Days sped by and everything was nearly complete when James called Charon and Lee into the rotunda for a discussion. They knew things were coming together; if not from the gleaming stacks of monitors and fixed equipment, then from the excited hum that hung in the air given off by all the working people. James clasped his hands and smiled broadly as they approached him and the main control panel in the rotunda. The column of water held in the center of the room threw wavery reflections onto the walls and floor.
"Well, we're nearly done. The last thing we need to activate this thing is the GECK." His smile turned slightly shame-faced. "You've already done so much to help us here, but I need to ask you one more favor."
Lee said, "Go and get it, right?"
James sighed and turned away, examining the water flowing through the huge tube. "Exactly. I finally learned where to find one, but it won't be easy, apparently. It's in a vault far northwest of here, and I don't know why, but the main entrance is somehow blocked or inaccessible. There's another way in, but I'm not sure what it is. Possibly some kind of cave system judging by the structure of other vaults. I don't really have any more information than that."
Charon hrmphed, "Another vault, huh."
"I'm sorry to ask, but short of hiring a mercenary team, you two are our best shot. Probably a better shot actually; I trust you to find it and get it back undamaged. Here, Lee, I'll send the coordinates to your PipBoy." He punched a few buttons on his wrist, and nodded when it made a short beep, answered by another beep coming from Lee's backpack. "We've only got a few minor tweaks left: making sure everything's connected to the main power and clearing out the ducts. So, some easy work today and you can set out tomorrow, what do you think?"
Lee clicked his boot heels together and snapped a half-sarcastic salute at him, "Yes, sir."
"That's my boy," James said with a weary smile. "And just think of all the caps we save on mercs."
"Well, let's go get to work, Char. Unless you'd rather take it easy today and listen to me sing along with the radio."
A slight wince flickered over Charon's face before he smoothed it away. "I'm... ready for work."
They could hear James snickering as they left the room and the door swung closed.
Crawling through the ducts might have been comparatively easier than hauling heavy equipment around, but that didn't mean it was any more pleasant. The pipes needed to be cleared of debris so the water could flow through without shoving everything against the grates and causing blockages. Charon and Lee stood at the ripped up section of floor that served as the best entrance to the duct system. The sound of dripping water echoed up from the opening.
"I like dark, cavernous holes in the ground as much as the next person... but man. Why us?" Lee said as he eyed the grate with distaste and scuffed a scattering of dirt into the darkness.
"No one else has the muscle," Charon said, grabbing hold of the grate and pulling it up and over so it clanged to the floor. He smirked and flexed his arms before kneeling down and sitting on the edge of the hole.
"Does it fall under 'combat and protection' if I order you to not wear any armor or clothes on your upper body? For, you know, strategic purposes." Lee slid down next to Charon and dropped into the pipe, landing on the rusty bottom.
"That doesn't seem tactically sound."
Lee grabbed a big chunk of metal plating leaning against the side of the wall and passed it up to Charon to toss aside. "Sure it is, for uh. Maneuverability."
Charon leaned down, pale eyes staring unsettlingly, "You'd like that, huh."
Turning away to pick up a good-sized bag filled with paper, Lee muttered, "Oh yeah."
They turned off their minds and just focused on clearing out the junk they found. The entrance pipe was soon clean, and they both jumped down into a lower bend of the pipe and kept going. Eventually they had to just carry the things they found with them; as long as the stuff wasn't behind a grate, it would be pushed forward into the water tanks in the sub-basement, which would be easier to clean.
While examining a nameplate fused to the floor, Lee felt, more than heard, a very soft rumbling.
"Do you hear something?" he asked, holding a hand out for a moment to still any motion.
They both stood stock still and listened. Something faint, but growing louder. A kind of muddy thumping sound; quick paced and rhythmic, like an engine. Lee's eyes were wide and he looked up at Charon. "It's not coming from here is it, the building?" If it was, there was a very real possibility they could die in this pipe. There was no reason to think it would happen, but if the machines were switched on and no one knew they were in here...
But Charon shook his head. "Outside. Come on, grab whatever you've got and let's keep going, we're almost out." The sound was familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it. It was still growing louder, and a feeling that something wasn't right sank into him. Unsettled, he shuffled forward more quickly, body bent to keep from knocking his head on the ceiling.
They dropped into a section where the top of pipe had rusted away and they could see the sky and part of the railing and walkways outside the memorial. The source of the sound was nearby and absolutely thunderous now and a strong breeze was blowing through the area. Charon looked up through the hole above them and froze. A grey, bug-like hull and double propellers could be seen over the edge of the rail. That's what it was. "We need to get back as fast as we can."
Lee yanked on the grate at the opposite end and frowned. It didn't move. "It's stuck."
Nnngh. Of course. "Okay, come on." He grabbed hold of the bars on the top half, and Lee took the lower ones. "Pull on three." Lee set his feet against the edge of the wall. "One, two, three!" They threw their bodies back, arms straining, and managed a tiny bit of movement from the grate. Rust sifted down and dusted their arms. Outside, they could faintly hear shouting over the steady chop of the propellers. A chill ran over Charon's skin. They needed to get this grate open now.
"What is that thing?" Lee asked. He could hear the urgency in Charon's voice and was feeling pretty uneasy himself. They got set for another pull.
"It's a vertibird. The Enclave."
"The guys from the radio?"
"Yeah, but they're not as friendly as Three Dog. One, two, three, pull!"
They yanked again, and it shifted back, almost loose.
"What are they doing here?"
"I have no idea. I suppose the project? But how could they have heard about it... doesn't matter. Our people are unprepared and defenseless up there. We aren't much of a match if they're out here in force, but we have to get in there and help." He took a breath. "One more. One, two, three, pull!"
They pulled as hard as they could, and the grate finally popped out of its setting and fell toward them. Lee hopped out of the way and then jumped over it and dashed for the pipe outlet further on. Two words kept clanging in his mind. Unprepared. Defenseless. He gritted his teeth and jumped down the first bend of the final pipe. Fucking hell. They dropped down the pipe with a thump, finally emerging into the memorial's sub-basement. Lee happened to glance up and over through the chain-link gate on the far side of the room and froze. A person in a dark suit of power armor stood there, holding a plasma rifle. He looked like he was guarding the stairs, just looking back and forth and waiting. Must be one of the Enclave, whoever they are. The guy looked up. Directly into the pipe. Spotted. Lee grabbed Charon and ducked down, scuttling for the end of the pipe. The open water tanks would be below them, and they would be out of the power armor guy's line of fire. Lee's hair stood on end as a plasma bolt passed about an inch above his head. The reek of ozone permeated the air and Lee's skin felt uncomfortably prickly and tight. Too close. They jumped over the edge and after a short fall, splashed into the tank. They slogged out and snuck out into the hallway. Lee's nerves were wound up tight, and he was breathing rapidly. "They got any weaknesses?" he whispered. It looked like that guy was alone, just keeping watch over a dead end, but it was possible he had a partner down here as well.
Charon tapped an eyelid. "The eyes, if you can get a precise shot on them. He also doesn't look like he could swim too good, if you get me."
They heard the signature clank of heavy armor footsteps slowly walking up ahead of them.
"I like your thinkin'. Hide behind this cabinet over here and I'll try to lure him over."
They quietly slid back into the tank room and Charon whispered, "Be careful."
Lee spread his hands and said, "Hey, it's me."
"I know, that's why I said be careful."
Lee glared at him and heavily ran over to the doorway on the opposite side of the room, jogging slowly for the soldier to just spot him disappearing around the frame. Sensing an easy kill, he clanked forward in a run and was easily caught by Charon. The ghoul grabbed him around the waist, swung him around, and dumped him into the holding tank. The servos in the armor buzzed and whined as they tried to function underwater, but sputtered and failed, and the soldier was left underwater in a metal suit that weighed him down to the bottom. He was face down, and Charon noticed a sort of locking mechanism on the neck of the suit. Probably a release for the helmet? That might be useful if they were stuck in close quarters with another one. Lee arrived back at Charon's shoulder as the suit stopped thrashing.
"Shit," he said, face looking pale. Terrible way to die. "Come on, let's get upstairs."
They ran through the basement, fears and anxiety pounding through their heads. Why did the Enclave have to show up right when they were conveniently out of the way? Building something on this kind of scale surely made Project Purity an obvious target. Why was there no actual security here? They slammed through the upstairs doors and nearly knocked over another soldier. He stumbled away from the door in confusion, and Charon jumped on him, tackling him against the wall and grabbing for the helmet latch. He flipped it up and wrenched the helmet off, probably breaking the guy's nose in the process. He grabbed his head and snapped his neck before the soldier could get his bearings again. Turning around as the dead man collapsed to the floor, he saw Lee taking aim down the long hallway at another armored man patrolling the door to the rotunda. Probably where everyone went. Lee growled in frustration. Without taking his eye away he muttered, "Get his attention, he won't turn around. Soon as I shoot, run for the rotunda, whoever didn't escape must be in there."
Charon set his thumb and index finger to his lips and blew a piercing whistle. The guy snapped around and one of the bulging yellow eye pieces immediately went dark. He slumped forward, and the two pelted down the hallway towards his body and the door behind it. Lee was in a state of near panic now, scared out of his mind at what they would find in the central chamber. Charon had his shotgun at the ready, and they opened the door.
