Story [Fallout] The Capitol Wasteland

Title: The Capitol Wasteland
Author: Uh, me.
Summary: The diary of the Lone Wanderer details his survival in the harsh and unforgiving wasteland that is America and his quest to find the father who seemingly abandoned him.
Thanks: I feel the need to cite Bethesda, for producing such a rich story as the most recent Fallout installment. Special thanks go to Interplay and Electronic Arts for creating Wasteland, which I have never actually played, but was the unofficial parent game of the Fallout series. Also, I?d like to thank anybody who reads my tale, in advance.

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[b]Initial Entry
March 11th, 2277[/b]

[i]I?ve rarely written more than a few consecutive sentences, but the consequences of wandering the Capitol Wasteland at night, far outweigh the time saved along my journey, so, I have to be content with spending my late hours writing. Plus, when I left Vault 101 to find my father, my friend Amata gave me a thick empty journal, along with her father?s ten millimeter pistol. Since I can?t bring myself to toss my only connection to a blissful, if fake, past, there?s no point in not using the book.

Nothing I heard about, or even learned, in the Vault, could have prepared me for the world outside. Especially not the light. It?s really damn bright outside. I probably should have expected, at least, that, but I couldn?t even draw a picture in my mind of what I thought was waiting for me.

It definitely wasn?t the barren ruins that I found. The ground crunched beneath my feet and the sun burned my skin on contact. I felt like a vampire from the old movies. Shopping carts and cars littered the torn paths and roads and I suddenly understood the meaning of the word alone in a staggering capacity. That feeling passed fairly quickly, though. The next thing I felt, which still hasn?t disappeared, was the feeling of insignificance. I looked out onto a great expanse of brownish sand and dirt and I wondered how anyone could live in a world so large.

Though I still feel tiny, I shook my shock and managed to stumble around for a little while. I?d like to tell you something different, but I was terrified out of my mind. My hands were wrapped tight around the grip and I jumped at every rustle and creak.

When the sun started to fall, I got really worried about sleeping in the open. I wanted to find some shelter and barricade myself, or something. I could see the remains of some kind of town, so I made my way towards it cautiously.

It?s hard to describe the feeling of walking into a completely deserted town. If you have ever seen one of those western movies from the twentieth century, then you know what I?m talking about. All those scenes where the hero wanders into an empty town and those dusty tumbleweed things blow around, are pretty damn accurate. Except, I?m not a hero, and I?m not in the West.

I was still jumping at ever sound I heard, so when I heard some serious voice breaking the din of silence, I nearly **** myself. My gun was up in seconds and I was spinning around and around. Eventually, I just dove behind a wrecked car and sat with my back turned to the noise, collecting myself. I breathed in and out, deep and slow and then turn around with the metal frame as my cover. Floating a few feet off the ground was some kind of combat drone. You could see its armament from fifty feet away and it had various antennae sprouting out.

The drone regarded me without interest and then continued spewing some nonsense about a president. I stood up slowly. The robot didn?t even look back, so I walked away from my cover and looked around the rest of the town. A faded sign advertised the name of the city as Springvale and another sign, this one freshly painted on some sheet metal, pointed northwest and was labeled Megaton. I could only assume that this was another town.

I didn?t have time to check it out, though, because it was nearly dark, and I was still sweating from fear. I surveyed the town, looking for a potential spot. The

 

This is good, Nick.

Good imagery of the desolate wasteland and how the world affected how the Wanderer sees people.

-B-

 

I agree with the above, but to add, I also find the character's grounded sense of self carries true throughout the entire piece. It's easy to write lines like "I felt insiginifant." However, most authors disregard even their own comments like that in a way that, not always but often, betrays the character's earlier feelings.

Throughout you diary, the Wanderer sounded real, felt honest to himself and it was an enjoyable read - certainly a plus. I eager look forward to whatever we see more of him.

If you've a PM List going, I'd be honored to join it.