Title: In The Garden Of Eden [1/?]
Genre: Horror/Dystopia/Action/Adventure
Rating/Warnings: PG-13/R - For drug and alcohol usage, violence, suggestive themes, possible crude humor, and strong language
Summary: Life and death are two separate things, but for Eve Scutum, there is no difference. After her father, James, left Vault 101, chaos followed suite, forcing Eve to leave as well and begin a desperate search to find her father...if he’s alive, that is. Will Eve survive the dangers of the Wastelands and see her father again, or will the extreme change in atmosphere and survivalism cause her to break and collapse under pressure?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout 3 or any characters related to the game. However, there will be a lot of OCs in this story, and they are mine unless stated otherwise.
Chapter Warnings: Language lol





One: Eve

[Lone Wanderer’s POV]

Life. Something that was not meant for me.

From the waking moment when I was given my first view upon life itself as a child, to where I am now, I have learned but one thing: life is beautiful as it is regretful. Blinding lights...they only really hurt my eyes a couple times in life, once when I was an infant and the second at my tenth birthday party. Good times, back in Vault 101. Good times that were now just a memory, part of the past. Instead of cold metal walls and snow white lights, I was now surrounded by nothing but dirt, heat, and ash. The occasional sunlight would be killer during the day, but sometimes - and I mean rarely - there would be a faint breeze, good enough to feel like it was summer time. I’ve read in books and heard stories about how the outside used to look during summer; rows and rows of lush, green grass. Trees that formed forests in the same emerald color, flowers of all kinds blooming against the wind, and the feel of the sun’s rays heating up your body while swimming in an outback pool. Sounds absolutely wonderful when you think about it...I wish I could’ve seen what it looked like before the War. Even if I wasn’t born then.

But right now...I hated the sun. Not all the time, no. It’s just that now, there are days when I feel like I’ve been thrown inside an actual oven and I can’t find my way out. Radiation poisoning is the last thing I’m worried about, it’s dehydration that concerns me. Whether it’s dirty or purified...water is water, even if the regular, dirty kind didn’t taste all that great. I needed it. And when I didn’t have water, I would go with the next best thing...beer, wine...maybe even whiskey. It was surprising how well it satisfied when you’re in hell itself. It would have to do for now...it was all I had left to buy since I drank my last bottle of water on the way back to my new home.

Megaton.

Upon exiting the vault, this was my first destination. With nowhere else to go, after being chased out of my own home inside the vault, it was the only place I could seek refuge in. No one inside Vault 101 was able to give me any directions except for the exit, my friend Amata giving me a pistol for defense purposes. It made me wonder how she was doing now...or if she was even still alive after the chaos that broke out down in that hell-hole. Everyone wanted me to leave, and so I did just that to save my own hide. When I entered Megaton, I received looks of curiosity and regard as I passed through, entirely unaware of where the hellfire I was at. But one man approached me and had actually somewhat complimented me, even after we’d just met. He was polite and official, giving me a rundown of the details of the makeshift town and its inhabitants, and then introducing himself to be Lucas Simms.

Out of all the people I’d come across before getting settled, a woman stood out more than them all once I entered her shop; she greeted me sweetly and smiled widely, her bright red hair slightly shining from small cracks formed in between the rusty metal walls. She had made her presence well known with how enthusiastically she was speaking. Moira Brown...such a strange woman. Her voice can be very...unnerving sometimes. Other times...you can’t help but smile when she does. Annoying as she can be, she’s a sweet woman. She did, after all, give me proper gear for the Wastelands, so I have to be grateful to her for that. I’ve had people on both sides - friendly and unfriendly - cross my path in this town, some spitting on me, others polite as to help me with my questions and directions. It was a large place, after all...I’ve actually gotten lost more than once here during my first week.

If there is one thing I miss, it’s a proper, comfortable bed down in the vault. Soft, mildly cold, and fresh. The beds in the apartment here were dirty, smelled of alcohol and cigarettes, and usually covered in sweat. I found it amazing, myself, at how quickly I got used to such an upsetting stench. Not to mention it was noisy; you could hear others’ footsteps on the weak floorboards and also there were occasional sounds seeping in from outside. As difficult as it was now to get to sleep in my new room, it was all I had...and it was better than sleeping outside on the dirt floor itself.

Waking up in the morning can sometimes be the worst feeling entirely possible, you either have a splitting headache or you feel nauseous because of the stink that fills the room. The only place I can head to that will solve that problem is the saloon right next to the house I occupy. A man named Moriarty runs the place, who claimed to know my father before this whole mess happened. His attitude could use some sweeping up...but one thing I’ve learned from dad is to pick your fights carefully, and don’t kill unless you absolutely have to. I never worry about him too much, seeing as he always hides in his own room in the saloon typing up nonsense onto his own terminal. My only concern is one of my newfound comrade’s safety: Gob.

I will admit, when I entered the saloon my first day here I was absolutely appalled at his features; his skin looked almost completely burned off, save for the fact that he still had eyes in his head. Trying to keep my manners in place was slightly difficult, since I had been stuck down inside a vault my whole life, I knew nothing of the outside world and the people in it. Seeing a Ghoul for the first time was indeed frightening until I realized that he wasn’t as harmful as I might have thought. It makes me smile remembering how it had went, how I had expected him to kill me even though he remained calm as ever.

“Wait...you’re not gonna hit me?” He had said to me. “Yell at me? Not even berate me a little?”

It was saddening to realize how a lot of people, specifically the Ghouls such as Gob, were mistreated and shown no mercy. A vault dweller like myself had to take a couple of days to let the change in atmosphere and emotions settle in. There were a couple of times whem I had wished I could help the people here, the ones who needed it and deserved it, at least. But help could only be given to so many people at a time. I had so many things to do right now it was ridiculous. I wanted to just curl up in bed and lie there for a few weeks. Or maybe months. Or maybe just to rot there and die.

Moira had told me about a book she was working on about surviving in the Wastelands, and I, as insane as I am, agreed to help her on it. On top of that, which was a more important issue, was looking for my father who had left Vault 101 and started all this chaos. If I could...just understand why he did it, what reason he had to leave so suddenly. Well...my questions would have answers once I found him. If I found him, that is...and whether or not he’s alive.

I want to clear my mind, although they’re interrupted by commotion across from my corner inside Moriarty’s Saloon. Having a regular everyday drink before I head out once more to run some errands for Moira, and also trying to figure out how to get to this Galaxy News Radio that Moriarty had said my dad left for after coming to Megaton. I hear the faint sound of the radio atop the bar, seeming to gain lots of static as the antennae ceased to function. Gob always hated it when the blasted thing would die out. Smoke clouded over my head, trailing from the cigarette that was held delicately in between my fingers as I sit huddled over the table, looking worn out and tired. I realize my current beer bottle was almost empty and prepared to ask for another until the noise became worse and my attention couldn’t be wavered from it.

My eyes shoot up and through the smoke I see a man named Jericho - whom all you need to know about is he’s the asshole of the town - appearing to be harrassing one of the customers in the bar and also spitting some filthy language towards Gob and another woman I knew named Nova. It sounded like ol’ Jerry was whining about the drinks tasting awful or something...I had a headache. I didn’t want to hear this shit right now. I can’t hardly hear what he’s saying anyway due to the fact that the voices in my head are clouding over the real noises around me. I believe I heard some angry shuffling inside Colin Moriarty’s room, I knew for a fact that he would be coming out here to yell and possibly smack every single person in the bar for causing a disruption in his saloon.

“Hey,” I say aloud. Loud enough to gain the bickering group’s attention as they all turned to look at me. Gob froze in place, keeping in his line of work even after being punched in the face. Nova fell silent and folded her arms, keeping her place leaning against a corner wall. “leave the Ghoul alone.” My voice was worn and deep, which made me sound far older than I originally was.

Jericho looked at me and took a slight swig of his drink, his sweaty face and stubble making him look more intimidating than he should. I was too filed down and ground up to be intimidated by anything anymore. I figure, if I die then I die. No one will notice or care...except maybe my dad...which I hope that he might notice.

“Just ‘cause you’re new here, kid, don’t mean you can boss people around.” He said, approaching me, but kept his distance.

I averted my gaze down to the table, idly examining the Pip-Boy on my arm, blowing out smoke through my nostrils and mouth. “I’m not bossing anyone around. I’m only warning you before Moriarty kicks your ass all the way to Tennessee.”

Almost as if I was right on the on the matter, the saloon owner wooshed out of his room, the cloth curtain blowing in the motion of the wind. “What the bloody ‘ell is goin’ on in here? You,” Moriarty pointed to Jericho. “you’ve been kicked outta here more than once, now move your blatant ass out the door.” He ordered, his Irish accent making him sound more official in his words.

Jericho rolled his head as if unaffected by Moriarty’s words, though obeyed and strolled right on out. I raised my brows and tilted my head a bit, realizing the man’s authority on his customers as well as his employees. And, proving my previous statement correct, the gruff man turned and began yelling at Nova and Gob both...though didn’t pay any attention to myself for some odd reason.

“Why d’you think I named you Gob?” Moriarty questioned the Ghoul mockingly. All the poor man could do was not make eye contact. “Because you never shut your gob!” And with that, he stormed back into his room, a trail of dust following in his wake. Luckily there weren’t but a couple customers in today, otherwise there would have been a problem...

All three (including myself) had their heads turned in the direction of the owner’s doorway to make sure Moriarty had retired entirely to his room, and indeed it was true when they heard the faint beep of a computer turn on, automatically meaning that he was busy with ‘work’. Once the silence had stretched for a good two minutes, the radio suddenly came back to life with a bit of feedback for a split second before the radio announcer came on. The sudden sound caused me to literally jump out of my seat and plop back into it.

“Fucking balls,” I spat, though not loudly. “scared the hell out of me.”

I hear Nova smirk at my reaction.

Gob, I knew was amused, though wasn’t showing it, took his regular place behind the bar and stared at me like a parent angry with their child. “You really gotta stop doin’ that, kid.” He said to me quietly, his deep, raspy voice making it almost difficult for me to hear when he whispered.

“Doin’ what?” I inquired innocently.

He sighed aggravatedly. “You gotta quit doin’ that because if you ain’t careful then you’ll wind up even worse than me.” He replied. Hearing that made me almost regret what I had said. The last thing I wanted was for Nova and Gob to get in trouble because of me.

“I’ll think about it.” I say, taking a last sip of my drink and hearing Gob scoff at my comment. I sit the bottle down on the table and gesture for another, while he nods and brings me my second beer for the morning as I thank him in sign language for it, then walking back to his place behind the bar and cleaning glasses. I pull out a switchblade and pop off the cap on the beer, taking a sip of it. It always tasted better when cold. “I don’t like it when I see him treating you that way.”

I managed to see that when I said that, he stopped scrubbing the glass for about two seconds before going back to polishing it. Regarding my words, perhaps? I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t read people very well when halfway asleep in the morning. I knew perfectly well that both of them, Nova and Gob, could hold their own. They weren’t pansies, they knew damn well how to kick someone’s ass if need be. Save for Gob, sometimes. Here and there he would take up his local nickname as the town’s ‘punching bag’ and earn a few bruises on his chin and upper arms. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all. Though I didn’t interfere because he didn’t want me to, and also because I didn’t need to get in trouble with the town authority, who was also the mayor of Megaton. I had enough crap on my shoulders already.

I had only been here for almost two and a half weeks, and yet there were people who actually wanted to protect me. I didn’t understand it a single bit, but went with the flow like everyone else. These people didn’t kick me out like the others inside Vault 101 did, there were those who were friendly to me and provided me with useful information every now and then. I owe them more than I’d like to think.

“You find out where your dad was at, kid?” Gob asked suddenly, shaking me from my thoughts. Sometimes it was irritating to hear him calling me ‘kid’...even if he might have been thrice as old as I am.

After taking another gulp of the drink I shift in my position and stand up, the leather armor and clothing I had on rubbing together and very faintly squeaking as I stood. “Yeah,” I said, taking the beer with me. “numbnuts in there said that he left for Galaxy News Radio. Which is where I’m heading today.” I whispered as lowly as I could, making sure that Moriarty wouldn’t hear my words.

Quiet humor rushed through them both.

Gob then turned and snuck a glance at Moriarty’s room before sliding three stimpacks atop the bar’s surface towards me. “Here, for the trip out there. You’ll be back afterwards, right?”

I shrugged, searching my pack for the appropriate amount of caps to pay for both the beer and for the stimpaks. “Not sure. It all depends if I find him or not. Put it this way; if I do find him, you might not see me for another two to three weeks,” I didn’t see it, but a grim expression went across Gob’s face whilst Nova gave him a sympathetic look. “and if I don’t find him, I’ll be back within four to five days.”

Finally pulling out enough caps, I proceeded to place them atop the counter when Gob suddenly held out his hand as if to stop me, his brows - what was left of them - furrowing. “Wait, what’s that?” He asked, surprised.

My eyebrow raised at this. “They’re bottlecaps...to pay for the beer and stimpaks.” I said as if it were obvious.

The Ghoul shook his head and began plucking coins here and there from my hands, and when he had enough, he waved off the rest that was in my grasp. I looked at him oddly. The two beers and three stimpaks would cost more than what he’d taken, and when I tried to put the rest of the caps on the counter, he took my hand and folded my fingers back over them.

“Dude, that’s not enough for all this.” I protested.

“It’s enough for the drinks,” He whispered. “the stimpaks are free. What’d you think I meant when I said I’d risk giving you a discount on some of the items we have?”

My eyes narrowed, not out of anger or irritation, but due to the fact that he was doing the one thing that got to my weak point: he was being heartbreakingly nice to me. I greatly appreciated the discounts, things were a lot cheaper when I desperately needed a drink or when Moira was out of stimpaks. Truth be told I held the utmost gratitude for him, not just for cutting half the prices, but also because since I was nice to him when we’d first met, he, in return, was friendly to me as well.

I try to shuffle the caps back onto the counter but he laughs and closes my hands and folds them against my chest, forcing me to take them whether I wanted to or not. I huffed angrily and stuffed them back into my pack, accepting defeat.

“Dammit, Gob, I don’t want you getting in trouble ‘cause of me.” I warned in whispering.

He leaned over the counter to whisper back, “I can hold my own, kid. It’s the least I can do in return for you not punching me in the face.” He said with a hint of amusement.

I sighed. “I have a name, you know.” I say, adjusting one of the leather straps over my shoulders and retrieving my drink.

Gob then released a genuine smile at me that I knew Nova enjoyed seeing. “Eve.” He spoke my name whilst keeping that smile. Even after all the shit he’d endured, after how he was treated, he still acted as sweet as he could sometimes.

I look up and return the smile to him, nodding and turning on my heel for the door. “I’ll see you guys soon...maybe.”

Nova rolled her eyes at me. “Don’t go and get yourself blown up, you hear? I’m sure your father would be upset if he found out somethin’ like that happened.”

Gob looked sick for a minute at hearing that, but regained himself and picked up another glass to polish it. “Yeah, that’s the last thing I need,” He said. “one of the only people in town who’s nice to me getting blown to bits.”

I smirked, taking another gulp of my drink, making sure to savor it and not waste it this time. I opened the door as it cast an orange glow against my body, shining inside as if I’d opened the door to a room filled with gold. I wanted to return here soon...in the blind hope that if I did find my father, I could at least see my friends before we left for elsewhere...that is, if we had anywhere else to go.

I take a glance back at the two and took yet another sip of the drink, my feet scruffing against the floor as I moved through the doorway to the outside.

“Well, this is indeed the golden age of grotesque.”




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A/N:

WOOO I GIVE A COOKIE TO THOSE WHO SPOT THE SONG REFERENCE XD and i just love Gob. i like Nova too but...she has me scratching my head; she’s difficult to write because i don’t know her well like the Ghouls or muties. and it’s really fun to blow Jericho up...but it’s NOT fun when half of Megaton chases your ass after you kill him |D; ah well. fun times. let’s see if i can keep this story up, huh?