"I found some more Jet hidden upstairs behind the filling cabinet."
Charon sighed and pointed at a box on the table in the middle of the living room. Apparently, the Vaultie had chosen what Moria called "The Wasteland Explorer" theme. This ended up with some book shelves and a wooden pick-nick table. Currently on the table were multiple crates and boxes. Each was being filled with certain types of items. One box held every animal of the narcotic's family. Jet seemed to be the drug of choice, though. Medical supplies, ammo, gun parts, food, scrap, alcohol, water, nuka-cola, clothing, books, and lots of other random odds and ends were all placed in their own separate boxes.
Pack-rat didn't give justice to how much shit the vault kid had collected. Many random items were already boxed up and sent to Moria, the bars, Doc Church, and to Wolfgang – who just happened to be visiting Megaton that day. So far, just selling the junk had earned Olive almost ten-thousand caps. She immediately spent another one-thousand on having a bathroom added onto one side. How all the shit fit in the house was beyond Charon's grasp. The Vaultie had amazing packing abilities. The entire upstairs had been floor to ceiling stocked full of boxes, including the previously thought only bedroom. The room that had contained Wadsworth was originally thought to be a simple closet, but once all the junk and bottles were pulled out, it became clear that there were two bedrooms in the house.
This greatly relieved Olive. She was stuck with Charon and she had come to accept that on the way to Megaton, but she was still horrified of him. The few nights they had spent together on the way to the city resulted in very little sleep for either of them. Olive would only sleep if Charon was asleep and Charon refused to sleep if Olive was asleep. Needless to say, by the time the pair had arrived in Megaton, Olive was exhausted. It was only the excitement of the new house that kept her moving. The ghoul was used to not sleeping well and could have gone for a few more days before passing out cold.
"I have finished dusting the kitchen area, Madam," Wadsworth announced, puffing into the larger room, "and I have located the best structural location for the new bathroom addition to be added to. Would you like me to mark the wall for the workers?"
Olive beamed at the robot. "Yes, please."
"As you wish, Madam."
While the robot used a low-setting on his newly repaired flamethrower to mark a dark X on the wall between the kitchen outlet and a large steel locker, Olive handed Charon a box full of scrap metal. "Can you bring this to the water treatment plant? Walter will love to have this. Tell him no charge. If he's not there, just leave it inside the door."
Charon bit his tongue to hold back an angry remark. He had been sent all over Megaton and he was getting tired of being stared at by the locals. Apparently, there was another ghoul in town, and like Charon, he was owned by a Smoothskin.
The ghoul disappeared out the door, a foul look on his face, and Olive sighed. She kept sending Charon out not to parade him around as a slave, but to make sure he knew the layout of the town and the important people in them. Moriarty, The Stahl siblings, Doc Church, Moria, and Walter were the people who had a lot of pull in town. Moriarty and the Stahls because they run the local hangout joints, and nothing spreads faster than a rumor in Megaton. Doc Church because he is the local doctor and if he's on decent terms with the ghoul, the doctor may have more of a desire to spend medical supplies on healing him if anything should happen. Moria because she was the main merchant in town. Lastly, Walter and Olive were great friends and Walter had a large pull with the elderly individuals in town. If Walter liked someone, all the rest of the old folks did too. Being in control of the water had that kind of effect.
"I'm going to take some of this water over to Simms," the girl told Wadsworth. "Feel free to take a break while I'm gone. We're making great time."
"That is not necessary but thank you, Madam!"
Olive chuckled and picked up her bag. She had recently emptied it and stocked it full of bottled water for easier transportation. She also picked up two stacked crates full of bottles and hauled the loot outside. The walk wasn't far, but she did have to pause once or twice to get a better grip on the crates.
"Damn, girly, what do you have there?" Simms called from the front gate, strolling on over to intercept her at his front door.
Setting the crates down with a thud, Olive shrugged off the pack and rubbed her shoulders. "The Vault kid had the robot butler spitting purified water out left and right. Never told him to stop so Wadsworth has been pumping it out since the kid died." She waved an arm at the water. "I can't drink it all so I figured I'd give most of it to the town. You're the sheriff and if anyone can divvy it up accordingly, it would be you."
Simms nodded, picking up the two crates and motioning for Olive to follow him inside. "This is a good thing you're doing, kid. Put it all over by the steps and I'll start dividing it up right away."
"There's more back at the house that I'll bring over." She dumped the bottles from her bag and began to set them up in an organized fashion so they wouldn't be rolling all over Simms' house.
"That's fine. Bring as many as you want." The sheriff paused for a few moments before getting his nerve. "You mind if I ask you something?"
Olive didn't look up from organizing the bottles. "Sure. Anything."
"What did they do to you in that vault?"
The girl froze, every muscle in her body screaming in sudden tension. "What vault?" she said slowly.
"Whatever vault it is you came from." Simms crossed his arms and assumed a relaxed but dangerous pose. "You're too pure bred to come from some dinky town in the wastes and your mannerisms give you away as someone not from this time. You reminded me of that vault kid, but just not as sadistic. Also..." He paused for a few seconds. "I've met a you that isn't you."
Olive gripped a bottle tightly, anger rising in the depths of her chest. Ely had never mentioned any meetings with Simms. It was no wonder the sheriff had always been on the lookout for her. He had met her other half and it had obviously scared him. "What did Ely do?"
"A few months after you came here, right before I sent you to deliver that package to Rivet City, I woke to you in my bedroom." Simms shook his head at the memory. "Scared the shit out of me, girl. You sounded different, angry. You told me that the Vault kid was trying to blow up the nuke in the center of town. He had a detonator set and was on his way out but you caught him and beat the living shit out of him. You said you were telling me this so I wouldn't try jailing the 'other you'. That you were quite fond of the town and if I tried to stop you from returning, then you would drag me back to the vault and throw me in a pod for the rest of eternity."
The girl couldn't reply. It sounded just like something Ely would do. She no longer had any questions as to why Simms was cold to her or never wanted her to live in the town. He was always worried that Ely would pop out and do something.
"So I ask again," the sheriff said, "what did they do to you in that vault?"
"I don't know what they did. All I know is it left me with her. You don't have to worry, Sheriff, I'll do my best to keep her under control."
Simms nodded, seeming to accept that answer. "I figure we have folks worse in town than a girl with two people in her head. She did stop that vault kid from blowing the nuke so she's okay with me. That's all I wanted to know, so you can get back to fixing up your new place."
"Thanks, Sheriff. I'll send some more water over right away."
