Maybe you're a leaner meaner fighting machine now, but that's still no reason to be foolish and volunteer for things. Eventually The Colonel picks someone at random and tells Harry to start assigning recon detachments.

"Alright you fuckin' bottom feeders, its time to put all that fuckin' training to good use! We're gonna go scout out the nearest towns we know of. Now I'm sure you know there were a lot of little towns dotted all over the place in these parts, are job is to make contact and see what the situation is. Don't be surprised if they open fire on you immediately. Catastrophes tend to make people behave like animals…and that's where we're coming in. We're here to be the tamers, just like the Colonel said, now then, Dixon, Bradson, Wilson, Copperheim! You're Alpha Team. Sams, Barns…"

Harry goes down a list assigning people. Time passes and you're one of the last people left. You can't help but notice that the ones left aren't exactly the most competent. You start wonder if you'll just be assigned to Compound duty, which you wouldn't really mind since it offers less opportunity to get shot at.

Your wonder is soon dispelled, when Harry puts down his list and addresses the rest of you directly.


"Alright now the rest of you fucking shit eating pansies get a different assignment, because you're so goddamn special like a fucking epileptic retard. You folks get to go to the CITY!"

Nobody looks too enthusiastic about that idea, except you're the only one with any balls to protest since you know Harry hates you anyway.

"The fucking city, are you kidding? It's probably been nuked into slag! There can't be anything useful there!"
"Y'know, I expected that kind of cowardly shit from you, so that's why you're going to be point man for the entire mission! Anyway, we don't know if the city has been completely destroyed, chances are that it not being a major city and its low importance, it may not have been hit with anything larger than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima back in old World War 2."
"OH well then, I'm SURE it'll be safe to enter then!" you reply.
"Shut your fucking mouth and stop being a bitch! You're all going to be wearing radiation suits anyway, which will keep your yellow ass safe. That alleviate your worries cupcake? Fuckin' pussy ass faggot. You oughta be glad you're even here in the first place. You don't like the fuckin' rules, you can fuckin' leave and see how well you fare on your own. Now what's it gonna be Nancy Boy?"
"Fuck it, fine, whatever." You retort giving in, but still weighing the option of possibly leaving later.

"Yeah, that's what I thought cupcake. Alright, go pick up your equipment and get ready to set off, you'll be using one of the vehicles since the City is pretty far away. If in the event that cupcake IS right and the place is a glowing hole, then return immediately. Another thing the Colonel wants this mission secret, so don't fucking mention it to anyone else in the Compound! I find out you have and you're fucking history! This means you don't tell your little girlfriend, cupcake!"

You all leave, with Harry still giving you a dirty look for your insubordination. You wonder if you shouldn't just leave when you exit the Compound. Take the equipment and then just disappear, who's going to come after you? It's not like there's going to be MPs searching for you all over the wasteland.

The night before you leave, Marina comes to see you.
"I hear you're leaving tomorrow, and I know we didn't get a lot of quality time with each other, but I wanted us to spend at least what could be the last time I see you together."

Marina's apparently not familiar with the fact that you didn't really have a choice in the matter, but since she's on top of you right now, you're not going to bring up the issue…

The next day you load up with what you think you might need, water, food, rifle, pistol, knife, Geiger counter, radiation suit, all the basic essentials, before you zoom off in the beat up car that's passing for your transportation to the city.

You sit in the back seat, while your other three teammates Steve, Albert and Roger are talking with each other. Mostly about things that don't matter, none of them seem to even be thinking about the fact that you're possibly driving into a glowing hole in the ground. And you don't give a shit what you're wearing. All the lead panties in the world aren't going to completely protect you, if you're standing at ground zero! You end up going back to sleep for the first day of the trip, only being periodically awakened by the laughter your team mates.

On the second day you stare out the window and see that the landscape has gotten worse looking as you get closer to your destination. The surrounding countryside around the Compound looks relatively untouched compared to what you're starting to see now. For shits and giggles, you roll the window open and shove part of the Geiger counter outside to get a reading, it starts clicking like a cricket and crack.

"Hey! Roll up that window; you're letting all the radiation in! Ha ha!" Albert exclaims, who's sitting next to you. Idiot.
"Check it out, looks like the city survived after all…well more or less." Steve says who's doing the driving.

You turn your attention forward and see the shattered "skeletal" remains of skyscrapers looming in the distance. The city got hit, but apparently by something "small" and probably exploded high in the air. Of course that doesn't make you feel any better.

Steve stops the car just outside the city limits mainly because the road is being blocked by burned out shells of other vehicles. You all pile out of the car.

"Alright I think we can take it from foot on here, we probably shouldn't try to drive the car in the city anyway, we need to conserve gas. Alright you're in the lead." Steve says to you.
"What? Why am I in the fucking lead?" you ask.
"Because Harry said you fuckin' were, CUPCAKE! Ha ha!" Albert laughs.
"Yeah, besides, you worked in the city, none of us did, so you probably know the place than we do."
"What, so none of you assholes ever visited the place?"
"Maybe a few times, not really enough to get deeply acquainted with it, look you're outnumbered, and you're taking lead, and that's that. Don't worry we'll be right behind you." Roger replies.
"After seeing how you fuckers shoot, I don't know if that's stupider than going into a radioactive city to begin with."

You take lead and begin walking; meanwhile your team members go back to talking about shit that doesn't matter again. Given their attention span, you wonder if you wouldn't just be better off exploring by yourself.

You stick with the team

You may not like this mission, and you may not like the people you're with, but it'll be a lot safer if you stick with these idiots, because you have a bad feeling about this place. In the meantime while you keep your eyes open, your ears are assaulted by your teammates' conversation.

"I'm telling you she touched my hand dude! She's totally into me! I'm gonna talk to her more when we get back." Albert exclaims.
"Bullshit, you didn't get anywhere with Vivica! I should know because I fuckin' tried once and she didn't give me any kind of play! I think she's a fuckin' dyke anyway." Roger replies.
"Why the hell does she have to be some kind of dyke? Couldn't be that she didn't like
your ugly ass?"
"Fuck off Albert, go ahead and make an idiot of yourself trying to hit on some carpet muncher. I don't give a shit; I'm just trying to keep you from wasting your time."
"Oh…well maybe she'll let me watch or something."
"Yeah, right. That never happens except in the movies." Steve says.
"The other problem with that plan, I can't think of any other woman in the Compound that might swing that way. Not unless you were some smooth pimp motherfucker that could talk her into it and given that you're far from that Albert, I'd say you're shit out of luck."
"Well couldn't one of you guys help me? I mean, you could try to talk your girlfriends and we could all watch or something."
"Yeah, there's a problem with that plan too Albert, namely neither one of those fuckers got girlfriends either." You interrupt.
"Ha fuckin' ha. Nobody asked you for your opinion smart ass." Roger remarks annoyed.
"Hey, do you think you could maybe talk to Marina then?"
"Everyone shut the fuck up I hear something!"

After looking around and up, in a split second of total silence, Roger speaks again.

"There's nothing here, this city was fucking annihilated, ain't nothing alive except maybe rats and roaches. I dunno even know why we're so worried to begin with, do you think if anyone WAS still left alive they would be in any condition to…"

Suddenly Rogers head explodes like a ripe melon after getting hit by a shotgun blast coming from the second floor window of a nearby building. The "thing" holding the shotgun is reloading and alerting his fellows.

"MEEEEEEEEAAAT!" it screeches in a raspy voice.

More figures start appearing. Most have a half-crazed appearance and severe radiation burns. Apparently these bomb survivors have had their minds damaged along with their bodies.

"Holy shit, we're gonna die!" Albert screams and starts firing at everything. You and Steve do likewise while retreating back to the car. Before you all manage to leave the immediate area, the thing with the shotgun manages to get off another shot, blasting Albert in the leg, tearing it off. He screams and tries to crawl away, but is quickly mobbed and the last thing you see of him is some of the freaks sinking their teeth into him.

"GET THE FUCK MOVING STEVE!" you shout stepping up your pace.

 
Eventually you and Steve manage to get back to the car and speed off back to the Compound. Steve is pretty upset and while there isn't any traffic on the road, you still don't want him to be crashing into something else.

"Steve calm the fuck down, and get a hold of yourself!"
"Fuck you man! Didn't you see that?! They fuckin' killed Roger! And they ATE fuckin' Albert! Aw shit man! Shit! They're gonna come after us!"
"I doubt that, they don't even know where we're from. Just be glad we got out of there. It was a stupid idea to go there in the first place. There's nothing there except crazed radioactive cannibals. I'm gonna tell Harry that much when we get back. Nobody's going there again, especially not me!"

You're pretty pissed about this whole affair really and the more you're thinking about it; maybe you should just not return to the Compound, you have enough equipment and supplies to keep you in good shape for awhile. All you'd have to do is get rid of Steve and take the car.

You return to the Compound

Nope, in for a penny in for a pound. If nothing else, Marina's still there and the fact her actions basically saved your life is enough to make you stay.

The rest of the trip is Steve still ranting to himself about the deaths of his friends. True, they weren't your friends, but you guess you can see why he might be upset. You'd radio in to the Compound, but Roger was the one carrying it and he's a headless (and probably now eaten) corpse back in the city.

You don't say anything else until Steve nearly drives the car into the gate of the Compound at which point you step out of the car and remove the hot ass radiation suit and demand to see Harry. Everyone is wondering what's going on.

Harry hears your shouting and comes out of barracks, the Colonel does as well; good you want him to be here as well.

"What is your major malfunction you screaming queen?" Harry asks angrily, as if you're the one at fault.
"My malfunction is sending us to the goddamn city was a fucking stupid ass idea! What made you think there would anything of any use there anyway? You just trying to get us all killed?"
"No, just you, cupcake."
"You call me fuckin' cupcake one more time and me and you are gonna go round and round you dumb fucking gung ho military wanna be asshole!"

Before Harry can respond to your insult the Colonel steps in.

"ALRIGHT ENOUGH! I won't have infighting in my Compound! Harry we talked about this before that I didn't want any recon missions to the city! At least not until we got better established!"
"But Colonel, I though we should…"
"You DON'T THINK! That's for ME to do! You obey fucking orders! I'M in fucking charge around here and you better not forget that!"
"Yes Colonel." Harry utters grudgingly.

Now the Colonel turns his attention to you.

"And YOU do not fucking rant like a goddamn maniac in front of everyone lowering morale and encouraging dissention! Like it or not, you're going to be sent on dangerous missions. If you want to stay here you better start learning to get with the fucking program and follow orders!"

You're getting really tired of hearing that one.

"So, all this aside, what exactly happened in the city and what did you find?"
"Nothing! There's just a bunch of crazed cannibal freaks living there, armed and dangerous."
"I see, well then all future missions to the city are going to be called off. I'm not risking anymore of my people's lives by sending them there. We've lost too many people on these recon missions quite frankly. I sent a couple of people on a special assignment and I haven't heard any word back from them, not to mention the people we've lost trying to contact other known towns. Fortunately, it hasn't been a complete loss we how found a few pockets of civilization. We need to start developing good relations with them now though. This will help in our rebuilding process. For now you're dismissed, but don't get too comfortable. I'll be sending you out again soon."

You turn away and go back to your room in the underground part of the Compound wondering if you shouldn't just fucking leave, just then you get a visit from Marina. You're kind of glad to see her despite your pissed off mood.

"Are you okay?"
"Hell if I know I just spent a day in radiationville. I'll find out when my balls start shriveling up in three days!"
"I think those suits would protect you from that happening."
"Yeah, I know everyone thinks they're magical…nevermind I'm not even mad about that, I mean I understand we all got this lofty mission of re-establishing civilization or some shit, but I just don't see the fucking point in it. And I REALLY don't see the point in getting sent on suicide missions!"

Marina sits next to you and tries to explain.

"Okay, that WAS a mistake. In fact I wish you would've told me! I could've told the Colonel and he would've cancelled the mission! Harry likes to think he's second in command, but he's really just louder and more aggressive than most around here and that's why he's in a command position, but I think you could do just as good a job. I mean you've already braved and lived through going to the city and from what you described and Steve's mental breakdown it sounds like it was pretty bad. Total anarchy and lawlessness. And that's one of the reasons why rebuilding civilization is important. Do you really want to live in a world like that? I know you think this is all some sort of paramilitary bullshit, but we DO have a plan. Isn't it more advantageous to try to make the world a better place and have some sort of order?"
"Trying to make the world a better place…yeah a lot of people in the past have thought they were doing that too and you can see how that turned out…THIS! Look, it's a nice idea, but I don't see it happening, not then, not now, not ever. I'd say our best bet would be to just try to live out the rest of lives as comfortably as we can in this hellhole of a world and not go messing around with shit unless its necessary."
"…so I take it you're going to leave?"

You look a Marina before responding.

"No, I'm not leaving, but I'm staying for you, not an ideology or plan. My feelings for you override whatever disagreements I have with the current political agenda, if that's even the proper term for it."
"Well that's sweet, but I do hope you develop a more positive attitude about this place." Marina says hugging you.
"Doubt it, but I suppose anything's possible now."

A year passes…

You don't feel any different, but you're used to the Compound's plan of "re-building" civilization. You've moved up the ranks due to the fact that you're competent, something the Colonel realizes and respects even if Harry hates you. But due to your "loner" attitude you're usually sent on scouting missions by yourself rather than given any kind of command position. Ironically, you've been one of the key people in developing good relations with the nearby towns, since you've developed the knack of the sniper's art over the past year which really comes in handy when killing raiders. The Colonel's of the idea that if the Compound can prove its able to help defend towns from raiders, more people will want to join, the towns will be more willing to trade or even better a whole town will want a formal alliance.

Perhaps slightly imperialistic, but what the hell, it's better to be the top dog and at least the intention is somewhat for good reasons. All part of the rebuilding process.


Right now you're in the town that you found called Lost Springs, it's a remote little town that doesn't have any problems with raiders due to its somewhat hidden location (Though the wandering mutant bear is a problem sometimes) and while they're friendly with you, it's clear they just want to be left alone and keep to themselves. This might not be a problem, except they have a continual supply of fresh water from some underground stream. Not even mildly radioactive! (Though you're still convinced you're going to start mutating any day now since your trip to the city) It's a resource that can't just simply be ignored, but you're not exactly a diplomat, so you're not going to be convincing them on your own (And it's not like you can impress them with your super duper raider killing skills)

You leave them to their own devices

If they don't want your help; they don't want your help. You can understand that. No point in bringing in anyone else to debate the issue. You get on your motorcycle and depart. When you get back to the Compound you just say you didn't find anything on this little excursion. Life continues.

Four years pass…


Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns thanks to you and others. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine.

However, not everything is stable. The Colonel hasn't been well lately; in fact he's been sick for the past year. Everyone's wondering if he's going to die. You've noticed Harry has been taking a lot of liberties with orders lately, which you're constantly always arguing with him about. If it was up to him, he'd put all the towns you're allied with under martial law. You can't even believe he suggested sending people to the city again, since he thinks that all the survivors were probably dead by now and it would be "safe".

One day the Colonel wants to see you in private as he lies on what is probably going to be his death bed soon. He addresses you immediately when you enter.

"Good you're here, I don't have long and I need to talk to you."
"Uh, okay."
"Go look at those schematics on the table over there."

You do as the Colonel says, and see some blue prints of what looks to be a base of some sort. You also see the logo "GZS" in several places. You remember that was the logo of that corporation that was trying to sell everyone their Shelters before the bombs hit. You sometimes wonder how things would've turned out, if you bought one. While you're looking, the Colonel continues to speak.

That's the floor plans to a top secret military base, my friend Alex got them for me a long time ago before the bombs dropped. He used to work there. It was some place where the government and the Ground Zero Survival Corporation were doing a secret joint project. Something to do with weapons. I always thought it would be a great benefit, if we could ever get a hold of whatever they were working on. I tried to make contact with the base since I know the radio frequency it used, but I never got any response from Alex or anyone."
"Hmm, so why didn't you ever send some people there?"
"Wow, you really are in your own little world, I figured you at least heard other people talk about it in the past. Anyway I did. Several times about five years ago. Everyone I ever sent never returned. Got to the point where I couldn't in good conscience sent people to what looked to be their deaths, besides a lot of people were less than enthusiastic to accept the mission, the last few times I sent people out they just deserted. Eventually I just wrote it off that maybe the place is occupied by a superior hostile force. Just one of the reasons why I was really keen on the idea of creating an alliance with surrounding towns. Who knows when that force would decide to venture out and start heading this way? Actually a couple of years ago, I thought about sending YOU out there. I figured you being the most capable; you might actually survive and get back to be able to report something."
"What stopped you?"
"I couldn't risk lose one of my best people, especially since you were doing a good job at proving we could help protect the other towns. Besides you already got sent to one unnecessary death trap five years ago, didn't seem right to send you to another."

You're wondering where the Colonel going with all this, so you get to the point.

"So what's all this ultimately have to do with me?"
"I'm promoting you right now since I want you to take over after I die."
"What?!"
"This place needs someone stable, Harry isn't suitable. In fact, I dare say he won't be pleased with this decision…you may even have to kill him."

You're a little overwhelmed by all this.

"Whoa, whoa, hold the fucking phone! I don't want this!"
"I know you don't, but it's the best chance for the Combine's survival, because that hostile force I mentioned? It's real. And it's on its way. Recently I've been picking up radio signals and they are from the base. They didn't say much, except that they were coming to cleanse this place. I haven't told ANYONE about this yet."
"What, is it some sort of heavily armed professional military group or some shit?"
"I wish. I question if they're even human. The voice sounded cold and robotic. I think we're going to find out first hand what exactly the government and GZS were secretly working on."
"Well hold on, couldn't they be masking their voice?"
"I suppose it's possible, but I dunno…something in my heart tells me that this is going to be really bad…like it won't just stop here. I'm almost glad I won't be around to see the destruction."
"I still don't understand why you want me to take over; I'm not exactly the leader of men. In fact I'd say they'd listen to Harry before they listen to me."
"I can't argue with you anymore…maybe you're right…maybe not…the choice I suppose will be up to you…all I'll say is with Harry in charge you might as well leave the Combine now, because I don't wager you'll be alive under his reign long enough to even see the attack occur. Maybe it might even be for the best, I wonder if even the total strength of the Combine will be enough to drive this attack back."

The Colonel sounds like he's being a bit over dramatic, he's making a lot of assumptions here. You not sure you want all this responsibility, but if you're going to take it, you better do it now.

You take Command

This was never anything you ever had in mind, but you've come this far, you have made a life here for yourself with Marina; you might as well stick with it. Besides, you'll be damned if you'll leave because of Harry.

"Okay. I'll do it."

The Colonel looks relieved. He struggles to get out of bed.

"Alright, I still have some strength left, let's make this official."

A meeting is called in the main courtyard where the Colonel weakly addresses everyone, while you stand by. He explains how you're going to be in charge and he also mentions the "robot invasion" he's convinced is going to happen. You see Marina in the crowd, who looks very proud and pleased. Harry however is severely pissed and makes it known immediately by confronting the both of you.

"What the fuck is this shit? I'VE been here longer! I'VE been training all these fucking maggots and faggots INCLUDING Cupcake over there!"
"Yes, and you've done a good job of that, but your temperament isn't suitable for taking command of this place. Besides, I've determined that…"
"FUCK YOU OLD MAN! YOU WILL NOT DENY MY GOD GIVEN RIGHT!" Harry suddenly pulls out his pistol and shoots the Colonel in the stomach. He then tries to shoot you, but you've developed more experience than he has in terms of quickness. You pull your own pistol and drill Harry directly between the eyes, dropping him.

"Wish I'd done that to begin with." You say while Vivica rushes over to the Colonel to try to help him, it's hopeless though, he was dying anyway. He calls you over one last time.

"…well…I told (cough) you, that you'd probably have to kill him…defend the Combine…follow this man…(cough) he'll lead you…to victorrrrreeee…"

The Colonel's passing is mourned by all, as everyone respected him. A major funeral ceremony is held. It's probably his last words (and Harry's shooting) that stabilizes most people's attitude towards you. They're willing to follow you, which gives you at least one less thing to worry about.

Of course now you just have to worry about whether or not there is a bunch of robots coming to attack. You decide not to take any chances though and immediately order scouting to be done on the outskirts of the secret base that the Colonel had schematics of. You also order the area around Fort Justice to be heavily trapped along with increased training exercises.

When your scouts return, only a couple of them do so, and they're badly wounded. They confirm the Colonel's suspicions. There IS an army of robots (though they say most of them are really cyborgs, but that hardly matters) in the area. They're very organized and heavily armed with high tech weaponry.

Within a week, the first wave of cyborgs arrive. Surprisingly they give you the option of surrendering and be "remade" to serve the Cybernetic Evolution. You of course decline this offer and fight the steel bastards instead. They're tough, but your traps ensure you to defeat them much easier. During this time you send a few people to get more help from other Combine towns. You get it for the most part due to large participation in defending most of those towns in the past. You didn't think about it before, but that might've been another reason why the Colonel thought you'd be a better candidate for command, you had a high respect standing with the other towns even if you didn't initially have it in Fort Justice.

A couple more months pass and you're assaulted by the second wave. Then again in another few months by a third wave. The cyborgs do a hell of a lot of damage, they breach some of the walls and you lose a lot of people, you're even heavily scarred in one of the attacks, but yet the Fort still holds and that's one of your main concerns, you know if the Fort falls that's it; The Combine will lose this war as the main trained combat force is here. You have to make sure that doesn't happen.

You start to notice when the cyborgs retreat they attempt to take away any casualties that you have. In fact you could swear a few of the last few cyborgs you destroyed looked VERY familiar. This gives you the idea that this army is probably a lot more limited in number and not unstoppable. In fact even though they come in great force, it seems to take them awhile to gather up the same force in-between attacks. And while there's robots mixed in with the cyborgs, they aren't nearly as numerous. Looks like there's a shortage and the Cybernetic Evolution needs more warm bodies even more than you do.

It's possible that if you just sit tight and defend, you'll win by sheer attrition, of course you could just finish it quicker by taking the fight to them.

You finish it

In these past few months you've actually been fighting for something. Not just "following orders" or "going through the motions". You haven't even been doing it for mere survival, if you were interested in just survival, you would've just taken off and put as much distance as you could between you and the Combine before the cyborgs appeared. It took awhile, but you finally have a sense of purpose. You finally "got" all that shit Marina was talking about. Rebuilding civilization and all that. The Cybernetic Evolution is a real threat to that ever happening. It needs to be stopped here and now while it's weak.

You get organized first and muster ALL the help you can from the rest of the Combine towns. This includes a bit of conscription from them and puts somewhat of a strain on relations and general feelings. Many think the war is "won" and you can just sit back and defend now, but you know you need to press the Cybernetic Evolution now before they "recruit" elsewhere and just attack you again and maybe successfully. Enthusiasm isn't exactly the highest, but you have proven to be a successful military leader so the people are willing to put up with your orders.

The assault on the Cyborg Base occurs and it is not easy. The location and rough terrain prevents most vehicles you might've used in the assault to get close. The siege lasts months the losses are horrendous, and there's a point where people are really starting to question your leadership. However before a revolt in the Combine occurs, the Cyborg Base is breached and the topside is taken.

The base's second level is easily accessed and the war is nearly at an end. Finally the leader of the Cybernetic Evolution is cornered and unceremoniously blown to bits by a grenade while he was trying to hide in one of the rooms. Oddly he wasn't a robot or even a cyborg. He was merely a human with megalomania, in fact after some investigation; it was the Colonel's old "friend" Alex.

The threat to the Combine is at an end, but the threat OF the Combine is just beginning…

Even though you were the one who orchestrated the defeat of the Cybernetic Evolution and probably saved not only the Combine, but the hope of humanity with your actions somehow a lot of people aren't all that grateful. They only see the immediate loss that was suffered rather than the larger picture. Fort Justice is of course firmly still under your control as well as the newly acquired cyborg base, but most of the other towns are wanting out of the Combine saying that you're being a dictator.

You let them leave

Once again, you think back to that town of Lost Springs that didn't want to be part of the Combine, and you thought then "If they don't want your help, they don't want your help."

Maybe they're calling you a dictator, but you know if that were true you'd enforce your will upon all of them. No, you're not going to do that.

One by one the towns disband from the Combine. You still remain in control of Fort Justice and the newly acquire Cyborg Base, but "The Combine" as you know it is no more. One might even call it a Pyrrhic victory, however you do not.

You saved civilization and humanity from a threat that might not have been stopped otherwise. Maybe you aren't going to be recognized for it, but then again some good deeds aren't recognized. Sometimes Marina thinks it's incredibly unfair of how you've been labeled, but you take it all in stride and always tell her after kissing her…

"It was worth it."

 and you remain in control of Fort Justice and Base Victory, you never experience any more real threats mainly due to the superior high tech weaponry that was acquired when Base Victory was taken. Expansion is never seriously considered again however stable relations with towns are re-established eventually when they start having raider problems again. Many of your citizens hire themselves out as mercenaries in exchange for goods that are needed and to make a living. Indeed the "Old Combine" becomes known as the place one goes to; to get help, but nobody wants to be under Combine rule again.

Civilization is re-establishing itself slowly, maybe very slowly, but at least it has a chance now. You spend the rest of your remaining years running your little section of civilization making things better when you can.

One day you're stricken with sickness that progressively gets worse. All help is done for you, but you're dying. You're reminded of the Colonel except you don't have to worry about getting shot like he did, as you've already picked out a suitable successor. Your first choice would've been Marina, as you know her to be capable, but as she'd said many times in the past she's never had any desire herself for command. You never knew why, since she would've been perfect for it. After all right from the beginning she pushed you in the direction.

You hold her hand as you talk to her one last time on your death bed.

"So, you really don't mind Vivica taking charge of this place? You're sure you don't want it?" you ask while Marina shakes her head.
"No. I never wanted it. I always wanted you to have the glory, and the recognition. You had so much potential…and you were never fully appreciated for the deeds you did."
"Hey, you know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Don't worry about it, I never did."
"I always wished we could've had kids…I'm sorry I couldn't give you any…to carry on your name…"
"Marina, stop it. You know I never cared about that, besides I doubt if it was your problem anyway. I'm sure the time I spent in that fucking radiated city made me sterile. Hell, it's probably what's killing me now. Knew it was only a matter of time before that shit caught up with me. Marina, I don't want to spend my last moments of you sad and wishing for things that didn't happen. Let's just spend it together in silence."

After telling each other you love one another, she holds on to your body until you draw your last breath.

You funeral is a quiet and respectful one. Your loss is felt, but as always life goes on. Marina tries to make sure people don't forget what you did until the day she dies. Some heroes aren't meant to be remembered though and with her death, eventually you're virtually forgotten when Fort Justice is abandoned and a new one is rebuilt elsewhere. You become part of obscure history.

However your now well worn tombstone (next to Marina's) in the Old Fort Justice cemetery still displays words that would sum up what your attitude about your obscurity would be if you were still alive.

"It was worth it."