This past year, I've probably clocked more hours into Fallout: New Vegas than any other new game. Steam tells me I've played the game for 86 hours. I've killed mutants, monsters, and all kinds of nasty creatures. I've killed humans too, a lot of whom were more nasty than those mutants. Humans who walked around in steel suits, or crucified people just for fun. I saved good people. And, admittedly, lost a few, too. I gained companions. Freed natives. Stopped wars. Started a few, too. It was a lovely ride through the main game and four pieces of DLC.
Now, the final slice of DLC has been released: The Lonesome Road. I'm sad. No more new content for Fallout: New Vegas. Say it isn't so! But, in celebration of its release (and a closing to this chapter in the Fallout series), I present you with my journey through this last piece of the Mojave Wasteland. It will be written utterly straight, spoken from a first person point of view and describing things as if they were actually happening. Think of it as my character's journal. And this is Day 1.
Day 1 - February 4th, 2083
1:02 AM - I woke up, coughing. A dust storm kicked up during the night, and I could taste metallic sand in my mouth. It was dark, and my Pipboy was beeping. It picked up a signal. I brought the green, glowing screen up to my face and squinted as I look at it. The signal was coming from the West of Primm. Not far. I was at the Prospector's Den, and that's just East of Primm. There was a message.
"Courier Six. Come to the Canyon Wreckage. Ulysses."
A reunion, then. I knew I was one of six couriers sent out into the wasteland. I had the real chip. The only real chip. That's all the information I had...except a name. Ulysses. The other courier. Now...it seems I was going to find out just what was going on. I'd better get moving.
3:07 AM - I walked in the dark, not much caring what I ran into. With all the time I've spend out in the Wasteland, there wasn't anything that could surprise me any longer. Or so I thought.
Lonesome Road? What the hell was this? There was also a door marked "The Divide", and my moniker, "Courier Six", spraypainted not far from that. But most curiously...the words "You can go home, Courier".
I have a home?
I checked my gear, making sure I had enough food, water, and bullets to last me a long while. And then I opened the door. Stepping through. Into The Divide.
1:25 pm - I walked for what seemed like forever, finally passing the canyon and stepping forth onto a sheer precipice. I shivered at the sight. This land was foreign to me. For the first time in a long while, I felt uneasy. As though perhaps now...there were things out there that I possibly couldn't handle.
After stumbling around for a while, I shirked the rock wall of the cliff and found a door. I tilted my head at it, as though it had no business existing at all. But it was there all the same, and it was the only way for me to go.
I found myself in a tunnel. It was dark, and sharp, bright sparks of electricity cast eerie shadows on the wall. Those words were there again. "You can go home, Courier." I was getting anxious, and starting to feel that perhaps I'd walked right into a trap. It's not like there weren't people wanting me dead. The Legion. The Khans. Just to name a few. But there was nothing here...at least nothing that I could see yet. I found a scant few supplies scattered about in desk drawers, cabinets, and toolboxes. I was grateful for them, but it didn't make me any more relaxed. Then, I reached another door. It was marked Lonesome Road. And it opened on its own.
I jumped back in surprise, cocking the hammer on my revolver. Nothing came out. Nothing was inside. Wiping my brow, I stepped into the room. This one had more supplies than before, and I started to feel the weight of my pack starting to take its toll on me. As happy as I was to find so many useful items (you learn to appreciate that kind of thing after wandering the Mojave for so long), I couldn't carry much more. That was a problem.
I found an interesting weapon in this room, and decided to keep it. Seems like it would be quite useful on robots, given how much electricity it shoots out.
Then, I noticed the containment chamber. I was wary of opening it, since I could see the robot that was inside. Out of all the robots I've met in the Mojave, only about 1% of them were friendly. My odds weren't good. I switched to my .357 Magnum and pressed the button. The small robot activated and floated out towards me. It didn't even have to say anything -- I lowered my gun immediately. I could tell it was on my side.
I've been around robots a lot, and I know a lot about them. This one could only beep and play recordings, but we understood each other just fine. His name's ED-E.
Turns out ED-E is quite the useful little bot. Not only can he open up certain things for me, but he can also carry some of my stuff, repair my gear, help me craft things, and reload my bullets for me. ED-E and I are going to get along just fine.
The two of us continued on our way through this place...which I began to realize was some kind of nuclear silo. ED-E would open doors for me that I couldn't hack or pick, and I found a few upgrades to give to the little guy. He was pretty excited about those.
The silo seemed to house some kind of American rocket. It made ED-E nervous. Seems like something real bad happened to him and his creator here a long time ago. He wouldn't tell me everything about it, though. Maybe later, I'll earn his trust enough for him to tell me.
We reached another door and another room. That's when I saw the bodies.
I readied my revolver. Obviously something had to kill them. Either other humans, some kind animal or mutant, or some kind of robot. Turns out it was robots. Big sentry bots. Mean ones, too, armored to their mechanical teeth. And y'know what? Turns out ED-E can fight, too. The two of us made quick work of those robots. I was even able to hack a panel -- disabling half of them and turning the security turrets onto the other half. It was almost too easy. That nagging feeling that I was walking into a trap was still at the back of my mind.
Then, we found the silo's exit. We got out. And that's when Ulysses finally decided to speak. His voice came through ED-E. My hand tightened around the handle of my revolver. I was pissed...not because I was being led along blindly by someone I didn't know or trust...but because the bastard was talking through MY robot. Perhaps I'd been wandering the Mojave alone for too long. I had companions once...but that was a long time ago. It's been just me for a long time, and perhaps that was why I got so attached to ED-E so quickly. Whatever the case, Ulysses' first impression upon me was not a good one.
Things didn't improve much from there. He told me a lot of things...most of it I didn't understand at all. He took his name from history. A general who fought for his land, a land that was under two flags. He had to reunite the land under one. I knew what he was talking about. I know my history. Ulysses S. Grant. The general for the Union in the American Civil War. I read it in a book once. An old, charred book that existed before the War.
He talked to me like he'd been watching me all this time, and after we were done talking I really believe that he has been doing just that.
Interestingly enough, he told me he was also Courier Six. Same as me. He refused to deliver the chip. The job that I ended up taking. The job that earned me a bullet in the head and a memory like swiss cheese. I don't regret that. I'm a better person for it, and I learned so much since then. And I've -done- so much since then. I was almost inclined to thank him. Almost.
He expected me to die because of that chip, and seemed honestly impressed that I hadn't. Perhaps that was what drove him to watch me all this time. Who knows? And now, he wants me to find him. Why, I don't know. And he wouldn't say. He has, however, made it clear that he does not intend to try to kill me. For some reason, I believe that he's telling the truth.
But, that doesn't mean that this is going to be easy. I'm in The Divide. This isn't the Mojave anymore. I have to cross it to get to him, and I don't know what's out there. He does, but he's not talking any more. I'm sure he'd love to watch the land do what he's swore he himself would not. He warned me. Said the divide may break me. He wants to see if I'm stronger.
Then, he was gone, and ED-E's now familiar beeps were back. I turned and faced The Divide.
I shivered. It was a frightening sight, even after everything I have seen and done. But Ulysses is out there, and he has answers. He has my past. And, maybe, my home is out there too. Who knows?
In any case, The Divide can wait until tomorrow. ED-E and I are going to call it a night, and find a nice place here to sleep just on the edge of The Divide. Tomorrow...we'll see what it has in store for me.
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment