[color=00aeef][b]Thomas Milburn - El Dorado Substation[/b][/color]

[i]“You crazy bastard…a teleporter? If I had even begun to hypothesize molecular travel, I would not have shrouded it in this ancient facility. But I suppose that it is fortuitous that your quick journey has brought you -directly- to New Vegas.”[/i]

“Yes...I apologize for the secrecy Robert but, well, you know me...I like to keep things close to the chest...” Thomas looked around stoically at several of the dead individuals who had fell victim to the unfortunate energy discharge, most of whom were charred where they stood, “I’m sorry about your lost workers as well. Hopefully it would be no trouble to replace them. Dealing with energy of this magnitude can be dangerous.” 

[i]“It has been so very long, Thomas…centuries, now, since I have seen your face. I hope that you are not disappointed in return; you and I have found different means to weather these many years.”[/i]

Thomas gave an understanding nod, “That much seemed obvious. I’m quite curious to know what sort of technology you’ve employed to grant you your longevity, but I suppose that can wait. I’ve heard of a number of different ways others have survived, none of them very pleasant. Perhaps I should begrudgingly thank Vault Tec…”

[i]“I hope, then, that you will accept an invitation into my home. Once you have had your fill of the giant cascade of lights, there is much at work underneath them. We have made it this far because we have visions…meticulous ones…I suspect that they are not terribly different from one another. Enjoy yourself, and pay me a visit in the Lucky 38 when you are ready, my old friend.”[/i]

“Vegas it is,” Thomas grinned, “It’ll be fascinating to visit it again. I suppose you finally got your wish, you run the place like a King now. To be honest Robert...I never really understood your fascination with the place before the war. But I suppose I’ll have to see how the post-war version stacks up. I just hope it won’t be like the last time I visited….as I recall the entire engineering department ended up drunk as skunks and I distinctly remember waking up underneath a roulette table clutching some poor ladies footwear…..we didn’t get a travel expense budget anymore after that...”

“Buncha uptight nerds hitting the town. I woulda paid good money to see that…” Cait quipped as she stifled a laugh, “I’m sure everyone was shakin’ when you lot rolled up.”

“You’d be surprised what trouble a group of underpaid, overworked, and perpetually undersexed graduate students can get into in Sin City. We used to joke about that weekend for years after…” Thomas’s train of thought suddenly trailed off, and a forlorn expression crossed his face. Memories of a time and a place that was lost forever to him suddenly flooded back. The reality of the two-hundred year gap between his old life and his new, consistently found a way to worm its way into his thoughts. Even now. 

“It's good to see you again Robert, truly,” Thomas said with a slight smile, “I’ll look forward to our reminiscence. In the meantime however…..perhaps you could provide us with some appropriate clothes? I wager we’d stick out like a sore thumb walking down the strip like this.” 

Cait’s face lowered, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, even accusingly, at Thomas,

“I’ll tell you right now...I’m not going to be wearing some frilly little dress…”

[hr]

[color=00aeef][b]The Vegas Strip[/b][/color]

“I can’t believe I have to wear this stupid dress…”

The New Vegas strip was alive with the color of innumerable neon lights and a bombardment of sound. Music wafting in from the casinos mixed with the rowdy noises of teeming crowds of patrons, vendors, and performers. Whatever his reasons for doing so, it couldn’t be denied that House had managed to perfectly capture the spirit of old world Vegas.

Dressed, as House had described, ‘rich NCR patrons’, Thomas, Cait, and the two Coursers made their down the street. Thomas had taken quite a fancy to the well tailored gambler suit he’d been provided in lieu of his lab coat, but the same could not be said of Cait and her own attire, as she pulled at her skirt uncomfortably and seemed unsteady walking in her heels.

“How in the hell do these prissy gambler girls walk around like this? I think that House guy just might be bullshitting me.”

Thomas grinned and shrugged, “It's the fashion trend for NCR tourists supposedly. Besides, like Robert said, if you walked around in combat boots and leather on the strip, you might start drawing the wrong kind of attention…”

“And just what in the hell is that supposed to mean? Anyone so much as looks at me like that I’ll blast their fuc…”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Thomas interrupted, “We’re not here to cause a scene. We’re here to blend in. We’re just a rich couple from the NCR here to visit the New Vegas strip and all it has to offer, and we’ve brought a couple of personal bodyguards along to keep us safe.” He pointed to the two well-dressed Coursers, now looking like a pair of Triggerman thugs, “Just put on an act and no-one will be the wiser. Oh and, I didn’t want to bring this up, but you may want to lose the accent. I doubt there’s too many Boston Irish girls in California…”

“Lose the…” Cait fumed for a second or two and finally gave a heavy sigh, “Fine. I’ll try.”

She paused in the street for a few seconds and closed her eyes, as if dramatically mustering up some sort of long-latent power, and finally opened them with an over the top smile and the best impression she could muster,

“Golly the Vegas strip is sooooo amazing. Look at all the lights and people! Oh it’s all a girl could ever want and more,” She then slid up to Thomas’s side and grabbed onto his arm, “Darling won’t you show me around? Maybe I can try a cocktail at one of the bars...ooo but maybe that would be too crazy. I don't wish to become inebriated!” 

“That’s genuinely terrifying.” Thomas replied with a raised eyebrow, “You know that, right?”

“You asked for it,” She muttered under her breath.

“You there!” A voice suddenly called out from the sidewalk, “Yes you! You look like you enjoy the high life am I right? Could I interest you in some fine jewelry? Maybe a watch or a necklace for the lovely young lady? All high quality and 100% pre-war authentic merchandise. Scavenged from the Boneyard!”

“Oh yes! That would be lovely, wouldn’t it dear?” Cait’s mischievous smile was enough to realize he’d made a massive mistake.

“Ah yes, of course…..” Thomas replied as he walked over to the vendor. The man then opened the briefcase he was carrying and displayed the wares he was offering, all of them neatly folded and tucked into various pockets and folds of the case. 

“You said this is all pre-war authentic merchandise?” 

“Of course!” The vendor quipped, “100% guaranteed. Real honest-to-god pre-war jewelry. Would have been very high quality stuff back in the day too! Its pricey...but I’m sure you can afford it.”

“Except it isn’t…” Thomas grabbed one of the necklaces and held it up, “The engravings are L&M co.. They were a movie prop and costume company before the war. Lesser known maybe so its understandable...but I know them because I collected replicas of the props they made for a couple of my favorite horror films. Pretty convincing..but they’re completely fake. Where did you say you got them?”

The Vendor appeared crestfallen, as if Thomas had just hit him with a ton of bricks, “The Boneyard, a merchant there told me I could make back three times what I paid for them…”

“Boneyard?” Thomas looked around to one of the Coursers with a confused expression.

“I believe that would be referring to the ruins of Los Angeles.” The Courser replied, tapping into the databank of information SRB had provided them.

“Ah well there you go. Easy explanation then,” Thomas shrugged, “If it's any consolation. The merchant probably wasn’t aware of what they were either.”

“Fuck you buddy. Smart rich assholes...,” The vendor replied and snapped the briefcase closed. He then stalked off mumbling to himself weaving in and out of the tourists. 

“Geez….that stupid sod….I mean..” Cait caught herself and paused, “Oh that poor, poor gentlemen…”

Thomas rolled his eyes and pointed down the strip, “Robert recommended we visit The Tops, especially if we wished to revisit old haunts. Can’t say I recall much about the place before the war….”

“Ooo it looks just like a little round spinner!” Cait gleamed, “How delightfu...ah fuck!” The impersonation suddenly dropped as Cait looked down at the puddle of vomit she’d unfortunately just wandered into, “Jesus fu….what the...oh for fucks sake.”

“That lasted about as long as I expected,” Thomas chuckled, “Come on. Let’s see if we can grab a table. Something tells me we aren’t going to have any problems though…”

He then grabbed Cait’s hand and led her away as she continued cursing and rubbing her heel on the pavement. All the while the sounds of Sinatra played out up and over the strip. For a brief time, Thomas felt as if he truly was back home...to the life he’d left forever behind, no longer a man out of time. 

Maybe Robert wasn’t so crazy after all to save Vegas….and maybe Thomas could now fully understand why he’d chosen to do so. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, Mr. Robert House was a far more sentimental person than he ever appeared to be….before or after the war. That was an oddly comforting thought.