Notes: I do not own Fallout 3 or any of it's affiliates. This is hardly original, but it's really fun for me!

Chapter 10: Trouble on the Home Front

"Holy shit," the Enclave soldier said sourly, backing away from the open control room and shaking his head from side to side. "That room's hot."

"Radiation?" the superior officer asked.

"Yeah."

"Damn," he muttered. Two more soldiers entered the rotunda with another Enclave official and an eyebot, and started up the stairs towards their comrades.

"Sir," the two men said, standing against the wall.

"Evening," Autumn said, then looked to the open control room. He felt annoyed that the soldiers were merely standing outside the room instead of investigating it. His eyes looked to the floor. There were about three bodies he could see, but he knew there were more lying inside. Of the ones he could see, one was a man in a vault suit, one was an Enclave private, and the other was the Colonel. His brow furrowed at this—how did the late Colonel die with no apparent danger? "What seems to be the problem, men?"

"Lethal radiation, sir," the superior answered him, tilting his helmet towards the dead bodies, "we won't be able to get inside without dying."

Autumn gritted his teeth together, cursing under his breath. The eyebot floated past him, then adjusted its camera downward toward the scene. "The man in the vault suit?" the President asked through the small device.

"Leader of Project Purity."

The camera moved again, it's eye over the dead body of the Colonel, then it turned toward Autumn. "Looks like you just received a promotion, Colonel."

Autumn's eyes widened, and his jaw started to drop open. Quickly pulling himself together, he stood tall in front of the eyebot. "Thank you, Mister President."

"See to it that Colonel Autumn receives his proper attire." the President commanded, turning towards the soldiers. The two privates looked between each other, shifting on their feet, as if they were uncertain. "Let me make it more simple for you; collect the bodies out of the control room and dispose of them, but not before you take the late colonel's jacket. Those are hard to come by, these days."

"But, Mister President," one soldier spluttered, "the radiation in that room is lethal; we'd die the moment we stepped in."

"Find a way then, private," the eyebot relayed, "and report to your superior officer for addressing me directly. That's the last I want to hear from you."

"Mister President," the soldier said quickly, saluting the eyebot. It started to float by Autumn and the other soldiers again, and as it passed, the President said: "congratulations, Autumn. Make me proud."

Autumn stood to attention again, his mouth taut. He would do anything for his President, for his country. He would make Project Purity theirs.

Ana awoke in the morning to the sounds of the Knights rising from their bunks and donning their armour. She sat up and stood from the bed quickly, leaving all the soldiers to their morning routine. Taking a left just outside the door, Ana walked through the two large doors, making her way back to the lab.

She wasn't sure what time it was, but it had to be a reasonable morning hour; other Paladins and Scribes walked through the hallways, getting ready for their day. As Ana came to the lab, she made her way down the stairs again toward the ground floor. She found herself looking up at Liberty Prime again, trying to mentally calculate it's workings. It was perhaps her only original trait that remained in tact, her interest in mechanical systems.

Ana stood in front of the computer terminal again, which headed the robot. She wasn't sure how long she stood there before someone approached her, but as soon as he spoke, she knew he was the man she was looking for.

"May I start by saying I am sorry for your loss," the man said, coming up next to her. She kept looking up at the robot, not acknowledging him with sight, but listening to his words. Ana nodded once to his statement.

"I was acquainted with your father, many years ago. The world has lost one of its few remaining visionaries."

Ana only offered another nod, still studying the robot. Rothchild sighed beside her before continuing.

"Doctor Li has explained your predicament. You need to locate some Vault-Tec equipment?"

"A G.E.C.K.," she replied shortly.

"A G.E.C.K!" Rothchild said aloud, his tone slightly mocking. Ana took her eyes from the robot and let them fall on his face, studying him hard. He seemed to retreat from her, darting his eyes away and shifting uncomfortably. "The Brotherhood is not in possession of such a device," he added quietly. "There is, however, a way in which we may be able to ascertain the location of one."

"My father mentioned that," Ana said evenly, turning her eyes back to the robot.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to assist you directly; the news Doctor Li has brought us will require me to be elsewhere. I can, however, redirect access to an old pre-war computer from Vault-Tec. It may have the information you need."

"Then let's look at it quickly," Ana said, folding her arms in front of her, "the Enclave may already be there."

"Let me reroute the information to my terminal here," Rothchild said, leaning over the computer in front of them and entering a few commands. "Follow me," he stated, and began walking off.

Ana followed him around the lab floor to the far corner. A large projector stood against the wall, which displayed a map of the greater Washington area. She stood off to the side as Rothchild touched the screen and it came to life.

"This map shows the locations of all the known vaults in the Wasteland," he explained, motioning to each vault as it appeared on the map. A moving black cursor moved between each point. He then moved to the terminal that stood bolted to the wall next to the projector. Typing in a few commands, he read the information on the screen before him. "It looks like Vault 87 was the only one provided with a G.E.C.K. It's here," he said, pointing his finger on the small map marker, and Ana watched as the black cursor moved over it at Rothchild's touch.

"Entrance tot he Vault will be particularly difficult, for the entrance has been reported by Brotherhood Knights to have lethal levels of radiation. Direct access is quite impossible."

"Then there's another way in."

"You share your father's determination, it seems." Ana lowered her head slightly, affected by his words. "We're not entirely certain," Rothchild continued, observing the map with Ana, "but you may be able to take a route through the caves to the south. There's a small settlement run by children there, but if you can get access to the tunnels that the settlement is located in, then you may be able to find passage into Vault 87.

"The Brotherhood have never been able to spare the resources to investigate the area, so chances of success are uncertain, but it's worth a try. Otherwise, finding a G.E.C.K. may be out of the question. If you do find anything, please return here so that we may be able to conduct a plan of action."

"I'll be back in a day or two," Ana said, looking at the marker to the far west. With that, she turned on her heel, and started off.

"Ana," Rothchild said, stopping the young woman in her tracks. She turned to face him, her face unreadable. "I wish we could do more, but we face a very real threat from the Enclave at this moment. I'm sorry. I must divert my efforts into fighting off any threats they may pose to us."

"It doesn't change anything," Ana replied with a dead tone, "I was willing to trust you, to give you a chance. I understand you can't help me more. It'd be best not to make so many excuses, it would make you look less of a bastard."

"Ana," he stammered, but she walked away. She had no time to give to him. As much as she was hurting, as much as she felt changed and unfamiliar, Ana still knew she had to fight to finish her father's work, so she kept soldiering on. If anything, he was the last thread holding her in place, he was her last motivation to do good for the world, but it was barely there, it seemed. She tried to keep it close to her heart and mind, but it was hard to find amongst the anger and grief that clouded her.

As Ana walked out the lab doors, morning light greeted her. Men and women stood in the court yard practicing in the various obstacle courses, running and shooting. Ana strode by them all, and at the end, she caught the eyes of Lyons and the soldier from the Washington Monument. They eyed her up and down as she marched forward, and she averted her gaze forward. Lyons leaned over to the soldier and whispered something in his ear. Ana kept her gaze straight, but she could feel them seeing her, deciphering the meaning behind the loss of her hair.

"Ana," Lyons said, stepping forward. Ana darted her eyes over to where she stood, and she saw the other woman's eyes observing her bald head. "be careful."

Ana nodded to her, continuing on. The Lyons' Pride would have their fill with the preparation for war. Ana understood she was on an important mission, not only for them, but for herself. She walked by them swiftly, holding her head high.

"Her name's Ana, hey?" Winters asked Lyons.

"Andromeda."

Winters sighed, then chuckled slightly. "What is it?" Lyons asked him.

"I thought I'd never know her name," Winters replied, "I was prepared to refer to her as Miss Vault 101 my entire life; everyone else does."

"She's been through a lot."

"Yeah," Winters said, shaking his head slowly, sadly, "but she's tough, she'll be all right."

"I hope so," Lyons replied, looking at the doorway where Ana disappeared.

The afternoon was aging when Ana came near Megaton again. She rounded around the town, avoiding the line of sight of the gates. When Ana walked around the back, ensuring no one would see her, her Pip-Boy reacted to a radio signal, beeping continuously. Ana looked at her arm, and scrolled through her options to tune in to the frequency. Her brow furrowed as she listened to the message.

THIS IS AN AUTOMATED DISTRESSMESSAGE FROM VAULT-TEC VAULT 101. MESSAGE BEGINS:

It feels like you left home a long time ago. I know you're still alive out there. I always knew you were the strong one, the one who could make it through anything. So please, if you can hear this, come home, come help us through this. Things fell apart once you left; my father went mad with power, and now we're divided. If you can, stop looking for your dad, and help me stop mine.

I changed the password for the door to my name. If you still care about me, please come back. I'll be waiting for you.

MESSAGE REPEATS...

"Amata," Ana whispered under her breath. Her arm lowered, feeling too heavy to lift from her surprise. Her eyes searched through space as her mind raced. She had to go to Vault 87, but she could not leave Amata behind. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she fought against her priorities.

"Dammit, Amata," she growled, then started off at a run toward the tall rocky hill just to the north. She moved her hand to turn off the radio signal on her Pip-Boy. Within twenty minutes, she stood before the familiar shack door, the first one she had ever encountered that separated her from the outside world. With hesitant hands, Ana grasped the door handle, and pulled it open.

The darkness enveloped her like a familiar and unwelcome blanket. Ana leaned against the door quietly for a moment, waiting for her eyes to adjust properly. When she could sufficiently see, she walked down the path, her eyes focusing in on the huge Vault door. She reached the end of the hallway, and she stepped in front of the control pod panel, entering Amata's name on the keyboard. Her hand hovered over RETURN hesitantly for a moment, until she forced her finger down on the button. The alarm and the light began to come to life again, and Ana stepped in front of the Vault door as it prepared to open itself, drawing her laser rifle for protection. She was cautious about her hands on the gun; she was a different person now, and she worried herself as to how she could control her feelings of inapplicable vendetta. Her fingers clenched the rifle as the huge door was pulled backwards and rolled to the side. When the path was laid clear for her, Ana walked in slowly, holding her rifle at the ready.

It was silent. A sign was posted at the front of the door, and Ana read it over, feeling anger and hate boil within her stomach.

NOTICE: Exit prohibited by Overseer. Strictly enforced.

Ana tore her eyes away, scanning the room. Two road blockers were placed in front of the stairs leading from the Vault's main door to its inside. Apparently, there was a problem with people trying to escape the Vault. Ana stressed on the word "escape". The Overseer was holding them all there against their will.

As Ana stepped up the stairs cautiously, her eyes fell upon a body to her left. Jim Wilkins lay dead by the control panel that activated the door, bullet holes adorning his body. Lethal force for those who tried to escape the Vault. It made Ana ferocious.

Failing to keep her emotions in check, Ana approached the door behind her, wrenching the handle forward and unlocking the door. Giving it a swift kick, it swung open, and she held her rifle high. She saw a body standing to the left, and she aimed at it, nearly prepared to shoot.

"Stop right there," he yelled through his security mask, "I don't know how you got in here, but..."

Ana forced her finger away from the trigger, and raised her head to look at the security officer. It was Officer Gomez.

"Wait a minute... Ana? Is that you?" She nodded once. "Holy cow! I hardly recognized you with all the dust and grime from out there! And your hair! Ana, what did you do to your hair?"

She contemplated him in silence, not offering an asnwer.

"Never mind. Guess that explains how you got that door open. You've got more experience with it than most everyone down here combined." His tone was harsh.

"I received a message from Amata, I need to see her."

"A message from Amata?" He looked at Ana quizzically. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'd keep that under your hat, for her sake."

Her eyes narrowed. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"She can get in real trouble if people found out she sent you a message," Gomez continued, shaking his baton at her a little. "So could I, just for talking with you now."

"What trouble, Gomez?"

"Let me bring you up to speed," Gomez offered, throwing a glance behind him quickly, "it seems like it's been a mighty long time. The day you and your dad left, everything went crazy. Between the bugs and the confusion, we lost a lot of people. When your dad opened up that gate, he let loose a whole lot of—" he hesitated, "—crap, if you'll pardon my language."

"I'm sorry to hear that." So would he be, if he could hear it now.

"Well, after that, a lot of folks started thinking he had the right idea: leave the Vault. He usually does have the right idea, anyway. So if it was safe out there, why stay down here forever?

"The Overseer didn't like that one bit, and started cracking down on that sort of thought. Guess he didn't plan on you coming back. I ought to probably put you under arrest and take you in to see him, but frankly, I know better than to try that.

"Anyway, some of your old friends think opening the Vault is a good idea. I bet those rebels would like a word with you, now more than ever. Of course, if you want, you could just walk away as if you were never here. I've always liked you, so I wouldn't even tell people I saw you."

"Thank you, Gomez."

"...So, what does that mean?"

"Excuse me."

Ana brisked past him, walking towards the inner hallways of the Vault. "Well, okay," he called after her, "just be careful down here. The Vault's changed, I tell you."

She thought that was the end of it, but he called after her. "By the way, did you find your dad?"

Ana made her way through the door that led down to the atrium level without replying. She figured if it was anywhere these "rebels" holed themselves up, it was the lower levels of the atrium, farthest away from the Overseer as possible. Ana stepped over an old lawnmower that laid on its side in the hallway, and kicked around some papers that were scattered on the floor. Compared to Vault 112, this place looked like it had been ransacked and pillaged. Ana kept going, holding her rifle tight.

"You know I can't do that, Freddie," a voice said at the end of the hallway as soon as she walked through the door. "Now, get back down below before I have to do something we'll both regret!" It was Officer Taylor's voice.

"What?" Freddie replied, "you gonna lock me up like you did to Brotch? You can't cage a Tunnel Snake, man, 'cause we rule!"

Ana stepped into the upper atrium level, and looked out over the room. Officer Taylor was nearest to her, standing behind an overturned table. Freddie stood at the near end of the hall, his feet placed threateningly and his fists balled with anger. Ana looked upon the situation with hard eyes, her mouth taught with caution.

"Stay back!" Officer Taylor shouted as Freddie drew something from his back pocket. The old man lifted his ten millimeter, and fired at the rebel. The bullet chipped away at the wall next to Freddie's head, and the young man flinched, ducking back through the doorway towards the stairs. Taylor continued to fire with fear, and Ana grasped his shoulder thickly, turning him around.

"Y-you, it's you!" the old man stammered as Ana held him forcefully by the shoulders, pressing him up against the table. "Don't you know enough to stay away?"

"What's going on down here?" Ana questioned harshly, "tell me about the rebels."

A trace of fear seemed to cross his face at the fierceness of Ana's disposition, and he continued reluctantly after a pause. "I never know when they're gonna try something dangerous. I lost my poor wife, Agnes, in the chaos and fighting; her heart just gave out."

Ana released his shoulders gruffly, mumbling "I'm sorry," as she walked around the table towards the lower stairs. So, anarchy had taken hold of the Vault since her departure. It hadn't been more than a week, but things fell apart regardless. In a way, Ana wasn't surprised; she had learned from experience that a person could consider themselves good and honourable, but if thrown to the gates of hell, they would lose their soft outer shell of logic and personality quickly.

"You should have never come back," Officer Taylor wailed after her. She half expected him to shoot, but he didn't.

Ana entered through the door towards the lower level quietly, keeping her footing precise and her aim careful. Her finger hovered over the trigger, waiting for a hostile target to leap forward. As she came to the bottom, she sidestepped around an old tricycle, then slapped the door button across from her harshly. When the door slid open, she found herself standing in the old cafeteria. A cigarette sat smoking in the ashtray on the table, and Ana held her rifle closer, knowing someone would be nearby.

Ana turned right out of the other end of the cafeteria, and approached the set of stairs near the end. Her guard slipped slightly without her noticing, and she prodded up the stairs in a relatively careless fashion. When she reached the top, she turned right with the hall, coming face to face with Butch.

"Fuck me!" Butch yelled, swiping a small hand held pipe at her, while Ana darted backwards to dodge the attack and aimed her rifle between his eyes. They stood there for a moment in defensive positions, until Butch noticeably relaxed.

"That's you, Pipsqueak?" the greaser asked disbelievingly, peering through the dark at her. Ana could see his confused stare shift into a cocky grin, and her lifetime hate of Butch Deloria came flooding back. "Well, damn, look who's come waltzing back into the Vault. It takes some real balls comin' back here after everything you and your dad screwed up. But I guess it's a good thing you decided to show yourself around here. We need some help."

"What makes you think I came back to help you, Butch?" Ana retorted in a low even voice.

"You're the class goodie-two shoes, and you get off in helping people in trouble, simple as that. You helped me save my mom, and we fuckin' hate each other!" Butch exclaimed, standing tall and waving the pipe casually between himself and Ana, who still had her gun aimed at him. "Anyway, your old man had the right idea! I can't stand it down here anymore, you gotta help me get out! Down here, I'll be stuck with the same job, same food, and same people for the rest of my life. Anything up there has got to be better than a life down here!"

"That's right, you're a hairdresser." Ana almost sneered.

"I'm a barber, a'right, you lousy bitch!"

"What makes you think outside will be any better?" she asked, ignoring his last statement and finally lowering her rifle, "what do you think you're going to do in the Wasteland?"

"I'll start a gang, of course! It'll be the bad ass-est gang the Wasteland's ever seen! Hey, play your cards right and I might even let you join, huh?"

"I've heard enough," Ana asserted harshly, "where's Amata?"

"Ah, Christ," he mumbled, defeated. "She's in the med lab with the others. Now fuck off."

Ana swifted past him, and made her way into the clinic around the corner. Her footsteps were quick, and she put her rifle onto her back. She would see her best friend again; Amata would be waiting around that doorway. Ana might have felt excited at this in the past, but it was subdued somehow.

Ana came through the doors quickly, and three women huddled close together in the middle of the disheveled room looked up at her. All Ana could make out were their silhouettes, but closest to her was Amata.

The girl turned and ran up to her, hesitating twice on the way. Of course Ana did not look familiar; not only was she dirty and bald, but perhaps her life-altering experiences had made her soft and welcoming face become intimidating and hard. As Amata drew closer, however, a breath stumbled from her lips in relief before she threw her arms around Ana.

"Oh my God, you're back, Ana!" she said in exasperation. Ana closed her eyes and returned the hug. It was good to hear her voice again. "You got my message and actually came back!"

"Of course I did," Ana said quietly into Amata's shoulder.

"Thank you," her friend shuddered, pulling back. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. This caught Ana off guard, for Amata never cried. Perhaps she had felt nearly as much pain as she because of her father. Amata had experienced murder first hand; maybe now she was broken like Ana. "Oh, Ana, what did you do to your hair?" she sighed, running her hands over Ana's bald head. When Ana remained silent, Amata continued, pulling her hands away. "Everything's gone crazy since you left, and now that you're back, you can help set things straight."

"I'm sorry, Amata," Ana said, lowering her gaze to the floor. "I had no idea that this is what would have happened."

"I just wish we could have saved more people... Jonas, and the Hannons; so many people died in that fight. It was bad enough that they died because my father was trying to keep the door closed, but then I found out it was all to protect a lie! The Vault wasn't always closed; they've lied to us about it our entire lives!"

"I know," Ana muttered.

"What?" Amata said, stepping back. "How long did you know about this?"

"After I left, I found out everything." I wasn't born here, nor was my dad. Now, we're both dead.

Amata was visibly annoyed. "Never mind, then. What's important is that now we know we were lied to, and people died for that lie. Even now, when we most need help, the Overseer still won't let us try to communicate with the outside!"

"Amata," Ana began, trying to explain that the outside wasn't as wonderful as it seemed. She had disagreed with her father's words in the beginning when he had said: "Life in the Vault isn't perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than a life out there", but now that she had experienced it....

"We can't stay here," Amata retorted, sensing Ana's attempt at a rebuttal. "Are you honestly going to compare life on the outside to 'stay in an underground bunker your entire life or I'll kill you'? Obviously, I don't know what's out there, but it couldn't hurt to take a look, right?"

Yes, Ana thought, it really would. "There are other survivors out there, yes."

"—And all that time," Amata said quietly, yet fervently, "we've been living in a tiny world that's been falling apart for two hundred years. If we don't take a chance out there, then we're just going to die down here.

"...But we can't leave while my father's got the place locked down. Please, something has to be done; you know that better than anyone."

"I do."

"Please, just talk to him, try to sort this out."

"I will."

"Just... don't do anything rash or hurt him, all right?"

Looking at Amata one last time, Ana turned from the room and headed for the stairs to the Overseer's office.

The walk through the upper atrium level was horribly nostalgic; she could recall every moment she experienced as she escaped from the Vault, seeing the Radroaches and the battles. As she came through the control room again, she rounded the corner and came face to face with another person. Ana whipped her rifle from her back, holding it with deadly aim at her opponent. It was a security guard. It was Officer Wilkins.

"You never should have left, kid. Now, we'll make sure nobody ever leaves again."

"Officer Wilkins," Ana started, "your son, I—"

Quickly—too quick for Ana—Wilkins fired a bullet into her left forearm. Ana called out in pain, then ducked to the left, rolling behind the cover of a control panel. Righting herself and her aim, Ana held the gun just before the edge of the machinery, waiting for the security guard's head to appear. He suddenly jumped around the corner, and with one shot, she blew his head clear off, the rest of his body disintegrating into a pile of dust.

Ana got to her feet slowly. She might have felt pity for the man before, but she felt nothing as she looked upon his remains. Ana kicked around the dust pile, looking for anything useful. She found a stimpak and a piece of slightly burnt paper, with the word Stockholm scrawled across it. Ana shoved the note in the front pouch of her hoodie, then carefully used the stimpak on her wound. She hissed as the needle intruded her skin, and sped up the healing process exponentially. Her grunts came quietly and briefly as her skin pushed the bullet out and healed completely. There was a tear in her jacket where the bullet had been, but Ana wasn't bothered by it. In comparison, the tear was nothing compared to her old tattered Vault suit.

Ana continued on through the control room and down the hall. To the side, she could see the security office, and she reloaded her rifle as she approached slowly. No one was inside, but she entered anyway, trying to see if there were any supplies that could be used. When she came up to the desk and searched through the door, she caught a figure in her peripherals, and she looked up through the security cell window. Mr. Brotch sat on the bed, his head hung toward the ground. Ana stared at him for a minute, trying to process things. That's right, she had heard Freddie say Mr. Brotch was locked up. Stockholm... was that the security password?

Ana sat at the terminal on the desk, and typed the word quickly. After she was granted access, Ana unlocked the door from the command, and heard the bolts in the cell click open. Mr. Brotch looked wearily to the door, not seeing Ana. Feeling sad at his sight, Ana then stood and walked across to the door, opening in swiftly. Once the door had slid away, Mr. Brotch laid eyes on Ana, and his entire face fell.

"I never thought you'd be back."

"Nor did I," Ana replied.

"It's been a while, kid." Mr. Brotch shook her hand. "Guess the G.O.A.T. couldn't have predicted how you'd turn out, could it? Remind me to add a question about rescuing your teacher from the Vault jail. If the Vault ever goes back to normal, that is...."

"Mr. Brotch," Ana started dully. If she were herself still, she would have spoke with more urgency. "the rebels, what are they rebelling for?"

"They're against the Overseer's minions," Brotch replied bitterly. "Most of the rebels are just kids caught up in seeing the world, but I know we have to open the Vault if we actually want to survive, otherwise we'll just dwindle away down here until it's too late."

Ana wanted to deny it, but she knew he was right. They couldn't all stay peacefully in the Vault, not after what she and her father had done. Never did she want Amata or the others to live the horrors of the outside world, but neither did she want them to await their ill fate inside the confines of the Vault. Ana nodded in agreement with Brotch, knowing what she had to do. She turned from him, left the security office, and went to the end of the hall, entering the offices. At the very back was the door to the Overseer's office, and it was open.

Ana stepped in silently, her hard face burning holes into the back of Amata's father, the Overseer. He stood on the far adjacent wall from her, looking out through his large round window that gave a view of the atrium level. If he had been there the entire time, he would know that she was coming.

"Well," he said, turning around slowly to face her, "I see you've returned."

Ana stepped forward, balling her fists as she came forth. The Overseer made no movements towards her or away from her, he simply folded his hands behind his back. "Done with the dust and ruins of the Wasteland, are you? Given up looking for daddy? Thought you could just slink back in like a teen missing curfew? Well, that's too bad. You have no future in this Vault, you're tainted."

Ana ignored his attempts to insult her, and she cocked her head slightly sideways, as if to appear curious. "How do you expect the future of this Vault to play out?"

"By locking down this Vault, I am protecting its future," he said, holding his head high. "In fact, I was protecting its future when I had to make those unpleasant choices the night you and your father abandoned us. I only wish I could have stopped your father before he left. If anyone's to blame for the unpleasantness, it's him."

"Do you have any idea why my father left the Vault in the first place?" she asked coolly; too coolly. It was almost a threat, the way she sounded so calm.

"I've spent many nights asking myself exactly that. He certainly didn't tell me before he left. I blame myself, really. I should have known better than to let him enter our home in the first place. He certainly showed his true colours in the end. Were he raised in the cleanliness of our Vault, perhaps your father would have shown more dedication to the important things in life.

"Just as well that he left. We mustn't let humanity's last pure specimens be sullied with his type."

"My father has nothing to do with this now," Ana said, fighting to keep her voice from raising; that would have shown him he was winning.

"I wonder, did he leave you behind to know that you were someplace safe?" the Overseer prodded, folding his arms in front of him, "Hm. Like a fool, you squandered the greatest gift he ever left you."

"And what of your gift?" Ana questioned, "the world works best on a balance, and you have far outweighed duty over love. Your daughter is now your enemy because you have put the good of the Vault before her, but you have failed to realize the good of the Vault is your daughter, not protection from the outside."

"What makes you think you know better of these matters?"

"You're not protecting your people, you're destroying them," Ana said bitterly, "can't you see that?"

"I'm afraid you're the short sighted one, here. I'm simply keeping them safe and untouched by the war above. The real danger are the rebels and insurgents who insist on risking all of our lives just to die out there in the Wastes. If they weren't trying to throw our lives away like that, we could go back to the peaceful life we once had. Everyone would be happy again."

"You can't go back," Ana replied with a low voice, feeling a sense of déjà vu to her father's words. Even if you could, would you want to?

"I had to lie to them to keep them from going outside and getting killed; to keep them from making the same mistake our generation did when we were their age! Some of us already lost loved ones out there long ago. We won't lose anymore today."

"I understand that statement more than anyone," Ana replied in a voice so flat, it was saddening just to hear it, "but I have lost Jonas here, and I will lose Amata to you if you don't stop. She's all I have left; she's all you have left."

"You're right. If you were more perceptive, however, you would realize the only reason you lost them was because of you and your father. You two posed a danger to the entire Vault, and therefore, everyone had to suffer. It was unfortunate that I had to call for your friend's death, but it was necessary. And now you've returned, Ana, and more people will die if I don't stop you now."

"The damage has been done," Ana growled, letting her anger run wild. It was true, but it was a lie to herself; the damage had been done, alright, and she still wanted revenge for it. "There's no need for more violence."

"Hold your tongue, girl! I should have seen through you long ago. I never expelled you or your father from the Vault in order to keep the delicate balance of harmony intact. Since you have long destroyed that balance, I will end this now. Your presence only brings more chaos, I must ask you to leave once again. Follow your father, and stay there."

"My father is dead."

"Then hell is a fitting place, is it not?"

Several things happened at that moment that Ana wished she could have prevented. It's odd how one week could change a person, how five seconds could destroy one. With a blinding fit of fury, Ana's face contorted into rage as she swiped her fist into the Overseer's jaw. He stumbled backwards into the thick window, clutching his chin and fighting to regain his footing. Angry eyes met Ana's for only a mere second before his free hand drew a pistol from its holster. She didn't know how, but she was faster. As his fingers brushed the top of his ten millimeter, Ana tore her rifle from her back, shooting the Overseer square in the face. There was little blood and no show of gore as the Overseer's body struck the window behind him before slumping dead to the ground.

Ana's gun stayed aimed on the corpse for several moments, her shoulders rising and falling with her breaths. Seconds passed, and the gravity of what she had just done began to sink in. She had shot the Overseer. She had killed Amata's father.

Her arms lowered slowly until she hung the gun at her side. His eyes were closed, but his body was hunched against the window as if he were simply sleeping there. When her breathing slowed, she dropped the rifle on the ground, and slumped to the floor, staring into space.

Ana had lost her father, and it had torn her up. In a week, she had become a tyrant, a murderer, and a stranger to herself. Through her experiences, she had believed she was the only one who could understand herself. Hadn't Amata been through enough, already? Did Ana have to take away from her the only thing she had left in this world? She had preached to the Overseer that his daughter was his only gift, but Amata was hers as well. With little effort, Ana had taken that away from herself.

Roughly half an hour had passed before Ana stood and returned to the clinic. As she walked through the door, she looked up into Amata's waiting eyes, seeing hope glimmer in them.

"Well?" she asked, "It took you quite a while. What did you say? What happened?"

"Amata, I... we...."

"Ana?"

Mr. Brotch ran in behind Ana, and the pair of them looked towards him. His eyes immediately fell on Ana, and his face seemed to fall as he shook his head ever so slightly. "What have you done?"

"Ana?" Her voice was more panicked.

"He's dead," Ana said quietly, "the Overseer is dead."

The retreat of whatever happiness was left in Amata was evident on her face. Every feature seemed to slacken, her shoulders slumped, her head turned down; even the glimmer in her eyes seemed to instantaneously dull.

"What did you do?" Brotch blamed incredulously.

Ana turned away, looking to the other faces in the medical office. Their faces were ones of judgment and distaste. Ana found she could bear their faces more than Amata's. Her head dropped to the ground like Amata's, and she stood uncomfortably in the silence.

"I'm so sorry, Amata."

"I—my... he...."

"Amata," Mr. Brotch said, "I know this must be hard for you, and this might not be the right time," he shifted on his feet, seeming apprehensive, "but we need a leader."

Suddenly, Amata's balled fists pounded once against Ana's chest without looking up. Ana grabbed her wrists, but she didn't pull them away. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. Amata suddenly pulled her fists away, then turned from Ana. They were looking away from each other, but Ana could still see her friend's face filled with rage.

"You saved us," Amata said with a thin, fiery voice, "but that doesn't change the fact that you killed him."

"Amata—"

"Get out of here."

There was a certain silence in the room that felt like it was literally eating Ana alive. The pain of her words was so much that she couldn't react to them right away; she stood dumbfounded on the spot, looking upon her grieving friend.

"Get out," Amata said a little louder, her voice quivering as she turned her angry face to Ana, "and never come back here."

They would have been childish words that meant nothing, but the hate and agony behind them rang true in Ana's ears. Her last friend had been lost; she was now alone in the world.

When no one moved, Amata stalked from the room past Mr. Brotch. Ana stood on the spot, looking to where Amata's flaring eyes had just been.

"Go after your father," Mr. Brotch said after a moment, "wherever he is is the only place you belong now."

Ana looked to her shoes, and said nothing. Then she turned from the lab, and headed back down the hall for the exit, her eyes trained on her feet. The walls were thick and impermeable, but Ana could still hear Amata's agonizing screams of anger and sadness from two floors above. Or, at least, a scream was ringing throughout her mind.

"Just... don't do anything rash or hurt him, all right?"

As Ana walked to the large Vault door, she heard no one come after her, or call out. It was silent. She hoped the Vault would be safer for everyone, safer for Amata. No matter how she justified it, though, Ana knew she had taken what was left of Amata and tore it into thousands of little pieces. Neither Ana or Amata would be the same person ever again; their lives were over the day James left the Vault.

As Ana walked through the cave towards the shack door that led to the outside world, she could hear the wind howling. It sounded menacing, as if death awaited her on the other side. "Wherever he is is the only place you belong now." Ana reached for the door handle, when the familiar sound of the alarm sounded in her ears. Ana looked back to see the door prepare itself to shut. Perhaps they had changed their mind about wanting to go out into the world, or perhaps they wanted to ensure Ana would never return.

With one last saddened look, Ana left her last home behind, and headed back into the wastes, feeling more alone and lost than ever.