The rest of the day was spent uneventfully. Aside from a single odd job helping fill in at a workshop repairing various electronics such as radios, cameras, TVs, and more, for which he was paid a cool 200 caps. An exceptionally worthwhile use of his time, but not a very exciting time. He grabbed dinner for 34 caps and then headed to The Oasis to speak with Eve again.
"Back again so soon?" She said with an almost teasing tone when Adam walked in. "And here I thought you would want some time away after our last meeting~" Adam chuckled as he sat down.
"I'm actually here to hear your thoughts."
"Oh?" She leaned in. "Sure, I think you are hot." She said, as forward as ever.
"I meant your thoughts on a situation I'm in." Adam said with a grin, ignoring her advances. She shrugged and leaned back. "I was contacted by the boss of the guild." Eve tilted her head a bit, her expressions were hard to read, namely because she had none, but he was slowly getting better at reading her body movements, but he still never was quite sure what she was thinking.
"Considering you are in here fine, I suppose you were let off with a warning?" She asked.
"No, actually he hired me for a mission."
"Well now, that is interesting." She leaned in again. "Far be it from me to speak ill of the man, but he's the sort of guy who thinks three moves ahead at all times." She paused and then added: "Though he's also the sort to think he's the smartest guy in the room at all times. So he is quite full of himself, but you didn't hear that from me." Adam let off a single soft laugh.
"Is he trustworthy?"
"To pay you? Sure." She said back quickly. "But he's the sort of man you don't turn your back on, he plays a dangerous game." She then gently pokes Adam's forehead with her claw. "Though if you keep your nose clean I doubt he'd ever have a problem with you." Adam nodded.
"What is he having you do anyway?" She continued.
"Explore an old sealed vault in the area."
"Oh now things make sense. Well just be careful in the vault, never know what will be inside."
"Are Vaults usually such dangerous places?" Adam asked, Eve shrugged.
"I've only been in a handful of Vaults in my lifetime, and every single one of them had the door left open, with one exception of a Vault that was turned into a settlement but that's another story. Every Vault is wildly different, some are dangerous, some are just sad, it's truly a roll of the dice. But a sealed Vault? I couldn't even hazard a guess."
"Okay… I'll keep my wits about me then." Adam smiled.
"Good boy." Eve returned. "Now, what can I get you?"
Adam spent the next hour at the bar and spent an additional 30 caps on a drink and then headed back to his room.
The next day he fully geared up, grabbed his bags and set out to meet Deccanus at the Gate. When he got there Deccanus was also geared up, bandana on his face, spear on his back, and rifle in his hands.
"Is it time?" He asked as Adam approached.
"It is, I hope you weren't waiting long." Adam said as he pulled up his pip-boy and began to chart their path towards the Vault.
"I did not." Deccanus returned, saying nothing more on the topic. Adam got the feeling he may have been waiting here for a while and just was not saying anything but chose not to mention it, next time he would use a specific time to meet up instead of vagaries.
"Alright, let's set off then, we need to head south from here." Adam said as he signaled towards the gate guard he was ready to leave.
"You lead, I shall follow." Deccanus said back.
The trip to the Vault was the most geographically interesting trip he had taken up to this point, though this was by accident. Adam's Pip-boy had a map, of course, but it was tuned for the old world. The landscape had changed so much that without Salvatore's expert pathfinding in this area he ended up taking them through paths that had long since been abandoned and covered up.
At one point, in order not to waste time doubling back, they had to scale a 20 story building, cross a precarious bridge connecting the building to its neighbor, no doubt constructed by industrious survivors who were no longer around, and then descend through the other building to get past numerous obstacles below. Another time they came across a whole river that was not there before. Seems that time, erosion, and nuclear destruction had diverted some of the runoff from the Great Lakes creating a new river Adam hadn't even known about, they were able to ford it but they had to do so carefully.
However, other than the annoying path they took, there was nothing that opposed their trek. They did see some feral ghoul packs wandering about, however not a single group noticed them and they were able to skirt by without issue. In addition, thanks to the fact Adam had to scale 20 floors of a building, he used the opportunity to chart a smoother path back to Midway when their time at the Vault was done. He also found that while Deccanus had no problem taking Salvatore's backpack to be filled up, he made a comment about slaves, which prompted Adam to ask him about himself.
"There is not much to tell." Deccanus said back flatly. "I was naught but a child when the Legion came to my home, and it was within the Legion where I became a man. They formed me, molded me, taught me how to survive. I am Legion." He finished resolutely, his words like he was wearing a badge of honor.
"Alright, then tell me about the Legion, what kind of place was it?" Deccanus got a sort of wistful look in his eye for a moment before he began to speak.
"Caesar's Legion was a land of great wealth and bounty. Stretching all the way from the great Colorado River to the lands once known as… the Texas Commonwealth." He said with some hesitancy due to the name being unfamiliar to him. Though Adam understood. That meant that, at least, the legion was big enough to encompass 2 whole states and that's assuming the territory stopped at the state borders which was incredibly unlikely.
"Wow, they truly did cover a lot of ground." Adam said, impressed that a state, post nuclear fallout, could rise to expand so far.
"Indeed." Deccanus said with a hint of pride. "Our lands were bountiful, cleared of raider and waste-creature alike. We brought civilization to the unkempt tribes of the lands we conquered, brought them the truth of Mars and our Caesar." He said with idolation.
"You said the Legion doesn't use drugs?" Adam asked, curious now about what kind of culture they had.
"Medicinal drugs were allowed, but chems were banned by our mighty Caesar. A warrior should not succumb to baser vices. Those who broke this commandment were punished severely."
"Even in life threatening situations?"
"Yes. Even then." He said back without hesitation. "It was old world technology and vice that destroyed it, our legion was not to fall to such temptations. That was our Caesar's will."
"I see." Adam said, understanding, at least, some of what he was saying. It made some sense that a society that was born from the ashes of nuclear fire might refuse the technology of the 'old world' because they had destroyed themselves with it. But to deny it outright seemed strange to him, still it was Deccanus' way of life, who was he to tell it was wrong. Unless of course his life was at stake which right now it was not.
"Our lands were so safe a child could traverse our entire territory without fear of any attacker. Truly, under Caesar's rule, we had tamed the wastes." Deccanus said before sighing and looking a bit down. "What remains now…" He said before petering off.
"Have you returned since you left?" Adam asked softly.
"No." Deccanus said back a bit disheartened. "I have not."
"Have you at least heard of news from there?"
"I have heard tell that the conflict in the region has died down, but I have not inquired further, to know that my home was so thoroughly destroyed by those who coveted the throne is… heartbreaking." Adam gently pat Deccanus' shoulder in solidarity.
"I understand what you mean." He said with warmth.
"What of your home? Did you ever return?" Deccanus asked. Adam grew somber and looked around them for a moment, seeing the broken buildings, torn streets, and radiation filled rivers.
"I did… it was not the same." He said darkly, as he recognized how much things had changed.
"I am afraid that if I am to return I will find it much the same."
"All the more reason to make the most of the moment." Adam said, determined again. "If my home is in tatters I will help what's left. Or, barring that, I will build a new life elsewhere. That is what I've resolved to do." Deccanus nodded and said nothing more on the topic as they continued their journey to the Vault.