It's…a boat?

It's a very large boat. A very nice looking boat, at that, and it looks like it's constantly growing but it's still a boat, at least, at the centre. Isn't it?

Rivet City is a very large boat, and a very large boat getting bigger…probably every year?

Things out here are so damn weird!

Maybe dad was onto something, living in the Vault.

"Here you are!" Moira cheerfully says, handing me two of my three bags. "I told you we'd make it just fine, didn't I?"

"You did," I say, fidgeting with the straps of my bags as I swing them over my shoulders, one for each, the other on my back. I jump a little again when some gunshots start going off in the distance again. I should be used to it now, shouldn't I? Why aren't I? "Thanks, Moira. Do you…you got what you need from me?"

She nods. "Of course, honey! And don't you worry, if you ever swing by Megaton again, I'll make sure to give you a free copy of my book!"

"I'll keep it in mind," It's really hard not to smile when she talks. "I…I shouldn't have any trouble getting in, should I?"

"You won't," She says, following me up the steps to the city gates. "But I'll walk you up just to make sure they don't give you a hard time. They know me. Some of them really know me, if you get my drift."

I turn pink. "You mean you…"

She winks. "A few people there like a nice ride with me every so often. Don't worry, honey, no one's going to think you're into that. They'd have to be crazy to look at you and come anywhere near that conclusion."

I nervously nod. "So…" I say when she stops me in front of an intercom. "I take it I buzz in?"

"Yep!" She says, smacking the button with her elbow, and it starts crackling "They'll pick up in a second, just a bit of static and –"

"Hold it right there!" I take a few steps back at the sharp voice coming through the intercom. "State your name and business in Rivet City."

"Annette Davis," I stammer, fingers shaking around the straps of my bags again. "I'm…I'm here to see someone."

"Meet me inside," The voice commands. The sound of static is unsettling enough but the noise, the…I reach up and cover my ears while a bridge slides out and up into place from the boat towards the gate. It's too familiar, too grating, too much like the… "Opening the gates. They'll shut behind you. If you're armed, put your weapons away, and no funny business. You hear me?"

"Good luck," Moira says, suddenly hugging me. I don't want her to let go but she does. "Things'll sort themselves out, honey. They always do."

I wave at her as she skips down the stairs and back out into…the unknown. It's really just the unknown, isn't it? The scraping, grating noise is gone, and the gates are open. I start running through them, half expecting them to close before I'm even through, but they don't. I'm through. I have to stop halfway across the bridge to catch my breath and, sure enough, when I turn around, the gates have been shut behind me. Briefly panicking, I calm down – a little – when I realise, for sure, I didn't accidentally drop any of my bags or my gun as I scrambled to get across. Gunshots. Even though it starts to hurt, I start running again down the bridge and reach the doors into the city. The warning about having my weapon out coming back to mind, I hastily holster my revolver and try to calm myself down as I step towards the doors. To my surprise, they open automatically, and a tall woman waves me towards a small office a few feet off the entrance. Tightening my hands around the straps of my bags, trying to keep calm, I hesitantly step into the office and sit down in one of the empty chairs. It's pretty nice in here, almost like the Vault but less…clinical. And –

"Pinkerton, this office has actual concerns," An irritated man says – the voice from the intercom, I'm pretty sure – all but dragging an angry faced old man out from one of the rooms beyond this…waiting area, I think. "So, if you would, please leave!"

"And I got 'em too! All sorts of real concerns!" He snaps. "Dr. Li –"

"Is one of the people whose work keeps this city running," The man cuts him off. "Pinkerton, no one in this office has time for your complaining about –"

"I'm the problem again, really?" He exclaims, throwing his hands out. "The bitch we're talking about ruined my whole goddamn life, but, of course, you don't give a damn about any of that! It's all about whatever hydroponics bullshit or –"

"Out, Pinkerton," The man orders and, grumbling, he leaves. "Good, they brought you in," He turns to me, his voice a lot nicer. "I'm Harkness. Chief of Rivet City Security. Sorry about having to see that, my advice, stay out of his way. Pinkerton'll take pretty much any chance he gets to complain these days. Seems he gave up on just being the curmudgeon of a ghost all the teenagers whispered 'bout as an urban legend."

"He…seems a bit…" I pause, standing up to shake his hand when he extends it with a smile. "I…I'm Annette. The girl from the inter –"

"I know, I know," He says quickly, waving me towards the desk. "Sit down. I don't bite, just got to ask you a few questions. Can't be too careful these days."

I nod, feeling a little nervous, and my hands wrap tighter around the straps of my bags again when I sit down in front of the desk. Whistling, he grabs a clipboard and a pen from the wall, sits down at the desk across from me, and pushes a button in the wall. Another intercom. It really is kind of like the Vault here. He starts talking to someone on it, and he seems to be in a good mood again which is good. Glancing over the papers scattered on his desk and finding them too fuzzy to read, I pull my glasses out from one of the pockets of my Vault suit. A little disappointingly, they're mostly a bunch of memos, but the one interesting thing about them is the seal printed at the top of the letterhead. A gear, sword, and flame all smushed together followed by the words Brotherhood Of Steel. Moira mentioned them. They're the people who saved her town from the risk of that nuclear bomb at the centre of it potentially going off one day. The name's got a nice ring to it, almost mythical, like the knights of the round table in –

"So, Miss Annette, what brings you to our fair city?" He says, putting his hands up when I startle and look up at him. "Hey, hey, like I said, I don't bite," He picks up the pen with a reassuring smile. "Guessing your trip here wasn't the greatest?"

"I've never been out here before," I admit, embarrassed. "I…sorry. I had help getting here, and I'm alright, I've just never…"

"Don't worry, it's your business, not mine. Just good to know you're here all in one piece. Want a nosh?" He says, opening the desk and pulling out a small bag. "I probably shouldn't have lunch today, anyways," He laughs, pushing it towards me. "Hope you like carrots, cookies, and beer."

"Thanks," I smile, taking the bag and holding it in my lap. "You had…you had some questions for me, didn't you?"

"I do, but it ain't like I'm giving you an inquisition or a test on chemistry or physics or something like that," He chuckles, and it's reassuring someone is normal. "Starting with the first again. What brings you to Rivet City?"

"I'm looking for someone," I reply, pushing my glasses back up when they begin to slide down my face and I'm glad I for once thought to take the time to braid my hair and tie it up on top of my head so it doesn't get tangled in…well everything. "I think he came here and –" Fumbling with my things for a minute, I find and pull out one of the photographs I'd managed to pack in the rush to leave home. "– He's my dad," I say, unfolding and pushing the photograph across the desk. "Have you seen him?"

"As it happens, I have," He says though his face falls when I perk up. "Yeah, he already left. Arrived here around the end of August, left a couple of days ago."

"Do you know where he went?" I fall silent when he shakes his head. "Sorry to waste your time, then."

"Not a waste at time at all. He spent most of his time here in the science labs, working," He says, picking up his pen and scribbling something down on a sticky note. "Apparently, he and Dr. Li used to work together, long time back. She's almost always in Engineering Lab 3, nearest her office. Follow the signs to the labs, and you can't miss it. Just don't cause any trouble."

"I won't," I say, taking the photograph back. Me, dad, and Amata just a few months ago, my birthday…how did everything end up this upside down so fast? "Thanks. Do you need anything else from me?"

"Nope, just be careful and enjoy the lunch," He says, raising an eyebrow when I stand up. "That a real Pip-Boy? Shit, I'm jealous."

"I…we all have them back home," I sigh when he stares at me looking confused. "If it helps, everything here is as strange to me as my Pip-Boy is to you."

"Well, be careful, don't cause trouble, and, if you need anything, let me know," He says, waving at me when I open the door and start to head out. "I'll let you know if I hear anything about your dad!"

Giving him one last thanks and nodding in reply, I fold up and slip the photograph back into the bag I pulled it from, zip it up, and readjust all three of them on my shoulders, the bag with the lunch in hand. After how…peculiar some of the people were in Megaton, other than Moira and Church and even Moriarty, really, being around normal people is nice. No one telling me nuclear radiation and bombs are gifts from God, no easy to misunderstand situations. And, at least on the inside, things look similar enough to the Vault. They also look more…lived in. Real. Not sterile, perfect, and clinical. But also not as messy and precarious as a lot of the things in Megaton. Things look like they're constructed well and, more importantly, safely, and no one's…they all look normal, dressing the way we were allowed to when not working, or when Alfie said we could wear our clothes other than our Vault suits.

The signs aren't too hard to find, thankfully; every few corners there's a map of the city which helps. Trying not to make eye contact with or bump into anyone by accident, I hold everything as close to myself as possible and start heading towards where the laboratory complex is supposed to be. Engineering Lab 3. Dad never did talk about what he did before becoming a physician…was he also an engineer, at one point? Were he and mom both… I nearly slam into the wall when, turning the corner, a few kids run past, trying to – I'm pretty sure – tackle each other. The second they're gone, I start back towards the laboratory complex, trying to be more…aware of my surroundings but, at the same time…God, I'm tired. As soon as I can, I just need sleep. Real, good sleep. And…I know I'm getting closer when a woman and two men in lab coats pass by me, excitedly talking about, from the sounds of it, the results of a recent experiment. Turning another corner, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see another, larger sign over a set of doors with the words Laboratory Complex on it in big, bold, somewhat dusty and faded letters.

Feeling a little sick to my stomach, I step towards the doors which, like the ones into the city, surprisingly, open automatically. Unsure if I'm feeling sick because I'm exhausted, dehydrated, hungry, or just anxious, I pull my bags as closely around me as I can, and start walking through the labs. It's almost mind bending how big they are, and I can't help but stare, passing a few classes of students, some younger, some close to my age, and several teams of scientists all focused and running their own experiments. A group of them are around a few computer terminals in what looks to be one of the chemistry labs, talking and probably reviewing the results of a recent experiment or planning for another set of experiments. It's the medicinal and biology labs I want to stop and linger in, though, and I do the second I pass through the chemistry labs and into them. I don't even care if I'm taking the most efficient route to Engineering Lab 3 anymore. It's all amazing. At even a quick glance, it looks like they've managed to develop a programme to grow radiation-free crops, and a system of water purifiers.

I don't think I've ever been surrounded by so much incredible work, all happening at once. Moving slowly through the biology labs, I try to take note of everything I can. I'll have to come back later, talk with some of the people working here. It's incredible, and the organisation…with the amount of people working here, I'd bet, it's probably better than what we had in the Vault! Not wanting to risk interfering with an experiment, I step as close to where some of the crops are growing to take a look at the readings. I almost can't believe it, they've accounted for everything from monitoring radiation levels to make sure the crops stay radiation free, the PH of the soil, the nutrient mixes, the PSI of the irrigation systems...I jump back a little when more people begin shuffling into the laboratory. A little too nervous to know how to even explain what I'm…I start walking through the complex again, trying to remind myself to stay focused but it's all so…

Trying my best to stay completely out of the way, I start following the signs and hold myself as tightly as possible, making myself as small as possible. Doing my best to not keep getting distracted by everything, I keep looking for directions, for the signs, and, eventually, making it to Engineering Lab 1. Just follow through to Labs 2 and 3. It won't be – I yelp a bit when a tall man with a scary, dark look on his face steps in front of me, followed by an older, angry looking man pushing past him. Covering my ears and just about running off, I really hope I lose them and, when I look back after crossing the threshold into Engineering Lab 2, I thankfully have. I think they're arguing with some of the scientists working in there but it's really just a relief not to have them chasing me. Catching my breath and trying to calm down, I take a look around but, engineering – like art, writing, history and more…practical skills – never really having been my strong suit, I feel out of place. Really out of place. Seeing the sign up ahead to Engineering Lab 3, steadier, I make my way towards it, only to find just a few people there. Unsure if any of them are Dr. Li, I glance around for an office and, after a minute, see the stairs up to one which, I'm guessing, is probably hers. The sick feeling returning, I hurry towards and then up the stairs to find a small plaque next to the door. Seeing it has her name on it, I take another few seconds to try and calm my breathing before, hands a bit shaky, opening the door.

"Dr. Li?" I say, poking my head through the door. "I –"

"What is –" I startle a bit when she turns around, raising an eyebrow when she looks at me before sighing and waving me in. "Damn it," She swears under her breath when I step in and quietly close the door behind me. "Alright, take a seat. What is this about?"

"The…the security chief sent me," I say, trembling a bit when I sit down in front of her desk. "He said you saw – know, sorry – James Davis?"

She frowns. "Yes, I do. Why?"

"I…" I stare down at my hands. "I'm his daughter. Annet –"

"Annie?" She waits for me to look up at her. "What are you doing here? How did you even…"

"I'm looking for him," I say, hesitating when her eyes narrow. "I got here with some help from a woman in a town called Megaton," I quietly tell her. "Alfie, he…he…I had to leave, things went to hell, and –"

"Calm down," Her voice softens and I…I can't stop it I'm crying and she probably thinks I'm… "You'll have to forgive me," She finally says when I look back at her, still trying to… "This has all been very stressful, what with your father suddenly showing up here after being gone for so long and then, a few months later, taking off again."

I manage to nod. "Do you know where he went?"

"I have no idea. He'd been talking nonsense about returning to an old project but I…well, honestly, I thought he may have come to his senses and went back to make sure you were alright," She pauses, taking a minute to put a few books on her desk back on the shelves lining her office walls and then, suddenly, comes over, kneeling down, and setting her hands to my shoulders. "Annie, if I knew where he was, I'd take you to him because God knows he should have known better than to leave you alone. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I say, closing my eyes for a few seconds to try and stop crying. "I'm sorry to bother you."

"You're not bothering me, frankly, I'm glad to know you're safe…if not where you'd be safest," She sighs. "I take it you have a lot of questions? If not, I'd be rather stunned."

"I do but I don't want to be a…" I fall silent when she gives me the same pointed look again. "How…how did you know my dad?"

"I knew both of your parents, as it happens," She says, letting go of my shoulders, standing back up, and dusting off her skirt. "I suppose James never spoke of me. Typical. Regardless, we worked together years and years ago."

"You did?" I can't help but be curious, and, at least, I'm not crying too much, now, I'm pretty sure. "What kind of work were you doing?"

"Designing an advanced water filtration and purification system," She replies, looking resigned to the thought. "On paper, it was simple, really. Fresh, clean water for everyone. Such a simple idea and yet so impossible to realise. The plan was to build a facility capable of purifying all the water in the Tidal Basin at once. No radiation, no muck, just clear water. Unfortunately, we ran into a myriad of problems we couldn't resolve and, eventually, had to abandon the endeavour all together."

I stare at her, surprised. "What happened?"

"You happened," She snaps before letting out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry, as I said, seeing your father again was…a lot. As for what happened to the project – Project Purity, as we called it – it wasn't just you. We had more problems than we could handle already but your birth was what finally pushed it over the edge. Your father decided you were more important than everything we'd been working for, what your mother had cared about more than just about anything else, and so he left. He left all of us. Once he was gone, the Brotherhood decided we weren't worth their time anymore. Without their protection, we had to abandon the purifier and the project to get it running properly."

"Oh," I look down at my hands again. "I'm so sorry," I say quietly. "I…I wish I hadn't…I know mom's death was my –"

"Catherine's death was not your fault; how could you possibly think that?" She exclaims, staring at me in disbelief. "Annie," She says gently, pulling a chair around and sitting down in front of me, startling me when she reaches over and sets her hands over mine. "Your mother's death was not your fault. She had been…sick, I suppose you could say, well before your birth. Well before you were conceived, truthfully. Did James never tell you?"

"I…he never wanted to talk about it," I shake my head. "I guess…I never could come up with another reason why. It…it had to be me."

"Well, it wasn't," She pointedly says. "Your mother had, I suspect, more demons to fight with than any one person deserves, and it, as far as I ever saw or knew, manifested in her becoming an anorexic. It had nothing to do with you and was absolutely not your fault."

"I see…" It makes sense it makes sense but why didn't he ever – "So, anorexia claimed her in the end?" I blink back tears when she nods. "God, I…I can't even imagine how hard she must have fought to just survive at that point…"

"I can't speak for what she went through, but, from what I knew of her, and I knew her for several years both before and after your parents ended up marrying each other, Catherine wanted you more than anything else," She hesitates. "Catherine was…she was a good woman. We didn't always agree, but I respected her work as a scientist, and I'm sorry you never had any time with her. She had been excited to meet you. I truly wish she had."

"I do too," I don't understand why didn't he ever tell me? I asked, for years, but never…he never was willing to… "Maybe things would have been better."

"Maybe they would have," She pauses and then stands up to kneel down and loosely embrace me. "It's good to see you, Annie," She says when she lets me go. "I can't promise to have any answers as to where he's gone, but, considering the circumstances, I suppose it's not…I'll help you the best I can and, as long as you need, you can stay with me, if only because I'm sure James would never forgive me if I didn't."

"Thank you, Dr. Li," I say with a small smile. "I…I really appreciate it."

"Madison," She corrects, standing up and taking a look at the time on her computer terminal. "Follow me. I'd rather you not accidentally leave anything in here or risk breaking anything."

"Of course," I reply, standing up, careful to keep everything as close to myself as possible to avoid knocking anything over. "Is there…anything you need from me?"

"Just a promise," She says, sweeping up and clipping her keys to her blouse. "Do not go after James if we figure out where he's gone. It's not safe and keeping you safe is what he'd want most for you in the first place."

"Understood," I say, no more than a few steps behind her when she opens the door and begins down the stairs. "I…I just hope everything ends up alright."

She turns towards me, looking worried, and then shakes her head.

"I hope so too, not only for your sake but for the both of us."