I was thinking today about Vaults, and how they're social experiments.
I thought of a concept for one, Vault 38.
Baltimore Maryland (Yes I was listening to the news during my thought process) a vault lies in the wastes,
desolate, and abandoned left to the whims of the wildlife. Many a wanderer has approached the vaults open maw
to the sounds of ominous coughs and sneezes followed by screeching. Passersby with concern either call out to
the long-gone residents, their echoes going to waste, or go inside to only come out alone.
The stories of this vault are all the same, "Just an abandoned hole in the ground, with a sickly ghost inside."
But let me tell you, there's a story there...
(This story will mostly be told through timelines)
THIS VAULT-TEC TERMINAL WILL RECORD EVENTS TIME STAMPED REGULARLY WITHIN FIVE DAYS, OR MORE DEPENDENT UPON ACTIVITY.
[VAULT-TEC VAULT 38 DOOR SEALED, COMMENCING PROTOCOLS]
[October 23, 2077 Great War Commences] Vault Tec chosen residents arrive, total admittance 1000 residents.
[October 23, 2077 Great War Ends] Residents experience panic, most restless and unable to sleep.
[Oct 28, 2077] Residents settle in to Vault life, routines are established. Medical wing unlocked.
[Nov 2, 2077] Recorded audio scheduled to begin in five days. Vault illness prevention fliers distributed while residents slept, no suspicions.
- Illness Prevention Flier:
[Nov 7, 2077 11:00 PM] Recorded coughing began in dormitory wings, residents woke at random until audio stopped at 8:00 AM.
[Nov 12, 2077] During scheduled activities residents discuss coughing throughout work day. Many have had trouble resting.
[Nov 17, 2077] Sneezing audio recording added in conjunction, at random faux vomit will be added throughout Vault in the night.
[Break]
[Dec 25, 2077] Holidays were scarcely celebrated, residents in low spirits. Janitorial maintenance workers complain to Overseer about
vomit in the night, they continue to work throughout the holiday.
[DATA LOST FAST FORWARDING TO MAJOR EVENTS]
[Feb 1, 2078] Residents begin to unconsciously develop hypochondriasis, many residents believe themselves sick and visit clinic often.
At 12:00 AM new 'medicine' distributed designed to 'kick-start' the limbic system of the brain, is also a minor sedative.
[Feb 6, 2078] Patients convinced medicine helps, continuing distribution.
[Jan 1, 2100] Crates of HAZ-MAT suits distributed secretly to Medical and Atrium wings, total of 500 suits.
[May 28, 2100] Generations of residents raised show symptoms of hypochondriasis at a consistent rate of 100%. Xenophobic attitudes shown toward other residents, alienation common, residents rarely leave their established 'quarantined territories'. Fights occur often throughout vault.
[Feb 15, 2132] Unused Vault wings locked down and closed off. Vault residents flee the Vault, due to size of Vault decreasing.
[VAULT-TEC VAULT DOOR OPENED, CONCLUSION OF EXPERIMENT SUCCESSFUL. HYPOCHONDRIAC POPULACE RELEASED.]
The residents of Vault 38 went out into the wasteland with distance between each of them, only the residents given suits stuck together.
This gave rise to a group of wandering xenophobic vault-dwellers, finding a place away from sickness and disease. Along the way anything or anyone whom was deemed unclean would be considered a threat to their health. The remaining residents to this day are long presumed dead, their 'medicine' supply dried up and they turned to wasteland drugs alternatively.
Well guys this is my bored attempt at making a short story about a fan made vault, I hope you enjoyed my concept and I'm sorry if some of it seems inconsistent or incomplete. This was just a quick thought process.