November 11th, 2088. A Certain Tavern, somewhere.
"You're crazy, woman! Or you're drinking too much of what you're selling!" One of the patrons laughed.
The woman he was speaking to, a waitress wasn't too happy with the response she was given, telling the story of how she got there.
"I'm telling you that's what happened, damnit!" The woman yelled, aggravated.
"Maybe you fell down and had a little dream!" Another patron yelled, mockingly at the woman as others joined in laughing at her.
"Whatever, don't believe me, see if I care." The woman said, rolling her eyes as she went around with tankards on a serving tray.
"So Norma, what do you think?" The youngest in a set of four knights asked, a man just somewhat similar in age to her that sat at the same table.
"What do I think?" The man known as Norma asked as he looked over the swill that filled his tankard.
"Mhmm." The youngest replied.
"The food is atrocious, and the only thing that's somehow worse. Are the drinks." Norma answered.
"Look Norma, we are here to conduct recon on the way to Alnus Hill. Let's focus on the flame dragon." The eldest of the group said
"Lower, your voice... Go ahead Hamilton." A redheaded young woman in the group said, looking to the youngest knight in the group.
"Oh, uh.. Right. There's been a lot of talk lately, about a group of mercenaries in green and one in black. They evacuated Coda Village, and they say the one in black defeated a flame dragon." Hamilton said before Norma interjected
"I dunno, Wyverns, drakes, and a lot of other things could be mistaken for a flame dragon." Norma said, before he himself was interrupted.
"I know a flame dragon when I see one, mister." The waitress from earlier came back around and set a jug on the table infront of the red headed knight.
Norma let out a laugh before he spoke
"You've been drinking what you've been selling!" Norma said.
"Laugh all you want, but I saw what I saw." The woman said, asserting she knew what she was talking about.
"Okay then, the men in green, and the man in black who drove it away, what can you tell us about them?" Hamilton asked.
"Hmm... I'm not so sure about the details." The woman said eluding to that she might need some help... "Refreshing" her memory.
"I think you might remem-" Hamilton was about to say before the woman, as quick as a bolt of lightening, snatched the coin Hamilton fetched from her pocket out of Hamilton's hands.
"Oh! Yeah, you know what, I think it's all coming back to me!" The woman said, a smile on her face as her mood had quite noticeably changed to a more chipper and happy one.
"Uh..." Hamilton was at a loss for words of what just transpired before the woman continued on.
"You are in for a most impressive story indeed. They came, the same day of the attack, the men in green came to warn us about a flame dragon which attacked a nearby elf village in Koan forest, after they told us, they stayed around to watch over us as the whole village packed up, it was between then and us leaving, the one in black showed up. He wore a strange brown and black outfit with a hat on that had a cluster of stars around a strange symbol on the front of it, it seemed he knew the men in green well enough, but he was the most impressive of all. At the start of the convoy a carriage had broken down and a girl was injured, the men in green went to check on her and one of the horses went wild. The man in brown and black pulled a strange metal wand from a sheathe on his belt and pointed it at the horse, the horse instantly turned to ash after the wand shot off a beam of blue light." The woman explained.
"So what happened after that?" Norma asked.
"The men in green, or well, one of them, a young, slim girl pointed her wand at the man and he put his hands up." The woman said.
"It sounds like the men in green and the man in black and brown weren't wholly friendly towards each other." Hamilton said.
"You would think but no, they started conversing in some strange language and started working together." The woman said.
"You mean, these people were from the same world?" The red head interjected
"It doesn't seem like it, the clothes were similar but their wands and all were completely different. It was the man in black and brown who staved off the Flame dragon, all by himself." The woman said.
"That sounds like the makings of a tall tale." The eldest knight said.
"It's true! The man in black and brown, before the journey started had switched clothes, he wore a set of black armour and black clothing, sometimes he wore a mask which made his eyes glow yellow. And, he had the most powerful wand of all... Well, it wasn't a wand, it was something different..." The woman said.
"Can you describe it?" Hamilton asked.
"It was a sort of catapult but he had used his shoulder to hold it, and the object he had loaded into it was metal, like an egg." The woman said.
"You mean to tell us, this man launched a metal egg at the flame dragon and it, what? Flew away?!" Norma yelled, getting aggravated.
"The metal egg didn't act like any egg I've seen. When it hit the dragon, it exploded in a bright, almost blinding light, and with force that I didn't think was possible, it severed the flame dragon's left arm and leg, causing it to retreat." The woman said.
"That sounds like pure and utter nonsense.." The redhead said.
"It may but you might change your tune, because I'm not done. After the dragon was chased away, a metal pegasus swooped down, and out came more people like the man in black, but four of them wore suits of armour, heavier than the others and the earth trembled under their footsteps, they stood a foot higher than the tallest man in our village. They came and used some strange magical objects to heal everyone they could." The woman said.
"I see..." Hamilton said.
"That's about all that I know happened, we left and the men and green and the men in black armour were still talking with each other, but it's likely they separated or might have went the same place.. But it's unlikely, the man in black, when he came, he looked just like your or I, the men in green looked differently, their eyes were almond shaped, his were round." The woman finished.
"So, they might be two different forces but temporarily working together..." The redhead mumbled to herself.
"Alright, if that's everything I'll be taking my leave." The woman said before she left.
The next morning, November 12th, 2288...
Ingram slept, his laser rifle leaned up against his right shoulder, a bit quietly snored in his sleep, before he felt a hand on his shoulder shake him gently, Ingram woke up and looked around, yawning.
"Mhmm.. Shit, alright... Where am I now?" Ingram asked.
"Still with us, Colonel." Itami said from the front passenger seat.
About the same time, the elf girl woke up too and sat up, stretching out herself.
"Good morning." Kurokawa leaned in, saying to the elf girl in the local language, the elf girl looked around and saw Ingram who hesitantly waved hello at her, then Itami spoke up.
"Oh, she's awake too? Morning, we're almost there." Itami said, switching to the local language for the latter half of what he said.
"So where are we even going?" Ingram said, he took off his helmet and set it on the floor.
"We're heading back to our base, Alnus Hill." Kurokawa said.
"Yeah, it's where our Gate opened up." Itami said as the humvee came over a small hill, Ingram leaned forward and looked out the windscreen to see a... Quite substantially large base built up on the hill, he couldn't even think of just how the Japanese built this base in such a short amount of time, it was mind boggling to him.
The three vehicle convoy passed through the apparent main gate to the base and Ingram just sat there, across from him, he just noticed. Someone else who looked like they crawled out of a Tolkien novel, the stereotypical wizard, he also noticed one of the JSDF vehicles was towing a wagon filled with objects...
But that didn't concern him at all. Ingram just waited as the humvee pulled up to what he could only assume to be the headquarters for the Japanese, he waited as the children, the old man, and the elf came out of the vehicle, Itami apparently also waited as Ingram gathered up his pack and came out of the vehicle last.
"Old man, come on, you gotta meet General Hazama." Itami said, motioning to Ingram.
"I told you not to call me that, son." Ingram said, with a chuckle as he came along and into the base, an MP was sat there at the front door and noticed Ingram.
"Well best turn your rifle in, don't worry I'll see that you get it back." Itami said, motioning for the MP to come over, Ingram unloaded the fusion cell that was loaded into the rifle and turned it over to the MP who looked at Itami with a "And just what do you expect me to do with this?" look, Itami switched to Japanese real quick.
"Go give it to the Quartermaster, tell him, it belongs to our Enclave guest." Itami said, Ingram could only really make out the Enclave part of that sentence, so the MP went off to do exactly as told.
"So, question, is there a chance I can get to a storage room or something to change into my uniform so I don't look like shit?" Ingram asked.
"Uh, yeah hold on. One second, I think there might be somewhere, right about... Here?" Itami opened a door in the hall and switched on the light, just in luck, a broom closet, basically.
Ingram just shrugged and went into the broom closet and shut the door behind him as he set his pack down on the floor and began taking his armour off, then he went to his uniform, taking off the combat uniform, Ingram folded the pants and tunic before he took out the officer's uniform he was given back at base, along with the cap, he set it on a shelf and started with the shirt, then the pants, then his boots, then he put on the tie and the rest, finishing with the belt and the visor cap.
Ingram packed away the armour and the combat uniform in his pack before he came out, wearing the officer's uniform, he carried the cap under his right arm.
"Alright, let's get going then." Ingram said as Itami lead the way into what was obviously some command room, Ingram just waited outside, getting strange looks from the personnel that past him, as well as one with a set of glasses who had the bangs of his hair swept to the side.
Ingram waited as he heard someone yelling something in Japanese, probably at Itami... There was a slight tense silence in the air as he heard Itami reporting everything, apparently, looking it, it was all being put down on a strange looking computer terminal as sheets of paper were printed off in the same room from a smaller printer than Ingram had ever seen before, before he could get caught looking in, Ingram returned to just looking forward, trying to remain motionless as was possible.
It would be then Itami would come out with the man with glasses and the swept bangs, Itami would be the one to make the introductions.
"First Lieutenant Yanagida, this is Colonel Ingram." Itami said
Ingram held his hand out for Yanagida.
"So, he's an American then?" Yanagida asked in English as he shook Ingram's hand, noticeably he was somewhat reluctant to do so.
"By all technicalities, one can say that, but I'm not from your world, First Lieutenant, I'm from another one, like your world, a Gate opened in mine, but it seems your world isn't worse off like mine is, I'm sad to say." Ingram said.
"Worse off? How so?" Yanagida asked.
"Well, it's been 210 in change years since a nuclear war wiped most life off the planet and we're only now starting to rebuild." Ingram said.
That answer caused a chill to run up Yanagida's spine.
"Might I ask what year this war happened?" Yanagida asked.
"2077, but don't worry, it seems from what I've seen here, your world is quite drastically different from mine before the war so I wouldn't worry too much." Ingram tried to be reassuring.
"Well one thing's for certain you don't act like a typical American from our world." Yanagida said.
"I suppose being on the frontlines of the resource wars before the great war would make a man, more quiet and less boastful, I'm assuming that's what you mean by "typical american", with American exceptionalism being a thing and all." Ingram said.
"I... That's one way of putting it I suppose... But, what doesn't add up is that you said you fought during something called the resource wars, before the "great war". Do you mean to say that you lived before the war?" Yanagida asked.
"Yeah, I'm only alive thanks to Vault tec and one cruel fucking joke of their's, setting up a vault that most everyone would think is just an ordinary underground bomb shelter, when it's actually a cryo facility." Ingram said.
"I wouldn't say that would be a cruel joke, atleast you're still alive." Yanagida said.
"I'm still alive, that's right. ...I'm the sole survivor of that vault." Ingram said as the conversation started to take a dark turn.
"I... I see." Yanagida said, regretting that turn.
"Why don't we continue this at a later time? Shouldn't keep the General waiting!" Itami interjected, to break the mood the conversation had caused.
"Indeed." Ingram said, somewhat aggravated.
"Right..." Yanagida said before he lead the three to General Hazama's office. Ingram and Itami were to wait outside as Yanagida gave his report.
"You seem... Angry." Itami said, looking over to Ingram.
"Itami, you, like most everyone else, will never know how goddamn infuriating it is that for everything, everything I did before the war, and after, with helping to liberate Alaska from those red chinese bastards, to rebuilding the minutemen from the ground, up, then finding the Enclave, and bringing both the Institute, which was the organisation that took my son from me and murdered my wife infront of me while I sat unable to do anything, and the minutemen together under the Enclave... It's fucking pitiful that I couldn't do anything to save my wife, and keep my son out of their hands." Ingram said, clearly aggravated.
"...You should talk to Kurokawa." Itami said.
"Why?" Ingram asked.
"Because, you're upset, I get it, but you can't hold on to that baggage forever. Things happen that are out of our control, I got sent here because I'm the "hero of Ginza", I brought civilians into the grounds of the Imperial palace before reinforcements arrived and saved a lot of people. And I'm here because of it, I was just in the right place at the right time, some would say, I would say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, cause it's loaded me with extra work I really don't want." Itami said.
There was a brief silence before Ingram let out a chuckle, just barely holding back laughter.
"Dear god, you are a lazy son of a bitch aren't you?" Ingram said, a smile donned on his face as he shook his head.
"Oh come on, you of all people should know how stressful it is being in the military, I'm only here to support my hobby, but I get tossed into these situations that leave me with more work than I intended." Itami said.
"You, really are lazy. Dear god." Ingram just continued to shake his head.
"And here I thought you'd understand." Itami said with a sigh.
"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I do understand, I understand that I'm talking to Kurokawa as soon as is possible because if I let myself become anything like you, General Ward is going to have me put up against a wall and shot, probably." Ingram said with a chuckle.
It would be then Ingram overheard coming from the office, mention of the Enclave, he knew his time was coming and it was coming soon, Ingram stood up and pulled down his uniform tunic, straightening it out, along with his hair.
"Well, either way, thanks Itami. You might be a lazy son of a bitch but least you have your moments. I'll go see Kurokawa when I get a moment." Ingram said before the door opened and Yanagida motioned for Ingram to enter the room.
Ingram entered the room, his cap held at his right side with the insignia of the Enclave showing on it to the General, Ingram snapped to attention and saluted the General as the door shut.
"Colonel Harry Reginald Ingram of the United States Enclave Armed Forces." Ingram said as his introduction, lowering his arm.
"Enclave... Hmm... Would you mind telling me about your organisation, Colonel? We have a United States on our side of the Gate." General Hazama said, motioning for Ingram to take a seat on one of two couches set before General Hazama's desk.
"I'll only be able to tell you some basic history, sir. Anything further will have to be directed to General Ward." Ingram said.
"I see, well then Colonel, can you tell me what the Enclave is?" General Hazama asked.
"That much, I can. The Enclave is the legal successor to the old United States Government, which collapsed along with, likely all other national governments in the great war of 2077, which was a nuclear conflict with all nuclear capable powers taking part in it. The Enclave is more of a continuation of the old government, desperate times call for desperate measures, wouldn't you agree?" Ingram said.
"I'd suppose in the case of a global nuclear war, it would." General Hazama said.
"Mhmm. The Enclave has been active since 2077, but we've gone through rough patches to my understanding. In the pacific the Enclave had a large oil rig for it's own but it was taken down by someone, the very same someone killed, then President Richardson. After that, the Enclave was forced to fight a war against the "New California Republic" and the Brotherhood of Steel, the latter being nothing more than power armoured boy scouts with supposed connections to the Pre-War United States Army, playing knights of the round table while hoarding technology all for themselves." Ingram explained.
"I see... Go on." General Hazama said.
"Yessir. After the oil rig was lost, as well as Control Station: Navarro, the majority of the Enclave went east to the ruins of Chicago and to Washington D.C., however the Brotherhood followed suit, they took over the pentagon and got an old weapon that was being worked on there working. They used it for the majority of the continuation war to seize the water purifier there, and destroy the Enclave headquarters at Raven Rock, they also took a satellite array which was under Enclave control, but not before we destroyed that weapon they were using." Ingram said.
"Anything else?" General Hazama asked.
"Quite a bit, I'm afraid. The Brotherhood launched a full scale assault against Adams Air Force Base which was the last major Enclave base in what is known as the Capital Wasteland. Afterwards, the Enclave was spread out, but then thanks to General Ward, who was cryogentically frozen, like I was, in Vault 111, a vault which is an underground bomb shelter made by Vault tec, a corporation from before the war, whose sole purpose was to build these vaults all across America... But anyway. After General Ward was unfrozen, he, myself, and three others retook the Enclave Oil Rig on the East Coast and we re-established the Enclave. But like always, the Brotherhood of Steel followed, like dogs." Ingram said.
"How did it end this time? It seems your organisation was on, what one might call to be a "losing streak"." General Hazama said.
"One may say that yes, but this time we wiped out the Eastern chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. And to add insult to injury, we took their precious weapon they were trying to restore from the last, previously mentioned time we destroyed it, for the most part, anyway." Ingram said.
"I see... So now the Enclave is likely here to stay, as one might say, then?" General Hazama asked.
"Yessir. It is because of this, I was given direct orders from General Ward, The Enclave intends to hold up on all previous treaties the Pre-War United States Government had with Japan before the great war." Ingram said, this interested General Hazama.
"Oh? How so?" General Hazama asked.
"As it is seen in the eyes of the Enclave, your Japan is the one we will likely end up dealing with in this "brave new world" as one might call it, and in all technicalities, your Japan, is Japan. So we will be sending suits of T-45 power armour your way. As well as fusion cores for your people to reproduce." Ingram said.
"What would the Enclave want in return?" General Hazama asked.
"Assistance, in building ourselves a place to call home in this world, a likely, a military alliance. I am aware, the likeliness that your United States in your world still exists, as is General Ward, but it is not our United States. Therefore we have no ties, nor any desire to leave to join that one. A United States which isn't fighting communism is not one we will be apart of. Communism is what caused the great war and it is the Enclave's duty to stamp it out. ...That being said, we are aware that you are not inclined to allow us through your gate to do the job, so we will not consider even asking, all we ask is for assistance in restoring our country to it's former glory, making us men again, so that we can purge all mutants from our world." Ingram said, everything of the latter part of his statement caused a cold chill to run down General Hazama, and Yanagida's spines.
Is this Enclave truly hellbent on wiping out others in their world purely for being communists, or even mutants? It was best not to think about, it was their world, not any world the JSDF, Japan, or any power from Japan's earth had a hand in, it didn't matter.
"I'm not sure about the possibility of giving the Enclave any military assistance beyond your gate, but I can see about helping you to build yourselves in this world, up. It would be the least we could do for what you intend to give us." General Hazama offered, he stood up and held his hand out for Ingram who stood up and took off his right glove, as he shook hands with General Hazama.
"Thank you, sir. I will ask about the possibility of having suits of T-51 series power armour also sent over. We'll have a demonstration ready soon on the capabilities of our power armour suits, if that would help... Also, I was ordered by General Ward to stay on with your forces and act as a sort of liaison officer between The Enclave and your men, I'd like permission to remain at your base, mainly to work with Second Lieutenant Itami, if you'd allow me." Ingram said.
"I think it might, thank you, Colonel Ingram. As for your request to stay on as a liaison between the JSDF and the Enclave, I will allow it." General Hazama saluted Ingram, Ingram put his glove back on and saluted General Hazama.
"Thank you, General. I'm glad to stay on here." Ingram said before he turned and left the office.
Ingram came out of the office and shut the door behind him, to see Itami still there, waiting.
"So how'd it go?" Itami asked.
"Better than I expected, we'll be getting to know each other a lot more." Ingram said, with a smile.
Yanagida left the office after Ingram and motioned for the two to follow him. Yanagida lead Ingram and Itami back to the office they were at previously and Itami went in with Yanagida, Ingram waited outside and the yelling started again, but it wasn't Yanagida who was yelling at Itami, it was someone else.
Itami came out looking drained of life, Ingram followed him and along the way they picked up Tomita, Kurata, Kuribayashi, and Kurokawa.
"Tomita, Kurata will be coming with me to find some tents. Ingram, would you mind going with Kuribayashi and Kurokawa to get rations from the quartermaster? I'll get the paperwork started for everything." Itami said with a sigh.
"Aye, that I can do." Ingram said as the group of six went off down the hall.
Passing through a T-junction in the hall, a familiar voice called out Itami's name, Ingram just shrugged it off and went with Kurokawa and Kuribayashi to help with the rations.
Itami followed Yanagida up to the roof of the headquarters and the two began conversing.
"Alright, just admit it." Yanagida said.
"Admit what?" Itami asked.
"Don't play dumb with me. You didn't miss a single radio call before the flame dragon attack, then after it you started "having problems". You thought we'd order you to abandon the refugees as well as the Enclave official, didn't you?" Yanagida asked.
Itami would of course try to feint stupidity.
"Huh? Must just be this new place, messing with the radio, the frequencies and what not." Itami said, trying his best to feint stupidity.
"You're so full of shit.. Look, Itami. There's a lot of Resources here, resources that we can get in exchange for little to nothing on our part. Your new Enclave friends want the tech to as Ingram said. "Become men again". To rebuild their country, we can't do it in their world but we can give the tech to them here. And in exchange, we might be able to count on them taking the territories with the needed resources that could turn the whole global economy on it's head. And they're going to give us tech, they can spare, but if these men are from a future world where they have power armour, working man portable laser weaponry. We can afford to not only buy the resources we need, from them, with little to no cost. We can afford to reverse engineer their power armour and energy weaponry, and make it better." Yanagida said.
"So that's why he's been allowed to stay, the Enclave can do what we can't." Itami said, though he was a bit of an asshole at rare times, Ingram was essentially an acquaintance, bordering a friend, he wasn't exactly too overjoyed with using him for resources.
"If need be, we could also work out deals with the Enclave for them to sell us land they take in exchange for more technology. This is a situation where both sides win. The Enclave get their world back and a half, and we get our world and technology we could only dream of, we're only ahead of the Enclave with working transportation, tanks, and all, from your report. The only aircraft you know of them having are these... Vertibirds." Yanagida said.
"Should we still not underestimate them?" Itami asked.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we'll bulldoze the Enclave and take everything for ourselves, the UN and all the world's superpowers, especially the US would get on us about it. Especially if it came out they were survivors of a global nuclear war, trying to rebuild and were American survivors, not to mention they're the continuation of the US government in their own world, Russia and China wouldn't care, China more so if they found out how everything happened over there from what you reported and Ingram's attitude towards communists." Yanagida said.
"Then what are you saying?" Itami asked.
"I'm saying we would be idiots if we didn't try to take advantage of the hand we've been dealt. We've got a world untouched not only by pollution but in the case of the Enclave, radiation, we're both set against a force that is technologically inferior, you're going to be given a lot of freedom with these refugees you brought in, as well as with how you deal with the Enclave, the good colonel is here as a liaison officer, between the JSDF and the Enclave, you have his ear, you're practically buddy, buddy with him. Use that to your advantage, to our advantage." Yanagida said.
"I'll think about it, was that everything?" Itami asked.
"Yeah, that's everything." Yanagida said while Itami turned and left, Yanagida hoped Itami might listen but he knew, Itami was his own person, that was part of what he disliked about Itami, he put his own beliefs first, he wouldn't likely use Ingram to his advantage.
Itami left the headquarters and saw Ingram, with Kurokawa carrying boxes of rations, Ingram and Kurokawa passed the elf girl, she looked somewhat confused and slightly upset. Ingram stopped and set his box down before he took off his visor cap and placed it on the elf girl's head.
The elf girl didn't know what to make of this but Ingram snapped to attention, jokingly and saluted the girl, she in turn saluted him, a smile donning on her face as he went back to work with Kurokawa, bringing the rations to the small refugee camp.
Itami followed up, the elf girl made her way to the camp, following Ingram.
"So, think you'll be free tomorrow?" Ingram asked as he walked along side Kurokawa.
"Possibly, why?" Kurokawa asked.
"Because Itami brought up something, it seems I'm over due for therapy by 210, plus years, least that's probably what he thinks. Probably your opinion too." Ingram said.
"I honestly never considered seeing you go through therapy. I assumed you'd not want to talk about anything with your past, if you could help it." Kurokawa said, she set her box down and Ingram set his two boxes down before the two went off to get more.
"I thought about it, and it seems everytime someone else brings it up, I just seem to start getting as mad as a deathclaw, I figure it'd be best if I try to work it all out before I end up accidentally blowing someone's head off." Ingram said.
"Yes, we wouldn't want that. ...So we'll start tomorrow then." Kurokawa said.
"Thanks. I would've brought it up with a medical officer from the Enclave, but we're more focused on other matters so they probably would've just tossed a bottle of whisky my way or put me on something like Med-x." Ingram said.
"Mhm... Drinking to deal with it, wouldn't be healthy, I can't say the same, much for medicating it. It's probably best to just work it out and get through it all, get it out of your system." Kurokawa said.
"Well, you're the one with better medical experience than even I, during the whole thing in Anchorage, our medic and a few others disappeared one night, leaving me to pick up for him." Ingram said.
"Well you're right about that, I suppose." Kurokawa said while the two passed Itami.
"You guys almost done?" Itami asked.
"Yeah, we're just getting the last two boxes. It seems like your boys got the tents all set up." Ingram said.
"Alright, well I'll see you two in a bit." Itami said before he went off to the refugee area.
"You know... If this were a full scale, open war like it was in Alaska, I could get how that boy managed to get an officer's rank, but with what I've seen of his work ethic, I can't understand it. It took me 210 years to become a Colonel, not even in the US military but a continuation of the US military." Ingram said while he and Kurokawa continued on, returning to the quartermaster, the two picked up the last case of rations they requested and started their journey back.
It would be then Ingram would notice he was getting strange looks, more puzzled than anything as to who he is and what he was doing there, but most everyone saw the rank on his collar tabs on his uniform jacket, the JSDF worked with the US enough to know it was the insignia of a Colonel in the US military, but the patches on his upper arm, they hadn't seen those before..
A Black E on a white background, surrounded by a cluster of black stars arranged in a circle around the E, just what did that mean?
"Anyway, I suppose I'll probably be bedding down along side the refugees." Ingram said.
"I don't know, I thought I saw Kurata and Tomita setting up another tent opposite to the Refugees' tents." Kurokawa said.
"Huh... Alright, then I'll have to thank them for that." Ingram said.
"Don't worry, remember, you're staying on as a liaison, you're for all intents and purposes, a guest." Kurokawa said.
"I suppose that's true." Ingram said as the two rejoined the rest of third recon, getting the refugees sorted, as the sun set.
Ingram came to his tent and let out a sigh, he entered and noticed it was quite basic, as expected, but unexpectedly he saw his cap had been returned, it sat on a table on the ground and Ingram left it there.
Ingram went over to the cot and sat down, taking off his boots then his belt, tunic and the tie for his shirt. He laid them out on the table on the floor and got under the wool blanket provided before he fell asleep, it was somewhat enjoyable for him, he didn't have to sit up for half the night and keep a watch for anything, not while he was here, anyway, so he drifted off to sleep, the same nightmare as before played out but this time it would play out just somewhat differently at the end...
Ingram drifted to sleep, the black void changed to a bright white light, brilliant and beautiful as Ingram woke up in another bed, it was his own, back before the war, he knew what morning it was, he knew, no matter what happened it would all just play out again, no matter how much he resisted and tried to change it all.
It would happen regardless, there was no fighting it. Thus Ingram left the master bedroom and went to the bathroom next to it, he got undressed then got into the shower as per his morning routine, then after he was finished, he left it and shaved at the kitchen sink, he dreaded it more and more, as the time would come when that vault tec rep would show up and set into motion everything that would lead to him losing everyone he loved.
Ingram took a sip from his coffee cup in begrudging anticipation of the vault tec rep showing up, and like clockwork as before there was that damned knock at the door, Ingram went without a word to the door and opened it, he let the vault tec rep go through his usual spiel and signed the papers then sent him on his way.
Ingram hated every bit of this, but he'd been through it so many different times, he couldn't fight anymore. It was all just going to happen regardless, he'd been fighting the nightmare for almost two years, he couldn't do it anymore. So when the television started announcing the bombs were coming, Nora ran with Shaun to the Vault.
Ingram just walked there, he knew it wouldn't matter, the soldiers at the gate just let Nora and Shaun through when Ingram got there, then they proceeded up the hill and to the elevator. However this time, the elevator went down it was then, he started to internally panic, this hasn't happened before, this wasn't supposed to happen, what the hell was going on that now of all times, why it would go down?
The elevator came to a stop with everyone getting off and going into the vault. Ingram silently followed his wife into the vault and took a vault suit as told long ago, he walked through the vault, dreading every step as Ingram, and Nora made their way to the hall where the cryo pods sat, lined up down the hall. ...Looking back now, there were so many different signs, something was wrong with all this.
Ingram should've seen it with all the tech, these weren't decontamination pods, but he just didn't say anything, he went to his pod and changed into the vault suit he was provided before he climbed into the pod, the door came down and sealed the pod, Nora stood in her pod, holding Shaun across the hall from Ingram, she put her hand to the viewing port of the pod and gave Ingram a smile.
Ingram just couldn't muster it in him, to smile back. He felt the chill and knew what would happen as his vision turned black and it seemed he was in a dream, in a dream. Only this dream would end in a flash as he was back in the vault, awakening to see what he hated the most. Kellogg and the Institute, the woman in a hazard suit.
"Open it up." Kellogg said as Ingram started beating violently on his viewing port, hoping it might give way and he might be able to escape, but to no avail.
Ingram could only sit there, banging on the pod's viewing port as Nora started fighting against the woman in the hazard suit for Shaun, only for Nora to get shot in the chest by Kellogg.
"Goddamnit! Get the kid out of here." Kellogg then went over to Ingram's pod, watching him beat on the viewing port, hearing nothing but muffled yelling, seeing him quite plainly angry.
"Least we still got the back up." Kellogg said before he walked away from the pod with a smirk on his face.
Everything then shortly went black for Ingram before he awoke again, but this time he actually woke up.