Chapter 3: Emergence

The Courier traveled over to the Divide, with the Lone Wanderer carrying a service rifle and having some supplies on the travel for both of them. Shinji left Veronica and Arcade in charge back in New Vegas to keep the council in check and not asking any questions to his current whereabouts, as he heading over to the Divide to speak to Ulysses. Micah followed the leader of the Mojave Union, keeping up with him in pace as they headed into the crossroads leading toward the Divide. When they arrived, Micah was taken aback to what he saw in front of him. While Shinji had been to the Divide twice, once when it was the towns of Hopeville and Ashton to his days as the Courier before the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. The dust storms of the Divide had remain the same, along with the marks of an earthquake due to the activation of the solos back then. Shinji handed Micah a breather mask for him to breathe in once they trek below the Divide and some biker goggles to cover his eyes. Shinji went to make his way while Micah continue to stare at the Divide.

"Come on." Shinji said. "My... colleague shouldn't be too far off from here in the Divide. Knowing him, he's already taking shelter from the storm."

"What happened to this place?"

"Everything." Shinji replied in a grim tone

Both of them trek down the cliff below from where they came in the Divide, climbing down and carefully attempting to avoid unstable rock the more the descended. Shinji remembered the day he entered the Divide, to get with Ulysses who apparently knew so much about him before the shot to the head. He did loss some of his memories after Benny shot and left for dead in the Goodsprings cemetery by the head Chairmen and the Great Khans before Victor dug him out. While Shinji's mind was focused on revenge, it focused more on answers the more he traveled to confront Benny as memories from his old life popped up for him. The survival tactics that his father taught him came back on instinct, and slowly did the rest of his memories. When Shinji confronted Ulysses in the Temple of the Divide which use to be a bay for missile silos, he was asked by the mysterious Courier where his allegiance stood. Determining if Shinji was loyal to the New California Republic or Caesar's Legion, hoping to see where his loyalty lies. To Ulysses's surprise, Shinji told him he has no loyalties for both sides and instead wants a nation free from both. Away from the NCR's corrupt bureaucracy and the Legion imperialistic nature, Shinji wanted to create a nation of the free. Shinji also pointed out to Ulysses that he once made Hopeville into something new and that he could do it again with New Vegas. The two fought Marked Men while attempting to disable the silos and the rest is history.

Shinji returned to New Vegas to change the fate of the Mojave in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, while Ulysses remained in the Divide. Now, Shinji was in search of the original Courier Six in the Divide accompanied by a complete stranger. Micah was not a normal wastelander Shinji's met before, especially with someone who came from the east and apparently in a way similar to him. Micah appeared as strong and durable as him, but Shinji was still quicker in terms of reflex. He wasn't a cyborg from what Shinji could tell; he was on the other hand, enhanced on a different level. To him, Micah had the physical capabilities between above an Olympic athletic and possibly near the levels of super mutants.

"So, this guy we're looking for..." he heard Micah speak as they moved, through the radio communication speaker built in the facemask. "How do you know him?"

"You could say we crossed paths in one life." Shinji replied, motioning Micah to remain still as a Deathclaw passed by until it left elsewhere when it heard something in the distance below it. "We were both couriers. But he was the first Six before me. He turned down the last job so much, that I took it instead."

"What job?" Micah asked, eyes surveying with weapon in hand

"A platinum chip. I will tasked with delivering it to the New Vegas strip to one Robert House." Shinji explained

Micah raised an eyebrow at the Courier as they shimmy across an exposed corner. "Mr. House? The late Robert House? What did he want it for?" he queried, while they tip toed off the railing of a worn down leading to the highway

Shinji lightly scoffed. "What else? Power to turn the tables in Vegas by kicking the NCR and Legion." he stated. "House wanted Vegas to be a city-state, serving in autocracy."

"Would you have if things were different?" Micah replied

"Same scenario and situation, yes." Shinji answered

"But..." Micah trailed for Shinji to continue

"But I wouldn't take it." Shinji continued. "I wanted a nation with no kings or masters, only a land for the free."

"Presidents of Old did that when the colonists founded America as a country." Micah commented. "How far is your friend from where we are?"

"We're getting close." Shinji replied as the two navigate through twisted wreckage and jagged cliffs. "Ulysses is out here somewhere. Just stay sharp and alert."

"You weren't kidding when you said these canyons echoed with history." Micah remarked. "Of the Great War that still remains a mark in this world."

Suddenly, a distant rumble shook the ground while they scout through the wreckage and dangerous cliff sides of the Divide. Shinji narrowed his eyes at the distant, hand on his weapon as Micah did the same with his. Strangely enough, they heard eerie whispers that echoed through the canyon walls. They cautiously looked around, their eyes scanning for any signs of movement as they slowly moved to their objective. All that could be heard were the whispers and winds blowing, altogether in this place from remnants of a forgotten war. Shinji remain careful and vigilant, especially in the case of bringing someone who was a newcomer such as Micah. To Micah, setting foot into the Divide for the first time was different compared to the places he's ever been himself.

"You sure your old buddy still here?" Micah inquired

"Not my buddy, and he always did speak in riddles. But he's never wrong about some things."

"Think he knows what's going on here?"

Before Shinji could respond, he saw a shadowy figure at the top. His eyes narrowed as he prepared to take out his binoculars to see who or what was watching them. The one thing the Courier himself was able to see was a small shine, the shine of a weapon being pointed at them. With his augmented reflexes, he tackled Micah near an abandoned mining cart as bullets rained to where they were. Soon after, more figures popped up opening fire at them, as Shinji and Micah ran firing back at their attackers. Both Micah and Shinji fought in retaliation from the ambush, firing at the unknown figure as one of them went down through a hit to the head.

"And here I thought Ulysses was the only person here." Micah commented in sarcasm, unaware of a figure charging right at him

"He is." Shinji responded, seeing a figure coming toward them with killer intent. "Watch out!"

Micah dived back as he held his foot toward the attacker's chest, kicking the figure away from him. Once he aimed at the service rifle at the attacker, Micah was merely shocked by the attacker's own appearance. Human, and yet, his attacker carried a near insect like appearance. He shot the strange mutant at point blank range, killing it instantly as it feel headfirst into the ground. From the dead mutant's neck and back appeared to be a parasite, burrowed deep into the skin.

"What in the hell...?" Micah trailed off

"Looks like Ulysses might have some company." Shinji said, shooting a couple of the strange mutants. " And from the looks of it, it's the unwelcome kind."

Micah smiled. "In that case, let's see how these mutants handle a couple of experienced wastelanders."

The two legends engage the mutant beings in a fierce battle, their weapons blazing amid the rubble and dust. The mutated being are relentless in their attacks, firing bullets and laser beams alike. Micah flanked their side while Shinji tossed out a flash bang to disorient their attackers, leaving the two to line up their shots. In one fell swoop, Shinji and Micah fired their shots with surgical precision, hitting every vital shot they could think of that would be possible to kill their attackers. From some of the mutant attackers that tried to lunge at them, all Micah and Shinji had to do was dodge and avoid their bladed and blunt weapons attacks. The two used their enhanced physical capabilities to give the upper advantage in close quarters combat. Shinji took one of the machetes from one of the mutants he killed, slashing left and right while firing his .45 auto pistol before throwing it toward another mutant's head. Micah swept the leg of a charging mutant, firing two shots at its head before hitting another charging one with the butt of the service rifle. After unloading half of a magazine from a 9mm pistol into the downed mutant's neck and head, he finished off the last one with the other half of the magazine clip.

"These aren't anything I've ever since or dealt with before."

"Think he knows about these things?"

Shinji gritted his teeth as he spat on the dead mutant corpse. "I'll find out when I ask him. He did say the Divide held secrets. Maybe those secrets even scare him."

"So, we get a move on?"

Shinji nodded as the sky darkened ominously, swirling with toxic storms that mirrored the chaos below. Courier and Lone Wanderer move onward, reaching an area littered with the wreckage of pre-war machinery. The air itself was thick with tension, and the distant hum of insect-chatter. The wreckage felt no more than a graveyard, dead bodies of deathclaws and Marked Men littered the area as Shinji signaled Micah to stay low. Micah nodded in return, following Shinji's lead to the letter as he followed behind him ready to move in on his signal. They moved with caution once they saw a few corpses belonging to the same mutants they fought, seeing them killed in a precise and skilled manner. Suddenly, a loud metallic clang echoed through the area. They both froze at the sound, as their weapons were at the ready. A figure emerged from the shadows; a man with dark skin and twisted dreads wearing a trench coat with a symbol of the Old World flag. His expression unreadable, but his eyes were filled with knowledge and concern. Shinji lowered his weapon as he signaled for Micah to do the same, relaxing for a bit the moment he saw the signature trademark of Ulysses.

"You're still kicking. I was getting worried, Ulysses."

"As you can see, this place has become a graveyard." he spoke. "Whatever has happened here, this no doubt will leave a mark on the Divide."

Shinji knelt to examine the scorch marks on the ground. "These burns... this isn't from fire. Something else. Plasma, maybe from the looks of it... but different."

"What are these things?"

"Long ago, after the Great War... there was an mutagenic plague in the East Coast. In 2083, remnants of the American government began biochemical experiments deep below the Cranberry Bog of Appalachia. While containment procedures were made to keep creatures that were experimented on, it was far from successful in 2086 as beasts were released upon an unsuspected Appalachia."

"Enclave." Micah muttered under his breath. "Sounds like their MO."

Ulysses glanced at Micah before nodding his head. "Yes, the origin of the mutant plague originated from the machinations of the Old World remnants you call the Enclave. They experimented on pygmy bats commissioned by the secretary of agriculture turned president Thomas Eckhart before he released them into Appalachia." Ulysses stared at the corpse of a Scorched mutant. "The early stages gave these creatures an ability to attract other animals. These bats were exposed to radiation aside from biochemical agents resulted in the creation of the Scorched plague."

"How does the infection process work?" Micah queried

"If a human, animal, or mutant is infected regardless; the plague is capable of infecting nearly every living thing it touches. It starts with a series of intense changes to the body of its victims, making their skin darken and smell of ashes of the Old World." Ulysses explained, as Micah brought out a bowie knife while he glanced at the mutant corpse that was beside Ulysses. "Burning lesions begin to form all over the infected body and after some time, the infected victim's skin would split open exposing their reddish-pink flesh along with these green crystals breaking from beneath their skin." he concluded, as Ulysses and Shinji saw Micah pick out the green crystals from the corpse's body

"So to sum it up, this process has those infected transform into what we see before us."

"Correct." Ulysses answered. "Those infected have become one with the Scorched."

Shinji and Micah looked at Ulysses. "Scorched?" they both said in unison

Ulysses nodded before Shinji spoke. "How did you get all of this information?"

"Circle of Steel." Ulysses responded. "Particularly one you and I have encountered in our travels."

Shinji blinked in surprised. "Christine Royce? Last time I saw her, she was staying at the Sierra Madre to recover before I left."

"Her elders of the Circle sent to investigate outside of Vegas." Ulysses stated

Shinji stepped closer to Ulysses. "Why didn't you warn us sooner?"

The last surviving Twisted Hairs tribal eyes darkened. "I tried. But you know as well as I do... the Divide is a place of echoes, not answers. What lies here, beneath the surface, is the legacy of those who thought they could control fire. They placed with power they did not understand, and now it rises again. And in the result of it, brought about those Scorched by the fires of the Old World."

Micah narrowed his eyes at the Scorched, before turning to Ulysses. "Now this bullshit is our problem. How do we stop it?"

Ulysses took a deep breath before solemnly responding. "The Divide was meant to be a boundary, a line in the sand. But those lines are blurring. The storms have awakened something... something even I did not foresee. The Scorched here... they have been fighting or attempt to convert the Tunnelers. And it that infected horde escapes the Divide, every wasteland will burn."

"Then, we stop it here. Are there any nukes still left here?"

Ulysses nodded. "There are some left. We could lead them to where and detonate when we are out of reach."

"Odds may not be in our favor if this goes south." Micah replied. "Sure, you're gamed for this?"

"Looks like the Divide awakens once again." Ulysses said

"Then, let's remind it to take a nap." Shinji declared

Micah reloaded the 9mm in his possession. "Lead the way to those nukes, would ya?"

"I will. And knowing Christine Royce, she will no doubt do the same thing we are committed to do."

Micah and Shinji followed Ulysses deeper into the Divide, the storm growing more violent with each step. The air once again thick with tension and uncertainty, making sure they do whatever it takes to prevent the Scorched from unleashing the infected horde of Tunnelers out into the wastelands. The ground beneath them trembled; and in the distance, a massive dust storm began to churn. The storm was filled with lightning and the silhouettes of the Scorched Swarm. The group arrived at an abandoned and partially buried facility, its entrance obscured by twisted metal and debris. The winds howl, carrying the distant screeches of the Scorched Swarm.

"Is this it?"

Ulysses gestured the entrance before them. "This is where it began. The Old World's attempt to control what should never have been touched. Instead, its fire scorched the earth and brought in a new age."

All of a sudden, a door to the entrance slid open to reveal a woman with scars and short hair emerged from the shadows. Micah could tell this woman was Brotherhood of Steel judging by her posture and presence alone, but her gaze at them told him was more of a former assassin than anything. She appeared battle-worn but sharp-eyed, wearing only a standardized Brotherhood recon armor and a plasma sniper rifle at the ready.

"I see you have scouted out ahead before us."

Christine nodded to Ulysses, then turned to Shinji and Micah. "The facility is infected with the Scorched. The swarm is amassing all the infected tunnelers they have below, and something else... something bigger is down there. Feeding them, evolving them."

Shinji eyed Christine. "Good to see you again. We'll need all the firepower we can get."

"Sounds like we're heading straight into the hive. What's the plan?" Micah checking the new gear Christine brought with her

"We descend below. Find the source and destroy it."

"That is the gist of it, Courier." Ulysses turned to the three of them. "But know this... once we go down, there may no going back. Either the swarm or the Divide itself will claim us as it claimed so many." he warned grimly

Christine reloaded her weapon. "Then we make sure it's the Scorched who don't come back." she said with determination

The four of them ready their weapons and exchanged determined nods at each other. Ulysses moved forward, leading them to the darkened facility as Shinji and Micah turned their pip-boy lights on to surround them in light. The corridors in and around the facility were tight, lit only by emergency lights. The walls scarred by age and battle, with scorch marks and deep claw scratches. The sound of chittering echoes from below. They descend deeper, passing through broken doors and down rusted stairwells. The air grew thick with a toxic, almost organic scent. The chittering grew louder with each step the group took, being rightfully cautious to be vigilant moving through the facility.

"Whatever the hell happened... it's been festering for a long time." Micah commented, furrowing his brow at the sudden smell he picked up

"Some experiments should've never been done. This is what happens when you try to play God." Christine said in a low and steady tone

"What have you been up to so far?" Shinji suddenly asked her

"Nothing much." Christine said, nonchalantly. "After I finished recovering at the Sierra Madre during my stay, I went back to the Circle of Steel."

"And yet, you haven't gone to see Veronica." Shinji glanced at Christine, who looked away upon the mention of her estranged lover. "I did tell you to see her once you fully recovered."

"I have... other priorities."

"I told her I saw you in the Sierra Madre after I got back in the Mojave." Shinji glanced at Christine who ignored his gaze while she scanned her eyes through the corridors

Christine glanced at Micah who was side-by-side with Ulysses, before turning to Shinji. "That guy... what do you know about him?" she spoke as Shinji knew she was trying to change the subject

Suddenly, a low, rumbling growl reverberated through the walls. Ulysses made the group come to a halt, tense as something massive shifted in the shadows ahead. They caught a glimpse of a monstrous, mutated Scorched creature, far larger and more twisted than any they have ever encountered before. It slithered into view, it's body pulsating with energy through the green crystals protruding from within it. Judging from the appearance, it was an infected tunneler due to its reptilian and chitinous skin. The creature had let out a bone-chilling roar, its body glowing with volatile energy as it charged at them. The group opened fire, their shots lighting up the dark corridor. The battle becomes intense, the creature's movements fast and unpredictable, its attacks sending shockwaves through the facility. Micah tackled Christine out of the way when the converted Scorched tunnelers charged at them with tremendous force. Shots from Ulysses 12.7 sub-machine and Shinji's .45 pistol shot one of the limbs before it started growing them back.

"Son of a bitch is regenerating its limbs! We need to find its weakness!" Micah shouted, dodging a blow as the chaos continued

Ulysses pointed at the glowing core on its back. "Focus your fire on its core!"

As ever a sharpshooter, Christine took careful aim and fired a concentrated plasma shot at the mutated Tunneler's core. The blast hit home, causing the creature to screech in agony as the glowing core began to destabilize. Shinji, Micah, and Ulysses unleashed a barrage of bullets and laser beams as they focused all their firepower on the creature's weakened core. The facility shook as the creature's energy became increasingly unstable, as sparks flew and walls crumbling around them.

"Everyone back, now!" Shinji yelled

The group retreated as the creature convulsed violently, its core pulsating faster and brighter. With a final, deafening roar, the creature exploded in a blinding flash of light. The aftermath sent shockwave throughout the facility. The walls crack and begin to collapse as the group scrambled to escape the fallout. They barely make it back to the main corridor as the facility started to cave in below. Dust and debris filled the air, but the ground stood their ground catching their breath. Shinji looked at the others, who nodded their heads firmly. With the facility behind them collapsed after that Scorched infected tunneler, they move quickly as they make their way back to the surface. All of a sudden, Christine pulled a laser pistol of kind before Shinji recognized what it exactly was. He watched her aim for an exposed circle on the other side of the Divide, with help from a scope she used to add in her accuracy. She fired the beam dead center in the marked hole, seeing bright red lights emanating from other cracks and holes. Then suddenly, the area around the Divide started to shake tremendously as smoke and explosive fire erupted from down below. The Divide itself still loomed ominously, as Christine was hoping she did something to hold off the swarm or engulfed them into the rubble.

Christine sighed. "There goes Plan B."

"I see you thought of a backup in case things went south." Shinji spoke to her

"Hopefully, it'll be enough to put a damper on whatever the hell they got planning." she said

Ulysses stood observing the aftermath of Christine's action. "The source... destroyed. The Divide's grip should loosen... but it's not over."

Micah nodded. "He's right. Who knows how many of those bastards slip through the cracks of this place."

"Any idea where that tunnel would lead to from here?" Shinji asked Ulysses

"One of the territories in the New California Republic or California altogether." he answered in a calm but grim tone. "I'll look ahead alone."

"I will accompany you." Christine said as he nodded in response

"Out of the question for the both of you." Shinji replied, dismissively

"And you think can waltz into the NCR and its territories?" Christine countered as Shinji merely sighed exasperatedly

"She's got a point." Micah said to him. "You're pretty well known on both the Legion and NCR. And not in a good way."

"You two just watch yourselves, and good luck." Shinji said to Ulysses and Christine

"Same goes for you." Christine replied as she and Ulysses began to make their move

Micah walked both Ulysses and Christine go their separate way with him and Shinji, as he turned to him. "What will the two of us?"

"We're going back to the Mojave." Shinji then pointed at Micah. "And then you're going to tell me who you really are." Micah raised an eyebrow. "I could tell there was some disdain in your voice when Ulysses mentioned them. Are you one of them? Are you part of the Enclave?"

Micah glared daggers at Shinji as he did the same, staring at each other behind the Divide. What felt to be only a moment appeared to be hours to them, staring eye-to-eye before Micah sighed loudly.

"Fine, then." Micah folded his arms as he turned to Shinji. "You wanna know who I am?"

"Better be the truth." Shinji replied in a cold tone

"I swear it on my dearly departed mother." Micah said. "My name is Micah Parker, like I told you. I'm the Lone Wanderer of where I come from called the Capital Wasteland. A wasteland from the east coast. As to how I know the Enclave, I fought them when they tried taking my father's work of bringing fresh clean water to the wasteland I grew up on. Since then, I was once a member of the Brotherhood of Steel in the Capital Wasteland."

"One of my council members spoke of a Brotherhood detachment in the east coast." Shinji stated. "Does this have something to do with the Nerospiridium?"

"I thought it did when I first came, but this isn't them." Micah said, solemnly. "And from what your friend Ulysses said, and what we encountered in the Divide, the wastelands aren't ready for the Scorched. Not by a long shot."

"So, where does that lead us?"

Micah shrugged. "Your guess are as good as mine. What I'll do on my end is get together with one of my contacts after we made it back to the Mojave. You do you, man. Whatever you think is best to handle the situation before us." Micah then headed back the way they came, ready to leave the Divide

"Well, shit." Shinji muttered in a sigh