I listened to my dad over the intercoms. I felt a strange feeling in my chest, empty. I was okay with helping him, but I couldn't shake that this was more important to him than I was. I didn't really have any emotions as I worked, mindlessly hitting buttons and switches. Charon didn't say anything to me, and just kept silent, watching nothing. I had been thinking about letting him go. The feelings that I had towards him were starting to fog and cloud my mind. I couldn't let that happen.
The food gates opened, and I looked over at Charon as we crawled through a pipe. We were on our hands and knees, and I never felt safer for some reason. Charon, I want to run away with you, and forget the burden of saving these people. I felt that was really possible, and within my grasp. Together, Charon and I could run away, to those beautiful satellites, and live. The thought brought me comfort, but that was shot down by a small voice in the back of my head. You know he will go once you overturn his contract. He won't listen to you anymore. He won't want anything to do with you. It hurt. I had seen the strength of his contract back at Fort Bannister. I didn't want to relive that moment.
A touch on the side of my neck jolted me back into reality. I looked back at Charon. He was touching the scar on my neck.
"I am sorry."
He said simply, pulling his hand away. I turned to him.
"You don't have to dwell on it, you know. It's in the past."
"I cannot seem to forgive myself for harming you."
"I order you to forgive yourself. Does that help?"
Charon smirked at me, nodding.
"There. Now, come on."
I hadn't even fully turned my body around when I felt a strong wind and loud noise. Looking up through the hole in the pipe, I saw a giant…what they call them? Vertibird. Yeah, that. It landed on the platform and a man in a strange uniform stepped out. He was followed by men in black, scary-looking armor. Charon grabbed my shoulder, pulling me farther down.
"It's those men that attacked us!"
He hissed quietly. I watched as they shot a scientist and walked into the memorial.
"Charon!"
I called out. He shoved me forward.
"Go!"
I crawled through the pipe. I came out inside the memorial. Men in black armor infested the place like Radroaches. Instantly, they began shooting at us. Charon pulled me down behind a wall, and we got out our weapons.
"Charon, my dad!"
He nodded, cocking his shotgun. I counted to three in my head, and stepped out. It was a furry of bullets. They had energy weapons, and their strong armor was hard to pierce. I kept having to reload, and I dropped my bullets after hearing Charon cry out.
"Fuck that burns!"
I looked over at him. He had gotten hit with a blob of plasma. His leather sizzled and hissed angrily.
"Dez! Pay attention!"
He shot at and took out a man charging at me. I tried to think about who these men were as I laughed, blood and bullets spraying.
"The Enclave!"
It came to me like a bad headache. Three Dog ranted about them enough. They were the soldiers of President Eden, and they were not nice people. Of course, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out as a laser shot past my head. I screamed at them, swearing like a soldier, as I shot round after round.
"Charon! I'm out of ammo!"
We were almost to the rotunda, and Charon tossed me his shotgun.
"Here!"
He bent down and pulled a combat knife from his pocket.
"No!"
I yelled as he ran at an Enclave soldier. Without care or mercy, he shoved the knife through the neck of the armor and pulled it out. The man fell, sputtering through his helmet. I cocked Charon's shotgun and squeezed the trigger at another guy. The kickback of it knocked me on my feet. It hurt like a bitch.
"Come on!"
Charon pulled me up, and I held his gun tightly. Did he modify it or something? It was much stronger than before. I'd have to ask him to fix mine up for me one of these days. If we lived through this, that is.
We burst through the doors of the rotunda, and I saw my father sealed inside with the man in the weird coat, and some other scientists. I ran up to the glass, pounding on the doors. Dr. Li stood at the intercom, emotionless.
"This facility is now under United States government control. The person in charge is to step forward immediately and turn over all materials related to this project."
The man said to my dad. I looked on, helpless.
"That is quite impossible. This is a private project. The Enclave has no authority here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave at once."
"Am I to assume sir, that you are in charge?"
"Yes. I'm responsible for this project."
"Then I repeat, sir, that you are hereby instructed to hand over all materials related to the Purifier."
"I'm sorry but that's-"
"Furthermore, you are to assist Enclave scientists in assuming control in the administration and operation of this facility at once."
"Colonel. I'm sorry is it Colonel? I'm sorry but the facility is not operational, it never has been. I'm afraid you're wasting your time here."
"Sir, this is the last time I am going to repeat myself. Stand down at once and turn over control of this facility!"
"Colonel, I assure you, that this facility will not function. We have never been able to successfully replicate test results."
I watched as Colonel something pulled out a gun and shot the woman who was standing by my father. My jaw dropped, and the two soldiers in there stood their ground. This isn't happening.
"I suggest you comply immediately sir! In order to prevent anymore incidents. Are we clear?"
The woman screamed and quivered on the ground. I felt my blood boil as I wrapped my hands around Charon's shotgun.
"Yes. Colonel. I'll do whatever you want. There's no need for more violence."
"The you will immediately hand over all materials related to this project, and aid us in making it operational at once."
"Very well, give me a few moments to bring the system up."
I pounded on the glass, but no one heard me. That or they were ignoring me. My father turned around, and hit some buttons on the machine behind him.
"My patience wears thin."
"Almost ready. I'm compiling the data now."
A loud explosion erupted, and I blocked my face. Looking through the glass, I saw my father stumble over to me. I wanted to cry, but I held it in.
"Run! Run!"
He shouted to me, but I couldn't move. I stood, watching my father die of radiation poisoning. I felt Charon pulling me, dragging me down the stairs, but I kept my eyes locked, focused. We had never had the best relationship, but he is still my father. He was still the only person in this world who knew me, who understood the vault, who could have really taught me a lot. And now, he's gone. I'm an orphan. I have no mother, no father, no other family. I saw a door slam in front of me, blocking my view.
"Dez! Get up snap out of it we have to move!"
Charon screamed at me, his eyes wide with terror. What did I feel? Nothing. I couldn't feel anything. Dr. Li came and begged me to help her get the other scientists to safety. I nodded, not fully aware of what was going on around me. Charon's shotgun felt so heavy in my arms, so heavy as I climbed down that manhole, and into the sewers.
I couldn't feel anything. Aimlessly, I shot at whatever moved, whatever might pose a threat. He's dead. He's dead and gone, and it hurt me. It actually hurt me. I'd never felt a pain like this before. It was greater than any pain I'd ever felt in my life. Even greater than the pain I felt at Fort Bannister. In the recesses of my mind, I heard Charon yelling, heard Dr. Li talk about a heart condition.
"Stimpacks…"
I said, not in my own voice. I dug through my pack and handed them to her, my hands shaking violently. What is happening to me? Why am I feeling this way? I felt my heart slow as we walked through the sewers, silent. My feet splashed in a puddle, but I didn't hear it until I was yards away.
My dad, he's gone now. He's gone. It's all on me, to keep this project running. But I can't do that. I can't aid an entire team of scientists to greatness and pure water. I'm not smart enough for that. I can't even keep myself out of trouble for a week. I can't. There's no way I'll ever be able to fix and help these people. I shook my head, trying to bring myself into reality, but I couldn't. Charon stood beside me, his strong body protecting my smaller one.
In my head, I saw my father, I heard him telling me to run. I never even got to say goodbye. Just like in the vault, I never even got an explanation. He was gone, just like that. I was beginning to forget what he looked like already. He looked like me, but male. He was gone now, gone and never coming back. Like everyone I'd ever let myself care about.
