Chapter Nine: It's a Sin to Tell a Lie
The sun slowly rose above the horizon as Boone, Cass, and Ruby walked toward a wooden sign that read 'Welcome to Goodsprings.' Ruby noticed there were numerous caravans and caravan Brahmins lining the streets.
Well, that simultaneously took slower and faster than I assumed it would, Ruby thought.
Interrupting the otherwise peaceful morning was the familiar cackling of geckos. All three immediately withdrew their weapons.
"Does anyone know how many geckos there are?" Cass asked.
In response, a small group of geckos rushed toward the trio. Ruby aimed her single shotgun at the chest of a green gecko and fired.
"Looks like you got your answer," she replied.
A smirk slowly appeared on Cass's face as the green gecko fell to the ground.
I feel like this is where she'd call me a smartass, thought Ruby.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cass and Boone fire their weapons at two other geckos. She quickly turned her attention to a gray gecko charging right toward her. Ruby fired two shots at both legs and the gray gecko landed on the ground. However, the creature quickly crawled toward Ruby.
"Yeah, it's usually best to just shoot them in the head or chest and be done with it," Cass said from beside her.
"I'll keep that in mind," Ruby said with a nod.
She aimed at the gray gecko's head and fired twice in quick succession. The creature landed on the ground, inert, and she quickly reloaded her shotgun. Ruby shifted her attention to a large, green gecko rushing toward her. She aimed her shotgun at the creature's head and fired twice, which caused the gecko to fall to the dirt beside its companions. As she reloaded her shotgun, she looked at the surrounding dead gecko bodies.
"I think that's the last of them," Boone said, looking over at Ruby. "Nice work."
Ruby nodded. "Thanks."
All three slid their weapons back into their holsters and continued toward Goodsprings. Just then, a Golden Retriever rushed toward the group. Cass and Boone barely got out of the way as the dog jogged to Ruby. She smiled as she bent one knee to the ground and petted the dog.
"Hey, dog," she said. "Nice to see you too."
She wasn't sure why, but this ritual felt familiar and comfortable. As if she was coming home.
"Cheyenne, dammit, don't do that," said a vaguely familiar voice.
Ruby scratched Cheyenne behind the ear before standing up. She, Cass, and Boone's gazes snapped to the woman wearing a cowboy hat who came rushing after the dog. The woman's brown eyes immediately focused on Ruby, before they widened.
"It, it's you," she said.
Shit, thought Ruby as her heart sank into her stomach. Should I know her?
"I'm sorry, if we've met before, I don't remember," she said, slowly rising off the ground.
The woman wearing a cowboy hat looked between Cass and Boone, who nodded. She sighed as she adjusted the hat.
"My name's Sunny Smiles," the blonde replied as she extended her hand to Ruby.
Ruby mirrored her actions and shook Sunny's hand. "Ruby."
"Welcome back to Goodsprings, Ruby," Sunny said, her voice slightly cracking. She cleared her throat and both pulled their hands away. Sunny shifted her gaze to focus on all three of them. "What brings you three to Goodsprings?"
"Actually, we came to see Doc Mitchell," Cass replied. "Is he still here?"
"Yes Ma'am," Sunny said with a nod. "He's in his house on the hill. Can't miss it."
"Boone, why don't you take Ruby to Doc Mitchell's house while Sunny and I talk?" Cass asked, turning to look at Boone.
Boone nodded. "Sounds good."
Ruby bent down again and scratched Cheyenne behind the ear. "Sorry girl. I'll be back."
She stood up once more and followed Boone down the main road. Some of the caravan members parted and stared at Ruby. Behind her, she could hear Cass and Sunny talk in low voices. The closer they moved to Doc Mitchell's house, the harder it was to hear.
I really hope Doc Mitchell can help, Ruby thought. Because this whole amnesia thing is annoying as hell.
Back in the small side room in the Presidential Suite at The Tops, He repeatedly searched through the Securitron's security feeds. He could have done this within the Presidential Suite at The Lucky 38 as well, but The Tops was more familiar. He'd been in this room for so long, serving Benny and then The Courier, that it felt more like home.
From what He could see on the feeds, no one spoke poorly of Him, no one was stealing, and no one was killing one another.
For the moment, all is at peace, He thought. Unless Jaydon fails in her mission.
His thoughts turned to the day he'd found her and her runaway synth. It had been one of the few where Ruby had left New Vegas, this time to finish off the Fiends who'd taken control of Outer Vegas. And he'd made the most of his opportunity.
XXXXX
He had been sitting alone in the side room in the Presidential Suite in The Lucky 38 when one of the Securitrons entered the room. His usual smiling face focused on the lone figure as it stood before his screen.
"Sir, we've found the target synth," said the Securitron. "A young male, early 20s. He's looking to join The Kings."
"Good work. Have we managed to take care of him yet?" He asked in his usual cheery tone.
"Yes, we have," the Securitron responded. "What should we do with the body?"
"Get rid of it," He answered. "Do we know the location of the target's hunter?"
"The synth, designation E7-59, was last spotted in Westside," said the Securitron.
His smile grew even wider. "Excellent. Send two Securitrons after her and contact me once that has been completed."
"Understood," the Securitron said. "Sir, what does this have to do with Ruby's initiative to create a more peaceful New Vegas?"
How much of the truth can I tell this Securiton? They are, after all, only an instrument of Ruby's, He thought. Then again, perhaps I should rewrite them so they are loyal only to me.
"If the Institute records, I found are correct, designation E7-59 will be a powerful asset," He answered, his smiling becoming more devious. "Once her cooperation is assured, we can finally eliminate Ruby once and for all."
Humans are so inept when it comes to leadership, He thought. While I never knew him, Mr. House was right to keep such an iron grip on this place. His only flaw was not making sure The Courier was dead after retrieving the Platinum Chip.
"Sir?" the Securitron asked.
"Here, let me make it easier for you," He replied.
He quickly downloaded a virus onto the Securitron. While he'd told The Courier at Hoover Dam that he'd be offline for a while, this virus was part of what he'd been working on. In essence, it would force the Securitrons to recognize Him as the true authority over New Vegas.
The Securitron's screen changed from black and white static to its usual cop expression numerous times as it struggled against the virus.
Almost done, He thought.
Finally, the bored cop's facial expression returned to the Securitron's screen once more.
"I'll contact you as soon as we've found the Institute Courser," the Securitron replied.
"Very good," He replied in an overly saccharine tone.
As he watched the Securitron roll out of the room, he decided to try downloading the virus onto the rest of the Securitrons. While it would take time, he could probably have the virus downloaded to all the Securitrons within New Vegas by the time Ruby returned.
And then, New Vegas will be mine, He thought.
While His success had taken months to plan, it had only taken weeks to implement. However, he was still dealing with the aftermath of The Courier's death. For all her incompetence, she'd maintained a certain amount of peace.
Hopefully, Jaydon will succeed, He thought.
He felt a sense of pride when thinking about his recruitment of the Institute Synth. She'd always carried out every assignment to perfection. While her employment hinged on finding a runaway synth, He had no intention of letting her go.
I can't ever let her go. She's too valuable of an asset, He thought.
Jaydon set her jaw and withdrew her plasma rifle from its holster. She heard the familiar cackling of geckos nearby.
Hopefully, there aren't too many this time, she thought.
Five geckos sped toward Jaydon, their arms outstretched while their tongues stuck out of their mouths. Jaydon aimed at a green-skinned gecko and fired twice in quick succession.
The gecko cried out and turned to pools of green goo, which stuck to the ground. As two golden geckos reached Jaydon, she danced out of the way and fired at both of them. The pair changed into puddles of green goo and Jaydon climbed into the nearby tree.
Damn, these critters are faster than they look, she thought.
As the brown geckos reached the trunk of the tree, they swiped their claws at Jaydon's feed. Jaydon jumped at the same time that she aimed at the first brown gecko, quickly shooting it in the head. The second brown gecko cried out as its companion became a pile of green goo.
As the last gecko clawed at Jaydon's feet again, she jumped to a higher branch. Gripping it as tight as she could with one hand, she aimed at the brown gecko's head and fired. The creature moved out of the way, but not fast enough to avoid being transformed into a puddle of green goo like the rest of its kin.
Well, that was a bit harder than it needed to be, she thought.
Jaydon jumped down from the tree, holstered her plasma rifle, and resumed walking. The air was substantially warmer than it had been earlier, with the humidity making her armor stick to her like a second skin.
One of the many fucking reasons I hate this place, thought Jaydon. I can't wait to return to the Commonwealth.
Just as she reached the sign labeled 'Welcome to Goodsprings' two women wearing straw hats pointed their guns at her. Both glared at Jaydon as if she was scum on the bottom of their boots.
"This is your only warning," said the brunette woman wearing a rose pendant. "Leave now, or we'll blow your fucking head off."
I don't blame them for hating me, Jaydon thought. But at the same time, I don't want to fight these women.
"I'm not here to fight you," she said, slowly raising her hands in a gesture of surrender.
"We're not stupid. We know you work for Him," the brunette continued as she clicked the safety off of her gun.
"And if we don't finish you off, then everyone else in town will," the blonde finished.
Jaydon sighed as she inched closer to both women. "Look, you're right, I do work for Him. But I'm hoping to change that. Where's The Courier?"
"Somewhere you'll never find her," the brunette answered.
I highly doubt that, thought Jaydon.
"I know it doesn't seem like it, but we're on the same side. I want to take Him down just as much as you," she continued, her frustration growing by the second.
The brunette scoffed. "If it moves like a Centaur and sounds like a Centaur, it's a Centaur."
Well, I guess I do have one more card to play, Jaydon thought. Here's hoping.
"Who do you think made sure The Courier reached the Old Mormon Fort?" she asked.
A million thoughts and feelings swirled through Cass at Jaydon's statement. Regardless of her internal turmoil, she kept a steady grip on her shotgun.
"What the hell did you just say?" Cass asked.
"After I shot The Courier, I took her to the Old Mormon Fort," Jaydon replied.
That doesn't make any sense, Cass thought. Why would she do that?
"If He hired you to kill her, why did you help her?" she asked.
She watched Jaydon's bright green eyes briefly gaze at the sky, before shifting back to Cass and Sunny Smiles.
"He had something I needed and in order to get this thing, I was forced to cooperate with him," Jaydon answered. "While I didn't want to kill The Courier, I had to make him believe she was dead. So, I shot her in the back of the head and then agreed to dispose of her body. While the Securitrons reported her death to Him, I took her to the Old Mormon Fort and made sure a doctor helped her."
Cass raised a brow as she considered the story. She knew the Securitrons heavily monitored wherever they were stationed. If none of the Securitrons had seen Jaydon, her story was plausible.
It's possible, but I still don't know how much I buy this, thought Cass.
"But that still doesn't explain why you helped The Courier at all," she said.
Jaydon shrugged. "I couldn't bring myself to kill a woman I didn't know. Call it whatever you want, I just couldn't do it."
Cass's brows remained furrowed as she and Sunny Smiles lowered their guns a fraction. "We'll be right back. If you move, we'll shoot."
"Understood," said Jaydon with a nod.
Cass and Sunny Smiles turned away from Jaydon. They walked before stopping in front of The General Goods store.
"Do you believe her story?" Cass whispered, jabbing a thumb at Jaydon.
Because I sure as shit don't, she wanted to add but didn't. She watched Sunny Smiles briefly shift her gaze to Jaydon, who kept her hands held up high as she looked at the ground.
Sunny then looked back at Cass. "To be honest, I don't know. I think this might be for Ruby to decide," she whispered.
"And what if she still doesn't remember?" Cass hissed.
"Why don't you two just take me to her?" Jaydon suggested. Cass and Sunny Smiles turned toward the dark-haired woman. "If she does remember, then she can decide how I die. If she doesn't, then you can kill me. Either way, it's a win-win for you."
Cass turned to Sunny Smiles, who shrugged and further lowered her weapon.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Sunny said.
I still don't trust her, Cass thought as she focused on Jaydon.
"Fine, but if you try anything, we'll blow your brains out," said Cass.
"Deal," Jaydon said as she slowly lowered her hands to her sides.
Ruby stood beside Boone on Doc Mitchell's front porch as she knocked on the front door. Shortly thereafter, she heard footsteps and a masculine voice.
"I'm coming."
She stepped back as Doc Mitchell opened the door. His eyes widened upon seeing Ruby.
"It's you," was all he said.
"Hello doc," said Ruby. "I need your help. I don't remember anything before two months ago."
Doc Mitchell was silent as he looked from Ruby to Boone. Boone nodded once and Ruby's heart sank into her stomach.
Why does he look so dejected, she thought as she watched Doc Mitchell's face fall.
"I see. Well, why don't you two come in," said Doc Mitchell, as he opened the door wider.
Ruby stepped inside and Boone followed close behind. Doc Mitchell closed the door behind them and Ruby scanned the hallway as she walked. There was part of her, a small part, that felt as if she should know this place.
Ugh, why can't I remember, she thought for the millionth time.
"Why don't we head to the living room and we can get started," Doc Mitchell suggested. "It's the first door on the right."
The floorboards creaked beneath Ruby's feet as she walked. Vaguely familiar, yet not at the same time. She went through the first door and sat down on the faded green loveseat. Boone stood and folded his arms as he leaned in the doorway. He nodded at Doc Mitchell as the elder man entered, taking a seat in the chair across from Ruby.
"How exactly are you going to help bring my memory back?" Ruby asked with a raised brow. "Not even The Followers of the Apocalypse could successfully do that."
"Well, I have a few methods. Some of which The Followers use," Doc Mitchell replied.
"If that fails, then I have one last trick that might work."
For the next thirty minutes, Ruby sat and completed all the tests that Doc Mitchell put her through. When he had exhausted all his methods, he slowly stood up.
"Well, I've tried everything I know. Time for that secret trick," he said.
"And that is?" Ruby asked.
"It's better to show you," Doc Mitchell replied, waving her forward. "Come on, we're taking a little trip."
Ruby raised a brow but complied. She followed both men down the hall.
"Where are we going?" she asked as she walked with Doc Mitchell through the front door.
Boone trailed close behind, his gaze scanning the horizon.
"You'll see soon enough," the Goodsprings doctor reassured her.
After poking and prodding me for so long, I don't understand why he's now being so vague, Ruby thought. What's his angle?
Even though she was buzzing with questions, she kept them to herself as the trio walked through town. When their small group reached The Prospect Saloon, Cass and Sunny Smiles stopped pacing back and forth and looked at the trio.
Both look like they're ready to raise hell, she thought. What are they so anxious about?
"How's it going you three?" Sunny Smiles asked.
Cass kept her gaze on the road ahead, with her shotgun at the ready. Ruby wanted to ask her what she was looking for, but she had a feeling she wouldn't get a straight answer.
"No luck," Doc Mitchell replied with a shake of his head. "I'm going to try something a little different. Hopefully, this works."
Sunny's gaze moved to the right, before turning to the three of them again.
"Good luck," she said, her gaze softening into pity.
Good luck with what, thought Ruby.
"Come on, we're almost there," Doc Mitchell said.
Reluctantly, Ruby continued following Doc Mitchell and Boone past the saloon and down a path to the left. The path led up a hill where there were rows of gravestones.
A cemetery, huh? How the hell is this supposed to help, Ruby thought.
She still didn't voice her concerns, even as the trio crested the top of the hill. She noticed the mounds of dirt and keepsakes that decorated each grave. Her throat grew tighter as Doc Mitchell led her through the rows.
Finally, the Goodsprings doctor stopped at an uncovered grave. Two bullets lay near the unearthed mound and for some reason, Ruby's heart beat faster in her chest. As Doc Mitchell moved to stand beside Boone, Ruby stumbled toward the grave.
"Whose, is this?" she whispered.
Not waiting for an answer, she bent down and placed a tentative hand in the emptied-out burial place. Slowly, she placed her other hand beside the first and breathed in the scent of fresh rain and rose perfume.
That's my perfume, Ruby thought as her body shook and tears threatened to appear.
Closing her eyes, she saw flashes of her life in the Mojave. Waking up in Doc Mitchell's clinic for the first time. Traveling with Boone, Cass, Veronica, Rex, Lily, Arcade, ED-E, and Raul. Trapping Father Elijah in the Sierra Madre Vault. Killing Benny and avenging her own death. Reaching New Vegas. Fighting beside Joshua Graham at Zion. The Second Battle of Hoover Dam. Fighting with Ulysses in The Divide. And lastly, being shot in the head yet again, this time in Freeside.
I can't believe it. I can't believe I survived again, she thought.
As Ruby opened her eyes, she reached up and wiped away the tears with the back of her wrist. Slowly, she pushed up off the ground and turned toward Doc Mitchell and Boone.
"Welcome back, Ruby," said Doc Mitchell with a warm smile at the same time Boone said, "Nice to have you back, Ruby."
"Despite everything, it's good to be back," Ruby replied with a sniffle. When she heard raised voices, she immediately shifted her gaze to the edge of town. There, she saw Cass and Sunny Smiles aiming their weapons at a dark-haired woman. "Looks like we've got trouble."
Some things never change, she thought.