Chapter 8: Rescue from Paradise

Private waddled north for about an hour, and saw to what seemed to be concentration camp. He looked at his Pip-Boy and it told him that this was the place known as Paradise Falls. The penguin made his way to the entrance, but was stopped by a lemur with black fur and green eyes, and dressed in an outfit a smuggler in the Wasteland would ware. The lemur pulled out a small pistol, aimed it at Private and said, "Hold it right there! Nobody's allowed into Paradise Falls except on Slaver business. And I get to decide what qualifies as Slaver business."

"So, can I come in?" asked Private, then thinking to himself that was a rather stupid question after what the lemur just told him.

"You? I don't think so. You're not really...let's just say that you wouldn't fit in up there. So why don't you just turn around and head back up the way you came?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"There's two kinds of animals who can get into Paradise Falls. Slaves, and Slavers. So, unless you're looking to become a slave, piss off!"

Private then thought of a way that he could talk his way inside. "Do you see this armor? This is Brotherhood of Steel Power Armor!"

"Hmm. I thought I recognized that type of armor from somewhere. But why is a member of the Brotherhood here anyways? They never showed interest in our business."

"Who said I was Brotherhood? I killed a member of the Brotherhood of Steel and claimed this armor from myself."

"You? You killed a member from the Brotherhood of Steel with how their trained in combat? I doubt that!"

"Then how do you think I got this armor without being a member?"

"Hard to argue since you actually have the armor on you."

"Plus, I could pay a lot of caps for a slave or two."

"Well in that case, go on in you tough bastard. I'll send word that you're making your way up. Don't want you to get attacked because of your armor now do we?"

Private thanked the lemur and made his way inside the camp. As he walked in, he saw a bunch of animals trapped behind fences. They contained all sorts of animals from small children to the elderly. As Private looked around, he saw smugglers and raiders around the camp either guarding each gate that has slavers or trading slavers for caps. The penguin began waddling around to see if he could find a group of baby ducklings anywhere. It started to pain him to see what he saw around the camp. Innocent animals trapped and being sold as profit. He wanted to help them so badly, set them all free. But he just couldn't as he was clearly out numbered. Even with his new Power Armor and energy weapons, the numbers would eventually be too much for the single penguin.

After looking for a small amount of time, Private came across a fence with four baby ducklings that all looked like the duck he met earlier.

"Psst!" whispered Private. "You there, are any of you Sammy and Squirrel."

"Please mister, don't buy us!" said Sammy.

"Hey, hey, don't worry. I'm here to bust you out of here. Your older brother sent me here to rescue you."

"Eggy sent you? Oh happy days! We're going to be free!"

"Shh! You need to keep it down in order-"

Just then, a smuggler came up to confront Private. "May I help you, sir?" asked the otter.

"Oh! Um, no. I'm just checking out these ducklings is all."

"Ah yes, these little ones just came in a few days ago. They may be small but they're the youngest slaves we have, which means they're bound to last the longest. If you want to purchase one, it's seventy-five caps per duckling."

"Right then. Uh, I'm going to keep looking around and see what else you have first."

"Very well, just don't take all day."

The smuggler walked away, which made Private let out a big sigh of relief. "Alright then," he whispered to the baby ducklings. "I'm going to get you out of here now, but you need to keep quiet, understand?"

"Yes sir," they all said at once.

When no one was looking, Private took out a small pair of pliers he found on the way over here, and started to cut the wires from the fence. He didn't have to cut off very many since the ducklings were rather small. He finally cut a big enough hole for all of them to fit though unharmed, and the baby ducklings made their way out. Private picked all of them up and put them in a small bag with a hole so they could breathe out of. Everything was going according to plan, but then things started to take a turn for the worse as a female penguin, who was next door to the fence the ducklings were being, ran up to the fence.

"Hey!" she shouted. "You're saving those baby ducklings?"

Private tried to shush the penguin. "Quiet! Yes I am."

"Then you have to save the rest of us then!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm just not suited to do that."

"Please! You must set us all free!"

"I...I...I just can't. I'm terribly sorry!"

"Then I'm not letting you escape here alive. GUARDS! GUARDS COME QUICK!"

"Shhh! Please!"

"This penguin is running away with some slaves without paying! GUARDS!"

Private didn't know what to do! The attention was getting drawn rather quickly. He didn't want to do it, but it was the only thing he could think of in a time like this. Private pulled out his laser pistol, and shot the penguin in the head, killing her in one shot. One of the ducklings in the bag popped his head of the hole.

"Mister!" said Squirrel. "You shot a innocent animal."

"No! I didn't mean to! I mean, yes, I did, but she was going to give away our position. Besides, this might of been for the best. She no longer has to suffer now."

But what happened next made Private fell worse than any other animal here at Paradise Falls.

"MOMMY!"

Two little penguin chicks ran up to the dead penguin lying on the ground. Crying, as they held their mother in their flippers.

"Why, mister?" one of them asked. "Why did you kill our mama? She only wanted us to be free!"

"But I...she was..."

"Our daddy died last month!" said the other chick. "And our mom was the only one we had left..."

"What seems to be the problem here?" said the same otter who talked to Private a few moments ago. He saw the dead mother laying on the ground. "What the?!"

Without thinking, Private punched the smuggler in the face, knocking him down to the ground. The penguin then made a run for it, but now everyone was alerted about Private! Raiders and smugglers took out their guns and opened fire at the penguin with heavy Power Armor. Private took out his laser rifle and fired back at everyone. He started to take some hits, but took down some raiders and smugglers as well. But he was still too outnumbered to keep this up. He turned his back and made a run for it, hoping that he wouldn't take anymore hits. Private held on to the bag in his flippers, shielding them from all shots fired at him. Everyone was chasing after Private, still shooting at him, but luckily missing more than hitting him. He made it to the entrance where he talked to the lemur, took out his laser pistol and shot him dead before he could react. Private knew he couldn't run for too much longer, so he had to think of something. The penguin looked around, and saw a switch next to a giant fence in between two giant rocks. Private aimed his laser pistol at it, and shot the switch. The giant gate began to close fast, and Private to make it quick or its certain death. Private took a leap of faith and made it pass the door right before it closed. Everyone behind Private didn't make it, and was trapped inside. Everyone was still shooting at Private, but once as the penguin ran far enough, all the bullets were starting to fade and now he was safe and sound.

Private made his way back to Little Lamplight, but he couldn't get those baby penguins out of his mind. He killed their mother, their last sign of any hope they had left in this world was now gone. He was thinking to himself, how will they survive in the Wasteland now? Especially because they were still trapped as slaves back at Paradise Falls. He wanted to help them, but just couldn't. He tried to quiet the mother...well, he did do just that. Private knows he'll never forget what he did on this day. This bad karma will follow him for the rest of his life.

Private and the rest of the baby ducklings made it back to Little Lamplight safe and sound. They walked up to the fort where Eggy was still at his post. He saw the penguin coming with his little siblings and had a huge smile on his face.

"Guys!" he said. "You're alive!"

"Thanks to this big penguin," said Sammy.

"Thank very much, Private."

"No...problem, I guess." Private said, still thinking about what he's done. But he had to get that thought out of his head. "Anyways, can I please come in now?"

"Well, you did save my brothers and sisters. So I guess you're alright, mungo. You can come in, but you better not piss me off."

Eggy opened the door and let everyone inside. Private waddled up to Eggy and asked about Vault 87.

"Alright, so can you show me where Vault 87 is?"

"It's not safe in there," said Eggy. "Even for someone as brave as you. There's monsters back there!"

"Monsters? What, like ghouls and Super Mutants?"

"Well, there's ghouls in there, but there's something different about them. They're more dangerous than before."

"How is that even possible?"

"I don't know, and I just don't want to know..."

"Even so, I must go in there. Show me where it is, Eggy."

"Alright, but you'll have to go though Murder Pass in order to get where you want to go."

"Is that the only way to get to Vault 87?"

"I'm afraid so. And its scary in there! You sure you want to go in there?"

"I'm sure..."

"Come with me then,"

Eggy took Private to the door. As Private looked around, he saw that there was nothing but kids here. No adults whatsoever. How they manage to survive down here all on their own, and even have the weapons and defensives was amazing to him. They came up to another fort of the other side, just like the one up front, and Eggy opened the door to that one to let Private though. Down a small hill was a door, just like the one that leads to the inside of Little Lamplight. Eggy told Private, "Hope you don't die in there, mungo." The penguin waddled to the door and was about to open it. But as soon as he put his flipper on the door knob, he heard a number of growls and screeches from what sounded like, as Eggy said, monsters. Private gulped, he was scared. But his parents research is on the line. He had to do this. Private entered Murder Pass, and what he's about to see inside is just...unspeakable...