Crawlout Through the Fallout - Ch. 04

He just faced down nine other mutants. For us? I swallowed. "Strong?"

He looked at me. "Yes, girl-human?"

"T-thank you for that--for defending us." I touched his arm and smiled.

"Yes, of course." His hand clamped over mine--hard enough to make me wince--but Strong only grinned. "No one eat Strong's friends except Strong."

#

I gazed at the cube-like, unassuming building.

Poseidon Energy. At last.

The trip south had been pretty harrowing. Having Strong along made it a different dynamic than the previous expedition of Nick, and David, and me. Then, we'd all been pretty relaxed with each other and only had to be concerned about the external threats.

I watched Strong tear apart a full-grown radscorpion--meaning, it was the size of a brahmin--with his bare hands. The hulking super mutant was a good deterrent for anything that wanted to move in on us. At the same time, I knew I wasn't the only one nervous about having him along. David kept one eye on Strong the whole time. He also kept himself between me and the green-skinned bruiser. I didn't think it would matter much if Strong turned on us but I appreciated that he was trying to take care of me.

We'd had almost had an incident at the ruins of Quincy, where the mercenary Gunners had one of their major outposts. Strong didn't like the Gunners--which shocked no one, since he didn't like anybody--and had wanted to charge in and attack. It had taken all three of us to talk him down. From a quick head count of what we could see, it looked like there had only been twenty or so of the mercenaries present, so it might have been an even fight, but it was a delay we didn't need.

Then, right after that, we had duck low and wait as a deathclaw ambled across the lower ground about fifty yards in front of us. Nick had said the only reason it hadn't attacked was the wind was blowing from the south, meaning it couldn't smell us.

I had gawked at the ten-foot-tall lizard walking on its back legs, with a mouth full of fangs, curved claws like scythes, and red, hungry eyes. It looked like something out of a nightmare, like the kind of beast humans would have invented in their campfire tales, back in the day when they were still living in caves and the gloom of night held nothing but menace. But it had been there, right in front of me, no matter how many times I had blinked my eyes to wish it away. And the fact that Strong, after everything else, had seemed content to let it wander past without wanting to rush out to engage it, was as good an indicator as any that I really didn't want it to see us.

But we'd made it past all that and now we were at the building. I know I should have been scared but by now, my anger warred with my fear. I'd gotten to know and respect Nick over the last week. Artificial or not, David had been right--Nick was a great person and a great boss. I thought of Magnolia and even though memories of our encounter were confusing, the vision of her falling dead at the drop of a switch--or worse, becoming some kind of assassin--infuriated me. I remembered the poor man that had been dragged out of our caravan and killed. Every time I thought of him, I saw the terror and desperation in his eyes.

I growled to myself. "We're not letting these bastards get away with this."

David gripped my arm. "No, we're not."

I studied the building, looking for signs of movement. Sure enough, I spotted a quartet of armored knights by the main doors, and a lone sentinel on the roof, marching back and forth. Beyond him, I saw a short tower with a rotating curve of metal at the peak.

Nick laid the Fat Man on the ground and unslung his pack. He removed two small egg-shaped bombs with stabilizing fins attached. He loaded one into the launcher and looked around at all of us. "David, the guy on the roof; when he turns away from us, do you think you can hit the fusion core in the back of his armor?"

David hefted Long Nelly, peered through the scope, and watched the patroller for a moment. "Yeah, I think so. Will that immobilize him? He's carrying a missile launcher, which means if it doesn't, he'll be firing back at us."

"If you hit the core cleanly, it will either immobilize his armor or the core will detonate and blow him in half."

David thought about that, then nodded. "Good."

"Okay. We're going to let you kick this off. As soon as you shoot, I'm lobbing this mini-nuke at the front door, and loading the second one. The moment more emerge, I'll fire. After the second nuke, Strong, you charge, right through the hole this is going to make."

"Strong charge, kill them all."

I cringed. The super mutant's voice was painfully loud in the silence.

"David, you stay here on overwatch. If you can make a positive ID on any hostiles or catch anyone heading towards the building, put them down."

David looked at me and I could tell that he was concerned about leaving me but he only nodded.

Nick continued. "Beth, as soon as Strong clears the path, we go in. The worst of the radiation from the nukes should have subsided by then but you're probably going to soak up some rads. You may feel a little queasy but don't worry. I have couple of doses of RadAway for afterward, just in case. We charge in and find Symington DeLaurier. I'm guessing he's on the second floor, to be closer to the transmitter."

"Do we need him alive?

"Nah," Nick said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Either way is good. If Charlene Baxter is in there, you may want to spare her depending on how this plays out. I don't know how much of a true believer she is, or if she's an unwitting dupe."

I'd almost forgotten how we'd gotten involved in this in the first place. Baxter was an Initiate, the lowest rank in the Brotherhood. If she'd taken a full dose of their gospel, we might not be able to talk her down.

Cross that bridge when we get there.

"All right," Nick said. "Any questions?"

Nobody said a word.

"Okay. Give me two minutes to get into position, David. Then fire when you're ready and I'll launch the mini-nuke. Oh, when I do, don't look directly at the blast." Nick hunched and moved away.

I rubbed my sweaty palms in the dirt.

"Never fear, girl-human." Strong clapped me on the back, all but sending me sprawling. "You do fine. We kill Brotherhood. Strong like you and boy-human. Not eat, even after we done here."

"You won't? Why not?"

David sputtered in disbelief, his voice a hiss. "Beth, shut up!"

Strong peered at me for a moment. His voice was pensive. "You remind Strong of Vault Dweller. You have big heart and are good companion. Strong likes that. Strong likes you. You can call Strong friend."

"What about Nick?"

The super mutant shrugged. "I pull roboman's arms off some other time."

Nick wormed his way behind a concrete barricade. He glanced back to us and signaled.

David took a deep breath. "All right. Here we go." He raised his rifle.

On impulse, I grabbed him. "David?"

He lowered his eyes from the scope. "What?"

I mashed my mouth into his. My tongue darted past his lips for just a second. I massaged his upper lip between mine and stroked his cheek. When I pulled back, I gave that same cheek a light pat, and I smiled. "Good luck."

"You too." His answering grin made my stomach flutter.

"No time for that," Strong barked. "Time to fight! Fight now, mate later!"

David raised Long Nelly again. He flipped down a small bipod attached just behind the rifle's muzzle, and rested it on the rubble. I watched the tip of the barrel wiggle as he settled in on his target. I gripped my combat rifle in both hand. The more I thought about charging in, the more anxious I got. My heart pounded in my ears and my blood roared through my veins.

The crack of the rifle made me jump. Almost simultaneous with the discharge, the rooftop lit with the blue-white explosion as the knight's fusion core detonated. Metal parts--and body parts--tumbled in every direction.

Nick rose and pulled the trigger. The mini-nuke arced towards its target.

For a split-second, I was so disappointed. I'd been expecting a massive beam of energy or something streaking like a rocket. I tracked the nuke like someone had tossed a ball.

The four knights at the entrance, who had taken cover when the one on the roof exploded, jumped up and ran for the door as fast as their power armor would let them.

A rough hand gripped me around the face, blocking my vision. I grabbed at the hand but it was like steel. "Strong, what the hell?"

"Roboman says you not look."

I opened my mouth to reply but the world was suddenly lit by a hellish incandescence that was so bright and intense that even behind the opaque block of Strong's fingers, pain stabbed into my eyes. Before I could reconcile that, high-pitched shriek blasted past us, and I honestly would have fallen if the super mutant hadn't been holding me. Intense heat washed over my skin and was then gone, and the ear-shattering explosion faded to a dull rumbling.

"Strong, let go."

He did. I focused on the front door and froze.

The entrance of Poseidon Energy was a shattered mess. Where the double doors had stood, a thirty-foot gap now yawned in the side of the building. Fires dotted the area around the sundered entrance. Of the four Brotherhood members, there was no sign.

"Good shooting, roboman! Now Strong go to work!" Strong reared out of cover and barreled toward the gap.

"No, Strong, we have to wait for the second--" But he was already out and running. I looked at Nick, who shrugged, as if saying, Time to improvise. Nick and I stood at the same time and ran in Strong's wake.

A Brotherhood knight emerged just as Strong reached the entrance. The solider leveled their weapon and fired. A beam of light leaped from the laser rifle, striking Strong in the chest. The super mutant roared in pain, lowered himself in his charge, and crashed into the knight, carrying them both into the building. Another laser beam shot from within, followed by the sound of crumpling metal, and a detached armored arm tumbled out, flinging drops of blood.

I followed Nick through the gap, and into the cavernous room, that seemed to be some kind of production floor. My skin prickled as residual radiation washed over me but with my adrenaline pumping, I barely felt it. My eyes darted back and forth, seeking targets. Strong had pushed to the far side of the room, carrying three knights--or parts of three knights--with him. Lasers and bullets filled the air.

"Up there!" Nick pointed to a metal staircase and charged up. I followed.

A bullet zinged past and struck the stairs, spraying sparks across us. I spied below us what I presumed was a Brotherhood member, though not a knight, in leathers and a cowl. The man raised his weapon to fire again, only to duck and roll away to evade Strong's attack. The mutant bellowed, gave pursuit, and they both left our field of vision. A few seconds later, we reached the second floor, which was a series of catwalks connecting metal rooms overlooking the factory floor.

Nick's heavy pistol was in his hand. He motioned and I followed him along the catwalk to what looked like a sealed room with windows overlooking the floor. We came to a closed set of double-doors. He reached for the handle.

I heard the whir of servos and clank of tiny motors, and dread struck me. I lurched to the side. "Nick, get back, it's--"

An armored knight crashed through the doors in a spray of wood and splinters. He tackled Nick and the two of them toppled from the catwalk and plummeted to the floor below. The last thing I heard from Nick was, "Beth! Keep going!"

I darted inside the room.

To my left, a Brotherhood member--also dressed in a long leather coat, trousers, and a cowl--stood to the left, clutching a pistol. Her eyes widened when she saw me and she raised her gun. I responded without thinking; I spun and fired twice. My first round clipped her shoulder. The second punched through her upper chest. The woman fell.

I took in the rest of the room. There was a ton of salvage laying around but I couldn't concentrate on that. I ran to the other set of doors, opened them, and across the long catwalk, which led to another set of doors. I listened for a moment before opening the door.

A middle-aged, thin balding man sat at one of the desks, tapping away at a computer terminal. He peered over top his glasses. Tufts of white hair protruded from the sides of his head, like the fronds of some weird fern. I recognized the description Nick had given me.

Symington DeLaurier.

He frowned without looking up from his terminal. "Shut the door, you're letting in a draft."

I stepped in, not bothering to close it. "DeLaurier, stop what you're doing. Step away from the terminal."

His only response was to snort. He still hadn't looked at me.

I raised my rifle. "I mean it."

The slamming door caught my attention. I whirled.

A woman in her late teens stood behind me. She was pretty, in a pleasant, every-girl kind of way, with short brown hair, brown eyes, and smooth cheekbones. She was dressed as the other Brotherhood members who weren't in power armor.

She also had an automatic pistol, which she held pointed at my head.

Shit. I didn't even look to the side when I came in. Good going, Beth.

The other woman motioned to the floor. "Drop the rifle and put your hands up."

I did.

DeLaurier finally acknowledged us. "Thank you, Charlene."

"You're Charlene Baxter?" I blurted.

"That's Initiate Baxter to you, wastelander."

"Why are you helping this maniac?"

"The Brotherhood is helping him rid the Commonwealth of those abominations you call synths." Baxter spat at my feet. "They all deserve to die for what they've done."

I turned back to the other man. "DeLaurier, you better stand down. My friends will be here any moment."

"Oh, your rogue synth and the super mutant?" He smiled. "They might finish off the troops downstairs but it'll be too late. I've already sent a distress signal. A vertibird with reinforcements is on its way. They'll handle your pet powerhouse."

I started to say that the knights that were here hadn't even slowed down Strong, so why would more matter, when DeLauier brought me up short with his maniacal cackle. "And I've started my upload. The program is compiling. In five minutes, the transmitter on the roof will send the signal. When it does, every synth in the Commonwealth will drop dead, including your detective friend."

"Drop dead or be your slaves, you mean."

He didn't respond.

Baxter frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The signal isn't going to wipe out all the synths, Baxter. He's going to keep the third gens as his personal assassination force."

She flicked her eyes at him, then back to me. "Bullshit."

I shifted and was reminded of the pistol tucked in my belt at the small of my back, under the tail of my flannel shirt. Maybe I'm not the only amateur here. They didn't even search me for more weapons. I swallowed hard and jerked my head at DeLaurier. "Ask him. See if he can lie to you."

Baxter looked at DeLaurier, who held up his hands in a supplicating gesture. "Don't listen to her."

"What's she talking about?"

"Charlene, it's very complicated."

"No, it's not," she said. Her head whipped back to me. "How do you know this?"

"From his computer terminal at University Point."

"Impossible!" DeLaurier said. "Nobody can break that encryption."

"Except a synth detective," I said, "who jacked himself into the computer and uploaded his personality. He got it all, DeLaurier: the lies you told to the Brotherhood, your plans to keep the third gens and turn them into coursers." In spite of the danger, I couldn't resist a little smirk. "Too bad Nick busted your firewall."

Baxter turned back to DeLaurier. "Is that true?"

"No, uh..."

Her eyes widened, catching the lie on his face, then narrowed. "You son of a bitch!"

Faster than I would have thought possible, DeLaurier pulled his own pistol and pointed it at her. "Now there, Initiate Baxter, you need to stay still. It'll all be over in a few moments."

"You lying bastard, you said this would kill them all."

"What a waste that would be. I'll have firm control over them and they'll do my bidding. With this force under my control, we'll finally have some law and order in the Commonwealth."

"You mean everyone will be in fear of your slaves," I spat.

"Enough. Charlene, put your gun down and step away." She hesitated and he cocked the hammer. "Now."

Mouth trembling, Baxter placed her pistol on the nearest desk and took three steps back. DeLaurier collected her gun, then retreated to his terminal, keeping his weapon on us the whole time. When he got back there, he said, "Now we're just going to wait here for a few minutes." His terminal beeped. DeLaurier brow's creased. He glanced at the screen, set his gun down, and reached for the keyboard.

Now!

I grabbed the pistol from my rear waistband. DeLaurier saw me and went for his own gun. We fired at the same time.

My shot slammed into his forehead. DeLaurier's eyes glazed and he crumpled to the floor without a word.

I heard a grunt of pain and spun in time to see Charlene fall. DeLaurier's round had hit her in the stomach. I knelt next to her. Her hands rested on the wound. There was blood everywhere.

She gazed at me. Crimson trickled from the corner of her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. Her voice was so soft I almost couldn't hear her. "It hurts."

"I know." I mean, I didn't know how it felt to be gutshot but I'd seen it enough. "You have to lie still."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"I hope not." I fumbled at my belt pouch and withdrew one of the stimpacks. I tore the plastic covering from the needle. "Hold still."

The girl winced when I plunged the needle into her torso and pressed the plunger. I said, "You're going to have to put pressure on the wound until I can get back."

"O-okay."

I rose and ran to the terminal but it was locked. I had no idea if I smashed it if that would be enough. "Which way to the roof?"

She stared at me.

"Which way, goddamn it?"

Baxter pointed with one shaky finger to a single door. I pulled it open, revealing a set of concrete steps, climbing up. I sprinted, taking the steps two at a time. The flight ended in another single door, which I also opened and emerged onto the roof. Almost immediately, my toe connected with something hard. I tripped and I nearly fell. I glanced down and felt my stomach twist; the "something" was a severed leg, still encased in power armor.

My eyes were drawn to a tripod steel spire that stood about fifteen feet tall. At the tower's apex, a folded sheet of metal, shaped like a dish, spun in a rapid motion. Another computer terminal, about eye-height, displayed a blinking countdown, which showed the words, "Signal Transmission," and a reducing number, now under two minutes.

I started forward but stopped. I had to destroy it... but had no idea how. If we were still outside, I would have had Nick use the Fat Man. If Strong were up here, he would have ripped it apart in two seconds. If I could ask David, he probably could have figured out how to shoot it up. But none of them were there.

It was up to me.

But how... I stiffened. David's words came back to me: he's carrying a missile launcher.

I whirled, searching the rooftop until I spotted the knight's long tubular weapon laying to the side. I forced myself to slow down, before I accidentally pulled the trigger, fired a round into the rooftop right at my feet, and blew myself to pieces. I picked up the weapon and both it and the two extra missiles strapped to its side looked undamaged. It was loaded.

The computer terminal's countdown reached thirty seconds.

I backed as far away from the transmitter as I could, to where the heels of my boots were on the edge of the roof. I know it wasn't out of shrapnel range but I didn't have a lot of choices. I hefted the tube, sighting down the barrel.