- III -
(2277)
Part 1
Madison finished pinning her hair into a neat chignon, frowning at the grimy mirror when she noticed a few more gray strands at her temples. The crease between her eyebrows deepened as she took in all the signs of aging in her face—wrinkles, sunspots, crow's feet. Years of persistent lab work and scientific pursuits manifested in the state of her appearance. She bent closer, wondering where the time had gone. Middle age had crept up on her, quiet and taxing, but she liked to think she had something to show for it by now.
A resigned sigh passed her lips, and she reached for her lab coat just as the man in her bed stirred and cast a bleary look in her direction.
"Goin' to work already?" Flak asked, his gruff voice raspy as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"It's past nine. I'm actually late," she replied, slipping her arms into the coat and smoothing it over her blouse and skirt. "You should probably head over to your shop, too."
He sat up and stretched, the mattress groaning beneath his weight. "Eh, Shrapnel should be able to cover for me for the first half hour."
Madison padded over to the nightstand next to the bed to grab her clipboard. "I'm going to need you to head out so I can lock up, though."
Flak glanced at her unhappily, but shrugged and threw the covers from himself. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, the fluorescent lights hitting the contours of his scarred, muscular body. Madison waited as he donned his clothes, peering down at the written agenda on her clipboard to note her scheduled tasks for the day. More testing and experiments lay ahead, but at least her team had already managed to produce a number of radiation-free fruits and vegetables.
"Hey, Madison, I've been thinkin'," Flak remarked as he buttoned his pants. "Why don't we just get married?"
"We're not even in a relationship."
"We could start one."
She stared at him, jaded. "I'm afraid I don't have time for such a thing."
He chuckled and pulled his stained white undershirt over his shoulders. "You'd think after years of sleepin' together exclusively, even an ice queen like you would fall for a grizzled old bastard like me."
She inclined her head, but said, "Maybe I would have if I wasn't already married to my work."
"You're a cold, cold woman, Maddie."
A stab of pain almost two decades old cut through her chest at that moment. "Please don't call me that."
Flak gazed at her while zipping up his leather vest. "Sorry. You ever gonna tell me the story behind that taboo nickname?"
Without warning, curly black hair and warm brown eyes flashed across her mind, a lingering image frozen in time. "I'd rather not."
He nodded and stepped into his boots, bending down to tie them. "Just thought I'd try askin' again." Once he finished with his laces, he straightened and reached over to chuck her under the chin before walking toward the door. "Let me know when you're free another night. You know where to find me."
"Right. I'll see you later."
She exited the room after he did, pushing the heavy metal door closed behind her and locking it. The creaking noises of Rivet City's interior drifted through the corridors, accompanied by distant sounds of chatter and echoing footsteps as citizens went about their morning. A few residents greeted her as they passed by, and she acknowledged their genial words with a tight smile while striding the short distance to the science lab entrance. The cooler air swept over her when she stepped inside, her ears picking up the hum of the widespread machinery across the first floor.
A pair of towering water and grain silos met her vision as she approached the staircase, followed by the sight of the ongoing hydroponics experiments at the research area below. Customary pride swelled within her when she spotted her team in full productivity at their stations. A new batch of produce sat on one of the tables, doubled in number from the last.
As usual, her thoughts strayed to the long-gone Horace Pinkerton, whom she wished could have seen them now and the progress they had made. A petty part of her had always hoped to make the old codger eat his own cynical words regarding her research efforts. Although hard-bitten from certain events of the past, she had never lost her ambition or will to reach for her goals.
And when it came to matters of science, she always aimed straight for the sky.
Madison glimpsed a brewing argument at the far side of the research floor, where her subordinate Anna Holt confronted the Commonwealth scientist Dr. Zimmer and his stoic bodyguard. She frowned while descending the stairs, but allowed Anna to deal with his troublesome presence. Once Madison reached the bottom and headed for the main terminal, Janice Kaplinski scurried over to her right away, several pages of notes in her hands.
"Morning, Dr. Li," the young botanist chirped. "We're about a quarter of the way through the radiation tests on the filter, and I'm preparing the south end of the lab for the fusion power experiments."
"Already?" Madison asked in surprise, setting her clipboard down on the nearest desk. "That isn't scheduled until tomorrow."
Janice tucked several strands of short brown behind her ear and grinned. "I know, but we've been extra motivated today."
"I can see that," Madison remarked as she scanned the premises and witnessed the intense concentration on each team member's face. "Did we achieve another breakthrough or something? I haven't witnessed enthusiasm like this in a long time. It's on par with my previous colleagues from years ago."
"Well, that's the thing. After your old friend came to see you yesterday, we've been anticipating changing course for Project Purity. If you two decide to revive it, that is." The hopeful look in Janice's eyes all but begged for affirmation.
And just like that, Madison's mood plummeted. Her lips fell into a hard line. She had spent the past twenty-four hours attempting to forget about James's reappearance and belated change of heart on Project Purity.
"Why? Why now?" she had demanded, the perpetual bitterness saturating her tone.
"It's time, Madison," James had replied. "I failed you before, but I won't again. Help me finish this. Please."
"You're nearly twenty years too late, James. The old research facility in the Jefferson Memorial was abandoned and left to decay. We can't possibly just pick up where we left off. Have you lost your mind?"
His haunted gaze spoke of both despondency and determination. "I did once, all those years ago. I've only now recovered it. And I'm ready to get back to work."
Madison shook her head at the memory of the exchange and instructed Janice to continue with her tasks. She rotated toward the desk and braced herself over the surface, recalling James's downtrodden expression when she had refused his request and sent him to the Jefferson Memorial by himself. Restlessness gnawed at her, but she dismissed it in light of her indignation. He could salvage whatever was left of the project if he wished; she had washed her hands of it.
The past belonged in the past. In the present, she had found success. And for the future, she would continue on the industrious path she had paved for herself.
Turning back had ceased to be an option.
Straightening, she pushed the encounter with James from her mind and redirected her focus on the more concrete endeavors of her current work.
The hours passed at an uneventful crawl. Although Zimmer remained in his stubborn position at the far side of the lab, Madison oversaw three simultaneous experiments and rotated through each like clockwork. She found the most fulfillment on days like this, when progress climbed steadily and new ideas took form. Her team's efficiency and output of results instilled a sense of accomplishment within her, something lacking in the old days when she had witnessed Project Purity shrivel up and die in the face of hardship. The circumstances differed, but she fancied herself a capable leader. And only time would tell whether that leadership could hold up against the returning hand of fate.
One resurgence of a broken chain, and the fractured pattern emerged to instigate a second upheaval of her stable world.
Heavy footfalls resonated from the staircase to signal a new presence in the science lab. Madison stood hovering over her desk, nose-deep in reports. She listened to Janice address the individual, but no answer came forth as the footsteps approached from across the floor. Madison pursed her lips when they stopped behind her, making a mental note to bring up the issue of unwelcome lab visitors during the next council meeting. These interruptions numbered far too many, and as the head of the city's science division, she would no longer stand for them.
When she spun around to berate the newcomer for intruding on the research area, however, her voice trailed off to a soundless gasp at the impossible sight.
A woman long dead peered at her from a mere few feet away.
Madison jolted and staggered back against her desk, taking in the untamed curly hair, deep brown irises, and slender face—all still so familiar, reminiscent of days long past. Her heart thundered in her chest as she questioned her own vision and sanity, a million implausible thoughts surging to the forefront of her mind. This couldn't be real. She had buried that image. And yet, no matter how many times she blinked, the mirage stayed in place. Eerie, haunting, but tangible above all else.
The eyes of a ghost stared straight into her soul.
"Catherine?" she managed to rasp out.
The other faltered, tilted her head. A calculating quality entered her countenance, searching, penetrating, before comprehension surfaced. When she spoke, the voice that flowed from her mouth shattered the illusion. "No. I'm Alex. You knew my mother?"
Madison paused as shock gave way to logic. She took a closer look then, pinpointing the slight differences in the woman before her and the woman she remembered. Although nearly identical to Catherine, the stranger's skin tone appeared a few shades lighter, her features more elfin, stature broader. In the surrounding light, her hair shone dark brown rather than black, the long curls hanging loose over her shoulders in a more relaxed texture. She carried herself well under the weight of her combat armor, and the scarred, callused hands she sported belonged to a fighter, not a scientist. The dust and grime on her attire revealed her as a Wasteland wanderer. Physical variations aside, a recognizable aspect echoed from her core.
Vagabond.
"Oh my God," Madison breathed. "Alexandra."
The young woman gave her a wry smile. "Alex. Just Alex," she corrected, her husky timbre the opposite of Catherine's, but the cadence of her speech roughly the same. "Are you in charge here?"
This is surreal. The last time I saw her, she was just an infant. And now… "Yes, I'm Dr. Madison Li. I… was a friend of your parents." …I don't know what to think.
Alex took a step forward, a peculiar gleam stirring in her gaze. "Madison, huh? You're not what I was expecting when the security guy told me to head over here. I mean that in a good way," she declared, letting out a low chuckle. "In any case, it's good to meet you." A stilted beat, an impish grin. "Maddie."
x-x-x-x-x
She didn't know what to do about Catherine's daughter, who spent the next few weeks stopping by the science lab even after Madison had already directed her to James's last known whereabouts. Alex proved herself a bit of a nuisance, coming in during work hours to ask Madison about the city and its surrounding areas, topics she could have easily bothered Harkness or Bannon with. The disturbances chafed on Madison, as she found it difficult enough dealing with Alex's stark resemblance to Catherine. Add to that the jarring contrast of Alex's headstrong personality, and Madison could no longer maintain staunch focus on her lab duties.
At times, Alex watched her from the railing of the second level. A relentless sense of intrigue emanated from that observational staring, prompting Madison to wonder what she wanted from her under all the inane geography-related questions. It became clear that finding James had dropped a few places on Alex's list of priorities, an odd development that pointed to Madison as the reason.
But why?
Alex's fixation extended outside the lab as well, for she often materialized from out of nowhere to run into Madison in the corridors. The timing and frequency seemed suspect more than anything, but rather than come off as threatening, Alex exhibited a certain curious vibe. She even dealt with a few problems for Madison—namely getting rid of Zimmer—in a transparent attempt to win points for conversation. Her inquiries turned to the subject of her parents after a while, and despite Madison's suggestion to pursue James for answers, Alex insisted on following her around instead.
Finally, when Madison came home from work one night to find her loitering outside the door to her quarters, she felt an inward snap, having reached the end of her tolerance.
"What is it you really want?" Madison demanded as she marched up to the younger woman. "You've been shadowing me ever since you came to Rivet City. It needs to stop."
A roguish smile appeared, now comparable to the father's. "I just want to talk to you, Maddie."
"That's 'Dr. Li,' if you please." She came to a halt a few paces away, adjusting her harsh tone when she found herself once again contending with Catherine's inherited face. "Or 'Madison' is fine as well."
Alex studied her for a few seconds, a muscle ticking in her jaw. "There's just something about you."
What… is that supposed to mean? Madison frowned and crossed her arms. "Care to elaborate?"
"Kind of hard to explain. It's like I can't stay away."
An unsettling feeling built beneath Madison's ribcage, stemming not from fear, but from the look of interest piercing into her. She knew it well, that combination of wonder and desire. Almost two decades had passed since she had last seen a glimpse of it.
But when given by a lover, one could never forget.
"I was under the impression that you were trying to track down your father," Madison remarked, intonation cutting sharp. "Maybe you should resume that objective while you're figuring out exactly what I can do for you."
Alex edged closer, dwarfing her in height by a few inches. As her demeanor grew somber, she said softly, "I can think of a few things."
Woven links came together, clicked into place. Madison balked at the implication, in disbelief over how things had played out. Fate's sense of humor and irony knew no bounds. If her suspicions proved accurate, then Catherine had passed down more than just her features.
That elusive heart had manifested in this new soul.
"You want to know something about your mother?" Madison asked after a long stretch of silence, wanting to set a line and distance between them. "She put her all into chasing her goals. She never strayed, never lost sight of them. When she resolved to do a task, she committed to it. Distractions didn't hinder her, no matter their nature." She locked down on her innermost instincts, which clambered to reach for the beckoning haze. "You're her spitting image, but you're nothing like her."
The tension thickened the air, drawing both of them into a hard standstill.
"Yeah? Well, maybe my goals aren't what you think they are. But message noted. Just one thing, though, Madison," Alex stated while stepping back, a shadow falling over her expression. "When you look at me, your heart shows in your eyes."
x-x-x-x-x
Another two weeks passed before Madison saw her again.
And this time, James strode at Alex's side when they entered the science lab.
The commotion around the research area started almost at once. Madison glanced up and set down her files as her team speculated amongst themselves about James's second return. His look of purpose told her some form of progress had happened, and to her dismay, something akin to hope rekindled in her chest.
"You're back," Madison said to him even though her gaze drifted to Alex, who smirked at her as they reached the first floor.
"Do you remember what I mentioned of the G.E.C.K.? I was correct about its adaptability. If we find one, we can use it to work with the purifiers," James announced, disheveled from his trek outside, but face alight with renewed enthusiasm. "And I will be able to prove it. Come back with me to Project Purity, Madison. We can finish this. We will finish this. I swear to you."
She hesitated for a long while, aware of the stares pressing into her from all directions. The reignited passion in James's eyes urged her to reconsider her stance on the project. She saw the old intensity there, the burning drive that promised to bring change to the Wastes. Here stood one of the most brilliant minds in the Capital, the paradigm of scientific advancement, prepared to carry the largest venture of their lives to completion. Still, she maintained her wariness. Everything she had built here depended on her active diligence. If she placed it on the backburner to chase a past dream, she would be undermining her own work, something she couldn't accept.
James seemed to read into the root of her indecision, and he reached out to clasp her hands, his entire frame resonating with encouragement. "I know you've worked hard for your place and status here in Rivet City. Asking you to put it all on hold is a lot, but I wouldn't be here pleading if I believed this project had a chance without you."
Madison exhaled and tried to pry her hands from his grasp. "James—"
"If anything, you were right all those years ago," he told her, a wistful quality overtaking his words. "This is what Catherine would have wanted."
She froze. Swallowed at the key name. The cracks struck deep beneath the surface, and in the span of a millisecond, her resolve crumbled to ash. In her peripheral vision, she detected Alex's heavy scrutiny. The delicate balance had tipped. Even in spirit, Catherine trumped all.
All out of moves and defenses, she gave in to the checkmate.
"Fine. I'm onboard."
x-x-x-x-x
Flak voiced his unhappiness over Madison's leave of absence from the city, but respected her decision in the hours leading up to her departure. She appreciated his support, thinking that perhaps, depending on the results of Project Purity, she might be more accommodating to his wishes for something more permanent between them later on. For now, a situation much bigger than them required her full concentration.
The short journey to the Jefferson Memorial proved harrowing. They traveled as a group full of liabilities, a handful of scientists protected by one combatant. Both James and Madison had armed themselves with 10mm pistols, but she hadn't fired a gun in several years, and she doubted James ranked anywhere near a skilled shot himself. That left Alex as their sole defender.
Nineteen years old, and already Wasteland-worn to the bone.
Madison stole glances at her along the route, taking in the arsenal of weapons Alex carried on her person. She demonstrated proficiency with each firearm whenever a raider or super mutant came running at them, revealing herself as a quick draw, and accurate to boot. Not one enemy reached the group before Alex felled them. Her skills implied ample practice, and out here, one only gained experience by fighting to survive. No matter the horror, it was either do or die. And for a teenager who had first emerged from the Vault less than half a year ago, Alex showed alarming combative prowess. Throughout all her interactions, she bore a steely glint in her eye.
Madison had to wonder how James could have allowed this to happen to his only child.
Once they reached the Jefferson Memorial, James stopped the group outside the old entrance to the gift shop.
Sending a sheepish glance toward Alex, he said, "We need to get inside, but super mutants have moved in over the years. None of us are particularly capable fighters…"
As Madison stiffened, Alex gave him a resigned look and shrugged.
"I guess I can go in and clear the place out," she remarked.
"No," Madison snapped when no one else intervened. She glared at James, incredulous at his willingness to shove his daughter in harm's way. "What are you thinking? You and I can at least go with her, for God's sake."
"We're not suited for combat, Madison," he replied. "We would only become casualties, and then what would become of the project?"
"You can't be serious. This is your daughter you're sending alone into the fray," she protested.
He frowned at her, his jaw tightening. "Don't think I don't know that. But if we go in with her, we'll only be an encumbrance. Have faith in Alex. She can handle herself exceptionally well."
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Alex stated, albeit without much conviction. Her features appeared heavy as she pumped her combat shotgun and stepped toward the door.
Madison swung her incensed gaze to the young woman, panic rising. "No, wait. If something happens to you, I—"
"Are you that concerned about me?"
She stopped, paused, when Alex turned and flashed her a cheeky grin over her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I've got this. Just wait right here. You can patch me up afterwards. Trust me, I'll need it." And just like that, she disappeared through the entrance.
Madison spent the next hour glowering at James as they listened to the sounds of gunfire echoing from inside. To his credit, he looked twice as anxious as she felt. From what she had gathered, the relationship between James and Alex had grown strained over time. It was evident in their vibes of neglect and limited concern for each other. Substantial inattention on his part, which undoubtedly soured her view of him as a father.
The others kept quiet as the minutes drew on. Madison took to pacing, trying to imagine how Catherine would have reacted to this. Or rather, how different circumstances would be if she were still alive. Alex wouldn't have ended up this way. James wouldn't have had to choose between his daughter and his work. And Madison…
She slowed to a halt as she cast her sight over the river, sobering at the thought of her role in that alternate reality.
I would still be on the outside looking in.
At that moment, the gift shop door banged open again.
"Alex!" James exclaimed, his footfalls pounding on the pavement as he bounded toward her. "Are you all right?"
Madison spun around and zeroed in on Alex, who sported new injuries and seemed to be bleeding from the head.
"Gee, Dad, I don't know. Not too peachy, I'd say?" came the sarcastic reply. "The whole place is clear, at least."
"Good Lord," Madison fairly snarled, marching over and brushing James aside to take Alex's arm. "Let's deal with these wounds before they get infected. Your father can go frolic in the control room by himself while I take you to the old clinic."
James said nothing as Madison escorted her inside.
x-x-x-x-x
"Ouch. Not exactly tender-handed are you?" Alex tried to quip, wincing from the sting of the sixth stimpak administered into her arm.
"I don't know the meaning of the term," Madison answered as she dropped the empty syringe onto a dusty metal tray and dabbed gauze over the younger woman's scratches.
"Well, at least I finally got you to treat me as something other than a pest."
Madison let out a jaded sigh. "Whatever you were hoping to get from me by stalking my locations, I will say that I take back my statement about you and your mother being nothing alike. She always had trouble saying what she wanted outright, too."
Alex regarded her in contemplation for a while. "Wow, you're actually talking about her now. I've only heard what my dad told me. What kind of person was she really, anyway?"
Madison felt her own gaze soften as the memories crept out from the locked box in her mind. "The best. Smart, compassionate, attractive, she was truly one of a kind. She fought for everything. She fought for you, here in this room, when she gave birth to you. That medical bed you're sitting on? That's where you were delivered."
"Gross," Alex remarked, grimacing as she peered down at the dilapidated surface beneath her rear. "I could've gone without knowing that, but okay. Definitely kudos to Mom for suffering through childbirth. Just… it's too bad she died while I lived."
The atmosphere shifted, thickened.
Madison lowered the gauze and studied Alex's face, which exhibited so many conflicting emotions that she had trouble pinpointing the dominant one. "If given the choice between you and her, she would have chosen you each time."
"You sound like you thought highly of her."
"I did," Madison said, the longing in her voice evident to her own ears. "She was the one ray of light in this desolate place. I would have done anything for her."
Alex sat up straighter and narrowed her eyes. "Wait a sec. No way…"
Madison stared back at her, fully aware of the envy flashing in the younger woman's visage.
"Were you in love with her?"
A hush fell over them, stifling and taut. Although Madison chose not to respond, she was unapologetic when the answer registered on the other's expression.
Alex pressed her lips together, disappointment and ire clouding her features. "Well, shit," she drawled, running agitated fingers through her hair. "That just makes things more problematic."
"Problematic? What do you mean?"
"I mean, at first I thought maybe you might've had a thing for my dad. That's something I could've worked with. But this? So much harder," Alex griped, pinning her with a withering glare. "How am I supposed to compete with a ghost?"
Madison's mouth opened to retort, but nothing came out as Alex verified her interest. The development proved troublesome and uncomfortable on Madison's end. They stood in the very room where she first held the newborn Alex in her arms. Now that baby had grown up, and this was the result. Where did Alex's romantic notions even come from? It felt strange, twisted, wrong on many levels.
However, her racing pulse hinted at a different story beneath her sternum.
She shook her head and cleared away the medical tools as Alex watched her. The familiar connections formed in the nether, winding into a pattern that bound two people together. Madison resisted it, willed it gone.
This was one lattice she had to destroy.
x-x-x-x-x
A/N: So, this was supposed to be the update that finished the story, but of course it ran too long to be the final chapter. The next chapter will conclude the story. Maybe. Hopefully. This always happens to me. Also, I finished drawing the cover, and you can find the full resolution on my DeviantArt and Tumblr. Thanks for reading!