Fic: Impromtu - Jack O'Neill in Fallout

[Highlander II]

Okay - i'm just gonna start one of these impromtu things, b/c i'm somehow better at those - just write a little bit and leave it, then come back ---

Fallout - needs some explanation: it's a computer game (and i'm using the premise of the first one) that takes place in post-nuclear southern California. Sometime prior to the nuclear fallout and such, all the people moved into underground 'vaults' to avoid radiation poisoning. Now the water purification system w/in your (the character's) Vault - Vault 13- has malfunctioned and you, you brave brave soul, have volunteered to venture into the wastelands to locate a new one. Sounds easy right? No chance - you've got a lot to deal with on this little adventure.

The Vaults (there are several) - they're built w/ the 1st floor being the top, and the numbers increase as you descend into the ground, so the 3rd floor is below the 1st floor. Confusing, n'est-ce-pas? oh - and you can't get back into Vault 13 once you've left until you locate the water chip (that's the thing that's broken from the system in your vault) - basically- you can't weasel out and demand someone else go instead.

Title: Jack in Fallout (i don't know - if i come up w/ something better i'll change it)
Author: Highlander II
Category: Impromtu - unplanned - ending unknown
Archive: Not w/o my permission (esp since it ain't finished yet)
Spoilers: Probably not - but it's possible - i'll warn you if they pop up
Rating: unknown - but not higher than PG-13 (tho there might be some drug use later down the line and some potential violence - there's lots of critters to kill in Fallout)
Summary: Jack's wandering the wastelands looking for this waterchip --- that's all i can say for now -
Disclaimer: Jack O'Neill belongs to Gekko Film Corp/Showtime/MGM / Glassner/Wright, etc, etc,etc... ie: he's not mine, i'm just borrowing him. Fallout is property of Inerplay/Black Isle - and i'm borrowing the premise and some of the character and location names for my story - i'll give 'em back, i promise.

and - away we go ---

(in the next post)

[Highlander II]

as promised - here's the beginning.



Jack O'Neill stepped through the rolling Vault 13 door and heard the scraping of it closing behind him. He turned quickly to try to get back inside, but to no avail. The heavy barrier had sealed and locked him out. He pressed the control panel - he wanted to get back inside- but the voice through the box said 'We need that water chip,' or something like that, he did not much pay attention.

Shrugging, he glanced down and noticed the last Vault 13 dweller to attempt the trek into the wastelands. "He got really far." The pile of bones still contained remnants of the blue jumpsuit. Jack knelt beside the bones and sifted through them, locating a knife, a gun, and some ammunition. "These could come in handy."

"Ow. Dammit!"

Something had bitten him on the ankle. He looked down and saw a hideously oversized, irradiated rat gnawing on his leg. He kicked the thing away and found that it did not return to nibble again. Contented with his accomplishment he wandered along, but met with another rat. He kicked this one as well, but not as hard as the first, this one tried again, but he punched it and succeeded in taking its life as well.

Damn rats. Where did these things come from anyway? Four more approached and he figured he needed something more than just his fists and feet to fight them off, so he drew his knife and slashed away. However, he discovered his knife fighting abilites were not as advanced as his hand-to-hand abilities were. No matter, he continued slashing with the knife, finally killing all four of the rats.

How many of these things are there? He turned around and saw another five rats heading in his direction. With a combination of knife slashing, thrusting and some kicks thrown in for good measure, these five ceased to breathe also. He continued fighting the rats until he saw no more. Then he counted, twenty-six in all. That is a lot of rats.

The only thing he noticed about fighting these rats though, is that once he took his turn, he could not always make a second move, so the rats then each had a turn. (Turn based combat - such a pain in the mikta).

No matter now. All the rats were dead, it was time to venture into the wastelands. Jack walked out of the cave and found himself with a facefull of hot, bright sunlight. He shielded his eyes, squinting into the sun, then glanced down at his clothes.

"Man, this is the ugliest thing I have ever seen." He plucked at the blue jumpsuit with yellow trim. He however, seemed to have forgotten about the large, yellow, number 13 on his back. Shrugging, having nothing else to wear anyway, he located the sunglasses in one of the jumpsuit's pockets, slid them into place and began his walk to the East across the hot sands of the wastelands.


<save game>

[Morrigan]

I demand pics of the garish outfit Jack is wearing. If some cannot be procured, draw them, and mail them to me.

So far, so good. You're right, you are good with the improptus.... Gives you time to think, and allow for your muses to take new directions.

This one.... I think I need to play Fallout to understand, but I'll keep readin' anyhoo.

Morrigan

[Highlander II]

i don't think you really need to play Fallout to understand the fic - however - the game is a lot of fun -- i do highly reccomend it!


i'll keep writing as long as i keep getting feedback -----

[CynVision]

Originally posted by Morrigan
I demand pics of the garish outfit Jack is wearing. If some cannot be procured, draw them, and mail them to me.
Morrigan

I donno. I can picture him pretty good after seeing Dan Shea in a freaky dark blue jumpsuit at the bus tour past Bridge Studios...
Keep it up H2 I wonder where this is going.

[Highlander II]

yeah - just take Dan Shea's dark blue jumpsuit - lighten the color to about 2 shades darker than Carolina blue, add a yellow belt, and a big, honkin' yellow #13 on the back - and voila! the ugliest thing -- don't worry - soon he'll be out of that and have some 'armor' --- never fear! i'd never leave Jack O'Neill in ugly clothes longer than necessary --



now - if i could just get my freaking game to work! (need to play it again to make sure i get everything right)

[Highlander II]

(When last we saw our character, he was heading off across the barren wastelands toward the East, here is where we shall pick him up.)

<load game>

The hot wasteland sun beat hard; his feet sore from walking the harsh sands, finally, after several days, he comes to a small town. A nice man greeted him at the entrance. Jack put his knife away; why he had carried it in his hand for the entire trip to this town, he could not be sure. Probably as a precaution. However, this nice man was offering to tell him about the town and some problems they have been having.

"Tell me about the radscorpions," Jack said, not sure why he really wanted to know.

The man at the entrance described a cave or nest of over-sized scorpions with a nasty sting that could irradiate you if you were not careful.

"Um, why don't I get back to you on that one." The thought of facing some pretty tough bugs was not appealing after a three day walk. Maybe this nice lady has some other information. Jack turns to the pretty lady on the other side of the entrance.

"Hi. What can I do for you?" she asks.

"Tell me about yourself."

"Well, I live here in Shady Sands. Been here all my life. It's pretty quiet most of the time."

That's interesting. "Thanks. I think I'll just have a look around."

Jack wandered around the small town, wandering through buildings, ransacking shelves, pickpocketing (make sure to <save game> before attempting this) and talking to people. He met a man named Ian and asked him to help him out. Ian enthusiastically agreed; he is looking for some 'action' and wants to get out of Shady Sands -- says he only stopped here to heal after a pretty hefty bang up with some Raiders. *Great, since I have to get rid of this giant-scorpion problem, you'll be plenty of help! However, he did have some information for me about a couple of towns south of here. We'll head there after I've done all the other things the people in this town want me to do.*

Jack, and his new-found-friend entered a large building in the center of the town and met a girl named Tandy. Her father, Aradesh is the leader of the town and might have something he wants Jack to do. *Sure, great, give me MORE work to do. I'm trying to find this Water Chip.... come on.*

"Thanks, Tandy. So, where can I find your father?" Jack asked.

"He's right over there." Tandy pointed to the corner.

Jack crossed to the old man and was greeted warmly.

"Greetings. Welcome to Shady Sands. What brings you here?" the man spoke in a soft, light tone.

*Well, you sound a lot like that guy Antonio from the show Wings, for starters.* Jack answered, "Aradesh, I'm looking for a water chip."

"We have nothing of that sort here. But, I would like your help with someting."

"Sure."

"We have a radscorpion problem."

"Heard about that."

"So you will help us?"

"Sure."

"Thank you. Talk to Seth at the entrance. He will tell you what you need to know."

"Thanks." Jack replied. A scent drifted past his nose, not the most appealing, but he decided to check it out anyway. He walked toward the smell and saw a woman preparing a meal. "Hmmm. That smells really good."

"Thank you," she replied.

"You must be a great cook."

"The best in town. Would you like some?"

"Sure." Jack almost regretting agreeing, but not eating could be considered rude. Hey maybe some of those lectures from Daniel were sticking in that brain of his.

The woman handed him a bowl and he took a bite. It wasn't all that bad. He ate some more, then handed the bowl to Ian. "Eat up, buddy, we've got a long trip." Then headed back outside to wander around some more.

One building he entered, he was greeted by a man named Razlo. Said he was the doctor of the town and could make some radscorpion antidote if he had a sample of the venom.

"Well, that's a .... Hey.... ahem, I'll bring you a sample, I'm gonna head off to kick some radscorpion butt pretty soon. I'll see what I can do," Jack offered.

"Great! Thank you." Razlo seemed excited and returned to his work.

Jack decided to test his sneaking skills to raid the shelves in the back of the doctor's place. <save game> He rummaged the shelf and was able to swipe everything, until he reached the doctor's bag.

"Hey, get away from there!"

Oops! <load game>

Jack rummaged the shelf and took everything but the doctor's bag. He didn't need that now anyway. He'd come back and get it later. Calmly, he walked out of the doctor's place and back into the main square, Ian planted on his six. *That man is going to annoy me.*

"Hey, Ian."

"Yeah, man?"

"I need to change position."

"Whaddya need?"

"Back off just a little."

"You bet."

*Geez my conversation choices are really lame. I might have to take it upon myself to spice things up a bit.*

<player note to character Jack O'Neill - stop that! You have to speak with the choices you're given. You are NOT alive. Just play the game>

<character response to player demands --> >

Jack wanders the town and comes across a farmer seemingly ripping his hair about because his fields don't fair as well as he would like. Jack talks with the farmer for a while, then suggests he try crop-rotation to keep the fields from exhausting their nutrients.

<bink> [LEVEL]

<Jack O'Neill gains an experience level, meaning some of his stats now increase, and player gets to use the gained skill points to increase the levels of some of Jack's skills --- a few points to the 'small guns' skill, a few to 'energy weapons' (this will be handy later), and a few to 'speech' and 'barter' - gotta be able to trade for stuff>

<save game>


Jack continues to ransack buildings and shelves. He locates a rope, figuring it will come in handy, decides to hold onto it. In one building he finds a couple books on wilderness survival. These could be really useful. He picks these up, then decides to read them -- and discovers, when he's finished, the books disappear completely. *That is the strangest thing. That never happened before. What if I wanted to read that again?*

Something tapped him on the shoulder.

"What is it, Ian?"

"We should get going."

"Yeah." Jack glanced at his PIPBoy (the nifty computer thing the Vault Overseer gave him to keep track of his travels and such) "You're right. Let's move out."

"Where we going first?"

"Vault 15. Maybe there's something there I can change into."

Jack and Ian took off running toward the entrance of Shady Sands, darted under the entry arch and headed out across the wastelands again.

<save game>

[Highlander II]

Okay - I added a paragraph to the first part (i know, impromtu, but it's kinda important to ransack the dead guys along the way) -- and part two is up ---


and - for Morrigan - i found a pic of that jumpsuit --

[jsc]

The game sounds like fun! Am going to post to see what happens to Jack in the Wasteland! and with those radscorpions.... He was bitten by one of the radioactive rats.... Did that hurt him in anyway?

[Asmiley]

The game sounds awesome! what system is it?

Awesome Fic H2! looking forward to more.

[Highlander II]

Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics are all PC based games from Interplay/Black Isle --- i don't know if they made them for other game systems - i believe not b/c they're RPG/Strategy based games that require lots of conversation ---- (not that those can't be made for other systems) --

The first 2 fallout games are set up to 'respond' to your character based on both the way you set your character up, and the choices/actions you make and take in the game -- so, if you give your character a low intelligence, but high 'bad boy' skills (like steal and lockpick) conversation will be difficult and you can swipe stuff from people, however, if you run around killing lots of NPC's - your karma will plummet, but if you play the good guy (which is the easiest way the 1st time through) ppl like you (excpet the bad ones - unless you have high Charisma) - and will talk to you and tell you almost anything --- you also get different reactions based on whether your character is male or female (i haven't played w/ a female character - unless you make 'em really butch - they can't kill anything)

amazon.com sells all 3 (i believe) as do most gaming stores - like Babbages in the US -- they're like $15 - $20 for the older two, and $30 for Tactics (this one's different, and i just got it, so i don't know much about it yet)

in the 1st Fallout - the NPC characters do not gain experience or move up levels, but they do in Fallout2 (which i have yet to actually finish a game of -- it's harder than the 1st one)


btw - i have modified the speech 'choices' and some of the happenings just to make it smoother - this *is* Jack we're talking about here ---

[Asmiley]

Yes well... I enjoyed the reference to Daniel.

I'lll have to see If I can find it here somewhere and borrow it or sometin.

[Highlander II]

<load game>

Jack and Ian spend several days wandering the flat, sandy wastelands to reach a small, dilapidated shack.

"I wonder what's in there," Ian states.

"Let's take a look." Jack walks up to the door and peers inside. Nothing but a hole in the ground and a ladder leading down. "Come along, Ian."

Jack and Ian climb down the ladder and are met by more of those radiated rats.

"Oh, I hate these things, Jack."

"Me too."

"Oh, be careful, if you are bitten by too many, you'll get radiated."

"Oh, sure, NOW someone tells me that!" Jack shakes his head and starts pommelling rats again. *Hey, Ian, you wanna help me out here? And stop wasting your bullets on these rats!*

Having cleared all the rats away one more time in a dark cave, Jack and Ian make there way to the Vault entrance. "Nice of someone to have left the door open for us," Jack commented on the heavy, metal door laying on the cavern floor.

They entered the Vault and killed a couple more rats, then Jack rummage through the wall locker, finding only some flares. "These will come in handy...." He stuffed them in his pack and continued further inside the Vault.

More rats. *I'm beginning to hate these little buggers.* He soon ate his words when a large, brown monster of a rat came around the corner. "A little help here, Ian. And bring the gun!" Jack called, kicking the hell out of the large rat, then running away several steps, causing the rat to have to walk forward to attack.

Ian fired a couple shots, then Jack kicked and punched a few times, and finally the Giant Mole Rat was dead.

"That thing bit my arm," Jack griped, examining the deep scratches in his right forearm. He tore the sleeves off his jumpsuit and wrapped his wounds -- no sense using a stimpak (that's the 'quickfix medical object') when it was not necessary. "You all right, Ian?" Jack called to his friend, wandering around the first floor of the Vault, locating a locker in what looked like it was once the infirmary.

"Yep. No sweat, man."

"Glad you thought it was so much fun." Jack rummaged the wall locker and found some medical supplies. "These will come in handy."

He left the infirmary area and wandered around, inspecting the broken computer terminals, then found an elevator shaft, guarded by the little rats. He and Ian eliminated those with ease, compared to the Giant Mole Rat fight.

"Ian, you still have that rope?" Jack asked, staring blindly down the adandoned elevator shaft.

"Right here." Ian handed the rope to Jack.

For the first time, Jack noticed Ian's clothing -- a pair of blue jeans and a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt. *How come he has those and all I have is this stupid jumpsuit?*

Jack shook his head and descended the rope to level two.



<save game>

[Asmiley]

Yay!

[Highlander II]

this one i'll probably be able to work on some over the weekend - however - i'm gonna go home and play the game some - keep it fresh!!!