Chapter 0 - Cold Feet

Loren sat in shock staring at the small slip of paper in his hand, a thumbs down icon on it with a frowning vault-boy... "It can't be," he whispers "I'm training to be a surgeon, they need me.." he looks up and sees the auditorium filled with people staring down on him. 

Overseer Womack resting her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Lawrence.. You know the rules." He blinks back the tears welling up in his eyes and looks up toward Womack, pleading in a shaking voice, "Y-you don't have to do this-- What.. What about my G.O.A.T scores? I'm.. I'm three c-classes away from being a sur-" Womack speaks up, "You know the rules," her once friendly expression contorting into that of contempt as she leans in and whispers, "You want to leave with dignity, right? Not like a crying child."

Officer Lamont and Officer Christian pushing up through the crowd and seizing Loren's arms as he sits in shock, Womack announcing loudly, "Our beloved Lawrence Michalski has been chosen, and proudly goes forward into the unknown wastes!" the awkward silence in the crowd slowly being broken up by clapping and low-energy cheers. The Security Officers led him out of the auditorium and toward the vault door.

Loren glancing over his shoulder, his being restrained by the officers not even allowing him to wave goodbye to those he'd loved. His Father stands and watches on, his son being put in no better a spot than a sacrificial lamb on its way to slaughter. Upon reaching the doors Lamont takes a dirty burlap bag that'd been haphazardly turned into a backpack and tosses it to Loren

"Our scavengers brought back a few cases full of clothes, that'll be warm enough to at least get you away from the door. Try to die out there somewhere, otherwise we have to move your body." Loren calmly explained, his hand resting ominously over his pistol in its holster.

Loren nods and opens the bag, pulling out and putting on a dirty old jacket, some tattered wool gloves, a scarf, and a trapper style hat. Looking up to Lamont and Christian he speaks up with little strength, "Thank you.. gives a little hope I guess." Christian shakes his head as he finishes typing at the terminal, "Give it up, they usually get just outside the cave before coming back and begging for help."

Christian presses enter at the terminal, the emergency lights around the room spring to life with bright flashing, accompanied by the blaring of alarms. An arm connects itself to the door and begins pushing it out, the haunting groaning howl of cold metal breaking a layer of ice and snow on its other side drowns out the alarms as Loren stands stunned, seeing natural sunlight for the first time.

Lamont and Christian put sunglasses on and call out, "Remember, don't die by the door!" Loren grasps at his eyes suddenly as the bright natural light blinds him temporarily, speaking up, "Can I have.. just a minute! I can't-" Lamont grabs one of Loren's arms and twists it behind his back, his other hand at the back of Loren's neck as he bends Loren forward at an uncomfortable angle, pushing him toward the door.

"Please wait, Please! Officer Lamo-.. Logan please!" Loren trips over the threshold of the vault's door, falling hard into cold ice, snow, and stone. Lamont almost falls with him, barking out "Fucker!" as he grabs Loren's coat's collar and drags him the rest of the way out into the clearing just beyond the vault door before he runs back to the vault.

Loren rolls to his back and cries out "Logan don't lock me out, please! I'll.. I'll help you! Whatever you want!" still incapable of seeing Loren can hear the door begin grinding shut again, the hiss of air being pushed from the surrounding steel of the door echoing out as tears well up in his eyes, "Please.." he pushes himself up to his knees, his hands, elbows, and face already scraped and lightly bleeding from the fall.

Loren sat until his feet began to grow cold, wiggling his toes no longer enough to warm them, he finally had to resort to standing and walking blindly just to keep his blood flowing, whispering to himself, "Maybe I'll fall off a cliff.. Or cannibals will shoot me with arrows." he takes a knee and opens his burning eyes but still yet finds himself blind.

He no longer knew how long he'd been walking, having long since lost track of time due to his blindness. Finally his hand made contact with the edge of what felt like cement.. "A building." he'd said with little cheer, groping his way along it until he'd come across the door, he turns the handle and swings the doors open, "Hello? Anyone alive?" he chuckles slightly and takes a few steps in, swinging it shut behind himself before he'd finally fall to the floor having spent the last of his energy.

His body felt as if it was growing unbearably warm as he laid limp on the ground, closing his eyes for a moment, "I just need to rest" he mutters to himself before falling unconscious.
