A/N:Here is the next chapter! I apologize for such a long absence. Surgery and a crazy first semster of college had me in a funk. It was tough to get any writing done, let alone find time to write! Hope you enjoy and I will be trying to post regular updates on the weekends again. Thanks for all the love and reviews!
I wake up sweating, clutching at Butch's jacket. The room is black and I panic for a moment before my eyes adjust. A soft light from the moon filters in from slits in the dirty window above me. I can hear the night noises of the wastes through the thin metal walls of Moira's home and decide to take a walk. I tip-toe to the door and slip out without a sound.
The night air is cool and crisp, and I slide the Tunnel Snake jacket on as I walk down the platform towards the center of town. The neon lights above the Brass Lantern emit a soft glow across the path leading to the bomb in the center of Megaton. My steps are the only sounds beside the noise of the soft breeze rolling through the metal catwalks and ramshackle buildings. Above me a yellow moon casts its gaze across the rest of the wasteland. I stare at it for a moment, wishing that I could show all of this to Butch.
Thoughts of the vault and Butch flood my mind as I stand, still staring up at the moon. I can't help but shed a tear at the sight of it, and for the pain that I have endured so far.
"Why did it have to be this way?" I whisper to the wind.
I decide to take a look at the bomb while I am wandering Megaton. I slip off my boots and roll up the linen pants I am wearing, walking through the irradiated water surrounding the metal structure. My Pip-Boy begins the steady clicks that alert me to radiation, but I ignore it while I pop open the panel on the upper side of the bomb. Inside is a mess of wires, all of which are frail and caked in a layer of muck from centuries of being exposed to the elements of the wasteland. The wiring doesn't seem too complicated, and from the looks of it would only take a few minutes to disable if done correctly. I open up my Pip-Boy and type in a few notes to go over later. I close the panel and step away from the bomb, trying to avoid the deepest parts of the irradiated puddle surrounding it.
The moon has dropped in the sky, and I see the light of the sun reaching its way over the horizon. After putting my boots back on, I climb back up the catwalks and find myself a perch on the highest part of Megaton's walkway system to watch the sunrise. Pink and orange light crests the horizon, reaching out to banish the dark of night.
"There you are." I turn to see Moira holding two steaming cups of tea.
"Good morning Moira." I smile and accept the cup she hands to me.
"I figured you would be out here watching the sunrise. I know I would be if I'd never seen one before." Moira smiles and sips her tea. "It's going to be a busy day. Are you ready to train with Simms?"
"I've never been more ready." I say. The sun has risen higher in the sky, its glow waking the people of Megaton. Already people are bustling about; setting up outdoor displays, walking the catwalks, and busying themselves with everyday tasks. I stand as Moira does and follow her back to her shop to meet Simms.
Simms is standing by the door, an old duffle bag by his feet and a telltale grin on his face. "Howdy, Kal. You all set to begin?"
"Yes sir." I smile. Moira takes my tea cup and waves goodbye as I follow the Sherriff to the gate. We wait as the huge metal doors slide open, revealing the wasteland. As we walk out a bit farther from Megaton I shift my eyes in the direction of the vault.
I am so close but so far away…
Simms stops a short distance from a few boulders where he has set up a small practice area. He drops the duffle bag and opens it up, pulling out weapon after weapon and arranging them on an old picnic table. There is an assortment of all types; from small guns to rifles, melee weapons big and small, and a number of other objects.
"That looks like a lot of firepower." I say as Simms finishes unloading the duffel bag.
"It sure is. I want to get you trained in all kinds of weaponry so you're the most ready you can be for the wastes." Simms turns to me. "We will start with the small guns, and get a feel for your abilities."
"Okay, sounds good to me Sherriff." I walk over to the table and Simms hands me a 10mm pistol. We spend a good amount of time going over how to care for the weapon and how to handle it properly before he has me shoot some cans set up across the way. He seems impressed as I knock down each can with precision. Simms nods in approval before moving on to hunting rifles and the larger guns. We go through the same steps as before, and by the time I am done with the guns half of the day is gone.
"You've got good skills with these guns, Kal." Simms starts grabbing some knives from the end of the table.
"I had a BB gun in the vault. My dad set up a practice range for me when I was younger. I was always down there shooting at radroaches and little targets." I grin at the memory of my first time shooting my BB gun.
"Well that practice has done you some good." Simms smiles and hands me an assortment of knives. "We'll go over these next."
We repeat the process again, going over caring for the knives and how to handle them. Simms shows me a few basic moves to go with them, and by the end of the knife portion I am covered in dirt from scuffling with the Sherriff. There are small cuts on my arms and hands from the knives. Simms has received a few cuts himself from training me to fight with them, but nothing too serious. The sun has fallen in the sky, and daylight is slowly disappearing. I help Simms pack up and we make our way back to Megaton.
The next few days continue on like the last. I wake up, train until the sun sets, go back to Moira's, sleep, and then repeat the process. Simms teaches me about energy weapons and hand to hand combat. We fight each other in our impromptu training ring, leaving me bruised and battered and caked in the wasteland dust. Each day is harder than the last, but I press on in the hope of becoming good enough to survive long enough to find my father. Simms pushes me to my limits, making me run circuits around the entirety of Megaton. He sets up obstacle courses for me, timing me as I run through and jump over each obstacle. The sun burns down on me as I train. By the end of the week I am sunburnt and tanner than I've ever seen myself. I look in the mirror and see my strength growing. My hair is wild and my eyes are tired. I don't recognize myself sometimes. The person who stares back at me scares me a little, but it gives me more hope seeing how fast I am growing. I start running at night, feeling the cool air and clearing my head.
Two weeks pass before Simms deems me ready to start testing what I have learned. We start early in the day, beginning with the guns and progressing through the rest of the skills. Simms tests my hand to hand combat one more time. By the end of the day I have a new set of fresh bruises and cuts, but I feel amazing.
"You've done good work Kal. I've taught you as much as I can." Simms says to me as we sit on the edge of the old picnic table.
"Thank you for helping me Simms. I feel better about being out here now." I smile at the Sherriff and take a sip from my vault 101 canteen.
"When do you plan on heading out?" Simms sips from his own canteen.
"As soon as I get all the information I can from Megaton. I still need to get that information from Moriarity and get some supplies. Probably in a few days is when I'll be on my way."
The Sherriff nods and stands up. "We should head on back into town. It's getting late." He stands and grabs the duffel bag of weapons. "I want you to take these weapons, Kal. You're gonna need them to find your dad." He hands the bag to me.
"Are you sure Sherriff?" I take the bag and look up at him.
"I'm sure. I sure as hell don't need such a big stash. We've got plenty of supplies here in Megaton." Simms begins walking back towards town and I follow.
"Oh, Sherriff. There was something I wanted to ask you about. I've noticed all those leaky pipes around town. Who would I talk to about getting those fixed?" I sling the duffel bag over my shoulder.
"Walter in the water treatment building should be able to help you with that." Simms says. We continue walking into Megaton. By the time I say goodbye to Simms and make it to Moira's house the sun has already set. I walk inside and smell some kind of food, so I head in towards the living area and set down the duffle bag.
"Hey Moira." I say as she turns to greet me.
"Hey there Kal. How was training?" Moira continues cooking up whatever she has on the stove.
"It was good. Simms gave me a whole bag of weapons and ammo so I think I'm finally set to go out and get some information about my dad."
"That's very nice of him. When are you heading out?" Moira begins plating the food she'd made.
"Probably in a day or two. I'm going to see about getting those leaky pipes outside fixed before I go. And I wanted to try to get that bomb disarmed before I leave." I say. "I don't feel right leaving an active nuke in the center of town if I have the knowledge to disarm it."
"Well you sure have done a lot for this town already. I bet everyone but those crazies at the Church of Atom will greatly appreciate that." Moira smiles and hands me a plate of insta-mash and Mirelurk.
"I hope so." I smile back and dig in to the insta-mash.
"Before you go, let me know if you need any other supplies. I've put together a small bag of food and water and whatnot for you already, since you've decided to help me out with my book." Moira sits down on the couch and I do as well.
"Thank you Moira. You've been so kind to me." I smile and finish eating my food. We sit together for a while, chatting and laughing. Moira heads off to bed and I make up the couch and get ready to sleep. I fall asleep fast, my aching body curled up on the small green couch.
In the morning I make my way to the water treatment building to find Walter. The building is tucked behind the others in the back of town. A man who I assume to be Walter is tinkering away at something on a workbench when I enter.
The man looks up to see who has come in. "Hello. What can I do for you?" He says.
"Hello. Are you Walter?" I reply.
"I am." Walter sets down his tools and wipes his hands on his pants.
"I'm Kal. I'm here to ask about getting those water pipes repaired." I say.
"Oh, well you've come to the right place. I would repair them myself but I can never get time away from the plant, and when I do the water isn't running so I can never see the leaks." Walter reaches for a toolbox and walks over to me. "Take these and some scrap metal. It should be pretty easy to fix. When you come back I'll have some caps for you. Just tighten up the bolts and fix any broken metal that you see."
I take the toolbox and scrap metal and nod. "Okay. I'll be back soon."
"Thanks for helping me out." Walter waves as I leave.
The leaks are spread over the whole town, so I start with the ones in the back of Megaton. After a small inspection of each leak, I tighten the bolts at the joints closest to the leak and patch up any holes with a small handheld welder and pieces of scrap metal. It takes only about an hour total to fix all three leaks. When I've finished I head back to the treatment building where I find Walter still tinkering about with things.
"Ah, you're back. That didn't take long at all." Walter says. He reaches for a small bag on the workbench. "Just set that toolbox on the shelf over there, if you don't mind."
"Of course." I set the toolbox down and walk over to Walter. He hands me a bag of caps and smiles.
"Thank you for the help. It is much appreciated." Walter shakes my hand. "There are 200 caps in there, I hope that's enough."
"Thanks, Walter. It is more than enough." I smile.
'Oh, and if you're ever in need of quick caps, any scrap metal you find I will gladly buy from you." Walter says. I nod and give a quick goodbye before turning to head back to Moira's to grab a few things.
After I grab some tools and my notes on the bomb I head out to disarm it. Simms is standing by at the Brass Lantern, watching the Church of Atom worshippers give praise to the bomb. I try and think of a way to do it without disrupting their prayers but come up with no ideas. I decide to ask Simms to help me clear the church members from the bomb for a small while.
"Hello Sherriff." I smile as I approach him.
"Howdy, Kal. What can I do for you?"
"Do you think you could get the Church of Atom worshippers to leave for a few minutes while I disarm that thing?" I point to the bomb.
"Sure. Give me a minute." Simms walks over to the bomb and begins talking to the leader of the group. The leader looks annoyed and argues for a minute before signaling to his group to take their worship inside. The group marches off, clearly agitated at the interruption of their worship. Simms makes his way back over to where I am standing.
"That was quick" I say. "Thanks Simms."
"No problem." The Sherriff tips his hat and I make my way to the bomb. I pop a Rad-X and slip off my boots, walking into the irradiated puddle. I reach up and open the panel on the side of the bomb, and set my tools on a rock next to me. I pick up the notes from the electronics and explosives book and compare them to notes on my Pip-Boy before I begin the slow process of disarming the nuke. I reach in to clip the wire that I know will disarm the bomb, pausing only a moment before I squeeze the small wire cutters. I shut my eyes and hope that nothing happens. After a moment I open them and smile.
"All done Sherriff!" I grin and pack up my tools. "This thing is harmless now. Just don't let the Church of Atom know that." I laugh.
"Well now look at that. You've just about done everything for this town, Kal." Simms claps a hand on my back as I walk out of the puddle. I wipe off my feet and slip on my socks and boots. "I've got a little something for you, Kal. It seems Mr. Burke had a house here in Megaton. And with his not-so-unfortunate passing, it is now vacant. Since you've been so good and aided our small little settlement, I'm giving you the key and deed to the property." Simms takes a key and small piece of paper out of the pocket of his duster.
"What?!" I squeal and hug Simms. "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome, kid." Simms laughs and hands me the key and deed. I hug him again and run to Moira's to tell her the good news.
I find Moira organizing a new shipment of supplies for her store. "Moira! Guess what!" I yell as I burst through the door.
"Oh my! What's going on, Kal?" Moira stands upright and looks at me.
"Simms gave me my own house!" I smile and show her the key and the deed.
"Oh, Kal! That's great!" Moira hugs me. "You're going to need some furniture to put in there. Today is your lucky day! I have a whole bunch of stuff for you to choose from." Moira leads me to the back of her store and helps me find a few things to put in until I can buy more. She recruits her guard to help carry the items across the town to my new home. The inside is small, but it is more than I have ever had. We set up the bedroom and living room first, and I hang some string lights from the ceiling above the living room. The house even comes with its own Mr. Gusty named Wadsworth, who offers to fill up water bottles for me and tell me some jokes.
"This place is great." I stand in the living room and admire it for a moment.
"It sure is, Kal." Moira puts an arm around my shoulders. I hug her and thank her for the supplies for my trip and helping me set up my house. She leaves and I go about making myself at home. I unpack my bags and set up my bed with the fresh linens Moira has given me. The house echoes with my footsteps as I explore, looking over the small kitchen and heading upstairs to take a look around. There is a bathroom with a large tub, perfect for soaking in, and a small office adjacent to the bedroom. There is a desk with a terminal and I smile as I remember my small robot I need to finish coding. I grab the robot from my bedroom and sit down at the terminal, connecting the wires to the circuit board and typing away at the terminal until it is nearly midnight.
I finally finish coding the robot and turn to see Wadsworth organizing my things in the bedroom. "Hey, Wadsworth."
"Hello Madam. How may I be of service?" Wadsworth whirs as he floats over to the office.
"I need a name for our new robot friend here. What should we call him?" I ask.
"Very good question, Madam. I am not sure, I do not have the programming to recall a list of names. Perhaps you could name him after someone you admire?" Wadsworth bobs up and down in the doorframe, eyepieces moving as he speaks.
"Good idea Wads, I'll think of something." I dismiss the robot and he returns to sorting my things. I look down at the small robot, coded to be a companion like Wadsworth, and think long and hard of a fitting name. I look down at my pip-boy, affectionately named Apollo, and look back at the robot.
"We'll call you Hermes. Welcome home, Hermes!" I type in the command to set Hermes' name and power him up. The robot beeps and squeals as he comes to life, joints moving for the first time. "I just need to find you a voice and personality chip and we will be set."
"Good choice, Madam. I am sure he will be a valuable asset to your new estate." Wadsworth says as he finishes unpacking my guns and arranging them in the gun cabinet Moira gave me. "I would talk to Miss Brown at Craterside supply about locating a voice and personality chip."
"Thanks, Wadsworth. I'll be sure to ask." I set Hermes on the ground and he begins to walk around, picking up small pieces of debris from the floor. I look around at my new house, marveling at the fact that I have a place to call home so soon in my quest to find my father. I smile at the thought of the kindness I have been shown and how much different the wasteland has been from what we were told in the vault. I can't help to think that all of this is too good to be true, and that I will have to pay for it in the future. I try not to let those thoughts cloud my mind as I walk to the bedroom and get ready for bed. Tomorrow I set out on my quest to get Moriarity his caps back and help Moira with her book.
I am afraid of what I might face out there, but I take comfort in my training and what the people of Megaton have shown me. Before long my eyes are heavy and I find myself drifting off into oblivion, hoping that another nightmare does not invade my peace.