gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
Reserved so that update could be on top. You can continue voting, however.
A Million Ways To Die In The Wasteland
- Thread starter gay_Aleks
- Start date
jackelgull
An aberration of nature
option 3
Let the tie continue
Let the tie continue
thomas.berubeg
Wandering the World
Option 3
KaiserElectric
Total Freakin Besties
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2007
- Messages
- 3,461
Option 2 sounds fun.
oldnooob
Prince
four for me.
Crezth
i knew you were a real man of the left
Option 1
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
I lied. Here's the update.
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Link to video.
Stats
Table o Refereces.
[FONT=Georgia]
[TAB]You feel an adrenaline rush. You, in the end, met Death. Not in person, of course; then itd be too late. But you almost died there. You and Elise. Normally, that adrenaline rush would override your thought process and reduce it to kill em all, and youd be out of that bloody red mist only when youre surrounded by a bloody mess of gibs that once were hands, legs, even organs in some extreme cases. In the meantime, your companions (and, indeed, everyone else that you didnt happen to butcher brutally) would look at you with the scared look of people who cant decide whether to flee in terror or begin shooting at you with all they have, lest you try to kill them in such a psychotic episode.
[TAB]That doesnt really happen. Perhaps the fact that at some point you realise that the adrenaline rush is just your head still dizzy from the grenade blast. But, just as you were about to engage into a senseless, if very bloody, if from a certain viewpoint, deserved massacre, you hear Elises words ringing in your head ...I see you as an Overseer... Sure, the two Overseers you saw were slightly-off people, who were paranoid and old, but none of them ever pointed a gun and started shooting. They did things the...diplomatic way, even if it did include some hand-wringing.
[TAB]Your companions stare expectantly at you. Clearly, theyve been waiting on you to make a decision. At some point, you hear a...rather unusual sound. A combination of rotting flesh and organs and a displaced larynx, which you identity as Eric trying to cough and attract your attention.
[TAB]What are we standing around here for? Elise says By now we should have them dead, and loot their corpses with the other raiders!
[TAB]I cant believe that Id be the person to say that, as my hands are tickling to murder those bastards, but I think we should just slide out of here. Eric says And find a bar selling stiff drinks. Preferably, something that wasnt distilled last year.
[TAB]And how exactly will we obtain this loot that youre speaking of, eh? Kindly ask them to drop their weapons? Maggie angrily answers
[TAB]No. Well kill them all. Obviously! Im not that stupid! Elise says
[TAB]I must admit, the worth of their weapons is good enough to afford a few strong drinks, plus some girls to go along with them Eric says, and smiles. At what, who knows. Memories, probably.
[TAB]Id like to insert an objection towards this plan, if you will. Indeed, they have shiny weapons, true enough. Maggie says However, a lifetime of experience fighting people and living to tell the tale taught me one or two wise lessons. One of them is not to charge at men armed with missile launchers and flamers when all you have is handguns. Very bad idea.
[TAB]Nobodys gonna see it coming! One sweep and we gain the ultimate reward! Elise says, then turns at you. What do you say?
[TAB]You just realised that theres a conversation going on. It seems that another thing that the grenade blast did to your mind is the inability to focus. Ah, who are we fooling, you always were like that.
[TAB]Um...what about...not murdering them? you say
[TAB]See, he agrees with me! Maggie says
[TAB]Ah, well..I was thinking of getting the two groups together. Not to murder each other. But to retreat. This has gone on for long enough. you say
[TAB]Oh, my bloody damned luck! A Vault can have up to 500 people. Of all those 500 people, the most insane and suicidal of them all had to go out, right?! And I had to be exactly with him! Eric angrily says I would have understood if you wanted us to sneak out of here. But...negotiations? With raiders? That wanted us to burn alive? Are you serious?
[TAB]I didnt say wed let them go scot-free. Wed disarm them, then tell them to give us their weapons, or face death. Its how the law works around these parts, no? you answer
[TAB]Jesus. How did you manage to survive so far? There wont be negotiations! Our flying flesh will hit the stratosphere before you could say Could you kindly ! Maggie says, bewildered and angry.
[TAB]They seem to be running out of ammo, however. When we first came, they were shooting left and right, but now they seem to be using small arms. And I think we could overwhelm them fairly easily now. you say I hope.
[TAB]And what about the other raiders, genius? You think theyll let us cart out with these nice missile launchers and flamers? From the goodness of their hearts? Maggie says
[TAB]Yeah, just because theyre constantly on drugs, doesnt mean theyre braindead...or, at least, not THAT braindead. Elise adds in
[TAB]I think we should at least try. Its the...most, well, I wouldnt go as far as to call it civilized, because those brutes dont quite seem to be keen on that, but its the right thing to do. And if they refuse... Eric raises his fists, brass knuckles in place Then, unfortunately, well have to get our hands dirty. Quite literally, in my case.
[TAB]Well, Im right behind you. Who knows, maybe this will fail through and then we could engage into some guilt-free murder and loot. Elise says.
[TAB]Joining only because itll be amusing to see you fail. Maggie says Not to mention the chance for telling you that I told you so.
[TAB]Cmon, lets go. Diplomacy awaits us you say.
[TAB]An image of...peace, is in front of you. Well, not really peace. Its more like reloading. Both sides have hidden behind a big pile of rubble and are getting ready for yet another exchange of fire between them. All in all, however, you come either at the best or the absolute worst moment, as youre in the open, and some friendly raider could help you solve the ages-long question of whether theres life after death. You clear your throat, which only raises a sigh from Elise, and you could see with your peripheral vision that Maggie covers her face with her palms. Isnt it great to be trusted?
[TAB]Hey, um...you know...how about you come out and stop shooting each other? you say in a slightly shaky voice
[TAB]You know...That sounds like a real sweet idea. But, you know, why dontya come closer? I think...we havent quite given each other a chance. Sam says, with a voice filled with...mockery? Insanity? Has the fight finally gotten to him? What do you think, boys?
[TAB]This is a trap, isnt it. Elise whispers into Maggies ear
[TAB]Lets wait and see. Maybe it is, maybe it isnt. We can still intervene if it isnt. Wouldnt be a bad idea if our dear little Vault diplomat learns a lesson or two Maggie answers back
[TAB]Could you please throw your weapons, now? you say, as they slowly approach you.
[TAB]You heard him, boys. Drop down your weapons on the ground. Sam says. His goons look at him askance I said .drop the weapons!
[TAB]And what about the gun, Sam? you say, as the clatter of the guns dropped down quiets down.
[TAB]Huh, this might actually work . Elise whispers.
[TAB]Dont be so quick. Maggie whispers back
[TAB]Oh, this old thing? Got no ammo for it...ran out while shooting your friends. And, your raider love decided to go out and take my sniper rifle. Seems were yours now, no? he says
itd.
[TAB]Any of you got any rope? you ask the raider leader which woke you up. Instead of answering, she just throws a length of rope at you. And they say raiders dont plan ahead...
[TAB]You get closer to Sam. He is, of course, the leader of this little band, so hes got to go first. You begin tying up Sam, but he suddenly turns around, and pistol whips you right in the face, while your companions are fighting for their lives, as Sams goons re-arm themselves. The firefights began anew, although it resembles more of a melee now - punches, kicks and even biting. Not that it was a polite sparring between gentlemen before, but now, all rules are off the records.
[TAB]The taste of metal in your mouth isnt pleasant, although thats nothing compared to the pain in your teeth. You fall down to the ground. It is then, that your entire Universe, the entire world is encompassed in Sam. His face, his smell...the gun, now decorated in your blood. Maybe a tooth or two, as well. In any case, your vision is now a bloody mess, as the pain and anger race in your veins [-7 HP]
[TAB]Ive seen many like you, kiddo. Some Vault kids, thinkin they could recreate the legendary Vault Dweller. Bring on the ideas of pre-War world of justice, peace and democracy Sam spits and continues Know what happens with em? They either become another skeleton in the Wastes, or they become a chemist for some no-good Jet dealer. You seem to be from the ones destined to become the former, with that attitude. Too bad I have no bullets here for real, or Id save some bastards time in taking you out. Still
[TAB]He is about to swing at you with his pistol at full force. Such a blow would leave you out to rot, and thats not something you want, especially here, and especially now. But what could you do? And then...a strange memory plays in your brain in the few seconds remaining. A Vault-Tec self-defense class, titled How to Act if Youre Downed on the Ground. Very specific, you thought then, but now? Just what you needed.
[TAB]You know the old saying don't argue with an idiot, they'll just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience? That's basically what you do. Your legs slide past the ground and sends Sam sprawling to the ground, where you lunge at him and start swinging. Still reeling from the blow, you can't see much, but you figure every time your fist throbs from contact with something hard can't be a bad sign.
[TAB]However, being a seasoned fighter, it doesnt take all too long for Sam to recover. As youre about to make another swing at him...or the ground, you cant tell, theres just too much blood in your eyes, he makes a mighty cleave. One that would be very, very unpleasant and even more painful for you. Well, a better description would be that he tried to, as his hand suddenly freezes just several inches before turning your nose into fountain of blood and tissue. You look for a reason for such mercy. And you see it. A big red spot growing in his torso. A marksmans shot. Straight through the heart.
[TAB]Sams death quickly impacts on the spirits of the goons and the other raiders. They start surrendering, one by one. You breathe a slurred breath through your lungs. Oh, the pain. You probably arent going to charm anyone who isnt a ghoul or an especially depraved raider. But you survived. On your skill alone, and...yeah, okay, well, also your incredible luck, too. Who fired this shot, anyway? It cant be Maggie or Elise. Youd be mocked by now how you owe them a solid, if it was one of them. Besides, it seems its a rifle round, and not a pistol round
[TAB]The answer to your question comes up. Its Rocky. Your brief love partner. Well, love, if you define it in the narrow window of time between awkward dinner and missiles exploding. One could even call it lust. Hes maybe out for that booty. For all you know. If he was, why did he save you from imminent death? You dont rescue someone whom you intended as a one-night stand, and being a raider, you doubt he did it out of the goodness of his heart. With those questions in mind, you clean up your face to the best of your ability, and go to Rocky.
[TAB]Ey...um. Thanks for saving my skin. Probably was a goner without you. you say. Or gurgle it out.
[TAB]Tis nothing. Ya know, I never liked Sammy. He loved being the Big Bad Raider Boss a bit too much. Tellin everyone what to do, ordering them around, whatnot.. Rocky says. Im a free spirit, yknow? Nobody gonna tell Rocky what to do!
[TAB]And about last night ? you ask
[TAB]Ah, that...What a dreadful night, indeed. Wakin up with your head ringing, and whatnot. Leaves you pissed off. he says, blushing a bit...you think. Got no memories from the night before, but, well, I saw through the scope what you were doin. Negotiating? With Sammy? Youre just too goody two shoes for me, you know. Give me a man who will assist me into butchering someones legs and then weve got love in the air.. he says, then leaves off.
[TAB]You remember nothing? Absolutely nothing? your tone gives off waves and waves of relief. If only you could also forget it all
[TAB]Nope. Sent some...guy...a note. Something about wolves, I think. Or coyotes. Probably to hunt em. And I remember being angry. At Sammy, too. Figured out that if Im angry about Sammy and Im wakin up with a bad headache, then chances are hes the cause. he says, then he shows you his sniper rifle See this? His lil baby. Ha, that would be a trick for the ages, as he loves no woman, but he likes this rifle as if its one. Figured out itd be a good way to get at im, if I steal it from 'im. Then, well, things happened and here we are.
[TAB]Hmm..can I have the sniper rifle? you ask innocuously
[TAB]No. he replies coldly Think he still keeps his Desert Eagle, as a side-arm. Youre free to take it, if ya wanna. [+1 Desert Eagle. Oh yeah.]
[TAB]Okay, tha- you say, but only to the empty air. Rockys ran off to somewhere. You see in the distance him and someone else. You can hear laughter, and it seems they fit in well. Probably hes happier with em than with you. You probably wouldnt have made a good couple - different worlds and whatnot. You bid him farewell in your thoughts, then prepare to continue, when
[TAB]Poor luck, eh? Not as easy as its with women, now is it? Maggie says
[TAB]I thought you really did have something going on. Elise said Who knows where this could go, if it took off.
[TAB]Eric just pats you on the back.
[TAB]Okay, have you been listening this whole time now? Sneaking behind me and listening on my private conversation? you say
[TAB]Theres a minor possibility youre right. Very, very minor. Elise says
[TAB]They might have been. I just stumbled upon them listening on you and decided to find out whats going on. Maggie says
[TAB]Does it matter, now? Its over, this whole thing. We can go on, now, to our main goal Eric says
[TAB]Yeah, sure thing. Lets go.
[/FONT]
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Link to video.
Stats
Table o Refereces.
[FONT=Georgia]
10th of May. 10:00.
[TAB]You feel an adrenaline rush. You, in the end, met Death. Not in person, of course; then itd be too late. But you almost died there. You and Elise. Normally, that adrenaline rush would override your thought process and reduce it to kill em all, and youd be out of that bloody red mist only when youre surrounded by a bloody mess of gibs that once were hands, legs, even organs in some extreme cases. In the meantime, your companions (and, indeed, everyone else that you didnt happen to butcher brutally) would look at you with the scared look of people who cant decide whether to flee in terror or begin shooting at you with all they have, lest you try to kill them in such a psychotic episode.
[TAB]That doesnt really happen. Perhaps the fact that at some point you realise that the adrenaline rush is just your head still dizzy from the grenade blast. But, just as you were about to engage into a senseless, if very bloody, if from a certain viewpoint, deserved massacre, you hear Elises words ringing in your head ...I see you as an Overseer... Sure, the two Overseers you saw were slightly-off people, who were paranoid and old, but none of them ever pointed a gun and started shooting. They did things the...diplomatic way, even if it did include some hand-wringing.
[TAB]Your companions stare expectantly at you. Clearly, theyve been waiting on you to make a decision. At some point, you hear a...rather unusual sound. A combination of rotting flesh and organs and a displaced larynx, which you identity as Eric trying to cough and attract your attention.
[TAB]What are we standing around here for? Elise says By now we should have them dead, and loot their corpses with the other raiders!
[TAB]I cant believe that Id be the person to say that, as my hands are tickling to murder those bastards, but I think we should just slide out of here. Eric says And find a bar selling stiff drinks. Preferably, something that wasnt distilled last year.
[TAB]And how exactly will we obtain this loot that youre speaking of, eh? Kindly ask them to drop their weapons? Maggie angrily answers
[TAB]No. Well kill them all. Obviously! Im not that stupid! Elise says
[TAB]I must admit, the worth of their weapons is good enough to afford a few strong drinks, plus some girls to go along with them Eric says, and smiles. At what, who knows. Memories, probably.
[TAB]Id like to insert an objection towards this plan, if you will. Indeed, they have shiny weapons, true enough. Maggie says However, a lifetime of experience fighting people and living to tell the tale taught me one or two wise lessons. One of them is not to charge at men armed with missile launchers and flamers when all you have is handguns. Very bad idea.
[TAB]Nobodys gonna see it coming! One sweep and we gain the ultimate reward! Elise says, then turns at you. What do you say?
[TAB]You just realised that theres a conversation going on. It seems that another thing that the grenade blast did to your mind is the inability to focus. Ah, who are we fooling, you always were like that.
[TAB]Um...what about...not murdering them? you say
[TAB]See, he agrees with me! Maggie says
[TAB]Ah, well..I was thinking of getting the two groups together. Not to murder each other. But to retreat. This has gone on for long enough. you say
[TAB]Oh, my bloody damned luck! A Vault can have up to 500 people. Of all those 500 people, the most insane and suicidal of them all had to go out, right?! And I had to be exactly with him! Eric angrily says I would have understood if you wanted us to sneak out of here. But...negotiations? With raiders? That wanted us to burn alive? Are you serious?
[TAB]I didnt say wed let them go scot-free. Wed disarm them, then tell them to give us their weapons, or face death. Its how the law works around these parts, no? you answer
[TAB]Jesus. How did you manage to survive so far? There wont be negotiations! Our flying flesh will hit the stratosphere before you could say Could you kindly ! Maggie says, bewildered and angry.
[TAB]They seem to be running out of ammo, however. When we first came, they were shooting left and right, but now they seem to be using small arms. And I think we could overwhelm them fairly easily now. you say I hope.
[TAB]And what about the other raiders, genius? You think theyll let us cart out with these nice missile launchers and flamers? From the goodness of their hearts? Maggie says
[TAB]Yeah, just because theyre constantly on drugs, doesnt mean theyre braindead...or, at least, not THAT braindead. Elise adds in
[TAB]I think we should at least try. Its the...most, well, I wouldnt go as far as to call it civilized, because those brutes dont quite seem to be keen on that, but its the right thing to do. And if they refuse... Eric raises his fists, brass knuckles in place Then, unfortunately, well have to get our hands dirty. Quite literally, in my case.
[TAB]Well, Im right behind you. Who knows, maybe this will fail through and then we could engage into some guilt-free murder and loot. Elise says.
[TAB]Joining only because itll be amusing to see you fail. Maggie says Not to mention the chance for telling you that I told you so.
[TAB]Cmon, lets go. Diplomacy awaits us you say.
[TAB]An image of...peace, is in front of you. Well, not really peace. Its more like reloading. Both sides have hidden behind a big pile of rubble and are getting ready for yet another exchange of fire between them. All in all, however, you come either at the best or the absolute worst moment, as youre in the open, and some friendly raider could help you solve the ages-long question of whether theres life after death. You clear your throat, which only raises a sigh from Elise, and you could see with your peripheral vision that Maggie covers her face with her palms. Isnt it great to be trusted?
[TAB]Hey, um...you know...how about you come out and stop shooting each other? you say in a slightly shaky voice
[TAB]You know...That sounds like a real sweet idea. But, you know, why dontya come closer? I think...we havent quite given each other a chance. Sam says, with a voice filled with...mockery? Insanity? Has the fight finally gotten to him? What do you think, boys?
[TAB]This is a trap, isnt it. Elise whispers into Maggies ear
[TAB]Lets wait and see. Maybe it is, maybe it isnt. We can still intervene if it isnt. Wouldnt be a bad idea if our dear little Vault diplomat learns a lesson or two Maggie answers back
[TAB]Could you please throw your weapons, now? you say, as they slowly approach you.
[TAB]You heard him, boys. Drop down your weapons on the ground. Sam says. His goons look at him askance I said .drop the weapons!
[TAB]And what about the gun, Sam? you say, as the clatter of the guns dropped down quiets down.
[TAB]Huh, this might actually work . Elise whispers.
[TAB]Dont be so quick. Maggie whispers back
[TAB]Oh, this old thing? Got no ammo for it...ran out while shooting your friends. And, your raider love decided to go out and take my sniper rifle. Seems were yours now, no? he says
itd.
[TAB]Any of you got any rope? you ask the raider leader which woke you up. Instead of answering, she just throws a length of rope at you. And they say raiders dont plan ahead...
[TAB]You get closer to Sam. He is, of course, the leader of this little band, so hes got to go first. You begin tying up Sam, but he suddenly turns around, and pistol whips you right in the face, while your companions are fighting for their lives, as Sams goons re-arm themselves. The firefights began anew, although it resembles more of a melee now - punches, kicks and even biting. Not that it was a polite sparring between gentlemen before, but now, all rules are off the records.
[TAB]The taste of metal in your mouth isnt pleasant, although thats nothing compared to the pain in your teeth. You fall down to the ground. It is then, that your entire Universe, the entire world is encompassed in Sam. His face, his smell...the gun, now decorated in your blood. Maybe a tooth or two, as well. In any case, your vision is now a bloody mess, as the pain and anger race in your veins [-7 HP]
[TAB]Ive seen many like you, kiddo. Some Vault kids, thinkin they could recreate the legendary Vault Dweller. Bring on the ideas of pre-War world of justice, peace and democracy Sam spits and continues Know what happens with em? They either become another skeleton in the Wastes, or they become a chemist for some no-good Jet dealer. You seem to be from the ones destined to become the former, with that attitude. Too bad I have no bullets here for real, or Id save some bastards time in taking you out. Still
[TAB]He is about to swing at you with his pistol at full force. Such a blow would leave you out to rot, and thats not something you want, especially here, and especially now. But what could you do? And then...a strange memory plays in your brain in the few seconds remaining. A Vault-Tec self-defense class, titled How to Act if Youre Downed on the Ground. Very specific, you thought then, but now? Just what you needed.
[TAB]You know the old saying don't argue with an idiot, they'll just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience? That's basically what you do. Your legs slide past the ground and sends Sam sprawling to the ground, where you lunge at him and start swinging. Still reeling from the blow, you can't see much, but you figure every time your fist throbs from contact with something hard can't be a bad sign.
[TAB]However, being a seasoned fighter, it doesnt take all too long for Sam to recover. As youre about to make another swing at him...or the ground, you cant tell, theres just too much blood in your eyes, he makes a mighty cleave. One that would be very, very unpleasant and even more painful for you. Well, a better description would be that he tried to, as his hand suddenly freezes just several inches before turning your nose into fountain of blood and tissue. You look for a reason for such mercy. And you see it. A big red spot growing in his torso. A marksmans shot. Straight through the heart.
[TAB]Sams death quickly impacts on the spirits of the goons and the other raiders. They start surrendering, one by one. You breathe a slurred breath through your lungs. Oh, the pain. You probably arent going to charm anyone who isnt a ghoul or an especially depraved raider. But you survived. On your skill alone, and...yeah, okay, well, also your incredible luck, too. Who fired this shot, anyway? It cant be Maggie or Elise. Youd be mocked by now how you owe them a solid, if it was one of them. Besides, it seems its a rifle round, and not a pistol round
[TAB]The answer to your question comes up. Its Rocky. Your brief love partner. Well, love, if you define it in the narrow window of time between awkward dinner and missiles exploding. One could even call it lust. Hes maybe out for that booty. For all you know. If he was, why did he save you from imminent death? You dont rescue someone whom you intended as a one-night stand, and being a raider, you doubt he did it out of the goodness of his heart. With those questions in mind, you clean up your face to the best of your ability, and go to Rocky.
[TAB]Ey...um. Thanks for saving my skin. Probably was a goner without you. you say. Or gurgle it out.
[TAB]Tis nothing. Ya know, I never liked Sammy. He loved being the Big Bad Raider Boss a bit too much. Tellin everyone what to do, ordering them around, whatnot.. Rocky says. Im a free spirit, yknow? Nobody gonna tell Rocky what to do!
[TAB]And about last night ? you ask
[TAB]Ah, that...What a dreadful night, indeed. Wakin up with your head ringing, and whatnot. Leaves you pissed off. he says, blushing a bit...you think. Got no memories from the night before, but, well, I saw through the scope what you were doin. Negotiating? With Sammy? Youre just too goody two shoes for me, you know. Give me a man who will assist me into butchering someones legs and then weve got love in the air.. he says, then leaves off.
[TAB]You remember nothing? Absolutely nothing? your tone gives off waves and waves of relief. If only you could also forget it all
[TAB]Nope. Sent some...guy...a note. Something about wolves, I think. Or coyotes. Probably to hunt em. And I remember being angry. At Sammy, too. Figured out that if Im angry about Sammy and Im wakin up with a bad headache, then chances are hes the cause. he says, then he shows you his sniper rifle See this? His lil baby. Ha, that would be a trick for the ages, as he loves no woman, but he likes this rifle as if its one. Figured out itd be a good way to get at im, if I steal it from 'im. Then, well, things happened and here we are.
[TAB]Hmm..can I have the sniper rifle? you ask innocuously
[TAB]No. he replies coldly Think he still keeps his Desert Eagle, as a side-arm. Youre free to take it, if ya wanna. [+1 Desert Eagle. Oh yeah.]
[TAB]Okay, tha- you say, but only to the empty air. Rockys ran off to somewhere. You see in the distance him and someone else. You can hear laughter, and it seems they fit in well. Probably hes happier with em than with you. You probably wouldnt have made a good couple - different worlds and whatnot. You bid him farewell in your thoughts, then prepare to continue, when
[TAB]Poor luck, eh? Not as easy as its with women, now is it? Maggie says
[TAB]I thought you really did have something going on. Elise said Who knows where this could go, if it took off.
[TAB]Eric just pats you on the back.
[TAB]Okay, have you been listening this whole time now? Sneaking behind me and listening on my private conversation? you say
[TAB]Theres a minor possibility youre right. Very, very minor. Elise says
[TAB]They might have been. I just stumbled upon them listening on you and decided to find out whats going on. Maggie says
[TAB]Does it matter, now? Its over, this whole thing. We can go on, now, to our main goal Eric says
[TAB]Yeah, sure thing. Lets go.
- Continue to Farmertown, where you originally were going. Right? Something about Maggie revisiting her hometown [A side-story about Maggie. Still en-route to the main story.]
- Continue to Urbana, where Eric must give in his report to the local outpost of the so-so called Brotherhood of Steel. Who knows, maybe theyve got a job for you, too. [The actual main story .probably. Maybe.]
- Or you could go to Springfield, and see whats what. Who knows what happened there. [Side-story. 1-2 updates at best.]
[/FONT]
jackelgull
An aberration of nature
Option 1
SouthernKing
crickety cricket
Option 2
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
Once more, a shout-out to Jackelgull, who has taken the sorry (and, a bit thankless) job of editing my messy ideas, and helping them reforge my fanfic into something better. Without him, chances are that this update would have been way worse off. If you thought that's possible, but it's the truth.
His is also the blame I managed to write half of it in a stretch of three hours, so don't forget to thank him, less his overtly inflated ego explodes and leaves him dead on the floor. Or something. I don't know.
His is also the blame I managed to write half of it in a stretch of three hours, so don't forget to thank him, less his overtly inflated ego explodes and leaves him dead on the floor. Or something. I don't know.
Omega124
Challenging Fate
Option 1. Maggie best char
thomas.berubeg
Wandering the World
Option 1, followed by 2
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
Some of you told me that you'd love to vote, but you gotta catch up. Well, no worry, because I just folded almost All updates, up to now, into one doc!
oldnooob
Prince
One Please.
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
This, like all updates, was written in the middle of the night.
Fortunately, thanks to jackiegull, it merely sounds bad, as opposed to the mad ravings of a crazy hobo who stole some kid’s laptop at gunpoint. Seriously. This guy is why this update isn’t so bad.
I am also sorry.
So very sorry.
For everything.
------
Link to video.
Stats
Table o’ Refereces.
[FONT=”Georgia”]
[TAB]You make a step forward. And then, suddenly, the adrenaline ceases being pumped in your blood. Everything suddenly slows down..and speeds up, all at the same time. You feel tired. So very tired. As if all the sleepless nights in your life suddenly crashed into you all at once, and exhaustion seeps into your very bones...Your eyes no longer see; gone is the clarity you had before, as a red mist falls down upon your sight. The last thing you see is the earth dirt approaching at extreme speed, a thump - this is your body keeling over like a sack of potatoes, followed by...silence?.
[TAB]And then you are awake in the Vault. Well, “awake”. You snap out of a nap, on your desk. Or, at least you think you did. Huh. Must have fallen asleep...then. In any case, you’re awake, back in the Vault. Back home. Safety.
[TAB]It has been two years since you passed the GOAT. You’re now the Shift Supervisor. You take a look at the calendar with the May Vault Girls - 1st of May. Hey, that’s when-
[TAB]The door opens. It’s your father, bringing a package. He’s wearing a baseball cap and a Vault 117 Hawks jersey. He is, in the end, the coach of that team. And he has the Look. Ever since you took your GOAT and got your test results, according to which you’re a Shift Supervisor...well, it’s not that he thinks you are not his son. But perhaps, he feels disappointment from you. He always told you about how he became a coach and how his father before him did and et cetera and et cetera. He tried, he really did, to make you interested in baseball. Beyond a few dates, that didn’t work…
[TAB]”Hey sonny. Hope everythin’s okay down here, in your fine bureaucratic mess?” he asks
[TAB]”Same as always, dad. Some are nice, some are shifty bastards who wanna smoke while on work.” you say, and see the package ”Is this for me?”
[TAB]”Yeah. Overseer told me to bring it to you. Has some sort of a metal clanking…” he says to you, with a hint of concern
Busy. Always busy.
[TAB]As your father leaves, you look at your own office. It’s not a big one, just enough to hold your desk, and the cabinet in which you lock up the alcohol you managed to find but have to keep under lock until you turn 21. Vault rules. To add to this, you have nextdoors another Shift Supervisor, who maybe had a first name once upon a time, but that has long since passed. Nowadays, he’s just called Old Man Hannity. Speaking of things that he lacks: he probably has no soul. Upon his face, a dead, emotionless mask has descended, and the only times it ever changes is when burning rage overtakes him, once some fool did something. In moments like these, you can hear him shouting in the Reactor Room all the way from the Cafeteria.
[TAB]You don’t initially open the box that the Overseer sent you. You shake it up. You hear metal clanking. Huh. What can it be? You stare at the box, and after some thought, you open it. Inside, you find a 10mm pistol, shiny and recently polished. Your expertise with guns is, well, rather limited. You can identify most guns, maybe even take one apart and clean it. Then put it back together, if it isn’t too complex. But you never thought about using a gun against anyone else here. Maybe in self-defence, but still...You stare at the pistol’s black muzzle. If someone sees you right now, they will probably yell something like ”Stop, there’s more to life!”. You decide that, for the moment, its place would be best in the locked cabinet, underneath your little alcohol stockpile.
[TAB]A note slides out of the box. It’s scribbled in rather shaky handwriting. ”You are the one of the few I can trust. This weapon will be your guard when the insurrection begins. Damned kiddies with their drugs. Stay loyal and you’ll be my successor. -OVERSEER Jenkins”. Huh. Just like Vault Depressive Syndrome and Vault Homesickness Syndrome, there’s also Vault Paranoia. Oddly enough, the higher positions one takes within the Vault, the higher chance of this happening...
[TAB]Loyalty, huh? You haven’t seen the Overseer doing anything good for you, and to be fair, neither have you done anything good that would deserve that. Citing your inexperience, the Overseer decided you shouldn’t be supervising “important” things like the reactors, or the water supply. That means that you were delegated to observe people washing dishes, making sure that everyone washes their hands, observing whether the cutlery is clean, and, of course, watching people clean the Vault by the established standards, and so on, other inane and menial tasks like this. And, of course, most importantly. Keeping track of everyone and making sure that at this time, they were on their job, and not, say, smoking cigarettes and generally doing things that would make the older parts of the Vault blush.
[TAB]Your tools to accomplish those goals are your Pip Boy 3000B, which has all the names of the people whose shifts you’re responsible for, alongside their profession, and the Vault Standardization Guide (The Abridged Version. 800 pages.). It’s an ancient book, created nearly 180 years ago hy some now-dead Vault-Tec guy. It has stains of alcohol that are older than the newest class of GOAT graduates. It has coffee stains that have lived through several Overseers. There are missing pages, burnt pages, pages covered by enormous, unidentifiable stains. All in all, it’s the kind of book which you keep under key, lest one day it comes alive and decides get its revenge for the decades of abuse.
[TAB]That is to say...your job isn’t entirely without its, well, you called them perks, but in most cases, “straight out bribes” would be a much more appropriate term. It isn’t money, really, as it is worthless down here. Favours, mostly. And items of...certain rarity. For an example, the Howard’s kid, Pete, didn’t quite enjoy scrubbing the floors of the Vault after calling the Overseer a ”dirty old fart”. Fortunately, his father, Todd has a holotape with 100% gone wild content. All you have to do is to ignore his son’s mischievous antics.
[TAB]Unfortunately, those antics had lead to the death of the Overseer. The accident in itself isn’t intentional - or, at least, you hope it isn’t. Little Pete and his ragtag band of punks who don’t have much to do in the Vault, but they sure do come with an attitude, which in the end took out the Overseer. During a casual stroll by the gardens he regularly checks up, he finds some clothing articles - bras, underwear and even a discarded condom. He hears moaning, and oh God, the image, it just ends his life. A heart attack, it seems. It was instant death, at least.
[TAB]The new Overseer, in all honesty, is the same as the old one. He, too, is a paranoid bastard, but unlike the previous one, he’s younger and a bit...puritanical, to say the least. He serving alcohol, and went everyone’s drawers and cabinets, including yours, were searched for alcohol, and whaddaya know? They found it. This almost definitely put you in a worse light, and then he began evading you, and sent his messages to you only by letter. All in all, you were a prime candidate for getting fired.
[TAB]Since security is now tighter than ever, and loyal security guards are constantly on patrol for ’anti-social’ activities, bribing and corruption are now very difficult. Instead, some of the more...pragmatical folks had a realization: that true love isn’t eternal, but evading shift watch is, same with sharing one bed with the potential Overseer. Your family, unfortunately, is also one of these families. They don’t see you as their Son. You are the Shift Supervisor, Future Overseer of Vault 117. So you have to marry to a Respectable Family, and rise up in Vault Society. And maybe move out of the old residential room, because you’re already 18! People already make families by now!
[TAB]However, from all the would-be future wives you find one that quite suits you. It probably isn't their fault, all your suitors were likely fine people with good intentions at hear., However, whatever good qualities there might be, are immediately gone as you know well that they don’t want you because of who you are, but rather your profession, as a Shift Supervisor. You have so many dinners. They all start to blend together at some point. A table with food made by both yours and her parents. A tiresome and seemingly endless conversation about what’s going at your workplace. Oh, yeah, I caught someone smoing cigarettes while on shift. Hoo-ey! And it all ends once you took a glance over to the other table, just to see your parents, sending out a hungry gaze in your general direction...
This is Her. If you could make art, this is how she would have looked like.
[TAB]You have your eyes on someone else, however. Her name is Barbara. She is the barber, too. And by God does it show. You can see her hair in your dreams. It is beautiful. Just the right size - not too short, but not too long, gracing her shoulders with its ends...and those deep, brown eyes...It’s just such a contrast from the looks you’ve seen from any woman...or, indeed, anyone here, when you think about it. It has life in it. It speaks of hidden depths. Someone far, far more interesting than they might appear at a first look. She fascinates you, perhaps to the point of obsession.
[TAB]One of the few things you actually enjoy supervising is watching her cut hair. This sounds very banal, and all, but to you? It is the most amazing thing ever. You can watch her do anything, even the most mundane and pointless task imaginable, and it still will be far, far more interesting than anything you’ve ever seen in your life.
[TAB]The only sour thing in your unsung love is, well, the reason for which it was unsung. She is taken. John is the boyfriend’s name, and he is the football team’s quarterback. He is tall and imposing; a real mountain of muscles, in comparison to you. And he has near unlimited amounts of arrogance, stemming from the fact that he is the main reason that the Springfield Riflemen is winning so much against the Normal Chameleons. In his own words, his pass is like a .30-06 bullet crushing the enemy. As arrogant as it gets.
[TAB]Perhaps what rivals his arrogance is his (however true or false) ill-treatment of women. You still remember a rather unfortunate episode with him.
[TAB]It was the end of yet another long, hard day. To add to all of that, John’s sister, Samantha, was a bloody pain in the ass. She knew that you wouldn’t dare touch her, the sister of the best quarterback this Vault has ever seen, so she’s Privileged. But it was beginning to pile up. Tales of her promiscuity (spoken, of course, in a hushed voice…
were flying through the Vault, and the Overseer was wondering how would such a busy gal could be so “busy” with something completely different. In the end, that day, you gave in your report, which had a special section just about her little antics.
John, after a game.
[TAB]By all means, John was almost certainly enraged about it, as from a respected marriage counselor, she was demoted for the next three months to a lowly cleaner. So, you were worried about your near future, and more specifically, the ability to breathe through your nose. You decided that you should relax and unwind by going to the cafeteria. Who knows, maybe this is your lucky day. Perhaps you’ll find someone just for you..
[TAB]Whatever your plans were, however, they all went out of the window once you saw John come in. Oddly enough, he didn’t actually notice you at first. He noticed someone else. A girl, dancing with her two friends, on the dance floor, while hushing about something. An irresistible temptation for John, no doubt. To add to that, wasn’t that one of his many ex-girlfriends?
[TAB]Grinning, he approached her from behind, and then casually slapped her on the ass and wrapped his arm around her. Afterwards, you heard what is probably is the smarmiest tone you’ll hear for a long, long time…:
[TAB]”Heey, sugar…” he whispered into her ear, whilst raising his eyebrows in a way that he probably found suggestive, but you found to be only comical. ”What’s up with my little Janette?”
[TAB]”Get your sweaty arms off me, you pig!” she yelled, and escaped his loosened grip that was taken off-guard.
[TAB]”But Jane, I thought we had som-” he said, switching to a whiny, childish tone.
[TAB]”And my name’s Jean, you rat bastard!” she said, and slapped him in the face, leaving him dumbfounded.
[TAB]”Ah, Jean. You were a real naughty one, all right!” he recovered quickly. Then, he whispered into her ear, even closer now. You could only made out something about the church, a stool and wool. In any case, it made Jean blush as it went on, until she burst in tears and exited the cafeteria.
Shake a leg!
[TAB]At this point, you realised that your goal, of relaxation and taking a break, might suddenly turn into the exact opposite. You saw that John’s typical smirk had returned, now with an added pint of triumph, as he had achieved victory over the unruly girl who had the audacity to resist to him. And then he saw you.
[TAB]”Oh, my friend! My dear Mr. Shifty! Come, come! We have a lot to talk about…” his last words carried menace, and your throat went dry, making it very hard to swallow that last bite of pasta. Your hands began shaking with fear.
[TAB]”Um, I think I’ll leave. My shift’s due!” you said, in a bit of a shaky tone
[TAB]”Ahaha! Shifts! Good thing you opened the topic!” he said, then dropped all and any pretense of friendliness, and dragged you off to the nearby seats.
[TAB]You were expecting a severe beatdown. Instead, however, it seemed he actually wanted to talk with you. He was holding a notebook, crudely illustrated. You couldn’t see its title.
[TAB]”Do you know this book, by a chance?” he said, innocently. [/I]”It’s...and you wrote it.”
[TAB]”Hmm? Mind I take a look at it?” you asked
[TAB]”HA! You write so much of this garbage you don’t even remember it?” he mocked you ”Maybe taking a look at the front page would be a good reminder.”
[TAB]As he said that, he exposed the book cover. Well, you wouldn’t call it a book. It was a flimsy Vault-Tec notebook, except that someone emblazoned it with a pink marker the words A MILLION WAYS TO SODOMIZE IN THE VAULT, with a subtitle Male Procreation After The End. How could someone pick such an awful title? More importantly, what sick freak would draw those drawings on the front page? You see two men using one banana and did things that would make the Overseer drop down dead.
[TAB]”Remembering, huh, you freak?” he said ”Now...I think both of us know why we’re here. You little dweeb, you made my sis-”
[TAB]”That’s not my handwriting.” you blurted out, interrupting him.
[TAB]”Ha. Like anyone will believe you. Remember Harry? The former captain of the Normal Chameleons? Even now, they still call him “little yellow spy” behind his back!” he said. Or slithered, that would be a more accurate way to describe his voice. ”See, even the strongest can fall to rumours. And you’re not even strong. They already hate you, and now they’ll have mud to sling at you. Be wise. Leave a good word for my Sis - she’s repenting and she saw her mistakes. The Overseer will eat it up, I’m sure.”
[TAB]”No. I’m tired of your sister and her shenanigans. Read it out, if you want it so much! Maybe you even like it!” you said in a sudden fit of rage
[TAB]”Is that so? Well, if ya wanna be the sick pervert ‘till you die…” he said, then he cleared his throat. ”People! Look at what I found! A little book by our friend, our Mr. Shifty right here!”
[TAB]”Is that so, John? You’re now rummaging through people’s rooms to find dirt on ‘em?” one of Jean’s friends called him out
[TAB]”Is that true, John? Where did you find this?” one of the adults chimed in
[TAB]”It...it doesn’t matter! I’ll read out just a brief passage of it and you won’t care!” he says, enraged. ”Just hear the title! “A Million Ways To S-s-s-sodomize In The Vault”! Why isn’t this sick freak in chains already?!” he continued, although much to your amusement, the word “sodomizes” came out of his mouth with great difficulty.
[TAB]”Who’s the freak here? You just literally blackmailed me with this, all for your sister, Samantha! A no good, no-working...Slut!” you decide to go on the offensive once more, now that you’ve recovered from the initial fears you had. ”I bet she relieves the burdens of her clients like nobody’s business!”
[TAB]”Hey, you two, calm do-” the adult from earlier on began, but then the events swung in way too fast.
[TAB]John yelled something, but it came off as a beastly yell you could not comprehend. Nor did you have the time to do so, as you were about to get your face smashed by the quarterback, and it was totally your fault. If anything, however, it seemed that there was a light in the dark, as you heard a crumpling sound as the notebook snapped in two - it seemed you’ve infuriated him so much that he even forgot his little masterplan. Time slowed down to snail speed, and your senses are heightened - you see the pages gently fly through the air and reveal their contents - lines and lines of words, illustrated with crude drawings. There were various reactions from the people around you - some shocked, some amused, some just did not care at all. You heard the sound of paper crumbling. Unfortunately, you now imagine in those few precious seconds that this would be the very same sound your bones will make once John’s fist comes in contact with them…All that, in just several moments in eternity.
[TAB]It is then that merciful luck, providence or what-ever, came to your side. A guard entered the cafeteria, probably having heard the commotion. You heard a buzzing sound, and the fist shook right in front of your nose, not making a further move towards your face.
[TAB]”Cease, or we’ll have to carry your sorry ass to the doctor’s office.” is all that the guard said.
[TAB]John doesn’t respond, and just left angrily the cafeteria. You breathed a sigh of relief that all your teeth are still where they should be, as opposed to, say, being all over the floor or in a bag.
[TAB]This incident, as well as others, naturally make you leery of showing your true feelings. Sadly, those true feelings are also burning within your heart and you don’t know what you would do if you don’t confess. This indecisiveness was however painful for you, as every day, you feel that you are burnt to crisp by the flames of desire while simultaneously frozen by the chilling grasp of fear…It isn’t a healthy existence, this. Even if she rejects you, it still would be better than this state of limbo.
[TAB]What led to you confessing your feelings to you is an accident. Or maybe it is not. Perhaps it was fate itself intervening, although you doubt you’re that important.
[TAB]You are just doing your job, as per usual. You have your handy Pipboy, but something was amiss. Something is wrong. Barbara is nowhere to be found. Her clients are just as dumbfounded - she is always right on time, always ready for more work to do. You are also worried, as, in the end, missing shifts was what your Overseer would consider ”anti-social behaviour”, something that he would punish with great impunity.
[TAB]The first place you decide to check is her residential apartment. You know that she lives with John in his house, since her parents have died long time ago, leaving her all but alone, as someone else takes up their room, but you know that something’s up and if you don’t intervene, nobody will. You find her in the bathroom. Her face is red, full of tears running down her sides. On the bathroom stand, you see several opened bottles of what seems to be sleep medicine. What’s going on?
Sadness.
[TAB]”Go away!” she slurs at you ”I’m not coming to my work! Ever! Never gonna work again!”
[TAB]”Calm down, calm down. What’s wrong?” you say. ”You can tell me.”
[TAB]”W-what? You? The writer of smutty gay fanfiction? Don’t give me that crap! You know what it is...no...actually you don’t! You have no idea what it is to be stuck in this dead-end job!” she is about to continue, but another wave of tears comes on ”The GOAT has decided you’re a barber, and there’s nothing, no, nothing you could do! Barber from sixteen until you keel over!”
[TAB]”But Barbara. Think about it. You’re making people happy. Your talent is helping them feel better about their lives.” you say ”Remember the last class of GOAT graduates? It was the best time of their lives, but it became even better with you helping them out.”
[TAB]”No...No! Nobody notices that! I am a pair of hands holding hair clippers! Who would see this? “Talent”? Can one person, just one person tell me that I am talented?” Barbara stutters
[TAB]”I do. Always.” you say, and an expression of...surprise appears on Barbara’s face ”I see that you put effort and handiwork into every single haircut you do. It is very satisfying to see you work. You’ve got the skill of an artisan.”
[TAB]”R-r-really?” she says, while visibly blushing ”That’s so kind of you…I m-mean, of all people...I thought you...you aren’t into that?”
[TAB]”What? No!” you say, waving your hands ”Did John tell you that?”
[TAB]”Oh, John, John. He is a nice guy. To me. Only to me.” she says, then she leans over at the wall. ”Nice...of all girlfriends he has, he’s been only that nice only to me. But I am a slave to him. A pitiful little slave...slave...slave..” she dozes off
[TAB]”What? Don’t fall asleep! Hey!” you shake her, and she wakes up. You decide that it would be best to get her out from this bath tub and get her to bed, and then call a medic to do a check-up on her. You offer your hand to her, which she takes as if in some sort of a dream.
[TAB]You pull her out. Gently. She stumbles and, it’s quite clear by now that she probably couldn’t shave anyone’s hair without also taking out someone’s head. Is it because of her emotional state, or is it something else? What pills did she swallow? Certain combinations could mean death for her.
[TAB]”oh my God those pills” Barbara says, then falls asleep on your shoulder.
[TAB]This is quite the precarious situation. Right now, Barbara is probably on several kinds of sleep medication, and is essentially immobile. What worries you far more however is the fact you’re not sure if she’s okay or not. There of course exists the constant threat that John might enter and make your life incredibly, incredibly miserable, considering that this is his house. Since this is the opposite of what you want, you have to get out very, very quickly. You gently haul her through the room, lay her down on her bed, and then tuck her in a blanket, time be damned..
[TAB]You exit the bedroom, but when you look at the windows, you see an unfortunate picture. One, her John is coming.. Two: he also notices you, and he’s rushing towards you. Three? He’s very, very angry. And, in an unique stroke of luck, he has friends too?
[TAB]”Oh, you little dweeb! You’re the worst, aren’tya! Stalkin’ my girlfriend, oh, I know, I heard!” he yells at you, and prepares to punch your soul outta your body ”Tell me where she is, and ya might come outta this room with your teeth intact!”
[TAB]”You idiot! Call a medic!” you yell at him. Your voice has lost all of its previous calmness and coolness. ”She’s lying unconscious in the bedroom and she might die, you stupid son of a gun!”
[TAB]”You sick bastard! Did you drug her! Ya wanted to rape her, you son of a whore!” he jumps out of the room, but you’re not there anymore.
[TAB]”Alright. Listen. Let’s leave our grudges behind, for this moment. Just call up the Doc on the Video Display Unit, to send help down there.” you say ”Do it for Barbara. After this...ah, well, you can beat me up if you want it so much…”
[TAB]”You just wanna flee...No, until I see that Barbara is sick with my very two eyes, I’m not letting you off.” he says, and points at his two friends ”You two. Keep an eye on him.” he says, and then rushes away to the room.
[TAB]”I suppose you wouldn’t let me use the VOU?” you ask innocently ”Aw, com-”
[TAB]”BARBIE!’ a yell from inside interrupts you. The two friends close in at you.
[TAB]But you already rush at the nearest VOU, and hit the Emergency Button. Like always, however, it takes its time explaining the various options available to you. They’re almost here. So you hit a random button, aaaaaand, well, luckily, it’s the Doc.
[TAB]Unluckily, it seems you’ve been cornered. It is time for the traditional ”getting the snot beaten out of you” time. How fun. A kick lands right in the scruff of your neck. Ow. The light becomes insufferably bright as you lean into the monitor, but hey, it seems Doc isn’t here anymore, then suddenly, it goes out dark. You hear only the last words ”What the hell are you idiots dooing!”. Then it all fades out.
[/FONT]
Fortunately, thanks to jackiegull, it merely sounds bad, as opposed to the mad ravings of a crazy hobo who stole some kid’s laptop at gunpoint. Seriously. This guy is why this update isn’t so bad.
I am also sorry.
So very sorry.
For everything.
------
Link to video.
Stats
Table o’ Refereces.
[FONT=”Georgia”]
10th of May. 14:00. Normal. The city. Not your situation.
[TAB]You make a step forward. And then, suddenly, the adrenaline ceases being pumped in your blood. Everything suddenly slows down..and speeds up, all at the same time. You feel tired. So very tired. As if all the sleepless nights in your life suddenly crashed into you all at once, and exhaustion seeps into your very bones...Your eyes no longer see; gone is the clarity you had before, as a red mist falls down upon your sight. The last thing you see is the earth dirt approaching at extreme speed, a thump - this is your body keeling over like a sack of potatoes, followed by...silence?.
??:??
[TAB]And then you are awake in the Vault. Well, “awake”. You snap out of a nap, on your desk. Or, at least you think you did. Huh. Must have fallen asleep...then. In any case, you’re awake, back in the Vault. Back home. Safety.
[TAB]It has been two years since you passed the GOAT. You’re now the Shift Supervisor. You take a look at the calendar with the May Vault Girls - 1st of May. Hey, that’s when-
[TAB]The door opens. It’s your father, bringing a package. He’s wearing a baseball cap and a Vault 117 Hawks jersey. He is, in the end, the coach of that team. And he has the Look. Ever since you took your GOAT and got your test results, according to which you’re a Shift Supervisor...well, it’s not that he thinks you are not his son. But perhaps, he feels disappointment from you. He always told you about how he became a coach and how his father before him did and et cetera and et cetera. He tried, he really did, to make you interested in baseball. Beyond a few dates, that didn’t work…
[TAB]”Hey sonny. Hope everythin’s okay down here, in your fine bureaucratic mess?” he asks
[TAB]”Same as always, dad. Some are nice, some are shifty bastards who wanna smoke while on work.” you say, and see the package ”Is this for me?”
[TAB]”Yeah. Overseer told me to bring it to you. Has some sort of a metal clanking…” he says to you, with a hint of concern
Busy. Always busy.
[TAB]As your father leaves, you look at your own office. It’s not a big one, just enough to hold your desk, and the cabinet in which you lock up the alcohol you managed to find but have to keep under lock until you turn 21. Vault rules. To add to this, you have nextdoors another Shift Supervisor, who maybe had a first name once upon a time, but that has long since passed. Nowadays, he’s just called Old Man Hannity. Speaking of things that he lacks: he probably has no soul. Upon his face, a dead, emotionless mask has descended, and the only times it ever changes is when burning rage overtakes him, once some fool did something. In moments like these, you can hear him shouting in the Reactor Room all the way from the Cafeteria.
[TAB]You don’t initially open the box that the Overseer sent you. You shake it up. You hear metal clanking. Huh. What can it be? You stare at the box, and after some thought, you open it. Inside, you find a 10mm pistol, shiny and recently polished. Your expertise with guns is, well, rather limited. You can identify most guns, maybe even take one apart and clean it. Then put it back together, if it isn’t too complex. But you never thought about using a gun against anyone else here. Maybe in self-defence, but still...You stare at the pistol’s black muzzle. If someone sees you right now, they will probably yell something like ”Stop, there’s more to life!”. You decide that, for the moment, its place would be best in the locked cabinet, underneath your little alcohol stockpile.
[TAB]A note slides out of the box. It’s scribbled in rather shaky handwriting. ”You are the one of the few I can trust. This weapon will be your guard when the insurrection begins. Damned kiddies with their drugs. Stay loyal and you’ll be my successor. -OVERSEER Jenkins”. Huh. Just like Vault Depressive Syndrome and Vault Homesickness Syndrome, there’s also Vault Paranoia. Oddly enough, the higher positions one takes within the Vault, the higher chance of this happening...
[TAB]Loyalty, huh? You haven’t seen the Overseer doing anything good for you, and to be fair, neither have you done anything good that would deserve that. Citing your inexperience, the Overseer decided you shouldn’t be supervising “important” things like the reactors, or the water supply. That means that you were delegated to observe people washing dishes, making sure that everyone washes their hands, observing whether the cutlery is clean, and, of course, watching people clean the Vault by the established standards, and so on, other inane and menial tasks like this. And, of course, most importantly. Keeping track of everyone and making sure that at this time, they were on their job, and not, say, smoking cigarettes and generally doing things that would make the older parts of the Vault blush.
[TAB]Your tools to accomplish those goals are your Pip Boy 3000B, which has all the names of the people whose shifts you’re responsible for, alongside their profession, and the Vault Standardization Guide (The Abridged Version. 800 pages.). It’s an ancient book, created nearly 180 years ago hy some now-dead Vault-Tec guy. It has stains of alcohol that are older than the newest class of GOAT graduates. It has coffee stains that have lived through several Overseers. There are missing pages, burnt pages, pages covered by enormous, unidentifiable stains. All in all, it’s the kind of book which you keep under key, lest one day it comes alive and decides get its revenge for the decades of abuse.
[TAB]That is to say...your job isn’t entirely without its, well, you called them perks, but in most cases, “straight out bribes” would be a much more appropriate term. It isn’t money, really, as it is worthless down here. Favours, mostly. And items of...certain rarity. For an example, the Howard’s kid, Pete, didn’t quite enjoy scrubbing the floors of the Vault after calling the Overseer a ”dirty old fart”. Fortunately, his father, Todd has a holotape with 100% gone wild content. All you have to do is to ignore his son’s mischievous antics.
[TAB]Unfortunately, those antics had lead to the death of the Overseer. The accident in itself isn’t intentional - or, at least, you hope it isn’t. Little Pete and his ragtag band of punks who don’t have much to do in the Vault, but they sure do come with an attitude, which in the end took out the Overseer. During a casual stroll by the gardens he regularly checks up, he finds some clothing articles - bras, underwear and even a discarded condom. He hears moaning, and oh God, the image, it just ends his life. A heart attack, it seems. It was instant death, at least.
[TAB]The new Overseer, in all honesty, is the same as the old one. He, too, is a paranoid bastard, but unlike the previous one, he’s younger and a bit...puritanical, to say the least. He serving alcohol, and went everyone’s drawers and cabinets, including yours, were searched for alcohol, and whaddaya know? They found it. This almost definitely put you in a worse light, and then he began evading you, and sent his messages to you only by letter. All in all, you were a prime candidate for getting fired.
[TAB]Since security is now tighter than ever, and loyal security guards are constantly on patrol for ’anti-social’ activities, bribing and corruption are now very difficult. Instead, some of the more...pragmatical folks had a realization: that true love isn’t eternal, but evading shift watch is, same with sharing one bed with the potential Overseer. Your family, unfortunately, is also one of these families. They don’t see you as their Son. You are the Shift Supervisor, Future Overseer of Vault 117. So you have to marry to a Respectable Family, and rise up in Vault Society. And maybe move out of the old residential room, because you’re already 18! People already make families by now!
[TAB]However, from all the would-be future wives you find one that quite suits you. It probably isn't their fault, all your suitors were likely fine people with good intentions at hear., However, whatever good qualities there might be, are immediately gone as you know well that they don’t want you because of who you are, but rather your profession, as a Shift Supervisor. You have so many dinners. They all start to blend together at some point. A table with food made by both yours and her parents. A tiresome and seemingly endless conversation about what’s going at your workplace. Oh, yeah, I caught someone smoing cigarettes while on shift. Hoo-ey! And it all ends once you took a glance over to the other table, just to see your parents, sending out a hungry gaze in your general direction...
This is Her. If you could make art, this is how she would have looked like.
[TAB]You have your eyes on someone else, however. Her name is Barbara. She is the barber, too. And by God does it show. You can see her hair in your dreams. It is beautiful. Just the right size - not too short, but not too long, gracing her shoulders with its ends...and those deep, brown eyes...It’s just such a contrast from the looks you’ve seen from any woman...or, indeed, anyone here, when you think about it. It has life in it. It speaks of hidden depths. Someone far, far more interesting than they might appear at a first look. She fascinates you, perhaps to the point of obsession.
[TAB]One of the few things you actually enjoy supervising is watching her cut hair. This sounds very banal, and all, but to you? It is the most amazing thing ever. You can watch her do anything, even the most mundane and pointless task imaginable, and it still will be far, far more interesting than anything you’ve ever seen in your life.
[TAB]The only sour thing in your unsung love is, well, the reason for which it was unsung. She is taken. John is the boyfriend’s name, and he is the football team’s quarterback. He is tall and imposing; a real mountain of muscles, in comparison to you. And he has near unlimited amounts of arrogance, stemming from the fact that he is the main reason that the Springfield Riflemen is winning so much against the Normal Chameleons. In his own words, his pass is like a .30-06 bullet crushing the enemy. As arrogant as it gets.
[TAB]Perhaps what rivals his arrogance is his (however true or false) ill-treatment of women. You still remember a rather unfortunate episode with him.
[TAB]It was the end of yet another long, hard day. To add to all of that, John’s sister, Samantha, was a bloody pain in the ass. She knew that you wouldn’t dare touch her, the sister of the best quarterback this Vault has ever seen, so she’s Privileged. But it was beginning to pile up. Tales of her promiscuity (spoken, of course, in a hushed voice…
were flying through the Vault, and the Overseer was wondering how would such a busy gal could be so “busy” with something completely different. In the end, that day, you gave in your report, which had a special section just about her little antics.
John, after a game.
[TAB]By all means, John was almost certainly enraged about it, as from a respected marriage counselor, she was demoted for the next three months to a lowly cleaner. So, you were worried about your near future, and more specifically, the ability to breathe through your nose. You decided that you should relax and unwind by going to the cafeteria. Who knows, maybe this is your lucky day. Perhaps you’ll find someone just for you..
[TAB]Whatever your plans were, however, they all went out of the window once you saw John come in. Oddly enough, he didn’t actually notice you at first. He noticed someone else. A girl, dancing with her two friends, on the dance floor, while hushing about something. An irresistible temptation for John, no doubt. To add to that, wasn’t that one of his many ex-girlfriends?
[TAB]Grinning, he approached her from behind, and then casually slapped her on the ass and wrapped his arm around her. Afterwards, you heard what is probably is the smarmiest tone you’ll hear for a long, long time…:
[TAB]”Heey, sugar…” he whispered into her ear, whilst raising his eyebrows in a way that he probably found suggestive, but you found to be only comical. ”What’s up with my little Janette?”
[TAB]”Get your sweaty arms off me, you pig!” she yelled, and escaped his loosened grip that was taken off-guard.
[TAB]”But Jane, I thought we had som-” he said, switching to a whiny, childish tone.
[TAB]”And my name’s Jean, you rat bastard!” she said, and slapped him in the face, leaving him dumbfounded.
[TAB]”Ah, Jean. You were a real naughty one, all right!” he recovered quickly. Then, he whispered into her ear, even closer now. You could only made out something about the church, a stool and wool. In any case, it made Jean blush as it went on, until she burst in tears and exited the cafeteria.
Shake a leg!
[TAB]At this point, you realised that your goal, of relaxation and taking a break, might suddenly turn into the exact opposite. You saw that John’s typical smirk had returned, now with an added pint of triumph, as he had achieved victory over the unruly girl who had the audacity to resist to him. And then he saw you.
[TAB]”Oh, my friend! My dear Mr. Shifty! Come, come! We have a lot to talk about…” his last words carried menace, and your throat went dry, making it very hard to swallow that last bite of pasta. Your hands began shaking with fear.
[TAB]”Um, I think I’ll leave. My shift’s due!” you said, in a bit of a shaky tone
[TAB]”Ahaha! Shifts! Good thing you opened the topic!” he said, then dropped all and any pretense of friendliness, and dragged you off to the nearby seats.
[TAB]You were expecting a severe beatdown. Instead, however, it seemed he actually wanted to talk with you. He was holding a notebook, crudely illustrated. You couldn’t see its title.
[TAB]”Do you know this book, by a chance?” he said, innocently. [/I]”It’s...and you wrote it.”
[TAB]”Hmm? Mind I take a look at it?” you asked
[TAB]”HA! You write so much of this garbage you don’t even remember it?” he mocked you ”Maybe taking a look at the front page would be a good reminder.”
[TAB]As he said that, he exposed the book cover. Well, you wouldn’t call it a book. It was a flimsy Vault-Tec notebook, except that someone emblazoned it with a pink marker the words A MILLION WAYS TO SODOMIZE IN THE VAULT, with a subtitle Male Procreation After The End. How could someone pick such an awful title? More importantly, what sick freak would draw those drawings on the front page? You see two men using one banana and did things that would make the Overseer drop down dead.
[TAB]”Remembering, huh, you freak?” he said ”Now...I think both of us know why we’re here. You little dweeb, you made my sis-”
[TAB]”That’s not my handwriting.” you blurted out, interrupting him.
[TAB]”Ha. Like anyone will believe you. Remember Harry? The former captain of the Normal Chameleons? Even now, they still call him “little yellow spy” behind his back!” he said. Or slithered, that would be a more accurate way to describe his voice. ”See, even the strongest can fall to rumours. And you’re not even strong. They already hate you, and now they’ll have mud to sling at you. Be wise. Leave a good word for my Sis - she’s repenting and she saw her mistakes. The Overseer will eat it up, I’m sure.”
[TAB]”No. I’m tired of your sister and her shenanigans. Read it out, if you want it so much! Maybe you even like it!” you said in a sudden fit of rage
[TAB]”Is that so? Well, if ya wanna be the sick pervert ‘till you die…” he said, then he cleared his throat. ”People! Look at what I found! A little book by our friend, our Mr. Shifty right here!”
[TAB]”Is that so, John? You’re now rummaging through people’s rooms to find dirt on ‘em?” one of Jean’s friends called him out
[TAB]”Is that true, John? Where did you find this?” one of the adults chimed in
[TAB]”It...it doesn’t matter! I’ll read out just a brief passage of it and you won’t care!” he says, enraged. ”Just hear the title! “A Million Ways To S-s-s-sodomize In The Vault”! Why isn’t this sick freak in chains already?!” he continued, although much to your amusement, the word “sodomizes” came out of his mouth with great difficulty.
[TAB]”Who’s the freak here? You just literally blackmailed me with this, all for your sister, Samantha! A no good, no-working...Slut!” you decide to go on the offensive once more, now that you’ve recovered from the initial fears you had. ”I bet she relieves the burdens of her clients like nobody’s business!”
[TAB]”Hey, you two, calm do-” the adult from earlier on began, but then the events swung in way too fast.
[TAB]John yelled something, but it came off as a beastly yell you could not comprehend. Nor did you have the time to do so, as you were about to get your face smashed by the quarterback, and it was totally your fault. If anything, however, it seemed that there was a light in the dark, as you heard a crumpling sound as the notebook snapped in two - it seemed you’ve infuriated him so much that he even forgot his little masterplan. Time slowed down to snail speed, and your senses are heightened - you see the pages gently fly through the air and reveal their contents - lines and lines of words, illustrated with crude drawings. There were various reactions from the people around you - some shocked, some amused, some just did not care at all. You heard the sound of paper crumbling. Unfortunately, you now imagine in those few precious seconds that this would be the very same sound your bones will make once John’s fist comes in contact with them…All that, in just several moments in eternity.
[TAB]It is then that merciful luck, providence or what-ever, came to your side. A guard entered the cafeteria, probably having heard the commotion. You heard a buzzing sound, and the fist shook right in front of your nose, not making a further move towards your face.
[TAB]”Cease, or we’ll have to carry your sorry ass to the doctor’s office.” is all that the guard said.
[TAB]John doesn’t respond, and just left angrily the cafeteria. You breathed a sigh of relief that all your teeth are still where they should be, as opposed to, say, being all over the floor or in a bag.
[TAB]This incident, as well as others, naturally make you leery of showing your true feelings. Sadly, those true feelings are also burning within your heart and you don’t know what you would do if you don’t confess. This indecisiveness was however painful for you, as every day, you feel that you are burnt to crisp by the flames of desire while simultaneously frozen by the chilling grasp of fear…It isn’t a healthy existence, this. Even if she rejects you, it still would be better than this state of limbo.
[TAB]What led to you confessing your feelings to you is an accident. Or maybe it is not. Perhaps it was fate itself intervening, although you doubt you’re that important.
[TAB]You are just doing your job, as per usual. You have your handy Pipboy, but something was amiss. Something is wrong. Barbara is nowhere to be found. Her clients are just as dumbfounded - she is always right on time, always ready for more work to do. You are also worried, as, in the end, missing shifts was what your Overseer would consider ”anti-social behaviour”, something that he would punish with great impunity.
[TAB]The first place you decide to check is her residential apartment. You know that she lives with John in his house, since her parents have died long time ago, leaving her all but alone, as someone else takes up their room, but you know that something’s up and if you don’t intervene, nobody will. You find her in the bathroom. Her face is red, full of tears running down her sides. On the bathroom stand, you see several opened bottles of what seems to be sleep medicine. What’s going on?
Sadness.
[TAB]”Go away!” she slurs at you ”I’m not coming to my work! Ever! Never gonna work again!”
[TAB]”Calm down, calm down. What’s wrong?” you say. ”You can tell me.”
[TAB]”W-what? You? The writer of smutty gay fanfiction? Don’t give me that crap! You know what it is...no...actually you don’t! You have no idea what it is to be stuck in this dead-end job!” she is about to continue, but another wave of tears comes on ”The GOAT has decided you’re a barber, and there’s nothing, no, nothing you could do! Barber from sixteen until you keel over!”
[TAB]”But Barbara. Think about it. You’re making people happy. Your talent is helping them feel better about their lives.” you say ”Remember the last class of GOAT graduates? It was the best time of their lives, but it became even better with you helping them out.”
[TAB]”No...No! Nobody notices that! I am a pair of hands holding hair clippers! Who would see this? “Talent”? Can one person, just one person tell me that I am talented?” Barbara stutters
[TAB]”I do. Always.” you say, and an expression of...surprise appears on Barbara’s face ”I see that you put effort and handiwork into every single haircut you do. It is very satisfying to see you work. You’ve got the skill of an artisan.”
[TAB]”R-r-really?” she says, while visibly blushing ”That’s so kind of you…I m-mean, of all people...I thought you...you aren’t into that?”
[TAB]”What? No!” you say, waving your hands ”Did John tell you that?”
[TAB]”Oh, John, John. He is a nice guy. To me. Only to me.” she says, then she leans over at the wall. ”Nice...of all girlfriends he has, he’s been only that nice only to me. But I am a slave to him. A pitiful little slave...slave...slave..” she dozes off
[TAB]”What? Don’t fall asleep! Hey!” you shake her, and she wakes up. You decide that it would be best to get her out from this bath tub and get her to bed, and then call a medic to do a check-up on her. You offer your hand to her, which she takes as if in some sort of a dream.
[TAB]You pull her out. Gently. She stumbles and, it’s quite clear by now that she probably couldn’t shave anyone’s hair without also taking out someone’s head. Is it because of her emotional state, or is it something else? What pills did she swallow? Certain combinations could mean death for her.
[TAB]”oh my God those pills” Barbara says, then falls asleep on your shoulder.
[TAB]This is quite the precarious situation. Right now, Barbara is probably on several kinds of sleep medication, and is essentially immobile. What worries you far more however is the fact you’re not sure if she’s okay or not. There of course exists the constant threat that John might enter and make your life incredibly, incredibly miserable, considering that this is his house. Since this is the opposite of what you want, you have to get out very, very quickly. You gently haul her through the room, lay her down on her bed, and then tuck her in a blanket, time be damned..
[TAB]You exit the bedroom, but when you look at the windows, you see an unfortunate picture. One, her John is coming.. Two: he also notices you, and he’s rushing towards you. Three? He’s very, very angry. And, in an unique stroke of luck, he has friends too?
[TAB]”Oh, you little dweeb! You’re the worst, aren’tya! Stalkin’ my girlfriend, oh, I know, I heard!” he yells at you, and prepares to punch your soul outta your body ”Tell me where she is, and ya might come outta this room with your teeth intact!”
[TAB]”You idiot! Call a medic!” you yell at him. Your voice has lost all of its previous calmness and coolness. ”She’s lying unconscious in the bedroom and she might die, you stupid son of a gun!”
[TAB]”You sick bastard! Did you drug her! Ya wanted to rape her, you son of a whore!” he jumps out of the room, but you’re not there anymore.
[TAB]”Alright. Listen. Let’s leave our grudges behind, for this moment. Just call up the Doc on the Video Display Unit, to send help down there.” you say ”Do it for Barbara. After this...ah, well, you can beat me up if you want it so much…”
[TAB]”You just wanna flee...No, until I see that Barbara is sick with my very two eyes, I’m not letting you off.” he says, and points at his two friends ”You two. Keep an eye on him.” he says, and then rushes away to the room.
[TAB]”I suppose you wouldn’t let me use the VOU?” you ask innocently ”Aw, com-”
[TAB]”BARBIE!’ a yell from inside interrupts you. The two friends close in at you.
[TAB]But you already rush at the nearest VOU, and hit the Emergency Button. Like always, however, it takes its time explaining the various options available to you. They’re almost here. So you hit a random button, aaaaaand, well, luckily, it’s the Doc.
[TAB]Unluckily, it seems you’ve been cornered. It is time for the traditional ”getting the snot beaten out of you” time. How fun. A kick lands right in the scruff of your neck. Ow. The light becomes insufferably bright as you lean into the monitor, but hey, it seems Doc isn’t here anymore, then suddenly, it goes out dark. You hear only the last words ”What the hell are you idiots dooing!”. Then it all fades out.
[/FONT]
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
[FONT=”Georgia”]
[TAB]”He’s alive, oh my God, he’s alive!” she yells.
[TAB]”Oh, for Christssakes...Can’t I get one night of proper sleep for a change?” Maggie says, in an annoyed tone
[TAB]”Are we...ough, are we somewhere else?” you ask, feeling pain in your chest
[TAB]”Ah, good! It seems that the collision with the ground didn’t damage your brain. Indeed, we’ve been moving towards Normal, and those two friendly gentlemen helped us with that goal.” Maggie says, and points at the two men ”Apparently, your raider friend decided to do one last thing for ya, and assigned ‘em to carry you ‘cross the Wastes on an improvised stretcher.”
[TAB]”How...how nice of him” you answer. ”Oof, why...why is it still hurting?”
[TAB]”Seems that Stimpaks take their time healing ya. Ain’t an instant thing.” Elise says. ”Plugged two of those thingies, but it’s still pretty bad. So don’t move much, all right?” [+5 HP, -2 Stimpaks]
[TAB]”Oh...okay.” Wow, why did it get all dark all of a sudden? Oh, bloody hell…
[TAB]...you’re awake, once more. A hospital room. But not like one in the Wastes. Oh, no. It’s the Vault hospital room. Good lord, isn’t it just frustrating that you spend so much time waking up from unconsciousness? At this point, it is as if someone’s doing this deliberately. You don’t feel your left side very well, although after further inspection, it turns out that your teeth are miraculously intact.
[TAB]The Vault doctor notices you’re awake. He’s a large, bulkish man. Some of the more...gossiping members of the Vault said that he eats his patients, or even, indeed, swear on my mother, that they saw him in the night, munching at the dead patient’s bodies. With salt, to boot! While you didn’t believe those rumours, you did find them somewhat entertaining.
Time for your medicine.
[TAB]”Back alive, are we? You really, really shouldn’t get into fights, young man!” he says, in a deep voice
[TAB]”In my defense, I was just doing my job” you say
[TAB]”Yeah, yeah! Doing your job, hah!” he laughs at you ”Under normal circumstances, your job shouldn’t lead you to having to be scraped off the floor. Ya got lucky I saw you on the VOU before you turned into blood paste, and then called the Vault guards, who then decided to use their cattle prods on your friends, and, well, it just made my day a little bit worse.”
[TAB]”And what happened with Barbara?” you ask concerned.
[TAB]”Hmm. Vault Depressive Syndrome in its beginning stages. Low-self esteem, anxiety..so I thought initially, but I fear it’s getting worse. Fast.” he leans in, and whispers conspiratorially ”And...I think she might be getting beat by John. I found some bruises on her - from two weeks ago.”
[TAB]”When John slipped down and nearly costed the game?” you wonder ”He seemed so angry at seeing that he could, too, fail.”
[TAB]”Then he probably unloads his rage onto her.” the doc sighs ”And knowing John, he probably verbally abused her, too…”
[TAB]”So...you’re saying she’s depressed?” you say, very concerned. ”But she seemed so happy..
[TAB]”It’s just a mask. We all wear them...but it seems Barbara couldn’t bear it any longer. The pills she took - sleeping pills, all right, over-the-counter, she almost certainly tried to end her life.” the doctor says, but as he sees your face, he continues ”No, no. She’s all right. She made a full recovery and woke up several hours before you. But...lemme tell ya something.”
[TAB]”What?” you ask
[TAB]”You like her, don’t you? I mean I doubt you just checked on her because she missed her shift - you were worried about her. And that saved her.” he says ”You’re probably one of the few people to treat her with human decency. She needs this. Desperately. If you truly love her, or even just care, you need to provide her with the emotional support she needs to get through this.”
[TAB]”I don’t know if I can do this.Will I be enough for her?” you say ”But...I guess I’ll do my best. I must do it, for Barbara.”
[TAB]It is then that Barbara enters the building. She seems distraught and her hair was messy. She survived this ordeal, but it seems that it has a psychological toll on her. The doctor leaves, but he still nods at you encouragingly.
[TAB]”I heard what happened.” is all that Barbara says ”You got in there..and, well...why did you do this? I just...ah, I just wanted to quietly leave this world, and be free of my troubles, forever.”
[TAB]”I saw that you were missing. And...how should I say it. I felt worried. Not as a Shift Supervisor, who’s looking after another worker, but...you know…” you say, and blush ”...as someone who likes you.”
[TAB]”R-r-really?” she also blushes ”Y-you know, you must be one of the few kind people I’ve seen since my parents...well, since they died. Was just 16, barely passed the GOAT. And I thought - this is it, Barbara, all kindness is gone. Only the cruel Vault world awaits. It’s why I was with John...if nothing else, he gave me protection...but now…”
[TAB]”What happened?” you ask, worriedly. Did he lash out at her?
[TAB]”Truth is, I voluntarily entered this relationship. When he first flirted with me I was flattered, you know? I felt that he likes me for who I am. Then he began isolating me.” she says, visibly more calm. ”Or was it me who isolated myself? I don’t know, but the few friends I had just...weren’t there. It’s been such a long time since I met them…” she gets teary once more
[TAB]”It’s all right. I’m here.” you just say, not knowing what else to add
[TAB]”But even then...I didn’t realise that this relationship was broken until he lost. It’s such a rare thing...And he lashed out at me...It wasn’t the physical pain that hurt me. It was the realisation that he wasn’t who I thought he is. He shattered my illusions. I thought he would be someone who would watch over me. But by then, he was all that I had left.” she says, in a sad tone ”I should have known earlier. You probably think I’m a fool, don’t you.”
[TAB]”No. Never. Perfectly understandable. You were feeling lonely, and when someone reached out for you...well, you had no way of knowing what he is, ain’t that right.” you say
[TAB]”That day, the one you came here...well, it was one of those days. I woke up and I wondered...why? There is no point in living. A dull, monotone routine. Followed by a lukewarm welcome back by my boyfriend who didn’t even care about me, as long as I was alive, and I was there as his lil’ dolly.” she says ”So I went to the apothecary, got some sleeping pills over-the-counter, claiming I had troubles sleeping, and then...well, I just went ahead. You saw me, there.”
[TAB]”There’s more to life than this, believe me. You may think that’s not true, but it is. And I hope that you realise that I am absolutely sincere when I tell you that I feel there’s value to your existence. Maybe one day, you’ll finally love yourself, like I love you.” you say
[TAB]”Y-you l-love me? I...I thought there was no one else who cared for me in the slightest. I thought that, in comparison to other people, his behaviour is outright compassionate. I thought other people just thought of me as another drone that cuts off their excess hair, nothing more, nothing less.” she says ”Your confession, it...it is touching, for me. Did you know that I broke up with John? I knew that this had to end the moment I woke up. ”
[TAB]”How did John react to this?” you ask
[TAB]”He was furious. To abandon him, the oh-so mighty quarterback? Unthinkable. If I didn’t break up in public, God knows, he would have beaten me up..” she says, shaking her head ”That’s not the worst part. I’m homeless now. He threw out my belongings right out into the corridors as if they were some trash. I just don’t know what to do.”
[TAB]”I do. Come on. Pack your things. I have a bed for you, if nothing else.” you say
[TAB]”You...you really would do that for me?” she says
[TAB]”Of course. Come with me. I don’t think my parents would mind..” you say, but then think for a moment ”Well, they might do. But it won’t matter. Just the two of us do, here and now.” you reach out, and hug her.
[TAB]Holding hands, you head through the corridors of the Vault. You can swear that you had seen John, but maybe it’s just you. You enter your family’s room, and you see your parents waiting on for you.
[TAB]”Sonny! You’re ba-” your dad begins, but is promptly interrupted.
[TAB]”Who the hell’s this girl?!” your mother yells ”So you get in a fight, get your face bruised, and now you’re bringing some other girl!”
[TAB]”Oh, so it’s not even been an hour since I awoke after getting my face turned into a nice, pulpy mess, and you’re already berating me? How classic, Mother. I always thought that parents are supposed to support you.” you say in a condescending tone ”Anyway, this is Barbara, she’s the barber and-”
[TAB]”A BARBER?!” your mother yells on the top of her lungs ”This is the daughter of the chief Vault engineer! I’ve always tried to get you higher in life, where you’ll be respected! Maybe even become the next Overseer!”
[TAB]”Oh, Mother. You’ve never got it, did you? You offer me a “higher” life, but you never offer me love...If you could even offer love!” you answer angrily. ’This is my choice, Mother. There’s nothing you could do.” you say, and then you leave.
[TAB]”No way in hell I’ll leave my son to go away for a whore like tha-” your mother says, but she’s yelling at the empty air, as you’ve already left.
[TAB]”Well, that’s my family. Sometimes I feel a little jealous of you, for being an orphan.” you say, facetiously ”But I think they’ll accept you, eventually.”
[TAB]”That’s family for you. I sure do miss mine...Think they would accept ya much much more warmly.” Barbara says
[TAB]”Who knows.” you say, then reach a door. You hit the button, and the old door opens with whirring. ”Well. There we are. My luxurious and glamorous suite.”
[TAB]Indeed, your room isn’t the worst, but neither is it the best. All of the furniture is comprised of a double bed, a single desk and a drawer. It is a mess, and oddly enough, you noticed that only when a girl you actually like (as opposed to multiple one-night stands… entered.
[TAB]”Double bed, eh? How did you get that?” Barbara says
[TAB]”Ask my parents. They brought it here.” you answer ”Mother said that...ah, well, I won’t be forever alone, so it would be best if me and my potential wife could be..closer face-to-face?”
[TAB]”She doesn’t like me much, does she?” she says
[TAB]”Yes, but it doesn’t matter. You’ve moved in, and I will stand by my decision.” you say ”Come to it, don’t you have luggage?”
[TAB]”It can wait..I’m too tired.” she says, as she lays down on the bed. You join her.
[TAB]”So...Goodnight?” you ask. All you hear is snoring. You, too, soon fall asleep..
[TAB]...and awaken once more, opening your eyes to see that you’re in a new locale. This time, on a wooden table. Aw, damnit. These kinds of flashbacks always end when everything’s all right and fine once more, don’t they.
[TAB]You hear someone shouting. They’re angry. Strangely enough, however, that shout is oddly familiar. Is it Elise? Or Maggie? Or...both? You step out of the wooden table. Odd. No longer are you feeling light-headed, neither you’re bleeding to death. It seems you were dragged to a proper medical personnel.
[TAB]You walk towards the noise. As you open the door, a new, but still very familiar picture appeared before you. Your companions, angry. Elise was shouting at...huh, that’s Doc Marty! You’re in Normal! Maggie was silent, yet threatening, as she toyed with her revolver, while Eric was sitting on a chair, and anticipating the fight between the doctor and Elise. Behind the doctor, two very friendly bodyguards with an attitude, and assault rifles, made sure that the fight stays only verbal..for now.
[TAB]”-could be dead! I’m not paying any caps for dead people!” Elise yells
[TAB]”What?! I plugged four stimpaks from my own storage for this! Even if he’s dead, you will pay me!” Marty answers back
[TAB]”Aha, so you admit he’s dead! Oh, you killed him!” Elise yells hysterically
[TAB]”Elise, calm down with your hysterics. Our favourite vault dweller’s still alive. Maggie says, calmly, looking at you.
[TAB]”Not just alive, but also walking ‘mongst us!” Eric says, and pats you on the shoulder ”Hey, welcome back to the world of the living! And the almost-living, of course…”
[TAB]”Please, would you calm down your companions? They’ve been a nuisance ever since they dragged you over here!” Doc Marty says ”Not to mention they’ve refused to pay for my extremely high-skill surgeries that saved your life!”
[TAB]’This little doctor wants 750 caps! Can you imagine the audacity!” Eric says ”Even in Chicago, more than 500 caps is an extortion!”
[TAB]”Well, you see, it’s all about supply-and-demand. In Chicago, there’s a number of competing, high-skill doctors, while the nearest doctor that won’t sow your leg to your face is in Springfield.” he says in an infuriating, smarter-than-thou tone ”And judging by the condition of your friend when you first brought him, pretty sure that by the time you reached Springfield, he would be a cold, cold corpse, hmm?”
[TAB]”I think 650 caps would be sufficient. The standard pay of 500 caps plus an extra 150 caps to cover the emergency need and your stimpaks.” you try to haggle
[TAB]”Hahaha! Did you hear that, boys? I didn’t see any shrapnels hitting your head, but now I’m not sure! How delusional you must be to think a tiny 150 caps could cover my supplies and my stimpaks?!” he says [Barter Check: Failed!]
[TAB]”Well, actually, you said you needed a Doctor’s Bag so you took one of ours, so I think it’d be fair if you give us a slight deduction?” Elise says ”What do you say for...about, 675 caps?”
[TAB]”I don’t go below 700 caps, babe.” he answers in a sleazy tone, perhaps referencing however that if something else falls, the price could fall very quickly. ”The offer still stands. 750 caps or I’ll tell my buddies to turn you into mincemeat.”
[TAB]”How about, uh...725 caps?” you say in the most appealing voice you can pull off.
[TAB]”Fine. Only out of the goodness of my heart.” he says, and looks at Elise and Maggie ”And, uh, if you ladies ever visit Normal again and you’re alone, let me tell you from now on that my doors are always open for you...in more than one way!” while smirking. Or, at least, trying to. [-1 Doctor’s Bag, -725 caps, Full Health Restored]
[TAB]”Sorry, not a fan of parasites who profit off of human misery!’’ Elise cuts him off, while Maggie co cks her revolver extremely loudly. You should ask her how she pulled that out - the sound was deafening. And probably spoke for itself and its owner more than enough.
[TAB]You exit the doctor’s office. Something’s reeking, however. You’re not sure what, but it’s near you.
[TAB]”Can you smell it?” Maggie says before you open your mouth
[TAB]”Ain’t me, if that’s what you’re asking.” Eric answers, defensively.
[TAB]”No, it’s not you...it’s coming from the backpack.” she says
[TAB]”Oh! Must be the fire gecko pelts we collected…” Elise says, and begins rummaging in the backpack. ”Ugh, that stinks!”
[TAB]”Well, we should go to Gordon and redeem our pelts, eh? Combat armour awaits!” you say
[TAB]As you approach Gordon’s house, however, something isn’t quite right. You smell smoke. Alas, it is not the beginning of a fire, but rather, the end of it. The store is but a smouldering façade now. You enter the ruins of it. Oh, poor Gordon...You see his headless corpse, nailed with a stake through his heart. Someone has written with his blood ”HELP THE GHOULS, DIE LIKE THE GHOULS”. They probably thought it’s funny.
[TAB]Rummaging through the building, you find no combat armour. Miraculously, in a locked locker, you find something else. Someone had the interesting idea to combine a leather armour and a Vault suit. It says 108 on the back. Someone scribbled “GARY” on the front. Well, you’re not Gary in any case. [Armoured 108 Jumpsuit equipped - +5 Sneak + 1 AGI]. Also, in other news: Quests complete: Fortunate Son & A Ghoulish Proposal, totalling 100exp! Level up, oh yeah!]
[TAB]”Snazzy suit, boss.” is all that Eric or anyone says.
Nice suit.
[TAB]With hearts heavy from the sights you just saw, you leave Gordon’s house. Then, you set on for your destination - this time for real - Farmer City! Or…
[/FONT]
23:00
[TAB]You wake up. But not as the 18-years old Shift Supervisor, but as, well, the person sent out in the Wastes to save his Vault. The night sky is a pleasant break from the bright Vault lights that can sear into your eyes and screwing with them like nobody’s business. A fireplace burns right next to you, bringing you warmth. You see Elise and Maggie right in front of you, asleep...or, at least, at a first glance it seemed like that. You see Elise opening her eye, and then the other. [TAB]”He’s alive, oh my God, he’s alive!” she yells.
[TAB]”Oh, for Christssakes...Can’t I get one night of proper sleep for a change?” Maggie says, in an annoyed tone
[TAB]”Are we...ough, are we somewhere else?” you ask, feeling pain in your chest
[TAB]”Ah, good! It seems that the collision with the ground didn’t damage your brain. Indeed, we’ve been moving towards Normal, and those two friendly gentlemen helped us with that goal.” Maggie says, and points at the two men ”Apparently, your raider friend decided to do one last thing for ya, and assigned ‘em to carry you ‘cross the Wastes on an improvised stretcher.”
[TAB]”How...how nice of him” you answer. ”Oof, why...why is it still hurting?”
[TAB]”Seems that Stimpaks take their time healing ya. Ain’t an instant thing.” Elise says. ”Plugged two of those thingies, but it’s still pretty bad. So don’t move much, all right?” [+5 HP, -2 Stimpaks]
[TAB]”Oh...okay.” Wow, why did it get all dark all of a sudden? Oh, bloody hell…
??:??
[TAB]...you’re awake, once more. A hospital room. But not like one in the Wastes. Oh, no. It’s the Vault hospital room. Good lord, isn’t it just frustrating that you spend so much time waking up from unconsciousness? At this point, it is as if someone’s doing this deliberately. You don’t feel your left side very well, although after further inspection, it turns out that your teeth are miraculously intact.
[TAB]The Vault doctor notices you’re awake. He’s a large, bulkish man. Some of the more...gossiping members of the Vault said that he eats his patients, or even, indeed, swear on my mother, that they saw him in the night, munching at the dead patient’s bodies. With salt, to boot! While you didn’t believe those rumours, you did find them somewhat entertaining.
Time for your medicine.
[TAB]”Back alive, are we? You really, really shouldn’t get into fights, young man!” he says, in a deep voice
[TAB]”In my defense, I was just doing my job” you say
[TAB]”Yeah, yeah! Doing your job, hah!” he laughs at you ”Under normal circumstances, your job shouldn’t lead you to having to be scraped off the floor. Ya got lucky I saw you on the VOU before you turned into blood paste, and then called the Vault guards, who then decided to use their cattle prods on your friends, and, well, it just made my day a little bit worse.”
[TAB]”And what happened with Barbara?” you ask concerned.
[TAB]”Hmm. Vault Depressive Syndrome in its beginning stages. Low-self esteem, anxiety..so I thought initially, but I fear it’s getting worse. Fast.” he leans in, and whispers conspiratorially ”And...I think she might be getting beat by John. I found some bruises on her - from two weeks ago.”
[TAB]”When John slipped down and nearly costed the game?” you wonder ”He seemed so angry at seeing that he could, too, fail.”
[TAB]”Then he probably unloads his rage onto her.” the doc sighs ”And knowing John, he probably verbally abused her, too…”
[TAB]”So...you’re saying she’s depressed?” you say, very concerned. ”But she seemed so happy..
[TAB]”It’s just a mask. We all wear them...but it seems Barbara couldn’t bear it any longer. The pills she took - sleeping pills, all right, over-the-counter, she almost certainly tried to end her life.” the doctor says, but as he sees your face, he continues ”No, no. She’s all right. She made a full recovery and woke up several hours before you. But...lemme tell ya something.”
[TAB]”What?” you ask
[TAB]”You like her, don’t you? I mean I doubt you just checked on her because she missed her shift - you were worried about her. And that saved her.” he says ”You’re probably one of the few people to treat her with human decency. She needs this. Desperately. If you truly love her, or even just care, you need to provide her with the emotional support she needs to get through this.”
[TAB]”I don’t know if I can do this.Will I be enough for her?” you say ”But...I guess I’ll do my best. I must do it, for Barbara.”
[TAB]It is then that Barbara enters the building. She seems distraught and her hair was messy. She survived this ordeal, but it seems that it has a psychological toll on her. The doctor leaves, but he still nods at you encouragingly.
[TAB]”I heard what happened.” is all that Barbara says ”You got in there..and, well...why did you do this? I just...ah, I just wanted to quietly leave this world, and be free of my troubles, forever.”
[TAB]”I saw that you were missing. And...how should I say it. I felt worried. Not as a Shift Supervisor, who’s looking after another worker, but...you know…” you say, and blush ”...as someone who likes you.”
[TAB]”R-r-really?” she also blushes ”Y-you know, you must be one of the few kind people I’ve seen since my parents...well, since they died. Was just 16, barely passed the GOAT. And I thought - this is it, Barbara, all kindness is gone. Only the cruel Vault world awaits. It’s why I was with John...if nothing else, he gave me protection...but now…”
[TAB]”What happened?” you ask, worriedly. Did he lash out at her?
[TAB]”Truth is, I voluntarily entered this relationship. When he first flirted with me I was flattered, you know? I felt that he likes me for who I am. Then he began isolating me.” she says, visibly more calm. ”Or was it me who isolated myself? I don’t know, but the few friends I had just...weren’t there. It’s been such a long time since I met them…” she gets teary once more
[TAB]”It’s all right. I’m here.” you just say, not knowing what else to add
[TAB]”But even then...I didn’t realise that this relationship was broken until he lost. It’s such a rare thing...And he lashed out at me...It wasn’t the physical pain that hurt me. It was the realisation that he wasn’t who I thought he is. He shattered my illusions. I thought he would be someone who would watch over me. But by then, he was all that I had left.” she says, in a sad tone ”I should have known earlier. You probably think I’m a fool, don’t you.”
[TAB]”No. Never. Perfectly understandable. You were feeling lonely, and when someone reached out for you...well, you had no way of knowing what he is, ain’t that right.” you say
[TAB]”That day, the one you came here...well, it was one of those days. I woke up and I wondered...why? There is no point in living. A dull, monotone routine. Followed by a lukewarm welcome back by my boyfriend who didn’t even care about me, as long as I was alive, and I was there as his lil’ dolly.” she says ”So I went to the apothecary, got some sleeping pills over-the-counter, claiming I had troubles sleeping, and then...well, I just went ahead. You saw me, there.”
[TAB]”There’s more to life than this, believe me. You may think that’s not true, but it is. And I hope that you realise that I am absolutely sincere when I tell you that I feel there’s value to your existence. Maybe one day, you’ll finally love yourself, like I love you.” you say
[TAB]”Y-you l-love me? I...I thought there was no one else who cared for me in the slightest. I thought that, in comparison to other people, his behaviour is outright compassionate. I thought other people just thought of me as another drone that cuts off their excess hair, nothing more, nothing less.” she says ”Your confession, it...it is touching, for me. Did you know that I broke up with John? I knew that this had to end the moment I woke up. ”
[TAB]”How did John react to this?” you ask
[TAB]”He was furious. To abandon him, the oh-so mighty quarterback? Unthinkable. If I didn’t break up in public, God knows, he would have beaten me up..” she says, shaking her head ”That’s not the worst part. I’m homeless now. He threw out my belongings right out into the corridors as if they were some trash. I just don’t know what to do.”
[TAB]”I do. Come on. Pack your things. I have a bed for you, if nothing else.” you say
[TAB]”You...you really would do that for me?” she says
[TAB]”Of course. Come with me. I don’t think my parents would mind..” you say, but then think for a moment ”Well, they might do. But it won’t matter. Just the two of us do, here and now.” you reach out, and hug her.
[TAB]Holding hands, you head through the corridors of the Vault. You can swear that you had seen John, but maybe it’s just you. You enter your family’s room, and you see your parents waiting on for you.
[TAB]”Sonny! You’re ba-” your dad begins, but is promptly interrupted.
[TAB]”Who the hell’s this girl?!” your mother yells ”So you get in a fight, get your face bruised, and now you’re bringing some other girl!”
[TAB]”Oh, so it’s not even been an hour since I awoke after getting my face turned into a nice, pulpy mess, and you’re already berating me? How classic, Mother. I always thought that parents are supposed to support you.” you say in a condescending tone ”Anyway, this is Barbara, she’s the barber and-”
[TAB]”A BARBER?!” your mother yells on the top of her lungs ”This is the daughter of the chief Vault engineer! I’ve always tried to get you higher in life, where you’ll be respected! Maybe even become the next Overseer!”
[TAB]”Oh, Mother. You’ve never got it, did you? You offer me a “higher” life, but you never offer me love...If you could even offer love!” you answer angrily. ’This is my choice, Mother. There’s nothing you could do.” you say, and then you leave.
[TAB]”No way in hell I’ll leave my son to go away for a whore like tha-” your mother says, but she’s yelling at the empty air, as you’ve already left.
[TAB]”Well, that’s my family. Sometimes I feel a little jealous of you, for being an orphan.” you say, facetiously ”But I think they’ll accept you, eventually.”
[TAB]”That’s family for you. I sure do miss mine...Think they would accept ya much much more warmly.” Barbara says
[TAB]”Who knows.” you say, then reach a door. You hit the button, and the old door opens with whirring. ”Well. There we are. My luxurious and glamorous suite.”
[TAB]Indeed, your room isn’t the worst, but neither is it the best. All of the furniture is comprised of a double bed, a single desk and a drawer. It is a mess, and oddly enough, you noticed that only when a girl you actually like (as opposed to multiple one-night stands…
entered.
[TAB]”Double bed, eh? How did you get that?” Barbara says
[TAB]”Ask my parents. They brought it here.” you answer ”Mother said that...ah, well, I won’t be forever alone, so it would be best if me and my potential wife could be..closer face-to-face?”
[TAB]”She doesn’t like me much, does she?” she says
[TAB]”Yes, but it doesn’t matter. You’ve moved in, and I will stand by my decision.” you say ”Come to it, don’t you have luggage?”
[TAB]”It can wait..I’m too tired.” she says, as she lays down on the bed. You join her.
[TAB]”So...Goodnight?” you ask. All you hear is snoring. You, too, soon fall asleep..
07:00
[TAB]...and awaken once more, opening your eyes to see that you’re in a new locale. This time, on a wooden table. Aw, damnit. These kinds of flashbacks always end when everything’s all right and fine once more, don’t they.
[TAB]You hear someone shouting. They’re angry. Strangely enough, however, that shout is oddly familiar. Is it Elise? Or Maggie? Or...both? You step out of the wooden table. Odd. No longer are you feeling light-headed, neither you’re bleeding to death. It seems you were dragged to a proper medical personnel.
[TAB]You walk towards the noise. As you open the door, a new, but still very familiar picture appeared before you. Your companions, angry. Elise was shouting at...huh, that’s Doc Marty! You’re in Normal! Maggie was silent, yet threatening, as she toyed with her revolver, while Eric was sitting on a chair, and anticipating the fight between the doctor and Elise. Behind the doctor, two very friendly bodyguards with an attitude, and assault rifles, made sure that the fight stays only verbal..for now.
[TAB]”-could be dead! I’m not paying any caps for dead people!” Elise yells
[TAB]”What?! I plugged four stimpaks from my own storage for this! Even if he’s dead, you will pay me!” Marty answers back
[TAB]”Aha, so you admit he’s dead! Oh, you killed him!” Elise yells hysterically
[TAB]”Elise, calm down with your hysterics. Our favourite vault dweller’s still alive. Maggie says, calmly, looking at you.
[TAB]”Not just alive, but also walking ‘mongst us!” Eric says, and pats you on the shoulder ”Hey, welcome back to the world of the living! And the almost-living, of course…”
[TAB]”Please, would you calm down your companions? They’ve been a nuisance ever since they dragged you over here!” Doc Marty says ”Not to mention they’ve refused to pay for my extremely high-skill surgeries that saved your life!”
[TAB]’This little doctor wants 750 caps! Can you imagine the audacity!” Eric says ”Even in Chicago, more than 500 caps is an extortion!”
[TAB]”Well, you see, it’s all about supply-and-demand. In Chicago, there’s a number of competing, high-skill doctors, while the nearest doctor that won’t sow your leg to your face is in Springfield.” he says in an infuriating, smarter-than-thou tone ”And judging by the condition of your friend when you first brought him, pretty sure that by the time you reached Springfield, he would be a cold, cold corpse, hmm?”
[TAB]”I think 650 caps would be sufficient. The standard pay of 500 caps plus an extra 150 caps to cover the emergency need and your stimpaks.” you try to haggle
[TAB]”Hahaha! Did you hear that, boys? I didn’t see any shrapnels hitting your head, but now I’m not sure! How delusional you must be to think a tiny 150 caps could cover my supplies and my stimpaks?!” he says [Barter Check: Failed!]
[TAB]”Well, actually, you said you needed a Doctor’s Bag so you took one of ours, so I think it’d be fair if you give us a slight deduction?” Elise says ”What do you say for...about, 675 caps?”
[TAB]”I don’t go below 700 caps, babe.” he answers in a sleazy tone, perhaps referencing however that if something else falls, the price could fall very quickly. ”The offer still stands. 750 caps or I’ll tell my buddies to turn you into mincemeat.”
[TAB]”How about, uh...725 caps?” you say in the most appealing voice you can pull off.
[TAB]”Fine. Only out of the goodness of my heart.” he says, and looks at Elise and Maggie ”And, uh, if you ladies ever visit Normal again and you’re alone, let me tell you from now on that my doors are always open for you...in more than one way!” while smirking. Or, at least, trying to. [-1 Doctor’s Bag, -725 caps, Full Health Restored]
[TAB]”Sorry, not a fan of parasites who profit off of human misery!’’ Elise cuts him off, while Maggie co cks her revolver extremely loudly. You should ask her how she pulled that out - the sound was deafening. And probably spoke for itself and its owner more than enough.
[TAB]You exit the doctor’s office. Something’s reeking, however. You’re not sure what, but it’s near you.
[TAB]”Can you smell it?” Maggie says before you open your mouth
[TAB]”Ain’t me, if that’s what you’re asking.” Eric answers, defensively.
[TAB]”No, it’s not you...it’s coming from the backpack.” she says
[TAB]”Oh! Must be the fire gecko pelts we collected…” Elise says, and begins rummaging in the backpack. ”Ugh, that stinks!”
[TAB]”Well, we should go to Gordon and redeem our pelts, eh? Combat armour awaits!” you say
[TAB]As you approach Gordon’s house, however, something isn’t quite right. You smell smoke. Alas, it is not the beginning of a fire, but rather, the end of it. The store is but a smouldering façade now. You enter the ruins of it. Oh, poor Gordon...You see his headless corpse, nailed with a stake through his heart. Someone has written with his blood ”HELP THE GHOULS, DIE LIKE THE GHOULS”. They probably thought it’s funny.
[TAB]Rummaging through the building, you find no combat armour. Miraculously, in a locked locker, you find something else. Someone had the interesting idea to combine a leather armour and a Vault suit. It says 108 on the back. Someone scribbled “GARY” on the front. Well, you’re not Gary in any case. [Armoured 108 Jumpsuit equipped - +5 Sneak + 1 AGI]. Also, in other news: Quests complete: Fortunate Son & A Ghoulish Proposal, totalling 100exp! Level up, oh yeah!]
[TAB]”Snazzy suit, boss.” is all that Eric or anyone says.
Nice suit.
[TAB]With hearts heavy from the sights you just saw, you leave Gordon’s house. Then, you set on for your destination - this time for real - Farmer City! Or…
[/FONT]
- Onwards, to Farmer City! [Plot continuation. Yes, yes...I know.)
- A caravan heads out to a local community on the I-74 road. Still en-route to Farmer City, but who knows, something might happen….[Sort of plot continuation?]
- Nah. Pick our own road!
- We fight all day. We must increase our martial skills (+5 to Melee, Guns.)
[*]This would have never happened if we were a bit more...diplomatic or mercantile. (+5 to Speech, Barter)
[*]We're unenlightened. We could encounter old pre-War tech and we would never know what to do with it! (+5 to Medicine and Science)
[*]If you're just a shadow passing through, there'll be no need for any conflict...Can't fight what you can't see. (+5 to Sneak, Melee)
[*]Fists and herbs. A surprisingly good combo! (+5 to Survival, Unarmed
[*]Idle hands. (+5 to Lockpicking, Repair)
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