Echo's of Eras Past
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A Fallout: New Vegas fanfic
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By Zombie Boy
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They came to us!
To defeat, kill, and make us rot away, or to be defeated, killed, and rot away themselves!
That is all! That is everything!
Alucard, Hellsing, by Kohta Hirano.
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Sara got a wake up call about fifteen minutes after sunrise the next morning when Boone sniped an inattentive Legionnaire with his anti material rifle.
"GYAAAAH!" she shrieked, flailing around. "What the hell?"
"Boone just body shot a Legionary." Molly told her as she panned her binoculars. "And good morning."
"What. The. Hell." Sara repeated, emphasizing each word as she sat up. "Are you out of your fucking minds?"
"According to some, yeah." Molly responded. "There's coffee and breakfast if you want it."
There was another concussive muzzle blast as Boone fired again. Sara shook her head and headed to the campfire. Breakfast turned out to be roasted Cram and pouring herself a cup of coffee, she took the last three chunks and scarfed them down.
Chugging the coffee, she grabbed her rifle and lay down next to Molly as Boone fired for a third time.
"Why are you guys shooting at the Legion?" Sara asked, squinting as she peered out over the sandbags. There were tiny black motes running around in The Fort, helpless and unable to return fire. "Didn't your mission go right?"
"Why not?" Molly asked. "And yeah, my mission did go right. We're doing this just to demoralize them."
"This seems like-" Sara started to say as Boone fired again. "As I was saying, this seems like you're kicking a Cazadore nest."
"We're almost a mile away." Molly answered. "Just what the fuck do you think that they can do about it?"
Sara winced as Boone fired again. "You think that you can hit anything from here?" she asked.
"Here." Molly said, handing Sara the binoculars.
Taking the binoculars, Sara trained them on the camp. The black motes resolved into vaguely humanoid shapes running around. As she looked over the camp, she saw three of them lying on the ground, not moving.
"Fuck." Sara swore and handed the binoculars back to Molly. "You actually can hit someone that far away."
"Uh huh." Molly said as she took the binoculars. ".50BMG. You'd be surprised at how easy it is to reach out and touch someone with it."
Sara looked over at where Boone was clicking fresh rounds into the rifle's magazine. "No spare mags?" she asked.
"Nope." Boone answered. "Didn't have any in stock."
"So how long are wee going to do this?" asked Sara. "This shooting at the Legion thing."
"Until we're outta ammo." Molly answered. "Which'll be in about fifteen rounds or so."
"Yay."
Oo000oo000oO
Sara missed it when Molly froze near the top of a hill and held up a fist. Boone saw her however, and grabbed Sara by the shoulder.
"Hold it." Boone said in a low voice.
"What the-" Sara started to say but Molly shushed her.
"Company." Molly told her. "Legion."
"I told you that it was a bad idea." Sara hissed at Molly as she went prone.
"It's a patrol." Molly whispered back at Sara. "Veteran and a bunch of rookies."
"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Sara asked as Molly set her rifle up.
"If they were hunting us they would've sent veterans." Boone told her in a low voice.
"If you two are done chatting, could you do me a favor and get your butts up here and back me up?" Molly told the two of them.
Sara unslung her rifle and Boone did the same. Crawling up to the top of the hill, Sara lay down on Molly's left and Boone to her right.
"Okay, Sara, here's what we're gonna do." Molly said as Sara got her rifle up. "I'm the primary shooter. Boone's the secondary." she explained. "You are gonna watch, and if things go wrong, you open up on them. Got that?"
Sara nodded once, and then Molly looked over at Boone, who was tightening down his newly acquired suppressor on his rifle.
"You ready?" she asked.
"I am now." Boone said as he shouldered his rifle.
"Okay." Molly said and took aim at the patrol. "On three. One, two, three."
Over the sights of her rifle Sara heard the muffled slap of Molly's rifle and watched as the rearmost Legionnaire crumpled to the ground. He hadn't even hit the ground when Molly fired again and the man in front crumpled. The third one in line was just starting to react when Sara heard a muffled, metallic, click and Molly swore under her breath.
The sound of Boone's shot mixed with the sounds of Molly racking the bolt on her rifle and ejected the dud round. The third man crumpled to the ground as Molly kept her hand on the charging handle and rode the bolt forward as Boone worked his rifle bolt.
Sara tightened the grip on her rifle as Boone and Molly fired almost simultaneously, dropping the fourth man and the veteran leading them.
"Okay, were clear." Molly said, startling Sara who hadn't realized that she'd tensed up.
"That's it?" Sara asked, lifting her head from the stock. "That's all?"
"Yep." Molly answered, lowering her rifle and looking down at the patrol. "That's it to a classical sniper ambush."
Sara's jaw dropped. "Fucking hell." she said.
"Yeah." Molly said as she started to stand up. "We're that good."
"Shit."
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Opening one of the dead Legionaries packs, Sara reached in and was rewarded with a fresh apple.
"Score." Sara said, looking at the fruit before taking a bite.
Munching on the apple, she dug out the rest of the contents of the guys pack, which were a twenty round box of twenty gauge shells of mixed type- slug, buck, and No 7 birdshot, another apple, a pear, a cloth bundle containing a loaf of bread, dried meat, and some honey drops.
There was some healing powder and bitter drink, a small leather journal that she kept for went and did number two, and a handful of denarius. Stuffing the contents back into the pack with the exception of the apple, which she started eating after finishing the first one.
Slinging the pack onto her back, Sara grabbed the mans shotgun and stood up as her companions finished looting the rest of the patrol.
"Hey, kid." Molly said.
"What d'ya want, fatass?" Sara asked around a mouthful of apple.
"First, don't talk with your mouth full." Molly said and held out her hand. "Second, here's your share." she added, handing Sara some Legion coinage.
Sara stared down at the silver and lone gold coin in her palm in confusion. "But I didn't do anything." she said, confused.
"You were our back up." Molly explained. "That was your job, and you did it. You earned those."
"Oh. Okay." Sara said, her tone saying that she was confused as to why anyone would want to do that for her.
Molly gave her a long look, decided that she'd talk about it later and shrugged. "Lets go." she said. "It's a long walk back to Vegas."
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They were walking along the cracked and crumbling blacktop, and as they walked along, Molly noticed that her two companions began to act odd, always glancing to their right, up at the ridge. It took her a bit to figure out why they were acting that way. It was when they neared the Bitter Springs Recreational Area that it clicked for her.
"Oh, crap." Molly thought. "I just lead them right next to Bitter Springs."
Molly saw Boone look up at the ridge looming above them and frown, Sara saw him looking and cleared her throat.
"Don't feel guilty on my account." she told him.
"Why?"Boone asked her.
"My parents died a week before it happened." she explained. "They were part of a raid on a Gun Runners caravan."
"You weren't-" Boone started to ask. "here?"
"Oh, I was." Sara told him. "It's just my parents were already dead by then."
"So how did you survive?" Boone asked her.
"I had gotten raped the day before." Sara explained, her face stony. "I was hiding in a supply cave."
Molly and Boone both started at how... casual she was in stating in how she survived.
"It was the first time for me." Sara added, she hugged herself for a moment. "Anyways, we're gonna want to get off the road when we get near Coyote Tail Ridge. There's deathclaws over there and we're gonna want to go north."
"Ah, Sara," Molly began.
"I'm fine." Sara said somewhat forcefully. "Let's worry about the deathclaws."
Molly sighed and glanced at Boone. He shrugged and they kept on walking.
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Sara was right about the deathclaws, as there was what looked like a dozen of them milling around an abandoned train yard abutting a rock quarry. They had to scramble up some rocky cliff sides and hillsides, but managed to keep clear of them and eventually were able to get back on the road just outside of Vegas.
They followed the road into the ruins of Vegas, all the way to the Crimson Caravan's compound.
"Okay." Molly said, bringing their little group to a halt. "I got some stuff I need to take care of at the Crimson Caravan." she said. "But first, follow me."
Molly then made a detour, heading to the Followers of the Apocalypse clinic that was nearby.
"What're we doing going to these guys?" Sara asked.
"I want those bruises you got looked at." Molly told her. "And get a checkup while we're at it.
"Why?" Sara asked.
"Basic human decency, for one." Molly said. "Second, you're too damn skinny. I felt your ribs, Sara. I want you looked at. If you're gonna run with me, that means I'm responsible for you."
"Who the hell put you in charge of me?" Sara demanded.
"I did." Molly told her. "You like eating, right?"
Sara was silent for several fuming seconds before she spoke. "I hate you." she said.
"But you love my food." Molly quipped as they entered the clinic.
The door had a strip of bells hanging on it that rang as she opened it, and inside the clinic there was an Asian woman who looked up from a book she was reading when they came in.
"Oh, hello there." she said, putting her book down. "May I help you?"
"Yeah." Molly said. "My friend here needs here her bruises looked at, and a checkup."
"Okay." the woman said, getting off of her stool. "I'm Doctor Usanagi. Whats your name?" she asked Sara.
"Sara." she replied.
"Have you been with us before?" Usanagi asked, her voice pleasant but professional.
Sara nodded once. "Yeah, after Bitter Springs." she said.
"Alright, you'll be in our databases then." Usanagi said. "Follow me please."
Molly watched as Sara followed the doctor into the back, then turned to Boone. "You mind waiting here for her?" she asked. "I'll give you the caps for the bill."
"Sure." Boone said, and headed for the chairs lining the one wall.
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When she got back to the clinic Usanagi wasn't done with her checkup of Sara, so Molly dropped her pack to the floor and waited next to Boone while he sat reading his book.
"What are you reading?" Molly asked.
"Don Quixote." Boone answered.
Molly arched an eyebrow at him. "You like tilting at windmills?" she asked.
"No." Boone answered.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Molly looked up and saw Usanagi standing in the doorway to the back.
"Yeah?" Molly asked.
"May I talk to you for a moment?" Usanagi asked. "In private."
"Sure." Molly said and got to her feet.
Usanagi pulled Molly into what looked like their surgery and closed the door.
"Okay, what is it?" Molly asked.
"How much do you know about your friend?" Usanagi asked.
"She's had it rough, I know that." Molly said. "She's pretty tight lipped about her past, for the most part."
Usanagi nodded and clasped her hands in front of her. "Sara is in good health, but she's underfed. The bruises on her face are non threatening, and she told me that been making sure that she's fed, so if that keeps up, she'll be fine." she said. "Her implant is in good condition, so she doesn't have to worry about that."
"Implant?" Molly asked. Words like implant made her skittish.
"That's part of the reason why I called you back here." Usanagi said. "We, of the Followers, have a policy of offering contraceptive implants to women and girls who are at risk of being sexually assaulted, to greatly reduce their chances of getting pregnant."
"I see." Molly said quietly. "She... mentioned that she'd been... assaulted right before Bitter Springs."
"That's why we gave her the implant." Usanagi said. "That's also why I called you back here.
During my checkup, I saw that she had been physically assaulted multiple times, in my conversation with her, she said that she had been sexually assaulted multiple times, and I'm fairly certain that she's been the victim of psychological abuse as well.
Furthermore, she's been prostituting herself just to make sure that she can get something to eat, she's been doing occasional chem abuse, and she is illiterate."
"Fuck." Molly said. She knew the girl had it bad, but not like this...
"You seemed to have taken her under your wing." Usanagi said. "As such, I'm begging you: Keep her away from the Khans. If she goes back to them, I don't think she'll live to see eighteen."
"Don't worry." Molly said. "I'll look after her."
"Good." Usanagi said. "I can write you up a list, and you obtain some educational materials for her."
"Thanks." Molly said, and Usanagi opened the door.
"Sara, you and I are gonna have a talk later on..."Molly thought grimly.
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When they left the clinic the sun had already gone down.
"Well guys, I think we should head back to the 38, don't you think" Molly asked.
"The 38?" Sara asked.
"The lucky 38." Molly clarified. "It's the casino Boone and I are staying at. You can see it right there." she added pointing to she distinctive spire of the Lucky 38 rising above Vegas.
"It's on the Strip?" Sara asked, a note of worry creeping into her voice.
"That a problem?" Molly asked.
"The guy who runs the Tops is on the Strip." Sara said. "He's... "
"He's dead." Molly told her. "I killed him."
"Good." Sara said.
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When they entered the 38, Sara shivered as the air conditioning hit her. "Why's it cold in here?" she asked.
"It's the air conditioning." Molly told her.
"What?" Sara asked.
"Air conditioning." Molly repeated. "The air is cooled and dehumidified. It's pre war tech."
"They had to have their air cooled down?" Sara asked. "Man, they were a bunch of pussies."
"Don't tell Mr House that." Molly told her.
"House- waitaminute, that Mr House?" Sara asked. "The guy who runs New Vegas?"
"Who do think owns this casino?" Molly asked. "Don't you know who owns the 38?"
"No." Sara answered. "The who's who of the Strip really ain't my concern."
"I'll tell you about it in a bit." Molly said. "In the meantime, I gotta go talk to House." she added, heading for the elevator.
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When she got up to the penthouse, Molly found the picture of House staring out from the giant monitor and the Securitrons in their usual places.
"Hey, I'm back." Molly announced.
"I can see that." House said. "I assume that it's safe to say that you've managed to upgrade the Securitrons at the Fort?" he asked.
"Yeah." Molly said. "I got in there, upgraded them, and got out." she said. "But you forgot to mention a few things. Like the Protectrons that were running around down there waiting to fry me."
"Yes." House said. "Unfortunately, I did not have a strong enough connection to be able to contact the mainframe at the bunker, so I was not able to deactivate them."
"There were terminals there that I could have deactivated them from." Molly shot back. "Or did you forget about those?"
"I'm over two hundred years old, Molly." House countered. "You tend to forget details after a while."
"Details are the color of the terminal's casing, House." Molly said. "To someone doing the bleeding, this is critical, need to know information. This happens again, we're gonna have a problem."
"I'll make sure that you're better informed next time." House told her.
"Man, you are a condescending asshole, you know that, House?" Molly thought. "Thank you." she said. "Now that's taken care of, you got another job for us?" she asked.
"I need you to talk to the Boomers." House told her. "I need them for my plans."
"The Boomers- those crazy assed tribals with the artillery?" Molly asked.
"Yes, those tribals." House said. "Rest assured, I know of the danger and I will compensate you and your companions handsomely for your efforts."
"That's not what I'm worried about." Molly shot back. "I'm more worried about getting blown up."
"If you can sneak into and out of the fort undetected, I think you can handle the Boomers." House said dismissively.
Sighing, Molly pinched her nose. "Is this time critical? I got some stuff to take care of."
"I would like it done as soon as possible, but, yes, there is some leeway here." House said.
"Thanks." Molly said. "And before we go, I want everything that you have on them." she added. "If I'm risking getting blown to kingdom come, I want every advantage I can get."
"That is not an unreasonable request." House observed. "See you soon."
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When she got back down to the Presidential Suite, Molly found Sara poking her way through the various strange (to her) things in the suite.
"Hey." Molly said, watching as Sara played with the shower in the bathroom.
"Hey, fatass." Sara answered, running her fingers through the shower heads stream.
"You know how to use that?" Molly asked.
Sara opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she realized that she didn't actually know how to use a shower.
"No." she answered truthfully.
"Oh." Molly said." Well, you can use the knobs there to adjust the pressure and temperature, and when you have it right, you step into the tub and scrub the layer of topsoil off."
"Huh." Sara said, looking at the stream. "Beats the hell out of using a bucket." she said.
"That it does." Molly replied. "You get that the way you want it. I'll get you some towels and some soap."
"Thanks." Sara said, completely engrossed with the shower head.
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End.
Authors note: And now we get to see a little bit more of Sara's background.
For those who I'm going overboard with what had happened to her, look up Sargent Bitter-Root's dialog about the Khans. The Great Khans are a bunch of better organized, chem dealing, Raiders. An orphan like Sara would not have a good time of it in the Khans.
Also, while what happened at Bitter Springs is terrible, they did provoke that attack by the NCR by harassing their civilians and trade. You do stuff like that, don't be surprised if you have a company of pissed off trooper kicking down your door.