"Let's get back to Maryl so we can finish things..."
Jonny nodded and Lady didn't need to. She would follow me into certain death now.
As we strode back to the entrance, I took a moment to observe the Demeter dome with a more discerning eye.
There was a large solar lamp that moved from one side of the dome to the other to simulate sunlight and day cycles.
Nozzles lined the framework of the dome, that produced water to simulate rain.
Large grated fans that could push or pull the air were mounted in various areas. These created a constant circulation of wind.
The dome was equipped with what used to be top of the line farming equipment. But constant years of neglect has left them rotting.
As for why the people in Hestia didn't move in and restart the farm... it was simply due to it not being secure from attack by the mermen.
The mermen can operate the bulkheads so a raiding party could show up at any time.
They simply couldn't take risks like that if they didn't want to get picked off by spreading themselves thin.
Getting this place up and running will be a priority once the Overseer has been disposed of.
As we approached the bulkhead, it suddenly opened on it's own, causing us to lift our weapons ready for combat.
"Hey! Hey! Don't shoot me please!"
A man in security armor ran in frantic and threw his hands up and begged when he noticed three people had guns up.
"Larry?" Jonny stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"
"Jonny! Man, it's bad! Only a few minutes after you guys left, the Overseer's robots came!" The man's words put us all on edge as he paused to let it sink in.
"What happened? Speak quickly!" I demanded.
"Ly- Lynette is dead..." he stuttered out causing a shock to us.
"They couldn't get little Anna so Elizabeth was selected in her place. Lynette, she... rallied us to fight, but... She was killed before anyone could act. And by then everyone was too scared to resist so the robots took Elizabeth and the other selection, Milo."
The weight of that hit me hard. Lynette had died. I had only been gone an hour and that kind woman was dead and her daughter taken for experimentation. It was too fucked up.
Larry continued while we were still stewing on Lynette's death.
"I... I ran here to tell you as soon as possible. Lynette believed in you so please... Please kill the Overseer and rescue those kids! We all agreed that if you can do that then we will pay any price!"
Jonny walked over and placed a hand on Larry's shoulder before turning to look at me. "Well, Boss?"
I shook my head. "It was pointless to ask. I was going do that anyway."
Jonny grinned and then slapped Larry's back. "Hear that? Tell everyone our new Overseer is gonna handle it."
Larry just nodded, "I'll go back now. Good luck!" Then he started running back down the tunnel towards Hestia.
Jonny's grin faded and turned to a frown. "I can't believe she's dead. Lynette was the glue that kept us together for so long..."
"Then... Let's hurry up and finish this." I said as I walked by him, out of the bulkhead and then into the corridor.
"Right... We got a bastard to kill." Jonny turned and followed after me.
Lady had paused for moment before falling in step, perhaps having her own thoughts on the situation.
I picked up the pace to a steady jog, my power armor thundering it's way ahead.
We navigated the maintenance tunnels all the way back to the access point.
We turned the corner and got up the set of stairs to where the laser grid was. But there was an unexpected surprise waiting for us.
Something that resembled some kind of octopus person wrapped in a lab coat.
Her skin was greenish brown and looked perpetually moist. Her eyes were large and pupils were rectangular while her mouth had tentacle looking things that made her look like a female Zoidberg from Futurama.
Her body still held a feminine shape but her hands were also tentacled.
I might have been on guard but she was bleeding bluish blood from wound on her abdomen.
"You're... finally back... took you long enough." She spoke when she spotted us.
I instantly made a connection. "Maryl? Is that you?"
She was slumped over on the ground next the desk in the room.
"Yeah. It's me. Surprised? None of the remaining scientists here are human anymore." She paused before looking at me meaningfully. "Did you get it?"
I pulled out the locket and dangled it in front of her. "I got it. Tell me what happened first, then I'll give it to you. Why are you out here... bleeding?"
She chuckled darkly, "I tried to stop them from bringing those kids in but the robots don't obey me, only the Overseer." She pointed at the wound she had. "As you can see that was taken as a betrayal and an Assaultron stuck it's claw in me and left me for dead."
"So... the kids are inside? Please tell me you can still get us in?" I asked.
"I can... but not this way. By now the Overseer has removed my credentials... so the laser grid and bulkhead won't open for my keycard anymore..."
"How do we get in then? If the Overseer is on to us, how can we get to him?"
"In Hephestus..." she hesitated for a moment before continuing, "There is another access tunnel that leads to Poseidon. It is where the mermen failures are thrown out and it directly connects to Dr. Benson's lab. The only obstacle is a service elevator that isn't guarded or locked down. Well... unless you count the many mermen down there..."
'Shit... so after all this I have to fight my way through Hephaestus anyway? What a drag.'
"Can I- Can I have the locket now?" Her large eyes looked up at me pitifully.
"Here you go. Do you want a stimpak as well? That wound looks pretty bad." I offered. It looked like the wound might already be healing slowly, perhaps due to whatever alterations she has made to her body.
Her tentacled hand reached out and grabbed the locket gently before she muttered, "Don't bother... I don't need it. There's a box on the desk here that I had planned to leave for you. I hope it helps."
She opened the locket and a single tear rolled from one of her eyes as she examined the picture inside the locket. "I got to see him one last time... Thank you."
I had a bad feeling and sure enough, Maryl pulled a 10mm pistol from her lab coat pocket and put the barrel to her octopus-like head.
"Wait-!" Before I could react, she pulled the trigger. Brain matter and blue blood splattered over the wall next to her. Her body crumpled and now lay lifeless on the floor.
'It seems her guilt was too much to bear.'
But I didn't dwell on it too much. She could have been a valuable asset but it's too late for that now.
'What did she leave behind in this box for me, I wonder...'
"What the fuck was that?!" Jonny shrieked as his ass hit the floor in shock. "Are all the scientists all like her? What the hell has been going on in there..?"
I waved it off, not responding, and picked up a wooden box on the desk before opening it up.
Inside was a holotape, a key card and a syringe that glowed red and one that glowed blue.
The key card was likely worthless now but I didn't know about the holotape or the chems or whatever they are.
'Could this be a Fallout version of a plasmid? That was the whole point of me coming here in the first place. Hm... maybe the holotape will tell me.'