PROLOGUE:

War. War never changes.

In the year 1945 my great-grandfather, serving in the army, wondered when he'd get to go home to his wife and the son he'd never seen. He got his wish when the US ended World War II by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The world awaited Armageddon. Instead… something miraculous happened.

We began to use atomic energy not as a weapon, but as a nearly limitless source of power. People enjoyed luxuries once thought the realm of science fiction: domestic robots, fusion-powered cars, portable computers.

But then, in the twenty-first century, people awoke from the American dream. Years of consumption led to shortages of every major resource. The entire world unraveled. Peace became a distant memory.

It is now the year 2077. We stand on the brink of total war.

And I am afraid.

For myself, for my wife, for my infant son. Because if my time in the army taught me one thing… it's that war – war never changes.

…

"War never changes," I repeat, testing the words in my mouth as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes look a little sunken; I'm tired from the past few sleepless nights. Need a shave. Maybe a haircut, too.

"You're gonna knock 'em dead at the veteran's hall tonight, hon," Nora says brightly, walking into the bathroom behind me and peering at my reflection over my shoulder. Her presence improves my mood significantly – it always has.

Nora and I go way back. We were friends in school, we graduated together, but then we parted ways for a while. She went to college to study law, while I ventured into the army.

I saw things there that changed me entirely.

All the friends I'd used to have didn't seem to recognize me anymore, and I couldn't seem to recognize them. How could they understand the terror of the middle east; the parentless children and childless parents? How could they understand that it's never really over, that the war could soon be right on their doorstep if not for people like me? War never changes, I told them. But they never really got it.

So I drifted away from everyone. Everyone except Nora.

We ran into each other again at a reunion eight years after we'd graduated, she still planning to become a lawyer and I already a crew-cut soldier. The relief of talking to someone who really knew me was incredible. She was still the same bubbly, dark-haired beauty I remembered from school. And there was still this calm aura about her that told of confidence and maturity – a deep understanding of all walks of life. She was Nora. And she became the love of my life.

We spent the next few years in a bubble of happiness, often punctuated by the melancholy of me leaving to go off to war again and again, each time returning unharmed. And then… she was pregnant. We would be having a child. Hopefully with her looks and her smarts and maybe my talent for getting into trouble. I married her immediately, knowing that my dreams had come true. And I unlisted from the army, knowing that whatever happened I would be there for my gorgeous wife and my first child. I would not be estranged to him, absent and mysterious. I would be a true father.

And I have been. But that doesn't stop me from being scared. War is coming, whether we like it or not. Tensions are running high: we see tanks rolling down the street, vertibirds humming over the cities; soldiers stationed at every outpost. And if a war does come, I know that there's very little I'll be able to do to protect my family. Because they will take me and make me fight. I will have no choice. And I will die. I will never see my son age, become a young man like me, fall in love like I did, start a family like I did. And I will never again see my wife.

These are the reasons I haven't been sleeping lately. Not because of the war I fought in, but because of the one I know is coming. Nora and I have sat up hours into the night talking, whispering in the darkness. If I die, I know Nora will carry on and do her best to take care of Shaun, and vice versa. These are the sorts of conversations you have on the brink of war. Morbid, dark. I love Nora with all of my heart and I know for certain I will never love anyone else. And I also know that I will do absolutely anything for my son. I'm broken with knowing that the beauty of the moment could end. I honestly can't think of anything this beautiful that has lasted forever.

Which brings us to tonight. Tonight, I'll be giving a speech. I'll be finally telling America about these fears I have, warning everyone for possibly the hundredth time of what's coming for them. Maybe they'll listen; maybe they won't. I just hope, for all of our sake, that they do.

I glance at Nora in the mirror, tilting my head towards her. "You think?" I ask.

She smiles, a laugh in her voice. "Absolutely," she replies. "Now get ready and stop hogging the mirror."

"Right." I commence my daily routine of washing my face, shaving my beard, and brushing my teeth. While drying my face, I jokingly size up my reflection and say, "Hon, do you think my nose looks too big?"

Nora chuckles, reaching around to tweak it. I grin at her and move away from the mirror. "Your turn."

As Nora moves in front of the mirror to begin getting ready, I exit the bathroom. I run a hand through my hair as I walk into the kitchen and Codsworth, our robot butler, greets me cheerfully. "Ah, good morning, sir! Your coffee. 173.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Brewed to perfection!"

"Thanks, Codsworth," I reply, picking the mug up off of the counter and taking a sip. Although Codsworth is basically family now, he's still a robot. I remind Nora of that often, but she still insists on treating him like he's human. He's a well-programmed tin can, sure, but I know from my fair share of science fiction movies that such creatures can easily turn on you. It's best not to get our hopes up.

I take my coffee with me into Shaun's room, grinning as I see the little guy squirming in his cot. I reach down and tickle him on the chest. Gazing out of the window, I can see it's a beautiful day, pretty sunny for the 23rd of October. Maybe we'll take Shaun out into the garden and read him a book, or to Concord with us to watch me give my speech. I tickle Shaun one more time and then leave the room with the door open so I can hear him if he cries. Nora's already out in the kitchen, perfectly manicured and reading a newspaper; she looks up when I come in, that familiar little smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"What?" I ask her.

"Look at you. How did I ever get so lucky?"

I bend down to deliver a chaste kiss, inhaling her sweet floral perfume. "I was about to say the same thing," I reply softly. I hear Shaun hiccup in the background and then begin to wail.

Codsworth, suddenly alert, says, "Ah! Sounds like someone made a stinky. I shall attend to young Shaun." He jets out of the room, Nora and I gazing after him.

"Hmm. You know, I was nervous at first, but Codsworth's really good with Shaun," Nora says.

I shrug. "I suppose."

I head over to the couch, about to sit down, but am interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "Can you get that?' Nora asks. "It's probably that salesman. He comes for you every day."

Sighing, I set my coffee down on the counter and walk over to open the door, the surprising heat of the day hitting me in the face.

"Good morning!" exclaims the man on our doorstep in a falsely cheerful voice. "Vault-Tec calling!" He's wearing a tan suit with a trilby hat, his long-nosed face split with a wide smile.

I stare at him blankly. "Vault-Tec? Remind me again."

"Why, we're about you, sir, and helping secure your future! You see, Vault-Tec is the foremost bidder of state-of-the-art, underground fallout shelters – vaults, if you will. Luxury accommodations where you can wait out the horrors of nuclear devastation." The man clears his throat. "You can't begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you! I've been trying for days. It's a matter of utmost urgency, I assure you."

The tension is rising still. Of course I've heard of Vault-Tec. We all have. But I was wondering why the hell there's someone selling it to me on my doorstep. The authorities must be really frantic.

"What's so important?" I ask the salesman warily.

"Why, nothing less than your entire future! If you haven't noticed, sir, this country has gone to heck in a handbasket – if you'll excuse my language. The big kaboom is… it's inevitable, I'm afraid. And coming sooner than you may think, if you catch my meaning…"

This man is repeating my own fears back to me.

"Now, I know you're a busy fellow, so I won't take up much of your time… time being a, um, a precious commodity. I'm here today to tell you that because of your family's service to our country, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local vault!" He gestures widely with his hands. "Vault one-eleven!"

"There's room for my entire family, right?"

"Of course, of course! Minus your robot, naturally."

Naturally.

"In fact, you're already cleared for entrance," the man tells me. "It's just a matter of verifying some information. Don't want there to be any holdups in the unforeseen event of… hehe… total atomic annihilation. Won't take but a moment."

"Well, I can't wait for the world to end," I say sarcastically. The Vault-Tec salesman laughs loudly, too loudly, then says, "That's the spirit. Now, let's see…"

He hands me his clipboard and I fill in my name and signature:

Nate Howard

"Wonderful, that's everything," the salesman says as I hand the clipboard back. "Uh… just gonna walk this over to the vault. Congratulations on being prepared for the future!"

He backs down the driveway and is gone, and I shut the door. "Um… thanks again!"

Nora wraps her arms around my waist from behind and I turn around to face her, hugging her close and resting my chin on the top of her head. "Hey, it's piece of mind. That's worth a little paperwork, right?" she asks.

"For you and Shaun, no price is too high," I reply gruffly.

Nora laughs, the movement vibrating into my chest. She retracts her arms from around me, beaming up at me with her all-consuming smile. "Good answer."

Codsworth interrupts us, jetting into the living room, uncertain in his movements. "Sir, Shaun has been changed, but he absolutely refuses to calm down-"

"Don't worry Codsworth, I got it," I say before he can continue. I leave them in the living room and head back into Shaun's room – he's screaming his head off, writhing and wriggling in his blankets. I quickly reach down and stroke his little face to reassure him, smiling at those eyes that match mine and the cute nose he got from his Mom. "It's okay," I murmur. But inside I'm thinking about what a liar I am, to tell my son everything's all right when it's not.

"How are the two most important men in my life doing?" Nora asks from the doorway. She walks in slowly and joins me by Shaun's crib. "Spin the mobile a bit – he loves that."

I spin it, and we all listen to the tinkling music; Shaun has finally stopped crying, and he watches it in awe. Nora curls her fingers around mine and we stand there for a moment, gazing down at our infant son, united completely for just a few moments. Suddenly, she perks up and says, "Listen, after breakfast I was thinking we could head up to the park for a bit. Weather should hold up."

"Yeah, sounds like fun," I say. I could do with some family time where I'm not thinking about the end of the world and total nuclear annihilation. I squeeze her hand and lean in to kiss her again, so utterly glad that I have her by my side.

And then -

"Sir! Mum! I think you should see this!" comes Codsworth's anxious voice.

Nora's eyebrows drop into a frown. "Codsworth? What's wrong?"

As I leave the room and head towards the television, I wonder if Shaun was crying because he knew what was coming. If somehow he'd known I was lying.

As I enter the living room, I can suddenly hear the sirens in the distance – outside our window I see our neighbors flee across our lawn carrying suitcases. And on the television is the news reporter, sweating in front of the camera, his voice shaking. He's talking about flashes and explosions, how they've lost contact with all the stations and outposts. Nora jogs into the room behind me, Shaun in her arms, her face pale. "Oh no," she whispers.

"…We do have confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania…"

The screen suddenly turns blank; there's no signal. My heart is beating in my chest like it wants to get out and flee. So do I. My senses go on full alert and I grab Nora, shouting, "We need to get to the vault! Now!"

"I've got Shaun. Let's go!"

We run out through the front door, just as frantic as all our neighbors. The army is blocking the entrance to Sanctuary, waving us instead through the forest to where they've been constructing Vault 111 for the past few years. There are vertibirds everywhere, and tanks, though I have no idea what they're hoping to do with them. We sprint, overtaking people, crossing the little bridge.

At the entrance to the site of Vault 111, there's a whole crowd of screaming, crying people. "We have to get in!" one lady wails. 'My family, my children-"

"I don't want to die!" someone else yells.

We shoulder through the crowd to the front. The very same salesman who sold a place to my family mere minutes ago is in front of us. "This is absurd! I am Vault-Tec!"

"If your name isn't on the list, you aren't going in," the officer in the gateway snaps.

"I am going in – you can't stop me!"

One of the soldiers at the entrance begins firing up his minigun and the salesman instantly backs down, cringing away. I push him aside and shout, "We need to get in – we're on the list!"

"Infant, adult male, adult female… okay, go ahead."

"Thank you!" Nora says. We pass him into the grounds, following the waving soldiers. "What's going to happen to all those people outside the gate?" she asks.

"We're doing everything we can!" the soldier replies gruffly. "Now move!"

"Stand on the platform, in the center!" another soldier shouts. We do as we're told, stepping onto the blue-and-yellow platform. The sky is blue, and the trees are orange. I find myself viewing the world as if I'm about to leave it. Am I?

I look at Nora and Shaun, anxious. "Almost there," I say. "We're gonna be okay. I love you – both of you."

"We love you too-"

Just as Nora completes her sentence there's a magnificent roaring, like a great pack of lions has torn across the horizon. And then the sky seems to split – I see the orange and grey of an explosion, humungous, bigger than I've ever seen. My vision turns white for a second. "Oh my God!" Nora shrieks.

We all crouch, panting, screaming. The cloud is growing, coming closer and closer. If we don't move now we will die.

Just as it hits the edge of the compound, the lift begins moving, and we're undercover before it can burn us into dust. We sink down into the Earth as the world above is ruined in a blast of fire and smoke and radiation. It will become a scar. And later on, when we finally return to it, we will find the ruins and try to build upon them again. But things will never be the same.

I know this, because war – war never changes.