The Survivor’s Guide to the Wasteland

Inside a marble tunnel within the Quincy Quarries, I was trying to figure out how to deal with the new dilemma this new world had thrown me. To be more accurate, it was six dilemmas on their knees with their hands either held in the air or behind their heads. Six surrendered raiders who, just some time ago, were actively trying to murder me and Tanya.

After setting a marker at Vault 88 in my Pip-Boy a few days ago, V.A.N.S. brought me from the robotics facility to the flooded Quincy Quarries. The place had become highly irradiated from nuclear material dumped here pre-war, so much so that Tanya and I had to use some of our limited Rad-X to counteract the radiation. That would typically keep the area empty, but some enterprising ghouls who were immune to the radiation decided to call the site their home. Usually, that wouldn't be an issue, but these ghouls were raiders, and raiders are nothing if not problematic.

There were a dozen and a half of the raiders when we first arrived. You know, lazing around, doing raider shit. Other than me and Tanya, we also had a Tankbot, two Scrapbots, and two Outriders. Even though the raiders outnumbered us more than two to one, their shoddy firearms and armor made it clear which way the combat would go if it came to blows. So, against Tanya's better judgment, I had one of the Outriders enter the quarry to demand the raiders' surrender.

They were the first group of people I encountered other than Tanya, Isabel, and the raiders attacking Isabel, so I hesitated on defaulting to aggression. And since I wanted to believe in humanity, or ghoulality in this case, and not be a murder hobo, I gave them a second chance. With the Outrider making our demands and the rest of our group standing on the top of the quarry, I was sure that the raiders would give up after seeing we were better armed than they were. Boy, did they show me I was wrong.

The ghoul raiders, led by a man called Slough, pretty much immediately started shooting at the Outrider and the rest of us. Tanya's 'I told you so' look was annoying but well-deserved. While I was definitely wrong about giving the raiders the benefit of the doubt, I wasn't wrong in thinking that the tides of battle would be heavily in our favor.

Over the next twenty minutes, we made short work of the raiders in the Quincy Quarries. The Tankbot and I, in my power armor, quickly bashed their defenses into pieces. At the same time, the Scrapbots and Tanya provided precision support from the back, picking apart any of the stragglers.

And I didn't have to hold back after coming clean to Tanya and Isabel about my powers. The raiders literally didn't see the minigun I was hiding away in my inventory coming. Slough and some of his goons that were dumb enough to charge us were the first to fall when they got absolutely torn to shreds by me and the Tankbot. It didn't take long for us to whittle their numbers down and for the raiders to realize that we wouldn't stop hosing them with red-hot lead any time soon.

That was when the remaining six put their hands up and surrendered. After the whole fiasco with the raiders that attacked Isabel, I was considerably more cautious when approaching them this time. I had all of them walk out into the open, and the Scrapbots cleared the area while the Outriders searched the tunnels. When they returned after finding nothing, I moved on to interrogating the prisoners.

Apparently, five raiders escaped our wrath because they were outside the camp right now, trying to see if they could find anyone to shake down for some caps. I also got some pretty helpful information about the area, like the surrounding gangs and their locations, settlements, trade routes, etc. But most importantly, I learned they have yet to find the entrance to Vault 88.

In the game, for whatever reason, Slough and his gang were excavating in the Quincy Quarries when they happened upon Vault 88's doors. But that was six years from now, so the chamber that allowed access to the vault was still concealed. That meant I had to figure out how to break down the limestone blocking the way, which I had no clue how to do. The silver lining was that V.A.N.S. showed me exactly where I needed to dig, so at least I didn't have to keep guessing where exactly to search.

If Isabel had been here, I'm sure she would have come up with something in short order. But since we needed someone to hold the fort, and Isabel had wanted to work on repairing the place anyway, she stayed behind while Tanya and I left for the vault. Then, a lightbulb went off in my head, and I got an idea of how to access the vault and deal with the raiders simultaneously.

"Listen up. I'm going to offer you guys one last chance. Help me with some work, and I'll let you all go. But if even one of you thinks about fucking with me, none of you are leaving. Got it?"

Was I actually going to execute these people if they didn't comply? Honestly? I probably would. There is no point in releasing people dead set on causing harm. The raiders looked at each other, unsure how to respond before one of them saw it fit to take the offer before I changed my mind.

"S-Sure, Boss. W-What're ya looking to do?"

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"Fuck off. Don't let me ever see any of you ever again."

"Of course, boss. Thank you. Come on, guys."

The group of, hopefully, reformed raiders grabbed their bags and walked away. Once we could no longer see the half dozen raiders we spared, Tanya and I turned around and headed back into the Quincy Quarries. I could tell there was something on Tanya's mind, but she voiced her concerns before I could ask what was up.

"Do you think it was smart letting them go?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "But I think that if I want to make the world a better place, it starts by giving everyone a second chance."

Seemingly unconvinced, Tanya continued looking at me, prompting me to continue.

"They gave up, Tanya. How are we any better than raiders if we kill people who've surrendered? Ideally, we'd lock them up and try rehabilitating them, but we don't have the manpower right now. So, this is the best option left that's not outright execution."

And it wasn't like I was so naive that I sent six fully armed raiders out into the wasteland unsupervised. Only two of them had guns, and they only had enough supplies to last everyone two days. Not enough weapons to go out harassing people and not enough food to just start a new raider camp somewhere else. Hopefully, this forces them to head to the nearest settlement and begin anew.

The only thing I was slightly worried about was that the raiders outside the camp would return and cause trouble. But our prisoners told me they had a way of communicating whether the area was safe to any group coming back. As one might imagine, attacks between raider groups are prevalent. To prevent enemies from ambushing anyone coming back, certain small flags are raised around the camp to communicate that the site is safe.

I went around the area and took down the small pieces of cloth the captives pointed out. This, combined with the fact that any returning raiders would see that the camp is eerily empty, should hopefully keep them away from trying anything funny. But even if they try their luck, I'm confident that Tanya, me, and the robots are more than capable of handling ourselves.

"Sorry for questioning you, but I just wouldn't be as optimistic as you are. I suppose you're right, however, and we should at least give them a chance."

Maybe Tanya's right. Perhaps I am too much of a cup-half-full type of person. But I can't help but think that most wastelander scum just feels trapped by their environments and that they would happily have a go at a new life if given the kick in the ass if needed. But even if I might disagree with her on this, a different perspective does help.

"It's not your job to be optimistic, Tanya. It's your job to ensure I'm still rooted in reality, and you're doing that right now. Thank you."

Beyond being lovers, I also wanted Tanya and Isabel to stay around so they could guide me. It's not lost on me that my worldview is literally not of this world, so I'm reliant on them to keep me in check. How good of minders would a formerly psychotic beast whisperer and nerdy reclusive engineer make for an interdimensional traveler with video game powers? Pretty good, apparently, since Tanya just challenged my choices

"I thought it was my job to suck your cock and get knocked up?"

"Wha-... Huh?"

Apparently, the mood was getting a little too serious because what Tanya said was way out of the left field, my brain ground to a halt when it tried to comprehend what she had said. It was so dirty and off-topic that it took me a few seconds to properly digest what she said. And even though it was clearly meant as a joke and not supposed to be taken seriously, I could still feel myself blush from the implications.

Despite being in a suit of power armor that should hide my face, Tanya still seemed to be able to somehow feel my reactions. Giving me a sultry smirk, she leaped onto me, forcing me to catch her out of reflex. With her awkwardly situated on my power armor, she raised a hand and knocked on my helmet, causing small *thunks* to reverberate through it.

"Is that embarrassment I feel? Where'd the strong, sexy Basil that manhandled me go?"

I playfully growled, which became a mechanical worble once it passed through the power armor voice comms, before putting my hands under Tanya's arms and lifting her up and away from me like a kitten. Despite the slightly degrading way I held her, Tanya still had that cattish grin.

"You better watch yourself, young lady, or I'll fuck you silly when we get back."

Tanya simply giggled at my 'threat' before hopping out of my grasp and started walking back toward the quarry.

"Promises promises."

While Tanya didn't have a certified phat ass like Isabel, she did know how to catwalk to show off what she did have and those legs of hers. It took a surprising amount of willpower to not drag the woman into the nearest shed for a quicky, but I managed to control myself. I wasn't that much of a hopeless horndog.

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*RAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT* 

The sound of a jackhammer reverberated through the quarry, bouncing off the rigid mineral walls and echoing throughout the area. I was holding the heavy power tool directly against a limestone wall, which would have been impossible to do if it wasn't for the power armor I had on. Thank goodness for these mobile wearable fortresses because they really do make life so much easier.

*CRACK* *RUMBLE*  

The tip of the jackhammer pierces into the already crumbling surface, and I lurch forward as the stone gives. Jerking back, I watch bits of rock and debris fling out before larger pieces move and the entire wall collapses. What presents itself is a dark dirt tunnel that curves right into a cave further in.

The price I had set for the prisoners' freedom was for them to show me how to use the quarry excavation equipment. I had them drill into walls in several places, only to weaken the surface, careful not to immediately go to where I knew the vault's entrance should be and clue the raiders in on what I was trying to do. Once I was confident I could use the tools to finish the job, I had them packed up and sent away. 

It seemed to have proven to be the correct thing to do since the whole process only took a few hours, and there was still plenty of time to explore the vault. If I hadn't involved the raiders, I would have had to call Isabel to help, which would have taken considerably longer. Traveling from the robotics facility to here took a day and a half, not to mention the potential dangers of traveling in the wasteland. And since I could also use it as an excuse to set them free, it was three birds with one stone.

Tanya came over next to me after I tossed the jackhammer aside and peeked into the tunnel.

"Would you look at that? There really was a tunnel. I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore since considering common sense doesn't apply to you."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or not. Come on, Tanya, let's see if we can get into Vault 88."

Turning on my helmet-mounted light, I illuminated the dark earth and entered the tunnel with Tanya behind me. Turning left, we were greeted by concrete and steel reinforcements and the unmistakable sight of a vault door. Small lights illuminated the center of the sprocket-shaped entrance, showing the number 88 on it.

The vault entrance control panel was near the ledge of the metal platform Tanya and I was standing on. Walking up to it showed it was covered in dust and had bits of rust here and there, but still in good condition. After getting out of my power armor, I pulled the plug out of my Pip-Boy and inserted it into the jack. 

A satisfying *Kerchunk* noise was made before the plug pushed past some detents and locked into the panel. The screen of my Pip-Boy flickered briefly before a mountain of code scrolled past my screen. After whatever communication finished between the two pieces of pre-war technology, the words 'VAULT DOOR REMOTE ACCESS' and 'READY' popped into view.

I swung the clear plastic covering the red button up after returning the plug and hit the switch. Two yellow hazard lights came to life, and an alarm sounded, warning that the vault door was opening. A loud hiss came from the hinges, and compressed air sprayed out from the old pneumatic mechanism holding the heavy doors. The metal screeched as it swung inward, protesting the interruption of its two centuries-long slumber.

As the vault opened, I found it weird that the overseer didn't respond to an outside force gaining access. In the game, overseer Barstow would come over the intercom after the Lone Survivor plugged his or her Pip-Boy and entered the unfinished vault. Then again, Barstow was only on alert because Slough and his raiders tried to break in. Maybe the overseer wasn't paying attention to the situation because she had no reason to expect anyone to come after two hundred years of isolation.

Speaking of Barstow, I had to decide how to deal with her while I watched the vault door slowly crawl open. Valery Barstow was earmarked as Vault 88's overseer after its completion and subsequent hypothetical use. Of course, that speculative use came way faster than expected, and war broke out before the vault could be finished. Having already been on site, Valery, the construction crew, and a small security team were then locked within the unfinished vault with no way out.

Over the years, the radiation turned Barstow and the Vault-Tec employees into ghouls. Then, the years slowly rolled by, eroding the minds of the ghouls until they turned feral, all but one. Valery Barstow maintained her sanity through sheer strength of will and dedication to her duty as the overseer, believing that eventually, Vault-Tec would come and save her.

If that was all there was to Valery Barstow, then I would have nothing but admiration for the woman. Of course, this being Fallout, it couldn't have been just that simple. No, Valery's drive wasn't for the perceived mission to safeguard American lives but because she believed in Vault-Tec's goal of using vaults as a controlled environment for inhumane testing.

If you went along with Barstow's quests, she'll have you activate the vault's radio beacon to attract settlers. Once enough people arrive, Barstow will have you help her with a series of experiments. These ranged from exercise bikes with which users can generate power to slot machines that vault residents can use to gamble. As is tradition with Vault-Tec, the experimental equipment all seem relatively mundane but hides a darker purpose.

The exercise bike, for example, could be programmed with three settings to see which would generate the most electricity. One exuded aromatic essential oils and gentle sounds, one shocked the user whenever the RPMs dipped too low, and the last would sneakily inject buffout into the user so the user would simultaneously be more productive and associate the drug high with using the bike. The shock and drug options had a two and five percent chance of killing the user, respectively.

The other experiments had similar 'moral', 'less-than-moral', and 'unethical' options with various levels of potential death. And being the wonderful person she was, Barstow would get pissed at you every time you chose the option that benefited its user. It's also mentioned that after collecting the data and tuning the equipment, they would be sent to other vaults, potentially causing even more damage. With that information, the question was how to deal with the overseer.

Besides finding a place where I could hide my resource miners, a significant reason for being here was to gain access to the blueprints for vault-related construction. Things like new vault furniture, floors, walls, and even industrial nuclear reactors. But to get these blueprints, the player had one of three options. You could either go along with Barstow's experiments, force Barstow to leave and take them from her, or kill the overseer and loot the blueprints.

The first and last options were immediately ruled out. I didn't want to subject any wastelanders to cruel and unusual experimentations, and it would be hypocritical of me to free the raiders only to turn around and then kill Barstow for a crime she has yet to commit. Exile also didn't sound ideal since a former overseer with no survival experience wouldn't make it long in post-apocalyptic Boston. It would be a death sentence in all but name.

As I watched the vault door swing open those last few inches, I hoped I could convince Barstow to peacefully hand over the blueprints. Once the vault door opened completely, I walked down the platform we were on. Tanya followed me to the sliding bridge connecting the outside cave to the vault's entrance chamber.

Looking inside showed a room not unlike the one found in Vault 101, or any other vault for that matter. A large banner with the vault's identification number was hung near the ceiling in the center of the large room, a bridge connected the outside world to the vault's inner sanctum and two hallways. If memory serves, the one with the decontamination arches led to the security room, the other to the reactor room. Nothing seemed out of place except a hunched-over figure in the middle of the left hallway.

A feral ghoul. Despite knowing they would be here, I was still taken aback by the sight of the putrid abomination that was once human. This one was bloated, with dark, mangy skin where there wasn't rotted flesh. The face was bald and deformed, with tiny beady eyes and an agape mouth filled with decayed teeth.

The sound of the door opening must have alerted it since it unsteadily stood up before looking around for the source of the disruption. Activating V.A.T.S. confirmed it as a 'charred' variant of the feral ghoul. I only had a 65% chance of hitting the body at the distance I was at, but I didn't feel like getting any closer than I already was. I used three actions, which V.A.T.S. told me should theoretically kill the thing.

The first burst of bullets left my assault rifle, flew wide, and missed its target. I watched in slow motion as the ghoul turned toward the direction of the attack before opening its mouth further and screeching at us. It then sprinted at us, even tripping in what could be perceived as excitement to finally eat human flesh. 

That was when my second burst came. This time, it stayed true, and all three bullets landed squarely in its chest, killing its momentum and causing the ghoul to stagger back a few steps. Another triplet of shots soon followed, causing the enemy to fall on its ass, flailing its arms in a somewhat comedic way. Its health was down to a quarter, and I finished the job with another squeeze of the trigger without the help of V.A.T.S.

As I finished the job on the charred ghoul, another guttural scream came from further in the vault. This wasn't unexpected since I already knew there would be more ghouls than just that one here. What I wasn't expecting was the several dozen more yells that followed and what could only be described as a flood of feral ghouls that flowed out from both hallways.

Fuck.