52 Pipedream

Time went on and everything became a routine, there wasn't much to do in the bunker so Afton was usually just sat in the workshop helping to repair things and recycle ammunition.

Veronica's visits were becoming less and less frequent, Afton had heard rumours that she'd been arguing with the Elder about the Codex and the Brotherhoods core values. He agreed with her for the most part, but you couldn't voice it otherwise you'd likely just get exiled.

The Brotherhood took the Codex very, very seriously. And any who even questions it is outcasted, shamed, and threatened with violence. Without her updates on the outside, it was incredibly boring to just sit here...

He had Melissa and Miles to keep him company some of the time, but they had their own duties and weren't that interesting anyway... The only thing they could do in their past time is to tell jokes, fight, and other equally monotonous things.

This wasn't the life he had been looking forward to when he'd reincarnated... He'd hoped to be like the protagonists in the games, going out there and exploring the wastes. Not trapped in some bunker fearing further NCR retaliation.

The years crawled by and Afton did his best to keep training, despite the poor conditions for it. he was currently sitting on his bed and looking down at his Holotags. Once detailed his age, height, blood type, heritage, etc. While the other detailed in rank in the Brotherhood, he'd been promoted recently, and was no longer just an "Apprentice Knight".

Still, this accomplishment felt like it didn't have any weight to it, he knew he'd eventually be promoted, and that there'd be no chance to get some practical combat experience as almost no one was allowed to leave the bunker...

Sandra Torres had also been made a Knight but was reluctantly stationed in the armoury, this position was the bane to many as you'd literally have to spend most of your days keeping track of paperwork, maintaining equipment, etc.

He'd spent a few nights drinking with her while listening to the woman complain about the position, truly he was happy to not have been considered for it. If he had he might've just tried to escape, taking the Wasteland instead of being trapped behind a cubicle.

The years continued to trundle by, and Afton had found something peculiar... One of the vents in an isolated room had a lot of dust gathering around its blades. For regular fans this wouldn't be a problem, but for a large underground facility like this? It meant something had gone wrong.

He brought his findings to the Elder who immediately ordered the information "top secret", and not to be told to anyone not already in the know. Afton was tasked to work with a few other higher up Scribes and Knights to fix the problem, and while he was able to locate it, there was no chance in hell it was repairable without the proper parts.

At hearing the news Elder McNamara seemed to age significantly, his white hair already seemed bleached, but now his face was starting to show it.

Afton knew that if the problem with the ventilation was allowed to go on the bunker would become uninhabitable. Any who tried would slowly suffocate, a fate that didn't seem pleasant at all.

Of course it'd take around ten years for it to get that bad, but the parts required to repair it weren't so easy to find. The Scribes on the job listed a few places that component could probably be found, but undamaged or open vaults were difficult to come by. Not to mention he didn't think any Enclave outposts would be in the Mojave either.

Soon enough Afton's seventeenth birthday had passed, there was no celebration, not because people didn't remember it, but because parties were banned as they used up too many supplies. Not that he wanted a party, they seemed pretty hollow now that his parents, Veronica, and Christine wouldn't be present...

The boredom was really getting to him, it was actually somehow worse than his previous life... At least there he'd been able to walk outside when he felt like it. Here there were tight restrictions on supplies, where you could walk, what you could do... He imagined this was what it felt to live in communist china.

He'd spoken to the Elder about ending the lockdown, but McNamara was adamant to keep themselves isolated... Head Paladin Hardin agreed with Afton that they had to open up eventually, by the Elder sent them both away without a second thought. While no one said it, it was clear the man was afraid of having anymore deaths on his hands.

This was about when Afton started planning his escape from the Brotherhood... It wasn't that he didn't want to be among their ranks anymore, but he knew someone had to do something, or they'd all die in the end.

Afton knew himself too well to just say he was leaving for selfless reasons though, he could make all the excuses he wants about it only being to "gather the ventilation components", but he knew he just wanted freedom... Freedom from boredom, freedom to find Christine and Veronica, and freedom to get his revenge against those responsible for his parent's death.

It'd be difficult to escape the facility, as only the newly promoted Paladin Ramos had access to the doors leading outside the bunker. He was friendly with the man, but he doubted he'd completely go against the Codex and allow him to leave, for that he'd need to start planning.

Afton had gone through many elaborate plans that may or may not work, but scrapped them in the end for the success rate being so low it wasn't even worth trying. Though, his plans had to be accelerated once he'd turned eighteen as one of the members from outside had found something of interest... A Pipboy.