FFF - Ch75

The pump that Curio jury-rigs to get water out of the crawlspaces and sublevels is a marvel. Jane wouldn’t even know where to begin if she had to make something like that. But the true genius of the invention isn’t its function; it’s a flaw that Curio has deliberately built in.

The pump is loud.

“We aren’t safe here,” Curio tells Jane as they work in the sublevel, shouting over both the pump and the welding torch. Annette cannot possibly eavesdrop.

“I know,” Jane replies, focusing on her work. Without a lucky opportunity for Curio to get in close, that monster would’ve been unstoppable. Rifle rounds hadn’t even fazed it. The idea of someone out there being able to tame or control something like that was terrifying. “What do they want with this place?”

“That was no Stimpak,” Curio calls back. “That’s what they’re after. Annette has made some breakthroughs. I don’t fully understand yet, but there’s something valuable here. Similar technology to that used by the founders of Vault F.”

“Why does Enclave want it?”

“They probably don’t,” Curio says. “They probably want to destroy it.”

“We have to get out of here. The two of us can’t protect this place.”

“On that, we agree.”

FFF

The repairs take hours. Jane isn’t sure how to feel about working so hard on a place that she needs to get away from, but she doesn’t know how they’re getting out, let alone where they can go. The least they can do is make sure that there’s power, water, and that nothing else is getting in without them at least knowing about it. She wonders if there wasn’t an opportunity to escape the same way that the Deathclaw got in, but that’s not really an option with Shell in such bad shape. Jane and Curio don’t owe Shell anything, but they aren’t going to leave her like this. Not if she pulls through, and it’s time to check on her, but not covered in the dank water from the sublevel.

Jane and Curio emerge from the shower, pulling on the clean, old-world clothes that Annette’s facility has a plentiful supply of. They hurry back to the infirmary, exchanging a look. There are raised voices.

Jane shoulders through the door first.

“What the hell?” Shell is demanding. It’s the first time Jane has ever heard her sound shrill.

“Let’s just stay calm about this,” Annette replies, trying to sound soothing.

“Calm! Calm!”

Shell jumps off the table, and Jane sees the problem.

“Oh my,” Curio notes, frowning and cocking her head. She looks slightly impressed by Shell’s erection, which is bobbing around with the brunette’s every move.

“Why? Who did this to me?” Shell screams at the camera.

“It was necessary,” Annette tells her defensively. “The regenerative cocktail comes with side effects. You can see that my lab is not running as intended. I’m doing my best.”

Shell notices Jane and Curio. “I have a penis!”