As Afton had suspected, the servos of the Power armour were designed for those with regular, or above-average strength... Afton certainly wasn't in either category, so when he tried to move in the armour, he felt slow and sluggish.
There was, of course, a good reason for this, if the strength was set too high the armour might tear someone's arm off, but that wasn't really a problem for Afton who had 11 Strength and potentially more depending on the circumstances.
To rectify this he explained his varying strength to the scientists and got them to recalibrate it, and add some leniency for when his strength increased in combat. Though, Afton didn't really think it was possible for him to take damage while in the suit, so his strength might well stay the same while he is wearing it.
After a few more hours of testing, Afton was finally happy with the armour... It still needed some touch-ups here and there, but he'd let the scientists handle that. Hopefully Tamia wouldn't take too long to find a doctor or he might just head to the Fort without her.
Elsewhere :
"Those fuckers took ma' gun!" Drake exclaims as he sits up, aggravating his injuries further.
"Will you just lay the fuck down and stop ruining the work I just put in? You tear the stitches one more time and I'll let you bleed out!" Madeleine growls out, resting a hand on her shoulder with a threatening look.
"W-well we can't just do nothin'! They stole my shit and stopped us from raking in the caps!"
"I don't know, I heard that this Parker guy is tougher than all of his group combined... I think you are lucky he wasn't in the base." Hunter adds from the side, placing pieces of shrapnel on the makeshift table as if he were doing a puzzle.
Madeleine nods, "Just looks at Stasus, I ain't seen him beat up this bad since fighting that Lanius fucker..."
Drake scowls, "Don't remind me, this is the second damn time we've had to run away with nothing to show for it!"
Madeleine just shakes her head, "Better than what most groups do... Most groups don't go waltzing into a heavily fortified town and come out alive."
Drake jus snorts, "Barely."
"Well too bad you lost your gun, but I had to use all of my decoy's to save your sorry butt!" Hunter states, wondering if trading his grenades for Drake's life was even worth it.
"Hunter, that gun isn't something you can get back like a grenade, it's a prototype the NCR had hidden away in a lab, I doubt there's another like it in the world!"
Madeleine scoffs, "Well you shoulda thought about that before getting cocky. Now, we're headed to the NCR Outpost to rest up, afterwards we can think on what we should do afterwards." she states, not giving Drake any opportunity to complain.
Elsewhere :
Tamia had just entered the Strip from Freeside, she'd been getting the stink-eye from every NCR soldier she walks past, but she ignores it. They had probably been told of her affiliation with Afton and his group, but didn't want to offend House by acting against her.
Still, it was getting pretty annoying... She'd gone from a courier with amnesia to Houses agent with a storied past. Who is also incredibly famous and known throughout the Mojave.... For some reason.
Shaking her head, she greets Victor and enters the Lucky 38, travelling up the elevator and eventually standing before Mr House, or at least the computer that claims to be him.
"You're back... And without having completed the task I've given you I might add." House states knowingly.
Tamia just shrugs at him, "To be honest, I haven't really had the chance... I've been pretty busy."
"Indeed you have, how's Novac coming along? Look to me like you have the start of an independent nation brewing."
Tamia shakes her head, "Nothing like that, we're just making sure the town and its people are safe. With both the NCR and Legion wanting the position and Afton, the place would have been destroyed without our intervention."
"Ah, now that I agree with. Both sides would fling faeces at each other until nothing remains of the town but a crater. But that is not what worries me, it is your relationship with this Afton Parker that I am finding difficult. The revelation of his origins that the Legion so helpfully shouted across the Mojave has tainted your reputation, and subsequently, mine." House explains.
Tamia squints at him, not liking where this is going, "And what would you have me do? Cut ties and find some other group willing to raid the Legion's headquarters?"
"No, no. Not at all. Even I could see Afton and his group's worth in causing utter mayhem and destruction. You will need something like that in order to get out alive. No, all I am saying is to be careful who you are seen collaborating with. As far as I'm concerned, the Legion can sit in their radioactive squaller and die out in agony... But the NCR is a useful ally to have, they provide the majority of New Vegas's income I'll have you know. The tourism, gambling, whoring, and luxuries the NCR civilians and soldiers imbibe, breathe life into this city. Without them, I'd be forced to deal with tribes and wanderers, which certainly wouldn't lead to the civilised society I am trying to foster."
Tamia nods, "Good, because I have no intentions of betraying them. Plus, if you need a persuasive reason to keep them around, know that Afton has access to technologies and scientists far above whatever the NCR and Legion have available. I'd want to keep on his good side if I were you, the shit I've already seen him doing is far beyond anything I've seen in New Vegas." she explains, not giving the man any specifics but letting him know just how valuable Afton could potentially be.
"Hm? Is that so? Perhaps I need to reevaluate his worth then..." House mutters before turning his attention back to Tamia. "Now, what is it you have come here for?"
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
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Thankfully, House did know of one 'decent' doctor who might be willing to temporarily relocate. He'd sent Tamia down to the Old Mormon Fort where the Followers of the Apocolypse were located.
Apparently, the group had been causing him trouble since they moved in, messing with RobCo tech when they had the chance, attempting to hack into the Lucky 38 to find the source of House's longevity, and even telling new visitors to New Vegas to not waste their lives away in a casino... Yeah, House didn't like them one bit.
So, Tamia considered that she may have been sent to 'steal' one of their doctors to slow the group's influence gain in Freeside. The Followers of the Apocolypse were basically the only charity service in the Mojave, and they spent most of their time healing those in need, helping people with addictions, and providing shelter to those who'd spent their life savings in the strip.
Tamia thought they were pretty respectable, regardless though, Novac needed a doctor. And that is where she'd find one. House had told her about one man who was considered better than the rest, more researcher and scientist than an actual doctor from what he'd managed to find out.
Arcade Isreal Gannon.
It isn't difficult to enter the Mormon Fort, for all intents and purposes it's almost always open. The only exception to this rule is when gangs attempt to raid the place for medical supplies and to take advantage of the weak and injured.
As has become usual these days, she receives hard and curious looks from various people as she walks in. A woman with a wild mohawk walks towards her with a stern expression, "Excuse me, do you have business here?"
Tamia raises a brow at the oddly hostile greeting, "Yeah, I'm looking for a guy called Arcade Gannon, know 'em?"
"Depends on why you need him." she states, and Tamia just huffs at the woman.
"I just need to talk with him, that's all."
Julia lets out a long sigh and gestures towards a tent at the back of the fort, "He should be over there, I'll be keeping an eye on you though." he states and Tamia nods, walking over to the tent.
Tamia approaches the tent and enters inside, spotting a man with short blonde hair and glasses hunched over a table with heaps of paperwork. "Er, hello?"
The man jolts at the sudden greeting and slowly turns to her, "Hi. You need something?" he abruptly and rather rudely asks.
Tamia nods, "I'm here to ask for your help-"
"Oh, really." Arcade cuts her off, "Let me guess, Someone sprained their ankle and everyone else is busy with more pressing matters? OH! Or have they run outta coffee again?"
Tamia raises a brow, "Er, no... Does-"
"Ah, I know! Did they need someone to clean the faeces from someone's clothes?" he asks, seemingly frustrating himself further as he continue.
"No!" Tamia finally exclaims, stopping Arcade's rant. "I don't even work with the Followers of the Apocolypse... Is that something they usually make you do?" she asks, feeling like Arcade smarter than that Julia chick she'd spoken with earlier.
Arcade shrugs, "Alright, I may have been slightly facetious, but not by much. My research is important, and yet they treat it like toilet paper, sure it's on a bit of a slump, but you can't force progress!" he sighs and looks back at her, "You said you needed help?"
Tamia nods, "Not just me, but a whole town. I come from Novac, you heard of it?"
His eyes light up in recognition, "Ah, yes, I've heard of it... And you more importantly... The mysterious courier working for House, right?"
"I wouldn't say 'mysterious', just forgettable." she jokes.
Arcade snorts, "Forgettable? You're making history... I'm still undecided whether that's good or not though... What do you need from me? From what I heard Novac has become a fortress, I'm not exactly soldier material."
Tamia looks him over, "I don't know, I think you have potential... But that besides the point, we need a doctor. The town was hit hard the other day by some mercenaries hired by the NCR or the Legion... Or both... To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if there was a third party involved with attention we've attracted."
"A doctor, huh?... I don't know, I mean, my research might be in a slump but it's nothing a bit of elbow grease couldn't fix... Plus there are probably hundreds of other doctors you could hire that aren't using their skills for the betterment of their fellow man."
Tamia shrugs, "There probably are, but I doubt I could trust them. Who's to say they won't be bribed to botch procedures, poison the citizens, and assassinate high priority targets? At least you come with a rather fantastic recommendation."
"Recommendation?" questions Arcade who seems thoroughly confused.
Tami nods, "House sent me in your direction. If that ain't something to be proud about then I don't know what is."
"H-House? He knows who I am?... He's watching me?" Arcade chokes at her words, the implications of which making him look around the tent anxiously.
"Forget about that, if he wanted to do something he wouldn't have sent me here... Plus, he seems to have a good opinion of you, better than the rest of the people here. Anyway, you wouldn't have to stop your research, just put it on hold whenever someone gets injured... Think of it as a scientific expedition." she urges, attempting to persuade the man.
"Hmm... I mean, people do say that working on a problem from different angles helps its completion... Novac..." he trails off, "Do you know someone called Daisy? They should still be living there." he asks, sitting up straight.
Tamia nods, "Daisy's fun. She'd currently the mayor of Novac."
...
"Mayor? Huh, never thought she'd willingly take that job." he shakes his head, "Whatever, you've convinced me." he says, standing up and grabbing a satchel and stuffing his papers inside, afterwards grabbing a bunch of medical supplies and storing them.
As he's doing this Tamia notices the Plasma defender holstered on his hip under his lab coat. At least he knows how to defend himself she thinks to herself.
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Chris Lindsey
Kingsprovince
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