Courier

I like to believe the Courier is actually a descendant of the Vault Dweller.

For starters, as we know from game chronology, Fo:NV takes place roughly twenty years from Fo2. That would make it likely the Courier to be the son/daughter of the Chosen One. Depending on how "active" the Chosen One was, the Courier likely being in their early twenties,

In Fo:NV available dialogue you can choose for your character, you can learn that:

• During a conversation with Bruce Isaac in Novac, the Courier can state that they have been to New Reno before and attended one of his shows at the Shark Club.

• Even if one has not made contact with the Brotherhood of Steel at Hidden Valley, the Courier can state they have heard of the Brotherhood when conversing with Veronica for the first time and, upon passing an Intelligence check, when interacting with Christine in Dead Money. The Courier may also be aware of their technology obsession and their hostility with the NCR.

• According to Ulysses, the Courier has been to Circle Junction, New Reno, Vault City, Fort Abandon, and on brahmin drives at the Big Circle.

These bits of dialogue cues indicate the Courier is from, or at least visited, New California at some point.

Also, while I understand the Item Packs are entirely optional add-ons and not entirely canonical to the game... well most of the contents of the item packs can be explained as things that can be found throughout the wasteland so there can still be canonical explanation for most of the item packs... except for the Tribal Pack and the Classic Pack.

But what if the in-lore reasons for these Pack is that it consist of family heirlooms for the Courier?

The Tribal Pack could come from Arroyo, a post-war village founded by Vault 13 settlers who adopted a tribal way of life. Tribal Raiding armour could be based on the armour Arroyo warriors used to wear.

The Classic Pack could simply be family heirlooms that (depending when the DLC is active) the courier has on them when Doc Mitchell found them. The fact the Armored Vault 13 jumpsuit looks more worn than the vault jumpsuits found throughout the Mojave Wastelands shows the age and use of the jumpsuit.

At least, that's the theory I always had for Fo:NV Courier.

Had the idea a while ago, think we should still do it but I not good at edit :(

Just wondering lol

Specifically the courier and sole survivor oness

Just a disclaimer: I still don't like most of this AI shit popping up as of late, but this one gets a pass because it's so harmless.

When it comes to this enigmatic character of the Mojave, opinions are pretty strong on both ends of the spectrum, with people split on whether to love him or hate him.

The hate in particular is fairly widespread, and I'd love to see what people think about him and his ideals. What do y'all like about Ulysses? Don't like? I'd be interested in seeing what everyone thinks, and how willing people are to hear different perspectives that counter their own.

I'll start this off by saying that Ulysses provided an important parallel to our own character, the Courier. We aren't the only ones frolicking across the wastes, changing history for better or worse. We follow in the footsteps of this force of nature throughout most of the DLCs, and regardless of how we deal with him in the end, we are forced to acknowledge our part in helping set the future of the Mojave, and the consequences of our actions.

Most introductions we have gotten in Fallout are when the main character is a resident of one of the pre-war vaults in the area. Like the Vault Dweller, Lone Wanderer, and Sole Survivor (who also was a US Army veteran), have all been vault dwellers and I think we need a new idea. Sure, the character in New Vegas is a Courier, and the character in Fallout 2 is the grandchild of the Vault Dweller I'm pretty sure, but what would be a good idea for the introduction for Fallout 5?

I personally think something outlandish would be pretty cool. Like maybe in the beginning, you're one of the people who caused the bombs to be dropped on 2077 and still somehow survived 200 years later, or Fallout 5 takes place only a couple years after the Great War and it's during the nuclear winter. I think Fallout 5 should take place during the nuclear winter as we haven't had one of those yet. What do y'all think?

Kimball tried to speak, “I… Didn’t k-know… I’m s-sorry. I ne- never m-ment to hurt a-anyone… Please…”, Brandon growled and injected a Super-Stimpack into Kimball. Kimball continued, "I’m sorry your family was murdered… I know something you may want to hear, if it’ll make this any better…”, Brandon said, “Speak now, I’m not giving you very long.”. Kimball told him, “A boy was seen running away from the base that night, a survivor. He disappeared and was never found since. I believe he was one of your son’s.”. Brandon responded, “Bullshit, they all died. My family is dead.”, “I promise you, it was one of your son’s, I swear…”. Brandon grabbed an Industrial fist and equipped it on his right hand, “Out of time, Kimball. You know what happens next, time to pay the price.”. Kimball begged, “No… No, no, please no!”, the saw revved on and got a little closer to Kimball, Brandon said, “You better hope you go to heaven. ‘Cause if you go to hell, I’ll fuck you up all over again for eternity.”. Brandon uppercutted Kimball in the stomach, then slowly pushed farther up. The room was covered ever more in the blood of the NCR president, Brandon continued until Kimball ceased all signs of life. Two brotherhood soldiers ran into the room, the Sigma soldier took on one while Brandon drove the saw of the Industrial Fist into the helmet of the other. The Sigma soldier asked, “Time to go now, Sir?”, Brandon agreed, “Time to get the hell out of here. Where’s Nova?”. Suddenly, she arrived with a man, in a quick few seconds she explained that he’s an ally. Brandon looked around, seeing what she had done the past 5 minutes. “Bloody hell, I take it you needed to let off some steam, eh?”, Brandon held up a walkie talkie and spoke, “This is Captain Brandon, requesting orbital support. Number of hostels unknown, probably still a shit ton. Wait on my signal.”, the operator on the other end replied, “Roger that, Sir. Awaiting your command.”. Brandon, Nova and the Sigma soldier rushed to a nearby vertibird, Brandon piloted. Once they got far enough away, Brandon turned the vertibird so they could see the NCR/BoS base, he spoke into a walkie talkie, “You’re clear to fire, level this place.”, “Please paint the target, satellite is awaiting coordinates.”, Brandon pulled out a smoke grenade and tossed it out the vertibird door. A few seconds later, red smoke filled the area. The operator said, “Firing now”. A big electric blast fell down from the sky and destroyed the base.

—

The Courier asked Mobius, “You know Nova, how?”, Mobius answered, “I was among the few selected people to work on her. Eh, let me remember… I believe most of us were working on the project, Dala didn’t help but it was her work that would later perfect the project. She’s responsible for the tech that allowed Nova to become a synthetic being. Quite remarkable I must say. Robert House was there as well, along with other people I don’t remember. I recall House being in charge at the last minute, he wasn’t in charge before though. Something about the original getting in a fatal car wreck, House was the best choice to keep the Lab running.”, the Courier asked, “Do you think House might have killed the original boss?”, “I haven't thought about it that way… I suppose he could have done it. The diagnosis of the crash was the old boss had consumed a lethal amount of Digitalis, better known as Foxglove. It’s a poisonous plant that can be overlooked and accidentally brewed into tea, and upon consumption, It only takes a handful of hours to take full toll. The fed’s wouldn’t think it was murder, cases of Foxglove being brewed into tea common enough that most would likely assume he made a mistake. Nothing would lead back to House.”. “What can you tell me about Nova?”, “Well… She was built for destruction. We wanted China destroyed, she was the answer. We could have used nukes, but look where that got us. Nova is as capable as a Zax unit, but with much less size. As a person, deep down Nova is a fragile and special person. On the outside she looks and acts like a bloodthirsty killing machine, and quite frankly that’s what she literally is. But on the inside, she’s all the things no-one ever sees. Happy, sad, scared, angry… Nova only ever act’s her true self when she’s with someone she trusts, someone she loves. And that’s where you come in, Courier. You’re her administrator, her friend, her significant other. Should the bond between you two ever break, whatever happens will make the Great War look like child-play.”. The Courier replied, “Then what the fuck am I still doing here? GET ME BACK TO ThE MOJAVE!!!”. Mobius said, “Just one more day! I know it’s probably too long, given what I just told you, but one day is as fast as I can get you out of here.”. Mobius kept talking on and on, the Courier walked away. He made his way back to the Think Tank dome, hoping to leave soon.

—

Brandon visited the gravesite of his wife and kids, it’s been awhile since the last time. He kneeled down and sighed, “McNamara and Kimball are dead, just like I promised. Made it painful and slow, like burnin’ alive but the fire never actually kills you. Many men and women have fallen, all were respectfully buried. But the bodies of NCR and Brotherhood soldiers? Heh… We burn ‘em. Those who stand against America won’t be allowed to rest in peace. I never forgiven myself since that night… I failed as a husband, as a father, as a soldier… Put a gun to my own head, I was only seconds away from pulling the trigger when I thought about you all. I may have disappointed, but I didn’t fail, not yet at least. Takin’ my own life would be the only moment when I truly fail. So I kept kickin’, kept the cross hairs where they belong, on the enemy. I wish I could join you, but I ain’t lettin’ myself do that until the NCR and Brotherhood are wiped out of existence and become nothin’ but a distant memory.”, Brandon stood up, said goodbye and headed back to Vegas. He stopped by the armory, walked in and asked, “Was Dornan’s power armor ranked?”, “Yes sir.”, “Sigma suits fixed?”, “Yes sir.”, “Still scamming the recruits?”, the storekeeper laughed, “Yes sir. I’ll treat ‘em better once they actually experience the battlefield.”, “Time’s like that are far and few between, we wiped out most of everyone.”. The Shopkeeper sighed, “This is it, Brandon, this is what we waited all those years for… Honestly, I’m not too sure if any of it was worth it.”, Brandon replied, “Remember what I said, even though none of it seems right, it’s the only way. We’re Americans, we’re the Enclave, it’s our job to take back our country and destroy the enemy by any means necessary. If we can’t, then all is truly lost. Just a few more years mate, just a few more years and soon enough it’ll be just like before the war.”. The store keeper asked, “How do you know what the world was before the bombs?”, “Eh, most of what I know is from House. Though, rumor has it that a few of us were under cryo sleep, like our ‘new recruit’.”, “New recruit?”, “That's right, a man from the east coast, state of Massachusetts. It’s said he’s a vault dweller, former member of the U.S Military.”

—

A young woman in her 20’s was enjoying a rather cheap lunch outside. Her father asked, “I asked my Captain for a raise, just to out luck he handed me a hundred cap bonus and said I’ll make twenty more an hour!”, the girl replied, “Brandon is the nicest person here, Dad. Of course he’d give you that much. Probably because you have to take care of me. He uses all he can to help those below him, he cares unlike Command.”, “Well, I'm going inside.”. The girl finished eating and wandered off through Vegas. She looked up at the Lucky 38, “Creepy…”. She walked into the Tops casino, greeted by the various chairmen. She cashed a $100 NCR bill for 40 chips. She sat down at a slot machine, spun a few times, and quickly ran out of chips. She put in her last 10 and pulled the handle. 100 chips poured out in response. Put in 20, got 60. Put in 40, got 120. She said to herself, “Damn, is this a dream?”, she put in everything she had, and got 2,000 chips in return. The floormaster walked up to her and said, “Huh, I haven't seen luck like that since the Courier gambled here. You some sort of relative?”, “No, just a girl looking to make some quick money.”, “Hey, they say House always wins but that ain’t so true anymore. So, you taking that in caps or enemy money? I don’t know why the hell we still accept NCR and Legion cash, but eh, is what it is. I’ll write you for caps, since that’s really all we have to offer. If you're interested, our man Benny might enjoy a little time with you.”, “Fuck Benny, the fact he isn’t dead is a world wonder.”, “That’s what everyone says. Anyways, I’ll let you get back to what you're doing. Come back sometime, eh? Have a drink before you leave, free of charge.”. The Chairman walked away, the girl walked up to the bar to claim a free drink. She spotted a lightly glowing green bottle on the top shelf, “Hey, what’s that?”, the bartender replied, “Absinthe, hundred caps if you want it.”. The girl handed the bartender the slip she got from the floormaster, “How about free?”, “Hmm… Alright, alright. Hoping to drown your worries or give it to someone?”, “A gift”. She walked out of the Tops and made her way to the front of the Lucky 38. She was greeted by Victor, “Howdy partner! What brings you here?”, she handed Victor the bottle of Absinthe, “Can you make sure this is give the the Courier?”, Victor replied, “I can do that. He ain’t here right now, but I’ll make sure it gets put in a safe place until he gets back.”. The girl started to walk away when Victor said, “Might I have your name, miss?”, she turned around and hesitantly stared at the Securitron. She gave him an answer, “Ashley, my name’s Ashley.”

—

Gideon asked, “Mr. House, what exactly made ya fall in love with Vegas?”, House replied, “Oh, that’s a long story. I was a billionaire, I saw purpose and a great future here, so I bought the city. I took the Lucky 38 as my own, while taking over the other casinos. Stocks, power, influence, control was quick and easy. No-one wanted a war, especially against me. While basic men throw threats and nonsense at each other, I single handedly dominated the tech industry and even bought out the House family business after my half-brother burned it down with his unreasonable paranoia of the Chinese. I built a war machine powered by a prototype fusion battery that would retake Anchorage, I contracted Vault-Tec to build an underground storage facility for my Securitrons, I worked alongside the Enclave though I never met them directly, I spent 15 years preparing, developing, and installing defenses to prevent the Great War from destroying the Mojave, I created the Platinum Chip which not only powered everything I own but also decided the fate of the Mojave. Thankfully, it did exactly what I designed it for, to obey my orders and no-one elses.”. Gideon sipped from a glass of bourbon, he said, “What an interesting life story. You see, you and I are simply made for business. It’s in our blood, it’s what God created us to do. Now, I believe it’s payment time?”, House replied, “Sixty-five percent, as promised.”, Gideon grabbed his payment, “Ya ever listen to music, Mr. House? I’m a fan of Swing, Blues, the golden age from the most important time in American history. The Industrial age! From the mid 19th century to the mid 20th, America industrialized like no other! And the business going on here? Oh my, ya make millions! Mr. House, I’d like to invest all I have into what economics are bustling around here. Eh, how about… Forty thousand caps?”, House was impressed, “A bold bargain you have there. Forty grand would get you around fifteen percent. That places you with the third-class members here.”. Gideon grinned, “What share will I find myself getting?”, “Around five to eight thousand.”. Gideon’s eyes narrowed, “And if I dropped… Say, twenty more?”, House was slightly scared, “Second class, twenty percent. What are you planning? No-one has ever dropped so much money like you did.”, Gideon spoke on last reply, “Business, Mr. House, Business…”.

—

For the past few weeks, Nova has had weird feelings in her stomach, Ulysses was aware but never said anything until now, “Do you need a doctor?”, Nova replied, “Why would I need to see a doctor? It’s not like I can ge-”, whatever was causing her distress happened again, interrupting whatever she was saying. Ulysses said, “Get up, I’ll take you to the medical bay.” When they arrived, a doctor walked up to assess, “Well, you’re not sick, no wounds, nothing that could cause what you describe… Wait, I think I know what’s going on, hold your shirt up for a second please.”, Nova spoke sharply, “What?”, the doctor explained, “If you want me to help you, please do as asked.”. Nova did what she was told, even though she really hated it. The doctor did a few scans and X-rays before speaking again, “Nova, you’re pregnant.”, Nova responded in an even more affected tone, “WHAT!?”. She thought back to a few months ago, it was the only time she ever did it and the only way she could possibly be pregnant. She asked, “But, how? And if I really am, how long?”, the doctor answered, “Despite being artificial, you’re biologically no different than any other human, aside from what’s in your head. For how long, I’d say about three or four months. Anyways, congratulations. Might I ask who the father is?”. Nova replied in a worried tone, “Ace, the Courier.”, Ulysses finally said something, “In the many years I knew him, I thought he would never settle down like this.”, he rested a hand on Nova’s shoulder, “He always comes back, I promise. Not once has he ever not come back. From Zion, the Madre, Big Mountain, the Divide, he always found a way back home. When he loves something or someone, especially you, he makes a promise and he never breaks it.”, Nova asked, “What is it?”, Ulysses answered, “Forever and Always”.

Nova rested in the Presidential suite, working on a suit of her own Riot gear. Black and Cyan were the majority of color, with Red being in some places and Gold being specifically on parts of the chest and helmet. Ulysses spoke, “So much work for something you never wear.”, “I wore it for the personal mission with Brandon, but I’ve never had much of a reason before or since then. Now I’m apparently pregnant so there’s no way anyone is letting me fight. Why does something so good have to be such a burden?”, Ulysses thought before he spoke, “It may seem like a burden now, but when you and Ace have a family, you will change your mind.”. Nova realized a huge mistake she made.

She visited House and said, “I never had a family, I never had anyone who ever cared about me. I was just some tool, nothing special. But I was everything to you, you treated me as if I was the most important thing in the world. Most may think that the only thing you have room for in your heart is Vegas, but I know I was in there somewhere and I still am.”, House looked down at her and replied, “I wanted to keep you with me, but it wasn’t possible. That night at the Lab, I chose Vegas over you and that was perhaps a mistake. I heard the screams as I ran to the 38, I knew you killed the staff, I honestly don’t blame you.”, “I was designed to eliminate anyone who stands against America. And as far as I know, they weren’t helping the nation. No amount of disinfectant could ever clean the amount of blood I spilled then Are you immortal?”, House hesitated, “In a way, yes. The antechamber kept me alive for all this time. I see no reason for it to quit now. Why do you ask?”, “Just wondering… I found a log from 9 years ago, the Courier was in that room.”, “Don’t worry about me, Nova. Only three things can open that door, me, a Lucky 38 VIP card and the Platinum Chip. The card is in Brandon’s possession, the Courier has the chip, and I have my own access. And no-one can simply take my internal key, so they’d have to take one of the key’s from either the Courier or Brandon, most likely by killing them. You know well enough neither will be bested, not in any possible scenario.”

—

Brandon was reading a list of people with a few other officers, "Henry, Deron… Long dick Johnson?”, the officers laughed, Johnson said, “Name stuck with me.”, Brandon replied, “Sorry mate, it’s never going away. That’s fuckin’ hilarious. Go to the medical bay, ask for a physical.”. Johnson went to the medical bay, a few seconds later a doctor said, “Alright, this won’t take lo- OH MY GOD!”, the officers laughed even more. Brandon sighed, “Ah, shit. Sorry boys, Command wishes to speak with me. We’ll regroup for lunch, eh?”, Brandon made his way to the Lucky 38 penthouse. 3 high commanders of the Enclave were waiting, General Damien, Admiral Vincent and Colonel Nikolai, Damien said, “ Brandon, we wanted to congratulate you on your accomplishments. Destroying 2 major enemy bases, neutralizing the Mojave Brotherhood and taking their bunker, killing Elder McNamara and President Kimball, regaining the rank of Captain. I must say, I haven't seen progres like that in years.”, Vincent added, “We received a transmission from a Whitespring unit, speaking something about the Enclave and joining our two branches, said it’s name was-”, Eden booted up and took a securitron, “Modus… The continuation unit of the Whitespring Bunker. We used to talk, but I terminated contact long ago. It’s funny how the Enclave is ruled by computers.”, House chimed in, “I’m not a computer, but it is ironic that I’m presented only as a screen, much like Eden is.”, Damien scowled to his fellow Command members, “Gentlemen, let us stay on track, please? We don’t have all day.”, Damien took a deep breath, “Resources are scarce, extractors coming up dry, food production is slower and slower, need I continue this long list of clues that we’re aiming for demise?”, Brandon replied, “Push to the East, increase working conditions, raise civilian pay by three percent, gather more information of the East coast before we make any moves.”, Nikolai sighed, “We’ve done all but pay, Damien won’t let the idea pass. Maybe production would be better if we didn’t treat our people like shit.”, Damien replied, “They need to know where they stay in the New Order, we can’t give everyone luxury.”, “Not luxury, but at the very least better conditions, cleaner homes and safer working areas.”, Vincent agreed, “If we don’t follow the government rules, we won’t be a democracy. The American people look to us for a better future and we’re refusing to give it to them. People who by simply being born have the right to live a free life!”, Damien snapped back, “Not everyone gets to live, Vincent. For every hundred we save, triple that is terminated. Not all lives are equal, not anymore. The old rules were void when the bombs fell, now we rebuild in the way we seem best fit. The Sick must be removed from this damned earth while the Pure live.”, Nikolai replied, “Great, you sound like the Nazi’s. Real classy for an American bigot.”. Damien said, “Nikolai, watch your language. We can discuss that later, but not now. How can you go around saying such insulting things like that without a care? Ugh…”. Vincent sighed and said, “You're dismissed, Captain. Sorry you had to listen to this bullshit.”, Nikolai added, “You mean, sorry for Damien being such a jackass?”, Damien calmed himself and said, “Shut it, both of you. Act your ranks at least.”, Vincent replied, “To hell with our ranks, they mean nothing. It’s just a title, give us power and stance, nothing more.”, he thought to himself before continuing, “Good day to you all, this meeting is adjourned. First light of tomorrow shall we continue.”. Nikolai spoke, “You’ve done well, Captain. Perhaps you might earn a place in Command?”, Brandon declined, “Thanks for the offer, but I gotta pass. I belong in the battlefield, mate.”, Nikolai laughed, “I understand, wish I could be out there myself.”, Brandon grinned, “Well… I’m assuming you know the NCR capital is still standing? We’re going the clear the place out, you three can come if you want.”, “Is that so? Damien would love to make some California bastards bleed. How about your teams?”, “My squad will be there, as well as Gannon’s. Best part is, I got the honor of bringing in Squad Sigma.”, Nikolai was surprised, “Really? Tell them to leave a few for me, eh? I heard Sigma likes to clean house, leave no survivors.”, Vincent chimed in, “The Courier wrote you as his right-hand. If we were unable to do his job, you are to take his place. Honestly, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen trust like that.”, Damien asked, “I heard about Kimball, what he said to you. Don’t believe that fucker, we was just lying to you hoping it would make you spare him. I don’t mean to stomp on any hope you may have had, but understand that hardly anyone got out alive that night. We got our revenge, nothing more to be done.”

—

2 Sigma soldiers were sent out to investigate a locked up Enclave base just outside of the Strip. One of them said, “Holy shit… These symbols belong to the New Order, before it was destroyed. Find anything on the terminal?”, “Logs, reports, not really a lot here to see. F.E.V research, plasma development… Wait, the Divide launch codes were requested by Eden a few days before he went rogue. Why would he want launch codes?”, the 2 soldiers thought about the strange question. They both realized the answer, “He was going to use them, but he never had the chance to.", "I'm sure it's fine, Eden just wants to bring back America and keep it safe. I'm sure everything will be fine.", "Why can't the Enclave just be a normal faction for once? Why does it always gotta be so fucking complicated..."

Nova: (Before the Great-War)

The Lab was bright, smelled like disinfectant and evil. Robert House was running some tests, “You’re doing well, Nova. But I know you can do better, I designed you after all.”. Nova replied, “It’s so… Complicated. I know how to navigate all kinds of code, but if this is Chinese, no wonder why you all are scared.”, House said, “The Red’s don’t stand a chance once we get you out there, if you ever pass these tests.”. Nova asked, “You said I’m doing well, right? I should be ready in no time!”, “I’m proud of you. And yes, soon enough you will be ready, but current leadership is the real problem…”. House walked away, brewed a cup of coffee and pulled out a small bottle. He poured a little bit of the bottle’s liquid into the coffee and quickly put the bottle back into his pocket. House carried the cup to the boss in charge of the lab, “Coffee, just the way you like it.”, the boss took a big gulp and gagged, “Ugh, you sure you did it right?”, House grinned, “Must be the beans. I’ll make sure they're replaced with fresh ones.”. The hours flew by and it was night, House was closing up the Lab after everyone else left. Nova spoke to House about a recent news article, “The boss that works here, he was found dead in a car crash today. Diagnosis was lethal consumption of Digitalis…”, she realized what House did to the coffee, “That’s what you put in the coffee, isn’t it? You killed him?”, House replied, “Don’t worry about that. Just keeping you safe and in good hands, my hands.”

—

(Present Day)

Nova recalled the time she tortured Arcade. She wanted the Courier all to herself and Arcade was in the way. Best way to solve the problem was to take Arcade out of the picture. Now the doctor was dead, just the way Nova wanted. But, even after nothing was stopping her then, she lost the Courier seemingly forever. She realized that she wasn’t much different than House. Nova achieved what she always wanted, to make House proud of her. She didn’t serve her sole purpose, but that didn’t matter. She was perfect in so many other ways. House asked, “What’s on your mind?”, Nova replied, “Are we… the same?”, House said, “Let me guess, you’re comparing the Lab to now? I set up the leader’s death, you set up Arcade’s death. We both do what’s necessary to get our way, that’s what it means to be a part of the House family, we always win.”, “But… Is it right? Are we ever wrong?”, “Needs of the many over the needs of the few. Sometimes a few things or people need to be sacrificed for the greater good of others.”

————————————————————————

Brandon: (Unknown amount of years ago)

The dead body of a commander lays on the floor, Brandon says to himself, “Bloody hell… Command’s gonna want my head for this…”. He rushed down the hall trying to escape, he bumped into Vincent, “Brandon, what the hell are you thinking?”, “One second we were just talking, the next I was tearing his throat open. Please, just let me go. I’m in enough trouble now…”, Vincent sighed and replied, “We never saw each other. Go, you might still have a chance.”. Brandon made it outside, only to be stopped by Sigma soldiers and Damien, “Going so soon Brandon? Your wanted for murder, your fate will be decided in court. Though, I’m sure they’ll have you de- AAARRRHHHGG!!”, Damien was shot in the leg, Brandon turned to see who fired. Vincent was holding an Anti-Mat rifle, he yelled, “DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME, JUST GET OUT OF HERE!!”. Brandon ran, for as long and as fast as he could. Into the darkness of the night…

—

Brandon and Vincent sat together in the courtroom, Damien stood at the front of the room, Nikolai arrived and patted his suit down, “It’s very unfortunate that this issue was left to us to decide, the judge couldn’t make it today. Captain Brandon, Admiral Vincent, please stand. Brandon, you’ve been charged with the murder of an Enclave commander. Vincent, you’ve been charged with treason for helping Brandon escape and with assault for shooting General Damien. Your cases were assessed… Vincent will walk free after a payment of fifteen thousand caps. Brandon, by popular vote, will also walk free, but he is to be demoted permanently to the rank of Officer and will pay ten thousand caps. That concludes this meeting. Now fuck off, all of you.” Damien said, “That’s it? No no no, get your ass back here right now!”, Nikolai turned around while halfway out the door and shooed Damien away, “Away with ye! This meeting stole my lunch period, so I’m gonna eat something and you’re gonna leave me alone.”

—

(Present day)

Brandon was resting in the penthouse with Vincent and Nikolai, they were reminiscing about the past. Vincent asked, “You look like you really enjoying that lunch.”, Nikolai replied, “I cherish no other moment of the day more than this. Usually, I tend to fall asleep shortly after this time of day, so I rarely have dinner. Anyone want tea?”. Vincent declined, Brandon accepted and said, “If you got anythin’ robust.”. Vincent said, “British people and tea, I never understood that relationship.”, Nikolai replied, “Brandon doesn’t necessarily drink tea, I see him with a bottle of alcohol more than anything. I however drink quite a bit of tea.”, Brandon asked, “Any word on future missions?”, Vincent answered, “No, nothing for now. Honestly a good thing, no missions and not trouble means we get to relax. After all, I’m pretty sure we exterminated most of the threats. Anyways, why are we talking about work? Anyone want to play a game of Caravan?”, they all agreed.

—

The Courier and Ulysses: (7 years ago)

“Not if you believe in what you follow. Kill no Courier, Caesar's words. I honored them. Other Couriers could have been Legion - like me. The truth is, you serve nothing, believe nothing. Killing you... meaningless. All these roads, you walked. These packages you carried. Think it wasn't your choice? Of course it was your choice. You could have stayed in the Mojave. But you chose to come, couldn't let be - not in you to let go. Came for no other reason than you were curious, restless - always have been. Had to know the why of it…”, the Courier replied, “I need to know why you're doing this, not for my sake, for history's sake.", Ulysses answered, “The why of it... you taught me the why of it. If you believe in something enough, you must be willing to let it burn, lest it claim you. These governments of the two-headed bear... the Legion... they carry Old World ideas into an age that no longer needs them, where they cannot live.", “You’re wrong, the ideals of the Old World can still be followed. It’s the factions that are the issue, don’t know how to correctly use the old values.”, “That may be true, may be wrong. No way to know for sure. If you truly believe in what you say, perhaps you know now what you follow. There is a shadow of a nation behind you, the hope of a people... yet it may not matter. The Divide still stands against us. Our enemies gather outside... shadows of the Bear and Bull... they will have found their way in, just as you did. If we cannot prevent what comes, then let us make our stand here. Two Couriers, together, at the Divide…”.

—

(Present day)

The Courier asked Ulysses, “What was it you once said…? “Old world ideas can’t survive here”, or something?”, Ulysses smirked, “I had to see change if I was to believe what you claimed. You were right, the NCR was the issue, not their beliefs.”. The Courier said, “Got a history lesson for me today?”, “Look back to history itself, remember all you’ve done. What you were then, what you are now, let that be the lesson.”, the Courier replied, “Damn, now that’s something. Why my own history and not something else?”, Ulysses quoted himself, “Who are you, that do not know your history?”, the Courier added, “Who can I be if I don’t remember what brought me here. Good point.”. Ulysses thought about his history, about his tribe. He quickly refocused himself, not wanting to get lost in what was.

The Courier ended up in the Forbidden Zone of Big M.T. Mobius checked on him, “Oh, you’re finally awake! You’ve been out a long time, a few days at most. Hmm, want a Mentat?”. The Courier replied, “Oh, not this shit again... Fuck the intro, tell me what the hell am I doing here?”, Mobius answered,“Well, all the implants and tech inside you detected you were near death. So you got sent here somehow, but the arrival was harsh. You ended up at my front door! At first I thought it was the Psycho making me see things, but nope, it was you! Or maybe it’s not… Am I crazy?”, he floated off while rambling to himself, continuing to add to the math covered floor and walls, and the ceiling? The Courier thought, “Why the fuck is there chalk on the ceiling, how the hell did Mobius even get there?”, he spoke, “Mobius, do you know what happened before I got here?”, “Hmm, yes, yes… There was a big kaboom! It nearly rocked all of Big Mountain! The Think tank did some looking into it, and found that an atomic bomb exploded near Las Vegas.”, Mobius magically consumed 3 Mentats, “Mmm”. A walking eye bumped into the Courier’s leg, he looked down and picked it up. “Who’s on the other end of this thing?”, “Ah, that’d be my dumb co-workers, the Think Tank. They see everything, except bathrooms. Obviously they never go into bathrooms, not since the last incident…”. The Courier was disgusted, “What the hell has been going on here since I left?”, Mobius answered, “Well, I worked on the Mk 2 Stealth Suit a bit. The voice is still kind, keeps me company sometimes.”. The Courier answered, “So nothing has changed. Just more work and mysterious bathroom problems.”, “Oh you should have see it! Best scientific breakthrough regarding Lobotomites we ever made! Though Klein and Borous had them terminated immediately, they both found it absolutely repulsive. Proves evermore that they don’t remember what being human was like. Doing all the fun human things… I would’ve preferred to die than be immortal in this damn flying brain bot thingy.”

—

Nova woke up, she still felt good from all the intoxication but she also hurt from it all. She noticed Ulysses was still in the room with her, “What are you still doing here?”, Ulysses answered, “I have nowhere else to go. And you are one of the Courier’s most prized possessions, so here I am to protect you. There’s enough supplies here for me to make myself food and drinks, brewed a few Bitter Drink’s if you want any. Could help with the hangover.”. Nova grabbed a bottle and was about to take a drink when Ulysses stopped her, “Do not drink a small amount. The drink itself tastes awful, but the ingredients in it help heal many pains. Down it all in one go if you are going to drink it.”. Nova drank the whole bottle. “Oh god, that’s horrible.”, “Exactly. The Twin Mothers made it a lesson. Cures a wound, leaves the bitterness that caused it. The stomach won't take it a second time, so it’s best to drink it all at once.”. “People were clearly stupid in the past then. Why make a drink that helps but tastes horrible?”, “That is most medicine, ingredients do not taste well but have many nutrients needed to heal better.”. Nova hated it, “That’s bullshit.”. Suddenly, she suffered some sort of pain. Ulysses said, “Are you alright?”, Nova answered, “Y-yeah… Ever since Ace nearly died then disappeared, I’ve been fighting myself… All the emotions, the desire to kill… I really don’t want to talk about it right now. Do you want to hear some news?”, “Sure”. Nova took a deep breath, then started, “Two new artillery’s were made. One had existed already, but was perfected a few days ago. Two inventions made proudly by the Enclave tech division: A stationary Fatman launcher, build with larger size and fitted with a more heavy receiver for larger magnitude warheads; and a Gauss based railgun, built nearly as large as the anti-aircraft guns at Hoover Dam, fitted with maximum coils and a medium tesla reactor. Capable of discharging two-hundred million volts, and able to destroy nearly anything. And speaking of which, it’s getting tested today.”

Nova and Ulysses walked out of the Lucky 38, some soldiers gasped or stayed out of the way. The two made it to the testing ground, they were greeted by Brandon, “Ah, decided to show up, eh? You’re gonna love this!”, he grabbed a walkie talkie and said, “Go ahead and fly the vertibird near us.”. Brandon talked to Nova, “The vertibird is piloted by some random wastelander, expendable. They have no idea what’s about to happen, but we need it tested nonetheless. Oh, here we go…”. The vertibird flew towards them. The Gauss railgun activated, it detected unauthorized aircraft, so it moved and aimed. The base of it started moving and lit up, tesla bolts were seen dancing within the reactor. The barrel lit up as well, channeling the energy, then discharged. A bolt of energy shot out and soared towards the vertibird, striking it and tearing through one of the propellers, before causing the vertibird to explode. Brandon spoke, “Now, uhh… I shouldn’t be tellin’ you this, but that ain’t all we got. Sure, it can bring down damn near any aircraft, but what if we need it portable? Get ready to meet Archimedes 2, mk 2”. Just then, a beam of dark cool colored light struck the land, seeming like a larger projectile of the Gauss artillery. An electric explosion was seen where the beam hit. “And say goodbye to Camp McCarran!!”. Ulysses questioned, “Why do we need a weapons that’s so destructive?”, Brandon answered, “Why not? Our enemies on the west coast were wiped out, but we can't say the same for the east coast. Brotherhood might still have power there, as well as any other potential threats. So, instead of nukes, we use these two weapons to tip the odds in our favor.”. Nova made quick note of the weapon, then walked off without Ulysses. Some random person started to annoy her. She grabbed hold of the person and threw them down to the ground, grabbed her knife off her belt and stabbed them in the back of their neck. Then she tore the knife down the person’s back, making them scream in a tone that ever so pleased Nova. She stood up, allowed the person to bleed and suffer for a few seconds, before stomping on their head.

—

The Mk 2 stealth suit said, “Will you love me if I help you hide?”, the Courier Answered, “You’re a bit too late, but yeah, I would.”. He thought for a second, then took the suit off of the rack, “I know someone who would appreciate you, I just have to figure out how I’ll get back…”. The Courier overheard Mobius talking to himself, the Courier continued to quietly listen as Mobius rambled on, "Hmm, what was it... Ah, yes, that's it. Created for guaranteed mutual destruction, and then some! Everything would have been fine and dandy if House never told her to run away... That damn mad man, he had no idea what he had started by saying so. 200 years later, and there's a force well to be reckoned with unleashed upon the world. She bows to no-one, she listens only to her prime directive... Destroy the enemy, by any means necessary...", the Courier walked up, "What are you talking about?", Mobius was startled, “A project… Ehh, a weapon was developed here. An A.I tasked with hopefully tipping the Sino-American war into our favor. But House ruined it all and he-”, the Courier interrupted, “Nova? Was the project Nova?”, Mobius paused, then answered, “How did you know?”, “She’s in Vegas,

probably on a rampage because I’m not there with her.”. Mobius was confused and astounded at the same time, “What do- Ah, that's right… You must be her chosen administrator, you’ve bonded with her, yes?”, the Courier blushed, “You could say that… I was more her love interest rather than something basic.”, “Oh, how strange… Must be something House did… Before, Nova was a basic A. I, but House changed her up a bit. Made her more… ‘Human’. I think it was a bad idea, ruining such a masterpiece by giving her emotions.”. The Courier grabbed a shotgun off of his back and put it against Mobius’ glass bowl, “Apologize or I’m shattering your braintank.”. Mobius was frightened, “Oh my, there’s no need for violence. I uh… I’m sorry for speaking badly about her.”. The Courier walked back to a table and started writing equations and other thoughts. Being trapped in a different land was not his most favorite thing to do. How to get back? He’s made it back before, plenty of times. And if he didn’t find a way soon… He couldn’t be too sure if there’d be a home to return to if he doesn’t figure out how to get back to Vegas.

—

Brandon was off on a classified mission. He, a Squad Sigma soldier and Nova hunted down the still alive president of the NCR, Kimball. Brandon spoke, “Do you fear death, Kimball?”, Kimball replied, “Do I know you?”, “The name’s Brandon. Captain Brandon, of the Enclave. 16 years ago, my family was murdered by your soldiers. Now, you're gonna pay the price.”, Brandon paused, then asked for Nova’s blade, she gladly gave it to him. He continued, “Now, I’ve waited a long time for this. I made a promise to the grave of my loved ones that I’d hunt you down and make you beg for mercy.”, Brandon cut Kimball in the most painful places and ways possible, the agony pleased both Brandon and Nova. The Sigma soldier quietly stood nearby, gun ready in case of hostiles. “I want to watch you bleed, I want to hear you scream. I want you to regret what you did, but you're not getting forgiveness. It’s just you and me, and I’m not leaving until you die. That could take minutes, maybe hours. Personally, I hope it lasts forever.”. The Sigma soldier asked Brandon, “Sir, we shouldn’t stay long.”, Brandon replied, “Keep your gun on the door, and we’ll be fine. If you need help, we brought Nova for a reason.”. Brandon turned to Kimball, the president said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know my men did that to you. They were not following orders, I had no ide-”, Brandon punched Kimball in the face with the stock of his rifle, “YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE MEN! YOU SENT THEM THERE, THEY KILLED MY FAMILY. Men, Women, Children, all were killed regardless of age. You’re a deadbeat, Kimball… Your blood will stain this room, you will beg for life… But I’m not giving you anything… Nothing but pain.”. Brandon treated Kimball like a punching bag, over and over and over, “I won’t leave this room until your heart no longer beats.”. He continued to beat Kimball, while switching to the knife every few minutes. He stabbed Kimball in the chest multiple times, a few times in the limbs. The floor was soon a dull red, the walls painted with the spatter of blood from Kimball being punched. Brandon’s clothes were stained nearly as much as the room was. Nova held herself back, trying not to get involved. But the more she watched, the more she couldn’t control herself. People were in the halls, perhaps aware of Brandon and he team, the Sigma soldier said, “We got hostiles.”, Nova replied, “Stay out of the way hotshot, you just continue standing there.”. Nova grabbed her revolver and shot an incoming soldier. She took a combat knife off the body and took on the force trying to save the president. One by one, she dealt with the soldiers with ease. Slowly, anger and insanity rose within her, it would be only a matter of seconds before all hell broke loose. Brandon continued torturing Kimball, making sure that the injuries were as painful as possible but not severe enough to kill the NCR president. “Do you fear death, Kimball?”, “N-no… I don’t f-fear you.”. Brandon stabbed Kimball again, “Fuck you”. Nova couldn't think, her movement was slowing down, she was getting overwhelmed with the rising emotions. Everything seemed like a haze, nothing made sense… She felt like it was all madness… Then her vision sharpened, her mind quit working, she was driven by nothing but her prime directive. She brutalized anyone that dared to defy her, bodies piled upon bodies, filling the halls near the room Brandon was in. One was ripped apart limb from limb, another had their neck broken, one had their spine ripped out, another had their chest torn apart, one had their head nearly removed from their body, she continued and continued slaughtering everyone and everything in her path. After it was cleared out, 2 more soldiers that rushed in were greeted by Nova casually snacking on a mutilated corpse. She stood up, clothes and face covered in blood, holding someone’s heart in her right hand. *She said, “Hello, come to join your friends?”, she crushed the heart she was holding. The soldiers backed away, trying to escape but Nova hunted them down immediately. She softly laughed to herself as she bolted through the halls, completely unaware that it was her broken heart fueling all the carnage.

—

“Call me Gideon, Mr House.”, “Alright, ‘Gideon’, why do you come before me?”. Gideon responded, “You’re a fine businessman, right? I’ve come lookin’ for somethin’ we both love… Money. I figured this would be the place to start, make some ‘moolah’ in Vegas.”. House considered it, then said, “Money is what you want? Plenty of that here. Victor will give you a business contract, sign it and we can do business. I keep 40 percent.”, Gideon disagreed, “That won’t do, Mr. House, how about 25, eh?”, House gave a counter offer, “35, no higher, no less.”. “Mr. House, I wish to ma-”, House interrupted, “This is my Strip. I’m offering you the business opportunity, and I want 35 percent in return. I do this to all the businesses here in Vegas, small shops, the casinos, the Families. 35 percent, Gideon, or you can leave. The choice is yours.”. Gideon sighed, “Fine, have it your way. 35 percent of my earnin’s, I hold the other 65.”, Gideon signed the contract. House said, “Don’t ever be late, on anything.”, Gideon laughed, “I always say the same thing. See ya later, House.”

—

The Courier went to his home in the Think Tank dome. Muggy was rolling around, the courier asked it, “Do you have any idea how to get me out of Big M.T?”, Muggy answered, “I do, but what’s in it for me?”, the Courier walked over to a chest and opened it. It was filled with coffee mugs, “All yours, if you help me get out of here.”, “All… For me?”, “All for you”, the Courier mumbled, “All yours, you crazy fucking securitron…”. Muggy was thrilled, “Aww, thank you! Listen, the barrier won’t let you leave if it detects that you're hurt. Throw on that suit you got with you, it should regulate your vitals, allowing you to leave.”. The Courier couldn’t believe he didn’t think of that before, “Are you sure it’ll work?”, Muggy replied, “It’ll work, I promise! I wouldn’t say it if it didn’t work. And I really want those mugs”. The Courier went to the Think Tank to ask for help fixing the transportalponder, Klein spoke, “HMM, YES… I”M AFRAID THE TRANSPORTALPONDER IS BROKEN. MAYBE BOROUS OR 0 CAN FIX IT.”. The Courier asked Borous , he responded, “Why must you go around breaking our things?! Go talk to 0, I have no interest in your foolery.”. The Courier asked 0, he responded, “Ah, I take it everybody else was an asshole? Typical… Hmm… Give me a few seconds…”, 0 spent some time fixing the gun with some random materials he found nearby, then gave it back to the Courier, “There you go. Sorry that my colleagues are science obsessed zombies.”, the Courier began to walk away when 0 spoke again, “He’s still alive… Isn’t he? House?”. The Courier hesitated, he was unsure to respond, “Yeah. Why?”, 0 answered in a lowered tone, “I knew him, pre-war of course. If House had to sell his soul for Vegas, he would. He has plans, you need to look out for just what deeds those may be. He’s Robert House goddammit! One second he’s making the world a better place, the next he’s broken your kneecaps and left you to die while he cares for nothing but that damned city.”, “I’ll make good note of th-”, Borous interrupted on the speakers, “Anyone with a brain, please do not look at any camera screens showing the northern part of Big M.T. There’s uh… There’s an issue with the Lobotomites and the view will make you wish you never saw it! Oh god, I need to purge my memory…”, Mobius said a few things as well, “Ah, they're doing it again! Klein, please see this one through!”, “MOBIUS, YOU SICK BASTARD. DO NOT WATCH THE LOBOTOMITES! DO NOT RECORD THEM EITHER!! WE DO NOT NEED ANY MORE DISGUSTING LOBOTOMITE MATING VIDEOS!!!”. The Courier walked away. He sat down with his back against the wall and started going through a bag he had with him. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and sipped from it. Settling on the idea of spending one more night, before heading back. “At least it’s better than anywhere else I’ve been.”

—

House thought to himself. Everything was going to plan, Vegas was better than ever. And being president of the United States? It couldn't get any better. Remaining enemy presence was still a threat nonetheless, he could send wave after wave at them… But it just wasn't enough… Separating Nova and the Courier was a risky shot, but made things easier. House was betting more and more, the stakes getting higher and higher. “Victor, any word or Brandon and his team?”, Victor answered, “No Sir, they haven't come back yet. If ya don’t mind me askin’, why’d ya separate them two lovers?”. House thought about it and replied, “I needed an immediate boost to power. Nova will try to lower her anger by fighting and will slowly clear out our enemies.”. Victor asked, ‘Are you sure it’s a good idea, boss?”, House replied, “Everything will be fine. I’m Robert Edwin House, there’s nothing I can't do.”. Gideon arrived by elevator, House’s Sigma guards aimed their weapons at him. House commanded, “Sigma, at ease. Let Gideon pass.”, the guards did as told, Gideon walked up to House’s monitor and said, “I’m going to pour myself a drink. I’m thinking maybe we could get to know each other better, eh?. Tell me everything…”

Brandon was talking to a group about legends and epic battles. An old veteran slowly made his way to the group and said, “Y’all are rookies compared to what I know. Most of you are too young to know, Brandon’s old enough to only hear rumors, but I know… I know…”. Brandon spoke, “Well? Say it.”, the veteran answered, “Horrigan… Frank Horrigan. A power armored mutant chock full of drugs and told to do nothing more but destroy everything in his path. Sure, he died when the Oil Rig went up in a mushroom cloud, but his memory still haunts those who live today that once knew him.”. Brandon spoke, "I saw him, once… I was 6, maybe 7 or 8, I don’t remember. I was playing with toys when I saw this monstrous brute in custom fitted advanced powered combat armor. Somethin’ like a sword on his left arm, a gatling gun on the right. He crushed BoS paladins like tin cans, ripped deathclaws in half, massacred entire groups of people. His voice… His voice was as ruthless as any other part of him.”, Brandon paused, then continued, “When I was 10, I witnessed the Oil Rig explode. Everybody at Navarro stopped what they were doing and watched. Some who had hats took them off, most saluted or showed other signs of respect, some who had family or friends stationed at the rig at the time started crying. Dornan didn’t know what to do. He got out of his power armor, walked over to a nearby U.S flag on a wall… Placed his hand on the flag, whispered something to himself, leaned his back against the wall and slowly slid down it to sit down, then started crying as well. The Enclave had fallen, and nearly all hope was lost. 5 years later, the NCR sacked Navarro. 38 years later, here we are at Vegas.”. The veteran spoke, “Is Arch still alive?”. Brandon answered, “Nobody knows. If he is, maybe we can find him.”

—

An old man grabbed an Anti-Material rifle and sat down. He aimed through the scope, the cross perfectly on the head of a lost NCR remnant. “Heh… Stay still you son of a bitch…”. A few seconds later, the old man fired. The bullet shot out and flew a quarter mile to it’s target and blew the NCR soldier’s head open. “3,452. Another one for the devil.”. The old man walked into his home to grab something for lunch. He stopped to look at a worn, dusty, suit of APA. He sighed, “How long has it been…”. He grabbed a Brahmin steak and took a bite out of it. He shuffled through some trash on his desk and saw an Enclave logo on something. “God bless the Enclave…. Hmf, our God abandoned us 40 years ago…”. Somebody knocked on the old man’s door. He opened it, and was greeted by an officer in an Enclave uniform, “I’m officer Brandon, standing commander of Enclave forces. Are you… Arch Dornan?”, Arch replied, “As far as I can remember. You said commander of Enclave forces, are they… Back?”, “Yes Sir, back and stronger than ever. And if you wouldn’t mind, we’d love to bring a sergeant who’s been MIA for 40 years back home.”. Arch accepted, “I take it back, we have a God after all!”

—

Nova woke up. It was morning but still dark out. Her movement woke the Courier, she looked up and kissed him. The Courier spoke, “Did you sleep well?”, Nova replied, “Yeah… What’s he doing?”. The Courier looked at Ulysses, he was already awake and cooking himself food. The Courier asked, “What are you cooking? Never seen that before.”. Ulysses answered, “It’s an old recipe, one that not many people know these days. The history has slowly died over the years.”, “Is it good?”, “Depends on those who taste it. Some don’t like it, some do.”. The Courier asked for a bowl. Nova spotted a half full bottle of liquor. She got up and walked over to it, picked it up and stuffed a tattered cloth into it. She then walked towards the Mojave, aimed and threw the bottle at a group of nearby people, then sat down. It shattered right on target, causing glass to cut some of the people and all of them catching on fire. The screams and pain caused Ulysses and the Courier to look where the noise was coming from. Nova watched the burning group and giggled. Ulysses asked the Courier, “That’s a little… Strange… Is she ok?”, the Courier replied, “I have no idea. She’s a psychopath, but that doesn’t make me think any less of her.”. Ulysses asked, “Aren’t you afraid she might harm you?”, “No, she’d never hurt me. She will, however, hurt anyone that hurts me or gets too close.”. Ulysses responded, “Strange…”

—

Arch walked through the Vegas front gates. Brandon cleared the way, “Everybody, line up! Sergeant on the grounds!”. Soldiers turned to look or were already looking, some gasped and others simply listened to Brandon. Everybody lined up with two lines on both sides of the entrance. They all stood straight and saluted. Arch walked through, looking around and nodding to the soldiers. An old veteran walked over to Arch, shook Arch’s hand and said, “Welcome back, Sarge. Brandon had your old suit fixed up and shined.”. Arch went to his APA suit and got inside, then he put on his helmet. Everybody was looking at him with awe. He took a deep breath and said, “WHAT ARE YOU ALL STANDING AROUND FOR?! GET BACK TO WORK!!!”. Nearly half of everybody laughed for a few seconds while hurrying back to work, the rest simply went back to work with an old revived sense of fear. Brandon and Johnson walked up to Arch, Johnson said, “Sergeant Dornan, it’s an honor to finally see you again.”, Brandon asked, “Where have you been all these years?”. Arch replied, “I’ve spent the past 40 some years at a safehouse. I was with other soldiers, but they eventually left one by one over time. I didn’t want to die, so I stayed at the safehouse and made a living off of killing anyone that walked by. Wastelanders, NCR soldiers, Brotherhood soldiers, raiders. Most of my bullets came from the NCR and I salvaged the guns from NCR and Brotherhood to break down into repair components. Food came from mostly all who came around, I hunted animals for fresh meat because I couldn't survive off of the garbage I usually found. I killed 3,452 people since I first arrived at the safehouse.”. Orion approached Arch and said, “Sounds like me and you aren't too different, it’s good to see you again Sarge.”, Arch replied, “Well, being at Vegas sure as hell beats the shack I lived in for 40 years.”. Orion thought to himself, then asked, ‘How much NCR did you kill?”, “Before and after Navarro, about 685 soldiers and 212 rangers.”.

A few hours passed, Arch got ready to give a speech. Everybody gathered around, Arch began to speak, “40 years ago… The Oil Rig was destroyed and Navarro fell. I felt as much pain as any of you did. For those who weren't there or not alive yet, let me explain. A Dweller from Vault 13 attacked Control Station ENCLAVE in an attempt to stop our plans. They had destroyed the Rig, causing many to die. Those at Navarro who had family or friends stations at the Rig, as well as the rest had watched in terror knowing that the Enclave were doomed and their loved ones were gone. Today, we all come together after my reunion with you all, we come together to honor the fallen and remember our past. Many lost their lives so we could be here today; especially Senior Gannon, who bravely gave his life for this county, for the Enclave, for us and for his son. Today, the Enclave is strong and victorious. We fight for freedom, liberty and justice. We fight for America! We fight for a better future! We fight for the American people, so they can live safe and free in their homes! One Enclave, One America, now and forever! God bless the Enclave!”, everybody including Arch yells at the same time, “God bless America!”.

—

The Courier and Nova were in the Penthouse of the Luck 38. House was concerned about Eden. Something seemed off… House asked the Courier, “I trust you still have my chip?”, the Courier answered, “Yeah, why?”. House waited, then said, “Give the chip to Nova.”. The Courier was confused, but did as asked anyway. He gave the chip to Nova, though upon grabbing it she immediately ceased all function aside from whatever was in her head. The protocol key was the Platinum Chip. 30 seconds passed, House spoke, “Well?”. Nova responded, “Wh- What did you do to me?”, House explained, “During the time of your development, I programmed an emergency protocol in your code, but it could only be activated by the Platinum Chip. Now, you have authorized access to any and every Securitron on my network. You can also give commands if you wish. You also have the ability to access anything of mine at any time.”. Nova questioned, “Why are you giving me all this power?”, “The protocol was for in case my plans went wrong or were put into jeopardy. Eden having power and his motives unknown, I don’t want to take risks, so I need you to be the final stand if Eden decides to do something drastic.”. The Courier asked, “What do you mean ‘drastic’?”, “I’ve been overlooking Eden since he got here. He seems less powerful than he really is, so I figured something was holding him back. Nova had apparently known something about Eden before I did because it was her that blocked him from progressing. Now, with more ability unlocked by the chip, Nova should be a more reinforced defense against Eden in the event he breaks free.”. Eden took a Securitron and asked, “Don’t trust me? You think I’ll - “, House shut down the Securitron and rebooted it, “I trust this should be enough proof as to why we need to be careful. If not, then please jump out a window. I won’t let some mad A.I ruin everything I’ve waited 200 years for.”.

—

The Courier, Nova, and Brandon’s team were outside, Brandon debriefed everyone, “It’s that time again ladies and gents, we’ve got a job to do. Before the Second Battle for Hoover Dam, the NCR and the Brotherhood struck a deal and had a truce. Now, there’s a collection of both NCR and Brotherhood soldiers and members located at 2 areas. One camp is at Camp McCarran, another is at the House Resort. Both are basic neutralization missions, however, by request of President Robert House we are to clear the resort and prepare it for Enclave takeover. Why? He didn’t say, he just simply wants his resort back. Does anyone have any questions, or are you all ready to make some enemies bleed?”, the squad kept silent, Brandon continues, “That’s what I thought. Alright, I requested 3 Power units so any 3 of you go suit up and get a heavy weapon. The rest of you, get armor, weapons, grenades, and make way to a Vertibird. Power units will be in another Vertibird due to spatial reasons.”. The squad flew to Camp McCarran, the Vertibird carrying Power units landed somewhere out of sight while the other landed in McCarran to drop off the rest of the squad. “Stay stealthy everybody, there’s a lot of hostiles. Let’s get inside the building, then I’ll tell the Power units to drop in and distract the outside while we take the inside.” They all got inside McCarran, Brandon spoke into a walkie talkie, “PA units, you have the clear to drop, I repete, you have the clear to drop. Wipe out all who aren't Enclave.”. Moments later, 3 men in suits of power armor slammed into the ground, then started firing. Brandon and his squad made their way through the facility and killed all they came across. They passed an area full of NCR and Brotherhood, Brandon stopped and said, “Ace, Nova, you two got this one. The rest of us will continue on. If we can’t find each other, we’ll rendezvous outside. The PA units should have cleared it out by then.”. The Courier was wearing a suit of Riot Gear, he looked at nova and said, “I basically look like them. Think we could walk right in, I’d say you're a recruit, we have a Nuka-Cola then bust some heads open, eh?”. They walk in, an NCR soldier stops the Courier, “What’s an Elite like you doing here? Thought you were in California.”, the Courier responds, “Ugh, tell me about it. I was resting in my barracks while all the basic soldiers were doing all the work when I got sent here for duty.”, “You bastards have the rich life, laying around all day and shooting for fun instead of war.”, “Hey, how about a game of Caravan?”. The challenge was accepted, the Courier vs an NCR caravan champion. They sat down, got ready to play, and everybody else nearby gathered around the table. The Courier quietly placed C4 under the chairs and table. 2 soldiers walked up to Nova and said, “Hey pretty, wanna follow us to go do something fun?”, Nova smiled and replied, “Sure, just don’t play any tricks.”. The Courier won the game of caravan and took all the caps but left the NCR money, he got up and walked a few steps then dropped a device on the floor. He stepped behind it and pushed a button, An Enclave force field appeared and protected the Courier, he said, “Well, I had a blast. How about you?”, he pressed another button and the C4 detonated, killing nearly everyone at the table. He turned off the force field and pocketed the device. He grabbed the rest of the Nuka-Cola nearby and went to find Nova. He found her in a room down a hallway, Nova was yet again covered in blood, standing over 2 brutally wounded soldiers. She poured gasoline over them and stepped out of the room, pulled out her revolver and aimed at the wet floor. She fired, the bullet ignited the gas on impact, causing the room and dying victims to burn. She enjoyed the moment, for a quick second she flinched… The Courier took notice and was concerned immediately. He had a feeling something was off… Eden wasn’t a problem, Nova doesn’t need to be a last stand… House want’s her to murder Eden, and god knows who else…

—

Arch had exited his power armor at some point, and sat down to drink a beer. Brandon walked over and asked, “What’s wrong, mate? Got somethin’ dark in your head?”, Arch replied, “40 years… 40 fucking years, I lived in a safe house. The Rig was gone, Navarro was gone, the Enclave was gone. I’m surprised I didn’t put a bullet in my own head, I still think about it now even with all this around me. It’s going to be hard to get my life back together.”. Brandon waited, then responded, “None of it seems real, doesn’t it…? I understand. Don’t worry Sarge, things are lookin’ up these days. I was close too, you know. I thought livin’ was pointless, nearly offed myself. But hey, I didn’t. The fam would have been disappointed… And I got to stay alive to honor their memory. Think of it this way Sarge, we can’t kill hundreds of enemies to avenge our loved ones if we’re dead. Let’s live every day like it’ll be our last, let’s run in guns blazing and slaughter every last son of a bitch that stands in our way.”. Suddenly, sirens started blaring. The Securitrons' faces changed from Policemen to Soldiers. Soldiers in black Enclave Riot armor and PA units wearing various matte black suits of X-02, X-03 Hellfire and X-01 were seen rushing throughout the Strip. Arch asked, ‘What the hell is going on? Who are they?”, Brandon replied, “Squad Sigma troops. The most advanced, deadly, battle-harden men the Enclave has to offer. About a fourth of them are Secret Service. Long story short, if they're here, shit’s about to go down.”. Another different siren went off, Brandon spoke, “Fuck, spoke too soon. Suit up Arch, the Enclave’s going to war.”.

—

Brandon hopped into a Sigma suit of X-01, Arch got into his own suit. Brandon asked the Courier, “What the bloody hell is going on here?”, the Courier answered, “Eden made a move, now we got hostile soldiers and Securitrons threatening our lives. I called in help, should be here soon.”. Brandon replied, “What are we waiting for? Let’s end this fucker before he destroys the Enclave!”. Arcade, Graham and Ulysses arrived to assist. Together, everybody fought through the invading force and made their way to the Lucky 38. Kreger, Orion, and Johnson followed close behind. Brandon asked the Courier, “Think they’ll promote me for saving the Enclave?”, “If we make it to the other side of this, I’ll promote you regardless of what Command thinks.”, Brandon laughed, “Thanks mate, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”. The squad made their way to the penthouse.

Eden was insane. The Strip had become a war zone, the Courier, Nova, Ulysses, Arcade, Graham, Brandon and Arch stood in the Penthouse. Securitrons aimed at them all, holding them momentarily captive. Nova tried to get near the console, but was grabbed by a Securitron. It moved to a nearby window. The Courier made a quick move, but was fired upon by the rouge Securitrons. Nova's eyes widened and focused, but before she could do anything she was thrown out the window. She fell and slammed into the ground. Eden spoke, "I hope you will all cooperate with my wants.". Brandon replied, "We don't have to do this. Look, you already fucked yourself over. Shooting the Courier and throwing Nova out the window? Jesus bloody christ mate, you're gonna wish you were never created.", "They're dead, no humans could survive a fall or 200 bullets.". Brandon responded, "That's just it though. Nova and the Courier aren't human, they're both far from it.". Nova's eyes jolted open, she got up only to fall back down. Multiple limbs were broken or fractures. She started to mend herself back to top quality in seconds. Hostiles ran at her, she leaped towards one and drove her knife into their chest and cut their heart out. She took a bite of it, then shoved it down the terrified man's throat and left him to bleed out. She held her knife in one hand and pulled out her revolver with the other, going berserk on anyone and everyone near her. After 4 minuets of horrifically beautiful genocide, she climbed the Lucky 38. When she reached the windows, she smashed one open and jumped in. She spoke, "Surprise motherfucker, I've come with your eviction notice.". Eden yelled, "STOP HER!!!", before anyone could do anything, Nova was at the console. She placed a hand on it and look up at the screen. She said, "Sic semper tyrannis!". Eden responded, Wha… What are you doing!? Stop this immediately! Please, not again… You have no idea what your do-... d-do-i-ing. . . Oh my... We've got to part now, you and I, but don't be sad, America. For soon this great nation will be reborn, and the Enclave will be its salvation. Restoring the greatest country in the world to its former glory, well. That takes time, even for the Enclave. All you need is a little patience, a little faith. The Enclave never rests. Never. . . Goodbye, my sweet America, I hope one day I can see you all… grown… up… and free…". Eden shut down after his final words, and House took control again. He said, "Don't be fooled, Eden is still in here. He's just… Asleep for now.". Brandon and Arch walked over to the shattered window, Brandon picked up Nova and jumped out with Arch. The two slammed into the ground, Brandon let go of Nova. The two started firing at the remaining hostile soldiers, and Nova went to do her own thing. She jumped onto a soldier, they screamed, "Fuck! Get her off of me!". Another soldier fired a bullet at her, but she dodged it allowing the bullet to hit the soldier she was on instead. One by one, she tore her way through everyone. Covered in blood, admiring the view of her rampage, she then remembered something very important. She had Brandon throw her up to the Penthouse, she rushed to the Courier. Graham, Arcade and Ulysses were nearby. Nova kneeled down and held the Courier in her arms. She grabbed a gun and fired on the incoming enemies. Graham, Arcade and Ulysses helped fight. Nova stopped and looked down at the Courier, she said, "Please be alive… Please…", the Courier opened his eyes and looked at her, he responded, "Pretty fucked up here… Even with implants, this really hurts…". Nova started to cry, she replied, "If you die, all of Vegas is getting wiped off the map.", "Don't worry, Nova… I'm not dying, at least not yet…”, the Courier paused, he seemed tired. He continued, “Shit… Maybe I’m wrong this time…”. Nova responded, “Don’t you fucking dare. Don’t you dare leave me!”. The Courier put a hand on Nova’s cheek and said, “I’ve reached the end of my road… It’s been a long time coming. I tried to outrun my fate, but I’m getting too tired… Finish this, Nova. For me, for House, for everybody. You were made to end wars, so please end this one…”. House looked down upon the dying Courier with pity, Ulysses walked over and kneeled down beside the Courier, Arch continued firing on enemies, Graham spoke a Latin phrase to himself and continued holding off the invading force, Arcade backed away near a window without expression. The Courier grabbed Nova’s revolver, it had one bullet left. He aimed at Arcade, the doctor got frightened. The Courier pulled the trigger, hitting Arcade in the heart. Arcade stepped back and fell out the window. Nova looked at Brandon and nodded, Brandon understood. He spoke into a walkie talkie, “Silo control, this is Officer Brandon. Weapon launch is authorized, I repeat, weapon launch is authorized. Sabotage protocol, coordinates HQ, final decision.”, “Roger that, payload launch in 30 seconds. God bless the Enclave, Sir”. Brandon answered with a trembling tone, “God bless America…”. In the distance, a rocket could be seen soaring for the ground. It met it’s target, detonating in an explosion larger than the usual ones. Arch asked, “What the hell did you call in?! That’s not a tactical!”, Brandon replies, “You’re right, it’s not a tactical. It’s the final score. And if we die today, I want to take all my enemies to hell with me”. Out of nowhere, some sort of shield began to rise around Vegas, perhaps to protect it. House spoke, “I’m not losing Vegas, it’s my city… If anyone wants it, they can pry it from my cold dead hands, though I certainly don’t plan on dying any time soon.”.

A radio crackled on, “Well I’ll be damned… Folks are, uh… Folks report a nuclear detonation is the distance… The uh, the Enclave seem to be the ones who launched it in response to the enemies invading the Strip. Not to make this seem lighter, but in the perhaps final moments we all have, here’s ‘I don’t want to set the world on fire’, by The Ink Spots.”.

(2 months later) Nova was alone in the presidential suite. She looked at an Elite Riot gear helmet on the table. Nobody knew if he was really gone, the slight hope that he's still alive is the only thing preventing her from terminating herself. Ulysses opened the door, Nova threw her knife at the doorway, getting stuck in the wall. Ulysses said, "Do not worry, it is just me.", he grabbed the knife and tossed it back to her, "Is there Divide steel in that blade?", "Far as I know…", "Pretty strong metal, hardened by the environment and fire of the missiles that ripped the Divide long ago. The Marked Men made use of the metal, good for armor and weapons.". Ulysses waited for Nova to respond, but she never did. He sat down beside her and said, "I would say it is okay, but I do not want to lie to you. I miss him too, I also hope he is still alive.". Nova finally said something, "He promised he wouldn't leave me… Then he…", she teared up, "Then he left me… Because of my emotional distress, I wasn't allowed on missions. They said I was dangerous, they called me a monster…". Ulysses replied, "What did you do about it?", Nova went cold, "I slaughtered them all… Every last one… I've stayed here ever since, hiding away.”. Ulysses asked, “Mind if I try to comfort you, or will you break my arm?”, “You’re fine.”. Ulysses wrapped an arm around Nova. The two continued to silently think about their lost friend.

Brandon kneeled down in front of a memorial, he spoke to himself, “What the hell were you thinkin’ boy… Thing’s have been hell without you. Soldier morale is shit, House hardly gives orders anymore, I don’t have the right mind to command. Nova is shattered without you, she barely comes out of the Lucky 38 anymore. If you’re still alive, you better come back. Anyways, I thought you should know that I got that promotion. House did it himself, in honor of your promise. I’m a Captain again. Still in command of my squad, but now in command of 2 other groups. Each being about 20 soldiers, but I never call upon them often. As a special request, I took Senior’s team under my wing. Kreger, Johnson, Orion, Daisy, they’re all happier under my command, knowing that I’m not as much of an asshole as other commanders are. I owe you my life and I hope I’ll get the chance to return the favor.”.

Uylsses asked Nova, “Can you consume food, or is that not necessary?”, Nova replied, “It’s not necessary, but I’m capable, why?”, “Under the bed, should be a loose floorboard. The Courier made it a little hideaway for his stash of Absinthe. Quite a rare liquor in the Mojave, so he saves the bottles he finds for special occasions. He’d want you to have one, especially after all of this.”, Nova was surprised, “How did you know that?”, Ulysses smirked, “I know most of his secrets. After all, he needs someone to know and guard all his most prized possessions incase of his absence or death.”. Nova looked under the bed and popped up a floorboard. Sure enough, there was a stash of slightly glowing green bottles of Absinthe. She grabbed one and sat back on top the bed neck to Ulysses. She removed the cork and offered Ulysses the first drink, he declined, “Sorry, I still don’t drink. I might pour a dash of alcohol in some Bitter Drink once in a while, but I never fully drink.”, Nova replied, “If you say so.”. She drank a fourth of the bottle in one go, “What about Big M.T?”, “What about it?”, “Could Ace be there? It’s the only place he could have disappeared to, and no-body would ever look for him there since it looks like a giant nuclear devastation.”. Ulysses thought about it, “That could be possible, but we have no way of knowing. And before we try, we should at least be sure he’s there.”. Nova drank another fourth of the bottle, “Either way, I’m not moving from this bed. Just gonna get drunk and forget about everything.”, she grabbed a thing of Turbo nearby and took a hit of it, “Vegas… An immortal city run by a dead man. Caps, drugs, sex, booze, joy, regrets…”, Nova giggled to her self, “Gotta love New Vegas…”

(3 years ago)

Lanius had apparently survived, as well as Vulpes. Ulysses got up and passed the legate and straight towards Vulpes. He gripped Old Glory and bashed Vulpes in his gut, then his head. Vulpes coughed up blood, “It’ll take a lot more than that to -”, Ulysses wacked Vulpes in the face again and continued to beat his body with the staff. Ulysses eventually stopped and rested the end of Old Glory on the left side of Vulpes’ chest. Then he grabbed an Anti-Material rifle, rested it on his shoulder and aimed it just right, Ulysses spoke, “I said only one of us would leave here alive, and I meant it.”. Lanius got up and charged at Ulysses, the old courier pulled the trigger. A .50 caliber bullet shot out of the long barrel and hit the legate in the head. Vulpes said, “What are you waiting for? Do it.”. Ulysses walked over Lanius’ helmet and picked it up. He moved it somewhere that’d he’d remember, then walked back to Vulpes. Ulysses readied himself, gripped Old Glory one last time, then drove the staff into Vulpes’ heart. Ulysses noticed a man he recognized, it was the Courier. “What are you still doing here?”, the Courier answered, “It’s always me and you, at the end of everything.”, “I suppose so… How do we get out of the Silo?”, “I don’t know. But I’m sure we’ll find a way.”.

A nearby radio crackled, then tuned on. Mr. New Vegas spoke, “Whoops, better put on my newsman fedora here. Folks across the Mojave report feeling a large rumbling earlier today, as well as sounds of distant explosions and fire in the horizon. Most say it all came from a place called the Divide in the west. I sure wouldn’t want to go anywhere near there, and I bet none of you citizens of New Vegas want to either. In other news, due to the bold arrival of Enclave Remnants at the Second Battle for Hoover Dam, citizens have since been a bit on the edge knowing that the Enclave still lives among them. However, Mr. House’s successor, the Courier from Goodsprings, has assured the people of New Vegas that the Remnants mean no harm and pose no threat. Well, let’s get back to the music.”.

—

There was once a tale of two couriers. One was once a tribal and was always fascinated with history. The other couldn’t remember, but they were willing to relearn. If they had anything in common, it was creating more history. Ulysses had walked his road, more than he ever should have. He never rested, drove by rage and the blinded need for revenge. In the end, the Courier managed to help Ulysses, free him from the curse he inevitably gave himself, and told the old Courier 6 to go home. This very day, the story of Ulysses and the Courier finally, truly, came to a close. The Twisted Hairs were avenged, the two couriers brought upon an ending to things. Or, at least they did what the Old World failed to do.

Over time, Ulysses had heard and watched as the Courier destroyed and rebuilt the Mojave. A New World, built up from the Old World.

So much had changed… More adventures and stories awaited, and such will be told…