- ============================================= -Prologue-============================================= -
Vault 76, the most luxurious of all. It was designed by Vault-Tec to protect the worlds' richest inhabitants. But the celebrities of America were too naive to think a
nuclear apocalypse would actually occur, so the Vault was used to protect Vault-Tec's many CEO's and VP's. Every apartment had it's own bathroom and living room
areas, with a personal Mister. Handy Robot. The Cafeteria served only the finest cuisine, and the whole Vault was maintained by an army of Protectrons.
The Vault itself needed a classy place to be built, and Vault-Tec chose a famous hotel in downtown DC. "La Maison Beauregard". Much like vault 101, not everyone
wanted to live in the Vault forever. While Vault 76 wasn't as strict as other vaults, the inhabitants were aware that the world wasn't safe anymore.
- ============================================== -Story-============================================== -
Chapter One: Robots Never Forget.
I woke on a cold marble floor. My arm was bent behind me in a uncomfortable position, I could barely feel it. It was freezing down here, and dark too. I could barely
see. As I sat up I could feel the blood rushing into my numb arm, trying to give it life.
The dust danced around my feet as I stood up. Centuries of debris surrounding me. The hall was long and narrow, nobody had been here in decades.
"So this is it." I said, smiling. "The famous Vault door." I tried to laugh, but I coughed instead. Dust is bad. I thought. We never had dust in the Vault.
"This is what you wanted," Said Ray as he stood up beside me. "You wanted to see the other side of the door and what happens? You get knocked unconscious by
a piece of plaster." He kicked a loose tile and sent it skidding across the floor.
"Come on Ray, if you didn't want to see it too you wouldn't have come." Our voices echoed in the ancient room.
"That's not true, you know I can't leave you by yourself anymore."
I felt my forehead, it was badly bruised.
"How long was I out, aren't you cold, Ray?" I said, shivering.
"Don't call me Ray." He smiled under his visor and I smiled back. "And you weren't out for long. About an hour."
"It's freezing down here, huh?" I asked again.
"Nope. Security armor keeps me warm." He chuckled and started walking back to the Vault.
"Come on Lydia, let's get back before anyone notices we're gone."
"Are you kidding? Let's explore a bit!" I replied, already eying a particularly large pile of rubble.
"Lydia, get back here. This was a stupid idea to begin with, don't make things worse." He had reached the door by now.
"I can't hear you!" I turned around and started skipping in the opposite direction, I knew he would follow.
"Lydia! LYDIA!" I could hear his heavy footsteps as he started running down the hall.
"Come on, slow-coach!" I giggled. He was struggling to run in the heavy armor.
"LYDIA!" He shouted again. He reached me and grabbed my arm. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Mum and Dad will be furious!"
"When aren't Mum and Dad furious with me?" He gave me a poisonous look.
We were at the other end of the hall by now. A large wooden door was behind us both, it was irresistible to me. I just had to open it.
"Just one peek, please?" I smiled and began turning the doorknob.
"One peek. That's it. Then we're going back."
We both slipped into the next room and stood there, open mouthed.
The room was a large foyer of sorts, with a beautiful tiled floor and large Marble walls. In each corner was a magnificent column, stretching up into the darkness.
On the opposite wall to us were two intricate wooden elevator doors, which opened to reveal an equally beautiful elevator that hadn't been used in decades.
But we didn't notice any of that. We didn't noticed the tiles, or the columns, or the elevator. We noticed one thing only, standing in the middle of the room.
It was a machine of sorts, standing taller then both of us. It's huge body was supported by three equally large legs with wheels to navigate. It's head was tiny
and guarded by a wire netting. Both it's gigantic arms were equipped with deadly killing tools. In one, a Machine Gun. In the other, a Missile Launcher.
It was a Sentry Bot.
The door was still open behind us. We could've run, but we didn't. We stared at the mechanical beast, slowly approaching us.
"Threat level: Red" It announced to both of us. Then, suddenly, it stopped. It's weapons weren't aimed at either of us.
I turned to look at Raymond, a look of fear was plastered over his face. He looked just like Dad, I thought.
It was judging us. The machine was choosing a sacrifice, a person to kill. It was saving the best 'till last. We both held our breath.
Then, I heard it, a faint click from inside the robot. It had chosen.
It moved it's torso to aim, raising it's arms at the same time.
"Run!" Whimpered Ray. "RUN!" He repeated, much louder this time.
But I didn't run, because the machine wasn't aiming at me.
It was aiming at my brother.
"Hostile detected. Beginning neutralization." It bellowed in it's deep, mechanical voice. The machine gun had started rotating, and bullets were leaping into Ray,
Penetrating his armor with ease. He fell onto the floor hard, but the robot was still firing. As if it needed to be sure he was dead.
I could feel my eyes watering. Tears were running down my cheeks as I looked at my dead brother being reduced to a pulp of blood.
"Ray is dead." I kept repeating to myself, "Ray is dead and it's all my fault."
By now I was in a corner with my back against the column. I was freezing, and my tears were making me colder. The machine stopped firing at Ray and stood there for a while.
I thought perhaps it had forgotten me, or maybe not noticed me at all.
"Threat anolysis: Yellow. Security operation: Successful." It reported, and turned toward me, blocking the hall to the Vault. Of course it wouldn't forget. Robots never forget.
It was then I noticed the elevator. The light inside was flickering, I had to do it. I had to get away from this awful robot.
"Engaging hostile target." I heard it say, but I was already running. The robot was still aiming at the column where I was, it hadn't realized I'd moved.
By the time I'd reached the elevator it was following me again. It's armed raised and ready to kill.
I searched frantically for a floor navigator. We had an elevator in the vault, but it was all Pip-Boy controlled.
I found it and started reading the brass buttons, aware the robot was getting closer.
One button was illuminated, "Basemant Lobby - Vault Entrance." What on earth was a Lobby?
I had no idea what any of the buttons meant. "Penthouse" One read, "Restaurant" was another.
Were where the "Cafeteria" and "Admin" Buttons? In the end, I pressed one at random. I heard a loud ding noise and the doors slid shut. A different button illuminated this time.
"Ballroom" it read. What the heck was a Ballroom? I didn't care anymore. My only brother was dead, I left my home, and now I was in an elevator heading to god knows where.
"What have you gotten yourself into this time?" I thought to myself, wiping the tears with my sleeve.
- ======================================================================= ============================================== -
Constructive Criticism is always welcome. This is my first fanfic, so feel free to join in too if you want!
(And yes, I am a gal in real life. ^_^ )

The story was good, I read it all the way through despite the difficulty of the block of text.

If you can break it up into a number of paragraphs so it is easier to read you should get some good responses. Check out some of the other fan fictions to see what I am suggesting.

Also, if you want it to be an RP, try doing third person.

Wait, how is this an RP?

And I thought it was rather good, keep it up.

But again, is this going to be an RP?

Pretty good, just need to break up the text into paragraphs =]
Don't see how it's an RP though, if you're planning on turning it into one then count me in!

Fanfic, not RP.

Ohh sorry. I'll try to change that, but I don't think I can.
Yes, it is a Fanfic. Join in you you like, I have no idea what's going to be in the ballroom.
Thanks for the tips guys!

The last of her pvssyring Chinese Assault Rifle stopped as the third and final Raider dropped to the floor, but he wasn't dead yet. Alice strolled over to him, kicked his Assault Rifle away and placing a booted foot roughly on his chest.
"Oh, c'mon, you don't have to do this, we can all be friends, eh?" He whimpered, trying to placate the mercenary.
"You wish." Alice pulled out her Plasma Pistol, pulling the trigger to transform the Raider's head into a pile of green goop. She then proceeded to search the body for anything useful and came across a couple rounds of Assault Rifle ammo and a handful of Caps.
Alice, newest recruit to join Riley's Rangers and was currently tasked with the job of investigating the gunshots heard near Vault 76. Some geriatric who lived nearby in a hut wanted them to stop and was paying the Rangers good money to investigate and end the noise.

When Alice arrived at the Vault she noticed someone had already been her. Maybe some scavengers decided to see what they could get, it was one of those upper class Vaults afterall. She thought to herself. As Alice proceeded through the Vault she came to a door that was left slightly ajar. Yep, someone's definitely been here, and recently, I think. She peered her head around the door to see two old, rusted Sentry Bots sporting Gattling Guns and Missile Launchers. Looks like those Raiders were the only problem. Hehe, payday for me.

Alice decided to holster her gun, feeling no use for it and proceeded into the room only to notice something that took her completely off guard. A single red light was bouncing between each end of the Sentry Bots visor, indicating it was on. "[censored]."
"anolyzing possible threat. Threat confirmed. Disposing of threat." It's old, mechanical voice grumble while the Gattling Gun pvssyred to life.

Its a pretty good start It will be interesting to see where this goes!

((I'll be writing in third person from now on guys!))

Lydia looked up, her face red with tears. The Ballroom had turned out to be empty, with the usual piles of debris and rubble. Though this was only the second room in the hotel she'd been in, she was already starting to get an idea of what the atmosphere was like in Pre-War America. All exits to the room were barricaded apart from the elevator, Several ancient skeletons were scattered across the room wearing what could only be described as Police Armor. Lydia had been here for hours now, maybe days. She didn't know anymore.

"What happened here? Why did these people die? What were they protecting?" These questions circled her head all the time she'd been here. The Vault was the only reasonable answer, but there had to be something more. She had just got up to investigate when she heard it, A shout for help down the elevator shaft.
"Oh God, did someone leave the vault? To look for me?"

But Lydia didn't recognize the voice, and she knew The Overseer wouldn't waste his time on her. A gun started firing, it didn't sound like a Vault Security Gun, it was firing too fast. But it was too slow to be a Sentry Bot gun, "Was it an outsider? A survivor of the war?" Another Gun started firing, this time it was the Sentry Bot's. But this person wasn't giving up, Lydia could hear the stranger yelling insults to the robot. It was hard to smile in times like these, but Lydia couldn't resist. The thought of a person talking to a Sentry Bot was hilarious. "Should I help them?" Lydia was contemplating going back down when a loud crash echoed into the Ballroom. The firing had stopped, the Sentry Bot was dead! Lydia could go home to the vault, back to her parents, back to safety.

Rushing into the Elevator, Lydia carefully selected the "Basemant Lobby - Vault Entrance" button, which immediately illuminated. The usual "Ding" sound appeared, and the doors slid shut.
"I'm going home!" She repeated to herself, She thought she'd never see her parents again. When the doors opened again, revealing that beautiful marble room, she noticed only one thing. There, next to the corpse of her brother, was a woman. The Sentry Bot was huddled in a corner, apparently deactivated. Lydia had no idea what she was doing, but it looked as though she was searching Raymond. She was scavenging my Brother!
"Hey!" I shouted, Louder then I had hoped. "What are you doing?" She turned to look at me. As she stepped into the light of the elevator I noticed she wasn't wearing a Vault Suit, she was a survivor!
But she didn't look happy. She looked angry I'd disturbed her. She looked furious, deadly furious.

((I tried to take all your tips into account, And thank you Rohugh for changing it from RP to FF.))

Alice turned around angrily and looked at the small girl behind her. She quickly picked up whatever useful things the corpse had; ammo, a couple of Stimpacks, and stood up looking at the girl.
"If I'm not mistaken a little girl like you shouldn't be down here all on your own, unless you like getting holes pumped in you by those." Jerking a finger towards the wrecked Sentry Bot.

Realisation suddenly hit her. "Wait a minute, you and this guy" she said nudging the dead body with her foot "are the cause of all this aren't you? Thinking it was a little fun exploring the old Vaults, eh?"
She took a step closer and was close enough to the small girl's face to feel her frightened breaths. "Look kid, you dragged me out of my home on my day off. I didn't need to take this job because I had enough caps to last me 'till the end of the month. Ugh, I suppose I better bring you back with me, eh?"

I made the same mistake with the whole fanfic-rp confusion hehe.


Good story so far.

Lydia shook her head. "I'm not exploring the Vault. I live there. My brother and I wanted to see the old hotel." Lydia turned away from Ray's corpse.
"He... He's dead now." Forcing the tears back, Lydia turned to the woman. "I want to go with you. I want to see the Wasteland." Lydia could barely believe what she was saying, afew seconds ago she'd wanted to go back. But the Overseer would be furious, and her parents would never forgive her.

"Please..." Lydia begged, seeing the confused look on the womans' face. The seconds scraqed by as Lydia waited for the decision, this woman looked friendly enough, but by now she'd learned that looks can definitely be deceiving.

Wow, this seems to be going quite well... It's a good base story... May I ask, can I join in on writing with you perhaps? It doesn't look like a half bad story at all. If not, I'll definitely follow this story!

Of course! I'd love to see what ideas everyone else has!

Ahh, how many ideas could you come up with for the most fancy Vault in the history of Vaults if what you say is right... One sec, I'll PM you with some info.

I guess this is half double post, half edit, although if I just edited it no one would see this at the top of the page so...

As Ben stumbled through the doors of the wonderful Hotel he gawked, how could such a beautiful place have something like a Vault? He shrugged and continued moving, quickly enough he found an Elevator but he heard that it was in motion, wondering what to do, he waited till he heard it stop. He saw some Raider's corpses and he felt no pity, not anymore, he pressed a button that was next to the sliding doors of the Elevator. Surprisingly it seemed to do something, bringing the Elevator back up.

As soon as it dinged at his floor, he quickly stepped in and pressed the button stated, "Basemant Lobby - Vault Entrance", something gave him the impression he wasn't the only one here. As soon as the Elevator dinged at the bottom level, he moved out slowly and cautiously but he cursed as he saw two Women standing there talking, one had a Vault Suit while the other... He cursed again, he didn't like the looks of this, considering they'd probably notice him as soon as they realised an Elevator doesn't move on it's own.

The familiar "Ding" rung in Lydia's head. Someone else was here, wasn't the woman alone? Lydia turned around, her back now facing the scavenger. A man was in the elevator, his clothes were dirty and he was wielding a gun. Both Lydia and the woman stared at the man as he stepped into the darkness of the Basemant Lobby. He was silent, not breathing a word, something about him put Lydia on edge.
"Nobody's been down here in centuries. What are you two doing here?" Lydia screamed, getting frustrated at the situation. The hall to the vault was blocked by the woman, and the elevator was blocked by the man. Lydia had no escape, no way out. If these people had bad intentions she was done for.

"Lovely, just what I need." Grumbled Alice. Alice kept her Chinese Assault Rifle trained on the man in the elevator and also made sure that the girl was in sight, as much as she wanted to leave her here to rot Riley wouldn't be too happy about that. "Look," she said to the man in the elevator, "We're just on our way out, so don't try anything stupid or I'll blow your f*cking head off!"
Keeping her gun aimed at the man's head she slowly moved over to the girl. "I don't know why he's here, but maybe he can explain that." she shot a glance towards the man. "I'm here because someone living nearby's been paying me to investigate gunshots heard over here. And I'll bet anything it was that Sentry Bot.

She turned to the man in the elevator, "So, what are you doing here?"

Ben just stared at her and the other girl, not speaking a word. He didn't have his rifle in his hands but he wished he did right now... He cleared his throat, "I'm here because I feel like it, a guy said there was a rumor there was a Vault here, good pickings these days for a Wanderer like me." He didn't say a thing after that, he never said more than he had to and he didn't plan on it either. But, for some reason he didn't know what to do.

He cleared his throat again, "So, from what you're wearing and by a guess... I'd say Reilly's Rangers for you, and you, your from the Vault..." He trailed off, genuinely confused, why would someone from the Vault want to come out in this hell?

Lydia looked at the man, then the woman. They had both come to see the Vault. Lydia stared at her Pip-Boy, she was scared of it. She hated her Pip-Boy.
Her eyes widened in horror. "Good Pickings?!" She screamed. "What kind of person are you!?!" She allowed herself to calm down before remembering what they had been taught to say in these situations. "This is an official Vault-Tec Vault. If you do not have a reservation, I am going to have to contact security. If you are a previous citizen and have left the Vault, we are not authorised to allow you to come back in..."

Lydia stopped there and looked at the floor, crying. "What's the point? Even if I wanted to go back the Overseer would never let me.". Lydia looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes, she noticed the man looking back at her. "Take me with you. I want to see the Wasteland." She took a step towards the woman and she raised her gun to Lydia's face. "Please."

Ben was now past confused, didn't this girl realise...? He shook his head, this was a typical person that dreamed of adventure and believed the Wastes was the way to go, he'd only ever seen this happen once before and... He laughed at the thought, he looked at the girl, "Look, girl, you want to see the Wasteland? The name says it all, it's a Wasteland, theirs not enough people, the food is terrible, living is like hell out there..." He trailed off, still confused but thinking.

He looked at the other woman, "I don't know about this girly here, but I might be happy to take you on if your willing to pull your weight, you wouldn't believe how terrible it is to carry off all the food you find here in D.C..." He scratched his chin, he was pretty sure the other woman was from Reilly's Rangers and if she was... What'd that mean? Would she just abandon the girl or want to take her along to Reilly so she could learn to kill people?

It's not like I wouldn't teach her the same... He thought, he shook his head, "Look, you, whoever you are," he pointed at the other woman, "What were you planning to do here? A Vault girl who wants to explore the Wastes? She might know stuff about computers, things most people wouldn't have a clue about..." Ben gave a small laugh but looked at them both. "Oh, and girly, what's your name?" he asked the Vault girl.

Alice scrutinized the man in the elevator. "You've got a point there, but the end of the day, it's her decision. I'm not gonna force her to anything like those f*cking Slavers. Society may be screwed, but that doesn't mean we don't have free will."

She started walking over to the elevator, gun slung over her shoulder. "But the same applies for me, I'm getting out of here soon because I've had enough bloody spelunking for one day. So, make a decision, girl."

Lydia looked at the woman, then the man, and the woman again. They both looked about the same age, and they were both offering to take Lydia onboard. This was a tough decision, while the woman was an explorer and obviously handy with a gun, the man looked like he'd seen it all. The man was mysterious at best, but he looked fearless. "Can't we all just... stick together? At least until we get out of the Hotel?" Lydia looked at the man and saw his eyes widen. The man and the woman were staring at eachother, Lydia couldn't make out whether they liked eachother or not, but they were her family now, and Lydia would never let them go.

Alice looked at the girl, feeling a bit of sympathy for her. Sympathy that she hasn't felt in a long time, she knew abandonment and it wasn't nice. "Sure, we can stick together, but if our friend here wants to scavenge, I won't stop him. Y'never know, Riley might want some new meat for the business."

Alice finally relaxed and holstered her gun on her back, trying to show the man that she didn't mean any harm. "So, what's it going to be, Mr. Wanderer, you coming with us or are you staying behind? Either way, I'm getting out of here, getting payed, then heading over to Moriarty's in Megaton."

Now that she thought of it, the place did seem like there could be something to scavenge, maybe the Rangers need some more supplies and would be willing to pay her a bonus instead of getting ripped off by those traders from Canterbury Commons. Maybe staying here for a bit longer may not be such a bad idea.