milliways_bar | (no subject)

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(no subject)

The final layer of encryption on the Aperture data is proving to be remarkably stubborn. Alyx has, at least, confirmed that it is the final layer, which means the trickier code is understandable. Whatever they're, the higher-ups at Aperture wanted it to stay hidden.

Hopefully, it's something of vital importance to their portal research that could give the Resistance another edge over the Combine. But given that this is Aperture Science we're talking about, it could just as easily be Cave Johnson's secret devil's food cake recipe. Who knows?

Anyway, Alyx is in Milliways in the hope that a change of venue will help her work. She's got the laptop, a legal pad full of notes, and a heaping platter of onion rings.

(What? Just because she's working doesn't mean she can't soothe her pregnancy cravings at the same time.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Takka-takka-takka go Dogmeat's claws against the floor; there are human footsteps behind him. "Alyx?"

"Hm?" Alyx looks up and waves. She'd say hello, but her mouth is full.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Ellen says, instantly contrite. "I wasn't sure if you'd gotten my note from the Bar."

Alyx holds up one finger in a 'wait a second' gesture, then swallows. "I haven't been up to the Bar yet," she says. "Why, what's up?"

"I made it to the Nuka-Cola bottling plant ruins," Ellen says. "And there was more Quantum left than I'd anticipated, so I brought back enough for both our needs."

It has been noted in the past that Ellen has something of a habit of understatement.

Alyx grins. "Excellent. How soon can you get it here?"

"As soon as you can have someone available to help me get the barrel through your door," Ellen says. "I can provide the radiation suit and chelation chems as a precaution."

Alyx's eyebrows go up. "How much did you bring?"

"Fifty-five gallons."

...

"The blueprints you gave me will make three bombs out of sixteen ounces of the stuff."

"There was an entire factory floor flooded with it," Ellen says. "Knee-deep. There were glowing mutant crabs living in it. I thought it might be a good idea never to have to go back there again."

"...should I be wearing a radiation suit to be around you right now?"

"No. This was days ago," Ellen says, "and I observed full decontamination protocols for myself, my power armor, and my Brahmin afterward. Several times. But for verification-"

She holds out her left arm and flicks the Pip-Boy's display to the Geiger counter, which shows her as being no more radioactive than the rest of the Bar right now.

Looks at the display and nods. "Just to be on the safe side? I don't think I'm gonna get anywhere near that barrel. I don't want to expose the twins to that crap."

"That's why I said as soon as you can have someone help me," Ellen says. "I learned to read from my father's medical texts. I wasn't going to ask you to be anywhere near it, lead lined barrel or no."

"Gordon can do it," says Alyx. "The HEV suit should keep him safe. Hell, he's probably waded in worse..."

Ellen nods. "I don't think I've ever met him," she says, "but all right. I've got the Abraxo for you to go with it, or as much as I could manage, but that can wait until we've moved the Quantum."

"I've got some people back home distilling turpentine," says Alyx. "I don't think we have enough for 55 gallons' worth of bombs, but..."

"You probably need it more than I do," Ellen says, "but whatever you can manage would be good. I can still scrounge some in the ruins if I have to."

"Hm. I don't suppose you've seen any pine trees in the Wasteland?"

"I've only seen live trees in one place," Ellen says. "All the way up north in Oasis. I don't think any of them were pine trees, but I wouldn't know for sure."

"...you don't know what a pine tree looks like." Alyx facepalms. "They have them out behind the Bar."

"They have a lot of plants out behind the Bar," Ellen points out. "A lot of them are trees. Which ones are the pine trees?"

"The ones with needles instead of leaves and sticky translucent stuff secreted out of the bark," explains Alyx. "You take those secretions and boil them in a still, and they separate into rosin and turpentine."

"Oh," says Ellen. "Then no. I don't remember seeing any trees in Oasis that had anything instead of leaves. I don't think they were all the same species as Harold, but they all had leaves, I remember that pretty clearly."