I've rewritten the quest. I should get paid for this.
Kid In Stasis
INSIDE A SMALL ABANDONED, NEARLY PRISTINE UNDERGROUND SURVIVAL SHELTER HIDDEN IN THE MIDST OF A JUNKYARD SITS A LONE CRYOSTASIS CHAMBER. A BROKEN, FUSED ELECTRONIC LOCK SITS IDLY NEXT TO THE OPENING.
The player has made his way through an abandoned junkyard near a ruined house south of University Point, east of Jamaica Plain.
A dozen lone, non-hostile, and decrepit ghouls are scavenging for junk while paying no mind to the player in their midst. Some snarl at the player and shamble about like Zombies. A few become hostile if the player goes through their belongings or attempts conversation without proper skill or perk. The ghoul's leader, One-Eyed Arnold, watches you carefully while finally getting the player's attention.
ONE-EYED ARNOLD
Don't know who you are, but there better be a good reason for spookin' my crew... Normie.
PLAYER DIALOGUE CHOICES
* I'm *PC States Chosen Name*... who are you? And what is this place?(NPC occasionally refers to you as *Name*-Normie after)
* Don't mean any trouble, just taking a look around.
* [PERCEPTION/BARTER SKILL CHECKS] Surely you found something useful here, and I got caps if you're willing to trade.
*Why, I'm the lone survivor of Vault 111, can't you read? (Player points to Vault Suit - choice if equipped)
ONE-EYED ARNOLD (PLAYER CHOOSES DON'T MEAN ANY TROUBLE)
Suuure, better watch yourself... Normie. Go take a look over in back, this spot right here is ours.
PLAYER
* Excuse me, what's with the attitude, friend.
* This scrap pile is yours? Ha, looks like a bunch of junk to me!
* Oh, this is your place, huh? I don't see your name on it.
* Hey, fine, don't want any trouble, but what's back there?
ONE-EYED ARNOLD (PLAYER CHOOSES WHATS BACK THERE)
HA, Ahhhh... some old shelter with a broken lock and some pesterin' molerats. Good luck trying to break it open...
With the tip from One-Eyed Arnold, the Player makes their way to the back of the Junkyard, clearing out the wandering molerats, calming them, or sneaking past.
Embedded at an angle lays a massive door to an old shelter.
The massive door is dented all over with several black scorch marks as if someone had tried to break it open.
PLAYER
* Take a closer look...
* Bash the door with your fists...
(closer look)
'Huh, looks like the lock has the door sealed tight...'
*
Hey, this looks like one of those old electronic locks... yeah, I remember these.
* Ah, screw this.
(yeah, I remember these.)'If I can just get this working, it might open up...'
* [INTELLIGENCE 6] With the lock fused from radiation blasts, it'll be almost impossible to repair, but if I can remove the front plate, I might be able to hot-wire it.
So on and so forth. Player finally gets the door open and the lights inside flicker on. Inside they find a nearly pristine shelter stocked with pre-war canned goods and other preserved goods. The player can trade these or let the Ghoul scavenger group know to become more friendly with them. Miraculously it seemed no radiation leaked in. A nearby chair sits a stack of bundled newspapers to sift through and some scattered pop-cans, which the player recognizes as the ones just weeks before the bombs hit. In the very back, to the right, the player follows a humming noise and finds an intact Cyrostasis Chamber, almost exactly like the one they were frozen in.
Inside you notice what looks like a young kid, frozen with a terrified look on his face and their hand against the glass.
'I wonder if he's still alive, poor kid... maybe I can get this open?'
* [SCIENCE SKILL] Should be easy enough, they put me in one of these after all. Just need to check the vitals... and use the correct restore sequence....
* Mash all the buttons
* I'd better not...
(
and use the right shut restore sequence....)
Player uses the right sequence and SCIENCE to revive the kid in the chamber. Finally the chamber DINGS with a green light comes on, with the door unlocking. The Player opens it up as the cold air bursts out. You stare at the kid, he blinks, confused as his expression returns to normal and finally steps out with a little hesitation.
BILLY (I'd rename him Phillip, just becuz' references...)
Whoa, you look far out, thanks Mister! What happened... how did I... oh blast, the papers, I gotta back to Old Man Duffy's. Ma and Pops will be worried sick!
PLAYER
* What's your name, Kid? How'd you get in here?
* Hate to break it you Kid, but Old Man Duffy's gone ... and well your parents probably are too.
* Kid, you are the last hope of the universe.
The player has multiple more options here. Billy/Phillip/Whatever explains how he was messing around on Duffy's property and found the shelter, and tripped and fell into the chamber (way more realistic than the nonsensical 'kid in the fridge'). Insert some Futurama references here and there, voila. This happened weeks before the bombs fell, so he's obviously far more devastated at what has happened to the world and thinks his parent's are dead. Both the Player and rescued kid would have the same mannerisms from their time period.
- Basically choose to be a dick and maybe sell him off to some slaver gang
- The Kid wants to you to bring him back to where his home was, and what do you know, turns out his parents are Ghouls for the EMOSHUNS of coping with his parents now Ghouls while he isn't, but at least they are alive. Of course the Player character says they are skeptical they are even alive, but they'll at least bring them back (You can ask the Ghoul scavenger group, if you get more friendly with them, if they have by chance heard of them, and they know of them since they trade with them)
- If you actually
did meet his parent's first and you killed them, or did not save them from some local gang looking for slaves (or being ghoul racists, whatever); you can tell him the truth and bring him there or [lie] if you killed them
- (OTHER: becomes your 'adopted' kid OR leave the kid at the house to fend for himself, OR have a friendly old couple somewhere take him in)
