Author’s Note: Sorry for the long wait. School’s been a pain for me as of late since I’m a Senior in high school and I need to do all these Senior things and get ready for the big day and all. And writers block really didn’t help either. XD But I want to say thank you to stlouisfan who helped me in the writing of this chapter. Thanks dude!
Chapter 4: The Final Clue
After a day and a half of waddling, Private could make out something in the distance along the rocky landscape. It was large and gray, but at this distance he couldn't tell what it was. But as he got closer, he could make out the shape of a large ship. From what he had seen in history books, he believed it was called an aircraft carrier.
As he got closer, he could see a bridge connected to the main structure. Next to that was a ramp leading up to it. He decided the best way to get to the ship was over the bridge. He walked up the ramp and over the bridge towards the ship. In the distance he could see a couple of figures. They looked like a couple of penguins like himself. Private was feeling that was going to be a breeze... that is until one of the guards pointed a rifle at him.
"Alright flippers up!" she yelled, and Private complied by throwing his flippers into the air. "State your business!"
Private stammered a bit but was finally able to say, "I I'm j-j-just he-here to find m-mah-my father. I... I was told that he... was coming here."
The guard however wasn't yet convinced.
"Sure you are. Why would he be here? We don't let anyone in here unless they have business here," the guard demanded.
Private didn't know what he could do, so he just said what was at the top of his head.
"His name is Skipper from Vault 101. He gave me this Pip-Boy when I was only ten. Will that convince you?" Private said, as he pointed at his Pip-Boy.
The guard perked up at the mention of Skipper's name and walked over to Private, with her rifle still pointing at him. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his flipper down and took a look at the Pip-Boy. As she stared at it, her eyes went wide and she released her grip on him.
"Okay I've seen enough. You may enter," the guard said, as she walked out of the way.
Private blinked a couple of times and then walked over to the door that led inside of Rivet City. He went inside and followed the directions that led him to the science lab. In there he saw a dolphin in a science coat, Private thought she might know something since his dad has a good history with most scientist.
“Um, excuse me,” said Private.
“Look,” began the dolphin. “This is a restricted area. I’m tired of telling animals that I-...wait. It’s you! My heavens, you look so much like him, just without the flat head.”
“You know who I am, have we ever met?”
“Only when you were a baby, and now you’re so much older. My name is Doctor Doris and I’ve worked with your father for many years. Your mother as well, in fact. I can’t believe you’re here though. I’m not sure what to think anymore...”
“What do you mean, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. This have just been stressful times since your dad’s came back after all these years. I...we want to put all of this behind us. Project Purity, our work, all of it. We’ve moved on, even if your father hasn’t.”
“What’s Project Purity?”
“All the water in the Wasteland is filled with radiation, and if anyone were to drink too much of it, they would get radiation poison. But your parents spent years trying to find a way to make the water clean and drinkable again. But they were never able to get it to work, and your dad worked twice as hard once your mother died but still nothing.”
“If he did find the answer, how would he make all the water pure again?”
“Well he would go to the old lab at Jefferson Memorial Building, activate the purifier and clean water in the Wasteland.”
“So this is why he left the Vault, to finish this and bring hope to the Wasteland.”
“But there isn’t. It’s just impossible to bring clean water again.”
“Is he there now?”
“Yes, but-”
“Thank you Doctor Doris!”
Private shook Doris’s flipper and ran to Jefferson Memorial Building, but Doris wasn’t finish talking.
“Private, wait!” said yelled out. “It’s too dangerous!”
But Private didn’t listen. He put Jefferson Memorial Building into his Pip-Boy, showed him the way and as soon as he noticed that it’s not even one mile away he ran faster. He exited Rivet City, and went faster as he now started to slid on his belly. Private made it at to Jefferson Memorial, found the entrance and headed on inside. However, once he got in he saw super mutants up ahead. Lucky for the young penguin they were too far up ahead for him to be seen. Private checked his ammo, but he didn’t have enough to kill the super mutants up ahead, or even the more that could be possible here. But then Private found what was called a Stealth Boy on the ground next to him. It could turn Private invisible and easily make him sneak right pass them.
Private attached the Stealth Boy to his body, turned it on, and went completely invisible. And it reduced the sound of his footsteps when he waddled. He waddles right pass the super mutants, just staring at their big, ugly, scary faces. The Stealth Boy was working so far as not one super mutant noticed or even heard Private. He made it all the way when he arrived at the other lab, the purifier room. There wasn’t any super mutants in there so Private turned off the Stealth Boy to save it’s power. Private looked around, saw a glass chamber. It was huge, could fit a number of animals in there, who knows how many. Private walked up the only ramp in the room, which lead to the entrance of the chamber. Private saw three tapes on top of a little machine, and they were all labeled “Skipper’s Journal Entries,” volume’s five, eight, and ten. Private put each tape in order into his Pip-Boy, and it played a message in Skipper‘s voice.
Volume 5
Even in Vault 101, my work on Project Purity never really stopped. Soon after we arrived, my nightly routine included sneaking into the restricted areas. Searching for, I don't know, whatever I could find. It was a Vault-Tec facility after all. The place was built with some of the most advanced technology this country had ever developed. Those excursions never turned up anything particularly useful. So one night, after half a bottle of scotch, I broke into the Overseer's office. It was easy enough to hack his console, gain access to the restricted files. Most of it was garbage: propaganda, spy reports, just plain rambling bullshit, really. But there was one thing, one name that stood out amongst all the others... Dr. Stanislaus Rockgut I knew of Rockgut's work, of course. He was a celebrity in his day. Vault-Tec's sorcerer-scientist, leaving his peers in awe of his technological wizardry. But it was in Vault 101 that night in the Overseer's office, that I first learned of Rockgut's involvement in Vault-Tec's social preservation program, and his work on something called GECK, Garden of Eden Creation Kit.
Volume 8
To be honest, the GECK sounded like pure fantasy, even for someone of Rockgut's capabilities. It was nothing short of a miracle. A terra-forming module, capable of producing life from complete lifelessness. But not only was this thing a reality, it was actually distributed to several vaults to be used after an atomic war. Vault 101 was, sadly, not on that list. I did some digging and discovered Rockgut’s name on the reservation list for a Vault 112. I'm no slouch, but this man, he could have easily succeeded where I failed. Does his collected knowledge remain within the halls of Vault 112? Journals, holotapes, computer records, maybe even experiments? If I could gain access to just a fraction of Braun's genius, Project Purity would become a reality.
Volume 10
I'm off to Vault 112 to search for anything of Braun's that might help me get this purifier up and running. All I know is that it's West of some place called "Evergreen Mills," and it's well hidden in some sort of garage. But I'll find it, I have to. It's so close, but that's the story of Project Purity, isn't it? An eternity of "almost there's". Let's see if Rockgut has the missing puzzle piece.
And that was it, but now Private knew that he would only have to go to one more place, and then he would finally find his father. Private turned around to head out, but was quickly greeted by a super mutant. Private was grabbed by the giant hand of the super mutant, an just threw him right across the room, making him hit the wall. Private was slow to get up, but wasn’t fast enough as the super mutant made his way to finish off Private. The mutant took out his nail board, but Private shot the mutant right in the foot making the super mutant drop the board and hold his foot in pain. Private then aimed for the head, and with a number shots he killed the super mutant.
Private checked his ammo in his pistol, only had twelve bullets left. It was just barely enough to kill one of those super mutants and there was at lease three more out there. Private then noticed that the dead super mutant had an assault rifle on it’s person. Tons of ammo left, and more than enough to take it to those super mutants. Private hoped to save that ammo actually, but couldn’t since the Stealth Boy broke when he hit the wall. So he took it off his body and went to go face the super mutants. Private took the assault riffle and went to go kick some super mutant ass...who-raaa! Private walked out of the purifier room, and just went right after any super mutants. Private saw one super mutant, he came rushing right at the penguin, but he just opened fired, taking down that super mutant. The last two super mutants heard the noise and came running in to kill Private.
But with smart thinking, Private killed the mutant with the gun first, used his belly side to avoid the attack from the another super mutant’s super sledgehammer. He slid up the wall, took out his pistol, and with six shots to the head, and he killed the last super mutant. Private was now finished with that, and now he can move on ti more important business. He entered Vault 112 into his Pip-Boy, didn’t give clear directions exactly but it still showed a way. Private left Jefferson Memorial Building, and now was now off to Vault 112 to finally find his father.
Chapter 4: The Final Clue
After a day and a half of waddling, Private could make out something in the distance along the rocky landscape. It was large and gray, but at this distance he couldn't tell what it was. But as he got closer, he could make out the shape of a large ship. From what he had seen in history books, he believed it was called an aircraft carrier.
As he got closer, he could see a bridge connected to the main structure. Next to that was a ramp leading up to it. He decided the best way to get to the ship was over the bridge. He walked up the ramp and over the bridge towards the ship. In the distance he could see a couple of figures. They looked like a couple of penguins like himself. Private was feeling that was going to be a breeze... that is until one of the guards pointed a rifle at him.
"Alright flippers up!" she yelled, and Private complied by throwing his flippers into the air. "State your business!"
Private stammered a bit but was finally able to say, "I I'm j-j-just he-here to find m-mah-my father. I... I was told that he... was coming here."
The guard however wasn't yet convinced.
"Sure you are. Why would he be here? We don't let anyone in here unless they have business here," the guard demanded.
Private didn't know what he could do, so he just said what was at the top of his head.
"His name is Skipper from Vault 101. He gave me this Pip-Boy when I was only ten. Will that convince you?" Private said, as he pointed at his Pip-Boy.
The guard perked up at the mention of Skipper's name and walked over to Private, with her rifle still pointing at him. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his flipper down and took a look at the Pip-Boy. As she stared at it, her eyes went wide and she released her grip on him.
"Okay I've seen enough. You may enter," the guard said, as she walked out of the way.
Private blinked a couple of times and then walked over to the door that led inside of Rivet City. He went inside and followed the directions that led him to the science lab. In there he saw a dolphin in a science coat, Private thought she might know something since his dad has a good history with most scientist.
“Um, excuse me,” said Private.
“Look,” began the dolphin. “This is a restricted area. I’m tired of telling animals that I-...wait. It’s you! My heavens, you look so much like him, just without the flat head.”
“You know who I am, have we ever met?”
“Only when you were a baby, and now you’re so much older. My name is Doctor Doris and I’ve worked with your father for many years. Your mother as well, in fact. I can’t believe you’re here though. I’m not sure what to think anymore...”
“What do you mean, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. This have just been stressful times since your dad’s came back after all these years. I...we want to put all of this behind us. Project Purity, our work, all of it. We’ve moved on, even if your father hasn’t.”
“What’s Project Purity?”
“All the water in the Wasteland is filled with radiation, and if anyone were to drink too much of it, they would get radiation poison. But your parents spent years trying to find a way to make the water clean and drinkable again. But they were never able to get it to work, and your dad worked twice as hard once your mother died but still nothing.”
“If he did find the answer, how would he make all the water pure again?”
“Well he would go to the old lab at Jefferson Memorial Building, activate the purifier and clean water in the Wasteland.”
“So this is why he left the Vault, to finish this and bring hope to the Wasteland.”
“But there isn’t. It’s just impossible to bring clean water again.”
“Is he there now?”
“Yes, but-”
“Thank you Doctor Doris!”
Private shook Doris’s flipper and ran to Jefferson Memorial Building, but Doris wasn’t finish talking.
“Private, wait!” said yelled out. “It’s too dangerous!”
But Private didn’t listen. He put Jefferson Memorial Building into his Pip-Boy, showed him the way and as soon as he noticed that it’s not even one mile away he ran faster. He exited Rivet City, and went faster as he now started to slid on his belly. Private made it at to Jefferson Memorial, found the entrance and headed on inside. However, once he got in he saw super mutants up ahead. Lucky for the young penguin they were too far up ahead for him to be seen. Private checked his ammo, but he didn’t have enough to kill the super mutants up ahead, or even the more that could be possible here. But then Private found what was called a Stealth Boy on the ground next to him. It could turn Private invisible and easily make him sneak right pass them.
Private attached the Stealth Boy to his body, turned it on, and went completely invisible. And it reduced the sound of his footsteps when he waddled. He waddles right pass the super mutants, just staring at their big, ugly, scary faces. The Stealth Boy was working so far as not one super mutant noticed or even heard Private. He made it all the way when he arrived at the other lab, the purifier room. There wasn’t any super mutants in there so Private turned off the Stealth Boy to save it’s power. Private looked around, saw a glass chamber. It was huge, could fit a number of animals in there, who knows how many. Private walked up the only ramp in the room, which lead to the entrance of the chamber. Private saw three tapes on top of a little machine, and they were all labeled “Skipper’s Journal Entries,” volume’s five, eight, and ten. Private put each tape in order into his Pip-Boy, and it played a message in Skipper‘s voice.
Volume 5
Even in Vault 101, my work on Project Purity never really stopped. Soon after we arrived, my nightly routine included sneaking into the restricted areas. Searching for, I don't know, whatever I could find. It was a Vault-Tec facility after all. The place was built with some of the most advanced technology this country had ever developed. Those excursions never turned up anything particularly useful. So one night, after half a bottle of scotch, I broke into the Overseer's office. It was easy enough to hack his console, gain access to the restricted files. Most of it was garbage: propaganda, spy reports, just plain rambling bullshit, really. But there was one thing, one name that stood out amongst all the others... Dr. Stanislaus Rockgut I knew of Rockgut's work, of course. He was a celebrity in his day. Vault-Tec's sorcerer-scientist, leaving his peers in awe of his technological wizardry. But it was in Vault 101 that night in the Overseer's office, that I first learned of Rockgut's involvement in Vault-Tec's social preservation program, and his work on something called GECK, Garden of Eden Creation Kit.
Volume 8
To be honest, the GECK sounded like pure fantasy, even for someone of Rockgut's capabilities. It was nothing short of a miracle. A terra-forming module, capable of producing life from complete lifelessness. But not only was this thing a reality, it was actually distributed to several vaults to be used after an atomic war. Vault 101 was, sadly, not on that list. I did some digging and discovered Rockgut’s name on the reservation list for a Vault 112. I'm no slouch, but this man, he could have easily succeeded where I failed. Does his collected knowledge remain within the halls of Vault 112? Journals, holotapes, computer records, maybe even experiments? If I could gain access to just a fraction of Braun's genius, Project Purity would become a reality.
Volume 10
I'm off to Vault 112 to search for anything of Braun's that might help me get this purifier up and running. All I know is that it's West of some place called "Evergreen Mills," and it's well hidden in some sort of garage. But I'll find it, I have to. It's so close, but that's the story of Project Purity, isn't it? An eternity of "almost there's". Let's see if Rockgut has the missing puzzle piece.
And that was it, but now Private knew that he would only have to go to one more place, and then he would finally find his father. Private turned around to head out, but was quickly greeted by a super mutant. Private was grabbed by the giant hand of the super mutant, an just threw him right across the room, making him hit the wall. Private was slow to get up, but wasn’t fast enough as the super mutant made his way to finish off Private. The mutant took out his nail board, but Private shot the mutant right in the foot making the super mutant drop the board and hold his foot in pain. Private then aimed for the head, and with a number shots he killed the super mutant.
Private checked his ammo in his pistol, only had twelve bullets left. It was just barely enough to kill one of those super mutants and there was at lease three more out there. Private then noticed that the dead super mutant had an assault rifle on it’s person. Tons of ammo left, and more than enough to take it to those super mutants. Private hoped to save that ammo actually, but couldn’t since the Stealth Boy broke when he hit the wall. So he took it off his body and went to go face the super mutants. Private took the assault riffle and went to go kick some super mutant ass...who-raaa! Private walked out of the purifier room, and just went right after any super mutants. Private saw one super mutant, he came rushing right at the penguin, but he just opened fired, taking down that super mutant. The last two super mutants heard the noise and came running in to kill Private.
But with smart thinking, Private killed the mutant with the gun first, used his belly side to avoid the attack from the another super mutant’s super sledgehammer. He slid up the wall, took out his pistol, and with six shots to the head, and he killed the last super mutant. Private was now finished with that, and now he can move on ti more important business. He entered Vault 112 into his Pip-Boy, didn’t give clear directions exactly but it still showed a way. Private left Jefferson Memorial Building, and now was now off to Vault 112 to finally find his father.
