A New Vegas one-shot short
Answering Questions
Arcade jumped back as a coyote streaked by him, fleeing the courier's rifle which had claimed most of it's pack members lives. The scientist watched his younger friend aim down the sight of the gun at the canine, but then lower it and gaze at the animal running away.
"No point wasting ammo, huh?" sighed the courier.
"Hah, no, save it for Fiends."
There was a moment of somewhat awkward silence.
"Uh, did you see Rex take out that big one?" Gannon asked.
"No, I missed it."
"Yeah, you were busy with those other coyotes... I uh, did get one, though. My aim's getting better."
His friend smiled and continued walking down the rocky hillside with Rex, who turned to look at Arcade before barking what had to have been an urge to hurry up and get moving.
NVNVNVNV
That night they set up camp under a cracked and faded billboard close to the broken road. Arcade thought maybe they were a little close to the road for comfort, but the courier offered to keep watch this night, reassuring him that they should have reached the safety of the next town by the following evening. Being exhausted, the scientist didn't raise any objections to the plan, though he felt guilty about not offering to keep watch first.
They sat on either side of the camp fire making small talk; about Freeside, Rex, the animals that roamed the wasteland and so forth. Arcade was asked about himself again, but deflected the question and assured the traveller that a junkie would have a more interesting life to hear about.
The fire grew dim, and the scientist did his best to make a pillow of his grubby lab coat and fall asleep, which was hard out in the open. He was aware of the robodog wandering over to lay beside him as he drifted off, telling himself to try to answer some of his friend's questions the following day, knowing he would be asked again.
