Of the three Rings, the Inner is the smallest. It contains administrative offices, including Ashton’s, and the inner workings of Skyhome, called the Central Nexus. The Nexus turns all three rings of the station, and consumes the most energy. It is also where the backup fusion generator is located, complete with supply of deuterium and tritium to create the Helium-4 necessary to power the station for two months, until solar panels can be replaced.
Connecting all of the Rings are the four tunnels (also named Alpha, Beta, Charlie, and Delta, depending on what Quadrant they are located in). The tunnels are arranged like the spokes of a wheel. Along Alpha Tunnel, between the Mid and Inner Rings, is the hangar, where both Gilgamesh and Odin are docked.
How Skyhome operates is a very complicated thing that I cannot even begin to understand. Its construction in the 2020’s must have pushed experts and engineers to the limits. It’s no wonder they only constructed one when they had originally planned on building six. All the same, its inner workings were a fascinating subject to me, and it was quite amazing that the United States was able to pull off constructing it — and it was also amazing that Ashton and others had been able to utilize it following the fall of both Bunker One and Bunker Six.
When I reached the commons, I grabbed a bowl of vegetable stew from one of the kitchen staff, then sat down to eat. Once done, I headed over to Ashton’s office in the Inner Ring. I stood before the metal blast door before pressing the entrance button. The door hissed open, allowing me to walk in.
I had only been in Ashton’s office several times. Rather large, the office contained his built-in metal desk, lines of file cabinets along one wall, and a large work bench on the opposite wall. The work bench was filled with tools and objects of Ashton’s mechanical tinkering. The office was rectangular in shape, and at the end of it, three large windows looked out onto the surface of Earth, a vibrant green and violet and red.
Ashton now sat behind his desk, regarding me with sharp blue eyes as I walked forward. The others were already here. I went to stand between Anna and Makara, as Samuel stood to the right side of Ashton’s desk, arms folded. On Ashton’s desk rested a thin computer, and on a corner several binders were neatly stacked. From the Inner Ring’s rotation, I could see the surface of the planet spinning before me.
“Let’s get started,” Ashton said brusquely.
Ashton’s accent was hard to pin down. Being born before Ragnarok, his voice carried a hint of southeastern regionalism that was most likely all but gone from the world. My only way of determining his accent was from movies I had seen back in Bunker 108 — which, admittedly, wasn’t a perfect measure.
“The purpose of this meeting is to give you an update on the situation, and what we’re going to do about it. As it stands, you all will be heading down to Earth tomorrow to resume the next phase of your mission. You will be heading to the Nova Roma Empire to speak with Augustus — make him agree to lay down arms and join us in the fight against Ragnarok. Meanwhile, my job is to monitor your mission from afar while trying to pin down the exact location of the Voice.”
“Have you figured anything out on that front?” Anna asked.
“Some,” Ashton said. “Makara and I have taken Odin on a few flybys of Ragnarok Crater, in hopes of securing more accurate measurements. It has helped, and we have pinpointed the origin of the Voice within twenty miles. I need to get a more accurate measure, however. When our assault on the crater begins, you must be able to find the Voice quickly, and destroy it, before you are overwhelmed. I still need more information, and if I do two more flybys of the Crater, I will be able to triangulate the point of origin of the Voice. That’s what I’ll be doing while you are on the surface. I’m confident that with another few months, I’ll know the exact location of the Voice.”
“Alright,” I said. “What’s our job until then?”
“There are four major powers now in North America. There is the Nova Roman Empire, by far the strongest, and who should be approached first. There are also the Los Angeles gangs and Vegas gangs, both of which are quite sizeable. Last of all are Bunkers 76 and 88. Neither have responded to my radio calls, but that doesn’t mean they are not there. Both have weapons and supplies that would be invaluable to the attack.”
“Why Nova Roma first?” I asked.
“They are the most powerful. If the Emperor Augustus can be convinced to help us, it will make the other Wasteland leaders fall into line.” Ashton paused. “There is also the matter of the war between the Empire and Raider Bluff. That must be stopped before it can even begin. That involves speaking to Augustus, in person.”
“It just seems like a very difficult thing to do,” I said.
Ashton looked at me sternly. “Nonetheless, it must be done. Do you think I would send you in there if I didn’t think you were capable of it? If not you, then who else?”
I didn’t have an answer for that, so I didn’t say anything.
“It will be difficult,” Samuel said. “But it is absolutely necessary. The Wasteland cannot be caught up in a gigantic war at a time like this. We need to lay down the facts for Augustus before he does anything stupid.”
“So,” Anna said, “do we just walk into his house, or something? That sounds like a risky maneuver.”
“Yes, that is the plan,” Ashton said. “Soon, you will know everything. But before I get to the how, it’s useful to give you all a little bit of background.” Ashton looked at me. “The story I have to tell relates to your father, Alex.”
Now, I was really surprised. What could my father and Cornelius Ashton have in common?
“You knew my father?”
Ashton smiled. “I met him, long ago. He was still a boy. Eight, nine years old perhaps.”
I did that math in my head. My dad had been thirty eight when he died.
“You met him before Ragnarok, then?”
Ashton nodded. “I did. There was a summit for all the highest ranking officials of Bunker One, about two weeks before we were put underground. That was where I met your grandfather, Lorin.”
“Bunker One?” I frowned. “He entered Bunker 108, though.”
“Yes, that is so,” Ashton said. “But he almost didn’t enter any Bunker at all. His wife, your grandmother, was stuck in Europe at the time, with your father. At the summit, he refused his berth until both your grandmother and father, then a child, could be brought safely home. President Garland refused that request. He and your grandfather were old rivals. Regardless, that was how your grandfather lost his spot in Bunker One. He did, by the way, find a way to get to Europe and rescue your grandmother and father in all that madness. He was able to bring them both back home. Only by that time, the doors of Bunker One had closed. The spots for Lorin and his family had been filled. He was refused entry.”
I was shocked at this story. Never, in all my life, had my father told it to me. It made me feel a little betrayed, in a way. Why had he wanted to keep it from me?
“It was likely a very traumatic time in your father’s life,” Ashton said. “He probably witnesses horrors in those last days of the Old World that he never wanted to speak of again. You shouldn’t hold that against him.”
Of course, that had to be the reason why. Part of me wondered, though…had my dad ever planned on telling me?