I just want to let you guys know that this chapter will be introducing multiple POV's in first-person form. So to make things less confusing, I've decided that from now on a horizontal line will be an indicator for a change of POV (I wanted to use two lines, but the Doc Managers is glitching out and not saving double lines).
Taylor took the last watch, and woke us up as the sun cast an orange glow over the Wasteland. At breakfast, we discussed where to go next.
"Going to Greyditch means backtracking," I said in between bites of steak. "Not to mention, getting closer to the city means we're at risk of super mutants AND raiders."
"What about this "Brotherhood of Steel'?" asked Gomez, drinking from a bottle of purified water. "Aren't they fighting the super mutants?"
"Yes, but their reach doesn't extend far," I replied. "Apparently they're set up in an old government building called the Pentagon, but they've only got a handful of troops in the accessible parts of D.C. If we ever want to go down there, we'll have to use the metro system, which is apparently infested by ghouls."
"Ghouls?" said Amata, looking worried. "What are ghouls?"
"Ghouls are people who have been exposed to large amounts of radiation and survived. Most of them go feral, but a handful of them apparently retain their sanity."
"So Greyditch is out," Taylor broke in. "Where else?"
"Well, we might want to explore west," Amata suggested. "We don't know a lot of what's out in that direction, so maybe we should see if there are any settlements out there."
"I doubt it," I told her. "Simms didn't mention any settlements in that direction other than Arefu, but maybe he just doesn't pay much attention to that region."
"I think Amata's right," said Gomez. "We should at least check out the western Capital Wasteland, even if to be certain that there's nothing out there."
I weighed up our options and, due to the lack of a better idea, said, "Alright, get ready to move."
The sun rose high into the sky before long, and with it came the hear. Sweating, we all rolled up the sleeves of our jumpsuits. The security vests only served to weigh us down as we walked.
After an hour of walking and a quick water break, our jumpsuits were covered in dust, and our legs were sore. Looking around, all I could see in any direction was desert, a few ruined houses, and the crumbled remnants of the highway. We quickly looked through the old houses, but found very little of value.
"Boss," Gomez whispered to me. "Raiders, up on that hill."
I looked where he was pointing, and sure enough, there were three Raiders, two male and one female, making their way along the nearby cliff. They had seen us yet, but one glance over a shoulder would change that.
"Everyone get behind a wall!" I ordered. We all scrambled behind the most intact pieces of wall we could find, while the footsteps of the Raiders came closer and closer. The two male ones were jeering about some farmer's daughter they'd raped, while the female Raider was oddly silent. They stopped inches from where we were hiding, and I nodded at Officer Gomez, who was crouched behind the wall opposite me. I braced myself, accidentally kicking away a few rocks.
"What was that?" called out one of the male Raiders. I peaked out through a tiny eye-sized hole in my wall. The Raider had an assault rifle out, and pointing it frantically in all directions.
"Stop being paranoid," the other Raider said dismissively, his 44. magnum still holstered, "There's nobody out there."
"I'm tell you man, someone's here!" the first Raider insisted. "Come out here motherfucker!"
The Raider had stepped right next to where I was hiding. One glance to the left, and he'd see me. Gomez and I locked eyes briefly, knowing what to do. I looked through the peephole again and saw the second and third Raiders standing close behind.
Gomez sprang out from his hiding place and tackled the Raider, who went down swearing. The assault rifle went flying. I jumped out from the wall and shoulder-tackled the next Raider, while the third simply staggered backwards.
"Drop your weapon!" I shouted, pinning the Raider down and gripping his forearms tight. He tried to take a swipe at me with his combat knife, but I tightened my grip on his right forearm. That is, until he headbutted me and pushed me away from him. I stumbled onto my back, and the Raider picked himself up and launched himself at me, ready to drive the knife into my skull. I heard Gomez shout something, but there was no way he'd make it in time.
Right as the Raider began to bring his knife down, he let out a scream and fell limp, landing on top of me. The knife landed harmlessly on my vest. I let out a sigh of relief and tried to control my breathing. I pushed the Raider off of me, and saw the tip of a machete poking out from his chest. He landed awkwardly on his back, propped up by the machete blade while his limbs hung uselessly.
I heard more breathing, and turned toward the source. My savior had been, of all people, the female Raider, who stared at the corpse with wide eyes.
"Listen," I said, still panting. "We don't want any trouble. Just... just walk away and nobody needs to get hurt."
I looked at her for a moment and, decided that she was no threat, added, "You okay?"
"F-Fine," she replied. "Just glad to be rid of those guys. Assholes. Should have run from them ages ago."
She walked over to the dead Raider and turned the body over, pulling out the bloody machete.
"You got a name?" I asked.
"Marie," she replied. "Encountered those Raider assholes about a year ago. I was alone and starving, so I tagged along. Most of 'em got killed by the Brotherhood or mutants, but these two couldn't die quickly enough."
She knelt down and wiped the machete on the ground. "Listen, there are a bunch of Raiders holed up in Springvale School near your Vault. They've apparently been tunneling into that place."
"I noticed," I replied, shuddering slightly. "We took care of them a while ago."
My thoughts went back to when we'd cleared Springvale Elementary. The Raiders in there had brought blowtorches and explosives down into the tunnel with them, which would have been more than enough to blow through a bulkhead. It just made me more glad that we'd opened the Vault.
"Well, that's good to hear," Marie said. "We've got a camp just over that hill. There's more firepower and supplies over there that I can carry, not to mention a Brahmin or two nearby. We can split the goods."
"Sounds fair to me," I replied, grateful that something good had come from the day.
We looted from the two dead Raiders. Gomez took the assault rifle, and I took the combat knife and 44. magnum from my would-be killer. Marie looted a few armor pieces from the dead men. When she saw my puzzled look, she said, "You think I wear this whore's outfit by choice?"
I will admit, the armor she wore was more than a bit outlandish. Aside from a shoulder piece and metal covering her breasts, her entire upper body was exposed. It reminded me how sick these people were.
The small camp Marie had mentioned consisted of a circle of stones where a fire had been, three filthy mattresses, a few traveling packs, and a pack Brahmin a short distance away. Brahmin were a mutated creature descended from some pre-war animal called a cow. They looked a lot like the illustrations in the Vault textbooks, aside from the two heads and yellow-ish skin. Several containers and pouches had been sown into a leather covering that the animal carried. I'd seen it before; merchants always traveled this way.
"So," I said to Marie, who was gather the stuff that belonged to her. "Who gets the Brahmin?"
Marie gave a small laugh. "I like to travel light. Take it, you'll want what that thing is carrying."
The brahmin was carrying several assault rifles, ten N99's, a few hand grenades, twelve stimpacks, and a hunting rifle, all with ammo.
"Take what you want guys," I said, feeling triumphant at our good fortune. "We've got ourselves a good haul right here."
The travelling packs contained more ammo and supplies, and a very lethal-looking knife. I wondered if our luck would ever run out.
"What will you do now?" I asked Marie, who paused to consider the question.
"I'll probably settle down in Rivet City. I hear they got a good thing going over there. Look me up there if you want a drink and a... good time."
I could only shuffle uncomfortably in response. Marie said her goodbyes to the others. The minute she was out of earshot, both Amata and Gomez burst out laughing. Even the no-nonsense Officer Taylor humored me with a small grin. I rolled my eyes.
"You two need to grow up," I told them.
"Sorry, but the look on your face!" Amata managed to say, the laughter bringing her to her knees.
"Priceless!" added Gomez breathlessly. "Too bad there wasn't a camera for that!"
We began to make our way back east, stopping at a wooden door built into the base of a cliff. A short distance away was a sign with a radiation logo. Out of sheer curiosity, we decided to explore.
Immediately, I felt a sense of deja-vu. We were at the end of a long cave, at the end of which was a familiar cog-shaped door...
"Is that...?" Amata whispered, clearly thrown off-guard by the environment.
I walked up to the door, somewhat dazed. The reaction in my head was mixed. The door and wall around it was eerily like home, but the control panel was on the right side of the door instead of the left, which confused me. I looked at the door, at the center of which was a faded 106.
I reached a hand out to grasp the control pad, then hesitated. We didn't know what was in there. Maybe it would be empty, or maybe it would be flooded with toxic gas. Curiosity overruled common sense, and I pressed the button to open the door. The familiar sirens blared, and the cog-shaped door slid open.
"Good God," Amata whispered.
"What the hell..." muttered Gomez.
"T-Taylor," I stammered. "Stay outside and guard the Brahmin. If we don't come back, then go back to Vault 101 and come back with backup, got it?"
"Yes, sir!" Taylor replied.
Amata stepped onto the metal platform with me, and said, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I don't know," I whispered. "If you don't want to go in, I understand."
"No," said Amata firmly, taking my hand. "I'm not letting you go in by yourself."
The control room hidden by the Vault door was almost an exact replica of Vault 101. But this Vault had suffered from what must have been centuries of disuse and neglect. The walls, cool blue steel in Vault 101, were rusted with age. Vault 101 was always tidy, whereas Vault 106's hallways had notes and junk scattered all around. The only thing remotely similar was the silence, but I suspected that to be from lack of inhabitants.
"It's like Vault 101 went to hell," I muttered. There was a strange odor as well that I couldn't quite place. We picked through the lockers before making our way through Vault 106, on our guard the entire time. The layout was different to that of home, and most doors had rusted away to the point of being stuck permanently. I made a mental note to come back here with drilling equipment; there could be all sorts of useful stuff down here.
As we made our way further into the Vault, the hallway ahead of me turned a strange blue. The rust disappeared, leaving a spotless, deserted Vault. I saw a semi-transparent figure- Amata -running towards me.
I frowned. That couldn't be right. Amata was right here, next to me.
"Guys," I said. "Is anyone else seeing things?"
"Yeah..." Amata replied, her eyes glazed over, "I think it's... to do with that odor..."
"Sir, I think it's the vents," said Gomez. "Whatever it's pumping... I think that's what's making us see things."
"Okay..." I said, finding it hard to focus. "You guys... you guys try to find a way to... turn off the vents."
"Alright," said Gomez, also losing focus. "Be careful, Ryan."
They both left, and I recalled wandering into some kind of computer room filled with a few old terminals and tables. My legs gave out from under me, and I collapsed onto my knees.
Gotta stay awake, a voice inside of me said.
No, don't fight it. Just relax, said another voice.
I groggily pulled myself onto my feet and tried to call out to the others, but my voice had left me. I collapsed onto the floor, drifting into unconsciousness.
Had it all been a dream? Or had I lost my memory? I couldn't tell, because I found myself on the floor of Vault 101, a hand over the bullet wound in my stomach. Ahead of me, all the people I'd known in my entire life were exiting through the open door, ignoring me completely. What had I done?
The final dweller to leave was Amata. Before she left the Vault entrance, she turned to me, a look of pure contempt on her face.
"You said you'd protect us!" she shouted at me. "You said we'd be okay! You lied to us, lied to me!"
"No..." I said in a raspy voice. "I tried..."
"You didn't try!" Amata spat at me. "You gave up! You failed us! You can die down here for all I care. I don't want to ever see you again! Do you understand that? Come anywhere near any of us again, and I'll kill you!"
She spat at the ground in front me, while I sat there, too weak to reply. She stormed out of the Vault, never looking back.
"Amata..." I whispered. "Please! Come back!"
The door closed in front of me, leaving me alone while the entire Vault collapsed around me. Blood poured from the wound in my stomach. I looked around and saw the corpses of the people I knew; my father, Gomez, Christine Kendall, Butch, Paul Hannon Jr and... Amata. All them, eyes wide open with terror etched on their faces, jumpsuits tattered and torn. I looked over at Amata, whose jumpsuit was stained with the blood from a stab wound...
I woke up from the nightmare in Vault 106's computer room, not knowing what was real or not. What if that had really happened and I'd somehow wandered in here out of grief? What if my whole life had been a illusion of my mind and I was actually just a crazy wastelander? With no over conceivable option and my grief taking over, I slumped against the wall and broke into uncontrollable sobs.
I heard someone enter the room, heard frantic voices. Felt hands trying to pull me onto my feet, while I continued my mental breakdown.
"Ryan?" said a worried voice. "Ryan, it's okay."
"I failed," was all I could say.
"Jesus, the drugs have gotten to him. We gotta get him out of here."
"I failed, I failed," I repeated, my voice cracking.
"No, Ryan!" the voice said again desperately. "You didn't fail! Ryan, look at me!"
I forced myself to open my eyes, and found myself staring into Amata's worried face.
"Ryan, listen to me! Whatever you saw, whatever you think happened; it's not real. Everything's okay."
I finally pulled myself together somewhat, and stood up with the help of Amata and Gomez, still breathing hard.
"Let's get out of here," I said. Nobody had any complaint there.
The vents inside Vault 106 had been pumping some kind of drugs into the air, which had either killed or driven out any Vault dwellers. I still tried to convince myself that I'd imagined it all. That our Vault was indeed safe. I asked Amata if she'd passed out.
"Yeah. I had this awful dream. Something had.. happened to the Vault, and everyone was leaving. But you were lying by the door bleeding, and nobody was even acknowledging you. Then, when I passed you..."
She stopped for a moment to take a breath, and continued, "I just started saying these awful things to you. I didn't understand where it was coming from, but it was like I had no control over myself. I just... left you there, while the Vault collapsed behind you..."
She looked at me, and I realized that my brow was furrowed.
"That's... the dream I had."
"Ryan... you know I didn't mean whatever I said in that 'dream' right?" she asked me. "It was just a trick, some weird hallucination."
"I hope so," I replied. I wasn't superstitious, but I'd seen things today that made me doubt myself. Had we somehow seen the future. "The important thing is that we don't let that dream become real. We can't let anything happen to the Vault. We have to protect our people... at any cost."
We camped out at sundown in an old barn, which was sturdy-looking enough for me to trust it not to fall on us. Taylor and Gomez led the pack Brahmin over to a post inside the barn and secured it by a rope. As we sat around the fire, smoke drifting through a hole in the roof, I thought about what we'd need to do. I pulled out a pencil and notepad from my pack, and began to write down the things that I'd need to do when we got back.
1. Appoint new Security Chief.
This had been nagging at my subconscious for weeks. A Security Chief was a primary adviser to the Overseer, and the role had been vacant since Alphonse had stepped down . I'd been considering Gomez or Kendall for the position, since they were both level-headed guys. This last thought brought me onto the next task:
2. Review Vault Security staff.
A lot of the Security Officers, including the late Steve Mack, were short-tempered, and that was generous in a few cases. Officers Richards and Park weren't too bad; perhaps some anger-management counseling would do then good. I made a small note to mention the idea to my father. But when it came to Officers O'Brian and Wilkins, the situation was more complex. Saying that they were hard-asses would be the understatement of the century; I'd watched them relentlessly bash people up with those batons several times in the past. It was a good bet that they would have to go.
3. Form permanent council and protocols.
This had been an idea of mine for quite a while, since the temporary council that had formed in the wake of the firefight had disbanded. It had less to do with the fact that I couldn't run the Vault alone, and more to do with the fact that anyone in the position of Overseer could reject the advice of advisers and run the Vault as they desired, no matter how cruel or detrimental to the community it was. I'd read enough pre-war history books that I knew better than to allow anyone such power. The council would have to have the power to overrule the Overseer if the need were to arise, and would vote on whether or not to implement new rules. It would have to consist of an odd number of people to avoid ties. I figured five would be enough. Under the third task, I wrote:
Members:
1. Security Chief
2. Overseer
3. Deputy Overseer
4. Elected member
5. Elected member
The last two positions would be left to an open election, while the Deputy Overseer would be hand-picked by the Overseer, as a second-in-command. I thought deeply about who would be suitable...
My thoughts were interrupted by a hail of gunfire coming from automatic weapons. Everyone leaped up, and fired their weapons at the source of the gunfire, myself included. I heard one man scream, and the gunfire stopped. My head still ringing, I pushed open the barn door.
Two of the three attackers had already been killed, while the third threw down his weapon, an assault rifle, and held his hands up while repeating, "I surrender!"
Gomez and Amata went to search the two dead attackers while Taylor shook the third man down for any hidden weapon. I looked him up and down. He was probably only a few years older than me, with brown hair that fell to cover his forehead. He was rather slim, which made his black combat armor look quite bulky.
"I-don't want any trouble!" the boy stammered, while Taylor finished patting him down, finding a handful of 10mm rounds, "J-Just let m-me go a-and I'll leave y-you alone! I swear!"
"Who are you?" I barked, trying to make myself sound intimidating. "Why did you attack us?"
"It was a private contract!" the boy said. "I-I'm with a group called Talon Company. A guy named Allistair Tenpenny hired us. Apparently had something to do with your lot killing his man and disarming that bomb in Megaton. We were ordered to kill anyone supposedly from Vault 101."
I swore. Great, a merc company calling for our heads.
"How many of you guys are there?" I interrogated.
"God, I don't even know!" the Talon Company merc replied. "A couple thousand, I think."
Jesus Christ, I thought.
"Alright then," I said, "Taylor, put this guy in handcuffs. we're taking him back to the Vault."
We stopped to rest only twice on our way back, once for lunch and to let the pack brahmin drink from the river and once because the captured merc had been begging for water. We were back at the Vault by afternoon, to find a few surprising differences.
I'd order Kendall to have a man stationed outside 24/7 in order to await our return, and he'd clearly followed my order... and gone further. A small scrap metal wall had been built just outside the Vault entrance, acting as a fortification covering the overlook. The wall was topped by small metal spikes, and included a double chain-link gate at the top of the slope leading to the entrance. I stepped up to it in, somewhat weary, to find it locked.
"You're back," said the figure dressed in Vault security armor on the other side of the gate. "We, uh... got a bit busy, sir."
"Clearly," I said to Kendall. "What's the fence for?"
"We had a few Raiders jump Officer Park while he was standing guard, sir," reported Kendall while unlocking the gate. "One of them pinned him down while two others rushed to the door. We caught them in the atrium before they could do any damage, but the attack's got everyone on edge.
"We put all three of them in the cell, and built this wall in case of more attacks. I hope you understand, sir."
"Its fine," I assured him as we filed through the gate, "We'll need all the fortification we can get. Can you get a few people out here to unload all this?"
Kendall returned later with Butch and Officer Richards, both of whom stared at the brahmin.
"Is that a cow?" Richards asked uncertainly.
"Something like that," I said, carefully considering my explanation. "People out here use them for carrying supplies. Put it all in storage for now, and set it aside. We'l sort through it later.
"Kendall, help these guys out and report to my office immediately."
"Yes sir."
I felt total exhaustion, and would probably have killed for a Nuka Cola and a shower, but this couldn't wait even a day.
The entire scouting team assembled with Officer Kendall and Alphonse Almodovar (the latter of whom seemed to have invited himself) in the Operations room to the side of the Overseer's office. The Talon Company merc had been transferred to the cell with the three Raiders, and was being kept under guard in case the four went at each other. I changed into a fresh jumpsuit before breaking the news.
"So the latest scouting run comes with good news and bad news," I began, not bothering to hide how tired I was. "The good news is that we got a hell of a lot of supplies, particularly weapons and spare parts. The bad news..."
I wiped sweat off of my forehead, feeling very hot under the Vault lights.
"The bad news is that our actions in Megaton seem to have attracted attention. The man we took down, Burke, was allied with a man named Allistair Tenpenny, who's hired a merc company to harass us. We were ambushed just last night."
Alphonse gave me a dirty look, as if it hadn't been Amata's choice to venture out with us. He looked about ready to speak his mind, but a warning look from Amata put an end to the tense moment, so I continued.
"The mercs that ambushed belong to a group called Talon Company. They're heavily armored, and the largest mercenary group in the Wasteland. We captured on of them and interrorgated him on our way back. He says that Talon Company accepts the contracts that other mercenaries won't, so we have to assume that there's nothing they're not willing to do."
"So what do we do about them?" asked Kendall. "How many are there?"
"Thousands, according to the man we captured," I replied. "And for the moment, we can't do much more other than observe their movements."
"You are aware that even if a few hundred men show up at our door, we'll still be cornered?" Alphonse pointed out, narrowing his eyes. "We never should have stuck our noses in Wasteland affairs."
"Dad, are you serious?" Amata spoke up. "Think of the people we saved by disarming that thing! And if that bomb had gone off, the radiation would keep us trapped down here longer than we could survive."
"Amata's right," I said firmly. "Putting aside the fact that leaving that bomb alive would be just wrong, just think for a moment if word got out that Vault 101 allowed an entire town to be wiped out. We'd have a bunch of angry Wastelanders calling for our heads."
Alphonse did nothing, merely glaring. Seeing that I had him, I pushed the argument.
"What's good for the Wasteland is good for us. We can't afford to turn a blind eye to what goes on out there. We opened the Vault for the purpose of confronting the world around us - we can't go back from the decision we made."
"The decision you made," Alphonse countered. "It was you who decided to open the door and put this Vault at risk. That's on you!"
In a flash, I was out of my chair, my composure slipping.
"This Vault was at risk long before that door opened!" I told him, keeping my voice below a shout. "You were Overseer for what? Almost 30 years? Three decades of hiding down here, allowing the Vault population to shrink. I know that I've put this Vault's future at stake, but it would have no future if you got your way!"
Alphonse gave me an angry look, ready to retort. He was half out of his seat, as if about to lose his own composure, then sank back into the chair. I took a deep breath, and got back on track.
"Clearly, we're at a disadvantage," I said. "Not surprising, considering we're in an underground bunker with only one way in or out. What we need is to make ourselves visible above the ground. To expand beyond what we have. In simpler terms, we need to establish a physical presence on the surface."
"So we need to fortify the area around us," Amata realized.
"Exactly," I said with a nod. "The fence covering the overlook will do for now, but it's only a start. We'll worry about the rest tomorrow; everyone get some sleep for now. We've got a lot of work to do."
Everyone left the Operations room for the door, except for Amata, who lingered behind the others until we were alone. She turned to me, a hesitant look on her face.
"I'm sorry about that," I said immediately, unable to avoid feeling some shame. "I shouldn't have acted like that."
"I understand," Amata told me. "But can you please go easy on him? He's not getting any stronger, you know. I don't know what will happen if he gets put under too much pressure."
"Yeah, I will. I'll talk to him tomorrow, and just explain myself," I assured her. "Amata, is your dad recovering?"
Amata bit her lip before answering. "Your father doesn't think he's going to fully recover. That's just what happens at that age, he says. Stepping down has done him some good though."
The mention of my dad reminded me of something I'd been putting off; confronting him about what I'd been told by Hannon and Alphonse. I'd avoided the confrontation, mainly because it was obvious what the answer was. We hadn't been born in the Vault, that much was certain. But why had we come here? Who were my parents outside the Vault? I was half-worried about what I'd learn, but at the same time, I wanted the truth.
Talk to him tomorrow, said a voice in my head. No point in putting it off. Just do it.
I couldn't deny it; I hadn't had a conversation with my father that wasn't strictly non-business. If I didn't bring it up, then he probably would eventually. May as well get it over with.
I looked at my tired reflection in the mirror of the apartment I shared with my father, the steam from the shower rising around me. I'd had the option of my own apartment when we moved out, but I wasn't ready to leave my father alone until I knew he could take care of himself.
My thoughts strayed from my father's condition, to how much he'd progressed since stepping down, and finally... to Ryan. I'd been worried early on if he'd be able to handle the job, considering that he'd be facing whatever was on the outside. I'd struggled through my brief few days as Overseer; ensuring that the vents were repaired, dealing with the wounded, and making sure everyone stayed in their rooms while the security team mopped up the remaining radroaches. I hadn't been ready for it, and I probably wouldn't be for a long time.
My father had always told me that I would be the one to succeed him as Overseer, and I'd always wanted to do so. It was probably why Ryan and I were so close; we both wanted to do something meaningful. But now, after seeing what the job was like, I wasn't so sure now.
You're only 19, I reminded myself. You've had no time to prepare. When you're older and ready, it'll be easier.
That was if the job was even open when I was older and ready. I didn't know how long Ryan would be Overseer, or if there would even be an Overseer after him. With the Vault open to the outside world, there was no predicting the future anymore.
"Amata?" came my father's voice from outside the door. "Are you alright in there?"
"Yeah I'm fine," I called back, changing into a clean Vault 101 jumpsuit. From the outside, I heard the low buzzing noise of the doorbell, and my father's footsteps, then...
"Ryan? What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk about last night," came Ryan's voice. "Is this a bad time?"
"No," my father said cautiously. "Come on over and sit down. What did you want to discuss?"
I heard the couch in the next room let out a quiet groan as Ryan must have sat down.
"It's about our attitudes last night," Ryan was saying. "First of all, I admit that I should have kept my composure last night. It wasn't right of me, as Overseer, to address you, a former Overseer, in that sort of tone."
There was a short silence, then my father said, "Well, I'm surprised. I always thought you were too proud for apologies."
I sighed, suddenly feeling quite a lot of sympathy for Ryan. My father could drive anyone mad.
"This isn't an apology," Ryan said, more firmly. "There's something else we have to discuss."
"Go on, then."
"I don't want you to take this the wrong way," Ryan said. "I understand that you might not be used to not being part of this Vault's affairs, being Overseer for so long, but I need for you to step back for a moment."
My father was silent, but I heard him shifting on the couch in the living room.
"This Vault is in disarray at the moment," Ryan continued. I heard him pacing. "Before long, word will get out all around that Vault 101 is open. How long will it be before people start asking to be let in? One man and a de facto council won't be enough when this Vault begins to grow."
"So you want an organized chain of command?"
"Exactly. Here, I spent the trip back working on the idea. I want a permanent council to govern in my place and handle this Vaults' affairs when our population starts to grow."
There was a long silence. I decided to make myself known.
Ryan's head snapped in my direction when I entered the room, while my father only glanced up from the notes he was reading.
"Oh sorry, Amata. I didn't realize you were home."
I gave a shrug in response, as if to say no problem.
"I was just...uh... talking with your father about an idea I had," Ryan said, rather hesitantly.
"I can see you've put a lot of thought into this," my father said, passing the notes back to Ryan. "The only real trouble would be electing a council member to fill the gap if the 'Deputy Overseer' took office."
"Can someone fill me in please?" I asked, feeling rather foolish. Ryan handed me the notes, and I read them over.
The Vault Council will govern the Vault in the event that the Overseer is unable to attend to his/her duties. In the event that the Overseer is not expect to return to their position, the Deputy Overseer, chosen by the Overseer themselves, will fill the position and choose a Deputy Overseer of their own. Under normal circumstances in which the Overseer is able to fill their position, each Council member will be assigned their own duties and report their progress to the rest of the Council at weekly meetings. The Council will vote anonymously on any new laws passed in the Vault or on any actions which may effect the Vault population. The Council will consist of:
The Overseer
Deputy Overseer
Security Chief
Elected member (to oversee Engineering and Maintenance Departments)
Elected member (to oversee Medical and Science Departments)
(Only a permanent Vault resident who is NOT in charge of one of the departments mentioned above can hold a Council Position. Inability to fulfill Council duties will result in dismissal from the council).
I handed the notes back to Ryan. "Seems solid enough."
"I'm still working on the minor details," Ryan replied. "I want to have this system in place before the next scouting trip. Anyway, unless there's anything else, there's something else I gotta do."
I still had that sick feeling in my stomach, which only intensified the closer I got to the clinic. Just before I walking in, I took a deep breath and promised myself that I wouldn't lose it in there.
My father was talking with Jonas, who still had a few fading bruises. When they saw me walk in, they exchanged a glance. Both knew why I'd come, apparently. Jonas excused himself and rushed past me without a word, leaving the two of us alone.
"I was wondering if you were coming," my dad finally said after a long, uncomfortable silence. "After all these weeks, I'd begun to think you'd forgotten it."
"I haven't forgotten," I replied bluntly. "I just accepted what I could figure out. We weren't born down here."
"That is true," my dad admitted with a small nod. "Your mother and I, we worked on a project at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, where you were born. The plan was to create a water purifier big enough to give the region a clean source of water. We called it Project Purity.
"But the project stalled. The Brotherhood of Steel stopped sending men to defend us, and the Super Mutants attacked daily. When your mother died, I didn't have any choice but to leave. I brought you here, knowing that you would be safe and that I could, to an extent, continue working.''
"And years later?" I asked him. "Have you gotten anywhere?"
My father bit his lip and looked at the ground for a moment. "I've made some progress, but there's only so much I can do from down here. If I want to revive Project Purity, then I'll have to return to Washington D.C and assemble the team again."
I thought for a moment, not really feeling anything. It was as if my emotions had been shut off.
"That probably won't happen any time soon," I finally told him. "If you haven't heard yet, there's a merc company after our heads."
My father's eyes shot up to look at me. "What?"
"We were ambushed a few days ago out in the wasteland, I explained. "We captured one of them, but they've got thousand more firepower than we have. For the time being, I don't think it's safe to allow people just to come and go as they please."
"I suppose there's no other option," my father said with a sigh. He looked at me. "Ryan, if what you say is true, then our Security Team won't be enough to keep this Vault safe. We need everyone in this Vault ready, and more."
I called an assembly in the cafeteria the next day, with attendance being mandatory for everyone of working age... which was more or less everyone in the Vault. I climbed up to the temporary stage that had been erected, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach.
"What I'm going to tell you all today will be very confronting, and will be difficult for us to handle as a community. During our latest scouting trip, we were ambushed by a mercenary group known as Talon Company."
A low murmur went through the crowd. I ignored it.
"Their numbers range in the low thousands, and they have been paid to target anyone from Vault 101."
The low murmuring turned into shouts of fear and outrage. I held up a hand.
"Everyone please settle down!" I called out firmly. The room fell silent. "Now, I know this seems like an impossible situation, but I believe that we can overcome this crisis. For now, Talon Company doesn't seem to be actively hunting us, but in the event of an offense on our Vault, we need to be prepared. Firstly, I want everyone over the age of thirteen to be trained to operate a gun, provided they are physically and mentally fit to do so."
A few shouts of dissent rose up from the families of young children. Officer Kendall caught my eye from the door. I could tell from the resigned look on his face that he wasn't thrilled about the prospect of his daughters using guns, but he understood the necessity.
"Secondly!" I continued when the room fell silent again. "While I have decided that keeping you all locked up down here would be a mistake, I cannot allow people to enter and leave the Vault as they please. So, nobody under the age of thirteen or untrained in firearms will be permitted to exit the Vault, and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. A full list of regulations will be posted to every public terminal and pinned on the noticeboard in the diner. A word of advice though; if you do plan to leave, I'd suggest you find something else to wear out their other than your Vault suits."
There were no cries of dissent at this. The crowd merely stood silent, processing the information. Alphonse Almodovar had convinced them that the Vault door would never open, and anyone who ever spoke about leaving would be forced into a psych evaluation. For Vault 101's dwellers, leaving was a fantasy they never thought about.
"Finally," I said after giving them enough time to think. "I've decided that it is in the best interest of the Vault that we continue the process of electing a Overseer after a certain period of time. So, in 2281, another election will take place, and a new Overseer will be voted in. And as our population grows again, I'm announcing the formation of a permanent council which will be able to govern a large community. The council will consist of five members, the Overseer included, and vote on rules passed or actions taken regarding the Vault's future."
The atmosphere in the room had gone from dissent to surprise to approval. People exchanged glances that seemed to say, fair enough.
"The Council will consist of two elected members in charge of different departments. The roles of each council member will be posted to every public terminal, along with information on the election. That is all."
The crowd dispersed. I looked around, my eyes resting on Officers Gomez and Kendall. Gomez was urgently whispering into Kendall's ear, while glancing over at me. I frowned as they approached.
"Sir, Gomez has just informed me of a transmission we received minutes ago," Kendall reported. "He says you should listen to it immediately."
"What does it say?" I asked Gomez.
"Crazy if you ask me sir," Gomez told rolling his eyes. "They call themselves the United States government and say they're coming to restore America. Load of bullshit, probably."
They certainly seemed crazy, considering how Gomez had described them. Still, I was extremely curious.
And then I heard the message.
"You have gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed as the recording ended. "They can't be serious!"
Just to be sure I'd heard it right, I played the message again.
"Hello, dwellers of Vault 101. I am John Henry Eden, President of the United States. Firstly, I want to congratulate you on maintaining Vault 101 for 200 years. By sheltering away from the Wasteland inside your Vault, you have ensured that this great nation can be rebuilt by true Americans, untouched by radiation.
"It is for this reason that I urge you to cease all exploration outside of Vault 101. By exposing yourself to irradiated Wasteland above, you have put yourselves at risk of mutation. As far as we know, your community is the last group of pure, unmutated Americans, which places the future of our country in your hands. Therefore, it is vital that you do not allow yourselves to become vulnerable to the sickness that inhabits the surface.
"But do not fear, Vault 101, for the Enclave, the last bastion of hope for America, is not far. When the Enclave forces under the command of Colonel Autumn arrive at your Vault, do not hesitate to welcome them. They will take good care of you and ensure your safety in exchange for your cooperation. With your assistance, we can make the United States of America the great nation in once was."
"If they really are the U.S government, which I sincerely doubt," said Gomez. "then surely they'd have pre-war records. How can they not know what our situation is?"
"Sir, if I may," Kendall spoke up. "While I do not agree with letting strangers into our Vault, this 'Enclave' could have access to more advanced technology and firepower than us. Resisting them could have it's own consequences."
"That wouldn't surprise me," I replied. "I'll talk to my father. Perhaps he's heard of these people."
Kendall gave a respectful nod, but looked uncomfortable; the fact that my father and I had almost ignored each other had not been kept secret. It wasn't as if we'd been seen together that much anyway; my father was usually working late at night, not coming back to the apartment until everyone else had gone to sleep. But now people seemed to have guessed that we were deliberately avoiding each other. Welcome to the Vault 101 rumor mill.
Kendall came to my office three days later to (respectfully) give me his resignation. He looked regretful, but not uncertain.
"I'm sorry it came to this sir," he told me. "But I've got a family here, and I can't put my daughters through the fear of losing their father one more time."
"I understand," I said. "It's been good to have you by my side. What will you do now?"
Kendall paused for a moment, thinking. "I've been considering running for a Council position. I still wanna contribute to the Vault as best I can."
"Then good luck," I told him. "The election will be in a week, and we'll conduct our first session the week after. Right now, I need to name a new Security Chief and Deputy Overseer."
"Not sure if it's my place sir, but I'd suggest Officer Gomez for the former."
"That's what I was thinking," I replied. "He's the most level-headed guy on the Security team. He knows how to balance force and thinking."
Kendall nodded. "As for the latter, I really can't offer any advice."
I paused, uncertain as to whether I should speak my mind or not. I decided I should. "Well my first candidate would be Amata. There's nobody else I trust more than her, but I've seen how much it took for her to keep going before I got elected. I don't want her under any more stress than she's under already."
Kendall nodded, pausing again and crossing his arms. "Well, she is quite young for a leadership position, but then again so are you. Not to mention that you might not be Overseer by 2281, given the circumstances. And if that happens... well, we both know how much people in here look up to her."
I nodded, deep in thought.
"Perhaps it would be a good learning experience for her," Kendall suggested. "By holding the position of Deputy Overseer, it would prepare her for a role as leader of the Vault."
"Perhaps. Thanks for the advice."
"Any time, Ryan."
If there was one place in Megaton that was strangely welcoming yet made you feel uneasy, it was Moriarty's Saloon. Perhaps it was the faint, easily miss-able bloodstains on on of the chairs in the sitting room off to the side of the bar. Or perhaps it was Colin Moriarty. Whenever he wasn't verbally abusing Gob or Nova or noting down the saloon's supplies, he was usually watching conspicuous patrons from the storeroom doorway, half in shadow. If you weren't looking for him, you'd miss him.
You can't run, his eyes would say, You may feel safe, surrounded by all these people. But they can't help you.
Megaton's sheriff had warned me about Moriarty when I'd arrived earlier in the day. Thankfully, he hadn't recognized my grey and black uniform, but I still went to Craterside Supply and bought a new set of clothes anyway. If anyone knew where I'd come from, they'd probably shoot me in my sleep. Not that I planned on sleeping here.
The absolute second I noticed Moriarty, I ignored him and took a seat at the bar and order a beer from Gob, the ghoulified bar man. Even as I sat there, tilting my head up only to take a sip from my beer, I could feel Moriarty's eyes on me. I couldn't let him take any more interest in me; he'd sell me out to the Enclave if it meant caps for him.
"I'm looking for someone," I told Gob, forcing my eyes not to stray towards Moriarty. "Whoever the hell's in charge of that local Vault."
"You want Ryan?" Gob rasped while polishing a shot glass. "He's the Overseer. He stops by Megaton every now and then to trade with Moira, sometimes with a couple of security guards. Lately, he's been coming out on his own in the dead of night."
"Is that so?" I said, taking a cautious sip of my beer. Why would the Overseer be sneaking out of his own Vault?
"Guess you didn't hear," Gob told me. "They're being harassed by those Talon Company dipshits. You noticed the bomb out there in the town's center? Well he and a Vault mechanic showed up to disarm it just over a week ago. Guess someone wasn't happy about it, and hired Talon Company to give 'em hell. They've been trading fire whenever the cross paths."
Gob's face turned into a scowl. "Bastards. They give mercs everywhere a bad name. Hey, what's your business with that Vault anyway? If you don't mind me ask-oh, here he is."
I turned around in my seat. The blue jumpsuit made me realize who Gob was talking about, but I still didn't believe it.
"You sure?" I said uncertainly to Gob.
This guy was from Vault 101; the number on his collar proved that. But the Overseer? There had to be a story behind this. I guessed that he'd be, at most, 20. His dark brown hair, cut fairly short and oddly tidy, didn't have a speck of gray, and his barely-noticeable stubble didn't make him look any younger. But still, there was something about him that made me question my first impressions. I got no sense of fear from him. In face, he seemed fairly relaxed... or overconfident. Either way, he was my ticket in.
"Hey Gob," he said, sitting down at the unoccupied seat next to me. "You got anything that isn't alcohol?"
"Nuka Cola," Gob replied, sliding the glass bottle of dark liquid over. The Vault dweller handed him ten bottlecaps.
"Talon Company still giving you guys hell?" asked Gob as 'Ryan' took a gulp of Cola.
"Yeah, big surprise," Ryan grumbled. "They haven't made a move on the Vault itself...yet. Hopefully we can fortify the area around us before they do. Thank God we've finally got the Council in business. We'll be taking in Wastelanders before long."
"Does that extend to ghouls?" said Gob, half pleading. "I'd rather live underground than in this shithole."
"The locals will have to get used to... your type," Ryan said slowly, as if unsure how to say what was on his mind. "It's gonna be hard for them, getting used to so many different people. But I've got faith in them."
While they had their conversation, I thought about how to approach the Overseer. The saloon was too open for any kind of talk, especially with Slippery Moriarty back there eyeing us like a hawk. It would have to be somewhere secluded, if not the Vault itself.
After Gob left, I decided it was now or never. I kept my head tilted down so that Moriarty would see me talking, and tried to move my mouth as little as possible.
"You're the Overseer, right?" I whispered to Ryan. "Don't show any reaction, Moriarty's watching us."
The Vault dweller blinked once, but other than that made no indication that he'd heard me.
"I can help you out with Talon Company and the Enclave. Meet me in the ruins of Springvale by your Vault," I continued. "Yes, I know the Enclave contact you. And yes, I know where your Vault is. You know where to find me."
With that, I finished my beer and left. Now, all I could do was wait.