Sunny Smiles sat huddled alone on the dusty ground in front of a small campfire. She had lost everything she had ever known, her whole way of life, even her best friend Cheyenne, when the Powder Gangers came to Goodsprings.
A split log of radiation blasted wood burned through the middle and shifted in the concrete block lined fire ring, sending a shower of tiny glowing embers dancing into the night air. Sunny watched them swirl upwards and die one by one against the dark sky. She shivered even though the fire was warm, feeling a deep sense of loneliness settle into her chest. The outlaw Joe Cobb and his band of cutthroats had taken over the town and killed everyone who had resisted. Sunny had fought bravely and watched as her whole community, the only family she had even known, had been picked off one by one.
At last only she and the courier remained, crouched in the shadow of the schoolhouse trying to hide from the gang as they searched for remaining survivors to execute. The courier was mortally wounded, but before he shut his eyes forever, he stripped the pip-boy from his arm and thrust it at Sunny. A small parting token from someone she briefly thought would help bring balance to the brutality of life in the Mojave, but it wasn't to be. When the Powder Gangers all appeared to be distracted by looting the General Store and Saloon she fled quietly into the fading dusk.
Now she sat alone in the dark with nowhere to turn and no one to trust. Maybe she should have stayed and made an end to it all. The Mojave would likely finish her off soon anyway. Sunny was an experienced hunter of small creatures, but she had never strayed far from Goodsprings, and she had heard tales of bigger and more ferocious monsters than the geckos she was used to fighting. She didn't suppose she would last very long out here in the wide wasteland.
She lay down on her bedroll and drifted off to sleep with the soft, silky voice of Mr. New Vegas murmuring in her ear from her pip-boy.
Sunny opened her eyes suddenly several hours later not knowing what had awakened her. She reached for her rifle and looked sharply around her. The fire had burned low and was barely giving off enough light to see around the campsite. Nothing moved that Sunny could see and the only sound was the soft playing of a new song on Radio New Vegas.
"In the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day…"
The singer crooned, and out of the darkness two ovals of red light flashed for a moment on the other side of Sunny's fire ring. A man in a long black trench coat and was standing there, and she could now see that his eyes were lit red by the goggled helmet he wore. He removed it now, presenting a much less alarming figure with it off.
"Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say…"
He was very tall, at least 6' 4", and broad of shoulder, but narrow waisted, with skin the color of mahogany. He wore a dull metal chest plate, worn blue jeans, and heavy soled boots caked with the dust of many roads. Slung across his back he carried a long, scoped .50 caliber sniper rifle.
"No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip…"
The most striking feature of the stranger's gear was the massive revolver slung low on his hip and snugged around his thigh with a leather strap. It hung in its holster as though it carried the weight of many departed souls, and the metal seemed to give off an unearthly glow in the light of the dying fire. The name "Peacemaker" leapt into Sunny's mind from an old memory; Doc Mitchell telling her stories about the giant military issue Colt .45 pistols. It was easy for her to imagine the kind of peace the weapon would provide.
"The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip."
The man held both hands up with his palms towards her in a gesture of peace. Then he sat down on a crumbling cinder block and pulled off one dark leather glove before moving one of the last pieces of wood Sunny had collected onto the dying fire. The flames grew brighter and his face came more clearly into focus. A dark goatee curled tightly around, covering his chin except for a thin line where a scar stretched from the top of his brow down across his cheek and jaw. His eye's were undamaged, both of them rich pools of brown looking into hers with polite interest. With a note of apology in his ocean deep voice he spoke to her.
"I hope I didn't frighten you miss," He explained "but I saw your fire and when I came over to investigate, I saw that you were alone." He unslung his rifle and carefully laid it on the ground before stretching his legs out with a sigh. "I would appreciate you letting me rest my weary feet for a short while."
Sunny did not say anything, still unsure what to make of this strange man, and feeling more than a little uncomfortable holding a simple varmint rifle to compete with such impressive weaponry if a fight was coming.
"My name is Alec Mason, I'm a Ranger with the NCR."
At the mention of the NCR and the rangers Sunny relaxed a little. She then recognized the bear patch on the stranger's shoulder and remembered that she had heard about the distinctive veteran ranger helmet with its red glowing goggles.
"I'm Sunny Smiles" she said softly.
"It's nice to meet you Sunny." The ranger rolled his head around, stretching his neck and wincing a little as he eased his muscles. He pulled a mess kit from his pack and motioned to the fire with it. "May I?"
Sunny nodded and watched as he proceeded to open a can of pork and beans and poured it into a small pan to heat.
"What brings you out here in the Mojave alone Sunny? Don't you have a home?"
"I did…" She began, and through tears and more than a few sobs, she told him. She told him about how her parents were killed by Caesar's Legion as they pushed out of Arizona and into Nevada, and how she hid in the hills while they burned their farm to the ground. How she was picked up by caravanners who were passing through the area and deposited her at their next stop in Goodsprings. She told him about Trudy, who had become like a second mother to her, and about the time Doc Mitchell bought a fluffy grey puppy from a travelling merchant and how she had named her Cheyenne. Finally, she told him about Joe Cobb and the Powder Gangers, and how she had lost everything again and had nowhere to turn.
He listened silently until she had finished and offered no apologies or condolences, just sat and ate his beans and looked thoughtful. Then, after several minutes he spoke.
"I've been in a lot of bad situations, seen a lot of death and tragedy Sunny." He spoke softly in that deep resonating voice that seemed to calm the surrounding air. "I've never yet given up on life because I know I have a purpose. The way I see it, you need help, and you need some purpose or direction in your life to show you that it is still worth living. I normally wouldn't suggest this, because Rangers, especially Veteran Rangers like myself, work alone out here. That's the way it is, and that's how we like it. We are one-man problem solvers, and we need to move and make decisions quickly without having to worry about other…factors." Alec had finished his meal and was placing his gear back in his pack.
"Well I didn't ask you for any…" Sunny began to protest but she was cutoff by the ranger's next words.
"I can see that you're tough, and willing to fight. So even though I don't particularly like it, the only real solution is for you to come with me until my current mission is done. After that I will take you to Camp Golf where you can be safe until you figure out what you want to do with yourself."
He didn't say this in a kind manner, nor did he say it with any pity, he simply stated facts and made a simple offer. Sunny considered and decided that she didn't have any better ideas, and this had to a better option than sitting in the dark wondering what to do. After a few moments she replied in the only way she could.
"I would be grateful."
Ranger Mason nodded, packed away his cooking gear and stood, re-slinging his rifle across his back.
"No time to waste then." He said, offering a hand up to Sunny. His hand enveloped hers and after he pulled her to her feet it transitioned into a firm handshake. She felt a warmth flow through the contact and for a moment things didn't seem hopeless.