POV Arcade Gannon
"What made these tracks?" I ask aloud, looking at the bizarre tracks on the ground.
The tracks were strangely skeletal, as if the creature had no flesh or skin on its feet. Then again, I wasn't exactly an expert tracker. As I was recording the tracks, I was being slowly approached from behind by a person. However, I knew they were there and slowly drew my Plasma Defender.
Crunch
I swung around and aimed at them, but I was shocked at who it was. It seemed like the other person was just as surprised to see me.
"G-Gannon? Is that you? What are you doing here?" Veronica asks.
"Investigating an anomaly here and looking for you," I reply.
"Looking for me? What? Why?" Veronica asks.
"It's a bit of a long story, but basically, House hired me to investigate the weird behaviour of fauna North of New Vegas," I explain.
"What? Why would you accept a job from House, and better yet, why would he hire you? I thought you guys hate each other. Especially after the 3rd Battle of Hoover Dam," Veronica said with skepticism.
"Yes, well, I had to deliver... news to him. And I heard a recording from you that sounded panicked. And I figured I could possibly help you and deliver the bad news in person," I explain while avoiding eye contact.
"What bad news?" Veronica asks nervously.
"Boone and Raul are dead," I reply bluntly.
Veronica freezes for a moment, and then she sags down with a sad sigh.
"Sigh. I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?" Veronica asks.
"We were all hunting Raiders in the South. I was more the helpful assistant, but still we were doing well. But then... We found something. A group of Raiders in the thousands. At first, we thought it was just another attempt at reforming Caesar's Legion, but that wasn't quite right. They moved... almost like puppets with invisible strings. Or like robots with broken servos," I explain.
"That does sound pretty creepy. Did you guys find out what was going on with them? A disease, maybe?" Veronica asks.
"We never got the chance. We got discovered and had to flee. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. Boone was an expert at getting away from Raiders. But some of the Raiders were... not human. That's the best way I can explain it. They moved far faster than a human should and could pulverize concrete with their bare hands. They were also so... weird. There is no perfect explanation. They didn't react to anything; they just blindly chased us. Boone and Raul stayed behind to ensure I got news out of what happened," I explain.
"That... Sounds eerily similar to what I found, except it was with wildlife. I was on a mission to scout out NCR positions in Oregon and Idaho when I ran across a disabled Ranger. He told me about the horde of creatures that ambushed him. I was later chased by that same horde. They didn't act normally. I mean, there were Deathclaws working with Yao Guais and Geckos like they aren't their natural prey. And they also acted so... mindless. That radio message you heard must have been when I tried to warn the Brotherhood about the creatures. It was an emergency as the horde was chasing me, so I broadcast it to anyone who could hear," Veronica explains.
"How did you get away?" I ask.
"Well, that's the strangest part. I was running for my life. Thankfully, the entire horde wasn't after me but just a few members. It was 3 Radscorpions, 6 Fire Breathing Geckos, and 2 Mole Rats. Now, I might have been able to kill them if I fought them, but I didn't have Power Armor, so I didn't want to take the risk with both burns and venom," Veronica explains.
"Fair enough, Radscorpion venom can be quite nasty," I reply.
"Exactly. Now, while I was running, I ended up running to an area that the creatures chasing me seemed hesitant to follow. Or at least that is the closest I could equate it to. They looked like they didn't want to follow, but they still kept following, just at a slightly slower speed," Veronica explained.
"Hmm, maybe their instincts were fighting against the training they were given. Or perhaps they were being controlled by some sort of technology," I offer as an explanation.
"I don't know, maybe? Anyway, the area I led them to was the home of a pretty dangerous predator based on the many skeletons I found. I was chased all the way into the lair of the beast. But as I thought it was the end, a rabbit appeared out of nowhere. It was right between me and the creatures," Veronica says with a quieter tone.
"A rabbit? Like the small rodents that breed quickly?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"I know it sounds weird, but I swear that's what I saw. But what I saw next... I will never be able to describe or explain. It was... it just was," Veronica says with a blank stare and a deeply disturbed 1000-yard stare.
I wasn't sure how to respond to that, but I felt being silent was the best course of action.
"But regardless, I got away alive and tried to head back to the Brotherhood. But I was too late. Everywhere I traveled was dead. Empty even. There weren't any plants or wildlife. And an outposts were wiped off the map," Veronica said with an almost depressed tone.
"The Brotherhood fell? But how? With their technology, they should have been more than capable of handling a horde of wild animals, mutated or not," I say with a shocked tone.
"I went as far as the border to Alaska before I had to head back. Everything was the same. And strangely, there were no bodies left. I did find plenty of signs of a struggle and some fierce combat, but most of that was a few weeks old by the time I arrived," Veronica says.
"Do you know what caused the creatures to act as they did?" I ask, hoping for an answer.
"Nope. If it's tech, then it's not in the animals. But while I admit I am not all-knowing, I do know a pretty good amount about technology and feasibility. A signal or broadcast doesn't make sense either for a multitude of reasons. But I am not sure what else it could be besides... Well, there is the outlier," Veronica says with uncertainty.
"Psykers," I state more as a fact than a question.
"Yeah... But that's insane. I mean, the amount of power such a person would have is ridiculous. And further, what would be their motivations? If they only attacked the Brotherhood, then I could understand, but they have attacked everyone. Slaves, Villagers, NCR, Followers, and anything else that isn't a part of their horde," Veronica says with confusion.
"I believed a similar thing about the Raiders in the South. The weird humans could be mutants. Or a lab experiment. All controlled by a Psyker. The only issue is that Psykers are very unscientific, and the research on them is sparse at best. I only know most of what I know thanks to rumors and some old tales from the NCR's early days. But... do you think they could be connected?" I ask.
"What the Raiders and the Horde? That's crazy. That... That couldn't be. I mean, sure, there are some similarities. But the distance is massive. Not to mention, if they were that strong, why not just control everyone? I mean, if they can affect creatures and Raiders hundreds of miles away from each other, then surely they could control anyone?" Veronica refutes.
"Perhaps, or perhaps not. Raiders and the like are usually not the most there, mentally speaking. And wildlife has been proven to be able to be controlled with all sorts of methods throughout history. They aren't sentient, which makes it easier to control them. I mean, lizard brains would be incredibly easy to override. I would know, as the Enclave researched that very subject," I explain.
"Okay, say they are both related and even possibly controlled by the same being. To what end? They are slaughtering indiscriminately," Veronica asks, and before I can answer, someone answers for me.
"They're wiping out all life. Making a clean slate," a female voice says from nearby.
Both Veronica and I got up and prepared for a fight, but we couldn't pinpoint where the voice came from.
"Relax, Veronica, it's me, Christine," says the voice, and I look at Veronica, and she shakes her head.
"I know Christine's voice, and that isn't it. If you're telling the truth, then reveal yourself," Veronica challenges.
"Okay, okay, just make sure your friend with the Plasma Defender doesn't shoot me," says the voice.
I see a rock out of the corner of my eye that moves and lifts. When it does, the rock is cast off, and I see a woman standing there with a head covered in scars. Almost like someone had carved up her head. I realise the rock was actually a cardboard box meant to look like a rock.
"N-No way... Is that really you... Ch-Christine?" Veronica says, with atone that I was not exactly clear, meant.
"Hi, Veronica. It's been a long time," Christine says with a sad smile.
"Yeah, no kidding. Where the hell have you been? You just vanished one day. I thought you went AWOL," Veronica says with what seems like a bit of anger.
"Elijah forcibly broke us apart, and I was sent to the Circle of Steel. I was then later assigned to track down Father Elijah and eliminate him. I got these scars from him," Christine says.
"Ehem, I don't mean to interrupt, but perhaps we shouldn't have this talk out here in the open. If I can be snuck up on twice in such a short time, perhaps this place isn't that safe to talk," I suggest both to get us somewhere safer, and so I didn't have to sit here awkwardly while they caught up.
"You're right. We should move away from this place. It's too close to his domain," Christine says while looking around us with caution.
"His?" I ask.
"The thing controlling all the creatures and likely those Raiders. The Brotherhood assigned me to investigate this anomaly that you were sent to investigate. I discovered what is controlling them, or rather, I have some evidence suggesting that one exists. I don't know much about him, but I do know he isn't human and has supernatural powers. So we need to move away from here for safety. I can't explain more until we get somewhere safer," Christine says, and I was very interested in what she knew, but I knew there was a time and a place for questions, and this wasn't one of them.
POV ???
A spaceship enters the Sol System and approaches the third planet from the sun. It silently slips through the atmosphere and lands on the surface. After a few seconds, a seam appears on the ship, and a door opens, revealing the user of the strangely shaped spacecraft.
"Log Date: 3981. This is Agate performing prospecting of the Zetan research site designation B-349. Initial scans of this world are very different from previously prospected planets. Scans indicate B-349 is dying. Severe lack of nutrients makes B-349 highly unsuitable for Gem Colonisation. I calculate that B-349 will be drained of all energy within 5 years. Recommend designation as invaluable by leadership with possibilities of research," Agate says.
After a few more checks the stranger gets in there ship and leaves.