"Maybe if what you said made any sense you wouldn't have that problem." Jess said with a roll of here eyes.
"It makes perfect sense, No I am pretty sure it's my audience that's the problem. Sadly nothing I can do about that." I said with a sad sigh.
"The brotherhood has found and categorized a lot of weird stuff over the years but most of it is just science in the end, not magic." Veronica pointed out.
"Yeah but it's also got records of shit that defies understanding so meh." I said sticking my tongue out.
"If you are quite done arguing over this I believe we should continue on our way." Adam cut in.
No one argued that point and so we left the trading post heading north towards the bright lights of Vegas. There were no more surprises as we walked along the road as the closer to Vegas you got the more heavily defended the areas became. The city around the Strip was still most ruins of course as naturally House could only minimize the devastation, not end it entirely. The Strip was the only part that was almost fully intact and functional with most of the areas around it being either partially destroyed or almost fully collapsed.-
A good amount of the damage wasn't even because of the shockwaves of the bombs getting blow up high in the sky overhead but simple structural wear from over two centuries of no maintenance and builders having taken shortcuts. We passed more than a few caravans and patrolling NCR soldiers as we walked. Soon we reached the area near camp McCarron and it's sharecropper fields.-
"What's going on with those farms?" Jess asked curiously when she saw the fencing around them.
"Those are sharecropper farms. Probably one of the most morally bankrupt practices the NCR has but effective enough I guess. See the way it works is that the NCR provides, shelter, food, water, seeds, land and payment to those who sign a contract with them. The trick is that these things still cost the person getting them. They are sort of like a loan that needs to be paid off. They pay this debt by growing crops that the NCR pays them for by mostly deducting it's worth from the amount they still owe. The problem is that the pay is barely enough to make any headway on the debt so theres basically no hope of any of them paying it off even after a lifetime of work." I said disgusted by the practice.-
"So they are basically slaves but for an entirely different reason than normal?" Adam asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, debt slaves. Nasty business all around." I said seriously.
"Aren't the NCR the good guys though?" Adam asked clearly confused.
"Technically they are. Like I said before the definition of "good" is stretched a bit in the wasteland because above all else survival rules. The NCR is mostly alright but in order to maintain their supply lines some distasteful practices are needed. It's just how it is." I said honestly.
"Is that really the best we have?" Jess asked horrified.
"There are always smaller groups with purely altruistic motives but as far as big ones go? Yeah this is it. I mean there are larger groups that are good guys but none that are also any sort of government." I said with a shrug.
"I am convinced you could do better." Adam said seriously.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence but I seriously disagree. I'd crash the whole thing within like a month, two tops. Controlling people just ain't easy. It's in our nature to want freedom, not necessarily independence but freedom absolutely." I say with a shrug.
"So you think even if presented an option better than whatever they currently have people would still reject it?" Adam asked with a tone that sounded perplexed.
"Well most of the normal folk would either jump on board for protection or resources but raiders, the other factions and just people who don't like rules in general would buck HARD. Almost immediately the legion and NCR would turn completely hostile towards me once I started expanding towards them. The legion because it meant eradication if they got over taken and the NCR because it just wouldn't want to give up power." I said seriously.
"I know that anyone can technically set up a group but like, you make it sound like you could just make it big overnight. It doesn't work like that." Veronica pointed out.
"Normally yes, I am not exactly normal however. And no, I WON'T elaborate on that point." I said casually.
"Oh come on!? You can't just say something like that and not explain!" Veronica whined petulantly.
"I absolutely can. You will find out when or IF I decide to reveal it to you. The only reason Adam knows is because he's literally in the suit of armor i'm wearing. Trying to hide anything at that point is just an act of futility." I said with a shrug.
"So that's why you let me know so quickly. I had pondered that and thought you might have just been desperate for companionship." Adam said bluntly.
"What!? No! I'd basically been alone for years by that point. I think I had like two decent friends total? I'm just not stupid enough to expect to hide that stuff from someone literally constantly seeing the same shit I am." I said offended.
"To be fair you were rather quick to accept me." Adam pointed out.
"I'm quick to accept literally everyone. Ask Boone, I talked him into joining us within like five minutes of helping him get some of that sweet vengeance. Hell the moment I got to Goodsprings I was already flirting with Sunny." I said flatly.
"I can not argue that. Those things did happen as you say." Adam admitted easily.
"So you're just really friendly or something?" Jess asked speechlessly.
"Or something. I'm mature enough to understand that people come in all flavors and deal with the hand I get dealt. It helps when I know I absolutely have the biggest dick in the room, metaphorically at least." I said with a chuckle.
"And you won't share what that trump card is for some reason. Would be really nice to know if it's as great as you say or just a fork named Carl or some ridiculous thing like that." Jess said pointedly.
"Funny as that sounds my trump card is in fact actually a trump card." I said with a chuckle.