first of all my apologies for the lengthly gap between updates and second just a quick shout out to sarah-jane in pontefract who helped me see that i actually have readers and thus spurred me on to continue perrys story and to sj's friends who thought she was bsing no she wasnt and she knows tons of secrets that are yet to be revealed.
Chapter 4:
Perry peered through the window of the security office. the Overseer and Officer Mack were interrogating someone, but Perry couldn't see who as Mack was blocking them from view. Then sound began to filter through the window's of the office.
"Come now I don't like this anymore than you do, your friend probably has nothing to do with this which is why I need to talk to him and clear this all up." Perry's heart sank as Amata's fear filled voice answered back. "But he's my friend i won't let you do to him what you did to Jonas". Mack finally waded in after Amata and the Overseer's brief exchange.
"I've had it with her dodging, I'm gonna make her talk!", with a flick of the wrist Mack deployed his night stick. In a flash Amata rose from her seat and sent Mack and her father sailing backwards before DRawing the pistol she had previously offered to Perry. "Dont make me shoot you I will if I have to I swear I will!".
"Amata!,threatening me with my gun" the Overseer looked genuinely shocked. But then again it's not everyday your own child aims a gun at you.
but Mack didn't heed the warning and began advancing on Amata in an attack stance. then perry jumped through the door. he and Amata fired simultaneously. Perry's bullet hit Mack between the shoulder blades, a red spray ejected from the other side spraying Amata in crimson. Amata's bullet found a prise in the overseers shoulder sending him into the desk behind him with severe force, bashing his head on the hard surface before finally meeting the floor with a clatter. Amata allowed the gun to slip from her hands. she was frozen like a statue as the realisation of what had just occurred hit her. she then turned to perry hoping he would know what to do. perry stood stern and cold. Amata had never seen perry this way before. he was like a different person. then he spoke in a voice like his own, but colder and slightly out of character. even his accent changed.
"Amata I want you to go and wait for me in the main administration area, i shall deal with this" as perry fell silent all Amata could do was numbly abide to his orders. so much had been revealed and changed now that Perry's sudden personality change just didnt shake Amata. she just wanted to get out of the security office. once Amata had gone perry still continued in this new, abrasive personality. he turned on the spot and glared at the overseers corpse.
"you can cut the "im dead" crap now Alphonse we're alone". a groan escaped the overseers lips as he turned on his uninjured shoulder and stared up at perry in anger and surprise.
"don't you dare take that tone with me Hammond, im in charge of this vault and you aren't leaving without my approval".
perry continued to glare at the overseer. then he lunged at the overseer grabbing him by the lapels before pulling him up on the chair. then perry tore the overseers jumpsuit exposing the bullet wound in his shoulder. then perry grabbed the first aid kit, talking as he worked. "of course nothing enters or leaves without your permission, even the radroaches from the cave at the vaults secret back door, however id say it was a half arsed way of covering all of this up"
the overseer glared in surprise at perry."how the hell did you know"
"it's very easy to hack a terminal Alphonse, all i have to say is that you're a manipulating, sly and calculating piece of filth"
"you aren't perry, he wouldn't have the balls or the know how for this, who the hell are you?".
"i assure you i am perry, just a different part of him from the one you boss around".
perry then began to stitch the wound. "i would have thought that you would avoid serious injury considering officer smarty pants over there killed the only remaining doctor after my dad left and you sent me on the run"
"well we can't all be as smart as perry Hammond"
"tell me Alphonse, do you care about anyone in this vault or has being able to control everything gone to your head?".
"people are disposable Hammond, this vault isnt".
"even Amata?"
"as the overseer i cant give preferential treatment, even to my daughter"
"that's a yes then".
the overseer winced as perry finished the stitches and DRessed the wound and handed the overseer a box of antibiotics " take two of these a day until the box is empty to avoid infection" then perry stood and began scavenging various pieces of contraband and equipment from the office. the overseer used this opportunity to his advantage by grabbing Amatas DRopped pistol and aimed it at Perry's head. he pulled the trigger back, the firing hammer flew forward producing a lack lustre click. "Alphonse do i look like an idiot to you, i removed the ammunition while you were corpsing to make Amata feel terrible". perry pulled the pistol from the overseers grip and stashed it in his satchel. then he walked out of the office. "tatty bye now Alphonse, i do hope you don't get a nasty bite from those roaches". the overseer scowled helplessly as Perry's footsteps faded down the corridor. as perry re-entered the administration corridor he flicked off his pip boy recorder and headed for main administration which consisted of the overseers office and quarters a large waiting area with a smaller office area to one side where Amata and Suzy Mack usually worked.
when perry arrived he could hear talking. Amata was conversing with someone, a man. perry raised his pistol and headed through the door. to his surprise a very battered but very much alive Jonas lay upon Amata and suzies desk. he was trying to instruct a very clumsy and upset Amata on how to heal his injuries.
perry rushed over and pulled Amata away. then perry went to work, within minutes Jonas was stitched bandaged and med-exed.
"well you gave me more than a fright Jonas"
"sorry kiddo, but i had to convince Mack he'd done the job, cant wait to see his face when i get hold of him"
"sorry Jonas but i kinda got in there first, planted one in the middle of his back, no pretending there"
Jonas stared at perry in surprise before replying. "well if karma aint a bitch"
Amata turned to face Jonas and perry with a look of anger and tears rolling down her face "so i guess karma was being a bitch when i killed my father!"
perry started to laugh with a grin lighting up his face. Amata couldn't believe Perry's reaction and Jonas stayed on the fence no way was he getting involved with this one.
"perry you sick bastard laughing about the worst thing that's ever happened to me, you're supposed to care!"
"no Amata im laughing because he isn't dead, you only clipped his shoulder i patched him up and left him with a bad impression of my bedside manner and a box of anti biotic"
"he's...alive?"
"yes Amata hes perfectly fine and arrogant as ever"
Amata sighed with relief and started laughing herself. perry pulled her into a hug and led her to the overseers office, Jonas following with a limp.
once inside Jonas sealed the door and smashed the controls. perry sat in the overseers chair and immediately went to work on his terminal meanwhile Amata began rifling through nearby filling cabinets.
"if you're looking for the password i already have it" then perry simply typed "Amata" into the terminal and pressed enter. a confirmation bleep signaled that perry had the correct password. Amata turned from the cabinet in surprise. "how?" she uttered in disbelief. perry began to chuckle. "your father is the overseer, hes also arrogant and predictable so obviously your name is the password". perry checked the screen but found only the same asinine diary files hed hacked countless times before. Jonas looked up from the first aid box he was raiding " ya know kiddo it might help if we knew what you were looking for".
"well like all dictators the overseer has an escape route in case of a revolt, there's a secret tunnel in here that goes directly to the vault door and its activated from this console". Jonas and Amata both sat on the sofa in further surprise then in unison said " well blow me"
perry sat in thought until he noticed a flashing icon in the corner of the screen and then clicked it. he was once more for a password.
"there's an encrypted hard DRive partition" perry began typing revealing the password wasnt Amata this time.
Jonas looked over anxiously "can you get in"
"just a second" perry typed "Amata Almadovar" into the terminal before tapping the enter key. "im in!". Amata looked up with a smile after finding her fathers ammo stash.
"well well...turns out the vaults been open before".
Amata and Jonas stared at perry, the look in their eyes begging him to continue. "yep apparently Jonas's mother headed a scouting party the files look extensive, im gonna download these for later we may need them" Jonas and Amata continued to stare nonplussed at perry.
"and open overseer tunnel" perry added with a tap of the enter key. Amata and Jonas stumbled back as steam shot from various vents in the base of the desk. perry shouted "what the hell!" as the desk and him began to rise on four giant chrome pistons and the floor slid back revealing a dark, dirty tunnel. perry leapt from the desk platform before pulling Jonas and Amata to their feet. perry and Amata aided Jonas down the stairs with perry tapping a button at the bottom. after a short walk and moving through a reinforced door the trio came to a room with no visible means of exit save for the door they had entered from.
Jonas panicked "well what the fuck do we do now its a dead-end!?". perry stepped forward calmly and pushed the wall in front of them. to the amazement of Amata and Jonas the wall slowly slid into the floor. a control booth was unveiled before the trio. beyond the booth was a larger dimly lit room filled with unfamiliar machinery. perry led his companions into the larger room and left them on a set of steps. then perry moved over to a yellow control deck and stared at the large cog pressed into the wall nearby. he typed "Amata" into yet another password box. the light next to the door lever turned green.
"how predictable, i must leave a note thanking your father for such a difficult escape". perry then pulled the lever. immediately alarms began blaring as a huge rail mounted piston DRove into the giant cog door, releasing the hermetic seal then the cog came back with the piston before sliding to one side revealing a long dark cave beyond.
perry moved to help Jonas to his feet and hobble to the exit. perry turned, Amata remained on the steps.
"Amata come on, we don't know how long itll take for security to get here!" perry didn't have the time or the mood for emotional conversation.
Amata looked up with tears in her eyes "im not coming with you, i cant, the vault and my father need me!". Amata then rose from the steps and headed towards the reinforced door behind her. "Amata!, you shot him, he will be pissed and you'll be arrested for high treason combine that with helping me escape you will be banished!". perry stood challenging her with his eyes.
"perry its a chance i have to ta..." Amata was cut off by the sound of officer Kendall voice on the other side of the reinforced door.
"alright men, the overseers orders are clear. first apprehend DR Palmer use of violence is not permitted as he is the only remaining medical team member. second DR Hammond is to be arrested and charged with the murders of chief security officer Mack, Janet Taylor and tom holden. and finally chief intendant Almadovar is to be shot on sight. her crimes include aiding a fugitive, attempted murder of the overseer and high treason". with kendalls itinerary complete a battering ram began clanging against the metal door leaving large impact dents with every bang. perry held out his pale hands, his cold blue electric eyes pleaded with Amata. she hesitated but grabbed Perry's hand when the door finally gave way. Jonas stood at the back of the group like a human shield as the trio crossed the threshold of the cavern the large cog beginning to close behind them. perry stared back to see kendall angrily running towards the door as it finally fell into place. on the other side of the door kendall punched the door "damn it!". kendall turned round just in time for the rail mounted to impale him through the chest pinning him to the door. then hot steam flew from the piston into his chest cavity , blasting his chest wide open. the vault security team watched in horror as kendalls body came back with the piston hanging like a rag doll.
perry and his companions eventually came to a door made of wood and chicken wire, light shone through the gaps between the wooden slats. they anxiously opened the door and walked out, only to be blinded by light brighter than any of them had seen. perry felt reborn as he bathed in the warm glow. ready to take his first steps into the new, broken world beyond the vault.