» Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:06 pm Did you pack your own luggage?
War...War never changes.
The alarms are blasting out a screeching pitch across the city. Those with passes have their emergency kits in the car and are heading to the airport, those without fleeing into any bunker they can find. The streets are frantic, looting and rioting everywhere police trying to keep the peace but to no avail. The rumor is the bombs were launched, no one is sure who fired first, but the result is clear from the cities that have already been struck the world is coming to an end. The end will come at the fingers of those who pushed the buttons and caused the nuclear firestorm. The streets of the city are roaring, people screaming for shelter or their lives as anarchy has broken out across the once great lakeside city of Chicago.
Those with passes to get into Vault 72 below the O'Hare airport prepare their families to go as they have been trained to do by the Vault Tech. Company. They have planned the safest routes to the vault, power armored security has taken over the airport by now and is only letting those with passes into the area. This vault is to house a total of eighty-two people, which includes scientist, politicians, support staff, private investors, security and vault tech personnel. Built to withstand the blast and provide the highest level of self reliant but luxury living, vault 72 is one of the most expensive vaults to enter. The rumor is that even the president tried to reserve a spot in 72 but due to the distance from Washington D.C. was denied a spot. As the families began their journey to the vault an elderly couple who had paid their way into the vault gathered their things.
Stephen and Mary Vanderhyme had been married 42 years in total, the couple had seen ups and downs and the best and the worst together and today was defiantly the worst. The large TV in the living area of their large estate explaining that cities all across the U.S. were under attack and that everyone should get underground as soon as they can. Steve and Mary were no exception, their kits prepared they called for their driver and waited to leave. A few minutes passed and soon the couple realized that all the help had left, those selfish bastards, leaving the rich couple to carry their own bags and drive their own car. Luckily the map of safe routes were in the glove box of the car. After packing the car Stephen and Mary loaded into their finest car and took the last drive they would ever take together. Stephen and Mary were not the nicest of people, you don't get to the status they have achieved by not crossing anybody. They believed that the money they had acquired had made them above and better than everyone else, a belief they had no issue flaunting.
The drive was relatively smooth, a few poor souls crying out only to be ignored by the car driven by the couple but that was the only inconvenience other than that it was a pleasant drive. Pulling into the large parking lot of the airport swarms of people begging to be let in, the power armored guards pushing them back, firing warning shots over their heads. The guards walking through the crowd finding those with passes and escorting them into the vault. The Vanderhymes drove right up to the entrance and as their persona dictates they exited the vehicle and summoned the bag carrier. A crying woman approached the car as she was waved over by Mary who informed the woman that their luggage was to be taken to room 110A and be put away as quickly as possible. That being said the Vanderhymes found the nearest security personnel and handed over their passes, letting the guard know the luggage would be following them. The woman holding a 5 dollar bill that Mary had given her looked astonished that this uncaring [censored] would think that she was a baggage handler, this woman was in fact a newly wed mother whose husband was at the local hospital with burns from a stray molotive cocktail from the days riots, as her husband was one of those brave officers trying to keep the peace. Then there was Mary, the over privileged [censored] who dared insult her. The woman looked at the luggage, there were four suitcases, two hand bags and a large travel case. Each one of the pieces was stamped with the Vanderhyme's name along with a tag on the handle, so that no piece could be swapped for another. The passes had been used, it seemed there was no hope for this woman, but she had a large smile on her face regardless.
With a big grin and pep in her step she took the luggage out of the car and made her way to the guard, telling him what Mary told her. The guard called out a few support staff that were inside to carry the baggage inside, waving the woman back he demanded she exit the area. Crying softly but with a glimmer of hope in her eyes she watched the guards exit into the vault and the door roll shut. The loud screeching noise of the metal grinding against metal made everyone realize that sound was the sound of their fate being sealed out there. Out in the world it was survival of the fittest but inside that vault it was living in the lap of luxury, a world without worry. A world any mother would want her child to grow up in.
Upon everyone entering the Atrium the new enhabitance were shown the metal belly that was to be their new world, the vault. Above everyone high on the rafters a man appeared walking to the middle of the rafter and gazing upon everyone with a silent confidence. His dark brown eyes looking at every single dweller as if they were part of a puzzle, he nodded once and spoke out to them, "Welcome everyone to Vault 72, I am Overseer Vernin Hornbock...This will be your home for the foreseeable future. This vault was created by Vault tech and we are gracious enough to share the space with those who have the money, inside this vault you will be at the lap of luxury and you will not have to face the repercussions of the horrors faced by so many today...That being said, we do have rules. No fighting and no stealing and all employees will wear vault tech uniforms at all times. Other than that please explore the space and get settled in...And welcome to Vault 72, The Cloud." As the overseer was speaking the luggage of the dwellers was being gone through with a fine tooth comb by the vault tech staff. They were searching for drugs, medication, weapons, contraband and anything that might be deemed harmful to the good of the new society. The bags were carefully inspected and not much contraband was found, a few knifes and a few bullets, a zip gun and some jet, nothing out of the ordinary, until they got to the Vanderhyme's baggage.
The first two suitcases were filled with clothes and basic living supplies, the last two suitcases filled with money, jewelery, whiskey and fine wine. The large travel case was searched next inside the vault tech employees found dresses, formal wear, hats and different luxuries that many of the other well-to-do's brought along with them. Last but not least there were two travel bags, inside the first one they discovered nothing out of the ordinary save for Mr. Vanderhyme's naughty magazine collection stuffed in the bottom. Moving to the last bag they assumed belonged to Mrs. Vanderhyme they opened it and what they discovered shocked them all.
Opening the zipper to the bag so suddenly caused light to fill the inside of the bag quickly, blinding the small child inside causing it to cry. The two vault tech employee's looking into the bag astonished and confused, how did a baby end up in this bag, was a guest trying to sneak in a child without paying for an extra pass, what should they do with the child since the door has been sealed? All these questions and more must be answered and security was called. Security gazed down at the child and had no idea, summoning Overseer Hornbock they had little else they could do. The overseer was outraged, how dare a guest sneak an extra life into the already 'crowded' vault without paying. The vault wasn't really crowded but they wanted to keep the client list very short and exclusive and to sneak an extra life in was outrageous. With no time wasted the Vanderhyme's were called to the Overseer's office along with the child, an explanation demanded. The Vanderhymes explained they had no idea how the child got brought into the vault, that Mr. Vanderhyme was not able to have children. The Vanderhymes were questioned for hours and their luggage was torn apart again, after several hours a new discovery was made. Swaddled with the child in its blanket was a picture of a woman and police officer holding the child in what appeared to be a family photograph. Through what they could deduct from the testimony of the Vanderhymes and from the picture of the child is that the child was snuck into the baggage without the Vanderhymes knowledge by the person they thought was a valet who was actually a caring mother who wanted her child to live.
Now that the identity of the child had been discovered the vault was stuck with an extra inhabitant. Overseer Hornbock decided that the child was to be sent to live with the support staff and raised as an assistant to the maintenance staff. He would be taught a trade and would live among them, moving from family to family until he was able to live on his own. A pipboy and other necessary supplies were rationed out of the emergency supply and the boy would have everything he would need as he grew up. Overseer Hornbock was not happy about the situation but he could not deny he had a soft spot for the Vault Orphan. The small child was nursed by the wives of the working vault employees, raised with the children of the vault and never left alone. The old saying it takes a village to raise a child never fit a situation so perfectly. The baby grew slowly into a toddler, once the baby was able to crawl it was as if it was days that it was walking and talking. The child was not given a permanent home, it was moved from family to family simply because no family could spare the resources or time to another child. Inside vault 72 there was a class system, the overseer was at the top, the wealthy dwellers were next, then security, and finally the vault tech support staff. The idea was to see how the effects of the class system would work in such an enclosed environment. This class system made it very hard for the lower classes to support families, where most vaults the food and services were free everything had a price inside vault 72.
This constant moving around kept the child on its toes, meeting all sorts. The beating sort, the loving sort and the touchy sort. The child celebrated its 10th birthday inside the vault, a small celebration put on by the Overseer who had grown to have more than a soft spot for the child. Overseer Hornbock decided that the boy would be given his own room and responsibilities. A small storage room meant for cleaning supplies was converted into a sleeping area, a small cot, a small book case and a dresser were placed inside. A few comic books donated from the other children were given and even a baseball bat and ball. The children took care of one another as their parents were always working, this kept the vault orphan very busy when not working or cleaning.
It was during this year that the orphan made a reputation as a hard worker. Constantly cleaning and repairing the vault facilities the orphan was alone but didn't let that break its spirit. It had been almost six months past the orphans tenth birthday and it was late at night, a knock was heard on the door of the small storage room that was the orphans home. Opening the door the orphan looked around, not a soul in sight, the orphan took a step out looking down now as something tapped against the orphans foot. It was a pipboy, and it was brand new! The orphan was ecstatic, the other children didn't own pipboys until they hit age sixteen, not just that but the supply was set to the number of people they had in the vault, or so they overseer said. This meant that the orphan had been told by many of the upper class people that no pipboy would be given to lowly orphans because of a lack of stock. Whoever the mysterious stranger was that gave this gift to the child would receive a great deal of thanks should they ever meet.
-- Coming soon --
Chapter 2 - Falling from the cloud (Teen years / Leaving the Vault)
Chapter 3 - Port Hareing (Exiting the Vault and meeting the natives)
Chapter 4 - Mother dearest (Finding out information about mother and how the world works now -Introduced to main protagonist-)
Chapter 5 - Some wounds don't heal (Meeting a ghoul friend, questing, growing - First companion)
Chapter 6 - Chinatown (Meeting Gangs, gambling and slave trade looking for main protagonist)
Chapter 7 - Into the Drake (Entering a landmark meeting main protagonist and getting quest, then getting a setback but gaining second companion a human female.)
Chapter 8 - Jewel of the sea (Underwater vault found, explored, third companion found human male)
Chapter 9 - A touch of culture (Visiting Wrigley Field, discovering large encampment of ex-slaves, orphans, ghouls and junkies, and large Followers of the Apocalypse presence. Large stage erected where different jazz bands play. Wrigley Field re-named.)
Chapter 10 - Not very ghoulish (Discovery of companion made, main quest near completion)
TBA
Please note: The story does not focus around family ties, but it is a part of it and leads into the main story from that, also references it later on in various ways. Main choices are should the Vault Orphan help turn Chicago into the slave trade capital of the USA or help bring down the booming empire. Enlisting the help of various gangs and swaying their opinions through actions/quest. Also dabbling in the drug trade, should the Orphan assist in bringing down the drug empire or assisting in building it up.
