Protectron #3 – NEW BEGINNINGS (A Fallout Fan Fiction)
A Fallout Fan Story By Marcus Liotta
FOREWORD This story is a fan fiction imagining of one possible story from the Fallout Universe by Bethesda Software, a collection of Books, Games, and other media (including Fallout 1, 2, 3, Tactics, New Vegas, 4, Shelter, and 76.) This story is in no way relates to existing characters, nor is it assumed to be part of the lore of the original aforementioned media. This is a fan story from the mind of Marcus Liotta.
All writing Copyright (C) Marcus Liotta 2022.
-Marcus Liotta
Release Details
The story will be published as a series, weekly for each chapter. Follow the site/blog to catch up as it is distributed. Each post will be titled “Protectron # – Chapter” for your convenience in search.
HOME – Published on the site 10/22/2023
DREAM INTERRUPTED – Publishing on the site 10/26/2023
NEW BEGINNINGS – Publishing on the site 11/02/2023
ALIVE – Publishing on the site 11/09/2023
TRUTH – Publishing on the site 11/16/2023
PROTECTRON
A Short Story by Marcus Liotta
NEW BEGINNINGS
“Yes,” Darwin thought.
He had entered the vault with a slew of other people only to find himself in a line that dragged seemingly forever.
Those vault teams already in place, security and medical, they were evaluating each person with a full physical examination and radiation testing before anyone was allowed in.
Darwin vaguely recalled the Vault, entering and speaking with at least a dozen other newcomers as they shuffled in.
Going down deep into the dreadful tunnels was terrifying but once past the main entrance he and Sandra had joked about their soon to be neighbors.
One of the women had a hairstyle so bad that it resembled a red poodle. Her husband was equally amusing, a plump fellow and he kept trying to light a cigarette even though the vault personnel guiding them scolded him repeatedly.
The black-haired man looked like some gangster or uptight business man. He wore a suit, and a large mole clung to his nose, a rough scowl that made any reconsider approaching the man's large tubby frame. He wasn't so tall but rather imposing in girth.
"You know, it was those China folk,” he said in a gruff voice, “they hit us hard, all that noise up top."
The statement broke through Darwin’s already chaotic thoughts but it was so random he wasn’t sure who the man was talking to.
Darwin felt the man beside him clasped his right shoulder from behind, pulling Darwin closer.
The motion forced Darwin to respond.
"Oh! I heard that as well," he said blandly.
No one else in line seemed disturbed by this discussion, however many were already crying. They had problems accepting the truth.
And, what a truth it was.
The great war had come to a sudden and terrifying end. While many had been concerned about the how, others were concerned about the when.
Turns out nuclear winter hit much sooner than expected, but at least they had their vault tickets bought and paid well in advance.
Sirens went off for an hour before the point of no return. Somehow their government knew the end was coming and sent out the alert, trying to help as many people as possible get to some form of shelter.
Darwin had heard of many making bunkers in their back yards, or even converting basements into a supposedly ‘nuclear free zone.’
Didn’t seem like they’d hold up.
After arriving at the vault entrance, they were quickly ushered inside and placed in the line. The doors closed at a planned time and did not re-open.
Just in the nick of time too.
Within a few minutes there was a horrendous bone gnawing rumble that came through the very earth itself. The underground world around them, those walls and ceiling above made of steel and sweat, even those shook loose metal from not one but a series of at least two dozen impacts.
They were so far below ground!
Massive atom bombs had rained from the heavens, and anyone above would be so lucky to survive, not even those who created a home-brew shelter.
Even if they did survive, avoided being turned into a glowing green hot pool of irradiated goo, they would have to last until the radiation died down. That could take a month before the brunt of it drifted away.
Years more for the most horrendous damage to fade.
So, it was.
This was their new life.
The line signified an end to their past lives and a new beginning underground.
“Jones by the way,” the man said beside Darwin.
Their eyes met and Darwin replied, “Darwin.”
The big tubby man that was Jones clucked as if the name was humorous.
“Seems you survived, befitting of that name,” Jones said, watching him sidelong from behind bushy black eyebrows.
Darwin nodded but didn’t say much else.
The line eventually found them at a changing station, requiring all entrants to be briefly evaluated for any sickness by a doctor and also change into a blue colored vault suit.
The thing was comfortable and had a number etched on the back in yellow. A few decent sized pockets were more than appreciated.
Some people complained about the forced change, but they were told this was only required the first week until everyone got used to the new order of the vault.
“Yeah right,” Darwin thought at the time, “once you lose the right to something you never get it back.”
People tended to forget that’s how groups in power operated, be they government, a corporation, or a rampaging mob.
Darwin remembered little after that. He and Sandra found their room in silence, eventually going to sleep after a difficult time getting accustomed to the new environment.
And then Darwin woke up.
Afterwards he had trouble recalling what had happened that following day, nor the next, or even the next after that.
Weeks if not months had passed and yet he couldn’t recall what happened, nor where his own wife Sandra might be.
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