The only light in the small room was the dull red glow of the cigarette as Rex drew from it. He sat on his bed, quietly smoking as he stared down the modified armor in front of him and tried to make his mind go blank. A pair scarred and calloused hands began messaging his shoulders, and Rex looked back to the scarred face of a woman dimly illuminated by the glow of his cigarette. The scar ran from beneath her left cheek and across her face to her right ear.
"Go away Mirada" Rex said shaking ash into a small tray; the smoke barely masked the smell mint on her breath "You've been dead for ten years."
"Oh Rex sweetie, why are you always so cold to me?" her breath was hot and wet as she whispered into his ear "Didn't you say you'd love me forever?"
"Yeah I did." Rex replied "but the whole till death do us part clause applies here I believe."
The hands disappeared and Rex fell back onto the bed to find Benny standing above him.
"Wow Baby you look like someone who bet the house and lost."
"Are all of you going to annoy me tonight?" Rex said moving his arm over his eyes.
"No just a few cats wanted to say hello Buddy boy." Benny said lighting a phantom cigarette "You know living in your head aint too bad; lots of skeletons to talk to"
Rex sat up and flicked the depleted cigarette through Benny into another ash tray "I really need to consider an anti-psychotic."
The door opened and harsh light shined through harshly illuminating Rex on his bed. He looked up to see Veronica standing in the doorway flashing that look of mild concern and fear he only saw after one of his slips. A sour taste coated his mouth as he regarded her concerned expression.
"Don't worry I'm fine." Rex said getting to his feet "What did our new friend have to say?"
The expression dropped, replaced by her usual rebellious smirk "She's a frumentarii"
"What the hell's a frumentarii doing this side of border? I thought they were all occupied with the mid-west brotherhood" Rex said changing his shirt "Regardless this is the second attempt to kill me this week."
"She says her order was direct from Octavian himself" Veronica replied "Apparently he's united the more important fragments of the Legion."
"How are our friends to the east taking all this?" Rex asked s he lit a cigarette and took a long draw.
"They're holding their territory for now, and the largest cluster of Legion forces is situated around the center of the old legion territory" Veronica explained.
"We need to increase eastern patrols and send some reinforcements to shore up our outposts" Rex said grabbing his duster, pack, and gun "And get word to big Mt. ramp up production of Securitrons with those new specs, and tell them I'll be arriving tonight ahead of everyone else. Make sure they have my rooms ready"
"Will do" Veronica said following him out and pointed to the woman "What do we do with her?"
"Throw her in the black site for processing" Rex said scowling down at the woman. "Have them milk her for any more info."
"Okay, but where are you going?" Veronica asked ordering two spec ops soldiers to carry the woman away.
"War's coming. Possibly from two sides." Rex said digging out his transportalponder from a bin and flicks a switch making the device hum. I'm going to pick up a few things before heading to Big Mt."
"Please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're going to do" Veronica said rubbing her temples.
"We'll need them if we want to win" Rex said grimly "I don't care what they were used for in the past but now with the tech and science from the other universe we can use them"
Veronica only looked at him and nodded before taking a small gold key from her pocket.
"You'll need this."
"Thanks" Rex said placing his hands on her shoulders "Don't worry if anything comes up you can just punch it to death like you always do."
Veronica nodded and Rex turned around to leave his house and when he was out on the street Rex pointed the Transportalponder and set the nob on its back to one, and aimed it at the sky. Then he pulled the trigger and with a blast of blue light Rex disappeared leaving behind a burn in the concrete.
In a flash of blue Rex arrived in the center of the Villa and drew a small but powerful transmitter from one of his duster's pockets. With a press of a button the speakers scattered across the Sierra Madre burst to life in a single screeching voice. All around him Rex heard the otherworldly moans of the Ghost People as they rose from their dens.
He and G/D had cleared most of the ghost people out when he had returned for the Vending machines and Christine, but there was at least a dozen left. The old ones, G/d called them. They were the oldest and most intelligent of the Ghost people. No trap or assault plan was successful against the old ones, and after a time they learned to give Rex space, and in turn Rex avoided them.
On the rare occasion, the old one's ran across each other; the old ones would regard Rex as if he were another predator. A respect between one hunter to another that had maintained the peace for the last two years. Of course, anyone besides Rex or G/D would be killed without mercy.
The red mist still hung ominously and Rex covered his mouth and nose as he crossed the court yard and walked the path up to the hotel. When he reached the lobby, Rex felt strange as he invaded the silence of the dead hotel. He had ripped out the holographic projectors years go and so the Sierra Madre's halls went un-patrolled devoid of light and sound. Though that wasn't quite true as Rex spotted markings and glyphs from the old ones dotting the walls.
Rex rode the ancient elevator up to the top floor and found himself at the door to what had once been Vera Keye's room. He used Veronica's key to open the door and immediately went to the small elevator tucked away to one side of the room and descended into the depths of the Sierra Madre's vault. Crossing the metal floor to the Vault itself where a set of Brotherhood elder robes sat neatly folded just outside the door. A cleaned skull rested on top with a cosmic knife through one eye socket, and an old ne glyph had been carved into the bone.
He entered his password into the vault door and stood back as the door swung open. The smell of dust and stagnant air hit his nose and Rex waited as fresh air flowed into the vault. Rex entered the vault and approached a table strewn with gold bars and pressed the small button on the underside of the table disarming the shaped charge beneath.
Rex went over to the small terminal and entered another password and opening the panel in front of him. Originally it had been a monitor but Rex had converted it into a vault for storage of extreme materials. With a creek, a tray containing six vials extended out of the compartment and Rex walked over to inspect them. He pulled a small carrying case from his pack and grabbed each of the vials. Three vials were filled with a green liquid and were marked:
F.E.V SAMPLE #102
XZ113 LOT #76
ZZ332 LOT #23
The other three were filled with a fine glowing red and black powder marked:
SPECIMEN #9 CORE SAMPLE #1
SPECIMEN #22 CORE SAMPLE #5
SPECIMEN #18 CORE SAMPLE #3
Rex sealed the container and stowed it in his pack before leaving the vault and sealing the door behind him. When he reached the surface, he shifted the nob to two and fired leaving the Sierra Madre to the Ghost people once again.
In another blast of blue light, he appeared outside the entrance of a cave much to the surprise of the guards. They wore the traditional tribal armor of the Dead Horses mixed with the standard armor of the Mojave military and after realizing who he was they let Rex through with a bow. He found Joshua Graham sitting behind a desk cleaning and loading dozens of pistols nodding to Rex as he entered the room.
Joshua once known as the burned man had been the leader of both the New Canaanites, the tribes of Zion, and the Special Forces division of the Mojave for two years now. He'd led them with strength and fairness since the fall of the White legs. Joshua had been a good friend to Rex in the last two years, and even if Rex didn't buy into the whole God thing it was still nice to have someone to talk to.
Joshua never passed up on an opportunity to preach though; every time they met it was the same nonsense of how God sent him to stay his hand and how he was a god send for all the Mojave. Rex didn't put much faith in religious omens or prophecy, but he let Joshua make his speeches and generally enjoyed his dramatic tone. As a man with a flair for the dramatic, Rex could appreciate Joshua's sermon on a purely technical level.
Rex leaned against the wall of the cave and lit a cigarette as he waited for Joshua to finish. The smoke wafted across the ceiling of the cave into a small ventilation hole directly over Joshua's head. He shot Rex a glare and rose as he finished his work.
"Rex it's good to see you." Joshua said walking over to Rex "The tidings may be dark but the lord's light will guide us."
"So, I take it you've heard about the Legion?" Rex asked taking a long drag from his cigarette before shaking Joshua's hand.
"Yes, I talked with your assistant" Joshua said with a hint of annoyance in his voice "We stand ready to lend our help if this new Legion dares to rise against the Mojave."
"You know she's my second in command not my assistant." Rex said eyeing Joshua "I know you two hate each other but I'd like you to get along at least where the safety of our country is concerned."
"I make no promises with that woman." Joshua said, "Her lifestyle and personality are beyond grating."
"We've had this conversation before Joshua." Rex said rubbing her temples "That's why you refuse to leave this lovely slice of paradise."
"I remain in Zion to guide my people and train warriors needed to fight back the mongrels at our doors." Joshua said narrowing his eyes.
"That's why I'm here actually. We might be facing off against the Legion and the NCR; I'm here to pick up that thing I left with you for safe keeping" Rex explained.
"Of course follow me" Joshua said gesturing for Rex to follow.
Joshua led Rex through the maze of tunnels deeper into the cave. They eventually come to door with two dead horse tribesmen guarding a solid steel door. The two soldiers opened the heavy steel door and Joshua and Rex walked through the door way into a natural cavern.
A small pedestal sat in the center of the room and a small silver orb sat on top of the pedestal. Rex walked to the pedestal and grabbed the sphere and gave it a twist causing the sphere to let out a popping sound as the seal was broken.
Inside was a single black flower with dark green tendrils poking out of its tightly bound petals. As fresh air hit it, the flower opened a little wider and the tendrils moved towards Rex's hand. Just before the tendrils touched him Rex clasped the lid back on sealing the orb once again. He placed the orb in his pack and nodded to Joshua. They made their way outside and Rex turned the Transportalponder to three.
"Be ready Joshua." Rex said "We'll need you before this is over."
"I await my chance to strike down the wicked." Joshua said.
Rex nodded and pulled the trigger disappearing in a flash of blue.
?
Far above the Mojave in the upper atmosphere Mothership Zeta orbited the Earth, and its captain, Alyssa, gazed down upon the irradiated planet in silence. She stood tall and stoic with a long scar across her face that on any other face would have detracted from her looks. Her long black hair was tied back in a single long braid that came to her waist, and her tanned skin was dark in the low illumination of the room. She hadn't left the room in three days, not since she had evacuated what remained of the Capital Wasteland's population on to the ship.
The image of Maggie being torn to shreds by the horde of infected was burnt into her mind. Every time she shut her eyes she heard the young woman's screams as she and most of the rest of the people of Megaton were ripped to shreds by the mutated hordes tearing through Megaton. The smell of blood and fear had seeped from her memory into reality.
It was the Enclave, because of course it was. The last remnant of them anyway. After almost six years of hiding from the Brotherhood the Enclave struck one final blow against the Capital wasteland. Her father's purifier had been infected with a modified FEV variant straight from the darkest enclave research projects. The toxins had corrupted anything the former waters of life into a twisted facsimile of life.
The first victims had been the citizens of the small community of Purity that had sprung up around the purifier in the six years since its activation. A wave of mutant cannibals had poured out across the ruins of D.C to crash against Rivet city and the Citadel. Underworld fell within the first few hours but the Combined forces of the Brotherhood and Rivet city security had repelled the horde long enough to get word to Alyssa aboard Mothership Zeta.
By the time she could organize a response it was already too late. The horde had flowed out of D.C like a river of corruption and devoured the surrounding communities.
Harold had been lost along with all his followers, his promise of trees returning to the wasteland gone forever. The kids at Lamplight were evacuated with only a few lost thanks to the bravery of their banished in Big town. They fought the horde long enough for the lamplighters to board the drop ships, but in doing so sacrificed their own chance at evacuation. While The merchant caravans of Canterbury Commons were devoured along with their base breaking the wasteland's network of short wave radios.
After only a day, the abominations had spread out across the wasteland. Alyssa and the Brotherhood under the leadership of Elder Sarah Lyons had done what they could. Though in the end Alyssa had to resort to cleansing the earth with Zeta's death ray. Wiping away everything she'd worked for over the last six years, and undoing all her parent's work.
She couldn't believe that her parent's life work had been used to cause such destruction. All her life she wanted to be like her father, a healer. When she left the vault, Alyssa used her healing skill to help the people of the wastes and even united them under a common flag, albeit after she shot several people in the face. Yet in the end after years of toil and work she had failed them; both her parents and the people of the Capital wasteland.
Alyssa took out a small folded up picture from the pocket of her fatigues and unfolded it. It was a picture of her and Amata taken a week before Alyssa's father left the vault to restart project Purity. Amata was smiling and Alyssa was looking up from one of her father's medical Journals. Two friends enjoying the simple life of teenagers before their worlds would be changed forever.
As she looked at the photo of her oldest friend she allowed a single sob to escape her before straitening and returning the photo to her pocket. Amata was dead along with Butch and all the other Dwellers of Vault 101. They'd opened the doors to join the evacuation of Megaton only to meet the brunt of the horde as it descended on the town. They couldn't close doors in time and the vault became a trap for its dwellers.
Alyssa stood in silence as the door opened behind her. She turned and saw Sarah Lyons as she entered the dimly lit room. Sarah's face held the promise of bad news, and Alyssa nodded to her friend as she took a seat behind her desk. She knew Sarah would understand what she was going through; they had both lost their fair share of men before.
"Alyssa, we need to talk" Sarah said watching Alyssa snap back to reality "Our food stores will run out in three days, we need to find somewhere to resupply."
"Three days? That's all we have left?" Alyssa asked rubbing her temples "I knew we shouldn't have dipped into the emergency stores in the hold last winter, stupid, stupid."
"It wasn't stupid, we saved lives Alyssa, that food staved off starvation in three communities" Sarah said locking her gaze with Alyssa's "We saved hundreds of lives that day and now we need to do it again."
"You're right Sarah, I'm sorry." Alyssa straightened and steeled her features. "We could head to the Commonwealth. I've heard it's a bit of a shit show, but we might angle for some decent land."
"They don't have the infrastructure to supports us, and I don't like some of the rumors I've heard about the Institute." Sarah said.
"What about New Vegas?" Alyssa said, "From what I've heard from the long haul caravans a man called the Courier has a pretty grand operation set up. Worth checking out at the very least."
"Good plan as any." Sarah said nodding "If those caravan rumors are true, then New Vegas will have more than enough resources to help us."
"How is everyone doing?" Alyssa asked turning looking back out at the earth.
"As well as can be expected considering what they've been through" Sarah explained "Arthur is helping move our equipment around and consoling Sally, Fawkes is helping the scribes get the malfunctioning reactors back online, and Lucas is helping keep the peace amongst the refugees."
"Good, have the pilots set course for course for New Vegas immediately" Alyssa ordered and withdrew the sling carrying her custom combat shotgun "I think it's time you and I tried our luck in New Vegas."
/
Rex appeared in a flash of blue light in the middle of a grassy courtyard between two of the Big MT.'s many labs.
"God dammit why doesn't this thing ever take me to the sink anymore?" Rex yelled and pulled the trigger again only to appear on top of the domed building housing the Think Tank.
He sighed and pulled the trigger once again and appeared about ten feet above Dr. Klein's work station and fell onto the brainbot. S Rex bounced off the glass of the brainbot's tank, Klein rose and spun yelling obscenities
"WHO DARES DESECRATE MY GLORIOUS BRAIN HOLDER." The brain bot yelled as he spun almost hitting Rex with his screens.
"It's just me, you pompous idiot" Rex yelled as he stood up "The damn Transportalponder is acting up again"
"OH, IT'S JUST OUR PENIS TOED LEADER." Klein said, "FOR WHAT GRAND PURPOSE HAVE YOU SO CASUALLY DISRUPTED MY IMPORTANT RESEARCH?"
"You were just playing that stupid asteroid game again." 0 said from his workstation below them.
"SILENCE! ONLY MY SUPERIOR MIND CAN SEE THE TRUE VALUE OF THIS PROGRAM AS IT RELATES TO ORBITAL MECHANICS!"" Klein booms back his voice cracking with feedback as he did.
"Whatever Klein, are my quarters ready?" Rex asked lighting a cigarette.
"YES, THOSE ANNOYING APPLIANCES OF YOURS HAVE BEEN REACTIVATED AND YOUR BRAIN HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN ITS OLD TANK." Klein said before turning back to his game.
Rex scowled at the brainbot for a moment before turning and walking down the steps. The few techs brave enough to work directly with the Think Tank were moving across the massive space and comparing notes behind the Think Tank's back. Despite having most of their mental acumen restored, the members of the Think Tank still had major mental imbalances. Rex was almost to the exit when Dala blocked his path.
"Hello little Teddy Bear, have you time for an observation?" Dala asked in her usual semi aroused tone.
Rex sighed and slipped out of his duster and after he handed it to a tech raised his arms above his head. Then he went through the usual stretches he knew would get Dala's rocks off. Dala herself floated around him in a lazy circle as she muttered to herself about how soft her teddy bear was. For the thousandth time, Rex made a note of coming up with some sort of sexual harassment regulation when it came to the Think Tank.
Ever since he had restored the Think tank's true intellect (including Klein who oddly enough was the same idiot either way) their individual quirks seemed to be amplified as much as much as their intelligence. Dala for instance loved locking Rex in a room for her "Observations" if he didn't appease her when he visited Big Mt. There had been several situations where'd he'd disappeared for several days only to be found trapped in Dala's quarters.
"Oh, thank you that is all I need" Dala said as she floated back to her station purring about her teddy bear.
Rex collected his duster and walked through the small junction room and through the door into the Sink.
"Welcome back Rex, how's the heart holding up?" the Auto-doc said in his usual gruff tone.
"Still ticking like a Rolex sawbones, the lungs are a little funky though" Rex replied tapping his knuckles against the auto-doc.
"Well maybe if you didn't smoke more than the damned toaster they'd work better" The auto Doc retorted opening and closing his hatch for effect.
Rex ignored the auto doc and walked over the Sink Central Intelligence Unit watching it light up as he approached.
"Evening Sink, how are things progressing here? I haven't gotten a status report in more than a month" Rex asked pressing buttons and changing the display to a holographic map of the facility.
"Oh very good sir, all projects are continuing on schedule and Sub-director Gannon has been successful in keeping the Think Tank in line while Director Tyrone is running a tight ship as always." The S.C.I.U replied, "And may I say Sir is looking very sharp today."
"Nice try you kiss ass, we both know I look like shit" Rex said slicking back his hair "Send a message to Arcade to get his ass over here."
Rex walked away from the S.C.I.U to his room, saying hello to the light switches and Blind Diode Jefferson. The Toaster and Muggy were locked in a debate about the combat uses of mugs and the light switches seemed to be flicking the lights to get his attention. Ignoring all of them, Rex entered his sleeping quarters and placed his pack on the bed. Then he went to the bathroom to clean himself up. Rex had the bathroom installed after reopening Big Mt. and thankfully none of the fixtures talked.
The water poured down his skin and sent scalding heat through Rex as he scrubbed the grime and dust of the wasteland from his skin. His skin was covered in faded scars, burns, track marks, and bullet holes earned throughout his life. After getting out of the shower he looked at one; a small almost invisible scar under his left eyebrow given to him by a rad scorpion when he was six.
He still remembered how the stinger barely grazed his face as the massive arachnid attacked him, and the tip gliding across his face he dodged the stinger. His father had to shoot the thing six times before it went down and then grounded Rex from his comics for a week for disturbing the things nest. Letting the memories dissipate with the steam Rex got dressed and walked into the brain room where Arcade waited beside his brain's tank.
"Rex good to see you finally making some time for the little people." Arcade said shaking Rex's hand "From what I've heard things have been getting crazy out there."
"You don't know the half of it" Rex said "The legion's about to make a move I just know it, and we have the god damn NCR plotting against us; oh, and a crashed alien ship from another universe."
"Just like the old days." Arcade said with a glum laugh "You know? Rex these things tend to follow you around."
"Precisely why I thank the heavens every day you decided to leave me here while you go gallivanting about in the wastes" Tyrone, Rex's brain, said his tank flashing with every word.
"Keep in mind I can place you back in my head anytime I'd like Tyrone" Rex says lighting another cigarette and once again wondering why his brain preferred to be called Tyrone.
"Last time we tried that, the melding of our independent personalities proved to be too much, and I craved that poison nicotine for a month afterward" Tyrone replied in a fussy tone.
"Fine, did you read over those schematics I sent?" Rex asks rubbing his temples.
"Yes we did, and Rex what we have here is amazing" Arcade said "The fabrication and R&D departments are already pumping out prototypes based on your recommendations and experiments are under way with the new software and tech samples you sent us."
"Good, we'll need to get to work before Shepard and her crew arrive with the Normandy" Rex said grabbing a small black drive from his pack along with a mobile terminal from the Normandy "This contains all the information from the Normandy's computers; I'll fill the tech team in on how to use the new computer, and I have a few ideas on how to integrate their holographic tech with our own."
Rex dawned a stark white lab coat marked with his name and gestured for Arcade to follow as he left the room detailing what he wanted done and his plans the tech. As they left the room Tyrone flushed himself back through the tubes to the Nexus, formerly the forbidden dome, where he oversaw the entirety of the many labs and testing areas. The next few hours were spent readying labs and facilities around Big Mt. for the arrival of the Normandy and making sure the preparations were completed to begin the study of the other world's technology and sciences.
?
Alyssa appeared in a flash of orange light next to the small white probe and walked forward through the jagged opening in the rocks surrounding them. Raising a hand to shield her eyes from the harsh sun Alyssa stared out across the burning sands at the glimmering speck of New Vegas in the distance. She wore a beat-up pair of lightly armored pants, a white tank top, a light leather jacket, and combat boots.
Her shotgun dangled from a strap at her side and her medical supplies were in a small pack strung across her shoulders along with her ammo pouch. Sarah appeared from the crack wearing full power armor without a helmet and devoid of any brotherhood symbols as a precaution to being recognized or drawing attention. To a normal person they'd look like a skilled doctor and her body guard.
They had fired the probe into an outcropping of stones a half day's walk from the city. In the distance Alyssa saw trucks of various sizes and colorations rumbling across roads sending clouds of sand billowing out behind them. Sarah withdrew a pair of binoculars and looked through them before grunting and handing them to Alyssa.
Looking through the binoculars, Alyssa saw a small truck depot where dozens of people were loading onto the trucks. Nodding to Sarah they began the walk towards the depot. The heat hit Alyssa like a brick wall as they descended the slope out into the naked sun. As they walked Sarah raised her arm to shield Alyssa from the worst of the sun.
"You don't have to do that." Alyssa said placing on her hands to move the arm away.
"What would Sally think if I let her beloved Captain get heat stroke?" Sarah said not budging "Besides your already tan enough as it is; wouldn't want that soft skin of yours to turn to leather."
"Stop that!" Alyssa said a blush reaching her face.
"Not a chance civilian." Sarah said smiling.
The pair walked across the parched desert and soon reached the small depot. It was a concrete building with three bays where trucks waited passengers or goods. They cautiously entered the depot and found a kiosk with the label Civilian Transport, and when their tickets were bought they took a seat on one of the benches bolted to the asphalt. Well, Alyssa took a seat while Sarah stood behind her.
"This is crazy we had at least four years on these guys and they already have public transport after two years" Alyssa said looking over their surroundings "I mean even Moira couldn't get those old trucks moving again."
"Yeah and this level of organization at least a minor military presence for peace keeping as well as a command structure" Sarah replied eying the Securitrons escorting each truck as they rolled out onto the road "The roads are rebuilt and safe, seemingly protected, and the people aren't too twitchy. No one's tried to shoot us for being outsiders yet either."
"Yeah, so far this is promising" Alyssa said stroking her braid "If we can meet with this Courier person maybe we can negotiate something."
"Maybe." Sarah said eying a truck as it pulled in front of them.
A dozen or so people got off the trunk and Alyssa and Sarah had to fight to get on before a Mojave soldier started waving people off. Alyssa and Sarah took a seat near the back of the truck so Sarah's bulky armor would take up too much space. A man sat across from them in a smudged business suit and read a newspaper while a family of four took the seats to Alyssa's right and a group soldiers sat at the front watching the rear.
Cautious, aren't they? Alyssa thought to herself examining the other passengers.
The family to her right consisted of a skinny woman about half the size her husband who was obviously a laborer judging by the calloused hands and deep tan. Their two children sat between them a young boy with a tangle of dark black hair matching his father and a girl who was at least a foot taller who's head was shaved and had the ghostly fuzz of pitch white hair atop her head.
The children seemed to be occupied by a large beetle they passed between each other and the parents were smiling as their children played. The man across from Alyssa read his paper silently not bothering to look up at all, even when the truck jumped after going over a bump. The soldiers on the other hand watched everything in the truck with the determination and dedication only a trained soldier could possess. Alyssa sat back and looked to Sarah who was staring out the window watching the Mojave pass by behind them.
"Are you two new to the Mojave?" Alyssa heard a voice with a deep southern accent ask and she turned to find the young mother looking at her.
"Oh yes, we're looking to set up a medical practice here." Alyssa replied smiling.
"Oh, you'll just love it here, Sylas and the kids and I just finished the probationary period and are going to pick up our citizenship forms at the capitol building" The woman said smiling ear to ear "We have a lovely little home in Good Springs you see, my Sylas is the best brewer in the Mojave and the lovely folk over in Good Springs can't get enough of his brew. So much so that there's people lining up to give him the capital to open a brewery."
"Marie, can you stop talking the lady's ear off" the Man said (in an equally thick accent) and looked to Alyssa "Sorry Ma'am the misses just loves to brag."
"Oh, not at all" Alyssa said with a reassuring smile. "It's good to know there's a decent brewer around."
"See Sylas I'm not bothering anyone, and what did your momma always say about bragging?" Marie asked her husband.
"It aint bragging if it's true" Sylas said rolling his eyes.
"Exactly, now stop interrupting our conversation or I'll have you ride on the roof. " Marie said turning back to Alyssa "Like I said you're gonna love it here, there's a place for everyone and the big man around here is quite the silver-tongued devil. When Sylas and I were applying for citizenship the courier came into the building on some business or another and talked to us. Can you believe that? A farmer and a tavern girl from Austin meet the leader of the entire Mojave. Let me tell you he's not much to look at but when he got talking it makes you feel like some big wig from the NCR"
"Wow he sounds amazing" Alyssa said raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yes indeed no wonder he runs things around here. That man could talk a snake out of its fangs I tell you." Marie said with a laugh that seemed too big for her body.
They rode the rest of the way to the strip with Marie chattering about how Odetta and Shaun were just the smartest little sweeties this side of the mountains. When they arrived Alyssa and Sarah said their goodbyes and Sylas handed Alyssa a note with the family's address in Good Springs.
"Now if you two need a place to stay anytime soon you come give us a ring, ya 'hear." He said with a wide smile that suited his big face "Marie's takin a real liking to ya, and I can tell you all are good people."
"Thanks, if we're ever in the neighborhood we'll be sure to stop by." Alyssa said as the family walked off towards the Government building.
"What a nice family." Alyssa said placing the note in her pocket.
"Yeah if you have ear plugs." Sarah says looking around the strip.
Alyssa laughed. She turned towards the Lucky 38 and stared up at its disk towering above the rest of the strip. It was time to see the courier.