Chapter 27 - Megaton & Memories


"Well, I'll be damned." Megaton's sheriff, a dark-skinned man named Lucas Simms, murmured in awe and surprise, as he spotted the two new arrivals into his town. One of them looked like a raider, wearing little more than scraps of leather and cloth, but his companion... "You're from that Vault! Vault 101! I ain't seen one of those jumpsuits in a long time!"

Ruby, tired from all the stuff she was carrying, took a moment to process the man's words. Once she did, however, she blinked, utterly confused. A long time? But she and her father had only left the vault earlier that morning! What on earth was he talking about?

Jaune, meanwhile, wasn't even fazed by the weight he was carrying (easily more than thrice of what Ruby was lugging). As he set down the sack of stuff they'd "liberated" from the former raiders' base, in the old Springvale school, he looked around the walled city.

At the time, considering the facts that, if the bandits had a base of operations, then they'd need to have supplies, and Jaune had already killed said bandits, the pair had opted to head to the school, and scavenge it for supplies; food, water, weapons, and stuff to barter. Sure, it wouldn't help them find James, but it had solved their immediate concerns.

They'd lucked out with the school; not only had they found a makeshift armory that they'd promptly looted (Ruby had wept about their poor condition and repaired them as best she could; for her efforts Jaune had a "new" 10mm pistol and she had a new hunting rifle, with a fair amount of ammunition for both weapons), but the leader of the bandits, whoever they were, had actually been fairly intelligent, and had kept a journal (of sorts) on a computer in the school.

Through those entries, they'd learned that, to the south, there was a town called Megaton, which regularly received traders and caravanners, and it was well-defended, enough so that the journal's author considered trying to raid it "stupid". Apparently, the previous leader had tried raiding Megaton, and received a bullet to his head for his efforts.

They'd also learned that there was a hive of giant ants somewhere underneath the school, which had killed seven people before they'd been locked off the way down.

That had been more than enough to convince them that taking shelter in the ruins of the school was probably not a good idea, and they'd promptly left after looting everything that looked remotely valuable, instead heading for the town of Megaton, barely half a mile south of the school...

"Name's Lucas Simms," Simms introduced himself, holding out a hand. Jaune promptly stepped forward and shook it firmly, doubting that this version of Ruby was much better with strangers than his Ruby. "Town sheriff. And mayor too, when the need arises."

"I'm Jaune Arc." Jaune returned the greeting, and gestured to Ruby behind him. "And this is Ruby Rose... Ironwood. Pleasure to meet you, sheriff."

"Friendly and well-mannered?" Lucas Simms raised an eyebrow at the man who'd looked more like a raider, and chuckled warmly. Even at his age, the Wasteland was still finding ways to surprise him. At least this one seemed pleasant. "I think we're gonna get along just fine. You treat my people nice, and you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. Now, is there something I can help you two with?"

Ruby squeaked, as Jaune subtly nudged her with his foot, and stepped behind her. Dang it, how was she supposed to talk to a sheriff who was also a mayor?! She looked back to Jaune, silently pleading for him to help her with her eyes.

"Hey, I don't know what your father looks like." Jaune pointed out under his breath, sealing her fate.

Crap, now she really didn't have a choice, did she? The sheriff was still looking at expectantly.

Come on, Ruby, you're James's daughter! Ruby tried hyping herself up. You escaped the vault! Surely You can talk to someone!

"I'mlookingformyfather! Haveyouseenhim?" Ruby shouted, as quickly as she could, before her face turned red. Lucas Simms looked at her, confused at both her attitude and her speech, before looking to Jaune, who had a small smile on his face as he shook his head. Classic Ruby...

"You're looking for your father?" Lucas asked, looking at the girl for confirmation. A mortified Ruby silently nodded. The sheriff took a moment to think it over. She looked like she was in her late teens, so the youngest her father could be was middle-aged. Sure, he could have been older, but either way... "Nope, sorry, haven't seen him. I got enough fires to put out in this place that I don't have time to keep tabs on every visitor. I'd ask around town."

Ruby's horror only grew. He wanted her to talk to more strangers?!

Jaune stepped in, seeing Ruby's expression. "Thanks, sheriff. Uh, mind giving us directions around town?"

"Sure thing, partner. What do you need to find?"

"We've got some equipment to trade." Jaune explained, gesturing to the sack he'd carried. "Is there a general goods store in town?"

"Moira trades all kinds of stuff at her place, Craterside Supply." Simms answered, after giving it some thought. He then chuckled, and added: "Take a guess where it is."

Jaune and Ruby looked up at the giant letters spelling out "SUPPLY", above a building on the side of the crater. "... I think we'll be fine. See you around, sheriff."

"Carry on." Lucas Simms tipped his hat to the pair, before walking off, going back to doing his daily rounds around his town.

"So..." Jaune began, looking down at Ruby. "Not very good with talking to people?"

Ruby just shook her head sadly, and explained: "There weren't many kids my age, in the vault. And most of them didn't like me very much..."

"... I'm sure you'll get better." Jaune tried reassuring her, though he quietly added the word "eventually". Hadn't Ruby made friends with Team CMEN, after a semester at Beacon? Wait, no, that was a bad example. Gripping the sacks, he continued: "Come on, Ruby. Let's go to Craterside Supply."

Craterside Supply, it turned out, was little more than what Jaune would have considered a run-down shack. There were holes in the walls, and he was sure the ceiling would have leaked if it ever actually rained in this wasteland. At least the owner was friendly, though, if not a little too enthusiastic.

"Hey, you look like you're from that vault!" Moira had exclaimed, as soon as they'd stepped foot into the "shop". "I haven't seen one of you for years!"

"Years?" Ruby echoed, distinctly lost. The sheriff had also mentioned something about seeing a vault jumpsuit a long time ago, hadn't he? But... the vault had never been opened, before her dad had left... right?

"Good to meet you!" Moira continued on, ignoring her confusion. "I'm Moira Brown. I run Craterside Supply, but what I really do is mostly tinkering and research."

"Uh..." Jaune looked at Moira, and couldn't help but remember Septimus Signus. Enthusiastic genius, sure, but also probably not all there in the head.

"Say, I'm working on a book about the Wasteland, and you two look like you'd be perfect to help me out! It'd be great to have the foreword by a vault dweller, and you, young man, seem to know a thing or two about surviving out there! What do you say?"

Jaune and Ruby both blinked, utterly lost. Finally, before Moira could ask for anything else, Jaune spoke first: "Listen, Moira... we'd love to help, really..."

Moira's face didn't falter, but internally, her hopes fell. Sure, she tried hard to always smile, no matter how much people shouted at her and said mean things, no matter how bad things got, but even she couldn't handle rejection indefinitely...

"But Ruby has to find her father first. So, maybe, if you just give us a list of what you want, we'll get on it whenever we can?"

Moira stared at Jaune with hopeful tears in her eyes.

"Uh, Moira?" Jaune felt a bit uncomfortable, at the look she was giving him.

"Thank you!" Moira was ecstatic that, finally, after years, someone had agreed to help her with her dreams. "Here, have this armored vault jumpsuit! You look like you could use some new clothes!"

Jaune and Ruby just shared a look, both utterly lost and confused.

-MORIARTY'S SALOON, TEN MINUTES LATER-

"Colin Moriarty, at your service! Welcome to Mor-" Colin Moriarty introduced himself, as he spied two unfamiliar people enter his saloon. Then he saw their jumpsuits, and the girl's face, and he dropped the glass he'd been drinking from, in shock. "My God... it's you! The little baby girl, all grown up. Persistent little bastard, ain't ya? Then and now, it would seem. It's been a long time, Ruby."

By now, the feeling of confusion was becoming familiar to Ruby, and she was learning how to at least function in such a state. And so, with Jaune's encouragement, she asked the man: "Uh... how do you know who I am?"

"How could I not? You stayed in my saloon, before James brought you to the vault to keep you safe. The three of you in one room; your father, his Brotherhood of Steel friend, and you, the suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle. Sorry about your mom. Truly."

There was... a lot to unpack from that statement. But, as her father and Jaune had told her, set aside her emotions, and focus on what was right in front of her. "What do you mean, he brought me to the vault? I was born in Vault 101..."

Colin looked at the pitiful and lost girl in front of her, and then to the self-appointed guard dog behind her. Jaune just shrugged, knowing as little as she did. Then, he remembered someone who'd come into his saloon, a few years ago, and it all clicked. "Ah, I see. You know, I heard about the brainwashin' that goes on down there. From some other fella, escaped, oh... five years back. "All hail the Overseer. We're born in the Vault; we die in the Vault!" And all that other assorted lunacy."

"That... does make sense." Jaune pointed out. "The sheriff and Moira, they recognized your jumpsuit, and they knew the vault."

Ruby nodded numbly. It did make sense... but it also meant that everything she'd known had been a lie. It meant that the Overseer had lied to her, and worse, that her father had lied to her.

Colin saw the look on her face, and remarked: "Kid, you've got better programming than our own Deputy Weld. You'd best wise up quick. Wouldn't want anyone... takin' advantage of ya, hmmm?"

Jaune bristled, when he saw Colin look at him as he said those last words. Stepping in, he asked: "Look, you clearly know her father. Do you know if he passed by recently?"

"And why should I tell you, boy?" Colin sneered, looking suspiciously at Jaune. He may have been wearing a vault jumpsuit, but the way he carried himself, the weapons he carried, the look on his face... he clearly wasn't a sheltered kid from the vault, like Ruby.

"Please, Mister Moriarty..." Ruby spoke up from behind Jaune, giving him the saddest eyes she could muster. Jaune would've called her manipulative, but he doubted that she even knew what it did to people, let alone that she did it on purpose.

Colin Moriarty tried to hold out, to withstand the sad eyes and the pout for as long as he could, and to his credit he almost succeeded. He was hardened, cruel, and selfish. He worked only for his self-interest, and saw nothing wrong with blackmail, enabling addictions, and keeping his employees in servitude.

For all of that, however... he wasn't heartless.

He tried rationalizing it as getting the kid to her father as soon as possible, so that James could deal with the suspicious boy hanging around Ruby. But, eventually, he gave in, and said: "Well, he did come through here, but he left. I'm truly sorry."

As Ruby's face fell, he quickly added: "But maybe you can catch up to him? He headed southeast, into the city. Said he needed information from those loonies at the station. You know, Galaxy News Radio, what there is of it."

"Thanks Mister Moriarty!" Ruby chirped, before bouncing out, ready to run after her father.

Jaune, however, stepped forward, and put some bottle caps on the counter (he still couldn't believe bottle caps were used as currency in this world, but Moira had given him lots of caps for the stuff they'd liberated from the raiders, and assured him that they were accepted throughout the Wasteland). Stepping back, he gruffly said: "Thanks for the information."

"If anything happens to her, boy, you'll be lucky if her father gets to you before I do." Colin threatened in a level tone, as he still pocketed the caps.

Jaune didn't bother answering the man, as he walked out of the bar with a roll of his eyes, to join Ruby.

After everything he'd been through, the man didn't scare him.

Moreover though, after everything he'd been through, the warning was unnecessary.

He'd given his life before, to make sure Ruby was safe, after all.


Author's Note: Fun fact... I originally planned to have this be one massive chapter, but as I was finishing it, I realized it flowed much better being split into two parts. Which means you can probably expect the next chapter soon.

I feel like, if this had been at the start, in Skyrim, Jaune would've just accepted Moira's quest on the spot. But he's a bit less... desperate to help, now. Sure, he still wants to help, sure, but he at least knows his priorities. And right now, his priority is getting Ruby to her father, getting her to safety. Humanity has survived in the Wasteland for two hundred years without her book, it can survive a few more weeks... though he will help out, when he can. Also, he doesn't really know anything about the Wasteland, so it'd be a bit hard for him to help write a book on it...

Colin Moriarty... is not a good person. He keeps the drunks drunk, his employees in servitude, and he keeps files on as many people in the town as he can. Sure, in the Wasteland, his actions are perfectly justifiable. Ruthlessness is perfectly understandable, to survive after the end of the world. But he's not a good person. With that said, however... he's also not heartless. He clearly has a soft spot for James, and the Lone Wanderer. He doesn't want to see Ruby being tricked by someone like Jaune, who is very clearly not just another Vault Dweller.

Jaune, for his part... he'll try to be polite first, sure, but after two months in Skyrim fighting dragons and bandits, and over a semester leading a team (and standing up to Cardin)... he knows when someone's eyeing him up, and he's not such a push-over anymore.