The sun had set over the Mojave to be replaced by the blazing lights of the New Vegas Strip, announcing that the casinos were open for business. However, even though the Legion had never breached the Strip's gates, signs of the war were still evident in the nearly deserted streets. Valeria and Veronica sat on one of the concrete bus benches lining the street in front of the Ultra Luxe. Valeria wore her armor, and Veronica the orange jumpsuit of an NCR correctional facility.
"Okay Val." Veronica finally said. "What happened after the battle?"
"Nobody told you?" Valeria asked in surprise.
"They aren't very talkative in prison." Veronica admonished with a smile. "Besides, I would rather hear it in your own self-deprecating fashion."
"There isn't much to tell." Valeria said with a shrug as she ignored Veronica's jab. "House's Securitrons stopped attacking as soon as the Legion realized they were cut off. He freed Vulpes Inculta and told him to withdraw across the Colorado or be destroyed. Vulpes didn't argue and the Legion retreated."
"I wonder why House didn't just wipe them out?"
"All House told me was that a weakened Legion was better than a horde of raider gangs." Valeria shrugged again. "The Legion is too weak to be a threat to the Securitrons, but it is still strong enough to provide stability on the Eastern side of the river."
"I see House hasn't lost any of his calculating charm." Veronica quipped before looking down at herself in disgust. "The second time I get to enter the strip and I'm stuck in this stupid jumpsuit." Veronica growled in mock anger as she shook her head. "Any chance my dress is still at the Casa Madrid?"
"It got looted during the battle." Valeria said as she looked down at her friend. "I doubt anything of value's left."
"Oh well." Veronica replied with a shrug. "I can always buy one with the caps House owes us."
"I'm sorry Ronnie." Valeria said as she looked away crestfallen. "There...isn't any reward money."
"Did House stiff us after everything we did for him?" Veronica exclaimed in a flash of anger.
"No." Valeria replied with a sigh as she looked at the ground between her boots. "With Colonel Royez possibly up for a court martial, I didn't know if he could honor our deal and let you go. I asked House to intercede for you instead of paying us."
"You gave up a thousand caps for me?" Veronica asked incredulously. "Wow Val, I don't know what to say."
"I didn't know what else to do." Valeria said without looking up. "I couldn't get you out before, and the thought of you in prison somewhere..."
"It wasn't that bad." Veronica said seriously as she rested her hand on Valeria's. "I was trained in hand-to-hand by the Brotherhood. It didn't take long to get the pecking order sorted with the other prisoners."
"Besides." Veronica added as she touched the scar crossing her throat and made a face. "Thanks to Domino, I looked like I could handle some rough treatment."
"Domino!" Valeria growled as she bared her teeth in a snarl.
"Speaking of which." Veronica added. "Where is the necrotic bastard?"
"There's been no sign of him." Valeria said with a scowl. "If he survived the Sierra Madre, he didn't come back to Vegas."
"Too bad." Veronica growled. "I would love a chance to 'thank' him for carving up my face and ripping out my voice box."
"It's not that bad Ronnie." Valeria said as she looked at Veronica.
"Thanks Val, but you don't have to lie about it." Veronica said brusquely. "At least my hair's growing back, and I've gotten used to how I sound." Veronica ran her hand along her head as she suddenly chuckled. "I guess now I get to find out if girls really do like scars!"
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop him." Valeria said as she looked up at the lights of the Tops Casino across the street. "But if I ever see him again..." Valeria scowled, then started as Veronica patted her thigh.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened." Veronica said seriously. "I'm the one who let my obsession with finding the Sierra Madre put me in harm's way. After Helios One, all I could think of was finding Elijah and perhaps...joining him in saving the Mojave."
"You didn't find him?" Valeria asked quietly.
"Oh, I found him all right." Veronica replied grimly. "And I killed him."
"What?" Valeria exclaimed with a start.
"Elijah always had a ruthless streak." Veronica said as she clasped her hands in her lap. "His obsession with using technology to change the world changed him. What I found down in the Vault wasn't my mentor anymore, it was a power mad monster."
"I'm so sorry Ronnie." Valeria said as she hesitantly placed her hand on Veronica's.
"It's okay Val." Veronica replied with a sniff. "Elijah showed me what would happen if I let my obsessions control me. I had a chance to try to get some of the treasure, and I decided to live instead."
Veronica fell silent as she composed herself, and Valeria waited awkwardly without any idea what to say that would help.
"So what did you take from the Sierra Madre?" Veronica finally asked after pressing the palm of her hand to her eyes.
"I...found the last piece of the puzzle I think." Valeria said slowly.
"What puzzle?"
"What I am, and what I'm going to become." Valeria said without meeting Veronica's curious gaze. "All I have are bits and pieces, but I think I can guess what happened to Mom before she met my Dad."
Veronica watched as her huge friend stare thoughtfully at the full moon before she spoke.
"I look like Vera Keyes because my mom took a serum meant for her."
"A serum?" Veronica asked with a frown of confusion. "What kind of serum?"
"I don't know." Valeria admitted. "I'm guessing that it was derived from FEV. Vera was dying from an incurable genetic disorder. Sinclair became obsessed with finding a cure and apparently only cared about results, not the means or the source."
"How did your mom get a serum from the Sierra Madre?" Veronica asked as Valeria lowered her gaze with a sigh.
"Someone stole the tech Sinclair stored at the Casino, including the different serums he'd had sent to him. I think its possible one of the serums may have created the Tunnelers. Most humans who aren't killed by radiation turn into ghouls, but that's only a guess."
"So your mom somehow got one of the stolen serums."
"According to Doctor Henry, mom was assigned to archive unknown technology for later study and use by the Enclave. I suspect she discovered enough about the serum to think it was beneficial for humanity. Maybe there were fragments of data and she made a guess based on its purpose to cure an incurable condition."
"Why would she use it on herself?" Veronica asked as she stared intently at Valeria's profile. "Exposing yourself to an untested pathogen is an act of...madness."
"Or desperation." Valeria said grimly. "The NCR was hunting remnants of the Enclave after they lost the war. Mom must have been obsessed with the potential of what she found, and rather than lose it to the NCR she used in on herself."
"And we both know what obsessions can lead to."
"Based on what Beatrix told me." Valeria replied with a nod of agreement. "Mom was sick when she met dad. Putting it together with some things Dad said before he died, I think the serum was slowly killing her."
"But not before she had you."
"It's possible the strain of giving birth to me was too much for her weakened system and it killed her."
"Women die having babies all the time Val. Don't you dare take responsibility for it!" Veronica snapped.
"Don't worry Ronnie, Dad never blamed me for mom's death." Valeria said with a sad smile. "So I won't either."
"So this FEV tailored for Vera Keyes mixed with your dad's genetic material and created...you."
"I think so." Valeria replied. "But I kept mutating as I was exposed to different environmental stresses. I didn't know if I was turning into a mindless behemoth or something even worse. Then I met Vera in the Sierra Madre?"
"Met?" Veronica asked with a start. "That doesn't sound like you just found her body."
"No, she was still alive." Valeria said sadly. "She looked exactly like me, and was completely insane."
"What happened to her?" Veronica asked wonderingly.
"She attacked me in Sinclair's private suite, and was caught in a gas explosion. I tried to find her but the flames were too intense."
"Are you sure that was Vera?" Veronica asked after a moment of thought. "If it was than she had been alive for over two-hundred years!"
"The story she told me when she was lucid matched up with what facts I knew. Apparently Sinclair took her down to the Vault and injected her with another vial of the Serum."
"What happened to Sinclair?" Veronica wondered out loud. "If he made it to the Vault then he wasn't killed by the holograms or radiation."
"Vera didn't know." Valeria admitted. "But she said all she could remember was darkness and being tormented by hunger. I think she had the same...cravings I do."
"So Sinclair injects her with the Serum, watches while she changes, and when she wakes up..." Veronica gasped at the awful implication. Valeria noted her friend's reaction and nodded in grim agreement.
"I don't know if madness is in my genes, or if Vera went insane from horror and loneliness. It does seem that I'm going to live a very long time."
"Wow." Was all Veronica could say as Valeria again stared at the street. Both women were silent for several minutes before Veronica broke the silence.
"I don't know about you Val, but I'm dying for a Brahmin burger." Veronica grinned as she stood and extended a hand toward Valeria. "Is there anywhere we can go where I can eat and get out of this jumpsuit. Prison orange tends to give people the wrong first impression."
"I have a room at the Atomic Wrangler." Val said as she took Veronica's hand and stood up. "The Garrett's former bouncer, McCaffery stole money from them and disappeared before the battle. James Garrett offered me a job as a bouncer in return for room and board."
"How's the work?" Veronica asked with a grin.
"Pretty easy actually." Valeria admitted. "The rumors about what happened in the battle already impress everyone. On the occasion someone gets rough I usually just have to put my hand on their shoulder and they can't leave fast enough."
"I'll bet!" Veronica chuckled as she glanced at Valeria's huge clawed hands. Veronica was still grinning as they began to walk down the strip, ignoring the curious gazes of the few passers-by. When they reached the gate, Veronica suddenly became serious and asked.
"How many of the rumors are true?"
"Enough to make everyone believe the wilder ones." Valeria said with a disgusted shake of her head. "Now everyone thinks I'm some sort of hero."
"You are a hero you big dumb lug." Veronica admonished with a grin. "You could have waited for House's army and all that would have happened is a bunch of strangers too stubborn to run away would be dead."
"I couldn't stand by when I knew I could help somehow." Valeria objected.
"And that Val, is what makes you a hero." Veronica said with a smile. "Now I've just spent a month in a maximum security prison, and I want to celebrate! Come on Val, take a break from saving the world and have some fun!"
Valeria stared at her friend for a moment before smiling tentatively and smiling.
"Okay Ronnie." She said, her smile becoming a grin as Veronica clapped her hands and squealed with delight. Veronica clasped one of Valeria's hands and led her through the gate under the watchful monitors of two Securitrons. Veronica's abandon was infectious, and for the first time in years Valeria allowed the joy of the moment to well up within her as she jogged after her friend...
...and began to laugh.
In the distant hills, coyotes howled at the full moon while the Lucky 38 blazed with light like a beacon. A robed figure crouched on the hillside staring at the glowing tower, its white eyes burning with hatred from the shadows of its hood while fangs glittered in the moonlight as it snarled . Then with a whirl of motion, it vanished into the darkness leaving the hillside silent and empty except for the moaning of the desert wind..