milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Alyx stayed in room 287 overnight, working on a project for Ellen Park. It took longer than she anticipated, but she's happy with the results.

She leaves a small package at the Bar for Ellen, then goes to sit down with a bowl of oatmeal and a tall glass of OJ.

The package contains an SD card and reader, with a plug adapter that matches the one on the Pip-Boy. It contains every single file that Alyx could salvage from Ellen's computer... all but one. The last file is recorded to a mini-disc with a player and headphones.

An accompanying note reads:

Ellen -

The card contains all the files I could get off your Pip-Boy. The plug should work with the computes in your world; if not, let me know and I'll adjust it to work. The music player has the recording of your father's voice. Just put the headphones on and hit the Play button.

Merry Christmas.

- Alyx

[Open to whoever until it scrolls! I might be slow to respond, though, as I have company coming and staying most of the weekend.]

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Ellen's SERIOUSLY GONNA LEAVE ONE OF THESE DAYS, NO REALLY, which is why she stops at the Bar on the way towards the door. You know. Just in case-

Oooh, Alyx finished! Ellen takes one look at the device and the note and starts looking around for its source.

Alyx has finished her breakfast and is curled up before the fire. (Ellen's not the only one procrastinating on going home, just a bit. Fireplaces are nice and not really an option when one is in hiding.)

"Alyx?" Ellen says as she finally catches sight of the older woman. "Hi there. I got your package..."

"Oh?" Alyx smiles hopefully. "Did you like it? I can move the files onto a different medium if you need it..."

"No, no, this should do fine," Ellen says. "Just fine. I wanted to thank you- you really went to a lot of effort for me, and I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Ellen. You deserve it."

Ellen ducks her head at that. "I- thank you, I guess," she says. "I don't really know what to say. I feel like I owe you, though."

"You don't. Trust me," says Alyx. "With amount of ordinance you've given me? I'm pretty sure I still owe you."

"Well, that's just explosions and boom," Ellen says. "This is my dad's voice. I don't know that the ordnance is in the same league, but we can call it even if you want..."

"Just don't worry about it," Alyx reassures her. "We both have more important things to think about than who owes who what gifts."

"True," Ellen says. "There's too much to do at home for me, that's for sure. What about you?"

"We're moving out as soon as the weather clears," says Alyx. "After that... it depends on what the situation is like in South America. We know the gene worm's geographic location but not much else."

"Ooh. Good luck," Ellen says. "I wouldn't even know where to begin with that."

"...neither do I."

"Well, if it helps at all.... actually, I was kind of hoping I'd think of something to say by the time I reached the end of that sentence." Ellen sighs. "Sorry. Um. How are the twins doing, by the way?"

"Fine, as far as I know," says Alyx. "They're definitely active, I can tell you that."

Ellen smiles. "That's good to hear. That it's going well, I mean. I don't imagine it's very comfortable, though."

"No kidding," says Alyx wryly. "Especially in the middle of the night."

"How do you sleep with all of that bearing down on you?" Ellen says. "It looks... I don't know, really awkward, and that's coming from somebody who's had to sleep in power armor."

"Well, I don't sleep on my back, for one thing. You're not supposed to do that after the first trimester anyway, it can cut off your circulation."

Ellen nods. "I can imagine," she says. "Does it affect dinnertime much? I mean, I know you have to eat more to get nutrition for the kids, but there can't be much room for your digestive- never mind, I'm thinking like one of Dad's medical texts again."

"Let me put it this way," says Alyx. "Whoever invented the chamber pot must have been a pregnant woman."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ellen says. "I'm going to need to remember that someday."

Alyx blinks in surprise. "Why? Are you going into medicine or something?"

"No, I mean that someday I'm going to have to have children myself, assuming I live through all of this with the Enclave and the purifier," Ellen says. "And it's not like I have a mother to ask about it."

"...didn't you once tell me you didn't want to have sex? Like, at all? 'Cause that's kind of a prerequisite to being a mom."

"I know, but it's still a civic duty," Ellen says. "And it's not as if there aren't alternatives. There were women in Vault 101 who didn't want anything to do with men who still managed to have children with a doctor's help."

For Ellen, that's amazingly frank.

"You're not in the Vault anymore, Ellen," points out Alyx. "You don't have to abide by their rules anymore."

"It's still important. An adult ought to contribute to the next generation and the future of humanity both through their actions and through their genes," Ellen says. "If you want society to keep going, you have to do your part. It's like voting or jury duty or military service, before the Great War."

"Well, yeah..." Alyx can't really argue with that, but something about it rubs her the wrong way.

"It's okay. It's still a long way off. I have to make it through the fight with the Enclave first and get Dad's purifier running and the water distribution system set up before I can even consider having kids," Ellen says. "I'm just saying- someday."

"Fair enough." Alyx nods. "When the time comes, if I'm still around, look me up and I'll help out however I can, okay?"

"Sure thing," says Ellen. "That'll be helpful. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Ellen," says Alyx. "You're always welcome."

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