison knew that James' departure was the final nail in Project Purity's coffin.
And she wouldn't allow that to happen. She couldn't.
"James, we need to talk."
"Not now, Madison. I'm sorry, but I still have to finish packing," he replied as he stood up, placed the holotape on his nightstand and began rummaging in the pockets of his lab coat. "Do you know if Cross has already confirmed our arrival with the Supervisor?"
Madison sighed again. It was so typical of James to change the subject instead of dealing with the issue at hand.
"Yes. Cross told me that everything is ready: the plan is to escort you to Megaton and then to the Vault's entrance, but you must leave before dawn to avoid travelling at night."
"Perfect," James said with no emotion in his voice, without even looking back at her, now rummaging through the drawers of his dresser with desperation
The silence in the room was deafening. Madison clenched her jaw, frustrated at James's indifference. She knew he was impulsive—always had been—, and that he usually got lost in his thoughts, but this was more than she was willing to endure.
"How can you be so selfish?" Madison finally snapped, unable to restrain herself any longer.
"'Selfish'?" he repeated, his voice hoarse.
"Yes. You're being selfish. Don't you realise what will happen if you leave? The Brotherhood of Steel made it very clear: They refuse to deal with me or with the other scientists. They don't believe the project has any future."
James inhaled deeply.
"Of course I realise what will happen; but we're talking about my daughter, Madison, about my only daughter. She's the only thing I have left…" James said, then swallowed. "I don't expect you to understand."
"I understand, James, but you need to understand me too; try to understand what your departure represents for all of us," Madison argued back. "This project could mean a better life for all of the people in the Wasteland. Are you really willing to give up all of our years of research, just to go and hide in one of those vaults?"
"You obviously don't understand," James said sharply.
"Why? Because I'm not a 'mother'?"
As soon as those words left her mouth, the doctor looked away and fixed her eyes on the floor. She had said it without thinking, and she regretted it; it hadn't been fair to Catherine's memory, or to that innocent baby who now slept soundly in her crib, oblivious to the cruelty of the Capital Wasteland.
Madison felt a pang of both jealousy and grief. Catherine had chosen James.
And it had cost her life.
"James, please consider the consequences of what you are going to do. That's all I ask," Madison finally said. She approached him cautiously, and placed a hand on his forearm; he did not reject it. "Do you really think this is what Catherine would've wanted?"
"Don't try to tell me what she'd have wanted!" he shouted, his face turning into a mask of rage; the petite woman didn't flinch, instead, she folded her arms and held his gaze. "Catherine would've wanted our daughter to grow up in a safe place. And you've no right to use my wife's memory to try and persuade me."
"You aren't the only one who loved her," Madison snapped again, her eyes began to fill with tears. She looked away, trying to keep James from seeing her weakness; she took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. "Don't act like you're the only one who is suffering here. Don't you dare."
James stared at her.
"I'm sorry, Madison. That was unfair," he said as he ran a trembling hand through his brown hair. "But that doesn't change my decision."
Madison clenched her fists at her sides, bracing herself for what she was going to say next. Her last-ditch attempt to persuade him.
"Please, don't give up on what the three of us have built all these years. This isn't what Catherine would've wanted for you or for your daughter. Please, don't abandon us."
After pronouncing those humiliating words, Madison Li left the room.
She didn't look back.
The rocky outcrops and hills that surrounded Springvale, were a poor hiding place for the tunnel that protected the entrance to Vault 101. Which partly explained why the Vault's location was an open secret; the fact that, every other year, some vault dweller made their way to Megaton and even traded with them, was another reason.
Still, those visits had suddenly stopped in recent months, and nobody knew why; so it was a big surprise to everyone when the new Supervisor accepted James's request without any objection.
James observed the sun set over the horizon, painting the sky red, pink and orange, and casting long shadows over the shattered earth. He carried his little girl in his right arm, wrapped in a bundle of yellow rags, while he held a cigar with his left one.
"That will kill you, you know?" the woman standing next to him said. Dressed in a worn-out power armor, the Paladin stood still as a statue, holding a super sledge with both hands. "And it isn't good for the baby."
"I know," he mumbled, throwing the cigar to the ground. He hadn't smoked since Catherine had announced her pregnancy, but now the temptation was too great. "Do you think it's worth it?"
"What is?"
"All of this," he answered, trying to cover the immensity of the Wasteland with a single gesture. "Fighting to improve this, to rebuild the world. To give people hope, however small it may be."
"If I didn't believe it, I wouldn't have become a Paladin," Cross replied with admirable self-assurance. "I may not see a change while I'm still alive but, at least, I know I'll leave behind something better for future generations. That's what this is all about, isn't it?"
"I don't believe that, not anymore," he murmured, hiding his face in his left hand.
"I still remember what Catherine and I promised to each other when we became Initiates," Cross blurted out. "We promised each other that we'd die on the battlefield, fighting until the end, like big damn heroes. Of course, we were young, and we'd no idea what we were talking about but..."
"But Project Purity is a lost cause." James sighed. He was so tired of everyone expecting so much from him, of everyone using Catherine's memory to try and persuade him. "There is nothing left to fight for. There is nothing left for me out here, nor for my daughter."
James stared at Cross, waiting for some rebuttal, a reproach, anything that wasn't silence.
"My mother always said: 'There is more time than life'" Cross finalised.
It was then they both heard it: the squeaking of the gigantic metal door opening, heralding the hope of a new and better life for James and his daughter.
He had no idea how wrong he was.
Author's notes:
Hello, thanks for reading this far, this is the new and improved Prologue, now with actual characterization and backstory! I'll be rewriting the other chapters slowly, although the first chapter won't probably change that much. English isn't my first language and I currently don't have a beta, so apologies for any grammar mistakes you might find in here.
