On October 23, 2077 the Great War between the United States and China ended when the world burned in atomic fire. Only a fortunate few escaped the apocalypse, among them the inhabitants of Vault 101. Built by Vault-Tec during the final years of the war, the subterranean shelters promised safety from a holocaust cynically predicted to be all but certain. On the day the earth burned, the great doors of the Vaults rolled closed, sealing the survivors inside a sunless world for the next two-hundred years, completely cut off from the radiated hell outside the protection of their concrete and steel walls. Generations were born, lived and died in the glow of the Vault's artificial lights, secure in the knowledge they had survived the worst catastrophe in human history, and too fearful of what waited outside to leave. This fear was encouraged by the Overseer, the sole authority of Vault 101. It was the will of the Overseer's that no one was to enter or leave the Vault to protect the final bastion of humanity from contamination or worse. There were voices of dissent at times, but for the most part the Vault accepted the orders of the Overseer without question, continuing their isolated existence as their numbers slowly dwindled.

It was into this sunless existence that Valeria was born, and like the other Vault Dwellers had no expectation of ever passing through the great door that sealed the only entrance. For Valeria, vault 101 was her entire world, and the will of the Overseer as undisputed a fact as breathing. Her father, James was the Vault physician and the only parent she had known. All she knew about her mother was that her name was Catherine, and that she had died of heart failure after giving birth to Valeria. Her father was the only person willing to talk about her at all, with other adults either redirecting Valeria's questions or ignoring her entirely.

One day Valeria asked her father about a hand-written letter he had framed in their bedroom.

"I am Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelation 21:6"

James would smile wistfully as he read it. He would then explain that it was her mother's favorite passage from a book called the "Bible". After that he would fall silent, staring at the words written in a flowing precise hand with an expression that was more than sadness. When Valeria asked him what the passage meant, her father would only smile before quickly changing the subject. It wasn't long before Valeria realized to her frustration that her curiosity about her mysterious parent was going to remain unsatisfied.

Valeria had a quick mind and insatiable curiosity about the Vault and the forbidden world outside. Her father obliged her showing her how to access to the Vault's Library archives. Much of the archives were sealed by order of the Overseer, and there was very little about the outside world after the war. Her eagerness to learn was also noted by the Vault's teacher Mr. Brotch who gave her, extra reading assignments outside the standard curriculum. The extra reading assignments were always given to her with a smile and a wink, as well as a caution not to share them with anyone. Valeria quickly understood that Mr. Brotch was breaking some sort of rule by giving her magazines ranging from instructional manuals to comic books with titles such like "Grognak The Barbarain" and "Il Phantoma!"

Despite her love of learning school was difficult for Valeria. She was studious and socially awkward which made her a target for harassment by the other students in her small class. However, it was her appearance that drew the most unwelcome attention. Valeria's hair had been white since she was an infant, and her eyeteeth were longer than normal. In addition her finger and toenails were thick and dark-pigmented. They grew quickly and were difficult to cut, resembling talons if she allowed them to grow to any length. However it was her eyes more than anything that gave her the nickname of "Mutie". They were white with the unsettling tendency to shine if light struck her eyes at the right angle. Mr. Brotch always frowned with disapproval when he heard the name in class, but he never did anything to stop it. After class he would sometimes give Valeria a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder when no one was looking, but otherwise kept his distance.

The worst of her tormentors was an older boy named Butch Delora. Like Valeria he only had one parent, his mother who was known to drink to excess. Backed by a tiny gang of his immediate friends and the unspoken approval of the other Vault residents, Butch would often vent his frustrations on Valeria, mostly through cruel taunts and pranks. Her only friend growing up was Amata Almodovar, the daughter of the Overseer. Amata also suffered verbal abuse from Butch, but the Overseer refused to intervene on his daughter's behalf.

When Valeria was ten a member of Butch's gang, a boy named Wally Mack, invited her to his birthday party. She knew better than to go but her father insisted that she try to fit in with the other children. When the time came for games in the Vault Atrium, Wally announced they were going to play "Hunt the Mutant", which elicited snickers from Butch and the others. Valeria didn't need the grins and looks from the other children to know what was coming, and began to run as soon as Wally announced she was "it". Valeria ran for the steel corridor hoping to reach the safety of her father's apartment, but was cut off by Wally who had clearly anticipated the move. In desperation Valeria ran down the stairs to the maintenance level only to be stopped by a locked steel door. Valeria turned as the other children descended upon her with cries of "Stomp the mutant!" Valeria huddled in a ball as the children led by Butch and Wally began to kick and flail at her, hampered by their numbers in the confined space as Valeria bit her lip to keep from crying in fear and pain.

"Hey! What's going on here!" Shouted an adult voice that Valeria immediately recognized as belonging to officer Gomez, one of the Vault's security guards. The children closest to the top fled immediately, leaving Butch and Wally alone to face the guard. Shakily Valeria raised her head to see the two boys smirking defiantly at Gomez who was regarding them sternly through the face plate of his helmet with his arms folded. Suddenly Amata appeared from behind the officer and rushed sobbing to Valeria's side.

"I'm so sorry Val!" Amata choked as she tried to help Valeria stand up. "I got Gomez as quick as I could."

"What do you two have to say for yourself?" Gomez demanded, his tone making Butch's smirk slip slightly.

"We were playing a game and the mutie slipped on the stairs." Wally replied confidently causing Gomez to glare at him disapprovingly.

"Yeah, right." Gomez replied, clearly not convinced. "What if I told your parents about this?"

"Go ahead." Wally said with smug assurance as he crossed his arms in defiance. "My dad will back me."

Officer Gomez sighed at the truth of what Wally said. Wally's older brother Steve was also a Vault Security Officer, and his father Alan was virtually the Overseer's right hand man. The Mack's distaste for Valeria was common knowledge and Gomez knew there would be no repercussions for Wally Mack's actions.

"Get moving, and don't let me catch you doing anything like this again!"

"Sure thing officer!" Butch replied sarcastically, emboldened by Wally's defiance as the two boys turned and ran up the stairs.

"Did they hurt you?" Gomez said awkwardly as he turned to face Valeria and Amata. Valeria shook her head and Gomez sighed helplessly before finally telling Valeria to go home.

Butch and his gang continued their campaign of harassment until Valeria turned sixteen. As Valeria entered adolescence, she experienced a growth spurt that made her several inches taller than Wally, the tallest boy in class. Her shoulders broadened and her arms and legs became covered with ropes of lean muscle as her body grew to match her large hands and feet. The blue jumpsuits all Vault dwellers wore could only hide so much, and the stares and whispers behind her back made Valeria all the more self-conscious. Butch and his gang added leather jackets to their attire and took to calling themselves "The Tunnel Snakes". Butch remained the leader, while Wally acted as his enforcer whenever insults and taunting proved insufficient to get a reaction out of Valeria or Amata. Amata had grown into a lovely young woman, but her status as the Overseer's daughter still did nothing to shield her from Butch and his gang. Then one day Valeria came upon the Tunnel Snakes in the Atrium as they were taunting Amata, and everything changed.

All her life Valeria had been taught by her father to exercise restraint and forbearance. Valeria worked hard to follow her father's advice as she tried to earn acceptance from the other Vault citizens. It had been getting harder to control her temper as she got older, and when she saw Amata's fearful and defiant face, something snapped. Intent on Amata, Butch didn't realize Valeria was behind him until a hand seized his shoulder in a surprisingly strong grip and spun him around to look up into Valeria's furious white eyes. Taken aback, Butch's glanced nervously about for his gang. Seeing Wally and the others emboldened him and he shook his shoulder free of Valeria's grasp.

"Stay out of this mutie!" He blustered as Wally moved toward Valeria.

"Leave her alone Delora." Valeria growled, the low menace in her voice putting a flash of fear into Butch's eyes.

"You going to make me?" Butch taunted as Wally hit Valeria's shoulder with the heel of his hand. Valeria staggered and her eyes widened as Wally grinned at the apparent fear in her reaction. Then with a blur of motion, Valeria sent Wally sliding on the concrete floor, his hands clutching his face. For a moment the atrium was silent except for Wally's shocked whimper as he felt blood rush from his broken nose, and then Valeria whirled to face Butch, her lips drawn back from her sharp teeth in a snarl. Butch went pale with fright and stumbled backward before catching himself and running for the exit. The rest of the Tunnel Snakes followed, including Wally still holding his bleeding face. Valeria stood panting with emotion as she felt a surge of exultation at the release of years of pent up rage and frustration. Then she turned to see Amata, her face pale with shock as she stared at her friend.

"Amata, I'm sorry..." Valeria stammered as a wave of guilt washed away her anger. Amata shook her head and managed a small smile.

"Those assholes deserved it Val. Let's get out of here."

Nobody spoke of what happened in the Atrium. All Wally Mack would say about his nose was that he tripped, and nobody suggested otherwise. Although the taunting didn't entirely go away, Valeria could tell that Butch and his gang were trying to keep a discreet distance from her and Amata. That would have pleased Valeria, except that Amata seemed to be also keeping her distance. They still spoke on occasion, but her friend now seemed consumed with schoolwork and preparing for the GOAT exam.

The GOAT or "General Occupation Aptitude Test" was an exam that all students had to take to find the positions they would fill for rest of their lives. When the time finally came to take the test, Valeria found it to be surprisingly short, with strange multiple choice questions about how they would handle hypothetical situations in the Vault. Valeria was confused by how pointless the entire exercise seemed to be, but she handed her test to Mr. Brotch confident that with her experience she would be working as a medical aide. She remembered the look of sadness on Brotch's face as he took her test without looking at it.

Valeria soon found that she was assigned to maintenance, an occupation regarded by the Vault inhabitants as a glorified janitor. Her father consoled her by telling her that the test was no indicator of her true potential. The GOAT was only for occupations useful to the Vault, and for her to do her best. Valeria tried to put on a brave face, but she knew it was another punishment for being a "mutant".

Under the supervision of Chief Technician Stanley, she found that maintenance involved a considerable amount of hard, unappreciated work. Valeria learned that the Vault was deteriorating worse then anyone knew, and it was up to the technicians to make repairs, and to hide their work from the rest of the Vault. It was also fairly isolated, which Valeria found a welcome change from the suspicion and unease she experienced in the rest of the Vault. Her father had been more preoccupied than usual, and Valeria hadn't seen much of him. Amata was in administration on the upper levels and Valeria didn't see her often either. The last time was when her father was treating her in his small clinic for what he diagnosed as anemia. He was just finishing his exam when his assistant, Jonas walked in. Valeria liked Jonas, as the young man had always been nice to her. He greeted Valeria with a smile on his dark face, and then patiently waited for James to finish. Clearly he wished to speak with her father without anyone else listening, and she was quickly sent on her way with a warning to inform her father if any of her symptoms seemed to get worse. Valeria left her father's office with an unaccustomed feeling of resentment when she found Amata standing in the hall outside. Clearly surprised, Amata awkwardly apologized for being so busy and promised they would get together soon. Valeria watched Amata go with the weary conviction that 'soon' was anything but.

Valeria had been inspecting the water purifier when Stanley found her and told her there had been radroach sightings. He sounded apologetic when he said that she was ordered to enter the sub-level and find the breach to the outside. Valeria gave Stanley the tight-lipped smile she had adopted to hide her teeth, and told him it was fine. Valeria liked Stanley, and knew the balding overworked technician was simply relaying orders. So, armed only with her pipboy and a wrench, Valeria entered the sealed door to the sub-level.

The tunnels were more extensive than Valeria realized, and her schematic proved of limited use. Apparently it was a generic Vault layout which the level she was in clearly deviated from. The tunnels ranged in size from low corridors to crawlspaces with no clear logic to them. Valeria decided to follow the old electrical cables in the ceiling reasoning she would at least be able to find her way back to the vault. She was about to give up and turn back when she suddenly heard a scrabbling noise all around her. Looking up she saw Radroaches scuttle out from under the pipes in the ceiling and down the walls in a hissing mass of clattering chitin. It was then she heard a loud snapping and popping noise from the ceiling. There was a sudden flash and molten metal began to drip from the hissing cables. The ancient electrical system in the sub levels was shorting out and starting fires all along its length. Valeria realized that it was the fires that drove off the Radroaches, and that they were fleeing back the way she had come from.

The smoke was getting thicker as she retraced her steps through the tunnels until she found the door closed and sealed. After shouting to no avail, Valeria accepted the grim reality that Stanley couldn't hear her and she had to find another way out of the sub level Her lungs were starting to burn as she tied a grease-stained rag over her face and turned back into the tunnel. Hoping to find clearer air, Valeria couched as she searched through the choking darkness until she spotted a vent near the floor. With no idea how much air she had left, Valeria hooked her fingers into the grating, braced her feet to either side of it, and pulled. Desperation aided her as she tore the grating loose and squirmed into the narrow opening.

Valeria had to fight panic more than once as she inched down the tight crawl-way. Every time she thought she was stuck she would pause, fight the fear that threatened to overwhelm her, then inch forward until she was clear. Going back was no longer an option; Valeria had no choice but to continue forward and hope that the vent opened somewhere. Finally after a seeming eternity, she found herself facing a grating that seemed to open into a room beyond. The air was slightly better and she paused to gulp a few breaths before she put her hands on the grate and braced her feet against the wall behind her. Valeria straightened her legs and pushed with a scream of effort. The grate tore loose and hit the floor below with a clang.

Valeria dropped to the floor coughing while smoke billowed out the vent above. Looking around she found she was inside a storage room stacked with reinforced steel crates. Through the haze of smoke she could see the red flashes of fire alarms. Suddenly she heard the voice of the Overseer echoing from the PA system.

"All Vault citizens are to stay in their quarters. The Radroach infestation is under control. Any interference with Vault Security personnel will be dealt with…severely."

Valeria wondered where Stanley was as she made her way through the maintenance bays toward the stairs. Suddenly through the smoke she could make out someone in Vault Security armor descending the stairs. Peering through the smoke, the guard spotted her and said. "Valeria?" She recognized officer Gomez and walked up to him with relief. Before she could speak, he said. "It's a good thing I found you, the others won't be so forgiving."

"What?" Valeria exclaimed in bewilderment. "This fire isn't my fault! There was a short in the wiring!"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Gomez said shaking his head. "In all the confusion your father left the Vault."

"Left the Vault?" Valeria asked in shock. "The door can't be opened, how could he leave?"

"Apparently it can. Your father's gone, and Jonas is dead."

Valeria stared at Gomez as her world seemed to tilt around her.

"Dead, how?" She whispered in shock.

"He stayed behind when your father left and Mack started interrogating him." Gomez looked away then continued. "I've never seen Mack like that, he was out of control. Jonas wouldn't tell him why your father left, and Mack hit him. Once he started he…wouldn't stop."

Valeria stared at Gomez, unable to speak as she tried to comprehend what she was hearing. Gomez looked at her and said urgently. "Mack and the Overseer went to look for Amata and I was sent down here to look for you."

"Why are they looking for Amata?" Valeria asked with alarm.

"Mack thinks you may have told her something."

"He wouldn't dare hurt her, she's the Overseer's daughter."

"The Overseer was with us when Mack killed Jonas and he didn't do anything. You're a good kid, and your father took good care of us. Maybe you know something and maybe you don't, but you don't deserve this." Gomez shook his head and continued. "The Vault isn't safe for you anymore, you have to leave now while you can!"

"Leave?" Valeria said, her eyes tearing. "Where will I go?"

"I don't know." Gomez said sadly. "But you don't have a choice. After what happened to Jonas, I think Mack plans to kill you."

Valeria stared at Gomez then hugged the surprised guard. Blinking away-unexpected tears, Gomez awkwardly patted her on the back. After a moment, Valeria stepped back and with a tight-lipped nod, ran past him to the stairs.

When Valeria reached the main floor she considered heading to the dormitories to retrieve some of her possessions, then quickly dismissed the idea. She ran instead toward the atrium, climbing the stairs and running through the door at the top. The Atrium was hazy with smoke and covered with dead radroaches. Directly before her was the body of a security guard, apparently swarmed by the insects. Not wanting to know who it was, she didn't look at his face as she took his baton. She looked toward the corridor leading to the Vault entry chamber and could make out two guards standing in front of the door, pistols drawn. It didn't seem they could see her in the smoke and Valeria looked about for another exit. Then she saw the stairs leading up to the Administration level and suddenly remembered what Gomez told her about Amata. With sudden resolve, Valeria ran to the stairs. She had no idea how she was going to escape from the Vault but she knew she had to find Amata before Mack and her father did.

At the top of the stairs Valeria came to the walkway overlooking the Atrium below. She had never been allowed to the Administration level, but she did know that it housed the Vault's mainframe, the Overseer's office, and the Detention area. Covering her mouth with her arm, Valeria crouched and hurried as fast as she dared down the walkway until she came to the systems room, luridly lit by the red glow of two massive mainframes separating the room like steel walls. Across the room was another exit and Valeria hurried toward it, desperately hoping there were no guards. The door opened to a corridor which turned to her right, and Valeria crouched down to carefully peer around the corner. The smoke filled hallway was empty and lit only by flashes of emergency lights and a glow coming from a doorway on the left. Then Valeria heard Amata's voice from the room beyond.

"Why are you doing this?" She pleaded. "I don't know anything!"

Once again something seemed to snap inside of Valeria when she realized her friend was in danger. Without stopping to think, Valeria leaped up and ran through the doorway in time to see Amata sitting in a chair looking terrified as Officer Mack brandished his baton in front of her. Off to the side stood the Overseer with his arms folded his face like stone. Amata's mouth opened with shock as she saw Valeria, and Mack whirled to see Valeria in the doorway.

"Guards! Help!" Amata's father began to shout, as Mack sneered as he raised his baton.

"If the overseer let me do this to Amata, just think what I can do to a freak like you!"

Valeria felt rage surge through her and with a shriek launched herself at Mack. Still grinning, Mack blocked her first blow, but Valeria continued to flail at him forcing him to step back. Then Mack saw an opening, knocking her baton aside and slashing at her head. Unable to block Valeria leaped back and lost her balance, sprawling to the floor. With a shout of triumph Mack struck, hitting the floor as she rolled aside. Mack cursed as he raised his baton for another blow as Valeria's hand struck the chair Amata had sat on, and with a shriek hurled it.

Caught by surprise, Mack reeled back as the chair hit him in the chest and before he could recover Valeria leaped to her feet and her baton into Mack's temple. Mack collapsed to the floor, his head covered with blood as wild-eyed, Valeria looked up to see the Overseer had already fled. Amata stood in the corner, her eyes wide with horror. Valeria dropped the baton when Amata ran forward and embraced her.

"Thank you!" Amata sobbed. "I've never seen my father like that. I don't know what Mack would have done."

"Amata, we have to leave the vault." Valeria said urgently as she stepped back from her friend. She looked at Mack's body in a spreading pool of blood and realized that if the Vault wasn't closed to her before, it was now. Amata also looked at Mack's body and nodded, her tear streaked face grim.

"You're right, we have to go before my father calls the other guards." Amata ran to the door and looked into the hall before leading Valeria back into the Operations Room. Once there she turned to Valeria.

"Hide here, I'll be right back!" Valeria hesitated, and then nodded before running to crouch behind the mainframes while Amata continued down the hall. Valeria waited in the smoky darkness until she heard Amata's voice from the Atrium below.

"Valeria's upstairs! She killed officer Mack and is after my father!" She sounded almost hysterical when she added. "Please hurry!" Soon Valeria heard footsteps as the guards run through Operations toward the Security area. After she heard them pass, Valeria exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and then ran after Amata.

At the bottom of the stairs Valeria found Amata waiting, her face pale but resolute. "Come on." She said. "They'll be back any second."

The doors at the end of the hall were locked, but opened when Amata slid a passkey through the card reader. Valeria stepped through, then realized Amata hadn't followed her. Valeria turned back to see her friend standing in the doorway, her face grief-stricken.

"I can't go with you Valeria."

"But your father…"

"He'll come around…He has to." Amata said shaking her head. "If anyone can make him see reason, it's me."

"What if he doesn't? He was watching while Mack tortured you!"

"Officer Mack didn't actually touch me." Amata replied looking away. "I…have to believe my father would have stopped him before it got that…far." Amata looked up as Valeria stepped toward her.

"You have to go now!" She insisted. "The guards are coming back, and you won't make it to the door unless I stop them." She held the passkey out to Valeria. "Take it. I'll tell them you took it from me and ran. If we lock the door it will take time to get another key."

"Amata…I." Valeria stammered as she took the key.

"Please go!" Amata cried, as tears again began to fill her eyes. Valeria stared at her friend, then stepped forward and embraced her. Amata sobbed as they held each other for an eternal moment, then Valeria released her and ran through the door and up the stairs beyond. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve as she heard the door close behind her, than passed through the last door to the entry chamber.

Valeria stopped as she faced the massive cog shaped door that she never thought she'd see. Beyond was what all Vault citizens had been told was certain death, yet it was where her father had gone. She had no explanation for his actions, but had to believe they were for a reason. It was the only way she could comprehend how he could abandon her in the Vault without even a goodbye. Nearby she saw the control panel for the door, a simple affair consisting of a power button and a lever. With a glance behind her, Valeria stepped up to the panel and activated it.

As the lever slowly returned to its starting position, an alarm began to sound as steam jetted from a huge steel arm that lowered to the door and attached to it. There was a pause, then with a screech the door slid back in its frame until it was clear, then the arm rolled it to the side. Valeria walked to the rough-hewn tube of solid rock, with dim light filtering from the far end.

As Valeria stepped forward she felt her boot crunch through something. Turning on her Pipboy light, she looked down and saw that her foot had crushed part of a ribcage. Slowly swinging her light around, she saw the tunnel before the door was littered with human bones, giving mute testimony to the panic and terror when atomic fire rained from the sky. Swallowing hard, Valeria looked again toward the end of the tunnel when she heard the alarm sound behind her. Turning, she saw the door rolling back into place. For one second she tensed to throw herself back into the Vault, but her feet wouldn't move and the moment passed. With a boom, the huge door slammed shut, sealing in the only life Valeria had ever known.

Having no alternative, Valeria turned and began to walk down the silent tunnel. As she neared the end, she saw that it was blocked with a reinforced wooden gate, through which shafts of light were beaming. She stopped and moved her hand through a beam, watching as dust motes swirled around it. She had been raised in the bluish tones of fluorescent light, with almost dust free filtered air. The gold rays of what had to be the sun was almost miraculous to her.

Suddenly she yanked her hand back as if it had been burned. What about radiation? She could be inhaling radioactive dust at that moment! After a second of panic, she suddenly recalled her Pipboy's Geiger counter. It was not giving her the crackling warning of high levels of radiation, so she forced herself to calm down. Facing the door, she steeled herself and worked the lock. She heard an electric buzz followed by a click, and the door swung open. She stepped forward out of the cave and covered her eyes as she unaccustomed brightness blinded her.

Her eyes teared as she blinked and tried to adjust to the brilliant sunlight as her nose was assailed by a host of unidentified smells all carried by the moaning wind. She sneezed and coughed as dust and grit blew into her mouth and nose. Finally her eyes began to clear, and she looked out on a sight no one save her father had seen for two hundred years. She was standing on a rocky hillside with still more ancient skeletons scattered about. The sun was low in the sky, but she was able to look up into the vast blue vault above her. Even in the dusty haze the vastness of the sight almost made her drop to her knees.

Unable to stare into the sky any longer, she looked down and saw a battered metal sign that read "SCENIC OVERLOOK". Valeria stepped forward to the edge of the cliff and looked upon the forbidden landscape. Although all Vault children had been taught about the Great War, it had always seemed abstract and unreal. Now she looked upon the blasted remnants of what was once the capital of the United States of America, and the horror of that event came crashing down on her. The jagged ruins of the buildings in the distance, and the burned shells of houses below all attested to the fury of the day that civilization was obliterated in the nuclear holocaust.

She could smell smoke on the wind. If there was smoke, there was fire. Fire meant the possible presence of people, and it was people she had to find. Her life in the Vault did nothing to prepare her for what was going to face, but Valeria knew she would have to face it. The door had literally closed on her life in the Vault. Her future now lay before her...

...In the wasteland.