Cody sat at the counter, immediately folding both arms on it and leaning his face against them. He'd just come back from the Vault. His Vault. The only place he'd known for nineteen years.
He'd slowly walked through the halls, his old routes all flooding back. But things were different.
Containers had been moved, beds had been pushed close together to make room, tables and lockers were piled up like sandbags. The Vault was divided into two groups, and more than half of both hated Cody. Mostly, they hated his dad, but him too, just for being his son.
He expected nothing less. He shook his head in almost pitiful silence as almost everyone scoffed at him, telling him he didn't belong there. He knew that. He'd always known that, ever since he was little. The only reason he went back, the only reason he cared, the only reason he returned to Vault 101 with all those people who were living a lie, was because of her.
On that horrible day, when she'd rushed into his room and shook him awake, he knew things were going to change. He could only thank her as she gave him a pistol, and medicine, and water. But more than that, she'd given him hope. In his world that was falling down around him, when he felt he'd been betrayed by the only family he had, she was there. She was always there.
"Hey man, you alright?" Andy broke Cody out of his thoughts.
"No," was all the Lone Wanderer said as he looked up.
"Girl problems?" Andy asked with a smile.
Cody nodded, making the guy immediately look guilty.
"Sorry. I didn't know."
"I didn't either," Cody muttered. "Can I get a drink?"
"Yeah," Andy said. "We have plenty of ice-cold water."
"No," Cody said, more harshly than he meant to. "I mean a real drink. Whiskey, beer, anything."
Andy looked a little startled, but he only reached behind him to grab a bottle of alcohol out of the fridge. "Here you go."
Cody reached for some caps.
"On the house," Andy added. "The least I could do, for my little bro and everything."
Cody had only drunk beer twice in his life, once on a dare from Gob, and another time after the Purifier. Both times, it tasted awful. It tasted awful now, but he didn't care at this point.
I know you're still out there.
It was such a small chance. He'd barely been in range to catch the signal, and wouldn't have noticed if Three Dog hadn't annoyed him with his jab at the Wanderer's survival book. He helped Moira with that thing right after he left the Vault. It's not like he was an expert or anything, and the GNR making fun of it added insult to injury.
But when he went to shut off the radio, he saw the signal glowing faintly on the screen, the distress signal static-y and quiet.
He didn't even need to hear those first six words before he booked it to the Vault entrance, waiting just long enough to hear her tell him the password. Her name. It was clever of her, something he knew only she would think of.
The smell of the Vault as the giant door opened made him hesitate, the claustrophobic memories overwhelming him, but he pushed them down and pushed through, ignoring his rising panic as it shut behind him.
Cody downed half the bottle in moments, putting it on the counter and staring off into space. Andy had gone off to get another customer's order, so he was alone with his brooding. He thought about leaving before he became drunk, but the buzz was slowly blocking all rational thought. But it also blocked the pain, a method he promised to only use in a dire circumstance. This definitely qualified.
I can't believe it. You're back!
Her words were filled with happiness, an unimaginable joy that her message had gotten through to him. It made him ecstatic just to hear her again, but seeing her suddenly made his life seem not as much of a crap hole as it had before. And when she hugged him, the glass of the world righted itself again, clearer than it ever had been.
He listened as she told him of all the horrible things that were happening, and how her father had gone insane, as if he wasn't already. But Jonas' death – a memory that still haunted him – was just the beginning. When she was finished, he just held her again, letting her cry for a minute. He told her that he would do his best to resolve it all peacefully, since he knew that killing her father wouldn't help, and after his own dad gave his life for him, he wasn't going down that road.
I thought the Wasteland might have changed you.
It had, but he hoped in a good way. He'd seen his share of blood and death, but he still hated the thought of violence, as big as he was. So he promised her that there wouldn't be any more of any of it. He'd resolve things, having learned how to talk to people during his time in the Wastes, and put things back together as best he could. The look she gave him was definitely worth it.
"Hey," Leo came up behind Cody. "How's it goi-" He stopped when he saw the beer. He'd been the one to serve him after his dad's death, so he knew it wasn't good.
"It's not his birthday, is it?"
"No. That was five months ago, long before he died. This is different." Cody was tired of talking.
He felt like every time he tried to do that, he or someone else always got hurt. Him especially.
"Well, if you ever wanna talk, or anything, just ask. I owe you, man."
All the Wanderer could manage was a tiny smile, before standing up, muttering a thanks to the Stahl brothers for the free drink, and made his way outside, almost draining it completely when he got there.
He walked to the gate, avoiding the robot and trudging to the old town outside Megaton, not stopping until he made it to the gas station. He sat against one of the dumpsters, drinking the last of his beer. He threw the empty bottle behind him, the satisfying clink of it landing in the huge garbage bin going almost unnoticed.
I… I just heard. My father just stepped down as Overseer. I can't believe it.
He knew she'd make a great leader. It was practically set in stone; everyone knew it. When she took the G.O.A.T, Overseer was the outcome. Just like her father. Except a little less crazy.
Cody looked up at the darkening sky. Either she was crazy, or he was. Maybe it was his fault? Maybe it was his dad's fault? He shook his head. They were angry and scared, even though he and his dad broke them out of their illusion of "purity" and "safety". No one was truly safe in the world. No one.
You have to leave.
Just like those six words had filled him with happiness, these four filled him with dread. She claimed it was because people still blamed him, and that it would just cause more problems. He knew that was ridiculous. But it made his heart sink even more.
His friend – his only friend for most of his life – was basically telling him to get lost.
Cody stared at her. "Say that again?"
She shuffled on her feet. "You need to leave."
He opened his mouth, and then closed it. He opened it again, and once more it shut. "You're kicking me out? After I came back to help you?"
"It's not like that," she said. "I just… A lot of people still blame you for your dad, and-"
"For my dad?" He interrupted. "What, so I control whatever my dad did? He didn't have a mind of his own, and he told me everything?"
"Cody," she tried.
"I had no idea what he was planning. All the residents blame me just because I'm his son. I couldn't have stopped him, you know that."
"I'm not saying they're right to think you're responsible. I'm just saying that it would be bad if you stayed."
He snorted, but there was no happiness in it. "You know, when I was out in the Wasteland, I was terrified. I thought I was going to die every single day before I found my dad. But you know what kept me at it?" His voice was getting louder. "Even after I found him!? Even after he died!? You!"
Her eyes widened; whether it was at the mention of his death, or his feelings, he didn't know.
"He gave his life so I could start the Purifier for the people of the Wastes, so they could have clean water. I'm still working towards that goal. Everyone has a duty to bring life back into the world. I thought you knew that." He sighed.
"You woke me up that day. I could never tell you how grateful I am for that; how you defended me and gave me hope. You were the one person who never left, who never betrayed me. Even after everyone I knew wrote me off or died, you were always there."
"Cody," she tried again, her voice quiet.
He clenched his right fist, not caring that her dad and Freddie were listening. "I came back to help, to return the favor, and you act like I have no use to you anymore. This place has no purpose anymore! But I suppose now that you're Overseer, the Vault will always come first." He started to turn away.
"Wait, please Cody!" She tried one last time. "Surely you understand why you can't stay-"
"It's not about me staying!" he yelled. "It isn't about me staying in the Vault. I don't belong here, I know that. But all you care about are the residents and you living the illusion of safety and purity and doing absolutely nothing to benefit anyone but yourselves. And now that I've been tainted, you want nothing to do with me. You've made your decision."
He walked to the door, her silence breaking his heart.
"Goodbye, Amata."
Cody blinked, not realizing that his eyes were getting misty. Through his drunken stupor, he could see stars forming in the sky. They were so far away.
He stayed like that for hours. He knew he had to get up; the Brotherhood was waiting for him at the Purifier. They had to reclaim it from the Enclave, and now with Liberty Prime, they could. He'd just wanted to go back to the Vault, or at least, go near it, hoping for the slightest chance that he might even catch a glimpse of the life in there. Of her.
Maybe he'd really looked at his Pip-boy to see if he could find anything, not just to turn off the radio. Maybe he'd been hoping for the small chance. But right now, looking up at the stars, he didn't care. Not anymore. His dad was gone, and now, so was Amata. Those two events were so close, by a mere few months, that he didn't think he'd ever recover.
But he was the Lone Wanderer after all. Maybe it was his destiny. Go figure.
Amata sat at the Overseer's desk, staring at the holotape in her lap. It had been three hours since she'd found it, sitting on her bed. It was from him.
She tried to muster the courage to put it in her Pipboy and listen to it. But she couldn't. It was more difficult than she could ever say with words. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she picked it up and slid it into the opening.
"Man," the familiar voice started, making her breath catch in her throat. "I'm not good with these things at all. 'S a wonder I can even work a Pipboy." He cleared his throat. "Hey, Amata.
It's me. Well, you know that, I'm sure. Umm, it's," he paused, and the sound of him shuffling around could be heard. "Where's the darn clock." More shuffling. "Oh, right. This thing has one. I always forget. Anyway, the time's 3:42 PM. It's Wednesday. Umm, I just… I haven't really… It's been a long time. Err, it's felt like a long time, since I've um, well, since I've seen you."
She stopped the tape briefly, trying to keep her emotions in control. She played it again after a moment.
"It's only been a few months, really. But, now I don't know if you'll ever hear this, because I swear I keep thinking I'm gonna get killed off any day now. But, there is some good news. I think I found my dad. Some weird owner of a bar who apparently knows me told me that my dad went to an old city. Something about a radio station? I don't know… He says that… Well, that I wasn't… Um… That I haven't… Oh how do I say this?"
There was a long pause.
"My dad wasn't born in the Vault and neither was I," he said so fast she almost missed it. "It's a long story and this tape is already really long so I'll make this quick. I…" Another pause. "I really miss you, Amata. I mean, I know I had to leave and everything, and it was really bad, but I can't help but wish you'd come with me. I really do." He sighed. Amata heard a couple voices in the background.
"Hey, quiet down for a sec, guys!" His muffled voice again. "Geez. I gotta go but… Listen. I don't wanna say I'll never see you again, but… Well… I really, really wish you'd come with me. I mean it." The tape ended then.
Amata barely ejected the tape out and placed it on her desk before she started sobbing. He was right. She did put the Vault before him. Maybe she'd always done it. But that last time, there was no doubt about it.
She lowered her head into her hands. "Me too, Cody. Me too."
I was just playing Fallout again and I had to do this quest because apparently there's a time limit after the Purifier? But it was such an emotional part, I just sat there for like five minutes. You literally go back to help her, and they know nothing about the Wastes so to them you risk your life and stuff, and it's really bad, and then BAM, she just kicks you out. It really wasn't about me living back in the Vault, but seriously, she's supposed to be your best friend. How could she ask you to go? I feel like she puts the Vault before your friendship, especially since they weren't really meant to last for as long as they have (Vault 101 is the exception but they don't know that). I get it, but that's just really low.
Who knows, maybe she felt sorry afterwards? I didn't want to make her look like a complete jerk.
K, rant over.