Middle of February of 2078
Vault 36
Sinfully Good Eating Habits
Experiment Begins: All food produced as a thin, watery gruel
When the bombs fell, those assigned to Vault number 36 never thought that living underground would be so… tasteless. The vault was drastically underpopulated. The 'Cry Wolf' effect on the masses had caused most people to just shrug off the sirens. No one really wanted to believe that Nuclear Warfare was heading to America. Or anywhere. But it had.
No matter how nice the vault was; with a complete entertainment room, a massive pool, plenty of room in the living corridors, a well-stocked medial room, a decent cafeteria, and with there being less than the expected amount of people who entered the vault, there is more than enough sleeping quarters to go around.
The Overseer counted, only 538 people had entered the vault. A little over half of the intended populace. Damn. But there was nothing to be done about it. The vault was not to be opened. To dangerous. Not the outside world, no. But what the vault was about to become. Vault-Tech had sent the Overseer her orders. She knew was dying. She was picked to die and leave to vault to its own demises.
There was only one question she had, not for herself, but for the vault. How long? How long before they all descend into madness? What madness will ensue? She knew she would never get her questions answers. Her body was already weak, and the day had even come to an end. She'd be gone by morning. She locked herself within her private quarters. There was chaos already in place. She did not want to face them. The creatures she knew they would become.
It was nasty. It was thin, paper thin, almost completely transparent, and watery in texture. Putting it on a plate was pointless. It would just spill and drip over the edges. A bowl wasn't much better, but at least it would be contained. And the taste… god awful. It was unbearable. And unreasonable.
"Sir. It is as I told you. This is all the food the vault provides." The Mr. Handy, Gronk, responsible for dispensing food throughout the vault. The emotionless robot stared at the man before him who was refusing to eat the watery gruel. "The bombs must have done something to the food produces. Gromm is trying to repair it. Just give him some time." The man looked past Gronk to see another Mr. Handy tinkering away on a machine.
The man grunted and grumbled, stomping away. Some people were eating the gruel, with complete disgust on their faces. Others were also refusing to eat. They could wait. A day without food was not that bad. Especially if they would get something else that was not this gruel.
Then next day nothing had changed. The only food that they received was the same gruel. More people were refusing to eat. And no one could talk to the Overseer. The doors were locked, and no one would answer the loud knocking or yelling. Anger, and hunger, was rising.
By day three, people were irked and hungry. Stomachs growled loudly, outmatched by the vault dwellers voicing their complaints. Some people broke and began eating the watery gruel. Others held strong. But the looks that were given to one another gave a wave of worry though out the vault. Gronk and Gromm simply observed. How much longer?
After a week, more people had given up and were eating the awful gruel. The Overseer still refused to answer their constant knocking and yelling. Others were still refusing to eat but had locked themselves within their sleeping quarters and were refusing to come out. There was a rising fear that some of them were starting to go insane. How much longer could this go on?
By the end of the first month, Gronk and Gromm began noticing something that, by and large, the vault dwellers were actively ignoring. The vault dwellers stomachs were no longer constantly grumbling. That had ended three days ago. And those who had been eating the gruel, strangely, were not anymore. But there was a great number of dwellers missing. Mostly the children. Whenever Gronk or Gromm asked about some of the missing dwellers, they always received some excuse as to their whereabouts.
"I heard that she's sick. So, she's been held up in her sleeping quarters."
"Oh? You haven't seen him? I could've sworn I seen him in the pool earlier."
"Little Timmy? Hmmm… Poor thing has been taking care of his elderly grandmother."
"The children? They're in school right now. That's why you haven't seen them today? Huh? Sunday school of course."
"Oh, they're off playing somewhere. You know how children are. Always so active."
"Yes, they've been eating well. You know what, I'll take some to them. They're out playing right now."
"Don't worry so much about her. She's fine. Just fine."
Gronk and Gromm also noticed that the dwellers were no longer trying to bother the Overseer. There was an eeriness about the vault. Like a gray cloud hanging over everyone. But, at least, the dwellers were calm now. For how long though?
Another month passed, and the dwellers were becoming more agitated again. The grumbling had returned to their stomachs. More people were eating the gruel again, a complete blank look on their faces. No one would answer any question about the missing children. Gronk and Gromm continued to observe. They already knew the truth. They just had to wait. Just how much longer?
A few days later, another large group of dwellers went missing. This time, neither Gronk nor Gromm questioned anything. They didn't need to. Something else began to happen to the dwellers though. Some seemed unhinged from reality. Others were paranoid, almost afraid of something. Rather, afraid of each other and themselves. Yet a sense of calmness had once again overtaken the vault. It wouldn't be much longer now.
A month and a half passed with ease, then another large group of dwellers vanished. There were less than a hundred dwellers now. The vault had grown silent. Eerily silent. No one spoke. No one dared to. Even Gronk and Gromm, who were perched on the counter in the cafeteria, were silent. The remaining dwellers wouldn't last much longer.
Five days later, Gromm and Gronk stared with their metal eyes at the creature before them. It wasn't human anymore. The creatures' hair was matted to it face, blood crusted over and wild in appearance. The once pristine Vault Suit is now blood covered, torn and tattered and stuck to the creatures' skin like a second layer of skin. Its' teeth were bared, glistening white with splatters of crimson. Its' nails were long, and blood stained. Its' flesh was clammy, blood dripping from tears in its' skin. Its' eyes were open wide, glazed over in a white film.
Another creature entered the cafeteria, causing the first creature to turn suddenly and let out a blood curdling cry. The first creature lunged towards the second. The second creature was forced to the floor as the first creatures' nails dug deep into its' neck. There was a sickening crack noise, then the first creature dug its' teeth into the others' chest. Blood was splattered onto the floor and walls.
"Four month, eh?" Bright blue eyes watched the screen flicker. Gronk and Gromm simply watched. These same blue eyes scanned over the fifty plus screens that were laid out before him. He reached out a finger, pressing the speaker button. "Eliminate them." He ordered. He watched Gronk and Gromm jump slightly before their weapons were drawn. These creatures need not exist anymore. They served their purpose.
"Cannibalistic creatures that have lost their humanity…" A voice chuckled behind him. "Find it amusing, huh, Dante." He turned in his swivel chair, facing the only other person in their tiny, on roomed vault. This man was sitting in another swivel chair, responsible for watching over the other fifty plus screens that were laid out.
"No. Staring at these screens, just waiting for something to happen… is just so boring." He replied. "I'm not insane like you, Russ. My dearest lover, my undying mate, my… husband." Dante watched Russ with careful eyes.
Russ ran a single hand through slicked back, shoulder length blonde hair before standing. Russ adjusted his bright blue jacket, the words Vault-Tech' written in bright yellow block letters across both arms and the back of the jacket. Underneath the jacket, Russ wore nothing, his bare chest baring a code; RR-1. Russ also adjusted his worn blue jeans before strolling over to stand before Dante.
Dante wears the same outfit, with a different code across his chest; DS-2. Dante felt Russ tangle his hand in his snow-white locks, forcing his head up. Blue eyes stared into equally blue eyes. Russ leaned over him, until their faces were inches apart, breathing in each other's air, lips barely touching.
"Normality… make me afraid. Those who are crazy… they make me feel so sane." Russ whispered against his lips. "Baby, I'm mad. The craziest lover that you'll ever have. Yet you like me best when I'm off my rocker, don'tcha? So, what if I'm crazy? All the best people are."
Dante made a 'humpf' sound before closing the gap between them. There was nothing behind their kiss, they stared each other in the eyes. Kiss was just an action that they were performing now. Because they had nothing better to do.
"We have work to do, Sweetheart." Dante said breaking their meaningless kiss. Russ snorted.
"They work does itself, Hunny Bunny. We just watch and report." Russ released the hold he had on Dante before returning to his chair. "Besides, one's already dead." He pointed to a screen that was black, showing that it was turned off, with a number below it; 43. "It only lasted ten whole days. And then, they didn't even fight back." Russ pouted.
"Insane bastard." Dante chuckled.
"I may be, but, I'm yours. Forever." Russ replied with a wink before turning around to face the many screens. "After all, we will never age, never get sick, never get injured permanently, and never, ever die."
Dante sighed, turning around himself. Seeing that Gronk and Gromm had done their job. The remaining creatures that were once vault dwellers were piled up, dead corpses, and burning. He flipped the screen off, sighing once more.
Experiment Results: Four Month Span, Cannibalism onset, Humanity lost, Insanity had overtaken them, Remaining survivors as inhuman creatures eliminated by Gronk and Gromm (the overseeing Mr. Handy's), Success
April of 2078
Vault 70
Those in Vault 70 found that the machines responsible for clean and making new clothes for them have all broken down. And are seemingly unfixable.
Mutiny in Vault 111
April 23rd, 2078
The 180-day time limit was up. But no word had come from Vault-Tech. Everyone was on edge as three days past. But no messages came. The Overseer said that the reason no messages came was because the outside world was still too dangerous. There should still be a message! Anything…
April 30th, 2078
A week has past now, everyone has become… Unnerving? No… Antsy, that's more like it. Everyone wants to leave. There is not enough food or water down here to support us all much longer. The vault wasn't even designed to produce food or water like the other vaults. The dwellers don't need it, they're frozen, "Asleep" as the Overseer puts it.
May 1st, 2078
It has been two more days. Food, water and patience is wearing thin. Extremely thin. And the dammed Overseer won't let anyone leave!
May 2nd, 2078
That's it! We are not staying down here any longer! We have guns, we outnumber him. We are leaving this vault.
July of 2078
Mysteries in Vault 87
For the most part, those living in Vault 37 were living peaceful lives. Adjusting to life underground was not easy, but they had no choice but to adjust. It was either that or face whatever lurks outside the vault. Not that they could leave. A bomb had directly hit the vaults main door. They were fully trapped. Summertime was not the same.
But there was something wrong. Though no one could really place what was wrong. They felt people were missing. Yet everyone was accounted for… as far as everyone could tell. And, with such nosy children as the Clark boys, there wasn't a place unexplored in the vault. There was nowhere for people to just vanish off to.
Standing in front of his giant oval window, looking out at the dwellers below. Behind him, he heard a door open.
"Sir, the batch of subjects are ready." One of the many Vault-Tec Scientists, this one he remembered was named Sal, said. "Testing of the Forced Evolutionary Virus well begin soon."
"Alright. Let me know the results." The Overseer nodded, listening to the door close.