About 160-Miles South of Groom Lake, Nevada
2076
All three Wasters in the back seat of the old man's truck were knocked out for the entirety of the trip; Parmley slumping against the back of his seat, Boone lurching forward with his arms over his chest, and Veronica resting on her side. Most of the trip was completely silent, the most noise in the cabin either belonging to the little boy on his tablet. But by this point in the drive, the boy had also fallen asleep in the front passenger seat, the old man the only one left awake in the truck. Save for the two dogs who unfortunately had to deal with the outside conditions in the bed of the pickup. Senior occasionally glancing into his rear-view mirror, checking to see if they were still asleep. The truck sometimes dipping into a pothole, but their "guests" were so exhausted they barely reacted to the sudden jumps.
After everything that just happened in the short amount of time they had arrived, it wouldn't have made sense if they weren't pass out. Veronica out like a rock, her head resting against the leather that wasn't peeled from centuries of sun and dust. She was still as a rock, too, not noticing the noises or bumps of the road. For the first couple of hours, she had slept serenely against the leather seat like the rest of her friends. Undisturbed and not making a peep aside from light snoring. Unfortunately, the serene expression she bore shifted, her eyes twitching under her eyelids, her face wincing. Grimacing as her mind began to wander.
Veronica wished she was dreaming, but she was having images flash in her vision. Just flashes of people, places, and events, some that seemed familiar and others that were… She just kept seeing Nathan. As if her brain wanted to remind her why she was there. Hammer in why they were there. These thoughts torturing her every time she closed her eyes but knowing why they did. A pained groan escaping her lips after "seeing" her friend. Then, as a flash of light washed over her face, the bright eyes and the gaping maw of a Tunneler made her wake up with a sharp gasp. Sitting up in her seat, her eyes as wide as the moon outside her window. Her forehead perspired as she shifted and looked around in her seat, looking over her shoulder to see another set of lights going in the opposite direction from them. Spotting those headlights illuminating the road behind them until they were gone.
Meanwhile, Senior looked at his rearview mirror, hearing her suddenly spring up as if she saw a ghost. He watched Veronica relax thereafter, seeing it wasn't anything to worry about. Now trying to calm her breathing. He quickly put his eyes back on the road.
Seeing her friends still with her and sleeping soundly, Veronica felt relieved and sat back into her seat. She didn't feel tired anymore and opted to stare out the window. Trying to find anything interesting to look at in this dark desert. When her nerves and senses began to calm down, her ears perked to a soft noise coming from the front of the truck. Her eye catching a glowing screen that was on the dashboard, which especially interested her as she saw a small computer screen with a display… That had color.
"What the…" she mumbled under her breath.
Then, she recognized the noise she was hearing was the radio, and the old man fiddling with the controls as he tried to find something to tune into. Her eyes switching back to the small display with such clear and crisp picture that she could see the numbers of the radio stations. Not a needle being controlled by a dial, but a continually changing set of colored numbers on a display controlled by a dial.
All in a truck.
The ex-Scribe so starstruck and confused by what she saw, Senior barely noticed as he kept twisting the knob to find something to listen to. Difficult as there weren't many radio stations left, especially out where they lived. Silently cursing himself for forgetting to bring his phone, blaming his old age. Finally, after much searching, the radios and speakers rang to life. An old classic starts to play through, the driver making sure the volume wasn't at a disruptive level. The first things they heard was the slow bass line and echoing vocals of a man singing with the most laidback tone Veronica has ever heard. Music she has never heard, before, but a few seconds into listening to this "alien music", she kind of liked it. Different but pleasant on her ears.
However, Senior regretted it as soon as he recognized what was playing on the only damn radio station in this desert. The slow bass line and echoing vocals making him grit his teeth.
"It was my own lovely lady, / and she said, oh, it's you.
And we laughed for a moment, / and I said, I never knew...
That you liked pina colada-"
Senior quickly switched the radio off to that song, putting both hands back on the wheel and eyes on the road. Veronica looked at the seat in front of her, wondering why he acted like that. Saddened that she couldn't listen to that song for the time being, but hopefully, there'll be another time if she can find a radio.
A collection of lights in the distance made her look up and see they were approaching a town. The truck slowing down as they got closer to the outskirts. They then passed by what appeared to be the greeting sign for this town and the headlights faintly illuminated it, but Veronica couldn't get a good look at it because they were a tad fast.
Senior then made a left turn onto another street, going into town and driving in between houses and structures. While they were some lights along their path, some belonging to houses, the place was as dark and quiet as a ghost town. It was bit eerie driving through here and looking out the window, not even seeing anyone outside even at this hour. Eventually, the truck pulled up to a driveway of an old house, Senior parking the truck in front of his garage.
"We're here," he only said, turning the engine off and hopping out. Walking around the front of his truck to the passenger side door, opening it, and picking his grandson up into his arms.
Veronica then took that as her cue to wake the others, making them stir until they got up.
"Urrgh… Veronica? Where are we?" Boone asked, looking around the cabin.
"Their home, I guess," she unsurely answered. "Get the ranger up. I'll take care of the dogs."
Veronica opened her door and hopped out into the desert night, instantly feeling the chill blow against her neck. She stood there and looked around where she was for a moment, getting a better look at their surroundings. Smelling the familiar scent of the sand and old wood around her.
"Déjà vu," she remarked.
She went to the back of the pickup to see Rex and Cooper still all right, the latter instantly hopping up to lick her face. Whimpering but happy that she was there, and happy drive was over now. With little difficulty, she helped them hop off the back of the truck and walked to the front of the house. Boone and Parmley climbing out of the truck and joining them as they did so. Senior and Joseph were already at the front porch, a lone lamp hanging over them. The others decided to hang back a few yards behind them, in case something happens. Senior kicked the door lightly as he carried his grandson.
"Jennette, open the door. My hands are full," he said.
Next, the door opened, and the voice of a woman was heard from the doorway.
"You're home, finally! I was starting to get worried!" they heard her say but couldn't see her as the old man was obscuring much of their view in the dim light. "Are you both alright? What happened, Clark?"
For some reason, the way she sounded immediately stuck out to them. They thought they heard a slight reverb to her voice as if she was speaking through a helmet. Veronica craned her neck to get a better view but couldn't. Something was off.
"We got held up. Those Deadlock assholes were at it, again," Senior explained. "We ran them off, though, so we're fine."
He held his arms out and Joseph was taken off his hands, now being carried by this Jennette.
"That's good to hear. There's something on the news that's got people all riled up. I thought you might've gotten caught in whatever it was. I told you bringing Joseph on these trips was a bad idea."
"Well… We did have some help with us."
"Help? Who would help all the way out there?"
Senior looked over his shoulder back at the group of drifters they had picked up, seeing them just out of reach from the porch's old light. Well, it was too late to say no to them now. He was close to silently cursing himself for bringing them along.
"Clark, who are those people behind you…?" realizing there was a party behind him.
"Jennette, say hello to the 'heroes' that saved us," he responded as dryly as he could muster, stepping aside to introduce her to the Wasters.
Veronica, wanting to make good first impressions, was already walking forward and ready to shake the woman's hand. Something Nathan also would've done when he went somewhere new. However, her friendly demeanor faded away fast and her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she finally saw the "woman" who opened the door – a six-foot-tall, bipedal machine in dusty jeans and a red flannel. Her faceplate was silver-colored, with three glowing blue dots forming a triangle on the forehead, with two "eye-slits" beneath them. She could see hydraulics and pistons around the collar of her shirt where she wasn't covered. Instantly taken back to the mechanical monsters they fought at Big Mountain. The others behind her reacted to the reveal, as well.
"What in the…" Parmley blurted out.
None of them expecting this "Jennette" to be a machine. Unfortunately, their reactions were obvious, even in the dark.
"Oh, great…" Clark began to grumble. "Don't tell me you guys hate omnics, do you? Goddammit, we might as well be wasting our time with you."
"What?! Oh, nonononono! That's not what I…" Veronica started to stumble over her words, already fucking up her introduction. Wishing she had as many social graces as Nathan. "I just don't see a lot of… people like you. I didn't mean anything by what I did. I was just really surprised."
Despite her best effort, that only made Clark and Jennette exchange glances before Clark looked at Veronica rather incredulously.
"You don't see a lot of omnics?" he questioned.
"Not where I'm from," she answered, then holding up her hands and shaking her head. "Look, I'm really sorry. We really got on the wrong foot here. More than embarrassing, really, if I'm speaking for myself. Let's start over; Hi, I'm Veronica!" she finally greeted with a friendly smile.
"Hi! I'm Jennette, a pleasure to meet you," the omnic graciously replied, chuckling.
"That's Parmley, Boone, Rex, and Cooper. Rex is the one with the brain dome."
"I see! I'll admit, I've never seen that either!"
"Heh, thanks."
The air felt a little lighter after that little exchange, Veronica feeling a little bit better about herself. Making it easier to breathe and continue the conversation, and possibly explain why they're there. Time to discuss business.
"And we would like a place to stay over for the night, or at least until we get our bearings. I hope we aren't being too overbearing," Veronica said.
"If what Clark told me is true, you saved both of them from some nasty thugs. Of course, you can stay with us!" Jennette jovially agreed, reorienting herself and holding Joseph more delicately in her metal arms.
"I'll grab some spare linens and pillows for the living room," Clark spoke up about to head inside.
"Living room? Clark, we have an extra room, it's okay if they can spend the night there."
"That room? No, I don't-"
"Clark, they saved you and your grandson. Don't you think that deserves some more hospitality?"
The old man looked at the machine, squinting as if he was about to start wailing on her for speaking up against her. But he just sighed and thinned his lips.
"Fine, but they're cleaning everything up when they leave," Senior relented before looking at the group and nodding. "Welcome to our home."
He walked inside without another word, Jennette and Joseph by the door. She turned to them, still holding that little boy in her arms like she was his mother. Veronica made a mental note to ask what the deal was with them.
"You all must be so tired if you came so far. Hungry, too, I imagine!" Jennette said, sounding sympathetic. "Come inside, please. I can whip something up for all you to eat."
"No, thanks, ma'am. That's fine," Boone declined. "We have our own food. We just want a proper place to sleep, is all."
"What kind of host would I be if I let you stay in our home and not give you any food? I'm programmed to know how to cook, so you're not leaving this house without having a treat. Please, wipe your feet and come in. Paws, too."
She stepped aside from the doorway and gestured for them to walk through. The Search Party all exchanged glances with each other before Veronica shrugged and walked up the porch, thanking Jennette as she entered. The machine returning the gesture. The rest of them followed suit, making sure to wipe their feet on the welcome mat. Rex doing so without needing to be instructed.
Once inside, they found the interior of the stranger's home, in an apparent distant land, to be surprisingly normal. There was ordinary looking furniture, décor, rugs, appliances, and even picture frames on some of the walls and tables. Only some slight differences in the designs that were somewhat noteworthy. Veronica caught glimpses at some of these pictures, seeing they were also in color but not drawings and paintings, actual photos taken with cameras. One photo showed a picture of a young man and woman standing in front of this house. Another photo on the same wall had a photo of the same man but much older, standing with another man that looked a lot like his younger self. No Jennette or Joseph in sight.
The house was spacious but not large, as the five guests were a little cramped in the hall when Jennette led them to the spare room. She opened the door and flipped the lights on, letting them see a modest room with one bedroom, a desk, some shelves, and a dresser. The bed was big enough for one of them, maybe two, but there was plenty of space on the floor for their bedrolls. Everything still looked neat and tidy in this room, even for one that's presumably unused. Other than the furniture, there wasn't anything else notable about this bedroom. Veronica getting a sense that something seemed to be missing from this room, but she wasn't about to start battering their hosts with questions so soon.
"Make yourselves cozy and at home," Jennette said before pointing. "This room might be a little dusty. Bathroom is down the hall to the left. If you need anything don't be afraid to ask. When I'm not busy I'm usually in the living room charging."
"Charging?" Veronica asked, then catching herself. "Oh, right, duh. Sorry about that."
"Don't worry. I'll give you guys some privacy and bring your food in a couple minutes. Clark will lend you some of our spare linens, I hope."
"Thanks. We appreciate it."
"Anything for our local heroes!"
Veronica smiled at the response, albeit somewhat halfheartedly. Without another word, the bipedal machine closed the door and left the Wastelanders alone in the room. Veronica instantly lost that smile and finally breathed. The questions only mounting by the second after she spoke to the talking machine.
'Not even an hour in town and the locals are calling us that. Great,' she lamented to herself, not as enthusiastic about the title as she used to be. Especially when it was used on her.
"So…" Veronica turned around to face the others. "I call dibs on the bed if that's okay with you guys."
The two men looked at each other without a hint of displeasure or disappointment at the announcement.
"Go ahead, Veronica," Craig nodded. "You look like you need it."
"I do? Geez, thanks," she responded a bit peeved.
"Yeah, Parmley and I are gonna head back outside to bring our supplies inside from the car. Maybe some of our guns, too, if the old man allows it. I kinda doubt he will. You still gonna be up for dinner?"
"As much as I'm interested to see and eat what she would prepare, I'm too tired even for that. Sorry, guys," she apologized.
"Don't worry. We'll give you some privacy for now. Sleep tight."
With that, both Parmley and Boone left the room and walked out into the hall to retrieve their belongings from the outside. After the door had closed behind them, Veronica sighed and sat down onto the edge of the bed. She looked up to see the two dogs were already sleeping in a corner of the room, curled up next to each other.
Taking after their good idea, she got up from bed and began taking off the jumpsuit that's been clinging to her body for the past day. It wasn't the most pleasant affair to go through as her body was sticky with hours' worth of sweat and bodily fluids, the odor of the suit's insides making her gag a little. After setting it aside, the nude Scribe went over to her pack and retrieved a grey tank top and a pair of boxers. For a moment, she thought about using their hosts' shower, if they had one, but decided she'd rather wait until next morning. Hopefully, after breakfast and when they got to know them better.
Slipping her clothes on, she sat back down onto the bed and looked around the bedroom one more time. She looked at the walls that were painted in a shade of beige, noting how the paint wasn't chipped or peeling, the worst blemish being cobwebs and dust in the corners. The wooden furniture around her didn't look particularly old or damaged, practically in near perfect condition from what she's seen. And the linens she sat upon were clean and fresh, despite what Jennette said about dust. Aside from the bed, Veronica was certain not even the Sink was as clean or well-maintained as this room. Just where the hell were they?
Nonetheless, it was getting late into the night and Veronica went over to the light switch. Shutting it off, the room went dark and she sat back down on the bed. She threw the covers over herself and flipped the pillow to the non-dusty side. It oddly felt like a cloud when she rested on it, laying on her side, seeing the glow of Rex's body in the corner of the dark room and lights seeping through the cracks under the door. Hearing some noise on the other side, some voices, most likely from the kitchen. That wasn't enough to keep her awake since her eyelids began to feel heavy and she gently breathed against the blanket hovering over her nose. Everything becoming white noise for the second time.
"Why did you leave?"
Unfortunately, what should've lasted for hours barely felt like minutes, as Veronica's eyes snapped open. The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling, and the first thing she felt was the hot air on her sweaty body. Being smothered under a layer of heat.
She sat up as her head adjusted to being awake, vigorously rubbing her head into her palms. Not to clear out the sleep from her eyes but to vent some of the frustration that was starting to build up inside of her every time she tried to get a good night's rest. Getting nothing but sweats and an empty feeling in her chest.
Only seeing him again, for just a fraction of a moment, in her poor excuse for a dream. Wishing it was a little longer.
Catching her breath and sitting up straight, she looked around to find the others sleeping. Boone and Parmley in bedrolls on the floor next to her, Cooper and Rex still cuddled up to each other in the corner. Noticing someone gave them a rather large pillow to sleep on instead of the carpet.
They were all safe. At least she could take some solace in that.
There was some light pouring in, so she turned around and looked at the bedroom's only window. Through the curtains, there was only a light-blue haze, no bright yellow rays from the sun piercing through. It was still very early in the morning, but she didn't want to get back to sleep. Hopefully, it would be cooler outside before the sun was fully up.
Slowly and carefully to not disturb them, she twirled around and set her feet onto the soft carpet. She got up without making a noise and tiptoed her way to her pack to retrieve a faded brown flannel and some old jeans. While it wasn't the greatest in terms of fashion, she slipped them on and gathered her boots, as well. Modest enough to go outside, she was about to walk out in the hall until she noticed something glinting in the corner of her eye. She spotted a plate to her left on a nightstand, and on top of the plate was this triangular shape that was wrapped in foil. Taped to the foil was a note. She plucked it from the plate, seeing that it was addressed to her.
"Sorry you couldn't join us for dinner. I hope you like this! Signed, Jennette," she read.
Never would she have expected a machine like her to be so hospitable. Knowing her for less than a day, even! With little hesitation, she took the foil-wrapped food and left the bedroom, making sure to not make the door creak too loudly. Out in the hall, she slowly made her way to the front door and watched her step on the hardwood floor. She snuck by the other rooms without a hitch and peeked around the corners to make sure if anyone was there. When she reached the living room, she leaned over and nearly jumped when she saw Jennette just standing with her back against the wall. However, upon further inspection, Veronica saw the omnic was standing on a platform and was as still as a rock – not reacting to her presence. Hearing a light thrumming noise from where she was, some of the lights glowing faintly. After everything seemed to be clear, Veronica stepped out of the hallway and began walking over to the front door. There were no other disturbances when she unlocked and opened it, stepping outside onto the porch.
Now outside, she closed the door behind and took one step down before sitting down. Looking before her to see the town was still largely asleep, and the sky a comfortable shade of blue. The chill air was a welcome relief, Veronica already beginning to feel at ease when it gently blew against her. Already feeling like she was back home again.
Holding it in one hand, she began peeling back the aluminum layers of the foil and revealed some type of breaded food wrap beneath it. The ex-Scribe gave it a few sniffs to determine what it was. She could only see the bread but assumed there must be something inside. So, taking her chances, she bit down on the wrap and instantly got a mouthful of meat and cheese. Obviously, it was cold, but that barely mattered as her eyes lit up and she delved further into a new food experience. It was almost enough to make her forget the experience of waking up earlier, staring out into the blue horizon.
Looking out into the town, she saw it was also about the same size as most frontier towns. Could run the entire breadth of it in five minutes if she wanted to. While it was certainly early to be striking up a conversation with anyone, she could just walk around and take in the sites, learn about this town that way. Explore every street corner she could, like Nathan. There was nothing really stopping her from doing that, aside from the door she couldn't just leave unattended.
Then, the front door opened behind her and Senior stepped through the doorway, already dressed to go outside and holding some black rectangle against his ear. However, he stopped as soon as he saw Veronica sitting outside on the porch.
"What the…" he murmured, lowering his phone from his ear for a second. "The hell are you doing out here?"
"Hi, uh, sorry!" she immediately apologized, shooting up to her feet. "I just woke up earlier and couldn't get back to sleep. I went out here to clear up my thoughts. What about you? What's up?"
Senior frowned a little as he looked at her, then looking at his phone with the words "Calling 911" on it. Before it could even get through, he tapped his finger on the red icon and disconnected the call.
"I was wondering why my front door was unlocked," he answered, his frown not faltering.
"Right… Sorry about that," Veronica apologized again, smiling sheepishly.
The old man eyes narrowed further, only a little before they looked at the foil wrapped food she was holding.
"How's the quesadilla?" Senior asked.
"The what?" Veronica asked back, before looking down at what she was holding. "Oh, it's great! It's cold, but that's my fault for wanting to sleep early."
Then, they heard a series of footsteps from inside and Jennette popped her metal head through the door frame to see what all the noise was about.
"Clark? Veronica? What are you two doing out here so early?" the omnic asked.
"Nothing," Clark quickly answered. "Thought someone broke in and I was about to head out but found her here."
He cast one more glimpse at Veronica before walking inside.
"Still, I might head out later but not before breakfast," he said, brushing past Jennette.
"Tell me when you do, okay?" Jennette requested before turning to Veronica. "So, how is it?"
"It's good! Thank you," Veronica replied. "Sorry I couldn't eat it when it was hot."
"Don't worry, we still have breakfast ahead of us. Maybe then we can get properly acquainted around the dining table when everyone's got a good sleep. I… have a lot of questions if you don't mind me asking them, soon."
"Not at all! Seems like the least we could do, especially for this 'quesadilla'. But we do have some questions of our own, too. We're not exactly locals."
"Anything to help. I'm sure Joseph would want to participate, too. Do you wanna come inside? I'll get breakfast ready, soon."
"Actually, I think I want to walk around for a bit. Take my time and finish this, if that's okay."
"Of course, just be back soon. I'll make sure your friends don't eat from your plate."
"Thanks."
With that, the omnic nodded and walked back inside the house and closed the door. Leaving Veronica to still be astounded by the hospitality she's received. Turning her back to the house, she looked out into the rest of the town. The sun was starting to rise higher over the horizon, replacing that blue sky with a more yellowish tint. She scanned some of the structures in the distance, before walking forward. Taking it slow and looking around as she bit into her quesadilla.
The kitchen was full of life when Jennette fired the stove up and began cooking breakfast for everyone, including their guests. The omnic mixed, stirred, and fried with machine precision and speed, her two arms acting almost independently yet cooperatively. The only thing stopping her from being faster was the time it took for the food itself to properly cook.
Boone and Parmley, while still inflicted with morning grogginess, couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight. The quality of her programming obvious at this moment. The other thing they couldn't help but be mesmerized by too was the smell of the food itself; It smelled absolutely wonderful.
Finally, after about ten minutes of being the audience, Jennette stopped and turned around to bring two plates of food to the two men. Both the plates had a stack of big, fluffy pancakes with a side of eggs and bacon. If the smell didn't get their rocks off, it was certainly the sight that did it. Boone hid his excitement better than Parmley, but neither of the men could remember times having breakfast quite like this.
"Well, what're you waiting for? Dig in!" Jennette insisted.
The two men didn't need much encouragement as they grabbed their utensils and began chowing down. When their taste buds made first contact, they were more than elated and made their appreciation known. If Jennette could smile she would, though, she would've perked a brow at seeing Parmley eat the pancakes one by one instead of just cutting through them with the knife she gave him. She didn't think much of it, however, and placed another plate on the table with more kid-sized portions in front of Joseph, who sat there and fiddled with his holopad. Even with their breakfast, the two men cast glances at the device. Jennette glanced at it for a different reason.
"Joseph, you know the rules. No holopads at the table," she sternly stated.
The boy cast a disappointed glance to her before shutting the device off and setting it aside, grabbing his utensils to poke at the bite-sized pancakes.
Then, even after everything seemed to be done, the omnic went back and picked up two plastic bowls filled with shredded meat. In the corner of the kitchen and staring right up at her, the dogs sat patiently. Cooper licked his chops more frequently than Rex, but as soon as she set those plates right in front of them, they went wild. Scarfing down as much food as they could. She gave them some pets before standing up and going back to the kitchen counter to clean up.
A few minutes into breakfast, the Wasters had already finished more than half of their plates. They weren't that hungry, to begin with, but the allure of the food helped fuel their appetite. However, they gradually slowed down, feeling a little full before their plates were even empty. This gave Parmley some time to sit back and relax, give his stomach a break to digest his food before going in for more. As he started to relax, he found himself looking at the little boy across from him and at the machine-washing pots and pans. The old man was nowhere to be seen, but he already knew he was the grandfather. So, where did Jennette fit in this?
"Is something wrong?" he suddenly heard Jennette ask, who just got finished washing up the pots and pans.
"Nothing's wrong, ma'am. Especially your cooking," he responded with a smile that did fade away a few seconds later. "I was just wondering if you don't mind me asking, where did you come from?"
"What do you mean?" she cocked her head to the side, leaning back against the counter.
"I mean, how did you end up here? With the old man and Joseph."
The kid looked up at hearing his name and the omnic looked at him.
"Oh, well, it's not that exciting I'm afraid. It's pretty typical, really. One day, Clark decided to order a model of my variant off Congo and had me shipped to his house. As simple as that," she explained. "I've been here and lived with them since."
Despite being a simple explanation, the language threw the Wastelanders off.
"Wait, 'order'? 'Shipped'?" the Ranger repeated.
"Of course, there aren't a lot of outlets or shopping malls out here," the omnic answered, not catching on.
"Oh, I see… Well, then, why?"
"He needed someone to help around the house is my first guess. Help cook food, help clean up, even help with his work from time to time. But now, I help him take care of his grandson."
"Where are his parents?"
"My dad's dead," Joseph then suddenly spoke up, catching everyone off guard.
Parmley instantly lost his smile and Boone looked up with a blank expression.
"Joseph!" Jennette exclaimed.
"What? It's true," the kid frowned, going back to his bacon like it was nothing.
Boone and Parmley exchanged glances, more than surprised. They had their suspicions ever since they walked inside and saw those photos, but they never asked for them to be confirmed.
"I'm sorry to hear that, kid," the Sniper said.
"Eh, no biggie," Joseph shrugged, not bothered from bringing that up. "I was only a baby when he died. I don't know my mom, either, but Grandpa said I wouldn't like her, anyway."
That only resulted in more silence between the two men.
"But that only means I can be more like Overwatch!" the kid then jovially exclaimed.
"What?" Parmley questioned.
"Yeah, because all the people in Overwatch have something bad happen to them, but they always become cooler and more awesome after. Every cool hero does!"
Parmley only squinted more in confusion against this boy's sudden leap into happiness. He then felt something brush against his shelter and turned to Boone patting him on the back with a small smile on his face before going back to his breakfast. At least there was some sort of silver lining to this.
"Uh-huh, speaking of heroes…" Jennette then lets out, having been a spectator to the entire exchange, going to the table and taking a seat adjacent to them. "Where are all of you from?"
"Out West," Boone quickly answered, hoping that was a good answer.
"Really? Then what are all of you doing out here?"
"Looking for someone. A friend actually, despite what all the guns and armor will make you think."
"I hope. Although, if they're your friend they probably aren't that bad."
"Yeah, he's a good guy."
"Is he with Overwatch?" Joseph then asked, mentioning that name for the umpteenth time.
Boone hesitated to answer that, unsure who Overwatch even was but knowing that they were associated with Nathan somehow. Wondering whom he had gotten himself wrangled with this time.
"I don't know," the Sniper honestly answered. "I've heard a lot of talk about him with them."
Joseph's eyes lit up and his mouth became agape, but Jennette's head slightly tipped upon hearing that. Being silent for a couple of moments, after. The lack of facial features making it hard to see how she truly reacted to what she just said.
"Really? Well, I'm afraid you're a long ways, then, Mr. Boone," she stated, trying to sound sympathetic but cautious. "If your friend really is with Overwatch then there's no telling where he is or where they are, and it's not like they want to be found given the current state of things… What's his name? Does he even go by one?"
Boone opened his mouth to say his real name but quickly decided against it, opting to use another moniker he's apparently going with here, nowadays.
"'The Man in Black Armor'," he recalled.
Jennette and Joseph became silent after that, but Jennette's was more of a stunned silence. That seemed obvious.
"Oh," was all the machine mustered.
"You've heard of him?" Boone asked.
"Yes, he's caused quite a stir in the news, lately. All over the world."
Now the Wastelanders were the ones who found themselves dumbstruck and silent when they heard that one word. Boone suddenly feeling a lump form in his throat, realizing that the breadth of their search had expanded, for the worst.
"The world…?! Uh-wha…?" the Ranger began to stammer on his own words, trying to comprehend what he was just told. "Wait… Where are we?"
"Uh… Nevada," Jennette answered, her faceplate betraying her confused tone.
"What?! Nevada! As in the state! You mean we're in… Where specifically in Nevada?"
The conversation took a quick and confusing tone, Jennette and Joseph's looking at each other for a moment. Wondering why they were asking this.
"You mean no one didn't tell you-?"
Suddenly, they heard the front door slam followed by feet rapidly hitting the hardwood floor. They all jumped to see Veronica appear in the kitchen doorway, breathing heavily and with sweat on her forehead. Acting as if she had seen a ghost.
"Guys! You need to come see this!" she exclaimed, her voice laden with shock.
"What?!"
"You'll see it yourself. Just come on!"
She waited no longer as she sprinted down the hall again, leaving them in the kitchen. With a bark, both Rex and Cooper were the first ones to follow her, leaving Parmley and Boone no other choice but to follow. They quickly excused themselves from the table and gave chase, going where she went. At the same time, Senior ran out with a shotgun, thinking someone had actually broken into the house this time but instead saw the guests running through the door.
"Hey, where the hell are all of you-?!"
They, unfortunately, couldn't explain as they were more concerned with keeping up with their friend, wondering what has gotten her so flustered. They were afraid that something bad had happened but couldn't figure out what.
When outside, they all ran across dirt and sand under a now blistering sun, seeing Veronica a couple of yards ahead of them. She was taking them East, running through shortcuts and in-between buildings to whatever she had found. Some of the other town's residents, who were now beginning to wake up, saw a group of strangers with two dogs running across their small town. In just a minute or two, the Search Party had come across the only road into town and kept running as Veronica kept going. However, Parmley, who was at the end of the group, nearly got hit by a car that slammed on the brakes and honked at him. The driver of the tire-less vehicle popping his head out of his window.
"Watch where you're going, assholes!" the driver screamed.
"Shit, I'm sorry!" he held up his hands, surprised.
The driver flipped the bird and drove off, leaving the Ranger with his heart pumping even more. However, his attention was then drawn back to Veronica as she now stood still in front of what she had brought them to see.
It was a metal sign held up by two wooden posts on either side. It was aged and faded, like much of the town, rusted like an old mine cart. However, it had silver art of mountains and the sun when below a word that consisted of similar-colored letters. He read it and it took a while for it to register with him as his brain was pounding, but his breathing stopped when he realized the name of the town posted on the board.
The three Wastelanders just stared at the silver word, getting an answer that gave them a million more questions. This town seeming nothing like the one they left behind in the Mojave, in ruins from an infestation.
Not expecting to find themselves back in "Goodsprings".
AN: Sorry about the delay! Got into a little funk last week but I'm feeling a little better now. Still got a good chunk before school starts again at the end of August. Let's not dilly-dally!
