2. Inside the Underworld
Elaine's and Quinn's acquaintances did not start smoothly, but by the time they reached the Museum of History through the ruins, Renegade has also allowed Quinn to touch its components. But it's true that when this happened, the thing always beeped like a bomb what's going to explode.
Quinn remarked.
"I always thought that these flying machines are only able to bring news from the Enclave. Sometimes, when beasts attack them, they defend themselves, but I never would have thought they can be as loyal as a dog!"
"The Enclave could've been much more advanced, if they weren't been so afraid of technology."
"You were one of them?"
"I thought that this was clear from the beginning… I grew up on Enclave ideals. Some betrayed me, others took me a traitor, but here I am, and Renegade will stay here after me as well. I pondered for a long time to trust anyone, after what happened to me and Renegade, but I don't want to let her alone in this world. You've seen what the Enclave is capable of. They're starving for an error, a single little error…"
"We have arrived by the way. That large gate there is the entrance to the Underworld".
Quinn looked in the direction of the Museum of History, just above the metro subway. Entering the ruins, a former reception hall greeted them. They went over to the other room, where among other things was a stuffed mammoth and a dinosaur skeleton. Behind the mammoth a big pile of yellow something was discoverable, and as they approached it, the pile suddenly moved. As he stood, the two faced a supermutant.
Elaine immediately got her gun, but Quinn grabbed the woman's arm.
"He's Fawkes!" he pointed at the super mutant, who with the intention to persuade the woman, quickly raised both hands, while the book, what he was just reading, fell to the ground.
"Miss" echoed in the spacious hall the mutant's thick voice. "Please, do not be afraid! I don't want to hurt anyone! But that thing there is an…"
The mutant's pupils narrowed when he saw Renegade. He got to his back, without thinking, after his Gatling Laser.
"Fawkes!" shouted the ghoul at the mutant. "Take it easy, buddy! He's Renegade, Elaine's drone!"
"But that's an Enclave Eyebot!"
"No, Fawkes, this is Renegade. Even if it was fabricated by Enclave hands, I owe my life to them!"
"I knew I should not have come here…"Elaine muttered, and even had the intention to go out of the museum."
"Wait!" rushed between them Quinn. "It started very badly, but believe me, you can't be harmed here! I give you my word!"
"Oh…" scratched his head the big, yellow guy. "I didn't know that there are good Enclave fighters, but if you saved Quinn, it means that you're friend. Or maybe a spy…"
"Fawkes!" the ghoul yelled at him, now definitely nervous. "Elaine's not a spy! And if it happens that she's one, here, in the Underworld, the Enclave has no chance against us! She did not had in mind to come here, I insisted!"
"I am not a spy, definitely not a warrior!" Elaine said as she walked past Fawkes. "I finish Renegade's maintenance until sunset then I'm out of here. But if you want, I can turn off Renegade, and you can blindfold me as well. In fact, if I get some parts, I do not need to go any further."
"Oh, please you're welcome here!" Quinn shook his head, and ran fast to the town's entrance.
He opened the heavy door before the woman, and after Elaine and the Eyebot crossed the threshold, he also entered.
At the huge hall spread a stinking, rotting smell. Therefore Quinn apologized separately, saying, that the ghoul's life aren't easy, but excluding any discomfort, the Underworld was much cleaner and was a more orderly place than the most places of the Wasteland.
Seeing the new guests, many ghouls appeared from the surrounding rooms. Most of them were frightened at the sight of Renegade, just like Fawkes. As expected, soon Cerberus came as well. He was sent as the "welcoming committee". He greeted Elaine with his boring speech sentence.
"Attention! Civilian at deck!"
"Civilian? And tell me, are you sure? I can be either a deserted Enclave officer… Oh, or my favorite: a spy!"
Elaine was not frittered away on things. Hearing her, the most of the ghouls scattered, but of course they were still not very fond of their meeting with the mysterious woman.
Quinn stared and shook his head. Elaine looked at the man, and when she saw that the crowd had left, she asked the ghoul where she can start Renegade's repairs.
Quinn rushed forward. He ran down the hall. He turned left at the first door, and when she reached there, he was back there. As she looked around, she saw a shop in there. The cashier was a ghoul woman, who shouted after the guy.
"First, you'd better look it up in his study!"
"Thanks, Tulip! replied the man. "I am looking for a friend of mine. He also owns the workplace, on which you can work. I'm sure that he'll allow you to use it, I just don't want him to become angry at me just because I let you use it without his permission."
Elaine nodded as she followed the man. After a little walk, they turned right. They stopped in front of a closed door, on which the ghoul knocked. Just a few seconds later, voices came from inside, then the door opened.
"It isn't locked…" stuck his head out a ghoul wearing RobCo overalls. "Oh, Quinn! Did you get some scrap metal for me?"
"Winthrop! I was looking just for you! I need your help. But to be more specific, I didn't need it for me, but for her." He pointed his head towards Elaine. "She's Elaine. I owe my life to her, and to Renegade as well. However Renegade could use a little improvement."
"Bring this Renegade in. Although I have to admit that I'm not sure if I can do anything to fix him. Today I renovated Cerberus's control panel, and certainly not much components remained after my work was done."
"Oh, no, it's not about that!" Quinn replied. "Elaine would like to repair her robot, the only thing what she needs it's a place where she can do the repairs!"
"The work table is there" pointed at the end of the room. "You can use it!'
"Thank you!" said the woman, then quickly sidestepped the two men, and hurried to the table. Renegade also buzzed in after her.
Winthrop hardly believed his eyes when he saw the white Eyebot.
Elaine began to work on the spot. She asked the ghoul to let her use the guy's computer, then when she got his approval, she connected the robot to the computer.
Winthrop couldn't took his eyes off the woman's work. He had never seen a level of skill like hers before, and he was a competent person.
Elaine's work didn't last for an hour. Although there was insufficient equipment, but she finished her work.
After completing her work, she got a shawl from Winthrop, which she used to clean Renegade, than turned back the robot's controller.
"Thank you, Winthtrop!" said Elaine when she held back the shawl to him. "You gave a big help for me!"
"I heard about a white Eyebot on the radio. You were the one who saved my ghoul brothers?"
"I think that Quinn told you about me and about Renegade. I don't need to deny anyway." she continued after a short pause. "The only surprise that you've heard about this only from the radio or from Quinn… We weren't started our work today with Renegade. No one came here from those who escaped from the Enclave's death squad?"
"We don't like to speak about what we go through. Everyone has their own story, but you can unrip too much of a bloody chapter and too deep wounds with just one bad question."
"I didn't say this to hurt your feelings. Sorry, I'm not a man of words…"
"But you aren't going, are you?"
"I'm done here. I am very grateful to you. But I don't want to be a burden on anyone."
"Please! Do not say like this! If there's anything we can help, feel free to let me know. Oh, and Quinn also paid for a bed for you at Carol's place. Please, spend at least the night here."
"You're really nice, but I can not stay. The Enclave is mainly active at night… I don't think that they can switch back Renegade's GPS, but if they bring together, Autumn would come straight here for a ghost hunt… I couldn't put all of you in such big danger!"
"Cerberus guards the place. He would welcome all of the Enclave scum with open arms."
Elaine smiled, but nothing could discourage her from her intention.
"Thanks again for everything. Give my regards to Quinn! Goodbye!" she then left the city of ghouls.