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From The Personal Recollection Of Leanne Walker

Amata was not happy with what she was hearing.

" .... Outside is MORE dangerous now?  Not just wild animals and radiation and mutants, but a WAR as well?"

I had to nod.  "Basically.   Most DC settlements are friendly enough, but there's only so much extra people they can take in, especially right now.  Of course, someone with a useful skillset ..."

"Like doctors," Amata mused, and then shuddered for some reason.  " .... And you're certain Vault 101 is the last one left?"

Sigh.  Even Amata was having trouble processing this.

"Four other Vault-Tec Vaults in the DC area.  Believe it or not, 101 is the pick of that crop even now.  Also an ... 'independant' Vault in first-class shape, but TecVault's presently surrounded by Enclave troops.  We HOPE that'll change soon but, in the mean time ...."  Amata slumped even more.  "Look.  It isn't quite as bad as you think, kiddo.  Megaton is a major trade hub AND a close neighbour.  101 is still viable both defensively and as living space, and people outside can help - IF you settle this fight, and open the doors."

A slow shake of the head, basic denial. "But, my father ..."

She was my friend, she was in a bad situation, and she was deeply conflicted by all that had happened.  I took a deep deep breath, and was about to give her a proper bawling out when .....

"AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"

The scream had us both out of the Classroom and running before another word could be said.  Just about all of the rebels were converging on, or already in,  the Clinic.  Where Susie Mack was noisily heaving in one corner, just outside the Clinic Office.

"I-I just went to see ... if Beatrice was-  Oh, God," and she doubled up again.  A few other early arrivals were also looking pretty green, as I pushed to the front, eased Mrs Palmer aside, and looked in.  I immediately  wished I hadn't.

Beatrice Armstrong had always been extremely nice to me in her own way but, in all fairness, I'd mainly found her annoying.  She'd been a bit sweet on Dad, liked really dumb stuff like Tarot cards, and persisted in talking to me as if I was six - all major sins to a feisty twelve-year-old.  But here she'd been.  In all my time in the Vault, Beatrice had always sung the praises of the Overseer, and seemed certain that 101 was Paradise.  But here she was ....

...  laid out on the desk, dead, most of her right leg gone.  Her face was peaceful, but the entire office interior had been sprayed with blood, her blood.  In the middle of this carnage, 101's resident robot, Andy, squatted on the floor in a powered-down state.  Around him were scattered assorted instruments, a couple of textbooks and a Medical Clipboard.  That last had been filled with an unintelligible hash of printing that abruptly ended with a neat 'I AM VERY SORRY'.

Amata was right behind me, got a good look, and added to the general consensus with her own "Oh God!".  I turned and pushed her back through the small crowd.

"You were using Andy as the DOCTOR?!!?"  I snarled, mad as hell - whether with myself, or Dad, or her, or the Overseer, or the Universe, I could not say.  But I never imagined they'd do something so stupid.

So desperate.

Amata flinched at my tone.  "We had no doctors left, not even a certified medic.  We needed a doctor, so my father ordered-"

"Your father again.  GEEZ!  Why not put Butch in the job?  At least he's good with a knife and scissors-"  I swallowed hard and lowered my voice.  "You saw that clipboard?  Andy tried to follow orders, ended up killing Beatrice by accident, and then shut himself down in remorse.  That's my guess."

Tears were in Amata's eyes, and she looked scared.  Of me?  Quite possibly.  " ...What now, Leanne?  No doctor, and-"

"It ends.  Your father and I have a talk."

She paled.  "Oh no, even with all he's done, he's my FATHER.  Please don't kill-"

"Amata.  THAT much ... is up to him."

^^^^^^^

I checked in with Cutter and Gary.  They were OK, and had not had any visitors as yet.  Told them to stay put.

Working my way through Vault 101 to the Admin Level was both harder and easier than I thought.  Harder in that several ways had been blocked with piled-up furniture and disabled doors.  Easier in that few people were about.  Not just the rebels were in hiding, it seemed.  No one wandered the corridors, almost everyone stayed in their quarters.  Sergeant Gomez and old Officer Taylor were patrolling the mid-levels, and I Stealthed by them without problem, but the rest of Security were lying low somewhere.  That last bothered me.

The roundabout trip did give me time to cool down, which was probably just as well.  I got up to the Admin Level without incident.

It was a little tidier there, less evidence of what had been going on.  I wondered if the Overseer had remained up here all that time.  Surely not.  Whatever I thought of him, he was the sort of boss who went out and about, looking over people's shoulders and lecturing them at every oppurtunity.

My first surprise came when passing the Security Office.  Someone was obviously being held in the lock-up there, so I had a closer look.

It proved to be Mr Brotch, my former high school teacher and another of the rebels.  If surprised by my appearance, he covered well, even joking about altering the G.O.A.T. test to include this situation in future.  Mr Brotch always did have an ... interesting sense of humour.

What else he had to say was not funny., having overheard Security Chief Wilkins talking to a couple of other Security people.  Basically, they were tired of the Overseer holding them back, and planned a full armed assault on the rebels to "end the whole damned thing in an hour or two".

We agreed that Mr Brotch would go back and warn the others, and turned to leave when ....

"Well, well, well.  Now, what do we have here?"  George Wilkins was not exactly original, but standing at the doorway with SMG at the ready, he obviously felt more than a little confident.

Mr Brotch froze, no blame to him.  I dragged him behind me.  "Officer Wilkins-"

"SECURITY CHIEF Wilkins to you, b#t#h!" he snarled.  The SMG was steady, pointed directly at my face.  "You never should have left, kid.  And now we'll make sure that nobody ever leaves again!"  A savage motion towards the lock-up.  "Back in there, both of you scum!"

I edged backwards, keeping Mr Brotch behind me.  To get through my armor, he would probably have to reload at least twice, but my having someone to protect complicated things.  Then again, he could see I had no gun, just a slung sword of all things, and he had no clue as to my reaction times.

Mr Brotch started breathing hard behind me.  I guessed he was working up to trying something brave / stupid.  I couldn't let him get hurt on my behalf so ....

"DOWN!" I yelled, grabbing a shoulder and shoving him down as I also ducked.  Wilkins's SMG started blasting BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM! with the burst going over both our heads.  The big problem is that, in semi-auto mode, you have to aim lowish because most firearms tend to ride up.  Most of Wilkins's burst went into the window behind us and then the ceiling.

Only, from my point of view, all this happened s-l-o-w-l-y, as I covered the ten feet between us at full speed.  Wilkins's eyes had just enough time to widen in disbelief, because no human being could possibly move that fast, right?  My left hand came across and chopped his right forearm HARD.  The SMG slowly tumbled out of that hand, and the forearm kind of bent around my hand in a way that it was never meant to.  CCRRRUUUNNNCCCHHHH!!!!  Somewhere in my head, a calm voice noted that maybe I could have pulled that punch a bit.

Using my momentum, my left leg became a pivot as my right leg came up and straightened abruptly, driving my foot into Wilkins's breastbone.  Even with the padding of his Security Armor, that had to hurt a lot.  He went down hard, and slid a couple of feet back into the corridor.

Mr Brotch shakily picked himself up off the floor, staring at me wide-eyed, "How the heck did you DO that, Walker?"

"No time to explain.  Go!"

I heard his running footsteps fade down the corridor, as I checked Wilkins.  He was not in good shape, but would probably live.  I noted that he wore size 11 Vault-Tec Security Issue boots, same size as whoever killed Steve Armstrong.  Hardly conclusive evidence in itself, but .... 

More footsteps came.  Slower and from the other direction, from the Overseer's Office.

Then an unpleasantly familiar voice spoke.

****************

Sorry for the delay.  Things, y'know?

Have to say that Amata certainly saves the LW's life in 'Escape!' and is undoubtedly a good and well-intentioned person besides, but some of her dialogue makes me want to Gibbs-slap her hard.