Chapter 15, The Battle of Hoover Dam
Our journey across the desert would be the same as the many times before. Though this time I felt a bit lighter and even a bit cooler compared to the Mark Two armor I was wearing before. But the sun was starting to come down and it reminded me to check my Pipboy watch. Looking at it, it was 4:30 P.M. By the time we get back, it's going to be pretty late. Let's hope the battle doesn't begin at night. Even with night vision, I still don't want to be out at night.
After two hours of traveling, I could feel and hear my stomach grumbling.
"Hey, you want to eat one of those MRE's," I asked.
"Yeah, let's eat for a bit," Elizabeth replied.
I took out Southwest Beef and Black Beans for myself and Elizabeth wanted Pepper and Onions. We ate for a few minutes, cleaned up our mess, and resumed our journey.
After a few more hours, we finally reached the strip entrance, the lights welcoming us back after our long journey. We made our way back to the Lucky 38 and took the elevator back to the Penthouse. We exited the elevator and walked towards Mr. House's screen and the screen lit up with his face.
"What in the world are you wearing," he stated.
"It's a gift from the NCR," I replied.
"Oh how thoughtful of them," he stated with a sarcastic tone, "Don't get sentimental with them considering the events that are about to unfold. After all, If not for you, President Kimball would be dead. So you needn't feel guilty when the NCR's route from Hoover Dam demolishes his political career."
I rolled my eyes, "So, what's the next step?"
"The Legion has nothing left to wait for. Their assault on the dam could begin at any moment. Before that happens, I'll ask you to complete one other task. It may seem trivial, but that's far from the case. Between the Strip and HELIOS One lies the El Dorado electrical substation. Humble as it appears, the substation has immense strategic value, for it's there that you'll jumpstart the Lucky 38's dormant reactor. Gain access to the substation's control room and install this override module. Just so you know, there are NCR troops guarding the station," he states, opening up his tray with the override module.
The module just looked like a small piece of technology that attached to a terminal easily. I grabbed it from the tray and put it in one of my bags pockets.
"What's this about a dormant reactor," I questioned.
"The strain of defending Las Vegas from annihilation exceeded my power systems' capacity. My primary reactor shut down. For years, I played a miser with my emergency power supply. I began to run out of reserves around the time I woke the first batch of Securitrons. Negotiating an allotment of power from Hoover Dam was crucial. That's what's powered the Strip for the past seven years."
I folded my arms, "Why didn't you restart the reactor earlier?"
"I needed the operating software on the Platinum Chip to bring it back online. And to start the reactor itself requires a tremendous jolt of current. Very attention-getting. The NCR has its hands full now, of course. I doubt they'll raise much of a fuss," he replied.
Elizabeth chimed in, "You already have power. Why is this important?"
"This is not a good time to be dependent on energy from Hoover Dam. When the Legion attacks, the NCR may cut power altogether. And I'll be needing a good deal more power than the NCR has allotted to the Strip. Broadcasting encrypted VMQ-boosted command signals to hundreds of Securitrons eats up more power than you might expect."
"We'll take care of it first thing in the morning," I stated.
"With this accomplished, all preparations will have been made. The battle for Hoover Dam will be upon us before long."
Mr. House shut off, leaving Elizabeth and I alone.
"Well, let's get ready for bed. We have a battle to win tomorrow," Elizabeth said.
I smiled as I turned around and made my way to the elevator. . The elevator dinged to let us know we had arrived at the suite.
"Well, I'm going to go to sleep early Evan," Elizabeth said, stretching her arms, "We should head out as early as possible.
I took my helmet off, "Yeah, might be able to have some light security if we get there as soon as possible."
Elizabeth walks into her room and I walk into mine. I put my helmet on the dresser and put my bag on the bed to dig out my toiletries. As I did, I saw the familiar sight of the Maria, Benny's pistol. I forgot I had put it down in here. I took it out and examined it. I can't believe it's been that long since we killed Benny. Feels like yesterday I had not only taken him out, but also that I went to Rapture. Time flies when you don't think about something. I opened the drawer on my night stand and set it in. I closed it and continue to take the rest of my armor off.
Once Elizabeth wrapped up what she was doing, I went in, brushed my teeth, and got myself ready for bed. I laid in bed, looking at the ceiling to just think. I don't know what tomorrow holds in store for both of us, but I hope we can have time to set this up. Even if it's just any extra day, it can help me prepare. Last time I was in a battle, was when I had to fight to take back the Purifier back in D.C. for Project Purity. It wasn't easy, but I was able to fight and help take it back. But the causalities and damage was insane. It was something I never thought I would ever have to experience in my life and here I am about to do it again. Maybe even bigger and worse. I don't know, but I just hope Elizabeth doesn't get hurt. I don't want to lose someone I care about again. I don't think I can take another death like that again right now. I shut my eyes and started to fall asleep.
I opened my eyes to see myself looking at my opened door. I rubbed my eyes and grabbed my Pipboy off the night stand. Looking at the clock, it read 5:40 a.m. Perfect time to get up and make our way to the electrical substation. I rolled out of bed, changed my underwear, and put the NCR armor back on. I slung my backpack over and walked over to Elizabeth's room. She was getting her shoe on.
'Morning," I said.
"Morning, ready to head out," she replies.
"Yeah, let's see if I can just slide in with the armor I have. Might be able to not raise any suspicion," I stated.
Elizabeth nodded before getting up and heading to the elevator. As we got into the elevator and made our way down, I looked on my map to where the Substation was. And it was right near Boulder City. This was going to be quite the walk and if the battle happens right after we report back to Mr. House, it's going to be an even longer walk. Maybe he can supply us with a method of transportation or something if that happens. Cause I am not going to do this much walking in one day. Once we exited the elevator, I opened the door and saw the blue and orange morning sky on the horizon. The cool air of the Mojave I could feel all around my body as we made our way to the gate and out into the desert. It took us about the same time it took us to Boulder City all be it dealing with some Radroaches and a giant Gecko nearby. Once we reach the substation, I motioned Elizabeth to take cover behind a large rock nearby. Looking over it, I could tell the security was changing rotations and incredibly light. A perfect opportunity to sneak right through.
"Ok, with this armor, I can slip by easily. You stay here and I'll be back," I announced.
Elizabeth nodded and I made my way to the substation. It looked like your stereotypical electrical substation with all the power cables and transformers needed to create power and electricity. There was around two NCR soldiers and I greeted them before I entered the substation through the giant, garage door. Once I entered, I saw mattresses lined up to the door to my left with some NCR soldiers just sleeping. I shook my head and looked to my right to see the terminal with its other computers connected to it. I approached the terminal, dug out the override module and attached it to the terminal. Then I started up it up to divert the power and shut it down once it confirmed it. I hastily made my way out of the substation and back to the rock where Elizabeth was.
I ran behind it, "Alright it's in. And they didn't suspect a thing."
"Great. So, back to old Mr. House?"
"Yup. Then we just wait for the battle and hopefully it won't happen for a day or two. Could give us some time to prepare," I answered.
"Yeah," she replies with some uninsurance.
"What's wrong," I asked, starting to walk.
"I'm just wondering. Do you think we should have joined the NCR? Or was Mr. House the best option," she asks.
"Honestly, it's hard to say. On the one hand, the NCR has their noble intentions to continue democracy. But on the other, they are so disorganized and have layers of corruption in their ranks. I doubt we could have been able to clean it all out overtime so maybe joining them would have been bad."
"I can't argue with that, but it's been on my mind for a while. Just wanting to make sure we are making the right call."
"The way I see it, it's not about making the right or wrong call. It's about making the best call out of the options we have. And I can give Mr. House credit. He has a plan and how he wants to accomplish it. Only problem is making sure it doesn't become power hungry. And with both of our experiences in life, we could help keep him on the right path and listen to us."
"Provided we don't become a loose end," she states.
"Yes, and that's where insurance can come in. I just don't know what yet that can protect us," I retort.
"Well, let's hope we can figure it out before it's too late. If I had known that sooner, maybe… things would have ended differently between me and Atlas," she ponders.
"Maybe, but who knows where you would have ended up."
Elizabeth pauses for a moment, "Yeah. But then, I wouldn't have ever met you. So, maybe, on some level, it was good that it happened."
"Really?"
"Yeah, despite everything and how the world looks, I'm glad I've been able to journey with you. And we make a great team," she says, punching my arm.
I rubbed my arm, "Yeah. It's nice being able to travel with someone. Makes the journey feel much more enjoyable."
She smiled at me and I smiled back, our eyes locking for a moment, before returning to the desert. After another few hours, we made our way back to the Strip and back into the Lucky 38. I looked at my Pipboy and saw it was 11:20 a.m. I cannot wait to sit down and let my legs rest. This morning walking is killing me and I could do with getting something to eat. I pushed the button to take us back up to the Penthouse, back to dear old Mr. House. Once we arrived, we exited and approached him.
His screen turned on, "As you can see, Vegas is humming along. I've tested my C3I broadcasting arrays. Everything is in order. And just in time, as it turns out. The forces of Caesar's Legion are on the march, establishing a staging area east of the dam. Their assault could begin at any moment. So that's where you'll be heading, if you're ready - Hoover Dam."
Shit. Then this is it. The Second Battle of Hoover Dam is only moments away from beginning. Great which means more walking.
"And you sure you need us there," I asked, folding my arms, "The NCR does have their own army. Why don't we let them do the fighting and wait for the dust to settle?"
"Indeed they do. An army that'll be too distracted with killing Legionaries to notice the real reason you're there."
Elizabeth walked forward, "So, what's the goal?"
"Your objective is to reach a control room halfway across the dam and install an override module similar to the one you used at the Substation. The override will enable it to control the entire dam's power output. You may remember how the bunker at the Fort was rather dimly lit? Well, just like the Lucky 38, it needs a big jolt of electricity to power up. You've already uploaded the new operating system to the Securitrons. All they need is power and they'll be in fighting trim."
"I just have a few more things," I declared.
"Even now? On the brink of battle?"
"What should we expect at the dam," I asked.
" Imagine two snarling dogs fighting over a curve of bone, perhaps the rib of their master, long-dead. It'll be a pitched battle, that's a certainty. Perhaps the greatest battle the Earth has seen since the human race nearly made itself extinct," he said, with a hint of glee in his voice.
"Any speculation on Legion tactics?"
"The Legion will mount a ferocious and determined frontal assault from the east, that much is certain. Still, Caesar is a capable strategist. I'd be surprised if he hasn't found some way to infiltrate the dam, or the NCR's rear areas."
"Could we get a method of transportation besides walking? This walking is honestly killing me," I questioned.
"Unfortunately I do not have a vehicle up and running for you both to use. I suppose you could catch a ride on a Securitron and have them carry you there. They should be able to handle a bit of extra weight."
"Ok, let's do this then," I exclaimed.
"We've accomplished a great deal. One last task, and our work is complete. I'll see you in the control room," he says, before shutting off.
Our work is complete? That doesn't sound good for us. This might be the opportunity Mr. House may want to get rid of us.
We made our way to the elevator and once the doors closed, I said the quiet part out loud.
"He's going to get rid of us. We've done his dirty work, and now he has no use for us once we complete his final tasks," I announced.
"Yes. I wasn't expecting to be this quick. I thought we might have a bit more time and breathing room to figure it out. I don't know how we could stop this. This is like Atlas in Rapture all over again," she shakily says.
There has to be a way to have some sort of assurance now. Wait. There is a possibility we will have to manually reroute power once we get him online in the dam. We could use that as leverage and if I can record him assuring he won't back stab us, that would be another plus. I know there is a recorder in the Presidential Suite that we could use.
"Ok, I have an idea," I state.
"Let's hear it," Elizabeth responded.
"There is a chance we will have to manually reroute power to him once we upload the override module. That is when we can force our own terms of negotiation and record his response to our terms. There is a recorder in the Suite I can bring."
"That's perfect. And if he does break them, we can get away and share the proof with all of New Vegas to show who he really is. It would cause complete chaos and screw everything up," she expressed.
"Alright, let's get back to the suite and get that recorder," I say, pushing the button to take us to the suite.
Once we reached the suite, I rushed out the moment the doors opened into my room and opened the closet and saw the recorder on a shelf. I grabbed it and opened it up to see a tape in it. With the tape in, we can record it and make sure he does what we agree to.
I shove it into my bag and make my way back to the elevator, with Elizabeth holding it open. I jumped in and she pushed the button to take us down to the Casino floor.
"You got it," she asked.
"Yup. We got our insurance," I said, pointing to my bag.
Once the doors opened, we made our way out of the elevator and went to the exit of the Lucky 38. When we opened the doors, I saw two Securitrons outside with Victor's face on one of them.
"Well howdy pardner. Mr. House said you and your companion might need a lift to the Dam," he cheerfully states.
"Yeah, that would be great Victor if you can do that," I replied.
"Yup, we can carry you and it will only take us two hours or so to get there. Just keep your arms and legs in our arms at all times."
I smiled in response. They held out their arms and I went into Victor's arms while Elizabeth went into the other Securitrons arms.
"Alright. Hold onto your horses. We're going to go a bit fast," He says as he picks up speed and we take off.
He was not kidding. Once we got past the Strip entrance, we were going pretty damn fast to the point I could feel the wind hitting my face inside my helmet. I looked over to my left and saw Elizabeth's hair flowing with the wind as she was holding on as well. After an extended bit time and travel, I could hear loud explosions and distant gunfire in the distance, indicating we had arrived at Hoover Dam.
"Well here you go pardner. I think you can take it from here," Victor says as he sets me down.
"Thank you Victor. I'll see you on the battlefield," I state.
He continues forward as I check my carbine and have my ammo ready. I got 60 rounds of Armor Piercing and as long as I tap fire, I shouldn't have to spend most of it in one sitting. Just in case, I set it to semi-automatic.
"Are you good with ammo?" I asked.
"I've got some ammo, but not too much," she replied .
"Ok, I can cover you to see if you can get some of their weapons and ammo."
"Alright let's do this."
We hurried our way to the Visitor Center and everything was a mess. The Center had a few holes in it from artillery fire and fire surrounded it on all sides, showing just how out of hand the carnage had become. We continued forward and saw NCR soldiers and rangers taking cover behind sandbags and as we got closer, the artillery gun on the right exploded in a fireball of furry. Upon seeing that, we took cover behind the sandbags.
"We got incoming Legion's upfront. Hope you got your guns ready," the Ranger says, reloading his magazine.
I nodded and peaked over with carbine and saw at least a dozen Legion coming our way. I fired a couple of rounds down range with Elizabeth next to me firing a few rounds. I saw one of them drop quickly, but more still kept coming. The NCR Rangers returned fire, but they were no match for them as they came forward and charged. Some had melee weapons, but others had some Service Rifles firing at us. I continued returning fire and dropped another two, proving how effective the AP rounds are against their armor. But they still kept coming, like a moth to a flame.
All of a sudden, I heard Securitrons roll up behind us and fire missiles.
"Looks like Mr. House was nice enough to lend us a hand," a NCR Ranger states before motioning to move forward.
As the Legion started to retreat, I could make out in the distance a giant plane. As it got closer, I saw the Boomer's Lady in the Water plane flying overhead.
"Everyone get back, " I shouted pointing to the sky, "Boomers are about to drop some artillery in!"
We all took cover and about a few yards away, they started to drop bombs all across the retreating Legion.
"Talk about Danger Close. Someone get on the Radio and tell them to watch where they drop the bombs," a NCR Ranger called out.
It wouldn't surprise me if Loyal forgot to check in or one of the kids got a bit trigger happy with the bombs. Regardless, we all jumped over the sandbags and continued forward. The NCR Rangers went forward running with the rush of battle in them after the Legion with the Securitrons right behind them. I took notice to my right a door that might take us down to the center of the dam to where the control room would be.
"Alright, while they handle them, let's get inside the dam and find that control room," I state point to the door.
"Right behind you," Elizabeth replies.
I opened the door and was met with stairs that went up and an elevator that took us down. We went into the elevator and I saw a button that said "Main Control Station" That must be where it is. I pushed the button and waited for it to take us down. Once we arrived, we exited and followed the pathway until we reached a sealed door with two NCR soldiers in power armor and machine guns. One of them took notice and walked up to us.
"You shouldn't be here. It's best if you move along," he states.
Remembering the Colonels name from yesterday, "Colonel Moore is in trouble. She needs help topside now."
"Damn it all to hell. Let's get up there," He says, motioning to the other soldier.
They both ran as fast as they could to the elevator, while we made our way inside. The place looked like your stereotypical power station with computers and control panels everywhere. At the end of the hallway, I saw a bunch of screens with keyboards and terminals lodged inside of it. I walked forward, took out the override chip, I slotted it in. Once I did, Mr. House's familiar face came on all the screens.
"I knew you'd both make it. As always, you two have been incredibly resourceful throughout our time together. The override module is functioning properly. I'm rerouting power to the Securitron vault at the Fort as we speak. I just need you to head over to the east power plant and manually activate the switch. When you return topside, I think you'll see that my Securitron army is a little more than the Legion was prepared to handle. Oh, and before you go - grab that print-out spooling from the console here. Those papers set the terms for the NCR's unconditional surrender. I thought you might enjoy the honor of presenting them to the NCR's commanding officer, once the Legion has been defeated. Cheers!"
Right on cue. He still needs manual power and that is how we could negotiate our own further terms. I took the paper out from the computer and unfolded it. It read,
TO GENERAL OLIVER
TO THE NCR PRESIDENT
TO THE NCR COUNCIL
FROM ROBERT EDWIN HOUSE
As Chief Executive of the Free Economic Zone of New Vegas, I hereby demand the IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL of all NCR military personnel from New Vegas and its surrounding territories.
a) Yes, "all military personnel" includes NCR Rangers.
b) "New Vegas and its surrounding territories" includes (but is not limited to) Hoover Dam, McCarran International Airport, HELIOS One, and the El Dorado substation.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE that my vast army of heavily-armed Securitrons has been rather inflexibly programmed to respond to acts of aggression with overwhelming force.
a) For examples of "heavily-armed" and "overwhelming force," I will refer you to the pitiless campaign of extermination my Securitrons will have visited upon Caesar's Legion by the time you are reading this document.
b) Any NCR military personnel who do not withdraw from New Vegas and its territories will be seen as committing an "act of aggression."
NCR civilians are NOT subject to this order of withdrawal! They may visit New Vegas freely, enjoying all that the Vegas Strip has to offer!
So long as NCR military personnel comply with this order to withdraw, electricity and water will continue to flow from Hoover Dam to the NCR.
a) Electricity: 5 caps per kilowatt hour.
b) Water: 5 caps per gallon
The NCR Council's Office of Budget will receive invoices bi-weekly. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Cordially,
Robert Edwin House
Chief Executive
Free Economic Zone of New Vegas
I folded it and put it in my back pocket. Now we just need to make our way to the east side of the Dam, find the switch, and start our negotiations.
"Alright, let's get to this switch and start our end," I said as I walked out and made a left.
We continued following the doorways until we saw two Legionnaires see us. One of them wasted no time charging at us with a makeshift machete with the other shooting at us with a 9mm Pistol. I pulled Elizabeth back as the bullets hit the wall where we were and draw my Carbine. The Legion with the Machete swipes at me and I dodge, but he goes for another swipe. I block it with my carbine as he pushes me to the wall. Elizabeth wastes no time in shooting him in the chest with the laser pistol while I finish him off in the head with the carbine. I then slowly peak around the corner and don't see any sight of the other Legionnaire and I motion Elizabeth to slowly follow me. We creep forward slowly, waiting to see if he will pop around the corner and fire. As we were about to be inches away from the corner, he pops out, ready to fire. Before he could, I pulled the trigger and he flew back to the wall. He tried to fire again, but I pulled the trigger three more times until he slumped to the ground.
We followed the corridors further, with the pathways and look almost reminding me of my time in the Vault when I was younger and when we went into Vault 34. Cramped, small, and stuffy although this didn't feel lived in. Makes me wonder if they hired the same architect for building this. Eventually, we made it to the main control area and I could see these giant generators over the guard railing that powered dam. I saw a Securitron at the end, inspecting a crate for whatever reason he had. I turned to my right and saw a switch that had the label "East Power Plant Power" on it.
"Ok, stand by the switch and I'll call him over here," I stated, point to the switch.
"Hey Securitron. Could you come here," I shouted and motioned him to come over. I reached into my backpack, took out the tape recorder, and pressed the record button.
He made his way over to us," What do you require?"
"Get Mr. House here, we need to talk to him."
The Securitron changed his face from his usually, gruff military looking face, to Mr. House's face.
"What's the hold up? Is there something wrong with the dam," he asked.
"No. But we want talk with you about a deal."
I heard him sigh, "What is there to talk about? Haven't I gave you enough? A place to stay. A new stake in the world. Even gave you permission to lead an army of my Securitrons. What more do you want?"
"Assurance," I replied.
"What for?"
"That you won't kill us after we help you today and for the foreseeable future."
He paused for a moment, "Why would I want to kill both of you? What would I gain by doing that at all?"
"Because you said 'Our work is complete' to us. Makes it sound like once we are done here, you want to get rid of us. Like a Dictator."
"That didn't mean I wanted to get rid of both of you. That meant for New Vegas becoming under my jurisdiction. If I wanted to kill both of you after completing a task, I would have done it by now. That is bad for any business to do. As I said before, I prefer Autocrat. If I fired every employee I hired before the bombs dropped, I would not have a company and would not be where I am today. Then I would be a Dictator. "
I guess Elizabeth and I misinterpreted it. But I still would like an assurance.
"Ok. Then can you say right now, you promise not to kill us off at any point under any circumstance. If you can promise that, then we will turn it on."
"Very well. I, Edwin House, promise to not kill both you and Elizabeth under any circumstance."
Before I could confirm, Elizabeth flipped the switch and the room was filled with lights turning on.
"We have a deal then," I stated.
"Good. Clear out the rest of the Legion and I will meet you at the Legion gates momentarily," He says as he turns off.
I turned to face Elizabeth, "I guess we had it wrong."
"Well we had the right reasons to make these assumptions. He came off at first as a strong headed person that had some good intentions for New Vegas. But in my experience, that can easily have corruption come in overtime and change a person. How I always view it, there is always a lighthouse, there's always a man, there's always a city."
"What does that mean," I asked.
"It means wherever there is a lighthouse to guide people, there is a city that can contain people, and there is always a man that can oppress them."
She isn't wrong at all. And it's a nice food for thought. Though I wonder where she got that from?
"Interesting quote. How did you come to that conclusion?"
Elizabeth fidgeted with her right pinky, "It's a long story. Let's get this battle over with."
I guess I'll add this to the pile of stuff from her past she was keeping from me. Hopefully I'll know more. Maybe over a date if I can get myself the stomach to ask. Must be a hell of a story.
I nodded and we made our way out of the dam, and back to the top where the rest of the battle was going on.
It looked like the NCR was on the offensive and had taken back the dam. Elizabeth and I continued forward and saw two Securitrons pushing the Legion back across a bridge, back into their fort. I checked my magazine and saw I was almost out of rounds. I changed mags to the other 30 AP rounds I had. We continued forward, following them into the Legate Camp.
Once we entered, I saw the far reaching gate of camp, designating what was their camp by the sheet metal stacked together. I could see also the Legion flags with the golden horse and red background flying high in the air. The Securitrons continued forward, firing their missiles and shooting the bullets out of their hands. We followed behind, letting them take down the Legion one by one. It wouldn't be long till a well-placed sniper bullet pierces through the monitor of one of the Securitrons, bringing them down for good. We wasted no time taking cover behind the rocks. I provided covering fire for the other Securitrons while he fired a missile in the general area of the sniper in the watchtower.
"Oh great. I'm out of ammo," I hear Elizabeth say.
"Try to see if you can snag a 9mm Pistol off their bodies," I reply, moving forward and providing covering fire.
Elizabeth goes over to the corpse of a Legion soldier, missing an arm and a leg. Don't even what to know where they went. She pulled out a pistol and checked the mag.
"Only a few rounds and he doesn't have any extra ammo on him."
"Ok, use it only when you need to," I replied.
The Securitron continued forward and started shooting more at the tents on the left of the remaining Legion soldiers. One of the soldiers was able to shoot one of the arms off the Securitron and the Securitron responded by returning fire with his other arm. The Legion soldier was taken down and another one came out of nowhere. He tripped me onto the ground with his giant axe and shoved it into the monitor. Elizabeth wasted no time in putting two rounds into him. It didn't stop him from charging at her and she unloaded the remaining bullets into him. He finally fell down on the ground. He must have been high on Jet, a drug in the waste land that prevents pain from entering your system momentarily.
Elizabeth reached for my hand and helps me up. Once I'm up, she sees the gun had exhausted all its ammo and threw it aside.
"Guess that's it for me," she says.
"It's alright. If there is any left, I can handle them."
We continued forward until we made it to the top of the fort and as we reached the top, I saw a unique Legion soldier. He had a golden mask that mimicked a full beard that had a horn pointing up to the sky on the forehead. The top of the mask had a red and black feathers that surrounded the helmet in a half circular shape. The rest of his outfit had golden armor pieces on his chest, arms, and both of his legs. He also had a red cape behind him that flew behind him, proudly. He took notice of us and approached with his two, medium sized black and white dogs.
"An envoy of Vegas, yet you carry yourself for battle. If so, you cannot *truly* be of that city of cowards," he says with the deepest voice I have ever heard. I could feel the deepness surround me and enclose me.
As much as I don't want to fight this guy, we might not have a choice. But we can at least try to talk him down. Even if we have to use sarcasm.
"What, Caesar wasn't brave enough to come take the Dam himself," I sarcastically asked.
"Caesar's will is made true through me. I am a hammer against all that defy his rule. If you seek to stand against me, you shall fall as the West falls."
Elizabeth chimed in, "Maybe you're willing to listen to reason."
"I see you fight with words, like all beneath the flag of the bear. Let us hope your skill with weapons proves greater."
"This battle is decided, that's why we are here," I stated.
"So you seek quarter? Terms of surrender? Our roads into NCR are hung with the bodies of those who attempted to negotiate with us. Save your speeches, we will take Hoover Dam and move forward until our feet crush the setting sun beneath them."
I chuckled, "Move forward? The Legion spent years trying to take Hoover Dam."
"Hoover Dam has never seen the massed strength of the East. Only Legates such as Graham... who deserved the fire Caesar blessed him with. Now I am here, and make markers of your people as the Legion carves its way West."
"And then what of the East?"
"You speak in circles - what of the East? I am the East, and I will prove it this day."
"If you need all the East to crush the West…," Elizabeth sarcastically states.
"The victory here shall be swift. Our forces shall take the Dam, secure it, then build a road west on the bodies of the NCR. The East will hold. Once across the Colorado, nothing to rival Hoover Dam remains."
"That's an optimistic attitude for a general, and that's how wars get lost," I expressed.
"And how battles are lost. When you bring nothing but words to a contest of strength. Both of your words have done nothing, but delay the inevitable. Now, see what my hounds and my blade will bring to you."
I was growing tired of this. He wasn't going to listen to us clearly.
"If you're such a 'Terror' of the East, call off your dogs and face us yourself," I declared.
The Legate unsheathed his big sword from his back and motioned his dogs to leave us, "I shall make a cape of your skin. And your skull - it shall sit by my side, mute, watching as my armies march West. As for you, Woman of the West. You will learn your place, in my tent, and again, when you beg for release on the edge of my blade. I shall honor your last words and face you both alone, as you request. No man will say I refused your challenge."
Once he concluded, he started to charge towards us. We both rolled out of his way as he hit the ground. I wasted no time pulling out my Carbine and shoot at him. The bullets started to tear a bit away at his armor, but it didn't stop him from back handing me, sending me flying back a few feet. I saw Elizabeth jump on his back and start stabbing him under his neck in an exposed part of his armor, before he dropped his sword and reached behind to grab her.
"You insignificant, whore," he says as he chucks her.
I ran up and shoulder rammed him to the ground. I then pulled my Carbine out and started to fire more unto him as his chest armor started to show a weak spot near the upper chest. He got up, raised his leg, and kicked me right in the chest, sending me and my Carbine back a bit.
"Now the playing field has been leveled," he states, cracking his knuckles.
I raised my fists, ready to strike at him and he started to charge. Before he could move much further, I saw Elizabeth quickly come by and swipe his feet, making his face plant into a rock, cracking his helmet. I wasted no time running up and kicked his head real hard, sending him back. He stood up and I could see a piece of the helmet eye fall off, revealing a grey eye, full of red with rage. He let out a blood curdling scream as he looked around for Elizabeth. Once he saw her to his right he tried to swipe and grab her, but she dodged out of the way. I ran forward and punched him right where Elizabeth stabbed him which made him scream in pain as his focus turned to me. He swung at me, almost bitch slapping me, as I moved to the left. I then punched him square in his right ear, making him wince before he quickly grabbed me by my throat, threw my helmet off, and raised me up in the air.
"I am insulted that you have a woman help you fight. It shows you are weak, undisciplined, and unskilled. The world deserves better men than you," he states.
I could feel the air slowly leaving my lungs as he squeezed and my vision starting to get blurry. Before it could fade further, I heard a loud whack to his head, knocking him down and bringing me with him to the ground. I coughed and tried to get my vision back. Once I did, I noticed in the corner of my eye, I could see my 44 Magnum on the ground behind a rock. It must have been knocked out of my holster at some point and I didn't notice. I quickly ran to it and before I could, I felt him grab my foot. I desperately tried to kick him where his exposed eye was and he wouldn't let go. I saw Elizabeth get on top of him, pin his other arm behind him, and push his head into the ground with her leg.
"I got him, go," she shouted.
I ran to the Magnum, picked it up, and ran back to him. He finally was able to throw Elizabeth off him and as he got up, I pointed the Magnum at him. I could tell, under the rest of that helmet, he was smiling, before charging like no tomorrow towards me. I pulled the trigger and whatever was left of the helmet, exploded into pieces as he collapsed to the ground.
It was over. I grabbed my neck, feeling the ghost of where he was squeezing me. I saw Elizabeth stand herself up and run towards me.
"You ok," she asks, reaching her hand to my neck.
"Yeah, he had a hell of a grip," I replied, with a cough.
She smiled, "Thankfully nothing looks damaged. Maybe a red mark for a while."
"Hopefully I'll still look presentable to the General. We still have him left."
"I think you look fine even if we did go through hell," she replies as she helps me up.
I walked over and grabbed my helmet. Dusting it off, it thankfully didn't have any damage to it. I put it back on and saw my Carbine and picked that up as well. Once we had everything, we made our way back to the entrance and before we could come closer, the gates exploded to the side. Once the smoke cleared, I saw one man walking towards us with an army of NCR soldiers in the same armor I was in. The man was wearing light brown General outfit with light green cap and tie. The cap had gold stars all around it as well as on the collar and he had short hair with blue eyes to complement them. No doubt this was General Oliver.
"Caesar on the cross, it's been a long time since I've seen the kind of work you've laid down today. A damn long time. And the screams of those Legion bastards as they kicked dirt running East... like a choir of angels to my ears. Speaking of - that crazy lightshow over the Fort, what the fuck was that, some kind of thumb from God you called down? Amazing, fucking amazing. Could use a hundred of you, just scatter you over the East like jacks, give those plumed fucks the what-for," he stated.
"Well we can't take all the credit, but it wasn't really a gamble, either," I replied.
"Gambling? What, you looking to start a game now that the smoke's died down…"
Before he could continue, a huge wave of Securitrons appeared, ready for action behind them. General Oliver took notice and walked towards me.
"What is this Brahmin shit. I'm not getting the feeling we're all about to sing koombahyah here."
"Singing isn't necessary, but we do have a paper for you to sign," I say, reaching into my back pocket and handing him the terms of surrender.
"What the hell are you talking about," He says, taking it from my hands," What is this?"
He continues to read, "The Free Economic Zone of New Vegas. What the hell does that mean? Oh, wait, here we go. Demands NCR's immediate withdrawal. Withdrawal? Like fucking hell we're withdrawing. We just held the dam, we didn't do it to let it go! This paper of yours? Isn't fit to wipe my ass. If you think after all that's happened, I'm going to grab my ankles and take it like the Legion."
"If that's what makes you feel comfortable, I'm not judging you," I replied, folding my arms.
"You know I won't surrender the Dam, and certainly not to the ghost man of Vegas, his new right-hand-of-the-week, and their sidekick."
"You will because the alternative is worse and useless," I stated.
"We held this place for years, kicked one Legate out of here so hard Caesar burned him to a crisp. It's our post, we've fought for it. I'll fight for it again today. If you're looking to convince me otherwise, you better have a lot more reasons than you both just telling me to go."
I thought about it for a moment. Then an idea popped into my head, "I have no intentions to leave you empty handed."
"Looking to make a deal, then? All right... let's hear it," he says, folding his arms.
"What if we give NCR some concessions in trade with Vegas and the East?"
"If you're buying our ear for the moment, Hoover Dam's more than a fistful of caps to my superiors. Vegas is interesting… the East. That'll take too long to build up to generate capital. 'course, since you'd have to guard it during that time. I don't know, could go either way. "
"We'd also guarantee protection to the caravans and enforcement of fair trade practices," I retort.
"Huh. Willing to tackle the caravan families? Keeping that bunch in line... Well, that's no easy job. In fact, that's such a shitty job, those caravan families will be the one bottle capping you to death inch by inch - and that sounds good to me. Be a nice turnabout from your friend, House, and all the bottle capping he's been doing to NCR for years. Sounds sweet to me," he replies, extending his hand.
I shake his hand, confirming our deal.
"We are clearing out men," he says, motioning them all to follow him as they walk around the Securitrons and away. A Securitron rolled forward to approach us and I saw that Mr. House's face was on it.
"You know, I've had thousands of employees in my time. Few met my expectations, fewer still surpassed them. Elizabeth and Evan, your performance has been nothing short of spectacular. If I have a need for 'specialists' of your stripe again, I'll know just where to turn. Back to Vegas, shall we? I really should do something about that monorail. With all the new resources at hand, I can make sure it not only runs, but runs on time. Always bothered me, the imprecision. No need to worry about the General, by the way. He'll be held responsible, publicly disgraced… 36.5% probability of suicide by my estimate. Kimball won't be able to save him. He'll be too busy getting thrown out of office. But less than a 3% chance of suicide, mind you. Vegas might see a dip in revenue for a few months, half a year. But soon enough the tourists and their money will be pouring in. Vegas will be a shining jewel in the middle of the desert, an oasis of light, a beacon to show mankind the way to the stars. This is just the start, you see. This is where it all begins," he finishes.
It was over. After a full day of running around and fighting, New Vegas was now not only away from the Legion and the NCR, but now could be its own state. And with Elizabeth and I at the helm of it all, we could maybe see New Vegas be a beacon of light in the wasteland of the world. Maybe something one day that can resemble how the world looked before the war.
