Kirk sat on the edge of a cliff looking out toward a desolate landscape. He fidgeted with his gun still replaying all the events that had just transpired. He saved some lives, almost killed some, and just lost everything in a matter of an hour. He couldn't help but look back on his life until this moment.
A normal upbringing. At least, that's what Kirk believed. Birthdays, sports, school, chores, girls, and fights. He lived in a Vault, Vault 101. A high-tech shelter that was created for the nuclear war that happened 200 years ago. Sensors outside still report high levels of deadly radiation, so the residents stay inside. No one has ever entered the vault or left it during that time. This was one of the big rules to follow per the Overseer. The leader of the vault. The vault had probably around 100 families give or take living together. It was a huge shelter with many commodities. Everything you wanted or needed was provided for without issue.
Kirk lived with only his father, since his mother died when she gave birth to him. So it was just him and his dad. His dad worked a lot since he was one of two doctors in the vault. Jonas was his dads colleague and filled the roll as an uncle figure to Kirk. James always found time for Kirk and supported everything he put his mind to. His father taught him a lot of things, from medicine to basic engineering. His father was also a spiritual man. He referenced many of his teaching from a book called the Holy Bible. He even taught him how to shoot. A BB gun, of course. He always wondered where his dad learned to shoot since he didn't own a firearm. Only Vault Security did.
Kirk had a few friends throughout his upbringing. He wasn't popular, but since his dad was a doctor, he knew pretty much everyone and was friendly with them. His best friend, though, was Amata, the Overseers daughter. They're been friends since as long as he can remember. But if Kirk was being truthful, he had feelings for Amata. He ignored these feelings since her father would never approve it. For some reason, the Overseer was hard on him and his father. Regardless, he stayed close with Amata all his life. Kirk had his share of rivals, though, mainly Butch and his Tunnel Snakes gang. Butch has been a bully to Kirk his entire life. From pranks to fist fights. They were at each other daily. Especially since Kirk, defended the gangs victims. He always had a protective nature about him, and was a bit impulsive. He always acted on instinct and shot from the hip so to speak. Now Kirk never resented Butch because he had the feeling during their fights, Butch would hold back. He knew this because Butch was a natural fighter with his fists. Now, most fights Kirk would lose. It was 3 on 1, most times, after all. However, he always got his licks in. But even when it was just Butch, he stood no chance.
School was normal. He had good grades and was adept at anything he applied himself to. However, he knew he would end up working with his dad as a doctor. Girls liked him, and he noticed this, but he really only wanted Amata. He had no idea if she had feelings for him, too. Overall, Kirk had a normal life, and now, at 20, he works with his father and his colleague Jonas as a doctor in training.
"Wake up!" Kirk's eyes shot open, and he looks over to see Amata standing over him. "Hey, I was just having a nice dream about y-" Kirk noticed she was crying and holding a gun. "What's wrong, and why do you have a gun?" Kirk asked, standing up quickly. "There is a radroach infestation, and your father escaped the vault shortly after it started!" Amata explained frantically. "My father is sending guards to question you b-b-but..." she started crying. "T-they killed Jonas! They interrogated him about your father and...they...wouldn't stop...beat-" She started crying harder. Kirk listened, but his mind was racing. 'My father is gone? Jonas is dead? Radroaches?' he thought in horror. There were too many questions but no time to work through them. "You have to go, follow your dad! I don't want to see you killed!" she cried, handing him the gun. "O-okay, what about you? Are you coming with me?" Kirk asked, trying to keep himself calm. "I can't...I need to stop my father and help get the vault back in order." she replied, wiping tears away. She looked at him longingly. "Please be safe." she said, leaving in a run. Kirk grabbed his backpack and stuffed it with some clothes and an extra vault suit, as well as some rations and his first aid kit. He examined the pistol, not knowing how to use it, but kept it ready, hoping he could deter the guards with it.
He walked down the hall and saw an officer. 'Shit', thought Kirk, 'that's unlucky'. "Stop right there!" the guard yelled, pulling out his baton. Kirk was about to raise his pistol, but then they both heard clicking. The guard turned to his left and yelled, "Christ, more roaches!" Seven roaches appeared in Kirks' view, biting at the guard who was bashing them as best he could, but they started swarming him, crawling all over him. The guard fell to the floor, screaming. Kirk froze, unsure what to do next. He could take advantage of the opportunity and run. Besides, even if he tried to shoot the roaches, he would definitely hit the officer. He then saw the officer look at him with desperation, and Kirk instinctively took action. He ran forward and kicked one off and started bashing the others with his gun. The officer started to get back up, fighting the rest of them off him. After they were all dead, the guard took off his helmet. It was Kendall. Kirk knew his daughter from school. "Thank you, look, I'm just doing my job, but you saved me and...I can't let that go unwarranted. I'm guessing you are going after your father?" Kirk nodded, catching his breath. "I'll help you escape." he said."What about the Overseer's orders?" Kirk asked. "The place is going to hell, and his priority is grabbing you. I say that his orders are not coming from a sane place. Let me worry about that." he said.
Before they could continue on, Butch came around the corner with a bat. "Oh, thank God, you guys have to help me! My mother she-she is getting swarmed by radroaches!" Kirk thought of the irony of Butch asking for his help, but he ignored it. "Lead the way Butch!" Kirk said, shocking Butch. They rushed together to his living quarters. When they arrived, the scene was horrifying, radroaches were everywhere. Butch gave another bat to Kirk, and they all charged in beating them. They made their way into Butchs mothers room, where she cowered behind a mattress. They finished off the rest of them. "We did it! Thanks, man, you're the best! I won't forget this." Butch said awkwardly. "I'm going after my dad Butch. Good luck to you." Kirk said, handing him his bat. "Kirk, I- stay safe and don't die out there." he responded. Kirk thought of how strange it was to interact with him like this, but found that he enjoyed it. He gave him a nod and left.
"Let's stop by my fathers office. Maybe he left a note for me on why he left." Kirk said to Kendall. He nodded, "Okay, but let's be quick." They got to the office and found nothing but a locked safe, his bible, and his Bobblehead. Kirk took the bobblehead and bible. When they left, they ran into Officer Gomez. "Thank goodness it was me, who found you- Kendall?" Gomez said, shocked to see Kendall. "He saved me from roaches, I'm returning the favor, simple as that." Kendall replied. Gomez nodded, "Okay, shit has gone haywire around here. I think the sooner you are gone the better it will be for everyone no offense." He explained. "I agree, once I am gone you guys can go back to helping out the others. Kirk said. "Let's head to the atrium then." Gomez said taking point. They made it to the atrium where they saw the Holden couple talking about leaving the vault. Before they could ask them what was going on, Tom ran toward the Vault exit, "Hey, its me, Tom, I just wan -" shots rang out, and Tom fell to the floor dead. Mary screamed, "Tom! Nooo!" running toward his body. More shots were fired, and she fell to the floor in a pool of blood.
The trio stood frozen, not believing what they just witnessed. "We also got the orders to not let anyone leave, but this...is too much." said Gomez. Kirk stared at the bodies. He was thankful he wasn't up close. "What do we do?" Kirk asked, looking at them. "Those two are gonna shoot at us as soon as they see us with you. Let's head for the Overseers office, maybe we can convince him to let you go. I don't see any other option right now other than to shoot our way out." Gomez suggested. Kendall grunted, "Fat chance, but I don't want to shoot comrades either, so let's do it." Kirk knew he didn't really have a say so he agreed and they set off. After some more roaches they were heading down the hallway when they heard screaming and pleading, along with questions and demands. Kirk recognized the voices as Amata and her fathers. He flew toward her voice, finding the room with the Overseer and Officer Mack standing over her with a baton, with her hands bound to the chair and bruised. In anger, Kirk raised the gun at Mack, but Gomez pushed it down, yelling, "No!" and launched himself at Mack, tackling him to the ground. Officer Hannon appeared behind Kirk, but Kendall grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground. "Run!" yelled Gomez, struggling against Mack. The overseer started demanding at the guards that they stopped fighting. "STOP FIGHTING YOU FOOLS, HE IS RIGHT THERE!" he demanded Kirk grabbed Amata and untied her and ran from the room during the chaos. The Overseer yelled for Amata as they did.
They were making their way to her fathers office when they both froze in their tracks. Laying on the ground in a pool of blood was Jonas. Just like Amata had said he had been beaten to death. Kirk stared at him in disbelief. Looking at all the injuries and bruises. He had never seen such brutality. Just yesterday, he was working with both Jonas and his father. He held back tears and swallowed his fear. He saw in his pocket a holotape and grabbed it. It had his name on it. Amata was sobbing behind him. He grabbed her hand, and they marched on.
They arrived in her fathers office. "Fuck, I don't know what to do. We were gonna try to talk to your dad about letting me leave but...after what he just ordered Mack to do to you...I don't think that is an option." Kirk said hopelessly. She immediately went to his terminal, "Don't worry my father has a secret tunnel to the entrance in here. Agh, it needs a password. I don't know what it is." she said. Kirk pondered for a moment and guessed, "Your name? You are the only thing he seems to truly care abo -, " he paused, remembering what he had his goon do to her only moments before. She grimaced and entered her name, and it unlocked. "Unbelievable." she said with tears, welling up. She selected the emergency exit, and a stairwell appeared. She then read reports about the outside. "There is no deadly radiation... it was a lie. Why? Why keep us in here then?" she asked in disbelief. "Thank God, I was wondering how my dad would try and survive out there." Kirk said, relieved.
After descending down the stairs and making their way through some corridors, they found the vault door. Kirk hit the button on the panel, and the door loudly grinded open. "You did it. You opened it." Amata said in a hush tone. "No, we did it, I wouldn't have made it this far without you." Kirk said. He turned to her and stared into her beautiful brown eyes. Emotions started welling up inside him. Feelings he had suppressed for years. 'Fuck it.' he thought and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss and held so tightly as if they would fall off a cliff. "Come with me, please. I need you." he said pressing his forehead on hers. She sobbed, "Of course you would finally make a move after all this. I want to go, but...I can't." Kirk took a step back holding back tears, "Why? After all that has happened, after what your father did to you?" he said in disbelief. "I need to stay to help our people and my father. He is not himself. They need me and someone who cares. You can do this without me. You are strong." she said in tears. They stared at eachother, before he could respond, they heard yelling. "GO!" she yelled. The door behind them opened, and two guards ran out the same ones who killed the Holdens. "STOP!" they yelled pistols drawn. Amata stood in front of them arms raised to out to the sides, knowing they wouldn't dare shoot her. Kirk ran down the tunnel and opened the door at the end to blinding light.
Author's Note: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed the beginning of my story. This is my first try at writing, so please give me some constructive criticism. Thank you!