Fallout Legends
Episode One
What Happens in Vegas
The Strip
2292
Anniversary of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam
Simon Rivers stumbled down the Strip. This was the third night in a row he had gone out with a few friends for a so called "good night", but every one of those left him drained the next morning, unable to do his duties as an officer of the Strip.
It had been ten years to the day that the NCR lost Hoover Dam, for a while, Vegas was run independent of any third party help. A courier had taken over Vegas until a few negotiations went down. This unknown courier was thrown out into the Wastes as the NCR once again took control of the Strip. The securitrons served useful over the passing months, being used as defences against any unwanted attention.
Simon, who was too young to fight in such a war, remembered hearing stories of the Courier. This third party agent was seen as somewhat a local legend. No one who it was, whether it be male or female. A shadow for all to look up to. As a child, Simon and his friends would tell stories of how the Courier pulled a plane out of the River or how they took down a Mountain of Super Mutants.
These stories were forbidden however, to be told under strict NCR guild lines. They were allowed in the open, but no teacher was allowed to teach the Courier in a positive light. To the people of the Wastes, the Courier was a hero, to the armies of those people, he was a traitor.
On this day, the NCR gave it to those who lost their lives in the battle of Hoover Dam, but to the people, it was a day to celebrate the coming of a new age.
As Simon fell onto the doors of the local NCR HQ, General Adams, a Soldier who was respected by many as someone who fought in the war, stood up from his desk, his face red with anger.
"Rivers! How many times must we tell you?" Adam barked.
Simon almost fell down due to the unexpected shock of being yelled out so soon after opening the door.
"Sorry Sir" Simon muttered under his alcohol stained breath.
Adams closely studied the drunk soldier for the best part of a minute, but the minute went by so slowly, it may as well have been a couple of hours.
"Well don't just stand there, go to bed, you have a busy day tomorrow" Adams shouted.
The Mojave Desert
5 Miles outside the Strip
A black cloak danced in the air. A gush of wind swooped Vegas that night as an elderly man walked slowly towards the New Vegas Strip.
The dazzlingly lights shinned bright; it was a sign for travellers to know where they are.
"Soon" he whispered to himself, his dark gravy voice disappeared with the wind.
The Strip
The Next Day
Simon felt like shit as he wondered round the Strip, clutching his gun.
Next to him, a Securitron guarded his left, not that he felt any safer with it following his every move.
"I got this" Simon wrestled to put on one of the most pathetic smiles any Securitron had seen, lucky for him, Securitrons were not programed to sarcastic gestures, but with the way the future was looking, that may come round soon enough.
"It is my job to protect and serve the people of New Vegas, that includes its trusty NCR patrol force" the Securitron's emotionless voice sounded like tins clashing to Simon. He knew that going out the previous night was a huge mistake. But hey, a man's got to have a good time right? And besides, all this time he spent wondering the strip, he has to look at people have fun, spend the caps he wish he had and just sit back and relax and let life do all the work. But instead, he was stuck here in the Strip, with people who look down on him because of his recklessness.
…
"All In"
Phil slid a thousand caps forward on the table. He thought of ending his life that night anyway, what's a thousand less caps to him now? He was never any good at 21 anyway, and he knew he would go bust rather quickly.
The dealer flipped two cards over
"Ace and Queen, you win two thousand" The dealer announced, handing him double his caps.
Fuck!
Phil tried hard to lose all his money; he didn't want any trace of existence in the Wasteland.
He put another thousand in, hoping to lose it all.
Nine, Ten
"Deal" Phil smiled, liking his chances of losing it all.
Two
Phil received another thousand on top.
"Can you please just rig this so I don't win?" Phil whispered, leaning over the table and talking to the dealer.
The dealer stared at him as he shuffled the cards, very slowly.
"You want me to rig the game so you lose?" the dealer asked.
"Yes" Phil smiled.
"Why don't you just stop playing?"
"Because I'm kind of hoping to lose it all, it's a long story and I don't really feel like getting into it all" Phil explained.
The dealer put the cards on the table and walked away, silently.
"Well, that was rude" Phil whispered to himself.
A minute later, two guards, their guns holstered, walked up to the gambler.
"Sir, may you please leave the Casino and never return?" one of the guards ordered in a soft voice.
Phil looked at the two guards as he collected his caps.
"Can I just change these up?" Phil asked.
The two guards looked at each other until they both replied "yes"
Phil carried his rucksack down the Strip. He was an old man, he wouldn't make another 20 years, but he still carried on. His beard was as white as snow, but then again, no many people had seen snow, except in old pictures and books. He grew up in a place called "Vault City" but he hadn't been in so long, he didn't think he would be the same. In fact, he didn't remember much about his childhood. He remembered his father was a member of the Enclave; as a result, he would distance himself away from his family in case they were attacked for being part of their plans. But he was killed during an assault on an Oil Rig so many years ago. By the age of twenty, he decided to start a new his life. His mother had become an alcoholic and his older brother ended up being an NCR Officer. So he took his things and went to Novac. He settled there for many years until he heard about the Ceasar's Legion. He became a member until the second battle of Hoover Dam. There, he saw an escape plan, he quickly left the Legion during the war when no one was looking and moved back to Novac where he had found the place was unrecognisable. He eventually trekked across the Mojave Desert to gamble his troubles away, but instead, he faced new Demons. He found the NCR were back in control of the Strip after a firefight broke out where the Courier stood down. They say the Courier died that day, but Phil didn't believe it. In fact, the Courier still cursed him, this… Shadow was the reason for so many Demons. To Phil, the Courier was nothing more than another Demon that could be drank away.
Beer, that was what he needed right now.
"SIMON!"
Adam was once again furious as a drunken Simon opened the HQ doors.
"Sorry sir" Simon hiccupped as he slowly closed the door.
"How many times? This is the fourth night?" Adam rushed forward to Simon, his foot crashing on every step.
"Sir… I"
"Don't sir me. This is your last warning. Fuck it up again and you'll never see the end of the Strip again. You got it?"
Simon looked at the floor, he was amazed at how much it was shaking about, the floor was dancing in front of him and he tried everything he could not to laugh.
"Yes sir" Simon finally nodded after a long pause.
A Black shadow walked up to the gates of the Strip. Two securitrons looked at him.
"I got a pass" the Shadow whispered as he walked past them.
He was in, he had one mission, and he was ready to do it.
The bright lights filled the strip, drunken NCR soldiers stumbled along.
The black cloak blended in well with the shadows of the Strip, he moved like water through a river. The people around were either too drunk or too high on life to notice this strange figure walking the Strip.
One person however noticed this figure. It was none other than Phil who had recently purchased a gun from a dealer. Any other night and he would have glanced at the man without a care in the world. But tonight was different. Tonight Phil was seeing the world with a new set of eyes. He followed the shadow until they reached the doors of the HQ.
"SIMON!" A loud ordering voice called out.
Phil noticed the shadow was just standing there, not moving an inch.
The door to the HQ finally closed and the Shadow crept forward.
He slowly took out his gun, a pistol and opened the door slightly.
Simon stumbled across the room as Adam stood there, still red with anger.
The door opened and a man in a black cloak stood there, holding a gun.
Bang!
Simon jumped back and saw Adam bleeding on the floor. He stumbled over to him and lay on the floor. Outside, he noticed the gun which had fired; he walked over to it and picked it up. There he was, Phil lying on the floor, gasping for breath.
Bang!
Phil leapt over to the Shadow, forgetting about the gun he had just bought, and tackled him to the ground. The gun fell onto the floor in front of the door.
Phil tore down the black hood to reveal a ghoul with a large scar across his face. The ghoul whacked Phil and tore down the strip, putting the hood over his face, covering his identity.
"What happened?" Simon asked as he stumbled over to Phil.
"That ghoul, he fired a shot" Phil replied, picking himself up.
Two NCR Soldiers walked over to the HQ, their laughs turned to shock when they found a gun in Simon's hand.
"What happened?" one of the soldiers asked.
"A Ghoul, he came here and killed someone" Phil replied, fully recovered.
"Jacob, you stay here while I check it out" one of the soldiers ordered as he walked into the HQ.
A short while later, he came running out, carrying his rifle.
"Get on the floor now" the solider called.
Simon threw himself on the floor and dropped the gun. Phil on the other hand remained standing.
"Sir, on the floor now" the solider cried.
Phil then remembered the gun he had recently bought from the dealer and held onto the trigger, ready to be pulled out and fired.
"I won't say it again, on the floor now"
Phil smiled as he quickly pulled it out and shot the trooper in the leg, wounding him. He then shot the soldier in front who was too slow at getting his rifle.
"Young sir, I don't know you name, but all I got to say is that you're in great danger and the only way to get out of this alive is if we both find this ghoul and find out why your friend was killed" Phil said as he pulled Simon onto his feet.
"Who are you?" Simon asked, sobering up.
"I'm Phil"
Next Episode: Wanted Dead or Alive