Author's Note: This is my first fanfic, and I'm highly skeptical about how this will turn out. I'm also very optimistic about this story's success, and I hope you enjoy it. I will also try to do updates as soon as possible. I also want to note that all that takes place in this story has rarely anything to do with any of the released Fallout games.
Prologue
A small rodent scurries across the dusty laminated floor of a diner. It approaches the body of a power armored soldier, investigating its owners Pip-Boy 3000A that is linked to their left wrist. Sniffing the piece of old world treasure, the rat is startled by a noise nearby, scrambling away. As it does this, it knocks the Pip-Boy back into life, turning on its radio. The Pip-Boy's radio begins to play "The House of the Rising Sun".
As the Pip-Boy plays the music, we focus on the diner. We see many more power armored soldiers, all dead and covered in blood from various sources, surrounded by other bodies, dressed in armor made of thick-skin leather.
We zoom out of the diner, focusing on the area around it. Rocks scatter the area. In the distance, a large arch is visible in contrast to the beautiful sherbet orange sunset. The diner's sign, which reads "Judy's Roadside Café", is collapsed behind the diner.
As we zoom out even further, we see the ruined skyline of an old pre-war city. Faint gunfire can be heard in the distance, with intermittent miniscule explosions occurring every so often.
As we zoom out a bit further, we see our protagonist: A woman, 5 feet 9 inches tall, blonde ponytail, and dressed in a dark duster. She has an automatic carbine raised, sitting on her shoulder, held in her right hand. The strap dangles. She views the cityscape.
The view turns black.
War… War never changes…
Throughout mankind's existence on Earth, more conflict has been fought by us than by any other species combined, and no other has had as big of an influence on our planet as we have.
In the late 21st century, the nations of Earth fought to control the scarce supplies of fossil fuels that remained, and as resources drained, the people's needs grew ever more demanding. Each nation had created their own warheads of Armageddon, but needed a reason to use them.
On the day of October 23rd, 2077, after the events of the Resource Wars, mankind had finally found the one excuse it had been looking for. The Earth was blanketed in waves of radiation, killing many, and turning those who didn't die into ghouls.
In the American Midwest, the warheads fell sparingly, saving the city center of Greater St. Louis from a bath of fire. With this generous gift from the old world, the citizens of the area could now start life anew, and civilize the land around them.
This led to bounties, and where bounties are placed, those who would seek them are sure to follow…
Because though Bounty Hunters may employ tactics of their own…
War… War never changes…