"Surprise!"
Blinking out the tears in his eyes caused by the sudden bright light. Albert looked around the cafeteria and smiled at all the people that showed up to his tenth birthday.
"Stanley you turned on the lights too quickly, you blinded the poor kid!" Officer Gomez said.
"I'm fine Mr. Gomez, thank you for coming!" Albert said
"It's no problem, thank you for helping Freddie with his homework. With you Freddie manages a B solid with Mr. Brotch."
Albert glanced at Freddie Gomez who looked sheepishly away. Wally Mack and Butch Deloria sneered at Albert before whispering something to Freddie. Probably insulting no doubt.
"Happy birthday son. I can't believe your already ten, I'm so proud of you." his dad James said. "Your mother would be so-"
"Yes ten is a remarkable achievement." the overseer interrupted. "Of course that means you're ready to take on your first true Vault responsibilities."
"I already do, just ask Stanley." Albert said.
"Well now they'll count." the overseer retorted. Handing him the pip-boy 3000. "With your first Pip boy, you truly will become a productive citizen of Vault 101."
Taking the pip-boy and putting it on with no trouble whatsoever, he saw the overseers' eyebrow rise in surprise. "I take it you've worn that before?"
"I told you, I work with Stanley and he's been showing me some of the technical workings of the pip-boy. I figured I'd look into it before I got it."
Albert saw the Overseer scowl at that. "Well enjoy your party." he said shortly before sitting down.
"Yes you should enjoy your birthday." James said. "Your only ten once, so don't waste it."
"Thanks dad." Albert said though he wasn't sure if he would enjoy it after that frosty encounter with the Overseer.
"Happy Birthday Albert." Amata said to him, and the joy of the party started to come back to him. Amata was only a few weeks younger than him, and the only true friend that was around his age. He preferred the company of people older than him such as Stanley or Officer Gomez, even Jonas, his father's assistant was much better company then most of the other kids. Yet Amata was both younger, and smarter than all of the others, and they both shared something that few could understand, they both didn't have a mother helping raise them.
"You threw this all together for me?" Albert asked.
"Yep! And you didn't even suspect did you?" Amata smiled.
"No I suspected." he said. although in truth he knew about the party long before the day came. It wasn't hard to hear something like this when stuck in an underground Vault.
"Oh really? Then what did I get you for a present?"
"Uh..." That he didn't know. "I like surprises so I figured I wouldn't find out!"
"Liar!" She smiled and handed out the magazine. His heart jumped! "Grognak the Barbarian, issue #14: Lair of the Virgin Eater!"
"Awesome!" he shouted. He'd been trying to read this one for several months now. He'd enjoy it. Though he hoped it didn't end on a cliffhanger, like issue #10. He only found out how that one ended after five months of waiting, and a lot of doing Freddie's homework for him.
"Come over here young deary." Old lady Palmer beckoned. "Now close your eyes and hold out your hands."
Stuffing the comic in his jumpsuit he did as he was told and felt something soft and fairly warm put into his hands. Opening his eyes, he saw a sweet-roll, something that immediately made his mouth water.
"Happy birthday Al," she said, her wrinkled face breaking into a large smile. "Jonas told me how much you loved these when he brought one with him to work."
"Thanks Lady Palmer." Albert said sheepishly. In truth, he had found it sitting on his chair. His dad had gotten it for him, Jonas had only set it there to go use the bathroom. He was glad Jonas just laughed it off. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"Oh fiddlesticks!" She said. "You're only ten once and you should be having fun! Believe it or not I was Ten once to."
"That must've been interesting." Albert said
"The Vault was so much more lively back then, unlike now. We don't have nearly as many young people as we did then." Old Lady Palmer seemed lost in memory. "Well, you should go enjoy your party!"
"Thanks, Mrs. Palmer." Albert said. He'd save the sweet-roll for later, he had a cake to enjoy.
"IT'S TIME TO CUT THE CAKE!" the mechanical voice of Andy said loudly. Andy was a 'Mister Handy' robot, he didn't come with the Vault, having been the project from several past maintenance workers, though Stanley was the first one to get him working properly.
"Andy wait!" Stanley said as Andy revved up his saw blade.
Bringing it down straight in the middle, the blade flung cake pieces all over the counter and the floor. His dad and Stanley ducked as frosting sprayed over the sides and a large piece hit Butch in the face.
Albert put a hand over his mouth to prevent him from laughing. Andy still had some problems in his logic circuitry.
"I AM, TERRIBLY SORRY." Andy said for what could pass as sheepishly.
"It's alright Andy." Albert said picking up a small piece of what was left of the cake and eating it. "Lemon and vanilla. Good choice."
It was really the only choices in the Vault, Lemon, vanilla, and 'spice' cake. Three choices pick any two to satisfy your sweet tooth.
"Hey gimme that sweet-roll!" Butch said behind him. "That stupid robot destroyed the cake!"
"I know I was right here." Albert said.
"Yeah, you're very funny. Now hand over that sweet-roll before I deck you!"
"We could share it?" Albert suggested.
"'We can share it.'" Butch mocked. "What are you five, now hand it over!"
"You must be hungry Butch, your mother drink up all the ration cards again?" Albert asked. Butches' mother was a known drunk in the Vault, and a touchy subject for Butch.
"Don't talk about my mother!" Butch shouted getting up and taking a swing at Albert, Albert moved out of the way and his father stopped behind Butch grabbing his arms.
"That's enough of that!" he said looking sternly at Butch. "Sit down and behave yourself or leave."
"Mr. James, please don't do my job." Officer Gomez said coming up to them, he had seen the first swing and was already there. "Now you boys behaving?"
"Oh it's alright, just boys being boys." Albert said.
"Well both of you stop causing trouble." Gomez said taking a seat, keeping a close eye on Butch.
"Sorry about Andy." Stanley said. "So how do you like your Pip-boy?"
"I can't wait to start modifying it." Albert said grinning.
"Well I'll let you take apart some other ones first okay." Stanley said smiling. "The A models are a bit dated, but are quite reliable when you know how to work them."
"Oh and one more thing." he beckoned Albert over and put a cap on his head. "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks Stanley." Albert said smiling. "And thanks for not letting Andy put it on my head."
"I WOULD'VE DONE JUST FINE THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" Andy protested.
"Yeah instead of cake it would be itty-bitty pieces of brain and skull to clean up in the cafeteria." Albert joked.
The intercom went off and his Father left to answer it. Albert and Stanley talked about maintenance and robots for a minute. Stanley was probably his second best friend in the Vault. They both bonded over technical applications but most of all, Andy himself. Albert hoped to be able to build his own Mister Handy in the Vault, maybe even several, if he could find the parts.
"Son, when you get the chance, head down to the reactor level, we've got a little surprise for you,"
His father left, Albert was still enjoying talking to Stanley about the Mister Handy's. Telling him how back before people had to live in the Vault there were Mister Handy's that shot lasers and flamethrowers called Mister Gutsy. That would be a fun thing to build!
Looking over at Amata, she seemed to be having more fun than him. Running around asking everyone how they were doing, giving party hats. Albert smiled, Amata told him that she was going to be overseer one day, she must be starting early.
Her Father was the current Overseer, and though Albert was best friends with his only daughter, he seemed to not like either Albert or his father. He'd once overheard the overseer telling his father to stop wasting resources on some project, but he's never found out what that project was.
The Overseer got up and excused himself. Albert thought that this would be the best time to go down into the reactor, but before then he'd shadow the Overseer for a minute or so. Giving Andy the sweet-roll and telling him to guard it, he followed the Overseer.
It was something he did to amuse himself. Follow people to see where they were heading, the Vault was only so big and Albert had already seen every inch of it when he was seven, so seeing what people did in it was something to help pass the time. And he'd never had the opportunity to follow the Overseer before.
He moved silently, staying close to the wall so his shadow didn't give him away. He recognized the path and realized that they were going straight up to his office. Waiting for the Overseer to go up the first flight of stairs, Albert followed and stopped on the first flight, the second led straight to other Overseers door.
"Enjoy the party sir?" a voice that Albert recognized as Officer Kendall.
"Bah! I only showed up because Amata's friends with the brat." the overseer stated. "Give everyone a few more minutes then I want that place cleaned up and all of them back to work!"
"Yes sir."
Albert knew that the overseer seemed to not like him, but he didn't think he'd actually find that to be true. Feeling bitter, he went down the steps and bumped into Beatrice Armstrong, the local gossiper and Tarot reader of the Vault, though she would always deny the gossip part.
"Hello young Albert!" she said cheerfully. "Am I late for the party?"
"What's left of it." Albert said rather gloomily. "It'll be over in the next couple of minutes."
"Oh darn." she said. "Oh don't look so down when you're not even at your own party!"
"Oh I'm going to meet my father. He has a special present for me." Albert said trying to smile.
"And I have one for you myself deary!" She said handing him a piece of paper. "It's an older poem I wrote. I tried to make a new one but I couldn't find a word that rhymed with overseer."
Just use the word 'ass' plenty of rhymes for that. He thought. "That's alright, but thank you. You should go enjoy what's left of the party, I'm sure Mr. Brotch is still there."
She smiled and patted Albert on the head as she passed. Reading the poem:
Gray Walls, impenetrable steel.
Suffocation! Condemnation!
Little hands groping in subterranean uncertainty.
Mommy? Daddy? Am I Dead?
Nay! Nay! Reborn into purifying fluorescence!
A face emerges, strong and male.
Father to me? Father to all!
Overseeing our lives, our eternities.
Harshness of discipline.
Harshness of love.
Obedience my savior!
Larva to pupa, pupa to worker.
Buzz, buzz! One with the steel honeycomb.
10 lies within the 101, significant at last.
Till gray seeps from the walls, to hair, to soul.
Then, eternal slumber, the sweet sleep of incineration.
Now he felt even worse. It dawned on him then that he was ten, and he already knew everything there was to know about the Vault itself. He still had so many more years ahead of him and he was already dreading them. Stuck inside these gray walls of impenetrable steel, with a harsh overseer that expected only obedience, and in the end his body just gets cremated. Beatrice wrote it as salvation; Albert was starting to see it as a hell.
Pocketing the poem he headed down into the reactor room and saw Jonas looking over a clipboard, seeing Albert he quickly pocketed whatever it was he was studying.
"Now what are you doing down here young man? You know this isn't a place for children."
"Dad said I could be down here." Albert said gloomily.
"Hey you don't have to take guff like that!' Jonas said giving Albert a gentle punch on the shoulder. "I know your dad said you could be down here. And he'll have a special present for you."
"Thanks Jonas." Albert looked at Jonas' smiling face, thinking of Amata, Beatrice, Stanley, Old Lady Palmer, even Butch, all seemed happy to be down here. Isn't there more?
"Hello there son, glad to see you finally made it." James said. "This is a special present from both Jonas and I."
He handed Albert a homemade BB gun, his gloom replaced by excitement at such a marvel.
"We finally got the final piece from a confiscated switchblade Butch had." James explained. "Though I'm a little worried how Butch could have gotten a knife."
"Who cares, I'll shoot him with this if he comes at me with one." Albert said smiling aiming and pumping the lever.
"I really don't want you shooting people with that thing." James said sternly. "But you can come down here and shoot as much as you like."
"Thanks dad."
"Hey! It was Jonas' idea originally."
Setting down the BB gun carefully, Albert hugged Jonas. "Thanks."
Jonas patted him on the back. "No problem little lad. Now shoot something for me! Go on!"
Pointing at three homemade targets. Albert picked up the BB gun, aiming and pulling the trigger; he was caught off guard as the recoil was surprisingly strong and missed.
"Hold it to your shoulder and squeeze, don't pull." James encouraged.
Doing that, Albert was ready this time, hitting the target close to the bull's-eye. Going down the line, Albert managed to hit all of them, though not direct center as he would have liked.
A familiar scurrying sound let Albert now there was a radroach nearby. Sometimes when Albert had helped Stanley and Andy clean down in maintenance, they could find several of the things eating away at the pipes, trying to get at the water. coming from behind several crates, the disgusting things was as wide as a chair seat and as long as a man's leg. It clicked and fluttered it wings looking for something to eat.
"Son, why don't you see if you can kill that thing with your bb gun." his father suggested.
Andy was always the one to kill them before with the saw blade. Though that was always a mess afterwards. Taking aim he shot it on the carapace and saw the bb bounce off. Though it did get its attention. Taking aim, he shot it in the face. This time the bb went through the soft tissue and directly into its brain. It twitched several times and went limp.
"Very good son!" James said. "Hey Jonas, take a picture with me and the big game hunter."
Holding up the BB gun like a trophy, his father wrapped his arm around him as Jonas took the picture, and his previous doubts about life in the Vault were gone.
"All Vaults 101 personal are to report back to their stations immediately." The intercom sounded and reality returned.
"Well son, Jonas and I have to get back to work." James said patting him on the head. "You go ahead and stay down here and shoot as much as you like. But don't stay too long, your first Vault job is tomorrow and I don't want you being late on your first day."
"Thanks dad."
He only stayed for a few more minutes, shooting at the targets before dragging the radroaches' body off to the incinerator. Feeling his stomach growl, he realized that in all the excitement, he'd forgotten to get something to eat, looking forward to the cake before Andy destroyed it. Remembering the sweet-roll in the cafeteria fridge, he just hoped Andy didn't forget to guard it like he asked
Hiding the BB gun before he left. In the cafeteria Andy was still behind the counter cleaning up the cake pieces.
"HELLO THERE YOUNG SIR!" Andy said cheerfully. "I HAVE GUARDED THE SWEET-ROLL FROM ANY FOES JUST LIKE YOU REQUESTED."
"Thanks Andy. But don't you have to go help Stanley in maintenance?" Albert asked.
"OF COURSE I DO SIR! BUT STANLEY INSISTED THAT I STAY UNTIL YOU RECOVERED YOU GIFT!"
"Next time don't destroy the cake." Albert said getting the sweet-roll. These things were better warm, but cold would do.
"I'M STILL TERRIBLY SORRY ABOUT THAT."
"Don't worry about it. Just do better next time."
"INDEED I WILL SIR! SEE YOU AT MAINTENANCE?" Andy asked.
Albert did enjoy hanging with Andy and Stanley, but it was his birthday he'd spend it his way. He wondered if Amata was free, they could read Grognak together. "Not this time, but send Stanley my regards."
"VERY GOOD SIR!" Andy said floating out.
Albert smiled and headed the opposite direction, in the hallway his path was blocked by Butch, Wally, and Freddie.
"Now give me that sweet-roll." Butch said.
"Is this really necessary?" Albert asked. "It's just a sweet-roll."
"If that the case why are you so defensive about it freak?" Wally asked.
"Because it was gifted to me. And I offered to share but Butch is too greedy for his own good."
"This ain't about greed. You insulted my mother, so give me that sweet-roll as payment before I knock your teeth in."
"Don't you mean out?" Albert said. "Hungry and stupid, maybe I should give you this just out of pity."
That was one insult too much, Butch screamed and charged him. Albert stepped out of the way easily enough, but his back was turned to the other two and he wasn't expected them to help Butch. A blow to the back knocked Albert in the wall. Turning around he tried to defend himself from Wally, but when Butch got back into the fight, all Albert could do was curl into a ball and try to protect himslf from punches and kicks.
"Freddie you going to get in this?" Wally asked.
Albert glanced up to see Freddie face filled with doubt before hitting him very gently.
"You wimp! Like this!" and Butch it him right in the eye nearly knocking him out.
Butch did what he wanted, picking the sweet roll off the ground and taking a bite. "These things are good!" Butch said. "Gotta make Old Lady Palmer make these for me every day!"
"I think they're overrated personally." Wally said.
"What? You got them to?" Butch asked.
"Of course. She knew my dad when he was young, so she sometimes makes them for us."
"Tha's nufair." Butch said stuffing the sweet-roll in his mouth.
Albert could only see out of one eye, seeing the trio talking about there victory, Freddie gave one more look of regret before joining with his so called friends. Laying there for over a minute, nobody came to help him. Getting up, he checked himself over. He'd learn some basic first aid and human anatomy from his father, to try and help his dad not worry about him so much. His dad was the only physician in the Vault and that could keep him busy. He knew that nothing was broken, he'd be sore and he'll have a number of bruises and that would be it. Yet he was aching for revenge, the thought of going to get the BB gun and shooting Butch and Wally, and even Freddie for just standing there before finally participating, even lightly, filled him with rage.
This was his life. Stuck in this concrete hell, an overseer that despised him and a group of people that would make his life a hell. And not even that, for some reason, people always treated him and his father differently; Wally calling him a freak was how the rest of the Vault really treated them.
No not everybody, the thought of Amata, Stanley and Andy, Jonas, and Mr. Gomez calmed him down. Those were the people that seemed to care about him; those were the people who were his true friends. If he was going to be stuck in this hell, then he was going to make the most of it.
Knocking in the door, he knew that Mr. Gomez's shift was over, and he'd be trying to relax at this moment, but he needed to ask him this now. The door opened and Mr. Gomez's face furrowed with worry.
"What happened to you?" Mr. Gomez asked worryingly.
"It's nothing. Can I come in?" Albert asked.
"Sure." Gomez said letting in Albert. In the sitting room, Freddie was at the table doing homework; he glanced up only to bury his face into whatever book was in front of him.
"You have that upside down Freddie." Albert said. Freddie didn't look up, but flipped the book before flipping it again at Albert's chuckle; he was reading it right the first time.
"Can I speak to you privately Mr. Gomez?" Albert asked.
"No problem Al." Gomez said leading them to his room. Because Mr. Gomez was part of the security team, he was allowed an even bigger Vault dormitory, a living room, a room for his son, and a master bedroom for himself and his wife. Mrs. Gomez was busy putting Vaults suits away when Mr. Gomez asked her to leave.
"So what do you need to talk about?" Mr. Gomez asked. "About whoever did this?" he indicated to Albert's swelling eye.
"In a manner of speaking." Albert said. "I want you to teach me how to fight."
Mr. Gomez laughed. "Albert I'm not allowed to do that, and I don't want you taking this in your own hands. It's my job to protect the Vault and look after its citizens."
"I want to become a member of security when I get older." Albert said though it was only partially true, he really wanted to learn to better defend himself from Butch and his group. "And I need to know how to defend myself. I laid on the ground for minutes and not one security patrol came to help me."
"Really?" Gomez frowned. Albert suppressed a smile; Mr. Gomez was one of those good cops that he read about in some of the pre-war pulp stories. Always trying to do the right thing even when off the clock, it was the main reason why he figured he could come to him. "So who did this?"
"Will you train me?" Albert asked again.
"Tell me who did this?"
"Butch and Wally."
Mr. Gomez sighed. "I'm going to have words with their parents about their behavior. And I'm going to talk to security about why someone who was attacked was left unnoticed."
"They're just going to do it again." Albert countered. "Butch is too stubborn and Wally's father is friends with the overseer so he'll never get in trouble."
"And if you start attacking them you're going to be in serious trouble." Gomez countered.
"I won't attack them; only defend myself if they attack me." Albert said.
Mr. Gomez seemed to be thinking it over. "Alright, I'll teach you. But only for defense!" Mr. Gomez was making himself clear. "I ever find out that you picked a fight, or you tricked them into fighting you. We're done."
"I promise I won't attack anyone, only fight when I have to."