Gate: Thus the Brotherhood of Steel Lyon's Pride Fought in Their Land

Chapter Thirty - One - Adam

Fluttering Angel Medical Center was certainly the cleanest place that Adam had ever been inside of. That included Tenpenny Tower, and at that time he had believed that Tenpenny Tower had been the single most clean and pristine place he'd ever seen. It was surprising to see how well kept it had been, but then again it had still suffered the initial blast from the bombs all of those years ago.

From where he was looking, Fluttering Angel Medical Center had been spared the blast itself. The place looked almost as if nothing had ever happened to it. The first floor had several of those strange glass things standing around the nurses' station, and when they would walk by the first hologram they interacted with would appear. Usually it appeared that she was carrying a notebook of some kind, and from what he could see she appeared to be writing in it.

There was little doubt in his mind that the computer that was being used to control the hologram had to have been one of the single greatest computers ever created. The only thing that seemed to have come close had been the system that was set up in Vault 112. Those computers were designed to create a perfect virtual reality in which a person could live a peaceful life. Dr. Braun had used it as his own private playground, and he had altered it to the point that no one could easily escape it.

Still, that had been a system to keep the vault dwellers alive, in a form of hibernation, and to constantly check and react to their minds and senses. This was a hologram that was reacting to them in real time. She was interacting, monitoring, and apparently learning about them. It meant that the computer itself likely had artificial intelligence. How advanced it was, he had no idea. In a way he wished that his Dad were here, or maybe Dr. Li. He didn't doubt for a moment that Dr. Li would have an idea of how to interact with the artificial intelligence.

"It's a lot quieter than I expected," Kazuma said from his side, "I was half expecting to see someone in here already."

"Those holograms would put a stop to it," Sentinel Reeder said, "They're more advanced than the ones that I saw, but I imagine that they have the same function as the ones at the Sierra Madre."

"Sentinel Reeder," Adam said as he began the question, "What did you see out there? I heard that you can't get out of your power armor because of that place, but what was it?"

There was a moment of silence, "The wasteland is dangerous wherever you go," he replied, his voice even and oddly calm, "But there are places where no one should travel. The Sierra Madre is one of them. There is a thick red sand that surrounds that place, and it isn't just sand. I can't explain it, but it is almost like its alive. If you're outside of an environmental suit, or power armor, it will either strip the flesh from your bones, or it will choke you to death before you can reach shelter. Being inside of an environmental suit isn't much better. The sand strips away the latches that open them. It practically fused the power armor I'm inside of to the point that I can not remove it. At this point I'm convinced that the sand has fused the armor to my body."

There was silence, "That's insane," Adam said after a few moments, "Who would do something that insane?"

Sentinel Reeder shrugged, "I don't know, but I do know this. If you make it into the Sierra Madre you'll see figures made of light. They walk around without those glass panels, and they shoot lasers from their heads. Unlike most of our laser pistols they have the ability to reduce someone to ash with one or two shots."

He shook his head, "Maybe it's better now, but I doubt it," he replied, "I've got to imagine that the holograms here have the same ability."

Adam looked around at the holograms, "So, if you weren't with us we wouldn't be getting very far."

"It's very likely that is the case," he replied as they walked, the sound of their power armor echoing around them, "That said, even my being here isn't a complete safeguard. I was granted higher clearance thanks to the work that I did. Testing the newest weapons for Guns and Bullets allowed me a certain level of leeway, but I doubt that it will be enough to get us everywhere. Most likely we're being allowed to walk this floor because the armories are located on it."

"Why are there guns in a hospital?" Kazuma asked, "that seems insane."

"Weaponry is kept in all hospitals to ensure that the patients can be protected if there is an invasion," the hologram replied, "It is the duty of every single orderly to protect the doctors, nursing staff, and administration with their lives. They are also to protect all paying patients as well."

"What about those who were here because of social services?"

There was silence, "The indigent patients have all signed waivers that state that they understand they are to look after themselves if there is an invasion."

Adam shook his head, "That was the kind of world that you came from?"

Sentinel Reeder looked toward him, "Prewar was a capitalist society," he replied, "Everyone made a living, and was expected to make a living. Those who couldn't support themselves were helped by the government, but more often than not they were looked down upon."

Adam tried to wrap his mind around that, "That's insane," he replied as they walked, "They couldn't help it if they were poor."

"It was the way things were," Sentinel Reeder replied, "Besides, I think that you're about two hundred years too late to file a complaint."

What Sentinel Reeder said about the prewar United States was so different from what Adam had expected. Everywhere he'd traveled in the wasteland had old billboards showing Nuka-Cola with smiling faces. The history taught in Vault 101 had explained how the greatest country in the world had stood up against tyranny and fascism in every turn. The sections talking about the war between China and the United States explained how it was the United States standing against communism. That it was an ideological war. Of course Adam had long since learned that wasn't the truth at all.

The great war had been about resources, and how China had been denied them. From what he'd learned on the outside the strike from China had come after it was determined that the United States was going to win the war. The major victory, the victory at Anchorage Alaska had determined which way the pendulum was going to swing. He'd read about it in the Brotherhood of Steel's records, and he had no reason to doubt it.

It had been further confirmed by President Eden as well. The super computer the Enclave had as a president had informed him about the retaliation, and how the core of the government itself had seen that there was only a single chance to survive. Not inside one of the Vaults, but instead on an oil rig that was off of the coast of the United States itself. That oil rig had been far enough out that the radiation hadn't touched it.

The ones that survived there had gathered their strength, and they had prepared. He didn't know much more than that. President Eden was determined to make him do something far too terrible to even consider. So, he had managed to use his skills with computers to override the supercomputer, and have it self-destruct the entire Raven Rock base. Still, there had been a part of him that desperately hung onto the belief that most of Prewar America had been exactly what he'd seen on the billboards, the old newspaper ads, and occasionally saw on some vid screens that still worked on some Nuka-Cola machines.

"So, it wasn't anything like the billboards, was it?"

He didn't expect to hear Sentinel Reeder answer, but once again the older member of the Brotherhood surprised him with a chuckle, "Some of it was," he replied as they walked, "The simpler things were. Being out with your girl, getting a bite to eat and watching a movie at the drive-in, those were exactly like the ads and billboards. But a lot of it wasn't. There were people that were poverty stricken for being born in the wrong place."

Sentinel Reeder stopped before the reached the stairs, "I don't want you to think, for a moment, that most people couldn't make something of themselves," he stated before he started walking again, "There were options out there, but there were some people who couldn't use them. The people who were infirmed, and those who were too far from where the handups were, they were the ones that usually couldn't help themselves. But everyone else had the same chances as each other."

Adam nodded as they walked, "So, the people who were poverty stricken here, what do you think was the reason?"

"Those who were below the poverty line inside of the Fluttering Angel Medical Center were those who suffered from untreatable health defects," the hologram answered, "They were given the option to be brought to the Fluttering Angel Medical Center and receive treatment free of charge. It was here that advancements were hoped to be made which would eliminate all untreatable health conditions entirely."

"How were they planning on doing that?" Sentinel Reeder asked, "If something is untreatable that typically means that there is no cure for it."

"True," the hologram replied before she faded from the glass section she was standing at and reappeared ahead of them, "But it was hoped that by studying their various conditions the causes of them could be mapped out and eliminated in future generations. Thus providing a safe and secure future for all United States Citizens."

Adam listened to the answer and tried to put what the hologram said against the experiments he'd seen in the Vaults. What he was determining was exactly the same. They were going to experiment on the section of the populous that had these deficiencies, and that experimentation was going to be used to make their genetic makeup. Basically, they were hoping to figure out what caused the health conditions and eliminate it from the genetic pool.

"It sounds like they wanted to cull the section of the population," Sentinel Reeder stated, "Basically, by bringing them here they had hoped that it would ensure their demise."

There was a moment of silence, "No," the hologram replied, "According to official records all patients here were given at least the standard of care seen in other facilities. Those with untreatable health conditions were kept comfortable while they were studied. There was no forced terminations."

Adam shuttered as the hologram said that, "Do you think that was what actually happened?" he asked as they neared the stairwell, "Or do you think that there was a secondary set of notes and instructions?"

"I'm betting there is more to it than that," he replied as they entered the stairwell and again Adam was struck with how just pristine the entire medical center was. The stairs weren't the rusted metal stairs he'd seen everywhere else. They were perfectly preserved. The cement that each one was made of seemed to be in excellent shape.

They began to climb the stairs to the second floor and tried the door. It opened, and the lights flickered to life. As they did the sound of turrets began to fill the area. "Lieutenant Harold Reeder and assistants confirmed, proceed." a voice said as the sound of the turrets slowly disappeared. Adam looked toward Sentinel Reeder, and he was sure that there were a whole lot of questions that he wanted to ask.

The presence of turrets wasn't surprising. There had been turrets in other hospitals and museums that he'd visited. There had been an almost fanatic dedication to using lethal force when protecting property. Unable to keep the thought to himself he decided to voice his opinion, "So, is the reason there's turrets in museums, hospitals, and factories because people were worried about invasion?"

For a moment there wasn't an answer, but he watched as the helmet covered head of Sentinel Reeder shook back and forth, "Maybe to some degree that could be part of the case, but it goes deeper than that," he replied as they walked the hall toward the far end, "The United States had always been dedicated to ensuring that they were well armed. That included the citizenry as well. Men and women were expected to own a handgun at least, and most were encouraged to own a rifle or shotgun. It's one of the reasons that you find shotgun shells, various rifle shells, and ten millimeter bullets everywhere. Those were the most common guns carried by the general population."

Adam nodded as they walked, "I've noticed that everytime I found a basement or small personal shelter there were usually several rounds left in them. Sometimes there was still food and water too," he said as they moved down the hallway, "Usually the people that had survived in them were there as well."

There was a moment of quiet, "They normally were the lucky ones," Sentinel Reeder replied, "They had a chance to live past the ending of the world, to know that they could survive. Personally, I don't think a single one of them that chose to end it on their terms were cowards. They understood that there was likely not going to be anything else left for them outside. And they would be right of course."

Adam looked at the rooms as they passed. Beds were immaculate, each one looked freshly laundered, and not a one of them had any individuals left. He looked to see if there was a ghoul, or maybe someone that had been the result of survivors continuing their line together, but there was noone other than the hologram that popped up by each station they passed. The hologram was paying attention to them, listening to them, and continuously writing inside of a note pad she was holding.

Adam knew that the notepad was just like the hologram itself. It was a program. All of it was data that was being recorded by the computer that controlled all of it. They neared the stairwell, and the Hologram appeared once more before them, "Sentinel Reeder, I must inform you that all communication with the further floors upward have been altered. I am unable to access the situation on those floors, nor am I able to access the security measures on those floors. I do know that the turrets themselves have been completely disabled, but record of that happening was roughly one hundred fifty two years ago."

Adam looked at the hologram and then at the stairwell, "What's on the third floor?"

There was a moment of quiet, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant Reeder's assistant, but you do not have clearance to receive that answer."

Sentinel Reeder groaned in frustration for a moment, "What's on the third floor?"

The hologram looked toward him, "Sorry, but that information has been deemed level five access only. Information may be given if you are able to get clearance from a superior officer, or if the head of the hospital decides to grant you access to that information."

Adam looked at it, "So, we're going in blind in other words," he said as he looked at the hologram, "That's pretty much everyplace that I've had to travel to before."

There was a chuckle from behind him and he looked to see Rory smiling, "Sounds like it could be more fun than just walking through this healing temple."

He shrugged, "Maybe, but I'm not keen on walking into a trap or ambush."

They opened the door and stepped through. The moment they did the lights flickered on, and the stairwell seemed to be exceptionally well lit. Like the two before it the stairwell looked as if it had been perfectly preserved. There was not a crack in a step, no a scorch or mark on the walls, and everything looked as if it had been brought back from a time before the war. Walking up the steps the light sound of music began to fill the stairwell. It was odd to hear music now.

Slowly, the door to the third floor opened, and the lights flickered. They didn't fully come on like the other floors. Instead there were areas that were shaded in shadows. One of the first things that Adam noticed was the word PLAY painted across a wall before him. That word was spelled with a backwards P, the L was lopsided, and the A and Y looked as if they hinged on each other. It was a painting done by a child. That was the only way to describe it.

He looked at it, and he noticed that it was in other places as well. They stepped forward and he saw the first sign of life he'd seen in a while. Strapped to a chair was a figure. He neared it and stopped to look at what had likely been a scavenger at one time. They'd somehow made it to this floor, and the moment they got through something had caught her, tied her to a chair, and then proceeded to stick hypodermic needles in her like a pincushion. The needles in her eyes were the worst, and he looked away. Around her neck was a sign with more odd colored paint.

"Ms Needle wants to play!"

He shook his head as he looked at the sight. It was difficult to express what his thoughts were fully. Someone had tortured this poor soul, and they had done it in a way that would have made a raider proud. Still, they didn't fully carve them up. Instead they had simply put needles in her until she likely died. She wasn't bloated, likely from the various needles and holes that had been poked in her.

"I don't like this," Lelei said after a moment, "I don't like this at all."

Adam nodded as he looked at the grizzly sight. Whoever the woman had been there was little doubt in his mind that she didn't deserve this. Originally he had considered having the group split up. His thought was that they could cover more ground, and possibly find out more about the medical center that way. That line of thought stopped instantly. There was absolutely no way he was going to suggest that they split up. He didn't want anyone to get trapped with whoever had done this. Since the body was reasonably fresh that told him that they likely were still here.

"No one wander too far," he said as he stepped forward, "We don't know what is on this floor, but we know that it is hostile."

Rory stepped near where he was and looked around, "Hmmm," she said as she seemed to study the hall they were on, "I sense something odd. It feels almost connected to death, but I can't begin to describe it."

"I don't wanna go any further!" Aqua cried from behind him, "Kazuma, please don't make me go further! I promise, I won't try to burn your tracksuit anymore, and I'll do my share of the chores, just don't make me go!"

Adam breathed out, "We have to cross the floor," he said to all of them, "I doubt that any of us can go back down without Sentinel Reeder. The medical center is allowing us access because we're supposed to be his assistants. If we were to walk around without him in our presence I doubt that it would hesitate to use the turrets on us."

There was another moment of quiet, and he stepped forward again. As they began to walk Adam again took in the sight around them. It was still so strange to see someplace that wasn't merely a ruin. Every single hospital that Adam had visited before, been ravished by time. Even here on this floor it looked as if it had been carefully maintained. The one thing that he believed could be the saving grace of the facility was that it had been Underground. That was the only thing that he could think of that would have explained how it had survived. But still, the fact that it hadn't collapsed, and it was so beautifully intact made him wonder. Regardless, there was something very wrong here. The entire group hadn't gotten separated from him, and they were close by, but there was the distinct feeling that they were being watched.

He looked ahead, and he saw it again. The large black letters, painted against the wall, again it seemed to have been sprawled in a way that a child would have painted them. PLAY was written with the P backwards. He studied it, seeing that the paint had dripped down the wall from where it had been painted. Whoever had done it didn't know much about what they'd done, "Why is that painted on the wall in black paint?"

He looked at Rory who looked on guard, "It's not paint," she replied back to him, "Look closer, you'll see it's not paint."

He looked again, and he realized that it was blood. Dried blood was painted across the wall. He looked at it and felt sick. He heard a sound and looked to see what appeared to be a child at the end of the hall. She looked sickly, frail, and painfully thin, "Are you here to play?" she asked, her voice sounded sweet, but off. It was almost as if it was coming from all around them, "Do you want to play?"

He stepped forward, and he took in the little girl that was standing there. He noticed, perhaps for the first time, that her eyes were glowing. He'd seen ghouls with the same kind of eyes. The unnatural light that shined off of them and lit up the area around them. He knew that it was the effects of the radiation that they had absorbed. For many ghouls it was more of a benefit than a hindrance. It allowed them to see in the dark without the assistance of some kind of lamp or torch.

"Oooo," the little girl said as her head swiveled slightly to look at Rory, "You're pretty. Your dress and hair looks so pretty."

Adam saw Rory smile at her, "Thank you," she said softly, "What's your name?"

The little girl seemed to look at her strangely, "Name?" she asked, "Oh, we have lots of names, and we love to play games. But I like to play dress up the mostest. I want a pretty dress like that, and I want to have hair like that. Can I have yours?"

Adam began to ask her what she meant when the skin around the little girl exploded. Instantly a small robot, something that seemed to walk on multiple little legs like a crab, began to move toward them. A small laser shot from its forehead at them, and Rory moved at the last moment to keep from being hit. The robot jumped, but as soon as it did a shot went off. It hit the robot, glancing off the side, but still it hit it hard enough to cause it to crash into a wall. The robot slowly staggered before hundreds of other glowing eyes appeared.

"Play with us!" came a chorus of child like voices, "PLAY!"

Adam began to back up with the others, and he fired at the robots. For once the wasteland had handed out a small favor. The robots themselves weren't terribly hard to put down, but the others seemed to drag the broken ones off. He didn't know what was happening, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Slowly they made their way into a nurses station and he locked the door. He looked at a terminal that was active, and he moved toward it. The terminal looked almost new, like most of the medical center, and he began trying to break into it.

"What are you doing?" Lelei asked as she neared him, her voice shaking, "Is this going to help?"

He looked at her, "Hopefully," he replied as the terminal finally gave up its information. Slowly it brought up not notes or memos, but instead there was three sound files. He hit the first one.

"Doctor," a female voice said, "Doctor Braun, I have to ask about the ethical side of this. These are children. What we're doing to them is cruel."

There was silence for a moment, "Cruel?" came a voice that Adam knew all too well, "What was cruel was that they were caught up in a war they never asked for. I'm giving them a chance by putting them into suspended animation. I can promise that the life pods are a grand design. Why, I've made improvements on them. The children won't age, and it will be like their asleep."

"Sir," the nurse said again, "That's only if they're kept under sedation. There's every chance that the sedation will wear off. When that happens they'll be trapped, unable to move, unable to hear, unable to do anything at all. It will be cruel."

There was a moment of silence, "Nurse Brightburn, right?" Dr. Braun asked, "Tell you what. Tell me to kill the little bastards. Go ahead, tell me to kill them, to go in and shoot them all in the head. I'll have security do it, and then we can scrap this entire experiment."

There was a very long pause, "I can't do that, those children deserve a chance to live," she replied back, "But this…"

"Then, might I suggest that you shut up?" he retorted, "Know that I am giving them a chance. If you don't like it then I suggest you go do something else. I'm sure that we need a good orderly that can clean bedpans around here."

The file ended, and Adam looked up, "They're children," he said after a moment, "They're children that've been trapped in here for the last two hundred years."