Detroit 2301

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He took another drag from his cigarette, then turned toward the saloon, "Let's have a drink then."
He slipped his hands in his pockets and began walking slowly, letting the cigarette hang from his lips.
 
Feeling like he owed the stranger a favour he followed him towards Maxim’s Saloon. He had given him the precious gift of clean water even if it was the water of The Lone Wanderer. This person in front of Derek seemed to want to keep his identity to himself. He could easily be a murderer or something worse. This stranger wanted to find the location of Vault 251. Everyone knew that even if someone managed to find its location it would be almost impossible to get inside the doors. These things were designed to keep nuclear warheads out. Derek knew this man had a plan, a plan that would get him in the vault. This man was either an idiot or a genius. Derek just kept reminding himself of all his training he had gone through while he sat down next to the stranger at the bar.
 
"Two cola and whiskeys."
It only took about 30 seconds for the drinks to be set down in front of them. Skytzoe picked his up, "Government. There isn't really much of those around. Mainly NCR, but other than that, no idea. Not ever since the Enclave was defeated about 30 years back. Good riddance, if you ask me. Now, what brings you down here? It's not like anybody really wants to be here... Well, mostly anybody..."
 
Derek reached for his drink and took a large swig. Nuka-Cola and whiskey always made it easier for him to concentrate. “It was actually 24 years ago. And even though Raven Rock and Adams Air Force Base were destroyed the Enclave still manages to live on. You can see the Vertibirds flying in the distance sometimes.” Derek took another large drink. By now there was only half a mouthful left in the glass. “The reason I am here is that I am looking for someone. Been looking for them for a very long time.” Drinking the very last of his drink he signalled for the barman to fill his cup up again. “So, what are you doing here? Trying to find a lost friend or for a even better reason?”
 
"I'm just searching for someplace. Someplace that isn't as fucked up as everywhere else. I'm not sure if anywhere like that exists, but if it does, I'll find it, even if I spend my entire life searching."
He took a small sip of his drink, ignoring what the man had said about the Enclave. Maybe it meant something, maybe it didn't. He chose not to care, instead he just took another sip of his drink, "You never answered my question."
 
Derek waited for the barman to fill up his drink before continuing. “I met a couple of travellers while I was in the Commonwealth. They do things differently there. Anyway they said they had seen the man I am looking heading west. I headed off in that direction. Took some time but I got here and you know the rest.” Taking another drink, this time not taking nearly as much he thought of what he had been through so far to get here. “So what places have you been so far? The Capitol Wasteland has been changing recently. The power armour freaks there have cleansed out most of the super mutants and new colonies have sprung up everywhere.”
 
"Fuck. Canada, Mexico, Alaska. Basically all over North America. I'm trying to find some way overseas, I've heard there are still jets and helicopters around, but just to ride one costs an arm and a leg. So, if you don't mind me asking, who are you looking for?"
 
"I'm looking for a man who I have heard about since I was born and I really need to meet him. If you can help me find I will help you with finding the location of Vault 251 and try to find you a way out of this country." Taking another drink he wondered if he really could help this man get out of America. "I am looking for a man called Skytzoe."
 
He simply sipped his drink as he reached into his pocket, drawing out his electric cigarette. He took a long puff before pulling it from his mouth, "And why exactly are you looking for him?"
 
"He has some information I need to know about." Derek took another drink and swore to himself he would not tell this man the real reason why.
 
"People go by many names. Sometimes their birth names, sometimes people just choose a name and go by that. The latter would be the case for me. To me, names are just a way to identify one person from another. But this Skytzoe, if you're really dedicated to finding him, look no further."
He took a sip of his drink, looking blankly at the wall behind the bar.
 
Derek knew he had not heard this man wrong. He was Skytzoe. Derek felt the automatic need to reach for his silenced 9mm but stopped himself. Why had this man told him he was Skytzoe? Surely he would know that I was not really here to just talk to him. Derek looked at this man in disbelief. Skytzoes gaze still held onto the wall. Not sure what to do, Derek took another swig of his drink. Looking down at the bar he asked the man, “Why did you just tell me that?”
 
"You have information I need. And it seems I have information you need."
He finished his drink and set the glass on the table, "Another please."
He took a puff from his cigarette as his cup was filled again, "I always used to prefer cognac with cola, but cognac is getting harder to find by the minute. Whiskey is a good alternative, however."
 
“Personally I prefer Nuka-Cola with whiskey; any drink can be made better with a couple drops of Nuka-Cola Quantum.” Reaching into his pocket Derek took a small glass container that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light. Screwing of the top he dropped a bit in the glass he had in front of him and placed container before Skytzoe. Taking a big slurp he enjoyed the taste. “So......where do we begin?”
 
"Where's the vault? I don't need access codes, I don't need any assistance, I just need to know where it is. And what would you like to know?"
 
“Head several miles north of The Ancients. You will see a mountain in the distance. Head in that direction. When you have reached the mountain you will see that no one in their right mind would climb it. Go to its western face. An old elevator shaft will remain there. The lift would most likely of snapped during the war. Find a way to climb up it. If you don’t fall to your death you will be near the mountains summit. An old shack will remain there. Rip up all the floor boards and you will see the door. What you do from there is your own decision. I was never told what happened to the vault.”
Taking a long drink he thought of what he would ask this man. He finally thought of something that he had never realised. “Why does the Enclave want you dead?”
 
Skytzoe took a puff from his cigarette before finishing the rest of his drink in a single gulp and standing. Whoever this was, he knew too much. Skytzoe had what he wanted. He picked up a bottle of whiskey from the bar and uncapped it, taking a long drink until it was gone, "Most questions are better left unanswered."
He tossed a few caps onto the bar and began walking to the door, holding the empty whiskey bottle.
 
Derek could only stare at the man as he walked through the door. Every instinct was telling him to pull out the 9mm and put a bullet in his brain. But he didn’t. This was surely the man he had been told to kill. Skytzoe kept walking until Derek could not see him. Derek went back to his drink, drinking it far too slowly. He remembered everything he had been taught. He was a failure. Those were the exact words.
Looking down at the table in front of him he called the barman over and asked how much he owed him. The barman looked down at the 4 glass’, “Well each glass cost 4 caps and the bottle cost 10 caps. So that’s 26 caps but your friend left behind 12 caps so that’s 14 caps.”
Derek felt like laughing at the fact Skytzoe had not payed his share. Trust him to do that. Placing down the rest of the caps, Derek pulled out an old picture that had been opened and folded so many times it was beginning to wear. Derek smirked as he looked at the picture. “I have found you.”
 
Skytzoe pushed his glasses up as he tilted his head upward. He shook his head slowly and walked toward a pole, a steel cable at the top of the pole, which went all the way to the top of the mountain. He placed his hands around the pole, then pushed his foot against it, then did the same with the other foot, essentially walking up the pole. As he reached the top he grabbed the wire then hung from it, then gripped it with his other hand. He then swung his legs several times before swinging them up and around the wire. He then began his slow ascent to the top of the mountain.
 
Derek had stayed in Deucetown the night he had met Skytzoe. Staying in one of the abandoned shops, a bike shop, Derek made a plan of what he was to do with Skytzoe. He pieced together everything he knew about Skytzoe. Derek knew he was dangerous and he was looking for Vault 251. He had seen Skytzoe coming out of Big Deuce Arms when they had first met. Derek had asked the shop keeper about Skytzoes purchase, the man had said he wanted a large amount of Thermite. So Skytzoe was planning to unlock the door, he was planning to burn a hole through it.
This will be the best time to strike. Derek will wait outside the Vault. He will not strike when he is crawling out of the hole because that would be cowardly. Instead I will wait for him outside the shack and I will make him answer my question. Derek pulled out the picture again and stared at it. He looked into the eyes he could not see behind the power helmet. He stared into the small picture until he felt his eyelids grow heavy.
 
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