Growing up in the wastes isn't so bad. I had plenty of food, a house, electricity, water and most of all a loving family. At a young age I came to the realization that life out here is rough, just because I was young didn't mean everything was going to be easy and laid back. When I was a mere eight years old I got to shoot my fathers old .33 Pistol. He let me shoot that thing every time he was home. We'd love to go outside and shoot at the fake dummies he made out of cloth and leaves.
I was a good shot, but nothing close to a marksmen. My hand usually trembled with the thought of actually shooting someone, taking someone elses life. Seemed so alien to me. My family was a military family. Dating back to my great grandfather Joseph. He was born in the old vault right outside of Paducah. He was born in 2139 in Vault 46, right around the time he was 23 the Overseer decided to abandon the vault and start a new settlement in the ruins of Paducah, Kentucky.
A small pre-war river town which was flooded with irradiated water from the Ohio River. This isn't the first time the city flooded. It was found in ancient history books found at a middle school in the downtown area that in 1937,it was flooded worse then when the citizens of Vault 46 found it. In 2164, the town of Paducah and it's four districts was finally established as a permanent settlement. No more nomading around. Our Brahmin ranches we're stocked, our filters had cleaned the water coming into the city and we made a dam to keep the water from re-flooding the town.
Soon in 2167 the alliance was made with the Confederate States of America. A local group of settlements living about 15 miles from the main settlement. The current leader and old Overseer of Vault 46 Adam Lekerich, being a smooth talker he was. Soon gained control of the CSA and formed the Ohio River Empire. An empire growing monthly. Within two years the ORE had over 2,000 people. It was amazing how fast a small flooded river town could turn in a urban wasteland metropolis for anyone looking for refuge.
First contact was made over radio with a small settlement from across the river in Illinois, no one had ever thought or even tried to contact anyone on the other side of the river. It being irradiated no one ever dared to venture into it's waters. But soon enough we saw rafts coming across the river with the tribal men from an Illinois Tribe. They referred to them as "tribals" because they lived in tents and huts, not pre-war buildings like most did in Paducah
When they first came over the river many citizens at the time came and just watched and never said a word to their new visitors. Acting like the Illinois citizens are a different race, a new breed of people. Some only wearing a small cloth and paint on their faces. They just recently started to wonder into the old buildings in their town of Brookport. Impressed and somewhat frightened of all the hordes of people, shops, and military men in the blossuming metropolis. Since their settlement only had about thirty people in it.
In no time Mr. Lekerich made a truce with the foreign people and set up a promising trade agreement. Years passed by, new people were found. Old people left and soon the original founders of the ORE died away and a new generation of people emerged to run the expanding monster that was us. Not until five months ago did we know of the "others" our scouts up in the Forward Posting Station didn't even suspect. Soldiers and droids their armor plated with shining metallic gold. They were described as angels in the forest. Walking ever so gracefully with their guns and armor shining in the sun. That soon changed, soon as they noticed our radiomen and scouts wide jawed and in awe at them. They quickly opened fire on the small outpost, killing young men and women left and right. With no intent to know if they were friend or foe.
One girl, her name was Allis managed to radio back a quick message to the outpost a couple miles down the hill. All she could say she was being attacked by golden angels with lasers. Then she died while still on the radio. When the news reached Paducah about an hour later. The President and his cabinet couldn't believe anything being spoken on the radio. They thought it was a prank being relayed from outpost to outpost.
President Arnold Leidecker was so upset he didn't stop until he found the source of the joke. Deploying over forty men to go to the outpost. Determined to find the source of the radio transmission. When they reached the outpost to their horror the whole place was burnt to the ground, the ground salted and the Brahmin slaughtered. Whoever did this really didn't want anything to ever grow or live there again. Left at the scene was a small gold plated Holotape with the message "War" inscribed on it.
The officer in charge of the operation to the outpost quickly played the message for all to hear. Holding up a pre-war record player they listened with ears open and deathly silence rained across the troopers as the eerie messaged played itself. "Hello, soldiers of the "Ohio River Empire" You're in the official presence of the The Angels. We are the new rulers of this land. And we will take it by force. We killed your scouts at this outpost. The survivors we shot point blank in the head. Simple as that. We burned the structure and took all remaining information and supplies, salted your land and slaughtered your Brahman. We actually expected your soldiers to fire back on us. Since they are under the flag on your army, but they didn't. Just screams and pleads to stop. It proves your military isn't worth the caps it's wasted on.
We will give you six months to train your army, extend your fortifications and secure ways out of your settlements. The next day after the deadline has expired we will attack your lands, without mercy, without remorse. Be ready troopers, we're coming.''