Joshua Graham's Trip to the City of Sin

Part 10: End of The Road

"Oh! Hello Carrie! Did not expect to see you back so soon! How've you been?"

The voice boomed with a metallic flair as they entered.

"Eyy! Yes-Man! How you doing, big guy? You enjoying those new upgrades?"

"Yes Ma'am! The faster software yields an increased power threshold of over 200%."

"Good to hear buddy! Good to hear!"

Carrie turned to Joshua and whispered,

"I got no idea what the hell he's saying. Shh, don't tell him that."

Joshua nodded in acknowledgement and slight confusion as he gazed upon the so-called 'Yes Man'. He appeared to be a giant, smiling face, oozing with a chipper friendliness, slapped onto an even bigger computer screen.

"It's been an awful long time since we last spoke, huh? What can I do you for? "

"Just want you to meet him."

She motioned towards Joshua who nodded at the screen.

"Ahh...I think I know who that is. If my records are accurate, that is Joshua Graham! The Malpais Legate! The Burned Man! The original Beast from the East! Not like that hack of a Legate Lanius! He was a terrible leader! I'm so glad you murdered him with extreme prejudice!"

"Thanks Yes-Man! Joshua, thank him."

"T-Thank you. But I prefer just 'Graham' or 'Joshua'."

"No problem! Anything else Carrie?"

"Actually yeah..."

She leant against the console and spoke confidently.

"Search for the nearest Vault-Tec HQ and send the location to my Pip-Boy."

"Scanning...Scanning...Scanning..."

"You don't have to say 'Scanning' while scanning. Just scan."

"My bad! Here's some relaxing music to fill up the time slot!"

A speaker appeared and started playing a generic elevator jazz song, mostly corrupted after years of damage.

Joshua found it slightly grating, meanwhile Carrie was shifting from side-to-side, eyes closed, clearing enjoying the sultry sounds of the jazz and piano.

"Location found! The nearest Vault-Tec Headquarters is located in the ruins of Los Angeles!"

Yes-Man projected a hologram beside the console, showcasing a skyscraper, now mostly reduced to rubble but somehow still standing regardless amongst the nuclear wastes of L.A.

"L.A. huh? Kind of a trek. Good thing I've still got that Highwayman in storage."

Joshua looked at Carrie puzzled.

"Carrie? What would you need there? What about New Vegas?"

"Just gotta grab a doohickey from there. I've got a plan I'm setting up. Too complicated to explain."

"And what...'doohickey' is that?"

"A Pip-Boy locator. Used by VT to track all Pip-Boys in the country."

"Why would you ever need that?"

"Remember what Arcade said? About that tribal and that kid in Washington? They're like me. Got Pip-Boys same as me. Did things only heard in stories. They're heroes. Legends almost. Urban myths."

Carrie's tone was too serious for her. Graham hadn't ever heard her talk this before. It...scared him?

"Remember what you told me? About the fires that surrounded you that day? About how the fire inside burnt a million times brighter? I felt it too. When I was shot and thrown in a shallow grave, there was one little spark inside that just wouldn't go out."