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Outside Vault 106
Sep. 19th, 2010 08:27 pmThe door to Vault 106 ground closed behind them. Ellen shuddered, sinking down to her knees. It had been every bit as bad as Weasel had said, and then some. At least she had been prepared. At least Cross's helmet had held. It could have been worse-
She jumped at the sudden weight of Cross's gauntleted hand on her shoulder. "Take the time you need," the Paladin murmured. "But we should keep moving, when you can pull yourself together. This place is foul."
The older woman's voice had a surprising gentleness. Ellen wondered if she'd seen something in the parts of the Vault she'd searched alone; then she resolved not to think about it. The bodies they'd found together had been bad enough. God only knew what the people who might have wandered into the highest concentrations of that wretched blue gas might have done to one another. "Sorry," she said, gulping. "I just- it-"
"I know," said Cross. "Believe me when I say I know."
Ellen nodded. The tcka-tcka of claws on stone reached her, and her head jerked up. Then she relaxed, reaching out a hand to Dogmeat. "Lucky boy," she murmured. "You got to stay out here, you lucky boy."
The heeler whined and licked Ellen's face. She let him. Eventually she drew a long breath and rested a hand on his neck. "Cross?"
"I'm here."
"How far is it from here to Vault 87?"
"We'll never make it with what's left of the daylight," said Cross. "I suggest we find a place to shelter nearby, and let you sleep off any after-effects the gas might have. It won't go well if we have to do battle and any of that stuff is still in your system."
Ellen shuddered, but she had to agree. She dimly remembered notes in Dad's books about hallucinogens being fat-soluble and likely to last longer than most other drugs. "Okay," she said, and pushed herself to her feet. "Let's... let me see if there's anything nearby on the map. I haven't been out this way, but a woman in Arefu put some markers on my map a while back..."
Cross leaned over to peer at the glowing green map on Ellen's screen. "This might be promising," she said, tapping an indicator not far from the Vault 106 emblem. "It looks as if she used the old Metro system marker. If that's a station, we may be able to make use of the area near the surface. And if we have trouble, you should be able to seek out your mole-people friends."
"Mole- excuse me?"
"Don't think I haven't noticed, Miss Park," said Cross. "But it seems as if every time you and I find ourselves in over our heads, you've found some way to enter the Metro tunnels and emerge with aid in your wake. Clearly the Brotherhood needs to investigate the Metro tunnels more, if you've found people down there worth allying with."
Ellen opened her mouth, closed her mouth, opened it again. "I just- they're friends of mine," she said weakly.
"Do you hear me objecting?" Cross chuckled. "I see nothing wrong with it. I'm just glad they're willing to come to our aid."
Someday, Ellen thought, she would have to find a way to explain the situation to Cross without sending the Brotherhood after the resources of Milliways. But today was not that day, not after everything that had happened in Vault 106, so she only nodded. "Okay," she said. "I- okay. Um. Can we start for Jury Street now? Please?"
"Of course."
She jumped at the sudden weight of Cross's gauntleted hand on her shoulder. "Take the time you need," the Paladin murmured. "But we should keep moving, when you can pull yourself together. This place is foul."
The older woman's voice had a surprising gentleness. Ellen wondered if she'd seen something in the parts of the Vault she'd searched alone; then she resolved not to think about it. The bodies they'd found together had been bad enough. God only knew what the people who might have wandered into the highest concentrations of that wretched blue gas might have done to one another. "Sorry," she said, gulping. "I just- it-"
"I know," said Cross. "Believe me when I say I know."
Ellen nodded. The tcka-tcka of claws on stone reached her, and her head jerked up. Then she relaxed, reaching out a hand to Dogmeat. "Lucky boy," she murmured. "You got to stay out here, you lucky boy."
The heeler whined and licked Ellen's face. She let him. Eventually she drew a long breath and rested a hand on his neck. "Cross?"
"I'm here."
"How far is it from here to Vault 87?"
"We'll never make it with what's left of the daylight," said Cross. "I suggest we find a place to shelter nearby, and let you sleep off any after-effects the gas might have. It won't go well if we have to do battle and any of that stuff is still in your system."
Ellen shuddered, but she had to agree. She dimly remembered notes in Dad's books about hallucinogens being fat-soluble and likely to last longer than most other drugs. "Okay," she said, and pushed herself to her feet. "Let's... let me see if there's anything nearby on the map. I haven't been out this way, but a woman in Arefu put some markers on my map a while back..."
Cross leaned over to peer at the glowing green map on Ellen's screen. "This might be promising," she said, tapping an indicator not far from the Vault 106 emblem. "It looks as if she used the old Metro system marker. If that's a station, we may be able to make use of the area near the surface. And if we have trouble, you should be able to seek out your mole-people friends."
"Mole- excuse me?"
"Don't think I haven't noticed, Miss Park," said Cross. "But it seems as if every time you and I find ourselves in over our heads, you've found some way to enter the Metro tunnels and emerge with aid in your wake. Clearly the Brotherhood needs to investigate the Metro tunnels more, if you've found people down there worth allying with."
Ellen opened her mouth, closed her mouth, opened it again. "I just- they're friends of mine," she said weakly.
"Do you hear me objecting?" Cross chuckled. "I see nothing wrong with it. I'm just glad they're willing to come to our aid."
Someday, Ellen thought, she would have to find a way to explain the situation to Cross without sending the Brotherhood after the resources of Milliways. But today was not that day, not after everything that had happened in Vault 106, so she only nodded. "Okay," she said. "I- okay. Um. Can we start for Jury Street now? Please?"
"Of course."