CH 10

Escape!

*** From now on most chapters will be from Trini's perspective unless she is knocked unconscious or I feel like filling in more than you would get from a first person perspective. If I switch it will always be after a page break though ***

Three years later...

"HEY! TJ! Wake UP!" I could barely hear Amata yelling at me over the sound of the alarm system going off. She was shaking my shoulder trying to stir me from what was a nice sleep for a change.

"Huh! What the hell Amata?" I yelled back as I sat up, "Finally get a decent nights sleep around here and..." I was cut off.

"Tj its your DAD! He's gone! Somehow he got the vault door open and now my Dad is furious! He's blaming him and now he wants you! You have to get out of here!" she said in a panic the fear in her eyes showed she had seen something terrible.

"wait wait slow down...What do you mean my dads gone? He couldn't have left no one can. If this is some prank you and he are up too its not funny." I said. my head starting to hurt from the blaring sirens.

"Damnit TJ I'm not joking, Jonas is dead and if my father gets ahold of you you'll be next!" she said tugging my arm until I was standing up out of bed. "Did you know he was planning to leave? Why would he leave you behind?"

"No I had no clue why he would do this." I was so mad and scared at the same time. Why would he just abandon me in this place, couldn't he take me with him, wouldn't he have known that the Overseer would have seen this as an attack to his authority and take it out on the next available person he could? Amata snapped me out of my thoughts as she shoved a 10mil pistol into my hands.

"Here take this I heard the guards are aiming to kill. I'm sorry you had to find out about Jonas this way I know you were close. I just dont want to lose you like that either." she said, "I got it from my dad's locker when he was out. TJ I have a plan please let me help you"

"Ok ok yes I'll gladly take your help, Let me grab my things as you tell me your plan ok." I said changing into a newer vault suit of mine and packing my extra in my backpack. I went to my drawers grabbing a couple sets of underclothing, my baseball bat, ball and hat stuffing all but the bat into my bag. I slung my bb rifle over my shoulder and stowed the tin of extra bbs in my pocket for easy reload. I grabbed all the med supplies from my room medicine cabinet including 10 stimpacks, some med-x, and 2 purified waters.

"There is a secret tunnel under my dad's office desk. Break into his computer and open it and it will take you directly to the door. Then you can escape. Please be careful, I'll try to meet you at the vault door entrance if I can good Luck!" she finished turning to leave, I stopped her by her arm and pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks Amata I will never forget you!"

"I'm going to miss you Tj, now get scootin!" she said as she ran out the door of my room. I took one last look around what had been my home for nineteen years all the memories that had been made and what I was now leaving behind to follow my dad. I took a deep breath steeling myself for the flight ahead I'd been terrified before but never having to flee my only place of safety. I made my way cautiously out of my dad's and my old apt looking every direction for sounds or signs of people who may now want to hurt me. I turned left heading towards the atrium slowly but surely when I saw a quick flash of movement from my left side startling me half to death.

"Nosebl...I mean TJ! You gotta help me!" Butch had come out from his apt seeing movement in the hallway and hoping it was help.

"This is ironic now Big ol Butch asking me for help? What the sirens scaring you?" I said not really having the time to put up with his shenanigans.

"I know i know but its my mom please TJ you gotta help her or she's going to die!" He was super panicky and I had never seen him this way ever.

"Whats wrong with her, I really can't stall for long I've got my own problems."

"Radroaches Tj, fucking roaches are in our apt and I just can't do it! I'm sorry I have always been as ass to you I know but please help for my mom's sake please?" He begged about to cry himself.

"Ok ok Butch I'll help show me where she is." I followed him back to his apt and he immediately pointed to his mom's bedrooms where I could hear her cries for help. I pushed the open button on the airlock door and noticed three roaches biting at her as she sat helplessly on the floor. Locking into VATS I lined up 2 shots each from my bb gun aimed at each roaches' head then fired. It was the first time I had actually used Vats in a adrenaline rushed mindset and it was like time slowed to a standstill as each shot hit their designated spot killing all but one roach leaving its head hanging off but it was still trying to bite. Another shot split it completely off and it laid dead infront of Butch's mother.

"Thanks TJ thank you so much for saving my mom. I knew I could count on you." He said. "Here I know your on your way outta here and I should have made you girls members along time ago but here take my jacket you're one bad ass tunnel snake if ya ask me. At least it can keep you warm out there in the cold wastes."

"Uh... thanks Butch but I gotta go, be cool ok in here. Maybe we'll see each other again someday." I said taking his jacket.

"yea maybe whatever nosebleed...Now get outta here before I change my mind." he sniped same ol Butch, I thought.

I made my way out of the dorm hallways and into the atrium seeing Tom and Mary Holden frantically discussing trying to leave the vault as well saying if my father could do it why not them. I rushed past them so quickly they didn't even have time to contemplate me. As I entered the stairway to the upper levels I hear gunshots and Mary scream before her screams were silenced as well by more gunshots. I ran up the stairs leaping over two roaches nipping at my heels I didn't have time to play exterminator anymore I had to get out of here.

"Oh good you've made it this far without running into others I hope." Officer Gomez had surprised me I almost shot him in fright.

"Wait you're not turning me in?" I asked he had always been nice to us but He was taking a big risk helping me against the Overseer.

"Yea look you need to get out of here, find you dad and I'll forget I ever saw you. I'm sorry about this its the pitts but you gotta do what you gotta do to protect yourself Trinity ok. I won't hold it against ya." He said quickly going to Andy's aid hearing someone else scream.

I hit the long hallway heading towards the the Overseer's corridor when I heard the yelling from the Macks blaming my father and me for their new predicament. I just rolled my eyes and continued on down the hallway narrowly escaping Officer Hannon thankfully being preoccupied by several rad roaches attacking him. I made my way up the stairs into the Overseer's corridor hearing a lot of angry shouting. I shrunk down creeping my way down the hallyway so as not to be seen, at least not yet anyways.

"I don't know where she is and even if I did she's my friend! I'm not turning in my friend!" I could hear Amata angrily answering someone.

"I know she's your friend and all I want to do is talk to her. Promise! Now please just tell Officer Mack and I where she's gone off to." I could hear the Overseer pleading with her.

"Yea I promise I won't hurt her...much" Officer Mack sniped.

Shit shit shit what do I do now...Ammy should be fine her dad wouldn't hurt her hes not that insane is he? I thought out my actions I could easily sneak by but would they really not hurt her? But I couldn't really take them on either, though I disliked Mack I couldn't kill him and definitely couldn't kill the Overseer not infront of Amata nor could I even imagine doing so. Suddenly the sound of two other officers calling out more radroaches brought Mack to look out the door. I scurried to my feet as fast as I could but it wasn't fast enough as Mack grabbed ahold of me by the arm and his other hand grabbing my hair holding my head back and shoving me into the office.

"Well looky who I found. Mighty convenient of you to just appear like that isn't it." I winced against Officer Macks tight grip on me as he brought me face to face with the Overseer.

"Where do you think you were off to huh? Trying to get out like your father?" he sneered.

"Well you for sure dont want me here so why not just let me go. With me gone you could go back to ruling your vault with a hard assed hand like you like." I struggled against Mack a bit.

"Its too late for that now that your father's actions have thrown this vault into chaos. I should just kill you now and get it over with for both our sakes." He said grabbing the pistol from my pocket where I had stuck it earlier. "Not exactly sure how you got this, but thanks for making this easier for me."

"Dad stop it! Please just let her go and we can fix this! I know we can please just stop it!" Amata piped up starting to get scared she was going to see me die right infront of her.

"Look kill me and you're back where you started with no Doctor. I'll stay here for the rest of my life and be your doctor if you let me live." I said remembering Jonas had slipped in saying he was glad that the vault finally had a really good doctor years ago.

"Good point, I did have the only other option killed unfortunately so indeed if I keep you we wont be without a Doctor." the overseer stepped back again in thought thinking probably how he could resolve the chaos and allow me to stay under his forever control of course. I could see Amata looking at me in disbelief at the fact that I would try to stay here. I tried giving her a look that I knew what I was up to but my attention was brought back to the Overseer as he got right up close to me looking down into my eyes.

"I'll make you the same offer I made your father, follow my every command, I'll have zero tolerance for any disobedience or any action out of line, comply completely and you may stay here permanently. Failure to do so will bring you to an early demise. Do I make myself clear?" He said.

I took a deep breath hoping this tactic would work. "Yes Sir I'll comply." Amata's jaw dropped a little.

"Well then Mack release her. You and I need to get to the Reactor room and disable the alarms and make sure that things not going to blow up. I expect to see you back in your clinic Doctor." I nodded rubbing my wrist where Mack had held it so tightly. I watched them leave and head out of earshot.

"Are you fucking insane TJ?" Amata cried out at me in shock.

"shhh... No but it was my only way to get out of dying for the moment and now I'm free to leave as we had planned." I said as she immediately recognized my true plan of intentions.

"You're too damn smart TJ, If anyone can survive out there you definitely can. Lets go before they get back." she said.

I followed her down into the Overseer's big control room slash office along the wall were a couple of lockers which provided me with some ammunition, more stimpacks, another vault suit, and best of all the password to the computer. I quickly powered on the computer and typed in the password which brought up a menu of sorts. I clicked open the overseer's tunnel and a loud grinding noise started behind us. The entire desh lifted up revealing stairs going down into the tunnel, we ran down them turning left into another long tunnel. Knowing Amata was unarmed I decide to exterminate two roaches that were crawling about so as to not get her injured. No doctor. "Amata I left some medicine books in my room try to get them and study them well. You really will be without a doctor so the more you can learn the better you can help keep the people living in here alive and healthy." I said as we made it to the end and found another switch on the wall pressing it opened the door to the Vault door room. We ran into the room and stood in amazement for a sec that we even had got this far. I looked to Amata, "You know you could come with me, leave this place too."

"I couldn't leave my dad, I'm the only one who can get him to settle down and maybe make amends to this place. Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

I nodded finding the door's control panel. "Stay safe Ammy I will miss you greatly!" I said hugging her before shoving the lever to the open postion. New sirens went off indicating that the vault door was being opened as the steel against steel screeched loudly. We could hear shouts from behind the locked main entrance to the room our presence being noticed.

"You did it! When you find your dad tell him...I'm sorry..for you know Jonas and my dad...and for this happening to you too. I'm going to miss you a lot but you better go before they bust that door down!" she said as I took one last look at what was my safe haven for all these years then headed for the unknown. As I crossed over the threshold where the vault door usually sat shivering a little from the sudden change of temperature and trying not to hurl seeing the skeletons of people who had tried to gain entry. I could hear shouting of the guards yelling at Amata to stay back and that they were not going to follow me out but instead close the door. I glanced back hearing the screeching steel returning the door back into its original position. That was it I was now on my own away from everything I had ever known how on earth was I going to do this. I guess the first step is to open the door that had disguised the entrance to the Vault. It took several minutes for my eyes to adjust to the blinding light of the real sun beating down at me as I had exited the cave exit. My pipboy beeped with notices it was picking up new radio stations adding them existing stations that were no longer available. I put in my ear bud in my left ear to see what these new stations were. One was called Galaxy News Radio and was barely audible over the static so I switched to what was called the Enclave Radio. It was clearer so I decided to listen to it for the time being as I made my way over to a rocky ledge to get my bearings. I looked around seeing for the first time what was the once thriving cities now called the wastes infront of me deescalate buildings all crumbled to pieces, roads hardly even being visible from all the broken and dismembered pieces. To my left looked like something that once was a small town with what looked like a school still mostly intact. to my right I could barely make out a compound almost completely surrounded by metal walls. Something told me I should go for the big metal thing so I set to it climbing my way down from the ledge to the broken road that was semi heading towards my destination. I tired keeping alert but it was hard with the sun baring down on me my body not used to actual sun or its heat just walking alone was making me sweat up a storm. Suddenly I heard a noise from my right as two not very friendly looking men popped out from behind some tall rocks.

"well looky what we have here a regular gem of a find If ya ask me aint that right fred?' the bigger burly man said holding what looked to be some kind of pipe. The smaller but not by much man he called fred smiled through what few teeth he had left and bearing what looked like a board with spikes coming out of it laughed. "Yea real purty too bet she'll fetch a good load of caps if we keep that face of hers purty."

I backed up from them trying to distance my self grabbing the only weapon I had on me that might match theirs, my bat readying it to strike if they came any closer. "Stay the hell away from me. I mean it." I was half way to my destination I could now make out some kind of robot infront of a huge door, there were also two other people standing outside with some large pack animal beside them. I could run for it, maybe make it and maybe they would help or maybe this was the place these men were going to take me anyways to sell if they got a hold of me. As I was about to make a mad dash I tripped over the unfamiliar rocky terrain giving the big brute time to swing his pipe down at me. I blocked with the bat barely keeping it from hitting into me. I scooted backwards trying to find a way to push myself back up and still defend myself. Fred came in from behind singing his spike board at my legs making contact with my left thigh the spikes sinking in before he ripped it back out to come again. I screamed out in pain and swung my bat around as hard as I could sending them backing away enough that I scrambled to my feet getting more leverage to swing at them again. VATS stupid use your damn pipboy! My mind yelled at me finally cluing me in that i had an advantage. I keyed in locking both of the men in and targeting two hits each to their heads. Time moved in surreal motion again as each hit met their destination and sent both men down their hands holding their heads. As soon as VATS released I turned and ran as fast as I could my thigh throbbing but manageable. I wasn't going to give them a chance to catch up with me. As I jumped over a rock into view of the robot I saw another man had come out into the area wearing a long brown duster over weathered jeans and shirt topping the ensemble off with a tattered cowboy style hat. He didn't pay any mind to me as he aimed his rifle firing off a round behind me.

"Forget this shit! Lets get outta here!" I could hear one of the men who had attempted to follow me say as I looked back at the two of them running for the hills. I breathed out relieved that that ordeal was over for the moment.

"Hey there kid, you almost became slaver trade, where are you from exactly?" the man in the duster turned to look at me fully, his dark skin was aged maybe putting him in his 40s but it was hard to tell.

"I uh.. I came from Vault 101 sir...Thanks for your help. I really didn't come out of one hole to be place in another so soon." I said as he smiled.

"I like you girl, I've never met anyone that fresh out in the wasteland show two slaver bastards what for. Names Lucas Simms. I'm the town's sheriff, peacekeeper, and sometimes even Mayor when needed."

"My names Trinity Jo, though most people call me Trinity or TJ. I am looking for my dad, hes middle aged man about this tall brown hair and eyes like me. Have you seen him?" I asked describing my dad hoping he may have stopped here too.

"Can't say that I have but I have a lot on my plate as is without the task of keeping track of who comes and goes in this town. I'm sorry but you might have some luck at Moriarty's saloon though." He said turning and beckoning me to follow, to head back through the now open entrance to the city inside the huge metal walls. It was comprised of many buildings on top of each other all made out of scrap metal scavenged through out the wasteland.

"Thanks, what is this town?" I asked as I followed him in.

"Miss Trinity welcome to Megaton!" Simms smiled.