October 1 of 2285.
Shady Sands, California - New California Republic territory.
Written by: Veteran Ranger Lobo, Advanced Reconnaissance Operations.
THE LONG TREK EAST
CHAPTER 1: What about them?
I depart today... I truly thought the General would never approve of this endeavor I proposed, but here I am; enjoying a last drink before departing into the unknown. When I first proposed the concept of sending Rangers eastward some of the others called me a madmen. They said what I was proposing was a suicide mission, a one-way ticket to a radioactive hell. Some of them even went so far as rage at me - mainly because they believed I would take a squad alongside me, and thus I would be stretching the much necessary NCR forces even further.
This only comes to prove how naive the Rangers have grown. The limitless resources and prestige had began to take their toll on our outlook of the wasteland. We no longer faced it as a place to be tamed, but as a Hell to be purged. Anyhow, it matters not what they think, for when I first envisioned this long trek, I already fully knew this was obviously a mission to be carried alone. A group is susceptible to their needs. They need more water, more food... a group attracts more attention, wastes more ammunition, and are psychological prone to become bold and take dumb decisions without accounting to the repercussions that my follow. I knew this task needed to performed by one highly trained, and experienced person, for a single soldier can easily move 16 hours a day without being detected, while consuming minimal quantities of water and food, and maintaining the psychological maturity that will allow him to pick the right fights.
And I was the obvious choice to carry this mission out. This might sound arrogant, but allow me to explain some things: I'm an experienced Ranger, but still fairly young; - thus I have both the energy and the insight, the best of both worlds - I fought in both of the battles for the Dam, - first in the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, then with the NCR Rangers - and I've built quite a reputation in the last couple of years. I'm a experienced tracker, a master of reconnaissance and sabotage operations, and one of the best sharpshooters in the entire NCR. Some people have said I'm full of myself, and I can see where they are coming from, but I truly see no point in being humble about my particularly refined skill set. In the end, what makes me different from the other arrogant fucks all boils down to a single fact: I can deliver what I promise.
"Lobo, sir!" I'm suddenly brought back to the real world as I hear a voice calling my name. I turn to face the individual while he proceeds to deliver a message: "Chief Mariano expects you at the Rangers Headquarters sir! It seems the preparations for your departure are all done."
Talking about arrogant fucks: Chief Marian fits the description perfectly. The man is the perfect incompetent tool, and he has somehow arrived in a position such as his by overindulging in political issues. Typical...
Before me stood a Private of the Army, his hand held high in a salute. The boy was young, clearly fresh meat into the ranks, and I could tell that just by looking into his inexperienced eyes. "Come over here boy," and I signaled to the chair right in front of me. "Sit down, let me tell you something."
Hell. I know I'm about to embark on a mission that will probably take what remains of my life to carry out, but, weirdly, it feels as if the only thing I will ever truly miss in Shady Sands is the damned shithole that is Dusty's Cantina. The beer is shit, the seats are uncomfortable and the people are ugly as the devil... but god dam, I do love this place.
"Are you willing to do me a favor soldier?" I asked the Private, hoping the soldier had time for some overtime work for a old, grizzled Ranger. I lighted a cigarette, hoping to enjoy my last few hours in the Capital. "I need you to deliver a letter for me."
"Is this an order sir?" the boy seemed nervous, and for a moment I remembered my first days in the army. Back then, If I too was asked by a Veteran to deliver a letter, I would also feel extremely uneasy.
"No. This is not an order boy. Merely a favor. I need you to deliver this to someone named Maria. This is not related to the Army, or the Rangers in any way. This is a personal favor. Will you do this for me?"
"I guess... I guess I will sir." he still sounded extremely nervous, but I recognize a good soldier when I see one. "Where does she live sir?" I smirked, how ironic that phrase sounded. How terribly ironic...
"She doesn't." I answered, my throat gone sour because of the unpleasant memories of a past I rather forget. "Her full name is Maria Goldling Lobo. Look for her grave... she was buried in the Shady Sands cemetery, shouldn't be too hard..." The soldier was static, as if he had just bitten his own tongue.
"Oh!... Oh! I'm sorry sir! I'm so, so sorry!" He got up, saluting me... as if that would change anything. It almost seemed funny, in some fucked up kind of way. I could not help but smile. I got up, and patted the boy in the back as I walked past him.
"You'll do well in the Army kid."
The Rangers Headquarters was once only a single building, where the Rangers pretended they were just mechanics - who., for some reason, donned highly advanced armor and heavy-ass weapons. This was mostly because it used to be a covert cell; the Rangers back then where fighting against some major player in the Slave Trade, and those rats had eyes, and pointy knifes, everywhere, so secrecy was the key. Nowadays, I'm glad to say that, thanks to the Rangers, there is not a single fucking slaver left in Shady Sandy. Thus, our headquarters expanded quite a bit. We still maintain the old location, but now there are three other buildings: a warehouse, a garage and the barracks, meanwhile the old location was converted into an administrative area.
I entered the administrative building. A bunch of couriers delivered mails, while numerous soldiers of the Army received orders and instructions, a couple of Rangers talked to one of the various officers; probably receiving orders for their next mission. I journeyed across the room, and opened a door that lead to Marian's office.
"Hey! Hey! Lobo, my old friend! How you've been holding up?"
"Cut the bullshit Marian, we've known each other for a long time. You know I don't like you, and I know you're glad you will never, ever have to see me again." I stated, making my way towards his desk. "Let's go straight to business, I'll need all the time I have." and I then sat down on a chair placed right in front of his desk.
"Yes. It's a Win-Win-Win situation, isn't it? - I win, you win, and the NCR wins too." He laughed at his pathetic attempt a joke, maybe he hoped he could lighten the mood... but fuck him. I have no patience for political rats like him. He is exactly the kind of people who should not be in the military, the kind of people who put the Republic at unnecessary risk. "Okay. I see you wanna' get straight to business then?"
"Yes, Marion! For fuck's sake."
"Fine." He sobbed, and took a sip out of a glass that sat atop his table. That liquid was most likely the reason I was able to talk to him this way without being prosecuted in a martial court. The guy was a drunk, a waste of space. He knew better than to pick a fight with one of the best damn Rangers in the entire NCR. "First, we'll head over trough a list of places the Republic wishes scouted, then we'll talk about the equipments we'll make available for this mission, and then we'll talk about how you will report a weekly journal back to the NCR."
"Zion National Park is your first obligatory stop. The place has been oddly empty for the last years, and we haven't heard any new stories about the Burned Man for a long time. Caravans have reported odd sightings, and some of our researches believe the Geological Survey facilities located across the park has information that can help their research. You'll have to gather information about the tribals who once occupied these lands, and gather the information from these facilities. Meanwhile, if you can find anything about the Burned Man's fate, that info could be useful for us."
"What follows will most likely be the most dangerous part of your journey. You'll need to go deep undercover into Legion territory - although they have been somewhat in disarray in the last years, their forces spread thin, their territory is still well-defended, and they remain paranoid of our spies. Denver is your goal. The Legion may be in control of the place, but the true leaders are the dogs. We believe we'll be able to find more info on cyberdogs there, all we know about them is what our researchers have found out and the few files we retrieved all these years ago. We also believe in the existence of a nearby research facility known as Boulder Dome, and it seems the place was never uncovered by the Legion - any info you can gather on this location will also help us further."
"One of the greatest mysteries to us is how, and why, the Legion had previously engaged Brotherhood troops, even before coming into contact with our expeditionary forces. It seems that the Brotherhood once ventured all throughout the wasteland in giant blimps, and that a particular group established themselves somewhere in the Plains and Midwest Commonwealths. In the end, this information can be completely false, but we wish to know if any of it proves to be true. We also believe that yet another Brotherhood chapter may be taking shelter in either the Pentagon or the ruins of Pittsburg, those places are also to be verified."
"You'll then proceed through the ruins of New York, and finish your travels in Boston. Then, and only then, you should come back. Any additional locations visited will grant you a bonus in cash upon your return, and the information will help in the Republic's effort greatly. Are we clear?"
"Clear as water." I said.
"Moving into equipment: you'll be outfitted with one of the few models of Elite L.A.P.D Riot Gear we recovered from Ashton; a flexible armor that offers incredible protection. For weapons you'll receive two Ranger Sequoias, an AM Rifle, a Bozar LMG, a heavily modified Riot Shotgun and a large quantities of explosives - you'll obviously be unable to carry all of this, and thus the Republic has agreed to supply you with one of our heavily modified Highwayman."
"The vehicle is equipped with a Fuel cell regulator, a bigger trunk, a blower, grav plates, and massively increased protection. You have been provided enough fuel to reach Denver, in case you run out of fuel, you'll need to find more on your own. If you decided to abandon the vehicle, your orders are to destroy it, and any equipment you leave behind with it. You have been supplied with a large quantity of purified pre-war food and water, military rations, Stimpaks., Med-Xs, Rad-X and Radaways. Alcoholic beverages and smokes have not been provided, you'll need to find them on your own."
"Seriously?" I answered. "You guys give me one of the best cars in our fleet, a arsenal of weapons, but you're not willing to give me some smokes and whiskey? What the fuck?"
"The Republic advises against driving while inebriated."
"Amen to that, cocksuckers." I whispered to myself.
"Last, but mostly important." and then he placed something besides me; a black box about the size of my hand, with a single long cable sticking out of it. "This is one of the biggest wonders our researchers have been able to come up with."
"Sure doesn't look like it."
"Huh, now you're all jokey huh? Anyways, this is how you'll send your reports back to us. We have connected many of these around various terminals across the entirety of the Republic. It is simple: whenever you wish to send us back a report, - and we advise that you do it once a week, or I might presume you've been killed - you find a terminal, plug this device into it, and type up whatever it it's you have found. You'll then press this button." and he pointed me towards a small button in atop the box. "And we'll receive the message in about a day or two."
"You got all that?" he asked.
"Did you?"
Here we are... I sat inside the Highwayman, my hands gripping the steering wheel, I fully know I will probably never return to Shady Sands... that I would never see Maria's grave again. But it does not bother me, after all, I'm doing this for her. I'm doing this because I remember the why she talked about the rest of the world.
"What about them?" she said. "We are here, protected by these walls of concrete and these soldiers, but there are others... there are other who are still out there." and she touched my face with her smooth hands. "How long will they suffer?" and she kissed my cheeks, and I wondered how could I be happier. "Will we save them, one day?"
I'll do it. Even if it costs me dearly. You keep me searching for this heart of gold.