Volare! A Fallout New Vegas RP [currently accepting]

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[ExcessivelyTimewise]

- 'BT'-

“Courage is often lack of insight, whereas cowardice in many cases is based on good information.”

He hadn’t exactly expected the trip through the New Vegas slums to be so rough despite the current tensions between the NCR, its citizens, and the original denizens of Freeside. BT made it in one piece, at least, no worse for wear beyond being a little spooked to the point that he stayed in his room and worked on the small radio as opposed to playing his violin for caps. That was what he originally came there for, after all. Unfortunately the plan was flawed from the start. The air vents were much smaller than he had anticipated, threatening to catch his shoulders even as he pushed the completed device inside. As a result he couldn’t get it out of sight until he used the violin bow to push it further in, and even then he could hear something break loose, causing him to curse under his breath and listen for any sounds in the hall. If the Enclave really were in New Vegas there was no telling where they had set up their base. The 38 seemed like an obvious choice—too obvious even for them—so he couldn’t be too careful about his actions at the moment. Despite suffering some damaged the radio did transmit the intended message, albeit weakly. The small portable radio he carried with him to check its signal barely picked it up by the doorway and no amount of fiddling with either device seemed to remedy the problem.

At least they tried, anyway. That was really all the man could tell himself as he resignedly had his drink down in the lounge while waiting for foot traffic on the Strip to pick up. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong, aside from the entire thing being a little ambitious for an impompteau device built on a second’s notice. Maybe if he had had better materials…Roy would be so disappointed. She might even think he had lied to her about his abilities. That wasn’t something BT looked forward to when and if he made it back to Black Mountain.

“Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.”

- Eileen Compton-

“In silence - and in self-defense - I figured things out in my own little way.”

Being roused from an otherwise uneventful evening wasn’t high on the list of things Eileen enjoyed, but it was a fact of life in their given situation. She was surprised it didn’t happen more often, actually, as she made her way to the room the radio equipment had been set up in to find the on-duty communications officer waiting for her after he had roused her from her sleep and filled her in on the situation. What could she say? He really didn’t expect something to arise feom that, but at the same time it didn’t surprise he that a wastelander had proved to be problematic. The surprising aspect was that Dredd had let the individual walk away without any harm being done by any of the soldiers under his command at the time. Then again, it was Dredd. Despite the reputation for being a hard-line jackass, he tended to take his word seriously.

Still, Shade was waiting. He picked up the headset and checked the mic to find the man was already waiting for her. Where to start? Starting would be a good idea as opposed to remaining silent. “President Shade, the officer on duty has informed me of the situation, I apologize for the wait.”

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

[Specter Flux]

WAR IS CRUELTY. THERE IS NO SENSE TRYING TO REFORM IT.

THE CRUELER IT IS, THE SOONER IT WILL BE OVER.

???"There's no need." People had to sleep, and even if Eileen had been completely out of contact Shade would have trusted she had good reason. He'd have been a little concerned, in light of recent events, but so far as he knew the NCR had no reason to suspect her and the woman seemed almost untouchable. "We have all night to come up with a response." That was painfully short, actually, but at least no one was staring directly down the barrel of a gun. The NCR would need time to mobilize their forces if they tried to take military action. The MPs on the Strip were practically harmless with their nightsticks. House had seen to that long before the Enclave ever arrived on the scene.

???"I don't want to turn the Strip into a war zone." Parts of it were tawdry and even disgusting, but there was still some kind of functioning throwback to Pre-War civilization, unlike most places in the wasteland. If the Enclave was going to build off of anything, that would be it, screwed up and damaged as it was. They were there to make things better, right? "It'll be bad enough engaging the NCR without the entire local population suddenly backing them up. Do you think we can force them to pull back to McCarran before they work anything through the chain of command?"

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

- Eileen Compton-

“In silence - and in self-defense - I figured things out in my own little way.”

“With a good deal of the brotherhood out of commission indefinitely, it’ll be hard to rely on the unidentified powerarmor rumors to remain invisible…even if we’re still something akin to Boogeymen in this region, the NCR is probably going to take that single report of Enclave activity seriously.” She murmured, half to herself and half into the headset. “Really the only thing we can do at this point is attempt to continue to work under their noses by making ourselves scarce and hard to touch, or force their hand. We do have the Strip after all and they can’t exactly declare war on us without declaring war on the Families who still believe we’re Eager’s people hired to help him run House’s errands. As far as we’re concerned, the NCR are the only ones who are aware of our identity and they aren’t exactly popular with the locals, especially if they can’t prove we are who they say we are.” Those were terribly uninspired suggestions, but given the late hour it was the best she could come up with on a moment’s notice. She held the headset near her ear while absently running a hand through her bed-mussed hair. “We are still in a position to play the local hostilities to our favor. As far as they’re concerned…we’re not the NCR, we’re not the Legion, and we work for the man who has run Vegas for as long as any of them can remember. So long as we avoid open hostilities toward Freeside and the wasteland in general, this can work in our favor more than any strategy could—at least long enough to buy us time to make more plans for the long run.”

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

- ӈangman ӈowe-

“In my beginning is my end…”

Howe listened patiently while the Ghoul rambled off facts that he was well aware of already, picking fact from fiction as Gene expanded on some of the history he had already known from previous discussions. The statement about the aches warranted a glance, however. The typical case meant that hair, teeth, ears, noses, and large sections of skin would slough off or just drop out due to radiation-induced necrosis of more sensitive tissues. The bone-deep aches were usually just a secondary trait that might, or might not accompany the onset symptoms of radiation poisoning and later Ghoulism.
His had been unpleasant but access to Radaway and Rad-X helped manage the nausea and disposition towards secondary infections due to depleted immune defenses. There had also been the removal of tissue that began to show signs of necrosis, but none of that had solved the aches of joints.

“Considerin’ I pulled their teeth out t’make ‘em a bit more manageable an’ the ferals’ tendency t’leave other ghouls alone, I doubt they’ll be givin’ you much trouble.”

“When here and now cease to matter.”

[Specter Flux]

WAR IS CRUELTY. THERE IS NO SENSE TRYING TO REFORM IT.

THE CRUELER IT IS, THE SOONER IT WILL BE OVER.

???"If we lie about being the Enclave now, we can't ever tell the truth without backlash." It hadn't crossed Shade's mind, but Eileen was right. They probably could carry on the deception, at least so far as the trust of the wasteland was concerned. Even if the NCR knew the truth, most locals around New Vegas were unlikely to buy into it. They didn't trust the NCR, after all. Better than just military authority, House's power over the area had history to back it up. He might have been a wrench in some people's plans, but he was a familiar one and the New California Republic were upstart impostors by comparison. As long as the Enclave kept their activities concealed and any vulnerable members out of the hands of the NCR, it wasn't likely that the locals would turn on them.

???But if they hid who they were, admitting to it later would only provoke further suspicion and feeling of betrayal. Not only that, it would make them look afraid of the NCR. Laying low was one thing, continuing to cower under accusation did not befit the last remnants of true American government. Shade shook his head quietly. "I don't want to spend the next twenty years of my life pretending to be something I'm not." What worthwhile things could they really accomplish if they destroyed their own identity to do so? "As you said, we're not the NCR, we're not the Legion; from everyone else's perspective things were running fine here until outside interference. If we play our cards right they may recognize us as the de facto government like we've always been in charge. There may not even be anyone who knows better."

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

- Eileen Compton-

“In silence - and in self-defense - I figured things out in my own little way.”

Tucking a tuft of curls behind her ear, Eileen leaned against the desk, lightly tapping a finger on the desk before signaling to the comms officer to bring her something to drink. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come across as though I were suggesting we remain in hiding. I wished to suggest that we continue to use the general atmosphere—the animosity toward the NCR and the distrust of the Legion—to our best advantage. Randal’s good will could work wonders for our reputation here; we might be able to play that card.” Shade expected a lot of the remaining Enclave, more so of the officers and especially those whose entire career was built on espionage and keeping things secret…she couldn’t believe she had let that slip her mind. It really was too early to be discussing this sort of thing, thankfully the officer returned with a mug of coffee. “That way, if anything does go wrong…it’s Eager that takes the fall.”

Cold-blooded, maybe, but it certainly was something that afforded them an advantage. Eager, despite being an outsider, was certainly more popular than Caesar and Kimball put together. "I understand he's too much of a rogue in your opinion but we can use him in our favor never the less."

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

[Bog Lord]

Roy

This time I'll be a little smarter,
I'll push myself a little harder

Presley made regular check-ins on air, not that there was any news or weather to update but Bosley's vacation was worth the occasional investigating. More door-rattling, and a clatter as she yanked a string to topple a few items stacked in the store room. "He's certainly keeping active, even when he's on break he's a lively one," she had commented.

Off the air, she left the radio room behind for the outdoors. Even though BT would be another day or two, she was restless waiting for his return. It was a bit of strain to live atop the mountain solo--it didn't feel so secure afterall, more like an exposed target. But if no one had come to pester BT besides her, odds are she was going to be left be, too. Roy tried to reassure herself with that fact and distracted herself with a few chores. She left the radio shack itself alone, as it was BT's domain and she wouldn't interfere with his stuff or his order, but she did tackle the building she slept in. A little shifting of furniture and a stringing up of a tarp made her a more private corner to rest in, and she reordered the junk stack against the door.

After that, she found a box of detergent, a basin, rubber gloves and the rain barrel to give her clothing a scrub. There was a few scraps of linen around Roy washes up as well, and she hung up the lot outside. It was slow-going due to her injured ankle, but it was something to do. When BT got back, Roy figured the two of them could tackle some of their other ideas, like constructing blockades.

When twilight fell, she watched the city and tried not to mull too long on the dark smear that was Freeside, lost amid the neon gleam of the Strip.

[Specter Flux]

WAR IS CRUELTY. THERE IS NO SENSE TRYING TO REFORM IT.

THE CRUELER IT IS, THE SOONER IT WILL BE OVER.

???"If we claim the NCR were the cause of his injuries, we can make it look like they attempted to take over by crippling both major factions of New Vegas." Undoubtedly the NCR would insist they hadn't been involved with either attack, but those predisposed against them weren't likely to believe it, especially considering the timing involved. Shade thanked his lucky stars that he'd kept the securitrons as aloof as possible from the unrest in Freeside. He'd only meant to make restoring order as hard as possible on the NCR, but now every instance where they'd tried would be seen as something else. "It could even make us look better for not 'retaliating' on a larger scale until they endangered the locals."

???That in turn could foster good will, some sense of being united against a common enemy Freeside never had with House. And with the Enclave in the forefront, House's presence would be diminished. Hopefully that and Eager as a sympathetic victim would be enough to turn the tide of public opinion against the NCR rather than the Strip. Shade picked up the microphone, leaning back slightly in his chair. It was way too early and there wasn't anyone around to see. "But Eager is a loose cannon. Do you think he'll go along with it to keep New Vegas from fracturing, or is he more likely to screw us halfway through over some bleeding-heart principle?"

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

- Eileen Compton-

“In silence - and in self-defense - I figured things out in my own little way.”

Eager was a little troublesome, wasn’t he? The man wasn’t terribly bright in a lot of cases but he had his own particular brand of seeing things through to the end that was still admirable. It was almost cute, sometimes, the way he’d get so enthusiastic about doing some good in such a desolate and pitiless place. Eileen tapped her fingertip quietly; a sort of repetitive rhythm while in thought. It was a shame he’d have to be an unwitting pawn, but wasn’t that the entire point of politics? Use others and in turn be used yourself? It was an ugly fact that not even Eager could sugar-coat; he seemed too aware of the fact to try, anyway. The man was naïve…but he wasn’t rock-stupid. It was entirely likely that he'd catch on in due time. The question then would be how long he'd play along before getting tired of the game--bleeding heart or not.

“I would think it’s in his ‘bleeding heart’ to see New Vegas stay unified against the Legion and the NCR. It might even help improve the conditions of the slums as he originally intended to do with the introduction of some spare Securitrons… and that alone would be enough of a goal to keep him in line. I haven’t been able to get a read on his feelings for the NCR but the man seems capable of abandoning diplomacy when it suits him—he did stab a man to death over a piece of House’s pre-war technology and threats of harm to another individual. If we can keep from ‘hurting’ any Wastelanders on his watch and convince him that it’s for them that we construct the propaganda, we might be able to coerce him to play along.”
Given the potential situation that Eager may become aware of the game, it was likely this plan would be a sort of temporary fix."It's always a good idea to have something to twist his arm over if he concerns you too much. His compassion could be exactly what you could use. He's very fond of Kenneth Martin, the two were attached at the hip when I first encountered them and they still seem to be after all that has transpired for Eager in the past weeks. Come to think of it, he's even attached to Pleasant Dredd in spite of all that man's character flaws."

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

♤ Ɍandal Ɇager ♤

"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.”

As he had predicted, he was unable to sleep. Much of the Vault’s original lay-out was intact and there were still a few rooms that hadn’t been converted into barracks. It was normal, still.
That meant he had the small room to himself, alone in the dark. That should have been comforting enough, given his origins. But it wasn’t; even under the pillow and the blankets he could hear the dripping and smell the blood over the recent coats of paint. The Enclave had scrubbed any trace of the Fiends from that Vault but Randal carried all sorts of unpleasant things in with him.
Only Communists were this skilled at messing things up for everyone. I’ve destroyed more lives than anything...
Only Communists did stuff like that and at the moment, it seemed as if he were the very worst kind. Even without thinking about it, that little thought had gnawed at him for days—weeks even as things went from bad to worse with consequences he had never intended. So many names and faces that no longer had names attached to them… and all of them had paid the price of those consequences.
If he pulled the pillow down and harder he would suffocate himself, he was already beginning to breathe shallowly before he sat up quickly in the dark and wheezed until he could breathe normally once again. How he hated the inside of his head! He had tried to avoid it ever since he found the Vault door locked and indifferent to his pleas. It had been even more important to avoid it in the past few days, each event like a tick mark carved into a wall. The self-doubt wasn’t even the least of the issues in there. It frightened Randal how easily the pleasant memories dissolved into nightmare-fueled regret; rotting water-logged arms tearing what little escaped dissolution to shreds.

Breathe. He told himself, holding the pillow tightly and exhaling slowly until his lungs were empty and didn’t ache as much. Machinery and life hummed around him but he felt so terribly alone it brought back a too-familiar ache.
Inhale. Exhale. Slow, slower.
Much better.
Randal was never good at thinking things through when in the grip of guilt or panic, he had to remain objective. He was still Randal Eager whether he liked it or not, and even those tiny little shreds were still something to draw from—even if he felt that the world would have been better if he simply had never existed. Yes, he had stepped down and Shade ultimately had him over a barrel but he wasn’t completely without hope just yet. He just had to bide his time and take things one day at a time—return to the basics, he had gotten ahead of himself to the point he didn’t allow himself to imagine someone would object to a less-hostile Enclave. It was a setback, yes, but that was to be expected. Any rational man expected set-backs; he himself wasn’t terribly rational at times but he at least knew how to play those cards.
“I’m sorry,” He quietly told the dark. “I will try harder so things like that will never happen again.”
He already had enough regrets for one lifetime.
He was still afraid he could never live up to the expectations of the countless people whose lives were now in his hands, however.

“Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed."

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

♦Ρleasant ɖredd♦

“Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.”

It was exactly the same cycle that anyone experienced with war could have seen coming, yet somehow it was Eager who hit the nail on the head calling it a vicious cycle that needed at least one party to refuse to raise a fist in knee-jerk anger. It was so exhausting to even bother with thinking or even speaking of it, but somehow he felt so much better with Lloyd there. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed simply sitting there with the Paladin; the warmth of another person close by, it was nice. As sappy as the notion was, it was exactly that. Nice. Once this calm was over, unfortunately, it was back to work. They still had to scout out the groups and locations House had mentioned in the first and last time Pleasant had met with him.
If the Enclave was to destroy the Legion and push the NCR out of the region, they’d need considerable numbers as well as resources on their side. The Boomers has control of an air force base that may house more vertibirds and other usable aircraft in addition to any weaponry that they might have brought up from Vault 34. If the Enclave could get their hands on those supplies and ensure the loyalty of those numbers… they could take care of the rest of the disrespectful trash of the Wasteland who did not fall in line and know their place.

The Brotherhood, a step up from the wastelanders themselves, had been whittled down to a a ragtag group whose numbers roughly reflected the Enclave’s. They were allied with them—but they could still be expected to stand in the way. I ******** hope not. Pleasant thought as he tightened his arms around the other, slightly, in spite of the pins-and-needles feeling. That cot really was only designed for one grown individual and it had been poorly designed at that. Perhaps it had been a luxury when he had been on his own, but now it provided for close but awkward sleeping quarters. Lloyd’s weight on his arm had caused the limb to fall asleep; it wasn’t anything that had kept him from falling asleep himself, cheek resting against the other man’s shoulder blade.
Things would come together in all due time, whether it happened the way Eager had planned or not.

“From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.”

[Specter Flux]

WAR IS CRUELTY. THERE IS NO SENSE TRYING TO REFORM IT.

THE CRUELER IT IS, THE SOONER IT WILL BE OVER.

???Shade raised his eyebrows, staring down the radio in silence. He hadn't even considered using Eager's friendships against him. No one else deserved to take the fall with the idiot, really. But Eileen was right, it was one more way to ensure the other man wouldn't step out of line. If nothing else, it would remind him that he did have things to care about in the Enclave even if he insisted that he was an 'outsider' again. "That's good to know."

???Tricky. The entire situation was more complicated than Shade ever could have imagined when he first set foot in the Mojave. Back then all he'd wanted to do was reconnect with the rest of the Enclave - even the relative obscurity of the person in charge had meant nothing in comparison to it. He'd thought when he arrived on the Strip there would be order, stability, some return to their old undisputed superiority over the wasteland. Eager had been a resounding disappointment in so many ways. And he continued to disappoint even when he was no longer around. As sensible as it was, Shade didn't believe he'd take to the lie easily.

???"He was out at the clinic lab the last I heard." Sooner or later, more was the pity, they would need to discuss things with Eager. It would be simple, Shade thought for a moment, just to kill him and be done with it, say he'd died from the complications of his injuries. There would be no one around to dispute their story. But that would also prevent them from putting a relatable face on the incident, and those who knew he was recovering might protest. "Would you have someone get in contact with him?" No reason he shouldn't join in their sleepless night.

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

- Eileen Compton-

“In silence - and in self-defense - I figured things out in my own little way.”

There were a lot of suggestions that could be made; each of which were more grim than the last, but Eileen wasn’t exactly the type of person to suggest a man be killed simply because his agenda didn’t mesh exactly with the others’. Eager still had the Enclave’s best interests in mind…even if he tended to consider others’ best interests as well. “Yes sir, my scouts actually reported that he is at Vault 3 as luck would have it.” That would be a little easier said than done, she was accustomed to standard use of the radios but had never attempted to hold a conversation with more than one other radio at a time. That was, of course, where the comms officer came in. When informed of Shade’s orders, the woman offered to get the signal set up for her.
As the comms officer worked on the radio, Eileen was sure to observe the steps that were taken; they didn’t seem any more difficult than the standard usage, but she did note a few differences. When contact was established, she realized the Vault 3 comms officer had been waiting to hear from someone requesting to speak to Eager. That much had been apparent in the tone before they went to seek out the man in question.

While she waited, she couldn’t help but to wonder if it was wise to start pulling Eager around so early; certainly time was of the essence but didn’t Shade need a solid plan of action first besides implying Eager’s actions my get his friends and other killed? Eager seemed to be aware of that already, as did the rest of them.
God it was too early to be twisting the arm of someone on the same said.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

♤ Ɍandal Ɇager ♤

"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.”

Even after all that, he still couldn’t sleep so he lay there in the dark, staring up toward the ceiling. He hadn’t been able to get as comfortable as he would have liked, after all he would be leaving early in the morning and he hadn’t brought anything suitable to sleep in. More likely than not, awake he would remain until he unexpectedly drifted off to sleep or morning arrived; the later more likely.
Maybe it had been his imagination, but Randal could almost distinguish a darker black within the other black—the outline of the ceiling and the tops of the walls—and it seemed to move away from him the longer he stared. The ‘impression’ remained even when he closed his eyes—although it was hard to tell it was so pitch black in there. If he hadn’t been confident in the sturdiness of the vault’s construction, he may have bolted from the room in fright of a moving ceiling, a thought that almost got a quiet sort of laugh from him until a knock startled him and suddenly he couldn’t make out the shapes of anything in the darkness anymore. He groped for a light switch but the hydraulic door was already in the process of opening and allowed a flood of familiar artificial light. The starkness was almost unreal as was the reason for the person’s unannounced visit. “President Shade wishes to speak to you.” As unreal as an unpleasant dream, maybe...he almost preferred a nightmare to this.

Oh, well then. Randal bit back the urge to refuse on the basis that he had better things to do than to listen to an egotistical warmonger but he knew better. Even if he refused he would probably be dragged out and have the headset jammed onto his head one way or another. At least if he complied he’d keep some of his dignity in tact by not looking like a fool and broadcasting his misgivings to a larger audience. The thought never the less soured his stomach as he returned the pillow, which he had absently carried under his arm, to the bed and complied with the officer’s request—it was more of an un-emphasized demand than anything.
The walk to the communications room was terribly awkward as any attempts at conversation on Randal’s part—anything but the task at hand was fair game but he never the less found himself asking—was met by short, almost curt replies that left Randal wondering if he had done something to personally offend the man or if Shade’s dislike for him had begun to color the rest of the Enclave’s interactions. There really wasn’t time to ask, either, when he found himself alone in a room of electronics and a desk with radio equipment in a far-off corner.
Be polite he told himself and hesitated, thumb rubbing the worn button on the mic before it was finally pressed. “President Shade, good evening.”

“Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed."

[Specter Flux]

WAR IS CRUELTY. THERE IS NO SENSE TRYING TO REFORM IT.

THE CRUELER IT IS, THE SOONER IT WILL BE OVER.

???Evening? It was still evening? Shade hoped not. Having all three of them blackout tired next morning wouldn't help matters. He'd never been able to go easily without sleep; sure, it had happened every now and then out in the wasteland but the days without a shift off to rest had been few and far between, and he preferred it that way. He'd rather not have anyone in the Enclave running themselves ragged. Aside from a few individuals who seemed to thrive on such treatment, it didn't make sense. Everyone had been worn thin enough as it was.

???"Thank you for joining us." Not as though Eager had a choice, but there was little else to say in the moment. And it was better to be civil. The man had some narrow utility despite his failings. "Has anyone filled you in on what happened?"

???There was a pause on Eager's end. "No. I'm sure that's no one's fault however." Shade frowned slightly at the automatic defense. Of course it wasn't anyone's fault. No one needed protection that he could see. Did Eager think he was just looking for a reason to lash out? There were more important things to do . "Of course," Shade said neutrally. "I only just found out myself."

???Part of him did want to turn on Eager; blame him for the whole mess. The man should have known what would come of being so soft-hearted towards wastelanders. Quibble all you wanted about their ultimate value, the Enclave had to come first. All the same, he continued without accusation. "The expedition met a ghoul down in Vault 22. They turned her loose after they left and she went running to the NCR with the news. Now Crocker is up in arms convinced it all leads back to you and I suspect it won't be long before he has the military backing him." Shade paused briefly to let the situation sink in. "I want to claim the attack on you was part of a conspiracy to cripple the factions of New Vegas. If we have the locals on our side we may be able to remove the NCR without engaging in open warfare."

[[Timewise helped.]]

[ExcessivelyTimewise]

♤ Ɍandal Ɇager ♤

"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.”

Randal listened to Shade while he found himself exploring the contents of the desk, a handful of discolored and brittle-looking paperclips was all his curiosity yielded.His brain followed every word spoken, but there was a degree of resistance in which it accepted it: something about the other man’s voice stirred some resentment. Was he bitter? Perhaps, but he reminded himself there would have been a bigger can of worms opened if he had stepped down...things were quite precarious as it was. More people could have gotten hurt in more ways that were not as easily mended as a demotion here and there.
Once Shade began informing him of the circumstances, the former president quieted his thoughts for the most part. He couldn't stop thinking entirely, after all. A fairly recent development? What could have happened to have Shade up so late? What a laugh. Shade would have left him out of the loop if the cause for his radio summons had been anywhere from a week to even months old…it was just something Randal wouldn’t put past the guy the more he skirted the uneasiness that Shade inspired. However, even then in his moment of politely contained distaste, Randal still felt shaky at the concept of having to speak to the man in person, however.

There had been someone left? No. There couldn’t have been any. Dredd would have mentioned it to him, or Martin would have, or both. Instead, there had been the disappointing news that no one had been spared by the plants. Randal wasn’t going to make excuses for Dredd and those involved in the expedition, but he found himself wondering if that had been the case—even if the chances were direly slim. It wasn’t the case, he told himself with a sad sigh. Any survivors would have been infected and overcome by the spores of the weird plants the Enclave had encountered in the Vault. The next thing, however, soured his stomach. It wasn’t the truth, not at all. Yes, he had misled people and yes he had woven white lies but those had been to protect himself and others. No one had been hurt by them in the end…until…then. Randal set the ruined paperclips aside and touched the bandages at his throat, suddenly so much more uncertain than he had talked himself up to moments before. There was silence for a few moments before Shade inquired if he was still there.

His tone was measured, if there had been any start protest--as Shade no doubt expected--it wasn't present. “Yes…I...I am all for damaging the NCR's reputation as they seem the sort to have taken out House in roughly the same way Dredd had--reports from an agent on the inside prove they had similar plans for the Kings. But still...pushing the NCR out of New Vegas completely could remove any remaining disincentives the Legion may have for directly attacking the Strip, not to mention any power we receive from the Hoover dam would be cut as the NCR would no doubt attempt to uproot and dislodge the Enclave.”
But of course Shade, being a far better leader than he had been, probably did not need someone like Eager to rehash something so obvious. Still, Randal did so to state where he stood on the matter, if Shade thought him an idiot there would be nothing that could convince him otherwise. That was also the point. “If we could only pin the NCR’s hands at their side with some agreement they made with House...it could buy us more time.” Biting the tip of his thumb lightly in thought momentarily, he continued when the train of thought took a new track. “ The army of Securitrons.. if the signal from the 38’s mainframe could reach the bunker House had all of his Securitrons in…we’d have a formidable army as opposed to relying on the NCR as a meat shield and trying to avoid being wiped out by them, New Vegas doesn’t have that kind of power. Half the 38’s generators were offline the last time I asked Yes Man to check. There should be some way we can take more electrical power from under them. Helios is already running at its limit.”

There would be some much at stake if they were to take an openly hostile route. In that coolly-lit but still stuffy room of quiet-running machinery, Randal felt the cold touch of fear--the memory of running and having to fight tooth and nail simply to stay alive while leading the others to a place he had hoped they could live fairly peacefully. Total peace was unrealistic, but full-blown war was every bit as foolish to pursue. "I understand I am in no position to tell you how to do your job, President Shade but please consider other alternatives to removing the NCR's presence...we simply do not have the manpower with or without the Brotherhood of Steel's survivors backing us up. "

“Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed."