Freak Show - Chapter 1
Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, ... AO3
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October 23, 2077
A crisp autumn breeze blew through the quaint Massachusetts neighborhood, rustling fallen leaves and swaying plastic Halloween decor as it went. Children’s laughter filled the air as last minute decorations were lovingly placed, small faces beaming with excitement as the sweets centered holiday inched ever closer. Shining silver in the early morning sun, the pip-boy cuff adorning your left arm was a stark contrast to the funeral wear that made up your day's attire. A soft nudge against your right shoulder brought you back to the present, back to this new reality, back to a world without her in it. Turning to look at the familiar face beside you, the face you'd seen everyday since birth, you came to a realization. Everyone else's worlds would keep spinning, would continue onward as if the chasm that now consumed you didn't affect them, because it didn’t, this grief was to devour you and leave the rest of the planet be.
“Hey, talk to me, Sis, what's goin’ on in that head of yours?”
Her voice altered your realization ever so slightly, it wouldn't affect just you, because it's never been just you. A twin is another part of you, and yours would shoulder this grief as well, her world stopped with yours. Looking into her dark, nearly black eyes, a weight was lifted off of you. You would never be alone, not in grief or joy or terror. She would always be there for you, as she's always been. A sad smile tugged at your lips as you finally spoke, “I miss her, Lottie.”
Lottie. She always insisted everyone call her that, “Charlotte is too formal, Lottie is perfect,” she’d say, and you didn't agree, but always told her you did just to see the triumphant smile that lit up her face. Charlotte was a beautiful name, and it suited her perfectly, but then again- everything suited her. She radiated confidence and oozed self-assurance, everything suited her and her name was no exception. Though today, grief clouded her usually confident demeanor; her voice was soft as she said, “I do too, but the funeral is over. Now… Now we just have to try to pick up the pieces of our life, find a way to keep going without her.”
Find a way to keep going. That felt about as easy as trying to bottle up the ocean, but with Lottie by your side you might actually be able to do it; to reach some semblance of normal again. As you walked side-by-side you tried to take in the view, the street you grew up on had hardly changed in the years since you and your sister had moved to California to pursue higher positions in Vault-Tec. The little houses stayed mostly the same, new coats of paint adorning some and freshly planted trees decorated the yards of others, but they were filled with people neither of you recognized. You wondered if your mother had gotten to know any of them in the years you'd been away, but then again, if she'd become close with any of them then surely they'd have shown up to her funeral.
Your mother's funeral had been eerily quiet, only you and Lottie in attendance, staring numbly at a small urn that seemed like it couldn't possibly contain all that was left of her. A woman as head-strong and confident as her, a woman who commanded attention and respect, a woman who was now mere ashes in a jar. She was the reason you were so successful, the reason you had the confidence to speak your mind and reach for goals you never thought obtainable. In her early life, she had been a single mother raising twin girls while working as a receptionist for Vault-Tec. After your father had left her, she decided to prove to herself, to her girls, and to the world that she could do it all alone and didn't need a man to get her there.
Clawing and fighting her way up in her career, she eventually made her way to the top ranks of Vault-Tec, getting high-paying jobs for you and your twin, and securing the three of you a spot in Vault 4 located in California; a vault fully operated by scientists like you and Lottie. Lottie preferred physics, and you biology, but your mother had insisted you both focused your studies on radiology, no matter how much you protested against it in favor of focusing on your passions. But Mother was never one to lose an argument, always saying, “I'm paying for your schooling, I choose what you major in, end of discussion.” So here you were years later with a masters degree in radiology, a dead mom, and not a shred of passion for your job. Lottie, on the other hand, found herself falling in love with the life your mother had chosen for her and flourishing in her career. You envied how she could adapt to any environment she was thrown into, not unlike a weed sprouting through cracks in concrete, finding a way to not only survive but thrive.
After the funeral, during the walk back to your childhood home where your mother had spent her final days, you were stopped by two strange men in suits. Their serious faces made you stop in your tracks, both intrigued by these men and deeply suspicious of them, something about them put you on edge. After quickly flashing their Vault-Tec badges, they merely handed you and Lottie each a holotape with your names on them, an invitation to Vault 111 for later this afternoon, and then walked away, ignoring the questions you both threw at their backs. The small tape held in your hands had your name on it, written in your mother's handwriting, and a message taped to the back that read: “My final message to you. -Mom.”
Neither of you listened to your messages, instead choosing to sit in your mother's dining room until it was time to head to Vault 111, wondering why you were invited to visit it today of all days. As the time passed in comfortable silence, you took in the state of the house you grew up in. The coroner had determined that your mother had been struggling with this cancer for months before losing her battle earlier this week, though you hadn't believed it until entering the house. Mold covered dishes were stacked all over the kitchen, even more shoved into the small sink. Over a dozen bags of rotting trash were leaned against the back door, it seemed she had been too weak to drag them any further than that. This house that once had been so beautiful, beaming with life, had silently fallen into disarray the further along your mother's illness progressed. You tried not to think of her final days in this house, how she must have suffered, how awful it must have been for her to die alone surrounded by the rotting remains of her once lovely home. As tears filled your eyes, you felt Lottie grab your hand before she spoke, “Let's head out a bit early, I think Vault 111 could be a good change of scenery for us, what do you say?”
You squeezed her hand and looked up at her through watery eyes, “Yeah,” you mumbled, “I think you might be right.” Walking out the door and down the overgrown driveway, you looked back at your old home fondly, trying desperately to fill your mind with memories of joy-filled evenings laughing with Lottie or winters spent cuddled with your mother by the fireplace. Every time you tried though, your mind was filled with the image of her at the morgue, of her pale lifeless corpse on a metal table. No matter how many attempts you made, these images kept flashing through your mind. So instead, you looked away from that house, staring desperately ahead trying to find something, anything to focus on that didn't remind you of what you'd lost. Looking down the street, attention drawn to the clear blue sky above, you did end up finding something else to focus on: a mushroom shaped cloud far, far in the distance, followed by the sound of sirens blaring and glass shattering all around you.
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Sharp, blinding pain burst across the side of your face as glass tore your skin, the shockwave knocking you and Lottie to the ground. Knees and palms burning as the rough asphalt tore through the dark fabric of your pants and shredded the soft skin underneath. Ignoring the hot liquid pouring down your face and blurring the vision in your right eye, you frantically reached for the crumpled form of your sister. She was dazed, but had no visible injuries besides a few scrapes on her hands and knees that matched your own.
“Hey, hey,” you snapped your fingers in front of Lottie's eyes, drawing her unfocused eyes to yours, “we need to run, Lottie, can you do that?”
No words escaped her, just a swift nod of her head as she grabbed your hand and stood on shaking legs. There was no time to let her adjust, screaming families were flooding the previously quiet street, all running towards the same place: Vault 111. You tightened your grip on Lottie's hand, letting the flash of pain across your palm ground you, then began to run. Dozens of panicking people were blocking the street, you would have to take a different route if you wanted to make it in time. There was no guarantee you would be let into the vault, no guarantee you'd even make it to the gate before the next bomb dropped, but you had to try.
“Our shortcut, through the woods. C'mon.” Your sister's voice sounded far away as she tugged at your hand and pulled you to the trees behind the now windowless house you'd just exited, towards the shortcut you two always took to the park after school.
Vault-Tec had bought the park a few years back, stating it was the perfect place for their newest vault, given how close it was to the neighborhoods full of potential customers. At the time, you had grieved the loss of your favorite childhood playplace and cursed your employer for destroying a beautiful thing in the name of profit. Now, however, as you sprinted down the familiar hidden path to the park, you thanked whatever god would listen that Vault-Tec was so greedy. Their greed meant your salvation, your only chance of surviving the end of the world.
Bursting through the overgrown bushes that marked the end of the trail, the towering chain link fence and armed guards at the entrance to the vault let you know you'd made it. There were a dozen people at the gate, some screaming at guards, others on the ground, tears streaming down their faces as they begged them to let their children in. You couldn't think of them now, you had to think about Charlotte, about yourself, you needed to try to get into this vault. Pushing through the crowd, you made your way to the guards blocking the gate.
“Excuse me, please, you have to let us in, we work for Vault-Tec we-,” your voice was cut off by the guard.
“Doesn’t matter who you are if you aren't on the list.” He didn't even look at you as he spoke.
“Well then check the fucking list.” Your voice was harsh as you gave him your names, harsher than you had ever heard yourself speak.
“And we have this,” Lottie's voice was firm even as her hand shook, a hand holding up the invitation you had received earlier that day.
“Shit.” The guard cursed as he ripped the invitation out of her hand, showing it to the other man who stood watch beside him.
The other guard didn't speak as he waved for the gate to be opened and raised his gun, pointing it at the crowd around you, a silent warning to anyone who might try to rush in. He nodded at you and Lottie, signaling you to go inside, a new guard waiting to escort you to the vault entrance. You wasted no time, dragging your sister with you as you ran through the gate and towards the concrete vault door. As the gate rolled shut behind you, you heard a man let out a roar as he rushed forward, followed by three gunshots and the sound of a body hitting the ground. Lottie gasped beside you and covered her mouth with her free hand. Keeping your eyes forward, even as your whole body shook, you kept pressing on until you were standing on a platform with six other people, some being neighbors you had seen decorating with their children earlier this morning.
“These are the last of ‘em, send it down.” A gruff voice yelled from behind you, just as you saw another mushroom cloud forming in the distance, much closer than the last.
The platform you stood on shook as you were sent down into the vault, still clutching your twin's hand in yours, looking at her terrified face now streaming with tears of relief. “We made it,” she whispered as she squeezed your hand, “we actually made it.”
You tried to smile at her, but the act made you wince with pain, the gash across your face making its presence known again now that the adrenaline was wearing off. It didn't matter though, as you reached the bottom of Vault 111 and were met with the smiling faces of the Vault-tec employees, you finally felt safe. Two-hundred feet beneath the surface and surrounded by individuals like yourself who had been trained for this very event, you were in the safest place on the planet.
“Welcome to Vault 111,” a cheerful young woman in a lab coat said as she helped you off the platform, “please head this way to change into your vault suit.”
You, Lottie, and three other women were ushered toward some changing rooms. While there, you were relieved to finally be out of your funeral clothes, which were now ripped and covered in dirt and your own blood, and into the blue and yellow vault suit provided to all vault residents. The familiar company colors brought a sense of normality, the colors you'd seen nearly everyday you went to work for the last few years. As you exited the changing room, the same woman led you and the others to rows and rows of strange pods. Each pod resembled a glass coffin, standing upright and attached to complex machines you didn't recognize, but Lottie did.
“What's going on here?” Lottie's voice was commanding, full of suspicion, as she demanded an answer from the scientists surrounding us.
“These are just your sleeping chambers, there's nothing to worry-,” the woman was cut off by your twin.
“These are cryosleep pods, so what the fuck is actually going on here?” You froze at these words, cryosleep? That wasn't right, these vaults were made for people to live in until the radiation levels above were safe enough for everyone to return to the surface. Cryosleep pods hadn't even been tested yet, this didn't make any sense, this had to be some sort of misunderstanding.
“I see,” the scientist mumbled before turning to two guards you hadn’t noticed before, “get her into her pod, please. We don't have time for distractions.”
The guards grabbed Lottie by her arms and lifted her towards the pod, all while she kicked and screamed at them to let her go. As you rushed forward, begging them to just let her go, they closed her into a pod and activated it. You watched her scream and bang on the glass until she finally froze, her terrified expression frozen to her face. Then, the guards turned to you, grabbing you the same way, dragging you to the pod across from Lottie's. You and Lottie were twins, but you were far from identical, she believed people deserved kindness, no matter how they treated you or others. She had fought those guards, but she only fought to be free, to get away, not to hurt them, so they expected the same from you. You, however, always fought to hurt, to get revenge on those who had wronged you. So when they grabbed your arms and started to drag you to the pods, you leaned back and bit at anything you could reach.
You latched your teeth on one guard's Adam's apple and bit down as hard as you could, twisted your head to the side and pulled back, your mouth filling with the copper taste of blood. He let go of you, reaching for his bleeding throat as you punched the other guard and ran. You made it to the platform you'd arrived on before the guard you'd hit grabbed at you again; you kicked and screamed, scratched and bit, but it was no use. He had a job to do and though he'd much rather kill you and move onto the next vault dweller, he had strict orders and an injured, if not dead, coworker to attend to. Your head smacked against the cushioned headrest of the cryopod as he threw you in and sealed the glass door, your fists banged so hard on the glass you felt like your bones would crack. Frozen air filled the chamber around you, causing you to panic even more, your screams reaching a new octave as your banging slowed down, your limbs becoming frozen and sluggish. The last thing you saw as you were forced into cryosleep was your sister's terrified frozen face across from you.
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Blurry, dark shapes moved in front of you, your limbs feeling sluggish and your mind a thousand miles away. Memories came rushing back to you as your vision focused, your mother’s funeral, bombs dropping, Lottie being forced into a cryopod, the taste of blood. Panic flooded your veins, eyes frantically searching for a way out, but they quickly came to a halt as you realized what the blurred shapes were. People. There were two people in the vault, two people who weren't put into a prolonged sleep, two people who were opening your sister's cryopod.
“Hey! Hey, what the fuck are you doing? Let me out of here!” You screamed as loud as you could, but they paid you no mind.
Lottie woke up, and you were flooded with relief; she was alive, she was free. As she groggily took in her surroundings, one of the individuals in front of her reached forward and injected something into her neck, causing her to lose consciousness. Staring in horror, you watched as the one who injected her simply picked her up and started carrying her towards the vault's exit, leaving you and everyone else behind.
“Where are you taking her? Let her go! Listen to me, assholes!” Your voice became shrill and frantic, but the remaining stranger turned to you.
As you took in his face, you cataloged every single detail you could see. He was a bald man with a scar going down from his forehead, through his eye, and down the left side of his face. The clothes he wore were strange and dirty, like nothing you had ever seen. “At least we have the backup if that twin doesn't work out,” he said over his shoulder to the person carrying your sister.
As he reached for the controls to your pod, you slammed your fist against the glass, bringing his gaze to yours. “I don't know who you are, but I promise you, I will be the one to kill you. I'm going to get my sister back, there is nothing in this world that will keep me from her.” Your voice was even, laced with venom as you hurled your threats at this man.
He laughed then, laughed, before he said “I'd love to see you try,” and reactivated your cryosleep pod.
Watching him and his partner walk away with your unconscious sister, you imagined how you'd kill him, how his blood would look gushing out of his throat, how you'd relish in watching the light leave his eyes. As cryosleep forcefully dragged you back into a dreamless sleep, you took solace in knowing his death would be by your hand.
