"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you." Ever since I was a child this has been a phrase that was sacred to me and my sister. One that even in our twenties we said to each other... They were the last words she said to me before she embarked on the Overseer's mission. Even I must admit that the quote was sappy, but it was ours and that meant more to me than the entirety of the vault. However, over the past year, I've seen just how true those words were. Without Serah I was forced to become more resourceful, without her I was forced to stand on my own. Without Serah everything I knew had changed, my entire being had changed. I was that scrawny, antisocial nerd that people loved to pick on, to knock down. Now I was going against the overseer, I was no longer that same person.
A majority of the inhabitants of the Vault were off either eating their lunch or completing their daily tasks. The only ones who would be in my way would be those delegated to enter the wastes. Yet none would question it, at least I hoped it would be too late for them to question it. Looking down to the pip-boy on my wrist I saw the time and my heart nearly froze... I was late, the delegates would be leaving in mere moments. Where had, the time gone? Was I so deep into my own little world that I'd lost track of time? Either way, I had to make it to the exit. The vault was only opened once a year and if I missed it now I'd have to wait yet another year. For all, I knew Serah was being held hostage, eaten by some creature in the Everglades, possibly even dead. No... She wasn't. I would've felt it, somehow, I just knew Serah was out there. She had survived all this time, I could only pray she lasted a bit longer.
Breaking out into a full-on sprint I ran for the Vault exit. My booted feet hammered against the steel floor as my vision became akin to a tunnel. Everything except the path in front of me was outside no longer a factor. There was a set of stairs that would lead up to the exit, three flights... I wouldn't let that stop me. Taking the stairs three at a time I bounded up them. The sharp clank of my boots on the metal rang out, by the time I reached the top my forehead was covered in perspiration. My hearts rhythm was completely off and my breathing was haggard. Clutching at the front of the blue and yellow vault jumper I gulped in mouthfuls of air. I tried to calm my body but it wouldn't listen. The underarms of the jumper had even grown dark from the sweat. Before me, I saw the scouting party. Like me they were dressed in the Vault 84 jumpers, however, on top of it they wore body armor. It wasn't full body, more so just pieces of steel shaped to cover their vital areas. Shins, chest, and arms. It was a new touch, none before had been sent out with such gear. Across their backs were refurbished laser rifles, far superior to my musket in terms of they didn't have to crank before they could fire another round. Along with the rifle, each has a pistol on their hip. It was almost as if they were going to war.
I knew that both Amarita and Aaron had been two of those chosen for the scouting party but the other two were also familiar faces. All the inhabitants of the vault knew each other, some more intimately than others. The other two were some I knew but had never truly gotten the chance to converse with. One was a male that stood taller than even Aaron, his head was freshly shaved and on his skin, was a tan people would kill for. His name you ask? Damien. While Aaron may have been a mountain of muscle Damien was Everest. The Vault jumper seemed strained trying to contain his massive form as it contoured perfectly to his body. While the others were equipped with just a rifle and pistol Damien had been granted a shotgun with a cylindrical drum.
To the right of Damien stood Claire. Claire was a girl short in stature but her body was lithe like a dancer. She did not have the curves of Amarita, but her body was unique in its own way. Her entire body was toned to the point where other females found themselves being jealous. Which while she was lacking up top her lower half was enough to catch anyone's attention. It was obvious that this team had been chosen due to their athletic abilities, that would be my in. None of them were engineers, none of them knew how to work on technology the same way I did. They would be going out into a swamp, mechanical weapons and swamps don't get along and they'd need someone to repair their weapons. Possibly even hack into terminals and such.
Regaining my composure I rose to my full height, back straight, chest out and a determination in my step I hoped I looked half as confident as I felt. Off to the right and standing behind a terminal was a fellow vault dweller. He wasn't joining in on the mission, he was simply there to let everyone out. "You all..." Stopping he looked over to me. "Where do you think, you're going?" The technician asked drawing everyone else's attention to me.
Looking up from their preparations the chosen all had looks on their faces ranging from confusion to outright bafflement. "Nik?" Aaron asked his eyebrows furrowing and lips pressing together.
"My request to join the scouting party was accepted by overseer Teague. He said you'd all possibly need an engineer for either your weapons or hacking terminals."
"I was told nothing about this..." The technician said his eyes narrowing slightly. "I would check with the overseer but if the overseer granted you permission it is not my place to question it."
"No, he's going to do nothing but hold us back!" Aaron shouted his face slowly changing to a cherry red.
"Well tell me this, do you know how to repair those weapons of yours if you get mud clogged in its systems, how to fix your pip-boy? How to utilize it to open other vaults we could possibly come across. For that point, do you even know what creatures once inhabited the everglades of Florida?"
Damien laughed a large hand rising to his belly as he held himself upright. The laugh was like a rich chocolate that one couldn't get enough of. "He has a point... Welcome aboard."
"If you're done arguing it's time for you to leave, time is of the essence." Pressing a few buttons on the terminal a large door opened into what was akin to an airlock. Klaxon alarms blared as the door was opened.
The first to enter the airlock was Damien followed by Amarita, then the rest. I was the last in. Casting a glance at the technician I noticed a faint, knowing smile. "Good luck." He mouthed. The words were drowned out by the sirens forcing me to read the technicians lips but I got the gist. Offering a smile of my own I entered pulling the door shut behind me.
The airlock was lit red by the lights which lined the walls. The klaxon sound now echoed off the walls with no way to escape. It made me want to rip my ears off but I bore through the pain. Then all at once, three things happened. The lights flickered to a sickly green glow, the klaxons were replaced with an obnoxious buzzing, and the large vault door ahead of us began to creek open.
The sound of metal on metal now assaulted my ears as the vault was pulled open. In an instant, we were all hit by an intense heat, not the dry heat of the vaults. No, this heat was one that made it feel like you could cut the air with a dagger. It was almost harder to breathe than it was inside the vault. Without even waiting for the rest of us Aaron walked forward rifle in hand. Following his lead, the others drew their own rifles while Damien carried his shotgun in two hands.
Drawing the laser musket, I grabbed the lever that stuck off to the side of it. The cranking sound echoed off the wall and the others looked to me and my weapon. Rolling his eyes Aaron took the first step out of the vault. It wasn't the type of the first step someone wanted to take either. It was off into murky water that went up to his knees.
"Ugh!" That was the sound Amarita made as she hopped into the water. Where it went up to Aaron's knees it was up to her thighs. The same could be said for Claire. Damien? The water was high enough to just pass his chins. Following the others lead, I stepped off into the water with a loud splash. The water was warm and came up to my knees. The ground beneath it was thick and uneven. It would be near impossible to cross through the swamp at a decent pace. It almost felt as if I was standing knee deep in vomit.
"It could be worse," I said trying to lighten the mood. Though from the looks Amarita and Claire shot me they weren't impressed. From behind us came the raucous shriek of metal which nearly made me jump out of my skin. All of us turned weapons raised to see the vault door closing. This was it, there would be no returning till we either completed our mission or were lost to the Everglades for all time.
Gulping I turned back to the others. "So should we see-"
"Listen up, the overseer might have let you on this mission, but it doesn't mean we have to like it," Aaron said rounding on me. "You will do nothing but hold us back, so when any of us tell you to do something do it. If we say take cover do it if we say jump don't ask how high just do it. We are trapped out here, and now we're stuck babysitting some egghead."
No one spoke up, instead, they simply looked away as though the scene wasn't happening. "I don't need any of you to babysit me. I know my way around a weapon just as much as you. Don't forget who helped build those rifles." I growled moving closer to Aaron my grip tightening on the musket.
"Enough!" Damien said his voice cutting through the argument and ending it in one fell swoop. "I will not spend all my time hearing you two bicker like children, grow up Aaron this isn't school anymore. All we have is each other now."
"He's right," Amarita said looking to Claire who nodded her head in agreement.
Looking at the others dumbfounded and shocked Aaron turned back to me. "Fine, but if something happens to him don't blame me." Walking away Aaron scanned the area. Everyone else seemed to be doing the same. The Everglades... Well quite frankly to be it was unlike anything I had ever seen or studied. Above us was a large canopy that extended as far as the eye could see and further still. From between the leaves and vines, small streams of sunlight were able to reach us, yet not enough to completely light the swamp.
From beneath the water sprung grass that was longer than Damien was tall. The water was a deep brown that had already begun to stain our jumpers and in the distance, a cacophony of sounds could be heard. Everything from whoops to the buzzing of what I could only expect to be insects flooded the swamp.
Activating the light on my pip-boy I looked down to it. The temperature was over ninety degrees Fahrenheit, and it felt like it. Felt almost as though I was being cooked inside the jumper. "Let's move out, we've wasted enough time here," Claire said. "I say we get in a single line formation. Easier to keep track of each other that way."
"Yea, Aaron you take the front, Damien the rear. Everyone watches each other. We need to complete this mission." Amarita said looking around to the others. "Nik you're our navigator." None questioned her orders and as she ordered Aaron took the lead with Damien coming up on the rear. Me? I was sandwiched between Claire and Amarita, if we weren't in such a life-threatening situation I would've thanked god for putting me between the two. Others would've killed for the opportunity. "Orlando is to the north, we'll have to go..." Stopping and examining the map on the pip-boy that was far out of date I looked to our right. "That way!"
"Better be right about this," Aaron said as he took his first steps deeper into the swamp all of us closely on his tail.