THANK YOU, OVERSEER: A FALLOUT STORY
Author's Note: Some dialogue is lifted verbatim from the in-game computer entry for Vault 81. This dialogue is marked with {these brackets}.
Working titles for this story were Vault 101: Behind The Scenes and We Live in the Vault. I like Option C the best but YMMV.
1 - 23 Oct 2077
The advertisements were wrong about the line.
When the bombs fell the most salient message communicated by Vault-Tec was proven correct. But on posters advertised near Vault 101 a calm, orderly crowd was depicted walking into the Vault. As if the order that had defined civilization would not instantly fall apart the moment the nukes started flying.
It did, obviously.
-v101-
Later, Mrs. Gomez found herself thinking about the soldiers the most. She understood the desperation of the people demanding to be let in, but she could not comprehend why the soldiers had been so loyal when the bombs had destroyed them as well. Why spend your last moments on Earth holding back a crowd? Why not join the crowd in trying to break into the Vault?
But they did not, and those on the Scenic Overlook were denied access. A handful were given just the right amount of radiation poisoning to turn into ghouls when Springvale was nuked, but most died of said poisoning (two or three making signs and futilely protesting outside the vault door before their ends).
What was done was done. The Vault was sealed, and its story began.
-v101-
Overseer Andersen -
{We'd like to thank you for accepting your new role as Overseer of Vault 101. This program, as you know, represents a critical research opportunity. The work we do together will lead to a better future for humanity- not only in these times of uncertainty, but far into the future, whatever it holds.}
Your experiment will involve the permanent closure of Vault 101. A story is to be provided to all residents that the world outside of Vault 101 is completely uninhabitable; false radio broadcasts have been recorded and provided for you to this effect. In the event that any person successfully escapes Vault 101, you are to provide doctored evidence that shows them immediately dying of radiation poisoning upon existing the Vault. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are escapees or survivors to be admitted into Vault 101.
The only circumstance in which it will be acceptable to open Vault 101 is if the Breeding Protocol is activated by one of your successors. Vault-Tec estimates that it will take between 200-400 years for the population of the Vault to collapse due to inbreeding unless the Genetic Diversity Experiment is successful. You are to maintain scientific research on the Genetic Diversity Experiment for as long as Vault 101 continues to exist. Should it be unsuccessful, the Breeding Protocol will be activated, but this will not become an issue in your lifetime.
Thank you again for joining us along this exciting journey. We will be closely monitoring all of your results from Vault 100.
2 - The Isolation Experiment
"There's nothing left up there." Overseer Arthur Andersen made the pronouncement as solemnly as he could. "The Vaults are the only surviving trace of human civilization."
"How is that possible?" The woman the Overseer remembered as Mrs. Gomez spoke up. "There were others up there with us-"
"They died," the Overseer said firmly. "All that is left now are the Vaults. Our children will be born in the Vault, and they will die in the Vault."
"What!" Another person shouted. "How is that fair? We cannot go without ever seeing the sun again!"
"We have no choice," the Overseer replied. "Vault 101 is all that is left to us."
Some were skeptical, but the faked radio broadcasts - combined with the naturally authoritative reassurance of the Overseer - were able to successfully sell the lie. And thus the experiment began.
2 years later…
The human mind generally prefers an open space as a frame of reference. Even the extremely agoraphobic require a delineation between the outside and the inside. And so after two years in the permanent underground, psychological problems began to crop up.
-v101-
PSYCHOLOGIST: Tell me more about the dream.
MRS. GOMEZ: It's strange. I imagine myself outside, right before the bombs dropped, but there isn't anybody else outside with me. Then I look up, and the entire sky is the Vault ceiling. It's scary, and I think it's scary because the sky isn't there when I really want it to be.
PSYCHOLOGIST: Why do you think the Vault ceiling scared you so much?
MRS. GOMEZ: Because I wanted to see the sun. More than anything, I wanted to feel the sun on me. I…I still do. I really, really miss the sun.
-v101-
A MESSAGE FROM THE OVERSEER
I know many of you have expressed sadness at being unable to see sunshine again. I share your pain. But I must remind you: there is nothing left up there.
Please speak to any of the three Vault 101 psychologists if you need assistance with this trouble. I ask that you not let it interfere in your work duties.
Remember: your children will be born in the Vault, and they will die in the Vault.
- The Overseer
3 - The First Escape
8 years later…
Megaton was chaotic, vibrant and new.
Nora Gomez knew the broadcasts from the vault were a lie the moment that she stepped inside the crater. It was obvious people didn't have much, and the wall wasn't fully finished yet. But there was community, just as there was in Vault 101.
She could get used to this.
"Hey, Nora!"
She smiled as Felipe Vargas made his way over to the Crater Waterer and sat down next to her, ordering a beer as he did so. Rough as things were up here, having a bar really made things easier to deal with.
"So, how are you likin' the apocalypse so far?" He asked conversationally.
"It's not as bad as the Overseer said it would be, that's for sure!" They both laughed.
It was propaganda. It was propaganda. The revelation that the Overseer had deliberately lied to everyone about how survivable things were outside Vault 101 had shaken Nora to her core. Oh, to be sure, things weren't easy out here, and life in Vault 101 was the height of luxury by comparison. But the situation was definitely survivable, as Megaton had aptly demonstrated.
"You know, I should tell you somethin'." Felipe paused. "Remember how I said I was a custodian before the end of the world?"
"Yes?" She asked, curiosity piqued.
"Well, once I was at Vault-Tec headquarters, doin' a deep clean. And…well, I heard something through the vents. Two executives, I'm willing to bet. Talkin' about the Vaults as…experiments."
"…what kind of experiments?" She had lost all interest in her drink and was now staring at Felipe intently.
"Different ones for different Vaults. Apparently the whole point of the program was to have the Vaults be tests of human nature."
"Those bastards!" Anger flowed through her. "We're not fucking guinea pigs, we're human beings!"
She paused.
"Wait…that means that the whole point of my 'experiment' was to keep me down there forever."
"Why do you say that?" Felipe asked.
"Why do you think? I told you, they made false broadcasts that said everything up here was dead. In retrospect, obviously designed to scare us into staying down there."
"Damn. Well, I'm glad you made it out."
"Shows what Vault-Tec knows!"
Felipe laughed. "Damn right!"
Nora laughed along with him and did her best to forget about the seven year old daughter she had left behind in Vault 101.
After all, the child was safer there.
-v101-
"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!"
"Why would Nora do this?!"
"I don't understand! She was so smart!"
The Overseer had had enough. "EVERYONE, QUIET!" It took a moment, but silence descended on the room. "Thank you."
"What happened today was a terrible tragedy. But it will not and cannot change the facts of our situation. And the facts of our situation dictate that Nora Gomez walked into certain death. It is now incumbent upon us to move on with out her here with us."
"That's my wife you're talking about!" Ricardo Gomez stood up, indignant at the dismissal of her fate.
"And if it were my wife, I would feel the same way!"
"You don't even have a fucking wife, Arthur. OR kids!"
Overseer Andersen's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Sit down, Mr. Gomez, now, before you do something you regret."
Ricardo Gomez glared death at the Overseer, but said nothing more and sat down.
4 - As Time Goes By
The Overseer's Office
22 September 2127
Death was a persistent foe towards the end. The Overseer needed to stay alive for at least another hour to dictate the future of the Vault, but the Reaper seemed to behave as an impatient secretary would have before the War.
"Alright…Natalia…do you understand?"
"I do," she replied.
"Good…now you need to know about…the true purpose of this Vault."
"True purpose?"
"The…terminal…read the message…"
-v101-
NORA GOMEZ: Megaton has really come a long way.
FELIPE VARGAS: You can say that again! Fifty years since the bombs fell and we've got a damn city! Makes me proud.
[pause.]
FELIPE VARGAS: So, do you regret leaving?
NORA GOMEZ: Hell no. Why would I?
FELIPE VARGAS: All the food, the comfort, the luxury…
NORA GOMEZ: Luxury is overrated. The wasteland is life.
-v101-
Natalia Wong did not want to be a lone dictator.
In the two weeks since the Overseer's death, funeral, and her succession, she had been pondering the contents of Vault-Tec's message to them. And one thing that was clear to her was that she would have preferred someone else to share this burden with. But as her father was fond of saying: life is about facts, not preferences. And so she found herself as the guide of a grandiose human experiment in ego by herself.
It would be a strange experience. But she would accept it and her role, for she would not have been selected by Overseer Andersen if she was not capable of doing so.
-v101-
A MESSAGE FROM THE OVERSEER
Thank you all for your kind words at Overseer Andersen's funeral. Through the last fifty years he has guided us as we have built the model post-apocalyptic community, and his contributions to Vault 101 shall never be forgotten.
As your Overseer, I will do my best to live up to the great expectations placed on me by his legacy. Accordingly, we will continue the wise and prudent policy of isolation first implemented by him. Having seen both past records and current outside readings, I can confirm that the world outside Vault 101 will remain uninhabitable for at least another seven centuries, and likely longer.
Remember: We were born in the Vault, we live in the Vault, and we will die in the Vault.
-v101-
October 2177…
"And, so, one century ago today, the world outside of Vault 101 was destroyed."
The teacher looked closely at all of her students to make sure none were dozing off.
"Our wise Overseer, who has lead the Vault for the past half century, has affirmed to us all that nothing remains for us outside of this safe haven. Remember that all of you were born in the Vault, live in the Vault, and will die in the Vault."
-v101-
February 2183…
A MESSAGE FROM THE OVERSEER
As we reflect on Overseer Wong's passing, let us remember to follow the ancient book of Genesis and "be fruitful and multiply." Procreation is a moral obligation in a Vault with as small a population as ours has. Even moreso since there is a strong likelihood we are the only surviving Vault in all the world. The Genetic Diversity Experiment remains the most important project for any Vault resident of scientific inclination…
…I am refusing all requests for the "Collaborative Leadership" proposal put forward by various Vault residents. Discipline is an important part of any society, and obeying the edicts of the Overseer is and always will be a guiding principle of this Vault. With that said, I share your concerns and will do anything I can to alleviate them within the framework of our governing model…
-v101-
A/N: Since some are probably curious: Natalie and Stephanie Wong aren't "related" in the traditional sense, but they are parallel universe counterparts for one another. Think the Lutece twins, but with more iterations.
5 - Megaton
December 2240…
ANNE PALMER: I'm still not quite sure how you managed to get the Overseer position.
OVERSEER JAMES HOLDEN: Chalk it up to a misinformed desire to persuade.
ANNE PALMER: Well, you're finally in a position to open the Vault. What are you going to do?
JAMES HOLDEN: Move slowly and carefully.
-v101-
"You want to go outside?" Maria Gomez was clearly horrified by the concept.
"Not permanently, or even more than a few times," Overseer Holden quickly clarified. "But we need to in order to sustain ourselves. The Genetic Diversity Experiment has not yielded fruitful results for us."
"What are you proposing?" Someone else asked.
"A small expeditionary team," the Overseer explained. "We will find out what, if anything, is outside."
"We'll need to prepare first, obviously," Anne Palmer interjected. "We need some idea of the sorts of radioactive mutations we'll encounter…"
-v101-
Looking back years later, Anne remembered the protesting skeletons the most. Seeing sunlight for the first time was shocking, of course, but it was expected. Something about the souls who had been denied entry to Vault 101 had a very real impact on her.
Not as real as the raider bullet that tore through her hand, however.
"We need to get to Megaton!" Officer Smith said after dispatching the last of the crazed killers.
-v101-
The city spoke of improvisation.
The Vault was cleanly structured, neatly built. Megaton was the product of annihilation, reborn as an ugly misshapen phoenix. And all the while watched over by that nerve-wracking sentinel, the undetonated nuclear bomb.
"I don't know how to feel about this…place." James Holden felt it the most diplomatic term.
"It's pretty different from the Vault," Officer Smith agreed.
"They seem like nice enough people, though," Anne Palmer said, raising her bandaged hand that the Megaton doctor had patched up for her. "Just folks trying to get by. But it does take some getting used to."
"How'd they end up using bottle caps for currency?" Overseer Holden wondered aloud.
"It makes sense," Anne replied. "They're made of aluminum, so they last a lot longer than the worthless pre-War money. And you can't make new ones, at least not easily."
The Overseer nodded, and the three of them went back to drinking in the newly-christened Moriarty's Saloon. Another novelty of the post-apocalypse: being served drinks by a 14 year old bar owner…
6 - Retreat and Isolation
2258…
ALPHONSE ALMODOVAR: The disappearance of the Overseer is clear evidence we should have never opened the Vault in 2241! Total isolation is the only solution.
VAULT CHORUS: The folly of Alphonse! O nuclear-drenched land, you are the way forward: we see the Rivet, the Megaton, the Museum. From the fires of death is born the life of atomic sunrise!
ALPHONSE ALMODOVAR: Keeping the Vault open is simply too dangerous. There is STILL a large population of raiders directly north of Vault 101's entrance! We must preserve our way of life, and the only way to do that is to re-embrace our original mantra: We Were Born In The Vault, We Live In The Vault, We Will Die In The Vault.
VAULT CHORUS: We will die in the Vault! Such is the fate dictated to us by the immovable might of genetics. Perhaps one generation, perhaps two: in the end all will die or become so bred through folly as to make no difference.
ALPHONSE ALMODOVAR: I firmly believe the inbreeding issue is solvable. The Genetic Diversity Experiment now has numerous samples from outside the Vault, and we can use these to truly tackle our inbreeding problem in earnest. But we have all the samples we need, and we certainly do not need to keep the Vault open a day longer!
VAULT CHORUS: The children! How must we lie? How must we explain if we do not lie? For to lie to one's children is common, but no less tragic for its ubiquity.
ALPHONSE ALMODOVAR: As far as the youngest generation is concerned, the Vault has always been closed. These expeditions never happened. It's what needs to be done to ensure the continued survival of our community.
[SO THE DECISION IS MADE.]
-v101-
ANNE PALMER: So you want me to lie for the rest of my life?
ALPHONSE ALMODOVAR THE OVERSEER: Yes, I do. And I don't want it, I'm ordering it as the Overseer.
ANNE: Alphonse, are you sure thing is the right thing to do?
OVERSEER: Yes. Positive. Now can you keep your mouth shut?
ANNE: Alphonse-
OVERSEER: Yes or no, Anne?
ANNE: ...yes.
OVERSEER: Good. See that you do.
7 - As Time Goes Continues To Go By
2269…
"Why must you continue to lie to the children, Alphonse?" Beatrice was feeling melancholy.
"Why do you think, Ms. Armstrong?" And Alphonse was sick of this conversation. "We were born in the Vault-"
"But we didn't always live in the Vault!"
"WE DO NOW!"
"Why are you so certain that your way of thinking is correct?"
"That is not your concern. I am the Overseer, and you must do what I say!"
"Hmph. Inbreeding will be the death of us."
Before the Overseer could continue the argument in a more one-sided fashion, Beatrice stormed off to be alone in her brooding.
2273…
AMATA ALMODOVAR: Can I ask you something? It's about the Vault.
LONE WANDERER: Yeah, sure, Amata. What's up?
AMATA: Do you ever get the suspicion that the older adults are lying about it?
[pause.]
LW: I think I know what you mean.
AMATA: Remembered what you told me about your tenth birthday party? What Anne Palmer said?
LW: Yeah. "It seems like only yesterday that your daddy came."
AMATA: What did that MEAN?
LW: I've…always suspected. That maybe dad wasn't from here. But he shuts me down every time I bring it up and acts like I'm crazy.
AMATA: You're not crazy. Something's going on. But I guess it doesn't matter, since my dad will never open the door.
LW: Yeah. And there's nothing left out there anyways. Or if there is something, it was bad enough that my dad brought me here.
AMATA: We'll never know for sure.
LW: Nope.
-v101-
A/N: I find it weird that the Lone Wanderer NEVER suspected they weren't born in Vault 101 after Anne Palmer's remark, so I've rewritten things so that they do suspect but don't know for sure until James leaves.
Epilogue: We Die In The Vault
JAMES THE FATHER: Well, today is the day.
JONAS PALMER: I still think this is a terrible idea.
JAMES: Be that as it may, I cannot leave this undone.
JONAS PALMER: Well, good luck then, I suppose.
-v101-
LONE WANDERER: You see? The Enclave will kill you if you leave.
OVERSEER AMATA ALMODOVAR: My god…I had no idea it was so dangerous out there.
LONE WANDERER: Take it from me, you're safer inside the Vault. You'll need this, though.
AMATA: What is it?
LW: The Forced Evolutionary Virus, modified slightly. You can use this to prevent most genetic defects associated with inbreeding.
AMATA: Thank you so much.
[hug.]
-v101-
Amata was there when the Lone Wanderer closed the Vault door for what she knew would be the final time. It was strange, knowing she would be the last person to ever look at the entrance leading to the Scenic Overlook.
But she also knew this was for the best. The Enclave couldn't get to them if they kept the Vault door closed. The Vault was safety, peace. Her father had been right all along.
And so as she smiled sadly at her childhood friend while the Vault slid closed forever, she said the mantra aloud for all who had gathered to hear:
"We were born in the Vault, we live in the Vault, we die in the Vault."
-v101-
500 years later…
"…and, so, class, remember the example of the All-Seeing Almodovars. The Vault is all that is, all that was, and all that ever shall be. What lies beyond? It is not our place to say, nor are mortals to find out until they have Opened the Vault. But there's no need to rush that! We will all pass on eventually, and the 101 Precepts must be memorized before the break! Remember…"
"We're born in the Vault, we live in the Vault, we die in the Vault…" the class recited.
"And?"
"We must always thank the Overseer." The class finished.
"Good! Class dismissed. Thank you, Overseer!"
"Thank you, Overseer!" The children returned the farewell before running out of the classroom.