Entry 29: Welcome to the madhouse

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

I hesitated before I opened the gate. I mean, I did want to get the hell out, as soon as possible, but... No one knew what was behind that gate. What would Sierra Madre bring me. What would be inside. And there was the possibility of becoming trapped in there. Which I did not want, at all.

So I travelled alone to the Sierra Madre Casino. Pretty lonely and kind of long road, surprisingly not dangerous. I entered the bastard of the building, cursing at it at all times, just wanting to get out. Once I got in I saw that everything was a wreck, pretty much like any other Wasteland's building. But then I looked to the floor and Christine, Dean and God were all passed out, laying there. And then I felt dizzy... "Not again", I thought, just before I passed out.

I woke up in the same spot I had been knocked out. My team was gone, they were no longer on the floor. Elijah spoke with me, told me it was Casino's security that knocked us out and moved my team somewhere around the casino. I had to find them. Elijah seemed awfuly thrilled about me being there. That bastard... It doesn't matter for him that we might die, he only wants his treasure.

The place was dark, I couldn't really see. When I turned on my Pip-Boy light I saw three skeletons right by my feet. Guests who tried to get out, maybe. I walked aimlessly around. The collar started beeping once in a while and I immediatly took steps back. Once again, I did not know if it would be speakers or radios, nor where they were.

I found a bathroom with clean water. Only then I realised I hadn't have any ever since I came in the Villa. Actually, I don't even know how long have I been here. I drank and I drank. It wasn't irradiated, felt so good. When I stopped I sat on he ground against the wall and hugged my legs. Though about what I'd do.

Both the suites, the theatre and the casino office area access were locked, leaving me only the casino itself to look for my team. Elijah told me, when I woke up, that when the Casino "woke up" the doors would unlock.

Inside the casino I immediatly saw a security hologram. Elijah mumbled something about the Casino's glory and it welcoming him. That guy is nuts.

I looked aroun and many times found a whole lot of nothing. Eventually I found a hologram emmiter. in my line of sight there was also an hologram, so I assumed it was to make him disapper. When I destroyed the thing the hologram turned red and started shooting laser blasts at me! God (not the Mutant) damn it! Fortunatly he didn't aim very well and I was able to hide before he got to me and rip me apart with his hologram hands.

I had to roam around for quite a little longer before figuring out the obvious. I had to go through the hologram to activate the Sierra Madre's power. I tried to get close as much as possible without the thing seeing me and then ran straight through him, finding a door at the end of the hallway. He shot me several times and it still burns. I closed the door behinf me and he couldn't get past.

Inside there was the power switch. I fliped it and the building lit up. Elijah talked to me, very pleased. Told me the security systems shut down and the vendor holograms came up. Well, at least I don't have to worry about Security Holograms anymore. I exited and headed to the lobby. It was time to find my team.

The... THE BASTARD! THAT ELIJAH! He told me that the collars were interfering with the Casino's systems and I had to destroy them! I also had the option to re-calibrate them, but he pretty much made it clear that it would be so hard that I would only risking my life! The bastard... When I find him... I...

I hate him.

He has no right of playing us like this.

He tells me Christine is in the Suites, Dean in the theatre and God and Dog were at the Cantina. I go for Christine first, had to make sure she's fine. So I go up the elevator to the suites level. There Elijah talks to me and tells me to "find the mute and deal with her", like she was just a bag of dirt. As I advance through the floor I hear a woman's voice, reporting like a field log. As far as I knew everything on the Casino was dead or artificial, so...

I walked around the floor hacking terminals to unloock close doors. It was like a labirinth in which I had to open the way. Eventually I got to a double door and, through it, there was Christine. But... she talked. She wanted to tell me something before her voice went out again, which she feared it could happen. She told she had been hunting Elijah for a long time and that what he was doing here was nothing compared to some things he had done in the past. She told me we could not let him leave Sierra Madre. He had to die. Well, thank God (not the Mutant) someone shares my opinion! She told me that once we got to the Casino's Vault he'd appear and that's where we'd get him. When I asked for how long she had been hunting Elijah she seemed to angry, made it sound personal. She told me he cut her off someone she cared about a long ago. For some reason I could not stop thinking of Veronica. Veronica did say that the person she loved was a girl... Then Christine told me she followed Elijah to a place called Big Empty. And there she found someone else, someone who knew about Elijah. He was... A Courier... This cannot be a coincidence. A Courier deliberatly lets me deliver the Platinum Chip, a Courier is hired by Caesar to scout and assassin Joshua Graham and is not killed, a Courier helps Christine and leads her to Elijah... She said he told her he understood her. He understood what it was to track someone who had harmed her in the past... He told her the person he was tracking was a courier, too. Finally I told her I was just glad she was safe and that I'd take care of Elijah.

I'm going to find Dean next. But I need some rest first. I'm thinking about stealing this famous dead chick's bottle of absinth. I'll talk to you guys later.

Love you,
Bill

Entry 28: Sierra Madre Casino Grand Opening

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

As you can imagine, I still wasn't feeling so well. So imagine my reaction when I the Cloud INSIDE the substation, blocking my path. For fuck's sake. So I pumped myself full of stims and ran across the giant room, going down some stairs and to other stairs, which I climbed as fast as I could. That led us to a room with a terminal - no. THE Terminal. It activated the ventilation system, cleared the fucking Cloud of death out of our way. I'm sorry, I just don't like that thing, at all.

After that room there was no Cloud. But of course, it can't be easy. There was a defense turret and those speakers that cause the collar to blow up. I shot the turret, jumped around the broken walkways, disabled the speakers and got to an elevator. Suposelly that was the way to where we should go, but Christine didn't want to enter. I guessed she was afraid of tiny spaces - claustrophobic, just to show you I know shit - due to her being trapped on that Auto-Doc for so long. So I accessed and hacked the terminal by the elevator, that was able to operate the switches. It was for emergency uses only, in Pre-War times, when they were planning the Casino's opening. Well, it won't do any harm now, so I told her she could operate from there. I asked her if she was going to be ok there and she grabbed my hand, looked in my eyes and smiled. I told her we'd get through it.

I took the elevator up. Up could only mean exit. Elijah spoke to me and told me to get to the Bell Tower, where I'd trigger the Gala Event. That meant I had to go to Salida del Sol again, which was sucky. But hey, I don't want to get my head blown up, right?

I ran my way there. Seriously, I'm tired of running, but this place is so creepy and Elijah so unwelcoming that I just want to get it over with as fast as I can. Once there, I made my way to an abandoned house and from there went to a part of Salida del Sol that I had never been to. Once I left the house I was almost immediatly attacked by two of those Ghost People, one of them burned me with his gas bombs. From there I started to here a funeral tolling from the Bell Tower. I hoped there wouldn't be no one there.

The bell wasn't helping. I was so, so scared, there alone, armed only with a broomstick with knives strapped to one end. It was getting louder and louder. Louder. And. Louder. It was starting to affect my thinking. That atmosphere, the bell ringing...

There were SO MANY of those Ghost People  in the area! Those bastards, so hard to kill... The bell... Oh God (not the Mutant), the bell was ripping through my brain everytime it rang. The only way I had to go had a radio or a speaker somewhere. I... I had never been so afraid my entire life. I did not know where the device was, I did not know how long did have to walk under the signal's influence. I could die right there. I ran as fast as I could. While running I found the radio and threw it on the ground with the spear and just on it on and on. Only stopped when I realised I was crying. I was so sick of it. Of this place. I dragged myself a couple of steps more and found the ladder to the Bell Tower. Finally.

I could see the Casino from the tower. Could see it so well. What many sought for greed and fame, I could only hate for leading those greedy people to hurt innocents like me, Christine, Dean and even God and Dog. I pressed the button on the control pannel that triggered the Gala Event.

Elijah spoke to me from there and linked me with the other collars, my team. I heard tapping and figured Christine was trying to communicate, see if I was ready. I told her we were. God and Dean also talked to me, telling me to hurry up and start it. So I counted to three for everyone to do their things. Fireworks, music, spotlights. The Sierra Madres Grand Opening. I just hoped that it wouldn't get us all killed. The music finally covered the bell's ring, but it was so loud that it would attract so many of the Ghost People and make it harder on everyone... Shit.

And so it did. I had to fight more of those abominations on my way to the Casino's Main Gate than I did from the moment I got to this damned Villa. On my way out I even found... Heh, I was so scared I couldn't even find it funny. Only now I chuckle to the idea of founding one of those things in this creepy ass place. Hum.

I arrived at the gate, arms tired from ripping Ghost people apart, legs tired from running away from anything that made my collar beep. I... I'll let you know how it goes. Assuming I won't die in this fucking death trap.

I love you, mom, dad.
Bill

Entry 27: The FUCKING Cloud

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

I made my way back to the main Villa area with God. I was thinking about leaving him in the Fountain and take the ghoul, Dean, with me, to get to know him better and help me grab "Collar 12". Also, God was killing me with his eternal mumbling about me and also about Dog.

So I got to the Fountain and talked to Dean, to know him better. As I said. I asked him if he knew of any people who had tried to take on Sierra Madre before. He said many tourist have and all left or died from the Cloud, the traps, the Ghost People or from the greed. Meaning they killed each others for whatever is inside the damned building. We talked a lot about the locals, the Ghost People. He told me what I already knew, but in detail. They can't be killed unless parted away from their limbs. They aren't even... Alive. Good. No remorse then. He also told me that the Cloud Residue I had been finding could be used for survival. He had a special drink called Sierra Madre Martini, for instance. Don't know if I'll be trying it, though.

I asked Dean to come with me and told God to wait by the Fountain. He seemed... Sadder than I'd expect. I told him we'd try to be quick. Dean led me to the Medical District, where Collar 12 was. Once we got there, Elijah told me there were speakers which emitted a signal that could cause my collar to blow. There were normal ones and regular ones, these last ones which could be destroyed. I couldn't turn them off though, like at the Police Station with the radios. Shit. I saw the first one like fice steps in and our collars started beeping. Grabbed the rifle Elijah gave me and used it to shoot the first bright thing I saw. It worked, the beeping had stopped.

We eventually made our way into the Clinic. Elijah warned me about "Security Holograms". Jesus Christ what is wrong with this place?! There was a terminal by the door that I used to know that Hologram emmiters could be destroyed. And I also could switch the holograms between the Second and First floor. Inside the clinic there were speakers I could not destroy, so I had to be quick.

On the Second Floor we found the first Security Hologram. As he was walking towards us I found the emmiter and shot it with Elijah's gun. The hologram disappeared. Didn't take me long after that to find the basement key in one of the desk's drawers. And so into the basement I went. In there I disabled the power. That would prevent those blasted speakers from killing us all. Then all I had to do was find Collar 12.

And so I found her. Christine, she was on one of the Auto-Docs, the ones I could not access because f the damned speakers. She was bald and scarred all over her head. When she stepped out the Auto-Doc she looked disoriented, didn't know what happened and didn't speak. I asked her she was alright and she still didn't speak, only pointed to a scar on her neck. She didn't know what her collar was. I told her they were bomb collars and that we were in this together. She seemed to be wanting something when I told her to come with me, but I couldn't really tell what... It's hard to talk with someone who doesn't know how to. I told her we had to go to the Fountain and she went out running, without waiting for me and Dean. So we ran too.

We got to the Fountain and... I had my team, at last. Time to speak to Elijah.

He wanted me to trigger the Gala Event, which would open the Sierra Madre Casino's doors. The event was a Pre-War festival to mark the opening of the Casino and only then would the doors unlock. The four of us would be needed. He gave me the positions where each of them should stay and I had to get them there. First up was God.

Of course, the bastard didn't want to come. Told me he wasn't Dog. I had it with him and played Elijah's recording, so Dog came out. He told me I was mean to him, but I didn't know anything about it so I ignored it. Told him we had to get to his Gala Event position. He didn't seem so bad as God made it look like. But he was kind of... scaredy, for my surprise. Either that or his end of the job was really hard, because he didn't want to go to his position. But I told him it was his Master's orders, so he decided to come along.

We had to go to a part of town called "Salida del Sol", "Sunrise", in english. Elijah told me it was more dangerous and so it seemed. The place was darker and right from the start we were attacked by three of those undead dudes. At least I was getting pretty good at throwing spears...

On one of the houses I entered was a terminal that I hacked and used to shut off the speakers. I hadn't found any untill then, but if I did they weren't going to be a bother. After a little while we found the place where Dog was supposed to stay. It was a Switching Station, with several switches to re-route power. But when we got there Dog tells me he doesn't want to be there because it feels too much like a cage. God (not the Mutant) damn it... So I tried God... I played God's recording and they switched personalities. God asked me what was he supposed to do and I told him I needed him to operate the switches for the Gala Event. He didn't want to, of course. So I bluffed and told him I could always teach Dog how to operate them. Fortunatly God did not know Dog had already refused. So that was one job done.

I quickly got out of the Salida del Sol place. Literally ran. The place gave me the creeps! Actually, the whole Villa did!

Next up was Dean and I had to take him to Puesta del Sol (Sunset), to a roof. I told him about the Event. He knew all about it. Actually, knew too much. He told me that the Gala Event would drain the Casino's energy, making it impossible to leave. I thought for a moment, but there was nothing I could do. So I told him his job. He didn't like (everyone seems to disagree with everything, sheesh) because the place was swarmed by the Ghost People and there was no way he'd stay there alone. I asked him what did he thought Elijah want him there for. He said he was the "odd man out", the dead weight. Probably bait. Please no...

Puesta del Sol was bigger than Salida del Sol. We roamed through it all and we still had to go to another area, the south part, where Dean would stay. We got to the roof and Elijah contacted me, telling me to make Dean stay there. I guess he did know it wasn't a job to be accepted lightly. At almost the same time Dean asked me if he was supposed to stay there and connect the electrical wires, making the music systems work. I told him that if that was what it took to make the Gala Event happen, then yes, that was it. He was rightiously afraid of the Ghost People. Once he connected the cables they would be attracted by the music and get to him. I told him I wouldn't let any harm come to him. He still didn't want to do it. I... I understood him, but damn it, why was it so hard. Why was I being made to do this?! I asked him if he wanted me to clear every Ghost People in the area. That would keep him safe, right? Fuck no. He didn't want to. Then I remembered the Holograms. I could make them protect Dean. And the Ghost People aren't bright, they would continuesly try to attack the Holograms and that might just do it. So I went for it, I was pretty sure that findind whatever terminals controlled the things I would be able to hack them and use them in our favor.

One of the terminals was in the building right besides ours. The other one was a little trickier, had to move around a lot through the collapsed buildings. But we amde it and I used the terminal to activate the Security Hologram. He then told me he still wasn't sure, but there I had it. I grabbed his shoulders and told him my life was on the line too. I wouldn't risk his life, since it would mean my death. That assured him he would be safe. Thank God (not the Mutant).

And so I ran once again. Poor Christine was all alone too. But I went back to the Fountain as fast as I could.

Once I got there she tried to communicate with me. Finally I understood. She tried to tell me that Elijah was communicating with me by connecting a Pip-Boy of his own to the Fountain's Hologram Projector. So he should be close. I ask her if she knew where and she seemed to ask to analyze my Pip-Boy. So I let her. I usually don't trust people this easily. I'm telling you, those bullets Benny shot gave me brain damage. But she only pointed to where ELijah wanted me to take her in the first place. Oh well, we'll figure it out eventually.

Back to Puesta del Sol I went, this time to the Switching Station. Said Station was guarded by the Cloud. There was no way around that I could see though, so we had to go through it. Held my breath and ran up a flight of stairs. It only took a second to get through, but I felt 20 years older when I got out. Couldn't stop coughing. Inside, the Station did not have power. For fuck's sake, there always has to be a problem! I had to find fuses to fix the electric box. And the location that Christine led me to was flooded by the Cloud. I was afraid of that fucking thing. Still, think I rather cough up a lung and a half that have my head blown off by a crazed old guy.

Jesus fucking Christ, everytime I breathe I feel every something slashing my lungs, tearing them apart in every direction. Well, could fix the electric box though... Oh God (not the Mutant), it still hurts. I... I have to lay down. I don't care if it's in the ground, I just have to take a break... I'll talk to you later, ma, pa...

Love you,
Bill

Entry 26: Sierra Madre's... Asylum?

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

Where was I? Right. The fucking bunker. The entrance was filled with writing on the walls about "Sierra Madre" and, more importantly, a beheaded corpse. I searched it and he had two jars that were labeled as "Cloud Residue". What.

Then it got weird. Er. WeirdER. There was a hallway and in the other end of it a light shining on to something. I approached to see what it was. I couldn't make it out. I was gased. Passed out.

I woke up in a place... Dark. It was dark, haunted. A huge building was on the background. I was by a fountain and on it there was some kind of... Intercom? On it there was an old man's face and started talking to me. Basically telling me to shut up and listen, at first. Said that if I defied him the collar on my neck would go off and blow my head. Of course, only by then I realised I had a collar around my neck. I asked him how I got there and he chuckled and said that I walked right into his traps in the Mojave. So I knew we weren't in the Mojave. He persisted on telling me that if I disobeyed him the collar would go off. So I asked why I was there. He wanted to get inside the big building on the background - Sierra Madre Casino - and perform a heist. Said I needed a team. The guy was sick. Told me the team was around the Villa - the small town I was in - and had collars, like me. He called them not by their names, but by the number of their collars. Also told me that if one of us died, we'd all die. Shit, this was begining to sound like a sick game. I told him I'd go. Like I had a choice.

First I was going to find "Collar 8". Of course, I didn't want to call them that, but I didn't have any information. Only when I started walking I noticed I was wearing a jumpsuit and had a rifle that I had never seen before. Energy weapon, I guessed. I didn't like those. I thought about my gear. I had many memories in my weapons and vests, they better not be gone. I took like two steps and then saw a weird guy far away who didn't seem to know how to walk. I didn't know anyone, so I hid. Didn't see the guy after that, though.

I found a weapon suited for me. It was a broomstick with some knives at its end and it was carved into a skeleton near a fountain. After that I saw another one of those guys. I had no way around this one. I snuck behind him and cut his head off.

Then I got to the police station. There was a Super Mutant hugging his legs inside a cell. For some reason I couldn't get near some places or the collar would start beeping. The old bastard told me something about not being able to intercept the signals, but didn't tell me nothing else about, so I was in the dark. All I knew was that a wrong move and I'd be dead. Found me some sunglasses on one of the police desks, though. More importantly, found a police armor. Better than the jumpsuit. On one of the bathrooms I found a suitcase with a lot of supplies. I figured out that the ham radios caused the collar to beep faster and faster. I realised that just in time to shut one off, before the collar blew my head away. I got to the kitchen and there was a glowing knife. Never saw one. Each time the collar beeped I had to rush around and look for a ham radio. The third one was under a table. Bastards, why would you put a radio under a table?! I wanted to make sure all the police station's radios were off before releasing the Mutant, who also had a collar. Besides, I was pretty sure the cell would be locked.

I went in the basement to find the key. I was reached again on the collars communicator, telling me the one the cage I was now below was named Dog and he was locked up because he "desobeyed". When I got to the end of the basement I found the key, a holodisk. The old man talked to me again. Told me to bring the key to Dog and it would let the old man talk to him. And after I freed Dog, he and I would talk. Mom, dad... This is scary. Honest.

I went upstairs and played the tape for Dog. He had his name carved on his chest, but still I asked him if he was indeed "Dog". He told me that the carving was a reminder "for the mirrors and for Dog". Then he deflected the question by wanting to know why I freed him. But I wanted to know him. I told him I knew that in Super Mutants, Stealth Boy usage could provoke brain damage. I told him this because he seemed to be someone else, but at the sime time, Dog. Like Lily and Leo. He told me that Dog has tried many times to get rid of him - at the time I didn't know his name yet - but cutting himself, inflicting pain on himself. And that was why "Dog" was written on his chest. For Dog to remind himself who he was. Dog seemed to be the beast, while this personality I was talking to was the smart one. I asked him if he knew who the old man was.

Elijah...

Father Elijah, Veronica's mentor... Oh God...

The Mutant told me that Dog called Elijah "Master". So I guessed that for some moments this Mutant would be friend and for others enemy? I didn't really know. Finally I told him that I was there because I needed to find people with collars. But he didn't have his. He told me Dog had eaten it... Jesus Christ. He told me all kinds of things, but the most important was that he locked himself in, to protect Dog and hif the key on his neck, without Dog knowing. And the only way he'd unlock himself was if I brought Elijah to him. Shit, I didn't have time for games. I wanted to do what I was told and leave as soon as possible. So I threaten him, told him that I would tell Dog where the key was. He told me that he'd (Dog) kill me once he got out. Even though I'm pretty sure I can take on a Super Mutes, I told the Mutant I had a recording of Elijah that Dog would obey, if things got ugly. There the Mutant freaked out. He told that if I did that he'd escape and murder me, crush me. Damn. I asked him to follow me, willingly. If he did that, I wouldn't call out Dog and use the recording. Needless to say, he didn't like me by then.

I found out his name was God. Hum. Dog, God. God, Dog. Cool, heh! I asked more questions. I already told you about awkwardness and Super Mutants, right? He told me that Dog would come out everytime he'd hear Elijah talk and, if I didn't want Dog around, I simply had to play God's audio log that told him to go back in the cage. Neat. And finally I left the police station. And off to find Collar 14.

We walked around the Villa and went through some doors that God said to be the Residential District. Once we got through the doors Elijah warned me to look out for traps. Explosives.

I HAD NEVER SEEN SO MANY TRAPS TOGETHER IN MY WHOLE LIFE! MY BACK WAS KILLING ME! Also, there's this weird, red cloud. I mean, it's all over Sierra Madre and the Villa, but in some places it's more dense and it makes me sick, like I'm going to throw up my insides. And I probably will, if I hang around those for much longer.

At last, I got to the next Collar - person. It was a ghoul, Dean Domino was his name. Once he saw me told me to have a seat, rest my feet. Motherfucker. The sit was rigged to blow, so any sudden moves, any "no-polite" answers, he'd blow my ass. Damn it, what is wrong with all these people?! He told me that he didn't like being ordered around, so he'd do the ordering on whatever we were up to. He didn't know that if he killed me, he'd kill everyone wearing a collar. And just like that, he called me partner. I told him to go meet me in the Fountain. He wasn't happy on going alone, but didn't complain much either, so I figured he wan't much of a team player and let him go.

Mommy, daddy, I'm going to rest for an hour or two now. Can't risk much longer since Elijah might find it fun to kill us all. Wish me luck when I get back on track with this... "Mission".

Love you,
Bill

Entry 25: A man's brilliance

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

Walking sucks. I was sweaty, tired and my feet hurt. And there was still a long way to go.

When we were approaching I was attacked by a feral glowing ghould. Motherfucker grabbed my back and was trying to chomp me off, but Lily grabbed him and threw him on the ground and I smashed his head. Weird thing: He was wearing NCR vests. Damn. I even got radiation sickness just from hanging around those bastards. But the NCR vests, that was the weird part.

Right about then the air started getting heavy, even greenish. Weird atmosphere. It made go down the road that led to Legion territory that much harder. Crosses everywhere. That's when I knew I was in Legion's territory, finally.

A Legionarie came running to me and asked me to stop. I told him I was invited, showing him the Mark of Caesar. He was kind of surprised. More surprised was I since they didn't immediatly shoot me down because of my coat, who looks a lot like those NCR Rangers'. The Legionaries in general didn't like me very much. Almost everyone I passed by told me that degenerates like me belonged on a cross. They wouldn't talk to Lily though. Heh. We got through the Camp and reached a guy named Cursur Lulcullus or whatever. He told us to get on some wood plank they called boat and then we were on our way to The Fort.

At The Fort's entrance I was stripped of my weapons, meds and the Platinum Chip. I guessed Caesar knew about it. Being stripped out of my weapons I was forced to go talk to Caesar, since he'd have the Chip and I needed it to enter the bunker and reboot the Securitrons.

I saw skeletons on crosses, women slaves walking around carrying huge baggages on their backs and child Legionaries being trained. Just in the entrance. Further into the Fort there was an arena where they put slaves fighting and also Caesar's tent.

They wouldn't let Lily inside Caesar's tent. Guess they were scared that I'd try anything. I wouldn't, just for the record. Lily was concerned for me, but I'd be all right. I could handle myself in a fight.

Well, Caesar must sleep real well at night. He had like 10 guards, to say the least. If they wanted me dead, it wouldn't be hard. When I was going to talk to Caesar I didn't take off my mask, even though you did teach me how to be polite. But it made me look like I didn't take shit from no one and made my voice sound intimidating. All things that went in my favor when standing alone in a tent full of Legionaries and their leader.

HA! The dude knew that I was the one who caused the HELIOS One accident and killed the NCR guys there and, for that, thought that, since we shared common enemies, I had come there in order to join the Legion! I had to bite my tongue not to laugh. Don't get me wrong, The Legion may have great ideals, but being based on Roman's Empire they could have just stuck with the good things about it, not the slavery and extreme brutality, just in order to send messages. So no, kind sir, I'm only here because I want to activate a robot army to make both you and the NCr get the hell out. That's what I should have said. Instead I told him I needed the Platinum Chip.

He knew lots of things about me. Knew that I got shot, that I tracked Benny, killed him and that I was the first one to go in the Lucky 38 and meet Mr. House. He knew that when I set my mind to something I got results. Then he asked me if I was ready to get started. What? He really thought I'd join him. I asked for the Chip again. He said he'd give it to me, but to use as he said. He wanted me to go to the bunker - the one I had to go anyway - and destroy anything I found in there. He knew something was menacing about it and boy was he right. So he gave me the Chip, thinking I'd blow the bunker up once I got in. Oh Caesar, how gullible of you. Knew so much about me and it didn't cross his mind that I could be working for Mr. House?

I went in the bunker and opened the sealed doors with the Chip. Past it there was a giant monitor with Mr. House on it. Guess he could feed his image from the Lucky 38 to The Fort too. I hadn't seen him in a long, long time, so I kind of froze. He was the one who talked. He didn't even talk about the time I went missing. I didn't know if I should feel good or bad about that. He told me I had to go to the other end of the facility and  upload the data on the Platinum Chip. And so I did.

Mr. House told me he couldn't deactivate the bunkers security systems. But lucky me, I could. Yes, yes, I'm a genius, stop reminding me! So I got to the other end of the bunker and uploaded the Mark II system into the Securitrons, making a huge boom and shaking all the bunker. Then I looked out the Computer Room glass and I saw the army... Damn. Mr. House does have everything planned.

I talked with him again before I left the bunker. He told me to return to the Lucky 38 and that I had a bright future ahead. And, thanks to me, so did all mankind. And you know what? I believe in him.

As I thought, Caesars men thaught the ground shaking was a sign that I did blow up the bunker, as Caesar wanted. Thank God, I'd have to kill them all if I were to leave alive, if they knew I didn't do Caesar's bidding. I didn't go back to Caesar. Don't know if I had a good enough poker face in order to lie to him and told him the job was done. Instead I just left The Fort, grabbing my weapons from the front gate's guard on my way out.

I went straight North from Cottonwood Cove. Figure it be probably quicker to cut through the desert instead of going on the roads. That way I passed by Nelson, the newly acquired Legion settlement. It was the first time I had been around those parts.

Even farther north we found an hatch. It's so isolated and it's so dark, it seems like a great place to set up camp. Maybe I'll even explore it in the morning.

Love you,
Bill

Entry 24: A long long road

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

As you know I had a big decision to make in the morning: Tell Lily to submit to the Mark II tests, which could cause her severe brain damage; or leave Doctor Henry withou any choices on how to proceed with his research, dooming the Nightkin. Well, Lily did volunteer to Doctor Henry to submit to the tests if necessary, long before I arrived at Jacobstown... So I told her she was needed by Doctor Henry. She conforted me and told me that it would all turn out for the best.

She did the test. It was like some psychological tests but all done while she was under the effects of the Mark II Stealth Boy. They got some weird readings so I knew it didn't work as they expected. Doc Henry told her to turn off the thing, before anything more severe happened. She did and then returned to her Bighorner pen, while I still wanted to listen to what the Doctor had to say.

While Doc Henry was explaining things to me the head of the Nightkin, Keene, appeared. Looked angry. He wanted those Mark IIs. Attacking the clinic for Stealth Boys... Like drug addicts, just like drug addicts. I tried talking to him. Jacobstown had a nice thing going, they didn't need the violence. I told Keene that the Mark IIs were even more dangerous than the original ones. He told me that that was their decision to make, that they were tired of sitting around in Jacobstown waiting for the cure. So I started making small talk. Asked him what did he plan to do once he got the Mark II specs. He said he wanted to upgrade every normal Stealth Boy cache to the Mark II. Crap. Then asked him why, in fact, were they in Jacobstown. He said that it was supposed to be the place to find the cure, but instead they wait and wait. He... he wouldn't back down. He just... Wouldn't...

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

No cure and three dead bodies. Great. Doctor Henry told me that it wasn't pretty, but it was also unavoidable. Then told me the test on Lily, although not working as expected, gave him a lot of important data. Then told me that if Lily was to wear the prototype for a long term duration, the data they'd receive would be almost certain that they'd get the cure. But I thought. Lily would hurt with that. Very much. So I thought harder. If Doc Henry were to use a stimulant (I won't go all technical on you, you'll call me a nerd or something) on the dead nightstalkers brain and test the Mark II on them, the results would be the same! He said it was brilliant! Awesome, Lily was off the hook.

I went outside and Lily was tending to her Bighorners. I had to ask her if she'd like to travel with me. Heh, she told me it would be lovely... She even hugged me, almost breaking my back!

Before I left I spoke with Marcus about Keene. I apologised. He said it wasn't my fault, but that from there on it would be hard for the town to keep their Nightkin and to convince other Nightkin to go there. We shook hands and I was on my way.

With Lily.

I told her everything I was up to. What happened to me, what I had already done after being shot, Mr. House and how we were going to help him. Being from an isolated settlement like Jacobstown she didn't really have any opinion on NCR, Legion or Mr. House, though most Super Mutants in there didn't like the NCR. And then I told her what we had to do, the mission Mr. House gave me before I went to Zion. We had to reboot Mr. House's Securitron army at The Fort, The Legion's base. She seemed awfully ok with it. Well, there was no reason not to be ok, I had the Mark of Caesar, the Legion wouldn't attack us. At least I hoped, I never knew what they thought about Super Mutants.

Only when I got off the single road that led to Jacobstown I realized how much I would have to walk. I had to go to Cottonwood Cove, which was on the other end of the Mojave. God...

On my way South I passed by some place in Outer Vegas named The Thorn. I didn't actually get to know it, as it was in the sewer systems and I didn't want to get in. From what I got from people around the place it was an arena where people betted on mutated animals fighting each other. Gladiator fights eh? Maybe I'll check it out.

We were attacked by Fiends when we were leaving the Outer Vegas area. Thought they'd run off by now, being that their leader was dead. Well, I think they at least wished they had ran off. Got to be pretty stupid to attack a guy wearing a mask and a giant hammer, being escorted by a Super Mutant. Oh well.

By the time we got to 188 Trading Post - the halfway point - it was getting dark, so I decided we'd stop there to rest and continue in the morning.

I'm thinking about Veronica. It is a great shock not to see someone who used to be with you every second for this long. I miss her. Well it'll be over soon, I just have to reboot the army and then I'll be back at the Lucky 38.

Love you,
Bill

Entry 23: Great personalities come in many forms

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

And so I was back at the Mojave. I could smell the air. Of course, I coughed right after doing so, but I did smell the air.

Once I got out of the cave where I met the Happy Trails I thought about what to do. Then came to my mind that time where I spoke to a friendly Super Mutes and he told me there was a settlement to the northwest, so I decided to go check it out, before diving back to my life in the Mojave and all those hard decisions.

On my way I saw the Lucky 38 tower, beautiful above all New Vegas. I waved at the top, wanting Mr. House to know that I was back. Even though he couldn't see me - I think - it just eased my mind to let him know I was coming, eventually.

I missed Mr. New Vegas.

Passing by a farmstead that I thought abandoned I was attacked by three gangsters. They tested my sweet new Power Fist. I slept in their camp, because I was tired from the travel. Before laying down I scavenged a bit and found a cap with a blue star on it. So I ran through all my caps (Yeah I couldn't sleep very well) and turns out I already had 29 of those blue stared bastards! If only I knew what they did.

I found a single road that led to the middle of a valley, so I followed it. If the settlement was to the northwest, this had to be the path. Said road had some Bighorners guarding the entrance to something. I decided to go in and check it out. Turned out to be an abandoned mine and the first thing I saw was a freaking Lakelurk. Bah, those guys creep me out. And of course, a normal guy would've turn back and leave, but nooo, Bill has to go and punch those ugly motherfuckers in the face, while exploring the whole mine! Good thing though, because I found an AWESOME weapon. It's a fist with a pressure plate on the hand that, when activated, creates a shockwave, like a sonic boom. Holy shit. I'll call it Pushy. It's cute.

My beard itches.

Didn't walk much before finding another mine. Well, last time I went in one I may have found many ugly sons of bitches, but I also found a badass glove, so I went in. But this time there were casadores inside. Give me ugly ass monsters any time, at least those WALK and try to rip you apart from a near by distance, these bastards fly all around and shit, I don't want any of it! I left as soon as I saw one.

I swear, the freaking flying things hunt me. As soon as I got back on that road I was seen by a group of cazadores. I killed two, got stung and then fled. Motherfuckers.

I finally saw the settlement. Two Super Mutants guarded the main gate and another one was standing there, who was the leader. Marcus was his name. He told me that I was free to roam around, only had to be careful not to look at the nightkin - 'cause they didn't like it - and to keep it to myself if I was with the NCR. Heh, no wander Mutants don't like them, those bastards probably don't even ackowledge any creature that's not a human. He also didn't like the Legion. Said that Caesar's ideals went against human nature - greed, jealousy, ambition.

Marcus' hopes were that, one day, they could be a settlement acknowledged for trading, like any other human settlement. That's a noble goal. I liked him from the start, actually.

I explored around a bit and went in the main building. Once I entered I heard a Nightkin complain about me being there. Said that one human was enough, they didn't need another one. I found out that the other human was the doctor, Doctor Henry, who had a ghoulette as an assistant. Doc said he was doing research, so I thought I could help. I'm not dumb at all, might as well make myself useful. He said he was working on the Nightkin's Stealth Boy addiction. For that he was researching a local Nightstalker population who had begun developing invisibility and also had a Mrk II Stealth Boy, though he'd rather not use it. When I offered my help he asked me to look around the nightstalkers cave, because he didn't thought the mutation was natural, since both Nightkins' and nightstalkers' brains showed the same signs of Stealth Boy usage. He also told me to go with a Super Mutant called Lily, who would have been able to help.

I did what the Doc advised me to, talked with Lily. She was a funny mutant. Dressed funny and talked like a granny with loss of memory. She thought I was some Jimmy, her grandson. Poor lady. Then I asked her if she wanted to join me and she told me she'd love to. I saw her pick up her bigass sword, that seemed to be made after a vertibird propeler. Shit, how badass!

I started to create some small talk while we were going to the cave. Trust me, the last thing you want is awkward silence between you and a mutant. It takes awkwardness to whole new level. I asked about herself and she told me grew up in a Vault, only left when she was 75 and was abducted by a bunch of Super Mutants that stormed the place. At this point of the conversation she mentioned someone named "Leo", like she was talking to him at the same time I was talking to her. Somthing like "Shut up Leo, I'm getting to that part". Well, Marcus did say the Nightkin suffered from schizophrenia... Coninuing: she was made a Super Mutant (or Nightkin, whatever) by those who abducted her in order for someone to create an army and conquer California. She said she was a spy and an assassin, with the help of Leo, doing a lot of killing for The Master, who she said I didn't want to know about. He must've been nasty. All I knew was that he created the Super Mutant army. She told me about her sword and how Leo taught her how to make it good for chopping. I finally had to ask, to know her point of view, who was Leo. She told me he was a very, very bad man, who told her to do terrible, terrible things. Apparently, she was on meds to prevent her from hearing voices - Leo.

As we were walking out of the main gate, Marcus came running to me and asked for my help. He said that there were NCR mercs outside the town to harass them. I asked if he was sure they were NCR and he wasn't sure, only knew they wanted the Mutants gone - or dead. He said they have been shooting at the lodge and Bighorners and soon it would be hard to keep the Mutants from retaliating. Stupid humans, God damn.

Normally I'd kill them. Gosh how I'd kill these... Biggots... But no. That would be bad publicity for the Mutants and it would be on me. I asked the merc who did he work for and it was indeed for the NCR. Bastards. I asked them if, since they were mercenaries, they'd accept money to go away. He told him that if I gave him 2500 caps they'd go. Nice. I went back to Marcus and told him the conditions, so he gave me the money and no more mercs. Marcus was happy that it was solved with no bloodshed.

At the nightstalkers caves, Lily got disappointed on how they weren't hostile to us. Then I told her that ever since I parted ways with you guys animals never did attack me, don't really know why. She got all crazed because she really wanted to smash nightstalkers. I guessed it was a psychotic break, caused by Leo. I waited for her to calm down and then asked her what was that all about. She apologised and told me that sometimes she listened to Leo when she shouldn't. She also told me that the medicine helped with that, but sometimes she didn't take it because the meds causes her to forget things she doesn't want to forget. Poor her...

Investigating the cave we found two things. One, the mutation wasn't natural, just as Doc Henry thought. I found a chewed up Stealth Boy, which I assumed had been chewed by nightstalkers and making the effects pass on to them. Two, JUST THE MOST AWESOME THING AROUND THE MOJAVE!!! A bettered version of the Super Sledge! I know right, how can a Super Sledge be bettered?! But it was! Higher power and bigger impact zone! I'll call it "Oh Baby!", because those were the exact same words I said when I saw the thing. Fortunatly Lily didn't think of me as a weirdo for my excessive access of happiness, but found it rather cute. Then I remembered I never had a grandma. Heh... (yes, picture me smiling, please)

We went back to the Doctor and I told him what I had found. After he got disappointed and knew why his research was failing he told me he had only one more path to continue his work: run the Mark II on Lily. Of course, I asked why her. He said she wasn't dangerous like the others and, more importantly, she even volunteered to help. That is one great woman, mutant or not. I asked what were the risks and he told me that there was the possibility of  immediant and permanent mental damage. I... I told him I had to think about.

I'm going to sleep now. Such a big decision, I don't even know if I'll do it properly.

Love you,
Bill.

Entry 22: The Fate of Zion

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

So as you know, me and Joshua were together going to war. Well, I like to think so at least. It's hard to think that way when Joshua does all the killing from the distance with his badass .45 pistol. But hey, who's complaining!

His presence was actually good. He didn't talk much, like me. He just wanted to get the job done. He even inspired me. I was quicker, stronger. Felt like a slayer, swinging around my axe, sledge and fists.

On our way to the White Legs base camp we passed by the Red Gate - Randall's resting place. I told you, remember? The skeleton, near the dufflebag where I found the entries that supposely were the last ones. Joshua didn't feel confortable with the idea, since we could get hurt, but... I had to say good bye, you know? I kneeled by him and promised I'd rid Zion of the White Legs and that his Sorrows would be able to remain in their home. The home Randall made possible for them. He had a rifle by him, his rifle. I took it. I wasn't much good with any gun, but I'd train. It would be my tribute. Justice would be made, lives would be saved with that gun, as he did.

We quickly got to Three Marys, the home to White Legs. Obviously it'd only get tougher from here. Fortunatly, we had back-ups now. Two Sorrows and one Dead Horse joined us. May not seem much, but believe me, they were all fierce warriors. The air got heavy and my vision seemed to get a little red, proably an illusion from the rocks that surrounded Three Marys and formed the valley. It was show down time.

When we got to a narrow part of the camp an explosion detonated and blocked our path. Joshua had enough. He told me he'd go find a way around and I was to go through the caves. Also reassured me that we'd end the White Legs together. That means a lot you know, coming from a badass guy that once had no heart.

The poor tribals didn't stand a chance. Of course, I say "poor" in the same way I could say "murderer savages", but, well... I hit them with all that I had. It even got me thinking of how painful it may be to get hit with an axe. Thank God it was me doing the hitting. On a lot of them.

Then I caught up with Joshua. He was at the end of the camp, with three White Legs on their knees. On of them seemed different. I assume he was the leader, Salt-Upon-Wounds. When I arrived Joshua looked at me and then executed the two White Legs by Salt-Upon-Wounds. And then started talking to him. Told him he was warned when they first met and warned again when he destroyed New Canaan. But still he wanted to follow Caesar's ways and followed them to Zion. And then, you may or may not believe this - I know I wouldn't - the God damned tribal asked me for mercy. Told me to talk to Joshua. Shit, the nerve on this guy heh. I told Joshua to cap him. He did not deserve mercy. Not after all he had done, after he had planned to do. And Joshua capped him. Capped the shit out of him actually. I wasn't disturbed or anything, if you're asking yourselves that. I told you, he deserved every bullet.

Joshua then told me it was time for him to return to Daniel. Boy I wouldn't want to face that hippie after decimating an entire tribe. He said good bye to me. Thanked me deeply for my help. Then we parted ways.

As I got to the place from where I arrived with Happy Trails, now alone, it was easy for me to climb back to the steep path we came from. But, surprise for me, there was a box by the path. I carefully opened it and... I swear to you, tears filled my eyes. Joshua left me his gun. It was a .45, but more special. I named it after one of the sentences he once told me. "A Light Shining in the Darkness". And even more, he also left me Salt-Upon-Wounds' Power Fist. Heh. Bringing souvenirs to the Mojave.

I'm begining my trip to the Mojave now. I'm sorry the letter was short. I'm also sorry that I won't be writting until I get there. I'm going to focus on getting back as fast as I can and, when able to, practice on my shooting.

Love you,
Bill.

Entry 21: The Fire

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

Yeaaaahh, She's Embrance! What can be more badass than a weapon made out of a giant beast's paw that I personally killed and chopped?!

Cloud calrified to me what we were supposed to do. We had the map to retrieve, White Legs to kill, prevent White Legs from laying traps (or more White Legs to kill) and clear a path from Yao Guai. We started by the map first.

The map was in a cave that I had already been to before. Was where I found one of Randall's terminal's. Too bad I didn't find it by then. I was stung by a giant cazador at the entrance of the cave. I cut it's head off with my flaming sword and then took an antivenom, but was still hurt pretty bad.

Once we entered, Cloud got very unconfortable. She grabbed me and told me we should not be there, because the cave belonged to the Father in the Caves, founder of the New Canaanites and if we entered we would be punished by the Holy Wrath. Oh Randall... Now I see what you were up too. Spreading the message from generation to generation, telling spooky stories about what happens if someone goes in the caves, just so they won't find out who "The Father" is. Well played, friend. I told her I understood her beliefs, but we still needed to search the cave. She asked me to be quick, but I still needed to rest. If you see Randall up there, tell him not to worry, I didn't show her the terminal nor told her the Father was "just" a man.

Stupid, stupid. The map was in an holotape in Randall's dufflebag, how could I have missed it the first time?! Still I got it, layed down on his bedroll and rested for an hour, because the sting was killing me (almost literally).

Next up was to kill the White Legs that were preparing an attack on the Sorrows. Would be tricky, the bastards grew stronger by the minute.

We cleared out the first camp. We were outnumbered and even a Yao Guai joined the party. We got it pretty rough. After they were all dead I destroyed their war totem, so that they'd be both without men and without the help of their beliefs.

The second camp was... Easier? to clear. Mostly because two giant cazadores stung raped all the White Legs to death. And the White Legs must have made a number on the bugs too, because they were easy kills.

Only two chores left. Trap preventing was the next one. It was fairly easy. Just stuck to the road Daniel was planning on following and there were beartraps everywhere. We searched thoroughly, so I'm sure we got them all. And didn't even find White Legs. Only the Yao Guais left now...

They gave me the option of getting rid of them or blowing up their cave, preventing them to return to it and making them find a new place to live in. I did that, because I came across the cave first than I came across them. Cloud told me the strategic places to put the C4 and I did it, all around the cave. There were some Yao Guai inside, too, but I decided to leave them alone. They'd be buried in not too long, so no sense in risking my life.

We left the cave, detonator in hand, got a little distance aaand KA-BLAM! And so everything was done. Cloud told me we had to get back to Daniel, but I asked her to go to the Eastern Virgin. You know, I had to check with Joshua. I still thought we should kill the White Legs instead of running away from them, so I was going to meet him before I proceeded with Daniel's plan.

We went by the river stream, to avoid White Legs contact. And we arrived without any problems. So we went in the Angel Cave and looked for Joshua, but he wasn't there. We looked around the rest of the camp, too. While looking around the Dead Horses camp we found a dufflebag marked as a Taboo. That meant it was there before the Dead Horses had arrived. And it looked just like Randall's dufflebags... Had the same ammount of supplies the other bags used to have too. Another gift of him to me. Thanks.

So we headed back north, to the Narrows. Odds were Joshua was there with Daniel, since he wasn't at his own camp.

I was growing sick of those fucking cazadores. They even swarmed the river. There was no escape from those bastards!

Heh, on my way north I found the place where the Coughers/Vaulters used to be encamped. There were skeletons and Vault 22 jumpsuits lying around. There was also a note that made me smile. It was from the Vault's overseer, warning everyone who saw that note to beware of the evil vengeful spirit, haha. It gave me more detail on Randall's story. The Vaulters were originaly 118 and were reduced by 34 by the time they decided to leave, flee from Randall - the evil vengeful spirit. After what I read from Randall I could not pity those skeletons. Couldn't, wouldn't.

We arrived at night, so we were to sleep in the makeshift beds at the entrance of the camp. When I woke up, both Joshua and Daniel were sitting by the fire camp next to me, reading the Bible.

I talked to Joshua. We didn't talk about Zion right away, I brought up a topic that he talked about when we met. A courier doing Caesar's bidding. He said that that courier had spyed on him once and was the only agent sent by Caesar that Joshua hadn't killed. Another courier heh... Johnson Nash, my boss from when I was a courier with the Mojave Express, also mentioned a courier in a very strange way... I mean, it can be unrelated, at all, but couriers are usually low profile, two stories of a relevant courier... Hm.

He also told me about what he had been through. How he met Caesar, knew him as Edward at first. Only then did Edward ordered the slaughter and conquer of a tribe that had made them - Joshua, Edward and Bill, a friend - prisioners. And thus Caesar was born. Joshua told me about when he was burnt alive but survived from pure will power, which he attributed to love. He was loved by his tribe, the New Canaanites and God.

Then I talked to Daniel. I told him I got everything but... I was going to side with Joshua. In Daniel's eyes it may seem that I had been consumed by the "fire", but if they leave, the White Legs can only spread more. Eventually they'd join the Legion and then a whole educated and trained army would be trying to track them down and kill them all. Daniel didn't like it. Not one bit.

I told Cloud to stay with him, to stay with the Sorrows. They'd need support.

Then I met Joshua outside the Narrows. He told me what our mission was, plain and simple. Extermination.

I asked for some time to prepare to write you this. I'll let you know how this went mom, dad.

Love you,
Bill

Entry 20: Loving Zion

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

Rain woke me up, so I screamed at the heavens. Everyone of the Sorrows that were in the area looked at me. Not a good first impression. Follows laughed, though.

We followed the water stream until a point where Follows told me to turn. And there was Daniel, the only non-tribal-looking guy. He had a shirt and a cowboy hat. Classy. Like Joshua, he too offered sympathy for the Happy Trails Caravan. I gave him the supplies and he was actually surprised. Well, he clearley didn't know who he was dealing with yet, am I right? Huh? Huh?

Anyway, he needed more things done. And, since getting shot in the head seems to have turned me into a bitc-- good samaritan, I told him I'd help, of course. He needed locations scouted and a map for the... "Great Staircase", apparently a way out of Zion. He wanted to leave with the Sorrows, flee from the White Legs. Well, that's not how I'd do it, but hey, I'm a tourist.

After I accepted Follows said good-bye to me, because he was needed back at the Dead Horses camp. I asked him if he was sure, because I actually liked the guy. He said it was so Joshua's orders, so I told him to give him my regards and that I'd stop by.

Daniel told me that the tribal that received me, Waking-Cloud, had volunteered to help me if needed. So I had a new companion right away. Hoped she was as cool as Follows!

The Narrows had all sorts of cave systems, so I had to explore. You know, because of  Randall. While we were on our way I talked to Cloud (I don't like writting her full name) to know her better. She had three children and a husband, who led the group of refugees out of Zion. She was worried about them, though, because there were no news and Daniel wouldn't talk to her. I'd see what I could do.

I talked with Daniel and... Shit. Cloud's children made it, but her husband had died protecting the group against the White Legs. Those savages... Daniel asked me not to tell Cloud... But... It was her husband, y'know... She'd be building up hope and when she got reunited with the refugees she would be devastated... I told him I'd tell her. He reacted better than I expected. If anything happened, I would take full responsability. I also asked him about the "Father in the Caves" that Cloud had mentioned and that I thought to be Randall. He didn't know anything about a Randall, though.

I talked to Cloud... It's tough, breaking the news. Really. She almost immediatly turned on Daniel. I told her that he only did what thought was best and it certainly wasn't an easy choice... Fortunatly, she'd be following me for a while, so she wouldn't be distracted or even betray the Sorrows.

So we went back to the cave-exploring. I picked one she called the Crossroad Cavern. Also, she reminded me by then that I could do the rite of passage of the Sorrows, to get that badass Yao Guai glove they wear. I'd think about it.

Inside the cave we found motherfucking White Legs. The bastards must have set up camp to spy on the Sorrows. Well they can thank my obsession with caves! Also, I got to know that Cloud is pretty good in a fight. We found them in more caves. They were tougher than before, too.

The third cave we entered had a camp. Randall... It was him already. Dufflebag, workbenches, bedroll, terminal, it was all there. Best than all that - even the terminal entry - was the armor I found. A desert Ranger armor, like the NCR's, but not NCR's. That means I wouldn't be mistaken by those asswhipes while I wore it! I took it and loved it like it had boobies.

Then I started reading the entries. Cloud started praying while I read. The entries were both from 2096. They told how the Coughers or Vaulters or whatever arrived and killed all the mexicans that had already installed in Zion. He picked 'em, killing them in small groups. Initially there were more than 100. The last entry was about he being found out by a 3-man patrol and barelly killing them, then having to leave the Narrows.

I think the story is now complete... I can never know for sure, though, all the stories have a long distance from one another. So, Randall... I really do respect him, mom, dad. He made a difference, but never asked for recognition. A ghost. A spirit. Founded the Sorrows, even. All without wanting any kind of thanks. A hero with no praise or glory.

Thank you, Randall. You inspired me. No thank you's for all that you do. That's it. I'll be helping Mr. House. I don't need anyone to know I did the work. Mr. House can have the credits for all I care. He came up with the plan anyway. If I can help and make the difference, it doesn't matter if I don't get recognized for it. It will only matter for me. Knowing that I saved the Mojave. And probably even more than the Mojave.

And also, thanks for the badass armor.

I decided to go through with the Rite of Passage thingy. Cloud directed me to the White Bird's cave, their shaman. He talked funny and Cloud had to translate what he said, while laughing at my reaction. I ad to pick some sacred roots around the camp for him to make something. I picked 'em all up and returned to the man. He was sleeping though, so I layed down too.

When I woke up the dude already tea made from those roots I gathered. He said I'd see the "path" before me once I drank. But shit, when I did drink all I saw was purple. I was stunned for a second. He told me to find the Ghost of She and bring him her paw, then shoved me off his cave.

The rain helped me for the first time. The cold drops of water on my face made me more aware. I couldn't see really well yet, but was more aware of my surroundings.

Once I exited the Narrows Joshua appeared. I couldn't see him very well, but I saw enough to know it was him. And his voice, too, was unmistakable. He recited a passage from the Bible. He didn't want to leave Zion, like Daniel. He wanted the White Legs dead. I asked why was he talking to me, instead of Daniel, since it was their plan to solve Zion's situation. I told him I'd talk to him. No way I'd let all that Randall had worked for be abandoned because of some asshole tribals.

I went into the Ghost's Den, guided by Cloud. We took out some Yao Guai cubs. Obviously the Ghost of She was a Yao Guai. It was a big one, like I had found before. I took out my SuperSledge, got slapped around a little bit, but then found my ballance and then smashed the Ghost's brains out. Then used the axe to chop her paw out and returned to the Narrows.

I talked with Daniel before going to the White Bird's cave. He... Had a different opinion of Joshua than I'd expect. He said he killed because he needed to redeem himself, he was what God had sent to Earth to represent evil, God's evil doings. He said he prayed that I would not be consumed by the Burned Man's flame of destruction. But... I still agreed with Joshua. Even after all that. The White Legs are savages, feral, almost.

I went to the shaman's cave to complete the rite. I was almost passing out. He said my visions were complete and that he'd do me a Yao Guai glove. I'd call it She's Embrace. Yeah, I'm awesome.

I'm about to pass out. Only you to make me go through writting a whole damn letter while on a tea transe.

Love you,
Bill

Entry 19: Men I respect

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

It was time to leave Randall's shelter cave. There was one electrified door and the generator was on my side. I smashed it, that was enough to make the door safe. And then I left the cave with Follows.

We continued to roam through Zion, me knowing full-well we had to go to the Ranger Station and the General Store. It's just that I liked to explore the place, it was all so new to me! And besides, there were more of those Randall's stories, I just knew it.

When I was approaching the general store I saw a crashed plane. I had to go to the place, obviously.

Unfortunatly, the plane was unreachable... But I did find a cave. And thus far, caves haven't disappointed me.

Inside there were three giant plants, who liked to eat. People. And shoot green stuff. That burned. Like hell. Follows shot them from afar and I injured them with the tomahawks. Then searched the cave. Found traps, like with the other caves, supplies, a duffle bag... All signs of Randall. The dufflebag only had a key though... So I searched the cave further. I wouldn't give up.

I did find a door. But, careless Bill, so careless. I got shot from one of the traps. Hit my leg pretty bad. Had to rest. Through the door was a camp. Randall. Damn you, shooting me like that. Found a bedroll and passed out. I woke up one hour later and Follows had tended to me. Thank God. I thanked him and then got up. Still a little limpy. There was the computer. I smiled. Don't even know if I did it on purpose. This time the entries were from 2108, 2113 and 2123. He had found tracks of barefooted people. When he found them he saw "corpses that didn't smell rotted". Ghouls gone feral... Funny how we now have names for them.  He put them out of their misery. Judging from his speech, I assumed the ghouls were the mexicans he had found before. But I could only assume...  In the 2113's entry he talked about his birthday, on Frebruary 5th. He said the only gift he could give himself was whiskey and suicide. But he... He couldn't... Then on the last entries he talked about 24 kids arriving at the same spots as the mexicans did, 30 years ago from his time. He didn't say much about them, but those were the kids on the last entry. The ones that called him "The Father" and were thought to feel sorrow and to cause sorrow if needed. I was so immersed in the entries that I didn't even feel pain anymore. So we left. Finally we were going to the General Store.

God damn, the rain thingy was annoying. Sheesh. Inside the general store we had to find lunchboxes. And we did, after leading with mantises that were almost my size and could slice me in half with one blow...! And YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE what I found HA! A snowglobe for Mr. House! Hahaha, I laughed, swear to God! Also, I thought about Mr. House for the first time since I arrived at Zion. I may side with him, you know. The man is smart. The smartest. He is the best hope for mankind. Almost definetly. The better around the Mojave at least.

Inside the Ranger Station I found the medical supply Joshua talked about. But it was contaminated. Even I could see that. I also knew that alcohol could decontaminate the kit. And those rangers had a fridge full of booze. And so it was done. Follows told me the way to the other tribe's camp, Daniel's tribe. He told me the tribe's name was Sorrows. Hum. Reminded me of Randall, because of his last entry. Heh.

Surprise surprise, it was raining. Follows saw that I didn't like the rain, so he suggested a cave near-by. Me likey caves. At least ever since I found precious entries from a man I could respect. And I do so for few men.

The place was booby trapped. That meant Randall was there. I found a locked door that seemed to lead to the camp. I couldn't open it so I had to hope to find a key, like in the previous cave.

Remember those green dudes that were fused with plants in Vault 22? Yeah those bastards were in the cave and they were tough motherfuckers. I mean it. Knocked Follows unconscious and did a number on me, too. And those plants, God damn! I only had one tomahawk and there were three of those bastards left. And my armor was a mess. Just a normal day in Zion. But then I remembered... Grenades. Left to me by Randall. Awesome. I also found out that I am not a bad thrower. At all!

And then I finally found it. Another one of Randall's camps. This one was older than the last ones I had found. It dated 2097, 2100 and 2101. He started by talking about some "Coughers". Said there were only 34 of them and were leaving. He had killed the rest and they "deserved it".  There were no mentions of any group of AT LEAST 34 people on previous years' entries. I must be missing one of them. Or even more. I didn't tell you, he metioned a lot of times a "Sylvie". I didn't tell you because I didn't know who she was. Apparently she was a "Vaulter" (same as Cougher, meaning the Coughers came from a Vault) that deserted the group because they were evil. and got stuck on a bear-trap. And holy crap did she play a great roll in the story. She became pregnant of Randall, even though he never forgot his lost wife Char and son Alex. He apologised to Char. Well, I get him. Even though you know as a fact that I can't betray the love of my life. But I get him. God... In 2101 he delivered the baby himself but... He did it wrong somehow... The baby never took a breath and Sylvie never woke up from the anestetics. Losing a wife and son two times in the same life...

I had to change my outfit for one less protective... But between a heavy piece of junk that breaks with the wind and a light, confortable (as it can get) clothing, you know the obvious choice right?

Didn't check the time before leaving the camp. It was night when we got out. Didn't want to go back in, either. Those green men creeped me out, alive or dead.

Apparently we had stood up all night, because the sun was already saying hello. Surprisingly, Follows didn't mind my exploring. He actually liked how I was so interested. Especially in Randall's story. He actually told me that there was a duffle-bag in Eastern Virgin that none of the Dead Horses had ever touched. Worth a shot for sure. Once I get near there, anyway.

We had finally arrived to The Narrows, place to Daniel's tribe. We were greated by rain, because God just likes it when I'm all wet (that may come out wrong) and by a bald tribal woman - named Waking Cloud - with a glove that resembled a Yao Guai paw.  She greeted me and while doing so talked about a Father of the Cave, like it's their spiritual guide or something. She told me he was the God of New Canaanites. I had to ask Daniel about this... "Father"... When I meet him.

I couldn't even listen to her straight, because I was so sleepy. I am in dire need of going to sleep and still have to write this for you God damned it. At least it's over.

Love you,
Bill

Entry 18: The survivalist story

Hello mommy. Hello daddy.

First order of business was to find a compass. Follows had a small idea where it could be, so we went straight for it. We followed the river to one of the ther paths it led to. As soon as we got off the water we heard shots and saw a Dead Horse - one of Joshua's tribals - being attacked by three White Legs. One of them saw us and came right at us with a gauntlet made from a giant mantis' claw. Damn. I did chop his leg off with the fire axe though.

Then we arrived at the place that Follows thought would have the compass. I saw a crashed bus, broken in half. Then we approached and I saw skeletons... Little skeletons. It... wasn't pretty. At all. I had to search for a compass through children's bones. Finally I had found it. It was being held by one of the kids. It was broken, too. I was able to repair it, though. No biggie. Just had to get out of there fast.

Next up, walkie.talkies from the fishing shack. On our way there I started talking to Follows, to get to know him better. While talking about Zion he mentioned the Bighorners were going berserk because one of the calfs was missing. I said I could help. So we went back to Eastern Virgin, where the Dead Horses' camp was and looked into the matter. Fortunatly, I was pretty liked by animals. I can't remember they ever attacking me, even when I was a frail boy after you died, so it was going to be an easy job.

I found the calf high on the cliffs. I pulled out a banana yucca and teased him with it. He started following me around for the fruit, so I ran back where the big ass bighorner was, because Follows said that was the mother. I reunited them, fed the calf the fruit, petted him and Follows was all happy. He even gave me some Dead Horses' weapons. Ain't that something!

Then I went in a cave I saw from above the cliffs, still in the Eastern Virgin. Follows said it was called the Fallen Rock Cave. It was full of booby-traps. I went into one section that seemed to have been habitated, a long time ago. I scavenged the place a little before looking into the computer that was still there and with the power on. I found a weird gun that I assumed it was a taser gun. Interesting, I had never seen anything like that on the Mojave. I didn't take though, you know I don't like guns very much.

The computer apparently belong to a Great War survivor. It was a journal of what he did on the 28th, 29th  31st October, 2nd November 2077 and 1st, 10th, 15th, 28th and 30th January of 2078. It described what he, an army dude, went through during that time. Lost his wife and kid in Zion, while away. Was looking the other way when the bombs fell, or else he would have gone blind. Got trapped by radiation in that cave for three months, surviving on military ration and water that he mopped off the cave walls. Fucked up. It was time to go back to beautiful Zion. Time to leave the Eastern Virgin too and get to those walkie-talkies.

On our way we were once again attacked by White Legs - I could see that would become an habit. One of them had one of the most badass things I had ever seen: A sword that caught on fire with a mounted gas deposit. I took it from his dead corpse and called it Shishkebab. Had to wear an oven mitt to handle it though. No problemo, the guy had one. Boy am I badass.

By the time we got to the Fishing Lodge to get the walkie-talkies it was already night. The place had a couple of couches, so after we found the walkie-talkies we slept there.

When we got out in at dawn water started falling from the sky. What the hell? I had never seen such a thing. And God, was it awful! I got all soaked and the sky was all cloudy so the whole valley was dark! To make matters better a cazador appeared. But was it a normal cazador? No! A younger one, then. Nope! A freakin' giant one, that's what! God damn! Also, the "rain" - as Follows told me the water was called - was preventing me to use the Shishkebab. What a party blower.

We had to go to a Ranger station and a General store next, to find lunchboxes and medical supplies. On the way I kept talking with Follows. He told me about the White Legs, that they came from the Great Salt Lake and that their leader was Salt-Upon-Wounds (pahahahahah) and that he had ordered the survivors of New Canaan to be nailed to the cliffs (oh shit...). He also told me about himself. His name was Follows-Chalk because he followed the chalk lines left by real scouts and he - and the rest of the tribe - had tatoos because it was a sign of great hunts. Then he told me the story of his tribe, the Dead Horses. They were a weak tribe, found by the Legion when it was led by Caesar and Joshua. They were ready to follow them to war. But then the Legion lost to the NCR and Joshua, by then broken and burnt, led them to Zion and taught them how to fend for themselves. Told me that before that Joshua was ruthless, a cruel man. When he came back the Dead Horses were scared, but soon found out he ment only to protect.

As we neared the location we had to go we were attacked by two Yao Guais, a normal one and a cub. We killed them (not easily) and then took a deep breath. We didn't even finished said breath, the fucking chief of all Yao Guais came along! The God damned thing was freaking giant, really!

While doing some exploring, since I have never been there, we found another survivalist, this time there was a skeleton near a duffle bag. Well, that's what I thought, at least. I read the note inside the duffle bag and it was about an old, dying man who had tend been tending to children. It dated 2nd, 18th and 23rd January 2124 and it seemed to be on-going, because started by "I brought them books". He said he taught them to fend for themselves but to be nice to each others, to pray, to mourn, to care. The children called him "The Father". He was dying from what he thought was cancer, so he left on the 23rd, without saying goodbye to the children so that they did not see how frail he was and headed to where I was standing right then. Then he made his final goodbyes from the holotape. By reading the names he mentioned, I realised that the skeleton standing by me was also the one who had survived the Great War, that I read about inside the cave in Eastern Virgin. He signed on the end of that entry. Randal Dean Clark. Respect. Honest.

Even more ahead I found another skeleton with a dufflebag near. Not anything like Randal though. This one was mutilated, careless. Didn't have a journal. Had two Vault 22 jumpsuits though... Weird! We also found a cave in the river, as we were knee deep in the water. Follows told me it was the Two Skies cave. It was flooded for most part, so I put on my rebreather and told Follows I would explore. He followed me, though. He had great lungs. Inside were traps and mines. I disarmed them. The last time I found mines and traps it led to the story of one heck of a guy. There was a locked door in one of the higher levels. I opened it and got inside. Seemed like a campsite, like the first cave. Like the first cave, I scavenged the place before reading the computer's entries. I found a metal armor like the one I had once used and took it, because  the NCR Ranger armor was pretty much destroyed.

This computer had entries from May 2083 to September 2095. Randall talked about how he saw the animals mutating, like the geckos. About how he went back to Salt Lake City to try and find his wife's and son's remains, only to come back to Zion disappointed, wishing that they had a quick death, like they were vaporized by the explosion, instead of burnt by them. Said he was a coward for NOT taking his life right there in Salt Lake City. About how he spotted people. 28 of them, 11 males, 8 females and 9 children, armed and from Mexico. He followed them for months, without getting to know them. He helped them as he could, without being seen. Like a ghost. Ended there.

I'm going to sleep now, in Randall's camp. Can't help but wonder if there are more of his stories spread around Zion. Must be, I'm assuming the children he spoke of in the last entry are the same children he saw now. But I prefer to discover the entries than to assume. Me and Follows say goodnight. I'm off.

Love you,
Bill