Dwight La Cross's Arc

Chapter 2 of 4

Dwight needed frequencies. He pulled a weathered notebook from his pack and flipped to a blank page. The G.E.C.K. would broadcast maintenance pings if it still had power—standard Vault-Tec protocol. He'd start by mapping the common diagnostic bands, then work outward. His pen scratched across the paper as he wrote down the ranges: 27.185 MHz for environmental systems, 28.500 MHz for medical, 29.600 MHz for agricultural modules. That last one mattered most. He set the notebook down and looked around his base. The converted NCR recruitment office had good bones—solid walls, intact roof, enough space to work. But the equipment needed organizing. He dragged a grey metal counter from the back room and positioned it against the wall. The flat top gave him surface area for his sample vials and tools. He loaded the built-in compartments with capacitors, wire, and spare parts. Everything in reach now. Everything ready. Power was next. The prewar electrical grid couldn't be trusted, and he needed reliable juice for the radio and testing equipment. Dwight stepped outside and examined the Aztec GS6500 solar generator he'd acquired from another trader. Grey body, blue trim, compact enough to move if needed. He ran the cable back inside and plugged in the radio. The amber lights glowed steady this time. No flickering. He checked the generator's output meter—plenty of charge for a full day's scanning. Back at the radio, Dwight turned the dial to 29.600 MHz and adjusted the antenna. Static hissed through the speaker. He marked the time in his notebook and began a slow sweep across the agricultural band. Nothing yet, but that was expected. The vault was deep, and signals would be weak. He'd scan in shifts—two hours on, one hour testing soil samples, then back to scanning. If the G.E.C.K. was broadcasting, he'd find it. And once he had that signal, he'd know exactly where to dig.