Chapter 12: The Shadow Falls
Before I could respond I heard a loud humming noise coming from outside. The noise grew louder and louder until two flying machines came in to view. They hovered over the memorial and landed just outside the gift shop.
"Damn it, Madison, lock the doors, tell everyone else to head for the escape tunnel!" I heard my dad order.
"Dad, what's going on!" I shouted.
"It's the Enclave son! Damn it, I was hoping they wouldn't notice our presence!" he shouted with fear in his voice. The sound of a door breaking down erupted from the speakers, followed by silence.
"Dad? Dad!" I shouted, but got no response.
I swear to God if they hurt him or Madison I'll kill them all!
I busted through the wrought iron door at my front and made my way back up to the gift shop.
I kicked the metal sewer grate open and held my Assault Rifle at the ready. I noticed two bodies lying on the floor as I snuck through the building towards the rotunda. I checked them, it was two of the maintenance workers that had followed along.
Damn, did these Enclave bastards have no morals?
The rotunda door had been broken down and I hurried through. I saw Madison up on the catwalks banging against the glass. I ran up and saw that my father was trapped inside with another female scientist, and four Enclave soldiers with their weapons drawn.
The last man I spotted I had never seen before. His hair was thinning and he had a rugged look about him. He wore a long brown overcoat and sported a 10mm Pistol in his hand.
"Oh thank god you're here Jason, they've got them locked up in there like prisoners!" Madison said frantically as I approached her.
The air lock leading to the inner working of the purifier had been sealed shut. I slammed my fist against it, "Dad! What's going on!?" I yelled through the glass.
My dad kept his cool and smiled at me, "Everything's alright son, Colonel Autumn and I were just having a mutual chat about the purifier."
Autumn, I had heard that name before. He was the one who wanted to interrogate me a while back.
The colonel adjusted the collar of his coat, "Now, where were we before your son so rudely interrupted us…ah yes, you were just about to turn the purifier and all of its properties over to the Enclave." he said with a devilish grin on his face.
"I'm sorry colonel, but I can't do that. This purifier belongs to the people of the wasteland, and the longer we sit here disagreeing with one another the longer it takes for us to find a way to purify this water." was my dad's response.
The colonel then aimed his pistol at the female scientist and blew her brains out. Madison let loose a blood chilling scream as she watched the colonel murder her colleague.
"Now I do grow tired of your little games sir. Give us what we need or you'll find yourself on the wrong end of this pistol!" he threatened.
Dad just stood there, eying his foe, thinking about what to do next.
He suddenly sighed and turned towards a console at his back. "You win colonel, I don't want to die any more than you do. Just let me upload all of the data and the purifier will be yours."
The colonel holstered his pistil and smiled, "That wasn't so hard now was it?" he said in a sarcastic tone. God how I wished I could break through this glass and strangle him to death.
A red light near the air lock suddenly flashed on, and soon after an alarm started to chime within the building.
The colonel looked around and then scowled at my father. "What did you do you insignificant worm!" he shouted as he raised his pistol.
My father smiled, "I'm sorry colonel, but you won't be leaving this facility alive, none of us will. I've triggered the failsafe and soon this room will be flooded with radiation. I can't allow you to take away what little hope the wasteland has in its future. You would use this machine to gain power, influence, and money while I would use it to help bring purified water to everyone free of charge and want nothing in return."
The colonel's finger lingered over the trigger of his gun, but let it fall to his side, "Damn you. If I'm going to die a slow and painful death than by God you are too!" he shouted, but his threat had no effect on my father.
Within minutes the Enclave soldiers started grasping their necks and were gasping for air. One by one they fell to the ground while the colonel and my father just stood perfectly still; their gazes locked on one another.
The colonel suddenly fell to his knees, grasped his throat, gave one final breath, and then fell to the floor.
My dad slowly limped over to the air lock and pressed his hand against it. Tears were already streaming down my face as I pressed my own hand to line up with his.
"Dad, please….no!" I shouted.
"Son….Jason….it's up to you….to see through….what I couldn't. Bring hope…to these people, and…never forget….who you are…" he trailed off and coughed profusely.
I pressed my forehead against the glass, I felt so helpless. "Dad, I love you, do you hear me, I love you so much!" I shouted with pain in my voice.
He smiled softly, "I…love you…too Jason…I'm so…" he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around himself. I could see his veins protruding from his skin, and he grew paler by the second.
He suddenly threw his head back and reached up at something I couldn't see. "Catherine?" was the last word that left my father's mouth before he finally slumped on to his side and became still.
He was dead.
I stood there for what seemed like an eternity and stared at my father's lifeless body.
It all suddenly broke out of me in an instant. I screamed at the top of my lungs and slammed my hands repeatedly against the glass. I swore and cursed aloud and then fell to my knees as I was engulfed by utter despair.
I suddenly felt Madison's gentle hands on my shoulders, and I looked up to see her concerned, tear covered face.
"Jason, we need to get out of here, I can hear more soldiers coming. Everyone is waiting for us down in the escape tunnel, it's up to you to see us to safety!" she told me.
I tried my best to collect myself and Madison helped me to my feet. I took her by the hand, "Let's go."
We opened the trap door which led down to the secret tunnel and sure enough one other female scientist and three maintenance guys were waiting for us.
"Where's James?" the scientist asked.
Madison simply shook her head.
All I could do was stand idly by and keep myself from having another outburst while Madison explained the situation to everyone. "These tunnels lead directly to the Citadel, once there, the Brotherhood of Steel will be able to protect us. I wouldn't doubt if the Enclave have already set up ambush points down here, but we've got the Lone Wanderer with us, and he'll make sure we make it out safe!" she told them.
The truth was, with every second that passed, I cared less and less for their well being as my heart filled to the brim with only one emotion.
Hate. Hate for the Enclave and everything it stood for.
I loaded a fresh magazine in to my Assault Rifle and headed out in front of the group. When we came to a small doorway which led through a small generator room I could already smell an ambush.
I threw my hand up, "Wait out here, I'll scout out the area ahead." I told them.
"Don't be gone long." I heard Madison say as I crept away.
I entered the room and hugged the walls. It was feint, but I could make out the sound of metal boots clanking against the metal floor on a balcony hanging over my head. I grabbed a plasma grenade from my pack and activated it.
I held it till the last possible second and then tossed it up on to the balcony. The soldiers didn't even have time to scream before they were engulfed in the bright green light.
A green plasma bolt hit the wall next to me and I looked up and spotted another soldier coming in from the other side of the room. I ducked behind a generator as three more bolts flew overhead.
I screamed aloud as I fired blindly over the generator. The soldier let loose an agonizing cry and I heard him fall to the floor. When I got back on my feet I walked over and saw that he was still alive.
I shot his hand as he reached out for his weapon. He recoiled his arm and screamed in pain. I kicked him on to his back and pointed my Assault Rifle at his head, "I'm going to hunt down every single one of you heartless fucks until not one of you remains!" I shouted, and before he could respond I loosed a bullet in to his forehead.
I spat on his lifeless corpse and then headed back for the others. I didn't say anything to them, I just signaled for them to keep close.
Madison covered her mouth when she saw the corpse of the soldier I had killed.
Don't you dare feel any sympathy for him! I thought.
We continued along the narrow corridors until we hit another possible ambush point. The room had three balconies and four support pillars that could easily hide even a fully armored Enclave soldier.
Once again I signaled for everyone to stay behind and wait for my return.
I peeked up through a hole in one of the balconies and spotted an Enclave soldier standing there, waiting. I smiled and pointed my gun at him.
I must've sprayed bullets at him for a good five seconds. He slumped to the floor and his blood had stained the wall where he had been standing.
"He's over there!" I heard one of them shout, and a grenade landed at my feet. I quickly picked it up and tossed it behind one of the pillars. I heard one of them scream before it went off and it brought joy to my heart as his severed limbs splattered against the wall.
I spotted two more on another balcony and fired like a madman in to them. A few bullets clipped one of their helmets and he tumbled over the railing and fell a good twenty feet and landed on his head.
I hid behind one of the pillars as green bolts flew past me, and then peeked out and took down the last one up top.
I heard footsteps behind me, but couldn't react quickly enough and received a blow to the side of my face. I felt another hit on my back and staggered forward. When the third blow came I lifted my hands and grabbed on to my attackers weapon. I shoved it back in his face and he lost his grip on it.
I grabbed on to the barrel and used all of my strength to bat him across the head with his own weapon. The soldier fumbled with his footing and then caught the weapon as I went for another swing.
We fought for dominance over the weapon before I received a head butt to the face. God it hurt, the guy was wearing a metal helmet after all. Blood trickled down to my lips and the salty taste entered my mouth.
I staggered back and the soldier pointed his gun at me. I yelled aloud and tackled him to the ground before he could fire and he dropped the weapon. I drew my pistol and fired multiple times in to my opponents masked face. Blood leaked out the back of his helmet and spread across the floor. I unloaded a few more shots to release some excess stress and then got to my feet.
I picked my rifle up off the ground and loaded another magazine in to it. Madison looked very concerned upon my return and wanted to look at my nose to make sure it wasn't broken. I rejected her offer and told everyone to keep moving.
After another fifteen minutes I looked back and noticed that everyone had stopped.
"What are you doing!? We need to keep moving!" I shouted as I approached them.
"It's Garza, he has a heart condition and it's starting to effect him." Madison explained.
"And?" I said impatiently.
"And he needs to be treated and get some rest or he'll never make it to the Citadel!" she replied.
"We don't have time for this shit, we need to get to the Citadel as soon as possible or else we might be flanked from the rear!" I shouted at her.
Madison took a few steps back. She had a blank expression on her face, "What did you just say? What the hell is wrong with you Jason, this isn't the man I've come to know and love!" she shouted.
In one instance I went from completely enraged to a poor sobbing pile of dead weight. I fell to my knees and covered my face with my hands.
"I'm so sorry Madison, I…I don't know what's come over me!" I said through my hands.
She placed a finger beneath my chin and raised it up so I was looking right in to her eyes. "I know how you must be feeling right now Jason, but can you keep it together long enough for us to get out of here alive?" she asked, and I nodded.
I got to my feet and headed over to Garza, who was leaning against a wall grasping his chest. I handed a few Stimpaks to the scientist, whose name was Anna Holt, sitting at his side.
"Thank you." was all she said in response. She went to work on treating her patient, and after twenty minutes of resting he was sure he could make it the rest of the way without any more problems.
I still felt the rage within, but I bottled it up for everyone else's sake. We were close now, just one more room and it was a straight shot to the exit.
When I entered through the doorway my Assault Rifle suddenly shattered in my hands. I looked up and saw an Enclave Sniper on the second floor. He fired again and I jumped behind a steel pillar. A few more shots clanged against the cold metal.
I sat there and thought about how best to handle the situation. All I had left was my pistol and a couple of plasma grenades. The lights above me flickered, and I suddenly got an idea. I pointed my pistol towards the ceiling and shot out one of the lights. I aimed again and took out the other one. The room was now completely dark, and the sniper stood out like a sore thumb because of the glowing power pack on his back.
I crept over to the stairs that led up to his perch as he shot wildly in to the dark.
"Wrong direction asshole!" I shouted. He turned to face me and I shot him right between the eyes. He stumbled backwards and fell over the side of the railing.
I turned the light on my Pip Boy on and headed back out in to the hall to collect the others. I sighed to myself as we walked past the shattered remnants of my trusty Assault Rifle.
So long old friend.
The last stretch of narrow corridor led up an incline before finally ending at a large metal door.
"The underbelly of the Citadel is right through here." Madison told me.
Right as I was about to open the door, I heard hissing and snarling coming from behind another door at our left.
Bang! Bang!
Something was pounding against it.
Bang! Bang!
It started to give way.
I flipped the switch next to the giant steel door and it slid open just as the other smaller door was busted down. Out of it came fifteen Feral Ghouls who set their sights immediately on us.
"Run!" I shouted as the mindless zombies poured out of the doorway.
I ran behind the group and fired off a few pot shots as we ran for our lives. I managed to take a few of them out before my pistol made the familiar clicking noise of an empty chamber.
I holstered it and continued running as fast as my legs would carry me. When we rounded a corner up ahead somebody shouted at us to duck. I grabbed Madison by the waist and we fell to the ground along with the others.
A Brotherhood Paladin stood behind some sandbags and revved his Mini-Gun as the ghouls came around the corner.
A barrage of bullets erupted from the oversized weapon and tore through the ghouls like they were made from butter.
Two ceiling turrets were activated and they joined in on the slaughter. An arm snapped off a ghoul here, a head popped off another, and another's legs were swept out from beneath it.
The Paladin and the turrets painted the walls with green blood for the next thirty seconds until all of the ghouls had been taken care of.
Smoke billowed from the Paladin's Mini-Gun, and the edges of the barrels were a tint of orange from how heated they were.
"Alright, the danger has passed. You can head up top now." the Paladin advised.
I made sure everyone else climbed the ladder which led outside before finally heading up myself.
We emerged near the front gate of the Citadel and a single Brotherhood Paladin waited there for us. He wasn't wearing his helmet, which surprised me. He had short, matted hair which was an orange color and gave us a steely look as we approached.
"I'm sorry citizens but you're going to have to turn around and find shelter someplace else. The Brotherhood is already running low on resources, and we can't afford to harbor any refugees." he said bluntly.
I was about to teach this clown some manners, but Madison beat me to it. She stomped up to him and got right up in his face, "Listen you snob, I've got frightened and injured people that need help, and you have the audacity to tell us that we can't seek refuge here?" she scowled.
The man nodded, "Exactly. We can't afford to offer any help right now so-" Madison suddenly slugged him right in the kisser.
"You bitch!" he shouted before drawing his weapon on her.
I drew my pistol and aimed it his way. "Hey, drop the weapon pal." I ordered.
The Paladin laughed, "I don't take orders from wastelanders."
I fired a single shot near his feet, "I said drop it!"
He lowered his weapon, and I holstered mine. "Alright, take it easy there friend. But the answer is still no." he said calmly.
Madison rushed passed him and slammed her hand down on the intercom on the wall. "Damn it Owyn I know you can hear me! Let us in right this instant! We're tired and hungry and I know you've got more than enough supplies in there!" she yelled in to the speaker.
The huge steel gate suddenly lifted up off the ground signaling that it was alright for us to enter.
The gateway led to a circular courtyard within where an old man dressed in a red robe waited for us. He was completely bald and had a long grey beard. His wrinkled face showed signs of not only is age, but his experience and knowledge as well.
"Welcome to the Citadel my friends, you'll be safe here." he greeted in a low, aged voice.
When the man's eye caught me he raised his brow and stroked his beard, "Ah, so this must be the so called "saint" from the vault. The Lone Wanderer himself."
I just shrugged in response.
The man laughed, "Fair enough. Take as long as you need to gather your thoughts. The barracks should be sufficient for your needs. I'll be waiting down in the A ring when you're ready to talk." he said.
I rushed passed him but Madison caught hold of my wrist before I could leave. "Thank you Jason. If it weren't for you we never would have made it here. We owe you our lives."
I shook my wrist free of her grasp, "No, it's because of my father that we were able to escape. You owe him, not me." I said coldly and then left for the barracks.