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From The Personal Recollection Of Leanne Walker (Continued)

"So, the Prodigal Daughter returns, does she?  Chasing Daddy in Outside's hell prove too much?"

Yeahhhh.  Him.  I turned and faced Alphonse Almodovar, a.k.a. 'The Overseer', reminding myself that provocation was all he had right now.   He was ... smaller, though that might have been an illusion.  He also looked tired and, like everybody else here, certainly thinner.

"Hello, Alphonse ... "  Damned if I would call him 'Overseer' ever again.  He blinked at that.  " ... For your information, Doctor James Walker died a few months ago, in an act of heroism .... "  He thought on that for a beat, and was about  to say something when I added, "... And if you BELIEVE, looking at me now, that I've survived all this time by hiding under rocks and eating slime ... well, you should get your eyes checked."

A quick flush of anger at that.  "And here you are, young woman.  All set to kill the Evil Dictator, and restore Freedom and Democracy to the Vault?  Well, I wish you luck, because you'll definitely need it-"

"I'm not here to kill you."  Necessarily, I silently added.  "It wouldn't bring Jonas back, and neither he nor my father would have wanted that kind of revenge."

"Hm.  And here I had expected you to be full of bullets and bravado, but short on brains.  Perhaps you've grown up since you left our Vault.  I regret the unfortunate events of that night, but I'm afraid that once your father left us, they were unavoidable.  The sad truth is that his actions presented a real and direct threat to the future success of our Vault. And so, regrettably, they had to be opposed."

Did this b##t##d ever have just one moment of uncertainty or remorse in his entire life?  I had to wonder.  "'Future success?'  Even without the rebelllion, Vault 101is dying, and people know there is a world outside."

"I can't imagine you're still so naive after time in that hell outside.  None of them know what the outside is like, and most of them would die out there.  Then the rest of us inside would eventually die out, too.  I won't risk all of our lives just for a few people's passing fancy of taking a Wasteland vacation.  I hope you can understand that."

One word answer.  "Statistics."

He blinked again at that, definitely confused.  "What?"

"You don't recall?  Amata and I were 11, and learning about statistics in school.  We had to do a project, so came up with doing our own Vault census."

Of course, for a proper census, the new data had to be compared with old data, meaning Vault records.  And, OH BOY, did that innocent idea of Amata's lead to trouble.  I recalled sitting in the Lock-up for a few hours, a royal haranguing from the Overseer, the Head of Security and a few others, for 'Attempted Access Of Classified Materials'.  I didn't even SEE anything, just tried to access a little-used set of files via an Admin terminal (Amata's idea again - she knew where the key was).

Dad wasn't happy.  Not many adults were.  But it was the most interesting (and scandalous) thing to happen in 101 for years.  Despite Amata being there when caught, I was blamed for what happened, and copped extra studies and three months of after-school "remedial training" (my first major stint in Maintenance).  Amata got off lightly, despite her loud protests (she was all set to carry her share of the blame, and then some), and was merely "restricted" for a couple of months.

 That was probably when I began losing all regard for how the Vault was run, and a lot of people started thinking of me as 'a troublemaker'.  I mean, how many Vault-kids have 'Criminal Offense: Espionage'  on their file?  Top that, Butch.

Here and now, Alphonse's face twisted with concentration, "I-I do recall..."

"Of course you do.  Usually, only historians find that stuff interesting, I reckon.  So why were those old files classified?  Probably for the same reason that there are so many empty spaces in the Vault - and all those doors to places marked 'Off Limits'.  How big was Vault 101 originally?  A lot bigger, I'd say.  But after 200 years, the population here isn't stable, it's CRASHING."

"You're insane!"  But that response sounded rehearsed, almost reflexive.  "Vault 101 remains a healthy community, humanity's last hope for the future -"  His voice ran down.

"Healthy?  With your security force all set to wipe out the rebels?"

"WHAT!?!?"  He bellowed that in absolute fury, and Wilkins, still lying on the floor, stirred and groaned on cue.  "Those FOOLS!  I told them, no violence-!"  Alphonse glared at him and then back at me, teeth clenched and breathing hard.  Interesting, that he accepted that claim of mine as truth.  Then his anger slowly ebbed away.

Into the slience, I said, "You KNOW this has to be done.  The only way for the Vault to survive is to open up again, and STAY open."

He thought on it, turned the idea around a few times. "You expect me to believe that the only way is to is to let them travel out in the Wastes and mingle with those savages?  I suppose it would allow them to stay alive, and we could still keep the Vault as our safe haven.  But it'd require a new type of leader.  And I know only one person with the proper attitude to do that.  I'll inform my daughter Amata that she is the new Overseer, effective immediately."

I felt a little weak with relief.  The 'Savages' thing I let slide.  Insulting pretty much everyone in the Wasteland, yeah, but debate was not worth the bother.  Hopefully, Alphonse would live long enough to learn better, and maybe even become ashamed of what he'd said here.

A girl can dream.

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

Several minutes later, he was in the Main Classroom, quietly talking with Amata.  I stood just out of earshot, but could tell when Amata got the news.  Her imnediate reaction was classic, going pop-eyed and saying loudly, "ME?"

The conversation continued for just a couple more minutes, then Alphonse Almodovar, now ex-Overseer, turned and walked from the room.  Amata just stood there, obviously stunned by the sudden turn of events.

I moved closer, gave her a smile, "Congratulations, Overseer."

"Overseer?"  She mumbled, then. "What on earth did you SAY to my father?  I was so worried that-"

"Guess you'd call it a 'frank and honest exchange of viewpoints', " I told her.  "No violence.  All quite polite."

"You and my father?"  She smiled at that, and looked distracted.  "... So much has to be done.  The Vault is a mess, and the people .... "

"If I can help ..."

Amata reached her first decision quickly.  "Thank you, and you can.  Lee, the Vault will need some quiet time, to repair, and for the people to come to terms with all that has happened.  A lot of people here certainly blame you for all the problems, and that isn't fair, but I have to ask you to leave ... "  A slight catch in her voice, I knew this wasn't easy for her,  " ... And not return.  I'm sorry."

Truth be told, banishment from 101 did not bother me.  Not now.  Already been there, done that, I guess.  I had just enough sentiment for my ex-home to wish certain of its inmates well, but that was it.  "Sure thing, Amata.  We stay away.  No problem."  I immediately started working with my Pip-Boy.

Amata was certainly put out by my almost casual acceptance of exile.  "Leanne, this is serious.  I am not kid-"  Her Pip-Boy bleeped loudly.  "Uh, what's this?"

I began pointing.  ".... THAT is the frequency for a radio station downtown.  Galaxy News Radio.  Reliable news for all over the Wastes so, whatever else you do, listen to this guy.  Really.  THIS is a set of comm frequencies for both my group and the Potomac Alliance - for if you need help or advice, or just want to talk to outsiders.  THIS is a detailed map of the DC area - places you can visit and trade at, good scavving areas, places to avoid, and so on.  For when you open the Vault ..."

"Leanne, I .... Thank you."

".... AND you'll find a pile of medical supplies just inside your front door - Stimpacks, Radaway, that sort of thing.  You've still no Doctor, but Megaton has a good one, and so does Fort Alissa, my place."  Darn if I wasn't tearing up just a teeny bit.  "... Amata ..."

She was getting a little teary too, perhaps.  "... Lee ..." 

"...  This place, not returning here doesn't bother me.  Truly.  But you .... you were my best friend all the time I lived here, and I treasure that."

We hugged, and cried a little, before we went our respective ways.  A Vault Overseer hugging the person she exiled as her first official act?  That had to be one for any Vault history.