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Chapter 111 - Chapter 111

"Truthfully I can't tell you much about this vault." He said as he leaned in his chair again. "Just that before the war Vault Tec was doing an experiment with genetic enhancements. Real super soldier type shit. Different from FEV though, as far as I'm aware. Of course since it's a vault, that thing on your wrist is necessary to even get inside." He gestured to Adam's pip-boy. "Can't get into a vault without one, another reason I sought you out. Been a long time since someone from a vault has wandered into my city." Adam nodded slowly.

"And the item?" Adam asked.

"Rumor has it that at least one vial of the formula remains, hidden, within the depths of that vault. I want that vial." He said seriously.

"Why?" Adam asked, confused.

"That much is none of your business." He said before snapping his fingers and having a map brought over to his desk by the black suited man who was standing at his side.

"This here is the location I need you to go to." He said pointing to a location on the map. "You will head through an underground parking garage and through the employee entrance, there you will find the vault." Adam looked at the map and then pulled up his pip-boy marking the location on the map for himself.

"Alright I can do this. I will likely leave the day after tomorrow." Adam began to stand up to leave but stopped short, looking at the boss uncertain if he needed to be dismissed or something. The boss just waved him off. Adam got up and turned to walk to the door, which was being opened by the man who led him into the room in the first place but stopped at the threshold. 

"Am I allowed to speak about this or is this a secret request?" Adam asked, having stopped and realizing this was an important question.

"Oh." The boss said flippantly as Adam turned around to look at him. "I wouldn't exactly call it a secret, but discretion would be appreciated. Loose lips sink ships after all~" He grinned. Adam's eyes went wide at hearing the war slogan from pre-war and then nodded and turned to leave, being escorted out by only one of the men this time.

Once he got to the exit he was given back his gun and belt and given free reign to go where he wished.

Honestly, he had assumed the worst when he was called in by The Guild. He had heard so many bad rumors he had immediately thought it was either a threat or a death sentence. Being hired was not something he had even considered, but it worked out. He still had a lot of questions and it was clear they couldn't be fully trusted, but a chance to explore a different vault rather than the one he came from was actually pretty exciting. There was, however, a thought that began to form in the back of Adam's mind.

First, he had always assumed that Vault-Tec had created the vaults, with government support, to protect people in case the bombs dropped. That is what they were sold as after all. Obviously the vault he had come from was not like that but he still had the vague impression that his was the outlier, one bad vault among over a hundred which did do as advertised. However the casual indifference by which the boss had talked about the experiments that took place in the vault had begun to make him think differently. Were… all vaults experiments? How much of Vault-Tec was a lie? It sent shivers down his spine to think about how many thousands of people put their trust in the company only for them to be betrayed like that. Who would have guessed you couldn't trust corporate America?

Second was the odd coincidence of what the vault experiment actually was. His vault, Vault 42, was ultimately a test to see if through genetic manipulation and resequencing, they could create perfect human bodies either for immortality purposes or for effectively breeding slave labor. This new vault that he was being sent to seemed to have a similar goal. Genetic manipulation. Was it a coincidence? Was Chicago a hotspot for Vault-Tec genetic experimentation? Were all vaults like this? He had more questions than answers now. But hopefully he could find some answers in the vault.

He arrived back at his room once more, settling back into bed to drink some wine and read. He needed to tell Deccanus, but figured he could tell him tomorrow, after all, if he told him now, late at night, he would feel obliged to rush them out the door tomorrow. Adam could certainly do that, and Adam had a feeling that Deccanus would drop everything to join, but Adam had paid for one more night at the Layover, so he wanted to try to get some use out of it at least.

Eventually Adam slept and woke up the next day ready to prepare for the vault exploration. However, his first stop was breakfast.

Upon arriving at the food court, and getting a pancake platter, for which he had paid 36 caps, he noticed, sitting at another table, that same Ranger who Deccanus had beefed with the day he saved his life. It seemed like the guardsmen hadn't kicked him out. Though honestly he was just defending himself, but it was anyone's guess what happened after he had left with the guardsman. Now though he was eating breakfast like nothing had ever happened.

Adam had half a mind to go approach him and ask for his story, he certainly stood out among the crowd, though perhaps not nearly as much as he would in a place like Naper. After all, Midway was home to all types. He was very curious to hear why a so-called sworn enemy of the Legion was so far east from whatever sort of place the NCR was. But he also knew better than to approach random strangers without a good reason, especially ones who weren't afraid to shoot first and ask questions later. So Adam held his tongue and ate quietly.

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