|affiliation =[[United States Armed Forces|U.S. Armed Forces]]
|dob =February 5, 2053
|dod =January 23, 2124
|affiliation =[[Sorrows]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]] (formerly)
|sex =Male
|sex =Male
|role =Survivalist<br />"The Father in the Cave"<br />"Vengeful Spirit"
|role ="The Father in the Cave"<br />"Vengeful Spirit"
|family =[[Charlotte Clark]] - wife {{Icon|dead}}<br />[[Alex Clark]] - son {{Icon|dead}}<br />[[Sylvie Clark]] - second wife {{Icon|dead}}<br />[[Michael Clark]] - unborn son {{Icon|dead}}
|family =[[Charlotte (Fallout: New Vegas)|Charlotte]] - wife {{Icon|dead}}<br />[[Alex (Fallout: New Vegas)|Alex]] - son {{Icon|dead}}<br />[[Sylvie]] - second wife {{Icon|dead}}<br />[[Michael (Fallout: New Vegas)|Michael]] - son {{Icon|dead}}
|holotapes =[[Year: 2124]]
|holotapes =[[Year: 2124]]
|related=[[Sorrows]]
|terminals =[[Randall Clark terminal entries]]
|terminals =[[Randall Clark terminal entries]]
|quests =[[The Grand Staircase]]
|quests =[[The Grand Staircase]]
|location =[[The Red Gate]]
|location =[[The Red Gate]]
}}{{Games|FNVHH}}
}}
{{Quotation|24 of them, half boys, half girls. Youngest is 8 maybe, oldest 13-14. Dirty and scrawny, been on foot a long time.|From Randall's diary, referring to the first members of the Sorrows.}}
{{Quotation|I wish them well. It's been a gift to me, at the end of it all, to behold innocence.|[[Randall Clark terminal entries|Randall Clark]]}}
'''Randall Dean Clark''' (known as "'''The Father in the Cave'''" by the [[Sorrows]] tribe) was a survivalist and former soldier inhabiting [[Zion Canyon|Zion National Park]] after the [[Great War]].
'''Randall Dean Clark''' (known as the "Father in the Cave" by the [[Sorrows]] tribe) was a veteran inhabiting [[Zion Canyon]] after the [[Great War]]. He cataloged his experiences there through a series of notes and [[Randall Clark terminal entries|terminal entries]], the last of which described his death on January 23, 2124.
Through [[Randall Clark terminal entries|notes]] that Clark left on computer terminals throughout Zion and in his duffle bag, a sort of autobiography unfolds, beginning with the war and the loss of his family to the bombs. Clark's tale details how he waited out the worst of the radiation, then set out into the light once more, adapting to the new flora and fauna as it, too, adapted to this new world. It mentions him helping others survive, as well as raining vengeance on those who would butcher innocents. It shows him becoming "The Father," his life ending with the rebirth of a group of children into the Sorrows tribe and Clark unwittingly immortalized as their deity.
==Background==
===Great War===
Clark was born on February 5, 2053. He served in the armed forces, commenting on the criminality of what he experienced in [[Canada]].<ref name="2100 entry" /> After his service, he lived in [[Salt Lake City]], frequently leaving home to spend time in the wild for days on end, much to the dismay of his wife [[Charlotte (Fallout: New Vegas)|Charlotte]] and son [[Alex (Fallout: New Vegas)|Alex]].<ref name="2077 entry" >[[Year: 2077]]</ref> He was returning from one of these trips when the [[Great War]] occurred. About an hour away from his home on the [[77]], his truck stopped without warning, as did the [[Chryslus Motors Corporation|Chryslus]] in the next lane.<ref name="2077 entry" /> The first warheads descended upon the city shortly thereafter.<ref name="2077 entry" /> The bombardment lasted seven minutes, and Clark counted 13 separate [[Nuclear missile (Fallout: New Vegas)|detonations]].<ref name="2077 entry" />
==History==
He collected his belongings and started walking back to Zion.<ref name="2077 entry" /> After five days, he reached the canyon, taking shelter inside [[Fallen Rock Cave]], finding a water source and [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] equipment.<ref name="2077 entry" /> A black rain came on October 31 and on November 2, the radiation levels spiked, so much so that Clark couldn't move within 15 feet of the cave entrance without his Geiger counter detecting lethal levels of radiation.<ref name="2077 entry" />
===The First Years===
Before the Great War extinguished human civilization, Randall Dean Clark (born February 5, 2053) served with the United States Army, deployed in recently [[United States annexation of Canada|annexed Canada]]. Witnessing the atrocities committed in the name of the American people, he was sickened by the criminality.<ref name="2100 entry" /> But Clark was more than a soldier. He took pride in his survival skills, often running off from [[Salt Lake City]] to the wilds for days on end, much to the dismay of his wife Charlotte and son Alex. He was just returning from one of his camping trips on October 23, taking the scenic route along [[Utah State Route 77|State Route 77]]. He was an hour from home when the Great War happened. His truck just stopped, as did the [[Chryslus Motors Corporation|Chryslus]] in the next lane. Clark recognized the [[Electromagnetic pulse|EMP]] and covered himself. The first warheads descended upon the city within a minute. The bombardment lasted just seven minutes, but Clark counted thirteen separate [[Nuclear missile (Fallout: New Vegas)|nuclear missile]] detonations.<ref name="2077 entry" />
He grabbed his pack and [[Survivalist's rifle|rifle]], mercy killed an old couple in the Chryslus who were blinded permanently by the flash of the explosion, then started walking back to Zion. After five days, he reached the canyon, taking shelter inside [[Fallen Rock cave]]. [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] equipment left behind and a spring in the back of the cave helped him survive the first horrific days. Though at first everything seemed alright, a black rain came on October 31, irradiating the land. By November 2, the radiation levels got so bad, Clark couldn't go within 15 feet of the entrance of the cave without his Geiger counter detecting lethal levels of radiation. So he waited, until either his water or the radiation went away.<ref name="2077 entry" >[[Year: 2077]]</ref>
The situation continued into 2078. After two months of surviving inside the cave, the [[radiation]] levels were still lethal.<ref name="2078 entry">[[Year: 2078]]</ref> With his water supplies running low, Clark took to mopping condensation off cave walls and wringing it into bottles but there was food in the cave, stockpiled by the USGS team.<ref name="2078 entry" />
The situation continued into 2078. After two months of surviving inside the cave, the [[radiation]] levels were still lethal, contrary to his Army training, which said 2–4 weeks were enough for it to clear. With his clean [[water]] supplies running low, Clark took to mopping condensation off cave walls and wringing it into bottles, trading calories for water. His only solace was that the USGS [[food]] stockpile was holding well, but that was the only one. Clark was alone, and if there was the slimmest chance of finding his family alive, he would happily brave the radiation just to see them again.<ref name="Y2078"/>
On January 8, a windstorm ripped through the canyons, lasted two days, and cleared out the radioactive fallout, dropping the exposure level by 500 rads by January 10.<ref name="2078 entry" /> Five days later, Clark risked emerging from the cave and found that glowing snow was falling.<ref name="2078 entry" /> By January 28 radiation levels dropped, allowing him to drink from a nearby stream as long as he took radiation drugs.<ref name="2078 entry" />
Things changed on January 8. A massive windstorm ripped through the canyons, lasting two whole days. It cleared out the radioactive fallout, dropping the exposure level by 500 rads by January 10. Five days later, Clark risked taking a peek outside. It was snowing. The snow glowed green. This meteorological phenomenon aside, by January 28 radiation levels dropped low enough for him to risk exposure outside of his cave shelter and even drink from the cave stream as long as he took radiation drugs.<ref name="Y2078" />
===Two Skies Cave===
He set out and established a second location at [[Two Skies Cave]]s.<ref name="2083 entry">[[Year: 2083]]</ref> By 2083, Clark stayed at both locations.<ref name="2083 entry" /> By May 5, he had identified a list of surviving plants and began to eat the fruit.<ref name="2083 entry" /> By May 7, he witnessed clouds of stinging flies in one part of the canyon, with a mutated dragonfly-sized creature feasting on them.<ref name="2083 entry" /> On May 19, he spied a [[bighorner]] family, which was the first time he had seen larger [[creature]]s since the war.<ref name="2083 entry" />
But even with a supply of water, Clark was alone. There was nothing else alive outside.<ref name="Y2078">[[Year: 2078]]</ref>
Shortly thereafter, Clark decided to return to his home in Salt Lake City.<ref name="2084 entry">[[Year: 2084]]</ref> He prepared for the expedition for a year, departing the canyon on April 10.<ref name="2084 entry" /> He reached the city after 15 days of dodging radiation pockets and foraging.<ref name="2084 entry" /> He hoped to find his family's home and bury them properly but the area was completely destroyed.<ref name="2084 entry" /> He turned back, avoiding areas of human presence along the way.<ref name="2084 entry" />
===The Witness===
===Spanish speakers===
Clark took things slowly, carefully. Camped out of Fallen Rock and [[Two Skies cave]]s, he slowly ventured out throughout the canyon. By 2083, he had a well-established camp at both locations. While his food stocks were still holding (although they were still plentiful by the time of the Courier’s arrival), he started to implement fresh [[fruit]] into his diet. Contrary to his early impressions, nature survived the nuclear holocaust and was slowly recovering. By May 5, he already identified a long list of surviving plants, with harmless nodules and [[Radiation#Mutations|mutations caused by the radiation]]. He carefully foraged, taking as little fruit as possible to enable the plants to survive. By May 7, he identified another sign of life: clouds of stinging flies in one part of the canyon, with a mutated dragonfly-sized creature feasting on them.<ref name="Y2083" />
Over a decade later in September 2095, a group of 28 Spanish-speaking individuals arrived in Zion.<ref name="2095 entry">[[Year: 2095]]</ref> Clark watched them closely, without revealing himself and keeping his distance.<ref name="2095 entry" /> Not understanding their language, he attempted to discern who they were and what they were doing.<ref name="2095 entry" /> In November, one of them broke his leg while hunting bighorners.<ref name="2095 entry" /> Clark intervened, first drawing the other survivors to his position with noise and then leaving behind a bottle of antibiotics.<ref name="2095 entry" /> By November 15, the man had recovered, and the group considered the event divine intervention.<ref name="2095 entry" />
The real revelation came on May 19, when he spied a [[bighorner]] family: a ram, ewe and a single lamb. For the first time since the War, he saw large [[Creature|animals]], and a family no less. Though they were changed by the radiation, they remained healthy and fertile. Clark knew he could now add animal husbandry to his list of activities. But he also knew another thing: it was finally time to go home.<ref name="Y2083">[[Year: 2083]]</ref>
In February, from his new camp in [[Stone Bones Cave]], Clark described a [[Vault 22 Dwellers|new group]] that arrived in the canyon, having attacked and killed many of the Spanish speakers.<ref name="2096 entry">[[Year: 2096]]</ref> Two women and five children survived and were captured by the new group, placed in a pen.<ref name="2096 entry" />
Clark prepared for the expedition for a year, finally departing on April 10 from the canyon. He reached Salt Lake City after 15 days of dodging radiation pockets and foraging. He hoped to find his family's home and bury them properly. But the warped landscape of craters, misshapen skeletons of high-rises, and brick mounds gave no hope. Everything was scorched clean. Clark turned back, scavenging what he could. He gave tracks of human presence a wide berth and returned to his solitude in Zion. He hated himself. Hated himself for scavenging, instead of finding his home and dying there, as his family did.<ref>[[Year: 2084]]</ref>
===Coughers===
He described the new arrivals as wearing suits with a [[Vault 22|22]] on the back, over 100 strong, armed with submachine guns and pistols.<ref name="2096 entry" /> He also noted that although they were well organized, with patrols and sentries set up along most approaches into the camp, they exhibited coughing fits, nicknaming them "Coughers."<ref name="2096 entry" /> Prior to February 14, Clark planned to infiltrate the camp to attempt a rescue.<ref name="2096 entry" />
But he did not. And he continued on, leading a solitary existence. Eleven years later, he finally found companionship, or rather, it found him. A group of 28 Spanish-speaking humans (11 men, 8 women, 9 [[child]]ren) wound up in Zion on September 20, 2095. Clark watched them closely, without revealing himself. Not speaking Spanish himself, he kept his distance, watching over them like a guardian angel. It became quite literal in November when one of the Mexican survivors broke his leg while hunting bighorners. Clark intervened, first drawing the other survivors to his position and then providing them with a bottle of antibiotics to fight off the infection caused by the compound fracture. By November 15, he saved the man's life, all without revealing himself to the group. They thought it was divine intervention. Clark knew otherwise.<ref name="Y2095">[[Year: 2095]]</ref>
However, he was not able to do so, as before he could free the captives, the group killed and ate them.<ref name="2096 entry" /> Clark retaliated, ambushing the dwellers where he could and booby-trapped bodies and weapons he could not take.<ref name="2096 entry" /> By the end of February, he had killed 24 dwellers and in the ten days it took to accomplish this, he only suffered one wound, a 10mm steel jacket round through the thigh, which missed the femoral artery.<ref name="2096 entry" /> Though he remained unseen by survivors, he was forced to move camp when on March 2, a small patrol nearly uncovered his camp when one of the men was caught in a deadfall trap.<ref name="2096 entry" /> After he disposed of the intruders, he moved his camp to [[Cueva Guarache]].<ref name="2096 entry II">[[Year: 2096 (II)]]</ref>
===The Newcomers===
After losing more than 80 members of the group to Clark and sickness, the dwellers gave up and fled the canyon, after eating their dead for nourishment.<ref name="Vengeful spirit" >[[BEWARE - A VENGEFUL SPIRIT STALKS THESE CANYONS]]</ref><ref name="2097 entry">[[Year: 2097]]</ref> Four days after they left, Clark found one of the group's members left behind, a woman named [[Sylvie]].<ref name="2097 entry" /> She was caught in a bear trap, having ran away from the main group, calling them "children of the devil."<ref name="2097 entry" /> Clark released her and nursed her back to health.<ref name="2097 entry" /> Sylvie confirmed Randall's suspicions that the group had some sort of sickness, but she was healthy and wanted to learn more about life outside of the vault.<ref name="2097 entry" />
Moving to [[Stone Bones cave]] over the winter, he watched the Mexicans live in the canyon. They survived the winter with ease. What they did not survive was the coming of the newcomers. [[Vault 22]] dwellers entered the canyon, driven out of their [[vault]] by [[Spore carrier|the fungal parasite infesting it]]. With over one hundred men and women, strong discipline, tactics and firepower, the small band of [[Mexico|Mexican]] survivors posed no threat to the dwellers. They hit the survivors' camp on February 11, killing all the men and shooting down women and children that resisted. The remainder was taken to the main camp of the dwellers and penned in like livestock.<ref name="2096I"/>
Clark was desperate to help the Mexican survivors. Over the next two days, he surveyed the area. The Vault 22 dwellers were organized well, with patrols and sentries set up along all approaches into the camp, except for the stream. The coughing among the dwellers puzzled Clark, but he ignored it as he prepared to save the surviving Mexicans. He went into the camp on February 14.<ref name="2096I"/>
===Sylvie===
The two began a relationship, and in September 2100, Sylvie discovered she was pregnant.<ref name="2100 entry">[[Year: 2100]]</ref> Becoming a father again at 47 scared Clark, but he had not told Sylvie about his family before the war.<ref name="2100 entry" /> Anticipating the child's birth, he traveled to [[Toquerville]], to gather what medical gear, [[Chems|medicine]] and [[book]]s he could find to assist in the delivery.<ref name="2100 entry" /> Despite preparations, Michael, his son, was a breech birth.<ref name="2101 entry">[[Year: 2101]]</ref> Clark was unable to turn him and performed a Caesarean section, but it was too late to save him or Sylvie, who never woke up from anesthesia.<ref name="2101 entry" /> He buried his second family south of the Narrows, and took some consolation that he was able to say goodbye to them unlike his previous family.<ref name="2101 entry" /> He went back to his cave and on March 5 contemplated suicide, but ultimately decided against it and moved to [[Morning Glory Cave]].<ref name="2101 entry" /> It was here that Clark discovered ghouls, which perplexed him.<ref name="2108 entry">[[Year: 2108]]</ref> The ghouls were hostile, so he put them all out of their misery.<ref name="2108 entry" />
What he saw snapped something inside him. The Vault 22 dwellers killed and ate everyone they took from the Mexican survivors' camp. Clark retaliated, waging a brutal war of attrition against them. With his rifle in hand and all the explosives he could use, he ambushed the dwellers where he could and booby-trapped bodies and [[weapon]]s he could not take.<ref name="2096I">[[Year: 2096]]</ref> By the end of February, he killed 24 dwellers in a cold, merciless campaign of vengeance. In the ten days it took to accomplish this, he only suffered one wound: a 10mm steel jacket round through the thigh, which missed the femoral artery. Though he remained unseen by survivors, he was forced to move camp when on March 2, a small patrol nearly uncovered his camp in the cave when one of their men was caught in a deadfall trap. Panic fire almost hit him. After he disposed of the intruders, he moved camp to [[Cueva Guarache]].<ref name="2096II">[[Year: 2096 (II)]]</ref>
===School children===
After his 70th birthday, a group of 24 children made their way into Zion, setting up camp at the old site used by the Mexican survivors 30 years earlier.<ref>[[Year: 2113]]</ref><ref name="2123 entry">[[Year: 2123]]</ref> Clark watched them from the shadows, listening to them. They spoke a variant of English, taught each other stories, learned that they escaped from [[the School]], fearing [[the Principal]].<ref name="2123 entry" /> Clark wanted to protect them and thought of ways he could use his skills to do so.<ref name="2124 entry">[[Year: 2124]]</ref> Unseen as before, he left them gifts such as storybooks, weapon manuals, medical books, and other practical items.<ref name="2124 entry" /> He also left them notes, telling them to be kind, that the canyon was their reward, a gift to make up for all the sorrows people visit upon their lives and each other.<ref name="2124 entry" /> He told them to be modest, but defend themselves, signing each note "the Father."<ref name="2124 entry" />
Victory came ten months later. After losing more than eighty members of the group to Clark and sickness, the dwellers gave up and fled the canyon, after eating their dead for nourishment.<ref name="Vengeful spirit" >[[BEWARE - A VENGEFUL SPIRIT STALKS THESE CANYONS]]</ref> Clark was victorious, but his vengeance was not satisfying. Four days after they left, he found a person who opened another chapter in his life: [[Sylvie Clark|Sylvie]]. She was a part of the Vault 22 expedition, but broke off from the main group, to avoid further mistreatment at the hands of the males. She stepped into one of Clark's bear traps by accident, allowing Randall to find her and he nursed her back to health. He taught her about life outside the Vault. And Sylvie, she wanted to learn.<ref name="2097 terminal entry">[[Year: 2097]]</ref>
In January 2124, Clark knew he was dying.<ref name="2124 entry" /> He had a hacking cough tinged with blood and shortness of breath.<ref name="2124 entry" /> He gave away most of what he owned to the children, leaving them one final note to reassure them that while the Father would be silent from here on out, he would always be out there to watch over and protect them.<ref name="2124 entry" /> Not wanting to die in a place where his body could be found by the children, made his way to [[the Red Gate]].<ref name="2124 entry" /> He reflected on his life, what he had accomplished, failed at, strove for, and succeeded in.<ref name="2124 entry" /> He ultimately decided that he was satisfied with preparing the group of children for the years beyond, mentioning that it had been, "a gift to me, at the end of it all, to behold innocence."<ref name="2124 entry" />
===Survivor's guilt===
For three years, they led a happy life. But in September 2100, terror entered Clark's life as they discovered Sylvie was pregnant.<ref name="2100 entry"/> Becoming a father again at 47 scared him. Sylvie did not know about Charlotte or Alex. She was happy to bear Clark's child. But Randall felt he failed once. He did not want to fail his second wife. He traveled to [[Toquerville]], to gather what medical gear, [[Chems|medicine]] and [[book]]s he could find to ensure the child came into the world unharmed. He wanted to do it right.<ref name="2100 entry">[[Year: 2100]]</ref>
Clark studied and prepared himself diligently for nine months, until the time came for the birth, around March 2101. Although he learned well and put his skills to use, he failed. Michael, his son, was a [[Wikipedia:Breech birth|breech birth]]. Clark was unable to turn him and performed a Caesarean section, but it was too late to save him or Sylvie, who never woke up from anesthesia. He buried his second family south of the Zion Narrows. He was with them this time. Clark gave up. He went back to his cave and on March 5 decided to commit suicide.<ref name="2101 entry" >[[Year: 2101]]</ref>
But he didn't do it. He moved to [[Morning Glory cave]] and continued his march into the long night. He was a survivor, though he wasn't free of questioning his own sanity. His first encounter with a roaming pack of [[feral ghoul]]s on August 23, 2108, made him believe he went crazy. He quickly changed his mind the next day, when the [[ghoul]]s rushed him, snarling like animals. Clark put them out of their misery by September 3. Something he wished he could do for himself.<ref>[[Year: 2108]]</ref>
Ten years later, the 70-year-old Clark found renewed purpose. Around April 2123, a group of 24 children made their way into Zion, setting up camp at the old site used by the Mexicans, 30 years earlier. Clark watched them from the shadows, listening to them. They spoke a variant of English, taught each other stories, learned that they escaped from [[the School]], fearing [[the Principal]]. Clark wanted to protect them and thought of ways he could use his skills to do so.<ref>[[Year: 2123]]</ref>
Clark took care of them. Unseen, as usual, he left them gifts: storybooks, weapon manuals, medical books, and other practical items. He also left them notes, telling them to read, learn, settle into Zion. Zion was their reward, a gift to make up for all the sorrows people visit upon their lives and each other. He told them to be kind, modest, but strike out against those who try to hurt them with anger. He became "the Father," a mythical figure caring for them.<ref name="2124 entry" />
But all things come to an end. By January 2124, Clark knew he was dying. It was lung cancer: hacking cough, shortness of breath, bloody spit. He gave away most of what he owned to the children, leaving them one final note: Reassuring that while the Father would be silent from here on out, he would always be out there to watch over and protect them. It was a lie, of course, but it did not matter. Clark, not wanting to die in a place where his body could be found by the children, packed his bag, his trusty rifle, and made his way to [[Red Gate]] on January 23. There, under the stars, the frail old man recorded his thoughts. He realized that what drove him on despite his death wish was his memories. With his family dead, their only life was in his memories of them. It drove him on, kept going through the years. And at the end, he saw innocence once more, in the children that settled in Zion.<ref name="2124 entry" />
Randall Dean Clark closed his eyes for the final time in the Red Gate, in January 2124.<ref name="2124 entry" >[[Year: 2124]]</ref>
{{Quotation|Goodbye, Zion.}}
==Appearances==
==Appearances==
The remains of Randall Clark appear only in the ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' [[Fallout: New Vegas add-ons|add-on]] ''[[Honest Hearts]]''.
Randall Clark is mentioned in the ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' [[Fallout: New Vegas add-ons|add-on]] and his skeleton appears in ''[[Honest Hearts]]''.
==Behind the scenes==
==Behind the scenes==
* The Survivalist was designed by [[Joshua Sawyer|J.E. Sawyer]], and his diary entries were written by [[John Gonzalez]].<ref>[https://archive.is/kOZWi Joshua Sawyer on Formspring]: ''"Finished Honest Hearts and I'm curious, who was involved with The Survivalist's subplot? Also, is it wrong that when I read his lines I hear them said by Sylvester Stallone?"''<br />''"I designed the overall arc of the Survivalist, his background, and his relationship with the inhabitants of Zion, but John Gonzalez wrote all of the entries you find in the logs."''</ref> He was conceived as a clever ex-military man without a lot of formal education.<ref>[https://archive.is/G3nIj Joshua Sawyer on Formspring May 18, 2011]: ''"The log entries for the Survivalist made him at times seem woefully uneducated. But in order to live under those conditions and seeing his ingenious methods, makes it seem he would be more the contrary."''<br />''"John and I thought of the Survivalist as a clever ex-military man without a lot of formal education. The Survivalist is experienced at living and traveling in the wilderness, so he uses his general experience and quick wits to survive in Zion. Some close examination of his rifle also gives clues about his life before the war."''</ref>
* The Survivalist was designed by [[Joshua Sawyer|J.E. Sawyer]], and his diary entries were written by [[John Gonzalez]].<ref group="Dev">[https://archive.ph/kOZWi Joshua Sawyer on Formspring]: ''"Finished Honest Hearts and I'm curious, who was involved with The Survivalist's subplot? Also, is it wrong that when I read his lines I hear them said by Sylvester Stallone?"''<br />''"I designed the overall arc of the Survivalist, his background, and his relationship with the inhabitants of Zion, but John Gonzalez wrote all of the entries you find in the logs."''</ref> He was conceived as a clever ex-military man without a lot of formal education.<ref group="Dev">[https://archive.ph/G3nIj Joshua Sawyer on Formspring May 18, 2011]: ''"The log entries for the Survivalist made him at times seem woefully uneducated. But in order to live under those conditions and seeing his ingenious methods, makes it seem he would be more the contrary."''<br />''"John and I thought of the Survivalist as a clever ex-military man without a lot of formal education. The Survivalist is experienced at living and traveling in the wilderness, so he uses his general experience and quick wits to survive in Zion. Some close examination of his rifle also gives clues about his life before the war."''</ref>
* Sawyer was completely unaware of the ''Twilight Zone'' episode ''The Old Man in the Cave'' during the production of ''Honest Hearts''. As such, it never factored into his design of the Survivalist.<ref>[http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3439576&pagenumber=387&perpage=40#post410452375 JES on SomethingAwful.com]: "'''Saint Sputnik posted: The other night I caught an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Old Man in the Cave," about a mysterious unseen figure who helped a bunch of nuclear apocalypse survivors. I feel like Fallout writers must mainline TZ episodes for inspiration. Confirm/Deny?'''
* Sawyer was completely unaware of the ''Twilight Zone'' episode ''The Old Man in the Cave'' during the production of ''Honest Hearts''. It never factored into his design of the Survivalist.<ref group="Dev">[http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3439576&pagenumber=387&perpage=40#post410452375 JES on SomethingAwful.com]: "''Saint Sputnik posted: The other night I caught an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Old Man in the Cave," about a mysterious unseen figure who helped a bunch of nuclear apocalypse survivors. I feel like Fallout writers must mainline TZ episodes for inspiration. Confirm/Deny?''<br />I've never seen (or heard of, before seeing that footnote on the Wikia) that episode."</ref>
<br />I've never seen (or heard of, before seeing that footnote on the Wikia) that episode."</ref>
==See also==
* [[Randall Clark terminal entries]]
==References==
==References==
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Revision as of 17:41, 31 August 2023
“I wish them well. It's been a gift to me, at the end of it all, to behold innocence.”— Randall Clark
Randall Dean Clark (known as the "Father in the Cave" by the Sorrows tribe) was a veteran inhabiting Zion Canyon after the Great War. He cataloged his experiences there through a series of notes and terminal entries, the last of which described his death on January 23, 2124.
Clark was born on February 5, 2053. He served in the armed forces, commenting on the criminality of what he experienced in Canada.[1] After his service, he lived in Salt Lake City, frequently leaving home to spend time in the wild for days on end, much to the dismay of his wife Charlotte and son Alex.[2] He was returning from one of these trips when the Great War occurred. About an hour away from his home on the 77, his truck stopped without warning, as did the Chryslus in the next lane.[2] The first warheads descended upon the city shortly thereafter.[2] The bombardment lasted seven minutes, and Clark counted 13 separate detonations.[2]
He collected his belongings and started walking back to Zion.[2] After five days, he reached the canyon, taking shelter inside Fallen Rock Cave, finding a water source and USGS equipment.[2] A black rain came on October 31 and on November 2, the radiation levels spiked, so much so that Clark couldn't move within 15 feet of the cave entrance without his Geiger counter detecting lethal levels of radiation.[2]
The situation continued into 2078. After two months of surviving inside the cave, the radiation levels were still lethal.[3] With his water supplies running low, Clark took to mopping condensation off cave walls and wringing it into bottles but there was food in the cave, stockpiled by the USGS team.[3]
On January 8, a windstorm ripped through the canyons, lasted two days, and cleared out the radioactive fallout, dropping the exposure level by 500 rads by January 10.[3] Five days later, Clark risked emerging from the cave and found that glowing snow was falling.[3] By January 28 radiation levels dropped, allowing him to drink from a nearby stream as long as he took radiation drugs.[3]
Two Skies Cave
He set out and established a second location at Two Skies Caves.[4] By 2083, Clark stayed at both locations.[4] By May 5, he had identified a list of surviving plants and began to eat the fruit.[4] By May 7, he witnessed clouds of stinging flies in one part of the canyon, with a mutated dragonfly-sized creature feasting on them.[4] On May 19, he spied a bighorner family, which was the first time he had seen larger creatures since the war.[4]
Shortly thereafter, Clark decided to return to his home in Salt Lake City.[5] He prepared for the expedition for a year, departing the canyon on April 10.[5] He reached the city after 15 days of dodging radiation pockets and foraging.[5] He hoped to find his family's home and bury them properly but the area was completely destroyed.[5] He turned back, avoiding areas of human presence along the way.[5]
Spanish speakers
Over a decade later in September 2095, a group of 28 Spanish-speaking individuals arrived in Zion.[6] Clark watched them closely, without revealing himself and keeping his distance.[6] Not understanding their language, he attempted to discern who they were and what they were doing.[6] In November, one of them broke his leg while hunting bighorners.[6] Clark intervened, first drawing the other survivors to his position with noise and then leaving behind a bottle of antibiotics.[6] By November 15, the man had recovered, and the group considered the event divine intervention.[6]
In February, from his new camp in Stone Bones Cave, Clark described a new group that arrived in the canyon, having attacked and killed many of the Spanish speakers.[7] Two women and five children survived and were captured by the new group, placed in a pen.[7]
Coughers
He described the new arrivals as wearing suits with a 22 on the back, over 100 strong, armed with submachine guns and pistols.[7] He also noted that although they were well organized, with patrols and sentries set up along most approaches into the camp, they exhibited coughing fits, nicknaming them "Coughers."[7] Prior to February 14, Clark planned to infiltrate the camp to attempt a rescue.[7]
However, he was not able to do so, as before he could free the captives, the group killed and ate them.[7] Clark retaliated, ambushing the dwellers where he could and booby-trapped bodies and weapons he could not take.[7] By the end of February, he had killed 24 dwellers and in the ten days it took to accomplish this, he only suffered one wound, a 10mm steel jacket round through the thigh, which missed the femoral artery.[7] Though he remained unseen by survivors, he was forced to move camp when on March 2, a small patrol nearly uncovered his camp when one of the men was caught in a deadfall trap.[7] After he disposed of the intruders, he moved his camp to Cueva Guarache.[8]
After losing more than 80 members of the group to Clark and sickness, the dwellers gave up and fled the canyon, after eating their dead for nourishment.[9][10] Four days after they left, Clark found one of the group's members left behind, a woman named Sylvie.[10] She was caught in a bear trap, having ran away from the main group, calling them "children of the devil."[10] Clark released her and nursed her back to health.[10] Sylvie confirmed Randall's suspicions that the group had some sort of sickness, but she was healthy and wanted to learn more about life outside of the vault.[10]
Sylvie
The two began a relationship, and in September 2100, Sylvie discovered she was pregnant.[1] Becoming a father again at 47 scared Clark, but he had not told Sylvie about his family before the war.[1] Anticipating the child's birth, he traveled to Toquerville, to gather what medical gear, medicine and books he could find to assist in the delivery.[1] Despite preparations, Michael, his son, was a breech birth.[11] Clark was unable to turn him and performed a Caesarean section, but it was too late to save him or Sylvie, who never woke up from anesthesia.[11] He buried his second family south of the Narrows, and took some consolation that he was able to say goodbye to them unlike his previous family.[11] He went back to his cave and on March 5 contemplated suicide, but ultimately decided against it and moved to Morning Glory Cave.[11] It was here that Clark discovered ghouls, which perplexed him.[12] The ghouls were hostile, so he put them all out of their misery.[12]
School children
After his 70th birthday, a group of 24 children made their way into Zion, setting up camp at the old site used by the Mexican survivors 30 years earlier.[13][14] Clark watched them from the shadows, listening to them. They spoke a variant of English, taught each other stories, learned that they escaped from the School, fearing the Principal.[14] Clark wanted to protect them and thought of ways he could use his skills to do so.[15] Unseen as before, he left them gifts such as storybooks, weapon manuals, medical books, and other practical items.[15] He also left them notes, telling them to be kind, that the canyon was their reward, a gift to make up for all the sorrows people visit upon their lives and each other.[15] He told them to be modest, but defend themselves, signing each note "the Father."[15]
In January 2124, Clark knew he was dying.[15] He had a hacking cough tinged with blood and shortness of breath.[15] He gave away most of what he owned to the children, leaving them one final note to reassure them that while the Father would be silent from here on out, he would always be out there to watch over and protect them.[15] Not wanting to die in a place where his body could be found by the children, made his way to the Red Gate.[15] He reflected on his life, what he had accomplished, failed at, strove for, and succeeded in.[15] He ultimately decided that he was satisfied with preparing the group of children for the years beyond, mentioning that it had been, "a gift to me, at the end of it all, to behold innocence."[15]
The Survivalist was designed by J.E. Sawyer, and his diary entries were written by John Gonzalez.[Dev 1] He was conceived as a clever ex-military man without a lot of formal education.[Dev 2]
Sawyer was completely unaware of the Twilight Zone episode The Old Man in the Cave during the production of Honest Hearts. It never factored into his design of the Survivalist.[Dev 3]
↑Joshua Sawyer on Formspring: "Finished Honest Hearts and I'm curious, who was involved with The Survivalist's subplot? Also, is it wrong that when I read his lines I hear them said by Sylvester Stallone?" "I designed the overall arc of the Survivalist, his background, and his relationship with the inhabitants of Zion, but John Gonzalez wrote all of the entries you find in the logs."
↑Joshua Sawyer on Formspring May 18, 2011: "The log entries for the Survivalist made him at times seem woefully uneducated. But in order to live under those conditions and seeing his ingenious methods, makes it seem he would be more the contrary." "John and I thought of the Survivalist as a clever ex-military man without a lot of formal education. The Survivalist is experienced at living and traveling in the wilderness, so he uses his general experience and quick wits to survive in Zion. Some close examination of his rifle also gives clues about his life before the war."
↑JES on SomethingAwful.com: "Saint Sputnik posted: The other night I caught an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Old Man in the Cave," about a mysterious unseen figure who helped a bunch of nuclear apocalypse survivors. I feel like Fallout writers must mainline TZ episodes for inspiration. Confirm/Deny? I've never seen (or heard of, before seeing that footnote on the Wikia) that episode."
