Fallout: Maybe...

He could hear a heartbeat, a fast, pulsating shockwave flowing through his tiny body. All he could see was a pink-red fluid, it was choking him as it filled his mouth.

Suddenly, he felt something forcing him out. Looking up, he could see light...bright lights emitting from a slit that parted the fleshy walls that entrapped him. He was pushed closer to it, seemingly by an invisible force. He could almost reach it before a pair of hands, covered in blue, lightly grabbed his head and slowly pulled him out, evicting him from his prison.

The light from before penetrated his corneas, he could hear himself screaming loudly. He cried for help as two doctors looked over him, holding him in their arms. They placed him down gently onto the table and covered him with a blanket.

A soft voice broke through the screams, muffled slightly by the surgical mask.

"Oh...look at you...my baby boy...my son....Catherine...we've got a beautiful, healthy baby boy!"

The figure looked to the woman beside him, who leaned over to look at her child. She managed to speak, out-of-breath but still having the voice of an angel.

"Oh...he's got your eyes, James! He's so handsome...like his father..."

She giggled shakily, slightly wincing in pain.

"Give him here, James...I wanna see my boy."

James gave their son to Catherine, who looked at his tiny body, big eyes and chubby cheeks as he cried.

"Ohhh...shhhh...it's ok, little guy. Let it all out...was it scary in there? Don't worry...Momma's here now...I'll never let you go, my baby."

James leaned next to his wife and surveyed his son closer. They all huddled together as one being.

"Hello there, my boy! Hello, yes...look at you! I'm your daddy, little guy. D-a-d-d-y. You're going to need a name, aren't you? Your mother and I have been thinking...how would you feel about the name...Daniel? It's a good name, don't you think? Fits you perfectly."

He chuckled heartily as he surveyed his most complex creation, the one he made together with his wife...the love of his life.

"It's a dangerous world out there...full of people good and bad...I wonder what kind of person you'll be? Now...let's see what we can-"

James is interrupted by Catherine...

"James...James...S-Something's wrong! I...I can't breathe!"

"Catherine? Catherine! Madison, she's in cardiac arrest, get the baby out of here! I'm starting chest compressions, get a mask on her! 1, 1000. 2, 1000! Come on, Catherine! Don't leave me!"

Catherine felt something wrong, her heart was beating too fast, her throat was closing up. Her breath was choking her, she gasped for air and tried to grab her baby but she saw it taken away by Madison, at James' request. She tried to speak, tell her to leave her son here but her voice wouldn't come out...she was slipping away. And she didn't want to. James looked panicked, tears swelling in his eyes. She could feel the intense pressure in her chest lessen with each pump he did, but it wasn't fast enough. In her final moments, she imagined what kind of life her son would've had if she lived. She would've taken him out to the market, taught him to cook...be there at his wedding and be proud of him.

The screams continued, his father's voice getting quieter and quieter...the heartbeat he could feel around him earlier got slower...and slower...

A year passed in a flash, the Baby gradually got used to the bright green fluorescent lights of the vault. James grieved the loss of his love, but kept strong. For the sake of his son.

"Come on, Danny! Come on, come to daddy!"

He beckoned his son into the playpen. The tiny baby toddled towards him, stretching his small arms out towards him into the playpen.

"Yes! Good boy! Now...I know you don't like me leaving you all alone like this, but Daddy just needs to do something for a minute, ok buddy? You just stay here for a bit. I'll be right back."

He closed the gate of the pen and walked out of the room, leaving his child babbling. Seems he forgot to lock it, however. With a push and a shove, the gate creaked open and he was now free!

Daniel decided to grab his favourite teddy bear from the toy box before spotting a children's book. The title of the book read...

You're S.P.E.C.I.A.L

He pondered what those words meant, dropped the bear back in the box and picked up the book, spending a few minutes trying to figure out how to get it to work before finally opening it up.

The pages had different words and images on them, consisting of Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck. There were numbers below the words as well. Whatever it was, it seemed to resonate within the baby. Motivation to be like the images before him. Be charismatic and agile and tough! Whatever those meant anyway.

After another few minutes of reading and dribbling on the pages, the door suddenly opened, revealing James who looked upon his son in the middle of the room, a mess of toys and objects around him.

"Oh dear...you're quite the little explorer, aren't you? Serves me right for trying to pen you in then, doesn't it? What's that you're reading there, hm? Aww...your mother got you this! I remember the day...she read through each page with such excitement...She wanted you to be special, alright...Come on over here, I want to show you something...something important."

James led his toddler to a picture frame, placed upon a small metal desk.

"You see this? These words? They're from the Bible..."

Revelations 21:6.

'I am Alpha and Omega.

The Beginning and the End.

I will give unto him

That is athirst of the fountain

Of the water of life,

Freely.'

After he finished the passage, he sighed and looked down...

"It was your mother's favourite passage...She read it to me every night...she was planning to read it to you every night before bedtime as well..."

He shakily took a breath and closed his eyes to fight back the tears...until he felt a slight tugging on his hand and saw his son stretching his arms out in front of him, begging to be picked up, with a slobbery smile on his face. James couldn't help but smile and let the tears well up in his eyes.

"Uh...anyway...let's go see if your friend Amata wants to play, hm?"

He picked up his son and carried him out of the room, who was wiping the tears from his father's eyes...