Chapter 69 "Option B."

Rosie brought the Velocibird in for a textbook landing. Charlie had flown out to the landing pad near Vault X first, waiting with Janey. Rosie brought the Velo back remotely, then flew out with Virgil. He didn’t say a word for the whole flight. Not that they were in the air that long anyway.

Virgil stepped out of the rear seat, turning back to admire the aircraft. He lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke that rolled across the airframe and stub wing. “She is a beauty, isn’t she.”

“She is.” Rosie let her annoyance at the term slide.

“Wouldn’t have saved Paul without her.” Charlie appeared from cover, Janey with her. “I suppose I should thank you.”

“You don’t gotta thank me. I built this to get tier one operators in and out. Quick and quiet. Knowing there’s one still flying, that counts for something.” Virgil ran his remaining hand across the smooth and contoured bodywork. As he might have done as one came off the assembly line, all those years ago. “Even if it’s in the hands of a bunch of pirates.”

“What’s a pirate?” Rosie asked, getting a laugh from them both.

Charlie had already lugged the warhead topside. Sparing them both. Rosie disarmed the warhead casing. Still enough explosives inside to kill the three of them. They boxed it up and headed deeper into the forest.

“This is it.” Rosie stopped at the digital marker she’d left, pointing at an indiscriminate patch of earth. Rosie started digging till she hit metal.

“I’ll take it from here Red.” Virgil all but pushed her aside.

“I can handle it.” She sounded more defensive than she meant to.

“I know.” Virgil softened his posture. “But I don’t think you’ve got the bone structure to pull off rad chic, and I can’t be friends with an ugly ghoul.” Rosie didn’t have an answer, and walked a few metres back.

“Either of you ladies ever see one of these suckers go off?” Virgil called out. Distracting himself as he handled a sphere of weapons grade plutonium.

“Saw an ammo dump and two dozen cores go up once.” Charlie half shouted back. “You?”

“Shit, I used to throw parties when they tested them in the Mojave. Ones big enough to make this look like a pipe bomb.” Virgil took a long pause. “We had no respect.”

“You lived in Vegas?” Charlie asked, amused.

“Twenty years.” Virgil sounded like they weren't good years.

“I grew up in Primm.” Charlie never told Rosie that. It brought a rasping chuckle from Virgil.

“Shut the fuck up! Primm’s still around. You know, at one point that was t—” Virgil stopped as Charlie interrupted him.

“The largest wooden rollercoaster ever built. Yeah, it came up once or twice.” Charlie seemed annoyed by the fact about her hometown.

“What’s a rollercoaster?” Rosie interjected, getting another laugh.

“Damn, what you been teaching this girl.” Virgil rasped, followed by a metallic clunk. “It’s hot.” Rosie walked over to the device. “Four pin.” Virgil asked, unnerved. She tossed it to him. He connected it to the weapon of mass destruction and it synced with Rosie’s pipboy.

“Got it.” She felt a cold shiver.

“Takes five minutes to reach critical mass.” Virgil hung his head. “Ten square miles turned to ash in an instant.” He looked shamed by his part in it.

“If you have any better ideas?” Rosie asked the smartest person she’d ever met.

“I’m sorry Red. I truly am.” Virgil started digging. Rosie helped.

“I’ve only ever read the so called Forced Evolutionary Virus. It’s a sacrilege to God and science alike. A violation of something sacred.” Virgil stopped, lighting a cigarette. “You know what the worst thing about it is?” He took a long drag. “Ain’t the worst shit I’ve ever read about. We had no respect.”

They walked back to the landing pad. “Are you going to the…” Rosie still couldn’t say it.

“Fuck no. I’d rather wait here than go back underground.” Virgil held her gaze, saying what they both thought. “In fact, I’m going to walk back, take in the night air.”

“Wait.” Charlie said. “Tell him.”

“We’re going to hit The Grand. Anything you can tell us?” Rosie had to brief the entire unit, hours from now.

“I’m assuming you broke my firewall when you stole my aircraft.” Virgil shook his head.

“In less than sixty seconds.” Rosie bragged to one person who could truly appreciate it.

“I bet the sound system still works.” Virgil gave her an idea. “You give them fuckers Hell. God damn squatters.” Virgil smiled, then leisurely walked into the forest.

Almost an hour later, Rosie landed back at the outpost. Most were too busy to pay attention to the Velo, but it still turned heads. Janey however, brought the work to a stand still. Rosie wondered if this was what Virgil meant by famous, a concept she found intriguing.

Outside the hangar, everyone scurried and rushed like worker ants. Inside the Recon HQ, things were positively relaxed. Save for a large pile of heavy weapons and munitions by the door, they were ready to leave. Rosie noticed how they packed light, everything they needed on their backs.

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Charlie let out a sharp whistle, drawing everyone over. “We’re going to shepherd the column till it clears the city. Leapfrogging all the way, but they don’t move all that fast. There’s air and armour support on tap. Any trouble, we flush it out, they squash it. Copy?” Charlie waited for any questions, none came.

“When they reach Shadowtown, we will move east as a unit. Tempest has given us a choice.” Charlie had excitement in her voice. Rosie could see the sharper members of the unit already putting it together.

“Option A. We babysit The Grand, hoping those wastes of oxygen don’t notice thousands of civilians walking on by.” Charlie’s sarcasm got a laugh. “Or option B.” She stepped back, handing the briefing over.

“We put The Grand under new management.” Rosie saw a look of pride on Matt and Charlie’s faces as Recon chose option B. Rosie led them to the map, using Janey's laser to point.

“Five teams outside. One on every corner, one on the door with overlapping fields of fire. Nothing gets out. If they do, they’ll be on the civilians.” Rosie paused to let that sink in. "I want three teams on the inside, posing as clientele. I’m sure it’ll be a real stretch for some of you.” She softened them up for something they wouldn’t like. “You will be disarmed. Temporarily at least.” Rosie waited for the groaning to stop. “Feed us intel. Position yourselves and wait for the signal.”

“I’ll lead the last two teams up to a concealed entrance in the penthouse. It is critical we take that room quietly. One team to secure our emergency exfil. The other will clear and make safe the chem lab. Once that’s done, I give the signal. Then the fun begins.” Rosie stepped aside, handing the briefing back to Charlie.

“These pricks have gotten comfortable. They think that place is theirs. Disabuse them of that foolish notion.” Charlie reminded her of Brandon. “That being said, this is an aperitif before the main course. So don’t get fucking killed. Dismissed.”

Rosie lingered, waiting for Charlie. “I want John with me, on this.” Rosie hoped she’d covered the slip.

“Your op, your call” Charlie had no objections. “When we get to town, find him and brief him. If you two need time, take it.” Charlie saw right through her. Rosie volunteered for the first team out.

Things were uneventful. Rosie soon fell into a comfortable rhythm. Double time ahead of the marching column. Set up an observation point. Cover the column. Move out, repeat. The column didn’t move fast enough for things to be strenuous.

They reached the City by midnight. Cutting through would save hours, and make a lot of noise.

Rosie took point. Fenris bounded ahead, sniffing at the car husks and moving on. Rosie reached an old skyscraper that still looked stable. She turned to Charlie, in cover across the street. She gave a hand signal and ducked inside.

The lobby appeared gutted by fire, scorch marks up the wall. She tossed a ball cam, Fen whimpered to chase it. She patted her thigh twice and headed up the concrete stairs.

“We’re set up for business.” Rosie knew she’d got the phrasing wrong. “Fourth floor.”

Rosie picked out a prime spot. A corner office with sightlines along the column’s path. She booted the desk, sending it banging into the window. Rosie set up her antique rifle, resting the bipod on the desk.

She took off her gloves, revealing the Shadow suit. The tips of her fingers grew sharp. She pressed her hand against the window and turned it. A solid punch sent a circle of glass tumbling and wind howling to get in.

“Set up shop in here.” Charlie called to Matt as she came in. “We’re open for business.” Charlie corrected her subtly. Rosie popped out two more circles, giving them all a clean first shot. She watched as other teams moved, noticing the spots they took. Before long, Recon teams covered the entire street. The sound of stomping in unison began to echo along the empty cityscape.

“Movement.” Rosie saw something through her scope. “Third building on the right, rooftop. Multiple ferals.” She knew this could be a problem. Drawn by the noise and getting increasingly animated.

“Tempest, Whirlwind. All stop. Repeat all stop.” Charlie radioed Sara at the head of the column, bringing it to a clattering halt. “Ferals on the rooftop at your eleven. Recommend alternate route.” Charlie advised.

“Negative Whirlwind. Side streets are too narrow. We don’t have time to reorganise the column. Request options. How copy?” Sara almost sounded calm.

“Wait one.” Charlie let go of the button on her throat mic. “Ideas?” She asked the others in the room.

“Nothing.” Rosie answered.

“That’s helpful.” Charlie replied sarcastically.

“No, we do nothing.” Rosie motioned with her hands to explain.

“Tempest, Whirlwind. Recommend continuing on present route.” Charlie readied her rifle.

“Confirmed.” Sara got the column moving.

The volume of stomping knights increased, echoing up from the street below. The noise and movement driving the ferals into a frenzy. The column came into view. Screeching rasps drew more and more over to one corner of the flat roof. A handful got bumped over the edge. The column marched on, the frenzied horde swelled.

Rosie heard metal groan. The roof on the burnt out husk of the building gave way. The horde of ferals fell in as it collapsed in on them. The column marched on unbothered.

“Subdue the enemy without fighting.” Charlie turned to her with sad eyes and a smile. “Brandon would’ve loved that.”

The remainder of the march passed without incident.

Most Recon teams peeled off before reaching Shadowtown, heading east. Rosie radioed John and met him at the north gate.

They hitched a ride on the first bird headed to the Vault. Rosie sat in the back amongst the glum faces, bound for the place she hated. The bird dropped them on the road north of the Rest.

“Do you know what you’re going to say to them?” She asked him as they walked through the forest.

“The truth. They don’t have a choice.” He looked tired, beaten down by a responsibility he never asked for. She knew that wouldn’t help anyone, least of all him.

“Give them hope John. I’ve seen the way they look at you, they need you.” She took his hand.

A few minutes later, they walked through the gates of the Rest. “Everyone, can you gather please.” John spoke over the radio, bringing everyone together. John froze, Rosie came to his aid.

“We love this place.” Rosie started with the truth. “Being here is like a dream. Better even, we never thought we’d get the life this place has given us. But it’s just wood and metal. It’s the people that make it special. Everything else can be replaced or rebuilt.”

“We’re evacuating people to the Vault.” John took over. “Some are already there. Everyone from Bakersfield is on the move. People from Shadowtown are setting off now. I can fly everyone straight there today.” His confidence and certainty spread.

“You think this is for the best John?” Robco asked, knowing the answer.

“I do. It means we get another chance. We can rebuild.” John stood tall, unwavering.

“You heard the man, folks. There’s lots to do, let's get to it.” Robco got everyone moving.

An hour later, John took the first group out. Taking Wallace and Louisa, Mike, his wife and son. Plus two Assaultrons as security. Rosie found herself sitting in the house she’d spent the happiest time of her life in. She’d already taken everything that mattered to her. All except one last thing.

She slipped out of the gate, walking a short distance to a spot she’d tagged. Rosie dug up the brushed aluminium box. The new jet black pipboy within. She took her old, stolen stealth suit and wrapped the box up. Finally she threw it in a pack, along with the letter she’d written, and headed back in.

"Is this Wallace’s stuff?” She asked Robco, pointing at a pile of books, clothes, and toys.

“Yeah, going as soon as there’s room.” Robco replied from under the truck. Rosie left the pack there, trusting the device with the bright boy.