It was agreed on the way that the three men would need help. Even with Jack's Power Armor, three men and a dog weren't gonna take down a factory full of Super Mutants on their own. They'd need help. The Brotherhood of Steel was their only option. The first stop was Vree. She had plenty of time to perform her autopsy and study on that Super Mutant corpse, maybe they had some kind of obscure weakness. That, and she would know better where the Knights found the Super Mutant in the first place. The quartet entered the room with all the Scribes once more, making a beeline for Vree. "Hey, Vree. Got a second to talk?" Jack asked as he approached.

Vree was typing away on one of the terminals as the group approached. She turned to them and gave a small half-smile. "Back already, I see. Ready to talk about your Vault?"

Oh, right. Jack forgot about that promise. He couched awkwardly. "Well, uh, we'll have to postpone that again. I have something even more urgent to take care of."

Vree sighed lightly. "What would that be, then?"

"Well, you know more about these Super Mutants than anything. Do they have some kind of weakness? Something that'd kill them easily?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, like garlic does with those blood sucking monsters?" Ian added. Darn, what were those called again…?

The Scribe couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Not quite, no. However, I did discover something interesting." Vree typed some more commands into the terminal, and a holo-disc came out. "As it turns out, these Super Mutants are one-hundred percent sterile. There is zero chance of them being able to reproduce normally." She handed the holo-disc to Jack. "Here, have a copy of my findings. It really is quite remarkable how these creatures are built. They may be sterile, but they are effectively immortal; meaning they'll never die of old age."

Tycho snapped his fingers. "Of course! That's how we really beat them! Their sterility!"

Jack nodded. "That's right! If we destroy their factory, they'll have no way to increase their numbers, and can be picked off!"

"Factory? What factory?" Vree asked, eyebrows raised. "You mean…someplace where these creatures are being made? Someone has harnessed the FEV?"

The trio of men looked at each other in confusion. "FEV? What's FEV?"

Vree sighed again. "Of course, you wouldn't know. I don't have all the details, but from what I've gathered, it's a Pre-War, man-made virus. The Forced Evolutionary Virus. It's almost exactly what it sounds like. If you still don't get it, it essentially mutates creatures into what can be described a more powerful, evolved version of itself. The Super Mutant I studied contained this virus. I just…had no idea someone had their hands on this much…"

"Wait, so this is something humans created? Why?" Ian asked. This was simply too strange. A virus that turned humans into those hulking green monstrosities?

"For the war, I'd gather. Pre-War America wanted the upper-hand in any way they could manage. Mutating their own soldiers seemed like a viable option to them." Vree explained. "They really must have been desperate to win this war. Now, again, what is this about a factory?" Vree pressed.

Jack sighed. First these Vaults and their experiments…and now this? What kind of Hell was the Old World? "Well, I talked to a mutant named Harold in The Hub, and he told how Super Mutants seemed to originate from the northwest. Then I recalled what you said, how those Knights got your Super Mutant corpse from the north. It all adds up!"

Vree pondered this for a moment, then seemed like she was struck by something. She went back to her terminal and had her fingers dance across the keyboard before turning back to the group. "Yes, that's it! The Mariposa Military Base!" The look of confusion from Ian, after all Jack and Tycho's faces were hidden, urged her to explain. "There's a Pre-War military base to the northwest. Our records listed it as housing no weapons or technology of worth, so we never explored it. But, with what you said, it makes sense! Why would a military base have nothing? We assumed it was just being built, but wasn't finished before the war started. Secret FEV tests must have been run there, and whatever methods were used got leftover!"

"Well, that seems to make sense, actually." Jack said. He had no idea how spot-on his theory was!

"Well, wait, are we sure it's this base? There must be a lot of stuff to the northwest. We should be sure before we get ahead of ourselves." Ian argued.

"Well, as far as the Brotherhood knows, there's nothing else of interest directly to the northwest. At least, nothing that could house a Super Mutant factory." Vree said.

"It's our best lead at the moment, we should at least investigate." Tycho added. "As of now, we have nowhere else to check."

Ian thought it over, and then nodded. "Well, I suppose that makes sense, then. So, what, are we going have the entire Brotherhood go there?"

Vree shook her head. "I'm afraid not. At least, not without speaking to High Elder Maxson, he's the only one with authority to let such an expedition take place. He's on the bottom floor, you should speak to him right away. As far as I know, he shouldn't be too busy to talk at the moment. He'll be in the first room you see down there, purple robe, pretty old."

"Right! We'll get his help! Thanks, Vree!" Jack gave her the Brotherhood salute, and soon his team was at the bottom floor of the bunker. They entered the nearest door, seeing an elderly man sitting behind a desk, typing into a small terminal. He was balding, and what hair he had left was shockingly white. Despite his age, he seemed strong in stature, and was wearing a Scribe-like outfit, except this one was purple. "So sorry to intrude, High Elder, but I must speak with you!" Jack said before the man could comment on the intrusion. There was another door behind him, leading further into the level.

High Elder Maxson looked up from his terminal with a grumpy look. Like one might give a disobedient child after they hit a baseball through the neighbor's window. "Now what's all this about? Who are you, exactly?"

Jack quickly gave the Brotherhood salute and removed his helmet. "Sorry, sir. Jack Washington, Initiate. I insist that we speak, this is very urgent! The Wasteland is at stake!" It was odd how Jack felt the need to act so formal with the Brotherhood. Really, he didn't feel that strong of a loyalty to them. Not that he didn't like them or wished any ill-will, and he felt Talus and Vree were good people. It was just, in the end, Jack's true loyalty was to Vault 13…he was a Vault Dweller, through and through, not a Brotherhood Initiate.

"Ah, yes." Maxson said with a sniff. "I heard about you. Travel around with Outsiders. If you insist we talk, those two must wait outside."

Ian stepped forward. "What gives, old man!? We have just as much of a right-"

Ian's rant was interrupted by Tycho, who dragged the still-ranting man out of the room by the arm. "Now, now. Let's not cause a scene, Ian!" He chastised. "Come on, Dogmeat!" He called, prompting the dog to follow the two men out of the room, the door closing behind them.

Maxson sighed and shook his head slightly. "Now, what was this urgent business that we must speak of?" He sounded rather annoyed, as if not trusting that Jack really had anything important to say.

"It's about the Super Mutants. Vree and I were talking, and we are quite sure that we've found out where they are coming from! Vree called it the Mariposa Military Base. We know these creatures are coming from the northwest, and that seems to be the only place that can generate them!" Jack explained, feeling a bit out of breath.

Maxson did not seem to expect that. He stood up, stepping out from behind his desk. "And what makes you think they are being generated?"

"Well, Vree mentioned they were made with the Forced Evolutionary Virus, something man-made. Something that isn't out in the wild. And I've fought heard Super Mutants refer to someone known as "The Master", someone that leads this terrible army! Please, sir, without the aid of the Brotherhood, the army will only grow until they kill us all!" Jack urged. What if Maxson didn't believe him? Or needed to wait and study the situation for weeks first? There just wasn't any time for that!

Maxson scratched his chin and thought…and thought…and thought. After a few minutes of pondering, he nodded. "That does seem to add up, yes. I can't see why you would lie about something so serious. I will talk to the Elders about mounting an expedition."

Jack let out a sigh of relief, but now seemed confused too. "The Elders? I thought you were in charge."

Maxson shook his head. "Well, as High Elder, I have more sway in the workings of the Brotherhood, but I don't have all the power, no one man should! I can't even make important decisions like this in this chapter!" Chapter? Like, group? Jack was amazed, there were other bunkers like this somewhere? "Decisions like this must be made as a group between the Elders. You wait here."

With that, Maxson went into the door behind his desk, and it closed automatically behind him. The wait seemed like hours, when in actuality it was about ten minutes. Jack put his helmet back on as he waited. He didn't want Maxson to see how nervous he was. Soon, the poor opened again, and Maxson came back in. "What's the news, sir?" Jack automatically asked.

"Hold your horses and let me speak, Initiate!" Maxson scolded. "The Elders agree with your plan; you have your expedition. They already radioed in three Paladins that will accompany you. Talus, Mathia, and Darrel." He nodded. "You are dismissed and to head out immediately. Good luck, Initiate."

Jack once more felt like a weight had been lifted from him, and gave a salute. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down!" He had no choice. If that factory wasn't destroyed, the Wasteland, and his Vault, were doomed. With that, he left the room. Ian and Tycho were chatting amongst themselves as Dogmeat was licking a private place as they waited.

"Well, what's the word?" Tycho asked. "It sure took long enough!"

Jack kept walking to the elevator and called back. "We're departing now to the base with three Paladins! Let's go!"

The two men and Dogmeat followed Jack up the surface where, as said, three Paladins were waiting. One had a minigun, one had a rocket launcher, and one had an odd-looking machine gun that seemed to have extra electric parts. Talus saluted Jack, who saluted back. "Alright, here's how this works." He said, the casual, friendly tone when he was giving Jack his armor now gone. He sounded more stern now. "This may be your doing, but I am in charge of this expedition, and you will follow my orders, understand?" The two other Paladins made no movements, it seemed they had been briefed, they didn't even really acknowledge Jack or his group.

Jack saluted back as Talus did his salute, and gave a nod at the instructions. "Understood, sir." He elbowed Ian lightly, who seemed as though he had a nasty comment to make.

"I will, this once, allow you to bring these two men and your dog with you, we'll need all the firepower we can. Now, I'll be leading the way, I know where this base is. Let's move out, men!" Talus cried as the septet made their way northwest, to the Mariposa Military Base.

The walk was mostly quiet, and a long one at that. The Paladins didn't seem much for conversation, except for Talus deciding when is a good time to set up camp for the night. Nothing very interesting went on, except for the discovery of a large, strange metal object imbedded, almost crashed, into the ground with two skeletons nearby. The skeletons were short in stature, but had giant bulbous heads. It was decided not to poke around the unknown object. After about a week of travel, the group reached a large, relatively maintained building. In front of it were a couple of Super Mutants, four to be exact. The humans and Dogmeat hid behind a large rock near the base, examining the situation. "What's the plan, Talus?" Mathia asked. "All in at once? We don't have the weapons for a sneak attack."

"It seems like that's the best course of action. Everyone get ready…" Talus said, as the group got their weapons out. Jack got out his assault rifle, Tycho his combat shotgun, and Ian his trust 9mm pistol. Dogmeat was growling, teeth barred in the direction of the base. "Alright…GO! GO! GO!" Talus yelled as the group charged at the base.

The Super Mutants quickly realized they were under attack and each let out a battle cry. Three of them had laser rifles, while one had a rocket launcher, which it fires right away. Thankfully, the rocket missed anyone in the group and harmlessly exploded far away. One of the other Super Mutants took out a radio which looked almost comically small in its large green hand and yelled something into it, which was muted to the group by the sound of Darrel firing his minigun at said mutant, quickly dropping it dead on the ground. Dogmeat charged at the Super Mutant reloading its rocket launcher and chomped down on its leg. The green giant howled and dropped its weapon, but raised its arms up with the intent to smash the poor canine, but Jack fired away at its arms, stunning it and allowing Jack to finish it off by unleashing his assault rifle onto its face.

Mathia was firing her odd minigun, which shot lasers out at a rapid pace, at one of the remaining two Super Mutants. It charged at her, the lasers not piercing its skin; though Ian and Tycho worked together with their respective weapons to bring the monster down before it could reach the Paladin. Finally, Talus was aiming his rocket launcher at the last mutant, whose laser rifle blasts harmlessly hit the Paladin's Power Armor. When the timing was right, Talus let a rocket fly, blowing the Super Mutant into chunks. In about two minutes, all four of the Super Mutants were dead.

"Holy shit. That was short work!" Tycho exclaimed, examining the damage. "At this rate, this will be an easy mission!"

Talus made a clicking noise with his tongue. "Don't be so cocky! This base could have hundreds of Super Mutants in it for all we know! And with weapons more powerful than the ones out here! Besides, one of the Super Mutants was probably calling for backup or was letting the base know of our presence with that radio. Either way, things got a lot harder." Tycho just nodded sheepishly in response.

Jack, meanwhile, was trying to get the door open. "And we have another problem, the door is locked. Looks like we need a password…" He yelled back to the group. "Any of those Super Mutants have a note or tape or something? This door needs a code to open!"

The Paladins checked over the Super Mutant corpses while Ian, Tycho, and Dogmeat joined Jack over by the door. After a few seconds, Talus spoke up. "Found something! There's a tape, it's too broken to work, but there's something scratched in. Try '010597', Initiate!" He ordered Jack.

"Got it!" Jack entered the code that Talus gave to him in the door's keypad. There was a series of beeps and a metal clunk. Jack tried the door again and opened it. Beyond the door was a dark hallway, with just a spot of light a few meters into the base. "It's open, sir!" He announced.

"Shhh! You crazy? Keep your voice down." Talus scolded, getting closer so he didn't have to raise his voice. Mathia, Darrel, Ian, Tycho, and Dogmeat all approached the door; though Dogmeat seemed hesitant to get too close, barring his teeth and growling lightly at the doorway.

"Right, sorry." Jack said, noting Dogmeat's behavior. "Whatever is in there, Dogmeat doesn't like it." Could it be the FEV itself that Dogmeat is smelling? Who knows?

"Well, he can stay outside with the three of us, then." Talus said with a shrug.

"Wait, what?!" Ian blurted out. "What do you mean 'stay outside'?"

Talus sighed and muttered something that sounded like "Outsiders". "I already said before, one of those Super Mutants used their radio to most likely call for backup. Who knows how close some Super Mutant patrols could be. If they come in after us, we'll be caught in a pincer, and we'll have to way to tactically retreat if we need it. Mathia, Darrel, Dogmeat and I will stay out here and keep any returning Super Mutants out, while you guys go in. There were only four Super Mutants directly guarding the entrance, so it seems like they don't have many to spare. If they did, they'd probably have a dozen of the fuckers here guarding something so important. You understand?"

Jack, Ian, and Tycho absorbed these words, with Jack giving a nod. "That…Does make sense. I'm just not sure what to do exactly when we get in there, sir."

"A lot of these Pre-War bases had some kind of self-destruct function." Talus explained. "I suppose just in case an invasion force was too much, and they didn't want any secrets to get out. This one probably does too, so look for that." He glanced around the area, the horizon specifically, noticing a few incoming specks. They were moving in fast. "If there isn't one, we'll figure something out, but you gotta move! Reinforcements are incoming!"

Jack could see the logic in that. He sure didn't want to get attacked from both sides. "Understood, sir! Dogmeat, stay out here, understand?" It seemed the canine did, as he sat down with a whimper. "Good. Come on, you two, let's go!" Jack reloaded his assault rifle and entered the base, with Ian and Tycho following suit.

The trio went quietly through the entrance hall. As quiet as Jack's Power Suit would let him walk, that is. "Hey, can't you go quieter than that?" Tycho whispered. "They'll hear us coming from a mile away!"

"I would if I could, but this thing is heavy!" Jack whispered back. "I'm like a walking Vault, this thing is heavy!" The trio reached an entry room, which was currently empty. There were four branching hallways, but each one was blocked by either a yellow or red force field. Two of each color blocked a path. "Great, how do we get past these?" Jack murmured. He approached one of the yellow ones and slowly pressed his assault rifle's barrel against it, and was surprised to see it was stopped! Despite being somewhat transparent, it was like any solid wall. Jack tested this further by slamming a fist into it, to no effect. "Well, we can't go through the yellow ones, it seems…"

Ian, meanwhile, tried sticking his foot through the red force field, only to retract, fall on his rear, and give out a grunt of pain. "Damn it!"

"What, what is it?!" Tycho asked, he and Jack going to Ian's side.

The injured man lifted his foot up, the shoe was mostly gone, along with his sock. The parts of his foot that were showing were covered in second-degree burns. "Burnt my foot pretty bad. We can go through those red ones, but they hurt like shit!"

Before anything could be said, a deep, burly voice rang out. "Hey! Who are you?!" The trio turned to see a Super Mutant approaching from one of the yellow force field-blocked hallways. "Intruders?!" It kicked the side of the force field, the metal part attached to the wall, and it flickered off. A few seconds after he passed the threshold, it turned back on.

Instead of taking out a weapon, the Super Mutant charged at the men, its arms outstretched. When it got too close, Tycho shoved his combat shotgun in its face and blew its heard apart, killing the Super Mutant swiftly. As this happened, Ian administered a Stimpak on himself, though the wound was healing rather slowly. "Shit, other of those monsters were bound to hear that." Tycho said. "But now we know these force fields are weak, the yellow ones at least!"

Jack nodded and approached the other yellow force field and kicked it as the Super Mutant did and gave what seemed to be the generator of the force field a kick, making it turn off. With Tycho helping Ian move, the three men made it across before the force field turned back on. "Okay, this is good. We have a way to get around now." Jack said. "We gotta keep moving, there will probably be patrols coming."

As he said this, the men heard shouts coming down the hall and around the corner. There was another yellow force field a bit ahead and to the left. "Come on, let's hurry!" They repeated the method, going into a small room with both sides blocked by yellow force fields. There was a large terminal in the room. "Jack, see if you can get something useful out of that terminal, you worked with those at the Vault, didn't you?"

Well, security mostly used terminals to make logs, but it did seem Jack would have the most experience. "Sure, I'll try." As Tycho and Ian watched out for the guards, who seemed to be getting farther away, Jack worked on the terminal. With some guesswork and probably luck, he found a directory for the force fields. "Aha…!" With a few more keystrokes, all the force fields in the base shut down. "There, that'll make things easier…"

"I knew you could do it!" Tycho cheered, then turned to Ian. "How you doing? Your foot better?"

Ian stood up, wincing a bit. "Yeah, it's better, but these burns were bad. Seems like even a Stimpak will take time to heal it. But I can keep going…"

"Well…If you're sure…" Jack said. Ian nodded and limped forward, showing he could move on his own.

"Yeah…Yeah, I got it." Jack and Tycho grinned and were about to follow him when several whirring sounds rang out. "What…What are those thi-" There were several bursts of gunfire from the next room…the one Ian was in. His body jerked and was flung onto its back, riddled with bullet holes.

"IAN!" Tycho and Jack exclaimed at the same time. They went to his side, but with a gurgle of his own blood and a single choked out word, Ian went still. He would never get up again.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Tycho yelled out, getting his combat shotgun ready, rage filling his voice.

"Oh God…Ian…" Jack murmured. He stared down at the corpse of his friend; his first true companion in the Wasteland. And then he was gone, just like that. It was all his fault, if he hadn't dragged Tycho and Ian into his personal quest, none of this would have happened!

"Jack!" Tycho yelled, snapping him out of his trance. He was by Jack's side; the Power Armor-wearing man didn't even notice Tycho's approach. "Look, I know this is crushing, I'm going to miss him too, but we can't mourn right now. We're in the middle of a base full of Super Mutants and robots." He nodded at the room where the gunfire came from. "There are strange robots with…brains in jars for heads. They all have guns too. We can mourn our loss later, but now we have a mission to do." Tycho advised, his tone of voice made Jack believe that Tycho had gone through things like this before.

Jack glanced down at Ian again and nodded. Tycho was right. As much as it hurt to see his friend dead, they had no time to stop and mourn; they were in the middle of enemy territory!" Jack got his assault rifle ready and looked into the next room, barely poking his head out. Did Tycho say…brains? As Jack got a good look at these robots, it seemed Tycho was right! There were four robots in the room, all of the same make. They had tank treads to move around, connected to a base, which in turn connected to a cylindrical body. The robots had two arms, each ending in metal pinchers with four "fingers", and each one had an assault rifle. The most disturbing part was the "head", which was a glass dome with a robotic eye on the front, and within the dome what seemed to be a human brain in some kind of liquid. Jack gaped at these bizarre creations, though it was impossible to tell with his helmet on. The robots didn't seem to notice the two yet, as they weren't technically in the same room as them, perhaps. "Tycho…What are these things?"

Tycho shook his head. "I'm not sure. I think they're these things called Robobrains that I've heard whispers about. I guess they must be with the brains and all." He shuddered a bit. "It's creepy to look at. And before you ask, I have no idea why these things have brains in them."

Jack stared at the robots, rolling about the room with no concrete pattern. These tin cans killed Ian. They had to be scrapped! "Well, whatever they are, I'm not leaving until I destroy them!" Jack said as he stepped into the room. "Just stay back, Tycho!"

Tycho knew Jack had nothing to worry about, those guns wouldn't even put a scratch on Jack. The Vault Dweller marched forward, firing off his assault rifle as the barrage of gunfire from the Robobrains kept bouncing harmlessly off of the Power Armor. Jack aimed his own gunfire at the Robobrains' glass domes, shattering them and tearing the brains inside apart. "Eesh…Messy…" Tycho muttered as he entered the room after the last Robobrain fell. "If anything, this is an act of mercy…probably. Those were most likely human brains, probably forced into those robots."

Jack sighed, reloading his weapon. "I'd rather not think too hard about it, honestly." The duo went to the other side of the room, where an elevator on the other side of a red force field waited. "Let me try something…"

Jack kicked the generator, like with the yellow force fields, but nothing happened. He gave it a few more sharp kicks before finally, it flickered off, giving safe passage. "Well, at least we know those can be undone too." Tycho noted. "Not like we had much choice, this could be the only elevator down."

Some more shouting rang out from somewhere nearby, so Jack and Tycho booked it into the elevator, the latter slamming his fist into the third floor button. "Way I see it, whatever is causing this stuff is at the very bottom if it was top secret, right?"

"Yeah…Probably." Jack droned back. He took these few moments as the elevator went down to think back at Ian. He still couldn't believe it! It was so sudden…he had previously survived so much. Then he just died in a span of a few seconds. "Let's just keep our eyes peeled, there will probably be more Super Mutants closer to this FEV source."

"That's true, we'll need to be careful. Could be more powerful robots too." Tycho pointed out as the elevator reached the third level. The door opened the two were met with another red force field.

"Even more of these things?" Jack asked, sighing and starting to kick the generator sharply, soon disabling it.

The two ventured past the threshold, with a hallway directly to the left and in front of them. The hallway in front of them ended fast, but had a doorway to the left. Tycho pointed down the latter hallway and whispered. "I'll sneak down there, see if there are Super Mutants in that room. You stay here, your Power Armor is too loud."

Jack hesitated. He didn't want to lose Tycho too! But it's not like he could stop Tycho, and it was a good idea. He nodded. "Okay, just be careful, alright?" Jack whispered.

Tycho nodded, his combat shotgun at the ready. He slowly, carefully eased his way down the hall towards the opening. As he got close, he practically stopped to a crawl and paused just outside. Jack wasn't close enough to hear anything, but apparently Tycho was as he speedily tip-toed his way back. It would've been humorous if this wasn't a life-or-death situation. Tycho shook his head when he got back to Jack. "I heard a couple of Super Mutants in there, let's try the other way first."

The two headed down the longer hallway, which lead to a large, empty room. Not only was it lacking Super Mutants, but it had nothing of note. No terminals, furniture, or anything else but two more hallways to go down. The duo went down the hall on the further side of the room, with Jack cautiously peeking around corners as they went. As it turned out, that hallway lead to a slightly spiral path leading to another elevator! "Another elevator? How far down does this base go?" Jack wondered as he and Tycho stepped inside.

There was only one button, to level four. "Only one way to find out!" Tycho said as he pressed the button. Soon, the two arrived on the fourth and final floor of the base. They soon found themselves at another fork. The left path went to a red field generator, while the right path went down a long hallway, with a room off to the left. Tycho once again snuck over, but heard nothing. He peered around the corner, then called back to Jack in a loud whisper. "Robobrains! Three of 'em!"

"I'll take care of them, their weapons won't hurt me!" Jack said, going into the room with his assault rifle ready. Tycho waited out in the hallway as a lookout.

As Jack took care of the Robobrains, two Super Mutants came from around the corner. One held a rocket launcher, one held one of those miniguns that shot lasers, a Gatling laser. "Jack! We got company! Two Super Mutants!"

Jack killed the last of the three Robobrains when he heard Tycho's cry. Tycho was making his way into the room, but he was too slow. As he was about to enter, a whirring sound rang out and a barrage of lasers filled the hall, striking Tycho and piercing through him. Jack rushed over, wanting to help Tycho and pull him into the room, but it was too late. Before Jack could reach him, a laser pierced right through Tycho's head, killing him. "Fuck! No!" Jack blurted out, entering the hallway and staring the Super Mutants down.

The two were laughing, they had the nerve to find joy in this. "None of you normies are getting' to Lou!" The one with the rocket launcher said.

"Yeah, we don't care how shiny you are!" The other chortled, charging up the Gatling laser again and firing.

The lasers did nothing to Jack, the projectiles making only the most minor of nicks and scratches to the Power Armor. At first, Jack just stood there and let the lasers slide off of him. He was consumed with grief and rage, his vision going red, and his only desire was to see the Super Mutants before him die. He put the assault rifle away and took out his rocket launcher, which only had one shot left. He fired it at the one that killed Tycho, who continued to fire, trying to hit the rocket now.

The Super Mutant missed, with the rocket hitting the Gatling laser and generating a large explosion that all but reduced the Gatling Super Mutant to pieces and sent the other into a nearby wall, its legs too destroyed for it to walk, or even stand. Jack proceeded to drop his rocket launcher, and pick up the late Tycho's combat shotgun. The remaining Super Mutant couldn't move, so it just gaped at Jack as he approached, pressed the shotgun against its head, and pulled the trigger. Ignoring the resulting mess, Jack dropped the weapon at his feet and just leaned against the wall.

In the course of less than an hour, he already lost his two human companions. They had been there for him for months, helping him with his own personal mission, and look where that got them. Jack felt it was his fault they were gone, that he was to blame. All he could do now was finish the mission they had started. At first, he wanted The Master gone to help both his Vault and the Wasteland. Now, he wanted to see the bastard suffer.

And Jack was disturbed at these thoughts.

Getting his assault rifle ready, he rounded the corner where the two Super Mutants came from. It led to a small room with another Super Mutant and, oddly enough, a human! The human was a meek looking man wearing some odd purple robes with a yellow stripe on them. The Super Mutant seemed a bit bigger than the others, and was wearing some metal armor. The most striking thing about him was a blood-red bionic right eye it had, along with a strange metal scalp. Jack noticed his left eye seemed unhealthy and squinting, and probably couldn't see well out it, hence the other eye being bionic. There was a bunkbed, a table, and a large trunk in the room, the last of which was right next to the Super Mutant. The monstrous being looked at Jack in almost amused fashion and spoke with a deep, intelligent voice that no other Super Mutant that Jack encountered had possessed. "Well, well. It seemed those oafs on the first floor were correct. An intruder. I was expecting more than one, however…"

Jack really wanted to just open fire, but stopped himself. This was the first human he had seen in the presence of a Super Mutant like this. He didn't seem like a prisoner. In fact, he looked at Jack with fear, as if expecting him to start a slaughter. And this Super Mutant seemed far more intelligent than most of the other Super Mutants Jack encountered. They had to know something. If The Master wasn't here, they'd know where to find him. "Who are you two? Why is there a human here?" He didn't even feel rage right now; it was replaced with confusion at the moment.

The human didn't answer, instead glancing at the Super Mutant, obviously expecting him to speak up. "Who, Van Hagan here? Pay him no mind, he is but a messenger. I am in charge here." The Super Mutant answered. He seemed oddly serene despite his two guards being killed and having a human with an assault rifle and Power Armor in front of him.

"Are you The Master then? The one behind all of this?!" Jack asked, his rage returning. And a messenger? So there were humans working for the Super Mutants?

The green giant before Jack shook his head. "No. Though I am surprised you know of him. Not many humans are aware of his existence. I am The Master's Lieutenant, and that is my name. Though the idiots in our army insist on calling me Lou Tenant. I have answered a question of yours, now answer one of mine. Just who are you, human?" The creature's tone almost made it seem like it thought of this as a game! A game of questions.

Jack had to keep playing. If he killed these two right now, he may never get any answers on The Master's location! "I am Jack Washington, from Vault 13. I came here to stop this army The Master has created! Where is he?!"

The Lieutenant seemed surprised at this. "A Vault, you say? How interesting…So that makes you a prime specimen, then." He mused, ignoring Jack's question. "Now then, tell me where this Vault is, or I will make you talk." His tone became darker by the end, letting Jack know it wasn't an idle threat.

Jack knew he had to bluff. He had to get information out of these two, they could be his last leads towards The Master! "If I'm going to cooperating, I'm going to need some questions answered first." Jack said, lowering his assault rifle slightly, though was prepared to fire it at the Super Mutant at any moment.

The Lieutenant thought for a moment, looking Jack up and down. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Oh, very well. I'm curious just to see what you'll ask."

Jack cleared his throat. For some reason, The Lieutenant's nearly nonchalant demeanor unnerved him. He had the air of someone that was fully confident he was in no danger, despite the number of weapons and the type of armor Jack had. But he couldn't be deterred, not now! "Well, I suppose the most important one is who The Master is, and what his plans are."

The Lieutenant nodded, a small smile stretching across this disgusting green face. "The Master is our leader, the first one to utilize the Forced Evolutionary Virus to its fullest potential. Since you've gotten this far, I'll assume you know what the FEV is." After Jack gave a nod, he continued. "As for this plan, he wishes to create a master race and insure the Unity. It's all quite glorious, I assure you."

Well, that didn't tell Jack much more than he didn't already know. "What is the Unity? What is the end goal? Just create more Super Mutants?"

"You know we call ourselves Super Mutants? My, you have done your homework. The Unity, however, is quite simple." The Lieutenant said, with a diabolical type of pride in his voice. "To save the world, we will convert all the worthy individuals into Super Mutants. All under The Master's glorious rule!"

All humans? All of them as Super Mutants? That was madness! Though it was quite a coincidence that Vree called them by the same name. Also, Jack noticed that the messenger, Van Hagan, had yet to say a word or react strongly in any way. Did he know all of this? Was he fine with it? "I…I see. So just make every human a Super Mutant? What if they don't want to become Super Mutants, and how are you doing it at all?"

The Lieutenant let out a somewhat impatient sigh. "Yes, that is he end-goal. How much more clearly must I say it? The Master wants all able-bodied humans to become Super Mutants! Peace will reign under this one master race. Humans are better off this way, whether they know it or not. They may resist, but they will be better off as one of us. It is a favor, really. As for the methods, well, that is what this base is for. The vats on this floor are filled with liquefied FEV. Able-bodied humans are dipped in, and Super Mutants come out. Those unworthy of the transformation simply die. Time in the Wasteland slowly cause humans to mutate, but not in a good way. They mutate in a fashion that will not allow them to reap the full benefits of the FEV. But those in the Vaults, or those not in the Wasteland for long, such as yourself will become prime Super Mutants, such as myself."

These creatures knew only insanity! Jack had no doubt about that now. He was so close, there was only one more piece of information he needed! "Okay, just one more question. Where is The Master if he isn't here?"

"The Master resides in The Cathedral, south of a place the humans call the Boneyard. A cult of humans worships him there, seeing him as a sort of god. They call themselves 'Children of the Cathedral'. Not very bright followers, but still potential and willing Super Mutants." The Lieutenant made a small huffing sound, seeming tired of talking. "Now then, tell me where your Vault is and prepare to join our glorious race, human!"

Excellent. Jack knew where to go now! And a cult was disturbing to think about, though that explained Van Hagan. But now, it was time to destroy this base. "I don't think so, monster! I am going to stop your plans!" Jack raised his assault rifle and opened fire.

It seemed The Lieutenant was expecting this, as he hoisted up the trunk to protect itself against the rain of bullets quick as a flash. Jack stopped firing as this happened, to conserve ammo. The Lieutenant held the trunk up with one hand, and opened it with the other, taking its contents out. As The Lieutenant dropped the trunk, Jack saw it was another Gatling laser. Van Hagan, meanwhile, hid in the farthest corner of the room, muttering something to himself. "You foolish human! I am getting the location of your Vault one way or another!" The Lieutenant growled as he started firing the Gatling laser.

It seemed The Lieutenant had never faced someone in Power Armor before, as he was surprised at how ineffective his weapon was. Still, he wove back and forth, dodging the gunfire from Jack, with most of the bullets that hit pinging off of his metal armor. Soon, Jack had to reload; a chance that The Lieutenant took! The Super Mutant charged at Jack, moving at alarming speeds despite his size, and easily snatched the assault rifle from Jack's grip. The Lieutenant snapped the weapon in half like it was a common stick, and with a mighty kick, knocked Jack onto his back. "Augh, shit!" Jack cursed. Getting up from being knocked down in Power Armor was a bit awkward. Before he could stand, The Lieutenant was upon Jack and punched him in the face, knocking him flat on his back.

The impact didn't hurt too bad thanks to the Power Armor, but the bouncing around in the armor would leave bruises. "I will crack open this metal shell and turn you into one of us! Then, you shall reveal all you know!" The Lieutenant knelt on the ground and blindly pounded away at Jack. The Power Armor took all the blows, though the immense strength of an enraged Super Mutant started to create dents in it. Jack had to act, and he had to act quick! In between the blows, Jack desperately lurched up and swung his fist, and managed to deck The Lieutenant square in the jaw, causing him to reel back a bit. Jack quickly stood up and got his Desert Eagle .44 out quickly and shot at The Lieutenant's head multiple times. All but one bullet missed, which struck the Super Mutant's bionic eye, eliciting a roar of pain from the monster. "You miserable creature! You will never be one of us! I will torture you until you confess!" The Lieutenant yelled.

Jack scooted away quickly. It seemed his study of The Lieutenant was right, and that his left eye wasn't working well, because the Super Mutant was swatting the air blindly. Jack continued to fire at him, but The Lieutenant was moving so erratically, he was hard to hit. Once again, Jack had to reload and The Lieutenant took this time to counterattack. He took a grenade out from a pocket and lobbed it in Jack's direction. "Shit!" Jack blurted out as he backed away from the explosive, but he was a bit too slow.

The explosion once more knocked Jack off of his feet, and once more the Power Armor protected him. However, it seemed explosions were the limit with Power Amor. The legs and lower torso of the advanced suit were burnt and small chunks had been blown off or melted slightly. Luckily, Jack was far enough from the grenade that the Power Armor wasn't critically damaged. Jack quickly got up as The Lieutenant approached him, at least knowing in general where Jack was. "You disgusting rodent…I will make sure you suffer greatly!"

He charged at Jack, preparing a swing, but Jack struck first. A Power Armor'd fist collided into The Lieutenant's stomach. Though the Super Mutant had metal armor, the Power Armor was strong enough to stun the monster momentarily. Luckily, "momentarily" was all Jack needed. Jack struck again, this time in The Lieutenant's face, keeping the Super Mutant stunned. Then another blow to the face, then to the stomach. Jack kept punching again and again and again, not resting for a single moment. His metal-covered arms moved surprisingly fast as he unleashed a storm of punches against the Super Mutant, who was too dazed and damaged to hit back. Finally, Jack slammed a metal fist into The Lieutenant's face, knocking out one of his disgusting teeth and sending the Super Mutant onto his back. Wasting no time, Jack reloaded his Desert Eagle and put several bullets into the monster's kneecaps, causing him to howl in pain. "Holy crap…This Power Armor…It's amazing…" Jack whispered to himself as he panted, staring down at the critically injured Super Mutant.

The Lieutenant glared up at Jack, his metal armor dented horribly and his face even more disfigured than before. "It doesn't matter what you do to me, human. You will never be able to defeat The Master. The Unity will reign supreme over this Wasteland! You-"

Jack emptied the rest of the Desert Eagle's magazine into The Lieutenant's face, ridding the world of the beast. Jack waited a moment, and then let out a sigh. He was hoping The Master was here, that he could end this all in one trip. It looked like he had one more trip after this. "Wait, the human!" Jack totally forgot about Van Hagan during the fight! He looked around and saw the man dead in the corner, blood pooling around his corpse. It seemed that loose shrapnel from the grenade killed him. Jack wanted to assume that. The only other way that he could have died was one of Jack's missed bullets hit and killed him. He really didn't want that.

Jack made his way back to the hallway and towards the force field, disabling it quickly and heading into a door to the right. He entered a room filled with several terminals, and with a number of men in robes, just like Van Hagan's. They froze when they saw Jack. The nearest one pointed somewhat dramatically at the Power Armor clad man and yelled. "Intruder! He must have killed the Right Hand of God! Come brothers, we must join the Holy Flame!"

Before Jack could do or say anything, each robed man took out a 9mm pistol and, without hesitation, killed themselves. Before Jack could blink there were half a dozen corpses in the room. "Dear God…These poor people…" He muttered. He ventured into the room, noticing a large window at the far end and approached. "Oh…God…" He said to himself. On the other side of the window was a large room with a number of giant metal vats, each filled with an eerie glowing green liquid. These must be the vats of FEV The Lieutenant spoke of. This must be the control room, and where the self-destruct sequence would be if the base had one.

Jack looked through the largest terminal in the room. There wasn't much on there except for a single holodisk in the machine. It may serve useful later, so Jack stashed it into his bag after taking it from the terminal. Now that he stopped to think…Jack prepped himself and stripped the nearest man of his robe, stuffing that in his bag as well. The Cathedral would probably be far more guarded than this base, and probably with some of The Master's strongest Super Mutants. A stealth approach may be necessary…

After that, Jack turned back to the terminal and looked through and…there! A number of commands he could enter to initiate a self-destruct sequence! The best option was a five-minute countdown sequence that didn't trigger any alarms. Knowing this had to be done, Jack entered the proper sequence and sprinted out of the room. Jack made his way up to the first floor of the base as fast as he could, managing not to run into any Super Mutants. As he approached the entryway, he heard yelling from outside. "Initiate! There you are!" Jack sprinted out into the sunlight, it had only taken him two minutes to get out of the base. "What happened, was the mission successful?!"

Jack quickly observed the situation. All three Brotherhood members were alive, though each one had damage done to their Power Armor. Dogmeat seemed a bit exhausted, but fine. On the ground was no less than twenty dead Super Mutants, and Van Hagan among them. It seemed reinforcements had arrived in great force, and the Paladins killed Van Hagan as he tried to escape. "No time to explain sir! We have three minutes before this place blows up!"

Talus wasted no time, and started to run from the base. "You heard the man! Everyone move your asses now!" The four men ran as fast as their legs could carry them, with Dogmeat in tow. After three minutes, a ground shaking explosion erupted from behind them, the sound almost deafening. Jack had done it; the base was destroyed. "Would you look at that! You did it, Initiate!" Talus said, panting a bit. "I knew you had it in you!" He paused. "Wait…The two Outsiders…"

Jack froze. He didn't even think of getting their bodies out of there. Then again, what would he do with them? Just bury them in a random plot of land? Now that he thought about it…Jack didn't even know where they came from. He never bothered to ask. Still, he felt guilty about leaving their bodies to be blown to bits in that terrible place. Jack realized Talus was waiting for an answer and solemnly shook his head. "They…Didn't make it." Dogmeat let out a whine and licked at Jack's metal-covered hand.

Talus shook his head. "Look, it was clear you cared about them, and they seemed fine for Outsiders. What you have to understand is that this is life in the Wasteland. Your companions will die. I've lost a number of close friends in the past, Initiate. You need to learn to accept these things and move on, as hard as that may be."

Jack didn't want to just brush off the deaths of his friends, yet he also knew Talus was right. He couldn't let these thoughts linger, at least not until The Master was killed. Wait, The Master! "Talus, sir, I need to get to the Boneyard! Do you know exactly where it is?"

"The Boneyard? Yes, I know where it is. Why do you need to know?" Talus said, as Mathia and Darrel glanced at each other silently.

"Sir, please, it's not something I can speak about, but it is very important!" Now that Jack thought of it, Talus didn't know that The Master wasn't in the factory. Jack felt that he alone needed to defeat The Master. If he couldn't, he at least needed to do recon at The Cathedral to see what The Master had at his disposal.

Talus sighed. "You need to get your report in as soon as possible. I'll tell you only if this concerns the Super Mutants, Initiate."

"Well…I think it may." Jack lied through his teeth. "But I'm not one hundred percent sure yet. I need to do some recon."

Talus nodded. "You have shown to be knowledgeable, and able to take care of yourself, I suppose." He thought for a moment. "Fine, fine. But make the trip short, and come back as soon as possible to give your full report, understand?"

"Of course, sir!" Jack replied as he climbed out of the Power Armor, allowing Talus to mark the Boneyard on the map of his Pip-Boy 2000. With that, Jack climbed back into the Power Armor and headed towards the Boneyard, a bit southwest of The Hub with Dogmeat while Talus and his Paladins returned to the Brotherhood.

The trip was quiet, and in the worst way. Jack simply had no one to speak to except for Dogmeat, who seemed affected by his master's mood and seemed solemn. After over a week of travel, the two arrived in a somewhat run-down town, with guards waiting at the gate. Jack felt he needed to talk to people here before going to The Cathedral, surely those closer to the location would have some insight about it? The guards were two tough looking men in metal armor. One waved a shotgun at Jack and bellowed. "You! Metal Man, what do you want?!"

Jack was a bit taken back at the hostility, though he knew with his Power Armor he had nothing to fear. "I was hoping to find out about The Cathedral to the south of here. Is there anyone here to talk to about that?"

The two guards glanced at each other, and the one with the shotgun shrugged. "Well, the Children or whatever they call themselves have a base here. But they're pretty…loony to say the least. If anyone, I'd talk to the Followers of the Apocalypse." Clearly he was expecting Jack to reply a certain way because he held up his hand. "Before you say anything; the group may sound like raiders or something, but they're really not. They like to gather knowledge, and are very charitable. You can find them in the library nearby." He pointed to a large, decrepit building. "You can also buy stuff from the Gun Runners if you need it, they have some good weapons."

Jack nodded his head. "Well, thanks." Jack wasn't expecting things to be THAT easy. He and Dogmeat made their way into the library, he didn't need any more guns. Inside, there were a number of people reading books, most of them wearing black leather jackets. Jack tapped the shoulder of the nearest person, a scrawny man reading a large tome. "Excuse me, I was told to come here if I wanted to learn about the Children of the Cathedral. Who should I talk to about that?"

The man jumped a bit at the tap, then jumped again when he turned to see Jack in his imposing Power Armor. "Ah! Oh, uh, well. What I mean is, talk to Nicole, she's our leader. Last I saw, she was in that room there." He pointed a bony finger to a closed door on the other side of the room.

"I see. Thank you!" Jack said, entering the designated room. Inside, there was a woman reading a book at a desk. She too was wearing a leather jacket, as well as having oddly green hear in a Mohawk style. "Nicole? I was told to come talk to you."

Nicole looked up from her book. Unlike the scrawny guy, she didn't seem surprised by Jack's appearance. Had she seen Power Armor before? "Greetings. Yes, I am Nicole. I hope you have found our humble abode to your satisfaction." Despite her appearance, she was quite soft-spoken. "What is it you wished to talk to me about?"

Jack actually couldn't help but be a bit curious about these Followers. "Just who are the Followers of the Apocalypse, exactly? I only just heard of your group."

Nicole smiled, seeming somehow pleased with the question. "We are a group that wants to bring peace back to this Wasteland. It is a violent world out there, and we wish to make a difference." She paused, frowning a bit. "Sadly, we have not been too successful. We fight with knowledge and peace, hence our constant reading of books in our downtime. We never give up hope. We never will, even though most live by the gun these days. And right now we concerned with the Children of the Cathedral."

A very noble group, it seemed. Jack couldn't help but be happy about that. The Wasteland truly needed more positivity. "I actually came here to learn more about the Children and their Cathedral."

Nicole frowned further, closing her book. "I see. Why, may I ask, do you want to know? You don't wish to join them, do you?" She sounded quite worried about the possibility.

Jack shook his head. "The opposite, really. I want to investigate them." And put a stop to their evil ways but should Jack say that? How much does Nicole know about them? He wouldn't want to worry her or sound crazy talking about an army of mutants.

"Well, I suppose that's fair. They have been causing ruckus lately, especially with their revelation of having Super Mutants on their side." Nicole said grimly. "They claim to be peaceful, yet those who oppose them strongly mysteriously vanish…"

Wait, she knew about the Super Mutants?! The Children were this open about it? "Wait, you know about the Super Mutants? What do you know about their plans?"

Nicole shook her head. "We don't know, though we've been investigating in secret. The Nightkin, these blue Super Mutants, came about recently. Ever since, it seems when people vanish, more Super Mutants appear…"

So, the Followers, or at least Nicole and some spies, knew what these Children were up to! But now these Nightkin creatures? What were they, even more powerful Super Mutants? "I see, I do know about their plan, actually." Jack said, which seemed to surprise Nicole. "They wish to take over this Wasteland, turning everyone into Super Mutants! I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!"

Nicole didn't see anything for a moment, seemingly contemplating. "No…That makes sense. Like I said, as the people here vanish, it seems Super Mutants take their place. And their talk of the Unity certainly makes more sense with that in mind…but how do you know this? And why ask me about the Children if you seem to know so much yourself?"

Jack decided it was best to come clean. What would be the harm? "Well, I'm on my way to the Cathedral to stop their plans, especially because my Vault is in danger, but also to save the Wasteland. I'm going to sneak in and investigate, and was hoping you knew something that could help."

That got Nicole looking hopeful. "My word, that's rather bold. I personally don't know much of the goings-on at the Cathedral, but we have a spy there. Go to the Cathedral and find a woman named Laura. Tell her 'Red Rider'. She will tell you what she's found."

Well, that certainly made things easier! Someone on the inside to help him out. "Thank you for the information, Nicole. I should hurry and get there as soon as possible." Jack said.

As Jack was going to leave, Nicole spoke up. "You know it's funny, you're the second person to come here who wanted to save their Vault. What are the chances?" She mused.

Jack stopped in his tracks and turned back to the Follower's leader. "Is that so? What Vault were they from?" Perhaps it was someone from Necropolis?

Nicole shrugged. "Don't remember which Vault it was specifically, somewhere up North. We actually rescued the poor guy from the Super Mutants after he got mutated by them. His name is Talius. You should talk to him before you head out, he's downstairs."

What? Surely Jack didn't hear right. Talius? Vault 13's Talius? The one that vanished into thin air? No, it had to be a coincidence, right? Jack wanted to believe it, but he knew it was no coincidence. Thankfully, his Power Armor's helmet hid his shocked expression. "I…see. I'll do just that. Thank you, Nicole." He said, managing to keep his voice even.

Jack left the room and quickly found a staircase down. He quickly spotted a Ghoul-like mutant sitting at a table and reading. He was somewhat like Harold, but not nearly as pathetic. He still had both his eyes and lips, and he was sitting up straight, unlike the seemingly half-rotted Harold. As Jack approached, he looked up. His face was unrecognizable from the man Jack knew. He didn't know Talius as a close friend, but he knew his face. The mutant seemed surprised at the armored man before him. "Well, greetings, friend. Can I help you with something?"

Jack had to gather his thoughts, figuring out exactly what to say. After a moment, he spoke up. "You…You're Talius, right?" He asked, still able to keep his voice leveled.

The mutant seemed a bit put off by Jack's behavior, yet still nodded. "Yes, my name is Talius. Is there something you need from me…?"

Jack felt his heart skip a bit. It was true, this really had to be Talius. His voice did actually sound like him from what Jack remembered, if a bit scratchy. Instead of answering with words right away, Jack took his helmet off, showing Jack his face. "It's me, Talius. Jack Washington, from Vault 13."

The mutant stared at Jack, his mouth wide open, his eyes full of disbelief. "Jack…? I…I remember you! What are doing out here? Did Jacoren decide to let everyone out?"

Jack could barely believe what was happening. There was zero doubt now, the mutant knew the Overseer's name! "No…No, it's the opposite really. But that's not important! What are you doing out here? Is Ed here too? You two vanished at the same time!"

Talius frowned. "Vanished?" He didn't seem to be expecting that. "What do you mean vanished?"

"You and Ed! One day you both just vanished without a trace!" What was he talking about? How could he forget what happened?

"We…We didn't vanish." Talius said, sounding confused. "We were sent out of the Vault! Didn't Jacoren tell you?" The look on Jack's face said it all. "I see…" Talius sighed. "Well…Ed and I were the first ones Jacoren told about the Water Chip failing. We made it as far as this place called Necropolis until things went too sour. Some of those 'Super Mutant' things knocked me out and Ed ran…Next thing I know, I looked like this. Thankfully, the Followers saved my hide."

More lies. Jack couldn't believe it. First about the true purpose of the Vaults…now this. And that skeleton outside the Vault…That must be Ed! "I'm…sorry that happened. I actually found a Water Chip in Necropolis, so you were close. Now Jacoren wants me to stop the source of these Super Mutants and their leader."

Talius gave a grim nod. "I see…Well, I wish you luck with that. I shall just…remain here, I believe. I do not wish to return to the Vault." Talius then buried his face back in the book, but it was obvious he just wanted to be left alone. Jack complied, and he and Dogmeat left the Boneyard and went directly south. Jack had a lot to talk to Jacoren about when he got back to the Vault.

On the first night of the short trip, Jack realized something. "Wait, that holo-disc I found at the base!" He had totally forgotten about it! He was so wrapped up about Tycho and Ian, he had forgotten! Jack was out of his Power Armor, as he always was when he went down to sleep. Sleeping in that metal monstrosity was too uncomfortable! Dogmeat tilted his head curiously as Jack put the ancient-looking holo-disc into his Pip-Boy 2000. It was an audio log, in a number of short, seemingly spontaneous entries…

"I'm dying. I need to get this down before the pain overwhelms me." The Pip-Boy blurted out. It was man's voice, one that sounded exhausted…

"I can't believe that I was finally able to drag myself out of that vat. The slime did not affect me, but I nearly drowned. I don't know what happened to Harold - he was standing right next to me when the crane knocked me into the vat. He must have been killed or he would have tried to help me. Francine is dead, killed by one of those robots." Vats? Harold? No…It couldn't be…

"I have no idea how much time has passed. I was able to hack the computer to turn off the robots and record this, but now my mind is slipping away. There is much pain...

The green slime that I was immersed in is the source of all the mutations we traced to here. My skin is starting to fester and peel. In other areas it is bubbling and is expelling a green mucus-like substance. Some days the pain is almost tolerable.

I can actually walk a few steps again...It seems inconceivable that I dragged myself all the way up here from the vat room. Strangely, I'm actually feeling stronger, though I'm still in a lot of pain. Everything seems to be getting smaller." This had to be…Richard Grey. The man Harold said he traveled with!

"I think I consumed one of the mutated things scurrying around here today. Before I knew what was happening, some sort of tendril had sprang from my stomach and covered the poor creature. As soon as it had sucked the rodent into my gut I could actually feel its mind. I think. There is the very real possibility that I'm going slowly insane and can no longer differentiate between what is real and what is a hallucination. Maybe I'm still slowly dying in the vat and I've imagined all this.

Things are becoming more clear to me every day. This toxin has actually improved my mind. I feel that I can understand even the most complex philosophical questions simply and directly. It's as if all the layers of artifice have been stripped away. I wonder what would happen if I submerged an animal in the vats for a prolonged period of time? Would it gain awareness?

The strangest thing is happening to the animals. They actually become smarter and more aware of their surroundings. I dipped a dog and a rat at the same time today, and they were fused together. It's not quite two creatures anymore, but it's more than one. Perhaps this is the future…a coming together of different creatures in some sort of harmonious unity. I no longer consume the different animals I create simply for sustenance - I have become the instrument through which unity will be achieved. I am so much more than a human being now.

It is time to bring others into the glory that is the Unity." It…couldn't be…

"A lost soul has finally strayed into my home. I was so surprised I consumed him before dipping, a mistake I shall not make again. His mind was so primitive as to be repulsive to my refined cognitive abilities.

I've begun to modify myself to be more pleasing to the Unity by injecting small doses of the virus into my body. The slime in the vats is a man-made virus called the Forced Evolutionary Virus. This information was acquired from my newly grown neurolink with the base computer.

The few wanderers that have found their way here have been a disappointment to me. They can't seem to mutate correctly. The best I've been able to create are some big and dumb mutants. Most can recall nothing from before I initiated them into the wondrous Unity. I only feed on them for fuel, now. Their minds are nothing to me.

Oh glorious creator! I have succeeded in spreading the complete joy of unification to another soul! Unlike the others, his total radiation count was low. I believe this is the factor we have been overlooking all this time, as it seems the conversion is more successful in the cases with less radiation damage. I have never known such glory as I felt when taking his mind into our own.

We are beginning to create an army dedicated to unifying the wonderful diversity of life. We have trained them to continue our work here while we search out more populated areas to take into ourselves. We are beginning to feel the limitations of a body that is mobile. We must find a permanent home, with a greater store of knowledge, and a steady supply of bio-mass.

We have stopped increasing ourself until we can find this new unification center. When we have arrived we will continue to grow and feed until we have brought peace and unity to the entire world."

And that was the last entry. The voice went from a normal, dying man to something monotone and…sinister…But that wasn't the most important part. This was an audio-diary of The Master himself…Who used to be Richard Grey. Jack didn't know what to think! The Master was just a man…now an insane…creature. All this talk about tendrils and becoming a 'we' near the end there…What was The Master? Clearly not an ordinary Super Mutant. He was something far worse. And he was clearly too insane to see the errors of his ways. In a way, Jack actually pitied him. And the thought of fusing creatures together like that…

Jack barely slept that night.

The next day, Jack came upon The Cathedral. Rather, a sizable boulder near the giant structure. It was what appeared to be a Pre-War church, and a massive one at that! It was time for Jack to get into his disguise. He exited his Power Armor and removed that metal armor he got back at The Hub so long ago, now only in his Vault Suit. He then put those robes he got from the base on. They were a bit tight, but still fit enough to work.

Unfortunately, Jack had to leave most of his equipment behind. His Power Armor, all of his weapons but his Desert Eagle (with some magazines) and a knife that he never got much use of. He managed to hide those in his pocket, along with a few Stimpaks and that tape that Vree gave him. Perhaps it could be useful…? Everything else, including his Pip-Boy 2000, Jack had to leave behind. That…and Dogmeat. "Alright, boy…" Jack said to the animal companion. "You need to sit here and guard this area, okay?" It seemed Dogmeat understood, as he sat in place and stayed there as Jack went towards The Cathedral.

In front of the building, there were a number of people in front of The Cathedral in robes like Jack's. All of them were mumbling about the Unity and the Holy Flame. They were practically brainwashed…though luckily none of them noticed Jack at all! He confidently entered the building, where an older man was there to greet him. "Welcome back, brother. I hope all is well!" The inside of The Cathedral was cold and dark, with a number of large, thick wooden doors leading to various rooms. There was a main room up ahead with a number of Children sitting in pews and transfixed on a screen with another robed man speaking.

Quickly playing along, Jack bowed slightly. "Greetings, brother. I am glad to say all is well. However, I must speak to Sister Laura, it is quite urgent. Do you know where she is?"

The man smiled and gestured to a nearby room to the left. "Yes, my brother, she resides in there. I do hope you get what you need from her."

Jack bowed a bit again. "Many thanks, brother." With that, Jack made his way into the room. Inside was a single robed girl, probably the same age as Jack. Her face looked serene, and had long and somewhat messy blonde hair. "Are you Laura?" Jack asked as he approached her.

The girl smiled. "Yes, I am Laura. How may I help you, brother?" She sounded somewhat meek and shy, though kind.

Jack glanced around, making sure there was no one else in the room. "Nicole sent me." He said in a soft voice. "She told me to say 'Red Rider' to you."

Laura's eyes widened. "She sent you? Who are you?" Laura asked, her voice now sharp and with a bit of an edge. "I don't recognize you."

"My name is Jack, and I'm a friend. I'm here to help put a stop to what's going on here. Nicole said you were the spy here, have you learned anything." Jack said, keeping his voice low.

Laura nodded. "I see. You wouldn't know what to say unless she trusted you, so I shall trust you as well. What do you need to know, exactly?"

Jack pretty much knew everything he felt he had to. Except for one important thing. "The Master. Do you know where he is? Have you ever seen him?" With the way he sounded in Richard Grey's tapes…he almost hoped she hadn't, for her sake.

Laura shook her head. "No. But I think I know where he is. You'll need to get a sort of key, though." She took an object from her robe, a small metal and red badge in the shape of a typical radiation symbol. "Everyone has red keys like this, but some people like Morpheus have a black one. I've seen him use it to enter a secret area. Though I'm not one-hundred percent positive that's where The Master is, I'd say it's your best bet. Here, follow me…"

Laura led Jack out of the room and into the large room with the pews. The two went into a room off to the right and closed the door behind them. Laura had to insert her badge into the door before it would open, Jack noticed. Inside the room was a staircase and another door with that badge symbol imbedded into it. Once again, they were alone. "I'm guessing that's the door you're talking about?" Jack asked.

Laura nodded. "Yes, that's the door I once saw Morpheus enter with his black badge. Without it, you won't be able to get inside. Morpheus is in a room at the top of the stairs. Here, take this. Without it, the Nightkin will kill you." Laura gave her symbol to Jack. "He most likely has the black badge on him at all times, so you will need to kill him."

Jack nodded, disturbed by how little of a deal this seemed. Just killing another person, as if it's normal. "Right. But you need to get out of here, and back to the Boneyard." Jack opened the door back up and whispered. "Things are probably gonna get dangerous here soon."

Laura eyed Jack suspiciously, thinking things through. It seemed she believed him though, and nodded. "I suppose I should. I think I need to get back to Nicole anyway. Good luck, Jack." With that, Laura left and Jack closed the door behind her and climbed up the stairs.

When he reached the next level, Jack was greeted with a voice. "Halt! Show identification!" It was deep and simple-sounding, yet no one seemed to be there!

"What?! Hello? Who's there?!" Jack called out. In front of him, a figure appeared as if out of nowhere. A large Super Mutant carrying a minigun; except this one had blue skin! Must be one of those Nightkin Nicole and Laura mentioned. "Oh! So sorry!" How did he appear out of thin air like that? Jack showed the Nightkin his badge. "I am simply going to speak to Morpheus about something urgent!"

The Nightkin glanced at the badge and nodded towards another staircase leading further up. "Proceed." And with that, it took a device out of its belt and pressed a button, turning invisible again.

After reaching the top level, Jack noted two doors. One had something in front of it…a flicker of some kind. Looking closer, it was in the shape of a Super Mutant! Sort of like seeing a visible gas leak. The Nightkin spoke. "Hungry…So hungry…Need food…" It grumbled. It turned visible, looking towards Jack. "Food?"

Jack backed away a step, holding up his badge. "No, no! Not food! I have clearance to be up here!" The Nightkin grumbled some more. "Why not go downstairs and look for some food, okay?" The Nightkin nodded dumbly and descended the stairs and out of sight.

With that, Jack entered the room the Nightkin was guarding. Inside was another robed man. He was scrawny, almost skeletal in appearance. On top of that, he had a short mustache and piercing, cruel green eyes. The man glared at Jack as he closed the door. "And what is it you want, my child?" The man's voice sounded cruel, as if belonging to someone who liked to kick dogs for fun.

"You are Morpheus, correct?" Jack asked as he approached. "I was sent up here to talk to you."

Morpheus sneered. "Well fine, spit it out, what is it?!" He barked out. "I am in the middle of-"

He was cut off when Jack grabbed his throat hard with one hand. Morpheus struggled and try to tear Jack's hand away, but he was too weak to do anything. "I'm…I'm sorry." Hardly being able to watch himself do it, Jack took out his knife and stabbed Morpheus in the chest over and over until he stopped moving. Jack dropped the body on the floor and just took in what he just did. It was one thing to shoot someone…but to stab them to death…it was terrible. Jack never thought he'd ever have to do anything like this in his life before today.

With a weary sigh, Jack looked through the dead man's robes and found a black badge in the same shape as the red one. Jack pocketed it and exited the room, making sure to close the door behind him. He made his way back downstairs, and entered the room Laura instructed using the new badge. It was rather empty; a hatch door and a bookcase. Jack also noticed an invisible Nightkin, but the mutant seemed to ignore Jack. The hatch door must be the way to go, Jack thought, and opened it up. There was a ladder beneath that Jack began to climb down, leading into a dreary basement with torches attached to the walls. There were broken chairs, boxes of junk, and a few tables and bookshelves, but no one around.

Jack went through the basement, and saw a hole in the wall that led into a cave, which was also lit by torches on the walls. As he walked through, he couldn't help but be reminded of the cave leading to Vault 13. As Jack's mind wandered, a creature appeared before him! It was a bizarre worm-like creature, except it kind of "stood" on its tail leaving a large head, dripping with tendrils up in the air. It was about to lunge at Jack when it was yanked back. As it turned out, it had a collar on, held by a Super Mutant. "No! Bad! No eating humans!" It scolded. It then turned to Jack. "Identification?"

Jack shakily held up the black badge. "H-Here." He was, understandably, a bit shaken. What kind of other monstrosities could be down here? Either way, the badge satisfied the Super Mutant, which dragged the creature away. Jack sighed and went further into the cave. One turn he made stopped him in his tracks.

There was a Vault.

The cave floor lead into a metal one, and there was an open Vault door. The door had no number on it, oddly enough. But it was what was in front of the hallway that truly terrified Jack. A Nightkin and another mutant creature…but this one was entirely wrong.

It was a mixture between a man, a dog…and who knew what else! It had six legs, with what appeared to be tentacles writhing from its belly, making the most revolting squelching noises that Jack had ever heard. It had two heads, one long dog head…and one that seemed like the torso and head of a bald man. The dog-head let out a terrifying growl; one that sounded like a number of dogs growling at the same time. The man-head said no words, instead gurgling out a noise that Jack couldn't even begin to describe. Except for one word, that is. Agonized. Jack hurried past and into the Vault. When he was sure he was alone and out of earshot, he puked into a corner, shaking all over. What kind of Hell was this?!

Jack felt like he was losing his mind, from all these horrors the Wasteland was presenting to him! Perhaps…it would've been better if no living creature survived the Great War. Once again, Jack felt a deep hatred for The Master. His mind kept swinging back and forth about how he felt about The Master. Hatred, then pity, then hatred again. Jack couldn't stop here though, he had to keep going! Jack entered the nearby elevator, and pressed the button for the third and lowest level the elevator went to. The Master was probably on the lowest level.

After Jack exited the elevator, he gasped at what he saw. The hallway before him…so much flesh. The hall was covered in blobs and puddles of flesh. Piles of what seemed to be pure fat were scattered apart, and fleshy growths hung on the walls, as if the metal of the Vault itself was growing tumors. Was this The Master's doing? Well…what else could it be?

Robed people and Super Mutants milled about, seemingly used to the conditions of the Vault. Jack stopped a passing woman. "Sister, excuse me, this is my first time down here. Where is The Master?" He asked.

The woman gave a knowing smile. "Please, follow me." She led Jack deeper into the Vault and into another room. The room had a number of Children typing at terminals…which also were covered in flesh. She pointed to an opening in the wall. "In there is where the Holy Master resides."

With that, she wandered away. Jack approached the room. The metal of the wall itself was flesh-colored, and the tumor-like growths were more numerous. Unknown, fleshy tendrils also hung from the ceiling. Well…there was no turning back now…Jack walked into the long, dark hallway. He wasn't even halfway through when he felt something assault him! Not his body…but his mind! It felt as if something inside his skull was punching its way out. Then he heard a chorus of voices deep in his subconscious. "We can see you, Jack. We wish to speak with you…"

Every cell in Jack's body was screaming at him to run away. Run away and never go anywhere near this cursed place again. But Jack couldn't turn away. He was just a minute away from meeting The Master. He could put an end to everything right here! Ignoring the angry buzzing in his head, Jack kept walking towards the end of the hall. He soon emerged in a large room absolutely covered in tumors and tentacles. There were terminals and an Overseer's chair. But it what was sitting on the chair that made Jack feel ill again. Or rather, what was attached to the chair. "Oh my God…"

The creature before Jack was the most hideous he had ever seen. It was a mess of flesh and chaotic body parts. A computer screen sat in a pool-like mass of flesh with tubes and tentacles leading to the walls and terminals. Around the screen was a creature with only vaguely human-like qualities. It had what seemed to be a human male's head, but it was like it was sculpted out of clay and then left out in the sun to melt. Metal tubes came in and out of its "head" and into the screen. Where an arm may be was just a tentacle with an unneeded eye at the end, staring deeply into Jack. The creature opened its mouth and spoke. "You are brave to come before me. Before me. That or a fool. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, JACK. I have read it in your thoughts."

Jack gaped at the creature. At first, it spoke like a normal man, disturbingly enough. Then it spoke…like a woman. Then for a brief moment, another man's voice, an angry voice. Finally, the last voice change was that of a computerized tone. Was this creature a fusion of humans and a machine? "You…You're The Master…" Was all Jack managed to utter. He had never imagined the monster would be this horrific. It was the single most disgusting entity Jack had ever laid eyes on, and would ever lay eyes on for the rest of his days. It could even read his thoughts; it must have been what he heard out in the hall. It had strange abilities of the mind…

The creature made a sighing sound. "Yes. I am The Master. I thought that was clear. Clear. CLEAR."

Jack shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "You're Richard Grey, aren't you? At least…you used to be!"

The Master actually seemed surprised. "That name no longer holds MEANING to me. To me! To me. But I am not here to answer your questions. YOU ARE HERE TO ANSWER MINE."

Jack was tempted to draw his Desert Eagle and open fire, but…could bullets even harm this thing? And it was true, this thing used to be Richard Grey. "You want to know where my Vault is, is that right?" Jack asked, feeling more confident in knowing this would one-up the creature.

Again, The Master seemed surprised. Its eye-tipped tentacle reached towards Jack, looking him up and down. "How astute. However did you know?" The creature then shook its…head. "Not important. Important. You will join the Unity or die. Die! DIE."

Once more, Jack thought on his feet, holding up his hands in mock defense. "I will join your Unity, if you can convince me." This would give him time to think of what to do. He needed a plan!

"I don't have to prove anything to you! Prove." The Master bellowed, the sound of writhing limbs and tentacles echoed throughout the room.

Was The Master preparing an attack?! Jack looked around, but saw nothing changing, though there was so many piles of flesh and limbs, it was hard to tell what would have changed. "If I am to join, I must be able to understand what I'm getting into!"

The Master made a low, droning noise. Jack realized it was humming in thought. "Very demanding for one in your tenuous position. DEMANDING. But I can respect your needs."

Jack sighed in relief. "Tell me about your goals, your big plan for this Wasteland." Jack just needed to buy time to think.

"The Unity will bring about the master race. Master! Master! One able to survive, or even thrive, in the Wasteland. As long as there are differences, we will tear ourselves apart fighting each other. We need one race. Race! RACE! One goal. Goal! Goal! One people to move forward to our destiny. Destiny." The Master answered. It seemed like it had answered this question countless times before.

Jack felt that twinge of pity before. The Master seemed to truly think it was doing the right thing here. "And this race would be the Super Mutants, correct?"

"OF COURSE. Mutants are best equipped to deal with the world today. Who else? The Ghouls? Please! Normals? They brought nuclear death to us all. This will be the age of mutants. MUTANTS." The Master seemed rather prideful of its…race. Rather confident!

Jack knew all this already. Perhaps something more could be found out. What if Jack could change its mind? "What about those who don't want to become Super Mutants? Do you just kill them?"

The Master shook its head again. "NO. No. The remainder will be allowed to live out their days, but under Unity control and protection. But none shall breed, for they will be the last of their RACE."

Protection? That sounded…nice. Perhaps The Master wasn't so wrong after all. Perhaps Jack should…NO! Jack shook his head. This thing was creeping into his head! Trying to meddle his thoughts! The Master seemed to notice Jack's resistance, as it shifted noticeably in its chair. "Your Super Mutants will die out too, I made sure of it!"

The eye-tentacle swerved to look at The Master, then back at Jack. "EXPLAIN."

Jack glared up at The Master, for whatever good that would do. "I destroyed your base, your factory. Your Lieutenant is dead, and the vats of FEV are destroyed!"

The Master gaped its maw at Jack. "No. No! You lie! Lie." The Master blurted out, but then composed itself. "I will simply contact my Lieutenant then! Lieutenant." There was a pause, some of the terminals beeped and clanged, then The Master let out an inhuman roar. "I cannot contact him! You destroyed my factory!"

Jack took a step back. Perhaps making this eldritch abomination mad wasn't a good move. No turning back now, however. "Yes, I did. If humans can destroy your factory, then your army is not as powerful as you believe it is. Your creatures are sterile, and will be hunted down and wiped out!"

The Master gurgled at Jack. "STERILE? I will need proof of this. Proof."

Proof…? Wait, proof! Jack had brought Vree's findings with him! He took it out. "I have the proof right here on this holo-disc."

The Master made a "hmph" sound. "Fine. Fine! Put it in here…" A nearby terminal opened up a port with a distinct squelching sound. As much as it disgusted Jack, he placed the evidence in. The Master hummed again for a full minute before speaking again. "I understand now. You made a clever forgery. You made this up to fool me. Fool! ME!"

Jack took a defiant step forward. "No! You just refuse to believe the truth! It's all there, in black and white. You're in denial, monster!"

The Master ignored the insult, remaining quiet. "But it cannot be. This would mean that all my work has been for nothing. Everything that I have tried to…a failure! It can't be. BE. Be. Be!"

The Master sounded so…broken that Jack couldn't help but feel sorry for the creature. "I'm sorry…but your race is doomed." And he actually…meant it. He did feel pity for The Master, despite himself.

The Master's tentacle dropped down, closing its eye. "I…don't think that I can continue. CONTINUE. To have done the things I have done in the name of progress and healing. It was madness. I can see that now. Madness. Madness! There is no hope. Leave now, leave while you still have hope…" With that, there was beeping of terminals, and The Master went silent, closing the eyes of its head.

Leave now? Those beepings…No…Did The Master have a bomb!? Jack wasted no time in asking and sprinted away, leaving the broken-hearted monstrosity behind him. Perhaps someone running away from The Master's chambers wasn't uncommon, or maybe no one really cared. Either way, no one stopped Jack as he ran through the Vault and back up into The Cathedral.

Jack sprinted out of The Cathedral and back to Dogmeat and his Power Armor. His canine companion was loyally waiting for him, and perked up as Jack grew near. Jack quickly gathered his bag with his food and water as well as his Pip-Boy 2000. He had no time for the Power Armor! "Dogmeat! Let's go! Move!" Jack yelled as he ran away again, his dog running alongside him.

As the two made a good distance from The Cathedral, an ear-ringing rumble could be heard. The windows shattered at the same time, every last one. Then the sound of a million thunderclaps rang out as The Cathedral was engulfed in a nuclear explosion. The Master had committed suicide, taking his followers and his base with him. Jack and Dogmeat were thrown to the ground from the shockwave, but they survived. The Master was now gone…Jack could go home…

The death of The Master was the final major step towards ending his mad dream of conquest and enforced peace, and the destruction of the vats neutralized the mutant threat. Without the ability to create more mutants and enforce their harsh brand of justice, the mutant armies fled to the east, beyond the no-man's land.

The ghouls of Necropolis learned how to maintain the repaired water pump, and eventually rediscovered many lost secrets of engineering. They formed a business selling this technology to other towns. Unfortunately, not long after, a band of The Master's Remnants razed the town to the ground; blaming the Ghouls for the death of Harry and his group. The remaining Ghouls scattered across the Wasteland.

The Followers of the Apocalypse rose to become a major influence in New California. With Jack's influence in the destruction of the Children, the Followers gained control of the LA Boneyard.

In Shady Sands, Tandi helped her father Aradesh bring a new community and new life out of the broken remains of the world. They were responsible for the New California Republic, whose ideals would spread across the land.

Killian Darkwater took firm control of Junktown, driving out the last of Gizmo's kind, and then enforced his own brand of frontier justice. Life was fair and safe under his law.

The Brotherhood of Steel helped the other human outposts drive the mutant armies away with minimal loss of life, on both sides of the conflict. The advanced technology of the Brotherhood was slowly reintroduced into New California, with little disruption or chaos. The Brotherhood wisely remained out of the power structure, and became a major research and development house.

Inspired by Jack's actions and words, Harold brought the Ghoul population of The Hub into equality with the humans. The two sides worked together, and The Hub prospered. Harold would eventually leave The Hub, going to parts unknown.

Thanks to Jack's actions, the Khans were destroyed as an effective fighting force, and disbanded.

All that left was Jack himself. What became of him…?

Jack arrived back to the cave leading to his Vault. Vault 13. His home. He had ditched the Unity robes days ago, and re-applied his Pip-Boy 2000 to his arm. He was read to rest for a long, long time. To his surprise, Jacoren was waiting for him in front of the close Vault door. He opened his arms in greeting of Jack. "Jack, my boy! You did it! Our readings indicated two major outposts went up in explosive glory! I know it was you!"

Jack couldn't help but smile. He did it…he really did it. "I…Yes. The Master wasn't in the factory…I had to track him down, but he's gone now…"

Jacoren smiled. "You should be proud! There's no way the people of the Vault can ever thank you enough for what you've done. You've saved all our lives. Who knows, maybe even saved the human race." He sounded like a parent praising his child, almost.

Jack's smile slowly turned to a frown. Jack had to confront Jacoren, now that the two of them were alone. "We…need to talk, sir." Jack said. Dogmeat looked between the two humans, panting lightly.

Jacoren seemed shocked at that. "Whatever about, Jack? Are you alright?"

Jack shook his head. "No! I'm not alright! You lied to me, Jacoren!" Jacoren gasped a bit at that. Jack had never called him by his first name like that! "I found Talius, I know what you did with him and Ed!" Jack glanced over, noticing Ed's skeleton was gone. "How could you lie to everyone?!"

Jacoren let out a sigh. "I…I'm sorry, Jack. I really am. It was a hard decision, it really was! I didn't want people to panic…so I sent Talius and Ed to Vault 15 the day the Water Chip broke. I didn't think they'd never come back! I just…thought they died on the way, and so I sent you."

Jack…he supposed that made sense. But he still felt betrayed. "And you never told us about Vault-Tec and their plots, these weird experiments the Vaults were…are a part of!"

Jacoren's jaw almost hit the cave floor. "What?! H-How…I…How do you know about that?!" He demanded, sounding a mix between stern and horrified. It seemed he was too shocked to even deny it.

Jack shook his head. "That's not important. All I know is I found out. Tell me about it, sir. Please!"

Jacoren scratched his beard in thought and shook his head. "I…I can't. I swore I wouldn't, Jack. But…I know it's hard for you to trust me, but you must believe I'd never harm anyone in this Vault! Never! It's best you learn nothing more about this…"

Jack couldn't believe he wouldn't say anything. After all he owed Jack, and he couldn't even tell the truth. "…Fine. Let's just go inside, then. I need to rest. Dogmeat is moving in too, right boy?" He asked his dog, who barked in delight.

Jacoren didn't move. "Jack…I can't let that happen. You're a hero, Jack. Everyone will want to talk to you. Every youngster will look up to you, and want to emulate you. And then what?" He paused, waiting for an answer that never came. Jack just stared at him, star struck. "They'll want to leave. What happens to the Vault if we lose the best of a generation? What if we are the only safe place in the world? You just gave us back all these lives…I can't take the chance of losing them."

Jack shook his head. "Jacoren…Please, no…" He begged. Jacoren wouldn't dare…would he?

"I've made a lot of tough decisions since I took this position. But none of them harder than this one. You saved us, but you'll kill us. I'm sorry. You're a hero…and you have to leave." Jacoren's eyes shone, tearing up lightly.

Jack didn't even think. Next thing he knew, his Desert Eagle was out and pointed at Jacoren. "How…How could you betray me like this!?" Jack found himself tearing up as well. "You do this to me after I saved everyone!" He bellowed at the shaking Overseer.

"Jack…Jack, please…" Jacoren said softly. "I don't want to do this, but I must. I'm thinking about the safety of my people! Please understand…The Wasteland has clearly changed you. Do you really want these people to change that way too?"

Jack paused, then lowered his gun. Jacoren was right. Jack had changed radically since he first left Vault 13. He was far more ruthless, more careless with human life than he ever thought possible. He hated this change…he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy. Jack put his gun away. "…You're right. Goodbye, Jacoren." Jack turned away and walked towards the cave exit, a whimpering Dogmeat following him.

Jack marched into the desert sands, leaving Vault 13 behind him for the third and final time.

Author's Note: And that's a wrap. It was really fun writing this story, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it.

Of course, I had to change some things around. For instance, The Master was defeated before the vats were destroyed in canon, but I felt that was less dramatic.

I'll be continuing the series with Fallout 2, with the well-received Restoration Project included, so a lot more content will be there for me to write about.

Reviews are more than welcome, especially any criticisms you may have.