Author's Note: I've decided to split this chapter into two parts for now, just so you can read what I've written so far. This chapter took inspiration from the novel The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, and I think it's where the story really begins in earnest. I'll update it with the second part as soon as I write it, so for now, please enjoy part 1. UPDATE: Part 2 is now up! Sorry for the long wait, this took me far longer to write than I thought it would. From now on, I'll try to make the chapters shorter, so I can upload with more frequency.
JULY 6, 2087. 8:01 A.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 A bright light shone above Nora, and a piercing cold wind came whipping down the elevator shaft. She looked up. Clouds. Thick, dreary, miserable things, yet Nora couldn't help but smile at them. The elevator continued ascending, grinding and straining like some ancient beast. The light became more intense, until it was nearly blinding. And finally the cog shaped elevator platform slid into place at the top with a great metallic ching. And they were back.
Everyone shielded their eyes, and turned away from the blazing sun to the east. Eventually their eyes adjusted, and the morning light became bearable, and they were greeted by a grey world. Snow and ash, everywhere you looked. Piled on top of each other. Mixed together in muddled ploughs, threatening to bury the old metal crates strewn about. No one spoke. All they could do was take in the landscape. The mountains to the northwest were completely white. Shrouded in fog. Every tree in sight was withered and dead, their branches like bony fingers rocking in the wind. Nora turned back to the east. She walked across the platform, toward the edge of the hill. The yellows and blues of the hatch still shone through, but they were splotched with reddish brown rust. Covered in brown leaves and snow. The whisper of distant wind and Nora's boots on the cold metal were the only sounds.
Past the mangled, rusted chain link fence, at the foot of the hill, lay Sanctuary Hills. Or rather, its corpse. From that distance, she could already see some of the houses had collapsed. A few of them just looked like heaps of snow and rusted metal, languishing on their foundations.
Nate followed her to the edge, and joined her in surveying the incinerated landscape. "There it is." he said quietly.
"You were right." Nora said. "It is dead out here." Across the river, the charred forest stretched to the horizon. Its fallen leaves long buried in ash. She looked to the southwest, trying to remember exactly where the explosion came from. She couldn't see a crater. Only endless barren waste. Far in the distance, the tiny silhouette of the Mass Fusion building in Boston could be made out. So it's still standing.
It took Nora a while to realize that feeling had come back. The feeling of nothingness. This must be how I deal with pain, she realized. I just cauterize it. She tried to shake it off.
Nate put his hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's get a closer look." Nora turned away. The others had spread out a little, plodding around in the ashen dirt near the hatch. She noticed a few corpses slumped over next to the control station. Dried to leather, their tattered dresses and slacks still clinging to them. They tried to get into the Vault. Past them, Holden was rummaging around in the control station. After a moment, he came and peered at them through the broken window. "Anything?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, actually. I think these yellow crates are packed with supplies. Stimpaks, Rad-X." He came walking down the ramp with a few chems in hand.
"They might be contaminated. Give them here." David said, pulling out his geiger counter. Don handed off the stimpak, and David passed the geiger counter over it a few times. Nothing.
"Alright. We'll search the yellow crates as we go. Let's get moving, people." Nate said.
"Anyone else having second thoughts about this?" Isaac Kerr spoke up. "I mean, how are we gonna live up here? I knew it'd be bad, but I didn't think it'd be this bad."
"It's getting better." David said defensively. "The clouds'll go away, it'll warm up. We just have to wait."
They made their way down the hill. Nora remembered the construction equipment, cars. Everything was as the old world had left it, but blackened on one side. Cindy took a step on the ash, and a stream of particles rose from her bootprint, suspended in the air. I feel like I'm in a dream. They passed a streak of sludge in the dirt that looked like it might have tracks in it. But they couldn't be sure. Other than that, no sign of life. The going was slow, stopping to scavenge crates, checking for radiation. After ransacking the small trailer by the fence, they approached the gate. It was a grisly sight. More corpses, just as mummified as the others, huddled by the gate. All in varying stages of death throes. Some crawling on their stomach, others clinging to the fence. Some simply laying on their backs, their leathery faces contorted in agony.
Isaac grimaced and covered his mouth. "God…"
"We knew there'd be corpses out here." Francine said. "At least we won't have to worry about diseases from them." Even bacteria couldn't survive out here.
They quickly stepped over the bodies and trudged further down the hill. A breeze laden with grey snow blew over them, and they all shivered in unison. "It better get warmer fast…" Isaac grumbled.
Nora remembered coming up this hill once before. In a world with green grass and orange trees, and a yellow sun. In another life. This world's sun was pale and hazy, and seemed to engulf the sky. It looked old and dying.
"So what's the plan for securing this place?" Don asked.
"Well… Sanctuary Hills is technically an island. Surrounded by a river. So we just secure the island." Nate explained.
"Simple enough."
"We'll go through the houses first, then sweep the rest. And under no circumstances will we be splitting up." He continued.
The feeble sound of the stream grew louder as they tread toward it. Sun rays cast through the dead grey oak tree gave the scene an almost heavenly air. The little bridge over the creek was still intact, save warped and burned. Nate passed over it first, his boots leaving behind little pieces of snow on the wood. Nora crossed next. It creaked and sagged under her weight. She doubted the integrity of it. David was after her. Again it creaked, before suddenly buckling under him. Half the bridge fell inward, splashing into the water, bringing David with it.
"Fucking- goddamnit!" He shouted, trying to clamber over the bridge onto land. Nate and Nora rushed to help. They each took a hand, pulling him over to the other side.
"Are you alright?" Nate asked him, sounding worried.
"Agh… I'm fine. But the water… is probably radioactive." And he had plenty of it on his boots. He brandished the geiger counter again and ran it over them. Still just the usual intermittent click. He frowned, and shook it a little. "What, is this thing broken?"
"Try it on the stream." Nate said.
He knelt at the bank, and held the geiger counter over the lightly rushing water. It was murky and russet colored, and seemed polluted even if it wasn't radioactive. "Amazing." David said. "I would have bet anything the water would still be radioactive out here." He stood up. "Even so, we shouldn't drink this water before testing it."
"Wasn't planning to." Don said on the other side. "So how do we get across now? Just jump it?"
"It's not much of a distance." Nate said. "Here, it's narrowest where we are. Jump, and we'll make sure you don't fall in." And so they did. Don, Francine, Cindy, and Isaac, jumped one by one until everyone was across. "We'll have to replace that bridge." Nate muttered.
"Gah, my feet are freezing now." David rubbed his arms together, quaking.
"These trees look plenty flammable. We'll build you a fire inside one of the houses." Don told him. He began snapping off branches.
They were on the final approach to the neighborhood. Nora wasn't sure she was ready to see it up close. But, like a great deal of things in her life, it was happening whether she was ready or not. She gripped the cuff of her jacket in anticipation. They crested the incline, and stepped forward into the street. The first thing she did was look over at their old house. It was still standing. Most of them were, in fact. They stood twisted, gnarled parodies of their old selves, but they stood all the same.
The sound of the stream was gone by then. The sound of everything was gone. Nora had never known silence like this. It made her ears ring and her heart pound. It was absolutely haunting.
"Honey," Nate called her back. "Are you alright?" She turned to him. "It's just… you've been really quiet."
"Look at everything…" was all she could choke out.
"I know." Nate said grimly.
"What are we gonna do? How are we gonna fix all this?"
Nate sighed. "There's a lot of us… and we've got the rest of our lives to do it." Nora just stared ahead, trying to look convinced. "You said it yourself. We've got to keep moving forward."
Nora took a deep breath. "You're right. Just one foot in front of the other." She strode past him. "Come on, David. We'll show you our old house. Get a fire going." She had resolved to bury her emotions in some dark corner of her mind and simply do what needed to be done. The rest followed as she marched toward the house.
The old street was cracked and crushed like a thin layer of ice hit by a hammer. Old leaves piled at the edges, blocking the grey slush sliding down the drainways. Discarded refuse lying in sorry heaps on the sidewalk. The dead privet hedges topped with a thin layer of ash. This place is a nightmare. No. Push it away.
They stopped in front of the house. "Is this it?" David asked.
"Yeah." It seemed no more ruined than the others. Windows broken and gaping, panels missing, roof sagging. But Nora stopped dead when she noticed the bushes. The old white rose shrubs were just as wilted and lifeless as every other plant, but they were trimmed. The bushes in every other yard had long since grown into wild, sprawling briars, but theirs were as clippered as the day the bombs fell. Nora noticed the sheared twigs lying around the bush. They hadn't blown away or been covered by snow. This had happened recently. Her heart skipped a beat. Is someone here?
Then she heard the sound, coming from the backyard. The familiar metallic drone, like a tiny jet turbine. No… not someone. Something. Everyone else heard it too, because they all pointed their guns over at the carport. Finally, out hovered Codsworth. Badly rusted, venting exhaust, one eye cracked and wandering.
"Codsworth!" Nate shouted behind her. "You're still here!" Everyone lowered their guns.
He hovered toward them, wavering slightly. As he came closer, Nora noticed his eye lens were caked with ash. "...Sir? Mum? Is it… is that really you?"
"Codsworth…" Nora breathed out. She approached him, slowly, like she would a frightened, wounded animal. She raised her hand to his eye and wiped the ash off of it.
A small laugh escaped Codsworth's speaker. "As I live and breathe! You- you came back!"
Nate joined them. "Of course we came back, Codsworth. We just had to get somewhere safe from the bombs."
"It's been years! Where… did you go?"
"Underground." Nate said. "We lived there for a long time… but we're coming back now. All of us."
Codsworth's gaze drifted behind them, to the rest of the survey team. "Is… the lad Shaun with you? I imagine he'd be about ten by now."
"He stayed behind." Nora told him. "But he's safe. I can't wait for you to meet him, Codsworth." She turned to the others. "Everyone, this is Codsworth. Our butler." They all stammered out awkward greetings. "Let's get inside."
They moved single file through the threshold, the old metal creaking above them. Their door was gone, no sign of it anywhere. Nate laughed incredulously. "I still can't believe you're here, Codsworth. I thought you would have left a long time ago."
"Sir, I would rather be torn apart to scrap than be derelict in my duty." He stopped in the middle of their battered living room. "Of course… there wasn't much I could do anyways." He lamented. Their old metal hearth was also missing, apparently ripped from the wall.
"It's alright, Codsworth. We couldn't expect you to clean up after an atom bomb."
Nora moved to the couch and began pulling on it. "Nate, help me move this. Everyone, clear a space on the floor." They turned the couch and pulled it closer to the window. "That's where we'll put the fire."
Codsworth clanked loudly. "A fire in the living room?! If I wasn't programmed to obey your every command, mum, I would strongly protest this."
"The floor's already ruined. And we're cold." Don stepped forward and laid the broken branches and twigs out on the floor. Nora scooped up an illegible sheet of newspaper for tinder. "Codsworth. If you could do the honors?"
Codsworth lowered his flamethrower arm and sprayed a brief jet of flame on the pile. It smoldered for a moment, smoking. Nora worried the wood might be too damp. But then the fire caught, casting a dull orange glow over them. They gathered around it like moths.
"We can stay here for a bit and rest." Nate said. Their party set down their cases and bags and guns, and settled around the fire. Nate and Nora took the couch. David pulled his boots off and set them near the flames to dry. The room slowly grew warmer. Nora sat watching the smoke rise and escape through the holes in the ceiling, blackening the panels as it went.
Minutes went by in silence. Nothing but the crackling of the fire, and the occasional bitter wind whistling through the walls. The warmth was making Nora drowsy. She nestled up on the couch, resting her head on her knees. She gazed at the meager fire, glimmering there like the first new light of humanity. This will be our future, Nora thought. Ragged tribes of sullen people hunching over campfires. Her grandchildren wouldn't understand computers. Their grandchildren might worship them as idols. Is that a cynical prediction?
She looked up, and noticed Codsworth shuffling around in the kitchen. He's done a good job of keeping this place clean… relatively speaking. No leaves or snow had found their way into the house. The furniture was arranged properly, despite being faded and dusty. What little items were left were in the appropriate places. A bread box, coffee tin… baby bottles.
Nate rose suddenly, breaking her train of thought. "You guys can take the couch. I'm gonna go look around." He looked at Nora. "Wanna join me?"
Nora stood next to him. "I suppose we should survey the damage."
The rest of the house was more of the same. Codsworth's fuel can was still in the laundry room, apparently what he was using to fuel himself all this time. He explained to them how shortly after the bombs, the whole neighborhood was looted by panicked survivors. His eye was damaged by one of them wielding a metal pipe, but Codsworth's buzzsaw won out. "I… I killed him." Codsworth explained tearfully. "Buried him in the backyard."
"Jesus Christ." Nate said.
Most of their possessions were long gone, stolen by anonymous survivors. Mercifully, a lot of photos and personal items were left behind. Nora began gathering them up and storing them in her jacket pockets. Their old room was similarly ransacked. The bed frame looked like it had been broken apart for firewood, and the mattress had been taken. All their winter clothes, gone.
"There was one thing… I thought I should safekeep." Codsworth said. He moved past Nora, over to the bed. With one hand, he lifted the bed frame and pulled it out of the way. They watched intently as he flipped back the rug. Underneath it lay a small piece of paper, still seemingly in good condition. He handed it to Nora, and she gave a great sigh.
"My law degree." Memories flooded in. All those late nights at college. The philosophical musings with her classmates. Her dreams of being some hotshot lawyer. The remembrance of that hit her like a cold knife. We used to have dreams. "Thank you… Codsworth." She finally said.
They checked Shaun's room last. Everything was as it once had been, but weathered and worn. I guess no one needs baby clothes anymore. Pitch black speculation, but probably true.
"I guess Shaun can move back in here," Nate declared. "Once we get rid of all this baby stuff." He looked at Nora coyly. "Unless… we have a reason to hold onto it?"
"Not the time, honey."
Back in the living room, they found David pulling his boots back on. "There." He said. "Plenty dry." The fire was down to embers. They had no reason to rekindle it right now.
"Everyone ready to keep moving?" Nate asked. They all rose, gathering up their things. "Codsworth, I'm assuming you know the neighborhood. Anything we should be worried about?"
"Oh, not a soul, I'm afraid, sir. I've been quite lonely."
"No animals, or… creatures?"
Codsworth's eye narrowed. "Well, now that you mention it, I did manage to spot a monstrously large rat, if you can believe it, scurrying down the Jahani's driveway."
"When was this?" Nate asked.
"Oh, maybe five or six years ago."
"Hm. Alright. Codsworth, you can stay here, while we go make sure the neighborhood is safe."
Then they were back out in the street, with only the cold to greet them. "I feel better knowing he's here." Cindy said. "If nothing's happened to him, it must be safe."
"Probably. But we're gonna do a sweep just to be sure." Nate replied.
The rest of the neighborhood was more of the same. The same hollow, decaying grayness. The massive oak tree in the center of the cul-de-sac had turned the color of stone, just a hulking leafless skeleton. They peeked inside the remaining houses, resolving to leave cleanup duty to whoever moved into them. As expected, the neighborhood was completely abandoned. Completely looted. And completely and utterly dead.
After a while, Nate gave permission to split up. The security officers and Cindy went wandering around in the houses. David stayed in the cul-de-sac and began collecting ash samples. Nora decided to walk down to the river, by the southern embankment. She sat with her feet over the edge, watching the small ice drifts float by. Then she turned her gaze to the forest on the other side. Watching for any kind of movement, anything. The trees didn't even sway.
She heard boots crunching down the hill behind her. She turned to see Nate making his way over. He joined her without a word and they sat together watching the stillness for a while. "So… what do you think?" He finally asked her. "You still want to make a go of this?"
Nora sighed. "This whole world looks like it's ready to just crumble and blow away in the wind. I think I'm doubting our ability to fix it."
"It's the only one we've got. Unfortunately."
She chuckled. "I guess the only thing we can do is wait and see if it gets better."
He placed his hand in hers. "It will. I'm sure of it." Nothing but a hope and a promise. But it's all I need from him. They lingered a little longer, taking in the desolation. Then Nate said, "I suppose we should be getting back. Report the all clear."
Nora squeezed his hand. "I'm with you."
JULY 6, 2087. 9:16 A.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 The walk back was quick. Ultimately they were eager to return to the warmth and comfort of the Vault. Nora was thinking about the photos they found in their house. We finally have something to show Shaun, from before.
"I want to get these ash and soil samples back to the lab. See how best to proceed with planting crops." David said.
"So, what are we going to do with the Vault after we all leave?" Cindy asked. "Just leave it abandoned?"
"I guess we'll try to use as much as we can from it. Bring everything useful outside. I suppose as a last resort, we could move back into it temporarily, if the going gets too tough out here." Nate said.
"Just as a last resort?"
"Yeah. The point of this is that we don't need the Vault anymore. It was always temporary…" He trailed off.
They passed by the bodies again, hopefully for the last time. Soon, a cleanup team would be sent to bury or otherwise dispose of them. A mass grave seemed harsh, but laying their neighbors and countrymen to rest felt long overdue.
On the final stretch back to the hatch, the sky darkened, and the air became almost impossibly still. Even more so than before. Nora looked up to see snowflakes drifting down. Their party stopped for a moment to recall and observe the half-forgotten phenomenon. It was a silent, weak snowfall, but remarkable all the same. Ahead of Nora, Cindy laughed and caught one of the snowflakes in her hand.
"Look," She turned to them, "It's snowing." There was an ear-splitting crack, and a flash from the northern woods. Cindy jerked violently, and a red fountain gushed from the side of her head as a bullet tore through. Nate was splattered with blood, and stood frozen as she fell to the ground. He remained that way, mouth agape, paralyzed, for what seemed like an age. Nora looked back to where the flash came from. Far in the distance, white blurs moved between the trees. Ghosts. Another flash erupted and the next bullet hit Nate in the vest. He fell backward with a pained scream.
There was no time to think. Another bullet, and someone would die for sure. She ripped the pistol out of its holster and pointed it toward the woods, firing rapidly and blindly. The others followed suit, sending a hail of bullets toward their attackers. A deafening cacophony ripped through the previously silent world, threatening to shake the ash from the trees. But it soon stopped when they ran out of bullets.
One heartbeat. Two heartbeats. Silence. "HURRY!" Nora shrieked, and they scrambled. Nate was sprawled on his back, clutching his vest. Nora yanked him onto his feet, and put his arm around her shoulder. Don knelt down and carried Cindy, limp and bleeding. They stampeded back toward the hatch. Francine ran ahead of them, into the control station. She frantically sequenced the elevator with her PIP-Boy and smashed the ignition button.
Nora looked back to the woods as Francine sprinted to the elevator platform. No movement. But they were completely exposed on the hatch. Completely at the mercy of their assailants. It was the longest five seconds of Nora's life. More terrifying than watching an atomic explosion rush toward her. Finally the elevator went down, and the woods fell out of sight. There was a collective sigh of relief as they plunged into the darkness again. Nora's question from ten years ago had been answered, she realized, sitting in that all too familiar situation. The culmination of the day's events came crashing down on her. She had returned to hell on Earth.
JULY 6, 2087. 9:18 A.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 Nora's heart frantically pounding in her chest drowned out her thoughts. Her ears were ringing from the gunfire. After a moment, she noticed a rapid dripping sound. Blood on the metal. Cindy.
Suddenly Nate gasped for air beside her, and coughed a few times. "Nate!" Nora shouted. "Nate, are you alright?!"
He groaned, and began fumbling at his vest. "Help- help me take…" She reached over and tried to help him. It was dark and her hands were shaking, but they managed to undo one of the straps. The vest opened up. Nate dragged his arm from her shoulder and fell to his hands. "Cindy…" He croaked out between heaving breaths, "Is she… alright?"
It was still dark. No one could see Cindy's condition. "I don't know," Don replied, his voice shaking. "She's not moving… she was shot in the head, Nate."
"I know." Nate said quietly. "And I just stood there…" He added, under his breath.
Light flooded in as they reached the bottom. Cindy was still slumped over in Don's arms, the side of her head soaked with blood. It had run across her face and was dripping off the right side. Her eyes were also closed, which was a good thing. If they were open, she would be indisputably dead.
Lincoln stood at the top of the stairs, to greet them. "Our heroes return!" He called, chuckling. The gate lifted, and his smile vanished instantly. "Oh my god. What happened?!" He rushed down the stairs.
They all finally stood. "Lincoln!" Nora shouted, putting Nate's arm around her shoulder again. "Where's Javier? Is he in the EML?"
"Wh- I…" Lincoln stammered.
"We need a surgeon! Is he in the EML?!"
"Yes!" He shouted. They all took off back into the Vault with Don in front, still carrying Cindy. "Are you going to tell me what happened?!" Lincoln screamed again.
"Cindy was shot. Don't know who, don't know why, don't know fucking anything." Nora said.
"What happened to Nate?" Lincoln asked.
"It's Cindy's blood…" Nate muttered.
They barrelled back through the entrance door, and Lincoln gripped Nora's shoulder. "You and Nate stay here. The rest of you, get her to the medical lab. Go!" He barked. Nora watched as the rest of them raced down the hallway. He turned back to her. "I want to know exactly what happened out there, right now."
Nora swallowed. "We did what we went to do. We scouted the neighborhood, and we were ambushed on our way back."
"By who?"
"I don't know. We didn't get a good look at them. They were in the forest… they might have been camouflaged."
Lincoln sighed. "They just attacked you, without provocation? Why would they do that?"
"If I had to guess…" Nate started, "They wanted our PIP-Boys. To get inside the Vault. They were probably watching us the whole time…"
Nora stood in silence, trying to think of what to say to that. For the first time, she had to consider the very real possibility that people on the surface would want what they have. It was frightening.
"You're sure there was more than one of them?" Lincoln asked.
"I… I think so." Nora said. "Yeah, I definitely remember seeing movement in more than one spot. What do you think, Nate?"
"Uh… yeah. More than one, less than five." He frowned and looked to the side, as if he wanted to add something.
"What a goddamn mess." Lincoln growled. "I'm gonna have sixty people wanting to know what's going on." He paced around with his hands on his hips, probably thinking of what to tell them. Finally, he looked up. "You two can go now. See to Cindy in the infirmary."
They turned from each other, and went in opposite directions. Nate and Nora held an uncomfortable silence for most of the walk to the EML. Then, Nate spoke up. "He's right. There's gonna be a panic." He took his arm off her shoulder. "I can walk."
He lagged behind her a bit, with his hand to his chest, obviously in pain. "You should have Jessica look at that." Nora said.
"No. She'll have her hands full with Cindy. I don't want anyone wasting their time on me."
"What's the matter with you?"
Nate stopped, and sighed. "I just stood there. I just froze."
"Nate… we all froze. None of us could have seen that coming."
"It was my responsibility, to keep everyone safe. And I failed." He kept his head low, not looking at her.
"It's not your fault, honey. Please. Don't blame yourself for this."
He sniffed. "Either way, I'm not going to spend any more time pouting about it. We're gonna regroup, and find out who did this. And make them pay." He groaned, and brought his hand to his chest again. "As soon as we're able."
They continued making their way to the medical lab. The few people they passed didn't seem to know what was going on. A few of them, seeing Nate splattered with blood, asked if he was alright. They had to make up some excuse and hurry on their way. Let Lincoln explain all this. It was his goddamn idea.
"In the army… did you know anyone who survived getting shot in the head?" Nora asked suddenly.
"Hm. Not personally, but I did hear of it one or two times. They told us even if someone was shot in the head, to call a medic anyway. If you get them treated quickly, if there's a surgeon with the right equipment… and if you get lucky, it's possible.
"Well, we have… three of those things so far."
"They also told us to expect the worst."
JULY 6, 2087. 9:24 A.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 They found the rest of the survey team gathered outside the EML. Pacing, sitting in chairs, head buried in hands. "Is she in there?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, he's- Don brought her in, hasn't come back out yet." David said.
"They told us to wait outside." Isaac added.
"Did anyone see you, on the way over?" Nate demanded.
"No… why?"
"Because we need to contain this, to the smallest possible group, until the Overseer makes an official announcement."
"Oh, Christ." Francine groaned. "What are we even going to tell them? There's some group of crazy people out there who want to kill us?"
"There won't be for long." Nate said. "Because we're going to go back out there, find them, and fucking kill them all. That's what we tell them."
"Isn't that a little premature? Who knows how many of them are out there." David asked.
"I say we hit back quick, when they're not expecting it. It's not like they're just going to leave us alone." Isaac interjected.
"Oh, that's a great idea. Just rush into a fight with a group that we know nothing about. Are you thinking clearly, Isaac?" David countered.
"I'm thinking about my brother, David, and what's going to happen to him when a bunch of assholes with guns break in here to steal everything we have."
"Shit." Nate suddenly said. Everyone looked at him. "Has anyone told Zeke and Diane what happened?" No one answered, simply looking away despondently. He sighed. "God damnit. I'll go bring them down here." He walked off.
"Nate." Nora stopped him. He turned around. "Wash the blood off first."
"Right." He said quietly.
Nora sat down in a chair next to Francine, and laid her head in her hands. She couldn't imagine the pain the Cofrans were about to go through. I'm sorry Nora, but I'm afraid Shaun's been shot. Even thinking about it made her stomach drop.
The EML door opened, and Don staggered out. Everyone immediately stood, staring at him expectantly. It took him a moment to say anything. "Uh… she's in surgery." He finally said. He looked dazed, and his jumpsuit was red and slick with blood.
"Is she gonna live? What did Javi say?" Isaac asked.
Don let out a ragged sigh. "I don't fucking know…" He walked over and fell into a chair. "He starts talking about how he's never operated on a gunshot to the head, he hasn't even fucking done surgery in years…" He trailed off. "Before he kicked me out, he said to go find her parents."
"Nate already went." Nora said.
With nothing to do but wait, they fell back into pacing, or just sitting in silence. After a few more minutes, Diane came running down the hall, tears streaming down her cheeks. Zeke followed, with a look of pure anguish on his face. Nate was far behind them, looking like he had just seen his own ghost.
Diane barrelled past them and went straight into the EML. Shouting quickly erupted. Nora couldn't make out what was being said, only Diane's frantic shouting. If it were you… how would you react? What would you do?
The door opened again, Diane was backing out of the doorway, with Jessica trying to calm her and get her back into the hallway. "I want to know!" Diane shrilled. "Is she going to die?!"
"It's still early! Please, Diane, let us work." Jessica said, her hands raised, trying to stop Diane from rushing back in.
Zeke rushed over to his wife. "Honey! We need to stay out of their way for now." He said. Diane stumbled back into the hallway, crying uncontrollably. Zeke led her into a chair and they both sat down.
"This is all our fault." Diane sobbed.
JULY 6, 2087. 11:03 A.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 Nora had never felt this helpless before. Their collective dread grew with each passing minute, consuming them. Simultaneously, Nora could feel tensions rising within the Vault. Whispered conversations, rumors flying. People were catching on to what had happened. Anxiety was growing. Lincoln's gonna have a mob on his hands soon if he doesn't say something to them.
As if on cue, the intercom crackled to life. Lincoln's voice came through. "Attention, please. This is the Overseer. I'm calling an emergency meeting in the atrium, and I'd advise everyone to attend. If you can't, you can listen to the meeting through the Vault's PA system, on your PIP-Boy."
"Does anyone want to listen to that?" Nate asked. "He's not gonna say anything we don't already know." No one answered. "Alright."
A sudden realization hit Nora, and she stood up from the chair. "Shaun's still at home. I need to go get him."
"Are you gonna tell him what happened?" Nate asked.
"He's going to find out anyway."
Before leaving for the surface, Nora had asked Sylvia Dunn to stay at their house for a while to watch Shaun. Upon returning home, she found no sign of them. She found a note after searching the kitchen. "Nora, I'm taking Shaun to the meeting in the atrium. If you see this note, come find us. -Sylvia"
"Damn it," Nora muttered. She wanted to break it to Shaun personally. He and Cindy were practically cousins, despite the age gap. She ran out the door and down the hallway, weaving past the clusters of people making their way toward the atrium. "Sylvia! Shaun!" She shouted, trying to spot them in the crowd. The entrance to the atrium was backed up with people trying to squeeze inside.
"Nora?" Someone called across the hall. Nora turned to see Sylvia poking her head above the mass of people. "Is that you?"
"Sylvia!" They both began pushing through the crowd toward each other. Nora spotted Shaun behind her, clutching her hand. "There you are." Nora said as they met each other halfway.
"Nora, is everything alright? Have you gone to the surface yet?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. Listen, I'll take Shaun off your hands now. You can head to the meeting."
Sylvia looked bewildered, but handed Shaun over to Nora. "Nora, what is going on?"
"The Overseer will explain everything." Nora said, already pulling Shaun back down the hallway. "Thanks so much for watching Shaun!" She called back.
Soon they had left the throng behind them, power walking down the empty, quiet hallways. Nora hated being the bearer of bad news, especially to children. She tried to come up with something to say, but it kept getting caught in her throat. Her heart began beating faster as they got closer to the EML.
Shaun suddenly spoke up. "Mom… what's happening? I thought you were going outside with Dad."
"We did. We went outside."
"Is he okay?"
"He's fine, honey."
They passed by an open door. The Ward family was inside, listening to the PA system. Lincoln's voice rose up, "-a heinous and cowardly attack that has left one of our own fighting for their life…" Shaun looked inside as they passed, listening.
"Someone got hurt, didn't they?"
Nora tried to think of what to tell him. How she would want it to be broken to her. She decided it would be best to do it like ripping off a band-aid. She stopped, and knelt down in front of him. "Shaun… it was Cindy." She said solemnly. "She was shot… and we don't know if she'll survive."
Shaun frowned, and looked like he was going to cry. But he didn't. "Where is she?" He asked, his voice quavering.
"She's in the infirmary."
"Are her parents with her?"
Nora nodded. "They're there."
"Are we going to see her?"
"She's still in surgery. But we're going to wait outside."
Shaun sniffled. "Okay."
The walk back to the EML was spent in dour silence.
JULY 6, 2087. 9:20 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 She dreamed they left the Vault behind and found somewhere green. Somewhere alive, like when the world was new. The were able to run barefoot through verdant grasslands, to swim in crystalline water, and lie beneath the open sky. Unburdened, free. Nora dreamed she grew old there with her family and friends, living a peaceful, fulfilling life.
Then her eyes snapped open. The vent above her rattled and whined. A gray relic. Like the rest of her surroundings.
She was lying across two chairs, with a blanket draped over her. Resting uncomfortably against one of the armrests. She hauled herself to a sitting position and looked around. Nate was to her left, asleep in a chair, his head resting on his fist. Shaun next to him, reading a comic book. Drake Tungsten, Chrono Cowboy. To Nora's right were Diane and Zeke, leaning on each other in a tranquil looking sleep.
All day they had waited, without a further word from the doctors. Nora knew Nate wouldn't leave until he was sure of Cindy's fate, one way or the other… so she wouldn't leave either.
Nora was actually optimistic. She reasoned that if Cindy was beyond saving, Javier wouldn't have spent 12 hours operating on her. The waiting and uncertainty was still stomach churning, but there was hope, she felt.
She laid her head back down on the armrest, praying for the best.
JULY 6, 2087. 10:43 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 Nora awoke again, pulled from a fleeting, dreamless sleep by the door to the EML opening. Javier and Jessica stepped out, looking exhausted. Diane and Zeke both stood up, holding each other, too afraid to even ask the question.
Javier cleared his throat. "I've managed to stabilize her. Stop the damage."
"Wh- what does that mean…?" Zeke croaked.
"It means… she's out of the woods, for now. She was shot in the side of the head, by a low caliber bullet, from long range. These factors combined means things could have been a lot worse."
They all sighed with relief. "Can we see her?" Diane asked.
"Well, you can, but she's not conscious. The bullet still did significant damage to her occipital and temporal lobes. She's in a coma. When she wakes, she may have trouble remembering things or people."
"But… you're sure she'll live?"
"As long as we keep her on a feeding tube… yes, she'll live."
It was good news, the best that could be realistically expected. The Cofrans were weeping with joy, Shaun was beaming. Nate had a mixture of relief and shame in his face. Nora hugged him. "She won't blame you, Nate." She whispered.
From then onward, it was only a matter of when Cindy would wake up. More waiting, yes, but a step up from waiting to know if she would die or not.
JULY 23, 2087. 6:21 A.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 A knock at Nate and Nora's door came early in the morning, with good news. Cindy had finally woken up.
They scrambled into their jumpsuits as quickly as they could and followed Jessica down to the EML. "I got a page on my PIP-Boy at about 4 A.M., waking me up. The nurse call button in the EML had been hit. I rush down there, and there she is, sitting up in the bed. First thing she did was ask for a soda." Jessica explained.
"What's her condition like?" Nate asked.
"As expected, she has gaps in her memory. She doesn't seem to remember going outside." She stopped outside the EML door. "If she doesn't remember you, just try to gently remind her. We don't want to put her through too much shock or stress."
They stepped through the doorway into the EML. Cindy was in the recovery room, lying in bed, with a bandage wrapped around her head. Her parents were at her side, sitting next to the bed. She smiled at Nate and Nora when they entered.
"Cindy… do you- remember us?" Nate asked tentatively.
Cindy chuckled. "How could I forget the dynamic duo?" She looked over at her parents. "Can I talk to them alone for a minute?"
Diane and Zeke looked like they hadn't slept at all. They were probably brought down here even earlier than Nate and Nora. They nodded to each other as they left.
"So," Nate said, pulling up a chair next to Cindy. "Doctor says you don't remember much. About going outside."
Cindy shifted uncomfortably in the bed. "Actually, that was kind of a lie." She sat up a little higher. "I remember a lot about it… that's why I called you down here. My parents didn't seem to know what happened to me, exactly." She tried to look Nate in the eye. "I thought you could tell me more."
Nate sighed, and hung his head. "The truth is, Cindy, we're not really sure what happened either. We were ambushed, and we didn't catch any sight of who it was before they ran off. We rushed you back into the Vault as quickly as possible." He looked back up at her. "We've gone back outside and looked for them three times, and haven't found anything." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Cindy. You got hurt on my watch."
"What do you mean?" Cindy asked.
"When we went up there, it was my job, as Security Chief, to keep everyone safe. And I didn't."
"Have you been blaming yourself for what happened to me?" Nate looked up at her, confused. "Nate… I told you before, I'm not a kid anymore. I wanted to come with you. I did. Sometimes bad things happen…" She took his hand. "But this isn't on you, Nate. It's no one's fault."
Nate's eyes were wet. "I'll find who did this, Cindy. We'll find them. I promise."
JULY 29, 2087. 6:14 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 It had been more than three weeks since the incident. Four separate expeditions, all yielding nothing. Nora had only gone on one of them, spending the better part of a day combing the woods to the Northwest of the Vault, and finding no sign of their attackers. In fact, they had found no sign of anything at all. The world outside was devoid of even animals. No deer roaming the forest, no birds circling in the grey sky. Only hill after valley after hill of deserted, silent ashlands. Maybe they really were ghosts, Nora found herself musing on the long hike back to the Vault. Maybe they vanished into smoke right after shooting Cindy and Nate.
On the first expedition, Nate took the time to fetch Codsworth from Sanctuary Hills, and bring him down into the Vault. After a quick radiation scan, Nora was allowed to acquaint him with the Vault. Showing him the facilities, explaining to him what had been going on down there the whole time. He was eager to get to work cleaning their house, but Nora wanted to fix him up first. With a few spare parts, and Arthur Able's help, they managed to replace Codsworth's eye and stabilizer jet. They also gave him a good rust scraping and polishing. In the end, he almost looked brand new.
She also reintroduced him to Shaun. Shaun obviously didn't remember him, but he had never seen a Mr. Handy in person before, and was excited about the prospect of having a butler. Codsworth, on the other hand, was ecstatic, gushing about how much Shaun had grown, embarrassing him with baby stories. It's odd, but… I actually consider that robot a part of my family.
As the expeditions continued, life in the Vault returned to almost normality. Many people were disheartened by what happened on the initial scouting mission, but many and more still wanted to leave the Vault. They were also eager to defend themselves. People turned out in droves to Nate's self-defense lessons. He taught them survival techniques he learned in the army, how to handle and maintain the guns they had in the Vault, and how to shoot them properly. Nora attended more than a few of the lessons. Within a few weeks, she was very confident with a gun.
David, on the other hand, went about educating them on how to handle the environment outside. They drew up plans for farming, selecting crops that could survive in the cold, and ones that were resistant to ultraviolet radiation. In the end, they decided on cabbage and radishes. They had a limited stock of seeds and pesticides within the Vault, but they had planned to make the most efficient use of them.
David was also interested in setting up housing on the surface. There were too many of them to all fit in the old houses in Sanctuary Hills, and they only had enough supplies to fashion a few tents. Nate, Nora and Shaun would be sharing their old house with the Cofrans, and the Ables. It would be tight quarters.
Nora was waiting in the elevator chamber when the fourth expedition returned. She was leaning over the railing as the gate lifted. Nate stood there with his helmet and rifle in hand, along with Christine, Don and Isaac. They all looked exhausted.
"Anything out there?" Nora asked, not expecting much.
"Same as all the other times." Nate sighed. "I'm starting to think I just imagined getting shot in the chest." They trudged up the stairs, lugging their equipment with them. Nate had stopped wearing his glasses a while ago, and Nora could clearly see how dark his eyes were. He had been working himself to the bone lately.
Nora followed them into the armory as they deposited their gear back into the proper places. "I, uh… subbed in for you at today's target practice. I think I did a pretty good job of directing them." She said.
Nate leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead. "Good. No reason to skip a day just because I'm not here." He placed his rifle on the rack. "You want to come with me to report to the Overseer?" He asked.
"Sure."
"Alright." He turned to the others. "You guys can head home if you want."
"Thanks, Nate." Christine replied.
On the walk down to Lincoln's office, Nora posed a question. "Has it been getting any warmer up there?"
"We were wondering that too." Nate told her. "I had my PIP-Boy record the temperature on each trip to the surface. On our very first one, average morning temperature read as 21 degrees fahrenheit. The one we just came back from, temperature at the same time was 25 degrees. Not exactly a pattern, but better than nothing."
"Hmm. Probably won't get much warmer before winter."
"No. Next spring's looking good though, according to the Vault computer."
Lincoln was waiting for them in his office, looking over a clipboard, wearing his reading glasses. He set the clipboard down as they walked in. "Ah. I was expecting you back earlier, Nate." He nodded hello at Nora.
"We took a detour. I wanted to stay out just a bit longer."
"Still no sign of them, I assume?"
Nate sighed. "No. We thought we found some tracks, but it turned out to be nothing."
Lincoln pulled off his glasses. "Hm. That's four times now you've gone over the area surrounding the Vault. I think it's time to sound the all clear, and bring everyone up to the surface."
Nate sat up in his chair. "What? No, you can't! It's not safe yet! Those people are still out there."
"It's been three weeks, Nate, and you haven't found a goddamn trace of them. Now, I'm not saying we let our guard down, not by any means… but we can't just cower down here."
"We're not cowering, we're being cautious." Nate grimaced.
"Has it occurred to you that the people who attacked you simply could have been roaming bandits? They could be a hundred miles away from here by now." Lincoln lectured. "Nora, tell your husband to see reason."
"Well… I don't believe that whoever attacked us is just gone, but I do agree that we should leave the Vault. We've been practicing with guns every days for weeks. We can defend ourselves. And I think that any group would think twice before attacking an armed camp of 74 people." Nora reasoned out.
Nate grunted. "By now, I know when I'm outnumbered. If this is happening, it's happening. But we're going to take the proper precautions. Watchmen, armed patrols, perimeter fortifications in all directions."
"Of course." Lincoln said. "That all goes without saying. If anyone wants to attack us again, we won't make it easy for them."
AUGUST 3, 2087. 12:10 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 Five days later, Cindy was finally allowed to leave the infirmary. Nate, Nora, Shaun, Zeke and Diane were all there to celebrate. Lincoln also appeared briefly, to express his gratitude for her "sacrifice for the Vault". She was still undergoing physical therapy, and needed a crutch to walk, but overall her recovery was astounding. According to Jessica, her cognitive faculties had returned by about 90 percent, and would continue to improve over time.
"Does it hurt?" Shaun asked her, as she hobbled back home with them.
"Shaun!" Nora scolded. "Don't be rude."
"No, it's alright." Cindy said. "It doesn't really hurt anymore. Just feels numb sometimes. I get lightheaded."
"That's good. That it doesn't hurt…" Shaun said quietly. "I was really worried about you."
Cindy laughed. "That's sweet, Shaun."
They arrived at the Cofran's house. A "Welcome Home!" banner was hung in the living room, and a few drinks were laid out. Cindy collapsed on the couch with a great sigh, casting her crutch aside. "Whew. Gotta get used to that." She panted.
They all sat down on the couches, laid opposite each other with a coffee table between them. "Thanks for coming over, you two." Diane said.
"We wouldn't miss it." Nate said. Nora was sure Nate still felt some guilt over Cindy getting shot. It was just his nature.
They spent a little while chatting about nothing of importance, before Cindy addressed the elephant in the room. "So, I hear we're finally giving it another go, back out on the surface."
After an awkward pause, Nate cleared his throat. "Ahem. Yeah. Against my advice, the Overseer gave the all clear. We've already began moving equipment and supplies up there."
"I'm finally gonna get to see my old house!" Shaun said. Cindy gave a small laugh.
"Of course, we are gonna make sure it's safe." Nate continued. "We've been training with guns, we're gonna have patrols, the works."
"And you never found the people who… shot me?" Cindy asked.
Nate sighed. "No. We searched everywhere, but it's like they were never even there."
"Don't worry, Cindy." Nora tried to reassure her. "They might not come back here. We might never even see them again."
Cindy got an odd look on her face. Almost manic. "I hope they come back. I hope we get the chance to smash their fucking faces in." She covered her mouth, and her cheeks turned red. "Oh. Sorry, Shaun."
Nate seemed almost embarrassed. "That's… that's okay, Cindy."
Cindy laughed nervously. "Look, I'm- I'm gonna be okay, guys. You don't need to worry about me." Nora could tell she was sweating. God. This poor girl is a wreck.
AUGUST 3, 2087. 11:07 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 That night, Nate and Nora were in their room, getting ready to go to sleep. Nate pulled his shirt off and sat down next to Nora. "Did you notice how Cindy was acting this afternoon?" She asked. "Kind of… nervous."
"Yeah… yeah, I did." Nate replied. "And I think I know why." He sighed. "She's got fucking PTSD."
"PTSD?" Nora had heard of it before, mostly in the context of war and soldiers.
"Saw it all the time in Alaska. Sometimes the trauma just gets to you. She was shot in the head. That's more than most soldiers have to suffer through. She's probably going to be having nightmares about it." He looked somber. "I'll talk to her. Take her to Steve Presper, have her do a few therapy sessions with him." He closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What a disaster."
Nora put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey. It's gonna be alright." She said. "We just have to take things one day at a time."
He took a deep breath. "I know. I guess I just thought by this point, we'd be done having to worry about the future. But I guess that's never going to stop. We just have to keep moving forward, no matter what."
AUGUST 6, 2087. 9:22 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 Nora was on the elevator, at the bottom, preparing for her fourth trip to the surface. They had spent the past week ferrying supplies up to the surface, and stashing them in "Sanctuary". Thanks to Lincoln, that name caught on, and the "Hills" part of it was dropped. Nora was unsure how to feel about that, but she supposed it made no real difference. Faster to say… I guess.
They had also made minor progress on cleaning things up outside. The corpses were taken away and burned, and a proper bridge was set up across the creek. All the various supplies scattered around the construction site had also been rounded up, catalogued and stashed.
Tonight, Nora had been assigned to help Harry Dunn bring a set of computer banks up to the surface. They used a buddy system, ensuring no one left the Vault alone. Nora was rather nervous, as it was her first trip to the surface at night. It seemed kind of silly to be afraid of going outside at night, but she knew better than most people the dangers of the surface. Her Colt 6520 pistol was secure in its holster, should anything happen.
"Alright! Send it up!" Harry shouted back into the entrance room. The computer banks were fastened to a dolly, which he was holding secure. "This is my first time going to the surface. I'm shitting myself." He said as the elevator ascended.
"Don't be nervous. It's not as bad as it was before." Nora told him. "Gonna be freezing, though. You probably should have brought a jacket."
"Now you tell me." He grumbled. "Let's just hurry up and wheel this thing down the hill."
"Do you remember what the area outside the Vault looked like?" Nora asked.
"Vaguely. I remember rushing up there, with my parents and sisters. All the soldiers, and sirens. Hm. I'll bet it's basically unrecognizable now."
"Yeah…"
They reached the top. The metallic clash of the elevator echoed in the darkness. The red glow of the computer banks was the only light for miles.
"Can't see a thing." Nora said. "Harry, turn on your- holy shit!" She stumbled back, and fell on her backside. The stars loomed overhead, so vast and cavernous it threw her off balance.
"Are you alright?" Harry rushed over to her.
"Yeah, it's just… disorienting." Millions of twinkling stars filled the sky, so much more than she had ever seen. The colossal cloud of the Milky Way stretched across them. Nora hadn't seen the night sky in ten years, and she had never seen it like this.
"What, the sky?" Harry asked.
"Every other time I've come out here, it's been cloudy." There were a few small clouds above, but they were far overtaken by the stars. "Oh my god." She had to keep her eyes on the ground. "I feel like I'm going to fall into it."
"That's what it looks like without any light pollution… it's beautiful." He looked down at her. "Have you ever had vertigo?"
"I used to get it all the time as a teenager." She took a deep breath. "Why?"
"That's probably why you lost your balance. Here." He extended his hand to her. "You'll get used to it." She clasped it, and he hoisted her onto her feet.
Nora cleared her throat. "Sorry about that. As I was going to say, turn on your PIP-Boy flashlight."
"Right." Harry turned his on, and Nora followed suit.
They wheeled the computer banks down into the currently empty neighborhood. Harry was shivering by the time they made it down. They decided to stow the banks in the house that used to belong to Donna and Lacey Richardson. I wonder what happened to them, Nora thought. They're probably dead. Like everyone else we used to know.
"This is the house I was assigned to." Harry said between teeth chattering. "It's a dump! There's holes in the walls."
Nora sighed. "My house has holes in it too. We'll get them repaired when we all move out here."
"And hopefully bring some heaters, too." He shivered again. "Let's get back to the Vault."
On the walk back, Nora took a second to look back at the neighborhood, so dark and desolate. Today is Wednesday… and we'll be officially moving out here on Friday. On Friday they would leave the nest. On Friday they would begin building their lives again.
OCTOBER 23, 2087. 1:15 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 That morning, a wet, gray snow had fallen over Sanctuary, casting it as a dreary waste. It was now in the process of melting, dripping off the rooftops and running down the street. Nora was in the old carport of her house, sitting on the rusted out remains of their station wagon. Coffee mug in hand, blanket around her shoulders. The coffee mug didn't hold coffee, only steaming, boiled water. They had run out of coffee grounds within a month of coming back outside. Lately, every morning was an early one, and every day was long and arduous.
Despite that, they had made significant progress in the past two and a half months. The houses were cleaned, and those assigned to live in them brought all their belongings inside. The collapsed houses were cannibalized and the spare plates were welded over the holes in the walls and roofs. Various plastic tarps or sheets were taped over the broken windows. A patchwork and sloppy fix, but the houses were nearly unlivable while the cold wind could get inside. The snow and leaves were shoveled away, and the loose trash was sorted through and disposed of. Codsworth was assigned to shear away all the dead plants in the neighborhood, leaving room for crops.
Nate and Nora had planted cabbages in the plot of dirt next to the carport. They were small and budding, slowly growing larger. They had struggled greatly in the cold climate, but proved hardy enough to weather it. Nora hoped Sanctuary as a whole would fare as well. She looked over at the cabbages, damp and glistening from the snow.
The days that passed continued to prove gray. Rarely, the clouds would part, giving them a brief glimpse of the livid sky. But mostly it remained bleak and overcast. Some days it would snow. Some days it would rain. Other times, clouds from the Southeast would roll in, bringing radiation with the rain or snow. Nora awoke one morning to find snow, glowing green, coating the ground outside. A few of them had to don biohazard suits to shovel it far away.
Their greatest worry was the cold. Blowing in on the wind, falling with the snow. Upon leaving the Vault, they finally shed their jumpsuits and replaced them with winter clothing. The problem was that they had very little winter clothing stored away, mostly limited to pajamas or casual clothing. People resorted to wearing plastic tarps as cloaks, layering long johns over their jumpsuits, and fashioning fingerless gloves out of old socks. By now, they resembled a camp of filthy derelicts, shuffling through the old snow and mud, huddling to keep warm.
This snowmelt isn't going to help the speech. Nora wondered if it would be postponed until later in the afternoon. But even now the fire pits were being rekindled with dry wood. There were dozens of them, spread evenly in the patches of grass between the houses and the street. They made the cold more bearable for people who didn't have proper layered clothes. Nora was fortunate, she realized, to be so bundled up. She wore a plain blue parka that went down to her thighs, threadbare wool gloves, a ratty gray beanie and black pants. She kept her old Vault boots, as they were very sturdy and insulated.
All of the 26 pistols and rifles that were stocked in the Vault were being put to use. Nate had organized a volunteer militia, tasked with keeping Sanctuary safe. They had guard posts at the bridge at the creek, the larger bridge to the south, and watch posts on the eastern and western banks of the island. Patrols went out every day, scouting the outlying areas, watching for any sign of people or animals. So far, no reports of anything.
Nate had also made sure to reserve a pistol for Nora. She was the only person not in the militia to have one. She felt slightly guilty about it, but she knew the pistol was in good hands. It was currently holstered underneath her parka.
"You taking in the scenery?" Nate called behind her. She turned around to see him leaning out the kitchen doorway.
She smiled wryly at him. "Yeah. Just admiring the view." she quipped.
"Come inside. We're gonna have lunch."
Nora obliged, hopping off the car hood, bringing a few flakes of rust with her. She followed Nate back inside. They had taped the flap of a tent to the doorway to replace the door. It was fumbling and tedious to open, but it sealed the wind out.
Inside the house was stuffy and cramped, but warm. There were nine of them living inside, including Shaun and Codsworth. The Winters slept in their old room, the Ables took Shaun's baby room, and the Confrans laid mattresses down in the living room. Zeke and Cindy were currently in the kitchen, cooking radishes in a skillet over a hot plate. Connie, Diane and Shaun were on the couch, gathered around the portable heater. Arthur was in bed, sick with a cold for the past few days.
"Food's almost ready!" Cindy called back as they entered. Nora took a seat in the armchair by the window. Wind whistled in through a tiny hole in the tarp.
"What have you prepared for us today, chef?" Connie teased.
"It's Thursday, so the usual. Roasted radishes with pepper and ketchup." Cindy answered.
"I dread the day when we run out of ketchup." Nate murmured.
"Nothing special for the tenth anniversary?" Nora asked, only half kidding. "I know we have some packaged food left."
"I was thinking we should try to make that last." Zeke said. "We can just keep growing radishes, but who knows when we'll see another box of snack cakes."
Their old dinner table was crowded with seven people sitting at it. Nora was shoulder to shoulder with Nate and Shaun. "Wait." Cindy said, before they started eating. "I want to say grace." Everyone paused. That wasn't something they usually did. Nonetheless, they joined hands.
"Dear God," Cindy started. "Thank you for all this. Thank you for burning the world to a worthless cinder. Thank you for letting me get shot in the head." Oh, god… "And most of all, thank you for these radishes." Cindy paused. Nora almost went for her fork, until Cindy finished. "And thank you that we're still alive." She said quietly.
They ate in awkward silence. Nora knew the tenth anniversary of the war would dredge up unpleasant memories. Lincoln's speech was probably devised just to distract people from it. Give them something to do. They had spent the last week constructing the miniature stage Lincoln would give the speech from. After it was done, their attention would probably be turned to more material things, like their growing supply shortage.
OCTOBER 23, 2087. 2:28 P.M. VAULT SURVIVORS: 74 It was almost time. Everyone who wasn't sick in bed was out in the street, waiting for the speech to start. They massed around the rickety wooden platform situated on the foundation of one of the houses they dismantled. Shivering, coughing, sporadically complaining. The ground around the stage was mostly dry, thanks to the fire pits. The dirt was still soft and damp. Nora's boots sank into it slightly.
Next to her, Nate shuddered, his breath visible in the air. "I'm just glad we didn't do this at night." He said. Shaun was in front of him, wrapped in his bomber jacket.
"Yeah, that would have been a fucking disaster." Nora replied. "Oop. Sorry, Shaun. We need to get a swear jar."
"But what would we put in it?" Nate asked rhetorically.
Finally, Lincoln emerged from his tent, clutching a sheet of paper. There was some scattered applause as he ascended the platform. "Good afternoon, my fellow citizens." He boomed. Even without a microphone, Lincoln's voice carried well. "Now, you may be asking yourselves, 'citizens of what?'. No, not the Vault. America." The crowd was silent. "Ten years ago today, the United States of America suffered a terrible blow, one that we are admittedly still feeling the effects of. But I want to assure you… that it's not over." His voice echoed into the trees across the river. "America is not dead. We are not dead. And we will continue to farm, and build, and survive, for as long as it takes for us to reunite with our people." Behind him, a few sun shafts gleamed out through a thinner stretch of clouds. It was an impressive picture. Hopeful. "On that day, our old wounds may begin to heal. We have spent day and night these past months, scouring the airwaves on our radio. So far we've found nothing. But don't lose hope. I know, in my heart, that everything we've gone through has been for something. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel. We've been given a second chance, and I leave it to each and every one of you to make the most of it. Thank you." Applause broke out as he stepped down from the stage. He moved through the crowd, shaking hands. Finally the clouds parted and the sun broke through. It shone down on them, providing a hesitant warmth.
Afterward, a sense of optimism permeated Sanctuary. A sense that things were getting on track. Despite everything that had happened, and everything that could yet happen, Nora found herself dreaming about the future. One she thought they had a chance of seeing. A future where they could finally reclaim some of what they had lost, and build a happy life. Their struggles were nowhere near over, but maybe they wouldn't be for naught.
Maybe.