School starts again on the 3rd, so updates are going to get even slower, expect month long updates from now on (Horrifying huh?)
"Send off the sensor rocket." A group of scientists were gathered in a small camp before the large region od radiation blocking westward travel into the Mohave for hundreds of miles north and south. Right now they had a small rocket with a bunch of radiological gadgets strapped to it being launched into the most recently made wasteland around.
The head scientist of the group peered at his pip-boy 3000b, which had some science modules programmed in, and observed carefully as the rocket soared through the air. The levels of radiation were extremely high and seemed to only get higher, but after about three miles in it started to notably drop in intensity, but the rockets batteries ran out of juice before it could go any farther than four a half miles in.
Typing in the results the scientist rubbed his chin, thinking carefully. Meanwhile one of his assistants came up to him.
"So sir, what were the results?" The man frowned slightly towards the wasteland in front of him.
"Even in the most advanced radiation suits and using the best current gene tonics, popping radaway every few minutes, the expedition wouldn't make it passed the first half mile. The radiation is just too intense. Their must have been very recent, what's the term, "dirty" nukes ignited here. Since this would be relatively recent and it is so close to some of the old legion villages we'll have to assume some of the prisoners of war know something bout this." His assistant scratched his head.
"But sir, there is barely any prisoners left. Most died fighting and anyone who managed to be captured are either too stubborn, even faced with torture, to give up any information the legion had. Even the former slaves don't know anything, as the legion didn't make a habit of telling slaves anything nor did they really transport them anywhere" The assistant turned away and started muttering something about barbarians who don't even use audio diaries.
the had scientist sighed and flipped a small switch on his upgraded pipboy, man did he love the upgrades.
"-Message to the Empress, it appears that radiations suits will not be sufficient for crossing the radiation. Although radiation levels do not exceed that surrounding vault 87, it is far up there, up to around 500 rads per second. It appears the southern expedition may need to be cancelled... for now. End message-"Flipping back the switch he watched a little loading bar appeared, then when it finished he sighed again and walked back to his equipment, preparing to leave.
Onto the northern expedition, they had discovered something very interesting.
"What the hell is this thing?" The scout team stared out at the gigantic wreck of a Zeta type mothership. The crash site looked to be a few years old, but the material it was made from looked shiny still. When a scout was sent out to investigate she reported that it appeared to be made of aluminum, which raised the question of how it managed to survive reentry without melting into slag.
The location of the ship (of obviously alien, or strange pre-war corporation, origins) was sent back to the empress.
Eleanor set down both reports, having just finished both.
"Hm, ok then. I'll have to send a couple science teams to the ship, can't leave such an obviously important resource sitting around. As for the radiation... I'm going to have to speed up research into those radiation tonics" Eleanor wrote down a few orders, twice the money for the gene tonic research and a team for the ship, simple enough.
Eleanor spun her chair around so she could look out of the large circular to her new office. She now had one of the highest offices in Rapture so she could see the light from the surface making a beautiful picture of the ocean she lived in. She smiled as she watched a whale shark pass by, still impressed by their evolution into a truly predator species. Many normal sharks and largish fish swam away at the now imposing site. Luckily frequency emitters kept the predators out of the fish ranches and the ranch fish in their plots (In case you were wondering)
A beep sounded at her intercom and she sighed. Answering it she asked.
"What is it?"
"Empress, there is a man here to see you. He says he's from the alliance... though he just told me he's not with the government. Quite frankly I'm surprised he managed to get here." Eleanor noted a small message appearing on the intercom's small screen -should I call security?-
Hmm, interesting.
"Let him in." The reinforced steel doors slid open with a hiss, and a strangely healthy looking man came walking in, considering he's from the wasteland this is surprising.
"Well this is a surprise, how did you get all this way to our most protected city?" The man snorted.
"Pft, as if. I just snuck into one of them spheres that you guys use. It did all the work getting me back, you should get to upping that little hole in security."
Eleanor's eyebrows rose, that was a glaring weak spot. She'd have to get that looked at as soon as possible.
"Anyway, the reason I'm here is information, for you." The empress smiled, so that's what this is.
"And what information is important enough that you would, well not illegally but I will make it so, sneak into Rapture, and then walk right to the highest authority this Empire has?" The man grinned.
"Yah see. I heard some of your soldiers moaning about the lack of those mutants or whatever, those girls you guys call Big Sisters? Apparently it's getting hard to find orphans and parents willing to volunteer their kids for the job. Apparently you guys need kids below ten or something." Eleanor nodded slowly, while the big sisters were mostly sane now, and enjoyed the highest quality lifestyles because of being the most elite combat units and being on service permanently, people were of course unwilling to part with their children and most new mothers were also unwilling, even orphanages were a bit reluctant to allow the government to take the young girls. Eleanor herself didn't hate herself for continuing the process because the transformation was much easier and painless now, also no conditioning either.
In fact, they didn't even gather ADAM any more. They were instead injected with as many combat useful plasmids and tonics as Rapture has, then they started a military training program. The younger sisters got less workouts and more schooling on, well, the normal school stuff, but they also were taught military tactics, strategy, anatomy, psychology, foreign languages, anything that could possibly be useful for a commanding officer and a soldier was taught to them with the highest quality teaching. They were also expected to do moderate exercise.
Once the sisters would reach puberty Eleanor planned on them starting their physical training. they were to learn martial arts, how to use their dual blades (Like her own), how to kill people most effectively. They would train in the use of their plasmids too so they could manipulate them to the highest level.
Finally once they reached sixteen they would graduate and start as a big sister in training, learning under the current ones everything they couldn't learn from book or instructor. Getting experience on he field, and eventually be respected enough to be called a true Big Sister.
Blowing away her rambling thoughts, Eleanor listened as the man told her what he wanted to.
"Well, I may know where you can find a ton of kids pretty much free of radiation." Eleanor's eyes widened. Where in the wasteland could this be?
"I suppose you want something for this information?" The man nodded.
"I want 3000 bottle caps, you see I used to be from that place, unfortunately anyone over 16 is kicked out." Eleanor tilted her head.
"I will never understand you wastelanders' obsession with bottle caps of all things. Since the Empire doesn't use that I have a lot in store, for trading with the Alliance you see." She had her secretary bring the desired amount up to the office, the door opening again to reveal the overburdened woman carrying a bulging bag stuffed with bottle caps.
The man excited now, began to tell her everything.
"It's a place called little lamplight, Its pretty much an underground society run entirely by kids. Adults get kicked out. They mostly survive off of either cave fungus or traded good with outsiders. Their pretty bunkered down in there so you may have to use a bit of trickery." He paused. "Do you have a map of the DC region?" Eleanor nodded and opened a drawer, quickly finding the old-world map that she had marked with various landmarks, settlements, and interesting things.
He pointed to a spot on the map and Eleanor groaned.
"That's deep in alliance territory, I know they've started actually settling different areas and actually placing patrols through their territories and borders. And they've been expanding west, but very slowly." Eleanor looked back to the man who shrugged.
"Eh, it's not my fault for that, but as an interesting fact, I remember there being supermutants always testing the cave systems defenses from deep inside, I don't know how they got there though, some exploring kids said that there seemed to be prewar construction in there. Well, not in those words, but you know what I mean." Eleanor rubbed her chin and looked back tot he map, glancing around the exact area until the noticed that the place seemed quite close to vault 87.
"Is it possible? Maybe." She grinned back to the man.
"You may have given me the key to defeating the supermutants! If this cave system is connected with vault 87, then we may be able to finally get rid of this infestation permanently." She paused. "What's your name?"
He scratched his head.
"Snitch, why?" Eleanor grinned.
"Snitch, I offer Rapturion citizenship to you." He shook his head.
"Nah, I just got a ton of caps, and they're worthless here. So I'll go back to Bigtown and keep my mouth shut about what we talked about." He swung his well earned sack of caps onto his back and made his way out while whistling a tune.
After the doors closed Eleanor Called up some of her Big Sisters (Even though technically they are younger) and even some little sisters, she had a mission for them
Casil, a skilled Big Sister assigned to be a leader in whatever missions she was assigned to, crossed her arms as she stood next to three of her sisters and two of her little sisters.
"Yes Eleanor, what do you need?" Eleanor leaned back in her chair, glancing around at them.
"Its come to my attention that there is a place, called little lamplight, that has an abundance of children living there. I want you to go check it out and see if you can get them to come here. " Casil rose and eyebrow, it was obvious why she was so interested.
"You want more girls for your project right? Are you sure the process isn't as... painful?" Eleanor nodded firmly, she still remembered the doctors cutting into her stomach, not bothering with anesthetic because of the fact they couldn't get the slug to bond right otherwise.
"Yes, the girls can now be kept under while the slug in bonded. and they will get the best of what rapture can offer in education and living spaces etc."
"There is a secondary objective though." This caught their attention again, "Little Lamplight might be a sort of back door into vault 87, but I not sure about this, so you guys are to split up, one sister to protect the little ones will the rest of you explore the caverns, and if you find supermutants, kill them all and destroy the equipment they use to make more of themselves, but try to not waste the FEV tanks they have." They all nodded affirmative, so Eleanor got out of her chair and knelt down in front of the little sisters, both of them, redheaded twins.
"Hey guys, I need you to get the trust of those lamlight5 guys alright?" They nodded cutely, excited to see what the surface is like.
"Now, make sure not to wander too far away from you big sisters, and don't accept candy from strangers." Eleanor laughed and stood back up, looking back to Casil.
"You can use one of the special bathyspheres to get to rivet city quickly. You'll need to move quickly and stealthily because you'll be in alliance territory, and make sure the little ones aren't harmed." the big sisters nodded.
"good luck"
"They've really upped their security huh?" Casil glanced behind her to Cindy and Masha, who were carrying the twins in their old baskets. They had replaced their old gear with what Eleanor wears, but they still had the baskets stowed away, bad memories are things you sometimes won't throw away.
They had to avoid three patrols just getting to little Lamplight. And Casil was unimpressed by the small cave entrance. though the childish warning sign strung about brought back memories of when she did the same thing.
Walking into the cave, letting down their sisters, the big sisters eventually came across a makeshift yet sturdy wall blocking their way. suddenly a kid with a helmet on popped his head up over the wall and pulled it back as fast as it was out.
"Go away stupid Mungos... wait a second." He popped up again, looking at the twins who had their armed crossed and looking at him curiously.
Why you got kids with you?" Casil crossed her arms.
"Their our little sisters jackass, let us in." He glared at them.
"Yah, insult the guy with the key, suuuure. Try and get it if your so smart mungo." Casil didn't really have to try hard as she leapt up over the wall, landing next to the little brat. said brat aiming his gun at her and shooting her in the kidney, but her regeneration would take care of that easily.
"Pft, that all you got? come on girls, waters fine." the others jumped up, Masha bringing the twins up with her. The kid indignantly huffed.
"As mayor jack of little Lamplight order you to stop!" Suddenly both his arms were grabbed from behind by the twins, the first one, Laira, giggle at him.
"Oh look, he thinks he's a mayor!" The second, Fiona, outright laughed.
"Yah right, I'll be empress before this guy's a mayor of anything."
Jack tried to free his arms and when he spoke his voice came out a bit shaky.
"h-hey, stop it! I am the mayor you stupid traitors!" Masha suddenly lifted both Fiona and Lair and the scruff and sighed.
"You were supposed to get them to trust us not hate us you brats." They just giggled and jack backwards crawled away and this made the group notice they had drawn and audience. Casil took off her helmet and waved at them smiling.
"Hey there! Want to come join us?
Codex
2282- the crashed mothership from the lone wanderer's battle in space is discovered, scores of science teams or sent over and the crash site is fortified for the simple reason that anything stolen from the ship is knowledge lost-
-the radiation protection tonic project has its budget doubled, massive improvements are made and research suggests that the first goal of being able to take 200 rads per second is close at hand-
-The Empire learns of little lamplight and sends a big sister team to try and get the children into the sister program. After a week of convincing twelve girls are brought back to Rapture. A raid is planned for later but it cannot be commenced because of alert border patrols-
-The northern expedition is reinforced by the south, and three massive teams go all over the continent-
-The third northern team discovers a tribe made of truly Native Americans, it appears the Ojibwe tribe of Fon du Lac reservation had seen the war coming and had pooled resources with many other northern tribes to construct their own vaults, only three finished completion though. But the vaults were larger than other ones and not one an experiment, so three entire tribes (About ten thousand to a hundred thousand each) managed to survive the apocalypse-
-The Ojibwe tribe, who have managed to hold on to a lot of prewar technology and have already rebuilt the city of Duluth, the harbor town a major resource, are engaged in talks to join the Empire. Bad history with Pre-war America makes them vehemently refuse though, but offer much trade and friendly relations-
-The other two tribes, having built other major cities back up for themselves, offer complete copies of their technology but refuse to join also, centuries of American repression stops any chance of land grabs from them, border patrols are almost quadrupled with the discovery of the empire-
-The schematics for water purifiers for each tribe is traded for massive stores of military land vehicles tribal gangs had stolen in the chaos before the war. this begins a friendly and mutual trade partnership for many years to come, and the three tribes will always remain independent-
Yes, I just made my tribe survive for completely selfish reasons, DON'T JUDGE ME!
Actually, this is as close to a self insert for this story I am going to have, you see, back before the war I got my tribe to start worrying about nuclear war, and tribal members were encouraged to group up. Eventually with much struggle and the help of many other tribes (Most who didn't get vaults in the end...) My tribe and two others (that I haven't named because I barely know anything about other tribes) made our own vaults... :)
(completely fictional)
If you don't like that... go f*** yourself.
In other news, do you like what I did with little lamplight? Don't worry, the Empire will get all of the pearls in that clam shell of a cave system if I have to break the fourth wall to do it! (Not that far, but yah)
Now, as for school... D: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't wanna go back to that hellhole! the food is nice but that is the only thing that is nice bout it!