I woke up with a jolt, my mind racing. The world was still fuzzy, a low hum of static in the back of my head, but something felt… different. I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the new surroundings. I wasn't in my bed. I wasn't even in my own body.
It took a few moments before the memories fully clicked into place. I wasn't myself anymore. I wasn't even in my world. I was in a world that had been ravaged by nuclear fire. A world where the old powers were gone, and the future seemed as bleak as the sky above. I was reborn in the Fallout universe.
But there was something that made my situation different from most self-inserts I had heard about. I wasn't just another wanderer. I wasn't a lone survivor with a pip-boy and a dream of cleaning up the wastes. No, I had been reborn as an Army Captain stationed at one of the last standing military bases in the country—Fort Independence and the clock was ticking. Fort Independence was about to be nuked.
Small Time skip
It had only been three months since I had awakened in this new body, remembering all the strategies, knowledge, and tactics of a soldier—an officer—from my previous life but in the wasteland, you either adapted or you died.
Sitting in the command center, a dozen officers and soldiers scurried around, each working diligently on their assigned tasks. I had no time to get sentimental or confused, I've been given a second chance, and I would be damned if I wasted it.
"Captain, sir, we have confirmation of a missile launch," Lieutenant Anders, a young officer with a thick brow, reported from the radar station. His voice was tight, his hands trembling as he typed frantically at the keyboard.
"How long until impact?" I asked, my voice calm. On the inside, I was far from calm, but I couldn't afford to let that show. Not now.
"Two hours, sir."
A cold shiver ran down my spine. The missile was coming for us. I had known this was coming for days. I had seen the signs—the encrypted communications, the patterns of the enemy forces. But I hadn't known when. And now, I was running out of time. I had no choice I had to act.
"Get everyone into the underground bunkers," I ordered, my voice cutting through the tension in the room. "Prepare for immediate lockdown. This base has to survive, no matter what."
It was a gamble, but it was the only chance we had. I already knew that the missile wasn't just an ordinary bomb—it was a nuke. And if it hit, everything would be gone. I had no intention of going down without a fight.
"Lieutenant, get me the base's emergency launch codes," I ordered, turning to Anders. "Now."
He hesitated for just a moment before nodding, his fingers flying over the keys. "Yes, Captain."
I couldn't afford to wait for help. Even if we managed to get to the bunkers, the radiation would still pose a threat, the only way to save the base and its people was to intercept the missile, and there was only one way to do that.
"Captain, the codes are ready," Anders said, his voice strained. "But it's a one-time use system. If we use it, there's no going back."
I took a deep breath. I knew what needed to be done, I wasn't just going to save my people from this bomb I was going to ensure that the survivors who made it out of the base would have a chance to rebuild, a chance to fight back.
"Activate the missile defense system," I ordered, my voice firm. "We're not going down today."
Anders hesitated only a moment longer before hitting the button. A low hum filled the command center as the defense systems powered up. I could feel the tension in the air, the weight of the decision hanging over us all. I had no idea if this would even work, but I had no other choice.
The countdown to impact continued. The missile was closing in. But I had one final card to play.
"Raise the base's defenses to maximum power. Get those anti-air batteries online now!" I barked.
It was a race against time. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The countdown reached the final thirty seconds. I closed my eyes for a moment, knowing that this would be the moment of truth.
"Five seconds," Anders said. "Four… three… two… one…"
A flash of light erupted on the horizon, followed by an earth-shaking roar. The base trembled, but the missile had been intercepted—destroyed mid-air by the last-ditch defense systems I had activated, we had done it.
But the cost would be high. The missile's explosion had damaged the base's infrastructure, and while the main facility was safe, we had sustained considerable damage. The city around us was a glowing ruin, and there was no telling how many people had died in the blast radius.
In the days following the attack, I could see the exhaustion on the faces of everyone in the command center. But I could also see the hope. We had survived in this world, that was a victory.
The base had been saved, but the war was far from over. The Enclave, the Brotherhood, the Raiders, the Super Mutants—these were all enemies we would have to face. But now we had something to fight for. I had something to fight for.
As I stood on the balcony of the command center, looking out over the wasteland, I thought of the future. I had knowledge—both old and new—and a purpose. There were survivors out there, scattered across the wastes, and they needed someone to lead them it was time to rebuild.
I had been given a second chance at life. A chance to save lives, to help the lost, to stand tall in a world that had been brought to its knees.
I wasn't just an Army Captain anymore. I was a symbol, a beacon of hope for the people who still believed in the possibility of a future. I would see that future through, no matter the cost.
Months later, the military base had become something more than just a fortress. It was a sanctuary. The survivors came, seeking safety, protection, and the chance to rebuild. Some brought supplies, others brought skills. Together, we formed a new society—one where the mistakes of the past would not be repeated.
And as I watched the first crops grow under the base's protective dome, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and for once, the world felt a little less empty.