Vault 63 (machine)

The rad storm was heavy as the group of scavengers ran through the radiated mud, stopping only to fire back at the raiders at their heels. They had been exposed to the elements for longer than they should and the effects of the storm were adding up. Their lives would be in danger even if those raider hadn't found them but found them they did. They had discovered a score of supplies that they were in the process of gathering when a group of raiders stumbled across them. They grabbed what they could and ran but the raiders gave chase. Things were looking as bad as they could possibly look. They were either going to be killed by radiation or by the psychopaths.

A stray bullet finally landed and one of the scavengers went down, screaming in pain. Two others went back for him while another tried to lay down covering fire. The four of them were out of time and they all knew it. They looked at one another and decided that they weren't going to go out without a fight. They pulled their pipe pistols and returned fire. The wounded man on the ground wasn't able to focus on a fight, but that meant he was able to spot the frag plop into the mud behind them.

“Grenade!” he shouted, pulling one of the others prone.

They all hit the deck and the frag went off with a deafening boom. The ground moved and something gave way. The group of scavengers all felt themselves falling into a massive hole that was forming and then there was nothing but black.