Fallout NV fanfic: Old Man Courier chpt 26

“Run system diagnoses…”

“OPERATING SYSTEM VER. 0.97: 43% OPERATIONAL.”

“Status update, what’s the damage?”

“AER9 LASER CANNONS: 16 OPERATIONAL, 24 OFFLINE

LASER RCW: 2 OPERATIONAL, 28 OFFLINE

SPRTEL-WOOD 9700: 1 OPERATIONAL

MISSILE LAUNCHERS: 4 OPERATIONAL, 8 OFFLINE

HIGH VELOCITY MISSILES RESERVES: 11% REMAINING

MAX CHARGE ENERGY CELLS RESERVES: 28% REMAINING

MAX CHARGE MICRO FUSION CELLS RESERVES: 0% REMAINING

MAX CHARGE ELECTRON CHARGE PACK RESERVES: 0% REMAINING

FUSION CORE RESERVES: 4% REMAINING”

“Runs system diagnoses on the casino and hotel…”

“AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM: FUNCTIONAL

INTERNAL COOLING SYSTEM: OFFLINE

CASINO’S NETWORK: OFFLINE

FOOD AND WATER SUPPLIES: STOCKED

NUMBER OF HOTEL GUESTS: 438”

“Damn it!”

“SIR, INCOMING NUCLEAR WARHEADS, ESTIMATE TIME BEFORE IMPACT: 13 MINUTES. PLEASE RUN THE NEW PROGRAM UPDATES TO UPGRADE THE DEFENSE SYSTEM…”

“I can’t goddamn it! I don’t have the chip.”

 

Robert sat there, staring at his computer monitor. He sighed:

“Jane, get me a glass of whiskey.”

“Yes sir.”

The Securitron poured into the glass the sparkling orange liquid. Robert gulped it all down in one sip. He wiped his mouth and stared endlessly into the gigantic monitor screen before him. With the numbers counting down, 12 minutes and 3 seconds. Just twelve minutes left before impact.

It’s over now. Robert, thought to himself. There was no way to stop the nuclear warheads. He could practically see that bright light just by looking outside of his windows. That bright light far beyond the horizon.

“Would you care for another glass, sir?”

“No, no… put that away… I can’t…”

“Yes, sir.”

“Jane…” he called.

“Yes?”

“Get everybody out of the casino now. I don’t care what they’re doing, drinking, screwing, playing blackjacks, winning on the slot machines, I do not care… just get them out of the casino and close the door, lock the gate…”

“What should I tell them? 12 minutes is not nearly enough time for them to get to a shelter.”

“I said, ugh, I DON’T CARE! Just get their asses off my property.”

“Yes sir.” The Securitron went into the other room and started contacting the front desk, telling them what was happening. While Robert still sat there, staring blankly at the green monitor screen. 

So this is how it ends, he thought. Consumed by nuclear fire, flames of war. Those goddamn Chinese. Or was it the Americans? Didn’t matter now. Everything will be gone in a few minutes. Including Vegas. Robert grabbed the whiskey bottle and poured another glass despite saying that he didn’t need one. He raised the glass in the air and under his helpless breath whispered:

“Viva Las Vegas…” then took a sip, swallowing the orange liquid.

What had his life led him to? He wondered. What was he really trying to accomplish throughout his whole life? He looked back, there wasn’t much to cherish in his childhood. Father? Nope, dead. Mother? Nope, dead. Brother? That jackass that stole half his fortune? Might as well be dead, he didn’t even know where the sly bastard was now. So what was it? What was he really trying to accomplish with all of this? He spent years building this place, building a legacy. His company grew, grew into a mighty empire, good enough to rival the size of Alexander’s conquest. Or even better, to rival Rome. Was this what he had wanted? Spending years building this empire, just to see it burn in flames?

No…

This was what he had loved, he loved his work, he loved his company, his machinery. That was why he built faces into a lot of his robots. Even robots, whose purpose was to be no more than a slave, had its own personality modules that Robert spent countless nights building. Why did he build all of this? It was to build Las Vegas, that was why. Because Las Vegas… was his home…

Suddenly, a flaming spark struck his eyes. He stood up from his chair and tapped on the keyboard like a crazed maniac high on Jet. He bellowed through the building:

“JANE!”

“Yes, sir.” The Securitron rushed through.

“Has the casino been cleared?”

“Yes, sir. All customers, patrons had left the building.”

“Good, then initiate Operation .0981237, Code Name: Skeleton King.”

Jane the Securitron, gasped:

“Sir, you don’t mean.”

“I do, Jane, I have to do this. It’s the only way. Despite this being a super computer, there’s just not enough juice left to get the defensive system back and running. Long term stability at all cost, Jane. Don’t you forget, the city comes first.”

Robert typed in some commands which initiated a sequence of algorithms, appearing on the screen as a series of codes and numbers. This took a while. The countdown was at 7 minutes, 23 seconds.

Robert finished typing and let the sequence ran its course. Then on the screen appeared a box which asked for confirmation. Stating that the cryonic preservation chamber was ready…

It would’ve been so easy, just to push a little button. But Robert knew the consequences very well. He knew that this will be his life… his life, to him, a small price to pay to have Vegas live. But was he really ready to go?

“What do you think?” Surprisingly, Robert wasn’t speaking to Jane this time, “Do you think I should do it?”

From the shadows came a figure wearing a long dirty coat and a brown hat. He was smoking under his breath. And his boots were heavy. He had an aura that exerted from him that made everybody around shiver in a strange manner. He blew his smoke, forming a ring. Apparently he had been watching Robert this whole time.

“You know,” the man said, “you’re the first of all the people I’ve encountered who didn't react, or act surprised when I show up.”

“Do you think I’m of those common folks?” Robert said, “The ignoramus?”

“Arrogant as always…”

“Tell me,” said Robert, “who are you, and what do you want?”

“Just came by to see how you’re coming along.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m busy. Jane, please escort this gentleman out of my Lucky 38, and please direct him to the nearest bunker.”

Robert then turned around, facing this large glowing screen.

The man behind him suddenly said:

“Immortality… I’ve seen much of it. It’s not usually something that common mortals have on their hands. At least not by the easy ways. And even then, the results are usually… unnatural.”

“Is there a difference?” Robert asked, “Life is life, there’s no damn difference between natural immortality and unnatural immortality.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” the man simply laughed, “even a man of your level of intellect could not even possibly begin to comprehend. But it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t.”

“Well, then, what are you waiting for? Don’t you have a city to save?”

Robert still couldn’t work up the courage to do it. It was something that he had never experienced before. It was like… a greeting from Death. Robert sighed:

“Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Do… do you… do you think that I’m a bad person?”

“Why do you care all of the sudden? You’ve never been the type that cared about anything that the people say about you. You never cared what they think of you.”

“Actually… I… um… it's… ahem… I mean, nobody's… that heartless.”

“Oh?”

“Please, don’t act like that…” Robert told him, “You of all people should know. Don’t act surprise.”

“Heh, just lighten up the mood for ya.”

The man took another breath of his cigarette before saying to Robert:

“You’re a very special man, Robert, from the very day you were born. You were nothing short of extraordinary, and I know that you know that, too.”

“Money, intellect… I have to spare… it’s true… but… but…”

“Listen,” the man stopped Robert before a tear could drop from his eyes, “if there’s anything I could say about you then it would be that you are a very passionate man. You do all of these things, just because you love to do it. No man should ever fear doing what he loves just because others say otherwise.”

“But… do you think… do you think that this process… this whole process… could change me… for the worse? I… I… I’ve always wanted… I’ve always wanted…”

“… to be a better man… right?”

Robert nodded silently. Which made the man in the dirty coat smile brightly:

“Well… immortality… it’s a long… long time. You'll have plenty of time to spare.”

Robert stared again at the gigantic green monitor, beneath his mustache a slight grin, he looked at the computer for a good long minute before looking behind his back to find the man in the dirty coat to be… gone.

“Jane…”

“Yes, sir…”

“Will… will… will you still love me? Even… if… even if I’m… not me?”

“Absolutely, sir, I would follow you, to the edge of the world… no matter what…”

“… Thank you Jane…”

And with that he pressed on his keyboard the confirmation. The machine had activated. Jane then escorted Robert to the other room, where the chamber was. He was wondering if he should change his name, after all a christening is require something this momentous since it was basically him beginning a new life. Maybe name change and christening were the wrong terms, a title at least. Maybe something that sounds… strong, protective, a bit regal if possible. Something that will make people feel at home.  

 

 

 

 

It had taken many hours now, Veronica was getting bored sitting around a bunch of broken slot machine. But the elevator from behind woke her up. Both her and Arcade rushed to Solmund.

“So?” Arcade asked, “How was it? What did Mr. House wants?”

“You sure did took a heck of a long time, too.”

Sol didn’t answer right away, only smiled at them, which somewhat confused them. He said:

“Don’t worry guys, we’re just going to go fetch an item. It won’t be much trouble. We’ll get back to getting the medical supplies soon, I promise. But right now, it’s time to cash in the chips, because the House will ALWAYS wins…”