Graham's Journal

December 25, 2241

       I haven't written an entry in weeks, but this is important. Whilst out doing our deathclaw exterminations, the gang and I found something. We'd stopped at the original Gun Runners factory a day before to pick up some well needed ammo, when a stranger mentioned something about hearing music out west. He described it as the kind of stuff you hear on the radio these days, but happier. Piquing my interest, I eventually convinced the boys to head out west and check it out. I talked to the fellow, nice guy. He didn't seem to be part of any faction, but was doing pretty well for himself, probably thanks to that Winchester P94 I spied on his back. Asking for directions, he told me that it was around 40 or 50 miles west of Gun Runners. That'd be about a day's travel on foot.

       Without further ado, the guys and I left for the west, to discover anything we could.We slaughtered a few deathclaws along the way, but that isn't important. What is important though, is that we found the music. Ten hours west of Gun Runners, at the very end of California itself, we were inexplicably drawn to the sound of music. It seemed to be coming from underwater. After much exploration, we realized that there was a secret hatch by the shoreline. It was unlocked, so we jumped in. Once all of the water drained, the secret was revealed:  a vault. 

       Now I've only been to one other vault in my life. Back when I was a boy, my father was what you could call a vault-hunter. I preferred the term "seeker", but most folks aren't that educated these days. Unfortunately, my father only found one vault during his lifetime: Vault 15. We even lived in it at one point, until the rats forced us to leave. This vault was entirely different however. From the moment I unlocked the massive rolling blast door with the number "25" itched into it and we stepped inside, fantastic, joyous music began to play. The lyrics said something about trees and holidays and such, but I'll be damned if anyone knows what those are. 

       Strange red and green lights lined every wall and big fake, plastic trees adorned each room. However, blood was the primary decoration in this Vault 25. Miguel became queasy at the sight and smell, so we let him stay behind at the entrance while the two of us delved deeper into the vault. Things became more and more gruesome as we went. Dead men were hung from the ceiling by the red and green lights. Children, forever sleeping in their beds. Every calendar had only the month of December and every date was marked the 25th. What importance December 25 held in the past, I have no clue about now. 

       We must've found hundreds of corpses, but no survivors. But it was down in the third level where we found the strangest thing of all: a protectron security robot, deactivated and surrounded by the highest body count yet. The unique thing about the protectron was the clothes it wore: a red jumpsuit and long, pointed red hat, with a false white beard. Now comes the bad part: Fish touched the machine. Fish, a mechanic, has a natural talent when it comes to technology and all that. But this particular robot was one that no one should've ever gone near. After fidgeting with the contraption for a few minutes, the red terror sprang back to life... or whatever you would call robot conscience.

       So now you're probably wondering: why is there blood on this journal? Well, it happened like this. The protectron stood up and shouted cheerfully in a deep, booming voice, "Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!"

       Jay being Jay, walked right up to the thing and exclaimed, "Damn! What the hell are you?"

       The robot's yellowish visor suddenly transitioned to black as it announced, "Profanity detected. Naughty = 1. Termination = True. Termination commencing."

       The very second that turrets shot out of its hands, we got the hell outta there. Taking the elevator back to the first floor, we arrived to find Miguel's dead body on the floor, pelted with bullets. Determined to survive that murderous robot, we left the vault and sealed the door behind us.

       Now in a small settlement east of Vault 25, I'm contemplating going back in. That robot... what if I could manipulate it for my own uses?

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Fan Fiction of the popular gaming franchise Fallout. If you want to join, just ask.

Vault 25 Specs

Vault Number - 25
Starting Construction Date - December 2069
Ending Construction Date - December 2075
Starting Budget - $400 000 000 000
Final Budget, with Interest -
$800 250 000 000
Total Number of Occupants - 800 (actual), 1000 (at capacity)
Total Duration - 25 years (at capacity)
Number of Living Quarters - 100 (Bunking required at capacity)
Door Thickness - 4 yards, titanium
Earth Coverage - 3 200 000 tonnes of soil, at 400 feet.
Computer Control System - RobCo SANTA AI 3000
Primary Power Supply - Dual Hydroelectric
Secondary Power Supply - General Atomics Nuclear Power backup systems
Power Requirements - 25 MKW/day (Due to extensive use of Christmas lighting, decorations, and entertainment)
Stores - Complete construction equipment, hydro-agricultural farms, water purification from Underground River, perpetual snow machine, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas cards, Christmas decorations, Holiday special entertainment tapes and music, Christmas candy, toys, Christmas themed foods
Vault 25 Apparel - Similar to standard Vault Jumpsuits, but blue and yellow color scheme replaced with holiday styled red and white.

True Purpose - To observe how a population lives in an environment where it is Christmas every day. 200 families of four (two parents and two children) are chosen. SANTA RobCo Robot sneaks into childrens' quarters at night to leave toys by their beds every night.

Results - For the first week, families are pleased with the thought of having Christmas every day, and enjoy their Christmas related amenities. However, after that time period, initial adult subjects begin to descend into a spiralling pit of insanity. After four weeks, a fraction of the adult population (25%), kills their spouses/children, and then commits suicide by hanging themselves with Christmas lights. Others (30% of the adult population), commit suicide right away; the 45% of adults with their sanity intact attempt to resume life normally. However, the SANTA robot designed to deliver children presents at night based on their "niceness" becomes corrupted by an unknown hacker from within the vault, and goes on a massacre. Over 100 people are killed by the initial assault and remaining families quickly fashion their Christmas decorations into weapons to defend themselves from the SANTA robot. The SANTA AI system senses a danger, and puts the vault door into a permanent lockdown state, preventing it from ever opening again. Rumours are that a few families managed to escape the vault before lockdown, but most either commit suicide or spend the rest of their lives hiding within the shadows of the vault, protecting their families from the SANTA robot.

About SANTA

Base Model - RobCo Protectron
Height - 6 feet
Weight - 420 pounds
Operating System - Protectron Mk.XII 2.5 (2074, w/ SANTA modification)
Weaponry - Turrets in hands
Function - To deliver toys to sleeping children every night in Vault 25
Acronym - SANTA: Sentient Autonomous Neurological Toy Assembler
Voice - 108kb "Santa Claus" RobCo Voice Module 2.0
Color - Red Santa Claus suit, with matching Santa hat and beard

updated Nov 16 '11 by FirestormInfinity