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[ryanpk200]

Charlie walked out of the classroom. He seemed to be one of the last ones out of the room. He carefully checked and rechecked his answers because he really wanted to get a job as a technician and he didn't want to be working in Waste Management. Charlie made his way down to basement sector. Stuff people didn't need anymore usually made its way down here. He liked digging around and finding things for his various repair projects. His current project was fixing an old computer he found. He began searching the area for parts.

 

[Starfleet]

Benjamin, seeing the girl get up, became curious. All he heard was "...more potent than..." due to an inflection in her voice. Did she get some stash of Med-X? He heard that Med-X had traces of cocaine in it - thanks to our glorious benefactors of the government, they were too cheap to get better substances; which is why Med-X can be handled as an addictive chem.


Ben was issued Med-X once when he was younger. He broke a few bones by accidentally falling off of a railing in the atrium. The pain was so bad the doctor was afraid he would go into shock, causing immediate dosage of Med-X. Ben remembered he wanted some more of it, but the doctor gave him none. He wanted more so he could take away the pain he was experiencing. Was he feeling any emotional pain? He couldn't remember. He just knew that he needed the Med-X to live. That, of course, wasn't the case - he has never used the chem again - but the intense want still has traces of it in his brain.

 

[kaito9049]

"I, for one, would like to know where exactly we are going," Terry called, jogging slightly to catch up to Saige. "You know, before we all die because you want to play hot potato with dynamite or something." Terry would be very willing to play that sort of game, but even still, he was fully aware of the kind of dangers that lurked around the vault; the nukes weren't the end of death. As the old saying went, "War...war never--"


"Wow, okay, I really need to stop doing that," Terry groaned to himself, shaking his head. A few more references like that and a hole would open up in the forth wall. And nobody wanted that.


Getting back to the situation at hand, the young man glanced sideways at Richard. Sometimes it seemed that he was always willing to do whatever Saige told him to; a very dangerous place to be in, from Terry's experience. He wondered if Saige knew about her hold over the boy, or if she was simply clueless. He had trouble believing the latter, as she was perceptive enough and smart enough to know better.


Terry sighed. Thinking about either Saige or Richard alone gave him enough stress; thinking about both of them at the same time was simply unbearable. Yet, time and time again he found himself going along with their antics.

 

[Endless Winter]

"Now that sounds like something we can really celebrate with!" David was glad she had made the suggestion. They still had the rest of the day off from chores and he couldn't think of a better way to have fun than with his new companion. The red head had grown on him. She wasn't like most of the other teens he knew, and she was more of a free spirit; a fellow deviant in a society of very strict rules. All things considered David had himself a very lucky find. David got up and followed after the red haired girl down into the lower levels/

 

[Blarg222]

Max smiled, glad that wasn't one of the Vault's many narcs. She moved quickly to the floor's elevator, though quickly ducking to the side into a camera junction. She opened up a box and fiddled with the wires,


"My Uncle run's security on this floor, just need to do a little fix on these camera controls and we should be able to get downstairs without him knowing." She said, finally finishing her slicing work.


Max finally led David into the elevator, setting the lower levels as the destination. The elevator whirred to life as it dropped slowly down into the depths of the vault. She was pretty excited to get to the area, she hadn't seen it for weeks, mainly due to the large intake of schoolwork. It slowly grinded to a halt as it reached the floor and they finally came to the spot, Storage area 4-B. This area mainly held the various jugs of water collected from the ground for Vault consumption, though Max usually used the empty ones to store her various contraband. Though it sometimes had its faults, she was almost caught when the maintenance crew used one of her containers for the Baseball team water cooler and they ended up getting wasted from the Vodka that was stored inside. Max gave a brief chuckle at the memory before moving on to the container she was looking for. She finally reached the holy grail of them and opened up, sitting down beside the containter she pulled out a few items.


"Pick your poison!" She said, brandishing some Whisky, Beer, a few shots of Jet, and a package of Mentats.


@Endless Winter

 

[Supabad.45]

*RIchie sighed in frustration and shook his head, bringing him out of his hate-induced trance. He thought for a moment, that he could possibly bear hanging out with both of them... the thought was harsh, but Richie would be a man about it. He put on a smile and nodded his head finally. Saige hasn't a clue the true threshold she had on him. Maybe it would be best if she didn't know.. at the moment. Soon, Richie thought to himself. *


"I'm actually kind of hungry... some Sugar Bombs would be great actually..."


*He thought of those little yellow, bomb-shaped wonders. The thought made him drool. Sugar bombs with some Nuka Cola Quartz. Unhealthy, but yet so enjoyable also... a little Absinthe would hit the spot.*


@Xx-Katherine-xX


@Blarg222


@kaito9049

 

[Endless Winter]

"Pick your poison!" She said, brandishing some whiskey, beer, a few shots of Jet, and a package of Mentats.


David couldn't help the growing idiotic smile on his face. He had been lucky enough to discover a stray cigarette or bottle of beer here and there in his time, but this...this was a gold mine. David took the proffered bottle of whiskey gratefully and took a swig. He made a bitter face before manning up and swallowing the brew. It had been a while since his father had let him try a sip during dinner a few years ago but the initial kick hadn't eased any. The flavor was all there if you knew what to look for...or so his father had said. David tried for a brief moment to figure out again what his father had meant before deciding to just drink the stuff and get comfortable.


His new companion was full of surprises. It was no wonder her Uncle was trying to keep a close eye on her, she was trouble and David knew it. He took another pull from the glass bottle. But then again, who cared? He had come to realize that he lived for moments like these in this vault. A nice girl and a little something to ease the tedium of life underground could go a long way to making a happy life.


"This is amazing. Where'd you get all this?" He took another pull and offered the bottle to the red head. He was just beginning to feel light-headed.


@Blarg222

 

[Xx-Katherine-xX]

"All in good time, darling." Saige laughed as she took both of Terry's hands in hers. She had been planning a surprise for the two of them for weeks now. It had taken a lot of smuggling and rummaging around places she shouldn't be. But in the end, Saige had gotten a pack of Nuka-Cola, a bottle of whiskey and plenty of snacks to celebrate with. She knew that they might not get the jobs they wanted, but at the very least they would have a nice way to remember this by.


"Come on then."


Saige led the way down several staircases into a little room that was rarely used. Inside, Saige had stashed all of the things she had gathered. "Ta-da!" She waved her hands about excitedly. She knew it wasn't much but the three of them had plenty of pressure on them with everything happening, and she figured they could use a release.


"I know, it's not much, but I worked really hard to get all this crap for y'all so you better appreciate, you hear?" she said with mock seriousness. As Saige grabbed the bottle of whiskey she had taken from her dad, a beep could be heard from their Pip-Boys. She set the bottle down and bit her lip nervously. It was an awful habit and she knew she ought to quit, but she had done it since she was young and there wasn't much use in trying to fix it now.


"I guess it's the moment of truth, huh?"


@kaito9049


@SaintRaven367

 

[Supabad.45]

*Richie was admittedly staring at Saige as she led him down the narrow corridors and winding staircases. It's almost like Terry wasn't even there for a minute... is that even good? She came to the old Mister Gutsy storage spot; when the door opened, it revealed multiple goodies and contraband. The idea that she gathered all this stuff was incredible. So much things. He smiled brightly at the Whiskey bottle and grabbed it. He rushed with a pop of the lid, he sipped its bitter and aged glory. It made him wince and shake his head violently. After another sip, he passed it to Terry, pushing it to his chest, while casually stepping ahead.*


"OH... I appreciate it madame..."


*Richie gently grabbed her hand and leaned his face toward it until his pip-boy beeped. Startled, he jumped slightly and looked down at the bright screen. He then looked at Saige*


"Uh oh... here we go.."


@Xx-Katherine-xX


@kaito9049

 

[kaito9049]

Terry was impressed. To accumulate all of the items must have taken several hours of work. It was beyond nice of the young woman to come up with this for the three of them. Unfortunately, Terry wasn't really one for "relaxing". He had been used to being stressed for so long, he now felt like he constantly needed something to do. Maybe it was a sense of guilt that his mother had drilled into him whenever he wasn't studying, or maybe his mind and body had simply adjusted, but the situation felt almost...wrong without something to do.


For Saige's sake (and, perhaps, to prove that he could keep up with Richard), however, Terry decided that a little break would be of some good. He shook his head at the whiskey. "Er, no thanks," he said politely. "No 'liquid courage' for me." Richard might need alcohol to fit in, Terry thought, but he himself had enough social ability to go without the drink. Besides, he had seen the effects of the depressant on the other vault dwellers; the young man had decided early on that he would always keep his wits about him.


Deciding instead on the Nuka-Cola, Terry sat back and took a swig. He was just beginning to enjoy himself when his Pip-Boy notified him of his job placement, snapping him back to more pressing matters. "Let's hope I won't be having to deal with married couples' woes," he said, half-joking.


@Xx-Katherine-xX @SaintRaven367

 

[Blarg222]

"Woooo, that's the spirit!" Max said as he saw David take a confident swig of the whisky, "Trust me, Vault security ain't so tough when you offer them a cut of the supply"


Max took the bottle from David and took a large gulp of the stuff, a good three years of practice backing her up. She tensed a bit at the sting that no less followed and handed it back to David before reaching down and popping a few mentat tablets, As she chewed it down she almost immediately felt her brain pulsating from the drug, as though it was struck by lightning. She took a step back as the drug and the alchohol started t blend causing her vision o get a bit discolored and her mind feeling energetic,


"Holy Shit, dude. You got to try this shit, its like an A-bomb in my fucking head" Max exclaimed, stumbling a bit.


@Endless Winter

 

[Endless Winter]

"Alright, give em here." David grabbed the tin of drugs and took two tablets before setting the tin down and popping them in his mouth and grinding them into dusty slime. He had never done drugs before and didn't really know what to expect, so the growing energy hit him like a freight train, his synapses going into overdrive. What a feeling! He took a pull from the bottle of whiskey, no sense of hesitation this time. The room was positively vibrant, or rather, Max was. The room seemed to glow in the light emanating from her like an aura. Her eyes were perfect.


"Hey Max, this is great stuff, you're great." He blurted out, his mind still racing at light speed and body slogging ever behind. He couldn't remember if he had ever felt this awake before in his life.

 

[Blarg222]

All Max could do was smile as the drugs buzzed her mind, David's words ringing in her ears. For a moment she forgot everything, the bombs, the Vault, the overseer, the G.O.A.T, nothing at all registered. All she could think about was right here, Storage area 4-B, with David, whisky and mentats. However he mind felt like it was in spectator mode as Max involuntarily moved closer and closer to David, her body right next to his. She couldn't think, all she could do was act as she looked up at him. She was short compared to him but with the drugs in her he looked like a mountain to her. She couldn't tell if what she was doing was moral or amoral all she could do was go closer and closer,


"Oh fuck it" She said before she closer the gap with her lips onto his, her mind now surging as though she'd just split an atom in her head.

 

[Endless Winter]

@Blarg222


David saw Max was getting closer. He had barely met her in earnest less than an hour ago but he didn't move. His hyperactive brain had focused on her eyes and knew what he saw in them, and he didn't draw away because he wanted it too. Her eyes were a deep, crisp brown that caught light like a miniature galaxy with it's own sort of gravity, pulling the two together until they closed and lips met.


She tasted like trouble just over the horizon, and David savored her. His arms gently pulled her closer and kissed her again. This was perfect. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to find all of this. A quiet beeping noise interrupted the roaring in his ears for the briefest of moments before being drowned out by the storm raging in his head. He knew the message was probably the results of the exam coming in along with his new work assignments, but at the moment he couldn't give a damn. He returned his focus to Max, he wanted more. Max started toying with the zipper at his collar and started pulling it down...


@Blarg222

 

[Starfleet]

Benjamin has only written a few sentences, he was still wound up in his philosophical lethargy he gets himself into. He just couldn't stand the gray colours and blue uniforms. It has become a drab that wore down his mind. He hated the claustrophobia he got as well. He's afraid that when he's twenty the atrium would be as small as this room to him. He hated, hated everything here now.


The Pip-Boy went off and he turned it on to see the message.

 

[Xx-Katherine-xX]

"Vault chaplain, eh, Terry?" Saige chuckled, "That's quite the surprise." She bit her lip as she looked down to the message on her Pip-Boy. She was nervous - no, more than nervous - she was afraid. She needed a job that could get her out of this place. She had to see the outside. It was dangerous, sure, but Saige was all for danger. She sucked in a deep breath, cold air filling her lungs, as she looked down at the message.


Vault Loyalty Inspector





Close enough, right? She knew guards were hand picked by the Overseer, but this job put her in a good position. She let out a breath and laughed, before snatching the whiskey away from Richie. "Give me that. It's time to celebrate!" She took a swig and threw her arms around the boys, which was nearly impossible as they were both almost a foot taller than her.


"Let's make these next few years in the Vault the best of our lives, okay?"


She nuzzled her head into Terry's shoulder. She was happy. Maybe things hadn't worked out like any of them had expected but they would make it work. They always did.

 

[Supabad.45]

*Richie glanced down at his pip-boy screen. His was in odd colors, such as purple and green, he found ways to hack into it and adjust it to how he sees fit. It opened to a book he was previously reading, suddenly his message popped up. Tattoo artist. Huh, how quaint, he thought to himself. He'd prefer it be in the science or repair field, but he couldn't complain, since he could exploit his artistic sense. He chuckled to himself and nodded his head.*


"Ahh... Tattoo artist! That's pretty great, it's time to hit Absinthe."


*Saige's arms flail wildly attempting to go over Richie and Terry's shoulder. It made Richie flutter to see her so happy. She got exactly what she wanted, seeing her happy makes him happy. Damn Terry, he wouldn't let him ruin this for us. It was all until my moment of self enlightenment and celebration was stomped on, once Saige"s headed rested on him. Richie's face dropped slightly, but he immediately hid his face and gently shut his eyes, muttering to himself. He casually turned back around to them, slightly tense.


"It's all so... great."


*Through gritted teeth.*


@Xx-Katherine-xX


@kaito9049

 

[kaito9049]

Terry let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he had been holding. Chaplain. His mother would be satisfied with that outcome. He wasn't the most religious of people, but then again, not all of the previous chaplains were. Besides, Terry's father had instilled enough of the religious practices for him to manage; really, religion was just a matter of bartering. "Well, seeing as how I'll soon have a direct pipeline to a higher power," Terry joked, "I just want to mention that I've been looking for a new pair of shoes lately."


As the young man felt the weight of Saige's head rest on his shoulder, the twinges of a light blush reached his cheeks. He was never the best with physical contact, but with Saige he never really seemed to mind. There's no need to look deeper into it, he thought. She's like this with everyone. He wondered whether Richard knew this as well...or perhaps, the other boy simply wasn't fooling himself like Terry was. Honestly, Terry wasn't sure how to feel. Sometimes, it was as if the only time he could be sure of his emotions was when adrenaline was pumping through his veins.


In any case, the three of them all seemed more or less content with their assigned roles. There were new responsibilities, new expectations...but Terry was used to the constant struggle to meet demands. He just hoped that whatever the future held, the vault and its inhabitants would remain safe.

 

[Riven]

(Ohcrud, I didn't even know it had started..)

 

[Xx-Katherine-xX]

ONE YEAR LATER



​

Saige's boots clicked against the cold metal floor of Vault 76 as she made her rounds through the maze of halls. It was her first day on the job alone. For a year, she had been training and learning the ropes of being Vault Loyalty Inspector and now her she was doing it all on her own. She smiled as she thought of the events that had happened just a year before. She remembered how after the G.O.A.T she had taken the boys down to the abandoned storage room and they had gotten drunk on whiskey and Nuka-Cola.


It was strange to think about how much had changed between them in the span of a year too. Her and Richie were a 'couple' now and her and Terry were...her and Terry. She had never figured out what label really fit their relationship. She supposed it was because there really wasn't one for them. They just had one of those weird friendships, she guessed. And she didn't really want to put a label on them in the first place.


She sighed, because thinking of these things made her reminisce on the way it used to be. The times when she was able to do anything she wanted, without a boyfriend looking over her shoulder all the time. When she could flirt and tease. When she could sneak whiskey and Nuka-Cola. Before she had to straighten up her act so she could do her job. Before she had to change her attitude because her boss didn't like it. Before she had to work late hours to impress the Overseer. She missed the way things were a year ago.

 

[kaito9049]

"...Please protect those who protect us, and grant the Overseer the wisdom that he requires. Amen." Terry rose from his seat, having finished his daily prayer. it had become routine, ingrained into his life. Indeed, the act brought him comfort, though he had yet to feel the sensation that the other ministers claimed they experienced, or heard the voice of divinity that guided many of the business decisions of the vault church. Through the recent year, it had become abundantly clear to Terry that the role of chaplain was in fact one that was more concerned with...early matters. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a little disappointed at the number of people who were willing to "donate" a sum of caps in return for absolution or a enforcement of some program. He now understood why chaplains were so reluctant to retire...


Besides the very generous benefits, a chaplain was also privy to the dirty little secrets of the people. The church wasn't very structured, so confession wasn't mandatory, but the young man had found that the majority of people were happy to divulge their sins...or those of others. The political power that a religious clerk wielded was respectable to say the least, though Terry was slightly uncomfortable with using his exclusive knowledge in such a fashion.


Despite this, there was a heavy weight that came with the job. Some of the confessions that Terry had heard were...difficult to bear, and the faithful who earnestly sought after the will of a higher power often weighed upon his mind. Though there was a certain reward that came with selflessly helping people, Terry still struggled to truly feel what others were feeling. Because of his role, his inability to empathize seemed all the more major, as if he was living a lie.


Nonetheless, Terry's family were very pleased with the result, with his mother often bragging about his accomplishment. She seemed to figure that, if her son had not been blessed with earthly talent, perhaps he could bring his family blessings in the next life. It was not an assumption that Terry was particularly comfortable with, but he wasn't about to upset the tentative peace.


Terry walked aimlessly through the corridors of the vault, mentally preparing a speech (his peers had insisted that it be on financial generosity) that he would be delivering later that week. His natural charisma had made him a very effective speaker, yet he often wondered whether mortals had become too involved in the matters of the divine. Across the hall, he spotted Saige. A year ago, he might have smiled and greeted her. Now, however...their relationship had become a bit strained. She was dating Richard, a choice that Terry had considered objecting to, but he doubted that she would change her mind. Besides, it really wasn't any of his business. Since then, he couldn't feel feeling a twinge of hurt whenever he saw them together.


It was not something he enjoyed.

 

[Starfleet]

Benjamin love and hated the job he received. Shift supervisor. He had to do what the Overseer wanted to him under the guise of aiding him in his ability to maintain the vault. When he didn't have to do this, he wrote. The kicker is that he hated the Overseer. He seemed to always go on about how he is great, how he is the sole reason everyone stays alive. He is, but what makes Petresko maddened is his way about it. There's not even any subtlety. It was always the same quotes over and over again. "Jupiter, you are angry, therefore you're wrong," seemed to be the Overseer's favorite.


There was a moral qualm within Benjamin though. He wanted to get rid of some of the Overseer's power, make it more free to people, yet if he does that, what if there is no one suited to take control of the vault? Maybe Benjamin could do it in some time but he wasn't sure. It would be a big responsibility to be a leader and reform some kind of government. Were there even enough people to do so? What if no one wanted certain jobs that were important?


Dammit, Benjamin Petresko despised everything about the vault.

 

[Karcen]

Goras had never seen the wastes this vibrant, things were dying, but things were living not everything was dead yet. It had been a scat few years twenty or so since the world had been burned in nuclear fire yet life still tried to live. It was nothing like when he was from everything was dead and dying, yes this time was filled with life that would wither and die, it was sad but true.


Goars looked up to the burning sun moving his robes hood back which he wore so humans would think him a simple giant mutant, instead of the twelve foot tall horror he really was. He knew how humans thought of his kind and for the most part they were right to fear deathclaws their ultimate creation in genetic manipulation a killing machine that could sow destruction anywhere. That however was not him, he was a knight or he tried to be he was meant to be a hero he just needed to find what he was meant to do.


No doubt this was part of his destiny as he had been sent back in time by an artifact older than man for sure. He could still remember the large stone like arch that could not have been manmade, he remembered the lights that turned on when he neared. He remembered the great flash that had blinded him when he stepped though and suddenly he was in a far less ruined place and was in another time. Goars had heard of something like the arch from a man that he had found in his wanderings, the man had been in strange black power armor that was not of enclave make . The man had told Goras many stories including one about a building with something below it, something evil, something primordial that should not exist. The arch had been different but it was also similar.


That was all the past for Goras for now he would do as he always had done after leaving the pack he would try to find his fate. Perhaps he could try to jump start his people so that they would not have to wait 200 years to be made and then killed, yes a population of his kind before could change what had happened, but it could lead to worse things. This would require more thought as messing up the time line would have grave complications something he did not want to take lightly. So Goras put his hood back on and kept wandering, some of those vaults would open soon, perhaps his fate was with them?

 

[Endless Winter]

"Alright, this is the last sample of the vault-developed pain medication from batch 1P." David forced himself to relax. It was just a mild painkiller meant for aches and bruises, but he still hadn't grown used to being a lab rat. The doctor assisted often with the lab experiments and analysis, but was just as often busy seeing a patient for an ache or pain often attributed to repeated tedious activities and treating them with either a doctor ordered break or a dosage of painkiller, hence why David had decided to devote his time towards developing a more sustainable concoction that they could create with limited resources in the vault. With that motivating thought, he applied an electrode he had designed for this experiment to his forearm just below a fading blister from the previous sample. He yelped and tossed the electrode onto a nearby rubber work surface. The new wound was quickly showing a bright red contusion that would shortly afterwards swell like a balloon like most electrical burns. He took the tiny red pill out of its container and chewed it up before swallowing and activating the recording device again.


"Stimulus is delivered, administered prototype painkiller 1P orally ten seconds afterwards. Chemical reactions should start occurring within the hour. Beginning static research under the Doctor until reaction intended to occur and then again after pain subsides." David stopped the recorder and grabbed his notepad. He remembered somewhat regretfully his other motive for researching painkillers: he may have picked up a minor addiction to the substance, the stronger the better. He knew from experience that the vault had barely touched the high strength stuff since being closed, but the sooner they ran out of the low strength dosages the sooner they'd have to start rationing out small quantities of the good stuff and someone would find out their inventory wasn't accurate, leading to a personally disastrous records audit of the few individuals with access to their medical supplies. David knew that the surface wouldn't be back to normal levels of radiation until several hundred years had passed, and that all of the vault dwellers would die long before the doors opened and the opportunity for someone to really hurt themselves came up.


Until then, he just needed an equivalent potency renewable painkiller to stave off aches and sores until he could synthesize the higher strength stuff. For now, however, he satisfied himself with learning as much about the human body as he could from the doctor by day, and finding pleasure in this grim mockery of life through other means at night. David thought it funny that the regulated safe life he had during the day with the doctor seemed like the dream, and the hazy, red headed paradise he found at night seemed more the reality. Wishful thinking, he supposed to himself as the doctor began a description of the symptoms and treatments for claustrophobia.

 

[Supabad.45]

*Richie wiped the sweat from his brow after he removed the buzzing needle from Dr. Winston. He canvased a large reptile-like woman on his leg, it had a sexy imagery to it and a rather tasteful shading. This was work Richie could take pride in. Sure, it wasn't doing nothing life changing... or dwelling into anything that involves electricity. Every now and again, a mechanic or nurse would ask his aid. Life was going great in the vault to Richie; he had a gorgeous girlfriend, a well paying and ego boosting job, he has saved just about enough to purchase a room for his own. His father grew more... violent, mother being to high on chem's and spending the majority of the day attempting to create a device that can turn bad food into better food. What a waste mom.


"Looks like we're... done."


*Richie sighed in relieve and gently placing his needle on the metal surface of a wheeled table. Dr. Winston began expressing his appreciation and was awed. He smiled to himself as he ran up the price, peering under a lamplight. Suddenly, Terry crossed his window of the shoppe. RIchie stared a long second the shrugged it off. He's been mighty quiet, but maybe that's a good thing... maybe he's upset, maybe he shouldn't think about it all too much. Dr. Winston gave him 150 caps and waved himself out. Anxious Richie quietly ducked them off into his bag and sipped out a flask of Absinthe. Humming to himself.


*Richie just got tattoos on his arms and hands. Mainly of depictions of old books from Pre-war, even ILA FANTOMA on his bicep. After a gulp of Absinthe he slid the bottle in his pouch. He couldn't wait to see Saige. He had hoped his surprise would awe her*