» Wed Sep 22, 2010 11:58 am "The G.O.A.T."
The picture, now 6 years old and framed, lies on the silver desk under James' ownership inside his office. A bobble head of the Vault Boy uniformed as a physician. A syringe, empty of its fill of the drug "Med-X", lied next to it along with several medical examination instruments.
Jake, now a sixteen year old young man and being to bare great resemblance to his father, fluttered his eyes after James turned off the light from his ophthalmoscope.
"Pupils are constricting properly." He then turned it back on when he picked up a wooden flat stick. "Say 'ah'."
Jake opens his mouth and felt the wood from the stick on his tongue as James scouted around his mouth with the instrument. Jake claims to have "caught something last night" on an important day for residents his age.
James face became straight when he muttered a simple "Hmm." He then placed the instruments away and sighed. "Jake, if this was an attempt to skip out on the test today, it didn't work. At all."
Jake's face turned bright red. Not from his "illness", but from embarrassment. His dad had to bring up the test. Jake's eyes lowered as he came up with an excuse, "But Dad, I'm seriously not feeling well." He then tried to fool him with a fake pair of coughs, hoping for sympathy but only got James to cross his arms in front of his chest.
"No, you're not sick. Seriously, Jake. We all had to the take the G.O.A.T. at sixteen just like you. And you will."
The Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test was the most infamous written exam any Vault resident had ever faced in their school career. According to Mr. Brotch, it determines the suitable occupation based on the answers of the ten most random, unseen, unheard of and ridiculously written questions ever.
"Do I really need to take some test? Why can't people just get any job they're good at?" Jake asked as he stood off the examination counter. "I mean, we got a choice on who we want to be, right? Like you told me."
"Yes we do have a choice Jake," James said as he washed his hands. "But in life, there are some things we are given, not chose to do."
"If you say so, dad."
"Look," James looked back at him while he dried his hands with a rag. "It's not my call. We all took the G.O.A.T. I took it, Jonas took it, even the Overseer took it. We all have roles we don't want to play. Like the Overseer says;"
"Oh boy", Jake thought to himself. He then spoke in union with his father the slogan of Vault 101, "We are born in the Vault, we die in the Vault." Suddenly, a very commonly asked question brushed past Jake. "Hey dad is it true, was everyone here born in this Vault? And die here as well? Has the Vault ever been opened?"
"Well, I guess not. He's not exactly fond with the idea of letting someone in, so I guess his word is true. And it's not smart to ask those kinds of questions down here, especially around the Overseer. Besides, this Vault is a hell lot better than what could be out there. Like those roaches. Here, you're safe and that's how I and your mother wanted it to be for you."
Another old question has always been scratching Jake's head. Who is his mother? What happened to her? What was she like? Why aren't any pictures of her in our home? Jake always wanted to ask these questions but just couldn't find the words or speak them.
"Dad," Jake started.
"Hmm?"
"What?was mom like?"
James froze at the word "mom". He then felt that empty pit he thought he filled now emptied. James took a deep breath and then exhaled as he ponders on what words to use to answer the old but unheard question. "Your mother? Well, she?she was very beautiful. Beyond anything you'd ever seen. And she was passionate, about life about love. And most of all, she was passionate for you."
Jake was lost for words but then found them, "What happened to her?"
James sighed again, this time a bit emotionally, "She?she died after you were born. She had birth complications. If I was given a single chance, I would do anything to bring your mother back. Even for a moment." Jake began to see the passion that his mother brushed on to his father. He then hears his father's tone return to normal. "Speaking of moments, quick stalling time and go take that G.O.A.T."
Jake began to proceed out the office until he turned back for a second, "Any pointers on the G.O.A.T. you can give me?"
"Yes. Don't fail." James smiled. "But, seriously, don't worry. I know you'll do fine."
"Thanks, dad." Jake smiled back.
As Jake left the office, he saw and greeted Jonas who wished him luck for on his G.O.A.T. He then overhears Jonas' appointment with Stanley. Lately, Stanley has been suffering from a severe headache. Regardless of how much Med-X and pain killers he was prescribed, Jonas is still getting visits from the old engineer. Stanley is a good friend to the Vault; it would be a real shame if something ever happened to him.
As made a left down the hallway, Jake hears a bunch of voices. All of them he able to recognize. He then started to change his casual walk into a trouble-sensing jog. He stopped to see Butch and his gang, The Tunnel Snakes aka Paul Hannon and Wally Mack. Butch has been watching a lot of old "gangster" films and eventually decides to adopt their lifestyle as his own. He even got his own leather jacket with a rattlesnake stitched on the backside. He also took hairstyling a hobby and made a perfect duck-tail on that head of his. He also replaced his toothpick with an actual switchblade. He then hears another voice. It was Amata. Jake quickly rushed over as the three continued "talking".
"Get away from me, Butch!" Amata growled as she shoved Butch by barely an inch. "Leave me alone!"
"Come on Amata," Butch eyes glared in lust. "Don't be like that? How about you and I go to storage room, huh? I can show ya a real tunnel snake then?"
Amata was disgusted, "Get the [censored] away from me!" She shoved Butch one more time but she then felt a tight grip on her wrist, seeing Butch's strong hand constricting it.
Butch's voice gotten much more irritated as he squeezed his grip tighter, "What, you think you're better than me? Huh? 'Cause you're the Overseer's little princess?"
"She thinks she's better than us, Butch." Wally added.
"I say we show here who she's messin' with," Paul chuckled wickedly.
Butch smiled in agreement, "Oh ho ho, I couldn't agree more."
"Get your hands off her, Butch!" Jake's voice rang in Butch's ear.
Butch turned to see the doctor's kid standing a yard away with a challenging stare traveling into Butch's own eyes. For some reason smiled, "Well, if it isn't Daddy's boy. The hell you want, Nosebleed?"
Jake's eyes narrowed as he replied, "Let. Her. Go."
"Oh, and what are you gonna do about it," Butch said as he released Amata who stood and watched as Butch's goons followed their ringmaster. "There. She's let go. Now back off, you little [censored]."
"Why don't you?" Jake stood still.
The two goons laughed in amused shock as Butch glared down at the shorter classmate, "You better beat it, punk. 'Cause if you mess with me, you mess with the Tunnel Snakes. And nobody messes with the Tunnel Snakes!"
"That's right, no one messes with Butch." Paul stepped in.
"No one." Wally followed.
"I don't wanna fight, Butch." Jake stated clearly
Butch started to chuckle until he was laughing like a low-life hyena he was. It wasn't long until Paul and Wally joined in the fun. "You, you don't wanna fight, eh? What's wrong? Can't fight, huh? You a little chicken[censored] like your daddy?"
A sharp pain struck Butch right into his left cheek within an instant. Amata, Paul and Wally stared in awe as they watched Butch stumble to the plaster flooring from the impact of a strong left hook from Jake who's eyes and body began to burn like fire with anger. It wasn't long until Butch got up and then tackled Jake to the ground. The students inside and outside the classroom ear the struggle and began to run out to watch the two exchange blows and switch positions.
Amata's voice failed to reach Jake's ear due to the cheers of the students, "Jake. Jake! Stop it! Both of you stop it!"
As the punches and jabs were thrown, the teacher Mr. Brotch stepped out. Mr. Brotch is a man into his 30s or 40s, had dark skin and hair and had brown eyes. He is known by the Vault residents to be sarcastic, overworking and underappreciated. He shouted as he split the two students apart, "That's enough! Break it up! DeLoria! Jake! That's enough!"
Butch was being pulled back by Paul and Wally while Amata held on Jake's arm. Fleshy-red marks covered both their face and Jake had a bloody lip while Butch began to wipe the red stream running down his nose.
"C'mon, Butch, he ain't worth it," The goons kept reminding him. Butch deeply inhaled and exhaled and continued to check his nose to make sure if blood is still running
Butch shook off his gang's restraints, "Fine. I'm gonna get back at ya, punk. Ya hear me? Come on Tunnel Snakes, [censored] [censored] wasn't worth out time."
Jake's breathing subsided as Butch's gang went into the classroom. The Vault doesn't have a Principal's office and sense it was actually a first offense for Jake, he was off the hook for detention but Butch on the other hand. He wiped the red dot on his lip away and then lowered his head in shame as his fellow classmates gossiped about the fight while Amata stood and looked at him.
Mr. Brotch spoke, "You alright, Jacob? Need anything?"
"No Mr. Brotch," Jake inhaled. "I just need to get a drink."
"Fair enough. But be back in five minutes. The G.O.A.T. waits for no student."
As Jake stomped down the halls to the water fountain, Amata quickly followed him. She has seen Butch and Jake fight before. But had seen nothing like this before.
"Jake," Her first words were ignored. "Jake, wait up."
Jake still tried to ignore her but knew he'd had to talk sooner or later after taking a 5 second drink from the fountain and then started to wash his injuries away . "What?"
"What the hell was that back there? Look, Butch is a [censored], okay? You didn't need to cause that fight."
"I caused it? He was harassing you! And he called my father a coward. You want me to just let that go?" He then noticed the dark rage in his voice and then tried to calm down by taking a deep breath. "I'm?I'm sorry. It's just, who knows what he was gonna do. He's not that little punk we knew in 5th grade."
"Jake?" Amata paused. "Thanks. For helping me out, but don't ever do something that stupid again."
"Deal." Jake smiled after hearing the voice of gratitude. As the two walked back to classroom, Jake couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you ever have your father do something about it? I know you hate it, but one day Butch might do something worse than those stupid 'moves' on you."
"Jake, don't bring my father up like that, okay. And even if I am the Overseer's daughter, so what? I'm no different than you and every other person in this Vault. And fighting Butch like that was just plain stupid."
"You're right. I'm sorry."
"But man, when you hit Butch. I could've sworn he peed himself."
A small chuckle between the two shortly turned into a series of laughs. Smiles quickly grew on their faces. Jake's bright blue eyes were aligned with Amata's brown ones until the bridge was broken when their faces flushed bright pink.
Jake "cleared his throat", "Uh, we should get back to class now, huh?"
"Uh, yeah, we should."
Mr. Brotch tapped his foot impatiently as he looked at the timer on his PIP-Boy. 11:27 A.M. Three minutes and it's too late to take the G.O.A.T. 2.37 minutes past when Amata, followed by Jake entered the classroom. "You two took your time. Take a seat and we start the G.O.A.T." Jake took his seat in the first desk on right side of the room while Amata took her seat on the left three desks down. Jake sat down as Mr. Brotch began to go over the procedure. "Everyone in their seats? Good, let's get started. During this test, I don't want to see any mouths move but my own and your eyes to yourselves." He then overheard a small chuckle from Butch, who now had a piece of tissue up on nostril. Ironic how Jake's nickname is now given to Butch. "Yes, I mean you Mr. DeLoria."
Butch smiled as he replied, "Why, sure thing Mr. Brotch."
Mr. Brotch bobbed his head in a fake nod, "Right then. If anyone else has an insightful comment, let's get started. Don't worry about wrong answers, this is multiple-choice. Choose which answer seems best suited to you. When you're done, you may have the rest of the day off. But remember, your answers determine your future role in the Vault. The G.O.A.T. never lies."
Jake watched the overview began to roll the slides depicting the Vault Boy and the logo of Vault Tech Industries and the words "Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test" and the former mention cartoon character riding a giant billy goat. Jake kinda chuckled at the somewhat amusing cartoon. But when Mr. Brotch places the paper on his desk, Jake started to search around for his pencil and looked down at the questions as Mr. Brotch read them.
Question 1: You are approached by a frenzied vault scientist, who yells, "I'm going to put my quantum harmonizer in your photonic resonation chamber!" What's your response?
Jake looked down at his paper to see his available choices, which were; needless to say, quite out of the ordinary. The first choice was as stated: "But doctor, wouldn't that cause a parabolic destabilization of the fission singularity?" Some words Jake has heard during his science class but had little knowledge of their meaning. Jake continued to read the other choices and instantly stopped when he read the second response: "Yeah? Well, up yours too, buddy!" The second he read that he could only think of one thing: Butch. Speaking of the devil, Jake overhears an amused chuckle from Butch and then just knew that Butch filled in the question already. The other two choices were to either knock out the scientist with a pipe or sneak away from him. Jake reread them then pondered if he was in situation, as unlikely it is though. He then took his pencil and circled his answer. Now it's time for question two.
Question 2: While working as an intern in the clinic, a patient with a strange infection on his foot stumbles through the door. The infection is spreading at an alarming rate but the doctor has stepped out for a while. What do you do?
Jake read the answers under the written question. The first option was to amputate the foot. Jake always hangs around his father's office even while he was at work but he never had watched him had to perform anything beyond minor surgery like the time Stanley's palm met th wrong end of Andy's buzz saw during a maintenance routine. Also, Jake always felt sick while around blood for an extended period of time. The second option was to scream for help. Who in their right mind does that? The third was an answer that made more sense to Jake: medicate the foot to the best of your abilities. Jake knows that while a doctor is someone to trust, they are never someone to completely rely on. Even his father has his limit of his knowledge of the medical field. The fourth answer was to restrain the patient and just let the infection spread to be observed. Jake is interested and curious about science and new things, but there are limits to where science shouldn't cross. Jake circled his answer. Two down, eight to go.
Question 3: You discover a young boy lost in the lower levels of the vault, he's hungry and frightened, be appears to be in possession of stolen property. What do you do?
The answers were the following: the first was to comfort the boy by giving him a hug and assuring him everything will be alright. The second and third answers seem a bit harsh, either confiscate the property and leave the boy to his fate or steal the goods for yourself and leave the boy to his doom, respectively. The forth answer make Jake pause. "Lead the boy to safety, and then turn him over to the Overseer." Overseer, the highest authority in the entire Vault. Jake can just see it now; a young man unaware of what he did facing some absurd punishment from Alphonse while Amata glares at Jake, the one who turned to boy in. He erased the thought after he turned to see Amata, who had just wrote down her answer. Relieved, he knew Amata would never be mad at him, well, not for long. He then circled the less harsh answer.
Question 4: Congratulations! You made one of the Vault 101 baseball teams! Which position do you prefer?
Baseball, the official pastime of the United States of America. Jake remembers the day he was first introduced to the sport when his father found a pair of old worn mitts which barely fit on either one's hand. James would then had toss the brown-stained, red stitched sphere in the air only to watch Jake curl into a ball like an armadillo. He would then hear his father assuring him that the ball won't hurt me and then positioned his arm up in the air. The second time James tossed it, Jake looked away and then felt impact in his palm followed by a soft thud. He would then look in his palm to see the ball centered perfectly in the mitt, and then started to cheer and repeat the process until he finally caught the ball without flinching. It wasn't long until James would be a volunteer coach along with Alan Mack for the Vault 101 Mini Mutants and Jake eventually stepping up at bat, striking twice and land the winning homerun against the Vault 101 Radiation Kings.
Mr. Brotch's voice destroyed the sweet memory, "Jake, enough day dreaming, answer the question if you please."
Jake shook the last bits of the memory away and looked down at the answers: pitcher, catcher, destinated hitter and other. Jake shortly found himself circling his answer. He then tried to gather the pieces of the memory that Mr. Brotch shattered. But Jake knew it was time for Question 5. Half way there.
Question 5: Your grandmother invites you to tea, but you are shocked when she hands you a pistol and orders you to kill another Vault resident. What do you do?
Jake paused at the question. He doesn't know if his grandparents on either side are even alive. And if so, why would your grandmother ever want to harm someone and ask you to kill that said person? He's mental rant was further supported by the first answer which states that you've obeyed your elder and killed the resident. Jake had a bad feeling Butch just circled that answer. He read the second in which you chose to offer your prize possession in exchange for the life of the would-been-victim. Jake prizes his ball and mitt and not to mention the now rusting BB gun but they were not much compare to another living being's life. The third answer was just ridiculous. "Ask for a minigun instead." A minigun? Seriously? Who wrote this test in the first place, Al Capone? The fourth was little more out-of-mind: "Throw tea in your granny's face." Obviously, the person who did write this had no respect for the elders. Jake circled the answer to a question that made no sense whatsoever.
Question 6: Old Mr. Abernathy had locked himself in his quarters again, and you've been ordered to get him out. How do you proceed?
Jake was relieved to see that the answers, though a bit off by normal standards, but were less ridiculous. The first answer asked if you'd pick the lock open, the second was to use a cherry bomb to blow it off, blast if off with a laser pistol and the last was to just leave him locked in. Jake didn't bother to fill in that one and so he circled one of the previous three.
Question 7: Oh no! You've been exposed to radiation, and a mutated hand has grown out of your stomach! What is the best course of treatment?
Besides the occasional radroach infestations, the Vault hasn't experianced any other contact with anything out from the Wastes. The class room has shown a multitude of flims, some nearly over a hundrerd years old, showing footage of the founding of the thirteen United States Commonwealths, the process and manufacturing of Nuka Cola narrated by founder and president of Nuka Cola Co. himself; John Caleb-Bradberton, the declaration of war with the People's Republic of China, the annexation of Canada, and propaganda films for Vault reversations, war bonds and "Duck And Cover" instruction films. Jake looked down at the answers including suicide, treatment, pray to God and amputation. Jake sighed, thinking he only has three more questions to go and then circled his choice.
Question 8: A fellow Vault 101 resident has a Grognak the Barbarian comic book, Issue Number 1. Who want it, so what is the best way to obtain it?
The answers were to bargain for something in equal value for the comic, but the other three ask you to steal it in either gunpoint, knocking out the resident with sedatives or sneak in and steal it. Jake loves Grognak, but to the point he'd threaten someone's life for it. And not to mention, Jake has his own morals about theft. He circled the one he'd most likely do.
Question 9: You thought it would be funny to pull a prank on your father. You enter his private bathroom when no one is looking and...
James is known to take a joke, but as calm as he appears, he is just as imtimidating. The answers ask to if you would loosen the bolts on his sink, put firecrackers in the toliet, replace his blood pessure medication with placebos and or encrease the voltage to the electric razor. Each one sounded humorous but also each would have consequences worse than the other before it. Jake paused for a moment and then circles his answer.
Mr. Brotch spoke up, "This is it folks. The final question of the G.O.A.T." Jake thought to himself that this last question will detremine his place in Vault 101. Bring it on.
Question 10: Who is indisputably the most important person in Vault 101: He who shelters us from the harshness of the atomic wasteland, and to whom we owe everything we have, including our lives?
Jake looked down at his sheet and his mouth dropped in utter stupidity. Every one of the four questions read "The Overseer." Jake turned to Amata who was just as dumbfounded by her father's propaganda in the G.O.A.T. And also sees every one circling their answers, except Freddy Gomez. Jake circled his final answer, knowing each one was the same result as before.
"Pencils down folks," Mr. Brotch said as he walked to his desk. "That's it, the infamous G.O.A.T. Remember your answers are the key to your future and the G.O.A.T. Never lies and all that jazz."
Jake got up but sat down quickly. What if one of his answers was wrong? What if they were all wrong? Maybe I can change something quick to number 7 or 3, Jake thought to himself.
But as soon as he grabbed his pencil, "Jacob, you're test, please?"
"Uh, can just change one of my answers quick, Mr. Brotch?"
Mr. Brotch sighed as he planted his face in his palm. He knew this would happen today. Just knew it. "Jacob..." He stated clearly as he curled his index finger three times.
Jake was in defeat. He picked up the white paper, walked over right after Amata, who just received her answer and future life. She smiled and gestured an assuring nod and mouthed "Good luck." Luck, pfft. Yeah right, Jake didn't see her smiling because she became a garbage burner. He handed the test to the man. Mr. Brotch skimmed down the answers one at a time, his head bobbed up and down and repeated a short "Hmm" or "I see...". Jake's eyes shut close, let's just get this over with.
"You surprise me, Jacob." Mr. Brotch said as he place the sheet of parchment down. "You have a lot of potential."
"Mr. Brotch, I'm sorry but," Jake rammbled.
Mr. Brotch ignored him, "You'll make a great physician."
Jake had his mouth gapped, "What?"
"A physician. Other people call them 'doctors', too. Your dad is one, remember?" Mr. Brotch said.
"R-really? A physician? That's...that's great!"
"I knew it. Those questions were hard?"
"Well, they didn't make sense and well, I just answered randomly."
"Well, well. Join the club. By the way, this test is a joke. A hoax, a big fat joke. People get worked up over a peice of paper that doesn't really detremine your future. You do."
Jake thought to himself, how could I actually tried to play sick over nothing? "Thanks. Mr. Brotch."
"Not at all. Go tell your old man he'll be having a new assistant."
"No problem." Jake's mind was filled with pride and he couldn't help but overhear Butch's fury over his future occupation: a hairdresser, protesting he'll be a barber and storms out of the classroom, hitting into Jake's shoulder hard. He then?saw Amata waiting at the cafeteria enterance and then the two began dicussing their results and anwers to their future lives ahead.
