A bright future.
“Good Morning! Vault-Tec calling!” Paul Eiding stated enthusiastically to the woman standing in front of him at the door.
The woman looked confused at the salesman standing at her door. “Vault-Tec? Remind me again.”
Paul was surprised, it wasn't like Vault-Tec was some unheard of company. “Why, we're about you ma'am! And helping secure your future!” He replied enthusiastically, “You see, Vault-Tec is the foremost builder of state of the art underground Fallout Shelters!” He pitched, the woman's face resting, with a polite but mostly bored smile. “Vaults if you will, Luxury accommodations! Where you can wait out the horrors of nuclear devastation!”
The woman raised an eyebrow, as though something was clicking in her brain.
“You can't begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you!” Paul continued quickly. “I've been trying for days, it's a matter of utmost urgency I assure you!” Unlike some of the other sales pitches he'd thrown in the past, this one was true, for a middle-class suburban family the Howards' had been very hard to get in contact with.
“What's so important?” The lady asked, incredulously, her lemon-scented perfume starting to get on Paul's nerves.
“Why nothing less than your entire future!” Paul stated, years of selling vacuums giving his voice an excited edge, “If you haven't noticed ma'am this country has gone to heck in a hand-basket! If you'll excuse my language, the big Kaboom...” He paused, “it's inevitable I'm afraid. And coming sooner than you may think, if you catch my meaning.” Paul hesitated, the pitch was a little more close to home than he had intended, it was a fear he truly believed in. “Now I know you're a busy woman! So I won't take up much of your time, time being a, uh, precious commodity.”
Ms Howard nodded for him to continue.
“Well I'm here today to tell you that because of your family's service to our great nation, you have been pre-selected for entry into the local vault! Vault 111!” He stated excitedly, it wasn't every day someone got into one of those for free.
“I have a family, you can fit us all in right?” The lady asked quickly.
Paul smiled and nodded. “Of course! Of course! Minus your robot naturally, in fact you're already cleared for entry! I'll need to verify some information and you're all set!” He replied holding up a clipboard. “Don't want any hold ups in case of, total atomic annihilation!” He stated with a friendly laugh. “A better future for you and your family underground, it's not only Vault-Tec's mission, but our passion!”
“Well, surviving the apocalypse for free? Sign me up!” The woman replied, suddenly laughing.
“That's the spirit!” Paul stated with a laugh, though this one having a slightly uncomfortable edge to it as he held up his clipboard. “Just sign here and fill out the boxes.”
A minute passed and all that could be heard was the scratching of a pen on paper and the morning birds in the neighborhood.
“Done.” The woman said suddenly handing the clipboard back.
Paul smiled. “Wonderful! That's everything! I'm just going to walk this over to the vault and, well, congratulations on being prepared for the future!” He stated as the woman hastily thanked him and shut the door. “You'd think giving someone the means to save themselves for free would be worth a little more thanks.” He muttered turning down the road towards the Vault.
“One more week and get those steak.......” Paul stopped, half way back down the hill where the nuclear shelter was built, as a helicopter flew over and landed in the compound. “What in the world?” He asked as soldiers jumped off and ran to the gate.
Then he heard it, a low wail, the metallic whine of an air raid siren, like animal whimpering in anticipation of an expected attack. Another helicopter flew over, and the sounds of shouting and screaming could be heard already, as panicked crowds turned out from their homes. “Residents of Sanctuary Hills, evacuate to Vault 111 immediately. ” Somewhere a loudspeaker shouted, as the road to the vault became flooded with people running from their homes and towards the vault.
The sudden fear that had rooted him in place was replaced with enough sense to turn and run ahead of them, back towards the shelter.
“HALT!” A uniformed soldier ordered, stepping into the middle of the gate.
“I'm with Vault-Tec!” Paul shouted waving his Identification.
The soldier shook his head. “You're not on the list!”
“I GAVE YOU THAT LIST!” Paul shouted as people started running up behind him.
“If you're not on the list step out of line!”
Paul's mouth fell open. “WE'RE ABOUT TO GET NUKED! WHO CARES ABOUT THE DAMN LIST!”
“The only people allowed in are on the list or staff! NO EXCEPTIONS!” The soldier shouted back.
“THAT'S ABSURD! I am Vault-Tec!”
“If you're not on the list you don't get in!”
Paul shook his head. “I'm going in! You can't stop me!”
“Get out of line!” Another soldier shouted, pointing his rifle at Paul.
“Okay okay okay!” He backtracked raising his hands stepping back.
“IF YOU'RE WITH THE PROGRAM STEP FORWARD! OTHERWISE GO HOME!” The soldier shouted as several people ran up the soldier at the gate flashing their Identification.
Paul's eyes darted around the hillside, families were waiting at the gate, panicked, some hugging, others glancing about fearfully or telling children lies about how it was all going to be okay. He wasn't getting in, he was going to die. Maybe if he took shelter in one of the houses, maybe a lead lined fridge or something, it was a long shot but at this point, anything beat standing out in the open. He had reached the bottom of the hill and was crossing the small bridge at the bottom when suddenly his foot slipped and fell face first into the small creek below.
It was this misstep that saved his life, face down in the creek behind the partial cover of the hill the cover saved him from the immediate force of the blast and debris that tore through the landscape above him, shredding trees and buildings, the devastating blow of a nuclear death.
The first thing Paul noticed, pressed down by the force into the mud, was the heat, searing, burning, his muscles screaming in agony he tried to force himself up. The water was gone, replaced by steam that burned his face and anything not covered by his shredded clothing. He staggered to his feet, the world was burning, every tree around him was charred and smoke and ash blurred his vision, but all around him, a red glow filled the sky. He stumbled up the hill, at the gate he was greeted by burning corpses, twisted and contorted in agony, some lay where they had been standing, others had been pushed away by the blast, at his feet the corpse of a child lay, his charred bones gripping a harmonica, maybe the only thing he had grabbed before his parents drug him from their home and to this hill to die.
A faint scream met his ears, or at least it sounded faint despite coming from the soldier who had pointed a gun at him, his armor mangled and his body impaled by the blast onto the iron fence. Paul could only stare, dazed at the young man, his helmet blown off and blood dripping from his open jaw, his face burned to the bone and his eyes blinded as he writhed in pain, his armor had protected him from immediate death, but had doomed him to an agonizing one.
“No, no, no,” Paul muttered, but he couldn't even hear himself as he stumbled towards the vault, cresting the hill however, he found himself blown back by the heat, somehow more radiant than a thousand suns and burning just as painfully, above him was the cause, a cloud of radiation and fire lifting higher and higher into the sky.
The doors to the Vault were closed, those inside hopefully alive, but even some of those on the list that hadn't made it in, as the charred bones of a child and parent leaning against the side of a crashed helicopter attested to. Burnt books and cloth in the child's arms made Paul wonder if she had been at school maybe she would have been able to shelter in a vault at the school, the delirious thoughts of a man staring at the apocalypse, he had survived the blast, and the heat that surrounded him and burned his flesh, but the cruelest fate was yet to come, when the cloud of fire came back down upon the city in an irradiated fallout.
The world was dead, the animal whine of the sirens was gone, replace with nothing but the sounds of screaming and smell of burning ash, and mankind's bright future had burned brightly for a moment before the fire would subside and darkness would engulf it.
The woman looked confused at the salesman standing at her door. “Vault-Tec? Remind me again.”
Paul was surprised, it wasn't like Vault-Tec was some unheard of company. “Why, we're about you ma'am! And helping secure your future!” He replied enthusiastically, “You see, Vault-Tec is the foremost builder of state of the art underground Fallout Shelters!” He pitched, the woman's face resting, with a polite but mostly bored smile. “Vaults if you will, Luxury accommodations! Where you can wait out the horrors of nuclear devastation!”
The woman raised an eyebrow, as though something was clicking in her brain.
“You can't begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you!” Paul continued quickly. “I've been trying for days, it's a matter of utmost urgency I assure you!” Unlike some of the other sales pitches he'd thrown in the past, this one was true, for a middle-class suburban family the Howards' had been very hard to get in contact with.
“What's so important?” The lady asked, incredulously, her lemon-scented perfume starting to get on Paul's nerves.
“Why nothing less than your entire future!” Paul stated, years of selling vacuums giving his voice an excited edge, “If you haven't noticed ma'am this country has gone to heck in a hand-basket! If you'll excuse my language, the big Kaboom...” He paused, “it's inevitable I'm afraid. And coming sooner than you may think, if you catch my meaning.” Paul hesitated, the pitch was a little more close to home than he had intended, it was a fear he truly believed in. “Now I know you're a busy woman! So I won't take up much of your time, time being a, uh, precious commodity.”
Ms Howard nodded for him to continue.
“Well I'm here today to tell you that because of your family's service to our great nation, you have been pre-selected for entry into the local vault! Vault 111!” He stated excitedly, it wasn't every day someone got into one of those for free.
“I have a family, you can fit us all in right?” The lady asked quickly.
Paul smiled and nodded. “Of course! Of course! Minus your robot naturally, in fact you're already cleared for entry! I'll need to verify some information and you're all set!” He replied holding up a clipboard. “Don't want any hold ups in case of, total atomic annihilation!” He stated with a friendly laugh. “A better future for you and your family underground, it's not only Vault-Tec's mission, but our passion!”
“Well, surviving the apocalypse for free? Sign me up!” The woman replied, suddenly laughing.
“That's the spirit!” Paul stated with a laugh, though this one having a slightly uncomfortable edge to it as he held up his clipboard. “Just sign here and fill out the boxes.”
A minute passed and all that could be heard was the scratching of a pen on paper and the morning birds in the neighborhood.
“Done.” The woman said suddenly handing the clipboard back.
Paul smiled. “Wonderful! That's everything! I'm just going to walk this over to the vault and, well, congratulations on being prepared for the future!” He stated as the woman hastily thanked him and shut the door. “You'd think giving someone the means to save themselves for free would be worth a little more thanks.” He muttered turning down the road towards the Vault.
“One more week and get those steak.......” Paul stopped, half way back down the hill where the nuclear shelter was built, as a helicopter flew over and landed in the compound. “What in the world?” He asked as soldiers jumped off and ran to the gate.
Then he heard it, a low wail, the metallic whine of an air raid siren, like animal whimpering in anticipation of an expected attack. Another helicopter flew over, and the sounds of shouting and screaming could be heard already, as panicked crowds turned out from their homes. “Residents of Sanctuary Hills, evacuate to Vault 111 immediately. ” Somewhere a loudspeaker shouted, as the road to the vault became flooded with people running from their homes and towards the vault.
The sudden fear that had rooted him in place was replaced with enough sense to turn and run ahead of them, back towards the shelter.
“HALT!” A uniformed soldier ordered, stepping into the middle of the gate.
“I'm with Vault-Tec!” Paul shouted waving his Identification.
The soldier shook his head. “You're not on the list!”
“I GAVE YOU THAT LIST!” Paul shouted as people started running up behind him.
“If you're not on the list step out of line!”
Paul's mouth fell open. “WE'RE ABOUT TO GET NUKED! WHO CARES ABOUT THE DAMN LIST!”
“The only people allowed in are on the list or staff! NO EXCEPTIONS!” The soldier shouted back.
“THAT'S ABSURD! I am Vault-Tec!”
“If you're not on the list you don't get in!”
Paul shook his head. “I'm going in! You can't stop me!”
“Get out of line!” Another soldier shouted, pointing his rifle at Paul.
“Okay okay okay!” He backtracked raising his hands stepping back.
“IF YOU'RE WITH THE PROGRAM STEP FORWARD! OTHERWISE GO HOME!” The soldier shouted as several people ran up the soldier at the gate flashing their Identification.
Paul's eyes darted around the hillside, families were waiting at the gate, panicked, some hugging, others glancing about fearfully or telling children lies about how it was all going to be okay. He wasn't getting in, he was going to die. Maybe if he took shelter in one of the houses, maybe a lead lined fridge or something, it was a long shot but at this point, anything beat standing out in the open. He had reached the bottom of the hill and was crossing the small bridge at the bottom when suddenly his foot slipped and fell face first into the small creek below.
It was this misstep that saved his life, face down in the creek behind the partial cover of the hill the cover saved him from the immediate force of the blast and debris that tore through the landscape above him, shredding trees and buildings, the devastating blow of a nuclear death.
The first thing Paul noticed, pressed down by the force into the mud, was the heat, searing, burning, his muscles screaming in agony he tried to force himself up. The water was gone, replaced by steam that burned his face and anything not covered by his shredded clothing. He staggered to his feet, the world was burning, every tree around him was charred and smoke and ash blurred his vision, but all around him, a red glow filled the sky. He stumbled up the hill, at the gate he was greeted by burning corpses, twisted and contorted in agony, some lay where they had been standing, others had been pushed away by the blast, at his feet the corpse of a child lay, his charred bones gripping a harmonica, maybe the only thing he had grabbed before his parents drug him from their home and to this hill to die.
A faint scream met his ears, or at least it sounded faint despite coming from the soldier who had pointed a gun at him, his armor mangled and his body impaled by the blast onto the iron fence. Paul could only stare, dazed at the young man, his helmet blown off and blood dripping from his open jaw, his face burned to the bone and his eyes blinded as he writhed in pain, his armor had protected him from immediate death, but had doomed him to an agonizing one.
“No, no, no,” Paul muttered, but he couldn't even hear himself as he stumbled towards the vault, cresting the hill however, he found himself blown back by the heat, somehow more radiant than a thousand suns and burning just as painfully, above him was the cause, a cloud of radiation and fire lifting higher and higher into the sky.
The doors to the Vault were closed, those inside hopefully alive, but even some of those on the list that hadn't made it in, as the charred bones of a child and parent leaning against the side of a crashed helicopter attested to. Burnt books and cloth in the child's arms made Paul wonder if she had been at school maybe she would have been able to shelter in a vault at the school, the delirious thoughts of a man staring at the apocalypse, he had survived the blast, and the heat that surrounded him and burned his flesh, but the cruelest fate was yet to come, when the cloud of fire came back down upon the city in an irradiated fallout.
The world was dead, the animal whine of the sirens was gone, replace with nothing but the sounds of screaming and smell of burning ash, and mankind's bright future had burned brightly for a moment before the fire would subside and darkness would engulf it.
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