Chapter 1
It was a hot day in the Capital Wasteland and the sun shone relentlessly on the people occupying the Citadel. One of them was the Lone Wanderer who sat on top of the Wall of the huge complex trying to clean her armor of the blood of a Behemoth. Like so many days she frustratingly tried to scrub of the stains of the metal that protected her every day, when she was out fighting and saving another poor soul, trying to make due in the cruel place still scarred of the atomic war of the past.
On such days the Lone Wanderer wanted to be left alone with her thoughts and concentrate on the tedious task of cleaning. But as irony wants it the Lone Wanderer would not be left lonely on that day, when a young Paladin suddenly sat next to her.
"Hey there", Paladin Sarah Lyons said, while making herself comfortable next to the Lone Wanderer, "What are you doing?"
"Just cleaning up the mess left by the Behemoth I killed when I was on my way back from Big Town. I figured there would be fewer of them now that we send Hunting parties out into the Wasteland, but it seems there are some big guys still left"
Sarah Lyons watched her scrub on a rather nasty stain with a well used sponge for a few minutes before replying,
"You know you don´t have to do this anymore."
"Do what?", the Lone Wanderer asked without looking up.
"Going out to hunt Super Mutants. You and your father have done more than enough for the Capital Wasteland already. You need to take a break from all of this. This is the least of what you deserve."
The Lone Wanderer did not reply but stopped cleaning her armor for a moment, wanting to hear what her friend had to say to her.
"Listen Kid, I know people see you as some kind of hero, but you´re only human and I´m afraid you´re going to get yourself killed one of these days" Sarah said. In a soft voice she continued, "I´d be a lot happier if you let our Paladins handle things from here on now. You can take it easy for a while. There will be plenty of rebuilding and cleaning need to be done in the next few months. I think the Scribes will appreciate your help since you know the area in and around the city pretty well and it won´t be as dangerous."
The Lone Wanderer considered her words and then chuckled, "I´m sorry Sarah, but I can´t just stop being the Lone Wanderer. People need me and I´m the only person capable of helping them out."
Sarah wasn´t surprised by her response, she always found her friend to be cocky. But the thought of her dying out there alone without anyone around her was enough to get her worried about her.
"Then at least take some Paladins with you", she said. "I don´t understand why you always have to be on your own. Lone Wanderer or not, at least somebody will have your back when things get ugly."
Once again the Lone Wanderer considered her words and gazed at the courtyard of the Citadel. It seemed peaceful, only a couple of Patrols were on the walls and the rest of the Soldiers were inside the complex. Paladin Gunny was trying to shape the new recruits into capable fighters, but seemed frustrated. Since the Brotherhood took control of the Purifier a lot more people wanted to join the ranks of the Paladins and Paladin Gunny was the only person who was willing and capable to work with them. But few Wastelanders understood what kind of commitment they got themselves into.
The Lone Wanderer smiled sadly and then looked at Sarah before answering, "I can´t put other people at risk Sarah. I´ve done fine until now and I´m pretty sure I won´t die in the near future." She laughed a sad laugh and said, "Besides, I can´t die".
Sarah looked unamused at the Lone Wanderer who started to scrub the blood stain on her armor again. Sometimes she was such a knucklehead and for the love of God, she couldn´t do anything about it. She knew that the Lone Wanderer´s accomplishments were far and wide, but that didn´t mean that her luck wouldn´t run out at some point. No one lived forever. Even the most battle-hardened Paladins died and there was nothing anyone could do about it.
She gathered her thoughts and pushed her again once more, "Stop being an ass already and take a Paladin or two with you. They are at risk the moment they sign up for service. Every man and woman knows what they get into when they join the Brotherhood of Steel. We don´t lie about the risks and most of them would be more than happy to help out the person who brought some stability back to a place where most had lost hope. I can´t die, yeah right. I know you´re pretty cocky, but even you should know how ridiculous that is."
The Lone Wanderer stopped scrubbing her armor again and looked Sarah straight into the eyes. She thought about telling her a secret she never told anyone. Something she knew the day she left Vault 101, but she knew people would call her insane. After some thinking she said "I´m serious Sarah. I can´t die. I know how to prove it to you, but you will probably think I´m crazy"
Sarah Lyons knew that what the Lone Wanderer said was being absurd, since such a thing was impossible, but deep inside a part of her was intrigued so she asked, "Alright, I´ll bite. Prove it to me. Prove to me, that you found a way to cheat death and I´ll personally crown you Leader of the Brotherhood of Steel."
The Lone Wanderer smiled at her and pointed to a recruit walking towards Paladin Gunny.
"See that recruit over there? The one walking straight towards Paladin Gunny? Watch him. He´s going to trip and drop his Laser Rifle. It will go off and fire a shot into the sand bags next to Paladin Gunny. Paladin Gunny will get mad at him and educate him on the importance of using the safety on the guns. I´ve seen it countless of times now."
Sarah raised an eyebrow and started to follow the recruit's path. Soon enough he tripped and dropped his rifle which fired a Shot into the sand bags next to Paladin Gunny. The Drill Sergeant got furious and stared to yell at the recruit. Sarah couldn´t understand what they were talking about, but judging from the frantic movements of Paladin Gunny it wasn´t very pleasant.
"Alright, you got lucky with this one. I know this recruit, everyone knows he´s clumsy. That doesn´t prove you can´t die. So stop jerking around and get some Paladins on your next trip into the Wasteland."
The Lone Wanderer looked at Sarah and smiled again then motioned to a Guard on the Citadel wall.
"See that guard over there. I think Mercer´s his name. He's going to pull off his helmet and sneeze hard. Afterwards he will notice that some snot got on his armor and he will try to wipe it away only to notice he hasn´t anything with him on the wall to wipe it away.
Sarah looked at her dumbfounded but looked over to the Paladin guarding the East Wall of the Citadel. And once again the predictions of her friend became reality.
"Look", Sarah said a little irritated, "I don´t know how you convinced everyone to help you into pranking me, but you need to stop right now. This isn't funny anymore. Get the help I´m offering you and stop being such an ass."
The Lone Wanderer looked at her friend with a sad expression and said, "I´m sorry Sarah, but I´m honestly telling you that I can't die. I´m not lying and I haven't convinced anyone to prank you. If you just give me one more chance I'll try to convince you again. Please".
Her voice sounded pleading so Sarah, against better judgment, gave her one more chance.
"Alright, but this better be not one more future prediction."
The Lone Wanderer took a deep breath and started telling her story.
"As you know I´ve left Vault 101 seven months ago. I had been naïve back then and did not consider the dangers of the Capital Wasteland. The first time I left I did not run straight for Megaton, but I actually went into the opposite direction, even though our Overseer´s computer had information on the town, suggesting it was a safe travel point."
She hesitated before continuing, "It was the biggest mistake I´ve done in my life. Before I knew it I met a group of Raiders who started attacking me, I haven´t had much during this time, so I was easy prey. One of them knocked me on my feet with a tire iron and broke my legs. I was helpless and terrified. They raped me. One by one. I wished to die that day.
Fortunately I got lucky that day and my prayers had been heard. Soon after they were finished one of them shot me in the head."
The Lone Wanderer looked up to Sarah, who was looking at her with angry eyes and continued, "I know it sounds ridiculous, but please bear with me for a while. After they shot me I woke up outside of Vault 101. All the wounds inflicted on me were gone and my Pip-boy didn´t have any of the locations I discovered that day. I was terrified and didn´t know what to make of it. In the end I came to the conclusion that it was all a terrible dream and made my way into Megaton. I spend some days there before setting off towards Arefu, to deliver a letter given to me by Lucy West. I figured that I could use the caps and get accustomed to the Wasteland before searching for my father. I was passing the old School building next to Megaton when a group of Raiders jumped me. I started to shake and didn't know how to react, because at that moment I remembered what happened the first time I left the Vault so I was easy prey for them. But this time, before they got too close to me I shot myself in the head."
There was a heavy pause before the Lone Wanderer continued, "I thought suicide was a better alternative than to experience all the pain and terror again I felt the first time I was captured. At the time I wasn´t sure whether it happened or not, but I did not want to find out. I did not wake up at Vault 101 again that time, but to my surprise I woke up in on one of the beds of the Common House in Megaton. It was prior before I talked to Lucy West.
I always were a smart person back in the Vault. Some called me a genius, but I´m not sure if it is true. I just learn a lot of things a lot quicker than the average human being. But I figured that me waking up in Megaton meant two things. Either I was becoming insane, or I was stuck in time loop, which I haven´t figured out yet completely. Sometimes I wake up minutes prior to dying, sometimes it´s days. And sometimes it happens before something important is about to happen. Or at least something I deem important. I know this sounds crazy, but please Sarah", her voice became desperate at this point, "You need to believe me. Everything I tell you is true, I´m not insane. Why do you think I can predict with such accuracy what the people around the Citadel are going to do or what will happen around them? It´s because I´ve seen it countless of times. Why do you think I can accomplish in a few months what the Brotherhood could not in years? Every time I was about to die or something bad happened I shot myself in the head and every time I had gotten the chance to remake my mistakes. I practically conquered the Capital Wasteland because I literally can´t die. I don´t know if this is a curse or a blessing, but I´m making the best of it."
She smiled at Sarah who didn't know how to reply and continued, "This is why I don´t need an escort. I doubt my comrades will be as lucky and come back from the dead when they get blown up by a grenade. Who- or whatever is responsible for my inability to die is clearly having a plan for me. Before I´m finished with my tasks I won't get the satisfaction of rest, of Death."
They sat in silence together for a while before Sarah said softly, "Ok, I admit this sounds insane. How can you blame me for not believing you? But let´s say what you say is true, then what big task is ahead of you now? I doubt it´s killing Super Mutants. What do you think is so important now, that you can´t die? I mean everything is going well right now. The purifier works, everyone is getting water and the Enclave is gone. Everyday our troops are clearing the Wasteland of the remaining Super Mutants, so what else is there for you to do?"
At that the Lone Wanderer paused. A heavy silence passed between them before the Lone Wanderer replied, "Your Death."
"What?" A cold feeling of dread ran trough Sarah´s body.
The Lone Wanderer looked at her friend again tears running down her cheeks.
"It´s true Sarah. I see you die all the time. It's always different. Sometimes it´s when you´re out on patrol. Sometimes it´s when you´re collecting technology. It´s always different and I can´t change it."
The Lone Wanderer started to sob silently and Sarah didn´t know how to reply. After some time she asks, "Tell me, if you see me die all the time. How often have we had this conversation? How often have you tried to save me?"
Stilling her sobs the Lone Wanderer thought about the number and then replied, "We never had this conversation before, because I didn't know how to explain something like that to somebody else. As for trying to save you I lost count at about 200. It seems there is some key information that I´m missing, which would save your life. But I just can´t figure it out."
The Lone Wanderer got up and pulled Sarah Lyons with her and hugged her.
"I promise I will find a way to save you Sarah. I won´t stop until I know you´re safe. "
Sarah Lyons looked pale and excused herself to her quarters, needing to think about what was said. The Lone Wanderer smiled sadly at her and thought about all the times she tried to live her life after Sarah´s Death. There were robots and a big desert. A war between nations which side's she both had fought and died for. But all to no avail. Every time she died she woke up exactly three days before the love of her life died and she could not stop it. She hoped she would find the information she sought by traveling across the land, but she wasn't sure what to look for to end this nightmare. And she would not stop until she saved her.