Chapter Seven
Climbing onto the train at Mord-Wink was a relief for Patrick. It was really awkward to be stuck in a hotel that had been staffed by cannibals, and with the news of the findings having spread through the hotel overnight gave Patrick no end to headaches (and lack of sleep) through the night before the all-clear siren blared out that the rad-storm was over, which was only at sunrise. As a member of the RAMP, even just an Auxiliary, he basically had to sort everything out. Thankfully, Mr. Frederick did what he could to help out. Philip simply claimed all the credit, but didn't do much besides wave his gun around to make sure no one escaped the building.
Hanny and Don, along with their entire kitchen staff, was handed over to the RAMP office in Mord-Wink.
"Honestly, I should be surprised, but I'm not," the constable in charge of writing up all the accused. "That place always creeped me out for some reason."
"And I used to eat there a lot!" another constable, also helping with the paperwork sighed. He looked a bit green and queasy as he scribbled away.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick boarded the same train as Patrick, but with their first class seats, and Patrick stuck in second class, meant they wouldn't get a chance to talk again. Patrick and Mr. Frederick parted amicably enough.
"Hopefully the next time I run into an RAMP auxiliary, I won't have to uncover such a distasteful mess," Mr. Frederick said.
"Believe me, that's the last thing I wanted to do when I came here." The thoughts of where Zach was right now, and what could have happened to him, came rushing into Patrick's mind. He tried to push them out, but they didn't go far.
The train finally left around 11AM, and Patrick, despite the hard, barely cushioned seat he was assigned, slept from Mord-Wink to Morris, with only a couple stops for more coal and water, as well as exchanging passengers in smaller towns. The train arrived in Morris, an old town with high, earth and stone walls surrounding it - more for the flooding that often inundated the town than any possibility of raiders, but it was a nice bonus - that evening, but Patrick decided to stick with the dining service offered in the UAR stationhouse. Just in case.
The train continued it's journey through the night, arriving at Atwood around 2AM, a couple hours later than expected due to a snowstorm that started halfway between the two towns, and was still continuing when they arrived. The crew of the train changed, and pulled out a couple hours later, with Patrick dozing off again.
Unlike the first train ride, Derek was more bored than anything now. The rarely changing sights out the window didn't appeal to him as much anymore.
"Uh, PatrickMorrison?" he quietly nudged a dozing Patrick, who snorted and jerked upright, looking around nervously, before calming down as he realized nothing was going wrong.
"What is it?" Patrick asked, sleepily with a yawn.
"Can I see that thing on your arms?"
Patrick looked at the Pip-boy, and with a shrug, flipped the lock on the bottom and handed it to Derek. "These things are nearly indestructable, so sure."
Patrick began to doze off again, but every so often there was a click, followed by a grunt of confusion and steadily increasing anger, before Derek gave up.
"Too many words I don't know," Derek said when Patrick looked at Derek questioningly.
Patrick counted himself lucky that Melita had a school where he could learn the basics: reading, writing, arithmetic, and the other things to make his life easier. Many people in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, and even in Assiniboia itself, were not so lucky.
Patrick sighed, and looked out the window. The sun was starting to rise from the west, and it was glinting off of something glass and metal ahead of them to the north. Patrick was curious what it was: there weren't many things in Assiniboia that could do that, with glass being broken and metal rusted. He craned his neck as far as he could, but couldn't quite see through his window to what was ahead So he manhandled the window, pulling it down, and stuck his head out to get a better look, a cool breeze and coal smoke blasting into Patrick's face. But he saw what the glinting was, and what he saw made Patrick gasp in amazement.
Vault H, Patrick saw as they got closer, was perhaps the best idea of what a pre-war city could look like: shiny steel and glass buildings towered over clean, tidy and paved streets. A couple buildings with smokestacks at the edge of town bellowed smoke, while wagons, brahmin caravans and train cars on a siding were being loaded and unloaded. A sign on the building proclaimed "VAULT H MANUFACTURING CORPORATION" with a picture of a Vault door with a H on the middle of it being the company's logo. Patrick had seen that logo many times before: any piece of new electronics were made in that building, mostly recycled from old materials found in Assiniboia and outside the borders.
"All out for Vault H! All out for Vault H! Please take all valuables if you will not be re-boarding at this stop!" The conductor barked as he walked up and down the carriage cars.
"Let's go," Patrick said as he rose from his seat, and Derek jumped up and followed behind. Patrick grabbed his backpack from the seat beside him and followed the arrows that lead to the nearest exit, and stepped outside. Derek, with only some scavenged clothes on his back and a hunting rifle packed away with the sleipnirs, followed behind. Their mounts would most likely be taken to the UAR stables here and kept until they were claimed. Since they were under the name of an RAMP Auxiliary, it could be anywhere from hours to days, so they would be feed and cared for the entire time.
People in clean clothes walking around, greeting each other as they went about their business. A few people still wore blue and yellow jumpsuits, all with a large yellow H on their back, but most people wore clothes that looked like they were stepping out of a mail-order catalogue from the Buckton store that, even after being gone for over a century, still found it's way into the Assiniboian wasteland: "Buckton dressed" was a term for someone in their nicest clothes, while "Buckton priced" meant it was affordable, yet made of high quality. There weren't any cars like in the old pictures, but bicycles and sleipnir drawn Fusiliers, all brand new, were in the streets, along with a streamlined tramway clanging away, transporting people from one side of the town that looked like it had been taken from an old magazine and brought to life.
Even the air smelt clean around here. No dust or tickle of radiation, no smoke or smog or manure. Just… air. It felt really foreign to Patrick, a lifelong farmer, that the air could be so clean.
Patrick also noticed a lot of uniformed security guards, and a lot of cameras. This place must be well covered with all the surveillance. Must be one of the safest places in Assiniboia.
"So what are we doing here, PatrickMorrison?" Derek asked.
Patrick looked around. "I need to find a piece of electronics that would help control a water purification system. I just have no idea where it would be."
Derek looked around as well, before pointing to a building just down the street, one with VAULT H WATER PURIFICATION STATION on it.
"I didn't know you could read," Patrick said, amazed.
"I can't. I just saw the water drop thing," he said, pointing to the blue drop that was at the front of the sign.
Patrick and Derek chuckled at each other, before walking down the street. The people seemed friendly, the atmosphere was cozy… it was strange, after living and going through small towns where they were closed minded and wary of foreigners (or having a habit of eating random passers by) that they were now welcomed, or at least not impeded in anyway. As a major trading and manufacturing town, they must be open to almost anybody that comes by. How else would they sell their products?
When Patrick made that comment to Derek, Derek pointed to the Pip-Boy still on Patrick wrist. "Maybe that's part of it?"
Patrick held up his hand and looked at the old-World tech, before looking up to see that almost everyone else around here had the same thing on his or her wrist.
"Huh… I almost forgot I had that thing," Patrick mumbled. "I will have to try to use it more often."
Patrick looked down and started fiddling with the settings as he walked toward the building. Apparently, according to this thing, he had 76 rads of radiation (most likely from Metigoshe and some food he had eaten, but nothing dangerous), and fifty-three unread messages. He scrolled through them, to realize most of them were those random messages that must have been picked up: news articles and info tidbits. He might go through that. Eventually.
Patrick looked up to see that he was a step away from walking into a pole. He jumped back, startled.
"Heh, must be new with that thing," a man said off to the side, wearing a Vault H jumpsuit and black leather jacket with a Security badge and a hundred pockets on it and a leather holster is a laser pistol hanging off of it. He had a full head of brown hair covered with a dignified policeman's hat with a brass "VH" badge on it, and a small mustache that made him look like a pre-War movie star. "Officer Roy Gordon, Vault H Security, at your service. What's your name?"
Patrick gave his name and introduced Derek. Roy just smiled and shook hands with both of them.
"Well, I can tell you really aren't from here, even with a Pip-Boy 3000 on your arm. Everyone that grew up here knows how to use that thing since they are ten, and they only part with it once they die. It's a handy gadget."
Patrick nodded. "I just got it from the Mayor of Melita, Reverend Jamison. He said he was from here at one point."
Gordon thought for a minute, then snapped his fingers. "Lloyd? Wow, I thought when he left here for Winnipeg that he would never amount to much of anything. But the mayor of a town? And a Christian Minister? Wow, I'm impressed." Roy chuckled. "He and I are the same age, and we got into a lot of trouble as kids."
Patrick nodded. "Anyway, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure! What can I help you with?"
"Well, I was sent here by Commander Mackenzie of the RAMP in Metigoshe, as they are having problems with the chip for their water purification system. They said that Vault H would have something that could help with that."
Roy's demeanor never flickered. "Well, I bet the engineers in here could get something whipped up. You know that Vault H is the tech center of Assiniboia, and I bet there isn't a problem they can't fix!"
Patrick grinned. "That's great. Can we go in?"
Roy shook his head. "Sorry, only those with a clearance can go in there. But I can. Be right back!"
Patrick and Derek watched as Roy walked away and up the steps to the Water Purification Station. When he got to the big metal door, he pulled out a security card and swiped it in a digital reader to the side. A light blinked green, and the door opened, allowing Roy Gordon to walk in.
Patrick and Derek continued to watch as the door slid shut, and waited for Roy to return.
Derek began to shuffle a bit, grinding his teeth and fiddling his fingers. "Uhh… Patrick, do you mind if I walk around a bit? Don't really like just standing here."
Patrick shrugged. Sure, Derek was pretty much wearing caveman clothes compared to everyone else around here, but they haven't seemed to mind. "Sure, might as well. Walk around, tell me what you find. I can wait here. Don't get into trouble."
"I'll do my best," Derek grinned, and jogged off. Patrick lifted up his wrist and started fiddling with his Pip-Boy again. The realized the map wasn't updated at all, with only Melita, Brandon, Winnipeg and Vault H on it. Patrick set to work trying to add the different places he had been so far, guessing by the roads and rivers on the map where everything was. The green screen, and the work it took to properly label things, was all engrossing to Patrick, so much so he barely noticed anything around him, including a loud commotion occurring off in the distance. He looked up, but it didn't look to be anywhere nearby, so he looked back down again.
The door suddenly beeped open, and Roy Gordon walked out with a bespectacled lady in a white lab coat, but also in a Vault H jumpsuit under the jacket. She was tired, her hair messy, but she did her best to stand upright and give a smile to Patrick.
"Patrick! I have some good news and some bad news. First off all, this here is Dr. Gladys Johnson, the head of the Water Purification Station. That's the good news!"
"What's the bad news then?"
Dr. Johnson stepped forward. "The blueprints for the water control device you want are not in our files. If we had them, I'm certain we can make you one."
"Don't you already have one? Can't you just use that as a model?" Patrick asked.
"Well… no. The company that built Vault H was a subsidiary of the bigger Vault-Tec in the old US, and they weren't able to stock the Vaults here in old Canada as well as the original ones. In the past 140 years, we've gone through our supply of spare water chips, of which we only ever had ten or so, and we didn't think to dissect one. They were too complicated and intricate, and if we broke the one that is now supplying water to Vault H, we would be screwed." She grunted, slightly agitated. "As much as I would like to experiment on it, the Overseer would never let me."
Patrick sighed. "Well… where do I go to get a blueprint then?"
Dr. Johnson rubbed her chin. "The Vault near Bismarck, Vault 53, might have a spare chip or the blueprints. But they happen to be on the other side of the front line with the Brotherhood of Steel, so that might be a challenge. Our databases also make mention of two other vaults in North Dakota, but we don't know where they are located. One of them is Vault 63. The other one, however, is weird: Vault 123."
"Why is that weird?" Patrick asked.
"Vault Tec only built 122 as part of Project Safehouse, which was the program to save a portion of the American people in the event of a nuclear war, which, well… happened. So… why is there a Vault 123?"
Patrick sighed. "So… either I have to cross a heavily guarded military front, or find a Vault that may not exist?" Why was there never a simple mission to go to one place and find someone? Like his brother?
Roy Gordon, still smiling, made a motion. "You know, there are stories of a Vault in North Dakota, but one where nobody comes back from. Don't know if it's true or not, but, it might be worth checking out."
Patrick scratched his head. "So, you think I should go down there? To a Vault that no one returns from?"
Roy shrugged. "Frankly, that's up to you. But I…" the radio on the security officer's hip began to beep. He apologized, lifted it up and turned around as he spoke into it. After a moment, he turned around again. "Patrick, you wouldn't happen to know where your friend went, do you?"
"He went for a walk to look around, yeah. Why?"
Roy's smile faltered. "He had just been arrested for pickpocketing, and is in the jail. You might want to come with me and find out what just happened."
Derek had a bloody nose and some bruises on his knuckles from a fight, and glared out of his jail cell in the Security offices of Vault H, near the massive hunk of metal that was the door of the Vault, as Patrick and Officer Gordon approached.
"I didn't do a damn thing! I walked by a guy in a fancy suit and with that Boy thing, and he suddenly started accusing me of stealing from him!" Derek shouted, jumping up from his seat and grabbing hold of the iron bars. "And then a bunch of those security guys just came out of nowhere and attacked me! I only defended myself!"
Patrick raised his hands and waved them to try to get Derek to calm down, as Officer Gordon, his smile gone at last, had a hand on his laser pistol.
"Okay, relax. We will get you out of here as soon as we can," Patrick said, turning to the security officer. "Officer, there has to be a misunderstanding here. Derek is someone that would hurt a radroach unless it attacked him."
Roy Gordon shrugged. "I'm sorry, but when the Overseer himself is the victim of a robbery, or even an attempted robbery, we have to take it seriously."
"Attempted… The Overseer?" Patrick said eyes wide, he turned to Derek, who held his hands up to show that they are empty. Patrick groaned and hit his head on the bars in exasperation. "Can we do anything about this?"
"You will need to talk to the Overseer yourself. I'm just a lowly security officer, more likely to be out front in town to welcome new people and help them. But I can get you a meeting with him, as soon as possible." Roy walked out of the room to go talk to someone outside, leaving Patrick and Derek alone.
"Look, I don't know what is happening. Something fishy is going on, I bet. But I will get to the bottom of it," Patrick promised. "Just… don't go swinging at police officer's anymore, okay?"
Before Derek could reply, Roy was back. "Lucky for you, the Overseer can see you right now. I can take you to him now."
Patrick nodded, and followed Roy, but not before turning around and giving a small smile to Derek and a wink. The tribal took a deep breath, and just watched as Patrick was lead away.
Patrick followed Officer Roy along till he got to the slope that lead to the man made cave that housed the entrance to the Vault. Unlike most places where Vaults had been built, there were no mountains or valleys that could be dug into, no bedrock that could survive the blast of an atomic bomb. So most Vaults in the middle of North America had to be dug into the prairie to the required five meters of dirt below the surface before you even get to the vault itself. If you didn't know what to look for, it might not even be apparent in most cases there was a Vault nearby, as many of them were well hidden, or in some rare cases, could have been buried over by the sand and dirt blown around in the hundred some years since the bombs dropped.
Vault H though, because it had a town around it now, was pretty noticeable. The two men walked through the wide open circle that was where the big Vault door would have normally sat.
"We keep it open during the daylight hours," Roy said as Patrick asked where the door is. "The door is on the inside, waiting for the codes to close it again. Only a few people have those codes, just in case something happens."
Patrick was amazed at the Vault itself. Even below ground, it was as clean and tidy as the town above, with people walking around from place to place to get to where they needed to go, carrying books, papers and tools from one place to another. While Patrick got a few curious glances, no one stopped him, especially as he had a Vault guard leading him on. He looked around at the clean metal walls, with posters ranging from Vault-Tech advertisements, official Assiniboian government information, and announcements of what was performing in the Entertainment Room of the Vault that week were all tacked to the wall. Camera's hung from the ceiling, carefully observing everything going on, and a Mister Handy robot, with his posh, refined accent, humming along and greeting every human it met.
They finally got to an elevator and after two Vault suit clad inhabitants, talking to each other about their jobs, got out, Patrick and Roy walked in.
As the doors closed, Roy looked over. "So, what are you thinking?"
"Something is weird here, is all I can say," Patrick said. "Derek didn't have anything of the Overseer's on him, did he?"
"As far as I know, no. He was arrested for attempted robbery, so he must have been caught in the act." Officer Roy replied.
After a long moment, the door dinged and opened, and Roy guided Patrick out and down the hall.
Roy stood outside a door with "Overseer's Office" in the illuminated light above it. "The Overseer is inside. I can't go in with you, but I will be here to lead you back up."
Patrick nodded, and as Roy pushed a couple of buttons before sliding his pass card through a scanner, making the door slide open up into the roof. Patrick walked in.
Unlike the rest of the Vault, the Overseer's Office looked more like an old-world Country Club. Wood paneling, bookcases full of books and other knick-knacks, a massive globe in a corner near a bar with a wall of expensive liquor along a mirror wall and comfortable chairs with leather backing and padding, as well as a thick, plush burgundy carpet. It was like he just stepped back in time.
"Admiring my office, are you?" a voice asked, making Patrick turn around to see a large round metal desk, with computers all around it, and in the middle an older man with greying hair and in a nicely pressed Vault H jumpsuit. He was leaning back in his chair, hands crossed in front of him, an amused smile on his face. "When the Vault was first built, it was nothing like this. More functional and less fancy for someone that is just leading a group of people who just survived a cataclysmic disaster. But since Vault H opened only four years after the War of 2077 thanks to the Divine Miracle that graced Winnipeg, my predecessors and I had time to make this office more comfortable."
"It is very nice," Patrick said, walking over and sitting in a chair in front of the desk that the Overseer graciously offered. "But I'm here for other reasons."
The Overseer nodded, his face turning serious. "Of course. It's about the tribal that robbed me, isn't it?"
"But he didn't actually rob you, did he? I never heard that Security found anything you owned on him. Kind of hard to be robbed when you didn't actually lose anything," Patrick pointed out.
The Overseer threw up his hands. "Well, you got me. But unfortunately, the paperwork to get him out is a bit behind at the moment. It would take some time, maybe helping a certain person out before it will be done, Auxiliary."
Patrick jerked straight up in his seat. "Wha…"
The old man in the blue and yellow jumpsuit just chuckled. "Oh, don't give me that. I have eyes and ears that reach all across this fair country. Maybe the DBS won't tell the outside world your name, but I know who you are, Patrick Morrison."
Patrick sat there, stunned. After a moment, he took a deep breath. "Okay, fine. So you know my name, and what the radio is calling me. But what does it have to do with Derek?"
The Overseer leaned forward, his hands rest on the computers in front of him. "Very simple. I have something you want, and now you have to do something for me to get him back. Very simple trade."
Patrick's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think that I will do what you want me to do?"
The Overseer pressed a button on his computer and the door that Patrick walked through to get into the office made a series of mechanical clunking noises. "Because unless you do, you are not leaving this room. Oh, I got food and drink for you and you can amuse yourself with that Pip-Boy of yours for as long as you want. But until you agree to help me, you are my… guest, let's say."
"But you mean prisoner," Patrick scowled.
"Did I say that?" The Overseer just waved his hands. "But honestly, what I have for you to do is simple. Easy as riding a bicycle. All I need you to do is take a package of mine up to Winnipeg and give it to a friend of mine. Just don't open the package, and get it there in three days, and then come back here and your tribal buddy will be fine and dandy, ready to go out on whatever adventure you two have planned."
Patrick growled. "There's got to be a catch to this."
"Nope, nothing out of the ordinary." The Overseer gave the slimiest smile he could. "Just don't go through any metal detectors and don't tell anyone what it is."
Patrick grunted, glaring at the Overseer. "Fine, I'll do it."
The Overseer grinned. "Excellent." He reached under his desk and pulled a small cardboard box out, the lid taped down in four different spots different spots. "You will need to take this to the RAMP headquarters. Ask for Corporal Jenkins, and deliver this package to him. Then you just radio to me or come back here, and the paperwork for Derek should be all cleared up." The Overseer looked up. "Oh, and don't open it. Just let Corporal Jenkins do it."
Patrick carefully took the box, and shook it a little, but whatever was inside was of a moderate weight, and wrapped in something to keep it from moving. Must have been very delicate. He slipped it into his backpack and stood up. "Is there anything else?"
The Overseer pushed the button for the locked door to the office and then stood up. "Oh yes, one more thing. I understand that you were looking for a water-controller chip, right?" Patrick nodded. "Well, as soon as you find the blueprints, bring them here, and we will make it for you. No charge."
Yeah… just some "misplaced paperwork" for another scummy job, Patrick through to himself, looking at the box. When the Overseer offered his hand for a handshake, Patrick reluctantly shook it (the Overseer had a very firm grip) and quickly walked out of the office, past Officer Gordon and straight for the elevator. The Vault Security officer hurried after him, and caught up to Patrick just as he was calling the elevator.
"What happened? Did you manage to get your friend freed?"
Patrick looked up, and saw a security camera pointing straight at him next to the elevator, no doubt being controlled by the Overseer to watch him. "Not yet. But soon enough, I hope."
Patrick stormed his way back to the UAR station to order a ticket to Winnipeg, silently furious the entire time. As he walked through the clean streets, everything around him started to take on a more sinister tone: the smiling people, the smug sense of superiority that was never mentioned, but was clearly there. The Overseer had got on his nerves a bit more than he should have, being so affable and generous while taking advantage of him. All the times that Patrick thought that he was doing good, and yet, here he was.
Officer Roy Gordon, as nice and courteous as he was, couldn't be trusted now. Could Patrick really trust him? How much did the security here actually work with the Overseer? Considering that Derek was behind bars for just being pointed out by the guy to snag Patrick into working for him, Patrick's best guess for that was that he couldn't.
Officer Gordon still followed him like a little puppy, trying to talk to Patrick and offer his help.
"What the hell can you do?" Patrick finally barked back once he stepped up to the station. "Your precious Overseer has just arrested my companion and has me running an errand that will most likely get me into enough trouble to foul up any effort for finding my brother which is the only reason that I joined the RAMP in the first place!"
Gordon shut up right then as the furious Patrick continued glaring at him. "I… I didn't know."
Patrick scowled and grunted, and turned around and pushed open the front door. For all he knew, he most likely already talked too much, and the Overseer and his network of cameras and spies had already caught him.
As he walked over to the ticket counter and began to order the ticket, Officer Gordon sullenly walked away as Patrick left instructions for Demon to be placed on the train as well, and flashed his Auxiliary forms, and got the ticket handed to him without cost and a smile from the female employee behind the desk, and a thanks for keeping the country safe. Patrick only nodded. If only she knew what he was actually doing.
Pip-Boy 3000 Info-Tracker Note #9
Vault Tech North Press Release: The Canadian Preservation Program
July 9, 2055, Department of Public Safety, Ottawa, Ontario
Today the Dominion of Canada, in accordance with Act C-7 (Canadian Civilian Safety Programs 2056), has signed a contract with Vault-Tec North to build special fallout shelters in Canada with the express purpose to save a proportion of the Canadian population in the event of a nuclear war or other catastrophic disaster, both human or natural. Similar to the American "Project Safehouse," the Canadian Preservation Program will build 17 "Vaults" based on the American design with changes to better suit the natural geography and constraints posed by Canada. One thousand people per Vault will be kept in safety and comfort for a duration of time that will be determined by various factors, including radiation, climate and hostile presence. There will be no set dates for the opening of these Vaults, as local conditions may vary drastically from place to place.
Due to the limited number of spaces available, the Department of Public Safety will screen all applicants for the Vaults based on health, abilities, knowledge and age. This will make sure that a wide variety of trained specialists in different fields ranging from agriculture to technology will be available for when the Vaults do open, and can help rebuild Canada.
Any questions regarding the construction of Vaults, the amenities that will be provided and how you can purchase blueprints on the tried and tested Vault-Tec vaults to build your own can be made at your local Vault-Tec North representative. For information on how to apply to a Vault, please contact your local police or Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment, Dominion government office or your Member of Parliament's office. Applicants will be contacted by a Vault-Tec North employee in a reasonable time to arrange an interview to determine if the applicants and their families are suitable for life underground.