Radium and Regrets,
A Fallout Story
Disclaimer: I do not own any portion of the Fallout universe, I am merely playing in it for the sake of telling the story.
===Chapter 1===
October 23, 2077
At the breaking point from constant war over petroleum and uranium, the world finally ended with the launch and landing of a global nuclear strike. This is the story of the world after the end, when the Fallout would give way to a new world, a new way of life, with two things alone remaining constant. That humanity, in one form or another would continue to endure as would threats to that humanity; and that war, war never changes.
Nathan Pine smiled and wiped the condensation from the mirror, revealing the handsome features of one who had been used to the combat that had so plagued the world as of late. He muttered the opening line of his speech and turned to his wife waiting to get to the mirror so she could fix her hair. He grinned. His beautiful wife had gone a different route than he had career-wise, instead a hotshot lawyer for a big name firm responsible for championing several newsworthy causes as of late. Rumor was, he knew, that they were planning on making her Partner in the near future. Not bad for one of the newer graduates of her Suffolk County law school. His eyes roamed over her body as she smirked coyly at him, lightly bumping him with one hip.
"Gonna stand there preening over your good looks all day, or get out of my way so I can fix my hair, darling?"
Nate smirked, swatting his wife on the backside, causing her to bite back a moan and playfully shove him away.
"Sorry, sweetheart, I just want to look good for my speech, you know?"
Charlotte Pine chuckled softly, the noise like music to her husband's ears, her man's soft Texan accent bringing to mind swimming holes, lemonade, and long lazy summers.
"Well from where I'm standing you don't have to work too hard on that score, lover."
Nate smirked.
"Eyes off my ass, once we get there, it's unprofessional for you to be sizin' me up like a cow's backside."
Charlotte swiftly and professionally styled her hair into a low bun, her brunette locks still wet from the shower, baby blue eyes on her husband's reflection for a few lingering seconds before she finished up and slipped out of the bathroom, heading into their bedroom and grinning at the chalk white Stetson cowboy hat perched on top of her husband's neatly pressed and ironed fatigues, reminding herself to ask later whether or not he planned on wearing it to tonight's speech. She hummed softly to herself and walked into the kitchen to help their robotic butler Codsworth, finish up the last of breakfast before she poured herself a glass of sweet tea. The tea had been, expertly, in his opinion, prepared by her husband's own hand rather than allow Codsworth to do it, instead having their faithful butler fix his coffee, black, two sugars like he always liked. "Dark and kinda bitter, like my CO's soul," he'd joke.
His hair neatly trimmed, her husband walked into the living room and took a sip of his coffee, as she inwardly laughed over her husband's penchant for making her tea without any help, shaking her head at the oft repeated quote from his mama that a true Southern Gentleman should never leave a task that important to anyone else. Of course she didn't particularly care for it, finding it just a touch too sweet, but found it an endearing trait of Nate's, so she always drank it anyway. She munched on a piece of bacon as Nate turned on the TV and sat down to watch, eyes narrowing at the newscaster's views on local politics, idly wondering whether the Red Sox would finally break their losing streak and make it to the World Series thanks to Matt "The Missile" Murtagh. He hoped not, much as it would pain his neighbors. He may live in Boston, but he was a Texan to the core. He grinned and watched the news, his mind briefly drifting to their missing dog, wondering where the lovable little mutt had run off to. At that moment, the sound of Shaun crying snapped him out of his thoughts, Codsworth heading into the nursery to change the infant as a knock sounded at the door.
"Probably that Vault-Tec rep, hon. Go answer the door and try actually talking to the man for once instead of blowing him off. He's been after you for days now, just bite the bullet."
Nate shook his head with an exasperated smile.
"Yes, dear."
"Good boy."
"Mama Pine didn't raise no fool."
Both of them laughed as Nate stood up, smoothed out his T shirt and walked to the door, opening it to the excited face of the Vault-Tec rep, who extended a hand. Nate tuned out much of what was said, though he was outwardly polite enough with the man, the interview soon over as the man wearing entirely too much yellow departed, leaving Nate to quip something about wondering where the man's monkey had wandered off to. At the sound of Codsworth's voice, Nate turned and smiled, heading into the nursery at the robot's insistence that Shaun needed "…some of that paternal affection you seem to be so good at."
Nate pecked his wife on the cheek as got up and walked into the nursery, idly spinning the spaceship mobile with one finger as he smiled down at his boy and scooped Shaun into his arms, his voice quiet as he gently cradled his son close, unknowingly bringing a smile to his wife's face as he sang an old lullaby his mother would sing to him. After a few precious minutes, he replaced the sleeping infant in his crib.
"Love you, buddy," he said with a smile as he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the boy's forehead, hazel eyes shining with unshed tears at the thought of the perfect son he and his beloved had created together. For a moment, visions danced in his head of Shaun's first steps, his first day of school, teaching his boy to shoot, to throw a baseball, to ride that little red tricycle they'd bought him. Shaun's first Red Sox game. Fireworks on the Fourth of July. He smiled. This would be a good life.
Charlotte watched the man she loved with a smile, walking over and putting a hand on his back, rubbing his shoulders gently.
"How are the two most important men in my life doing?"
"Just fine, love."
"I was thinking, maybe we could take Shaun to the park later?"
"Will it be like that night a year ago," Nate as he waggled his eyebrows.
Charlotte grinned.
"Oh no, I am not letting you get me pregnant again, mister. …So soon, anyway."
"Wait…what?"
She chuckled softly at his "deer-in-the-headlights" expression and kissed him softly on the lips, baby blues locked on deep brown.
"Sir? Mum? You…you really should come and see this!"
They froze. Codsworth sounded…worried. Genuine fear in the robot's voice. That was a bad sign. They locked eyes and walked back into the living room, Shaun still cradled in Nate's arms.
"What is…"
"…Yes, confirmed reports. Flashes. Nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania, we are receiving further reports of detonations…"
"Oh God…"
"Sir, Mum, I really do think you should head for shelter…"
Nate's eyes snapped up to the sound of warning klaxons and the voice over the loudspeaker of emergency response telling those that were registered to make their way to Vault 111 on the outskirts of town.
"I've got Shaun, honey. Let's move."
Charlotte's eyes rested on Codsworth. So loyal. Ever present.
"Codsworth I…," her voice broke as she smiled shakily. "Please find a way to stay safe. You're a part of our family."
Nate smiled softly.
"No matter what happens, buddy, just…don't die on us."
Codsworth's photoreceptors blinked once or twice as though he were "clearing his eyes".
"Be safe!"
The two turned and sprinted from the house, heading for the vault, noting the presence of their friends and neighbors alongside them. The house at the end of the cul-de-sac, a marginally more impressive edifice than most of the homes in Sanctuary Hills, stood empty, its sole occupant, a sharply dressed man in a well-tailored black suit with blue tie, neatly trimmed goatee, and perfectly combed hair. The man stood in the street casting his stern gaze over everyone as they ran toward the Vault. Nate's eyes narrowed slightly as he noted the man silently moving his lips. Counting. Whoever it was was staying behind the rest of the group, making sure they all got to the vault in one piece before he sprinted off behind them. Nate lost sight of the man, soon making it to the Vault entrance, a nod to the soldiers in T-45 military issue power armor, the officer checking him and his family off the list.
"Good luck, gentlemen."
One of them hefting a minigun spared him a glance.
"You too, Staff-Sergeant."
Nate headed for the elevator, noting in the back of his mind that the black-suited neighbor, some desk jockey for the Defense Intelligence Agency he'd met in Anchorage during the battle, had vanished without a trace. He didn't know much about the man beyond the man's rank of Lieutenant and that his name was Grimm. He knew the man didn't get on the elevator with them, and silently fumed that the man had probably fallen behind to help someone else. Desk jockey he may have been, the man had conducted himself as a solider to the end.
The flash was titanic. Blinding. The sound, moreso. Nate's last view of the world above as the elevator descended into darkness was one of fire and light and wind. The madness of a nuclear holocaust that had shattered the calm of their idyllic and peaceful Saturday morning. Nate blinked and turned his eyes from the scene. Everything had changed.
Charlotte paused for a moment at the bottom of the stairs to check on the Whitfields, the husband and wife regular visitors at family dinners in the Pine household, gently squeezing Mrs. Whitfield's shoulder as she followed the Overseer's instructions and headed up the stairs, slipping into her form fitting vault suit and heading down a hallway lined with mysterious looking…pods, was the only way to describe them. She dimly registered something about decontamination, wondering if the canisters on the sides of the pods were filled with some sort of gaseous disinfectant, looking across to her husband's pod, locking eyes with the man she promised her heart to, as he smiled reassuringly, adjusting his grip on their infant boy.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
The pod closed over her, the gas beginning to flow. She knew something was wrong, when things began to get so very very cold.