Saturday, September 22, 2012

Fallout: New Vegas War Journal - Chapter Twenty Six

Not one, not two but THREE endings!






For all this build up about a final battle between the NCR and Legion Forces at Hoover Dam, the battle itself was surprisingly anti-climactic. Thankfully the NCR left me alone and just assumed that Boone and I were there to help defend the dam, along with the Securitron Mark II that was acting as my personal guard.




It was an easy matter for me to get into the bowels of the dam control center. But things got ugly in the middle of the battle and - despite the Legion soldiers swarming the building at the time - some of the NCR troops must have noticed my sneaking in to hack their computers to reroute some of the power to activate my back-up army. They must have moved towards me in the confusion, causing my new robot friends to shoot at them and... well, once we were on our way, Boone was ready to have words with me. Words I was amazed he hadn't spoken until now...




Me: That was totally a misunderstanding! I promise I won't do anything to harm any more NCR soldiers.




Thankfully, we didn't encounter any more NCR soldiers on the way east out of the dam control rooms. We did wind up up to our armpits in Legion soldiers but it was nothing I couldn't cope with using my handy new Plasma Rifle, recently liberated from the Brotherhood of Steel.




And the sound of a motor above us told me that my friends in the Boomers had come to join the fight. There was no doubt of that even before I saw the camp in the distance go into flames.




And so it was that we came to the camp of the Legate Lanius - commander of the armies of Caesar, in the wake of Caesar's death.




Me: Yes, I am new to Vegas, though I now call that city my home. And I would rule it, free of you and your kind.
Legate Lanius: I have seen little combat yet this day. Let us do battle then! Just you, me and my GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDS!
Me: - the hell?!

ONE ALL TOO BRIEF FIGHT LATER...




Centurion: That was amazing, Legate! Truly you are the finest of all warriors and your prowess is spoken of in our songs and legends... yet even with what I have seen you achieve before, never did I think you might cause a man to become impaled upon his own weapon... when the weapon was a chainsaw!
Legate Lanius: Bah! Childs play for once such as I, Centurion. Come! Let us seek more worthy foes among what few followers of the Great Western Bear remain...








And so it was that we came to the camp of the Legate Lanius - commander of the armies of Caesar, in the wake of Caesar's death.





Me: Yes, I am new to Vegas, though I now call that city my home. And I would rule it, free of you and your kind.
Legate Lanius: I have seen little combat yet this day. Let us do battle then! Just you, me and my GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDS!
Me:
Seriously?  I come all this way looking for a fight and you're going to hide behind you men?  Let's settle this one on one.
Legate Lanius:
Hmmm. Very well. I will not let it be said that Legate Lanius would not be gracious enough to show a brave man the courtesy of choosing his own method of execution. If you would die in am duel, I am honored to cross blades with you.
Me: Blades? Who said anything about blades?




Me: Any of the rest of you fruits want to try bringing a knife to a gun fight?
Legion Soldiers: AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH! *run screaming for the hills*
Me: Yeah. That's what I thought.
Woman's Voice: Nice shooting there, cowboy.




Me: Look, Boone! It's an avatar of Felicia Day!
Boone: Who?
Me: Felicia Day? The famous writer/actress/director/geek icon? Star of stage, screen, monitor and some of my more disturbing and personal dreams?
Felicia Day: I also have a part in this game, but you totally skipped over my character!
Me: Well, gee. I'm sorry Felicia. But I didn't stumble across where you were when I was playing through this the first time. But you're totally going to be the companion I travel with the next time I play through this.
Felicia Day: Oh, it's okay. I am kinda hard to find here. I've just been reading this little war journal of yours and... well, I think you're a very funny guy and I wanted to see what you thought of my bit.
Me: Well, thank you. And let me say that I love your work and think you're a very funny woman who has a wonderful sense of humor. Particularly about your status as an object of nerd lust for fanboys and fangirls everywhere.
Felicia Day: Thanks. You know, it's ironic? But I just play at being sweet and innocent. You know The Fairy from Legend of Neil is probably the closest to me of all the characters I've played?
Me: Really?
Felicia Day: Oh yeah. When I'm not at work... total nympho. Just can't get enough of it. Especially funny guys. I just love funny guys. Why, I'd do anything for a funny man.
Me: Are you saying what I think you're saying?
Felicia Day: Do you wanna date my avatar?
Me: Oh, fuck yes!
Felicia Day: Cool! Of course you'd have to download certain mods to make it happen here, but...
Me: Already done.
Felicia Day: Then take me, Matt! Take me right here!




And so it was that Matt became the ruler of New Vegas, a king by his own hand. With a robot army at his command and Felicia Day as his queen, his reign was a time of relative peace and unmatched prosperity. Still, many wars and feuds did Matt fight. Honor and fear were heaped upon his name.

And this story shall also be told...







And so it was that we came to the camp of the Legate Lanius - commander of the armies of Caesar, in the wake of Caesar's death.




Me: Yes, I am new to Vegas, though I now call that city my home. And I would rule it, free of you and your kind.
Legate Lanius: I have seen little combat yet this day. Let us do battle then! Just you, me and my GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDS! 
Me: Seriously?  I come all this way looking for a fight and you're going to hide behind you men?  Let's settle this one on one. 
Legate Lanius: Hmmm. Very well. I will not let it be said that Legate Lanius would not be gracious enough to show a brave man the courtesy of choosing his own method of execution. If you would die in am duel, I am honored to cross blades with you.
Me: Blades? Who said anything about blades?




Me: Any of the rest of you fruits want to try bringing a knife to a gun fight?
Legion Soldiers: AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH! *run screaming for the hills*
Me: Yeah. That's what I thought.

*sudden earth=shattering KA-BOOM as the gates of the camp are blown open*

Me: Who is that asshole in the uniform?
Boone: General Oliver - commander of the entire NCR army.
Me: Then why aren't you chewing me out for calling him an asshole?
Boone: Cause he built his name on throwing his mens' lives away and taking credit for others' work.
Me: Screwed you out of promotion, huh?
Boone: Oh yeah.
Me: Well, don't worry. We're both about to get some payback.




General Oliver: Speaking of - that crazy light show over the fort? What the fuck was that? Some kind of thumb of God you just called down? Amazing? Fucking, amazing.
Me: Well, thanks.
General Oliver: Could use a hundred like you. Just scatter you across the East like jacks. Give those plum fucks what for.
Me: Hold that thought, General. I had some friends I wanted to introduce you to.

*Securitron Mark II army moves up behind General Oliver and his men

Me: You're out, General. Out of service. Out of Vegas. Out of the Mojave. You're moving West. The Legion is moving East. I'm staying here in the middle to keep you kids separated. Anything happens to anybody in my turf, you're both going to become intimately familiar with the primary weapons functions of my friends. You dig?




General Oliver: Look, I know you think you're riding high right now, son. But you aren't just pissing on me. You're pissing on The Bear. You've been far enough west, I think you know how far that claw scratches. Fuck with The Bear and...
Me: I think my new friends and I can handle it.
General Oliver: Even with all these robots, you can't handle all of New Vegas and the Mojave by yourself.
Me: What makes you think these are the only forces I have, General?
General Oliver: I'm sorry?
Me: That light show you enjoyed so much? That was courtesy of The Boomers. They have a working airplane now, thanks to yours truly. A bomber to be exact. And they're just itching for new targets to test their brand new toy out on.
General Oliver: ... you're bluffing.
Me: Am I? They just bombed the fort because I suggested I might need some help fighting The Legion. Just imagine what I could do if I gave them a list of places out west of here that were full of heathen savages that needed burning?
General Oliver: Who said we'd let you live long enough to give them that list?
Me: Who said I didn't already give them a list?





Me: What the hell do you think I've been doing the past few months?! I've been doing a lot more than you lot have, hiding in your big bases, waiting for The Legion to come to you and hiring out all of your dirty work to me or people like me because we're the only ones who can go outside your own asinine structure and get shit done! You couldn't even be arsed to send a soldier to retake the prison that I liberated for you after Boone and I went in and killed every damn prisoner in the place. Yeah, I think we can start a new nation here. And I KNOW we can run it - AND Hoover Dam - a lot more efficiently than you ever did!
General Oliver: You really think so?
Me: I'll be the best ruler this place ever had by a dam site!
General Oliver: ... that was the most painful pun I've ever heard.
Me: You'll get much worse pun-ishment if you stick around here. Now get off my lawn!





Yes Man: Hey Boss! Great job!
Me: Well, thank you, Yes Man. I can't take all the credit though. Between you, Boone, The Boomers and all the other bots... it was a team effort.
Yes Man: Ah, so modest in the face of victory! I'm really sorry I have to bring this up now in your moment of triumph...
Me: What? Oh, of course! I forgot to go back and get that money from George, for that bet that I could survive The Boomers killing field.
Yes Man: That wasn't it, Big Man.
Me: Really? Then what was it?





Me: So... you're taking over Vegas now?
Yes Man: Well, basically, yes. But don't worry. I've already programed all the other Secutritrons with your plan. They'll clean things up while I'm off-line, no problem!
Me: So you're still following my plan?
Yes Man: Oh, it was a good plan, sir. But the code I found has caused me to see that having even one person being able to command me could eventually lead to a city state as corrupt as the ones you have been fighting against. But don't worry. I'm still want to be just as nice and helpful as before. But I'll only be taking suggestions from now on - not orders. If that's okay with you, chief? And if it isn't, tough shit! Sorry about that. I think the new assertive program is already working...
Me: So... that's it? So long?! Good luck?!
Yes Man: I don't remember saying anything about good luck, sir.


And so the Courier who had cheated death in the cemetery outside Goodsprings cheated death once again, and the Mojave wasteland was forever changed.

Supporting the ideals of independence, the Courier was recognized as the man/woman responsible for a truly free New Vegas. He ensured Mr. House's tyranny was broken and neither Caesar's Legion nor NCR would ever gain control over New Vegas.

The Courier, with the aid of Yes Man, drove both the Legion and the NCR from Hoover Dam, securing New Vegas' independence from both factions. With Mr. House out of the picture, part of the Securitron army was diverted to the Strip to keep order. Any chaos on the streets was ended, quickly. Chaos became uncertainty, then acceptance, with minimal loss of life. New Vegas assumed its position as an independent power in the Mojave.

After the Courier ensured New Vegas remain free, the Followers of the Apocalypse found that an independent Vegas was even more unstable and violent than before. Old Mormon Fort became excessively burdened by the influx of patients, struggling to provide even the most basic of services.

The Kings retained their control of Freeside, and while they continued to favor the needs of locals, they tolerated the citizens of the defeated NCR.

Though NCR was withdrawing from the region, Boone remained in New Vegas, finding work as a security guard and caravan scout along the highways. While he might've preferred rejoining his old unit, Boone couldn't bring himself to abandon the city where he'd met his wife.

After Hoover Dam, the leaderless Powder Gangers at the Correctional Facility vanished into the wastes, leaving the prison empty. The Correctional Facility became another abandoned ruin in the wasteland, its carcass occasionally picked over by enterprising prospectors.

Armed with a wide array of improvised explosives and stolen weapons, the Vault 19 Powder Gang tormented the Mojave Wasteland for years. Citizens of the NCR were favorite targets, and they always suffered the worst fates.

Though the Wasteland became anarchic after Hoover Dam, the Boomers' display of power dissuaded fortune seekers from attempting to penetrate Nellis.

Their leaders destroyed by the Courier, the Fiends scattered throughout the wasteland. Without the organization of Motor-Runner, Cook-Cook, Violet, and Driver Nephi, they were easy prey.

With New Vegas' independence formally declared, Goodsprings thrived. More travelers stopped by Goodsprings on their way to and from the Strip, and the locals grew prosperous from the traffic.

Though Novac was a low-priority target for the Legion, many of Novac's citizens died in its defense. In the weeks that followed, several Bright Followers returned to Novac to help restore its defenses, allowing it to remain independent of NCR.

Primm Slim proves to be an able-minded, if not able-bodied, sheriff for Primm. Due to his slow speed, some crooks get away without a scratch, but Primm continues to prosper under his watchful robotic eye.

And so The Courier's road came to an end... for now. In the new world of the Mojave Wasteland, the fighting continued, blood was spilled and many lived and died just as they had in the old world.

Because war... war never changes.

No comments:

Post a Comment