Narrator POV
October 23,2077 is the day the world changed forever. On this day was the culmination of the tensions between the nuclear powers of the world exploded. China and the US engaged in a devastating exchange of nuclear firepower sending the world into a fiery chaos. During this time in West Virginia a family of three were caught in the middle. Nancy and Chris Cooper were were the run of the mill civilian except for one thing
They were both employees of the infamous vault-tec a powerfull corporation who's main objective was securing the future of the United States with vaults. Giant underground facilities that would secure and protect the future of America from the horrors of nuclear war. Chris worked as an engineer working on the new vault 76. His wife Nancy was a scientist and Profesor at the Vault-tec university in Morgantown. When the bombs dropped they left everything and made it to the vault with there three month old son named jackson but during the scuffle to get inside the vault Jackson was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation making him extremely Ill. His mother spent the next 6 months trying to find a treatment that worked to help cure him. As the weeks turned long and Jacksons health continued to deteriorate his mother found the answer. While looking at different plants she found a fern that could absorb radiation and neutralize it.
She crushed several of them turning them into a concentrated fluid. She gave it to him and waited, and waited until three hours later he started showing signs of improvement. Soon Jackson was completely healed within a week and started being a regular child. The people in the vault all saw each other as family and they saw Jackson as a nephew or a son. Jackson grew up to be a happy kid playing with the other children in the vault but tragedy struck when the boy was six. His parents were working in one of the lower rooms where Nancy was growing a new medicinal herb garden when the power was cut off due to a malfunction cutting off the air and power to the room. It took the others several hours to cut the door down. But by then it was too late. When the news was broken to the young boy he cried for weeks. The whole vault rallied around him and he was adopted by the overseer. The young boy see's her as his grandmother.
This is his story of survival and love
Present Day
25 years since the great war.
October 23,2102
Reclamation Day.
10:00 AM
Jackson POV
Overseer(Intercom): Good Morning Vault 76 this is the overseer, I hope you all enjoyed the party last night even those you might have over indulged and overslept.
I woke up with a groan holding my head as a massive migraine hits me like a truck as I feel the full affects of the alcohol that I had drank the night before. I groggily look at my alarm and see its just past 10 in the morning. I get up and stagger to the bathroom. I open the medicine cabinet and take out a bottle of painkillers. I take two and then strip out of my jumpsuit and step into the shower. The warm water washes over me letting my body relax from the anxiety currently hitting me. Today was the day,
Reclamation Day
The day where we would leave Vault 76 and rebuild Appalachia. After I finish washing myself I turn off the water and grab a towel off the rack and wrap it around my waist. I step out and walk back to the sink and start brushing my teeth once i'm done I look at myself in the mirror.
I look at myself for a bit before walking back into my room, I go to my dresser and put on a fresh jumpsuit and put it on. I then start packing anything I'll need into my backpack. I place an extra jumpsuit along with a few cans of purified water and a few cans of food that should last me a few days. I then go to my bed and look under it. I see a wooden box hidden towards the back of the bed I reach under it and pull it out. I sit it on the bed and I take a breath and open it.
Inside is several items one being my fathers 10mm pistol along with a few boxes of ammo and a holster. I pull them out and place them on the bed before reaching the final item. My mothers silver locked I gingerly take it out and open it. I see a picture of me and my parents when it was my 1st birthday. I smile at it before closing it back up and placing a small kiss to it.
Jackson: I miss you guys
I place the necklace around my neck and attach the gun holster to my hip and place the pistol inside it. I walk over to my pack and pull it onto my back. I walk to my personal terminal and take out my holotape of Nuka tappers and place it in my pack. I walk to the door and take my pipboy out of its case before walking out the door.
I see several mister Handy's cleaning up from the party last night I snag a box of fancy lad snake cakes before walking out of the atrium. I say bye to the mister Handy's as I walk through the halls. After awhile I see a few displays set up and I see some have supplies. I place them into my bag and pick up my C.A.M.P off the last display along with a blue bag of building supplies. Finally I make it to the massive Vault door I watch as the masive gear door opens and the unfamiliar light of the sun fills the room. I put my hand out to help block the light I take a deep breath before steping out of the massive doorway. Once my eyes adjust to the light I gasp as I take in the unfamiliar view.
I lightly tear up seeing the breath taking view. After a few minutes I begin the treck down the hill towards the road. As i'm walking I can't help but take in natural beauty of the country. This part of Appalachia didn't get hit as hard during the war and the mountains surrounding the valley absorbed much of the nuclear blast. As I follow the trail I see some sort of tower I decide to stop and look inside. I walk up the old stairs and step onto the small upper platform. I find an ammo box and a green duffel bag. I open the Ammo box first and see a few boxes of 10mm and .308 rounds I pull my pack off and place them into one of the front pouches, I check the duffel bag next but it was empty, I sigh and pull my pack back on and continue on my way. After about 10 minutes I see something in the distance just past the little creek.
I jump across the small river and finally see what I saw earlier. It's a farmhouse along with a decent sized metal barn in the back. As I get closer I get a ping on my Pip-boy. I look at my map and see a new location appeared onto it.
Jackson: Wixon homestead huh?
I go to the front yard and get a better look at the place. It's a little rough but its still in pretty decent condition, I put my hand on my gun as I walk up to the front door. I gently push it open and step inside.
Jackson: Hello anyone home? I'm not a bad person
I don't get a reply I feel a shiver down my back its so quiet. As I take a look around the living room and freeze in the middle of the room is a figure that looks human. But somethings wrong I get close and see it looks like someone got burned alive and turned into a statue. The figure looks like they were blocking themselves from something when it happened. I reach my hand out and just as my fingers graze the statue it breaks apart and turns to dust releasing a weird green gas I hear the geiger counter on my Pip-boy start crackling I cough as a sudden rotten smell fills my nose. I walk away from the pile and head upstairs. I see another figure at the foot of the stairs. This one looks freesher than the other. As I get closer I step wrong on a step releasing a deep groan from the old wood.
Just as I look down I hear a raspy cough I look back to the figure and see its moving now I freeze as I get a good look at it.
The creature turns to me its green bloodshot eyes turn to face me as I raise my gun as it pulls out a machete from its waistband,
???: Not ....one.... of us
It growls out before it starts to walk down the stairs towards me, I back up and raise my gun at the creature.
Jackson: Stop or I'll shoot
It doesn't seem to listen and son it lets out a pained yowl before sprinting at me I shoot the thing in the chest but it only staggers for a bit. It closes the gap between us and swings its machete at me I dodge but the tip of the blade slices my arm. I yelp and twist around and fire two more shots hitting the thing in the head it lets out a wet growl before fallng to the floor. I pant as I look myself over before looking at the cut on my right arm. It's only a flesh wound I feel it already begin to stich itself back together. I sigh as I decide to leave the house I make my way back to the path and follow it for awhile before I make it to a partially destroyed wooden bridge. I carefully walk across and make my way to the road. Up ahead I see what looks like a campsite I jog over to it and see a C.A.M.P sitting on the ground along with several workbenches. I see a small blue box with a vault-tec logo on the cover I walk over to it and open it up and see a one holotape left in the rows. I pull it out and and place it into my pip-boy soon I hear my grandmothers voice.
Overseer: Overseers log, I knew this wouldn't be the same Appalachia we were used to but mutated animals, homicidal robots, and no people so far, We have to prepare to rebuild appalachia ourselves and to start that we need to secure the three nuclear missile silos in Appalachia, we can't let those nukes fall into the wrong hands. I;m heading to flatwoods to find out what happened here. Please stay safe out there everyone, P.S stay safe jackson
Overseer out.
I sigh knowing my grandmother is alright. I place the holotape into my backpack before turning my attention to the work benches. I walk to the armor work bench and look at the schematics left behind. Their for leather armor I take a look around the camp and find enough materials to build a full set of leather armor.
Once I'm done I begin my journey to flatwoods.
Time skip
30 minutes later.
I finally made it to flatwoods. It's a small town with lots of buildings and a big church in the middle of town. I follow the signs that said Responders and walk inside the church I gag as the smell of rotting meat fills my nostrils I look around and see bodies laying on cots and several wearing uniforms laying on the floor. I look over them and see they've been dead for a while.
I look around and find some chems and water and food. I also find an overseer cach that grandma left for me. I listen to the Holotape as I continue searching through the town.
3rd POV.
Jackson decided to go through with the responders survival training. During his training he met a protectron that was programmed as a trader for the responders. It took awhile but he managed to finish the training. He decided to look around the town for scrap and other useful supplies. Just before he was about to leave he decided to check the steeple of the church he found a few boxes of sugar bombs and a scoped .308 hunting rifle it was dirty but still functional.
He walked out of the church ready to go when all of a sudden a loud boom echoes through out town. He looks up and sees smoke coming from the end of town. He sprints towards the area and sees the red rocket station on fire. He realized that the coolant tanks under the store must have detonated. He turns to walk away but he stops when he hears raspy coughs coming from the garage. Jackson rushes over and tries to open the lastge garage door but realizes it's locked he looks for a way to open it and sees a chain holding the door shut with a lock.
Jackson POV
I pull my pistol and shoot the lock off the chain. I pull it free and open the big door. The smoke coming from the building clouds my vision I cough as I look inside and see three massive scaly creatures that appear to be passed out. I think about leaving but hearing their whimpers causes me to feel guilty.
I rush inside and start trying to pull one of the creatures out. I feel my muscles strain as I tug it out inch my inch. After a minute i manage to pull him free. I quickly pull of my bag and take out a bottle of buffout and take several of the pills. I feel them kick in almost immediately I rush back inside and begin pulling the neck creature out, then finally the third. Once all three are a decent amount away from the burning building. I sigh trying to catch my breath, after awhile I decide to head out and set up camp back at that farm.
As I walk to the end of town I freeze when i hear whimpers coming from a trash can. I slowly approach it and look inside. Inside is a small wolf pup probably about a month old. He's about the size of regular puppy. He looks at me with scared eyes I smile gently and hold my hand out.
Jackson: Come here little guy I won't hurt you
The wolf pup slowly leaves the trash can and crawls towards me. Once he's close he sniffs my hand I soon see his tail begin to wag and he launches onto me. I can't help but giggle and hug the pup tightly.
Jackson: Come on little one let's go home.
The wolf pup lets out a bark as if to acknowledge what I had said.
3rd POV
As Jackson and his new companion leave flatwoods they are unaware of three massive figures watching them from a distance and they are very interested in this little human.