The group of four walked into an open plaza with a fountain in at the center. A single ghost person was lurking all by itself before it turned its gaze upon the newcomers. It barely had a chance to fight when Cass blew the inhabitant into a green mist with few limbs that survived the carnage. "It feels so good to finally shoot these shitbags." The caravanner commented.

Yet, Artyom had to contain her enthusiasm. "Don't get too happy with that shotgun. I don't have that many shotgun shells with me." He answered before taking his gas mask off. When he finally had the courage to expose himself to the cloud, he could feel the taste of copper before his nose took in the whiffs of sulfur. "I have to get used to that."

"Don't worry about it."

Angelique looked around, ignoring the fountain full of Sierra Madre chips before their friendly communist immediately began picking at the chips. The sight was filled with irony with Pavel greedily amassing the group's only source of wealth in this place. While there was some concern it might get out of hand, she ignored it and allowed him to scavenge whatever he could find.

Then the courier grabbed everyone's attention as she proceeded past the fountain and walked directly towards the door. "Here it is, the police station. Our first person is inside." She said. When she opened the door, the others followed after her with Pavel's chips jingling in his pouch.

Once inside, Artyom's eyes explored the immediate area. There were many empty desks and chairs, perhaps the policemen of the day had their own personal work space before the bombs fell. Upon looking on one desk, the stalker noted the computer device that was still working after all these years of disrepair.

Angelique was quick to occupy the chair in front of the computer as Pavel began exploring on his own. "Look around he might be around here somewhere, but don't stray too far, understand?"

Pavel chuckled as he was the first to step forward. "Understood, shout if you need anything." He replied before disappearing into another hallway.

Artyom and Cass walked forward, but the stalker heard a loud beeping noise emanating from the caravanner's collar. "Shit!" Cass swore before she jumped back. "There's a radio around!"

"I know it was too easy." The courier commented before glancing over to the non-collared person in the room. "Artyom, see if you could find any computers and destroy them."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement as began to make his way towards the desk across from him. The radio was atop with the static still playing, but its days of being useful were long-gone. Now he had to be the one to end the radio equipment. He would have been paid enough cartridges if he sold it to anyone wanting a radio.

Artyom reached for his holster and drew his magnum, blasting the radio into destruction with a single trigger. Once it was gone, he came closer and noticed the desk was placed in front of a prison cell. As he slowly stepped forward, his body froze at the sight of a creature he once saw before. It was one of those strange monsters that almost killed Cass that night; however, the person of pure muscle was crying to himself. "Angelique, is this person one of the people we need?" He asked.

She walked up to join him with her plasma rifle in hand as she took a glance at her Pip-Boy. "It has to be, my Pip-Boy appears to get a strong signal if I get closer to him."

"What are we going to do with him?"

"Let's try and get him out. I'll try and talk to him." When she walked towards the jail cell, her collar beeped again before she stepped back. "There has to be more, try and see if there are more inside."

He nodded his head and proceeded to ensure the entire building was safe for them to travel freely. When he made his way to the left side of the room, there was a radio on a small table and one underneath another desk adjacent to the jail cell. He lined up his shots and fired away, leaving a mess of electrical parts and wiring splashed around their own vicinity.

Then she began to give orders. "There looks like there is another level downstairs. Try to clear the area if you can, would you?"

Without a word, he simply gave a nod.

She walked up to the jail cell and began speaking. "Hey, can you hear me?"

The creature ignored her.

"Why are you crying?"

It still didn't answer, but Artyom let her do the talking as he walked towards a hallway on the other side of the room and past the jail. For whatever reason, there was a strange moment going on in his mind after he blinked.

Instead of the dirty dust-covered room, the stalker found himself looking at a clean room with people walking to and fro in police uniforms. Others were walking in their armor pieces, the very kind he was wearing himself. There was a man in a black suit walking from one desk to another, but the men who worked this building stood up to greet him as if he was important enough to be recognized.

When he blinked his eyes once more, Artyom heard saw Cass giving him a weird look. "Are you alright? You look like you might fall."

He needed a decent excuse. "It might just be the Cloud. I'm fine."

She nodded her head in skepticism. "You say that. Allow me to accompany you, just in case you get knocked out."

There was reluctance from him, but the stalker didn't want to speak of the strange memory he was given. "Okay."

Artyom made his way to the doorway and descended down the stairs with his revolver out. Then he heard the voice of the Dark Ones speak into his mind. 'The second face is here and he is waiting for you.'

At the base of the stairs, the duo found themselves confronted by a single door as the caravanner took the chance to be on point with her shotgun. To their surprise, a voice from the basement PA system came to life. "I knew you would come." The stranger began. "You have to seek me out below the cage. Perhaps you saw the letters while I was away? Nevertheless, I want you to continue, search for me." He paused for a moment. "That one in the cage, his name is Dog. He is an animal and just like all animals, he needed to be locked up for not disobeying me."

Cass looked over her shoulder, taking a quick glance at Artyom raising his carbine magnum. "Let's check it out together." She suggested before taking off.

He was quick to accompany her as they both walked through the tunnels, looking for the very person who was speaking to them. Another door was opened bringing them into the room. However, her collar beeped as she stepped back. "Mind clearing that out for me?"

Artyom understood that despite her willingness to follow after him, he had to go alone. He looked around the room, only to see another door on the other side. Maybe the radio was close, but not too close to be hit directly. If the stranger was talking to him, perhaps it was a trap for those who did try to find him.

The stalker continued onward into another hallway, which lead him into another room. There were fallen filing cabinets, some of which were filled with Sierra Madre chips. He reached out to collect and lump them into another pouch of his, fitting them into a small container. Beside them, there was a container filled with bottles of whiskey. Cass would probably appreciate coming back with bottles of whiskey.

After looting the entire room, he made his way through another doorway and one more irrelevant room filled with janitorial supplies. However, he noted that the rooms and the hallways looped back towards the very room Cass was in. As he opened the door, Artyom found a lonely radio placed on a desk across from him with a strange device almost similar to the tapes he had at home.

The stranger's voice spoke. "Do you see me? Do you see the disk? Good." It almost sounded like he was talking to a dog. "There I am, waiting to meet you. However, I can't take any chances. You may be some innocent victim who has stumbled upon this place or the man who I truly think it is. Either way, we will meet face-to-face in this moment."

He walked forward, but remained cautious. Was he in this very room, waiting to take advantage over him? Artyom took a quick glance to each side of the room as he slowly made his way towards the radio. Whoever this person was, he didn't sound to be crossed with. Then he turned off the radio and grabbed the disk off the table. Curious, he took a quick glance at it and wondered how important it was. Angelique would know what do with this once he got back to her.

On the corner of his eye, he saw the figure of a person walk up to him from a window in front of him. "I didn't hear an explosion, but my collar isn't beeping so that means you took care of it." Cass spoke. "Did you find the guy talking to us?"

The stalker showed the disk. "No, but I found this. Looks like it was meant for us… or someone else."

"Anything worth looking into?"

"No, but I did find these." Then he presented three bottles of whiskey.

She chuckled. "Ah, something to treat a woman. Especially one with a bomb around her neck. Let's get that disk to Angelique, her Pip-Boy might have something on that holodisk."

Artyom was quick to rejoin his companion as they made their way upstairs.

They immediately found communist leaning on a nearby desk while the courier did her best to get the mutant's attention. "Damn it, nothings working."

Pavel pulled out a lighter and a grenade. "Maybe we can blow the cell open."

Angelique stared at him and was not impressed with his suggestion. "He'll be caught in the explosion. If he dies, I die."

"So? If a piece of him survives and he's still living, isn't that a net positive?" Then he let a chuckle escape. "I'm just kidding, we'll find a way."

However, she was not amused.

When she turned around, Artyom pulled out the holodisk and presented it to her. "Cass and I found this in the basement. There was someone talking to us, but I thought you might be able to do something with this."

"A holodisk for us?" She wondered. "Let me take a look." Angelique snatched the holodisk from him and inserted it into her Pip-Boy. "This better work, I've been trying to get that nightkin's attention ever since you guys left. Otherwise, we might actually use Pavel's option."

"Wait, you're considering it?" Spoke the surprised red.

"Yep, but that will be last resort." Her fingers began pressing buttons and scrolling wheels, but Artyom was able to get a good look at how efficiently she used it compared to him. "Dog Command Tape. I have a feeling the super mutant in the cell is associated with him."

After she pressed the play button, the young Russian recognized the stranger's voice in the basement. The command spoke firm, but directed as if it was actually directed to someone. "Dog, back in the cage."

On the corner of Artyom's eyes, the creature in the cell raised his head. Was this some kind of trigger for him?

The beast that once whimpered and moaned like a child stood up and turned around to meet the group. The development made everyone nervous as they backed away from the cell while they all cling to their weapons. Everyone except Angelique. "What do we have here?" The beast wondered.

It was alarming to believe that the very person that was talking to him in the basement was the one in the cell all along. However, it did alarm him and make him wonder why he would trap himself in a prison cell in the first place.

"I see four people standing before. You must be innocent travelers who have stumbled upon this place. I would consider you all kin, but two of your have collars on while the others don't." The nightkin stated. "Tell me, are you slavers or do your both serve the old man. Perhaps two of you are slavers passing by, but the Sierra Madre is out of ways."

"Who are you and why do you have dog written on your chest?" Angelique asked.

"Me? I am God, but the person who I put back in the cage is Dog. He needs mirrors to remind himself who he truly is, a beast with a desire to serve. As for me, I am his conscience. The one who truly wishes to help him and tries to keep him from his… hunger."

Artyom became confused despite the creature's explanation. "I don't understand." He spoke. "How can there be two people in one?"

God looked at him. "Your voice, it sounds different. It's not normal around these parts."

"I'm not around these parts."

"That is a very interesting answer. Tell me, what brought you to the Sierra Madre? Was it the treasure, the curiosity to explore, or do you work for him?" The last word indicating a hostile tone towards whoever it was.

He realized he was referring to Elijah, the man who Pavel and himself had to deal with just for their companion's freedom. "No, I don't work for that man."

"Interesting, then why are you in the company of the others."

Then the courier diverted his attention away from the stalker. "We're here to get you out of your prison cell."

"No." Answered God. "I will not leave."

"Why not? Do you value your own freedom?"

The super mutant scoffed at her questions. "Freedom? There is no freedom for Dog and I. As soon as the beast gets out of his cage, he will come back to the old man, because he desires a master and will always look for one. I must break this desire by confronting him." The creature of the apocalypse answered. "Which brings me to wonder, who put the collars upon your necks?"

She didn't speak for a moment. "The old man."

"I knew it. You two are fools to come here, which brings me to question the other two who don't have collars on their throats."

"They came to rescue us." Angelique replied. "Cass and I were knocked out and were brought to this place against our will."

"That is interesting. Dog has a habit to bring his prey out from the traps, but I wonder if you remember anything."

"No, we don't remember."

"Then it means you were of use to the old man, which means you are here because of his influence. I will not come out to help him."

Pavel spoke. "So that means you want to be here to spite him."

"Indeed. I have no intention of helping in any way." God acknowledged him. "However, you and your friend can leave this place with your lives. Why remain?"

Artyom took a step forward and confronted him. "Like Angelique said, we're to rescue them and I intend to rescue them."

"Really? You came all this way and arrive at the very place that consists of nothing more than monsters and traps, but also contains treasure. Yet, you came here for your friends. I find that hard to believe."

"I beg to disagree. I'm not here for the treasure."

God began to laugh. "That is what everyone says until they all take calculated risks. Each unfortunate soul believing he could have it all, beat the old man and the others only to come short. What makes you think you will be any different from the others?" The stalker reached down into his pouch before him. "Don't think you can threaten me. I have the means of getting out of this cell without any of you knowing."

The young man shook his head. "This is not a threat." Out from his pouch, he presented a single bullet. One military grade round was displayed for those to see. "Like I said, I'm not from around these parts. Now what do you see?"

"I see is a bullet in a hands of a fool trying to impress me."

Artyom glanced over to the bullet and back to the mutant. "In the Metro, my home, the things we value are far different than this foreign land I stand in. Where Pavel and I come from, a bullet is our currency. Military grade rounds have become our money, but do you know why?"

"No, but I do get the impression you will tell me."

"All we need in the Metro to take a life is a single bullet and I carry many of them with me." He replied. "When I said I am not here for the treasure, I truly meant it."

A warm smile came from God as he clapped his hands. "Of all the people who came to the Sierra Madre, you might be right in that regard. Out of all the times people tried to convince me they didn't want the treasure, they failed. I believe you, not because you're a foreigner, but because you don't have the greed that the old man or anyone else. Still, you might change, but I might see it through to see if you can endure the temptation."

Angelique grabbed her Pip-Boy. "I'm surprised to know the Russian was able to convince you."

Then surprise was plastered across his face. "No wonder why his voice was so strange. It is because of the accent. What brings you two here?"

Artyom and Pavel glanced at each other before the communist answered first. "Long story short, weird shit you see in the tunnels."

"That is interesting." The super mutant replied. "Since you've convinced me you're here to free your companions, I'll help ease through that process and perhaps meet the old man himself." His hand reached for his neck, wrapped in chains, before he pulled out a key and walked up to the keyhole. "Give me a moment."

"You had the key on yourself?"

"Yes, a precaution for the beast within." When he unlocked the cell doors, the group stood back. "Well, how shall we begin?"

"I'm going to give you a quick run-down." Spoke Angelique. "Elijah has bomb collars around our necks and they're connect. If one of us dies, we all die. So try not to get yourselves killed if we come across the ghost people. Still, I wonder how I was able to track you down if you didn't have one one your neck."

God grunted. "I do have one inside of me. Blame Dog and his incessant need to feed. He'll do anything to sate himself, even if the body has a bomb on his victim's collar."

Artyom heard a laugh from behind as he glanced over, only to see Cass chuckling. "You're going to have a hard time taking a shit."

He rolled his eyes at the comment. "Thank you for that."

"Don't worry. At least you're not Long-Dick Johnson." Everyone in the room turned around and glared at her. "What?"

After hours of sleep and boredom, Veronica opened her eyes once more. The isolation was killing her in the same manner as the chapter. However, she wondered if she could escape this place and tell the others about Elijah's madness and his obsession with this place. The man who cared for her was no longer sane enough to leave this place and further the advancements of the Brotherhood of Steel.

The door to her confined room had opened, but with a Mister Handy flying inside. As she sat up from her bed, she remained confused and surprised when the holographic image of Father Elijah appeared. "Veronica, are you awake?" He asked.

The scribe rose from her bed and stood before her former father figure's image. "Yeah, what do you want?"

"I'm sorry if I was harsh on you earlier, but years of being away from the Brotherhood has affected my trust. I've seen too many people betray me and their companions for far too long that I've changed. If I intend to clean the Mojave, I should start with you."

"Father Elijah, why are you doing this?" She wondered. "This is all too sudden."

She could hear the old man sigh. "I've been trapped here, whenever a group of people come here in search of the treasure I try to get their attention to help me get out of here. However, their greed gets the better of them and they cross one-another as the opportunity to get out of this place is gone." Then he changed the subject. "From what I can hear from your companions, it seems that their reasons for coming to the Sierra Madre are genuine. I consider them fools, but it appears they have been cooperative."

"Then why come to me?" Veronica wondered. "Why tell me all of this when I'm stuck in isolation?"

"It's the ghost people, the inhabitants of Puesta Del Sol." Answered the old man. "It appears they're pressing into the very facility you're in. The machines can do so much against people who refuse to die. If you escape you may reunite with your companions and perhaps with me."

He still cared for her to some degree. Despite how much he had changed and what he intends for the NCR, it had to be an advantage for her. This was a way to get out. "Where should I go?"

"Follow the Mister Handy. I've programmed the machine to follow my commands. It should bring you to the designated exit location, but should also get you across to the armory."

"What happens when I get out?"

"Find your company." He replied. "They will know the way." Then the hologram disappeared.

The Mister Handy spoke and grabbed her attention. "Come with me, Ms. Santangelo." The robot said before proceeding out of the door.

She followed after her as the door behind her closed and the door in front had opened. However, she could hear laser and plasma fire in the distance. Something or someone was attacking this place.

"This way." Veronica followed the robot out into a hallway as she saw Mister Gutsies flying past them.

As they went through a maze of hallways, the scribe looked around and saw mangled bodies of military variants alongside those of dead people. However, they were different. Their limbs were torn, but where there was supposed to be blood there was green goo instead. "What happened to them?" She quietly whispered to herself.

Then the Mister Handy stood beside the doorway. "Get whatever you need, it's in the armory."

Without hesitation, Veronica stormed into the room, only to find various knives and energy weapons. Yet, she saw a weapon placed on a shelf labelled 'Veronica'. She was thankful that Elijah knew how to organize himself when he needed be. Grabbing her handy powerfist, she walked out of the room with the machine still waiting for her.

"Let us go." It said as she followed.

Three more Mister Gutsies flew past her with one of them passing by. "Let's go Marines!"

Then the Mister Handy hovered over a hatch. "This is where I'll stop." It said. "The hostiles are getting closer."

She glanced at the hatch and pulled it open. However, she felt a projectile slam into the Mister Handy as it fell in. There was a spear embedded into its armor. Looking back, there five of those things standing before her. Were they the Ghost people?

They screamed from inside their suits, but it wasn't human to begin with. Then they began charging after her. However, one of them threw a large fire extinguisher at her.

Veronica took no chances with those things as she jumped into the hole and closed the hatch. Then she made her way out of the facility while a great explosion erupted the tunnel behind her. That was a bomb, a makeshift one at that. Whoever they were, they were not even human.

There was a tunnel on the other side with a white light present. As she continued to run towards her freedom, the supposed fresh sight changed for her. Instead of seeing the familiar environment that she had seen in the Mojave, everything was covered in red. The scribe heard stories of a red cloud, but to see it actually existed made her wonder.

Her first steps out of the facility had brought her into an open ground as she noticed the entire area filled with nothing, but silence. It had disturbed her as she looked around, but it changed when she saw two ghost people walk up to her from the only entrance into the square. Veronica readied her power fist to fight them head on.

To her surprise, she saw a tall dark figure appear just behind the ghost people. It's hands brought down on the two ghost people, but never made contact. What she saw was unbelievable when the two turned away from her and began attacking one-another. One had a knife in its hand while the other came after it with a bear trap as a weapon. In a single strike, they took off each other's limbs before they slumped to the ground like dolls.

The creature that made the two attack each other took a quick glance at her, but turned around and walked away. She had seen many mutants over her course as the Brotherhood of Steel, but this topped it off. What was shocking was that it's simple walk transformed it into a single blur that left her as soon as it arrived.

Whatever that mutant was, it wasn't normal to begin with. Seeing that it killed the two ghost people that confronted her, perhaps it had better things to do. Despite the fact she didn't want to follow after it that was the only way for her. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Veronica whispered to herself.

The party walked through the streets as they made their way to their next destination. Despite knowing the way, God began asking a question. "Where are we going?"

Angelique continued to lead the way without giving a glance to explain. "The next person Elijah placed a bomb collar on." She answered. "He or she is in the Residential District."

"Ah, I know who you're referring to. Dean Domino, he has lived long while he retains his greed for the Sierra Madre. He's been here since the bombs fell which was two hundred years ago."

For Artyom that had to be impossible. "Someone lived for two hundred years? Who could possibly live that long?"

Then Cass was quick to answer. "He must have been a ghoul, people who have been exposed to radiation long enough to allow them to have long lives."

"How?" The Russian wondered. "It shouldn't be possible."

"When you meet a ghoul, you'll understand. Well, only the ones that have become mindless monsters."

"She is right." God commented. "This man is not normal. He has lived long enough to witness many disappear from the toxicity of the cloud and its inhabitants."

When they arrived at the fountain, their home base, there was a single person waiting there. She was talking to the image of Elijah before it disappeared from existence. Then turning her head to the group upon arrival.

"Who could that be?"

Angelique and Cass rushed forward towards them. "You bitch!" The courier shouted. "You know that piece of shit who put the collars on us. Now you come all the way here all for what!"

The stalker, the communist, and the nightkin super mutant stood together and found themselves watching the scene from the sidelines. "That's Veronica." Pavel answered.

God spoke. "They don't seem happy to see her."

Artyom had the sense to ask a reasonable question. "Then we have ask, why are they angry at her."

The shout match between the women devolved into Angelique wrapping her hands around Veronica's neck.

"Shit, let's break it up." He said before running towards them.

Pavel was quick to join him. "Right behind you."

"You brought us here for your damn Brotherhood!" The courier shouted. "Test subjects for a sick experiment of yours."

The Brotherhood scribe grabbed her hands holding onto her neck as she tried to pry them off of her. "Angelique, I didn't know Elijah was here in the first place."

"Bullshit!" Cass commented. "Why the hell do we have bomb collars while you don't?"

"Because Father Elijah knows me."

"Yeah, enough to put them on us instead."

Artyom was quick to grab Angelique's shoulders and pull her off. "Calm down."

"Veronica, are you okay?" Pavel asked.

"Of course she's okay, she doesn't have a bomb collar around her neck." Angelique stated. Then she shrugged Artyom's hold off of him as she walked away.

The scribe looked up at him as her breathing became easier for her. "I'm fine." She replied to the communist before getting up from the ground.

The courier glanced over to him. "We can't trust her. She's connected to the bastard who brought us here."

Then the super mutant stepped forward. "I see that you're close to Elijah. Tell me, do you know how much the old man reeks of failure."

"You know about Father Elijah?" Veronica wondered. "Who are you?"

"Me? Dog is merely a… tool in the old man's scheme. I wish to break your master's influence."

"He's not my master!"

"Then how do you know him?"

"He took me under his wing and taught me. His obsession with technology got the better of him when he tried to hold Helios One from the NCR."

"Yes. That moment he tried to bring the sun down to him and was blinded by it. His reward for his foolishness."

"I didn't even think that he survived that event."

Cass crossed her arms and confronted her. "Then why are you here?"

She gave a quick glance to the caravanner. "I escaped. This seemed to be the only safest place around these parts."

"I don't know whether you are telling the truth or not."

Artyom felt the Dark Ones speak into his mind. 'Danger is here. Be ready. The ghosts have arrived.' He quickly looked around to see stumbling figures walk out from the alleys and buildings with their green eyes staring at him.

He was quick to alert the others. "Ghost people! Everyone get ready!" Then he drew his Bastard sub-machine gun only to see that his magazine was half-empty, but it was his last one.

Everyone looked around and readied their weapons as they formed a circle around the fountain. God walked over to Angelique while he tightened his fists. "I'm a terrible fighter." He said. "You both would do better if I let Dog out."

She glanced over to him. "Are you going to compromise yourself for that?"

"It might be necessary; however, I cannot help once Dog is in control. He might see you as food as well."

The courier chuckled. "Funny, I had the means to turn you into Dog from my Pip-Boy."

"Really? I'm surprised you didn't try."

She raised her plasma rifle, aiming at the numerous enemy coming towards them. "I was going to try and convince you, but Artyom got there first."

"Interesting, do you wish to bring out Dog?"

"Nope. I think I prefer your personality over what you say about Dog."

Pavel began to speak. "Alright comrades, let's give them hell!"

Gunfire erupted from the group as the ghost people charged them. Spear knives flew short while the limited ones rushed the group with bear traps in hand. Yet, they fell to the bullets and the streams of plasma. Those who managed to get past were immediately met by Veronica and God, the scribe punching them into submission as the other tore them apart with his bear hands.

When Artyom's magazine was empty, he switched his Bastard for his revolver. His scope lined up with one head and as he pulled the trigger, the recoil raised his weapon while he watched the ghost person's head explode. Then he began to focus his attention on the others as he gunned down the next person beside his victim.

As his last shot was fired, he began to reload his .44 magnum with the next six bullets before he noticed one rush after him. Unlike the other ghost people he killed, this one was carrying an object in his hand as it lighted the top. However, he realized the fuze was going down. "Bomb!" He screamed to the top of his lungs.

The ghost person tossed the large fire extinguisher at the group while Artyom finished his reloading and fired his pistol rounds at it. Lady luck was on his side when his bullets marked the bomb for destruction. However, the mid-air explosion knocked him back in a daze.

After he landed on the ground, the world seem to look like a red blur. He couldn't hear anything thanks to that loud ringing in his ears. People were shouting while the gunfire continued. However, his body begged him to rest after such a force. Then he felt his body being dragged while his back scrapped the ground.

A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and was lifted off the ground. When his back was pulled up with his legs refusing to move, he saw the fountain before him and it was getting hard to see it. Then a voice cried out to him. "Artyom!"

The stalker tried to move, but a figure stood before him. It's green eyes stared into his soul before its fist punched him into a slumber.

Author's Note: This was a big one, worth two chapters. I could have made it longer, but 5.7k should be enough.

Paladin Bailey: Unlike the Fallout universe, the Metro factions can be sensible out of pragmatism.

iloveTanks: Don't expect Hans to show up for quite a long time.