Lucy West

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Moriarty's took some adjusting to, after Milliways. Less light, fewer people, less noise, more stink- all the hallmarks of life in Megaton, instead of somewhere with essentially infinite resources, and all of them hit hard after a few days in the Bar. Ellen wavered in the doorway a moment, then resolutely pushed it all aside and made her way forward. She'd had a purpose when she set out for Moriarty's, and she had one now. Granted, it was no longer the same purpose. There was no longer much point in drinking horrible beer until she figured out what she was going to do next, now that she'd lost her father's trail. What she had to do now was find a job; one only presumed on the goodwill of the community after a lifetime of service and hard work made all alternatives impossible. "Hey, Gob?" she called out.

The ghoul looked up and waved as he set a bottle of Nuka-Cola down in front of one-eyed Billy Creel. "Hey there," he said, his voice as raspy and gurgly as ever. "How's it going, smoothskin?"

"All right, I guess." It might have been traditional in the movies from before the War to treat bartenders as wonder-counselors on par with the great confessors of history, but the pre-war movie bartenders didn't work for Colin Moriarty. Ellen had no intention of causing trouble for Gob. "I need a drink and a suggestion, though."

"I can get you one of those," said Gob. "No guarantees on the other. What'll it be?"

"Nuka-Cola would be nice," Ellen said, and counted out twice the usual number of caps for a bottle. As she slid them across the bar she added in a lower tone, "You don't happen to know if someone who isn't Mr. Moriarty needs a worker, do you?"

Gob's eyes... well, they didn't exactly light up at the caps, but they came awfully close. "Matter of fact I do," he said, equally quietly. "Lucy West came in here looking for someone to- oh, oh. Bossman's coming." He scooped up the caps and nodded hastily towards one of the tables off to the side, and got back to counting over the inventory before Moriarty reached the bottom of the stairs.

It was the part of the bar where Ellen had shot Mr. Burke. She winced, but took her soda bottle and headed into the shadowy area anyway, resolutely not looking at that part of the floor. The only person there, a blonde woman a few years older than Ellen who wore a patched leather vest and similarly worn-down trousers, glanced up and smiled. "Oh, hey," she said, "you're that Vault girl Three Dog's been talking about. Hi there."

What? Ellen wanted to say. She'd heard Three Dog's commentary at the Monument. 'Been talking about' implied that he'd said more. Apparently she was going to have to start listening... at any rate, she smiled back, though her look was a little startled. "Um. I guess so," she said. "Are you Lucy West?"

"That's me," the blonde woman confirmed. "Can I help you?"

"Maybe," said Ellen. "Gob said you needed a worker?"

"Well, sort of. I'm looking for someone to make a delivery. Interested?"

Ellen thought of what had happened at the other end of the room, and whose house she had inherited, and tried not to shiver. "That would depend on what kind of delivery it is," she said. "I need to know, first."

"Smart of you," said Lucy, approval in her voice. "I need you to deliver a message to my family. They live in a small settlement northwest of here. If you bring it, I'm sure my dad will pay you." She must have seen something like doubt in Ellen's face, because she added, "Please, I could really use your help..."

'Small settlement', by now, rang of places like Grayditch. "Question," she said. "There aren't any, I don't know... any scientists with no grasp of proper procedure in this settlement, are there?"

"What? No," said Lucy, startled. "No, nothing like that. Arefu's just a handful of houses and a Brahmin herd."

"Ah. Okay, good," said Ellen. "I think I can probably handle that, then."

Lucy positively beamed. "Great! I haven't heard from them in months, and I'm worried. As soon as you get there, talk to Davis West. He'll be glad to pay you for the trip."

Definitely Grayditch all over again. Ellen made a mental note to head for Milliways as soon as Arefu was in sight. "Anything else you can tell me about the place?" she asked.

"Oh- it's northwest of here, on an old overpass overlooking the Potomac," Lucy said. "It's easier to follow what's left of the river than the direction, though. You'll know it when you see it if you do that."

"Okay," Ellen said; she was still hung up on that 'haven't heard from them in months'. "Er, is there anything especially dangerous along the way?"

Lucy looked at her a moment and laughed. "What, apart from the Wasteland critters, slaver hunting parties, Raider bands, and the occasional landmine? Nah, it's completely safe. If this was easy I'd go myself, you know. But if you're as good as Three Dog says..."

"I don't know what Three Dog's been saying," Ellen answered. "I'll do my best, though."

Lucy nodded. "Thanks again for doing this for me," she said. "It means a lot."