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Guest
The end is near
OOC: I’m sure if I said but this is set seventy years after the bombs, a little after Fallout 1.
Sorry if this has taken so long but I put a hell of an effort into this.
IC: Both men were pointing pistols at each other’s heads. If either fired, the shot would be lethal. Emotions were raging. Just a moment ago they had been standing side by side, in the plane, on their path of glory… Now each other’s life spans were shakily being controlled by the other’s questionable pull of a finger. Beads of sweat lay on both of their faces as they lay crouched near the plane wreckage, staring each other down.
Insane slowly walked up to the two, with every step feeling like a mile. When he came into the audible range of the two, he heard how they were not saying anything. It early quiet, each waiting for the other to make his move. Neither noticed Insane walking up, each were totally focused on the other. The antipathy could be felt in the air. Out of no where, Santa Anna spoke up, still staring down Neo.
“It was the enviable result of a path humanity had chosen. Everyone who entered the conflict expected victory. Everyone was optimistic. But as the hostilities escalated, optimism faded and society began to collapse."
“Some vaults would shield the a fraction of the populace from the coming devastation. These great vaults would house the wealthy, the influential, and those deemed necessary to their survival. Inside, resources and technology were stockpiled, a final defense against the coming holocaust.”
“But in America, plans were barely in place before the first missiles left the silos. During the destruction, communication between your vaults ceased. Entire vaults were lost. Those that survived were on their own."
“I was only the age of six when the bombs fell from the skies. I still have a few, precious memories of life before the vaults. Those memories are comforting and pleasant ones. But then in swift, harsh blow, judgment day came… and the bombs threw all their fury down upon the lands.”
“Luckily, my dad was the current president of Mexico, allowing my relatives and me the luxury of protection in a long-term government fallout shelter... Vault 45. When my family and close relatives scrambled to the vault, we found out how the rumors were wrong… there were no other vaults in Mexico. Our vault would be alone.”
With Neo knowing that the war had happened 70 years ago, Santa Anna would have to be… 76 years old! That was extremely rare! Insane wondered if Santa Anna was oldest man alive. That seemed ancient, but he only looked maybe fifty…
“Unlike the Americans, who had to split up their resources evenly, our one Mexican vault got to keep the most advanced technologies, medicines, weapons, personnel, etc. of the time… all for ourselves. You had a vast network of about a hundred vaults, we got one… but the best of them all, custom built by Vault-Tec.”
No wonder Santa Anna had survived to such an old age, he probably had the best vault medication at his disposal. That’s not even counting the fact Santa Anna probably didn’t have to do much physical labor in his high position of power.
“Our one Mexican vault had unity. We stayed together to prosper. We prepared. We planned ahead. But you had to destroy it all, Neo. Why? We could have been the kings of the world. We had an unstoppable army at our fingertips.” He then looked deeper into Neo’s eyes and lowered his voice, “Why…” For the first time, Santa Anna had looked sincerely into Neo’s eyes.
Neo kept his expressionless face as he held his finger on the pistol touching Santa Anna’s temple. Neo wished that he had never found out that Santa Anna was his grandfather: that he was never involved in this all. Neo wished he wasn’t here.
He knew then that sometimes ignorance was bliss.
Insane’s point of view…
Insane had no idea what to do, but he had to stop this stalemate. He had to quickly think up something. But before he had any time to really do anything about it, Insane saw a shadowed figure slowly walking out of the plane fusalage. Someone had survied the gigantic explosion! Thinking a little more clearly, Insane realized that if an enemy could have survived that huge explosion in the plane fuselage, they would be screwed… big time. He avidly hoped it was not such a foe.
But alas, the same man in power armor that Neo had seen (in the cockpit with Santa Anna), was strolling towards them. The man’s power armor had been badly scarred, totally blackened, several sections of the armor missing, and huge chunks of metal shrapnel was sticking out of it. The half-covered power armor figure held a destroyed helmet at his side.
Exiting the shadow, Neo realized that this right-hand person was a woman… Neo’s heart skipped a beat as he realized this woman was not just anyone… it was his sister.
(Insane already knew this since he had had fought with her, but she had gotten away.)
Neo’s point of view…
Neo’s jaws dropped at the site of his sister. This couldn’t be happening, his foster parents told Neo that his real parents ands sister had been killed. Quickly regaining his composure holding his pistol at Santa Anna’s head, Neo demanded, “Is that--“
Santa Anna replied with a smile, “It sure is Neo…”
He cried, “How did this—“
Santa Anna interrupted, “It was perfect… It was in Alamo fifteen years ago, when you were just the meager age of five, unable to comprehend everything that was going on. I had just brought myself to supreme dictatorship of Vault 45 and “Alamo” through military force.”
“Your father was arguing to me about how “all this invasion stuff was crazy” and how “I should calm down”. He threatened that if I didn’t stop these “crazy shenanigans” he would warn the Vault Elder Council before “I would get too much power”… What a bad move for him to make. I killed him on site… with the same exact pistol I hold to your brain.”
He paused then continued, “Immediately after your father’s death, I told my most loyal soldiers to quickly execute your mother in her house, since she knew that your father was with me. Your mother was not alone so there were complications. She was having a social event of some sort with many of her best friends. You were also home. My guards came in and slaughtered everyone in a matter of seconds.”
“I don’t know what happened after my guards quietly left the scene of bloodshed. All I do know is that your mother and you had supposedly been killed in the shooting… but somehow manage to mysteriously disappear when my soldiers and I arrived at the scene, where a shocked crowd of people had formed. I suspect your mother had help from someone in the crowd. Your mother and you probably left on horses for America, where you two would be safe from my influence of power. I guess somehow that your mother made it. I think she gave you to foster parents so if your mother was found, you be safe.”
“But this whole time your sister had been at a friend’s house. Showing your naive nine-year sister the charred and mutilated corpses in your parent’s house, I declared that her father had been the one that had killed everyone… and how I had personally stopped him.” (Santa Anna had secretly moved Neo’s father’s body into the room.) “I gave such a gripping account and a detailed story that your naïve nine-old sister bought it. She was completely broken down hearing the news.”
“Not missing this chance of her completely broken down, I slowly rebuilt and transformed her into my one of my right-hand men... but my most loyal and dedicated right-hand solider. Ever since the incident happened when she was nine, I have been the only person she has learned to trust over the years of her intensive training.”
OOC: As Insane said, ”Neo’s sister had experienced a heavy negative mental impact (death of all family members at once) totally breaking her down emotionally, becoming easy to control. If this broken down state of mind is taken advantage of, this kind of "mindless" person can be emotionally rebuilt and re-molded into a new person… the perfect template for creating a cold-blooded soldier. Unless given another greater "positive" mental impact, this kind of person is almost hopeless to return to their own selves."
IC: Neo’s sister slowly walked up in her half-destroyed power armor, showing no emotion or fear in her mighty stance, full of Santa Anna’s Mexican patriotism. She held a huge, wicked looking laser rifle in one arm and some sort of a small computer pad in the other hand. As she came even closer, Neo saw an array of blinking lights and switches on the odd computer pad. Two keys had been turned on the controls and one big, red button was flashing in the center of the pad.
In a firm voice she announced to Santa Anna, “The activation codes have already been typed in. I have the controls. Your command is mine.”
Santa Anna slowly smiled and steadily readjusted his sweaty grip on his pistol. After a slight pause, he said, “I laugh as you hold your weapon up to my skull… my companion holds the controls for a NUCLEAR BOMB! You do not understand who are dealing with; we have the controls for a freaking NUCLEAR BOMB that had not been fired in the war. A goddamn NUCLEAR BOMB for Christ’s sake! If you doubt me, realize that we had accessed a pre-war military depot… that had remote control for these objects of mass destruction. This nuclear warhead is housed in an object that higher than the gods (in space)… called a “satellite”.”
Santa Anna slowly looked around at everyone and then said in a fearless voice, “If any of you take the quickest move, she will press the button… firing the nuclear warhead. That button push will kill thousands of people at its pre-aimed target of California… Yes, if you shoot me you will be eliminating any attempt for your U.S. civilization to survive, accomplishing my primary mission. Sadly I will have to use this… this was going to be my last resort.”
Neo looked up at his sister for a look of sympathy, but just found her laser rifle pointed squarely between his eyes. He saw no emotions in her cold eyes. Neo’s world was caving in on itself. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He stuttered to his sister, “Look… I’m Neo… your brother…”
Santa Anna quickly interjected, “You know he’s lying!”She ignored both and replied to Neo “So you’re saying I should I believe you… my enemy…”
In a panic, Neo measly started to stutter something, but his sister yelled, “Screw you! You’re just stalling. My brother died when I was a child.”
“No, really… look at me… I am your brother… mom hide me from Santa An—“ His sister punched him in the stomach as she muttered, ”Goddamn lying scum.” Neo was thrown back several feet by the motion-assisted servos in her power armor. Neo lay on the ground clutching his stomach drawing in short, brisk breaths; too emotionally stunned to do anything. This was a nightmare, full of horror. This was all happening too fast for him to take in.
Neo was in his own hell.
Even with Santa Anna’s threats, Insane had not lowered his weapon. (He was now much, much less likely to shoot through.) Santa Anna slowly shuffled backwards as Neo’s sister held Neo at gunpoint. After ten feet of slowly backing up, Santa Anna turned around and ran towards his buggy they had escaped in.
For the first time, Neo realized Santa Anna had really won...
OOC: I’m really sorry I couldn’t respond to the post quickly, NMA was down. I can’t wait to see what happens.
Oh yea, I don’t know what Greven or anyone else is doing so I didn’t know what to do with them. I’m not trying to exclude anybody at all.
This is great…
OOC: I’m sure if I said but this is set seventy years after the bombs, a little after Fallout 1.
Sorry if this has taken so long but I put a hell of an effort into this.
IC: Both men were pointing pistols at each other’s heads. If either fired, the shot would be lethal. Emotions were raging. Just a moment ago they had been standing side by side, in the plane, on their path of glory… Now each other’s life spans were shakily being controlled by the other’s questionable pull of a finger. Beads of sweat lay on both of their faces as they lay crouched near the plane wreckage, staring each other down.
Insane slowly walked up to the two, with every step feeling like a mile. When he came into the audible range of the two, he heard how they were not saying anything. It early quiet, each waiting for the other to make his move. Neither noticed Insane walking up, each were totally focused on the other. The antipathy could be felt in the air. Out of no where, Santa Anna spoke up, still staring down Neo.
“It was the enviable result of a path humanity had chosen. Everyone who entered the conflict expected victory. Everyone was optimistic. But as the hostilities escalated, optimism faded and society began to collapse."
“Some vaults would shield the a fraction of the populace from the coming devastation. These great vaults would house the wealthy, the influential, and those deemed necessary to their survival. Inside, resources and technology were stockpiled, a final defense against the coming holocaust.”
“But in America, plans were barely in place before the first missiles left the silos. During the destruction, communication between your vaults ceased. Entire vaults were lost. Those that survived were on their own."
“I was only the age of six when the bombs fell from the skies. I still have a few, precious memories of life before the vaults. Those memories are comforting and pleasant ones. But then in swift, harsh blow, judgment day came… and the bombs threw all their fury down upon the lands.”
“Luckily, my dad was the current president of Mexico, allowing my relatives and me the luxury of protection in a long-term government fallout shelter... Vault 45. When my family and close relatives scrambled to the vault, we found out how the rumors were wrong… there were no other vaults in Mexico. Our vault would be alone.”
With Neo knowing that the war had happened 70 years ago, Santa Anna would have to be… 76 years old! That was extremely rare! Insane wondered if Santa Anna was oldest man alive. That seemed ancient, but he only looked maybe fifty…
“Unlike the Americans, who had to split up their resources evenly, our one Mexican vault got to keep the most advanced technologies, medicines, weapons, personnel, etc. of the time… all for ourselves. You had a vast network of about a hundred vaults, we got one… but the best of them all, custom built by Vault-Tec.”
No wonder Santa Anna had survived to such an old age, he probably had the best vault medication at his disposal. That’s not even counting the fact Santa Anna probably didn’t have to do much physical labor in his high position of power.
“Our one Mexican vault had unity. We stayed together to prosper. We prepared. We planned ahead. But you had to destroy it all, Neo. Why? We could have been the kings of the world. We had an unstoppable army at our fingertips.” He then looked deeper into Neo’s eyes and lowered his voice, “Why…” For the first time, Santa Anna had looked sincerely into Neo’s eyes.
Neo kept his expressionless face as he held his finger on the pistol touching Santa Anna’s temple. Neo wished that he had never found out that Santa Anna was his grandfather: that he was never involved in this all. Neo wished he wasn’t here.
He knew then that sometimes ignorance was bliss.
Insane’s point of view…
Insane had no idea what to do, but he had to stop this stalemate. He had to quickly think up something. But before he had any time to really do anything about it, Insane saw a shadowed figure slowly walking out of the plane fusalage. Someone had survied the gigantic explosion! Thinking a little more clearly, Insane realized that if an enemy could have survived that huge explosion in the plane fuselage, they would be screwed… big time. He avidly hoped it was not such a foe.
But alas, the same man in power armor that Neo had seen (in the cockpit with Santa Anna), was strolling towards them. The man’s power armor had been badly scarred, totally blackened, several sections of the armor missing, and huge chunks of metal shrapnel was sticking out of it. The half-covered power armor figure held a destroyed helmet at his side.
Exiting the shadow, Neo realized that this right-hand person was a woman… Neo’s heart skipped a beat as he realized this woman was not just anyone… it was his sister.
(Insane already knew this since he had had fought with her, but she had gotten away.)
Neo’s point of view…
Neo’s jaws dropped at the site of his sister. This couldn’t be happening, his foster parents told Neo that his real parents ands sister had been killed. Quickly regaining his composure holding his pistol at Santa Anna’s head, Neo demanded, “Is that--“
Santa Anna replied with a smile, “It sure is Neo…”
He cried, “How did this—“
Santa Anna interrupted, “It was perfect… It was in Alamo fifteen years ago, when you were just the meager age of five, unable to comprehend everything that was going on. I had just brought myself to supreme dictatorship of Vault 45 and “Alamo” through military force.”
“Your father was arguing to me about how “all this invasion stuff was crazy” and how “I should calm down”. He threatened that if I didn’t stop these “crazy shenanigans” he would warn the Vault Elder Council before “I would get too much power”… What a bad move for him to make. I killed him on site… with the same exact pistol I hold to your brain.”
He paused then continued, “Immediately after your father’s death, I told my most loyal soldiers to quickly execute your mother in her house, since she knew that your father was with me. Your mother was not alone so there were complications. She was having a social event of some sort with many of her best friends. You were also home. My guards came in and slaughtered everyone in a matter of seconds.”
“I don’t know what happened after my guards quietly left the scene of bloodshed. All I do know is that your mother and you had supposedly been killed in the shooting… but somehow manage to mysteriously disappear when my soldiers and I arrived at the scene, where a shocked crowd of people had formed. I suspect your mother had help from someone in the crowd. Your mother and you probably left on horses for America, where you two would be safe from my influence of power. I guess somehow that your mother made it. I think she gave you to foster parents so if your mother was found, you be safe.”
“But this whole time your sister had been at a friend’s house. Showing your naive nine-year sister the charred and mutilated corpses in your parent’s house, I declared that her father had been the one that had killed everyone… and how I had personally stopped him.” (Santa Anna had secretly moved Neo’s father’s body into the room.) “I gave such a gripping account and a detailed story that your naïve nine-old sister bought it. She was completely broken down hearing the news.”
“Not missing this chance of her completely broken down, I slowly rebuilt and transformed her into my one of my right-hand men... but my most loyal and dedicated right-hand solider. Ever since the incident happened when she was nine, I have been the only person she has learned to trust over the years of her intensive training.”
OOC: As Insane said, ”Neo’s sister had experienced a heavy negative mental impact (death of all family members at once) totally breaking her down emotionally, becoming easy to control. If this broken down state of mind is taken advantage of, this kind of "mindless" person can be emotionally rebuilt and re-molded into a new person… the perfect template for creating a cold-blooded soldier. Unless given another greater "positive" mental impact, this kind of person is almost hopeless to return to their own selves."
IC: Neo’s sister slowly walked up in her half-destroyed power armor, showing no emotion or fear in her mighty stance, full of Santa Anna’s Mexican patriotism. She held a huge, wicked looking laser rifle in one arm and some sort of a small computer pad in the other hand. As she came even closer, Neo saw an array of blinking lights and switches on the odd computer pad. Two keys had been turned on the controls and one big, red button was flashing in the center of the pad.
In a firm voice she announced to Santa Anna, “The activation codes have already been typed in. I have the controls. Your command is mine.”
Santa Anna slowly smiled and steadily readjusted his sweaty grip on his pistol. After a slight pause, he said, “I laugh as you hold your weapon up to my skull… my companion holds the controls for a NUCLEAR BOMB! You do not understand who are dealing with; we have the controls for a freaking NUCLEAR BOMB that had not been fired in the war. A goddamn NUCLEAR BOMB for Christ’s sake! If you doubt me, realize that we had accessed a pre-war military depot… that had remote control for these objects of mass destruction. This nuclear warhead is housed in an object that higher than the gods (in space)… called a “satellite”.”
Santa Anna slowly looked around at everyone and then said in a fearless voice, “If any of you take the quickest move, she will press the button… firing the nuclear warhead. That button push will kill thousands of people at its pre-aimed target of California… Yes, if you shoot me you will be eliminating any attempt for your U.S. civilization to survive, accomplishing my primary mission. Sadly I will have to use this… this was going to be my last resort.”
Neo looked up at his sister for a look of sympathy, but just found her laser rifle pointed squarely between his eyes. He saw no emotions in her cold eyes. Neo’s world was caving in on itself. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He stuttered to his sister, “Look… I’m Neo… your brother…”
Santa Anna quickly interjected, “You know he’s lying!”She ignored both and replied to Neo “So you’re saying I should I believe you… my enemy…”
In a panic, Neo measly started to stutter something, but his sister yelled, “Screw you! You’re just stalling. My brother died when I was a child.”
“No, really… look at me… I am your brother… mom hide me from Santa An—“ His sister punched him in the stomach as she muttered, ”Goddamn lying scum.” Neo was thrown back several feet by the motion-assisted servos in her power armor. Neo lay on the ground clutching his stomach drawing in short, brisk breaths; too emotionally stunned to do anything. This was a nightmare, full of horror. This was all happening too fast for him to take in.
Neo was in his own hell.
Even with Santa Anna’s threats, Insane had not lowered his weapon. (He was now much, much less likely to shoot through.) Santa Anna slowly shuffled backwards as Neo’s sister held Neo at gunpoint. After ten feet of slowly backing up, Santa Anna turned around and ran towards his buggy they had escaped in.
For the first time, Neo realized Santa Anna had really won...
OOC: I’m really sorry I couldn’t respond to the post quickly, NMA was down. I can’t wait to see what happens.
Oh yea, I don’t know what Greven or anyone else is doing so I didn’t know what to do with them. I’m not trying to exclude anybody at all.
This is great…
well take it or leave it, i dont have a clue if the shot where a miss or a bull's eye. anyway that's the end of an "almost" hero......
then this is "outdated",