Novac. It's a decent enough town from what I've heard. Not doing bad for itself, but also not rolling in caps unfortunately. If I remember correctly, there was a shop in the giant dino, a motel around here somewhere, along with hopefully a doctor. Pretty sure we were running out of stimpacks. Actually now that I think about it, we don't have any stimpacks. Gonna have to change that.

I noticed that it was already late in the afternoon. Looks like we're taking a break in this town. I turned to Cass.

"Hey, think you can find us a room? It's getting late, and we're going to need our sleep." I said, directing her to what I hoped was the motel. She nodded, moving over there. I decided to take a quick smoke break.

As soon as I lit my cigarette, I paused when I heard a familiar squeak. No way… can't be. I turned my head, and sure enough, Victor was rolling on down the street. He chuckled when he saw me.

"Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, if it ain't my old friend from Goodsprings!" I heard him say. I shook my head. This was certainly not what I was expecting.

"Hello to you too Victor." I said, eyeing the robot curiously. "What are you doing here in Novac?" I asked him, taking a drag from my cigarette. Victor's screen flickered slightly.

"Don't rightly know - I just got the notion to make my way to New Vegas. Reckon I'll find out when I get there." He said, twirling around and studying the town. I hummed in response. How... interesting. I was a bit guarded talking to him, but what could I do when I was speaking to the robot who was apparently the one responsible for my ill fated trip?

"Well, I guess it's always nice to see a friendly face." I said, trying to keep the conversation as normal as possible. Victor chuckled.

"Likewise, friend - likewise. Is there anything old Vic can do you for?" He asked, turning to look at me. I shrugged.

"Well if you have some caps to spare, I'd appreciate it." I said, holding out a hand and smirking. I started to gape when a... very generous bag of caps fell into my hand. If I were to guess, it was at least a few hundred. I turned to Victor. "You... do know I was joking right?" I slowly asked him. Victor bobbed his head.

"Well partner, it's not like I need that much to begin with. Sides, you looked like you needed it more than I did." He said as if it didn't matter that he just tossed away some money. What the hell is this guy playing at? You know what? I'm not saying no to free money. I pocketed the caps quickly, reminding myself to check them later. That's when I heard Cass walk over.

"Hey Michael, I think I found us a room." She told me. That's when she noticed Victor. "Uh... what exactly's going on over here?" She asked me. I chuckled.

"Just saying hi to a friend. Cass? This is Victor. He... helped me out a few days ago. Victor? Meet my newest... traveling companion, Cass." I said, waving my arm towards both of them. Victor made a motion, as if he was tipping a nonexistent hat.

"Howdy ma'am, pleasure to meet ya." He said to Cass. She looked on in... rather understandable confusion.

"Er... hi there? Wait, help you? How exactly did he help?" She asked me. I coughed, rubbing the back of my head. Right. Never really told her what happened did I? Thankfully, or sadly depending on how you see it, Victor came to my aid.

"Ah it was nothing. Just helped old Michael here out of a pickle. Poor sucker was buried alive after some ne'er do wells got the drop on him." He said, waving towards me. At Cass' blank look, I explained.

"Some assholes got the drop on me. Shot me in the head and buried me. Victor dug me out." I said, rubbing the scars on my head. Cass looked at me in shock.

"You... you survived getting shot in the head? Holy shit..." She whispered to herself. I shrugged.

"Weirder shit's happened in the wasteland." I said, giving out a yawn. "I'll tell you more later. Right now, I need some sleep." I told her. I nodded to Victor. "Pleasure to see you again man. Thanks for the caps. Come on Cass, let's go." I said, stomping out my cigarette and walking towards the motel. I heard Victor chuckle.

"Happy trails partner!" He called out behind me. Heh, funny robot. Cass quickly caught up with me.

"So, you found us a room? You know how much they cost for a night?" I asked her. She nodded.

"About 20 caps, least that's what the lady said. Sounds pretty good to be honest." She told me. Actually, that does. Better than the last place I stayed anyway. Bastard charged me a hundred caps for 'Guaranteed Security', and I nearly had my fucking throat slit. Damn, why am I remembering all these things? Must be the headshot. Whatever.

I heard ED-E beeping. Oh... forgot about the little guy. I chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry pal, but you'll have to wait outside. You going to be good?" I asked him. After a lot of beeping, he bobbed up and down. "Thanks pal. Good luck out here." I told him. I motioned for Cass to follow.

The two of us walked into the motel lobby. Inside was very... green. Like, literally. Green wallpapaer peeling off, green counter, green chairs, green couch, you get the point. Behind the counter was a middle aged woman with gray hair tied into a bun. She was wearing a green dress, along with some eyeglasses. She looked up at the two of us.

"Well. Welcome to you. You look tired from the road. Why don't you relax a spell, let this fine town take care of you?" She said.

"Hey there." I said, walking up to the front desk. "I don't believe we've met." I told her. She gasped slightly.

"Oh, what am I doing? I got to thinking about making a good impression and plain forgot to tell you my name. I'm Jeannie May. I take care of folks here at the motel. Long as they aren't trouble makers." She said, sticking out her hand. I hesitated slightly, before shaking it. Now don't get me wrong, she's nice and all, it's just... something felt off about her. Couldn't say. I shook my head. I've been out in the waste for a while. It's getting me paranoid.

"I'd like to rent a room." I told her, bringing out a small bag I knew had at least twenty caps. Jeannie May nodded.

"Well, like I told your friend here, it'll be 20 caps a night." She told me. I dropped the bag on the counter, which she checked. Guess it was enough, because she pulled a key from the hook behind her. "Your room will be the one upstairs, closest to the lobby side. Let me know if you need anything." She told me. I passed Cass my duffel bag, along with the key.

"You get some rest. I'll catch up right now." I said. She nodded, walking out of the lobby. I turned to Jeannie May. "Before I go, I had a quick question. Have you seen a man wearing a checkered suit around here?" I asked her. The smile on her face melted, and she scowled. Oh yeah, he was here alright.

"Well he might've been wearing a fancy outfit, but he wasn't any kind of a gentleman to me. Had his nose stuck so high in the air, you couldn't see it above the clouds. City folk, they always think they deserve better than what they got. Those hoodlums he was with seemed to know Manny for some reason..." She said. Manny... hmm. That's a start.

"So... where can I find Manny?" I asked her. She pointed behind me.

"He's one of the snipers that help protect the town. You'll find him in the mouth of the giant dinosaur. Oh and before I forget, there's a gift shop there as well. Cliff sells a lot of stuff. " She said. Good. That's a start. I thanked her, leaving the lobby. Huh, it was already dark out. Damn.

I made my way over to the dino, entering it. It... caught me off guard to be honest. There was a lot of toy dinosaurs lined up along some shelves. There was a counter, and behind that was a man. He waved at me.

"Welcome to the Dino Bite Gift Shop. My name's Cliff. If you're here for the t-rex figurines, you're just in time. There's still a few left." He told me. Gift shop. Right.

"So, what else do you sell here?" I asked him. He lit up.

"Well, there's t-rex figurines, of course. That's our bread and butter. We also have an assortment of the REPCONN factory souvenirs - rockets, things of that nature." He said, reaching behind the counter. I stopped him.

"Uh.. sorry, but what about supplies? And guns? Do you sell those?" I asked him. He deflated.

"Guns? I, uh, well... yeah, I guess I might have a it. No one ever buys the t-rexes." He muttered. I grinned.

"Sorry. Look, you have any .308 ammo? Could use some." I said, reaching into a pouch for some caps. He pulled up a box, along with another one. Hm... regular or hollow point? I dropped some caps, reaching for the hollow points. Didn't really have any of these. "Thanks. Say, you mind if I go up to the top? Have to speak with the sniper." I told him. He waved me off.

"Yeah, it's fine. Come again." He told me. Pocketing the bullets, I made my way up to the top of the dino. As soon as I opened the door, I tensed as I heard the telltale cocking of a pistol.

"Whoa whoa easy there! I'm not armed!" I quickly blurted out. As I finished opened the door, I saw the barrel of a pistol aimed at me. It was put away thankfully, so there's that. The guy who was holding the pistol held it in one hand, and in the other he held a scoped hunting rifle. He was huge, and was definitely ex military, if the red beret was anything to go by.

"Goddamn it! Don't sneak up on me like that. What do you want?" He asked me. His voice was weary, and he barely gave me a second look, turning around and facing the wastes.

"You expecting visitors?" I asked him. He turned, scowling at me.

"I think you better leave." He said, grunting. Wait, who was this guy again?

"Sorry, are you Manny?" I asked him. There was a pause.

"No." He finally said, turning to look at me. "You don't know who I am?" He asked. I shook my head. Dammit

"Nope. I was looking for Manny, because I wanted to ask him a few questions. But if you're not him, I guess I should go." I said, turning to leave.

"Wait." The sniper called out. I paused. What did he want? "You just got into town right? Maybe you shouldn't go. Not yet." He said. Oh boy.

"Why not?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I need someone I can trust. You're a stranger. That's a start." He said. Wait what?

"You only trust strangers?" I asked him. He growled.

"I said it was a start." He spat. "This town... nobody looks me straight in the eye anymore." He told me. Well... shit. Why not?

"What exactly do you need me to do?" I asked him. The sniper sighed, turning to look out into the wastes again.

"I want you to find something out for me. I don't know if there's anything to find, but I need someone to try. My wife was taken from our home by Legion slavers one night while I was on watch. They knew when to come and what route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone set it up. I don't know who." He said. I winced. Shit. That... fuck.

"So you're trying to track down your wife?" I asked him. If that was the case, it wasn't going to end well. My mind went back to the girl from Nipton. The slave collar around her neck, her silently begging me to do something. Scowling, I shook my head. Can't think about that now. What the guy said next kinda threw me for a loop.

"My wife's dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her." He told me. Whoa, wait a minute. What?

"You said she was captured by the Legion. How do you know she's dead?" I asked him. Okay that was a mistake. He turned, glaring at me. If looks could kill, well lets just say that I'd rather be facing a deathclaw right now.

"I just know, alright?" He snarled at me. I backed up, ever so slightly. His shoulders slumped. "That's all you need to know." He continued.

"Alright. Sorry. So, say I find the person responsible. What exactly do you want me to do?" I asked him. He pointed to a spot a little far away from the town, but still visible.

"Bring em out in front of the nest here while I'm on duty. I'll give you my NCR beret to put on. It'll be our signal, so I know that you're standing with em. I'll take care of the rest." He told me. I didn't even hesitate. I knew what he was going to do but I could didn't care. I guess you can consider this the start of giving a big fuck you to the Legion.

"I'm in. I'll see what I can find out." I told him. He nodded.

"Good. I'll make it worth your while. And one more thing, we shouldn't speak again. At least until it's over. No one in town knows that I know what happened to my wife. Best they never know, or the Legion will be after me next." He told me, handing me his beret.

I took a few seconds to inspect it. This one was different than the ones I've seen. Besides the red coloring, it had a patch on the front with a bear skull with crossed rifles behind it. There was slogans above and below the skull that said "NCR 1st Recon" and "The last thing you never see." Huh. Interesting.

"So, I guess introductions are in order. I'm Michael. And you are?" I asked him. It's starting to get real old, referring to him like that. He grunted.

"Just call me Boone." He said, turning around once more. Guess that's my cue to leave. Time to find me some evidence. Sleeps going to have to wait a bit.


It didn't take me long to question people about Boone's wife, Carla. Turns out she wasn't exactly well liked here. No offense to Boone, but she sounded like your classic New Vegas girl, looking down at the people here, skulking away in her room, and just complaining about how she deserved better than Novac had to offer. Despite all these complaints, none of the people actually knew what happened to her.

Now you may be thinking that they could be lying, but I'm rather perceptive when it comes to people in general. Certainly helps that Mom trained me to recognize when someone was lying after she nearly got ripped off by one merchant. Anyways, after all my searching, only two people had me concerned.

The first was a man called No-Bark. The main reason was... well the guy had a few screws loose to say the least. Certainly didn't help that he threatened me with something he called he called his 'stickin knife'. However after talking (more like listening to his interesting ramblings and theories) to him, I figured he was harmless, so he was off the list.

The second one was surprising to say the least. Jeanine May. Now I know what you're thinking. 'Really Mike? That nice little old lady?' Yep. I had caught up to her as she was on her way home. As soon as I mentioned Carla, I could see she tensed for a second, then she relaxed. She gave me some little story about how Carla just ran away, before heading home. Something was up. Everyone else didn't know jack shit, and never gave excuses to how Carla disappeared. May just did both of those.

I decided to investigate the motel lobby. After making sure that nobody else was around, I decided to start snooping. Let's check out the most obvious thing, the safe. I quickly cracked it, thankfully as silently as possible. Inside was a bag full of caps, a pistol, and... a piece of paper? I reached in, reading it.

We, the representatives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day bargained and purchased from Jeannie May Crawford of the township of Novac the exclusive rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one thousand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. We warrant the slave and her young to be sound, healthy, and slaves for life. We covenant with the said, Jeannie May Crawford, that we have full power to bargain and sell said slave and her offspring. Payment of an additional five hundred bottle caps will be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be guaranteed by possession of this document.

M. Scribonius Libo Drusus et al.

Administrators of M. Licinius Crassus, Consul Officiorum ab Famulatus

Oh god... oh god I'm going to be sick. Jesus Christ, she sold a pregnant woman to the Legion? Calm down Michael. Save this for later. Keeping down the urge to throw up, and took everything from the safe before closing it. I folded the note, sticking it somewhere safe. I exited the lobby as calmly as I could, making my way to that bitch's house. I knocked on the door loudly, and soon enough she answered. She had the nerve to look concerned when she saw me.

"Is everything all right? Awful late to be dropping in unexpected." She told me. I refused to give into the urge to snarl at her, instead giving her my blankest face possible.

"Come with me. There's something you should see, in front of the dinosaur." I told her.


She was dead. Boone was a damn good shot. After making sure none of her brain matter was on me, I made my way to the dinosaur. Thankfully no one was around to hear the shot, so there's that. Entering the dinosaur, I walked up to the mouth, opening the door.

Boone turned to me. "So that's it then. How'd you know?" He asked me. I didn't say anything, I just pulled out the bill and handed it to him, along with his beret.

The scowl that was on his face never wavered, in fact it got worse as he read on. Finally he sighed, crumpling it up. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It'd be like them to keep paperwork." He said. He handed me a bag of caps. "Here. This is all I can give. I think our dealings are done here." He told me.

" Are you an outlaw now?" I asked him. Considering the fact that a person died in his range, it could be slightly suspicious. For the first time since I met him, he smirked. It was a bit unsettling.

"No. People die out there. Often enough that no one worries about blame. They're too anxious to forget it happened in the first place, I guess. Besides. I was on break when it happened." He said. Heh, good enough excuse.

"So what are you going to do now?" I asked him, pocketing the caps.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I won't be staying, I know that. Don't see much point in anything right now, except hunting legionaries." He said, gazing into the desert.

"Wait, by yourself?" I asked him. Considering that those guys usually traveled in teams of at least six, it wouldn't be good to do that solo. Boone simply nodded.

"Why don't you travel with me? Path I'm heading done might cross the Legion, and I don't plan on giving them a chance." I told him. It was true. Boone shook his head.

"That might not be a good idea." He told me.

"Don't snipers usually work in pairs? One sniper, one spotter?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah, that's true. Tell you what? You finish doing what you need to do here, and maybe I'll join up." He said. Wait, what?

"How'd you know I was doing something?" I asked him. He pointed to his eyes.

"That look you had when you came in, after we started talking. When you talked about Manny. You're searching for something, or someone." He said. Huh, rather perceptive of him. Well, I guess as a sniper it's part of the job.

"Alright, you got me. I'm looking for some asshole in a checkered suit. He's running with some Great Khans. Know anything about that?" I asked him. He shook his head. Damn.

"Sorry. You were probably right, you should talk to Manny. He'll be here during the day shift." He told me. Ah well. I turned to leave.

"Catch you later Boone." I said, opening the door.

"Hey Michael." I paused when he called out to me. "Thanks, for helping me out." He told me.

"No problem." I said, and with that I left the head. I trudged back to the motel, the exhaustion finally hitting me. Damn. I made my way up the steps, and into the room that was mentioned. It was unlocked thankfully. Inside on the bed was Cass, snoring her ass off and surrounded by whiskey bottles.

"Aw jeez, I leave you for a bit and you get wasted without me? I'm hurt." I muttered to myself. It wouldn't do to share the bed when she was like this, so I decided to rest on the floor. Funny enough, it was surprisingly comfortable. Before I knew it, I was out like a light.

AN: Heh, sorry for the wait once more folks! I've hit a bit of a writers block, so I've been replaying a bit of New Vegas, as well as some other games to try and get myself back into it. Not to mention my summers been rather busy. Hopefully I can get these chapters out more frequently. Don't have much else to say, so until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!