Operation Mojave: Aggregation

by DisclosedBarrel

Sequel to Descension. David Wesker, at long last accepted the horrors of the Nexus Incident, brought upon his family and has come to peace with it into becoming a better man. After some drinks and a brief story on how he came to be, David moved on to a new life with the woman he grew to love. And as an agent of the N.C.R., things are just getting better for the new couple.

1. Family matters

David felt shitty, woke up late, late morning nearly noon at 11:41 am. Something about waking almost at noon just fucking sucks. Skipping the gym, sometimes on the web and breakfast time with the wife and kids. When you feel like killing yourself because you wasted an entire morning in bed, well an average person wouldn't react that way but it was just a waste of a good time to be had, and David was better than that. Normal people would also see that as dark.

Having already witnessed Freeside's troubles slowly fade away, shortly before the bitter tension between The Kings and N.C.R., Freeside was shaping up for the better. Whoever this courier was or why he was helping, he sure wasn't shy to the public. After the group had shared a tent for the night David felt there was nothing left for him in Freeside; he fancied Julie although she wasn't around to honestly flirt with - probably had already forgotten about him anyway. He found that it was best to just head straight to 38. Lost most of his thunder with the arrival of that damned courier.

In the fun part of Freeside, alcohol, guns and gambling to a person's heart content. City of Sin. The main entrance to the Strip - a large gambling strip - a paradise for travellers with all of the traditional casinos a person could really want to experience. Lucky 38 should be the first casino on there. The entrance gate appeared to be guarded by a few Securitrons; they looked like they impersonated the local authorities, a regular police unit. One standing by the gate rolled up to David and company to stop them in their tracks.

Though David did have his wallet, inside was his police identification and driver's license from 2021. David properly introduced himself, formally and shown the Securitron his badge, and its full honours, along with the note he was given back in Goodsprings. There wasn't much resistance, Mr House was expecting him and company.

The Strip was well lit. A casino and strip bar was in plain sight. It was a brothel with sleazy benefits, Gomorrah, favoured by N.C.R. Troopers, was along the right side near another gate. It seemed the N.C.R. personnel had a fabulous time, with the constant vomiting by the walls, floors and promoters. Yeah, there was a lot of drunk soldiers. Lucky 38, tall, towering hotel/casino. A prominent element of New Vegas skyline, just opposite Gomorrah. Though the legend of no individual entering for over two centuries, David would be the first one to enter, if Mr House was that eager to meet him for whatever reason.

Getting away from the Securitrons and drunks littering the Strips to Lucky 38, another Securitron was there outside waiting for him. That suspiciously friendly cowboy from Goodsprings.

"I missed you back at Goodsprings, pilgrim. Boss is waiting for you all the way at the top just itching to meet you."

"So you're the one that handed me that typed note?"

"That's right."

"You're lucky I want to see him as much as he wants to see me. Robot, take me to him."

"I must ask your friends to wait outside partner…"

"I refuse to go alone."

"Boss-man's orders."

David raged and turned away to his friends behind him. "Looks like this welcome mat is reserved for just me then. I need to head in alone for now. I'll be back."

Boone sighed as David Left. "This doesn't seem right."

"How about some gambling Boone?" Veronica said, walking towards Gomorrah, away from Boone.

"No," Boone gruffly said.

"Alright. Later dude!" Veronica left quickly.

"Women..." Boone decided to follow after Veronica.

The casino floor had empty tables and slots; no one had a good time here for ages. With that cowboy stalker and two other Securitrons by an elevator, all other life was nowhere. The cashier's desk was empty along with everything else just gathering dust along with it. Going up was the only way to go. Such a waste of a decent casino.

The penthouse was the highest calibre in the highest point in the highest class of all of the Mojave. Outside the elevator down some stairs was Mr House's control centre, where the very man awaits, with a Securitron at his sides standing by. Mr House wasn't a person any more or less, more of a terminal monitor displaying a clean cut English Caucasian man in the mid-forties with a strong British accent.

"So we finally meet, this has been long overdue, hasn't it? You've come a long way across the land to get here; I knew you were strong enough to make it here. Before we get started, what do you think of New Vegas?"

"What's not to love? Quite far back in the days, it hasn't really changed much, but here and now it is the very heart of the Mojave and always will. I cannot deny it that much."

"Excellent wordplay Mr Wesker. It seems that we are the only cut above the rest, of a different stripe above the ordinary latter, wouldn't you say? We don't have to dream that we're important because we are."

"Save the pep talk; I'm here to talk business. You asked for me from all the way at Goodsprings to come here, across the Mojave. Now that I'm here, I deserve a courtesy explanation." David sat down on a nearby chair. "I have some questions for you to answer, like this note." He took out the now crumpled note from his rear pouch. The one from the saloon. "Is any of it true?"

"Oh yes it is Mr Wesker, all of it is. I even know how you came into this time period of 2281, I recognise more than you would think."

"Really now?" David folded his arms. "How did I get here then?"

"When you destroyed the Nexus Transformer over two and a half centuries ago. The destruction caused a deportation of a molecular level. So advanced it placed you here of all time and places. That's how you got here."

Mr House knew too much that he let on, that was apparent to David. "Waitwaitwait… How can you tell!? That was two hundred and sixty years ago! You need to start explaining yourself right now!"

"The Institute has a similar term to what happened to you; they call it the molecular relay. Like how that goes, you were merely disassembled and reassembled here in this time zone, under the same criteria but over a longer period taking well over two hundred and sixty years."

"So that's what fuckin' happened!" David took short breaths, then hyperventilated. He arched his back and drummed his fingers over his right knee. "You know way too much of this… WHY?!"

"Because I was there... We both witnessed the great tragedy that day, the one that would usher America's destruction soon after in 2077."

"Still not getting an answer."

"Let me start by properly introducing myself. I'm not really the Mr Robert House that founded Robco industries, or the Mr Robert House that created New Vegas. Not even the Mr Robert House that civilised the New Vegas tribes. I was never any of them."

Mr House's monitor changes to an extremely aged bearded bald man with thick scars across his wrinkles and glass eye. His accent changed to a thick husky Russian one rather than his younger English one.

"I am Master Romanov! Sole owner of New Vegas and everything in it. Here to help."

David choked from hearing the words of a delusional madman. The one that countlessly tried to eliminate S.T.A.R.S. "Y-You can't be... You're that Russian bastard from… No… NO!" He felt scared and often hesitated with shattered fear. He launched himself from his chair and furiously pointed at Romanov's monitor with a mean scowl. "I fuckin' knew it! You're that Russian Czar from Neo-Umbrella! The one from Operation: Beverly! Victor Kravchenko-Urlov-Detrovski Romanov? Still alive!?"

"Correct, you are. After Wesker had captured Lord Nardovino, I was forced to step in before his downfall, to rule in ways humanity would never understand."

"How are you still alive, Romanov?"

"There is more to the Nexus than the transformer Mr Wesker. I'm using – far up to this day – a preserving incubator from the Nexus, that way I can still maintain my status. However, I've been experiencing some minor inconveniences over the years. I'm still in here as of now, never really died just yet. Someone ought to inform you of the dire consequences of 2021."

"Fine, let's hear it."

"Back then when you and General Savage were ripped from our period, things escalated in ways they should never have done, most problems were blown out of proportion than they already once were."

"Yeah, I guess the Nexus Incident wasn't exactly a part of your plan to liberate Beverly."

"Luckily for me, I had a side project prepared beforehand. Long before the disaster, I had created a successor to rule Neo-Umbrella, to take my place as its joint directors. I manufactured a set of Ashford twins, using the old T-Veronica virus, but at the time the incident happened both Drusilla and Isabella were far too young to take anyone's place. It was far too sudden."

"You created a set of Ashford twins?!" David scoffed. "I never even met any of the Ashfords and even I know that's a fuckin' stupid idea."

"Granted, it was a major regret of mine. Neo-Umbrella needed a director. There was no other way."

"Why didn't you stop while you were ahead?"

"Drusilla and Isabella were perfect specimens, I loved and cared for them as if they were my own children. In time they felt like they were, like the original Ashford twins were to Alexander. Never had any daughters of my own so I raised them best I could."

"What went wrong?"

"They were too perfect. One year Isabella ran away from Neo-Umbrella and left Drusilla to grow up alone. They were supposed to be raised as equals. Neither of them didn't belong amongst humanity as much as they belonged within Neo-Umbrella, it was their home. Later that year, Drusilla discovered the Ashford lineage, since that day she was never the same. I never wanted her to uncover the truth behind the Ashfords. I feared she would repeat Alexia's delusional actions."

"Was she involved with the Great War?"

"Yes. Sometime in 2040 Drusilla worked for a rival of mine, an Edward Richtofen of Verkraft Industries. Гребаный краут!" David found it oddly humorous to hear Victor curse in his natural language. He hoped it was a curse because he didn't understand any of it. "Poisoned with his lies passed down from his master, Drusilla came to a conclusion that humanity was a stain on this great planet and had to be cleansed of all impurities."

"Pretty much a warmonger then..."

"As of then she was a triple agent, manipulated National Security, Neo-Umbrella and Verkraft. When my suspicions were realised I killed her myself, with some assistance from the B.S.A.A. and STARS, but the terrorist acts were far from over… She set the Great War's timer."

"I would've preferred a simple answer. Why are you telling me this?"

"You have a subconscious to know the truth, Mr Wesker. Apart from that, a lot has happened since Operation: Beverly Hills. Things changed drastically."

"How drastic?"

"For a start, I was forced to work with your father to find Richtofen after the incident. Tiring weeks later it still wasn't enough. We lost his trail long before we started. We had many disagreements over our next actions to track him down. After that, he betrayed me, and we never spoke again."

"Betrayed? What were you expecting? You were a monster back then. He kills bastards like you!"

"Drusilla was the one who caused the Great War, like how you were the one who created the beginning of the end. This is the truth behind what really happened. A truth that no one knows apart from me and now you. What you do with the information is of no concern to me. You always wanted to know that. Didn't you?"

"Yeah but…"

"I can read your signature, though the waves of your nervous system, just like any other creature."

"You were spying on me? That's sick!"

"I had to be sure you were the one."

"Now back to the truth. Behind the Great War."

"Very well. From 2041 to 2074 Miss Ashford stolen, collected and manufactured weapons of a nuclear magnitude, using Exo-Umbrella's resources to carry on Richtofen's dream to eliminate all humanity."

David wasn't even surprised anymore, just made him angrier. A single female bioweapon selfishly destroyed his country. "Let me guess… she started launching missiles?"

"Correct. Miss Ashford launched missiles all over the coast, sparking retaliation from all leading countries, leading to the Great War, she died in the process, thankfully. Vault-Tec manufactured vaults to preserve humanity in their controversial ways, and survival was a daily struggle from there on."

"So it was Richtofen's master's deed to wipe out humanity, and she was the one mad enough to follow them without question and pull it off?!"

"That would seem obvious at this point, yes. Dr Maxis was… too brilliant for his own good, though as was Richtofen. Even if they were as smart as I, admittedly, they believed in the same cause. To shape the world in the image of their Madness God. One who will divide humanity and bring salvation by breaking down the barriers between life and death."

"You say that like I'm supposed to know what you mean."

"Men around the world share the same weakness, their own mortality. When the time is right, their saviour would return and defeat death, leaving only life."

"That sounds like a crock of shit. How could Drusilla believe in that stupid zealotry? Wiping out humanity did nothing but cause death."

"In order to be noticed, there has to be an influx in chaos, in order to attract their Madness God. He never came..."

"But she's… an Ashford! Wouldn't she want to follow their lineage over that crap?"

"She had plans of exacting experiments on the survivors after the barriers break. Since they would never truly die they'd just exist to serve her."

"So in the end, despite being a follower of this… Madness God, it would work out for her once it's over. She was playing them this whole time… She really is mad."

"It's her nature. Even I feared her ambitions. She's stronger, faster and far more superior to anything that came before her. Even General Savage pales in comparison, though he was far stable and less influenced with the Ashford's superiority. Hence, why she was strong enough to change the world. She was powerful enough to actually do the impossible. A feat that puts even my predecessors, subordinates and even me to shame…"

Apart from being mildly angry, David felt partially scared of the unknown. His face ran white, and his knees went weak under his weight. "Oh no… What did she do?"

"She eliminated STARS."

"WHAT!?" David yelled. "That's not fair!" David threw his chair across the room and smashed another to pieces with a furious strike, then punched a hole through the concrete wall. The cobblestone wall was sturdy enough to destroy any human hand, but it barely broke a knuckle. "AAAARGH!" he cried at the top of his lungs, mixed with physical and emotional pain. He leant on the wall opposite Victor calmly suppressing his rage with controlled breathing. "She couldn't have destroyed STARS, she… my dad. There must've been something he could've done to stop her. Anything…"

"The Nexus Transformer that ruptured all those years ago infected your father with a lingering virus that limited and drained his power and energy. There was nothing he could have done."

"So The Nexus is a disease now?" David blurted, "Is that it?!"

"The Nexus Transformer was designed to drain energy from anything able to create it. Mammal, insect, machinery. Anything! Your father could generate limitless power - I wanted all of it. Undisturbed it could have powered all of Mother Russia for decades after mere hours of draining. What is one life compared the future generations of the largest country on our planet?"

"You can't be the one to decide that!"

"Someone has to! When the transformer detonated, all that stored energy released in such short duration was powerful enough to rip a hole in time and space, pulling you and General Savage into it. That event left a lingering disease advanced sufficiently to infect your father. His power and regeneration were severely limited, all of which was mandatory to defeating his most powerful adversary: Drusilla Ashford. Even after the destruction the transformer always finds a way to harness energy."

"So that's what happened after I was gone? Great…" David wiped his face from tears and more importantly his rage. "What happened then?"

"Between 2041 and 2077 Miss Ashford personally eliminated every serving STARS member, in and out of service along with most of the Wesker family. To safeguard her family's ambition, she started with your parents."

David's calm demeanour slowly deflated back into anger as his blood boiled red with rage. His eyes bulged with fury. "No… No! NO! Fuck her! That FUCKIN' BITCH!" He subdued his wrath by punching the wall behind him. The first strike caved the wall in further. This punch had broken his right hand. The bony knuckles in his fist were exposed. The rage-fuelled anger masked all the pain and blood better than earlier.

"It was in 2054 when Miss. Ashford eliminated your father, then your mother. To save your health and the structural integrity of my penthouse, I should say no more than that."

David cried in his hands and sobbed, "Why me? Why… Mom… Dad…" He cried in his hands away from Victor. After all, he was still just a young man.

"Your family's remnants were thankfully safe within a vault shortly after its construction. Vault 112 if I recall, sometime in 2074. Courtesy of your cousin, Joshua."

David breathed calmly after hearing some decent news and wiped his face from snot and tears. He turned around and sat on the floor. He broke all the wooden chairs seconds ago. "At least he lived long enough to get the family to safety. I'm not sure if I wanted to hear all of that. The note also mentioned there was another and I wasn't the first. I'm almost scared to ask who it is."

"General Savage…"

"Of-fucking-course, it is," David said sarcastically. "Is he here in the Mojave then?"

"Yes and no… Not at first. I heard of his arrival in the Commonwealth in 2257. I have reason to believe he may be working within the Institute. There were sights of him roaming the Capital just four years ago; then I recently heard he was in the Mojave. That was early this year in January though."

"As soon as that?"

"Of course. Admittedly I originally mistook Dorian for you from looks alone, but that didn't stop me from spying on him further. I remained curious if you'd ever follow the same path as him. His activities are frustratingly hard to pin down."

"What happened to him?"

"His time here was very short lived. He made enemies with every faction and establishment possible. Degrading humans and killing innocents made him quickly infamous – especially around the N.C.R. and Brotherhood. The last I ever heard of him is when he lead an assault against the Legion in a frenzy; other intel suggests that he was hunted down by assassins and bounty hunters alike. Never heard anything about him ever since."

"Where ever he is I know he's still out there. I just know it. That fucker is too persistent to die let alone give up on his burning hatred for all things human." David sighed. "Why are tyrants like you and him doing this to us?! To me even?"

"I wanted Neo-Umbrella to rule humanity, to liberate them in our own terms. To protect our planet and free it from its bondage, not to live in fear under the oppressive nature of humans. Richtofen only wished to destroy for the sake of his greed, to rebuild or not is still unknown, as his original intentions from his master. Miss Ashford carried on his dreams to the point of her death, only to birth new subjects to carry on the T-Veronica virus legacy - never got that idea from me. But things are different now. No STARS, Exo-Umbrella or Verkraft. The only relics of the pre-war era are you and I. We need to make use of our endeavours and wipe the slate clean."

"I see where you're getting at; history doesn't need to repeat itself, not again. I need to know, though… is there any way to reverse this disaster?"

"Unfortunately no. Believe me; I looked everywhere for any possible way to reverse this anomaly, completely exhausted my sources. Alas, I failed. The only hope we have is the one who created the Nexus in the first place…"

"Richtofen? But he's-"

"No," Victor interrupted. "His master – the one person who taught him EVERYTHING he ever knew - Dr Ludvig Maxis. Records of Dr Maxis manufacturing blueprints for the Nexus just didn't exist, and Richtofen never even bothered making any blueprints either. He murdered Maxis and stole his research, just when we need it the most, all of the information died with them both. We all equally fucked up everything…"

David felt hugely offended, having the blame put on him just because he wasn't an asshole. "Fuck off!" he blurted. "None of that was my fault. I was just doing my job."

"Don't be so naive, boy. I had General Savage personally protect the Nexus Transformer from Verkraft with his life at the time of 2021. YOU ignored him and then damaged the transformer, unintentionally or not."

"Not my fault! I thought he was talking shit like he always does. You're his boss, have you heard how much shit he talks?! Whatever! What's done is done, nothing to do now but to just move on."

"With that out of the way, a word if you please?"

"Okay," David sighed.

"I would like to make you an offer... One that no one else deserves. Would you, David, like to own New Vegas? Have limitless power? Respect? Money? Women? Any of the latter?"

"You got my attention. Even if it did sound like a sales pitch."

"I can usher in a brand new humanity. I just need to enlist the help of a capable protégé to help my control of the Mojave."

"Are you suggesting I be your lapdog like Samuel?"

Victor laughed. "Lapdog? Don't undermine yourself, Mr Wesker, you're too good to be slumped with that oaf. A man chooses, a slave obeys. This is your choice."

"Why?"

"My choice in loyalists are not a reliable judge of character; I admit that each one of them betrayed me to some extent. We may have been enemies a long time ago back in our age, now most of that's changed. I want to give you a taste of the high life, the life I can't take pleasure in myself, it may not solve all your problems, but it's a start. I cannot leave the Lucky 38 to enjoy my status but you can as my protégé."

"I must say I like your offer up to this point, very convincing."

"To achieve my goals I need a capable human agent at my side to tend to important matters of mine, and this time it will not be a bumbling oaf or an abomination. Out of STARS, B.S.A.A., Verkraft, WOOHP and even Neo-Umbrella, YOU stood out above everyone else at the time. Fate loves irony. Wouldn't it be a tad ironic if two enemies worked together to shape the Mojave for the better?"

"Of course. It doesn't take a psychic to see that."

"Then the future of the Mojave will be decided in due time, here and now. What will it be then?"

David stood up and paced around the room, locked in deep thought. It may be a deal with the Devil, but it's for the Mojave. And that's good, right? "Work for you? Hmm…" He stopped pacing and stood by the stairs and massaged the polished bannister with his hand, still thinking until he came to a choice. "You know what... You can take your offer and suck it!" His anger had returned. "It's assholes like you that that caused these problems in the first place! People like me worked our asses off bringing tyrants like you to justice, and now you want my help? I'm not bending over to sell out to anyone, especially the likes of YOU!"

"You're harder to convince than I thought Mr Wesker. It seems I wasted my time."

"Shame isn't it? I am outta here." David went to go back upstairs towards the elevator.

"Not even if I told you about your living descendants?" Upon hearing this unexpected news, David halted in his tracks, outside the elevator. "You have three living descendants to this day. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life wondering I suggest you hear what I have to say."

David went back downstairs to Victor. "You have my attention so make it quick."

"Be my protégé, and in return, you will be rewarded, equally and handsomely. Just execute one small task for me, and in return, I'll disclose the names and locations of your next of kin, then after we're both happy, we will work it out from there. Hopefully, in time your senses will be much clearer to properly comprehend your choices to decide the future of the Mojave. I will even throw in a presidential suite, just for you. What do you say?"

"One job and we'll talk, don't get too greedy. Where do you want me?"

"My old protégé, Benny, stolen something very important to me, a pre-war platinum poker chip. I need you to bring it to me post haste."

"No problem. How do you want me to handle him?"

"My only concern it the platinum chip. What happens to Benny is entirely up to you, I don't care for him either way. We can continue with our partnership when you bring me the chip."

"Agreement, not partnership," David corrected. "Where is Benny anyway?"

"You'll find him in his private suite on the thirteenth floor of the Tops, if not he'll be lingering around in the casino."

"Okay, I'll go get him then."

"I will remind you when you enter the Tops your weapons will be disarmed, may need to reconsider your actions if you intend to use violence. The Chairmen are not to be trifled with; Benny has at least four of them close by at all times."

"Don't suppose you can put in a good word for me?"

"Funny… It is more complicated than you think. Benny has a subordinate by the front desk, a gentleman by the name of Swank, he means well. Do your best to convince him you're working under my auspices. Or if you dig up some evidence of Benny's crimes and show it to him at the desk it could be enough to let you deal with him in ways you're accustomed to. The chip is mandatory."

"Is that all?"

"Just a word of caution. Do not listen to Benny's lies - he is not a man to be trusted, even for my taste. He will betray anyone for his own personal gain, and he will do the same to you in a heartbeat if it helps save his ass."

"Betrayal for personal gain? Reminds me of Wesker."

"In his youthful days, he was a charming gentleman. Benny is nothing less than a lowly insect."

"Whatever you say... Victor."

"For future references, you must address me as Mr House outside the penthouse. Failure to do so would terminate your employment and your life; these measures must be taken accounted for. Apologies Mr Wesker. It is entirely nothing personal."

"No surprises there."