Days in New Begas: Fumbling through the Wastelands

[CJ]

Miles seemed to have died. It was no surprise the strange woman would have mistakenly got caught in the mess. The town seemed better for it. The commander of the radroaches was gone forever. They wouldn't be bothered anymore.

But suddenly, the entry and exit hole of her helmet emitted a bright, yellow light. The suit wearer's skin was practically radiating, only showing through the holes. The helmet's painted smile gave way to a silhouette of a small, bald head.

"Oh, this will not pass," her voice started up, seeming so distant in static yet so close and personal.

She jumped to her feet and began to dance around in a boxer's stance.

"Alas, I'm already being replaced!" she announced. "Death can't stop me, Smiley girl! I'm the only Sav... Sava... Saliva? S. Miles! And don't you forget it!"

Miles leaned back and forth and pulled her hands up. She punched the air and seemed to train her eyes on Smiles.

"Let me at her!" she announced to the vault-dweller and the farmhand nearby.

[Shark a' Pult]

"That's pretty low. I hope you realize that."

After the small battle had ended, the farmhand merely sat on a rock and watched the vault fellow pick through the bodies like a vulture. He didn't care enough to intervene, but he certainly expressed his disapproval.

"How'd you do that, I wonder?"

"Learned it in the circus."

"I'm Sunny Smiles. It's nice to meet you."

"Reed. Well met, Miss Smiles."

Standing to greet her, it was about that time that the person in the rad suit jumped up and started shouting and dancing. Mid-hand shake Reed just looked at her. He didn't even seem to recognize her as a danger, and didn't bother to reach for his gun.

"Didn't you die?"

[Kuro]

The vault-fellow said nothing response to the farmhand's words, but glanced at him with a sort of pleading look in his eyes. It wasn't as if they could just waste all of these caps and things, after all. The gangers sure weren't using them. The vault-fellow did make a noise in response to Mile's sudden revival, however: A loud shout of surprise, physically accompanied by a large jump in the air. The vault-fellow looked on with his mouth hanging open once again, although he himself wasn't sure if it was because she was back up or because it was now apparent there was much radiation underneath that suit. Sunny Smiles on the other hand, definitely knew why her mouth was currently agape and her hand now holding a rifle instead of a man's hand.

"...Sister, you best back up a bit. There's radiation literally shining out from you. I don't reckon it means much how similar how names are, but that light coming from you...I should have known when I saw the rad suit. I'm sorry, but I can't risk you seriously hurting anyone around here. Whether you know it or not, that radiation could seriously hurt someone for life. It's...it's just not safe, and we don't have any ways of fixing up something like a rad-suit. Plus, it would be a risk to let you stay here and get your suit ripped again, but around people."

She raised her rifle up and pointed it at the rad-suit wearer, who was looking like more and more of a threat as Sunny looked.

". But we can't have you in here. So please, take your stuff and go before you touch anybody without that suit. Be careful." One could easily tell she really was remorseful about the turn of events and what she was saying, but she saw no other choice. Didnt' want to just kill her. She turned to Reed and glanced between him and the ghoul. "Uh...You with her, Reed? Because... if you are..."

[CJ]

"I told you," Miles said casually to Reed. "Death can't stop me."

Miles' head turned slowly at Smiles. It was still very unclear as to what she was thinking but she looked somewhat saddened. She was almost like a doll with her head tilted downward and shoulders sagged. She didn't understand what a "ghoul" was, much less a "glowing one," but she seemed to understand she was dangerously different from others.

"Someone else told me something like that once, but it wasn't for the reason you're saying it now."

Her voice changed tones. The radio-like static quality became harsher as she intimidated someone unknown.

"You're radiating, darling. Got a real knock-out act."

She placed her gloved hand on one of the cracked holes.

"Those days. They're hard to recall. Maybe that means they're truly gone."

Miles stumbled backward and looked up at the group one last time.

"I suppose I'll go somewhere else then, where people don't recognize me. Being famous is hard. Can't even settle down. There'll be only one Smiley girl in this town now... and that's fine with me."

It wasn't fine, but she didn't seem to want the others to know it. The rad suit wearer began to walk away as the glowing fell to a minimum. Part of yellow-green skin could be seen in the holes in the helmet, bald and still faintly glowing. She had no belongings except for the suit it seemed.

[Shark a' Pult]

"Uh...You with her, Reed? Because... if you are..."

"Never seen it before in my life."

To be completely honest, Reed wasn't even aware of how Sunny was able to tell right away that the ghoul was in fact radioactive. Perhaps it was a dead giveaway, the glowing-ness of it, but that could be imitated by any number of things not radioactive. Normally special equipment was needed for detection of things like that, so he wasn't so quick to make decisions. If she was sure of it though, then he wasn't about to argue with her on the matter. Not like he owed the ghoul any favors.

"Well that just happened. Anyway, where's Ringo at? My job is depending on him being alive and all, be mighty fine if that were the case after that little rough up."

Understandably he looked about for the caravaneer, to make sure at the very least that his corpse was not being looted by the scavenging vault fellow.

[Kuro]

Sunny Smiles didn't know what to say in response to Miles. It was good that she was leaving, but she did feel sorry for her. Still, they couldn't risk her living in Goodsprings with that broken suit. She put her rifle down when Miles stopped talking and thought of maybe saying something, some half-baked thought or sympathy, but thought against it. Instead, she simply watched her go. She sighed and looked at Reed. "Ringo? He's over there, by the gas sta-"

"Reed! Reed!"

"...or not."

Ringo ran up to the farmhand, or at least limped to him quickly. His leg was patched up, although blood could be seen through his bandages, but besides that and the sweat on his face, he seemed to be in decent condition. "Y...your job's not finished yet. You're supposed to keep me alive, right?" He gulped. "Well, I...I need to get to Nipton; my caravan was supposed to some business in Goodsprings and on the way back, Nipton and Novac. I appreciate you helping me with the Powder Gangers and all...but I can't go back without doing the business I was supposed to. The Crimson Caravan'll have my hide, wagon or no wagon, caravan or no caravan. It's your job to keep me alive, so keep me alive until I get to Novac. The Crimson Caravan knows to pick me up there, where i'm supposed to be. I'll pay you extra for the trouble, once we get to Novac, and i'll put in a good word for you with whoever I can back at headquarters." He winced and instinctively touched his leg in a vain attempt to sooth the sudden pain. "So...do we have a deal? If we do, like I hope so, then I think we should travel with some company...some company who doesn't live here...and knows how to handle a gun." He looked to the bodies on the ground, but didn't see the scavenger. Confused, he looked around a bit before finding the vault-guy following the ghoul. That only made him more confused. "...I think we're talking about the same person. Maybe. I hope not, do you know anyone else? Possibly anyone else at all? Anyone?"

---

The vault-fellow had listened to Miles without saying a word and simply paid attention. What she said was basically nonsense, he knew that. The radiation was a problem too. It would be good if he just settled down here, in this town, a nice town that liked him, that thought of him as a helper, a town where he could start anew and -

and

and

and

"-without looking them in the face."

The vault-fellow put his hand to his head, his aching head.

"....fink, you dig?"

What the - Agh! This...pain...

"You've made your last delivery, kid."

The..the man in the suit, the, the checkered suit...

"...18-karat run...Truth is...The game was rigged from the start."

BANG

The vault-fellow jumped up with a start and looked around as if baddies were coming. He breathed heavily, his eyes rapidly glanced this way and that, sweat was on his brow. He reached for his gun and, for a moment, was about to pull it out. But something held him back. Reason. Reason, he was getting reasonable again. Calm, calm as he could be. No suit-wearing men around him, no poker chip, no Khans, no..no poker chip. The delivery! The delivery! How could he have forgotten! How! How?! It was - He needed to - No, no, no! Not that! It was the only thing he had left! Why, why?! Why that? He...It wasn't...

The vault-fellow would appear as if he had some sort of intense headache in him, since he was clutching his head with both hands and gritting his teeth. He didn't make much noise though; he was just seething, not having a tantrum. He looked towards Miles with a determined look. He walked up to her side, although he would be a safe distance away from her radiation, with the intent of getting her help, of asking for her assistance in finishing his delivery, his job, his lifeline! It would be the start of an interesting journey and together they could survive, they could brave the wastelands, he would be able to live his regular life again. It was a simple thing, just as for help, just request it, just ask, just ask, they're never as mean as you think they are...Or were they?! Were they? What if she shot and killed him between towns? What if she would eat him? Would she do that? Did she want to devour on his flesh?!

"......"

Staring at Miles, his mouth was agape to show some failed attempt at speech as he said nothing and walked alongside her at some feet's distance apart.

[CJ]

"Darling, I could eat you right up," Miles said in a sing-song voice when she finally noticed him the vault dweller walking behind her. The radio static quality of her voice made her sound she was speaking from an old, worn record.

"So you fixed that jukebox right up but mechanics and tailoring are two completely different things. I used to know a fellow who could fix hats but I don't know where that person is nowadays. It's been so long."

She paused for a moment, then started agian.

"That Smiles lady was right. It's not good to be seen with someone like me, now that I'm exposed. My hat's ruined so now people'll recognize me far and wide. But you seem like the kind of man who can deal with publicity. Yeah, I think it's time to get your name in the headlines, Mr. Cellophane."

Miles turned to the vault dweller. Tear stains pooled at the bottom of her cracked helmet. A soft smile barely showed beyond the dirt and other grime.

"We'll have a lot of work to do, but I'm glad you're here to see us through it."

[Shark a' Pult]

"So...do we have a deal? If we do, like I hope so, then I think we should travel with some company...some company who doesn't live here...and knows how to handle a gun."

The farmhand just looked at the caravaneer, not responding to him for a few moments. When he did respond, it was as bluntly as possible.

"I'm gonna be completely honest with you Ringo. My job was just to get you out of trouble in Goodsprings. Well this is Goodsprings, and there is no more trouble, so my job is done."

With that, he tipped his hat to Sunny, and began to walk along the road away from the saloon. If Ringo knew his ass from his elbow, he'd realize that was actually the way to Primm, and Nipton beyond it. Reed was walking at a fairly slow pace, and when he got to about the welcome sign for Goodsprings, he leaned against it as he sort of half spoke to himself and half called out behind him. He didn't actually turn back though.

"Well, I'll be on my way then, headed down this long and dusty road. Don't know where it will take me, but I'm sure I'll get there. Now supposing that someone were to follow me, well I reckon I wouldn't be inclined to stopping them."

With that he pushed off the sign, and continued on, at a distinctly slow pace. Slow enough at least, that someone who had been shot in the leg could catch up and keep pace.

[Kuro]

Ringo had been struck dumb when Reed told him that his job was done. He stood in place with his eyes twitching and a bead of sweat going down his face. The smile he had been wearing while trying to hire Reed was still there, although like his eyes, its corners were twitching as he tried to say something. ""Ah ha...ha...You've...You're kidding...right?" Sunny Smiles looked at the Ringo, stuck in his laughable pose, and smiled with a raised eyebrow. "I don' think he is, Ringo. I think you can catch up to him though. He hasn't gone that far." As Sunny Smiles walked away with rifle in hand, the merchant looked at Reed at the welcome sign and said nothing for a few moments, trying to make sense of what had just happened. As he limped towards the farmhand, yelling and asking him to wait, one thought went through his head: "Was it something I said?"

---

The vault-fellow didn't know whether to blush or be disturbed by her comment of "eating him right up", but for some reason he appreciated it. It made a small smile flicker on his face. He supposed that maybe it was something about her voice.

Miles was a really odd person. He didn't know what to make of half of what she said, but he could at least tell that she wasn't being mean. In fact, she was being rather nice, or at least, what she thought was nice. His eyes widened and his face went paler when she told him that he could deal with publicity and that he would be in the headlines, oh, that would be the worst possible thing. He didn't want that, he didn't want that at all...but there was something about the way she said it. Something that made another flicker of a smile on his worried face, something that he appreciated. He just didn't know what.

At her last words, those of appreciation, he was very surprised. For someone to be glad to see him...it felt like it had been forever since such a thing happened. For someone to actually want him in their presence, for someone to actually want him to help, it was...it was the nicest he had felt for a long time.

He took a tiny, perhaps noticeable step towards Miles and then continued walking. There was still a distance between them because of radiation and all, but they walked side-by-side and just a little closer than before.

[Kuro]

------------------------------------------- PROLOGUE END ------------------------------------------

[Kuro]

The road from Goodsprings to Primm was simple, albeit a little long. There were no curves, no interesting locations that could be seen as long as they kept on the broken pavement and concrete. There were hills around them and mountains in the distance, a typical view in the Mojave. There were no abandoned buildings, no remnants of a past civilization in sight as they walked. Simply the horizon, and nothing more.

Of course, there was the occasional group of radscorpions, geckos, or bloatflies. The creatures were in no short supply in the empty wasteland, but thankfully the armed gang of four only ever saw a few at a time and were able to take them down easily; sometimes, Miles found other ways to subdue them.

And now, after hours of walking, walking, and walking, they had reached something resembling civilization. On the left side of the road was a town surrounded, for the most part, by a chain-link fence. A few buildings could be seen through it, one of them being much larger than the others and having a roller coaster sticking out of it. On the other side of the road was a few brown tents and a flag that should be recognized by any person in the Mojave Wasteland. A red star, a red line, and a brown, two-headed bear imposed on a white background along with the words NEW CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC. The two places, each on a hill that raised it above the main road, were connected by a bridge above the road. It would be effortless to simply go to either side, as the chain-link fence didn't enclose much.

".."

The vault-fellow - who sometimes wondered if the others actually thought he was from a vault and wasn't just given the apparel - had barely said anything on the trip. He didn't complain, didn't start up any conversations, and rarely said a word whenever the others tried to talk to each other. He wasn't a bad shot, the vault-fellow, so he killed his fair share of deadly creatures on their way to Primm, which made him feel somewhat useful, thankfully.

Primm. He remembered being here once. It...it seemed nice enough. It had been quiet, like he liked. It had been empty, he had liked that too. Just get the package and deliver it, that was what he had done. Or supposed to do. But he didn't. He couldn't! No, no, and now he had to back and report his failure. He had never thought of that. He had to tell someone that he had lost their package! That he had failed! That he was a useless good-for-nothing who couldn't handle one, average job, a lowly little failure who couldn't even -

As the vaultfellow silently went through internal strife, Ringo signaled for the others to stop, although there was no telling what these loonies would do. "Wait wait wait...Someone's coming towards us."

An NCR soldier, outdecked in brown armor and pouches was indeed running up to the group, a rifle in his hands. He stopped a couple of feet from them and preferred to speak without any close contact. "Where the hell do you guys think you're going? Primm is off-limits. Move along and don't get close to the town." He blinked. "I don't know if you guys are some makeshift caravan or odd, patchwork gang of travellers but either way, its not safe here. I suggest you go."

Ringo grimaced at the words, but tried to keep a confident smile on his face. "No need to worry, my good man. My name is Ringo and i'm with the Crimson Carava-"

"I don't care who the hell you are."

At that, the merchant's eye twitched and he backed off a couple of steps before letting his face fall and his arms fall limp as he suffered a huge blow to his self-esteem. He didn't seem like he would be useful anytime soon, and the vault-fellow was too caught up in his self-destroying thoughts to notice the trooper. Perhaps the farmhand or the ghoul could suffice.

[CJ]

"Excuse me, my good man," a voice emerged from the back of the group.

A bullet torn jacket which read "Desert Expanses" rested atop the dome helmet of S. Miles, a "glowing one" notorious to Goodsprings. The new piece of attire was found on a corpse being picked apart by radroaches. The radroaches kindly let her take it off of it and she stuck it on her helmet to hide the cracks and holes from the gunfight not too long ago.

"These handsome gentlemen are with me, especially nice Mr. Cellophane. Can you dig it, good lookin'?"

Miles was trying to be flirtatious, though it probably wouldn't work, even with her supposedly "high charisma score." Her grimy fogged helmet wasn't going to appear on any magazine cover soon.

[Shark a' Pult]

When the reached the outskirts of Primm, the farmhand bristled at the sight of the flag waving above the camp nearby. When the soldier ran up as well, even more was he on edge and his hand hovered near his gun. Of course felling the soldier here and now was not the best idea, as there seemed to be some sort of situation going on, but it was clear that the idea had crossed his mind. Then crossed it again, and again, and again...

When they needed someone to speak up on behalf of the group, because Ringo was too butthurt, Reed was of a mind to question the soldier's legitimacy. Last he checked, the Californian border didn't reach this far. NCR could order people around all it wanted, back in its own territory. Out here, they were an invading force.

He let Miles handle the situation for now, but was ready to act in a moments notice.

[Kuro]

Mr. Cellophane stopped beating himself up and looked at Miles when she said "especially nice Mr. Cellophane". A compliment? Well that was...that was very nice, very very nice, it felt good. He didn't get too many of those...It seemed like traveling with Miles would be pleasant, it was the right choice. The right choice. A long time since he had gotten one of those either, er, made one, made one of those. He looked up at the NCR soldier who he been too distracted to notice earlier and was shocked at the sudden appearance of such a man.

The NCR man himself was..well, he was several things at that moment. He was confused, surprised, a little disgusted, and although he would never admit it, somewhat afraid. He stepped back with an expression of shock and revulsion on his face, his eyes locked onto the blank helmet of the...thing that had complimented him. He couldn't tell it was a ghoul, but just to have something so grimy, dirty, and faceless try to flirt with you was rather off-putting.

"...I think I threw up a little in my mouth." He glanced at Reed and pointed his gun at the farmhand. "Sir, keep your hand away from your gun or else. I am authorized to fi-"

"Oh, you aren't authorized to do squat. Stand down, soldier."

Another NCR trooper walked onto the scene, his gun also in his hands but not pointed at anybody. He looked at the first soldier and gestured his head towards the camp, prompting the man to walk away. The newcomer looked at the squad for a bit with a raised eyebrow, perhaps appraising them, and then got a small, tired smile on his face. He lazily spread his arms out wide. "Welcome to our little pile of trash. We call it the NCR Primm Outpost. Ask any questions you like. You should probably follow me too, maybe we can find you a nice fire to warm up by while you ask me what's going on."

He walked back towards the camp, signaling with his hand for the gang to come along in case they didn't get the message. Mr. Cellophane looked at the others, waiting to judge what their reactions were before he did anything. After all, for he knew, they had a plan or some sort of grudge against the NCR or just didn't want to follow and then if he followed and they didn't he would seeme like an outcast or some weird guy and then everything would be awkward and he would lose their trust and they would leave him and -

He suddenly gasped, not realizing he had stopped breathing during his minor anxiety attack. Breathing heavily, he looked at Miles and then the others to see what they would do. Ringo was already catching up to the friendly trooper and asking at least one question.

"So...It wasn't like this last time I was here. What's the situation?"

The trooper sighed. "Powder Gangers. They went and took over the Bison Steve Hotel and are basically keeping the townsfolk hostage. The criminals are patrolling the streets as we speak, making sure their hostages are nice and safe in the Vikki and Vance Casino. Its too dangerous for us to just go storming in there, a couple of our guys would die for sure. Not on my watch." Another sigh, this one longer. "Not sure of what we could do really...But why am I telling you guys this? It's not as if I'd ask you to storm the Powder Ganger's hideout." He chuckled and shook his head. He stopped by a campfire and sat down.

"You folks tired? I'm sure we can offer you a few beds to sleep in for the night. It wouldn't do for the NCR to not show some hospitality towards its citizens, right?"

[CJ]

"Primm? I knew a girl named Primrose. Her sister wasn't too nice."

Miles shrugged at the vault dweller. It may have been hinted before but it was apparent the ghoul wasn't familar with the area. The helmet rocked up and down as she nodded along with the NCR soldier, as though she knew exactly what he was talking about. But who knew what was rattling around in her brain?

"Yep," she nodded again. "We're definitely not going to storm the place, at least not me. I'm a famous singer after all so I've got a reputation to uphold.

"Now... about that beauty sleep."

Miles suddenly dropped to the ground. It was as if she passed out right in front of them. Her helmet even came dangerously close to hitting Reed's foot. Further inspection (if any dared to inspect) would show she was simply sleeping right where she was. She seemed to be quite comfortable with this and probably had done it before many times.