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"All dwellers be calm. Evacuate the incident zone in an orderly fashion. Security personnel will arrive shortly."

Roughly two years had passed since their internment into the vault. Although the scientists had gotten used to the ease of civilian life, with the simple comforts of the suburbs and the outdoors, it was a fairly smooth transition when they adjusted to living in the cramped, cold confines of their new home. With Colonel Stern's supervision, the scientists were put into assigned roles within the vault according to their skills. There would be no freeloaders, as he liked to put it. Since nobody had the excuse of having little to contribute, everyone was expected to work.

This reality proved to be less problematic, considering the amount of required hours the Colonel demanded on their part. And since life had become even more simplified, working was the only way to pass the time.

"All dwellers be calm. Evacuate the incident zone in an orderly fashion. Security personnel will arrive shortly."

A faint tremor shook the workshop Erik and Lane were working in, causing everyone to look about in surprise at the sudden blare of the alarm klaxons. Colonel Stern, after receiving no news from the outside world due to the overall lack of communication with any of the outlaying bases, decided it was for the best that they began testing the outside grounds whether it was safe to venture out or not.

Since Lane was BIA's head researcher on eye-bots, the woman was paired up with a team of her old colleagues including Erik to come up with an upgraded version of the military reconnaissance drone that could withstand the heavily irradiated wasteland outside for long periods to gather up sufficient data. Progress was steady, and within a few weeks of tinkering in the workshop, the prototype was ready for testing.

"Hey, what's all that about?" Erik muttered as he adjusted his safety glasses.

A group of soldiers carrying fire extinguishers jogged down the corridor past the workshop and into the area where the tremors came from. A minute later, the sound of gunfire erupted from down the hall. That same squad rushed back, their officers yelled for a lock-down of the affected section. A sergeant walked into the workshop and motioned for the scientists to head out, "Sirs and ma'am. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you all to evacuate this room. My squad and I will escort you through."

"What's going on, sergeant?" Lane asked quietly.

The sergeant grunted, "There's no other way to say this so I'll just say it; we have an ant infestation in the area."

"Ants?" Erik said incredulously as he packed up his stuff and prepared to move out, "How can ants be dangerous?"

"They can be, if they're the size of small dogs."

Neither of the two friends were prepared for the answer. Shortly after they evacuated the room, another tremor shook the entire floor followed soon after by a loud screech as the reinforced steel wall ruptured. Out of the breach came a stream of impossibly gigantic dark crimson ants, brandishing mandibles spanning easily a foot and a half. The scientists who were being escorted up the stairs to the safer districts beyond the security checkpoint slowed in their pace as they marveled at the apparent rapid evolution the critters showed in response to the toxic environment outside. Nothing would've survived ground zero of a nuclear blast, and the resulting fallout should've killed anything else within a five kilometre radius, depending on the circumstances the bombs faced upon detonation and assuming that the Chinese used the best of their arsenal against the US.

And yet here, a quarter of a kilometre beneath ground level, life found a way to move on in spite of the nuclear holocaust.

"Not my area of expertise, but I sure as hell would like to study that." Lane remarked.

The stream of ants soon flooded the district. Like something out of an animal documentary, the swarm completely covered the walls and floors around the walkway. Alarmed now, the soldiers dropped their fire extinguishers and started shooting. The sergeant pressed a button on his radio and called for reinforcements, "Be advised, small-arms fire's not as effective. I recommend using flamethrowers, over." He glanced up just as the ants started to climb cross the ceiling and drop down on the walkway to prevent their prey from escaping.

"Double-time on that request, over."

Colonel Stern's lip twisted into a grimace as he watched from the Overseer's Office how gradually and steadily the rooms became completely overrun with the ant infestation. The last of the vault-dwellers were evacuated safely and the district was soon put on lock-down while the kill-team assembled to rid the vault of the critters. A 3D layout of the infested levels was shown in one of the many screens that made up the Overseer's multi-monitor computer.

Stern glanced at the blue papers and stacks of holotapes sitting on his desk, remembering the meeting he set up for the day with his most trusted colleagues. These files were recovered from the Vault-Tec offices that belonged to the executives he killed two years ago. Peering into their contents gave him an even deeper glimpse into what Vault-Tec planned for the inhabitants of the vault. A loud buzz at the desk brought his attention to the security feed coming from the camera watching his office door outside. Two officers stood patiently while they waited for the colonel to let them in.

A flip of a switch unlocked the door, and the metal slab slid upwards with a loud hiss. The visitors marched in and stood at attention in front of the colonel's desk.

"At ease, gentlemen." Stern greeted, "Make yourselves comfortable, we're going to be here a while."

The three men each took their seats and settled down before the colonel started talking. Stern tapped at the blue papers and pushed them forward, "Lieutenant Colonel Keene, if you would please distribute these papers between you."

Lt. Col. Howard Keene, a balding middle-aged man who'd served and climbed the ranks of the US military together with Stern, scooped up the files from his colleague's desk and opened each folder with care. He distributed a few other files to his second as instructed, then took his time analyzing what he held. Major Reese Hannigan, a non-commissioned officer who'd served with distinction under Col. Stern through the annexation of Canada, fished out his glasses from his front pocket and did the same.

"Tell me, what do you see?" Stern said.

"Mostly blueprints." Keene replied, sifting quickly through the pages. "Of which is for what looks like some kind of storage facility."

"Correct." Stern leaned forward and interlaced his fingers together, "To be precise, they are Vault-Tec storage and research facilities. Vault-Tec wanted to use a vault's population as its test population for a number of experiments. They've planned this for all their vaults, each with a different experiment designed to continue over the course of the nuclear holocaust aftermath."

"They let them do that?" Hannigan asked.

"I have my doubts about our own government being forthcoming with decisions like these, but I think it's safe to assume that with or without their say-so Vault-Tec just went ahead with it." The colonel replied.

Keene put all the files back in the folder and closed it, "Sir, may I ask how you know all this?"

"Do you remember the Vault-Tec executives I...retired two years ago? I had their offices searched and I found these." Stern picked up one of the holotapes and showed the emblem on its cover. It looked like a refined version of Da Vinci's Vetruvian Man. "Low-encryption security couldn't keep me out of it for long." The colonel opened the driver slot on his computer and slid the holotape in place. The multi-monitors emitted a low white-noise whine as they came to life, then displayed the Robco symbol. Later, the contents of the holotape were put on display- a slideshow of one of Vault-Tec's greatest ambitions.

Lively interlude music played in the background, like the kind used when something was being shown in a local city movie theater. Then, an excited narrator began speaking as the first slide was brought in- a picture of the Capitol building in ruins, with the flags of China planted atop mounds of dead American soldiers. "A commonly imagined sight, is it not? The Alaskan Conflict, brought right into your own backyard. The result of a war of ideals- of democracy against communism!" The scene switched to a motion-picture of two surviving soldiers, a US marine vs a Chinese infantryman, ready to duel for the final time before the universally-recognized noise of a bomb whistling as it plummeted to earth drowned out the rattle of gunfire. "Yet ideals don't matter when the dirt and sky burns up in nuclear fire!"

Stern glanced at Hannigan, who slowly cringed from the sight of the video. "Why the hell does it sound like a commercial?"

The colonel shrugged, "Vault-Tec promotions, it's the only way to sell an idea to their board of directors."

"Being forced to live underground for the rest of your life? Keep your chin up, citizen! The age of the men of tomorrow is here!" A short motion-picture of a man being put into a small cylindrical chamber, surrounded by eager scientists, was rolled in. After a colorful display of special effects, a shining representation of a new and improved human specimen stepped out of the chamber. "Strong, resilient and immune to the effects of radiation- the next step in human evolution!"

The video fizzed out, and the driver snapped open, ejecting the holotape. "That was the experiment chosen to take place here in our vault- with our population as its target. The facilities in question are specifically for genetic experimentation. And we, gentlemen, are standing right on top of it." Colonel Stern got up and stood close to his observation window, peering out into the floor below filled with busy vault-dwellers. "I called you here because I wanted you to know that I plan on using these facilities."

Major Hannigan cleared his throat, "With respect, sir, I thought you killed those reps because you disagreed with their methods. Wouldn't it be doing exactly the same thing as they did by playing their game?"

"I understand your concern, major. Though, it's not a game to me." Stern replied coolly, "Soon, I'll be opening those doors to let our eyebots scan the wasteland to test its sustainability. It's foolish to think that life will ever be the same when we leave the vault- if we even leave at all. Maybe we won't, maybe the only remaining piece of Old America would be doomed to remain underground forever. As acting Overseer of this vault, I have a responsibility to both my men and the people of this vault to explore all other options- and I'm not letting this vault become our graves, that'll never be my legacy."

Keene leaned back and stroked his chin, "Assuming that this experiment would even work, there are a lot of our boys who are eager to serve. Though I have to ask, do you plan to be so forthcoming with your intentions?"

"Of course." Stern said, "It reduces the variable of unwanted complications."

"Well then, what would you have us do?" Keene asked, getting onboard with the colonel's plan.

"Go through the eggheads we rounded up on day one. BIA, CROSS, or wherever they used to work in- bring them to me so I can get them assigned. Exercise discretion."

"Will do, colonel." Keene rose up, saluted, and walked out the door.

"And me, sir?" Hannigan asked.

"I'm thinking this vault requires certain new rules to ensure the survival of the human race." Stern said, "And I want you to enforce them whenever necessary."

Nobody among the civilian population of Vault 115 liked Col. Stern, though the much larger military population feared and respected him. A decorated war veteran and a brilliant commander, Stern had seen combat throughout the Sino-American conflict and was among the first to set foot on the shores of China when the US invaded in retaliation for Alaska. Having been recalled from the front to replenish their numbers at Homebase Alpha just outside Midland Texas, a military installation designed to act as both a recruitment center for gray-area veteran retirees as well as a fitting station- the army's pet name for a training center for heavy-infantry units like the power-armor pilots, the returning veterans caught the attention of Vault-Tec. Though nobody shared such a high opinion, Vault 115 was very fortunate to have gotten the colonel and his men.

Relations improved over time, but at a slower rate due to the colonel's new vault laws.

There were 98 people who made up to civilian population, ranging from doctors, researchers, engineers and mechanics. 202 made up the military population.

All in all, 300 vault-dwellers in Vault 115. Only 90, which was 30 percent of the entire population, were tested as viable, fertile female vault-dwellers. Another 30 women were considered too old to breed the next generation of vault-dwellers. The other 180, half of which were made up of middle-aged men upwards, tested as viable males. Vault-Tec was very thorough with their selection process, so it was easy for Stern to build up on what already existed.

Stern, with the help of several physicians specializing in this area, created a breeding program designed to keep the vault population at a fixed rate to ensure their longevity as well as prevent overpopulation. The program would be regularly tweaked when results were found undesirable with each year that passed. Complaints were common, but just as well disregarded. Stern did not care for the vault-dwellers' approval, only that he made sure they understood why he was doing it. When it came to the matter of sexual orientation; heterosexuality in the vault was encouraged, bisexuality was tolerated, and homosexuality was prohibited due to the latter providing no contribution to the vault and its people.

Work hours were put at a fixed 9 hours a day, six days a week, to keep productivity up and worker exhaustion at a minimum. Stern didn't care much for Sundays, so he made Saturday the vault's day-off.

Crimes in the vault were dealt with the utmost severity. Stealing was punishable by forced labor as well as resistance to authority, and capital offenses like rape or murder were punishable by death. The colonel made it clear that the common laws, which were the unwritten laws that guided any society throughout history, were not to be ignored much less those he had written down. Naturally, such a heavy-handed decree shocked the civilian population, though none found the courage to go against it.

Some people, like Lane Simmons, focused on their tasks in the vault and were all too eager to keep their minds off of the big changes in their lives. After presenting her finished and working eyebot model, following the cleared giant-ant infestation in her workshop, her eyebot would be the first to explore the wasteland outside after two years and seven months of waiting underground. Colonel, or more formally known as Overseer Stern, even allowed her to personally operate the eyebot from her own control booth.

In the near future, Stern wanted more of these eyebots to scout the wasteland, and those booths would undoubtedly grow in number.

Making herself comfortable in her chair, surrounded by blinking and beeping electronic devices, Lane put on her headset and signaled the gatekeeper to get ready. The specialists loaded up the eyebot into an elevator, which would send it up to the runway on the vault roof. Once the gate was sealed, Lane activated the eyebot and switched its mode to manual. Controlling it through an input device that looked like an arcade joystick, Lane drove the eyebot to hover down to the tarmac.

A small crowd gathered around Lane's booth. With such an event as this, such as the first glimpse into the outside world after what felt like an eternity, a little excitement was natural.

The grainy feed from the eyebot's cameras was distracting, but what it received was enough to discourage the onlookers. Great faults and cracks in the earth stretched for miles and miles. The mountain that sat adjacent to the vault had been leveled to small hills, and gusts of sand blew down in great clouds that the eyebot tossed around like a string in the wind. Lane struggled to keep the eyebot steady and pushed it forward to resume its exploration.

Lane looked at the data being transmitted from the eyebot's scanners and frowned. When she glanced over her shoulder, she realized that even the overseer was watching her.

Suddenly, the eyebot camera feed shook as though something hard hit it across the lens. Then, the eyebot spun around uncontrollably before finally coming to rest some feet away from the vault entrance. Slowly, the radiation ate at the eyebot's circuitry, burning it from the inside with invisible fires until the connection between the eyebot drone and the control booth was severed.

A collective 'aww' came from the crowd, and an audible noise of scratching replaced the awkward silence as notes were jotted down following the results of the first flight. Overseer Stern waited patiently until a sound conclusion could be found, then listened intently as one was shared with him.

"Well, we were wrong to be so optimistic." One physicist announced, "According to these readings, the environment outside the vault is still too hazardous for human exploration, even with protective equipment."

"I thought you said the fallout would have faded and be safe for decontamination after a month." The overseer recalled, "It has already been two years, seven months and a week."

"I also said it was possible, depending on our assumptions on the Chinese using radiological dispersal devices as opposed to conventional nuclear weapons, that the duration would be extended." The scientist gulped nervously at the look of disappointment he gave him and added quickly, "Sir."

"I see." Stern acknowledged, turning back to board the elevator down into the vault. "Dr. Simmons, I hope you weren't attached to that thing, because I'd like you to begin constructing another one."

"Wait, right now?"

Stern stepped through the elevator doors, "If you'd like to leave the vault as soon as possible, then of course."

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