Fallout LDN is an idea I have for a sequel to the Fallout series of games, for a First Person Shooter Role Playing Game. The game will be based in the ruins of London, England.
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Introduction
"In 2077, war came and consumed the entire Earth, as it had done before. And, much like was said about those previous conflicts, it was the war to end all wars.
"But the origins of that war came from an earlier conflict between the European Commonwealth and the Middle East, sparked by dwindling resources, driving up the price of crude oil. In 2052, the Europeans decided they had had enough, and declared war on the Middle East. This was the first time since 1945 that the nuclear bomb was used, and Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Athens and Tehran were amongst the several cities to be decimated.
"In 2060, all the oil in the Middle East ran dry. The Commonwealth, while occupying part of the Middle East, withdrew to face problems at home. Bankrupt and thirsty for resources, the Commonwealth shattered into the bickering nations that once founded it, becoming secluded, paranoid, focussing what resources were left on defence, as the old rivalries between nations returned.
"Concerned about the conflict between the United States and China, many European nations began to plan vaults of their own. Many were poorly designed. The British, with their 'special relationship' with the US, enlisted the help of Vault-Tec to create their own; it was part of several exchanges between the two countries, in return for Britain's solid allegiance, should all-open nuclear conflict occur.
"2077 came and went, like a tidal wave. The US liberated Alaska; the Chinese retaliated with thermonuclear weapons at every US city, and the Americans reacted in kind. The nations of Europe, united in fear for survival, launched a pre-emptive attack on the Soviet Union. Pre-war civilisation's last hurrah was to be all-out war: every country able to fight did so, anticipating the worst, doing what they felt was necessary to protect their own.
"Fighting continued for a while after the bombs fell. Those who were privileged enough to make it to a vault did so, to wait until it was safe to leave. Those unfortunate enough to stay outside mainly perished from nuclear fallout, or were transformed by radiation into ghouls.
"The British vaults were locked tight; their only communication with the outside a secret All Clear signal, when radiation levels had died down to safe levels. For one of these vaults, the signal failed, and its residents, unaware that they were trapped, carried on, hoping that one day they would get the order to leave.
"More than 200 years would pass before Vault D4 would be forced to open."
In the year 2288, a sealed Vita-Chamber opens within Vault D4, a Brit-Vault construction, deep under Hackney Marshes. The lights are low, emergency power is running, and there seems to be nobody else about.
Inside, amidst the replenishing fluid matrix, the Vault Dweller stirs, vision blurred. A whirring can be heard in the distance that seems to be nearing the Vault Dweller.
The Vault Dweller rises out of the blue, viscous liquid - groggy, dazed. There before the Vault Dweller is a robot, a Mister Handy type machine, painted in a smart charcoal colour.
"You're awake. Are you alright?" comes a tinny voice from the robot, "I do hope this six months has brought you back to your full health. Do you remember me? It's Jeeves."
"Six months? What's going on? Where am I?"
"Please keep calm, I appreciate this must be an awful shock for you. Please stay calm, I need to check your vitals. Let's hope this machine has restored you to your correct state."
(The player chooses gender, appearance and name - here I assume the player chooses male)
After checking the player's vitals, the player exits the Vita-Chamber.
"Excellent, sir, you're just how I remember. I'm so pleased this contraption hadn't turned you into a lady! Now, stand, please, if you would sir, and let's clean you up and get you into some clothes."
Jeeves cleans the player up and dresses him.
"Now, chin up. Right, now that I've checked you, and you seem absolutely fine, unfortunately I must give you the lowdown on what happened. Please, take a seat."
The player takes a seat on a nearby armchair.
"Right, ahem, sir... you have been in a terrible accident. You we're near the Power Station on your duties, I imagine, and a power coupling you were near to... exploded. I don't know how it didn't kill you outright, sir, that would have been fatal to anyone. Would have been fatal to any droid too, come to think of it. I don't know how you survived... let's say quite a lot of you was spread about quite a bit. Oh, sir, if I had a stomach, it would have turned, though I'm glad to see you've been brought back to full health!"
"I don't remember anything. I don't even remember going near the Power Station."
"You don't? Oh, I feared this would have happened, sir, I really did. An accident like that may have caused some memory loss, which unfortunately, the Vita-Chamber cannot do much about. Limbs can be healed, well in your case, regrown completely, but memories are either lost forever or hidden deep within. Fortunately, we still have a working Hypnotronic device to help us delve into those deep memories and bring them to the surface."
Jeeves fetches the Hypnotronic helmet and hands it to the player, who puts it on his head.
"Now, sir, please relax, and let the Hypnotronic do its work. I will go to the control interface. You will go into a trance, and we'll go deep inside your own mind."
The player's vision fades.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO
The player is six years old and before him, on the floor, are his grandfather's broken spectacles. He is in the family apartment, and no one else is about.
"Sir!"
The player turns to his right. Jeeves is there.
"These are highlighted memories picked up by the Hypnotron. What you do here reflects what happened in your past, what shaped you to be who you are today. Don't worry, this is an artificial hallucination of myself. You can talk to me for advice, but nobody else can see me here. Now, this seems to be the aftermath of an accident. So what did you do?"
(The player goes through a series of choices, in different memories from different times, finishing with the accident - the player is either doing something good, bad and/or lawful or chaotic - will elaborate on these at another time.)
"How was that, sir? I'm sorry you had to see that for yourself, but that is what actually happened. Now, I'm afraid I have more dire news, sir. A week after the accident, there had been a catastrophic power failure across the entire vault. Our best engineers had a look, but they simply could not repair it. The power core was destroyed, melted, they said. They activated emergency power, but there was simply just not enough power to sustain the vault for all its inhabitants, just the basic to keep the emergency lights on. This infirmary, as it might have it, has its own independent power system, so they locked it down until you were fit and able, and kept me in here to keep watch over you."
"Anything else?"
"Since the vault couldn't sustain everyone, the Overseer gave the order to evacuate. Everyone, your mother, your father, they were all ordered to leave."
"Where did they go?"
"Out into the open, whatever was out there. I couldn't imagine what it's like up there, sir. Oh, that reminds me. Your mother popped back in with a note."
"What did the note say?"
"She says as soon as you get out, make your way to Tottenham. They've found a place to live there. She says watch yourself and remember your weapons training, it's a bit rough outside. Oh and she dropped off some supplies too. Your Uncle Ron's old Pip-Boy 3000G, a pistol, a knife, and some ammunition. Oh, I am worried for you, sir."
"I've got to find them."
"I guess you have to. Well, you're in fine health, and I wish you the best of luck. Oh, and I would watch yourself in the vault. It's awfully dark, and I heard... noises. Like animal noises. I hope you remember the way."
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