Growing up in a vault has been…trying. I may have never known another way of lie, but that doesn't mean I don't know when something is unnatural.

Growing up in a vault is unnatural.

Though, the cramped, hot and very stale way of living was for a decent reason. The world has gone to hell after we humans destroyed it; nuclear warfare and hatred caused a kind of apocalypse. The surface was blown to nothing, radiation soaking everything and killing everything. Those lucky enough to be rushed into the vaults the old civilisations built (apparently they all knew they were going to blow each other up with a-bombs and bio-chemicals one day) lived on for hundreds of years, under the ground like moles.

My eighteen times great grandma and grandpa were two of the chosen people to live on.

So, almost 500 years after the first bombs, here I am.

Washing tools for my mechanic father, learning the trade and looking after my kid brother.

"Ahni, come here and keep an eye on this belt for me." My father, Thomis, with his long scraggily beard and large frame appears from behind the vault-invented medical machine. I'm pretty sure I heard them call it something like heart-moderator… I don't know. I'm not good with the whole med field. But I do know a little something about grease and spanners.

"Sure, dad." I rise from my very lady-like slouching against the wall with a protein biscuit in hand.

I wander over to the machine, cringing at the smell that assaults my nose the closer it get. "Wow, this thing is dying."

"Yeah, I don't know if I can fix this one, Ahn. What do you think?" He digs through some tools, knocking some on the desk and swears under his breath. "Well?"

With a long sigh, I peer into the old, rusting insides of the heart regulator or whatever it's called. "Yeah, look at that…" I point at the belt and the few cogs up the back. "That belt is too big and those cogs."

"What cogs?"

I snort. "Really? You going blind, old man?"

My father doesn't reply, just as I knew he wouldn't, and searches for the hidden cogs I had spotted.

"They are so rusted. I'm surprised it hasn't blown up earlier." I take another bite of my tasteless, calorie filled biscuit. "So, time to tell Dr Tollga that another one has shit its self?"

"Can you be less crude?" He turns to me and frowns, chucking the oil stained rag at me. "And wipe those crumbs off your face, girl."

"So?"

"Yes, go."

Score.

One thing about the med side of things that I do enjoy is the head Docs son. Riran Tollga. He is something to look at, that's easy to tell. But he is nice and funny and doesn't give a shit what people think of him.

I happily stomp into the med bay, heading straight for the head office with my eyes peeled for the eye candy.

"Oh god! Lets go! Shower, now."

"You'd love to get me in a shower, wouldn't you?" I shoot back, grinning at my best friend, Loon, as he saunters over like he owns the vault. I guess in a way, he sort of does…

"What are you up too? Going to visit the golden boy?" Loon sneers playfully as he throughs his chin at the med bay door. His light blonde hair is a rarity down here. For some reason, being locked down here with artificial lights had fought off the lighter hair, leaving only a few people in the hundreds down here with dark hair and dark eyes. Loon is blessed with the light hair and beautiful blue eyes. Too bad he is such a smartass all the time…he might get a girlfriend for once if he could shut his trap.

I grin at him. Loon knows I have a thing for Riran, but that's easy…every girl our age does…and younger…and older… "What of it, your majesty?"

"Well, you won't be getting any sugar smelling like your father after a week of straight work and no showers."

"I take that as a compliment. I work hard, harder than you do!"

"I don't need to work, you know that." He starts checking out his nails with a smug look on his cute face. "You know…being my fathers son and all…"

I snort loudly, getting a whiff of my oily, mechanical stink. "You say that, but you need to work, just like us, ass. Get back in the kitchen before I jump you."

"Oh-Ho! Yes please." Loon opens his arms wide, leaning back and grins. "Come at me, baby!"

"Shut up!" I smack Loon on the arm hard and he pretends to whimper. "You're so cruel… Okay fine. I better go check on the boys before they burn the food."

"Who's burning food?" I ask, knowing he was the one destroying food with over cooking and bad skills. "See you later, Loon…" I grin as he runs around the corner, his apron hanging out of his back pocket like a white tail.

I slam my hand on the button to open the med door, leaving a greasy smudge on the red glowing plastic. I leave a mental note to clean that up on my way out.

"Hey, Greasie." I smile at the pet name I get from one person and one person only.

Turning around as I wipe the smile off. "Listen here, you quack…"

"OH! Quack! You wound me, sweet Greasie." He holds his heart, his face full of dramatic fake hurt.

I try to keep a neutral face while I watch the idiot show. "You know, sometimes it's hard to believe you're one of the smartest people in this hole." I walk into the med-bay, Riran following behind me.

Riran laughs his cute chuckle and wraps his arm around my shoulders. "I know… So, unfortunately I know the only times you come in here without the machine you're working on in toe is that the poor thing is beyond help…"

I relish the feeling of his arm around me as we slowly walk further into the ward.

"Well, if you guys treated the poor machine nicer maybe it would last longer. You know how to help people, but the poor machines take a beating."

"What are you on about, girl?"

"Sir." I straighten up, throwing Riran's arm off of me suddenly I'm overly conscious of how dirty I was. I sneak a peak at Riran and see dirt and oil on his white coat. Oops…

"Come with me…"

Something is hot. Something is burning me, heating me up like I do those stubborn metal parts that have bent and warped with age and abuse. There's like too. It's so bright from the other side of my eyes that I can see the tiny red veins creeping through my eyelids. My eyes are burning too. What is that smell? Something gritty and dry… It smells like something is cooking…not food…just something a little burnt maybe? Am I in the kitchen?

"From here on, for the rest of your life, you are banished from The Vault 182."

I groan, my burning body protesting at every move. If I don't get away from what it heating me, then I will burn up any second.

With slow movements, I force myself up onto my elbows, my head hanging back slack. Somehow the heat starts attacking my neck, feeling like acid. I flinch and muster up the strength to lift my head, rolling it forward and cracking my eyes open.

Light. So much light... I hiss, like some evil little creature that is confronted with something they don't like. And I am. I don't like it. All I see is light.

"What…" I whisper, my voice nothing more than a hoarse croak. Opening and closing my eyes feels like sandpaper is rubbing my eyes, but I do it none the less. My vision needs to adjust to this impossible light. I know about the sun, the large ball of burning light in the sky, but I never imagined this much light.

I squint into the distance; suddenly I see where I really am.

There are barren mountains, stripped trees and ruins of what I slowly become to understand were once houses. Worst of it is there is so much space. There is nothing. There is so much of nothing. It's so big. It's all brown. It's hot and dusty and dead.

"Nothing…"

I feel my heart racing and my sweat pouring off me like I've never felt it before. I am going to sweat out what little water I had in me in seconds. What if there is radiation right here? What if I'm already dying? Is that what this burning is? Am I getting radiated and dying of it already?

With my mind racing and my heart ready to flop, I try to push myself to my feet, my legs wobbling and my ankles roll.

"I have to find shade…" I look around me and see a door...Vault 183. The Vault is right here. Right behind me…

I stumble, suddenly so desperate to get inside. I collapse onto the large metal door, pounding it with my sweaty fist in a slow, pathetic beat. "Hey! Let me in!"

Nothing.

"Please, don't let me die out here!" I kick the door, unexpectedly full of energy. "I know you're there! Come one! Open the door!" I slam my fists into the door again and call for someone. I wasn't really expecting anyone there.

"I'm sorry, Ahni…"

Loon?

"Loon? Is that you?" Relief floods through me, cooling the intense heat that is assaulting my back, searing my bare calves. "Open the door."

"You know I can't do that, Ahni…"

I thought hearing his voice made me feel better, but now I'm truly cold. "What are you talking about…?" He can't let me in. He isn't here for that.

I hear him speaking but can't make it out. "Louder Loon! It's hard enough to hear out here!"

"Check your bag."

What bag? I look behind me, at the barren wastes that lie in wait, waiting to claim me as one of the billions of deaths it has counted. But before fear takes over me completely, I see it. There, a small knapsack.

I turn back to the door, hating the feeling of the heated wind, full of dirt, in my face. "What is it?"

"I put some things in there for you. No one liked the idea but your father and I weren't about to let you go without giving you something to survive on." I heard the crack in his voice. My best friend is hurting. This is so fucked…

"I shouldn't be out here…I didn't mean it, Loon…"

"I know…" He clears his throat. "Look, I put some food in there and a little something extra. I have escorts so I won't say what it is encase they are listening. Riran put a few stimpaks in there, too. And I think he was able to sneak a rad-away as well." Riran… I got his father killed…and he still helps me?

"Loon…I'm scared."

He was silent as I rest my forehead on the hot metal, wishing I could see him one last time. He took so long to answer. "I am too."

"I miss you."

"I'm going to try and help you, Ahni. I won't let this go so easily."

I smile, my dry lips cracking. "I knew you wouldn't. But don't worry about me, I can take on a few mutants." I joke as fear ripples through me like a poison. Mutants… Raiders. I don't know much else I'll see out here…if I manage to live long. But I really don't want to find out.

I look through the bag, shoving some cloth clothing around and spot what Loon didn't want to mention. His father's gun…

"…Loon…" I feel a new fear creeping up on me. Fear for my best friend who is now going to be treated like some sort of traitor himself, all because he helped me. "Tell them I took it. Don't let them know you did, promise me. Loon?"

He doesn't answer for a few seconds and I know what he is thinking. I know he isn't going to say I took it.

"Loon?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll be okay?"

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" I can hear the waver in his voice and it makes my chest constrict. My throat closes up and tear sting my eyes. "Listen, Ahni…Your father isn't going to rest…He is going to find a way to get you back. So am I." I hear a sniffle. "I can't let you go like this."

I turn around, looing out at the hot, dead land behind me. "Loon…it's so scary out here…" I swallow my tears, forcing them to stop. "You can't come out here. Don't do anything stupid…"

"You know me, Ahn…"

"I do. I know you well…and I know you aren't so stupid to get yourself thrown out here." Desperation filly me voice. "Loon, you are too important to get yourself killed."

"And you are to important to me." He sniffles again. "I love you, Ahni. I have for a long time." He clears his throat. "I'll come for you. I'll see you soon."

"No, Loon! LOON!" Nothing, no answer… "LOON!"

"Ahni?"

I freeze. Riran?

"Listen Ahni…I know you must be hurting…and scared. I'm sorry… But I couldn't stop it. I tried. Loon and your father…people from school tried…"

"Riran…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean too…I didn't know he was there…"

"It's okay, Greasie. I know you didn't know. He shouldn't have been there." Riran spoke robotically, no emotion.

"Thank you…for the supplies." I speak awkwardly. How do you speak with your victim's son? The son you have feelings for? The son you'll never see again.

"Stay safe out there…I heard what Loon was saying. If I can help, I will." He taps the door with all his fingers and I press my hand up to it, too. "It's not your fault, Ahni. I don't blame you and either does my sister. I hope you stay safe until we can help you. Good bye…"

"Bye…"

I stand there for god knows how long, my hand burning on the hot metal of the vault door. What do I do now? Do I stay here, at the entrance? Do I look for a place to stay?

"Loon…what do I do?" I whisper, feeling more alone and scared by the second. "I don't know what to do…"

With my heart rate too high, sweat pouring off of my and my skin burning and not knowing if it's the sun or radiation, I turn to the wastes, looking out at all of that nothing and try to choose the way to go. The way to safety… If there is any such thing out here…