Are you a vault dweller or a wasteland wanderer?
In celebration of the release of Fallout 4, I decided to share a Fallout inspired shorty with you all. I hope this post proves entertaining for you guys. I know there isn't a Vault 117, but I needed a vault for the story. For the sake of imagery, I mostly used images from Fallout 3. Long post ahead so here we go...
There is no doubt about it, I was born special.
My mother, Angela, always told me I was special, and I've always believed her. She said I was destined for greatness. I was born in Vault 117 on October 7, 2269, and I lived a relatively comfortable life. Our leader, Overseer Milton, always seemed to have things under control.Our cafeteria was well stocked with boxes of Cram, Sugar Bombs, BlamCo Mac & Cheese, YumYum Deviled Eggs (my favorites), Nuka-Cola, and lots of other items. If you can think of it, we had it.
Vault 117 had a library that was stocked with different books and magazines. I like to read, so I spent a fair amount of my free time hanging around there. My favorites include the Big Book of Science, D.C. Journal of Internal Medicine, Dean's Electronics, and Tumblers Today. Lying, Congressional Style and Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor also score points with me, too.
As for magazines, anything about repair, lock picking, or speech grabs my attention. I love to put my knowledge to use. I'm handy, so I love to tinker and hack. People would call on me to make repairs, or to help them if they got locked out of something. I liked to keep busy since living in a vault could be a little mundane sometimes.
We had a fully stocked clinic. It was run by Doctor Williams who could heal or cure just about anything. One thing we really prided ourselves on in Vault 117 was our health.
I had friends in the vault, too. My two best friends were Kari and Dez. From the time we were little, we were almost always together. Womb to tomb, as we used to say. We were all good kids, but we got into our share our trouble. Never anything serious, but I was different from them. They were content with life in the vault. I always wanted to explore what was beyond the vault. They thought I was crazy for wanting to leave safety and comfort, and I wished I could convince them to join me.
I miss them but once you get an idea stuck in your head, it becomes a deep itch that you're just dying to scratch. Two weeks after my 18th birthday, I finally scratched it.
I remember I woke up that morning with a sense of determination. I ate breakfast with my mom and asked if she had ever known life outside of the vault.
"Why are you asking me that?" my mom wondered.
"Mom, life here in the vault is secure, but there's really nothing to do. It's all the same thing, over and over. If you've never been outside, don't you wish you could see it at least once?"
"No. I've never been outside the vault, and I'm not crazy about you being outside the vault. As a parent, I want you to be safe."
"Even if it means keeping me locked up?" I challenged.
"I keep you safe, not locked up. Besides, the vault is sealed. There's no way out, and you know that."
"Mom, there's always a way to do what you want to do. Besides, how do we get new supplies? Someone has to go out at some point. Not to mention we have a wasteland survival guide in the library. Where did that come from?"
My mom looked at me and said, "Sweetie, please drop this idea. You're a vault dweller. You're safe here. That's how it is." I decided to drop it. I didn't want to argue with my mom and I knew her heart was in the right place, but I couldn't take it anymore. I finished breakfast, hugged her, and went out to find Kari and Dez.
I decided to head to the library in the hopes that I would run into them there, and I wasn't disappointed. They were sitting together reading magazines. Dez was deep into a Programmer's Digest, and Kari was skimming through an issue of Locksmith's Reader. I pulled up a chair, and sat down to join them.
They didn't bother to look up because they already knew who I was. "Guys, I've had enough. I have to get out of here." Dez looked up and asked, "Are you still on this wastelands stuff?" Kari closed her magazine and studied me. I pressed on. "Yeah, I'm still on that wastelands stuff. I've been thinking."
Kari smiled and said, "Oh, here we go." I returned her smile and said, "I need your help. Since I can't seem to convince you two to come with me, at least you can help me try to get out of here."
"What about your mom?" Dez asked. Mom. I really didn't want to leave her, but I knew there was no way she would entertain the idea of joining me outside of the vault. She wasn't cut out for it. She would be safer inside. "I don't want to leave her behind, but I can't convince her to let me go if there's a way out or to even join me if I do get out. I don't know what I'll do about that yet." They looked at each other, and I saw the look of resignation pass between them. Kari spoke up. "Ok, what do you need?"
I thought it over carefully. "Well, I need a copy of that wasteland survival guide, for one thing. I need a weapon and some ammo, and I need to get into Overseer Milton's office. I know the key for unlocking the vault has to be there." Dez threw his hands up and said, "Whoa. Bust into the overseer's office? We could get into major trouble and even if you get out, we'd still have to face the music." Kari agreed with him.
"You guys said you would help. Now will you or won't you? Either way, I'm leaving."
Dez sighed. "Fine. We'll help you. Whatever you need." Kari spoke up. "The easiest thing is to get that wasteland survival guide for you. Meet us in a couple of hours. Rest. We'll all need it." My friends. I loved them, still do, because they were true to the end. I smiled. "Great. Meet me back here then."
We parted ways, and I went to my room. Mom had gone to work, so I had the space to myself. I couldn't rest; I was too wound up for that. I thought about how I would break the news to Mom. It wouldn't be without pain, but maybe I could make it swift and decisive. I decided to leave her a holotape detailing my plan and assuring her of my love. I hoped she would understand and forgive me.
A few hours passed, and I glanced at my Pip-Boy. It was time to meet my friends. I grabbed up the few caps I had and headed to the library.
Sure enough, they were both waiting for me. Dez motioned for me to follow them, and we headed to a secluded corner. Kari shoved the guide into my hand, and I quickly stuffed it into my vault suit. Dez handed me a 10mm pistol, ammo, and a knife. I secured the items and asked where he got them. He looked at me and shrugged. I didn't ask anymore questions. I was just grateful for the help. Kari handed me five stimpaks, a purified water, and a box of Cram. I thanked my buddies and felt set.
"Now for the hard part, getting me out of here," I said. Dez gave me a look and said, "I think I know how to create a distraction. Let's go."
That's it for now.
I plan to keep adding to the story. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read what I write. Thank you.
Game on, my friends.
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