Chapter 26: Memories

Cross had to hurry; Boone would realize she was gone quickly. She had enlisted Veronica to be a distraction but that would only last so long. She was panting by the time she finally got back to the Lucky 38. She rushed into the elevator and tried to catch her breath. At the top she stepped out only to be met by Boone.

"I thought we were leaving this morning." He said.

"We are." Cross said with a smile. "I just had an errand to run. You ready?" Boone nodded in reply. Cross grabbed her prepared pack from the foyer and slipped her prize inside discretely. She then headed into the elevator beside Boone.

"Where were you?" Boone asked as they rode the elevator down.

Cross had hoped he wouldn't ask that. "I wanted to confirm a few things with Michael Angelo about the photos." It was a blatant lie.

"Oh." Was all Boone replied.

Neither spoke again until they were out in the wasteland under the hot morning sun.

"What do you think about the ambassador's request?" Cross asked as she kicked a rock and watched it skitter across the sand.

"Think its suicide." Boone replied sternly.

She considered his words. "I think I might do it." She said quietly.

"All that effort to save you from your father and you're just going to throw your life away now?"

"I don't take this lightly, Boone. You know more about the Boomers than I do. What can you tell me about them?"

Boone sighed as he walked and shook his head. "When the NCR came to the Mojave, the Boomers already had their reputation. Everyone knew if you crossed that line in the canyon they start firing. The NCR got the picture after sending the first squad. After that, they tried long range communication tactics but nothing worked. Every group in the Mojave has tried making contact but the Boomers aren't interested in talking."

"So no one ever goes there?"

"The occasional scavenger maybe. Everyone else gave up making contact a long time ago."

"Huh." Cross huffed in surprise. "If no one tries maybe I could catch them by surprise."

"You mean we." Boone said sternly, glancing over at her.

"No, I mean I." She saw Boone narrow his eyes at her. "I'm faster than you."

"Two targets mean they'd need to divide their firepower."

"Boone." Cross replied exasperatedly.

"I'm coming with you."

"We'll see." She said with a shrug as they walked toward the 188 in the dying light.

Cross had managed to contain her excitement for five days but she knew she wouldn't be able to hold it in another whole day. So she sat, nearly giddy with excitement, and watched the sun rise. In her lap was a small flat object wrapped in a red bandanna. She tried not to fiddle with it as she waited.

Eventually the rising sun woke Boone and he sat up.

"You didn't need to keep watch." He said when he saw she was already up. "The 188 is safe enough."

"Couldn't sleep." Cross answered excitedly. "Do you know what day it is, Boone?"

He stopped mid-stretch to answer. "End of March? Or the beginning of April. Why are you asking me? You're the one with the Pip-Boy."

"It's March 31st."

"Oh." Was all he said.

"Oh? That's it, just oh?" Cross looked her partner in the eye. "Oh. You wouldn't have told me." She said sadly, looking down at the dirt.

"Told you what?" Boone asked, seemingly confused.

Cross considered carefully. Her excitement had been snuffed out by the fact that Boone probably wouldn't have even mentioned his birthday to her. Maybe he didn't want to celebrate it. Maybe it wasn't important to him. Maybe he didn't want her to know. "It's just…" She began then sighed. "Nevermind." She reached over and pulled her pack closer to her so she could stow the present away. Maybe another time would be better.

"What's going on?" Boone said sternly.

"It's nothing."

"It's definitely something. You've been acting weird since we left the Strip."

"Have I?" Cross asked in surprise.

"Why won't you tell me what's going on? I thought you trusted me."

"What?" Cross's head shot up in surprise. "It's nothing like that! It's just…" Cross sighed in defeat. "I've done this wrong, haven't I?" Cross got to her feet, holding the bandanna wrapped gift in two hands. She took the two steps needed to stand over Boone. She offered him a sad smile as she held out the gift. "Happy birthday, Boone."

"What?" Boone said flatly. He stared at the gift in Cross's hands.

"It is March 31st, right?" Cross asked.

"Yeah..."

"So, happy birthday!" Cross still held out the gift to him. "Unless you don't want it?"

"No. It's not that." He said quickly. "It's just… I haven't celebrated my birthday since… before I left California. How did you even know?"

"The ambassador." Cross explained. "Did I do this wrong?" She asked, finally lowering the offered present that Boone still hadn't taken. "I wanted to surprise you. I thought I knew but I guess-"

Boone interrupted. "Cross. You did it right. I am surprised. More than surprised. But you didn't have to go out of your way to get me something."

"I wanted to." Cross said happily. Tentatively, she held out the present again. This time, Boone took it with a smile. Cross sat down beside him, grinning ear to ear. She'd done it right. Boone just sat looking at the present in his hands for several moments. "Well, aren't you gonna open it?"

"Oh, right." Boone pulled back the bandanna to reveal a glassless picture frame with a photo in it. The photo was black and white. It showed a dozen waitresses from the Tops Theater posing for the camera. The waitress Cross had spoken with said the blond on the end was Carla. Cross had snatched the photo off the wall the moment the waitress had pointed it out. Then she had bartered for it. "Where did you…" Boone began haltingly but trailed off, his eyes fixed on the picture in his hands.

"The Tops." Cross provided. Then she waited as Boone simply stared at the picture.

"I… don't know what to say."

"I take it the waitress didn't lie to me and that is Carla?" Boone simply nodded in reply. "She really was beautiful. I'm glad I got to see what she looked like."

"I never thought I'd see her face again." Boone said sadly.

Cross looked at Boone who was still staring down at the picture. "I hope it doesn't make you too sad."

"No. It reminds me of before." Boone finally tore his eyes off the picture in his hands and looked up at Cross. "Thank you."

Cross smiled happily back at him. "You're welcome." The smile dropped from Cross's face as a thought struck her. "I just realized." She began. "I didn't even consider. You might not want to go back to Novac. If you'd rather-"

"It's alright." Boone cut in. "We're just passing through, right?"

"Right. Snap a photo, resupply and move on." Cross confirmed.

"Let's go then."

Cross and Boone let the 188 soon after and walked south until midday, when Six's Pip-Boy made a funny beep and caught them both by surprise, stopping them in their tracks.

"What does that mean?" Boone asked.

"I have no idea." Cross replied as she tinkered with the wrist mounted gadget. Eventually she found the flashing tab and brought up the radio page. "Huh. There's a new radio station." Cross flicked on the radio and tuned in.

A sultry, female voice came from the Pip-Boy's speaker. "Has your life taken a turn? Do troubles beset you? Has fortune left you behind? If so, the Sierra Madre Casino, in all its glory, is inviting you to begin again. Come to a place where wealth, excitement and intrigue await around every corner. Stroll along the winding streets of our beautiful resort, make new friends, or rekindle old flames. Let your eyes take in the luxurious expanse of the open desert under clear star-lit skies. Gaze straight on into the sunset from our villa rooftops. Countless diversions await: Gamble in our casino, take in the theater, or stay in one of our exclusive executive suites that will shelter you and cater to your every whim. So if life's worries have weighed you down, if you need an escape from your troubles, or if you just need an opportunity to begin again, join us, let go, and leave the world behind at the Sierra Madre grand opening this October... We'll be waiting."

"Sierra Madre?" Cross repeated aloud. "Sounds old world."

"I guess its back." Boone sighed.

"What's back?"

"The broadcast." Boone began. "The Sierra Madre's a myth. Been around since long before the NCR came to the Mojave. The broadcast starts up randomly and goes for a random amount of time before it shuts off again. Lots of scavvers have gone after that signal. No one's ever come back."

"Huh. According to my Pip-boy the signal is coming from south of Forlorn Hope. Since we're here anyways…"

"You wanna go look."

"Can't hurt to just look." Cross said with a shrug and started walking again.

It was early evening when they finally saw the dinosaur in the distance. As they entered the town, a vaguely familiar man in a red beret approached them. Cross strained her memory and managed to fit a name to the former First Recon sniper: Manny, Boone's old partner.

"Well, well. Look what the molerat dragged in." Manny said as he stopped in front of them.

"Manny." Boone greeted roughly.

"Gotta admit, I figured you were dead when we couldn't find you." Manny said with a shrug. "Until I caught up on the army gossip anyways. Patrols have been keeping me pretty up to date. I take it this is the little hellion I've heard so much about." He fixed his eyes on Cross.

"Sable Cross." Cross provided.

Manny looked Cross up and down. "Guess you got over Carla."

"Drop it, Manny." Boone said sternly. "You lost my respect when you smiled when I told you Carla was gone."

"If that's the case, what the hell are you doing back here?"

"Passing through." Cross informed him. "We'll be leaving once we get what we need."

"Whatever." Manny shrugged and turned and walked away.

"Let's get that photo and then hustle to Forlorn hope." Cross said when Manny was far enough away. "I don't want to stay here."

"Agreed." Boone said with a nod.

Cross ran out in front of the dinosaur and pulled the camera out of her pack. She brought the camera's scope up to her eye and adjusted her position until the dinosaur was in the full frame. Then she pressed the button. The camera made a few mechanical noises then it slowly spat at a stiff and blank card sized object. She then watched in awe as the colour image appeared on the card. When she looked up she noticed Boone was looking over her shoulder.

"That's amazing!" She laughed.

"Yeah. It is." Boone said pensively.

Cross's brows drew down at Boone's tone. "Something wrong?"

"No. Wait here for a minute." Boone said and jogged into the town. He came back a few minutes later with a Ranger in patrol armour. "Give Andy the camera." Boone said when they got close.

"Alright." Cross agreed in confusion. She handed the camera over to the Ranger. When it was out of her hands, Boone grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her toward the foot of the dinosaur. Then he put a heavy arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. She noticed Andy had the camera up.

"Smile!" Andy said loudly. Cross smiled for the photo and a moment later the camera made the mechanical noises again and spat out the photo.

"Thanks, Andy." Boone said as he walked over and took back the camera and the photo.

"No, problem. Keep up the good work you two." Andy said happily and headed back into town. Cross watched as the photo in Boone's hand slowly developed. The picture showed her and Boone, both smiling and armed to the teeth.

"Do you mind if I keep this?" Boone asked, indicating the photo as he handed the camera back to Cross.

"Of course not. It's your birthday!" Cross answered with a smile. Boone nodded in thanks, then pulled the picture of Carla out of his pack and placed the picture of him and Cross in the frame over the girls he didn't know. "We done here?" Cross asked when he was finished.

"Yeah let's go." He answered and they headed east.

Boone slowly came to in a crumpled heap on a cold metal floor. He blinked a few times to try and clear his fuzzy eyes and foggy mind. Where was he? Finally his eyes cleared and he recognized where he was. The bunker. He and Cross had followed the Sierra Madre broadcast to this bunker where… Shit! Boone forced his stiff muscles to cooperate and he pushed himself up.

"Cross?" He called out as he looked around the dark and empty bunker. "Cross!" He called again when he got no reply. Boone could barely see it was so dark. When they'd entered the bunker, Cross had lit the way with her Pip-boy. Boone fumbled through his pack in the dark, searching for his lighter. He finally found it and flicked the flint. The bunker was the exact same as if was when they'd first entered it. There was nothing in it other than a table with a radio on it. Only now, the radio was silent instead of playing the weird broadcast they had followed. Boone checked himself and his gear and found everything was accounted for. With his rifle over his shoulder and his pistol in his hand he carefully got to his feet. He began to search the bunker as thoroughly as he could in the minimal light. He slowly made his way around the twenty by twenty foot room

"Cross!" He called again. Again, he got no response. He searched as much of the bunker as he could in the near dark and eventually tried to get the radio to work only to find it was dead. When he was convinced there was nothing else in the bunker, he headed for the surface.

Boone climbed the ladder and forced the hatch open. He was immediately blinded by the bright daylight. Judging by the sun, the gas they triggered had probably knocked him out for a few hours. Once his eyes adjusted he looked for a trail. He found no other tracks to the hatch except for the ones from their arrival.

"Cross!" Boone called at the top of his lungs.