M/Go along the walkway
From Create Your Own Story
The arcs of electricity look too intimidating. After all, that giant roach got zapped, and you can still smell the burning bug.
You head along the walkway that goes around the electric...things, and round the corner.
"Shit," you say, right before an ugly bug jumps at you, biting you. You can feel his mandibles tear into your clothing, and dig into your skin. The bite adds more nausea. It jumps back, and comes in to bite again.
You bring up your hands to protect your face, and then, realizing what you are doing, ball them up and start swinging at the ugly bug.
Another joins the first, and while you are trying to land blows, starts taking bites from you.
Each bite cuts into your clothes, and creates shallow gouges in your skin. Although painful, they do not seem to slow you down. Just add more nausea. But, enough cuts, and you will surely bleed to death, as you note the trickles of blood seeping down where they have already bit you.
You swing like mad, as you see a third coming at you. You make contact with the first, then again, taking it down. Turning your attention to the second, you hit it over and over, until it too lays dead.
Finally, you turn your attention to the last one, already having tasted even more of your skin.
A few more punches, and it is also down.
You examine yourself, noting one sleeve is already gone. Your left pec is exposed, with bites across the your skin. You are just glad it did not take a bite off your nipple.
Your pants are completely shredded. You look around, and laugh when you realize there is no one to even see you without pants. You take them off, wearing only your 200 year old tighty whities.
"I really need to change into a new pair," you say to the empty room.
You go again, finally arriving at the room exit. You peek around the door, trying to make sure no other bugs are in this room.
Nothing moves, and you see no more of these mutant insects, so you walk in.
It appears to be an office, complete with another dead skeleton.
"Did anyone make it?" You ask the empty space. The skeleton doesn't reply.
Shuddering, you push it out of the way, the chair still rolling easily, and check out the terminal. You discover this was the overseer, and read through everything. About the mutiny. About the people turning on one another. You select the one that opens the emergency exit and leave the terminal.
"Oh god," you say to yourself.
You find his pistol, picking it up.
BANG
You jump, then realize you accidentally pulled the trigger.
"At least no one saw that," you murmur to yourself, glad no one is around to get hurt.
You wait for your heart to settle, then check around the room.
Nothing interesting jumps out at you, other than a couple more stimpacks. You take one, press the needle into your arm, and feel the healing effects flood into you. Your cuts stop oozing blood, and the skin starts to knit together right before your eyes. Soon, you are left with skin that just looks slightly pink where the cuts had been.
"Hmm, no scars," you say, while looking at the little things with renewed respect and understanding.
You pocket the rest and head to the backroom, where you fortunately find a new vault suit.
You take off the shredded remains of your vault suit, noting your undergarments are not doing much better. Taking those off, you stand naked in the middle of the room, looking around to see if there are any more in here. You can't remember seeing any others, but decide to go check, since you know nothing else is around to attack you now.
No luck. You know some of the men in the pods probably have some, but you can't get them open, and are not comfortable with the idea of taking underwear from dead men.
Giving up, you go back and start putting on the new suit. At least you are covered now. True, no one is around to see, but you still feel better clothed.
Checking the bullets in the gun, and adding a new one to replace the one you accidentally fired, you go over to the door.
As you open it, you crouch down, unsure what awaits you on the other side. You slowly make your way around the corner, eyes scanning for anything that could be in here.
You spot another cockroach, and take aim and fire the gun. Fortunately, you had shot before...all this happened, so you are able to take it out immediately. It seems it was not alone, as you see three more start running down the hall towards you.
BANG
Missed.
BANG
Hit another, its body exploding is gross fragments of bug guts and body parts.
BANG
BANG
BANG
The last two are down, none making it to you, but one very close. At least you won't need to worry about more shredded clothes.
You walk into the next hall, realizing the door that blocked your way is now open. The overseer's terminal must have controlled it.
Nothing in here, but ahead you see the familiar entrance you entered through. It seems like just yesterday. Too bad it was much longer. You go to the control console and push the button to open the vault exit.
A warning flashes across the screen:
Please use authorized pipboy
You remember the ads for those, some sort of computer that you wear. You look at the skeleton next to you, and shudder as you see one on its arm.
"God, now I need to take things from dead people..."
You shudder again as you take it off the bony arm, trying to look anywhere but at the skeleton you are robbing.
Once you have it in hand, you push the button again. The pipboy screen blinks, and you hear the grinding of metal on metal as the gate comes up at the entrance.
You head to the elevator, and soon are riding up. Your stomach feels heavy as you wonder what has happened to the world since you have been down here.
You emerge, shielding your eyes from the sudden glare of the sun. It feels good to be out in the sun again, but you don't really have much time to enjoy. You look over the desolate scenery. Once green plants, colorful leaves, and beautiful landscape has turned into horror.
Rusted metal boxes dot the area around you, and the plants are now gone, or grey. You gasp at the total destruction, like something out of some wasteland scene. Debris litter everything, and the world is so silent. Where once there were families, cars, TVs, radios, everything is empty.
You start walking, thinking the entire world is gone and dead. Just grey, leafless trees everywhere. You aren't even sure the roach things you saw before survived out here.
You come to the gate of the vault, and look at your town below you. Even from here, you see the houses are completely ruined. You feel despair as you begin walking down the hill, towards your town and your home.
