Diary of Oliver Wight

Volume #1

Week 1

Day 1

Dear Diary, I killed a man today.

Well. not exactly one man. I estimate at least five died by my hand, and two more I might've been responsible for the death of. Maybe even more.

Let's start from the beginning.

It started off like a normal day. I was in with Stanley, and doing the regular maintenance procedure on the Non-Assigned Pip-Boys.

Then, Finally, as soon as he left the quarters to go get some grub, I finished with my Own Pip-Boy, and hid it in my bag.

Then, I joined everyone else in the Dining hall, and returned to my own quarters for the evening, connecting my new Pip-Boy to the Terminal and downloading everything from my old one into it, before finally terminating its Programming, and shutting it down permanently.

Stanley had been quite a help in making my Little Invention look like the Standard Issued thing, so I was sure nobody would see anything wrong with it.

After all this was over, Jonas entered my Quarters, "Hey, Lad" he said, nervously.

I looked as nervous as him, I guess. For one thing I had to turn off the Terminal before he could see anything I was doing with it. and he would not like what I'd been doing with it.

"Yes, Jonas" I asked, trying to look nonchalant. "I uh- your dad had something he asked me to give you. he-"

Before he could continue, The Door opened again.

Oh god, does nobody care about privacy here? I guess not. It is a vault after all.

I didn't, of course, say this. mostly because of Who's invited himself in.

It was The Overseer. With Chief Bannon.

And you do not sass Chief Bannon. I'd learned this the hard way.

"Ah, there you are, my good man!" The Overseer said with a jovial (fake) tone, "Busy talking with our resident Computer Genius too. Will there be a problem if I borrow our friend here, Oliver? I think it'll take less than a minute."

And, of course, he wasn't looking for an answer. Jonas looked even more nervous. But that could be because of the fact the Leader and Master of everyone in this vault was talking to him, with an armed man supporting him.

At least. That's what I thought at first.

Anyway, A few hours after Jonas leaving with Bannon, I finally fell asleep.

Which is when everything went south.

Amata woke me up, promptly explained Dad had left the Vault (Can anyone even do that?) and that I had to follow his example, if I valued my life.

Then she dropped her personal Pistol, along with as many magazines of Ammo as she could carry, on the table, and then left, as if she was never here.

After a few seconds needed to comprehend all this, I Automatically began sweeping the room for anything of value, sentimentally or materialistically.

My BB-gun, with as much bullets as I had for it (50), a baseball bat, a baseball and my baseball cap.

I connected Pip-boy to the Terminal, copying off everything and then terminating the programming. If I was leaving, nobody could know what the hell I'd been doing these last two years. Then, I walked out of the Room.

Only to find someone waiting for me.

It was Officer Kendall.

The man never liked me. and he did the Overseer's orders to the letter. That, normally, made him a natural enemy of a hacker and overall lawbreaker like me. the fact that I couldn't fix his Pip-Boy didn't help matters.

"Alright, kid" he said, holding a baton towards me. "Stop right there."

I, of course, being the very lawful citizen that I am, complied.

Then, radroaches showed up. and attacked the poor bastard.

One of them bit his leg. Blood began pouring out as if it was a well. the poor man went to his knees, screaming all the way. The second radroach jumped at his face.

I turned my head. And then remembered that I'd be the definite next target. So I pulled out my Baseball bat, and waited.

The first 'roach pounced. I hit it. it flew all the way to the Wall on the other side, and when it hit the ground, it didn't rise again.

The next ones met the same fate. And as soon as they'd been dealt with, I ran all the way to the Overseer's Quarters.

further in, I saw Butch, Who, opposed to his normal attitude of seeing me as 'turd', was begging me to save his mom.

Obviously, I helped him. killing the three Roaches who were attacking his mom, and he gave me his Tunnel Snake Jacket, telling me I was basically an honorary Tunnel Snake.

Not knowing whether to thank him, or curse him, or laugh, I took my leave.

This is the part where it gets tricky. You see, I found Andy and Stanley holding up shop in the Clinic. Andy was, as he is prone to, scorching a couple of Radroaches. Stanley was busy checking the Vault's Network, looking for the Breach that these 'Roaches were in.

This meant, of course, that I had to help. And copy off everything from the Vault Intranet on my Pip-Boy. Then, I moved further on. Until I met two other Vault dwellers, who were quite loudly pronouncing their decision to leave the vault.

They ran the way I was planning to.

Then, I heard gunfire.

You see. Guns aren't something you see in the Vault Often. Normally, only the Security Guards (and I suppose The Overseer) get to hold one. And the Security Guards don't normally shoot.

I heard five gunshots. Then a moan. and two bodies falling down on the ground.

I gulped. What the Fuck.

I didn't think Anyone would actually gun down others in this vault. We've all lived together all our lives. There's no private property (At least, there's not supposed to be one) and trades are essentially quid pro quo. So there's not much lawlessness (theft is meaningless. We're a cashless society) and mostly, Guards just wave batons around.

Of course, the guards hadn't got the memo. One of them said "There he is, shoot the rat down!" and the two of them pointed their guns, both small pistols similar to the one Amata had given me, and then began firing.

I was lucky. I jumped before they could pull the trigger, and took cover behind a wall.

And that's the first time I used the V.A.T.S for ranged combat.

Of course, V.A.T.S is useful for anything requiring precision. Surgery (as the outdated version the Medic's Pip-boys use) or maintenance. I had used it once, fighting the Tunnel Snakes when I was sixteen, but even then it was fist fighting.

I guess, Ranged Combat uses the same principle.

So, as is, I pulled out Amata's Pistol (a weapon I hadn't even touched before today), and Activated the V.A.T.S. My first bullet cut through the first guard's right leg, I reloaded. My second bullet pierced the second guard's right shoulder.

Both fell to the ground.

Neither was dead. But I wasn't planning to kill them. Of course, the pain was too much to handle for these people, who never got into fights with anyone.

I moved forward. And to the Lab.

That's when it hit me.

Jonas was dead.

Bullet Wound in the Left arm, Baton Bruises on his legs and the back of his neck. And I'm pretty sure there was a second Bullet wound in his chest. But he'd died from the beating, not the bullets.

I picked up a Holotape on his desk and then took off. The Next Guard I'd see would be dead.

More than one guard died. Finally, I reached The Overseer's very own Room.

Bannon was inside. Same with Overseer.

Someone else too.

"Interrogating your own daughter" she said. "This must be a new low"

Amata.

My eyes saw red. The Overseer continued talking, and explained, with horrifying accuracy, what had happened to Jonas today. Then, ordered Bannon to 'persuade her to talk'.

I drew Amata's gun. And opened the door.

Everyone stopped.

"Amata" I said coldly, and I remember this accurately because it's the first time I've ever acted coldly. "Kindly leave this room, and don't return for five minutes."

Amata ran out.

Bannon looked at me, and attacked.

I activated the V.A.T.S.

His Left Knee shattered, then his right arm. And finally Bannon's Head exploded, his brains splattering the wall behind us.

The Overseer yelped in surprise, shock, or disgust.

Then tried to attack me.

I pointed the gun at him, V.A.T.S activated and Gun aimed between his eyes.

There would be a chance of almost a hundred percent of my bullet landing.

And I swear to God, I'd've shot him. I'd've killed him in cold blood (Honestly no. I was pretty angry and annoyed at this point. And I wanted revenge for Janos and probably the other two who'd died.) but then I remembered that The Overseer was also Alphonse Almodovar, Amata's dad.

And so I shot the wall behind him.

He yelped.

I said "your keycards."

He handed them over.

I didn't see Amata again, until later.

I first cleared The Overseer's room of every valuable I could find (another Gun like Amata's, and a lot of Ammo for said gun) and left to his secret Room, where his Terminal (and, presumably, the Secret Tunnel) were.

His Terminal had a lot of Info on it. all copied and then wiped from the original system. I would have busted the terminal, but It would probably bust the Systems necessary for the survival of everyone. Including the Oxygen levels.

I activated the Secret Tunnel, and walked down.

I met Amata again down there. In front of something that I had no idea about, but guess was supposed to act as a 'Door' for the Vault.

I gulped.

She told me I had to leave.

And then, left.

I opened the Door.

The Intercom began blaring in Warning Sirens, and a horrifyingly spooky Vault door opened, which I think everyone probably heard.

Two more guards showed up, and I shot them both.

And, now that I write this, I realize I might sound a bit…sociopathic. Truth is. Even now, a few hours after the whole deal, I haven't completely dealt with the fact that… more on that later. Let's say the Death of five people who were trying to kill me is not as important as the thing I learned after.

Let's say, I didn't really understand what Amata was saying, until after I walked through the Vault's opened door, to a cave system that led outside.

That's when I realized something.

There was no outside. Everyone knew nothing was outside. Thousands of bombs had hit the ground. I'd read everything on the Intranet (and old books from Stanley, Janos and Dad), and I knew what happened when Nukes went off. And thousands of nukes?

Nothing was supposed to stand outside.

I'd die from something.

Immediate, if I was lucky. Radiation would take longer.

Returning to the Vault and surrendering to the Authority of the Overseer would be a better option.

But then I turned back. The Vault door closed again, automatically.

"Fuck!" I cursed loudly (Dad never likes it when I curse. He gets offended and everything. But he's not here) "Let me in dammit!" I knocked on the door.

Nothing.

I couldn't even hear anything from the vault.

Then I looked around.

A few skeletons on their knees, also knocking on the door.

I could almost hear one of them shouting "LET US IN!"

I gulped.

These corpses had to be…what, two hundred years old?

Well, no other choice now.

I walked over and opened the Door.

And stepped into the light.

Let's say, my original expectations were not met.

The Land outside was desolate. It was grim. It was nothing but a wasteland desert. The only thing that could tell this was originally a place people lived in was the fact that…well… there was enough remaining of the buildings to show it.

Most houses were destroyed, only the skeletal base of the houses remaining.

In the close distance there was something that had to have been a town once.

Now, only two houses remained whole. Standing. If barely.

And someone was outside, doing god knows what.

Someone was outside.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

The Vault intranet had been clear on this. Nothing was remaining of the world outside. That's why nobody had ever left the Vault. Why the hell would they stay there if there was something to return to?

Someone was outside. In a crude armor made from something resembling the Chitin on a Radroach.

And she was pointing a gun at me. a revolver, probably loaded and definitely lethal.

Her name was Silver, I realized a few minutes later, when she noticed the blue Clothes I was wearing. She put her gun away, and said "Sorry, kid. Thought you were one of Moriarty's"

"Moriarty?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Though I suppose you don't know about him, do you?"

"No. I don't. I just left that-" I said, before stopping. The Vault was secured away for a reason. People couldn't know about me.

Not yet.

Of course, they would, since I was planning on looking for Dad, but not yet.

"I don't know who Moriarty is, Sorry" I continued.

"Don't know who Moriarty is?" the Woman scoffed, "You lived under a rock or something? Everyone know what Moriarty is. And he's a fucking Deathclaw if you give him the chance to be."

Deathclaw? What the hell is that?

I didn't ask. Instead I asked for sanctuary.

She gave me sanctuary.

I was lucky.

I stayed in her house for a few hours, asking if she'd seen anyone else like me. she said no. then she said if anyone knew, they had to be in Megaton. Whatever that was.

And then She Explained 'whatever Megaton was'. A settlement. One not even a stone throw away. (She explained I could see the 'wall's, even from here) and that There would be friendly people waiting for me there. Probably.

Hopefully.

I left her house in a couple of hours. Taking the road north to Megaton.

The City, of course, indeed was not what she'd described it as. It wasn't magnificent. And there was no way any self-respecting human would live there.

It was literally build from scrapes stripped from other buildings dropping about. The Walls were nothing more than tin. I wasn't amazed.

Until I saw a robot. A deputy Weld, as it were, who welcomed me to Megaton.

Then, the gates of Megaton Opened, and I stepped inside.

MY original expectation was met. It was made completely of scraps. It was like an old-timey Junkyard, if people lived in it.

And inside it was people.

The first person to greet me inside wore a Fedora and a Duster.

Someone had a western movie fetish.

"And who're you supposed to be, huh? We don't get many outsiders here in Megaton" he said. He didn't draw his gun. But the threat was there.

I had to be diplomatic.

"I'm just looking for-"

"Someone like you?" he said. "You're not the first one in clothes like that I've seen today. He stopped by in Moriarty's saloon, and left an hour later. Whoever he was, he didn't want to-"

"He's my father" I begged, "You have to help me find him, sir! Please!"

He nodded.

"Hmm. I see. Well, go ask around. If you want. But don't even go near the Warhead. Or I'll put a bullet in your head before you can say shit."

Warhead?

The Warhead, of course, what I thought it was.

A huge bomb. Probably from the Pre-war era. That hadn't blown off.

For some reason, people had settled around it. wastelanders (As I found out they were called, the people still living above ground two hundred years after war) are weird.

I didn't spend much time there, since it was already dark, and hurried to the Saloon, thanking the Sheriff (Lucas Simms) for his expert direction giving.

The saloon had two things I didn't think existed.

A man in dirty Mob suit. And another man behind a radio punching it.

I'll get to the first later.

Because the second was a fucking Zombie.

Day 3

Let's say that after a night of sleeping (and being scared of said zombie eating my brains in my sleep), I've come to accept the fact that Zombies exist.

Not much of a surprise, I guess. Nuclear Fallout, and everything.

They call themselves Ghouls.

They're humans who didn't die from the Nukes.

And, they're as accepted among the other wastelanders as radroaches are in the Vault.

I guess it's a bad comparison, seeing the fact that The Ghoul in the saloon (Gob, he called himself) was the only nice person in that entire establishment) but seriously, most people (including everyone in the Bar aside from a… well-dressed… woman) think of them as highly as Radroaches.

Insulting, but discrimination, no matter how stupid and baseless, has always existed in Human Societies. Post-appocalyptia is not an exception.

Anyway, the next day I spent in the Bar. Mostly talking to people (about the Bomb, the cult that worshipped it (Church of the Atom. Ugh) the Guide the town vendor was planning on writing, Moriarty, and of course the Weird Guy in Blue that had left the town yesterday.

Suffice it to say, I did not want to meet this guy. Moriarty was a creep. And (as far as the people cared) as nice and friendly as a fucking radroach. Maybe nastier.

Then, While I was enjoying an Ice Cold Nuka-cola (This drink that we didn't get to have in the Vault because, someone didn't want us to know it existed.) I opened the Files I'd downloaded off from the Intranet.

That bastard.

The Overseer knew about the outside world. All overseers knew, ever since fucking 2077, This was a fucking Experiment.

An experiment on seeing what would happen in an isolated semi-society. The only reason everyone in the vault weren't inbred morons was that the Overseer before Almadover had been a bit progressive and had allowed some others to enter the Vault. Of course, there was also the fact that, strangely, the very same time I was born, someone had joined Vault 101 with their infant son.

Though, whoever that person was, they were a great actor. I'd've found out by now if it was any other way around.

Then, As I was reading more on 'The Vault Experiment', The Other thing I mentioned yesterday finally decided to give me a visit.

"New around here, aren't you?" The Mobster wannabe introduced himself, "The name is Burke. Nice to meet you." he raised a hand for me to shake.

I looked at him

There was something about this guy I did not like.

"What do you want?" I said, perhaps a bit rudely.

"I want to offer you a job." He said, with a wink. "You know about the Fat Man outside?"

I nodded.

Of course I did. It'd been on my mind for hours.

"Well, I want you to make it explode."

I tried my best not to reach any further. So he continued explaining, he wanted the town gone. This 'blight on the Wasteland' where, coincidentally, tens of people lived in, he wanted gone.

I wasn't going to help him, of course. So I 'kindly' refused, and walked out the bar, planning to walk straight to Sheriff Simms and give him a piece of my mind.

Which is, of course, when I saw him.

Moriarty.

Moriarty greeted me, "So, you're James' kid? Haven't seen you around for seventeen years."

Seventeen years?

"I'm sure I'd…recognize you… if I'd seen you before."

"Ah don't ye worry. You wouldn't remember me. you were but a lad. Your da stopped by here before going to the Vault south of here."

I blinked.

"I was born and raised in the Vault." I explained slowly. He laughed.

"Born and raised in the Vault?" he chuckled, "God you remind me of the other guy. 'We are born in the vault, we live in the vault, we die in the Vault. All hail the Overseer.' Knew you had a brainwashing."

"I'm not brainwashed." I said coldly.

"Lad." He chuckled, "Your programming is even stronger than Deputy Weld's. you've met him right? the robot outside?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Stop patronizing me!"

"Alright alright!" he chuckled, "What do you want here, kid? Why're you here?"

"I'm looking for my dad. Everyone said you'd know where he went from here."

"Ah, I know" he chuckled, "and it's gonna cost you. you know. I say… maybe… two thousand caps?"

Okay, first of all, caps?

And second, it's gonna cost me?

These two concepts were really alien to me.

And I explained.

To Which he replied by patronizing me more.

I narrowed my eyes.

I was not going to pay for that. I didn't even have that many (or, any) caps.

He said he'd pay me the money I'd need to pay him, If I were to do a solid for him.

I asked what the solid was.

Kill Silver.

I narrowed my eyes. And activated the V.A.T.S

Let's say, I am permanently banned from the Moriarty establishment, and he'll shoot me if he sees me again.

Let's also say that Jericho has a shiner he's not gonna get rid of for some time.

And that tonight, I'll be paying Moriarty's terminal a visit.

Not forgetting my actual objective, I left the saloon to find Simms.

"There's a man here that wants to rig the bomb to blow up."

"Really?" he said, not believing me.

I shrugged. His loss.

"Yes. Burke. He's in Moriarty's saloon. I think you'll want to-" he chuckled. "alright, kid. I believe you. meet me here tomorrow. I'm gonna give you a crash course on Wasteland Justice."

Day 4

I got a crash course alright. and it was a lightshow.

Moriarty tried to stop us. Simms pointed his Rifle (a nice looking Chinese gun) at his head.

Moriarty stepped away.

We walked inside.

Mr. Burke was in his old spot. Sipping beer.

"Burke!" Simms barked. "This Gentleman here claims you want something done with that bomb there outside. You have anything to say for yourself?"

"Ah. This is all a misunderstanding" the Man said, with a jovial though hard tone. "I want nothing with the bomb."

"Shut up." I said, before playing the conversation's voice recording out for everyone to hear.

"What more do you have to say for yourself, Burke?" Simms said.

I noticed everyone in the bar (Gob, The Girl from yesterday, Moriarty, his thug, Jericho, and two mercenaries) all looking at us, listening to the new conversation.

"Ah. You knuckleheads never cease to amuse me. I planted the Fusion charge an hour ago. I don't need to do anything more than what I've already done!"

Simms cursed.

"you want to blow up Megaton?" he pointed his rifle at the man's head, "My family lives here. you'd kill us all! Why I oughta put a bullet right in your head!"

"But…you won't." Burke said as he rose from his seat.

and attacked.

Let's say Burke was good for a mobster. He attacked Simms with his beer bottle. Simms ducked, and pulled the trigger.

But he was too slow. Burke pulled a gun almost similar to mine (Except with a Silencer) and began shooting, just as he rolled towards the nearest cover.

At the same time, four other events happened.

One, the two mercenaries pulled their weapons,

Two, Jericho pulled his own weapon.

Everyone else ran for the door (Moriarty, the Ghoul, the Waitress, and the drunks included)

And none of the three others were on our side.

Simms pulled me back to a cover behind a fallen table.

"make your shots count, kid" he warned me.

And I activated the V.A.T.S.

I aimed for Jericho first. He and I had a grudge, one I'd win for sure. Two bullets to his shoulders, and one to his chest.

Then, I aimed for mercenary number one, his trigger finger, a shot I doubted I'd even manage to make.

Jericho fell back, and didn't get up. the Mercenary didn't even flinch at my missed shot.

Simms opened fire. And that very mercenary's head exploded.

Burke cursed, but didn't make a run for it.

Today, I learned the first rule of surviving the Wasteland. Kill. Or you're going to be killed, maybe worse.

The Other Mercenary began firing at us. But he didn't have V.A.T.S. his shots all missed me.

But mine didn't. a bullet in each of his knees, which left him open for Simms to put a round of bullets in.

Burke was the last.

"Stand down, and you might live" Simms warned.

"Hah. you think I'm a moron?" he didn't yield.

He shot three times.

His first bullet, hit me in the left shoulder, effectively incapacitating me. his second would have hit my head, but I'd fell down behind the cover before it could land.

I screamed.

Burke laughed.

Simms fired.

Burke didn't laugh anymore.

Simms ran outside to check on the bomb. I said I'd join him as soon as I could.

Which, wasn't a total lie. Even with my left arm out of commission (until I could see a medic), I still had a Pip-Boy, and The Bar had a terminal waiting for me to hack into.

I had my job.

And five minutes later, Moriarty didn't have a Terminal Anymore.

I had a few corpses to loot some ammo (and guns) from. And then a bomb to see about.

I walked out of the Bar. Everyone were around the Bomb. The old man who'd been preaching near the bomb was held by two of the people, and Simms was near the Bomb.

"What's" I said, wincing in pain, "The situation?"

"This thing is rigged alright" Simms explained. "I don't know crap about explosives, but I can count."

So could I.

Less than five minutes.

I cursed.

"Less than five minutes." I said out loud.

Everyone began talking loudly.

"Everyone calm down!"

Nobody calmed down.

Simms fired a warning shot.

Everyone shut up.

I connected my Pip-Boy to the Interface, and began working.

Thankfully, the Operating Systems were of the same type. (And why would the Vault-tec PIP-OS be identical to the Manual Interface of an American Warhead, I have no idea)

It didn't work.

I tried again.

It didn't work. The Timer also went forward three minutes.

Thirty seconds before explosion.

I tried again.

This time, it worked.

Megaton was safe.

Day 5

The People were pretty gracious of my deeds.

I was given a house. Fully furnished.

It didn't look like much. But then again, nothing in this city did.

Still.

A home was a home.

Day 6

I knew where I had to go.

The ruins of old Washington D.C.

In Galaxy News Radio headquarters.

Oh I was not going to go all that way.

Not right now.

day 7

I met the Vendor today.

She's a beautiful, young girl named Moira.

She has spirit.

She also hired me to do a few odd jobs for her, help her write her Wasteland Survival Guide.

I accepted.

I have three things to do. Find a landmine, preferably disarmed. Find some food and medicine from a nearby mall (Which, by the way, is not nearby). And get some personal experience getting radiated so I can explain exactly how it feels (and what not to do so I can escape it)

Maybe later.

I was in the city, when this girl named Lucy West asked me for a favor.

She wants me to bring her Brother a letter.

Her brother lives in Arefu.

Arefu is on the way to the Minefield. And the Mall is on the way to Arefu.

I am staying here today.

Next week, I have some odd jobs to do.

Signing off, Oliver Wight.