//------------------------------// // Chapter 36 // Story: Fallout New Vegas: Unexpected Friends // by Sleepyted //------------------------------// “For a job well done.” Anne said with a grin, holding up a bottle of water to the two of her friends. They had put the dead body of Benny in the bathtub in his bathroom and tried their best to clean up the blood and brains on the stained red carpet and peeling plaster wall. “Right you are.” Boone said holding up a bottle of his own. “Does this mean we can relax now?” Twilight asked floating her bottle to meet the others. They all took a sip from the purified water they pilfered from a cupboard Benny had in his large room. “Nope, we have a lot to do such as finding a way for you to get back home.” Anne said with a grin, seeing Twilight’s eyes light up at that idea. “You mean it?” “Of course Princess, you wouldn’t want to stick around with us for the rest of your life when you could go back to pony land.” “Equestria.” “Bless you.” Anne said offhandedly. Before any of them could say anything more a loud static sound came from a closed door in the room before as quickly as it arrived it left. Without anyone saying a word they all pulled out a weapon, Boone and Twilight with their knives and Anne with a ‘borrowed’ Benny’s pistol, its holster the same as Twilight’s 9mm pistol but just different colors, white and black instead of the hard black and brown of Twilight’s. Slowly they made their way to the door, Anne going first with Benny’s gun. Upon opening the door they found that it was a walk in wardrobe that had the back wall smashed through and now led into an extra room. Unlike the main room the once carpeted floors were now mold covered and the plastered walls not chipped brick. Around the room were different types of machines along with the large boxy computers. And in the middle of the room was a Securitron, his moniter being a very happy cartoon face of a smiling man who was just rolling around the room at a slow pace, seeming like it was just wandering around bored. Looking at each other for a moment they slowly approached the robot, guns still in their hands. “Hello?” The robot quickly spun around on its one wheel to face them. “Hey! Hi there, good to meet you!” He said in an overly happy voice. “What can I do for you today?” He asked. “What are you doing up here?” Twilight asked confused at the happy robot. “Good question! My function is to monitor Mister House’s data network and decode his encrypted transmissions.” He said happily. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m PDQ dash eighty eight B Securitron. But you can call me Yes Man!” “Yes Man? What kind of name is that?” Anne asked which got a small kick to the shin from Twilight. “It’s what Benny always called me. Probably because I’m programed to be so helpful!” He said, Anne grinning. Pulling the oversized Platinum Chip from her pocket, the one Benny tried to kill her for with the Lucky 38 logo carved into the surface. Holding it up Anne said. “Have you ever seen this Platinum Chip before?” “Sure! Benny had me look at it a bunch of times! It’s a data storage device, kind of like a holotape but a lot more advanced.” The robot stated. “As for what’s on it, well… Some of Mister House’s data transmissions made it sound like the Chip could upgrade his defenses somehow. That’s just a guess though. The Chip’s a preparatory format. You need special hardware to read the data on it. There are two locations with non-standard hardware on the network. The Lucky 38 and an underground facility at Fortification Hill, I’d look there!” “What was Benny planning to do with the Chip?” “Oh! He wanted to kill Mister House and use the Platinum Chip to copy my neuro-computational matrix onto the Lucky Thirty Eight mainframe. That would give me control over all of Mister House’s defenses, most prominently his Securitrons. And then I guess I just do as I’m told.” Twilight looked uncertainly at the robot. “You’re very… forthcoming with that information…” She stated. “I was programed to be helpful and to answer any questions I was asked. I guess nobody bothered to restrict who I answer questions for.” He said. “That was probably pretty dumb huh?” Anne grinned, ideas popping into her head. “Say I wanted to take over New Vegas myself. What then?” “Then I’d have to help you! I mean it seems pretty obvious Benny wouldn’t have wanted me to, but hey, not my fault I can’t say no.” The robot said happily. “What is the plan exactly?” Twilight asked. “Again, goal number one is to eliminate Mister House and install my neuro-computational matrix onto the Lucky Thirty Eight’s mainframe. Given how you’re a new arrival I also recommend that you get to know some of the region’s tribes so you can decide how you feel about them. By the time you’ve finished up all of that the Legion should be close to attacking Hoover Dam and we’ll execute the last phase of the plan.” “Say Mister House was going to suffer an accident, how would that happen?” Anne asked with a sinister grin. “It makes me feel really dumb to admit this but I don’t actually know. I’ve never been inside the Lucky Thirty Eight, no one has.” He stated. “Mister House is in there though, it’s the central node for his entire network.” “Well we’ve been invited to visit the Lucky Thirty Eight.” Twilight said. “Wow! Do you have any idea how special that is? Red carpet treatment! Seems a little mean to use his invitation against him like that but I’m sure it’s all for the best. I mean Benny was always scheming about how he was going to get into the Lucky Thirty Eight but you already took care of that. Wow! The other thing you’re going to need is the Platinum Chip, you know the one Benny killed a courier over near Goodsprings.” Anne’s grin fell instantly, crossing her arms. “What do you know about the courier Benny shot?” She asked flatly. “I knew she was carrying the Platinum Chip! And I knew right where Benny should wait for her.” The robot said oblivious to who he was actually talking to and the two others there took a small step back in worry. “That’s why Benny put me here! To monitor Mister House’s data transmissions. They’re all encrypted of course but I’m quite the decrypter.” He said happily. “Did you know Mister House spent eight hundred and twelve thousand five hundred and forty five caps hiring salvage teams to find the Platinum Chip, just in the last year alone? Of cause you didn’t! Or that there were seven couriers, but six of them were carrying junk? How about their exact routes and the mercenary teams that screened them? I knew all that, pretty smart huh?” Anne gave the robot a flat cold look. “I’m the courier Benny shot.” She stated. The robot let out a playful laugh. “Hahaha! I know that’s not true because you still have a head!” He said still sounding overly happy. “I’m serious.” He let out another laugh, it fading off awkwardly. “Hahaha! That’s not funny… you getting shot in the head…” he said, for the first time seeming to sadden slightly before cheering right back up. “I really shouldn’t have taken so much pride in how I set that up huh? I feel really bad right now.” “It doesn’t matter, I have the Platinum Chip remember.” Anne said, holding the oversized poker chip up again. “Of course you do! Sorry about that! And it’s wonderful you do!” he said cheerfully again. “The Platinum Chip is the key to overriding and exploiting Mister House’s defenses.” He said before quickly adding. “Did I just say exploiting? That’s not a very nice word.” “So we should ask these tribes if they’ll support an Independent Vegas?” “Oh no!” He said. “I didn’t mean that! Who needs their support? The Securitrons are all the support you need. What I meant is you should get to know these tribes and decide which ones you like and which you don’t. You know, shape the future of Vegas. Choose your neighbors! If you like a tribe leave it alone. Or if a tribe is nasty, or going to be a problem, go ahead and exterminate it! It’s whatever you want to do.” “Which tribes should we get to know exactly?” “There’s a bunch! Some of them you’ve already met, like the Chairmen for instance.” He stated. “I think you should visit the other families on the Strip, like the Omertas and the White Glove Society so you know what makes them tick. And there are some important groups farther away from the Strip too, like the Boomers, the Great Khans and the Brotherhood of Steel.” “Alright, we’ll be in touch, good bye Yes Man.” Anne stated, walking back towards the actual room. “Hope to see you soon!” he called after them happily. “Are you actually serious taking over all of New Vegas?” Boone asked in shock as he followed after Anne. “One hundred and ten percent, I want Twilight to be able to get home and while the NCR aren’t so bad, but they would take too long with the paperwork to get it done. The Legion are just animals and I think they don’t even believe in technology so we are not going to them. The way I see it if you want something done you do it yourself.” She stated with a grin. “But Anne, this is taking over a city we’re talking about.” Twilight said worriedly. “As much as I want to go back home to my friends is this even possible?” “It doesn’t matter if it’s possible-“ “Yes it does actually.” “Let me finish. What matters is that this is most likely the only chance you have to getting back home and now that it’s available I’m going for it, it may take a while but I’m not stopping till I drop.” By now the trio had made their way back to the front door, the greeter giving them all their things back but Anne kept her helmet strapped onto her bag, it go stuffy inside after wearing it for so long. She also made sure that the new pistol she got was hidden until they got their stuff back and handed Boone That Gun for him to use as a sidearm. Stepping outside a man quickly ran up to them, wearing a brown suit with a black tie, brown fedora on his head. “The eyes of the mighty Caesar are upon you.” He said in a familiar smooth and cold voice. “He admires your accomplishments and bestows upon you an exceptional gift of his Mark.” He continued, holding out his hand where a small copper coin, the image of a bull carved onto it with Latin writing around the edges. “Any crimes you may perpetrated against the Legion are hereby forgiven. Caesar will not extend this mercy a second time. My lord requires your presence at his camp at Fortification Hill. His Mark will guarantee your safe conduct through our lands.” Boone knew it was a Legion soldier and the only reason he wasn’t splattering the road with his guts were the bulky Securitrons along the Strip around them, knowing if he pulled his weapons out he wouldn’t last long. Twilight realized who this was, but last time they met he was wearing a wolf head on his own and there were the burning and crucified bodies of Nipton’s town folk all around them. “You again?” She exclaimed. “How’d you find as us?!” “I am the greatest of Caesar’s Frumentarii. It was not a challenge to find you nor is this my first visit to the Strip.” He said in his cold voice. “Why does Caesar want to see us?” Anne asked. “Go to him, you will understand.” Was his answer. “Seek Caesar’s by way of Cottonwood Cove south of Nelson. The Cursor Lucullis will be waiting for you there.” He said, walking past them into The Tops not to seem to suspicious. No sooner had they taken another step forward and talk to each other someone else approached them, this time an NCR trooper with darker skin and a helmet on his head. “Hey you there, I’ve got a message for you.” He said handing them a piece of paper. “It’s from Ambassador Crocker, very important, here you go.” He said before walking off. Twilight let out a tired sigh, rubbing the side of her head with a hoof. “So what does it say?” Anne cleared her throat, unfolding the paper before starting to read. “I wish to speak with you immediately in regard to important matters. I trust you have learned enough in your travels to know that the New California Republic is an honorable nation engaged in the beneficent mission in the Mojave in general and New Vegas in particular… yada yada yada.” Anne said skipping over a large chunk of it talking about how great the NCR were and how they should help them. “I stand ready to receive you at your earliest convenience in my offices at the New California Republic Embassy at the south side of the Vegas Strip. God bless the New California Republic. Dennis Crocker, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plen… Pleni… Plen nipp-“ Twilight grabbed the note with her magic and looked down by the titles at the bottom. “Plenipotentiary Department of State.” Twilight read shoving the note back into Anne’s hand. “Plenipotentiary? Why would we help people who make up words!?” ‘THUD’ “Gah! Alright, but how do you know it’s a real word.” “I lived in a library.” “Oh, that makes sense…”