Traders came through often, but there was something different about her. Edie and Maddie knew she traveled the halls of Vault 81 with a weathered and beaten Pip-boy on her arm. Surface grime clung to the knobs and settled in the corners of the screen. It wasn't pristine like the ones that they received on their 16th birthday. Her strawberry hair that brushed her collar was filled with dust highlighting the the bright red that lurked beneath. The vault suit she wore was no longer bright cobalt, but stained with blood and dirt. She came in with an ever-changing group of companions. The ghoul with the leathery skin and Patriotic costume that Maddie explained was from the Revolutionary War both intrigued and confused Edie. Did ghouls even live that long? Holding up a antique book with ratty edges and broken binding, Maddie recited lines about a war for independence. She pranced around the room as a one lady play anytime she was asked about history or prewar life. Maddie's excitement, animation, and performances were exhausting.
As they walked down the shiny metal corridors, the clatter of the junk strapped to their backs rang through the halls. Pots mixed with fans and silverware all clinking together melodically. The sterile lighting was harsh on travelers' flaws. Her scars looked fresher and blood filled, and the radiation dust highlighted her skin like rouge. Walking through Vault 81, her laughter and sarcasm could be heard echoing off the walls of the steel enclosure. No one really knows why she left the safety of her vault, but Edie expected it was to find a missing piece of freedom in her life. That this stranger wanted to discover the world after the bombs fell and get out of a suffocating metal box. It was a prison closed from the outside world. Leaving the safety of monotony was easy when exploring something more captivating.
Edie had dreams of leaving 81 to locate a new life on the surface, creating adventure, and maybe make it to Diamond City. A world above ground would be full of dust and death, but people still lived and survived. The smell of fresh air, earth at her feet, wind in her face, and promise of freedom lured her to leave for the outside. The tired appearances of travelers that passed through these halls showed that life was hard on the surface, but to be envious of a life closed up in a coffin is absurd.
Edith and Madeline grew up together in a bubble of steel and safety. They were inseparable. Vault life was difficult enough without parents around to keep them in line. Learning from each other and with minimal supervision wasn't the best way to keep the growing and independent women focused. To escape the constant scrutiny, they found the best places to hide sharing fancy lads and dandy apples. History and science were talked about for hours. Maddie poured through texts to find new ways for Edie to craft weapons, and although supplies were limited Edie was creative. It wasn't ever a question as to if they would leave, but when they would leave. "Maddie! The vault dweller is here, and she isn't with that sleazy looking ghoul anymore. You have to come see!" Edie threw a pencil sitting with on a bottle cap mine blueprint at her. It ricocheted off the cover and landed on the floor.
Maddie remained still for a moment before peeking her hazel eyes over the edge in complete silence. The scowl could be seen forming on her face even though much of it was still hidden. Bothering Maddie while immersed in books was like poking a Yao guai with a stick. Very dangerous and kind of stupid. Maddie's eyes framed her pointed features and high cheek bones as she set her latest reading down on the worn bedspread. Despite her tidiness, volumes covered the bed, footlocker and part of the floor. Buried in a pile of encyclopedias would be a glorious death for Maddie, and her intelligence was only outmatched by her shyness with strangers. Her pin curled hair was pulled back with a red bandana headband. Small amber strands framed the natural rosiness of her apple cheeks. An icon during World War 2, Rosie the Riveter inspired strength and independence and in 2287, she inspired Maddie's wardrobe choices. Her irritating glances at Edie retreated as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and started to sort through the art books she had just borrowed from Horatio. Life before the vault must have been fascinating, and Maddie absorbed and studied all of it. Did these amazing feats in architecture, literature and science all exist? Now they just seemed like fairytales settled into a mix of pristine and half burnt hardcovers.
"Come on Maddie! Quit being such a bookworm. Her companion looks interesting," Edie's smirk and nonchalant attitude betrayed the crimson that was creeping into her cheeks. She leaned on the wall feeling the cool, smooth metal on her sweaty palms. Trying to hide her schoolgirl curiosity, she peered around the doorway studying the new companion of the lady in blue. His eyes surveyed the interior squinting under the bright lights and running his fingers along the shiny, polished walls. He wasn't noticeably tall or muscular and his tan duster hung loosely on his body. His black combat boots were caked with dirt, and his green fatigues had been through a few wars in the Commonwealth. Much of his reaction was shielded under the brim of his hat. He had bullets strapped to his left leg and all the items that a survivalist needed wrapped around his waist. The weapon carried amongst the various junk was more than half his height and equipped with a bayoneted combat knife stained in blood. Small beads of sweat dripped from his pointed, thin features. Despite his goatee, he didn't appear much older than her. Edie's heart started to pick up pace when he smiled at something the vault dweller said and she playfully nudged him in the shoulder. She couldn't hear their conversation amid the constant hum echoing of the metal walls, but the lights caught a slight cheerful glimmer in his eyes.
"That weapon…Maddie." Edie was entranced, and didn't see Maddie immersed in a US History textbook. As they walked closer, she noticed of the gun was some type of military issued sniper rifle that was cleaner any anything he wore. Great care was taken with the slick ebony barrel and it was obvious that it was his prized possession. All the modified attachments were pieced together from other items. A stabilizer was added with repurposed pipes. From his weapon to the way he sauntered with ease down the hall he must be a hired gun.
Her eyes flitted from his gun to all the items that they were carrying to trade. Several fusion cells were haphazardly thrown in an open Vault-Tec lunchbox filled with cutlery. From the various weapons texts and her natural talent, Edie had started collecting items, putting them together with wonderglue and duct tape to craft useable items and survival supplies. Eying the items slung on top of their backs, she planned her late night depot raid. She looked at Maddie still deep in her reading hoping she would feign some interest.
"Edie did you know the Smithsonian had the original American flag? Can you imagine if it was still hidden in that museum?" Maddie gushed. Leaning on the head of the bed, she refused to glance up. "It was such an essential part of history and it should be protected. Being part of history like that would have been amazing. If we leave I want to travel there. DC isn't that far and we can find it. I have tons of maps." She raved about old statues that no longer existed and novels that had long been buried under piles of rubble.
"Seriously, those pointless stories will be there in five minutes. I know you don't care about outsiders, but please humor me. I have no desire to have to explain everything later. You can blather on about ancient artifacts the rest of the evening." Ignoring Edie's protests, she was still buried in her text. Edie grabbed the toy truck sitting on the side table and flung it at Maddie's head. It bounced off the wall and landed in pieces on the bed spread. Maddie slammed the cover shut, and jumped off the bed to slide up next to Edie. "Eeds, this better be life changing. I was actually doing something productive."
"See Maddie, that could be us." She peered above Edie's shoulder into the bright hallway. Watching the vault dweller with her fiery hair and sneer on her face drifting down the hall. Her companion didn't look much older than them, but between the gun, those blue eyes and the thin frame, he was trouble.
"Edie, you are a little out of his league. Besides aren't you "dating" Bobby DeLuca?" Maddie nudged her smiling. "We are most definitely not leaving for that."
"You really think I want to leave for a guy?!" Edie protested. "You must be taking in too many of those paper fumes from those traded books. You're obviously delusional."
"Edie you can't tell me that you wouldn't love to parade some rebel merc around this place just to cause a stir? We both know you aren't in the Overseer's office every other week for good behavior," Maddie place her hand on her hip and tilted her head patiently waiting for Edie answer.
"That isn't the point," Edie sighed. "Do I really need to get out the list again of why we should live this shithole?"
"It just has to be the right time Edie, and we have to be prepared. I still have to finish the codex about all the creatures. Maybe I should ask them for help." Maddie went and pulled her notebook fashioned with pieces of scrap paper and pre-war money, neatly tied together with a spare piece of cloth. She grab a pen, but froze when they slowed their pace outside their doorway.
"We need to trade and get on the road if you plan to reach Diamond City before nightfall. With a deathclaw in the area, we could just bunk here. It might be nice to sleep in an actual bed for a change. I mean I am all for shacks and people killing us in our sleep, but a little break once in a while might be helpful." His rough voice intertwined with a sweet, melodic tone. Smirking at his companion, he took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. "We need to unload all this junk. I don't understand why we pick up all this useless crap anyways." "Maccready, you know that's why I brought you, right? To carry the so-called useless crap that helped you modify that gun, and more importantly to be deathclaw lunchmeat. If I planned on pleasant Commonwealth company I would have brought the Paladin or Valentine with me. You really didn't think we were friends did you?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm as she winked at him.
Before he could reply, Edie started to snicker. Maddie hid her smaller stature behind her friend and pinched the back of her arm in an attempt to shut her up. Drawing the attention of these two was the last thing she desired. " Ouch! What the hell was that for Mads?" Maddie gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes as Edie was trying to stifle her giggling. "Madeline Caine, please tell me where it is written in one of those ancient history texts that Edie Whitlock shall not be permitted to laugh at jokes? Or maybe you can continue to keep me in this vault for my crime. It truly is a prison," she sneered while holding out her hands to be cuffed.
"Edie, come on, really?!" Maddie had switched to her librarian stare, paired with a solitary finger to her lips, and holding back the urge to strangle or slap that smug look off her face. They would never make it together in Commonwealth. Either everything out there would kill them or they would kill each other.
"Come on Maddie you think some traders really give a shit that you don't want to be noticed? To them we are invisible."
"Umm Eeds…you might…" That was all Maddie could say before Edie started reading her the riot act.
"No Maddie! I am sick of this shit and the fact that you don't even plan to explore the world out of this glorified lunchbox. Not to mention that I could kill anything on the surface with my eyes closed. I am not making all of this as science project," she points at the workbench filled with half made weapons and machine parts.
As Edie was ranting about leaving, Maddie watched MacCready wide eyed. He was softly smiling as he surveyed the room, his stormy blue eyes glanced across the books littered on her bed, along the clothes and parts Edie had thrown haphazardly on her workbench. He paused studying her armor and weapon innovations plied next to wonderglue, several telephones, antique fans and miscellaneous toy trucks. Maddie had no idea how a giddy up buttercup leg, flamer fuel and a saw blade became a weapon, but Edie knew how to work with what she had on hand. Becoming uncomfortable as his intensity increased looking at the workbench, Maddie suddenly felt the need to do something to divert his unwelcome attention.
Edie continued her tirade, "I'm telling you Maddie with your smarts and my ability to kill shit we could go wherever we want in the Commonwealth. I even heard from a trader that there is a whole group of people that love the same nerdy shit you do. Apparently, they have this mission to preserve anything left from the prewar days and they even document it. I think they are called scribblers or scribes or something like that."
In an attempt to finally shut her up, Maddie grabbed Edie by the shoulders and turned her to face MacCready. The vault dweller had walked toward the depot, less than amused with them. Edie gulped as he watched her waiting for a greeting or a sign that she was still breathing. Heat crept into her cheeks as her normally milky colored skin was turning as red as a tato. she Managed a half wave as she exhaled, and Madie peered from behind her shoulder.
"Ladies." MacCready tipped his hat as he hiked the junk up his shoulders and walked towards the depot.
"Mads, seriously?! That could have been a connection out of here. You could have at least warned me that you were going to make me look like a blubbering schoolgirl," Edie turned around and walked to the sink.
"Well if you would have took a breath while complaining maybe I could have warned you. He was far to interested in all the stuff you have laying around. Besides, do you really think a vault dweller with a hired gun would let two young girls to tag along? We are more of a liability to people like that," Maddie flopped down on her bed and started to shuffle through the volumes on the nightstand.
"I obviously wasn't talking about her. She seemed kind of bitchy anyways." Edie pressed cool water to her burning cheeks, and ran it down the shaved side of her head. Still angry from their discussion, she kept a firm grip on the sides of the sink watching the redness diminish and running a finger across the faded scar that adorned the left side of her eye and cheek. "You'll eventually get sick of this place Mads. Living without seeing what the rest of the world has to offer isn't really doing anything except waiting to die. Why read about all those artifacts when we can go find them? I love you, but we were meant for more than this existence." She took a couple of deep breaths and stared at the vivid green eyes in the mirror. Pinning her short jet black hair and tucking the blue tips behind her ear, she grabbed her welding goggles and sat down amongst the cutter at her workbench.
"Eeds, I need a reason to leave. I see battered and bruised traders come in and out of these doors, and most of them disappear after a few months. I promised that I would leave with you, but I want to be ready to take on whatever the hell is out there. What they taught us about the surface and the stories the traders bring in aren't fairytales. They aren't just stories made up to scare vault children," Maddie paused. "I promise we will leave. When we turned 18, you said you could wait a few more months. We need better weapons, more resources and caps."
Fiddling with some gears and grabbing her hammer and blowtorch, Edie turned her back to Maddie. The clanking of metal pieces being fitted together was the only thing breaking the uncomfortable silence. Grabbing two ice cold Nuka-Colas, Maddie popped off the caps and thew them a glass jar marked "adventure." The caramel color liquid fizzed, popped and cracked in rhythm with the clanking of metal. Edie was hammering out a aluminum container and fitting it skillfully around the joint in the giddy up buttercup leg. "Come on! You can't stay mad at me forever," she offered her a bottle. "We need to find out more about where to go when we leave. That is all I am asking. It shouldn't take more than a month or so." Maddie stuck out her bottom lip as she leaned on the workbench. "If I go find you that merc would you forgive me? If it makes you feel better, I am pretty sure you could kill him," she smiled. Edie pulled up her goggles and rested them on her forehead shaking her head and smiling. "I'm telling you Eeds, you would eat him alive." Edie leaned on Maddie's legs and clinked her bottle.