Chapter 27: Questions
Unlike the rest of the Luck 38, the Penthouse that Mr. House's central mainframe was located, was still as run down and old as it was since the last time the Courier was there during the war. The same walls that were peeling away from the sides, the same radiation stained carpets and floors, and the same slight flickering of 200 plus years of light bulbs.
The Courier walked to the same stairs that he traveled a dozen times during the war, but decided to do what he always did after the first few times he came here. He hopped up onto the railing and jumped off the upper floor, landing with a roll at the bottom of the stairs.
He remembered after the first few times meeting with House, he'd start jumping over the rail just to make it more interesting. He actually laughed a bit at the little bit of nostalgia.
"I always get annoyed when you do that." Mr. House said from inside the main room.
"And I never much cared." The Courier shrugged.
"Last thing I needed during the war was for you to break your ankle after doing that one too many times." He sighed.
"And I never did." The Courier laughed.
"I remember you sprained your ankle and couldn't travel for a few days." House said. "That was right before the arrival of Kimball so I was worried you'd be unable to make it."
"I still saved Kimball's life." The Courier shrugged.
"That you did, and while I was glad you did, sometimes your destructive behavior would nearly give me a heart attack." House said.
"Do you even have a heart?" The Courier asked. "Literally I man."
"I know what you mean." House chuckled. "As I said before, I am still flesh and blood. I don't think it'll be possible to be free of my body, at least with current technology as it stands."
"You ever get lonely in there?" The Courier asked.
"An old associate of mine, a Doctor Braun, developed an interesting bit of technology back before the war." He said. "It was a complete simulation that participants could live. Originally the plan was to use the technology to give realistic yet safe training for Soldiers."
"So you're in a simulation?" He asked.
"Only for leisure." House said. "His designs were adequate, but he never could add AI into the simulation. So I combined it with my own robotics AI to create very realistic companions in here."
"I guess that explains your girls." The Courier said, thinking back to the weird robot wife.
"It does get rather lonely in here." House said. "Especially after I first woke up, it helped to keep me sane and rested."
"I noticed you didn't renovate the Penthouse." The Courier said.
"When I made the invitation, the Lucky 38 was still halfway through renovations." House clarified. "I had to not only accelerate it, but also had to prioritize certain areas over others. I'd say it's still only 75% complete and only half of the rooms can be lived in."
"That makes sense." The Courier said.
"Plus, when I first woke up, this room was the first place I "Stayed" in, if you forgive the oversimplification." He said. "There's an odd bit of familiarity to the damaged and old feeling of this place. I have probably memorized every scratch and stain on the walls."
"Never figured you would be sentimental." The Courier said.
"I very rarely am." House said. "But I'm sure if idle chit chat was your goal, you wouldn't be up here." House deduced.
"Something is wrong with me House." The Courier said.
"And yet you chose to come to me?" He asked. "I'm not exactly the best doctor you know."
"I already talked to a few doctors." The Courier said. "I even tried Joshua and he didn't exactly give me what I was looking for."
"Joshua?" House asked.
"The Mormon guy, from New Canaan." The Courier clarified.
"Ah yes, I remember you mentioning your trip up north." House said. "I remember you said you found Religion while you were out there."
"Things happened." The Courier said. "It put a lot of things into perspective."
"I understand." House said. "I'm Jewish after all."
"You're what?" The Courier asked.
"Yes, yes, get your jokes and stereotypes about money out while you can." Mr. House said in annoyance.
"No, I mean… what's that?" The Courier asked.
"Don't you keep a bible in your room?" Mr. House asked. "How can you not know?"
"It's a hard to read book." The Courier shrugged. "Whoever I was before I lost my memories clearly was not educated. I can read just fine, but all the thou's and thy's is just too much for me."
"Well, in many ways you can see Judaism to be the progenitor of Christianity, Joshua's religion. However that's a gross oversimplification" House explained.
"I see." The Courier said. "I'm actually kind of surprised you're religious, given your stance on some groups."
"It's rather easy to both be religious yet despise extremism on any front." He said. "But I believe we should stay on topic." House said.
"Point is." The Courier began. "Since Japan I have been weaker. I am not as strong as I was, I keep missing obvious ambushes and sneak attacks, and I just feel like I have low energy."
"What did this Joshua say?" House asked.
"He said it might be depression, but I feel fine." The Courier shrugged.
"It's a very valid theory if you ask me." Mr. House said. "You're wandering lifestyle isn't exactly the best for your mental health."
"I'm used to it though." The Courier defended. "In fact when we went to go save the princess, I felt better. Not 100%, but a bit better."
"You can get used to the pain of a broken leg, yet that doesn't mean you will be able to walk on it." House said cryptically.
"I didn't come for cryptic messages or metaphors House." The Courier said. "You're an asshole and always speak plainly, so I want to know what's wrong."
House actually laughed at that. He laughed hard enough that the speakers that control his voice started to make a bit of static at the sound. The Courier could imagine House doubling over if he could.
"Yes, I have been called an asshole many times." Now the Courier could imagine him wiping a tear.
"I'm aware, I dealt with the people on your behalf." The Courier said.
"If that's the case, I'll tell you plainly." House began. "You're depressed and tired of your life wandering. You're mentally exhausted and it's affecting you physically. Making you weaker, slower, and impairing you cognitively. Tell me, have you lost weight?"
"You know I don't keep track of that." The Courier said. "Tell me this then, for five years I have been completely fine, then all of a sudden apparently I'm getting all sad and depressed. So what changed in the past two months versus the past five years?" He asked aggressively.
"There can be a million things." House said. "You could have just finally broke, as if a Dam finally gave way from all the pressure."
"Of all the metaphors… a Dam?" The Courier asked.
"Fine, then a wine bottle that finally popped the cork." House shot back. "Regardless, the metaphor is the same."
"It makes no sense." The Courier said again, unsatisfied with the answer.
"You said it started in Japan." House said. "What exactly happened?"
"I don't know." The Courier said. "I was exploring with Kurokawa and suddenly after that it's like I just got weaker and weaker."
"Kurokawa… the female with long hair, correct?" He asked.
"Yes, the one with the weird side pony tail thing." The Courier said.
"What did you guys do together?" House asked.
"She took me to a café thing to get some coffee and tried some cookies or something." The Courier said.
"Did you enjoy it?" House asked.
"It was interesting." The Courier said.
"No, did you have a good time?" House clarified, making the Courier stop for a moment to think.
"Yea, it was relaxing I guess." He said.
"What other interactions did you have with her?" He asked.
"Well, a few minutes ago she comes barging into my room, hugs me or something, and then is like "I'll give you peace" or something. I don't know." The Courier shrugged.
"Do you have feelings for her?" House asked.
Feelings? As in romantically? The Courier thought back to the beautiful medic. She is very attractive. She has nice hair, a nice face, an athletic yet thin body, so he'd definitely have sex with her if that was on the table. But could he ever see himself as anything more than that?
"Have you actually ever been romantically involved with anyone?" House changed his question.
"Red Lucy?" The Courier tried.
"A crazed woman who sent you to hunt a dozen creatures? I'd call that prostitution without money." House said.
"Sarah?" He tried again.
"Kind of the same thing, considering it was after you got her how many vault suits?" House shot down again. "What are your relationships with women?" House asked.
"I mean, after the war, I did have some casual encounters." The Courier said. "You know, I saved a few women and they were grateful." He said.
"Yet not one of these women were anything more than a casual encounter?" House asked.
"No, they weren't." The Courier said. "What was I supposed to do, stay at the little farmsteads or settlements, have kids, and live as a farmer or something?"
"Would a humble life be so bad?" House asked.
"You're lecturing me about a humble life?" The Courier asked.
"Living the life of a farmer is not a terrible thing. Some people thrive in challenge, others thrive in simplicity." House said.
"So she's the problem?" The Courier asked, referring to Kurokawa.
"Not at all. I think the problem is, you had a minor taste of a peaceful and relaxing life while you were in Japan, and now suddenly your body and mind are yearning for it." House said. "I do think you have some kind of attachment to the woman as well."
"So I should just ignore her?" The Courier tried as an option.
"I believe that would make it worse, since it's being relaxed and at peace that could be the thing to fix it." House shot down.
"But I don't want to be at peace." The Courier said. "I want to live in the wastes. I want to experience danger every day and stay on the road. The day that the world becomes peaceful is a day I would hope comes long after I'm dead."
"Yet you are one of the things that helped to bring about the reigniting of industrialism and modernity." House said.
"I'm not evil House." He shot back. "I sided with you because I believed in your vision of returning the world to its prewar glory, and I stand by that. After all these years, after visiting Shady Sands and seeing how Italica is beginning to prosper, I can happily say that the blood I spilled during the war was worth siding with you." He said.
"But although you want to improve others' lives, you despise the idea of not living as a wastelander." House deduced.
"When I traveled to the other side of the Rocky Mountains, you know what I saw?" The Courier asked. "Nothing but tribes, Raiders, and maniacs. No matter how fast the NCR modernizes, I will always be able to walk a few weeks away from civilization. And I'm glad that although I can help to modernize, I want the life of a wastelander." He said.
"Now I believe your pride is talking, and you're lying to yourself." House said plainly.
"What else can I do?" The Courier asked. "Do you think I actually know how to farm? Or how to run a business? Or do anything other than fight?"
"Did you know how to fight when you woke up five years ago?" House countered.
No, no he didn't. Sunny made fun of how bad of a shot he was with that little varmint rifle. And how he almost got his throat ripped out by a Gecko when they went to the water hole. He remembered Trudy was furious with them for putting holes in the back of the saloon. Come to think of it, it wasn't smart to shoot at bottles right into the back of the saloon.
"You learned Courier." House said. "You learned how to fight and how to survive, and got very good at it. I may not know your exact age, but you're not even close to thirty yet. Maybe mid-twenties. Do you really think that if you were given a few months, you couldn't learn how to farm?"
"What would even the point be of pursuing anything with Kurokawa?" The Courier asked. "More than likely, Japan and the NCR will get into a war. And I'm not prioritizing Japan over the NCR. Not after how much I sacrificed for them." The Courier said.
"Is that your fear?" House asked.
"If they go to war, she'll probably die." He said. "Plus, we might have to fight each other. So what's the point? After how much she stated she hates the wasteland, do you think I could tell her to live here? Do you think Japan would ever accept me?"
"You're not wrong, I've done the calculations. War is a near certainty." House confirmed.
"Last time you did those calculations was the Great War, so that just adds to my point." The Courier said.
"Yea, but unlike the Great War, which was a 100% certainty, this war is only a 90% certainty." House stated confidently.
"What makes you say that?" The Courier asked.
"Because in 2077, I did not have the influence that I do now." He said arrogantly.
"So you're working against the NCR again?" The Courier asked.
Mr. House hummed to himself for a moment, then the screen went blank. The Courier heard a securitron approach him from behind. This one had a similar design to the one down stairs that House controlled, except it had a weird box on the front. It also had Mr. Houses picture on the screen.
"How about a game of cards." He asked.
"House, we both know my luck at gambling is terrible." He said.
"I remember, like when you infiltrated the Omertas and lost all the chips I gave you in less than five minutes." House said with a deadpanned tone. "Besides, there's no such thing as luck."
"Sure feels like it to me." The Courier said.
"Humor me." He said, making the Courier relent.
The Courier followed House to one of the old gambling tables he had in the penthouse. The machine on his chest deposited 100 caps worth of chips for the Courier and another 100 caps worth for himself.
"Do you know how to play Texas Hold'em?" He asked.
"I prefer Caravan." The Courier said.
"Well, we're playing poker." House said.
The machine made some weird noises and started to dispense the cards so the Courier had two and so did House. He then laid three cards on the table.
"Every round we'll place a blind bet into the pot, two chips." He said, placing the blind.
"I feel like the machine will cheat." The Courier said.
"I actually have it programmed right now to be fair." House said.
"So you're planning to cheat normally?" He asked.
"Quite the opposite, for our guests, all machines will be programmed to ensure they win most games. Rich people don't like to lose." House said.
"Neither do poor people." The Courier said.
"The poor tolerate losing, the rich do not. You can't lose and be rich at the same time." He said coldly.
"Won't you lose money?" The Courier asked.
"I see it as buying new connections, which will have a long term investment. Not many people look further than an initial deal." He said. "I fold." House placed the cards down. The securitron took the cards on the table and placed them back into the box. House then dispensed a new set of cards.
"So what does this show me?" The Courier asked.
"Imagine these chips represent resources for an army." House said as he placed his blind. "Each one represents food, water, ammo, fuel, and logistics."
"I guess so." He said as he placed his blind. "I check."
"I fold." House said, repeating the process.
"Guess I'll win the war of attrition." The Courier said, taking four more chips from the blind pot.
"Every day when Soldiers are garrisoned, resources are always used up, much like the blind at the start of the match." He said as he placed another blind.
"Let's make this interesting." The Courier said. "I raise 5 chips." He said, placing the chips in the pot.
"Every bet is an operation. A movement of troops on the battlefield, an assault on a town, or a feint to confuse the enemy. I fold." House said, allowing the Courier another win.
"So I guess I'm outmaneuvering you." The Courier said.
"It would seem so." House said. "I'll raise 10 chips on top of the blind." He said.
"I'll call." The Courier said, matching the bet.
"Eventually, as operations pile up and ground is gained, more and more resources get used. Every movement is a bet and a gamble. Either hoping you don't get ambushed or hoping the enemy is fooled into thinking what you want them to think." House revealed the first three cards.
The Courier looked into his hand and saw he had an Ace and a King, a good hand. The cards on the table showed some number cards, but it had an Ace as well. He had a pair of Aces with a king high in his hand. He was going to win this round.
"I'll bet five." The Courier said, placing the chips in the pot.
"I'll raise an extra five." House countered, putting ten chips in.
"Call." The Courier said, placing an extra five. The pot was now at 42 chips. The Courier was positive House was bluffing.
"However, not every battle needs to be fought. Sometimes, it makes more sense to fold rather than continue betting." He revealed the fourth card, another number card.
"Five." The Courier said.
"I'll call this time." House said, confirming to the Courier that he was bluffing.
"So the betting is like movements, until you get the end and the cards are on the table, in other words, a battle." The Courier deduced.
"Exactly." House revealed the final card. Another number card. So the Courier had a pair of Aces with a King high, he won.
"I'll check." The Courier said, feeling the pot was big enough with 52 chips already.
"Same here." House said, checking. "Now do you believe a pair of Aces can beat three of a kind?" House said, revealing his cards.
He had pocket Aces in his hands, meaning that even with a King high, the Courier still lost the best.
"Damn." He said. "There goes my luck." He said.
"Luck had nothing to do with it." House said. "I kept folding until I was satisfied with my hand. Pocket Aces is statistically the best hand. Once I saw an Ace on the table, I knew that even with a pair of Aces you'd lose. Even then, you're disregard for your "resources" told me exactly what you had." He explained.
"So you win." The Courier said.
"I won the battle, but there is still a war to be fought. You still have chips." He said. "A single round… or a single battle, can completely change the course of a war. Maybe next round, you'll have more chips than me." He explained.
"I get your point." The Courier said.
"Much like the NCR, you do not." House said. "They're sinking so much resources into the Gate that they're not taking into consideration when too much is too much." He explained.
"How so?" The Courier asked.
"We took Italica, and I had hoped that would be enough. But now the NCR wants to launch a full on invasion hundreds of miles towards the Capital of Sadara, even though they don't have the resources."
"You think they'll fail?" The Courier asked as House folded on this round.
"I calculate, that even if the NCR were to simply march their army unopposed to the Capital then their men would starve long before they even reached it. And if they meet resistance then they would run out of ammo long before they ran out of enemies to kill." He explained as he got ready for another round. "And that's if they had their entire Division. If Howe was smart, which he is, he'd have to devote at least one third to protecting their rear from the JSDF."
"I can see your point." The Courier said.
"I wish I was at the peace talks in Japan, maybe I could have convinced Howe to negotiate the deal they offered." House said.
"To have everything controlled by the Japanese and their allies?" The Courier asked.
"To negotiate for a better deal that compromised for both parties." House said. "Remember, to keep Vegas free during the war, I had to make a lot of compromises to the NCR." He said. "Instead of negotiating from a position of power and working with the JSDF, Howe decided that any compromise would be a blow to the NCR and chose to throw it away." He said. "He's also bound by politicians to make forward progress in defeating the Empire, instead of consolidating on resources that are more than sufficient with the taking of Italica."
"So it'll be the Mojave all over again?" The Courier asked.
"Exactly." House said. "The NCR doing too much with not nearly enough resources to effectively do it. They'll find themselves in another unpopular war that will slowly drain their money and resources. The gains are going to start being outweighed by the costs, something politicians who can't see past their own elections refuse to take into consideration."
"So sabotaging the NCR would help them?" The Courier asked.
"Sabotage? Of course not. No, I want to pursue peace between all three parties in order to ensure that the NCR survives." House said.
"You did sabotage them during the war." The Courier said.
"To be fair, they were trying to kill me." House said.
"Fair point." The Courier acknowledged. "Do you think the NCR won't survive this fight?" The Courier asked.
"That's another loss." House said as he showed a high straight, beating the Couriers Pair of Kings. "You only have 10 chips remaining." He observed.
"Answer the question." The Courier said.
"In the last five years, I've sent Victor on many scouting expeditions, setting up radio transceivers and additional communications stations to listen to the remnants of the United States." House said. "You may have traveled deep into and even past Legion territory, but you never looked beyond what you could see in front of you."
"What did you find?" The Courier asked.
"Near the remnants of Chicago is a large Brotherhood presence, who broke from the wests traditions and created a very functional and powerful society." He said.
"There are other Brotherhood Chapters?" The Courier asked.
"The Brotherhood sent many expeditions that were lost over the years, especially after the war with the NCR. Chicago and Washington DC have Chapters that are now more powerful than the West ever was." He explained. "Their borders are growing every day, and eventually, maybe in a few years or a few decades, the NCRs expansion will cause their borders to meet." He said.
"So war is inevitable." The Courier said.
"Now imagine if a third player were to join with your meager five chips." He said, looking at the Couriers pile. "How likely are you to win?"
"Not likely at all." The Courier said.
"We will never beat the other world. The pre-war governments are far too strong and numerous. They aren't dealing with scrap. And some of their technologies dwarf even ours." House explained. "They could never conquer the NCR, because the NCR would destroy the Gate if they ever got that far. But we also can't afford to lose Italica, otherwise everything we've accomplished in the last few months will have been a waste."
"And you don't want to lose your best customer." The Courier said.
"As many issues as the NCR have, they're the only ones willing to work with me for progress. While I have the intelligence and resources to advance humanity, I don't have the people." He explained. "I'd rather not have to convince an unknown faction all over again… and that's game." House said, taking the last of the Couriers chips.
"What a surprise." The Courier said sarcastically, leaning back in the chair.
"I believe you would now have a motive to pursuing peace with that woman you are fond of, maybe even protect her from the horrors of a war." House observed.
"You're really trying to manipulate me?" The Courier asked aggressively.
"Have I ever once manipulated anyone?" House asked angrily. "The only time I ever used force or coercion was when people were trying to kill me or steal my property."
"Vault 21?" The Courier asked.
"Which I won in a gamble. I played by their rules." House countered.
"The Brotherhood?" The Courier tried again.
"Do you believe their old leadership wouldn't have killed me with all the technology I have?" House asked, making the Courier relent. "The NCR killed more of them than I ever could, yet you support them. The only reason I allowed them to exist was because you changed their leaders and ideals to work with the NCR." House explained.
"I see your point." The Courier said.
"I have always honored my deals and ensured the most fair trade possible. I only used force when necessary, who here in this wasteland can say they didn't use force or deception to get what they want?" He argued.
"I get it." The Courier said.
"Even now, I'm not manipulating you. I'm offering a deal, because by supporting my end goal, you can obtain what you want. If you believe in luck, then for me, this is simply a lucky coincidence that I benefit from."
"I don't know House… the NCR would see it as a betrayal and I don't want to get on their bad side again." The Courier said.
"Maybe they will and maybe they won't. Either way, I can guarantee you that if Howe continues this course, he will face the same political suicide that Oliver did." Mr. House said. "And that is something I want to avoid. Howe's rivals in the Government want to see me dead, and I need to make sure that his career is as free from as many blemishes as possible. Not just to preserve my own life, but also to ensure the NCR thrives."
"You're right." The Courier said. "But I don't know House." He said, still unsure.
"I don't need an answer from you now, or ever really. I have plans and contingencies without you. Though you would be a massive benefit." House said.
"I need time to think." The Courier said.
"Then why don't you head to the Cocktail Lounge, I believe everyone else is there now." House said.
The Courier stood up from the chair and adjusted his outfit a bit. He then climbed the stairs towards the elevator, waited for it to arrive, then took it down to the Cocktail lounge. His thoughts were busy right now and he felt like he needed a stiff drink.
The group of Americans, Japanese, and Falmart locals, to include the princess, were all gathered in the Cocktail lounge. The lounge looked just as nice and renovated as the rest of the Lucky 38, with dozens of different kind of alcohol along the center bar. There was a single Securitron at the bar, though currently was offline, waiting to be activated.
Kurokawa heard the elevator open and saw the Courier step out. His hair was still a mess, but he looked very good in a full black suit. He cut a very athletic figure, which made sense considering his lifestyle.
"Welcome to the Cocktail Lounge." House said as the Securitron at the bar came to life with his picture. This Securitron had a few extra fingers around the hand of the robot in order to allow for more dexterity.
"Nice set up you got here." Nate said, looking around.
"Renovations have been expensive to be sure, but I do believe it will be worth it." He said. "I do hope the Strip and especially the Lucky 38 are suited to your needs." Mr. House explained.
"The Securitrons on the Strip as security is kind of strange to me." Itami stated. "Though I did love the little police man decal on their screens." He laughed.
"That's actually a happy accident." Mr. House said. "Securitrons on the Strip are running the outdated MK 1 operating software, which has the look of a police officer. My MK 2 software are much more advanced and deadly."
"Why use the MK 1 software if the MK 2 is more advanced?" Itami asked out of curiosity.
"The MK 2 are able to employ grenade launchers and rocket launchers that are housed in the chassis of the Securitron." Mr. House explained.
"Those things have grenade launchers!?" Kuribayashi screamed.
"Rockets too!?" Kurata exclaimed.
"Won't that get people killed if they have to respond to a threat?" Kurokawa asked.
"Exactly why Strip security use the MK 1 Software, so they don't end up accidentally blowing up my guests." Mr. House stated. "When I originally upgraded them during the war, it was necessary to have all Securitrons operating on the MK 2. Now that things have calmed down, it makes more sense to have Securitrons use the MK 1 for basic security purposes. Basically kind of make some of my Securitrons Law Enforcement and others act as a Military."
"That makes a lot of sense." Rory said, once again dressed in her gothic Lolita outfit. "Many cities have a distinction between Soldiers and Guards, though the guards are more typically either mercenaries for specific lords or citizens recruited by the Empire."
"Can you upgrade them back?" Itami asked.
"If I need to, yes. However it can take a while to fully upgrade every Securitron, which is why they all had the MK 2 software during the war so I could avoid any unfortunate circumstances." He said. "However, it came with its own issues at the time since sometimes they would react to a violent or even homicidal guest by shooting rockets at them, injuring or killing any nearby patrons… it was a necessity at the time but one I happily got rid of after New Vegas was safe." He almost grimaced at the memories. "Anyway, let's not think on that. I have a surprise for all of you." He said happily.
Mr. House took out a few bottles from behind the bar, everything from brandy, Wine, and even some whiskey for his guests. He also took out a few shot glasses as well as wine glasses and distributed each to all of the guests in the area.
"Rémy Martin, bottled in 1945 immediately following the surrender of Germany. Aged to perfection after 300 years." He said, opening the bottle and pouring each glass.
"You kept it in storage all this time?" Nate asked.
"I bought this bottle in 2072 and kept it in my personal cellar, which has been able to maintain climate control since the Great War. This has been at the recommended temperature since it left the factory in the 1940s." He said.
Everyone looked at each other and was a little concerned about the Brandy. Not because it was dangerous, because more than likely it would be safe. Alcohol typically doesn't age poorly.
"How expensive is this bottle?" Itami asked.
"I did some basic head calculations from what I know of your currency, but given the age, brand, and year of production… factoring in too that this is technically another world drink to you… I'd say 3 million US Dollars, or 400 million Japanese Yen." He stated.
"And you're giving it us for free?" Itami asked skeptically.
"The amount of money I am about to lose during the event is so astronomical that giving you a couple million dollar brandy for free is simply pocket change in comparison. It's no different than if I were to give a penny to charity." He said. "Besides, I take very good care of my model employees, and since you are friends with the Courier, I have no issues giving you the first taste of my cellar in front of all the men and women of status."
"I wouldn't say we're friends." Nate said. "We did try to kill each other when we first met a day or two ago." He said.
"Believe it or not, many who would call the Courier friend would have a similar story." House laughed.
"Yea, he did try to kill us." Kurokawa laughed.
"I thought you burned that village." The Courier shrugged.
"Why didn't you just shoot from a distance?" Itami asked, finding it weird he went hand to hand.
"Because I wasn't 100% sure so I wanted to verify first." He shrugged.
"Anyway, the Brandy won't age any better the longer it is out. You should all take a sip." House said.
Everyone took their glasses, even Pina and Bozes, who kept quiet during the exchange. They all look down at the reddish liquid, which had a very strong alcoholic smell to it. It was still cool to the touch.
"Forgive me for having an empty glass, but I am a sucker for appearances." Mr. House said as he raised a glass.
Everyone tapped the glasses together with a dozen or so clinks, then took a sip. It was strange to see everyone drink the shot glasses. The Americans tapped the glasses on the table before tilting their heads back in a single gulp. The Japanese placed their fingers on the bottom of the cup and lightly tilted their heads back as they took a small sip. The Falmart natives had their own way of sipping. Rory and Lelei just drank it like a glass of water, while the Princess and Bozes held the cup with both hands and delicately sipped it.
The reaction was just as interesting. The Americans scrunched up and coughed as the alcohol went down their throats, clearly burning them as it went down.
"Damn, that's smooth." Mat said.
"Yea it is." Nate agreed.
The Japanese did much the same, though none of them commented on it. They did have a look on their face that suggested they enjoyed it.
"Kind of weak to me honestly." Rory said.
"Yea, it seems watered down." Lelei agreed.
"It has a similar quality to the palace cellars, but I have had stronger." Pina agreed.
"That's not surprising." Mr. House said. "Ancient societies typically don't have concepts of FDA approved alcohol contents." He said. "Normally alcohol in ancient societies are almost pure."
"Ancient societies?" Bozes asked.
"Yes, ancient." Mr. House said. "To both the world beyond Alnus and our own, your civilization is 2,000 years behind our own." He said.
"2,000 years?" Pina asked.
"Yes, which is why the Empire stands no chance against the JSDF if they ever decided to march against you." House said. "Nor the NCR, given how advanced our technologies are."
This seriously began to concern Pina. She knew that they were behind in terms of technology, but to be so far behind that it's considered a 2,000 year gap?
"Honestly, the brandy is ok I guess." The Courier shrugged.
"Wasted on someone who doesn't have the finer tastes to truly enjoy the luxuries of the upper class." Mr. House laughed.
"You offered." The Courier shrugged with a chuckle.
"A decision I regretted almost immediately." Mr. House countered back. "How about some music." He said as he activated the Juke Box, which began playing "Blue Moon".
After pouring the wine for his guests, everyone started talking amongst themselves. Their conversations varied from their opinions of the Casino, to old stories from back home. Mr. House decided to go into details about the wonders of the pre-war world and the different inventions and scientific knowledge.
He talked about his rivalry with General Atomics and their Mr. Handy line of robots, which frustrated him at how poorly their quality control was. He talked about working with some of the men who would later go to work on the Vaults with Vault Tech or some old colleagues of his who worked on contracts with the US Government.
He then went on to his dreams of space exploration and how given 50-100 years, he could have full on colonies on mars with interstellar ships traveling the cosmos. It was a fascinating thought but it sounded almost too surreal. Most of the fuels and technologies he spoke about sounded made up and it sounded like something right out of Flash Gordon, but everyone was impressed regardless.
"So wait… you can get to space?" Pina asked in amazement.
"Yes, since the mid-20th Century, when Captain Bell became the first human to reach a sub-orbital trajectory." House confirmed.
"Interesting, it was the Soviets that did that in our world." Nate mentioned.
"I read some of the data that Victor got while he was in Japan, truly a fascinating thing." He said.
"So you can just, go to the stars?" Rory asked in amazement.
"As of now, no." House shook his head. "We have the technology but not yet the infrastructure to support manned or even unmanned space flight. For now we have to focus on rebuilding that infrastructure." Mr. House said.
"If the world ended in 2077, I can only imagine how advanced space travel is for you." Itami said.
"Since most old US Military and Government facilities are abandoned with minimal AI defenses, it's quiet easy to investigate projects that even I didn't know about at the time." Mr. House said. "Projects that were at the height of Top Secret classifications are now fully open for me to research. When my exploration capabilities improve, I'll send my Securitrons to China and the Soviet Union to explore what they were working on." He said in excitement.
As he continued to talk, Pina and Bozes looked again in terror at the possibilities. Even Alnus could travel the stars? What did that mean for them? It was like finding out you're stuck on an island without the knowledge to build a boat and suddenly are visited by people who not only have boats but entire ships with sails. How can they possibly compete with that?
"Anyway, you've heard me talk enough." Mr. House said. "Tomorrow the guests will be arriving and the event will be tomorrow night. For now, you should all get some rest and enjoy the day tomorrow out on the Strip. I'll provide you all with plenty of Bottlecaps since that's still the primary currency in New Vegas." Mr. House finished.
Everyone placed their dishes on the bar so the Securitron could collect them. Mr. House logged off from the Securitron, replacing the image with the image of a bus boy to sell the feeling of a fully staffed Casino.
Everyone went to the elevators so they could turn in for the night and prepare for the big event tomorrow.
"I honestly don't know what to do Bozes." Pina said to her friend as they sat in the bed. They stripped down to the white shirt that they got from the wardrobe and simply sat on the bed to discuss their findings.
"Are we truly so outclassed by both the Alnus group and the En-Sear?" Bozes asked in terror.
"I believe so. Both armies would see us as nothing more than children." She said. "I mean, if they have ships that can travel the stars… imagine the weapons of war they have in the skies. Even dragon riders would never be able to reach them if they go beyond the highest layer of clouds."
"Based on what they said, it seems like the Alnus group have the upper hand there." Bozes said.
"I wonder who is really the stronger one… Alnus or the En-Sear." Pina wondered.
"I suppose it won't matter if the En-Sear decides to march against the Empire, especially if they join together." She said.
"We need to find out who's stronger and forge an alliance with them." Pina said. "We can't afford to have them both against us, so we'll need to ensure either one of them fight with us, or they fight each other. Otherwise, the Empire will fall." Pina said with determination.
"How though?" Bozes asked. "The En-Sear doesn't do marriages for alliances, and based on how Alnus acts, I believe they are the same way. I doubt even using our bodies will work."
"I don't know yet." Pina said. "But I assure you, we will find a way… especially a way that doesn't include using our bodies. I will not allow a repeat of what happened to us with those bandits. We'll find a way, I promise you."
And that's a wrap here. This was the longest single conversation I ever did in a story. Over 4,000 words between House and the Courier. I hope the transitions of topics and the descriptions were good. This also gives a small insight in my own feelings about House as a potential option in the game and why I typically side with him. At the very least, I don't see him any less of a villain than how the NCR is portrayed.
This also starts putting character motivations in focus and introducing more concepts of logistics, strategy, and long term planning that House is in a unique position to see.
I really hope you guys enjoyed it, but please let me know how I did on that conversation. I'm sure I made mistakes somewhere so let me know the good, bad and in between. Thanks for all your guys reviews.