Dawn’s Story - The Brief Version
All her life, all Dawn knew was the Vault. She was born in the Vault, she would die in the Vault. And she was okay with that. The idea of the irradiated outside world terrified her - what sort of monsters were out there? Was anything even out there, or was it all dead land? So she was happy in the Vault, even if dealing with Butch and his bullies led to more than one late night crying in her room.
Placed on the Pip-boy programmer track in school, Dawn was ecstatic to learn about the technology that lived on her arm. For the next three years she worked alongside Stanley, learning everything she could about the Pip-boy.
That all changed shortly after her 19th birthday, when she woke up to the Vault in chaos. Her father had abandoned her, left her to die, because the Vault was out for her blood.
She barely escaped, clutching to a 10mm pistol she had no idea how to use. The outside world’s light blinding her eyes, Dawn collapsed outside the wooden door to the Vault’s cave and cried.
She’d be found by a passing trader and taken to Megaton, where the residents would take pity on James’ daughter and help train her to survive in the Wasteland. In exchange, she uses her programming skills to disarm the bomb, thus earning her a home in Megaton.
Dawn will stay in Megaton for a month, where becomes good friends with Gob.
Leaving Megaton, she begins her search for her father and almost immediately runs onto the DC Mall instead, finding herself at Underworld. It’s here that she purchases Charon.
It’s not until after Project Purity and the events of Broken Steel are completed that she discovers Harkness and the Railroad, and she eagerly agrees to sign up as a runner and tourist. They end up basing themselves out of Rivet City, as it’s a bigger trade hub than Megaton.
She’ll continue to operate in the Capital Wasteland for the next ten years, helping move synths around as one of the only Heavies in the area. If you ask her, she’ll say she’s not the Heavy, Charon is. She’s just there to be a pretty face.
When she hears of what’s happened in the Commonwealth, that someone’s neutralized the Institute, she sends word ahead to Railroad HQ - she’s coming up for a visit, curious.
Shy and scarred from a traumatic 10 years, the Railroad HQ members can’t initially believe that she and the massive ghoul with her are Bambi and Ferryman, two of the most prolific Heavies in Railroad history.
Eventually they establish a small safehouse in Goodneighbor, set up as a soup kitchen, with an apartment for her and Charon living above.
The day she runs into MacCready and Mac recognizes Charon, Dawn is ecstatic to see him again - and refuses to let go of the fact that he’s a Mungo now. She’s just happy to see that the little boy she knew grew up safely.