Chapter 2: Of bubblegum and haters
Traveler shifts his weight from one knee to the other as he slowly turns the roasting gecko over his small campfire. He has seen a lot of strange animals in his travels, giant fire breathing ants, giant flies, giant scorpions, even a radioactive robot, but the giant geckos found all over the west just about take the cake. They come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and some even have weird powers, like breathing fire. A smile appears on his face as he imagines the egghead who created the fire breathing ants somehow having something to do with the fire breathing geckos. Across the fire from him Veronica turns up her nose. "You are actually going to eat that? I thought you were screwing with me."
He chuckles and cuts a small slice off with a bone handled knife. He looks Veronica in the eye, and pops the meat into his mouth. He chews slowly, savoring the look on her face as her jaw drops. He laughs again and replaces his knife. "The look on your face. Ha, priceless. But you are right, I really shouldn't eat this, not yet, needs to cook a little more. Also needs some seasoning, maybe, the blood of a newborn child?"
Veronica's eyes go wide and she scoots away from him. The laughter that overtakes Traveler causes him to double over and clutch his side. "Oh very funny," the Brotherhood scribe pouts, "make fun of the naive girl from the bunker. I see how it is. You should know that we only eat processed or boxed foods. It is a much better way to insure that a person stays in the peek health than eating whatever meant you happen to shoot down that day."
Traveler attempts to catch his breath and speak, "How long have you been on the surface?"
Veronica's pout deepens, "I have been on the surface bunches of times before, just never for very long. Never had to worry about eating anything but the rations given out in the bunker.
Traveler wipes some moister from his eye as his attitude changes very suddenly from smiling happiness, to an almost mournful expression. "You make due with what you have. I know from experience what it is like, learning to put aside some your inhibitions about food, killing, and surviving." He looks at her from across the fire. "Do you remember the first person you ever killed? Have you ever killed?" Veronica nods her head but does not speak. Traveler's eyes become unfocused. "I can't remember my first, but I can remember one specific person." Again he trails off into silence and Veronica finds herself leaning forward, waiting for him to continue.
"I know that had I killed before, but the person whose death I recall most vividly is a woman's named Silver. She was a junkie living in a cluster of ruins not far from a settlement know as Megaton. At the time I was fresh in the wasteland, having been raised in a vault before, and I was out searching for my Father. The man who was owner of Megaton's bar had some information, but his price was too high. So instead, myself and these two mercenaries set out to kill Silver and collect the caps she owed to the bar owner. There was a scuffle with some raiders first, but we eventually managed to find her hideaway. When she saw us, she went psycho and attempted to kill us with a scatter gun. I remember lifting my pistol and pulling the trigger the first time, and the second, and the third. I kept shooting until the gun was out of ammo. By that point, there was nothing much left of her head and torso."
Traveler again focuses on Veronica. "Strange isn't it? I recall killing a woman I barely knew, but I have already forgotten the faces of the first two people I killed with the very same gun I used on Silver and that I still carry with me. Yet those two were men I had known all my young life in the vault. It took me forever, but I eventually realized why I remember her and not them. It is because I wanted to kill her. Those men, it was either them or me, but Silver, I wanted to hurt someone when we finally came across her. That scuffle with the raiders I mentioned, well, there was a lot of torture involved as well." Veronica shudders to think about what this guy means. "Silver was right after that, and she gave me plenty of reasons to kill her. After that, Killing just got plain out easy. At some points, it was even enjoyable."
"Remember how I mentioned that I have a head wound, the one that allowed me to be lobotomized without loosing my senses?" Veronica nods her head slowly. "A head wound out here is serious, I am sure you can assume that, hell, even small scratches if not treated properly can turn deadly out here. I was injured about two years ago. I was on the same search I am now, only the road saw fit too lead me towards a place controlled solely by raider clans. I ended up captured by one of the worst warlords, one named Jimmy, I still don't understand the name. He was once a surgeon, but turned dark. He opened up my head and dug around, causing the damage. I still have the scar." he reaches up and unties the fabric band around his head, revealing a straight line running through his hair, starting above the temple, and circle around to the back of his head, if he wore his hair down, the scar would be unnoticeable. "I haven't been the same person ever since, have to be careful about making decisions. I get confused, can't tell reality from my own crazy. So, if I ever get up and walk off in the middle of the night, I guess you are on your own." The fire crackles and he examines the gecko. "Good, dinner is done."
His gaze never leaves Veronica. It is impossible to miss the shudder that goes through the robed woman. He realizes that he is frightening her, but that is a good thing. If people are scared of you just from your look, then you have a chance to make them back down and avoid bloodshed. It also can't hurt that he often comes across as a little unhinged. He leans forward and cuts another slice of meat off the gecko. This one he offers to Veronica wordlessly. After a second's hesitation, she reaches across and takes it from his hands. She chews it without complaint. The wanderer cuts himself and large slice and sits back to eat it. As he does he reflects on his reason for coming this far west. A woman. Why is it always about a woman?
He remembers her voice, always so cheery and filled with life. He has chased her all across the wasteland. Jane, the courier of information. When they first met, he had just rescued her from Supermutants and she was in such a panic that she attacked him. He smiles, she is a firebrand, that is for sure. After everything that happened back home, he wanted an escape. She showed up and offered him the job of protecting her as she crossed the entirety of the wasteland to preform her devilries. Then, almost two years ago, she vanished. He has spent the last three years crisscrossing the nation in search of her. Mostly due to a promise he made. A promise never to abandon one of his family members if they are in danger. He has lost a lot of loved ones, and perhaps he is overprotective, but he keeps his promises.
The Courier lets out a sigh of relief as she and Boone finally enter Freeside. Finally back into civilization. Down the street a thug is set upon by some members of the Kings and a little further a chem dealer is swindling some poor bimbo. Ah, civilization. The Courier flicks off the mercenary who offers to work as her bodyguard while she travels through Freeside and points at Boone, "No thanks asshole, got it covered." Boone scowls at her and she scowls right back.
The due make their way towards the local general store, run by two shifty brothers. Two shifty brothers who just happen to allow the Courier to look at their reserves stock whenever she wants because she is a loyal customer and brings them some very solid business on a regular basis. "Hey Mick, Hey Ralph!" She greets cheerily as she walks into the store. The two owners groan loudly as she enters. "Aw," she coos, "I missed you guys too."
Ralph walks to the front of the store with his arms crossed. "I thought I told you, Six, we are not going to do business with you or any of your, associates." He gives Boone a pointed look.
Okay, ever since she accidentally set fire to some of their hardware, maybe they haven't been all that friendly towards her, but they are men of business, and men of business all have on major weakness. She reaches behind her back and plops a fat purse of caps down on the counter. Both men appraise the purse greedily. Mick looks at his older brother and shrugs, "At least it will cover some of our more recent losses."
This piques the Courier's attention. She leans across the counter towards Mick, "Ooh, losses? What sort of losses? You two haven't been caught doing anything dangerous have you? I mean, the stockpile of secret weapons you won't sell to the casino bosses, the fake passes into the strip, not to mention the software for sexbots. Aside from that, what else have you two been holding away from me?" She can tell she has hit a sensitive spot. Ralph is as stoic and unreadable as ever, though he has nothing on Boone. Mick however pales noticeably.
"Our clients interests are none of your business, Six. We will sell to you, but no more acts of good will or favors. From now on, it is hard caps for our merchandise and nothing more."
That is not good. These two are actually some of the best information brokers around. Not a lot happens in Freeside without the two of them knowing about it. They have dirt on almost everyone, from the lowly squatter to the overbearing Kings. Having them on her side has been super helpful to her work for Mr. House. Of course they don't know she works for House, but that is actually one of her big secrets, sorta her ace up the sleeve she only ever uses when the hand she has been dealt absolutely sucks. She has to find a way to get back on their good sides, quick.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You are all steamed up about the fire. How about this, I pay for the damages, and put in a good word for you shop next time I am in the strip. Or if that doesn't work, I may be able to work out a trade deal for you guys with Crimson Caravan. How does that sound?"
Ralph smirks, obviously thinking he has the upper hand, "Sounds good, if you can pull it off. I would like to see just how you negotiate a deal with Crimson Caravan. Those stuck up bastards have always refused our offers in the past, so I highly doubt anything you say to them on our behalf will even get through their thick skulls."
"Aw, come now Ralphie, no faith in your favorite Courier?" Ralph rolls his eyes and listens to the list of supplies she rattles off before disappearing into the back to fill her order. Mick returns to his place behind the counter and the Courier is instantly bored. Fricking great. She sighs and sits down on a nearby bench. Boone takes his rifle off his shoulder and starts to clean the barrel. She keeps shifting position, trying to find an interesting way to sit that will occupy her thoughts, but to no avail. Somehow she ends up upside down and staring at Boone's boots. She lets out another sigh. Boone looks at her briefly, but then goes back to cleaning his rifle.
She sits back up and digs around in her backpack until she finds a holotape. She inserts it into the pipboy Doctor Mitchel insisted on giving to her after he dug the bullet out of her head. The holotape takes a few seconds to load, but then the game starts up, Red Menace. She naviagates the little vault boy around the map, avoiding the missiles and nukes the Red Menace throws or rolls at her. Eventually she beat the last level, for the third time, and stops playing. "Seriously, how long can it take someone to find a few boxes of ammo in their own freaking shop?"
"All of four minutes." Ralph replies, stepping out of the back room and looking at his watch. "You have no patience whatsoever, I don't see how you manage to work as a sniper of any kind, what with all the waiting you have to do."
The Courier pouts a little, "Being a sniper is fun, you never know when your quarry will show up so you have to be on constant alert, every little movement in the distance could be an enemy coming to gut you or your spotter, so it never gets boring. Waiting for a man to do a simple thing such as grab some ammo from a shelf is routine, you know what he is doing, and you know there isn't that much danger, so it is boring. Get it now?"
"I am glad you find my job so boring, Six," Ralph replies with snide, "the total is two fifty."
The Courier waves her hand dismissively, "Count the caps out yourselves, I trust Mick." Mick takes the purse of caps she left on the counter and she watches as he meticulously counts out the exact number. She spots him, 'accidentally', knock a few to the floor and count out a few caps extra. Lightning fast she whips out one of her revolvers and fires a single round. Mick's hair is brushed and the bullet splinters the wood of the wall behind his head. The man flinches and quickly drops the extra caps back into the purse. "Thanks Mick, knew I could count on you." Her voice still has that bubbly happy sound.
As she and Boone leave the store, she can hear the two brothers break into the start of what will surely become a heated argument about continuing to do business with her. A content smile graces her features and Boone regards her out of the corner of his shades. "You enjoy teasing people far too much. It will bring you trouble. It already has." As per usual, his voice is flat and humdrum.
The Courier raises a hand and mimics talking with her fingers, "Blah, blah, blah, blah, bla bla, blah bla. That is all I hear coming out of your mouth stick in the mud, seriously, loosen up at least once in your life. This is Vegas after all, you are supposed to enjoy yourself here, even in the seedy parts like Freeside." Usually, people know enough about her steer clear, but things must be very desperate or her reputation is slipping, because three thugs detach themselves from the shadows of a nearby alley and surround her and Boone. "And thing were going so smoothly." She sighs.
"Listen," One of the muggers growls in an attempt to be menacing, sorta hard when ones clothes are rags and the only weapon you carry is a rusty shiv, "we just want your caps, no trouble, and you won't be hurting afterwards, got it?"
The Courier rolls her eyes, "I don't have time for this, just get out of my way." She shoves the mugger aside and starts walking.
"Oh no you don't!" The mugger lunges at her from behind. She sidesteps and puts her leg out to trip him. The man face plants on the sidewalk and blood spurts from his nose. The other two muggers decide she is a bigger threat than Boone and rush her at the same time. Neither of them get the chance to even raise their weapons before they are looking cross eyed at the twin revolvers pushed against their foreheads.
"Think boys," Her voice has lost the bubbly enthusiasm it had before, "thing real hard about your next little flinch, it could well be the last one you ever get in before I repaint the walls behind you red." Neither mugger moves a muscle. "Good," she coos softly, "now I am going to step back, don't either of you move now." The steps back and holsters one of her revolvers, keeping the other trained on the two men, and neither are stupid enough to think they might be able to take her now that she has only one weapon ready. She reaches into her pocket and removes a Lucky 38 playing chip that is red on one side and black on the other, "Lets leave it to fate shall we?" She flips the chip and catches it in the same hand. Red. "The three of you are lucky men indeed, now run along."
The holsters her second revolver and the two muggers still standing gather up their broken nosed friend and hurry off back down the alleyway they first came from. The Courier watches them go. "Do you think it was right to let them go, even though fate decreed they live?"
Boone crosses his arms, "If that is what you think."
"Ugh," she throws her hands up, "there is no talking to you, honestly."
Boone shrugs his shoulders. "What exactly did you purchase in the store that cost you so many caps?"
The courier smiles and digs around in her pack until she finds one of the valuable boxes. "Bubblegum!" She squeaks excitedly. "I have been craving a chew for days!" The rips open the box and pops one of the over sweet sticks of chewable candy into her mouth. "Mmh, that hits the spot." Boone stares at her wordlessly, before shaking his head and continuing towards the gates into the strip. The Courier smiles at his back and blows a small bubble. "Stoic hater."