Authors Note: This little Story could be considered happening in an alternate Universe; Its a Negotation between the Followers of the Apocalypse, represented by their Administrator Julie Farkas and the New California Republic, represented by Colonel Hsu.
It is, among other things, about getting the Followers to aid medically in the upcoming second Battle of Hoover Dam.
The Courier can do that ingame, but the Player can not get the Followers and the NCR to sit down together and negotiate properly.
Perspective of the Courier.
NCR and Followers: A Reconciliation
At the NCR Embassy for the New Vegas Strip I managed to get to Factions together. Not really Enemies, but former Friends who went separate Ways after a fight. Which are almost the ones most difficult to bring together again.
The New California Republic on one Side, risen from the Ruins of the great atomic War. A Conflict between the Nations of China and the USA, both names are all but forgotten 200 years later.
First a few Settlements of Survivors, they fought off any twisted mutated Madness the Post-apocalypse could throw at them. And that is a lot. They survived and eventually thrived. And they grew. The NCR has about 700000 Citizens now and might just be the largest political entity on what used to be U.S. Soil, or maybe even the World.
Eventually, they attracted some corruption. People in their Capital, "Shady Sands", care little about the Mojave Wasteland, its denizens or anything really. They wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the still functional Hoover Dam.
The Followers of the Apocalypse on the other Side. Originated in the Boneyard, what used to be Los Angeles, they are traveling Teachers. They taught the Tribes that eventually formed from the Survivors of the nuclear Fire forgotten Skills like Crop rotation and Irrigation. Their Goal is to teach Humanity to survive, in Hopes that we all might eventually return to way of living we only know from old and faded Pictures.
Julie Farkas from the Followers arrived first. It took a while to convince her to come here. Even after I paid for her Passport so she could get past the Securitrons. A thousands Caps well worth it if I can get those two Sides to work together.
"You have done much for the Followers, otherwise I wouldn't be here because I fail to see what good this will do!" Julie explains, pacing in the little Conference room provided by the NCR.
I frown. "I know you see the NCR and especially its Military as a Machine that touts Propaganda and Bravado and runs on the Blood of its Conscripts. But there are People in there who can see beyond that. Thrust me. Thrust me, and see beyond your own Preconceptions."
That brought her to a halt. "We have been helping People all over the Mojave," she almost yells at me. Now moving closer, in an almost threatening Manner, "People who have been forgotten by the NCR, People starving to death. The NCR is here for the Dam and nothing else!"
"It would seem these Negotiations are off to a rough start?" I hear Colonel Hsu, Commander of Camp McCarren, the biggest NCR Base in the Area.
"Not too rough I hope," I sigh, standing up to greet the Colonel, "if we could just clear up some Misunderstandings..."
"What misunderstandings? The Followers have been spewing all kinds of subversive bile against our great Nation!" Hsu interrupts me.
"Precisely like that..." I begin again, but are interrupted again, this time by Julie. "Like maybe the Truth? That your Propaganda everywhere is worth about the amount of Heat it will give off when the People you left to die on your way to the Dam will burn it?
Time to raise my Voice a bit: "*IF* we are going to get anywhere will you please sit down?"
"I guess we can at least to that." Hsu agrees and sits down. After I glare at her for a bit, Julie does the same.
"I think we can all agree that the Legion is bad business," I almost growl, "If they win, we might as well shoot all the People we can because a quick death would be the better Alternative to a live in Slavery. Now the NCR here can not be seen as one unified Entity, even if the Colonel might disagree; they are fighting on two Fronts. Against the marauding band of rapists and murderers known as Caesars Legion on one Side and against lazyness. Stupidity and ignorance at the Home front."
"I really was about to disagree here," Colonel Hsu presses out between clenched Teeth, "but you have done enough for us to earn more of our Trust then Command at Home ever did, so i'll let this slide."
"You will have to agree that this Campaign is unnecessarily bloody, lengthy and costly and could be over quickly if you had more Soldiers?" I answer.
"Fair enough; but how would you have me raise support from back home if all they hear from the Mojave is Complaints of the NCR being there?" Hsu quips, triggering an angered Response from Julie: "So what would you do to keep us from telling the Truth? Shut us up?"
Before the Colonel can answer, I jump in: "I'm sure the Colonel is not willing to keep you from telling the Truth, as you see it. He is merely telling you, well, the Truth, as he sees it."
I glare at them and continue:
"The 'Truth' really is that the NCR has been steamrolling right through the Mojave directly onto the Dam, uncaring of anyone left and right. And just as true is that the Dam is pretty much the entryway into the Mojave for the Legion. The 'Truth' is that the NCR, while having Potential for improvement, is doing as much as they can. The Followers can say what they want about the NCR, it is the better Alternative compared to the Legion by far and should be supported.
But: 'The Followers can say what they want' can go in another Direction as well.
Everyone should be able to say whatever he thinks about a democratic Nation and be allowed to speak his Minds about that Nation freely.
If a Nation can not take that, it is not a 'great' Nation."
"Are you finished?" Hsu asks. "Wonderful in Theory here. And I really wouldn't want to shut the Followers up. I think it was 'Sophocles' who said 'every Chain that holds us down was forged beginning with the first Link!'. I will not chain down the Followers, or anyone. Our Nation would suffer in the long Run.
But frankly, we need some support. We're stretched thin; I think we can hold the Dam, but there will be severe losses on both Sides."
"Here I was thinking you only cared about your Side!" Julie says.
"Really, Julie?" I ask, "what is going on here?"
Julie sighs. "We aren't the only ones 'spewing bile' here. NCR Soldiers have been harassing the Followers. The Guy who became 'Caesar' came from the Ranks of the Followers as you know and they apparently feel the Need to remind us. We aren't exactly proud of having educated and trained the most infamous Murderer we know."
"Isn't it the truth though?"Hsu says, "Just as true as 'the NCR plowing straight to the Dam, not caring about anyone?"
I have to hold Julie back at that. "Colonel, you might want to rephrase that!"
"No. I apologize if I have offended you Ms. Farkas but it was necessary to make you see that the Truth is as malleable as one makes it. It really is true that the Leader of the Legion cam from your Ranks. It is also true that there was nothing that you could have done about it. It is true the NCR went straight to the Dam. But it is also true that this is the best we could do to prevent the Legion from marching all over the Mojave!"
I lean back, thinking. "While I would like you to refrain from attacks designed to wind your Opponent up. But you did hit my Point quite well." I say. Turning to Julie, I continue "Anything to say to that?"
"Certainly. How would I explain the Lack of Resources after the NCR rolls through? Every Convoy buys up most of the Food and Water, driving up the Prices sky high. How would I explain that to People who can barely afford a Bottle of Water per day as it is?"
"You can't." Hsu mutters, "but maybe we can work something out. We buy locally because we wouldn't be flexible enough if we had to carry everything. Thanks in part to the Followers, we aren't exactly welcomed with open arms around here. I would allow the Followers to set up an Outpost near Boulder city. Close enough to the Dam and if an Outpost there could replenish our Supplies we wouldn't have to do that at the 188 trading outpost."
"And how would we even get there?" Julie asks. Now we're getting somewhere. "I think I can do something about that, " I say, "we could get the Super Mutants from Jakobstown to help guard Convoys. That is if I could get a written Guarantee that the NCR wont bother that Town and officially recognize Sovereignty of it."
"I can't decide that alone; General Oliver will have to decide that. But i'll recommend to follow your Advice." the Colonel ponders a bit, then continues: "I'll radio him as soon as I can and i'm fairly certain that he wont have much against that."
"Good!" I smile. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"Actually there is." Hsu says, "Our pseudo-roman Friends from across the Colorado will attack the Dam eventually. We will need help. Ms. Farkas, we will need medicinal Help."
"Of course we would help any wounded who came to us. Understand however, that we will not be able to undertake rescue missions. Also, we are not a one-trick-pony. If we help you, we'd like to be allowed to continue our relief Efforts in the Area from our Base in Freeside."
"Granted!" Hsu has a weight lifted of his Shoulders, I can tell.
After some more talk I was finally able to bring those two to work together. We worked through some minor Issues, like Water in North Vegas. Technicians of the NCR would work with the Followers to build a Purification Facility.
I got those two working together again.