Fallout: The Vault Dwellers' Story - IC

[DormantEvil]

Grace nodded, surprised a little also at Sebastians language. But she was more grateful he had saved her from that huge dirty radroach. How would she explain such an occurance to the others, or to her bestest girlfriend. Perhaps she would never be able to speak openly of Sebastians bravery. ''Thank you,'' she stammered, her cheeks still red with worry.

 

[Joshua_silver]

Sebastian was momentarily stunned for a moment at Robert's rebuke and Grace's agreement. " I"m sorry guys. My lack of sleep and the adrenaline rush got the better of me." He looked at Grace's flushed cheeks. " Gracie are you okay?" He asked her as he ushered her out the door infront of him, leaving the door for Robert to shut.

 

[Avellan13]

Robert nodded, walked out the door, and headed towards his room. He needed to take care of some things.

 

[DormantEvil]

"I'm okay, I just hate bugs. Especially those, last time there were more of them. Let's get back to the normal levels." Taking his arm, they headed back following Robert who seemed to be sort of a leader between the group. He always had that personality. The one that would speak up. Grace was a background person, and not likely to cause a fuss. And Sebastian had always been a little quiet, although passionate when defending and a symbol of strength.

Each had strengths and weaknesses, Grace more so weaknesses but she had never learned what she could offer the Vault beyond good manners and helpful motives. When they reached the safety of the normal areas of the underground vault, Grace relaxed again and let go of his arm.

The last thing they needed was for one of the adults to catch them returning from a secluded area arm in arm.

 

[Joshua_silver]

"As long as you're sure" Sebastian said to her. He watched her go before heading off to the storage closet close to his place. Generally speaking most people stayed out of the closets. However after radroaches kept getting into the room it was sealed off. Sebastian had hacked the console and opened up the door. He then made quick work of the few roaches that were still in the room. The way they had come in was easy to find and seal off. Old people are so lame, and afraid of getting their hands dirty he thought.

Now the place acted as a second home for Sebastian. A place few if anyone knew about. He kept the standard store room supplies in view of the door, but on the back wall he had repaired a damaged terminal and put together a desk to tinker with mechanical things in peace. He managed to slip a small cot in the opposite corner. Sometimes it was good to get out from under his father's thumb, and away from the sound of his mother's pained breathing... He cursed at himself for thinking such a horrible thing..

Sebastian sat and thought about how he had killed that radroach without thinking...

 

[Avellan13]

Roberts began thinking to himself ashe headed to his place. The discovery of the Vault door had been.. unnerving to him. There was a way out of the Vault. But he didn't want to leave. Everyone knew that the world outside had been destroyed by the nuclear bombs and all that was out there were endless wastes of destruction. But then, if the world outside had been destroyed, then why had the Vault door been opened before. The records showed that it was last open over a hudred years ago.

Sigin in confusion, Roberts enter opened the door into his living room and stepped inide.

 

[DormantEvil]

Grace went back to her room, which connected to her parents unit. And after closing the door she sat down on her crib and sighed heavily. Truth be told she hated going on these adventures, they always made her want to wash thoroughly afterward. To clean the hundred year old dirt from under her fingernails, to wash the cobwebs from her hair and to brush the settled dust off her clothing. But she always accepted offers to go, because of Robert and Sebastian. Deep down she was drawn to both of them, they were heroes within the Vault to her, brave and ambitious men. And as she drew closer to adult hood, there had been many speaking on her taking a partner. She had plenty of offers, but so far neither of the boys had brought it up. So she stuck with them, hoping that it showed something different in them compared to the other boys within the Vault.

And at 18, she was still a virgin, and still very shy about boys and relationships and everything they offered.

Looking around the room, she wondered if having children and taking a husband was all that life had to offer. The Vault was so boring, she wished life was as it was in books. Where the ground outside was covered in green grass and the trees were full of fruit, where clean water was easy to come by and sometimes you could swim in it. Where you could own a house, and some land, and work the ground until it bore crops to live off. Or where you could buy an apartment among giant buildings, and catch fast moving trains too and from work. And where something called an automobile could transport you quickly anywhere you wanted to go.

Such were stories these days, and nothing more. But she wondered what was on the other side of the Vault door. Perhaps the Earth had healed, and the green was back, and the air was clean, and the ground rich.

 

[Joshua_silver]

Sebastian finished toying around with a small motor he had been working on. He was still thinking about the vault door, Grace's shrieks, and killing that bug so swiftly. It's not like it was a person...He had just done it without any process of thought. Maybe it's careless to kill without thinking no matter who or what it is... He decided he needed to talk about it. Robert would just shrug it off and call him a sissy. He washed his hands thoroughly and made his way to Grace's parents unit.

He buzzed the door and waited patiently for her to answer. as he waited he imagined her freaking out about how dirty they had gotten in the old forsaken chamber.

 

[Avellan13]

Robert saw his father was back to sleeping on the couch with beer bottles still on the floor. Robert quietly walked past him, headed for his room. As the door opened, he grabbed a few more items from his desk; a small notebook, a pencil, his favorite pre-war book 'Of Mice and Men', and a bottled of water from the small frig.

Robert walked back out of his family's unit and decided to go and talk with Officer David.

 

[DormantEvil]

The sound of the door buzzing caught Graces fathers attention, and within a minute he opened it and smiled. "Young Sebastian, how have you been doing? Come on in." George stepped aside and shuffled the boy along, before closing it again. Not wanting the cold to come in with him. Over by the small heater, Rowina sat in a chair knitting a sweater of some kind. She smiled at Sebastian and called out to her husband in a husky and weak voice. "Let the child be, he's here for Grace not to talk with us all afternoon." Looking over at Sebastian, she waved to Graces door.

"She's in her books, but you can go in."

Then she turned her attention back to her knitting, and with a grumble George returned to reading his paper. Taking a seat beside the heater as well.

Inside her room, Grace sat at a small desk. One of the old world books open, it showed the biology of plants. Not that they had anything beyond the few protein filled ones in the meals they ate. And she didn't know where they really came from.

 

[Joshua_silver]

Sebastian thanked Mr. and Mrs.Rayne, and walked into Grace's room. "Grace, i was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me." In a much more quiet voice he said, " I can't stop thinking about earlier. I was hoping we could talk about it." He glanced around her room at her books and things. Then back down at her face.

 

[DormantEvil]

Looking up, Grace smiled when he entered and quickly closed her book at the mention of a walk. Picking up the small handmade shoulder bag she often carried, she slung it over one shoulder and nodded her head. "Sure, I could use a little less time in here."

Quickly saying goodbye to her parents, they headed out into the hallway where she walked beside him.

"So what did you want to talk about? The door, or something else?" she looked up at him as they walked, and she wondered about what worried him.

 

[Joshua_silver]

"i was thinking about when i killed that radroach. I didn't even think about it i just reacted. When i heard you scream i just..." Sebastian trailed off what he was going to say and shook his head. He then reached down and took her hand and squeezed it softly, looking down at Grace's face. " I don't like that i killed something without thinking about it first but i would have felt worse if it had hurt you."

 

[Avellan13]

Robert walked down a few hallways until he turned a corner and saw Bert Wilson, the Vault's Engineer, talking to himself, looking completely distress. Concerned, Robert approached him, "Hey Bert, you ok?"

Bert looked at him momentarily then sighed, "No. The Vault's computer seems to be acting up. I can't seem to access it."

Robert frowned, "Well, most of the stuff around here in the Vault is failing. That's why we have engineers like you."

Bert nodded, "Well usually the computer, and the Vault's other systems, don't get like this unless there was an earthquake recently. Since there hasn't been one, I'm afraid that maybe the machine is just getting old. It is about 200 years old."

 

[DormantEvil]

Grace smiled as Sebastian took her hand, and found his softer side just as comforting as his stronger one. He had a unique balance, especially within the Vault. "You protected me, there is no wrong in that. And it wasn't a person, and if it was, and they had of been trying to hurt me, then you still should not feel guilty. We protect those around us, especially when they cannot protect themselves, as I can't."

Laughing softly, "You are basically my hero."

Suddenly the portion of the Vault where they had been walking was plundged into darkness, not even the red safety lights kicking in straight away. Grace squeeked without meaning to, and held onto Sebastians hand even tighter, pushing herself into his personal space.

"Shouldn't the red ones be kicking in?" she whispered, looking up and down the pitch black hallway, light from around the corner the only way of seeing anything.

And as soon as she mentioned it, they flicked on, the slow blinking illuminating the hallway for a second before going out, then it blinked again and repeated the nerveracking flashing. It didn't help her breathe easier though.

 

[Joshua_silver]

"Grace, you're right. I was being foolish. I don't want you to think i regretted protecting you. As for being a hero i don't know about that.."

Her hand was soft and small, yet when folded in his own was like a beacon of warmth. Sebastian had smiled down at Grace when she said he was her hero. When the lights flipped off He felt Grace press herself against him and he put his arm around her and held her tight, he backed them against one of the cool metal walls. The lights came on in a second, but still flickered. "Don't worry Grace, the vault may be old but it still works just fine. A small blackout every now and then is nothing." He didn't let any apprehension into his voice. He kept his arm around her waist and steered them back the way they had come.

 

[Avellan13]

The lights suddenly turned off, which caused both Robert and Bert to fall silent. The lights began to flicker and then, slowly, they turned back on.

Bert sighed, "Ah great. Horace."

Robert gave him a questioning look.

"Just a new guy that I have to train. The fool probably tripped a wire or something." continued Bert, "The Overseer is gonna have a fit over this." then he turned and headed down the hall.

 

[DormantEvil]

Sebastian and Grace soon made their way back towards the light, arriving just as her father came out of their room. He stopped and looked between them both, before indicating for them to wait inside. Whatever was happening, he wanted to check it out. "Just a fuse probably, Sebastian, do you mind watching Grace and my wife while I check this out?"

A quick look in the door would show that his wife was asleep in one of the cots, tucked in tightly, unaware of anything around her. She must be getting worse.

"Do you think it's anything serious?" Grace asked, only to find a hand on her head patting her softly.

"No, just maintenance...happens occasionally. Well, you were only a baby last time, but it was sorted out quickly. Wait inside, the kettle just boiled."

Then he headed off down the corridor slowly.

 

[Joshua_silver]

Sebastian nodded at Grace's father. He wasn't bothered by the lights going out. In fact he was more worried about Mrs.Ryane. He didn't want Grace to hurt the way he had. After Mr.Ryane left he asked Grace quietly, "Want to take some tea with us to your room, we could continue talking."

 

[DormantEvil]

"That would be a good idea, Mum hasn't been sleeping well lately. I'll get it, you can put my bag on my desk if you want, and I'll bring the drinks in." Grace entered the unit, and quickly took down two cups. The enamel was chipped, but they were still able to hold drink. Putting some leaves in a strainer, she poured water over them and busied herself getting a few biscuits from a jar.

Soon she put the leaves in the second cup, and let them draw. The water turning dark.

 

[Joshua_silver]

Sebastian took Grace's bag from her and set it as quietly as he could on the desk in her room. As he waited he read the titles of the books. "Her family must have had quiet a collection when the vault was first filled." Sebastian sat on her bed and waited politely for her to come. He wasn't very interested in the tea, but if it ment spending some time with her he'd drink it.

 

[Avellan13]

As he walked down the hall, Robert began to think of the situation of the Vault. The Vault was old, really old, and nothing could last forever. Sure the water purifer was in perfect order as well as the atmospheric systems. But the generator was starting to degrade.
Over the last 10 to 15 years, lights started to slightly get dimmer and the bulbs never lasted as long as they usually would have. Dispite the vault dwellers' best attempts, the generator was dying, and if the generator died.... well, life would be very difficult.
There had been some talk of trying to use the communications system to contact other vaults, or the outside worl, but the Overseer wouldn't allow it, saying that all communications were down.
Sighing, Robert entered the entertainment room, where the people came to socialize and enjoy the day. The room contained a slide and project (to play Vault-Tec instructional videos), a pool table, various board games, an old arcade game, a TV, and several movies.
Walking over to the projector, Robert picked up a Vault-Tec intructional video, placed it in the projector, and turned it on.

 

[DormantEvil]

With a careful hand, Grace carried the cups into her bedroom and placed them down on her dresser. The steam fogged up the few photoframes that were nearby, indicating that the drinks were very hot still. There were also a few biscuits, baked in the last few days that she carried in her hand.

Sitting down beside Sebastian, she passed him one, and bit into her own. Chewing quietly before asking a question.

"You noticed the books huh? My father's family worked at one of the libraries, back before the Vault was needed. He explained how he wanted literature and history to be remembered and taught, but most of the books they moved are fiction. Some are biology, a few have maps in them.

I think I've read them all at least a few times."

Smiling, she laughed effortlessly.

"I think I know the old map for North America better than the Overseer...just don't tell him that. He's temperamental in his old age."

 

[Avellan13]

Vault 51 Master-computer

WARMING.... Unknown entity and/or outside force attempting to hack into Vault 51 sub-security systems. Initiating counter-attempt.... Firewalls 1 2 and 5 have failed...... Firewalls 3 and 6 unresponsive...................
ERROR.... unknown presence detected.... Reinitializing security systems........ WARNING...... Multiple hostiles detected within Vault 51's interior. Hostiles found within the Living Quarters, Sleeping Quarters, Dining area, and Overseer's office. Initiating Vault-Tec Code 175.......

 

[Joshua_silver]

Sebastian sipped the hot tea and ate his biscuit. He smiled at Grace's laughter. "If we ever get out of this vault i'll keep you close at hand then, if you know the maps as well as you say." As Sebastian set the cup down he heard an alarm go off. The com panel was flashing a warning. Sebastian went to it and pressed some keys. It was locked out. There would be no hacking this without some time.

"Grace, i'm going to take a look outside." He walked quietly past Grace's mother to the door and it opened. He saw a Protectatron moving down the hall out of sight. There was blood on the walls. He crept down the corridor to find Grace's father lying still in a pool of blood.