Three Years after the Defeat of the Legion and the NCR at Hoover Dam.
NVR Year 2
Chapter 3
1
A suspiciously friendly NCR diplomat had informed the Courier about an Enclave communiqué that a group of Rangers had taken from a spy captured in Shady Sands. In it, it was suggested that New Vegas might be susceptible to a vertibird attack. The communiqué was partially damaged, and the spy had given no further information before his execution.
He had brought the information to Mr. House immediately, even though he was unsure of its usefulness. After all, there was no way of knowing how old it might be. What disturbed him was the possibility that it might, in actuality, be an NCR ploy to re-gain some of their lost influence in the Mojave.
Mr. House agreed that it was, most likely, an NCR plot. However, he was not one to wait and see. He immediately began making preparations for a possible attack. His roof mounted laser cannons were operational, of course, but might prove somewhat ineffective against targets that could change course at will.
Mr. House needed something else.
"I have a job for you."
The Courier was ready for the assignment.
. . .
The Courier, along with ED-E, travelled to Nellis. Unlike the old days, there were Securitrons, and human members of the NVR military, patrolling the roadways. Merchants, newly able to enter the Boomer stronghold, passed by – weapons holstered. With the new security, few caravans felt the need to inch along, constantly scanning for danger, and shipments back and forth had sped up considerably.
The Boomers bought and sold weapons and foodstuffs, and occasionally sold their knowledge. What Mr. House wanted, though, was something much bigger. He knew about the B-29, of course, and realized that the Boomers might be able to provide the one product that New Vegas was lacking. The Courier was sent to procure this product – no matter the price.
Pearl was pleased to see him, and even gently scolded him for staying away so long. She was aware that he had come for more than a visit, and he suspected she knew what it was he wanted.
"You want our plane."
No, she didn't know – not exactly.
"No, Pearl. We want your fuel." She seemed a bit taken aback by the admission, obviously having thought that Mr. House intended to take her beloved B-29 away from her people. "And your help."
"Tell me, Child."
So he explained it to her: The fear of an air attack by the Enclave, the lack of any real aerial defense, and the seriousness with which Mr. House took the safety of the NVR. He added a bit of his own, something he had not cleared with Mr. House, but which he thought would guarantee the cooperation of the Boomers.
"There are dozens of planes at McCarran. If you'll supply the fuel, and the pilots, the planes are yours – so long as you come to our aid if we need you."
. . .
So it happened that the Boomers procured a fleet of planes and, according to the agreement, these planes made daily rounds over the Strip, as well as the major cities of the Mojave. Mr. House was somewhat displeased with the Courier for giving away the old-world bounty of McCarran, but was mollified when he realized that, at some point, Ellis would become a part of the NVR.
. . .
Pearl had asked him to visit Pete at the museum. She beamed as she told him that he would be most interested in what he found. Though there was much work to be done, and though Mr. House was certainly expecting him to return quickly, he could not resist his curiosity and made it a point to stop before he left.
Nellis was certainly benefitting from the new peace. The Boomers were still somewhat reluctant to befriend "savages", but they didn't seem to have a problem trading with them. They had even gone so far as to construct a rest stop for the caravans on the far side of the base. As the Boomers grew more comfortable with outsiders, and their wares, they would grow dependent upon them.
Those Boomers that passed by him seemed more awestruck than usual. The Courier knew that he was well thought of by most of the reclusive tribe, but the adulation seemed to have grown far beyond mere respect. As he arrived at the museum he concluded that it was, perhaps, the greater visibility he had achieved since the founding of the NVR that had raised his reputation amongst them.
That is, until he stepped into the museum…
One wall, as always, contained the history of the Boomers and their hoped for future. The opposite wall, however, was no longer empty. On that wall was an image of the Courier, his arm outstretched towards what was obviously a plane floating on the surface of Lake Mead. The image was quite detailed, unlike the historical paintings, and portrayed the Courier with a look of peaceful determination on his face, and the faint suggestion of beams of light emanating from his body. The B-29 was surrounded by some form of energy – obviously to imply that his "powers" raised the plane from its watery grave.
Below the image, in large block letters, was written: "HE MADE OUR DREAMS COME TRUE".
Pete was not there, which relieved the Courier immensely. The image disturbed him far more than the passive hero worship of the citizens of the NVR.
. . .
"Your move."
Mr. House waited for the Courier to make his move, and when none was forthcoming he knew that something was wrong.
"I know that you've never been the most competent Chess player, but you do, at least, usually pay attention to the game."
The modified chess board, which allowed Mr. House to manipulate his pieces with the use of a robotic hand, was unchanged. The Courier did not have his mind on the game, and was not even attempting to make a show of playing.
"Well? I'm waiting."
The Courier looked up at the unchanging image of Mr. House, vaguely condescending as always. It was at times like this that he wished the image could display what House was actually feeling.
"The Boomers seem to be developing an unhealthy…worship… of me. It's…disconcerting."
As he listened to the description of the mural, Mr. House realized that it was the perfect means to his end –namely to gain control of Nellis, its planes, and the Boomer biodiesel production plant.
"Well, it may be disturbing, but it plays into our hands perfectly. This is an excellent opportunity to annex the base, to return the McCarran bounty to our control. Better still, with their "love" for you, we can take them without shedding a drop of blood. Vegas will have an air force, a supply of fuel, and the best trained pilots in the Mojave – all in one stroke."
He was right. There was no doubt in the Courier's mind that the Boomers would submit to the NVR if he told them it was the right thing to do. The few grumblers would be quickly overruled –especially if the Boomers still had control, more or less, of their beloved planes.
"I'll make sure they see the light."
"Well enough."
. . .
The attack came in the morning, but it was over almost before it had begun. Two vertibirds screamed over New Vegas – launching missiles, terrifying all those that were awake to see. Oddly, the vertibird attack seemed to center on the not yet rebuilt ruins of South Vegas. Minor damage was done to the former NCR embassy and the Monorail station, but nothing of consequence was irreparably damaged.
Two Securitrons were the only casualties.
Mr. House had underestimated the effectiveness of his rooftop laser canon defense system, and the two enemy vertibirds were shot out of the sky before they could complete a third pass over the city. It seemed that this particular enemy had very poor, or no, intelligence on the NVR as the Boomer fly over was due to arrive at any moment, and the pilots seemed unaware that the Lucky 38 had any defenses at all.
Both craft crashed in the desert on the outskirts of the city, but NVR military personnel were only able to salvage one – the other having been nearly totaled. The remains of the pilot of the surviving vertibird proved that the attack was orchestrated by the NCR – the man's dog tags were intact.
Mr. House was inconsolable - his anger approaching levels that the Courier had never seen, or even imagined. It was all he could do to get him to acknowledge that the attack was a ploy, just as he had earlier believed.
"Send a message to the NCR. Tell them that, until further notice, citizens of the NCR are forbidden to enter NVR territory. The Brahmin Barons won't be happy, I assure you. When they discover that their own government's actions caused them to be banned from New Vegas – they'll act. See to it that they find out."
The screen went blank.
Mr. House had spoken.
. . .
In the following weeks, the NCR president resigned. Shortly after, the NCR vice-president followed suit and tendered her resignation. The new president immediately sent word to New Vegas, disavowing the actions of the previous administration. She even suggested that reparation payments might be offered if Mr. House would lift the ban on travel. NVR agents told a much different story. According to their reports, the Brahmin Barons had refused to supply their products until such time as the government made thing right. It seemed that a week or two of hunger was enough to make the citizens of the NCR firmly suggest a change in government.
After ignoring NCR pleas for another week, Mr. House finally reversed his decision and formally re-opened relations with them. The offer of ridiculously high reparation payments certainly did a lot to assuage his anger.
Mr. House announced yet another victory over the NCR to the people of New Vegas, and the roaring crowds could be heard from anywhere in the city.
With the extra influx of caps, the rebuilding of South Vegas could begin. Thanks to the NCR, demolition costs would be much lower.
. . .
The Courier was flying!
The Boomers had insisted on giving him an aerial tour of NVR controlled lands, and he had, somewhat reluctantly, agreed. At first he didn't want to open his eyes, but once his stomach settled and his ears popped (an alarming feeling!) he cautiously looked to see an amazing panoramic view of the Mojave.
He was astounded at the beauty of the harsh place, and exhilarated at seeing monuments he recognized –but from above!
As the Boomer pilot was about to turn back towards McCarran, the Courier was struck with a sudden jolt of inspiration: he knew of the perfect gift for Mr. House. He gave general directions to the pilot, and within a few moments, the alien ship came into view. The Boomer, astounded by the sight, nearly flew into the mountainside.
Pleased that the ship was still intact, the Courier ordered the Boomer to land.
Two hours later, 20 Securitrons and twice as many NVR soldiers had arrived at the location, and the salvage had begun.
Mr. House, in a Securitron body, was exhilarated by the sight of the alien vessel. The new technology would serve him well.