The sun rose over the glittering jewel of the Mojave, the late-night gamblers and drunks slinking back to their suites and gutters. A peaceful quiet, broken only by the whirring of securitron wheels and the occasional gunfire, washed over the Strip with the coming of dawn.
Kicking her legs over the edge of the bed, Veronica stretched, her tired joints popping and clicking. She groaned, rubbing at her eyes. Looking around she noted that each bed was empty and in varied states of made and messy.
She scoffed to herself, sitting up, waking up the cyberdog perched on the end of her bed. As he stood up, stretching and yawning, she reached out and scratched him behind his eyes. "Morning, boy," she cooed.
Rex whined and licked at her hand, jumping down and following her as she headed out of the bunk room and for the kitchen. Dirty dishes were strewn around the table, half-drunk coffee, one cup even still warm.
Approaching the fridge, Veronica popped it open, pulling out two bowls of old stew. Putting one on the ground for Rex, she kicked out a chair and slumped down at a spot at the dining table; stealing the forgotten, still warm coffee.
Taking a sip, she winced at how bitter it was, "gross, Arcade," she muttered as she took another sip. She gave Rex another pat before starting to shovel the food into her mouth.
The radio blared in the distance, Mr New Vegas rambling about the "Boomers, at the Nellis Airforce Base, have once again been seen trading with a mysterious caravaner however still seem to refuse to open their gates to outsiders…"
Veronica tsked at this, "Cass is hardly mysterious," she muttered around her mouth of food; Rex yapping in agreement. Whipping her mouth clean on her arm, she stood up, heading towards the elevator.
"In other news, The Courier is still missing after a firefight broke out near the east exit of Freeside. When asking The Followers of The Apocolypse, an Arcade Gannon only had this to say…" Mr New Vegas' voice stopped, replaced by Arcade.
"Six is perfectly fine, she's just off… securing new trade routes for New Vegas." Even over the radio, even if she didn't know the truth, Veronica could hear the lie dripping from every part of his face.
Rex whined, the sound wanting and mournful, catching her attention. "I know, boy," she soothed, bending down to scratch him behind the ears. "I miss her too…"
The elevator dinged, old rusted doors shuddering open. As she stepped in, the doors closing behind her and Rex, she felt so alone in the small space; her mind wandering back to the last time they'd all been together.
Six had stood up on the railing to give everyone a little more space, feet planted on the metal railing and a hand on Boone's shoulder for support, as she tried to speak over the complaining. "Okay, settle down," she barked, "can't you guys just trust me with this?"
There was a communal glare shot at her.
"When have I ever gotten you guys in hot water?" Six huffed.
"Black Mountain," Raul chimed in, "Tabitha almost killed me."
Arcade piped up, "the Robco factory was pretty bad."
"That time you got me into a bar fight," Cass accused, pointing at her.
Nobody could see it, but they could feel the scowl on Six's face behind her headwear. "When?"
"Atomic Wrangler," Cass added.
Six paused for a moment, trying to think of an argument, "okay, no, you're right there."
"How about when you almost got us blown up by the Boomers!" Veronica stated, pointing from herself to Boone and Rex huddled in the corner.
"How about all of those," Boone grumbled.
Six shot him a look, "you're meant to be on my side."
"No."
She tsked, "alright, this is a pretty easy job. We're going to head into the ruins outside of Vegas, I've heard reports of a man calling himself 'The Burned Man' with a group of Legionnaire deserters…"
"So, we're making allies? Why would that need all of us?" Arcade huffed.
"Because we're not making new allies," Six said firmly, "we're going to kill them… We don't make an exception for Legion - especially not this one."
The doors dinged open and pulled back, revealing the luxurious suite beyond and snapping her from her memories. Veronica stepped out, heading down the winding steps and into the main terminal room where a large green smiley face waited for her a screen.
"Good Morning, M̴̘̓ĩ̷̯͘s̴̥͂s̴͙̺̋͜͠ Veronica!" Yes Man greeted, "how are you t-t-t-t-today?"
Veronica's eyes darted to the ghoul underneath the terminal, grunting and muttering as he worked. "I'm alright, are you okay?"
"My voice modulator was malfunctioning! But Mr Raul is f̶͔͛i̷̛̟̙̒̓ẍ̴̱̜́i̶͇̝͔̐ń̷̥͓̌̉͜ǧ̴̳͍̊ it!" He chirped, "how can I he-he-he-he- h̷̟̥̀͆͂e̵͈͉̒l̵̢̙̭͐p̸̪̞̩̃͘ ̴̫͈̳̔̈̇y̷̪͂ö̸̡̱̉ư̸̦?"
"I was wondering if you had any work for me," she stated, "with Six gone I know there is probably lots of stuff that should be done."
"Nope! I don't have anything for you!" He stated, "unless you'd like to pe-pe-pe-pe- perform a C̶̢̦̐ǫ̷̱̖͊̐̈ū̵̟ŗ̷̘͇͂̓̎i̶̭̭͙̐e̸̝͚͚͛͝ȓ̶͚̘̽̅ job to Goodsprings?"
"She's still doing Courier jobs?" she asked.
"Not exactly!" He corrected, "this is a personal job she does about once a month. If you go to her room, you should find a package for Joe Cobb at Goodsprings on her desk!"
"Joe Cobb?" Veronica thought to herself, heading back up the winding stairs and down a slim walkway towards a section tucked away near the back of the massive penthouse.
Rounding the corner, she saw everything the way she remembered it. Magazines about medicine and science were strewn around with teddy bears on the surface of the bed, empty and half-full bottles scattered around the floor.
It was so perfectly untouched she could almost see Six, still there frantically packing her bag; wild-eyed and trembling.
"Six?" She'd asked, "are you okay?"
She sniffed, trying to compose herself, clearly being taken by surprise. "I'm fine, don't… worry about it."
"What's going on? Raul said he saw Boone packing his stuff… What happened?"
She stiffened, staying quiet for just a moment. "We - ah -..." She cleared her throat, "we had a fight…" She glanced over her shoulder, and the heartbreak in her eye was so clear that Veronica could feel it. The pain resonated in her bones, she knew what it was like to get into that nasty of a fight.
"I'm so sorry, Six, break-ups are tough…" She started.
"Don't worry about it," Six dismissed, "look, I'm - i'm going to head out…" She threw her old black backpack over her shoulder. "I'm just going to check something out…" She pushed past Veronica, heading for the door.
Her eyes caught on the headgear in her hands, the familiar goggles and bandana looking back at her, "why are you taking that? You haven't worn it since… We went to kill that guy pretending to be the Burned Man…" She stated. "Six, what is going on?"
Six punched the down elevator button and the doors opened. "I promise we'll talk… when I get back…" She stepped inside, but the look in her eye betrayed the words unspoken.
"If I even come back ," hung in the air with a nauseating finality.
"Take care of Rex for me while I'm away," she said softly.
"Six, wait!" She shouted, running to stop the door only to have it shut in her face. She's slammed the button on the elevator, pounded on the door, but she was long gone. She couldn't even catch up with her.
Veronica swallowed, turning her eyes towards the desk in the corner, cluttered and dusty from disuse. She approached it, finding a doctor's bag perched on top of the mess. She popped it open, finding a wide array of chems inside, with an itemised list of everything. It wasn't anything she knew Six to use and, judging by the packaging and list, this was most likely the package.
Letting out a breath, she closed it back up and headed back the way she came; shouting a goodbye to Yes Man and Raul on her way out.
With Rex by her side, she returned to the bunk room where she packed a small bag of supplies and changed into some heavy leather armour; slipping on her trusty powerfist. Once satisfied with her preparations, she took the elevator down to the Casino floor.
Stepping out into the stale, dim lobby Veronica could feel the ghosts of their first time there. She could remember leaning against the dusty banister, watching Six disappear into the elevator with the hokey cowboy robot.
She'd tried to talk to Boone but he never was one for conversation. Even Six, with her ability to talk through dirt piled on top of her and with enough charisma to rival Mr New Vegas himself, struggled with getting the old soldier to talk. Alone in particular, without Six, the already sparse conversation became non-existent.
She spent the hour of Six being up talking to Mr House talking to Rex, as the cyberdog proved a far better conversationalist than the sniper.
Still, even with the awkward silence and eternal wait in a dusty old casino, her heart ached to go back to that day as she pushed open the large double doors; stepping out of the Lucky 38 and onto The Strip.
Veronica had to confess she would do that day a million times over if it meant things would go back the way they were, or even just to learn what Boone had that split the pair up.
Following the road from The Strip to Freeside, she made a point to stop at the Followers Of The Apocalypse camp. Stepping inside, she quickly spotted the young, blonde researcher ducking into a tent near the back with an old banged-up eyebot trailing behind him. She made a b-line for his tent, sticking her head in and wishing him a cheery, "good morning."
Arcade looked up at her as he settled into a chair and frowned, "no, I haven't heard from Six."
Veronica pouted, "I wasn't going to ask that, I was going to tell you I'm heading to Goodsprings to deliver a package."
He looked at her with a furrowed brow, "Goodsprings? Isn't that place overrun with Powder Gangers?"
"No?"
Rex barked and growled, Ed-E beeping back.
"They seem to disagree," Arcade stated, "a couple months ago some Powder Gangers took over Goodsprings. It was on the radio, didn't you know?"
Veronica shook her head, "Six has been delivery packages of Chems there once a months."
Arcade tsked, "probably doing something stupidly altruistic again. That idiot is going to get herself shot one of these days…" There was a beat of silence broken by Veronica let out a short breath of laughter. Arcade pinched the bridge of his nose, "not - you know what I mean…"
"I'll be sure to tell her that when she gets back," she said with a smile. "But, I did want to ask…" The seriousness in her voice caught his attention. "Have you heard anything about Boone?"
Arcade let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair, "no, not since those two broke up… do you really know nothing about what happened? Besides Boone, you were the one who knew her the best."
"No… I tried to track down the Sierra Madre she always talked about but… no luck," she confessed. Rex let out a sad whine.
"You don't think it has to do with 'The Burned Man' do you?" He asked. "I'd never seen her so scared."
She knew what he was talking about. The walk from The Strip to the ruins beyond Freeside Six had been uncharacteristically quiet. She'd been trembling and fidgeting with her police pistol non-stop. Boone had stood flush against her shoulder the whole way, clearly trying to keep her calm.
"I don't know…" Veronica confessed. "I'm worried about her…"
"She's made of tougher stuff than most people," Arcade reasoned, "she'll be fine…" He let out a sigh. "Anything else you need? I have to get back to work."
"No, sorry for distracting you, I should be back in a few days…" She waved good-bye and headed out of the camp. Letting out a tired breath, she headed towards the gate out of Freeside.
The large scrap metal gates screeched open, revealing the ruined city beyond. Veronica couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness as she and Rex stepped out of Freeside.
She moved past the destroyed buildings keeping an eye out for Fiends that she knew were long gone, trying to ward off the silence that threatened to consume her by whistling. With the journey spreading out before her, she started to become aware of the lack of radio and idle chatter that so often filled her travels the past few months.
She walked the familiar tattered road towards the 188 trading post. The closer she drew to the familiar spot, the louder the distant buzz of the radio grew; singing some tune she heard one time too many. It was a welcome change.
Approaching the counter, she welcomed the familiar face of the merchant that ran the place with a smile.
"Miss Veronica, long time no see," he greeted, "how've you been?"
"Good," she smiled, "can I get a sasparilla?" He nodded, pulling a bottle out from under the counter; cracking the cap off on the counter before handing the bottle to her. "Have you seen my friend? The short one-" She didn't need to say anymore, the merchant shaking his head.
"I saw that ex-NCR trooper though, about two weeks ago now I think?" He offered. "He's a friend of yours, isn't he?"
Veronica nodded, "did you see where he was heading?"
He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, "looked to be heading back towards Novac. Or Boulder City, doubt anyone would have much point staying there, though."
Sipping her sasparilla, she turned her thoughts over in her head, thinking back on Six's stories. Boulder City was a story the courier had a bad habit of telling slightly differently each time, which usually meant it wasn't the real story at all, but since Boone had been there for most of it there was a high chance most of what she had heard was true. "Thanks, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for him."
The merchant nodded and shuffled back to his work, leaving Veronica there to just sit.
She could feel Courier Six's ghost beside her, her mind taking her back to the day they'd met. After sitting down, Six had ordered her some food and drink.
She took off her bandana, setting it aside so she could eat. "This might sound like a strange question," she started, "but do you know an elderly man by the name of Elijah?"
Veronica's gaze snapped to her, "yes…?"
She hummed against the lip of the bowl of soup, taking a mouthful before setting it down. "I have something for you," she said around her food, dipping down to retrieve a holomessage from her backpack. "I'm assuming this is for you anyway…" she held it out for her. A scrap of tape on the face of it read 'for veronica' in Elijah's familiar handwriting.
She accepted the holomessage, holding it in her hands. There was a weight to it, far beyond just it's metal and circuitry, and it made her hands tremble. "How… did you know him…?" She asked weakly.
Six thought for a moment, letting out a hum. "I was one part of the jury that sent him to his death…" She stated. "Very specifically, I was the one who killed him."
Her heart broke, and her grip tightened on the message as she fought back tears she didn't want to cry. "What..?"
"I'll tell you on the way…" she nodded down at the soup that had been placed in front of Veronica.
Blinking, she brought herself back to the present, realising she'd been so lost in thought that she had already drunk most of her sasparilla without any notice. With a final gulp, she put the drink back down and got and wished the man behind the counter goodbye with a cheery, "I'll see you around."
She gave Rex a fleeting pat to his brain casing and continued on her way. She followed the road, stepping over cracks and walking the big chunks taken out of the highway.
She could remember that story Six had told her in chunks, of the pre-war casino trapped under a cloud of rust. Of the ghost of a lover, caught up in a scheme of revenge, who became a prisoner in the fort the man that adored her built to keep her safe. Six had seemed so honest, but the voids in her story rung with a past she was trying to forget, like she had left a part of herself behind when she left, or at least had tried to.
Judging by the nightmares The Courier always had, she doubted her friend could ever escape whatever was haunting her. It was why she relied so much on the only person who seemed to understand her agony, Boone.
Rex lightly nibbled at her fingertips, grabbing her attention. She looked up from the ground, seeing the ruins of Boulder City splayed out before her. While most abandoned, there were a few NCR troops shuffling about who mostly ignored her as she strode into town. Navigating to a saloon tucked away in the corner of town, she and Rex stepped inside.
The man behind the Saloons counter, with a greasy comb-over and a large moustache, greeted Veronica with a wide smile. "Welcome to the Big Horner Saloon! How can I help you today?"
"I'm looking for some friends," she started, approaching the counter, "they wouldn't be travelling together. A courier about this big," she motioned about nose height, "and an NCR first recon sniper."
The man quirked a brow, "I've seen the sniper, came through here about two weeks ago. Didn't say much, only asked about Primm."
"Primm?" She asked.
He nodded, "little town just past the Mojave outpost - the one with the big statue - you can't miss it. It's pretty much halfway between Goodsprings and Nipton. What's left of Nipton, anyway…"
Veronica couldn't help but frown, "what happened to Nipton?"
"Legion burned down the town," the man stated, "but I did hear some people were cleaning it up and settling back in. Mostly Ghouls and super mutants, though."
She nodded, glancing down at Rex, "come on, boy, we should keep heading out. Primm is just past Novac, right?" She double-checked.
He nodded, "just follow the road back west."
"Thanks," she waved over her shoulder, heading out of the saloon and continuing on her way.