Time for the second part to the prologue, due to this taking so long I'll just get straight into this.


The ride down didn't take very long in the end. Only a couple of minutes.

As they descended Nora released a relieved sigh. Pulling back from Nate's hold she looked up at him.

"We did it," she said. "We made it."

Nate couldn't help but sympathise, it had been touch and go for a bit. The fact they had seen the explosion proved that much.

Looking around Nate looked at the small group who had gotten onto the lift, only eight of them. Hopefully more had gotten down to the Vault beforehand.

As the gate raised a voice announced, "Everyone please step off the elevator and proceed up the stairs in an orderly fashion."

When the large painted steel gate finished raising the group began to trickle off of the elevator and into a concrete room. Directly in front of them was a metal staircase. Nate glanced at Nora and Shaun, and then stepped forward.

Others moved off to the side, likely to try and deal with what had just happened. Nate just wanted to get this over with, Nora must have felt the same as she followed just behind. He heard one of the men (he was in a jumpsuit instead of armour so Nate could only assume he was a resident or staff) reassuring one of the survivors. Nate didn't pay much attention past hearing to go up the stairs, not like there was anywhere else to go.

"Vault-Tec is here for you," a voice rang from speakers causing Nate to look up at where he thought they were coming from. "All new residents please proceed in an orderly fashion. Welcome Home!" He knew it was probably meant to sound comforting but, with what had just happened, it sounded...

Nate had a feeling he wouldn't sleep that night - either because of the nightmares returning or worry or stress or any number of other reasons, he didn't know. Still best to get this over with now and deal with that later.

As he got to the top of the stairs he saw the inside of the true entrance to the Vault passed the giant gear shaped entrance. A podium to the left had someone - either a resident or staff - checking off the new arrivals. Further in stood a group - three new arrivals, a scientist, and another jumpsuit-wearer - Nate looked back at Nora before leading the way over to them.

"Take a Vault suit then head down the hall," the jumpsuit-wearer said, handing the three new arrivals some bags.

"Each of you take one of these," she said as Nate and Nora stepped forward. "Your brand new Vault suits." There was no way she wasn't a member of staff; the smile - pleasant and friendly yet fake to the core (with what had just happened there was no way the smile was real), along with the tone of voice gave that away.

"Thanks," Nate said grabbing both his and Nora's Vault suits. "What now?"

"Just follow the doctor," so not a scientist like Nate had assumed, the doctor nodded pleasantly enough when the woman gestured to him. "He'll show you where to go."

"All right you three, follow me," with that said the doctor stared down the hall with little more than a gesture for them to follow.

Nora looked around apprehensively before speaking. "See? This is our new home..." Nate looked at her and saw she was talking to their son, most likely to comfort herself. He wrapped an arm around her and they began following the doctor.

"You're going to love it here," the doctor said without looking back. "This is one of our most advanced facilities. Not that the others aren't great, mind you..."

As he said this the four of them passed though the hall, from what Nate could see it looked fairly long and filled with people standing in small groups. Nate couldn't help but listen in on what was being said, all of it was people voicing the loss of everything they had - whether it be possessions or family.

After a while Nora asked, "How long do you think we'll be down here?"

"Oh, we'll be going over all that in orientation," the doctor responded with a slight chuckle, Nate scowled at the doctor's back for that but he supposed everyone had their own ways of dealing with all this. "Just a few medical items we have to get through first."

As this was said they reached the end of the hall way revealing a large room with pod-things lining the left and right walls.

"Just head to the end, put on your Vault suits and step in," the doctor said with a smile.

Not knowing what else to do Nate glanced at his wife, catching her eye, and began walking through the small crowd of people. Luckily there was a screen they could change behind that afforded everyone some small amount of dignity.

As it was Nate would be opposite Nora and Shaun.

"How's my little guy?" Nate gently stroked the side of Shaun's face as his wife prepared to enter her pod, Shaun having decided that he didn't want his father to leave him. "I'll just be over there."

By this point everyone had changed into their Vault suits, as Nate and Nora stood before their respective pods the same doctor who had lead the way to this room stood before the crowd of survivors.

"The pod will decontaminate and depressurize you before we head deeper in the Vault," he said, Nate looked at the pod apprehensively. While he could understand the need for this, after all Shaun was still young enough that he still had an underdeveloped immune system - or so the various health books and professionals had informed him - Nate still didn't want to leave his wife and son alone. Not after what had just happened, not for one second. "Just relax."

Stepping in and turning around he found he had a good view of Nora and Shaun, this put his mind more at ease.

The pod door lowered into position and, with a hiss, sealed Nate from the outside.

Nora held Shaun up to the window of her own pod and Nate smiled slightly and gave his wife and child a small wave.

"Time for a whole new life," he muttered.

"Resident secure," a computerized voice announced. "Occupant vitals: Normal. Procedure complete. In 5..."

As the countdown started Nate couldn't help but start feeling colder.

"4..."

Nate looked over at Nora as his eyelids started feeling heavy, who knew decontamination was so...tiring.

"3..."

Was it him or was it starting to get really cold now?

"2..."

Nora looked up at Nate and mouthed, "I love you."

"1..."

The world went white as the last number echoed around Nate's head.

...

...

...

"Man...ride...ted," the voice was...distant. Nate could only just feel consciousness return. "Cry...sis...pended"

The world faded back into view, though out of focus. The more Nate tried to correct this the worse it got.

It wasn't long before two blurred figures walked in front of Nora's pod, were the scientists about to let them out?

"This is the one," said the blur on the...right? Nate was sure it was the right but he was still a bit out of it.
"Open it," the other ordered, Nate brought his hand to his face.

It felt like he was moving through water. Why was he so cold?

As the door to Nora's pod opened Nate saw his wife slump forward releasing a hoarse cough. Sadly this caused Shaun to let out a cry.

"Is it over?" Nora asked. "Are we okay?"

By now the worst of the fuzziness had faded, though Nate still had trouble with the figures feature. They were less blurred and more...smudged?

"Almost," the figure on the left spoke, by his voice Nate could tell it was a male. "Everything's going to be fine."

Nate moved his hand to the door of his own pod as the figure on the right moved forward, arms out stretched to take Shaun. Probably to make it easier for Nora to get out of the pod, that being said Nate knew her well enough to know she'd turn the offered help down.

"Come on," the figure spoke.

"No, wait," Nora said as Shaun began to cry louder. "No, I've got him!"

Nate frowned, Nora sounded distressed. With all his strength he hit the pod door to get their attention. It barely made a noise, likely only he could hear it.

The man on the left raised his hand and, although smudged, Nate recognised the silhouette of a hand gun.

"Let the boy go," Nate tried hitting the door again with more force receiving a small thump for his efforts. "I'm only gonna tell you once!"

By this point Nora was in a small tug-o-war with the figure on the right over Shaun.

"I'm not giving you Shaun!" Nora responded. By this point Nate's hand was getting sore from continually pounding on the door, determined to help his wife protect their child.

The gunshot rang loudly.

Nate stopped pounding on the glass as he watched his wife release Shaun, slumping into her seat.

"Goddammit!" the man who had just murdered Nora cursed. "Get the kid out of here, and let's go..."

With that said he walked up to Nate's pod, after closing Nora's, and looked through the window at the shocked Nate. For the first time Nate was able to see the man's features, though still not clearly.

Bald, stubble around his chin, dark eyes with the left having a scar run vertically through it. Nate felt anger and hatred burn in his gut as he brought his fist up to the window and punched it with all his might.

"At least we still have the backup," the murderous bastard said, not even flinching as Nate's fist struck the glass.

"Cryogenic sequence reinitialized," the computerized voice from before spoke out.

Before falling into the white once more Nate released a scream of rage and frustration striking the glass again and was rewarded with a flood of pain from the knuckle of his pinky, as well as a small spider web of cracks from where his fist hit.

The whiteness this time came quicker, though Nate did his best to fight it off.


And that's this chapter done, once more feedback is greatly appreciated.

A fun little fact, this chapter takes place over the course of about four to five minutes of the game. This may take some time.

Edit: Once more I've gotten some pointers about spelling and grammar so I've just gone through and sorted that out, next chapter should be up in a few days