Jacob Burns and the Order of the Algorithm #Wattys2017

Chapter 6: Lost in the Outfield

"That went well, don't you think?" Ilya said with a wry smile.

"Fucking asshole," I spat, "You know, that would have worked a couple of months ago, they must have beefed up security since the last surge of refugees. I guess things have gotten a lot worse since I've been gone."

"So, what are we suppose to do now?" She asked.

"Well, that gate's the only way in or out, so I guess we wait until they change the guard and give it another go then."

"That's it? That's your plan? Now really Jacob, I had expected so much more from you, oh great master of disguise," she added with a tittering laugh.

"Oh yeah? So what's your plan then, smart ass?" I snapped.

"Have you always been this charming, Mr. Burns? Because I think I've met lab rats with better manners than you. My plans, as it happens, haven't changed one bit since last night. I say we go after the vault, starting with leaving this wretched city behind and never looking back. In fact, if we left right now, we could be resting comfortably at my father's place before sundown."

"Oh no you don't, I told you once before, I ain't interested in any more treasure hunts, mad adventures, or wild goose chases, so don't waste your breath," I said as I rubbed at my temples once again. I couldn't help but sigh as I stared up at the Wall that towered over me like... well, like a goddamn wall in my way. I knew there had to be another way in, but I just couldn't see it. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to wipe that smug smile off of Ilya's face.

Suddenly, a delighted cackle startled me from behind, and I whipped around only to stifle a gasp of surprise. I was expecting a guard, a bounty hunter, or even Hancock himself, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was seeing now.

An old woman was standing there, although she wasn't really standing at all. Instead, she was sitting within the modified framework of an old Mr. Handy, refitted to suit her like a high-tech hover-chair. Her frail body wobbled as one of the jet thrusters sparked every now and again, causing her to dip in the air like a drunken bloatfly. For a brief and terrifying moment, I thought I saw a look of recognition on the woman's face, that was, until her eyes met mine and I realized that she was completely blind. Even so, as I stared into those empty eyes, I couldn't help but feel she was hiding something just beyond that shrouded veil... as if she had knowledge of some great secret, and that this fact amused her to no end.

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than a smile appeared across that ancient face, and the woman cackled again.

"He he he... Heart of steel, and charming as tin, the battle may be won, but the war will never end," she said with a mad glee.

"I... What?" I sputtered, baffled beyond words. The old woman was making as much sense as a junkie on jet, which seemed entirely possible now that I got a good look at her. The woman's skin was sunken and sallow, her teeth all but fallen out, and those that hadn't were stained with the tell-tale residue from years of chem abuse. No wonder the old bat was out here by herself, she was just another addict looking for a fix, and I wasn't about to support anybody's habits but my own.