[network] @ADMIN; Arrival [open]

[snowblindmods]

Welcome to Norfinbury. The time is E̛̬̞͖͖̫R҉͖̯̬R̼̻͉̰͎̳̙O̩͓͔̫͇͈̯R and the date is E̛̬̞͖͖̫R҉͖̯̬R̼̻͉̰͎̳̙O̩͓͔̫͇͈̯R. This network has been provided for your use. Please interact politely with everyone else on this network.
E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫
E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫ E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫
E҉̨̢͎͎̗̦͈͎̘R̨̘̦̙̖̳͈͟R̢̞̺͖̩̟̻͙͕̩͜O̢̢̼͉͔̟̯̝͇̙͜͠R̴̛̗̝͕̣̘͙̪͖̀͟:̢̢͉̙̥̝͖͉̯̟͇̖̱̖͓̲̳ ͏̴͉͈͈̦̝̦͉͖̖͉̪̝̠̭I͡҉̣̼̜̩̻̜͓̻̳̼̥̭̯̭̫͉̭ͅL̶͖͖̯̝̥̬̖̤̥̹͎̟̬̻̦̜̝̻̗͟͞Ļ̸̸̸̥̺̝̜̭̘̞͈͎͚͉E̶͍͍͈̬̕͜͟G̳̬͉̙̥̩̼̭̦͔͘͜͡À̴͟҉̤͔͇̩̳͝ͅL̟͉̯̥̝̀͢͝ ͏҉͈͎͇̞̪̬͓͎̖̥̜̦̖̜O̺̹̺̜͉̠͉̠͇̭̣͔͡͞P̢͘͜҉̺̝̥͎̜Ḙ̢͔͇̰͇̯̺͇͓̜Ŗ̦̝̫̯̻̰͍͙̼̮͎̕ͅA̸̬̯͉͓̥̕͢͞ͅT̷̡͎̻̳̥Ḭ̵̡̥̭̥̀͞O̴͈̤͚͇̜͘͘͞N̢̬͕̙̫̦̳̫̭͖͙̤.̧͢͜҉̩̼̬̞̟̻͇̭͖ ̳̝̺̯̣̠̣̲͎̝̞̣̭̫͘͠S̡̧̼͈̱̳̰̰̳̻̺̫̝͈͖͎ͅH̦̖̣̦̱͓͙͓̣́͜͠͠Ù̸͎̹̼̱͈͇̼̼̕ͅͅṰ̤̝̦̞͍̮̦̞̼̪͕̹̬͈͝T͞͏̟͖͔̯̼̫̞̥̣̘͉̫̟ͅI̢͖̪̮̺̰̟͎͈͇̻͈͔͉̱̯͓̻͞N̢̨̮̱͕̣͟Ģ̸̝̟͚̩͙͖ͅ ҉̴̝̭̩̯̫̤̼̬͇͡ͅD̨͏̺͎̝̟͔͉͕̲̮͎̦͓̥͕̹͓̮̖̘̀͠Ǫ̵͍͇̝̱̖̳̦͖͡W̸̧̩͕̹̹̬̰̻̣̣͓̞̼̮̦̺͟͞͡N̡̛̫͙̠͚̠̲̙̟̤͔̦͙ͅ.҉̢̻̝̦͓̀̕͠

Comments

[dr_unconscious]

[Attempts at trying to rationalize all the weird shit Hope is telling him are starting to wear a bit thin, yes. Clayton purses his lips in a befuddled frown.]

Ain't that the truth. Where're you from, again? A Vault? Where at? [Certainly can't be anywhere that's part of the global political alliance. Some remote corner of the world, forgotten by civilization...Clayton can't even imagine it. He's seen some weird stuff in his life, but raiders? This ought to be interesting.]

[vaultexile]

Washington D.C. It's called the Capital Wasteland for a reason.

[dr_unconscious]

[Clayton's frown slowly twists into a wry smile.]

You're pullin' my leg.

[vaultexile]

Sorry no. It's not something I'd joke about.

[dr_unconscious]

[The frown returns and is quickly covered up by Clayton's hand as he leans his chin heavily into his palm. He simply stares into the camera for a few long moments.]

[She doesn't look or sound like she's lying. It's an awfully elaborate fib to construct, in any case, and Clayton can't really think of a reason for why she would lie to him in the first place. But there are all sorts of people out in the world, especially on the web. It would be completely reasonable to stay skeptical about this.]

[He isn't, though. Clayton knows next to nothing about Hope; it'd be incredibly unfair to judge her like that. He sighs, deeply, and leans back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table.]

...Alright. One of us is either real misinformed or we're both missin' somethin' important. There ain't been no war for...more'n a hundred years, least. Certainly no wanderin' raiders. [Clayton pensively scratches his chin.] If you don't mind, sweetheart, can you tell me again 'bout that Vault? Be as precise as you can.

[vaultexile]

[It takes all her effort not to roll her eyes, though that's at being called sweetheart more then anything.]

The Great War was about two hundred years ago but it was a nuclear war.

Anyway I'm from Vault 101. It's a few miles from the capital and I spent most of my life there. They were set up by a company called Vault-Tec before the war to house people in America. I don't know about the rest of the world, hell I don't even know much about the rest of the country we're all isolated in small communities on the surface now.

[dr_unconscious]

[Clayton returns to pensive staring. "Great War," huh? He can almost rationalize that as the World War, but they didn't have nuclear weapons back then. There's never been a "nuclear war." There's absolutely never been a war that segmented the entire country into little surviving pockets. Definitely America, though...]

...That can't be right. [Clayton gives a huff of nervous laughter and shakes his head.] Sounds like someone's 'pocalypse movie.

[Suddenly, he has a thought.]

--Ain't got a time nowhere. What year d'ya think it is?

[vaultexile]

I know it's 2277. What year do you think it is?

[dr_unconscious]

[Clayton can't help it--he lets out a hoarse bark of a laugh. It's almost hysterical.]

2018! It's...naw. [There's another compulsive giggle, which he quickly stifles by turning away from the tablet and shoving his knuckles over his mouth. He's in complete and utter disbelief. There's no way. He should just call bullshit and end the call now.]

[Clayton does not end the call.]

[He gives himself a few more seconds to recompose himself with long, noisy sighs.] ...They ain't never gonna believe me. [One more short laugh escapes, then Clayton clears his throat, shakes his head, and turns back to face the tablet with a wide grin.] Alright! Time travel. Ain't got nothin' else to work with. The police show up and ask me what the sam hell is goin' on here, I'm callin' you up, ya hear?

[vaultexile]

[Hope just looks at him. Apparently she's got a crazy person on the line here. Might as well run with it.]

Sure. I'd be happy to answer their questions. What's your name?

[dr_unconscious]

[That makes two of them, in Clayton's opinion. They're all probably just going insane. This is fine.]

Clayton Epps. I'd shake your hand, but... [He stares at a point somewhere over the top of the tablet with a vapid sort of smile, looking a little lost. Then he shakes his head again and thoroughly rubs his eyes.] ...Sorry. I know this is weird. I just...got dumped in a empty house in the middle of crap-all in my jim-jams and I ain't got no clue why.

[His hands reconvene on the table, neatly folded as Clayton blinks the little flickering dots in his vision away.]

What's your name, little lady?

[vaultexile]

[She nods. She slept in her wasteland clothes when she was in Megaton rather then her armour and right now she's not sure if she should be happy about that or not.]

It's not the best way to wake up. My name's Hope Irving.

[dr_unconscious]

Nice to meet ya, Hope. [Having accepted the shock and found someone else to run with it, Clayton already seems much calmer than he was a minute ago, if slightly more tired.] You on your own over there, Hope, or have you found anything interestin'?

[vaultexile]

By myself right now. I woke up in an empty house. I'm going to go out and explore some more today and see what I can find.

You should probably look for some warmer clothes wherever you are.

voice invasion; id: starspangledhero

[fifty]

What?! [Sorry. But not really, because what.]

oh god sorry America

[vaultexile]

What?

It was the pre-war Capital of the United States, the Capital Wasteland is as good a name as any.

it was bound to happen

[fifty]

No, no, I was just there! I mean, not a wasteland, but--I was in DC, and it was fine!

[He's broadcasting a pretty high level of distress here. He's even forgotten how cold he is for the moment.]

[vaultexile]

[Oh wow this guys seems pretty freaked out. But ...well yeah there's no way around it. Her tone is calm but sure.]

DC hasn't been fine since the bombs dropped....hell probably before that given the resource wars. But it's been a nuclear wasteland since 2077 and that was over 200 years ago.

[fifty]

It's 2015. [That's his automatic retort, but then he starts thinking about time machines and resource issues and he ends up even more upset.]

There's no way that could happen! What kind of bombs?!

[He knows what kind of bombs.]

[vaultexile]

Nuclear bombs.

[She doesn't even make it sound like it's obvious because this person is freaking out and she's not cruel. She does have some experience with discovering the world is a ruin, its just that she was from the other extreme of thinking it was totally uninhabited.]

No one knows who started it, but everyone joined in until the world was almost destroyed.

[fifty]

That can't just--that can't just happen in the future! [In this horrible time travel scenario he's invented for himself where this person has come back to tell him about all this as if it's obvious.] I was at the White House just yesterday.

[vaultexile]

[She is getting a headache from all these conversations with people who have no idea what she's talking about. Kidnapping was bad enough but this is just making it worse. At least in the simulation they all acted like everything was totally fine.]

I don't know what to tell you. I wasn't there so what I know only comes from the history books in the vault. If you want local recent history of the area that's more my field of expertise.

switching to video

[fifty]

You're so serious about it... Aren't you? [He can believe that she believes this, and he's been in situations strange enough to entertain the idea of time travel even if it's not a holiday, so he switches to video because it feels wrong to have a conversation like this with one of his people--and even if she really is from the wasteland of the United States, she's his because it would be his wasteland. He's chewing on the inside of his mouth, leaving a small hollow point on his cheek, and eventually he takes off his glasses to fuss pointlessly with them.]

I don't know what's going on here. ...What's it like? When you're from? [The when is said very tentatively, because this place is only growing more and more peculiar, but at least time machines are technology and not magic in his mind.]

[vaultexile]

It's not something I'd joke about.

[And from her appearance on the video she at least looks like someone from a wasteland. Her clothes are patched many times over and she's got a fair share of scars for someone whose only 19.]

I'm not sure either. I'm starting to think we're not all from the same ...place somehow.

[Which is just what she needed on top of this. But the tell me how the world is doing she can do. She tries t keep peoples hopes up back home after all. This isn't new. She's honest but optimistic.]

What's it like? Well I'll be honest it's a wasteland, we've got lots of people out there that kill on sight, slavers, mutated animals and just the radiation. ....but we're doing better. We've got clean water now that the purifier is up and running and the Brotherhood of Steel is actually trying to protect people. The Enclave is in ruins and despite everything there are people out there "fighting the good fight" as Three Dog would say.

[fifty]

[She looks too young to look like that and to be describing things like that. Slavers and radiation and mutations--so he latches eagerly onto the good things she describes, purified water and protecting people and fighting back, even if he doesn't know what the Brotherhood of Steel or Enclave are or who Three Dog is specifically. He manages a bit of a smile.]

Of course you guys would be fighting. I mean--yeah, you definitely would be. [But everything is still settling strangely in his gut.] I know the US better than anyone, and it's not a wasteland where I'm from. [Or when he's from, or something.] So I guess I don't know what' going on yet.

[Yet, because he can figure this out. That's what heroes do.]