DEAD ON IMPACT
Dawn Crenshaw woke up in a daze. Her vision was blurry and she tried to make sense of where she was. There was smoke around her and she appeared to be inside of a steel container. As her vision became clearer, she remembered that she had been picked up by members of the Brotherhood of Steel and placed inside a vertibird. Inside were three members of the Brotherhood of Steel who were dead on impact. They were fully dressed in power armor so Dawn could not see their faces. She was completely strapped in her seat and was hung above. The straps had saved her from smashing into the steel. Dawn had wondered why the vertibird had not exploded. She looked as if she'd been through a war. There were small black marks on her face, her shirt was torn in random places, and the only part of her combat armor that remained was the lower part. There was a cut on her upper arm and most of her short blonde hair was covered in blackened marks. Her memory was coming back to her. She reminisced about her battle with the raiders. The Brotherhood had managed to come to the rescue, not that she needed it or asked for it.
The Brotherhood apparently thought they had done a service by rescuing a citizen from an attack. Dawn, however, bad been instructed by James Hsu to retrieve a holodisk from a band of raiders who were hold up near an old apartment complex. She was successful, but wondered why the holodisk was so important. She saw the front of the vertibird. The sun was shining through the broken windows. Then, she remembered Maddie and immediately became worried. She unhooked her straps and fell below. The smoke was beginning to clear as she looked around for her. She stumbled around the vertibird until she got to the front. Someone was in the pilot's seat. She got a look and realized it was another member of the Brotherhood. Like the rest, he was dead on impact.
Dawn's heart raced with nervousness as the fear of Maddie being dead on impact as well haunted her. Then she realized that Maddie was not with her. Maddie had decided to visit her father's grave. Even though Maddie could defend herself in the toughest situations, Dawn was still worried. She knew there was no way of convincing her not to go, but Maddie was persistent. Dawn wanted to go along with her, but Maddie wanted to go alone. As she gazed out into the Mojave Wasteland, she thought about Maddie. She wanted her to be by her side and missed her company. Dawn looked for a way out, but the doors were jammed. The only door that remained opened was face down in the hot sand. She need to smash out the windows and walk across the Mojave. She saw only one bottle of purified water on the floor. There was also a laser rifle near her. She grabbed it and checked the ammo. She kicked out the cracked window and felt the heat blow in. She had to crawl to get out. As soon as Dawn made it out on the sand, the sun hit her. She looked around and saw the Stratosphere in the distance. It was a long way away, but it was her only hope. There was nothing but flat sand and humidity ahead. Before she could walk anywhere, she heard a loud growl ahead. Dawn saw a pack of ferals coming toward her. She quickly ran back into the vertibird.
She sat against the steel and waited for the inevitable mêlée. There was another laser rifle and a mini-gun nearby. The mini-gun was wedged between the sand and the steel. Repeated attempts to free it were futile. Dawn felt she had enough to take on the ferals. It was obvious they knew she was there. She anticipated the moment as they came closer. The ferals made themselves known by hissing and growling. They struck the outside, creating an echo inside. Dawn was prepared as well as anxious. One of them came near the broken window. Dawn fired her laser rifle and turned the feral into ashes. More of them tried to enter, but Dawn shot them down. She then remembered the Brotherhood had confiscated her weapons. They were inside a footlocker. She quickly opened it and found two 10mm pistols, a sniper rifle, and a combat knife. She grabbed her weapons and place the two pistols on her side holsters, the combat knife in the sheath, and strapped the sniper rifle around her. The knocking sound above indicated that the ferals were now trying to break in from the top. They had managed to rip apart a small part of the door. She fired a shot at the opening and the ferals scattered. They made their way toward the opening. The growling and hissing did not intimidate her as she shot each one dead. Dawn was alone and wanted Maddie by her side for comfort, for help, or to make the end a lot easier. She just wanted Maddie.
Dawn tried to get the mini-gun that was stuck. Then, more ferals surrounded her. She shot the ones she could see. In the distance, she could see that more of them were on their way. She sat back against the steel and took a deep breath. Her repeated attempts to free the mini-gun had failed. The laser rifle was almost empty. It was times like these that turned Dawn into an alcoholic. She thought of a flowing river of endless whiskey and how satisfying it was. Then, the ferals had ripped off the door above. Dawn shot every feral she could until she ran out of cells. One of the ferals jumped on top of her. She quickly stabbed the feral with her knife in the stomach and the slammed its head on the steel, killing it. Dawn grabbed the other laser rifle and climbed upward. She stood on the seat. As more ferals came towards her, she shot them. Some of them turned into ashes. She was surrounded but was able to kill them all before they got near the vertibird. Dawn shot one of them and dismembered its leg. The feral still had the tenacity to crawl towards her. Dawn could not give up as well. The more she thought about Maddie, the more will power she gained. She was expecting Maddie to show up at any moment, to be her knight in shining armor. Dawn always refused to be the damsel in distress, but she wanted Maddie to come to the rescue and carry her out of the desert.
Dawn's fantasy did help comfort her in the attack. The ferals kept coming at her but there was no quit in her. A fight to the death seemed inevitable. Her adrenaline was high but her ammo was running low. She could not wait until her final shot. Dawn quickly dropped below and tugged on the mini-gun. As the growling and hissing became louder, her strength increased. She pulled the mini-gun out and immediately started to spool it. She climbed back up and fired the mini-gun at the oncoming ferals. The bullets tore through them with ease. The ammo capacity of the gun was high. Dawn loved the sound of it, but loved the slaughter of the monstrous hell beasts more. Suddenly, a vertibird flew over her and began reigning bullets the ferals. The vertibird quickly killed the ferals, nearly striking them deep into the sand. The ferals had been vanquished and the onslaught of terror was finally over. She looked up at the vertibird and watched it land. Two members of the Brotherhood of Steel walked out in power armor. Dawn stared at them with a mix of relief and anger. They both had Gatling laser rifles.
"Are you okay?" A man's voice said to her.
"Yeah, where the hell were you?" Dawn replied angrily, "A bunch of these monster freaks were coming at me and it takes you forever to show up."
"The Mojave is a big place," a woman's voice said.
"Sorry, it's been a rough day," Dawn said in a more calmly manner.
Dawn jumped down from the vertibird. The two BOS members checked inside.
"So, we gettin' outta here?" Dawn asked.
"We have to assess the damage," the male voice said, "Brotherhood protocol."
"My protocol is that we get the hell out of here."
"You never changed," the woman's voice replied.
Dawn looked at her with confusion and then thought they had taken notice of her activities. They eventually made it into the air. The two BOS members rode along with Dawn as the pilot flew the vertibird across the sky.
"So how did you find me?" Dawn asked.
"The vertibirds have tracking devices," the male voice said.
Dawn knew that his voice sounded familiar and so did the other one.
"You certainly have the skills to be a member of the Brotherhood," the woman's voice said, "You should consider joining."
"Thanks, but no. I have my own personal agenda. I don't want to be tied down by an organizations rules."
Dawn stared at them. One of them looked at her.
"Why does your voice sound familiar?" Dawn asked. "Both of you."
One of them took off the helmet. Dawn was surprised at who it was.
"Kurt!" Dawn yelled.
"Yeah, it's me."
"What are you…"
"It's good to see you again after all these years. How have you been?"
Kurt McCall, Dawn's ex-boyfriend. She had not seen him in almost 7 years. She was still in shock.
"A hello would be nice," Kurt said.
"Uh, nice to see you," Dawn replied nervously.
Dawn rubbed her face and brushed her hair back.
"I'm glad you're okay, but why did you leave City 17 to come here?" He asked.
"Well, I got an offer from James Hsu, you know, the former NCR colonel. He asked me to come and help him with some problems."
"James Hsu, yeah, I know what happened."
"I see you have been doing well for yourself. That's good."
Kurt looked to the woman BOS member.
"Might as well show her," He said.
She took off her helmet and once again Dawn was surprised.
"I knew that was you under there," Dawn said.
It was Alyx Vance, Dawn's former companion in the war against the Combine.
"Dawn," she said.
"Alyx," Dawn replied, "I just can't believe it."
The vertibird landed at Nellis Air Force Base. Dawn, Kurt and Alyx were now seated inside the mess hall.
"Look, I just want to thank you for rescuing me," Dawn said.
"I'm just glad you are okay," Alyx said.
"Yeah, I got worried about you all these years," Kurt said, "I always knew you could handle yourself."
"I never expected you to show up in New Vegas," Alyx continued.
"This place is like the rest of the world," Dawn said, "Remember our trip through City 17? Killing the Combine, those damn zombies…"
"Ravenholm," Alyx said, "I never would have made it without you."
They smiled at each other.
"So Kurt, anything interesting happening?" Dawn asked.
"Other than the usual wasteland shit, it's been the same. These raiders are certainly not the Combine and those ferals are definitely not the zombies."
"Ain't that the truth. Alyx, how's Eli?" Dawn asked.
"He's doing great. The lab is functioning better than ever. More scientists have come to help and without the Combine, more progress can be made."
Then, a young woman with long light brown hair, glasses, and freckles on her face, and dressed in scribe clothing approached Kurt.
"Kurt, can I ask you something?" She said.
"Oh sure."
Kurt stood up.
"This is Dawn Crenshaw," he said, "Dawn, this is Candice."
"Wow! So you're Dawn," Candice said with excitement, "It's great to meet you. I've heard so many good things about you. I want you to know that I stand with you."
"Thank you," Dawn replied.
Kurt and Candice walked near a VR pod. Dawn stared at them.
"Dawn, don't get jealous now," Alyx said.
Dawn ignored her. She saw Candice kiss Kurt and immediately looked down at the table.
"Dawn, you all right?" Alyx asked.
"Yeah, it's just…I don't know."
"They've been dating a while."
"I'm not angry at all. I can't get angry anymore."
"You do have a bad temper. The last time we saw each other, you threw a bottle at me."
"What? No I didn't."
"It's true."
"I don't remember doing it. I must have been drunk off my ass. If I did, I'm sorry. I was a different person then."
"Well, I hope you changed."
"I don't drink as much anymore. I made promise to Maddie."
"Who's Maddie."
"My…girlfriend."
Alyx was surprised.
"You really have changed. I'm glad you found someone who cares for you. That's what you need."
Dawn looked over at Kurt and Candice who were laughing.
"I still think about him a lot," Dawn said, "I wish things didn't end the way it did. I was nothing but a damn drunk. Six years I spent as a wasted fool."
"The important thing is that you changed. Besides, you need to let Kurt go."
"Yeah, you're right."
"And you like this girl, Maddie. Do you love her?"
Dawn thought about it.
"I'm not even sure. She was there for me when I needed her. She helped me escape Ashgate. I probably wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her. There's something special about her that makes me attracted to her."
"You were in Ashgate?"
"Yeah, thanks to Barney Calhoun. But he's taken care of."
"It seems like Maddie cares for you deeply. You should stick by her."
"I care for her too. I'm always thinking about her. I can't be without her."
"How'd you end up meeting her?"
"Back at City 17. She wanted vengeance against me. Her father was a scientist at Black Mesa. She thought I killed her, so we ended up fighting across the city. One day she tied me to a chair at her place and even though she was clearly insane, I could not help myself. I fell for her."
Alyx was confused. She chuckled and clapped her hands together.
"That's just crazy," Alyx said with a chuckle. "Did Kurt ever treat you that way?"
"Alyx, you don't understand the way I feel about her," Dawn replied.
"Dawn, I understand you, I just don't understand her. She's quite unique. All that matters is that you love her."
Kurt returned to the table. Candice kissed him on the cheek and Dawn looked down trying not to let her emotions consume her.
"Well it was nice to finally meet you Dawn," Candice said with a cheerful smile, "No matter what, I'll be by your side all the way. You're like a superhero come to life. I read a lot about them."
"Yeah, too much comics," Kurt added.
Candice laughed.
"Thank you," Dawn said.
Candice waved to her and left the area.
"How long have you been with her?" Dawn asked Kurt.
"Three years," he answered.
"I'll leave you two alone," Alyx said.
Alyx left the table.
"Can we go outside?" Dawn asked.
The sun was about to set as Dawn and Kurt were sitting on top of a large silver shipping container. There was a set of wooden steps nearby, two chairs, and a table. This moment reminded her about the many times she spent with him watching the sun go down.
"She must treat you well," Dawn said with glum.
"Oh yeah, she's great, always smiling, I just love…."
Kurt stopped as became a little too excited.
"It's all right," Dawn said, "You can tell me how great she is. She's everything I failed to be."
"No, don't say that."
"She's cute. Glasses, freckles, comics…really she is."
"Don't get jealous."
"I miss days like this. Me and you watching the sunset…I miss you."
Dawn held his hand.
"I've changed. I don't drink as much. I don't get mad as easily. I'm a brand new person."
"That's good to hear, but we…what about the girl you've been seeing?"
"She means a lot to me. I care for her, but I want us..."
"You know we can't. Candice, I love her."
Dawn had a heartbreaking look on her face. He placed his hands on her shoulders.
"You have someone in your life too," Kurt said, "She cares for you."
Dawn put her arm around him and held him close. Kurt knew what Dawn was trying to do. They stared at each other and nearly kissed. They pulled back.
"I miss you," Dawn said.
"I missed you too."
"Damn, I can't hide my feelings anymore…"
"Please…we have new lives now, we can't."
"Is it because of what I did years ago? The way I acted?"
"It has everything to do with it."
Dawn looked away as she still held him.
"You don't remember?" Kurt asked.
"No, but I bet I was drunk as hell."
"You said you never wanted to see me again. I said the same thing as well. Then you spit whiskey in my face and slapped me. When I grabbed your arm, you tried to hit me with a bottle."
Dawn's memory of the incident came back to her.
"I admit, I was an asshole," she said, "And I am sorry. Let me make it up to you. I owe you for saving me when you didn't have to."
"Look, I forgive you."
Dawn hugged him.
"Then let's start over," Dawn said, "I'll never drink again. I'll…."
"We can't. You know we can't. You're seeing someone and you can't betray her trust. You can't just leave her like that. I have someone as well. Someone I care for who treats me well. My relationship with you was something that I'll always cherish, but it's over now. Please accept that. Maddie cares for you and you should be good to her."
Dawn tried to hold back tears. She felt as if he reached into her chest and pulled her heart out.
"Don't feel bad Dawn," he continued, "You're a great girl. Not many people can accomplish what you have done. Someone out there is lucky to have you."
"Kurt, you're right. I should let you live your new life. I'm sorry if you felt uneasy about all this. I don't want you out of my life."
"Of course not, you're always welcome here."
"Will you visit me? I live in the Stratosphere."
"You know I will," he replied.
"I better get going, Maddie will worry."
"I'll give you a ride."
Kurt arrived to the Strip entrance in an old military style Humvee. They stood on the sidewalk outside of the Stratosphere. People walked in and out of the casino and the lights were brighter as the night sky began to take over.
"This is a nice place to live," Kurt said.
"My reward for the grunt work I do."
After a short pause, they both smiled and laughed.
"Well, Maddie will be home soon, I better get going," Dawn explained.
"I would like to meet her. She seems…interesting."
"Sure, thanks for the ride."
"Anytime."
Dawn and Kurt hugged. Her body tingled with pleasure as memories of being with Kurt came back to her.
"I guess I'll see you around," Dawn said.
"Sure, be safe out there. I don't want to have to rescue you again."
Kurt chuckled and Dawn smiled. They hugged and Dawn walked towards the entrance. As hard as she tried, she could not hold back her tears as she realized that she may never be with Kurt again. She did not want to turn around and have him see her cry. Dawn continued to walk. Kurt watched her until she entered the casino. He looked down at the cracked pavement with his hands on his sides. He made a light kicking motion and moved his foot across the ground as he put his hands behind his back. Looking lonely, he paced around under the evening sky as he watched Dawn walk away.