Trials of a Casual War gamer: Fallout Narrative Campaign

Tara finished cleaning the cooker and stood back with a satisfied feeling,

"I could have done that ma'am" a robotic voice said behind her,

"I know Jeeves but sometimes I like to do things my self" Tara replied turning to face their Mr Handy robot Jeeves

"Very well ma'am now shoo out of the kitchen so I can start on dinner"

The Mr Handy made a shooing gesture, Tara laughed and backed out of the kitchen.

"The mail came and is on the side for your perusal ma'am

Tara walked over to the side table and picked up the envelopes.

"Ah mostly junk mail Jeeves.. Oh Vault Tec" Tara put the other envelopes down and opened the blue and yellow envelope.

"Very prudent of Sir to sign you up with Vault Tec ma'am. Can't trust the red menace can we ma'am" Tara nodded in agreement and looked down at the letter. It read

Thank you for signing up to Vault tecs Vault program. We are happy to tell you 2 places are booked in Vault 53 located in the hills around Sanctuary Valley. Below is a map to said vault.

If vault access needed remember everything will be provided so DO NOT bring anything with you. This will help get you to Vault 53 as quickly and efficiently as you need to.

Tara put down the letter and shuddered at the thought of having to use the Vault but Bobby her husband was insitant that they paid for a place. She checked the calender, October 23, 2077 Bobby was due back from his national guard training exercise today and she couldn't wait.

The phones ringing made her jump.

"I've got it Jeeves" Tara said as she picked up the receiver,

"Hello Carmine residence"

"oh thank god Tara!" a nervous voice almost yelled it was Bobby.

"Bobby! What's wrong?" Tara replied her heart starting to race.

"You gotta get to the vault babe. Things are going sideways fast." Bobby sounded so stressed.

"what?! What's happened Bobby?" Tara's mind was racing now.

"They are coming for us Tara the god damn reds. We've been activated so I'm leaving soon" Bobby was speaking quickly, lots of voices and commotion could be heard in the background.

"Leaving? What do you mean leaving?" Tara heart sank,

"Babe we are being sent somewhere I don't know yet. I'm hoping this is a false alarm but you need to go to the vault" a siren sounded from outside the house Tara looked up,

"Tara is that the siren?! Go get to the vault!! I'll come find you I promise. Please go now!" Bobby was pleading now,

"Bobby what no?!" Tears rolled down Tara's cheek.

"Tara" Bobby was crying now "Please you need to go"

"But Bobby..........." the phone line went dead "Bobby!" Jeeves hovered over towards Tara "Ma'am you need to leave now the siren has sounded. I will stay with the house have no fear Jeeves will stand guard"

"Thank you Jeeves"

Tara walked out into the street vault map in hand, panic had erupted and people were loading cars. A police car drove down the street "If you have Vault membership leave now. Anyone else the shelter is open on Main street"

She looked down at the map and recognised the trail she needed and she headed into the hills behind the house.

Tara jogged up the trail, the sirens were still sounding, was that gunfire? Tara rounded the corner of the trail and saw a chain link fence gate guarded by a soldier in power armour. 4 people surrounded him demanded to be let in.

"People if you do not have vault membership you will not be granted access step back!" the people were all yelling to be let in. More soldiers came to the gate. The power arnoured soldier barred the way, Tara pushed through the people

"Hey!!! HEY!! ' The soldier turned to her,

" No unauthorised access'"

" I'm signed up me and my husband. Tara Carmine and Bobby Carmine" Tara practically yelled. The soldier looked at his pip boy and seemed to be scanning a list.

"Yes you are on the list. Where is your husband "

"He's in the National Guard and has been activated" Tara said sadly

he stepped to the side

"Thank you for his service. Now get going you are one of the last to arrive." Tara rushed past, a male she didn't recognise tried to go with her but a power armoured arm grabbed the man and threw him back.

"You are not on the list".

Tara didn't look back, she spotted the vault door and headed towards it.

A loud rumble happened and then a flash of light behind the hill. The vault security staff yelled at Tara and the door started to close.

"Its happening oh god its real" Tara said outloud . Someone grabbed her and dragged her though the closing door.

The door slammed with a loud clang, the ground shook. Tara grabbed the hand rail, she looked around. The vault entrance looked very industrial not what the brochure had said but maybe the living area was further down. Several people in blue vault tec uniforms were motioning for people to head down the corridor. Tara took one last look at the giant vault door said a prayer for Bobby and headed down the corridor.

The vault suit would take a bit of getting used to but it was reasonably comfy and fitted. Tara came out of the changing area,

"This way please" a vault security guard said and pointed through a door. She headed through the door. A long room was spread before her. On either side were 5 Chambers. Other vault dwellers were climbing inside with people in lab coats fussing around. A lady in a lab coat walked up to her looking at a clipboard.

"Mrs Carmine?" Tara nodded,

"This way please"

Tara followed the tech to one of the Chambers.

"What's all this?" Tara was confused, she thought they would be living in the vault???

"These Chambers decontaminate and prep your body for life in the vault. Once done the chamber will move down to the vault. Always safer deeper underground." next to her chamber Tara saw a chamber with the name plate Bobby Carmine. A pang of sadness stabbed her heart. Hopefully Bobby will come and find her.

" Please climb inside" The tech said snapping Tara back to reality.

Tara climbed inside and got comfy. At least the seat was padded. The tech attached various wires to her suit, strapped a belt around her waist and stepped back.

"OK here we go. Enjoy Vault life" she pressed a button and the chamber started to close.

The door hissed and locked into place.

The tech tapped a few more buttons.

"Cryo stasis activated" a robot voice said over a speaker.

What? Tara thought cryo? What is cryo? The chamber started to get cold. Tara felt terror like she hadn't known she couldn't move and then it all went black.

Groggly the world came back into focus, Tara shivered, so cold what happened? What the hell was cryo stasis? How could Vault Tec do that to them.

"Cryo stasis completed. Welcome to the future!" An automated voice sounded. The chamber hissed and started to open. Warm air rushed in the chamber as the door opened. An automated voice echoed in the room filled,

"Vault residents please move towards briefing area for an update."

Tara climbed out of the chamber and looked around. The room was empty only her chamber had opened.

"Hello" she yelled but only her own voice echoed in reply.

She walked over to the chamber opposite her. She peered through the window and saw Janet Francis, her neighbour 3 houses down. She was covered in ice, Tara activated the terminal next to the chamber.

She read the screen,

Cryo stasis failed Coolant Overload. Occupant deceased. Tech support has been notified. Dec 20th 2077

Tara checked the current date on the computer. July 30th 2140, she read it again and again. 63 years?! Tara stood back in shock. She checked the other chambers all the occupants were dead. Checking terminals all from various causes. Feeling numb Tara headed out of the chamber filled room, walked down the corridor following the only lit passages. She tried doors but they were locked tight. She entered a room with a projector and chairs. As she entered the room a video started playing.

" Congratulations on your vault experience. You have been in cryo stasis for 25 years. Now the world should be ready for you to go out and reestablish society. To aid in a swift transition the vault will enter full automatic lockdown in 24 hrs. Warning air will be vented and the vault will be uninhabitable. Proceed to the vault entrance for supplies and job assignments from Vault Staff."

Tara looked round, the video started to play again but no one else came. "something is very wrong here" Tara thought to her self. She headed down the lit corridor, trying every door all were locked. She came to the next room marked Outdoor Supply Area. It was empty? Boxes were strewn everywhere. Tara looked through the debris, she found nothing of any use. This is crazy where is everyone Tara said out loud. She saw a sign for the Vault Entrance so she headed that way.

The massive vault door loomed over her, Tara stared at the door, how in the world is she gonna open that.

She looked around and spotted what looked like a control panel on a gantry. She climbed up the ladder and as she got to the top she reeled back.

Lying on a fallen chair was a skeleton in a lab coat. A pistol lay on the floor next to a skeletal hand. Looks like he had took his own life. A pip boy computer was around his wrist, on the desk Tara saw a holo tape with a note taped to it.

VAULTS DWELLERS PLAY ME!!!!!

Tara pulled the pop boy off the Skelton and put it on her wrist. Amshe took the tape and loaded it. An echoey voice started through the pip boys speakers,

"OK ok let's do this if anyone is listening to this I hope you're a vault dweller and not some rad ravaged scavenger. OK vault dweller I bet this is not what you expected at all. Sorry for the deception, ha ha ha *cough* what a pointless apology. I mean we saved you from the nuclear fire but then froze you for an indeterminate amount of time..... And charged you. Screw Vault Tec man it was those sons of bitches that ordered the vault to be this way. So I'm guessing you have many questions, well you were all supposed to wake up 25 years after the bombs dropped but things went south from the start. Multiple failures of cryo Chambers for no known reason and no support from Vault Tec at all just silence. The overseer had no idea what to do. I don't know who picked that idiot. 15 years we lived in this vault keeping the cryo hangers we could going. I know what ya thinking Vault Tec locked the damn things we couldn't bring you round early. In the 15th year I don't know where it started but some of the staff just gave up and wanted out. Eventually it spread like a virus and most people wanted out. No one seemed to care about the people in the chambers. The overseer tried to stop them but he stood alone and was incompetent. He died and that was it. The supplies ment for you guys to start a new out there were all grabbed and looted. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't leave you guys. I managed to grab a pistol and a few boxes of supplies. I holed up until everyone left. Cowards man but I guess living underground does strange things to some people. After they left I shut the vault door and sealed it. I spent the days monitoring your Chambers and trying to keep this place working. Occasionally there would be visitors banging on the door. One camera survived so I could see some of what was going on. One soldier came everyday a few weeks after everyone left, first he banged on the door regularly then he just used to come and sit by the door. Maybe he knew one of your guys? " Bobby! Thought Tara, she smiled that he had survived the first day.

" Last time I saw him he was with some guys in power armour looked like some kind of military force. They tried to break into the vault electronically but I kept them out. God knows what's happening out there I don't want it in here. Well they all left and I didn't see them again. All quiet then apart from the odd creature or scavenger then

some of the Vault Staff after a year come back to the door. Man they looked messed up. They tried everything they could to get back in but screw them man! They left you and me without a care, they don't deserve my help. I didn't look at the cameras for a while and when I did some had gone and some were still there but not moving at all.

Well what do you care about them sorry for the ramble. Well I've tried to get you guys out but nothing. Damn Vault Tec to hell and back bad enough the commies came for us and nearly finished us but then our own countrymen start killing us off. My supplies are gone, Can't scavenge anything else and frankly I'm tired so tired. So these are my last words. Who ever finds this I hope this pistol and pip boy serves you well. Please use them I'm sure it won't be a pretty sight when you find me but they are the only useful things I can provide.....well best say something meaning full. Damn you Vault Tec damn you to hell *Bang*"

the tape stopped there. Tara was really confused, so she was supposed to be woken 25 years but it's been 63 years! No idea what the world will be like but knowing she can't stay in the vault she steeled herself to go outside. She tightened the pip boy picked up the pistol and magazines that were in the skeletons coat pocket. Thank god her dad had taught her to use his guns and some outdoor skills. Would Bobby be out there. In her heart she knew 63 years, it was highly unlikely he was alive now but maybe she could find out what happened to him.

After some investigation she worked out how to open the door plugging the pip boy into the console. She managed to activate the door. An alarm blared and a huge arm moved in connected to the door, twisted it like a giant cog and pulled the door rang in. The first thing to hit Tara was the smell, not industrial at all, fresh air blasted in the vault. Tara took a deep breath, checked the pistol and headed out through the door.