Fallout 4: Rebirth At Vault 81

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By the time they returned to the underground power grid chamber, the tension in Sico's shoulders eased slightly. They had what they needed—now it was time to put it to use. And with that, they got to work.

Sico stood with his arms crossed as he watched Sturges and his crew unpack the salvaged parts. The dim light from their flashlights cast long shadows against the walls, flickering as they moved. The underground chamber still smelled like burnt wiring, dust, and oil, but at least now they had a fighting chance at getting the power grid back online.

Sturges cracked his knuckles and got to work immediately, crouching by the busted fuse box with a focused expression. He muttered under his breath as he examined the damage, his hands running along the exposed wiring.

Sico stepped up beside him. "So, what's the verdict? How long is this going to take?"

Sturges let out a long sigh, poking at a particularly fried section of circuitry with the tip of his screwdriver. "Well, that depends, General. If the damage is just surface level, we might get lucky and have this baby hummin' again in a few hours. But if the main circuits are fried—" He let out a low whistle. "We're talkin' a full rebuild, which could take days."

Sico frowned. "And what are the odds we got the parts to replace what's broken?"

Sturges grabbed one of the newly acquired fuses and tested it against the damaged panel. The metal casing fit, but it was slightly off from the original design. He scratched his head. "Not perfect, but I think we can make it work. Capacitors are good, wiring's decent, and the fuses… well, they ain't an exact match, but with some elbow grease, we can rig 'em up."

Sico nodded. "Then let's not waste any time."

Sturges turned to his crew, who were already setting up tools and equipment. "Alright, listen up! We're gonna start with the core wiring—get these cables sorted before we do anything else. I need hands on that backup generator first, see if we can get it runnin' before we go messin' with the main grid. If we fry this thing worse than it already is, we're gonna be workin' in the dark."

His team got to work immediately. The chamber filled with the sound of tools clanking, metal scraping, and the occasional frustrated muttering as they maneuvered the parts into place. Sico stayed close, observing their progress, stepping in when needed.

He wasn't an engineer like Sturges, but he had enough experience with tech to know what was going on. He helped strip old wiring, handed off tools, and made sure nothing critical was overlooked.

After about an hour, Sturges wiped sweat from his brow and leaned back, inspecting the backup generator. "Alright, let's see if this thing's still got some life left in her."

One of the crew members, a younger guy named Lou, nodded and grabbed the starter crank. He gave it a hard pull. The generator coughed, sputtered, and then let out a loud clunk before falling silent.

"Shit," Lou muttered.

Sturges frowned. "Try it again."

Lou yanked the crank again. This time, the generator let out a groan, then roared to life. A faint hum filled the chamber as the emergency lights flickered on. The red glow wasn't much, but it was better than working in the dark.

A relieved grin spread across Sturges' face. "Hell yeah! We're back in business."

Sico smirked. "Alright, that's a start. What's next?"

Sturges rubbed his hands together. "Now that we got backup power, we can start rewiring the main grid. This is the tricky part—one wrong move and we'll be replacing more than just fuses."

He motioned for his crew to spread out, each taking a section of the panel to work on. The work was slow, methodical. Every wire had to be checked, every fuse carefully replaced. Some of the components were too damaged to be repaired, forcing them to improvise.

At one point, Sturges cursed under his breath and tossed aside a melted relay. "Damn thing's beyond saving. We're gonna have to bypass it."

Sico arched a brow. "That going to be a problem?"

Sturges exhaled. "Not if we're careful. Just means we're rigging this together with duct tape and prayers instead of doing it proper."

Danny, who had been standing watch near the entrance, snorted. "Sounds about right."

Minutes turned into hours as they worked. Sweat dripped down Sico's temple as he crouched beside Sturges, holding wires steady while the engineer spliced them together. Sparks flew as Sturges sealed the connections, his face illuminated by the

Sturges wiped his hands on his already dirty jumpsuit and let out a breath. "Alright, moment of truth," he muttered, stepping back from the panel. His fingers hovered over the main switch for a moment before he threw it.

The underground chamber buzzed with tension as the power grid hummed to life. A low vibration ran through the floor, followed by the flickering of overhead lights. Slowly, one by one, they steadied, casting the room in a brighter, more stable glow.

A cheer went up from the crew.

Danny clapped Sico on the back. "Looks like we're in business, General."

Sturges grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Damn right. That wasn't too bad. Little rough around the edges, but she's hummin' again."

Sico crossed his arms, nodding in approval. "Good work, Sturges. We—"

Then, without warning, the lights flickered violently. A loud pop echoed through the chamber, followed by a high-pitched whine from the fuse box. Sparks shot out from the panel Sturges had just fixed, and before anyone could react, the power grid let out a gut-wrenching grrrrnnkkk and shut down completely.

Darkness swallowed the room, save for the emergency red lights that flickered weakly.

"Son of a—" Sturges groaned, already diving toward the fuse box. He yanked open the panel, cursing under his breath as he scanned the damage.

Danny let out a low whistle. "Well… that ain't good."

Lou, who had been standing near the backup generator, stepped forward hesitantly. "What the hell happened? We did everything right."

Sico stepped up beside Sturges. "What went wrong?"

Sturges gritted his teeth as he reached inside the panel, carefully touching the still-warm components. "Looks like one of those replacement fuses overloaded." He yanked out the fried piece and held it up to the dim light. It was completely blackened, metal warped from the heat. "Damn thing couldn't handle the load. We need a proper replacement, not some makeshift workaround."

Sico exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Do we have anything else that'll work?"

Sturges shook his head. "Not unless you got a stash of pristine fuses hidden in your back pocket."

Danny let out a low chuckle. "Damn, looks like we're going shopping again."

Sico wasn't in the mood for jokes. He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking. They couldn't afford to have the power down any longer. The attack had already weakened the city's defenses, and if another one came, they'd be in deep trouble without functioning lights, communications, or security systems.

"Myrna might have more," Lou suggested. "She had a decent stash of components."

Sico shook his head. "No, she gave us everything she had. If we're gonna find more, we need to check somewhere else."

Sturges rubbed his chin, thinking. "There's a chance we might find something over at the old maintenance tunnels under the stadium. Pre-war infrastructure's still got some electrical panels down there. If they haven't been picked clean, we might get lucky."

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah… or we might run into ghouls, mirelurks, or whatever else calls those tunnels home."

Sico's expression hardened. "Doesn't matter. If that's where we need to go, we go."

Sturges sighed, but nodded. "Figured you'd say that." He turned to the rest of the crew. "Alright, you guys stay here, keep an eye on things. General and I will check the tunnels."

Danny groaned. "Oh great. I just love wading through ancient, probably flooded death traps."

Sico smirked. "Good. Then you're coming with us."

Danny opened his mouth to protest but saw the look on Sico's face and shut it again.

The entrance to the old maintenance tunnels was in the deepest section of Diamond City, hidden behind a rusted security door that looked like it hadn't been opened in decades. Sturges fiddled with the old control panel, trying to override the ancient lock.

The seconds stretched on, the only sound the occasional drip of water echoing through the dark.

Finally, with a loud clank, the door's mechanism released. A rush of stale air hit them as the heavy door creaked open.

Danny made a face. "Ugh, smells like death and mildew. Fantastic."

Sico took point, stepping inside first. The tunnel was narrow, damp, and eerily silent. Their flashlight beams cut through the darkness, revealing corroded pipes and old signs warning of high voltage.

"Stay sharp," Sico muttered, keeping his weapon ready.

The beam of Sico's flashlight cut through the damp darkness of the maintenance tunnel, illuminating the rusted metal walls slick with condensation. The air smelled of mildew, rot, and something faintly metallic. Their footsteps echoed as they carefully moved deeper, past long-forgotten electrical panels and corroded conduits.

Then, suddenly—

A noise.

A faint clicking sound, rhythmic and unnatural, echoed down the tunnel ahead. It was subtle at first, almost blending with the ambient drips of water, but as they crept forward, the sound grew louder, more distinct.

Sico immediately threw up a fist, signaling a halt. Danny and Sturges froze behind him, gripping their weapons.

"The hell was that?" Danny whispered, his voice barely above a breath.

Sico didn't answer. Instead, he raised his flashlight, pointing it toward the source of the noise.

He flicked it on.

The beam landed on a cluster of shapes shifting in the shadows. Glossy, chitinous shells reflected the light back at them, their dark green and brown carapaces glistening with moisture. Thick, segmented legs twitched as the creatures moved, their massive claws scraping against the metal floor.

Mirelurks.

A whole damn group of them.

"Shit," Sturges muttered, gripping his pistol. "I was hopin' we wouldn't run into these bastards."

The largest of the Mirelurks let out a shrill, guttural screech, its beady black eyes locking onto them.

Then it charged.

Sico reacted instantly. He raised his rifle and fired. The shot cracked through the tunnel, the bullet slamming into the creature's armored shell. Sparks flew as the round ricocheted, barely leaving a dent.

"Damn it!" he growled, already moving.

Danny and Sturges sprang into action, backing up toward a rusted service door as the other Mirelurks skittered forward.

"They're too armored!" Danny yelled, raising his shotgun. He fired, aiming for the creature's face. The buckshot tore through one of its smaller limbs, making it shriek, but it didn't stop.

Sico cursed under his breath. They needed better positioning—this narrow tunnel was a death trap.

"Get to higher ground!" he barked.

Sturges, thinking fast, pointed toward an old maintenance scaffold against the wall. "Up there! Move, move!"

Danny took the lead, scrambling up the rusted metal structure. Sturges was right behind him, but Sico stayed on the ground, covering their retreat. The biggest Mirelurk lunged, snapping its powerful claws. Sico barely dodged, rolling to the side as the claw slammed into the concrete where he had stood moments ago, cracking it.

He swung his rifle around, aiming for the softer underbelly as the creature reared back. He fired twice—this time, the bullets hit flesh. The Mirelurk let out a horrible screech and stumbled backward, oozing dark green blood.

Sico didn't wait for it to recover. He turned and jumped, grabbing onto the scaffold just as another Mirelurk's claw snapped inches from his boot.

Danny grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "You good?"

"Yeah," Sico grunted, catching his breath. He turned his eyes to the Mirelurks below, which were now circling, clicking angrily as they tried to find a way up.

"This ain't gonna hold forever," Sturges pointed out, gripping the railing. The old metal structure groaned under their weight. "We gotta take these things out, or they'll just wait us out."

Sico thought fast. He scanned the tunnel. There had to be something they could use.

Then he spotted it—a series of old, rusted pipes running along the ceiling.

"Sturges, those pipes—any chance they still got pressure?"

Sturges followed his gaze, eyes widening. "If they ain't rusted through, yeah. Could be steam, could be gas."

Sico nodded. "We take a chance. If it's gas, we blow it. If it's steam, we cook 'em."

Danny smirked. "I like where your head's at."

Sturges pulled out a wrench and leaned over the railing. "Cover me, I'll see if I can bust one open."

Sico and Danny provided cover fire, forcing the Mirelurks to stay back as Sturges worked. He jammed the wrench against a valve and twisted with all his strength.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then—

A high-pitched hiss filled the air.

Steam burst from the ruptured pipe, flooding the tunnel below. The nearest Mirelurks shrieked as the scalding vapor washed over them, their shells darkening from the heat. They thrashed, stumbling away from the source, but the steam kept coming.

Sico watched, waiting.

Then he caught the scent—sharp, acrid.

Gas.

His heart pounded. "It's gas! Sturges, move!"

Sturges barely had time to scramble back before Sico raised his rifle and aimed at the cloud.

"Fire in the hole!"

He pulled the trigger.

The bullet sparked as it struck the leaking gas, igniting instantly.

WHOOMPH!

The explosion rocked the tunnel, fire bursting outward in a wave of heat and force. The Mirelurks shrieked, caught in the blast, their shells cracking under the pressure. Smoke filled the air, and the scaffold shuddered violently from the shockwave.

Danny coughed. "Holy shit—"

Sico was already moving, scanning the aftermath. The biggest Mirelurk was still twitching, but it was clearly dying. The others lay still, charred and broken.

"Clear," he confirmed.

Sturges let out a shaky breath. "Damn. That was close."

Danny clapped Sico on the shoulder. "Remind me never to piss you off."

Sico smirked. "Come on, let's find those parts and get the hell out of here."

They climbed down carefully, stepping over the scorched remains of the creatures. Past the wreckage, they finally spotted what they had come for—an old electrical panel, surprisingly intact.

Sturges grinned. "Jackpot."

He got to work immediately, salvaging everything they needed. The process took longer than expected—some of the components had to be carefully extracted—but after nearly an hour, they had what they came for.

Sico nodded. "Let's move before more of those things show up."

The return trip was tense, every echo in the tunnel making them flinch, but nothing else came at them. By the time they made it back to Diamond City, they were exhausted but victorious.

Sturges wasted no time installing the new parts. This time, when he powered up the grid, the lights held steady. The hum of electricity filled the air, and the city's systems came back to life.

A cheer erupted from the workers.

Sturges grinned at Sico. "Looks like we did it right this time."

Sico exhaled, letting the tension drain from his body. "Good work, all of you."

Danny stretched. "So, does this mean I get a raise?"

Sico chuckled. "It means you get to live another day."

Danny smirked. "Good enough for me."

As the lights of Diamond City shone brightly once more, Sico allowed himself a rare moment of satisfaction. The battle wasn't over, but for now, they had won.

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• Name: Sico

• Stats :

S: 8,44

P: 7,44

E: 8,44

C: 8,44

I: 9,44

A: 7,45

L: 7

• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills

• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.

• Active Quest:-