Chapter 4: Falling Action
Over the next week, day or night, the banging started and stopped at random intervals. Kelvin researched everything he can, but without a connection to the Vault-Tec network, he is limited to what little information resides on their internal system.
Day or night, whenever the banging would start again, Zeta would find him. She usually said nothing, but she would stand in the background, watching him do his work.
That next morning, he had tried speaking to her, tried apologizing for his behavior, but she had simply stared through him, not acknowledging his words. He had mostly stopped speaking to her as well, because he couldn't handle the frustration her apathy brought to him. On top of all the work he was doing to make sure the vault functioned properly, he spent his spare time trying to find information on the noise or on how to reconnect to the network.
With no success on any front, he was getting short tempered, and he didn't want to do any more harm to Zeta. The other night, when the banging started up in the middle of the night, she had come into his room and stood next to his bed. He'd awoken, feeling her there. He didn't move, and eventually she'd sat in the bed next to him, then laid down, back towards him. He'd thought she needed comforting, but the moment he'd shifted his weight to turn towards her, she'd jumped out of the bed, and run back to her own room.
Kelvin didn't know what she was thinking, so he let her move at her own pace. As long as she didn't interfere with his efforts, or do anything harmful to herself or the vault, he let her wander. He made sure a Mr. Fix-It was always nearby, but he didn't interfere as she slowly explored the vault.
Fortunately, the vault seemed well prepared to last for years, especially with only two occupants. The AI existed to answer simple questions and maintain vault functionality, and through its connection to the squadron of ,Mr. Fix-it's, it seemed that most things were entirely automated.
He felt confident in his ability to handle most problems that would arise, but eventually, there may be something beyond he or the AI's ability, so he prepared himself.
The vault seemed smaller than he had anticipated. He had heard of vaults prepared for a thousand people. This one seemed like it had been meant for less than a hundred, perhaps even fewer. It also seemed incomplete. Yes, the vault door and functioned, and there was food, hydroponics, living quarters, and even the uniforms, but it still felt as if perhaps this vault had still been being renovated. It made sense, there would have to be some vaults out there that just didn't get finished in time. Some vaults took over ten years and billions of dollars to build. The talk of war had been going on for decades.
Kelvin began to rub his temples. Was it even worth all this effort? Best case scenario, he and Zeta lived out their lives in this vault, safe and alone. Even if children were a possibility, what kind of life would that be?
Before all of this, one of his greatest pleasures had been organizing small groups and going hunting in the wilds. Bears and elk in Alaska had always been a great experience. Compared to those trips, his normal life as a logistics manager had been just a way to get through life.
He had only signed up for the vault program at the insistence of a rich client from one of his expeditions who had even offered to help subsidize the cost. In the end, he had almost hoped he'd be out in the wild when the bombs fell. He would have been fine making do out in the fresh air instead of here, in a metal prison. But as luck would have it, he was here, in town, when the sirens began to blare. He could see the planes on the horizon, so he had run here, prepared to make the best of the worst situation.
He just hadn't realized how bad that situation would be. It was certainly nice to be alone with such a lovely woman, but she wasn't handling the situation well, and he had longer conversations with the computer than he did with Zeta.
Suddenly, he heard the banging start up again. He sat in his chair waiting for the door to slide open once again.
---
Zeta wandered the vault, not paying much attention to where she went. She had traveled these halls repeatedly over the last week.
She could hear the faint whir of the robot as it followed her from a distance. Well, as long as it stayed clear of her, she'd do her best to ignore it.
The residential quarters were the most boring part of this place. She had taken over one whole wing, claiming 6 rooms for herself, but she only ever used one. There was no need for more. She didn't have anything to put in them, and she didn't need to hide from that man. He rarely paid any attention to her. That would have bothered her once, but now she had decided to ignore him back.
She had eventually learned that his name was Kelvin, and beyond that, all she knew was that when that banging sound started again, he was the only one she could go to if she didn't want to suffer through it alone. It didn't make sense, but when the banging started, she felt a sense of dread seize her.
Kelvin gad been cold to her ever since that first day. Yes, he had apologized to her for his monstrous behavior, but he had then begun to focus on that screen to the exclusion of nearly everything else. Several times she had gone to him, hoping to speak with him, yet once she was in the room, she found she could do little besides stand there, watching gim as he read and took notes. She knew he was capable of speech, he was constantly asking that woman questions, even though her response always seemed to be that she didn't have an answer.
Well, if he didn't want to speak to her, that was fine. She would learn about this place in her own way.
Now if only that stupid robot would stop following her everywhere. Zeta didn't know if it was Kelvin's doing or the lady in the computer, but she didn't like feeling watched over like a child. It was odd because she'd had personal security nearby for the last several years of her life, but that had felt different. Those men had worked for her, and this robot worked for her tormentors. Besides, what did she need security from down here? She sighed to herself.
She was coming up on a long hallway that didn't seem to lead anywhere. She had decided that if she could find some paint, she was going to try and paint a mural on the walls here. She wasnt much of an artist, but any sort of color in this place would be welcome.
Suddenly she heard it, the distant sound of banging coming from the vault's entrance. She clenched her fists and held them to her side. Closing her eyes, she tried taking several slow, deep breaths. But with every bang, she flinched. This time, she wouldn't go find Kelvin, this time she'd overcome the noise on her own.
She stood still, focusing. But her breaths began to get away from her. Shallower and more erratic, she could feel the panic welling up inside with each bang. Finally, her eyes shot open.
She hadn't hear the Mr. Fix-It come closer, but when her eyes opened, she realized it was now hovering right in front of her amd had several arms extended towards her. She then felt a small pinch on her neck, and she quickly began to feel drowsy. As she fell forward, the robot caught her in its extended arms, and began to float away with her. As she lost consciousness, she could still hear the distant banging sound.
---
Kelvin continued to stare at the door, waiting. Perhaps she was at the far end of the vault napping? He hadn't spent enough time with her to know what she did on her walks, and she never spoke to him about anything. Maybe she wouldn't come this time.
Suddenly, a red light began to blink on his terminal. The feminin voice came over the speaker. "Overseer, you have a message waiting for you."
A message? From where? Had they finally been reconnected to the network?
"Play the message." Kelvin felt a new hope.