Chapter 1

Sanctuary Hill, Massachusetts

October 23rd, 2287

Isaac

Isaac coughed harshly. His chest tightened, his body was freezing, and he felt dizzy. He smacked a closed hand onto the door of his cryogenic stasis pod, wanting to get out. Thankfully, the door opened, and he fell to the freezing floor of Vault 111.

He fell onto his hands and knees, mind swimming from confusion.

He forgot what happened. He forgot where he was, what his name, was what his…

Memories flooded his mind. His eyes widened and his chest tightened again.

"Nora!" He sprinted to his wife's pod, unopened since the Man and the Hazmat Lady took Shaun, his infant son.

He stood shakily at the door of Nora's pod, looking desperately for a door mechanism or switch.

"Come on! There has to be a release!" He shouted as his eyes darted corner to corner. Noticing a switch to the right-side of the pod, he pulled it upwards.

"Come on, come on come on… oh, God!" Isaac anxiously watched the pod door rise, eyeing his deceased wife with tear stricken eyes.

He fell onto his knees, eyeing his wife with sad eyes. Nora's cadaver was frosted over, her skin a sickly blue. On her chest was a crimson-stained formation of ice and blood. Her eyes were closed and a pained expression was painted across her features.

He remembered her the day before all... this… happened.

She had platinum blonde hair, always kept in a tidy or messy bun. Her green eyes sparkled with passion and care, and were always attentive. Her lips, so soft and full, her personality, carefree and loving…

Isaac sobbed, lowering his gaze. He saw her wedding band on her left hand, seemingly untouched by the frost that covered the rest of her body.

"I'll find who did this, and I'll get Shaun back… I promise." He choked out, his eyes watering again. He slid the ring off Nora's frozen finger and he had it in the palm of his hand.

Closing his fist, he looked to the door to get out. Then he noticed the other pods.

He looked into one, the third on his right.

"My God, how could Vault-Tec do this?" He asked himself.

He peered into another pod.

"I can't be the only one left…" He whispered. "Hello? ANYBODY?!" He shouted loudly, his voice echoing off the walls of the room.

He looked back at Nora's pod, the door still wide open. He walked to the switch and pulled it down. The cryo pod's door lowered and it covered his wife's body. It was the closest he had to a coffin.

His reflection showed in the window of the pod; his eyes were dark brown, his skin was slightly tanned and his hair was short. He had stubble reaching from around his mouth to his jaw, a five o'clock shadow. He looked down at his Vault jumpsuit. It was still partially frosted over, but otherwise relatively new.

He walked to the door at the end of the room. He looked at it dumfounded.

"Isn't there a switch…?" He looked the door over, and he saw a bar near the lower half of the door.

A sign under the bar said 'Emergency Release'. He pulled it up and the door opened. He was surprised, but otherwise, he knew what to do if he saw another sliding door. He sauntered down the hallway, looking at the corridor wall to wall. He noticed another cryogenic stasis pod room to his left. From the window, he could see that the occupants in the pods were not moving and were slumped over.

His gut sank, his chest tightened once more. Staring into that room was a grim reminder that he was truly alone in this Vault.

Isaac pried his gaze away from the window and continued onward. He needed to get out of here, and find his son.

He eyed the door at the end of the hallway; the door that led to the Vault door. He ran to it, and he found the emergency release. The door buzzed, malfunctioning.

"Busted," Isaac grumbled. He looked around and saw another door, labeled 'Restricted Area'. He walked to it, and he pulled the emergency release. The door rose upward and he entered the room.

The room led down some stairs, and into a hallway. Going right, Isaac walked down the corridor to another sliding door. On his right was an open door with an office inside it. Curious, Isaac walked into the office and saw what was inside. There was a desk facing the left side of the wall, lockers were placed in the corners of the room. Up above, a pipe was leaking water, and the room smelled of mold.

Isaac covered his nose and mouth with his left hand.

He approached the desk, looking it over before deciding to leave. Something caught his eye, however, inside one of the open lockers. He saw a brown bag, a knapsack of sorts, hanging on the coat hook in the locker. He grabbed it, and there was some weight to it.

Curiously, Isaac opened it, finding a wrist mounted computer, a PIP-Boy. He pulled it out, and, to his disappointment, was damaged. The back panel was open, revealing circuitry and wires. His inner computer tech came in and he assessed the damage.

The back panel seems to have housed the wires and some of the circuitry, Isaac thought as he turned the device from every angle. It seems undamaged, and looks to be fixable. Isaac put it back into the bag. He searched the other pockets on the bag. In the one in the front, he found the back panel and some spare circuit boards for the PIP-Boy, some bobby pins, and a pack of gum.

He put on the pack, and continued throughout the Vault.

Opening the door to his right led to a cylindrical hallway that curved right, and a faint buzzing of electricity was heard. Walking down the hallway, a pipe spewed excess steam, startling Isaac for a moment. He continued onward, locating the door at the end of the hallway.

Pulling the emergency release, the door opened, revealing an empty room…

Save for one giant cockroach.

The monstrous insect saw Isaac and it gave a chilling hissing sound. Instinctively, he stomped on the insect before it even touched him. Goopy, sickly green blood splattered onto his right leg and onto the floor.

"Giant… roaches? What the hell…?" He muttered to no one in particular.

Spying a baton on a table to his right, he took it and moved on into the abandoned halls of Vault 111.

Isaac peered onto what looked like a mess hall, and he spied a working terminal sitting on the desk. Walking to it, he booted it up and wondered what entailed. He looked at the entry marked 'Overseer Memo'. Isaac pressed the enter button and the file opened.

'Remember, use of the recreational terminal is a privilege. If work performance declines, this privilege may be revoked. Enjoy responsibly.'

After reading the note, he left the computer. Isaac looked down at the holotape ejector. The light beside it was orange, meaning a tape was inside the terminal. Pressing eject, a tape popped out. The title read 'Red Menace', a PIP-Boy and terminal game popular for kids and adults alike.

"I could play it on the PIP-Boy…" Isaac said as he put the tape into his bag.

Isaac walked out of the mess hall, and left through the door leading to the reactor room. Pulling the emergency release, the door opened. Isaac eyed the two reactors, both buzzing with electricity. One of the giant roaches present in the room walked by one of the reactors. The reactor on the left sent a bolt of electricity its way, and it laid flat on the floor.

Walking around the reactors, Isaac continued on, looking for his way out.

Encountering one of the monstrous roaches, Isaac pulled out his baton and extended it. The roach jumped into the air, biting Isaac with its sharp pincers. Luckily, it didn't cause any tearing on the suit, and Isaac swung downward with the baton, crushing the torso of the mutated insect.

Another mutated roach came around the corner, surprising Isaac. Bringing his right leg up, he stomped it as it came into range. The insect splattered, and his leg was covered in even more bug blood. He continued on, and he passed a skeleton bearing a Vault jumpsuit.

"Is this all that's left?" Isaac said solemnly.

Isaac continued on…

And walked into a hallway infested with roaches. Bringing up his baton, he swung side to side, downwards and upwards as roaches jumped into the air to bite Isaac. After the ordeal, he was covered in blood, blood that was not his, thankfully.

Opening the door at the end of the hallway, he entered an office of sorts. On the left side of the large semi-circle desk sat three stimpaks. Taking them and putting them into his bag, he also spotted a N90 10mm pistol, alongside a box of spare rounds. Ejecting the magazine, he saw that it was full, and inserted it back into the weapon. Pulling the slide back, he loaded a round into the chamber.

On the ground behind the desk he saw a skeleton in a scientist's uniform.

"Am I the only one that's left?" Isaac asked himself.

Spotting a storeroom at the other side of the office, he went to it. The security gate was open, and Isaac walked inside. There was a spare pistol on the shelf inside the room, some boxes of spare bullets on the ground, and inside a case mounted on the wall was a large weapon of sorts, Isaac thought.

Isaac approached it and examined the lock. It was out of his expertise.

"Nice… Coming back for you later…" Isaac said to the weapon in the case. Looking to his right, he saw a emergency door. Walking to it, he finally felt a little better about this whole ordeal. Knowing he was close to the exit, Isaac pulled th-

BZZT! BZZT!

Son of a bitch.

Isaac was about to shout out, but then he spotted a terminal sitting on the desk at the other end. Walking around the desk, Isaac booted up the computer and looked through the files. Seeing the 'Open Emergency Tunnel' tab on the terminal, Isaac pressed enter on the tab.

The door opened and Isaac rushed to it. Turning left, he saw that he was not alone in the tunnel. Pulling out his pistol, Isaac lined up the back sights with the front sight, and aimed at the first roach he saw.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Isaac dispatched the first three roaches, and two more appeared around the corner. Pulling the trigger a fourth and fifth time, the roaches were now taken care of. Walking to the end of the tunnel, Isaac opened the door to the entrance. A roach was biting on the remains of a Vault-Tec scientist, and did not hear him.

Walking slowly toward the roach, being sure to not make a sound, he raised his right foot and brought it down on the torso of the roach. After it was killed, Isaac walked to the Vault Door panel. Suddenly, another roach crawled out from under the steps, surprising Isaac. After a quick stomp, the insect was dead. Turning his attention back to the door panel, he tried to press the button.

BZZT!

BZZT!

"PIP-Boy interface required to activate Vault door cycling sequence. Have a nice day." An automated female voice said over the intercom. Looking down, Isaac spotted another PIP-Boy; one that wasn't damaged.

Picking the device up, he then set it on his wrist on his left arm. Adjusting it so if felt comfortable, the bulky instrument say on his arm. Pulling the release latch up and locking it, he pressed the 'Power' button. Letters and symbols scrolled upwards, then a screen popped up, listing how much data was left on the PIP-Boy.

Then the familiar Vault Boy popped onto the screen, alongside the word 'Initializing…".

The screen came to life, and green text and screens were visible on the PIP-Boy's screen. At the top were the tabs 'Stat', 'Inv', 'Data', 'Map' and 'Radio'. After seeing that the PIP-Boy works, he lowered it to his side.

Looking back at the door panel, a plug-in was next to the glass case that housed the button that opened the door. Gazing at the back of the PIP-Boy, Isaac spotted an auxiliary cable. Tugging on it and plugging it into the panel, Isaac looked the computer's screen, and the words 'Vault Door Remote Access Ready' appeared. The glass case rose up, revealing the red button it once housed.

Wasting no time, Isaac unplugged the working PIP-Boy, and pushed the button.

The massive drill then came to life, and moved to the right side of the Vault door. The drillbit entered the door, and went to work. The bolts holding the door in place were released, and when the drill began to pull out, the door went with it. A loud metal-on-metal screech was heard, and at last, the door rolled away to reveal blinding light.

Isaac ran onto the catwalk as it extended across the chasm, and reached the other catwalk. He ran down the stairs that once led him and his family inside the Vault, and he went to the elevator shaft. The elevator rushed down, and the gate rose. The gate finished rising, and Isaac stepped onto the elevator platform.

It jerked upwards, and rose.


Liara T'Soni could not contain her excitement. As she sat in her quarters aboard the Asari exploration ship 'Interloper', she held onto the pillow from her bed and madly squeezed. It was only a month ago she received her doctorate for studying Prothean ruins and archaeology, and a week ago when she received her first assignment; to study the ruins of a new civilization.

Sure, it wasn't Prothean, but it was a start, and a good one at that.

"Oh! I wonder what level of technology they were at! Maybe something we have not seen before? O-or maybe, a new form of tech not before seen?" Her ramblings went on from certain topics, on how they once looked, to literature, to technology, and many other things concerning the expedition.

The door to her room slid open.

"Dr. T'Soni," The voice of a Turian said, a familiar one at that.

"Yes? What is it, Cyrus?" Liara looked at the Turian, Cyrus, waiting for a response.

"You are needed in the cargo bay; it's almost time to go." Cyrus said as Liara stood up.

"Okay, lead the way."


Liara and Cyrus entered the cargo bay, where the team of scientists and some of the guards waited for debriefing. A tall, built looking Asari commando walked into the center of the room, garnering everyone's attention. She cleared her throat.

"Thank you all for being here." The commando began. "I have been told by the STG rep onboard to give you all the rundown on the situation."

An older Asari began to speak. Her name was Professor Aerius.

"Also, I would like to show you what the planet looks like." Aerius said as a video projection of what the planet they were studying showed up in the middle of the room via holographic projector. "This is planet designate Animosity, only recently discovered by a lost STG drone."

The planet's surface was a sickly brown, and some of the clouds were green.

"Spirits, what happened to it?" A Turian guard exclaimed.

"From what we can see, and from some of the data that survived from the drone, it's suffered from nuclear devastation." The projection zoomed in on a specific region on the planet, a place near the eastern seaboard. "The drone was able to pick up some sort of signal from this region, and that is where we will land." The commando spoke up.

"Since I'm in charge of security, the guards will be issued standard issue Avenger assault rifles, and the scientists Predator series pistols." The commando paused, "Hardsuits will be granted, but the region we're landing in seems to have little to no radiation, well into safe levels. The suits will be stored in the shuttle until use is permitted or needed." The professor stepped up, and in walked a old Salarian.

"Crew, this is Arlis Wikks, our STG rep." Aerius introduce Arlis, who gave a nod of greeting.

"Pleased to meet you all. You all know my superiors sent me along to feed them your findings and to generally supervise." He paused for a moment. "I won't go planetside right away, so I will catch a ride on the second shuttle there." He looked at every single scientist and guard going on the trip. "You're all doing a brave thing, we all are. So here's the plan; once you all touchdown, you will need to set up the communications antenna, and we have added a remotely controlled comms buoy onto the shuttle, so once you're in orbit, release it, and proceed with the antenna."

"We also have one aboard the Interloper, so when the buoy is launched, well propel ours out of the system. So when ours comes into range of the one we set up at the Mass Relay, we'll be able to communicate out of system." Aerius added.

"Everyone has the drone report on your Omni-tools, yes?" The commando asked everyone. She received nods and 'yeses' from the crew.

"Okay, Arlis, please tell the helmsman to bring us close to the planet. The rest of you, get your equipment and head into the shuttle." The crew complied.

I probably won't need my hardsuit yet, Liara thought as she walked to her locker in the cargo bay. She grabbed a few items, mainly instruments for testing the air and water radiation levels. When she closed her locker, Cyrus came and handed a pistol.

"Thanks," She muttered as she strapped it to her thigh.

Liara then made her way to the shuttle, and she entered it. The pilot sat in the pilot's seat, ready to take off. Liara sat in the far end of the left side, strapping herself in. She sat there, reading over the drone report on her Omni-tool as the rest of the crew entered.

A different Asari, the captain of the guard, spoke up.

"Everyone ready? Okay, take us up." The pilot activated the ignition and the shuttle came to life.

It lifted off the ground, and the Interloper opened the cargo bay door, and it flew out the back. The ship turned around and headed for their destination, flying swiftly and fast. The ride was a little bumpy, but otherwise smooth.

"Systems nominal... acceleration normal. Scans from the designated area coming in." The Pilot informed. "Breaching atmosphere, launching buoy." On the back of the shuttle, the buoy was released, automatically rising up into low orbit.

"Okay, buoy's operationa- what the hell?" The pilot exclaimed. "What..."

"'What', what?" The captain questioned.

"I just lost marked destination." The pilot said.

"Maybe just the clouds?" One of the guards said.

"No, there's nothing at all, I lost the map." Then barrier status and engine status left the screen, "Now barriers and engines... what is going on?"

"Status report," The captain barked.

"I-I don't know, everything's just... going. I-I don't know what's going on." The pilot was beginning to panic. At this time, the shuttle was well into the atmosphere, and then the craft began to descend gradually.

"We-we're losing altitude! Slowly, but significant!" The crew began to panic as well.

"Everyone stay calm. Pilot, give me a sitr-" The shuttle jerked downwards, and the feeling of weightlessness began to take effect.

"What the hell happened?!" The captain shouted.

"I-I'm losing control of the systems! W-we've been compromised!"

"Compromised, how?"

"I don't know! I think it's a cyber attack!" The captain had a look of surprise on her face.

"How high are we?"

"Three thousand, two hundred and descending!"

"Radio the Interloper, tell them to-" The captain was cut off by a large bump in the ship.

"I-I can't raise them! Comms are down!"

What the hell is going on?


Meanwhile, a group of Raiders spotted something flying low in the sky.

"The fuck is that?"

"I dunno, man. Hey!" One of the Raiders shouted to another.

"Find Bones and tell him to blow that thing outta the sky." The Raider he relayed the order to, a topless woman with a large Mohawk that was dyed pink and purple. Her tattered armor barely hid her exposed chest.

"Fuck yeah!" She sprinted down the street. "BONES! Ready the launcher!" She screamed ecstatically. "Blow those xeno fuckers outta th' sky!" She then gave a psychotic giggle.

"Already ahead of ya's, babe." Bones readied the Missile Launcher, aiming at the craft in the sky. His launcher was modified with four barrels.

The Raider fired a salvo of missiles toward the craft. All four struck home.

Another salvo was fired and the missiles struck home again, causing the spaceship to lurch downward, violently.

"Fuck yeah, take that you alien fucks!" Bones cheered.

"Yeah!" The woman Raider then straddled Bones and they proceeded to have victory sex.


Moments before…

"...I'm losing control! I-I can't keep her up!"

Four large impacts rattled the ship violently.

"The fuck was that?!" A guard shouted.

"I don't know, I don't know!"

Then the automated straps around every crewmember rose up... excluding Liara.

"Wha-" Four more impacts rocked the ship, and they felt the ship descend sharply.

The impact was great. The crew were tossed about the shuttle like rag dolls, the sounds of screams and bones breaking were deafening and numerous. Then a feeling of weightlessness overcame the ship, then suddenly the shuttle crashed onto the ground, rolling several times. Liara watched in horror as all the crew had been tossed about and how their screams had died down.

Liara's body hurt everywhere. Her legs, arms, head; everything. She coughed violently, then she got a better look around. She really wished she didn't.

All the crew had died. Blood was smeared on the walls, floor and ceiling, all crewmembers, including the captain, Professor Aerius and Cyrus, were unmoving. The captain's face was barely recognizable, the same with Cyrus'. But when she saw the professor, she broke down.

Part of professor Aerius' head was gone, smashed into oblivion. Blood profusely trickled down the grisly wound, staining her once-white uniform. She cradled the cadaver in her arms, and sobbed loudly. Over her crying, she heard a feminine groan. Looking toward the direction it came from, she was surprised to see the pilot had survive.

Rushing to the wounded pilot, she attempted to pick her up.

"Agh!" The pilot screamed. "I-I can't feel my legs… I-I can't feel 'em…" Liara saw what caused that to the pilot.

Her legs were gone.

Once the pilot saw where her legs were supposed to be, she panicked and screamed. Liara tried to calm her, but she continued to thrash about. Liara hugged the pilot tightly, but she only screamed in agony.

"Goddess forgive me…" Liara sobbed as she took her pistol and held it against the hurt pilot. She pulled the trigger, and sent a mass accelerated slug through the pilot's head. Part of her head exploded, and showered Liara in blood and gray matter.

She continued to weep.

A flash of orange then appeared, a screen in the shuttle. On the screen it read; 'The game has been set.'

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three loud knocks were heard on the hull. Liara froze, staring fearfully at the door. She bumped into something; 'Door Release'.

No, no, no… Liara thought as she shakily raised the pistol to the slowly opening door. The second a large shadow was cast inside the cockpit, she pulled the trigger… only for her gun to malfunction. She backed farther away, but only proceeded to make more noise.

Then suddenly, a sickly green light shone at her, and a unfamiliar voice said something in another language.

Liara fainted.


Five minutes earlier…

Isaac stood on the elevator, and it rose fast. The sunlight was blinding, almost hurtful. The elevator came to a stop, violently shaking. He breathed heavily, and he began to mutter. He looked over where Sanctuary Hills once was. It was now a ruined neighborhood, full of dead plants and trees. Isaac could see Concord in the distance, in almost the same shape.

He also saw a ship, flying in the sky.

With missiles hot on it's tail.

Four missiles impacted the craft, causing it to lurch violently. Another four hit it again, and it was headed for the ground. For Isaac.

Isaac dived out of the way, and the craft slammed into an old construction crane, causing it to fall the small cliff into what once was a forest. The ground shook greatly, almost like an earthquake, and a buzzing sounded in Isaac's ears. He shakily got up from his position on the ground, and he gazed into the valley, spotting the craft.

Instinctively, he ran to the crash to get a better look at it and check for survivors. Fixing his knapsack, he sprinted down the way, and carefully climbed down small cliff. He sprinted again toward the crash site, breathing heavily as he ran. He skidded to a halt when he reached it. The hull was damaged and dirty, and it generally looked like its seen better days.

He banged on what he assumed to be the door, waiting for a moment. After hearing what sounded like a gunshot, he was about to bang on the hull again, but the door began to open. The door slowly opened, revealing a dark cockpit. It smelled of blood, or at least, he thought it did. He couldn't see inside, so he activated the light on his PIP-Boy.

What he saw was not what he was expecting.

Corpses and blood were strewn about the craft, and as he moved in, he heard whimpering and the sounds of crawling. He saw what looked like a human, sobbing. Except, her skin was blue, she had what looked like a fringe of sorts on her head, and she held what looked like on of her kind in her arms. The one in her arms had a hole in her head. That was probably the shot…

Isaac than spoke softly.

"Hello? Can you understand me?" He said softly. She froze. "Are you hurt?" He asked again. She then fainted, falling limp. Isaac then climbed into the craft and he began to drag her out.

He dragged her out of the ship, and laid her in the recovery position. He sat down next to the unconscious girl.

"What have I found myself in?" He asked himself. He was sitting next to an alien. An alien! What the hell happened to their ship? Why were they here? He asked himself these questions, but so far, he could not fathom the answers his mind gave him.

He decided to wait for her to wake up.

It was all he could do.


After checking some files on my computer, I realized that I was missing a good chuck of info during the Interloper scene, as well some forgotten information. Fuck, I should sleep more... Anyway, enjoy these somewhat small changes.

Edit; I completely rewrote the Interloper Cargo Bay scene, the shuttle and the missile impacts scene. Just so it would make a bit more sense.