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aaaaaaaagh_skyWell, it was official. Ellen's- no, Paladin 101's- official, primary assignment was the RobCo factory project. Until she either got a power grid built and the factory itself working or gave both up completely as a total loss, she'd be living, eating, and working on the premises. They were giving her three Initiates to cover area security and four Scribes to work on the actual technical aspects of the project. Someone else- possibly Paladin Hoss and (sigh) Initiate Pek- would be handling the Megaton water duties from now on.
As for everything else she did around Megaton... well, Sheriff Simms was going to have to handle the Vault 101 ambassadors himself, assuming he didn't send them to Moira first thing. Fawkes had already said he would be happy to make sure no one caused trouble for Wadsworth in taking care of her house. A little asking around at Gob's and the Brass Lantern got her several trustworthy people to look after her Brahmin in shifts, too. So that was that. All that remained was to pack.
At least she'd be able to bring Shiphrah and Puah along. Her orders from Paladin Tristan to practice with heavy energy weapons were still in effect. Who could possibly carry a Gauss rifle and Mjolnir and a Gatling laser? Sure, she could cram them all in her storage deck- thanks be to Karkat- but the amount of explanation that would entail if anyone on the project caught her using it just made her teeth ache. No, the sylladex would hold ammunition and stimpaks and other small things, her own purely private supply. The supplies officially part of Brotherhood accounting would stay in normal space at all times, to avoid any lines of questioning that would eventually lead back to officially admitting the existence of Milliways.
Still, whether she used the cow or the deck, her things weren't going to jump into place on their own. Ellen was folding up the Brahmin skin she used for her bedroll when she caught the sound of someone knocking at the front door. Odd; she'd been so busy getting everything in order during the day that it had long since gone dark outside... "Wadsworth?" she called out.
"On my way, madame!"
Thank heaven for that robot, she thought, and went back to packing. Not for long; the tinny sound of the Mr. Handy clearing its 'throat' broke her concentration. "What is it, Wadsworth?" she said.
"Madame, I'm afraid our guest requires your personal invitation to enter."
"Hm?"
"He says that according to vampiric tradition, he may not enter under the roof of a home to which he hasn't been invited by the owner. Shall I tell him you're busy?"
Ellen turned and stared at the robot.
"So, Alan," Ellen said, once the matter of invitations was settled and Wadsworth had brought them both water. "How are things going in Meresti and Arefu? Is everyone all right?"
"Yes, pretty much," said Alan, fidgeting a little. He'd been pretty new to the Family when she found Meresti, Ellen remembered. He probably hadn't traveled very far from the area since Vance took him up. No wonder he looked uncomfortable. "Ian asked me to send his regrets, both to you and to his sister. He wanted to come himself, but he didn't think his sister would appreciate having to answer questions about him."
"He's probably right," Ellen said. "People around here do tend to talk. I'm just glad he's doing well with the Family.... How's the deal with Arefu holding up?"
"Oh, that's going along just fine," said Alan. "Evan King doesn't talk to us much, but he always comes through on the blood bags for us, so we always come through on guard duty for him. Which is actually part of why I'm here now."
Ellen had been about to ask after the children from Andale and their grandfather, who she'd last seen under the tutelage of another Family member, Justin; she paused. "Uh-oh. What's wrong?"
"Well. Nothing exactly." Alan fidgeted again. "But the other night when I was on patrol down by the river, I ran across a pretty badly injured young man I'd never seen before. He said his name was Joseph, and that he'd been lost for days." He set his water aside and glanced anxiously at Ellen. "Apparently he'd originally set out for Big Town, but the only thing left there was ruins, so he decided to try for Megaton instead. When I asked him why Megaton, he mentioned your name."
There weren't any Josephs her age in the Republic of Dave, or in Canterbury. Nobody in Vault 101 knew Big Town even existed. Who- oh. Oh. "You said a young man," Ellen said slowly. "Younger than me?"
"He was sixteen at the most."
"Dark skin? From Little Lamplight?"
"Well, he wouldn't say where he was from," said Alan, "but he did have dark skin. Said he hoped you'd remember him and 'the others', not that he said who the others were."
"It's all right. I remember," Ellen said. She bit her lip a moment. "Did he say anything else?"
"He said that home was in trouble, even if it wasn't his home any more," said Alan. "And that he hoped you could help them one more time."
Ellen stood up and pushed her hair back with one hand, trying to think. "Alan," she said, "would anyone in Arefu take a potshot at a supermutant in the dark, do you think? Or whoever of the Family is standing guard?"
Alan eyed her oddly. "Why do you ask?"
"I have to deploy in the morning." Ellen grimaced. "I can't go to Arefu with you. The best I can do is ask Fawkes, and maybe Dogmeat. They might be able to help Joseph once they've spoken with him."
"I suppose it's better than nothing," said Alan.
As for everything else she did around Megaton... well, Sheriff Simms was going to have to handle the Vault 101 ambassadors himself, assuming he didn't send them to Moira first thing. Fawkes had already said he would be happy to make sure no one caused trouble for Wadsworth in taking care of her house. A little asking around at Gob's and the Brass Lantern got her several trustworthy people to look after her Brahmin in shifts, too. So that was that. All that remained was to pack.
At least she'd be able to bring Shiphrah and Puah along. Her orders from Paladin Tristan to practice with heavy energy weapons were still in effect. Who could possibly carry a Gauss rifle and Mjolnir and a Gatling laser? Sure, she could cram them all in her storage deck- thanks be to Karkat- but the amount of explanation that would entail if anyone on the project caught her using it just made her teeth ache. No, the sylladex would hold ammunition and stimpaks and other small things, her own purely private supply. The supplies officially part of Brotherhood accounting would stay in normal space at all times, to avoid any lines of questioning that would eventually lead back to officially admitting the existence of Milliways.
Still, whether she used the cow or the deck, her things weren't going to jump into place on their own. Ellen was folding up the Brahmin skin she used for her bedroll when she caught the sound of someone knocking at the front door. Odd; she'd been so busy getting everything in order during the day that it had long since gone dark outside... "Wadsworth?" she called out.
"On my way, madame!"
Thank heaven for that robot, she thought, and went back to packing. Not for long; the tinny sound of the Mr. Handy clearing its 'throat' broke her concentration. "What is it, Wadsworth?" she said.
"Madame, I'm afraid our guest requires your personal invitation to enter."
"Hm?"
"He says that according to vampiric tradition, he may not enter under the roof of a home to which he hasn't been invited by the owner. Shall I tell him you're busy?"
Ellen turned and stared at the robot.
"So, Alan," Ellen said, once the matter of invitations was settled and Wadsworth had brought them both water. "How are things going in Meresti and Arefu? Is everyone all right?"
"Yes, pretty much," said Alan, fidgeting a little. He'd been pretty new to the Family when she found Meresti, Ellen remembered. He probably hadn't traveled very far from the area since Vance took him up. No wonder he looked uncomfortable. "Ian asked me to send his regrets, both to you and to his sister. He wanted to come himself, but he didn't think his sister would appreciate having to answer questions about him."
"He's probably right," Ellen said. "People around here do tend to talk. I'm just glad he's doing well with the Family.... How's the deal with Arefu holding up?"
"Oh, that's going along just fine," said Alan. "Evan King doesn't talk to us much, but he always comes through on the blood bags for us, so we always come through on guard duty for him. Which is actually part of why I'm here now."
Ellen had been about to ask after the children from Andale and their grandfather, who she'd last seen under the tutelage of another Family member, Justin; she paused. "Uh-oh. What's wrong?"
"Well. Nothing exactly." Alan fidgeted again. "But the other night when I was on patrol down by the river, I ran across a pretty badly injured young man I'd never seen before. He said his name was Joseph, and that he'd been lost for days." He set his water aside and glanced anxiously at Ellen. "Apparently he'd originally set out for Big Town, but the only thing left there was ruins, so he decided to try for Megaton instead. When I asked him why Megaton, he mentioned your name."
There weren't any Josephs her age in the Republic of Dave, or in Canterbury. Nobody in Vault 101 knew Big Town even existed. Who- oh. Oh. "You said a young man," Ellen said slowly. "Younger than me?"
"He was sixteen at the most."
"Dark skin? From Little Lamplight?"
"Well, he wouldn't say where he was from," said Alan, "but he did have dark skin. Said he hoped you'd remember him and 'the others', not that he said who the others were."
"It's all right. I remember," Ellen said. She bit her lip a moment. "Did he say anything else?"
"He said that home was in trouble, even if it wasn't his home any more," said Alan. "And that he hoped you could help them one more time."
Ellen stood up and pushed her hair back with one hand, trying to think. "Alan," she said, "would anyone in Arefu take a potshot at a supermutant in the dark, do you think? Or whoever of the Family is standing guard?"
Alan eyed her oddly. "Why do you ask?"
"I have to deploy in the morning." Ellen grimaced. "I can't go to Arefu with you. The best I can do is ask Fawkes, and maybe Dogmeat. They might be able to help Joseph once they've spoken with him."
"I suppose it's better than nothing," said Alan.