FALLOUT: Sievert - Vol.2: Threshold

Chapter 15 - Road Trip

   I walked out of my room tightening my belt a bit, as it felt loose to me. Claire comes out without her helmet and just her handgun on her hip, same as mine. Her tail motioning around in a pattern before sticking up in a natural curve at the top and bottom of her length, making me tell she was excited. 

We smiled at each other and headed on our way to down hall to the stair system and climbed them to the vehicle bay. We walked over to the center of the bay where the control center was for vehicles and cargo.

I walked up to the window and knocked on it. A man wearing light green combat armor, not wearing a helmet turned around in a swivel chair, got up, and walked over to us. We stood in front of a secure speaker system with a slit under it. The man pressed a button on the desk and spoke into the mic. 

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

I leaned in and spoke up. "We were ordered to deliver replenishment for our southernmost patrol, I was thinking of just making it a quick in and out with one of the lighter vehicles."

The man looked at me, then at Claire. I looked at Claire, her ear twitched. I raised an eyebrow. The man asked, "Advanced Guard giving you protection? With no weapon?"

I looked at her in a kinda annoyed look and then looked back at the man through the shatter-proof glass. "We were loading supplies into the far most vehicle-"

Claire cut me off there, "I left my laser rifle in the vehicle!"

"Alright, whatever. Just fill this out, and here's the key to port 2's utility 4x4 jeep that you said you loaded supplies into." He concluded before slipping a clipboard through with an order sheet then turning around to sit back down on the swivel chair to read a book.

I picked up the clipboard and filled out everything I could as if it was an honest report. Claire took the key and ran over to the vehicle before I could finish. When I did, I slid the clipboard back inside and ran over to catch up. Claire was sitting in the driver's seat when I got there; I walked over and pushed her out of the way with my hip. 

"Move over, I'm driving. You're supposed to be guarding me, remember?"

Claire submitted and sat in the seat next to me. The fabric top, a small olive-green jeep shook to our movements as I put the key in and started the ignition. The engine roared to life as I looked around, seeing the gear system.

If I remember from the class I took for basic piloting. I just have to push my foot on the left peddle, then it will allow me to move the stick to D. for drive. Then the vehicle will roll on its own. When I'm ready to apply more power, I gently push on the right peddle. 'Okay. This should be easy' I thought to myself. 

I go through the procedure and put the vehicle in D, then let go of the break. The vehicle starts to roll forward. The vibrations on the vehicle felt amazing running through my body. Claire sitting there pouting and her arms crossed. 

I rolled forward and took a right up to a ramp to the next garage level, then over to a blockade. Waving at the man at the guard post, he releases the heavy metal gate.

The gate door of heavy steel creeks and groans open, the light from the outside hitting us. I started to get excited as we were right there, while Claire still looking as if she was pouting, but her tail wrapping around her arm and flicking around more. 

As the heavy set gate door slammed open, I put my foot on the right pedal slowly and drove forward out of the base. I drove forward with a steady but good pace, I got onto a road and took a left.

"Why are you going so slow!? We're out now!" Claire fidgeted.

"Yea but there's still guards, let's not get caught right out of the gate!" I stated.

"Let me do something!" Claire said, turning around in her seat, she pulled in the metal poles in then back , then pushed down, and then pulled the fabric top over us into the back. Claire sat back facing forward with a smile.

I started to accelerate; I could feel the wind blowing over my ears as I took a right at the end of the road, then a left further down that road. A sign came up "U.S. Route 93". 'Perfect' I thought to myself, and speed ahead. The speedometer said we were hitting 65mph on the road, it's full speed. Driving seemed to be really easy.

I leaned back and relaxed. Looking over at Claire, she was looking around and sticking her head over the windshield, letting the wind blow through her mess of hair. She was very excited as she kept shouting out "Woooo!!!" and laughing hysterically, I've never seen her pumped up like this in a long time.

After driving for probably half an hour, Claire finally wanted to drive. So I thought, 'Why not'. I released the accelerator and just let the vehicle slow down by itself to its steady idle pace. Then held the break down and turned the vehicle off and put it in park.

I got out of my side and stretched. Claire jumped into the driver seat before I turn back around, I looking around at the scenery, it was mostly green sagebrush and wild grass patches in every direction with tan dirt filling the spaces across hilly terrain almost like meadows. The sun was way past noon and falling. 

"Come on! I wanna drive now, I want to go faster than you did!" Claire demanded in excitement and joy. 

I turn to smile back, "Alright, I'm coming. You remember how to drive from training right?" I asked.

"Pffft, I was taught how to drive an APC." She revealed. 

I walked around the little jeep and sat in the passenger seat, buckling my seatbelt. "Alright, Cat Power, let's go!" I said in a teasing tone.

Claire started the car, put it in drive, and then the vehicle jerked forward as she accelerated suddenly without much any easing into it. My head nearly snapped back but I caught myself. I sat up as Claire sped down the road. Looking at the speedometer, we were going about the speed I was at already. Claire's smile grew as she took deep breaths as we entered a constant curve in the road.

I sat back and relaxed as the air started to warm up more at this time of day. The feeling was soothing. I sat up as I felt uncomfortable in these seats. We passed a sign that said, "Nevada in 1 mile."

I leaned to Claire and spoke out "We need to slow down a bit or we will be in that town we fought the other day!". Claire nodded but kept the speed for a bit longer while making slight turns in the road at a slower pace.

She then started to slow down but kept the acceleration at about 40. This feeling of a less flooding breeze felt the best to me. 

The road straightened out as we passed a sign with, "Jackpot 1/4 mile" printed on it. I started feeling a bit spooked. "Alright Claire, slow it down some more or we will be in the AO!" Claire looked at me and then released the accelerator. We glided down the road until we started moving at a slow pace. 

'Welcome to Idaho.' ... "Claire! STOP!" Claire slammed on the break. I pulled the keys out of the ignition and put the car in Park.

"What!? We could have just turned around." Claire said with a mix of guilt and anger in her voice. 

I looked at her with an annoyed look. "Lookout, I'm going to drive."

Claire got out and looked around as I slid into the driver's seat. "Hey, Lynne. Look at this."

I didn't really want to, but then I heard yelling. I got up and walked over to her, looking out over the turn-off with her. There was a mass funeral. The tone was dark and sad. 

The loud man kept repeatedly yelling, saying, "My son! My son! My son!-" I felt a sinking in my chest. These weren't raiders; these weren't bandits or thugs.