Mel (Steel Reign)

Mel was an employee of the Bysshe Company at the Harpers Ferry tunnel before 2104.

Background
Stationed at Bysshe's natural gas pipeline facility in the Harpers Ferry tunnel, Mel was often at odds with the rest of his coworkers, lambasting them for their inability to adjust to the facility's new alphanumerical decryption system despite their specialized backgrounds. In turn, Mel's coworkers overlooked him as someone who was beneath them.

Due to his assignment inside the facility, Mel survived the Great War with many of his coworkers. However, he ultimately led the survivors, himself included, to their deaths. When the Mire's strangler vines overgrew into their space, their removal became a priority topic. During this time, Mel discovered industrial-grade herbicide in a supply closet and realized he could finally be the "smartest guy in the room". Mel set up a complicated laboratory display, complete with fake formula notes and dispenser, to hide his actual method while appearing to be deep in research. At the same time, he began to dose the facility's water supply with the herbicide, with some success against the plant growth. For these actions, Mel's coworkers finally celebrated him as a genius.

However, the vines eventually started resisting smaller doses of the herbicide, forcing Mel to dump larger and larger amounts of the chemicals into the water supply. The facility's water filtration system was unable to purify the larger doses, and Mel's coworkers gradually sickened and died. Mel, realizing what had happened, refused to drink the contaminated water and became the last survivor, preferring terminal dehydration to poisoning. Before succumbing to thirst, Mel wrote a note apologizing for his actions and entrusting the herbicide to anyone who would come, entreating them to use it to finally curb the vines. His request would be fulfilled by the Vault Dweller of Vault 76 in 2104 when they traversed the Bysshe facility in search of clues on a missing Blue Ridge Caravan Company group.

Appearances
Mel's skeleton appears only in Fallout 76, introduced in the Steel Reign update.