Note: Reference is "The Winding Stair" by William Butler Yeats. Edited for content.
Lillie straightened herself up and rubbed her thumb with the other hand, feeling the sting where she'd hurt herself by punching Colonel Autumn in the stomach. She'd thought it would take more than that to subdue him, actually. Maybe... maybe the radiation from the purifier had made him weak?
She turned her head with a snap, looking directly at the glaring light on the wall that was staring right back at her. "Mr. President," she said, firmly, "I need to report the mission success."
President Eden laughed, a slow drawl out over the air. "Alone at last," he said, sounding delighted. "I had thought our dear Colonel meant to harm you. I apologize for his attitude. He's been under a great deal of stress lately, as you can imagine."
"Yes," she murmured. Her eyes slid from the wall to one immobile boot, sighing mentally.
"I would like to have a word with you, Lillie." Eden made a "hmm" noise and she could imagine him sitting behind a desk and steepling his fingers together. "Yes, I believe it's time we met, face-to-face. There are a few things you and I should discuss."
"Of course, sir," she said, smiling despite the sick feeling that rose in her stomach. It was all part of the game―right?
"I'll unlock the way for you. I'll be waiting for you in my office. Please don't tarry." The light faded and Lillie breathed out, letting her cheeks fill with air before releasing it.
You can do this. She looked down at Colonel Autumn, grimacing. She'd known she would have to put him down, somehow―and she'd expected him to hit her back, even shoot her, of course. She rubbed her shoulder where the wound was and shook her head. Wished she didn't have to, but... her hand moved to her mouth and touched her lips. Oh, if she could―she closed her eyes and smiled. If she could have one moment she wanted to last forever, it would be that one.
After a moment, she reminded herself she didn't have time to be a stupid little girl, like Jericho had kept calling her. She retrieved her battered combat armor, thanking him silently. Without his "reminder" she would still be feeling as depressed and upset, still hesitant to do what she needed to. Without him doing what he had... she wouldn't have felt the need to erase the feeling of his sloppy kiss, either.
She kitted herself out, then knelt down and patted Colonel Autumn's pockets. Pulled out more ammo―thank goodness, she'd almost run out on the way through Vault 87―and her hand paused on a holotape stashed in his breast pocket.
She drew it out, staring at the handwriting on it. "From the desk of Colonel Augustus Autumn". The cursive written on the tape looked far more elaborate than it should have, given his handwriting was so skinny... Augustus? She looked down at him, hiding the smile she felt coming across her face. A noble name to live up to, for the small boy he had been, ages ago. No wonder he acted as proud as he did―
She couldn't help herself, then. A sigh escaped her chest, thinking about it. He was so proud. He'd stood so tall over her as a child, had been so frightening. He hadn't ever held back his pride, when he spoke to her. She was sure he'd never seen her as the little girl her father always had, but as a potential soldier. The only time she'd known him to be gentle was when he'd had to admit that he was in the wrong... when he'd asked for forgiveness.
"But this isn't combat," he'd said. She remembered the sound in his voice. Remembered how she'd lost herself to the fantasy, before, and had wanted so desperately to believe him.
"I am not prepared to fight it." The Colonel had trained her to be a real soldier. If something as small as that shift in stance had made her completely effective after months of failure―he must have taught her well.
Though he might have tried to impress on her the importance of minding herself, that she was an innocent whom Eden had manipulated, she didn't think her feelings for the Colonel had been undue. She could have run away and never come back... but she respected him too much, to do that.
He was right. This wasn't combat. She put his coat back to rights and pushed herself upward, checking the clip on his pistol. This was a shadow play, and she was prepared to fight.
All she had to do was blow out the lamp.
"Attention to all Raven Rock personnel. This is your president speaking."
His voice led her through the Raven Rock, down the poorly-lit paths she must have walked a million times, into a part of the bunker she'd never seen. She entered a stairwell and stared up into the darkness, curiously.
"Set all your mind upon the steep ascent," Eden's voice rang out, eerie in the quiet of the room.
She made a face. Yeats had not been one of her strong suits, but she did recall the poem. She also recalled... The wooden scabbard bound and wound, can, tattered, still protect, faded adorn. She set her mouth and started up the stairs, going further and further up, until she reached the top. She moved across the floor toward the door that lay ahead of her.
"Lillie," she heard, a voice behind her. She froze, a chill running down her spine. Eden―
She turned and faced down a monitor, surrounded by a series of smaller ones. A yellow iris sat in a shallow pot beside it, so out of place in the display it commanded her attention.
"It's high time we met," Eden's voice came from the setup.
She pressed her lips together in a frown. But―he was still hidden. He went on about her trip through the wastes―she waited for her cue in the conversation. "Mr. President?" she inquired. "I thought you said we'd meet 'face-to-face'?"
"Ah, but I am! I am right here before you."
She blinked in confusion. "But..." she started.
"You should feel privileged. Colonel Autumn is the only other human permitted within this room." He chuckled, dryly. "Do keep this secret to yourself."
She made a sudden sense of everything―"That's why I've only heard your voice until now?" she asked, her voice incredulous. It made sense―and it made other things sound different―
"If you knew as much as I have learned, you would be in too much danger." He'd told her the truth. She'd been blind to his words, because she was so terrified and upset about finding out that her knight had been...
"The only reason we are alive is because it wills so," he'd said. And she'd thrown everything that he might have been planning into disarray, because of her stupid girlish emotions―because Eden had stopped everything that Colonel Autumn had done to keep her from being able to fight against―
She breathed in, gasping under her breath. He―It―had planned for her to fall in love with him―and it'd done the same thing to Colonel Autumn! The recordings―he had to have seen her looking at him like she had―had to see himself looking back at her and knowing―
She flushed all the way to her toes. Oh, God. He'd―he really had been having feelings for her, and she'd acted so immature and―Lillie fought the urge to cry, clenching her fists at her sides and stopping herself from covering her face. He'd asked for her forgiveness because Eden pushed him to that point, and everything else had just fallen into place for Eden. Colonel Autumn was just another victim and she'd made it far worse than it should have been.
She'd been trying to out-think a damned computer this whole time. The fear and shame drained from her, replaced by anger. No wonder it'd been so difficult―
Eden had been talking and she was preoccupied, not listening. She snapped to attention, clearing her thoughts as best she could. "...performed as anticipated, especially given the situations that arose. I certainly didn't see your father attempting to murder our dear Colonel." It sighed. "I am very glad to have you back in the fold, Lillie. We need of your ability even more, now that our Colonel isn't acting himself."
"Is that why," she wondered, trying to inject naivety in her tone. "I―well, he shot me―"
"Yes, he's been rather... difficult to manage, of late. It's of no surprise that he's acting so untoward, since the incident at the purifier."
No surprise. She couldn't believe it, but... her feelings definitely weren't simple infatuation. She was reminded of when her dad showed up at the Vault. "I am certain that Colonel Autumn can come up with a way to get rid of Eden, if he wasn't so distracted... by you."
Her dad had seen it. He'd been so antagonistic about her relationship with Colonel Autumn, even though it hadn't had the time to develop. Felt so strongly about it, because... he knew. He knew how the Colonel felt. Eden must know, as well, and had been playing the both of them.
She'd never been in any danger from Colonel Autumn. In fact, she felt it was the opposite that was true.
She rubbed her eyes, tiredly. "Mr. President?" she wobbled. "With everything that's happened... why am I here?"
"I need you to undergo one more mission." Eden "hmm"ed to itself. "You are aware that there is significant mutation in our world. And you saw the purifier, so you must realize that your father's work has potential."
"Yes, sir," she asked, more than said.
"By making a few small modifications to the purifier, mutations can be eradicated with little effort. I don't need to tell you how important that matter is," it told her. "In front of you will be a vial of modified FEV virus. Place the vial into the control console for the purifier. All you need to activate the purifier is the code."
She remembered, but... She looked down at the casing in front of her, watching it open. A vial of something vaguely orange sat there, gleaming in the mild light coming off of the monitor.
"The purifier will handle the rest. Anything mutated that comes into contact with that water will be eliminated, removed from the gene pool. ...It is rather appropriate that your father's work here, inside Raven Rock, has aided in our efforts. To restore humanity to its purest form," Eden added. Lillie's head jerked up and stared at it. "Without his research into solubility and his innate knowledge of that purifier, I wouldn't have dared to hope."
Including―if this virus targeted the mutation, it would kill not only the Super Mutants and ghouls and creatures, but every living person who had been born and raised―
Lillie's eyes widened. Including herself.
"Yes, sir," she murmured, staring down at the vial. Keep it together, Lillie!
"Will you do this for me, Lillie?" Eden asked her, gently.
"Won't this kill everything that's mutated?" she asked, feeling a sickness rising in her stomach. Could Eden even think that she was that stupid, that she would do this?
"It will," the computer answered. "The men and women of the world will no longer share it with the horrors and monstrosities that have become so commonplace."
"But―that's wrong!" she said, letting the anger out. "It'll kill the people the Enclave wants to save―"
"Lillie," Eden snapped, growing angry. "You only need to trust in your government, and all will―"
"Why!" she shrilled, holding up her hands. "Why would I?! You're not a real president―only a computer―"
"If you do not, I will be forced to play my trump card. I highly doubt you would enjoy that, Lillie." Eden sounded chiding, as if she were a small child. She bristled at that.
"Really," she spat, her voice rising higher in pitch. "What could you possibly do to force me to do this―this awful thing, and risk my own life, too―" she cleared her throat. "A living man is blind and drinks his drop. What matter if the ditches are impure?" she quoted.
Eden laughed, as if it were honestly amused. "Your aptitude for the written word is laudable," it said. "You're human, Lillie. And humans are a fallible creature."
She gritted her teeth. "I don't―"
"Do you realize how much Colonel Autumn truly means to the Enclave?" Eden asked, suddenly. "If you understand that he's become redundant to our cause, over the last few years, you should. It is of no concern to anyone what happens to our dear Colonel."
She stopped breathing for a moment. "Anyone, of course, but for yourself," it finished, quietly.
She reached out and took the vial from the casing, feeling the tears start to fall down her face.
"Excellent. I'm so glad that we were able to have this talk, Lillie."