Crawlout Through the Fallout - Ch. 01

Seemingly unconcerned with his nudity, the man knelt and rifled the dead man's pockets until he pulled out a small orange and white square. He made a satisfied noise and glanced at me. "Thank you."

I gave him a clipped nod.

"I'm David. David Thompson, out of Diamond City. What's your name?"

I ignored his question. "You're going to Diamond City?"

"Yes."

"So am I."

He nodded. "I can see you don't trust me but you look like you can handle yourself. If you want, we can travel together. Might be safer."

"And it might not be." My finger tightened on the trigger. "You're right, I don't trust you."

David shrugged. "Up to you. If you don't mind, I'd like to put something on." He squatted next to the dead man and began tugging off his clothes.

I watched him. My eyes traced over David's strong, muscular shoulders and arms, narrow waist, and taut calves. I couldn't help myself and glanced between his legs. His cock was decent-sized and I felt a stir of something I had no time for. Angrily, I yanked my gaze up and stared at his face. Aside from being dirty, I realized he had bright blue eyes and a square jaw. He caught me staring and smiled. I blinked and snarled at myself.

You're so busy daydreaming that he could have rushed you and taken your gun and you wouldn't have reacted until it was too late. Get your fucking head on business, Beth.

David tried to pull on the man's pants and sighed. "Too small."

I bit my lip. Traveling into the city was going to be dangerous, regardless. Teaming up was a risk but so was being alone. I made a snap decision. "Stand up."

He raised his eyebrows but did.

I nodded. He and I were about the same height. He was stockier than me but my clothes were loose. "Take a few steps back." When he did, I shuffled out of my flannel shirt and pants, keeping my gun on him as best I could. That left me in the form-fitting blue suit. The skintight fabric made my breasts and hips more prominent, which I didn't like, but I'd made the decision. I'll give him credit: he didn't ogle my body, which--considering I'd been staring at his junk a moment ago--I would have deserved.

When I had my outer clothes off, I tossed them to him. "Here, these should fit better."

"Thanks." He peered at me as he dressed. "That's a vault suit, isn't it?"

"Uh, sure."

He rubbed his chin. "Vault suit, red hair ..." His eyes widened. "Wait. Are you ... are you her?"

I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about so I just went with it. "Yeah."

A delighted smile broke out over his face. "Oh, man! No wonder you were here to help. They say you always show up in the right place at the right time."

I forced a smile. "It's what I do."

"I'm sorry," he said, looking suddenly apologetic. "I don't mean to hold you up. I'm sure you have things to do."

My mind raced. I have no idea David assumed I was but it was clearly someone important. I thought, Maybe if I can play this right, I can get to Diamond City safely. I'll let him lead the way. Maybe he knows enough to avoid the bad spots. "Right now, I just want to get to Diamond City. In fact, show me your best route. Maybe, uhm ... maybe it's faster or safer than the ways that I know."

"Absolutely, ma'am." David beamed. "Let's go before those other Gunners get wise."

He trotted to the east. I followed, hoping I was doing the right thing.

#

We crouched behind a wrecked half-wall. The bark of rifle bullets, followed by the howls of some larger munition, had warned us to stop. David crept to the corner and peered out.

I tightened my grip on my gun. We'd come from the west part of the city, entering an increasingly dense maze of buildings broken only by flat spaces full of cars. There was no lull in the sounds of combat. It seemed to be a facet of daily life here. David barely seemed to notice it.

For his part, my companion had been cooperative and upbeat. He hadn't tried to get a weapon back or made an even slightly aggressive move. David's attitude had been deferential, almost to the point of being worshipful. I had no idea who this "Vault Dweller" was but I thanked her for having influence on people, since it gave me a lifeline to cling to.

He'd also asked a handful of questions about living in the vault--something about which I had no idea. I had deferred most of them by saying it was too painful to talk about and he seemed to accept that. The worst had been when he had asked, "I thought you had a dog that traveled with you."

My stomach had tightened at that. I'd had a dog, back in Ratchet Falls, for a couple years. Unfortunately, when food had run short one winter ... I had shaken my head and said, "It died."

"I'm sorry." David had patted my shoulder. I had pulled back in alarm, knowing he could have grabbed one of my guns but he had merely started moving again. Having little choice, I'd followed.

Now, we were almost there. The walls of Diamond City reared into the sky. I was impressed with the size of the edifice. Again, like the tall buildings and the elevated road, Diamond City was a man-made wonder--something built before the war, before the mutants and raiders and radiation.

And I wanted inside, badly.

The last few hours had all but grated my nerves to ribbons. The sneaking, the fighting all around me, the death lurking at every turn ... I wanted to be somewhere safe.

No. I'd love to be back at home. Even though I've been an adult for years, I could get up in the middle of the night and go slip into bed with Pops. He'd wrap me up in blankets and hold me until I fell asleep. I always felt so safe and secure with him. But he's gone now. I have no one.

I wiped my eyes. I miss you, old man.

"Ma'am?"

I blinked. "What?

"I think we're going to have to make a break for it." He thrust his chin in the direction of the sounds of the closest fighting. "We're not going to be able to wait it out."

"What is it?"

"Diamond City Security. They're fighting off a super mutant attack."

The description Matty Franks had given me rippled across the surface of my mind. He'd said super mutants were humans that had been twisted and ruined--that they were seven feet tall, green-skinned, immensely strong ... and ate people. They also had enough intelligence to speak and use weapons.

David took another glance. "It's about fifty yards to the first barricade. If we sprint, we should be okay. Nick tells me super mutants have bad depth perception, so they have a hard time hitting a moving target. We can make it."

I felt frozen to the spot.

My thoughts must have been plain on my face. David gripped my arm. "It sounds like a determined attack. I don't know how long Security will hold them. If they retreat to the inner barricades, we'll be cut off."

"But--"

A new sound emerged. It started as an increasingly-loud whine that was replaced in less than two seconds by a series of ammo discharges that were too closely spaced to distinguish individual shots.

David grimaced. "That's the heavy gunner. If they committed him, it's to cover their retreat. They're getting ready to fall back. We have to go."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was run and risk death--or stay and invite it for certain. "Okay, let's do it."

"Follow me, ma'am."

We stood and ran around the corner into hell itself.

A couple hundred feet to our front lay a wooden barricade. Armored men and women fired from behind cover. Even as we stepped out, a streak of light lanced from the barricade and slammed into a nearby building with a deafening roar, spraying shards of brick and wood into the street. Flashes and deep-voiced shouts drifted from the buildings and answering fire rippled across the hasty fortification, forcing the defenders to duck for protection. Several four-legged forms that looked like monstrous hounds lay bleeding just in front of the barricade. A pall of smoke and the acrid scent of weapon discharges hung over the street.

I glanced to our left and caught a glimpse of broad-shouldered beings inside the shadowy structures, lit only by the muzzle flashes of their weapons. In the chaos, I couldn't get a good look at what they were ... and for that, I was profoundly grateful.

Adrenaline lent me strength; we hauled ass along the street. A bullet or two pinged off the pavement in our wake. I ran with my eyes half-closed.

I hope you're watching out for me, Pops.

The rattle of sprockets and gears rose over the sounds of battle. A hulking figure stomped out of the gap in the barricade. It was human-sized but far too bulky. Steel plates covered it head to toe, clanking with every step it took. Enemy fire spanged off its armor. The ... whatever it was gripped an enormous multi-barreled gun in both hands, slung to the right of its body. The tip of the weapon spun, rapidly picking up speed and volume. Just as I understood that the high-pitched whine I'd heard earlier came from the rotation of the barrels, fire and lead burst from the weapon in a cacophony of death and destruction. Miniature explosions rippled across the facing buildings as the metal warrior marched gunfire across the enemy positions.

David screamed in my ear. "Come on!"

We ran through the gap in the barricade where the metal man had emerged. The security forces barely even looked at us. Half of them ran with us, joined by more and more as they retreated.

My companion didn't let us slow down until we approached a second barricade, a hundred yards further. He paused and placed his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. I did the same.

More soldiers from the city were forming another line of defense behind this set of fortifications, within sight of the city gates. The fleeing Security personnel joined them. A pair of women erected a metal cylinder with a gun barrel protruding from it. One flicked a switch on the cylinder and it immediately sputtered to life, swiveling back and forth, as if seeking a target.

After a moment, David straightened. "I think we're okay now. Come on, let's get inside the city."

We ducked under an overhang, past more armed soldiers, and up a narrow, darkened ramp. A sunlit square at the end suggested we'd emerge from the darkness in short order. I glanced behind. "What the hell was all that?"

He shrugged. "Super mutant attack, like I said. Security pushes out, occupies a block and within a few days, the city takes it back. Mayor Wright keeps trying to get security to push out and expand the perimeter. She says it's the only way to ultimately make the city safe. Nick says there aren't enough security personnel to hold a wider perimeter yet. He and the mayor have argued about it a lot."

"Hmm."

He gave me a pointed look. "Either way, they'd probably listen to you."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing. We reached the top of the ramp and looked out over Diamond City.

The ancient arena from pre-war Boston lay before me. Steps from where we stood led down to the ground level. Tin-sheet buildings and wooden huts crowded the ground level and the sloping rise away from the center of the arena. What seemed to be a marketplace occupied the center of the lowest level; from where we stood, I could hear vendors hawking their wares. Even in daylight, electric lights shone from every building and the hum of generators was as omnipresent as the sound of battle outside. On the far side of the arena, orderly rows of crops and a pen containing several brahmin crowded the grassy lea. Beyond the field, a huge wall of green reared to the sky, sealing the city away from the ruins around it. Overhead, the sun shone down on the city, bathing it in warmth and peace.

Diamond City. Looks like Ratchet Falls, only a little bigger. So much for the, "Jewel of the Commonwealth." I squared my shoulders. Well, at least no one is shooting at me in here and Bradson is a distant memory.

David looked at me. "Ma'am? I don't mean to be presumptuous ... is everything alright?"

"I ..." I trailed off, again not knowing what to say.

"If you don't mind me saying so, you look a little tired. Would you like to come to the office with me? Maybe Nick and Ellie can help."

"Okay."

He led me down the steps and through the market. We passed a young girl, waving a folded sheaf of paper. The girl's voice rang out, "Corruption in Goodneighbor, Hancock denies, read about it right here."

"Hey, Nat," David said. "Selling anything?"

"Always." She eyed me. "Who's your friend?"

David glanced to either side and lowered his voice. "This is the Vault Dweller."

Nat looked at me, raised an eyebrow. I could not miss the skepticism in her voice. "Okay." Without another word, she returned to hocking her document.

David moved on, frowning. "Sorry, she's usually more polite than that."

"It's fine."

David led me through the market, and into a makeshift alley. A bright red electric sign that read, "Detective" pointed the way. I said, "David, what is this office you work for?"

"For Nick Valentine," he said. He paused. "I mean, you know who he is, right?"

I cursed my sloppiness. I needed to stop asking questions that this Vault Dweller clearly knew the answers to. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."

"I've only worked for him for a little while but he's a great boss."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." David grinned. "I've just been in Boston two weeks. I came down from New Hampshire after my brother was killed. Nick took me under his wing and has had me helping him on cases. He sent me out to the Natick police station for this holotape." His grin faded. "My first solo assignment and I almost blew it. I found the holotape but the Gunners got the jump on me. I'm just glad you were there."

"You're welcome."

"Nick's out of town on a case at the moment but I'm sure he won't mind if you crash there for a few days. He's good like that. The back room has a few beds in it."

We turned into an even more narrow alley, at the end of which was an unassuming door. David wasted no time opening it and stepping inside. I followed.

The interior was clean but cluttered with various objects. Just looking around made my scavenger instincts twitch. There was so much in here I could have sold to the junk dealers in Ratchet Falls that me and Pops would have eaten well for a week.

Maybe coming to Boston wasn't a terrible idea, if this kind of stuff is that's laying around town.

A woman a few years older than me sat at a desk in the middle of the room. She glanced up from the page she read when we entered. "David, glad you made it back. Did you get it?"

"Hey, Ellie." He brandished the holotape with a grin. "I did, and I found someone."

Ellie's cool, collected gaze shifted to me. I swallowed hard. Something told me this woman would be a hell of a lot more difficult to dupe than David.

David rambled on. "I was hoping she could sleep here a few nights, Ellie. I know Nick's out of town but--"

"Nick's back," said a voice from behind us.

I spun in place and my jaw almost hit the floor.

David said, "You know Nick Valentine, right?"

I was mute, though it was not a matter of not wanting to reveal my hand. I was actually stunned to silence.

Detective Nick Valentine sauntered out of the back office. He wore a long coat over his shirt, tie, and pants, and a battered hat. It was an ostentatious get-up but that is not what held my attention. Yellow, inhuman eyes gazed at me. Nick's skin was some form of plastic and parts along his jaw and neck had flaked away, revealing his metal jawbone, wires, and circuits.

He gazed back at me. "What's the matter, young lady? You've never seen a synth before?"

My lip started to tremble.

"Don't be too hard on her, Nick." David patted my shoulder. "Besides, she can really help us."

"How's that?"

David's grin nearly split his face. "This is the Vault Dweller."

Nick and Ellie exchanged a glance and I suddenly had an overpowering urge to run.

The synth gazed at me. "The Vault Dweller. Is that right?"

I shivered. Nick's face displayed no emotion but the tone of his voice was a mixture of amusement and irritation. Well, I started this, may as well try to bluff my way out. I nodded. "Yes."

"Where's your dog?"

"Uhm, it died."

Nick nodded slowly. "Dogmeat is dead, eh? Very interesting."

From my left, I heard the hard click of a gun hammer cocking. So quietly I never heard her move, Ellie had crept alongside me and leveled a heavy pistol at my head.

"Ellie, what the hell are you doing?" David's voice was incredulous.

"Calm down, kid," Nick said. The expression on his artificial face still hadn't changed. Maybe it couldn't. He continued. "As long as Miss Imposter here doesn't make a move, Ellie won't have to fire."

"But she--"

"This isn't the Vault Dweller."

My voice stammered, "S-sure I am."

David gestured. "She has the vault suit, Nick. She's got red hair."

Nick chuckled. "David, you're so excited to get out there and prove yourself that you're going a hundred miles an hour with your hair on fire. That enthusiasm is good. But you've still got a lot to learn. First off, the Vault Dweller is closer to thirty-five than twenty-five and her hair is auburn, not strawberry blonde."

David frowned.

"Second, the Vault Dweller wears a suit from Vault 111. That's where her family died and she wears it as a personal memorial. She wouldn't wear a suit from Vault 81."

I started to shake.

"Some Vault 81 traders went missing last month," Nick muttered to himself. "Must be where the suit came from." His attention returned to me. "Third, this young lady claims Dogmeat is dead. I very much doubt that. I've seen that animal take a plasma grenade to the face. He lays down and whimpers for a few minutes, then gets up like nothing happened. He's survived falls off high buildings and even whole packs of feral ghouls only slow him down."

David gawked. "That's impossible."

"I would have thought so too, kid, but Dogmeat is no ordinary dog. If I had to guess, I'd bet the Institute and their experiments had something to do with it. I'd ask 'em ... if the Institute wasn't a smoking crater in the ground now." Nick plucked a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. "The point is, if there is something out there that can actually kill that mutt, I haven't seen it."

My throat was dry and my pulse pounded in my temple. Instinct told me to flee but the woman beside me was like steel. The barrel of her pistol sat unmoving, inches from my temple. Her finger was on the trigger and her eyes never wavered.

If I so much as breathed hard, she'd blow my head off.

David stared at me with a mix of chagrin and anger.

Nick lit a cigarette and inhaled, though the smoke puffed out the ruined side of his face and neck. "Last, I know this isn't the Vault Dweller for the simple reason that I know the Vault Dweller. She's a close friend, and I just got back from the northeast, where I put her on a boat to Far Harbor in Maine. She's going to check out a case up there, as a personal favor to yours truly. I just saw her, and her dog, shove off and leave, David, so there's no way you met her out at Natick which is in the opposite direction."

I'm dead.

"So why don't you tell me who you really are, lady, and what you're doing here." The detective's gaze bore into my own. "And let's not be all day about it."

To be continued ...

#

Thanks for reading, hope the non-fans of the game found it at least somewhat entertaining.

Fallout Note One: An early reader made a point about the cars blowing up being unrealistic, which I know. In the game universe, cars were powered by fission nuclear engines, which made them explosive. That's still unrealistic but it gave the game an excuse for things to go boom. I kept that here in the interest of being consistent with the game setting, versus reality. It won't be the last time that decision gets made in this story.