Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout. Fallout belongs to Bethesda, who purchased the rights from Black Isle.
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Fallout: New Vegas
Unknown Origins
By Cyberweasel89
Chapter 9: First Snow
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That night, the group got their usual rooms at the Wrangler. At just ten caps a room, there was enough for about two to a room. Like always, the pairings were Courier-Boone, Cass-Veronica, Arcade-Raul, Rocket-Neiila, while Skynet agreed to watch Edy and Rex in his own room while he brewed some RadAway and Fixer for the Followers. Evidently, the Followers were so impressed, they gave the robobrain a portable My First Chemistry Set.
The Courier lay in her room, lying under the covers and just staring at the ceiling. Boone was at the bar, and didn't plan on coming to bed for another hour. She was surprised with how often he saved her. There was the thugs in the alley, Orris, and though he hadn't exactly protected her, they couldn't have gotten the password to the supply relief effort without his knowledge of the NCR. She'd always dreamed of her own personal knight in shining armor, like the stories in Tales of Chivalrie. Could Boone be her knight?
The Courier looked around. Hm... She was alone in the room... Boone wouldn't be back for an hour... Sitting up, the Courier sat on the edge of the bed, reaching underneath her breasts to prod at her sex. Just a tap sent a shockwave coursing up her body. She wanted to see what... stupid boobs! She couldn't even see her own feet, let alone her own sex. Looking around, she spotted a handheld mirror on the bedside table. That'd do it. She grabbed it and held it down in front of her nethers, easily getting a good view as she prodded and rubbed. She was actually starting to get kinda steamy under the collar... She dropped the mirror and used her free hand to rub and fondle her breast, enjoying intense shockwaves from her chest as well as her loins. It was just as her mind was clouding over with the coming orgasm that she called out Boone's name... Only for the door to swing open and Boone to walk in just as she did so.
The Courier froze, as did the sniper. He said nothing, only chugging from his bottle of scotch and walking away. Her face beet red, she walked over and closed the door, retreating back under the covers of her bed.
That morning, she found Boone had bunked with Skynet, and was somewhat groggy come morning because of the smell of the chemicals the robobrain had been using.
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What she could tell, Rex was a mixed breed, but primarily German shepherd. The tag on his collar clearly named him as Rex, but... she had to wonder about the bull painted on his side. His doggie saddle bags that they purchased from Ralph proved useful for carrying excess supplies, so long as it wasn't filled with anything too heavy to hinder his combat prowess. He was behaving like a little angel on the way to Jacobstown, and even took down a cazadore for them. Surprisingly, they only ran into two of the poisonous insects, though they found a lot of them already dead along the road.
The group made their way up the trail into the mountains, and were largely unbothered aside from spotting several families of grazing bighorners. But the Courier was amazed when they got further up, and she saw pine trees!
"Guys! Look! Pine trees!" The Courier ran over, knocking on one and feeling its rough bark.
"You see trees all the time, Courier." Cass pointed out.
"I know, but they're always so dead and dried up! Look at these pine trees! They're so full of life! Just look at them! Say, it's getting late... c-can we camp in this grove for the night? Please?"
Boone sighed. "Whatever."
"Sure thing, Boss." Raul agreed.
So it was decided. Neiila cooked them a bighorner steak dinner. They had purchased a second tent from the Followers, considering how large their group was getting. Boone, Arcade, and Raul in one, the Courier, Cass, Veronica, Neiila, and Rocket in the other. The Courier couldn't help but realize that the women outnumbered the men by a three to five ratio. Well, if you didn't count Rex, Edy, Skynet, and Bess, all four of which were sleeping or patrolling outside. Though... she had to admit, Rocket would probably side with the boys if it came to a feminine versus masculine decision, so maybe it was about even if it ever came to a vote.
They continued their trek the next day, passing only a few mantises that were quickly dispatched. They enjoyed a lunch of grilled mantis legs before reaching Jacobstown, recognizable by the tall wooden walls and the two super mutants guarding the front. But the Courier was surprised to see some sort of... white stuff... covering the ground.
"What's that white stuff?" she asked. She pressed her hand to it. "It's cold."
"That's snow, Courier." Cass explained.
"Really? This is snow? Oh my! We... We... We have to have a snowball fight, or... make a snowman, or... make snow angels, or, or-"
"Breathe, Courier. Breathe." Veronica cautioned.
She took a deep breath. "I've just... Never seen snow before... at least, not that I remember. And I don't think I have, considering we live in a desert..."
"This place is high enough in the mountains that it actually gets snow." Arcade explained, adjusting his glasses as he spoke.
"Welcome to Jacobstown, humans. You're free to walk around, just don't stare at the nightkin. They don't like people looking at them. And if you're NCR, keep it to yourself. They're not popular around here."
They looked to see a super mutant approach them, wearing a headset and armor made from various junk metal.
"Um, hi. I'm the Courier. This is Boone, Cass, Veronica, Arcade, Raul, Rocket, Neiila, Skynet, Edy, Rex, and Bess."
"Name's Marcus. You have quite a diverse group with you, human."
"Thank you. Um... Neil told me about this town."
"Lot of the mutants here found out about Jacobstown because of Neil. Our isolation works against us sometimes."
"Well, he's doing a wonderful job, just so you know. Um... You mentioned not looking at the nightkin. Why?"
"Nightkin suffer schizophrenia from the stealth boys they're always using. One of the reasons I settled Jacobstown was so they could be cured. While they're in town, the nightkin aren't allowed to have stealth boys so their craziness doesn't get worse. Trouble is the nightkin don't like being visible, either. They don't take being exposed too well."
"Um... They hate not being invisible?"
"I suppose a good human analogy would be that to a nightkin, not being invisible is like being naked in public."
The Courier blushed. "Well... I guess I understand, then. Um... So why isn't the NCR liked around here?"
"Lot of bad blood between super mutants and humans. Goes back years. Some here still got the scars and memories. Me, I don't really have a problem with the NCR. Set their sights a little too high sometimes, but they try. Legion, that's another story."
"Legion? Why? What do you think of them, Mr. Marcus, sir?"
"Caesar thinks he can change human nature. Most of the Legion is following Caesar, not Caesar's ideals. When he's gone, it'll crumble. Might not happen overnight. Might take a few decades. But it'll happen. Basic human nature... greed, ambition, jealousy... will see to it."
"Um... are there any town rules we should know about?"
"Same as any civilized town. Don't start any fights or steal anything, we'll treat you fair. Not a lot to ask."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Um... What's the history of Jacobstown, Mr. Marcus, sir?"
"Was a resort Pre-War. I renamed it to Jacobstown after an old friend. Died a long time ago. I figured us mutants needed a place to call our own. Towns far enough away from humans so they don't bother us much. One of these days I'm hoping we can trade with the rest of the wasteland. No more fighting, just... get along."
"I hope so too."
"Really. Hard to find humans who don't hate mutants. Most have all kinds of misconceptions about us."
"Well, the way I see it, you're all just people, same as us."
The mutant smiled. "I think we'll get along, human."
The Courier smiled back. "I hope so. Um... Could you tell me a little about yourself, Mr. Marcus, sir?"
"Was part of a super mutant army. Ran a town. Walked the wasteland with a tribal. Now I'm here."
"Super mutant army?"
"Long story, so here's the short version. The Master created the super mutants and the nightkin. The Master thought he could unify everyone. No more differences, no more war. Didn't end well."
"Um... You were a mayor of a town? Like you are now?"
"Town was Broken Hills. Bunch of super mutants, humans, and ghouls all living together peacefully. Well, most of the time."
"That sounds like a paradise!"
"Wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Didn't end well, either."
"I'm sorry, sir. Um... you walked the wasteland with a tribal?"
"We were looking for a GECK to save the village of Arroyo. Eventually, we did. Nuked an oil rig in the process. The tribal ultimately came to be the savior and leader of Arroyo, turning the village into a bustling, successful town. We went separate ways after that. Inspired by Arroyo's success, I went east into the Rockies, looking for other mutants like myself."
"Oh! Then you founded Jacobstown! That's amazing!"
Marcus chuckled. "Thanks. If you say so, human."
"Wait... This is just a shot in the dark, but... I heard about a tribal that recruited a group that included a super mutant to stop the remnants of the Pre-War United States government. Was that this same tribal?"
Marcus smiled. "I can neither confirm nor deny that, human." But the Courier could tell by the twinkle in his eyes. She didn't know the full details, but as far as she was concerned, Marcus was a hero in more ways than one.
"Um... We're looking for Doctor Henry, sir."
"Doc's inside the lodge."
"Oh! Thanks so much, Mr. Marcus, sir!"
They made their way through the gate, but the Courier stopped when she saw Skynet just sitting there.
"Uh... Skynet? Aren't you coming?"
"Skynet will wait here." the robobrain explained.
"Um... You're not coming with us?"
"Skynet will wait here!" the robobrain repeated, louder.
"Are you sure?"
"Skynet will wait here. Skynet will join the human at a later time."
"Um... If you say so, Skynet. We'll go meet with Doctor Henry, then. You'll be able to find us inside the lodge."
As the Courier and her group made their way in, Marcus smirked at the robobrain. "She doesn't know, huh?"
"Skynet has not told the human. Skynet has no intention of telling the human."
"Well, that aside... It's really great to see you again, Skynet."
"S-S-Skynet is h-h-happy to see M-M-Marcus!"
The super mutant chuckled, walking forward and reaching out a hand to shake. Skynet accepted it, slipping his manipulator into Marcus's large fist and shaking.
"Definition. Handshake. Noun. A gripping and shaking of right hands by two individuals to symbolize greeting, agreement, congratulation, farewell, or mutual respect."
"Ah ha ha! You're still doing that?"
"DO-ING what?"
"That dictionary thing."
"Definition. Dictionary. Noun."
Marcus sighed, shaking his head but smiling. "Here we go again."
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"More humans. One was enough."
A nightkin spoke up the moment they entered the lodge. The Courier turned to him. "Um... Hi!"
"Bother someone else. I don't want anything to do with you."
She flinched back.
"Um... is the other human you mentioned Doctor Henry?"
"Yes. He's one of you. Go speak with him, instead of me."
"And who are you?"
"Keene. I represent the nightkin. Marcus may lead this town, but the nightkin listen to what I have to say. Doesn't mean I don't respect Marcus for what he's trying to do. However, he doesn't truly understand the difficulties of being a nightkin."
"Okay. Um... Are the nightkin here in town for the schizophrenia cure?"
"Yes! The stealth boys we use have cumulative, adverse effects on our minds. Jacobstown was supposed to be a sanctuary, a place to find a cure. Instead, we wait and wait. I'm sick of waiting!"
"Do you have a problem with humans, buddy?" Boone asked.
"Humans are always staring at things. We nightkin don't like being stared at. Is... is... uncomfortable."
"Uh... How does that make you different from some humans? I certainly don't like being stared at..."
"It is different! Right now, I'm trying very hard to remain civil, and you're not making it easy with your incessant questions!"
"Um... We'll just go see Doctor Henry, then. Bye, Mr. Keene."
"Finally."
They made their way to the room on the right, finding an older man and a ghoul woman ambling about what was clearly a lab, a dead nightstalker on the table. The Courier stepped up to the man. He looked away from his microscope to face her.
"I assume this is about something important? You're interrupting my research."
"Are you Doctor Henry?"
"Yes. Was with the Enclave. Left before its destruction, figured I could get one accomplishment in before I died, so I'm here, trying to cure the nightking. You need something?"
"Something's wrong with our cyberdog. We were told you were the one to see about that."
The Doctor took a look at Rex, walking over and giving him a once-over, even shining a flashlight in his eyes. "It's neural degradation. Bio-med gel can only preserve a living brain for so long, so you'll need to find a replacement brain. I haven't left Jacobstown for years, but there was one woman in Novac... Gibson? I remember her living with a pack of hounds."
"Oh! I've met her! Um... but I'm curious... what are you working on, Doctor Henry?"
"The nightkin have varying degrees of mental instability, due to their addiction to stealth boy use. I've been trying to come up with a cure. I'm currently investigating the local nightstalker population, since they seem to have developed a natural stealth field. I've also gotten my hands on a working stealth boy mark two prototype, but that experiment is riskier. I'd rather not pursue that research just yet."
"Why is the stealth boy mark two riskier?"
"The stealth field has been modulated to use less power and thus last longer, but for some reason it has pronounced negative effects on the user. However, these pronounced effects will allow me to pinpoint exactly what parts of the brain they're affecting. Unfortunately, I'll need to run the test on a live subject, and Marcus has encouraged me to investigate the local nightstalker mutation first."
The Courier swallowed hard. "Does stealth boy use hurt humans?"
"It's possible. But I've yet to see any hard evidence or hear of any cases where humans were negatively affected. It's negative effects are more pronounced on nightkin."
The Courier released a sigh of relief. "Well, I'd like to help in any way I can, Doctor Henry, sir."
"Really, now?" The doctor crossed his arm. "I suppose I have something you can do. I'm not convinced that the nightstalker mutation is a natural one, and I need someone to investigate their lair for proof. Some of the super mutants have looked around as well, but they've come back empty-handed. Perhaps a pair of fresh eyes will have better luck. Lily might be interested in coming with you. She's lost a few of her bighorners to nightstalker attacks and would enjoy a little revenge."
"Um... Lily?"
"Look for the nightkin in overalls and a sun hat. She should be helping tend to the bighorners."
"Okay. Um... What makes you think the nightstalker mutation isn't natural, though?"
"I've compared the brain chemistry of a nightkin to one of the local nightstalkers we killed. They both exhibit similar neurochemical changes. Now, I'm not claiming that nightstalkers are running around wearing stealth boys, mind you. I just don't think it's all a coincidence."
"Download complete. Begin recording." Every eye in the room turned to Edy. "Navarro outpost scientists, I am glad that ED-E has reached you. You will find several databanks of information on this machine. Please handle this information with the utmost care, as it represents the sum total of the results of my research on the duraframe eyebots. There are also several databanks with information on my research into Poseidon Energy, and some projects they were working on in the Mojave area."
"Uh... Did Edy just talk?" Veronica asked, dumbfounded.
"Oh. This happened once before at the Gibson scrap yard. Edy seems to have data on her that's triggered by certain keywords. Old Lady Gibson was pretty sure the phrase that triggered the first log was HELIOS One, where they're working on a solar project for Poseidon Energy."
"Then the word Enclave must have triggered it this time." Doctor Henry suggested. "That's an Enclave eyebot."
"Right. I'm not sure what to do with these logs, but once unlocked through the keywords, she can play them back again at any time."
"That's... really weird, kid." Boone remarked.
"I know. There's so much I don't know about Edy... Oh, but we have a job to do. Boone, please take Cass, Veronica, and Edy and head to Novac to talk to Old Lady Gibson. Ask her if any of her dogs are close to death and see if she'll let you have his brain."
"Gonna be a weird question, but okay. Let's go." Boone remarked. The four walked out of the room, heading for the door to the lodge.
"Raul, Arcade, Rocket, Neiila, we'll take Skynet and Lily and go check out the caves."
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They stepped outside and found Lily right where Doctor Henry said she'd be. She turned to face them as they approached. "Jimmy? Little Jimmy? My, how you're grown up! So good of you to come visit your grandma!"
The Courier was a bit taken aback. She quickly recovered and composed herself. "Um... Who's Jimmy?"
"Oh, Jimmy! Don't you go being silly now! Come over here and give your grandma some sugar!"
"Um... I think you have my confused with someone else..."
"I... Oh, of course I have, dearie. How silly of me. I didn't take my medicine yet today. How can I help you?"
"Um... We're looking into the nightstalker mutation. Doctor Henry said you might be interested in helping us."
"Oooo, those nightstalkers! Always killing my bighorners! It'll be nice to give them a piece of my mind!"
"Great! Let's go, then!"
They made their way to the gate to town, but Marcus stopped them. Boone, Cass, Veronica, Edy, and Skynet were waiting there too. "Got a problem. Could use your help. Been having trouble with NCR mercs harassing the town, and they just showed up again."
"Really? Uh... How have they been harassing the town?"
"Killing our bighorners, shooting at the lodge, that sort of thing. It's getting hard to keep people from retaliating."
"You're sure these mercenaries work for the NCR?"
"Guess I can't say for sure if they're NCR. Whoever they are, they want us dead or gone."
"Okay, what do you want me to do, Mr. Marcus, sir?"
"You're human. They might be willing to listen to what you have to say. Maybe. I'm not asking you to kill them. Just talk them into leaving. Hell, pay them off if you have to."
"I'll see what I can do, sir."
"Thanks."
"C'mon guys. Maybe if we all go together, we can intimidate them into leaving." The Courier suggested.
"Well, well. Our little Courier actually suggesting intimidation? Wow." Cass teased.
"Well... We have to think of something! Let's just try talking to them first."
The group headed a little ways down the road, finding several mercenaries positioned among the trees and along the road. The one in the center seemed to be the leader. "Our business is with the muties, not you." he told them.
"What do you want with Jacobstown?" The Courier asked him.
"Just doing what I'm paid to do. Harass the muties until they leave or attack us. If they leave, we let 'em go. If they attack, we wipe them out. Either way, the job's not done until they're cleared out of the town."
"Who are you doing this for?"
"Won't name names, but some important folks in the NCR are sick of muties attackin' their brahmin herds. They want them gone from NCR territory. Maybe this group had somethin' to do with attackin' brahmin, maybe not. Doesn't matter. We're gettin' paid to make them go away."
"Um... Go away or you'll have to deal with us, and you'll wish you were fighting super mutants." The Courier raised her fists in a combat-ready stance. The others took their cue and readied their weapons threateningly. The mercenary actually faltered.
"I've always know when to fight and when to back down, and it seems to me I ought to back down this time. My men and I are leaving. You won't see us around here again."
The Courier let out a sigh of relief. The man holstered his rifle on his back and gave a whistle to the men around him, waving them to follow him. She hurried back to Marcus.
"Um... You won't have any more trouble with those mercenaries, Mr. Marcus, sir."
"Good. Glad you didn't kill them. Letting them walk away proves we're not bloodthirsty mutants. If the NCR or anybody else is looking for an excuse to attack Jacobstown, they're not going to get it from us."
"Glad I could help. Uh... Mind if I ask what the story is with Keene?"
"Smart, charismatic. And hell of a mean streak. Doesn't care for humans. Prefers fighting them to talking. He's got a lot of pull with nightkin, though. He talks, they listen. Was hoping he could draw other nightkin to Jacobstown. Keene is saner than most, but I know he's thinking of going his own way again. He's aggressive, impatient. Can't stand sitting around."
"Why does Keene want to leave?"
"Because of a promise. One I haven't been able to keep. The nightkin all suffer from schizophrenia. It's the stealth boys they use. Used to use. Nightkin have a hard time being seen like normal folks. Can't stand it. A few already left to try and find more stealth boys. Miserable situation. They either stay here and suffer, or dig up stealth boys and lose their minds. Not much of a choice."
"What happens if Keene leaves?"
"That happens, there's a good chance other nightkin will follow. It'll make it hard to get a cure to them. Worse, if Keene and the nightkin tear up the Mojave hunting for stealth boys, people are going to get killed. Most humans can't tell the difference between mutants. Might come here looking for payback."
"I understand the situation. If you need anything from us, just ask."
Marcus smiled. "Heh. Always eager to help. Reminds me of someone I used to know. No wonder Skynet joined up with you."
"What?"
"Nevermind. It's not for me to say."
"Um... Okay, if you say so."
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Inside the cave, the only light source possible was from the Courier and Rocket's Pip-Boys. Otherwise, it was pitch black in there. Nightstalkers ambushed them all the way through, attacking them while invisible. Lily proved quite capable with some sort of sword that looked to be made from a vertibird propeller blade.
Eventually, they came to an inner cavern where they found a dead nightkin with a stealth boy lying next to him, which looked to have been chewed on. There was also a super sledge nearby that, while rusted, seemed modified to be more powerful than a standard super sledge. Skynet took an interest in it, and the nightkin that was using it was dead, so... yoink!
With chewed stealth boy in hand, the group made their way back out of the cave.
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Boone, Cass, and Veronica saw a peculiar sight as they approached the Gibson scrap yard. A man was talking to Old Lady Gibson. He turned and walked away as they drew closer, but stopped when he saw them.
"You there." He called in a deep, gravelly voice. He approached them. He seemed to be dressed in a black sleeveless duster with a black shirt underneath, baggy black pants, a pair of motorcycle boots, olive drab knee pads, some sort of tribal necklaces hanging from his neck, but... His right arm. It seemed to be entirely robotic, composed of clunky pieces of metal cobbled together into a fully functional artificial limb. His skin was a light brown, his black hair tied into long dreadlocks, but... he was wearing a mask. It looked like some sort of breathing mask that completely covered his mouth and nose, two vents protruding from either side of it. His height and build and the world weary look in his piercing brown eyes suggested he was at least in his late twenties, but he might have just experienced a lot of trying times in a short period. On his back was an eagle-tipped flag pole of all things, while a 12.7mm submachine gun was at his hip.
"Can we help you, buddy?" Cass asked him.
"Yes. Looking for a girl. Name Kaya Wylde. Fan of pistols. Typically wears cargo pants and tank tops. Likes to drink. Smoke. Shoot herself up with drugs. Gamble. Have sex with any man who takes her fancy. Aggressive, crude, no manners. Isn't afraid to cheat to get what she wants. Was hoping you might have seen her."
"You told us her personality. What's she look like?" Veronica asked.
"Of course. Short. Biracial. Red eyes. Mouth like a sailor. Very rough way of speaking."
"Sorry, don't know anyone like that." Boone told him.
"I see. You find her, tell her I'm looking for her."
"And you are?" Cass asked.
"Ulysses. What labels do you go by?"
"Boone."
"Cass."
"I'm Veronica, and that's Edy." The eyebot beeped.
The man's eyes narrowed at the eyebot, as if just noticing it was there and enraged by the sight of it for some reason. It passed just as fast as it came, and he nodded to them. "Good travels."
As he walked past them, they turned to watch him leave, seeing he had an emblem stitched into the back of his black duster. The flag of the Old World...
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The group entered the lodge and made their way to Doctor Henry. "You're back. Find anything?" he asked.
"Yeah. Uh... We found a chewed up stealth boy in the nightstalker lair." She handed it to him.
The doctor examined it, turning it over in his hand to look at it from all sides. "Hm... There's still power, but the casing is cracked." he observed. "I'm astonished that exposure to the stealth radiation could induce mutations so rapidly. More importantly, this explains why my research into this group of nightstalkers hasn't come up with a cure for the nightkin. There's only one avenue left for me. I need to run the mark two test on Lily. It's the only way."
"Um... What are the risks of the experiment?"
"Possibly immediate and permanent mental damage. There's a reason the stealth boy mark twos never got beyond the prototype stage. Lily already has a pre-existing condition, and the experiment will likely make things worse for her."
"Well... Why Lily and not some other nightkin?"
"Lily is eccentric, certainly, but I've never felt she was dangerous. More importantly, she asked if she could help me in some way. I've told her about the risks, and she still insists on helping me."
The Courier turned to Lily. "Um... Lily, do you still want to help Doctor Henry run his experiment?"
"Of course, dearie. I know it's dangerous, but it'll all turn out for the best, you'll see."
"Okay. I just hope you know what you're doing, Lily..."
"The equipment is all hooked up." Doctor Henry told her. "We can start whenever Lily is ready."
"Ready Lily?" the Courier asked her.
"You bet, pumpkin!"
"Very well." He turned to the Courier and her group. "Please stand back. I don't want any erroneous readings. You're welcome to stay and observe if you want, though."
The Courier nodded, moving to stand to the side with Arcade, Raul, Rocket, Neiila, and Skynet.
Calamity went to man the computer, while Doctor Henry instructed Lily to stand by the wall. "All right, power on the stealth boy, Lily."
"Turning it on." She pressed the button on the device on her wrist, turning invisible save for a faint shimmer of light. "Urgh... Feels strange. Strange but good." she explained.
"Interesting. Try thinking aggressive thoughts now. Think about smashing a radscorpion."
"Grrrr! Lily smash! Gyah ha ha!"
"How are those readings looking, Calamity?"
"Stealth field is unstable and scrambling things. The reading says gamma wave activity is zero. But that can't possibly be right. Gamma wave activity is... zero? That can't be right. Must be a result of the interference." the ghoul explained.
"All right, we're done here. Go ahead and power the stealth boy down, Lily."
The nightkin did so, becoming fully visible once more. "Awww... I liked having it on."
"I'll get back to you on that in a moment, once I've analyzed the results. Uh oh."
Keene burst into the room. "Well, well. Congratulations on getting the mark two prototype functional, Doctor. Now, just hand it over, and we'll be on our way."
The Courier ran up to him. "Stop! Please!"
"My request is perfectly reasonable. Give us the stealth boy specs, and there will be no need for us to splatter the room with your insides."
"What? What are you planning to do with them?"
"There are caches of stealth boys out there. With the mark two in hand, it shouldn't be difficult to upgrade every one of them."
"But... But the mark twos are even more dangerous than regular stealth boys!"
"Our lives, our decision to make. We're tired of sitting around in Jacobstown, waiting for a cure."
The Courier's eye teared up. "How... How can you be so selfish?"
Keene actually faltered. Did her eye glow red for a moment there? "What?"
"What you do in the wasteland affects all the mutants here! But you didn't think about that, did you?"
The nightkin paused, actually frowning. "No, I didn't... Not until now anyway... Uh... Very well, human. You've made your point. And I withdraw my... request."
"And?"
"Don't push your luck, human!"
"And?" she growled.
That eye was glowing red again! "And I'm... sorry."
"Thank you, Keene. I promise you, Doctor Henry will find a cure soon."
"Bah! We'll wait and see." He left the room, along with his two nightkin goons.
Doctor Henry breathed a sigh of relief, stepping up to her and shaking her hand. "Nice work with the nightkin. I've never seen anyone able to talk their kind out of anything once they had their mind set to it."
The Courier blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "Um... Y-You're welcome. Uh... How did the experiment go?"
"Oh! I got a lot of useful data from the experiment. I'm a lot closer to a cure than before, actually. It's occurred to me that this brief test might not yield a cure anytime soon. However, if Lily were to continue to wear the prototype...
"Skynet proposes using neuro-peptide stimulators on nightstalker brain. Skynet theorizes this would simulate living brain." the robobrain explained.
"That's..." The Courier held her breath. "Brilliant! Simple yet elegant! I can't believe I didn't think of that." She released it. "Your robobrain is amazing, kid!"
The Courier blushed. "Yeah, I know he is." She turned to Skynet, hugging him. "Thanks, Skynet. You're the best."
"W-W-WARM AND FUZ-Z-ZY!"
The Courier giggled.
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They ended up waiting in Jacobstown two weeks for Boone, Cass, Veronica, and Edy to return. The Courier greeted them when they arrived.
"Boone! Cass! Veronica! Edy!" She ran up and hugged the sniper. "Did you get a brain for Rex?"
"Yeah, kid. Old Lady Gibson gave us Rey's brain." He held up a small cooler that no doubt contained the organ.
"Great! Now we can save Rex!"
It took a day to perform the operation. As they got ready to head out, a different voice sounded from Edy's speaker.
"Uh... Hello? Hi. Are you there? Oh, right. You can't respond. Listen, I'm using your robot as a relay to get this message to you. I've picked up some unusual chatter regarding your robot. It seems that it has some information that we could use. Oh, wait. Where are my manners? This is Lorenzo, a Knight with the Brotherhood of Steel. We'd be very interested in examining your tech. Could you bring your robot to one of our patrols so they can examine it? I'll have the robot mark the location on your map."
A ping sounded on the Courier's Pip-Boy, and she looked to see the REPCONN headquarters building marked on her map, right near where the original Cassidy Caravans was destroyed.
"Know anything about this, Veronica?" the Courier asked the scribe.
"No clue. But I know Lorenzo. He's a good enough guy. He usually works pretty closely with the scribes."
"Hm... When we go to check out Cassidy Caravans, we should see if we can meet that patrol."
"By the way, are we really taking that nightkin with us?" the scribe continued.
"Yes!" the Courier snapped. "And her name is Lily!"
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As they were walking back down the mountain, the Courier decided to talk to Lily a bit.
"Say, um, Lily?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Such a curious little munchkin, aren't you? What do you want to know?"
"Well, to start off... how about you tell me about yourself, please?"
"Aww, someone wants to hear grandma's stories! What would you like to hear, pumpkin?"
"Um... Where are you from?"
"I grew up in Vault 17. I never even saw the sun until I was seventy-five years old. That was when super mutants raided the vault, and carried a lot of us off. Yes, Leo! I'm getting to that part! They made me one of them, and they put me to work in an army that was going to conquer California."
"You were a soldier?"
"A spy. Sometimes an assassin. I killed a lot of folks for the Master. Yes, Leo, you helped too."
"What happened?"
"That wicked old Master got what was coming to him, that's what! After his cathedral blew up, I decided it was high time to go home."
"Um... Where'd you get that sword? It almost looks like a vertibird propeller..."
"This old thing? Oh, I scavenged it off a wreck in Klamath. Leo showed me how to make it all ready for chopping, didn't you, Leo?"
"Uh... You keep mentioning someone named Leo. Who's he?"
"Leo is a very bad man, pumpkin. Yes you are, Leo! Don't try to deny it! He tells me to do things, terrible things, and sometimes the medicine isn't enough to keep him quiet."
"But... There's no one there." Veronica mentioned.
"Well, of course there is, dearie. How else could I hear him tell me who to chop?"
"So he's just a voice you hear in your head?" Cass asked. She took a swig from her flask.
"You shouldn't say things like that where Leo can hear you, dearie. He doesn't like it."
Uh oh. Everyone was getting creeped out. Quick, Kaya! "Anywho! So, Lily, you mentioned you were taking medicine. Um... What kind is it?"
"Doctor Henry calls them... 'anti-psychotics'. I don't know what they're supposed to do. They just make my memory fuzzy."
"Shit... is that what that big box of medicine bottles is in the wagon?" Boone asked.
"Yes, Doctor Henry gave me a whole year's supply when he heard I was leaving. Wasn't that sweet of him?"
"Good call on Lily, Courier! She's a blast!" Neiila chirped. The scary thing was... the Courier didn't think she was being sarcastic.
"You're being sarcastic, right?" Arcade asked.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry."
The Courier sighed. Skynet wasn't defining the word sarcasm... She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
XXXXXXXXXX
They stopped by the King's School of Impersonation to give Rex back, but he only explained they could hold onto the cyberdog a while longer as thanks for saving him. They picked up one last passport for Lily, spent one last night at the Atomic Wrangler, and finally made their way to the New Vegas strip.
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1. Robotic limbs do exist in the Fallout world. An NPC cut from Fallout 2 was meant to have a robotic hand that you could loot from his corpse.