Chapter 5 – Gainful Employment

As I re-entered my rooms, by an astonishing feeling of freshness about the place, so much so that stood for a few moments, trying to work out what was different, in the end I concluded that it must be that for the first time since my arrival here, I was breathing an atmosphere that was uncontaminated with that psycho-gas. The difference was truly startling.

Another dip of the lights, quickly reminded me why I was back here so soon. But this time, when I accessed the computer, I was greeted with a surprise, for instead of the basic terminal screen, I was presented with a fancy spinning 'Vault-Tec' logo, and the message "Please wait, System processing data", I was initially stumped, until I glanced at my new Pip-Boy, where I was presented with almost the same screen, only this time the message was "System Busy - Transferring Data".

Clearly I was locked out of both, until whatever was going on was completed, and I had a strange feeling that taking the Pip-Boy too far away from the Computer would not be a good idea.

So to pass the time, I had quick meal of something, which I presume was food, the outside of the tin was so illegible, that it could have easily been "Kitty Din-Dins", it certainly smelt and looked like it could be. I really need to find some more food supplies. I also read the "Tumblers Today" volume that I had found earlier, and in between reads, I would glance occasionally at both screens (Computer and Pip-Boy), to see if there had been any progress, what information that briefly flashed onto screen long enough for me to read was intriguing to say the least, such as: 'Skill Assessment', 'Evaluating GOAT data' and 'Vault Staff Requirements'.

For the whole 30 minutes, that I waited, I have to admit, I was burning up with curiosity, about what it all meant, and was starting to consider applying "Mechanical Persuasion", with a large hammer, so as to get some answers.

But, just when I was about to reach for the hammer, the computer screen cleared, and I was presented with the message:

To Vault Resident – Jenny Saunders,

Congratulations, on your new assignment of "Chief Maintenance Engineer" to Vault 106. You now have the honour to serve Vault-Tec, and your fellow residents to an ever greater degree, and for the benefit of humanity.

You are to resume your duties immediately, and tasks that require your immediate attention as of this moment, have been loaded into your Pip-Boy.

Signed,

Overseer Dr A. Leris

As I seriously doubted that Dr Leris was still alive after 200 years, I could only conclude that this was a stock-standard letter issued by the Vault's Main-frame computer, on his behalf.

When I tried to extract any further information from the computer, I was met with almost zero success, as it insisted that all the information that I needed for my new job were now on my Pip-Boy, and all the other records on the system were either classified beyond my level, had been corrupted, or had been otherwise lost/unavailable.

The only file I managed to open was obviously one that had been available officially to all Vault-Tec employees, as it listed when the Vault was made, who the Overseer is, etc. In fact, it looked similar to the Vault-Tec file that the Brotherhood of Steel have at the Citadel (or they did in the game version of this world).

The file did have three pieces of useful information:

- Original occupants were: 95 subject and 12 researchers, so that gives me any idea of Vault size.

- Vault Design Duration: 147 months = 12 years, 3 months, so we are way beyond the design life of the vault

And critically that:

- Primary Power Supply: Roc-Solid Brand Geothermal and Secondary Power Supply: General Atomics Nuclear Power.

Since I couldn't get to the Primary Reactor, there was an alternative, which I could try to reach.

"Okay, what has Pippy got for me?" I muttered, as I initiated my Pip-Boy interface. Well it was quickly apparent that the Pip-Boy's calibration was progressing, although the VATS interface was still unavailable, there was now the Health screen, showing my well being, such as any injuries and their rate of healing, and radiation exposure (very low), and a list of my skills, which were consistent with I had entered when I had created my character, though Lock-picking and Melee skills had gone, probably thanks to all the hand-to-hand fighting experience I have had since I got here; The high Repair skill shown, probably accounted for my new job.

It also included to my surprise a Perk tab, which said that I was a 'Gun Nut' and 'Black Widow'. "Great, just what I need! A beauty in a Vault of crazies!" I sighed.

The Pip-Boy map had been updated, showing the whole vault, although only the rooms I had visited with the Pip-Boy were shown in up-to-date status, the status of the rest of the Vault had not been updated, well at best in decades, and for some areas (for the most part the lowest levels) their status hadn't been updated in almost 200 years. Fortunately the Secondary Reactor room was shown as being on the same level as the Atrium, so it will be relatively clear of the worst of the gas.

I had a quick look in the Quests list, but only contained the previously mentioned Jobs-to-Do list, which glancing at it, contained every reported fault in the last 200 years. Ironically the job with the highest "MUST DO NOW" priority was oiling a squeaky wheel on the Overseer's chair, which had been logged approximately 2 days before the initial gas leak "Well, he will just have to live a bit longer with" I declared with some bitterness. The most recent item was that some gas bottles for a special project needed replacing as they were indicating that they were now empty.

The rooms where the empty bottles were reported corresponded with my living quarters.

"I wonder just how long some poor soul in Maintenance went round replacing these damnable things, not realising they were killing everyone" I murmured, as I prepared once more to set out once more.