Project Impurity
Dec. 26th, 2010 10:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aaaaaaaagh_sky"You're a soldier, not a civvy. Take some Vitamin M and keep fighting!" snarled Ellen's suit as she leaned back against the nearest wall. She ignored the suit. This was... what, the third time now? ... that she'd left the Jefferson Memorial's halls slick with the blood of her enemies. Wasn't there a time when this place was supposed to be some kind of shrine to freedom, or something? When it was supposed to be as holy as a secular site could get?
A weight descended on one of her shoulder pauldrons. She opened her eyes, turned her head. It was Fawkes, a questioning concern in his eyes. "It's okay, Fawkes," she said. "I just needed a moment."
"If you're certain, friend," the meta-human said. "But pull yourself together. Sentinel Lyons is coming."
Ellen nodded, straightening up. Moments later a figure in Brotherhood armor rounded the corner. "There you are," said Sarah Lyons, her voice muffled by the helmet. "I thought for a moment you were going to charge the Rotunda all by yourself."
"Not quite up to that," Ellen said.
Lyons snorted. "Could've fooled me. You were out ahead of the rest of us at every turn."
Ellen had been trying to open a door to Milliways, but even away from the eyes of witnesses, it hadn't happened. All she could do in response was shrug. "Been here before," she says. "Several times."
"And it shows." Lyons hefted her laser rifle. "Judging by the number of Vertibirds that Liberty Prime destroyed, we're almost out of Enclave. I've set the rest of the Pride to guarding all the other entrances just in case they try any surprises on us, but at this point I doubt there could be more than three or four people in the control room. Ready to be the last thing they ever see?"
"If it means all this is over soon, then yes," Ellen said. "Let's go."
She thought for a moment of asking to travel last in the line, of making one final attempt to reach the Bar. Then she discarded the notion. This place had never let her reach the Bar in an hour of need. Why would that change now? She moved away from the wall, waved Lyons and Fawkes back, eased the Rotunda door open just enough to slip in safely-
"You again," spat a voice she'd prayed had died at Raven Rock. Up on the metal staircase that led to the purifier's center, Colonel Autumn stepped into view, laser pistol in hand. "I can't say I'm surprised. You and your ilk seem hell-bent on destroying everything our government's worked to achieve."
YOU worked to achieve? Ellen almost blurted out. You son of a- you- here, where my father died, you dare claim to have worked for ANYTHING? But the words didn't make it out. Something- blood loss, rage, Med-X- made it impossible to speak.
"There's nothing to stop me from killing you this time," Autumn went on. "Let's end this."
( "[You fool! You will be crushed by the might of the Chinese army!"] )
( "You've already lost, General. You've been beaten by a nineteen year old girl. Don't throw away what dignity you've got left." )
( "[You will never take me prisoner!]" )
"Give it up, Autumn," said Ellen, her mouth going dry. "You've lost."
"I beg to differ." Autumn very nearly laughed. "The Enclave is at the height of its power. Once this facility is operational, the masses will flock to the Enclave for fresh water, protection, and a plan for the future."
"Raven Rock is gone," Ellen said. "Eden is gone. The other Enclave leaders are gone. You've got nothing left."
"You're in over your head-"
"Am I, Colonel?" Ellen said, stepping forward. "Am I really? I escaped your fortress. I won your enemies over. I killed your President. I've left every last one of your soldiers outside this room dead in his own armor. What makes you think you have a chance? The fact you already escaped death here once isn't going to help you again, you know."
Autumn stared at her in silence. Eventually he said, "You'd just love that, wouldn't you."
"Colonel, you have no idea how tired I am of killing people today," Ellen said. "I have one nerve left. You are getting on it. I really think you ought to leave now."
Autumn snarled something unintelligible and gestured to the two armored soldiers on either side of him. As the three figures stormed past, Lyons turned to Ellen. "That was kind of amazing," she said. "I didn't think you'd just let him go like that, even with what you said. After all the trouble he's caused..."
"I didn't just let him go," Ellen murmured.
"Huh?"
Ellen inclined her head towards the door. A careful listener could make out the sounds of half a dozen lasers opening fire at once. "It's not like I told the Pride he was leaving," she said.
Lyons stared a moment; then she laughed. "Well," she said, "that takes care of that, I guess. Let's get this room secured, shall we?"
Ellen nodded, and the two of them darted for the stairs to the purifier control panel. As Ellen tried to open the door, an intercom on the wall nearby crackled into life. "Hello? Hello? ... Is anyone there? This is Madison Li-"
"Dr. Li? It's Sarah Lyons," said Lyons, her form suddenly going tense. "We're both in the control room. What's going on?"
"I've been monitoring the equipment remotely, and we have a serious problem," Dr. Li's voice said. "If I'm reading this right, I'm afraid there are lethal levels of radiation inside the main chamber- and they're rising."
Ellen stared through the glass panel into the central chamber, shivering at the memory of the rad-pulse her father had triggered. Was it the same thing, happening again?
"I'm sorry. i wish there were some other way, but there's just no time. Something has to be done now or the damage will be catastrophic."
"What do you mean, something has to be done?" said Lyons.
"Someone has to go in there and activate the purifier before its internal pressure builds up enough to detonate," said Li's voice. "I can't do it remotely. Someone has to-"
"Understood." Lyons stepped away from the intercom and turned to Ellen. "Well," she said, "so much for celebrating. One of us is going to have to go in there and turn the damned thing on..."
"Fawkes," Ellen said. "Fawkes? Can you- you're still immune to radiation, right?"
"I am indeed," said Fawkes, his tone suddenly infinitely gentle and infinitely sad. "But if that device there is the activation panel, I cannot operate it."
"What?"
Fawkes pointed to the keyboard Ellen had once seen her father operate. Then, he held up his hand and flexed his fingers... his massively thick, grossly oversized, far-too-large-to-be-able-to-press-one-key-at-a-time fingers. "Would that I could take this task on for you," he said. "I owe you that."
"Oh, Fawkes..." Ellen swallowed. "It's all right. It- I'll do it. I can do this."
"Ellen," said Lyons urgently, "whoever does it isn't coming back out."
"I know. But I have a better chance of getting this right than you do." She hoped, anyway. "Let me do this."
Lyons paused, and then nodded. "You're going to have to be quick about it. If the radiation is bad enough, you won't have much time.... I won't forget what you've done here. No one will. Thank you."
Ellen turned to Fawkes, who raised a hand in farewell; she raised her own hand in reply. Then, swallowing heavily, she touched the door controls and darted for the control panel.
She didn't have a Geiger counter to chatter at her, which was something of a mercy. Her hands were shaking badly enough as it stood. She didn't need the screaming of the needle to distract her now. She'd never seen her father do this before, not properly- only in his act of sabotage- and she needed all her wits about her. Back in Vault 101 she'd had to guess Overseer Almodovar's password to escape. It'd taken three tries. Somehow, she doubted she'd have that many chances.
( "We've got the purifier. Now we just need the code word to start it." )
One word. Just one word, that Autumn couldn't guess.
( "This is where it all began... I am the Beginning and the End. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountains of the Waters of Life, freely." )
She rested her hands on the keyboard and tapped it in: Revelation21:6. She hit the Enter key.
There was a BANG more felt in the bone than heard in the ears. The room spun and went black.
And so it was that the Lone Wanderer ventured forth from Vault 101 intent on discovering the fate of a father who had once sacrificed the future of humanity for that of his own child. The Capital Wasteland proved a cruel inhospitable place, but the Lone Wanderer refused to surrender to the vices that had claimed so many others. The values passed on from father to child – selflessness, compassion, honor – guided this noble soul through countless trials and triumphs.
But it was not until the end of this long road that the Lone Wanderer learned the true meaning of that greatest of virtues – sacrifice. Stepping into the irradiated control chamber of Project Purity, the child followed the example of the father, sacrificing life itself for the greater good of mankind.
Thankfully, when selected by the sinister president to be his instrument of annihilation, the Wanderer refused. Humanity with all its flaws was deemed worthy of preservation. The waters of life flowed at last – free and pure, for any and all. The Capital Wasteland at long last was saved.
So ends the story of the Lone Wanderer, who stepped through the great door of Vault 101 and into the annals of legend. But the tale of humanity will never come to a close, for the struggle for survival is a war without end, and war – war never changes.
A weight descended on one of her shoulder pauldrons. She opened her eyes, turned her head. It was Fawkes, a questioning concern in his eyes. "It's okay, Fawkes," she said. "I just needed a moment."
"If you're certain, friend," the meta-human said. "But pull yourself together. Sentinel Lyons is coming."
Ellen nodded, straightening up. Moments later a figure in Brotherhood armor rounded the corner. "There you are," said Sarah Lyons, her voice muffled by the helmet. "I thought for a moment you were going to charge the Rotunda all by yourself."
"Not quite up to that," Ellen said.
Lyons snorted. "Could've fooled me. You were out ahead of the rest of us at every turn."
Ellen had been trying to open a door to Milliways, but even away from the eyes of witnesses, it hadn't happened. All she could do in response was shrug. "Been here before," she says. "Several times."
"And it shows." Lyons hefted her laser rifle. "Judging by the number of Vertibirds that Liberty Prime destroyed, we're almost out of Enclave. I've set the rest of the Pride to guarding all the other entrances just in case they try any surprises on us, but at this point I doubt there could be more than three or four people in the control room. Ready to be the last thing they ever see?"
"If it means all this is over soon, then yes," Ellen said. "Let's go."
She thought for a moment of asking to travel last in the line, of making one final attempt to reach the Bar. Then she discarded the notion. This place had never let her reach the Bar in an hour of need. Why would that change now? She moved away from the wall, waved Lyons and Fawkes back, eased the Rotunda door open just enough to slip in safely-
"You again," spat a voice she'd prayed had died at Raven Rock. Up on the metal staircase that led to the purifier's center, Colonel Autumn stepped into view, laser pistol in hand. "I can't say I'm surprised. You and your ilk seem hell-bent on destroying everything our government's worked to achieve."
YOU worked to achieve? Ellen almost blurted out. You son of a- you- here, where my father died, you dare claim to have worked for ANYTHING? But the words didn't make it out. Something- blood loss, rage, Med-X- made it impossible to speak.
"There's nothing to stop me from killing you this time," Autumn went on. "Let's end this."
( "[You fool! You will be crushed by the might of the Chinese army!"] )
( "You've already lost, General. You've been beaten by a nineteen year old girl. Don't throw away what dignity you've got left." )
( "[You will never take me prisoner!]" )
"Give it up, Autumn," said Ellen, her mouth going dry. "You've lost."
"I beg to differ." Autumn very nearly laughed. "The Enclave is at the height of its power. Once this facility is operational, the masses will flock to the Enclave for fresh water, protection, and a plan for the future."
"Raven Rock is gone," Ellen said. "Eden is gone. The other Enclave leaders are gone. You've got nothing left."
"You're in over your head-"
"Am I, Colonel?" Ellen said, stepping forward. "Am I really? I escaped your fortress. I won your enemies over. I killed your President. I've left every last one of your soldiers outside this room dead in his own armor. What makes you think you have a chance? The fact you already escaped death here once isn't going to help you again, you know."
Autumn stared at her in silence. Eventually he said, "You'd just love that, wouldn't you."
"Colonel, you have no idea how tired I am of killing people today," Ellen said. "I have one nerve left. You are getting on it. I really think you ought to leave now."
Autumn snarled something unintelligible and gestured to the two armored soldiers on either side of him. As the three figures stormed past, Lyons turned to Ellen. "That was kind of amazing," she said. "I didn't think you'd just let him go like that, even with what you said. After all the trouble he's caused..."
"I didn't just let him go," Ellen murmured.
"Huh?"
Ellen inclined her head towards the door. A careful listener could make out the sounds of half a dozen lasers opening fire at once. "It's not like I told the Pride he was leaving," she said.
Lyons stared a moment; then she laughed. "Well," she said, "that takes care of that, I guess. Let's get this room secured, shall we?"
Ellen nodded, and the two of them darted for the stairs to the purifier control panel. As Ellen tried to open the door, an intercom on the wall nearby crackled into life. "Hello? Hello? ... Is anyone there? This is Madison Li-"
"Dr. Li? It's Sarah Lyons," said Lyons, her form suddenly going tense. "We're both in the control room. What's going on?"
"I've been monitoring the equipment remotely, and we have a serious problem," Dr. Li's voice said. "If I'm reading this right, I'm afraid there are lethal levels of radiation inside the main chamber- and they're rising."
Ellen stared through the glass panel into the central chamber, shivering at the memory of the rad-pulse her father had triggered. Was it the same thing, happening again?
"I'm sorry. i wish there were some other way, but there's just no time. Something has to be done now or the damage will be catastrophic."
"What do you mean, something has to be done?" said Lyons.
"Someone has to go in there and activate the purifier before its internal pressure builds up enough to detonate," said Li's voice. "I can't do it remotely. Someone has to-"
"Understood." Lyons stepped away from the intercom and turned to Ellen. "Well," she said, "so much for celebrating. One of us is going to have to go in there and turn the damned thing on..."
"Fawkes," Ellen said. "Fawkes? Can you- you're still immune to radiation, right?"
"I am indeed," said Fawkes, his tone suddenly infinitely gentle and infinitely sad. "But if that device there is the activation panel, I cannot operate it."
"What?"
Fawkes pointed to the keyboard Ellen had once seen her father operate. Then, he held up his hand and flexed his fingers... his massively thick, grossly oversized, far-too-large-to-be-able-to-press-one-key-at-a-time fingers. "Would that I could take this task on for you," he said. "I owe you that."
"Oh, Fawkes..." Ellen swallowed. "It's all right. It- I'll do it. I can do this."
"Ellen," said Lyons urgently, "whoever does it isn't coming back out."
"I know. But I have a better chance of getting this right than you do." She hoped, anyway. "Let me do this."
Lyons paused, and then nodded. "You're going to have to be quick about it. If the radiation is bad enough, you won't have much time.... I won't forget what you've done here. No one will. Thank you."
Ellen turned to Fawkes, who raised a hand in farewell; she raised her own hand in reply. Then, swallowing heavily, she touched the door controls and darted for the control panel.
She didn't have a Geiger counter to chatter at her, which was something of a mercy. Her hands were shaking badly enough as it stood. She didn't need the screaming of the needle to distract her now. She'd never seen her father do this before, not properly- only in his act of sabotage- and she needed all her wits about her. Back in Vault 101 she'd had to guess Overseer Almodovar's password to escape. It'd taken three tries. Somehow, she doubted she'd have that many chances.
( "We've got the purifier. Now we just need the code word to start it." )
One word. Just one word, that Autumn couldn't guess.
( "This is where it all began... I am the Beginning and the End. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountains of the Waters of Life, freely." )
She rested her hands on the keyboard and tapped it in: Revelation21:6. She hit the Enter key.
There was a BANG more felt in the bone than heard in the ears. The room spun and went black.
And so it was that the Lone Wanderer ventured forth from Vault 101 intent on discovering the fate of a father who had once sacrificed the future of humanity for that of his own child. The Capital Wasteland proved a cruel inhospitable place, but the Lone Wanderer refused to surrender to the vices that had claimed so many others. The values passed on from father to child – selflessness, compassion, honor – guided this noble soul through countless trials and triumphs.
But it was not until the end of this long road that the Lone Wanderer learned the true meaning of that greatest of virtues – sacrifice. Stepping into the irradiated control chamber of Project Purity, the child followed the example of the father, sacrificing life itself for the greater good of mankind.
Thankfully, when selected by the sinister president to be his instrument of annihilation, the Wanderer refused. Humanity with all its flaws was deemed worthy of preservation. The waters of life flowed at last – free and pure, for any and all. The Capital Wasteland at long last was saved.
So ends the story of the Lone Wanderer, who stepped through the great door of Vault 101 and into the annals of legend. But the tale of humanity will never come to a close, for the struggle for survival is a war without end, and war – war never changes.