Minor spoilers for the Fallout 3 DLC/Add-On "Operation: Anchorage" towards the end

THUD

"AMERICA WILL NEVER FALL TO COMMUNIST INVASION!"

THUD

"Did he just shoot down Enclave helicopters with lasers coming out of his EYES?!" Sylvia screamed in astonishment.

"Keep moving!" Sarah Lyons ordered, charging ahead of Liberty Prime.

"COMMENCING TACTICAL ASSESSMENT. RED CHINESE THREAT DETECTED!"

THUD

"RED CHINESE VICTORY... IMPOSSIBLE!"

Juliet was certain this robot was her exact feelings personified.

The Enclave began shooting mortars from the Jefferson Memorial at the bridge they were crossing that was near the Washington Monument.

+1 RAD/SEC

A missile launched into an already destroyed car, causing an explosion. The front of the car flipped, nearly knocking out a Knight, Fawkes, and Sylvia.

Liberty Prime reached for an enormous sized missile strapped to his back and threw it ahead of him, blowing to shit all that was there - Enclave soldiers included. That cleared the way to completely cross the bridge.

THUD

"ALASKA'S LIBERATION IS IMMINENT. COMMUNISM IS A LIE!"

THUD

Never in Juliet's life would she imagine she'd be dodging missiles. Bullets. Lasers. Waging war with a giant ass robot. She never would have guessed her future would be like this.

She never would have known she was going to have this kind of life with Charon.

Despite all efforts from the Enclave, the Brotherhood made it to the Jefferson Memorial. "I was born here." Sylvia quietly admitted.

Juliet thought about the very first time she visited the Jefferson Memorial. She was about six years old. Julia her sister was a year older. It was before Dad ever left for the army. When he was always around.

It was also the first time since she was a toddler that she met her dad's brother. Uncle Nate. He looked nothing like Dad so of course little Juliet had to be sure. "Are you really my uncle? You don't even look like my daddy."

Both Shawn and Nate laughed a little too hard, Juliet remembered.

As she, Charon, Sylvia and Sarah entered the gift shop, Juliet wondered what had ever happened to Uncle Nate. He sent a letter that Mom ignored a long time ago, and it had been even longer than that since they last saw him. He didn't live in D.C. She couldn't remember where he moved to. Boston maybe?

The second time she was here... she found out who and what she really was. She watched her mother get shot and killed in cold blood.

For her third visit here... she is going to avenge her mother.

As soon as they mowed down what puny resistance Colonel Asshole had guarding the way to the rotunda, they simply made their way in.

"You again?"

Sarah quickly saw how angry Sylvia and Juliet had gotten. "I can't say I'm surprised," he continued. "You and your little gang seem hell-bent on ruining everything your government has worked for. There's nothing to stop me from killing you this time, just like I did your-"

"Juliet?" Sylvia interrupted him.

"I got it," the two-hundred seventeen year old replied. "Commencing Project Downy Hair." She tried to frighten Colonel Asshole with her smart big words, and it worked. His eyes widened and stayed widened while Juliet proceeded to shoot away the same weapon she was currently using, a laser rifle from his grip.

No matter what, she was never going to get used to the slow motion and the... the glowing.

What seemed like five minutes later of careful aiming was really about a second and Colonel Asshole lost his gun. Sarah went ahead to start gunning him down, but Charon stopped her.

"This is their fight." He told her.

Unfortunately, no one expected more Enclave soldiers. A swarm of them suddenly appeared from both entrances to the rotunda and everything went to hell.

As quickly as he could Fawkes readied his Gatling laser. "No more games... time to DIE!"

Fawkes gave Charon a constant headache.

Sylvia and Juliet took cover behind a giant pole as they narrowly avoided minigun bullets. As the rage continued, Sylvia looked to Juliet. "You can get him."

"What?"

"I wanted to kill him," she admitted and then gulped. "But you can get him. Take his fucking head off."

"Yeah, yeah!" Juliet remarked, whipping around the pole to engage Colonel Asshole - the only one left standing. She aimed for his head. Made sure it was glowing... and shot one round of her laser rifle.

His separated head smacked against the purifier walls, splattering some blood before landing on the ground not too far from his body.

Sylvia ran over and kicked his body. "That was for my dad! And Juliet's mom!"

"Well..." Sarah Lyons let out. "That settles that. Wait, does anyone hear that?" She trekked up the stairs to the intercom, where Dr. Li was desperately trying to contact someone. "Dr. Li? What is it?"

"I was monitoring the equipment," she started, sounding out of breath. "There's a lot of damage. Some of it accidental. Some of it sabotage. There's a lot of pressure in the holding tanks. It needs to be released now or the whole place will blow. The purifier has to be turned on NOW. The readings say there are lethal levels of radiation in the chamber."

"So you're saying..." Sylvia realized. "Whoever turns it on will die?"

"I'm sorry. I wish there was another way."

Click

Sarah sighed. "Well..."

To everyone's surprise, Sylvia shred a brief smile. "I'll do it." She looked at Juliet. "Your life was taken away from you so fast. Yours and Charon's. You guys deserve to see how the world looks with clean water again. Charon... Juliet now has your contract."

"Wait-" Juliet started.

Charon felt himself twitch. He thought he'd broken free of his wiring, but maybe not completely. He found himself telling Juliet, "You are now my employer and I will do as you command."

"Shut up," Juliet spat. "I'm not-"

"I'll make sure everyone knows the sacrifice you've made." Sarah promised.

"Thanks. Now get back everyone." Sylvia ordered. She made her way into the chamber. When the bulkhead door shut behind her, Juliet ran up and pounded her fists against it. She was yelling but Sylvia couldn't hear what she was saying.

"Stop!" Juliet screamed. "Sylvia! No! I can't lose you too!" She sobbed.

Sylvia went to the purifier, trying not to inhale the radiation. This is what Dad felt just before he died. You won't be alone anymore, Dad. Here I come. I hope Mom is there too.

The Lone Wanderer input 2-1-6 on the console.

You remember your mother's favorite passage? Revelation 21:6. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely. Don't you see? This is what it all means. The water, the purifier. THIS is the water of life. Your mother's dream. No point in wasting time. Let's get to work. There's much to be done.

ENTER

There was a brief flash, causing Sylvia to stumble back. Everything was getting brighter. She managed to see the statue of Jefferson clearly in the center of the rotunda. It... it was working.

Sylvia was lying on her back now. Everything was so bright. So very bright...

What happened next Charon recognized all too easily as he had witnessed and experienced it firsthand 200 years ago. The ground shook from a pulse, followed by a bright flash this time. A moment later the pulse was released.

Juliet was sent flying backwards. She smashed into Sarah and they smacked against one of the poles. "Juliet-!" Charon panicked, running over. He went to pull her off of Sarah but flinched back when a little spark erupted from Juliet's head.

"What in the world was that?" Fawkes questioned.

"I think it fried her brain." Charon realized in horror.

"I thought that was just a figure of speech," Fawkes remarked. "People's brains can really get fried?"

Charon didn't feel like explaining Juliet's half human, half machine situation to him, because right now she was probably half dead. "Can you get her?" Charon motioned to an unconscious Sarah.

"I can," Fawkes assured. "Where are we going?"

For the next two weeks Charon was in constant and utter terror. Sarah had woken up quickly with just a headache. The Lyons Pride had managed to pry Sylvia out of the rotunda safely, but she was still unconscious. She was still breathing.

Juliet... was not. The Brotherhood doctors all tried to pronounce her dead, but Charon wouldn't have it. He showed them how a few times a day, that same little spark would erupt out of her head.

Scribe Rothchild was amazed. "She truly is one of a kind. Half human, half machine. Could there be any way to fix her?"

No one had anything except for Elder Lyons, who appeared hesitant before he said, "There may be something you can do."

"What is it?" Charon snapped his head up at the old man.

"There is a group of Brotherhood soldiers who are no longer affiliated with us," the Elder started. "We call them the Outcasts. We've gotten reports that they've settled at a place that used to be called VSS Inc. Virtual Strategic Solutions Incorporated. Before the Great War that place was supposed to create virtual reality combat scenarios for U.S. soldiers. If they have figured out how to use that technology, maybe they can find some way to... trigger Juliet's brain?"

"Where is this place?" Charon demanded.

"It's not too terribly far, still in D.C. south-west of here." Elder Lyons answered. As Charon went over to retrieve Juliet from where she lay, the Elder sighed. "If you find them, please be careful. They are outcasts for a reason."

"I'll deal with them." Charon stated, lifting Juliet up bridal style. Without another word, he carried her out of the Infirmary through the Citadel courtyard, and almost to the exit when a certain ten year old boy stopped him.

"Are you going to fix her?" Squire Maxson asked.

"Yes." Charon promised.

"Good, make sure she comes back, okay? I really, really like her." Maxson said nervously. "She's so nice to me."

"She'll be back." Charon reassured, continuing on his trek.

After hours of surprise raider, super mutant and Enclave attacks which proved dangerously difficult for Charon; he had to carefully hide Juliet before he would fight them, followed by feral ghouls in a metro station that led to Bailey's Crossroads, he'd found the Outcasts.

Currently engaged in heavy battle against super mutants of course.

They looked just like normal Brotherhood soldiers, only they had splotches of red paint over their armor. During the fight they noticed Charon and planned to shoot him until they saw he was carrying a human. "Hostage?!" Some of them sputtered.

"No!" Charon rasped angrily. "I'm here for your help!"

"Hmph! Help us with these mutants and we'll talk!" The lead Outcast ordered. Charon ducked back to the metro exit and set Juliet down, watching another spark erupt.

"Hang on, Juliet." He murmured to her. He ran back out wielding his combat shotgun, determined to finish off the super mutants. Determined to acquire the help of these Outcasts. Determined to save Juliet.

"I'm Morrill," the lead Outcast introduced afterwards. "Follow us. What did you need help with?"

After Charon returned for Juliet, he began to explain. "I heard you guys found virtual simulation technology. This... this is Juliet. She... she has Vault-Tec in her brain."

Morrill looked confused but intrigued. "Vault-Tec in her br-?" He jumped back a little when a sudden spark erupted.

"You know what a Pip-Boy does?" Charon questioned.

"Yes." Morrill answered a little too fast, Charon noticed.

"All of that technology and maybe some general Vault-Tec stuff, she can do it. It's in her brain, like... like a computer."

"Wait a minute," Morrill interrupted. "You're saying she's a walking, talking Pip-Boy?"

Charon grunted and nodded.

"Holy shit..." Morrill gasped.

Charon continued. "She was struck by a radiation wave - a strong one. It fried her brain, fried her technology. She won't wake up. Can you... can you do anything?"

Morrill thought long and hard. "There's a sealed room in this place we're headed to. The only way to open it is to enter a simulation pod and complete a scenario, something military. Problem is, we need... you know what, why don't you take that little red elevator over there down and talk to Protector McGraw. I'll radio him your situation, and you guys can work something out."

After another grunt Charon did just that. A black man with a creepy ghoul like voice met him at the bottom, ordering Charon to follow him and not to pull out his weapon. He led him straight to Protector McGraw, who had an annoyingly perfect haircut and an even worse mustache.

"Hmm..." He mumbled. "So the girl has that fancy computer technology... in her brain? Interesting. She's unconscious? We need someone who can use that kind of technology. If we can get her awake, can we use her help?"

"Help for what? Opening a door?" Charon wondered.

"There's a simulation that needs completed, but it requires a specific interface. We don't have it... but if what you say is true, then you have one. In your girl's brain. How about a deal? We wake her up, and in return she helps us complete that simulation?"

"She was in a simulation for 200 years," Charon muttered. "I think she can go through it again just for a little while."

"...200 years?" McGraw repeated.

"Just show me the simulation lounger." Charon snapped, quickly following the amazed and confused Protector.