Chapter 2: Recovery and Consolidation
++Obstructive citizens detected.
++Scanning for weapons...
++Multiple small-calibre firearms detected. Multiple improvised weapons detected. One AER9 laser rifle detected. Threat analysis: Minor. Clothing analysis of armed citizens indicates membership of "Kings" street gang.
++Discrimination programme active. Designating armed citizens as hostile.
++Intimidation mode active.
++Verbal warning to disperse issued by Securitron #347D-D.
++Increase in auditory output. Analysing...
++Hostile language detected. Chance of dispersal low.
++Combat mode active. Weapons armed.
++Aerial thermal points detected. Thermal points identified as improvised incendiary weapons.
++9mm submachinegun deployed. Targeting incendiary weapons. Single shot mode active. Firing...
++Targets neutralised.
++Contents of incendiary weapons splashing on citizens. Increase in auditory output. Analysing...
++Vocalisations indicate highly negative emotional and physical responses to flaming liquid. Attitudes towards Securitron squadron unlikely to be positive.
++Unarmed citizens fleeing. Remaining citizens all designated hostiles.
++Final verbal warning to disperse and threat of lethal force issued by Securitron #347D-D.
++9mm rounds impact on Securitron #347D-D, Securitron #315D-D, Securitron #312D-D, Securitron #378D-D, Securitron #341D-D, Securitron #390D-D. No damage reported.
++20 gauge buckshot impacts on Securitron #321D-D, Securitron #356D-D, Securitron #328D-D, Securitron #352D-D. No damage reported.
++10mm rounds impact on Securitron #313D-D, Securitron #373D-D, Securitron #339D-D, Securitron #304D-D, Securitron #310D-D, Securitron #303D-D. Securitron #310D-D reports damaged arm servo.
++.357 magnum rounds impact on Securitron #383D-D, Securitron #347D-D, Securitron #301D-D, Securitron #362D-D, Securitron #384D-D, Securitron #371D-D, Securitron #309D-D, Securitron #307D-D. Securitron #362D-D reports monitor failure.
++Laser beam impacts on Securitron #374D-D. Securitron #374D-D offline.
++Gatling laser deployed. Targeting hostiles. Firing...
++Grenade launcher deployed. Targeting hostiles. Firing...
++Missile launcher deployed. Targeting hostiles. Firing...
++All targets neutralised.
++No hostiles detected.
- Telemetry from Securitron #321D-D during the Battle of Freeside
"The overall mood in military circles regarding the Legion was positive. Though the nuclear destruction of Legion-held areas in Arizona unsettled a lot of the top brass, it was generally felt that the biggest existential threat to the NCR had been neutralised. This was, in my opinion, a short-sighted and dangerous attitude, for two reasons: one, it assumed that the agency that had destabilised that region had no further interest in acting again, and two, it assumed that the Legion no longer represented a threat of any significance. Too many people thought that the Legion would tear itself apart after the twin blows of decisive defeat in Nevada and the devastation wreaked upon its home areas, and that it could not possibly recover from these blows in any meaningful capacity."
- Excerpt from Soldier, Shut Up And Soldier by Gen. James Hsu (ret.)
"I was in her bunker when the ceasefire order came through. This poor dumb private, having drawn the short straw, comes stumbling through the door with some paper in his hand, walks nervously over to the colonel and gives the shakiest salute I have ever seen...[mimics a squeaky voice] 'Colonel Moore, sir, this came through for you...' She snatches it off him, opens it up, gives it a quick glance...does a double take, and rounds on the poor bastard. 'Is this a joke?' she yells. The private doesn't say anything, just stands there and looks like he wants the ground to swallow him. I actually saw her hand flex towards her sidearm. Never seen her that angry, and I was there when she got the order to pull out of Hoover Dam. I guess hunting down and killing the Brotherhood meant everything to her after that."
- Maj. J. Rodriguez (ret.), as quoted in Bear and Bull: An Oral History of the NCR-Legion War
[Large image of a man in Ranger uniform looking back over his shoulder, wielding a large and ornate revolver]
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A RANGER?
RANGERS:
are the NCR's first and last line of defence against threats foreign and domestic;
are physically capable of defeating the most fearsome beasts of the wastes;
are patriots committed to furthering the goals of the NCR at any and all costs;
are fearless in the face of overwhelming odds!
FOR YOUR CHANCE TO JOIN THE RANKS OF THESE MOST ELITE SOLDIERS, APPLY TODAY!
- recruitment poster
"Eh, you ask me, the place has improved without the Kings pretending they run the joint. I'll take Securitrons over some jumped-up little shit in a leather jacket any day. Customers don't get mugged on the way to and from Vegas any more, which is great for business here in Freeside too. Whenever I see some idiot try and rob or kill some unsuspecting tourist, which happens less and less frequently nowadays, it tends to end with a gatling laser surprise. They even tidy the bodies away double quick, too! As for the shocked and traumatised tourist from Vault City? Well, it usually puts them in the mood for a drink or ten! The Wrangler's seeing at least twice as many customers as it used to, and we've got our own...unique...attractions that you can't find in The Strip. Ghouls, cowboys, a cowboy ghoul...I mean, if some disgusting pervert's turned on by robots, the Wrangler's a better bet than Gomorrah! Not that we get many of those freaks. Ugh. Imagine being fondled and caressed by cold steel fingers, a gentle monotone voice buzzing in your ear to 'assume the position'...uh, creepy, or what? But, y'know. We've got a sexbot, and I may as well be a businessman about it, heh."
- Excerpt from an interview with James Garret for King's Gambit: Freeside, A History, by Kate Freedman
"Citizens of New Vegas and the Mojave! This is Robert House, President, sole proprietor and CEO of the New Vegas Strip. I have an proposal to make in the interests of mutual profit. I am willing to buy any and all robots that you are willing to sell for the sum of 5,000 caps per robot. This is the baseline price; it may increase based upon the condition and value of the robot in question. Though I am primarily interested in utility robots such as Mr. Handies and Protectrons, I will accept military models as part of this offer. If you are in possession of a robot that you wish to sell, simply present yourself and your robot at the Lucky 38 casino entrance and declare your intention to the Securitron that challenges you. Prospective sellers will find the 2,000 cap credit check usually necessary to enter the Strip waived provided that they are accompanied by their robot. Until the purchase is complete, sellers may be reassured that no contractual obligation is placed upon them, and they may withdraw their robot from sale until they have been paid the agreed amount in full, at which time I consider the robot my property."
- radio broadcast from the Lucky 38, carried on Radio New Vegas
Lanius was bellowing at the top of his voice, but still Vulpes faced him down. I thought about the insane courage that that must have taken, or perhaps it was indifference. "Caesar is dead," he said quietly. Lanius fell silent all of a sudden. Vulpes has this way with people. He has a hypnotic quality to his voice, it made you want to listen to what he has to say. It is what made him such an effective frumentarius. Even Lanius, it seemed, was not immune.
"Caesar is dead!" he said again, loudly, so that all present could hear. "The Legion finds itself in disarray, battered by profligate weapons from the skies. This is the true test of our strength. Mars has provided us with a crucible upon which we either shatter into pieces or are reforged again, our strength renewed. Without a Caesar, without structure, without organisation, we will fall into disunited chaos."
Lanius spoke again, then. "And who will claim the mantle of Caesar but me? It is mine by rights! I am the Legate! I am the future of the Legion!" Vulpes turned towards him then. "No," he said. "You, Lanius, are a blunt instrument. A useful weapon to spearhead a war, but the wrong tool to reconstruct the Legion. No. The Legion will disintegrate in your hands like a man grasping fistfuls of sand." Lanius drew that monstrous blade of his then, but Vulpes stopped him dead with a hand signal. Ten centurions stepped forward, separating Lanius from Vulpes, guns pointed at the Legate. "Either the myth of Lanius continues to stalk the nightmares of the Dissolute, or it dies here and now. The Legate you are, and the Legate you shall remain...under my leadership. If you have finished wasting time, we have work to do."
- Excerpt from the journal of "Paulus"
"Good evening, I'm Mr. New Vegas, and may I say you're all looking particularly special tonight. Here's the news. Travelers are advised to avoid the REPCONN headquarters. Reports are coming in of a group of robobrains scouring the area in search of, quote, 'lost technology'. The RNV reporter who gathered this information was then subjected to a series of tests, which according to him were, quote, 'extremely invasive.' This news was brought to you by Jacobstown. Jacobstown: Your friendly neighbourhood super mutants."
- Excerpt from a Radio New Vegas broadcast
WANTED: HUNTERS
The Mojave Construction Company is seeking intrepid hunters of dangerous wildlife to actively seek out and destroy nests of giant creatures that may threaten its construction teams and robots. Hunters must be prepared to face deathclaws, cazadores and nightstalkers in the pursuit of their duties. The Mojave Construction Company accepts no liability for injuries sustained under contract. In partnership with the Gun Runners, the Mojave Construction Company will provide weapons and ammunition though hunters are welcome to supply their own weaponry. Hunters under contract will gain a 20% discount on Gun Runner merchandise during the period of their employment. Payment will consist of a baseline 10,000 cap fee for a six-month contract, plus 1,000 cap bonuses for every deathclaw skull, cazador poison-gland and nightstalker tail.
- Advert placed by the Mojave Construction Company
"Having performed and gambled in Vegas before and after the Great War, how do the casinos of New Vegas compare to the old, Mr. Domino?"
At this, Domino gave me an odd look, and leaned forward.
"You've heard stories of the Sierra Madre Casino?" he said.
"Of course," I replied, puzzled at this change in tack. "We all have."
He smiled, and drew on his cigarette. "Then it's best that they remain stories. I'm here to watch Vegas begin again."
- Excerpt from an article in The New Vegas Gazette
"Good evening, I'm Chloé Morentz. In the wake of the Posthuman Rights Act passing through Congress, which stipulated that no discrimination against posthuman beings such as ghouls and super mutants would be tolerated in any NCR institution, political attention has focused on the reluctance of the NCR Army to admit posthuman beings to its ranks. Ghouls have previously been admitted to the Rangers, but none have so far been allowed to serve in the regular Army. It has been argued by some senior military officers that ghouls and super mutants are unsuitable to serve alongside normal humans due to problems with integration, citing apparent hygiene issues and the difficulty of instilling obedience to authority respectively. Others argued that the strength and toughness of super mutants would make them invaluable as heavy shock troops, whereas ghouls' endurance and experience made them excellent scouts and reconnaissance troops, as evidenced by the exemplary record of ghouls already serving in the Rangers. The debate continues.
The mayor of Bullhead City has declared an end to the refugee crisis inflicted on the city over the past few months. He congratulated the city's municipal authorities on successfully integrating and rehabilitating the refugees into the general populace, noting that the trickle of people arriving from the East appears to have finally ceased altogether..."
- Newsreader for Republic Broadcasting Corporation, The News At Ten
Dear Ma,
I'm lacking in much to say about my employment with the Happy Trails Caravan. The pay's steady and the food's regular, if left wanting in taste. Being a caravan guard is a much safer occupation than it used to be, which it'll please you to hear. In Nevada, you see Securitrons more than raiders these days, and Utah's been safer than it has been in years. I heard a rumour of "Burned Men" who can't be killed haunting the roads, killing those who prey upon the innocent. To hear some tell it, it's spirits of the wastes. Others say it's something to do with the Legion, though that makes not a whit of sense. My hand's wandering with my mind across the page, so I'll cut to the chase. We're about to embark on the road to Zion Valley to trade with the New Caananites, and I expect an uneventful trip. Anyway, you get some coincidences that lend themselves to the strange on the road. We encountered a lone soul who claimed to be from the Valley itself, a cheerful fellow with a strange name, as is the wont of tribals. Now I've met tribespeople before, nice folk usually. And sure, this guy was nice. He said he was looking for civilised lands. The 'Ennseeyar', the Dam, the place where people would give money to place cards on tables. He said too something about a "thunder-lizard", in which people lived. I can't think what particular thing he was referring to, it sounds like the sort of thing that old No-Bark Noonan would say. Any which way, he said he was looking for a singer. Well, I've still got a couple of contacts in Vegas, so I told him to head for The Tops casino, and tell Swank that Tommy sent him. He thanked me, and went on his way. Like I say, nice fellow.
Anyway, I'm leaving this letter with the Mojave Express. Chances are I won't get to send another until upon my return. Reliable folk, so I'm sure of mind that you'll receive it in due course. Thinking of you, Tommy x
- Letter sent to Alice McBride
Second chapter's up! I hope you enjoy it.
If you wish to see stories about a particular faction/character/area, do say so and I'll see what I can do.