Stanley Cadences' life had never really been too out of the ordinary in the vault. When he was just a baby, he would stare at his S.P.E.C.I.A.L book for long amounts of time while his father spoke with Jonas about this and that. When he was Ten, and he got his PIP-BOY-3000, he was as happy as any other child could be. When he took the G.O.A.T, it was actually a small bit of interest in his otherwise uninteresting life. He became a Vault loyalty inspector. a job thought to have been abandoned long ago.
But, as it turned out, it was a perfect job for Stanley, because he got a desk. Right next to Amata, his crush since he was ten. She was the Overseers daughter, and was on a track for politics within the Vault. As such, her desk was right next to Stanleys'. They talked a lot, about various things that any average Vault Dweller would talk about. The lounge music on the P.A, the water purifier, even how it was rumored had a recipe for Nuka-Cola in his room.
And Everyday, Stanley would go home, always passing the other, older Stanley on the way. They would quickly say hi, then leave each-other. Stanley would then go home, and sit down for dinner with his father. They would occasionally talk, but it was mostly about their day, and what happened. James never was fond of the idea of his son as a Loyalty Inspector, saying it was Draconian.
this was all just regular, even overtly normal in Vault life. yet, it all added up to this very day:
Stanley was working at his desk, looking at the Vaults code of conduct, which took several pages on the screen. This was practically Stanleys job, seeing as how there was little loyalty to inspect. He stared at the monitor, silently mouthing the words of the conduct.
He didn't even look at the Vault clock next to him, saying that it was nearly twelve at night. Amata had long ago left for her room, and even the Overseer had left the security room. It was just Stanley, watching his computer screen flicker green. His eyes began to droop as he heard foot-steps outside.
This was odd, as Vault conduct stated no one but security officers were allowed out after nine. nine thirty if you were lenient. Stanley looked at the clock, finally seeing that it was twelve. Stanley rose slowly, reaching for the window. He crouched low, watching the slowly moving figure. It was Jonas, holding a small box under his right arm.
Stanley un-tensed. If it was Jonas, the worst he could be doing was looking at some of the days data from the lab outside the overseers office. Stanley was about to return to his desk to shutdown for the night, when he heard a second set of footsteps. He looked out the window, and saw his father! Now, this was suspicious. who needed two scientists to get one forgotten note. Stanley picked up his baseball cap, placing it on top of his spiky black hair. Against his feelings, he picked up a 10mm. pistol from a box below his desk, just in case there was something wrong going on.
As the door opened, Stanley stepped outside just as his dad ducked into the followed, ducking around the door, crouching behind a computing terminal. Jonas was standing, his back to James, while James was picking at the Overseers door. Stanleys' heart skipped a beat. this was definitely un-loyal behavior, but it was his dad doing it. How could this be happening? Why? He had to find out. he stepped from behind his terminal, taking a few steps forward. Jonas stepped back, jabbing at James.
"Doc, we got a big problem here." James turned, seeing his son. James arose, frowning.
"Son, I know this looks bad, but you must understand, I can explain." Stanley left the pistol in its' holster at his side, folding his arms.
"Explain what, Dad? You're breaking into the Overseers' office! What is there to explain?" Jonas put a finger to his lips, looking at the Overseers house-door. James put his hands out, to make a downward motioning.
"Listen, son. I'm leaving the Vault. So is Jonas." Stanley stifled a yelp from his throat. such crazy talk!
"What!" He paused, lowering his voice." What are you saying? The door can't open. You'll be throwing your life away for nothing." James shook his head, sighing. Jonas walked backwards, turning on the coffee maker. He put a cup under the spout, pouring some coffee.
"What is that for?" Whispered Stanley, confused.
"Coffee calms the nerves, kid. here, have a cup, and we can all talk this over. civil-like. He looked at James, winking. Stanley didn't catch the wink, instead going for the coffee.
"Well, I could use some." Stanley began pouring himself a small cup just as Jonas finished his. Jonas then brought his cup swiftly down on Stanleys head, smashing it into a million tiny pieces, and causing Stanley to fall into the machine, knocking it onto the floor.
"Jonas! What did you-"
"Sorry dock, He can listen to your message when he wakes up. We need to leave, now!" There was a stirring from the Overseers room, sending Jonas back to the door. He opened it, allowing Jonas enough time to set a Holo-disk on the table next to an unconscious Stanley. he passed through the shutting door, just as the Overseer came out.
"What is all of this racket?" He asked. he looked down, and jumped as he saw the unconscious Stanley in a puddle of brown coffee.
"Dear god! Guards! Guards!"
Stanley awoke to the sound of a near-bye saw-blade. He looked to his right to see Andy floating closer, Saw close to Stanleys face.
"AAAAUUUUUGHHH!" Cried Stanley, flopping off of the operating table he was placed upon. He was naked, and covered from head to toe in happy-face bandages. He looked around, to see he wasn't alone in the doctors-office. There was Butch, sitting next to his fellow gang members. There was Susie Mack, crying next her older brother. And Grandma Taylor was in the corner, attending to Bleeding officer Gomez.
"Ah, I knew a few bandages would cure you up! Too bad I didn't get to try out amputation, though." Came Andies jovial voice. He floated to the side-table, picking up Stanleys jump-suit, stained brown on one side.
"I had my companion Stanley go to your room to pick up a new jump-suit, but he isn't back yet. So, enjoy your coffee scented jump-suit! Now, who has a medical emergency!" Stanley ran to the office of his father, hoping no one saw him naked. He dressed quickly into his soggy jump-suit, surprised at the sight of his fathers office. it was usually the most tidy place, but now there were papers strewn about, and his fathers computer was up-ended on the floor, still functioning, albeit upside-down.
Stanley put up his dads chair, and took a seat. He put his head in his hands, looking at the blank desk top. What was happening. why was everyone in the medical office, and why were some of them hurt? So many questions, not the least of which what happened to his dad.
His thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open. It was Butch, holding Stanleys BB-gun. Stanley raised an eyebrow to this.
"Hey, uh, I kinda used this. To save my mom. You can have it back...Thanks." Butch set it on the table, with a few case full of BB's. Stanley watched as Butch left, going over to a corner where his mom was. The door opened again, and in came officer Gomez.
"Hey, I found your baseball cap next to the operating table, so I told Andy to give a pass on his "surgery" while I gave it to you." Gomez handed it over, the coffee stained hat. Stanley took it, placing it in his pocket.
"Why is Andy covering people in band-aids?" Stanley peeled one from his brow.
"Well, since your dad left, we had to take an emergency measure, and made Andy doctor until further notice. Needless to say, I'm regretting that choice." There was a scream from outside as Andy was diagnosing Freddies' broken arm. a spatter of blood hit the window.
"I should go check on that." officer Gomez left young Stanley in the room.
Stanley just sat in his fathers chair, looking out the stained window. He could see two security guards enter, officer Wolf and officer Mack. they were wearing full on Vault officer riot-armor, with police batons at their sides. Behind them was the Overseer, his arms folded behind his back. Stanley straightened up, putting his hands behind his back. the door slid open, allowing the officers to enter. they both separated so that the Overseer could put his hands on the table, leaning over the table. his face was a picture of anger and tired rage.
"Hello, Overseer sir. How is life?"
"Bad, especially for you. Do you know what damage your father has caused? do you know how many people died because of him?" Stanleys' mouth opened, the words forming in his mind, but dying at the tongue.
"N..no sir. I don't." The Overseer seemed annoyed at this, but he always seemed annoyed at Stanley, for some unknown reason.
"Look, your father somehow opened the door, in direct violation of not only the security laws, but common sense! He let in a whole swarm of Radroaches, and the power required to open the Vault door started an overload in some of the Vaults electrical systems, causing fires! the sprinkler system was down, thanks to a malfunction, and now we have been forced to manually fight the fires, while our one mechanic in the vicinity is fetching YOUR jump-suit, so you can see if I'm not in a good mood."
"Well, I didn't know about any of this stuff...about my dad leaving, or Jonas helping him-"
"Jonas? Jonas is with your father? Damn it, they were our only real doctors! Now we have a cleaning robot as a doctor! And he can't even perform a diagnosis without-" Another blood splatter hit the window, accompanied by some oil.
"Without that happening!" The overseers face was puffed up, and his normally clean-cut hair was out-of place from the frustration.
"Sir, I don't know anything about this, and I'm just a little out of it...I mean, my dad just left me here. Do you know how that feels?" The Overseers face was a picture of thought for a moment, before simmering down.
"Look, I know this is all just as terrible for you as for us. You're stuck with us, thanks to you-, I mean, the good doctor." Stanley looked down for a moment, before looking into the Overseers face.
"So, what are we doing about this mess?" Stanley could have almost swore he saw the Overseers lips curl into a tiny smile for a moment, before he took his business face.
"We need all of the security personnel, including you, to go at the roaches in the eastern corridor. My monitors tell me the souther part of the Vault is already putting out the flames separating them from us, so we don't nee don't worry about fire fighting for some time. Can you use a baton, or shoot?" Stanley thought about. He only ever shot his BB gun from time to time, and he never used a club before.
"I guess so...I'll take a gun...I guess."
The eastern part of the Vault was dark, with only red emergency lights flashing on and off, bugging Stanleys vision. He was put into a security suit, which was a thick Blue jump-suit with padding, under a kevlar vest. He was sent in with Park and Gomez. Gomez was in charge, being in front with his Baton in hand. Park was behind Stanley, with a gun in his hand, steadily pointed forward.
Stanley felt out of place. He was a law officer, sure, but he was a desk-jockey. He had never killed a living thing!...except on his tenth birthday, but that didn't count. His hand shook, his gun waving around chaotically.
"Stanley, maybe you should put that away until you need it. You're gonna shoot one of us by accident." Gomez laughed a little bit, before continuing forward. Stanley put his gun at his side, sighing.
Officer Park sneered, moving past Stanley, and next to Gomez.
"Can we trust this kid? I mean, his dad caused all this. I think he's lying bout not knowing his dads' plans. We should fi-" Gomez smacked his baton butt against Parks armor.
"Shut up! This kid is stuck with us, and we're gonna live with that. I don't want you making his life any harder." Park sneered again, moving ahead of the group. He looked down the hallway, seeing a few crushed roaches near the end of it. but there was a small trail of blood leading to a side corridor.
Without signal, he pushed forward, reaching the trail of red blood leading to an open door-way. As he was about to move in, a Roach jumped down from one of the rafters, crashing into the back of his neck. it began biting furiously at his spine, breaking through the skin and chewing on his column.
He screamed, falling to the ground and paralyzed. Gomez came rushing forward, turning the hallway and batting the thing away. It smacked the cold wall, falling limp to the floor. He leaned down to Officer Park, who was babbling in pain. Stanley turned the corner, watching Gomez attempt to patch up the wound on the back of the neck. Park was fading fast, and Stanley looked at the door where the blood was draining into.
Stanley walked past, in a daze. He walked through the open portal, past the overturned table where so many papers were scattered on the floor. An unconscious Officer Kendall was slumped against the wall, a bloody baton in his hands. Stanley opened the next door, spooking a crouched Older Stanley, who dove past screaming while holding a fresh jump suit. Stanley sat at his desk, pushing his baseball bat onto the floor, groping inside of his desk drawer to find a framed picture.
Officer Gomez turned to the room Stanley had gone into, ignoring the Older, screaming Stanley who fled past. Gomez looked down at Park, giving a grunt of rage as he realised that the wound had bleed out. Gomez arose, and entered the room, crouching immediately to the unconcious Kendall. After putting a hand to his neck, he found Kendall still had a pulse.
Stanley found the framed picture, and held it to his face with both hands. It was a picture taken nine years ago, on his tenth birthday. His hair was still short, thanks to his dads' thoughts on Stanleys natural spiky hair. His right eye was darkened, thanks to Butch being a hungry and cruel child.
But, despite this, he was happy back then. He had a crush on Christine, got a B.B gun from Dad, and an old base-ball cap from Stanley.
Dad...
Officer Gomez had finished his inspection of Officer Kendall, and finally turned to Stanleys' sleeping chambers. Stanley was getting up, hurriedly tucking a frame under his kevlar vest. He had a strange, sad look in his eyes.
"Hey, are you alright son?" Stanley wiped away something from his right eye, and turned his face to Gomez. His eyes now burned slightly, not physically, but with some inner light.
"I'm fine, Officer Gomez. Let's finish our job, and get out of this place."