NARRATOR<br/><br/>Sheriff Kane made his way to the Overseer’s office to report in person. He had of course no idea who their attackers were nor how strong they were but so far it seemed like less than two dozen people armed only with pistols. The biggest problem was the layout of the Vault itself which had no escape routes and once the Atrium was taken the only places to fall back were into dead ends on the three main levels. There was communication between levels via the medical bay elevator but that still meant everyone was trapped.<br/><br/>There were two choices, keep reinforcing the barricade in the atrium and hope the losses inflicted on the attackers were enough to deter them, or use the Vault PA system to offer a ceasefire and see what these bastards wanted and hope it wasn't to slaughter each and every one of them.<br/><br/>Overseer Blok agreed that trying to stop the fighting was the best method and went to his desk to prepare an announcement that would hopefully bring the gun battle to a temporary halt at least. Sheriff Kane meanwhile departed to the Atrium to organise the defence.<br/><br/>The Atrium was in fact quite a good place to defend. Vault 111 personnel had a series of stairways and corridors leading off it to move people as needed and on the upper walkways and bridge security officers were in position already with pistols with good fields of fire down onto the heads of anyone who ran in. Three men were held back near the dormitories corridor but to one side. They had a wooden crate of made-up Molotov cocktails ready to hurl into the corridor leading to the main door in case the enemy tried to rush them. There were also two deputies, one on each side of that corridor’s doorway and waiting back in cover who were armed with sawed-off shot guns and were watching and ready to step out on being given a signal and blast anyone who ran down.<br/><br/>Across the centre of the Atrium a wall of overturned booths, desks sofas and tables had been built up in a semi circle, the ‘horns’ of the barricade curving towards the threatened doorway end so that anyone rushing into the room would be caught in a lethal killing zone. The barricade was not high and could be jumped but it was at least bulletproof against the light guns the enemy seemed to have.<br/><br/>A few minutes ago the level of gunfire had reached a peak and tailed off, now only desultory shots were being exchanged as most people took cover and just shot blind, holding their guns over the barricades or in the attackers’ case, around the corners of the walls. Hardly anyone seemed to be getting hit now, though the far wall of the atrium and the front of the barricade were full of holes.<br/><br/>There was a loud<em>FOOSH!</em>of flame and a blast of heat and a profane yell as Fred Jupiter hurled a molotov into the corridor entrance, the steel floor and walls of the walkway now burning as the gluey mass of gasoline and melted rubber stuck and burned. The draft of fresh air coming down from the breached main door unfortunately made the stinking black smoke coil back into the atrium where it rose to the roof and hung in a fetid pall. The deputies on the bridge coughed and swore down at the idiot who had thrown it.<br/><br/><strong>"Save your ammo for when they rush us!"</strong>Sheriff Kane called from near the stairs to Level 2.<br/><br/>Jupiter checked the weapon the injured Harris had thrown him. It was a .32 calibre snub nosed revolver, like the police used to use, or perhaps army officers wore more as a badge rank than as a serious weapon to hurt anyone. It seemed to be in good working order but the engineer could tell it was a cheaply made mass-produced weapon of doubtful effectiveness. Just then Deputy Botasky was an unfortunate exception to the exchange quietening down as he looked over an upturned café booth to see the effect of Jupiter's home-made bomb. He fell back an instant later with a loud grunt of pain as a slug whacked into his shoulder. The pistol he held went flying from his grip and skated across the floor towards the corridor that led up from the dormitories.<br/><br/>Sherriff Kane decided now, while things were quietening down would be a good time to try negotiations. He punched the keys on the wall intercom beside him to talk with the Overseer’s office and was about to speak when suddenly he heard a new sound…<br/><br/>What the heck was that? Was it… snarling? And...<em>barking</em>…?