I twiddled my thumbs as the elevator slowly rose. There were butterflies in my stomach, and I was jittery. I didn't know what to expect. I kept taking deep breaths, because I knew I had to prepare myself.
The roof above me started to crack open, the light sinking through. I squinted my eyes and covered them with my free hand as I grabbed for the pistol holstered onto my belt. The light was almost a blinding white; It burned and I could barely see anything.
As soon as I took my first breath of fresh air I was coughing and hacking. I struggled to catch my breath. I must have inhaled some dust or something. I heard the beeping of more alarms as I finally reached the top.
The platform stopped with an abrupt shake. I rubbed my eyes and steadied myself, adjusting to the sunlight. But there was nothing I could do to prepare myself for the sight I saw before me.
"Oh my god," My jaw dropped. Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but leafless trees. Dead and empty. The grass was crusty and brown, and so were the metal fences. Sanctuary was destroyed. The houses were wrecked and falling apart. Even I could tell from here.
"Hello world," I sighed heavily. I needed to keep going. Codsworth could still be in Sanctuary. He had to be there. I crossed my fingers for good luck. I was going to need it.
Turning around, I walked over to some yellow crates. There were bottles of Rad-X. What was Rad-X again?...I read the label. It was for radiation resistance. Apparently I couldn't take more than two pills a day. Interesting. I set the bottle aside for later. I needed something to carry things. A backpack would help.
I trekked down the hill and across the bridge, following the trail of skeletons and debris to Sanctuary. It felt like I was just running away from the bombs yesterday. Like I could still hear everyone's screams. But now, everything was too quiet. Too eerie.
As I approached my old neighborhood, I shuddered. It was worse up close than far away. Burnt up tree branches and plants scattered the streets, tree trunks overturned in the dusty soil. The cement streets seemed like they would collapse under my feet any was only one thing to do now, which was to find my house.
It was strange to see everything like this. I walked past Marie's house. Their family car was rusted and broken, the windows shattered and the roof filled with holes. I remembered playing in her house the week before everything happened. We played a game of Blast-Radius and stole Nuka-Cola from her older sister's stash in the fridge.
I never wanted to play Blast-Radius again. Still, a bottle of ice cold Nuka would be pretty nice right now.
Suddenly I heard a familiar robot's engine. I stopped walking. I ran, as fast as my two feet could carry me. My heart was racing. I saw that shiny metal body that floated in the air. I was going to burst any second.
"Codsworth!" I yelled out. It definitely caught his attention.
"As I live and breathe!" I heard him gasp. If there was a way to hug a robot as round as a beach ball, I would have done it. But instead I just stood there, unable to make out any words, "It's...It's really you!" He cried out.
"C-Codsworth…" I stammered, "I can't believe you made it. I was so scared for you."
"Oh you needn't worry about me Miss Joanna. Though things have been awfully dull around here. But now that you've returned, things will be so much more exciting!" He laughed nervously, "Where are your parents, by the way?"
My smile quickly turned into a frown, "My parents are dead, Codsworth." Just saying that left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Miss Joanna, what you're saying...These terrible things...I believe we need a distraction! You need a distraction, my dear. Something to calm this dire mood."
"Codsworth…"
"It's been ages since we've had a proper family activity. Checkers, Mahjong...or perhaps charades! Shaun did always love a good game of charades. You are particularly the professional at that game." He paused, his big googly robotic eyes trying to search for something, "Is the lad..with you?"
"They...they took him. No, they stole him. Shaun was kidnapped," I swallowed, biting the inside of my cheek, "But I'm gonna find him. No matter what. I'm going to bring him back."
"This is worse than I thought. Hmm...Perhaps a nice hot meal would help the hunger-induced paranoia you seem to be suffering of. Not eating properly for 200 years will do that to you, I'm afraid."
My eyes widened, "200 years?!" I was speechless. "You're joking with me. You have to be."
"I'm afraid not, Young Miss. It's actually a little over 210. Give or take Earth's rotation and some minor dings to the ol' chronometer."
"Think of all the birthday parties I've missed out on…" I laughed jokingly. I was screaming inside.
"I suppose that means you're two centuries late for dinner! Perhaps I can whip a snack up for you? You must be famished."
"You're acting like nothing even happened, Codsworth. Are you okay?"
"Well..I...I."
"You can tell me."
"Oh...Oh It's been just absolutely horrible, Miss Joanna," He cried out, "Two centuries with no one to talk to, nobody to serve!...I spent the first ten years trying to clean and wax everything, but not even Abraxo cleaner will get nuclear fallout out of vinyl wood. Nothing! Don't get me started on the condition of the car, or the futility of dusting a collapsed house. How in the world do you polish rust?"
"I wanted to bring you, but so much was happening…"
"I'm afraid I know nothing, my dear. The bombs were being dropped, and you all left in such a hurry. I thought for certain that you and the rest of your family were…were dead!"
"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone, Codsworth. But I'm here for you now. It's gonna be alright."
"I did find this holotape," he sighed, "I believe your parents were going to present it to you. A surprise of some sorts. But then...well, everything happened."
"Thanks Codsworth," I said as he handed over the holotape. To Joanna, it read.
"You're very welcome, ma'am. Perhaps that Pip-Boy on your arm should allow you to play it back. That should work brilliantly."
"Maybe we can search the neighborhood. Let's go on an adventure and stop feeling sorry for ourselves," I suggested lightly, tucking away the holotape in my pocket.
"I agree wholeheartedly. We may just be able to turn up on Shaun! Just be careful, and watch for those pesky mosquitoes and wild dogs. I'll be right behind you."
"I guess we can start here." I walked into the doorway of my house. I wasn't expecting much, but I could still tell where the living room and kitchen used to be. For some reason the T.V was still standing, and so was the fridge. The wallpaper was stained and starting to peel, and everything was so...dusty. I peeked in the sink. My bowl and spoon were still in there! Just a dirtier version.
I headed into the hallway, turning right on the first door. It was my room.
"Careful Miss Joanna. I don't want you stepping on broken glass. Watch your head."
"I'll be fine, Codsworth." I assured him. My mattress was burnt to rubble, scattered in pieces around the broken bed frame. I kneeled over, picking up the burned Grognak comic I left behind, "Darn. Now I'll never be able to read that chapter." It crumbled to ashes through my fingers.
"Now, I'm sure we'll find a copy of the issue you're looking for."
"Maybe." I muttered.
I drifted over to my wardrobe, still standing after two hundred years. The top two drawers were broken, though. As I slid the last drawer open, I gasped. It was a suitcase holding all the traditional clothes my Grandma got me from China. Hand-me-downs and the like. I ripped open the casing, greeted by the fumes of mothballs wafting in my face. I gagged, but couldn't help but run my dirty fingers through the silk. A cheongsam. Mom always said that I should keep it hidden in my dresser. She never had enough room in her closet for a clunky old suitcase.
"How beautiful. A wonder how It survived through all these years."
"Must be the the moth balls," I coughed. The dress didn't fit me yet, last time I tried it on. I rummaged through more of the clothing, until my hand bumped into a small, golden locket. It was the one Grandma gave me before she passed away. I opened the locket, revealing a stark, black and white photograph of her and Grandpa.
A good thing she didn't live long enough to see what the world was like now. I shook my head and tucked it back under the layers of old clothes, carefully locking the suitcase together and hiding it away. I didn't want anyone stealing it.
I stood up, leaving my room and headed towards Shaun's. I immediately saw the crib, the blue paint chipping off the wood. The rocketship mobile was still hanging on top. I gave it a spin, but then a rocket fell off. Oops.
There was a broken picture frame lying face down on the table beside the crib. I picked it up, shaking away the cracked glass. It was us. I remembered taking the picture six months after Shaun was born. Mom was holding Shaun, and Dad was holding my shoulders with that big smile of his.
"Let's look somewhere else, Codsworth. This place is depressing."
"Right away, Miss Joanna. I'll be waiting outside the door."
I slid the picture out of the frame and folded it neatly into my pocket with the holotape. We went to the house next door. Mr. and Mrs. Able's place.
As soon as I stepped in, a swarm of giant flies stormed into me. There wasn't any time to react. I dropped my gun and ran as fast as I could, screaming and batting them out of my hair.
"CODSWORTH! HELP ME!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, tripping on my foot. I heard him yelp in horror as he quickly took out his spinning razors, floating by and cutting them down, killing every single one of them. They dropped before me in heaps of gooey gunk.
"Oh I am so very sorry Miss Joanna! I hadn't anticipated another flock of bloatflies make their nest in there again. I thought I disposed of them all yesterday."
"What is the deal with all the giant bugs?! I had to kill a bunch of giant roaches when I fell out of the cryopod! It's disgusting!"
"Those were probably radroaches you encountered. I forgot to mention the mosquitoes are quite large as well, and much more dangerous than the radroaches. All caused by years of exposure to the nuclear fallout." He pulled out a clean rag with his robot claw, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"It's okay, Codsworth," I sighed, taking the cloth and smearing the bug guts off my face and hands, "Thanks for rescuing me."
"My job is to protect you ma'am. I would be doing it wrong if otherwise."
We spent the rest of the day rummaging through all the houses. No sign of Shaun. Just old relics of what life used to be. It felt weird to look through all my neighbors' things. Some of them wanted nothing to do with us, being descended from the "Commies." But most of them knew Dad, how he served America in the war. And they knew Mom too. They called her the neighborhood's "China doll." I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.
"Your family...They're nowhere to be found! They really are gone, aren't they?" Codsworth sniveled, his robot eyes blinking at me sadly.
"My parents maybe. But Shaun's still out there. I've gotta find him."
"We will have to wait for tomorrow then. It's getting far too dark to travel safely."
Codsworth was right. The sun was beginning to set, and if there were giant flies and cockroaches, then who knows what else might be out there? I shivered, clutching my arms together as a cold gust of wind blew past me.
"I'll kindle a fire and find something for you to eat. You must be famished. Just wait here. I won't be gone for long."
"Thanks pal."
As soon as he flew out of sight, I fumbled around the Pip-Boy trying to put in the holotape. When I finally found the right button, I brought it close to my ears so I could listen.
"Hi sweety!" My parents sang in unison, with Shaun's giggling in the background.
"Since the holotape recorder just came in, we decided to record the very first message to you. An early birthday present from Shaun and us." Dad said.
"We just want you to know that we love you so much. You've been such a good helper with Shaun, and you know that both your father and I are so proud of you."
"Whenever you're feeling down or lonely, we hope that this holotape will make you feel better, whatever the problem is. You're smart, very creative, so full of energy. You tell the best stories. Better than your old man!"
"Never forget who you are or where you came from. I know growing up here is hard, but always remember that we are here for you. No matter what you choose to do in your life, we will support you the best we can."
"That's what family is for. Right Shaun? Say hi to big sister!"
I could hear Shaun mumbling and drooling in his baby talk. I almost forgot how good it felt to hear Mom and Dad laughing together.
"Well, happy early birthday, Jo."
"We love you." Mom finished, ending the tape.
The tape ended, but I wished that it didn't. I wanted it to go on and on. Why did it have to stop? I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I felt dried up inside, like a stale packet of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes.
"Are you alright, Miss Joanna?"
I flinched in surprise. I didn't even notice Codsworth coming back.
"Oh.. Hi Codsworth. I didn't know you'd come back so quickly."
"Yes, well I found a can of cram for dinner. And a bottle of unopened Nuka-Cola! How does that sound?"
"It's perfect Codsworth. Thank you." He handed the can and Nuka over to me, then started to kindle the fire. I set the can on a slab of rock, close to the fire to heat up the food. Once it cooled off, I picked out what I could salvage out of some two hundred year old lunch meat. Strangely enough, it still tasted exactly how I remembered. Was that a good or bad thing?
"Let's hope tomorrow will be a better day," I muttered out with my mouth still full of chewed up cram. When I looked up, the stars still looked the same. Bright and twinkly against the black of the night. That brightened my hopes up. One thing that the bombs couldn't change.
Tomorrow, Codsworth and I would set out to find Shaun.