Chapter 14: Memory lost and gained
Nick takes a quick glance up at Veronica. She hasn't spoken a single word since they left the correctional facility. He feels somewhat bad for having gotten so angry. He wasn't upset with her, but she was the one who received the brunt of it. The idea that he is angry simply at the mission having gone south is appealing, but in reality the source of the anger is something else entirely. House.
That bastard computer screen set them up. There is no doubt in his mind. House has been sending he and Veronica out on the most dangerous of assignments. At first he believed it simply to be a test of their skills. Now he thinks differently. While that stupid screen hasn't been openly hostile, there has been a sort of passive aggressiveness coming from him ever since Nick mentioned his time spent traveling with Jane. Seems the House does not like the idea of someone from Jane's past showing up and possibly taking his most valuable asset away from him. So he discards said person by handing out the assignments most likely to get them killed.
None of this would have occurred to Nick until their escape from the facility. Before the riot broke out, he managed to get an audience with the top dog. He went in to the office and dropped the pass phrase that was supposed to identify him to the man, but the dog only gave him a blank stare and ordered the guards to escort the crazy inmate back outside.
House promised them that the intel was good. That he was giving them a fail-safe. Instead he gave them noting. House knew that riot was going to happen, that was the reason he sent them in there in the first place. He wanted them to be killed either by the NCR forces there, or by the inmates, or even to get put on the wanted list.
Nick lets out an unconscious growl that causes Veronica to look up warily. He shakes his head at her, "Its nothing." She nods and lays back down. Nick sighs inwardly. He really does feel bad, he just ins't sure exactly how to go about expressing it. Been so long since he has had to deal with anything resembling civilized company. He ends up just watching her as she sleeps fitfully. She shudders as a brisk wind sweeps by. Without that pass phrase, they were unable to get their gear back. They've been stuck with nothing more than the jumpsuits from the facility. Nick even had to turn in his pipboy, so they are both exposed and lost. Veronica shudders again. Nick unzips he top of his jumpsuit and shrugs it off. Gently he drapes the blue material over her before sitting back down. Veronica lets out a peaceful sigh in her sleep.
The muscles in Nick's face tug backwards. It takes him a moment to realize he is smiling. Not one of the sadistic smiles that so often graces his features, but an actual, soft, happy, smile. Curiously he rubs his cheek, still grinning like an idiot. The last time he smiled like this was before...
Before he lost Dogmeat.
The memory of that night makes him shudder and a tear threatens to fall from his eye. Dogmeat. His loyal friend and faithful companion. The only creature in the wasteland who never judged him for the things he did. The only other one who stuck by him not matter what. Dogmeat saved his life so many times, and not just in battle. When there were nights plagued with nightmares. Days filled with withdraw from chems. Hours where his body was racked with uncontrollable spasms and shakes, a side affect from his over-exposure to radiation in DC. Dogmeat was there. A warmth against the bitter cold. Always with a cheerful bark, or a concerned lick to the hand. Nick would crawl to the floor and bury his face in the dogs fur until the attacks were done.
That tear finally falls. Nick draws in a shuddering breath to steady himself. Remember, Dogmeat has been avenged. Motor-Runner is finally dead. Few things have felt as good as when Nick crushed the life out of that fiend. The look of pleading mercy in Motor-Runner's eyes only driving him further. The man had actually had the nerve to beg for his life! As if he somehow thought his words would be worth something to Nick! DAMN IT ALL!
Nick leaps to his feet and starts pacing back and forth like a caged animal. He breaths hard, angry ripping through him. All of this is bullshit! House! Motor-Runner! The Legion! NCR! And especially Jane! Fuck them all!
What the hell is the point? He went through hell and back to find his father in DC, and when the does the bastard only cares about fixing the fucking purifier. Then he gets killed and Nick is left to carry out the work of a man who never cared for him yet claimed to be his father, nearly dying in the process! To top that he now has to live with the side effects of all the radiation he soaked up! Then thee is Jane! The two of them were close for years! They crossed the wasteland numerous times! Faced countless adversaries! Then she disappears and he spends years of his life searching for her! What does that get him? and angry bitch who doesn't remember a thing and seems to want to argue with him about every little detail of her life! He has told her everything! Down to the very last detail about their travels together, and she couldn't seem to care less! Now House, the number one most powerful man in this area, is out to kill him and probably his friends! His friends...
Luther... Tyler... They are all still with House!
He slips out from behind the steel door and slides it shut. What? A puzzled expression crosses his face as he stares at the door. When did he come down here? And for what purpose? He scratches his beard in thought. The last thing he remembers is thinking about they way House has been splitting them all up with their assignments. That and worry about why Nick and Veronica have been absent for so long. He is about to leave when he realizes there is something clutched in his hand.
Looking down there is a series of wires of all colors as well as a circuit board of some kind. What the hell is all of this crap? A biometric scanner? This is all military grade equipment. He recognizes some of it from the bunker in DC. What the hell is he doing with all of this? He should go talk to... Talk to... Who is he thinking about? He knows that he is supposed to know this person's name but, he can't recall. What is it? The man is a ghoul? Or is he a man and not a ghoul? Shit he can't remember! What the hell is wrong with him? As far as he knows this has never happened before. Wait, what if it has and he just can't remember it? Fuck!
He spins around, intending to go and talk to, to, to whoever the fuck it is, but freezes as he realizes he has no idea where he is. What the hell is this place? It looks like a service area or something. Picking a direction at random, he starts to wander. The walkways are narrow and all sorts of piping and electrical equipment cross his path. Eventually he stumbles upon an exit sign and follows it out.
He emerges into a posh casino like area, only it is empty. There are plenty of slot machines, card tables, and other ways of gambling, but no patrons. The only occupant is a securitron with a blank face screen. Curiously he walks over to the robot and knocks on its armor. The screen flashes for a moment before the face of a smiling cowboy appears. "Well howdy Mr. Luther. We've all been wondering where you got off to. The others are meeting in the high roller suit to discuss some big who-ha they are about to set off on. Told me to tell you if I saw ya, and now seeing as I've done both of those things, hows about we get you up to the meeting? Right this way." The robot gives him no time to respond and pushes him into the elevator. Luther? Right, that is his name. Wait, had he forgotten his own name? Is it something he should be concerned about or is it normal for him?
The elevator opens to the, what did the robot call it, the roller suit? The bot leads him to a room with a long dinning table around which there is gathered a multitude of people. There is a woman in a sleeveless coat with the Lucky 38 logo painted on the back, a ghoul dressed up as a gunslinger, a man wearing a red beret and sunglasses, a young girl who looks like a tribal, a blonde man in a science lab coat, and another ghoul dressed in heavy steel plate. Tyler! That is what the man's, ghoul's, name is! Tyler is the person he knows. Maybe Tyler will be able to tell him what all this junk he is carrying around is for. He goes to sit next to the ghoul, but the woman in the coat calls his name.
"Luther! There you are. We've been looking for you. Where have you been?" Luther stops in place mid-step and gives her a blank look. Who the hell is she? The woman quirks an eyebrow, "Okay, never mind. We went ahead and started without you. I'll catch you up. As you know Nick and Veronica were assigned to an op dealing with a potential riot at the NCR correctional facility. They were sent in almost a week ago and have not reported back. What is more, we have received info that just last night the facility was overthrown. We are organizing an search party to find them." She continues to speak, moving on to who is assigned with who and where they are supposed to search, but Luther is still frozen in place.
Tyler is staring at him with an odd expression, but Luther barely notices. His thoughts are moving at a mile per second. It does not help that there is a second set of thoughts mingling with his own.
Nick is in trouble!
He isn't important right now!
We need to find him! What if he is hurt!
Why does it matter? he isn't your concern any more!
He has always been my concern!
He is not your child!
I've been with him since he left the vault. Where he was reborn...
Damn it all we are so close now! So very close! We cannot diverge from the path! We almost have control of everything! The Enclave can rise again! You can rebuild everything we love!
Nick needs our help.
For fucks sake!
Nick needs our help!
He can handle himself in...
Nick needs my help.
LUTHER!
"No!" Luther shouts out loud, hurling the items he had in his hand across the room and shattering a picture. Everyone turns to him with shocked expressions. Tyler has even risen from his seat and has a hand on his gun. Luther stares at Tyler. "Nick needs my help." For several long, tense, moments there is silence.
Tyler nods slowly and moves to stand in front of him. "He is right. Your idea is good Jane, but Luther and I know him best. We will be taking over this assignment."
Jane makes a disgusted noise and crosses her arms. "Excuse me? Just who the hell do you think you are talking to? I lead this team. Not you two."
Luther looks the woman in the eye. "I think we have all made ourselves clear to you already, we work for ourselves, not you." Jane's mouth hangs open and she looks as though she has been slapped. Luther runs his gaze over the others. "Stay here and waste time listening to her if you want, but I have a friend who is in danger." With that he turns and leaves, Tyler hot on his heals. Seconds later the young woman joins them, Kc. that is her name. The three of them enter the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor.
As the doors start to close, an arm is thrust through and forces them back open. Jane stands there, panting slightly with an angry expression on her face. She enters the elevator and the doors slam shut behind her. The three of them stare at her openly. "What?" She snaps. "I'm coming with you. I owe him that much after the way I've been treating him..." She struggles for a moment, "and the way I've been treating you."
Tyler and Kc seem to be happy with that, but a dark expression has clouded Luther's face and his eyes seem far off. In the back of his head a voice is whispering. Plotting. Telling how perfect this has turned out. Cut off the deathclaws hands, and it is far less dangerous.
Kill her. Kill her and leave her to rot. Then we can kill him and take control. Soon all will be revealed. We'll make this world great again. I will make this world great again!