AN: I'm not an idiot, so I am not attempting to claim the dialogue as my own. I find novelizing videogames to be a fun hobby, and this is the first time I've posted it anywhere. I got the idea from the book, Halo: The Flood which was just a book version of the first Halo game. I immediately fell in love with Fallout 3's storyline, and I thought it would make one hell of a book. Of course it would only be a good book if a professional wrote it. Right now this is pretty much word for word, but when I get out into the wasteland, I'll have lots of freedom to choose which order things happen, and how they are handled.

Chapter 2: Baby Steps

ONE YEAR LATER

"Don't look straight into the light, honey. You'll hurt your eyes. It's just something you get used to down here." I rubbed my eyes and slowly I could see Daddy standing at the other end of the room.

"Come on, over here sweetie." he said. "Come on! Walk to Daddy!" I made my way over to him, determined not to fall. I sort of waddled my way over to him and he greeted me with a big smile.

"There you go! My goodness! Just a year old and already walking like a pro. Your mother would have been so proud." He stood up straight and started to walk away.

"Listen, kiddo. I know you don't like it when Daddy leaves you alone, but I need you to take care of yourself for a minute." He closed the gate of the play-fence he had led me into. "You just stay here while Daddy runs to his office. You'll be okay, honey. I'll be back in a bit." The metal door lifted open and closed behind him with a swishing sound that would become as just a part of me as the sound of my breathing.

I kicked the ball he had left for me around for a bit, but got bored. I walked up to the gate and shook it. I knew that if you jiggled it right, it would come open. It was fairly easy, and I got out with almost no effort. It was so easy that back then I didn't even know that it was supposed to keep me in.

I went to my toy box and played with each toy for about three seconds each. Then I picked up my favourite book. It was called "You're S.P.E.C.I.A.L." and it went like this:

"S is for Strength, and that means I am strong! I can carry more toys and swing stuff all day long!

"P is for Perception, a long and funny word! It means what I tasted, smelled, saw and heard!

"E is for Endurance, and that's how long I can play! I'm always really healthy, and have energy all day!

"C is for Charisma, it's why people think I'm great! I make my friends all laugh and smile, and never want to hate!

"I is for Intelligence, it means I'm really smart! I use my brain for lots of stuff, like science, math and art!

"A is for Agility, that's how I get around! I move real fast and easy, and I never make a sound!

"L is for Luck, and it's simple, you see! It means that good things always happen to me!"

Daddy came back into the room, and when he saw me he laughed a little.

"You're quite the little explorer aren't you? Serves me right for trying to pen you in! Come on over here, I want to show you something." He walked over to a little end table that had a picture frame sitting on it. Instead of a picture inside, there were only words. He kneeled down beside it and looked at me.

"See that? It was your mother's favourite passage. It's from the Bible. Revelation 21:6.'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him what is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.' She always loved that."

Daddy sounded a little sad, but he cheered up again like he always did. He stood up again.

"All right. Come on. Let's go see if your little friend Amata wants to play..." I followed him out of the room, and he didn't even have to hold my hand this time.