"Ow!" I exclaimed as they tightened the restraints on me.

"Apologies." The aide said he slightly loosened the strap.

They had me laid out on a table for crazies! At least I'm sure this kind was what they used in institutions. Maybe I was wrong about it, about the FEV and all it would do is turn me into one of those people off of a comic book. My thoughts wandered a bit and then the doctor came in.

"I hope you are ready Mrs. Best." He said as he walked in through the door.

"I am, but what are the restraints for? Are you expecting me to get superpowers or something?" I replied, a tinge of fear in my voice.

Both the doctor and aide looked at one another with a cautionary look, maybe surprised. I couldn't really tell what exactly their eyes were saying because both had goggles on that had no side views. Brassel went over to the counter where the vials were and immediately put a syringe together, sticking the needle in and extracting the FEV.

The fluid was an unsightly green that glowed when shined in the light. It reminded me of the earrings Cedric got me when my daddy passed away, the color at least. Again my thoughts went off to Cedric, just sitting outside the door...

"Ok Mrs. Best, are you ready?" Brassel said, flicking the end of the needle a couple of times.

"Do it." I replied, turning my head away towards the wall.

From a young age I never liked needles, and right now I was doing everything in my power not to panic. I turned my head away, focusing on something else in the room. In my mind I had to remember I was doing this for Cedric. As long as I focused on him it would all be...

"Done." The doctor said, aide stepping in with an alcohol pad.

"What?"

"It's done Mrs. Best. Tell me, how do you feel right now?" Brassel asked as he grabbed a clipboard off the counter. Motioning for his aide to grab the blood pressure wrap right next to the bed.

I waited for a moment and sat there, waiting for some sort of reaction in my body as they checked my vitals.

"I feel ok right now? Nothing different from just before I had the shot."

2 minutes passed...

Then 5...

Finally a full ten minutes had passed and the doctor motioned for his aide to grab a bright orange package on the table with a helmet sitting next to it.

"We will give you some privacy to put this radiation suit on and there is some rad-x on the counter. Take it with the water from the tap right there and meet us outside ok?"

"Wait how..." I started as the solid steel door sealed behind the doctor.

Guess I could figure out how to put the suit on all by myself...


(20 minutes later...)

"Typical woman..." Brassel said as he looked down at his watch.

I stepped out of the infirmary and the doctor looked me up and down. He then circled around me, which made me feel uncomfortable. More so now because I could see where his eyes were looking. The suit hugged me in certain places I really wish it didn't.

"Suit is on well and secure. If you will follow me up to the entryway please. General Constance is eagerly waiting for us."

Doing as I was told was somewhat difficult. Not once did I ever consider wearing a bubble helmet as a valid fashion choice. I even managed to bounce my head off the edge of the elevator as we stepped in, nearly throwing my balance off. The doctor just pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

He must think we're all idiots.

Most of the eggheads up at the pentagon thought the same, or so Cedric would say. "If they had their way we'd all be growing extra limbs and be part robot by now" he would tell me. There were times I couldn't tell if he was making jokes or telling the truth about that. I was hoping I wouldn't find out what this stuff really does to you anytime soon.

DING

The elevator chimed as we both got off. We went past the great opening I first met Schumaker face to face in and went down a different hallway from the one the protectron brought me. There were more men in military gear, but this was slightly different.

A mix of scientists covered from head to toe in protective gear carried clipboards and moved from one end of the hall to the other. Once a few caught sight of me, they began to turn away from what they were doing one by one. Some looked down towards the floor, avoiding eye contact with me, meanwhile another gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder as I walked on by.

We entered into the entry right before three separate hallways covered in anti-radiation showers opened up to the main entrance. Off to my right was a room swarming with people in protective suits, including a now hatless General Constance. The infamous bald spot Cedric and others always laughed about made itself well known to everyone around him, though he would never admit it was an issue.

"Ah yes, Mrs. Best. I'm glad you decided to go through with this..."he started as he walked over to me with a smile on his face, placing a hand on my shoulder. "...though having you here serving with us would also have been an honor. Please follow me this way."

His hand now became a guiding force while the other cut me off from any other ways out. I walked right into the room and people made way for us to reach what I could only guess was the main console. Only one continued to sit there, checking a few of the monitors as the general pointed to the screens.

"As of right now we have no visual contact with the surface. Our cameras were knocked out by the shockwave, but our outer Geiger counters are still active. Right now the radiation could cook one of our regular troops without Brassel's FEV alive. But..." he said, motioning for the doctor.

The doctor then stepped closer, clipboard in hand. "With the strain you have in your bloodstream, along with the rad-x and suit you should be shielded enough to retrieve your husband, and also flip the switch to restore feeds."

Looking in between the two I was glad they couldn't see my expression. The gravity of it all had just hit me, what I was about to do. If the radiation was hot enough to fry one of their own with a suit on I'd guess...

"General, the levels outside the door just dropped within suitable range for filters!" The woman at the computer turned and blurted.

"Excellent! The time is now Mrs. Best, time to put all the hard work of our best minds to the test. Go make America proud, or what's left of it!" He said as he used that very same hand he had on my shoulder to show me out.

One of the scientists walked up to me and followed me out the door. We stopped at a crate just before we reached the closest hallway. He kneeled down and opened the small olive drab case, revealing what looked like an oversized collar for a dog. I was shocked when they opened a latch and leather interior to wrap it around my left arm.

The whole contraption was slightly weighty, and bizarre and instead of explaining a thing he just pushed a button on the front and I my all started up. The display came alive as well as the cathode tubes just off the main screen. The display came up "Pip-boy 3000, property of vault-tec".

"It should be self explanatory Mrs. Best. The instructions for use are all inside. Good luck!" He said as he walked back into the computer room.

I just stood there for a moment in the central room, staring off at the main door down the hall. My heart leaped and bounded in my chest, I was scared. Any rational human being would feel the same at this moment in time.

Slowly my feet started moving me toward the hall, through the chamber lined with shower rings. Each step felt heavier than the last, carrying my forward towards the giant, steel barrier between me and Cedric. As soon as every part of me cleared the hallway, metal doors began slamming shut and then sealing behind me. I turned to try and open them and saw nothing but flat steel in front of me.

ERRRR ERRR ERRR ERRRRRR!

The alarms blared as the heavy metal door began to shift and swing. Steel ground against steel as light started to pour in, as well as the breeze. When the door had opened enough I started to notice a ticking noise now coming from the device in my wrist.

The little character on the screen had brought me over to my stats where I saw a ticker by radiation continuing to go up. It made a face of slight disgust at the amount of radiation now hitting me. Right as I looked down...

There he was...

My heart sank as I ran just outside the door and held him in my arms...what was left of him...

"NOOOOOOOO!" I cried, not even heeding the voice coming from the device on my wrist.

I clutched at his uniform and whispered apologies into his ear, not even caring if he was gone or not. He had been mangled from the blast, thrown against the metal door as it shut in front of him. I sat there for what was maybe an hour with him, maybe even more, and then the device spoke up again.

"Look Mrs. Best..." Constance's voice came on through. "I'm sorry for your loss, but time is of the essence. We need those live feeds up and running ok?"

...

"Mrs. Best?"

Setting Cedric aside I reached down to the Pipboy and spoke back into it, "You'll get your cameras General."

"Good. Make your way out and left ASAP. You should see what looks like a radio tower. Let us know when you get there."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a great breeze rushed past me, causing the Geiger counter to skyrocket and plummet just as fast. The air was unstable out here, and the rest of the sights I could see were not any better. Walking out I could see cars thrown about the parking lot, people even thrown about like rag dolls...like Cedric.

Tears welled up in my eyes at all the death around me, and right as I reached the end of the walkway I could finally see beyond the mountain area...unlike never before. Typically you could see all around during the fall and winter, but this was different. The trees were bare, but not because of a normal temperature change, and all were bent away from the Capital.

Some fires were still burning out in the distance, highways destroyed, buildings just gone...I was losing my mind. Looking out to the left, just a little ways down the road, I could see the tower. It was retracted into itself, probably why it was safe and secure when the bombs dropped.

My first instinct was to try and get in our car, so I ran back to Cedric and carefully sifted through his pockets finding the keys. It felt wrong all about this, not even asking for the keys but just searching over him like a thief. A feeling of mode then grief, guilt welled up in me and lingered, but I didn't stay in place for long.

Back at the car I simply reached in and opened the door, then tried to crank it, and it was dead. I knew what shockwaves did shattering the windows and whatnot, but I decided to ask the eggheads for help.

Figuring out how the radio the glorified wristwatch worked I got ahold of them.

"Mrs. Best are you already at the tower?" An unfamiliar voice spoke.

"No! I was just wondering why the car wasn't starting. Do you know?" I asked sheepishly.

"Uh...Mrs. Best do you know how nuclear bomb detonations effect electronics?"

"No..."

"Well, when a nuclear bomb goes off it not only releases a shockwave of heat and force from the intense reaction, but also an electromagnetic wave that hits anything within reach, also referred to as an. Electromagnetic pulse. Basically anything not shielded like our bunker here is fried."

I was actually relieved they used regular talk for the last part. Turning the radio off I got out and shut the door behind me. Reflexes almost had me going to lock the car with a turn of the key, but what was the point? It couldn't run and nobody else had a running car so why should I try?

Starting off my walk over to the tower, I looked off in every direction now that I practically had a full view either way. Everything was gone from the signs we passed speeding here to what I could only guess was our neighborhood way off in the distance. There was nothing left to mourn or even go back to, no civilization.

Along the way the thoughts started running through my mind.

"What about my family in Atlanta?"

Could they all be alive somehow? Were they dead? Is there a chance...

Chance...

Grandma always told me she hated that word.

"You keep using that word like it's a game of cards or some other gambling, well let me tell you missy, it ain't!"

Glad she didn't have to see all of this...

"What about Charles and all of them?"

I was curious, ever curious about those I worked with. We never saw eye to eye on everything but Charles, everyone at the studio were nice people. They were the kind you'd want to let babysit your kids because they were above all else, trustworthy.

Part of me wondered if the studio was still in one piece, then again I remembered it was much closer to D.C. more than likely it was either a smoldering heap, a burning heap, or just flat out nothing anymore. I hoped Charles and the others were able to at least make it underground or say their goodbyes for what it's worth.

"What about our neighbors?"

Before Cedric they were more or less annoyances to me. I'd come home with my groceries, and some bottles and enjoy a drink or two. The Gadrashi children would always ask to help, and I'd always refuse, mostly to shield them from the life I was living.

After he came back, the cabinet becoming less frequented, they were always welcome...that is whenever my helping hand wasn't at his duty station.

Suddenly a stray thought hit me, just like the breeze that came my way, along with the noises from my Geiger counter.

"What about me?"

...

Here I was thinking about everyone else but me for quite some time too. Before Cedric came back it was all about me and my image, but when he came back into my life he changed things. Even with the hell he went through in Alaska he reminded me of what we should stay focused on, which was something more than us.

Having him back also made me a little baby crazy...just a little. We'd tried so many times, and even more so when he got back we thought it would happen but it all fell through and now...

My knees felt weak and hands hit the pavement first. I pounded my firsts on the concrete beneath me and screamed.

I finally let it all out, out in the radiation...

The bombs took my family away.

There were other people, other men in that bunker, but the bombs took the only chance I wanted at family away. I upheld before Cedric my very life on that altar before our family and before God Himself he would be my only. He was the best man I ever had.

A strong gust of wind came my way, causing the Geiger counter to jump again and me to look up. I tabbed away from the display and then looked up again...

I was at the tower.

Immediately rising to my feet I ran over to the gate, past the dead servicemen all around it. It was latched pretty well to the metal fence it was attached to, but my foolish self decided to shake it anyways. Seeing it wasn't loose I looked around at the soldiers near me and my mind raced.

Eyes looked over their uniforms looking from patch to patch until I found the highest ranking out of the bunch. Crouching down I searched all over him, carefully tilting his chest until I heard a familiar sound come from his side. With one arm I reached over and found a keychain still hooked to him and tried to get it off. It took a few attempts and then I was able to slide it off the carabiner.

I started flipping through the keys one by one, trying them out on the lock.

CLICK

I dropped the keys to the ground and held my hands up as the sound of footsteps came up behind me, a barrel pointed at my back. My hands started shaking as hands started patting me down, from one side to the other.

"Who are you?" A muffled voice asked. "Turn around slowly."

I did as they asked and was shocked at the sight in front of me. There was a serviceman in full attire, mask and all standing there with his 10mm service handgun aimed right at me. He was dressed out in his MOPP gear, the stuff carried around in case of a nuclear or chemical attack.

"My name is Melissa Best...I was sent out here to restore this radio tower by General Constance." I replied.

I he looked me over again, up and down and then at the device on my arm.

"Got a Pip-Boy I see...use the radio." He said, swaying the gun from me to the tech on my wrist.

Looking over the display I sifted through the command screens and tuned the radio.

"General Constance, this is..."

"Mrs. Best, good to hear from you." The General interjected.

The soldier then holstered his sidearm and grabbed my hand, yanking me towards him.

"General Constance..." he started.

"Who are you?" Constance interrupted, genuine confusion in his voice.

"This is sergeant first class Barrett of Echo squad. We were sent out here to secure the radio tower and were awaiting orders when we heard the other bombs dropped. We're waiting for further orders by General Autumn himself."

There was a pause on the line. Murmuring ensued and the sound of ruffling papers echoed over the other side.

"Ah, no wonder I don't recognize you. Autumn went out with the POTUS and SECDEF when the first wave of bombs fell I believe. Glad to see someone in one piece. Maybe you can help Mrs. Best to raise the tower eh?"

"Yes sir!" Barrett replied.

"Good."

The signal turned to static when Constance was done. What bothered me was the tone in his voice, more importantly the fact he just gave this man information not even Cedric could to someone his rank. Guess it might just be the times we're in. Proper protocol goes out the window...

Barrett gave me the keys back and I twisted them in the lock while he pulled the gate since the metal was somewhat warped. His brute strength was enough and with the click of the lock and groaning of metal the gate flew wide open. I stumbled forward, but was caught by the serviceman behind me.

Walking right past me he headed straight for a panel on the wall and pried the door open. Right behind it was a terminal that looked as if it was unfazed by the blasts. As soon as the keyboard popped out he started typing away. The whole thought that something with electricity actually survived the blast surprised me. Then again, this is military tech.

A loud screeching noise came from the tower as it slowly began to extend upward. Extensions struggled, but with a built in safety mechanism going off, the arms reached out with other dishes. Metal continued to scream and squeal as the tower fully extended to its final height.

Barrett then turned to the computer and typed in another command, doing who knows what. Another loud noise occupied my ears from the tower, and suddenly sparks came shooting out from the bottom to the top of the tower. I didn't know what to expect so I hit the ground and heard the serviceman laugh.

"It's powered up now, we should be fine heading back to see General Constance."

"Sounds like a plan, let me radio him." I said as I played with the settings on the pip boy.

The speaker crackled until a stable signal came through. I could hear a bunch of commotion in the background, feet shuffling around, and voices being raised. It sounded like what Cedric had described of Alaska.

"Uh, hello?" I asked, with no response in return.

Barrett shook his head and grabbed the arm with the Pip-Boy, messing with the device again.

"General Constance, this is Sergeant First Class Barrett, reporting in. We have reactivated antenna array 353-T9 and are awaiting orders."

The sounds on the other side of the radio eventually went dead, a tone now replaced by silence. He tried messing with the Pip-Boy again and then let me go, swiveling to look up at the tower. Without warning he started walking off down the road I came down, motioning me to follow him.

"Maybe we're getting interference from the tower. Let's try and move farther away and see if we can get a signal then."

I did as I was asked only because it seemed like the best idea. Maybe the signals coming from the tower were messing with the Pip-Boy, or maybe there was something else going on. We did get a signal fairly close to the tower while we stood right next to it. There might have also been another signal we picked up and what if they were survivors?

Never even thought of the possibility of other survivors. I remember our neighbors making fallout shelters of their own. The Aberdeens down the street had money and were working on something in the back yard, so maybe that might explain it. Then again how would they have a radio powerful enough to be picked up on a military tower?

There were so many possibilities running through my head like always. Cedric told me I had a mind, and when it raced it could provide good ideas, or really stressful ones. My gut started wrenching up at the thought of not knowing what was what.

Looking out over the wasteland again I could see the fires still burning across the ruins of D.C. there was nothing moving out here other than debris blowing loose off of ruins or dead trees. Suddenly the ideas of an organized group anywhere outside of that bunker started to come into question. Who could survive such destruction on a grand scale?

"Hey." Barrett called from ahead. "Keep trying the radio every so many yards. See if the interference from the radio tower dies down."

Pip-boy up to where I could read the screen I tried using the radio again and nothing came up. No signal at all, no change in the radio at all even with our distance away from the tower.

*CRACKLE CRACKLE*

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Barrett called out, swiveling back to me.

Playing with the radio nothing changed. It was as if it was being broadcast on every frequency...

"Mrs. Best it's good to finally get back in touch with you." General Constance replied.

Barrett ran over to me yanking my arm towards him, speaking into the radio mic, "WE ARE HERE GENERAL! Is everything functional with the tower up now?" He asked.

"Ah and Sergeant Barrett. Glad to have you both in the same place same time, this will make things easier. You see, your efforts have brought us to the realization we never thought would happen. We have linked up with high command and have received orders to go elsewhere, pack up and leave. They told us to get there as soon as possible, so that would mean leaving you two behind..."

"WHAT!?" I screamed.

"I know, I know. This must all be hard to grasp for you, but let me explain. You've both been exposed to high doses of radiation and are thusly unable to re-enter our presence without irradiating us. We told you beforehand the stuff outside was so intense you could be cooked just from exposure, so you did as you needed to and served your country. Godspeed you two."

Off in the distance the sounds I had not heard in some time. From the mountain itself came vertibird after vertibird taking off and flying away. My feet just kicked off and ran towards the bunker as fast as they could take me. I was screaming at the top of my lungs the whole way.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! STOP!!!" I ran and yelled.

Tears filled my eyes as the sights of vertibirds filling the sky were all I could see. I never looked down to see where I was running and tripped on a rock below me, landing landing hard on another rock.

The sounds of war machines went on and on...