I could explain why this story's taken so long to update, but I know you don't really care.
The Wastelanders' footsteps rang out on the iron bridge as they crossed over to the ancient aircraft carrier that was Rivet City, the place Three Dog said Carmen's father had gone after leaving Galaxy News Radio, to meet someone named Dr. Li.
When the ship had first come into view and Grey saw how the bow was broken off, he fell to his knees dramatically and cried out in mock despair.
"No! We're too late! The ship is sinking! Just think of all the innocent people onboard. Oh, the humanity!"
"Very funny, Grey," Carmen said while clapping sarcastically. "I'm sure no one's made that joke before.
"Actually, that might be true." He got back to his feet and dusted off his pants. "Most people who come here would probably be too busy saying something like, 'Thank God,' or 'Safety at last,' or maybe 'Hey, I wonder if this place serves any good drinks."
Halfway across the bridge, three security guards strode forward and ordered them to stop.
"State your business in Rivet City," the guard in the middle said.
"Oh, nothing much," Grey answered. "The two of us were just hoping to pillage this fine vessel of all valuables before mercilessly slaughtering every man, woman, and child inside. At least, that's what your heavily-armed welcoming committee seems to imply."
Carmen jabbed him in the side with her elbow before saying, "We're here to see Dr. Li."
"And let me guess," the officer said. "She's not expecting you, but it's extremely important that you meet her as soon as possible. Sorry, but you're gonna have to give me a better reason than that."
"My father may have come here to see her, and we're hoping he's still here."
"Your father? Older guy, probably in his fifties? Yeah, he was here a few days ago, but he left. That's why I remember him, actually. Most people who come here don't usually leave again. If talking to Dr. Li gets you out of here quickly, I'll let you in. Just watch your step. If I hear that you two are causing trouble, I'll throw you off the flight deck."
The man turned around and went inside. Carmen looked over at Grey who just shrugged and continued walking.
"Don't mind Chief Harkness," one of the guards said as they passed. "He's good at what he does, but he has a hard time trusting people."
Grey laughed. "We have so much in common."
They followed after Harkness into a central staircase with signs providing directions to all areas of importance. Deciding that the most logical place to start was the Science Lab, the pair made their way through the narrow corridors to where another couple of guards stood in front a door.
"Anyone going into the lab must relinquish all weapons here. They will be logged to make sure you get everything back."
Carmen handed over her pistol, assault rifle, and a power fist she had taken from a dead mercenary the other day. Grey's disarming, on the other hand, took a good deal longer. The guard with a clipboard listed them aloud as he wrote.
"A .44 magnum revolver with scope, a highly customized shotgun, two combat knives, ten throwing knives, thirty-seven frag grenades, a sniper rifle, a sword with the name 'Jericho' scratched into the hilt..."
Carmen leaned over to her partner and whispered, "Don't you live next door to someone named Jericho?" To which, Grey responded with a simple "Shh."
"...Seven bottlecap mines, a pair of broken laser pistols, a rocket launcher, a small armory's worth of various ammuntion."
"And a partridge in a pear tree." Grey added. "To be fair, I meant to sell most of those."
After being frisked on the small chance that he could be carrying anything else, the Wastelanders were cleared to proceed. As the door closed behind them, Carmen turned to Grey.
"Where in the world were you keeping all of that stuff?"
"I honestly have no idea. I'm even more clueless as to how I'm gonna put it all back."
The lab had apparently been set up inside the engine room. Large turbines and generators took up most of the floor space, and pipes ran up the walls and along the ceiling. The remainder of the room contained storage lockers and tables covered in equipment. Strangely enough, some of the tables also held fruits and vegetables. Most likely the subject of the lab's current research.
One of the scientists was occupied with an elderly man in a suit, so Carmen and Grey turned their attention to the woman writing on a clipboard nearby.
"Are you Dr. Li?" Carmen asked.
"How many times do I have to tell you people not to bother me?" the woman said angrily before turning around. Her eyes widened when she saw who was standing there. "You're...You're James's daughter, aren't you? You look just like him."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Grey whispered.
Carmen ignored the joke. "How do you and my father know each other?" she asked.
This seemed to confuse the doctor. "You don't know? I assumed he sent you here. For that matter, aren't you supposed to be back in the Vault?"
"I left soon after he did, and we've been trying to find him ever since."
"From what James told me, that's the complete opposite of what he wanted. Anyway, to answer your question, your parents and I worked together years ago on Project Purity."
"Project Purity," Grey repeated. "What's that?"
"An effort to bring clean water to the wasteland. We wanted to purge all of the radiation out of the Tidal Basin and distribute it among the people."
"That doesn't sound too hard. There are plenty of water purifiers out there already."
"You're right, in theory anyway. All of our small-scale experiments worked perfectly, but any time we went full-size...it was just too much. I don't know why. Maybe we lacked the proper equipment or we just needed more time. The last straw for James was when your mother died right after giving birth to you. He decided that keeping you safe was the most important thing and left us. After that, the Brotherhood decided we weren't worth the trouble of protecting anymore, and we were forced to abandon the facility. That's why I was surprised when he returned with the intention of restarting Project Purity."
"Does that mean you know where he is?" Carmen asked.
"The last I knew, he was going back to the old lab. But listen to me, don't go. It isn't safe, and there's nothing there worth salvaging."
"But-" Carmen started before Grey held up a hand and stepped forward.
"That's a very interesting story, Doc, but I didn't walk halfway across the wasteland, fight through subway tunnels crawling with Ferals, get chased by a Deathclaw, outshoot an army of Super Mutants, and sacrifice a hat just to stop now."
Dr. Li turned to Carmen. "'Sacrifice a hat?'"
"Don't ask," she replied.
"So with all due respect," Grey continued. "You'd better tell us where we have to go before I'm forced to take my frustration out on something expensive."
The woman sighed. "If you're really that determined, I'll tell you. The lab is in the Jefferson Memorial to the northwest. Just follow the river. I doubt James is still there, but you're welcome to look."
Carmen thanked her and led the way back out. After reclaiming their weapons, Grey suggested they spend the night in Rivet City and head out for the lab in the morning. His partner reluctantly agreed.
"Great." Grey clapped his hands together. "But first, we should see if this tub has anywhere to grab a bite to eat."
At the opposite end of the ship from the Science Lab was a cargo hold that had been repurposed into a large marketplace. Two rows of stalls selling everything from guns to clothing spanned the middle of the room. At the end of one of these rows was a small diner called Gary's Galley. The two Wastelanders sat down at the counter and looked over the chalkboard that constituted a menu.
"I just can't seem to get used to this wasteland food," Carmen said. "What do you think I should get?"
Grey leaned forward and tapped his chin as he thought. "Personally, I love a good Brahmin steak, but I might change it up and get some- Ooh, Mirelurk cakes! We don't get too many of those in Megaton."
They placed their orders, and as the food was being cooked, a shout came up from behind.
"It's you!" Carmen and Grey turned around to see a young man, maybe a few couple younger than themselves, with dirty brown hair wearing a tattered red shirt and jeans. And he was pointing at Grey with eyes filled with rage. "You were with that caravan that passed through my hometown five years ago."
"I think you have me confused with someone else." Grey tried to turn back around, but what the newcomer said next froze him in place.
"You're Greg Hart. You're the one who killed my brother."
Wow. Coming back after four months just to end on a cliffhanger? What a jerk.