Once David had left Lucky 38, an N.C.R. soldier was waiting for him to leave and stopped him in his tracks before he could even think about calling for Boone or Veronica. How the N.C.R. knew where or when David remained a mystery to him. Can't be spying on him. Though the stop 'n' chat was quick, he left David a note, it was a sealed envelope with a red stamp, seemed necessary.
David Wesker, I wish to speak with you immediately in regards to important matters.
I trust you have learned enough in your travels to know that the New California Republic is an honourable nation engaged in a beneficent mission In the Mojave in general and New Vegas in particular. It is an addition a wealthy nation that will reward persons who dedicate themselves for its national interests, whether for reasons patriotic or material. I stand ready to receive you at your earliest convenience in my offices at the New California Republic Embassy at the south side of the New Vegas strip.
God bless the New California Republic.
Dennis Crocker
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Department of state, New California Republic
"So the N.C.R. hopes to meet me in person, can't be a coincidence for them to find me here after talking with Mr House. What do they want with me?" David waved to Boone and Veronica. Boone was sat on the outside kerb waiting patiently. He was cleaning his rifle's barrel and polishing the scope's lens with Veronica behind him pestering him.
Veronica stood up to David. "Where are we heading, David?" she asked.
"The Tops."
"Nice. Can we do some gambling?" she begged.
"Not a bad idea. We'll do some later. I need to… cash someone out. You two just sit here; I'll be back."
Boone overheard David and Veronica though he never turned away from his rifle. "Whatever you say." He quietly mentioned, "Don't leave me with her alone for too long..."
The south side had two more casinos, the Ultra-Luxe – a well-funded, tailored and elegant gambling resort, and the Tops – a favourite casino for the just about everyone, an all-round casino/hotel experience.
Upon entering David was asked to hand over all of his ordnance and weaponry to the front desk. The Tops is a good looking place. Two vast areas with card tables and slots across all the sides and back. A bar upstairs near an elevator with some choice entertainment inside was a hotspot. In the far back of the casino was a man in a white "daisy suit" was stood with four men in white striped suits. Chairmen. Though not armoured and wielding small calibre handguns, starting a bloodbath wasn't the best way to handle things on Mr House's behalf. Negative publicity.
David really had a choice between an easy bloody way that would cause a scene or a dull diplomatic approach with a daring exit. To deal with Benny David went to see his underling Swank behind the front desk. A gentleman in his mid-thirties with a clean suit as white as sin.
"Can you point me to Swank please?"
"You're talking to him pal. Welcome to the Tops, what can I do for you?"
"Mr House has hired me to deal with a problem he's having with Benny…"
"Really? So you just walk in saying you're working for Mr House and I just believe it? Sorry, no can do. If the big man has a problem, he needs to give me a heads up first."
"There isn't much time for that."
"Why?" Swank folded his arms and didn't believe David's story too well.
"Benny stole a platinum chip from Mr House. He sent me to retrieve it personally."
"That chip he's been flashing up in my face? He couldn't have stolen from House, what kind of punk would steal from the big cheese?"
"That's what House told me."
"Jesus, I can't believe it. After everything House did for the Chairmen?"
"If you still don't believe me, I can just go and get Mr House down here…"
"Look, man, don't do that, I'm already on bad terms with him. I don't personally believe you, but I do know we have a serious problem on our hands. I've been itching to get back at that asshole for all the shit he's been doing lately… I guess it would be a shame if something happened to him." Swank handed David his weapons from the secret stack behind the counter. They were all taken out one by one from a steel footlocker. "Here's you shit back man, in case you have any trouble 'talking' to him. I'll let the Chairmen know about his mutiny against House, and to look the other way. For the record, I knew he was up to something when he went started looking for couriers…"
"What was this about couriers?"
"He just investigates the Mojave Express time to time, the cargo, shipments and the couriers themselves."
Must have something to do with Courier Six. "Okay, I'll handle the problem we're having, and then we're square.
David's only concern was the platinum chip and nothing else at this point. The fact Benny was a two-timing clown, which was a good enough reason just to kill him anyway. Anyone caught dead in a daisy suit like that was asking to be obliterated. David strutted to Benny while he overlooked from the upstair's balcony, he instantly noticed David coming up the stairs to him.
Full armour and armed with weapons that can be pulled out at a second notice, Benny would have reason to quiver knowing that the man at the reception desk just let in a partially unstable mercenary.
Benny was startled but still spoke with his charm, "Holy shit! When they said a guy from the 38 was coming to the Tops, I figured I'd have time to bail. Guess I was wrong."
"Sounds about right."
"What can I do for you, baby?" Benny said in a no homo way, with his deceiving charm. One that was smooth and slimy as a snake, a waste of good charisma.
"The platinum chip. Hand it over."
"How about we have a little chat over a drink, baby? There's more to this caper that meets the eye."
"There is nothing you can say to convince me." David folded his arms. "The platinum chip or you're dead."
"Is this about House? Did he send you to rub me out? Listen, tough guy, you're on the Chairmen's turf now, and you don't want to piss them off. Not without hearing what I have to say."
"It's been a loooong day. Let's just wrap this up and get to the fun part where I kill you."
David whipped out his Model 1887 from the pouch on his back and shot Benny's chest in, the 20 gauge buck blew open his checked suit and sprayed blood all over his smug face, and with bits of his chest and ribs digging into the carpet. Oddly his four bodyguards just stood on by without moving an inch, either they accepted his fate or obeyed Swank's order to look the other way. Guess he kept his word, shame David smeared blood all over the stairs and stirred up some of the gamblers. Apart from the occasion shouting and cries they just scattered like cockroaches.
David pried the platinum chip from Benny's crooked fingers, then went to see what he had in his pockets. In his checked suit was an 18-carat gold Browning HP, with an image of Our Lady of Quadalupe on the pearl grip. David doesn't know much about his family's beliefs and religions, and he only heard of this lady through word of mouth from his Christian father.
It was a very nice handgun with a definite sense of resale value, better than the regular model, so David replaced his old 9mm Browning. After that it was the right time to leave before Swank gets in an uproar over the bloody mess and disturbance he left regarding Benny, so he bailed straight away back to House. Swank never even tried to stop his leaving.
The kerb outside of Lucky 38 was empty. Boone and Veronica were no longer there. The kerb where Boone sat was empty. To David's left at the side outside the different casino, Gomorrah, there were two young female erotic dancers, naked and baring it all – excluding some leather undergarments complete with some chains. One was tan with a short cropped black, hair and the other was Caucasian with a blonde ponytail.
The blonde waved her finger at David signalling him to come closer, with some scepticism he made sure she wanted what he thought she wanted. Yes. She wanted him to come to her. She saw he was a mercenary and she took the honour of rubbing down his chest with her small hands and grinding her long legs that reached around his backside. She bent over and presented her tight butt for him to relish.
She must be some part-timer prostitute as a dancer, she let David cop a feel of her firm ass and continued to dance and grind all over him erotically. David would need a lot of alcohol to dance like an idiot for a random stranger. While he gave her a small taste and danced with her, she advertised and recommended he pay a visit to Gomorrah to get lucky. He made quite a sight and said he might come by later. David was on the job, and it's business before pleasure, unfortunately.
From all the way at the top of the high horse, House changed his monitor back to his true identity and continued their dealing as if nothing changed. Only this time his ex-protégé has been relieved of his duty, and a great burden was lifted from the Strip. The Securitrons watched David like a hawk. He didn't mind that.
"Mr Wesker," Victor said, "Enjoyed your tomfoolery?"
"Who the hell says that? Who actually, says that these days?"
"If you could refrain from being distracted by local women that would be great. I trust you took care my problem?"
David slid down the stairs' polished bannister and shown Victor the platinum chip. "Does… this answer your question?" He flipped the chip like a standard coin without batting an eye. He does it a lot, but this chip was heavier than a common coin.
"Yes, it most certainly does. Would you kindly hand it over?"
"Sure. Here you go." David held out the platinum chip under Victor's monitor and let one of the Securitrons that stood by to take it from his open hand. It rolled back away on its single wheel.
"Finally! Decades of hiring scavengers to salvage that damned town Sunnydale has finally ended. It was originally to be hand delivered to me on October 23rd, 2077, the day after its development. However, that was the day the Great War began, suffice to say the delivery was never made because of Miss Ashford's impeccable timing. She must've used the Great War as a last resort to stop the delivery."
"What happens now?"
"A cascade of events… You will know soon enough; you'll play a big part in it after all. I only ask you to take the same elevator upstairs down to the very bottom level."
"What's down there?"
"The future of robotic engineering."
"Not right now. Let's discuss my payment if you please…"
"We can save it as a surprise for later, just this once. A deal is a deal."
Victor's monitor displayed three people's dossiers. One was a blond man in white in his late-twenties. Another was a brunette hooded woman, mid-twenties. Lastly was a tanned auburn woman in armour, early twenties. Victor enlarged the first dossier.
"Here we are. Here is the distant ancestor of your cousin Joshua. His great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson. An intellectual man by the name of Gannon, Arcade Gannon. Last seen living in the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside." Victor swapped out the dossier for the second person. "You might know this woman, a distant descendant of your other cousin Blayne, his great-great-great-great..." He sighed. "Let's not stray into the details for now. Where was I? Oh yes. Blayne's granddaughter. A curious, caring and keen woman by the name of Santiego, Veronica Santiego…"
David perked up his shoulders quickly. "Wait wait what? She's my…"
"Distant grandniece, yes. As a member of the Brotherhood, her exact location is uncertain. Looks like she's outside the Lucky 38 with another gentleman. It seems you've already met. Fitting… My surveillance footage is showing me that she's already making an idiot of herself outside with the dancers outside. Oh yeah, she's Wesker material. Like I've seen earlier…" Victor collapsed Veronica's dossier to show footage of her dancing outside the Lucky 38. She was either lacked rhythm or was just drunk, neither of them was sure. It was erotic in a similar fashion to David's earlier, involved grinding and even some groping. David didn't know how to feel. "Learns from the best I suppose."
"Dammit Veronica," David said under his breath. "What a cliché. Why do I feel like I'm in a video game that no one's playing?"
Victor collapsed the video player and enlarged the last dossier. "Then this cliché will top this off rather nicely. Lastly, your descendant, David. Your great-great-great-great… you get it. Courtesy of your Sanford and my Isabella. Naturally, he would be together with my other disappointment of a daughter."
"I have a descendant! That's amazing," David smiled, then slowly faded into a frown. "That makes us in-laws, though. Ugh! That's disgusting."
"Back to your descendant. This lovely kind generous soul of a woman has quite a track record in the Capital a few years back. Anyhow, she is Sunderland, Sunny Sunderland."
The image was relatively new, it was in colour, and the woman looked a lot like someone he only met days ago. "Strange… She looks a lot like Sunny Smiles. Wait a sec… Are they the same person? Who the hell's Sunderland?"
"Oh of course. How could I forget? Sunny Smiles had her name changed five years ago before coming to the Mojave. The dossier I have on her uses her birth name, my mistake."
"Sunny Smiles? I cannot believe this. How is this possible for us two to be related?"
Victor collapsed all of the dossiers and went back to his default image. The unsettling face of a senile Russian monster. "Throughout the years the entirety of the Wesker family found refuge under the N.C.R., that was until the N.C.R. began having wars with other factions like the Khans and Brotherhood. Wars like that split up all of their separate families onto three different paths: Brotherhood, N.C.R. and Vault-Tec. War once again tore the family apart. Originally from Vault 101, she is now living under the new name of Smiles, in the small town of Goodsprings. I will print off their dossiers for your convenience. You will be pleased to know that the family trees will be present also."
"That's great! Thank you, Victor." An old printer or scanner below Victor's monitor started printing off papers. Like a traditional pre-war library printer.
"Your appreciation is noted, but welcome."
David quickly folded the papers and slipped them inside his armour. "A deal is a deal. Let's hear your offer."
"Excellent! The next step will require your skills in espionage and infiltration to continue further."
"Where will the infiltration take place?"
"Caesar's camp at Fortification Hill."
"Caesar? Caesar's Legion? That's just plain suicide."
"Infiltration and espionage is the key, Mr Wesker."
"I'm not sure… I'm a bit rusty at espionage. Try calling my wife… Ohhhh, wait. She's dead..."
"Your outlook on life is… bitter..."
"Whatevs, I'm a widow. What does any of this have to offer me, personally?"
"I can tell you it is not crude money; there will be plenty of that. I'm only providing a ground floor opportunity in the biggest enterprise on Earth. A future for you and what's left of the human race."
"I'm going to need some time to process your offer, gotta sincerely consider continued partnership for a day or two. Last I even heard of you and your… infamy I especially despised you. You cannot expect me to fold this soon. And in the meantime, I got family ties to straighten out."
"Very well. I'm not the same heartless monster I was hundreds of years ago, I learned to preserve humanity and work with them. In any case, I will give you the time you require, as we agreed, as a show of good faith. Return to me when you wish to continue where we left off. I'm sure you won't regret it."
"That's all I need right now."
"Well enough, you missed far too much of this world. You need time to comprehend your actions; I can respect that decision. I only require you keep our offer in secrecy, it is very confidential and could lead to an unfortunate accident…"
"Well I'm not going use it as a bragging right, that's for sure." David walks away up the stairs, back to the elevator. "You will hear from me soon."
"In your lifetime I hope so. Do not keep me waiting, Mr Wesker."
Outside on the Strip, straight away David noticed a large crowd of strippers and dancers outside Gomorrah, they were a mix of males and females. Boone was sat on the kerb outside the Lucky 38 waiting patiently but for some reason had his sights fixed on the strippers. Was he into that? With a frown and a glare, Boone was bored as fuck, it was evident. David sat next to him on the kerb.
Veronica was still dancing and prancing around like a major idiot. And to think she carries the Wesker bloodline in her veins, that's a super creepy thought itself. Wesker dancing? How painful. If he were still around, God-forbid, he'd sooner sleep with a woman he found in any way attractive and kill her the next day, rather than watch her dance like an imbecile.
Bad enough he flirted and slept with their Hungarian maid, Vivian back at home that time. What a flirtatious bastard, she did more than clean his safehouse and worked overtime. Wasn't the first girl he played this little game with.
"Boone."
Boone smiled. "David."
"Like what you see?"
"What? The strippers?"
"Who else?"
"Yeah, I'm having the time of my life," Boone muttered sarcastically, losing his smile. One smile he wasn't visually uncomfortable with.
"Where's Veronica?"
"Where do you think? Why else would I be watching a crowd of strippers? She's right in the middle of it."
"She's dancing with the strippers?"
"Don't ask… Picture an entire mind-numbing hour of this."
"Was it an hour already? I didn't notice." David checks the time on his watch; it was very close to half-two in the afternoon. It was okay, as far as timing is concerned. "Just out of curiosity, do you have a crush on Veronica by any chance?"
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Boone said instantly. He made good on his promise. "What did the big cheese want with you anyway?"
"Just to have a private talk. We need to go to the Mormon Fort to see a long lost friend. Then the Crimson Caravan for some work."
"Short on caps?"
"Could say that."