Dreams. They were very rare occasions to have when most of her nights consisted of drinking whiskey to sleep and waking up to the next day. However, Cass knew that when she dreamt she would nothing more than the few moments spent with her father. If people remarked her as "daddy's little girl" they would be met with her fists. In her mind, she enjoyed the sight of the little girl going out to the range with the support of her dad. Even those moments when he commented on her lack of control.

Such moments of comfort had faded away as she found herself standing in the abyss with a single light shining from above. "What the fuck?" Cass looked around, confused at her situation. This was supposed to be a dream, it had to be. "There is something wrong here."

A voice called out to her as she heard the footsteps coming towards her. "Cass!" Out from the darkness, the caravaner saw Artyom come into the light with a smile on his face. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

"What are you doing here?" She wondered. "This was supposed to be a dream."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I fell asleep before I came here."

"Weird… I was having the same thing."

Artyom shook his head. "That… that can't be a coincidence." He replied. "We are talking to each other. It shouldn't be possible."

"Maybe I'm dreaming about you and you are not really talking to me." This had to be nonsense. "You're not real."

"I am real."

"Prove it." Cass demanded. She had seen many things as a caravaner, but this was really pushing it.

He didn't even seem to find the words to reply.

"Now get out of my head."

"I-I can't."

"Of course you can, all you have to do is disappear from my mind and that's it. Poof, there is nothing you can do about it."

Artyom raised his eyebrows. "I'll probably have to find that whiskey you enjoy."

"I'd appreciate that after you disappear."

Out from the abyss, Artyom was quick to take notice of the tall figure walking towards them. "I knew there was something off."

When Cass followed his eyes to what he was looking at, she was immediately reminded of that creature that saved her and Ranger Ghost from the Legion. Then she saw it turn its full attention towards her with eyes focused. 'It is not his fault.' The creature said with no mouth to speak of. 'His mind is connected to ours… you have been given that moment… for the time being…"

She froze underneath the light, fearing what this thing could do. It wasn't anything she had seen before. "What are you?"

"It's a Dark One." Artyom answered.

Then the woman looked over to her companion. "You know this thing?"

He nodded his head. "It's not native from the Mojave… it's a mutant species from Moscow. Unlike the other mutants I've come across, the Dark Ones talk to you through your mind. They were also the ones translating for me and it's the reason why I wasn't able to talk to you."

Now this was plenty to take in. This was something out of those pre-war comics she read during her time as a caravaner. Yet, she was now dreaming of one. "I-I don't know what to say. You have to be a dream, because this is not normal."

Artyom chuckled. "My home has a different standard of normal compared to the Mojave." He answered. "Believe me, I know because I was skeptical as well."

'She is unconvinced… perhaps there is another way to gain your trust…' The Dark One replied. 'Artyom, I will show you a memory of yours. Maybe it will help.'

"You're going to show me Artyom's memory? Hell, I don't even think Artyom's background is really true to begin with." Then she noticed the young man lower his head. "What?"

The stalker looked back at her with sorrow in his expression. "My memory is just as real as you dreaming of your father." He replied. "Believe me, this is no dream you can think of." Then he glanced over to the Dark One. "I know your kind, Dark One. Do not take advantage of her." He was confronting the very creature that was defending his case of him not being a dream.

'Your mind is still human… ours are not…'

The light above her disappeared and Cass found herself alone in the darkness. "Guys?" She was met with a sudden light before her eyes. After she shielded herself away from the light, she waited a moment until she could clearly open her eyes wide open. What she found was alarmingly strange.

Before Cass was the sight of city filled with people who reminded her too much of those pre-war photos of the past. Yet, these people were dressed differently. Unlike the wreckage on the highways, cars were still working the streets with lights and signs untouched by disrepair or explosions. Deformities of people mutated by radiation were present. What she saw was a world beyond her imagination. "This has to be a dream." She quietly said to herself.

Then she turned around and saw Artyom standing before her in his cloths, a contrast to the ones people wore in this place. "It's not a dream. They don't end with this." He walked past her and pointed to a building with strange lettering across the entire park. "Follow me."

For once, Cass felt helpless. This place was nothing she had anticipated in her entire life. Most of her imagination consisted of the good things in the wasteland, not of places before the bombs fell. To her surprise, the peaceful scenery turned into chaos as soon as she followed Artyom across the street and towards building.

She saw an old man running towards the gate as he turned around and looked at the sky. Then he made his way through the doors while bystanders strangely glanced over to him. Sirens blared to life as loud screams behind her back had caught her attention. Looking over her shoulder, Cass witnessed large rockets stream from the ground as they lunged themselves towards the sky.

When the sight was beyond the clouds, people turned away from their humble lives and fled for the very building the old man went to. Their cries did little to comfort her as they poured through the doorways. With their numbers trying to rush through the doors, she felt their pushing and shoving without disregard for her well-being. "Shit, Artyom where are you?" The bodies of many squeezed her into the building, only to find Artyom standing before her at the center of the room and ignoring many who ran past him. "That… was too real." She commented before joining on his side. "Why are we here?"

The stalker slipped his hands into his pockets and stared at the doorway. "The Dark Ones wanted me to show you my memory, I'm here to guide you and point out where I am." He answered.

Unlike the many storming past the doors and moving into a passage deeper into the underground, a dozen soldiers dressed in coats marched towards the doors with their assault rifles drawn. Cass deduced they were soldiers with strange hats with the exception of one of the men wearing a peaked cap. The man was in charge of those soldiers.

Then the officer raised his hand and looked at his watch before glancing over to the people pouring in. He returned his hand behind his back with words that made Cass shiver. "Close the doors." He ordered.

The soldiers were quick to move to the doors and force the civilians back. The NCR had a tendency to act like this, but this was entirely people. People were being left out to die outside those doors.

Of all the doors that were closed, the one in the center was struggling as people seeped through. The officer stepped forward with his assault rifle drawn, but the barrel aimed at the ceiling. A single shot echoed throughout the building as the civilians prying over one-another had froze in their tracks.

At the front of the groups, a woman carrying a toddler in her arms was pleading for him with tears in her eyes. The child on the other hand had little clue of what was going on. "That's me." Artyom stated.

The officer stepped forward and pulled the mother and her child through the doorway before his soldiers closed the last set of doors on the people he had just condemned. His boots clicked as he turned away from the doors and escorted the woman down the passage. Yet, Cass could see the tears in his eyes. "You lived before the war."

"Do you still believe this is a dream?"

She shook her head. "Yes."

"I see."

The memory disappeared from the caravaner as darkness returned in the depths of her mind. Except the light which appeared above her was no longer present. Then she heard the Dark One speak. 'Wake up, Rose of Sharon Cassidy…'

The dreams faded when she opened her eyes, only to feel the rays of sunlight through the windows. It was morning, but the dream she had only made her confused about her thoughts on Artyom. When tried to move, pain in her shoulder had demanded her full attention, only to find bandages on the wound she received from the blue supermutant. "Damn, that hurts." Then she looked around, only to see Artyom sitting in a chair and his head tilted up.

She did not wish to speak about what happened in her mind, but the stalker's head slowly moved away from leaning back as he shook his head. "The Dark Ones really need to stop doing that." He said to himself before his eyes met hers. "What did you think about my childhood memory?"

No. Her conversation with Artyom shouldn't be real in the first place. If it was, he couldn't have known if it was a dream. "How do you know?"

He massaged his temples and groaned. "Power of the Dark Ones that is all I know about it." Then he froze and reached for his throat. "No way…"

"What is it?"

The stalker looked around and smiled. "I can finally understand you, though I don't understand why they would want to talk to you as well."

"You're connected with their minds and you don't know?"

"I'm just in the dark like you."

She glanced over to her wound and pondered about who helped her. "Who decided to patch me up?" The caravaner questioned.

Artyom chuckled. "The person who stole our guns."

"That bitch?! As soon as I'm getting out of bed, she's going to have one coming for her."

"She also happens to have medical experience in treating your wounds, do you really think you should do that?" He questioned.

"Yes! She stole our guns and left us defenseless for the raiders. Hell, we were lucky that no didn't find us and stick us for caps. I don't know how you can be so comfortable with this."

"Do you remember what I told you about me and her, somebody shot us in the head and she is my best chance at getting my Kalashnikov back from that gopnik."

She rolled her eyes. "Damn it, now I need a drink."

The stalker rose from his seat and pulled a small pouch from his backpack. "I'll see to that." However, he also grabbed his double-barreled shotgun and placed it on her lap.

"Why are you giving me your shotgun?" Cass questioned. "It's not like I'm going to use it right now."

"Maybe, but just in case if Angelique sneaks into our room and takes our money."

"Anything I should know about this gun?"

"Point it at the door and let the trigger do the work." He answered before making his way to the door with his makeshift sub-machine gun slung over his shoulder.

When he stepped out of the door, Artyom saw Ranger Ghost talking with another Ranger in the compound before he was caught off-guard by a voice beside him. "How's Cass?"

The stalker looked to his right, only to see Angelique with a doctor's bag in her hand. "She just woke up." He replied.

"Since you're going out, I'm going to check on Cass. Mind if I come in?"

Artyom knocked on the door and called out for the caravaner. "Angelique is coming in, don't shoot." He glanced over to the woman in the blue jumpsuit, only to see her surprised by this. "If you steal anything, again, Cass will take care of everything."

"Don't worry, I'm going to do anything." Then she stepped closer. "Did you get my message?"

Was she talking about the note from last time? "Yes, do you have anything about the man who shot me?"

Angelique nodded her head. "Yeah, one of Novac's snipers told me they went north to Boulder City."

"Boulder City? What is that place?" He wondered.

"Don't worry, Manny told me it used to be a town that was destroyed during the First Battle of Hoover Dam. I doubt the guys who shot me would want to stay there for long."

"How can you be so sure? Is there anything else I should know?"

She nodded her head. "Turns out they're from New Vegas and my best bet is that they were passing by Boulder City before they end up in the city of lights and thrills. However, Manny told me that getting in requires caps and you don't have much last time I remembered."

"Are we going to go after him before he gets there?" Artyom asked.

"No, but I do have a better idea. There is a place where we can find a way to get rich quickly and get into the city. That way, we don't have to rush things trying to kill the asshole."

A way to get rich quickly, was the person who stole from him offering to go on an expedition? "What exactly do you have in mind?"

She gave off a smile and brought her arm from her side, displaying her Pip-Boy to him. Then she pressed on the small buttons and presented the device to him. "I got a radio of a place called the Sierra Madre. Listen."

The wrist device was also a radio at the same time, interesting. As the radio played out, Artyom heard the most beautiful he had ever heard of speak. "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 suits that will shelter you and cater to your every whim. So if life's worries have weighed you don, 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."

"What do you think?" Angelique questioned. "You think we can find enough caps to get inside New Vegas?"

It was strange, there was a gut feeling that he didn't want to go, but the offer was tempting. If the man responsible for shooting him was going somewhere that required money he would have to try. It's not like this world used bullets as a currency any more. "Maybe. If this is a casino, we might need some extra help if there is anybody protecting whatever was valuable there."

"May I help out?" Wondered someone, who had entered the conversation. Artyom and Angelique looked around, only to look down from the second floor and see a girl in robes wave her hand to the duo. "I overheard your conversation and the proposal about getting help."

"Who are you?" The woman in the blue jumpsuit wondered. "You don't look like you could do much."

Then the stranger presented a strange device covering her entire hand. "I have a powerfist, does that count? I can even salvage some tech if you like."

Artyom noticed a man join her. "There you are. What are you doing here? I thought we were going to salvage some stuff." He recognized the accent. It was Russian. He eyed the man and saw the familiar sight of Russian clothes and equipment that he had seen in the Metro. Ever since his arrival in this place, he'd never thought he would find someone from his home.

She glanced over to her friend. "Don't worry, I'm finding people who might find us useful."

"Veronica, as a soldier of the Red Line I beg to differ."

Then the stalker spoke up. "You're from the Red Line?"

The man on the ground level turned his full attention to him with a smile. "Yes, I work with the Red Line." His expression changed when he noticed a detail on his person. "Wait a minute, you have Bastard Gun with you. You're from the Metro!"

"Yes I am." Artyom replied. "What brings a soldier of the Red Line around these parts?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "One moment I was being attacked by mutants, the next I end up with lovely Veronica."

The girl in the robes chuckled. "I'm very flattered Pavel."

Angelique intervene on the moment. "It appears we got that help you were suggesting. I'll see to Cass if you don't mind." Turning away from the railing, the Courier departed from the group.

"So? Do you think we'll be able to help you and your friend out?" Veronica wondered.

"Definitely. We're just waiting for one of my companions to get healed up."

"I heard she was attacked by a nightkin supermutant? Is she okay?"

"She should be. After all, she's carrying my Duplet."

"What?"

"My double-barreled shotgun."

"Oh." Veronica said with an understanding nod. "I get it."

"I better go, she'swaiting on her whiskey." He replied before he made his way down the steps and into the strange frozen lizard that had its mouth facing the east.

Anna stood in for Manny as her Preved rested upon the jaws of the dinosaur. Her eyes scanned the horizon like those times she hunted down mutants with her father on the surface. Most fathers don't spend time with their daughters by hunting creatures with high-caliber bullets, but then again her father was an ex-Spetsnaz. It was this very skill in shooting creatures that she accepted since there was a chance those weird people in red would try to harass the town every now and then.

The Polis Ranger noticed a pack of figures in the distance coming their way. She quickly brought her VSV to bear, eyes lining up with the features on the scope. Although it didn't have the magnification of her large sniper rifle, it would suffice. The detail of the figures were better than her eyes, but she saw people in rags being kept together by two stalkers. Yet, they were firing their weapons behind the people. Then she saw the sight of men in red, carrying hammers and spears as if they accepted their savagery.

Putting down her scoped sub-machine gun, she brought up her large rifle and aimed towards the road to the east. There were five targets, each trying to catch up with the civilians and the defending stalkers. They needed cover fire, she would provide them that luxury.

Three men lined up together and she smiled at the sight. This was too easy. With a pull of the trigger, the recoil shifted the weapon upward before she chambered the next round into place. Through the scope, three men were torn apart by the large caliber of her weapon.

The door swung open behind her back as she saw the merchant in the dinosaur check on her. "Hey, is there something going on?"

Anna nodded her head. "Get Boone and Manny, some people need covering fire!" She shouted. The merchant left her as he made his way towards the door. The sniper looked through her scope and saw the next two targets simply put away their spears, but sling out their assault rifles.

To her surprise, they were gunned down in mere moments. There was something off, something wrong. She didn't kill them. Was Manny Vargas that good? She peeked outside of the dinosaur's mouth, only to see two more stalkers armed with the weapons of the Metro. There was something off about this situation, there were four stalkers in the very town she took refuge in.

"What the hell? When did those two get here?"

Stella opened her eyes, only to feel the ground shaking. Lights passed over her as she heard gunfire in the distance. Ever since the Legion captured her, they tied her hands behind her back, leaving her helpless and in their mercy. Given the opportunity, she looked around and saw a body of a man slumped against the railing while a Centurion walked past her. "Clear the train of the profligates, we need to get back to Caesar's Camp."

One of the Legion soldiers walked up to him. "What of the capture? Do we dispose of her?"

"No, she is one of those Rangers the NCR keeps talking about. We shall test her true worth in the pits if we can return."

While they ignored her she heard voices coming from the body of the dead man across from her. There she saw a radio above his left breast pocket. His uniform didn't appear to be NCR, but it was clear was armed if the gun in his hands were anything to go by. Then she heard the people on the radio. "Merchant Five to Hanza Command! Our train's been hijacked!"

Author's Note: I apologize for the wait, but schooling was a priority and I decided to finally finish Fallout 4 for the first time ever since I bought the game on release. I essentially took a long break from posting for a bit.