Fallout: The tale of Jack Vance
Chapter I: First Steps Outside
Jack Vance, aged 23, emerged from Vault 72. This particular Vault had remained unnoticed since its construction just outside D.C no one knew of it's existence, and no one would be able find it unless they knew exactly where to look.
The main reason no one had found the Vault was that when the bombs fell, the creators made sure that explosives were set to detonate at the mouth of the cave where the vault was set, effectively trapping the occupants inside as a safety precaution.
And since it had first closed of that fateful day when the bombs fell, it had never re-opened. No one had exited the Vault... Well, Until now that is.
Jack was probably the first to have'escaped' from the Vault. It would have surely become his tomb had he stayed.
It had been a mission and a half to escape that damn hole in the ground, as the rocks that had fallen had made it impossible to get out, and he was sure there weren't enough munitions in the Vaults armoury to blast a hole in the rubble.
Fortunately for him, being the Overseers son had its advantages. At a young age he'd been taught the finer points of all the vaults facilities, including the positions of air ducts, water pipers, and electrical cables. He'd been fortunate enough to find a pre-war fusion power coil down in the vaults scrap level, and with his knowledge of pre-war mechanics, had been able to figure out how to create a power surge that would overload it and cause it to explode.
When he was sure most of the vaults residents were in their rooms, he'd carried – with some difficulty – the coil up to the entrance level of the vault, avoiding armed patrols and the other vault residents.
Once at the entrance, he had no choice but to execute the small squad guarding the great titanium door. Once they had been dealt with he'd opened the vault door and set the coil against the rock pile blocking the entrance.
Then next part had been a challenge, as he had to unscrew plates on the wall where maintenance crews would work on the electrical circuits, and pull out two large cables, and access the emergency extensions. He then made sure both cables were powered down before attaching them to either side of the coil.
After that he backed up as far as possible and remote activated the power and sent a large surge of electricity through the cables, overloading the fusion coil and creating a massive explosion.
He had been lucky that the exit hadn't caved even further in when he detonated the coil but he didn't wait around to see if it would. He picked up his backpack, which he'd previously snuck into a small alcove, and rushed out to freedom.
He got his first look outside ever. He saw the bright, clear sky. He could see the barren land that looked like no living thing had ever been there.
It was alien, dangerous and vast beyond his comprehension, but he couldn't help but love what he saw.
He was outside of the vault!
He made his way down the rocks that led up to the now exposed entrance and broke into a sprint as soon as he touched solid ground.
During his escape, he'd snuck into the guards armoury, and he'd had taken a 10mm pistol and a few clips of ammunition. It was the only thing he knew would be able to fit into his current pack.
If I find any other weapons out here, I'll need something larger to carry it in. he knew he'd tire far too easily if he was forced to carry it around in his hands all day.
He had only read about the horrors of the Wasteland and knew he wouldn't last long unarmed.
He briefly contemplated on the reason for his escape.
His father, the Vaults overseer, was insane. And the guards were corrupt, brainwashed by the thought of power and dominance.
That was the Overseers plan: to force a complete dictatorship over the entire vault residency, and eliminate everyone who opposed him. He had the numbers to do so as well, and the firepower – 65% of the Vault were very loyal to him and would die in his name if asked to. That was enough to keep the opposition at bay – at least for a short time.
Jack had sensed a riot coming and a long bloody battle following. He didn't want to be a part of it and had decided to leave, even if that meant having to kill a few of his fathers corrupt guards.
It wasn't that he had wanted to do it… it was because he had to. It was the only way he'd be able to escape the vault… and perhaps find help.
But that was something to think about another time. Right now, he had to focus on getting somewhere safe for the night.
Now, he needed to survive the post-apocalyptic world of D.C.