Here's the second chapter of the story. Again I own nothing. Please enjoy.

Chapter 2 Escape!

It had been three years since Tess Green had passed the G.O.A.T and had become a Vault Tec Engineer. In that time Tess had made several repairs and upgrades to the Vaults systems and equipment. Because of Tess being a Vault Engineer, Stanley was given more rest and time off for him to recover from his stress. the Vault Overseer was still not impressed with the way she was fixing vault but he had no choice seeing as she was the only engineer that they had other than Stanley.

During her time off or when she was not helping her mother and Jonas in the Clinic or reading a copy of Dean's Electronics ( a book on repairs and maintenance ) or Nikola Tesla and You (a book on energy weapons, specifically the AEP7 Laser Pistol that she loved, but had been unable to find one yet) , Tess spend time exploring vault sections that had been sealed or otherwise had been abandoned. She discovered several useful things in her search. including a small cache of weapons which included three baseball bats, two police batons, and a 10 mm pistol in poor condition but she had never less than able to fix, along with a few boxes of ammunition as well for the pistol as well. She also found several tools, and parts, and equipment that were useful, including a few sensor modules and conductors that she used to fix some of the vaults equipment, and a toolbox filled with tools and scrap metal and a belt with a hip holster for her pistol.

She was also able to turn her shooting range on the reactor level to a small hide away. It now had a refrigerator, a bed, a footlocker, a safe, and a first aid kit with medical supplies she had be able scavenge from the sections she had explored and an ammunition box filled with the ammunition she had found as well.

It also had a Mr Handy robot called Albert, that she had found in one of the abandoned sections of the Vault. Of course with the Overseer being more suspicious lately she was forced to move most of her hideouts equipment (mainly her weapons, medicine and toolbox along with the Mr Handy robot) to her apartment. Her weapons were kept in a duffel bag next to her bed, and the first aid kit containing her scavenged medical supplies was also in the duffel.

She was currently wearing her Vault Utility Jumpsuit, her hair tied in a loose ponytail as she worked on Albert in her apartment when suddenly the Vaults alarm began blaring.

"Wonder what's going on" Tess though as she closed the hatch to Albert's stabilizer before she stood up from kneeling next to Albert and walked to the apartments sink in the next room to wash her hands.

Tess knew that when the Vaults alarms went off it meant two things: A Radroach infestation or the Vault door being open without authorization from the Overseer. Ether one meant bad news. Luckily everyone safe for the Vault security knew to stay locked in the apartments and wait for the all clear. But as Tess looked out the window of her apartment she knew from the amount of commotion in the hall outside that it was not a Radroach infestation. Judging from the amount of security personnel running around it was something was worse.

Her suspicions were confirmed when her best friend Amata, the Vault Overseer's daughter walked into her apartment with Officer Susie Mack, another one of her friends who was also a Engineer as well as a Vault Security Officer. When Susie had taken the G.O.A.T she had not only passed but had be given two jobs because of her skill set. During the morning she was a security officer til noon then she would be an engineer till ten at night when Stanley would take over.

Susie also had her baton out and at the ready. It was already stained with Radroach blood.

From the look on their faces and their body language Tess could tell they weren't here to arrest her so she lowered her 10 millimeter pistol She had had it set on her table when she was working on Albert. When the door had opened she had reacted quickly and had grabbed, loaded and aimed it at the door before it finished opening.

'Tess I'm sorry for barging in, but you need to leave. My father's men are looking for you! They killed Jonas and your mom left the Vault! I don't know how but she did. I can help you get to the Vault door but we have to hurry. Amata looked frightened as spoke, no doubt shaken by the present events. When Tess was 17, her mother had told her everything about the Wasteland outside of the Vault, including her real father a BOS Star Palidan named Cross. Since then she had been preparing her self for the moment she would leave the Vault to journey into the Wasteland. She had prepared by reading several books like; Chinese Spec Op's Training, DC Medicine Journal, Dean's Electronics and several other books. She also had trained herself physically as well. She knew her her had a reason for leaving the Vault, but right now she had to get moving if she was going to leave. With the Vault in it's current sutuation there was no better opportunity.

'Ok. Just give me a sec.' Tess said as she handed her pistol to Albert and quickly downed her holster belt and grabbed the duffel bag she had under her bed before heading to her kitchen and opening refrigerator, grabbing all of the bottles and canteens of fresh water she had before stuffing them in her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

She then took her pistol back from Albert before meeting Amata and the others at the door. 'Ok, I'm ready. Albert lets go.' She said to her robot as she and the other exited the apartment.

"Right behind you madam!' Albert said as he followed Tess out of the apartment, staying just a few steps behind his mistress in case something came at them from behind.

Just as they finished exiting the apartment, they ran into Officer Kendall who spotted them immediately. 'There she is! Hold it right there!' Kendall shouted as he drew his baton. " Officer Kendall, we don't want to hurt you but you are not going to stop us." Tess said as she holstered her pistol. Officer Kendall took a step towards them, his baton raised at them.

"Your mother betrayed us all! In the name of the Overseer I'm placing you under arrest." Kendall said as he charged Tess with a swing of his baton. " Then I'm sorry about this." Tess said as she quickly side stepped Kendall's swing and hit him in the back of the head with her elbow. The force was enough to send him to his knees, dropping his baton. Tess Then hit him again with Kendall's dropped baton. The blow was enough to cause him to loss conscious as he fell face first to the floor.

"Help me put him somewhere safe" Tess said as she strapped Kendall's baton to her belt, before she grabbed Kendall by his arms and dragged him into her apartment. She then tossed his baton next to him as she didn't want to leave him defenseless before she sealed the door. After making sure Kendall was secure they continued on. Several minutes later after helping Butch save his mother from a group of Radroach's , help Stanley, Andy and Officer Gomez clear out the Atrium, and finding Jonas corpse and her mothers note they had made it to the Vault door.

Waiting for them was Amata's father along with Susie's older brother Officer Mack. Both were armed with 10mm pistols. As soon as Tess and the others entered Officer Mack fired his pistol at them, hitting Amata in the shoulder. "What are you doing? You hit my daughter you asshole!" The Overseer shouted at Officer Mack. Before Officer Mack could reply Tess shoot the Overseer's gun out of his hand as Susie tackled her older brother.

As the two siblings wrestled, the Overseer charged Tess , knocking her to the ground and sending her pistol sliding away. The Overseer then grabbed his dropped pistol before he stood over Tess, a look of pure hatred on his face as he aimed his pistol at her head. "You and your mother have been nothing but trouble since I let you in, but now it ends." Tess looked over and saw that Susie and Officer Mack were still wrestling and Albert was burning a group of Radroachs with his flamethrower so nether of them could help her. As Tess looked at the Overseer with amlook of defiance on her face she smiled. "Finally getting your hands dirty?" Tess said as the Overseer pulled the trigger. Tess closed her eyes as two shots rang out.

She opened her eyes and saw the Overseer lying on the floor with a bullet wound to the head, Amata standing over him with Tess' s pistol in her hand. Tess also saw Susie standing over her older brother, a bullet wound to his head also. Tess stood and carefully took her gun from Amata's shaking hands as Susie and Albert came over to them. "Amata I'm sorry you had to do this. " Tess said as she walked over to the Vault door's control panel." "No, I'm sorry. Amata said as she followed her. "But you killed your own father. " "That man was no longer my father." Amata said as she pulled the lever.

The door groaned heavily as it moved. It then pulled back and rolled to the side, revealing a small cavern leading to a wooden door. "I guess this is goodbye." Tess hugged both Susie and Amata before she turned to Albert. "Albert I want you to stay here and keep Amata and Susie safe, ok?" Tess said as she looked at her robot companion. "I will madam. I wish you luck on your journey. " Albert said as he hovered over to Susie and Amata.

"Take care"Amata said after Tess walked past the threshold before she pulled the lever sealing the door again. Tess waved one last time at them before the door sealed shut. " Ok, time to see the Wasteland" Tess though as she tugged the wooden door open, her duffel bag slung around her shoulder and her pistol in her right hand.

And that's chapter 2. Up next the ruins of Springvale and Tess meeting some friendly Wastelanders and escaped slaves. Please