Note:
-None of the storyline is canon to the Fallout series. We don't get a very good glimpse on pre-or-post apocalyptic Albuquerque.
-Just because the fan fic is pre-apocalyptic does not necessarily mean it won't move into a post apocalyptic setting.
-The character traits and personalities are largely based off people and inspirations I have had IRL.
-Chapter one is going to be slow, because it's getting you adjusted to the main character's mannerisms and everyday life.
-This story is not necessarily trying to define "war never changes", nor is it trying to enter the intensity and war of the Fallout series. Instead, it touches upon the story of a man and woman in the years prior to the Great War.
-Enjoy.

Chapter One: The World of Men

A man emerged from a medium sized and modest one-story house in the Layton Rd. neighborhood. The hair that clad his head was a dark strawberry blonde, and his arms were lined with freckles. He stared out across the street. Not a car was in sight. Only a peaceful morning in the dawn of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He looked down at his lawn, and noticed that a "May 28, 2074" newspaper was on the soft, green grass. He descended down the three steps in front of his porch and bent down to grab the rolled-up paper. The man's bare feet became damp in the wet grass as he ascended his stairs and went back into the house, softly shutting the wooden door behind him.

"United Nations this, China that. It's unbelievable how the press is almost directly controlled by the government now," the man muttered to himself. He tossed the newspaper on the coffee table, and entered his bathroom to take a shower. As he turned on his shower-head, he heard a knock on the door. He walked back into the front-room and opened it.

"Yes?" he asked.

A man in a freshly-ironed brown suit peered at him in front of the door. "Are you Mister Connor Shackleford?"

The man nodded. "Yes. What do you need, sir?"

The man at the door handed Connor a sealed letter. "It was sent to the wrong house, it seems. Here you go."

"Thank you. Very neighborly. Now, I need to get ready for work, if you don't mind," replied Connor.

"Of course. Have a good day," said the man at the door. Connor nodded, and shut the door as the man turned and left. He didn't have time to read the letter. He set it down on the coffee table, and returned to the bathroom, where the water had finally heated up. He removed his clothing, and bathed off the dirt of yesterday, to prepare for a new day. After he finished his shower, he dressed in a white collared shirt and slacks. He then entered his dining room, where he ate a bowl of sugar bombs and 2% fat milk. After finishing his breakfast, Connor entered the room near the front door, and selected a black tie, along with a black jacket. After he had clad himself in his business clothes, he opened the front door, and walked down a few houses along the first block near his house.

A two-story brick home was Connor's objective. He walked onto the sidewalk, and grabbed a small pebble from the gravel near the street. He threw it with precision at the top-right window. It made a small noise, but alas, it was not enough. Connor knew that he wouldn't be able to see Madeline before work. He sighed, and returned to his house and grabbed a set keys from the front room. After locking his front door, he entered a black corvega, and left his neighborhood. He drove with the windows open. The summer was finally here, and Connor had neglected to fix his air conditioning in the car. After turning on Eubank road, he made it to the freeway and then took a turn on I-25 to head to the hospital.

After parking in the Doctors' parking lot, Connor entered the large, orange-brick hospital. Today was not a day where he would assist with surgery. He entered his "hospital-walk", which was nearly four times as fast as a normal walk, and entered the elevator to his left. Connor entered the business room, where other businessmen had gathered around a long table. Connor sat on the end, and peered at their faces. They nodded in approval of his arrival as he became situated in his chair. He smiled at the other doctors.

One of the doctors on the end started by saying, "The government is going to ruin health-care with their plan. Lowering our salary only decreases demand for physician positions, which means a smaller health-care system. It's an ongoing cycle."

Connor nodded in approval. He wholeheartedly agreed. "If only some of us 'good' businessmen could have a good say on what goes on."


"Politicians are schemers and liars."

Chapter Two coming soon.