Chapter 542 Fallout
Saturday, 18 November 1994 – Los Angeles
Today marked a brand new game release, and no one could have been more excited than Tim Cain to experience ZAGE's latest computer game firsthand. A lifelong fan of games, Tim had been hooked ever since he was a teenager, spending late nights glued to a screen gaming with Atari Consoles . After investing countless hours into Diablo, one of ZAGE's previous smash hits, he was more than ready to dive into a bold new adventure — a title called Fallout, which promised danger, depth, and an entirely different kind of post-apocalyptic experience.
Tim had already watched the cinematic trailer for Fallout multiple times, memorizing every haunting line and explosive moment. The game, set in the year 2177, promised a gritty and immersive journey through a post-apocalyptic America devastated by nuclear war. The dark tone, retro-futuristic design, and glimpses of chaotic wastelands had fueled his excitement for weeks.
He was completely hyped to finally get his hands on it. That's why, the moment the store opened, he rushed straight to the nearest ZAGE outlet without even grabbing breakfast. He picked up a fresh copy of Fallout, admiring the striking cover art and weight of the box in his hands. The anticipation was unbearable — every second felt like an hour.
He couldn't wait to get home, install it, and dive into the radioactive ruins of America's future.
If Zaboru had known about this, he might have appreciated the irony — maybe even laughed out loud. Tim Cain, born in 1972 in this version of the world, was a recent college graduate and already working at a small video game company, quietly making his way into the industry. In Zaboru's original timeline, however, Tim had been born in 1965 and was legendary as the father of Fallout — the visionary creator behind the entire franchise. Now, in this altered world, the man who once dreamed up Fallout was about to experience it not as a developer, but as a fan — with fresh eyes, unburdened by behind-the-scenes knowledge, simply thrilled to explore the very world he had once created.
Tim arrived home, buzzing with anticipation. It was the weekend — the perfect opportunity to lose himself in a digital world without worrying about work or deadlines. He set his bag down, kicked off his shoes, and made a beeline for his desk.
He quickly unboxed the Fallout game, carefully peeling away the shrink wrap like it was a sacred ritual. The packaging had that crisp, new-software smell, and the cover art looked even cooler in person than it had on the shelf. Just like Diablo, ZAGE had published Fallout on CD-ROM — and as he popped open the jewel case, he felt like he was holding something special, something important. This wasn't just a game. This was a new world waiting to be explored.
"Heheh, I can't wait to play this game!" he said aloud with a grin, barely able to contain his excitement. Tim had always been obsessed with apocalypse-themed movies, books, and stories. Whether it was nuclear wastelands, survival horror, or gritty tales of humanity's collapse, he craved that genre more than any other. That was part of why he had loved Diablo so much — even though it leaned toward fantasy, it had the kind of dark, desperate atmosphere that he found irresistible.
But Tim was more of a "guns and tech" guy at heart — give him laser rifles over swords, armored vault suits over enchanted cloaks any day. And from everything he'd seen, Fallout looked like it would check every box. Rugged environments, scavenged technology, and that sense of surviving by your wits — yeah, this game was made for him.
He installed Fallout without wasting a second, heart racing with anticipation. The CD-ROM drive whirred to life as the data loaded, and within moments, the screen flickered into action. First, the ZAGE logo pulsed onto the screen with a sharp sound effect, crisp and confident — a promise of the quality to come. Then, the opening cutscene faded in, rich with cinematic flair. Tim leaned forward, eyes wide, already feeling the immersion take hold. The adventure had officially begun.
The game opened with a retro black-and-white TV broadcast — styled like a 1950s advertisement, followed by the iconic line:
"War. War never changes."
The screen then shifted from images of happy American families — barbecuing in pristine backyards, smiling in black-and-white commercials — to haunting scenes of devastation: bombed-out suburbs, crumbling highways, and cities reduced to skeletal ruins. Smoke billowed over what once were neighborhoods, now nothing more than ghost towns scorched by fire and fallout. A somber text faded onto the screen:
"A world that was once beautiful, now destroyed by nuclear war."
The narration continued:
"In the early 21st century, the world was on the brink.
As oil reserves dried up and uranium became scarce, nations turned on one another.
The United States, China, Europe, the Middle East… all locked in a deadly struggle for control.
Diplomacy failed.
And on October 23rd, 2077… the bombs fell.
In two short hours, global civilization was reduced to ashes.
This was The Great War.
But war… war never changes."
Then, the camera slowly pulled back from the flickering TV screen, revealing the year: 2161 displayed in a bold, vintage-style font. Dust motes floated in the air of a dimly lit chamber. The shot transitioned smoothly to a massive metallic structure — a Vault-Tec Vault door grinding open with a deep mechanical roar. This was one of the iconic underground bunkers, built to shelter humanity from the nuclear apocalypse.
The scene then cut to Vault 13, a cold, sterile interior buzzing with fluorescent lights and humming electronics. A lone figure — the player character, known as the Vault Dweller — stood before the commanding presence of the Overseer, who looked grim and weary.
He delivered a single line that would launch the entire journey:
"The water chip is broken. We need you to go outside."
Tim's eyes widened.
"Whoa! A nuclear war!" he exclaimed, full of excitement.
Then he continued to play the game. First, he created a character and named him Tim Master. The name made him chuckle — it sounded like a cheesy action hero from a forgotten 70-80s flick, and he loved it.
Next came the face customization. Tim was genuinely impressed by the number of sliders and preset options available. Skin tone, jaw structure, cheekbone height, eye spacing, brow angle — the amount of control was almost overwhelming. "Whoa, this is insane so many options!," he muttered, eyes darting across the screen. He spent 30 minutes fine-tuning everything to perfection his perfection.
Eventually, his Vault Dweller had a sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes, and a shaggy mess of red hair that looked both cool and slightly rebellious — exactly the anti-hero aesthetic Tim had in mind. He even gave the character a tiny scar above the eyebrow for added edge. Satisfied with every tweak and detail, Tim leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and grinned with pride. "Masterpiece," he declared with a dramatic flair, like a director wrapping up a blockbuster scene.
Then he continued deeper into the game. The screen introduced the stats system known as S.P.E.C.I.A.L., an acronym for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charm, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. It was an cleverly named framework that instantly gave the game personality. Each stat had a range from 0 to 10, and came with witty, memorable labels that hinted at their impact in the wasteland. Tim grinned as he read through each one, already strategizing his build for survival.
Strength: 0 = Feeble, 10 = Powerhouse
Perception: 0 = Oblivious, 10 = Eagle Eye
Endurance: 0 = Fragile, 10 = Tank
Charm: 0 = Repulsive, 10 = Magnetic
Intelligence: 0 = Brain Dead, 10 = Genius
Agility: 0 = Sluggish, 10 = Lightning Fast
Luck: 0 = Cursed by Fate, 10 = Chosen by Fate
Each stat started at 5 points, and the player had 2 additional points to distribute. Players could also decrease a stat to raise another.
Tim thought, "Oh my god, so many options. Hmm... what should I sacrifice? Charm probably isn't that useful, right? I mean, who needs smooth-talking when you've got brains and reflexes? Let's drop it to 3. Agility and Intelligence are pretty important — can't shoot straight or outsmart enemies without those."
He dragged the sliders with purpose. "Alright, 3 points into Agility, 2 into Intelligence. That gives me 8 Intelligence and 7 Agility. That should give me a killer edge in combat and brain. Yeah, I think this is solid."
Final stats:
S = 5
P = 5
E = 5
C = 3
I = 8
A = 7
L = 5
Next, he chose two traits — and there were a staggering number to pick from. "Whoa! So many of them!" he muttered, scrolling through each one carefully. Some increased damage, others gave bonuses to conversations, and a few were downright strange, like making enemies explode more dramatically. The creativity of it all impressed him.
After weighing the pros and cons of each, Tim finally made his picks:
Trigger Discipline – increased shooting accuracy but slower fire rate.
Skilled – more skill points but slower level-up rate.
"Heh, more skill points mean more potential!" he said.
Next up was the Perk selection. "Oh God, look at this... so many of them! This game is really insane!" Tim scrolled through dozens of creative, quirky, and sometimes overpowered options — from bonus critical hits to speaking with animals. Each perk came with a clever description and unique gameplay twist.
After several minutes of browsing and mumbling, "Nope… not that… maybe… ooh, tempting," he finally settled on Swift Hand, a perk that granted faster reload speed. It perfectly complemented his 7 Agility build and would give him a much-needed edge in combat. "This one's practical and badass," he nodded with satisfaction.
Then came Skill Points.
"What, another system? More skill points? Oh god! Hmm..." Tim mumbled, half amused, half overwhelmed. The screen now presented a wide array of skills to allocate points into — Melee, Small Guns, Big Guns, Lockpicking, Science, Speech, and more. Each skill had a short description and a numerical value tied directly to his S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats.
He scrolled through the list, watching how some skills were already boosted thanks to his Intelligence and Agility. "Ahh, I see... so my SPECIAL stats directly affect these. That's actually kind of brilliant," he mused. The system was deeper than he expected, and he appreciated how thoughtfully interconnected everything felt.
Tim grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Let's go in guns blazing!"
He dumped 5 skill points into Big Guns, amping up his firepower potential from the get-go.
"Yeah! Let's roll, baby!" he whooped. "Tim Master is locked, loaded, and ready to conquer the wasteland!"
Tim dove into the game and was instantly hooked. Visually, it reminded him a bit of Diablo with its top-down camera and isometric layout, but the gameplay had a completely different rhythm — more deliberate, more choice-driven. Every move carried weight, and the world reacted to his actions.
As he ventured further, he often encountered branching dialogue options that made him pause and think. The choices weren't always clear-cut, and that gray area fascinated him. Picking the helpful, honest answers earned him Good Karma, while selfish or violent replies stacked up Bad Karma — shaping how NPCs treated him and unlocking different story paths. It was more than just a game mechanic; it made every conversation feel meaningful.
There was also a V.A.T.S. (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) option that Tim could use during combat, allowing him to pause the action and strategically target specific enemy body parts. Hitting certain areas dealt extra damage or inflicted status effects — like crippling a leg to slow movement or aiming for the head for a critical strike.
And then there was the Perk system — every two levels, the character could choose a new Perk. It made Tim stop and think carefully each time. There were so many good ones, each with its own benefits and trade-offs, that picking just one wasn't easy. He often spent several minutes debating which Perk would best suit his playstyle and build. It wasn't just about power — it was about crafting the kind of character he wanted to become in the wasteland.
Tim was having a blast playing the game. It was everything he hoped for — intense, immersive, and addictively challenging. But that didn't mean it was easy. Occasionally, he found himself face-down in the dirt after tangling with Radscorpions and Radroaches — both of which were way tougher than they looked.
"Damn, these are nightmare fuel!" he shouted, laughing as he slammed the reload button. "Why are the bugs in this game more terrifying than anything in a horror movie?"
Even in defeat, he was having fun — already planning how he'd take revenge on the next respawn.
He kept playing, uncovering new weapons and crossing paths with cannibals and ruthless raiders. One of the features that thrilled him most was the gun modification system — Tim could upgrade and customize his weapons using the various mods he found scattered across the wasteland. It gave him a sense of control and creativity that he hadn't expected.
The guns themselves were wildly imaginative and full of personality. His favorite so far was a uniquely modded assault rifle that offered a bonus to headshot accuracy when using V.A.T.S., but reduced effectiveness when targeting other body parts. The weapon's name? "Give Me Head!" The moment he read it, Tim burst into laughter.
"Oh my god," he snorted, wiping a tear from his eye. "They really went there."
It was that kind of bold, unfiltered humor that made the game feel alive.
Then there were the random encounters — unexpected, bizarre, and often hilarious — that kept Tim constantly on edge. One time, while cautiously making his way through a bombed-out highway, he spotted a figure sprinting toward him from the distance, ragged and wild-eyed, flailing their arms like a lunatic and shouting at full volume:
"Legs or arms?!"
The response options were:
"Uhh, arms?"
"Definitely LEGS!"
"The hell you mean?"
"Fuck you!"
"What... what is this?" Tim muttered, confused but curious. He shrugged and picked "Definitely LEGS!"
The man immediately screamed, "Then let me eat your LEGS! AGHHH!" and charged at him like a lunatic.
Turns out, the guy was a deranged cannibal named "Cannibal Who Asked." The sheer absurdity made Tim burst into laughter.
"Oh my god, that's so messed up — and so good," he said between giggles. "Cannibal Who Asked? This game is unhinged."
He continued exploring the wasteland, eagerly reading every book and holotape he could find, hungry to piece together the world's history. The lore ran deep — and that delighted him. Each entry, each note, added texture to the ruined world he was wandering through.
There was also the Pip-Boy Radio, a feature he adored. It played vintage tunes from the 1940s and '50s — jazzy swing, crooning love songs, wartime ballads — all set against the chaos of his current missions. Something about charging into battle against raiders or blasting Radscorpions while cheerful big-band music played in the background gave him a surreal thrill. It was jarring, but strangely beautiful.
He found himself constantly turning the radio on. It didn't just set the mood — it became part of the experience.
Tim threw his hands up and shouted, "This is everything I've ever dreamed of! ZAGE, I THANK you! YEAAAH!" For Tim This was a game of substance, style, and soul — a true masterpiece. As usual, ZAGE delivered.
To be continued.
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