Mother Curie
Sep. 3rd, 2011 09:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aaaaaaaagh_sky"Children of the Light, hear my words and feel Atom's warmth," came the woman's voice from down below. It spoke with a true believer's passion and fervor. "For too long, our world has been barren, and our people have become empty..."
Ellen shuddered, leaning against the concrete wall beside her; her Geiger counter was, for the moment, blessedly silent. The woman, alas, was anything but silent. Ellen grimaced as the sermon of Atom's unifying Glow went on and on. How many people must she have been speaking to? If Ellen interrupted now-
Well, she had to, didn't she? Before Brother Gerard woke up? ... good Lord that had been a stupid decision. Couldn't she have gone and found a door to Milliways and come back with reinforcements? Or sneaked around to pick the lock to the monastery? Or something that didn't leave her with broken ribs and an angry cultist liable to wake up at any given moment? ... Oh well. Too late now. One bad choice deserved another; Ellen pushed herself away from the wall and staggered the rest of the way down the stairs.
The basement beyond resembled a monastery about as much as the ruin above had, save that it looked structurally sound. The walls were drab gray pre-war cinderblock, the ceiling beams of pre-war steel. There were several pre-war park benches arranged to one side; two of the occupants looked to be ghouls, and the other... looked to be about halfway to that state himself. Aside from the brief glance one of them spared Ellen, their attention was riveted on the silver-haired woman at the front of the room, whose pulpit was backed by the yellow-and-black radiation trefoil.
The elderly preacher paused mid-sentence at the sight of Ellen, then turned to her flock. "Bow your heads, my friends," she said, "and meditate for a time on the wonder of Atom. I must greet our new arrival."
Eep! Ellen reflexively put up her hands. "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry, ma'am-"
"It's no trouble at all," said the woman, "although I must admit, I wasn't expecting a pilgrim to our shrine just now! We're hardly prepared for casual visitors, I'm afraid. You must have made quite an impression on Brother Gerard."
".... I think you could say that, yes," Ellen said, wincing inwardly.
The older woman nodded. "He's a lovely boy," she said, "but rather strident. I hope he wasn't a bother."
Ellen did her best to smile. The woman went on: "Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Mother Curie the Third, and I lead the Apostles of the Eternal Light. What can I do for you, my dear?"
"Luminescent Mother," Ellen began awkwardly, "I need to speak with you about your water-"
"Yes?" said Mother Curie. "If you wanted some, I'm sure that Brother Gerard would have gladly given you a bottle or two. We don't charge for charity, you know."
"I- had questions about it, actually," Ellen said. She clenched her teeth a moment; the pain in her ribs was getting worse. "Brother Gerard- shared some with me. How do you make it?"
The old woman's eyes brightened. "Oh, it was a gift, straight from Atom!" she said proudly. "I was meditating right here in Springvale- on the surface, of course- when four of His armored angels came to me."
.... oh no.
"When I said I was from Megaton," Curie went on, "they gave me barrels of 'Aqua Pura', and said I should share it with my people. They were very clear on that."
If it wouldn't have made her ribs hurt even worse, Ellen would have clapped a hand over her face.
"Naturally, I understood Atom's message," said Curie. "And so, I've been busy blessing this holy water and sharing it with the world!"
"Blessing," Ellen said, her head beginning to throb. "You mean contaminating. With radiation."
"Of course!" said Curie. "How else will we spread the word to the unenlightened? So many misunderstand Atom, and fear the Glow of His Light as a thing of destruction, rather than humanity's next step towards perfection. With this marvelous holy water, they drink without fear, and by the time the Glow consumes them, they have no need to fear ever again."
Ellen stared at the woman. Somewhere nearby, something growled. Slowly, carefully, Ellen turned towards the doorway that led to the other side of the basement. There were shapes there, in that darkness- two of them, almost human, save for their yellowish-green luminescence.
"Our Holy of Holies lies within," said Mother Curie as Ellen turned back. "That's where I sanctify the Aqua Pura of the armored angels. The Champion of Atom and the Sun of Atom guard it for us, a duty they've gladly and willingly taken on themselves from the beginning."
"I see," said Ellen, her mouth suddenly dry. "Thank you, Mother Curie, for... for sharing that with me."
"You are quite welcome, child. Is there anything else I can do for you this day? You look hurt-"
"No! No, no," Ellen said hastily. "It's- it's all right. I can take care of myself."
"If you're certain," said Mother Curie. "I hate to see a soul in pain."
"I'm a doctor's daughter," Ellen said. "I'll fix myself up before I return to you."
Mother Curie nodded. "Very well," she said. "Go in Atom's peace, my dear."
Ellen raised a hand in farewell, and made for the stairs as quickly as her ribs would let her.
Ellen shuddered, leaning against the concrete wall beside her; her Geiger counter was, for the moment, blessedly silent. The woman, alas, was anything but silent. Ellen grimaced as the sermon of Atom's unifying Glow went on and on. How many people must she have been speaking to? If Ellen interrupted now-
Well, she had to, didn't she? Before Brother Gerard woke up? ... good Lord that had been a stupid decision. Couldn't she have gone and found a door to Milliways and come back with reinforcements? Or sneaked around to pick the lock to the monastery? Or something that didn't leave her with broken ribs and an angry cultist liable to wake up at any given moment? ... Oh well. Too late now. One bad choice deserved another; Ellen pushed herself away from the wall and staggered the rest of the way down the stairs.
The basement beyond resembled a monastery about as much as the ruin above had, save that it looked structurally sound. The walls were drab gray pre-war cinderblock, the ceiling beams of pre-war steel. There were several pre-war park benches arranged to one side; two of the occupants looked to be ghouls, and the other... looked to be about halfway to that state himself. Aside from the brief glance one of them spared Ellen, their attention was riveted on the silver-haired woman at the front of the room, whose pulpit was backed by the yellow-and-black radiation trefoil.
The elderly preacher paused mid-sentence at the sight of Ellen, then turned to her flock. "Bow your heads, my friends," she said, "and meditate for a time on the wonder of Atom. I must greet our new arrival."
Eep! Ellen reflexively put up her hands. "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry, ma'am-"
"It's no trouble at all," said the woman, "although I must admit, I wasn't expecting a pilgrim to our shrine just now! We're hardly prepared for casual visitors, I'm afraid. You must have made quite an impression on Brother Gerard."
".... I think you could say that, yes," Ellen said, wincing inwardly.
The older woman nodded. "He's a lovely boy," she said, "but rather strident. I hope he wasn't a bother."
Ellen did her best to smile. The woman went on: "Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Mother Curie the Third, and I lead the Apostles of the Eternal Light. What can I do for you, my dear?"
"Luminescent Mother," Ellen began awkwardly, "I need to speak with you about your water-"
"Yes?" said Mother Curie. "If you wanted some, I'm sure that Brother Gerard would have gladly given you a bottle or two. We don't charge for charity, you know."
"I- had questions about it, actually," Ellen said. She clenched her teeth a moment; the pain in her ribs was getting worse. "Brother Gerard- shared some with me. How do you make it?"
The old woman's eyes brightened. "Oh, it was a gift, straight from Atom!" she said proudly. "I was meditating right here in Springvale- on the surface, of course- when four of His armored angels came to me."
.... oh no.
"When I said I was from Megaton," Curie went on, "they gave me barrels of 'Aqua Pura', and said I should share it with my people. They were very clear on that."
If it wouldn't have made her ribs hurt even worse, Ellen would have clapped a hand over her face.
"Naturally, I understood Atom's message," said Curie. "And so, I've been busy blessing this holy water and sharing it with the world!"
"Blessing," Ellen said, her head beginning to throb. "You mean contaminating. With radiation."
"Of course!" said Curie. "How else will we spread the word to the unenlightened? So many misunderstand Atom, and fear the Glow of His Light as a thing of destruction, rather than humanity's next step towards perfection. With this marvelous holy water, they drink without fear, and by the time the Glow consumes them, they have no need to fear ever again."
Ellen stared at the woman. Somewhere nearby, something growled. Slowly, carefully, Ellen turned towards the doorway that led to the other side of the basement. There were shapes there, in that darkness- two of them, almost human, save for their yellowish-green luminescence.
"Our Holy of Holies lies within," said Mother Curie as Ellen turned back. "That's where I sanctify the Aqua Pura of the armored angels. The Champion of Atom and the Sun of Atom guard it for us, a duty they've gladly and willingly taken on themselves from the beginning."
"I see," said Ellen, her mouth suddenly dry. "Thank you, Mother Curie, for... for sharing that with me."
"You are quite welcome, child. Is there anything else I can do for you this day? You look hurt-"
"No! No, no," Ellen said hastily. "It's- it's all right. I can take care of myself."
"If you're certain," said Mother Curie. "I hate to see a soul in pain."
"I'm a doctor's daughter," Ellen said. "I'll fix myself up before I return to you."
Mother Curie nodded. "Very well," she said. "Go in Atom's peace, my dear."
Ellen raised a hand in farewell, and made for the stairs as quickly as her ribs would let her.