DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything so get off my back.
NOTE: Props to whoever gets all the references.
Southeast Washington, Northwest Commonwealth, 2256 AD
We see a cave, much like any other you would find in the wasteland. With a massive rumble, the ceiling of the cave opened. Down from the surface came several metal cables and descending them were three figures dressed in prewar T45's.
Ahead of them a giant steel gear like door coated with grime.
The first figure declared, "What do you know the fucking zombie was right. There is a dam vault down here."
A second figure nodded and said, "Whatever is in there better be worth all the dam caps we had to fork over to that corpse."
The final figure said, "Knights shove it! This is important! If this vault is still sealed we have a chance to recover pristine technology before those barbarians the NCR can get a hold of it."
Both replied, "Yes Paladin Jackson."
Jackson then said, "Good. Morgan stay by the hole and keep the two scribes from getting antsy. Me and Caston will crack the door and sweep the upper levels to see if it is clear."
Caston walked up to the door and using his armor hand managed to scrape off a thick layer of grime as if it was nothing. The giant yellow number 51 stared back.
Caston said, "Why the hell did they have to put a vault here of all places?"
Jackson replied, "Who knows" although in the back of his mind he had to admit he could not understand why the Elder sent him so far North into what was once Washington let alone trust a freaking ghoul saying he would part with the location of an undisturbed vault for a price. But apparently the zombie was telling the truth. There was actually a vault right where he said it would be. Although Jackson had to admit, what the hell processed prewar people to name a town Walla Walla anyway.
Suddenly there was loud buzzing and screeching as the door opened. The giant gear rolled half way and then stopped.
Caston said, "Sorry sir for some reason the doors power supply is disconnected from the vaults grid. Was running on back up, am surprised it even opened half way."
Jackson simply nodded and both figures entered the vault one at a time since there was not enough room to enter together. The entry room looked pretty much the same as any vault except that the only thing that seemed out of place was the skeleton of a dweller long since deceased located by the doors interior door panel which had been ripped apart.
A empty tool box and revolver seemed to indicate whoever this was dismantled the door controls and then shot himself.
The next room seemed much more aged. There were several dark blue radiation suits with the 51 on them and a hazmat shower. There was also a sign with that obnoxious cartoon vault boy proclaiming "Be Considerate. Don't contaminate our vault."
After prying open the next door, Caston could only exclaim, "What the Hell!" The walls seemed to be covered with steaks of long since dried blood and other bodily fluids. Every so often as the two walked down the hall they discovered bullet holes on the walls and ceilings and skeletons-half looked like they had been mauled and the other half with gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
Checking one door, there was a security station completely smashed and appeared that all the amunination and weapons were long gone, so was everything else except for one set of vault 51 security armor that appeared not to have been touched in years.
Jackson also noted that in a holding cell was a skeleton hanging from a bed sheet tied to an exposed ceiling pipe. Smeared on the cell wall in some dried substance he words-They Walk. Both continued until they noticed that every time they came to a staircase the doors seemed to have been welded shut from the inside.
Jackson mumbled, "Going to have to get some C4 down here if we want to get to the good stuff."
Caston called out that he found one door that hadn't been sealed. It was the Overseer's Office. At this Jackson perked up. Finally they were getting somewhere.
Upon entering there was a stench of decay. Sitting on the couch was another skeleton with a empty revolver on the floor near him indicating suicide as well the Overseer's access card. Jackson grabbed it and inserted it into the main computer thinking-o.k. lets find out what the hell is going on here.
The screen read-Welcome Overseer Brooks. Error. Mass Data Corruption Detected. Retrieving Non-Corrupted Entries Only.
There were four files marked: Mission Statement-11/17/01-02/09/02-03/11/02. Curious Jackson opened Mission Statement. It read: Biological experimentation is to be carried out in provided labs on lowest level. Pathogen solanum is of particular interest for its ability of reanimation of subjects who have been deceased from 24 to 48 hours or less. All other experimentation of note can be found in statement appendix A.
Jackson frowned and wondered actual zombies-not radiographic walking disasters but actual prewar movie zombies.
The next entry was a journal that read:
11/17/01
"Dammit, why did Doc Romero name me his successor for overseer then kick off less than a day later? I'm a biologist not a leader! Besides I'm probably the worst public speaker in this hole. Probably because I was the most educated-anyhow progress is going well. All research goals are currently track for when the vault is scheduled to be opened by the remaining government personnel in 2137. One thing that still surprises me is the fact that a virus such as solanum actually exists. Apparently it was discovered in the 1920's, and whoever ran the world at the time were so terrified that they signed an agreement to eradicate any possible outbreak and survivors and cover up the incident. From what I read, the only reason we got one of only 5 existing samples was that since half the countries that signed the agreement no longer existed it was null and void. Still, I'm having the researchers exercise extreme caution. However, Dr. Faust concerns me."
The next entry read:
02/09/02
"Fuck, I can't believe that asshole Faust! He's been undermining my authority since day 1 saying that we aren't going fast enough and we won't have anything to show by the deadline. I tried talking to the dumb s.o.b. but he just shrugged it off like it was nothing telling me he was a vault-tech appointed agent as well as member of something called the enclave. As such he declared he was above my authority and even somehow produced documents to prove it. Now why I'm still in charge of the vault in general, that bastard has complete and exclusive domain over the labs and all experiments. I hope he breaks a vial of something and expires."
The last entry was one that made Paladin Jackson's blood run cold if it hadn't already:
03/11/02
"I knew it-he has done it-Faust recklessness has caused an accidental release of the solanum pathogen. At lease I can take comfort in knowing he was the first to die. The disease is spreading rapidly, so I have decided to enact the Double X Protocol: All doors leading to any level under the top floor of the vault are being auto-weld shut. However, that only leaves me and a handful of security personnel left out of a group of 500. We've also managed to kill off any infected or those who have been in contact who were up here when the doors were sealed. At first I thought it would be prudent to evacuate the vault, however, the gauges by the door say that the radiation is still too high and if calculations are correct, it will be three years until we can safely open the door and leave. We do not have the provisions to last that long so me and the few survivors agreed to destroy the mechanism to open the vault from the inside and kill ourselves rather than starve. Already everyone is dead and I'll be joining them soon after I finish this entry. If this is found, I implore you find a way to bury this place for good."
Doctor Jonathan Brooks, Overseer Vault 51-March 11, 2102
Paladin Jackson shut off the computer. Knight Caston yelled, " Paladin you may want to come look at this."
Caston had pulled down a curtain covering up the Overseers window. Down on the atrium floor were several of what the computer called infected. Apparently, being sealed in a vault kept them from decaying over the past 100-some years. They were slowly limping around mindlessly staring into space. There was even one even walking around that was merely bones held together by what was left of his muscular system. The bones were stained with dried blood.
Caston said, "Jackson?"
Jackson replied, "Knight Caston head for the surface. Tell the scribes to offload explosive we brought from the brahmin and to line the entrance of the cave with them. We are going to bury this abomination for good."
Caston ran off to relay the order and Jackson thought he was going to have good long talk with the ghoul who sold them the location of this place. Then a horrible thought crossed Jackson's mind: He remembered when the elder bought the information off the damm freak, he seemed excited. What if he knew and he wanted whatever was down here to destroy the NCR. More of a reason to bury this place once and for all. Although now Jackson was thinking of putting a laser pistol between the elders eyes and melting his head off.
Jackson left the vault and already Morgan was walking toward him with the detonator.
Despite the scribes yelling that he'd be executed for high treason, he push the trigger.
-So ends another chapter of the Nuclear Waste-An Experiment Created By Some of the Darkest Individuals of the Pre-War World. Never to be Seen Again. And Yet Who Knows if Anyone Will Ever Discover the Dark Secret That is Vault 51 Again and Whether In The Future It Would Be Exploited for Personal Gain. But It Can Happen For In War It Never Changes.-
Fin