How to Dismantle an Atomic Weapon

So I went further, bringing up the moral choices aspect of Fallout 3, mentioning that, early on in the game, you are presented with the option of defusing an atomic bomb or detonating it to clear off a town for money. Granddad paused and asked me, “How do you know how to defuse the bomb?”

I explained that it was not a physical task, but more a matter of scores and attributes measured against an objective’s estimated difficulty. Still, he interrupted me. “Have you ever seen an atomic weapon?”

It turns out, during the Cold War, my grandfather as a Marine major, participated in the inspection of atomic arms aboard an aircraft carrier out in the Pacific. I asked what they looked like, and he described the virtual nuke I was screwing around with. Squat body, squared tail fin, you got it. There were even some atomic artillery pieces thrown in for good measure.

Not that I consider my virtual experiences as anything other than what they are, me sitting in front of a screen trying to advance a story interactively. But again, it shows there’s little you can do as a video game warrior that isn’t trumped by this man’s actual experience. Which is as it should be.

Footnote: the senior navy officer who arranged for my grandfather’s presence at this inspection? Admiral Roscoe F. Good, who is also known as my great-grandfather, Pop.

Here are some highlights from the weekend: