Potential Usefulness

I left that police station with my belongings, wife, and the man who saved me yet again. I realized that the police confiscated my Jet stash, but thankfully left the money. But, it was hard to think about that when I was looking at Shady Sands at night. So many people still roamed the streets, as we made our way through the lively downtown area with the detective. We passed many of the same styled adobe structures in the city, illuminated by tall brass lampposts.

We didn't talk for the whole walk but ended up moving east through the streets into a large walled in district with many houses. In this part of Shady Sands were private homes and bunkhouses lining the roads, and in the center was a giant farming plot stretching for almost a mile to the eastern wall of town. We followed the detective to a similar adobe style home with two floors and proceeded up a wooden staircase on the side.

We stepped onto a patio overlook of the farming plot and Paul opened the door to reveal a cozy looking room complete with two beds, dining table, kitchen, cushioned chairs, and various junk scattered about, all dimly lit up by multiple lanterns.

Paul said, "Make yourselves at home, get some rest, and we'll chat in the morning."

There was no need for anymore talk, the three of us instantly went to sleep. After several hours of great sleep in a strange home, we awoke to Paul making breakfast at the tiny kitchen while dawn peered in through the open windows. Sophia and I got out of bed and helped Paul with breakfast.

When we took a seat at the table and began to eat, I asked Paul, "So, what's this job you have lined up for me?..."

Then added jokingly but semi-seriously, "Am I getting a job for the 'NCR Covert Operations?' Haha!"

He didn't answer that question. Instead, he asked, "What you think of my place?"

The question was directed at Sophia and I, but she remained silent as I answered, "Looks nice… This where you grew up?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, sort of…"

He stomped on the ground to be met with a couple loud *thuds* from below, "This place is a duplex, Mom lives downstairs and I bought the top floor when I got steady work. I'm hardly ever here though."

I subtly interrupted by asking again, "So, Paul, what's this job you offered?"

He set his silverware down and finished chewing while Sophia looked at me curiously. Then he said, "I can't hook you up with the group I'm part of, but they know all about you based on what I told them."

I said, "Is that so?"

He continued, "NCR Intel and the Covert Ops don't have an HQ, and getting involved with them required years of study as well as training. No offence, but we don't have the time for that, and I don't think you could pass their level of intense IQ and literacy tests. Again, no offence."

I said, "None taken. Probably had too many blows to the head this past year for that sort of thing anyway."

He gave a slight grin and said, "Right. Sorry for the whack last time I saw you. Hit you a little harder than I intended…"

I remembered my cracked skull, and he continued, "Anyway, you know a lot, you can handle yourself in the wastes, and there's a way for you to be an asset to me without being involved in what I do directly."

I asked, "So, how's that?"

He placed his silverware on the plate when he was done chewing again and said, "How would you feel about serving the NCR military as an independent scout?"

I unintentionally made a rather shocked expression with my face and said, "I, uh, I don't know what that means?"

He explained directly, "I got a buddy, a Captain in the Shady Sands Garrison who could use someone with your knowledge of the northern territories and can handle themselves on lone expeditions through the wastes. What do you say?"

I asked, "What does the job… Entail?"

He shrugged, "Not really sure, I'd ask Captain McNeil when we talk to him…"

He saw my uncertain expression and added, "Don't worry, you'll probably just be doing light scouting missions in the wastes for troop maneuvers or something."

I said, "I don't know, I never been a soldier or whatever?"

He let out a sigh and said, "Oh, come now? You told me you been on your own in the wastes since you were 12. Now you'll just be roaming the wastes for the NCR and reporting what you find to a guy in uniform. You won't be an actual soldier, just working for them. How does that sound?"

I looked at Sophia and she gave me a, "Couldn't hurt to try it?" gesture and I said, "Let's see what your Captain friend has to say."

Detective Paul was about to give a cheer when Sophia asked, "What about me? What should I do?" The question was oriented at the both of us but primarily at me.

Paul said, "I, I don't know. The job I had was really just for Sean here…"

I jumped in, "Well, we got a lot of cash left over from New Reno, and I made a lot by selling to the caravan hands…"

Then I added under my breath, "Wish the police didn't take all my Jet."

Paul interrupted by saying, "They took all your Jet?... Of course they did- Here, I'll get you some, I got my own ways of getting my fix."

I said sarcastically, "Detective Paul, you naughty boy; sneaking drugs into the nation you so faithfully serve?"

He stood up and grabbed a tiny chest off the kitchen table and said, "Being such a faithful servant of the NCR grants me perks unavailable to the commoners, Haha!"

He set the chest down and placed three diluted Jet inhalers in front of us. Sophia was lost in all the sarcasm and asked again, "What should I do? I don't know where anything is in this town! Aside from the damned police station!"

I said, "Well there you go! While I'm out with Paul, try to get accustomed to Shady Sands and see what's here. I'll give you half our money, maybe you can buy us a crash pad since we're probably gonna be here a while?"

She crossed her arms and said, "Well, alright. I'll do that."

With that, Paul, took our plates and said, "Sounds like a plan. Get ready to head out, Sean. And take it easy with your leg, Sophia."

I threw on the only real clothes I had, the dirtied old road gear and armor I spent the past few weeks in. Several minutes later, Paul threw on a slightly dusty blue suit with a red tie and we headed out while Sophia planned her own day.

I followed Paul through the streets of Shady Sands again while the town stirred to life. Following the path we took last night, I saw the downtown area in a new light. The streets were crowded with settlers and brahmin moving goods out of the city. We walked past the police station and many of the other buildings I saw on the way in as we approached the gate to the Bazaar. When the energy barrier turned off, we joined the herd of people leaving the city. Upon leaving the city, I saw the continuing plume of black smoke from the slaver outpost and looked towards the market area for the caravan I came in with. I didn't see the caravan, but across from that gun shop tent, "Busters" was something I couldn't believe. Underneath a little awning next to the city wall was the same God Damned Highwayman!

I let out an audible, "God Dammit!" and Paul asked what was wrong.

I pointed out the thing and wondered out loud if it was the same guy from New Reno and the desert by Broken Hills. I didn't ask, but I thought that "Chosen One" dipshit was probably somehow linked to the destroyed slaver outpost.

We turned our attention away and I followed Paul to a dirt trail going west off the main road into town. We followed the dirt trail straight into the west and I took notes of the outskirts of Shady Sands. Similar adobe structures dotted the trail, and other dirt roads led to more structures speckled across the desert. All the little homes had long wooden fences around them keeping in brahmin or marking the edge of long farm plots.

I asked where we were going, and Paul said the NCR military's Shady Sands Garrison has a base in the territory west of the "Westin Ranch." The Westin estate took up a large section of Shady Sands west of downtown, but their grazing grounds spread a few miles west of the city itself in the surrounding wastes. So, we continued along the dirt trail until Paul pointed out several buildings in the distance that signified our destination.