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[calmhrtprevails]

The door opens on a vista of rocky landscape punctuated here and there by yellowed, rough-edged grass and low, scrubby brush. There's a hint of coolness on the breeze in the otherwise warming air, and a scent of distant rain. "We are," Fawkes rumbles, "some hours' distance from the Citadel. We're likely to stop at the town of Megaton first, and then make for the Arlington route the rest of the way."

Comments

[cantdiequiteyet]

She acknowledges that, as well.

"The dangers don't concern me," she says mildly. "I have been told of them, though."

[calmhrtprevails]

"Very well," says Lyons, although he can't quite keep a trace of dubiousness out of his tone. "If you're certain...."

There may, perhaps, be a certain air of 'better her than me' among the armored soldiers currently present.

"How much have you been told of the plan beyond that?"

[cantdiequiteyet]

"That we're going to plant," she pauses only a second to remember the word, "explosives, to destroy the vault and make sure no more mutants can be produced."

She can't fight the feeling she's being examined, but that's probably just habit more than anything else.

"It's more efficient than killing them one by one."

[calmhrtprevails]

Lyons nods. "Fawkes' kind," he says, "cannot reproduce themselves naturally. The only place we've found in thousands of miles of travel that's had the substance necessary to create more mutants is here, in that Vault. Once it's destroyed, there will be no others- at least, to our knowledge."

"There is, however, one complication."

[cantdiequiteyet]

If only they could do that for yoma, huh?

Teresa glances to Fawkes to see if he knew of this complication. even as she does so, however, she asks, "what is the complication?"

[calmhrtprevails]

"I was afraid this might happen," mutters Fawkes. "Is it the children?"

"It is," confirms Lyons. "Vault 87's front entrance is barred to most humans thanks to the deadly radiation levels. Its emergency exit, however, opens onto Lamplight Caverns- the home of a community of children. We've attempted to make contact with them in advance of this mission, to warn them of the possible dangers, but their leader refuses to speak with... ah... 'mungos'. Most of us, anyway."

[cantdiequiteyet]

"Oh," says Teresa.

If she looks worried, it's because her experience with children so far has pushed her out of her comfort zone rather.

"'Most?'"

[calmhrtprevails]

"A mungo," says Fawkes, "is anyone older than perhaps sixteen. My friend was able to gain their trust once, through the aid of another child, but she's assigned elsewhere."

"If they cannot be warned," says Lyons, "or, preferably, evacuated, then we must take whatever measures possible to seal and lock down the chambers leading to the Vault's emergency exit. Either the explosion or the mutants themselves will escape otherwise, and either one would be disastrous."

[cantdiequiteyet]

"Yes," Teresa agrees.

There's a thing now. Something awoken just before her death. At one point she wouldn't have minded about the kids, but not now.

"We'll let them know."

[calmhrtprevails]

"My thanks," says Elder Lyons. "We'll provide you with a map of the facility, which you can review during the Vertibird trip there. Is there anything else you need to know?"

[cantdiequiteyet]

Shaking her head, Teresa glances at Fawkes to see if he has anything to add.

[calmhrtprevails]

"It's possible," Fawkes says, "that there may be prisoners. Some of them may require final mercy. Will that be a problem, for you?"

He's thinking of Sid, who he and Ellen encountered. Sid had gone so far around the bend that he tried to attack one of the centaurs with his teeth.

[cantdiequiteyet]

"No," Teresa says. "If it's what they need, that's okay."

She's not famed for mercy, after all.

[calmhrtprevails]

"Very well," says Lyons. "In that case, the sooner this is begun, the better. I'll have the Scribes bring you that map, and the Vertibird will be ready for boarding and travel shortly. You'll be accompanied by three of our Paladins, in the interest of providing surface cover."

[cantdiequiteyet]

"OK."

Another glance to Fawkes. She wasn't counting on too much accompaniment, but Teresa figures it will be OK.

She's getting bored now, though. It'll be nice to get out.

[calmhrtprevails]

"They won't be coming into the Vault with us," Fawkes notes. "Their job will be to ensure we have a clear exit path once the bombs are set."

"Speaking of which," says an armored fellow with dark brown skin and just-barely-past-the-stubble-stage black hair, "the devices've been loaded onto the Vertibird. My name's Kodiak, and I'm going to be flying this mission, so if you don't mind following me I'd like to get started."

[cantdiequiteyet]

"Alright."

Teresa turns again to Lyons and honors him with a bow, before turning back to Kodiak. "I'm ready."

[calmhrtprevails]

Lyons returns the bow. Kodiak nods and heads for the stairs, the two former humans and three other Paladins in tow.

"Ever flown before, ma'am?" Kodiak asks over his shoulder. "I know Fawkes has."

[cantdiequiteyet]

"No, never."

Jumping doesn't count, and Teresa never had that ability that some full-yoma have.

"Do I needs to do anything?"

[calmhrtprevails]

"Nope," says Kodiak. "Just get in the Vertibird-"

As they reach the Bailey, he gestures towards a big, metal thing with a vague resemblance to some sort of insect.

"-sit down, and hold on tight. Once we take off, we'll be at the Vault 87 drop zone in about ten minutes."

[cantdiequiteyet]

Teresa keeps her eyes on the strange thing as they approach, working things out silently.

It's a vehicle. A flying device, that she's going to get in and a human is going to use it to fly somewhere, with her in.

It's remarkable.

Still, you wouldn't know it from her lack of expression.

[calmhrtprevails]

Fawkes opens the massive side door of the vehicle, one handed, and looks to the others. "After you," he says with a sweeping gesture. "Mind your head. It's easy to misjudge the size of the door."

[cantdiequiteyet]

Teresa does as he says: minding her head by looking up and focusing on the door as she approaches.

It's not her head that's the issue, of course, but the hilt of her oversized broadsword, for which she bends forward at the waist in order to step through.

Inside, she stands and looks around for a few seconds, waiting for the others before she chooses a place to sit.

[calmhrtprevails]

It's about a big enough space for eight humans to sit, unarmored; it just fits the three armored humans and Teresa and Fawkes. The walls are lined in some stuff Teresa probably won't recognize- padded vinyl- and the seats are covered in material that looks like leather cushions, but isn't. It's all been meticulously cleaned and repaired down to the smallest detail, even the little nicks and dents from the edge of armor-pieces and the grazes in the wall from the butts of guns.

The door closes behind Teresa, and a whup whup whupwhupwhup sound begins, as the whole thing starts to vibrate...

[cantdiequiteyet]

She sits down hard on one of the chairs, and remains in a formal looking upright position as the noise continues.

When the vehicle begins to move and to rise, her smile reappears.

"This is flying?"