The Diary of Courier Six

Chapter 7: Always waking alone

Everyone was accounted for. Christine, a calm and collective woman. Despite not being able to speak she had proved to be a very comforting and helpful companion to Jenny. Next was God or Dog depending on who you spoke to. He was a broken minded being much like herself. Though unlike her, God had broke his personality into two. One was scared and would take orders much like a dog and the other was stubborn and strong minded. That was God. She first ran into a glimpse of Dog sitting in the cage rocking back and forth, but after finding the key and opening it. The Super Mutant had buried that personality and she then met God. He was first very hard to get along with, but the longer she had spent time with him. The more she could relate. She never once tried forcing the other personality out to do her bidding. Which she believed helped earn the trust of her Super Mutant Companion. Last of all was Dean. He was the first she met but the longest she traveled with. The grand event had been initiated and Jenny had pushed her way into the Casino. That's when things had turned for the worse. After entering the casino, her world had grown hazy. Much like that of the time she first entered the abandoned bunker from what seemed many nights ago. She was beginning to disconnect from how much time she had spent in hell.

Jenny felt her body collapse, everything growing dark around her. Her consciousness slipping away. Darkness had claimed her once more. Nobody had came to her side. Nobody had called her out from this darkness. She was alone…always alone.

The woman woke with a nasty headache. She had been moved. She was no longer anywhere close from where she had collapsed earlier. Sitting up, Jenny reached up to immediately feel in the bandana that ever adorned her forehead was still there. For her relief it was. Sighing hard, she slowly rose up to her feet and stretched out her arms. That's when the silence was broken.

"Ahhh you are awake."

It was her captor, Elijah.

"Should I be excited you are?" Jenny snorted.

"Now isn't the time for sarcasm. You are so close to cracking that vault wide open." Elijah's voice grew stern.

"Where are my companions." Jenny sighed.

"Does that matter?" Elijah almost snickered.

"I said where are my companions!" Jenny snapped.

"They are around the casino. You will just have to look around for them. But don't take too long. I need you to get into that vault."

The voice clicked off of her pipboy.

She was alone again.

Jenny cleared her throat. Reaching around to her pocket. She pulled out a small pack of cigarettes. Flipping back the top. She pulled a cigarette out and lit it. Slipping the pack back into her pocket. She took a long drag and slowly blew it out, her dark eyes slowly closing. She felt annoyed and needed to take the edge off. She knew smoking wasn't good for her. What was it going to do, give her cancer. She was already exposed to high amounts of radiation every day. Smoking was the last thing she was concerned about. Holding the cigarette loosely between her lips the woman slowly made her way down the hallway. She could hear the moans and groans of the ghost people but they had seemed far off and in the distance. She felt more safe inside the casino. At least the gas wasn't as thick here. Pulling the staff off of her shoulder, she held it close in both hands. The woman took small drags from the cigarette between her lips. That's when she caught a glimpse of one of the holograms in her eye. She had seen one of these before. They moved around almost like they were alive. She couldn't remember though. It wasn't like the hologram of Vera over the fountain. Sighing softly the woman knew this was one puzzle piece from many of the missing pieces in her memories. Following the wall, Jenny slipped into a room and closed the door behind her. Looking around she saw many couches pushed up against the sides. A cold empty fireplace adorned the far wall of the room. She knew she needed to rest and gather her thoughts. Standing up straight. She took a final drag from her cigarette and threw the butt into the empty fireplace. Left over embers dancing as the cigarette slowly burned out. Turning herself. Jenny braced her form against the arm of one of the couches and pushed it in front of the door, blocking it.

Moving away from it. The woman walked over to the far corner of the room and slowly sank down to the floor. Sighing hard, she reached up and slowly untied the bandana off of her forehead, laying it down next to her. Reaching up Jenny ran her fingers over the deep scars that ran messily over her forehead. She could never figure out where they came from or how she got them. Only bits of memories of her discovering them fresh popped up in her mind but never the reason why. It had always been a complete mystery to her. She obsessed over it. Raking her hands through her sandy blonde hair. Jenny leaned her head back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. Honestly she felt closer then ever to being able to leave this hell. She didn't know how this would all turn out, or if she would even complete what needed to be done but she was beginning to boil up a plan.

After all of this was said and done. Jenny felt like she could get her answers from visiting one particular place. Somewhere she hadn't been for a long time. Some place she knew had turned into a wreckage. Shrugging the thought off of her shoulders. She reached down and tied the bandana back around her forehead, covering those scars up once more.

#

"With that… peculiar scar on your forehead. I believe that is what corrected the autodocs operation. Why you haven't turned into a mindless brute like the others." A fuzzy voice recalled in the woman's head.

Mindless brute. She didn't know what it meant but she sure felt like it after receiving that news.

Jenny gasped, waking up. She placed both of her hands over her forehead and shook her head. The dreams were beginning to get more and more common every time she slept. Sadly she didn't have her journal with her to write everything down like she normally did. Hopefully her taking mental notes on all of this would help her create a timeline when she got back to Camp Forlorn Hope. If she would even remember them by the time she got back. If she got back.

#

The woman had found all of her companions and got them settled. After talking with Elijah Jenny had made her way down to the vault and opened up the computer screen. Everything had been unlocked for the world to take. Yet the woman wasn't tempted to take the gold bars sitting there next to her. It didn't matter to her. She wanted to get out alive.

"It seems like you have got in." Elijah's voice called out from the screen.

"Now that I am here. Are you coming down?" Jenny inquired.

"What you think I am stupid?" Elijah snapped.

"No, Elijah I don't. Look I don't care about what is in the vault. I don't care about splitting shares or whatever you had planned. I don't care about what is in this vault. I just want to go home. So please come down so nobody else takes what is in here. Its all yours." Jenny's voice grew smooth. She was coaxing him. Leading him into a trap.

He took it.

Just like Benny took his trap.

This would be the second life Jenny had claimed due to that silver tongue she had. Hearing the old man climb down the long set of stairs. Jenny had crouched herself low and slowly stepped out of the vault, closing the door behind her. Watching as the man entered the vault, the woman slowly snuck out. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Just as the man realized he had been tricked and he was alone. Jenny was riding the elevator up and out of the vault. Leaving the old psycho to die by himself with those treasures he had always lusted for.

The elevator lead right to the Villa. Right up to the fountain where she had first woken up to. All 3 of her companions had been waiting for her to arrive. All of them full of hope that the end was soon in sight. Just as Jenny arrived all of their bomb collars had turned off. Wasting no time the woman ripped the collar off and threw it down on the ground. She was a free woman once more.

All of them said their goodbyes to each other. Jenny had learned to appreciate each of her companions equally. All of them had qualities that had helped get her through this hell. Something that she knew she wouldn't be able to let go of. Everyone had something they had a hard time letting go of in the Madre and this was hers.

#

Jenny was met immediately with a warm hug from Raul the moment she arrived back at the camp. The old Ghoul had grown concerned about her. Her random disappearance had seemed to send a small ripple in the Mojave. She had told the NCR that the abandoned bunker had led to the Sierra Madre some how but to stay far away due to the noxious gases and dangerous locals. Raul had never left her side. It was admirable but Jenny knew she needed to talk with him that evening before she set out once more. Making her rounds around the camp, it was nice to see the blue sky again. The warm sun felt welcoming on her pale skin. She honestly felt more thankful then ever to be alive and free from that place. Yet with each waking the moment, the sun began to set and Jenny needed to part ways.

Making her way back to their small camp. The woman sunk down onto her sleeping back and sighed inwardly. It felt so good to be away from that hell hole, it felt good to see others again. Others that didn't immediately attack her or misjudge her. Jenny tucked her feet under her form, her dark hues gazing down at the small fire Raul built up for the both of them. Raul sat on the other side, stoking the fire a bit before gazing up at Jenny.

"Raul.. I think we need to split up after tonight." It hurt to tell him that. She had left him worrying the past week to only want to split again. At least then he could head back home.

"Boss.. I understand." His voice was quiet.

"You can.. Either head home or my home in Novac is open to you if you want." Jenny tipped her head hoping he would take her offer. At least she had a real bed he could sleep in, unlike his worn mattress back at his shack.

"As long as you don't send me back to Black Mountain. I am a happy old man." Raul gave Jenny a weak smile nodding at her.

"Thank you." She smiled warmly.

Gathering her journal and belongings. She packed it all away in her pack. Tonight she would sleep at the camp and head off first thing in the morning. She was going to visit the Divide.

Authors Note:

Well that story arc got a bit skippy, sorry about that but I've decided to take the story in a bit more of a solid direction. The next few chapters should have less scene cuts that are more fleshed out. Thank you for sticking with me this long! Happy Reading!