I Had managed to get them all into the choppers and out of the burning wreck of Nipton. After a quick demonstration of the power of The Kiss of Steam, they were willing to trust me for now. But for some unknown reason, one of the women and her daughter looked at me as If I was some form of God. I had no idea what that was about, and I was not sure if I wanted to know if I was totally honest. We were approaching the fortress now, and I could see that my children had begun to do the emergency measures I had ordered. Large Gun Ports were added, mechanical gun ports to be exact. Cogs and gears were now replacing circuits and microchips. If I was dealing with the neverborn, then I would give them as small a vector of attack as possible. I had ordered the walls to be filled with salt for protection. I wasn't sure if the enemy had access to ghosts or other intangible creatures, but if they wanted to play, then let's play. Say hello to salt and cold iron.
I didn't have Irish roots for no reason. I remembered how my great-grandmother told me to deal with the fae and their ilk. They would not find me easy prey. To that end, I had ordered the production of salt-filled buckshot rounds.
The choppers had already been scrapped for parts, and so had the jets I still controlled, as well as the tanks. It annoyed me greatly that I had to scrap good enough gear out of fear of eldritch possession, but needs must when the devil drives. And he once again brought a clown car.
Doctor Mitchell, or Dad as I had started to call him, was very helpful in setting the people up in the homes my children had built. We managed to get everyone housed, and we did have enough food and water for now. Sewage and sewage treatment was set too. I had ordered the excavation of a massive pit dug into the mountainside. It would be used as the backbone of the city I was building. The heavy-lifting industry, such as water treatment and waste management, would be handled there.
As would steam generation. Yes, steam generation. I had plans to run my civilisation on steam and electrical power in tandem. I had plans to infuse the steam with magic as soon as I could get my pseudopods on it.
If I were right, it would play merry hell on my eldritch enemies. After all, how do you hide your eldritchness in a roiling mass of energy? It simply wouldn't work.
Any attempt would burn the fuckers alive, and I would cackle at them as they tried to fuck with my stuff. It would be an interesting sight to see a shoggoth getting steam burns. An interesting sight indeed.
The people I had rescued were quite astonished by the sheer size of what I had to acknowledge at this point, which had become no longer a mere fortress but a full-blown fortified city.
My children had been left unsupervised. And they had decided that they wanted to build. There were a lot of domes surrounding what was once going to be the outer wall. Those domes housed soil taken from the warehouse. They had then begun to plant seeds from fruits stolen from my kitchen.
Yet more walls surrounded those biospheres. I smirked fondly as I observed the superstructure of the outer wall. It seemed like my children were building in the same style I used in Minecraft, Factorio, Sims and Cities Skylines. Just add more to the sides.
The sprawl was getting ridiculous for the amount of people I was housing, and so was the amount of guns. Steam-powered guns, yes, but still, I had enough firepower here to sink a US aircraft carrier. The rescuees were looking at the place in awe and wonder, and it took some time to get their attention onto me.
"Alright people. As you can see, you are quite safe here. Now, a few ground rules. No stealing, no raping, no slavery, no means no, no murder. And no harming the tiny metal creatures that walk, fly or otherwise move about the place. I will react beyond violently if one of them is hurt. They are my children, and my reactions will be what you would expect from a mother protecting her children. Other than that, there are precious little rules here. Don't be an asshole, and we won't be having problems.
I am quite lax when it comes to rules. Food can be found in the places marked with a giant neon carrot sign above the door. You can pick one of the houses and claim it. Please try to keep them tidy. They got running water, and we will begin setting up classes about farming and such later on. But for now, go get settled in. I don't have the spoons to deal with you. I'm drained. I had to deal with a lot of bullshit this week. And I wish to sleep. I will be available tomorrow. Good night."
I left before they could ask questions and went it all to Dad. If the forge was to be believed, I was 15, and this was not a problem of pay grade. He could deal with people who aren't dying or trying to kill us. I didn't have the spoons for this. I just wanted some hot soup, a hot bath, and to go hug Cheyenne and Sunny.
I was tired, cranky and about ready to bite the next person who made trouble for me. I would probably go Akainu on someone bothering me. Well, not really, unless they were raiders, then all bets were off.
I ducked into the designated access door and sulked off into the workshop, entirely done with the bullshit that was the world of fallout. If there was going to be yet another apocalypse, it could wait until tomorrow. I did not have the energy necessary for it today.
My adorable little children swarmed me as soon as I got through the door, demanding that I pay attention to them. Even though I was tired to the bone, I couldn't bring myself to deny them. They were just so cute.
I spent a few minutes indulging in hugging them and playing with them. It was a balm for my soul. Their tiny forms brought me the comfort I so desperately needed. After some time, I managed to convince them to let me get up and made my way to the living space.
Once there, I was immediately hugged by Sunny, who had wheeled her wheelchair to the door, clearly waiting to ambush whoever got home first.
"Hey, Sunny, I'm back. How are you doing?"
I asked, smiling as she buried her face in my shoulder. I had decided on the way back that Sunny was my sister now. I would not entertain arguments, and with Dad wanting me to call him that, which I would gladly do for now, it only seemed fitting.
"I'm doing well. Dad told me that you saved the people of Nipton. It is a good thing you did, Alice. Don't doubt that. I know that you and Dad are trying to keep me away from something dangerous or bad to know, and frankly, I don't mind at this point. I don't have the energy to worry. But I can see that you are tearing yourself apart over the fact that you have had to kill. It's ok. I know it's hard. I remember when Dad took me travelling, and I had to kill a would-be rapist. I didn't sleep well for weeks. I am here for you. I can't help you with much, but I can be here for you. You saved me, Cheyenne, and probably Dad, too, not to mention all the people of Nipton. The least I can do is be there for you."
I stood there, rooted to the ground. I didn't notice when my feet gave out from beneath me, and I crashed to the ground. My head hit Sunny's lap, and I cried. I let it all out, all of the grief, the loneliness, the hurt, the anger and the pain. I cried long into the evening, and Sunny stayed by my side throughout all of it. She was holding me tight, crying herself over the loss of her home, her family and her friends.
At some point, Cheyenne snuggled up between the two of us and became our pillow. We spent the rest of the afternoon like this, silently bonding over our loss, and at some point, we fell asleep.
Doctor Mitchell Pov
I returned to the strange pocket dimension of my adopted daughter after spending the entire day organising the people of Nipton. My former job as a travelling doctor meant that most of the older folks knew me and trusted me. So I didn't have too hard of a time getting them organised. It was tedious work, but I found it very fulfilling.
My late wife would have loved this place. I made my way through the massive structure that was Alice's warehouse, dodging her children. The little robots were quite friendly, albeit very strange. It didn't take me long to arrive at the living space, where I found my two charges sleeping on the floor, huddled against each other and Cheyenne.
Sunny was still in her wheelchair, Alice leaning against the older girl's legs, and Cheyenne curled up in her lap. They looked so peaceful. I decided not to disturb them. They had earned their rest, especially Alice.
That poor girl had been through hell and was still trying to help everyone she met. It was admirable but foolish, considering the world we were in now. I got a blanket from the couch and put it over their sleeping forms.
After that, I retreated to the kitchen. It had been some years since I had fresh, non-mutated vegetables, but I still remembered how to make stew. Life in a vault taught you some things, after all. As I began to cook, I ruminated about the future. It was quite clear that Alice wanted nothing to do with the administration of the town she had built beyond maybe the management of resources. And by the short speech she gave, I got the impression that she was rather awkward around people.
She kept glancing at them as if they were a threat to her survival. She must have some form of social anxiety or worse and was avoiding large groups as a result. Considering her past, it was quite reasonable to assume such a thing.
I found one of the cookbooks that explained how to make chicken soup and began the process. Some time was on the process of butchering the chicken. That was harder than it had any right to be. How one bird so small could contain so many bones boggled the mind.
I peeled the vegetables, cursing underneath my breath as I tried to remember what vegetables were what. It had been so long since I had seen non-irradiated vegetables. Luckily, I managed to find a section in one of the cookbooks that had pictures. The kids could never know about this. I refused to let them know about this humiliation.
I cut up the vegetables and followed the recipe closely. It took more effort than it had had any right to, but I managed to create edible chicken soup. This took me about 3 hours, and when I left the kitchen, the soup gently bubbling away on the stove, I found the girls slowly waking up, blinking the sleep from their eyes.
I may have lost my wife, most of my friends, my town, my home and even the vault I grew up in was lost. But I would not let the wastes take them too. I had lost enough, and I would protect those two children. They may not be of my flesh and blood, but I would care for them as if they were, and if the horrors of Dunwich wanted Alice, they would have to go through me first.
Alice Pov
I woke up to the smell of soup. I didn't know what kind, but there was soup nearby, and that was good. Soup made everything better. I gently got up from the floor and shook Sunny awake.
"Sunny, wake up. There is soup nearby."
I shook her again as she blearily blinked the sleep from her eyes and shook her head to wake up. It was adorable.
"Morning Sis."
My heart skipped a beat as she called me her sister. I had referred to her as such in my head, but I didn't think she would see me the same way. I couldn't help it. I hugged her tightly, taking great care not to agitate her injuries. I had a sister, and I would not lose this one. No winged horror would take her. No eldritch spawn would touch her. I would kill them all first. I had failed once. I would not fail again.
"H-Huh Alice? You ok there?"
My hug seemed to have greatly confused her, and the fact that I was crying probably didn't help things either. I chose to be open with her about things. Sisters didn't lie to each other after all.
"Yeah, I just got emotional when you called me your sister, I got information from the forge yesterday, and It screwed around with my Life. As a result, I don't remember anything concrete about my family anymore. You calling me your sister filled a massive hole in my chest. I promise I'll be the best little sister ever."
Sunny smiled and hugged me back. I felt warm inside. It was good to have a family.
"Of course, I accept you as my sister. I don't know how this worked on your planet, but here in the wasteland, family doesn't mean blood. It means that we stick together and have each other's back. And after all you have done for me, how could I not? I don't care that you are not from this world or that you are changing into something not fully human. You are my sister, and that's that. I won't hear any arguments saying different, and I'll shoot anyone who says otherwise. Now let's go find that soup that's got you so excited."
I nodded and got up from hugging her so she could move her wheelchair to the kitchen. We found Dad trying to figure out how to operate the coffee machine, and I had to giggle at his antics.
"Here, Dad, let me. You can help Sunny set the table and check her bandages."
I took over and prepared some coffee for Dad. It was no wonder that he was confused by this machine. It just had to be a Jura machine. I could almost hear the forge snicker at my misfortune. Yes, it was a Swiss machine, but by the Omnissiah, it was an annoying model, scratch, that it was a Jura. I was fully in the right to be annoyed at the machine. It was trash. I could already feel the inevitable headache build for when the grinding and heating elements inevitably would fail, and I would have to rip the thing apart and replace them.
Right then next thing to build as soon as I have time, A proper coffee machine because I refused to use this crap longer than absolutely needed. A Moka pot would be easier and better than this.
But then again, a moka pot is ancient and has no moving parts. All that can break is the gasket. I grumbled and took the cup of coffee to the dining room table.
"Here you go, coffee. I can't promise it's good since I have been given subpar equipment and will have to rebuild the entire thing later, but it will wake you up."
Dad nodded and took the cup with gratitude. He looked tired, and I now felt bad for leaving the people outside to him. He was old. He shouldn't have to deal with this just because I didn't like people.
"Stop that."
Dad said as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Stop what?"
"You look like you are blaming yourself for something, and considering that you looked at me and with how tired I must look, you probably blame yourself for my exhaustion. Cut it out. You have done a lot to help people. You could have just hidden in this dimension without helping, but you didn't. You chose to help. So don't go blaming yourself for me being tired. It is fine. I have had worse. I just had to talk to people. At least it wasn't another Dunwich sige."
At the last words, he looked off into the distance with a gaze full of old hatred and regrets. I could tell, just from that gaze, I could have known that Dad had seen the things that live in this world. The hidden horrors of this world. I wouldn't even have needed the word Dunwich.
Sunny looked at the two of us with a look of confusion but when I shook my head she got the message that it was not something she did want to know right now.
"I will tell you when you are ready, but there are dark things in this world, sis. Just remember: If something inhuman asks you for your name, Don't answer. Don't look them in the eyes, don't invite them inside, accept nothing from them, and remember: Salt, cold iron, and steam hurt them, something vicious. They are not from our world, and they are not our friends. I won't go into detail, but they cannot hurt you inside the workshop when the door is closed. Neither can they cross a circle of salt. It's why the walls now are filled with salt outside."
Dad nodded.
"Alice is right. There are forces out there in the wastes; they are not human in origin and want nothing but our ruin, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Do not trust strangers who hide their faces or their hands. The skin of the possessed cannot stand the light, and so they hide in full-body cloaks. That's why I always demanded that guests show their faces and remove their gloves when we had them. Remember when I shot that random visitor a few years back and didn't tell you why? He was possessed. They infiltrate settlements and from there destroy them from the inside out, turning the populace into monsters beyond human understanding."
Dad explained to Sunny, who was shaking a little. I wasn't aware of that fact, but it was good to know. Skinchangers too. Oh, for fucks sake. Now, I would have to set up guard rotations at the gates.
Motherfucker I didn't check the people I brought here. Was there already one Inside? Had I endangered my sister and Dad by rescuing people? Did I have to go and check everyone? I bolted up from my seat and materialised the Kiss of Steam. Ready for violence.
"Sit down, Alice. I took care of It. There were none. I checked. Put your rifle away. It's not needed. The people outside are fully human. Trust me, I would know. Now eat your dinner. It's getting cold."
I sat down with a sheepish expression on my face, embarrassed about my outburst and the fact that I had created more work for Dad, but he was right. I couldn't have known. I began to eat my soup, it was chicken. It was not the best, and I could easily have made better, but I could recognise the effort that Dad had put into making it, and I wouldn't criticise it just because. He had cooked us dinner after cleaning up my fuckups, and I was grateful for that.
After we finished our meal, I helped Dad move the plates and cutlery to the kitchen and Into the dishwasher. Next, I moved my still exhausted body to the bathroom and took a scalding hot shower. My new slime race allowed me to absolutely blast myself with temperatures that would have burned a human alive. It was nice to just wash yourself in what was, in essence, superheated steam.
After about forty minutes, I got out of the shower and dried off the few droplets of water that had formed on my body. I did my hair when I had an Idea. I was essentially Immortal to regular damage. So why exactly should I have this hair that was not mine, this dyed and shortened hair? I wouldn't need to hide as much as before, plus I could just change its colour on the fly, couldn't I? I focused on my hair and caused it to burn away before reforming into its original form, A long mane of firey red hair.
"Welcome back, old friend. Ready to steal the show?"
I ran my hand through my fiery locks and giggled. I may have changed it to look more like the scant few memories I still had of my lost sister. Multiple shades of red and auburn locks cascaded down my back. Oh yes, this I liked.
I had an idea and tried to use my hair as pseudopods, which worked beautifully. I was able to grab my toothbrush and toothpaste, and even brushing my teeth didn't require the use of my hands at all. Instead, I tickled Primey who had followed me into the bath, the little rascal. I spent the time it took to do my teeth and facial hygiene cleaning Primey's body. She was dirty and didn't like the idea of getting washed, but It happened anyway.
She dinged and beeped in protest, but I would not allow my daughter to walk around the house cacked in wasteland dirt. After that, I put on my pyjamas and made my way to my bedroom, carrying a pouting Primey.
-The next morning: Alice Pov
After I had woken up and eaten breakfast, I retreated into the workshop. I had begun the process of building my personal transport. Since regular power was apparently open for possession, some measures had to be taken. My new ride was now geared towards comfort and terrain accessibility. I started with the base of the Marauder. It had a solid shape, but I then began to modify it heavily. All the tech went out. I replaced it with basic levels of electronics.
After all, possession was possible. To make that a non-option, I had Primey make me a spark. I would add this little spark at the end of everything so my car could become a clank. Try possessing that.
Then I went to work on the guns the guns. The anti-infantry gun got the Kiss of Steam upgrade. I added an anti-air turret with the same upgrade for the possessed F-22s, and the armour and glass were made from the best materials I currently had. That meant folded carbon sheets and layered diamond pannes for the windows. The plan was for the body to be upgradeable. I wouldn't curse one of my children to be stuck in a body of inferior quality forever. No, the spark could be removed and the body upgraded.
I put the spark in Place and woke up my child. They came into being with a revving of their engine that transitioned into a low rumble.
"Hello my child, welcome to the world. How do you feel?"
Their engine rumbled, and I could feel their happiness, they, no he desired to explore the world at speeds unseen. And, of course, for a child of mine, he wanted to blow stuff up. How could he not? It was in our spirit. We were pyromaniacs. I cackled when I understood what my son wanted.
In essence, It boiled down to this: "Mother, I crave violence."
I patted his door and nodded.
"You shall have it son, you shall have it. Let me just go tell Dad where we are going, and we can go blow stuff up ok?"
He let his engine roar in happiness, and I giggled. A few moments old and already so happy. I knew I should probably not encourage his destructive tendencies, but I couldn't care less at this point. This world was hell. Everywhere I turned, a new catastrophe was looming, and a new terror was waiting to drag me down into the abyss.
So no, I didn't care if my son liked to blow up stuff, so long as he only blew up raiders and other enemies. All was well from my point of view. I had to draw the line, and this was it. I went back into the living room and found dad In the kitchen I had explained the coffee machine to him this morning and he was quite happily drinking cup after cup.
"Dad, I am going on an excursion with my new child. I built him this morning, and he's quite immortal to regular damage. We are going to go get that reactor I talked about. You and Sunny should come to meet him. He's one of my dingbots but big."
Dad nearly spat his coffee when I called him Dad. Heh, so I wasn't the only one. But he nodded and got up, following me to the garage. Sunny and Cheyenne came along too, after I got her from the former guest room that had now become her room permanently. We made our way to the Workshop to meet my newest child, and I had a happy smile on my face. Today was a good day.
AN: Job is kicking my rear so a shorter chapter is what happened. sorry for the delay. I am also saving the CP You will see why. In other news i have begun writing a crack fic that's more silly. It ate some of my time too but it keeps me writing because i can get the silly ideas out of my head and onto pages.
