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aaaaaaaagh_skyIn retrospect, Ellen should’ve remembered one critical thing before stepping out the Milliways door: namely, that she had no clue whatsoever about where she’d been going. Leaping blindly through the emergency door out of the Enclave fortress of Raven Rock had been a good idea at the time. Taking the jump without knowing what she was going to land in, while carrying a suit of body armor and a super sledge almost as long as she was tall? Not such a great idea.
In keeping with a name like Raven Rock, it was a very long fall.
She pushed herself up as best she could, which was not well at all. She’d heard a number of crack! sounds on the way down, but couldn’t match any of them up to local pains; everything hurt. That was what came of carrying a-
BRRRRABOOOM!
Oh, Ellen thought weakly. Smoke was pouring into the night skies above, Vertibirds streaking through it and away in every direction. Guess that’s the end of that, then.
She turned to look around her, ignoring the ongoing series of explosions from above. Raven Rock, it seemed, had been buried in the side of a very large hill or very small mountain. By the look of things she was about three quarters of the way down the rockface, with only a dozen yards or so of steep, gravelly drop-off between her and a sluggish, oily-looking stream. She’d dropped the sledge and the armor, but more importantly, she’d lost track of her companion. “Cross?” she called, loudly as she dared. “Star Paladin? Where are you, Cross?”
“Over here.” A blue-clad arm poked up from behind a pinkish rock of considerable size. “I’m all right.”
Which was not really the case, from what Ellen could see as she limped around the boulder. Under Ellen's helmet's light, Cross looked about as one might reasonably expect an unarmored, unprotected human to look after a lengthy fall down an unforgiving slope. On the other hand, there were two drained stimpaks lying next to her; Ellen figured it was best to take the older woman at her word. “Oh good,” she said, and crouched down nearby. “I was worried.”
Cross smiled, which didn’t do her split lip any favors. “You found time to worry?”
“I fell into Milliways when we jumped out the door,” Ellen admitted. “It was an accident. There should be armor and a weapon for you around here somewhere.”
“A happy accident, I see.” Cross leaned her head back against the rock. “Well then. Once the stimpaks’ve done their work, we should find them and get moving. I doubt everyone in the Enclave was on board those vertibirds.”
“All right,” said Ellen. “I don’t want to- ohgod.”
“What?” Cross said sharply. Ellen couldn’t speak; she only held out her left forearm. Her Pip-Boy’s screen had shattered in the fall. Several knobs and dials had been ripped off along the way. The only thing that remained of her Pip-Boy was the metal sleeve, the fingerless glove, and a few shards of glass.
They stared at the device in silence, neither one wanting to confirm out loud that they were now officially lost without even the most rudimentary form of map. Ellen started to draw breath, not knowing what she’d do with it.
Something scrabbled in the gravel below them. Ellen hissed and drew her plasma pistol. Cross rolled from her seated position to her knees and did much the same. A moment later the chatter of Gatling laser fire lit up the area, and a smell of burning reached them- and then a familiar, strained voice boomed out, “My friend! I see I’ve found you at last!”
Ellen was dimly aware that her jaw had dropped open. It didn’t seem very important.
Booted feet crunched against the gravelly slope, and a moment later the mutant- the meta-human’s bulk heaved into view. “I knew you had survived,” Fawkes said. “I had hoped to assist in your rescue to repay my debt to you.”
Ellen still didn’t seem to have access to words, but Cross’s eyes were on Fawkes’ weapon. “Looks like you’ve got a new toy,” the paladin murmured.
“Yes,” agreed Fawkes, “and a most fascinating one at that. This technology is amazing. Imagine the evil that can be eliminated with such tools!”
A smile touched at the corners of Cross’ mouth. Ellen blurted out, “What the dickens are you doing here?”
Fawkes chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. “When I made my way from the armory to the exit,” he said, “I saw your capture. A little cleverness allowed me to follow your captors. I only wish I could have arrived sooner to aid your escape! As I owe you my freedom, I felt it was only fair that I return the favor. After all, I know no one else in this world.”
Ellen and Cross exchanged glances briefly. “I could always use a hand,” Ellen admitted. “Especially since we’re lost, too. Want to come with us?”
“My friend, I would be honored to follow a hero such as yourself.”
“We’ve got some things to find here first,” Ellen said, ignoring Fawkes’ comment, “but once that’s done, we really need to get moving. Find some high ground and figure out where we are. We’ve got to get back to the Citadel as soon as we can.”
Fawkes nodded. “Very well,” he said. “I shall follow.”
In keeping with a name like Raven Rock, it was a very long fall.
She pushed herself up as best she could, which was not well at all. She’d heard a number of crack! sounds on the way down, but couldn’t match any of them up to local pains; everything hurt. That was what came of carrying a-
BRRRRABOOOM!
Oh, Ellen thought weakly. Smoke was pouring into the night skies above, Vertibirds streaking through it and away in every direction. Guess that’s the end of that, then.
She turned to look around her, ignoring the ongoing series of explosions from above. Raven Rock, it seemed, had been buried in the side of a very large hill or very small mountain. By the look of things she was about three quarters of the way down the rockface, with only a dozen yards or so of steep, gravelly drop-off between her and a sluggish, oily-looking stream. She’d dropped the sledge and the armor, but more importantly, she’d lost track of her companion. “Cross?” she called, loudly as she dared. “Star Paladin? Where are you, Cross?”
“Over here.” A blue-clad arm poked up from behind a pinkish rock of considerable size. “I’m all right.”
Which was not really the case, from what Ellen could see as she limped around the boulder. Under Ellen's helmet's light, Cross looked about as one might reasonably expect an unarmored, unprotected human to look after a lengthy fall down an unforgiving slope. On the other hand, there were two drained stimpaks lying next to her; Ellen figured it was best to take the older woman at her word. “Oh good,” she said, and crouched down nearby. “I was worried.”
Cross smiled, which didn’t do her split lip any favors. “You found time to worry?”
“I fell into Milliways when we jumped out the door,” Ellen admitted. “It was an accident. There should be armor and a weapon for you around here somewhere.”
“A happy accident, I see.” Cross leaned her head back against the rock. “Well then. Once the stimpaks’ve done their work, we should find them and get moving. I doubt everyone in the Enclave was on board those vertibirds.”
“All right,” said Ellen. “I don’t want to- ohgod.”
“What?” Cross said sharply. Ellen couldn’t speak; she only held out her left forearm. Her Pip-Boy’s screen had shattered in the fall. Several knobs and dials had been ripped off along the way. The only thing that remained of her Pip-Boy was the metal sleeve, the fingerless glove, and a few shards of glass.
They stared at the device in silence, neither one wanting to confirm out loud that they were now officially lost without even the most rudimentary form of map. Ellen started to draw breath, not knowing what she’d do with it.
Something scrabbled in the gravel below them. Ellen hissed and drew her plasma pistol. Cross rolled from her seated position to her knees and did much the same. A moment later the chatter of Gatling laser fire lit up the area, and a smell of burning reached them- and then a familiar, strained voice boomed out, “My friend! I see I’ve found you at last!”
Ellen was dimly aware that her jaw had dropped open. It didn’t seem very important.
Booted feet crunched against the gravelly slope, and a moment later the mutant- the meta-human’s bulk heaved into view. “I knew you had survived,” Fawkes said. “I had hoped to assist in your rescue to repay my debt to you.”
Ellen still didn’t seem to have access to words, but Cross’s eyes were on Fawkes’ weapon. “Looks like you’ve got a new toy,” the paladin murmured.
“Yes,” agreed Fawkes, “and a most fascinating one at that. This technology is amazing. Imagine the evil that can be eliminated with such tools!”
A smile touched at the corners of Cross’ mouth. Ellen blurted out, “What the dickens are you doing here?”
Fawkes chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. “When I made my way from the armory to the exit,” he said, “I saw your capture. A little cleverness allowed me to follow your captors. I only wish I could have arrived sooner to aid your escape! As I owe you my freedom, I felt it was only fair that I return the favor. After all, I know no one else in this world.”
Ellen and Cross exchanged glances briefly. “I could always use a hand,” Ellen admitted. “Especially since we’re lost, too. Want to come with us?”
“My friend, I would be honored to follow a hero such as yourself.”
“We’ve got some things to find here first,” Ellen said, ignoring Fawkes’ comment, “but once that’s done, we really need to get moving. Find some high ground and figure out where we are. We’ve got to get back to the Citadel as soon as we can.”
Fawkes nodded. “Very well,” he said. “I shall follow.”