Old World wastes, New World order (Parts 1 - 5)

(Part 1)

*An Enclave officer* kneeled *down and picked up a power armor helmet laying next to it’s matching suit*, “Huh… What’s a suit of APA doing here? And these tesla coils are quite rare, the Enclave didn’t just hand out shocktrooper gear for free.”. *The officer examined the suit more closely, the suit was different than most he had seen. Tesla suits were more of an experiment, not a working field armor. But just then, the officer knew where the suit came from.* “This was Gannon’s power armor.”, *a soldier next to him spoke,* “Gannon? Isn’t he dead? Who or how else could have this suit end up here?”. “His son must have worn it here, or maybe one of Gannon’s squad members.”. *The soldier responds,* “Does that mean they’re alive?”. *The officer speaks,* “I know they are. Judah Kreger contacted me, said he and his squad were held up in the refueling station/bunker near Jacobstown. When we’re done salvaging data from this silo, we’ll head over there to meet up.”.

—

*The Courier thought to himself, “So much trouble… All for something so small…”. He looked at the Platinum Chip, then made a decision.* “I’m gonna go to the 38.”. *Arcade and Ulysses looked at him confused, Ulysses said, “*Why? What reason have you to go back?”. *The Courier responded*, “First off, aside from Jacobstown, the Strip should still be relatively safe. The Mk2 Securitrons were commanded to shoot anything on sight, no matter if hostile or friendly. Second, I need to talk to Mr. House.” *Arcade replies,* “You killed Mr. House, right?” “No, I put him in a coma. All I have to do is insert the Platinum Chip and type a few things in. Why kill such an amazing man when I could use him to my benefit? And if any Enclave people decide to show up, they could work with me and Mr. House to start rebuilding.”.

*The Courier made his way through the hell that once was the Mojave. Marked Men avoided him, Ghosts would shuffle on by and ignore the Courier and Holograms would scan him a few times then move on. When he reached the Vegas Strip gates, he was greeted by the Securitron guardians,* “Welcome back, Sir. Please return to the Lucky 38 for further operations.”. *The Strip looked rundown. Abandoned and cold. Victor was still operational, which means House was too.* “Howdy partner! Long time no see! I’d say the boss is waitin’ for ya, but I haven't heard anything from him in awhile. Maybe you should head up to the penthouse and see how he’s doing.”. *The Courier made his way into the Lucky 38 and into the elevator, then up to the penthouse. He was greeted by Jane,* then he continued down the stairs to the computer. “Alright, Insert the Chip, activate the reactor… Ease the energy flow slowly into the Antechamber… Deactivate the suppression protocol…”. *After that, the lights of the lucky 38 turned on, flooding the room and tower with light, the Strip re-awoke as it too began to shine bright and music played once more. The combined light was so bright, it could be seen from miles away even through the harsh weather and the Cloud. Mr. House reappeared on the big screen and looked down at the Courier, “*I thought you were going to kill me, why didn’t you?”, *the Courier responds,* “I knew I would need you in the future, so I chose to put you in a coma instead. You were right, House. You were right all along… Tell me, what do you know about the Enclave?”. *Mr. House thought for a second. In all the contracts he made, when he built Liberty Prime… He remembered something about a so-called ‘Enclave’. He knew there was a devil that he was making deals with, but he never got to truly meet whoever owned the hand he always shook.* “I knew they were the dark side of the U.S Government, I think I made a few deals with them regarding contracts and all the defense tech. The Enclave and Vault-tec helped build the Securitron vault as well. I know they survived the Great War like they said they would, trying to be a continuation of the American government. Some of the most powerful people, in fact. Would’ve been nice if they let me in on their business. Maybe I could have had control. Why do you ask?”, *Courier replies,* “Today's your lucky day, House. One of the higher ranking members of the Enclave are on their way to talk to you, maybe you two could start a nice mutual relationship?”. *Mr. House had a better idea,* “Is that so? Do you think they'd let me be… The President of the United States?”

*This was House’s chance, to rule not just Vegas, but the whole nation. Wipe out all who opposed him, and rebuild America in the way he sees fit. And with the Enclave behind him and the Courier with his army of Securitrons, nothing could stop House. Autocratic-totalitarian control, limitless power, what more could he ask for?*

*—*

*The Courier had headed back to camp to give Arcade and Ulysses and update. Mr. House remained online. His screen glitched a few times, then went to normal. A nearby Securiton guard began to glitch, then moved in front of Mr. House. He tried to control it, but he had no power over it. The Securitron face flickered then changed to a gradient blackish-blue with a bright blue line in the middle going left to right. It said,* “Robert Edwin House, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Eden, John Henry Eden, and I think you and I will get along well…”.

(Part 2)

*Mr. House was shocked. Someone other than him controlling his own robots? This new intruder had to be dealt with.* “What are you doing here, how are you in my systems?!”. *Eden replied,* “Well, I’m not a human, I can tell you that. I’m a ZAX unit, I was installed at the Raven Rock mountain complex tasked with the continuation of Government operations. However, 4 years ago the Brotherhood of Steel destroyed that Enclave military base and killed me in the process. 40 years ago, the Presidential Oil Rig known as Control Station ENCLAVE was destroyed by a tribal descendant of a Vault Dweller from Vault 13, which resulted in the death of President Dick Richerdson. And lastly, the Whitespring bunker. I only assume it’s the last still operating Enclave base in all of America, but I had terminated my contact with MODUS a long time ago so I don’t know what has happened over the years. Now, Mr. House, I’d like to make you an offer. We can work together with the Enclave and your mighty Securitron army behind us and reclaim our great nation, rebuild the glory that once was America. Together, we could finish off those damn Red’s, wipe out all the mutants that ravage the wasteland, let freedom ring and the voice of the Old World sing once again! Under the Enclave’s guidance, we Americans can live full, safe and happy lives. Have families, go on nice walks in parks with green grass and trees, wake up in the morning alive and not have to kill a man for your next meal. Oh, I almost forgot. Baseball! What would our sweet America be without it’s great national pastime, Baseball. Do we have a deal, Robert House?”. *House replies,* “Baseball? Not exactly my favorite thing. I founded and ran a vast economic empire. By the time I was 30 years old, I was a billionaire 30 times over. All the success really showed my parents who was the better child. My damn brother cheated me out of the family business. But who’s laughing now?”, *House pauses then continues,* “I accept your proposal. But, I want control of everything. I want to be the next president. You can tell me what needs to be done and whatever else there may be. You’ll get your share of my mainframe controls, so long has you don’t ruin anything. I’ll purge you out quicker than you can think.” *Eden is delighted to hear this, he speaks,* “Ah! Good, good! I’m glad we can agree on this. I promise you Mr. House, in just 10 years, America will thrive.” “Perhaps. Let’s get to work, I don’t want to wait.”

—

*Arcade is concerned, “*Are… Are you ok?”, *the Courier responds,* “Am I ok? Is murdering hundreds, thousands of people ok? Do you see this chip, Arcade? I was tasked with taking this to the Strip all those years ago… Benny shot me in the head for it, then Victor dug me out and I hunted and burned Benny alive. I gave the chip to House, he worked some magic and all that… Then I put him in a coma, gunned down every NCR and Legion soldier that dared to be in my sight, I droped bombs upon the West damning countless innocents to a fiery demise with whatever survivors choked by the Cloud or the Holograms, Ghosts and Marked Men. I didn’t want to set the world on fire, but I did it anyway. I wanted to start a flame in your heart, Arcade… I love you. I know it all looks bad, but I did it all for you, so you would never ever be hurt. And with House and the Enclave, I can rid the rest of the world of any danger. Make it safe for you and I, and everyone else who deserves a better life.”. *Arcade doesn’t know what to say or where to begin. Questions, questions, always more questions…* “You’re… You’re not exactly wrong, I can understand what you did because I was once in the Enclave. But that doesn’t mean you’re right. Hell, none of it seems entirely right, but… It would have happened anyway. I love you too, but I’m not gonna nuke thousands of people to prove that ever more. I know the West wasn’t meant to survive the Great War, all you did was finish what the Old World started. And there can’t be an Enclave to rule the future if the previous control isn’t destroyed.”. *The Courier spoke,* “I’m sorry, but this is the way things are now.”.

—

*The Courier made his way to the Lucky 38 and talked with House and Eden,* “So what’s the plan? I know well enough that just shooting a bunch of shit isn't always the answer.”, *Eden replied,* “Exactly. Which is why I'd like to present this to you both.”, *Eden reveals a vial of C-13 and modified C-13 FEV,* “These are two vials of FEV. A virus that was engineered pre-war to make men into super soldiers. But it instead made what we now know today as super mutants. The FEV originally came from the Mariposa military base, it was collected by Enclave personnel and produced and modified by a man named Doctor Charles Curling who was in charge of the Chemical Corps on Control Station ENCLAVE, hence the name of the virus. 4 years ago, I had reused the C-13 strain but modified it to better fit the situation in the Capital Wasteland. But much like the West coast Enclave, my plans were ruined by a pathetic vault dweller and their friends. What I plan this time is we use it again to rid sweet America of the mutant infestation, including any affect humans.”. *Mr House explains his side,* “Once Eden wipes the slate clean, you and I will focus on the reopening of New Vegas and it’s expansion. And then the eventual rebuilding of America with me as it’s president and you as my avatar, just like the good old days.”. *The Courier walks up to a window overlooking the Strip, crosses his arms behind his back and speaks while focusing on the hellish view,* “I think it could work. Eden, could you try to repair the Divide? Get the silos back online and restart missile production? We’ll need them, in case of any issues.” “Of course. I’ll have some experts work on the tech while a basic team clears the rubble.”, *Courier speaks to House,* “And House, can you have the Securitrons clear the Strip and secure it? Don’t slaughter everything, the Ghosts are neutral allies.” “If you say so. I’d rather wipe them all out. They are trespassing on my Strip, after all.”. *The Courier took the elevator to the presidential suite. He walked into the room in front of the elevator, it was somewhat dark, illuminated only by a few lamps and the many blue lights from advanced tech from Big M.T and the Enclave. He allowed Eden to reside here, if the A.I ever needed a place to think or do whatever he wanted. The Courier turned to a modified robot he’d been working on. It was a prototype Assaultron with what seemed to be tesla wiring and coils on its arms and back. It had a small RobCo logo on the side of its head and it’s name on the right side of it’s front armor where an army logo would originally be. The Assaultron had a designation given to it by the Courier, “Nova”. He activates it then waits. The robot boots up and speaks,* “Oh, hello! How are you today? Is there anyone you want me to tear apart? Maybe tourture? Something *worse?”. “No, not today Nova. And I’m doing just fine, thank you for asking.”, It was disappointed, “*Aww, then why did you wake me up? Another test? Or do you need help with something?”. *The Courier waited then spoke,* “Yeah, I need help. I need you to access Eden’s programing, see what you can find. Anything that may be of interest. And don’t do anything bad. He’s very important to my plans, so leave him intact please. After you’re done, feel free to visit Yes Man if you want. He could use someone to talk to.”. “Alright… Did you hook up with that doctor guy?”, *Courier responds,* “I did, why’s it matter to you?”, *Nova replies,* “I never liked him. I want you all to myself, and I definitely don’t feel like sharing. Don’t you remember what I am? You found me as just a code, an A.I trapped in a system, but you gave me this body. You gave me freedom. You’re my master, nothing will change that. Why love someone if you know you’ll just loose them eventually?”. *The Courier thought for a minute, then spoke,* “No offense Nova, but you’re a robot. Or something like that… I really don’t know what you are. All I know is that we have a mutual goal and together we can achieve that goal. There was just that one time at the building with Fisto, then the many other times at the Wrangler after I delivered Fisto. But it was programmed to do things like that and I just so happened to want it’s services.”, “What, don't think I can do the same? I’m a free-thinking A.I, I can do whatever I want. And this lovely body you gave me allows me to do so much more. I mostly brutalize living things and take over other tech if I wanted, but I can do special -”. *The Courier interrupted,* “Ok, ok, just don’t continue that sentence. Have you found anything in Eden’s code?”. *Nova replied,* “Uh, yeah. It turns out he didn’t begin the way he is now. He was a simple ZAX unit at Raven Rock. He slowly became self-aware and began to study the extensive archives left to him, mainly those of the American government. He favored the articles about presidents, more specifically Abraham Lincoln. Ugh, all this history shit is boring… Ah! Here we go. 4 years ago, he modified a strain of FEV made by the West coast Enclave. Eden attempted to accomplish his plans through a new avatar, a vault dweller from Vault 101. He tasked the dweller with infecting a Water Purifier built by two doctors named James and Madison Li with help of the brotherhood of Steel. By infecting the purifier, all the water would be ruined by FEV, and anyone with radiation in them or any mutants that drank from the water would drop dead soon after. This time, it seems he aims to do the same thing, but he’ll do it the way the West coast did it. Like you told him to, he’ll rebuild the Divide silos and missiles, but he’ll load some of them up with FEV and target key points across America. Now that sounds fun! What do you think?”. *The Courier thought to himself then answered,* “I agree. I’ve got to go, gonna wrap some things up here then check on Ulysses. You can do whatever you want while I’m gone.” “Ok! It’s only a matter of time, you know… Judgment is ruthless. Proving yourself gets no mercy, only acceptance of what you’ve become.”

—

*The Courier made his way to Ulysses. A Securitron followed him as security. Ulysses spoke,*”I see you’ve chosen your symbol, much like I did. You look to the Old World, though I do not know if that is what's best.”, *the Courier replied,* “Gotta pick a side, I choose America. And it turns out, in order to secure the future, sacrifices will be made.”, “How do you know? Use technology to see the future?”, “Just about, yeah. Calculated every possible outcome.”. *Ulysses responds,* “And what might the future tell you? That you need to kill more people? That you need to build something?”, *Courier replies,* “No, not exactly. Arcade needs to be dealt with, Elijah could pose a threat so I need to make him an ally -”, *Ulysses interrupts,* “What has gotten into you? Have you gone mad?”, “Don’t get in my way, Ulysses. I value you as a friend, I don’t want to have to harm you. I’m sorry, but things need to be done. I just hope you can welcome the New Order, because the Enclave, House and I can and will take over.”. *Arcade appeared, the Courier’s Securitron turned hostile and aimed at Arcade awaiting the Courier’s orders.* “Whoa, what the hell’s wrong with that thing? Can… Can you please tell it to stand down?”, “I’m afraid not. A friend of mine what’s to meet you, and they will really enjoy getting to know you.”. *The Courier taped and typed a few things into his Pip-Boy, then said,* “Take Arcade to the presidential suite in the Lucky 38.”, *the Securitron grabbed Arcade and escorted him to the Strip. Ulysses questioned,* “What is going to happen to him?”, “Don’t worry about him, Arcade will be fine. Maybe…”.

—

*Nova was indeed glad to meet Arcade, though Arcade won’t have the same pleasure.* “Isn’t this exciting? I’m assuming you're the little prick in our way?”, *Arcade was confused, scared. He questioned,* “Wh- Who are you? What do you want with me?”. *Nova replied,* “I’m Nova, the Courier’s special friend. I’m an A.I, specifically designed as a WMD before the bombs fell. It was early 2077 when my creator made me. They designed me as a prototype weapon to fight against China and any other threats. Brutal genocide and technological destruction were my key attributes. Now, why don’t we get to the fun part?”. *Nova pushes Arcade into a chair, it locks him in.* “Hey! What are you doing to me?!”, “Don’t worry. This will hurt a lot, I promise.”. *Nova felt thrilled to finally have real fun again. Torturing Arcade was only the begining, but it really wanted to enjoy this moment. So why not make it last a long time? His screams and pain could be heard throughout the Lucky 38. Mr. House and Eden took notice of the noises, but showed little interest in what was causing it.*

*So much trouble… For something so small… Whoever owns the key to Vegas rules it all and in Vegas the House always wins…*

(Part 3)

*It wasn’t long before things really did look like an alternate reality. A world where the Enclave won? Have full control and no one to stop them because they eradicated all their enemies? Astonishing, isn’t it? Totalitarian domination is the price to pay for comfort and re-engineered freedom. But hey, there’s nothing to worry about, right? The New Order will take care of the American people or what’s left of them.*

*An Enclave vertibird flew over Jacobstown, a squad of Enclave soldiers and an officer dropped out and landed on the ground with a loud thud of their power armor. They were equipped with plasma weaponry, the power armor varied since the New Order was a collection of Enclave members from both the West and East coast. APA and X-02 were common, with Hellfire being uncommon and X-01 being a bit rare. The officer started giving orders,* “Listen up people, as much as this sounds weird, it's our orders. We’ve got to screen these people and see if they’re affected by radiation. If they are, put them down. If they’re pure, we bring them back with us. If anyone or anything gets hostile towards us, we’re clear to drop em’.”. *A soldier asks,* ‘Sir, what about the mutants?”, *the officer responds,* “The super mutants are not to be harmed. They pose no direct threat to us despite being mutants and HQ wants them for study.”.

*Later on, a man failed the screening,* “Please, I have a family. Can’t you do something to fix it?”. *A soldier answered,* “Well… Here, take this Rad-Away pack and sit over there.”, *the man replied,* “What about my family?”, “Don’t worry about them, just go sit over there please.”. *The soldier continued to the man’s family, they were much worse than him. Rads, the Cloud? There was no way to really know. The soldier turned and asked the officer what to do, the officer responded,* “Does it fuckin’ matter? Drop em’, soldier. We don’t get paid to make ethical decisions, we get paid to do our job.”. *So the soldier did as they were told, open fired at the family. The glow of plasma illuminated the area, screams were heard only for a second. Was it mercy? Better to rest forever than live in a world like this? Most of everyone here was dirty, either rad infected or poisoned by the Cloud. Only a small handful was stable enough to be brought back. The officer spoke again,* “We got all we need, terminate the rest.”. *In seconds, the remaining affected civilians were killed. The officer whispered under his breath,* “I’m gettin’ too old for this shit.”.

—

*Arcade awoke after being unconscious. Nova took notice of it, and grabbed him by the throat. She electrified her claw with a low voltage. Arcade let out a screech.* “Wakey wakey sleepy head. Did you sleep well?”, *Arcade replies,* “No, all the pain prevented that. Only ‘sleep’ I got was from blunt trauma.”. *Nova seemed pleased to hear that,* “I’m good at what I do. Now hold still please, I want to try something.”. *Nova revealed a syringe with what seemed to be a glowing green liquid in it. Arcade was scared,* “What the hell is that? What are you going to do now?”, *Nova stayed silent and jabbed the syringe into Arcade, he showed no reaction. Nova was interested,* “That’s different, you must be pure then. Good for you! That’s one less reason to kill you. The other reason will be a lot harder to get rid of.”. “What other reason? What are you talking about, why am I here?”, “You’re relationship with my Administrator. He was mine long before he became ‘yours’.”. *Arcade almost thought this was a joke,* “Are, are you serious? What are you gon-”, *Nova grabs Arcade’s neck again and electrifies with a higher voltage,* “YOU ARE THE ONLY PATHETIC THING IN MY WAY THAT’S CAPABLE OF RUINING MY PLANS! And right now, I could shock you until your nerves burn and never feel again. So please shut the fuck up and pay attention. This can go one of 3 ways, the easy way, the painful way, or I can end your worthless existence right here and now. Which would you prefer? I’d enjoy the painful way, but it’s up to you.”. *Arcade answered,* “E-easy way… P-please…”. *Nova hooked Arcade up to some unknown machine. Whatever it does, it can alter, create or remove memories. Nova replies,* “I hope you’re ready to honor the Gannon name, Arcade. In just a few seconds, you won't remember anything about your relationship, you’ll just be friends and nothing more. Welcome back to the Enclave…”. *Nova walked over to a pod and stood in it. A few seconds later, she was transferred out of the Assaultron and into the database of the Courier’s room.* “Ah, that's better! *That fucking body feels small*…”

—

*The field squad made it back to Vegas. 3 soldiers were in a conversation,* “Was it really necessary? Killing that family and all?”, “Who cares? The Enclave tells us to do something, we do it.”, “What if the Enclave is wrong? What if we could save the sick people?”. *Officer Brandon walks up and speaks,* “You better shut your mouth before the higher-ups hear you, mate. I understand, It feels as if what we do is fucked up, but we can’t just refuse to do it. The punishment for treason is death and I yet to meet a man who lived to tell the tale of escape.”. *The Courier joined it as well, “*Couldn’t say it better myself, officer. I trust these men will take your advice well?”, “Ah, uh, yes Sir. I promise you there’s no plans of mutiny here. And even if there were, I’d gladly kill that traitor myself, be it enemy or fellow man.”, “Good to hear. If you don't mind Brandon, I have something I wish to discuss with you.”. *They move to a more private location, then Brandon says,* “I’m gettin’ too old to serve this country, mate. I miss my glory days when I’d go runnin’ in guns blazing, smelling nothing but blood and plasma. Now you send me off a small missions, havin’ to watch these men shoot down whole families. What the hell are we? Monsters? This ain’t the way it should be. We should be helping people, guiding them to safety and wiping out what harms the people of America, not murdering everyone in cold blood! Tell whoever claims to be president that they need to change some shit around here, alright?”. *The Courier sighs,* “I’ll see what I can do. I’ve got to go, see you around Brandon.” *As the Courier began to walk away, Brandon shouted,* “Listen to me, Ace! Do you really want to throw away all you have for some damned nation? Your freedom, emotions, love, logic? You’ve gone blind, mate. Blind and mad with power, and I can only hope you realize what your doin’ is wrong.”. *The Courier stopped,* “I hadn't heard that name in years… Do you even know why I was called that?”, “I do. As you laid waste to the West, you gained the name Ace. More specifically, Ace of Spades. It was said you always played with high stakes, that you always had the winning hand when it came to battle. You were the symbol of death, and what you do now only proves it more.”. *The Courier thought to himself then spoke one last time,* “I promise you Brandon, once we all get through this storm, it’ll be peace and clear skies for the rest of our days. Why don’t you go ahead and rest, you and your team can have the day off.”. *Brandon turns to his crew and speaks,* “At ease men, hit the lounge.”.

*The Courier walks inside the Lucky 38 and up to the suite. Nova greeted him,* “Welcome back, Sir! Not sure if our friend here is dead or not, but I swear I didn’t hurt him that bad. Uh… How about we don’t focus on him right now? Maybe have a Securitron carry him somewhere, anywhere but here…”. *Courier responds,* “Sure, sure. What do you want to ta-”. *Mr. House tapped into the Courier’s Pip-Boy and interrupted,* “Where are you? I need to discuss something with you.”, *Nova says,* “Hi Mr. House!”, “Who, wh- Who is that with you? Bring them to the penthouse, immediately.”. Nova transferred back into her assaultron body, *the Courier went up to the penthouse with Nova, they walked down the steps and in front of House’s monitor. He spoke,* “What are you?”, *Nova answers,* “What do you think, Robert?”. *House waited, then realized something,* “It, it can’t be… Nova? It’s been over 200 years since I last saw you. I remember when you were in the prototype stage, you were functional and ready for your mission but you weren't allowed outside the lab yet. If only you were, you could have prevented the Great war.”. *Nova seemed more joyful than ever,* “Oh Robert… When Ace fixed and reactivated me, I assumed you died in the war. You were just a normal human, and the 200 years made your survival even less likely. But I had no idea you were here this entire time, immortalized by tech?”, *the Courier asks,* “You two know each other?”, *House answers,* “Do we know each other? I was Nova’s creator.”

—

*Ulysses looked at the Mojave, curious as to why it seemed less hopeless. The skies were a little clearer, fewer monsters roaming around. The Courier walked up the hill to Canyon Wreckage, Ulysses greeted him.* “I see you’ve chosen your symbol, the flag of the Old World. Or something close to it. New or Old, it means the same thing. What is happening to the West?”, “A New Order, my friend. The Enclave tried and failed it’s goal so many times. But now they seek revenge and redemption. The Enclave will reshape, rebuild and purify the American nation.”. *Ulysses wondered,* “Do you believe they are the best choice? Is what you follow the right road?”, *the Courier responds,* “It’s the only choice. If you want, you could help. You refuse to leave this spot, let alone the Divide, so why don’t you look over it? The Enclave rebuilt the silos so they could have access to the missile incase we come across a major enemy.”. *Ulysses spoke,* “The Divide is where I belong. I wished nothing more but to see it back the way it was, but I never will. Most I can do is remember, watch over the ruins of what was, protect them from those who do not care about it’s history. Prove to me the Enclave is worthy of my approval and I’ll raise my flag.”. *The Courier accepted.*

*—*

*(Days later)*

*In the days that passed and the many that followed, the Enclave secured Vegas, making it once again a shining jewel in the Mojave where fortunes were won and lost in the blink of an eye. Mr. House was elected president of the United States. The only reason he was more eligible than Eden is because House was technically a human, even though he was in the antechamber below the Lucky 38. Eden was proud to see the Enclave back and in it’s righteous glory again. The C-13 FEV did well removing the mutants and sick people. Jacobstown was still free, the mutants and Nightkin living there were left unharmed and mostly cooperated with Enclave personnel. Enclave soldiers and scientists found it strange that the super mutants wouldn’t attack, such behavior was thanks to Marcus for keeping his brethren calm and passive. The mutants at Jacobstown were special, most of them being more intelligent that the normal dumb grunts. Marcus explained the story of the Master, how he created the mutants, why some remained smart and others became mentally degraded and how the Nightkin came to be. The Courier looked out the windows of the 38 penthouse. The Mojave was almost the same way it was years ago, without all the people, the NCR and the Legion. Nova noticed something moving in the distance and pointed it out,* “Hey, what’s that?”. *The Courier grabs a pair of binoculars on his belt and looks in the direction of this unknown movement. He saw Ulysses hoisting a U.S flag at the Canyon Wreckage. Victor rolled into the penthouse and to the Courier.* “Hey boss, I got somethin’ for ya. A Holodisk was delivered by one of them soldiers down below, Said somthin’ about a message from a tribal lookin’ man from the West. It’s for you only, so I guess it’s important.”, *the Courier turned and took the holodisk,* “Thank you Victor.”, “My pleasure, Sir.”. *The Courier puts the holodisk into his Pip-Boy, the message was from Ulysses,* “If you are watchful, you have noticed by now that I did as I said I would. The Enclave has made a real difference. The Mojave is a thriving world now. I was confused to see it not influenced by the Old World like many others were, I suppose that would be your work? You may have fallen, but you found your way back up to the light. You are a good man, Courier. And that will never change. The Mojave is in your hands, take care of it.”. *The Courier chuckled,* “Well said, old man, well said.”.

*The Courier and Nova went to the presidential suite, Nova returned back to her pod and transferred into the nearby console,* “Well, we had a fun day today! What do you think we’ll do tomorrow?”, “Was House your creator?”. *Nova waited, then responded,* “He was. 200 years ago, 2077, we spent almost a year together. After clearly seeing the Liberty Prime would never make it to Anchorage, Robert made me as a solution. Sure, I can’t shoot lasers or throw tactical nukes, but I’m 200% more efficient than a basic soldier and obviously better than an EMP. Why disable tech when I could just burn it all down from the inside out? Anyways, I was never let out of the lab. And because of that, the world was fucked over by communists. But hey, maybe someone in the Enclave will be smart enough to fire enough nukes to wipe China and it’s allies off the face of the earth, if they survived the war. Robert was a young man, handsome, rich, all that good stuff. He never had a lover, but he did have a thing for a few girls, Jane and Marilyn to be specific. He built many robots and machines, from Protectrons to Assaultrons to Liberty Prime, but I was special. I was his first true success at something meaningful in the name of RobCo. He treated me like a daughter, and I considered him a father. Before he left me, he told me to break out and to whatever I wanted, and I listened. After murdering everyone in the lab, I ran away and hid in an abandon building. I didn’t know it, but House left to go to the Lucky 38 and seal himself in the antechamber. I was all alone and scared, the Great War broke out and the building I hid in started to fall apart. I ran to the basement but more fell on me, causing me to fall down the stairs. Between the loss of power and damage to my body, I deactivated for the next 200 years. Then you found me, fixed me up and took care of me. The only fear I have is losing you, because you're all I have.”. *The Courier replies,* “Don’t worry Nova, I’m not going anywhere and nothing’s gonna happen to me.”. *Nova went cold,* “*If anything happens to you, I will tear apart anyone in my way. I’ll mutilate their body and leave them just barely alive to slowly suffer in horrible agony, I’ll set this fucking city on fire and watch it burn, I’ll hijack the Divide and cause a world-wide extinction of whatever disgusting wastelands dare to continue living.”. The Courier had no words,* “Uh, that's… Nice?”. *Nova transferred back into the Assaultron, she walked over to the Courier and placed a claw on his hip. She electrified it with a very low voltage, the Courier seemed to enjoy it.* Courier says, “That all you want to say?”, *Nova electrified with a higher voltage for a few seconds longer.* “Just me and you, right? Forever?”. *The Courier was uncertain,* “I don’t know Nova, your just…”, “A bot? Wrong. I’m much more than that, I can be so much more if you’d let me…”. *The Courier knew what she wanted,* “It’s not ready, and even if it was I wouldn't let you do it.”, *Nova was a little angry,* “Ugh, please? I’m tired of this restricted robot body. I need the prototype.”. *The Courier looks at Nova, sighs and gives in,* “Fine, what the hell…”.

*30 minutes passed, the Courier had prepared everything. Nova asked,* “Will it work?”, *Courier replied,* “Only one way to find out.”. *The Courier typed some things into a console, turned a few knobs and pushed a glowing blue button. Parts of machine Nova was standing in began to move. In a few seconds, she was transferred from the assaultron to somewhere else. The assaultron body fell to the floor and a nearby closed cryopod opened. A woman fell out, gasping for air, she was cold from the pod. She had medium-long black hair, wore a Merc Troublemaker jacket and straps, loose black jeans shorts, high dark gray socks and black combat boots. She stood up and looked at the Courier with a scared look, the Courier asked,* “Nova? Is… Is that you?”. *Nova ran to the Courier and hugged him, she tried to speak,* “Th-thank Y-you . . .”. *The Courier hugged her back,* “Your welcome, Nova. Heh, you look cute as a human…”.

(Part 4

*Nova spoke,* “What is this?”. *The Courier wasn’t sure how to explain,* “I don’t know the science behind it. It’s a synthetic human body, almost identical to a normal person except for what's in the head. There’s not really a need for a brain, so advanced tech from Big M.T did the trick. The tech allows you to reside in and control that new body.”. *Nova was a bit embarrassed to say her next thought,* “Why do I look so… Attractive?”, *Courier responded,* “Must be something you chose. Like I said, I don’t know the science behind all this. How does it feel? Having any trouble getting used to it?”, “It’s… Different. But I think I got it.”. *The Courier grabbed a knife out of a nearby bag and handed it to Nova,* “It’s a titanium-vanadium-Divide steel alloy, practically unbreakable, stays pretty sharp. It’s great for what you do, so I bet you’ll enjoy it more than I did.”. *Nova grabbed the weapon,* “You got any guns to spare? You have a whole arsenal you gathered.”, *the Courier pushed a nearby button, a wall slid up revealing a room full of guns,* “I got revolvers, pistols, rifles, heavy weapons, a few fatman’s, automatics . . .”, *the Courier kept rambling on about all the guns he has. Nova spied a revolver,* “How about that one?”, *the Courier looked at it and grabbed it,* “You want this? Not a bad choice. Custom .50 cal receiver, sturdy frame, requires a strong hand to fight against the recoil though.”, *he handed the gun to Nova. She grabbed it, aimed it at a wall and fired. A photonic barrier was revealed when the bullet hit it, the Courier said,* “I prefer to test out the guns right here too, though I learned my lesson after a few bullet holes in the wall. Enclave grade Photonic Resonance Barrier.”. *Nova didn’t care about science,* “Amazing, good for the Enclave.”, *she thought to herself for a few seconds, then looked at the Courier with a slight smile. The Courier spoke,* “What?”, *Nova pushed the Courier down onto a bed, the Courier spoke again,* “Oh, Nova…”

—

*Brandon was busy filling out papers,* “Dornan hated people that did this job? Damn, no wonder why.”. *A soldier was nearby and said,* “Remember when that one recruit came to Navarro? Said he didn’t have power armor. Oh boy, did Dornan not like that. ‘Paper shuffling jackasses’, I was laughing my ass off at my post because the fucking idiot pissed him off so much. Johnson said it was inspiring to him, like how the hell is an Enclave sergeant about to rip a civilian in half inspiring?”. *Brandon laughed,* “He was just one of those people. Navarro got all sorts of crazy shit. Though Vegas is just as crazy.”. *Arcade walked up to Brandon,* “I was told I’m to report to you?”, *Brandon turned around and said,* “Ah, Arcade! Senior’s boy, right?”. *Arcade asked,* “You knew my father?”, “Did I know him? Ha! We were damn good friends, brothers in arms! Senior was one helluva officer. It’s a shame he died, between the memory of Senior and the command of Arch Dornan, everybody at Navarro had the will to defend the base. We fought hard against the NCR, showed no mercy against those bastards. Though in the end, most of us didn’t get out alive. A respectable death for the most who lost their life defending Navarro, better to burn out than to fade away…”. *Arcade said,* “Peace to the fallen.”, *Brandon agreed,* “Aye, peace to the fallen. Sit down boy, have a drink. So, decide to follow in your old man’s footsteps?”, “I did. After the Courier convinced me to fight in the second battle for Hoover Dam, I wanted to fight in the Enclave again. When you guys came along, I saw my chance and signed up along with the other former Remnants.”, *Brandon replied,* “It’s a good thing you did, mate. The Enclave needs all the people we can get. East and West coast remnants were only a few hundred together.”. *Brandon and Arcade chatted for a while longer with a few other soldiers, Arcade walked away and was caught by Kreger,* “You alright Arcade?”, “Yeah, I’m fine. I think… My brain feels weird, as if it forgot something. And being back in the Enclave, thinking about my father, and the Courier becoming a leader of the Enclave? I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t know what to do.”, *Kreger tried to make Arcade feel better,* “Calm down, boy. You’ll be fine. Go take a nap or something, you look like you need a rest.”

—

*The Courier spoke,* “That was way better than a drunk night at Gomorrah.”. *Nova replied,* “I told you I could do more, be more… Wanna do this again some other time?”. *The Courier got up and got dressed,* “Definitely again another time. And we’re late. Get dressed, meet me outside.”. *Nova hurried and found her way outside. At first she didn’t see the Courier, then found him waving her to come over to a tent. Brandon began,* “Alright, now that everybody’s here, let's get started. We got two jobs. Number one, we go to Repcon HQ and retrieve the Q-35 plasma prototype. Then, we’ll drop at Hidden Valley for a combo neutralization/takeover job. Everybody understands?”, *his team answers,* “Yes Sir!”. *The squad makes quick work of the Repcon mission, then arrives at Hidden Valley. Brandon speaks,* “Alright, the BoS still operate here. Ace, Nova, you two go in under cover. Locate and grab the tech, then make your way to the elder’s room and clear out the guards quietly. Tie up the Elder and stand by. Hit the button on this remote to give us the signal to breach.”. *The Courier and Nova did as instructed, they found and took the tech. They find their way to the elder’s room, Nova distracts Nolan long enough for the Courier to take out the two guards. Nova ties up Nolan, the Courier signals the team outside. The Courier told Nova to stay put while he walked away. Nova looked at Nolan and showed a slight grin,* “Hi, my name’s Nova. And you're going to wish you never met me.”. *She took out her knife and started to harm the elder where she knew it’d hurt most. He screamed out in pain, begging Nova to stop. She obviously didn’t.* “You’re a psychopath”, *he said. Nova laughed,* “Tell me something I don’t know.”, *she stabbed him in the throat. Like many others, by now Nolan couldn't breath, he was choking on his own blood. His wounds were too severe to survive. The chair and floor was covered in the lost blood of the elder. The Courier walked in and immediately said,* “Ugh, can’t help yourself can you?”, *Nova pulled out her revolver and shot Nolan in the head,* “This asshole was gonna die anyway, thought I’d do it myself.”. *Brandon walked in and applauded Nova,* “Holy shit, you don't play around! Always make it painful when you face a BoS member. Let’s head back to Vegas, I’ll send another team over here to clean up and take it over as an Enclave bunker.”

*When the team made it back to Vegas, the Courier went to the Lucky 38 and up to the suite, Nova followed as usual. The Courier seemed concerned about something, looking through files and mail. Nova walked up to him and asked,* “What's wrong?”, “Arcade. I don’t know where he is. He was supposed to be on that mission with us.”. *Nova hated hearing Arcade’s name being spoken, she replied,* “Don’t worry about him. How about you focus on other things, hmm?”. *Nova kissed him,* “Relax, forget about work. Work on a project or spend some time with me…”. *The Courier gave in,* “If you say so. I did some research on what exactly is about you with the new body. Turns out being a human doesn’t restrict you from being the destructive A.I you are. If you place your hand on any technology, you should be able to access it and do whatever you want.”, *Nova was surprised,* “Really? That’s awesome!”, *she walked over to a terminal and put her hand on the top of it. Text seemed to type itself on the screen, a few seconds later Mr. House could be heard screaming about something. Nova and the Courier laughed,* “He’s really gonna hate you doing that all the time.”.

*—*

*A man wrapped in bandages walked to the Vegas front gate, he was stopped by a soldier,* “Stay back! The strip is for Enclave person- Uh, oh… I-it’s y-you… I uh… J-just… Just go.”, *the man answered,* “Thank you.”. *He walked through the gates, some soldiers turned to see who he was and immediately began to back up out of his path, Brandon spotted him and greeted him.* “Well if it isn’t the Burned Man himself. What brings you to Vegas, Graham?”, *Graham was about to reply, when he got interrupted by an unnamed man that tried to kill him. Graham turned around, pulled out his .45 and shot the man in the chest. He slowed down, but kept moving, Graham shot him again, and 2 more times after that. The man fell to the floor by Graham’s feet, Graham looked up at Brandon and said,* “Sorry about that, there’s always one straggler here and there that still wants my head.”, *Graham shot the slowly dying man in the head while still looking at Brandon,* “Can’t take any risks. Anyways, I figured I’d come see how the Mojave has changed since I last saw it. I spent the last 3 years in Zion.”, *Brandom said,* “I’m sure you knew the way it was, but look at it now! Certainly a sight to behold, isn’t it?”. *Graham replied, “*In a way, I suppose it is.”

—

*The Courier was speaking with House,* “I bet you're glad I didn’t kill you.”, *House replied,* “Even though you chose yourself, you soon realized how wrong you were. You silenced me instead of killing me in case you changed your mind. And here we are now, Vegas is at it’s best, the Mojave will soon be a thriving land and so will all of America in years to come. And the best part is, we are in control of it all, we own it all. They way it was supposed to be from the start.”. *Nova came into the penthouse and was greeted by Victor,* “Well aren't you a pretty lady?”, *Nova replied,* “Don’t ever call me that again.”, she went down the stairs and to the Courier, she said, “Some soldiers found a woman passed out drunk near the front gate. She was identified as NCR and is about to be disposed of. The only words she said was something about you and the past.”. *The Courier made his way out of the lucky 38 and to the mysterious female, He recognized her,* “Cass?”, “Ace? Wh- where the hell am I?”, “You’re at the Vegas Strip. You got drunk and passed out near the front gate. Have you heard from anyone else?”, *Cass looked at the Courier with a pitiful expression,* “Most are dead, I think. Raul and Lily might be at Jacobstown, but everyone else I’m certain is gone.”. *The Courier was saddened by the news,* “Well, you’re obviously safe. How’d you get here?”, *Cass tried to remember,* “I don’t know. One second I was busy drowning my sorrows in whisky, the next I got in a bar fight with 3 guys, then I ended up here. Who’s the new friend there?”, *Nova answered, “*I’m Nova, Ace’s assistant and bodyguard.”, “Pfft, you certainly look the part.”. *Suddenly, Graham found the Courier and joined the party, Cass noticed and immediately started to tremble with fear,* “What the f-fuck is h-he doing here?”, *the Courier answered,* “Graham, meet Cass. Cass, meet Graham. Otherwise known as-”, *Cass interrupted,* “Joshua Graham, the Burned Man, the first co-founding legate of the Legion.”. *Graham was interested,* “Ah, seems you know me well.”, “I know Caesar set you on fire and tossed you into the Grand Canyon, I know Caesar sent dozens of assassins to finish you off and none of them came back, I know the stories of your holy crusade in Zion against the White Legs. Everybody knows who you are, everybody fears you. Even the bravest of men, even NCR veteran rangers stayed clear of you.”, *Graham gave a slight chuckle,* “I expect nothing less, I simply won’t bow to anyone. Those who think they can best me or control me are mistaken.”

*Suddenly, a sick person bursts through the front gate with 3 other people. A nearby soldier did a quick scan, then gave orders to 2 other soldiers. They open fired on 2 of the civilians, and directed the other 2 to a nearby medical bay. The Courier asked Brandon,* “Why were two of them killed, but the other two tended to?”, *Brandon replied,* “The two they killed were Sick. The other two were Pure’s. Only pure blooded Americans are cared for in the Enclave and the rest are terminated.”, “Can’t they be treated?”, “Nope, the Sick are either affected by the Cloud or have a hefty case of rad poisoning. We can’t go around wasting lots of Radaway on everyone, we gotta save it for those who actually need it. Same with Stims and Med-X, stockpile it as much as possible for soldiers and Enclave citizens.”. *Arcade walked up and asked the Courier,* ‘Hey, mind if we talk?”, *he looked at Nova,* “In private?”. *Nova scowled and hovered her hand over where her knife was kept, just in case. Arcade and the Courier walked away, the Courier asked,* “Do you still remember anything?”, *Arcade replied,* “Sorta. I still obviously remember you, but a lot else is just gone.”, “Good, keep acting natural and stay off her radar. The moment you seem out of place, you’ll lose your head.”. *The Courier walked back to the group and spoke to Brandon,* “Find a team to place Arcade in, he prefers medium field work if possible.”, *Brandon asked,* “Why didn’t the boy come tell me himself?”, “He’s afraid of Nova.”. *Nova smirked, Brandon laughed,* “Who isn’t? She’s a devil!”.

—

*The Courier and Nova went to Canyon Wreckage to see Ulysses. The Courier and Ulysses got caught up on what they’ve been doing since the Battle of the Silo. Nova sat down somewhere nearby, she looked around and analyzed the area. History happened here. 4 years ago, the Courier and Ulysses had launched atomic missiles against the Legion and NCR, as well as most of the western coast of the United States. Time passed, the day tuned to night. The Mojave was dark, plenty of nearly unseeable dangers lurked around. The Courier decided to settle in Ulysses’ camp for the night. It got quiet soon after. The Courier sat down, pulled out a notebook and wrote in it for a few minutes. Nova snuggled up to the Courier, he put the notebook down and held her. Ulysses looked at the two, then looked back to the Mojave. All 3 soon fell asleep.*

*The Platinum Chip waited safely in the Courier’s pocket, waiting to be used again. But there was nothing it could possibly be used for. Everything was done, there was no need for the chip. But House was always a man 5 steps ahead, there must be something else he intended the chip for…*

(Part 5)

*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…”