A NEW BEGINNING
'So it begins. A new journey. In hopes of a new life. From what Ulysses has been telling me, Ashton and Hopeville will be perfect for me. Secluded, but modern. It also has some technology to look at. From what I remember NCR isn't really friendly towards anyone who has had any affiliation with the Enclave, so I should probably change clothes as soon as possible. As long as they don't find out I'm going to be fine. But first, let's head to that vault that Bragg had told me to go to.' Jack checked the map of his Pipboy. Vault 2 was a day's walk away. Fortunately the Vault was on the route to their destination. The Pipboy showed that they were currently in the prewar state of Nevada. 'These Pipboys are good things, no wonder that Wanderer guy was so good...'
[The next day]
Jack was finally adapting to the Wasteland. Gone were the days of the luxury in the Enclave. They had finally reached the Vault entrance after an exhausting walk under the Mojave sun. This time he didn't pass out, which was an improvement to the last time. The vault door was closed. "I remember that there was a way to open these vault door using your device." Ulysses commented, as Jack went to the only available interface console in the entrance cave of the vault. And Ulysses was right. Graved in on the console was a guide on how to connect the Pipboy to the console to open the heavy vault door. "Alright... insert the General Pipboy Interface Connector, also called the Ge.P.I.Co into the connection port on the console... Once a connection has been made, general information of the Pipboy and Vault will be listed on the display of your trusty device... After the data exchange has finished, the user can use the red button to open the vault door and enter the vault. Thank you for trusting Vault-Tec! Vault-Tec! A good investment for YOUR future!" Jack repeated the steps shown and indeed the alarm of the opening of the vault door started to sound. The heavy door pulled back and rolled to the left, revealing a bridgeway to the vault area. A log had been saved in his Pipboy, showing the process of the opening of the Vault door.
"HEAVY ENCRYPTION DETECTED... E.D.S. (Enclave Decryption Software) ATTEMPTING TO BYPASS... BYPASS COMPLETE! Connecting... Recognizing... Authenticating... Authentication complete... Recognition process completed... Recognition code 'VAULT-002-97/122-89301NV'... Recognition code accepted... PIPBOY RECOGNITION PROGRESS IN PROGRESS. DO NOT DISCONNECT DEVICE. Recognizing... Authenticating... AUTHENTICATION COMPLETE... PIPBOY-2000VI-89123 Recognition process completed... Recognition code 'VAULT-076-102/122-WV'... Recognition code accepted... Connection established... Welcome to Vault 2."
They were being aimed at by several officers before they even set foot onto the interiors of the Vault. "Halt! Who are you and how did you open this door?!" Was what they heard from the lead security officer. "Relax, we're friendly. And as to how we opened the door, we used this decice called the Pipboy." He shouted over. "Stop being funny you jackass, we had encrypted that lock, how the hell did you breach that encryption?" the officer shouted back. Seemed to be a woman. "Do I look like an egghead to you lady? And no, pokerface next to me isn't an egghead either."
[On the other side]
Terra was annoyed -a lot-. Since Chevy had injured herself and had to remain in the infirmary, Terra had to take over as acting security chief for the time being. And now she had a situation on her hands. Somehow the security encryptions for the vault door opening mechanism were being breached by the second. All active security officers and acting chief were being ordered to the entrance section, while the officers on leave were getting ready to join the possible upcoming fight. 'AND IT HAD TO HAPPEN exactly when I was finally getting some real rack time. I'm gonna kill these motherfuckers so hard.
A minute later she was at the entrance with 8 other officers, all being armed with the best the armory could offer. She was handed a walkie talkie by one of the officers. "Terra this is Chevy. Keep calm, you're ready for this. No worries alright?" was what the security chief told her from the infirmary. 'No worries, no worries at all Terra.' The Vault door finally opened, but instead of a pack of raiders there were only two men, or at least she thought they were two men, as the focused security lights only made her see their silhouettes.
"Halt! Who are you and how did you open this door?!" she shouted "Relax, we're friendly. And as to how we opened the door, we used this decice called the Pipboy." This got on her nerves "Stop being funny you jackass. We had encrypted that lock. How did you breach it?" She determined that the one, who had held up his left hand was the one with the PIPBOY. She received her answer "Do I look like an egghead to you lady? And no, pokerface next to me isn't an egghead either." After a small exchange she told them, in order to enter, they had to surrender and give their weapons to vault security. The two men complied.
"I told you that we're friendly." the same man said, while walking towards them with his hands up "Uh and by the way, There's a letter a have to deliver to some Chevy Bragg person. I was told they live here." That sentence totally threw her off track. He had come closer, so she was able to see a lot more, and what she saw was not something she had expected. 'No way. That is NOT an Enclave Uniform. You've got to be kidding me. Lord Almighty save me." - "No time to waste, you're coming with me. Diesel! Call everyone from 'The Old Brigade' and get all to sickbay. After that, you head there as well."
[10 minutes later]
After informing the overseer, Terra grabbed the man along to the infirmary.
[infirmary/sickbay]
There was a discussion going on between several vault dwellers when Terra stormed into sickbay, dragging along a payload with her.
"So that's why it took you so long Te- I see." was the only reaction from one person. Meanwhile, Jack was trying to put himself tigether after being dragged through a damned Vault "Greetings, fellow Americans, the courier is coming in with a hot package" he said in a sarcastic tone "Now, who of you is this Chevy Bragg I was tasked to give a package to?" The woman on the bed answered "That would be me, please give me the package." Jack gave her the package "John said he's sorry for everything. Everything else he wanted to say is in the package." Most people had mixed feelings. Some were happy that the Colonel had survived, some weren't. Chevy had a neutral expression on her face "So John sent you huh? How's he doing up in D.C.? Did his mentee rise up to be the champ of thr Enclave? And why and how did you come all the way down here? He could've sent me the stuff digitally." All faces were looking at Jack "Uh, you see, Bragg didn't send this from D.C. He literally gave me this a few days ago. He and the rest of Leonidas are with some Canaanites. As for me, well, basically the Enclave got destroyed anand I ventured out west to start a new life. And I guess you guys were part of Leonidas." Chevy had started reading the note in the package. In the package was also a Leonidas Squad Insignia. She had suddenly become angry and had thrown the insignia towards Jack. "Screw Him! Screw you John! Fuck you. Fuck you. I hate you John!" after her outbreak Jack crept out of his cover "Damn girl, I'm just the delivery guy. I deliver the pizza, I don't make it." Chevy had regained control of herself "Get. Out. Now" she pointed to the exit. Jack quickly went out of the infirmary and headed to the Atrium.
[Meanwhile, Computer Labs]
Overseer Eckhart was talking to the computer technicians about the breach. "I need an explanation. Right now. How did he get through the security?" One of the technicians answered "Sir, it wasn't his work. He and his friend are both rather the fighter type" the other technician took over "However it seems that there are some programs, files and information, that is not to be found on any other PIPBOY. His PIPBOY seems to be more customized than the personal pipboy of a normal dweller. It seems to have... extra options..." Overseer Eckhart wasn't really relieved after hearing the information. "And what are these 'extra options' exactly what you're saying?"
"The Pipboy seems to have an advanced electronics package installed, hardware and software, along with an A.I. This combo allowed him to open the door." The Overseer looked in horror to what the technician had just said. Anyone with a pip boy that was slightly different than a standard one could easily penetrate their defenses and roll into the vault.
[Atrium]
The Atrium reminded Jack of Raven Rock. It reminded him of a time of peace, a time of prosperity. The elevated position of his family had secured him a place at the officer's academy. Most of his old classmates weren't that lucky. They had to enlist and got shipped out. But that didn't matter as most of them were dead anyway. Snapping out of his memories he spotted Ulysses, sitting all alone at a separate table. After taking some food from the cantine he sat himself next to his travel partner.
"So Pokerface, what's on the agenda today?"
"Why do you call me 'Pokerface'?" He asked Jack with the same voice as always.
"It's just a nickname. I was bored and I saw that you always have the same face expression, no matter what happens. So I came up with 'Pokerface'."
"That is not a logical explanation."
"Yes it is."
"No it isn't."
"Yes it is."
A call came over the Vault Intercom "Visitors Jack Hernandez and 'Pokerface', please head to the security section immediately. I repeat, Jack Hernandez and 'Pokerface', please had to security immediately!"
"That's our call Pokerface. Let's go!" Jack exclaimed while standing up to leave.
[Vault Security, 5 minutes later]
Vault security was located 2 floors over the Atrium. The place was smaller than one would think it should've been. And at the commander's table sat one Terra Mayson, not looking specially happy. A guard escorted them in.
"Gentlemen, I'd like to know, why the fuck you're here." Ulysses shrugged. Jack answered "Remember that letter that made that Chevy person freak out? Well, I'm the delivery guy. I deliver the mail. That's it."
Terra took some notes before taking to them again. "You two are going to leave this vault tomorrow. And you shall not come back. But before that, Enclave man, Chevy wants to have a talk with you."
[Medbay]
Ulysses had gone back to the Atrium. Jack had just arrived at the medbay. "Crazy woman told me you wanted to talk with me." He said "Yes I do. I would like to tell you why we left, and why I flipped out when you gave the letter. You see, we destroyed a vault of innocent humans just because we were ordered to. We did it, but it was brutal, very brutal. I guess that along with other brutal battles was the turning point for me and basically everyone else. If you're looking to join an Enclave contingent sometime in the future, there was one that went somewhere up north." she handed him the Leonidas badge "And keep this, pin it to your uniform next to your Zulu badge if you want to. Now leave and don't come back."
He did as she said, and Ulysses and him left the Vault the next morning. They tirelessly marched for another week. Then they arrived.
"This is it. Salvation."
