Fly Far, Fly Fast Episode 3

It’s 0800 and the team has assembled in the lab. Deactivation is about to begin. My brothers and I hover in our usual lineup, as though it were any other morning. Only I know this day will be our last.

“Well, let's get this over with” Grant groans to Dr. Whitley. “I’ll take subject J, you and your assistant can start with subject A. I want these failures dealt with as soon as possible so I can get my reassignment from the colonel.”

“Heartless bitch” Tara mutters under her breath as she approaches ED-A. “I’m sorry” she whispers as she disconnects ED-A’s power-source and hauls his now lifeless shell to a nearby desk. Whitley waits beside the desk holding a large toolkit wearing a solemn face.

I watch in horror for hours as the doctors pull apart the carcasses of my family one by one. As Tara comes over to pull ED-D from the lineup tears begin to roll silently down her cheeks.

“Get a grip on yourself girl, they’re only machines” Grant scoffs as she rips a panel off ED-F. “It’s their own fault. If they had met MY expectations this project would have been field-ready months ago.”

Whitley stands abruptly, knocking his chair over with a loud clang “back off Grant” he simmers. “You’re the only heartless machine I see here”.

“Don’t be so emotional Whitley, we’re SCIENTISTS not BABYSITTERS. These aren’t your children and neither is she.” Grant booms rising from her desk to point a large screwdriver in Whitley’s face.

Tara stands in silent shock as the doctors glare at each other with blazing eyes. For a moment the room is perfectly still. The spell is broken as Grant slams her tool down on the desk.

“I can’t work under these conditions, finish the disassembly yourself” Grant huffs, turning toward the exit.

“Fine, get out of my sight” Whitley barks as he escorts her from the lab.

This is my only chance, I’m the last ED left alive. I have to get away and find somewhere to hide. While everyone is distracted I slowly glide away from my bay and zip undetected to my secret hiding spot. I squeeze into an open vent under the farthest desk. It’s too narrow further in for me to escape but for now, I’m safely hidden while I make a better plan. I can hear Whitley finishing the disassembly of ED-D as Tara sniffles quietly nearby. Soon they will be looking for me.

Ten minutes have passed since I made my run for it and I can hear Whitley packing up the final parts of my brother's lifeless body. “ED-E is the last one Tara, you can go now, I’ll do this one myself.”

“Umm Doctor... ED-E is gone” Tara stammers.

“Gone?! Gone where? He was just in his bay a moment ago. We have to find him NOW before someone else does.”

Tara and Whitley scour the lab searching for me. If they would just leave for a moment I could get out of here and find an exit. As I ponder how I will escape I hear feet slowly coming toward me. A moment later the familiar face of Tara pops into view.

“There you are ED-E, come on out of there. You’re safe now, I promise. We’re going to figure out how to get you out of here. I won’t let them take you.”

Cautiously I glide out of my hiding spot to hover beside Tara. Whitley steps forward and Tara takes a defensive position between us. “I won’t let you have him, Doctor, I can’t do that.”

Whitley is quiet for a moment, sizing up Tara’s broad-shouldered stance and blazing glare. After a moment a smile spreads across his face and he chuckles softly.

“Don’t worry Tara, I had the same idea. But how will we get him out of here now that word has spread about the project's termination?” Whitley begins to pace around the lab.

“He can’t stay here, nowhere will be safe for him now. There has to be a way to sneak him off the base, he could be free!” Tara exclaims.

Whitley strides over to me with a determined look in his eye. “Hmm, didn’t Dr. grant say she’d upgraded your navigational systems? I think I have an idea. How’d you like to be just like Ralphie?”

One Hour Later

As I begin to regain my senses I am surrounded by shouting and heavy footfalls rushing down a hallway. There seems to be a strange material wrapped around me. I can’t see or move. The jostling sensation and proximity of the footsteps around me tell me that I’m being carried through the hall, but where am I going? With whom? When I powered down, I was in the lab with Whitley preparing to receive a new data upload for my escape… something must have gone wrong. The shouting seems to get farther away as we go. I swing through the air as we make a hard left and come to a sudden halt. There is a faint click as I’m plunged into darkness. The material is pulled away, freeing me as a sudden burst of light floods the room. This appears to be a closet full of some kind of cleaning supplies. Whitley sits before me on the floor with a panicked look in his eyes.

“Good, your back online. Listen to me ED-E, if you stay here they’ll dismantle you for parts. You have to go now. I've uploaded destination coordinates for our outpost in Novarro into your system. I want you to go to the enclave there. Okay? You understand me? It's going to be a long journey, my little friend. You'll have to fly very far and fly very fast. Can you do that?”

I beep cautiously, not sure that I’m really up to the journey ahead of me.

“I know you can. Be careful out there ED-E. Maybe I’ll see you again someday. “

A massive boom from the distance shakes the building. Bits of ceiling crash down around us as Whitley throws open the closet door. We rush together through an exit across the hall and find the outside world on fire. Bits of flaming debris litter the ground and sounds of gunfire and laser blasts fill the air. A vertibird flies overhead shaking the air around me.

“We’re under attack, now is your best chance to escape unnoticed. You have to go now ED-E, don’t look back. Fly far and fly fast my friend!” he shouts as he shoves me away.

I race toward the nearest fence looking for a way out. There’s my opening! A huge hole is blasted through the gate a few meters away. I zip toward it and a round of laser blasts from a nearby soldier in power armor nearly knock me out of the air. I manage to duck beside a building just in time. The metallic crunch of footsteps approaches me slowly from the left, but I’m ready for them this time. As they burst around the corner I fire two quick blasts from my mini Tesla cannon taking off their head. Finally making it to the gap in the fence I speed away from the sounds of war rattling off in the distance.

I fly until I can no longer hear the battle behind me. Scanning my surroundings I find a small cave to get my bearings. Dr. Whitley uploaded all the data I need to map out my course and get his message to Novarro. I find several recorded messages in my new data stores and playback the first one.

The sound of Whitley’s voice fills me with longing. I know I’m supposed to be brave but I just want to go home, to see Tara and Whitley smile at me again and say this was nothing but an elaborate game. Even as I let myself hope I know this can never be. My brothers are dead, I no longer have a home to return to. All I can do now is keep moving forward to accomplish Dr. Whitley’s mission and hope that somewhere the remains of my shattered family live on.

I need to get farther away from here and locate a safe hiding place before darkness sets in. There’s no telling what vicious monsters may be lurking in the shadows of the night. Gathering my courage I head off into the wasteland. I won’t let you down, Whitley! I’m going to be brave and fast, just like Ralphie.

END EPISODE 3

Come on back next week for Episode 4!

This series is fan fiction based on characters and events created for the Fallout video game series owned by Bethesda.