This fic uses the Pip-Pad mod instead of the Pip-Boy. You may find the mod here wwwdotnexusmodsdotcom/fallout4/mods/21953/
At the beginning of each chapter, if any changes are made, there will be a changelog. The changelog will include the dates and general statements regarding what was changed. Any major changes will be notified about in following chapters. All other changes may be ignored for the most part.
A year. A whole year had passed since Avery had stumbled out of cryosleep within Vault 111. A whole year of trying to come to terms with the barren and ever-deadly world that was once his home over two hundred years ago.
From hell and back, Avery had tried his best to survive through whatever means he could. At first, it was helping anyone he could, making ties with whoever he could, all while trying to piece together the puzzle that was left behind about his missing son and dead spouse. Avery made many friends and even more enemies. Over time, Avery stopped thinking about what was truly the right thing to do and just looked to survive the next day, however that may have been.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and eventually, it all came together. His son was a monster he would never have imagined, spewing nonsense about recreating the world by trading human life for synthetic. Avery couldn't have that, and he ended it all in one blow.
The decision hadn't been hard, despite the circumstances. But still, the whole thing read like some discounted dystopian novel that hadn't sold well. His decisions just never could settle within his mind. They never made the most logical sense either. Was any of what he had done the right thing to do?
Avery tossed and turned in his bed, looking over the wooden floor of the Home Plate and scolding himself for letting the past continue to haunt him. How many nights had it been that he let himself grow restless at the thought of his decisions? At least two months had passed since the Institute had been destroyed, but, he still couldn't sleep. The scene of his son staring at him from his bed, unable to do a thing as Avery tore down the very foundation he had built up over decades. The disgust and betrayal in his eyes as he realized that Avery's mind was already made up and the despair in his voice as he said his goodbyes. It was all still so vivid, even after all the time that had passed.
Avery grabbed the Pip-Pad from the nightstand, checking the time to find it was just past 1:00 a.m. Scanning through the various screens, Avery looked for something to distract himself from what was running through his head.
"Maybe some late night music will help calm my nerves," Avery mumbled to himself, twisting the knob forward. At first, he didn't catch the new entry on the screen as he absentmindedly scrolled to the Diamond City Radio station; it was only when he accidentally scrolled past and selected the new entry that broke Avery from his trance.
"What if there was a place with all the zip of Nuka-Cola? Quench your thirst for adventure at Nu-ka-World!" blared through the Pip-Pad's speaker. Startled, Avery frantically spun the volume wheel down. The advertisement continued on with a now hushed voice trying to portray a childish character.
"Hiya, kids! Remember, Nuka-World is only open for a few more weeks in October! Come down and see me and Cappy one last time before buckling down for the winter. Don't forget to bring your empty bottle of Nuka-Cola to get 15 dollars off at the gate! So hop aboard the Nuka-Express and come and see the whole Nuka family while you still can!
The Nuka-Express is accessible through the Nuka-World Transit Center. Parking fees will apply. Prices subject to change due to end of season. Nuka-World, Nuka-Express, and the Nuka-Cola characters are all registered trademarks of the Nuka-Cola Corporation."
"What the… Goddamn, I never thought I'd hear that stupid ad again," Avery thought. Slowly, he moved to sit up, his bare feet touching the cold, wooden floor. A fragment of his past, that forsaken corporate amusement park Nuka-World, still existed? Scratching his head, fingers tangling with the light blue-dyed curls on top, Avery turned to the map screen, scanning and trying to remember where the transit center was. "It was somewhere… over here, yeah?"
Minutes later, standing from his bed Avery began to walk to the haphazardly built dresser he had thrown together when he moved in. He marked the position he thought was the transit center, putting the Pip-Pad down atop the dresser before rummaging through the various drawers. Avery threw on the best he had right now: a red t-shirt with just one small hole, a long sleeve shirt stained only slightly with what might be blood, and a pair of faded shorts that were at one point jeans. He grabbed the boots and socks that were placed by the door, tugging them on. His messenger bag dangled from the peg on the wall, various equipment from his last expedition still stowed away inside.
"Medkit, check… Combat knife, check… A few explosives, check…" Avery listed off his supplies as he browsed through his bag. He looked at the table against the far wall that shelved his larger weapons, mentally going through what weaponry he might need. Avery didn't know exactly why he was doing all of this. There was nothing to gain from going to Nuka-World, was there? He stood there for a moment, his hand placed over a rifle he had outfitted over the year, wondering what he was doing right now. He shook his head, hard, grabbing the rifle and slinging it over his shoulder.
"I don't need a reason to do something anymore… They're not here anymore..." Avery assured himself, swallowing the past that had crept up into his throat. A year had gone by, hardships piled on top of each other almost every day since he had been out in the Commonwealth. And over that time, he had learned that following instinct was far stronger than reason in this new world. People only traded words when they couldn't trade bullets. People only shared their thoughts and reasons when they couldn't share the loot from your dead body. This world was all but nice and fair to those who wanted to reason with Death himself.
The night air of the market was cold as Avery stepped outside, the sound of the door locking echoing in the still air of the sleeping city. Shouldering his bag again, he walked towards the exit of the city, coughing loudly to get the attention of the sleeping guard at the controls. With the rumbling of the metal door rising, Avery slipped into the night, for what reason he still wasn't sure other than instinct.
Something was out there, wanting him to come and explore the past he thought had long vanished, and he intended to heed the call.
Author's Notes: This is a cross-post from AO3. You can find it under the same name as this fic. All explicit chapters will be posted there due to Fanfiction's TOS. I will notify in the notes if there is an explicit chapter coming up or has been posted.