You see, they usually call people like you and me smoothskins. But I was treated so poorly by other Smoothskins down in Vault City that everyone here figured that I must be more lumpy than they are.
Skeeter's friend and assistant is a very thin, saggy-eyed, and unhappy-looking human. The reasons for this are numerous, but perhaps the most important is his mistreatment at the hands of other humans. Lumpy John has a natural resistance to radiation. Perfect around Gecko, but enough to get him shunned as non-human in Vault City.[1]
One day, John had enough of Vault City's hypocrisy and vileness. He left the city to die in the wastes. It was a stroke of luck, as a Broken Hills caravan heading to Gecko picked him up. He found a new family among the ghouls, forming the closest bond with Skeeter. John picked up a job as a brahmin caretaker, watching them and making sure nothing ill happens to the herd. He developed insight into brahmin as a result.[1]
Among the ghouls he is often referred to as Lumpy. The nickname stuck when the ghouls learned of John's mistreatment at the hands of fellow humans. It struck them as ironic that he's even more lumpy than they are.
↑ 1.01.1The Chosen One: "{181}{}{Why were you treated poorly in Vault City?}" John: "{200}{}{Well, they said I wasn’t human enough for them. I’m sorta radiation resistant -— perfect for here. But they didn’t like it. Treated me like dirt.}" The Chosen One: "{201}{}{Really?}" John: "{210}{}{One day I just couldn’t take it anymore. I figured that dying out in the Wastes was better than living with those assholes in Vault City.}" The Chosen One: "{211}{}{How’d you end up here, then?}" John: "{220}{}{Well, a caravan from Broken Hills found me and brought me here. I’ve been here ever since. One thing about the ghouls here is that they care more about what kind of person you are inside. It’s like a big family.}" The Chosen One: "{221}{}{Broken Hills? Where are those?}" John: "{230}{}{Broken Hills is where we get all the uranium that we need for the atomic reactor from. From what I understand, the uranium is mined by mutants down there. But they have humans trade the stuff for them.}" (GCLUMPY.MSG)
