4. Elaine's memories
To understand the actions of the wasteland's Mata Hari, first we have to go back in time nearly twenty six years.
At that time Elaine wasn't even twenty years old, but thanks to her high intelligence, she was working for a now forgotten Enclave laboratory, as an Eyebot-developer.
She loved her job. She was working in the lab all day long, working on the projects.
At those times not even Sweet-E looked exactly the same as in the original story time. It seemed a little different and slightly different from the other drones as well.
Although it looked exactly the same in its structure like the others, but externally it was more "feminine".
Elaine loved to put make-up on her Sweetpie, so she painted the robot in azure and pink colors.
That day she examined the machine's electronics, when an assistant ran into to the room.
"Dr. Ronin!" ran the woman to Elaine. "The new boss just arrived! President Eden really made Tainted Cave a military base! He sent a lieutenant straight from Raven Rock!"
"Yeah… and if I'm not mistaken, one with the name of a season. Perhaps Summer or Winter?"
"Autumn. Lieutenant Augustus Autumn. But I don't understand something… Why are you here, when everybody from the staff went to the reception?
"Sometimes it's really comfortable that Whitley was made my superior. I really hate the official matters!"
She really meant a part of what she said, but deep down she felt uncomfortable that Whitley became her superior, especially that no one counted her opinion on the subject.
The first reason for this decision was her young age, saying that because Whitley is older than her, he must be more experienced. However there would be put some questions about this, if we count the fact that the lieutenant, who was put in charge, was only is his twenties as well, and they've put him chief of the base. Of course, Elaine knew that her father weren't and never will be President Eden's right-hand man.
The tine went by, days, weeks, months, years, and the eighth autumn just arrived at the base of Tainted Cave, under Autumn's leadership, who with the time being, became first lieutenant.
Elaine, as if she had stuck in the lab, she was only working on the development of the two Eyebot, with Whitley.
On that part of the base could hardly detect any changes. Soldiers were rare visitors on those parts of the base, and the scientists wouldn't meet any disruptions on their moves around the labs. Of course, there were changes as well. The development of the Eyebots was herded towards military purposes, and the power armors and laser weapons development was required as well.
It happened that one time Elaine infuriated because they got a command to arm Sweet-E. She infuriated so much, that she left the lab and tried to go to the lieutenant, but the man wasn't in his office. The scientist was boiling with rage, when she marched through the nearly empty wing. Most of the soldiers were on training and practice.
She went back to the lab, but she was unable to do anything due her nervousness.
Her stomach was still shaking, when suddenly two men entered the room. They each had a weapon in their hands which wasn't a drill in that place. They looked around the spacious lab, then one of them said:
"We are looking for Dr. Elaine Ronin!"
"I'm the person you're looking for!"
She jumped up from the chair, hoping that maybe the lieutenant sent the soldiers after her. However, Whitley wasn't so optimistic. He walked beside her from precaution, pressing the outraged woman behind his shoulder.
"Dr. Elaine Ronin, by supreme command we are going to take you into custody! In case if you don't cooperate with us, we got fire order!"
Elaine nodded, but before she took a step, Whitley reached for her hand. "Elaine, what's going on here? What did you do up there?"
"It isn't important what I did, but what I will do! Let's go, gentlemen! Show me the way!"
"Elaine!" Whitley called after her, though in vain. "At least tell me where you will take her!"
Despite all his efforts, he didn't received information, and Elaine was so nervous, that she maybe did not even realize what was happening.
All it happened so suddenly. She was working at her desk just a minute ago, now she was strapped to a chair at an interrogation room.
The dark room was lit by a lava lamp. No other decoration was found in the room besides the lamp but two chairs and a metal table.
She was sitting there an hour or so, in complete solitude.
In the meantime she had time to gather her thoughts, so when an officer entered the room, Elaine was a bit calmly then when she was dragged away from work.
"Finally…" she sighed when she saw the officer enter, who had a projector with him, which later was placed on the table, then sat down. "Finally would you tell me why you dragged me here?!"
"According to the documents you are Elaine Ronin, born on the thirtieth of August, 2230, in the town of Primm".
"Dr. Elaine Ronin, if you please, and yes, your information is correct, really I was born in Primm, the so called 'suburb' of New Vegas. The numbers are correct as well: 08/30/2230. Let's get back to the point why you dragged me here? Because I dared to complain to let the Eyebot developed by me on the front? Sweet-E is my property, not to mention that is a prototype, so I have priorities opposite your kind of: "shoot first then ask questions" guys!
"We have confiscated the aforementioned Eyebot to collect possible evidences. Our command is valid not only for the drone but for all your records and reports. In addition at the time of the investigation we confiscate all your belongings. Here's the order!"
He pushed a sheet of paper in front of her eyes, though she couldn't take the papers in her hand, because her hands were still strapped to the chair.
She raised her eyes from the paper then started to talk: "Why do I have the feeling that maybe that order to fire wasn't issued because of Sweet-E…"
"You're correct, miss Ronin".
"Doctor Ronin!"
"As you wish, miss!"
"What were you approving just a minute before!"
"I hope, you'll co-operate with us".
"Why shouldn't I co-operate?"
"Because what you've committed, is the most severe crime. For its punishment is death! But, Dr. Ronin, I'm sure, that you were sure about this, as much as I am, or is any other decent American citizen".
"What did I do?"
"Oh, so you just want to make it harder for us, to make our job? Yet it was precisely your work, with which you lifted the veil from yourself, Dr; Ronin!"
The soldier gave her a gloating smile, after that whistled, then suddenly all sources of light went out, which illuminated the room.
A click was heard in the darkness and subsequently a projector started to project on the wall a video.
The film was recorded in the Wasteland, in one of the many ruined buildings. An Eyebot made the record, this was visible from the movements of the camera, and sometimes even its shadow would have been seen.
Going through a long corridor he reached a large, half-collapsed room.
Among the ruins some soldiers from the Brotherhood of Steel were searching through the trash. The ones, who were wearing power armors, wore helmet as well, but the other one wore but an ordinary scribe dress. Only about that person was possible to establish that the person was a she.
The pleasant hourglass shape was suspiciously feminine, but when she turned around her pretty face became visible.
She was the one, who saw the Enclave scout and told the soldiers who immediately fired down the Eyebot with a machine gun.
The recording was interrupted here, but Elaine was unable to take her look down from the white spot on the wall, which was still projected on the wall by the machine.
Elaine tried to find words, knowing that there now is a huge stake. She saw something impossible with her own two eyes.
"This…" she knew that she needs to speak, to comment on this. "I… I do not understand… is that… that woman… she can't be…"
"Dr. Ronin, if that woman from the recording isn't you, then please, explain to me, who she is".
"…"
"All right, if you want to play this way… You admit willingly that you are visible on that video tape, or we have to start a long investigation".
"I've never seen this footage! I've never been in that place and never betrayed the Enclave!"
"You are visible on the tape, or your alter ego?"
"When was made the recording? I work from morning to late night at the lab, ask about this my superior, Dr. Whitley!"
"No need, Miss! The recording was made last night! At that time you were sleeping peacefully in a ring, what is not falling under surveillance by the military, from where you can slip off whenever you want! But I have to ask, at October seventh, somebody stayed by your side at three o'clock, who can provide you an alibi?"
Elaine's voice was hoarse, as she began to start looking in her memories, but kept running to a dead end, no matter how many thoughts she remembered. Suddenly she lost her voice, and became unable to respond the questions.
Float in sweat, and the small breeze wasn't enough to help her, when from her back opened the door and someone entered.
The person making the audience stood up to stand up, but in the end remained seated. The person who entered stepped to the woman's left side, but could not see who it was, because remained behind Elaine.
The woman didn't know his identity, just the fact, that he is a man, because she could smell his aftershave.
The officer who was making the interrogation nodded silently, as if they silently would trigger a few words about the other guy, then he gazed back on her.
"So, Dr. Ronin, you'll admit that you are on the tape, or do you want to experience the Enclave interrogation methods?"
"I didn't do anything!" said Elaine, but with a strained voice, like she wouldn't take serious the whole interrogation, although her voice sounded so interesting from the excitement. "I am innocent".
The officer just on Elaine's opposite side, leaned on the table, picked up a sheet and after he looked at it, he continued the interrogation.
"At October seventh, you started work at 9.15. Interestingly, neither before, not since you didn't delayed any minute. That day however, you were late more than an hour. How do you explain this?"
"Eh… I… I started work the same time that day… It wasn't even eight o'clock…
At the end of her sentence, the man standing behind her tossed a paper on the table. After that he grabbed the woman's hair, and handed over the table, but that way that the tip of her nose reached the top of the table.
Elaine of course couldn't see anything from the text, but the man who grabbed her by her hair, was so kind to read out load what was written on the paper.
"I'm tired of your stories! One of my men died, and I also lost an Eyebot on that very morning of seventh, October! Here, on this page is written, that you've logged in at nine and ten minutes! You've started to work then!"
"I remember it now! I forgot to sign in, because a brain-dead idiot drank so much, that he fought about Whitley's Eyebot, ED-E, that he's a boxing pad! That drunkard, or so-called soldier wasn't impeached, just I am the only one who is accused of something I've never did!"
The hand, what clutched her hair now elevated, but in a second traced it back with equally, if not with more power, with Elaine's hair between his fingers, who first felt a crack, than an indescribable pain ran down on her face. The man behind her mercilessly hit the woman's head at the table, letting Elaine with a broken nose.
The worst of it was that Elaine didn't lose consciousness, but completely eliminated the outside word from her mind. For a good time she saw only just lights, while she felt how she was dragged out of the room. After that only the squeaking door's sound, then the silence and the dark was the only thing she perceived.
Elaine sobbed in pain. She was shivering, lying on the dirty floor, while the tears fell in streams. In spite of the pain, she also had started to gather her thoughts.
She wasn't lying, she never saw those people, and never had been in that place. She didn't know how she will explain this, she knew but one thing: that she's in danger, and not only her, but everyone she knows.
But what frightened her even more that Sweet-E can be in danger, and certainly her colleague might be not in a position to save the machine. She straightened while she was still sanding on the ground, and as time passed, and she was able to compose a bit herself, she started to let inside her head the sounds from the outside. Then she heard the voice of a man, sitting in the next jail ceil.
"Hey, hey, Can't you hear me? Shoot yourself, girl! You'll be much better!"
Elaine stood up then saw in the dust, just before her a Stimpak. She leaned up and looked toward the man, who was also a prisoner, just as herself.
"Don't look at me! I'm not the Santa Claus! The guards were the ones who threw in beside you, while you were busy with sobbing! They said it's a gift from the lieutenant. I think, you could accept it…"
Elaine looked at the Stimpak, but as the man's voice went through her mind, she remembered what the man said to her, who broke her nose. He mentioned the soldier, who died, as his subordinate. She realized that the man who stood at her back was no other but lieutenant himself, the head of the facility, Augustus Autumn.
Successfully putting together the puzzle, anger flooded her brain, and she kicked away the Stimpak then rolled over on the other side, sobbing in continuation.
The man, staying in the other cell crept closer to the bars. It seemed on his every move, how he suffered. He was also beaten up well, perhaps even better than the girl next to him. He reached the Stimpak through the bars. He rolled it in his hands. He looked at his very arm, but as he turned his head in the girl's direction, he saw the blood stains on the ground, just around her head.
"Damn…" he muttered, shaking his head. "I feel that I will regret this later…"
He tore off the hermetic packaging, after that following by a light movement, he stabbed the Stimpak in her arm.