The next few days passed in a similar fashion; Christine would drink until she couldn't stand herself anymore, then crash in a spare bunk one of the troopers offered her, then get up and repeat it all the next morning. Her supply of caps was beginning to run low, though she didn't doubt that the bartender had taken one look at her scarred, brooding face and would do whatever was within reason to keep her happy.
She knew she'd need to move on eventually, find other places to go, maybe become a caravan guard or a mercenary, but she couldn't shake the hope that she'd get through. Christine pretended that wasn't a cover-up for feeling like she'd failed.
A few days after she'd arrived at the outpost, Christine was staring down into her alcohol and wondering what her chances would be if she tried to head east. Caesar's Legion was in the way, and she knew she'd probably get ripped apart before she could find a place to hide.
A horn sounded outside the building and everyone jerked to attention, some of the soldiers getting rifles ready and heading outside and others craning their necks to see out of the windows.
"Aw, hell, we got problems!" an NCR soldier moaned as he looked out of the window. "Soldier ants and scorps comin' up the hill!"
Christine scoffed into her glass, playing it off as a cough when the barkeeper shot her a confused look. It was no wonder Caesar was going to crush NCR if they were scared of a few mutated bugs.
Plenty of the soldiers started all but panicking, though, and that was enough to catch the bald woman's attention. She downed the last of her drink and got up to see what all the fuss was about. Rather than even try to fight for a spot near the window, Christine headed out of the bar and into the compound.
She was a head shorter than everyone else, as usual, and couldn't see anything past everyone else's armored shoulders. The NCR soldiers were forming a defensive line just inside the fence, but none of them looked too eager to put themselves in danger.
Christine wanted to have a word with their commanding officer about the solders' cowardice, but however the NCR trained their soldiers wasn't really of any concern to her. She pushed through the line and studied the compound, spying the insects cresting the hill. She had plenty of time to do something, and a glance around the compound gave her an idea of what she was going to do.
Much to the distress of the NCR soldiers, Christine opened the gate and walked out across the dusty road, heading to the remains of an old semi truck. Someone behind her hurriedly pulled the gate shut, but Christine paid them no mind, jogging around the truck to find the emergency ladder. She scaled it quickly, crawling along the top of the trailer and settling in. Sprawled out on her stomach, she pulled her rifle off her back and took aim as the mutated insects approached.
Her first shot cracked through the air and went wide, and Christine scowled through the sight and adjusted slightly. Her next bullet hit its mark and a bark scorpion flew to pieces. She grinned to herself and began picking off the rest of the bugs; despite everything she'd been through, she could still shoot. Finally, she was able to do something she enjoyed that Elijah hadn't stolen from her. Christine continued her careful squeezing of the trigger, her shots soon joined by the distinctive sound of a sniper rifle.
The rest of the attacking insects didn't stand a chance and just as Christine emptied her clip, the other sniper took out the last radscorpion.
The soldiers that had been so terrified moments ago started cheering and many dispersed back to their barracks. Christine rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to berate them. She reloaded her rifle so it would be ready in case she needed it, then slipped off the trailer and stretched.
The sniper that she'd been working with stood on the roof of the barracks, rifle in her hands. She lifted her hat to Christine, who waved in response, and returned to watching the road for attackers.
Christine was full of energy; she'd been useful for the first time in what felt like forever. The heat was oppressive and draining, but the bald woman was almost positive she could have taken down an entire squad of armed soldiers if she had the opportunity. A glance around the outpost put a stop to that; the dusty compound was once again dead and suffocating.
Christine frowned and shouldered her rifle, heading over to move the carcasses. Many of the bugs had been blown to pieces, which made them far easier to move; most of the giant radscorpions were just as big as she was. It didn't take long for her to work up a sweat, and by the time the job was done, she was in desperate need of a shower. Christine wiped the sweat out of her eyes as she returned to the building, surprised when a few of the soldiers clapped her on the shoulder or gave her appreciative smiles. Friendliness from NCR was still disconcerting, even though she had no reason to be against them anymore.
The bald woman stopped in the barracks to shower, the water that came spitting out of the pipes warm and not terribly refreshing. She sighed to herself, wondering whether or not she'd made the right decision in not returning to the Circle. At the very least, they had good running water.
She pondered the ups and downs of rejoining the sect, wondering how her elders would react to know that she hadn't been the one to end Elijah. The Circle was strict and terribly efficient. If they ordered a mission completed, it would be done, plain and simple. Elijah had made it complicated, throwing all sorts of twists and obstacles in her path; efficient was not a word she'd use to describe her chase of the old man. To top it all off, Six had been the one to actually complete the job, leaving Christine with nothing to show for herself but the broken shell she'd become. Returning to the Circle would be nothing short of shameful, and Christine didn't want to think about letting anyone else down. She'd already failed her parents and let Veronica down; disappointing the Circle was unthinkable. She'd be better off dead, and knew going back would never be an option.
Christine found herself back in the bar a few hours later, sipping at another drink and trying to forget who she was. A few more soldiers came to thank or congratulate her, but most left her alone when they saw the brooding look on her face.
Night fell at some point while Christine pretended it was possible to drown in a shot of whiskey, only obvious because of the troops coming in and out of the barracks. She sensed when everyone else went quiet and looked up to see the sniper that she'd helped earlier entering the bar.
The woman pulled off her sunglasses and tucked them in her breast pocket, studying the occupants of the building for a moment before striding toward Christine.
The scarred woman gave the sniper a wary nod of acknowledgement, not sure whether she was in trouble or not.
"You do nice work," the pale woman commented, giving Christine an admiring nod. "Haven't seen shooting like that since First Recon showed their stuff."
Christine shrugged. "Just something I was trained for."
The woman laughed. "Doubt scorp hunting was your main goal, but I'm glad all the same. Woulda been hell taking all them on with these rookies that barely know which end of their rifle goes 'bang.'" She waved the bartender over and bought Christine a drink, grinning at the bald woman lazily. "Gotta have some way to thank you."
Christine studied the woman for a moment. For being NCR, she wasn't bad. She almost reminded Christine of some of her fellows in the Circle, and a trace of a smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "Thanks."
The woman nodded and lit up a cigarette, puffing on it a few times. "Got a name?"
Christine sipped at the glass cradled in her hand. "Royce."
"Ghost," the pale sniper returned, extending her empty hand to shake.
They sat in silence for a while, sizing each other up silently.
"You look like hell," Ghost informed Christine.
The scarred woman nodded once, not even bothered by the bluntness. "Had a bad run in with an Auto-doc."
Ghost hissed sympathetically. "Gimme a real doc any day. Don't trust those robots as far as I can throw 'em, and between you and me, those things weigh a fuckton."
Christine gave a bitter snort and downed the drink Ghost had gotten for her.
Neither of them said anything and Ghost ordered a shot, tossing a few caps on the counter while the bartender poured. The pale woman didn't touch the drink for a moment, studying Christine out of the corner of her eye.
"Ever thought about joining up? I'm stuck here instead of at the dam," Ghost explained bitterly, "but everyone knows the war's comin'. Be real nice to have a sharpshooter like you on our side."
Christine scoffed. "Don't think I'm quite what you're looking for."
Ghost didn't answer, just frowned down at her shot before gulping it down and wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "Give it some thought, will ya? I've got connections if you decide you want in." She clapped Christine on the shoulder as she left, heading back out to her post.
The idea was ridiculous to Christine. What NCR soldier would want to join ranks with a former Brotherhood member? If it was reversed, Christine knew any NCR soldier hoping to join the Brotherhood would be laughed out of the Mojave. Then again, she mused, she'd be shunned by the Brotherhood too, so the reverse wasn't exactly an equal comparison.
Christine swirled the amber liquid in her glass disgruntledly, thinking hard and trying not to all at the same time. With a sigh, she lifted the glass to her lips and swallowed the last of her drink, setting the glass aside and heading off to the barracks.
Sleep came slowly, and she tossed and turned all night long. She woke with a hangover pounding in her skull and a curious urge in her brain.
It was obvious to her that war was looming, and until it was over, the gate was going to stay shut. Christine didn't know how long that would take, but she was already getting fed up with waiting for an opportunity to get through. Her shot at rejoining a Brotherhood chapter was slim, and Christine didn't know if it'd be worth the long trip to the Core region. She'd imagined a hundred different ways she'd get rejected and a life as a mercenary in NCR territory would be nearly impossible.
Christine knew she was good at combat; it was what she'd trained for for the majority of her life. She loved the focus and precision sniping required, but she could hold her own in just about any situation. Giving up what she knew she was good at because one group didn't like her much felt wrong, and Christine wondered what exactly she had to lose.
The sun was still low in the east when Christine wandered out into the compound and to the roof of the bar.
Ghost was leaning against the wall, obviously bored as she puffed at her cigarette.
Christine walked up beside her quietly, not sure what to say.
A smirk grew on the pale sniper's face. "Yeah, you definitely trained well. Didn't even hear you coming up the ramp." She glanced over at Christine and studied her for a moment but remained quiet.
"Had to be quiet for my mission," Christine explained, following Ghost's gaze to the horizon. "Did some thinking."
"And?" Ghost turned a curious eye on the bald woman, blue-gray smoke curling out of her mouth.
Words seemed to stick in Christine's throat. "I'm... considering it." She watched as Ghost nodded once, trying to figure out what she wanted from the situation before being caught looking like a fool. "Got a few things I'd need to get straight about serving, but I'm considering it."
Ghost's smirk came back for a few seconds. "Okay." She didn't say anything else, just taking a drag on her cigarette and watching the desert for enemies.
"I'm not NCR," Christine said finally, uneasy in the silence Ghost seemed so comfortable in.
Ghost just shrugged. "I could tell. You're too wary around here to be NCR. So long as you're not Legion, doubt anyone's gonna care."
Christine wasn't sure about that and tried to change the subject slightly. "You never asked where I trained."
"You're good, what does it matter?"
"Does it matter if it was with the Brotherhood of Steel?" Christine's retort hung in the air between the women for a moment, and the bald woman hardly realized she was holding her breath.
Ghost was quiet. "Your CO must've been proud of you," she offered finally. "Why'd you leave?"
Christine felt her shoulders relax at the easy acceptance. Maybe she was making the right choice after all. "Exiled. Our Elder didn't like that I... Well, he didn't like that I was dating his female apprentice." Visions of Veronica danced in her head, but Christine forced them away with a sigh.
"Sounds like a backward kinda guy," Ghost responded, sounding almost sympathetic.
Christine scoffed. "He did try to hold Helios."
Ghost laughed at that. "That guy? Hell, no wonder! That bastard was a stubborn ass. Everyone lost more men than we needed to, and all for a couple hundred broken solar panels." She shrugged and turned another curious gaze on Christine. "Brotherhood or not, shouldn't be a problem. Some courier talked Colonel Moore into writing up a peace treaty with the Brotherhood. Rumor has it they'll be fighting on our side at the dam, but I dunno if I'd count on that."
That was news to the scarred woman and she filed it away to think about later. "Not sure I want to enlist as a full time soldier," she admitted, watching Ghost's lack of a reaction. "You think there's any way I can sign up for the battle at the dam and get out after that?"
Ghost nodded simply. "Entire Legion's coming at us; we're gonna take any help we can get. They'll probably wanna run you through boot camp, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem. 'Sides, I can probably pull a few strings for you." She winked at Christine conspiratorially.
Christine cracked a grin. "I'd appreciate it. I'm in."
Ghost extended a hand to shake, smiling all the while. "I'll talk to Jackson and tell him to set it all up for you. Dunno if you've got anything to pack, but I'd get on that if I was you. They're probably gonna want to ship you out ASAP."
Christine nodded and they talked a little more before she headed down the ramp and back to the barracks. It was a strange idea, fighting for NCR, but she had a purpose again, and part of her couldn't wait to be back on the battlefield where she belonged.
