The path was long and dark, few dim lights illuminating her progress. The Vault must have been built under a mountain to have extended this far. Eventually, after passing through several heavy iron doors and corridors, she came upon one final gate. Though not as heavy as the four-foot thick Vault door, it seemed to have provided the Vault ample protection over the years. Katherine turned the crank and opened it- allowing light to flood into the narrow chamber.<br/><br/>It stung her eyes at first, and would have that much worse without eye protection. To the young woman, it was only a departure from her life in the Vault and the stories that she had heard of pre-war life. Just beyond the exit, a collapsed section of earth, providing for her something of a scenic overlook. She could see mountains nearby, for the first time the outside world seemed so large and imposing. A few clouds loomed overhead, dark and foreboding.<br/><br/>Katherine might have been able to climb and slide, even tumble down if she needed to, but it would be difficult to get back up. Perhaps impossible without the right tools. The area below was mostly dirt and mud by all appearances, stuff she'd only heard of in a theoretical sense. There was a little vegetation, a tree here or there and a few bushes or plants about, but all of them were withered and struggling. With the exception of the nearby mountains, she couldn't make out very much with all the rolling hills in the way. No civilization, no life.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">Climbing check required to go down about 40 feet to a safe place where she can walk/slide the rest of the way.</div></div>