Fallout Girls: Side Stories

Amata’s heart pounded as she stood in front of the door to room 48b. An awful mix of anxiety and excitement coursed through her in equal measure, making her hands shake as she tried to work up the nerve to knock on the door. Everyone in the Vault knew each other pretty much from birth, so this was her first time ever meeting new people, but it was also the first time she had ever had to give a good first impression. Failure was not an option.

“Are you okay there, Amata?” Officer Gomez asked.

“I’m okay!” Amata squeaked, blushing a moment later. She cleared her throat before trying again, “I’m okay, just nervous.”

Gomez smiled softly. “Don’t worry, they seem like nice enough people. Better than Butch and the Macks boys, that’s for sure. If you need anything, I’ll be waiting right outside.”

“Thanks, Gomez.” Amata gave him a bright smile and turned back to the door. “Come on, girl, pull yourself together,” she muttered to herself. She mentally ran through the simple greeting she had prepared one last time before knocking on the door. The few seconds that followed felt like the longest in Amata’s life. A flicker of fear and anticipation knotted in her stomach as she heard the handle turn, only to be blown away by the sight of the girl behind the door.

Vault 101 had never seen anything like her. She had clear amber skin, though far more natural-looking than the terrible self-tan that Christine had tried once, and her long hair was a striking combination of red and yellow stripes. Thankfully, the Overseer had warned Amata about how North Block had affected the girls, and this girl wasn’t really that shocking, so she wasn’t too thrown off. “Good morning! My name’s Amata Almodovar, I’ll be in charge of showing you around the Vault and helping you get settled in today.”

The girl relaxed slightly, clearly just as nervous as Amata. “Thanks, my name’s Sunset Shimmer.” She stepped aside and gestured into the room. “These are Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.”

Amata’s brain stalled when she saw the rest of the girls. One of them, Applejack, looked like an ordinary white girl, but the rest were utterly out of this world, ranging from pale yellow skin with pink hair to bright blue with hair streaked with all the colors of the rainbow.
“Wow, he really wasn’t kidding,” Amata said quietly. Sunset raised an eyebrow at her, and she realized with horror what she had just said. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just that my father said that you girls were a little different, but, honestly, I thought he was exaggerating.” Amata forced herself to stop babbling as she realized that she was just digging herself deeper.

Sunset gave her an awkward smile. “It’s alright. I suppose we are a bit out of place here,” she said, smoothing over the awkward moment.

Blushing furiously, Amata struggled not to shrink in on herself. “Do you mind if I come in? There’s some things I’d like to go over before we start the tour.”

“Oh, of course. Uh… come on in.” Amata smiled brightly as Sunset stepped aside to let her in, her earlier excitement coming back in full force. Sunset closed the door and sat down before looking up at her expectantly.

Trying vainly to ignore the way her heart was pounding, Amata looked around at each of the girls before reciting the speech she had memorized this morning struggling to keep her excitement under control, “Okay, first of all, I’d just like to say how exciting it is to have you join us all here in the Vault.” She had considered saying main Vault, but that sounded too dismissive. Next was an embarrassing confession to hopefully earn some trust. “There aren’t really that many people around my age here, and I’m not great friends with the other girls, so when I heard that we were getting seven new girls out of the blue, I couldn’t believe it! Honestly, I always thought the north wing was totally trashed, I had no idea people were still living in there!”

The new girls all seemed to relax slightly at her words. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet someone who’s happy to see us.”

“Hear hear!” Rarity exclaimed. “I must say that being constantly treated like freaks is starting to wear a little thin.”

Amata fought the urge to wince. She knew how harsh her father could be on the best of days, and being forced to accept seven girls as unique as these into the main Vault would almost certainly put him in a bad mood.

“Oh, but James doesn’t treat us like that,” Fluttershy put in earnestly, oblivious to Amata’s concern.

Rarity averted her eyes and twirled a strand of hair around her finger, apparently not quite in agreement. “True, but he does get a little too… clinical?”

“He’s an egghead, what do you expect?” Rainbow said.

“Hey!” Twilight exclaimed indignantly, earning a chuckle from all of the others.

Amata giggled along with them, trying to ease into their friendly banter. “James can get a little too much into doctor mode.”

Thankfully, rather than getting offended, Twilight just rolled her eyes and took her glasses off to wipe them on her sleeve. “In his defense, it must be fascinating to meet people so different from those he would normally interact with.”

“It’s amazing, I’ve never seen anything like your skin before,” Amata said appreciatively. “James told me it’s caused by something in the air in the North wing; something that alters the pigmentation in the skin and hair?”

“Something like that,” Sunset replied, averting her eyes. “We aren’t really supposed to talk about it.”

“Ah, right, I’m sorry. The Overseer told me he had forbidden anyone from asking you about the North wing.” Amata fought the urge to roll her eyes at the memory of her father’s repeated warnings, even after the gathering in the atrium. “I can’t think why, though.”

“It was getting too dangerous in there for us to stay,” Sunset said quickly.

The Overseer had said the same thing, but Amata had secretly been hoping that there were more hidden secrets waiting to be uncovered. “That makes sense. I suppose some of the more idiotic residents might get stupid ideas about trying to get in if they heard too much.” She gave a nonchalant shrug, hoping the girls would get her subtle hint on just how dumb some of the residents really were. “Still, we may not be able to talk about that, but I would love to get to know each of you better!”

“Sounds good to me!” Applejack said with a grin.

Amata felt a wave of relief at the fact that things were going so well. “First things first though, let's get on with the Vault 101 guided tour!” Suiting actions to words, she turned on her heel and opened the door.

Gomez greeted the newbies with a smile and a nod when they left the room. “Morning, girls. Sleep well?”

“We did thanks, Officer Gomez,” Sunset replied politely, if a little stiffly.

Thankfully, Gomez either didn’t notice or just didn’t mind. "Good to hear, and it’s nice to have you properly joining the Vault too, girls. Let me see, now..." He furrowed his brow and pointed at each of the girls in turn. "Sunset… Twilight… Rarity… Pinkie… Rainbow… Fluttershy, and… Applejack?"

Twilight nodded and smiled. "Well remembered."

"Well, to be honest, with most of you I just matched the names to the hair," Gomez replied with a smirk.

Amata quickly turned to Sunset to provide an explanation, "The Overseer was adamant that we be escorted by a security detail, and I thought Gomez would be the best choice since he’s already met you. A friendly face, you know?"

"Where to first, Miss Amata?" Gomez asked.

She made a show of considering, putting a finger on her chin to sell it. "I’m thinking… breakfast first. What do you girls think?" The newbies all agreed enthusiastically, so Gomez turned to lead them through the corridors. Amata made sure to fall into step alongside Sunset as they walked, since she seemed to be the leader of the new girls. "There won’t be many people in the diner this morning. I figured it would be best if there aren’t too many new faces crowding around you at breakfast," Amata explained, talking loudly enough for all of the girls to hear.

Sunset gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks. We really do appreciate everything you're doing for us."

Amata waved a hand dismissively, trying to hide the fuzzy feeling she got from hearing it. "Don’t mention it. To be honest, this is the first time any of us have ever really met someone new, so this is a bit of a special day for us."

Unfortunately, the universe picked that moment to try and ruin her good mood, as an unpleasantly familiar voice echoed down the corridor, "Jesus! What the hell kind of freaks are you?!" Amata looked ahead to see Butch clutching a tray of food and staring at the group in disgust.

Gomez practically growled at him. "You watch your mouth with these girls, Butch. They’ve been through enough."

"What the hell are you doing down here anyway?!" Amata snarled. She had deliberately arranged to have him run a full stock check on all of the barber and salon products in the Vault precisely to avoid him coming into contact with the newbie so soon.

Butch just sneered at her. "Easy, alright, I’m just taking some food down to my mom. Didn’t expect to be walking into a circus right outside our quarters."

"Circus?! Where?!" Pinkie yelled, earning a disbelieving stare from Amata.

"And just what in the heck is that supposed to mean?" Applejack growled.

"Calm down, girls," Gomez warned. "Just get to your quarters, Butch. And I’m warning you, one more harsh word out of your mouth and I’ll have you in confinement. You know what the Overseer said."

"Alright, alright, I hear you," Butch replied, though it didn’t stop him from grumbling as he turned down the corridor to the quarters he shared with his mother.

Gomez turned to the newbies with an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry about that, girls. Butch is a bit of a rogue."

"A bit of an asshole, you mean," Amata muttered darkly, though she softened when she saw the newbies’ worried expressions. "Look, don’t worry about Butch. There are a few thugs in here who think like him, but most of us are just excited to meet new people, whatever they look like."

"Thanks, I guess?" Sunset said with a forced smile.

"Come on, let’s get you some breakfast. You’ll all feel better after food," Gomez said bracingly. Amata could see that the girls weren’t convinced, but she couldn’t think of anything to say as they followed behind Gomez, listening to him hum tunelessly the whole way until he stopped in front of the diner. "Well, here we are. I‘ll be waiting outside here if that‘s alright, Miss Amata."

"Thanks, Officer Gomez,” Amata replied, using his official title to set a good example for the newbies after Butch’s assholery. She hitched a smile onto her face before placing a hand on the door’s button. “Come on then girls, breakfast time."

Just as Amata had planned, the diner was largely empty at this time in the morning, with most people having already eaten and started their workday. The only people inside were Floyd and Christine sitting at one of the benches, while Old Lady Palmer was pottering about by the diner’s serving counter. Floyd was a balding and bespectacled old maintenance tech, Christine was his assistant and one of Amata’s old classmates, and Old Lady Palmer was a retiree who had been alive for almost half of the Vault’s operational history. They were harmless enough, so they were the perfect residents of the main Vault for the North Block Newbies to meet first. All three of them looked around as the girls filed in.

Amata gestured to the trio in the room and tried to inject some of her earlier excitement into her voice, "Good morning, all! Girls, I would like you to meet Lucy Palmer, Floyd Lewis, and Christine Kendall. Everyone, please welcome Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash." The girls nervously greeted the room as they were named.

Floyd and Christine both stared in stunned silence, but thankfully Old Lady Palmer bustled over before it became too awkward. "Oh, hello, dears! So good to see new faces. It doesn’t happen anywhere near often enough." The surprisingly open-minded old woman beamed as she shook each of the bemused girls’ hands in turn. "Do you know, I honestly thought young James was pulling my leg when he told me about you girls, but here you are! Looking all colorful and exotic! I‘ve never seen anything so spectacular in all my life."

"Well, thank you kindly." Applejack replied, tipping her hat.

"No need to thank me, dear, it’s just so good to meet new people again after all these years." Miss Palmer put a hand to her mouth. "Oh but look at me rambling on, you must be hungry. Come on in and take a seat. There‘s plenty of food on the counter, so just help yourselves, dears."

The newbies all thanked her and hurried over to the breakfast buffet on the counter. Amata offered Old Lady Palmer a grateful smile and followed them, grabbing herself a plateful of toast and sitting at a table with Sunset, Applejack and Twilight.

Floyd eagerly turned in his seat and adjusted his glasses. "So you are the new girls we’ve heard about, we were just wondering when you’d be up and about. How are you finding the main Vault so far?"

"So far so good," Sunset replied warily.

"Yeah, the folk we’ve met so far have been pretty nice. Or at least most of them have been," Applejack added.

Amata tried not to wince as Floyd gave her a querulous look. "We had a little encounter with Butch on the way up here."

Floyd nodded knowingly. "Oh, that little ruffian. Him and his Tunnel Snakes are a pain in the ass down here."

"Tunnel Snakes?" Twilight asked.

"It’s a gang he set up a few years ago with some of the other young lads in the Vault,” Floyd replied. "They‘re always harassing someone or other."

"Oh, I hope we don’t run into them very much," Fluttershy moaned.

Amata tried to think of some way to reassure the girls, but Christine got there first. "Don’t worry, my dad’s in security, and he says the Overseer wants you kept away from any trouble."

Miss Palmer waved a hand in exasperation. "Oh, enough about those young hooligans. This is your first time having a proper meal here, so let’s not have any miserable talk. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourselves?"

The question was innocuous enough, but Sunset still hesitated, leaning back in her chair to consider her answer. "I’m not sure how much we can say. The Overseer told us we aren’t allowed to speak about anything from before we were allowed into the main Vault."

Amata deflated, feeling more than a little guilty. "I’m sorry, he’s being really fierce on this. It was a nightmare convincing him that we could be trusted to eat breakfast without a security detail."

"You don’t need to apologize to me, my dear," Miss Palmer said with a huff. "I know better even than you what your father is like about his rules and secrets."

Twilight looked over at Amata. "Your father… the Overseer?"

"Yeah, though to be honest I’ve always seen him more as ‘The Overseer’, if you get what I mean," Amata replied honestly.

Christine looked over as well. "So, I’ve got to ask… are those your real names, or are they just nicknames?"

“They’re real,” Applejack replied with a raised eyebrow. “Why, what’s wrong with them?”

“There’s nothing wrong with them, dear, no need to fret,” Old Lady Palmer cut in with a disarming smile. “They’re just a little flashier than we’re used to down here in this old Vault. Goodness knows I haven’t heard names like yours since I was a young ‘un myself.”

Floyd glanced at her curiously. “Seriously? I never knew people used to have names like that in the Vault.”

“Oh, it was never really a common thing, just something you’d hear every now and again,” Old Lady Palmer replied with a vague shake of the head.

“Well, whatever your names are, I’m just glad to see some new faces around here,” Floyd said simply. “It doesn’t happen anywhere near enough.”

Once she saw that the new girls had finished eating, Amata stood up to address them. “Alright then, girls, if you’re all finished, it’s time for your guided tour of Vault 101.”

“Do you want us to help with the dishes first?” Fluttershy asked as the girls got to their feet.

Floyd huffed a laugh. "No, it’s alright, thank you. Now that we’re all done, I can test the dishwasher; see if Christine repaired it properly." He chuckled, earning a glare from Christine. The girls said their goodbyes and followed Amata out of the Diner to where Officer Gomez was leaning against a wall, chatting to James.

“Good morning, James,” Amata said as she saw him.

“Good morning to you, too. And to all of you as well,” James said, smiling as the new girls greeted him too. "How are you finding the Vault so far?"

Rarity planted her hands on her hips, faint traces of disappointment visible in her expression. "Well, the décor is a little drab, and frankly the fashion sense here seems a little… standard, but I suppose we’ll have to make do for now."

"I can’t deny that," James replied with a laugh before Amata could say anything. "Now if you’ll excuse me, I hear my breakfast calling."

Officer Gomez pushed away from the wall as James disappeared into the Diner. "Ready to carry on?"

"Absolutely. Lead on," Amata replied.

"Alright. Follow me then, girls," Gomez said brightly.

Fluttershy glanced between him and the diner door. "Aren’t you going to have anything to eat?"

Gomez shook his head. "No, I’ve already had my breakfast. Early mornings when you’re in Vault Security."

Turning down another corridor, Amata and Gomez led the girls through Vault 101. Amata described each section and what they were used for as they passed through each area, well aware that the winding corridors of the main Vault must feel like a maze to them compared to the relatively small North Block.

The group met several other residents on the little tour. Most of them were understandably wary of the new girls given their bizarre appearances, but most of them were at least able to be civil. A few of the more tactless residents were rude right off the bat, including some of the older residents who should have known better, but a sharp glare from Gomez was enough to make them apologize and fall in line.

Once the main part of the tour was over, mostly just showing off the residential and recreation sections of the Vault, Amata took the girls up to the security office. Chief Hannon and her father had both been insistent on speaking to the girls as soon as their first contact with the main population was finished, and no amount of cajoling from Amata was enough to convince them otherwise. Thankfully, the girls didn’t seem too put off by the idea, so Amata said her goodbyes and reluctantly left the girls in the hands of Officer Gomez.

It was time for her to prepare the next stage of the new girls’ welcome.

Hannon waited impatiently in his office for the North Block girls to arrive. As the head of Vault 101’s security, it was his solemn duty to impress on the girls the importance of following the laws as laid down by the Overseer, and the equal importance of the one in charge of enforcing those laws.

Finally, Hannon heard a group arriving outside the office. He brushed a non-existent speck of dirt off of his uniform, making himself utterly presentable as a good military man should, just before the door opened and the girls were ushered in. Hannon felt a rush of revulsion at the sight of their unnatural colors, but he kept his expression neutral as Gomez stepped into the office and saluted. "Chief Hannon, we’ve completed the preliminary tour of the Vault."

"Did any of these girls cause any problems during the tour?" Hannon asked.

"No, sir. They’ve been good as gold," Gomez replied crisply.

"Were there any issues with the other residents?" Hannon pressed, ready to crack down harshly on anyone who dared to break the rules.

Gomez shook his head. "Nothing major. Had a bit of lip from Butch, but nothing to worry about."

Hannon grunted, unsurprised, but annoyed nonetheless. The Overseer always allowed the Tunnel Snakes a little more leeway than some of the other residents, but messing with the new girls was strictly forbidden for the time being. "Typical. Very well, please report to the Overseer for further instructions."

As Officer Gomez snapped another salute and left, Hannon turned to the girls, clasping his hands behind his back and throwing his shoulders back like an officer before his troops. “I am Security Chief Hannon. I command the Vault 101 Security Force, and it is my job to ensure that the Overseer’s rules are followed to the letter.” Hannon cleared his throat, making sure that the girls were all listening before continuing, “The Overseer has ordered me and my team to keep you lot out of trouble. Having you follow the rules will make my job a lot easier, and if you make my job easier, then I‘ll do what I can to make your lives here easier. If you do run into any problems with the other residents, do not go around picking fights; you report it straight to me, and I will deal with it. Is that understood?"

"We understand," Sunset replied. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she promptly added a respectful, “Chief Hannon.” At least one of them was quick on the uptake.

“Good. With that out of the way, the Overseer wants to see you before you go back downstairs.” Hannon stepped past the girls and gestured for them to fall in behind him. “Follow me.” The girls obediently followed him back out of the Security Office and around to the Overseer’s reception area. “Wait here. The Overseer will call you in when he’s ready.” Without so much as a backwards glance, Hannon turned and walked away. The meeting had gone well, or so he felt, but his job wasn’t over yet. It seemed that Butch needed reminding about just how far he could push the rules.