Bunker boy...

Your family the Ortley's had been luckier than most, they had bought into a massive underground bunker just before the bombs fell. On that day your great grandfather (the term “great grandfather” is relative; this was your very ancient ancestor) had gotten your family into the deep concrete and steel fortress, and so they were protected from the fire and rads that slaughtered so many. And for years your small hidden community had lived safely, but as time past the power plant grew weaker and weaker. The sun lamps unable to stay on a full day, so you grew less and less food.

And so you had to send up scavenger teams, looking both for supplies as well as parts to repair your failing machines. Things had not gone very well, there were few supplies left to find. An the surface was hostile with pockets of heavily radiated ground nearby, worse still was the people and creatures your teams encountered on the surface. The only bright spot was a small village called Muktree your father had discovered not so far away, you had started trading with them to bring in more food. You had traveled there with your father Daniel a few times, he had taught you about the dangers on the surface... how to spot and avoid them. From the mutants animals, to other mutant things that may once have been human... Deadly plants that lured the unwary in to feed upon them, to crazy humans who were looking to make a meal out of you just like the plants. It was a dangerous world for everyone out there, but you had always felt safe by your fathers side. He had taught you to use weapons, how to make trade deals and to always careful. "Use your brains Jerome." He had always advised, even as he push deeper into the unexplored lands around the bunker.

And then suddenly all contract had been lost with your village friends, a team had been sent out to investigate. Your father had lead that team, and it had not returned after ten days. The counsel of elders had given them up for dead, and had sealed the great doors once more. But you and your brother had played in the outer tunnels as children, you knew a way around the great sealed doors. A tiny pipe for allowing excess water to escape, as a child it had seemed so large you could easily climb through. It was almost to small for you to drag your body through anymore, if you were the tall board shouldered man you father was you couldn't. It took a lot of wiggling and worming to get through, with cool water running down your back the whole time. Now at last you managed to get outside, once you were on the surface you checked your weapons and gear once again before setting out.

You knew the path leading to the village, but had to avoid following it to closely for fear of ambush. It made for very slow travel, because you also had to avoid the places that were still dangerously radioactive. A journey that should only have taken a long days walking, stretched into almost three days as you cautiously crept through the jumbled rocks. And then the sky darkened, it was plain a rad storm was on the way and you would need to take shelter. Just in time you spot a partly collapsed road way overpass, the old gray hulk of concrete would be a fine palace to ride out the storm. The rain had already began to fall, as you ran the last dozen yards ducking under the leaning mostly collapsed and splintered road way. It is dark under there so you trigger your chem light, when suddenly a pain flares in the side of your head. As something heavy and hard smashes against your skull with a loud 'Thump' sending you falling to your knee's and a second savage blow lands and blackness leaps up to take you.