บท 628: Remnanticience

The next people Afton encounters is actually Miles and Melissa, who both seem glad to finally be out of their armour and able to relax. Both were sharing drinks with some of their other colleagues from the Brotherhood. He decides not to bother them, as they seem to be having enough fun without him popping up... Besides, he knew some of the former Brotherhood members still resented him for ruining the Chapter they had lived in for their entire lives... He couldn't blame them, and as long as they stayed trustworthy when performing their duties he wouldn't bother them either. Especially with the Chips they'd all been tagged with.

The next group was actually just a bunch of elderly men... The Enclave Remnants, Dean Domino, Raul... Arcade Gannon was there too, but, he was more of a hanger-on while the others spoke about the 'good old days'.

The Remnants had been a bit iffy about socializing with Ghouls, but quickly warmed up to the duo when discussing the past. Raul and Dean told stories of what it was like before the war, something the Remnants appreciated, especially considering the Enclave indoctrinated their soldiers on the basis of 'returning to how things were'... Hearing real experiences from real people interested the Remnants greatly.

"You guys alright? The music not too loud for your fragile ears?" Afton asks as he leans on a nearby table.

Johnson gives a firm nod, "Yeah, nothing like some drinks after a massacre!... That didn't come out right." he admits after a moment.

Orion just shakes his head, "Who are you calling fragile? We still got some fight in us, as the NCR and Legion damn well saw."

Afton nods, "And what a sight it was... Thanks for coming guys. I know you primarily did it for Daisy, but, Bulwark appreciates it nonetheless."

Arcade scoffs, "Yeah, Bulwark and Solphelicity... I'm not really sure to trust House on his word. It wouldn't surprise me if the rest of the Mojave ended up like Freeside..." he mutters.

Johnson nods after taking a long drink, "Yeah, and that name! 'Solphelicity', I'd bet that most wastelanders can't even pronounce it!"

"I think I get what House was going for with it... Felicity in Latin literally means 'Happy', and in English can mean 'Bliss and Luck', which represents New Vegas to a tee... I think there might be more to it, but that goes over my head I'm afraid... Maybe encourage literacy or something?" he guesses but everyone else shakes their heads, not believing that to be the case.

Afton leans forwards, "What were you guys talking about anyway?"

Doc Henry grins and gestures at Raul, "Just reminiscing... Did you know Raul here was a mechanic before the war... Then became a gunslinger? Ha! Makes me feel like I've lived a boring life compared to these two."

Afton nods, "Well, when you live that long it's hard not to do something interesting eventually... Hey, I wanted to ask, what are you guys going to do now? You gonna split and go your own ways like last time? Or do you wanna stick around and help out a bit?..." he asks, causing the group to go silent in contemplation.

"That an offer kid?" Johnson asks after a moment of thought.

Afton shrugs his shoulders, "Consider it a formal invitation to work for Bulwark. Now that the NCR and Legion are high-tailing it outta the Mojave, Bulwark's main objective will be to industrialise the Mojave, produce technology that can increase the average standard of living, and creating protection to obstruct any kind of attack the Mojave may encounter... So, nukes, asteroids, armies, you name it." he explains, and gets approving nods from the people present. This is especially so for Arcade, who'd be meaning to quit as soon as the battle was overdue to his abhorrence of war, violence, and things of a similar nature.

While he could see that Bulwark was working in everyone's best interest at the moment, history stated that it wouldn't be long before its purpose became corrupted and altered. He was actually pretty sure Bulwark would declare war on House, or start invading other territories outside the Mojave as soon as the battle was over... It just made the most sense, especially if you consider the sheer military power it could present at a moments notice.

Afton pushes himself off of the table he was leaning against and shakes the Remnants hands, "Then, I hope we can achieve many things together. Oh, Doc Henry, Arcade, if you want to... Learn. From our scientists, I'd suggest a cautious approach... I'm sure you've already heard stories about them from your short time here..." he trails off before giving the group a short wave and leaving.

Henry glances around at those present, "What's he mean by that?" he asks, apparently not having heard about the Think Tank scientists.

"Ah..." Arcade mutters, "I remember hearing something about the 'scientists' living in the Think Tank. Apparently, they weren't the most 'moral' scientists you can encounter... Or the most sane..."

Dean chuckles, "That's putting it lightly... I've met the one they call Borous while observing those strange Deathclaws that're being bred. Terrifying things. And I'm not talking about the Deathclaws. The scientists used to lobotomise everything that entered this place, only stopping when our 'lord and saviour' took the reigns... Borous seemed to be fairly stable, but from how he describes his colleagues, I'd steer clear of some of them... Dala in particular, that one makes a hobby out of dissecting people." he says with a shiver.

Henry sips his drink, "As long as they are under control now, I think it'd be fine to learn from them... Just imagine the knowledge they've gathered from centuries of study from before and after the Great War..."

Arcade nods, "It may be the biggest knowledge-stockpile left in the entire world... Huh, think of that."