Chapter Summary: After a stop in Goodsprings, the companions encounter a reminder of Beth's past. They then investigate Nipton and find the Legion has taken it over.
Chapter 12: The Dark End of the Street
They set out from Vegas early, hoping to reach Goodsprings by mid-afternoon. Traveling south on I-15, they had to tangle with a couple of small deathclaws. Beth's grenades and Boone's sniper rifle worked well together. Fortunately, they were able to sneak by the rest of the creatures without detection.
As they walked into the dusty town, she averted her eyes from the graveyard at the top of the hill. If things had been only a little different, she would still be up there. The thought of being buried in the ground forever gave her a strange, suffocating feeling. She had spent the first nineteen years of her life underground, but the vault hadn't seemed like a dark hole, at the time. It was home—or at least, it used to be. Now, even the idea of it felt confining and oppressive.
After coming close to death so many times over the last decade, she should probably be used to confronting her own mortality. This time, however, it hadn't come in the heat of battle or at the hands of a powerful foe. Benny was just some glorified tribal in a bad suit. Yet one moment of weakness was all it took for him to subdue her somehow, tie her up, and drag her to the graveyard; she couldn't even remember what that moment was. Charon had trained her better than that. She could almost hear his voice scolding her for letting her guard down. Of course, he would have also taken issue with her trusting Boone so easily, but he would have been wrong about that.
"You okay?" her companion asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She nodded. "Yeah. Just thinking."
They stopped in at Doc Mitchell's so Beth could thank him again and drop off a stash of spare medical supplies. She tried to get him to take some caps as well, which he refused, insisting he'd been paid well enough. He attempted to examine her forehead, but she declined, keeping her hat on and her bangs down to hide the completely healed wound. It was an awkward subject and she didn't want him to feel bad.
Afterwards, they stopped at the Prospector Saloon to talk to Trudy and Sunny. The next morning, they made a stop in Primm so Beth could give her regards to Johnson Nash at the Mojave Express office and give him the status of her last delivery.
In a hidden cache nearby, she picked up some gear she had stashed, including an old set of Desert Ranger Combat armor.
"Where did you get that?" Boone asked as she put on the vest.
"Found it in a cave." The ranger it had originally belonged to was long dead, but remained a legend among the tribes of Zion.
"Why'd you leave it here?"
"It's not really practical for a courier. Too heavy and conspicuous. Every asshole with a grudge against the NCR or the Rangers attacks on sight."
"But now that I'm along for the trip, you get that anyway."
"Yup."
After changing into the armor, Beth felt much more ready to take on whatever was coming next. She hated wearing the helmet, though, opting instead for sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off her face. The duster was also far too bulky and warm, so she left that off, as well.
As they walked further south, Beth saw something familiar approaching them from down the road. She flung her hand out to stop Boone. A second later, she had her gun drawn and fired twice. The bullets hit something in the distance and it exploded on impact. They jogged ahead to examine the object. On the ground was the remains of some kind of small metallic sphere.
"What is that?" he asked.
"An eyebot," she said, looking agitated.
"Huh. Never seen one before. Was it hostile?"
"I don't care if it's playing 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' It's Enclave, I shoot on sight. The question is, what is it doing out here?" She nudged the casing over with her foot as though the answer would be underneath. Other than a couple of old bumper stickers stuck to its back, there didn't seem to be anything unusual about it. Glancing up at her companion, she saw that he looked puzzled. "What?"
"Nothing. Just that the way you reacted, it's like it was wearing crimson."
She sighed and thought a minute about how to phrase it succinctly. "Boone...the Enclave, they're my Legion." Without waiting for his response, she turned and continued walking south with greater determination. "We need to stop at the Mojave Outpost, see if the NCR knows about any Enclave activity in the area."
"I don't understand. The Enclave was pretty much wiped out decades ago."
"No, they weren't. They went east to the Capital. That thing might just have been a stray, but the NCR needs to know about it, in case it wasn't."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Just in case. The last thing the NCR needs is to fight both the Legion and the Enclave."
As they walked, Beth stayed vigilant, watching for any glint of metal and listening for sounds of music or laser fire. She was grateful that Boone didn't ask about her personal history with the Enclave, yet still didn't treat her as though she were being paranoid. She knew she was justified in her caution. Anyone who had seen the Enclave in action knew that they made the Legion look like children playing at war with sticks and rocks.
The site of the two giant ranger figures looming over the desert indicated that they were getting close to the Mojave Outpost. Boone spoke up, "Hey, just so you know, some people in the NCR get pretty agitated when it comes to anyone mentioning the Enclave. It's probably a good idea if we speak to the commanding officer alone."
"Good thinking. Thanks."
When they reached the outpost, they immediately went to the NCR headquarters office. Inside, they were greeted by a soldier behind the counter who looked terribly bored. Seeing that they were not NCR personnel, he said, "Caravan, citizen, pilgrim, or-"
"Courier. I have some information and I need to speak to your commanding officer." She pulled out her Mojave Express passport to verify her identity, but he waved it off.
"Whatever. Just need something for the log book to keep tabs on traffic going through here. Although, not much is getting through right now." He jotted something down on a notepad and then gestured behind him with his thumb. "Ranger Jackson is in the back, but he's got a lot on his plate, so try to keep it short."
She nodded in thanks and the companions proceeded into the back. They found a man sitting alone in an office wearing a ranger hat and sunglasses, sporting a dark mustache that reached down to his chin.
"Are you Ranger Jackson?" she asked.
"Yes," he responded. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm Beth Evans with the Mojave Express. This is Craig Boone, former NCR First Recon. We were traveling south of Primm and encountered an eyebot."
The ranger appeared unmoved by this. "Uh huh."
"An eyebot. Like an Enclave eyebot. Are there any reports of Enclave activity in the area?"
Taking off his shades, he looked at her as though she were dangerously stupid. "Ma'am, I haven't heard any reports of Enclave activity period, let alone around here. Maybe it was some other kind of bot."
"Or maybe I'm crazy or making the whole thing up?" she thought, filling in what he was probably thinking. "With all due respect, sir, I know what I saw."
"Talk to Ranger Ghost. She says there's been some suspicious activity around Nipton. That's all I can tell you. You can find her on the roof of the barracks."
"Thanks."
Outside and up a rickety makeshift ramp, they found a ranger with skin paler than Beth's was when she was fresh out of the vault. It was clear where Ranger Ghost got her name. The Courier introduced herself and her companion before asking about the suspicious activity.
"Been seeing a lot of smoke around Nipton, but the radio's been quiet," the Ranger said. "At first, I thought it might be Powder Gangers, but the Legion hit Camp Searchlight just a few days ago." Her jaw clenched visibly.
"How bad?" Boone asked.
"They fucking irradiated the whole place. Bastards. Lost a lot of good people. Looks like Nipton was their next target."
Silently, he turned away with an angry grimace.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Beth said, sympathetically, before changing the subject. "This may sound crazy, but we saw a piece of Enclave tech on the road. Maybe it's just my personal bias, but I'm concerned. Have you heard or seen any signs of them?"
"Enclave?" Her mouth twisted skeptically. "No, nothing like that out here. Just Legion and Powder Gangers."
"Yeah, maybe it was nothing, just a stray bot," she said, still unconvinced.
"Maybe, but the Enclave isn't anything to sneeze at. I'll keep my eyes and ears open."
She smiled appreciatively at the ranger. "Thanks. We'll investigate Nipton and see what's going on."
"Thanks. Just watch yourselves out there."
They could see the smoke for miles against the clear sky and the smell of it pierced through the air, burning their noses. The Courier hadn't come past here on her way to Novac, instead preferring to cut through the desert to save some time in her pursuit of Benny. Besides, Nipton had always been a hellhole that was best to avoid.
As they approached the town, they could see red banners with bulls on them hung from poles on either side of the road. It was definitely the Legion. Suddenly, a man in a blue jacket and glasses came dashing toward them. The pair drew their weapons, but paused to see what he would do, since he appeared to be unarmed. He certainly wasn't a legionary. Running up to them, he began yelling and hooting in celebration about something he had won.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Beth asked him impatiently.
"The mother-fucking lot-ter-y is what I'm talkin' about! Smell that air! Couldn't you just drink it like booze!" He let out another joyful hoot.
Sure that she wasn't going to get a clear answer, she gestured for him to go on his way, after which he ran off happily into the distance. She turned to her companion. "Do you know what he was talking about?"
Boone shook his head. "No, but if it has to do with the Legion, it can't be anything good." He reached out and put a hand on Beth's shoulder, looking her in the eye with a grave look on his face. "Are you sure you want to do this? I've seen what the Legion does to towns, to people. This might not be as tame as Nelson. There may be shit in there you can't unsee."
She put her hand on his. "I'm not expecting it to be easy, but believe me, I have seen more than my fair share of 'shit.' I appreciate you asking, but yes, I'm sure."
"Alright. Let's do this."
Carefully, they made their way into town, passing piles of burning rubble and bodies on crosses charred to skeletons. "Fuckin' hell," she breathed to where only Boone could hear her. He nodded solemnly. They continued up to the main road, and carefully peered around to where they could see crucified Powder Gangers and heads on pikes lining the street. The ruthless brutality of the Legion was on full display.
A group of soldiers stood on the town hall steps, dressed in their distinctive crimson armor, one of them wearing a coyote headdress.
Tapping her on the shoulder, the sniper whispered, "We'll have to play this differently than Nelson, since there's no high ground for me to get a clean shot. Just keep the enemy out of my face and I'll back you up."
She nodded in agreement. "I'll go around the side, then distract them with a few grenades. You take them out from here when they're distracted. They'll think there are ten of us."
"Glad I'm on your side."
Ducking behind the buildings, she moved north toward the town hall. Readying a frag grenade, she lobbed it toward the legionaries. The blast hit three of the them at close-range, sending two flying into the wall behind them and the other back into the dirt. Their exposed legs were shredded by shrapnel. She threw another, bouncing it off the building, so as to roll toward the others from behind, sending them face-first to the ground, their legs and backs bloodied. The rest scattered and began falling to the sniper's bullets.
The sounds of yelling and rapid gunfire filled the street. She could hear the echoes of slower gunfire from where she had left Boone, as he dispatched one legionary after another before they could reach him. The smell of charred wood and flesh mingled with that of gunpowder and fresh blood.
One young recruit saw the Courier and charged with a machete; drawing her weapon and firing quickly, she took him down with two shots in his chest. Red blood spurted from his already crimson armor as he fell to his knees, then down onto his face with a gravely thud. Her heart was beating fast, but her hands were steady and her eyes stayed clear on-mission.
Another legionary came around the side and opened fire on her with a cry of "Profligate bitch!" A bullet tore through her sleeve and into her arm, another hit her armor, but didn't penetrate it. Taking cover quickly on the ground behind some of the rubble, she waited until he got closer, then shot him with two precise shots from her .45 as soon as he came back into view. At such close range, his head nearly exploded with the force of the bullets. Blood and brain matter splattered everything around it, including Beth. She grimaced in disgust.
Then suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind. One hand gripped her right wrist hard and wrenched it behind her, causing her to drop her weapon; another hand held a knife to her throat.
"I'm disappointed you didn't accept Caesar's invitation, Courier. However, you'll look lovely with a slave collar around your neck," the man growled in her ear, pleasure in his voice as he pressed his body against her back. Icy fear spread through her as she tried in vain to struggle. As a warning, his knife cut into her neck just deep enough to draw blood, causing her to wince in pain. "Oh, and if you think your pet sniper is going to save you, my men have subdued him. I wonder if he likes to watch. I don't expect you to break easily, but I do so love a challenge."
She reminded herself to stay calm and focus so she could take the advantage when one was presented. He began to roughly usher her back towards the town hall when she heard a loud bang from behind them. The grip on her wrist faltered and the knife fell from her throat, followed by a heavy thud as the man's body crumpled to the ground. Spinning around, she saw Boone there holding up a handgun, still in the ready position. His lip was split and his cheek was dark red with a fresh bruise. The legionary lay dead at her feet, the back of his head a gaping red maw.
She was still in shock when her companion approached her, tucking his gun into his back waistband. "Hollow points," he said, stiff and stone-faced. "Didn't want to risk a through-and-through. That's all of them." Bending down to pick up her gun, he handed it back to her. "You're hurt."
With a slight tremble to her voice, she replied. "No, I think just a couple grazes. Nothing major." She holstered the weapon and tried to catch her breath, her heart still beating fast in her chest.
"Your arm's bleeding pretty badly."
She looked down to see her left sleeve soaked with blood from the earlier gunshot wound. The adrenaline from the battle masked the pain almost completely, so she had hardly noticed. Now that it was receding, she felt the familiar searing in her flesh. "Oh, yeah." Gently, she rolled up her sleeve to get a look at the damage as she gritted her teeth against the pain. Luckily, the bullet had gone all the way through and she wasn't going to have to dig it out.
"Here, sit. I'll get your pack so you can fix that up." He led her to a bench behind one of the buildings, thankfully without a view of the Legion's carnage. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and held it to her arm to slow the bleeding. A minute later, he returned with both their bags and opened hers, taking out her first aid kit. "Let me," he offered.
"No, it's fine. I can do it." Out of the kit, she took out a bottle of alcohol and poured some over the wounds with a wince, then used a clean pad of gauze to wipe up some of the blood. Once the wounds were clean, he handed her a stimpak, which she injected just above the gunshot. In moments, the bleeding stopped and the tissues began to mend together. The pain was tolerable, so she didn't think it was necessary to risk taking more med-x. "Are you okay? That legionary told me they had you," she said, a sliver of fear still in her voice.
"I'm fine." He put the kit back into her bag. Turning to the legionary that had grabbed her, Boone rolled the body over with his foot. The dead face of both the man and the coyote head stared back at them.
"I know him." She crouched down and removed the dead man's sunglasses, seeing that his eyes were just as searingly cold now as they were when he was alive. "He's the one who gave me Caesar's Mark outside The Tops."
Studying his face, the sniper's eyes widened. "Holy shit, that's Vulpes Inculta."
"Who's that?"
"He's the head of the Legion's intelligence network."
"I guess he gets around."
"Not anymore," her companion quipped with a near smile. "Too bad I'm not still with the army. I'd probably get a medal for this."
"Does that matter to you?"
He shrugged. "No, not really."
Reaching up, Beth touched the spot on her neck where the knife had been held. The blood was still wet, but the fresh stimpak had begun to knit the cut.
After composing herself, she and Boone surveyed the area. Walking around the buildings and along the street, she examined each of the crucified men, seeing that they were barely breathing. "They're too far gone. Even if we take them down, they won't survive." Pulling out her pistol, she solemnly took careful aim and quickly put each out of his misery with a careful shot to the forehead.
The sniper stood back silently. When she turned to him, he gave her a small nod of approval.
"We should look around, see if there are any survivors," she said. "Maybe someone can tell us what happened here."
"We know what happened. The fucking Legion happened."