Arrival

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

It’s been a long, long way across country from where they started, but Ellen hasn’t complained. Paladin Renny was abundantly clear: find the people who stole Dave, and find Dave, and bring Dave back. There really wasn’t much leeway in that regardless of how you looked at it.

At least they found the ancient railway lines somewhere in the belly of Pennsylvania. No ghouls here, thank God. Just the giant roaches, and the ants as big as Ellen, and rats and other things best left to the imagination. More importantly, there were the handcarts. Ellen had seen them in a couple of old vids- wheeled things that ran on railroad tracks that had to be pumped by at least two humans. The work involved was immense, but it was a much, much faster trip than anything that could be done on foot. Somebody had begun the process of renovating and maintaining those tracks in the past two hundred years. Maybe one day Ellen would find out who.

Today is not that that day. Tomorrow is not looking good either. Today is the day when the cart comes to a halt just inside the mouth of a railroad tunnel that smells of industrial chemicals and burning. Someone’s scrawled WELCOME TO THE PITT – BRIDGE 1 MI. THAT WAY in rust-colored paint on one wall of the tunnel. Beyond lies what looks like a pre-War rail yard, under clouded, smog-coated skies.

Ellen rubs at her nose with the back of one hand. “I’m really not looking forward to doing this in reverse,” she mutters. “Maybe I can get Fawkes to help with a Milliways door…”

Comments

[boston_bruiser]

"Yeah," says Voodoo. "One shady-looking motherfucker. Not just 'cause of the eyepatch."

He eyes the gate. "Way to the city's" (he doesn't have the hands-on experience to call it a cesspit just yet) "beyond that gate. We get lucky, we'll find somewhere high up to check out the security from." He's not holding his breath - it's Pittsburgh, for crying out loud.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "I didn't bring anything that could cut razor wire," she says, "so we're just going to have to deal with that bolt. Unless you're carrying something suitable, anyway."

[boston_bruiser]

Voodoo reaches into his vest and pulls out a Leatherman, then flips it open to expose the wire cutters.

Crazy Prepared, this one is.

"'less you still want to deal with the bolt."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"No, no," Ellen says. "That'll do just fine, I think. Need a hand up?"

Dogmeat nudges at the back of her leg.

"Easy, boy. We'll figure out how to get you over once the wire is down."

[boston_bruiser]

"Nah, I got it."

With that, he hops on the fence, climbs up to the top, and starts cutting the wires one by one. It's not long before he creates a gap long enough to straddle the fence, and he does just that. Most of the rest of the wire gets shoved to the side, piling up in a coil at Voodoo's feet.

"Okay," Voodoo says, extending a hand to Ellen. "Up 'n over."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods and reaches up to grab hold of Voodoo's hand. She's reasonably good at climbing, as long as she doesn't have to climb very high, and she's been in the field long enough by now to have fair upper-body strength. With the wire out of the way and a little help, it's not long before she's over.

"Thanks."

[boston_bruiser]

"Mhm."

It's a short hop down and an even shorter walk to get at the bolt. It's child's play - it slides right off with a not-so-gentle push, and the gate swings open.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Dogmeat trots through the opened gates happily, tail waving. Ellen nods. "All right," she says, "that's settled- thank you, Voodoo. Let's go see about scoping out the lay of the land...."