Nate trudged through the grasslands of the western Commonwealth as the rain dampened his clothes and hair, he held a hand over his head to protect himself but it did little to help. He felt the mix of the dead leaves and grass crunching and the damp mud beneath his feet every time he took a step. Dogmeat seemed rather unaffected by the weather, still trotting happily with his tongue out. And Codsworth hadn't voiced any concerns, though he did seem to start moving faster when the rain began, probably out of fear that some lucky drop would fry his circuits, that were rather fragile after two-hundred years.

He wondered what was happening at the Castle. He had been gone all day, someone must have noticed his absence by now. He knew however that his departure wouldn't affect the 'battle' Jules told them about and that Ronnie was preparing for, as he knew it was complete bullshit. He didn't know much about Jules, but he couldn't be trusted. None of these new Brotherhood troops could. If he was a bit more confident in his theory he'd have them all exiled from the Castle... or executed.

No. He wouldn't kill them, he wasn't an animal like Maxson or Preston.

Preston.

His name still made Nate feel a strange mix of somber ness and fury. On one hand he felt as if his old friend was dead. Disappeared like the world he used to live in. But on the other, he had been stabbed in the back by one of the people he trusted most. Nate tried hard to push the thoughts of Preston out of his head. He needed to focus, he might be charging intothe headquarters of a big and dangerous group.

Well, he didn't know how big and dangerous they were. But they did have spies, lots of them. In high places, like the Brotherhood the Minutemen, even Mayor Hancock's personal bodyguard. Fahrenheit's betrayal hit Hancock hard. He remembered that MacCready said Hancock disappeared after they got off the elevator. While he and Ronnie were helping to get the trucks to a safe location, Hancock just walked into the city ruins and never looked back. No one in Goodneighbor saw him for a week. Before some Neighborhood Watch guy found his body near the Boston Bugle building. He was surrounded by empty alchohol bottles and piles of Jet and clutching a pipe revolver. He several bulletholes all over his body, one of them on his right temple. They couldn't tell if he had died by overdose or suicide. Nate felt the former would be the way Hancock would wanna go, stoned out of his gourd.

MacCready said there was no word from Goodneighbor after that. Without strong leader like Hancock they fell to Super Mutant and Raider attacks pretty quick. Nate or MacCready hadn't heard if the city was still standing or there were no survivors left, just that the town was an ever bigger shitshow than it was before.

Nate stopped as the shadow from the highway engulfed him and his companions. He pulled out his revolver and looked around. He had to be close at this point, he could see Abernanthy Farm in the distance, past Walden Pond. It was small, like a little dot, but he could see it. "Codsworth look around for any signs of a bunker, we should be close to these guys." Nate said.

"Rightey-O Sir!" Codsworth chirped as he began to scan the area around him. Though some of Nate's friends found Codsworth annoying, Nate found his programmed innocence charming. He was like a little token of Nate's previous life that he could cherish forever. That's why he had deactivated Codsworth, after a close call with some Gunners a few months back Nate panicked and the two agreed that Codsworth would be shut down until he was desperately needed.

Nate looked down at his canine friend. "Dogmeat." He called. Dogmeat looked up with eager eyes, waiting to do the bidding of his master. "Sniff around boy, see if you can find any trace of people." Dogmeat barked in what Nate could only assume was understanding and ran off.

Nate stood by himself for a few moments surveying the area. He couldn't think of anything else to do but scan the grass around him, looking for any signs of something manmade. He moved slowly through the ankle-tall grass, the only unnatural things he could see was some debris from the highway above him and some two hundred year old Nuka Cola bottles.

"Sir!" Nate turned to Codsworth and saw him hovering by an overturned pickup truck. Nate walked over, "What's the matter Codsworth? Find anything?" He asked.

"I believe so. I picked up a heat signature from this area, I was confused for a moment before I realized it was coming from below ground." Codsworth said. "And it was directly underneath this automobile. It has long since passed but anyway, I think the gateway to our enemy lies beneath this car."

"Well done Codsworth." Nate complimented. He called Dogmeat over as the Mr. Handy continued to talk.

"Well not really. Unless you can lift five-thousand plus pounds than we're not getting inside. We'll have to find another way to move the truck." Codsworth moved to the vehicles side, he looked down as far as he could beneath the hood. "Aha!" He exclaimed. "I may have found a solution. The nuclear engine is still intact, a wonderous feat after two hundred years if I must say. Once we get so a safe distance, if you can shoot the engine, the car will explode. Either moving the truck away from the enemy location, or creating an alternate route by exploding a hole in the pavement."

"Good thinking Codsworth." Nate said. "Alright, lets move back." Nate pushed the group about forty feet from the car. He holstered his revolver and took out his hunting rifle. He rested the stock by his shoulder, aimed down the sights, and fired. The bullet struck the engine, causing the car to briefly erupt in flames before violently exploding.

The truck soared through the sky before gravity took control and dragged the wreckage back to Earth. Luckily landing far from its original spot. Nate stayed in his position as he waited for the flames to die down. When they finally did, he stood up and rushed to the site. There was what appeared to be a hole, covered by a makeshift manhole cover. Nate grabbed at its edge to find it surprisingly light. He lifted it up and over, revealing an eight foot tall hole with a metal ladder up the side. Nate grabbed Dogmeat and hoisted the canine over his shoulder before beginning to climb down. He never realized how heavy Dogmeat was, with every step of the ladder Nate wheezed and coughed from the weight on his shoulders. When Nate stepped off the ladder, he released the heavy dog and watched Codsworth calmly and smugly hover to the bottom.

Nate paused to catch his breath before reaching for his revolver. He aimed ahead of him as he walked through the tunnel. The short walk was silent, save for the sound of Codsworth's robotic body moving and the swish of Dogmeat's tail. Eventually, the dirt tunnel came to an end, he walked inside a concrete room. He looked around as he walked on the blue and yellow metal walkway. He stopped in awe as he saw a giant vault door marked 109.

"A vault?" Nate whispered to himself. What the hell was a vault doing down here? And why was it hidden away? He thought that the idea was to get the general public to know where it was.

"Well, it seems we have stumbled onto a vault Sir." Codsworth stated. "Lets go inside. I know you're not fond of vaults and all... after all that... unpleasentness." Codsworths awkwardly stuttered. "But I think our enemies are hiding inside."

"You're right Codsworth. Let's go." Nate walked up the platform and approached the familiar console. He plugged his Pip-boy in and pushed the button to open the vault. The vault made that horrible screeching sound Nate hated as the metal dragged itself away from the spot its likely been resting for two centuries. Nate watched the bridge extend and stepped inside the vault. He saw the norm for abandoned vaults, skeletons, overturned furniture, papers everywhere. It looked like it hadn't been touched in years. The perfect cover Nate thought. He carefully wandered deeper into the vault, Codsworth and Dogmeat behind him. Shortly he reached a room he figured it be the overseers office. Strange Nate thought, It usually isn't this close to the door. He noticed the strange makeshift barricade by the door, it looked like it failed. He hopped over the desk and sat in the chair, pushing aside the skeleton previously seated. He checked out the terminal to find it was still operational. He clicked it on and watched the computer screen slowly light up.

Welcome Overseer Monroe, Flashed at the top of the screen. The different files slowly loaded and listed themselves on the screen. Nate clicked on the top option.

VAULT FUNCTION:

Vault 109 has been given the task of developing and testing a mind-control device that will be used by the U.S. government to manipulate the Chinese leaders into either stepping down or deliberately losing the war.

Mind control? How was that even possible? Sure, Nate lived in a world of cyro tubes and robots but the idea of taking control of another person seemed impossible. He exited out and clicked on the next file.

OVERSEER LOG 10/25/77

Our test subjects have fully settled in. We have made sure or separate the good samaritans from the kids, homeless, and disabled. Work has already begun on the devices that will hopefully allow us to take control of these peoples brains.

Dr. Henrick made a strong point about how he would ensure the charity workers would only engage in violence with the people they'd often work to help, not us. I was reluctant to take the overseer position when I discovered children would be killed, but I was assured it was for the good of our country. If I didn't do this the commies win.

OVERSEER LOG 9/16/78

The first prototypes have had promising results so far. We haven't gotten the people to engage in any serious hostility towards the others, but the signs of the device are there. The samaritans glare at the children when they're being loud, make a noticeable effort to separate themselves from the homeless, and don't socialize with the mentally disable nearly as much as they did.

Dr. Henrick has assured me that the next design will bring the wanted results.

OVERSEER LOG 12/02/81

Well it seems we have achieved our goal! And in record time too. I was sure this would take several more years, but thankfully our extraordinary efforts have allowed and accelerated success! Today we were ecstatic to see the common area in pure chaos. I of course never rejoiced in watching those people be savagely killed, but I took pride in knowing I did something good for my country.

OVERSEER LOG 12/03/81

Something is wrong. All the weak subjects are dead, but the samaritans are still in their 'savage' mindstate. We had to seal off the commons when some of our staff went inside and got ripped apart. The little security forces we have are reluctant to deal with the situation, too afraid of facing the... creatures in the vault. But if they don't do something they'll wish they were killed by those things.

OVERSEER LOG 12/10/81

Atleast ninety five percent of the vault has fallen. I barricaded myself in my office while the other survivors ran to the exit. Based on the screams I heard earlier, it didn't go well for them. I can hear them, scratching at my door, screaming their horrible gibberish. The devices didn't just make them kill. It made that the only thing they want to do, can do, will do.

Dear God, what have I done?

This is surely my last journal entry. Either these things will kill me or I'll starve.

Please God... forgive me

"Holy shit..." Nate felt like puking. This has got to be the most fucked thing he's heard of Vault-Tex doing. Making someone kill children? And homeless and the mentally disabled? This was beyond what they did at one-eleven, this was satanic!

Nate was brought of his daze by the metal door opening, three large men, covered head to toe in white combat armor stormed inside. Dogmeat tried to latch onto the arm of one, but the man was fast and pinned Dogmeat to the ground. He pulled out a syringe and injectors it inside the dogs neck. Dogmeats furious growls became a series of tired whimpers as he slowly lost consciousness. Codsworth attempted to roast them alive with his flamethrower. He actually forced one to the ground with his fire, but he was overwhelmed and had his power shut off. He collapsed in a metal heap on the floor.

Nate grabbed his revolver and successfully shot Codsworths killer in the neck. As the two other advanced, he reached into his back pocket and reached for the distress beacon Sturges gave him. He had pulled it out when one of his attacker's landed a right hook on Nate's jaw. He fell in the floor, the device landing some distance away. He tried to reach for it, but the second man stepped on it, effectively ending Nate's hopes for rescue.

Nate wasn't about to give up. He shot one man in the ankle, and unloaded the rest of his bullets into the other. The attacker collapsed while the second screamed in pain, Nate slowly approached him, and with a swift motion, snapped his neck.

Nate felt a minor victory, before a baton cane crashing down into his cranium. He fell to his knees while the room around him spun. He felt the presence of two more attackers nearby. They picked him up and lifted him onto the seat. A third figure walked in, dressed in normal wasteland clothes, save for a loose fitting X-01 helmet wrapped around her head by a piece of rope.

"Well, well, well." The figures voice obviously belonged to a female, an old female. Nate thought it was familiar, but he couldn't exactly remember.

"Please..." Nate manage to choke out in between harsh breaths. "Have mercy..."

"Mercy?" The lady crouched down and got up close. "Well, what do you think boys?" She asked. One of them handed her a stun baton. She eyed it for a few moments before turning to Nate. "You know what they say... spare the rod,"

And that was all Nate heard before his world turned to black.

This chapter might be slightly AU. I couldn't find any Vault 109 but I'm positive there is a vault in Fallout where they experiment with mind-control.