Take it back!
Or, the final moments of a „hero"…
The boy from Vault 101, or better known as the Lone Wanderer, and labeled as the Last, Best of humanity, has finally made it to Project Purity with his companion, Sarah Lyons, after fighting their ways through the enclave forces stationed around D.C. When they reached the Jefferson Memorial, they continued without the rest of the Pride (Lyon's unit), and stormed the building, which were also filled with soldiers of the American government. But they did not prevail, for they were suited with their Power armors and chinese assault rifles, and their heart were in the right place. That small number of Enclave personel did not even slow them, they kept going. And as further as they went, many bodies of the Enclave dropped to the floor of the Memorial.
After a few moments of Run and Gunning, they finally arrived at the door of the Rotunda, home of Project Purity. When they entered the door, three more enclave soldiers were waiting for them. Two of them armed with miniguns, and the third, to their suprise, (and for the Lone Wanderer's pleasure), was Colonel Autumn, the leader of the Enclave Project Purity, and the one responsible for his father's death. The man only had a 10mm pistol, but still had the aura of power, more power than his backing-up soldiers. He already pointed his gun at our heroes, but he shoot first with his mouth.
- You again. – he begun – I can't say I'm suprised. You and your ilk seem hell-bent on destroying our government has worked hard to achive. There's nothing to stop me from killing you this time. Let's end this.
He noticed Sarah, but he chose to only address the Vault-dweller. The „courtesy" to which the Wanderer oblidged.
- Give it up Autumn. You've lost.
The colonel was eager to fight back with words.
- I beg to differ. The Enclave is at the height of its power. Once this facility is operational, the masses will flock to the Enclave for fresh water, protection, and a plan for the future.
- Raven Rock is gone. Eden checked out. You've got nothing left. – listed the Wanderer.
Curiously, nor the two heavy weapons soldier or Sarah chose to take part in the conversation. All the three of them did that out of honor, with only difference that the two soldier were not interested, while Sarah let the Wanderer handle this, because of the bad blood between the two of them.
The speech fight continued with Autumn's reasoning.
- The American people are worth fighting for. The future must be secured. I won't let you stand in the way of that.
- This isn't the way to do it. – softened the Wanderer – More fighting will just make things worse.
- And what would you have me do? Let you have everything I've worked to build? Let you destroyed it all?
The boy showed patience. Letting his enemy to have the luxury to speak up. Than he advised the solution.
- Just walk away. It's not to late.
All the people in the room raised their heads after that quote. The soldiers suddenly showed interest in the conclusion of this debate, while Lyons had a mixture of anger and confusion on her face. It even took Autumn by suprise.
- And you… you would just let me leave? How can I be sure you won't shoot me once I turn my back on you? I suppose it doesn't matter much now.
He took a deep breath, then finished.
- Very well. I shall leave you to your fate.
The soldiers shocked their head in disbelief, but followed orders, and followed their leader. They remaining leader, that is.
Sarah looked at the Wanderer. She thought he would avenge his father, that he would act by anger and depression. But he didn't. Sarah sighed in relief, believing that she was dissappointed in a possitive way.
She believed she was. That is, until the Restorer of Faith have out of the blue equiped his rocket launcher, and pointed it at the leaving already forgiven enemys.
- Hey Autumn.
The colonel and his escort looked back, only to have all of them gasped at the sight of the Wanderer's intention.
- Eat this you father killing shit-face.
And than he pushed the trigger. The rocket launched out of it's place, flying towards the doomed people with speed. One of the soldiers just simply dropped his head in childish disappointment, and uttered his last words.
- Ahh, fuck this shit.
Than they got obliterated. They bodies being severed in every place that it is possible, and flew around the room, droping almost everywhere.
He at least warmed them…
The Wanderer just simply droped the launcher after his handy work. Lyons on the other hand, tried to comprehent what happened.
- But… but… why did you- but I don't- why would you—WHAT? – she burst out.
- Why did you go on all this forgiving speech, if you kill them all in the end?
The Wanderer anwsered calmly.
- Cause fuck'em, that's why. Now to the matter at hand – gestured at the staircase leading up to Purify.
Sarah just looked confused, but dismissed her feelings, and put her concern to Purify, agreeing with her companion.
They went up, without even knowing what to do. But fortunatelly, the intercom up on the staircase spoken up, with the voice of Doctor Li Madison.
- Hello? – came the sound from the intercom – Is anyone there? Hello?
The Wanderer went in first, and pressed the anwser button of the intercom.
- Doctor Li, is that you? We made it to the Purifier. What should we do now—
- We are having a serious problem. – she cutted in – The facility had been severly damaged during the fighting. Some of it looks accidental, some of it looks sabotaged. There's a pressure building up in the holding tanks. it needs to be released now or else the whole facility could explode! To release the pressure, you're gonna have to turn the purifier on. You understand me? It has to be turned on NOW.
She relaxed for a short amount of time, to clear her thougths, then continued.
- If I'm reading this right, I'm afraid there our lethal levels of radiation inside the chamber… I'm sorry, I wish there was some other way, but there's just no time. It has to be done now or the damage will be catastrophic. – then the voice logged out.
The Wanderer turned to Sarah with concern, and he saw her face. She heard it. She merely shaked her head.
- Well so much for celebrating.
The Wanderer stayed in silence, taking the situation and her reaction all in. Sarah, knowing that someone needs to address the problem, she stated what both of them already know.
- One of us is going to have to go in there and turn the damned thing on. And whoever does it isn't coming back out.
She smiled with bitternes.
- Not exactly how I imagined going out, you know?
The Wasteland hero smiled back with bitternes too, understanding the situation. Trying to figure out how to solve this problem—
- So, what should we do? Draw straws?
What, the Wanderer asked mentally, when he raised his head over the question. What did she jut do?
- I beg your pardon? – asked the boy.
- How should we decide who goes in? – she asked again. The boy just rolled his head in fustration.
- Okay, okay, so are you asking for my opinion about this… or are you really going to be the dick and put the pressure of choice on me?
- Really? – she raised her arms in frustration – Are you really making this a lot harder than it already is—
- Nononononono! No backing away! You literally just gave me the burden to choose. And we all know that I will be a dick, If I choose to live. You literally just throw me this ball like nothing!
- Well, maybe you should take responsible over, after all it's your father's work!
- Bitch! – raised his index finger the heir of Project Purity. – My responsible? I didn't know SHIT about this whole damn project up until a few days ago!
Than the Wanderer wondered in thoughts.
- Or weeks. Or months- oh, look I don't know, I lost my sense of time after I got out of the Vault, and started to help out everyone who were too incompetent to solve their problem alone! I didn't even know there was life outside! Why my responsibility? Ain't your father's branch of the Brotherhood was the one that was involved in all this, too? Shouldn't that be your job to turn it on?
- The Brotherhood – started her defense – are to protect the Wasteland! My branch helped your father in defension, not in the project itself. Just like we do it today, too, we protect the people of the Wasteland!
- Yeah – raised his eyebrows the Wanderer in disbelief – protect them, right. Like the most proffessional canon–fodders you are.
Lyons gasped in anger, being taken by suprise of this callback.
- How dare you! I have you know, the Brotherhood are filled with competent, strong fighters with the most courageous heart. And my pride is the most elite of them!
- Given how Reddin died out of amaturism, and that where ever I go, I need to help you guys out, it really isn't brigthen up my opinion about you guys.
- You sonova—
She stopped. She cleared her thoughts, to take her concerns to the matter at hand. She begun.
- Look, we are under a lot of pressure, I know. But we also got a limited time to act…
- Yes, that is true – agreed the Wanderer.
- … so what do you propose to do? – asked the Sentinel of the elite pride of the Brotherhood.
The Wanderer just looked at her. Not saying a word, or anwsering. He just looked at her in annoyance. Than in the end, he spoke up.
- You know what? I'll do it. Least I got the spine to make that decision.
She nodded her head, in shame and gratitude.
- You're going to have to be quick about it. If the radiation is bad enough, you won't have much time.
- I won't forget what you've done here. – she added – No one will. Thank you.
The Lone Wanderer sighed and nodded, then he stepped into the chamber. The door behind him, by the facilitys safety protocol to make sure the radiation doesn't spread out, sealed. He now just had to walk to the control panel. But before he did that, he went to the chamber's Auxiliary Filtration input. He took out a huge canister, and inserted it in the input. Lyons noticed it.
- Hey, what are you doing? She didn't say anything about that canister. What is that?
The Wanderer stepped in the room of the Purifier's control unit, making the last safety protocol controlled door to be sealed. He moved to the panel, but anwsered her question first.
- A modified fev virus. Inserting it will make the purified water poisonous to all kind of individual who had been exposed to the Wasteland's radiation.
She begun to think for a short amount of time, then her eyes widened after understanding the situation.
- But everyone is exposed to radiation since they were born outside! You're going to kill everyone!
- Only if you drink it… - smiled the hero of the Capital Wasteland.
She was furious.
- You can't do that! Get that thing out of the input!
- Nope – anwsered the Wanderer like a child.
- This is for sending me to the death, and making me do your freaking work. Killed the Super mutants and behemoth attacking GNR, I did. Found the dish for the antenna, I did. Barely got any reward, other than information I was blackmailed with. Found the geck for the purifier, I did. Got Captured, and had to fight my way outside by my own. Had to help you guys get here, too. If you can't live without me, might as well just speed things up.
Listed the Wanderer, meanwhile the room's radation were burning rapidly. He had to muster all his anger and formed them into strengh to speak. He then pushed the necessary buttons for the code: 216. His mother's favourite revelation from the bible.
Sarah started to knock on the window, in a desperate attempt to stop Humanity's last and Best hope.
- Don't you dare to do it! You hear me? You bastard!
And then he pressed enter, and Purifier started, with it, the chamber's radiation level also increased highly. He dropped to the floor, oblivious to the shouts of the Sentinel. He smilled in accomplishment. Then he closed his, for he was tired of his long journey.
And so it was, that the Lone Wanderer ventured forth from Vault 101. Intend on discovering the fate of a father who had once sacrificed the future of humanity, for that of his only child.
The Capital Wasteland proved a cruel, inhospitable place. But the Lone Wanderer refused to surrender to the vices, that had acclaimed so many others. The values passed on from father to child, selflessness, compassion, honor. Guided this noble soul through countless trials, and triumphs.
But it was not until the end of this long road, that the Lone Wanderer learnt the true meaning of that greatest of virtues: Sacrifice. Stepping into the irradiated control chamber of Project Purity, the child followed the example of the father. Sacrificing life itself for the greater good of mankind.
Sadly, when selected by the sinister president to be his instrument of annihilation, the Wanderer agreed.
- Cause fuck'em, that's why – echoed the Wanderer's words.
Humanity would be preserved, but only in it's purest form. The waters of life flowed at last, but the virus contained within soon eradicated all those deemed unworthy of salvation, the Capital Wasteland, despite it's progress, became a graveyard.
So ends the story of the Lone Wanderer, who stepped through the great door of Vault 101 and into the anals of Legend. But the tale of humanity will never come to a close. For the struggle for surviveval is a war without end. And war… war never changes.