Chapter 3 Saving the Vault
The Lone Wanderer chose without thinking. Saving the Vault was the more logical choice, but also even if she didn't want to admit, it was a choice her heart made for her. The Vault was closer to her location and she could not abandon Amata and all the people she grew up with in the Vault. On her way towards her destination thoughts of guilt flashed through her mind. An inner conflict she could not stop, no matter how hard she tried.
"You can't abandon the Brotherhood they are the only hope for stability in this land!"
"But the Vault and the people inside will be lost if I don't go there first!"
"Amata kicked you out when you needed her most, how can you be this naïve?!"
"The Brotherhood doesn't exactly treat me any better!"
"This will be on your head!"
"The Vault will be on my head!"
No matter how hard she tried, she could not reach a satisfying solution to ease her troubled mind. Whatever she chose, she could not see it end well for one side either way. Running on the scorched earth and hearing her own steady breaths did only so much to focus her thoughts. She had to reach the Vault in time to stop the Outcasts from gaining access to the central network and worse, to keep them from killing anyone.
Whatever would happen at the Citadel would have to wait and she hoped that the Brotherhood soldiers there would be capable of handling the threat until she provided backup. With a steady running pace she made her way towards the place she once called home.
xxx
"Amata I compiled the report of the repairs I made to the water chip. It should run fine now, nothing big to worry about"
Amata looked up from her computer to see Stanley the Vault technician enter the Overseer's Office, holding the report in his hands. He looked older than she remembered. Even though she encouraged him to take more time off and to relax from time to time, the man was stubborn as an ox and kept working in fear of the Vault system to fail. She looked him up and down and noticed the dark circles around his eyes that were more persistent lately.
"Thanks Stanley, you can put it on my desk I will look it over when I'm finished with my work."
He nodded and turned to leave, but a sound from Amata's computer stopped him in his tracks.
Amata noticed and said, "Ah, this is just the signal of the Vault door opening. I invited Jame's daughter back to the Vault. I think it was a mistake to just send her out into whatever it is out there, she must have finally gotten my message. I better go and meet her at the door."
xxx
In spite of the Wanderers pace she did not reach the Vault before the Outcasts could enter it. She sat hidden on a formation of rocks and watched some Outcasts patrol the perimeter around the Vault. She could see three in total. Two were watching guard at the entrance and one was casually walking around the sign in front of it. She remembered vaguely that it said "scenic overlook" and wondered if the soldier in front of it had the same thoughts about irony as she had the first time she left her home.
Grabbing her rifle with newfound resolve she made her way towards the Vault and made sure to stay hidden or at least covered if they noticed her approach. She got lucky and stayed hidden until she reached the slope that lead to the entrance. Her real problem was the weapon she had brought with her. She'd have rather shot the three soldiers with a sniper rifle, as it was the safest way in taking them out, but considering the circumstances she was glad she had a weapon at all.
The Lone Wanderer crouched down and slowly sneaked up the slope. To anyone watching it would've been a rather magnificent sight to behold, as not many people could sneak in Power Armor. Since it was heavy and bulky it made a distinct sound anybody would pick up on if they were standing in its proximity. But to the Lone Wanderer the armor was nothing but a second skin by now. Sneaking was no problem.
She took in a long breath and threw a large stone into the direction the walking Outcast was looking at. It landed on a big destroyed carcass of what was once a car and the sound immediately caught the attention of the soldier.
"Guys I heard something, but I can't see anybody", the Outcast said, while checking the area the sound came from.
"For fucks sake go check it out and stop acting like a goddamn Greenhorn all the time", one of the soldiers at the entrance replied.
"Yes sir!", the Outcast replied, feeling a little embarrassed.
He jumped down on the street below instead of walking down the slope and forfeited his life by doing so. He just didn't know it yet.
The Wanderer snuck towards the soldier and reached for the knife he had holstered behind his back. A common error of amateurs as it left them open to the enemy should they attempt to steal it like she was about to do. The Outcast soldier did not even have time to react when she forcefully struck the knife between the neck and the collarbone. Power Armor was not fool proof and once again she was glad to know its weak spots. In a swift motion she pulled of the helmet of the dying soldier and broke his neck so to minimize the sounds the man could have made. Next she put on the helmet herself and walked straight towards the two soldiers guarding the door.
"So what the hell was it? Some Rad Roach am I right"?, one of the soldiers asked sarcastically when she stood right in front of them.
She didn't reply but looked from one to the other. Speaking would only let them see through her disguise
"Hey I'm talking to you fool", the soldier angrily said and made to grab the Wanderer's shoulder.
Hoping for exactly this moment she quickly grabbed his wrist before he could touch her and quickly pulled his arm behind his back. Thanks to the Power Armor that move was made even stronger and she was able to break the surprised soldiers arm entirely and he cried out in agony. The other one started to raise his Laser Rifle but before he could fire a shot the Lone Wanderer cleanly put her own flash of heat between his eyes. He dropped dead instantly. His partner was lying on the ground crying and holding his arm. The Lone Wanderer kicked his weapon out of reach and removed his helmet then kneeled down to him and looked him in the eyes.
"Who is leading this operation, what are you planning to do, how many of you are there?", she bombarded the man with questions.
He squirmed and defiantly looked up "Fuck you, you won't get any information from me!"
"Wrong answer", she replied coldly and stomped hard on his broken arm. Again the Power Armor fulfilled its god given duty and amplified the force of the stomp shattering the bones anew.
The soldier screamed painfully and tears flowed freely down his cheeks.
"Fuck…fuck…goddammit fuck you."
"Now let's try that again. If you'll answer my questions nicely I might even give you some Med-X for the pain.
The Outcast hesitated and gasped for air before replying, "There are 10 Soldiers inside, including Defender Anne. She's the head of the operation. I just know that we are supposed to secure the Vault…shit as if anyone tells us anything anyway!"
The Wanderer nodded satisfied with the answer and stood up ready to enter the Vault. She had some cleaning up to do.
"Hey…hey wait…you promised me some fucking Med-X! Don't leave me like this!", the soldier shouted at her.
"Oh right", she nonchalantly replied and turned to face him.
The soldier stared up at her in anticipation and breathing heavy because of the pain.
"Oh shi..."
The Wanderer raised her rifle and shot him in the head before he could finish whatever he indented to shout at her. She had a job to do and had no sympathy for the Outcasts.
xxx
The Vault was the way she remembered. Clean, bright and narrow. Perfect for the carnage she had planned out for the remaining Outcasts.
She slowly moved her way towards the Atrium and tried to listen to any suspicious noises that might give away the enemy's position. But the further she walked through the narrow corridors the more nervous she got. The Vault seemed to be empty. No soul was in sight and she suspected that everyone was either on the levels below or at the Overseer's Office. Either way she had to reach the soldiers quickly and make sure not to die along the way or else she might lose any progress she made already, or rather she was scared she would wake up and everything that happened up until now would be void. She decided to first check her old room before making her way upstairs, hoping one trip was all it would take to eradicate the remaining soldiers that dared to attack her old home and friends.
Her old room had been occupied by Wally Mack the last time she visited the Vault. After breaking his nose for insulting her father she made sure that the room stayed inaccessible to anyone but herself. The reason for this was a giant pile of weapons, explosives and ammunition that she stored inside the room in case of emergencies. Well, moments like this. She never truly believed to be able to enter the Vault again after Amata kicked her out, put she planned ahead just in case. The Wanderer entered her room and turned on the lights. All around the room weapons were lying neatly around and next to her bed whole boxes of ammunition and explosives were stacked on each other, almost reaching the ceiling. When Amata had explained the situation with her father to her, she made sure to collect everything she thought she could use and brought it to the Vault. She asked a Caravan to help her transport everything and repaid them generously. Of course they could not help her get everything into the Vault but Officer Gomez had volunteered. She always liked the officer and was more than happy to resolve the issues of the Vault afterwards.
She entered her room and got out of her borrowed Power Armor. She needed something lighter for what she had planned and the bulky suit would only get in the way. She went to one of the lockers in the room and put out a shimmering grey suit of armor. The helmet reflected the ceiling lights trough its orange visor. Chinese stealth armor, it was by far the most effective suit to stay hidden and it still offered good protection thanks to the suits integrated armor plating.
The Wanderer quickly grabbed the Chinese sword she got from the Vault after completing the Anchorage simulation and holstered it on her back. Afterwards she grabbed an Alien Blaster, one Alien rifle and a few Pulse Grenades. She holstered a few ammunition packs around her waist and legs to hold additional Alien Power Cells and turn to face her bed. On the ground the explosives she needed were lying around and she mentally planned were she would set the traps. The Outcasts had no idea what they got themselves into.
xxx
"Tell me the password to get inside the central computer or else people will start to die. Since you are the Overseer I'm sure you don't want that to happen to any of your flock. Now be a good girl and answer truthfully.", a sickly sweet female voice was talking to Amata.
The woman was interrogating Amata for almost an hour now. She was in exactly the same room and exactly the same situation her father had put her a few years back when her friend was trying to escape the Vault. The irony was not lost on her. She didn't want to answer the woman who continuously kept beating her and asking the same question. She closed of the living area of the Vault after she realized that it was not her friend who had entered the Vault, but still a few residents got caught and were kept in the prison behind her, watching her suffer under the brutish Wastelander. Her father was among the prisoners and had tried to fight them off, but they knocked him out with a rifle butt to the head. He was unconscious and bleeding from the hit. Amata was worried he might have a concussion but she was in no position herself to help, so she stayed silent and took the punishment for it. Bruises all around her face started to swell and she bled from her nose.
"It is not me who punishing you for your silence, but your own silence. If you tell me the password I promise you, your friends will be not harmed and you can leave the Vault for all I care. You just need to give me the password."
Amata swallowed down some blood and stared at floor, staying defiant to the end. She hoped her friend would reach her in time and stop this hell. She never imagined that giving away the Vault door's password would lead to the situation she was currently facing. A hard punch to the face was the reward for her silence and she almost fell from the chair she was sitting in. Even though the pain was unbearable she held on to the iron hope that they were not alone for long and everyone would be saved by the hero who solved the Vaults once already. She just had to hold out and wait…
xxx
The Wanderer watched her work with satisfaction and went to bring her plan in motion. She was standing hidden by the shadows in the Atrium , with a microphone around her mouth. She made sure to cut the lights of the area and hacked into the Vault's PA systems. As she started to speak her voice was carried through all the speakers in the Vault. She only had to deliver her message and wait for the Outcasts to react. No matter what they did, they would die either way.
"Outcasts of the Brotherhood, this is the Lone Wanderer speaking, I have escaped your little fort and I intend to execute my revenge upon your miserable souls. I will cast down your Codex and bask in the dying agony of those you hold dear. I'm here to relieve you of your earthly bounds…but relief must undeniably follow unbearable suffering. I will decorate this Vault with your entrails and build a throne from your skulls. I am destruction incarnate. Blood for the Blood God!"
The last sentence she shouted in the most violent voice she could manage then she turned off the microphone and waited for the effect she was waiting.
The surprised and startled soldiers all around the Vault were running towards the Office where Defender Anne was torturing Amata and awaited further instructions.
The Defender herself looked pale and turned towards her soldiers.
"Go find her you idiots! She's just playing with your minds. She is just one woman and you are trained Brotherhood soldiers. No need to hold back, I want you to kill her!", she said trying to keep the tremble from her voice.
Some soldiers moved on immediately but some hesitated for a moment. There was something in the Lone Wanderer's voice that made them fear her.
The first group of soldiers ran down the stairs towards the kitchen area. They moved in groups of three always checking the perimeter. The soldier in front of them stepped into the Kitchen and missed the trip-wire that was put at the door triggering the Cryo-mines that were put around the room. There was a brief flash of light and the three of them were frozen solid forever trapped in an alert state with raised weapons. But their hearts seized to beat immediately.
The other two groups deemed it necessary to stick together and all made their way into the Atrium. It was dark and they could only make out a silhouette standing in the middle of the hall.
One of them spoke nervously, "Come out and drop your weapons. We won't hurt you if you comply."
In response maniac laughter filled the air around the hall, seemingly coming from all direction. The soldiers moved slowly back against the wall and frantically checked their surroundings. One of the soldiers checked the middle of the hall again, but the silhouette was gone. The air next to him shimmered slightly but it was too late to react. A sword flashed in the darkness and cut across his throat, blood spilling in all directions. The panicked soldiers started to scatter around the hall not even bothering to help their comrade. Some fired blindly into the darkness. But it was to no avail. The Wanderer quickly ran behind them one by one slashing them open with her sword or disintegrating hem with her Alien rifle. They were outnumbered even though she was alone.
After it was all done she took off her helmet and went to the nearest corpse and started to smear his blood on her face. She knew that psychological warfare could just be as effective as normal conventional warfare. But it all relied on the person's ability to act the part and even then, not everyone could be manipulated like that. She needed to make sure that Anne would see her as the Grim Reaper. Being bathed in the blood of her comrades was all she needed to show her for her to hesitate and in that moment she would strike. The Outcasts lost the moment they started to give in to fear and she only needed to finish them off.
Making her way upstairs she hoped that Amata was alright and she wasn't too late. She would never forgive her if she dies. She was about to reach the room Amata was in when she heard Anne trying to contact her soldiers,"Everyone status report, I repeat status report what is happening? Over."
She sounded panicked which was a good sign and the Wanderer took a deep breath and entered the room.
Anne hearing the footsteps turned around and saw the Wanderer covered in blood and entrails standing in the door frame. She quickly moved to stand behind Amata and pressed her gun against her temple. Amata whimpered and stared in horror at her friend who looked nothing like she remembered her to be. She looked like a wild animal, her eyes filled with blood lust and anger.
"Don't you dare move or I'm going to put a round trough your little friend here!" Anne warned the Wanderer and tightened her grip on the girls head.
The Wanderer cocked her head and grinned manically stepping slowly further into the room, completely ignoring Amata. Anne's Laser Pistol started to shake in her hand and she tried to raise the pistol to aim and fire at the Lone Wanderers head, but she was faster and threw her sword right through the Outcast's skull. The sheer force alone was enough to nail her into the wall behind her and she dropped dead to the ground.
Amata started to shake and looked at the terrifying presence that approached her. It looked like her childhood friend but she wasn't so sure anymore
"No please don't kill me", she started to beg and the Lone Wanderer started to feel bad for her friend. She didn't want Amata to see her like this but it was the only way to save her life. She kneeled before her and grabbed Amatas shaking hands and looked into her terrified eyes.
"Shhhh it's okay Amata it's all for show I would never hurt you." The Lone Wanderer tried to calm her friend and pulled her into a hug. She was aware how she must have looked but she needed to show Amata that she wasn't a psycho. It was the most important part of this whole scenario. Amata shook in her arms and then started to calm down slightly wrapping her own arms around the Wanderer. They sat like this for a while before the Lone Wanderer broke the embrace and looked at Amatas face. She was bruised and blood was running down her nose and mouth. Tears freely flowed down her face and one eye was swollen.
"I'm sorry I didn't arrive sooner", the Wanderer began and cleaned some of the blood with her thumb. "But you need to listen to me Amata", she continued more seriously. "I need to leave the Vault again for a while. I will be back I promise and I will explain everything that has happened here today. You need to trust me. There are many people who will die if I won't be there for them."
Amata nodded and stood up. She looked at the prison were some Vault residents were trapped, all watching them with curiosity. Butch was also among them, looking rather bewildered. Amata couldn't blame him. Who would've thought that the Vault would be thrown into Chaos again in such a short time.
She turned back to her friend and said, "Alright, but I need to change the password for the Vault after you leave. I will only open the door again when I can personally verify that it is you who is standing at the entrance. I will have Stanley take a look at the camera and see if it still works. We don't need another disaster like this."
The Wanderer squeezed Amatas shoulder to reassure her and made her way out of the Vault. She was just getting started.
xxx
The Wanderer had always thought that the Citadel looked like a bomb had struck the building; even though the Brotherhood made a good effort of reinforcing and cleaning it up a bit. But today it looked like it was under siege. Fires and smoke rose from all parts of the complex towards the sky and the front gate looked like it was opened by mini nukes. She could hear distant gun fire and the sound of Laser weapons. She hoped she had time to stop the worst from happening and started to sprint towards the gate. Upon reaching it she noticed the dead guards lying around. She never was particularly fond of the Paladins guarding the entrance, but she never wished for them to die.
The Wanderer quickly ran towards the main entrance and noted how the doors were missing as well. Whatever the Outcasts beliefs were, the certainly didn't lack fire power. She had to make sure to stay out of sight and find Elder Lyons. He was the head of the organization and without him the Brotherhood would crumble, she was sure of it.
The fighting in the courtyard was still going on. The outcasts clearly send the bulk of their army towards the Citadel. She could see Paladin Gunny and a few recruits take a stand inside the building where some beds were placed. He was smart; the higher position gave them an advantage even if the recruits didn't realize it. One of the recruits fired a Laser Rifle and missed his target, but at the same time he hit barrels who were standing neatly around close to each other, they exploded and took out many Outcasts in the process. She didn't want to give away her position and made sure to keep to the shadows. She needed to reach the Elder first everything else was a second objective.
She went inside the complex and followed the narrow corridors until she reached the hall they kept Liberty Prime's remains in. See could make out several dead Brotherhood members, among them Scribe Rothchild. The Wanderer felt bad for him, but she didn't regret saving Amata. She knew if she made her way to the citadel first the Vault would've been lost. She quickly dropped some Cryo-mines around the catwalks and made sure her stealth field active. Afterwards she fired a shot into the area to get the attention of the Outcasts surveying the equipment. She didn't stay to watch what would happen, the mines should do their jobs, she had to continue to search for the Elder.
She reached another building complex and saw Outcasts and Brotherhood Paladins fight inside the narrow corridors. Lucky for the Brotherhood Paladins she could sneak behind the Outcasts and kill them with her Alien rifle. She realized in horror that some of the Outcasts were carrying the weapons she was storing in Megaton. She hoped they didn't hurt anybody while collecting them.
The Brotherhood soldiers were confused for a moment when they saw flashes of light shoot from thin air into the Outcasts, but when the Wanderer disabled her stealth field and took off her helmet they recognized their ally.
"Glad you finally made it", one of the soldiers began,"They kept us under fire so we wouldn't be able to reach the Elder. We need to hurry and see if he's alive."
"Where is the Lyon's Pride? I haven't seen any of their members in the courtyard."
"I think they are with the Elder, or at least I hope so, anyway we need to hurry."
The Wanderer nodded in agreement and equipped her helmet again and rushed down the hall towards the Elders room, the rescued Paladins following her.
When they reached the room they realized with sinking hearts that they might be too late. Colvin and Dusk were lying dead against the Wall in the room, clearly killed by the Wanderers Alien rifles.
"God damn, what kind of technology do these bastards have?" one of the Paladins commented.
They Wanderer entered the room and made a quick note of her surroundings. The table and various furniture were destroyed, but something caught her eye. She kneeled down beside the bed and looked under it. Squire Maxson was hiding under it, clearly scared. The Wanderer reached out with her hand and tried to calm the young boy. "It's alright the Paladins and me are here to rescue any survivors and the Elder. You can come out now."
The boy reluctantly took her hand and let himself be pulled out from under the bed.
"I saw them take the Elder away after they killed two of the Lyon's Pride. What hope do you have if they couldn't save him and they are the best soldiers around here?" the boy began miserably.
The Wanderer kneeled down to him and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Do you know who the Lone Wanderer is?" she asked him.
The Squire nodded and replied, "She is the hero Three-Dog keeps talking about on the radio. She sounds like a super human to me."
"I am the Lone Wanderer", the woman replied, "I will get us out of this situation, but you need to tell me where they are keeping the Elder."
The Squire stared in awe and answered her question.
"The Elder was dragged to one of the older parts of the building. Some of the sealed ones I think. At least that's why I overheard them saying. I'm sorry but that's all I know."
The Wanderer nodded and patted the little boy on the back. That information should be useful enough. It was time to save the Elder.
xxx
The Citadel was a huge complex, in fact the Wanderer had only seen parts of it. She assumed that there were other parts she hadn't stepped in yet, but never bothered enough to check it all out. She was running through the narrow corridors, taking out the occasional Outcast that had made it inside and followed the instructions of the Paladins behind her.
"I know the sector Squire Maxson was talking about. Only the Lyon's Pride and a few selected Scribes are allowed to enter it. The Elder said that it stored dangerous technology and we needed to keep it hidden as much as possible" one of the Soldiers said.
The Lone Wanderer listened to the explanation while keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings. The last thing they needed was to run into an ambush. Soon enough they reached a set of huge metal doors.
"Yes that's the place" the soldier explained again, "The doors should be closed, that means that the enemy probably has made it inside already."
They stepped through the doors and found themselves inside a huge elevator. Dimly lit lights were placed down the elevator shaft, illuminating some of the darkness. The Wanderer pressed the only button on the panel and with a creak the construct started to descent deeper into the ground. The place had to be deep underground, because as she stared down the elevator shaft she could not make out when it would end. More lights appeared from the darkness below and disappeared after a while above them.
The atmosphere changed noticeably, there was a feeling of unease in the air. If what the Paladin had said was true, they were venturing into unknown territory. The enemy clearly had the advantage if they expected anyone to come through the elevator doors. The Wanderer examined the group with a grim expression underneath her helmet. They were four soldiers. Two of the Paladins had Laser Rifles while the other had a Gatling Laser. She had no doubt that the Soldiers were capable of defending themselves but who knew how many Outcasts were waiting at their destination. They needed a plan and she had good idea of how they could survive the encounter.
"Listen up, I know aren't exactly a force to be reckoned with, but I have an idea how we can surprise anyone waiting down at the elevator. When the door opens I want you three to press yourself against the wall, so when the doors open they will hopefully think that the elevator is empty. You've seen what kind of weapons they are using, we can only hope to defeat them with what we have with us. The moment the doors open I'm activating my stealth field. I'll try to get behind the enemy, so the moment I open fire you open up as well. If we attack them from two sides at once we may be able to turn the situation to our advantage." the woman explained.
The Paladins agreed to the plan, as no one had any better idea how to proceed. The elevator started to slow down and they quickly moved on either side of the elevator, trying to stay out of sight when the doors opened. The Wanderer herself stood in the middle and activated her stealth field. The doors opened and a dark hallway stretched out in front of her. Several Outcasts were taking cover behind sandbags they placed in front of the elevator and were taking aim at the Wanderer. She had no doubt that the stealth field provided her with the necessary invisibility to stay hidden but nevertheless she held her breath, anticipating the moves of the Outcasts.
"Uh Sir, there is no one, the elevator came down by itself" one of the Outcasts reported confused.
"Nonsense, the elevator is supposed to stay topside until we are finished with our business here. Go and check it out Soldier" the reply came from what the Wanderer assumed was the leader of the few Outcasts.
"On my way Sir!"
The soldier slowly started to move towards the elevator, his senses checking for any suspicious movements or sounds. The Wanderer took the chance to slip quickly past him and slipped through the opening he left in the formation. Then she turned around and started to fire her Alien rifle at the backs of the soldiers. The stealth field disappeared and hot blue light shot trough them. Clearly caught by surprise the soldiers started to turn around to fend off the assailant, but the Brotherhood Paladins acted out their part of the plan. Overwhelmed by the sheer force of their attackers the Outcasts soon dropped down one by one, the only sound left was the cooling function of the Laser Rifles and the Gatling Laser.
"Alright, let's move on further, we need to find the Elder!" the Wanderer said, moving further into the deep complex.
The hallway was dimly lit, like the elevator. It seemed like this part of the building wasn't used in a long time. Compared to the sectors above which were relatively clean and brightly lit, this sector felt like it wasn't used that often. The Wanderer could make out a blue light at the end of the long hallway, illuminating the room beyond and she started to run towards it. She could hear the sound of electric discharge and a loud steady hum coming from the room. The group entered the strange area and stared at a large circular room, which was huge in size. It was larger than anything the Wanderer had seen. In the middle of the room, several electric generators and Tesla Coils were place on a platform which seemed to power a giant pulsing core that was placed just above the Tesla Coils. It shimmered in a bright blue sun and slowly expanded and contracted in size. It was an awesome sight, and reminded the Wanderer of a small sun.
They looked around the room and noticed that there were no Outcasts present expect for one lone figure who stood upon platform at the far sight of the room. Giant screens were placed on the wall, showing different locations of the world on a map. Some were marked with a big red x and some with a circle. The Lone Wanderer moved towards the figure, but was stopped when she reached the stairs.
"That's close enough!" the voice warned.
The figure turned around and looked the Wanderer in the face. "You're resourceful, I'll give you that, but you have come too late. I am already preparing the last steps of my plan and the Brotherhood back West has been notified of my findings. They will be here, even if you stop me, you won't be able to stop the true Brotherhood of Steel. Lyon's pathetic group of boy scouts will stand no chance against the force which will overrun the Capital Wasteland."
With that Henry Casdin looked to the side with distain and the Wanderer noticed a body lying at the far end of the room. With sinking heart she realized that they have come too late and the Elder was killed. She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her rifle.
"Oh don't be upset now" Henry began noticing the way the Wanderer's stance changed. "You see the Elder was lying to you all along. He didn't stay in the Capital Wasteland to help out all the wasteland trash roaming around, it's all ruse to hide a more bitter reality. Lyons found something my dear, something underneath the Citadel. Something he wanted to keep hidden from the wrong people. He did try to contact the Brotherhood back West, but sadly for him they ignored him, because they deemed him a failure after he started helping the Wastelanders."
He stretched his arms out in a dramatic fashion and continued with his explanation "Lyons found working nuclear warheads underneath the Citadel. They are different than the old bombs that were fired 200 years ago. I read trough the files and I believe that one rocket is as strong as 100 warheads of the past!" He smiled slyly at the dumbfounded group and pointed at the map behind him.
"Can you imagine what this would mean for the Brotherhood of Steel? It's the ultimate find of a century. The holy grail of our crusade and Lyons was afraid of it. He wanted to keep it hidden and didn't know what to do with them. That's why he never left. That's why he is sitting ducks in this Wasteland and that's why more Paladins will die under his command. Once I explain the situation to the Soldiers above I hope they will see the error of their ways and join the true Brotherhood again." His face took on an angry expression and he said "I can't believe he branded us Outcasts, while we are the true face of the Brotherhood. Lyons is a failure as a Leader and as a member of the organization!"
He started to decent towards the Wanderer and continued "I hope you are smarter than the rest of the Brotherhood of Steel and will see reason. Let me talk to the men upstairs and let me end this needless war. Enough lifes have been lost because of that man. These warheads need to be preserved and studied. They are too dangerous to be left alone sitting here!"
The Wanderer hesitated. She felt betrayed and couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Elder seemed like a kind and honorable man when she first met him. What she was hearing shattered the reality she had made inside her head. She stepped back from Henry who smiled at her and awaited her response. She had to make a choice now.
A) Spare Henry (Continue in Chapter 5)
B) Kill Henry (Continue in Chapter 6)
