"So what can you tell me about around these parts?" I asked as I sipped the whiskey straight.
"Well by now you should know about the NCR and legion. NCR's mostly good people, bit aggressive about their rules but good all the same. Legion's on the other end of that chart though, they don't move in and help folk, they conqueror and enforce rule through force. You'll find the worst sort among them, rapers, slavers and murderers. No fiends though so that's something at least. Then there's the strip, Mr. House runs the show over there and neither the legion or NCR like it." Trudy said casually.
"Robert Edwin House, a man from before all this happened. Gotta wonder how he sees all this with that sort of perspective." I said with a grin.
"Probably thinks it's a shit show. I know I would. I mean sure the war was pretty bad but back in the cities and even in the wilds things were pretty nice right? By comparison the wasteland must seem like actual hell." Trudy said with a shrug.
"It's called the wasteland for a reason." I said with a shrug.
"Well once you get past those three big groups you have the smaller ones. Great khans, Boomers, the chairmen, Gun runners, the followers of the apocalypse and supposedly even the Brotherhood of steel have a chapter out here. Then of course there's your small towns on the edge of Vegas. Goodsprings, Primm, Novac, Nipton and Freeside. Small communities for the first four and all the rest are in the last mostly. Primm's got the Vikki and Vance casino and is often called little Vegas as a result as it's a taste of the real thing. Nipton's a bunch of scammers that rip off all your money and supplies with their "services". Novac's good though, simple honest folk. And Freeside is an ecosystem to itself." Trudy said casually.
"You still haven't told us about you yet?" Sunny pointed out with a slight redness on her cheeks from the alcohol.
"Oh well I'm no one complex. Grew up in a place soft folk get chewed up and swallowed, left when I was fifteen. Spent the next few years after that learning to take care of myself and accumulate wealth. Took a few rounds while on a job and hung up that profession and moved to a more stable less dangerous one after that. Now i'm just a wanderer." I said downing another shot of whiskey.
"Sounds lonely." Sunny said sympathetically.
"Nah, I've never really known anything else. Sure I've had friends but I moved around a lot so most of those were distant at best." I said with a shrug.
"What about old flames? Surely a handsome fella like you have had a few dancing partners in the past?" Trudy asked.
"I've had a few flings in the past but nothing long term. Most women want some form of stability for that sort of thing, couldn't give it to them. Simple as that." I said not really bothered by this fact.
"Fun for a night or two but nothing more than that huh?" Sunny said looking slightly disappointed.
I didn't try to argue that since it was true. I always tried to be honest with myself and others when it came to who I was. I wasn't some selfless saint willing to bend over backwards for others. I helped if it cost me nothing but the moment it was inconvenient to me I'd ignore the trouble entirely. Chaotic neutral at it's finest, I was in it for myself and that was it. -
"Anything interesting happen around here recently?" I asked changing the subject.
"As a matter of fact there is. Someone got shot in the head and left for dead in a shallow grave up in the graveyard a couple days ago. Local robot saw it happened and dug them up only to find them still breathing. Been at Doc Mitchell's place ever since. Other than that theres just a slight bit of trouble with a caravanner who dusted off some of those Powder gangers and their buddies want revenge. Fella named Ringo, he's holed up in the old Poseidon gas station up the road." Trudy said casually.
'So i'm right on time then. Good.' I thought after hearing this.
I wasn't surprised by this as I had already roughly guessed as much from the way Primm and Nipton was. I'd say I was a day, maybe two off from the start of the game based off my experiences so far. That shot in the head person was more likely than not the protagonist of the game, the Courier. This one person was the final MASSIVE force that decided the fate of Vegas.-
A nigh unstoppable person who moved through the wasteland and tipped all the dominoes over. I wasn't sure if such a person would truly be like that in reality compared to the game but I was willing to gamble on it. The real trick was where they landed on the karmic alignment. Evil aligned couriers were practically devils roaming the wasteland and NOT someone I wanted anything to do with. The neutral couriers I could vibe with as they were just like me, in it for themselves but not evil. Then there was the good couriers, basically a superhero honestly. I could sorta work with one of these types but I'd bounce the moment things looked unprofitable.-
"Neat, so do you guys have anywhere I can crash for a few days? I can pay if it helps." I asked once things started getting awkward.
"What? Already not interested in me anymore?" Sunny asked teasingly.
"On the contrary, I thought you weren't interested from your reaction to my backstory." I said frankly.
"I'll admit to being a bit disappointed you wouldn't stick around afterward but there's nothing wrong with some harmless fun. I will be taking you up on that dinner first though." she said with a smirk.
We polished off the whiskey bottle and I paid for it all and followed Sunny out the saloon. I spotted the Poseidon gas station up the slope following the road as she led me to her house and I eyed the oddly intact looking house on a different hill I knew to be Doc Mitchell's house where the courier was currently laid up. Sunny's house was one of the white brick houses that looked like they hadn't seen maintenance in fifty years near the edge of the town.-
It had a rainwater system hooked up to it that took care of her plumbing and water needs but was rather crude all things considered. There was a small microfusion cell powered generator in the entrance that supplied the power for the place. The AC was totally dead though so the inside was almost just as hot as outside, slightly better thanks to a set of fans on the ceiling but that was it.-
"I know it's not much to look at but it's home." she said when she saw me looking around.