Chapter 1: Venture Into the Wilderness
First Floor, Vault 13
Name: Rock S. Evans
Age: 22
Stats:
Strength: 2
Perception: 9
Endurance: 3
Charisma: 6
Intelligence: 7
Agility: 10
Luck: 5
Traits: Gifted, Small Frame
Tagged Skills: Small Guns, Energy Weapons and Speech
A worried face soon appeared across Rock's face, following the example of the other similarly dressed people around an intercom connected to the wall. They had all been awakened by their Vault's Overseer to a most troubling piece of news. "It is with great worry that I announce a malfunctioning of our vault's only water chip. Our mechanics are working on repairing it, but no reports on the chip's current condition are available. As leader of this community I wish for all vault dwellers to remain calm and follow the rationing system I have set for you all. That is all, please proceed with your daily activities, I shall inform you of the chip's condition when the reports come in. Transmission end."
Rock was among the first of the worried vault dwellers to leave the group and proceed towards the cafeteria area for his morning nutrient consumption. Within several meters, Rock found himself in a large room which had almost no people inside, save for the cafeteria worker who was there an hour earlier than anyone else to heat and cook the food. Grabbing a rectangular tin plate, Rock rushed towards the counter and was casually given a large spoonful of brown colored mushy stuff, "Great! Its rat and vegetable mix," Rock said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
The bored looking cook didn't detect Rock's sarcasm and proceeds to tilt his head downward for a nod before placing a half filled bottle of water on it. An irritated look appeared on Rock's face at the sight of the bottle, "Damn, is that all I am getting for breakfast?" The cafeteria worker shook his head and answered, "No that's all you're getting today. The rationing system has already been implemented." Suppressing a grumble under his breath, Rock sat down on a table and proceeds to finish his meal.
Around noon, the intercom suddenly sounds again and the Overseer's voice is heard again. "Good morning my fellow vault dwellers, I am sorry to inform you that our mechanics were unable to fix the badly broken water chip. We shall no longer be able to purify and recycle used water anymore. Because of this threat to our survival, we shall send a fellow vault dweller to venture outside the vault in hopes of finding and retrieving a new water chip. We shall all draw straws tomorrow and the one holding the longest straw shall venture out. That is all. Transmission end."
When the intercom had finally finished conveying its message, several people listening in started to panic at the likes of being chosen for such a dangerous task. Busy typing away, Rock ignored most of the message as he had deduced that the chances of being selected were pretty slim. With that in mind Rock casually sleeps through the night and slowly walked over to the cafeteria where the straw drawings were being held. Everyone had to pick a straw, though Rock noticed the Overseer wasn't there. Pulling a straw out of the security guard's hand, Rock was surprised at his find.
The straw was somewhat longer than anyone else in the room he was in, with a worried look, Rock shuffled through and began searching for another individual with a longer straw, but to no avail. Shaking with fear, he goes to the guard and hands over his long straw who accepts it with a grin. The guard then proceeds to compare straws and proclaims to Rock that his was 3rd longest, meaning he wasn't picked.
After goodbyes were said and good lucks were passed on (and a long will written) the selected vault dweller, Ed proceeds to the vault door with nothing a single vault jumpsuit along with a small knife. The door slowly creaked open for a few seconds before Ed slowly and fearfully walks out the safety of the vault. A few lucky residents managed to catch a quick glimpse of the outside world before the vault door shut and once again sealed off all connections to the outside world.
Very relieved, Rock whistles all the way to the dorm rooms to meet his friend and discuss the events that recently happened. "Well it's a pity he had to go," Patricia, a friend said to Rock. Patricia was a fine 19 year old girl blessed with both a lot of good luck and a very pretty face, though Rock liked Pat friendship and has no real intent on going any further than that(Though others have tried and failed). He eyed her up before snorting out, "Ah, better him than me, eh Pat? Who was the unlucky sap again? Oh yeah Ed, good fellow, a bit of lacking up there though" Rock chuckled at his own joke before Pat's piercing gaze caused him to wisely stop.
"So anyway, from what I heard, the second longest one is Talius. Can you believe it? Him out there, ha, ha, ha," Rock talked out loudly to Pat, who was used to Rock's speaking habit. "Well, you do know that if Ed and Talius erm…expire out there, then it's your turn you know that?" Rock looked horrified at this prospect but calmed down again, "No way, Ed maybe, but Talius? Come on, he's our Vault's best...ok second best combat fighter." The discussion proceeded after a bit, but Rock quickly got bored and left Patricia's dorm, "Well catch you later Pat. It's my turn to cultivate the gardens again. See you some time later ok?"
Rock managed to see Pat nod her head before continuing on to the agriculture centre of the vault. The rest of Rock's day in the vault passes by uneventfully, until another intercom message was relayed to the citizens, "My fellow vault dwellers, it is sad for me to inform you that our retriever's Pipboy has sent us data on our friend Mr. Ed's health. He is dead and we wear we must send our second candidate, Talius please come to the command centre and prepared to be briefed. Transmission end."
A big brute of a man with his muscles visibly seen nearly ripping through the fabric of his jumpsuit went to the elevator to reach the command centre of the vault. "Hmm..." Rock thought to himself, "Talius is the second largest man in our vault, next to Stone, I guess he will do it. Or it's going to be me…" With a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, "I better tell Pat."
Once more Rock ventures down into Patricia's room where he found another bloke coming out of her room with a sad look on his face, "Pat can never say yes to marriage can she?" Rock thought to himself. The door shut itself tight as Rock enters Pat's room, "So Pat, Zed I mean Ed is dead, Ed is dead! I win, where's my water?" Patricia forced a smile and tosses a flash of water at Rock, "Thanks Pat. I needed this." Rock took a quick swig before the two continued their one hour long conversation.
The next day, Talius walks out of the vault and this time carries practical equipment, apparently the Overseer does care for his follower's "well being", Talius seemed to be carrying a pump action shotgun around his back and had a small bag that jingled whenever he walked looped around his neck, it sounded like shotgun shells to Rock. Talius slowly walks out the opened vault door where Rock managed to catch a glimpse of a fallen vault dweller's corpse close by, "Was it Ed?" he thought, "Was the outside world so harsh that Ed couldn't even make it a few meters away?"
Buzzing with excitement, Talius escaped the farewell party and left in a huge hurry, failing to notice his knife falling out of his pocket and onto the ground. The absent minded residents failed to notice this, and Rock, perceptive as ever finds it and pockets it before scurrying to his dorm for a good nights sleep. The entire vault's activities were somewhat similar after that, save for the newly implemented rationing system and the many worried look on several vault dwellers' faces.
A month passes by without incident until the intercom sparks up once more with more bitter news, "It is sad for me to inform you that Talius's Pipboy has also sent a report confirming his death, it is with a heavy heart that I call upon our 3rd candidate, Mr. Evans to go to the command centre and accept the task ahead. Transmission end."
Cold fear spread through Rock's body, he trembled as he walked shakily to the command centre and met the Overseer, high on his chair. "Good evening Rock, as you may know, it is your turn to go and venture into the wild and retrieve a functioning water chip. To aid you in this quest, I will give you permission to acquire one 10mm pistol along with several bullets for this cause, talk to Bernard about this and we shall also send you several flasks of water to help sustain you during your trip. You are given one day to pack, are there any problems?"
With as much courage as he could muster, Rock nodded his head and ran straight towards the armory conveniently placed right next to the command centre of the vault. Bernard confirms Rock's permission slip and is immediately given a new 10mm pistol along with several cases of 10mm rounds and 3 water flasks to help him on his quest. Rock quickly goes to his room with his new weapons to pack up for his long trip. Seated comfortably on his bed was non other than his best friend Patricia, "Rock, you best pack up. Your leaving tomorrow aren't you?" Rock nodded his head and quickly emptied out his strongbox for his change of clothes along with his lucky cross necklace, "So Pat, come to say goodbye?" With a gentle shake of her head, Patricia said "No, that's for tomorrow, I've come here to talk to you before you leave."
"Oh," was the first word that popped into Rock's head, but he quickly dismissed it and instead said, "That's nice of you Pat, but I have no time…" With a loving look on her face, Pat stared straight into Rock's eyes and proclaimed, "No you don't I already know you're already done with packing. Now lets spend the night here together…ok?" The idea finally dawned into Rock's head, but he immediately shook his head, "No, I just like you as a friend, remember Pat? We've been through this before?" A hurt look spread across Pat's face followed by a look of guilt that made Rock regret what he said, "Well Rock, good luck on your mission." Before Rock could stop her, Patricia had run out of his room and he saw her disappear into the vault's single elevator.
The following day, every single vault dweller Rock knew gathered to give him a final farewell, all except Patricia, who claimed she was sick, "Geez, this may be the last time I see her and she goes sick," exclaims Rock with obvious ignorance to Pat's true reasons. "Well see you people, also, for those of you who are talking behind my back as to how long before I expire, well, let's just say that I plan on coming back."
Everyone forced a nervous laugh and the vault's door once more creaked upon, Rock gulped hard before he takes his first step into the outside world, a putrid stench of rotting flesh hits his nostrils before the door behind him creaked shut followed by several locks closing itself tight on the other side. A great sense of homesickness quickly spread across Rock's being, and he quickly found himself entering his password and ID into a module next to the vault door, but the message "Individual does not exist," appeared on the screen. The thought finally dawned upon Rock, "It's either get it or never come back…I hate that guy."
Well that's the end of chapter one, I shall update it soon, also please review it and comment upon my writing. After all, this is my first fan fiction.