"Keep your guard up. We have hostiles." Lady nodded and became more alert. Her power armor light darting from place to place as she kept an eye on the surrounding.
"Yes sir."
I approached the blood and one of my armored fingers ran over the blood stain.
'Maybe an hour ago?' I thought also noticing that whatever was dragged was taken through the left door from the right.
So for now I chose to take us right.
We could follow the blood left and see what we were dealing with but if this is human blood that came from the right, then there might be other humans that we could question.
Moving to the right door with Lady watching my six, I opened it and found the blood smeared path led down a corridor.
We cautiously pushed forward but thankfully the lighting in this place was still working, although not all, and some flickered creating a chilling atmosphere.
Like being in a haunted asylum kind of chilling.
At the end of the corridor was another door that slid upward revealing what appeared to be an old food court. Overturned chairs and tables littered the area and a counter with kitchen behind it was on one side of the area.
The blood streak led to the center of the area and as I found the source, I couldn't help but exclaim.
"Dear god..." I knelt down over the victim or at least the upper half. I remained calm on the outside but inside I was a a bit rattled at seeing this.
"Sir... is that a child?" Lady questioned. I couldnt tell what kind of emotions she had right now, if any, she had at the sight.
"Yeah... looks like she was around 12 or so..." the girls eyes were wide and glassy with tear streaks marring her cheeks.
A sinking feeling walled up within me as I could kill a man with little issue now, I've already killed many but seeing this pricked at my remaining humanity.
I stood up and sighed, "We need to stay alert now that we know for sure there's enemies in the area. But also, this means that there are definitely people still alive here as well. A child wouldn't be able to survive to this age in a hostile environment without someone looking out for them."
I turned away from the gruesome sight and then had Lady scout the area before we moved on. There's nothing I could do for that child now.
The next door was on the opposite corner of the room but there was also two elevator doors on another wall. While the elevators appear to be working, I didn't want to risk taking them when I dont know where they lead yet.
Behind the next door was a stairwell leading up and another door leading straight.
A little sign on the wall told me which way to get to different areas. It looked like the area we were in was like a shopping and recreation area called 'Hermes' and the other domes had similiar Greek names as well. Hephaestus, Hestia, and Demeter. But the central and largest dome's name wasn't written.
If going off what each might stand for then Hestia might be the residential dome being the goddess of home and family.
Demeter is probably an agricultural area and Hephaestus might be a production area.
Instead of exploring Hermes further, I decided we continue towards Hestia to see if we can meet some survivors.
I strode towards the door that lead to the Hestia corridor when I suddenly caught a slight shuffling sound coming from behind the stairs.
"Hello?" I asked as I raised my rifle and Lady followed suit. "If someone's if here, we come in peace..."
Slowly and cautiously from the shadows limped out a small child. Her face was pale white, with blue eyes and dark black hair, cut just above the shoulder, that was also matted and tangled.
She wore a familiar blue jumpsuit with '120' emblazoned on the back but it was filthy as if she had been living out of a dumpster.
My eyes widened when she came out. She couldnt have been more that 7 or 8 and the tear streaks down her dirty face coupled with her skinny malnourished frame told me she was in distress and needed help.
'Could she be related to the dead girl? Maybe they got attacked and she escaped and hid here.'
I knelt down to her level and coaxed her out further. "Hey... I'm Frankie, and this is Lady. We're not gonna hurt you so come on over here. Look, I got some food and you can have it ok?" I talked calmly and sweetly to help her relax, even though we were both in power armor, and pulled out a sweet roll and offered it to her.
[Speech Check Passed]
She moved toward me slowly until she was in range and then she gingerly grabbed the treat from my hands and then retreated back a few steps and took a bite.
The girl ate the sweet roll quickly and then began licking her fingers. Poor thing was really hungry.
"Um... Mr Frankie, are you two nice robots?" She asked innocently up at me causing me to silently chuckle. She clearly didnt know what power armor was.
"We're not robots. We're people inside here, just like you."
"Really? You're inside the robot?" She tilted her head in curiosity.
"Uh. Yeah. We're inside robots..." I gave up on the idea of wasting my time explaining about power armor and decided to lead the conversation to get some info.
"What's your name little lady? Why are you alone out here?"
"I'm Elizabeth! And um... I just wanted to help Anna, so I left to follow her. But then..."
Her face scrunched up and tears welled up in her little eyes.
I could already figure out what happened but the question of why would have to wait until she calmed.
I patted her back and tried to soothe her. "It's okay. You're safe now."
*sniffle*
After a few moments, she seemed to calm down so I asked, "What happened? Did someone attack you?"
She nodded, "It was one of the monsters. Anna ran away because she was selected by the lottery and I followed her. But them that thing came out of the maintenance tunnel and then chased us. Anna told me to hide..."
"Lottery? What's that?" Whatever it was, it didn't sound like a good thing.
"The lottery is held once a year and two people are made to leave everyone. Mommy said it's a bad thing and she hoped none of us got chosen. The people who get picked never come back."
I pondered over her words and felt I needed more information than what this child could give me.
"I see... well Elizabeth how about we take you back home? Can you take us there?"
She nodded. "Hestia is where we live. Its through that door and then past the big hallway. But the maintenance tunnel entrance is on the way and sometimes monsters come out so..." she shook in fear remember her experience.
I put my hand on her head to comfort her. "Don't worry. We're really strong so those monsters are the ones that should be afraid." I boasted to calm her nerves.
"Alright! Lady, take point, I'll protect the asset." I said to her as I reached down and lifted the little girl up and carried her. She looked exhausted so it would be faster if I carried her. Plus I could keep asking her questions and she wont get too distracted like kids sometimes do.
Lady turned and opened the door to the connecting corridor.
Both sides of the path had huge reinforced glass windows showing the environment outside and the path itself was large enough for two cars to drive side by side and stretched a quarter mile to the next dome.
As we made out way through, I asked Elizabeth more about her people and the situation in this vault.
She answered what she could but her lack of knowledge didn't help me to understand much.
At the midway point in the corridor we passed a stairwell that led down to the maintenance tunnels. The kid became visibly nervous as we walked past it as if expecting something dangerous to pop out.
But nothing did and we continued until we reached the bulkhead door that led into the Hestia dome.
I put the girl down and then prepared myself to meet these people.
[A/N: Sorry for the delay. Life really isnt letting me catch a breath lately. No time for writing. Updates might be sporadic for the foreseeable future.