While keeping watch of the ingress and egress points, Terry speaks up, "Anything of interest Junior Paladin Kirion?" ... Terry responds to Gergg, "Were you able to check for traps on the door?"
Walks over to the cabinet and pulls out his crowbar. He places it where he thinks he can get the most effect. Anyone wanna help me with this? He begins orying the cabinet open.
He piles what they found together, checking the gun over and snapping the chamber back in place after counting the shots. He responded to Morrow's question as soon as he was asked. "17 Caps, a 10 mm with 7 shots and a combat knife." He checks his Laser Rifle again and sighs, his helmet comm over exaggerating it as a low throaty sigh. "Las locked out, unless someone needs this pistol I need to snag this one. Gergg you mind? If you need the ammo I can use my Ripper instead." He didn't want to deny the smaller ghoul of ammunition or a working weapon.
He looked to stuck door and shrugged. "I can try..." He joins Darius in an attempt to open the door.
"Don't listen to Satan's Imp!", huffs Winter in reply to Gergg. "The door's fine! Brother Kora, do you want to borrow my crowbar?"
Lockout really how did you manage that? I can fix it probably......
plus whatever my helpers give me.....
Terry responds, "First thing is first, Deidre and/or Winter watch the door, make sure to shoot anything that comes through that door or yell grenade so I can either reinitialize or assist in reinitializing the laser focus mirrors in Junior Paladin Kirion's laser carbine. Afterwards, I will help to pry open the door, looking at everyone here, I am probably the strongest."
Terry uses his gunsmithing feat coupled with Craft(Energy Weapons) to either help reinitialize or reinitialize the focus mirrors in Kora's laser carbine.
Between the combined expertise of the different party members, Kora's laser rifle is able to be put back in working order, though it takes about a minute to do so.
Meanwhile, despite the efforts of those with crowbars, the door remains stuck, though you're able to pry out a couple of nails. Within, you hear the girl beginning to cry softly.
Despite the herculean struggles of the party members, the door is still securely shut.
Terry takes 20 on the door, 20+3 = 23.
Thanks to the efforts of the Brotherhood Knight-Apprentice, the door finally gives way with a clatter, the rusty metal clanging to the floor. Inside the locker, quickly climbing out with the help of the group, is a young girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old. Her eyes and nose are red, and she's obviously been crying. "P-p-please... You won't hurt me, will you? Please t-take me home..." she whimpers.
Terry responds in a kind voice, "The Brotherhood does not harm children unless they try to harm the Brotherhood. Please wait there" ... Terry speaks up without taking his eyes off the child... "Deidre, how good are you with little girls? We have one in the room here." ... "Hey little girl, what is your name and how do you feel. Are you carrying any weapons? Did the ghouls do something to you or did they ask you hold something or tie something to you?"
Deirdre tries wiping most of the blood and chunks off of herself with her scarf as much as she can. Doesn't want to scare the little girl. The scarf falls back around her neck as she walks over to the girl.
"It's okay sweety. He's only asking questions to be safe. Being safe keeps us alive, right? We're not ghou.... well, we're not going to hurt you. Here, are you thirsty?" Deirdre gets down on one knee to be at eye-level and offers the girl a bottle of Purified Water. "What's your name, honey?" Deirdre attempts to secretly remove a chunk of sinew lobbed in a fold in her coat while she tries to relax the child.
Winter stands alongside Gergg, manfully resisting the urge to offer the small girl some spiritual words of comfort.
The girl's eyes widen at the sight of the man in full power armor and helmet, though she relaxes a little at his gentle words, and she looks to Deirdre as that woman comes over. "Uh, okay... I just want to go home...
"I'm T-Tyra, Tyra Hall. I'm okay, I'm not hurt, just... those bad men--those monsters!--they ki-, th-they ki..." The girl's words lodge in her throat, and she's unable to vocalize the brutality she's seen.
"I don't have any weapons; Daddy said I was too young, and Grampa said he'd whip me if I touched his gun without permission.
"Those monsters didn't hurt me, and I r-ran and hid in that locker. Then they shut the door and l-locked me in. I don't kn-know why..."
Tyra seems grateful for the water, and after drinking some, she even tries to give Deirdre a little smile, which is mostly just a grimace and saddening to see on the little girl's face. "Can I go home now?"
Kora hefts his laser rifle once more, having taken up position and covering the hall where Morrow had been before. "If I can offer a suggestion, You lot take her home, the town knows you. Knight Morrow and I will hold here until you get back."
He clicks on his internal mic and speaks softly through it knowing Darius and Morrow were on the same frequency.
"It's too much of a risk for her to remain here, especially if there are more of them down below... We can hold here while your group takes her home Darius, we won't move without you."
The girl looks up at the second Brotherhood soldier, her face barely registering the fear or confusion you'd expect in a small girl seeing a "tin man." "I c-can go home by m-m-myself, if-f you're busy. I know the way."
Kora is torn, after the dogs attacked him he was more than leery of sending her alone. Also he didn't know if this was a vanguard or a small part of a larger group of fiends...
"I can take her home if needed on my own as well, i'm just don't trust that there isn't more of those dogs or these bastards out there."
After his speech and giving a final look down the hallway before turning to regard the girl. He kneels to the side of the hallway entrance and pulls off his helmet. Not surprised when the girl stares wide eyed at his different colored eyes, white patched skin and shock of pure white. Military styled hair. He gives her a warm smile as he aims his las rifle to the vault floor just in case "We're not that busy Sweetie, besides theres some nasty coyotes roaming around here so I can't let you go on your own."
"It's okay guys. How about I just take her? I'll see she gets home safe. Did we accomplish what we came here to do? I know the tin-men (respecfully) have further business deeper in the vault. But... with great sadness, we seem to have found what we were looking for."
"You think you guys need the help? I personally am a little curious as to why these ghouls are in here. And no doubt it's in our contract to make sure Gulchbottom remains safe... at least I think it's there. Well it's in my contract, dammit!... anyways, how does that sound?"
I have deeper business as well but I think we should all escort her home. We don't know what lurks in the waste....
Darius moves to block the sight of the girls parents.
Rose why don't you take the girl outside with the others. Gregg, Morrow, and myself will handle the problems in here and meet you outside in a few minutes.
Over the
Kora, somewhat at a loss nods in agreement Darius. Then looks to Terry a worriesome look crossing his unblocked features. "Most vaults can only be operated from the inside, so if we shut the doors we won't be able to get back in... Darius has the right of it, we should finish our buisness here and escort her back home before continuing forward. If that last coward escapes then so be it, but we strip these other ghouls and leave him little to nothing for their efforts."
He rises and snaps on his power helmet once more, shielding his ugly features from everyone's view with several audible clicks as the helmet snaps in place.
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"If we're going to split up and have a group take her home, I can rig up a tripwire-grenade on that door in case that coward comes back," Gergg suggests. "Maybe we can move a table or two around to make some obstacles and provide some cover in this corner for whoever stays behind, too, just in case he brings buddies with him."
"I should be able to scout ahead at least a little ways while we wait for them to get back, but we should probably save the fun stuff for when we're all here to participate."
Terry gives Kora a strange confused look and moves to help block the carnage from the little girl although she is probably use to it in the Wasteland, "I do not believe we should finish our business here, we need to take Tyra home now or she may get in the way, injured, or worse. Depending on the vault, most vaults have controls inside and out just like a common door. We should see if both sides work just in case the Vault door is damaged, defective, or designed that way? This way, we can see if we can get locked out or not."
Terry continues ... "Once we drop Tyra off back at your house or town, then we can return here and resume our end goals."
He ment here at the entrance not deeper in. And yes gregg traps would be most welcome.
Looks around the room for things he can help make the blockade with.
"I can probably jam the lock, if we want to keep the Unrighteous out. Or in", offers Winter.
He'll try, if that's possible
Failing that, he'll assist with the barricading.
While everyone searches the area for materials to blockade or deactivate the doors to secure the area so as not to lose ground as the party returns Tyra to her town and/or relatives, Terry keeps close to Tyra with his Multiplas to make sure nothing gets to her. As he watches the party gather materials, sets traps, and whatever, Terry speaks up, "Unless you make the doors absolutely impassible, they are going to get out. Disabling the Vault door is all we need to do. The vault door is the only door that can be reinforced, keep out huge amounts of blast forces, and can be hermetically sealed. Everything else are speed bumps."
He nodded as Darius acknowledges what he said before turning to Gergg as the small Ghoul suggests a trip wire detention. "If you can do it then please do."
Deidre had taken the girl Tyra up stairs while they finished with the preparations. A simple barricade, backed up with a grenade trap that Gergg had prepared, if the enemy got out unscathed then they deserved to escape. The child was their top priority and once she was secure they would return and finish their objective. He had stripped the enemy of any valuable items and had did his best to cover up Tyra's family with what he could find.
Shouldering his Laser Rifle, he looked to the Gultchbottom group for direction as he hadn't been this far out on his own. Nor had he visited the town they spoke of. "We'll take the same positions as before, Tyra you stand between Terry and Darius. If anything happens you stick close to them and listen to what they say." Looking to Gergg, as their impromptu scout. "If you would lead us to Gultchbottom I'd appreciate it."
With that he lowered his Laser Rifle back into his hands and kept it aimed at the ground, at the ready for whatever trouble lay ahead.
Terry responds to Kora, "I copy sir!" Terry gets into position, exchanges his multiplas for the W2K, and on exiting the vault, he keeps his weapon's muzzle high scanning the areas above for an attack from above. As soon as the group moves on to flat land, he will keep his weapon muzzle at the ground.
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Gergg uses his nimble fingers to skillfully attach a length of string to the pin on a frag grenade and tapes the grenade to the floor near the base of the doorframe. He leaves the door cracked open slightly, but not wide enough for anyone to squeeze through without opening it further and runs the string along the floor, attaching it to the bottom corner of the door. He's careful to hide the nearly taut string with dust from the rubble and he places a bent tin can over the grenade.
Anybody opens that door and they're in for one heck of a nasty surprise. Just don't forget about it when we come back.
Navigating through the blockades, he joins the rest of the group and begins to lead them back to Gulchbottom.
Gods I wish my real armor was working.
Darius keeps his eyes peeled all the way back to town where they drop of Rose and Tyra. He gives the little girl a small pocketknife out of his pack with instructions to wait for Rose to teach her how to use it.
The barricading and trap-rigging all go smoothly, and the group leaves quickly, keeping Tyra from seeing the corpses. She still seems a little shocked and morose, but perks up a little at Darius' gift. "Gee, thanks!" She shifts the pocketknife in her hands, looking up at both the military man and Deirdre, hoping someone will teach her so she can open it up.
Back at town , Ian drops his work and picks the girl up, whisking her to a seat by the counter and getting her some food. As one of the other townsfolk in the tavern takes care of her, the innkeeper brings you over to the side, where he listens to your tale.
"You folks aren't half-bad, it seems--even you, Gergg. I don't have the caps on me now, but I can have them in the morning for you. But I'd like to ask you folks to go a little further--find out what the hell's going on in that Vault and put an end to it. Mia and I can pay you an extra ten caps for every bandit or whatever you bring proof of killing--ears, fingers, or weapons, doesn't matter. We need that Vault safe, and the fact that a ghoul ran further inside makes me think there's something in there." The man exhales and holds out a hand to shake. "What do you say?"
Deal. Also do you folk have a truck or something if its brokendown that's fine but we might need it to dispose of some of the things in the vault. I'm sure you would prefer us to clean out the bodies and such.... anyways if its broken I can most likely fix it... Also is there an electronics repair station in town anywhere I need to look at one of the knights blasters...
He offers the man his hand to seal the deal....
"Thanks," Ian says, obviously relieved that you've agreed to take care of the problem. "Gulchbottom isn't used to things like this, and I'd hate to see the townsfolk get upset over it. It's good to see there's still some decent folks out here."
Pausing to consider the proposition, Ian shrugs. "There's some old repair shops up toward Chi-Town, but that's moving into the deep ruins. I think there was some sort of station east'ards a ways, and I know there's an old RobCo plant somewhere in the area, but I'm not sure on just where. Nothing on hand, though, I'm afraid. A lot of that'd be further up north."
Darius walks over to kora takes his rifle and takes 20 doing basic maintenance and realging sights using his tools which are old world tools. He is grumbling under his breath about being forced to use these. Afterwards he pushes it back into koras chest. Here whoever messed with it last had the capacitors over loading and there was a overly large sparkgap in the firing chamber. You people really shouldn't play with toys you don't understand.
"I'm always ready to assist *any* of Atom's children!"
Whether they like it or not...
Winter agrees enthusiastically to Ian's proposal, then orders a large plate of whatever's going and tucks in
Standing in Ian's pub, he watched the girl through the die of his power helmet. Knowing her world had been turned completely upside down and wishing there was something he could. He handed off his rifle and gave Darius a quiet thanks in reply for the assistance, he could have fixed it himself but he had realized there was something he could do...
Without another word he pulled out a requisition form and modified it to be something completely different.
RECRUITMENT REQUEST
It took him only a couple of minutes to finish the modified form and folding it securely he approached the Innkeeper. Pulling off his Helmet he introduced himself appropriately. "Junior Paladin Kirion, Pleasure to meet you and please forgive my hurried question but..." He gave the girl a sidelong look, hoping she was outside of ear shot as he asked. "Does she have anyone left in this town Mister?"
The innkeeper and tavernmaster nods to Kora and shakes his hand. "Good to meet you, Paladin. We don't get many Brotherhood out here, but I've always been on good terms with the Boys in Steel." Turning to look at the girl, Ian sighs.
The man shakes his head, setting down the glass he was wiping. "Not so far as I know, and I know everybody here. The Halls were well-liked, but they were their own family. I think I remember Morgan saying that they had family off eastwards, but nowhere too close." He taps his fingers absently as he looks at the young girl. "I'm sure someone could take her in; hell, I could if it came to it. What happened is just pure sh*t... Still, if she doesn't recall it much, things could be worse."
Ian looks quizzically at Kora. "You mean, take her in with the Brotherhood? Well, I..." The innkeeper seems a little at a loss for words. "...Well, I don't see why not. She's got no family around here, doesn't know anyone all that well. She's about the only kid we've got in Gulchbottom her age; she'd probably be lonely if she just stayed here... Let's see what she thinks."
The girl looks up at Ian, then at Kora. "You mean... I'd go with the nice man here? And learn to be like him?"
"Well, once they've finished up being heroes," Ian says with a small grin and a glance at Kora.
Tyra looks down at her food for a bit, then looks up, a small smile on her face. "I like the man and his friends, even the funny-looking little one; they saved me. Mommy and Dad aren't coming back, are they?" She looks at Ian, eyes shimmering with some tears.
"I... they can't right now, Tyra. They had to go visit your family far away. They'd want you to be safe."
The girl nods. "Okay."
As the group exits the Cavern in the morning, you notice off to the northern entrance of town a few new arrivals--three people and a laden brahmin. Coming to the door, Ian nods at the group. "Salesmen in town, gentlemen!" He pays you each your caps--200 apiece--and shakes his head before heading back in. You catch the words "Wrack'll get rich now..." as he returns to his establishment.
The first of the group is obviously the trader. Leading the brahmin by a rope, he wears a many-pocketed outfit that seems to have been haphazardly stitched together from different hides and fabrics. Many of the pockets seem to bulge with assorted items, and so does the satchel hanging on his left hip. On the opposite thigh rests a sub-machine gun, its barrel pointed at the ground, but the safety off, as most travelers keep their weapons.
Bringing up the rear of the group is the guard. A tall, hard-looking man, he has a scar running horizontally beneath his nose, drawing his lips up into a grisly expression. On his hip is a simple automatic pistol, but on his back is a large axe with wiring and what appears to be a small generator of sorts. He doesn't look like a talkative fellow.
The third member of the caravan looks decidedly less apt to be found wandering the Wastes. Tall and thin, he wears long robes and a simple pack. In his hands he has a leather notebook, in which he seems to be jotting notes while conversing with the caravan trader. A scarf is pulled around his face to ward off dust and wind, and the only concessions to the Waste seem to be a sawed-off shotgun on a sling and some shells tucked into his belt.
At a gesture from the trader, this man looks up, and he quickly waves to the Power-Armor-garbed members of the group. Unwrapping his scarf reveals a smiling face, somewhat tanned, and also quite thin, with a few days' thin stubble growing on his jaw. Kora recognizes him instantly...
Scribe Leon Hatcher is a pretty nice guy, really. Friendly and well-spoken, Hatcher is well-liked by most of the Brotherhood Scribes, and at least accepted by the majority of combatants. A member of the Order of the Quill, Hatcher is something of an expert on pre-War knowledge; some call it an obsession, while it's clear that to Hatcher, it's just a great passion. He's also a bit of a linguist, fluent in several tongues.
However, Hatcher does have a darker side which you've seen on occasion. The man has a seething hatred for the Super Mutants, which seems to be grounded in his early childhood, though what precisely caused it is a mystery. Despite this, he's usually amicable and warm, always quick with a stimpak or just a warm drink when needed. However, he doesn't always cope well with stress, and he's a little trigger-happy on the range.
Wonder why he's out here?
"Kora!" the man calls as he quickly moves forward, then turns, shakes hands with the caravan trader, who just smiles and shakes his head, then turns again and promptly stumbles over his robe and falls to his knees on the ground, the notebook and pencil dropping from his grasp. He quickly scoops them up and stands to walk toward the group. "Er... Junior Paladin, sir? Kora!" he says, smiling, and hugs the Paladin, disregarding the Power Armor's hardness. "How are you? I heard about that business in Felldom, and then this--a Vault! Wow! Just wow!" He turns to the others as if just noticing them, and eagerly steps forward to shake hands, grinning the whole time. "Oh, great to meet people of the Wastes! Scribe-Initiate Leon Hatcher, Repo Squad, at your service!"
Shakes his head at the appearance of more brotherhood and a scribe st that.
Hail trader what have you in your wares?