After Benjamin examines the footage his scout has brought in of news from the outside world he closes the screen down on the notepad computer and hands it back across the desk to Delnorin, "Good intel Del. I've got more work I need you to see to, soon."
Delnorin nods slowly as he accepts the notebook back and slides it back into the pocket in the backpack in the chair to his right, "I figured as much," he says with a joking tone. He speaks after only a short pause as he zips the flap shut over the notebooks pouch, "Can I have a couple days with my family before I go out again?"
The Colonel shakes his head as he runs a hand over his balding head, "I can give you one day. Tomorrow is you and your wife's anniversary, I'll give you that; but I need you to report back in tomorrow night for your briefing."
Delnorin stands up slowly and picks up his pack, shouldering it as he responds, "I understand, she will too. Thank you though for the day off."
Benjamin stands up behind his desk and holds out his right hand as the two of them grasp hands tightly, "You did good work Del, now rest up."
Delnorin turns and leaves the Colonel's office and closes the door behind himself after entering into the Hub - level 2 (Medical, Gymnasium, Security).
As the scout starts to stride towards the double doors beneath the welcome home sign he stutters his step (a bit jumpy) as the medical doors open and out walks Virginia in her white lab coat. Her hair is pulled back behind her head in a braid and she moves into the room with purpose. As is normal with her, she always seems to have a place to go and a task at hand that needs done, and needs done yesterday.
"Del, Hey there, how is it topside?"
Delnorin moves to join her on her way to the community area beyond the double doors, matching pace with her to talk as they go together, "Not too bad. I snagged a half dozen fox squirrels and a small deer," he says as he jostles the pack on his back, "Thanks for those chemical ice packs, without those the meat would never last the hike back here."
Virginia upnods as if dismissing the appreciation, "Tanya says your anniversary is tomorrow; you'd better not have forgotten you putz."
Delnorin pulls one of the double doors open for her and she passes through as he shakes his head and chuckles, "Darn Virginia; your more harsh than she is."
Virginia walks through into the chamber beyond the doors and the auto-lights turn on as she comes in, "Well, us women have to stick together. If we left it up to you guys we'd all be pregnant and unappreciated. At least we might as well get appreciation," she says as she rubs a hand over her stomach.
Delnorin's eyes widen just slightly as he steps into the room with her, "Really? You're gunna have a baby?"
The new room they find themselves in has a large freight elevator pull up door before them and then two stairwell doors on both the left and right of the elevator.
Virginia walks towards the left hand stairwell and pushes the door open, the light inside auto-turning on as she enters and Delnorin follows her.
Virginia responds as she starts down the concrete stairs that wind back and forth going down, "That's the general consensus," she says, always with that attitude that doctors carry that they know something you don't know. She reaches the first landing and turns to head down further, "Speaking of which, why don't you and Tanya have another one?"
Delnorin's lip snarls up slightly, "You've read our medical files Virginia, you know we haven't been able to have any kids after Kendra."
Virginia becomes quickly quiet as she continues switch-backing down the stairway, deeper and deeper into the earth. The auto-lights turn on as they continue down each flight of stairs and above they time out and turn off.
Delnorin doesn't push the issue any more, her forgetting about their problem with not being able to have more kids was a proof that she wasn't perfect and he didn't want to interrupt her if she was thinking she should have remembered that. Now was the time to let her realize that she wasn't so perfect after all.
After ten flights of stairs (10 floors) with no doors on any of the landings they come to their first available door and the stairs also continue down further. On the door a small placard reads, Level 3.
Virginia stops at the door and puts her hand on the handle before turning to look at Delnorin, "Sorry about the crack about babies, I wasn't thinking."
Delnorin nods with a genuine smile on his lips, "Don't sweat it Virginia, you're good people. I know you didn't do it to be mean." He pauses a moment before asking, "You don't happen to be going to the mess hall are you?"
Virginia considers his question before answering, "I could be."
Delnorin grins wide and takes his pack off his shoulders and unzips the top, "Can you give them some packs of fresh meat I brought in?" He asks and explains further, "They're all clean and wrapped with the cold packs inside, not all nasty or anything," and he pulls out the wrapped plastic objects.
Virginia sighs just slightly and nods, "Sure... everyone needs the fresh meat and protein.. I'll do it," and she takes the packages from Delnorin and hefts them with both arms.
Delnorin zips the pack back up and pulls it over his shoulders before he pulls the door open and fills the stairwell with the sounds of someone playing the guitar and singing.
The room beyond the stairwell door reveals the freight elevator door beside them and then another stairwell door opposite, matching the arrangement up on Level 2. This room though is open to the level 3 Hub without a set of double doors isolating the larger chamber from the elevator and stairwells.
The floor here is no longer concrete but covered in simple lowest-bidder tiles, meaning they're not high quality and attractive. The furniture in the room consisted of six couches, all made of 1970's rusty orange vinyl, lovingly referred to by those that live here as nuclear furniture. The couches were set in a large U-shape with their back towards the freight elevator and facing the opposite wall where Pandora sat perched on a metal legged stool with her guitar as she sang to a group of about twenty people. Kids and adults mixed equally sat and listened to her play and sing as they enjoyed simple card games and board games on the floor or relaxed on some of the uncomfortable couches.
A few turned to look over their shoulders as the stairwell door announced Virginia and Delnorin's arrival with its resounding ker-thud and echo up through the stairwell.
Head-nods exchanged so as not to interrupt Pandora's song, Virginia split off towards the right and Delnorin moved off towards the left.
The Level 3 Hub was the center for the community level. Access on the right wall where Virginia was heading held archways that led to several locations. Each archway was well labeled above on signs and each archway had the same yellow/black striped flat edge above the head that reminded everyone that each was a blast door that would lower down when needed.
On the right side of the Level 3 Hub were archways labeled Mess Hall, Hydroponics and the third archway was labeled Restrooms. On the far side of the Hub were three additional archways; School, Theater and Supply Closet 3a.
On the left side of the Level 3 Hub where Delnorin was walking towards three arches had their official plaques covered over with homemade wooden signs painted by hand. The signs over the arches read, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Each archway led to its separate housing area but the residents had decided long ago that it was better to say they lived in Wyoming 12c instead of Pod A 12c.
Delnorin picked up his pace, his heart quickening a bit as he felt himself drawing closer to his family as he stepped through the archway to Colorado and started striding down the tiled walled hallway.
The sounds of Pandora's song slowly fades behind him as Delnorin fixes his mind on their living quarters ahead, taking the hallway to the end past several doorways and then to the end of the hallway he turns left where it branches both left and right and he plows right into Priest.
"Hey there.. watch where you're....", Priest berates Delnorin for his clumsiness.
"So sorry... didn't hear you coming," Delnorin apologizes.
Priest points up to the convex mirror mounted high on the wall at the intersection that is made for people to see around the corners, "Forgot about the mirror?"
Delnorin frowns, tired and dirty and not feeling all that willing to get chastised much further so his voice doesn't sound too generous when he offers, "Congratulations on the coming baby Priest. Virginia seems happy."
Priest seems disarmed and distracted for the moment as a smile comes over his face, "Yeah.. she does doesn't she," he grins from ear to ear. He takes a half step back away from Delnorin so they can chat casually, "Oh, I put that new centrifugal pump in that you brought me last week. It's not exactly the right size but it's good enough to get the pressure up in Colorado for the showers to work okay again."
Delnorin nods his head and smiles wide at the good news, "Perfect. I was worried it might be a low volume high pressure casing by the looks of it; I'm glad it wasn't. Some of those guys over in Colorado were getting pretty ripe," he jokes with a chuckle.
Priest laughs a bit at the comment, "Oh, I should talk to you later. There are some more electrical supplies I need the next time you go out. Square D Fuses and a few other things. Do you still have areas close that you can scavenge?"
Delnorin nods as he adjusts his pack on his back for comfort, "Yeah, we've got quite a few places left. I haven't even spent much time in the city yet. Things are still in chaos there with gangs and the UN troops seem to have moved on to another area right now."
Priest considers the scouts news, "Good, I'll prepare a list of what I need. When you going out again?"
Delnorin hmms with a bit of a frown, everyone seemed to come between him and his family, "Two days from now."
Priest nods and starts walking off towards the Hub, "Okay, I'll get my list together... and Del... watch the mirrors."
Delnorin chuckles to himself and shakes his head as she regains his path towards home, heading down the hallway to where it dead ends. He's passed dozens of archways into individual family rooms as well as two different community restrooms/showers until he's come to the archway at the end of the hall here.
Delnorin raises his right gloved hand and raps solidly on the steel door.
