Escort Mission

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The door opens on a scene of ruin that William may or may not be familiar with. It's the same general area as where he and Ellen came in to rescue the caravan for Megaton, anyway- a bit cleaner, but it's hard to tell clean building wreckage from any other kind. "I don't think we'll have trouble with anything between here and Rivet City," Ellen says as she prods Shiphrah and Puah forward. "Maybe a few stray mole rats, but that's it."

Comments

[not_his_pa]

William follows her through and looks around, keeping his hand on his rifle just in case he needs it,

"That's good."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Rivet City's not... it's not a city like anything you might know," Ellen says as the cow starts picking her way through the wreckage. "It's inside a gigantic ship. One that used to carry flying machines- there're a few on the main deck, all rusty and useless now."

[not_his_pa]

"How does that work?"

It doesn't sound like anything he's ever known but he's learning that's to be expected in Ellen's world.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"What, the ship? It was in the river when the bombs fell two hundred years ago," Ellen says. "Normally ships that big only ever sailed in the ocean. I'm not sure why they brought it into the Potomac- maybe for repairs or something. The whole thing's metal. I think it had atomic engines, originally, but they've long since gone out of commission."

[not_his_pa]

"Wasn't it the atomic stuff that wrecked everything to start with?"

It seems like a stupid thing to use to power a ship.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Controlled atomic reactors are different from atomic bombs," Ellen says. "It's like the difference between- it's like the difference between burning some wood in a metal stove to heat the house and cook on, and lightning starting a wildfire that wipes out a whole forest."

At least, she assumes it is. She's never burned wood, herself. Or seen a wildfire. But she's read about it.

[not_his_pa]

"Oh, yeah, I can see that,"

It seems dangerous but then ships and trains are powered by steam.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Atomic stuff hadn't wrecked the world yet anyway," Ellen goes on. "The Oriskany- that's the ship's original name- they built it years before the War. Atomic energy was about the only thing that could run a ship that size..."

Shiphrah and Puah eases around a slab of fallen concrete.

"Okay, that's it up ahead," Ellen says, indicating the wreck of an aircraft carrier. "That's Rivet City."

[not_his_pa]

William just stares, the first iron clad ships were built for the war and most of them sunk, he didn't know something that big could sail.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen's just going to sit back in the saddle and wait a while. She knows what being absolutely gobsmacked by the surface world can be like.

[not_his_pa]

"That floated?" It doesn't seem possible that it could even move.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "And carried... I'm not sure. Maybe around three thousand people. And aircraft," she adds. "See there, up on the flat part? Near the end that's broken off? Those were flying machines, before the War."

[not_his_pa]

"Hell, there were some iron clads in the war."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh, I've seen those," Ellen says. "In the old history texts. And I think there was a model of one in the Museum of History, too, but that part of the museum was dangerous and I didn't stay longer than I had to."

[not_his_pa]

"I've only seen the pictures from the papers. I guess folks figured out how to build better ships."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Very much so," Ellen says. "Even building sealed ships that could travel completely under the water. They called them submarines."

She'll leave it at that, or they'll never get to the marketplace before the morning rush.

[not_his_pa]

He nods and follows, he's seen pictures of submarines in some of the books Bar gave him.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

They've shuffled out of a gap between buildings a little south of their destination. The crumbled gray rock of what was once a road stretches up ahead along the barren, rocky shore, leading to the bulky scaffolding that surrounds a winding staircase and an extended drawbridge. Several Brahmin are tethered to a rail near the scaffolding, including one weighted down with packs and bags; the others are unladen as yet. A few men and women in body armor William might remember from his prior visit are guarding the area, eyeing the new arrivals suspiciously.

"It's okay," Ellen says, and turns to show the Brotherhood gear-and-sword-and-wings emblem painted on her armor. "We're here for the Canterbury caravan."

One of the guards seems about to say something; then he looks at Ellen's forearm, and his expression clears. "You're 101," he says. "Officer Lepelletier said you'd be coming back. I'm afraid you're a little early, your cow's not here yet... What the hell is your friend riding?"

[not_his_pa]

William isn't sure if its best if he should answer or not so looks to Ellen as she's in charge.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"It's a horse," Ellen says. "This is William. He's from out West."

The guard shakes his head. "Doesn't that beat all. It looks like a Giddyup Buttercup with hair."

"We need to stop at the marketplace before we leave," Ellen says. "Can we hitch up here?"

"Sure, if that horse thing doesn't bite."

[not_his_pa]

"No, he don't but he may kick if anyone gets too close,"

Les doesn't tend to kick but William would rather his horse wasn't bothered while they're in the market.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I'll remember that," says the guard. "There's room on the end there. Go on up."

Ellen nods and guides her cow around to a patch of rail with enough room to loop the reins around. William's horse will be on the outside from here- better to keep him from being in a position to hurt cattle if someone startles him, she figures.

"The marketplace is just across the drawbridge up there, and down the stairs once we're on the ship," she says as she's tying up the cow. "There'll be two guards on duty. Probably Chief Harkness and somebody else. Just be polite to him and you'll be fine. He's a little gruff, but he's a good lawman."

[not_his_pa]

William dismounts and ties Les up, if it wasn't for where they are, it could be a hitching post in Arizona.

Then he follows Ellen and says, "I'm good at bein' polite."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "Which is more than a lot of people around here can say," she says. "The man who runs the marketplace clothing shop's kind of a jerk, but he's on the City Council, so people usually put up with him... anyway, let's go."

Thankfully, the drawbridge over the Potomac has handrails. And is built to hold much heavier than Ellen in power armor. It's a little rattletrap but it's fundamentally sound. At the far end, a pale-skinned, armored man with brown hair and a tired face is standing watch in front of a door set into the side of the ship. "Welcome back," he says to Ellen. "You two here on business?"

[not_his_pa]

Its pretty sturdy seeming to William and he tips his hat to the man,

"Yes, sir,"

He carefully unholsters his revolver and unloads it to show the man the ammo, "You carry anythin' that would work for this gun?"