Fallout 69: Sparta
"Sex. Sex never changes." - Your Wife.
200 years ago the world changed forever. The day that everyone said would eventually come- came. The United States and the Chinese finally bombed each other into oblivion and my ancestors were caught in the crossfire. Austria was neutral but that didn't stop the radiation when China and the Soviets blew Germany, France and England off the map. Vault-Tec's European subsidiary made vaults as far east as Austria, thank god we weren't Hungarian. My family's been living underground ever since, until today. Today, my world is going to change forever.
Chapter I: Exodus
"Maybe it won't be so bad?" I tried to feign optimism for the other men in my group.
"Not so bad?! They're sending us to die up there! We're going to DIE!!!"
"Relax Christoph, you're not going to die."
"We've never seen the outside world before and we have maybe two weeks provisions, tops?! What if we die from the radiation or get attacked by radioactive gorillas??" Christoph ranted.
"If we get attacked by radioactive gorillas, I'll save you."
The vault door opened to a blinding light and the six of us stepped outside. Usually when men were sent outside the vault, it was in exile for some hideous crime. The only crime I've committed is not being good at talking to women. Unfortunately, a gender imbalance incurred in Vault 169 and out of fear of "societal breakdown" I'm being kicked out. Fucking bastards.
Blinded, I closed my eyes until they adjusted to the outside world. I eventually opened my eyes, I'd never seen the sun before. It was beautiful, if perhaps a bit over exaggerated. I then heard the vault door begin to close and turned around to see myself locked out of Vault 169 forever.
"What are we going to do?" A young man named Griff asked aloud.
"First thing we need to do is find water." I answered.
"Yeah and what then? How would we even know it's safe to drink?" Asked Christoph.
"I have a Geiger counter on my Pip-Boy. You'd know that too if you'd take the time to actually experiment with it."
The small band of us then made our way down from the mountainside, we followed a small stream hoping to happen into a lake at the base of the mountain.
"I don't know why we don't just stay on the mountain. It's a lot safer there and we can see if anyone is coming." Christoph complained, again.
"Christoph, it is way too cold up there at night and there could be mountain lions or who know's what kind of abomination. We haven't seen anybody else, so who knows if there's even any other people out there. They might've all died when the bombs fell."
Eventually, once we reached the bottom we did find a pond. Exhausted, it would have to do for now. We set up camp using some PVC pipes and canvas to craft makeshift tents.
"We'll have to start hunting if we plan to make it past the next two weeks. I'm not sure what's out there but hopefully it's safe to eat. According to the map, there's a big city named Graz a hundred kilometers east of here. There might be some useful materials there."
"Or at least there used to be." Griff chimed in. "Who know's what's left."
"It's all pointless, we're all just gonna die anyway. We might as well give up." Christoph moped.
"God damn it Chris!" I screamed, my pent up fury finally vomiting from my body. "This is why you couldn't fucking get any woman to date you, because of shit like this! You're always so sad and mopey and depressed! Well guess what motherfucker, if you want to live you're gonna have to risk your life. And if you DON'T want to live, then I think its very odd that you seem so afraid of death! Stop being such a pussy, that's why no women like you."
Instead of yelling or hitting back, Christoph just left the tent. I could hear him sobbing from outside, god I felt bad. In the morning I decided I'd apologize to him. Everyone else seemed so focused on themselves that they didn't seem to give a shit one way or another.
At dawn I awoke to the sound of gunfire. I went to grab the only pistol the vault dwellers had left us, only to find that it was gone. I ran outside thinking the worst, only to see a group of men on horseback firing at the tent from a distance. They ran through the trees and circled the clearing that our little encampment was situated in. They were moving fast but I thought I could tell they were wearing shiny helmets of some sort.
I saw young Griff hiding behind a small rock, returning fire, only to have the pistol shot from his hand and him drop to the floor in pain. Outnumbered, outgunned and surrounded I raised my hands and surrendered. Fearing the worst, my mind raced. "Were these men going to gun me down, enslave us perhaps?" My imagination went wild as seconds felt like hours. Eventually, the horse riders closed in and one nearly trampled me. I jumped out of the way only for the rider to dismount and take the butt of his rifle and hit me in the stomach with it.
Upset that I didn't fall to the ground, they hit me again- harder this time. I cobbled down to the ground but quickly got on my knees at least. Then the rider took off their red plumed helmet to reveal a long braid of hair behind her. A WOMAN! The rider was a woman!! In fact, they all were. Each and every one took off their helmet, after they'd rounded us up like chattel.
The six of us all sat on our knees while the women pointed rifles at us. They clearly took note of our vault jumpsuits and asked, in German, if any of us spoke Greek.
"I speak Greek!" I responded, I took it as an elective. Everyone called me crazy for not taking Spanish or English but now that the world is dead who needs to learn a stupid language like English anyway? Such a useless dead language.
"Oh, good." The one who was clearly their leader said. "Ask them: 'Who is the weakest among you?'"
I relayed the message to my group and immediately Christoph hastily pointed to young Griff and said "He is! He is the weakest! He doesn't even have two hands anymore! He'll never be able to survive or serve as a good-"
A gunshot went off and then next thing I knew I was covered in blood as Christoph collapsed to the floor. "Oh shit, Christoph did die. Guess I was wrong." I thought to myself in shock.
"I can tell who the weakest is. I guess that saves us some time." The warrior smiled, "Now tell the rest of the men in your group that they are now property of the Spartan Empire. Weakness will not be tolerated."
I then relayed the message back to the four remaining men in my group. The Spartans then took us, bounded our hands and feet together with rope and slung us across the backs of their horses.
"What is your name?" My rider asked me.
"..." I refused to answer.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. Now your name is Helot."