"Just leave him alone, okay? Believe me, he'll be fine. Which is amazing to me… considering you humans are just so fragile." I could hear the voices around me, whispering about who knows what. However, the thing that hit me first, was how quiet it was behind them. There was no gunfire, no birds, no running water… just silence. I slowly opened me eyes and stared up at something I didn't expect… a ceiling. Over my head was a deep yellow ceiling, with decorative molding wherever it hit a wall. The room I was in smelt of rubbing alcohol, with a touch of mold. I turned my head to the side and saw three people standing in a circle not far from me. I recognized two of the three immediately, but whoever Charon and Reilly were talking to was a mystery.
"Thank you, Dr. Barrows," Reilly said softly. "I don't what we'd do without you." The doctor nodded his head and shook hands with Reilly.
"It's what I do ma'am," he replied, "and remember, you and the Rangers are always welcome here." Reilly smiled and looked at me. When her eyes met mine a giant smile appeared on her face and she started charging towards me.
"You're awake!" she yelled. She ran to the side of the cot I was lying on and put her hands on my shoulders. "Do you feel okay?" I lifted my arms and put my hands flat on the bed at my side. I pushed myself up so I was sitting and put my legs over the side of the bed.
"Yeah," I responded. "I think I'm okay." Reilly hugged me and put her head on my shoulder. Charon walked towards me and put out his hand. I took it and he pulled me up to my feet. He put his arm around my shoulders and patted me, pulling me close while he did it.
"You just can't stay on your feet, can you?" he asked jokingly. I laughed a little and looked away from him. Reilly stepped back and examined me, wondering what was going through my mind.
"What's wrong, Aidan?" she asked. Images of the deathclaw we saw earlier were flashing through my head. Images of its gruesome hands and sharp talons stabbed at my brain.
"I just don't understand," I replied, solemnly. "Why did the Enclave have that deathclaw with them? What are they doing with it?" Charon shrugged and walked to the door of the room we were in.
"As far as I'm concerned," he started, "it ain't my problem kid. Fact of the matter is, we're in the perfect spot to get this show on the road." I looked at Reilly in confusion and then back at Charon. I walked towards him as he opened the door into the next room.
"Where are we, Charon?" I asked. I got to the door and stared in amazement at what I saw. Before me was a gigantic room filled with people, walking around, talking, and trading. Giant statues constructed of welded metal and plaster were erected in the center of the room, and multiple artworks were hanging on the walls. However, the most amazing part was who the people in the room were. All of them had deteriorated flesh and little-to-no hair on their heads. Their noses were torn off and their eyes were white beads sunk into their faces. They were ghouls… all of them.
"We're in the best place in this god forsaken city, kid," he replied. "Welcome to Underworld! The city of ghouls!" I was standing in pure shock, staring at the marvel before me. These ghouls were walking around, mingling, shaking hands, like there was absolutely nothing wrong with them.
"What's the problem?" asked Dr. Barrows. I turned around and watched Barrows pull down his medical mask, revealing that he, too, was a ghoul. "You never seen a ghoul before?" I was still in awe at the situation and looked back into the main room.
"Charon," I started, "this is incredible."
"You're telling me, kid," he replied while also looking out into the main room. "In here, we're not judged by anyone on how we look. We're all monsters. However, if we're all monsters… then no one is a monster." I stepped into the large room, which was filled with the faint scent of mold and dust. As I walked through people would stop in their conversations to give me a quick once over, before turning back and going on with their business.
"So are humans like the ghouls here?" I asked. "Am I the oddity to everyone here?" Charon smiled and slapped me on the back.
"I wish!" he yelled. "You're basically just another smoothskin who got lost and came wandering in here. Or someone running away from the supermutants. We ghouls don't get bothered by them… usually. There have been times where those supermutants get a little too… you know… hungry." I nodded and started to walk forward, but was still looking at Charon. Suddenly I bumped into someone, making them step backwards and regain their balance.
"Hey!" he yelled out. I looked at him and put up my hands. "Watch where you're going smoothskin!"
"Sorry," I said, quickly. "Wasn't watching where I was going." The ghoul brushed off his clothes, despite how dirty they already were. He folded his arms and examined me armor.
"A ranger, huh?" he asked. "Well, then I guess you're okay in my book." He held out his hand which I met with a friendly shake. "Names Winthrop. I'm the mechanic here in Underworld. I keep this whole place running, from the Chop Shop to the Ninth Circle." Winthrop looked at Charon and smiled a little. "Sorry, buddy," he said to him. "Ahzrukhal still isn't back. Believe me, if anyone will let you know when that guy comes back… its me. You'll probably just hear me complaining. I mean honestlg. I mean honestly, Charon, what do you want that guy for so bad? Next thing you know you'll be up in Carol's Place rubbing Mr. Crowley's feet."
"Enough!" yelled Charon. "He may be a stinking sack of crap, but that guy is all I got left! You hear?" Winthrop sighed and slowly nodded.
"Sorry, man," he said, shamefully. "It'd just be a shame to see a friend go out like that." Charon nodded and started to reply, when a voice rang out in the large room.
"Charon!" it screamed, "Charon is that you?" I turned and looked up a staircase, to see a ghoul standing at the top. She was wearing a long dress, maybe trying to look beautiful… which wasn't working very well.
"Greta!" Charon yelled back. Greta starting running down the stairs and Charon charged to meet her. At the bottom of the stairs Charon swept Greta up into the air and spun her in circles.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you turned down our invite to Underworld." Charon smiled and put Greta back onto her feet.
"I'll be here soon enough, baby," he said to her. "First I got a friend to help out." I smiled and nodded to Greta, who in turn smiled back. Charon lifted his hand and put up a finger. He began shaking it at me, and still had a small grin across in face. "In fact," he started, "I think you should take a look at where we really are, kid." I looked in confusion and Charon pointed towards two large doors at the end of the room, opposite from Barrow's office. I looked quizzically at Charon, before slowly approaching the two metal doors. I put my hands on the cold metal and pushed with all my might. The doors started creaking and eventually gave way into an even larger room. However, wonder and confusions quickly transformed into hope and happiness.
"We're… we're here," I said quietly. Before me was a gigantic room, and standing, in the middle , was a huge statue of a wooly mammoth. I thought back to the holotape I found in Old Olney, and the message written on it. The second computer, hidden under the statue of a wooly mammoth. I slowly approached the statue and stared at the mighty creature. I looked down at the base and began circling it, looking for something that resembled a computer screen. Panel after panel passed by, until one stuck out, being a slight shade darker than the others. I got to one knee and reached out to grab it. My father seemed so close.
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU DOING!" shouted a voice. I looked up as a big mechanical arm swung down and hit me in the chest. I slid on my back across the floor, the Stealthshot sliding away from me, and the Victory Rifle pinned under my back. "These are ancient artifacts! I can't allow you to damage history, itself!"
"You," I started, "you're a robot!" The robot was a floating ball held in the air by a jet underneath it. It had three long metal arms, each of which had some sort of weapon on the end of it. Three big yellow disks were supported by poles on its body that must have acted as eyes.
"Of course I'm a robot!" he yelled. "A robot ready to kick some commy ass from New York to Cincinnati!"
"Woah, woah!" yelled Winthrop as he came running into the room. "Chill out there, Cerberus. He's not going to hurt the artifacts." Cerberus looked at Winthrop and then back at me.
"Consider yourself lucky!" he yelled. "Next time Cerberus gets off his chain he's going to bite your legs off!" The robot quickly turned away and started to head back to the main room. I sat up and rubbed my head, shaking off the brutal attack. "And no littering!" Cerberus cried out. I looked back at him, but instead was greeted by the sight of the Stealthshot barreling towards me. It hit me in the forehead and fell to the ground next to me. I grabbed my head and yelled in pain.
"That's some robot you got there, Winthrop," Charon complimented. Winthrop nodded and watched Cerberus head back into Underworld.
"He's got a few bugs," he replied, "but he keeps us pretty safe."
"Can we just open the damn computer!" I yelled in anger. Charon grunted and kneeled down next to the stature.
"Jeez," he started, "touchy." Charon tore the panel off of the base, revealing an old computer, completely covered by dust.
"Wow," Winthrop chimed in, "how long has that been there?" I crawled to the screen and pulled out the dust covered keyboards. I blew away some of the dust, revealing the letters. I typed in the word one letter at a time, very slowly. R-E-I-L-L-Y. The keyboard quickly sucked back into the base of the statue and the screen turned a deep black, before the words Password Accepted popped up on the screen. I stood up and looked down at the screen, as Charon put the panel back over it.
"Hey guys!" yelled Reilly as she ran into the room. "Are we all set?" I looked at Charon and gave a small smile.
"Almost," I replied. "Now we need to head back to your Compound to type in the last password. Then the door will open." Reilly put up her hand, stopping me and then started approaching me. She got very close to me and put her arm around my shoulders.
"Got a surprise for you, Aidan," she said finally. She reached into a pouch on her armor and pulled out a small radio. She lifted it to her mouth and clicked a button on the side. "Donovan! Donovan can you read me?" We waited more a few minutes before a voice echoed out from the small, black box.
"This is Donovan, Reilly, I got you loud and clear," he shouted back. Reilly smiled and started to walk away from Charon and I.
"Are you at the rally point?" she asked.
"Roger," was the only reply. Reilly nodded and looked back at us. She motioned us to follow along and then started running away from Underworld. Charon and I looked at each other and took off after her. We chased her down and met her at the entrance to the Museum of History.
"Rex would never have let me do this," he started, "but he's not here right now… is he?" Reilly threw open the doors, revealing an Enclave helicopter waiting outside for us. A ranger sat in the cockpit, ready to take off. Reilly ran towards the helicopter and jumped inside. "C'mon!" she yelled. "Max and Rex aren't going to save themselves!" I started to walk towards the helicopter, but noticed Charon was no longer next to me. I turned around and saw him in the museum, locked in an embrace with Greta. The slowly separated and Charon started to turn away. It was hard to hear over the rotors on the chopper, but I could almost see the words the Charon mouthed to Greta.
"I love you." Charon turned away and ran towards the entrance where I was standing. He saw I had been watching him and stuck his finger into my face. "Tell Reilly about that and I'll kill you." He ran from the entrance and jumped into the chopper, next to Reilly. I smiled at the sight and charged right along with them. I hopped up next to Charon and he quickly slid the door closed.
"Alright, Donovan!" yelled Reilly. "Get us back to the compound!" The helicopter slowly lifted off the ground and made its way into the sky. It cut through the clouds like a knife and sailed through the air. I sat down in the helicopter, with several things on my mind. However, two of them forced their way to the top of the list. When we landed at Reilly's Compound I would have to type in the last password… but I had no idea what it was. The holotape cut out right before he revealed it. However, the second thing on my mind, was more of a realization than a problem. After all of the fear, the fighting, the heartbreak, the tears, the sights, the people, the travel, the pain, the friends, the enemies, and the losses…
…. the secret was finally going to be revealed.