In the year 2316 the world was beginning a slow and tedious healing process. The World War in 2077 left everything dust and soot. The people that were lucky or unlucky if you think about it, enough to survive were falling sick from the radiation that generations had been exposed to for more than 200 years. There were many people that were able to find refuge in Vaults before the nuclear destruction. Many of these people, even at this point in time, had no idea what to expect of the outside world. Time was running low and so were resources for these scarce Vaults that had not yet been open to the world since the basic destruction of everything.
Deep inside Vault 206 in Fredericksburg, Virginia the family descendants of the late US President are slowly dying from starvation, diseases and inbreeding. The Vault started with nearly 100 residents. Everyone had brought enough supplies from their own homes when the Vaults were first populated that the rations had stretched for longer than most Vaults. Well that was the plan anyways. This didn’t go as well as the Vault dwellers had hoped. They lived in a Vault that was only supposed to hold 70 Vault persons at max and not 100. The supplies began to run low about 50 years sooner than expected, in attempt to cut down the usage of the supplies two families began killing off everyone else. These people had began to intermarry in their own families at the young ages of 12 and when the couples grew to be young adults they would kill off their parents to make way for their children, these people bred so close that a couple were severely retarded and others had slight malformations such as short legs, but most were normal. Some of the very few left in the vault that aren’t severally inbred are a young girl around the age of nineteen, her younger brother of fourteen and their parents. Her parents had decided long ago that they weren’t going to marry their children seeing as the Vault resources were so low that there was no choice but to send their children into the unknown when they grew of age.
Ava was just becoming a woman and was not looking forward to leaving her family behind. She knew that there was a plan. She was to immediately check the town, visit the home of the first president then head for the White House and reclaim the family right to the US leadership. If a vehicle was in operation, which the family was sure of from the war posters, then the way to the capital would be quick and victorious. Then she was to come back and bring the rest of the family with her.
She lay on her cot in her cold metal room, her head leaning slightly from her bun. The flickering of the Vault lights above her, gleaming off her bright blue eyes, was the same as every other day. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, something didn’t seem right. She heard little feet coming toward her, “What do you want, Ben? I thought I told you not to bother me!” The footsteps stopped a couple feet away from the bed.
“Sis, you are leaving today… What…umm…what if I don’t ever see you again? Won’t you be sad?” he said holding his hands in front of him and twirling his thumbs around each other. “The Wenton’s boy said that his dad told him the whole world has nothing not even rocks, or trees and nothing survives even an hour after it is out in the open, what if he is right? Sis! I don’t want you to go!” he said hurried as tears welled up in his eyes.
Ava sat up with her feet touching the floor; she grabbed her brother and pulled him close. “Benjamin, why would you even listen to George? You heard what dad said, he said by this time things are starting to grow again and there should be lots of people around; I shouldn’t have too much of a problem, anyway… I’m bringing a Mister Gutsy robot from the storage room for protection. Dad said that it should keep me plenty safe.” She hugged him to reassure him, “Anyway those people need us to lead them into greatness! Our family will bring any problems they have to null. They need us.”
Ben smiled up at her, “I guess you are right, you will be President soon and I will be Vice President until I am big. They need us and we need to be strong! Just promise you will come back for me? I don’t want to be stuck with George and his family forever! PLEASE!” he begged at his older sister.
“That is no way for a Vice President to act, “she giggled, “But…yes I promise I will come back for you. If I can I will take mom and dad with us as well. It’s almost time for me to go I need to get ready, tell dad to start getting ready to open the doors.” Ava let go of her brother and stood up. She went over to her suit case and began to pack. Ben stood watching her for a moment then scampered off down the hallway.
She packed her best dress, it was a blue dress with rolled and button sleeves. She put in her black shoes and her pretty bonnet in as well. “This should be nice for when I have to talk in public.” She thought to herself, she packed an extra pink day dress to wear the rest of the time. Aside from her Vault outfit she was ready, well as ready as she would be for what was in store for her in moments.
She made her way with her things to the front entrance of the Vault to meet her father. Her father was standing next to her mother and little brother waiting to say their farewells before opening the doors for the first time in more than thirty years. She walked to her father and hugged him; there was no exchange in words between the two of them. It was written on his face that he was scared yet proud of what she was going out to do. Her mother began to sob “Oh my baby girl!” she came over to Ava and hugged her sobbing harder. Their mothers sobbing triggered young Ben to start crying and hanging on to his sisters Vault Uniform. “Mom… Dad…Ben…I will be back for you all, I promise! Now don’t crying you know me, I am smart and more than just crafty.” She hugged her mother back and her crying began to lessen. Her mother grabbed Ben and brought him back behind her.
Ava looked over at her father and nodded her head that she was ready. Her father stepped to her “You can’t leave without these,” he said handing her a pair of shaded sunglasses and a Mister Gutsy robot came out from the door to their right. “The sun will be too bright for your eyes since you are so used to the lighting here. I have programmed the robot to do just about anything you tell him too; he will protect you to the best of his ability… Good bye dear.” Ava smiled at her father and nodded a small thank you. She placed the sunglasses on her face and with her suitcase in hand she looked at the large metal cog shaped door with despair. The lights began to flash and the door unsealed itself for the first time that she had ever seen. There were stories of another person that had promised to come back; from before she was born. No one knows what had happened to him, but she figured life outside was either so amazing he didn’t want to come back, or it was so bad that…well…the worst had happened.
The door locked into place and she began her journey out of the Vault. Her steps where slow as she began over the threshold with hesitation; the Gutsy robot following close behind. She breathed deep and began down the tunnel to the door out into the open. She could hear the Vault door closing behind her as she began to open the door at the other end of the tunnel. She waited until the Vault sealed behind her, and opened the door out into the vast unknown.
The sun burned her eyes even through the sunglasses and she was happy that the Vault Uniform was long sleeved or her pale skin would be easily burned as well, the only thing she needed now was a hat; the heat from the sun burned hot through her lavender-blond hair. There was nothing but rubble and some ghostly houses in the distance. Maybe the Wenton’s were right, nothing was getting better out here. Her bad feeling got worse as she stared out into the nothing of the wasteland. She looked at her PipBoy, and switched over to the map. Her father had marked the way to the Capital Building for her. It was a long way from here and with no transportation her journey was going to be much longer then everyone had hoped. “Is there anything I can do for you, Madam?” the Mister Gutsy robot asked.
“Yes, actually, can you scan the area for people and hostile targets?” she asked the robot.
“Certainly, is there anything else before I leave you for a moment?” he asked her.
“No that is all for now.” With that the robot disappeared out of site for a moment.
Her first stop was the home of President Washington, it was about 1060 yards away from where she was standing, she looked out in the direction she was to go but saw that there was nothing but some boarded up houses and ghostly remnants of what was once there. When the robot returned with no information, she headed straight following her map until she got to an over pass. “I should be almost there” she thought to herself, “it’s just past this road.” She came up on the Washington Home surprised to see it still standing in all its glory. It was almost as nice as the posters. She went running up to the house only to find that the doors and windows where boarded completely shut. She began pulling at the boards around the door, she freed them one after another. She got the door completely free and opened it. There wasn’t anything special inside; it looked as though it had already been completely picked over by looters.
“Mister Gutsy? Can I call you Gutz for short?” she turned and asked the robot.
“Yes Madam, why do you ask?”
“Well its shorter then saying Mister Gutsy, that is kinda long.” She explained to him, “Gutz, I want you to scan the area for anything that I can use as a weapon, and food.” She said looking around her. The robot responded to her request and hastily began scanning the inside of the house. The house was very large, and the walls had plaques of information on them, she began to read some but could make out what they were talking about and decided to quit. Gutz came back a while later with a revolver and 20 rounds of ammunition. “I’m sorry Madam, but there were no edible substances on the premises. Should I search again?” He asked handing everything over.
“No… I suppose not we have a long walk to the capital, it will take about two days if we take lots of rests, we might be able to make it in one but we would have to travel all night.” She said to Gutz and began out the door. She looked at the marker on her PipBoy and realized it was going to take a lot of will power to make it all the way to the capital alive. Without food it would be nearly impossible. She went out to the highway and began walking in the general direction of the capital. She walked for perhaps fifteen minutes before coming upon an old diner. “Gutz, go scan that area for any life forms please.”
“Indeed Madam” Gutz said mechanically and he went out ahead of her. She watched in the distance as Gutz came upon the diner. He disappeared inside for a moment and she could hear his laser. She came up to the building as Gutz came from inside. “There were some hostiles but the area is now secure Madam.”
“Thank you, Gutz.” She walked into the diner and began searching for food and water. She found some dirty water and boxes of food. It was mostly potato crisps and Mac and cheese, but it was better than nothing. She looked around and found the bodies of the men that Gutz had killed; she leant down next to them and looked at the caps from on them, and wondered why they were carrying so many. She shoved them into her pocket incase she would find some use for them later. She then grabbed the ammunition from their bodies and packed it all away in her suit case. There wasn’t really anything useful left so she went back out to the highway and continued her walk.
It took about three hours before she found another area where she could stop and rest. This was exhausting; between running from giant bugs and large scorpions she wasn’t sure which was worse, the monsters or the dehydrating heat from the sun, she had already drank her water and eaten some of her food. She would have been a goner if it wasn’t for Gutz. Though she did feel bad, and somewhat dumb for trying to shoot a mutated cow with an empty revolver, she hung her head low at the mere thought. That was one thing dad didn’t teach her, how to use a gun.
There was a small town that she could see in the distance with a fence around it, she came to the fence and was asked what she was doing by the guard. She simply explained to him that she was traveling to the capital and needed to rest here for a while and possibly get some supplies. Without hesitation the guard let her and Gutz into town.
Before going too far she turned to the guard, “Is there any way that I can earn money here for help to fix my robot? He has taken some of damage in my travels and I need money to have him repaired.”
“Well, you could head over to the saloon, maybe you could run some errand for the caps but that is all on the owner. It really doesn’t hurt to ask around though, other than that sorry.” With that he signaled for her to move on.
“Caps?” she questioned the guard, “What are… Caps? Like for your head?”
He turned to here and laughed, “What? You can’t be serious!” he eyed her for a moment taking notice of her Vault Personnel uniform. “Oh… I see, you’re one of those vaulties. Yeah, you know bottle caps, we use that as our currency out here in the waste.” He pulled a single cap from his pocket and showed it to her. She immediately recognized it as what she had taken off the bodies in the diner earlier. She was rewarding herself in her head for grabbing it even though she hadn’t a clue what they were for. She thanked the guard for the information and she made her way over to the saloon. She headed past the small broken buildings, the people walking on as if she wasn’t even there. She came upon a building with the large sign, Barry’s Saloon. The “S” was hanging off slightly, and it was well weather beaten. She made her way inside, suit case in hand and Gutz following close behind. The saloon was quiet noisy with the laughter of people and the smell of cigarettes hung in the air.
A soft voice came from the left as she made her way across the room, “Hey there sugar, would you like to have a little fun?” The women looked to her with green eyes and a shaved head. Her outfit was heavily tattered, and her face showed a coy smile that seemed like it had seen better days.
“No…No thank you, I am here simply on business!” she said hurried, and she picked up her pace. She made no eye contact as she hurried across the room to the bar room counter. She looked across the counter at the man standing on the other side wiping out a glass. “Excuse me…” she said in a small voice.
“So, you’re a new face. Where are you from? Let me guess a Vaultie! I can tell from your pretty little hair cut and perfect smile. Let me tell you we don’t take kindly to you people. We hate you almost as much as we hate ghouls. You don’t see one of them in the community, now do ya? Didn’t think so, your best bet would be to leave.” She retracted at this for a moment, and got up to leave. “Hmm… aren’t like the rest are you? Most Vault dwellers would just yell and rant at me…so what’s your deal kid?” He leaned forward on the counter toward her.
“Well...” she stammered, “I am… heading to the Capital and… well, Gutz my robot, he has taken a bit of damage out there and I need to make some money so I can afford parts to repair him.” She explained to him. He leaned back away from the counter for a moment and came back.
“Well kid, I’ll tell you what! If you can find the old medical building due west of here and grab us some supplies I can pay you some caps, but it isn’t going to be enough to full repair your friend here.” He said looking down at her.
“Well, what is the worst that is out there? Nothing I haven’t dealt with already right?” she asked him, “Well my PipBoy says it’s about a 20 minute walk from here. So I will see you again in… well… I will give myself an hour.” She looked at him and smiled, then was off before another word.
“That girl really doesn’t know what she is getting’ herself into going out to DC. It full of Super Mutants and disgusting Ghouls! First sight of them and she will be back home in no time, heh!” He said to himself as he watched her leave.
“Well Gutz, looks like I will be getting you fixed up after all.” She said smiling at her robot, “My map shows a school between here and the target area. Scout on ahead and I will catch up, don’t go more than half way to the target area, alright?” she said point off in the direction of the medical building.
“Right away Madam,” Gutz replied and was off. Gutz disappeared into the horizon. It wasn’t long before she came upon the school building. There were bodies hanging ever where, and blood smeared along the walls. The doors were large and made from steel, she decided to go over and check it out. She walked over to the large steel doors, she grabbed the handles and pushed the doors open. Once inside she noticed a still working Cola machine.
“Hmm…Nu…Ka…Co…La, Nuka? Cola? Well that is a funny name. We don’t have this stuff back in the Vault.” She said to herself, making out the faded words across the machine. She reached her hand up into the opening at the bottom. There was nothing inside, she tapped on the outside of the machine and hear a small echo. Then something dropped into the hole, she reached in and found a glass bottle with a dark liquid inside. “Hmm… interesting… I wonder if there is more.” She began pounding on the machine as hard as she could. Much to her dismay there were none left. She opened her suit case a put the bottle inside.
Just then she heard a voice, “Now I know I heard someone over here, I’m not crazy!” the voice was low and raspy. The footsteps got closer to her, and a man in leather garb came from around the corner. “Ah Ha! I knew someone was in here!” he reached out to grab her by the arm, and then she jumped back away from him. She turned to run out the doors that she had entered and the man wacked her with a lead pipe on the back. She stumble only for a moment then ran out through the doorway. Just in time for a laser to shoot across her nose and hit the man right in the chest.
He went down on one knee, “Man, you’re asking for it!” he yelled as he got back up and went after Gutz, who then fired another round into the mans skull.
“Are you alright Madam?” Gutz asked coming over to assist her.
“Yes, Gutz, I’m okay. If it wasn’t for you…I’d be a goner.” She said looking down at the ground, she could hear the liquid in the bottle sloshing around in her suit case. She looked at her PipBoy and wondered if every place was like this. She was going to need more help getting to the Capital than just Gutz.
“No need to be down Madam, the rest of the way to the medical supply unit is clear. May we continue?” Gutz twirled his appendages, and focused his eye on her.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
They made their way through the dead trees and the dusty land to the medical supply building. “This must be it. It’s a lot closer than the map predicted.” She looked at her PipBoy again. The Pipoy had calculated the road route for the time, when she had taken the direct route. “Looks like we will be back sooner then we planned.” She said looking at Gutz.
She made her way into the building. The room was bare; she walked across the lobby to the front desk. There was a computer, but the screen was smashed out of it. She stood there and looked across the room. The door to the left of her looked promising. She made her way over to it, around the knocked down bookshelves and rubble from the collapsed ceiling. She tried the door but it was locked. She examined the locked and took a pin out of her hair; she bent it and stuck it into the lock. She sat there for a moment twisting it, then with a click the door was unlocked. She opened the door and went into the room, “Gutz, stay here a keep guard!”
The room was full of boxes, each on was labeled with weird names, some which she recognized from the Vault. She started pulling boxes down; they were all full of various type of medication. Some were radiation reducing agents, while others were ointments to put on burns. There were even some that people put on radiation burns to heal the long term effects of radiation. Asprin, stimpaks, you name it, it was there! She poured the boxes into the suit case and when she was done; her case was so full she could barely close the clasps.
“Well Gutz, looks like we are going back.” She said to the robot.
“Indeed Madam.”
They hiked all the way back to the Saloon, by the time they got back the sun was just starting to go down. “Hey girl, didn’t think you were coming back! So did you get the medicine?” He said walking over to her.
“Yeah, I’ve got it.” she held her case up to him.
“Let’s go check it out in the back, shall we!” he led her and Gutz into the back room of the Saloon. He set the case on the table and started going through the supplies. He looked over at her, “Well I am going to give you these, I have never seen these before in my life! You’re a smart girl, maybe you can figure out what to do with them.” He said closing the case back up and handing it back to her. “Oh and I almost forgot! Your caps, here is 500 caps. You grabbed a lot you earned it.” He handed her the caps.
“Thank you very much sir! Now where do I get my Gutsy fixed?” she asked him looking back at Gutz.
“Well there are no supplies around here, but there is a slave compound about 5 hours north of here, in the direction you are headed that might have what you need. The local merchants are headed up that way in a short while maybe you can travel with them for the night. I would hate to see such a kind girl get stuck alone at night in the wasteland.” He pointed out the window at the men packing up a Brahmin.
“What is that weird animal?” she asked him.
He laughed at this, “You are too cute!” he stopped laughing and explained to her, “That is a Brahmin, we basically use them as vehicles to transport heavy loads across great distances. You will see lots of traveling merchants with them out in the wasteland. By the way girl, why do you want to go to DC so bad?” he asked her looking at her intently.
“Well, I am the ancestor of the last US president before the war. My family wants to try and restore order; I’m starting to see that it’s not going to be easy, if at all possible.” She looked out the door to the merchants. “Well if looks like they are just about ready, I have to go.”
She started out, “Hey!” she turned to look at the guy, he tossed something to her. “This is for good luck! Figured you would know more about it then I do!” she looked down in her hands; it was wrapped up in brown paper. She undid the paper to see the beautiful colors of the flag. She looked up at him. “It’s only part of the Flag, but I figured it would mean more to you if you had it. Now get going before you miss your ride!” He yelled in a playful manner.
She nodded her head and ran out the doors and over to the merchants. “I was told that I could get some company with you guys while I traveled!”
The merchant caravan leader turned to her, “Well I see that you got the word from Barry over there, so I guess you are alright to come. Just don’t get in the way.” He said to her looking over to the Saloon. Barry was standing in the door way waving to the caravan leader, then showing thumbs up. “Well boys, seems like we have a companion. We are dropping her at Ashdale, and then coming right back here.” He waved to the rest of the caravan, and then they started to head out.
The sun was starting to fall in the sky, and it beginning to show a dull grey color. They travelled for miles as the sky turned a dark black and the stars began to full the sky. One of the caravan guards spoke up to her, “You know it wasn’t too long ago that the sky cleared up enough to see the stars. For a long time it was clouded still from the nuclear fallout.” He stayed close by her and looked up at the stars while they walked next to each other. “By the way, I’m Garret. The leader is Hermer, the other guards name is Chariot. She doesn’t talk much to anyone though. Her skills are far past mine.” He looked down at her. “Tired, aren’t you?” She nodded her head and rubbed her eyes. He lifted her up onto the Brahmin, “You can rest up there, I am sure all of us and your friend can handle things if it gets rough out here.” She laid up on the Brahmin watching the stars above her. She rolled onto her stomach and fell fast asleep.
She woke to the sound of yelling and gun fire as well as the electrical whizzing of Gutz laser flying through the air. She looked off into the distance; the caravan was under attack by raiders. There must have been ten of them all attack the four at once. She heard the crack of Gutz electrical circuit as he was fired upon, and the crash of him falling to the ground. When the dust had cleared the only man standing was Garret, and it was just barely. She jumped down off the Brahmin and ran to him. “Garret! Oh my god you’re bleeding heavily! Here let me help.” She said reaching into her belt pack for bandages.
“No, I won’t make it to Ashdale. You…arrr….aren’t strong enough to carry me anyway.” He said holding his side. The blood ran between his finger, and drip out the side of his mouth.
“I will get you there with everything I’ve got!” she bandaged him up the best that she could and brought the Brahmin over. She did her best to push him up on the Brahmin’s back; she went over to Gutz remains. “Poor guy…” she grabbed him and pulled him along the ground to the Brahmin. She tied him up so that the Brahmin was dragging him behind.
“Garret, how far to Ashdale?” she said taking the reins on the Brahmin.
“Not much further now, just head north….errr… to those lights!” he said painfully groaning.
She looked out into the distance; it was unreal how close they were to their destination. The night sky was still wonderful, even after all that destruction. “Garret... Hey… look at all those stars” she said as the lights at Ashdale were coming close. There was no response to the man sleeping on the back of the Brahmin. “I really hope he’s not dead!” She thought to herself; she kept her mind clear and focused on making it to Ashdale. She came up on the front gate to the town, the guard saw the Caravan’s Brahmin, but no men. He immediately went running into town for help.
“Alright Zombies get me that Brahmin, and make sure that those two are alright!” a man’s voice yelled from beyond the bright flood lights. The sight was horrid, these people, what had they done to these poor people! She froze in her steps looking and three zombies came over and one looked her right in the face. His scowl was deep and his eyes were crystal-like and full of hate. She was taken aback by this, how something like this can survive out in these harsh environments. “Heads down Zombies! You don’t want to scare away the customers! Ha!” the voice came again and they immediately hung their heads low and continued on with their work.
One brought Garret down from the Brahmin, he was unmoving. He slung him over his shoulder and brought him inside the town past her field of view. One other guided the Brahmin into the town while the last one, with the empty heart dragged Gutz not too far behind. She was frozen where she was standing. To her it was like the whole world had stopped in an instant, where they monsters or where they people? “My dear girl, aren’t you coming in!” that voice rang through again.
She began to walk slowly into the blinding light, covering her eyes. On the other side were rows of gates with these “zombies” and other people inside. Why were they all in cages? She looked around and spotted a man in leather armor. “So you are the owner of the caravan? You don’t look like it, but it seems that you have inherited it.”
“What do you mean I inherited it? Its Garrets now, not mine!” she said questioning his statement.
“Oh Garret! That’s his name? Well I am sorry to tell you this little lady but he isn’t quiet…heh… among the living anymore.” He said half laughingly. Her face turned ghostly white, and she turned her head to the left slightly. “You haven’t been around death much have you? From the look of you, you haven’t been in the wastes too long! Ha! Get used to it kid!”
“So what do I do with the caravan? What about my Mister Gutsy, do you have anyone that can help me do repairs to him?” she said trying to push the subject from her mind.
He smiled at her, “No the robot is beyond repair, you can’t replace all parts from a clean hole through him! But I can propose something to you if you are worried about it!” he said with a coy and yet sly sentiment.
“What would that be exactly?” she said keeping her distance from him.
He looked her up and down for a moment, “You’re a smart girl, but you aren’t strong enough to go out on your own. If you trade me the Brahmin and the caravan supplies…”
“The suit case and one pistol are mine though!” she said interrupting him.
“Yes you do need something, I suppose, alright that for one slave! Of my choice!” he said eyeing her.
She stood leaning to one side for a moment, “A slave? These people and… well…” she paused looking at the “zombie” standing next to him; the same one that had stared her in the face no to long before.
“Oh, these, I take it you have never seen a Ghoul before! Ha! Cute! You can call them what you like; Zombie, Monster, Beast, anything you want really!” he said with a grin and an evil tone to match.
“Okay… Ghouls, they are slaves? They will do anything I want? How do I know they won’t turn on me?” she asked looking at him trying to calculate what his angle was on the situation.
“Oh these Ghouls, they have been conditioned to listen to every word you say, you just have to be hard on them and enforce rules and they will be faithful as long as you hold their contract.” He looked sly and menacing. His hands were shaking with adrenaline, he was expecting her to say “yes”, and if she didn’t he would make her; or slave her.
“Yes, I have no other options.” She said hanging her head down. Now she was out on the supplies of the caravan and Gutz. “Just one thing, can I bury Garret?” she said eyeing him one more time.
“Anything you wish, but before you go to do your little thing. You can stay here until day break, but you best are gone before I slave you as well.” He handed her a rolled up piece of paper. He smirked and a ghoul came over with her suit case and a .10mm Pistol. She took her belongings and set them at her feet. She unrolled the paper and read aloud:
The Holder of this Document is the sole owner
Of the property named here:
FALLEN
Under contract the property must function and follow any
Request the contract holder has.
Executing immense physical violence to the property voids this contract.
