Fallout New Vegas: The Story Of The Courier
Chapter 2: A Rose By Any Other Name Is Just As Sweet
"So are you just going to stand there looking at me like that because it's making me randy baby." The Courier grinned and smiled as Sunny was staring trying to figure out how excactly he was able to kill those three geckos or more accurately how he was fight them all off by himself and only firing a single shot. She herself, while a hunter, could never do that.
"I'll admit, I've seen crazy things but that was just..." Sunny was still just trying to figure everything out. The lady came up to the courier and said a few words of gratitude. She reached into her satchel to grab a few bags of water and handed it to the Courier. He thanked her and did one of the even more stranger things Sunny ever saw. He gave her a cheeky grin and handed the lady back her water bottles. He then reached into his bag and applied two stimpaks to her right arm and left leg. The Lady was shocked and downright just looking with her mouth agape when he stuck the needle into her arm. Partly out of the reason he didn't tell her he was going to do that.
"I don't have to take my clothes off do I." The woman asked fearing what was in the syringe.
"Not if you don't want to. Or if you just feel like it. Actually, it could be both." The Courier said his face making a puzzled look. "Anyway, just call me The Doctor."
"Doctor Who?" The lady asked.
"Just The Doctor." The Courier stated, his grin bigger than ever. The lady went off after saying thank you at least a dozen times and blessing him, calling him a messiah and a savior. She also said something about screaming to the whole entire world of his act. "Well, where were we then?" The Courier asked. "Oh right, Geckos."
"That was some good work there." Sunny said dropping her surprise once he spoke. "Here's some money for those stimpaks." Sunny was about to reach for some caps. But the Courier just told her to keep her caps. "Okay then. Well at least let me teach you one more thing. Thought I might teach you about living off the land and making useful things for yourself. Interested?"
"Couldn't hurt, I guess." The Courier nodded.
XXXXXX 30 minutes later XXXXXXX
"It hurts soooo bad!" The Courier was groaning in pain and fury. He had gone to the school through ease and grabbed some caps and other items within as well. Heck, The graveyard was pretty simple as well. But he had the misfortune of being ambushed by the most fearsome monster in all the waste. It was brown, had some of the most fearsome claws, and horrible eyes. A bark scorpion.
"I didn't even see it coming!" He yelled once more. Sunny was helping him make the healing powder now due to the circumstances.
"Here just apply it to where you got stung. That plus the antivenom I gave you should stop the pain. Anyway, I'm heading back now. Hope I didn't miss anything on the jukebox. Cheyenne would never forgive me. Oh and do me a favor. Trudy, the bartender at the saloon, Kind of the town mom. She likes to meet newcomers. She'd be cross with me if I didn't ask you to poke your head in and say hi." And with that she left. Or at least she would have had the courier not decided to walk with her. They talked, made jokes, passed by a refridgerator with a skeleton and a hat in it. The Courier took the hat saying it makes him look like an adventurer. Even with his vault suit on. They finally passed by a curious site. A securitron with a cowboy face on it.
Howdy, pardner! Might I say, you're looking fit as a fiddle." The robot said
"You must be Victor. The one who dug me out right? Thanks for that." The courier said as Sunny waited for him.
"Don't mention it! I'm always ready to lend a helping hand to a stranger in need." Victor replied in joy.
"How did happen to find me though?" The Courier asked out of lingering curioustiy.
"I was out for a stroll that night when I heard the commotion up at the old bone orchard. Saw what looked like a bunch of bad eggs so I decided to lay low. Once they'd run off, I dug you up to see if you were still kicking. Turns out, you were, so I hauled you off to Doc right quick." Victor told him and the Courier thought back on the cigarette butts he found at the cemetary.
"Thanks, good bye." The Courier, waved at him. "Happy Trails!" Victor said finally.
The Courier and Sunny then continued to the Prospector's Saloon only to walk in on a woman in a pink cardigan and dress arguing with an man in a bulletproof vest. Once they finished, the man left but not before bumping shoulders with The Courier. The Courier walked up to Trudy to talk to her. "Hello. Trudy correct?" He greeted
"Well, You've been causing quite a stir. Nora, The woman you saved, has been telling everyone how you saved her. Glad to finally meet you." Trudy told him.
"Glad to meet you. So, Trudy you wouldn't happen to know anything about the men who attacked me?" The Courier inquired.
"Well they're a bunch of freeloaders who expected a few rounds on the house. I was able to get them to pay up though. One of the Khans did accidentally knock my radio to the floor accidentally though. Other than that, nothing." Trudy told him all she knew.
"Did they say where they were going?" He asked.
"They were having an argument about it but the guy in the checkered coat kept shushing them. Sounded like they just came from up North near Quarry Junction. If that's the case, I can't blame them for not wanting to go back."
"Why is that?"
"The whole area's overrun with critters that just go mad if you shoot them."
"So where are they going?"
"I didn't hear exactly but the leader was talking about the strip. Fella wants to get there and avoid the 15 he'd have to go east. Take Highway 93 up."
"Great, great. Get shot in the head and your shooter doesn't even wait for you to wake up and buy you dinner." The Courier mumbled, his eyes looking not angry but irritated. "By the way, want me to take a look at your broken radio?"
"Sure. The outside looks okay bu" Trudy was interrupted by The Courier leaping over the bar counter going over to the radio and picking up a glass.
"Trudy, I'll take this glass as compensation for my services." The Courier said while examining the glass. He then quickly took the radio in his right hand and Trudy's glass in her left and smashed them both together, shattering the glass. "Presto! and thank you for the glass." The Courier said bowing with a little kneel.
"I think you deserve more than a glass for that. I really do apprectiate hearing what's going on" Trudy took some caps out of her pocket, 50 of them, and handed it to The Courier.
"Ah thank you very much. Now then I overheard your argument what was that about? Money, property, Ex-husband?" The Courier said his eyebrows arching at the last one "Or all of the above, An ex-husband who wants your money and property? Trust me, I know, I've dealt with alot of exes" The Courier then added putting his left hand on his heart.
"No. It looks like our little town got itself dragged into the of something we don't want anything to do with. About a week, this trader, Ringo, comes into town. Survivor of an attack, he says. Bad men after him, needs a place to hide. We figured he was just in shock, so we gave him a place to lie low. We didn't actually expect anyone to come after him." Trudy put her left hand on her hip and right hand on her chin.
"Where is Ringo now?" The Courier asked putting his hand on the counter.
"He's held up at the abandoned gas station. Though you should probably enter with your hands up or he might think your one of Cobb's men."
"Why not kill Cobb?"
"You mean murder him? That's not our way, even if Cobb is scum. He can bluster and threaten all he wants."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Some of the others, like Sunny, will probably stand up for Ringo if he asks for help, which he hasn't. Personally, I hope he sneaks out of town one night and takes the Powder Gangers with him."
"Power Rangers?"
"Powder Gangers." Trudy said correcting him "Chain gangs, really. The NCR brought them in from California to work on the rail lines. Problem is, it turns out that giving convicts a bunch of dynamite and blasting powder isn't the best idea. Was a big escape not too long ago. Some of 'em stuck together so they could make trouble. That's what we're dealing with now."
"Hmm, interesting." The courier went to the door and left.
XXX At the Abandoned Gas Station XXX
The Courier opened the door only to come face to face with a man with a gun in hand wearing a field hand outfit.
"That's close enough. Who are you, and what do you want with me?" The man asked him.
"I'm not an enemy, if that's what you're asking, you beautifully sounding little devil." The Courier said putting his hand in his pockets.
"What's in your pocket?" The man asked putting both hands on the gun. His body tensed and his eyes looked worried.
"Sunset Sarsaparilla. Want one? Got it from the vending machine. Wonderous really, How a drink can still taste great after around 700 years I think, don't really know." The Courier handed him one and the man catched him relaxing.
"Sorry about the gun. You just caught me off guard, that's all." The man relaxed putting his gun back in his holster. "We got off to a bad start. Name's Ringo. What say we start over with a friendly game of Caravan? You know how to play?"
"I'm quite alright Ringy" The man looked at him going for his gun "Oh relax, So you have Joe Cobb on your booty, you know that right?" The Courier asked for confirmation. Ringo looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah. He doesn't look very tough, though. I hear he's afraid I'll shoot him down from one of the windows when I see him, and he's right. I'll have a much bigger problem once his friends show up. There's no way I could handle all of them in a gunfight."
"And you're plan is to lay low then?" The Courier asked him.
"I've got no chance against the gang on my own."
"Maybe I can help."
"We'd just end up sharing the same grave if it's just the two of us."
"With a voice like that, I wouldn't mind." The Courier mumbled.
"Now, if some of the other people in town were also on board..."
"I gotcha, big boy." The Courier said winking at him " I'll ask around and see who I can round up."
"Start with Sunny Smiles. She's been friendlier than most around here."
"Sunny Smiles? You and her are friendly?"
"Yeah we talk and she brings me food sometimes why?"
"No reason" The courier said opening the door behind him and leaving.
XXX The Prospector's Saloon XXX
"Sunny!" The Courier ran through the door and greeted her with a hug and kiss on both cheeks.
"Hi there. Sticking around Goodsprings for awhile longer?" Sunny said surprised by the display of affection
"If there's a woman like you here yes" The Courier told her winking.
"Well, aren't you a ladykiller."
"So... Ms. Smiles do you want"
"You want me to help you and Ringo don't you?"
"Pretty much yeah"
"Say no more. I'm in"
"Well, That was easy"
"Look, Joe Cobb talks about leaving us alone if we hand over Ringo, but I know his type. He and his friends will come after the town eventually. However, between you, me, and Ringo, we aren't exactly a force to be reckoned with. A lot of people around here look up to Trudy. If you could convince Trudy to join us, some of the folks in town might decide to help out as well. I know Easy Pete's got a stock of dynamite somewhere and Chet just got a shipment of leather armor we could borrow. Talk to them as well. Finally, there's a good chance we'll all end up with extra holes in us, so if Doc Mitchell could cough up some extra stimpaks, that'd be great."
"Kay then, I'll get them to join us."
"I'll be waiting." Sunny then went to leave but The Courier was about to put his hand somewhere it shouldn't be.
"Put your hand there and Cheyenne will bite it off." The Courier stopped and then just poked her back instead. This just elicited a soft sigh from Sunny. He then went over to the counter and placed an order for a beer putting 8 caps on the table.
"Well Trudy, here we are. Me with 1,2,3,4,5 bottles of Sunset Sarsaparilla and you with all those caps and Powder Gangers at your front door."
"Yes, ok let me guess you and Sunny want to help Ringo."
"How'd you know?"
"You two were just talking about it right now. In my bar too." Trudy said her hand on her hip
and eyes perplexed as to why he's surprised.
"Oh yeah well anyway If I told you I had a plan, what would you say?"
"Hmm, tell me the plan then we'll talk."
XXX Outside XXX
"Come on Pete! You've gotta help us." The Courier was begging and pleading with his hands on his knees.
"No, you wouldn't know what to do with it." Pete told him once more him on his rocking chair
"But I need it in order to help everyone." The Courier again asked Pete
"How are the ads in my magazine going to save everyone?"
"THEY'RE BLOND!" The Courier cried out to Pete
"Alright, alright I'll give them to ya." Pete told him annoyed and not wanting to deal with him anymore.
"Great, also Pete can I have some dynamite with those magazines."
"Wha?"
XXX Chet's Store XXX
"Hello there. I'm the Chet Ubetcha" The Courier shaked Chet's hand and told him about his plan.
"Whoa whoa buddy! You seem like a nice guy and I like ya and all, but I can't give out that much product. I have a business to run ya know."
"Hey, Chet. You, my friend," The Courier put his arm around Chet and put his face next to his. " seem like a smart guy and I like your store and all but it won't be able to give out any product, bought or taken, if it's on the ground. On fire. And being peed on. With you in the middle. Dead. Them eating your corpse. No not eating more like 'eating'. Hint hint. But you have a business to run you know." The Courier put his hands up and looked at Chet.
"Alright, alright. Just stop talking. I'll give out some leather armor and varmint rifles to everyone. I'll also mod them myself, but I'm staying out of the fight."
"Fair enough." The Courier then eyed a duster in the store on a rack "Is that for sale?"
"30 caps in good condition." Chet told him taking it off the rack "Want it?"
"Yeah thanks." The Courier handed him the caps and put it over his vault suit and put on the fedora from the skeleton.
XXX Doc Mitchell XXX
"Hey Doc I"
"Heard from Pete. I can supply you with some medical supplies and stimpaks." Doc Mitchell then handed him a Doctor's Bag and some stimpaks.
"Ah thank you Doc." The Courier said stunned at the sudden agreement.
"It just seems that people just won't leave each other alone sometimes." Doc Mitchell said sighing dissapointingly, as the Courier left.
XXX HQ (AKA The Gas Station) XXX
"Alright then, we have everyone onboard now we just have to wait for Sunny to signal." Ringo told the Courier " Are you sure about this?"
"I'm scared out of my mind really." The Courier said bluntly.
"Ok then that's not so reassuring."
"Yeah just go on my signal." The Courier told him "Remember, Please" Sunny walked in through the door and told him that Cobb had come.
"That's my cue then, you two make sure to stick to the plan." The Courier stood up and went outside. He unbottoned his duster, grabbed his bag and put on his hat.
XXX Middle of Goodsprings At Night XXX
"Ringo, Come out right here and face me head on." Cobb yelled out. He was with 5 other men who all had weapons. Cobb had himself a shotgun.
"That's kinda hard, considering you have backup. Then again, Ringo has me as well. And a whole entire town too plus a dog." The Courier stated to Cobb, smiling.
"And who are you!" Cobb yelled angry at not having killed Ringo yet.
"I'm Ringo's twin brother, Rango." The Courier said pushing his duster behind him and tilting his fedora.
"Ringo's white, how're you..." Cobb began
"Mom had a very active social life." The Courier responded simply with a tilt of his head and raising of his shoulders.
"Well Rango, I hope your here to hand me your brother's head or we might just take you as a substitute." Cobb threatened aiming his shotgun.
"No, no I'm just here, like the good courier I am, to deliver a message." The Courier said eyes narrowing and grin forming on his face.
"Really now, then what's the message?" Cobb said smiling at his fellow Powder Gangers.
"Leave Goodsprings now or die." The Courier crossed his arms cooly.
"Boys, beat this fucker." The men all circled The Courier and started punching him. They got him to the ground and continued their assualt. The Courier could only lie their helpless until they stopped.
"No! Wait! Wait! I'm sorry ok, I didn't think about this, Don't kill me. I'lll take you to Ringo!" The Courier got on his knees and crawled over to Cobb. He held Cobb's legs in his arms and pleaded "Come on, man. I have my whole entire life ahead of me. I've never had sex!" The Courier cried out still holding Cobb's legs "PLEASE!"
"Well, kid consider this your first tim-" Cobb was shot straight throught the head with a bullet. As the other Powder Gangers began to un-holster their weapons they were all mercilessly shot through the head. Once the last man dropped, The People Of Goodspring began to move out of their hiding spots, putting their modded, with night vision scopes, varmint rifles in their holsters and began cheering. Ringo went over to the Courier and shaked his hand.
"I owe you a huge favor for this. Here - these are technically Crimson Caravan funds, but I know they'll understand once I explain things." Ringo put 100 caps in his pocket. "By the way, I never got your name."
"Rango, ah thank you." The Courier told him tipping his hat.
"So it's Rango now? I thought it was Earl." Sunny said her Varmint Rifle on her back. She crossed her arms and looked at The Courier. "Also, I know it was your plan to act scared but you actually looked pretty scared."
"So Sunny, he just must be a pretty good actor." Ringo defended The Courier.
"Ok, but why did you say please after those guys were beating up on you?" Sunny asked him intuitively "I mean, after what you did to those Geckos, I would've expected you to just beat them all with a pistol."
"Sunny, That thing that happened at The Ridge was luck. What do you think happened?" The Courier asked her.
"You jumped off the cliff and saved Nora."
"No, Sunny I fell off the cliff, accidentally bashing the skull of a Gecko and flailed my gun around hoping to survive." The Courier told her, explaining what actually happened.
"Then, what was with the whole 'I'm a mailman' thing?"
"I hit my head with my rifle and it jogged back some memories." THe Courier told her.
"Then what's your name?" Sunny asked her putting her index finger on his chest.
"I'm not saying."
"Why?"
"No need to." The Courier told her. He then grabbed Joe Cobb's shotgun off the ground and put it into his bag. "Now then I'm just going to take this and head over to Highway 93."
"What? Just like that you're gonna leave?" Sunny asked him.
"Yeah, I'm agreeing with Sunny on this. Stay awhile, I think we're going to hold a bit of a party at the saloon. You should come and have a drink with us." Ringo put his input into the conversation.
"No the guys who shot me are probably pretty far off already. If I want to catch up, I'll need to get moving now." The Courier explained to them.
"Alright then, just stay safe out there." Ringo told him "Who knows maybe we'll see each other again."
"With that voice of yours Ringo, I hope so." The Courier told him "And I hope to see you soon too, Ms. Smiles"
"Good luck, Earl, Rango or Whoever you are." Sunny told him
And with that The Courier took off and headed for the next stop in his journey for answers .
Please Read and Review