Fallout: Sievert - Vol.6 Revelation

Chapter 58 - In the Eye

   I exited the break room looking office, now just noticing the cigar smell. I walk back down the corridor to the main area to find the armorer laying some stuff out on the desk at her post. I walk upto her and ask where I can find a place to sleep or relax. She laughed and explained that all bunks are for current fit personnel, so I would need to take the floor.

I walked off to look around a bit more. It was a small place, a few drafts, and a lack of heating to beat this storm. Looking out over the runway from a large window in a seating area, I quickly found my amusement as I fell into trance of the falling white stuff being pushing and pulling in the wind; slamming against the window. The mix with the sound of heavy wind made the environment feel more comfortable. I didn't know what to do other than just sit here... lay here... sleep here across the chairs.

I seem to sleep a lot more the colder it is. I found this strange. Maybe I was having some kind of mental issue or something. It was odd to me. But I took it anyways, nothing better to do. I slipped off my armor, used the poncho as a blanket, and used my backpack as a large stiff oversized pillow. It took me a bit to fall asleep. But I did.

...

I awoke some time later to the sound of softer wind slamming into the window, but the snow still coming down hard. It was bright, it hurt my eyes to look in the direction of the window. So I turned over on the warm lap... and I noticed my head was in a lap?! I quickly looked up, it was that MP lady.

"Yo~, sleep good?" She says with a calm voice.

I look up at her, "You smell." With a straight face.

"Ya, we have a water shortage, so we all take shifts to bathe, I'm part of the Friday group." She says without hesitation.

"That's grose, you don't shower for a week?" I say in return.

"Uh, grose? How? We all smell, and even having access to water to bathe in the first place is a luxury. When I was in the wasteland as a kid, I bathed maybe once every 2 or 3 months in water that wasn't even clean to begin with. Are you saying you have never been a wastelander or something? Because iv never met anyone who hasn't been a waster. I hear that the politics and some of the kids around the city weren't born in the wastes. But even that's pretty rare.

I mean I do know that being clean is better and healthier. But clear water is uncommon to bathe in, especially around here. We are lucky to be fed and have a roof and be protected amongst each other."

As she finishes her babbling I look her dead in the eyes. "Smells like overused underwear and sweat down here."

She stairs back, "S.stop. Were all kind of like this. Are you trying to be mean? Because I'm sure you are the same way. Don't be judgy."

My attempts to try and back her off from being clingy have failed. "Fine, I'm sorry. I guess it doesn't actually matter. But why am I laying in your lap?" I say before turning on my shoulder and facing her, closing my eyes again, enjoying the warmth and softness of her thighs.

"You looked so adorable, and uncomfortable, so when my shift ended, I found you here and replaced your hard bag. Its nice, right, princess?" She says a bit with glee.

"Well, its nice" I say as I also blush at the same time. "You don't smell that bad nether."

The woman gently places her hand ontop of my head and gently rubs through my hair. The mix of feelings from the sound of wind, the nip of the cold and heat of the poncho, the warm soft lap, and my drowsiness, somehow the scent as well; all mixed together and it relaxed me till I fell into a deep sleep.

...

I awoke some time later, and its the dead of night. The sun already passed by, the wind was easier, and the snow was falling much gentler. I push my face into the MP girl's lap rolling my body face down and push myself up with my hands and arms off the chair. Looking around, the place hadn't changed at all since when I went to sleep. The lady was sleeping with her head slumped onto her shoulder.

I sit up and stretch my arms and legs out hard. I get into my bag and pull out an MRE, readying it and digging in. I then wrapped it up and shoved the MRE bag into a nearby garbage bin. I decided to just walk around after that, as I loitered around the terminal, I raised my left arm and flipped on my Pip-boy, the time was 06:01am. The place was noticeably warmer feeling now, the thermostat displays 69*F.

  I wondered over to the front of the terminal, going through the first set of doors of the airlock, looking out at the snow covered parking lot before hearing a buzz and a door open from behind me by the sound of a loose doorknob followed by light talking.

I started my way back to the waiting area to make sure my stuff wasn't messed with. I walk around the corner to see that there is a group of soldiers preparing their uniforms, putting things into their backpacks, talking to the armorer, and using the waiting area I was at before. I speed walk my way over to my stuff, and put it back on. Poncho first, then armor, then my bag.

I hear another loud door creek open to my left on the other end of the seating area, louder than the random chatter from the troop of soldiers around me. I turn to look and see a man in T-45 power armor with red letters 'M' and 'P' on the chest. I notice another set of legs behind him. When the T-45 trooper walked up and took a stance the general appeared in the same outfit as when I last met him.

  The general explained to everyone present how I was part of the negotiation team and they're job was to be the protection team for me on approach to the Vault door. All the troops present wore a fine crafted metal plated armor set that covered the chest down to above the groin, shoulder plates are forward spacious and no leg protection, some of them had ponchos on OVER the armor, some under. 4 of the 20 soldiers were taking notes.

The General asked if I needed anything, I thought in my head that I should make a joke, but simply just said 'no'. A man stood up from the 20 that was sitting down, he leaned in, mostly due to my small stature. He was a bit taller than most, had short rugged looking hair and a shaggy skin-hugging beard.

The man speaks up in a stern tone, "Warrant Officer, I am Second Lieutenant Schutz, were going to be escorting you into Vault Zero. My team has been outfitted with Tesla metal armor mk.II to take the focus of laser fire and small arms fire. Were armed with G11Es for low light condition and armor penetration. We got your back."

I reply back in a calm tone, "I am Warrant Officer Weskier, I'll be doing my best to bridge our 2 groups together. Hope I'm in good hands." Pausing to think, I speak up again, "Anything I need to know?"

The 2nd LT replied back, "Nothing you should already know. I don't know much anything anyway. You just need protecting."

I sighed a bit, then responded in a more average voice, "Atleast its not too large of an order, I guess. So, when we leaving?"

Schutz answers, "in about 30 minutes. 0645. And we should arrive around 0725. That gives us a close-in briefing by the guard company there about the area and what's going on. And then a small hike upto the vault which might take 10 minutes in itself. So we should be at the Vault Door at around 0800." He Concluded.

I looked at the other men and women sitting around. No one looked middle aged. They all looked to be in their 20s to 30s. I felt the pressure.