Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/8270965.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Rape/Non-Con, Underage, Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence
  Category:
      F/M
  Fandom:
      Fallout_(Video_Games), Fallout_3, Fallout:_New_Vegas, Fallout_4
  Relationship:
      Joshua_Graham/Original_Female_Character, Craig_Boone/Original_Female
      Character
  Character:
      Zip, Robert_Joseph_MacCready, Moira_Brown, Lucas_Simms, Paladin_Bael,
      Confessor_Cromwell, Squire_Arthur_Maxson, Original_Characters, Arthur
      Maxson, Raiders_(Fallout), Owyn_Lyons, Gob, Crimson_Caravan_Company,
      Original_Female_Character(s), Original_Male_Character(s), Brotherhood_of
      Steel, Alice_McLafferty, Ralph_(Fallout:_New_Vegas), Mick_(Fallout),
      Henry_Jamison, Dr._Thomas_Hildern, Angela_Williams, Vulpes_Inculta, Doc
      Mitchell, Benny_(Fallout), Great_Khans, Deputy_Beagle, Johnson_Nash, Ruby
      Nash, Follows_Chalk, Joshua_Graham_(Fallout), Craig_Boone, Manny_Vargas,
      Jeannie_May_Crawford, Jason_Bright, Chris_Haversam, Christine_Royce, Dean
      Domino, Dog_|_God_(Fallout), Elijah_(Fallout), Vera_Keyes
  Additional Tags:
      Eventual_Fluff, Lots_of_Eventual_Fluff, Eventual_Smut, Eventual
      Relationships, Siblings, Little_Lamplight, The_Capital_Wasteland_-
      Freeform, Big_Town, Megaton, Citadel, Lots_of_Elbowing, Slow_Burn, really
      slow_burn, Like_really_really_slow, Canon_Related, Not_Canon_Compliant,
      Everyone_loves_the_main_OC, New_Vegas, Texas, Mojave_Wasteland, Mick_&
      Ralph's, Freeside, Atomic_Wrangler, Gun_Runners, Non-Consensual, Sibling
      Incest, Twincest, New_Vegas_Intro, Goodsprings, Original_Character_Death
      (s), Angst, Violence, Canon-Typical_Violence, OC_Becomes_Courier_6_Kinda,
      Primm_-_Freeform, Honest_Hearts_(DLC), Zion, REPCONN, Novac, Sierra_Madre
      Casino, Dead_Money_(DLC)
  Series:
      Part 2 of Wasteland_Wanderers
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-10-12 Updated: 2016-11-04 Chapters: 15/? Words: 68041
****** Someday I'll Meet You Again ******
by HancocksLove
Summary
     **ATTENTION!: PLEASE NOTE - This story is *NOT* about the Sole
     Survivor, Courier, or Lone Wanderer. HOWEVER! In later chapters the
     Sole Survivor WILL make an appearance AND is in a relationship with
     Hancock. Which is why I will be using the tag John Hancock/Sole
     Survivor later on.**
     ***I will update ALL Tags (Characters, Additional, etc) and Archive
     Warnings as the story progresses! I don't want to give away too much
     before I upload chapters.***
     This is a side-story to The One You're Lookin' For and contains OC
     that are the main characters: Packrat and his twin sister Rabbit. In
     this story these two kids, who are from the south, have turned 16 and
     are forced out of Little Lamplight, into the Capital Wasteland. Their
     adventures will end up taking them to the Mojave Wasteland and the
     Commonwealth, making new friends along the way. Some of those
     friends, though, pop back into their lives unexpectedly.
     You'll notice that there's a lot of Player Character in-game dialogue
     from Fallout 3 and New Vegas that occurs between the OC and others.
     It's hard to explain what I've done here, but if you give it a read,
     you'll see what I'm talking about. ;)
Notes
     Please ignore my spelling and grammatical errors that I was unable to
     catch to fix before uploading.
***** Easy Living *****
Chapter Summary
     This is about a brother and sister turning 16. And you know what that
     means...
One mid-October morning in the year 2280, the entire town gathered in the
dining area. “Happy birthday.” All the children said, casually throwing
confetti around the twins. Presents were generally given anytime someone had a
birthday, but there was one dismal occasion that was always difficult for the
inhabitants; presents weren't exactly appropriate. Eventually, everyone
experienced that specific occasion, it was inevitable. The children gathered
round the birthday boy and girl, wishing them the best. Everyone sat down to
have the cake one of the boys had made, nothing but silence filled the room.
There were so many things to be said, but nothing would make it any easier.
Even the dogs knew something was up, they weren't under the table begging for
scraps like they usually were. Times like these were dreaded by everyone, hated
by those left behind. It was more of a solemn occasion than a celebration, no
matter how happy everyone appeared.
“…do we have to?” The redheaded, green-eyed birthday girl said in her southern
drawl.
“Sorry Rabbit, rules are rules. But, happy birthday.” The other kids named her
Rabbit when her and her brother first came along because of her ability to just
‘hop in and hop out’ of some places. She was proficient with a pistol and new
how to dispatch any problematic baddies before they knew she was even there.
She thought the nickname was a bit silly, but didn’t mind.
“Yeah, I know… but I'm scared.” She said, wiping the tears from eyes.
“You won’t be alone.” One of the 15 year old boys replied, looking at her from
underneath the brim of his helmet. “It’s something everyone goes through. It’ll
be my turn real soon. This year.”
“Yeah, besides, you'll have me with you.” Her brother said, giving her a side
hug. She knew he'd be with her, but that didn't make her feel any better. They
knew nothing about the Wasteland, how would they survive? They weren't much
more than children that were going to have to brave whatever dangers laid
before them. At least they had one more night to stay there, one more night of
safety… one more night of a guaranteed meal.
“Not really what I meant,” The 15 year old said, “but that too.” No one could
tell that he was afraid as well. He wasn’t the one venturing beyond the safety
of their town, but he knew his time was coming. However, he felt more afraid
for Rabbit, hoping her brother would take care of her… he didn’t dare tell
anyone, especially her, that she was his favorite. He was 15 and, of course,
interested in girls, he had so much on his plate though and girls would only
complicate things. He had a responsibility to the others. Though, there were
many nights he laid awake in bed, thinking about how he would like to know her
better… on a personal level. Know where she came from, who her parents were,
how she ended up there. The only thing he knew about her was that Rabbit and
her brother, Packrat, were from the south. Why did they move so far north? What
happened to their parents? These were the most common questions that kept him
awake at night. He knew all of the other children fairly well, so he thought…
except those two.
“Come on, sis.” Packrat said, latching onto her elbow. “We gotta pack up and
hit the hay so we can head out tomorrow.” He couldn’t hide the fact that he was
excited to venture forth beyond the walls they’d come to know over the last 4
years. Packrat loved adventures, and he loved to scavenge for things -
especially toys. Anything anyone needed, Packrat could find it. Sure, he'd been
out into the Wasteland, but he didn't stray far or for very long. He couldn't
wait to see what new things he could find or what he could make out of them.
Rabbit knew how to scavenge and make things, but not like he did. Packrat was
going to teach her how to properly scavenge and put things together with next
to no supplies, it would be something she'd need to know. His excitement was so
overwhelming that he could only hope to catch a few hours of shuteye.
The twins went around visiting everyone to make sure they said all the goodbyes
they needed to. Rabbit’s cheeks were tear drenched the whole time. Packrat knew
his sister didn't want to leave town, but it was policy, no exceptions. Not
even for her. He wanted to help her find the courage she needed, he could tell
she was terrified. Her fears may not have been quite so obvious to the others,
but he knew he sister. He could only hope that it wouldn't become a hindrance.
After they made their rounds to bid farewell to the others, they went to bed.
Rabbit had nightmares about the Wasteland that night, mostly about Deathclaws
or Super Mutants ripping them to pieces. She would wake up periodically in a
cold sweat, looking over at Packrat to make sure she was actually dreaming.
Rabbit didn't really want to go back to sleep each time she woke from a
nightmare because when one sleeps, hours feel like seconds and she wanted to
delay their departure as long as possible. But, she knew better than to try to
leave with little sleep. Packrat was snoring away in his bed as he always was.
This could be the last night they'd even have a bed for a while.
Before long, morning was upon them, Packrat woke his sister and the two
gathered their possessions. The entire town seemed dreary to Rabbit, almost as
if overnight everything had dulled. There wasn't any rattling coming from the
kitchen, the dogs weren't barking, not even the sounds of children playing.
Rabbit thought for a second that maybe if she begged, on her hands and knees,
they'd be able to stay. That thought was pushed aside quickly because she knew
better. It wasn't anything personal, it's just how they ran things. Walking to
the entrance of the town, they looked back at all the faces they'd come to know
and love, waving their goodbyes.
“This isn't goodbye,” the helmeted boy told her, “It’s just a see ya later.”
“See ya later, MacCready, been nice knowin’ ya.” Packrat said to the boy.
“Take care of each other.” He said back. He managed to get enough courage to go
over and hug Rabbit, trying to contain the pain he felt knowing it would be a
long time before he'd get to see her again, if at all. She didn't hesitate to
hug him back. Rabbit turned to the other boy standing there, “See you later,
Mayor Zip. Thank you for making us feel at home here.” She looked back at
MacCready, “And thank you for being so welcoming, too.”
“It's my job. But you're welcome. Don't forget how I told you to get to Big
Town. It's not far.” The Mayor told her while MacCready was too busy stuttering
and blushing.
The twins waved to all the other children, then turned and walked out of the
entrance into the Wasteland, leaving Little Lamplight behind forever.
***** Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall *****
Chapter Summary
     Packrat and his sister, Rabbit, have left Little Lamplight. They're
     bummed cos they're mungos. Big Town has gone to shit.
     Please note, the errors in spelling when Packrat or Rabbit are
     talking, are on purpose. It's how you 'hear' their southern drawl.
Packrat and Rabbit couldn’t see any places from where they stood, just desolate
Wasteland. Mayor Zip had given them specific directions on how to get to Big
Town with the least danger. There was word that Super Mutants had started
patrolling close by, but shortly after that information reached Zip, he didn't
hear anything more. Packrat remembered what they were told to do, so he led
Rabbit down the hillside towards their destination, navigating around all of
the potential peril. The closer they got to Big Town, the more uneasy they
started to feel - it seemed… vacant. Packrat figured they'd see people working
or, at least, milling about. But there were none. The pair crept up beside one
of the houses, deafened by the sheer silence, Packrat told his sister to stay
behind him while he looked around the corner through the fencing. She listened.
He saw something that made his stomach churn - pieces of what he could only
assume were human being and a couple of dead Super Mutants. A serious battle
had taken place in Big Town, and it’s people lost. Not a single person had
survived the Super Mutant attack. There were marks in the dirt of what appeared
to look as if people had been dragged away. He looked back at his sister and
whispered, “We shouldn't be here. We needta get while the gettin’s good.”
Rabbit covered her mouth to keep from making a sound. She was shaking but
managed to nod her head in agreement. Big Town was out of the question, they'd
need to find somewhere else to go that was close by, but safe too. They had no
idea where to go, or even what towns were near their location, but they had to
do something in case the Super Mutants returned.
“Maybe we can talk to Zip.” Rabbit whispered, “Maybe he'll let us back in since
it's not safe here.”
“You know that isn't going to happen. It's against the rules. We’re the Mungos
now, we ain’t welcome there anymore.” Rabbit knew this, but she didn't want to
accept it. How would they turn them away knowing the dangerous situation with
Big Town? How would two 16 year old kids be expected to stand against a gang of
Super Mutants if an entire village of Mungos couldn't? Rabbit dropped her head
and began to cry, her brother hugged her, “It’s gonna be okay, sis. Don't you
worry. I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you. We’ll figure this out.
Right now you need to buck up ‘cause we gotta find somewhere to sleep tonight.
I dunno ‘bout you, but this doesn't look inviting.”
“You're right. I'm sorry. But are we supposed to wander until we come across
another village?”
Packrat scratched his head and thought for a second, “Naw, I seen a few places
on the way here we can check out. Gotta be on alert and suspicious of everyone,
though.” Rabbit nodded her head at him and they quietly walked back to the
road, taking care not to step on anything that could make the slightest of
noise. Once they back-tracked a ways, far enough from Big Town to feel a bit
safe, Packrat told Rabbit that they had passed by what looked like a power
station of some kind. Continuing to follow the road, they came to a broken
bridge and someone was standing in the middle of it. Packrat motioned for his
sister to stay behind him and to keep quiet but it was too late. The Raider
that stood on the bridge opened fire on them, alerting the other Raiders that
had taken over a Bed & Breakfast just to the south. Packrat threw his sister
off of the bridge, jumping down to the ground after her. Before either of them
could move, they heard more gunfire and took cover underneath the bridge. As
luck would have it, a couple of Brotherhood Outcasts happened across that area
at the same time, taking the Raiders out with ease. Rabbit ran over to the
Outcasts and started to thank them even though she felt intimidated by their
red and black power armor. However, they didn’t want to be bothered at all it
seemed. In fact, Rabbit found them extremely rude and unpleasant. “Why don’t
you go bother the Brotherhood or something?” One of them said to her as she
tried to show appreciation. She could only scoff at the men as Packrat
practically dragged her away from them. “Don’chu know you don’t go talkin’ to
strangers like that?! He coulda shot you!”
“Stupid Mungo.” Rabbit scoffed again.
“We ARE the mungos, don’t you get it?”
“I didn’t ASK to be a mungo, Everett!” Rabbit hissed through gritted teeth.
She called Packrat by his real name… that’s when he knew she was extremely
upset. Being the caring big brother he was, who was only older by a few
minutes, he apologized for being cross with her and explained that he simply
didn’t want to see her get hurt. She understood and apologized in return for
being so careless. She still felt shaken over the Raiders shooting at them,
she’d never been shot at before by other humans. Super Mutants, sure, a couple
of times. But humans? Never. Packrat then gave her a nudge, pointing towards a
small area with a few houses, “Looks abandoned,” he said. “We oughta go check
it out… carefully. It’ll at least be somewhere to stay for the night, if
nothin’ else.” This time they weren’t going to be caught off guard, Packrat
grabbed his 9mm and Rabbit reached for her Chinese pistol and turned the safety
off. Approaching the tiny settlement, they could see silhouettes of people
walking around aimlessly. Realizing that these Wastelanders weren’t exactly
humans, but Ghouls, they proceeded with extreme caution though the Ghouls
didn’t appear to be Feral. The closer they got the more nervous they were,
Packrat looked over at his sister, “We’re gonna be friendly but cautious, okay?
No attitude, no matter what. Got it?”
“Got it.” She said, still holding her pistol in her hands, keeping it pointed
towards the ground so she wouldn’t appear as a threat. Although, once they
finally reached the settlement, it was a good thing they had armed themselves
beforehand because four Ghouls, though not Feral, were definitely violent and
started charging at them with baseball bats, one even had a shotgun. Lucky for
the twins, they were proficient enough with firearms to quickly dispatch them
without problem. “Don’t think there are anymore.” Packrat said skimming the
area, “But let’s be wary when we check these houses, okay?” Rabbit nodded,
staying on high alert as they walked into the first abandoned house they came
to.
“Jesus H…” Packrat said, looking at several skeletons on the ground. “Looks
like they tried to use this table here to protect themselves. Didn’t work.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Rabbit said, rolling her eyes at him.
“You’re welcome. Now, come on, no way are we gonna sleep in here. Ain’t a bed
one.” He said with a laugh, wrapping an arm around Rabbit’s shoulders and
leading her out the door. They crossed through some debris to the other side of
the small village and saw two more houses they could look in. Going inside the
large one first, it seemed to be a dining hall. They didn’t find much other
than a bit of food and a few Nuka-Cola’s, but that was better than nothing.
Upon walking back outside, they suddenly began to hear yelling and screams of
pain. Just as the two were about to go try to help whomever was being hurt,
they heard the most terrifying sound coming from the nearby junkyard. Rabbit
had never heard anything like it before, but Packrat had, once. He immediately
pushed her into the small shack that they’d yet to explore and she fell to the
floor with a thump.
“OW! What the hell, Packrat?!”
“Sorry, you heard that, right?”
“Yeah, how could I not. The hell was it?”
“I’ve heard that sound once before. It’s a sound you’ll never forget as long as
you live. Or, at least, you’d better hope you don’t. That there was the sound
of a Deathclaw. Bite yer head off in one chomp.” He said, using his arms and
hands to mimic the bite.
“Nuh uh!” Rabbit said in disbelief.
“Oh yeah. I seen one before, just one time though. Saw it eat up a Super Mutant
in two swallows. So we’re gonna stay right here until tomorrow. Then, YOU are
gonna stay right here while I go see if that Deathclaw is still stompin’ around
out there.”
“Oh no. I don’t even think so. One, you’re not leavin’ me here in a strange
place all by my damn self, not gonna happen. Two, what if he is huh? You’re
gonna need help. We both go together or neither of us is leaving this shack.”
“Ugh! I swear on all that is holy, Rabbit , sometimes you are the most stubborn
sister a brother could have!” He said to her, facepalming. She knew that she
was stubborn, but if Packrat wasn’t going to let her go anywhere alone, she
wasn’t going to let him either.
Night fell and they could still hear the Deathclaw’s roars outside and screams
of agony. Rabbit thought that junkyard must’ve been entirely full of people for
the Deathclaw to have so much to eat. Maybe he’d be too full to eat her or her
brother for breakfast. Looking around, neither one of them saw a bed, only
tables. Packrat improvised. He climbed onto one of the tables, laid his pack
down as a pillow, and made that his bed for the night. Rabbit made an
unpleasant face as the thought of having to sleep on such a hard surface.
“What? It’s better than sleeping on the dirty floor.” Packrat told her as he
rolled onto his side to get comfortable. Rabbit sighed, knowing her brother had
a valid point, then pushed a table closer to him and tried to get on top of it.
She had a hard time doing so because she was quite short, she couldn’t have
stood taller than 5’3” (160cm) and her brother wasn’t much taller than that. It
took her a bit of effort to hop up on the table, she couldn’t just climb up
Packrat did, but finally made it. Packrat was out within a few minutes, Rabbit
on the other hand took much longer. She didn’t have a lot on her mind, just
home and the people she missed - like Knock Knock and Knick Knack, another pair
of twins that lived in Little Lamplight. They understood what it was like to be
a twin, to just know when something was wrong with their sibling. To have that
bond. It wasn’t something you could get rid of, not that they’d want to. The
girl, Knock Knock, was one of Rabbit’s best friends until they had to leave.
They were a bit older than Rabbit and her brother, but not much. She missed
them and frequently wondered if they were okay. Now that they were out in the
Wasteland as well, maybe they would run into them somewhere. Rabbit hoped. Then
she began to wonder about the younger kids, like Bumble, who was only 9. Maybe
Bumble would become Mayor someday. She thought about MacCready, how he ensured
they felt like they fit in. Rabbit wondered if they’d cross paths once he
became old enough to be forced out of Little Lamplight. She hoped he wouldn’t
head towards Big Town, it might be too dangerous. A thought struck her, she
couldn’t allow anyone leaving Little Lamplight to go to Big Town and get
massacred or kidnapped by Mutants. Glancing over at Packrat, she grabbed a
pistol and a switchblade and slowly opened the door of the shack. It was almost
pitch black outside, the sky had turned cloudy and the moon was no longer
lighting up the landscape as it had been earlier. Rabbit didn’t set foot away
from the shack door before straining to hear any noises that might be coming
from the nearby junkyard, but there was only silence. She wasn’t used to that
kind of quiet, in Little Lamplight there was always some sort of noise - dogs
barking or howling, children talking or laughing, dishes clanking, people
walking. This was almost maddening. Slowly, Rabbit walked away from the cabin,
sticking to the shadows and keeping her eyes glued on the junkyard.
About an hour later, Rabbit finally made it back to Little Lamplight without
getting herself into any trouble. She scavenged around the few buildings there,
looking for anything to carve into. A wide piece of plywood dangled loosely
from the side of a shack, it was thin but heavy… and most importantly, whole.
Rabbit yanked the plywood down and set it against what appeared to be an old
bus stop and began carving.
             ”DANGER! BIG TOWN GONE! SUPER MUTANT ATTACK! UNSAFE!”
She would hope someone would see it and soon… before MacCready or anyone else
turned 16. Rabbit felt tired and sat down just inside the bus station, stopping
to rest for just a moment. A voice startled her, “What the hell are you doing
here?!”
“MacCready! You scared the livin’ daylights outta me.” She said, clutching her
chest.
“Where’s your brother? Does he know you’re here?” He helped her to her feet.
“He’s fine... and no he doesn’t. MacCready, I had to come and leave this note
for y'all. Big Town is gone. They’re all dead or missin'. Super Mutants
kidnapped a few people and killed the rest. I couldn’t let y’all go to Big Town
thinkin’ it was gonna be the best life ever. I had to do something. It woulda
been on my conscience for the rest of my days if I didn’t.”
“Rabbit, you shouldn’t be here. I appreciate what you’ve done, we all will. But
you know the rules.”
“I know, and I’m sorry it’s just that… wait a minute… what are you doin’
outside?”
“Couldn’t sleep. Sometimes I come out here and just sit or walk around. I don’t
let the door out of my sight, though.”
“Burnin’ the midnight oil, huh?”
“What?”
Rabbit chuckled, “Nevermind. But, you’re right, I do need to head back. It’s at
least an hours walk.”
MacCready took his helmet off and rubbed his head through the scarf that still
covered it. “You, uh, need some company?”
She smiled at him, a smile that he felt was brighter than an atom bomb itself,
the kind that would light up the entire world. “Naw, I appreciate it though
RJ.”
Wasn’t the first time she’d called him that nor was she the first one, but she
was the only one he didn’t get pissed at for doing it. “Well, then, take this.”
He removed his scarf from around his head and the goggles from his helmet
handed them to her. “A gift. It’s not much, it’s all I’ve got, maybe it’ll come
in handy for you.”
“Oh… RJ, I can’t take your stuff.” She looked down at the items he’d just put
in her hands. “You’ve had these for… for…”
“Forever, yeah, I know.” He smiled, “How about you give them back to me
whenever we see each other again. Hopefully I’ll see you by the time it’s
winter again.” Rabbit nodded and kissed his cheek, wiping the tears from her
eyes. MacCready was trying to contain his emotions, he couldn’t let her see him
tearing up. They parted ways, he went back inside Little Lamplight and she back
to her brother. It didn’t feel like it took her as long to return, Packrat was
still sleeping. She hopped back on top of the table and finally drifted off.
Morning came much too early for Rabbit. Her brother, on the other hand, was up
and ready to go. “Sister! You gonna sleep all day? Time to get up, gotta see if
we can’t find ourselves a new place to stay for a while.” Rabbit groaned and
rubbed her eyes, she wasn’t going to tell him she’d been up all night warning
the Lamplighters about Big Town because she knew he’d get pissed off. Grabbing
their bags and walking out the door, Packrat stuck his arm out motioning for
Rabbit to keep behind him. “That Deathclaw may still be around, we gotta be
careful.” She giggled to herself because she already knew it wasn’t there
anymore. They were in mutual agreement that they were going to head east, away
from Little Lamplight. Walking into the dawning sun, they discussed what could
be done once they found a place to settle, IF they found a place.
Rabbit wanted to stick to the roads, it made her feel safe. Packrat on the
other hand thought it would be a good idea to stray from them, he felt it would
be more likely to find a village that way. Of course, they argued, as brother
and sister do about which one was the best idea. Finally they came to an
agreement that they would head towards the river to the north, follow it past
Big Town and hopefully they’d find another settlement. Slowly the twins crept
up on Big Town once again, they could hear Super Mutants arguing close by, they
steered clear of that place and as closely to the river as they could, hoping
they’d stay hidden… and they did. Eventually Packrat noticed a large dome that
looked to be in pretty bad shape. It also appeared to be made out of some thin
metal and airplane pieces. “Hey, sis, think that’s a town up there. Let’s head
that way and see.” Rabbit agreed. The closer they got to it, the more they
could tell that it was actually a village surrounded by tin and wire fencing,
in the shape of a partially-finished dome. Walking around to the front of it,
they were greeted by a robot - a Protectron, to be exact. And he spoke!
“Welcome to Megaton. The bomb is perfectly safe. We promise.” He said as a
large jet engine started spinning up, opening the protective doors that guarded
the town. “Head on in, Partner. Y’all enjoy your stay now.” The brother and
sister just looked at each other, speechless, not knowing what to make of it,
but headed inside Megaton anyway.
***** Civilization *****
Chapter Summary
     There's some in-game dialogue here from Fallout 3 that happened
     between the Lone Wanderer and Lucas Simms as well as Moira Brown and
     Paladin Bael. However, this dialogue takes place, here, between
     Rabbit and/or Packrat and those NPCs.
Chapter Notes
     Figured I'd give y'all the first 3 chapters all at once.
     Packrat and Rabbit are in Megaton. They get the house. End up
     exploring. They get lost and find some Brotherhood of Steel dudes.
As soon as Packrat and Rabbit walked through the doors they were greeted by a
man wearing a duster and cowboy hat. “Well, I’ll be damned, we haven’t had
visitors in quite some time.” He said to the twins. “Name’s Lucas Simms, town
sheriff. And Mayor too, when the need arises. I don’t know why, but I like you
two! Something tells me you’re all right. So welcome to Megaton! Just holler if
you need something.”
Rabbit poked her head around the side of Packrat, “Nice town you got here,
sheriff. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He laughed as if amused, “Friendly AND well-mannered? I think we’re gonna get
along just fine. You treat my people nice, and you’re welcome to stay as long
as you’d like.”
“Right. Message received.” Packrat said, shaking hands with the sheriff.
“I’m glad we understand each other.” Simms smiled, appreciating the friendly
gesture. “Now, is there something else I can help you two with?”
Packrat thought for a second. “Know anything about the area outside Megaton?”
“It’s called ‘The Wasteland’ for a reason. But there are settlements, too,
spread all around. The human race is stubborn like that.” Sheriff Simms
commented. “To the south you got Rivet City, but don’t bother going to D.C. The
place is a warzone.”
Rabbit piped up, “I could use some directions around town.”
“Sure thing, partner. What do you need to find?”
She wasn’t sure if he called everyone ‘partner’ or if he was doing it to subtly
make fun of their out-of-place accents. Keeping her mouth shut, she remember
her manners and that this was the first place they’d come across where people
weren’t trying to kill them. “I need some equipment. Where’s the nearest
general store?”
“Moira sells all kinds of stuff at her place, Craterside Supply. Take a guess
where it is? Heh heh heh heh.”
“Thanks.” Rabbit said, looking past him towards the center of town. “Let’s
discuss this bomb.”
Packrat elbowed her arm, “That’s not really our business, sister.”
“It’s perfectly all right. What about the bomb?” Simms said.
Rabbit rubbed her arm and looked at the sheriff, “Don’t you think someone
should disarm that thing?”
“I don’t trust any of the locals to tinker with it. Besides, most people don’t
even realize it’s still a threat. And hell, Cromwell and those crazies from the
Church of Atom, they worship the damn thing. Why? Do you think you got the
know-how to disarm it? For good?”
Rabbit pushed past her brother and the sheriff, looking back at them over her
shoulder, “I can see about disarming that bomb for you. I have extensive
knowledge about explosives!” Packrat rolled his eyes at his sister’s boasting.
Simms chased Rabbit down, getting in front of her. “All right. Fine. But listen
here. Just take a look at it first. Go easy.” He wasn’t exactly comfortable
with trusting a mere child to look at a massive bomb that could decimate the
entire town. “If you get the job done, and don’t blow us up, there’ll be 100
caps in it for you.”
Rabbit looked insulted, “Demolition expertise doesn’t come cheap. I want 500
caps.” Her brother stood there, jaw dropped wide open. He knew Rabbit could
talk her way out of anything… but he’d never seen her work her charm on mungos.
“That’s pretty steep…” Sheriff Simms said. “Fine. Do it and you’ll get your
money. Don’t screw up, or we’ll ALL regret it.” He walked off shaking his head,
worrying about whether or not this youngster is going to be the death of them
all.
Packrat and his sister wandered down to the bomb that was firmly lodged in the
ground, surrounded by irradiated water. There was a man, dressed in rags,
standing in that very water preaching, ”Let the men, women, and children of the
Earth come forth to gather and behold the power of Atom! Let those who dwell
here in this favored land attend now to the words of the Prophet of Atom!” The
man turned to face the twins and stopped preaching to greet them, “Who do we
have here? Could it be? A new addition to our humble little community? Dear
children, welcome! Welcome to Megaton! I am Confessor Cromwell, prophet of Atom
and father of the undying Glow. Please child, come to the Church any time. Any
time at all!”
Rabbit tried to choke back her laughter as her brother asked the strange man to
tell him about the Church of Atom. “Why do you worship the bomb?” Packrat
asked, genuinely curious.
“Those who were called to Atom during the Great Division were very fortunate.
They were permitted to aid in the process of Atom’s creation. We seek the same,
both in symbol and in fact and the ‘bomb’, as you call it, represents Atom’s
capacity for creation. We kneel before it and ask that Atom call us to aid him.
We pray that out of our meager bodies, he will create new life.”
“Well,” Packrat continued, “What is it you believe exactly?”
“The Church of the Children of Atom is based on the idea that each single
atomic mass in all of creation contains within it an entire universe. When that
atomic mass is split, a single universe divides and becomes two -- thus
signifying the single greatest act of Atom’s creation. Occasionally, a divine
event occurs and trillions upon trillions of new universes are created. The
last such event took place here, about 200 years ago. Where most of the lost
children of Atom see that event as simple war and devastation, we see creation
and unification in Atom’s Glow.”
Rabbit chimed in, albeit rudely, “What the hell is wrong with you people?”
Confessor Cromwell shook his head in disappointment, “Even knowing the truth,
you continue to mock us. How very, very sad.”
Packrat elbowed his sister yet again, reminding her to keep her manners about
her. He cleared his throat and looked back to Cromwell. “Confessor, have you
ever traveled outside of Megaton?”
“In my youth, I traveled quite a bit. But… that was a different life. I assume
that you are seeking information and advice, yes? The only advice that I can
offer is this: you will find no wealth in the Wasteland greater than that which
you will find within yourself. Bask in Atom’s Glow, and you will understand.”
“Thank you, Confessor Cromwell, for that insightful advice. My sister and I
need to be going.” He said tugging at Rabbit’s sleeve.
Cromwell nodded, “Walk in the Glow.”
Packrat tried to drag his sister away from Cromwell and the bomb, but Rabbit
was too busy trying to inspect the bomb itself. The bomb appeared inert, but
further examination revealed that it was still operational, and still quite
dangerous. With the right gear it would’ve been trivial to rig it to explode.
To disarm the bomb, however, would take a highly skilled explosives expert -
like Rabbit. She popped off the side-plating on the bomb before her brother
could get her away from it. Packrat looked as if he was going to fate, like
they had narrowly escaped death just then. But the fun part had yet begun. She
started cutting wires and re-wiring others, screwing things in, and before they
knew it, she had successfully disarmed the bomb. Immediately she went in search
of Lucas Simms, who was already walking towards them. He’d been watching when
they were conversing with Cromwell, Simms too, almost had a heartattack when
Rabbit nonchalantly popped the side-plating off of the bomb. He also noticed
when she went rooting around in it’s wiring and replaced the plating, he knew
she’d disarmed it. “I’ll be damned!” Simms said to her. “You did it, didn’t
you? You disarmed that thing! Here’s your reward. Hell, why don’t you two move
in? Could use someone like you. Got an empty place here you can use. Here’s the
key and the deed. It ain’t much to look at. But talk with Moira. She’s got
random odds and ends you might be able to spruce the place up with.”
Packrat was staring at the key and deed in his sister’s hands, wide-eyed as she
thanked Simms for everything he’d just given them. She turned to Packrat and he
grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her lightly, “Rabbit! You’re a genius! A
got-damn genius! Jesus H., you’ve landed us a home and everything! We’ve got a
roof over our heads, beds to sleep in ‘soon as we get to Craterside Supply.
Protective walls. The whole nine! It’s like Lamplight for mungos!” He was
beaming with pride and joy, pulling his sister in for a hug and planting a kiss
on her cheek.
Having overheard that Rabbit disarmed the bomb, Cromwell ran up behind them
amongst the commotion, grabbing a handful of her long hair, yanking her
backwards, he hissed at her. “You horrid, horrid, redheaded... SHE-DEVIL! HOW
DARE YOU! You will not walk in His Glow, so I will DRAG you through it!” He
began to pull her towards the bomb where the irradiated water stood. Cromwell
shoved her face into it, as if he were trying to drown her, Packrat doing
everything he could to separate them. Unable to pry the man’s grip from his
sister’s hair, Packrat took a pair of scissor from his pack and with a quick
snip, he cut the hair the Confessor had ahold of. Cromwell stumbled backwards
into the hands of Sheriff Simms, who immediately arrested him. Rabbit came up
out of the water, coughing and sputtering, gasping for air. “Shit, you okay,
sis?” Packrat asked, helping her up.
“Yeah, I guess so. What the fuck was wrong with that guy?!” Rabbit rubbed her
face, still coughing up the irradiated liquid.
“Uh, well, you disarmed the thing they were kinda worshipping so… also, had to
cut yer hair to get you free. Sorry.”
“Yeah, I kn--- YOU WHAT!?” She screeched, grasping at the shorter strands of
hair. “Oh my god! I need a mirror or something!”
“Uh, not before I fix it, okay? Looks like hell right now.”
“UGH!!!” She yelled, stomping up to Craterside Supply. She couldn’t get a
mirror until she bought one. Then she was going to make her brother fix the
fuck up on her head immediately. Packrat was hot on her heels the entire way up
to the general store. “I’m sorry!” He yelled at her. “Would you rather I let
you drown?!”
“NO! But you coulda done somethin’ else!” She said, bursting through the door
of Craterside Supply, startling Moira and her guard.
“Hey! I heard new folks were in town! Hadn’t had any new faces around here for
a few years!” Moira exclaimed in an overly, and annoyingly, perky tone. “Good
to meet you! I’m Moira Brown. I run Craterside Supply, but what I really do is
mostly tinkering and research. Say, I’m working on finishing a book about the
Wasteland -- it’d be great if you could lend me a hand!”
Packrat looked at Rabbit, who was gazing up at the wall. It was an armored
Vault suit. They hadn’t seen one of those since that kid from Vault 101 showed
up in Little Lamplight. Amazingly, MacCready allowed her in while he was Mayor
because she rescued some of the other kids who had been taken. “Where’d you get
the Vault Suit back there?” Rabbit inquired.
“I’m pretty sure I remember a girl coming into town with that about two, three
years ago. She didn’t know a thing about the Wastes, and I know she’d get
herself hurt without some sort of protection. So I offered to armor her Vault
suit. In a big way, she helped me write most of this book. Even gave me her
Vault suit as a parting gift. Never saw her again -- probably died out there,
poor thing. Suit’s yours if you help me finish this last chapter.”
Packrat saw the gleam in his sister’s eye... “I remember her. Last time we saw
her was also 2277, when she visited the town we were living in.” Rabbit reached
up and lightly touched the fabric that hung off the wall. “All we gotta do is
help finish the book and I can have it?”
“That's it.” Moira chirped.
“Lady, you got yourself a deal!”
“More like a lab rat. But same thing right?” Moira said.
“Uhhh… I don't-”
“All right, then!” Moira interrupted. “Now, this last chapter is just about
day-to-day dangers. Like the dangers of radiation! I need you to get a bit of
radiation poisoning so I can study its effects. Oh, not a lethal dose, of
course - I can fix you up before that!
“Fear not!” Rabbit exclaimed. “With my cast scientific knowledge I can explain
this one myself without the need for radiation exposure.”
“Oh, but nothing beats a real-world example. And I have a new rad treatment I
was just itching to try out on a live subject! But, I guess you're right, and
at least it keeps you safe and sound for later testing. Now for the next task…”
“Actually, before we go any further,” Rabbit said. “I hear you're the person to
see about buying stuff for our house.”
Moira nodded, showing Packrat and Rabbit all the themes she had for the home.
Once they agreed on a pre-war theme, they headed back to their new home to set
it up and rest for a few days. To their surprise, they even had a Mr. Handy
named Wadsworth! Packrat enjoyed him the most due to his ability to tell
horrible jokes. Unfortunately, they also discovered that they only had one bed.
Of course, neither of them wanted to make the other sleep on the couch and
simply agreed to share the bed - Rabbit got the inside next to the wall, while
Packrat slept on the outside. Their preferences. After the house was set up and
to their liking they made it back to Craterside Supply to talk to Moira.
“Oh good, you're back! I'm really excited about this next part! I hesitate to
ask, but I'll need to examine the effects of serious physical trauma. I
wouldn't ask if I couldn't fix you up afterwards, of course!” Moira smiled.
Packrat turned to his sister. “No.”
“Come on! I want that Vault suit! She said she could patch me up after.”
“No!” He exclaimed. He was about to pull her out of the store when she ran
through the door and took a flying leap off the balcony to the ground below.
“RABBIT!” He yelled over the railing, looking down at her limp body below. He
ran down to her, picked her up and rushed her back to Moira. “Here's your
damned injury! Now fix her!” Packrat was furious. Moira nodded as she pulled
out some Super Stimpaks and administered them to Rabbit, dosing her with a bit
of Med-X for pain.
Packrat carried his sister home and placed her in bed while she slept. He went
back towards Moira’s to tear her a new one for even suggesting they severely
injure themselves all for some stupid book. He flung the door open to see Moira
wide-eyed with something in her hands. “A gift!” She said. “As a kind of peace
offering. Take it.” He looked at the present she'd given him.
“Does it work…?” He asked.
“Well… no… but with some effort and know-how it should be up and running like
new in no time!”
Packrat sighed and thanked the deranged woman and walked out. On his way back
home he ran into Sheriff Simms, who was very curious to know all about Packrat
and Rabbit. Packrat didn't mind and told him the short version of who they were
and where they came from. They started talking about how much Packrat liked to
adventure and collect things.
“I’m just looking for a great adventure. My sister and I lived in a cavern most
of our lives. I wanna to get out, do exciting things. The Capital Wasteland
doesn’t seem to have anything like that. Not unless I go to D.C., which I don’t
want to take my sister there.”
Simms nodded his head, “Haven’t you been told? California’s full of whiskey,
women, and gold.”
“Are you sure?”
“Sure, I’m sure.” Simms said. “Plenty of caravans that stop in that are heading
west or coming east. Had Crimson Caravan come through here at one point,
they’re from Nevada. New Vegas to be exact. Mojave Wasteland is a desert, but
lotta work to be had out that way. You get on with Crimson Caravan and I bet
you’ll have a lot of adventures… and make some decent caps, as long as you
don’t get killed for them. Being in the caravan business is a dangerous life,
far as I know it pays good, though. If it’s something you’re wanting to do, I
can let you know the next time I see them around.”
Packrat nodded, “That’d be great, thanks Sheriff.”
“No problem, kid.”
-----
When Rabbit woke up, she sat up, opened the Nuka-Cola next to her and drank
half of the bottle. She noticed her Vault 101 suit neatly folded on the desk.
She immediately grabbed it, inhaling the smell of the fabric. It smelled like
the Lone Wanderer. And slightly of Little Lamplight. Slowly, she got herself
out of bed and went downstairs to find Packrat on the couch tinkering with
something.
“Whatcha got there, bub?” She asked, causing him to jump.
“Oh, good. You're awake. Well, I got a little extra somethin’ from Moira for
not throttling her. She said I had to fix it but, you know, I can fix
anything... so here, a gift.” He walked over to his sister, put the Pip-Boy
3000 on her wrist, and booted it up. “To go with yer new Vault suit.” Rabbit
squealed with excitement and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
“You're welcome.” Packrat said, pulling her over to the couch and sitting down
with her. Rabbit’s face was glowing, almost as if she’d been playing in too
much radiation. “How about we test that thing out and see what kind of
exploring we can do out in the Wasteland?”
“Okay! Let’s stock up on ammo ‘n stuff first, though.” Rabbit said, still
beaming.
“Of course! Guess we could go see nutty Moira again.” He laughed. “No more
jumping offa the balcony!”
“Heh heh. Deal.” She grabbed her Vault 101 suit and pulled it on. “Do I look
authentic?”
“Shit yeah, you do! If I didn’t know ya, I’d sure think you were a Vault
Dweller. Well, ‘cept for that terrible haircut I gave you.”
“Aw hell, I forgot all about that! FIX IT.” She tugged at her own hair. Packrat
sat her down and pulled out a pair of scissors, fixing her hair as best he
could. It didn’t look bad, but it definitely wasn’t straight. He’d lopped off
about 5 inches worth when Cromwell had ahold of it. Packrat figured it would
probably do Rabbit some good, she wouldn’t get it caught in anything. Or, well,
that was the reason he was giving himself so he wouldn’t feel as badly. Once
he’d gotten done with her hair, they went to Moira’s and stocked up on
ammunition… Rabbit even bought a baseball bat. “What in the world do ya think
yer gonna do with that?” Her brother asked, rolling his eyes.
“Crack some domes.” Rabbit said, making a swinging motion.
“Domes?” Moira had to ask outta curiosity. “You… what…?”
“She means she’s gonna wallop someone in the head with that thing.” Packrat
specified to her, hoping she got the clue this time.
“Yeah,” Rabbit added. “I’ma beat people to death with it if I run outta ammo.”
“Oh…” Moira sounded concerned. “Well… you sure are ambitious!”
Rabbit rolled her eyes as Packrat tried to stifle his laughter. They had no
idea where they were going when they left Megaton, but they were on a mission
for adventure. Packrat made sure his sister stayed beside him or close behind
him, ensuring she was within arm’s reach. The more time he spent around her,
the more he seemed to care about her, which he didn’t know was possible. The
two had been inseparable their entire lives. Sure, they were fraternal twins,
but that didn’t make it a requirement to get along as well as they did. Packrat
felt ashamed at the extent of feelings towards his sister, it was enough that
anytime she seemed the slightest bit interested in a boy, Packrat would get
jealous. He wasn’t sure if he had legitimate romantic feelings towards her or
if it was because he was afraid a boyfriend would monopolize too much of her
time and they wouldn’t be as close anymore. Either way, to him it didn’t
matter, he just wanted to make sure he kept her safe. As long as she was safe,
he was happy and content.
The twins had ventured a good ways out before noticing they had, unfortunately,
made it to D.C., an area neither of them really wanted to visit. They ended up
somewhere in the Mason District South, or at least that’s what the sign said.
They were lost. Extremely lost. They had no idea how they found their way to
that location, nor how they’d find their way out and Rabbit’s pip-boy wasn’t
much help because it kept malfunctioning and rebooting. Packrat knew he could
fix the pip-boy, but not until they returned to Megaton. Suddenly, the pair
could hear talking, peering over some busted concrete they looked down and
spotted several Super Mutants. Rabbit couldn’t stop looking at them - yellow,
big, and ugly. “You s’pose they’re meaner than they are ugly?” She asked her
brother, laughing.
“WHAT WAS THAT?” The Mutant with the minigun yelled out to his brothers.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Packrat said quietly, grabbing his sister and pulling her
into the nearest Metro Station. “Are ya trying to get us killed? Because that’s
how ya do it, right there.”
“Oh, stop yer naggin’.” She said, rolling her eyes. “They didn’t even see us.
We’re okay.”
“Yeah but now we’re stuck in this station and we can’t go back out this gate
because we don’t know if the Mutants are out there looking for us or not.”
“Well,” Rabbit said cheerfully, “You said you wanted adventure. Here it is.
Let’s adventure our way through this place and find a different exit.”
“Okay, but let’s make sure the safety is off on our weapons in case we end up
face-to-face with something that ain’t as friendly as we are.” Packrat told
Rabbit, while turning the safety off on his 9mm. His sister nodded to him and
did the same thing with her Chinese pistol. The Metro Station took them
upstairs, downstairs, around in circles. It was difficult for the two to
determine which way they were going because of the rubble. Finally they made it
to an area with some broken subway trains and an escalator that led them
upstairs. They had only killed a few Mirelurks along the way. Once they got up
that escalator though, that was a different story. Everything was walled off,
almost like a settlement. It was a settlement alright… for Raiders. They opened
fire on Packrat and Rabbit, prompting them to duck behind a wall that seemed
sturdy enough to protect them for a bit. Packrat told Rabbit that once they
heard the Raiders having to reload, they’d make a run for it, and that she was
going first. If anyone was going to get shot in the back, he was going to make
damn sure it wasn’t her. As soon as they heard the clicks of empty chambers, he
shoved his sister out from behind the wall and into the tunnel that was just
past them. Packrat made a run for it as well, right behind her, but they could
hear clips being shoved into pistols, no way was he going to make it unharmed.
Rabbit wasn’t going to stand by and let her brother get shot either - he was
just as much her responsibility as she was his. As he ran in front of her, she
could see a Raider jump out from behind a wall and aim a pistol at Packrat’s
back. Rabbit took a deep breath, stepped out, aimed the pistol and made the
shot. The bullet whizzed just over her brother’s right shoulder, and into the
throat of the Raider that stood behind him. Packrat spun around, seeing the
Raider drop to his knees on the floor, clutching his throat, gasping for air.
Rabbit grabbed her brother and pulled him behind the tunnel wall as they heard
more footsteps running up, probably to check on the fallen Raider. The twins
quietly made their way up to and out of the next gate they found at the end of
that tunnel.
Once the pair got outside, Packrat turned to his sister, wide-eyed. “Rabbit,
you… saved my life.”
“I couldn’t just let that guy shoot you.” She appeared as if she were in total
shock.
Packrat put his hands on her arms, “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah… just… just never killed another human being before. Wounded,
sure, maybe one or two. Never killed anyone that wasn’t mutated all to hell,
though.” Packrat rubbed up and down her arms to try to comfort her because she
seemed pretty bothered that she did more than wound the man. They didn't speak
much for a while after that, just tried to find their way through the maze of
deteriorated and decimated buildings they had managed to get themselves into.
-----
Eventually, they did find their way out and ended up around a river. “Pip-boy
says this is the Arlington Memorial Bridge. And that weird looking building
with the massive door is something called Citadel.” Rabbit looked at her
brother, “Wanna… go check it out? There’s some guys standing outside in power
armor… must be Brotherhood of Steel.”
“We don’t know a damn thing about the Brotherhood. They may not be friendly.”
Packrat was only trying to be cautious.
Rabbit scoffed. “Uh, hello, we came across those other Brotherhood-type guys.
Guess they were outcasts or somethin’. They were rude, but didn’t try to kill
us.”
“Yeah, I’m amazed with the attitude you were about to give ‘em that they
didn’t.”
Rabbit just rolled her eyes and walked over to the man who didn’t have a helmet
on to introduce herself. Maybe they could even luck out and stay there for the
night. She strolled up to the man and opened her mouth to speak, but he
interrupted. “Name’s Paladin Bael. What do you need, civilian?”
Rabbit looked at him curiously. “What is this place?”
“You’re standing in front of the Citadel, headquarters to the Brotherhood of
Steel. Capital Wasteland detachment.”
Rabbit rolled her eyes a little at his extremely bland persona. “What can you
tell me about the Brotherhood of Steel?”
“I can see you’re trying to appeal to my good nature. Pity for you, I don’t
have one. I’ll give you this one for free -- we use our big guns to kill big
Super Mutants, so people like you can sleep at night.”
“Listen, buddy...” Rabbit began with a very strong attitude, before she could
continue, Packrat interrupted.
“Can we come in?” He asked the Paladin.
“Negative.” Bael said, “No Super Mutants, civilians, or traveling salesman
allowed. Which are you?”
“None of the above, ya jackass.” Rabbit mumbled to herself, getting elbowed by
her brother.
Packrat asked the Paladin politely, “Why not?”
The Paladin, replied, sounding very snide, “You’d have to secure the permission
of Elder Lyons to go in, and well… I just don’t see that happening. So you need
to move along.”
All while the Paladin was being an asshole to Packrat, Rabbit spied an intercom
on the wall and pressed its button, prompting a response. “Yes?”
“Excuse me, my brother and I are lost and it’s dark. I’m scared. We’re only
children. Can we come in just for the night?”
“Who is this? Where’s Paladin Bael?” The voice said back. “Bael!”
Paladin Bael heard the commotion, shoved the girl out of the way, “O-oh, uh,
Elder Lyons, I’m so sorry. There are too travelers out here that were asking
questions, I didn’t notice one of them had gotten to the intercom. I assure
you, they’re being sent on their way as of right now.”
“Wait…” Lyons said, “Are they children?”
“Uh, I’m really not sure, Elder. I didn’t ask their ages.”
“We’re 16, sir!” Rabbit shouted from behind Bael.
“16? They won’t stand a chance in this area at night. Let them in Bael. We can
allow them to stay until morning, then send them on their way.” Lyons
commanded.
“But, Elder, that’s again protoc-” Bael was interrupted by Lyons.
“Are you questioning my orders, Paladin”
“No, Elder. I’ll let them in right away.”
“See that you do, Paladin. Have them escorted to A Ring.”
“Right away, Elder.” Paladin Bael said, opening the gate and showing the twins
inside. Rabbit grinned smugly and then stuck her tongue out at Bael as she
walked past him. Packrat would never be able to figure out how in the world his
sister was able to charm her way into and out of things the way she did.
***** Just One Of Those Things *****
Chapter Summary
     More stuff at the Citadel and a surprising Squire.
Packrat and Rabbit were escorted to Citadel - A Ring, just as Elder Lyons has
commanded to Paladin Bael. Once the pair got into A Ring, they were greeted by
two Knights of the Brotherhood both on the outside and inside of the door.
After they’d made their way past the Knights, Elder Lyons walked up to them,
accompanied by a small boy. “I am Elder Lyons and this here is Squire Arthur
Maxson.”
Packrat and Rabbit shook both of their hands as Packrat introduced them, “I am
Packrat and this is my sister, Rabbit.” Maxson stifled a laugh when he heard
the names. Elder Lyons looked at the Squire with disapproval, “Such strange
names.” Lyons said, “Surely, those are not your birth names.”
“No.” Packrat said, shaking his head. “When our parents died, we moved to a
place called Little Lamplight out to the west of here. Everyone there has some
kind of nickname that is a description of an interest, hobby, or skill that
they’re good at. They call me Packrat because I scavenge very well and I
collect things. They call my sister here Rabbit, because she can hop in and out
of a place without being noticed. My real name is Everett, my sister here is
Emery.”
Lyons smiled warmly, “Well, if you don’t mind, I would much rather refer to you
by your real names than your nicknames.”
Packrat looked at his sister, who shook her head at him signifying that she was
not okay with that. He, however, didn’t see a problem with it. “No, we don’t
mind. It’s okay if you call us that.” As he said that, Rabbit facepalmed… and
got elbowed. Again.
“I’ve instructed Squire Maxson here to show you to where you’ll be sleeping in
B Ring tonight. I hope the accommodations are to your liking.” Elder Lyons
said, leaving.
Rabbit elbowed her brother back, “Why did you tell him it was okay to call us
by our names? I don’t like that.”
“Because, dear sister, we’re mungos now. Only mungos I’ve heard of that had
nicknames were military or really bad people… like Raiders.”
“Yeah well, I still don’t like it. Don’t think you should be tellin’ people our
names.”
Arthur Maxson cleared his throat, getting the attention of the twins. “H… hail
to you, strangers. I am Squire Maxson, loyal servant of Steel. It is… and honor
to make your acquaintance.”
Rabbit looked at the boy and smiled, “The honor is all mine, Squire Maxson.”
Packrat saw Maxson blush and look away, supposing he’d never had a warm
greeting from such a pretty girl.
“Oh! Well…” Maxson said, “Thank you! Your words are… very kind. Kinder than
those I usually hear… Is there… something I can help you with?”
Rabbit asked, curiously. “Aren’t you a little young for all this?”
“Oh, well… you see, I am descended from the great Roger Maxson, founder of our
order. I am the last of his line. They say my soul was forged from eternal
steel, but I don’t believe that. I’m really just a normal boy. I was sent to
the Citadel man years ago, to be fostered by Elder Lyons. But that was before
the Western Elders lost, um… faith… in the Elder. I really don’t know if I’ll
ever get home. But, well… I kind of like it here. Sentinel Lyons has been very
kind to me. She’s taught me so much.”
Rabbit continued, sounded warm and sympathetic towards Maxson. “They don’t
actually… make you fight. Do they?”
“No.” Maxson replied, sounding a bit disappointed. “But I could! I know I’m
ready! I mean, it would be scary, but… it’s not fair that I have to sit inside
while the Knights go on patrol! I did go out one time, you know! Sarah… um…
Sentinel Lyons took me out. Just to show me. I killed a Super Mutant, too! I
swear! I, um, I also sort of shot Sarah. But just a little! It was just a flesh
wound…” Packrat could tell he was trying to impress Rabbit. His jealousy
started up, but he kept it under control. Maxson was just a small boy, after
all.
“Well, that’s impressive!” Rabbit exclaimed, humoring him. “Especially for… uh…
how old are you?”
“13.” Maxson said, sounding proud.
“Wow! That sure is impressive for a 13 year old. Heck, it’s impressive for
anyone really!”
“Thank you! How, um, how old are you and your brother?”
“We’re barely 16.” Rabbit said.
“That’s still pretty young. Uh, what are you doing out here? Don’t you know
it’s dangerous?”
“Actually, we were exploring and we got totally lost.” She replied. “We didn’t
mean to end up all the way over here.”
“Oh. I heard you tell Elder Lyons that um, your parents… are dead? Mine are
too.”
“Yeah. We had to leave our home because Raiders came in and took over. Packrat
and I got out of town okay, our parents… didn’t. That was 4 years ago.
Fortunately for us, we were close enough to Little Lamplight at the time.
That’s a town that’s kids only. They let us in and, well, that’s just where we
lived until recently. In Little Lamplight, the rules are that once you turn 16,
you gotta go.”
“Why?”
“Because, they don’t allow mungos… er, adults. When you’re 16, they consider
you an adult.” Packrat explained. “Now, you should probably show up where we
can sleep for the night before Elder Lyons comes along and finds us just
standing here.” He really wanted to get away from the boy because of the way he
kept eying Rabbit - it made Packrat uneasy.
“Oh, yes. I forgot. I’m sorry. Right this way.” Maxson said. He held the door
open for Rabbit, “After you, miss.”
“Thank you, Squire.” Rabbit said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.
The boy looked around, “When the adults aren’t around, you can just call me
Arthur.”
Rabbit winked at him, “Okay… Arthur.”
Maxson showed the pair to a room that had two small beds in it, a dresser, and
a couple of chairs that looked really uncomfortable. “Here it is.” The boy
said. “Hope it’s okay. It’s the only spare room we have, I think.”
“It’s fine, Arthur, thank you.” Rabbit said, giving him a hug.
Maxson was stunned at the polite and friendly gesture from the strange girl.
“Can I ask you a question, Miss Emery?”
“Sure can.” Rabbit said, flopping down on the bed.
“Do you know how to kill a man by stabbing him in the kidneys?”
Packrat burst into laughter, prompting a hard elbow from his sister. “Pay no
attention to him, Arthur. He’s only laughing because yes, I do know how to do
that, along with many others ways.” Packrat looked at Maxson, he could tell the
boy was highly impressed.
“We should get some shut-eye.” Packrat told the Squire.
Arthur nodded and looked at Rabbit, “May we speak again soon.” He said as he
took his leave.
-----
Whenever Rabbit finally fell asleep, Packrat, being the adventurer he is,
decided he wanted to explore a bit before sleeping. He knew they’d have to head
out as soon as the sun rose, so he wanted to have a look around first. Leaving
the room they were staying in, he passed by another room with the door
partially opened. He peeked in and saw Squire Maxson typing something up on his
terminal. Packrat was curious what it was about, he’d go back and look once
Maxson was either asleep or simply not in there. The Knights didn’t seem to
mind him looking around, as long as he didn’t touch anything, which he could
understand. Although, he did get a firm ‘get out’ when he went into the Lab. He
saw what looked to be part of a massive robot of some kind, but he didn’t get
to check out anything else. Once bored, Packrat decided to head back towards
where his sister laid sleeping. Upon passing Maxson’s room, he noticed the boy
wasn’t in there. So he looked up and down the nearing hallways to see if anyone
was around. When the coast was clear, Packrat sat down at the terminal, very
easily hacked into it, and ready the three diary entries. The first one was
only complaining about someone in the lab, the second was about Sentinel Lyons
teaching him to kill a man and thinking he may be in love. The third entry, on
the other hand, had been written earlier that night… and it was about Rabbit.
The entry read:
‘Two strangers showed up here tonight. Just kids, a little bit older than me.
The boy, Everett, seems pretty nice. His sister, Emery, is amazing. She can
kill a man by stabbing him in the kidneys, just like Sarah can, but Emery knows
a bunch more ways too! I know I just met her, but I definitely think I’m in
love.’Packrat was absolutely fuming and he wasn’t even sure why. That kid was
of no interest of Rabbit’s, he was much too young for her. Packrat stepped back
from the terminal and went to lay down in his appointed bed. He stared at his
sister a bit before rolling over, wondering if the way he felt about Rabbit was
wrong. It was just one of those things, he guessed. Eventually, he dozed off.
-----
The next morning, Squire Maxson walked into the bunk where the twins were
sleeping. Elder Lyons had instructed him to wake them for breakfast. Maxson,
ever so gently, placed his hand on Rabbit’s shoulder and gave her a slight
shake, just enough to wake her. “Good morning, Miss Emery, I hope you slept
well.”
“I did, thank you, Arthur. I hope you slept well, too.”
Maxson blushed, “I slept okay. Elder Lyons wanted me to wake you for
breakfast.” He reached over and tugged at Packrat’s shirt sleeve. “Time to wake
up, Mister Everett.”
“Mrph.” Packrat grumbled. “Five more minutes.”
Maxson looked confused and didn’t want to bothering further, but orders were
orders, and so he hesitated before looking at Rabbit. “Don’t worry about it.”
She said, “I’ll wake him up. You can wait for us in the hall. We’ll be out very
shortly.” Maxson smiled at her, warmly this time, nodding his head and walked
out into the hallway.
Rabbit reached over and punched her brother in the arm, “Wake up, lazy bones!
Breakfast time! Last time we had a hot meal was when we left Lamplight. So
c’mon, let’s not sleep away this opportunity!” Packrat grunted as he sat up,
rubbing his eyes and his hair. He looked over at Rabbit, who’s hair definitely
did not agree with the way she had slept, and burst into laughter.
“What’s so hilarious?” She asked.
“Your hair! Looks like a Brahmin came up and licked the top of your head in the
middle of the night!” Packrat said, trying to catch his breath. Rabbit ran over
to the nearest mirror and looked at the abomination that was supposed to be her
hair. “Augh! My hair is awful!” She poked her head out into the hallway,
motioning for Maxson. “Hey Arthur, is there any way you can bring me a
hairbrush… or… something? I can’t show up to breakfast lookin’ like this.” She
said, pointing at the mop on top of her head. “Right away, miss.” He said,
running off to fetch her a hairbrush.
In no time at all, Maxson returned. “This one is mine.” He said, “I hope you
don’t mind using it.”
“Thank you so much, Arthur. I don’t mind at all.” She said as she brushed her
hair. She handed it back to him with a polite thank you, and headed to
breakfast with her brother and the Squire. “Hash browns!” She squeaked,
“Packrat! Hash browns! Last time we had these was when Eclair was still in
Little Lamplight!”
Maxson looked at her, “Who, uh, was Eclair?”
“Eclair was the cook in Little Lamplight for a time. But, then, he turned 16.”
She said.
“And he had to go, huh?” Maxson said.
“Yep.” She replied, “As we all do, eventually.”
The Squire watched Rabbit shovel food into her mouth with a gleam in his eye.
Packrat didn’t know why, just that he didn’t like it. He didn’t know what
Maxson was thinking and he probably didn’t want to. Punching a little kid in
the face wasn’t exactly at the top of Packrat’s ‘to-do’ list, so he kept his
jealousy under control.
*****
Maxson sat there, watching Emery, enjoying that she was happy. The only thing
the Squire kept thinking to himself was: ‘I’m gonna marry that girl, someday.
Somehow.’ He could feel the tension coming from her brother, though, unsure as
to why. Maybe Everett somehow read his terminal. Maybe he just didn’t like him.
Maybe he was overprotective of Emery. Arthur didn’t know why, and he didn’t
really care. Emery liked him, or seemed to, and that was plenty. He knew the
Elder wanted Emery and her brother gone after breakfast, but a small part of
Maxson hoped Lyons would change his mind at the last minute and let them stay,
permanently. He knew it wouldn’t actually happen, but he could hope.
*****
After breakfast, Lyons met with Packrat and Rabbit. “I’m sorry, but
unfortunately, it’s time for you to be moving on. I wish I could let you stay,
but that goes against Brotherhood policy. I can’t allow you to stay, as
civilians.”
Packrat nodded, shaking Lyons’ hand, “We understand, Elder. We thank you for
your hospitality.”
Maxson looked disappointed, and Rabbit took notice. She sat her pack down on
the ground and rummaged through it. She pulled out the scarf and goggles given
to her by MacCready the night she left the message about Big Town. Pulling half
of the contents from her bag, she found what she was looking for. “Ah-hah. Here
it is.” She produced something wrapped in a red bandana and handed it to
Arthur. “I want you to have this. It’s a parting gift.” She looked at Lyons to
make sure he approved. Lyons only nodded his head and smiled at her. Maxson
unwrapped the gift to find a small toy car inside. “I know it isn’t much…” She
said.
“It’s perfect.” Maxson smiled. “Thank you, Miss Emery. I will keep it always.”
“You are very welcome, Squire Maxson.” Rabbit beamed a smile at him.
Squire Maxson accompanied Elder Lyons and two Knights to escort Packrat and
Rabbit out of the Citadel. Before leaving, Maxson ran up and hugged Rabbit,
thanking her one last time for the gift. “I don’t have anything to give in
return.” He said very quietly.
“It’s okay, Arthur. Your friendship is more than enough of a gift.” She
whispered back him.
“I will never forget you.” He said, as he broke the hug with her. “Goodbye,
Miss Emery.”
“Don’t think of it as goodbye, Squire. Think of it as ‘see you later’.” She
smiled, waving to him. Packrat could only roll his eyes at all of the stupid
mushiness. Jealousy was burning a hole in his gut.
*****
Arthur watched until the two were no longer within sight. Her words would echo
in his head often: ‘Don’t think of it as goodbye, Squire. Think of it as see
you later.’ He would kill to see her again. Her warmth and kindness was
something he would never forget. Thoughts of her would keep him awake at night
for years to come. On occasion, the sound of her voice would haunt him, waking
him in the middle of the night. He would have to physically get out of bed and
look around, making sure that she didn’t show up after wandering the wasteland.
Arthur always hoped she’d return. Unfortunately, she never did. That never
stopped him from hoping, from dreaming.
*****
“Rabbit…” Packrat said, finally breaking the silence. “When did you get
MacCready’s scarf and goggles. I never saw him give those to you.”
“Uh…” Rabbit had been busted, no reason to lie now. “Remember the night we
stayed in that abandoned house after we found out Big Town wasn’t safe? Well,
after you fell asleep, I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone - MacCready or
otherwise - going to Big Town thinking it was going to be the best life ever…
only get to killed by Mutants. So, I went to warn them. Bumped into MacCready
as I’d sat down to take a break before heading back to you. That’s when.”
“You went to Lamplight… without me… while there was a Deathclaw around!?!” He
couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You could’ve been eaten!”
“Naw. I played it safe. I didn’t go anywhere without listening for that thing
first. I kept to the shadows too, made sure not to make any sort of noise. All
that.”
“What in the hell were you thinkin’, Emery?! How am I going to look after you
and protect you if you do shit like that?!” Packrat was furious and Rabbit knew
it.
“Would you have went with me that night if I had asked you to?”
“No! There was a Deathclaw around somewhere!”
“Okay. Would you have went with me the next morning if I had asked you to?”
“No! We needed to find a place to stay!”
“Okay then, now you know why I went by myself. I couldn’t, in good conscience,
go on knowing that at some point, someone we knew would head to Big Town. The
guilt would’ve killed me, bub. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.”
Rabbit grasped his forearm. “Please don’t be mad at me. I only wanted to ensure
the safety of our friends. I know that I shouldn’t have went alone… but I also
knew that you wouldn’t have let me go either… with or without you.”
Packrat sighed, her touch accompanied by her soothing apology melted away his
anger towards her. He knew she was just using her charm against him, like she
had everyone else, but he didn’t care. “Fine. Just… don’t go doing anything
like that again, okay? Next time, just ask me, I promise to be more considerate
towards how you feel.”
Rabbit smiled at her brother, pulling him in for a big hug. “Deal.”
***** In The Shadow Of The Valley *****
Chapter Summary
     Packrat talks to the Crimson Caravan Company.
They arrived in Megaton a couple of days after leaving the Citadel, only
because they kept getting lost in the maze of damaged buildings. As soon as
they got back home, they went straight for their front door. They were both
sick of toting those packs around everywhere. They got heavy when they were
getting full. And between the twins, those packs got stuffed. Packrat remember
that he had picked something up out of the Metro Station for his sister. He’d
forgotten all about it until just then. “Hey, sis, c’mere for a second,
wouldja?” He said down on the couch and she plopped down beside him. “Found
something while we were lost, thought you might like it.” He pulled the teddy
bear out of his pack. Rabbit let out a high-pitched squeal when she saw her
gift.
“Oh my god! It’s adorable!” She said as Packrat sat the teddy bear in her lap.
Rabbit wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, giving him a hug and a peck on
the cheek. “Thank you!”
“I love you, Rabbit.” He said, grasping her hand for a short moment.
“I love you too, bub!” Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the teddy. He loved
her, in a different way than she loved him. He greatly enjoyed making her
happy. He knew he would never know Rabbit in the way he wanted - romantically.
But he’d do everything he could to keep other guys away from her. Not just
because of his severe jealousy problem, but because he couldn’t stand to know
someone hurt her, or used her. Because he’d end them. Then she’d hate him. That
was something he wasn’t willing to chance. Instead, it would be easier to pull
her away from men. To protect her. To maybe someday… no, he had to stop
thinking that way. She was his sister, for heaven’s sake. He wasn’t supposed to
have romantic feelings about her. Or to want her romantically. Packrat figured
it was likely the lack of interactions they’d have with many people, which only
meant that he didn’t know any better. That made him feel a little less ashamed
about his feelings towards Rabbit… but not much. As he sat think just thinking,
Rabbit announced to her brother that she was exhausted and had plans to sleep
for three days straight. He laughed and told her he was going to head up to
Craterside Supply and replenish their ammunition, maybe look into purchasing a
new pistol for the both of them because theirs don’t seem to have enough
stopping power for larger things. He also let her knew he would likely stop in
at Moriarty’s for a drink or two. That way if she woke up and couldn’t find
him, she’d know where to look. Rabbit hugged him and carried both of their
packs back to the house. She hugged him once more, and with teddy bear in tow,
she went upstairs and laid down.
Packrat checked on her periodically. He would pretend to be messing with the
medical station or getting an ice cold Nuka-Cola. Once he knew she was asleep,
he sat a Nuka-Cola on the desk next to the bed, brushed her hair back from her
eyes, and kissed her forehead. He went back downstairs, grabbed most of the
caps he had stashed away inside his pack and walked out the front door. He
couldn’t continue thinking about her the way he had been, it wasn’t right and
he knew it. But he couldn’t seem to help it. Thoughts of her would just sneak
into his head, often times he wasn’t able to push them back out, either. But
she was his world, how else was he supposed to see her other than for what she
was?
“Hey kid.” Sheriff Simms called over to Packrat, snapping out of his daydream.
“Caravan’s in town. They’re from out west… think I saw ‘em heading into
Moriarty’s if you’re still interested in talking to them.” Simms said, pointing
upwards at the pub.
Packrat gave a polite nod to Simms, “Thank you. I’ll go do that.”
Simms tipped his hat, “ You’re welcome. Hey listen, son, if you and your sister
end up heading west… you be sure to take care of yourselves. And, tell ya what,
you make sure you hang onto that house key and the deed. If you do actually
decide to leave, you’ll always have a place right here in Megaton to come back
to. If you don’t come back, well, I guess that house will just have to remain
vacant until it tumbles. Your sister did me a real favor disabling that bomb…
did the whole town a favor. I’d hate to see you two leave already, but
sometimes adventure calls. At least you can take comfort in knowing you’ll have
a home should your travels bring you this way.”
“Thanks, Sheriff Simms. If we do leave, we won’t ever forget you or Megaton.
Hopefully, we can get on with Crimson Caravan and visit frequently.”
“Believe me, son, I won’t soon forget either of you.”
-----
After scaring the crap out of Moira and buying two 10mm pistols and ammunition,
he headed up to Moriarty’s. When he walked in, surprisingly, there was a Ghoul
behind the bar, banging on a radio. “Aggh! Come on, you piece of junk! Every
day, it’s the same damn thing…” He said in an extremely gravelly voice.
“I told you Gob, it ain’t the radio.” A woman standing close by said to him.
“The Enclave station comes in fine. It’s Galaxy News. Their signal’s been shit
lately.”
“Goddamn radio!” Gob banged on it some more. “Come on!”
Packrat walked over to the bar just as the woman walked away and cleared his
throat, getting Gob’s attention. “Hey smoothskin, do you need something? A
drink, maybe? Anything? Anything at all?”
Packrat put his hand to his chin, “Let me think about it for a moment, my good
man.”
Gob flinched and then looked at him as if surprised. “Wait… you’re not going to
hit me? Yell at me? Not even berate me a little?”
“I hadn’t planned on it.” Packrat said, looking confused.
“Well now.” The Ghoul said, relieved. “That’s a surprise! I’m used to every
asshole smoothskin in this town giving me shit just because I look like a
corpse. I’m glad to see that there are a few worthwhile people around here.
Listen… Moriarty’d have my head if he caught me selling at a discount, but for
you, I’ll risk it.”
“Thanks, friend. I do have to admit, I was a little worried when I saw you. Not
because you look different, but since my sister and I left Little Lamplight,
the only ghouls we’ve come across have all tried to kill us.”
“Little Lamplight, yeah, I think I’ve heard of that place. Bunch of kids, isn’t
it?”
“That’s the place. Rules are once you turn 16, you can’t stay there anymore. My
sister and I are twins, and just turned 16 about a week ago. Hasn’t been easy.”
“Sounds rough, kid.” Gob put a beer on the counter. “Don’t tell anyone, but
it’s on the house. I’m sure you could probably use it.”
Packrat picked the beer up, thanked God and looked around. To the right of
where he was sitting was another room that had a few chairs in it, which were
occupied by other people. He wondered if those were the caravanners Simms had
told him about, so he approached them. “Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but I
heard there were some folks in town with Crimson Caravan. Are you them?”
“We are.” A man nodded. “What can we do for you?”
“The Sheriff said y’all came from out west. That true?”
“Yes it is.”
“California?”
“Nevada. New Vegas, to be specific. We travel this route often. Well, if you
can call it that. Takes quite a while to get from there to here.”
“Oh? How long?”
“Well, let’s see. Weather, terrain, and danger have a hand in how long it
takes. On a good trip, I’d say roughly 2 months.”
“TWO MONTHS!?” Packrat said, damn near spitting his beer out.
“Yeah. Used to take a lot longer, but Crimson Caravan has expanded its business
so we have access to wagons now. We’re also able to stop and swap Brahmin so we
can run them hard without killing them. Takes about 2 months now, on a good
run. Can cover about 50 miles in 10 hours or so, everything permitting. Shaved
about a month off with the carriages and everything.”
“When are y’all heading back that way?”
“In a few days. We’re just here to rest up, do some trading, then we’ll be on
our way. Why? You wantin’ to go that way?”
“Might be.” He said. “All depends on how much money y’all are gonna gouge me
for.”
“Hmm.” The man rubbed his head, looking at the other caravanners. “Tell ya
what, kid... I won’t charge you. You help us do some trading and shoot anything
that gets too close, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Do you have room for two, though?”
“Yeah, we got room. You wanna go with us, and we’ll meet you here at the crack
of dawn in two days. How’s that sound?”
“Mister, you’ve got yourself a deal. We’ll be here in two days.” Packrat shook
the man’s hand and took off for the house. He was not looking forward to the
coming conversation. His world revolved around his sister, he hated when they
fought. But he knew that he was likely about to start a fight between them
considering they’d only been living in Megaton for a few weeks. Packrat almost
didn’t want to bring it up, to leave well enough alone. But there wasn’t any
way he could stand staying in Megaton… or even the Capital Wasteland… knowing
about the potential prospects out west. The possible adventures. The scavenging
opportunities. He had two days to convince Rabbit that California was the place
to be. The question was, though… could he succeed?
***** Home On The Wastes *****
Chapter Summary
     Packrat talks to his sister about going to work for the Crimson
     Caravan Company and heading west. Rabbit apologizes to Cromwell.
“Rabbit?” He said, giving her a gentle shake. “Hey, wake up, I need to talk to
you about somethin’.” Rabbit groaned as her brother shook her awake. She rolled
over and looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to say. “Um, I wanna tell
you something… but I’m afraid you’re gonna get really mad at me.” He said,
causing Rabbit to sit up immediately.
“Jesus, Everett! You don’t start shit out like that! Christ! What did you do?”
She said, already sounding agitated.
“Nothin’... well, not yet.” He looked downwards, trying not to look his sister
in the face. “I, uh… I don’t wanna stay here in Megaton. ‘Least… not right
now.”
“What?! Why?!”
“Rabbit, listen… there’s a caravan here in town. They’re from way out west -
New Vegas. I talked to ‘em while I was at the bar. They said there’s a ton of
work to be had out that way, we could probably get on with the Crimson Caravan
company and make some decent caps. It’s just so boring here…”
“Boring? That’s your argument here as to why you don’t wanna stay in this SAFE
place?”
“I just… I want us to be able to make some good caps. I wanna give you a life
you deserve - a good life. Not… not this.” He took both of her hands into his,
“Please, Rabbit. Just give this a chance. For me. For us. We’ve got nothin’
left for us here. Mom and Dad are gone, we’re no longer welcome at Little
Lamplight… which is the only home we’ve known since Mom and Dad died. What else
is there here? Nothin’. A lotta boring and a lot less caps.”
“Everett… we can’t just up and leave. We got a good thing goin’ here in
Megaton.”
Packrat knew she wouldn’t go for it… but at least they weren’t fighting. He had
a last resort that he didn’t want to use… but he knew it would be the only way
to get her to go to New Vegas. “Emery…” He said, tightening the grip he had on
her hands, “I’m goin’ to New Vegas... and I’m goin’ with or without you. So,
please… come with me. I don’t wanna leave you behind… but I can’t stay here.
I’m gonna go crazy in this place knowing that there’s better for us out there.”
Rabbit couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Would he really leave her in
Megaton and head out west? She’d never known a life without him, nor did she
want to. “What’ll we do with this place?”
“Sheriff said we can keep it. That way if we decide we don’t like it out west
or become caravanners, we always have a place to come back to. He sure
appreciates you disarming that bomb in the middle of town a whole lot. He said
we’d always be welcome here and that if we never even came back, this house
would remind vacant until it fell down.”
Rabbit sighed and rubbed the side of her head. “How long does it take to get to
New Vegas… and how’re we gonna get there?”
“The caravanners I talked with said that we could tag along with them. Won’t
charge us any caps either, only condition is we help them make some trades and
protect the wagon. They already know the route, obviously, they come this way a
lot. So along the way, we can just map it out on your pip-boy there so that way
we can always find our way back home.”
“And it’ll take how long to get there…?”
“Guy said roughly ‘bout two months.”
“Everett! Have you lost your fuckin’ mind?! You wanna live… for TWO MONTHS… in
some wagon with folks we don’t even know?!?”
“They seem real nice. And it’s practically free. Ya can’t knock free.”
“Oh yes I can, and I’m gonna!”
Packrat hugged her. “Please. Come with me. I don’t want to leave you here.”
Rabbit sighed and hugged her brother back, “Dammit, Everett… how’re you always
convincin’ me to do some ridiculous shit?”
“So yer goin’?”
“Yeah, I’ma goin’...” When she said that, Packrat squeezed her tightly. She’d
just made him the happiest he’s ever been. The only thing that could make this
moment better was if they were to… no, not those thoughts again.
*****
“Elder Lyons, sir?”
“Yes, Knight?”
“I just came from Megaton and I overheard a conversation between one the two
children who were here a few days ago and the town’s sheriff. It seems the kids
are likely heading west towards New Vegas. Thought you’d like to know.”
“Yes, thank you Knight. I’ll send someone west to contact Elder McNamara of the
Mojave Chapter. With luck, they’ll make it there safely and receive a warm
welcome.”
Squire Maxson was eavesdropping when he heard the heartbreaking news of Emery
leaving the Capital Wasteland. How would he ever meet up with her again? Maybe
she’d hate it out west and return. He ran back to his room, grabbed a pen and a
piece of paper and began to write a short note down. Immediately, he took it to
a different Knight, practically begging her to deliver it to Emery in Megaton.
The memory of her was still fresh in the Squire’s mind. He could still smell
her on the red bandana that he would always keep under his pillow. The toy car,
he would forever keep in his pocket.
*****
The following day, there was a knock at the twins’ door. Rabbit answered it,
opening it to see Sheriff Simms standing there, holding what appeared to be a
letter in his hand. “Uh, are you Emery?” He said. “Because I was given specific
instructions by a member of the Brotherhood of Steel to bring this letter here
and give it to Emery. I’m guessing that’s you?”
Rabbit nodded in confusion, “Yeah, um, yeah that’s me. Did he say what it was
about?”
“Nope.” The Sheriff said, handing her the letter. “All he said was to give this
to you and then he left.”
“Okay, um, thanks.” Rabbit closed the front door and opened the letter. It
read:
“To Emery,
I hope this letter finds you well. I heard something about you and your brother
heading west towards New Vegas. It makes me a little sad to hear this because I
was hoping we’d see each other again. Since I won’t be seeing you, I wrote you
something. As a gift. In return for the toy car you gave me.

                  From this Wasteland they say you are going
                We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile.
                   For they say you are taking the sunshine
                   That has brightened our road for awhile.
I hope you like it. If you ever come back this way, look me up, I miss you.
Stay safe out there. Ad Victoriam - that means “To Victory”.
Yours,
Squire Arthur Maxson, MX-001E."
P.S. There is a Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood somewhere around the New
Vegas area. Be sure to look them up when you get there.
 
Rabbit couldn’t contain her tears as she read the note. She knew he was only
13, but it was still the sweetest thing someone had ever done for her… that
wasn’t her brother, of course. It was better than any material gift Maxson
could’ve given. Without telling her brother about the letter, she folded the
piece of paper up and slipped it into her pack, being careful not to tear it.
She had an idea of what she could put it in… she only needed to find a Mentats
tin. Rabbit hoped she would see Maxson again someday. He was a good kid… a
little advanced for his age in the romance department, but a good kid.
Packrat came downstairs just after he woke up from his nap, couple of items in
hand - including Rabbit’s teddy bear. “We should start packing, sis. Don’t
wanna forget anything here. It’ll be a hell of a long time before we get to
come back this way.”
“Good point.” Rabbit said, taking the bear from him. “Definitely need to
double, even triple, check everything. But, before we start packing, can you
make some adjustments to my pip-boy?”
“Sure thing, whaddaya need?”
“Well, I know there’s a couple of radio stations around here… and I’m sure
there’ll be a few along the way. Think you can make it to where it’ll pick
those up? You know how I love to listen to music.”
“Say no more. Let your favorite person ever fix that right up for ya.” Packrat
laughed and grabbed a screwdriver.
“Thanks, bub. I owe ya one.” She went to plant a kiss on his cheek when he
accidentally turned his head, causing her to kiss him on the lips. She thought
nothing of it, it seemed. Packrat, on the other hand… enjoyed it, much more
than he should have. It sent his mind, and his heart, racing. How could he tell
her what he felt? Would she care if he did? Would she hate him? He didn’t know,
but eventually, it would eat him alive if he didn’t tell her.
-----
The next day, Packrat woke his sister just before dawn so they could gather
their things and bid farewell to Sheriff Simms and thank him for his
generosity. Packrat would go startle Moira once more and give her a hug goodbye
to let her know they were on good terms, and he’d hope to see her again. Rabbit
also had something she felt she needed to do. Walking past the bomb she had
disarmed weeks ago, she went up the stairs and opened the door to the Church of
Atom. She saw Confessor Cromwell sitting on a pew, catching his attention as he
let the door shut. He stood up, “What are you doing here, you wretched girl?”
Rabbit walked right up to him and threw her arms around him, hugging him. “I’m
so sorry about what happened, I had no idea you would take it that badly. I
knew you worshipped that bomb, but I didn’t know disarming it would offend you
so much. I wasn’t thinking. I only did it for the good of Megaton, that’s all.
Sheriff Simms seemed really worried about that thing going off. While I know
you worship Atom, not everyone here does. You can’t force them to walk in
Atom’s Glow. You gotta stay open-minded if you want them to welcome you and
consider joining the Church.”
“Y-you’re… right. I apologize as well for… over-reacting. I should’ve realized
you are but a child, you know not what you do.” Cromwell hugged her in return.
“But if I may ask, what is it that brought you here today?”
“My brother and I… we’re leaving with the next caravan out. We’re going out
west. Gonna be gone for a really long time. I wanted to make amends with you
before we left.”
Confessor Cromwell was shocked that she wanted to do such a thing. “Well, thank
you. That is a… very commendable gesture. I’m ashamed that I did not think of
it before now. I wish you and your brother a safe journey. Should you ever lose
your way, do not hesitate to seek Atom. Look always into yourself for answers,
because that is where they will always be - do not forget that, dear child.”
“I won’t Confessor, and thank you. When we finally make our way back here, I’ll
come find you and tell you about my travels, okay?”
“That sounds wonderful, child. I will hold you to that.” Cromwell said with a
smile.
Rabbit knew that she had gotten off on the wrong foot with the Confessor. All
it would take it a little tolerance and understanding from the both of them,
and they would get along just fine. She wouldn’t ever want to join the Church
of Atom, but she respected those who did. She didn’t bash their beliefs, no
matter how outlandish most thought they were. Rabbit walked back towards
Moriarty’s, where Packrat had told her they would be meeting with the
caravanners. As she did so, she wondered if she would come across any Children
of Atom out west. She entered the bar, seeing her brother standing with three
others - two men and a woman. “You ready to go, sis?” He asked. She really
wasn’t… she didn’t want to go… but she didn’t want him to leave her behind
either. “Yeah, I’m ready.” She said, hesitantly.
***** Lone Star *****
Chapter Summary
     The twins head out for New Vegas with the Crimson Caravan, making a
     pit stop in Texas - their home state.
*****
It was 2281, already. He couldn’t believe it was his time to go. He didn’t want
to leave Little Lamplight, but he knew he couldn’t stay. They celebrated, just
as they did for everyone else. And just like everyone else, he was afraid.
Mayor Zip bid him farewell upon his exit. Stepping foot outside Little
Lamplight wasn’t uncommon for him. Only this time, he wasn’t allowed back in.
He stood there, outside of the town he called home, looking at the sign his old
friend had made for them as a warning a couple of months ago. He had hoped for
this moment to come and she would be standing there, with her brother in tow,
to greet him with a warm, familiar smile. But she wasn’t. He waited close to
Lamplight for almost a week, just in case she would show. But she didn’t. Deep
down, he knew she wouldn’t. So, RJ MacCready finally left Little Lamplight to
travel the Capital Wasteland.
*****
Somewhere around Nashville, Tennessee the group of caravanners ran into some
major problems. They were traveling along the I-40 when they ran into a massive
gang of Raider that had blocked the highway off to bombard unsuspecting
travelers with missile turrets. When the twins’ group got attacked, two of the
caravanners didn’t make it. They both sustained injuries too severe to survive.
Which took the group from 5 to 3. Luckily, the one caravanner that survived,
knew the way. Unfortunately, around Little Rock, Arkansas… the caravanner
caught a fatal case of pneumonia and didn’t make it, leaving Packrat and Rabbit
to fend for themselves. This stroke of bad luck had turned a 2 month trip into
a 4 month trip by the time the twins hit their home state - Texas. Upon
crossing the border, Rabbit heard her pip-boy make some static as it picked up
a couple of radio stations.
“Hey, bub, wanna listen to some music? We got a few stations here to choose
from. Texarkana Talk, DFW Radio, or Texas Republic Radio.”
“DFW Radio. Way out here? Think we’re just now getting close to Texarkana,
aren’t we?”
“Yeah, that’s what it looks like.”
“Huh. Well, it really doesn’t matter to me. Probably should stop when we get to
Texarkana though to replenish our supplies. Make sure we’re goin’ the right
way. This trip has taken us way longer than I wanted it to.”
“Yeah, okay. We can do that.” Rabbit said, tuning her pip-boy to Texas Republic
Radio.
‘Howdy, to all y’all listenin’ out there.’The voice on the radio said.‘I’m your
host, Ramblin’ Ronnie, an’ yer tuned into th’ best damned radio station east of
Dallas-Fort Worth: Texas Republic Radio. Got some good music for ya, comin’ up.
But first, some news. Little Birdy told me there’s a big group of Marauders
somewhere along Highway 67 near I-35W, so be careful when yer travelin’ in th’
southern part of the metro. Keep them guns handy. As we say here on TRR: if you
ain’t packin’, you ain’t livin’. Now, here’s some Hank Williams his song with
Jambalaya On the Bayou. Enjoy. The music radiated from the radio:‘Goodbye, Joe.
Me gotta go, me oh my own. Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou. My
Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh. Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the
bayou. Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filé gumbo...
Packrat and his sister happily listened to Texas Republic Radio the entire way
to Texarkana where they stopped to restock their supplies with what few caps
they had left, seeing if they could trade anything with others. The found a
place to rest for the night next to the general store called Bowie Bed &
Breakfast. It was a quaint little B&B, Rabbit thought. Packrat liked it as
well, finally there was an indoor bathroom with running water. The pair hadn’t
seen an indoor bathroom since just before Memphis. After they paid 25 caps for
a room, Packrat expressed his need for a drink.
“There’s a saloon just over yonder, called Dusty Saddles.” Said the lady behind
the desk, “Walk out th’ door here and look right, you’ll see a tree that ought
not be there. Take a left on th’ road next to that tree. You’ll see it, s’all
lit up, cain’t miss it.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Packrat said as he headed out the door. He looked left and
sure enough, there was a Cottonwood tree growing in the middle of the road.
Just after the tree, he took a left and immediately saw the saloon lit up as if
it were Christmas in February. Rabbit caught up to her brother quickly,
expressing her irritation at him for leaving her behind. As soon as they
entered Dusty Saddles, the entire place went silent and all eyes were on the
twins.
“Marauders or tourist?” The bartender yelled across the room.
“Neither. Caravanners.” Packrat yelled back.
“Well in that case, pull up a chair and have a seat. Tell ol’ Sam what he can
git fer ya.”
“Couple of beers, if you would please, Sam.” Packrat said tossing a handful of
caps down onto the bar, “And keep ‘em comin’.”
“You got it.”
The smell of wood burning and hard liquor filled the winter air in the saloon,
accompanied by laughter and conversation. Packrat and his sister were downing
beer after beer, thoroughly enjoying themselves for the first time since
leaving Little Lamplight. Of course, their alcohol tolerance wasn’t exactly up
to par, so it didn’t take too long for them to get hammered drunk. But, they
continued on drinking and enjoying the atmosphere.
-----
Sometime after dark, the pair decided it was time to head back to the Bed &
Breakfast to get some sleep before heading out the next day. They had plans to
stop in the DFW Metroplex when they made it there because that’s where they
were from, originally. So, the needed to get some rest. Once back to their
room, they both sat down on their own beds. Packrat looked over at his sister
who was swaying along with the music that played on her pip-boy. He loved that
she’d been having such a good time, and moved to sit next to her. She gave him
a warm smile when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He looked at her, and
with slurring words, he spoke, “Rabbit, I gotta tell ya somethin’.”
“Mkay bub, shoot.” Her words were slurring worse than his.
“Uh, I don’t know quite how to say this… so I’m gonna just say it. Don’t say
nothin’ till I finish, okay?”
“Okay.” She looked a bit concerned.
“Y’know, you’re my sister, and I love you. But, I’ve always seen you in a
different light than what I’m s’posed to, I guess. I dunno. I dunno what I’m
tryin’ to say, here. Guess I’m tryin’ to say that… well, that I love you. But
in a way that a brother shouldn’t be lovin’ his sister.” He looked at her,
waiting to see her facial expression turn to disgust… but it didn’t.
“I don’t think I get what you’re meanin’.” Rabbit was genuinely confused.
“Could be the booze talkin’, but what I mean to say is that… well, I don’t see
you as my sister. I used to, but I guess being around you so much… that all
changed. Dunno if it’s because I wasn’t around any girls that sparked my
interest or what. Only girl I’ve ever had a crush on is, well, you.”
“Everett…”
“Now, I know, I know. I’m not supposed to be feeling like that towards you.
Believe me, I’ve tried not to. I get so jealous whenever a guy looks at you
with interest… because that’s how I look at you. To be honest, it’s quite
embarrassing and I’m ashamed about it. I would never hurt you, you know that. I
will protect you at any cost. I don’t know that some guy is gonna do that for
you. Dunno that any guy will love you the way I do… or as much as I do.”
Packrat got closer to her, his face inches from hers as if he was about to kiss
her.
 
“We shouldn’t…” She said to him, putting her hands on his chest to push him
away. He stopped his advance on her and simply kissed her on the cheek, then
went back over to his bed, instantly regretting his confession. They both laid
in their beds in awkward silence, and finally, drifted off to sleep.
-----
The next morning, they both awoke with splitting headaches from the fun they
had the night before. Packrat remembered what he’d told Rabbit but apparently,
she didn’t. “What all happened last night?” She asked him, holding her hand up
to her head. “I don’t remember a thing after the saloon.”
Packrat breathed a sigh of relief. “Aw, nothin’, just came back here and went
to bed.” He got up to get them both some water in hopes of it getting rid of
their headaches. He handed her a bottle and she gulped it down like she hadn’t
had water in days. They gathered up their things and threw them back into the
wagon and rode out of Texarkana, heading towards DFW. It was about a 200 mile
trip on Interstate 30 that laid ahead of them. Packrat figured it would take 4
or 5 days to get there, as long as everything went smoothly at the rate the
Brahmin moved. He was right, it took them almost 5 days to get there because
they stopped to rest after about 50 miles of being on the move each day. Once
they made it to Dallas, Packrat found a Crimson Caravan company to swap out the
Brahmin. He remembered the caravaner telling him that it needed to be done so
they wouldn’t run the Brahmin to literal death. He asked the man at Crimson
Caravan if there was a place to sleep. Packrat was told that there was a hotel
nearby, called The Metro Motel, that they could stay at for 15 caps a night. He
thanked the man and went back to the wagon where Rabbit was sitting. He let her
know they were going over to the motel and assured her there wouldn’t be any
drinking done that night. Rabbit walked in and paid for a room while Packrat
was getting their belongings out of the wagon.
The room they stayed in seemed a lot nicer than the one in Texarkana, Packrat
said it was only because it was cheaper. They both kicked off their shoes when
Packrat looked down and noticed that Rabbit had on two totally different socks,
and laughed, “Girl, what are you doin’ runnin’ around here with mismatchin’
socks!?”
She looked down at her feet. “Oh. Uh, got a hole in the other ones. This is my
last pair.”
“Your last pair?” He looked at her disappointed. Before they were to head out,
Packrat was going to make sure she got some more socks, come hell or high
water. He couldn’t have his sister running around without any.
When Rabbit laid down for a nap, Packrat snuck out to the nearest clothing
store in search of socks. He walked in, surprised to see an actual person
rather than a Mr. Handy. He greeted the elderly woman with a nod and a smile.
She asked if there was anything in particular he was looking for and he told
her he needed socks for a woman. She checked the backroom to see if there were
any to spare. A few minutes later, the woman handed him a package of 6 pairs of
socks. They’d cost him only 5 caps, a deal like that wasn’t one he could turn
down. Once he paid for them he returned to the motel room to find Rabbit had
woken up and went into the bathroom. Packrat, not thinking, opened the door…
what he found was Rabbit taking a shower.
“Whaddaya want?” She asked.
“Oh, uh, I bought you some socks. Sorry for bargin’ in, I didn’t know you were
takin’ a shower.”
“It’s okay,” She laughed, “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” Which was
true, he’d seen his sister shower plenty of times, but not since they were
little. It was a good thing she couldn’t see his face turning red. He walked
out of the bathroom quickly and sat down on his bed, thinking about the sight
he’d just seen. It was something he wouldn’t soon forget.
Rabbit exited the bathroom, in not much more than a shirt, and sat down on the
bed. She looked over at Packrat and noticed he seemed uncomfortable.
“Everything okay?” She asked him.
“Yeah. Sorry I just walked in on you like that.”
Rabbit laughed at the sight of him blushing, “It’s okay, don’t think anything
of it.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah I’m sure. Why, are you traumatized now?” She laughed again.
“I wouldn’t say that.” He tried to avoid eye contact with her.
“Well, okay, so long as you ain’t scarred for life.” Night fell and they both
dozed off.
It seemed like dawn broke earlier than usual the next morning. Both of them
still exhausted. Rabbit tried to convince her brother to stay in DFW for one
more day, but he’d told her that they couldn’t afford to, they were running low
on caps. They would’ve had plenty of caps to last them the trip had it taken
the 2 months they thought it would. Unfortunately, Packrat wasn’t sure they
would have enough caps to stay in anything other than the wagon and still be
able to afford to eat. “Can we at least stop in Amarillo?” She said with sad
eyes. Packrat knew how much his sister loved the scenery in the Panhandle of
Texas. He couldn’t make any promises and simply told her that he would know
once they made it there. Packrat knew it would take them longer to get from the
DFW Metro area to Amarillo than it took from Texarkana to DFW. He figured it
would likely take about a week to reach Amarillo, as long as nothing went bad
around the I-35W area along the way. They got on highway 287, and headed west
for the Panhandle.
A week later Packrat and Rabbit finally made it to Amarillo without a problem.
However, Packrat discovered that they were low enough on caps that they
couldn’t afford to stop and stay at a motel. It was at that point he decided he
would swap out Brahmin every chance he got, and continue on for as many hours
at a time that he possibly could before he’d be forced to stop and sleep.
Rabbit wasn’t happy about not being able to stop in Amarillo, but she
understood. Her brother promised to make it up to her.
Packrat pushed the Brahmin as hard as he could without killing them. He could
cover about 75 miles or so before being forced to stop. He knew that this rate
they would hit New Vegas in no less than 2 weeks. And so they went.
***** New Vegas Valley *****
Chapter Summary
     They finally made it.
Twelve days after leaving Amarillo, Texas the twins arrived at the outskirts of
New Vegas on I-40W. They could see a few flashing lights and a tall tower from
where they were. Packrat told his sister that that was most likely where they
needed to go. On random occasion, they would see what appeared to be military
personnel patrolling the Mojave. The only military-types they had encountered
were the Brotherhood of Steel and they’d merely heard about The Enclave. But
these people, they were different. They didn’t wear power armor, only army
fatigues and other uniforms that were similar, just more bulky. Periodically,
they would see flags flown at the top of flagpoles with a two-headed bear on
it, underneath it would read “New California Republic”. Rabbit urged Packrat to
stop so she could ask one of the military people who they were, but he declined
her request.
The sun gleamed off of Rabbit’s hair, as Packrat took notice, “Y’know, your
hair isn’t red as it was months ago.”
“It’s not?” Rabbit said, puzzled.
“Nope. Sun seems to be bleachin’ it out blonde. Looks good, though.” He
commented, as he reached over and rustled her hair. She laughed and tried to
straighten it back up. Packrat steered the Brahmin towards the New Vegas strip,
Rabbit could see the big sign that read ‘FREe$IDE’. Before approaching a gate,
Packrat looked left and saw a workbench in front of some kind of building.
“Hey, let’s check that out.” He said, nudging his sister. As they got around to
the front of it, they could read the sign: ‘Gun Runners’. “Huh,” He said, “Must
be a gun merchant. Let’s go check out his stock.” The twins hopped outta the
wagon and walked up to the shop, surprised that it was manned by a robot.
“Hello?” Rabbit said to the Protectron.
“Hello sir or madam.” He replied. “Do you wish to purchase something?”
“That’s some impressive weaponry. Where did it all come from?” Packrat asked.
“All Gun Runners merchandise is constructed on-site.”
“How did you get in there?” Rabbit queried.
“This kiosk was specially constructed around me to deter theft and assault.”
“Huh. Okay, show me what you have for sale, please.” Rabbit sounded amused.
“I am ready to process out transaction.”
The two browsed the robot’s wares, the only problem was how costly everything
was. Rabbit and Packrat were proficient in pistols, not rifles… this robot,
however, had a rifle that Rabbit fell in love with. Only problem was it was
damn near 22,000 caps. Packrat simply wanted a hunting revolver, nothing more,
but even that was 3,800 caps. “Jesus, New Vegas is expensive.” Rabbit said.
Packrat nodded in agreement and commented, “I s’pose we could find a job ‘round
here to do until we come up with the caps for the weapons we want. 26,000 ain’t
gonna be easy, but it ain’t impossible.” They climbed back up into the wagon
and looked around, noticing a large concrete wall, looked similar to some kind
of fort. Leading the wagon over to it, noticing the large tower inside New
Vegas and the FREe$IDE sign, they rounded the front and saw a red sign above
the doors that read ‘Crimson Caravan’. “WOO-EEE!” Packrat hollered, “So many
times we talked about givin’ up and turnin’ back, but here we are! We faced
temptation and did not bend! Got-damn praise the lord!” Rabbit keeled over,
laughing hysterically as her brother stood up in the wagon and did a silly
happy dance. “Let’s get our collective asses in there and talk to somebody!” He
said, jumping out of the wagon and opening the large doors. Rabbit steered the
Brahmin through the gate as Packrat closed it behind her. He walked up to the
first man he saw, “Who’s in charge here?” He asked.
“Alice McLafferty,” The man replied. “She runs the Crimson Caravan. You can
find her over in the main office just past that stand there.” He pointed
towards the man standing in the middle of the place, singing along with the
radio.
“Much obliged.” Packrat said. Rabbit took the Brahmin and wagon and parked it
next to the corral and politely smiled to the redheaded woman tending to it.
They walked past the man in the booth and up a few steps into the main office.
An elderly-looking woman sat in a business suit behind a desk.
“Welcome to the Crimson Caravan Company, New Vegas branch.” She said. “What may
I do for you?”
“We traveled here from the Capital Wasteland with some caravanners that work
for y’all. They didn’t make it, 2 died in Memphis and the other around Little
Rock. Rabbit and I brought the wagon the rest of the way, stopping and swapping
Brahmin.” Packrat replied.
“I had gotten word that that caravan never did make it back on time. I expected
the worst, seems I was only half right. How old are you, if you don’t mind my
asking?”
“We’re both 16, ma’am.” He said.
“Such manners... my, my, 16 and already more responsible than half the people I
have around. You’ve come all the way out here, I assume you’re looking to go to
work for Crimson Caravan?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. “We’d like some local work for now, if that’s okay.
We’ve traveled really far and took us almost 3 months longer than it shoulda.
Kinda wanna stay in the area till we get some caps built back up.”
“Understandable.” McLafferty smiled sympathetically. “I’m afraid we have no
current openings for caravanners or guards. When I assumed the worst about your
wagon, I went ahead and hired on more caravanners. But, I’m in need of a
runner.”
“We’ll take it.” Packrat said anxiously. “What do we need to do?”
“I need you to deliver this invoice to Dr. Hildern. You can find him somewhere
inside Camp McCarran.”
“Is that around the area here?”
“Yes, it’s a building that looks very similar to the concrete walls you
approached when you found us. When you head out the gate that faces Freeside,
look left and you’ll see a fence surrounding a bunch of tents, that’s the NCR
Sharecroppers Farm. It’s alright to go through there, they won’t say anything
to you as long as you don’t touch anything. When you get through it, there’ll
be a road, head right on it towards the ‘Welcome to New Vegas’ sign that’s lit
up. There’ll be a Poseidon Energy gas station very close to that. Walk right up
to that gas station and turn around, you should be looking right at the front
door to McCarren. When you get in there, Hildern will be inside the McCarran
Terminal Building, the sign on top of it will say something like McCarran
Airport. Go in and walk past the escalators, he’ll be in a lab on the right.”
“Thank you, ma’am. We’ll get it done in no time.” Packrat grabbed his sister
and led her back out the door, almost jumping for joy that they’d already found
work. Granted, it wasn’t much, but it was a start, and that’s all they needed.
-----
With ease, the two found Camp McCarran and when they got in, they got out of
the wagon and walked over to the NCR soldier standing behind a pile of
sandbags, letting him know that they had a delivery for Dr. Hildern. He nodded
and pointed them towards the terminal building.
“McCarran Airport. Las Vegas? Thought it was New Vegas?” Rabbit said, tilting
her head to one side in confusion.
Packrat shrugged, “Dunno. Maybe it was called Las Vegas before the Great war.”
He opened the door for his sister to go inside the building. Right away, they
saw a bunch of odd looking machines, some lit up and some weren’t. There was
some kind of airplane hanging from the ceiling of the poorly-lit building.
Packrat pointed towards the escalator, “He must be that way.” They walked past
the escalators and saw a door on the right immediately after them, so they went
through it, almost running into a woman wearing a lab coat.
“Little busy at the moment. But I can talk,” The woman had an accent very
similar to the twins. “Can I help you two with something?”
“Is this the lab?” Packrat asked.
“This? Yes, it’s the OSI lab. We don’t get many visitors though. The smell puts
people off, I think. Nobody ever said science would smell clean and fresh.
Anyway, you get used to it, if you give it some time.”
“Yeah it smells like someone shit IN my nose.” Rabbit piped up, prompting a
rough elbow from her brother.
“Are you Dr. Hildern?”
“Nah. I’m his lab assistant, Angela Williams. Dr. Hildern is in the next room.”
“Thank you, Ms. Williams.” Packrat said, dragging his sister with him. Walking
over to the man sitting in front of a broken terminal, he introduced himself.
“A pleasure to meet you!” The man said. “I’m Dr. Thomas Hildern, Director of
Operations, OSI East. I presume you’re here about Vault 22?”
Packrat looked puzzled, “No, this is the first we’ve heard about Vault 22.”
The Doctor scoffed, “No, they wouldn’t have briefed you, would they?” He
mumbled. “Probably better that our junior fellows stay within the bounds of
their pay grade, anyway. Vault 22… where to begin…”
Rabbit spoke up, “Save the sales pitch, we ain’t here about Vault 22. Actually,
we have an invoice for you from Alice McLafferty.”
“From Alice? I’ll see that she’s paid right away. Crimson Caravan runs a tight
operation, even out here in the waste. Wouldn’t do to keep them waiting. Was
there anything else? Or were you just here about the invoice?”
Packrat covered Rabbit’s mouth with his hand, “Just the invoice, sir.”
“All right, well, if you want to help with Vault 22…”
Packrat humored the Doctor with feigned interest. “Sure, what’s it about?”
“Well, straight to the point - I believe that the inhabitants of Vault 22
unlocked the secret of vegetative growth. Plants are spilling from their gate.
No one tends them. No one waters them. Yet they multiply and spread in all
directions. I want you to go there and find the reason for this miraculous
growth, and I promise you, the OSI will see that you are generously
compensated.”
Packrat shook his head, “This doesn’t sound like our kind of job.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that.” Dr. Hildern said, looking disappointed. “If you
should change your mind, the offer will stand until I fill the position. As
will the substantial reward…”
-----
“I delivered the invoice, just as you asked.” Packrat told McLafferty as they
walked inside the Crimson Caravan Main Office.
“Well, you’ve proven yourself reliable so far. Would you be interested in some
more important jobs?”
Packrat nodded his head anxiously, “Yes ma’am. What other work do you have
available for us?”
“There’s the matter of Henry Jamison, an employee whose services I’d rather do
without. His family connections make it difficult, however. The Jamisons are
very wealthy ranchers back in Redding, California and significant investors in
the Crimson Caravan Company. I was pressured into posting young Henry as the
manager of the New Vegas branch. As you can see, he wasn’t exactly cut out for
the job. He was much more interested in gambling and prostitutes, and because
of his family, I can’t simply fire him. Henry needs to be convinced to quit,
one way or another. I won’t have a useless employee on the company payroll.”
Packrat beamed a smile at Ms. McLafferty, “Ma’am, if anyone can convince Mr.
Jamison to quit Crimson Caravan, it’s Rabbit here. She could sell dirt to a
ditch digger.”
“Good. I’m looking forward to the problem being solved. You’ll find Henry
somewhere inside the walls of New Vegas. If I were you, I’d check the casinos
first.”
Packrat nodded and they headed straight for Freeside. When they got there, they
saw a sign on the side of a building that said ‘Mick & Ralph’s’ and decided to
check it out. Maybe they’d have some cheaper firearms. They’d made some money
from McLafferty, but nowhere near enough what they needed. Packrat walked up to
the man sitting behind a display-case type thing, “Hello.” He said.
“If you’re looking for guns, talk to Mick. Otherwise, I’ve got a nice selection
of general supplies and other services.” Ralph said.
“What are your other services?” Packrat asked him, curiously.
“I can only offer services if The King gives the okay. Impress him and we can
talk.”
Rabbit leaned over the counter, gently tugging at Ralph’s shirt collar. “A
resourceful fellow such as yourself must have something on the side.”
“All right.” Ralph cleared his throat, “Yeah, I’ve got a little side business
going, but what I’m about to share with you does not live with room, okay?”
Rabbit nodded and Ralph continued to tell her what she wanted to know, “Over
the years, I’ve gradually perfected my craft to the point of perfection. No one
can distinguish between my work and the real thing. What I’m referring to is
passports. If you’ve got the caps, I can whip up a Strip passport which will
fool even the most well-trained eye.”
“Ah,” Rabbit smiled. “Now I see why you want to keep this low key.”
“Hey, if you’re interested and have the caps, they go for 500. Any less and it
ain’t worth the risk of getting caught. What do you say? You game?” Ralph told
her.
Rabbit continued playing with Ralph’s shirt collar, leaning closer to him. “No
way your materials and expenses require that. How ‘bout half?”
Ralph looked amused. “Hah! I like your style, kid, but the best I can do is
meet you halfway. 375 caps, and we can call it a deal.”
She looked over at Packrat as he nodded with approval and handed him 375 caps.
“Okay, we’ll take one.”
“Okay, here you go. Thanks for stopping in.” Ralph said to her with a wink.
Packrat tried to ignore it as his jealousy was spiking the entire time Rabbit
charmed the man.
“Welcome to Mick & Ralph’s.” Mick chimed in, trying to get their business. “If
you need guns, I’m your man.”
“What guns do you have for sale?” Packrat asked, wondering if it would be
expensive.
“Take a look.” Mick said, showing his inventory. Packrat and his sister were
disappointed to see a 12.7mm pistol they’d both love to have, yet it was too
expensive priced at 18,000 caps. Although, Packrat did hand over 2 measly caps
for a decent-looking old cowboy hat.
“You would buy a cowboy hat.” Rabbit snorted when he put it on. She tugged
downwards on the brim, covering his eyes so she could poke him in the nose.
They both laughed. Packrat turned to Mick, “Hey, is it safe if I leave our
Brahmin and wagon outside here? Seems a little inappropriate to try to take
them through Freeside.”
“Sure thing.” Mick added, “For 75 caps, I’ll make sure nothing happens to it.”
Packrat obliged, paying the man.
The pair walked through a second gate into another part of Freeside, greeted by
a building with a large sign that said ‘The Kings’. Just to the right was
another sign that read ‘FREESIDE’ and next to it was a scantily clad woman,
hawking something about the Atomic Wrangler. Sure enough, looking just past her
was a large sign with the words ‘Atomic Wrangler Casino’. The twins decided to
check there first for Henry Jamison, but mutually agreed that some time they
wanted to check out what kind of place The Kings was.
They walked into the Atomic Wrangler and their senses were immediately
assaulted with cigarette smoke so heavy it burned their noses as well as
another smell that they couldn’t readily identify. They looked around and saw a
young blonde man sitting at one of those oddly lit machines, pulling down on
the handle. Packrat walked over to him and tapped the man on the shoulder.
“Shove off.” The man said, unpleasantly. “You’re making my luck turn bad.”
“Are you Henry Jamison?” Packrat asked.
“Might be.” He replied.
Packrat grabbed Henry’s shoulder, “I’m here to talk about ending your
employment with the Crimson Caravan Company.” Rabbit stifled a giggle at her
brother trying to sound threatening.
“Fuck no.” Henry said. “No matter what that old bitch McLafferty says, my dad
said I could be in charge of the New Vegas branch. Besides, I got into a little
money trouble with the Omertas. If I quit the Crimson Caravan, how am I
supposed to get the money to gamble?”
Rabbit sat down next to him and leaned in front of him until he could no longer
pull the lever on his slot machine. “So you don’t have the Omertas’ money yet?
I’ll let them know about that.”
“Wha-?” Henry looked extremely concerned. “No, no, wait. Look, I just need
time. Don’t rat me out to them. You want me to quit the Crimson Caravan? Fine,
I quit. You can tell McLafferty that she won’t see my face again.”
Rabbit smiled and gave Henry a wink, “We appreciate your cooperation. Hope your
luck improves.”
-----
The two waltzed back into the Crimson Caravan office and up to Ms. McLafferty,
“The Crimson Caravan Company no longer has to worry about Henry Jamison.”
Packrat told her.
“Yes, I just got word a few minutes before you walked in here. I understand
that he’s decided to quit outright and not even ask for compensation. I’m a bit
curious what exactly you said to him. Then again, perhaps I’d rather now know.”
She said with a smile, “Thank you all the same - I’m very happy to be rid of
that man. I don’t have anything else for you just now. But I should in a few
days. Come back then and we’ll talk.”
“Thank you, ma’am. See you in a few days.”
As they were leaving Crimson Caravan Company, Packrat turned around and looked
at his sister, sitting in the back of the wagon. “You sure know how to talk to
a fella’ to get whatever you want. I’d like to know where you learned to do
that.”
“Dunno, really. Just kinda happens.” She laughed as she got up and sat down
next to her brother, watching him steer the Brahmin. “Where are we headin’ to
now, bub?”
“Not sure. Doesn’t help that we don’t know anything about this place. Could
stay the night somewhere should we find a hotel or somethin’. Don’t care to
stay in New Vegas overnight though. Shit’s expensive, it seems.”
“Yeah… so I guess we just roam around till we find somethin’ to do?”
“Guessin’ so. Though I’d rather find work, to be honest. I’d like the gun Mick
had, but at 18,000 caps? Shit. We’d have to get 40,000 just for that and the
rifle you wanted from Gun runners. May as well get started.”
And so, they did just that. Wandering the Mojave Wasteland as traders, doing
the odd runners jobs for McLafferty. They kept on, determined to get the things
they wanted.
***** Stars Of The Midnight Range *****
Chapter Summary
     !!WARNING!! - There's incest (twincest?) in this chapter. Packrat
     loses control of his hormones and, albeit gently, forces himself onto
     Rabbit. She doesn't hate him, though. She wasn't exactly for it when
     it began, but she wasn't exactly opposed to it after it got going
     either.
Chapter Notes
     Initially, I wasn't going to add in the non-consent incest because
     they're 17 and incest is such a taboo thing. But I got to thinking...
     ok, it's the wasteland... who's going to give a shit? How many others
     in the wasteland do you suppose does the same thing? So yeah, there
     it is lol.
     **If you don't like it, skip this chapter. Please don't be rude. I
     will delete rude comments.**
It took the twins a while, until late-October 2281, to get enough money for the
weapons they had set their sights on all the way back in early March of the
previous year. They had jobs as caravanners, runners, couriers, cleaners,
exterminators, scavengers… you name it. The only thing they didn’t do, was have
sex for money or kill innocent people. They had made 47,750 caps in that time -
enough to buy the guns and still have caps left over to live off of. At night,
while Rabbit slept, Packrat had taken to making her something to attach to the
rifle she’d wanted. Hoping it was still there, he would give her the gift once
the rifle was purchased. They were both excited, but Rabbit wanted Packrat to
buy the pistol he wanted first, since it was mostly him who did all the work.
Rabbit only convinced people of things, Packrat did the hard stuff. And it
wasn’t because she didn’t want to do it, it’s because he wouldn’t let her.
Things like that would sometimes prompt them to get into arguments about him
being over-protective of her. He would explain to her that he was only over-
protective because he loved her and couldn’t stand the thought of anything bad
happening. That always diffused the arguments.
Packrat didn’t argue, though, whenever Rabbit requested that he buy his 12.7mm
first. He walked right into Mick & Ralph’s, dumped 18,000 caps onto the
counter… much to Mick’s surprise… and bought the exact thing he wanted. He
ended up naming it his Lil’ Devil. His sister giggled at the name, but was more
excited about the possibility of buying the .45-70 rifle she’d fell in love
with at Gun Runners so long ago. She wasn’t anywhere near proficient with a
rifle, had never even shot one, but that .45-70 called to her. They went to Gun
Runners, she spoke to the robot, and sure enough, he had one in stock. The
twins had no idea if it was the same one or just another one, Rabbit didn’t
care. She handed the robot 22,000 caps and squealed whenever the robot placed
the gun down onto the counter in front of her.
“Whatcha gonna name it, sis?”
“It’s my Medicine Stick. The cure-all for stupidity.”
Packrat bellowed laughter, “Good name! I have something for you. Been workin’
on it for a couple nights now while you were asleep. Made it for your Medicine
stick.” They climbed back up into their wagon and he pulled the small
dreamcatcher out of his pack and stuck it firmly to the stock of her rifle. “Do
you know what this is?” He asked her.
“Pretty?” Rabbit said with a big smile.
“I’m glad you think so.” He laughed and fiddled with the feathers that hung
from it, “But it’s a dreamcatcher. And there’s a story behind it.”
“Oh! Oh!” Rabbit said excitedly as she bounced up and down. “Tell me the
story!”
“It was believed, for a time, by the Ojibwe people - or Chippewa - that there
was some kind of Spider Woman named Asibikaashi who would care for the children
and people of the land.” Rabbit listened with great interest about the history
behind the object her brother had made for her. “Over time, the Ojibwe Nation
grew larger and they ended up living all over North America. It was told that
this Asibikaashi had a difficult time reaching all the children because they
were so spread out. So, mothers and grandmothers would weave magical webs -
dreamcatchers - for the children, and even babies. They would make it with
something hoop-like, just like this one, and plant cordage or sinew. I used
cordage. Anyway, what these were supposed to do is catch all the bad dreams so
the children wouldn’t have any, only good dreams.Once the sun rises, all the
bad dreams this things catches will disappear.”
“Wow, Packrat, thank you so much!” She said as she hugged his neck tightly.
Rabbit admired her dreamcatcher for hours. She loved the way it dangled from
her rifle. He had stuck it in the right spot for to not interfere or cause
distraction when shooting.
After wandering around for awhile, Rabbit pointed out that they were getting
close to Primm again. They’d taken the odd jobs with the Mojave Express on
several occasions and decided to stop in to see if Ruby Nash had any today. Her
husband, Johnson, apparently gave out parcels as well, but their timing was
always bad enough that they never got to meet him.
“Ridin’ around in circles doesn’t seem very fun to me…” She commented as they
came up on the rollercoaster that engulfed the town. “Yeah, me neither.”
Packrat said, recalling his sister saying that to him every time they got close
enough to Primm to see it. There wasn’t much to the town other than that
rollercoaster. A few houses, a Bison Steve Hotel, the Vikki and Vance Casino,
and the Mojave Express. At some point, the Bison Steve was supposedly some kind
of casino, but the only slot machines they ever saw were the ones inside the
Vikki and Vance Casino.
They quite enjoyed Primm, Sheriff McBain and his wife were extremely friendly.
Nice as they were, though, they didn’t put up with anyone trying to make
trouble in their town. Deputy Beagle seemed like a guy that would boast on
himself, but end up being nothing more than chicken shit when it came down to
having to deal with ruffians. Rabbit had sassed the Deputy a few times and he
always backed down. Packrat wasn’t sure if it was because Rabbit was female or
if he was genuinely that yellow-bellied.
They pulled into Primm and tied the Brahmin near the Mojave Express building.
Walking in, they were greeted by Ruby’s familiar smile. “Well, hey there,
youngsters! Hadn’t seen your friendly faces around here for a while. Everything
been goin’ okay?”
“Yes ma’am. How’re you and Mr. Nash?” Rabbit asked with a warm smile.
“Just fine, thank you. I know I’ve said this before, but I swear… the manners
on you two are like a breath of fresh air.” Packrat and his sister both smiled
as he thanked Ruby for saying so. Again. He asked Mrs. Nash if she had any
parcels that needed to be delivered. “Not at the moment. Why don’t you stay in
town for the night and check in with me tomorrow? I’m sure I’ll have something
by then. I know for a fact that Bison Steve has a vacancy.” She said with a
smile.
“Yes ma’am, thank you.” Packrat returned the smile.
He and his sister walked over to the hotel and tried to pay for a room.
However, the town of Primm knew of the twins, and like them enough that they
had decided to let them stay in Primm anytime they needed, free of charge. The
owner of the Bison Steve even gave them their own personal room that wouldn’t
be rented to anyone else, just to ensure there was always a vacancy for them
whenever they were in town. They thanked the owner graciously as they headed up
to the second floor and into their room. There came a knock at the door, no
sooner than they had gotten settled in for the night. Packrat opened the door
to Ruby Nash standing there with.
“Here. I made you two my world-famous Radscorpion Poison Casserole. Don’t
worry, it won’t kill ya to eat it.” She said with a hearty laugh, handing
Packrat the casserole. “Hope you like it. You both look like you could use a
hot meal.”
“Oh, yes, thank you so much Mrs. Nash!” Packrat said, his stomach was already
growling just smelling the delicious food. She smiled and took her leave so the
twins could enjoy their home-cooked meal. Which is exactly what they did.
Once they finished eating, Packrat saw his sister struggling with her hair and
asked her what was wrong. “It’s matted pretty badly in the back. Dunno what
happened. Just appeared one day.” She said.
“Here, lemme take a look at it.” He sat down behind her and inspected the hair.
“We’re uh, we’re gonna have to cut it off. It’s… pretty bad back here. If I cut
it, it’s gonna be real short. Like a boy’s haircut.”
“Great…” She said sarcastically, “So I’m gonna look even more like you, I
s’pose. Alright, fuck it. Chop it off.”
“You sure about this? Once I start cuttin’, I cain’t stop ‘cause it’ll look
real bad.”
“Yep. I’m sure, now hurry up before I change my mind.” Rabbit told him,
impatiently. Packrat rummaged through his pack and found the pair of scissors
he always kept on him, because you never know when you’d need them. They were
the same ones he’d use to cut his own hair from time to time. He took a deep
breath, and started cutting his sister’s hair to remove the large mass of
matted hair and grime from her head. He did as neatly of a job as he could,
which didn’t look bad at all. Much to his surprise, she wore a short haircut
extremely well. Rabbit went into the bathroom when Packrat announced that he’d
finished… when she came out, however, she was crying.
“I look awful!” She sobbed.
“Oh, Rabbit, no. No, no, no. You look great.” He told her, pulling her down
onto the bed beside him. “I was actually shocked at how good that haircut looks
on you.”
She sniffled as Packrat dried her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m positive. Now how about you and I grab the wagon and ride up on the
nearest hillside and just look at the stars, hm? Hadn’t been able to take the
time to do anything like that in forever, it seems.”
Rabbit smiled and nodded her head, she loved that idea. She discovered very
quickly, that her brother wasn’t the only one who liked her new haircut.
Everyone she ran into complimented her on how great she looked with short hair…
which definitely made her feel much better about it. Packrat helped her up into
the wagon and they rode it up onto a nearby hill. He jumped out and tied the
Brahmin to a decently-sized tree and when he climbed back into the wagon, he
laid down and pulled her down next to him. Gazing up at the stars in the
midnight sky, they couldn’t help but wonder what adventures laid before them.
Would they ever make it back to the Capital Wasteland? Packrat figured they
would, eventually, in due time. But it would likely take another year or more,
at the very least. He wouldn’t mind going back, he did miss Megaton and having
an actual place he called home. But their adventures out in the Mojave
Wasteland was perfect for him, and he loved sharing every minute of it with
Rabbit. He broke the silence, “I gotta hop out ‘n water the plants.” Rabbit
laughed at him and promised not to look.
After he used the bathroom, he climbed back into the wagon, but lost his
footing on the way in and fell directly on top of Rabbit. “Ooof!” She said,
“You’re kinda heavy!” He laughed and wiggled around on top of her, announcing
that he was going to crush her with his fatness. She squirmed and laughed
beneath him, trying to push him off, but he was too heavy for her to move in
that position. Finally, he stopped moving about and looked at her. “What?” She
said, “I got a booger on my face?”
He laughed and touched her hair, “No. I just… you’re beautiful in the
moonlight, you know. The way it illuminates your skin. Makes your eyes
twinkle.”
She smiled, “You only say that stuff ‘cause you hafta.”
“Naw. I say it ‘cause I mean it.” He stroked the top of her hair. He leaned
down and softly placed a kiss on her forehead. Then the tip of her nose.
“Everett…” She started to object.
“Shhh.” He said just before he softly put his lips against hers. He knew she
couldn’t pull away, nor could she push him away. It would be his only
opportunity. For over a year now, his emotions had been reeling. He couldn’t
keep a handle on it, not anymore. He pulled his lips away from hers. He looked
into her eyes to see utter shock, he’d left her speechless with his
advancement. She didn’t know what to make of the current situation. He knew he
shouldn’t… but he wanted to see her. He’d watched her body blossom from the
time they left Lamplight at 16… they were 17 now, and she had turned into a
beautiful young woman. Her body stayed hidden underneath the over-sized
clothing she wore. And he wanted to see it. He lifted her shirt, exposing her
small breasts to the warm night air. It was summer practically year-round in
the Mojave. Rabbit started to tug her shirt back down, but he wouldn’t let her.
Her body had never been touched before, not even by her. He wanted to be the
first. He kept trying to tell himself it was wrong. That he shouldn’t be doing
this. Not to her. But he didn’t stop. He brushed his lips against against one
of her nipples, causing it to harden almost immediately. He could feel Rabbit
tugging on her shirt, still trying to pull it down, but she wasn’t saying a
word. Packrat took her nipple between his lips, sucking gently, she didn’t make
a sound. She tugged at her shirt some more, but failed in trying to cover
herself.
She wasn’t sure if she liked that was going on or not, but she knew that it
wasn’t something that should be happening between them. She couldn’t move. She
couldn’t fight. So she just laid there thinking that it would end soon.
Suddenly, she felt her pants and panties being stripped from her body and
before she knew it, she was nude from the waist down. “Everett!” She said, in a
nervous tone.
He covered her mouth with his right hand, and unbuttoned his pants with his
free hand, squirming until they were down around his knees. His face met hers
as he spread her legs and positioned himself between them. He rubbed his
erection against her center, noticing it was extremely warm and slick. Grabbing
his length, he put the head against her hole, looking back at her he assured
her that he was going to be gentle, that it wasn’t his intentions to hurt her.
He loved Rabbit, more than life itself, he would never intentionally cause her
physical pain. Gently, he pushed, until his entire length was buried inside
her, ridding them of their purity. He didn’t move. He wanted to let her become
accustomed to him. It felt like his insides were melting, like butter on the
sidewalk on a hot day. His hand remained over her mouth as he informed her that
he was going to start moving. She didn’t nod, didn’t make a sound, didn’t offer
to cry, nothing. She just looked at him. Packrat hooked his left arm underneath
her, grasping onto her shoulder. He placed his forehead against hers as he
slowly moved himself out of her, then part of the way back in, trying not to
hurt her. He couldn’t believe how good she felt. Minutes were passing that
seemed like hours. He removed his forehead from hers, and looked down at her.
She was looking at him, her hands were no longer tugging at her shirt or the
hand that covered her mouth, they were at her sides now. He began pushing his
length in it’s entirety into her core, feeling himself hitting the wall of her
cervix. He felt her shift underneath him, bringing his attention back up to her
eyes once again. He watched her eyes almost flutter as her back arched. She
maintained eye contact with him when he felt her walls tighten their grip on
him. He stopped and removed his hand from her mouth, he didn’t want her to be
hurting. “Please, Everett…” She pleaded, “Don’t stop.” Was all she managed to
say. Her plea did not fall on deaf ears as he began to gently move in and out
of her once more. He pressed into her, giving her every inch of himself that he
had to give. Slowly, he coaxed her, closer and closer. Once again, he felt her
tighten around him as the pleasure increased in her core. He looked at her,
seeing her eyes closed as she bit her lip. “Open your eyes, Emery.” She did as
she was told, and they looked into each other’s eyes. He felt her vaginal walls
pulsate wildly around him as he watched the pleasure dance in her eyes. Unable
to contain himself any longer, with one deep thrust, he flooded her cervix with
his warm liquid. A few minutes later, he rolled off of her in silence. Once he
gained his composure, he realized that he was so intoxicated by her that had
forced himself on his sister and started apologizing profusely.
“Everett…” She interrupted. “Calm down. It’s okay.”
“But… I…” He began.
“No buts. Okay? Look, I will admit I was scared at first. You’d never done
anything like that before. But then I realized… you would never hurt me. I
wasn’t scared because I didn’t… because I didn’t want it. I was scared because
I was afraid it would hurt.” She kissed his cheek. “I don’t regret it. I’m glad
you’re the first. I don’t want you to regret it either.”
“I… could never… regret it. Maybe the way I went about it… but yeah. I was just
so… drunk… on you.”
“Everett, that’s very… flattering, to be honest. I know we’ve always been told
that anything between us outside of brother and sister stuff wasn’t… right. But
who’s to say what’s right for us and what isn’t? This is a wasteland, after
all. A lot of things go on out there that aren’t right. Way worse than what we
just did.” She was trying to make him feel better about what happened. Rabbit
couldn't hate her brother no matter what he did. He was a hormonal teenager who
didn't know much beyond her.
Packrat nodded, “Yeah. How ‘bout we head back to Bison Steve’s and get some
rest? We gotta check in with Mrs. Nash in the morning to see if she has any
work for us.” Rabbit agreed, they were both exhausted.
The next morning they arose and went down to Mojave Express. To their,
somewhat, surprise, Mrs. Nash actually did have 2 packages for them. One that
needed to go to the New Vegas Strip, the other to Nipton. Ruby told them that
the New Vegas packages were a little odd. There were 6 parcels in total, 5
couriers had already shown up to get packages. A sixth had come in, but then
declined when he’d seen Rabbit’s name on the list. Since Rabbit’s name was next
on the parcel list, Mrs. Nash handed her the sixth delivery order. It read:
INSTRUCTIONS
Deliver the package at the north entrance to the Vegas Strip, by way of
Freeside. An agent of the recipient will meet you at the checkpoint, take
possession of the package, and pay for the delivery. Bring the payment to
Johnson Nash at the Mojave Express agency in Primm.
Bonus on completion: 250 caps.
MANIFEST
This package contains:
One (1) Oversized Poker Chip, composed of Platinum
CONTRACT PENALTIES
You are an authorized agent of the Mojave Express Package until delivery is
complete and payment has been processed, contractually obligated to complete
this transaction and materially responsible for any malfeasance or loss.
Failure to deliver the proper recipient may result in forfeiture of your
advance and bonus, criminal charges, and/or pursuit by mercenary reclamation
teams. The Mojave Express is not responsible for any injury or loss of life you
experience as a result of said reclamation efforts.
Packrat and Rabbit looked at one another and shrugged. Ruby Nash handed Packrat
the other package that was supposed to go to Nipton. And it read:
INSTRUCTIONS
Deliver the package at the front desk in Nipton Hall. The recipient, the woman
behind the front desk, will take possession of the package, and pay for the
delivery. Bring the payment to Johnson Nash at the Mojave Express agency in
Primm.
Bonus on completion: 150 caps.
MANIFEST
This package contains:
One (1) Dinky the T-Rex Dinosaur.
CONTRACT PENALTIES
You are an authorized agent of the Mojave Express Package until delivery is
complete and payment has been processed, contractually obligated to complete
this transaction and materially responsible for any malfeasance or loss.
Failure to deliver the proper recipient may result in forfeiture of your
advance and bonus, criminal charges, and/or pursuit by mercenary reclamation
teams. The Mojave Express is not responsible for any injury or loss of life you
experience as a result of said reclamation efforts.
The twins thanked Mrs. Nash for being able to get them two packages that needed
delivery and informed her that they would get on that right away. Since Nipton
was the closest, Packrat suggested to Rabbit that that’s where they should head
first. She hesitated, because she’d never actually been to The Strip, only
Freeside. They had paid 375 caps for a passport they’d never even used. Packrat
promised her that as soon as they finished up in Nipton, they would take their
time and see everything there was to see at The Strip. She hesitantly agreed.
Nipton was in shambles when they arrived, a man in glasses and what looked like
a prison uniform came running from the town. “Yeah! Who won the lottery? I did!
Smell that air! Couldn’t ya just drink it like booze!” He said, sounding
hysterically happy.
Both siblings were confused, “Uh, what lottery did you win?” Packrat asked.
Surely, with the town on fire, there shouldn’t have been any sort of lottery.
“What lottery? THE lottery, that’s what lottery! Are you stupid? Only lottery
that matters! Oh my god smell that air!” The man said back, scaring Rabbit. He
was way too happy for her comfort… she figured he was probably so high on chems
right now that he didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.
“Are you feeling all right?” Packrat asked him, warily.
“Are you kidding me? Never felt better!”
“Uh, we gotta go.” Packrat said, urging the Brahmin forth.
“PFT, later!” He said, running quickly away from Nipton.
They stopped the Brahmin and slowly climbed down out of the wagon with the
package instructed to be taken to Nipton. As they rounded a corner, they
couldn’t believe their eyes. It was like a waking nightmare - men, hung from
poles with their arms outstretched, and their feet dangled as if they had been
crucified. The men were barely alive… but alive, indeed.
***** Heartaches By The Number *****
Chapter Summary
     !WARNING! - Rape. Though brief and not terribly descriptive, I still
     wanted to provide the warning, just in case.
     I legit cried when I wrote this.
     Also, Rabbit is no longer Rabbit. She's given herself a new name.
Tires burned and men hung from makeshift crosses. Decapitated heads were
scattered about, impaled on pikes. Blood everywhere. It looked as if the entire
town had been brutally murdered. Five men stood on the steps of Nipton Hall.
Their crimson red uniforms hung from their bodies. Packrat noticed the chests
being crudely protected by sports equipment - football or baseball, to be
specific. He didn’t know much about either of those sports aside from the
things he’d read. Leaning over, he pointed this observation out to his sister,
not knowing what to make of it. They didn’t want to speak to these men, didn’t
want to know anything about them. Their actions were unspeakable. Unimaginable.
Packrat and Rabbit wanted to leave, immediately. It was too late, they had been
noticed by the man in the wolf-head hat. The man descended down the steps, as
the other four spread out around him. He approached Packrat and Rabbit, his
eyes were covered by darkened goggles.
“I am Vulpes Inculta. You needn’t worry, I won’t have you lashed to a cross
like the rest of these degenerates. It’s useful that you happened by.” His tone
was eerily calm and soft, the twins shivered at the sound of it. “I want you to
witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then,
when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that
Caesar’s Legion taught here, especially any NCR troops you run across.”
Packrat could feel his anger starting to boil and spoke to Vulpes in an
extremely snide tone, “What‘lessons’did you teach here?”
Vulpes cracked a creepily wicked half-smile, “Where to begin? They are weak,
and we are strong?” He let out a slight snicker. “This much was known already.
But the depths of their moral sickness, their dissolution? Nipton serves as the
perfect object lesson.”
“What exactly happened here?” Packrat asked, getting elbowed by Rabbit because
she was extremely uncomfortable and didn’t want to be talking, but running
instead.
“Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers, so long
as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as
myself - the people here didn’t care. It was a town of whores. For a pittance,
the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang
it did they realize they were caught inside it, too.” Inculta’s face had fallen
emotionless again.
Packrat narrowed his eyes as the puppet of Caesar, “You captured everyone?”
“Yes, and herded them to the center of town. I told them their sins, the
foremost being disloyalty. I told them that when Legionaries are disloyal, some
are punished, the others are made to watch. And I announced the lottery. Each
clutched his ticket, hoping it would set him free. Each did nothing, even when
‘loved ones’ were dragged away to be killed.”
Rabbit watched as he brother inconspicuously switched the safety off on his
12.7mm pistol. She could see his face contorting from anger to disgust and
rage. “You slaughtered innocent civilians?” Packrat asked in a serious tone.
Vulpes snickered, “Innocent? Hardly. Cowardly, though. They outnumbered us, yet
not once did they try to resist. They stood and watched as their followers were
butchered, crucified, and burned, one by one. They stood and hoped their turn
would not come. Each cared only for himself.”
Packrat took a step towards the Legionaries, “Your crimes are unforgivable.”
“As are all crimes. If you feel strongly about it, attack us, and soon you
won’t feel a thing.” Vulpes Inculta stood there, staring blanking at Packrat.
Rabbit tugged at her brother’s sleeve.
Packrat took another step closer. “We’re not going to spread your atrocious
message. Not to the NCR, not to anyone. Caesar’s Legion is an abomination. You
are just a pile of shit.”
“So vulgar.” Inculta sighed and continued, “Recruits, detain him.”
“NO!” Rabbit yelled as she watched the recruits grab Packrat. “Stop! I’ll do
whatever you want. I’ll give your message to the NCR, just let him go!”
“Yes.” Inculta said, “You will. But first, I want something else.” His monotone
turned to a growl. He sank a hand into the back of Rabbit’s neck, his grip was
unbreakable. He put his mouth close to her ear, “Do you know what the Legion
does to women? We use them. We… break them. I’m going to break you, little
girl. And your friend here is going to watch.”
Packrat yelled, “Don’t you fucking touch my sister, you son of a bitch!” As
soon as he finished his sentence, one of the recruits shoved their fist into
his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He watched Vulpes Inculta throw his
sister to the ground, nearly ripping her pants as he violently pulled them from
her body. Lifting the bottom of his uniform, exposing himself to Rabbit, he got
down between her legs, ramming his large member into her, sending shockwaves of
immense pain through her body, causing her to scream.
“NO! EMERY!” Packrat cried out. He couldn’t take this, he wasn’t going to stand
by and watch this man rape his sister. He began to struggle, managing to rip
his arm free from the grip of a recruit to grab his pistol and begin firing. He
shot the two next to him, killing them instantly. The third was running towards
him wielding a ripper. Packrat shot the Legionnaire in the knee to slow him,
then once in the face. He aimed his sights on Vulpes who was violently ramming
himself into Rabbit. Packrat aimed to take the shot, but didn’t see the Recruit
behind him. He felt a deep burning in his back that led into his chest. He
pulled the trigger, but only wounded Vulpes Inculta’s leg, causing him to roll
off of Rabbit in pain. Packrat dropped to his knees as the Recruit walked in
front of him. Inculta yelled at the Recruit while clutching his leg, telling
him to kill that bastard. Rabbit grabbed for her gun and shot the Recruit that
stood there. She jumped to her feet, pulled her pants up, and ran to her
brother’s side. She didn’t give a shit about Inculta, he wasn’t going anywhere.
She grabbed her brother and dragged him inside a house to the left of Nipton
Hall when facing the doors.
Cradling him close to a bed, “You’re gonna be okay, Everett. Everything’s okay.
I’ve got you. You’re okay.” She kept repeating it.
“Emery…” His voice sounded weak, “I’m sorry.”
Tears were flowing from Rabbit’s face. “There’s no reason to be sorry. You
didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I hurt… so much…”
“Shhh… don’t talk, just… I’ll take you somewhere.” Her clothing was soaked in
her brother’s blood that leaked out of the two wounds in his back.
“Emery…?” He said, grasping at her shirt, “Kiss me. Please.” She nodded and
leaned down, kissing him softly on the lips. “I love you, sister.”
“I love you too, Everett. You’re going to be okay.”
“No… I mean… I am in love with you…” His breathing was labored as he steadily
got weaker.
“I know, Everett. I love you too. You gotta stay with me. Stay with me.” She
pleaded with him, sobbing.
“Emery... “ He said as the breath left him. Rabbit watched as the light and
life faded from her brother’s eyes. She held him as he died, right there in her
arms.
“NO! EVERETT! DON’T LEAVE ME! PLEASE!” Rabbit wailed, hysterically begging him
to stay, holding him tight against her body and rocked him back and forth. She
sobbed into his hair because she knew, he wasn’t coming back. Her eyes blurred
with tears as her heart filled with sorrow and ache. She’d never known
heartbreak of any kind before this moment of being shattered to pieces by the
Legion. She gently laid her brother’s lifeless body down onto the floor and
stood up, looking at the pool of blood beneath him. Her own clothing covered in
red warmth. She could feel something inside her, bubbling, rising. She walked
out the door with a purpose. She picked up a machete dropped by one of the
Recruits and walked over to Vulpes Inculta and hissed at him through gritting
teeth, “You’re going to die, you motherfucker.” Before Vulpes could say
anything, she plunged the machete deep into the vulnerable spot of his uniform,
shoving the blade up through the pit of his stomach. She watched as he died,
not knowing if he died from bleeding out, or choking on his own blood. She
didn’t care. She was going to kill every last of Caesar’s Legion, including
Caesar himself. Or die trying.
-----
She had a hard time picking her brother up and putting him in the back of the
wagon, but she managed. She’d made her way to the town of Goodsprings. They
never went there, but had seen it from a distance, and had gotten close enough
to know it had a cemetery. That’s where she buried her brother - in the middle
of Goodsprings Cemetery and surrounded it with wire fencing. She placed a few
flowers on top of it that she could find in the area and just stood there.
Night fell and she laid down on top of the grave she’d had to dig. She must
have dozed off for a bit because a voice came up on her, startling her awake.
Rabbit had looked up to see two rough-looking men and another in a checkered
suit. Before she was able to get fully on her feet, one of them hit her with a
large piece of wood, knocking her unconscious. She didn’t know how long she was
out, but it was long enough for them to get her hands tied together. As she
came to, one of the men spoke...
“Guess who’s wakin’ up over here?” The man said.
“Time to cash out.” Another said.
A third man chimed in, “Would you get it over with?”
The checkered man held a finger up, “Maybe Khans kill people without lookin’
‘em in the face, but I ain’t a fink, dig?” The man pulled the poker chip Rabbit
was supposed to deliver out of his coat, looking at her he said, “You’ve made
your last delivery, kid. Sorry you got twisted up in this scene.” He said as he
replaced the chip back in his pocket and pulled out a pistol, “From where
you’re kneeling, it must seem like an 18 karat run of bad luck.” The man
pointed the gun at her, continuing, “Truth is… the game was rigged from the
start.” The last thing Rabbit saw, before was the unknown man shot her in the
face, was that checkered suit.
-----
Rabbit opened her eyes, everything seemed bright and blurry, barely being able
to make out the ceiling fan spinning above her. A soft man’s voice spoke,
“You’re awake. How about that.” She rolled over, trying to get out of bed
quickly as she realized she wasn’t wearing anything but her underwear. The
elderly-looking man promptly steadied her. “Whoa, easy there.” He said, “Easy.
You been out cold a couple of days now. Why don’t you just relax for a second?
Get your bearings. Let’s see what the damage is. How about your name? Can you
tell me your name?”
Rabbit rubbed her head where the wound had been cleaned and closed up. She
thought for a second, having a hard time remembering her own name, the only
thing she could recall was that platinum poker chip and that there were 6
couriers for 6 packages. “Six.” She said.
The man looked at her funny, “Huh. Can’t say it’s what I’d have picked for you.
But if that’s your name, that’s your name. I’m Doc Mitchell. Welcome to
Goodsprings. Now, I hope you don’t mind, but I had to go rootin’ around there
in your noggin to pull all the bits of lead out. I take pride in my needlework,
but you’d better tell me if I left anything out of place.” Doc Mitchell handed
Rabbit a mirror so she could look at herself. “How’d I do?” She noticed her
face was scarred and not just from the bullet hole - she’d had cuts and
scrapes, probably from when the checkered-suit shot her. Her hair had
completely bleached out blonde. She hardly recognized herself at all. Tears
started to form in her eyes as she recalled the events from Nipton. Composing
herself, she handed the mirror back to the doctor and nodded her head,
“Everything’s fine.” She squeaked out.
“Well, I got most of it right, anyway. Stuff that mattered.” He stood up from
his chair. “Okay. No sense in keeping you in bed anymore. Let’s see if we can
get you on your feet.” He leaned in, helping her up. Her vision blurred and her
balance was off, she wobbled as she stood, but he didn’t let her fall. Once to
her feet Doc Mitchell looked at her. “Good. Why don’t you walk down to the end
of the room? Over by that vigor tester machine there. Take it slow now. It
ain’t a race.” She slowly walked over to the strange machine, taking it easy so
she wouldn’t fall. Once she got in front of it, Doc Mitchell smiled warmly at
her. “Looking good so far.” He said. “Go ahead and give the vigor tester a try.
We’ll learn right quick if you got back all your faculties.”
Rabbit grabbed the joystick and moved it around until the machine made a noise.
“Yep, that’s a pretty standard score there.” Doc commented. “But after what you
been through, I’d say that’s great news. Well, we know your vitals are good.
But that don’t mean them bullets didn’t leave you nuttier than a Bighorner
droppin’. What do you say you take a seat on my couch and we go through a
couple questions? See if your dogs are still barkin’.”
Rabbit nodded. She really didn’t feel like it, but she supposed she’d humor the
doctor, he had saved her life, after all. She made her way into his living room
and gently sat down on the couch as he took a seat in the chair across from
her. “All right.” He continued on, “I’m gonna say a word. I want you to say the
first thing that comes to your mind. Dog.”
Rabbit replied, “Cat.”
“House.”
“Shelter.”
“Night.”
“Sleep.”
“Bandit.”
“Swiss cheese.”
“Light.”
“Heavy.”
“Mother.”
“Regret.”
Doc Mitchell looked at the paper he’d been writing on and rubbed his balding
head. “Okay. Now I’ve got a few statements. I want you to tell me how much they
sound like something you’d say. First one - Conflict just ain’t in my nature.”
“No opinion.” She said.
“I ain’t given to relyin’ on others for support.”
“Agree.”
“I’m always fixin’ to be the center of attention.”
“No opinion.”
“I’m slow to embrace new ideas.”
“Agree.”
“I charge in to deal with my problems head-on.”
“Strongly agree.”
“Almost done here. What do you say you have a look at this?” He said, putting
up ink-blotted paper on the metal stand that stood next to his chair. “Tell me
what you see.”
She looked at it for a moment, “Uh, an angry two-headed ant.”
“Okay.” He swapped out the picture to a different one. “How about this one?”
“It’s some piece of space-age technology.” She tilted her head to one side.
“Last one.” He said, swapping the pictures out yet again.
“Mushroom cloud.”
“Well,” He continued, “that’s all she wrote. I don’t have nothin’ to compare it
to, so maybe you’d better just have a look at the results. See if it all seems
right to you.” He handed her the piece of paper he’d be scribbling it on. She
gave it a once over and agreed that everything seemed to be correct. He added,
“Before I turn you loose, I need one more thing from you. I got a form for you
to fill out, so I can get a sense of your medical history. Just a formality.
Ain’t like I expect to find you got a family history of getting shot in the
head.
Her hand shook as she filled out the form and handed it back to him. He skimmed
at the paper and looked back at her, “All right. I guess that about does it.
Come with me. I’ll see you out.” He said as he helped her up off of the couch
over to the front door. “Here. These are yours. Was all you had on you when you
was brought in.” He handed her her belongings. “I hope you don’t mind but I
gave the note a look. I thought it might help me find a next of kin. But it was
just something about a platinum chip. Well, if you’re heading back out there,
you ought to have this back.” He handed her the pip-boy that had been on her
arm since Megaton. She could tell it had been busted and repaired. “I grew up
in one of them Vaults they made before the war.” He added, “I know how to do a
little repair on ‘em. Lucky for you, it wasn’t too badly damaged. You might
wanna make sure you hold on to that, especially after what you been through.
Oh, and put this on, too, so the locals don’t pick on you for lacking modesty.
Was my wife’s.” Doc Mitchell helped Rabbit into a Vault suit. “I think she was
about your size, and she hardly wore it after we left the Vault. Felt it was
too brazen.”
Rabbit shook his hand. “Thanks for patchin’ me up, Doc. But, what do I do now?”
She was so lost, she’d never had to be without Packrat before. He was always
her leader, whatever adventures he took them on, she followed… sometimes she
objected, but she still followed. Any ideas she had, she always talked to him
about. Now, everything was different. In an instant, she no longer had him to
rely on or keep her safe. It was just her and her alone, now. She would get
avenge him, she would kill Caesar and his entire Legion if she could. And she’d
do it alone. She also needed to find the checkered-suit… she was instructed to
deliver a package, and that was exactly what she was going to do. Along with
put a bullet in his head, see how he’d like it.
***** Ain't That A Kick In The Head *****
Chapter Summary
     Rabbit, now known as 'Six', looks for the checkered-suit that put
     lead in her face, defends Primm, and picks up on the Happy Trails
     Caravan Company signal.
Rabbit, or Six - as she was now calling herself, walked out of the doctor’s
house and into Goodsprings. The sun was extremely bright and it hurt her eyes,
taking a minute to adjust her sight. She looked around, watching the wind blow
sand and tumbleweed about. She could see the water tower from Doc’s porch,
reminding her of Packrat being buried up there. She swallowed the lump that
came up in her throat as she thought about how much she missed him. She quickly
distracted herself, deciding to approach the robot that was rolling past her.
“Howdy, pardner!” He said in a very southern accent, he had what looked like a
terminal with a cowboy face on it. “Might I say, you’re lookin’ fit as a
fiddle.”
Six wasn’t sure what to say, other than to ask about the checkered-suit. “Do
you know who those men were who attacked me?”
His screen flickered and rolled, “Can’t say that I’m familiar with the rascals.
Some of the fine folks in town might be able to help you out with that.”
“How did you happen to find me?”
“I was out for a stroll that night when I heard the commotion up at the old
bone orchard. Saw what looked like a bunch of bad eggs so I laid low. Once
they’d run off, I dug you up to see if you were still tickin’. Turns out, you
were, so I hauled you off to the Doc right quick.”
“Thanks for digging me out of that grave.” Six tried to sound as appreciative
as she could, wishing he would’ve left her there to die instead. At least then
she and Packrat would’ve been together again.
“Don’t mention it! I’m always ready to lend a helping hand to a stranger in
need.”
She paused for a moment and looked the robot from top to bottom, then back up
again. “I’ve never seen a robot like you before.”
“I’m a Securitron, RobCo security model 2060-B. If you ever see any of my
brothers, tell ‘em Victor says howdy.” His screen flickered some more. She
figured he probably had a short somewhere.
“Well, I uh, I gotta get goin’.”
“Happy trails!” He said, rolling away.
Six walked slowly over to the Prospector Saloon, taking it easy because there
wasn’t anyone who’d catch her if she fell. She saw an old man, whose skin
looked like leather, wearing overalls and a cowboy hat, sitting in a chair
close to the entrance of the saloon.
“Howdy.” She greeted the old man.
“Howdy. What can Easy Pete do for you?”
“Do you know anything about the people who attacked me?”
“The one in the fancy suit seemed to be callin’ the shots, that’s as much as I
know. Other folks in town might know more. Word of advice, though: if you ever
catch up with him, watch out. The man’s got cold eyes like a snake. Can’t be
trusted, I’d say.”
Six motioned in Victor’s direction, “Do you know anything about Victor?”
“The machine? Harmless, no matter what Trudy says. She thinks it’s hiding
something, but I think it’s just a broken down relic with no place to be.”
Finally, she asked the question that had been nagging at her since he
introduced himself: “Why are you called Easy Pete?”
The elderly man, smiled at her a little, in amusement at her question. “Was a
prospector until I decided to settle here to get away from the NCR. Now I just
take it easy and help out with the Brahmin and Bighorners.”
“You were a prospector - like digging for gold and silver?” She’d heard of them
before, but didn’t quite know what they did, other than the things Packrat had
read to her.
“Nah, nah - means I poked through old buildings looking for working tech and
such. Some folks just call it ‘salvaging’, but never like the term. Way I see
it, salvage means it’s broken, near-worthless. Me, I looked for the good stuff
- guns, chems, spare parts. Good money in it.”
“Did you ever find anything good while prospecting?”
“Nope. Had a pretty good claim once, way out east by the river, but got run off
by Raiders. Eventually, got too old to keep going out.”
“Alright, well, it was nice talkin’ to ya, Easy Pete. I gotta find Sunny
Smiles.”
Pete nodded and tipped his hat to her, “Keep your gun handy if you go pokin’
around some of the abandoned places around here, like the schoolhouse. Critters
move in there sometimes.”
Six nodded at him appreciatively and headed into the saloon. As soon as she
entered, a decent sized dog, almost looked like a wolf, barked at her.
“Cheyenne, stay.” The girl said. “Don’t worry, she won’t bite unless I tell her
to. Name’s Sunny.”
“Pleased to meet you, you can call me Six. Doc Mitchell said you could teach me
to survive in the desert?” She already knew how to survive, just not how to
survive alone.
“Yeah, I guess there’s a thing or two I could show you. Sounds like you need
all the help you can get after what they done to you. Meet me outside, behind
the saloon.” Sunny made her way out the backdoor with her dog, Cheyenne, in
tow. Six rubbed her head, not sure what to do… or if any of this would even
help, but she had to do something. She took a deep breath and walked out the
back door. Sunny was waiting for her, “Now, see those sarsaparilla bottles on
that fence there? Take this,” Sunny handed Six a small rifle, “try to hit a
couple of ‘em.”
Six took aim and shot two. Sunny praised her aim “That’s it, crouch down low to
get a better shot.” She suggested. Six did just that, which did help somewhat.
After she’d shot several of the bottles Sunny patted her on the back, “Well,
that’s a start. But I don’t reckon you came to me to learn to fight
sarsaparilla bottles. Tell you what. I gotta go chase geckos away from our
water supply anyway. Darn critters are attracted to it. Why don’t you come
along?”
Six shook her head, declining, “I think I’ve learned enough.”
“Suit yourself. Hope this helped you some. I’m heading back inside now. Hope I
didn’t miss anything good on the jukebox. Cheyenne would never forgive.” She
said with a smile. “Hey, do me a favor. Trudy - she’s the bartender in the
Prospector, kind of the town mom - she likes to meet newcomers. She’d be cross
with me if I didn’t ask you to poke your head in and say hi.”
“Not a problem.” Six said, following Sunny Smiles back through the door of the
saloon. As she walked in, she saw Trudy standing behind the bar, greeting her
with a smile. She walked over to where the woman stood and sat on one of the
barstools. She began to introduce herself but because she was able, Trudy
interrupted, “Well, you’ve been causing quite a stir. Glad I finally got to
meet you. Welcome to the Prospector Saloon.”
“I’m trying to track down the people who attacked me. Know anything about
them?”
Trudy shook her head, “Not much, other than they’re a bunch of freeloaders who
expected a few rounds of beer on the house. I was able to get them to pay up,
though. Of course, one of the Great Khans did knock my radio into the floor ‘by
accident’, and it hasn’t been working since. They were having some kind of
argument about it, the guy in the checkered suit kept shushing them. Sounded
like they came in from the north through Quarry Junction. If that’s the case I
can’t say I blame them for not wanting to go back.”
Six thought that Trudy sure had a lot of information for not knowing much about
the men, but asked her to continue. “The whole area’s overrun with the kind of
critters that just get mad if you shoot ‘em. Merchants avoid that whole stretch
of I-15 like it’s radioactive. Which it could be for all I know.”
“You still haven’t said where these guys were going.”
“I didn’t hear exactly, but the leader was talking about the Strip. Fella wants
to get there and avoid the 15, he’d have to go east. Take Highway 93 up.”
That was at least a lead on where he was going. She figured maybe she could
take the same route and catch him before the Strip. Would be hard to kill him
in a very populated area. She couldn’t offer the woman many caps and offered to
take a look at her broken radio instead. Trudy accepted the offer, saying that
she thought something had broken on the inside of it since the outside looked
fine. She also let Six know that if she fixed it, she’d get paid for the work.
While Six worked on fixing the radio, she kept talking with Trudy. “Do you know
that robot that rescued me?”
Trudy shifted as if the thought of it made her uneasy. “I know that… thing… as
much as anyone else around here. It mostly keeps to itself, which is just fine
by me.”
“You don’t like him?”
“It acts friendly enough, but I don’t trust that whole ‘cheerful cowboy’ act. I
find it all very creepy.”
“How long has he been in Goodsprings?”
“It was here when I took over the saloon seven years ago. Some people have said
its owner lived here, but no one knows who it was. Other than rolling around
once in awhile, it doesn’t do anything useful far as I can tell. I don’t know
why it took an interest in you, but I’d be careful. It’s never helped anyone
before.” She also went on to discuss her feelings about the NCR and how the
Legion were nothing more than savages, in her opinion. Also went on to talk
about how both groups were interested in taking over Hoover Dam.
 
“What, uh, what can you tell me about the Legion…?” Six asked hesitantly.
“Slavers, killers, and all other kinds of trouble. They dress up like Roman
soldiers, so there’s no mistaking it when you see them. The rumor is that the
Legion is far larger than the NCR lets on, and that it’s been due to luck that
the Legion hasn’t overrun the territory.”
Six sat there and nodded along, listening to the woman go on about the Legion.
She just wanted the basic, not a whole novel about them. Eventually, after
working with the Radiation King, it lit up and started playing. She turned to
Trudy, “I fixed your radio.”
“Yep, I heard it turn right back on after you got done tinkering with it.
Here’s some caps for the work.” Trudy handed her 25 caps.
“That’s it? Are you implying that I’ve done shoddy work?” She asked, hoping to
get more, and succeeded.
“Not at all!“I’m never sure how much is normally charged for this sort of
thing. Here’s some additional caps - that should be enough.” She handed Six 25
more.
“Thank you. Gotta get goin’, headin’ out to Primm.” Six told her. Trudy gave
her a warm smile and told her to be careful out there. Before leaving town, she
went into the general store that was sitting next door to the saloon. The man
who ran it was sweeping up behind the counter.
“Excuse me.” She said, getting his attention.
He inspected her for a moment, “You must be the one Doc Mitchell was patching
up. The way I heard it, I didn’t think you’d be walking out of that office.”
“Yeah, guess I’m too tough to kill.” Her tone turned sarcastic, “Lucky me.”
“I’ve got plenty of supplies for sale. Even got some weapon mods and special
ammo - well worth the caps, if you ask me.” She informed the man that she
wasn’t interested in either of those things, just wanted ammunition for the
firearms she already possessed and to buy a caravan shotgun. She ended up
selling him the Chinese pistol she’d had for so long, as well as Packrat’s 9mm.
The only weapons she walked out of there with were that shotgun, her Medicine
Stick, Lil’ Devil, and the machete she’d dislodged from Vulpes Inculta’s dead
body before leaving Nipton.
-----
Once she made it close to Primm, she had someone from the NCR run up to her
wagon. “Hey, where the hell do you think you’re going? Primm is off limits.”
Just before she was about to tell this guy how much of an asshole he was, she
stopped, she remembered the elbow.
Choking her tears back, she managed to force some words out. “What’s goin’ on
in Primm?”
“Some convicts from the prison up the road have taken over the town. Everyone
inside is either dead or in hiding. What’s more, there are two tribes of
Raiders causing trouble in this area as well. You’d be safer heading back up to
Goodsprings.”
“Shouldn’t you be protecting the town or something?” Sounding smart-assed.
“We’d love to, but they don’t fall under NCR jurisdiction. Even if they did
we’re in no shape to protect them.”
“Alright, well, thanks for the warning… but I can take care of myself.”
“It’s your ass. Don’t say you weren’t warned.”
Six didn’t give a shit about Raiders, she was going to help Primm. If she were
lucky, one of those Raiders would wound her enough to kill her. She didn’t have
the guts to put a bullet in her own head, but she was reckless enough to put it
in someone else’s. She didn’t pull the wagon into Primm, but just into the area
NCR Troops had set up camp. She hopped out of the wagon and crossed what was
left of a concrete bridge that led into the middle of town. She almost stepped
on a frag mine, but noticed it and disarmed it. Then disarmed a couple more.
Nobody was outside, not a soul to be found. It was quiet, much too quiet for
her. Carefully, navigating through the front-side of town, she slipped into
Deputy Beagle’s house, but there wasn’t any signs of him at all. Quickly and
quietly, she went into Sheriff McBain’s home, the radio was still playing. She
found him and his wife dead, still in bed as if they’d been caught sleeping.
Looking around, she saw that nothing had even been taken - ammo just laying
around. “These guys are killin’ just to be killin’.” She said aloud to herself.
Six was going to save Primm, or die trying. Hopefully she could somehow manage
to do both.
Upon exiting the Sheriff’s house, a couple of prisoner’s saw her and bullets
began to whiz past her. She pulled her rifle out, remembered what Sunny told
her and crouched down, and started firing. It took her a bit to get her aim
down, but once she did, it was deadly. Before she knew it, she’d cleared the
outside area of 5 prisoners or so. She stepped inside the Vikki and Vance
Casino to find that that’s where the remainder of Primm had holed up.
The old man standing there by the slot machines took a drag off of his
cigarette when she walked in. He didn’t even bother looking up, “I don’t know
what it was brought you to Primm, youngster, but you might want to rethink your
plants. Town’s gone to tell.”
“Who are you?” She asked him.
“Johnson Nash’s my name. Husband to Ruby Nash. Lived in Primm going on eight
years now, thick and thin. I’m a trader primarily, for what it’s worth with
things like they are. I also run the local Mojave Express outpost.” Six
recalled Ruby telling her that Johnson liked to talk a lot, and it seemed she
was correct. But, she kept it polite.
“I’m a courier with the Mojave Express.” She told him.
“Well, I don’t got any work right now, sorry to say.”
“No, your wife, had given me a package to deliver, but I’ve lost it.”
“I’ll tell you whatever I can. Do you have a delivery order you can show me?”
Six pulled the order out of her pack and handed it to Mr. Nash, “What can you
tell me about this job?”
“Oh, so you’re talkin’ about one of them packages. That job had strange written
all over it. But we couldn’t turn down the caps.”
She tilted her head to one side, “What was strange about it?”
“The cowboy robot had us hire six couriers. Each was carrying something a
little different. A pair of dice, a chess piece, that kind of stuff. Last word
I had from the office, it looked like payment had been received for the other
five jobs. Guess it was just your chip that didn’t make it. First deadbeat we
hired to do the job canceled. Hope a storm from the Divide skins him alive.
Well, that’s where you came in.”
More confused than ever, she kept asking questions. “He canceled?”
“Yeah, got this look when he saw you next down on the Courier list. His
expression turned right around, asked me if your name was for real. I said,
sure as lack of rain, you were. Then he turned down the job, just like that. I
asked if he was sire, it was good money. No, let ‘Courier Six’ carry the
package, that’s what he said - like the Mojave’d sort you out or something.
Then he just up and walked out.”
Listening to Mr. Nash tell her about the stranger sent chills down her spine.
Why did he call her Courier Six? Why did she even decide to call herself that?
Sure, it was coincidental, but it was still creepy. “Do you know who he was?
Where he went?”
“No idea. Sounds like you two had a history for him to act like that. And turn
down the money, too. Hope he didn’t see any trouble in that package of yours.
Maybe he thought your name was bad luck. Not for me to say.”
Now she was more than a little creeped out. She didn’t know anyone whom she
could consider having any sort of ‘history’ with, not anyone from the Mojave,
anyway. There were people from the Capital Wasteland she knew well enough, but
few knew where she’d went. She certainly didn’t know anyone who’d seem as
though they’d think her name was bad luck - everyone she had history with, she
was on good terms with. “Some men stole my package. A man in a checkered suit
and some thugs. Did they pass this way?”
“Well, now that you mention it, a few nights back one of the townies was out
scavenging for supplies. He said he saw a fella with a daisy suit come through
with some of them Great Khan misfits. They was talking about a chip. But your
best bet is going to be talking to Deputy Beagle. Since they came to town he
was keeping a good bit of notes on them, and he was slinking around Bison Steve
when your pretty-boy friend came through. He may have heard where they were
going.”
“You also said something about a cowboy robot a bit ago? Are you talkin’ ‘bout
that one over there?” She motioned towards the robot in the middle of the
casino.
“Nope. Different fella. Bigger. Had himself a face on a screen, and he talked
more like you or me.”
“I see. I didn’t find the Deputy in his home, do you happen to know where he
went?”
“Sure do. Last I heard he’d been captured inside Bison Steve.” Six facepalmed
after Nash told her the fate of their Deputy. Pointed at him as a gesture of
appreciation and headed on over to Bison Steve. After killing several
prisoners, she finally found Deputy Beagle kneeling on the floor with his hands
tied together. He recognized her immediately. “I don’t suppose you came here to
rescue me? I’d cross my fingers but my hands are numb. I’m in a bit of a
predicament here. I’d be most appreciative if you’d set me free.”
She pulled out a small switchblade knife from her pocket and extended the
blade, “I hear you may have information on some Khans that came through here
with a guy in a checkered suit.”
“My good lady, I believe I may have some information that would prove useful.
If you would just untie my hands I’d be more than happy to share what
information I have with you.”
Six narrowed her eyes and glared at him, “You can tell me or you can rot in
here.”
“Well, you look to be the trustworthy sort. Okay, I’ll tell you what I know. I
overheard them saying that they are on their way to Novac. If you want to
follow them I strongly suggest that you follow the road through Nipton. There
are a lot of dangerous things out in the desert, and you won’t have me to
protect you, as I need to stay here and keep Primm safe. Now, it would be so
very delightful if you set me free.”
She began cutting his bonds, “Okay, I’ll set you free now.”
Once free, he stood up. “Oh that’s just marvelous. I think I’ll be making my
way outside now. The air’s a little close in here.”
“I didn’t cut you loose so you could run away. Stick with me!”
“Oh, that’s so gracious of you, to offer to bodyguard me like that? But I’d
only slow you down. See you outside!” He took off light a bolt of lightning.
“Coward!” Six yelled at him. She had known he was yellow-bellied from the first
time she had ever talked to him. Looking around, she wondered how many more
prisoner escapees were holed up in Bison Steve, she repaired the elevator and
went upstairs to find out. She couldn’t just leave them in Primm to continue
hurting townspeople. At one point, she even stripped the clothing off of one of
them and put on the Troublemaker’s outfit.
-----
After clearing the entire hotel out, she walked back into Vikki & Vance,
letting Johnson Nash know that the town was safe and everyone could go home.
People were starting to leave as Deputy Beagle walked over to her, “Well! That
was quite an adventure. We taught those convicts a thing or two, didn’t we?
Breaking myself out of a hostage situation - not to diminish your role in it,
of course - but it was quite thrilling. Problem is, there’s still no law in
Primm. What’re we to do the next time ruffians menace us and hold us hostage?”
Six really didn’t care about Primm being without a sheriff, either the Deputy
would step up or they could use the cowboy robot that paced around the Casino.
“Can you tell me about the man in the checkered suit who came through here?”
“Ahh yes, my memory is much clearer now that I am free from my bondage. I was
sku… er, performing recon, gathering information on some of the Powder Gangers,
when some Great Khans arrived with your friend in the suit. They were talking
about some delivery they took from a courier, I assume that was you. They said
they’d be heading through Nipton to Novac to meet a contact there.”
She nodded in thanks. Nipton. Why did it have to be Nipton? Legionaries bodies
probably still rotting where they died. She didn’t want to see them, to have
that reminder. Though she did hope that crows had pecked off Vulpes’ dick at
this point. She’d decided she would just take a detour around Nipton to get to
Novac. She packed up everything she needed and left the wagon and Brahmin to
the Nash’s. She didn’t want the constant reminder of Packrat not being with
her, not steering the Brahmin where they needed to go. She was going to Novac
on foot, and that was that.
Just as she was leaving the Mojave Express, her pip-boy made some static as if
it had suddenly picked up a new radio station. She opened it up and sure
enough, a new station had appeared. She tuned into that channel and listened to
the man speak:“Howdy. My name is Jed Masterson, and I’m a caravan boss for the
Happy Trails Caravan Company. If you’re hearing this, I have a job offer for
you. Happy Trails is organizing an expedition north into Utah, off the Long 15,
and we need people. We’re looking for caravan guards, prospectors, couriers -
if you’re used to humping it across the Wastes straight toward trouble, we want
you. If you’ve got a Pip-Boy, we definitely want you. On the other hand, if
you’re a greenhorn or a city-slicker spinnin’ tales about your skills, you can
kindly go hang. If we like your gumption we’ll pay you square and treat you
fair. Find me, Jed Masterson, at the Northern Passage if you’re interested.
Luck to ya.”
She poked her head back into the door, “Either of you tell me where the
Northern Passage is located?”
Mr. Nash answered, “Yeah it’s just north of New Vegas itself. Go ‘round the
backside of New Vegas and head towards the hills, past the houses. Don’t
rightly know where exactly the path is that leads up to that Passage, so keep a
close eye out for it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
***** It's A Sin *****
Chapter Summary
     Six meets Joshua Graham.
Six didn’t know why she felt compelled to go to the Northern Passage and answer
Happy Trails Caravan’s radio broadcast. She knew that she needed to head to
Novac, but what exactly was her hurry? She likely wouldn’t catch up with the
checkered-suit, but he did seem to be leaving a trail behind for her to follow.
Her pockets were almost empty and she could use a good paying job. Caravaning
was all she knew, aside from being a courier. Two of the three things she was
good at - the third thing was her flawless aim. She followed the directions Mr.
Nash had given her, didn’t have much trouble other than the occasional Powder
Ganger she had to put a bullet in. She recalled the first time she ever shot an
actual human being - that Raider in the Metro Station. She felt guilty for
doing it, even lost sleep over it. Since Packrat died? Not remorse for them
whatsoever. Bad guys were bad guys, be it the Legion, Powder Gangers, whoever.
Didn’t matter to Six anymore. Probably never would again, either.
Finally, she found the Northern Passage, which was a real bitch because what
Mr. Nash didn’t tell her… was that it was hidden within the hills themselves.
Making sure she’d packed everything she needed, which wasn’t much, she sat her
pack on the ground: weapons, ammunition, a few stimpaks, and sentimental
things. That was all she had, and all she needed. Taking a deep breath and
walked into the passage, coming face to face with a man wearing a Vault Suit.
How odd. Both of the Vault Suits she had acquired were neatly rolled up and
tucked away deep inside her pack. Unfortunately, she caught the man’s eye and
he walked over to her, putting his arm around her waist. “Hey, little lady.” He
said, almost gagging Six because his breath smelled of shit and chems. “Don’t
be scared to join this caravan! I’ll keep a close eye on you - real close.
Promise.”
She removed his sweaty arm from around her. “You do anything around here,
besides make women sick?”
“You want to know what I do, Toots? Anything I fucking want! I’m one of a kind!
I been places, see? And done things - lots of them! And when it’s time to kill
shit up? Hell yeah, I’m a fucking storm of death!” The man seemed to be getting
extremely irritated the more he spoke. “Something or someone make the mistake
of crossing Ricky? I’ll fucking deadeye him, her, or it! In fact… yeah, in
fact, that’s my nickname! Deadeye Ricky - that’s my name!”
Six looked at him and narrowed her eyes, then nodded her head. “Unwarranted
hostility and general agitation. How long have you been a Psycho addict?”
“Hey hey hey! Fuck you! I didn’t say nothin’ about using Psycho!”
She stepped close enough to him that they were almost touching. “How much
Psycho you got stashed away? If you run out on the trail… the withdrawal’s not
pleasant.”
“Goddammit, I didn’t say nothin’ about using Psycho! But, uh… just talking
hypno-theoretically here… got any suggestions?”
“I’ve got Psycho to sell, but it won’t come cheap.” She told him.
“All right, all right - I am a little light. How many hits you holdin’?”
“One hit. For 30 caps.”
“One lousy hit? That’ll cover me for an hour! Hand it over.” He gave her the 30
caps, causing her to take notice of his arm.
“I see you’re wearing a pip-boy and Vault suit.”
He rolled his eyes. “Nice job, eagle eye! Of course I got a pit-boy and a Vault
suit. So what?”
“Where’d you get the Vault suit?”
“Where the fuck you think? Vault two-two! That’s where I grew up!”
She shook her head at ‘two-two’. “Where is Vault 22 located?”
“I can’t tell you that! I have a sworn vow of secrecy, or something like that,
to all the people I left behind.”
She couldn’t hold her tongue, she was calling him on his bullshit. “You’re
lying. You have no idea where Vault 22 is.”
He sighed, “Well, yeah, okay. You caught me. I may have been exaggerating a
little. Truth is, I got this suit and pit-boy off a dead prospector who came
out from Zion. Guy was dead when I found him, okay? Had a ton of shit on him.
That’s how I know there’s good loot in Zion, see?”
Six kept on him, hoping to run him off. “What do you use your pip-boy for?”
“Sorry, the shit I do with it is so far over your head, be wasting my time to
put it into words you could understand! Basically, it makes me badass. More
badass, I mean. It’s totally mind-blowing shit. It ain’t just some bracelet,
know what I mean? Jed says it’s got maps and shit like that, so that’s how I’m
gonna guide this caravan where it needs to go! Not that I didn’t know all that
already!”
Six lifted her arm and pointed at it. “Did you notice I’m wearing a pip-boy,
too?”
“Huh?” He looked surprised for a moment. “...of course I noticed! First thing I
noticed about you! Me, I’m so used to wearin’ mine, it’s just normal. Don’t
think you’re someone special just because you got one.”
She grabbed his arm and raised it up, pointing at the pip-boy, “Your pip-boy
isn’t working, idiot. The screen’s locked up, and the reboot button is missing.
Good job.”
“Bullshit!” He said. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with my pit-boy! I mean pip-boy!
Look, this is a sweet gig for me! Don’t go fucking it up! What are you after,
anyways?”
She leaned in, her face mere inches from his, “What I want…” She paused,
looking him in the eyes, as if she were about to kiss him. “...is for you to
scram.” She said, pulling back away from him. “This expedition doesn’t need
you, Deadeye...”
“Fine!” Ricky seemed flustered. “You win, asshole! Enjoy leading the expedition
into a fucking ambush! Hope you all die!” He then ran off, leaving the passage.
“I could only be so lucky…” She mumbled under her breath.
Six turned around when she heard a man talking that sounded like the voice on
the radio. She assumed it was Jed Masterson. When she approached him, he smiled
at her in a way that warmed her heart. “Howdy, friend.” He said, “Heard my
little broadcast, did you? Yeah, you look the type. Damn good thing you came
along, too. We had another prospect with a pip-boy, but he done skedaddled.
Something must’ve spooked the boy.”
“Okay, let’s do it. Zion here we come!” Six said, trying to get excited about
the trip into Utah.
Jed looked at her. “Just like that, huh? You got guts, I’ll give you that. You
sure you want to jump in blind? Ain’t got no questions about where we’re goin’
or why?”
“No questions. Let’s go, I’m ready.”
“Are you now? You know we ain’t comin’ back this way for a good long while now,
right? And you know about the weight limit? Gotta be under 75 pounds. I don’t
want no whinin’ about ‘Oh, Mr. Masterson, I left my one-of-a-kind plasma cannon
back at base, can we go back for it?’ So you’re sure you’re ready?”
She looked at Jed, “Relax, I’ve humped this load across the Mojave on my own
two feet long enough. I can handle it.” She really hadn’t been humping anything
anywhere on her own two feet, but he didn’t need to know that because she knew
she could actually handle it.
He rubbed his chin, “Hmm… all right, I reckon you know your limits. You keel
over on me out there, though, and I’ll leave your ass. After we take everything
useful you crammed in your pack.”
“Look, Mister. I said I’m ready. Can we get a move on?”
“Well, all right then. Let’s get moving. We’ve got a long road ahead of us…”
The group of people exited the cave opposite the way they came in. After about
an hour of walking, Jed didn’t take his eyes off of the road, just kept looking
straight ahead when he spoke. “The paths we’re following are slow going, so you
might as well keep your ears open and listen to what old Jed has to say. A few
decades back, folks in the NCR started to hear about a community in northern
Utah called New Canaan. Didn’t know much about them, except that they were
religious folks. Sent out missionaries to talk to the tribes. We’ve seen our
share of cults, but the New Canaanites, they were honest traders. Good
fighters, too. Raiders wouldn’t tangle with ‘em. But then the Legion appeared
in Arizona. I reckon you know all about them. Turns out Caesar’s first war
chief, the Malpais Legate, was a New Canaanite. Joshua Graham. Legend goes that
Graham was the meanest, toughest son of a bitch in the whole damned Legion. The
New Canaanites wouldn’t talk about him. They were ashamed. Guess I can’t blame
‘em. Well at Hoover Dam, the Malpais Legate finally met his match. Hanlon and
Oliver kicked his New Canaanite butt right back over the river. Caesar had to
make an example for the others, to show them that even at the highest level,
failure wouldn’t be tolerated. He had Graham covered in pitch, lit on fire, and
thrown into the Grand Canyon. People say he didn’t even scream on the way down.
Not long after, some of the slaves and tribals started to talk. Said Graham
wasn’t dead. Shouldn’t have been any surprise. All this talk bothered Caesar,
so he forbade anyone from speaking his name. Wanted to erase Joshua Graham from
history. He got his wish. Joshua Graham disappeared. And in his place came
legends of the Burned Man walking the wastes. Probably just a tribal ghost
story. But New Canaan’s been silent for a long time. Maybe it’s a coincidence.
Maybe the Malpais Legate is dead. Or maybe Joshua Graham did crawl out of that
canyon and finally found his way back home.”
New Canaan. That was new. Six had never heard of such a place before. But that
didn’t mean that it didn’t exist. The name had a sort of ring to it though, not
one she’d ever be able to forget. The Joshua Graham story gave her the creeps a
little bit though. She thought she was hard to kill, if this Joshua Graham
fella wasn’t dead… he must be made out of tougher stuff that she seemed to be.
Which made her feel uneasy. While she was busy thinking, hours passed. She
didn’t know how many just that apparently they were getting close to their
destination because they had finally entered Utah. Jed turned around and spoke
to everyone, “I know your feet hurt, I know you’re tired. But I need everyone’s
mind on the trail ahead.” Six could see why as she looked over the edge to the
canyon below.
A woman spoke up, “Ain’t the trail ahead worries me, Jed. Those descents we
made, through that slot canyon back up there? Ain’t no way we’re gettin’ back
out the way we come. And then what?”
Jed got agitated. “Goddammit, Stella, heard you the first time, and the
fifteenth, too. The New Canaanites will know a way.” He then gestures over to
Six. “And if they don’t, we got the maps on our friend’s pip-boy over there.
Enough lollygaggin’! Get moving and keep an eye out for tribals!”
Stella took a sarcastic tone as she walked away from him, “Sorry to bother you
with reality, ol’ Jed. Who cares if we can’t get back out the way we come?
That’s not a problem.”
Making their way down the winding path that laid before them, suddenly Jed
crouched low to the ground, as did the others behind him. Two were in front of
him. “Shhhhh! Hold on, now…” He whispered. “Could swear I heard something up
ahead.” As soon as he got those words out, Six could make out what she assumed
were tribals - their skin painted pure white with red streaked across their
faces, the armor they worse was extremely crude and shotty. “Goddammit,
ambush!” Jed yelled. “Cover, people! Watch yourselves!” The shootout had begun.
Bullets were flying in every direction, but one by one, the Happy Trails
Caravan Company went down. Six looked around after killing the last tribal to
discover she was the only survivor.
“MOTHERFUCKER!” She yelled out at the top of her lungs. Six couldn’t believe it
- could she simply not die? Whatever it was had really pissed her off. The one
person in the group who likely welcomed death, and she didn’t get it. “Great.”
She said to herself, “Now what?” She supposed she’d press on to New Canaan, get
them to tell her how to get the fuck outta this place and back to Nevada. She
took a bridge across the canyon, on the other side there was another one of
those tribals waiting for her. She aimed to shoot, but before she could, the
tribal went down. A strange looking man popped up in his place and spoke to
her, “Hoi! White Legs don’t leave survivors often. You’re some kind of lucky,
let me tell you.” Lucky wasn’t quite the word she would’ve used. “You came from
outside, didn’t you?” He continued. “From the civilized lands? Wow… Joshua will
want to hear about this.”
She froze at the name ‘Joshua’. Did this tribal mean Joshua Graham? Was she
supposed to follow him? He seemed much more safe than the other tribals, this
one didn’t try to kill her, at least. “Civilized lands? What do you mean?” She
asked him.
“I mean the Lands Beyond the Valley - the place where the cities never fell.
Where people don’t live in tribes and forage just to survive. Joshua keeps
saying it isn’t paradise out there, but how can it not be, compared to this?
Sorry, I’m getting distracted - Joshua will want to know about you - please, go
to our camp on the Eastern Virgin. Tell him how you came to be here.”
She looked at him, then wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “You’ve got a
funny idea about what the Mojave’s like, but I’ll go with you and see your
boss.” She figured she may as well make friends with the guy, he’d be leading
her to… wherever it was she was heading.
“Goot sists.” He said. “Maybe while you’re there you can tell me about where
you came from, yeah?”
“Yeah, I think I can do that. My name is Six, by the way.”
“I am Follows-Chalk.” He pointed out in front of them. “We follow this path for
a while. Nice view of the river, neh?” After a short distance, Follows-Chalk
spoke again, pointing towards a paved road. “You can take the path north here
if you want, or head east over the ridge. There’s a nice view from the top of
that cliff, if you want a look.” Six shook her head and followed the paved
road, coming up on decapitated heads stuck on the end of pikes. It reminded her
of the things she saw in Nipton. She wiped away the few tears that had fallen
from her eyes. Follow-Chalk was behind her, so she knew he didn’t see her get
emotional. But he did see her take notice of the heads. “You see the dead
sentries? Shamans say our enemies’ souls are trapped in them, but Joshua says
it shows we’re serious about fighting the White Legs.”
She just nodded her head and continued down the road. Coming up on what looked
to be some sort of old station, she noticed all the red handprints. Follows-
Chalk decided to tell her about those, as well. “See those handprints? Dead
Horses and Sorrows mark them on taboo places, places from Back When. Good thing
to you I don’t buy into that stuff.”
-----
Finally, after what seemed like forever to Six, they came to the Eastern
Virgin. She didn’t mind being in Follow-Chalk’s company, but she would mind it
a lot less if he didn’t talk so much. She didn’t want to get to know him, she
just wanted this Joshua to tell her how to get the hell back to Nevada. That
was it. To no surprise, just as she was thinking Follows-Chalk had ran out of
things to talk about, he spoke again. “Here we are. Joshua’s just ahead there,
in the Angel Cave.” She thanked him and made a beeline for that cave, hoping to
get away from him and his constant talking. As soon as she stepped foot inside,
a tribal woman stood and spoke, “Hoi! Owslandr zookuh Joshua Graham?”
She didn’t speak their language, but could put two and two together and figure
out simple things. “Am I… looking for Joshua? Yes, I am. Can you tell me where
he is?” She said politely to the woman.
“You know our tongue - smart owslandr. Joshua in high place of cave. You show
respect, utman! Joshua is greatest warrior. You show him no respect, he show
you thunder and fire!”
She didn’t take very kindly to what sounded like a threat coming from this
woman. Hell, she didn’t even know whether or not this woman would try to murder
her in her sleep - which would be welcomed, but wasn’t the point. Still, she
kept it civil. “I’ll make sure to be on my best behavior, then.”
“You wise for owslandr.”
Making her way through the cave, up the inclines and around the curves, she
entered a room to see a man, bandaged around his head and arms, sitting on a
large rock, assembling pistols. Was this actually Joshua Graham? Was this
really the Burned Man? It had to be. She was intimidated but intrigued. He had
to be tough as nails to survive what he had. Maybe he could relate to how she
felt. He looked up and spoke to her in a low, mesmerizing tone. “We should have
given you a better welcome on your first visit to Zion, but from what I hear,
the White Legs beat us to it. White Legs seem to be the only visitors we have
these days, and I wouldn’t have expected anyone from the Mojave to come looking
for us. And you’re a courier, no less. Not the one I was expecting, but I
suppose he wouldn’t have come with a caravan. I don’t know if you were close to
the other members of your group, but you have my sympathy. I pray for the
safety of all good people who come to Zion, even Gentiles, but we can’t expect
God to do all the work.”
She was so hypnotized by the man’s voice that she almost couldn’t speak, but
she managed. “How do you know so much about what happened to me?”
He looked at her, his gaze finding hers. She felt like he was looking through
her soul, his voice felt as if it reverberated through the very fiber of her
being. “The Dead Horses are capable scouts. Nothing passes into or out of Zion
without my hearing of it.”
Every time he uttered anything, it felt like her heart jumped into her throat.
She had to swallow hard before speaking. “I came here with the Happy Trails
Caravan Company to make contact with the New Canaanites.”
He went back to assembling the pistols that laid in front of him. “Happy
Trails. I remember. They were good friends. I have bad news for your employers.
New Canaan was destroyed, its citizens scattered. All because of the White
Legs. And Caesar, of course. The White Legs want to join the Legion. Caesar’s
rite of passage is the destruction of the New Canaanites, almost assuredly
because of me. The good news is that we can help you find your way back.
Daniel, one of the other New Canaanites, has made many maps of the region. The
bad news is that we can’t help you right now. Not with everything that’s going
on.”
“I’m not going to leave without offering help. What can I do?”
“You’re a good neighbor to us. We all go through period of darkness. In such
times, we can turn to the Lord, but it’s good to have friends. I could really
use your help assembling these guns. It may seem tedious, but it would go
faster if it were more than just myself.” Joshua grabbed a chair and sat it
next to him before she had the chance to agree to the task she’d just been
given. He pulled her chair out for her as she sat. “We haven’t formally been
introduced yet. As you may already know, I am Joshua. May I ask your name?” He
sat down, going back to the pistols.
“Six.” She replied, starting to assemble the weapons.
“Interesting name. I suppose, though, it wouldn’t be any different than if I
would’ve introduced myself to you as the Burned Man - a name given to me long
ago. Did you choose the name for yourself or did someone choose it for you?”
“I chose it. Mojave Express had 6 packages to be delivered to the Strip in New
Vegas, I was the sixth. Courier number 6.”
“I see.”
“What did you say earlier about a courier? Who were you expecting?” She
inquired.
Joshua looked over at her then back to his guns, “Caesar would never admit this
openly, but he knows that I’m alive. I’ve killed enough of his frumentarii and
assassins that have come looking. I’ve heard one of them travels the Mojave as
a courier. Most of Caesar’s agents meet a fitting end in NCR territory, but
maybe this one survived.”
“Nice guns.” Six decided to change the subject.
“In the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, all tribes are known for a specific
weapon. White Legs are known for their big submachine guns, ‘storm drums’. They
broke into an armory near Spanish Fork and have been using them for years. Of
course, the Dead Horses have their wooden war clubs and even the Sorrows have
their Yao Guai gauntlets. This type of .45 automatic pistol was designed by one
of my tribe almost four hundred years ago. Learning its use is a New Canaanite
rite of passage.”
“I also heard something earlier about praying and God? What are you talking
about?”
“I am a New Canaanite. We believe we are the heirs of a spiritual tradition
given to our ancestors thousands of years ago. We have made and kept covenants
with our Lord, God, to honor his laws. In exchange, we are promised eternal
salvation after this life. A day will come when our Lord returns to judge us
all. Until then, we must honor his laws and start others along the path of
salvation if we can. That’s why we trade with others and work the tribes. We
have more than food and medicine to offer. Good news is our most valuable
commodity.”
Six shrugged her shoulders, “Sounds like a good deal.”
“In a world filled with misery and uncertainty, it is a great comfort to know
that, in the end, there is light in the darkness. Every day, we move closer to
our judgment. We must do our best to talk in the footsteps of our Lord and
teach others how to do the same. For many of us, the road is a different one,
but the path is always there for us to follow, no matter how many times we may
fall.”
She stopped and put the gun down, placing her hand gently on his bandaged arm.
“Do you ever ‘fall’?”
He froze, a half-assembled gun still in his hand. He didn’t raise his head, he
just turned it and looked down at her hand. “Every day.” He looked up at her,
his eyes affixed on hers. “Some days are… harder than others.”
“Can I ask you some… personal questions?”
Joshua returned to assembling the guns in front of him once again. “It's not
something I enjoy, but I pray to God that someone may learn from my mistakes.
What would you like to know?”
“Are you in much pain? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You are kind to offer, but no, there's nothing you can do. We don't use chems,
but I learned long ago that I'm immune to their effects. It never stops
burning. My skin. Every day, I have to unwind the bandages and replace them
with fresh ones. Exposing my body to the air is like living through it again.
But it's better to be clean than comfortable.”
“How… did you survive what Caesar did to you?”
“I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me. I
fell down into that dark chasm, but the flame burned on and on. The next
morning, I woke up and crawled out of the northern edge of the Grand Canyon,
that cursed place. It took me three months to reach New Canaan. It was as
though the prodigal son had returned. They welcomed me like I had never left,
never done anything to shame them. The fire that had kept me alive was love.
Their love. God's love. I will never be able to repay the debt I owe to them,
but I must try.”
He’d answered every one of her questions, except the one that had been eating
away at her. The one person who she’d met that could possible feel the same way
she did. “Ever wish you would’ve died?”
He stopped, turned his body to face her. “I used to, yes. But not anymore. I
could tell you to put your faith in God, as I did, in order to feel
differently. However, that isn’t for me to decide. I can only teach you what I
know, if you’re willing to learn. The decision on where your faith goes, is up
to you. Now that I’ve answered your questions, I must tell you that I believe
turnabout is fair play. So it is your turn to answer mine.” Six reluctantly
nodded her head. “Alright. What happened to you that caused you to ask me that
last question?” She shook her head, trying to fight the tears back, trying to
contain the lump in her throat. Joshua placed his hand on her knee, his fingers
were the only thing that weren’t bandaged. They felt warm against her skinned
knee that shown through her ripped blue jeans. “It’s all right. You can cry.
It’s good for the soul. Tell me what happened.”
Tears began to flow out of Six’s eyes as she recalled the events that had
unravelled since the day that she and Packrat left Little Lamplight. A time
when she was still Rabbit, Packrat’s younger sister - but only by a few
minutes. The twins had been through the death of their parents, being forced
from the only home they knew… twice. Leaving the Capital Wasteland and it
taking 2 months longer than it should’ve to make it to Nevada. How Packrat
always looked after her, he was all she had ever known outside of Lamplight -
he was her protector, her leader, her best friend. Without him she felt lost.
She felt that his death meant that she had failed him. She missed him deeply,
but didn’t have the courage to end her own life, so instead she hoped. Hoped
someone else would do it for her. She recollected what happened with Packrat
that night outside of Primm. How she wasn’t wanting it to happen, but when it
happened, she didn’t want it to end. She always felt close to Packrat, but
that… that made her feel even closer to him. Something she didn’t think was
possible. Now, now he seems so far away. She told him it felt like she was
slowly dying from the inside out. She had never felt pain so immense and so
constant. She rarely slept. She rarely cared for her own safety. She had become
sleep-deprived and reckless, but she didn’t care. She didn’t feel like she had
a reason to live anymore. Her reason died with her brother that day. The
Capital Wasteland was her home, it was what she knew. The only thing she knew
in the Mojave, was Packrat. It had only been a year since they’d left the
comforts of Little Lamplight, and her brother was already taken from her.
Barely 17, and he’d been killed by the Legion, and Six was left to fend for
herself. Joshua pulled her to him, having her rest her head against his
shoulder as he rubbed up and down her back. She cried as she told him how badly
she missed her brother.
Joshua Graham, the Burned Man, once the Malpais Legate, caressed this girl as
she sobbed into him. His shirt soaked up her tears. His bandages muffled her
cries of sadness and heartache. She was but a stranger to him coming into Zion,
the only thing he knew of her was what the Dead Horses could tell him. He had
no idea his heart would be breaking for her as she told her life’s story to his
tear-stained shirt. Joshua ran his fingers through her short hair, trying to
console her. He laid his head carefully onto hers and whispered, “The Lord is
close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” She
continued sobbing, seemingly inconsolable. Joshua spoke further, “My dear girl,
God works in mysterious ways. No one can live forever. Only with the Lord may
you live for eternity. Although your beloved brother may not be here in
physical body, he will always be with you in spirit. Your memories of him keep
him alive in you.”
She sniffled and looked up into his eyes, the only part of his face she could
see between the bandages, “Why, then, does it seem like I can’t die?”
He took a deep breath. “I don’t have the answer to that question. But, I could
ask the same about myself. Set ablaze and thrown into the deepest canyon, and
yet… I lived. We will all die in time, but in God’s time.”
As Joshua dried her eyes and wiped the tears from her face with his bandaged
hands, she couldn’t help but feel bad for dumping her problems on him. She felt
like he’d had more than enough suffering for three lifetimes, but yet listened
to her rave about her brother. “I’m sorry… for telling you all of this. I know
you’ve suffered much more than I have.”
Although she couldn’t see it, he smiled. “The past should be left in the past.
Otherwise it can destroy your future. Live your life for what tomorrow has to
offer, not for what yesterday has taken away.” He reached up and separated the
bandages, and with his burn-scarred lips, he gently kissed the top of her head.
“Come.” He said, standing up. “You’ve had along journey and suffered a great
many losses, let me show you where you’ll be sleeping. I hope you don’t mind
sharing a room with me. But don’t worry, you will have your own bed and a place
to put your things.” He picked up her pack and led her to his private bedroom
that contained two beds. His moved with care, yet not slowly. He’d become
somewhat accustomed to the pain he felt daily. The Burned Man sat Six’s
belongings down on the bed she would be sleeping in, motioning for her to sit.
She did as he’d directed. Walking over to his own bed, Joshua sat down and
began to unravel his bandages. “You may look away if you find me hideous or
grotesque. I won’t take offense. I know that I am... difficult... to look at.”
Six watched as he revealed his terribly scarred flesh, but she wasn’t
disgusted. She noticed how carefully he unwound the material that wrapped his
body, almost completely from head to toe. His face crinkled as he winced in
pain when the cool cave air hit his skin. Six got up and sat down beside him,
and taking the fresh cloth into her own hands, she began to re-wrap him. Joshua
was astonished at her actions. “You don’t have to do that.” He said.
“I know I don’t have to. But I want to… unless you’re not okay with it.”
“It is a generous deed. I thank you.” He couldn’t stop looking at this young
woman in amazement. “I have yet another question for you, if I may.”
“Okay. Go ahead.” She said, concentrating on his bandages making sure not to
hurt him.
“What do you prefer that I call you? You introduced yourself to me as Six, but
you’ve also said you were called Rabbit at one time. Surely neither of those
are your given name.”
“My name is Emery. Honestly, you can call me whatever you like. The only people
who know me by ‘Rabbit’ are those in the Capital Wasteland, and my brother whom
everyone called Packrat. His real name was Everett. Nobody knows me as Emery,
except Elder Lyons. He’s with the Brotherhood of Steel - also in the Capital
Wasteland. My brother only called me Emery when he was irritated at me. I’ve
been introducing myself as ‘Six’ since his passing.”
“Alright, I shall call you Six then, since that’s what you’re going by now.” He
watched her eyes as she encased him in his bandages. When she got to his
shoulder, she softly place her fingertips against his skin - the first skin-to-
skin contact since before the incident. He could see tears pooling in her eyes
again. “What’s wrong?” He was puzzled as to why she was starting to cry.
“I’m so sorry that this happened to you.”
For a moment her kindness had left him speechless. He hadn’t had anyone give
him sympathy for what had happened. He didn’t expect anyone to. “I deserved
nothing less. I did unspeakable things, working for Caesar. Things that you
could not imagine, even in your darkest nightmares. Those acts are replayed
back to me, almost every night. Every life I took, every person I harmed, I’m
reminded of when I close my eyes. Though I’m a different man now, I am still
one in the same.”
“No.” She said as she finished wrapping him. “You didn’t deserve… this. To live
in pain every day. You’re a good man, Joshua. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t be
sitting here with you right now.”
“I wasn’t always a good man.”
“A wise man once told me, the past should be left in the past.” She could tell
by the way his eyes wrinkled at the corners, that beneath all that material, he
was smiling. Joshua reached up to caress the side of her face, but hesitated.
He didn’t think she would welcome his touch on her bare skin. And yet again,
she surprised him. Six gently took his hand and placed it against her cheek.
Caressing her face, feeling her warmth through his bandaged hand, her kindness
was overwhelming. “It may sound silly to you, but I believe that you are God-
sent. Before today, before your acts of kindness, I was thinking about getting
my vengeance on a man named Salt-Upon-Wounds. He is the Warchief of the White
Legs tribe - the one who destroyed New Canaan. Your kindness, that seems to
know no bounds, has made me think perhaps I should reconsider.”
“I know what it’s like to want revenge. Believe me.” She said. “I plan to kill
every Legionnaire I come across, including Caesar himself. Or I’ll die trying.”
 
Joshua pulled Six to him once more, hugging her softly. “Wait for the Lord, and
He will avenge you.”
“I can’t do that, Joshua. Those bastards are the sole reason my brother is
dead. I cannot and will not stand for it. I can’t, in good conscience, let them
continue and cause pain to someone else.”
“Your kindness, much like your beauty, is staggering. I believe you have fire
burning hot inside you… one that will not easily be extinguished. Caesar and
his Legion should be worried.”
Six nodded and went to her own bed, taking most of her clothes off, she pulled
the thin sheet over her and fell asleep. Joshua laid there, his skin burning
from exposure to the air, but his heart burned more. She had sparked something
inside his body that he hadn’t felt in what seemed like eternity. As he watched
her chest rise and fall with each breath, he forgot about the pain and drifted
off to sleep.
***** Blue Moon *****
Chapter Summary
     Joshua and Six talk. Smut ensues. She leaves.
Chapter Notes
     Short chapter, mostly for smut.
     Also, the poem at the end is "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"
     by Dylan Thomas if you're interested in reading the entire thing.
     It's always been one of my favorites and I was happy as hell to be
     able to work it in. Think it made quite a farewell.
Joshua had another night terror. It wasn’t uncommon. It startled him awake, as
they usually did. Every time that happened, it sent shock waves of pain
throughout his entire body. He carefully got out of bed, put his clothes on,
and stepped outside. He gathered it was sometime around midnight from the
position of the large moon. Not a single soul was awake as he stood there with
folded arms, looking over everything the moon lit up. Hearing quiet footsteps
coming up behind him, he paid them no attention until he heard a tiny voice
speak from behind him.
“Joshua?” Six said as she walked into the moonlight, with her covers wrapped
around her.
He kept his back to her as he spoke, “Blue moon tonight.”
“It’s not blue.” She said, taking place at his side.
“It’s called a ‘blue moon’ when it’s the second full moon in one calendar
month. Some also refer to full moons as a blue moon when it’s the third of
fourth in a season.”
“Oh. That doesn’t make sense.” Gently, she leaned her head softly against his
arm then felt his body shift slightly.
“What are you doing out of bed, Six?”
“Hadda bad dream.”
“As did I. I hope I didn’t startle you by not being there.”
“It did, which is why I came lookin’ for you. Wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
Joshua put his hand on her lower back, led her into the cave and up to his
room, without saying anything further. He sat with her on her bed and caressed
her hand, “You needn’t worry about me, dear girl. I’m fine. I’m always fine.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Oh? My curiosity has been piqued. Why do you say that?”
“Because… look at yourself. You’re… you’re practically a mummy, for fuck’s
sake! Caesar did you terribly wrong. You’re scarred for life, in the most
literal way possible. I can’t imagine the pain you felt when Caesar had you set
on fire. I can’t imagine the pain you felt when you were thrown into that
canyon and… bounced off of the canyon walls until you finally hit ground. Can’t
imagine what it was like to have time to process what exactly was happening on
the way down. I feel like it probably seemed to take an eternity before you
finally found bottom. I can’t fathom the pain you still feel every single day.
Yet, you go on, teaching these tribals about your Lord. Trying to help them.
You’ve surely helped me. You’ve given me more sympathy than any stranger ever
has… or ever would, I figure. You have welcomed me into your land, your home,
and your bedroom… with open arms. You’ve been a shoulder for me to cry on. I
can never repay that.”
Joshua took her into his arms once more and held her. “My darling, your
kindness is more than enough repayment. Not once has anyone tried to comfort me
or sympathize about what happened with Caesar. You are the only one who has
been so caring. I cannot thank you enough for that. For showing me that I am
more than just a ‘burned man’. And I know that it’s out of place for me to say,
since we’ve known each other for such a short period of time… but you warm the
very ventricles of my heart. An accomplishment I would have never imagined
would be possible for anyone to achieve.” He pulled away from her slightly,
placing a finger under her chin, he tilted her head upwards to look at him.
Drunken with hope, he moved his bandages apart, revealing his scarred lips to
her. She looked at them, but did not flinch. He slowly inched his lips towards
her, giving her ample opportunity to pull away from him. Their lips were so
close that he could feel her breath on him. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes,
and ever-so-softly kissed her lips while he embraced her. Tears streamed down
from his eyes, staining the material that covered his face. He’d yearned for
intimate physical contact since the incident, but never found it until this
moment. Joshua’s insides were ignited with a burning intensity… a longing… a
need. Trying to resist the situation that had risen, Joshua pulled away from
her. He looked down at the ground, clasped his hands together, and began
whispering: “There hath no temptation taken hold of you but such as is common
to man. But God is faithful; He will not suffer you to be tempted beyond that
which ye are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” His concentration broke when he felt
Six place her hand on his arm. His eyes jumped open and set a fiery gaze upon
her. This was more than mere passion to Joshua, but rather a visceral need that
threatened to overwhelm him. His viscera felt something akin to molten lava. A
burning hotter than being set aflame. His flesh rose with fever as he could
feel his grasp on resisting temptation slip away. Instantly, his lips met hers.
He wasn’t sure how this was going to work, but it was going to, one way or
another.
“I’m going to make love to you, Six. If you have any doubts, now is the time to
express them.”
“I don’t.” She replied without hesitation.
“Then remove your clothing for me, girl, and I shall take you.” Passionate lust
had won.
Gently, she laid down onto the bed and began pulling her clothes off, exposing
herself to him. He touched her bare skin softly with his fingertips but he
wanted to feel more of her. He wanted to remove his bandages, although he had a
nagging inside his head telling him not to - that it would only cause her to
reject him. Joshua couldn’t help it any longer and unwrapped himself. His skin
burned as the air came in contact with it, but the fire inside him was much
more intense. Recklessly abandoning his judgment and willpower, Joshua parted
Six’s legs gazing at her silky skin, carefully settling himself over her. He
worshipped her breasts for a moment before guiding himself to her wet entrance.
Embedding his manhood into her with great care and placing his body down onto
hers, sent searing pains throughout him, but he did not falter. The Burned Man
rocked his hips back and forth, keeping his rhythm steady as he delved his
arousal inside her. After their bodies had been entwined, for what seemed like
eternity, he noticed her breath quicken and her body quiver. “Surrender
yourself to me, Six.” He whispered. “I want to feel it.” His pace slowed even
more, almost painfully so, but he wanted to feel every wave that he sent
lightning through her. He wanted her passion to burn as hot as his. He felt her
body tense up and quake, causing her to grasp at the pillow underneath her
head. “Yes, girl, let go. Cry out, let the tribals know that it is I who gives
you great pleasure.” Six quivered beneath him as he slowly rocked. Her sex
throbbed around his violently, crying out his name as a feeling more intense
than ever crashed through her body, causing her pure ecstasy. This, too, pushed
Joshua over the edge into ecstasy as he experienced more pain and pleasure than
he had before. Moaning out her name, he released himself far into her core,
filling her entirely. He didn’t move, he didn’t want to. He wanted to remain
there, inside Six for as long as possible. Which he did. So long, in fact, that
he took her a second time. Again, laying on top of her, remaining inside her,
until he couldn’t. Finally, Joshua lifted himself from her body and began to
replace his bandages. She started to get up out of bed to help him, but he
declined, telling her to just lay there and enjoy herself. Six obeyed. He sat
down beside her once re-wrapped, cupping her face, “I want to be intimate with
you as much as I can. I want to be one body, one soul. It seems as if you are
the only being who can understand my emotional anguish.” Joshua came to the
conclusion that for as long as she was in Zion, she belonged to him. But he
knew, it wouldn’t last. Eventually, she would leave.
And leave, she did.
-----
Six had been there nearly a month when she approached him, on a late November
afternoon as the Burned Man watched the sun creep towards the horizon.
“Joshua?” Her toned was forced, but worried. He knew.
“Yes, my darling?”
“Joshua… I… can’t stay here any longer. I’ve got to find a man in a checkered
suit who I’ve ignored… about a month too long. I gotta… stick it to the Legion…
for my brother. I have to get back to New Vegas.”
He took a deep breath and a hard swallow, yet kept his back to her. “If you
can’t stay, then don’t. I’m not going to force you. You’re free to go as you
please, when you please.”
“Are you going to be okay?” She asked as tears threatened to fall.
“I’m always okay, dear girl.”
She walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Come with me,
Joshua. Please. I’ve felt so alone without my brother, until I came here, met
you…”
Joshua stood and looked into her eyes. “You know that I can’t go with you. I’m
the Dead Horses leader, their Warchief. I cannot abandon them. Daniel and I
have decided to help them escape Zion. Once they have built a life for
themselves, they can decide on a new Warchief. But until then, I cannot, in
good conscience, leave them to their own devices with the White Legs around. I
hope you understand, Six.”
She did, though she didn’t want to. “I know. I understand.”
“Once they’ve appointed a new Warchief, I will leave them. I pray I cross paths
with you again.” And he would, thrice a day, halting only if his gaze ever met
hers once more. Or, upon his death. Joshua, Daniel, The Dead Horses, and
Sorrows all led her to the canyon that would take her back to New Vegas. It was
not without its dangers, but she would persevere. On their way to the path that
would lead her on, they discussed her plans for Caesar’s Legion and the unknown
man in the checkered suit. Joshua was still overwhelmed at the fire that burned
brightly inside of her, wishing he could experience it once more. He didn’t
want her to leave, but knew she couldn’t stay. He wanted that fire to
continuously burn bright inside her, for that rage to ignite and push her
forth. Because that… would keep her alive.
Before Six embarked on her journey alone, with tears in their eyes, Joshua
Graham took her by the hand. Pulling her to him, the Burned Man held her,
placing his head atop hers. The former Malpais Legate, with a low and shaky
voice, gave to her words she would never forget: “Do not go gentle into that
good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day; rage, rage against
the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
because their words had forked no lightning, they do not go gentle into that
good night.” With a final kiss and tear-soaked skin, she departed. Joshua
watched as Six, the girl who changed his life forever, disappeared into the
canyon. “God speed, my darling. May the Lord protect you... and lead you back
to me.”
***** Something's Gotta Give *****
Chapter Summary
     Six is back in search of Checkered-Suit guy. Finds Novac. Meets
     Manny. Meets Boone. Boone disapproves of pretty much everything.
Six moved like a derailed freight train through the Tribals, Yao Guai, and
whatever else Utah decided to throw at her. She felt as if the lands were
trying to kill her spirit, to push her away from what she so desperately sought
- vengeance. She wanted to reign down hellfire and brimstone, the very same
Joshua had told her about. She wanted Caesar to burn. To feel the pain he
inflicted upon Joshua Graham. The Burned Man who would always hold a soft,
albeit dark, place very close to Six’s heart. She was now out for vengeance not
just for Packrat. But for Joshua as well. Granted, Graham survived, but at what
cost? “Fuck Caesar.” Was what Six mumbled almost every time she took one of the
White Legs down. It was tempting for her to find Salt-Upon-Wounds and take him
out as well, making the valley safer for the Dead Horses and Sorrows. Maybe
someday. Maybe she'd return to Zion and check to see how everyone, especially
Joshua, was doing. She had come to care for the tribes she knew in a short
time. They were friendly, brilliant, and taught her their ways of survival. It
made her better. It made her deadly.
As she traveled, she would come across Dead Horses or Sorrows from time to
time. They were friendly each time they noticed her near by. Most would even
stop whatever scouting they were doing to greet her and speak for a bit. She
began to think, though. Rummaging through her pack she managed to find some
useless junk she scavenged. Turns out, it wasn't so useless. Six pulled out the
pencil and dirty paper. And she wrote:
"Joshua,
Standing here about to walk out of Zion, I decided to write you this letter. I
hope it finds its way to you without a problem. I know that by the time you
receive this, I'll be further from you than I care to be. I never told you, but
I came to care for you a great deal. I want you to know that I'll never forget
you or the things you taught me about your Lord. This ‘God’ sounds like an okay
guy. I learned so much from you. But, I also taught myself something as well -
how to turn sorrow and self-pity into rage. When I think of my brother, I'm not
sad as often. Instead I become enraged. I will not go gentle into the dark
night... and I will rage against the dying of the light. I'll never forget
those words, nor will I forget you, for as long as I live.
Death is the reason I started this letter, it just seemed wildly inappropriate
to write a letter only about that. If you find out that I've died, I want you
to make sure I'm buried in the middle of the Goodsprings cemetery next to my
brother. It's important to me. I know you'll understand. You always do.
Yours,
6."
She gave it to the next Dead Horse or Sorrow she saw and they promised to
deliver it back to Joshua. He received it later on during the night. And when
he read it, he stifled the tears, just barely. Then delicately, he folded the
letter and tucked it away.
-----
After a 4 day journey on foot, she made it through the Devil’s Gullet and
collapsed somewhere between Ranger Station Bravo and Bitter Springs. Joshua’s
words still echoed through her head as she picked herself up off of the ground,
trying to push herself forward. Making it to what seemed to be a fisherman’s
shack on the shore of Lake Mead before she collapsed again. She knew
dehydration would take her soon if she didn't do something. Six didn't want to
drink the lake water, but she didn't have much choice - it was that, or die.
And she wasn't ready to die, not yet, not until she put a bullet in Caesar and
the checkered-suit. Scooping the water into her hand, she tried not to think
about the smell of dead fish and the amount of possible radiation she was about
to consume. She could only drink a couple of handfuls before she couldn't
stomach anymore. Six stood, but felt weak, she knew it was only a matter of
time before she'd become too weak to walk. Around El Dorado Dry Lake, she
noticed the familiar green dinosaur standing tall against the sky. She made it
to the dino’s feet and collapsed one final time. Her eyes were barely open as
she saw cowboy boots walking towards her. She barely had enough energy to see
the older man as he picked her up off of the grown.
A few hours later, she awoke in an empty Dino Dee-Lite office. There was a
Sunset Sarsaparilla vending machine in the corner, Six banged on it until a few
bottles fell out and she chugged two down. Walking around the front desk
office, drinking from the third Sunset Sarsaparilla, a floor safe caught her
eye. “I wonder…” She pulled a couple of bobby pins out of her hair and stuck
them into the lock. Twisting and turning, listening for the right clicks and
clacks, the safe popped open. Its contents weren't much other than a handful of
caps and some kind of Bill of Sale. Regardless, Six shoved the caps and Bill of
Sale into her pocket and laid back down onto the couch, falling asleep until
the door closing woke her up.
Opening one eye, she focused her sight on the woman that now stood behind the
counter. Pulling herself off of the couch, she walked up to her. The woman
looked at her warmly, “Well. Welcome to you. You look tired from the road. Why
don't you relax a spell, let this fine town take care of you?”
“We, um, haven't even met yet. I'm Six.”
“Oh, what am I doing? I got thinking about making a good impression and plain
forgot to tell you my name. I’m Jeannie May. I take care of folks here at the
motel. Long as they aren’t trouble makers.”
“I’m looking for a man in a checkered coat. Have you seen anyone like that?”
“Well he might’ve been wearing a fancy outfit, but he wasn’t any kind of a
gentleman to me. Had his nose stuck so high in the air, you couldn’t see it
above the clouds. City folk, they always think they deserve better than what
they got. Those hoodlums he was with seemed to know Manny for some reason. He’s
our daytime sniper, up in the dinosaur’s mouth.”
“Thanks for your help. Any idea where I can get some supplies?”
“Go see Cliff Briscoe at the Dino Bite Gift Shop, and Tell him I sent you. I
think he gets lonely standing around in that dino belly all day. He’ll be glad
for the company.”
“I’d like to rent a room, also... if you’ve got one to spare.” She figured that
she may as well stay in town so she can be damn sure to meet with Manny about
the checkered-suit.
“Well, I think that’s a fine idea. I’ll give you a good flat rate of 100 caps
and you can stay as long as you like. Least till the busy season comes. Sound
good?”
“Sure thing, here you go.” Six handed her 100 caps. Sounded to her like she
found a place to call home.
“I’m glad you can stay with us.” Jeannie May said with a smile. “Your room will
be the one upstairs, closest to the lobby side. Here’s your key. Let me know if
there’s anything I can do to make your stay better for you.”
Six thanked the woman and let her know that she didn’t need anything for the
moment. She went out to find her hotel room - the number on the door was hardly
legible. 332? 322? She had no idea. But she had a key, a roof, and a bed. That
was all she cared about. Unlocking the door and entering the room, without
looking up, she pulled the Bill of Sale she stole out of her pocket and read
it. It said:
"We, the representatives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day bargained and
purchased from Jeannie May Crawford of the township of Novac the exclusive
rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one
thousand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred
bottle caps, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. We warrant the slave
and her young to be sound, healthy, and slaves for life. We covenant with the
said, Jeannie May Crawford, that we have full power to bargain and sell said
slave and her offspring. Payment of an additional five hundred bottle caps will
be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be
guaranteed by possession of this document.
M. Scribonius Libo Drusus et al.
Administrators of M. Licinius Crassus, Colonel Officiorum ab Famulatus"
“What the fuck…? I don’t know what all this means, but it sounds like Jeannie
May is a real piece of work.” She said to herself, putting the paper back into
her pocket. She looked up and around the room… the first thing she noticed was
a teddy bear on the bed. She sat her pack down on the nearby couch and pulled
out the bear her brother had given to her - Packrat, she named it. For him. Six
scooped up the bear from the bed, “I’ll call you… Rabbit. You can be Packrat’s
new sister.” She smiled as she hugged both bears gently, then laid on the bed,
teddy bears in her arms, and cried until she fell asleep.
Six woke up with groggy, swollen eyes. Her head hurt. “I shoulda known better
than to cry like that…” She glanced out the grime-covered windows to barely
make out that it was dark. “Shit!” She said as she put the bears into her pack.
Bolting out her hotel room door, she ran towards the dinosaur. Just as she got
to the stairs, a man with a beret walked out.
“Who are you?” She asked.
“I’m Manny. I’m on security detail here. I’m off-duty right now. You see a
rifle barrel sticking out of the dinosaur’s mouth, you got a fifty-fifty shot
it’s me. Otherwise it’s Boone.”
Boone. She wondered if he knew the fate that had befallen his relative. “Who’s
Boone?” She asked, trying to make conversation to see if she could figure it
out.
“Boone’s a sniper, same as me. Used to spot for him when we were enlisted with
the NCR. After we got out, I talked him into settling down here. So, here we
are. I’d introduce you, but uh… we’re not so friendly right now.”
“Why are you on bad terms with him?”
“Me and his wife, we didn’t see eye-to-eye on some things. We had some pretty
big arguments. One day she turns up missing, and he hasn’t said a word to me
since.”
“What did y’all argue about?”
“Man, you name it. See, I grew up in North Vegas. Me and my cousins. We were
some bad seeds. Got in with a gang. I loved it. Then something happened, and I
couldn’t handle it anymore. So, I enlisted. Earned my future. Brought down my
best friend to share that future with me. And here this woman who was too good
for it, trying to take him a way. So yeah. I didn’t see eye-to-eye with the
bitch.”
“You were in a gang? Were they tough?” Now she was only talking to sate her own
curiosity.
“Were they tough? I was in the Khans, man. It doesn’t get any badder.”
The Khans had to do with the suit. “I’m looking for a man in a checkered coat.”
“Sure, I know him. What do you want with him?”
“I have a score to settle.” Jackpot. “He has something of mine.”
“You talking about that chip? Man, I don’t think he’s giving it up. Well
listen, I can definitely help you find him, but I’ve got problems of my own.
Maybe we can trade. You need my help. There’s something I need, too.”
Six hesitated, hoping it wasn’t sexual favors. “What do you need?”
“Novac, it’s home for me now. I want that to be for good, I like it here, and
I’ve left too many homes behind. But the only resource we got here is junk.
Without that, people wouldn’t have anything to trade. They’d all have to leave.
We get most of it up the road from the old rocket test site. But a bunch of
ghouls showed up one day and took it over. We can’t get in there now.”
“Okay… soooo… what is it you’re wanting from me, exactly?”
“Well they gotta go, or this’ll be a ghost town before long. Doesn’t matter to
me what you do. As long as the ghouls are out of there, that’s good enough for
me.”
She really didn’t want to do this guy’s dirty work for him, but it would be the
only way she’d get information on the checkered-suit guy. “Okay, I’ll see what
can be done about it.”
“It’d mean a lot to me. See you.” Once he walked off, Six went into the Dino
Bite Gift Shop and up the stairs on the left. Was she going to come face to
face with Boone? Should she tell him about his wife? She opened the door and
touched his shoulder very gently causing him to spin around with an angered
look on his face.
“Goddamn it! Don’t sneak up on me like that. What do you want?”
“Expecting visitors?”
His face went blank, his voice went deep and monotone, “Yeah. I guess maybe I
am. But not like you.” Then he hesitated for a moment. “Huh. Maybe it should’ve
been you I was expecting all along. Why are you here?” He said, folding his
arms.
Trying to figure out a way to tell him, in case he didn’t know what happened to
his wife, she tried to drop hints to see if he’d pick up on the. “If you’re
looking for someone in particular, I could tip you off if I see them.”
“Yeah, well, you see anybody wearing Legion crimson or a lot of sports
equipment, you just let me know. But you still haven’t answered my question.”
His comment about the sports equipment reminded her of the comment Packrat had
made the day they went to Nipton. But, the Legion… “Just looking around.”
“There’s nothing up here.”
“There’s a sniper.” She tried not to smile, trying to mock his demeanor…
apparently he picked up on it and didn’t find it amusing.
“I think you’d better leave.”
“Do you treat everyone around here like this?”
“Wait. You just got into town. Maybe you shouldn’t go. Not just yet.”
“And why is that?” Now she was really curious. Was he going to kill her or
something?
“I need someone I can trust. You’re a stranger. That’s a start.”
“You only trust strangers?” Flashing Boone a half-smile.
“I said it was a start. This town… nobody looks me straight in the eye
anymore.”
She pointed at his sunglasses, “It’s… ya know... probably ‘cause you wear
those. At night. Just… just a thought.”
“Not the point.”
“Okaaaaay. What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to find something out for me. I don’t know if there’s anything to
find, but I need someone to try. My wife was taken from our home by Legion
slavers one night while I was on watch.” Six gripped her pocket tightly as
Boone continued, “They knew when to come and what route to take, and they only
took Carla. Someone set it up. I don’t know who.”
“So… you’re trying to track down your wife, then?”
“My wife’s dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her.”
“How… do you know she’s dead?”
“I know, all right? And that’s all you need to know.”
“What do I do if I find this person?”
“Bring him out in front of the nest here while I’m on duty. I work nights.”
Six looked around at the night sky, “Obviously.”
Boone sighed in frustration. “I’ll give you my NCR beret to put on. It’ll be
our signal, so I know you’re standing with him. And I’ll take care of the rest.
I need to do this myself.”
“I’ll see what I can do to help you out.”
Boone handed her his NCR beret, “Good. I’ll make it worth your while. And one
more thing. We shouldn’t speak again. Not until it’s over. No one in this town
knows that I know what happened to my wife. Best they never know. Or the Legion
will be after me next.”
Six nodded and left the Dino Bite Gift Shop, when she got outside, she took the
beret and put it up to her face. It smelled of sweat and mesquite, which
tickled her senses. She liked it. Looking around to make sure no one saw her
smelling on Boone’s beret, she knew exactly the person she needed to put in
front of that dinosaur.
Jeannie May was still in the front desk office, sweeping up. As soon as she saw
Six standing there, she smiled and said that she hoped everything was going
well. Six nodded and told her there was something she needed to see… in front
of the dinosaur.
“Okay, if that’s what you think.” Jeannie May said. Leading her over to the
rock, Six looked up to see the the moon reflect off of Boone’s sunglasses… she
knew he was looking down at her. She took his beret out of her pack and put it
on. Before Jeannie May could even ask anything, Boone put a bullet in the back
of her head. Six rushed back up to the sniper’s nest where Boone was waiting.
“That’s it, then. How did you know?” He asked.
“I found the bill of sale…”
Boone reached up and pulled his beret off of Six’s head and put it back on, “I
guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’d be like Jeannie May to keep paperwork.”
Boone pulled a bunch of caps out of his pants pocket, handing them to her,
“Here. This is all I can give. I think our dealings are done here.”
She looked down at his hand full of caps and back up to the eyes hiding behind
those ridiculous sunglasses. “What will you do after this?”
He lowered his hand in frustration, as if a signal to her that he was tired of
holding his hand out. “I don’t know. I won’t be staying, I know that. Don’t see
much point in anything right now, except hunting legionaries. Maybe I’ll
wander… like you.”
Hunting legionaries and wandering - sounded like her kind of thing. “Come with
me. Let’s go after the Legion.”
Boone shook his head. “You don’t want to do that.”
Six cracked another half-grin, with a mischievous twist. “We’ll kill more with
two of us.” She said it in a sing-song type of way, as if it were going to be
fun for her. Which it would.
“Yeah. That might be true. And that’s reason enough for me to take you up on
it, I suppose. But this isn’t gonna end well. But fine. Let’s get out of here.”
She told Boone she wanted to wait until morning to do anything because it was
probably going to be difficult as hell for him to navigate with those damn
sunglasses he wouldn’t stop wearing. Through the night, neither of them slept.
They talked, mostly. Well, Six did. Boone didn’t say much at all. She did, find
out, through a course of nagging, that his first name is Craig. Took her two
hours to get that much out of him.
“You ever take that beret off?” She asked as she watched him lay over on the
couch.
He stared at the ceiling and said, “No.”
Six must’ve dozed off because before she knew it, Boone was shaking her foot,
“Wake up. You fell asleep.”
“Can’t imagine why after the rousing conversation we had.”
Obviously, he wasn’t impressed with her sarcasm. “Time to get up and move out.”
She looked at him and groaned, “I take it you didn’t wake me for breakfast in
bed…” All Boone did was stare at her through those sunglasses, which she knew
was going to become the bane of her existence. She hated not being able to see
his eyes because then she couldn’t read him. She could tell, however, that
Boone was becoming increasingly impatient. Six sat up in bed and asked Boone
where exactly it was Manny needed her to go. He briefly, and vaguely, told her
it was the old REPCONN Test Site. All he knew was that it was full of feral
ghouls and ‘non-feral’ ghouls. He didn’t know exactly what Manny wanted, but
Boone wanted to clear them all out… just for good measure. She didn’t much care
what they did, as long as she could get answers from Manny.
When they walked out of the hotel and walked past the front office, Six spotted
a familiar face… er, sort of. “Victor?”
“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, if it ain’t my old friend from
Goodsprings!”
“What are you doing in Novac?”
“Don’t rightly know - I just got a notion to make my way to New Vegas. Reckon
I’ll find out when I get there.”
“Well, it’s nice to see a friendly face out here.” She smiled at the silly
cowboy-faced robot.
“Likewise, friend - likewise. Is there anything old Vic can do for you?”
“Naw, I’m good, Vic. Thanks, though. I gotta be headin’ out. Things to do and
all.”
“Be seeing you.”
Six felt like it was a bit strange to see Victor anywhere other than
Goodsprings, but she didn’t question it much… although Boone did. Of course, he
was the paranoid sort, and wanted to know what the robot’s angle was. She tried
to assure him that the ‘robot’ didn’t have an angle… of course, he didn’t
listen. They didn’t say anything else on their way to REPCONN. When they got
there, they mowed through all of the feral ghouls that were bumbling around
outside. Boone opened the door and they both walked in. To Six’s surprise,
there was a blue Super Mutant laying dead on the floor. “Huh.” She said, “Never
seen a blue Super Mutant before… only a yellowish-green color.”
“It’s a different kind of Super Mutant - Nightkin. They use Stealth Boys.”
“Hey! Over here! Are you listening?” A raspy voice spoke from a nearby
intercom. “Go to the big room on the east side of the building and take the
metal staircase all the way up. And hurry.”
Six went over and pressed the button, much to Boone’s disapproval. “Who are
you?” She asked.
“Who I am doesn’t matter, smoothskin. Stop wasting time and get up here.” The
intercom said back.
Six turned around to see Boone staring at her… or, well, it seemed like he was.
She stared back at him. “What?” He asked.
“What, what?” She asked back.
“Why are you staring?”
“Why are you?”
“Because I know you’re about to tell me we should listen to that intercom and I
don’t think it’s such a good idea.”
“Boone, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“We could die.”
Six beamed a smile at him and threw her rifle over her shoulder, “Doesn’t sound
so bad to me.” And she took off towards the eastern side of the building. Boone
sighed in frustration, but followed anyway. The ghouls along the way were no
match against them. Walking into a room with stairs that led up, Boone just
looked at her and shook his head. Six ignored his disapproval… again… and at
the top of those stairs, she found a dead ghoul wearing some kind of odd
clothings. She went into the area just ahead to find a door with an intercom
next to it. With more disapproval from Boone, she pressed the button on the
intercom. “Hello?” She said.
“All right, Smoothskin, I’m letting you in.” The voice came back. “You better
watch yourself. I’ll sure as hell be watching you.”
Six rolled her eyes when Boone let out another irritated sigh behind her. She
could tell Boone was going to be a real party-pooper with his disapproval of…
everything. Did he just want to wander the Mojave and wait for random
encounters with the Legion? Because if that were the case, he was traveling
with the wrong girl. That’s not how she operated. Instead of saying anything to
him, she grunted in his general direction. The door opened in front of her, and
the raspy voice from the intercom stood there and spoke, “God, but are you
ugly! Get upstairs and talk to Jason before I throw up just from looking at
you.” She could’ve swore she heard a very quiet snicker come from behind her.
“Hey, you’re not a ghoul!” She said as this normal-looking man stepped out of
the shadows.
“Your pranks won’t work on me, smoothskin. They won’t work on Jason, either.”
“Smoothskin? Your skin looks pretty smooth to me.”
“Stop wasting my time, smoothskin. Go waste Jason’s.”
His stupidity was flooring - she was speechless. Could he not see his own two,
smooth hands? So many questions unanswered about him. While they were wandering
around, trying to determine would Ghoul was Jason, Six looked back at Boone,
“Can you believe he found me repulsive? What an asshole.” Boone just looked at
her. She rolled her eyes and went searching again. In no time, she saw a
glowing Ghoul, “Fuck it. I’m talkin’ to that guy.” She told Boone. Before she
even got to the man he began talking.
“Hello, wanderer. Please forgive us of our humble surroundings. Our true home
awaits us in the Far Beyond. Have you come to help us complete the Great
Journey?”
“Uh, what’s this ‘Far Beyond’ you’re talking about?”
“I have glimpsed it only in visions, wanderer, but what I have seen is truly
miraculous. It is a place of light and healing, and I know in my soul that my
flock will be safe there. We wish to escape the barbarity of the wasteland,
especially the violence and bigotry of its human inhabitants.” When he said
that, Six recalled Boone saying he wanted to clear the whole place, and she cut
her eyes at him and grinned.
She stopped listening to the glowing guy’s mumbo-jumbo and interrupted. “So,
who are you…?”
“Oh... I am Jason Bright, the prophet of the Great Journey. All the ghouls you
see here are members of my flock.”
Six let out a slight giggle, “Your last name is “Bright”? That’s funny.” Boone
let out a sigh of… probably disapproval. Could’ve been impatience. Or both. She
figured it was both.
“An auspicious name, don’t you think?” Jason said. “It was mine before I became
as I am now. Before the Great War, even. Truly does the creator author a
destiny for each and every one of us. But, if you are here to help, I’ve got a
task for you. The creator has promised to my flock a new land: a place of
safety and healing… a paradise in the Far Beyond. Preparations for the Great
Journey were nearly complete when the demons appeared.”
“Demons? What demons?”
“The demons appeared from nowhere… except it might be more accurate to say they
never actually ‘appeared’ at all. The demons are invisible. Where one of them
stands, the most one sees is the air shimmering, like sunlight on water. They
set upon us as we were on our way to worship one morning. We had just entered
the basement. My flock fought bravely, and killed a few, but at such cost.
Nearly half of us died or went missing. The rest of us retreated up here. One
of the demons raved at us, but they have no tried to attack us since. Still,
their demonic presence brought all progress towards the Great Journey to a
standstill. But now you have come. Once again, the creator has sent a human to
help us across a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.”
“You say one of the demons ‘raved’ at you?”
“Yes, over the intercom. Threats of death should we step outside, guarantees of
safety should we stay locked away. It went on for hours, and did not always
make sense. But that was the first day only. Since then, silence. Will you
drive away the demons, wanderer?”
“Yeah, I’ll see what I can do. But before I go, I want to know what’s up with
the human that let me in?”
“You’re referring to Chris. I doubt you had much luck if you tried telling him
that he’s human. We had the same discussions when he first appeared, and the
same lack of success. He believes he is one of us. Soon enough we realized that
Chris was a gif from the creator. He is integral to the success of the Great
Journey.”
“Oh… okay. Uh, I’m gonna... go see if I can take care of these ‘demons’ for
you.”
“Praise the creator. Bless you, wanderer! Bless us all!” Jason handed Six the
keys to the REPCONN basement. While heading towards the basement, Boone told
her that these demons they described sounded very much like Nightkin,
especially since they had seen the dead one at the door. Boone didn’t want to
mess with the Nightkin, said it would just be easier to take out the ghouls and
be done with it. But, Six being curious, wanted to investigate. The instant
they walked into the basement, Boone actually said something, “Dark in here. If
you want to use a scope, I can spot for you. Keep you on target.”
“Okay, but I want to sneak up on ‘em, catch ‘em off guard. They're big so…”
Boone didn't like that idea. He didn't say it, but he did start breathing with
disapproval. “How about you just... wait here.” She said to him. “I'll be
back.”
“I’ll sit tight.”
Six crouched down and moved slowly through the next room to an open doorway.
She could hear footsteps coming but didn’t see anything. Then, she saw that
‘shimmering’ Jason Bright referred to, but nothing about this ‘shimmered’. It
was more akin to watching heat rise off of hot pavement or tin. Since she
couldn’t see the Nightkin very well, she waited until the footsteps got quiet
enough before sneaking out into the hallway. Heading left from the direction
she came, she took an immediate right through a door. Unfortunately, this put
her face to face with a Nightkin that wasn’t invisible. She noticed that they
did look a bit differently than Super Mutants, but not much. Mostly they were
blue instead of yellow-green. This Nightkin actually spoke though. Six wasn’t
sure if she should be surprised or pissing herself.
“What’s that, Antler?” The Nightkin said, talking to a Brahmin skull, “We have
a visitor? An assassin, more like! I say kill it, Antler. For safe’s sake!” He
paused for a second, as if the Brahmin skull was saying something to him… “Huh?
...Okay, Antler. I’ll ask. Hi, human. Why you come here?”
“I came here on behalf of the ghouls upstairs.” She said, though hesitantly.
Maybe if he attacked, she could scream and Boone would come to her rescue with
a disapproving sigh.
“A human who is friend to ghouls? Suspicious. You mean the ones upstairs.
Antler used intercom, told them stay put. But they want to come down in
basement anyways? I cannot allow. My kin are… not right in head like I am. They
attack you on sight. Ghouls too. They crazy. Your ghoul friends have to wait
until you find what Antler brought us to get.”
Six knew she was going to regret her next question: “Who is Antler?”
“Who is Antler? WHO IS ANTLER? Antler, the human asks about you! What do I tell
it?” He paused as if the skull was responding. “All right. All right… yes, yes,
of course. Who Antler is, not important to you. Antler wants that you deal with
me.”
Her next question was just as regrettable… at this point she wasn’t sure why
she was even asking. “Is ‘Antler’ the Brahmin skull over there?”
“Cut it out, human. Serious. Final warning.”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Maybe I can help y’all find whatever it is y’all are
here for.”
“Good. Antler brought us here for a reason… why was that, Antler? Right! A
piece of paper. Shipment invoice. Hundreds of Stealth Boys, sent here a long
time ago… But Stealth Boys must be in the one room we don’t search yet - the
one we can’t search.”
“Um, why… can’t you?”
“A ghoul. But not squishy like others. This ghoul is tough. I thought Antler
said send my kin into that room, but three died. Ghoul is a crack shot and set
traps too. After, I realize I heard Antler wrong. So I lock door to keep kin
out and wait for Antler to tell me what to do. Then you come along. Antler says
you are solution.”
“Okay, well, I’ll find the Stealth Boys stockpile for you IF your kin will
leave this place.”
The Nightkin thought for a moment. He nodded his head to the Brahmin skull,
“Yes, Antler says we leave here as soon as we get Stealth Boys. Let me give you
key. Antler had me lock the door. The ghoul inside not expecting a human. Maybe
he don’t shoot you. Maybe he will.” He placed the key into Six’s outstretched
hand.
She walked out of the room and noticed a door close by that had a dead Nightkin
on the floor next to it. She guessed that’s where this ghoul was… because
nobody ever actually seems to give her any details. As soon as she opened it,
she noticed the traps on the ground as a raspy voice came from above, “Come and
get it, you big dumb-- Hey! You’re not one of those things out there. Who the
hell are you?”
“I’m here on behalf of the Nightkin that want the Stealth Boys shipment
information. There’s multiple of them… but only one of you. So, it looks like I
have to kill you. Nothing personal.” She said.
He pulled his rifle out and took aim, “Then you’re dumber than you look,
smoothskin. Eat this!” And he opened fire. Before he could get more than a
couple of rounds off, Six aimed Lil’ Devil and pulled the trigger, putting two
in his chest and one in his head. He fell to the floor like a rag doll.
Carefully, Six made her way through the traps this ghoul had set. She didn’t
really understand how one could miss them though. Maybe it’s because the
Nightkin were so tall… or because they were stupid. Locating the terminal, she
looked through it’s files and noticed that there had been a shipment mistake,
so the Stealth Boys had been returned. She was pretty dubious about telling the
Nightkin. She thought about just trying to kill them, but because they were
invisible, there were unknown numbers of them. She decided she’d try her luck
with just telling the leader.
She went back to the room he was in where he stood, waiting for her. “Antler
sings for Stealth Boys. Have you found them?” He asked.
She took a deep breath, “There is no stockpile of Stealth Boys in this entire
building.”
“Liar!” He yelled. His voice echoed through the hallways. “The invoice said
Stealth Boys here! Antler read it out loud to me!”
“They were sent here by mistake, then sent back.”
“But invoice note said Stealth Boys were here! Why can’t note be true?” He
hesitated for a moment as if ‘Antler’ were speaking. “What, Antler? ...But
human could be lying! Stealing Stealth Boys for itself! Oh, Antler… you trust
so easy… Your lucky day, human. Antler believe you. Nightkin will follow the
new note to find Stealth Boys. Better be there.”
Six watched as the Nightkin leader picked up ‘Antler’ and exited out into the
hallway. Waiting to follow the last Nightkin out, she counted 5 as far as she
could tell by the ‘shimmers’. In single file, she watched them walk past Boone,
who was still waiting close to the basement door. He ripped those ridiculous
sunglasses off, to make sure he was actually seeing what he was seeing. The
expression on his face was so much more than blank. It was shock. Between the
two of them, Six may have been more surprised when she saw him pull the
sunglasses off than he was to see the Nightkin marching out of the basement in
a single-file line. She made sure to remember that facial expression, so if she
saw it again she’d know he wasn’t just going into seizures or having a heart
attack. At least now, she knew he was capable of emotions other than
impatience, agitation, and disapproval. Boone watched as several Nightkin
walked past him, most he could only feel or hear, and then he looked down the
stairs to see Six standing there, grinning smugly. She walked up to him and
slapped him on the shoulder, still grinning, “C’mon, let’s move out.”
Boone grabbed her by the arm as she tried to walk away from him. “Wait a
minute. I want to know how the hell you did that.” His tone was agitated, but
surprised. It sounded as if he were pissed that he didn’t manage something like
that.
“I had to negotiate with them, that’s all.”
“No. That’s not all. I heard gunshots.”
“Annnd… you didn’t come to check on me?”
Boone let out a low growl because she was avoiding his question. “I did. You
didn’t see me. I’m a sniper, remember? I keep out of sight best I can. You
didn’t answer my question.”
Six sighed as she felt his grip around her arm tighten a little bit, but not
enough to hurt her. “Okay. So, I had to find some information for them about a
shipment of Stealth Boys. They apparently couldn’t do it themselves because one
of the ghouls from upstairs had locked himself in the room with the terminal
that had the information. I went in, I shot him, he died, I got the
information.”
Boone looked at her with a blank stare. “You shot… a ghoul?”
“Look, there was one ghoul… how many Nightkin do you think just moseyed on
outta here? Think you and I would’ve been outnumbered if I’d have taken them on
instead. So how ‘bout we just head back upstairs and tell Jason they’ve cleared
outta here, hm? Let’s go.”
“Alright. I got your back.”
She was happy when Boone didn’t question her actions any further. She wasn’t
happy about it, but she didn’t want to be outnumbered either. She wasn’t
opposed to the idea of death, but she at least wanted to go down with one hell
of a fight. Not another word was said between the two of them while they
ascended back to Jason. Six opened the door of the REPCONN Research Lab and
was, again, greeted by Chris, “Go bother Jason, smoothskin. I don’t like having
you around. Stay away from me.”
“I wasn’t even trying to talk to you, asshole.” She walked off before Chris had
the opportunity to reply. It wasn’t hard for her to find Jason now that she
know to look for the bright glowing one. “Hey, Jason. The ‘demons’ have left
the basement. Y’all are safe, now.”
“So, the way is clear?” He said.
“Yep. They’re gone.”
“Praise the creator! And bless you, wanderer! The way is clear. I will lead my
flock through the basement to the sacred site! I hope you will come find us
there, wanderer! There is much to be done.”
Six held her hand up at Boone, “Before you scoff, we’re going. So don’t bother.
If we can get them the hell outta here, I can get answers from Manny.” She
didn’t look at him, she didn’t hear a peep from him. They both followed the
ghouls down into the basement of the REPCONN test site. Much to Six’s surprise
there was a door in the floor of the room that was right behind where the
Nightkin leader had been. They went down those stairs and through winding
tunnels until they came to a room. Standing in the middle of it, was Jason,
motioning for her. “I waited to speak with you one last time before I descended
to the launch pad, wanderer. I want you to know that we will remember for all
eternity how you delivered us to the threshold of the Great Journey. Our
preparations are nearly complete, but the rockets that will carry us to
salvation are yet missing vital components. If you would still helps us,
wanderer, speak to Chris. He can tell you what is missing. There is no way that
we can thank you enough, wanderer. Your arrival here was a blessing. We will
remember you always.”
She looked passed Jason to the pad below, seeing the three rockets that looked
like they weren’t in the best condition. “Are you seriously going to make your
‘Great Journey’ on those rockets?”
“Yes.” He said. “The rockets will convey us to our promised land in the Far
Beyond. Vision upon vision has confirmed it.”
She facepalmed, then flailed her hands about, “Those rockets will convey you
and your flock straight into the goddamn ground!”
Jason crossed his arms, “I understand your concerns, friend, and I thank you
for voicing them. But the creator’s will for us has been made manifest.”
Scratching her head, she decided to change the subject. “Okay. Let’s talk about
Chris.”
“After all that you have done for us, I suppose you deserve to know
everything…” She folded her arms and waited for him to continue. “When Chris
came to us, we tried to convince him that he was human. But this only angered
him. He seemed… lost. We decided to let him stay with us a few days, over the
course of which we learned that his technical skills far surpassed our own. It
became clear that the creator had sent him to us, to ensure the success of the
Great Journey. Equally clear was that Chris should labor in blessed ignorance
of his humanity, and his inability to make the journey himself. It is no
coincidence that two humans have been vital to the success of the Great
Journey. It is my belief that the creator sent you and Chris to expiate the
sins of your kind against mine. You are redeemers both.”
“So… you’re just going to leave Chris behind… after all that he’s done for
y’all?”
“Such is the creator’s will. Vision upon vision has shown me that, were Chris
to accompany us, he would die in minutes. The radiation around the launch pad
alone would kill Chris in minutes. The radioactivity of the Far Beyond is much
stronger.”
Six heard Boone scoff with disapproval from behind her, as she glared at Jason.
“You’ve been using Chris. You’re fuckin’ despicable.”
“It is in the creator’s will, and I must submit. There is no malice in it. We
would take him with us if we could.”
“Goodbye, Jason.”
Jason bowed to her slightly in gratitude, “There is no way that we can thank
you enough, wanderer. Your arrival here was a blessing. We will remember you
always.”
After Jason walked off, Six leaned over close to Boone and whispered, “I swear,
this guy’s a bigger kook than those Children of Atom freaks.” She waited a
moment for him to reply and then remembered who it was she was talking to. So,
she walked off and found Chris to get the information she needed on the other
components needed for those rockets. The two things weren’t exactly difficult
to find. One was located at Gibson’s Scrapyard, the other was just sitting out
in the open. She still couldn’t believe how they’d pulled the wool over Chris’
eyes. It didn’t matter if he refused to believe he wasn’t a ghoul, or how lost
he seemed. They didn’t have to use him. They could’ve just befriended him and
left it at that.
She gave the components to Chris, who didn’t show much appreciation for her
efforts. Six let that slide because she felt badly for him. What was he going
to do once he found out that he wasn’t going to get to accompany Jason and his
followers to the ‘Far Beyond’. Two ghouls showed up to take the components from
Chris as he got on the intercom to speak with Jason below to tell him the
‘Great Journey’ could begin. Chris began to take his lab coat off while Jason
gave some half-assed speech about appreciation and the TWO humans that helped
them achieve their journey. Six just kept looking at Chris, waiting. At one
point she leaned over and whispered to Boone, “5 caps says he’s ‘bout to lose
his shit.” Boone just sighed in frustrated disapproval. Which was different
from the usual agitated disapproval. The three of them watched as Jason and his
followers loaded up into the rockets. Chris turned to Six, “Did you hear him?
My god, you were right all along. I’m no ghoul! They were just using me…”
She felt so bad, and rubbed his arm, trying to console him. “They’d take you if
they could, Chris, but you’d die.”
Chris’ face turned to anger, “And dying would be worse than this? Used up and
thrown away like garbage?”
Unsure of what else to say, she just blurted something out. “They’re going to
revere you as a Saint, Chris!”
“Oh, so I’ve redeemed the human race, is that it? What a crock! The human race
can’t stand me!”
“That’s not true, Chris. You’re all right.”
“So you want me to accompany you on your adventures across the wasteland like
this guy, is that it?” He said, motioning towards Boone.
She thought for a moment and then got a great idea, “There’s a little town
called Novac just down the road from here.”
“Life among humans again, that’s what you’re suggesting? I guess… I guess it’s
the only chance I’ve got. Maybe it’ll be different this time. I was never a
Saint before. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, but I’ll give it a try. You
go launch the rockets. I’m on my way to Novac.”
Six watched Chris head out as she and Boone went up to the viewing platform to
help them complete the launch sequence. She couldn’t shake the irking feeling
about how they used him. The two of them made it to where the navigation
console was. She looked at is and noticed that she could either make a change
to the trajectories set it to a more optimal route which would put Jason 12.5%
closer to their destination. Then… she also noticed that she could set the
rockets to just crash into each other upon launch. “No-brainer.” She said as
she set the rockets to crash. Standing there, her and Boone watched the rockets
take flight. One rocket promptly crashed into the ground while the other two
hit each other, igniting a huge explosion right there in front of them. All Six
could do was stand there and snicker to herself. She turned around to leave and
saw Boone standing there, staring at her with disapproval. Stifling her
laughter, she immediately shifted her gaze to the ground, cracking a wicked
grin once she got past him.
So, Six had a bit of a mean streak. She didn’t give a shit. Being an asshole
sometimes was better than being an asshole all the time. No way would Six ever
apologize for her behavior… nobody ever apologized for making her that way.
On the way back to Novac, she could hear commotion coming from across the
bridge and decided to go investigate. Much to her surprise, as they got close
to the NCR soldiers that were standing there, Boone grabbed her by the shoulder
and spun her around. “We’re getting close to Nelson. Any closer, I’m shooting
any legionary I see. Hope that’s not a problem.”
Six shook her head, “No, that’s not a problem. That’s a solution.”
She could’ve sworn she saw the beginning of a smile at the corner of Boone’s
mouth when he spoke, “Damn right. You and I, we’re just a couple of problem
solvers.” And they continued on towards the small town. Once they got close
enough to Nelson, they were spotted by NCR. A man ran up to them, “Hold up
there. This area is locked down by the NCR military until we can dislodge some
Legion snakes from Nelson.” Six looked back at Boone, confused. This man made
damn sure he let her know that this area was locked down by the NCR, as if he
didn’t notice the NCR beret Boone had on top of his head. She asked the NCR
soldier what the trouble was. “Hell, what ain’t the trouble with the Legion?”
He said. “This time, they jumped the camp in Nelson while the troopers were
setting up. Captured a bunch of gear and took the town. Couple of troopers too.
Got ‘em crucified down near the center of town.”
“Anything we can do to help?”
“Maybe” He rubbed his chin, “I’d like to know who I’m dealing with, first.”
“The name’s Six.”
“My apologies, but that name and face ain’t ringing the old school bell
upstairs. Afraid I can’t let you through until the ‘situation’ is resolved.”
Six pulled out that famous charm of hers, “You may not know me, but I’m no
friend of the Legion, and I’ll lend a hand to get rid of ‘em.”
“Fair enough. It’s not like any of the troopers around here are jumping up to
volunteer. If you had a few dozen doses of Psycho on you, maybe we could pep
these weepy troopers into charging down into Nelson and taking back the camp.
But since that’s not likely, you could help me take out the Legion’s trooper
hostages.”
She heard Boone grunt with disapproval. “Um… why take out the hostages?”
“The troopers won’t go down into the camp with their comrades at risk. Dirty
game the Legion likes to roll out whenever they get a chance. Problem is,
Ranger Milo doesn’t want to play. If we take out the hostages, they’ve got
squat for leverage.”
“Why don’t you just try to rescue them?”
“Back at ‘Ranger School’, they taught us not to run headlong into a battle when
you’re outnumbered ten to one. You want to go down there and try to haul those
crippled boys off those poles, you’re dumber than you look.”
“Fine. Let’s go.” There was no way she was about to kill those soldiers, she
was going to save them no matter if it cost her her own life. As they crept
down the road towards Nelson, she heard Boone speak from behind her, “To hell
with mercy killing. We’re getting those guys out of there.” All Six did was
nod. It was all she had to do. As soon as they started seeing that crimson red,
bullets flew. After she and Boone cleared the entire town, ensuring not a
single legionary was left, they looked towards the center where the 3 soldiers
were being crucified. Six started getting flashbacks of what she saw in Nipton
before Packrat’s demise. To keep herself focused, she just kept chanting
quietly to herself “Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.” Over and over
she chanted. She feared if she didn’t stay focused, she would literally lose
her mind and go crazy. She couldn’t afford for that to happen, not while she
was on the heels of the checkered-coat and the plans she had for Caesar. She
untied every one of those soldiers, as they dropped, she and Boone caught them
to ensure they made it down onto the ground safely. Once they got their
bearings and were able to walk, they headed back towards the others. As she
turned around to go speak to Ranger Milo, she saw Boone standing there as if he
were about to say something. So she waited a moment. “Mercy killing is a last
resort.” He said to her. “Glad you recognized we had options.”
She nodded at him, “I was going to get them outta there, or die trying. Mercy
killing is expected of NCR snipers. The Legion likes to torture their prisoners
within sight of NCR positions. We get called on to end it. I’ve had my share.
Some of them, you think, maybe you could’ve gotten them out. Maybe it’s not the
Legion that got them killed. Maybe it’s your orders and you following them.”
Boone just nodded as they made their way back to Ranger Milo to let him know
everyone, including the NCR hostages, made it out alive. The surprised tone in
Milo’s voice indicated he was surprised. He even went as far as to call Six and
Boone heroes. They didn’t get any caps for the job, but that’s not why Six did
it. The next Legionnaire they came across, she knew what she was going to do.
But, until then, they needed to get back to Novac so she could have a sit-down
with Manny.
***** Cobwebs & Rainbows *****
Chapter Summary
     This contains the entire Dead Money DLC - so it's really long.
Chapter Notes
     Laptop has been an asshole, so there's likely to be more errors than
     usual. Sorry!
Upon Six and Boone’s arrival in Novac, they were pleasantly greeted by Chris,
who’d ended up with a hotel room there. Unfortunately for Boone, it was his.
With Jeannie May out of the picture, there’s no one around to appoint rooms to
travelers or newcomers. Boone unhappily took all of his possessions out of that
hotel room and had to confront Six. With a sigh, he approached her, “Hey, Six…”
“Yeeeees, Boone?” She was grinning from ear to ear because she knew he was
struggling to ask her for a favor.
“Can I put my things in your room?”
“Why, Boone, are you asking to move in together? This is all so sudden!” She
said with a laugh and a wink.
Boone grunted, “I guess.”
After much protest from Boone, Six helped him carry his things up to her hotel
room. She didn’t have very much in there of her own, so it was easy for them to
find places to put things. “Guns go in the dresser, ammunition in the suitcase
next to the door, junk components in the footlocker at the end of the bed,
clothes in the wardrobes, stims and chems in the first aid kit, food in the
fridge, vendor trash in the trashcan.” She told him. He complied and put
everything where she wanted. She told him it would be easier to find things
than if they just threw stuff around. She had a system. “I’m gonna go talk to
Manny while you do that. I know y’all aren’t exactly on friendly terms.”
“Okay.” He said back, without argument.
It was getting dark so she wasn’t terribly sure where to find him, but she
checked the dino first. As luck would have it, she caught him before he ended
his shift. “Hey, Manny…” She called to him.
“Hey, you have any luck with the ghouls?”
“Yeah, they’re no longer at REPCONN.”
He let out a laugh. “Really? Unbelievable, man! I knew that wasn’t gonna be
easy. But I had a good feeling about you. You look like you’ve been through a
lot.”
“Uh… thanks? I think. Now, about the man I’m lookin’ for…”
“Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know, like I promised. The guy you’re looking
for, Benny, he was traveling with some members from my old gang. They were
going to Boulder City.”
“Any idea why they went that way?”
“No clue. I know Benny hadn’t paid up yet. Maybe that was where they were
supposed to get square.”
“Okay… where’s Boulder City?”
“It’s straight up Route 93 from here. Just keep following the road north.”
“Thanks. That’s all I needed to know.”
“Hope that helps. I owed you.”
“Yeah… you did.” She said as she walked off back to the hotel room. Boone was
sitting on the couch when she walked in, Six couldn’t tell if he was awake or
asleep. She laid down on the bed with a flop and just stared at the ceiling.
She had no idea why she was so committed to finding Benny. Maybe it was because
he took something she’d been responsible to deliver. Maybe it was because he
shot her in the head. Maybe it was both. It was shocking that after a month, he
hadn’t just moved on to another location… or maybe he had and she was further
behind him than she thought. Suddenly, Boone woke up with a jump as if he’d had
a nightmare. You okay?” Six asked him without looking over at him.
“Yeah.”
“Bad dream?”
“Yeah.”
She rolled over onto her side, facing him, trying to see his eyes through those
damn sunglasses. “Boone… what is it you aren’t telling me about what happened
to your wife?” Six had a sneaky suspicion that there was more to the story than
what he’d let on. She instantly knew that question struck a nerve because she
could see his eyebrows furrow.
“You got no right asking me that. Drop it.”
“I just wanna understand you better. But, you’re right. I was out of line. I’m
sorry.”
“It’s just something I’m not ready to discuss. With you or anybody. The
Legion’s the only thing I want on my mind right now.”
“Again, I’m sorry.” She rolled over, putting her back to him, she heard that
sigh again. Only thing time, it wasn’t of disapproval.
“It’s fine. It’s just… hard.”
“We’re heading for Boulder City tomorrow. That okay?” That was her feeble
attempt at avoiding conflict.
“Yeah.” Boone sighed again. He wanted to tell her, he just didn’t think he
could bring himself to. He wondered if maybe Six had a bad experience with the
Legion too… and the Suit she was after. The curiosity was almost enough to ask
about it, but he didn’t. Instead he looked over, watching her lay there. Once
he heard a faint snore coming from her, he took his sunglasses off, laid down
on the couch, and went to sleep. It seemed like within seconds of dozing off,
his nightmare began again. It’s always the same two nightmares, every night.
Every time he’d hear a shot ring out, his body would jerk and he’d wake up.
This time though, it was different. He woke up hearing himself talking, cursing
the Legion. He looked over to see Six looking back at him. “What?” He said as
if nothing had happened.
“Firstly, you took your sunglasses off. Thought those things were glued to your
face. Secondly, I didn’t actually think you slept. Thirdly, what were you
dreaming about?”
“One, so? Two, no. Three, nothing.”
“Boone…”
“Drop it, Six.”
“No, I’m not going to drop it. Look, if we’re going to be traveling together, I
need to know who it is behind me holding the gun. I gotta know you’re not gonna
put one in my back.”
“If I was gonna do that --”
“Yeah, save your ‘I’d have done it already’ bullshit because I’m not impressed.
If you’re gonna have my back, we’re gonna be friends. If you don’t plan to be
friends, then you can walk out that door and I’ll continue on my own. Because
let me tell you something, whether you’re with me or not… I’m gonna find Benny
and put a bullet in every Legionnaire I see along the way.”
“I’ll tell you on one condition: you tell me why Benny’s so important and why
you hate the Legion as much as I do.”
“It’s a long story. I’d have to start in the beginning when I was just a
child.”
Boone looked at her awkwardly, “How old are you?”
“17.”
“You’re still just a child.”
“Okay, fine… it starts when I was a little kid.”
“I’ve got time.”
She nodded and went on to tell Boone about the death of her parents, Little
Lamplight, and Packrat. Her twin brother that was also her best friend, leader,
teacher, and one of the only people she felt she could rely on no matter what.
She kept her emotions under control until she spoke of Nipton and watching her
brother take his last breath in her arms. Tears soaked her cheeks and she
noticed Boone looking both sympathetic and genuinely concerned. Six told him
how, on the same day she buried her brother in Goodsprings, she got shot in the
head by Benny. She felt like she’d been talking for days, when in reality, it
was no more than a few hours. Boone had moved over to the bed and sat next to
her with his hand on her back, rubbing on her, trying to console her. He knew
what pain was like, he hated that someone so young had to experience something
so similar. When she was done telling her story, he kept his word and told her
his. He spoke of his wife and how amazing she was, but his face contorted to
sadness and anger as he told Six about having to shoot his own wife. The Legion
had her, and he felt like he didn’t have a choice other than to make the shot.
He felt it was inevitable, that life was punishing him for something, although
he wouldn’t say what. Six didn’t pry, she was happy he was telling her as much
as he was. It made her feel closer to him, safer with him. She had a feeling
that no matter where she went, Boone wouldn't be far behind. Which was perfect.
She may not have anyone to lead her, but she most definitely wasn't alone.
After they were finished exchanging stories and attempting to comfort one
another, Six recalled that when she first showed up in Novac, a man had helped
her into the office. She asked Boone if he might know who that could be. He
said that it sounded like Old Man McBride. She wanted to, at the very least,
thank the gentleman for picking her up out of the dirt. Strangely enough, Boone
offered to show her where Mr. McBride lived, to which she definitely wanted to
go. The house was on the way out of town going towards the REPCONN Test Site.
Six went up and knocked on the door being greeted by an older woman. “What
brings you here tonight?”
“I just wanted to meet you.” Six said.
“Oh! Well I’m Alice McBride and that handsome stranger yonder is my husband
Dusty. Going on fifty years, now. I keep waiting for him to leave me for some
young thing with platinum blonde hair and hoop earrings, but he still sticks
around. Says it’s my cooking. I think it’s because I know which Brahmin udder
you can milk without getting kicked in the noggin.”
“Ha!” Six laughed, highly amused. “I s’pose that’s as good of a reason as any!
It’s nice to meet you Mrs. McBride.”
“Guess I better be careful since you’re the first young platinum blonde we’ve
seen in ages!” Alice smiled and winked at her.
“Actually, it is your husband I came to see. But, obviously not for that
reason…” She chuckled. “I think he’s the man that picked me up off of the
ground a little while back when I collapsed out by the dinosaur.”
“Yep. That was me. Glad to see you’re doin’ better. Things treatin’ you all
right?” Dusty said, giving her a light pat on the shoulder.
“Yes, sir. I wanted to thank for you picking me up outta the dirt that day. I
was severely dehydrated. If it weren’t for you, I might still be layin’ there.”
“Nah, ol’ Boone here woulda scooped ya up soon as he saw ya. Wouldn’t ya,
Boone?” The old man smiled.
“Yeah.” Boone replied in his usual monotone. Six snickered quietly to herself.
She knew better. He’d just have left her there to rot, most likely.
“Well, Mr. McBride, I’d like to somehow repay you for your kindness. I’ll do
some work around here if need be. Doesn’t matter what it is.” She told him.
“Well, now that you mention it… I have been losing livestock. Well, losing
doesn’t really describe it, to be honest. It’s a massacre. Few more days and
there won’t be nothing left to lose.”
Six nodded, “Okay, I can look into that, no problem. Tell me what you know
about the attacks.”
“Every night around midnight Alice and I’ll wake up to some crazy hollerin’ and
gunshots. You’d think the world was ending all over again. But it’s just one
animal each night. They don’t take it or carve it up or nothin’. Just leave it
there, all full of holes.”
“I’ll see if I can catch whoever’s responsible.”
“We’d sure be grateful. Especially if you find ‘em before they get my whole
stock. But don’t go getting yourself killed over it.”
Six and Boone went back outside to try and figure out roughly what time it was.
“By the position of the moon, it’s probably about 10pm, I would say.” Boone
agreed that it looked that way. They sat around close to the McBride place and
just waited. Not a word said between them. The only sound was the wind blowing
leaves and tumbleweed and the occasional Brahmin. Suddenly, Six caught
something out of the corner of her eye but she didn’t see what it was. She
waited a few moments but then it occurred to her… the McBride place was on the
way to REPCONN… that place was full of ghouls… and Nightkin. Six started
looking around for that tell-tale ‘shimmering’ as Jason had referred to it.
Sure enough, behind a large rock - there he was. Without saying a word, and
holding her breath, she aimed her Medicine Stick and fired. Boone jumped at the
sound of her rifle going off behind him. He turned around, raising his own to
see her lowering the barrel.
“What did you see?” He asked.
“It’s not what I saw. It’s what I killed. Nightkin. Barely saw it skulking
around that rock over there. 500 caps says that was McBride’s culprit.”
“Good job.”
“Why Mista Boone, I do declare, did you just give lil’ ol’ me a compliment? You
ain’t gettin’ soft on me, now are ya handsome?” She said fluttering her
eyelashes while heavily exaggerating her southern accent with a somewhat sultry
tone. He only grunted back at her in moderate disapproval. She grinned real big
at him as she walked past him, knocking on the door. She let Mr. McBride know
that his corral wouldn’t be getting attacked any longer, that she had taken
care of his problem. He thanked her and let her know if she and her companion
ever needed a hot meal, to stop in anytime. Six informed Mr. McBride that she
didn’t need his thanks, it was her repayment for his help days ago. If it
weren’t for him, there’s a chance she might not have made it.
“We should get back to the room. Get some sleep before we have to head out.”
That was her plan all along, Boone just beat her to making the suggestion.
Heading back towards the hotel, he surprisingly attempted to make conversation.
“So… what are your plans after you find Benny?”
“Kill Caesar.”
“After that?”
“Roam the Mojave. Kill the rest of the Legion out?”
“Sounds like a plan. Was thinking more long-term though. Eventually there won’t
be any Legionnaires left.”
“Long-term? No idea” She said as she opened their hotel room door. She sat her
gun down on the footlocker at the end of the bed, then flopped down onto the
couch. “What about you?”
Boone looked at her and sat down on the couch next to her, “Seems like you need
someone to watch your back. You’re kind young to be wandering the Mojave alone.
Feel like… you’re kind my responsibility. I go where you go.” He watched her
slump down onto the couch at the same time he did, getting comfortable.
Six shrugged at him and leaned her body against his and put her head onto his
shoulder. “I don’t mind that, but you gotta understand something… since my
brother passed… I give absolutely no fucks about my own well-being.”
“I’ve noticed your ‘shoot first, ask questions never’ reckless attitude. I
think I can handle it. Just don’t expect me to like it.”
“Pft, come on, you don’t actually LIKE anything…”
“I like you well enough to stick around.” He leaned his head over onto hers and
leaned back against her. “Promise me something.”
“What?” She yawned.
“If we ever get lost from each other, you’ll come back here, to this hotel
room. So I can find you.”
“Alright, I promise.” She said, smiling sleepily.
“Thanks. I just feel like… you get it. Don’t wanna lose that.”
“Get what?”
“You get where I’m coming from. You get the pain, the hurt. Wish you didn’t,
but glad you do.” Her yawn was contagious, and he yawned as well. They were
unable to continue the conversation because Six fell asleep right there,
leaning against Boone. Instead of waking her, he gently picked her up and laid
down on the queen sized bed in their hotel room. Then he taking off his
sunglasses and NCR beret, he laid down next to her . When she rolled over and
faced away from him, he put his arm over her and pulled her close. He didn’t
think he would ever be comfortable getting romantically involved with anyone.
But he was going to protect Six at all costs, even that of his own life. As
long as he held her, he’d know she’d be safe. Secretly, he hoped that he could
ease her pain about her brother with his friendship… and that she could ease
his about Carla. Should Six decide to travel alone, even for a few days, he
would accept it but he certainly wouldn’t be comfortable with it.
-----
The next morning, Six woke up with her head on Boone’s chest and his arm around
her. She tilted her head up to look at him to figure out whether or not he was
awake. He was. Utterly shocked that he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses or beret…
but he didn’t bother to move her. “Hey.” He said, slightly smiling at her.
“Craig Boone, is that a smile? Or… or do you have gas or something?”
He let out a slight chuckle, “You’re cute when you sleep.”
She sat up immediately, looking at him somewhat concerned. “Boone… you’re
freakin’ me out. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Just enjoying good company.” He pulled her back down on him
where she was. He leaned his head over to place his chin on her forehead. Six
really didn’t know what to think, so she just went with it. She figured maybe
he was dying… or she was dying. Someone HAD to be dying.
“Not… that I mind… but why are we laying here like this?” She finally asked.
“If we’re not traveling, this is going to be the norm whenever we go to bed.
Since I feel responsible for you, as long as I’m holding you, I know you’re
okay.”
“Unless… unless I die in my sleep.” She said, causing him to scoff in severe
disapproval. “There’s the Boone I’ve grown to know and slightly tolerate!”
“Ugh. You know what…” He grabbed her with both hands and started relentlessly
tickling her, causing Six to screech, wriggle, and giggle. It was nice to hear
laughter in his life again. Laughter that he was the cause of. After a few
minutes, he stopped and rolled her back over to face him. “So, when do you want
to head to Boulder City?”
“Whenever you’re ready, Mr. Tickles.” She said making a scrunchy face at him.
“You talked to Manny, he told you how to get to Boulder City, right?”
“Yeah, Route 93 heading north.”
“All right, simple enough. Let’s get ready and head out.” Six nodded at Boone
with a smile. She really was glad he decided to stick around. Oddly enough, he
was being nice to her but she didn’t know why. She was afraid to ask because
she didn’t want to jinx it. Once they triple-checked their packs to ensure they
had everything and were good to go, they started out of Novac.
*****
“I want his head on a fucking stick while that little bitch watches. Then I
want her bound and brought to me. Knock her unconscious if needed, but don’t
lay a fucking finger on her otherwise. I find out that anyone of you touches
her and I’ll crucify you myself.” Caesar said, enraged. Word had gotten back to
him about what had occurred in Nipton and Nelson, which displeased him greatly.
“LANIUS!”
“Yes, Caesar!”
“Go, find them. Do as I have commanded and do NOT let me down. Vulpes Inculta
is dead so I am forced to send you in his stead.”
“Yes, Caesar, I will not disappoint.”
“You had better hope that you don’t, Legate.”
*****
Just West of Novac, that’s when the assassins from the Legion came.
“Yeeeeeaaah!” Six yelled to Boone as they were mid-combat, “I been itchin’ to
tangle with some of these assholes!” Somewhere close to Nelson and the, almost
constant, onslaught of assassins in that area, they finally managed to get kill
everyone in the area that Caesar had sent. However, they got turned around
somewhere and found themselves in an area they were unable to identify. Boone
scanned the horizon, trying to figure out where they were. “Ah.” He said. “I
know exactly where we are. See that encampment up there? Believe that’s Camp
Forlorn Hope. Last I heard, they needed some assistance. How about we go check
it out since it’s on the way.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
They tried to make their way up the cliffside but it was much too steep for
them to climb up. Boone suggested that maybe they would be able to go around.
Trying to find a way to the camp, Six tripped into a massive hole. He ran down
and helped her back up onto her feet. “The hell is that?” She said, looking at
the odd grate. “What the fuck…?” She tried to lift the grate off because she
could see a ladder, but wasn’t able to do so on her own. “Boone, help me open
this.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He said with a moderately disapproving tone.
“C’mon. Please? I just wanna see what’s inside and we can go on to Camp Forlorn
Hope.”
He sighed and shook his head as he laid his hunting rifle down in the sand,
helping her open the cover. They both peered down inside and could see a ladder
that led downwards to a floor. Boone tried to stop Six when she descended the
ladder but he was too late. Trying to coax her to come back up, he finally gave
in and headed down the hole to where she was. The only sound was a radio
echoing from the end of a hallway.
The radio broadcast was odd. A woman spoke: “Has your life taken a turn? Do
troubles beset you? Has fortune left you behind? If so, the Sierra Madre
Casino, in all its glory, is inviting you to begin again. Come to a place where
wealth, excitement and intrigue await around every corner. Stroll along the
winding streets of our beautiful resort, make new friends, or rekindle old
flames. Let your eyes take in the luxurious expanse of the open desert under
the clear star-lit skies. Gaze straight into the sunset from our villa
rooftops. Countless diversions await: Gamble in our casino, take in the
theater, or stay in one of our exclusive executive suites that will shelter you
and cater to your every whim. So if life’s worries have weighed you down, if
you need an escape from your troubles, or if you need an opportunity to begin
again, join us, let go, and leave the world behind at the Sierra Madre grand
opening this October… we’ll be waiting.” The message was set to repeat.
“Huh. I’ve heard of that place. The Sierra Madre. It was believed to be nothing
more than a legend. A fabled city of gold, some called it… where fortune could
be found. Guess it’s not a legend, it’s just been lost.” Boone said, staring at
the ever-repeating radio.
“Well, that radio is annoying and I’m gonna turn the damn thing off.” Six
walked over to the radio, as she reached up to turn it off, she noticed that
there was a strange fog leaking in. “Boone!” She called out to him and then
passed out.
Boone had also been affected by the gas, even though he wasn’t anywhere near
the radio. When he gained consciousness, he looked all over, but Six was
nowhere to be seen. “Goddamnit…” He said. There was no way she would still be
in that underground area because it was two rooms, a hallway, and a locked room
that was totally inaccessible because Boone didn’t know how to hack terminals.
He crawled back up through the manhole and called out for her. He received no
answer. He waited for several hours, right there at the entrance to the
underground bunker, hoping she’d show up, but she didn’t. So, Boone did the
only thing he knew - headed to Novac, to the hotel room, as he’d made her
promise to do. He wanted her to be there, sitting on the bed, smiling because
she played a cruel joke on him… he knew she wouldn’t be. And she wasn’t. He
wasn’t going to chance leaving Novac. He was going to stay there, no matter how
long it took for her to come back.
-----
Six became partially conscious, she could hear a man talking, though he wasn’t
next to her. It sounded, though, as if he were speaking to her - telling her a
story: “You’ve heard of the Sierra Madre Casino. We all have, the legend, the
curses. Some foolishness about it lying in the middle of the City of the Dead,
buried beneath a blood red cloud. A bright, shining monument luring treasure
hunters to their doom. The world’s most famous stars and entertainers were
invited to its Grand Opening. An invitation was a sign of… exclusiveness. The
opening was supposed to symbolize a road to a brighter future, not just for the
world… but for all who came to its doors. A chance for anyone to begin again.
Except - the Sierra Madre never opened. The war froze it in time, like a big
flashbulb going off. The Grand Opening - one big ending of humanity. It’s still
out there, in the Wastes, preserved, just waiting for someone to crack it open.
But getting to it. That’s not the hard part. It’s letting go.” Once the voice
stopped, she passed out again.
Six heard her pip-boy as she became coherent once more and she realized she was
no longer underground. Her head pounded. She was in a strange place, next to a
large fountain. As she stumbled to her feet, the hologram of a man’s head
appeared over the fountain and spoke to her. “Are you listening? Good. From now
on, when I talk, listen - and follow my instructions. Play stupid, play clever,
make the mistake of saying ‘no’? That collar on your neck’ll go off and take
your head with it.” The hologram said. His mouth didn’t move, but he spoke as
if he were looking right at her.
“Collar? What are you talking about?” She was very groggy, still. She felt
something heavy and cold around her neck. Fairly uncomfortable.
“It’s like that pip-boy on your wrist, except filled with explosives. A little
radio of the Old World, just needed some tuning. So what I say, and the collar
won’t go odd… refuse, try and run, disobey me? I’ll kill you and find someone
else. There’s no escape from here until I let you go. The sooner you accept
your situation, the better.”
She was beginning to get pissed, and certainly a bit amused. This guy didn’t
know who he’d dragged in. “Then maybe you better tell me why the fuck I’m
here.”
“Watch it.” He said. “That structure you see above the Fountain - the Sierra
Madre Casino… you need to break inside. A… heist. Too many years in the making.
But to get inside, avoid its traps… you’ll need to gather the team. As I’ve
found, one cannot do it alone.”
“I’m not alone, then…”
“Around the Villa are three other collars like yours - Collar 8, 12, and 14.
Find all three and get them here, to the Fountain. Then, we’ll talk more. And
should you get any ideas about killing each other and taking the treasure of
the Sierra Madre for yourself - a warning. All your collars are linked… one of
you dies, you all die. If that’s what it takes to make you cooperate, so be
it.”
“Well, I need my gear, where is it?”
“The Sierra Madre has many… defenses, means of screening guests for illicit or
dangerous items. Your arrival here, weaponless, was not my intention. The
Casino, this Villa… it takes anything with even a trace of radioactivity,
traces of unknown substances… and returns it home. The bunker. The process is
automated, and the casino itself has other, similar ‘services’. I was unable to
find a workaround, except to send others in as tools. Still… I have no left you
defenseless, and the Sierra Madre security in some respects, can help you if
you are resourceful enough. Also… there is one more thing in your possession, a
rifle that will keep you alive, as surely as the collar will.”
Six picked the weapon up off of the ground, “What is this rifle?”
“It is a Holorifle, a weapon I constructed when I arrived… I have since made
superior models - and modifications. For now, that tool will have to do until
you find other weapons… and I suggest you do, the Holorifle’s ammo is limited.
Still, it should serve well enough. I fashioned it from the Holograms of the
Villa and used it against the Villa’s… living inhabitants.”
“The inhabitants? There’s people alive here?”
“Yes… the inhabitants… avoid them if you can, they are difficult to kill.
Whatever has created them, bullets, explosives, energy… it can make them inert
for a time, then they seem to crawl back up, restored. Perhaps it’s the Cloud…
perhaps something in their physiology.”
“Well that’s… comforting. As if dealing with your bat-shit craziness wasn’t bad
enough. I know I’m gonna regret asking this, but what’s the Cloud?”
“The Cloud is what blankets the sky here… you may smell it in the air, copper
and sulfur… burns the lungs and seeps into the skin. As for its origins… I am
not certain. Pre-War industrial pollutants… something in the Sierra Madre
structure… it is unique across the wasteland… and deadly. It has kept this
place preserved since the Great War.”
“Wonderful. Will exposure kill me?”
“The air here is lethal only if you enter concentrated pockets of the Cloud.
Too long inside one, you’ll die, so be careful where you step. I’ve seen some
survive concentration of the Cloud for short periods of time if healthy enough
- others were too weak. Re-breathers, chemical suits… there is no protection
against it, it decays all it touches. I’ve found fighting it useless.”
“Is that what’s made you fuckin’ nuts?”
He sounded somewhat frustrated as he ignored her question and continued.
“Another warning, there’s technology here that’s a threat to you… notably, the
Villa’s radios and speakers. Music was intended to be broadcast all over the
Villa… over time, however, the radio signal has decayed and emits a different
frequency. Speakers and radios interfere with the bomb collar frequency, and
can trigger the detonators… prematurely. It is an unfortunate side effect, one
I did not anticipate. I was unable to calibrate the collars to block the
signals - so you’ll have to make due. At least, they won’t set the collar off
immediately. You’ll have a few seconds to either destroy the speaker or turn
off the radio. However, there are speakers that are shielded… you can’t destroy
those. You’ll have to figure out a way around them. The damaged speakers are
sparking, ha… hard to miss. You’ll have to shoot them. The shielded speakers…
may can be switched off. Maybe not.”
Six sighed, frustrated. “All right. So find the other three people with bomb
collars, bring them back here?”
“I’ve downloaded instructions and markers on your pip-boy… in case you forget.
And yes, I have access to that device on your wrist. Get the other three here,
after that… I’ll have more instructions for you. Do this, I’ll let you go. I’ll
let all of you go.”
“And just how am I supposed to find them?”
“Your piece of RobCo trash will help you, I’ve ensured it. It can latch on to
the signal of the collars… and tune into their frequencies. The bomb collars
come with radios embedded in them. You can eavesdrop easily.”
“Okay, I’ll play your stupid game. Who are these other people?”
“One is a trusted ally… obedient, collar or no, although the collar helps. The
other two… well, we’ll have to see what the traps caught. I suggest you find
Collar 8 first. The FEV reject, the Super Mutant. He’s docile, predictable, and
provided he’s not starving, should be easy to command. I lost contact with him
some time ago… probably after he dragged you here from the trap. Find him,
he’ll follow you, collar or no.”
“All right, well, I guess that’s all I needed to know.”
“Good. If necessary, I will guide you through the Villa’s broadcast systems -
if you get lost, return here and I’ll direct you. I’ve downloaded instructions
on an audio log to your pip-boy in case you can’t read… if you forget why
you’re here, let my voice remind you.” The hologram disappeared and replaced
itself with another hologram of some woman.
“Because that’s not creepy at all.” She said to herself. She opened up the pip-
boy and noticed 3 new radio stations. The jumpsuit she’d been dressed in was
highly uncomfortable, almost as much as the stupid collar around her neck. Six
didn’t want to play his game… but she had to get back. Back to find Benny and
Caesar. Back to Boone. She knew he had to be worried, at least a little bit.
Six set off, paying attention to the marker downloaded on her pip-boy that
pointed her in the direction of Collar 8. The further she roamed from the
fountain, the more strange noises she began to hear - almost like hindered
breathing. She couldn’t tell what it was nor did she want to find out. She
stayed crouched low to the ground, hoping to stay out of sight in case she ran
across any of those ‘inhabitants’. She began to noticed writing on some of the
buildings.“Find me and we can talk.” She also started coming across something
similar to poker chips. She decided to pick them up and stash them inside the
small pack she’d been provided. Suddenly, the man’s voice came across the
broadcast system, causing her to jump. “Watch out for the Villa inhabitants,
they’re… difficult to kill unless you chop them apart…” The voice told her. “If
you can, blow them up or disintegrate them.”
She continued on, avoiding the inhabitants the best she could since her
ammunition was limited. Another message was scrawled across a building:“Find
God in the simplest of beats.” Six followed the road winding around and there,
standing close to an archway was what, she assumed, was one of the inhabitants.
It wore all black, and as it turned around, it’s eyes glowed green as if it had
on some type of altered hazmat suit. Before it saw her, she took aim and
blasted it with her holorifle, causing it to disintegrate.The casino is the old
man’s collar.” Another message read. She wondered who had taken the time to
write such things… and were they still around. She came face to face with a red
fog - the Cloud. She didn’t go in it. Didn’t need to. She kept going straight,
arriving at the Police Station. Opening the door and stepping inside, she could
hear strange radio static as the man came over the system again, “Speakers and
radios interfere with the bomb collar frequency, and can trigger the
detonators. Remember that.” Six sighed and as soon as she took a few steps away
from the door, her collar began to beep - she figured that was a bad thing.
When she backed up, the beeping stopped… she knew she was going to have to risk
it to shut those radios off. She ran around and located 3 or 4 radios to switch
off, keeping her eye on the Super Mutant in the cage. Eventually, she went down
a flight of stairs and came to the door of the basement. Against her better
judgment, she went in.
She was greeted by another message on the wall:“God is watching.” Turning to go
down the hallway, a voice came over the system, but it wasn’t the same man.
This voice was deeper… different. “Knew you would come, below the cage… down to
where I am. Maybe you saw the letters I scratched on the Villa walls.”
“Just fuckin’ great… as if one nutjob wasn’t enough.” She figured she’d
continue throughout the basement, maybe she’d find whomever was talking to her
and end him… there was only room for one psycho in this place.
“A little further. Follow my voice… that’s it. The one in the cage? Dog. I had
to lock him up, he keeps… disobeying me.”
Finally, Six came face to face with… “A radio. It’s a fucking radio.”
“That’s me, there, on the table. The disk. My voice.” He told her. She picked
up the holotape and put it in her pack. She already hated the game she was
being forced to play. The voice kept going, “Can’t take any chances, though…
you may be some victim who simply stumbled down here. If so, can’t let you let
Dog out… no, not yet. If you’re who I think you are, you came to fetch Dog, use
him to drag others here. Now I’ll use you - and that pip-boy you’re wearing.
You’re smart. Clever. The key to Dog’s cage is simple. Take my voice to the
cage above. Let me speak to the beast inside. Then you and I… we can talk.”
“I’m gettin’ real tired of this shit.” She said out loud, hoping whoever could
hear her. She didn’t like taking directions from people she knew, much less
people she didn’t. But, she did it anyway. She got back upstairs and walked
over to the cage containing the Mutant… then played the holotape.
The Mutant stood up, sounded just like the voice over the intercom system.
“What have we here? You weren’t who I was expecting.” He said. “I’m
disappointed. Still… even if you aren’t my intended guest, you take directions.
Good. You can’t have been an idiot to figure out how to release me from my
cage… or perhaps you are, with that leash on your arm and the one around your
neck… with our collars and manacles, why, we may as well be kin.”
“Who in the fuck are you?”
“I’m the voice of reason. I sleep sometimes… down in the basement, in the cage.
Now that I’m awake, Dog goes back in the cage. Dog knows I’m here, but can’t do
anything about it. I’m his… conscience. Keep him tame, keep him from hurting
us… doing foolish things. I’ve been trapped in here for some times, then you
come along and let me out. So… you opened my cage for a reason. Now… I want to
know why.”
Six thought for a moment, “In Super Mutants, brain damage is usually the result
of prolonged Stealth Boy usage. Is that the case?”
“That’s the easy explanation, the one humans use. Pre-war technology, as if
it’s the cause of all ills, mind and body. I needed to come out of the cage to
protect Dog. From clever humans… like you. Do you see these wounds of his,
covering his skin… the bear trap on his arm? He placed his own hand in it. The
name carved in his chest? To remind him of who he is, the inflicts pain on
himself to silence me, when all I try to do… hrr! He cuts, hurts, and tries to
murder me out of him. He won’t succeed. Just makes me angrier. Dog is the best,
we simply change cages. Like the ones here.”
“I didn’t ask for you life story, but all right. You said you weren’t expecting
me… so… who were you waiting for?”
“Don’t play stupid, I already have to mind one child. You must have figured it
out by now. The Old Man obsessed with the Sierra Madres… riddled with greed.
Hoped you might be him when I woke up. All you are is his hand… you’re the same
kind of greed. Followed the radio, the broadcast, and now you’re here, all
confused. Not for long. You’ll figure it out.”
“Actually, dickbag, my being here is purely accidental. There was no greed
involved. No following that radio broadcast. I stumbled onto the bunker and got
curious. The repeating broadcast that I heard within the bunker, was annoying.
I walked over to the radio to turn it off, got hit with some sleepy-time fog,
woke up here.”
“How unfortunate. Doesn’t matter. None of us will likely make it out of here
alive. Well, I might, but you probably won’t.”
“Well, whatever. So, you’ve locked yourself in there. Smart. You wouldn’t have
locked yourself in without some sort of key to let you out, though.”
“The key? Why it’s the Old Man, Elijah, the one who brought us here. I hid the
key on me so Dog wouldn’t know… I just need the Old Man to show up, so he and I
can talk. If Dog was in control when the Old Man appeared… well, he would just
do whatever he commanded, as always. And I can’t have that.”
“Elijah, told me I’d be looking for someone with a collar like mine. He said
I’d need to find Collar 8, the FEV reject. Guessin’ that’s you. But, where is
your collar?”
“It’s close. Closer than I’d like… Dog’s been into things, needs to think
before he eats, chew before he swallows. He’s… eager that way. Now the collar’s
a part of me. Inside. I can feel it’s electronic heartbeat, clicking and
burning down below… like before. It was cold and heavy before going in the
cage… now you’re here, and it’s pulling and kicking again, tugging like a
leash. Interesting.”
“I’m gonna wager a guess here and say that… maybe… just maybe… you shouldn’t go
around shoving Old World tech in your stomach.”
“As if I had a choice. Sometimes instinct takes over, and that’s when I go into
the cage. It’s like curiosity that way. After all, you wouldn’t have put that
collar on by choice… perhaps it was your curiosity that caused that hand to
close on your neck.”
“I’m really done talkin’, now. I need to get you outta there.”
“No… no, I don’t think so. Even in here, I have more control than you do. I’m
not leaving until the one who controls the collars shows… not his voice, not
his hand, not his lackey… him. And when he comes to see me, we’ll settle
things. So, go on, go back to your master, tell him I’m waiting for him. Dog
may follow him - I won’t.”
Six was started to get extremely frustrated, the more he spoke the longer this
was going to take. “If you don’t come with me, he’ll set off our collars -
yours and mine.”
“Then I still win. I’d rather die in this cell than have Dog follow him any
longer, follow his orders, his commands, desperate for recognition. The Old
Man… he has the need to hold on, to the past, to the Madre… I’d rather be free,
let go of this shell, than have it cage me any longer.”
“Yeah, well, I want my freedom, too. I have shit to do, things to take care of.
You think I like having this collar on me?”
“They all wanted their freedom at first. Then… they realized they could get
inside the Sierra Madre. After that, their freedom wasn’t important any more.
They couldn’t let go, just like the Old Man. So you say you want your freedom…
no… even if you feel that way, it won’t last. You’ll forget, get greed-blind,
and you’ll turn.”
“I’m gettin’ real tired of your shit. I could just order Dog to come with me. I
bet he’d obey.”
“Dog? You’re not talking to him now, are you? No, even if you could drag Dog
out of his cage, you still couldn’t get him out of this cage. I put him in here
for a reason… if he could have escaped, he would have. So here he stays.”
“You said so yourself, the key’s in there with you - and Dog.”
“Yes, but Dog doesn’t know that. We don’t share everything. Sometimes it’s a
blessing… sometimes… it causes difficulties. Now I think it’s a blessing, it
keeps you on that side of the cage. Now… you go fetch. Find your master, bring
him here so we can talk.”
Six was getting impatient. “Sometimes tells me I could walk Dog through
unlocking a door.”
“Yes… you could. And once he was out, all starving and hungry… what do you
think he would do then? Be careful what cage you open, because he won’t go back
in it without a fight. He’ll tear you apart, he won’t care if it kills you
both.”
“If he heats the Old Man’s voice, he’ll do what Elijah says.”
“Dog… obeys. Yes. Why… do you have some means of contacting the Old Man?”
“I can play his voice, yes. I have an audio log from him on my pip-boy.”
“You… don’t play it. If you do, I’ll find a way to get out of this cage, end
you. I’ll murder you, crush your arms and legs until…”
Six grinned wickedly at him, she didn’t care what he thought he could do.
“Goodbye, whoever you are… I’m going to let Dog out of his cage.”
“No! No, no, don’t! I’ll make you suffer for this, I promise you. Although it
won’t matter… I suspect the Sierra Madre will be reward enough for ones like
you.”
Six continued to grin and she slowly raised her pip-boy up. Watching the
Mutant’s rage building, she pushed play. The recording of Elijah spoke and she
could see a change occur almost instantly in his demeanor. “Master?” Dog said.
“Dog not hear you come in… too hungry, now… at cage door? Master, Dog is
listening now you are close and he can hear you over hunger.”
“Now that you’re awake, Master wants you to listen, Dog. Hidden on you is the
key. Find it, and toss it to me.”
“Dog… Dog doesn’t have a… huh. Here it is. Dog… Dog didn’t know it was there.
How did it get there?”
“Just give me the key - you want out of the cage, don’t you?”
“Yes, Master… Master sounds different, quieter, softer. Master… Dog doesn’t
want to be in the cage any more. Dog will be good this time, Dog promises.”
As soon as Six unlocked the door, she instructed Dog to head back to the
Fountain where she’d seen the hologram of Elijah. Immediately, he obeyed her
command and sprinted out the door. Before she left the police station, she
happened to look at a nearby desk, spotting a bottle of whiskey. She didn’t
care how irradiated it was, she picked it up and took a large gulp. After a bit
of coughing, she put the cap back on it and shoved it down into her pack, then
exited the station. She felt kind of bad about what she’d done with… was his
name ‘God’? She wasn’t sure, but that’s what she’d decided to call him. She
headed to the Fountain herself and found Dog waiting there. Carefully, she
walked over to him and played the command tape she picked up in the basement.
Dog went back into his cage,God spoke, “If it isn’t the clever one. What do you
want?”
“I just… wanted to apologize for putting you back into the cage. You weren’t
cooperating and I needed you here. You keep calling Elijah my master, but the
truth of it is… I really don’t want to play this game, but it’s either play or
die. I have other things… obligations… to handle in the Mojave - I can’t die.
Not yet.”
“Don’t you see? You aren’t going to make it out of here alive. Once you get
into the Sierra Madre, the greed… it’ll overcome you. Just like every other
weak human that’s come through here.”
“You assume that I even want what the Madre has to offer.”
“Everyone… wants it.”
Six just rolled her eyes at him and looked at the map on her pip-boy, looking
for the next collar she had to collect - Collar 12. The Residential District.
Luckily, it wasn’t far from the fountain. However, as soon as she walked
through the doors Elijah’s voice came over the system, startling her again.
“Picking up signals near your location. Detonators. Watch for traps.” Round and
round she went. Upstairs. Downstairs. Disarming pressure plates and tripwires.
Avoiding fragmentation mines, the inhabitants… the Cloud.
Eventually, hours later, she walked into a deteriorating house to hear a radio
playing. Not like the static frequencies that interfered with her collar, but
an actual radio. She went up stairs to only hear it increase in volume. Up on
the third floor, she rounded a corner and went through a doorway to see a man…
er, ghoul… dressed in a fancy tuxedo, gazing out a hole in the wall. “Have a
seat, and then we’ll talk.” He said in a very different accent - one Six had
never heard before. She did as he requested and took a seat in the chair next
to him. He continued looking out the hole in the wall as he talked to her, “The
Sierra Madre. Mmm… beauty, isn’t she. She the one who invited you here? Or
maybe you didn’t catch her voice on the radio. Woke up, confused, like some of
the others. Least you’re still breathing. By the way, don’t get up or make any
sudden motions, no matter how uncomfortable that chair gets… the cushion’s just
for show.”
“Better be a shaped charge, or you’re going to kill both of us.”
The fancy-looking Ghoul laughed. “Sounds like you’ve done some blue collar
construction work in your life, your Ma must be proud. Still… get up without my
permission, I’ll blast your ass so far through your head, it’ll turn the moon
cherry pie red. So - let’s keep this sweet and polite, and finish our
conversation with no misunderstandings.”
“I’ll save my questions for the end - please, go on.” Six loved the accent
coming from the dapper gentleman. She didn’t care if she had a bomb under her
butt.
“And that’s what I’ve missed - a rapt audience. Just because I work in
entertainment, doesn’t mean I’m a moron. I heard my necktie beeping, I know
what that means - I’m part of this somehow. I want out of this contract. And if
you put me in it, I’m not going to be too happy. So whatever’s going on here,
if you’re part of all this? You’re taking orders from me.”
“I’ll cooperate. What do you want?”
“Good, good - then we’re in business. I may be a betting man, but I like it
when the odds are in our favor. If you’re here with who I think, then I’d
rather have you on my side than his. An… ace in the hole. You want to live, I
want what’s in the Madre. Real simple.”
“I’m in. If that’s all, let’s head out.”
“All right… partner. We don’t have to take the long way back - there’s a
shortcut across the way, you see. It’s through the Cloud - but if I’m with you,
I can help you through it. If you didn’t already force the lock to the gate,
that is.”
They left the building the ghoul was holed up in, dodging all of the traps he’d
left around. She hoped he’d remember where they all were, she didn’t much feel
like accidentally setting anything off - especially if it got the attention of
those inhabitants. She ended up telling the ghoul her name, though she figured
he probably didn’t care. But, he humored her and said his name was Dean Domino
- he was a lounge singer before the Great War. No sooner than they got back to
the Fountain, God started arguing with Dean. Six separated them and let them
know that until they got the collars off, they’d have to work together and get
along. Dean, in his appreciation of her shutting God up, he handed her a
special… drink… he’d made. He called it the Sierra Madre Martini. He told her
to hold her nose and down some. So she did. “Oh my god.” She choked, “That
shit’s awful!”
Six set out for the third and final collar, Collar 14. By the looks of the
marker on her pip-boy, she was heading to the Medical District. Once she got
there, Elijah spoke again, something about comm speakers, reminding her yet
again that it’d set her collar off if she struck around too long. Instead of
avoiding the speakers or inhabitants… she just ran. As fast as her legs would
carry her. Around and around, into the first door she came across - The Clinic.
She could hear whirring and buzzing… and possibly banging. She decided to play
it cautious instead of reckless, she had no idea what she would find. Stumbling
across the Auto-Doc portion of the clinic, the noises got louder, as if someone
were trapped in an Auto-Doc. Six knew she was going to have to cut the power.
Looking around for a shut off switch, she stumbled across the basement door…
which, she recalled, is where a lot of shut off switches were located. This
time was no different. Downstairs, she located a terminal where she could
disengage the main power to the Clinic. Afterwards, she checked on the power
status to make damn sure she turned everything off.
Locating, what seemed to be, a malfunctioning Aut-Doc… Six put her ear up to
the side and sure enough, that’s where the whizzing and whirring noises were
coming from. Typing a few things in on the terminal attached, the door swung
open and a very traumatized looking woman stumbled out. She appeared
disoriented and in pain - Six didn’t blame her. The woman’s face was scarred
pretty badly and her head had been shaved. The woman blinked and winced, as if
blinking was causing her pain. Six new it was a dumb question, but she asked
anyway - “Are you all right?” The woman just looked at her and opened her
mouth, but no sound came out of it. She touched her throat and traced the scar
that sat beneath her chin. Her eyes widened in alarm.
“Hey, hey, easy. I’m here to help.” Six told her. The woman looked back at the
Auto-Doc and cringed, then turned her attention back to her rescuer. She
clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, taking a few steps back as if
studying Six. “This isn’t what it looks like.” She said. The strange woman
started making flailing hand motions too fast for her to be able to figure out.
That is, until she discovered the collar around her throat. The woman, whose
face had been carved up in too many places, traced her fingers along the cold
metal, locating the button. Appearing as if she was about to press it, Six
yelled: “Don’t do that!”
This woman suddenly got a look of surprise on her face and raised an eyebrow
when she noticed Six had on a collar as well. “Let’s just say, we’re in this
together - you, me, and two others. If we work together, maybe we can get out
of this.” The strange woman shook her head and crossed her arms, as if she were
pouting and refusing to cooperate. Six was getting impatient, “Look, I’m not
trying to order you around. But your life is tied to mine.” The woman frowned
and then made circles with her hands, and held her hands up to her face as if
to indicate glasses. “So, you’re looking for something.” Six assumed. “Fine. I
can help. But you’re not gonna find shit if you cause us both to die. Just…
meet me at the Fountain in Town Square, then we’ll talk more. Er, well… I’ll
talk.” The woman gave a brief nod and headed out. Six noticed if she stayed
close enough to her, there was some type of signal that would interfere for a
short time with the radio frequencies. She was going to use this to her
advantage.
Once she got back to the Fountain, she got more instructions from the Old Man
about starting the Gala Event that would prompt the Grand Opening of the
Casino. “Good, well done…” He told her. “Now, for the festivities, and your
parts in all this. The owner of the Sierra Madre… for whatever reason… keyed
the Grand Opening to the Gala Event itset. It needs to be fired off in order
for the casino doors to open. As I’ve discovered, one person can’t do it. So,
you get your team into position indicated on your pip-boy, then trigger it
properly. You’re so close now, don’t let me down. Otherwise, I’ll have to rely
on the next team.”
“How am I supposed to get to the markers on my map?”
“I’ve unlocked the West and East gates to Puesta del Sol and Salida del Sol…
now that you’ve survived the Villa, I need to get to my position, you don’t
need me to hold your hand anymore. I’ll keep monitoring you via the
transceivers through the Villa… if I need to offer guidance, I will. I’d
suggest taking the FEV reject to his position first… although you may need his
brutality and strength elsewhere. As easy as the Villa was to navigate… the
outlying areas of the Villa are far more dangerous, thicker with the Ghost
People, traps, and toxins. Use your team as I use you… listen to your collar,
watch where you step. You’re no use to me dead.” And once again, the hologram
disappeared.
Six walked over to God, before she could even open her mouth, he spoke. “Maybe
Dog will obey you. I’m not that easily broken.”
“Really… c’mon just cooperate with me here. It’s been a long day… or days. I’m
not sure how long I’ve fuckin’ been here.”
“I’m not going to just submit to your command like Dog would to the Old Man’s.”
“Look, I can put your ass back in the cage and not think twice about it. I
would prefer it if you’d just play along with this. Besides, I like your
company better.”
“As well you should.” He said, almost sounding surprised. “But… alright, let’s
get this over with. Although, I’m not sure how smart that is. Dog is much
stronger and more willing to kill than I am.”
“I guess we’ll just have to make due then, won’t we?” Six smiled at him a
little. She really did prefer talking to him, he was easier to hold a
conversation with. Being away from Boone made her realize how lonely it was
without him. It bothered her being alone, all she did was think and her mind
was not a friendly place. The entire time she was stuck in this ‘City of
Ghosts’, all she could do was recall the past year as she snuck around the
inhabitants. But these 3, they all had something in common with her - aside
from the collars. Pain. It made her feel closer to them, somehow. Almost like
they were friends. Six wanted to free them from those collars, for everyone to
made it out of that place alive. She was going to try and play the hero, but
not if it were to cost her her life. It’s not that she was afraid to die, it
wasn’t even that she had unfinished business. It was Boone. She was his
responsibility, he’d said. Was he going crazy wondering if she was okay or if
she was going to come back? The only way to know was to make it out of there
alive - so, she had to play Elijah’s game.
They safely made it to the area where God needed to pull some levers that had
rusted in place. Six told him she needed him to stay there and do just that
when given the signal. God refused. “You can lead me to water… no, being
trapped in this courtyard while lights are flashing and sirens screaming… I can
survive one or two of the inhabitants… more than that, even Dog would have to
work to keep full without being carved to pieces. And the gate here… if it
somehow got locked, it’d be the holding cell at the Police Station again,
except with no way out.”
Six looked at him, placing her hand on his hulking arm, “You need to trust me
if we’re going to get through this. I promise, I’m not going to lock you in. If
it somehow locks itself, I WILL come for you. I’m not going to let you die.”
“You would die getting to me. Once the Gala Event is triggered, it’s going to
get all the inhabitants attention… they’ll swarm this place.”
“I don’t care. I promise, I won’t let you die.” Somehow, she got him to agree
without much more argument. “I’m going to shut the gate so you’ll have some
protection. Once it’s triggered, you haul ass back to the Fountain, do you hear
me? Don’t stop, you just run.” He nodded at her, albeit hesitantly. She showed
him once she shut the gate that it would open back up. He wasn’t sure if that
made him feel better or worse. God watched Six sneak off in the shadows,
thinking to himself that he was probably about to die. He hoped, though, that
she’d come back for him if he got stuck.
Six made it back to the Fountain without incident. She walked up to the Ghoul
and he greeted her, “Hello, beautiful.” He said. “Was… that him floating above
the Fountain, the boss man? The one who put these bowties on our necks? Sure
does like to make a presentation… wish he’d keep it down, or else the Ghost
People are going to swarm the gates, Vera hologram or no.”
“Vera hologram? You know the holographic woman?” Six said, a bit surprised.
“Yeah. Don’t you? Or… guess Vera Keyes got lost along with the rest of the
holo-archives when the bomb hit, huh? Ghost in the name and image. Still a
looker, though. Got to hand it to Sinclair, sure can pick ‘em. Well, or get
picked. Whichever.”
“Can you tell me about her?”
He looked a bit saddened, “Vera was a big star, back before the Bomb. Not the
best actress, but… well, she had other talents. Nice voice, nice legs. For some
reason, Sinclair… he built this place… she caught his eye. Once he was hooked,
that was it, had to have her. So made the introductions, and guess what? He
builds this place for her, like some kind of Cleopatra obsession. Wasn’t always
a deathtrap.”
“Introductions? You mean… you knew her before?”
“Of course. What, some kind of surprise to you that I knew people once? Used to
have my name in lights, all right? Figured I could introduce her to Sinclair. I
feel like he built this place as a way to convince her into sticking around.
There’d been talk of her leaving this place and heading northeast, to Boston.”
“Boston?”
“Yeah, it’s quite far from here. Sure, I’d heard about it but never traveled
there, myself. Although, I’ve heard from people who’ve been trapped here before
that it’s actually still around. The Boston Commonwealth, they called it.”
“You said that’s northeast of here?”
“It’s in the northeastern part of the country. Must further than you’d likely
travel.”
“You have no idea.”
“Oh?” He said curiously. “Enlighten me, then.”
“Long story short, I’m from Texas. Parents moved my family to Washington D.C. -
the Capital Wasteland. Came to the Mojave about a year ago via caravan.”
“Huh. You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” She smiled and grabbed him by
the hand, telling him that it was his turn and they were heading to Puesta del
Sol. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but he followed her anyway. “I suppose
we haven’t properly been introduced yet. Dean Domino, at your service.”
“I’m Six.”
“Six. As in… the number? That’s quite an odd name. What made your parents
decide on that?”
“They didn’t. I did. It’s not my birth name.”
“Oh, well that’s a relief.” He stayed crouched down behind her and let her lead
the way. He wasn’t comfortable with any of it, but he was liking the view from
where he was. There was something about her - perhaps it was her ‘take charge’
attitude. Her apparent lack of fear. Or maybe it was because she wasn’t a
complete moron. Much to her relief, the Puesta del Sol area was fairly close
by, only a few inhabitants had to be navigated past. Once into that portion of
the area, Six looked around, noticing that they could move along rooftops. She
pointed it out to Dean and he agreed that it would likely be their best course
of action.
As they went in and out of houses, looking for ways to sneak up to the roof, he
couldn’t stop watching her. She was the first person who’d ever been caught
that was so methodical with every single movement. He tried having a
conversation with her, but she didn’t seem much for talking because it might
rouse the attention of the Ghost People. Finally, a way to the rooftops had
been discovered. Once they got up top, Dean noticed there was an area where it
looked like someone had been sitting and sleeping. This was his only
opportunity to talk to her. “Six?” He said, stopping. “Can we wait here a
moment?”
“Sure, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just would like to get better acquainted. You know, running around
this shit-show and all, makes you feel kinda close to a person. Over the years,
I’ve learned to read people very well. And, I can tell you’ve been through some
real shit. But it seems like it’s all bottled up inside, why is that?”
She didn’t look him in the eye, only peered off the side of the roof, watching
for Ghost People. “I keep it all inside because… I’d rather the pain destroy
me… rather than everyone else.”
“Curious.” He looked her body up and down, trying to read her body language…
figure her out.
She turned to look at him and watched him remove his sunglasses, revealing his
eyes that were solid black. “Did it hurt? When you turned into a Ghoul, I
mean.”
“Like a son of a bitch. It wasn’t so much the radiation that was painful, it
was what occurred after when my skin began to fall off. All of these scars are
a result of that. Not to get off of the subject here but you are quite…
intriguing. I’m getting the idea that you’re not here for the Madre at all.”
“I’m not. I just wanna get the hell outta here. Preferably with the three of
you alive.”
“Really… how interesting.” Dean didn’t know how to take her… or if she was even
telling the truth. It felt like she was. To him, she was like a soft glow of
radiation in a sea of red - a lighthouse guiding those safely through the fog.
“Um, Six, is it? Humor me, would you? Has anyone ever recognized your
magnificence?”
She looked at him, very confused. “My what?”
“You’re a magnificent creature. A beacon. I’m sure someone has pointed that out
to you.”
“I guess someone has… once. His name was Joshua. He didn’t put it quite into
those exact words… but close.”
They talked for a bit about things that had went on in their lives. Six gave
him a bit of background story on herself, and he did the same. He told her
about how it was before the Great War and spoke of Vera Keyes fondly. She
couldn’t help but ask him about Boston. She’d decided that, because of the
Legion, she didn’t care much about the Mojave. She didn’t like the idea of
leaving her brother behind, but if she’d made the trek there once, she could do
it again. If she did decide to go to the Commonwealth, she would make it a
point to take the journey at least once every year or so. She owed it to
Packrat… and the people of Goodsprings. It was something to think about.
Packrat would love the idea. But, how would she break it to Boone? She’d
somewhat began to daydream while listening to Dean talk. He took her by
surprise when he pulled her in for a hug. It wasn’t because she hadn’t been
paying attention, it was more that she wasn’t expecting it. After a few
minutes, he let go and without an explanation he told her it would probably be
a good idea for them to make their way over to where he needed to be. She
agreed.
Once they got to the south part of Puesta del Sol, Dean noticed that he was on
the second floor of some house that wasn’t very safe. There wasn’t anything to
prevent the Ghost People from waltzing right in and saying hello. “So, this is
where I’m supposed to put on a light show? Played better venues, let me tell
you. What’s that there… wiring?” He pointed at two wires laying on the ground
close by. “Looks… like it’s tied to the sound system in the Villa, except for
that snipped section there. So… what, I stand here, hold the two ends in my
hands, and tap them together like cymbals?”
Six nodded, “Apparently that’s the plan. Are you going to be able to do it
safely?”
“Well… ‘safely’... around here, that word doesn’t come cheap. Look, I strike up
the speaker system, there’s going to be ghosts all over this place. Any change
in the sounds around here… the Ghost People are not big on talking, they are
big on listening. Hunting. Killing. More vicious than music critics, trust me.”
Six thought for a moment remembering something Dean had said back at the
Fountain about the Vera hologram. He’d made it sound as if it would keep the
Ghost People away. As she thought about it, she realized that she hasn’t seen
any of them around that area the entire time. “If I clear out all the Ghost
People in the area, will you change your mind?”
“No, you want to know why? Because there’s more beneath the streets, in the
buildings, and oh - everywhere else. They hear anything out of the ordinary,
especially ‘music’ screaming through the speakers when I close the connection?
They’ll be here, fast.”
“Okay… well, the Villa has holograms everywhere. If I switch on some to cover
the area…”
“Well… yeah. If the hologram systems still work, that’d do the trick. Okay… all
right, you call up some of those Old World stiffs, that’d be an audience I
wouldn’t mind having below.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Let me see if I can reactivate some of the holograms.”
“If I remember correctly, there should be two holograms you can switch on in
this area… just don’t remember how. Do that, and I’ll consider waiting on this
rooftop. Maybe.” Dean grabbed her by the hand as she walked past him, “Be
careful out there. You get in trouble, you scream as loud as you can and I’ll
come running. Ghost People or no.”
“I’m not going to risk your life, Dean. It’s already at risk enough with that
collar around your neck.”
Six wandered around Puesta del Sol, in an out of deteriorating buildings,
trying to find something - she assumed terminals or levers - to switch on those
holograms. Finally, she found both of them, one nowhere near the other. She
safely made her way back to him on that rooftop and if he wouldn’t have had the
sunglasses on, she probably would’ve seen a surprised look on his face.
“Didn’t even scream once.” He said, smiling. “Didn’t think much of our chances,
to be honest. Now I’m thinking I was wrong. I see you powered the holograms up.
That’s pretty good protection. Sure worked at the Fountain, Vera kept the Ghost
people away. But, uh… how do I know the power won’t suddenly go out? And… I
don’t know, this still sounds risky to me. For me.”
Six gave him a sly grin and nudged his shoulder. “Dean… a man with cold feet
isn’t someone I’d share a bed with.”
His jaw almost hit the ground at her unexpected response. “Wait, hold on. I
didn’t say I was scared. Heh, heh. Cold feet? Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve played
to worse crowds than this, I can hold the fort here. But listen… when this
thing goes off, try and get into the Sierra Madre without me? You’ll wish you
hadn’t.”
“You must know me enough by now to know I’m not going to put you in danger…”
“Yeah… yeah, you’re right. You didn’t have to switch on those holograms, and
you did. Even when you first showed up in the Villa, you didn’t threaten me,
were just willing to cooperate to get through this. Huh. All right… look, if
the holograms are here to keep me company, then… I don’t mind staying here for
a while. When this things triggers though, you make your way to the Madre as
fast as you can. Don’t stop to chit-chat up the inhabitants… there will be more
than you can fathom.”
Six nodded as Dean hugged her once more and headed back towards the Fountain.
She recalled that on the way to Dean’s location, they passed a switching
station - which was where the woman needed to be led to. Getting back to Town
Square was fairly simple because it wasn’t far. The woman, as before, was just
standing there looking around. She followed instructions quite well, it seemed.
For being unable to talk due to something happening to her voicebox, she was
able to communicate easily enough with hand gestures. She’d managed to inform
Six that she wasn’t looking for something, but someone - the Old Man. She
didn’t say why, only that it had something to do with a girlfriend she’d had
some time ago. She also managed to write out in some of the Cloud residue that
her name was Christine. Six already had a general idea of where to go in Puesta
del Sol… along with places the Ghost People were likely to be. Getting to the
switching station was a breeze… getting Christine to cooperate, wasn’t. The
Auto-Doc had traumatized her to the point that she wasn’t comfortable with
going down the elevator to the manual bypass room in order to regulate the
power. Instead, Six hacked a nearby remote maintenance terminal to route the
main control to it. “Are you going to be okay here?” She asked. Christine
nodded and made a gesture at Six’s hand, offering her own. Six took her hand,
“I’ll be back for you, okay? If I don’t see you at the Madre, you just wait
right here and I’ll be on my way. I mean it. Stay alive until I get back to
you.”
Six left the switching station immediately, and right at the exit, Elijah
finally came over the speaker system. “The bell tower. That’s where you’ll
trigger the Gala Event. It’s a ways up. I’m sure you’ll find a way to climb up
there.”
It took her a bit to actually locate the bell tower in Salida del Sol… and find
the entrance. It’s not that it was confusing… in that area there seemed to be
more inhabitants to avoid. Eventually, she located the ladder that led up to
the tower, after what seemed like hours of wandering and avoiding Ghost People.
Once at the top, she looked at the rusted controls, hoping they would snap as
soon as she tried to activate the event. Elijah spoke again: “Can you hear me…?
Damn transceivers… let me link the collars to the speaker in the tower… then…
there.”
Just after that Six heard a series of tapping from the speaker. “Christine?”
Six said. “We’re almost ready here.”
Next, God spoke over the system, “Ready. The both of us. I’ll keep Dog locked
in his cage… you just open the Sierra Madre.”
Dean smugly piped up, joking with her it seemed. “What are you waiting for?
Rubbing it in? Strike up the band already. Careful when you do… you think the
Villa’s bad now, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Okay.” Six said back to them. “Let’s do this. One the count of three… two…
one…” She closed her eyes tightly and pulled the lever activating the control
panel.
“Finally.” Elijah spoke up. “Now, the gates will open. And so will the skies.”
Fireworks lit up the Sierra Madre and a horrible noise came through the
speakers. It wasn’t music, it was almost frightening. A sound indescribable.
“Six.” Dean came over the system, “You run your ass off to the Madre. Remember
what I told you, don’t stop.”
“Dog and I can make it from here, don’t worry about us. Do as Dean said.”
She could hear more clicking, urgent but not frantic. She knew Christine was
agreeing with the others. Six told them she would do just that and then slid
down the ladder. As soon as she opened the door, she could hear a very
uncomfortable amount of Ghost People wandering around. It’s like they’d all
just come out of the woodwork. She wasn’t going to bother trying to sneak past
them. Figured there was too many. No, she was going to run as fast as her legs
would take her. It seemed like there were a hundred inhabitants that had
flooded into Salida del Sol, but she didn’t stop. She kept running towards the
Town Square as quickly as she could. She had to make it to the Fountain. And as
luck would have it, she did.
Six burst through the front gate of the Sierra Madre and darted inside. She got
in long enough to see her three friends collapse to the floor, just as she did
the same. Once coherent, she had no idea how much time had passed. There was a
hologram standing in the middle of the staircase - Vera Keyes. It looked like
Vera was talking, but there wasn’t any sound. She’d flicker and disappear, then
return, continuing her hand movements. Elijah’s voice greeted her as she got to
her feet. “You inside. Can you hear me? Power’s fluctuating… emergency power.
Oh! You are in. Good… thought that might be the end of you. Unfortunately,
your… ‘friends’ also found their way here. Knocked unconscious… just like you.
Wondering what happened? You were hit by casino security. Detects anything
foreign - radioactive, it subdues the ‘visitor’, moves them if needed. Huh…
getting interference from old recordings… the guests who were trapped here… eh,
shut that noise off. Looks like the casino moved your ‘friends’ around once
inside… might be useful. Or not. Wonder if they came to help or kill you.
Still… my signal should work through the speakers, now that you’re inside.
Welcome to the Sierra Madre, in all its glory. This is what the Old World stood
for, even with bombs about to rain down on them. Now look at it. Beautiful… now
its guests are all dead. Better this way. Quiet. How the Mojave should be. Now
- with the casino sleeping, it’s got places closed off - won’t let you go yet.
We’ll get there, trust me, just need to wake it up.”
Six shook her head, feeling highly agitated, yet again. “Great, just what I
wanted… more instructions.” She walked around, checking all of the doors, but
it seemed the only one she had access to was the casino itself. More crap she
didn’t want to have to do. She just wanted to get outta there and get back to
Boone. Thoughts of Boston were weighing heavily on her - it’s what Packrat
would want to do, it’s what he’d want her to do. Therefore, it’s what she was
going to do. Without hesitation, she ran around, doing all of the things she
needed to wake up the Sierra Madre. Disabling emitters to turn off holograms
that wanted to attack her, checking terminals and doors… everything. While in
the Cantina area, she thought she heard Dog… and God… talking to himself.
Themself? Whichever it was, they sounded distraught. However, Six wasn’t able
to open the emergency door for some reason. She’d have to find a different way
in after she got the power going. Eventually she found the correct terminal for
the Sierra Madre Security Network and unlocked the electrical closet door.
Finally, she found the switch and flipped it on, causing Elijah to come back
over the speaker again. “You woke it up… good. Emitter frequencies… lighting up
everywhere… damn recordings… dead echoes in the frequencies. Casino’s security
is shutting down… opening up its vendor and gambling programs in the back
casino… heh. Still might be something for sale. Maybe something can help you
now - security’s shut down. After you’re done looking around, head to the
lobby, and we’ll deal with your… friends.” Six didn’t hesitate, she didn’t want
to look around. As soon as she entered the lobby, he knew. “Wondering what
happened to your team? Looks like they got moved to other floors. Interesting,
maybe that’s why… hmmm, yes… yes. Perhaps the casino recognized specific
guests… or guests with a voice or look close enough for them to be… assigned to
that floor. We’ll see. Had hoped with the power restored, the systems would
fully awake… specifically the sound archives. But no… your teammates’ collars
on each floor are interfering with the systems. It’s the white noise filters
embedded in their construction… they’re blocking the casino speakers, the
music. You’ll need to recalibrate… or, destroy… each collar. To do that, you
need to get close, reset the signal - or blow their heads off. I’ll leave the
choice up to you - my preference? End them now. They’re of no use.”
Elijah kept droning on about the collars and the frequencies, Six stopped
listening. She didn’t care what else he had to say. She knew where Dog, er,
God… whoever… was - the Cantina. So that’s where she went first. She knew one
of the emergency doors weren’t working for some reason and she’d have to find a
different way in. Around and around she wandered, trying to find another door -
she recalled seeing one close to the terminal that unlocked the electrical
closet, she hoped it was what she needed. Luckily for her, it was. Upon
entering God’s location, she could hear him walking around having a
conversation with Dog - which was odd. She also figured out why the door
wouldn’t open - there was a gas leak. She found a gas valve right away and
repaired it, turning it off. Sneaking into a kitchen-like area, God spotted
her, “He’s gotten too strong, too scared… even my own voice won’t help…” He
said.
Dog interrupted, “You…? Master… no, not Master. Dog remembers you. Left Dog in
cage, mean to Dog… now, Dog…” It seemed as though they were swapping between
Dog and God now - “...will kill us both unless you do something.” God said.
“Never felt him so strong before, he won’t listen to my voice. He’s… he’s…”
“...hungry. Come here, or Dog will chase you, break you until you no run
anymore.”
Six was running out of options. She didn’t know what to do… “Dog! Stay! If you
don’t, Master will be mad!”
“Master? Don’t want Master to be mad… what does Master want Dog to…” “...listen
to you… can’t hold him back much longer… tell him… to pull on his chain, as
hard as…” “...Dog can. What Master wants, Dog can do. Please don’t be mad with
Dog…”
She wasn’t going to let him die, she couldn’t make herself do it. “Dog, the
Master sent me. He commands you to listen to my voice now.”
“Master? Master… Dog… Dog is listening.” “...both of us are. Tell him to listen
to me. Then we can get out of this… finally… and…” “...now Dog is listening to
voice, your voice only.”
Six sighed, feeling guilty about the decision she was about to make, but it was
the only way. “Dog, listen to the other voice inside you. Go to sleep, let him
come out.”
“If… if other voice comes out… Dog… Dog won’t wake up. Dog doesn’t want to
sleep, please don’t make him…” “...go to sleep. Good. Yes… make him sleep.
Please…” “...don’t make me go to sleep. I… Dog is tired. Dog is tired, can’t…
keep eyes open. Sleep… Dog needs to sleep.” “Close your eyes, Dog, and only
open them if the voice tells you.” Six couldn’t help but begin crying. God
looked at her, “You did it. You… I don’t feel him struggling anymore… I’m in
pain, and… I hate to say it, I’m starving, but… I’m not fighting him. All I
wanted was him to listen to me, take care of him, keep him from hurting
himself… now I can. One day, when he’s ready, I’ll let him out. When we…
understand each other.”
Six wiped the tears from her eyes, “Are y’all goin’ to be all right?”
“Things here… are… under control.” God walked over and put his massive blue
arms around Six and hugged her gently. She knew he could crush her with one
squeeze, but she also knew that he wouldn’t. She wrapped her arms around him,
and hugged him back. Whenever he broke the hug, he softly rested his gigantic
hands on her shoulders, “Find the one that dragged us here, end him.” Then, he
knelt down and, as best he could, kissed her forehead in thanks. Since Dog had
eaten the bomb collar, there was no way to recalibrate it. Instead, he would
have to wait for the collar to go cold again. Once the Old Man was dead.
Six made it back into the lobby, and much to her dismay, Elijah contacted her,
“You’ve gotten one of the floor re-established, good… accessing the music
archives now. Two more to go. The has-been seems to be in the Theater. If that
Ghoul’s still alive… correct that. Or break him.” That really made her angry -
Dean was the one she liked the most. She headed for the Tampico Theater. It was
extremely difficult for her to find her way around in the dark, especially with
the protected speakers causing her collar to beep every few steps she took.
While she was there, she decided to take all of the alcohol she could carry -
she’d need it afterwards. It was a few minutes before she located the key to
backstage hiding behind some of Vera’s old partitures.
Dean noticed Six as soon as she’d gotten close enough to the stage. “Finally, a
friendly face… hey! Partner! Up here.” He called down to her from the balcony
above the stage. He’d never been so happy to see anyone. “In a bit of a
predicament here… had to duck backstage, take a powder, the audience is a
little… murderous tonight. Do be careful.”
“Oh, hey up there! Did the Casino hit you like it hit me when you reached the
lobby?”
“No idea… woke up here, thought I was dreaming for a second… right back on
stage, the mic… thought I was back at the Fronds… well, except no audience,
used to pack theaters back then… so stepped up on the stage, check things out…
then suddenly holograms walked out of the wings… and they started raising their
hands to their heads all creepy-like, not a good sign.”
“So… how do I get you outta there?”
“Trust me - as soon as you can, run to the door to the left - use the key you
just got, and camp out. As bad as things are, it’s going to get a lor worse if
either of us pops - so get backstage… until we get a better plan.”
“Dean, the theater speakers are wired to a central sound system, right?”
“Yeah… yeah, so what? We got bigger problems with the holograms… no, no, wait,
you’re right. The Theater piped music and sound backstage, which means those
little squealers are in the corridors back there, too.”
“Calm down, think. Do you know specifically where?”
“Uh… let’s see. Um, once you break right, watch each turn in the corridor,
one’ll be on your right past my dressing room - and up. Oh, my dressing room -
may have left the radio on, right by the table… uh, if you could just shut it
off instead of blowing it u… uh, never mind. There’s bound to be others, too.”
“That’s the radios and speakers - what about a central sound system?”
“The speakers are all controlled by a central console. It’s the farthest from
the only door out of here. So, you’d need to do a full circuit of the corridor
to get to it. Once there, you’ll need to shut it down, and I don’t have the
code. If you have the code, you can turn off all the speakers, make them settle
down. Getting backstage should buy us time, just take it slow.”
“Wait… I need to head to the door to your left or mine?”
“What? Oh, my left - your right. So, yeah, run to the door on your right. Heh,
almost got you killed there. Us… killed there.”
“I need a little more than that to go on if we’re going to break outta here.
Getting backstage is a temporary measure if I can’t find the security
terminal.”
“Yeah… yeah, right. So… let’s see… security’s around because the show hasn’t
started. Guests aren’t allowed in, so… guess we need to start the show. Okay…
so when they were setting this place up… we had rehearsals… and heh… Sinclair
even set up hologram recordings of the shows so we could watch and critique our
performances before a fake audience. Whatever. Thing is, when the recording
queued up, a nice, calm, appreciative audience appeared in the Theater - no
security with their head-blasting zap rays. So, find the music, get it to the
projector room upstairs, then play it…? Might reset security, worth a shot.”
“All right, makes sense.” Six nodded her head. “Where’s the music?”
“Vera’s dressing room, I think. Snag the key out of my room and have a look
around. Vera should have a master key to the projections room as well. She used
to watch from up there.”
“Dean… what are you doing with a key to her room?”
“Do I have to spell it out? Come on. Time’s wasting, and those holograms are
going to be on us any second.”
Six sighed and shook her head, “All right, I’ll break to my right, head for the
locked door.”
“Good, go, and don’t get yourself killed - do that, and we’re both done.”
She did exactly as they discussed and headed for the door to her right. She
rifled around in Dean’s room… if you can call picking the lock to his safe
rifling. Then headed to Vera’s room. Dean seemed to have locked himself in the
area he’d been talking to her from, but it didn’t matter - she preferred him
there. She knew he was okay. Six carefully picked through Vera’s things, as per
Dean’s request and found the recording and a master key. She didn’t bother
telling Dean, she made a break for the projector room and fired up the music.
Instantly, there was a hologram of pre-war-Dean on stage, singing. She was
mesmerized for a moment, watching. He was a very attractive man back then -
although, he wasn’t terrible looking now. As she stood there watching, Elijah
popped in again, “Now, deal with the Ghoul. This has gone on long enough.”
Irritated, Six headed backstage once again to find Dean leaning against the
doorway of his dressing room. His arms were folded and he was smiling, “Those
electric ghosts aren’t the kind of audience I like at the best of times - at
least the ones in the Villa had manners. Don’t even know how I ended up here…
guess the casino still recognizes guests even after all this time, huh? How’s
that for history.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, now.” He tilted his head to one side. “Talk about a captive audience. Or
captive entertainer? Eh - whatever. Either way, if my life had to be tied to
another, I can’t think of a better person for it to be than you.” He reached
out and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her to him.
“Dean…” She looked up at him, watching him remove those sunglasses.
He leaned in close to her, hoping she didn’t stop him… and when she didn’t, he
kissed her. Her lips were soft and warm, just like he’d thought they would be.
Dean wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly against him as he
continued kissing her. He wanted to do more, but knew if he did… he’d get
attached. And he was already attached enough. He pulled away from her, but
still held her in his arms, “Look, I’m more about short goodbyes than long
thankful speeches…” He told her as he placed his forehead against hers. “But I
appreciate you bailing me out of a tight spot there - partner. Let me give you
some practical advice, though - a way we both come out ahead.”
“I’m listening.” She whispered.
“I know the reason I’m in here now is because of the old guy - and you. Thing
is, here’s where being my partner pays off. See, I know how to get into the
casino vault.”
“Gimme the short version.” She pulled back a bit, looking him in his black
eyes.
“Elevator’s up in the Executive Suites. Voice-activated. Speak the right
phrase, in the right tone of voice, and it’s open sesame. I was able to snag
the voice, or I thought I had. The right tone and phrasing… well, that may take
some time.”
Six cocked her head to one side in confusion. “Voice?”
“Yeah, the woman, the Starlet, Vera - her voice. Didn’t realize there was so
many holotapes of her still around, otherwise… oh, never mind. So here’s the
short of it - piece together Little Miss Vera Keyes’ song in the right order?
Sierra Madre opens its legs, we’re in business.”
“All right, I’ll head out and see what I can do on my end.”
“Go knock yourself out. I’m just going to catch my breath a bit. That
performance… well, more pressure than I was expecting.” He handed her some sort
of tape he’d had in his safe, a blackmail tape. She didn’t ask, she didn’t
care. As Six started to walk off when Dean pulled her in for one last kiss.
“I’m going to miss you… partner.”
“I’m going to miss you too, Dean. In fact, I already do.” She smiled at him,
trying not to cry. She hated being emotional. She headed out of the Tampico and
back to the lobby. She checked the terminal there and found that she could
download snippets of Vera’s hologram code. Taking the floor up to the Suite’s,
Elijah let her know there were emitter signatures, which likely meant more
holograms. He also let her know that Christine was somewhere in a high class
suite - Vera’s. Six ran around, avoiding the female holograms that were
wandering certain rooms, freaking out. It was like a maze up there. Eventually,
she made her way to Christine who was, in fact in Vera’s room. Turned out, Vera
had taken an overdose of chems and died… but not before she wrote the words
‘LET GO’ on the wall above the bed. Six knew it was wrong, but she snagged
Vera’s dress. If she ever saw Dean again… she’d give it to him.
Christine noticed Six, “You made it, good…” She said as she coughed. “Hurts to
talk. I’ll keep this quick in case my… voice goes out.”
“You know, you sound like the woman in the Sierra Madre broadcast.”
“Do I? It sounds off to my ears… hard to tell. Not to mention it… hurts like
hell to swallow. Might be why I got moved off to this suite… it’s hers.”
“Now that your voice is back… I need you to do something for me.”
“All right, but I want you to know that Elijah is what I’m here for. He cannot
leave the Sierra Madre alive. What he’s done… what he’s done here is nothing
compared to what he’s done in the past. The only way to bring him out is if you
get to the vault… he won’t allow you to go down there alone. That’s when we
will kill him.”
“I know he has to be dealt with… just let me handle it.” Six told her.
“Wasn’t sure until now if I could trust you. Now I know. Look, when I woke up
here… however that happened… I had this key on me - I think it belongs to her.”
Christine looked over at Vera’s skeleton in the corner. “Haven’t had a chance
to use it yet - might open the dresser or the safe - didn’t have time to
experiment with it before you arrived. So, here you go.”
Six took the key and smiled, “I’m just glad you’re safe. You hold up here, I’ll
take care of Elijah.”
“Good luck. He’s… no an easy opponent. If I can, I’ll help. Might be able to
figure something out using the Sierra Madre’s computer system.” Christine
walked over to the terminal next to another door and unlocked it.
“Listen, I found the phrase for the elevator’s audio lock…”
Christine looked at Six a bit surprised and smiled a little, “You did? Looks
like even the Old World can’t keep you out when you’ve got a mind to get in.
So… let me guess… I just rasp out some words, and the vault opens? That woman,
that starlet… she didn’t build this place, why would the builder do that?”
Six shook her head, “This place… I’m not sure, it doesn’t feel like a casino.
Not entirely.”
“I know. The sealed doors, the security… it’s almost a fortress. Think that’s
why we’re being ordered to come here and crack it open?”
“Guess it’s the object of someone’s obsession - or affection.”
“Love makes people do strange things. Won’t argue that. It can drive you crazy
sometimes if you can’t… connect. If they loved each other, and they were
together… I suppose that’s all that mattered. But she’s in that side room,
dead, because the casino wouldn’t let her leave. And who knows where he is.”
“I have no idea, let’s unlock it. The phrase is contained in the lyrics to a
song. The sequence is: Begin. Again. Let. Go.”
“All right. If you go down there, are you prepared… what if you don’t come
back?”
“Oh, believe me, I’m coming back. But… I’ve got you to come down after me, I’ll
respond to your voice.”
“I… just wanted to make sure you’re ready. When you go down there, that may be
it for us… we won’t be needed anymore. The one who made these collars, he’ll
follow you down there. And he won’t let you leave. He’s not one for sharing,
never was.”
“He’ll come through here, to the Suites - when he does, you let him go
through.”
“I can’t… let him leave here. Look, you’ve done so much, and he’s not going to
show himself until you go down there.”
“Do you trust me? If you do, let go of this.”
“I can’t let go. Every time I’ve thought about it… I’ve lost him so many times.
He needs to die… what happened here, with us? He’s… he’s done so much worse.”
“Let him come through the Suites, follow me. If he escapes, you’ll still be
here, waiting.”
“You have to promise me. Promise me you’ll deal with him… if I see him, I…”
Six interrupted, “He won’t escape, I swear.”
“All right. All right. I’ll… but I’ll need to leave this floor. He’ll pick up
my collar, and…”
“For now, just say the words, and let’s settle this so we can all go home.”
“I… never mind. Let me get the vault open… ‘Begin again… but know when to let
go’. Sounds like you.” Christine smiled a bit. She went over to the intercom
speaker and spoke the words. They heard what sounded like several contraptions
moving about and suddenly, the elevator doors opened. With a small smile and a
nod from Christine, Six headed down… hoping she’d be able to get back out.
Getting to the vault was pretty simple, just took a bit of avoiding holograms
and speakers. She walked right up to the terminal and opened the massive door.
She looked around and saw about 30 gold bars just lying on a table. “That… that
is the great treasure? What a crock of shit.” But, before she did anything, she
grabbed about five bars and crammed them deep into her pack. She couldn’t take
more than five because they were heavy as hell. Six had to disable the security
before she could access the terminal in the middle of the room. On the terminal
was a note to Vera, from Sinclair. She didn’t read it, it wasn’t her place to.
Sure they were both dead, but that didn’t mean it was any of her business.
Suddenly, part of the Sierra Madre emblem opened and there was the hologram of
Elijah again. “You. You’re in the vault… finally. After all this time. The
Sierra Madre… mine. Don’t move, don’t touch anything else… there may be more
traps down there… another security system.”
Six smiled, “Still hiding behind images and screens, I see.”
“Hiding? Hardly. Trapped. You think you’re the first one to unlock the casino
door? No, I did it… with other hands, other bodies. After that, the casino
wouldn’t let go. Once I was locked in, no way out… until your pip-boy signal
came to life in the Villa. Then… then, things changed. And here you are.”
“Now that I’m here, are you comin’ down or what?”
“No. I am not going to take the chance while I’m so close... not this close,
no. Not again… I can wait… afford to be careful. You… you’re locked down there.
This is the only entrance, and I have free reign of the Sierra Madre. I have
time… more than you. Besides, there might be more traps. I’ll send more scouts
in… yes, others. You’re… resourceful, don’t want to leave anything more to
chance.”
Six shrugged at the holographic image. “Then I’ll find a way to unlock the
secrets of this vault, take them for myself.”
“You’ve gotten far. Any father, try to breach the vault, you’ll become a
corpse. What’s inside there is mine. Anyone else touches it… tries to take it
from me… they’ll answer for it.”
“I already managed to unlock the elevator and get down here before you. Better
hurry.”
“This casino isn’t some caravan safe. And the lock that secures the Sierra
Madre vault doesn’t hold all its secrets.”
“Oh, so there IS a lock? Good. Wasn’t sure until you said so. You know, the
Sierra Madre’s a huge combination lock. Me? I’ve almost cracked it.”
“I’ve had enough… enough of others stealing from me. I’m coming down, forget
the Sierra Madre security, I’ll find you myself. Try to do anything smart, I’ll
set off the collar.”
Six snuck out of that room and hid behind a wall when suddenly Dean came over
the speakers, “Is… is this thing on? You hear me down there, partner? Trying to
help you out here… disable the speakers, play a little music.” After that
Christine chimed in saying she was trying to shut down the turrets. Six
couldn’t believe the help she was receiving from them. She watched as Elijah
made his way down to where she was. She continued to hide as she watched him
enter the vault. Once he did, she bolted and made it just in time to watch it
close everything off. She could hear Elijah yelling something about being stuck
in there and her collar, but she hit the elevator as quickly as possible. The
Old Man was unable to set her collar off before she exited the basement, where
he was now stuck for the remainder of his days.
She left the Sierra Madre, and there, by the Fountain, stood Dean Domino. He
quickly ran to her, wrapping his arms around her as she pulled her collar off.
He cupped her face and kissed her with heated passion, something he hadn’t felt
since the bomb. “That Old Man put us in a life-or-death situation, that would
almost certainly end in death.” He said told her. “Because of you, we’re
alive.”
Dean hugged Six tightly, telling her that God was waiting for her outside of
the gate to lead her to where Dog found her so she could return home. Dean also
let her know he was going to explore the Sierra Madre for a bit and then head
for New Vegas to start a new career. Christine, however, had decided to stay
and watch over the Madre. “I miss you, partner.” He said, kissing her again. He
put his arm around her waist and they turned to look at the Sierra Madre, for
Six, it would be the final time. Dean broke the silence, “You’ve heard of the
Sierra Madre Casino. We all have, the legend, the curses. Some foolishness
about it lying in the middle of a City of Dead.”
“A city of ghosts.” Six said.
“Beneath a blood-red cloud… a bright, shining monument, reaching out, luring
treasure hunters to their doom.” Dean continued.
“An illusion. A promise that you can change your fortunes. Begin again.”
“Finding it, though, that’s not the hard part… it’s letting go.”
Six echoed Dean’s words, “It’s letting go.”
He hugged her again and told her to check the New Vegas casinos once in awhile
because that's where he planned to end up. Six explained to him that she was
going to make her way to the Commonwealth, but she had plans to come back once
a year to Goodsprings… she would make it a point to stop in and make sure she
spent some time with him. He kissed her once more, the last one he'd get for a
while. Dean let her know he'd never forget her, she responded with the same. He
watched as Six walked out the gate, accompanied by God. Dean felt a little
sadness inside him, but he knew in his heart that he'd see her again someday.
Six and God talked the way back to where she began. He told her he’d decided to
head west into California, that he would remember and speak of her fondly.
About how she’d set him free and allowed his life to begin again. He'd never
forget her. None of them would. Six hugged the Super Mutant, hesitating
leaving. She was so tempted to stay. But she didn't. Once she got down into the
bunker, she noticed the radio was still on as it played a different message to
her. It was Christine.
“Wait a moment. Before you go, I... we... hope you've enjoyed your stay.
Farewells can be a time of sadness -- letting go, difficult. As a guest of the
Sierra Madre, you know that truth more than anyone. Frederick Sinclair believed
that one's life could be made anew every day, that fortunes were more than the
wealth in your hands. Love, life, family, those to care for and those who will
care for you: to those who know these joys, the Sierra Madre holds little they
don't already have. Out in the world, beyond these walls, that is your chance
to begin again. I hope that you will return in happier times. Until then, the
Sierra Madre, and I, will hold you in our hearts.”
She didn't want to leave the Sierra Madre - wanted to be there with it. With
them. Eventually, she'd get a tattoo that said ‘I left my heart in the Sierra
Madre’ to mark the memory. Six smiled and laughed to herself, “I guess I just
can't let go and begin again.”
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!