» Sun May 01, 2011 7:55 pm
-15-
Opening the Vault.
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As Officer Gomez led them through the war torn Vault 101, Amata and Steven marveled at how different things looked. Since they left, everything was thrown aside, papers and food cast on the ground. Gomez stopped near the steps to the clinic.
"This is as far as I can go. I may be less brutal than other security, but the rebels would still shoot me on sight. Good luck you two."
Officer Gomez left for the other section of Vault 101. As they walked up the stairs to the clinic, Butch met them, and, judging by the look on his face, was very mad at them.
"Well, well, well." Butch began, cocking his head slightly as he spoke. "Lookie what we have here. Mr and Mrs [censored]-up-everything-and-leave. Decided the big, bad outside was too mean for you? Want us to make you some milk and tuck you in bed?" Butch threw his head back and laughed hysterically. "Just what the hell are you two doing back here anyway?"
"Nice to see you too, Butch. I see you still have your wanna-be-bada*s persona." Amata retorted.
"Whatever." He said. "Why the hell are you two back?"
"Well," Steven began, "we got a distress signal that said you guys were in trouble. Where's Susie Mack?"
"Susie? She's right up in..."
He didn't have to finish his sentence; Susie was running towards them.
"Oh my GOD!" She exclaimed. "You're back! You came back! I knew you would! They said I was crazy, but I knew you would! Oh, thank you!!"
"We came when we heard you were in trouble." Steven said.
"Oh, thank you so much!!! Now you can help us!"
"Well, what can we do?"
"You're not going to believe this. The night you two left, I heard The Overseer saying we should have never let you in. So, I hacked into his computer, and it turns out the Vault WASN'T always closed! They opened it up right after we were born! They've been feeding us lies!"
They both knew that already, but tried to act surprised.
"So now you want to open the Vault?" Amata interjected.
"It's not fair that they want to keep us locked up! We KNOW the truth, we KNOW that the Vault's been open. Please, you have to help us!"
"Well..." Steven thought for a moment. "Alright. What do you want us to do?"
"Allen Mack is the Overseer now. He's threatening to kill us all if we don't surrender! Please, go up the Overseer's office and talk some sense into him. We don't want anyone else dead. Be careful."
Amata and Steven agreed, and followed the steps down the clinic and into the Atrium. When they were outside the Overseer's office, a security guard approached them.
"You two never should have left. Time to die, traitors!"
Before the guard had a chance to attack, Amata swiftly killed him. This scene reminded Steven of their first foray into combat. Yet now, Amata was so battle hardened, so brilliant with a gun, and yet, at the same time, so delicate and beautiful to him.
When they finally reached the Overseer's office, Allen Mack stared at them with undisguised contempt.
"Well now." he said, looking at them glaringly, "It looks like the traitors want back into the Vault. Done with the Wasteland, hmm? Want someone to protect you again?"
"You have to open the Vault." Steven said, getting straight to the point.
"And why would I do that? So our population can be slaughtered at the hands of the wasteland? So we can lose our only safe haven in the world? I'm not stupid."
"Come on," Amata interrupted, "you need to be reasonable. You..."
"Being reasonable has not helped anyone else in the past. And it will not help you. Goodbye."
Allen Mack pulled out his gun. He was about to shoot them dead, but fortunately, they were quicker, and gunned him down in a pool of blood.
"Oh my god." Amata said. "I...he was about to kill us...but did we have to kill him?"
"Maybe;maybe not. But Susie won't be happy."
And she wasn't. Rather, she was stunned.
"I just heard," she began as soon as they came, "that you killed Allen Mack. Now, everyone wants me to be the Overseer. Well, now, we can open the Vault for good."
"We're glad we could help." Amata said. "Now, the Vault can finally be opened."
"Yes, finally. But, unfortunately, something is going to have to change."
"I think I know what it is." Steven said.
"You saved us all. And we'll never forget you for it. But practically everyone here hates you. We just can't have you stay. You're heroes...and you have to leave."
So they left. This time, for good.
As they Vault door closed behind them, Amata spat on it.
"Ungrateful jerks." She said angrily. "If I were her, I never would've done that."