"The dark sound of steel"

Story by ThaRedPanda on SoFurry

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#1 of Book 1: The Dark Sound Of Steel

A horror/drama/action fanfiction of Fallout universe with furry characters.


FALLOUT FANFICTION TITLED

"In the land of sun & blood"

Written by:

Rasheed D&L Laaksonen

Book 1

"The dark sound of steel"

....................................

The artwork of book cover is by Kotezio . You can find him on Deviant art under the name ????

https://www.deviantart.com/kotezio

Words from the author before the story:


First of all, I would like to welcome every one of you to my story. I fell in love with Fallout and its immersive world ever since diving into it the day Fallout 3 officially came out on all platforms. To myself I thought, this game and its universe are so rich and full of potential for novel making if it is done right. I wanted to give it a shot since writing is my passion. To my surprise though, I soon found that this game already has some amount of fanfiction's writing of it. So I wondered, what can I do differently? What can I offer that isn't already out there for our amazing readers and supporters? Then it came to me. Yes, funny as it sounds, I wanted to explore a route nobody has so far. I had my plot already figured out in my mind, along with characters... but it still needed something to stand out. So here it is. I present to you, a fallout/furry book series. Simply said, it's a Fallout's setting with anthropomorphic animal charters.

This is something that I feel is the right choice to make my story more intriguing and unique. As writers, that is what we all want for our story, always. This is what I chose. All I can wish is for you to give it a shot... Because this story will be something I will invest my whole heart and mind into... And believe me... I do not mean that lightly.

This is a musically rich novel. So, make sure to always listen to the music that is mentioned in my story to get the most amazing and immersive experience. Youtube is highly advised. Any song to be played before reading is marked to be inside bent wall markings. Here is an example: (Dion- The wonderer)

ALSO, NOTE CONSIDERING MUSIC CHOICES:

Yes, I know that fallout's music is mainly based on 40's-60's songs, but I personally prefer the 70's to 80's and will add them to the story, without breaking the immersion of the fallout vibe. That's a promise.

And also, I'd like to highly press on the matter that this is a /horror/drama/action fic. It's highest aim from my personal, is to be realistic to some extent. Even shockingly so at times. The story contains countless references and paid homages to famous Tv shows and Movies throughout the way. Just for the fun of it.

I personally always wanted Fallout, as much as I love the franchise, to be more serious. More gritty, dark and helpless. Raw. So that is what I created.

So be warned, because this is what the following story will contain: Strong homosexuality , sexual themes, and suggestions, cursing, violence, disturbing ideologies, rape, borderline racism, unethical themes and thoughts, suicide, gore, homophobia, religions in good and bad, harming of a minor, slavery, torture and mental illness. (basically all these themes are in fallout games as well) YOU have been warned. However, the story will not contain full-on sex scenes, since those situations are irrelevant to the story, and would break the flow of it. As much as I am talented in writing yiff , I will make sex scenes in separate chapters to read from somewhere else, as a time for those come, just not to disturb NON-furry readers of my story. A civil choice.

Also as a last note, I have written the whole book already. It's over twenty chapters long, and one chapter contains around approx 15k words each (except the prologues aka pilots ofc) . So the whole book is already rather huge. I will give all of you the first three chapters to read in order to see the reactions. And then, I will star t to upload the rest of the chapters around 1-2 a week , in order to create time for me to start working on book 2 . Small grammar errors might take place, but not until the point that the story would be unreadable in any way. Follow me on twitter on my accounts " ThaRedPanda " for my everyday shitposting and furry content or " RashPanda " for my official book content and news. My FA user is " DatCatTho " .

Thank you... And get ready for one hell of a journey.

PROLOGUE

"Through the dust"

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(Music: Book of Eli - Panoramic)

Year 2276 22nd of May

It was that feeling.

That feeling that would never be forgotten. The warm, sharp sand flowing around them each minute of it all. A ride through the sky that had felt like an eternity. The shaking emotions that roared inside each individual, soul-bound together as family. The sounds. The echoing hum of the metal cutting the air, keeping them safe from whatever was under them right now. Not that it mattered. The storm made it impossible for anyone to witness anything down on the ground. It had to be the most blinding sandstorm that year. There were many. But this one was exceptional. It had this... This unexplainable beauty in it. Calming. New beginning. Not wanted but forced. All of this was feeling like it was meant to happen... And on the other hand, it didn't. None of them wanted this, even if it was seen by many as the best option. There was no telling would they find the shelter, the peace from the danger, even if they would find what they were looking for. One of them was more than sure, that it was... That's why she wasn't scared.

"... Mom... Y - you are coming with us, r- right?"

The shaking voice breaking the long silence cut the tension of sorrow of these souls aboard. The question that had been spoken, was by young, brown husky, looking at the blue eyes of his mother with fear in his voice. The fear held already the answer in it, the young boy of nine years already knowing the answer, even if she would try to convince him otherwise.

The young husky was tugging into his mother's side, still wanting to hear it from her. She never lied. That was her quality. But as the elderly, beautiful looking female fox was looking at her son, she couldn't get the words out. That look, begging for her to go with them. As if it wasn't already hard for her, life had to do this to her. She then raised her gaze to look at in front of her slowly.

There she met that look right away. The gentle dark green eyes of her husband, the brown, roguish old husky looking at her fox wife right back. She expected to see a smile on him... Charlie always had that reassuring smile, telling her everything would be okay. This time... It wasn't there. No trace of it. It was just him, trying to be strong as he always was, looking at her right back as the small child of theirs was still waiting for the mother to answer. The pain of knowing. Knowing that he might never see her again. The small ones didn't know... But Charlie did. This was it. End of the line. From light to dark. After everything, he had done... This was his reward. Sickening, twisted fate.

"Dad... I don't want to go... I want to go back home... I'm scared!" The small fox kit of the age of eight next to his father said, looking at his own mother in tears just like his big brother, his father tightening the grip around his other son as he felt the young one shaking from fear, not able to see anything but the roaring sandstorm around them. Charlie could see how his amazing soul mate, his wife, was losing her cool every single second, trying not to break. She took this harder than anyone aboard in this flying machine, the machine that was scaring the kits each second. They had seen this machine many times, conquering the sky... But they had never been on it. Charlie side hugged his crying son harder, talking with that tone. That warm and strong tone that made Emily, his wife, fall in love with him all over again every time she heard it.

"... Ryan... One day you will understand... You will... We love you so much... She..."

Suddenly, the voice of so far unheard mammal aboard spoke, cutting Charlie off.

"Scribe Emily... Three minutes left till our destination. Eye's ready and get ready to land. Paladin Willis, lower the altitude. Scanners ready."

The formal info given by the male badger that was sitting next to the vertibird driver, cut the tension and sorrow-filled moment, breaking Emily's focus from her son's and her husband for a moment, making her gather her breathing as she answered back with a calm voice, trying to act professional.

"... Y- yes... Understood, Paladin Rex." Emily answered, cutting her gaze back to her husband who was still looking at her, his gaze proud that Emily wasn't breaking down, still holding it together. Suddenly the small brown husky boy spoke again next to his fox mother, asking with shaking voice again while holding her paw like he never wanted to let go.

"W-where are we going? M - mom? Why can't you come with us? A- are you coming later?"

Those crying eyes looking at her right now, begging for answer was driving Emily back to the edge of losing herself into sorrow again, answering back with a forced smile, brushing the ears of her son.

"Somewhere safe... Dion... Your father and brother will take care of you... I'm so sorry... I know that you can be strong... You both are-"

"I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to come with us!" The small fox kit next to his father yelled to her, not able to hold himself to totally breaking down and crying again, feeling his dad take his shaking and broken son into a hug as he was starting to soothingly calm him down.

"Shhhh, Ryan... We are doing this for HER... She can't come with us."

"But I don't understand! What did we do wrong? We haven't done anything bad!" The kit yelled and cried into his father's chest, soaking the leather gear of his into tears.

"Ryan, please look at me," Emily spoke out with a trembling voice, feeling her eyes starting to water as she tried to say anything. She needed to comfort Ryan somehow. She had done it as a mother more times than she could count as a loving mother... But this time... Even Charlie, her strong husband, couldn't change this situation with words. To help in any way. Not this time.

All he felt was the unjust done to him. Hatred. Pure, burning hatred.

He had done right for everyone. He had just followed orders... He...

He saved everyone.

Only to be ripped into a thousand pieces.

To see his sons in fear and panic they had never experienced in their lives.

To see the most important female in his life is a complete loss of words. Broken. Defeated.

To be separated from everything she held dear.

To-

"Scribe Emily... We are landing. Everyone hold on carefully..." Paladin Willis said, the lynx starting to flip switches of the machine.

The time had come.The vertibird was slowing its altitude every second, the feeling of twist in the stomach taking them all as the huge metallic machine was doing it's usual, dramatic entrance on the surface.

Suddenly the middle-aged brown husky, still looking at his wife while holding Ryan against his side and brushing the fur between his ears, felt himself woken up to the living moment.

Rex had laid his paw carefully on his shoulder, having stood up from his seat.

"Charlie... Cover the kits from the sand, the doors are opening. It's time... I'm sorry." Rex said with an official, strong voice. But Charlie could see the emotion that is held in, which was rare from the brave, battle-hardened soldier like Rex himself. But it was there. Offering nothing but sympathy. The hurt look in the badger's eyes, apologizing silently that there was no time for hugs anymore. He needed to be alert.

They were in the red zone now. And here not being alert...

Gets you killed.

"... Thank you, Rex." Charlie nodded with a determined nod, feeling himself gathered for what was coming next.

Rex gave a quick one back and walked back to the pilot.

"Altitude?"

" Twenty feet, Paladin."

"Copy that," Rex said, clicking the switch on top of him, the light next to it turning green.

"Emily," Charlie noted carefully, taking out the small rag of cloth from next to him, covering Ryan with it.

The female fox, holding in her tears had to get herself together, quickly hassling with the cloth that was next to her as well, covering Dion with it.

"Mom, what is happening?!" Dion asked in a scared tone, the sound of question muffled as his mouth was partly covered by the cloth.

FHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The roaring sound of wind started to come in, the sand attacking them from all sides. It got everywhere in the passenger area, both adults having closed their eyes to protect their sight and feeling some of the sand entering their ears as well.

Despite holding their breath some, it was making Emily cough a bit as it was impossible not to breathe it in as they were landing.

"Twelve feet!" The lynx announced loudly.

"Hold on tight everyone. We almost done." Rex said quickly over his shoulder.

"The scanners are jammed because of the sand storm... Goddamnit. Paladin, I suggest immediate area securing. The heartbeat sensors don't signify of any people around, but you know the equipment isn't on it's sharpest in this weather. Ten seconds till landing," The pilot lynx warned.

Charlie stood up, having listened over his shoulder while still not able to take his eyes off his wife, Emily looking at him as well and clearly uneasy, Dion full-on crying against her.

Ryan was so quiet. Charlie had to make sure everything was alright with his son, peeking under the cloth a bit. His son had his eyes closed, his paws dug into Charlie's side and clinging onto him, knowing he had to move.

"Ryan... You have to let go for a moment." Charlie apologized.

"No. Don't go!" Ryan whimpered quickly.

"Son... I'll be right back. I promise it to you."

"..." Ryan didn't answer.

"Fifteen seconds!" The pilot yelled.

"Charlie," Rex warned, having already geared up, armed to the teeth and the sounds of heavy weaponry being locked and loaded echoing.

"Hey... Ryan. My brave little soldier." Charlie said with fatherly tone, peeking small smile, comforting Ryan right at that second.

"You have to be strong for me... Okay? Can you do that? I know you can. Hmh?" Charlie asked, his eyes watering just a bit from seeing how afraid his son truly was.

Ryan hesitantly nodded, despite not having let go of him.

"Go and hug your mother. I'll be right back."

"Promise?"

"That's a promise."

Ryan let go slowly of him, not taking his eyes off as he quickly stormed to the opposite side, his mother scooping him into an embrace as quick as she could.

"Charlie," Rex said quickly.

The brown-furred husky reacted instantly, standing up and reaching for what he already knew to be offered.

Rex was professionally handing out a shining Sig Sauer handgun by its barrel to his comrade, Charlie quickly taking it and pulling the slider back swiftly.

"Three seconds!" The pilot informed.

"... Ready?" Rex asked carefully before putting on his huge, intimidating metallic helmet.

Charlie just nodded, taking grip from the nearby handle as the machine was about to land.

Small shake and rumble were felt for a mere two seconds, Charlie aiming his handgun to the right side of them, into the sandstorm.

"One... Two... Three." Rex said, raising his glaring, red light glowing weapon, aiming through a scope as they started to advance forward, jumping out of the no more moving vertibird.

"Fucking sandstorm." Paladin Rex muttered quietly to himself, slowly starting to advance forward with Charlie. He briefly spoke to the helmet radio.

"Willis, close the doors while we secure the area. Copy? If anything surprises us, it won't get to the scribe and the kits through that metal."

"Yeah, I got it, Paladin. I'll keep them safe till the sweep. Anything moving this way goes down without hesitation. Count on that." The lynx pilot said confidently in the vertibird as he was taking out a huge, electric rifle and starting to spin some sort of handle on the gun's side with his arm.

"Copy that," Rex said.

Willis hopped out of the vehicle with his huge gun drawn out, giving a slight nod at Emily from the outside as he pulled some lever near him.

Emily gave one last concerned look at the distant shade of her husband's back, the husky's frame disappearing into the sandstorm slowly and out of reach of eye.

The metallic doors slowly closed with a flick of a switch... And the silence took over the whole interior of the vertibird, leaving Emily alone with her kits.

For a moment to each three...

The world had disappeared.

It took a few seconds of silence between the two before either started to think about saying something. So far, securing the area was impossible. The radar was telling next to nothing, the storm was roaring so loud that they could barely hear nothing else. If something would engage in this mess, it would have all the advantage it needed. All they could do was to hope that luck was on their side.

"... I'm sorry."

Rex suddenly said, heavy tone breaking Charlie's focus as he answered back after a while.

"... I wanted to kill him." The husky said with cold, held in emotion that he felt like he needed to get out.

Rex now stopped walking like the husky's words were a wake up of some sort. Something he had expected coming, wondering if it was there.

Charlie slowly turned to look at Rex, knowing the eyes were staring back at him behind that helmet. He was waiting for an answer. Reaction of any kind.

"... I know you did." Rex said quietly.

"If I would have tried... Would have you tried to stop me?"

".... I... Don't know."

"Just tell me the truth. I want to hear it. After all, we've been through like brothers... Would have you turned your back on me? To protect Owen? Would you have honored the morals and codes you have followed since you were born in that damn fortress? If I would have put a bullet in Owen's head right there and then?"

"... Charlie... Most in that room would have turned you into ash before you would have been able to draw-"

"I highly doubt that-" Charlie began arguing.

"You, killing our new elder, in our hall, in front of every Paladin and Scribe present... After he had been chosen as the successor by Simmons himself-"

"It's lies. Simmons, he... Those were not his words. He would have never written any of it."

"Charlie."

"It was forged note. A lie. You know how smart he is, how dangerous-"

"Simmons always looked up to him, it is believable that he-

"No. I respected and admired that man. You know I did. You loved him like a father . You know... You know that he would have NEVER chosen that fucking disgusting coward to lead your people."

Charlie said, now fully turning his gaze to Rex and laying down his gun arm. Rex was looking straight back at him, feeling like he should say his own take on the hostile and disrespecting comment.

"The only reason you are not saying anything back is because you know I am right, Rex. He is not fit to lead. He is the shadow of the man before his position... Everything that we worked for... After all this war... Blood that we had to spill to save lives. For all these years. US. Not him. And he dares to say that it was all a mistake? That what we sacrificed was for... What? Nothing?"

"... Charlie, what do you want me to say?! Look, I have no love for the man. Yes, he is far from Simmons-"

"Putting it really fucking mildly now, Rex. HE IS A MONSTER-"

"You know the laws of the brotherhood-"

"FUCK THE BROTHERHOOD!"

Charlie had let it out with such fury that Rex had to take off his helmet, so he could look Charlie straight in the eye. The badger revealed from underneath the metal looked at the hurt, raged husky who was wincing at the sand hitting his face, waiting for Rex to yell at him. But he couldn't. He understood Charlie's pain. He understood him in most situations no matter what they were. Yet he had to speak out.

"You know I would do anything for you-"

"Let me take his life then."

"....."

The sandstorm roared around them, the cold silence hitting between them as Rex was studying the gaze of his best friend, his grim request out of question.

"You would die trying, Charlie. You are the most skilled fighter I've witnessed my whole life... And you know taking out our elder is mission you don't return from alive. You remember how it turned out for you the first time? Simmons was a man with a golden heart and let you live. But Owen? Even if you would succeed... Are you going to leave your wife into her fate? She is one of us. What do you think would happen to her? To your children? They are your future, Charlie. You know this."

Charlie knew every word was nothing but facts he couldn't deny. He felt lost. He could get himself out of every bad situation of his life... To outsmart people in every turn. That is why he had lived this far.

But this time... He lost. There was nothing to be done. All he could do was to suffer his fate. Rex slowly laid his arm on Charlie's shoulder and spoke.

"Don't do something you regret out of hate. The man that I know would never throw away everything he loves for the sake of revenge."

Charlie was quiet, not breaking his gaze away as he asked something with an honest tone.

"..... Rex... Do you think I deserve this?"

"... I never said that."

"Say it to me. Tell me right in my face if you think what is happening here is justice to you?" Charlie pushed.

".... HOW CAN YOU EVEN ASK THAT QUESTION FROM ME-"?

"Then there has to be another way to do this?!"

"You know I wish there was!"

"HE IS SEPARATING ME AND MY KIDS FROM MY WIFE! -"

"We need Emily! She is the most promising head scribe we have! Without her, we can't make our brotherhood work! Look... Charlie... Owen won. That's all he ever wanted. He might be a piece of shit and heartless bastard but he... You know how respected he is. Not one scribe went against the decision of him being the successor of our elder! Us, paladins... We spoke to you! I spoke to you! I DID EVERYTHING I COULD! But rules are the rules! You never played by them and you could see that day that most felt it from the start! Hated it! You were always a liability to us. -

"LIABILITY?! I WON THE WAR FOR YOU! IT'S OVER! DONE! ABRAHAM IS DEAD! -

"I KNOW! SO IS HUNDRED OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!"

...............

The blowing wind now settled the yelling competition of two men in the storm, both huffing and measuring the gazes of another. Charlie looked away briefly and swiped the sand from his face.

After a few lasting seconds of silence, Charlie spoke quietly.

"I tried to do the right thing."

"... And you did. You always do, Charlie. For as long as I've known you." Rex assured, now taking a much calmer tone, Charlie turning to look back at him. He then gazed back at the area where he knew the vertibird would be, clearly contemplating something in his mind hard as he could.

"Charlie... Don't change that today." Rex said sternly, but the voice of beg was there. Wishing that Charlie wouldn't do anything rushed and stupid.

"... She is everything to me."

"I know. And you know that she is everything to us. I don't want this. Many don't... But Charlie... He won. And his word is the law now. We can't change that. I'm... I'm sorry."

"..... Yeah." Charlie whispered quietly, still staring at the storm.

Suddenly the frequency of Willis talking was heard from Rex's helmet.

"Situation update. Rex. You there? Did you locate it? You have been quiet for almost two minutes now."

Rex gave a hesitant look at Charlie, quickly putting on his helmet again and feeling his sand stained face covered from the wind as he locked the helmet.

"Yes, I'm here, Paladin. We didn't locate it yet. The area is secured, with no hostile life signs yet around twenty feet prox. We are proceeding forward. Standby and weapons ready just in case. Out."

"Copy."

"Come on, let's move," Rex said, nodding to his left side and raising his gun up again.

Charlie didn't move first, just answering after him.

"Rex... These things are nothing but remnants. Legends. You really think that-"

"If your wife says it's here... Then it's here. Emily knows her business. The data we gathered speaks for itself."

"But what if it isn't there?"

"... It has to be."

Charlie started to slowly follow, getting himself together and giving last quick glance at the location of his family. He then raised his gun, wiping sand off his eyes and continuing after Rex's lead.

".... Charlie."

"..."

"With luck... Everything is going to be alright. For you and your kids. Maybe... Maybe it's fate."

Rex said, Charlie, speaking back with a given up tone.

"... No. It isn't. This? This is just nothing."

"Look... I'm just... If what we find is what we expect... Things could be way worse."

"How much worse can it get than it already is?"

"Charlie, every remaining Febris in the world wants you dead. You, your wife, your kids. You really think the solution that Emily bargained for you and the future of your children is the worst sentence you can have in your life, compared to alternatives? He almost executed you." Rex said with emotion, trying to make his friend see the facts.

"It is to me. Without her... All I've been through is for nothing." Charlie said from the bottom of his heart, wanting to strangle the man who was doing this to him, dead.

To this, Rex couldn't answer back to. Not anymore, as he knew that Charlie was on the edge, no matter how many facts of his situation he would bring out in his defense.

"Rex... You never answered my question." Charlie suddenly said quietly and emotionally, making Rex stop walking and turning back to look at him.

"... Do you think I deserve this? After all, I've done?" Charlie asked, clearly wanting an answer from his best friend.

"... No one deserves to be separated from their loved ones."

... Charlie stared at Rex, wiping the sand from his face again and not knowing what to say anymore. He had never felt this defeated in his life. He was looking for his voice, looking down and at his gun. The empty feeling hit him harder than ever.

"I saved everyone," Charlie said quietly.

"... I know." Rex said quietly, not able to keep apologizing emotion out of his voice.

Rex looked down for a while, then placing his arm on Charlie's shoulder carefully and whispering.

"Come on. We have to keep going forward."

"... Rex..." Charlie spoke as his badger friend started to advance his pace.

"We should be close by now," Rex said quietly.

Charlie started to walk slowly after him, not even lifting his arm to secure the area with his gun. He felt hopeless. Tired. All of this... It was like heavy rain cast on him. And it was killing him.

Yet he forced himself to aim again, his soul not in the moment anymore but being silently torn by feeling of misery. He always found himself out of a bad situation... But not this time.

"Rex, we will never find anything in this storm. We have to turn around and wait for it to settle."

After few meters taken, Rex turned around and spoke.

"Look... We can't. We have a mission, and we have to-"

Suddenly the face on his husky friend slowly turned into something he had not witnessed in age during his lifetime. The unspoken word on his mouth, his eyes widening and feeling like he was staring at the ghost. He was witnessing something so spectacular, that he had to lower his gun, completely relaxing his arms.

Rex couldn't find himself to realize if Charlie had lost it for a while. Mesmerized into something with his whole body and soul.

"Rex..." he finally managed to say the words like he still wasn't there.

The badger slowly turned around to look at what Charlie was staring at.

And within some seconds, his weapon was lowering slowly as he was staring at it through his helmet with his own eyes as well.

"My god..." Rex whispered.

The huge, round and metallic door was within few feet of their location.

It was there, real as them.

The remnant of the old world. The result of great war, long ago.

Vault.

Vault 55.

"... We... We found it, Willis." Rex spoke on the frequency after a few seconds.

Charlie had meanwhile walked to the object, slowly taking out his glove.

He placed his arm against the cold, hard steel, feeling it against his palm.

The brown husky kept looking at the huge numbers in the middle of the round door.

The things that his mother told long ago existing... Their purpose...

One was right there, real as him.

"Do you believe in fate now, Charlie?"

He heard his best friend ask in amazement from behind him.

Charlie couldn't find an answer to that from himself...

But despite the feeling of sorrow. Betrayal. Hate. Rage. Hopelessness. Everything that was dragging him down.

He still felt something when he touched this door. And he begged it held the answer within. Any answer at all.

Because this door...

It was all he had left.

End of Prologue

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